MSU vets assist disaster dogs

STARKVILLE, Miss. - Mississippi State University veterinarians are assisting federal and state disaster response teams related to the July 10 Marine Corps airplane crash in Leflore County. The MSU College of Veterinary Medicine’s (CVM) Disaster Animal Response Team was deployed, and set up a mobile veterinary clinic, to provide care to military and federal agency working dogs searching for debris at the miles-long crash site. The team was led by CVM associate professor of pathobiology and veterinarian Carla Huston. The working dogs, brought in to support the military and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, are being provided preventative care, and minor-injury treatment. The main challenges for the dogs, according to Huston, are extreme heat and reduced air circulation. The veterinarians are monitoring between six and eight dogs for signs of heat exhaustion and related issues. Since the disaster response team was mobilized, three veterinarians, two veterinary technicians and two support staff members have assisted in the field. (Source: Mississippi State 07/20/17)

Navy may narrow TH-XX search

The Navy is seeking a single turbine engine rotary craft that can achieve Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) certification requirements that may potentially limit the field of competitors for the service’s new TH-XX trainer helicopter. The Navy wants to replace its aging fleet of 113 TH-57 Sea Ranger helicopter-trainers with 105 new helos. Production is tentatively scheduled to begin in FY-2020/21, according to June 1 Request For Proposals published on the Federal Business Opportunities website. Most single-engine helicopters meet Visual Flight Rules (VFR) certification. Only one helo, Leonardo Helicopters' TH-119, a military version of the commercial AgustaWestland AW119Kx, currently meets both requirements. Several other manufacturers are eyeing the TH-XX, but would require significant upgrades for IFR rating-regulations. Bell, Leonardo, Airbus Helicopters, Boeing and Lockheed Martin are among the potential competitors. (Source: Flight Global 07/20/17) Gulf Coast Note: NAS Whiting Field, Fla., houses three helicopter training squadrons (HT-8, 18, 26) that fly the TH-57, and three fixed-wing training squadrons. NASWF accounts for about 14 percent of the Navy’s total flight hours. Airbus Helicopters Inc. of Columbus, Miss., builds the UH-72A Lakota helicopter for the Army, Navy and National Guard. The primary customer is for Army Aviation training, primarily at Fort Rucker, Ala. The Defense Department has placed more than 410 orders for the UH-72A 411 Lakota.

F-35s to get OBOGS upgrade

WASHINGTON - In response to reports of hypoxia-like symptoms experienced by Air Force F-35A pilots at Luke Air Force Base, Ariz., the program office intends to make changes to the onboard oxygen generation system (OBOGS) to optimize oxygen flow for the pilots. The OBOGS modification will involve refining the algorithm associated with oxygen concentration, according to F-35 program office spokesman Brian Schiff. He also said: “There is no indication the delivered oxygen concentration was a contributor …” in the five incidents when pilots experienced hypoxia-like symptoms. OBOGS manufacturer Honeywell will be responsible for designing upgrades and a retrofit for all three variants of the Joint Strike Fighter. Investigation into the psychological events (PEs) is ongoing, with the JPO, F-35 PE team, Air Force’s 711 Human Performance Wing, and Navy Medical Research Unit at Dayton, Ohio, all engaged in analysis, Schiff said. The team will study how the aircraft ramp is set up and assess temperature and air quality data to ensure pilots are not suffering negative effects on the ground before takeoff that could be exacerbated during flight. (Source: Defense News 07/18/17) The issues have not only been limited to the AF variant at Luke AFB, but finding a root cause of the incidents has proven difficult for multiple military aircraft, including the Navy’s fleet-based F/A-18 Hornets and T-45C trainers used at Naval Air Stations Meridian, Miss.; Pensacola, Fla.; and Kingsville, Texas.

