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)

Keesler hosting hurricane evacuees

KEESLER AFB, Miss. - The Kessler Air Force Base Airmen and Family Readiness Center (AFRC) hosted the first of two Hurricane Michael evacuee open houses Oct. 16. The open house allowed Tyndall AFB, Fla., personnel and families with a designated information site for Keesler agencies to provide input. There were nearly 200 evacuees in attendance at the open house. Evacuees started checking into Kessler on Oct. 9, one day before the hurricane’s landfall and notification from Tyndall to evacuate the area. Upon arrival, evacuees checked in on Air Force Personnel Accountability and Assessment System to maintain 100 percent accountability for the storm’s beginning to conclusion. The 81st Force Support Squadron offered child care and housing to the families. “It is extremely humbling to know that people have come together to help us and evacuees,” expressed Tech Sgt. Alberto De La Garza, Tyndall’s 325th Maintenance Squadron munitions production supervisor. (Source: (Source: Keesler AFB 10/18/18)

NETSAFA hosts first IOLE course

PENSACOLA, Fla. - The Naval Education and Training Security Assistance Field Activity’s (NETSAFA) International Training Center (NITC), in conjunction with the Naval Leadership and Ethics Center (NLEC), began its first International Officer Leadership and Ethics (IOLE) course Oct. 15. The three-week course was created to assist international allies and partner-nations in enhancing the professionalism, ethical awareness and leadership skills of mid-grade and senior officers. The IOLE curriculum addresses leadership topics and features classes devoted to civilian control of the military, ethical management of resources, women in the military, equal opportunity, discipline, fairness and the use of deadly force. The course presentations are given by active-duty commanding officers and subject matter experts. Participants are offered the unique opportunity to share their educational experiences with other officers from around the world. Among partner-nations that sent representative to the course include Angola, Seychelles, Mauritius, Uganda, Nigeria, Slovak Republic, Jordan, Djibouti, Iraq, Liberia, Cameroon, and Niger. NETSAFA is the Navy's agent for international education and training. As a Naval Education and Training Command field activity, NETSAFA serves as a focal point for all security assistance training program issues, coordination, and advice within the Navy. (Source: NETC 10/17/18)

Navy aviation retention bonuses

MILLINGTON, Tenn. - The Navy Personnel Command announced FY 2019 Aviation Department Head Retention Bonus (ADHRB) and Aviation Command Retention Bonuses (ACRB) for active component aviators via NAVADMIN 254/18 on Oct. 17. The Aviation Bonus (AvB) program incentivizes highly talented, hard-working, career-minded Naval Aviators and Naval Flight Officers (NFOs) to choose to remain on active duty and in critical naval aviation billets, according to Capt. Wayne Baze, head of NPC’s aviation career management. The ADHRB eligibility criteria include selection for lieutenant commander, and are intended for officers selected for promotion in the FY-19 LCDR statutory board. The ACRB is designed to retain officers with command experience in primary war-fighting missions critical for the future of the Navy. The FY-19 ACRB incentivizes continued service of commander and commanding officers in follow-on assignments requiring senior aviation officers. All FY-19 ACRB contracts will be worth $100,000; all eligible officers will receive an initial payment of $34,000, and two anniversary payments of $33,000. Participation carries a three-year obligated service obligation. (Source: Navy Personnel Command 10/18/18)

New safe haven for displaced fams

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Rear Adm. Bette Bolivar, Commander of Navy Region Southeast, has designated the area within 150 miles of Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla., as the new remote safe haven for Naval Support Activity Panama City personnel and families who evacuated due to Hurricane Michael. The new safe haven becomes effective Oct. 19. By tomorrow, installation personnel and families currently staying at a safe haven within 150 miles of Naval Construction Battalion Command Gulfport, Miss., must ensure they are within the new safe haven area. The purpose of the move is to offer access to a greater number of temporary quarters, a larger Fleet and Family Support Center staff, and more robust facilities at NASP. The order applies to CNIC personnel, but not NSA Panama City tenant command personnel. The change-order for safe haven moves NSAPC families closer to home while the bases continues to work on restoring essential services, facilities and housing. (Source: Navy Region Southeast 10/18/18)

