MSU’s research legacy 2017

STARKVILLE, Miss. - Mississippi State University continued building its legacy as a world-class research institution throughout 2017. MSU made headlines for achievements in agriculture and forestry, computer science, engineering, and its designation as FAA’s Center of Excellence for Unmanned Aircraft Systems. MSU researchers are also leading projects with local and global impact, including creating more sustainable beaches and barrier islands on the Gulf Coast. The year wrapped up with an announcement that MSU had maintained its ranking among the nation’s top 100 research institutions by the National Science Foundation, as well as its position as the Magnolia State’s highest-ranked research university. MSU was also tapped by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems Demonstration Range Facility, which consists of multiple sites primarily in southern and coastal Mississippi. MSU is the state’s largest university with a Fall 2017 enrollment of 21,883 students representing all 50 states and 80-plus foreign countries. (Source: Mississippi State University 12/28/17)

U.S. Rep to get MSNG promotion

JACKSON, Miss. - Major General Janson D. Boyles, adjutant general of Mississippi, announced the promotion of Col. Trent Kelly to the rank of brigadier general. The ceremony will be held here on Jan. 20 at the Mississippi National Guard Joint Force Headquarters. Kelly represents Mississippi’s 1st Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives. He will be the first sitting Mississippi congressman to also serve as a Mississippi National Guard general officer since Maj. Gen. G.V. “Sonny” Montgomery. Kelly is Director of the Joint Staff at the guard HQ. The Saltillo, Miss., native has served in the state’s Army National Guard for more than 32 years as a combat engineer. (Source: Mississippi National Guard 12/15/17)

MSU alum garners 3-D print patent

When it comes to 3-D printing, spaghetti-like results can be costly. "I don't know if you've ever seen a 3-D printer malfunction, but a lot of times it can produce something that looks an awful lot like a plate of spaghetti," said Jeremy Straub, assistant computer science professor at North Dakota State University. Straub, who graduated with a master's degree in computer science from Mississippi State University in 2010, received a patent Dec. 19 for a new 3-D printing technology that would help detect and correct mistakes of 3-D printed objects. Straub was the lead inventor on UND’s research team. The team created the plan for imaging software that uses sensors in a 3-D printer to collect data during the printing process. The imagery data is compared to the design model. If discrepancies are found, it automatically stops, and the new technology assesses whether the 3-D printer can self-correct or whether there is a need for human involvement. There are numerous reasons for wanting this type of quality assurance, including a range from parts that have operational and safety implications with jet engines. (Source: Columbus Dispatch 12/27/17)

Sailors make icy-accident rescue

Sailors assigned to Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 1 at the Seabee base in Gulfport, Miss., helped rescue a civilian involved in a Dec. 8 car accident on an icy patch of Highway 49 in Hattiesburg. Equipment Operator 3rd Class Cristian Benton and Equipment Operator Constructionman Daniel Sellmeyer had gotten orders to deliver a fuel truck to Camp Shelby, near Hattiesburg, to refuel a convoy scheduled return to the Gulfport base. Road conditions were worsening due to freeze warnings and snow. While driving north on Highway 49, the sailors maneuvered into the median during the icy conditions to avoid a potential accident. When returning the truck back into traffic, they heard screeching tires and the sounds of a crash. A vehicle swerved into an embankment and ended up in a creek. It began to fill up with water. Benton ran into the chest-deep waters to check on driver who could not get out of the car. Benton searched for something to break a window. “I heard Sellmeyer yelling ‘Hey! Use the battery!’ It had been ejected from the car. He smashed a window and got to the driver. Sellmeyer examined the driver for any injuries. Prior to service, he was an emergency medical technician. “We got lucky. I hate to think what would have happened to this man had we not been there,” said Sellmeyer. “We were just in the right place at the right time, with the right set of skills.” (Source: Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 1 12/15/17) The duo was each awarded with a Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal.

Prez backs 2.4% & 1.9% mil/fed raises

President Donald Trump issued executive orders for a 2.4 percent pay raise for the military and a 1.9 percent pay raise for federal workers effective Jan. 1. The military raise would be the largest since 3.4 percent in 2010. In a Dec. 22 notice to lawmakers, the President announced intentions to go with the 2.4 percent military raise that was part of the 2018 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) signed Dec. 12. Office of Management and Budget initially proposed a 2.1 percent military raise. The proposals of NDAA have yet to be funded by either appropriation committees in Congress. To avoid a government shutdown, the House and Senate passed another Continuing Resolution last week to keep spending at 2017 levels until Jan. 22, when they’ll try again to reach an overall budget agreement. Federal employee unions have argued for pay parity with the military. (Source: Military.com 12/25/17)

NASP couple makes 50-year return

Mike and Margaret Volpe made out in the middle of the Pensacola (Fla.) International Airport ticketing area on Christmas Eve like teenagers on a hot date. It wasn’t the first time for the 70 year olds. It was a celebration of when they first met on a chance encounter Christmas Eve morning in 1976. He was a young Navy officer assigned to the training carrier USS Lexington at Naval Air Station Pensacola. She was a research scientist on base at the Naval Aerospace Medical Institute. She was going home to Charleston, S.C., and hauling an overflow bundle of presents. He was flying home to New York state and lent her a hand. They've been together ever since. The couple returned to the Pensacola airport on Dec. 24 to revisit the start of their love story. The Volpes, who live in Virginia, have two kids and two grandkids. Their recent return to Pensacola was their first to the region 1989. (Source: Pensacola News Journal 12/24/17) NASP has been among the few sites for first-time naval aviators, many of which wind up in advanced flight training at NAS Meridian, Miss. USS Lexington was, at one time, used for NASM pilots to carrier qualify.

USM research military protective wear

Polymer science labs at the University of Southern Mississippi are doing research that could lead to enhanced protective wear for U.S. military troops. A $4.9M grant from the Army Research Laboratory (ARL) has enabled the School of Polymer Science and Engineering to acquire a state-of-the-art Xeuss 2.0 Small-Angle/Wide-Angle scattering system, which enables high-performance measurements. The grant is part of a $20M, two-year collaboration between USM, Temple University, University of North Texas, and University of Southern California to develop ballistic protection applications. The funding will allow rapid design, development, measurement, testing, modeling and prototyping for strategic areas of interest determined by ARL researchers. USM is the only university in the Southeast that has a Xeuss 2.0 system, which fortifies USM’s reputation as a global leader in polymer science. Olivia D. McNair, manager of pneumatic aterials science and engineering programs, said researchers can begin to target or predict materials that will demonstrate the best performance for ballistic applications. (Source: Clarion Ledger 112/23/17)

Threats don’t take a holiday

On this Christmas morning, there are U.S. service members protecting the nation around the world. Many are traveling home for the holidays, but let’s remember there are hundreds of thousands still on duty because threats don’t take a holiday. Over all, there are about 1.3 million personnel on active duty, and 810,800 in the selected reserves – serving on all seven continents and in more than 170 countries. From its birth, the Navy has been an expeditionary force. Sailors will man their ships from the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Mexico. About 33 percent of the Navy is deployed at anytime – measuring more than 100,000 sailors and Marines afloat on Christmas - performing missions that can’t stop for holidays. Although serving around the globe, service members can take time to remember the holidays. It is the way it has been since Valley Forge in 1778. The bottom line is that the American military stands guard so the world can know - or hope for - peace. (Source: Defense Media 12/19/17) Gulf Coast Note: Regional service members deploy worldwide from the Seabees at Gulfport, Miss., to Tyndall AFB, Fla.

L-3 mod pact for $26.9M

L-3 Communications Corp. of Madison, Miss., has been awarded a $26,988,821 modification (P00240) to contract W58RGZ-10-C-0107 for a three-month period of performance for services, maintenance, repairs and support of 59 government-owned aircraft. Work will be performed in Madison with an estimated completion date of March 31, 2018. FY 2018 Army operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $26,988,821 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Ala. is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD 12/22/17)

Exiting Mississippi

JACKSON, Miss. - For three consecutive years, the U.S. Census Bureau is estimating that Mississippi’s population continues to fall - losing nearly 8,000 people to out-migration (more moving away than moving in). Overall, the Magnolia State lost about 1,300 people between July 1, 2016 and July 1, 2017. The population is estimated to be 2.98 million. Mississippi is the only southern state, besides West Virginia, seeing outmigration. John Green, a University of Mississippi professor who heads the school’s Center for Population Studies, says people are leaving in “search for socio-economic opportunities and well-being.” The state’s recovery from the 2008 recession has been one of the nation’s weakest. Those leaving appear to be the young and more educated, he continued. Only half of the graduates of state’s eight public universities are working in the state five years after graduation. Mississippi is one of eight states estimated to lose population. Louisiana is another. (Source: Clarion Ledger 12/21/17)

Twelve new aviators earn ‘Wings’

NAS MERIDIAN, Miss. - Twelve brand new Naval Aviators - 10 Navy and a pair of Marines - received their coveted "Wings of Gold" during a designation ceremony Dec. 21 aboard Naval Air Station Meridian, Miss. The ceremony marked the culmination of nearly two years of specialized training, which has prepared the officers for the demands of aerial combat and carrier operations, which earn each the title of "Naval Aviator" and the right to wear the coveted Navy "Wings of Gold." (Source: Meridian Star 12/21/17) The Mississippi Council of the Navy League presented the Golden Stick Award to Lt. Christopher O'Donnell during the winging ceremony. The award is earned by the aviator from each graduating class with the highest composite score.

