FL gains; MS/LA lose population

The United States’ natural increase and net international migration have resulted in a gradual slowdown of the nation’s population growth this decade, according to U.S. Census Bureau’s released estimates Dec. 30. On the eve of the next decade, Vintage 2019 population estimates show the nation’s growth continues to slow: Population is at 328.2M (+0.48%) since July 2018. Growth has slowed every year since 2015. Today’s release for states and Puerto Rico illustrates changes from April 2010 through July 2019. Population change at the national level does not necessarily reflect what’s happening among regions and states. About 40% of the nation’s population lives in the South, the most populous region in 2019 with 125.6M people. Between 2018-19, the South had the largest numeric (1.0M) and percentage (0.8%) growth. Population gains were mostly due to natural increase and the movement of people from one area to another within the nation. During the same period, population declined in the Northeast by 64,000 residents, a 0.1% drop. More than 25% of the nation’s population lived in just three states in 2019: California, Florida, and Texas. Texas added the most people (367,000), followed by Florida (233,000). Ten states lost population between 2018-19, including Louisiana and Mississippi. (Source: US Census Bureau 12/30/19) https://census.gov/library/stories/2019/12/new-estimates-show-us-population-growth-continues-to-slow.html?utm_campaign=20191230V2msacos1ccstors&utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery

GA Tupelo gets 35% mod work

General Atomics' Electromagnetics Systems Group of San Diego is awarded a $10,140,766 modification (P00045) to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract (N00019-14-C-0037). This modification is to produce installation work instructions and manufacture production hardware kits resulting from changes identified in the changes for post-production implementation CVN-79 aircraft carrier list. Additionally, this modification provides installation of production kits and performance of local checkout onboard the aircraft carrier and production "cut-ins" for hardware upgrades for items currently being produced for CVN-80 aircraft carrier. Work will be performed in San Diego (53%); Tupelo, Miss. (35%) and Norfolk, Va. (12%), and is expected to be completed in January 2024. FY 2018 Navy shipbuilding and conversion funds in the amount of $10,140,766 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 12/30/19)

2019 ends w/ GT unemployment up

WEST POINT, Miss – As 2019 comes to an end, rising unemployment continues for the Golden Triangle (GT). Clay County has the highest unemployment for the region and finishing among the highest unemployment rates at 8.7% - 74th among state’s 82 counties – for November, according to the Mississippi Department of Employment Security. The unemployment rate was a full 1% above October’s numbers and 3% higher for the same month in 2018. Among the three primary Golden Triangle counties, Lowndes County reported the lowest unemployment (5.5%); the county seat of Columbus unemployment rose to 5.9%; Oktibbeha up to 5.7%; city of Starkville unemployment to 4.6% (it was 3.5% last year. Lamar tied with Rankin County for the lowest unemployment at 4%. Holmes (10%), Claiborne (10.6%) and Jefferson (15.6%) counties were the only counties with unemployment in double digits. (Source: Daily Times Leader 12/30/19) https://www.dailytimesleader.com/content/unemployment-climbs-clay-county-golden-triangle

Putin thanks Prez for terrorist tip

Russian President Vladimir V. Putin called U.S. President Donald Trump on Dec. 29 with thanks for a tip from American intelligence that helped thwart a potential New Year’s Eve attack in St. Petersburg, Russian, according to a Kremlin statement. The announcement offered no details about the information the U.S. provided. But the Federal Security Service, the successor to the KGB, told Russian media it had detained two suspects preparing an attack on a crowded location in St. Petersburg. The two nations’ spy agencies typically view one another as adversaries, but on counter-terrorism, they have cooperated for several years. It was the second time Pupin has thanked Trump for advance info on another planned St. Petersburg attack two years ago. The state also sadi the two leaders discussed other “issues of mutual interest,” but was non-specific. The White House did not respond to a request for comment from the NY Times. (Source: NY Times 12/29/19) https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/29/world/europe/putin-trump-terrorism.html

Biggest mil.pay raise since 2010

Not since 2010 have military personnel seen a pay raise of more than three (3) percent. On Jan. 1, troops will be getting a 3.1 percent hike. Junior enlisted raises will amount to about $815 a year. For O-4s with 12 years of service, it’ll amount to more than $2,800 extra. Those figures are based on the expected rise in civilian sector wages, and not designed as a bonus for military families – instead, a calculation to keep them on pace with private-sector peers. Multiple times in the mid-2010s, military and White House officials pushed for pay raises under expected rises in private-sector salaries in order to save money for equipment upkeep and modernization. From 2011-16, military pay increased never grew above 1.7 percent. (Source: Military Times 12/26/19) https://www.militarytimes.com/news/2019/12/26/biggest-military-pay-raise-in-years-takes-effect-jan-1-check-out-the-complete-chart/

Novel approach to war-fighting

EGLIN AFB, Fla. - In the first field test of a novel approach to war-fighting, communicating and decision-making, the Air Force, Army and Navy used new methods and technology Dec. 16-18 for collecting, analyzing and sharing information in real time to identify and defeat a simulated cruise missile threat to America. A three-day exercise of the Advanced Battle Management System (ABMS) tested technology being developed to enable the military’s developing concept called Joint All-Domain Command and Control (JADC2). When fully realized, senior leaders say JADC2 will be the backbone of operations and deterrence, allowing U.S. forces, as well as allies, to orchestrate military operations across all domains of sea, land, air, space and cyber operations. The technology under development via ABMS enables this concept by simultaneously receiving, fusing and acting upon a vast array of data and information from each of these domains in an instant. The AF expects to receive around $185M in FY 2020 for this effort, and intends to bolster these resources over the next five years. (Source: SECAF 12/26/19) https://www.eglin.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/2047058/military-conducts-first-test-of-advanced-battle-management-system/

CNATT visits Keesler unit

BILOXI, Miss. - Capt. Nate Schneider, commanding officer of the Center for Naval Aviation Technical Training, continued his tour Dec. 9 of visiting the 27 CNATT locations, this time with the staff and students at the unit at Keesler AFB. Schneider met with CNATTU Keesler leadership, local Air Force leadership, toured facilities, and spoke with staff and students regarding the newest changes to training. (That’s) an “obvious group of proud professionals,” Schneider said. “They have a great relationship with the Air Force.” Schneider visited multiple classrooms to better assess CNATTU Keesler’s capabilities as it correlates with the Navy’s transition to ready relevant learning, which modernizes training to maximize impact and relevance. With emphasis in curriculum management, Keesler CNATTU Commanding Officer Matthew Pawlenko’s enduring priorities were well aligned with CNATT’s strategic principles. At an all-hands meeting, Schneider further highlighted the principles, answered questions from staff and students, and stressed the importance of CNATT’s mission and future goals. (Source: CNATT Keesler 12/26/19) https://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=111769

F-16 downs drone w/ 70mm rocket

EGLIN AFB, Fla. - An Air Force F-16C Viper shot down a target drone using a laser-guided 70mm rocket typically used for air-to-ground strikes during a test over the Gulf of Mexico, south of Eglin AFB, Fla. The AF conducted the experiment to determine its suitability for shooting down incoming cruise missiles, but may be useful against small unmanned aircraft, such as suicide drones. The F-16C, assigned to the 85th Test and Evaluation Squadron at Eglin AFB, conducted the test Dec. 19. A BQM-167 target drone served as the simulated cruise missile threat. “The test was unprecedented and will shape the future of how the Air Force executes CMD [cruise missile defense]," Col. Ryan Messer, commander of the base’s 53rd Wing, said. “This is a prime example of how the 53rd Wing is using resources readily available to establish innovative ways that enhance combat capabilities for our combat units." The Marines first fielded the laser-guided Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System II (APKWS II) 70mm rocket, also known as the AGR-20A, in 2008. The weapon's use has since expanded dramatically across the military for both fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters. (Source: 53rd Wing 12/23/19) https://www.53rdwing.af.mil/News/Article/2046450/f-16-downs-target-drone-with-laser-guided-rocket-in-unprecedented-test/

