Shutdown issues darken WH tree

Partial government shutdown complications will ensure the National Christmas Tree stays dark this holiday after a man climbed up in it, and damaged some of the lights, according to NBC4 TV in Washington. The tree is located on the Ellipse just south of the White House. U.S. Park Police had to negotiate with the unidentified man to get him down. The National Park Service announced over the weekend that the tree would stay dark during the holiday, and according to The Hill, because the shutdown has “complicated” its repair. The man was taken to a hospital for psychiatric evaluation, media reported. (Source: Time 12/23/18)

'Hacking for Defense' at USM

University of Southern Mississippi professors Henry Jones and Daniel DeMott, along with mentors from the Defense Department, Homeland Security, and intelligence community, will show USM students how to innovate solutions quickly for national security issues as part of the course “Hacking for Defense (H4D),” which will be taught this summer. USM will be the only school in the Southeast, and one of a handful in the nation, to offer H4D. Jones and DeMott, VP of research at the office of technology development, will teach graduate and undergraduates how to combine the processes, developed on battlefields, with the Lean LaunchPad Methodology. LaunchPad was developed by experts at Stanford and in Silicon Valley of California, Jones told Hattiesburg Business Today. Study topics may include the use of facial recognition in crowds, defeating small unmanned aircraft systems, sensor-to-cloud encryption, and wearable sensors and apps for Navy divers. (Source: Hattiesburg Business Today 12/2018)

Research prof shuts down GTRA

LOWNDES COUNTY, Miss. - A package left on purpose, by an unidentified Mississippi State University research professor, causes the Golden Triangle Regional Airport, to temporarily shutdown. The incident happened at 4:45 on Christmas Eve morning. After investigating, authorities learned the package was left inside the terminal, as part of a study by the MSU professor. The professor was interviewed by Lowndes County Investigators. No charges have been filed. MSU later released a state: ”Mississippi State University regrets any public inconvenience caused by this action on the part of our researcher seeking ambient air samples for public health research. We appreciate (GTRA’s) finding that this was an honest procedural mistake and not a crime.” The abandoned package was found in the upstairs terminal. The terminal was evacuated, and Airport Road blocked off. Lowndes County sheriff’s deputies located the box, and determined it was harmless. The item was placed in the terminal without GTRA’s permission. One flight was delayed. Operations returned to normal by 8:15 a.m. (Source: WTVA 12/24/18)

No shutdown for NORAD Santas

DENVER – Despite a partial government shutdown, kids will still be able to call in to the NORAD Tracks Santa toll-free telephone number on Christmas Eve. Hundreds of volunteers dressed in Christmas hats and military uniforms will be on duty Dec. 24 to receive children’s calls from around the world who want to know when Santa will be arriving. NORAD Tracks Santa is based out of Peterson AFB, Colo., and funded by DoD’s budget that was approved earlier this year. The call-in line is now in its 63rd year. The tradition came about after a mistaken phone call to the Continental Air Defense Command in Colorado Springs in 1955. CONAD, as it was known then, monitored a far-flung radar network looking for signs of a nuclear attack on the U.S. A Colorado newspaper ran an ad inviting kids to call Santa, but mistakenly listed CONAD’s phones as the hotline number. Some 1,500 civilian/military volunteers answer the phone calls from kids at its 1-877-HI-NORAD number, which infuses the holiday with childlike wonder. "They're all really sweet, small voices," said Madison Hill, a volunteer who helped answer the phones over the past two previous years. (Source: The AP 12/23/18) Golden Triangle Note: Happy holidays Mississippi!

Mattis leaving early, interim named

WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump announced Dec. 23 that Defense Secretary Jim Mattis will leave his post on Jan. 1. Trump named Mattis’ early departure in a tweet, and named Deputy Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan as acting SECDEF. The move comes three days after Mattis resigned in protest over Trump’s decision to pull all U.S. troops out of Syria. Mattis originally said he would stay through February. (Source: The AP 12/23/18) Shanahan’s official DoD biography does not show any military service.

Aerospace Engineer Contract Jobs

MS Aerospace Engineer Contract Jobs
(Source: Zip Recruiter 12/18)

Peak inside NOLA’s $1B terminal

New Orleans' new $1B airport terminal is entering its final months of construction with most of the work shifting to its interior. The terminal is set to open in May 2019, and was roughly 90 percent complete heading into early December, according to a team overseeing construction. On a NOLA.com tour Dec. 19, the facility was bustling with some thousand workers putting up drywall, wiring security stations, and working from lifts to fine-tune thousands of feet of baggage belts. Airport officials have released construction-progress photos of the 35-gate terminal throughout 2018. In walking the facility for the first time, it’s a striking experience. The scale is enormous with soaring ceilings, massive skylights, and a consolidated security checkpoint area the size of a football field. (Source: NOLA.com 12/21/18)

FAA seeks DAC candidates

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has posted a notice in the Federal Register soliciting qualified candidates to serve on the Drone Advisory Committee (DAC). The committee provides an open venue for the FAA and stakeholders to identify and recommend consensus-based resolutions for issues related to integration of unmanned aircraft (UAS) into the National Airspace System. (Source: Just Helicopters 12/20/18) The FAA must receive nomination packages no later than 5 a.m. CST on Jan. 9, 2019.

AHI delivers H145 to SoCal Air

COLUMBUS, Miss. - Airbus Helicopters Inc. (AHI) delivered a twin-engine H145 helicopter to SoCal Air Services, a venture recently launched by Fred Luddy, founder of ServiceNow, a cloud computing company that Forbes magazine declared: “The World’s Most Innovative Company of 2018”. “We are extremely excited to begin flying our new H145,” said Lundy, and was “immediately drawn to (it) at the Heli Expo trade show in Las Vegas,” he continued. What impressed SoCal about the H145 was its large cabin capacity, high performance, safety features, stylish design, and configuration versatility, all of which make it an invaluable asset to build its business. The H145 was delivered out of AHI’s industrial facilities in Columbus, Miss., and will serve as the lead rotorcraft for SoCal Air Services out of Carlsbad, Calif. The company will operate the helicopter for charter flights, movie work, real estate operations and to support Luddy’s other business interests, including the World Team Tennis League, a sports property he owns with Billie Jean King. (Source: Just Helicopters 12/20/18)

T-45 engine work at NASM

Rolls-Royce Corp. of Indianapolis, Ind., is awarded a $218,747,254 firm-fixed-price undefinitized contract action to provide intermediate and depot level maintenance and related logistics support for in-service T-45 F405-RR-401 Adour engines. Work will be performed at NAS Meridian, Miss. (44%); NAS Kingsville, Texas (44%); NAS Pensacola, Fla. (11%); and NAS Patuxent River, Md. (1%), and is expected to be completed in December 2019. No funds will be obligated at the time of award. Funds will be obligated on individual orders as they are issued. This contract was not competitively procured pursuant to 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(1). The Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division, Orlando, Fla., is the contracting activity (N61340-19-D-0004). (Source: DoD, 12/20/18)

EPA grants: Drop diesel emissions

DALLAS – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced Dec. 21 the availability of grant funding to implement projects aimed at reducing emissions from the nation’s existing fleet of older diesel engines. EPA anticipates awarding about $40M in Diesel Emission Reduction Program (DERA) grant funding to eligible applicants in EPA’s Region 6, including Louisiana, subject to the availability of funds. EPA’s Region 4 applicants from Alabama, Florida, and Mississippi may also make proposals requesting up to $2M in grant funds. Supporting projects that upgrade aging diesel engines, EPA is offering financial assistance to improve efficiency and reduce air pollution throughout the nation, according to EPA Acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler. Diesel-powered engines move about 90 percent of the nation’s freight tonnage, and nearly all freight trucks, locomotives, and commercial marine vessels are powered by diesel engines. (Source: EPA 12/21/18)

L-3 Vertex contract: $35M

L-3 Communications Vertex Aerospace of Madison, Miss., has been awarded an estimated $35,000,000 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity modification (P00015) to contract (FA8106-17-D-0001) for logistic support of the Air Force C-12 fleet. Work will be performed in Madison; San Angelo, Texas; Okmulgee, Okla.; Buenos Aries and Brasilia, Argentina; Gaborone, Botswana; Bogota, Columbia; Cairo, Egypt; Accra, Ghana; Tegucigalpa, Honduras; Budapest, Hungary; Joint Base Andrews, Md.; Nairobi, Kenya, Rabat, Morocco; Manila, Philippines; Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Bangkok, Thailand; Ankara, Turkey; Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.; Holloman AFB, N.M.; Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska; and Yokota Air Base, Japan. Work is expected to be completed by Dec. 31, 2019. The estimated cumulative face value of the contract is $70,000,000. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Tinker Air Force Base, Okla., is the contracting activity. (DoD 12/19/18)

New inspection for MS nuke plant

There was another unplanned outage at Mississippi’s Grand Gulf nuclear power plant that is giving concerns to federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission regulators over reliability problems at the largest single-unit nuclear power plant in the U.S. The outage is heightening scrutiny over whether problems at Entergy Corp.’s plant may be affecting power markets across the southeast. Operators took the Port Gibson, Miss., area plant offline last week, citing problems with a turbine bypass valve. The Dec. 12 outage came to light Dec. 18 when the NRC announced a special inspection. In November, the NRC wrote a notification letter to Entergy downgrading its safety rating from the safest of four levels to white, the second safest. The letter cited a number of equipment failures, which has led to the supplemental inspection to explore the root causes of the problems. The latest outage was at least the sixth unplanned decrease in output at the plant over the past 15 months, according to NRC documents. Grand Gulf took a nearly six-month outage in 2016-17 aimed at improving performance because it did not, in the words of Chief Nuclear Officer Chris Bakken, “meet our standards of excellence.” Grand Gulf, which began in 1985, is 90 percent owned by Entergy and 10 percent owned by Cooperative Energy, a Mississippi group that supplies power to cooperatives. Entergy’s subsidiaries in Mississippi, Arkansas, New Orleans, and elsewhere in Louisiana have contracts to buy power from the plant. (Source: Mississippi Business Journal 12/19/18)