Safety issues rise in MS air crash

Glenn Schwarz. a Navy civilian aeronautical-engineering technician whistleblower, who uncovered significant fueling risks to pilots based out of Cherry Point, N.C., was raising new safety issues before civilian managers fired him in June. He claims those civilian managers put him in a highly technical job calibrating equipment used for testing weapons systems and equipment that support aircraft for which he had no training or knowledge to perform. He also asserted on-the-job training managers were not complying with Navy regulations at the Metrology and Calibration laboratory and across Fleet Readiness Center-East (FRC-E). Safety concerns are rampant across military communities in the days since a Marine Corps KC-130T crashed in Leflore County, Miss., last week killing 15 Marines and a Navy corpsman. The KC-130T was coming from the Marine Corps Station Cherry Point, the same location of the FRC-E maintenance and refueling issues of Schwarz’s initial substantiated safety disclosures. Marine officials have only said that the KC-130T "experienced a mishap" in air, but have not provided any additional details as to whether maintenance problems or pilot-error may have been the cause. The investigation is on-going. A 2015 Navy Inspector General report substantiated many of Schwarz's complaints. The report found that fuel hoses and the gauges on fuel trucks had not been tested in years, creating the possibility that contaminants could enter the fuel and pass the aircraft’s filtering systems, leading to potentially life-threatening engine performance issues and deadly fire risks on the ground. The IG report was sent to then-President Obama and the Senate and House Armed Services Committees. The audit recommended more than a dozen steps to bring the FRC-E into compliance with Navy rules. (Source: Washington Free Beacon 07/17/17)

New Vice Commander at 14th FTW

COLUMBUS AFB, Miss. - The 14th Flying Training Wing officially welcomed its new Vice Commander, Col. William Denham, to Columbus AFB this past week. As Vice Commander, he is responsible for the support and medical care for about 3,000 military, civilian and contract personnel. He will manage capital assets exceeding $1.3 billion. The 14th FTW conducts Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training for Air Force and partner-nation officers, plus tactical training for international pilots and aircraft maintainers of the A-29 Super Tucano at Moody AFB, Ga. Prior to arriving at CAFB, Denham was Chief of Combat Plans for the 609th Air Operations Center at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar. He is a command pilot with more than 2,700 flying hours and nearly 200 combat hours. From July 1997 to March 1998, he was with the F-15C Fighter Training Unit of the 95th Fighter Squadron at Tyndall AFB, Fla. (Source: Columbus AFB 07/14/17)

KC-130 crash victims ID'd

WASHINGTON, DC - The Marine Corps officially released the names of those personnel killed in a KC-130T Hercules aircraft crash July 10 in Leflore County, Miss.
+ Special Amphibious Reconnaissance Navy Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Ryan M. Lohrey of Middletown, Ind., who was assigned to the 2nd Marine Raider Battalion of the Marine Special Operations Command. Lohrey had two operational tours (Operations Enduring Freedom and Inherent Resolve) and having earned two Combat Action ribbons and the Purple Heart.
+ KC-130 aircraft commander Marine Major Caine M. Goyette, no hometown given, was assigned to VMGR 452 of Marine Air Group 49 and the 4th Marine Air Wing.
+ KC-130 aircraft commander Capt. Sean E. Elliott of Orange, Calif., who was assigned to the VMGR 452.
+ Gunnery Sgt Mark A. Hopkins of Chesapeake, Va., a Tactical Systems Operator assigned to VMGR 452.
+ KC-130 crew master Gunnery Sgt. Brendan C. Johnson of Chittenden, Vt., was assigned to VMGR 452 as an active reservist. Deployments included operations Enduring/Iraqi Freedom.
+ KC-130 crew master Staff Sgt. Joshua M. Snowden of Dallas, Texas, was an active reservist assigned to VMGR 452.
+ KC-130 crew master Sgt. Julian M. Kevianne of Dallas, Texas, assigned to VMGR 452 as an active reservist.
+ KC-130 crew master Sgt. Owen J. Lennon of Rockland, N.Y., assigned to VMGR 452 as an active reservist.
+ KC-130 crew master Cpl. Daniel I. Baldassare of Monmouth, N.J., was on active duty and assigned to VMGR 452.
+ Aircraft Ordnance Technician Cpl. Collin J. Schaaff of Pierce, Wash., was on active duty and assigned to VMGR 452.
+ Critical Skills Operator Staff Sgt. Robert H. Cox of Ventura, Calif., was on active duty assigned to the special operations 2nd Raider Battalion.
+ Critical Skills Operator Staff Sgt. William J. Kundrat of Frederick, Md., was on active duty assigned to the 2nd Raider Battalion. Deployments: Operations Enduring/Iraqi Freedom, Senegal, and Operation Inherent Resolve and having earned the Defense Meritorious Service Medal; Combat Action Ribbon; and four Sea Service Deployment Ribbons.
+ Critical Skills Operator Sgt. Chad E. Jenson of Los Angeles was on active duty and assigned to the 2nd Raider Battalion.
+ Critical Skills Operator Sgt. Talon R. Leach of Callaway, Mo., was on active duty and assigned to the 2nd Raider Battalion.
+ Critical Skills Operator Sgt. Joseph J. Murray of Duval, Fla., was on active duty and assigned to the 2nd Raider Battalion. Deployments included Operation Enduring Freedom and having earned two Afghanistan Campaign medals, two Sea Service Deployment ribbons, and a National Defense Service Medal.
+ Critical Skills Operator Sgt. Dietrich A. Schmieman of Benton, Wash., was on active duty and assigned to the 2nd Raider Battalion. Deployments included Operation Enduring Freedom and having earned three Sea Service Deployment ribbons and National Defense Service Medal. (Source: Marine Forces Reserve 07/14/17) UPDATE 07/15/17: The 16 service members’ remains were delivered July 13 to Jackson (Miss.) Medgar Evers International Airport by a procession of hearses, and loaded onto a C-5 for transport to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware. Seven were from a Marine Raider Battalion at Camp Lejeune, N.C. Nine were based out of Stewart Air National Guard Base in Newburgh, N.Y., home to a Marine Aerial Refueling and Transport Squadron.