Distinguished Flying Cross for pilot

Lieutenant John “JJ” Briggs, a Coast Guard helicopter pilot attached to the Aviation Training Center in Mobile, Ala., was awarded one of the country’s highest military honors during Dec, 20. Lt. Briggs received the Distinguished Flying Cross for acts of heroism after Category 4 Hurricane Harvey battered the Louisiana and Texas Gulf Coast regions in August 2017. Hurricane Harvey caused $125B in and is the wettest U.S. hurricane on record, dropping more than 60 inches of rain in Texas. The subsequent flooding destroyed hundreds of thousands of homes, displaced 30,000 people and forced more than 17,000 rescues. Among the rescue of 120 people between Aug. 25 and Sept. 1, Lt. Briggs airlifted a critically ill pregnant woman who had become trapped by rising waters in her Houston attic, according to the CG citation. But rather than one woman, it was discovered numerous other family members were in need of rescue. Fourteen people were rescued – 10 were babies. The Distinguished Flying Cross is awarded for heroism or extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight, in a manner that is distinctive and not routine, according to the CG; and only an act of Congress can authorize it. (Source: AL.com 12/23/19) https://www.al.com/news/2019/12/heroic-mobile-pilot-who-saved-lives-during-hurricane-harvey-awarded-top-military-medal.html

Star Wars ‘Wish’ for special MS girl

A Gulfport, Miss., girl who lives with a rare disorder was granted her wish to attend the blue carpet premiere of the latest installment of the “Star Wars” saga in Los Angeles, along with stars of the movie franchise. Addisyn Richards, 10, and her family were flown to LA by Kids Wish Network for the world premiere Dec. 16 of “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.” Kids Wish Network is a children’s charity that grants wishes for kids with life-threatening illnesses. Addisyn was born with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. “We knew we had to make this happen,” said Kids Wish Network Executive Director Tam Lai. Addisyn was shaking with excitement throughout the festivities. “We met so many stars, and they were all so nice and spent so much time with Addisyn,” said her mother, Stephanie, in a news release. “There’s Han Solo and Luke Skywalker,” Addisyn exclaimed as actors Harrison Ford and Mark Hamill appeared, the news release quoted her. “My favorite memory was watching her with Daisy Ridley (Rey),” her mom said. She also met director J.J. Abrams and Disney CEO Bob Iger. After walking the blue carpet, Addisyn was among the first in the world to see the film along with the cast who were also seeing it for the first time. (Source: Sun Herald 12/20/19) https://www.sunherald.com/news/local/counties/harrison-county/article238690558.html#storylink=cpy

Green Beret killed in Afghanistan

The Defense Department announced Dec. 23 the death of an Army Green Beret who was supporting Operation Freedom's Sentinel in Afghanistan. Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Goble, 33, of Washington Township, N.J., died Dec. 23 as a result of injuries sustained while his unit was engaged in combat Goble was assigned to 1st Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne), at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. (Source: DoD 12/23/19) The 7th SFG(A) became one of the U.S. military's most committed speciaoperations on Dec. 22 in Kunduz Province. The incident is under investigation. l operations forces, spearheading coalition efforts to topple the Taliban in Afghanistan.

Medals for CG Harvey rescues

NEW ORLEANS – The Coast Guard presented three Distinguished Flying Crosses and an Air Medal to service members involved in rescues during Hurricane Harvey in 2017. Rear Adm. John Nadeau, commander, Eighth Coast Guard District, presented DFCs to Cmdr. Scott Sanborn, Lt. John Briggs, and Petty Officer 3rd Class Tyler Gantt. He presented the Air Medal to Petty Officer 1st Class James Yockey. The Distinguished Flying Cross is America’s oldest military aviation award. It is awarded for heroism or extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight, in a manner that is distinctive and not routine. (Source: Coast Guard 12/20/19)

3rd Alabama restoration plan

The Alabama Trustee Implementation Group has approved its third Restoration Plan and Environmental Assessment (PDF, 132 pages) to address natural resource injuries from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The restoration plan includes five projects to address lost recreational uses and two projects for the restoration of birds. Lost Recreational Use projects - Perdido River Land Acquisition (Molpus Tract); Bayfront Park Restoration and Improvement Phases IIa and IIb; Gulf State Park Pier Renovation; Perdido Beach Public Access Coastal Protection and Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge Enhancement – Mobile Street Boardwalk. For the birds: Stewardship of Coastal Alabama Beach Nesting Bird Habitat; and Dauphin Island West End Acquisition. The estimated cost of all seven projects is about $23.5M. (Source: NOAA Fisheries 12/20/19) https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USNOAAFISHERIES/bulletins/272a2

New MH-139A ‘Grey Wolf’ helicopter

DUKE FIELD, Fla. - The Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC) named its new MH-139A helicopter “Grey Wolf” during a naming ceremony here Dec. 19. Gen. Timothy Ray, AFGSC commander, made the announcement of the command's first major acquisition in its 10-year history. The name Grey Wolf is derived from the wild species that roams the northern tier of North America, which also encompasses the intercontinental ballistic missile bases within AFGSC. The helos will provide security and support for the nation’s ICBM fields that span Wyoming, Montana, North Dakota, Colorado and Nebraska. The new helicopter closes the capability gaps of the UH-1N Huey in the areas of speed, range, endurance, payload and survivability in support of the command’s ICBM missions. Other mission capabilities include civil search and rescue, airlift support, National Capital Region missions, as well as survival school and test support. The roll out demonstrates an asset that provides ICBM security support of U.S. Strategic Command’s nuclear deterrence operations aligned with the National Defense Strategy. Boeing was contracted to build 84 MH-139As at a cost of $2.38B. It is the command’s first commercial “off-the-shelf” purchase, adding military-unique modifications. Grey Wolf will replace the UH-1N, which entered the operational Air Force in 1970. The MH-139A Grey Wolf will provide vertical airlift and support the requirements of five major AF commands and operating agencies including the Air Education and Training Command. Gulf Coast regional commands under the AETC include Columbus and Keesler AFBs, Miss.; Eglin AFB, Fla.; and Maxwell AFB, Ala. (Source: American Military News 12/20/19) AFGSC's Detachment 7 was stood up Dec. 18 at Duke Field to support testing and evaluation of the MH-139A. Duke Field, located on the Eglin AFB Range, is home to the 919th Special Operations Wing. It is the only special operations wing in the Air Force Reserve, and a subordinate command of the 10th Air Force HQ’d at Naval Air Station/Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas, and the Air Force Reserve Command, HQ’d at Robins AFB, Ga. https://americanmilitarynews.com/2019/12/photos-us-air-force-names-new-grey-wolf-helicopter-to-replace-vietnam-era-huey/