MDA offering site program grants

JACKSON, Miss. - Economic development groups and local governments can now apply for site development grants under the Ready Site/Premier Site Program(s) administered by the Mississippi Development Authority (MDA). Ready Site/Premier Site is designed to assist public or private non-profit economic development organizations or governments with preparing site-ready locations to attract business development and private capital investment to the state. These grants can be used for improvements to publicly owned industrial property. The grants require a minimum 50 percent match from other sources. Ready Site must have a minimum of 20 acres available for development and that can be site-work ready in six months or have utilities in 12 months. Ready Site grants are available up to $50,000. Premier Site must have a minimum of 100 acres with a labor force able to attract the intended market. A workforce study is required. Premier Site grants are available up to $250,000. MDA will give priority to sites served by railways or with airport or port access. (Source: MDA 12/18/18)

Wicker's ocean tech development

U.S. Senator Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) praised the Senate’s passage of his “Commercial Engagement through Ocean Technology (CENOTE) Act” legislation. The bipartisan legislation – introduced with Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii); and Rep. Steven Palazzo (R-Miss.) and Rep. Jimmy Panetta (D-Calif.) companion legislation in the House of Representatives – will advance the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) use of unmanned maritime systems; encourage private sector research and development; and ensure marine data is made available for academic, national security, and commercial interests. The legislation passed the House last week. “Unmanned maritime systems are revolutionizing the way we explore our nation’s oceans,” Wicker said in a media release. This legislation will provide a “much-needed boost to NOAA’s efforts to harness the capabilities of this technology by leveraging the Navy’s expertise.” Unmanned maritime systems are remotely piloted or autonomous vehicles that collect ocean data. The Navy has already committed significant resources towards advancing unmanned systems for national security. NOAA will work with the Navy to bring unmanned systems data collection techniques to the civilian side. Mississippi’s Gulf Coast “Blue Economy” also stands to benefit from increased investment in ocean technology. The coast is “one of the few places in the United States where extensive testing of unmanned maritime systems occurs, according to Wicker. The University of Southern Mississippi and Mississippi State University are excelling in unmanned systems research and both operate on the Gulf Coast. (Source: U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker 12/18/18)

CAFB reps learn about AFWERX

AUSTIN, Texas - Air Force personnel gathered in Austin Dec. 13-14 for a Spark Cell workshop to learn about the Defense Department’s innovation ecosystem, and best ways to design and grow the overall culture of innovation throughout the services. Spark Cell, hosted by the AFWERX-Austin hub team, was designed to help grow the network of willing collaborators and share ideas and approaches that foster a results-driven culture of innovation, and the ability to solve some of the AF’s toughest challenges. AFWERX was envisioned by Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson. “Every Airman has the opportunity to shape the future force and help us maintain our competitive advantage over our adversaries,” said Maj. Tony Perez, AFWERX Spark director. The workshop included classes on innovation fundamentals, tools, team-building, and using Spark Cell lessons learned case studies. Representatives from across Air Education and Training Command (AETC) attended the workshop, including a Spark Cell director from Columbus AFB, Miss. Attendees used the workshop as a “way to tighten our communications and work directly with AFWERX and Pilot Training Next in order to move forward as a team on specific projects and requirements,” said Maj. Ryan Brewer of the Columbus-based 14th Flying Training Wing. Experiencing AFWERX collaboration efforts with industry and learning about contracting and acquisition processes was critical learning of the workshop. (Source: Air Education and Training Command 12/18/18)

More T-Birds’ Biloxi show info

The Air Force's Thunderbirds demonstration team will perform over the Mississippi Sound in F-16 Fighting Falcons over a beachfront “stadium” after smaller air shows with precision performances take place at Keesler Air Force Base on May 4-5. Officials announced addition details and performances for “Thunder Over The Sound” air show on Dec. 18. It will be the Thunderbirds’ first show over Biloxi in four years. (Source: Sun Herald 12/18/18)

Foreign military training at Stennis

HANCOCK COUNTY, Miss. – The average Pearl River fisherman would probably be surprised by a team of tactically dressed military in fully-armed boats cruising by in the pre-dawn hours. But regulars are likely used to it. Stennis Space Center is on the east bank of the Pearl, north of I-10 on 200 square miles of land. Most of it is reserved as a buffer zone for NASA, but more there than meets the eye. About 70 percent of Stennis’ tenants are Navy, from a military-technology creating research lab to the Naval Small Craft Instruction and Technical Training School (NAVSCIATTS) where some 600 foreign military personnel train annually, command spokesperson Angela Fry told the Sun Herald. The Security Cooperation schoolhouse is operated under the U.S. Special Operations Command in south Florida. It’s a Defense Department program that provides technical support, financial support, and training to 120 allied nations’ military personnel fighting terrorism back home. (Source: Sun Herald 12/17/18)

MSU nat'l leader in research

STARKVILLE, Miss. - A recent review of U.S. higher education affirms Mississippi State University’s status as one of the nation’s leading research institutions. The Carnegie Foundation released an update Dec. 17 of the influential Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education and Mississippi State is designated as a “Very High Research Activity” doctoral university. This classification represents the highest level of research activity for doctorate-granting universities in the country. MSU is one of only 120 schools to achieve the distinction. MSU also holds the Carnegie community engagement classification. MSU joins universities such as Stanford, MIT, Duke and Johns Hopkins in the very high research activity tier. In addition to its Carnegie classification, MSU is the highest ranked university in the state in the recently released National Science Foundation Higher Education Research and Development Survey for FY 2017; and ranked 64th nationally. Three Bagley College of Engineering disciplines were rated in the top 50: Industrial (33rd), Mechanical (25th) and Aerospace (33rd). The Raspet Flight Research Laboratory has led discovery and innovation in manned flight since 1948. (Source: MSU 12/17/18)

NO, Gulfport naval aircraft support

The Boeing Co. of St. Louis, Mo., is awarded a $92,361,661 not-to-exceed firm-fixed-price, cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for Phase 1 integrated logistics support for 22 F/A-18E and 6 F/A-18F Super Hornet aircraft in support of the government of Kuwait under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program. Work will be performed in St. Louis (85 percent); Fort Walton Beach, Fla. (8 percent); New Orleans (5.5 percent); China Lake, Calif. (.50 percent); Patuxent River, Md. (.50 percent); and Gulfport, Miss. (.50 percent), and is expected to be completed in December 2020. FMS funds in the amount of $38,792,947 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The contract was not competitively procured pursuant to 10 U.S. Code. 2304(c)(1). Naval Air Systems Command of Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD 12/13/18)

Vertex: Prime seat for SeaPort NxG

MADISON, Miss. - Vertex Aerospace of Madison, Miss., has been awarded a Prime seat in the Navy's SeaPort Next Generation award contract vehicle. This portal is designed to provide an efficient means of soliciting offers from thousands of multiple award contract (MAC) holders - large and small businesses and pre-approved team members. SeaPort-NxG awards were issued to a limited number of businesses. Bids for awards were evaluated based on the bidding companies' past naval contracts and the technical aspects of submitted proposals. Vertex currently provides commercial air services, maintenance, and supply-chain support to six Navy contracts, several of which the global aerospace company has supported for over 20 years, including logistics support services for Navy T-34, T-44, C-9, and E-6B programs at locations such as NAS Pensacola and Whiting Field, Fla. Vertex’s selection will allow the Mississippi firm to compete for future naval support service opportunities valued at $5B annually. The Navy will begin using SeaPort-NxG MACs to award task orders for services in 2019. (Source: Vertex Aerospace 12/12/18) Vertex Aerospace is a global aerospace company with about $1.4B in 2017 sales. Vertex Aerospace is a global aerospace company with about $1.4B in 2017 sales. The firm employs over 4,200 people in over 100 operating locations world-wide.

