Buck nominated for USNA super

ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Secretary of the Navy Richard V. Spencer and Chief of Naval Operations Adm. John M. Richardson have nominated Rear Adm. Sean S. Buck (USNA ‘83) for appointment to the rank of vice admiral and assignment as the next superintendent here of the U.S. Naval Academy. Buck is a career naval flight officer and currently serving as commander, U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command and U.S. 4th Fleet in Mayport, Fla. The change of command has not been determined, pending confirmation by the U.S. Senate. (Source: USNA 04/30/19)

Finding way back to AF piloting

Retiring from military service is generally a time of memories, and regrets. They often miss the camaraderie and mission. But mostly they don’t come back. Lt. Col. Tom Collins of the 43rd Flying Training Squadron at Columbus Air Force Base, Miss., isn’t one of them. The T-38 Talon instructor pilot was commissioned in 1999, but agreed to accept early retirement in 2014 and made Columbus home in 2019. Initially, he accepted a post with a commercial airline. But, eventually, it didn’t feel right for him and his wife. The journey began back into an AF cockpit. By fall 2017, the active duty AF started courting retired pilots in an effort to restore critical manning shortages, but wasn’t an option for the Collins family. Collins found another option. The Air Force Reserve was hiring prior service pilots to be undergraduate flying training instructors. Collins doesn’t believe in coincidence, but when opportunities opened with the 43rd FTS at Columbus it seemed miraculously ideal. (Source: 40th Flying Training Group 04/29/19)

CAFB CO to address MUW grads

COLUMBUS, Miss. - Col. Samantha Weeks, commander of the 14th Flying Training Wing at Columbus Air Force Base, will address Mississippi University for Women graduates May 11 at Rent Auditorium in Whitfield Hall. Some 430 students have applied for May graduation. The 14th FTW conducts Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training for Air Force and allied officers, as well as tactical training for Afghan and Lebanese pilots and aircraft maintainers in the A-29 Super Tucano at Moody AFB, Ga. The wing is composed of 244 aircraft flying more than 55,000 sorties and 77,000 hours per year while training over 400 pilots and combat system operators annually. (Source: MUW 04/30/19)

SEAL takes command at NSTC

GREAT LAKES, Ill. - Rear Adm. Milton J. Sands III relieved Rear Adm. Mike Bernacchi as commander of the Naval Service Training Command in a change of command ceremony April 25 at Naval Station Great Lakes. Vice Adm., Robert P. Burke, Chief of Naval Personnel (CNP), served as the guest speaker. Rear Adm. Kyle Cozad, commander of the Pensacola, Fla., headquarters of the Naval Education and Training Command (NETC) officiated at the event. NETC is the parent command for Naval Service Training Command. Bernacchi was presented the Legion of Merit by Rear Adm. Cozad. The award was for exceptionally meritorious conduct for his service at NTSC that focused on essential maritime war-fighting skills. The Pleasant Ridge, Mich., native will report as Commander of Submarine Group 10 in Kings Bay, Ga. Rear Adm. Sands, a native of Farmington, Conn., comes to NSTC following assignment as the vice president of the Joint Special Operations University at U. S. Special Operations Command at MacDill Air Force Base, Fla. Sands is the first Navy SEAL to take the helm of the command responsible for 98 percent of the Navy’s accessions. (Source: Naval Service Training Command 04/29/19) NETC-Pensacola is the parent command for Naval Service Training Command.

Rep. considers AF secretary post

WASHINGTON - U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger all but threw his hat in the ring for Air Force secretary on Saturday, saying he would “strongly consider” it if President Donald Trump made the offer. The speculation follows Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson’s announcement she will resign at the end of May to become president of the University of Texas at El Paso. “If the president would determine … he wanted (me) to lead the Air Force, I would certainly strongly consider it,” Kinzinger (R-Ill.) said in a Fox News interview on last weekend. “I like my job now,” he said but felt “new generation leadership” would be great for the service, and that as a member of an air national guard unit, he understands the pilot shortage the AF is facing. The 41-year-old would be notable for being the first Iraq War veteran nominated to serve as an armed service secretary. He flies the RC-26 surveillance plane for the Wisconsin Air National Guard, and recently deployed to the U.S.-Mexico border, and now supports Trump’s declaration of a national emergency to use Defense Department funding to build a wall there. Air Force Undersecretary Matthew Donovan is also seen as a contender, at least in an acting capacity. Donovan is a former F-15 pilot and policy director for the Senate Armed Services Committee under its late chairman, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. (Source: Defense News 04/27/19)

Mil.housing survey ends Apr. 30

WASHINGTON - Sailors or family members living in Private Partner Venture (PPV) base housing have through April 30 (Tuesday) to complete a special survey that allows them to share their overall experience with current living conditions. The PPV survey is an opportunity for sailors to note their likes and dislikes with privatized family housing and any health or safety concerns that may be associated with their homes, community or services provided by privatized housing management companies. The survey, launched April 2, is being conducted by CEL & Associates, an independent third party. It takes about 10 minutes to complete. Those who participate may remain anonymous. Taking the survey is important to Navy leadership because the information provided may help efforts to address deficiencies that have recently come to light with some privatized housing. Family members of sailors living in privatized housing are allowed to take the survey, but only one survey is allowed per household. (Source: Navy Installations Command 04/26/19)

AG Boyles to address MSU grads

STARKVILLE, Miss. – Some 2.700 Mississippi State University graduates will hear Maj. Gen. Janson D. “Durr” Boyles, Adjutant General of Mississippi’s National Guard, during three separate spring commencement exercises May 2-3 at Humphrey Coliseum. Boyles has 37 years of commissioned service with the MNG and was named Adjutant General in 2016. The Jackson native is a 1982 MSU biological engineering undergraduate and a 2005 Master of Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College. He served as the Executive Officer of the 168th Engineer Group during Hurricane Katrina recovery and rebuilding efforts, and was in Afghanistan with the 168th Engineer Brigade in 2009. May 3’s 3:30 p.m. ceremony will include the Bagley College of Engineering and its Swalm School of Chemical Engineering, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and its School of Human Sciences, College of Forest Resources, and University Studies. (Source: Mississippi State University 04/26/19)

AF space squad’s radar at 50

EGLIN AFB, Fla. - The 20th Space Control Squadron (SPCS) celebrated the golden anniversary of its AN/FPS-85 radar’ with a ceremony here April 18 to unveil a monument to honor the day’s historic event. “We are honored to host such a historic event to celebrate 50 years of operations for our one-of-a-kind radar,” said Lt. Col. David Tipton, 20th SPCS commander. Presiding over the ceremony was Col. Sam Johnson, 21st Space Wing (SPW) vice commander. The 21st SPW provides missile warning and space control through a network of command and control units around the globe: Site C-6 at Eglin AFB; three ground-based electro-optical deep space surveillance sensors at White Sands (N.M.) Missile Range, Naval Support Facility Diego Garcia, and the Maui Space Surveillance Complex in Hawaii; and the Air Force Space Fence at Redstone Arsenal, Ala., and the Army Garrison at Kwajalein Atoll. The 20th SPCS has the preponderance of Defense Department space situational awareness assets and is able to find, fix, track, and target man-made objects in Earth’s orbit. (Source: 21st Space Wing 04/26/19)

Want your own spec ops craft?

The General Services Administration (GSA) is currently auctioning a former Navy high-speed water-jet propelled MkV Special Operations Craft (SOC), which was used by SEALs and their special boat teams. So, if you want to make a “splash” at the local yacht club or launch a strike on a small island, this may be that opportunity. The MkV is presently sitting at the Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City, Fla. The current bid is $52,100 for the 82-foot long aluminum-hulled boat, which originally cost the Navy millions of dollars to buy, though this offer does not yet meet an unspecified reserve price for a final sale. VT Halter Marine of Pascagoula, Miss., built the SOCs in the late 1990s. The Navy has since replaced these SOCs with Combatant Craft Mediums, one of Naval Special Warfare Command’s family of specialized stealthy boats. (Source: The Drive 04/26/19)

Lockheed picks iBASEt’s MES

FOOTHILL RANCH, Calif. – The aerospace company Lockheed Martin has chosen iBASEt's digital manufacturing suite as its next generation manufacturing execution system (MES) for its Aeronautics division, which designs and manufactures military aircrafts. iBASEt's MES is a computerized system used to track and document the transformation of raw materials to finished goods. MES provides information that helps manufacturing decision makers understand how current conditions on the plant floor can be optimized to improve production output. Lockheed Martin's aeronautics business is a leader in the design, development, systems integration, production, and support of advanced military aircraft. LM Aeronautics is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, and has a production and operations facility in Meridian, Miss. iBASEt is a California-based provider of software solutions for complex, highly regulated industries, like aerospace and defense, medical devices, nuclear, industrial equipment, and shipbuilding. (Source: iBASEt 04/25/19)

MDA to lead biz mission to Europe

The Mississippi Development Authority (MDA) will lead a multi-sector business development mission to Ireland, Belgium, and the Netherlands from June 18-25. Mississippi companies interested in expanding or initiating trade in these markets are invited to participate although space is limited and offered on a first-come, first-served basis. Early registration is recommended. The deadline to register is May 15. “By participating in MDA’s business development mission to Ireland, Belgium and the Netherlands, Mississippi businesses will have ample opportunities to forge mutually beneficial relationships in some of the largest economies in Europe. We encourage those interested in exporting to these key markets to join the state’s delegation to pursue new export opportunities,” said MDA Executive Director Glenn McCullough Jr. (Source: MDA 04/26/19) Ireland boasts of having the fastest growing economy in Europe.

