New Vice Director joins AEDC team

Arnold AFB, Tenn. January 6, 2020Vol. 67, No. 1

PRSRT STDUS POSTAGE PAIDTULLAHOMA TNPERMIT NO. 29

704th Test Group successfully executed the second Directed

Energy Experiment…Page 2…Page 2

AEDC Team’s efficient actions support Hypersonic Conventional

Strike Weapon testing

Innovatus Agilis Auxilium – Innovative Agile Support

…Page 2

By Deidre MoonAEDC Public Affairs

Christopher Fan-ning, contracting officer for the Test Range and Specialized Contract-ing Division at Arnold Air Force Base, received the 2019 Air Force Test Center Annual Award for Outstanding Civilian in Enterprise, Supervisor of the Year.

Col. Jeffrey Geragh-ty, Arnold Engineering Development Complex commander at Arnold Air Force Base, announced in December the AEDC team members receiving annual awards at the Air Force Test Center and Air Force Materiel Com-

mand levels. “Winning an annual

award is a huge honor and a great distinction,” Geraghty said. “Win-ning at the higher head-quarters level brings even more attention to the great work we are accomplishing here at AEDC. Just another ex-

ample of how AEDC is truly second to none!”

In the nomination packet for the award, Fanning is recognized for leading a team in executing a $1.7 bil-lion Test Operations and Sustainment con-tract; guiding a $24.9 million source selection for Simplified Acquisi-tion Base Engineering Requirements for the Installation Contract-ing Branch; and being a highly engaged team player. He has also overseen other con-tracting efforts, execut-ing 50 actions, equaling $50 million.

Contracting officer at Arnold AFB receives 2019 AFTC Annual Award

Christopher Fanning

See AWARD, page 3

By Lt. Col. Charles McNiel and Dwight HarpCommander, 746th Test Squadron and AEDC Public Affairs

HOLLOMAN AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. – An unexpected fire in any enclosed space is danger-ous; a fire inside an air-plane four miles in the sky with no way out can be deadly.

One group of Airmen at Holloman Air Force Base recently encountered this exact scenario, worked to-gether as a team, and lived to tell the story. Based on their actions, the 704th Test Group’s VOODOO 1 air-crew was awarded the Air Force Materiel Command Chief of Safety’s Aircrew of Distinction Award for

2019 for their actions dur-ing a night flight test mis-sion over White Sands Missile Range, N.M., May 20-21, 2019. This annualaward was presented byAFMC to the aircrew thatshowed extraordinary skill,alertness, ingenuity or pro-ficiency in averting or min-imizing the seriousness ofan aviation mishap duringflight or intent for flight.

The five aircrew mem-bers of VOODOO 1 were:

• Maj. Simon Kassemi,aircraft commander, 586th Flight Test Squadron

• Col. Charles Cain, testpilot, 704th Test Group

• Lt. Col. CharlesMcNiel, flight testengineer, 746th TestSquadron

• 1st Lt. RichardHolloway, flight testengineer, 746th TestSquadron

• Mr. Brian Bowar,i n s t r u m e n t a t i o nengineer, 746th TestSquadronTwo and a half hours

into the flight in a modi-fied Beechcraft C-12J Hu-ron test aircraft at approxi-mately 3 a.m. and 21,000 feet, the power distribu-tion unit for onboard test systems in the cabin spon-taneously caught fire. The fire immediately envel-oped the PDU to the rear of the aircraft and smoke began to fill the cabin. In an aircraft cabin fire,

VOODOO 1 aircrew receives AFMC Chief of Safety’s Aircrew of Distinction Award 2019

New Vice Director joins AEDC team

AEDC T-3 engine test cell receives upgrades for future tests

See VOODOO 1, page 4

By Bradley HicksAEDC Public Affairs

Jason Coker was impressed with Arnold Engineering Devel-opment Complex long before re-cently accepting a leadership post within the organization.

“What Arnold does and its criticality to the nation’s aeronauti-cal capabilities are really second to none,” he said. “It is an extremely important mission, and I am ex-cited to be a part of it.”

In early December, AEDC Commander Col. Jeffrey Geragh-ty announced Coker as the new AEDC Vice Director. Coker began serving in this capacity on Dec. 9 from his office at Arnold Air Force

Base, Tenn., the headquarters of AEDC.