Garmin earns top AHI supply award

Garmin International of Olathe, Kan., received the 2018 Supplier of Excellence Award by Airbus Helicopters Inc. at AHI's North American Supplier Conference in Texas. Garmin was recognized for its responsiveness and competitiveness in support of the Army’s UH-72A Lakota helicopter program, and for its overall support at the AHI facility in Columbus, Miss. Garmin’s support of equipping these helicopters with its avionics that support flight training, surveillance and reconnaissance, medical evacuations, border security, VIP transport, and disaster response. In all, more than 430 Lakota’s have been delivered to the Army. (Source: Garmin 12/04/18)

Gulf Coast Defense Forum event

KEESLER AFB, Miss. - Leaders from Keesler Air Force Base participated here at the Mississippi Gulf Coast Defense Forum on Dec. 3-4. The event connected Defense Department and state leadership to bring key decision-makers to show DoD’s assets, facilitate communication between military bases with their associated community leaders. The forum highlighted issues of mutual concern, addressed gaps in military value and quality of life, and educated key stakeholders on state-wide defense missions. Some 130 people attended the event, including Richard Hartley, Air Force Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Installations, Environment, and Energy; and Phyllis Bayer, Naval Assistant Secretary, Installations, Energy, and Environment; along with keynote messages from U.S. Rep. Steven Palazzo (R-Miss.) and Gov. Phil Bryant. The forum was a product of the Association of Defense Communities, an organization focused on advancing community-military partnerships. (Source: 81st Training Wing 12/07/18)

Harrison-Navy sign first IGSA

GULFPORT, Miss. - Naval Construction Battalion Center (NCBC) Gulfport and Harrison County, Miss., met at the county courthouse Dec. 3 to sign an intergovernmental support agreement (IGSA) that is a first of its kind for a Navy base and a local government in the Navy’s southeast region. The IGSA focuses on Mosquito Surveillance and Abatement Services, which will enable NCBC to purchase mosquito surveillance services from the county at a pre-determined price and on an as-needed basis. The staff at Naval Branch Health Clinic Gulfport normally performs mosquito surveillance on base to get an idea of the mosquito population in order to determine when mosquito spraying should be performed. The IGSA gives the base a backup capability during times when clinic staffing levels make surveillance a challenge, according to Kevin Gillam, NCBC Gulfport community planning and liaison officer. The intent is to save money on both sides. NCBC Gulfport has agreements with the city and county regarding Fire and Emergency Response Mutual Aid Agreements (MAA), but this is the first IGSA to be approved in the Navy's southeast region. (Source: NCBC Gulfport 12/11/18)

NASWF’s Hein is SE sailor of year

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Air Traffic Controller 1st Class Michael Hein from Naval Air Station Whiting Field, Fla., was named Navy Region Southeast Sailor of the Year. Six sailors from across the southeast, including Navy Counselor 1st Class Sarah Prather of Naval Air Station/Joint Reserve Base New Orleans, were the final nominees for the award across CNRSE’s 18 installations. “[These] Sailors represent the very best of the best throughout the region, and are to be commended for their sustained superior performance," said Rear Adm. Bette Bolivar, CNRSE. Hein served as chief of Whiting’s Flight Planning branch. He supervised his 24-member team in the filing and processing of over 49,000 aircraft flight plans. As leading petty officer, the team managed 165,826 mishap-free flight operations, and 7,000-plus ground controlled approaches. Hein also devoted personal time to deliver meals to families affected by Hurricane Michael, worked with Meals on Wheels, and helped place animals for adoption from the Escambia County Animal Shelter. The six nominees will make up a working group charged with devising policy and processes to drastically eliminate destructive behaviors like suicide, sexual assault, domestic violence and alcohol related incidents. The group will offer their ideas in the spring. Hein will now compete for the Commander Naval Installations Command Sailor of the Year, which recognizes the top sailor across all shore installations in the Navy. (Source: CNRSE 12/11/18)

Sailor returns home after 77 years

Seventy-seven years to the day, a Mississippi sailor was returned home for a proper burial. Calhoun County, Miss., native Aviation Machinist’s Mate 2nd Class Durell Wade was one of 429 sailors killed aboard the battleship USS Oklahoma during the Dec. 7, 1941, sneak attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. He was buried with full military honors at North Mississippi Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Kilmichael on Dec. 7. Among attendees was Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant, several of Wade’s family members, retired and current military personnel and representatives from Naval Air Station Meridian. A funeral detail from NASM also participated in the ceremony. Wade’s remains were positively identified through improvements in DNA identification technology. The technology used is known as mitochondrial and Y-chromosome analysis. The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) used this scientific analysis, along with dental, anthropological and circumstantial evidence to confirm the identities of USS Oklahoma sailors. Among attendees were Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant, several of Wade’s family members, retired and current military personnel and representatives from Naval Air Station Meridian. A funeral detail from NASM also participated in the ceremony. Cmdr. J.P. Falardeau, executive officer of NAS Meridian, spoke to the importance of the event and the greater importance of remembering the attack on Pearl Harbor. “It’s a very humbling experience to be a part of something as truly impressive and meaningful as bringing home a sailor from that infamous day in 1941.” (Source: Starkville Daily News 12/10/18)

Santa arrives at CAFB via T-1A

COLUMBUS AFB, Miss. – Santa Claus and three of his elves made a pre-holiday stopover at Columbus Air Force Base on Dec. 4 for the base’s official lighting of both the Christmas Tree and Menorah. Claus’ entourage arrived via a 14th Flying Training Wing T-1A Jayhawk. The Caledonia (Miss.) High School Choir performed Christmas carols. “This time of year provides amazing opportunities to invest our time connecting with others,” said Wing Commander, Col. Samantha Week. She encouraged participants “to invest with your kids and family … friends and wingmen … (and) “take advantage of every spare moment as it’s a gift.” (Source: Columbus AFB 12/10/18)

L3 mod contract: $21.8M

L3 Communications Vertex Aerospace of Madison, Miss., was awarded a $21,845,138 modification (P00035) to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price, cost-reimbursable, labor hour, indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contract (N00019-13-D-0007). This modification increases the ceiling and extends the period of performance to provide contractor logistics services and materials for organizational and depot-level services required to support and maintain the TH-57 fleet. Work will be performed in at NAS Whiting Field in Milton, Fla., and is expected to be completed in January 2019. No funds will be obligated at time of award. Funds will be obligated on individual task orders as they are issued. Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division of Orlando, Fla., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 12/06/18)

MSU breaks ground on complex

STARKVILLE, Miss. - Construction on the Richard A. Rula Engineering and Science Complex at Mississippi State University is officially underway after a Dec. 7 groundbreaking ceremony. The new project will provide state-of-the-art facilities for MSU’s James Worth Bagley College of Engineering. The 70,000-square-foot facility will house the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. The $34M building is named after MSU 2019 National Alumnus of the Year Richard A. Rula, an education advocate and leader in the construction industry. The dedicated research and teaching labs will support the department’s technical strengths in the areas of construction, environmental, geotechnical, materials, structural, transportation and water resources engineering. MSU’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering graduates professionals who help create and maintain the systems that raise the standard of living, such as clean water, safe roads, proper sanitation and quality buildings. Jackson-based Eley Guild Hardy Architects designed the building. Columbus-based West Brothers Construction is the general contractor. (Source: Mississippi State University 12/07/18)

NASM salutes former Navy OL

In honor of the Dec. 8 Army/Navy football game, NAS Meridian, Miss., salutes one of its own: Lt. Kyle Widhalm, a Naval Academy graduate who played for the Midshipmen as an offensive lineman from 2008-10! GO NAVY!! BEAT ARMY!! (Source: NAS Meridian 12/05/18)

New prez for EMCC

SCOOBA, Miss. - East Mississippi Community College announced Dec. 5 that Scott Alsobrooks will take over duties as president early next year. Alsobrooks has been VP of economic and community development at Pearl River (Miss.) Community College since 2011. He was workforce education director at PRCC for six years before that, previously working at the University of Southern Mississippi. He holds a bachelor's degree in engineering from Mississippi State University and a master's and doctorate from the USM. (Source: The AP 12/05/18)

Lockheed-Meridian Flight Sim Tech

The Army TADSS Maintenance Program (ATMP) is a seven-year Single Award ID/IQ contract for maintenance, sustainment, operations, and support of Army Training Aids, Devices, Simulators, and Simulations (TADSS), Live-Fire Ranges, and Instrumentation Systems. The ATMP portfolio includes 250,000 live, virtual, constructive, and gaming TADSS located at 422 sites worldwide. The primary customer is PEO STRI in Orlando, FL. PEO STRI’s published vision for ATMP is integrated, one-stop, world-wide maintenance and sustainment for Army Program of Record (POR) TADSS. Lockheed-Martin is advertising for a Flight Simulator Tech III, whose duties would be to repairs electronics in the CH-47F Transportable Flight Proficiency Trainer (TFPS) in Meridian, Miss. The CH-47F TFPS models a realistic flight environment and provides proficiency training of pilots and instructor pilots. (Source: Lockheed-Martin 12/2018)

Crash near Itta Bena preventable

WASHINGTON - Military investigators have concluded that the July 2017 crash of a Marine C-130 transport plane near Itta Bena in the western portion of Leflore County, Miss., was caused by mistakes made six years ago, according to some members of the families of the 16 service members killed. The military has briefed family members. "It kills me inside because my children could still have their dad. I could still have my husband," Ashley Kundrat told CBS News. CBS News spoke to her just after briefers from the Marine Corps told her what caused the crash that killed her husband, Staff Sgt. William Kundrat, and 15 others. The plane was flying at 20,000 feet when a blade on the left inboard propeller flew off and sliced through the fuselage. It caused major structural stress that the right inboard propeller came off and spun into the fuselage. The cockpit was severed from the plane followed moments later by the fuselage. The investigation found tiny pits of corrosion that over time had become a crack that caused the first blade to fail. "We tracked this back when it went through rework around 2011 and it was not detected," said air wing commander Brig. Gen. Bradley James. In 2011, the propeller had undergone a scheduled overhaul at this maintenance center at Robins AFB, Ga. Procedures, if “properly done should have detected that corrosion in 2011," said Brig. Gen. Kohn Kubinec, the current airwing commander. "The corrosion should have been detected. Why it wasn't, we don't know." (Source: CBS News 2/05/18)

Spain's new hypoxia-coping system

PARIS – Spanish companies have unveiled a new system for simulating low-oxygen conditions that air force pilots may experience in flight. The technology, made by Indra, one of Spain’s technology companies, and iAltitude, another Spanish firm specializing in high-altitude sports training, is a proposal to cope with the symptoms of hypoxia, which can cause pilots to fall unconscious in mid-flight. Spanish air force pilots have a backup oxygen mask in case oxygen levels drop too low, but if that too fails, pilots have to be able to identify symptoms that precede hypoxia, which can cause loss of consciousness, according to Indra. This new system, which the company claims is “the first of its kind in the world,” consists of normobaric hypoxia equipment made by iAltitude of which Indra has integrated into simulators for the C101 Spanish Air Force training jet at the Madrid-based Aerospace Medicine Training Center. The system regulates oxygen through pilots’ masks, reducing it a little at a time, and recording data to be used by the center to design programs to alert pilots to pre-hypoxia symptoms. Training in hypoxia has mainly been performed in hypobaric and normobaric chambers, but cannot be undertaken simultaneously with flight tasks. The new system means hypoxia tests are now integrated with flight training, while the capabilities of pilots to complete procedures in low-oxygen conditions is continuously evaluated. (Source: Defense News 12/04/18) Gulf Coast Note: U.S. Air Force, Marine and Navy pilots have experienced hypoxia-like symptoms in flight in F-35, F/A-18 Hornets, and T-6 trainer aircraft flown at both NAS Meridian, Miss., and Pensacola, Fla.