House rejects BRAC for 2018

The U.S. House of Representatives voted down a defense policy bill provision July 13 that would have removed language preventing a new round of base closures for 2018. Lawmakers voted 175-248 to reject the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) amendment. The amendment would have removed a National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) provision barring a new BRAC round, a roadblock included in the bill for years. The vote goes against the White House and Pentagon’s desire to close billions of dollars' worth of unused or underused facilities. An Office of Management and Budget assessment "strongly urges” Congress to provide BRAC authorization, required for a commission to be formed. (Source: The Hill 07/13/17)

L-3 to upgrade TH-57 helos

Avionics experts at L-3 Vertex Aerospace in Madison, Miss., will upgrade Navy TH-57 Sea Ranger helicopters with ADS-B systems that enable pilots and air traffic controllers to communicate digitally that enhances safety. Officials of the Naval Air Warfare Center Training System Division in Orlando, Fla., announced an $8.8 million order to L-3 Vertex on July 10 to buy and install 96 automatic dependent surveillance broadcast (ADS-B) avionics kits for the helicopters. (Source: Causality.O 07/10/17)

SASC: Better comms for T-45 fix

Naval aviation’s hunt for solutions to its No. 1 safety issue - oxygen deprivation and loss of cockpit cabin pressure on its T-45C trainers, F/A-18 Hornets/Super Hornets, and EA-18 Growlers - is hampered by breakdowns in communication between engineers and pilots, according to the Senate Armed Services Committee. A lot of “good work” has been done on the issue, including data being created and analyzed, “those efforts are not always being effectively communicated down to the flightline” where these physiological episodes “are most acute,” according to a July 11 committee report as part of the FY 2018 defense policy bill (S 1519). The SASC urged the Navy “to consider designating a single individual for each” aircraft class affected “to act as bridge” between engineers and pilots to ensure a positive flow of communications. The bill, at the request of Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), would authorize DOD to launch a nationwide competition - with a $10M prize - to find a solution to the persistent problem. The Navy first grounded its fleet of T-45s for several days in April - including those flown at Naval Air Stations Meridian, Miss.; Pensacola, Fla.; and Kingsville, Texas. (Source: Bloomberg News 07/13/17)