Blue Angels seeking apps for 2019

PENSACOLA, Fla. - The Navy’s Blue Angels flight demonstration team is seeking motivated officer and enlisted applicants for its 2019 show season, according to NAVADMIN 298/17. Enlisted applicants will spend about five days working with the Blue Angels at a show site, home at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla., or winter training facility in El Centro, Calif. After all applicants have been interviewed, the team will gather together to make final selections. The required obligated service for enlisted personnel is 36 months. Navy/Marine Corps pilots will be required to remain on active-duty for two years following completion of their assignment with the Blue Angels. Enlisted applications must be postmarked no later than May 1. Final selections will be made in June. Officer applications should be submitted no later than April 30. Final selections will be made in July. (Source: Blue Angels 12/20/17)

$2.2B T-6 contract for CAFB

JPATS Logistics Services LLC of Cape Canaveral, Fla., has been awarded a single award, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract with a five-year ordering period and a maximum value of $2,200,000,000 for the Joint Primary Aircraft Training System T-6 contractor operated and maintained base supply (COMBS) services, which will provide a full spectrum of transparent supply chain management services to support safe, flyable T-6 aircraft to meet users’ daily flight schedules, consistent with Department of Defense and commercial sector best practices in procuring, producing and delivering products and services to customers. These supply chain management activities include, but are not limited to, managing supply and demand, sourcing parts, assembly, disposal, warehousing and inventory tracking, order entry and order management, distribution across all channels, and delivery to the customer. This effort is required in support of COMBS for the Air Force, Navy, and Army T-6A/B/D Texan II aircraft program. Work will be performed at Columbus Air Force Base, Miss.; Laughlin Air Force Base, Texas; Randolph Air Force Base, Texas; Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas; Vance Air Force Base, Okla.; Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla.; Naval Air Station Whiting Field, Fla.; Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, Texas; Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md.; and U.S. Army Aviation Flight Test Directorate, Redstone, Ala.. Work is expected to be completed by Dec. 31, 2022. The award is the result of a competitive acquisition, and four offers were received. Fiscal 2018 operations and maintenance; operations and maintenance (Navy), and operations and maintenance (Army) funds in the amount of $10,510,542 are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8617-18-D-6213). (Source: DoD, 12/20/17)

Internships for fed civil service

JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RANDOLPH, Texas - Air Force officials are offering internships to eligible college students and recent graduates that could lead to a career path with the Air Force Civilian Service. Eligible people can take advantage of the Recent Graduates Program, Presidential Management Fellows Program, and new Premier College Intern Program. Also, the AF’s regular internship program. All are designed to promote and encourage opportunities in the federal service. To be eligible, applicants must apply within two years of completing a degree or earning a certificate. Veterans have up to six years after earning a degree or certificate to apply. (Source: Air Force Personnel Center 12/19/17)

Nom packages for disability award

JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RANDOLPH, Texas - Air Force civilian employees and Airmen with disabilities have until April 25 to submit nomination packages for the 2018 Outstanding Defense Department Employee or Service Member with a Disability Award. The award honors individual civilian employees and service members with disabilities who supported DoD’s mission, overseas contingency operations, or activities best epitomizing the qualities and core values. A person’s DoD career is considered the performance period for the award. Organizations and base-level personnel must contact their major command for additional information regarding nomination procedures. (Source: Air Force Personnel Center 12/20/17)

NASWF top small base CNIC winner

WASHINGTON – Naval Air Station Whiting Field, Fla., was the winner of the Commander, Navy Installations Command’s (CNIC) 2018 Installation Excellence Award in the small base category. The Navy's installation excellence award program recognizes the top three large and small installations. The awards are based on performance in accordance with the command's strategic goals and the Office of the Secretary of Defense’s criteria for the DoD-wide Commander-in-Chief Installation Excellence Awards. NAS Whidbey Island, Wash., was the top winner in the large installation category. (Source: Naval Installations Command 12/19/17) NASWF won the award under Capt. Todd A. Bahlau’s tenure as commander. Whiting held a change of command Dec. 18. Capt. Paul Bowdich is the new commanding officer. NASWF provides primary fixed-wing and helicopter training for the Navy and Marine Corps. Many pilots go on to jet training in the T-45C at NAS Meridian, Miss.

GTRA has generators for outages

The power outage that shut down Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport also slightly affected Columbus’ (Miss.) Golden Triangle Regional Airport. It also reinforced why GTRA has an extensive generator system designed to keep the airport running for days due to outages. The 11-hour outage, from Sunday into early Monday, canceled two GTRA inbound flights from Atlanta and one outbound flight to Atlanta. It impacted more than 100 passengers in both directions. Some 25 passengers spent the night either at the airport or local motel before flying out Monday. GTRA staff greeted them with cookies and refreshments. GTRA has a bank of generators capable of running most airport computers, terminal equipment and lighting, control tower and runway and taxiway lights. Generators are checked regularly. It also has some portable generators than can be moved where most needed. GTRA keeps three 500-gallon tanks of diesel on hand to fuel those generators for days. (Source: Daily Times Leader 12/19/17)

Solons may punt to avoid shutdown

UPDATE: WASHINGTON - An end-of-the-year promised federal government shutdown appears to have fizzled Dec. 20 after Republican leadership dropped demands to shore up shaky health insurance markets and Democrats appeared to abandon their adoption goal to protect younger undocumented immigrants from deportation. All of that appeared to lead the way for Congress to adopt another Continuing Resolution into January, and again punt the government funding issue down the road. (New York Times 12/21/17)

Previous: Congress has until midnight Dec. 22 to cut a deal to fund the military and the rest of the federal government before the last continuing resolution (CR) expires. Capitol Hill has been solely focused on the GOP tax reform bill. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) may go for another CR to fund the government through Jan. 19. The House budget bill gives the military a full year of funding, but it would be “dead on arrival” in the Senate, according to Minority Leader Chuck Shumer (D-NY). (Source: Washington Examiner 12/20/17) A government shutdown would include non-payment of military, civilian federal employees, and military and civilian retirees; and Social Security payments.

NASWF change of command

NAS WHITING FIELD, Fla. - Naval Air Station Whiting Field, Fla., will observe a change of command Dec. 18. Capt. Paul Bowdich will accept command from outgoing commander, Capt. Todd Bahlau. Bahlau’s three-year tour included multiple honors such as the Commander Navy Installation Command and Association of Defense Communities Installation excellence awards, Chief of Naval Operation’s retention and environmental awards, and the USS Bainbridge Navy Community Service Overall Excellence Award. Bahlau’s next assignment will be with the Miami (Ohio) University Naval ROTC unit. Bowdich is no stranger to NASWF. He was commander of Helicopter Training Squadron Eight from December 2011 to April 2013. Following that tour, he reported to the USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) with a deployment in support of Operation Inherent Resolve. He comes to NASWF from duty with the Naval Education and Training Command headquarters at NAS Pensacola. (Source: NAS Whiting Field 12/14/17) NAS Whiting Field is home to primary naval aviation. Many of the student-pilots that earn their Wings of Gold report for duty for advance aviation training at NAS Meridian, Miss.

MSU: A top 100 R&D university

STARKVILLE, Miss. - A recently released National Science Foundation (NSF) Higher Education Research and Development Survey for FY 2016 finds Mississippi State University ranked among the nation’s top 100 research institutions; and the state’s leading research university. The recently released survey places MSU at No. 93 overall among public and private institutions in America, based on $239.4M in total R&D expenditures. It is ranked 60th among non-medical school institutions, and 64th among public institutions. (Source: MSU 12/14/17)

New O2 system for T-45Cs

WASHINGTON - The Navy will equip all of its T-45C training jets with new oxygen-level monitoring systems by February, according to Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.). There have been a number of physiological episodes (PEs) of pilots feeling dangerously short of oxygen while flying, which caused the Navy to ground the jets while researchers evaluated the oxygen system. The Navy has already upgraded some of its T-45C Goshawks with the CRU-123, a digital version of the current CRU-99 oxygen monitor. Wicker’s announcement Dec. 13 was the first time a target date has been disclosed. The Goshawks are used for pilot training at Naval Air Station Meridian, Miss.; NAS Pensacola, Fla.; and NAS Corpus Christi, Texas. This upgrade “should help alert pilots to dangerous declines in oxygen production or pressure levels,” said Wicker in a news release outlining multiple new steps taken by the Navy to alleviate growing concerns about PEs. The Navy has grounded any T-45C that “lacks the full collection of modifications,” Wicker added. The Navy is also developing an automatic backup oxygen system scheduled for future installation across the T-45 fleet. The Navy has conducted a comprehensive review of the PE problem, but the root cause remains elusive. In October, a T-45C based out of NAS Meridian crashed in Tennessee killing both the instructor and student-pilot. It is still not known whether oxygen deprivation or contamination contributed to the crash, but has made finding a solution urgent. Additionally, pilots of F/A-18s, F/A-18E/Fs, and E/A-18Gs have also reported an increased number of PEs. The just-signed 2018 National Defense Authorization Act allows the Pentagon to authorize a competition, with a prize of up to $10M, to whoever can isolate the root cause(s) of the services’ PE issues. (Source: Defense News 12/13/17)

Busy CAFB’s units keep pilots safe

COLUMBUS AFB, Miss. - The Air Force is known for its pilots’ ability to keep the skies safe from America’s enemies. But who keeps the pilots safe? Aircrew Flight Equipment crews throughout the AF to ensure pilots’ gear and equipment are ready at mission time. At Columbus Air Force Base, the AFE unit is one of the busiest in the service because they are also responsible for instructor pilots and student-pilots going through Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training. The AFE airmen, assigned to all of the base’s various Flying Training Squadrons (FTS), take care of 150 instructors and more than 400 students’ gear to the best of their ability, “but it’s 10 times busier than that,” said Staff Sgt. Dale Thibodeaux, the squads’ non-commissioned officer in charge. “I can’t see any other AFE units being busier than this,” he said. Each of the FTS has an AFE unit attached. All 14th Student Squadron pilots go through the 37th and 41st FTS to learn how to fly the T-6A Texan II. “Our job is to make sure when a pilot goes out the door everything is good to go,” said Senior Airman Hayden Harrison, 48th FTS AFE technician. (Source: Columbus AFB 12/12/17)