Tyndall families told have patience

Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., families were safely evacuated before Hurricane Michael hit; and the service will have to find other accommodations for them until repairs can be made, Air Force Gen. Joseph Lengyel, chief of the National Guard Bureau, told reporters. He had no idea on a timeline for restoration of base operations or repairs for the demolished housing. Some of the Tyndall families relocated to Naval Construction Battalion Center in Gulfport, Miss. Tyndall is the main base for training on the fifth-generation F-22 Raptor, and serves as a center for training on battle management. Fifty of Tyndall F-22s were flown out in advance of the hurricane to Wright-Patterson AFB in Ohio, and Texas Fort Worth Alliance airport, according to 325th Fighter Wing commander, Col. Brian Laidlaw. The 3,600 airmen and family members stationed at the base won't be allowed to return until their safety can be ensured, he said. "I know that you (Tyndall families) are eager to return. I ask you to be patient and try to focus on taking care of your families and each other. We can rebuild our base, but we can't rebuild any of you," Laidlaw wrote. (Source: Military.com 10/12/18)

AF mum on damaged Tyndall F-22s

An undisclosed number of F-22 Raptor stealth jets, left behind at Tyndall Air Force, Base, Fla., during Hurricane Michael “may be damaged,” according to an AF spokesperson on Oct. 12. The F-22s were left behind in hangars “due to maintenance or safety reasons,” said spokesperson Ann Stefanek, “and all of those hangars are damaged.” The AF won’t the “extent (of damage) until our crews can safely enter those hangars and make an assessment." Officials also did not describe what maintenance was taking place that led officials to leave the jets at Tyndall instead of moving them to Wright-Patterson AFB in Ohio where other fifth-generation F-22s from Tyndall’s 325th Fighter Wing moved earlier this week. Air Force Secretary Heather A. Wilson, Chief of Staff Gen. David Goldfein and Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force Kaleth O. Wright toured Tyndall on Oct. 14. The leaders concurred there was severe damage, but were hopeful that air operations on base may one day resume. (Source: Military.com 10/15/19)

GT’s Lathan appointed to MEDC

JACKSON, Miss. - Brenda H. Lathan, senior VP of the Golden Triangle Development Link, has been appointed as a member at-large to the Mississippi Economic Development Council for 2018-19. Lathan is a 19-year veteran economic developer in the Golden Triangle region. She is one of a handful of Mississippians holding the Certified Economic Developer designation. Lathan also manages the Lowndes County Industrial Development Authority. MEDC is a professional association of economic development, chambers and associated stakeholders who work together to advance economic development efforts in the Magnolia State. (Columbus Dispatch 10/12/18)

Partnering to aid hurricane stricken

U.S. Northern Command and its National Guard and Defense Department partners are working with the Federal Emergency Management Agency to respond in areas hit by Hurricane Michael, according to Northcom officials. Emergency responders are conducting initial assessments of the damage, officials said. The Coast Guard (CG) has been focused on safety of life, damage assessment, and reopening waterways. They had 129 rescues and its shallow-water response teams transported 142 nursing home residents to a hospital in Pensacola. The Army Corps of Engineers (CoE) sent more than 130 personnel, including survey teams to work with the CG and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to assess damage to the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway and Port St. Joe, Fla. The CoE is executing seven mission assignments that include delivering temporary emergency power, debris technical assistance and route clearance. Marine Corps Logistics Base Albany, Ga.; Eglin Air Force Base, Fla.; and Maxwell AFB, Ala., have been identified as FEMA incident support bases and federal staging areas in support of disaster operations to provide power and distribute supplies and equipment to the affected areas. Northcom has deployed a defense coordinating officer and a defense coordinating element to the emergency operations center in Tallahassee. These DCO/Es are specially trained military officers who provide DoD regional knowledge, requirements validation and liaison support in order to coordinate the military’s response to FEMA mission assignments. The Tyndall-based 1st Air Force Northern is the designated air component of Northcom with the sole responsibility for ensuring the aerospace control and air defense of the continental United States, U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. (Source: Defense Department 10/12/18)

