Hogan, Smitko to lead LWFC

Bill Hogan of Ruston, La., was elected chair of the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission (LWFC). Jerri Smitko of Houma was elected vice-chair during the commission’s Jan. 9 meeting in Baton Rouge. The two commissioners will serve through 2020. Hogan is the CEO of Ruston Bank. Smitko is an attorney and owner of Smitko Law APLC in Houma. She is a graduate of Nicholls State University, and Tulane law school. She served in the Louisiana Army National Guard and Army Reserve until honorable discharged in 1985. (Source: LWFC 01/09/20 http://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/news/43227

Pearl River La. WMA flood closure

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) will close the Pearl River Wildlife Management Area (WMA) in St. Tammany Parish when the Pearl River flood gauge reaches 16.5 feet, which is expected on Jan. 11. Included in the closure is the Pearl River-Honey Island Shooting Range. The closure is an automatic benchmark set by the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission. The gate at the entrance to the WMA on Old Highway 11 will be closed and locked two hours after official sunset on Jan. 10. Once flood waters recede and roads are inspected and deemed safe for travel, LDWF will reopen the gate. The Pearl River WMA, which consists of 35,618 acres, is located about six miles east of Slidell. (LDWF 01/09/20)

LINK CEO: High hopes for region

LINK CEO Joe Max Higgins told Columbus, Miss., Rotarians in a speech Jan. 7 that he had high hopes for the future of economic development, prospective projects and a change at the head of the Mississippi Development Authority (MDA). Specifically, he said he would open a bottle of Scotch in celebration of MDA Director Glenn McCullough's retirement at the end of January. Higgins has long been a critic of the director. "Glenn McCullough has been an unadulterated train wreck at MDA," Higgins told Rotarians. From LINK's history from 2003 through 2014, Higgins said, the area saw an average of $445M in investments and 479 jobs annually. In four years under McCullough those numbers dropped to $229M and 303 jobs, and that was after LINK expanded services to include Oktibbeha, Clay and Lowndes counties. That’s a 40 percent reduction in announced projects and investments, and a 40 percent reduction in announced jobs, he claimed. But the LINK CEO has faith in newly-elected Gov. Tate Reeves to get MDA back on track. (Source: Columbus Dispatch 01/08/20) https://www.cdispatch.com/news/article.asp?aid=78450

SUPT commander fired at CAFB

Colonel Derek Stuart, commander of the 14th Operations Group at Columbus AFB, Miss., was removed from command of the 52-week specialized undergraduate pilot training (SUPT) on Jan. 2. Stuart was fired by 19th Air Force Commander Maj. Gen. Craig Wills “due to a loss of trust and confidence in his ability to command,” the Air Education and Training Command said in an e-mail Jan. 7. Lt. Col. William McElhinney III has assumed command of the 14th OG, according to the AETC. (Source: AF Times 01/08/20) McElhinney was in command of the 43rd Flying Training Squadron at CAFB. The 43rd FTS, part of the 14th Flying Training Wing, administers and executes the AETC/AFRC Associate Instructor Pilot (IP) Program and provides Active Guard Reserve (AGR) and Traditional Reserve (TR) IPs to augment the cadre of active duty pilots conducting pilot training. During wartime, or hostilities, the unit is mobilized to offset anticipated losses of experienced active duty pilot contributions to the instructor pilot training programs. https://www.airforcetimes.com/news/your-air-force/2020/01/08/ops-group-commander-in-charge-of-pilot-training-at-columbus-afb-fired/

Chinese charged in KW photo shoot

A pair of Chinese students attending the University of Michigan were charged with shooting photographs on a U.S. government military facility at Naval Air Station Key West, Fla. Since the fall of 2018, a total of four Chinese nationals have been arrested on charges of shooting pictures of military facilities in Key West, drawing the sharp interest of U.S. counterintelligence investigators who have been probing suspected Beijing-led spying activities in South Florida, including visitors to President Donald Trump’s private club, Mar-a-Lago, in Palm Beach. (McClatchey News 01/07/20) https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/florida-keys/article239010873.html#storylink=cpy