Moss Point MQ-4C work

Northrop Grumman Systems of San Diego is awarded a $251,552,634 modification (P00009) to a previously awarded fixed-price-incentive-firm-target contract (N00019-18-C-1028). This modification procures three low rate initial production lot 4 MQ-4C Triton unmanned aircraft, ground stations, trade studies, tooling and associated support equipment. Work will be performed in San Diego (30.5%); Red Oak, Texas (12%); Palmdale, Calif. (10%); Baltimore (9.7%); Salt Lake City (7.9%); Bridgeport, W.Va. (4.9%); Indianapolis, Ind. (3.8%); Moss Point, Miss. (3.6%); Chantilly, Va. (3.5%); Waco, Texas (1.7%); San Clemente, Calif. (1.3%); various locations within the continental U.S. (9.7%); and various locations outside the continental U.S. (1.4%). The expected completion date is February 2023. FY 2019 Navy aircraft procurement funds in the amount of $251,552,634 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 12/20/19)

GC states' aviation, ship fundings

Alabama is set to receive billions of dollars in federal funding after the Senate approved two spending bills that averted a government shutdown. Most of the funding earmarked for Alabama will be in the form of defense spending, including more than $1B for helicopter flight training at the Army’s Fort Rucker. The state’s share of defense spending also includes hundreds of millions of dollars for ships that will impact Mobile’s shipbuilding industry. One of the spending packages includes funds to deepen and widen the Port of Mobile; and $500,000 to help excavate the Clotilda - the last slave ship to reach America that was discovered near Mobile earlier this year. In Mississippi, the defense bill is expected to have a major impact, with provisions to support shipbuilding on the Gulf Coast, and fund defense manufacturing and military construction. In the area of shipbuilding, the bill authorizes an additional $277.9M for the LPD-31 Flight II Amphibious Transport Dock ship - for a total of $525M – at HII-Pascagoula; $650M for Amphibious Assault Ship LHA-9 early funding to leverage non-recurring engineering investment in LHA 8 (USS Bougainville); authorizes $260M for the purchase of long-lead time material for three FY-21 Arleigh Burke (DDG-51) Flight III destroyers; authorizes $15M to reduce production time and cost of Columbia class submarine propulsor components manufactured in Gulfport; and authorizes $15M to produce mission-ready advanced materials components in Gulfport for the naval hovercraft. Also, authorization for the procurement of MQ-4C Triton high-altitude long endurance unmanned aerial vehicles, and $47.25M for RQ-4 Global Hawk aircraft, which are manufactured in Moss Point; and authorizes $16.8M for a fuel facilities replacement project at Columbus AFB. Louisiana: In an attempt to protect the Mississippi River Delta wetlands, provisions were included to fully utilize all funds collected in the Inland Waterways Trust Fund (IWTF) and Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund (HMTF). The bill provides $105M for IWTF to fund projects on the inland waterways, while HMTF will receive $1.67B for the purpose of maintaining harbors; and in an effort to sustain flood mitigation, the Army Corps of Engineers will receive an additional $650M for the construction of flood-resistant infrastructure. In Florida, $2.42B to rebuild Tyndall AFB, and $173.2M for Military Construction projects in Florida; and $312M for the Coast Guard Offshore Patrol Cutter, being built at Eastern Shipbuilding in Panama City. The spending bills await President Trump’s signature to be signed into law. (Sources: AL.com; U.S. Sens. Wicker, Rubio, Kennedy 12/18/19)

MS's 2019 top econ developments

As Father Time watches 2019 come to a close, a look back at Mississippi’s top economic development projects, listed by the Mississippi Development Authority, have created 2,205 jobs through $469.5M in investments within the counties of DeSoto, Lee, Hancock, George, Jackson, and Newton. The industry sectors include shipbuilding, aerospace, healthcare, timber and technology. Among the top eight projects of 2019 were General Atomics of Tupelo ($50M/75 jobs), VT Halter Marine of Pascagoula ($37.5M/900 jobs), and Relativity Space of Stennis ($59M/190 jobs). GA’s Electromagnetic Systems (EMS) Division production and test facility in Tupelo supports production of the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) and Advanced Arresting Gear (AAG) programs for the next‐generation Gerald R. Ford class aircraft carriers. VTHM was awarded a $745M contract with the Coast Guard for the design and construction of a Polar Security Cutter. The plan is to deliver the icebreaker in 2024. Relativity is expanding its rocket component production and rocket engine testing operations at NASA’s Stennis Space Center. Jobs created by this project will increase Relativity’s employment to 200. Relativity is the first and only company to integrate metal 3D printing, robotics and software to build and launch rockets in days instead of years. The company develops its own launchers and rocket engines for commercial orbital launch services. Among the others are: Amazon, $100M/500 jobs; Fresenius (Spectra Labs), $88M/300 jobs; Enviva, $85M/90 jobs; and ESCO, $50M/150 jobs. (Source: Mississippi Business Journal 12/18/19) https://msbusiness.com/2019/12/states-2019-top-economic-projects-bring-jobs-investments/

NOLA 7% of multi-aircraft pact

Boeing Aerospace Operations of St. Louis, Mo., is awarded a not-to-exceed value of $92,280,378 undefinitized contract action. This cost-plus-fixed-fee, indefinite-quantity contract provides engineering technical services in support of Naval Aviation weapon systems and all associated systems and equipment throughout their sustainment life-cycle, to include contractor field services in support of the AV-8B, EA-18G, F/A-18, C-40, and P-8A aircraft for the Navy and the government of Kuwait. Work will be performed in Iwakuni, Japan (17.88%); Oceana, Va. (8.48%); Whidbey Island, Wash. (8.25%); New Orleans (7.26%); Miramar, Calif. (6.85%); Beaufort, S.C. (5.45%); Kuwait (5.36%); Fort Worth, Texas (5.06%); North Island, Calif. (5.06%); Jacksonville, Fla. (4.61%); Pensacola, Fla, (3.63%); Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii (3.63%); Patuxent River, Md. (3.63%); China Lake, Calif. (3.63%); Cherry Point, N.C. (3.63%); Yuma, Ariz., (3.63%); Fallon, Nev. (1.8%); Lemoore, Calif. (1.8%); various locations within the continental U.S. (.3%); and various locations outside the continental U.S. (.06%), and is expected to be completed in December 2024. Funds will be obligated on individual orders as they are issued; FY 2020 Navy operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $791,695 will be obligated for the first task order, all of which will expire at the end of the fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured pursuant to the 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(1). Naval Air Warfare Center's Weapons Division of China Lake, Calif., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD 12/18/19)

Meridian contract work for Navy

Rolls-Royce Corp. of Indianapolis, Ind., is awarded a $140,335,673 modification (P00003) to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery requirements contract (N61340-19-D-0004). This modification provides intermediate level and depot level maintenance, logistics and engineering support for the F405-RR-401 engine and the 096 MKII Gas Turbine Starter System. Work will be performed in Meridian, Miss. (43%); Kingsville, Texas (45%); Pensacola, Fla. (11%); and Patuxent River, Md. (1%), and is expected to be completed in September 2020. No funds will be obligated at time of award; funds will be issued against individual task orders as they are issued. Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division of Orlando, Fla., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD 12/17/19)