KAFB revamping housing program

KEESLER AFB, Miss. – In an effort to improve management and oversight of Keesler Family Housing, base leadership, including the outlined current and future plans to address resident’s concerns during two recent housing forums. The forums brought base leadership and resident advocate office, and Hunt Military Communities (HMC) housing management team to outline new initial initiatives and address residents’ concerns. The leadership team identified upcoming changes, including making 100 percent direct contact with all residents, and for the base to meet with HMC weekly to go over open work orders involving residents’ health and safety. “We noticed gaps between where the project owner thinks they are and where our residents think they are, and we are making these changes to help close that gap,” said Col. Marcia Quigley, 81st Mission Support Group commander. The Air Force has also set up a housing call center that can be reached toll free at (800) 482-6431. Based on residential feedback, Keesler is also planning a number of larger changes including an opportunity for residents to get more involved with their housing community via an advisory council, which will be a key link between the housing community, Keesler leadership, and Hunt. The leadership team is also focusing on solutions that will take longer to address. (Source: Keesler AFB 04/25/19)

DoD makes case for draft w/ women

The Selective Service System is an "inexpensive insurance policy" ($23M/annually) against a national emergency and should be modified to include women, implied Assistant Secretary of Defense for Manpower and Reserve Affairs James Stewart in a hearing April 24 on the future of draft registration in America. Jeanette James, a member of a federal commission studying the future of the draft, asked Stewart would including women in the draft would "result in a more lethal military." Stewart avoided answering directly. "As long as those individuals meet standards, we are open to them," Stewart said. When pressed further, Stewart said: "It is, already" (a more lethal military). Until his response, the Defense Department has been silent on the proceedings of the National Commission on Military, National and Public Service, which is conducting a 3-year review of public service in America, and considering whether the U.S. needs the Selective Service System and if women should be required to register. The commission was to meet April 25 to hear testimony from those opposed to expansion of Selective Service System. The U.S. Justice Department has appealed a Texas judge's ruling April 22 that the country's male-only draft registration system is unconstitutional. Judge Gray Miller ruled last February that the government's requirement that only male citizens register is discriminatory under the Fifth Amendment's equal protection clause. (Source: Military.com 04/24/19)

Tons of contaminated soil removed

COLUMBUS, Miss. - The Multistate Environmental Response Trust, in charge of cleaning a federal superfund site in Columbus say they have removed 50,000 tons of contaminated soil from the former Kerr-McGee Chemical site. The trustees own the 90-acre former wood-treating facility in Columbus. It’s on the fed Superfund cleanup list because it's contaminated with creosote that was used to treat wood. Lauri Gorton, director of environmental programs, says the soil was hauled to the Golden Triangle landfill. Cleanup work will continue through at least May. Hundreds of samples from surrounding neighborhoods generally show no contamination, she told the Associated Press. Gorton says the trust was given $1B for cleanup of sites nationwide. It is now planning for redevelopment and wants suggestions from nearby residents. (Source: The AP 04/24/19)

1st medical drone delivery program

The first-ever medical drone delivery pilot program approved by the Federal Aviation Administration took flight in March from WakeMed Hospital in Raleigh, N.C., pioneering the delivery of samples, including blood, the hospital’s surgical center and the primary testing lab on its main campus. In the following weeks, the supplies-run made daily flights, which could eventually transport life-saving products to rural locations. The flights are conducted through a partnership between United Parcel Service and the California-based drone manufacturer Matternet, which is overseen by the North Carolina Department of Transportation and the FAA's Unmanned Aircraft System Integration Pilot Program. "It was not a demo, it was not a test, it was the real deal,” transportation department spokesman James Pearce told UPI. The three-year pilot program seeks to safely test the integration of drones into commercial airspace. (Source: UPI 04/24/19)

Golden: $15.9M trouser, slacks pact

Golden Manufacturing Co. of Golden, Miss., has been awarded a maximum $15,999,149 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for Navy trousers and maternity slacks. This was a competitive acquisition with five responses received. This is an 18-month base contract with three one-year option periods. Location of performance is Mississippi, with an Oct. 23, 2020, estimated performance completion date. Using military service is Navy. Type of appropriation is FY 2019 through 2021 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support of Philadelphia, Pa. (Source: DoD 04/24/19) Golden is 36 miles south of Iuka, Miss.

Keesler-Biloxi joint crash exercise

KEESLER AFB, Miss. - Keesler Air Force Base and the City of Biloxi teamed up for a joint air show crash exercise, called Blue Dragon, on April 17-18 on base and at the Elks Lodge. The exercise involved a simulate crash between two aircraft that left wreckage at two locations, on and off base. After the mock collision, each location represented a plane crash that left a scene of various people with moulaged injuries. “Exercises like this allow … Keesler AFB and Biloxi to work jointly and ensure all levels of responders can communicate to save lives, people and equipment,” said Bill Mays, 81st Training Wing Management Internal Control Toolset manager. The Mutual Aid Agreement partnership between the two entities is critical when it comes to saving lives. “If we train for worst case scenarios,” said James Donnett, 81st Infrastructure Division fire chief, “which we hope never occur, we will be better prepared to immediately respond and mitigate if a serious event occurs.” (Source: Keesler AFB 04/23/19) On May 4-5, Keesler AFB will host the ‘Skies Over Biloxi Beaches’ air show featuring the AF’s Thunderbirds demonstration squadron.

AvBs for Air Battle Managers

The Air Force announced details April 22 of its expanded FY 2019 Aviation Bonus (AvB) intended to increase the number of air battle managers. The bonus program continues to support aircrew retention efforts across the Air Force by offering experienced aviators bonuses for signing tier-based contracts, ranging from three-to-12 years of continued service. In FY-17, Congress raised the annual maximum aviation bonus from $25,000 to $35,000 and required the AF to develop its aviation bonus program based on a business case analysis. The AF evaluates its rated inventory every year to tailor its needs. This new expansion will increase the pool of ABMs eligible for the bonus by 595. ABMs may take advantage of the following bonus amounts and contract lengths: Annual payments of $20,000 for contract lengths of five years = $100,000; Must have fewer than 19 years of military service at time of signing FY-19 AvB agreement; No contracts may extend beyond 24 years of aviation service. The application window to apply for FY-19 AvB program remains open until Aug. 30, 2019. (Source: Secretary of the Air Force 04/22/19) Gulf Coast Note: The 337th Air Control Squadron trains all of America’s Air Battle Managers. It is a tenant unit assigned to the 33rd Operations Group of the 33rd Fighter Wing at Eglin AFB, Fla. The squadron's primary responsibility includes training all AF, Air National Guard and AF Reserve officers in command and control mission execution as ABMs in a variety of weapons systems in support of air expeditionary forces worldwide.

MSU leads FIL research projects

STARKVILLE, Miss. - The international Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Fish (FIL) made its first round of ‘Quick Starts’ awards for research by granting $100,000 each to five projects in four countries – Kenya, Bangladesh, Zambia and Nigeria. The innovation lab project is funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and led by Mississippi State University. The project supports sustainable and resilient aquaculture and fisheries systems by initiating and supporting research to enhance food safety and nutrition, improve fish production systems to improve nutrition and livelihoods of small-scale producers in developing countries. The lab will fund approximately $7.5M in research grants through 2023 to researchers working with small-scale producers in Feed the Future focused countries. The Quick Starts will provide valuable information to guide lab efforts over the next five years. Leveraging existing knowledge and expertise at Mississippi State, all Quick Starts include at least one MSU researcher. Results of the studies are expected later this year. (Source: MSU 04/22/19) The FIL is one of 24 labs leveraging the expertise of U.S. universities and developing country research institutions to tackle some of the world’s greatest challenges in agriculture and food security.

