PACFLT: Chinese ship lases P-8A

A Chinese destroyer, identified as among the newer ships to enter the fleet last year, lased a U.S. Navy P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft operating over international waters about 380 miles west of Guam, the U.S. Pacific Fleet said in a statement. The laser could not be seen by a human eye, but was captured by sensors on the airplane that has been upgraded with sensors and systems to support tracking surface and undersea targets. The incident, which PACFLT called “unsafe and unprofessional,” took place on Feb. 17, but just announced by the Navy. Weapons-grade lasers could potentially cause serious harm to aircrew and mariners, as well as ship and aircraft systems, PACFLT noted. The destroyer involved appears to be Hohhot, a Type 052D or Luyang III-class in the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy. PACFLT’s statement says lasing violates both bilateral and multilateral agreements between the U.S. Navy and PLAN, including a 2014 agreement that specifically notes that the use of lasers could cause harm to personnel or damage to equipment. The P-8A is assigned to VP-45, based out of NAS Jacksonville, Fla., and is forward-deployed to Kadena Air Force Base in Okinawa, Japan. The squadron conducts routine operations, maritime patrol, and reconnaissance in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations. (USNI News 02/27/20) https://news.usni.org/2020/02/27/chinese-destroyer-lases-u-s-navy-p-8a-plane-operating-near-guam

Marine cuts coming pros & cons

Commandant Gen. David Berger’s plan to eliminate thousands from the Marine Corps personnel in FY 2021 won't be the biggest reduction the force will face, he told lawmakers Feb. 27. Berger gave a glimpse into an anticipated review, that is to shape the Corps for years to come, while testifying before members of the House Armed Services Committee. Alabama Republican Mike Rogers asked the commandant when "we're going to start seeing you take the knife out and start taking some action." The Marine' FY-21 budget request includes dropping its end strength from 186,200 to 184,100. “You need us to be mobile. It needs to be integrated with the Navy. So, we're going to reduce the size of the Marine Corps some this year, more next year," Berger said. The general did not specify future end strengths or programs to be cut. FY-21's requests indicate that the Marines will begin phasing out decades-old Amphibious Assault Vehicles, along with Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles. Not all lawmakers were sold on the idea of cutting military personnel. Rep. Trent Kelly (R-Miss.) warned against making long-term cuts for short-term gains. It's tough to replace experienced troops, he indicated, if leaders later find they cut too deeply. "You can't replace an E-6 with a trainee. That's 12 years of experience to get there that we can't replace." (MIilitary.com 02/27/20) Kelly is currently serving as a Brigadier General with the Joint Force Headquarters for the state of Mississippi as a member of the Army National Guard, serving in the Mississippi National Guard. In 1990, he mobilized for Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm as a Second Lieutenant engineer officer. https://www.military.com/daily-news/2020/02/27/more-marine-corps-personnel-cuts-are-coming-commandant-says.html

Regional mil.clinic changes

After Tricare officials announced sweeping changes to locations where retiree and military family health users can access on-base care, hundreds of Military.com readers have posted feedback and worries. Some of those feelings center around a pair of issues: Access to needed care and broken promises – same issues that concerned vets when Tricare began in 1996. The Defense Health Agency early this month announced plans to halt care for military retirees, retiree families and active-duty family members at 38 stateside Military Treatment Facilities (MTFs), instead treating active-duty patients only. The changes are expected to roll out over five years, and officials pledged to complete the process only when they've guaranteed each patient has care in the civilian community. (Source: Military.com 02/27/20) Gulf Coast Note: Naval Technical Training Center Meridian, Miss., Naval Branch Health Clinic Belle Chasse, La., and Naval Branch Health Clinic Mid-South in Millington, Tenn., outpatient clinics may continue to see active-duty families. But there will be a transition at NBHC Meridian’s outpatient facility to an Active Duty only and Occupational Health clinic (AD/OH). Active Duty Family Members (ADFM) will be enrolled as necessary to round out the physician panels and maintain readiness. All base support functions and pharmacy workloads will be maintained. https://www.military.com/daily-news/2020/02/27/lost-care-and-broken-promises-military-retirees-react-tricare-changes.html

Gen officer moves: Tyndall/Hurlburt

The Chief of Staff of the Air Force announced the assignment of the following general officers. Brig. Gen. Kenneth P. Ekman, vice commander of the First Air Force (Air Forces Northern) at Tyndall AFB, Fla., to deputy commander, operations and intelligence, Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve, U.S. Central Command; and commander, 9th Air Expeditionary Task Force-Levant, Air Combat Command, Southwest Asia. * Brig. Gen. David A. Harris Jr., director, strategic plans, programs, and requirements, HQ of the Air Force Special Operations (AFSOC) at Hurlburt Field, Fla., to deputy director, Air Force Warfighting Integration Capability, Deputy Chief of Staff, Strategy, Integration, and Requirements, at the HQs of the U.S. Air Force at the Pentagon. * Brig. Gen. (select) Steven G. Edwards, special assistant to the commander at AFSOC to director, strategic plans, programs, and requirements, at AFSOC HQ at Hurlburt Field. (Source: DoD 02/28/20)

AFSOC collecting info for upgrades

ORLANDO, Fla. - The Air Force Special Operations Command, which is HQ’d at Hurlburt Field, Fla., is collecting evidence that may lead to the upgrading of some valor cases – maybe to the Medal of Honor. The AFSOC review is using hindsight to ascertain “where did we perhaps undershoot” in terms of an award nomination, Air Force Special Operations Command Commander, Lt. Gen. James Slife, said Feb. 27 here at AFA’s Air Warfare Symposium. Slife offered no specific case, but said the AFSOC is “doing a comprehensive search for the evidence that is out there.” For example, in the upgrade of Master Sgt. John Chapman’s Air Force Cross to the Medal of Honor, the Pentagon was able to review surveillance feed of his final moments in Afghanistan to determine the extent of his valor. Last fall, AF Chief of Staff Gen. David Goldfein said the service was taking a “lot of time, a lot of effort reviewing every award,” and measuring that against the standards other services use for the Medal of Honor. AFSOC’s job now is collecting the evidence and presenting the cases for upgrades to Secretary of the Air Force Barbara Barrett. (Source: AF Magazine 02/27/20) https://www.airforcemag.com/afsoc-reviewing-valor-awards-for-possible-upgrade/