Last ‘CAVU’ favor from Prez 41

Vice President Mike Pence recalled Dec. 3 how he had asked a final favor from an ailing President George H.W. Bush in August on behalf of his son, Marine 1st Lt. Michael Pence - never expecting that the former president would be able to comply. The younger Pence had just made his first tailhook carrier landing on the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush earning his Wings of Gold as a Marine pilot - after graduation from Naval Air Station Meridian, Miss. The favor: Would the former president autograph a photo for his son? Bush's staff replied, he no longer signs autographs. But within a week, a handwritten letter and a signed photo from Bush arrived in Washington, D.C. "Congratulations on receiving your wings of gold," Bush wrote to Pence's son. "Though we have not met, I wish you many days of CAVU ahead" - a reference to the Navy acronym meaning "Ceiling and Visibility Unlimited" that he adopted as his motto for public service. Pence told the story, upon the arrival of Bush's casket at the Capitol Rotunda, as an example to the former president's basic decency and humility. Bush performed a final public service in the form of a brief respite from partisan politics among factions in Congress and the White House. President Donald Trump and Congress were nearing a tentative agreement to put off a battle on the budget and funding for the border wall until, at least, next week, avoiding a partial government shutdown Dec. 7. (Source: Military.com 012/04/18)

Miss. Superfund public meetings

ATLANTA - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing public meetings on Superfund Sites in Columbus and Grenada, Miss. For Columbus, a cleanup plan to address contaminated soil at the Kerr-McGee Chemical Corporation Superfund Site. The cleanup described in the plan is underway through a voluntary agreement with oversight from EPA and the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ). The cleanup will prepare about 20 acres of the site for reuse as early as next year. EPA will hold a public meeting to present the proposed plan and answer questions about the ongoing cleanup on Dec. 13, from 6-8 p.m., at the Genesis Dream Center in Columbus. EPA is also soliciting public comments on the plan for 30-days beginning on Dec. 7 and ending Jan. 6, 2019. (Source: EPA 12/04/18) Separately, between Jan. 7-17, the EPA will conduct soil and groundwater sampling at residential yards in the southern portion of the Eastern Heights neighborhood associated with the cleanup of the Rockwell Grenada (Miss.) Superfund Site. Prior to sampling, EPA will host two community information sessions on Dec. 13 for residents to learn more about the action. The same information will be presented at both sessions, 9-11 a.m. and 6-8 p.m. at the Grenada City Auditorium. In January, drill rigs will be used to sample soil and groundwater from the ground surface down to the bottom of the first groundwater zone. Using electrical and water-based signals at each location, the drill rigs collect data continuously underground to determine how much contamination is present and where. This information will assist the EPA in determining future cleanup actions. (Source: EPA 12/04/18)

‘Hackin’ the Mish' at CAFB

COLUMBUS AFB, Miss. - Columbus Air Force Base (CAFB) will be hosting "Fight’s On: Airmen Hackin’ the Mish" professional development day for personnel and civilians of the 14th Flying Training Wing on Dec. 7. The event is designed to connect personnel with one another by learning about fellow airmen’s combat missions and experiences in today’s AF, and to help understand how CAFB contributes to those missions. Various career field representatives, including tactical air control, security forces, combat weather, pilots and explosive ordnance disposal, will be speaking. “We selected battlefield airmen … because they are enlisted, non-flyers who have been in combat and can connect with our airmen through their experiences,” said Maj. Thomas Hyde, 14th Flying Training Wing’s Commander’s Action Group chief. Pilots were selected because they can connect to CAFB student-pilots through their flying experiences. The event will be from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Columbus Club and is open to all 14th FTW officers, enlisted and civilians. Questions about the event, please contact the Commander’s Action Group at (662) 434-1410. (Source: 14th Flying Training Wing 11/30/18)

NavMed worries over future cuts

The Navy’s push for a more lethal force, and a 355-ship fleet, could be re-invested from reductions to the service’s medical professionals, USNI News reports after viewing command guidance from the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery. BUMED “expects” that a Pentagon plan will reduce the military medical personnel across all services, possibly as early as FY 2020, according to the guidance. The guidance explains that Defense Department (DoD) officials are considering military medical reductions as part of its Program Objective Memorandum (POM) 2020. Each service is to manage their own reductions. “We expect many of the billet cuts” to Navy Medicine (NavMed) and to be “re-invested in other Navy priorities and communities that increase lethality,” the guidance stated. The number of billet cuts being consideration is not known. NavMed has about 63,000 personnel around the world to active duty sailors and Marines, their families and veterans, according to the Navy. The potential of NavMed cuts comes at a time that ‘Big Navy’ leadership is talking about growing the force. Through FY-18, the Navy had 329,851 active duty personnel, according to DoD. It is authorized to have 335,400. The Navy is planning to expand its surface force to 355 ships, which will call for more sailors. “This is what the POM process is for – to review all accounts in determining the best balance of investments,” Navy spokesperson Lt. Lauren Chatmas told USNI News. NavMed leaders expect that potential funding cuts will reduce medical staff capabilities – like expeditionary medical facilities, Graduate Medical Education, and medical training programs – and the scope of services available at facilities, ashore and afloat, across the service, according to the guidance. NavMed plans to fight over those GME and medical training programs. The Navy is months away from finalizing its contribution to DoD’s POM-20. (Source: USNI News 11/30/18) Gulf Coast Note: Regional NavMed facilities include Naval Hospital Pensacola, Fla., and its branch clinics at Meridian and Gulfport, Miss.; New Orleans; Pensacola, Milton, and Panama City, Fla. NHP's GME program for Family Medicine residents was shut down nearly two years ago.

CAFB’s Spark Cell creative hub

Columbus (Miss.) Air Force Base’s Spark Cell laboratory was designed to be a creative hub for finding solutions to problems, building innovative tools and processes, and learning anything from 3D printing to flying patterns in a T-6 Texan II. The use of the Spark Cell is consistent, and the impact is already being felt with 15 Airmen visiting weekly to work on projects. Its purpose is to cultivate ideas and connect with other innovators so CAFB can create solutions for the betterment of the Air Force. It’s a place for personal and professional development to help the AF and the wing get better, he explained. An example of how to use the space effectively is learning how to program computer applications to create a solution to a problem. Several projects are being worked, but the ‘Check Six’ podcast project was the first completed, according to Maj. Ryan Brewer, 14th Flying Training Wing’s director of innovation. They’re always looking at other opportunities for the podcast to expand from its main T-6 Texan II topics. Another project showing potential at the Spark Cell is the collaboration effort with communications specialists from Keesler Air Force Base, Miss., to create a program that helps edit and create enlisted and officer performance report bullets. “We are doing a lot of neat collaboration with other training bases on a weekly basis,” he said. Spark Cell will be conducting another in-depth 3D printing class on Dec. 5. Opportunities will continue to open in January 2019. Brewer encourages people to start bringing in ideas to Spark Cell meetings every Friday at noon so they can be a part of the innovation team. (Source: 14th Flying Training Wing 11/30/18)

CAP is 77: Exposed XO to aviation

The Civil Air Patrol, the official auxiliary of the Air Force, celebrated its 77th birthday on Dec. 1. The organization has played a major role in the AF’s total force mission and has paved the way for many aviators. Its mission is to support America's communities with emergency response, diverse aviation and ground services, youth development and promotion of air, space and cyber power. Some members of the Columbus (Miss.) AFB’s 14th Flying Training Wing have their grassroots with CAP. Some still have an invested interest in the Mississippi Wing’s Golden Triangle Composite Squadron as it continues as an essential asset to the community and the wing. “I was active in the CAP for two years in college as a senior member,” said Maj. Ben Peacock, executive officer and T-1A Jayhawk instructor pilot for the 14th FTW. As a cadet, Peacock was able to be a part of the social search and rescue team as a ground team member, and a scanner in Cessna aircraft. “It was a lot of great experiences in small airplanes,” he said. “It made me feel like I was able to do something productive outside of college.” It also opens the door for cadets who want to be in the military and gives leadership opportunities. Peacock said his experiences in CAP helped him decide he wanted to join the AF, and opened his eyes to the passion for aviation. Columbus area youth have that same opportunity, as the Golden Triangle Comsite Squadron’s Internal Aerospace Education Program meets Thursdays from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at the CAFB Chapel Annex. The squadron currently has about 20 cadets and 15 senior members. (Source: 14th Flying Training Wing 11/30/18)

L-3 Vertex T-1A pact: $97M+

L-3 Communications Vertex Aerospace of Madison, Miss., has been awarded a $97,491,260 firm-fixed-price contract for contractor operated and maintained base supply of the Air Education and Training Command’s fleet of 178 T-1A trainer aircraft. Work will be performed at Columbus Air Force Base, Miss.; Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla.; Randolph and Laughlin AFBs in Texas; and Vance AFB, Okla., with an expected completion date of Nov. 30, 2019. This award for Option One is the result of a competitive acquisition and three offers were received. FY 2019 operations and maintenance funds in the amount $48,288,767 are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center of Tinker AFB, Okla., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD 11/30)