Aircraft Mechanic at Columbus AFB

PDS Tech, Inc. is seeking an Aircraft Mechanic Level II at Columbus AFB (Source: PDS Tech 04/2019)

Blue Angels jet to usher in new era

Blue Angels shifting to Super Hornets PENSACOLA, Fla. – The Navy’s Blue Angels are in the early-goings of its 2019 show searson nationwide. But it’s been two former Blues who have been laying the groundwork one of the major changes in the team’s 75-year history. Capt. Ryan Bernacchi, commander of the 2016-17 team, and Cmdr. Frank Weisser, who flew with the Blues twice: 2008-10 and 2016-17, have been working with subject-matter experts to assist the Blue Angels’ change in aircraft for the first time since 1986. The Blue Angels are scheduled to start flying the F/A-18E Super Hornet in 2021, during its 75th anniversary air-show season. Bernacchi and Weisser indicated, in an e-mail to the Pensacola News Journal, that the Super Hornets will make some exciting changes to the team’s demonstration, while ushering in a new era. The pilots had conducted a great deal of work in flight simulators at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md. They re-created the current F/A-18s’ baseline airshow moves and established the “diamond, solo and delta maneuvers in the Super Hornet” (simulator), then started to evaluate the flight dynamics differences, he wrote. Overall, the Super Hornets and advanced software will provide pilots with more situational awareness and faster access to critical flight information that will make the “show safer to fly (and) more enjoyable to the crowd," Weisser said. (Pensacola News Journal 04/21/19)

1st CNATRA civilian of year awards

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas - Naval Air Training Command (NATRACOM) selected a command duo – from Pensacola, Fla., and Kingsville, Texas - for its inaugural Civilian and Senior Civilian of the Year here on April 12. Chief of Naval Air Training (CNATRA) Rear Adm. Greg Harris presented the NATRACOM awards to Patricia Mumford for Civilian of the Year and Rick Weaver for Senior Civilian of the Year. Weaver is the administrative officer at Training Air Wing 6 at NAS Pensacola, and responsible for the effectiveness of policies and procedures for more than 800 military instructors, student naval flight officers, civilians, and contractors. Mumford is a support services supervisor with Training Squadron 22 at NAS Kingsville, and responsible for the effective management of aviation training jackets, log books, and naval air training and operating procedures standardization jackets. In 2018, she was responsible for the planning, coordination, and administrative requirements for two jet training carrier qualification detachments. “I continue to be impressed by the quality of work put out by our civilian team,” said Harris, “and the winners of this new award embody everything our team at CNATRA is doing right.” (Source: CNATRA 04/12/19) CNATRA’s Training Air Wing 1 at NAS Meridian, Miss., supervises, coordinates, and administers the student pilot academic and flight-training program.

Miss. tuition to rise an average 4%

JACKSON, Miss. - Mississippi's eight public universities plan to raise tuition by an average of 4 percent beginning with the fall semester, saying state funding increases this year are earmarked for increasing employee raises, pensions and health insurance costs, but need more money to maintain programs. The state College Board gave final approval to tuition increases at all of the universities on April 18, waiving the need for trustees to vote on it. Universities are scheduled to get $38M more in state monies than last year. The annual budget year begins July 1. Most of the 5.6 percent increase will be spent on mandated employee increases. The statewide average for two semesters of full-time tuition and fees will rise by an average of $312 to $8,120 for in-state undergraduates. Increases range from 8.4 percent at Mississippi University for Women (MUW) to 1.9 percent at Ole Miss. "I guess I'll get another job," said Jackson State senior Larry Sykes, who is on track to graduate in December. He pays for school out of job earnings. MUW freshman Aja Hudson told the Commercial Dispatch that she relies on family. Rising college costs have far outgained family incomes. In-state tuition has risen 71 percent from 2009 to 2019. A typical Mississippi family's annual income has risen about 25 percent during that same timeframe. For students who have to obtain loans, the Institute for College Access and Success reports 58 percent of Mississippi graduates of public and private universities had debt after collecting their diplomas in 2017. A typical graduating-borrower will have incurred more than $30,000 in debt. (Source: The AP 04/19/19)

Census estimates for Gulf Coast

A 2018 Census Bureau population estimate across the country, released April 18, indicate that for New Orleans and area parishes have slowed or declined since a post-Katrina when NOLA’s population increased an average 7,000 people from 2010-16. The next census will be in 2020. Orleans Parish estimated numbers dipped about 1,000 from about 391,000. However, it’s more than 47,000 more compared to the 2010 census. More telling are the estimated numbers for area parishes. (Jefferson Parish: Down 2,700; St. Tammany: Up 2,300; Plaquemines: Up <300); Lafourche: Up 2000+; Terrebonne: Down <800) Michael Hecht, president/CEO of Greater New Orleans Inc., acknowledged that Louisiana overall have seen job losses in the energy sector in past years; but, gains in the technology, health care, advanced manufacturing and software industries. (Source: NOLA.com 04/18/19) For the remainder of the Gulf Coast, the largest estimated population growth was in Baldwin County, Ala.: <36,000; Santa Rosa County, Fla. (home to NAS Whiting Field) at about 28,000; Okaloosa, Fla. (Eglin-Hurlburt) 27,000; Harrison County, Miss. (Seabees & Keesler) >19,000; and Escambia, Fla. (home to multiple Navy bases) at 18,000. Mississippi’s Golden Triangle: Clay County: Down 1,000+; Lowndes (Columbus AFB): Up <1,000; Oktibbeha: Up <2,000. Jackson County, Miss., was up 4,000 and Hancock was > 3,000. Mobile, Ala., County was up <1,000.

Navy TH-XX pact down to wire

FORT WORTH, Texas – Textron Inc.’s Bell Helicopter announced in a media release April 18 that if its 407GXi helicopter is selected through a Navy contract for the TH-XX Advanced Helicopter Trainer program, it has plans to conduct final assembly at its Ozark facility in southeast Alabama. The Navy wants 130 trainer helicopters to replace its fleet of TH-57 Sea Rangers by 2023. Other competitors are Airbus Helicopters’ twin-engine H135 and Leonardo’s single-engine TH-119. All three met the April 2 deadline to submit final proposals. (Source: Rotor Wing 04/18/19) Of the three, Leonardo’s TH-119 is the only helicopter currently built in the U.S. - outside of Philadelphia, Pa. Airbus builds the H135 in Germany, but has plans to build its version at AHI-Columbus, Miss., where they also builds UH-72A Lakotas for the U.S. Army. Bell builds the 407 in Canada, but announced similar plans to build at a facility within the U.S. in Texas. These Navy rotorcraft are used in primary flight training of all Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard pilots. NAS Whiting Field, Fla., is a primary flight site used helicopter training.

CBRN gas mask confident at CAFB

COLUMBUS AFB, Miss. - The new way ahead for chemical biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) training at Columbus AFB began in late March. Seventeen airmen donned gas masks and stepped into Blaze Arena to build their gas mask confidence. CAFB is now one of two Air Education and Training Command bases with a gas chamber, which helps enhance squadron readiness. Among the base’s challenges was that it had to meet the regulations regarding gas because it’s considered munitions, and safety to others on base, says James Cross, 14th Civil Engineer Squadron’s installation emergency manager. They selected an old camp readiness site without structures to impede construction. Instructors had to be trained and go through a trial run. Mock classes were held. After those 2-hour classes, students would go to Blaze Arena for hands-on training. CBRN training for airmen is now every 18 months. Anyone deploying has to be up to date with the training, and throughout the deployment. In late March, CAFB made the gas mask confidence chamber live to every squadron on base to allow for scheduling. Classes were booked for months ahead, according to 2nd Lt. Riley Quinlan, 14th CES emergency management flight commander. It just speaks to CAFB’s “desire and warrior ethos we have inside of us.” (Source: 14th Flying Training Wing 04/04/19)

ARFROTC cadet headed to CAFB

Southeast Missouri State University business major Destin Garst was walking to the Student Recreation Center one morning and ran into an old high school buddy, but there was something different about his attire. He was wearing an Air Force blues uniform. “That kind of opened up my eyes from there,” Garst told the school’s Arrow newspaper. Now a senior and a cadet wing commander of the AFROTC, Garst's primary responsibility is overseeing all of the training and extracurricular activities. As cadet wing commander, he oversees about 75 cadets at Souteast, but also detachments at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale, Ill., and John A. Logan College. Garst’s hard work and accomplishments have worked in his favor. In March 2018, Destin learned he was selected to become a pilot. After graduation in May, he will head to Columbus AFB, Miss., for two years to complete flight training. (Source: Arrow 04/16/19)

NOLA TPU commander reassigned

The chief of staff of the Army announced April 16 that Maj. Gen. Steven W. Ainsworth (USA-R), the command of the Troop Program Unit at the 377th Theater Sustainment Command in New Orleans has been assigned to command the Troop Program Unit at the 84th Training Command in Fort Knox, Ky. (Source: DoD 04/16/19) The 377th TSC is a multifunctional unit with a dual mission: Mission command of assigned forces in order to provide the U.S. Army Reserve with trained and ready individuals and units that support geographic combatant command requirements; and to deploy and operate as the senior Army logistics HQ capable of planning, controlling and synchronizing operational-level Army deployment and sustainment. The 377th TSC has nearly 36,000 Soldiers and civilians in 35 states.