SECNAV nominee OK with BRAC

President Trump’s Navy Secretary nominee Richard V. Spencer, a former Marine aviator, says he is open to another Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) commission if confirmed as SECNAV. In advance policy questions written prior to his July 11 Senate Armed Services Committee confirmation hearing, Spencer said allowing the Pentagon another round of BRAC “makes sense to me.” It's been reported that the five previous rounds have saved DOD $12 billion annually. “I have been told a new round could save an additional $2 (billion) each year,” he wrote. The last BRAC was in 2005. (Source: The Hill 07/11/17) At the end of the 2-hour session, SASC Chairman, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) said he looks forward to moving Spencer’s nomination to the full Senate by August. The SASC is also poised to push five top DOD nominees out of committee toward a Senate confirmation vote. The move, according to McCain may result in a “confrontation” with Democrats.Gulf Coast Note: Gulf Coast military activities and bases have been hit by previous BRAC closures and realignments. Naval Stations Mobile, Ala., and Pascagoula, Miss.; and Naval Aviation Depot Pensacola, Fla., were closed. Naval Aerospace Medicine Research Laboratory was relocated from Pensacola to Ohio. NAS Meridian, Miss., had been on frequent lists of early BRACs.

KC-130 'on fire' before MS crash

GREENWOOD, Miss. - The Marine Corps KC-130T transport airplane that crashed in the Mississippi Delta killing 16 Marine special operations active duty and reservists, and a Navy hospital corpsman on July 10, apparently experienced a high altitude emergency, which may bolster witness accounts that it exploded in flight. The crash left two debris fields a mile apart, Brig. Gen. Bradley S. James, commander of the 4th Marine Aircraft Wing of the Marine Forces Reserve, said July 12. There were two impact areas – a half-mile north and a half-mile south of U.S. Highway 82 in Leflore County. The transport was en route from Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, N.C., to Naval Air Facility El Centro, Calif. The personnel were scheduled to fly on to Yuma, Ariz. The crash site was in two soybean fields between Itta Bena and Moorhead, Miss. Leflore County Sheriff Ricky Banks said several witnesses saw the aircraft before it crashed. “They are saying it was on fire,” the sheriff said. The aircraft bore registration number 165000 and nicknamed “Triple Nuts” for the three zeros. It belonged to Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron (VMGR) 452, a Reserve unit based at Stewart Air National Guard Base in Newburgh, N.Y. Six of those killed were special operations forces of the 2nd Marine Battalion out of Camp Lejeune, N.C. The corpsman was assigned to that battalion. The other nine belonged to VMGR 452, according to James. According to federal aviation records, the plane was damaged in a 2004 wind storm; and in a snow storm in 2010. As of the morning of July 13, the Pentagon had not identified any of the deceased. As of the morning of July 13, the Pentagon had not identified the deceased. (Source: NY Times 07/13/17)

SECNAV nominee to get hearing

President Trump's nominee for Secretary of the Navy Richard V. Spencer will undergo an initial Senate hearing July 11, according to a committee aide. The Senate Armed Services Committee will consider Spencer, a financier and former Marine aviator, to be the service's top civilian in a first step toward confirming a key unfilled position of the administration. DON has been led by acting SECNAV Sean Stackley, an Obama holdover, as it works on an annual budget. Spencer's hearing was originally scheduled for June, but was postponed due to the Senate’s trying to repeal and replace Obamacare. The SASC must approve the SECNAV nomination before it can move to the full Senate. On July 12, the SASC will hold a hearing to consider four more nominees: David J. Trachtenberg for principal deputy undersecretary of defense for policy; Owen O. West for assistant SECDEF secretary of defense for special operations and low-intensity conflict; Ryan D. McCarthy for undersecretary of the Army.; and Charles D. Stimson for general counsel of the Navy. The hearings also highlight the lack of a Secretary of the Army nominee. (Source: Washington Examiner 07/06/17)

Gulfport AFRH seeking volunteers

GULFPORT, Miss. – The Armed Forces Retirement Home in Gulfport is in need of volunteers for summer events. Anyone interested in signing up can do so via e-mail or telephone. Time, dress attire, and location will be sent after registration is complete. Lists of events are included at the following link. (Source: WLOX 06/30/17)

Learning to fly in Starkville

STARKVILLE, Miss. - AAA predicts some 45 million Americans will be traveling for the Fourth of July. For many it may be by automobile, and for others it will be by airplane. But that doesn’t always mean flying commercially. For the past several years, flight instructors at the George M. Bryan Airport in Starkville have noticed an increase in people wanting to learn to fly. (Source: WCBI 06/30/17)