“I have been impressed by the environment here, the profession-alism of the people, as well as the warmth,” he said. “From day one, I felt like I was already a team member here. Everybody has truly rolled out the red carpet to wel-come me.”

Coker, an Idaho native, earned his bachelor’s degree in electrical and electronics engineering from the University of South Alabama and his master’s in systems en-gineering from the University of West Florida. He began his civil service career in 1999 after spend-ing a decade in the Department of Defense industry where he sup-

ported developmental test and evaluation for numerous weapons programs across the Air Force and Missile Defense Agency. Coker

also has more than 20 years of ground test experience. He served in multiple leadership roles from team lead to Squadron Director, including previously serving as the 782nd Test Squadron Director, Eg-lin Air Force Base, Florida. There, he was responsible for Eglin’s ground test facilities, providing hardware-in-the-loop, electronic warfare, climatic, seeker and sen-sor testing for weapons, aeronauti-cal systems and countermeasures programs.

He also served in the Office of the Security of Defense, Acquisi-tion Technology & Logistics, as assistant deputy director of the Test Resource Management Center. There, he provided oversight for

the U.S. Air Force test ranges and multiple aeronautical programs.

Coker most recently served as the Deputy Division Director for Space and Missile Defense Policy, Joint Staff J5, at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. He was respon-sible for overseeing and providing strategic analysis, planning and coordination for Space and Missile Defense activities to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. During his tenure on the Joint Staff, Coker provided oversight for the standup of the new United States Space Command and the coordination and implementation of the 2019 Missile Defense Review.

Jason Coker, AEDC Vice Director

See DIRECTOR, page 3


The Arnold Engineering De-velopment Complex T-3 turbine engine test cell at Arnold Air Force Base is undergoing several modifications to prepare it for fu-ture testing.

Built as part of the Engine Test Facility, or ETF, at Arnold in the early 1950s, the T-3 test cell was designed for testing small engines. It has the capability to reach Mach 4 at simulated altitudes below 70,000 feet and Mach 2.5 at sea-level conditions.

T-3 is one of four operational test cells within ETF, but the cell hasn’t been updated since the late 1980s.

According to Mark Duke, a project manager for the Test Op-erations and Sustainment contrac-tor at Arnold AFB, T-3 is currently experiencing a “face-lift” to bring the technology up to date and to make the data acquisition process more efficient.

“Replacement parts for the test cell are hard to find, and that’s one of the big reasons that we’re doing this,” he said.

“The new T-3 Data Acquisition System, or DAS, is being checked out, and the cell is getting a new Test Area Control System, which is still in the design phase.”

2nd Lt. Adam Doyle, a proj-ect manager for the Test Systems Sustainment Division, mentioned that the DAS upgrade will provide a more reliable way to effectively establish and control test condi-tions.

“With that upgrade, we are also upgrading our Test Unit Support System to a Test Area Control Sys-tem,” he said. “These two upgrades will help standardize the T-3 test cell equipment, which will reduce maintenance cost with regards to spare parts and training of person-nel. Saving money for AEDC and the test customer is a huge accom-plishment for this project.”

See T-3, page 3

Dakota Aaron, right, an eSTARR hardware engineer, and Calvin Davis, an instrumentation, data and controls engineer, evaluate the system test plan book in front of new displays in the Arnold Engineering Development Complex Engine Test Facility T-3 test cell data conditioning room at Arnold Air Force Base, Tennessee, Dec. 3. The displays are part of recent upgrades to the test cell. (U.S. Air Force photo by Jill Pickett)

2 • January 6, 2020

Values

Vision

• Ethics. We are uncompromising in ourintegrity, honesty, and fairness.

• Safety & Health. We are relentless in keeping people safe from harm, andwe provide a safe and healthy work

environment.• Security. We are disciplined and vigilant in protecting sensitive AEDC information and ensuring system integrity to support

national security and our customers.• Excellence. We thrive on challenge, accomplishment, and mission success.• Quality. We are passionate about doing

our work right the first time.• People. We have a mission-focused,inclusive workforce who have a diverse skill set, are committed to success, demonstrate innovation and have a can

do attitude.• Culture. Our team is proud of our diver-sity, inclusiveness, and collaborative work environment. We are proud of what we do

and how we do it.• Relationships. We build positive, long-term business relationships through trust,

respect, and collaboration.• Innovation. We overcome challenges through creativity, perseverance, technol-ogy, and flexibility. We actively seek to

continually improve.• Sustainability. We plan and act for thelong term benefit of our communities and

our environment.