CAFB airmen inspire students

TUPELO, Miss. – Some 120 personnel from Columbus Air Force Base spent several days showing 7,000 eighth-grade students from 17 northeast Mississippi counties the vast career opportunities of the Air Force at the Imagine the Possibilities Career Expo here Oct. 2-4. The expo was hosted by the CREATE Foundation and sponsored by more than 130 businesses. The CAFB airmen represented seven of the 18 career pathways, including aerospace, emergency management, engineering, government and public administration, health sciences, logistics as well as law and public safety. This was an “opportunity to get out and connect with” with students and other communities, said Maj. Richard Iser, 14th Operations Support Squadron assistant director of operations at CAFB. “It’s about connecting … and trying to inspire (students) to seek education and pursue (their interests).” The “Imagine the Possibilities” Career Expo formed community partnerships to address community challenges of inspiring and motivating students to pursue career goals, especially in the areas of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) or medical and aviation. Capt. Chris Litscher’s 14th Student Squadron showed students about the aerospace arena through a variety of fields. Students even got behind the controls of T-6 and T-38 aircraft models. (Source: 14th Flying Training Wing 10/12/18)

F-35s grounded for inspections

The Defense Department has temporarily grounded all service variants of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter after an investigation into a Sept. 28 crash of an F-35B near Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, S.C. The Pentagon will inspect potentially faulty fuel tubes within the engine before aircraft are allowed to take to the skies again, the Joint Program Office said Oct. 11. (Source: Military.com 10/11/19) Gulf Coast Note: Eglin AFB, Fla., trains AF, Navy and partner-nation F-35 pilots and maintenance personnel.

Retirees and SS recipient raises

Military retirees, those who receive disability or other benefits from the Veterans Affair department, federal civilian retirees, and social security recipients will see a 2.8 percent pay raise beginning in January. For Social Security recipients, the monthly increase will average $39 more a month. It will be the largest Cost of Living Allowance increase in seven years, and equaling as much as $369 per month for those on top of the retirement pay charts. (Source: Military.com 10/11/18)

Happy 243rd birthday, Navy

In this maritime era, the Navy is critical to securing America's place in the world. As CNO Adm. John Richardson and MCPON Russell Smith explain in their birthday video, our people are key to our success; they are Forged by the Sea. (Source: USN 10/11/18) The Navy's 243rd birthday is Oct. 13. (Source: Navy) The Navy's 243rd birthday is Oct. 13. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vA2QzV3QyGY

L-3 to share in $25.5B contract

L-3 Communications Vertex Aerospace of Madison, Miss. (W58RGZ-18-D-0008); AAR Supply Chain Inc., Wood Dale, Ill. (W58RGZ-18-D-0030); Dyncorp International Inc., Fort Worth, Texas (W58RGZ-18-D-0031); Arma Aviation Corp. of Tampa, Fla. (W58RGZ-18-D-0032); North American Surveillance Systems Inc. of Titusville, Fla. (W58RGZ-18-D-0033); Pinnacle Solutions Inc. (W58RGZ-18-D-0034) and Black Hall Aerospace Inc., both of Huntsville, Ala. (W58RGZ-19-D-0008); and Leidos Innovations Corp., Gaithersburg, Md. (W58RGZ-19-D-0009) will share in a $25,500,000,000 cost, cost-plus-fixed-fee, firm-fixed-price contract for worldwide logistics support services. Bids were solicited via the internet with 10 received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Oct. 11, 2028. U.S. Army Contracting Command of Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD 10/11/18)