Santa arrives at CAFB via T-1A

COLUMBUS AFB, Miss. - Santa Claus and three of his elves made an early, without his sleigh and reindeer, to Columbus Air Force Base, Miss., on Dec. 6. He arrived via an Air Force T-1A Jayhawk piloted by Capt. Christian Litscher of the 14th Operations Group Commander’s Action Group and Capt. Michael Lewis, chief programmer of the 48th Flying Training Squadron. (Source: Columbus AFB 12/08/17)

L-3: $79.3M T-1A contract

L-3 Communications Vertex Aerospace LLC of Madison, Miss., has been awarded a $79,387,452 firm-fixed-price contract for contractor operated and maintained base supply of the Air Education and Training Command fleet of 178 T-1A trainer aircraft. Work will be performed at Columbus Air Force Base, Miss.; Pensacola Naval Air Station, Fla.; Randolph AFB, Texas; Laughlin AFB, Texas; and Vance AFB, Okla. The expected completion date is June 7, 2018. This contract was a competitive acquisition, and three offers were received. FY 2018 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $1,502,988 are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center at Tinker AFB, Okla., is the contracting activity. (Source: DOD 12/08/17)

Gov’t shutdown temporarily averted

WASHINGTON – Both houses of Congress averted a government shutdown Dec. 7 by passing another temporary continuing resolution (CR) funding extension to keep U.S. government operational until Dec. 22. A previous CR was to expire Dec. 8. The measure passed in the House (235-193); and with little debate in the Senate (81-14). (Source: Defense News 12/07/17)

CAFB trainers duel over East Coast

Pilots assigned to Shaw Air Force Base, S.C., hosted Navy and Marine pilots for a duel in the skies above the East Coast on Dec. 1. Pilots came together for basic fighter maneuver (BFM) training to strengthen the strategic capabilities needed to win air-to-air battles. The training, which are scheduled annually, give service pilots the opportunity to test their skills against different aircraft. Participating aircraft consisted of T-38C Talons assigned to Columbus AFB, Miss. and Shaw’s F-16CMs; fifth-generation F-22 Raptors from Tyndall AFB, Fla.; F-18 Hornets form NAS Oceana, Va.; and AV-8B Harriers assigned to Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, N.C. “It gives the aircraft (pilots) the opportunity to fight other aircraft as opposed to fighting their own.” said Capt. August Derosa, instructor pilot from the 49th Fighter Training Squadron at CAFB. “It provides you with a war-time environment mentality,” said Derosa. The 49th FTS rarely has opportunities to participate in these trainings, according to Derosa, so to “come out and train against other services is a great experience, "said Derosa. The 49th FTS conducts introduction to fighter fundamentals training for more than 75 Air Force and international pilots and Weapon System Officers annually at CAFB. (Source: 20th Fighter Wing 12/06/17)

Flip-flop of MDA, DMR execs

Mississippi Department of Marine Resources’ Executive Director Jamie Miller, who was hand-picked to rebuild trust in the agency, is leaving to join the Mississippi Development Authority, according to a media release from Gov. Phil Bryant. Miller will become deputy director for governmental affairs and chief innovation officer at MDA. Brig. Gen. Joe Spraggins, who has served as DMR’s COO since 2013, will take Miller’s place at the DMR. Miller and Spraggins will both assume their new official duties on Dec. 20. (Source: Sun Herald 12/06/17)

Agent: Detainee admits 9/11 aid

GUANTANAMO BAY NAVAL BASE, Cuba - A Saudi Arabian – one of five detainees facing a war crimes tribunal here for allegedly aiding the 9/11 attacks in the U.S. told interrogators in 2004 that he had bought airline tickets and facilitated money transfers for seven of the 19 hijackers, a retired FBI agent testified Dec. 6. Mustafa Ahmed al-Hawsawi spoke to interrogators over four days in January 2004 as they showed him financial and travel records collected in the investigation, admitting without remorse he helped carry out the al-Qaida plot, retired agent Abigail Perkins, told the court. Al-Hawsawi, who was living in the United Arab Emirates in the months before the attack on Sept. 11, 2001, admitted assisting the hijackers who flew airplanes into the World Trade Center, Pentagon, and a field near Shanksville, Pa., she said. "He indicated that he was very happy to have been able to support the brothers who carried out the attack," she said. Her testimony came during the 26th pretrial hearing at the base in the case of five men held at “Gitmo” for their alleged roles in the attack. The five face charges that could result in the death penalty if convicted. The case has been bogged down in pretrial litigation since their May 2012 arraignment. Defense attorneys were expected to cross-examine Perkins and another agent on Dec. 7. (Source: The Associated Press 12/06/17)

L-3 awarded T-1A mod pact

L-3 Communications Vertex Aerospace LLC of Madison, Miss., was awarded a $10,253,906 firm-fixed-price modification (P00168) to a previously awarded contract (FA8106-09-C-0001) for logistics support of the T-1A aircraft. Services include contractor-operated maintained supply, over and above, on-equipment maintenance, data and field service representatives. Work will be performed at Columbus Air Force Base, Miss; Vance AFB, Okla.; Laughlin AFB, Texas; Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas; and Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla. Completion date is expected as of March 31, 2018. FY 2018 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $10,253,906 are being obligated at time of award. Tinker AFB, Okla., is the contracting activity. (Source: DOD 12/06/17)

GC toxic military sites

According to a new report from ProPublica, a non-profit news gathering group, multiple Gulf Coast current and former military bases contain toxic hazards from chemical spills, unexploded ordnance and other issues that date back as far as 100 years. The report, based on data from the Defense Department's Defense Environmental Restoration Program, documents toxic hazards at military sites across the U.S. Researchers found 215 hazardous locations in Florida with ties to military operations. In Northwest Florida, there were 68 hazardous sites at Naval Air Station Pensacola; additional sites (and numbers) were found at Saufley Field (8); Naval Technical Training Center Corry Station (5); and Fort Pickens all in the Pensacola area; and NAS Whiting Field (49). Eglin AFB, the largest military installation, has 185 hazardous sites; and Hurlburt Field (42). Some of the report's findings date back more than a century, according to Mike Spaits, spokesman for Eglin AFB. (Source: Pensacola News Journal 12/05/17) Other “high risk” areas along the Gulf Coast, included in DOD’s environment restoration program, are Naval Construction Battalion Center Gulfport, Miss.; Van Dorn Army Training Camp in Centerville, Miss.; and Tyndall AFB, Fla.

U.S. productivity up 3%

American workers’ productivity went up 3 percent in the third quarter (July-September). It was the best showing in three years, while labor costs fell a second straight quarter. The increase in productivity was double that of the second quarter; and both quarters were significantly higher than the scant 0.1 percent rise in the first three months. Labor costs fell 0.2 percent. The second quarter had a 1.2 percent decline. Last week, the government reported GDP (gross domestic product) grew at an annual rate of 3.3 percent in the third period following a 3.1 percent rise in the second. It was the first back-to-back GDP gains of 3 percent or more since 2014. Economists are hopeful that the upturn in productivity may be a sign that living standards are improving after a prolonged period of weakness. (Source: The AP 12/06/17)

Fed shutdown may threaten pay

WASHINGTON – While Congress flirts with another potential government shutdown, chances are growing for a disruption to military-civilian pay and programs this week. Federal funding is slated to run out Nov. 8 unless lawmakers strike a deal to keep the government’s lights on or face the prospect of a shutdown. Democrat leadership has said there won’t be a funding plan until there’s a deal on the Child Health Insurance Program and immigration. The federal government has been operating off short-term continuing resolutions that were last approved in September. There hasn’t been a full budget since before the Obama Administration. A 16-day shutdown in October 2013 caused a rash of military programs to stop, including pay for military and civilian personnel, and base services and commissaries. Also, death gratuity payments to 30 Gold Star families were disrupted. (Source: Stars And Stripes 12/06/17)

Navy to air new brand for big game

“Forged by the Sea” – the Navy’s new recruiting tagline – is being unveiled Nov. 9 in a commercial scheduled to air during the second quarter of the annual Army-Navy football game on CBS-TV. The idea behind the new tagline is part of a larger branding effort – called “Sea to Stars”, which showcases a variety of Navy platforms, such as a submarine, aircraft carrier, Littoral Combat Ship, an unmanned aerial vehicle and special operations sailors. The annual Army-Navy game will be the only college football game on television Saturday, a tradition started by CBS in 2009. The first two commercials seek to change how potential recruits view Navy careers. The full ad campaign rollout is slated to start in early 2018, with the addition of print and online advertising. Two more television commercials are planned for release in March, according to the Navy. (Source: USNI News 12/05/17)

MSU earns military-friendly gold

STARKVILLE, Miss. – Mississippi State University earned Victory Media’s 2018 ‘Military Friendly Schools’ gold medal for its veteran-oriented campus culture. The recognition highlights some of the more powerful and effective veteran-centered programs at more than 800 post-secondary Military Friendly Schools across America. Criteria for inclusion were based on commitment, effort and success in creating sustainable benefits for military service members, veterans and their families. “(W)e are pushing ahead with even more innovative programs that help our student-veterans achieve their education and career goals,” said MSU President Mark Keenum. There are some 650 veterans and service members attending MSU. The number goes up significantly to more than 2,600 when it includes dependents. (Source: Mississippi State University 12/04/17)

Ellisville jet engine coatings plant

GE Aviation and Praxair Inc. have opened a new facility in Ellisville, Miss., for its PG Technologies business, which specializes in advanced coatings enabling jet engines to withstand higher temperatures and stresses. PGT is a joint venture between Praxair Surface Technolies, Inc. and GE Aviation, which focuses on development, support, and application of specialized coatings tailored for GEA's current/future engine platforms. PGT is headquartered in Indianapolis, Ind. The 300,000 square foot facility is expected to employ at least 250 workers to meet demand for GE’s latest generation of jet engines, such as the GE9X and the CFM LEAP - a 50/50 joint venture between GEA and Safran of France. (Source: Aerospace Manufacturing & Design 12/05/17)