High Mach Staff:Kathy Jacobsen,

NAS Executive Editor

Jill Pickett NAS Editor

Arnold Air Force

Base

Richard TigheGeneral Manager,

National Aerospace Solutions

High Mach is published by Lakeway Publishers, Inc. a pri-vate firm in no way connected with the U.S. Air Force, Arnold Air Force Base, Arnold Engi-neering Development Complex (AEDC) or National Aerospace Solutions (NAS), under exclu-sive written contract with NAS at Arnold AFB, Tenn., 37389.

Everything advertised in this publication will be made available for purchase, use or patronage without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital sta-tus, physical handicap, political affiliation or any other non-merit factor of the purchaser, user or patron.

The High Mach office is located at 100 Kindel Drive, Suite A236, Arnold AFB, Tenn. 37389-1236. Editorial content is edited and prepared by NAS. Deadline for copy is Wednes-day at close of business one week before publication.

This commercial enterprise newspaper is an allowable NAS contractor publication for personnel at Arnold AFB.

The content of High Mach does not necessarily reflect the views of the Air Force, Arnold AFB, AEDC or NAS. The ap-pearance of advertising in this publication does not constitute endorsement of the products or services advertised by the Department of Defense, the Department of the Air Force, Arnold AFB, AEDC, NAS or Lakeway Publishers, Inc.For general information about High Mach, call (931) 454-5655 or visit www.arnold.af.mil.

Core Values• Integrity first

• Service before self• Excellence in all

we do

Use High Mach to mar-ket your products and services. Contact Joe at 931-455-4545 or [email protected]

“NAS delivers the best aerospace testing

capabilities today and in the future.”

Smoking Policy1. The following revised Arnold AFB smoking policy is effective immediately and applies to all individuals on

Arnold AFB.2. Traditional Tobacco products (e.g. cigars and cigarettes):

a. Smoking is permitted solely in Designated Tobacco Areas (DTAs) identified by designated signage. If nosignage exists, smoking is not permitted in that area. It is the responsibility of all smokers to keep DTAsclean of cigarette butts.

b. Tobacco use on the Arnold AFB Golf Course is permitted, but discouraged based on the health hazardsof tobacco use and secondhand smoke. No smoking is permitted within 50 feet of golf course buildingsexcept in the approved DTA.

c. Smoking in government-owned/leased vehicles is strictly prohibited. Personnel are allowed to smoke in theirpersonal vehicles at any time; however, at no time will personnel discard cigarette butts outside their vehicle.

d. For government employees, the fact that a person smokes has no bearing on the number of breaks theymay take. Breaks should be taken in accordance with the current supervisory and personnel policies thatafford all employees the same break opportunities consistent with good work practices and accomplish-ment of the mission.

3. Smokeless Tobacco products (e.g. snuff and dip):Smokeless tobacco products are not to be restricted to DTAs. Smokeless tobacco use will be permitted in allworkplace areas (inside and out) subject to reasonable safety and sanitary conditions. Specifically, containersof tobacco waste product, including sealed containers, must not be left unattended or disposed of in trashreceptacles. Users of smokeless tobacco must flush tobacco waste down the toilet.

4. Electronic Cigarettes (also known as “e-cigs”):Pursuant to Air Force Instruction (AFI) 40-102, Tobacco Free Living, e-cigs are considered to be equivalent totobacco products; however, e-cigs are not restricted to DTAs and are allowed to be used outdoors at a minimumdistance of 25 feet from building entry/egress points. (This policy is dated July 27, 2016)

Team AEDC,I believe in free and open communications

with our Team AEDC employees, and that’s why we have the Action Line available. People can use the Action Line to clear up rumors, ask ques-tions, suggest ideas on improvements, enter complaints or get other issues off their chests.