'Hunters' in eye at landfall

KEESLER AFB, Miss. - The “Hurricane Hunters” of the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron flew four straight days inside Hurricane Michael, and on Oct. 10, when the Category 4 storm made landfall near Mexico Beach, Fla., the unit was again in its eye. Col. Robert J. Stanton, 403rd Wing vice commander and navigator, said that only after passes two and three were they able to get better readings because the storm began better development. The Florida Panhandle was ground zero from the get-go, but “Michael was different than others,” said Capt. Kelsie Carpenter, 53rd WRS aerial reconnaissance weather officer, “because the track pretty much stayed the same. “The 53rd WRS sent data to the National Hurricane Center and watched it grow to a “Cat 2”. By the time of landfall it was a Cat 4. The 53rd WRS AF reserve squadron is the only Defense Department unit that flies reconnaissance missions into severe tropical weather to gather data for the NHC to improve their forecasts and storm warnings. In all, the squadron flew nine missions into Hurricane Michael to gather this information. (Source: Keesler AFB 10/11/18)

Tyndall remains closed, no power

Tyndall Air Force Base near Panama City, Fla., home of F-22 Raptor operational and training squadrons, took a direct hit from Hurricane Michael and suffered major damage Oct. 10. No injuries had been reported, according to the base’s website, but trees and power lines were down, and there was structural damage. The base was evacuated before the storm with only a skeleton staff remaining. The base, 12 miles southeast of Panama City and northwest of hard-hit Mexico Beach, is home of the 325th Fighter Wing and some 600 military families. As is common practice when hurricanes threaten, the base's aircraft were flown hundreds of miles away as a precaution before the hurricane hit. (Source: Stars and Stripes, 10/10/18) UPDATE 10/11/18: Tyndall remains closed after Hurricane Michael, AF officials said Thursday. "There is no power, water or sewer service to the base at this time,"
AF spokesperson Erika Yepsen said in a statement. "All personnel assigned to ride out the storm are accounted for with no injuries." Additionally, Hurlburt Field, Fla., home to the AF Special Operations Command was to reopen Oct. 12 after minimal damages. Hurlburt Field is some 100 miles west of Michael's landfall around Panama City.

Gulfport safe haven from Michael

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Commander Navy Region Southeast designated the area within 150 miles of Gulfport, Miss., as a remote safe haven for personnel and families who evacuated because of Hurricane Michael. On Oct. 9, personnel and families from Naval Support Activity Panama City, Fla., were authorized to travel to Gulfport. The safe haven is to offer access to temporary quarters and Fleet and Family Support Centers on board Naval Construction Battalion Center Gulfport. The safe haven location places the families out of harm’s way, but close enough that sailors can return to help restore essentials services when possible. (Source: Navy Region Southeast 10/09/18)

Prototype work at Iuka, Michoud

Orbital Sciences Corp. of Chandler, Ariz., has been awarded a $791,601,015 other-transaction agreement for the development of a Launch System Prototype for the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle program. This award is part of a portfolio of three agreements that leverage commercial launch solutions in order to have at least two domestic, commercial launch service providers that meet National Security Space requirements, including the launch of the heaviest and most complex payloads. This agreement requires shared cost investment for development of the OmegA launch system. Work will be performed in Chandler, Ariz.; Magna and Promontory, Utah; Iuka, Miss.; West Palm Beach, Fla.; Sandusky, Ohio; and Michoud, La. (northeast of New Orleans), and at launch facilities at Kennedy Space Center, Fla.; and Vandenberg AFB, Calif. The work is expected to be completed by Dec. 31, 2024. This award is the result of a full and open competition. This agreement will be incrementally funded with FY 2018 through FY 2024 research, development, test and evaluation funds totaling a maximum of $791,601,015. FY-18 funds in the amount of $109,000,000 are being obligated at the time of award. The Launch Systems Enterprise Directorate’s Space and Missile Systems Center of Los Angeles AFB is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD 10/10/18)

Tyndall AFB wind gust: 128 mph

Hurricane Michael is starting to wind down around Panama City, Fla., and Tyndall AFB. Emergency services officials have beginning plans for search and rescue efforts with limited resources, according to the Panama City News Herald. They will go door to door but it may take days to reach everyone. Schools are being set up as triage centers until the bridges reopen. While under Hurricane Condition 1, wind gusts at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., registered at 128 mph before the anemometer was likely destroyed. https://twitter.com/DavidWolter1