‘Hunters’ CHAT with island nations

KEESLER AFB, Miss. – The ‘Hurricane Hunters’ of Kessler AFB and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration forecasters were on an April 8-13 mission to six Caribbean island-nations and Mexico to prepare for the upcoming hurricane season that begins June 1. The annual event is called the Caribbean Hurricane Awareness Tour (CHAT). More than 20,000 people attended this year's events, which stopped at Veracruz and Cozumel, Mexico; San Jose, Costa Rica; Aguadilla, Puerto Rico; and Aruba and Curacao. Residents toured the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron’s WC-130J and NOAA’s P-3 Orion aircrafts. The AF and NOAA Hurricane Hunters fly and collect data for National Hurricane Center forecasts and warnings, and coordinate those forecasts with these countries, said Ken Graham, NHC director. CHAT is one way NHC builds relationships with regional nations. During hurricanes, 53rd WRS aircrews can fly through the eye of a storm up to six times. They collect temperature, wind speed, barometric pressure, surface wind speed and flight-level data. The data is transmitted to NHC to assist with their storm warnings and forecast models in the Atlantic, Caribbean and eastern Pacific. “This way, when they are in a hurricane’s path they are more likely to realize that these forecasts are more than just guesswork and they will heed the warnings and be prepared,” said Lt. Col. Jeff Ragusa, 53rd WRS chief pilot. The outreach mission began in the 1970s. (Source: Keesler AFB 04/16/19)

Tow vessel blocking La. channel

NEW ORLEANS – The Coast Guard is responding to a sunken towing vessel in Pass a Loutre near Venice, La., which began after 2 a.m. April 15. Coast Guard Sector New Orleans received a report of the towing vessel Dejeanne Maria, pushing two empty dry cargo barges, traveling down-river on the Mississippi, when it struck a submerged object. Three people aboard was transferred to the towing vessel, Supporter 1. An assist tug was enroute to retrieve the barges. The Dejeanne Maria is submerged with its port side above the water, and blocking the Pass a Loutre channel. A maximum of 7,000 gallons of oil was onboard. Sixty gallons was potentially spilled into the water. CG’s incident management team was mobilized to conduct a shoreline assessment. ES&H was contracted to respond and deployed boom around the sunken vessel. An ES&H air drone and CG overflight observed no active discharge of oil. The incident is under investigation. (Source: Coast Guard 04/15/19)

NOLA military housing meeting

Naval Air Station/Joint Reserve Base New Orleans is hosting a town hall meeting May 1 to discuss base and Federal City housing issues. Captain Anthony F. Scarpino, commander of NAS/JRB, Patrician Military Housing, and Navy housing will discuss and take queries about both housing units in the region at The Village in Federal City and on board NAS/JRB. The event will take place from 6-7:30 p.m. at NAS/JRB’s Krewe Lounge (Bldg. 410). (Source: NAS/JRB 04/15/19) Patrician Military Housing operates New Orleans Navy Housing (NONH) at both the Belle Chasse base and Federal City, formerly Naval Support Activity-West Bank. NAS/JRB has one of the Navy’s newest housing complexes and first on-base charter school. Housing issues - from mold to unaccountable management - have recently been a major, hot-button priority across the Defense Department.

NASA-MIT develop radical wing

A team of engineers from NASA and the Massachusetts Institute Technology (MIT) has built and tested a radically new airplane wing, assembled from hundreds of tiny identical pieces, which can change shape to control flight. It may even provide a boost to aircraft production, flight, and maintenance efficiency, according to researchers in the March 31 edition of the journal Smart Materials and Structures co-authored by research engineer Nicholas Cramer and MIT alumnus Kenneth Cheung both of NASA’s Ames Research Center at Moffett Field, Calif.; Benjamin Jenett, a graduate student at MIT’s Center for Bits and Atoms; and eight others. The new wing design was tested at NASA Ames’ wind tunnel. The tested assembly system makes it possible to deform the whole wing or parts of it by incorporating a mix of stiff and flexible components. The structure, made up of thousands of mini-triangle like struts, is composed mostly of empty space, forms a “metamaterial” to combine a structural stiffness of polymer and the extreme lightness and low density of an aerogel. The team designed the system to automatically respond to changes in its aerodynamic loading conditions by shifting its shape in a passive wing-reconfiguration process “to produce the exact same behavior you would do actively,” Cramer says. Research shows promise for reducing cost and increasing performances of large, light weight, stiff structures, says Daniel Campbell, structures researcher at Boeing’s Aurora Flight Sciences, who was not part of the research. Promising applications include structural applications for airships and space-based structures, and wing-like blades for wind turbines. (Source: MIT News 03/31/19)

Fla., Miss. ANGs deliver Bold Quest

MACDILL AFB, Fla. – Florida Air National Guard’s 290th Joint Communications Support Squadron (JCSS) packed up communications equipment onto a C-17 Globemaster from MacDill AFB on April 8 and departed for Exercise Bold Quest (BQ) in Finland. The U.S.-led exercise, where military and civilian members, developers, and analysts work in a network of 19 partner-nations to find technical and procedural solutions to improve coalition war-fighting interoperability, according to Maj. Jarrett P. Virgil, event commander of the Tampa-based 290th JCSS. BQ is an annual event usually held in the U.S., but it is only the third time it has been held out of the country. The 290th provides rapid deployable, scalable command, control, communications, computer, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (C4ISR) services to a variety of mission partners. The JCSS was requested to provide logistical support, force protection at entry control points, and communications support to the Joint Fires Division under the Joint Staff and Joint Deployable Analysis Team from Eglin AFB, Fla., added Virgil. In addition, the Mississippi ANG’s 183rd Airlift Squadron (AS) from Jackson flew in one of its C-17 Globemasters to pick up the Bold Quest teams and deliver them to Finland. “It feels great to be able to support so many other units,” said Maj. Natasha Blankenship, 183rd AS pilot. “I think it adds value to our jobs and in turn that’s why we all do it. Wherever we are needed, there we are.” BQ will come to an end in May. (Source: MacDill AFB 04/12/19) The Eglin-based Joint Deployable Analysis Team analyzes current and future war-fighter systems and procedures in field conditions to address joint integration and interoperability issues to improve combat effectiveness and reduce unintended casualties and collateral damage.