CNAF visits Meridian, talks T-45s

SAN DIEGO - Vice Adm. Mike Shoemaker, Commander of Naval Air Forces (CNAF), visited naval air stations in Meridian, Miss.; Pensacola, Fla.; and Kingsville, Texas, on June 28-29 to introduce Rear Adm. James Bynum, the new Chief of Naval Air Training (CNATRA), and to discuss ways forward for training with the T-45C Goshawks. Vice Adm. Shoemaker announced that instructor pilots will resume flying T-45Cs at the three bases, with the On-Board Oxygen Generator System (OBOGS), beginning in early July. Students are to resume flight training later that month. Rear Adm. Bynum assumed command of CNATRA on June 23. Bynum comes to the aviation training HQ in Corpus Christi, Texas, from duty as Commander of Carrier Strike Group 9. The increase in seniority for the CNATRA flag is meant to improve flight safety, address current instructor concerns and manage the return to student training and production plans. Nearly three months have passed since the Navy grounded its fleet of T-45 training jets due to cockpit oxygen problems. (Source: Naval Air Forces 06/29/17) The Navy recently published its comprehensive review of physiological episodes, such as shortness of breath, that pilots previously experienced due to contaminants in the OBOGS. The system apparently operates better with cooler and drier air. All the other airplanes in the fleet that use OBOGS or systems like it have all have some component in the system that eliminates moisture. So that was missing in the T-45, according to Shoemaker. 

MSU bomb threat unfounded

STARKVILLE, Miss. - Mississippi State University has returned to normal operations June 29 while MSU Police continue to investigate a June 28 afternoon bomb threat. The affected buildings and surrounding area have been searched by police after a 3:30 p.m. phone-in threat was received. Bomb-sensing dogs were dispatched, and nothing suspicious was found. Mitchell Memorial Library was to have re-opened for normal operations Thursday morning. All other affected buildings have reopened. (MSU Newsroom 06/28/17)

CAFB co-sponsoring 4th fireworks

COLUMBUS AFB, Miss. - On July 1, fireworks will fly over the Stennis Lock and Dam in a patriotic salute to America’s history. The 'Fireworks on the Water 2017' event is a free, open-to-the-public initiative between the community and Columbus Air Force Base in celebration of Independence Day. Nancy Carpenter, CEO and executive director of Visit Columbus and Fireworks on the Water co-chair, said the community is honored to co-sponsor this event in honor of the men and women of Columbus AFB. (Source: Columbus AFB 06/23/17)

GTRA exec accredited

Matthew Dowell, deputy director of the Golden Triangle Regional Airport (GTRA) in Columbus, Miss., has been awarded the distinction of Accredited Airport Executive by the American Association of Airport Executives. Dowell joins a select group of individuals who have earned the designation in the six-plus decades of the accreditation program. At present, fewer than 10 percent of AAAE’s members throughout the country are active accredited airport executives. (Source: Mississippi Business Journal 06/25/17)

Macasek new boss a 49th FTS

Lt. Col. John Macasek has become the new commanding officer of the 49th Fighter Training Squadron at Columbus Air Force Base, Miss. Col. Stan Lawrie, commander of the 14th Operations Group passed the squadron guidon to Macasek during a June 16 change of command ceremony. The 49th FTS conducts introduction to fighter
fundamentals training for more than 75 Air Force and international pilots and Weapon System Officers annually. (Source: Columbus AFB 06/23/17)

Rocky start for DOD’s No. 2

WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump's nominee for Deputy Navy Secretary had a rocky confirmation hearing with Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John McCain (R-Ariz.) on June 20. McCain, at one point, threatened to withhold a vote on the nominee. Other senators peppered about his lack of experience in the Defense Department. Patrick Shanahan, a VP at Boeing aerospace defense, was nominated in March. Shanahan said his experience will help prepare him to complement SECDEF Jim Mattis. If confirmed, Shanahan would replace Robert Work, a retired Marine colonel, who was asked by Mattis to stay on for several months with the Trump administration. Just this week, Boeing’s Defense, Space & Security division of St. Louis, Mo., was awarded a $20,751,618 contract modification for mission training center services of simulation equipment to train pilots and weapons system operators for F-15C and F-15E aircraft. (Source: Washington Post 06/20/17) Gulf Coast Note: Boeing has 12 supplier/vendor locations in Mississippi which is estimated to provide 1,000 direct/indirect jobs, according to the company’s website.