The Action Line has been expanded to in-clude an option for your ideas, comments, or suggestions on the AcqDemo personnel sys-tem. Simply call the normal x6000 commander’s action line. You will then be prompted to select option 1 for the Commander’s Action Line or Op-tion 2 for the AcqDemo line. They can access the Action Line via the AEDC intranet home page and by calling 454-6000.

Although the Action Line is always available, the best and fastest way to get things resolved is by using your chain of command or by con-tacting the organization directly involved. I en-courage everyone to go that route first, then if the situation isn’t made right, give us a chance.

Col. Jeffrey GeraghtyAEDC Commander

Action Line

Col. Jeffrey GeraghtyCommanderJason Austin

Chief, Public Affairs

By John CaoDirector, 704thTest Group Directed Energy CTF

The successful execu-tion of the Air Force’s sec-ond Directed Energy, or DE, Experiment at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, in October 2019, paved the way for further understanding of how DE weapons can sup-port the airbase air defense mission against unmanned aerial systems, or UASs. The 704th Test Group Di-rected Energy Combined Test Force, or DE CTF, and its partners are making plans for future experiments in support of the DE Experi-mentation Campaign.

The 704th Test Group is an operating unit of Ar-nold Engineering Develop-ment Complex, or AEDC, headquartered at Arnold Air Force Base, Tennessee.

The Air Force Directed Energy Weapon, or DEW, Flight Plan, signed by the Secretary of the Air Force in May 2017, charts the strate-gic path to operationalize DEWs. This flight plan di-rects, in part, the execution of a DE experimentation campaign to better under-stand the DE concept of op-erations and doctrine, orga-nization, training, material, leadership and education, personnel, facilities and

policy required to accom-plish the mission.

The Campaign is headed by the Strategic, Develop-ment, Planning, and Ex-perimentation, or SDPE, office at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. The 704th Test Group DE CTF at Kirtland Air Force Base is tasked to execute the DE experimentation campaign.

The second DE experi-ment, known as Experiment 1b, was a follow-on to an earlier experiment execut-ed at White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico, in late 2018.

Experiment 1b was ex-ecuted in conjunction with the Army’s annual Maneu-ver and Fires Integrated Experiment (MFIX), which offered operationally realis-tic radars, sensors and com-mand and control for the experiment. Five DE weap-ons were integrated into the MFIX command and control system to enable the full capability to detect, track, identify and engage very small UASs at several kilometers away. In order to enhance the realism of the experiment, Air Force Air-men operated the DE weap-ons using relevant tactics, techniques and procedures.

Over the course of eight days, more than 160 UAS flights were flown in a vari-

ety airbase attack scenarios. Results clearly showed that DE weapons can positively contribute to the airbase air defense mission. These DE weapons can defeat UASs with lethal energy at the speed with light and with very low cost per shot.

The successful execution of Experiment 1b truly em-phasizes AEDC’s commit-ment to support the demands of the National Defense Strategy to return to the “great power competition”.

AEDC must execute with excellence with our partners and alliances.

Under the DE CTF con-struct, the Air Force Re-search Laboratory, Direct-ed Energy Directorate and the Air Forces Operational Test and Evaluation Cen-ter at Kirtland AFB jointly planned and executed Ex-periment 1b along with the 704th. The experiment’s complex planning and ex-ecution could only be ac-complished by all three

DE CTF partners, com-bining the developmental testing, operational testing and DE systems expertise to get the job done.

Working hand-in-hand, the DE CTF is planning for their next DE experi-ments: a one-year field as-sessment of DE weapons at overseas locations and an airbase air defense mis-sion against cruise mis-siles.

Stay tuned for future updates!

704th Test Group successfully executed the second Directed Energy Experiment

Air Force Airmen who operated directed energy, or DE, weapons during the Army’s Maneuver and Fires Integrated Experiment, or MFIX, October 2019, at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. Using high energy laser and high power microwave tech-nologies, the DE weapons defeated a variety of unmanned aerial systems as part of an airbase air defense experiment. (U.S. Army photo by MFIX team)

Getting prepared for colder weather

By Brian S. RavakDirector, 704th Test Support Squadron

The 704th Test Support Squadron, or 704 TSS, as-signed to Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico, is a uniquely structured and extremely diverse unit within the 704th Test Group, or 704 TG. A one-stop-shop in a sense…ev-erything but the test exe-cution. It’s often been said about the 704 TSS, “As the enlisted corps is the backbone of the U.S. Air Force, so is the 704 TSS to the 704 TG.” The di-rection to Team 704 TSS, echoing the unit motto, is to deliver innovative, ag-ile support to the 704 TG

teams so the units can fo-cus on test execution and providing superior test and evaluation to their customers.

