MSU AFROTC to celebrate 70 years

STARKVILLE, Miss. - The U.S. Air Force celebrates its 72nd birthday this year. Mississippi State University’s Air Force ROTC celebrates 70 years at the land-grant institution. The anniversary will be celebrated Nov. 16 during the annual Military Appreciation Ceremony at MSU’s home football game with the University of Alabama. (Source: MSU 09/19/19) https://www.msstate.edu/newsroom/article/2019/09/msu-air-force-rotc-celebrates-70th-anniversary-chapter-honors

AFSOC: ‘Ultimate battle plane’

NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. - The Air Force Special Operations Command’s new AC-130J Ghostrider gunship has been "performing magnificently" in its initial combat missions in Afghanistan this summer, the Hurlburt Field, Fla.-based AFSOC commander, Lt. Gen. Jim Slife, said at the Air, Space and Cyber Conference here Sept. 16. It’s “the ultimate battle plane.” The Ghostrider, with internal and external weapons systems is replacing the AC-130U, which has provided close-air support for AFSOC since 1995. The AC-130J has a similar fire support system, but it can fly higher and longer, according to Slife. AFSOC started taking delivery of the Ghostrider this past spring. The aircraft began deploying to Afghanistan in the summer to replace AC-130Us on a "one-to-one basis," Slife said. (Source: Military.com 09/16/19) https://www.military.com/daily-news/2019/09/16/ghostrider-gunship-ultimate-battle-plane-afsoc-commander-says.html?spMailingID=4079585&spUserID=Mjk4MDMwMDE5MDIS1&spJobID=860795958&spReportId=ODYwNzk1OTU4S0

Pilot shortage key @ squadron level

The Air Force is “holding on” during its current pilot shortage, and although the losses have slowed, Chief of Staff Gen. David Goldfein isn’t ready to say it’s over. The AF has 67 different initiatives aimed at reversing pilot shortages – at one time 2,000 below requirements. These initiatives are “designed toward ensuring a flying career in the United States Air Force as rich an experience as we can possibly make it,” Goldfein said. Major steps include bonuses, removing additional duties, and efforts to increase flying time (from 16 to 20 hours per month.) The key, according to the general, is at the squadron level where leadership needs to be “courageously led,” he said. The service is investing in developing stronger leaders, and when that investment pays off Goldfein said he can say the shortage is addressed. (Source: AF Magazine 09/17/19)

DoD 'tenant bill' almost ready

The Defense Department’s Tenant Bill of Rights, for military families living in privatized base housing, is “just about ready to” be released, Acting Air Force Secretary Matt Donovan said Sept. 17 at an AF town hall meeting at AFA’s 2019 Air, Space & Cyber Conference. “We’ve been working closely with the project owners and the privatized housing managers and with Congress because they’re very interested in this as well,” he said. The AF’s plan to get Congressional backing was first reported by Reuters in February, and a draft version of the joint document was released March 6. The four service secretaries have also been meeting with project owners quarterly to “go over what we feel they should be doing in order to fulfill their obligations on their side of it,” so they can ensure that DoD provides “the appropriate oversight at the housing management offices.” Improving privatized housing is “not a one and done,” he said, but the AF will keep a focus on it to ensure the health and safety of the airmen residing on base. (Source: AF Magazine 09/18/19)

Foreign trolls targeting US. vets

Foreign “trolls” are targeting U.S. veterans through a complex network of fraudulent social media pages that mimic known service groups and brands, officials at Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA) warned in a new report released Sept. 18. “Their goals are to perpetrate financial fraud, spread anti-American propaganda, manipulate the online public community spaces and sow discord by exploiting and inflaming national divisions,” the VVA analysis stated. The findings are part of a 2-year report on the influence of foreigners on the American veterans’ community. Author Kris Goldsmith, chief investigator and associate director for policy and government affairs at VVA, said the report should serve as a wake-up call for law enforcement and the public. Goldsmith first got involved in tracking the problem after discovering an unauthorized “Vietnam Vets of America” Facebook page using the VVA logo, run by a Bulgarian “troll farm”, in 2017. In some cases, the sites appear to be scams designed to peddle unauthorized merchandise, a long-standing problem within the veterans community. But others focus more on creating confusion and division. VVA is also pushing the White House to issue an executive order “to protect troops and veterans from exploitation by foreign actors and to strengthen American cybersecurity.” The full report is on the VVA website. (Source: Military Times 09/17/19) https://www.militarytimes.com/news/pentagon-congress/2019/09/17/overseas-trolls-targeting-veterans-on-social-media-report/