FWB group to work with aircrews

LMR Technical Group of Fort Walton Beach, Fla., has been awarded a $7,053,303 contract for Optimizing the Human Weapon System Services. The contractor provides services to increase the physical capacity of fighter aircrew, decreasing the rate of injuries and accelerating return to duty. Contractor personnel will work with active duty, Air National Guard, Air Force Reserve Component fighter aircrew to optimize physical performance targeting neck and back pain prevention while monitoring, analyzing and resolving physical readiness concerns. Work will be performed at multiple bases across the Air Combat Command, Pacific Air Forces, and U.S. Air Force Europe. The award provides services for the base year with a completion date of March 22, 2021. This contract is issued as a result of a competitive acquisition with ten offers received. FY 2020 operations and maintenance funds are being obligated at the time of the award. Headquarters Air Combat Command's Acquisition Management and Integration Center at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD 02/27/20)

Berger orders CSA stuff from bases

Marine Commandant Gen. David Berger has instructed Marine leaders to remove all Confederate States of America (CSA)-related paraphernalia from the service's bases worldwide. The directive is one of several initiatives Berger said he is "prioritizing for immediate execution." In a memo, obtained by Military.com, Berger also ordered leaders to find ways to move more women into combat jobs, to review the possibility of year-long maternity leave for female Marines, and to extend parental leave policies to same-sex partners. The commandant's order came about a week after a congressional hearing on the rise of extremism in the ranks. Berger's spokesperson, did not specify what types of Confederate paraphernalia the general wants stripped from Marine bases. The debate over Confederate materials and names on military installations has swirled for years. Ten Army bases are named after CSA leaders. The Defense Department opted to leave the decision up to the individual services. Richard Kohn, a history professor at the University of North Carolina, said ridding military installations of Confederate materials is overdue to “try and create as much unity as possible and to suppress white nationalism and racism within the ranks of the military …" But, since the Marine Corps' major installations opened after the turn of the 20th century, Kohn said they're unlikely to have overt nods to Confederate leaders. A 2017 study by the Congressional Research Service found there were no Navy or Marine Corps bases named for Confederate military leaders. (Source: Military.com 02/26/20) https://www.military.com/daily-news/2020/02/26/top-marine-orders-confederate-paraphernalia-be-removed-all-bases.html

Partnership toward BAS degree

MERIDIAN, Miss. - Mississippi State University and East Central Community College signed a memorandum of understanding Feb. 26 to formalize partnership programs for students enrolled in technical education programs. The agreement outlines a pathway for ECCC students to complete MSU’s new Bachelor of Applied Science (BAS) program, leveraging the strengths of both institutions to provide more opportunities in technical education and meet workforce demands. MSU launched BAS in August, significantly expanding the university’s acceptance of technical credit from community colleges and military training. The degree program offers opportunities for current and prospective students, and welcomes those employed full-time, veterans, active duty military or active duty family members, transfers from other institutions, those returning to college after time away, and students wishing to complete their upper-division coursework at a distance. It also provides a pathway to complete the applied baccalaureate degree by using up to 45 hours of earned technical credits that may include approved military and experiential learning credits. Course work includes at least 120 credit hours. Students enrolled in BAS will have access to advisors from MSU-Meridian and MSU Online. Credits in the degree program can be earned through online or in-person courses. (Sources: MSU 02/26/20) https://www.msstate.edu/newsroom/article/2020/02/msu-eccc-sign-mou-bachelor-applied-science-degree-program

Saudis resume flight training

Saudi Arabian military students resumed flight training Feb. 25 in the U.S., after a Saudi 2nd Lieutenant-student killed three U.S. naval aviation students at NAS Pensacola, Fla., on Dec. 6, the Navy announced. Saudi Arabian International Military Students (IMS) resumed flight training “after the Navy satisfied the requirements set forth by the Secretary of Defense,” the statement read. The Navy did not immediately release the number of students that returned to training. At the time of the shooting, 140 Saudi Arabian students were training at NASP, 140 at NAS Whiting Field, and about 128 at NAVSTA Mayport, all in Florida. The service grounded Saudi students following the shooting and the subsequent investigation. In January, 21 Saudi students were ejected from training. There was no evidence of assistance or pre-knowledge of the attack by other members of the Saudi military, or other foreign nationals, training in the U.S., according to U.S. Attorney General Bill Barr. Foreign military training is a key component of the U.S. foreign military sales program and long-term diplomacy tool. About 5,100 members of foreign militaries, representing 153 countries, attend training, professional development courses for officers, or are students at the U.S. military’s undergraduate and graduate-level colleges, according to the State Department. “Foreign military training remains one of the most effective tools to advance U.S. national security, and … enable(s) the Navy to continue to strengthen our alliances and build our partnerships,” read the Navy statement. (Source: USNI New 02/26/20) "Sources have shared that the Pensacola region may get as many as 300 Saudi trainees," according to Rick's Blog in Pensacola Inweekly of Feb. 26. https://news.usni.org/2020/02/26/navy-resumes-flight-training-of-saudi-students-after-pensacola-shooting

New AF helo named Jolly Green II

ORLANDO, Fla. - The Air Force’s new combat rescue helicopter will be named Jolly Green II. The new HH-60W is scheduled to replace the HH-60G Pave Hawk. The Jolly Green II will carry on the name of the venerable Vietnam-era HH-3E, which flew combat rescue missions from 1967-95. AF Secretary Barbara Barrett unveiled the name during her keynote here at Air Warfare Symposium on Feb. 27. The Sikorsky helicopter is under production as part of a $7.1B procurement program - with a target to buy 112. Deliveries are expected to begin in the second quarter of FY 2021. Four aircraft have been in test at Sikorsky’s Palm Beach, Fla., facility along with additional electronic systems testing near Eglin AFB, Fla. (Source: AF Magazine 02/27/20) The first of the HH-60W Combat Rescue helicopters touched down at Duke Field, Fla., in early November, its new home with the 413th Flight Test Squadron, aboard the Eglin AFB Range. https://www.airforcemag.com/combat-rescue-helicopter-named-the-jolly-green-ii/