Regional military by the numbers

No matter how you eye-ball it, whether through the value of Gulf Coast Region military base infrastructures, business-awarded contracts or critical missions, the military bases are a multibillion-dollar recurring asset. The Gulf Coast is one of the most military friendly regions in America, where the roar of jets and space-engines or distant rumblings of exploded munitions, it is the sound of freedom. According to the Department of Defense Base Structure Report FY-18 [https://www.acq.osd.mil/eie/Downloads/BSI/Base%20Structure%20Report%20FY18.pdf.], a summary of the military’s real property inventory, there are a myriad of DoD properties in the corridor between New Orleans and Panama City, Fla., and north into Mississippi. It includes at bases and associated annexes with a combined replacement value of more than $25B. Of that, the aviation-focused bases had a combined replacement value of more than $21.9B - add more than $1B when talking about outlying fields and other aviation-related annexes. The bases account for a large amount of incoming dollars through active and retiree payrolls, as well the contracts awarded to local companies for work here and elsewhere. Mississippi has 99 military sites – and Louisiana 35 - representing all branches of the military and guard. DoD sites in Mississippi total 176,745 acres, with a replacement value of $8.4B not counting NASA’s Stennis Space Center. NAS Meridian has a Total Plant Replacement Value (PRV) of $845M; CBC Gulfport’s PRV $1.38B; Keesler AFB PRV: $2.14B; Camp Shelby PRV: $1.42B; Combat Readiness Training Center PRV: $152.5M; and Columbus AFB PRV: 1,081.9B. Naval Air Station JRB New Orleans PRV: $1.26B. (Source: Gulf Coast Reporters League 12/17/19) http://www.gulfcoastaerospacecorridor.com/gulfcoastaerospacecorridorbook2019.html

DoD: Saudi passed rigorous vetting

The Saudi military officer who killed three and wounded eight in a shooting rampage Dec. 6 aboard Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla., had passed rigorous vetting processes without setting off alarms, according to Defense Department officials speaking on background Dec. 13. The officials said the Saudi Royal Air Force 2nd Lt. Mohammed Saeed Alshamrani and all foreign military trainees are cleared initially by their countries, and subjected to three levels of screenings by U.S. Embassies in those countries. Training applicants are run through the departments of Defense, State and Homeland Security databases to check for criminal activity or substance abuse, officials said in a conference call with defense reporters. Would-be trainees also have to submit to a physical and psychological exam by doctors approved by the U.S. Embassy; and then pass requirements for a visa. In Alshamrani case, the screening failed to turn up his exposure to “extremist thoughts” of four radical clerics before coming to America, according to a Saudi government analysis obtained by the Washington Post, which showed a Twitter account thought to have been used by Alshamrani. Since the shootings, 152 Saudis have been restricted to base classroom training only; 12 have been confined to quarters under monitoring by the FBI. Esper has ordered a review of the vetting processes for more than 5,000 foreign military students currently training in the U.S. The defense officials, speaking on background, said new vetting procedures could be outlined as early as next week. (Source: Military.com 12/16/19) https://www.military.com/daily-news/2019/12/16/saudi-officer-who-killed-3-pensacola-had-passed-rigorous-vetting-dod-says.html

Lawmakers deal; 62 F-35As

U.S. lawmakers struck a deal Dec. 16 for a $1.4T bipartisan spending plan to fund the government through FY 2020, including $695.1B for the Defense Department. The House is expected to vote on the bill today (Dec. 17). The Senate is slated to follow later this week. If passed, it would avert a government shutdown before temporary funding runs out Dec. 20. The bill represents a $19.5B increase over FY-19, and includes a 3.1 percent pay increase for military personnel. It breaks down as $622.6B for base funding, $70.6B for overseas operations, and $1.8B in emergency funding. The agreement provides the Air Force 62 F-35As – 14 more than requested. The Navy (F-35C) and Marine Corps (F-35B) will each get six more of those jets. In all, DoD would be funded for 98 total F-35s of all three variants. (AF Magazine 12/16/19) https://www.airforcemag.com/congress-announces-appropriations-deal/ It also contains $23.9B for 14 ships: 3 DDG-51 Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, one frigate, 1 landing helicopter assault ship, 1 amphibious transport dock, 1 expeditionary fast transport ship, 2 ers and tugs, and 3 Virginia-class submarines. (Source: Defense News 12/16/19) https://www.defensenews.com/congress/2019/12/16/hold-spending-deal-would-avoid-shutdown-give-738b-to-defense/

Ex-Hurlburt airman is SEA for CJCS

Command Master Sgt. (CMSgt) Ramon Colon-Lopez took over the duties as senior enlisted adviser (SEA) to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (CJCS), the top enlisted position in the military. Colon-Lopez, who previously served as the top enlisted leader in U.S. Africa Command and as command chief of the 1st Special Operations Wing at Hurlburt Field, Fla., is the first airman in the job. He is a pararescueman who served extensively in special operations, and received the Bronze Star with Valor and Combat Action Medal for a 2004 mission in Afghanistan. He takes over for the retiring Army Command Sgt. Maj. John Wayne Troxell. Before leaving the position, Troxell created a new rank insignia for the position, which was recently unveiled and worn by Colon-Lopez at the Dec. 13 ceremony. The insignia is similar to that of Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force, though it has four stars instead of two and a star instead of the wreath. (Source: AF Magazine 12/13/19) https://www.airforcemag.com/colon-lopez-first-airman-to-be-senior-enlisted-adviser-to-the-chairman-of-the-joint-chiefs/

Pilots deliver to Native Americans

Dennis Truax volunteered to help collect items for a coat drive, then decided to ask his wife, Jeanie, whom he said "loves a challenge" to see what she could do. She told him she’d start small and see how it works out. She reached out to fellow yoga class participants at Trinity Presbyterian in Starkville. They all reached out to their churches for donations, she told the Columbus Dispatch. They collected hundreds of coats, scarves, gloves and other winter clothing in under a month, contributing to a haul of more than 1,000 items that Dennis and five other pilots Mississippi flew to Moundridge, Kan., on Nov. 2. Another group of pilots later flew supplies Nov. 8 to the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in Manderson, S.D., for children from the Wounded Knee District School. Pine Ridge is the eighth-largest Native American reservation in the country and home to the Oglala Lakota Nation of the Lakota Sioux. The average temperatures in South Dakota fall below freezing five months a year, and the need for winter clothing is critical. Lynn Havens came up with a solution to shipping costs. A member of Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) Chapter 1189, he recruited fellow members to help him fly the cargo. Pilots Dennis Truax, Charlie Miller of Tupelo, Alan Warfield of Booneville, Dave Leonard of Water Valley and Thomas Sippel of Starkville flew the first leg of the trip. Born and raised in Germany, Sippel came to Mississippi in 2009 to work for Airbus Helicopters (AHI) near the Golden Triangle Regional Airport at Columbus. The coat drive collected 1,000 coats, Anita Havens said. "The (Pine Ridge) reservation is so big that we're only able to help a fraction of the people," she said. But, next year's drive will start in September. (Source: Columbus Dispatch 12/14/19) AHI builds the UH-72A “Lakota” helicopter for the U.S. Army. https://www.cdispatch.com/news/article.asp?aid=77973