AF to learn more AFSOC skills

The head of the Air Force Special Operations Command, HQ’d at Hurlburt Field along the Florida Gulf Coast, says his organization will get closer to other parts of the service so they can wage war from more austere locations across the world, which is traditionally ‘Spec Ops’ skill-set that the Defense Department wants to adopt more broadly. “We're looking to help the rest of the Air Force learn some of the things that we've learned over the years,” Lt. Gen. James C. Slife told reporters Sept. 16 at the Air Force Association’s Air, Space & Cyber Conference, “as well as to enable the rest of the Air Force in many ways.” There have been a “number of exercises” AFSOC has done with the Air Combat Command, Pacific Air Forces, U.S. Air Forces Europe commands where its C-130s and airmen refuel fighters in “forward, unimproved landing strips to generate high sortie tempo for those fighter aircraft.” The general argues that AFSOC is traditionally seen more as a U.S. Special Operations Command (based in Tampa) component rather than part of the Air Force, but that will change. (Source: AF Magazine 09/16/19) http://www.airforcemag.com/Features/Pages/2019/September%202019/AFSOC-Aims-to-Build-Force-Wide-Expeditionary-Warfare-Skills.aspx

Deep South’s ‘big ditch’

EPES, Ala. - Almost 100 years in the making, the 234-mile man-made Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway - connecting the Tennessee River from Pickwick Lake to the Black Warrior-Tombigbee River system - was designed to fulfill the dream of growth and prosperity for the Deep South when it opened in 1985. It hasn't worked out. Delayed for decades by environmental concerns and detractors who called the Tenn-Tom project a boondoggle, the $2B shipping shortcut to the Gulf of Mexico has never come close to traffic projections used to sell it to the public. Poverty rates have increased in most of the counties it flows through in Alabama and Mississippi. There are pockets of relative prosperity near Demopolis, in west Alabama, where it has helped lure industry. Yet these days, fishermen along its banks are as likely to see cabin cruisers headed to the Florida Keys rather than tugboats pushing a string of barges. "It was the greatest thing that was going to happen. It was the thing. It was the hope," body shop owner and Epes Mayor Walter Porter said. "Now it's just a ditch." An $8M port, meant to help spur development in rural Sumter County, sits unused near the Mississippi state line. (Source: The AP 09/16/19) https://www.usnews.com/news/us/articles/2019-09-16/2b-waterway-through-deep-south-yet-to-yield-promised-boom

Trainer to honor Tuskegee Airmen

The Boeing T-X advanced trainer will be designated the T-7A “Red Hawk,” according to Air Force Acting Secretary Matt Donovan. He made the announced Sept. 16 at AFA's 2019 Air, Space & Cyber Conference. The ‘Red Hawk’ designation evokes and honors the Tuskegee Airmen of WWII, who were known as the “Red Tails,” - and the P-40 Warhawk fighter that the group flew in European combat operations. In making the announcement, Donovan was joined onstage by Tuskegee Airman Col. Charles McGee. Three other Tuskegee Airmen were in the audience. The T-7A will be the “new staple” of the AF pilot training experience, he said, and its technologies are symbolic of the service’s march toward a more sophisticated future. The first will arrive at Randolph AFB, Texas, in 2023. (Source: AF Magazine 09/16/19) http://www.airforcemag.com/Features/Pages/2019/September%202019/Red-Hawk-T-X-Designated-T-7A-Named-for-Tuskegee-Airmen.aspx

CG rescues downed pilot

NEW ORLEANS - The Coast Guard rescued a single passenger of an aircraft that had gone down in the Gulf of Mexico some eight miles SE of Southwest Pass, La., late Sunday morning (Sept. 15). CG eighth district here received a distress alert from an emergency locator transmitter at 11:46 a.m. CG also received notification from the Houston Air Route Traffic Control Center that a Southwest Airlines flight had relayed a mayday call from an unknown aircraft. The CG's MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew from Air Station New Orleans located the male pilot man in the water and wearing a life jacket. The aircrew hoisted the man and transported him to West Jefferson Medical Center in Marrero in stable condition. (Coast Guard 09/15/19)