L-3: $37.6M mod T-45 contract

L-3 Communications Vertex Aerospace LLC of Madison, Miss., was awarded a $37,606,934 not-to-exceed modification (P00022) to a previously awarded firm-fixed price, indefinite-delivery, requirements contract (N00019-14-D-0011). This modification provides for additional organizational, intermediate, and depot level maintenance, logistics, and engineering services to support and maintain approximately 200 Navy T-45 Goshawk aircraft, aircraft systems, and related support equipment to support flight and test and evaluation operations. In addition, this modification provides for equipment, tools, direct material, and indirect material in support of Navy T-45 aircraft, aircraft systems, and related support equipment. Work will be performed at Naval Air Stations Kingsville, Texas (45.7%), Meridian, Miss. (41.7%); Pensacola, Fla. (10.1%), and Patuxent River, Md. (2.5%) It is expected to be completed in September 2018. Funds will be obligated on individual task orders as issued. Naval Air Warfare Center Training System Division of Orlando, Fla., is the contracting activity. (Source: DOD 12/04/17)

CAP extends support for CAFB

COLUMBUS AFB, Miss. - Seventy-six years ago, the Civil Air Patrol found was founded by administrative order from the Office of Civilian Defense. It initially played a crucial role in helping protect the homeland during WWII. These days, CAP is the Air Force’s official auxiliary force. Since, Dec. 1, 1941, CAP has evolved from protecting the U.S. from German U-boats to providing for search and rescue missions, emergency services, and guiding the next generation of young aviators. “We’re necessary and we’re becoming more necessary,” said CAP Capt. Jason Linscott, commander of Mississippi Wing’s Golden Triangle Composite Squadron. Linscott is a former Navy E-6 Mercury pilot. Currently, he’s a T-6A Texan II simulator instructor for the 14th Flying Training Wing’s student squadron at CAFB. The CAP squadron does more than providing SAR and emergency services, he says, they play a big role in supporting CAFB’s flying missions. (Source: 14th Flying Training Wing 12/01/17)

Thunderbirds' boss relieved

The Air Force’s Thunderbirds air demonstration squadron commander, Lt. Col. Jason Heard, was relieved of duty Nov. 29, according to an Air Combat Command media release. Brig. Gen. Jeannie Leavitt, commander of the 57th Wing at Nellis AFB, Nev., relieved Heard of command due to a loss of confidence in his leadership. The Thunderbirds’ 2017 air show season was recently completed. Heard's firing comes after two accidents involving Thunderbird aircraft in the last two years, including a flyover of the U.S. Air Force Academy graduation on June 2, 2016. President Barack Obama was present at the event. The aircraft, valued at $29M, was destroyed. (Source: Military.com 11/29/17) Central Mississippi Note: The Thunderbirds are scheduled to fly an air show April 21-22 at Columbus (Miss.) AFB. For the 2017 season, the team flew in back-to-back weekends along the Gulf Coast at Lake Charles, La., and Tyndall AFB, Fla.

VR for new Navy flight trainers

ORLANDO, Fla. - Naval Air Systems Command is looking to leverage virtual reality (VR) technology to build flight simulation trainers for the T-45 Goshawk, TH-57 helicopter, and F/A-18 Super Hornet that are deployable and make better use of real flights. The Naval Aviation Training Systems program office is developing those new trainers, according to Chris Foster, program office for aviation warfare training development. His comments were part of a Nov. 28, panel discussion here at the 2017 Interservice/Industry Training, Simulation and Education Conference. Two TH-57 part-task trainers (PTTs) will be aimed at making trainees more comfortable before their first low-level familiarization flights. Low-level flights for beginning TH-57 students “are quite overwhelming," Foster said. The design is to put students through a few VR familiarization flights on a desktop trainer to improve performance before they take a first low-level flight in the TH-57. The T-45 systems will also have two PTTs utilizing VR to render the trainer improved fidelity and cutting down on the high-life cycle of current T-45 dome simulators. The PTTs will use an actual operation T-45 flight trainer where the trainee sits while outfitted with VR goggles. In addition to the new flight trainers, VR could also play a key role in new immersive mishap awareness training, managed by the Naval Air Warfare Center Training System Division’s battle laboratory in collaboration with the program office and the Pensacola-based Naval Survival Training Institute. (Source: Naval Air Systems Command 11/30/17) Central Mississippi Note: NAS Meridian, Miss., is among three air stations that fly the T-45C Goshawk. NAS Whiting Field, Fla., trains TH-57 helicopter pilots.

EEG technology research on PEs

PENSACOLA, Fla. - Navy Aerospace Medical Institute (NAMI) is host to scientific research using new technology that may potentially become an early-warning signal to military pilots experiencing in-flight physiologic events (PE) such as hypoxia. Hypoxia is a deficiency in the amount of oxygen reaching tissues in the body that can result in oxygen deprivation causing confusion and rapid heart rates. Navy pilots in the T-45C trainer and F/A-18 Super Hornets have reported PE episodes as a result of oxygen deprivation. NAMI's latest project is one of several efforts to assist in the mitigation PEs. Capt. G. Merrill Rice, senior medical officer at Naval Aviation Schools Command, who coordinates NAMI research, is working with new Electroencephalogram (EEG) technology for use in hypoxia detection. He began the project in September, partnering with a team from the University of West Florida, Institute for Human & Machine Cognition (IHMC), and Naval Aerospace Research Laboratory in Dayton, Ohio. The collaboration has put forth a protocol to evaluate newer EEG technologies to see if “we can monitor the pilot's brainwaves while in extreme environments," said Rice. NAMI is a Pensacola-based detachment of the Navy Medicine Operational Training Center (NMOTC). (Source: NMOTC 11/30/17) Central Mississippi Note: T-45C pilots that have experienced PEs include Naval Air Stations Meridian, Miss.; Corpus Christi, Texas; and Pensacola.

L3T: Vertex sale by mid-2018

L3 Technologies expects to sell its Vertex Aerospace unit in the middle of 2018, the firm’s CFO Ralph D'Ambrosio during a Nov. 29 speech at a Credit Suisse conference. The company has begun the sales process, he confirmed. Last month, L3 executives confirmed the contractor had concluded a strategic review of Vertex Aerospace, which specializes in aerospace sustainment and support, and opted to sell. VA "is a very solid company in their space, so, I think it will be a very desirable asset for any of its near-peers," he added. L3T wants to focus its attention and resources on its stronger business entities. (Source: Inside Defense 11/29/17) Gulf Coast Note: L-3 Communications Vertex Aerospace LLC of Madison, Miss., was awarded a $27,689,184 firm-fixed-price modification for logistics support of the T-1A aircraft. Services include contractor-operated maintained supply, over and above, on-equipment maintenance, data and field service representatives. Work was to be performed, among other locations, at Columbus Air Force Base, Miss.; and Pensacola Naval Air Station, Fla. It is expected to be completed by Jan. 31, 2018. L3 has also held aircraft logistics contracts with NAS Whiting Field, Fla.

Comfort, sailors return home

The Navy hospital ship USNS Comfort returned to homeport Nov. 24 at Naval Station Norfolk, Va., after a nearly two-month medical assistance mission in Puerto Rico following Hurricane Maria. Comfort, which left Norfolk on Sept. 29, treated 1,899 patients; and performed 191 surgeries, including the open repair of a ruptured aortic aneurysm, the most complex surgery ever performed on a hospital ship, according to the Navy. In addition, the ship staff delivered two babies. (Source: Defense Tech 11/24/17) Central Mississippi Note: The Naval Hospital Pensacola, Fla., command had 19 sailors aboard Comfort from the hospital, and Naval Branch Health Clinics in Meridian, Miss., and Millington. All 19 have returned to their respective commands.

MSU part of drone-risk study

Unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) that collide with airplanes can cause more damage than bird strikes due to the fact that they have built-in solid motors, batteries and other parts, a research study by four universities, including Mississippi State, found, according to a Nov. 28 release from the Federal Aviation Administration. Researchers claimed aircraft-manufacturing standards designed for bird strikes aren't appropriate for aircraft to withstand collisions with drones. The FAA said it will depend on drone-makers to help develop technology to detect and avoid UAVs. The FAA has received more than 250 potential-risk drone sightings a month that operate near airports. The researchers - from Mississippi State, Montana State, Ohio State, and Wichita State University - used computers to simulate collisions between drones weighing 2.7-to 8-pounds and airliners. In some cases, drones would have penetrated the airplane's exterior. The FAA plans studies over the next three years to look at the severity of collisions between UAVs and other types of planes and helicopters. Drone operators need special permission from the FAA to operate in some areas near airports. (Source: The Associated Press 11/28/17)

UM reservist top USA track athlete

On the strength of a miraculous pole-vaulting season, Army Reserve 1st Lt. Sam Kendricks of Oxford, Miss., was voted the USA Track and Field’s top male athlete for 2017. Kendricks, who won the pole vaulting world title in London this past summer went 17-0 in competition throughout 2017. He took the bronze medal in last year’s Rio Olympics becoming the first U.S. military member to ever medal. The Army reservist had been the first Ole Miss Rebel to win an NCAA pole-vaulting championship. He’s already looking past 2020’s Tokyo games to perhaps the 2024 Olympics in Los Angeles. He will be honored at the USA Track and Field annual banquet in Columbus, Ohio, on Dec. 2. (Source: The Associated Press 11/23/17) Kendricks serves with the Army Reserves’ 655th Transportation Company in Millington, Tenn. (Source: The Associated Press 11/23/17)