Top Gun 2 hint in Matchbox playset

The follow-on “Top Gun: Maverick” movie is set to be released this year, and there will be a new hypersonic stealth aircraft. All trailers of the film show test pilot "Capt. Pete Mitchell" flying the experimental aircraft while wearing an all-black high-altitude pressure suit like those worn by ‘recon’ pilots from the U-2 and SR-71. It appears to have been inspired by the Lockheed SR-72. A hint to the mystery may be in a Matchbox “Top Gun: Maverick” die-cast playset line, owned by Mattel, that will be available on June 1, according to CNN. Matchbox will also release a series of die-cast models featured in both Top Gun movies, including the F-14 Tomcat (both the original and the 2020 version one), F/A-18E Super Hornet, fifth-generation F-35C, P-51 Mustang, and an adversary jet in the general shape of a Russian Sukhoi Su-57F. The new Matchbox playset also comes with an aircraft carrier. The new die-cast models must have been officially licensed, so it’s safe to assume the hypersonic jets will appear in the movie. (Source: The Aviationist 02/24/20) https://theaviationist.com/2020/02/24/new-matchbox-top-gun-maverick-themed-line-reveals-shape-of-movies-mysterious-hypersonic-aircraft/

AF to roll out SBIR grants at fest

The Air Force will roll out its final stage of a commercial startup investment strategy March 13-20 at the South By Southwest music festival in Austin, Texas, that will grant one or more contracts worth at least $10M to startups with game-changing technologies, says AF acquisition chief Will Roper. The Austin event, called the Air Force Pitch Bowl, will match AF investment with private venture capital funds on a one-to-two-ratio, according Capt. Chris Benson of AFWERX, an AF innovation unit with a hub in Austin. Back on Oct. 16, the AF issued its first call for firms to compete for these larger SBIR contracts under a new type of solicitation, called a “commercial solutions opening.” The call went to companies already holding Phase II Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) awards. The winners will be announced in Austin. (Source: Breaking Defense 02/25/20) https://breakingdefense.com/2020/02/air-force-to-pump-new-tech-startups-with-10m-awards/

End of MQ-9 line surprises GA

Chris Pehrson, General Atomics’ VP of strategic development, was surprised by an Air Force plan to stop buying MQ-9 Reapers in FY 2020 although production was to be winding down. He anticipated the AF would phase out purchases over 3-to-5 years as an end to the 363-aircraft program. Instead, the AF FY-21 budget request indicated the service wants only a final 24 MQ-9s, cutting the fleet to 337. Those final Block 5 aircraft, built at General Atomics Aeronautical Systems in California, will be delivered in 2023-24. The AF is shifting investments to improved readiness and increased lethality against potential adversaries, AF spokesperson, Capt. Jake Bailey, said Feb. 26. The MQ-9 “won’t hold up against advanced air-defense missiles and high-tech aircraft (of) adversaries.” The AF wants to spend $302.5M from 2021-23 to close the line, after previously planning to buy 100 more between 2019-23. The abrupt shutdown, without a transition plan, “would jeopardize” Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance, and cause unemployment or layoffs for certain skill sets, Pehrson said. He appears optimistic Congress will step in to change the AF plan. “I think this was strictly a budget drill,” he said. Bailey declined to answer how the plan could affect the AF’s vision of bringing MQ-9s to Tyndall AFB, Fla., in the 2020s. (Source: AF Magazine 02/26/20) Gulf Coast Note: General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, an affiliate of GA, is a leading designer and manufacturer of proven, reliable Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) systems. The GA-Tupelo, Miss., Electromagnetic Systems (EMS) division production and test facility supports production of the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) and Advanced Arresting Gear (AAG) programs for the next‐generation aircraft carrier class, the Gerald R. Ford (CVN‐78). https://www.airforcemag.com/abrupt-end-to-mq-9-production-surprises-general-atomics/

VWEDP's Diaz earns MDA award

VICKSBURG, Miss. - The Vicksburg Warren Economic Development Partnership announced that its President/CEO Pablo Diaz was awarded the Marsha N. Hamilton Spirit Award Feb. 20 by the Mississippi Development Authority during the Mississippi Economic Development Council awards luncheon. The award, presented by the Mississippi Development Authority, recognizes extraordinary service in economic development, and is presented to the state’s most deserving leader in the field. Diaz, who previously was Director of Economic Development in Grenada, Miss, has served with the Vicksburg Warren Partnership since April 2017. The Partnership is an umbrella organization encompassing the Vicksburg Warren Chamber of Commerce, Warren County Port Commission, and the Vicksburg Warren Economic Development Foundation. With Diaz at the helm in fewer than three years, the organization has announced the relocation of six new companies to the area and the creation of 730 jobs new full-time jobs with an annual payroll of $27.9M and associated capital investments of $108M. (Source: Vicksburg Warren Economic Development Partnership 02/26/20) https://www.prweb.com/releases/mississippi_development_authority_awards_pablo_diaz_the_marsha_n_hamilton_spirit_award_for_extraordinary_service_in_economic_development/prweb16922371.htm

Higher priority for mil.childcare

Working military families are to get a higher priority in Defense Department child care programs under a new policy signed by Secretary of Defense Mark Esper. Those changes take effect June 1. It would also allow officials to displace children who are already in a child development program, whose parents are in a lower priority category, if the military family is expected to be on a wait list for more than 45 days. The policy change moves DoD civilians down the priority list. The DoD child care system was “established to assist service members as they face the unique challenges associated with the demands of military service,” wrote SECDEF. “Over time, child care access expanded … but we must not lose sight of the service member and mission requirements,” he wrote a memorandum signed Feb. 21. The common thread military leadership has heard from military family’s is the lack of available and affordable childcare. Military CDCs fees are subsidized by taxpayer dollars to make it more affordable for military families. Among the most expected and affected areas are in San Diego, Hawai’i, Norfolk, and DC. (Source: Military Times 02/25/20) https://www.militarytimes.com/pay-benefits/2020/02/25/working-military-families-will-soon-get-more-access-to-dod-child-care/

US soldier in SK with coronavirus

A 23-year-old American soldier stationed in South Korea has become the first U.S. service member to contract the coronavirus, as the SK national government’s attempts to slow the fast-spreading contagion continues to struggle. The soldier, in self-quarantine at his off-base residence, made a trip Feb. 25 to the American military base in Daegu, which has become a major focus in SK’s battle against coronavirus. The soldier is stationed at another U.S. facility nearby. It wasn’t immediately known how the soldier became infected. (Source: Wall Street Journal 02/25/20) He was not identified. https://www.wsj.com/articles/american-soldier-contracts-coronavirus-in-south-korea-as-government-struggles-11582706980 Six cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in Texas, according to the CDC, and are quarantined at Lackland AFB in San Antonio. The first case involves a traveler who returned to the U.S. on a State Department-chartered flight from Wuhan City, the epicenter of the outbreak. The others were passengers from the Diamond Princess cruise ship quarantined in Japan. The individuals will remain isolated at medical facilities until they test negative for COVID-19, and are no longer at risk of spreading it, the Texas Department of State Health Services said.