377th joins oldest WWII vet's b’day

Leadership from NAS/JRB New Orleans’ 377th Theater Sustainment Command joined the National World War II Museum in celebrating WWII veteran Lawrence Brooks’ 110th birthday on Sept. 12. Col. Justin Swanson served as guest speaker for the event honoring Brooks on a milestone birthday and his service during WWII with the 91st Engineer Battalion. The predominantly African-American unit was highly decorated for its service in both Papua New Guinea and the Philippines. Brooks is the oldest living American WWII veteran. (Source: NAS/JRB NOLA 09/13/19) 2019 marks the 75th anniversary of D-Day. Today, fewer than half a million American WWII vets who served in Europe and the Pacific are still living. "CBS This Morning: Saturday" co-host Michelle Miller was with the oldest American vet Sept. 12 in New Orleans on his 110th birthday at the National WWII Museum. Hear Mr. Brooks’ oral history here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PdpR__EwEGk

UPDATE: GC trio tops for AW title

JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas – Twelve Airmen battled it out in a show of strength, grit and determination during the third annual Air Force Alpha Warrior (AW) Final Battle in Texas on Sept. 12. After racing through 32 obstacles and fitness tests, including climbing, pull-ups, gymnastic rings, running, jumping, and weight-lifting challenges, Capt. Noah Palicia from Yokota Air Base, Japan and 2nd Lt. Arielle Miller, Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., posted first place finishes. Yet, the fastest three male and female finishers will represent the Air Force against Army and Navy teams in the second annual Inter-Service Alpha Warrior Battle in Selma, Texas, on Sept. 14. Among Gulf Coast participants to compete Sept. 14 is 2nd Lt. Michelle Strickland of Columbus AFB, Miss.; and Staff Sgt. Seth Golloway of Hurlburt Field, Fla. The event was an opportunity to showcase the Air Force's "ultimate warriors" and the Airmen's commitment to total health, said Maj. Gen. Tom Wilcox, Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center commander and host of the event. (Source: AFIMSC 09/12/19) UPDATE: On Sept. 14, the AF won its second straight Alpha Warrior Inter-Service Championship. The competition saw the three, six-person teams tackling more than 30 obstacles at the Alpha Warrior Proving Ground, the same place where just two days earlier they competed in service-specific competitions to earn a spot in the inter-service finals. There were a trio of Gulf Coast winners: The AF’s top female competitor was 2nd Lt. Michelle Strickland, 25 minutes, 5 seconds, from Columbus AFB, Miss. Staff Sgt. Seth Golloway from Hurlburt Field, Fla., was among the top male winners. Mikala Hawkins of Corry Station, Fla., was among the top three Navy female team members.

HAV, Vertex airship MOU for DoD

MADISON, Miss. - Hybrid Air Vehicles Ltd of the United Kingdom signed a memorandum of understanding in London Sept. 10 with Vertex Aerospace, headquartered in Madison, Miss., to deliver missionized Airlander 10 aircraft to the U.S. Defense Department. The two companies will partner to provide joint proposals to DoD for fully configured Airlander 10 airship. Vertex's Aircraft Integration & Sustainment division in Crestview, Fla., will work with Hybrid Air Vehicles (HAV) to missionize the revolutionary aircraft. Airlander 10 is a helium airship with auxiliary wing and tail surfaces that flies using both aerostatic and aerodynamic lift and is powered by four diesel engine-driven ducted propellers. (Source PR Newswire 09/10/19) https://finance.yahoo.com/news/vertex-aerospace-partners-hybrid-air-163600778.html

SD family $2M mil.housing award

In a decision that may have nation-wide consequences for private defense-contracted base-housing management companies, a jury awarded more than $2M to a Marine Corps family that sued their privatized military housing landlords over mold, maintenance and health-related issues in their Marine Corps Recruit Depot home in San Diego. The family of Staff Sgt. Matthew Charvat alleged that Gateway Village military housing, managed by San Diego Family Housing and Lincoln Military Property Management, had water damage and elevated moisture levels that caused microbes and mold to grow, making them sick, according to their complaint. It also indicated that the home "lacked effective waterproofing and weather protection," had deteriorating drywall, roof defects and rot, water damage and "visible microbial growth on the interior building components." As a result, the Charvats, and children, suffered a range of illnesses while living there about a year. Following a nearly month-long trial, the jury awarded the family $2M, according to 10News in San Diego. The award is the largest to a military family related to military housing issues, which came to light last year and made known to Congress. In 2016, another Marine Corps family received $350,000 in a similar lawsuit involving mold in a Norfolk, Va., home managed by Mid-Atlantic Military Family Communities, a subsidiary of Lincoln Military Housing. LHM plans to fight the ruling, according to Military.com, and called the ruling "unjust." Previous tenants reported no mold problems on the property, and the Charvats "certified there was no mold when they moved in," according to LHM. The management company alleges the Charvats vacated the property because they wanted to move into "the suburbs and a different school district." They never cited "mold or illness as a reason for moving until they hired a lawyer," LHM's statement charged. (Source: Military.com 09/12/19) Gulf Coast Note: Balfour Beatty manages housing at NAS Meridian and NCBC Gulfport; and Hunt properties manage housing at Keesler and Columbus AFBs. The closest base to the Gulf region operated by LMH is Marine Corps Logistics Base at Albany, Ga.  