Base patch at ‘heart’ of Pensacola

The red-and-white "NAS Pensacola" heart-patch design that's has made its way into social media are being pressed and worn by local military, first responders and citizens all across the region. Wings & Things Monogramming owner Larry Speed has teamed with NAS Pensacola to produce embroidered patches at the request of a Navy ensign following last week’s deadly shooting on based that killed three sailors and injured eight others. "It is the thing that I can do to help out," Speed told the Pensacola News Journal. "I make patches, I can produce the patches immediately, and these are already out there ready to be worn." Marcus Pointe Baptist Church Media Director Robbie Harvey came up with the graphic design of which a version of it made its way onto the city’s so-called Graffiti Bridge. "NAS Pensacola gave me a call … and said they wanted to create a patch off of the design … and put it on the flight suits out there at NAS," Harvey said. "Of course, I'm not going to say no to that. I told them absolutely." The patch has "NAS Pensacola" embroidered inside a white heart with the words 'We Have The Watch" - a longtime Navy slogan generally used at retirement ceremonies - printed above it. The date of the shooting is printed below the heart. Harvey said he was humbled when two ensign flight students came to him to show him the patches they had created based on his design. They were part of the squadron that was attacked. Harvey said those ensigns told him that Navy bases throughout the country are ordering them. (Source: Pensacola News Journal 12/12/19) https://www.pnj.com/story/news/2019/12/12/nas-pensacola-patches-being-produced-aviators-first-responders/4413549002/

USNA to honor trio at The Game

ANNAPOLIS, Md. - The U.S. Naval Academy will honor recent graduate Ensign Joshua Kaleb Watson, as well as Airman Mohammed S. Haitham and Airman Apprentice Cameron Scott Walters, at the 120th Army-Navy football game Dec. 14. The trio was killed Dec. 6 by an active shooter at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla. Watson was a member of the Naval Academy's 10th Company and captained the 2018-19 Rifle Team. Watson’s shipmates from 10th Company will be wearing red, white and blue ribbons pinned to their lapels. Defensive co-captain Midshipman 1/C Nizaire Cromartie will be wearing a memorial patch from the Naval Aviation Schools Command (NASC) in Pensacola, where all three were assigned. Several of the leadership and midshipmen will be wearing NASC patches provided straight from the flight suits of Watson's Pensacola classmates (class 20-04) in his memory. He entered the aviation training pipeline in November. (Source: CHINFO 12/13/19)

CAFB fly-in ‘super cool’

COLUMBUS AFB, Miss. - Airmen from several major commands flew into Columbus AFB in a variety of aircraft on Dec. 10 to show and inform local personnel and families their missions. A static display of aircraft took to place on the SAC Ramp. The event was primarily student-pilots to check out and engage with potential aircraft they could one day be flying. Among some of the aircraft on display was F-16 Fighting Falcons, a C-17 Globemaster III, an A-10 Thunderbolt, and a U-28 special operations aircraft. Second Lt. Connor Hari, a future student pilot, attended the fly-in. “It was super cool,” he said. “I was honestly surprised how many planes were out there. It definitely gave me a lot of insight and will help me choose an aircraft when the time comes.” Capt. Joe Barton, 14th Operations Group Commander’s Action Group, assisted in the coordination of the event and talked about its significance for CAFB. “By doing these events and bringing these planes in, the whole base gets to see what’s going on in the Air Force and the fruits of their labor,” Barton said. (Source: CAFB 12/11/19) The U-28A is part of Air Force Special Operation Command's Non-Standard Aircraft (NSAv) fleet. They are operated by the 319th, 34th and 318th Special Operations Squadrons (SOS). Training is conducted by the 5th and 19th SOS units at Hurlburt Field, Fla. and Cannon AFB, N.M. https://www.columbus.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/2038059/team-blaze-given-opportunity-to-explore-variety-of-airframes-during-fly-in/

Blue Angels’ 2020 air show season

PENSACOLA, Fla. - The Navy’s Flight Demonstration Squadron, the Blue Angels, released its 2021 air show schedule at the International Council of Air Shows convention here on Dec. 10. The Blues are scheduled to perform 55 demonstrations at 29 locations in 2020. Among Gulf Coast areas that the Blues will be flying include June 5-6 at Lake Charles, La., and two annual shows, at Pensacola Beach on July 10, and an end-of-season show at NAS Pensacola on Nov. 6. (Source: Blue Angels 12/11/19) https://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=111654

Update: No internat'l students

The Navy has grounded more than 300 Saudi military exchange students from non-classroom flight training that will affect nearly 900 Saudis studying at military facilities across the country. There are about 300 in Florida - 140 are at NAS Pensacola, 128 are at Naval Station Mayport and 35 at NAS Whiting Field. The temporary decision comes after a Saudi second lieutenant student-pilot shot and killed three American sailors at NAS Pensacola on Dec. 6. “They are currently doing a safety stand-down, an operational pause, in their flight training,” Navy spokeswoman Andriana Genualdi said. The review is tentatively scheduled to be completed within 10 days. The suspension will remain in place until that review is completed. The classroom portion of training “will resume this week,” she said. Law enforcement officials have questioned other Saudi students at NASP, some of whom reportedly took cellphone video at the scene of the attack. In addition to the three sailors killed, eight people were wounded. The attacker was killed at the scene. His motive remains unclear. U.S. Northern Command ordered military bases around the country to implement new security procedures on Dec. 9, including more random checks. (Source: Politico 12/10/19) There are more than 5,000 international military students in the United States. In a separate storyline, acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modly awarded the three sailors their "wings" posthumously - Ensign Joshua Watson, 23, his naval aviator wings; and Airman Mohammed Haitham, 19, and Airman Apprentice Cameron Walters, 21, their naval aircrewmen wings. The sailors would have received the wings upon completion of their aviation training.
https://www.politico.com/news/2019/12/10/navy-grounds-saudi-students-pensacola-081000 UPDATE2: No new international military students will come to the U.S. for training until new screening procedures are in place, the Pentagon announced Dec. 12following a deadly shooting last week by a Saudi Arabian aviation trainee at NAS Pensacola, Fla. Defense Department’s chief spokesman said there is no explicit ban on new students, but none will enter the country (until) DoD expands its role in the screening process and begins the additional reviews. Currently the bulk of the screening is done by State and Homeland Security departments, as well as host nations. Jonathan Hoffman told reporters new screening guidelines should be in place within days. The deputy defense secretary ordered a 10-day review of the vetting process this week. About a dozen Saudi students who were acquaintances of the shooter are currently confined to the base. Asked why the safety restriction applied to all Saudis, Hoffman said it “seemed prudent.” The enhanced screening, when completed, will affect all international students. (Source: The AP 12/12/19)

Kelly concerned with Mil.med cuts

Lawmakers, including Mississippi Republican Trent Kelly, expressed concern at a Dec. 5 hearing on how many military medical billets are scheduled to be eliminated in 2020 as the services' hospitals and clinics transition to the Defense Health Agency. Members of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Military Personnel received an update on the Military Health System transition. The hearing focused mostly on access to mental health care. The surgeons general for each of the services told lawmakers they were no longer filling vacant positions, pending a billet review by the DHA. They broke down the number of reviewed billets last year that were determined "excess" (4,000 Air Force: 6,935 Army and 5,386 Navy) In 2018, the military “determined that their current medical force exceeded the operational requirements they needed," said Thomas McCaffery, assistant secretary of defense for health affairs. Each service decided to “look at a subset of their medical billets and repurpose them to look for other high priorities tied to the military department's needs and meeting national defense goals." Subcommittee Chairwoman Rep. Jackie Speier (D-Calif.) and ranking member Rep. Kelly (R-Miss.) were not pleased with those numbers, and expressed concern there were already long wait times for doctors' appointments, pointing out how dangerous it could be to leave mental health care specialist positions unfilled. "I just want you guys to know: That's a lot of billets that are going away," Kelly said. "So, we shouldn't just be subtracting, we should be adding in some areas and saying, 'Hey, we can get rid of these folks, but we need more in this area’." (Source: Military.com 12/06/19) Kelly is Mississippi’s 1st District congressman. The district is located in the northeast corner of the state, and includes Alcorn, Benton, Calhoun, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Clay, DeSoto, Itawamba, Lafayette, Lee, Lowndes, Marshall, Monroe, Pontotoc, Prentiss, Tate, Tippah, Tishomingo, Union, Webster, and Winston counties with a portion of Oktibbeha County. https://www.military.com/daily-news/2019/12/06/surgeons-general-lay-out-how-many-health-care-jobs-each-service-may-lose-merger.html