Recognizing test and evaluation teams must meet warfighter demands at the speed of relevance, the 704 TSS provides world-class support to the 704 TG in support of the National Defense Strat-egy, ensuring “the De-partment of Defense will be prepared to defend the homeland, remain the pre-eminent military power in the world, ensure the bal-ances of power remain in our favor and advance an international order that

Innovatus Agilis Auxilium - Innovative Agile Support

AEDC Team’s efficient actions support Hypersonic Conventional Strike Weapon testing

Staff Sgt. Duran Perry, right, and Senior Airman Dwayne Shields, with the 704th Test Support Squadron, receive contracted assets in support of the 746th Test Squadron’s Research Development Test and Evaluation activities, Aug. 4. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Linta Khounphysane)See AGILIS, page 5

By Lt. Col. John McShaneDirector, AEDC Flight Systems CTF

The Hypersonic Con-ventional Strike Weapon (HCSW) program recently requested a time-sensitive test at Arnold Engineering Development Complex to inform a milestone de-

cision. Recognizing the importance of the weapon system to meeting the demands of the National Defense Strategy (NDS), AEDC rose to the chal-lenge and provided vali-dated hypersonic aerody-namic data in record time.

The 2018 NDS requires that the Department of Defense provide combat-

credible military forces to deter war and protect the security of our nation. In-ter-state strategic competi-tion, not terrorism, is now the primary concern of U.S. national security. The central challenge to U.S. prosperity and security is the reemergence of long-term, strategic competi-tion by China and Russia.

These nations are rapidly modernizing their militar-ies with the goal of dis-placing the United States.

U.S. military advan-tage, which allowed the U.S. to enjoy uncontested superiority in every op-erating domain, is chal-lenged by rapid technolog-ical advancements and the changing character of war.

The emergence of hyper-sonic weapons represent a capability that can enable the U.S. to maintain a de-cisive military advantage. According the NDS, the joint force must be able to strike diverse targets inside adversary air and missile defense networks

See TESTING, page 5

January 6, 2020 • 3

Additionally, Fanning has assisted in educating AEDC geograph ica l l y - sepa ra t ed units on requirement pack-ages in order to maximize and streamline execution time-

lines and leads monthly multi-functional team meetings to synthesize the financial data and input from the AEDC op-erating contractor.

Of his recognition, Fan-

ning said, “It is an honor and privilege to be recognized as Supervisor of the Year for AFTC Contracting Execution Directorate at Arnold (AFTC/PZ) in itself, much less AFTC

Outstanding Civilian in Enter-prise, Supervisor of the Year.”

He also commended his team members for all their hard work and making this award possible.

“The folks that work with me on a day-to-day basis are really the ones that deserve the recognition for this award,” he said. “PZ has a great team here at AEDC.”

AWARD from page 1

DIRECTOR from page 1

Getting prepared for colder weatherBy AEDC Safety

As temperatures drop dur-ing the winter months, the po-tential for freezing rain, ice or snow increases.

Now is the time for each of us to take action and help pre-vent winter related slips, trips and falls.

The following are a few tips to help prepare ourselves and our surroundings:

1. Change your shoes:When roads, parking lots, and walkways start to ice over – even if it’s just in a few spots – walking becomes hazard-

ous. Having a shoe with slip-resistant soles and good tread is important. If your job or lifestyle requires a dressier type of footwear, you can al-ways change after you get in-side.

2. Watch where you walk:Pay attention to the places near your work area where standing water could freeze creating a hazard. Take time to report them. While there may not be a fix for every area, many can be repaired. At the very least, we can make ourselves and our coworkers aware of problem areas so that

we can plan alternate routes. If the walkway is covered with ice, travel along grassy areas for traction if possible.

3. Check entrances: Areentry mats in place to allow those entering the facility to wipe their feet? Are the mats secure, with no upturned cor-ners or edges? Report issues to the building manager.