Tenant bill of rights this year

The Defense Department expects its new bill of rights for tenants in privatized military housing will be done soon, and expects to enact the bill early this year, once it finishes incorporating 18 provisions mandated by Congress in the FY 2020 National Defense Authorization Act. “DoD is recommitted to its Military Housing Privatization Initiative oversight role … and is currently working with the MHPI partners to ensure delivery of safe, quality, well-maintained housing for service members and their families,” Pentagon spokesperson Charles Prichard said. Each service chief will need to sign off on the document, a main pillar of DoD’s attempt to empower families that live in homes owned by private landlords. Thirty-two of the military’s 79 privatized military family housing projects fall under the Air Force, including Keesler and Columbus AFBs, Miss. Navy facilities in Mississippi include NCBC Gulfport and NAS Meridian. Additionally, across the Gulf Coast region, NAS Pensacola and Whiting Field, and Naval Support Activity Panama City, Fla. Fourteen companies manage housing for DoD. Last year, the military services jointly proposed a draft bill of rights as numerous problems with privatized housing management came to light. (Source: AF Magazine 01/08/20) https://www.airforcemag.com/military-tenant-bill-of-rights-almost-ready/

CBO: Navy aviation budget $12B/yr

The Navy/Marine Corps will need $380B over the next 30 years to maintain the size of its current aviation fleet, according to the Congressional Budget Office. Between 2020-50, the CBO estimates the service will need to spend about $12B a year to keep a mixture of 4,000 aircraft. “(P)urchases over that period would go through several different phases and experience year-to-year variations,” the report states. During the past 20 years, aircraft buys represented about 25 percent of the Navy’s annual budget. For the next decade, CBO predicts those buys will need to be about $11B/year. After 2030, there’ll be a spike, with costs for new aircraft jumping to $17B by 2038 and remaining in that range until the 2040s. The jump in expenses will occur because a large portion of the current fleet will begin reaching the end of its useful lifespan, according to the CBO. (Source: 01/07/20) https://news.usni.org/2020/01/07/estimated-380-billion-needed-to-maintain-navy-marine-corps-aviation-fleet-in-the-future

iPhone assist requested of Apple

The FBI has requested assistance from Apple to assist in the unlocking of a pair of iPhones believed to have belonged to the Saudi military student who carried out a shooting attack that killed three people and wounded eight on Dec. 6 at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla., NBC reported In a letter sent Dec. 6 to Apple's general counsel, the FBI said it had a court permission to search the contents, both were password-protected. "Investigators are actively engaging in efforts to 'guess' the relevant passcodes but so far have been unsuccessful," it said. FBI General Counsel Dana Boente said officials have sought help from other federal agencies, as well as from foreign experts and "familiar contacts in the third-party vendor community." That secondary reference may refer to assistance the FBI got in helping unlocking the phone of the gunman who attacked a San Bernardino, Calif., city meeting in 2015. The Justice Department took Apple to court in an effort to get the company to help the FBI open that phone. On Jan. 6, Apple said the company had been working with the government. A law enforcement official said there's another issue with one of the iPhones. The shooter may have fired a bullet into the phone. The Saudi military student apparently acted alone, according to officials, but cautioned that the investigation is not over. (Source: NBC 01/06/20) https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/fbi-seeks-apple-s-help-unlocking-phones-suspected-pensacola-naval-n1111636

20th SCS part of Space Command

EGLIN AFB, Fla. - Just before Christmas, as President Donald Trump signed the FY 2020 defense authorization act, nearly 250 airmen and civilians with the Eglin Air Force Base-HQ'd 20th Space Control Squadron became part of the U.S. Space Force, the sixth branch of the U.S. military. The squadron, which operates 24/7, is part of the 21st Space Wing, HQ’d at Peterson AFB, Colo. The 21st SW is one of five space-oriented AF wings now part of the Space Force. The 20th SCS uses a global network of radar and deep-space sensor installations “to find, fix, track and target man-made objects in Earth’s orbit,” according to the AF. As far as the 21st Space Wing is concerned, “the stand-up of the United States Space Force will produce no immediate changes to our mission,” the wing’s public affairs office noted in an e-mail response to questions about the future of the wing and the squadron. “(T)he creation of the U.S. Space Force … will result in organizational structure changes expected” at Peterson (AFB) and the 20th SCS, although the primary mission of the wing and squadron “will remain the same,” the Walton Sun reported. (Source: Walton Sun 01/07/20)