Services' Tenant Bill of Rights

Secretary of Defense (Dr.) Mark T. Esper, Secretary of the Army Ryan D. McCarthy, Acting Secretary of the Navy Thomas B. Modly and Secretary of the Air Force Barbara M. Barrett have signed the Military Housing Privatization Initiative Tenant Bill of Rights. The Bill of Rights commits the Department of Defense to ensuring privatized housing tenants receive quality housing and fair treatment from the Military Housing Privatization Initiative project owners that operate and maintain privatized housing. View the Military Housing Privatization Initiative Tenant Bill of Rights here. (Source: DoD 02/25/20)

Vertex awarded two multi-$M pacts

MADISON, Miss. - Vertex Aerospace has been awarded a $150M NASA contract for aircraft operations support at NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center (AFRC) in Edwards, Calif. The five-year indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, mixed contract consists of both firm-fixed price and cost-plus elements. (Source: Vertex Aerospace 02/24/20) https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/vertex-aerospace-awarded-150m-nasa-contract-301009494.html Additionally, Vertex Aerospace was awarded a $23,925,125 modification (P00005) to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price, cost contract (N00421-19-D-0031). This modification exercises the option to provide contractor owned and operated aircraft to Navy fleet customers, foreign military sales customers, and contractors as well as Department of Defense and other government agencies in support of the Contracted Air Services (CAS) program. The CAS program provides airborne threat simulation capabilities to train shipboard and aircraft squadron weapon systems operators and aircrew on how to counter potential enemy electronic warfare and electronic attack operations in today's electronic combat environment. Work will be performed in Virginia Beach, Va. (50%); Coronado, Calif. (40%); and Kauai, Hawaii (10%), and is expected to be completed in February 2021. No funds are being obligated at time of award; funds will be obligated on individual orders as they are issued. Naval Air Warfare Center’s Aircraft Division of Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD 02/25/20)

Tulane NROTC hosts MG drill

NEW ORLEANS - Future military officers from across the U.S. from 21 universities journeyed to Tulane University to participate in the 47th annual Mardi Gras Drill Meet on Feb. 21. It is one of the largest ROTC drill meets in the country. Tulane’s NROTC unit hosted the event attended by 24 teams from 21 different universities spanning all branches of the armed forces. The Mardi Gras Drill Meet is significant to the training and development of Tulane midshipmen. The meet is one of two leadership-evaluated events the unit conducts, and is designed to be intermediate in complexity for midshipmen to plan and execute. Once scores were tabulated, Texas A&M emerged as the overall victor followed by Norwich University, and the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. Rear Adm. Jamie Sands, commander, Naval Service Training Command (NSTC), headquartered at Naval Station Great Lakes, supports 98 percent of initial officer and enlisted accessions training for the Navy, as well as the Navy’s Citizenship Development Program. Sands and his NSTC staff at Great Lakes and at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla., also support Recruit Training Command (RTC), the Navy’s only boot camp, at Great Lakes. (Source: NSTC 02/25/20) https://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=112176

Team invents new pressure bar tech

STARKVILLE, Miss. - Mississippi State University researchers have patented and licensed a major advancement in Split-Hopkinson pressure bar technology, significantly reducing the amount of space needed for intermediate and high-strain rate testing. While conducting research on infant head trauma, researchers at the Center for Advanced Vehicular Systems needed a way to conduct impact testing with biological materials. While a traditional Hopkinson bar system, an apparatus commonly used for testing impact and strain on materials, would have worked, it would have taken up hundreds of feet - space not available at the research center. However, CAVS engineers were able to prototype a serpentine bar that can accomplish the same task in only 20 feet of space. “We’ve already used this product in our work for the military, national labs, and automotive companies,” said CAVS engineer Wilburn Whittington. After the team patented the new technology, it gained interest from the scientific community and REL, a Michigan-based manufacturer that makes and sells Hopkinson bar systems. (Source: MSU 02/2620) Beginning in 2014, researchers at the Geotechnical and Structures Laboratory at the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center in Vicksburg, Miss., developed a Split-Hopkinson pressure bar testing lab. The development came about as a result of multiple researchers across the ERDC studying the behavior of materials at high strain rates including computational simulations, experimental studies of materials and development of advanced materials. The application of these studies ranged from blast effects to ballistic resistant materials. For many of the materials ERDC studies, there was a greater need so these researchers went to work. The GLS project began in 2014, after working on other bars, including those located at Mississippi State University and the Air Force Research Laboratory. ERDC labs collaborate to address R&D in five major areas: Military Engineering, Environmental Quality and Installations, Water Resources, Geospatial Research and Engineering and Engineered Resilient Systems. ERDC research programs happen at seven laboratories in four states, including the Coastal and Hydraulics Laboratory, Environmental Laboratory, Geotechnical and Structures and Information Technology Laboratory, all in Vicksburg. ERDC’s five primary technical areas are Warfighter Support – geospatial information; system development; operational support; force protection; and force projection and sustainment; Installations – transformation; operations; and environmental issues; Environment – remediation and restoration; land planning, stewardship & management; threatened & endangered species; and cultural resources; Water Resources – infrastructure, water resources, environmental issues, and navigation; and flood control and storm damage reduction; and Information Technology – informatics; geospatial technologies; computational services; high-performance computing applications. https://www.msstate.edu/newsroom/article/2020/02/msu-researchers-invent-significant-advancement-hopkinson-bar-technology

Researchers track dust in the wind

WASHINGTON - The amount of dust coming out of the Sahara Desert each year is estimated to be 14M metric tons that travel across the Atlantic Ocean, according to Arunas Kuciauskas, a Naval Research Laboratory meteorologist who tracks and quantifies the Saharan Air Layer (SAL). This meteorological phenomenon involves a very hot, dry air mass, carrying large concentrations of Saharan dust from Northern Africa across to the Greater Caribbean, South America, Gulf of Mexico and southeastern United States. NASA researchers estimate it would take 53,022 semi-trucks to move enough desert sand to equal the amount of dust transported per year from Northern Africa to Caribbean region. Kuciauskas collaborates with NASA, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and Caribbean organizations to model the Saharan dust storms and provide prediction tools to weather forecasters and healthcare professionals. One of the new forecasting resources he uses to track and quantify SAL events is the NOAA Unique Combined Atmospheric Processing System or NUCAPS, a software tool that processes radiance data from satellite measurements collected by NOAA’s Joint Polar-orbiting Satellite System (JPSS) into thermodynamic parameters that describe the SAL. Research will lead to regional weather forecast alerts indicating each system’s severity days before the dust arrives. The Navy also benefits from early SAL forecasts. Navy meteorologists monitor weather conditions over huge swaths of ocean and collect data from rawinsondes, which consist of airborne weather instruments used to measure temperature, moisture, and wind profiles from the surface to the top of the earth’s atmosphere. This information is applied to study various weather-related properties of SAL. (Source: NRL 02/25/20) Gulf Coast Note: NRL is a scientific and engineering command with a major field site at Stennis Space Center, Miss.