4. Are outside stairwayssafe during icy weather? If you enter through an exterior stairway, note where water stands on concrete or other solid steps; these wet spots may be icy in freezing weath-

er. Handrails can also ice over so it’s best to find an alternate entrance if possible. Any ex-terior stairway can become slick and present a serious fall hazard when icy or even when covered with a heavy frost.

5. Change the surface:Walkways and entrances can’t all be cleared at one time. If you arrive before the entry is cleared, consider spreading deicer on icy surfaces if you feel safe doing so.

6. Keep equipment clean:Take the time to clean mud, ice, snow, and other debris from vehicles and equipment

to help ensure safe operation.7. Avoid shortcuts: Plan

safe alternate paths now in case your usual path is iced over. Detours or shortcuts over unknown terrain may be unsafe.

Building managers, be sure to inspect your buildings for areas that have potential to be exposed to freezing tem-peratures, such as mechanical rooms and stairwells, and any other areas that are uncondi-tioned. Ensure that all open-ings, doors, windows and vents are closed and secured to protect the area from freezing.

In his role as AEDC Vice Director, Coker said he wants to be a senior leader to support and serve those working across AEDC.

“I’m not here to tell people how to do their jobs or put di-rectives out,” he said. “I want to get their feedback and find ways I can help them accomplish the mission more effectively.”

He added that one of his pri-mary goals is to work to make operations across the Wing En-terprise more efficient while not creating additional work for those already busy conducting the mission.

“I want to handle the bureau-cracy and the problems at this level so that they can execute and do their mission more ef-

ficiently,” Coker said. ”I don’t want to push my problems down to them.”

Among Coker’s other goals is the recruitment and retention of AEDC personnel. He wants to create an environment in which DOD civilians, military and contactors have rewarding work and are recognized for their accomplishments and con-tributions.

Along with focusing on per-sonnel and working to create a more efficient organization, Coker said he will work to en-sure facilities are maintained and AEDC personnel have ac-cess to the technologies and tools required for success.

“I’ll be working closely with the technical director and lead-

ership here on how we maintain and keep facilities funded, not only here at Arnold Air Force Base, but our other operating lo-cations, as well,” he said. “We have some very expensive infra-structure and a lot of key tech-nologies that need to be main-tained and developed. I’m keen-ly interested in the sustainment, restoration and modernization, as well as new investments, for the Wing Enterprise.”

Over the course of his prior positions, Coker was engaged with Arnold at various levels. This includes work in hyperson-ics during his time with the Test Resource Management Center in Washington, D.C.

“I’ve had an opportunity over the years to visit a large

number of the facilities, but it’s been a while, so I’m really look-ing forward to getting out and getting refreshed on what’s go-ing on here,” he said. “Arnold is doing some important work that is directly tied to the National Defense Strategy’s emphasis on great power competition. The work Arnold is doing is critical to meeting key national chal-lenges, especially in the area of hypersonics, which has a lot of traction right now. Space is another national priority that is gaining traction and will likely become an even larger part of the Arnold mission going for-ward in the future.”

With his extensive experi-ence in test, Coker feels he will be right at home at Arnold.

“Virtually all of my expe-rience is in ground test and developmental test, so ev-erything that’s going on here at Arnold is near and dear to what I enjoy and what I have a passion for,” Coker said. “I’m excited to be here. There’s nowhere in the Air Force that has the span and scope of AE-DC’s ground test capabilities for aeronautical testing. It is second to none in the Depart-ment.

“I consider it a privilege to be here and to be able to lead and serve this organization.”

Coker resides in Hunts-ville, Alabama, with his wife, Cindy. They have two chil-dren, both of whom live and work in the Huntsville area.

T-3 from page 1

Dakota Aaron, right, an eSTARR hardware engineer, and Calvin Davis, an instrumentation, data and controls engineer, check the new network switch and data source computers in the Arnold Engineering Development Complex Engine Test Facility T-3 test cell data conditioning room at Arnold Air Force Base, Tennessee, Dec. 3. The network switch and data source computers are part of upgrades to the test cell, including the new digital voltage scanners at the right. (U.S. Air Force photo by Jill Pickett)

Jorge Moreno, an Instrumen-tation, Data and Controls tech-nical specialist, agreed that im-proving the data system will be very beneficial for the Aeropro-pulsion Combined Test Force.