Greenwood firm: $30M NASM pact

The Johnson-McAdams Firm of Greenwood, Miss., is awarded a $30,000,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for professional architectural and engineering services in the Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Southeast area of responsibility (AOR). A $33,339 initial task order is awarded to prepare an engineering study of Building 361, detailing required repairs to the interior non-load bearing concrete masonry unit walls at Naval Air Station Meridian, Miss. Work for this task order is expected to be completed January 2020. All work on this contract will be performed at various Navy and Marine Corps installations in the NAVFAC Southeast AOR. The work to be performed provides for professional architectural and engineering services for preparation of design-bid-build documents (100% plans and specifications) and design-build request for proposals. Services may also include field investigation and facility damage assessments after hurricanes or other storm events. Specific duties include architectural programming, geotechnical investigation, surveying, cost estimating, DD Form 1391 preparation and other preliminary project documentation. The term of the contract is not to exceed 60 months with an expected completion August 2024. FY 2019 Navy operation and maintenance contract funds for $33,339 are obligated on this award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Future task orders will be primarily funded by O&M, Navy, and Navy military construction. This contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website with 26 proposals received. Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southeast of Jacksonville, Fla., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD 09/12/19)

Gulf range moratorium to Senate

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill by a 248-180 vote establishing a permanent moratorium on oil and gas exploration in a swath of the eastern Gulf of Mexico that would include the 120,000 square miles Eglin (AFB, Fla.) Gulf Test and Training Range. Under current law, the moratorium against O&G exploration was to expire in mid-2022. The bill, passed Sept. 11, now heads to the Senate for consideration. The Gulf Text and Training Range is overseen by Eglin’s 96th Test Wing, and used by all of the military. Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), who represents NW Florida, and Rep. Neal Dunn (R-Fla.), who represents the Tyndall AFB area, were two of only 22 Republicans who voted in favor of the bill; 174 Republicans were opposed. The bill got 222 affirmative Democrat votes. Five Democrats and one Independent voted against it. (Source: NW Florida Daily News 09/11/19) https://www.nwfdailynews.com/news/20190911/house-oks-permanent-oil-moratorium-in-part-of-gulf

Court rules VA owes vet$

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims ruled Sept. 8 that the Department of Veterans Affairs must reimburse hundreds of thousands of veterans who have filed or will file claims between 2016 and 2025 for emergency medical care at non-VA facilities. Plaintiffs lawyers claimed, based on past VA estimates, the cost of reimbursements could be between $1.8B and $6.5B. The court ruled that the VA has been wrongfully denying reimbursement to veterans seeking non-VA emergency care; and struck down an internal VA regulation that blocked those payments. "All of this is unacceptable," the ruling read, which ordered the VA secretary to "readjudicate these reimbursement claims." The VA told NBC News in a statement that it was "aware of this decision and *is) reviewing it.” (Source: NBC News 09/10/19) https://www.nbcnews.com/news/veterans/court-rules-va-must-pay-veterans-emergency-room-care-decision-n1052131/

NASM flips switch to solar farm

With a flip of a switch, Naval Air Station Meridian celebrated the completion of a 6-megawatt solar farm on base Sept. 10. The 38-acre farm consists of about 51,000 solar panels. The project is a partnership between the Navy, Tennessee Valley Authority, East Mississippi Electric Power Association (EMPA) and the Silicon Ranch, which will own and operate the project. The first two phases will supply power to the TVA. The third and largest phase will provide energy to Mississippi Power. NAS Meridian is EMEPA's biggest industrial customer. Capt. Brian Horstman, NASM commander, said the ranch will serve as a back-up energy source for the base, and allow the base to support the community by sending some of the energy produced to neighbors. Once functioning, it ranch could stabilize the local grid and supply energy to 15,000 homes regularly, he said. "Everybody wins out of this deal.” The operational, the solar facility will replace 80 percent of the capacity of NASM's electric system. (Source: Meridian Star 09/10/19) https://www.meridianstar.com/news/local_news/nas-meridian-flips-the-switch-on-solar-energy-farm/article_da25d929-6cf3-5027-961f-b76e79ace4de.html