AF one-stop shop for joint exercise

KEESLER AFB, Miss. - The 81st Logistics Readiness Squadron at Keesler AFB supported the Neptune Guardian joint exercise April 6-11 with the Navy and Coast Guard. During the exercise, the 81st LRS acted as a one-stop shop for ground and air transportation, and munitions requirements. “We have a group of highly motivated and knowledgeable Airmen who were able to support as soon as we received the call,” said Tech. Sgt. Timothy Talkie, 81st LRS Ground Transportation Operations Center NCO in charge. Had the Navy and Coast Guard were to have sourced outside agencies, it would have cost the government a great deal of money, according to Talkie. “Opportunities like this do not come around very often for the 81st LRS,” said Tech. Sgt. Brian Teachout, 81st LRS Small Air Terminal NCO in charge. The AF team was responsible for transporting 74 people with 1,480 pounds of gear, and having to unload three over-the-road trucks containing spare helicopter blades, rolling stock, mobile maintenance equipment, and two Internal Slingable container units totaling more than 40,000 pounds of cargo. (Source: Keesler AFB 04/12/19)

Tariffs would impact Airbus-Mobile

The U.S. and European Union (EU) are preparing to impose tariffs on each other’s products in connection with the 14-year fight over government aid given to Boeing and rival Airbus. The U.S. requested authority to impose retaliatory tariffs of $11.2B annually. The two sides are awaiting a decision on the level of tariffs that the U.S. will be authorized to levy on the EU. The proposed tariffs would include airplane sections and parts shipped into Mobile, Ala., to build A320-series jetliners. Airbus and Boeing compete for industry dominance. Both sides have been judged by the World Trade Organization (WTO) to have paid billions in subsidies to gain advantage, and have been asked to stop or face potential sanctions. (Sources: multiple, including New York Times, al.com, WKRG-TV, 04/09/19, FOX10, 04/10/19) In Brussels this week, EU countries gave initial clearance to start formal trade talks with the U.S. The European Commission said it had started to draw up plans to retaliate over subsidies for U.S. planemaker Boeing. Both sides have won partial victories at the WTO in claiming the other’s planemaker received unlawful subsidies, but disagree on the amount involved and whether each has complied with earlier WTO rulings. (Source: Reuters, 04/11/19)

Corvias mil.housing retraining staff

EAST GREENWICH, R.I. - Corvias, a partner with the U.S. military in the construction and management of on-base military housing, has launched an effort to re-train staff that has face-to-face interaction with residents. The training is part of The Corvias Commitment, an initiative to establish benchmarks for responsiveness, communication and commitment to residents across military housing. The commitment includes providing quality and timely services, contributing to the community and enabling feedback for residents. Corvias provides military housing management to 15 bases across nine states. The training curriculum is being provided by the National Apartment Association Education Institute. All Corvias staff at Fort Riley, Kan., and Fort Polk, La., has completed the training. In April and May, several Gulf Coast bases’ Corvias staff is scheduled for the training: Fort Rucker, Ala.; and Eglin AFB and Hurlburt Field, Fla. Additional Corvias sites include Fort Meade, Md.; Fort Sill, Okla.; Fort Bragg, NC; McConnell AFB, Kan.; Aberdeen (Md.) Proving Ground; Edwards AFB, Calif.; Seymour Johnson AFB, NC; and Eielson AFB, Alaska. (Source: The AP 04/11/19) Hunt Military Communities operate base housing at Columbus and Keesler AFBs, Miss; Balfour Beatty provides operation at NAS Meridian and Naval Construction Battalion Center Gulfport, Miss.

CAFB youth named state’s MYoY

COLUMBUS AFB, Miss. - Columbus AFB’s own Youth of the Year, NaTerika Shellman, has also been selected as Mississippi's Military Youth of the Year (MYoY) during competition March 8. The three-day state MYoY competition pitted youth from Keesler AFB and Naval Air Station Meridian. Shellman received more than $5,000 in scholarships and will go to compete at the Boys and Girls Club of America’s Southeast Regional in Atlanta on June 18. She is the daughter of Stanley and Natarsha Shellman, and a student at Caledonia (Miss.) High School. “She loves to give service before others,” said her mother, the chief of resource management for the 14th Force Support Squadron. Established in 1947, Youth of the Year is the Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s premier recognition program for youth ages of 14-18. MYoY is a distinct component of the BGCA’s YoY program and introduced in 2013 to recognize outstanding teens served by BGCA-affiliated youth centers on military installations. (Source: CAFB 04/12/19)

Moran nominated for next CNO

Acting Secretary of Defense Patrick M. Shanahan announced April 11 that the president has nominated Navy Adm. Bill Moran for reappointment to the rank of admiral and assignment as Chief of Naval Operations (CNO). Moran currently serves as vice CNO at the Pentagon. (Source: DoD 04/11/19) Navy Adm. John Richardson has served as the 31st CNO since Sept. 18, 2015. The Chief of Naval Personnel (CNP) has been nominated by President for promotion to admiral and to become the next vice CNO. If confirmed, Vice Adm. Robert P. Burke, deputy chief of naval operations for manpower, personnel, training and education, would follow his CNP predecessor, Adm. Bill Moran, as VCNO. Moran was nominated to serve as CNO.

Lawmakers: GTR ban permanent

WASHINGTON - A bipartisan group of 10 Florida congressional representatives authored a proposal to permanently extend a ban on oil and gas leasing of the military’s Gulf Test Range in the Gulf of Mexico. The existing ban is slated to end June 30, 2022. On April 9, the Protecting and Securing Florida’s Coastline Act was the subject of the House Committee on Natural Resources’ subcommittee hearing. The subcommittee received testimony from James R. Heald, a retired Air Force colonel, VP for strategic programs at InDyne, a contractor that maintains the GTR for Eglin AFB, Fla. Prior to joining InDyne, Heald was responsible for all developmental testing and evaluation at Eglin. The range covers 120,000 square miles, south from near Fort Walton Beach to deep into the GoM, from encroachment that could diminish its usefulness. The range is used for air combat, air-to-air missile and hypersonic testing, and drone targeting by military units such as Eglin Air Force Base, Fla.’s 33rd Fighter Wing and 96th Test Wing, and the Air Force Special Operations Command HQ at Hurlburt Field. The lawmakers’ seven-line proposal would amend a 2006 act that established an end timeline for oil and gas exploration. The bill is sponsored by Rep. Francis Rooney, a south Florida Republican. Among co-sponsors is Panhandle congressman Matt Gaetz, and eight other lawmakers. (Source: Destin Log 04/08/19)

Gulf Coast Navy’s HURREX ’19

WASHINGTON - U.S. Fleet Forces Command and the Navy Installations Command will be conducting Hurricane Exercise/Citadel Gale 2019 (HURREX/CG 19) from April 15-26, which will include all naval bases along the Gulf Coast. The annual exercise prepares the Navy to respond to adverse weather conditions in Gulf and East coastal regions and maintain the ability to deploy forces under the most severe weather conditions. It also tests response times for accounting for sailors and Navy civilians, and their families, in affected regions through the Navy Family Accountability and Assessment System. HURREX/CG 19 will involve a simulated storm system developing and intensifying to hurricane strength, and threatening the Gulf and East coasts. All Navy commands at Naval District Washington, Navy Region Mid-Atlantic and Navy Region Southeast will participate by reviewing and exercising heavy weather instructions and procedures. (Source: Naval Installations Command 04/11/19) The Gulf-East coast hurricane season begins June 1. At NAS Meridian, Miss., the Emergency Operations Center will be testing the main installation's notification systems so residents surrounding the base may hear messages from the Giant Voice System. NASM will also test the system located at Joe Williams Outlying Field in Kemper County.

Sasseville to lead 1st AFs North

Acting Secretary of Defense Patrick M. Shanahan announced April 9 that the president has nominated Air Force Maj. Gen. Marc H. Sasseville for appointment to the rank of lieutenant general, and assignment as commander, Continental U.S. North American Aerospace Defense Command Region, and commander, First Air Force (1st Air Forces Northern) at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla. Sasseville is currently serving as deputy director of the Air National Guard at the Pentagon. (Source: DoD 04/09/19) Lt. Gen. R. Scott Williams is the current commander. The commands’ distinct missions are homeland air defense for the continental U.S., aerial support of civil authorities, and theater security cooperation for North America. The 1st AFs ensures the operational readiness of assigned, aligned or gained forces for homeland defense, defense support for civil authorities.