New AF helo enters defense testing

EGLIN AFB, Fla. - The Air Force’s newest combat rescue helicopter, the HH-60W, hung suspended here in a soundproof chamber for defense system testing in December. The 413th Flight Test Squadron’s “Whiskey” helo went into the Joint Preflight Integration of Munitions and Electronic Systems facility in mid-November for about seven weeks of defensive systems testing. Those systems are a significant upgrade from the legacy HH-60G flown by Air Combat Command. The JPRIMES facility has the unique capability to capture high quality data on those defensive systems by isolating the electromagnetic radiation inside the facility’s anechoic chamber. The chamber is a room designed to stop reflections of either sound or electromagnetic waves and insulated from exterior sources of noise. Testing the HH-60W in J-PRIMES will characterize the performance of the helicopter’s systems prior to electronic warfare flight-testing. Tests ensure it is capable of defeating hostile threats while performing its designated combat SAR mission. The new aircraft arrived to the 96th Test Wing in November. The AF is contracted to purchase 113 helos to replace the HH-60G. (Source: Eglin AFB 01/07/20) https://www.eglin.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/2051759/hang-in-there-hh-60w-enters-chamber-for-defense-systems-testing/

NASM scores #2 for excellence

Congratulations to the winners of the Commander, Navy Installations Command 2020 Installation Excellence Award. The award program recognizes top installations for outstanding performance consistent with enterprise strategic goals and Secretary of Defense criteria. Winners in the Large Category: 1st Place: Naval Station Norfolk; 2nd Place: Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Fla.; 3rd Place: Naval Base Coronado, Calif. Winners in the Small Category: 1st Place: Naval Magazine Indian Island, Md.; 2nd Place: Naval Air Station Meridian, Miss.; and 3rd Place: Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach, Calif. NAS Meridian is "proud" to be awarded 2nd place in Small Installations Category Navy-wide for the Installation Excellence Award. This is Meridian's first time to achieve this honor, according to the command's Facebook page. (Source: NAS Meridian 01/07/20)

Rucker specialist killed in Kenya

The Department of Defense announced Jan. 6 the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Octave Shield. Spc. Henry J. Mayfield Jr., 23, from Evergreen Park, Ill., was killed Jan. 5 during an attack in Manda Bay, Kenya. The incident is under investigation. Mayfield was assigned to 1st Battalion, 58th Aviation Regiment, 164th Theater Airfield Operations Group at Fort Rucker, Ala. ) Source: DoD 01/06/20)

SLS core about to ship to Stennis

Assembly of the core stage of NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) is now complete and the structure is ready for shipping from Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans to Stennis Space Center (SSC), Miss., for testing. Assembly of the 212-foot rocket core stage was completed last year and had its engine section bolted on last September. With all four of its RS-25 engines attached, the team used scaffolding to check all parts of the stage inside and out, and confirmed that the electronic and propulsion systems were connected correctly. To move such a large object, NASA uses its Pegasus barge. The core stage should be shipped from New Orleans to SSC near Bay St. Louisng later this month. The testing at SSC is called the "Green Run," in which the core stage will operate as one unit for the first time. (Source: Digital Trends, 01/05/20)

Students ruck marching to Eglin

GULF COAST, Miss. - Eglin Seven students from Louisiana State University are on a mission to complete a 323-mile ruck march to raise money for veterans. They are traveling 323 miles on foot, but if it means raising money to support veterans, the students want to do it. “Just got to push through the pain, that’s all there is to it," AFROTC cadet Zachary Toups told WLOX. The group includes LSU Air Force ROTC (AFROTC) cadets and members of the Marine Corps and Army. They’re raising money for the National League of POW/MIA Families and K9s for Warriors. The group is split in two and will walk on in shifts. They started on the LSU campus in Baton Rouge last Friday morning. The plan is to reach Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., in the evening of Jan. 9 (Source” WLOX 01/05/20) https://www.wlox.com/2020/01/06/lsu-students-march-miles-veterans-fundraiser/ The group completed its destination at Eglin AFB on Jan. 7.