FY-20 NDAA agreement reached

SIMI VALLEY, Calif. - U.S. Senate and House conferees have reached an agreement on the FY 2020 National Defense Authorization Act. A vote is anticipated for Dec. 9, according to some lawmakers. Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Ala.) outlined the schedule on Dec. 7 here at the Reagan National Defense Forum, but stopped short of detailing the plan. Conferees will sign the bill on this afternoon (Dec. 9) and will be filed later in the day. The House is expected to hold a floor vote on Dec. 11, Rogers said. Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.) said the final product will show that many constituencies were able to come together for a bill that is “good for the country.” (Source: AF Magazine 12/08/19) https://www.airforcemag.com/agreement-reached-on-ndaa/

Saudi ‘infuriated’ by nickname

The FBI said it was officially conducting a terrorism investigation into the Dec. 6 shooting at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla., by a Saudi air force student that left three sailors dead. A new report has emerged that the Saudi student, 2nd Lt. Mohammed Alshamrani, filed a formal complaint in April against a meteorology class contract instructor that left him “infuriated”. The instructor called him “Porn Stash” - spelled that way in the complaint - in front of about 10 aviation students. The contractor’s apparent reference was to the mustache of a porn actor. The FBI declined to comment on the April incident. Brian Busey, the president of the company that employs Day, Delaware Resource Group of Oklahoma, said the company took “appropriate personnel action” back in April, and were cooperating with the FBI probe. Separately, FBI officials are continuing interviews with anyone who may have had contact with the gunman, who was shot and killed by a sheriff’s deputy. (Source: NY Times 12/08/19) https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/08/us/pensacola-gunman.html

Update: Saudi #s in mil.training

The lead FBI investigator and a handful of other federal agency personnel held a Dec. 8 morning media conference from NAS Pensacola, Fla., to update information about the Dec. 6 on-base shootings by a Saudi military officer-student that killed three sailors and wounded eight others. FBI's Rachel Rojas said a number of Saudi students close to the shooter are cooperating with the investigation. The Saudi's commanding officer, she said, had restricted them to NASP. The FBI is working to confirm if the gunman, Mohammed Alshamrani, 21, had acted alone or if there were others involved. (Source: WKRG 12/08/19) Addition
ally, the Associated Press reported Dec. 8 that a U.S. official, who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly, says investigators believe the gunman visited New York City, including Rockefeller Center, days before the shooting. The FBI is working to determine the purpose of that trip, and attempting to locate and question anyone who may have interacted with him there or in the Pensacola area. The official spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity. The official says authorities believe the gunman also made social media posts about U.S. support for Israel and alleging Americans were anti-Muslim. Investigators are continuing to examine the shooter’s online profiles and social media postings. (The AP 12/08/19) UPDATE2: How many Saudis study in U.S. military programs? More than 5,500 temporary visas were issued to Saudi military personnel by the State Department in 2019. As of last Friday, there were 852 Saudis in the U.S. for DoD-sponsored training related to security cooperation. That represents 16 percent of the 5,181 students from 153 countries in these programs, according to DoD spokesperson Chris Garver. Pensacola is just one of more than 150 military schools and installations where these students study annually. (Source: Washington Post 12/08/19) https://www.wkrg.com/northwest-florida/official-nas-pensacola-gunman-visited-new-york-days-before-shooting/

CG to honor Adler crew in La.

NEW ORLEANS - The Coast Guard is holding a memorial service in Baton Rouge, La., on Dec. 7 to honor the crew of a Coast Guard cutter White Alder that sank 51 years ago killing 17 Coast Guard members. The event is to be held at the USS Kidd Veterans Museum, 350 S. River Road in Baton Rouge beginning at 12: 30 p.m. Coast Guard Cutter White Alder was homeported in New Orleans from 1947 until 1968. The cutter's primary responsibility was to tend river aids-to-navigation, although it was also called upon to conduct other traditional Coast Guard duties. (Source: Coast Guard 12/06/19) https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USDHSCG/bulletins/26fe6ee

Service members honored by NOLA

New Orleans City Council members held a special session Dec. 5 to honor service members and their contributions to the greater New Orleans community. The special session was planned by Major Gen. David Mize (USMC, Ret.), chairman of the Mayor's Military Advisory Committee, and included featured remarks from senior officers from each of the armed services stationed in the greater New Orleans area. (Source: NAS/JRB New Orleans Facebook 12/05/19) https://www.facebook.com/pg/bellechassela70037/photos/?tab=album&album_id=10157792741874938&__xts__%5B0%5D=68.ARBFIg-rBBA7An_RIfcxj0zFPNRRg7DZIm3HhZUoQ7lKbFW-yPO_bEpX0W3vPz1p09PYmJ6SQWgQ5Ig4bbKnBicTalFCpDCDQM4troic58jf7IHLA603ZGrjEMBOmejaaxvSzudwB7JsHZadpBhItHiAfsDzl3-k1wVbNU6NZYqG3_gBZzuTyU0Crkae4dNw6APR9qMIeZzU3sFJApJsYnpELM5mhZkiFZ6-HN7Q4VaLD9av299-GyuGSPrg3PUPLmGCfWFU9l3kBt6nXtji7u-z_6RhIdgRD4KfHGPiUnDIO0q1vJnGQujJhxFeOqcsxg_DgJEY7mHKB6laiYHnZ1SMGnIb2ObG1YDO1VpA90vBcMfrM7ETghMMbRLiPsdQaqgRU0cNPvWsnGIpuZpcgup7RPiYKNl6GErQEuLxh7LWkggtKxochd7DVAVV1up_JMfecHs&__tn__=-UC-R

WWII pilot with CAFB roots passes

WINONA, Miss. - Family and friends gathered here Dec. 4 for burial services to remember former Army Air Corps Capt. Charles T. Hull, a decorated WWII bomber pilot who survived 25 missions in the European Theater. The services were held with full military honors. Hull passed away at St. Catherine’s Village at the age of 98 in Madison, Miss., on Nov. 29. He was born in Rolling Fork, Miss. He began his service in the AAC in November 1942, where he attended the Columbus Army Flying School on what is now Columbus Air Force Base, Miss. Once training was completed, Hull was stationed in Polebrook, England, where he piloted the B-17 Flying Fortress for the 351st Bomber Group of the Eighth Air Force. He flew several of those 25 missions over Germany without fighter escorts. “He was brave to say the least,” said Sandra Inman, one of Hull’s nieces. For his service, Hull earned the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Air Service Medal upon returning from that tour. He went on in service to be a flight instructor for the new B-29 Superfortress. In July 1945, Hull completed his service in the military and was honorably discharged from the Army at Camp Shelby, Miss. (Source: 14th Flying Training Wing 12/05/19) https://www.columbus.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/2033363/decorated-wwii-bomber-pilot-honored-remembered-by-family-friends/