Tyndall AFB to host Combat Archer

Tyndall Air Force Base in Florida – devastated by Hurricane Michael - is preparing for its first post-hurricane Combat Archer exercise, according to AF officials, from between Dec. 3-14. The base’s 53rd Weapons Evaluation Group will conduct the live-fire training exercise; and will be supported by the 82nd Aerial Targets Squadron, which will launch and control QF-16 aerial targets. Boeing recently delivered a new QF-16 to the squadron, marking an important milestone on the road to Tyndall’s recovery. The 82nd ATS currently has 18 QF-16s, six of which are unmanned, but all have been modified to be flown remotely. Combat Archer is a training event that evaluates operational fighter squadrons' readiness for combat operations. The program tests all phases of the real-world mission, from weapons loading to air-to-air combat. The AF also recently announced that the 53rd WEG’s mission, and the Combat Archer training event, will remain at Tyndall. The base has more than 2,000 personnel presently onboard, nearly half of them originally from Tyndall. (Source: Air Force Times 11/29/18) Sidebar: AF Col. David W. Abba has been nominated for appointment to the rank of brigadier general. He currently serves as commander of 53rd Wing at Eglin AFB, Fla. The 53rd WEG at Tyndall is one of the wing’s subordinate commands.

5 sentenced over camp explosion

DALLAS – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency joined law enforcement partners, from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Louisiana, Defense Department, U. S. Army, Department of Transportation, FBI, and Louisiana State Police, in announcing Nov. 30 the sentencing of five defendants for their role in a case involving Explo Systems Inc., a private company involved in the demilitarization of military munitions. Explo Systems’ mismanagement of military munitions resulted in the detonation at a storage facility at Camp Minden, La., on Oct. 15, 2012. The explosion damaged buildings in a four-mile radius, derailed 11 rail cars, and felt up to 35 miles away. In addition, an investigation revealed that Explo Systems had illegally disposed of hazardous waste resulting in over $38M of cleanup costs to tax payers. For their role in a criminal conspiracy, U.S. District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote presided over hearings and sentenced five defendants: Co-owner David Alan Smith of Winchester, Ky.; Vice President of Operations William Terry Wright of Bossier City, La.; Director of Support Technology Charles Ferris Callihan of Shreveport, La.; Demilitarization Program Manager Kenneth Wayne Lampkin and Traffic and Inventory Control Manager Lionel Wayne Koons, both of Haughton, La. (Source: U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Louisiana 11/30/18)

T-6A contract includes CAFB

Scientific Research Corp. of Atlanta, has been awarded an $11,966,292 firm-fixed-price contract to exercise option one in previously awarded contract FA8617-17-C-6227 for T-6A aircraft kit production and installation. Work will be performed at Columbus Air Force Base, Miss.; Vance AFB, Okla.; Laughlin AFB and Sheppard AFB, Texas; Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla., and Joint Base San Antonio–Randolph, Texas, and is expected to be completed by Jan. 1, 2020. FY 2019 aircraft procurement funds in the amount of $11,966,292 are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Tinker Air Force Base, Okla., is the contracting activity. (Awarded Nov. 26, 2018). (Source: DoD 11/29/18)

N.O. Marine nominated for 2nd star

Secretary of Defense James N. Mattis announced Nov. 28 that the president has nominated Marine Corps Reserve Brig. Gen. Bradley S. James for appointment to the rank of major general. James is currently serving as the commander, Marine Corps Forces Reserve; Commander Marine Corps Forces North; and commanding general of the 4th Marine Aircraft Wing and Marine Corps Forces Reserve at New Orleans. (Source: DoD 11/28/18)

CAFB duo cultivating women pilots

COLUMBUS AFB, Miss. - Eighteen Air Education and Training Command instructor pilots gathered in Oklahoma City, Okla., from Nov. 16-18, for the second annual AETC Women’s Fly-In training event. The training was organized by Lean In and Supergirls chapters from AETC bases with the goal of lessening the mentorship gap for women in the Air Force. Capts. Katy Boshears and Afton Brown of Columbus Air Force Base, Miss., put the new 14th Flying Training Wing mission of Cultivating Airmen and Connecting into practice for the annual professional development event. “(W)omen bring a different perspective to flying,” she said, “and with so few of us in each of our respective organizations, it's important to create an opportunity for us to come together to share struggles, successes, and resources.” A 2018 RAND study showed that past the initial 13-year pilot training commitment, only 39 percent of rated women in the AF choose to continue compared to 63 percent of males. Six percent of the 730 active duty AF pilots are women. The CAFB duo helped build on last year’s fly-in when 10 female IPs from Vance AFB came to Columbus to present a talk on intra-gender communication, hold discussions, and provide mentoring opportunities. In 2019, Brown and Boshears hope to expand the event to include men and women from all AETC bases with the ultimate goal, they say, to connect women, enable mentorship, and to inspire the next generation to pursue and achieve their professional and personal goals. (Source: CAFB 11/27/18)

T-X trainer to CAFB after 2023

ORLANDO, Fla. – The Boeing Co., following an Air Force contract award for the service’s new T-X trainer, is moving ahead with plans to begin full operational capability in 2034, a company executive told reporters here Nov. 27 at the Interservice/Industry Training, Simulation and Education Conference. In September, the Air Force awarded the Boeing-Saab team a contract worth up to $9.2B to develop the a next-generation jet pilot trainer aircraft that is to replace the AF’s T-38C Talons. The first batch of systems is expected to be sent to Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas, in 2023. Columbus Air Force Base, Miss.; Laughlin AFB, Texas; Sheppard AFB, Texas, and Vance AFB, Okla., are also to make a switch from the T-38 to the T-X. The Air Force contract is for 351 T-X aircraft, 46 simulators, and associated ground equipment, but also allows the service to purchase up to 475 aircraft and 120 simulators. (Source: National Defense 11/28/18)

AFRC changing med processes

ROBINS AFB, Ga. - Col. John Buterbaugh took the helm as command surgeon here at the Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC) in late summer, and outlined four initiatives to make changes to improve processes for some 70,000 reservist-citizens serving around the world. In an Aug. 28 letter, Buterbaugh outlined the initiatives to increase medical readiness that included eliminating medical case backlogs, removing mental health requirement differences between Active Duty and Reservists, providing more full-time medical staff at local units, and increasing decision-making ability on medical cases at the wing and squadron levels. “The current Reserve medical system is out of step” with the mission and the reservists, Buterbaugh wrote. It has “negatively affected” medical readiness, and decreased the ability of the AF Reserve to “take the fight to the enemy,” he wrote. The aligning of mental health requirements initiative has seen the most progress and has affected the largest number of reservists. The standards are now the same, and some have been eliminated. The changes also affected the Guard. (Source: Air Force Reserve Command 11/27/18)

Brown's wingman ship commissioning

The Navy’s newest guided-missile destroyer, the future USS Thomas Hudner (DDG 116), is scheduled to be introduced to the active fleet Dec. 1 during a commissioning ceremony in South Boston. The ship arrived at Flynn Cruiseport Boston via Castle Island on Nov. 26 in preparation for the ceremony. The ship, which was built in Bath, Maine, is the namesake of the late Capt. Thomas J. Hudner Jr. A Fall River, Mass., native. Hudner was awarded the Medal of Honor in 1951 about four months after he intentionally crash-landed his plane into a snowy mountain in an attempt to save his wounded wingman, Ensign Jesse Brown of Hattiesburg, Miss., during the Korean War. Brown was the first African-American naval pilot and the first to be killed in combat. Before Hudner died in November 2017, at age 93, he wrote a letter to then-Navy Secretary Ray Mabus asking him to consider naming a new destroyer after Brown. The future USS Thomas Hudner will be the 66th Arleigh Burke-class destroyer to be commissioned into the Navy. The destroyer’s commanding officer, Cmdr. Nathan Scherry, and the ship’s 310 officers and enlisted personnel will accept the duties of running and maintaining the destroyer as the commissioning pennant is raised for the first time around 9 a.m. (CT) Saturday, officials said. (Source: Boston Globe 11/26/18) A previous ship (FFT 1089) had been named for the Mississippi native. It was decommissioned at NAS Pensacola, Fla., and afterwards was commissioned into the Egyptian Navy. Prior to decommissioning, the ship was homeported at the former Naval Station Mobile, Ala. The commissioning ceremony will be live-streamed at https://www.navy.mil/ah_online/live/ah-live.asp

MSU cadets earn nat’l honors

STARKVILLE, Miss. – Mississippi State University’s Air Force ROTC again is receiving accolades with the selection of two cadets for top national honors. Senior mathematics major Cadet Courtney Conway is the only cadet in the U.S. receiving the 2018 Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association’s Honor Award. The award is given to top graduating cadets in electrical engineering or communications sciences. AFCEA awards recognize ROTC graduates in each service who demonstrate excellence in military and academic performance. Conway, an Oxford, Miss., native, plans to graduate in December. Additionally, Conway and fellow AFROTC Cadet Sarah Doll, a senior criminology major from Charleston, S.C., both are selections for the Air Force Office of Special Investigations. The federal law enforcement agency investigates federal level crimes within the Air Force. After completing AFOSI training, Conway and Doll will join the group as career Air Force officers. They are among 22 ROTC cadets in the nation chosen from a pool of applicants from 145 AFROTC units. (Source: Mississippi State University 11/20/18)