https://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=112175

Former CAFB pilot to lead 36th

Brig. Gen. Jeremy T. Sloane, a command pilot who flew with the Air Force’s Thunderbirds demonstration team and the current Commandant of the Air War College at Maxwell AFB, Ala., has been assigned to serve as commander of the 36th Wing at Andersen AFB in Guam. The Air War College is the AF’s senior professional military education institution. The DoD’s official assignments list was sent out on Feb. 13. Sloane graduated from the Air Force Academy in 1992 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in engineering. He earned his pilot wings at Columbus AFB, Miss., in 1996. (Source: Guam Daily Post 02/24/20)

Aussie/UK F-35 lab opens at Eglin

EGLIN AFB, Fla. - Representatives of the Royal Air Force/Navy, and Royal Australian AF held a officially opened a laboratory on Eglin Air Force Base to optimize performances of their F-35A Joint Strike Fighter jets. The Australia Canada United Kingdom Reprogramming Laboratory (ACURL), next door to the U.S. version, and the nearby Norway Italy Reprogramming Laboratory, will be involved in the ongoing development of “mission data files” for the F-35A. Since the partnership was initially formed, Canada has backed away buying F-35s, but the lab will retain its name. However, there are indications and reports that Canada may come back to the fold and acquire the F-35A, becoming part of the laboratory again. Mission data files assist the F-35′s massive array of optical, electromagnetic and other sensors in identifying threats to give pilots the ability to execute the mission, according to Royal Australian AF Wing Commander Joseph Bennett, ACURL’s commanding officer for engineering. (Source: NW Fla. Daily News 02/25/20) https://www.nwfdailynews.com/news/20200224/united-kingdom-australia-open-f-35-lab-at-eglin-afb

Biloxi Women Veterans’ Symposium

Women Veterans’ Symposium: March 20 at Keesler AFB, Miss. 

https://www.facebook.com/NASMeridian/photos/fpp.321186996407/10157014990516408/?type=3&theater

ESD-NOLA ups certification

CHARLESTON, S.C. - The Naval Information Warfare Center (NIWC) Atlantic Enterprise Service Desk (ESD) in New Orleans, La., recently renewed its Help Desk Institute (HDI) certification, which streamlines processes and procedures and enables the ESD to be more efficient. ESD provides service and support 24/7 year-round to more than one million war-fighters stationed across the world. As the Navy’s largest help desk, it serves as a “one stop shop” for finding resolutions and minimize the impact to fleet and Department of Defense (DoD) personnel. ESD supports a wide array of Navy, Marine Corps, and other DoD customers, including Global Combat Support System-Marines, Navy Standard Integrated Personnel System and Navy Reserve Order Writing System. Due to the impact of ESD on naval operations, NIWC Atlantic recognized the importance of completing the demanding HDI certification process to ensure the highest level of customer service. HDI is the industry leader in technical support and the service management industry, and preparing for the certification is arduous. (Source: Naval Information Warfare Center 02/25/10) https://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=112153

MSU-Meridian MBA info meetings

MSU-Meridian’s Division of Business will host two information sessions for those interested in learning about Mississippi State’s Professional MBA degree. The first session will be March 3, and the second on April 7. The sessions will be held at the Deen Building on the Riley Campus downtown. The meetings are to assist prospective students about academic pathways to earning a Professional MBA degree from MSU. (Source: Meridian Star 02/24/20) https://www.meridianstar.com/news/business/msu-meridian-hosts-information-meetings-for-professional-mba/article_dc0dd94d-777f-5dc4-9b93-28cbe6f20b61.html

CA: 'Introduce a Girl to Engineering'

'Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day' is a global movement that Collins Aerospace has adopted as part of Redefining Futures, as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility program. CA’s goal is to inspire female students to consider available careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). With the help of more 1,000 employee-volunteers, the company is hosting/has hosted 55 events at CA locations to Introduce a Girl to Engineering from Feb. 20 to March 6 spanning eight countries. In addition, CA announced it is committing $100,000 to DiscoverE, the founding organization for Introduce a Girl to Engineering for the continued support of science. (Source: Aerospace Manufacturing 02/22/20) One of those events was held Feb. 20 at CA’s facility in Foley, Ala. https://www.aerospacemanufacturinganddesign.com/article/collins-aerospace-introduce-girl-engineering-day/

Hurlburt spec ops awards March 2

Fourteen Air Commandos from the 1st Special Operations Wing at Hurlburt Field, Fla., will be presented awards on March 2. The commander of Air Force Special Operations Command will preside over the event, and is scheduled to award two Airmen with Distinguished Flying Crosses and 12 Airmen with single event Air Medals. The medals are to be awarded in recognition of actions taken near Nangarhar Province in Afghanistan on April 3-4, 2019, on which they were crew members on an AC-130U “Spooky” gunship. During a 9-hour ordeal, the crew’s performance and battlefield coordination enabled the recovery of 15 patients following a mass-casualty event. (Source: 1st Special Operations Wing media notice 02/24/20)

Medics undergo casualty training

COLUMBUS AFB, Miss. - Medics of the 14th Medical Group participated in a Tactical Combat Casualty Care Course (TCCC) at CAFB, hosted by the National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians, on Feb. 23 to challenge medics to perform battlefield care in a simulated combat environment in an aid to bolster their medical skills and readiness. TCCC is designed to help prevent combat deaths by teaching trauma stabilization techniques, enabling the wounded to survive longer until they can receive better treatment. “This is the foundation that all medics should be proficient in doing,” said Lt. Col. Christopher Kelly, 14th MDG chief nurse. Medics had the opportunity to practice life-saving skills they’d use in combat: Tourniquet applications, wound packing, airway support, applying intravenous medications and hemorrhage control. But, rather than use plain mannequins, the 14th MDG used hands-on tactical combat scenarios with augmented dummies with real pig tissue replicated battle wounds to allow the medics to apply needles and chest tubes. These dummies were used as a way to simulate the look, feel and smell of severe traumatic situations on a live human. (Source: CAFB 02/24/20) https://www.columbus.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/2092274/columbus-afb-challenges-medics-with-combat-casualty-exercise/