Walker becomes MMA chairman

Earl Walker, senior director of Government Relations and External Affairs at Airbus Helicopters Inc. in Columbus, Miss., was named the 2017-18 Chairman of the Mississippi Manufacturers Association (MMA) Board of Directors. Alan Sudduth, public and government affairs manager at Chevron in Pascagoula, Miss., was named Secretary-Treasurer. Walker is a native Mississippian who completed undergraduate and advanced studies at Mississippi State University; and most recently served two terms as Honorary Wing Commander for the 14th Flying Training Wing at Columbus Air Force Base. Sudduth previously served as County Administrator for the Jackson County Board of Supervisors. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering from Mississippi State University, a Juris Doctor from the University of Mississippi, and a Masters of Business Administration from William Carey University. (Source: Mississippi Business Journal 11/25/17)

VP Pence visits NAS Meridian

MERIDIAN, Miss. – Vice President Mike Pence visited with sailors and Marines at Naval Air Station Meridian for Thanksgiving. He was accompanied by his family, which helped serve service members unable to make it home for the holiday. After handing out Thanksgiving plates, Pence stopped to talk with the sailors and Marines eating on base that day. "It's great to have the support of the administration to come in here and take care of us,” said base Commander Officer Brian Horstman. “It's really all about the sailors and the Marines,” he continued. The base found out Wednesday that the VP was going to visit. “It's incredible. You never think that you would meet this incredible personality," said Personnel Specialist Andreea Manaf. Vice President Pence did not speak with the media during the visit. His son, a naval aviator at NASM, and daughter-in-law live in Meridian. (Source: WTOK 11/23/17)

CAFB instructor headed to ISOS

COLUMBUS AFB, Miss. - Capt. Karen Miller, a 37th Flying Training Squadron instructor pilot at Columbus AFB, was selected to attend the Inter-American Squadron Officer School (ISOS) earlier this year. She will attend the eight-week course beginning on Feb. 21, 2018, at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas. Miller is one of eight personnel, and the only pilot, in the Air Force to be selected for ISOS during FY 2018. ISOS is designed to develop personnel ready to lead air, space and cyberspace in an expeditionary war-fighting environment. However, its taught entirely in Spanish; and adapted for Latin American and U.S. Air Force captains who possess that language skill. She completed Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training at CAFB, and was chosen to be a First Assignment Instructor Pilot at the 37th FTS. She is also a part of the Language Enable Airman Program (LEAP). “I’m in the LEAP for Portuguese and French, not for Spanish,” Miller said. “I just happen to speak Spanish as well. Leading up to my selection, I went … and took the Spanish (Defense Language Proficiency Test) because there is a minimum language requirement for (ISOS),” she explained. (Source: Columbus AFB 11/21/17)

Cochran offers DOD cap buster

WASHINGTON - Ahead of a bipartisan budget deal expected before the end of 2017, Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) has recommended a $650.7B sending package for the military in FY 2018. The Nov. 21 proposal includes $581.3B in base Defense Department funding, $64.9B for Overseas Contingency Operations war-time funding, and $4.5B the president wanted in emergency funding for missile defense. Cochran’s draft proposal was not put to the Senate Appropriations defense subcommittee, which he also heads, for a vote. It never was subject to the amendment process. It likely reflects the work product of the appropriations committee, with minority input – and as a marker for the Senate GOP’s position in ongoing budget negotiations between congressional leaders and the White House. (Source: Military Times 11/21/17)

Iuka’s everyday Americans in space

IUKA, Miss. - When one thinks of space, the historical names of Cape Canaveral, Fla., and Houston spring to mind. Iuka, Miss., hardly appears on that map. Iuka is home to an Orbital ATK composite components facility for the Antares, Atlas V, Delta IV, Minotaur, and Pegasus rockets. With a population just less than 3,000 people, Iuka is the county seat of Tishomingo County and Woodall Mountain, the highest point in the state. There were no engineers in lab coats. They were wearing jeans, T-shirts and baseball caps – everyday Americans. John Kain, Orbital ATK’s operations director at the plant, guided a tour through the facilities. With Dexy’s Midnight Runners’ “Come on Eileen” playing in the background, it would have been easy to forget this facility produces highly-complex rocket components. Then, one sees pathways of laser light etched out on the surface of an Antares payload fairing, and reality begins to set in. (Source: Space Flight Insider 11/20/17)

OA-Iuka aids Delta II launch

DULLES, Va. - Orbital ATK (OA), an aerospace and defense technologies company, contributed to the successful launch of a United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket that lifted off Nov. 18 from Vandenberg AFB, Calif., carrying the first Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS-1) spacecraft. OA’s contributions to the Delta II include nine Graphite Epoxy Motors (GEM 40), and a large composite fairing for the rocket. The launch was to be the last to use nine GEM 40 motors. The Delta II program is nearing its retirement. More than 1,020 GEM 40 strap-on boosters have been used to launch 153 Delta II missions, according to Charlie Precourt, VP/General Manager of OA’s Propulsion Systems Division. The company is already making “significant progress” on the new generation GEM 63 motor to support Atlas V and future launch vehicles, he said. OA manufactured the motors’ composite cases and motors at its facilities in Utah. OA manufactured the composite 10-foot diameter payload fairing, which encapsulates and protects the payload, at its facility in Iuka, Miss. (Source: Digital Journal 11/20/17)

LINK CEO distrustful of MDA lead

Golden Triangle Development LINK CEO Joe Max Higgins claims the Mississippi Development Authority (MDA) is undermining the economic development efforts within the Magnolia State. Higgins, the top economic developer who has led LINK for more than 14 years, said MDA's philosophy is flawed and it lacks vision and leadership. He compared MDA's reorganization efforts to "rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic." Higgins leveled his harshest criticism at MDA’s Director Glenn McCullough, whom he said was trying to be a "king-maker" and as a result, winnable projects are choosing other states. The result, claims Higgins, is a combative relationship. The LINK CEO claimed McCullough, during a project where the LINK was competing against Meridian for an aerospace-related project, named the step-daughter of the Meridian Airport director, without disclosing it, as project manager. "I don't trust them," Higgins told the Columbus Dispatch in an exclusive interview. Gov. Phil Bryant appointed McCullough in June 2015. Higgins has called for a leadership change at MDA, but that likely won’t happen since the governor’s term ends in January 2020. In the meantime, Higgins said, Mississippi suffers. (Source: Columbus Dispatch 11/18/17)

CAFB spouse earns accolade

JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas - Senior Airman Marcus Ward, Master Sgt. Robert Carter and Christy Broughton are competing for the title of 2017 Air Force Entertainer of the Year, and you can choose the service-member winner by voting online through Nov. 30. Watch the videos and vote for your favorite. The contest was open to active-duty Airmen, Air National Guardsmen, Air Force Reserve members and members of their immediate families. Elana Gilbert, sponsored by Tech. Sgt. Justin Gilbert of the 14th Civil Engineering Squadron at Columbus AFB, Miss., won the “Spouse” category among Group 3 participants. Each first-place act was awarded $1,000, and each second-place act received $500 from the installation’s force support squadrons. (Source: AF Installation and Mission Support System 11/14/17)

Tele-ICU comes to Miss. VA

BILOXI, Miss. - The Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) Gulf Coast Veterans Health Care System (GCVHCS) opened its first Tele-Intensive Care Unit on Nov. 15 from its Biloxi campus. “This is a remarkable opportunity for the medical center,” said Dr. Chris Saslo, interim GCVHCS director. “We now have the ability to maximize our complexity levels of care in the ICU arena.” The Biloxi medical center operates 10 beds in its ICU. The Tele-ICU capability is a first for Veterans Integrated Service Networks (VISN) 16, headquartered in Ridgeland, Miss. Patients will be able to see VA’s Tele-ICU licensed physicians, called Tele-Intensivists, and critical-care nurses through telecommunications or other electronic technologies, which include direct view of the patient through live audio and video feed; electronic monitoring; and chart review and consultations. Doctors will also be able to prescribe medications, order tests or procedures, make diagnoses and discuss health care with patients and family members. The nerve center of the ICU’s support service is located at the Tele-ICU at the Minneapolis (Minn.) VA Health Care System. (Source: GCVHCS 11/15/17)

Brown’s wingman Hudner dies

One was the son of a Mississippi sharecropper, the other a privileged New England prep school graduate. One died young, a casualty of war. The other lived a long life celebrated for service to country and championing of racial equality. Navy Ensign Jesse L. Brown of Hattiesburg and Lt. Thomas J. Hudner Jr. of Massachusetts, who died Nov. 13 at age 93, will forever be linked in history. On Dec. 4, 1950, the two pilots were flying above North Korea’s Chosin Reservoir when Brown’s plane was shot down, crash-landing on a snow-packed mountain. Hudner ditched his plane and attempted to free his wingman from the smoking wreckage. He could not. In 2013, Hudner returned to NK in hopes of retrieving the remains of Brown. Although he failed, his war-time heroics had become the stuff of legends … and earning him the Medal of Honor. As a lesson in brotherhood, coming just two years after the U.S. military had desegregated, it resonated much deeper. “Not a day goes by that I don’t think of that day, and Jesse,” Hudner reflected decades later, flanked by Brown’s widow, the now-late Daisy Brown Thorne, during a ship-christening ceremony in 1973. (Boston Globe 11/13/17) Central Mississippi Note: Ensign Brown was the Navy’s first African-American pilot. USS Jesse L. Brown, before decommissioning, was homeported at both Naval Station Mobile, Ala., and Pascagoula, Miss. Daisy Brown Thorne, who retired after 30 years of teaching in the Hattiesburg Public School District, passed away in July 2014.