Top 10 to-knows for AGR changes

The Chief of Air Force Reserve has approved changes to the Active Guard Reserve (AGR) program that is anticipated to be implemented in September. Over the next three fiscal years, the AGR program will grow from 20 percent of Reserve full-time support to 26 percent. The Human Capital Management Leadership Team (HCMLT) spent nine months reviewing laws, policies and processes to support growth, parity and longevity of other full-time forces. The team included a working group of 30 Reserve Command members across multiple communities to review all AGR policies and processes, and make recommendations. Until the new policy is published, there are 10 things airmen should know or can expect with the new program. (Source: Active Reserve Personnel Center 04/10/19)

Summer STEM courses at NFA

The National Flight Academy aboard NAS Pensacola, Fla., is offering six-day STEM courses weekly for students from May 26 through Aug. 11. Those interested can register via NFA’s website or by calling toll free to (877) 552-3632. Programs start on Sunday and run on a weekly basis. Check-in occurs from 10 a.m. to noon. Registration for students entering grades 7 through 12 costs $1,250. (Source: Gulf Coast Aerospace Corridor 04/2019)

Last of the ‘Doolittle Raiders’

SAN ANTONIO - Retired Air Force Lt. Col. Richard E. “Dick” Cole, the last living member of the daring WWII bombing mission by the Doolittle Radiers, died April 9 in Texas at the age of 103. Cole was one of 80 Army Air Corps personnel that volunteered for the mission, a team led by then-Lt. Col. James Doolittle to strike Japan on April 18, 1942, after the sneak attack on Pearl Harbor. Sixteen B-25 bombers’ daring raid was launched from the deck of the aircraft carrier USS Hornet. The team trained at Eglin Field in Florida (now Eglin AFB) for two weeks. Damage from the raid was slight, but showed that Japan was not beyond the reach of American air power. Cole was consistently humble about his role as Doolittle’s co-pilot. “I don’t think that the Raiders should be remembered any more than the millions of other people who took part in World War II,” Cole said in a 2018 interview at the Air Force Armament Museum at Eglin AFB. Seven of the raiders lost their lives in the mission. Cole bailed out of the B-25 after the raid, while trying to reach planned landings in China. Asked in the 2018 interview about a vivid memory of the raid, Cole said: “The thing I remember most is my parachute opening.” He will be interred at Arlington (Va.) National Cemetery. (Source: AF Special Operations Command 04/08/19) Cole also served a tour of duty in Jackson, Miss.

enHance making enviro difference

JACKSON, Miss. - The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) accepted one new and nine renewal memberships into its enHance program for the class of 2019. The recognition was part of MDEQ’s 11th annual workshop and awards luncheon. The enHance program is a voluntary stewardship action recognizing committed environmental activities in three categories: Leader, Steward, or Associate. In the past year, projects have resulted in the reduction of more than 3,000 pounds of hazardous waste; saved 8.6M gallons of water; reduced annual energy use by more than 73M kilowatt hours; and members have reported more than $1M saved in 2018. Among those recognized in the leader category were Hol-Mac’s three Bay Springs plants, Siemens Industry of Richland, Anel Corp. of Winona, and Southwire Co. of Starkville. In the Steward category: Haworth Inc. of Bruce, PACCAR of Columbus, and Southwire Co. of Starkville. In the Associate category: Airbus Helicopters of Columbus, and Keith Huber Corp. of Gulfport. (Source: MDEQ 04/09/19)

MSU advancing aero R&D

STARKVILLE, Miss. - Mississippi State University will host an open house April 12 for the opening of the Marvin B. Dow Stitched Composites Development Center at the MSU Advanced Composites Institute (ACI). Boeing Co., the world’s largest aerospace company, selected MSU to create a stitched, resin-infused composites lab that will advance the development of composite structures technology. With a focus on applied inter-disciplinary research, the center has affiliated faculty members with expertise in chemistry, chemical, mechanical, and aerospace engineering. The collaborative gives students additional opportunities and enables MSU to work with partners in government and industry to develop new knowledge in composites research and solve complex problems. It is housed at the Raspet Flight Research Laboratory that will continue the land-grant university’s legacy of innovation in aerospace and materials research and development. Dow worked with McDonnell Douglas to develop advanced stitched composite designs and manufacturing methods. The research center will combine the Raspet’s legacy with Dow’s original vision to conduct stitched composites research that will revolutionize the way future aircraft are designed, built and flown. Raspet has served as an incubator for multiple aerospace manufacturing companies in the state: GE Aviation, Airbus Helicopters, and Stark Aerospace. (Source: MSU 04/09/19)

Mil.housing ‘intense campaign’

WASHINGTON - Robert H. McMahon, the assistant secretary of defense for sustainment, testified before the House Armed Services Committee’s readiness subcommittee April 4. DoD and the services are aware of problems in privatized military housing, and have embarked on a series of house calls to let families know they’re going to fix issues. DoD site visits to military housing. for first-hand accounts of problems, is one step being taken to ensure families have safe places to live. McMahon said DoD has an open-door policy when it comes to reporting housing issues, and complaints are taken seriously and being acted upon. The undersecretary of the Navy told lawmakers that the service is reaching out to “every single person in the Navy and Marine Corps who lives in privatized housing.” They have identified about 4,700 issues, and some 7,000 personal visits have been made to family housing. Nearly 50,000 Air Force families have been contacted and interviewed regarding their concerns. Some 4,700 work orders have been opened to address issues. The Army has also stepped up efforts to correct any housing problems by visiting 87,000 on-post homes. (Source: Defense.gov 04/09/19)

SCA to offer NOLA-to-RI flights

Sun Country Airlines (SCA) is adding a non-stop, seasonal flight from New Orleans’ Louis Armstrong airport to Providence, R.I., beginning in September. It will fly three times a week, with roundtrip flights on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. The flights will originate at Providence’s T.F. Green Airport. Fares start at $89 one way. Sun Country Airlines started in 1982 as a low-cost leisure travel airline offering seasonal flights from northern U.S. cities to Florida and Mexico. The airline now flies to more than 50 destinations across the U.S., Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean. (Source: NOLA.com 04/09/19) Sun Country also offers seasonal flights – September-December - to the Biloxi/Gulfport, Miss., airport via Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minn. (Dates may vary).

Women’s diversity award

WASHINGTON - The Navy selected five outstanding officers and enlisted sailors from more than 100 nominees for the Capt. Joy Bright Hancock and Master Chief Anna Der-Vartanian Leadership Awards. Aviation Structural Mechanic 1st Class Megan Stricklin, an “A” School Instructor at Naval Air Technical Training Center (NATCC) in Pensacola, Fla., was selected as the enlisted sailor winner of the Master Chief Anna Der-Vartanian Leadership Award. The awards are presented annually to honor the visionary leadership of sailors whose ideals and dedication foster an inclusive culture while furthering the integration of women into the Navy. The Gulf Coast sailor is scheduled to receive the award at the Joint Women’s Leadership Symposium (JWLS) from Aug. 22-23 in Washington, D.C. (Source: Chief of Naval Personnel 04/08/19) The Center for Naval Aviation Technical Training (CNATT) headquarters in Pensacola, Fla., is one of 12 "learning centers" under the Naval Education and Training Command tasked with developing and maintaining the Sailor/Marine Training Continuum for Navy and Marine Corps aviation technical training. The Pensacola-based headquarters is responsible for 28 sites located throughout the United States and Japan, including NAS Meridian and NAS Whiting Field.

50th EOD Memorial to add trio

EGLIN AFB, Fla. - The 50th annual Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Memorial Ceremony is scheduled for May 4 at the EOD Memorial across from the Naval School Explosive Ordnance Disposal aboard Eglin AFB. The wall currently honors 338 fallen EOD warriors since 1942. Three EOD technicians will be memorialized and honored at this year’s event: Army Spc. Joseph P. Collette, Killed In Action on March 22, 2019, while serving in Afghanistan; Army Sgt. James Allen Slape, KIA Oct. 4, 2018, while serving in Afghanistan; and Army 1st Lt. William F. “Bill” Alter, KIA June 11, 1945, while serving in WWII. The original memorial was dedicated in 1970 at Indian Head, Md., before it was re-established at Eglin in 1999. NAVSCOLEOD is a Navy-managed command, jointly staffed by Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps personnel. (Source: NW Florida Daily News 04/08/19)

MS team tops for well-child data

A 4-person team from Naval Branch Health Clinic Gulfport, Miss., took first place for their presentation at the 2019 National Capital Region Quality Symposium. The winning presentation was to “Improve Healthcare Effectiveness Data Information Set (HEDIS) (for) Well-Child Visits.” The team won first place out of 87 entries. (Source: NH Pensacola 04/08/19) NBHC Gulfport is one of 10 branch clinics , including NBHC Meridian, across four states affiliated with Naval Hospital Pensacola, Fla.

APSU: Helo flight school bachelors

Austin Peay State University’s aviation science program recently received approval for veterans’ education benefits, and this fall veterans can begin earning a bachelor’s degree at “little or no cost” at Tennessee’s first helicopter-specific flight school. The program is designed for veterans, nearby Fort Campbell (Ky.) pilots, and civilians pursue competitive careers such as a flight instruction, in aerial tourism and charter operations. About 20 students have signed up for the fall program, and more are expected. (Source: Austin Peay State University 04/04/19) Gulf Coast Note: Delta State University’s Department of Commercial Aviation offers the state of Mississippi’s only undergraduate and graduate aviation programs. Based on 59 evaluation factors, DSU’s flight program ranks in the Top 50 Flight Schools in America. Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro and Louisiana Tech University in Ruston, La., also offer degrees in flight and flight administration.