AFB, Army building base of future

TYNDALL AFB, Fla. - After Hurricane Michael devastated Tyndall Air Force Base in October 2018, the Air Force and the Army forged a partnership with a single vision: Build the “Installation of the Future.” The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) has become a major ally to Tyndall’s program management office in rebuilding the NW Florida. “We are essentially building a base from scratch, which is unprecedented in recent history,” said Brig. Gen. Patrice Melancon, Tyndall PMO executive director. One of those partners is USACE’s Atlanta division, led by Tab Brown. USACE’s team of engineers work “shoulder to shoulder with my team,” continued Melancon. “They have been here from Day One.” The Army engineers were onboard Tyndall before the storm for a few construction projects on a limited basis. Now, they’re working with the PMO and the Air Force Civil Engineer Center to complete 42 construction projects,” Melancon said. By the end of 2019, the team will have completed 25 detailed planning sessions to design that base of the future. (Source: Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center 12/06/19) https://www.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/2033889/pmo-usace-partner-to-rebuild-tyndall-afb/

Update4: 3 sailors among deceased

PENSACOLA, Fla. - The Escambia County (Fla.) Sheriff's Office confirms that an active shooter is dead following an early morning incident at NAS Pensacola today (Dec. 6). Authorities say the shooter was killed by deputies. There have been three confirmed dead, and multiple injuries, including two in critical condition. Two of those injured were ECSO personnel that may have been involved in a shootout with the “active shooter”. A live update is scheduled around 9:30 a.m. by Navy, federal and local officials. (WEAR 12/06/19) https://weartv.com/news/local/breaking-shooting-at-nas-pensacola UPDATE: Acting SECNAV Thomas B. Modly on recent shootings at Navy bases: "Our entire Navy and Marine Corps team is struck and deeply saddened by the attacks within our own naval family over the past several days, at Little Creek, Virginia, last week, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on Wednesday, and today in Pensacola, Florida. These acts are crimes against all of us. Our prayers are with the families of the fallen and with the wounded. It is our solemn duty to find the causes of such tragic loss and ceaselessly work together to prevent them. Let us make concerted efforts to care for the families of those lost, and those wounded, visibly and not. Let us shepherd them through these first moments of despair, and make them, and our greater Naval family, whole and strong." UPDATE2: The person who shot and killed three people and injured a number of others at NAS Pensacola was a Saudi national who was attending flight training, according to a statement from House Homeland Security Committee Ranking Member Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Ala.). The suspected shooter was 2nd Lieutenant Mohammed Saeed Alshamrani, according to two U.S. officials familiar with the case who spoke on condition of anonymity. President Donald Trump tweeted that the Saudi king called to express his condolences following the attack. (Source: AF Magazine 12/06/19) UPDATE3: Six other Saudi nationals were detained for questioning near the scene of the shooting, including three who were seen filming the entire incident, according to a person briefed on the initial stages of the investigation. It was not known whether the six Saudis detained were students. There was no immediate indication that those filming the incident were connected to the gunman, the person said. UPDATE4: Active duty naval student-pilot Joshua Watson of Coffee, Ala., had recently graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy and looked forward to a military career. The 23-year-old was being hailed a hero - in his last minutes of life – after leading first responders to an active shooter on Dec. 6 at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla. His brother, Adam, said Watson saved countless lives with his own. “After being shot multiple times he made it outside and told the first response team where the shooter was and those details were invaluable,” Adam Watson wrote on Facebook. “He died a hero,” he said, “but there is a whole (sic) in our hearts that can never be filled.” The anguish spread from Pensacola to Americans across the country who were in shock of Friday’s shooting that left four dead, including the shooter, a Saudi officer in training. The two other victims were identified as Airman Mohammed Sameh Haitham of St. Petersburg, Fla, and Airman Apprentice Cameron Scott Walters of Richmond Hill, Ga. Eight others were injured, including two Escambia County (Fla.) Sheriff Office deputies. (Source: The Associated Press 12/07/19) A U.S. official says the Saudi student had hosted a dinner party to watch mass shooting videos earlier this week. The official was briefed by federal investigators, and spoke on condition of anonymity. He says authorities tell him one Saudi student was recording outside the building while the shooting took place. He says 10 Saudi students are being held at the base and that several others are still unaccounted for. (Source: WKRG 12/07/19)

AFSOC officer changes

Brig. Gen. Brenda P. Carter, director of operations, headquarters of the Air Force Special Operations Command at Hurlburt Field, Fla., has been assigned to the post of vice commander of the 19th AF at the Air Education and Training Command at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas. In a sidebar announcement, Brig. Gen. Michael E. Martin, deputy commander of the Special Operations Joint Task Force-Afghanistan in Kabul has been assigned to duty as director of operations of the HQ of the AFSOC at Hurlburt Field, Fla. (Source: DoD 12/05/19)

PRCC starts up aerospace academy

HANCOCK COUNTY, Miss. - Pearl River Community College (PRCC) was to have broken ground Dec. 3 on the Phil Bryant Aviation and Aerospace Technology Academy here at the Stennis International Airport. The facility is being made possible by a $2M grant from the department of Economic Development Administration (EDA). The grant will be matched with more than $3.9M in state and local investments; and is expected to create nearly 470 jobs. College officials claim this program will help provide more skilled employees for the region. Hancock County Port & Harbor Commission CEO Bill Cork says the facility is a step in the right direction for the space industry of Mississippi. The academy is expected to be complete in 2021. The programs that will be new to the Hancock location upon its opening are Instrumentation, Airframe & Propulsion Technology, Industrial Electronics Technology, Precision Manufacturing, Computer Aided Design & Drafting and Business Management Technology. (Source: WLOX 12/03/19) https://www.wdam.com/2019/12/03/prcc-breaks-ground-aviation-aerospace-academy-hancock-county/

AFS: Wait on tenant ‘bill of rights’

Air Force Secretary Barbara Barrett told senators from the Armed Services Committee that the AF is ready to put into place a new “bill of rights” for personnel living in one of its 32 bases with privatized military housing when Congress passes an FY 2020 defense policy, which was due Oct. 1. Barrett said the AF would rather wait on issuing the tenant bill, and reconcile differences and to be consistent, with the law after passage of the defense bill. Early in 2019, the military proposed a joint draft bill of rights for service members living in privatized housing managed by private firms. Across all of DoD there are 79 privatized family housing projects. Quality of life in those housing projects vary by base. DoD is trying to fix thousands of issues involving mold, fire code compliance, vermin, and lead-based paint, among others. The bill of rights would entitle tenants to withhold pay from landlords while disputes are decided; offer access to housing advocates; and allow third parties to adjudicate landlord-tenant disagreements. Fourteen companies manage housing for DoD, including at bases in Columbus, Meridian and Gulfport, Miss.; and Pensacola and Milton, Fla.; (Source: AF Magazine 12/03/19) http://www.airforcemag.com/Features/Pages/2019/December%202019/New-Military-Tenant-Protections-Stalled-as-DOD-Awaits-2020-Policy-Bill.aspx