‘Soldier On’ Mississippi

Alvin Buckley rose from the conference table to shake hands. The soft spoken employment specialist with the Jackson, Miss.-based office of ‘Soldier On,’ a non-profit in five states which helps homeless, unemployed, incarcerated or PTSD-suffering veterans. “… (W)e care deeply about veterans’ well being,” Buckley says. “They sacrificed … (and) (t)heir mental well-being is the biggest thing.” Soldier On, founded in 1994 and funded primarily by the Department of Veterans Affairs, is focused on “changing the end of the story,” says Yazoo City resident Hayes Dent, the group’s senior VP. Dent is a vet and a recipient of the Bronze Star. Veterans’ statistics are sobering: 22 a day commit suicide, 65 percent are age 50-plus; more than half of those 22 are usually not under the VA professional care. Some 220,000 vets reside in Mississippi. Soldier On is in the process of building 60 permanent housing units in Jackson for homeless veterans. Another facility is in the works on the Gulf Coast. (Source: Clarion-Ledger 11/12/17)

Uber, NASA develop ATM plan

NASA and Uber will be working together to ensure the company’s plans to deploy a fleet of flying taxis by 2020 gets off the ground through the advancements of NASA’s Urban Air Mobility program. Uber announced a new cooperation with NASA to develop the necessary Air Traffic Management (ATM) infrastructure at a Nov. 7 web summit in Portugal. The program isn’t expressly designed for Uber, but an evolution of a more ambitious plan by NASA to work with the FAA, and research institutions, to develop a method to manage the lower airspace in the near future; and keep those low-flying vehicles on course and at safe distances with little human intervention. NASA is confident it can be done. Uber is working with Aurora Flight Sciences (AFS) to develop software to manage its future flying taxi fleet and is working with Embraer, Mooney, Bell Helicopter and Pipistrel Aircraft to develop new electric-powered VTOL aircraft to be used for the service. (Source: Tnooz.com 11/10/17) Central Mississippi Note: AFS was recently bought by Boeing; and operates a plant in Columbus, Miss.

MAC comes to rescue

WHITING FIELD, Fla. - As he turned down a small road nearing the entrance to the Naval Air Station Whiting Field, Fla., a red pickup truck had smashed into the side of a small SUV. Broken glass littered the road. Steam and smoke filled the air. Cars slowed to gawk. Some even stopped. "Honestly, I was thinking about just going around," said Chief Master-at-Arms (MAC) Joseph Pellicano. As he got closer, a woman ran from behind one of the vehicles, crying for someone to "please save my baby," a 17-month-old boy. At that point, my heart kind of sank," said MAC Pellicano. "I knew I had to do something." Throughout his career, the Navy had provided him with constant first aid and CPR training. He didn’t need to be a bystander because he was prepared. He gave the boy CPR with no results. A second time, and the boy, Kaysin Willis, gasped for air. Pellicano continued, and the child gasped again. His legs moved. "It was amazing," the chief said. "I looked over at the mother and it looked like she had hope again." Pellicano will remember Jan. 16 for the rest of his life; and so will Kaysin and his mother. (Source: All Hands 11/08/17)

Army aviation spouses get feet wet

FORT RUCKER, Ala. – Thirty-four military spouses got an opportunity to step into the boots of their soldiers, get their feet wet, and earn their own wings at an event that gave them a taste of Army Aviation training. The spouses got the chance to get down and dirty during Spouses' Aviation Day here Oct. 26 when they were able to try their hand at shooting, flying, water survival and teamwork. The teams of spouses took on four events that aviation soldiers experience in training, including flight simulation, firing range simulation, team-building, and helicopter overwater safety training. "It's just really cool to be able to see what our (soldiers) do, so when they come home we can relate to what they're saying a little bit because sometimes it's can be so foreign," said spouse, Hannah Rufli. One of the more popular events was the UH-72 Lakota and UH-60 Black Hawk flight simulators. At the end of the day, spouses graduated training and presented with certificates and their own set of wings by Maj. Gen. William K. Gayler, U.S. Army Aviation Center of Excellence and Fort Rucker commanding general, and his wife, Michele. (Source: Fort Rucker 11/02/17) Central Mississippi Note: Fort Rucker is home to Army Aviation training. The UH-72 Lakota helicopter used in Army Aviation training is built by Airbus Helicopter Inc. in Columbus, Miss.

MS academia at aerospace forefront

From the Wright Brothers’ first flight in 1903 to putting man on the moon in 1969, the 20th Century was a remarkable time for the aerospace field. In the 21st Century, there have been greater opportunities for progress in the area of flight and space. Through education, research and service, Mississippi Public Universities are at the leading edge of that progress. Seizing these opportunities takes teamwork, including government, military, business and academia. (Source: University of Southern Mississippi 11/08/17)

DOD knew of crime report lapses

WASHINGTON - The Defense Department has about failures to give military criminal history information to the FBI since at least 1997, including the type the Air Force didn’t report about the accused Texas church killer Devin P. Kelley who assaulted his then-wife and stepson while serving as an airman. The AF’s lapse in the Kelley case, which is under review by DOD’s inspector general, made it possible for Kelley to buy guns before the Nov. 5 attack that killed 26 in Sutherland Springs, Texas. Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-Texas), chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, was appalled at the mistake and unsatisfied by the AF’s plans to investigate, and fears the failure to report domestic violence convictions may be more widespread. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis has directed the Pentagon IG to review circumstances of the Kelley case. At its core, the problem is that military criminal investigative organizations have frequently, and for a long time, failed to comply with rules for reporting service members’ criminal history data to the FBI. A February 1997 report by the IG found widespread lapses. Fingerprint cards were not submitted to the FBI criminal history files in more than 80 percent of cases in the Army and Navy, and 38 percent in the AF. In February 2017, the IG’s office launched a new review to assess compliance, which remains ongoing. (Source: The Associated Press 11/07/17)

Congress requires T-45 updates

WASHINGTON - When Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) heard about T-45C flight-training instructors at Naval Air Station Meridian, Miss., refusing to fly the training jets over oxygen system issues, she was skeptical. “I thought: ‘Well, shame on them’,” she told reporters. But the issue became very real for her over the weekend during a congressional delegation trip to the Navy’s bases in Hampton Roads, Va. The Navy put Ernst into an oxygen-breathing device and dialed back the oxygen to her mask. “It was a terrifying experience for me,” Ernst said. “They walked us through what symptoms we might have as the oxygen was reduced, and it was just like textbook." Her face flushed; fingers numbed; legs tingled; and became “very hard to concentrate,” she said. Ernst has taken on the issue by introducing an amendment to this FY’s National Defense Authorization Act that requires the Navy to give quarterly reports to Congress on its hunt for a solution. Pilots in the T-45, F/A-18 Super Hornet and even the F-35 have reported physiological episodes as a result of oxygen deprivation. The Navy has introduced several measures seeking to cut down on incidents, but is still searching for more permanent fixes to the hypoxia issue. (Source: Navy Times 11/07/17)

Boeing completes buy of AFS

Boeing completed the acquisition of Aurora Flight Sciences, a global developer and manufacturer of advanced aerospace platforms and autonomous systems. Aurora will operate under Boeing Engineering, Test and Technology - a subsidiary called Aurora Flight Sciences. It will retain an independent operating model while benefiting from Boeing’s resources and position in the aerospace products and services markets. Headquartered in Manassas, Va., Aurora has more than 550 employees and operates in six locations, including a manufacturing facility in Columbus, Miss. (Source: Vertical 11/08/17)

OATK milestone for launch system

DULLES, Va. - Orbital ATK, an international aerospace and defense technologies company, successfully completed a milestone on Oct. 27 in developing advanced solid rocket propulsion, and other technologies, to be used in its Next Generation Launch (NGL) system. The milestone was a structural acceptance test on the first motor high-strength composite case for NGL. “This milestone clearly shows the progress being made by the hundreds of engineers and technicians in Utah and Arizona who are developing the NGL system.” The applied structural loads during the test demonstrated more than 110 percent of maximum expected motor operating pressure; and 110 percent of operational/flight and pre-launch compressive/tensile line loads. This full-scale motor case segment will be cast with inert solid rocket propellant in early 2018 and shipped to the launch site for check-out of ground operations. “NGL is one of Orbital ATK’s top growth initiatives,” said Scott Lehr, president of Orbital ATK’s Flight Systems Group. The next phase of the program is expected to begin when the Air Force awards the Launch Services Agreement in mid-2018, which would entail full vehicle and launch site development, with work taking place at company facilities in Iuka, Miss.; Promontory and Magna, Utah; Chandler, Ariz.; Kennedy Space Center, Fla.; and Vandenberg AFB, Calif. (Source: Orbital ATK 11/07/17)

AFS’ cert for unmanned AEH-1

Aurora Flight Sciences has been granted the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Special Airworthiness Certificate to the firm’s optionally piloted aircraft, a UH-1H helicopter. The Office of Naval Research’s (ONR) development, the Autonomous Aerial Cargo/Utility System (AACUS) program, has added a complete digital flight control system to create the “Autonomy-enabled UH-1” (or AEH-1). The UH-1 was chosen for its latest conversion to a robotic vehicle. The certification permits Optionally Piloted Aircraft (OPA) operation with only a safety pilot required to monitor controls. The aircraft is currently flying as the test bed for Aurora´s Tactical Autonomous Aerial Logistics System (TALOS) technology. The UH-1H is the third manned aircraft Aurora has converted to robotic-controlled operation. (Source: Financial News 11/06/17) Central Mississippi Note: Aurora’s aerostructures plant in Columbus, Miss., produces the Orion Medium Altitude-Long Endurance Unmanned Aerial Vehicle.