Hurricane Hunters fly into Michael

MIAMI - Hurricane Michael has become a Category 2 storm over the Gulf of Mexico on Oct. 9 and was being predicted to hit the north Florida coast on Oct. 10. Mandatory evacuations were issued for low-lying coastal areas ahead of the storm. An aircraft and crew from the Hurricane Hunters of the Air Force Reserve unit at Keesler AFB, Miss., flew through the eye of the hurricane off the western tip of Cuba and found wind speeds rising. By 7 a.m. (CT) today, winds were at 100 mph. The forecast was for it to strengthen into a possible "Cat 3" hurricane with winds of up to 111 mph. The storm is speeding for the Florida Panhandle at 12 mph. It is moving in a north-northwest direction, but a high pressure system to the west may steer Michael in a more NNE direction sometime in the next 12 hours. Some 120,000 people on Panama City Beach received mandatory evacuation orders Tuesday morning, and across other low-lying areas. (Source: MSN 10/09/18)

Hurlburt to evacuate aircraft

HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. – In a precautionary move and the potential arrival of Hurricane Michael to the northern Gulf Coast, Hurlburt Field leadership called for the evacuation of aircraft only on Oct. 8. The aircraft will be evacuated to Little Rock Air Force Base, Ark., until the bad weather is over. The aircraft being evacuated are AC-130J Ghostriders, AC-130U “Spooky” Gunships, MC-130H Combat Talon IIs and PC-12s. Hurlburt weather professionals and base leadership have been extensively analyzing the storm forecast. Based on the current forecast, leadership has determined a personnel evacuation is not warranted at this time. Hurlburt is also the HQ of the AF’s Special Operations Command and 1st Special Operations Wing. (Source: Hurlburt Field media release 10/08/28). Following the media release, Col. Mike Conley, commander of the 1st SOW, called for minimum essential manning on base for Oct. 9. Commanders will notify personnel that need to be at work. Notifications to affected personnel will be made through official channels. Although weather looks good Tuesday, he wanted to provide personnel maximum opportunity to prepare for the storm and take care of family needs. Details for Oct. 10 will follow later, but expect emergency services only, no other services open, the commander posted via Facebook.

La. trails in energy efficiency

Louisiana still trails much of the nation when it comes to implementing policies to help and encourage utilities and residents in the state to save electricity, according to a new report from the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy. The report, released yearly, ranks Louisiana 46th in the nation for its energy efficiency programs and policies - tied with Kansas and South Dakota. That was down two spots from 2017, but significantly behind efficiency leaders Massachusetts, California, and Rhode Island. The report looked at six categories, including types of policies and public benefit programs in place to encourage efficiency among utilities and everyday electricity users. It also looked at transportation policies, building codes and efficiency standards for household appliances. (Source: American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy 10/04/18) The four Gulf Coast states, except Florida, ranked in the 40s: Louisiana (46), Mississippi (44) and Alabama (43). Florida was No. 26 of the 50 states. Although, Florida was the only one of four that lost ground (-1) since the 2017 report.

AF Secretary on hot seat with Prez?

Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson, and the AF chief of staff, may be on the hot seat with President Donald Trump over the service's undercutting of the president’s Space Force proposal, according to an Oct. 4 article on the Foreign Policy website. At least three sources told Foreign Policy that the president was considering firing Wilson, who was confirmed as the 24th AF secretary in May, after the mid-term elections in November. A potential replacement is Alabama 3rd District Congressman Mike Rogers, who had put an emphasis on space in the months preceding the Space Force proposal. Rogers last year was among legislators to propose a sixth military entity, known as "Space Corps." The AF was to oversee its mission. But in November, congress removed the AF from the proposal in the FY 2018 National Defense Authorization Act requiring the new service to stand up on its own. Trump revealed that his administration wanted to create a sixth branch of the military to focus on protecting military space assets. His apparent issue with Wilson stems from the service's efforts to undercut the proposal, according to Foreign Policy. She and Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Goldfein instead outlined how the service's space budget propels the Defense Department’s mission forward against emerging threats such as Russia and China. (Source: Foreign Policy 10/04/18) Gulf Coast Note: As a senior member of the House Armed Services Committee, Rogers was selected to serve as Chairman of the Subcommittee on Strategic Forces, which deals with missile defense and nuclear weapons issues. Alabama's 3rd congressional district is based in east-central Alabama, including the city of Montgomery. East Alabama is home to the Anniston Army Depot and Maxwell-Gunter Air Force Base.