AF okays new mil.families’ criteria

WASHINGTON - The Air Force approved criteria Feb. 24 to assess states’ policies for accepting professional, career licenses and a community’s public education system support of military children as part of its strategic basing process. The additional criteria aim to ensure locations under consideration have sufficient support for the needs of military families who often relocate. "The communities where service members live and work impact readiness, retention and the satisfaction of families,” said Secretary of the Air Force Barbara M. Barrett. “Future basing decisions made with a consistent framework will ensure optimal conditions for service members and their families." Military members report that local public education aspects and support for children and spouses influence their decisions to remain on active duty. The Air Force collaborated with policy professionals and subject matter experts to develop two types of analytic frameworks: The public education framework that will be used to evaluate school districts’ educational aspects and ability to support transferring military children in pre-K through 12th grade at AF bases; and the licensure portability framework to be used to assess state laws, governors’ executive orders, state Supreme Court or bar association rules and the ability for an area to accommodate licenses earned from other locations. (Source: Secretary of the Air Force 02/24/20) https://www.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/2092427/department-of-the-air-force-to-consider-military-family-support-measures-in-fut/ Also, see AF Magazine story

https://www.airforcemag.com/future-basing-decisions-to-take-into-account-nearby-schools-military-family-support/ 

ABMS buy will be non-traditional

The Air Force’s live-fire Advanced Battle Management System (ABMS) experiment, set for April 8, will take more risks than its December exercise in order to find more flaws to fix, according to AF acquisition chief Will Roper. The April experiment will involve physically shooting down an unmanned aircraft and a cruise missile using ships, submarines, ground troops, aircraft, and satellites. “The only failure” in the previous experiment was that “we had way too many successes,” Roper stated Feb. 21. In the next exercise he wants “an equal measure of things that fail for things that succeed.” The 80-90 percent success in December meant that the AF didn’t learn enough from it, he said. The point of this future buy is to inject continual learning, Roper asserted. It must be conducted differently than any previous major weapon system acquisition because “if we run this as a major defense acquisition program, we’re already doomed to fail.” Technology is progressing too rapidly for the AF to approach this program with anything less than breakneck speed, he said. It will be “really cool” for ABMS “when we start going from demonstrating to competition and source selection,” Roper asserted, because the competition will in no way be traditional. “(W)e will actually force vendors that are competing to make significant changes” between four-month cycles, compelling them to demonstrate flexible updating. This approach changes source selection because it “puts a big spotlight incentive on upgradeability and adaptability, he said. Participating locations will include Eglin AFB, Fla., Nellis AFB, Nev., Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Ariz., and the Army’s White Sands (NM) Missile Range, among other locations. (Source: AF Magazine 02/21/20) https://www.airforcemag.com/roper-aims-for-50-percent-failure-in-next-abms-experiment/

Sat firms aim at major AF exercise

WASHINGTON - SpaceX Starlink satellites will play a major role in an Air Force live-fire exercise in April, and a Virgin Galactic sister company is in talks to potentially join in as well. The exercises will include live-fire drills, such as taking down a UAV and shooting down a cruise missile. They will be performed across the country, from Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Ariz., to Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. In December, the Air Force tested its experimental Advanced Battle Management System that will connect air, sea, land and space assets. The exercise was deemed successful, with SpaceX Starlink satellites used to link to an AC-130 gunship. As a next step, the AF's April 8 event is going to be "massive," Air Force acquisition chief William Roper told reporters at the Pentagon on Feb. 21. The SpaceX Starlink satellites will play a bigger role in the April event. SpaceX Starlink may not be the only commercial space provider to participate. There are discussions with Virgin Orbit, a privately held sister company of Virgin Galactic, to participate with its LauncherOne to provide on-demand launches, he said. (Source: Investor’s Business Daily 02/21/20) https://www.investors.com/news/spacex-starlink-satellites-virgin-orbit-massive-live-fire-air-force-exercise/

AF basing decisions for NW Fla.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Secretary of the Air Force Barbara Barrett signed two basing decisions Feb. 13 with direct impact on Duke and Hurlburt fields in Florida. The first basing decision designates Duke Field as the preferred location to grow the 6th Special Operation Squadron’s (6th SOS) Aviation Foreign Internal Defense mission. The second designates Hurlburt Field as the preferred location for the addition of three to five A-29 aircraft light attack aircraft. The Duke decision would add five Light ISRs (Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance) aircraft, with 123 personnel to support five more Combat Aviation Advisor (CAA) engagement sets. The five new ISR aircrafts will allow the unit to better to assess, train, advise and assist foreign aviation forces in airpower employment, sustainment and force integration. The proposed augmentation at Hurlburt Field would add three to five A-29 aircraft supporting both the 6th Special Operation Squadron’s (6th SOS) Aviation Foreign Internal Defense mission, and the 711th Special Operations Squadron (711th SOS). (Source: Rep. Matt Gaetz 02/13/20) Hurlburt Field is the HQ of the Air Force Special Operations Command. The A-29 Super Tucano is a durable and versatile turboprop made in the U.S. by Sierra Nevada Corp, and its partner, Embraer Defense & Security. It is the only LAS aircraft in the world with a U.S. Military Type Certificate. The A-29 is consistent with current USAF platforms highlighted by lower operational & sustainment costs allowing increased pilot flight time and improved proficiency.