Free UM law school tuition for vets

Veterans who served at least three years of active duty since 9/11 can go to law school for free at the University of Mississippi using a combination of funds from the VA department, VA's Yellow Ribbon Program, and the university. Vets eligible for the Post-9/11 GI Bill Yellow Ribbon Program, who enroll in UM’s law school, will have tuition paid in full. The opportunity to utilize the Yellow Ribbon Program is available for any student-veteran who has been accepted to law school and meets 100 percent criteria of the Post-9/11 GI Bill, said Andrew Newby, UM’s assistant director of veteran and military services. "There is no limit to the number of students that can use the Yellow Ribbon Program, and no limit for students using the non-resident tuition scholarship," Newby said. For more information, contact Newby at (662) 915-5021 or via e-mail at andrew@olemiss.edu. (Source: Clarion Ledger 11/04/17)

CAFB squad earns T-1 honors

JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RANDOLPH, TEXAS – The 48th Flying Training Squadron, part of the 14th Flight Training Wing at Columbus AFB, Miss., was recipient of the Air Education Training Command’s Flying Training Award in the T-1 category here at AETC’s first ceremony. Maj. Gen. Patrick Doherty, 19th Air Force commander, conceptualized the idea of the awards this year to prioritize, recognize, and show aircrew and instructors’ value while honoring teamwork. In an effort to provide scope for the magnitude of AETC units’ efforts, Doherty noted that AETC’s flying enterprise under 19th AF is a staggering 50 percent of the entire AF’s flying-hour program. Fifty-seven individual ‘High Flyers’ were honored. (Source: 19th Air Force 11/01/17) Central Mississippi Note: The T-1A Jayhawk is a medium-range, twin-engine jet trainer used in the advanced phase of specialized undergraduate pilot training at CAFB; and for combat systems officer training at NAS Pensacola, Fla.

Best date to buy Thanksgiving airfare

Nov. 2 may be the best date to buy airline tickets for Thanksgiving, according to a data analysis by the website Priceline.com. A recent survey found five percent of people consider themselves a "last-minute booker" when it comes to airfare. After looking at airline pricing data, Priceline concluded booking tickets roughly three weeks from Thanksgiving is "ideal," according to a news release, and a date to "score the best deals." The days leading up to Thanksgiving are considered the busiest time of the year for air travel. New Orleans’ Louis Armstrong International Airport is bracing for one of its busiest travel seasons to date; and is on pace to break a new passenger record. Last year, 11.1 million passengers passed through the airport. (Source: NOLA.com 11/02/17)

Ex-LINK exec lands Madison post

Former Golden Triangle Development LINK chief operating officer Joseph P. Deason plans to take some of the best tactics he’s learned from LINK, General Motors, and the Mississippi Development Authority to his new post as executive director of the Madison County (Miss.) Economic Development Authority (MCEDA). Deason worked at MDA from 2006-10 that saw major economic development projects such as Toyota Blue Springs, Severstal Columbus, PACCAR and GE Aviation. Deason also worked at LINK for four and a half years. “It was invaluable.” Madison County has assets most of Mississippi struggles to attain, he stated. Economic development prospects are all different, he said, but one common factor is the need to be able to hire a trained and educated work force. Deason wants Madison County to strive to become a Work Ready Community. (Source: Mississippi Business Journal 11/02/17)

Defense chief charged in Cole case

GUANTANAMO BAY NAVAL BASE, Cuba - The case judge in the USS Cole case found Marine Brig. Gen. John Baker, who is in charge of the military court’s defense teams, guilty of contempt for refusing to follow orders. The general was sentenced Nov. 1 to 21 days confinement and fined $1,000. Air Force judge Col. Vance Spath declared "null and void" Baker’s decision to release three Pentagon-paid civilian defense attorneys, in the case against defendant Abd al Rahim al Nashiri, and order the trio to appear before him or via video feed next week. At issue was Baker's authority to excuse the civilian lawyers because of a secret ethics conflict involving attorney-client privilege. Baker had refused a day earlier to testify in front of Spath or return the three lawyers to the case. Baker attempted to protest that the war court had no jurisdiction over U.S. citizens (lawyers or himself). The judge refused to allow Baker to speak. Spath ruled that the chief defense counsel was out of order to invoke a privilege in refusing to testify about both the decision to release and the absence of the three attorneys, who all refused to return to ‘Gitmo’ this week. Spath declared, it was a judge's domain to weigh and review privilege. Without it, he said, there would be "havoc in any system of justice." (Source: Miami Herald 11/01/17) Central Mississippi Note: One of the 17 sailors killed in the attack on USS Cole was Ensign Andrew Triplett, 31, of Macon, Miss. Two senior enlisted personnel with ties to Naval Hospital Pensacola, Fla., were also aboard the ship: Now-retired master chiefs James Parlier and Eric Kafka.

VT-7 pilots complete carrier quals

ATLANTIC OCEAN - The USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) hosted 24 student pilots from Mississippi-based Training Squadron Seven (VT-7) for their first landings on an aircraft carrier. The qualification required pilots to successfully complete 10 arrested landings and four touch-and-goes aboard Lincoln’s flight deck. “The first landing wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be," said Marine Corps Capt. Nick Deluca, a VT-7 student-pilot. "The ship looked really small, but I was running so well that (deck sailors) made it easy on me." Before landing aboard the carrier, student-pilots practiced 13 different events at a designated airfield. (Source: USS Abraham Lincoln 10/31/17) Central Mississippi Note: VT-7 is part of Training Air Wing One out of Naval Air Station Meridian, Miss.

Harvard biz profs arrive in GT

Twenty faculty members of the Harvard Business School, led by senior associate dean for research Jan Rivkin, will meet with East Mississippi government leaders and officials with the Golden Triangle Development LINK beginning Oct. 30 to learn about the region’s economic success. The HBU faculty started a project in 2011, which Rivkin co-chairs, on U.S. competitiveness. He learned about the Golden Triangle from a CBS "60 Minutes" segment on LINK CEO Joe Max Higgins. The HBS project had been focusing “a lot of time” looking at the world” instead of “perhaps” not enough time on America, Rivkin said. While in the Golden Triangle, the group will meet with LINK representatives and government leaders from Clay, Lowndes and Oktibbeha counties; and tour East Mississippi Community College's Center for Advanced Manufacturing and Mississippi State University's National Strategic Planning and Research Center, Steel Dynamics and PACCAR - a Fortune 500 firm that established a commercial vehicle diesel engine facility in Columbus, Miss. The HBS faculty may draw up a case study for students or delve into other regions issues. "It's always hard to know before you go to a place what you'll learn," Rivkin said. "The thing that most fascinates me is the coordination that appears to be taking place, between government, businesses, nonprofits and educational institutions. (Source: Columbus Dispatch 10/28/17)

New members for CLCC board

The Columbus Lowndes (Miss.) Chamber of Commerce announced the results of its 2017 board election. New board members are Matt Bogue of The Dutch Oil Group, Greg Stewart of Aurora Flight Sciences, and Jill Savely of East Mississippi Community College’s Golden Triangle Early College High School. Bogue, Stewart, and Savely will serve a three-year term through September 2020. Melinda Lowe, director for the Office of Outreach and Innovation at Mississippi University for Women, will serve as board chair for 2017-18. The CLCC board is charged with guiding the organization in working to achieve its mission and vision to promote a favorable business climate and increase membership value through cooperative efforts while continually increasing business development. (Source: Columbus Dispatch 10/26/17)

MS prof makes cut for Nicholls prez

Six candidates have been named semifinalists for the next president of Nicholls State University in Thibodaux, La., according to the search committee: Jay Clune, Eugene Dial, John Doucet, Shawn Mauldin, Wade Rousse and Marcheta Evans. All six are to be interviewed in public on campus Nov 6-7. Mauldin is a Nicholls alumnus and has served as director of Mississippi State University’s accounting school since 2015. Clune is a Nicholls alumnus who currently serves as the interim dean for the University of West Florida’s graduate school in Pensacola, Fla. Dial is NSU’s vice president for student affairs and associate professor of education. Doucet serves as dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. Evans has served as vice president for academic affairs and provost at Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio, Texas. She is the only woman who was named as a qualified applicant, and the only African American. Mauldin joined the Nicholls staff in 1987 as an instructor in accounting, and served as department head from 2000-05 and as dean for the following decade. Rousse has served in top leadership roles in oil and gas related companies in Louisiana since he graduated in 1993, as well as taught economics as a visiting professor at Northern Arizona State since 2015. After the interviews, the search committee will recommend at least two candidates. Those chosen will be interviewed Nov. 14 by the full University of Louisiana System board, which will choose the new president on that same day. (Source: Houma [La.] Today 10/25/17)

UM's new graphene research center

OXFORD, Miss. – The University of Mississippi has established a new center to advance translational science and engineering of graphene-based technologies. The Center for Graphene Research and Innovation was established Oct. 19. Graphene is a form of carbon consisting of a one-layer thick hexagonal lattice with one atom at each vertex. Graphene has significant growth potential across a number of markets. It is 200 times stronger than steel, and more conductive than silicon. Over the last several years, research conducted at Ole Miss has included computational physical chemistry; photovoltaic solar cells; electromagnetic applications - including perfect absorbers, high-impedance surfaces, sub-wavelength imaging, hyper-lenses, cloaking and reduction of interference in antennas - and nano-composites for aerospace, defense, and homeland security. Initial sectors targeted by the center will include energy, electronics, biomedical, and structural, said Ahmed Al-Ostaz, director of the Nano Infrastructure Laboratory and professor of civil engineering. (Source: University of Mississippi 10/25/17)