Luxion named ASSURE director

STARKVILLE, Miss. – Retired Air Force Colonel Stephen “Lux” Luxion has been named director of the Mississippi State-led Alliance for System Safety of UAS through Research Excellence (ASSURE). Most recently, he served as ASSURE’s associate director for operations based out of Stennis Space Center, Miss., where he was responsible for ASSURE’s administrative, financial and technical functions. Luxion has an extensive background in Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) research, development, testing, operations and integration. He established the AF’s first armed UAS squadron in the wake of 9/11’s terrorist attacks, and assisted NATO with its first aerospace center of excellence. (Source: MSU 10/04/18)

MSU upgrades internet connection

STARKVILLE, Miss.- Mississippi State University has made an investment in advanced technology infrastructure in support of its faculty, staff and students engaged in cutting-edge research. In September, MSU became the first university in Mississippi to connect to the Internet at a rate of 100 gigabits per second. By comparison, MSU first connected to the Internet in 1988 at 56 kilobits per second. “This enhanced connectivity is essential to our diverse and growing research enterprise, as well as the teaching and service components of the university’s mission,” said David Shaw, Mississippi State’s vice president for research and economic development. A major upgrade of the Mississippi Optical Network (MissiON) - www.mission.mississippi.edu - by C Spire earlier this year made MSU’s new connection possible. (Source: MSU 10/02/18)

Keesler med first to transition

KEESLER AFB, Miss. - The 81st Medical Group at Keesler Air Force Base has officially transferred management and administration functions to the Defense Health Agency (DHA) on Oct. 2 in Phase 1 of a transition that will eventually include all Defense Department health care facilities. The Military Health System is conducting the transition in phases. The 81st MDG, along with hospitals and clinics at Fort Bragg, N.C.; Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Fla.; Joint Base Charleston, S.C.; Seymour Johnson AFB, N.C., in addition to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and Fort Belvoir Community Hospital, are all part of Phase 1. The DHA will be responsible for all facilities budgetary matters, information technology, healthcare administration and management, administrative policy and procedure and military medical construction. “We look forward to the opportunity to transform military health care into a more integrated system which will lead to consistent, high-quality health care experiences for our patients,” said Air Force Col. Beatrice T. Dolihite, commander of the 81st MDG. The Keesler Medical Center is the first hospital in the AF to transition. The next phase of integration, which includes hospitals and clinics in the Eastern U.S., should be complete by Oct. 1, 2019. Subsequent phases, which include hospitals and clinics in the West, followed by overseas medical facilities, should be completed by Oct. 1, 2020, and Oct. 1, 2021, respectively. (Source: 81st Training Wing 10/02/18)

CAFB trio honored at AFA event

NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. - Three members of Team BLAZE at Columbus (Miss.) Air Force Base were honored here Sept. 17-19 at the 2018 Air Force Association Air, Space and Cyber Conference. Master Sgt. Josh Matias, tower chief air traffic controller with the 14th Operations Group was selected as one of the Air Force's 2018 Outstanding Airmen of the Year. Master Sgt. Anthony Dunn, 14th Security Forces Squadron’s S5 superintendent, was a recipient of the International Affairs Excellence Award for the enlisted category. Capt. Dana Volesky, former 14th Medical Operations Squadron’s Clinical Medical Flight commander, was awarded the Juanita Redmond Award for Nursing. (Source: 14th Flying Training Wing)