MSU-led group to study rare birds

A research effort by Audobon Louisiana has revealed new information about one of the Gulf Coast’s least understood black rails bird. In an effort to research the birds, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration awarded a $3.9M grant to a Mississippi State University-led group of researchers to look into the rare and poorly understood marsh bird that is under consideration for protection under the Endangered Species Act. The research will look into bird’s high coastal marshland habitats, which will also support yellow rails and mottled ducks. Since 2017, Audubon Louisiana has collected one of the continent's richest pools of data on the elusive bird. The group's research is to be focused in Cameron and Vermilion parishes. (Source: NOLA.com 12/02/19) https://www.nola.com/news/environment/article_687f9c6e-0d64-11ea-8e8a-077f7bf88851.html

GAO: GC bases water shortage risk

One hundred and two (102) military bases across the country are at risk of water shortages, according to a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report released Nov. 27. Some of those bases have already experienced water restrictions. The GAO report to the Senate Armed Services Committee identified those bases vulnerable to "not having sufficient water available to meet their mission needs" for drinking, training, weapons testing, fire suppression and sanitation. The list of bases cited by the report was not limited by geographical area and ranged from Fort Bragg, N.C., to Camp Pendleton, Calif. Among bases along the Gulf Coast (GC) are Columbus AFB, Miss.; and Eglin AFB, Hurlburt Field, and NAS Pensacola, Fla. Some bases on the list already are experiencing water shortages or have been warned by local authorities that access to water sources could be restricted, according to the report. (Source: Military.com 12/02/19) https://www.military.com/daily-news/2019/12/02/more-100-military-bases-now-risk-water-shortages-gao-finds.html; and GAO report https://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-20-98

Research ship named for MS doc

GULFPORT, Miss. - A new oceanographic research ship will be named for Dr. Gilbert R. Mason Sr., a Mississippi physician who filed one of the Deep South's first school desegregation lawsuits and led wade-ins to integrate a federally funded public beach. Mason’s lawsuit - filed for his son, Gilbert Mason Jr. - made Biloxi's public schools the first in Mississippi to integrate, according to a media release from the University of Southern Mississippi. His name was among 160 submitted. Mason also served on an advisory committee to President Richard Nixon's Cabinet Committee on Education and as a consultant to President Jimmy Carter. After Hurricane Camille in 1968, he was on the Mississippi governor's emergency council to plan the Gulf Coast's reconstruction and recovery. His name was among more than 160 submitted. The ship will be built at Gulf Island Fabricators in Houma, La., and is expected to begin studies in the Gulf of Mexico in 2023. It will have homeports in both Gulfport and Houma. (Source: The AP 11/30/19) https://www.cdispatch.com/news/article.asp?aid=77677

Miss. flu highest in Deep South

JACKSON -- The flu season is off and running in the Deep South. The most recent weekly flu report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention finds high levels of flu-like illness in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Nevada, South Carolina and Texas. The highest level in the report as of Nov. 16 was Mississippi. (Source: The AP 11/30/19) https://www.cdispatch.com/news/article.asp?aid=77671

CAFB: Connecting to Memphis

COLUMBUS AFB, Miss. - Instructor pilots from the 37th, 41st, 48th and 50th Flying Training Squadron's joined Columbus Air Force Base’s Air Traffic Controllers on a trip to the Memphis Center tower in Tennessee on Nov. 22. Eighteen members of the CAFB team journeyed northward to connect, share knowledge, ask questions and reinforce the connection between CAFB and the center. “I thought it would be good for the pilots and controllers (of CAFB), who work with the controllers at the Memphis Center to get some Q&A’s in, that way we can put names to faces between the two agencies,” said Capt. Julian Kinonen, 14th Operations Support Squadron chief of aerial events. Memphis Center’s airspace coverage overlaps Columbus AFB’s. When the base’s Radar Approach Control and Control Airmen aren’t working this particular airspace, north/NW of Columbus, the Memphis Center controllers are. It takes both agencies working together to execute CAFB’s mission. (Source: CAFB 12/01/19) https://www.columbus.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/2029566/columbus-afb-airmen-and-memphis-center-connect/

Nominate your mil.kids of year

Often, the unsung heroes of military life are the kids - affectionately called military brats. These kids move, say goodbye to their deployable parents for months, and take on additional responsibilities at home. Now, you can recognize them by nominating the impressive mil.kids for Operation Homefront's 2020 Military Child of the Year Award. The annual awards recognize seven outstanding young people ages 13-to-18 years old. Six will represent each military branch for scholarship, volunteerism, leadership, extracurricular involvement, and other challenges of military family life. The seventh award is the Military Child of the Year for Innovation - presented by Booz Allen Hamilton. This award goes to a military child who has designed a bold and creative solution to address a local, regional or global challenge. The seven award recipients will be flown to Washington, D.C., to be recognized at the April 2020 annual gala. Senior leaders of each branch will present the awards, which include $10,000 each and various donated gifts. The recipient of the ‘Innovation’ award will have the opportunity to work with a team of Booz Allen employees to develop a plan to scale their project. (Source: Military.com 11/30/19) https://www.military.com/spousebuzz/2019/11/30/nominations-open-military-child-year-award.html

WWI documentary back by demand

To celebrate the one-year anniversary of the theatrical release of Peter Jackson’s WWI documentary, They Shall Not Grow Old, is returning to select cinemas. Jackson is an Academy Award-winner, and this documentary of WWI (over 100 years ago) brings to life the soldiers and events of the Great War in a way the world has never seen. Using state-of-the-art technology to restore, colorize and enhance original archival footage, Jackson brings to life the very people (in their own voices) who were there. The film explores the reality of war on the front line; attitudes toward the conflict; and how they ate, slept, and formed friendships. The dates of the theatrical presentation, at select cinemas, are Dec. 7, Dec. 17-18, including Meridian, Biloxi, and Tupelo, Miss.; New Orleans region; and Pensacola, Fla. To find specific locations insert your zip code. (Source: Fathom Events – WWI Centennial Commission – 12/02/19) Jackson’s known for his films Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, and King Kong remake. https://www.fathomevents.com/events/they-shall-not-grow-old-1219?utm_campaign=they+shall+not+grow+old+2019&utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery&utm_term=wwicc+email

Latin: A to Z, and visiting MSU prof

Researchers in Munich, Germany, have been working on the Thesaurus Linguae Latinae (T.L.L.) since the 1890s. They hope to finish the dictionary in 2050, but that may be optimistic. They originally thought they’d be finished in 20 years. They’re up to the letter ‘R’, although the letters ‘Q’ and ‘N’ were set aside because they begin too many difficult words (like “non” meaning “no”). This dictionary aims to show every single way anyone ever used a word from 6th century (BC) Latin inscriptions to around A.D. 600. Latin is spoken mostly at the Vatican and by a handful of enthusiasts, who promote it as an educational tool. In the U.S., about 210,000 public school students are currently learning Latin compared to 7.3M in Spanish classes. Some 50 percent of English words are derived from Latin. Visiting researchers often come to look into particular words. Joseph Ratzinger, better known as Pope Benedict XVI, came to consult the boxes for “populus,” which means “masses” or “people.” It’s also difficult to use, and expensive ($379 for annual access online). Many universities have subscriptions. In 2019, the T.L.L. posted PDFs of entries through the letter ‘P’ for free online. Many researchers at the dictionary say they don’t expect to live to see it finished. But Christian Flow, a visiting assistant professor from Mississippi State University, who wrote a dissertation about the T.L.L., said its duration is also its strength. “The irony is that the timelessness of the thesaurus” lay “in its inability to finish itself.” (Source: NY Times 11/30/19) https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/30/arts/latin-dictionary.html