Project vendor fair today

COLUMBUS, Miss. - Area construction companies and local Golden Triangle, Miss., businesses will have the opportunity to attend a vendor fair Oct. 24 (from 1-4 p.m.) for information on the Southern Cross Transmission Project, a proposed $700 million wind energy transmission line, which if approved by the public service commission, will run through central Mississippi. Southern Cross is hosting the fair at the Courtyard Marriott in Columbus. The company is looking for construction and land maintenance firms, plus equipment rentals, food and lodging services. SC is a subsidiary of Pattern Energy Group with plans to build the 400-mile, 500-kilovolt line from Texas to east Mississippi. The company filed its formal submission and route proposal with the Mississippi Public Service Commission in April. MPSC has not approved the project. PSC commissioner Brandon Presley said the agency plans to hold a series of hearings. The schedule hearings should be set within 30 days. The proposed route finishes in Lowndes County at a $300 million converter station set to be built in Caledonia. (Source: Columbus Dispatch 10/23/17)

Prez addresses AF pilot shortage

WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump signed an executive order Oct. 20 allowing the Air Force to address a serious pilot shortage. The EO amends a post 9/11 emergency declaration allowing the AF to call up to 1,000 retired pilots for three years. Pentagon spokesman, Navy Cmdr. Gary Ross, says the AF is currently short about 1,500 pilots. (Source: The Associated Press 10/20/17)

Non-profit workshop at MSU

STARKVILLE, Miss. - Developing skills in order to lead a non-profit organization will be the focus of a public workshop at Mississippi State University on Oct. 27. Dan Prater, executive director of Drury University’s Center for Nonprofit Leadership and co-chair f Nonprofit Missouri, will be featured speaker. In addition to employees of human services, education, faith-based, health care, and civic organizations, the training is designed to benefit business CEOs, executive directors, public relations, and marketing professionals. The three-session program will take place from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Bost Extension Center. Registration is $45. (Source Mississippi State University 10/18/17)

MS prof to work on Mars research

Tougaloo (Miss.) College professor Santanu Banerjee is going to assist with research in preparation for NASA’s goal to explore Mars in the 2030s. He got a $26,000 grant to conduct research that mimics environmental conditions on the Red Planet, like UV radiation, humidity and microgravity. The goal is to test the survival rate of bacteria samples. Banerjee is also a Mississippi IDeA Network on Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE) research development award recipient. INBRE is housed at the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg. It provides benefits to researchers and students across the state for biomedical research through funding by the National Institutes of Health. (Source: Clarion Ledger brief 10/14/17)

Keelser’s 85th EIS deploys to PR

KEESLER AFB, Miss. – Hand-picked personnel from the Air Force’s 85th Engineering Installation Squadron at Keesler AFB deployed Oct. 13 to repair Puerto Rico’s land mobile radio communications infrastructure for first responders following Hurricane Maria. The 85th EIS was requested by name to help get it back up and running. “U.S. Army North had some direct influence in our tasking to Puerto Rico,” said Maj. Jason Read, operations director for the 85th EIS. “One of the comments a FEMA representative made was that they can’t make the proper assessments; that’s what they need us there for. At that point we knew we had to be prepared for everything.” The 85th EIS is the only active duty engineering and installation unit in the Air Force. Its expertise and reputation is the reason why they were selected. They handpicked every team member based on their skill sets ranging from radio frequency, airfield communications, cable antenna, translators and someone with local knowledge of Puerto Rico. (Source: Keesler AFB 10/13/17)

Airmen showcase AF to students

TUPELO, Miss. – More than 110 personnel from Columbus (Miss.) Air Force Base spent several days showing more than 7,000 eighth-grade students, from 17 northeast Mississippi counties some of the vast career opportunities that the AF offers. The event was at the Imagine the Possibilities Career Expo from Oct. 3-5 in Tupelo. The expo was hosted by the CREATE Foundation. Airmen from CAFB represented seven of the 18 career pathways, including aerospace, communications, engineering, government and public administration, health sciences, logistics, and law and public safety. Within those pathways, 21 careers were showcased. (Source: 14th Flying Training Wing 10/13/17)

AFA seeking top civilians of year

Air Force officials are seeking nominations for the 2018 Air Force Association’s Outstanding Civilian Employees of the Year awards. The AFA recognizes four AF civilian employees for outstanding achievement in four categories: Civilian wage employee; civilian program specialist (GS 1-11); civilian program manager (GS 12-13); and civilian senior manager (GS 14-15). Major commands may submit one nomination. All nominee packages are due to the AF’s Personnel Center not later than Jan. 5, 2018. (Source: AF Personnel Center 10/13/17)

Condor to repeat NOLA flights

Condor Airlines will continue its twice-weekly, summertime non-stop flights from New Orleans to Germany in 2018. The flight, launched in May, was one of two new European connections for the Crescent City. Officials announced the renewal service Oct. 10 after the airline wrapped up its 2017 seasonal flights. The last Condor flight from Louis Armstrong International Airport to Frankfurt, Germany, for this year departed Oct. 4. Next year's Condor flights from New Orleans to Frankfurt will launch May 17 and run through Sept. 30. A 259-seat Boeing 767-300ER will fly the route. The flights are to depart NOLA on Thursdays and Sundays. Flights from Frankfurt will leave midday on Thursdays and Sundays. (Source: NOLA.com 10/10/17)

AHI delivers Army’s 400th Lakota

Airbus Helicopters Inc. delivered the Army’s 400th UH-72A Lakota helicopter fulfilling its contract requirements to date. The UH-72A is one of the key helicopter models the Army will operate for the foreseeable future, including for training at Fort Rucker, Ala. The platform is a twin-engine aircraft with a digital glass cockpit, flight controls, and navigation systems. Army and Army National Guard units operate the UH-72A in a variety of missions, including flight training, surveillance and reconnaissance, medical evacuations, border security, VIP transport and disaster response. The UH-72A is assembled at the AHI’s facility in Columbus, Miss. (Source: Defense World 10/09/17)

Orbital ATK to expand Iuka facility

Orbital ATK has plans to expand its Iuka, Miss., and begin production of the Antares, Pegasus, and Minotaur launch vehicles and a large national aerospace and defense program. The company plans to begin production on the new composite launch vehicle structures and aerospace components in the third quarter of 2017, and fill 50 new jobs by the close of 2018. The expansion investment is $10.48 million. The Mississippi Development Authority provided assistance for infrastructure and facility improvements. Tishomingo County also provided assistance. The Iuka facility currently has more than 100 employees producing large composite structures for United Launch Alliance’s Atlas V and Delta IV launch vehicles. (Source: Mississippi Business Journal 10/10/17)

Swinging doors at VA

The leader of the Department of Veterans Affairs health care system unexpectedly resigned effective Oct. 7 leaving three top VA positions unfilled by permanent undersecretaries. Dr. Poonam Alaigh, the acting undersecretary for health since May, sent a message to VA employees last week informing them of the resignation, due to family reasons. Alaigh will be replaced by Dr. Carolyn Clancy, who will take the position in an interim capacity. Clancy has been with the VA for more than 10 years and will oversee a health system of more than 160 medical centers and 1,000 clinics that serves some nine million veterans. The chiefs of two other VA sectors - benefits and cemeteries - are also temporarily filled. President Trump nominated Randy Reeves as the VA undersecretary for memorial affairs on Sept. 1. Reeves is executive director of the Mississippi Veterans Affairs Board. He was questioned by the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee last week and must be confirmed by the full Senate before taking the post. (Source: Stars and Stripes 10/06/17) Reeves served as past president of the National Association of State Directors of Veterans Affairs. He served in the Navy, retiring with the rank of commander. Prior to his Navy stint, Reeves was an enlisted airman in the Air Force.

New boss for Vicksburg’s 412th EC

The chief of staff of the Army announced Oct. 6 that Army Reserve Brig. Gen. Daniel J. Christian, deputy commander (Troop Program Unit) of the 412th Engineer Command (Mission Support Element) at Vicksburg, Miss., was assigned to the billet of Commander (Troop Program Unit) of the 412th EC at Vicksburg. (Source: DOD 10/06/17)

SECDEF warns DOD against leaks

WASHINGTON – Defense Secretary Jim Mattis issued a new warning in an Oct. 3 internal memo to all U.S. military and Defense Department civilians against leaking information, and directed personnel to report suspected leaks. Mattis reminded DOD personnel that “it is a violation of our oath to divulge, in any fashion, non-public DOD information, classified or unclassified, to anyone without the required security clearance as well as a specific need to know in the performance of their duties.” He also reinforced obligations to report leaks. Transparency advocates freaked out at the memo. Non-public, but unclassified DOD information can include internal memos, trip itineraries or administrative guidance the Pentagon decides it does not want in the public record, even if the information is not sensitive enough to classify (i.e. “for official use only”). “No single incident triggered this,” said DOD spokesman, Army Maj. Audricia M. Harris. (Source: Defense News 10/05/17) Mississippi Note: There are a number of military installations, active duty personnel (9500-plus) and DOD civilians (2300-plus) serving across the Magnolia State, including at NAS Meridian, Columbus and Keesler AFBs, Naval Construction Battalion Center, and Stennis Space Center.

Boeing agrees to buy Aurora

Boeing Co. and Aurora Flight Sciences Corp., an innovator, developer and manufacturer of advanced aerospace platforms, have signed an agreement allowing Boeing to acquire AFS. Aurora specializes in autonomous systems technologies to enable advanced robotic aircraft for future aerospace applications and vehicles. Terms of the agreement have not been disclosed. The transaction is anticipated to close after receipt of regulatory approvals. Once acquired, Aurora will be a subsidiary under Boeing Engineering, Test & Technology. AFS will retain an independent operating model while benefiting from Boeing's resources and position as a provider of aerospace products and services. AFS is headquartered in Manassas, Va., and has a production facility in Columbus, Miss. (Source: NASDAQ 10/05/17) Golden Triangle Note: The Columbus facility is an Aerostructures Manufacturing and Final Assembly plant located at the Golden Triangle Regional Airport. The Mississippi facility fabricates and performs final assembly of composite aerostructures for defense and commercial aerospace customers, including Aurora’s Orion Medium Altitude-Long Endurance Unmanned Aerial Vehicle.