Foreigners' base access changes

Beginning Feb. 25, foreign nationals who rely on a common access card to enter naval bases must get permission to keep using it as a pass, according to rule changes through the Defense Biometric Identification System. The new requirement was issued Thursday in an administrative message. It comes amid heightened security measures in the wake of the deadly shooting by a Saudi flight student at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla., on Dec. 6 that killed three sailors and wounded eight others. Foreign nationals, including dependents and studenets, will no longer have “implicit” access to installations, but must establish a purpose to gain entrance. About 5,200 people will be affected by the new requirement, Navy Installations Command spokesperson Stephen D. Clutter said in a Feb. 20 e-mail to Navy Times. Documents foreign nationals may use to establish access include international travel orders, visas, applicable international agreements or other official documentation, plus letters signed by commanding officers of the installations, he added. The new guidance includes new provisions for international military students and other foreign nationals seeking to travel for duty, work or leisure excursions to U.S. bases. The reform also proposes to limit off-base travel and mandate the continuous vetting of a student’s social media to identify anti-American or radical views. On Jan. 31, the Navy issued an initial round of changes, including barring military students and their families from owning or using personal firearms while in the U.S. Military leaders hope the changes supplement the initial screenings that allow international students to participate in U.S. military training programs. AF spokesperson, Lt. Col Uriah L. Orland, told Navy Times in an e-mail that the Army and Air Force have resumed full training of their students. Navy spokesperson Lt. Andriana Genualdi said Saudi flight students remain restricted to classroom training. (Source: Navy Times 02/20/20) https://www.navytimes.com/news/your-navy/2020/02/21/here-are-the-navys-new-rules-for-foreigners-seeking-to-enter-bases/

Ineligible firms awarded vet pacts

Small businesses owned/operated by disabled veterans may have been unfairly cheated out of hundreds of millions of dollars in Defense Department contracts by firms ineligible for those awards, DoD’s Inspector General reported Feb. 20. The IG audit found DoD "awarded $876.8 million in contracts to ineligible contractors and did not implement procedures to ensure compliance with the Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) subcontracting requirements ..." At least 16 of the 29 contractors, reviewed by the IG received business from the Pentagon on the basis that they met the disabled veteran requirements, were found to be ineligible, the IG's office said in the 29-page report. Under executive order, all government agencies have been directed to boost opportunities for service-disabled veteran businesses to get contracts, with a goal of having at least 3 percent of all federal dollars going to firms owned by disabled veterans. The rules require at least 51 percent be owned by one or more service-disabled veterans. One or more service-disabled veterans must be in control of the management and daily operations of a business. The report found that DoD had been awarding contracts, intended for disabled veterans, to some contractors who did not meet those requirements. In addition, DoD contracting personnel "did not perform the oversight necessary to verify compliance,” the report said. It did not name any of the questionable firms, but cited as an example one identified only as "Contractor A." The report said that the IG was “unable to confirm" with the Department of Veterans Affairs that Contractor A's president was actually a service-disabled veteran. It recommended DoD’s Office of Small Business Programs (OSBP) require contractors to submit valid documentation before contracts are awarded. In response to the report, OSBP Acting Director J. Scott Baum disagreed with the findings but declined to address the recommendations, the IG's office said. In Baum’s memo to the IG, he claimed it was the Small Business Administration, and not his office, that is "responsible for determining eligibility and ensuring compliance" with the SDVOSB rules. (Source: MIlitary.com 02/20/20) https://www.military.com/daily-news/2020/02/20/pentagon-awarded-876m-contracts-meant-disabled-vets-ineligible-companies-ig.html

WWII bombers discovered

In February 1944, the U.S. military launched Operation Hailstone, a massive military assault on Japanese fortified positions in the Pacific. On Feb. 19 - 76 years later - researchers announced the discovery of three U.S. aircraft associated with seven service members missing in action (MIA). Project Recover identified the wrecks of two SBD-5 Dauntless dive bombers and one TBM/F-1 Avenger torpedo bomber in Truk Lagoon, now known as Chuuk State in the Federated States of Micronesia. (Source: Military.com 02/20/20) https://www.militarytimes.com/veterans/2020/02/20/three-downed-aircraft-associated-with-seven-mias-from-famous-wwii-battle-located-in-pacific-ocean/

AFA commissions to Space Force

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - Spring graduates of the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado are expected to cross-commission into the Space Force, military officials said About 60 cadets would be directly commissioned into the new armed service branch, which formed in December, according to The Gazette. “They’re doing Air Force Academy curriculum, and they’ll just be directly commissioned into the Space Force,” academy Vice Superintendent Col. Houston Cantwell said. Academy leaders and Colorado’s congressional delegation announced the plan at an oversight Board of Visitors meeting on Feb. 19. The plan would be similar to how the U.S. Naval Academy commissions Marine officers. There are discussions about offering juniors interested in joining the Space Force multiple job fields to choose from, including intelligence, cyber, acquisitions and engineering, leaders said. (Source: The Gazette 02/19/20)

TWR floats: Finding hurricane clues

The influences of ocean conditions and currents on living environments are now more widely appreciated from the Earth’s climate and severe weather conditions to fisheries and biodiversity. Sustained and widespread measurements are needed to provide essential clues for understanding the oceans, for effective monitoring of environmental changes, and for helping to clarify the long-term effects of global warming. Teledyne Webb Research were pioneers of unmanned undersea glider technology. Accurately predicting a hurricane’s landfall and strength saves lives. For exploring ocean conditions beneath hurricanes, TWR’s EM-APEX floats must be deployed at short notice ahead of moving storms; and are air-dropped by parachute from an Air Force WC-130J aircraft based out of Keesler AFB, Miss. When hurricane Michael entered the Gulf of Mexico in October 2018, three EM-APEX floats were launched into its path by a research team led by Professor Nick Shay, and dropped from a WC-130J Hercules aircraft by the Hurricane Hunters at Kessler AFB. The floats are modified for collecting weather information in hurricanes. (Source: Marine Link 02/20/20) https://www.marinelink.com/news/measuring-hostile-ocean-beneath-475803.

Panama Canal temp freshwater fees

The Panama Canal authority has placed a short-term "freshwater" charge on shipping that started Feb. 15 to help the Panama Canal cope with climate change. The charge will cost the shipping industry - already hit by the fall out of the coronavirus - up to $370M a year. The Panama Canal charge is $10,000 for any vessel more than 125 feet long. The canal relies on water from nearby Gatun Lake, which has been hit by drought that affects water levels in the chokepoint. The Panama Canal authority also said it would bring in a variable surcharge based on the level of Gatun Lake to ensure the canal has enough water. The authority said the charges were a consequence of a lack of rainfall and that the charge was a short-term measure. The International Chamber of Shipping, which represents more than 80 percent of the global merchant fleet, said Feb. 20 that it was surprised by the charge after working with the canal authority on a separate increase in tolls due to come into effect in April. (Source: Marine Link 02/20/20) https://www.marinelink.com/news/shipping-industry-faces-mln-hit-new-475860?utm_source=MT-ENews-2020-02-20&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=MT-ENews.