Six F-22 Raptors return to Florida

Six Air Force F-22 Raptors that were evacuated days before Hurricane Michael ravaged Tyndall Air Force Base last month returned Nov. 20 to Florida. Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson tweeted on Nov. 21 that the fifth-generation Raptors arrived at nearby Eglin Air Force Base to begin F-22 schoolhouse operations. Earlier this month, Wilson outlined a plan to return some airmen and duties to Tyndall, and to temporarily relocate others. The 43rd and 2nd Fighter squadrons' F-22 fighter training units, and 372nd Training Squadron detachment, were moving to nearby Eglin AFB. But the other F-22s and airmen with the 95th Fighter Squadron that fled from the storm aren’t currently coming back to Florida, but it was unclear when or if that may change. (Source: Air Force Times 11/21/18)

Navy Lodge offers holiday discounts

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – Navy Lodges are offering 20 percent off holiday room reservations at select facilities between Nov. 22 and Jan. 2, 2019. Participating Navy Lodges for the promotion include: Gulfport, Miss.; Memphis, Tenn.; Pensacola, Mayport, and Jacksonville in Florida; Annapolis, Bethesda and Patuxent River Maryland.; Fort Worth and Corpus Christi, Texas; Lemoore, El Centro, Port Hueneme, Moffett Field and Monterey, Calif.; Great Lakes, Ill.; Fallon, Nev.; Washington, D.C.; New London, Conn.; New York; Newport, R.I.; Everett and Whidbey Island, Wash.; Kings Bay, Ga.; and Norfolk and Little Creek-Fort Story, Va. As an added bonus, dogs and cats up to 70 pounds can stay at most Navy Lodges when traveling with owners. Guests need to contact the specific Navy Lodge regarding pet policies. Reservations need to be made online at navy-lodge.com or dodlodging.com to receive the discount. (Source: Navy Exchange 11/19/18)

EPA awards La. lead-paint grant

DALLAS – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded Louisiana’s Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ) a $189,805 grant for lead paint programs. LDEQ will use the grant for administration and enforcement of lead-based paint programs, including the training of workers involved in lead-based paint abatement, accrediting trainers, certifying contractors, and establishing workplace standards in housing built before 1978, when lead paint was banned. Lead-based paint can still be present in homes, schools, and workplaces built before 1978. Lead can affect almost every organ and system in the body. Children six years old and younger are most susceptible, which include behavior and learning problems, lower IQ, hyperactivity, slowed growth, hearing problems, and anemia. (Source: US EPA 11/19/18)

Study: Drones vs. bird impacts

Small drone impacts may cause more damage to manned aircraft than bird strikes, according to the conclusions of a study by the University of Dayton (Ohio) Research Institute’s (UDRI) Impact Physics group. Researchers evaluated damage a 2.1-pound DJI Phantom 2 quadcopter could have on the leading edge of a Mooney M20 wing compared to an identically-weighted gel bird. The tests simulated the impact of both on the wing at an impact speed of 238 mph. According to UDRI: The bird did more apparent damage to the leading edge of the wing, but the drone “penetrated deeper into the wing and damaged the main spar, which the bird did not do.” The UDRI group routinely performs sponsored bird-strike testing of aircraft. The study was conducted to assist the aviation and drone communities “understand the dangers that even recreational drones can pose to manned aircraft before a significant event occurs,” said Kevin Poormon, group leader for the study. (Source: AIN Online 11/02/18)

SECAF: 3-to-5 yrs to rebuild Tyndall

It will take three to five years to repair the damages to Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., from the devastation of Hurricane Michel on Oct. 10. The storm damage to 95 percent of the buildings on base, Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson said at a Nov. 15 Defense One summit. The AF is also assessing what buildings to repair and which to rebuild. Several missions will return to the base, including the simulator portion of the F-22 training and the Air Operations Center that should be operational by January. Eglin AFB will take Tyndall's F-22 flying training unit. SECAF Wilson noted that all F-22s that remained on base during the storm have flown. (Source: Inside Defense 11/15/18)

Ex-NASM instructor to lead VT-9

Training Squadron 9 (VT-9) at Naval Air Station Meridian, Miss., is holding a change of command ceremony Nov. 16. Cmdr. John Eveges will be relieved of command by Cmdr. Brian Baumgaertner. Cmdr. Baumgaertner was commissioned through Officer Candidate School in April 2002 at NAS Pensacola, Fla.; and designated a Naval Aviator in 2004. In May 2008, Baumgaertner reported to VT-7 at NAS Meridian, where he was designated an instructor pilot in the T-45C Goshawk. In August 2015, Baumgaertner reported to Air Command and Staff College at Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala., and earned his master's in Military Operational Art and Science. Baumgaertner comes to Mississippi from the U.S. Cyber Command at Fort Meade, Md., where he served as the Deputy Division Chief for simulation and exercises. He has more than 3,300 hours in various Navy and Air Force aircraft, and more than 245 carrier arrested landings. Eveges served as the CO since August 2017, and will retire after 20 years of service. (Source: Meridian Star 11/15/18)

Environmental grants' availability

DALLAS – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced Nov. 15 the availability of $1.5M for Environmental Justice Small Grants (EJSG). These funds will go to about 50 community-based organizations across the country that will work to address environmental justice issues in their communities. Each recipient will receive up to $30,000 for one-year, community-driven projects that engage, educate, and empower communities to better understand environmental and public health issues, and to identify ways to address them locally. “EPA is committed to assisting low-income and disadvantaged communities that are often disproportionally impacted by environmental risks or hazards,” said EPA Acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler. The grants are designed to assist communities to address environmental challenges, such as reducing air pollution, combating lead exposure, and improving water quality. This year’s environmental grants will also include $300,000 in support from EPA’s Urban Waters program. The application period for the 2018 EJSG is open until Feb. 15, 2019. All eligible organizations are encouraged to apply. (EPA 11/15/18)

Thunderbirds’ Biloxi show changed

BILOXI, Miss. - The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds flight demonstration team's Biloxi air show has been moved back nearly a half-month in the spring of 2019 to avoid conflict with other events in the area during the original April 13-14 date, according to a media release from Keesler Air Force Base. The show will now be May 4-5 at Keesler AFB and over the Mississippi Sound. The event was originally scheduled in April, which is the spring break and Black Beach Weekend at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum.The Thunderbirds last performed in Biloxi in 2015. (Source: Sun Herald 11/14/18)

Vertex $25M pact for C-12 support

Vertex Aerospace LLC of Madison, Miss., has been awarded a $35,000,000 firm-fixed- price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract modification to contracts FA8106-17-D-0001 for contractor logistic support of the Air Force C-12 fleet. Work will be performed in Madison; San Angelo, Texas; Okmulgee, Okla.; Buenos Ares, Argentina; Gaborone, Botswana; Brasilia, Brazil; Bogota, Columbia; Cairo, Egypt; Accra, Ghana; Tegucigalpa, Honduras; Budapest, Hungary; Joint Base Andrews, Md.; Nairobi, Kenya; Rabat, Morocco; Manila, Philippines; Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Bangkok, Thailand; Ankara, Turkey; Edwards AFB, Calif.; Holloman AFB, N.M.; Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska; and Yokota Air Base, Japan. Work is expected to be completed by Dec. 31, 2018. FY 2019 aircraft procurement funds in the amount of $2,000,000 will be obligated at the time of award. Total face value of obligated funds for this contract is $30,913,890. Air Force Lifecycle Management Center, Tinker AFB, Okla., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD 11/14/18)

Abby making 2nd expansion in MS

JACKSON, Miss. – Abby Manufacturing, a company that manufactures and produces steel and aluminum products for agriculture, construction, transportation, and military industries, is expanding its Walnut, Miss., location with a $1.4M corporate investment. It’s the second expansion this year, and will create 10 additional jobs, which would increase Abby’s employment in Tippah County to about 140 workers. “Abby Manufacturing’s second expansion in North Mississippi in less than a year is evidence of a strong economy and supportive business climate, both of which encourage Mississippi’s existing businesses to grow and create new jobs in our state,” Gov. Phil Bryant said in a media release from the Mississippi Development Authority. In April, the firm announced the addition of a new laser cutting machine and press brake at the Walnut location. Abby Manufacturing also has operations in Ashland and New Albany, Miss. (Source: WCBI 11/13/18)

Vertex awards F/A-18 NASA pact

L3 MAS, based in Mirabel, Quebec, Canada, announced Nov. 13 that it was awarded two contracts to provide In-Service Support (ISS) services for international F/A-18 fleet operators. RUAG Aviation recently awarded L3 MAS a contract for the provision of preventive modifications for high-priority structural locations on the inner wings of the Swiss Air Force (SAF) F/A-18 aircraft fleet. These modifications are part of the strategy to ensure F/A-18 fleet safely reaches its planned life objective. L3 MAS was also selected by Vertex Aerospace LLC of Madison, Miss., to perform depot-level modifications and repairs on three NASA F/A-18 aircraft at the Armstrong Flight Research Center (AFRC) at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. L3 MAS will conduct all on-aircraft work at its Mirabel facility. L3 MAS is a Canadian-based affiliate of L3 Technologies, former owner of Vertex Aerospace in Mississippi. (Source: L3 MAS 11/13/18)

CAFB T-6 maintenance manager

Vertex Aerospace is seeking a T-6 Aircraft Maintenance Manager at Columbus, AFB, Miss. Manager should demonstrate project management and aviation maintenance skills required to effectively meet organizational goals on time and on budget. AMM should be adept at briefing senior leaders, and providing mentorship and training to a large workforce. Works directly for the Fleet Manager in support of aircraft assigned to CAFB. The Maintenance Manager has direct oversight of and is responsible for overseeing maintenance, servicing, and repairing ensure assigned aircraft are in good mechanical condition and safe for flight. (Source: Vertex Aerospace 11/2012)