Test pilot school apps due May 29

Application packages for the 2019 Air Force Test Pilot School selection board are due by May 29. The selection board will convene at the Air Force’s Personnel Center in Texas from July 29-Aug. 2, and will consider Total Force officer and current AF civilian applicants to attend training as early as July 2020. Test pilot, test combat systems officer and test remotely piloted aircraft pilot positions are open to officers. Flight test engineer positions are open to both officers and civilians. Applicants from all aircraft types and backgrounds may apply, and all applicants must have strong academic and technical experience. (Source: AF Personnel Center 04/03/19)

Apollo 11 VR & naval aviation

NAS PENSACOLA, Fla. - This year is the 50th anniversary of the first moon landing, which happened July 20, 1969. For dreamers who’ve ever wanted to explore space, the National Naval Aviation Museum is making it come true via its Apollo 11 Virtual Reality (VR) attraction. Would-be space enthusiasts can walk in the footsteps of Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin during the museum’s 5-minute VR experience, including climbing aboard the rocket and a row of 12 chairs facing a replica Houston Mission Control. The seats shake, pitch and roll to simulate the feeling of being hurled into space. VR riders get a 360 degree view of earth and space while heading to the moon. Animation of the historic 1969 landing allows guests to see what the astronauts may have witness and felt on the moon’s surface. Actors dressed in white button ups and skinny 1960s era black ties give museum guests a glimpse into the experiences of the flight control team at the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center in Houston during the landing. “Naval aviation involvement in space is phenomenal,” said Sterling Gilliam, director of the museum. The first American in space, first to orbit the earth (Mercury 7), first man to walk on the moon, and last man to walk on the moon were all naval aviators, Gilliam told the NW Florida Daily News. “This is a perfect fit (for) the museum as we tell the wonderful story of Americans in space, specifically naval aviators in space.” (Source: NW Florida Daily News 04/05/19) Several of those astronauts trained at either NAS Meridian, Miss., and/or Pensacola.

Wilcox nominated for major general

Acting Secretary of Defense Patrick M. Shanahan announced April 3 that the president has nominated Air Force Brig. Gen. John T. Wilcox II for appointment to the rank of major general. Wilcox is currently serving as director of Operations and Communications at the headquarters of the Air Force Global Strike Command at Barksdale (La.) Air Force Base. (Source: DoD 04/03/19)

Vertex Aerospace opens UAE office

MADISON, Miss. - Vertex Aerospace has expanded its global presence by establishing its first regional office in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The Madison, Miss.-based company received its license to practice business in the UAE on March 5 under its Vertex Global Aerospace business line. VGA was formed Jan. 1 to globally offer Vertex's complete solution for aftermarket aerospace services to government and commercial clients. VGA leadership held a soft opening of its office in Abu Dhabi on Feb. 16, and attended the city's International Defence Exhibition and Conference that same week. "Abu Dhabi is modern, business friendly, and perfectly positioned within the region for easy access to over 75 countries" and future international opportunities, said Steve Suttles, senior director of VGA's Middle East/Africa business operations. The New York-based private equity firm American Industrial Partners purchased Vertex Aerospace in June 2018 to operate as a standalone company. (Source: Vertex Aerospace 04/04/19) Vertex Aerospace is a global defense company that provides all aftermarket aerospace services for government and private sector customers. The Mississippi-based company has more than 4,200 employees at its 65 U.S. and 35 international locations.

Scouts come to CAFB for camporee

COLUMBUS AFB, Miss. – More than 150 area Scouts came to Columbus Air Force Base on a 2-night camporee at SAC Lake from March 29-31, where they learned about various military and civilian-specific jobs at the 14th Flying Training Wing (FTW). The Scouts were split into groups where they received demonstrations with the 14th Mission Support Group’s military working dog section and fire station; and the 14th Operations Support Squadron’s air traffic controllers, and the 14th Medical Operations Squadron’s Aerospace and Operational Physiology Flight. On March 30, they gathered at Kaye Auditorium, where Col. Samantha Weeks, commander of the 14th FTW, explained the wing’s mission and why scouts are important to local communities and the base. It was a great event for the first all-female troop to see Weeks as a “strong role model” and for all scouts, said Jeremy Whitemore, scout executive of the Pushmataha Area Council. The camporee was an effort by CAFB to connect with the Mississippi-based scouts and to inspire them to continue to work hard and achieve future goals. (Source: CAFB 04/04/19) The Columbus-based HQ for the Pushmataha Area Council is part of the Boy Scouts of America. It renders service to Scout units in 10 counties of North Mississippi.

Blue Angels’ select 2020 boss

NAS PENSACOLA, Fla. – Cmdr. Brian Kesselring was selected April 2 to be the 2020-21 air- show season commanding officer of the Blue Angels’ Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron. A selection panel comprised of nine admirals and former commanding officers selected Cmdr. Kesselring to succeed current Blue Angels boss, Capt. Eric Doyle. Kesselring, a native of Fargo, N.D., joins the Blue Angels after serving as the commanding officer of Strike Fighter Squadron 81 at NAS Oceana, Va. His previous assignments include four squadron tours in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation New Dawn, Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Inherent Resolve. He has more than 3,790 flight hours and 812 carrier-arrested landings. Kesselring will report for initial training in Pensacola in September and officially take command of the squadron at the end of the air show season in November. The change-of-command is scheduled for Nov. 10 at the National Naval Aviation Museum. Kesselring will lead a squadron of 141 personnel and serve as the demonstration flight leader, flying the #1 jet. The Blue Angels are scheduled to perform 56 shows in 29 locations for the 2020 air-show season. (Source: The Blue Angels 04/02/19)

AHI: Lakota production manager

Airbus Helicopters Inc. of Columbus, Miss., is seeking a Production Project Manager (PPM) to lead efforts to establish, implement and monitor activities associated with Production and Aircraft modifications in support of the Lakota (UH-72A) program. The PPM will coordinate activities of all involved departments, establish planning, provide risk assessment analysis, review budget, and participate to vendor selection/management to ensure on-time completion or retrofit and production aircraft deliveries. (Source: Zip Recruiter 04/2019)

AHI looking for QA inspectors

Airbus Helicopters Inc. of Columbus, Miss., is looking for Quality Assurance inspectors to assure compliance of policies and procedures and FAA regulations. The QAIs perform detailed, functional, operational and dimensional inspections of aircraft, systems and components to determine airworthiness. They would be responsible for returning aircraft and components to service after production or maintenance. (Source: Zip Recruiter 04/2019)

Mil.housing issues ‘predictable’

Privatized military housing is under fire. It started with a Feb. 13 hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee, where witnesses reported horrendous living conditions including "black mold, lead, and infestations of vermin, flooding, radon and faulty wiring." Family members testified that their complaints to private management companies’ representatives were often met with denials, resistance, and occasional retribution from those firms and military chains of command. None of this is acceptable. But given decisions made years ago, it was predictable. (Retired Army Lt. Gen. Thomas Spoehr, author of the article, is director of The Heritage Foundation's Center for National Defense.) (Source: Military.com OPINION 04/02/19)

GC schools preparing for TARC-19

Schools across the nation are preparing to send their final qualifying scores for this year’s Team America Rocketry Challenge (TARC) by April 8, including 62 from Gulf Coast states. This year TARC is commemorating the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11, America’s first moon landing, and the 100th anniversary of primary its primary sponsor, the Aerospace Industries Association. TARC is requiring each team’s rocket to be able to safely carry three eggs to represent the people who were on the spaceship, and each team’s rocket has to reach an altitude of 856 feet, which represents the time the moon landing occurred. Each rocket’s flight time can only last 43-to-46 seconds. Teams will fly their rockets in front of an observer from the National Association of Rocketry (NAR) for an official qualification score by April 8. If the sum of scores from two flights are among the top 101, those teams will be invited to compete for a share of the $100,000 prize package in a national fly-off on May 18 near Washington, D.C. (Source: TARC 03/2019) Gulf Coast/Golden Triangle Notes: There are three teams from two schools in Mississippi: Mississippi School for Mathematics & Science from Columbus and George County High School in Lucedale. Six teams from Barksdale AFB in Louisiana. Thirty teams from across Alabama, including single teams from Fairhope and Mobile. Twenty-three teams from Florida, including Pensacola High School. New Site (Miss.) High School, located about 33 miles NNE of Tupelo, was a Top 3 competitor in the 2009 TARC national competition.