Ala. NJROTC first out of the box

ROBERTSDALE, Ala. - Navy cadets from Robertsdale and Elberta high schools were put through the paces Sept. 5 as part of a “Pass and Review by NJROTC Area 8 commander Merlin Ladner. Ladner conducts inspections at all 50 schools in Area 8 every two years, but in that in-between year there’s another review, which was conducted in February by Cmdr. Chad Smith, commanding officer of the Information Warfare Training Command at Corry Station in Pensacola, Fla. For the latest inspection, RHS cadets “volunteered to be the first unit to be inspected,” Ladner said, “which I think speaks volumes about the confidence of this program.” Cadets are reviewed on overall general appearance, which includes personal hygiene and uniform appearance. The inspection included all 191 cadets, including 41 from Elberta High School. Twenty-one cadets were presented medals for Best Uniform Inspection. The second platoon was honored for the Most Outstanding Inspection. Among the unit’s accomplishments for the 2018-19 school year, it ranked eighth overall among the area’s 49 member schools, which included over 5,000 cadets from Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and the Florida panhandle. (Source: Gulf Coast News Today 09/10/19) In Mississippi, there are NJROTC units in Gauthier, Greenwood, Meridian, and Vicksburg to name but a few. 

http://www.gulfcoastnewstoday.com/stories/area-8-commander-conducts-pass-and-review-with-rhs-njrotc-cadets,82706

Ford preps for T-45 carrier landing

 The Navy and Marine Corps will be able to train their newest pilots aboard the newest aircraft carrier when Naval Air Systems Command integrates the T-45C Goshawk trainer with the USS Gerald R. Ford’s carrier arresting system. The Navy is evaluating how the General Atomics-built Advanced Arresting Gear (AAG) operates with Goshawks and expects the trainers to be ready to join USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) flight operations in 2020. In August, T-45Cs completed 60 arrested landings at the Runway Arrested Landing Site (RALS) at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J. The Goshawk likely will complete another 145 arrested landings at the RALS site. AAG and the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) are new technologies aboard Ford-class carriers that are intended to save the Navy money and improve lethality. Navy officials expect the two systems will increase sortie generation by 25 to 30 percent over the current sortie rate aboard Nimitz-class carriers. The two new systems are also smarter than those they replace, tailoring the amount of force they use to launch and catch airplanes based on the aircraft type, therefore eliminating excess pressure on the airframes and reducing damage to the aircraft over their service life. When the Navy generates a Goshawk Aircraft Recovery Bulletin, Goshawks will be authorized to land on the newest aircraft carrier. Getting the T-45C approved to land on Ford is an essential step for the Navy and Marine Corps. As Ford-class ships join the fleet, new pilots will need to complete their training onboard these carriers. The next phase of CVN-78 flight operations is presently slated for early 2020, which will include the T-45C and other aircraft. (Source: USNI News 09/10/19) Gulf Coast Note: GA began testing of a full-scale power train of EMALS I 2008 at its Tupelo, Miss., assembly plant. This test program was designed to reduce technical risks, demonstrate EMALS system performance and meet contract specification requirements. Advanced jet pilots fly the T-45C from NAS Meridian, Miss. https://news.usni.org/2019/09/10/t-45c-goshawk-trainers-on-track-to-qualify-for-landing-on-ford-class-carriers

AHI delivers first EC145e to Metro

Shreveport, La.-based Metro Aviation has accepted the first Airbus EC145e helicopter produced at the manufacturer’s Columbus, Miss., It’s the first of 25 ships that Metro ordered in 2018. Metro was the first customer of the EC145e when it was introduced in 2015. It has now been approval for IFR with either one or two pilots, as has an EFIS suite and full stability augmentation systems. Metro worked with Genesys Aerosystems to build the avionics package specially configured for air-medical and “utility” operations. The Airbus Helicopters Inc. Columbus plant has been in operation since 2004. It builds UH-72A Lakota helicopters for the Army and is the final assembly location for the H125 helicopter. (Source: AV Web 09/10/19) https://www.avweb.com/aviation-news/airbus-delivers-first-us-made-ec145e/