Vertex seeks deputy PM at CAFB

Vertex Aerospace is seeking a Deputy Program Manager (DPM) for its work at Columbus AFB, Miss. The DOM serves as production management lead for large aviation maintenance support organization. Deputy is responsible to program manager for the technical execution of the contract, and the cost, schedule and technical performance of company programs or subsystems of major programs. (Source: Vertex Aerospace 11/2018)

Dems’ win & DoD policy questions

WASHINGTON – Democrats’ gains in the U.S. House in the Nov. 6 midterm elections will likely shake up defense policy in 2019 and raise the possibility of tumultuous fights over President Donald Trump and his agenda. With control of the lower chamber, Democrats will assume leadership of the House Armed Services and House Appropriations committees, presenting challenges to Trump’s defense spending plans. “Tomorrow will be a new day in America,” said House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), who takes the leadership role in January. For the GOP, the loss of the House was blunted by additional seats won in the Senate, ensuring that Democrats will still have limited ability to slow Trump nominations. In the House, Democrats have promised to put their priorities on domestic spending, and defense will have to take a backseat. But, will Congress agree on any defense budget, which may raise lengthy impasses on spending and potential government shutdowns. Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.) will become the House Armed Services Committee’s chairman. He has vowed more scrutiny of military personnel and planning. He has criticized the FY-2019 defense budget ($716B) as being too high, and is a supporter of another base closure round, and a smaller military footprint around the globe. He’s also opposed to Trump’s proposed 355-ship Navy, B-2 bomber and F-22 fighter (production of Raptors ended almost a decade ago). Amid new changes, Congress will see old faces: Former GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney won an open Utah Senate seat; and Obama and Clinton-era State Department official Tom Malinosky won a congressional seat in New Jersey. (Source: Defense News 11/07/18) Gulf Coast Note: In Mississippi, incumbent Republican U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker won re-election with 58% of the vote; in the state’s special election for its second U.S. senator, the results appear headed for a run-off between Democrat Mike Espy (40.7%) and fill-in senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (41.5%). A third party candidate with 16% will push the top two vote-getters into a run-off. In Florida, incumbent Democratic U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson lost to current GOP governor Rick Scott. Florida now has two GOP senators (Marco Rubio). In Alabama, incumbents were all re-elected in U.S. House races (6 GOP, 1 Dem). There were no U.S. Senate races (1 GOP, 1 Dem). In Louisiana’s U.S. House races, all incumbents won (5 GOP, 1 Dem). There were no U.S. Senate races (2 GOP).

Navy EP-3 buzzed over Black Sea

BLACK SEA – An American Navy EP-3 Aries aircraft flying in international airspace over the Black Sea was intercepted by a Russian SU-27 on Nov. 5, according to a Navy media report. The interaction was determined to be unsafe due to the SU-27 conducting a high speed pass directly in front of the EP-3, putting at risk the pilots and crew. The intercepting SU-27 made an additional pass of the EP-3 and applied its afterburner while conducting a banking turn away. The crew of the EP-3 reported turbulence following the first pass, and vibrations from the second. The duration of the intercept was approximately 25 minutes. While the Russian military is within its right to exercise within international airspace, this interaction was irresponsible, according to the Navy, and against international standards set to ensure safety and to prevent incidents, including the 1972 Agreement for the Prevention of Incidents On and Over the High Seas (INCSEA). The U.S. aircraft was operating in accordance with international law and did not provoke the SU-27. (Within link below is video of the encounter.) (Source: U.S. Navy 11/05/18) The EP-3 Aries is a land-based Multi-Intelligence reconnaissance aircraft. There are 11 EP-3s in the Navy’s inventory. One of the European bases from which EP-3s operate is Rota, Spain.

Mississippi-Gulf Coast Defense Forum

Mississippi is establishing itself as a center for excellence in naval technology and defense innovation, while the Gulf Coast is home to critical missions that drive new technologies and partnerships. Supporting these missions requires new thinking from community, industry, and military leaders to forge innovative partnerships and ideas for communities and bases across America. On Dec. 2-3 in Gulfport, Miss., there will be a Mississippi-Gulf Coast Defense Forum to bring key leaders from the Pentagon (including Assistant Secretary Phyllis Bayer of the Energy, Installations & Environment division of the U.S. Navy; Gulf Coast defense communities, and industry leaders to explore issues and partnerships that will define the future of all Gulf Coast defense communities. (Source: Defense Community 11/18)

Some Tyndall units return or relocate

ARLINGTON, Va. - The Air Force announced Nov. 2 that several key Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., missions will be returning following devastation caused by Hurricane Michael on Oct. 10. A number of those key missions will resume within the next few months, and others will shift to other locations for the time being. All but some 500 personnel will return to the Florida panhandle base. “We are focused on taking care of our Airmen and their families and ensuring the resumption of operations. Tyndall’s Non-Commissioned Officer Academy will temporarily disperse across four locations – Keesler AFB, Miss.; McGhee-Tyson Air National Guard Base, Tenn.; Maxwell AFB-Gunter Annex, Ala.; and Sheppard AFB, Texas. Units to resume operations at Tyndall: 601st Air Force Operations Center (NLT Jan. 1); 337th Air Control Squadron’s air battle manager training at a reduced rate by Jan.1 (full production by summer); Medical Agency Support; Office of Special Investigations; 53rd Air-to-Air Weapons Evaluation Group; Legal Operations; 823rd Red Horse Squadron, Det. 1; and Civil Engineer Center. Units to relocate to Eglin AFB, Fla., with reach-back to Tyndall: 43rd and 2nd Fighter Squadrons’ F-22 Fighter Training and T-38 Adversary Training; academic and simulator facilities at Tyndall will be used to support training, as well as Tyndall’s surviving low observable maintenance facilities; and 372nd Training Squadron’s Det. 4. Units without sufficient infrastructure will relocate: Personnel and F-22s from the 95th Fighter Squadron will relocate to Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va.; Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska; and JB Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii. “By the winter holidays, and in many cases well before, we expect all our Airmen - military and civilian - to have certainty about their options, so that everyone is either on a path or already settled,” said AF Chief of Staff Gen. David L. Goldfein. (Source: Secretary of the Air Force 11/02/18)

TSC-Great Lakes CO sacked

Navy Capt. Mark Meskimen, who served as commanding officer of the Training Support Center in Great Lakes, Ill., was relieved of command Oct. 26 “due to a loss of confidence in his ability to command,” Cmdr. James Stockman, a spokesman for the Naval Education and Training Command, told Military.com. The decision was made by Rear Adm. Kyle Cozad, head of NETC’s HQ in Pensacola, Fla. Capt. Edward Heflin has temporarily replaced Meskimen as the center's CO until a permanently replacement is named, officials said. Heflin previously served as deputy for training operations at NETC-Pensacola. Meskimen, a prior-enlisted sailor, oversaw the training and supervision of more than 10,000 of the Navy’s newest recruits. (Source: Military.com 10/26/18)

‘Birds, Blues end seasons in Fla.

The Air Force and Navy flight demonstration teams take to the skies over the skies of the Sunshine State for the next two weeks as each completed their 2018 air show seasons. The Navy’s Blue Angels are flying over NAS Jacksonville this weekend. The Air Force’s Thunderbirds return to south Florida for final shows Nov. 3-4 at the Homestead Air Reserve Base. The Blue Angels complete their season Nov. 2-3 at its show-season home at NAS Pensacola.

Sheetmetal specialist at CAFB

Vertex Aerospace LLC is seeking a CBA/Sheetmetal Specialist at Columbus AFB, Miss. The position performs sheetmetal, fiberglass, and plastic repairs and maintenance on assigned aircraft, engines, and support equipment with minimum supervision; and coordinates maintenance activities with senior sheetmetal personnel as required. The position performs both on and off-equipment maintenance. (Source: Recruit.net 10/14/18)

American Rocketry Challenge ’19

Here’s a way 6th-to-12th grade students can have a blast while gaining first-hand insight into the science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) skills behind rocketry. It’s called the Team America Rocketry Challenge, and it’s the world’s largest student rocketry contest. Teams of three to 10 students (grades 6 through 12) will design, build and test a rocket. When it’s ready, they will submit qualification flights where the goal is to launch three raw eggs 856 feet into the air and return them safely to the ground. The top 100 teams nationwide - from an expected pool of 900 - go to the national finals in May 2019 near Washington, D.C. At this event, $100,000 in cash and prizes is on the line for teams that perform well. But it gets even cooler ... (Source: Scouting Magazine 10/25/18) Gulf Coast States Note: The 7-member RCS Engineers Rocketry Team – that included middle and high school students - from Russellville, Ala., took first place in the national finals of the 2015 Team America Rocketry Challenge; and followed that up with winning the international contest that same year at the Paris Air Show.