DoD eyes changing fixed-price regs

The Defense Department is considering amending changes to Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) acquisition regulations and designed to establish a preference for fixed-price contracts, according to an April 1 Federal Register notice. The proposed changes would implement a section of the National Defense Authorization Act for FY 2017 that requires a preference in the use of fixed-price contracts to determine contract types. It would also require review and approval for certain cost-reimbursement contracts, from the office of the under secretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment, at specified thresholds and timelines. It would also require the use of firm fixed-price contracts for foreign military sales “unless an exception or waiver applies," the notice states. Risk levels associated with a program is a major factor and consideration point for choosing the contract type. "Since development efforts are inherently risky and do not lend themselves to a fixed‐price type of contract, a cost‐reimbursement contract is more appropriate and customary." (Source: Inside Defense 04/01/19)

CAP helps students find paths

Dominic Sangregorio praises Johnstown, Pa.’s new Civil Air Patrol (CAP) squadron in preparing him for a career in the Air Force. “I’ve learned a lot that can help toward joining the military,” Sangregorio told the Tribune-Democrat at a recent squadron meeting. “I’ll be a step ahead of the game, which is something I think the Civil Air Patrol does very well.” An auxiliary of the Air Force, CAP was founded during WWII to organize civilian pilots and aviation resources in support of the war effort. Its 60,000 volunteers continue that heritage as a leading public service organization specializing in land- and air-based emergency services and search-and-rescue operations. (Source: The Tribune-Democrat 04/01/19) Gulf Coast Note: The cadet programs nationwide are structured around leadership, aerospace studies, fitness and character. Its curriculum, advancement and recognition features are designed to develop future leaders. The Mississippi Wing of Civil Air Patrol cadet squadrons are located in Olive Branch, Biloxi, Vicksburg, Meridian, Oxford, Pascagoula, Columbus, Diamondhead, Hattiesburg, Wiggins, Tupelo, Jackson, Cleveland, Madison, and Senatobia. South Alabama CAP squadrons are located in Mobile, Tuscaloosa, Dothan, Montgomery, Auburn and Pelham. Louisiana CAP squadrons are in Baton Rouge, Hammond, Gonzales, Patterson, Lafayette, Kentwood, Broussard, Covington and New Orleans. NW Florida CAP squadrons are at Eglin, Pensacola, Panama City, Marianna, and Milton.

MSU drone: Real time info to NOAA

As the Yalobusha River rose around Greenwood, Miss., during a major February rainstorm, scientists from the Northern Gulf Institute at Mississippi State University deployed a small drone to take high-resolution images of rising water and to send images in real time to NOAA experts. Forecasters were able to see the rising waters for two days, which helped confirm when the crest was reached, according to Dr. Suzanne Van Cooten, hydrologist-in-charge at the NOAA National Weather Service Lower Mississippi River Forecast Center in Slidell, La. The visuals helped the weather service to “improve our forecasts, so we can provide critical information to those in an affected area.” NGO scientists piloted the 8.5-foot long by 14-foot wide Griffon Outlaw G2E unmanned drone from MSU’s Raspet Flight Research Center in Starkville. It was equipped with an Overwatch Imaging TK-5 payload, a system able to take, process and transmit images with 6-inch resolution while flying 4,500 feet. The images were transmitted to the High Performance Computing Collaboratory at MSU, and were downloaded to NOAA-Slidell. NOAA forecasters used the information to refine forecasts that are vital to local emergency managers, the public and the area’s farmers. (Source: Weather Nation 03/2019)

MS work on Triton: $12.8M

Northrop Grumman Systems of San Diego is being awarded a $12,872,342 modification (P00012) to a previously awarded fixed-price-incentive contract (N00019-17-C-0018). This modification upgrades three MQ-4C Triton aircraft from a baseline Integrated Functional Capability (IFC) 3 software configuration to a Multi-IFC 4 software configuration. Additionally, this modification updates drawings and associated technical data in support of the MQ-4C IFC software configuration upgrade. Work will be performed in Palmdale, Calif. (48%); San Diego (38%); and Moss Point, Miss., (14%), and is expected to be completed in October 2021. FY 2018 Navy aircraft procurement funds in the amount of $12,872,342 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Naval Air Systems Command of Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 04/01/19 Gulf Coast Note: Fuselage work on the Triton is done in Moss Point.

Navy zeroing in on PE causes

PATUXENT RIVER, Md. – Teams utilizing a Root Cause Corrective Action (RCCA) analysis process as a cause of the physiological episodes (PEs), in F-A/18 Hornets and EA-18 Growlers, and T-45C Goshawk pilots, has eliminated contaminated breathing gas as a cause of those episodes. The teams, tasked with investigating the issue, continue to narrow the list of possible factors. Each RCCA Core team determined last fall that the quality of pilots’ onboard oxygen was unaffected by asphyxiates, carbon monoxide, and external/internal contaminants, such as fuel vapor or pyrolysis byproducts. "We are happy to see that contamination has been ruled out and that all Navy aircraft are delivering clean air to our aviators," said Rear Adm. Fredrick Luchtman, lead for the Physiological Episodes Action Team (PEAT). "We still have work to do,” he continued, “especially with the Hornets and Growlers. The T-45 team reached its conclusion in September and the F/A-18 team in October after a 16-month joint effort. The T-45 team closed more than 90 percent of nearly 350 branches on its RCCA “fault tree” - 50 was related to contamination. The team is now focusing on optimal breathing pressure and oxygen concentration as potential factors. The F/A-18 team is focused on two potential factors: (1) Cabin stability by preventing unexpected pressure fluctuations correlated with PE events, but not yet shown to be a causal factor; (2) Focus on breathing dynamics and factors that can impact gas exchange during respiration, such as hyper/hypocapnia, hypoxic hypoxia, work of breathing, and adsorption/acceleration atelectasis (collapsed lung). There appears to be no one single cause, but rather multiple contributors being worked by the F/A-18 team with near-term corrective actions. Other potential factors have been ruled out - such as electromagnetic exposure - while others were determined to have played a role in F/A-18 PEs, including maintenance-related issues and atelectasis. https://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=109080 Gulf Coast Note: T-45C instructors and student-aviators from both NAS Meridian, Miss., and NAS Pensacola, Fla., were among those experiencing some of these psychological episodes.

New direction for female flight gear

NELLIS AFB, Nev. - The Air Force is working to redesign gear used by female pilots across the service after facing challenges with current flight equipment – the majority of which dates back to the 1960s. “We have women performing in every combat mission, and we owe it to them to have gear that fits, is suited for a woman’s frame” that one can be in for hours, said AF Chief of Staff Gen. David L. Goldfein. The lack of variety and representation in current designs have caused a multitude of issues for women pilots, according to Col. Samantha Weeks, 14th Flying Training Wing commander at Columbus AFB, Miss. Many of the uniform issues circulate around G-suits, flight suits, urinary devices, and survival vests. The AF and Air Combat Command are working to find a feasible solution for aircrew members. Part of the strategy to correct some of the issues was to take part in several collaborative Female Flight Equipment Workshops to explore and come up with proposed solutions. The workshops were designed to bring female aviators, Aircrew Flight Equipment, Human Systems Program Office personnel and subject matter experts to “understand the current products, the acquisition process and the actual needs from the field,” Weeks said. There were some clear actions coming out of those workshops. “The Air Force has evolved over the years and continues to evolve,” Weeks echoed. “Female aviators entering the Air Force now will not have the same issues I had over the last 21 years.” (Source: 99th Air Base Wing 04/01/19)

GA system completes arresting test

SAN DIEGO - General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems (GA-EMS) announced March 29 that its Advanced Arresting Gear (AAG) system was successful in executing the first aircraft barricade arrestment at the Jet Car Track Site in Lakehurst, N.J., which marks a milestone in qualifying the system for barricade use on board Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carriers. It’s the first such test by Naval Air Systems Command in more than 20 years. The barricade test sent an E-2C Hawkeye, weighing some 46,500 pounds, accelerated to arresting speed into the barricade netting attached to the AAG via stanchions. The aircraft was brought to a safe stop, according to GA-EMS President Scott Forney. AAG is a turbo-electric system designed for controlled and reliable deceleration of aircraft. AAG is installed on USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) along with the GA-EMS Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS), which uses electromagnetic technology to launch aircraft from the deck of aircraft carriers. Both systems have been successfully tested during at-sea periods on CVN-78 and are in production for the future USS John F. Kennedy (CVN-79) and USS Enterprise (CVN-80). (Source: Seapower Magazine 03/29/19) Gulf Coast Note: GA’s EMS Division has a production and test facility at Shannon, Miss. – near Tupelo – to support production of EMALS and AAG programs for the next‐generation of aircraft carriers.