Ex-Marine Reserve pilot bonuses

The Marine Corps is offering some former Reserve pilots up to a $30,000 bonus to get them back in the cockpit. Former captains and majors qualified to fly certain aircraft, and who are willing to rejoin a Marine squadron, can pocket lump-sum bonuses if they agree to a three-year term in the Active Reserve. Those willing to serve two years are eligible for a $20,000. They’re calling it the Active Reserve Aviator Return to Service Program. It targets six types of fixed-wing, rotary and tiltrotor pilots "in order to fill critical aviation shortfalls," a service-wide message about bonuses states. Top priority: F/A-18 Hornet and MV-22B Osprey pilots; and KC-130 Hercules aircraft commanders, but it also is open to former AV-8B Harrier, UH-1Y Venom and CH-53E Super Stallion pilots. Top assignments will involve flying operations at the squadron level across several Reserve units in the U.S., including New Orleans, California, Virginia, Texas, Arizona, or Maryland. Assignments aren't limited to those squadrons though, the message adds. The incentives will be paid out on a first-come, first-served basis "until funds are exhausted," it adds. (Source: Military.com 01/02/20) Gulf Coast Note: The headquarters of the 4th Marine Air Wing is at NAS/JRB New Orleans. It is the reserve airwing of the Marine Corps, but with subordinate units scattered across the U.S. Current aircraft within the command include the F/A-18 Hornet, KC-130 Hercules, AH-1W SuperCobra, UH-1Y Huey. CH-53E Super Stallion, and the MV-22 Osprey. https://www.military.com/daily-news/2020/01/02/marine-corps-offering-former-reserve-pilots-30k-return-service.html

Space radiation grant to UMMC prof

NASA recently awarded Dr. Ritesh Tandon (PhD), an associate professor of microbiology and immunology at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson, a grant to study the effects of space radiation on human cytomegalovirus (CMV). The study is part of NASA's effort to send the next astronauts to the moon by 2024. Astronauts may face higher lifetime risk of cancer, nervous system problems and degenerative diseases because of exposure to radiation without the Earth's protective atmosphere. Many people contract human CMV during their life but don't experience any serious health effects. “When you send humans to space they are exposed to radiation, micro-gravity and stress,” he said, “but radiation is the most devastating effect.” “You can put in all of the protections you want,” Tandon said, but space radiation can still get past barriers. Space radiation can alter DNA or RNA from any organism, whether human or a virus. It’s a “good parasite,” Tandon says, meaning it typically doesn’t cause illness in its host. For his experiments, Tandon’s lab will “expose cells with latent CMV to space-like radiation and determine how it changes the DNA and RNA.” The samples won’t be going into space. Instead, they are going to NASA’s Space Radiation Laboratory at Brookhaven National Laboratory in New York. Afterwards, NASA and the University of Arizona will study how radiation affects the immune cells that normally keep latent viruses in check, and determine if those nucleic acid changes activate the virus in a way that makes it more likely to cause illness or infect others. “There is some evidence to suggest that radiation can activate the virus,” Tandon said. (Source: UMCC 12/23/19) https://www.umc.edu/news/News_Articles/2019/12/NASA_Grant.html

Eligible vets gain 2020 base access

MERIDIAN, Miss. - Some military veterans and those enrolled in the Department of Veterans Affairs' Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers program will soon have more access to military bases in across the country, including Naval Air Station Meridian and Columbus AFB. A new policy change for the bases for 2020 means that approved veterans can apply for authorization to shop at base commissaries and Navy Exchanges. They'll also be able to take part in morale, welfare and recreation programs. Those programs include recreational activities such as golf. Those eligible veterans include Purple Heart recipients, former prisoners of war, or veterans with a service-related disability. Eligible veterans must bring a driver's license, veterans’ health I.D. card, proof of insurance and vehicle registration when applying at the visitor's center. (Source: Meridian Star 12/20/19) https://www.cdispatch.com/news/article.asp?aid=78283