200K: Potential DISA breach

The Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA), the Pentagon agency of the U.S. military that oversees information technology and communications, has suffered a potential breach of service members' personal information, according to letters dated Feb. 11 that were sent to victims. The letters told recipients that "some of your personal information, including your Social Security number, may have been compromised in a data breach last May and June. About 200,000 people could be affected by the breach, all of whom have affiliation with the agency. The breach was disclosed through a routine security check and has since been fixed, according to Chuck Prichard, a DoD spokesperson. There was no indication that any personal information was misused, he concluded. (Source: NBC News 02/20/20) https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/pentagon-communications-hub-reports-likely-data-breach/ar-BB10dv6E?ocid=spartandhp

Aviation workforce challenge

Congress passed comprehensive legislation in late 2018 to take a multifaceted approach to address the aviation workforce shortage concerns, but now, those same lawmakers are keeping a spotlight on the issue as the numbers surrounding future employment needs remain daunting. “Challenges in sustaining this workforce are looming, if not already upon us,” said House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee chairman Pete DeFazio (D-Oregon) in testimony for a recent aviation subcommittee hearing. Citing FAA data, DeFazio noted half of the 330,000 aviation maintenance technicians in the U.S. were between 50 and 70 years old at the end of 2018. The Labor Department, meanwhile, is predicting that roughly 11,800 maintenance and technician jobs will need to be filled each year over the next decade, but the FAA has only certified about 8,600 per year over the last four years. In all, the industry is estimating a need for 193,000 new mechanics and technicians in North America over the next 20 years, DeFazio added. (Source: AIN Online 02/19/20) https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2020-02-19/us-congress-keeps-spotlight-aviation-workforce-issues

Meridian, NOLA clinics’ changes

FALLS CHURCH, Va. - The Department of Defense announced Feb. 19 plans to restructure 50 military hospitals and clinics to better support wartime readiness of military personnel and to improve clinical training for medical forces who deploy in support of combat operations around the world. The FY 2017 military treatment facility right-sizing breakdown includes the Gulf Coast’s NBHC Meridian, Miss., and NBHC Belle Chase, La., outpatient facilities to an Active Duty only and Occupational Health clinic. Active Duty Family Members (ADFM) will be enrolled as necessary to round out the physician panels and maintain readiness. All base support functions and pharmacy workload will be maintained. (Source: Military Health System 02/19/20) https://www.eglin.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/2087542/dod-to-restructure-50-hospitals-eglin-unaffected/

MH-139A tests completed at Duke

The Air Force completed its first combined test flight of the MH-139A Grey Wolf with manufacturer Boeing on Feb. 11 at Eglin AFB, Fla., the service said in a Feb. 19 release. Testing at Eglin was the first time AF pilots got to vet the new helicopter, which will replace the UH-1N Huey, as a nuclear missile field patrol and VIP transport aircraft. The AF’s Global Strike Command is buying the choppers. A test detachment was stood up at Eglin’s nearby Duke Field in December, and that work will last into mid-2022. The AF plans to buy up to 84 operational and test aircraft at a cost of $2.4B, starting with eight deployable helicopters in FY 2021. The service wants to purchase eight per year until 2023, then ramp up to 15 a year starting in 2024. At Duke Field, five pilots, six special mission aviators, and four helicopters will go through the ringer for the early phase before moving to Malmstrom AFB, Mont., for operational testing in 2021, according to Lt. Col. Mary Clark, commander of Detachment 7 at Eglin, which is overseeing developmental tests along with the base’s 413th Flight Test Squadron. The crews assigned to Eglin come from all the areas and mission sets that the UH-1N currently serves. (Source: AF Magazine 02/19/20)

$7.7 in grants for 12 MS airports

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Twelve Mississippi airports received airport safety and infrastructure grants from the U.S. Department of Transportation. The $7.7M in grants awarded to the airports is part of a $520M investment in airports across the country. The airports receiving Airport Improvement Program grants in Mississippi include: Panola County – $316,755 reconstruct the airport beacon, and replace airport lighting vault; Aberdeen–$629,452 construct and expand aircraft parking apron and rehabilitate a taxiway; Stennis International – $256,050 to updated airport master plan; Brookhaven-Lincoln County – $118,188 rehabilitate runway and lighting; Columbus-Lowndes County – $347,405 rehabilitate aircraft parking apron; Golden Triangle Regional – $1 million rehabilitate aircraft apron and install edge and flood lights, reconstruct runway lighting; Gulfport-Biloxi International – $2,453,000 to fund airport drainage improvements, taxiway rehabilitation, purchase equipment acquisition, and rehabilitate the terminal building; Holly Springs-Marshall County–$384,128 to improve drainage and erosion control; Hattiesburg-Laurel Regional – $660,029 to improve the terminal and install a Precision Approach Path Indicator (PAPI); New Albany-Union County–$213,543 to fund access road improvements; University-Oxford— $238,500 to fund runway rehabilitation; and Tupelo Regional — $1,069,700 to update the airport master plan, seal taxiway pavement, rehabilitate a taxiway and reconstruct airfield guidance signs. Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao said the grants will help keep airports in good shape and give passengers a better travel experience. (Source: WCBI 02/19/20)

96th CS comms plan

Slow and outdated computer communications will be a thing of the past as the 96th Communications Squadron at Eglin AFB, Fla., continues to implement a plan to bring the base’s communications network up to industry standards. The 96th CS developed a network improvement plan prioritizing its two biggest challenges: Modernizing the network infrastructure for the largest AF installation to meet modern service needs and setting conditions to support the fast-growing Eglin mission. “We have seen a 270 percent increase in construction and major projects in the last two years, which has redlined our infrastructure and support capacity,” said Lt. Col. Scott Weed, the 96th CS commander. “We have to modernize our core networks as rapidly as possible, especially given the wave of unprecedented growth across our mission support organizations.” The squadron builds, maintains, secures and defends the installation’s cyberspace. They support more than 21,100 customers and a $70.5M network as the Air Force Material Command’s largest communications squadron. The ultimate goal is a stable and reliable network that gets users out to the AF cloud at faster speeds. The improvement plan includes leveraging innovative programs from the AF’s Life-Cycle Management Center to modernize base infrastructure and teaming with Air Combat Command to shape the future of enterprise services. The partnership became evident when the 96th was the only base communications squadron invited to participate in two recent ACC-led sprint efforts geared towards improving the user experience. (Source: 96th Test Wing 02/18/20) https://www.dvidshub.net/news/363308/comm-squadron-updates-modernize-team-eglin