MSU cadet earns rare scholarship

STARKVILLE, Miss. - Mississippi State University chemistry major and Air Force ROTC cadet Shelby Patti is one of three recipients across America to be receiving an Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association ROTC Medal of Honor Scholarship. The $5,000 scholarships are given annually by the Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation in partnership with the AFCEA Educational Foundation. The MoH scholarships recognize outstanding ROTC students committed to serving in one of the military services. The scholarship requires a 3.5 minimum GPA. The junior chemistry major, from Hammond, La., has a 3.93 GPA. After graduation, she plans to attend medical school and serve as an Air Force doctor. (Source: MSU 10/24/18)

Eglin tower earns CE merit award

JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas - The Air Force Civil Engineer Center announced winners of the 2018 Air Force Design Awards by recognizing eight innovative projects for excellence in design and efficiency. The award-winning projects optimize and balance functionality, cost-efficiency, sustainability and aesthetics, according to Col. Scott Matthews, AFCEC Facility Engineering director. Two award levels were given this year: Honor Award, which is the highest achievement, followed by the Merit Award. The Air Force Research Lab's Variable Height Tower on Eglin AFB, Fla., earned a Merit Award. (Source: AFIMSC 10/25/18) Eglin’s 96th Civil Engineer group built the Air Force Research Lab Munitions Directorate’s variable height tower that rises to 90 feet to test next generation weapon sensors for the Defense Department. Its capability enables researchers on Eglin’s C-86 range to take improved sensor data because it reduces signal interferences caused by the warmer air and objects near the ground. The entire Eglin team revitalized facilities and infrastructure to support the next 50 years of weapons system development and base missions.

EPA, Miss. settle with Chevron USA

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), U.S. Department of Justice, and the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) announced a national settlement with Chevron U.S.A. Inc. (Chevron) that requires safety improvements at all its domestic refineries. The settlement resolves claims that the company violated provisions of the Clean Air Act aimed at preventing accidental releases of hazardous chemicals that can have serious consequences for public health and the environment. As part of the proposed settlement, Chevron will spend approximately $150M to replace vulnerable pipes, institute operating parameters and alarms for safer operation, improve corrosion inspections and training, centralize safety authority within the corporation, conduct a pilot study of safety controls for fired heaters, and make other safety improvements at all its domestic refineries. Chevron also will pay a $2.95M civil penalty and will implement supplemental environmental projects worth at least $10M in the communities around refineries in Mississippi, California, Utah, and Hawaii. The overall value of this settlement exceeds $160M, which makes it the largest settlement in the history of the EPA’s enforcement of the Risk Management Plan Rule under Clean Air Act. During EPA’s investigation, Chevron experienced accidental releases of regulated chemicals at two of its other refineries, including a 2013 explosion and fire in Pascagoula, Miss., that caused the death of an employee Tonya Graddy, and a 2013 rupture in El Segundo, Calif. The Mississippi DEQ participated as co-plaintiff over Chevron’s Pascagoula refinery. This is the first case in which the U.S. and a state have jointly brought suit to enforce these provisions. (Source: EPA 10/24/18)

Boeing-Saab: New T-X trainer info

Boeing Co.’s CEO Dennis Muilenburg provided some new details on its strategy to produce the Air Force with initially 351 T-X trainer aircraft based on a February 2018 contract award. “We see T-X as a market for about 2,600 aircraft in addition to ground-based trainers and other support and services,” Muilenburg said in a third-quarter earnings call Oct. 24. Boeing’s top T-X partner and supplier Saab added more details Oct. 23 about the potential market. The U.S. market for the new trainers, and MH-139 light attack aircraft, amounts to 1,000 aircraft, Saab CEO Hakan Buskhe claimed. Boeing’s MH-139 helicopter was selected to replace the AF's UH-1N "Huey" multi-role helicopter. Current “Huey” bases include Eglin AFB and Duke Field, Fla.; Fairchild AFB, Wash.; Warren AFB, Wyo.; Joint Base Andrews-Naval Air Facility in Maryland; Kirtland AFB, N.M.; Malmstrom AFB, Mont.; and Minot AFB, N.D. If Boeing and Saab’s are right, the T-X represents the largest potential volume for a new military aircraft since the Penetagon awarded Lockheed Martin a 2001 contract to build F-35s. Boeing bid $9.2B to deliver up to 475 T-X aircraft and 120 simulators if the AF exercised all options, although the initial requirement is for 351. It was a three-contract sweep for Boeing that included the MH-139 and MQ-25 contracts. (Source: Aviation Week 10/24/18) Gulf Coast Note: The AF announced in February 2018 that the Advanced Pilot Trainer (T-X) will replace T-38C Talon aircraft at existing undergraduate pilot training bases, including Columbus (Miss.) AFB. Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas, was named the preferred first location for the first T-X aircraft scheduled for delivery in 2022. Other bases are Laughlin and Sheppard AFBs in Texas, and Vance AFB, Okla.

Tyndall families offered window

TYNDALL AFB, Fla. – Tyndall AFB is pushing to move as fast as possible while maintaing a safe and secure environment for dislocated families following Hurricane Michael. Some did not have a chance to gather household goods, private insurance adjusters or Air Force Claims Service Center representatives to accompany them during an initial base housing assessment. There will be new opportunities to move forward and have more time to develop a plan for those properties. The Tyndall team will open up portions of the base beginning Oct. 24 through Nov. 2. (Source: Tyndall AFB 10/23/18)

Ivanka didn't hear from MCH model

GULFPORT, Miss. – President Trump’s daughter, Ivanka will be is Gulfport on Oct. 24 to co-host a Women’s Bureau of the U.S. Labor Department-sponsored event at the Lynn Meadows Discovery Center, according to a White House e-mail to the Sun Herald newspaper. She will co-host with the bureau’s director Patti Greene. U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, who is running Nov. 6 for the seat she currently holds after Sen. Thad Cochran vacated it, will be at the event, along with local government officials, small business owners, working parents and private business people, the White House says. The White House said Ivanka Trump is attending the event in her official capacity as an adviser to the president; and referred questions about Hyde-Smith’s political race to her campaign. The White House e-mail also says the event is designed “to highlight why high-quality, affordable child care is critical in order to have a strong and prosperous workforce.” (Source: Sun Herald 10/23/18) UPDATE: Ivanka Trump came to south Mississippi for a conversation about women and childcare, but didn’t hear from representatives of a Biloxi model program: Moore Community House, which is funded by the event’s sponsor, the U.S. Labor Department. “(I)t’s just surprising that we weren’t included in that meeting,” Carol Burnett, executive director of Moore Community House, told the Sun Herald. “It would have been an opportunity to showcase this (successful) model ...” MCH “provides affordable and dependable childcare for women while they train for jobs that pay living wages,” she said. It is one of 14 recipients nationally of DoL’s Strengthening Working Families Initiative grants. Women in Construction pairs the DoL grant with state funding that pays 100 percent of child care for one year to the women enrolled. (Source: Sun Herald 10/26/18)

Most buildings damaged at Tyndall

Hundreds of Air Force personnel from across the country, including teams from nearby Eglin Air Force Base and Hurlburt Field, are now at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., to help the facility recover from an Oct. 10 direct hit from Hurricane Michael. “Ninety-nine percent of all the facilities have taken some kind of damage,” said Command Chief Master Sgt. Craig Williams of the 325th Fighter Wing, but he also sounded an optimistic note: “We are way better today than we were yesterday,” he told the NW Florida Daily News. Beyond the day-to-day work of the military/civilian teams there to restore electrical, water and sewerage service, there are no real answers to questions about the base’s long-term future, said Col. Brian Laidlaw, commander of Tyndall’s 325th FW. Asked about rebuilding or relocation plans, Laidlaw would only say: “I am confident that there are a lot of people in the Air Force right now talking about those questions.” (Source: NW Florida Daily News 10/22/18)

AHI to showcase H135 for Navy

Airbus Helicopters Inc. (AHI) will showcase its H135 aircraft as a potential future training helicopter for the Navy at the Naval Helicopter Association’s Fleet Fly-in at Naval Air Station Whiting Field, Fla., from Oct. 22-26. “Airbus Helicopters is convinced the H135 is the best solution to prepare the next generation of U.S. Navy pilots for decades to come, both technically and economically,” said Chris Emerson, president of AHI’s North America region. “We look forward to demonstrating why this aircraft is the best solution for the Navy’s helicopter training needs.” AHI pilots will conduct orientation flights with military pilots and stakeholders to demonstrate H135’s capabilities at the fly-in. (Source: Aviation Pros 10/19/18) AHI operates a production center near Columbus, Miss. The facility produces the H125 commercial helicopter and the U.S. Army's UH-72A Lakota Light Utility Helicopter.

T-6FL/48 aircraft mechanic at CAFB

Performs maintenance and repair of assigned aircraft; and coordinates maintenance activities with senior section personnel. Accomplishes inspections including pre-flight through flight and BPO. Assists aircrew in preparation for flight. Launches and recovers aircraft as required. Uses schematic diagrams, drawings, charts, and technical publications in operating, testing, removing, repairing, and replacing aircraft systems and components within qualifications. Tool control, FOD awareness, prevention, and safety. Operates ground support equipment, hand and special tools and fixtures applicable to assigned aircraft. Performs all required aircraft servicing tasks. (Source: (L-3com 1018/18)

Duo charged with med care neglect

The parents of a 7-week-old infant have been charged with contributing to with alleged neglect of that child by not providing proper medical care. On Oct. 17, Lowndes County Sheriff's deputies arrested Air Force 2nd Lt. Carissa Lee Vaccaro and Jordan Cox, both 24 and living onboard Columbus AFB, Miss., according to a sheriff’s department media release. The infant was admitted to Baptist Memorial Hospital-Golden Triangle on Oct. 12 with a broken femur. On Oct. 13, the child was transported to University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson, where the infant was diagnosed with "multiple injuries which were in different stages of healing," the release said. Authorities determined the injuries were caused by a third person and that neither Vaccaro or Cox provided proper medical care to the child. Investigators did not release information on the child, including the gender. A CAFB media release indicated that Vaccaro was currently waiting to start pilot training and assigned to the 14th Student Squadron. Cox is not officially affiliated with the base, according to the CAFB release. The duo has been released from the Lowndes County Adult Detention Center on $10,000 bond each. (Source: Columbus Dispatch 10/19/18)