Offutt bans personal firearms

Beginning Jan. 2, personnel aboard Offutt Air Force Base, Neb., will no longer be able to carry personal firearms on base, even if they lock them up in their cars. Col. Gavin Marks, commander of Offutt's 55th Wing, issued the change, which was announced via Facebook on Dec. 30. "The current policy, which authorizes registered Department of Defense ID card holders with a Nebraska Concealed Handgun License (CHL) and holders of reciprocating state concealed carry license (CCL) to transport and secure privately-owned handguns in privately-owned vehicles within the base, will no longer be valid," the Facebook post reads. "This policy change comes as a result of the commander's initial review of the Offutt AFB Integrated Defense and Antiterrorism Plan, a requirement to be completed within 120 days of assuming command." 55th Wing spokesman Ryan Hansen said the policy change was "an internal decision by the commander in consultation with multiple base agencies." The 55th's wing commander “has not made any recommendations to other wing commanders regarding their installation security processes," he added. There are a few exceptions to the new policy. For example, the change has no effect on those law enforcement personnel who have a LEOSA permit, said 55th Wing spokesman Ryan Hansen. (Source: Military.com 12/30/19) Gulf Coast Note: On Dec. 6, a Saudi military officer in training used a hunting license to purchase a hand gun that he used to kill three and injure eight at NAS Pensacola; and a sailor in Hawaii killed two contractors on base Dec. 4 with a hand gun. https://www.military.com/daily-news/2019/12/30/air-force-base-announces-new-restrictions-personal-weapons.html

1st field test of JADC2 technology

EGLIN AFB, Fla. - In the first field test of a novel approach to war-fighting, communicating and decision-making, the Air Force, Army, and Navy used new methods and technology in mid-December for collecting, analyzing and sharing information in real time to identify and defeat a simulated cruise missile threat to the United States. The three-day exercise of the Advanced Battle Management System (ABMS) tested developing technology to enable the military’s concept called Joint All-Domain Command and Control (JADC2). When fully realized, senior leaders say JADC2 will be the backbone of operations and deterrence, allowing U.S. military and allies to orchestrate military operations across all domains: Sea, land, air, space and cyber operations. Technology under development via ABMS simultaneously receives, fuses and acts upon a vast array of information from each of the domains in an instant. The AF anticipates receiving about $185M for this effort, and intends to bolster resources over the next five years. The initial exercise focused on defending the homeland with AF and Navy jets, the destroyer USS Thomas Hudner (DDG 116), an Army air defense sensor and firing unit, the 6th Special Operations Squadron at Duke Field, as well as commercial space and ground sensors, and coming together to confront a simulated cruise missile threat. AF acquisitions lead, Dr. Will Roper said: “Cloud, mesh networking and software-defined systems were the stars of the show, all developed at commercial internet speeds.” The demonstration was the first of its kind in a series of exercises scheduled to occur roughly every four months. Each new exercise will build on the one before and include responses to problems and lessons learned. (Source: Secretary of the Air Force 12/23/19) https://www.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/2046531/air-force-navy-army-conduct-first-real-world-test-of-advanced-battle-management/

Ala., Fla., La. compete for space HQ

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Florida hasn’t given up on being the host state for the nation’s newest military branch, Space Force. Dale Ketcham, Space Florida’s VP of government and external relations, says Florida is “still competing” for the HQ for the Space Command, which would have an initial job of protecting satellites and other hardware in space. A $738B defense spending bill includes $148M to build a Combined Space Operations Facility at Schriever AFB in Colorado Springs, Colo. But Schriever is not considered the permanent location for the HQ. “California, Alabama are in the mix. Florida is still competing. Louisiana, Virginia, Texas and some other are hoping to land this,” Ketcham told Fox News. (Source: News Herald 12/30/19) https://www.newsherald.com/news/20191230/florida-continues-eyeing-space-force-hq