“It will greatly increase our data quality, as well as the re-liability and maintainability of the data system,” he said. “Mod-ernization will also standardize T-3’s data system to be similarto other test cells across AEDC.”

As part of the project, new

High Pressure Air test cell cool-ing piping is being installed. An important outcome of the new HPA test cell cooling is an in-crease in the test capabilities of T-3.

“We’ll be able to achieve alarger envelope and be able to provide test conditions that we were unable to previously ob-tain,” Duke said.

A low pressure air system was previously installed at T-3, which requires running C-Plant,

the plant used by the Aeropro-pulsion System Test Facility’s C-1 and C-2 test cells, to achievecertain conditions.

“Once the new HPA test cell cooling is checked out and on-line, there will be a cost savings because we will no longer have to run C-plant,” Duke said.

Doyle echoed how neces-sary this improvement is.

“The HPA Test Cell Cool-ing System will provide an ef-ficient method of controlling

the temperature in the test cell, which in turn will expand the testing envelop for our future AEDC customers,” he said. “The longer a test article can be tested, the more data we can take during a test.”

Amid these other changes, the entire control room for T-3 is being replaced.

“The control room still has the same GE/Westinghouse hardware and software from the 1980s because they were

one of the primary customers at the time,” Duke said.

Doyle stated when all phas-es of the T-3 modernization is complete, it will be a big day for AEDC and its engine test customers.

“Providing the test customer and AEDC with a test cell that provides a greater testing enve-lope, more experienced person-nel and systems, and cheaper maintainability is a win-win for AEDC,” he said.

New Digital Temperature Scanners were installed in the Arnold Engineering Development Complex Engine Test Facility T-3 test cell as part of upgrades to the test cell at Arnold Air Force Base, Tennessee, Dec. 3. (U.S. Air Force photo by Jill Pickett)

4 • January 6, 2020


The Defense Depart-ment has announced ex-panded commissary, mili-tary exchange and Morale Welfare and Recreation, or MWR, access beginning Jan. 1, and has established a standard for physical access to military instal-lations, including Arnold Air Force Base, Tenn.

In accordance with the Purple Heart and Disabled Veterans Equal Access Act of 2018, included in the John S. McCain Na-tional Defense Authoriza-tion Act for Fiscal Year 2019, starting Jan. 1, 2020, access will expand to include all veterans with service-connected disabilities, veterans who are Purple Heart recipi-ents, veterans who are former prisoners of war, and individuals approved and designated as the pri-mary family caregivers of eligible veterans under the Department of Veterans Affairs Program of Com-prehensive Assistance for

Family Caregivers. This expansion will

extend eligibility to over 4.1 million new patrons, but the Department an-ticipates little to no impact on current patrons in most locations. There may be some impact in areas with a high cost of living, but the DOD is preparing to accommodate all new pa-trons.

"These new privileges recognize the service and sacrifice of these veterans and those that care for them," said A.T. Johnston, deputy assistant secretary of defense for Military Community and Family Policy. "If you or someone you know might be eli-gible for these privileges, share the message. Please help us ensure these veter-ans and caregivers receive the privileges they've been granted."

Veterans and primary family caregivers who are eligible and want to take advantage of in-person benefits must have a Vet-erans Health Identification Card, or VHIC. Primary

family caregivers must have an eligibility letter from the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Community Care.

Veterans currently use VHICs for identification and check-in at VA ap-pointments, but will also use them for base access under the new program. Veterans eligible solely under this act who are eligible to obtain a VHIC must use this credential for in-person installation and privilege access. The card must display the vet-eran’s eligibility status (e.g., Purple Heart, former prisoner of war or mili-tary-service connected). Veterans eligible solely under this act who are not enrolled in or are not eligi-ble to enroll in VA health care, or who are enrolled in VA health care, but do not possess a VHIC will not have access to DOD and Coast Guard installa-tions for in-person com-missary, exchange and MWR retail privileges, but will have full access to online exchanges and

American Forces Travel. Medal of Honor recipi-ents and veterans with 100 percent service-connected disability ratings are eli-gible for DOD credentials under DOD policy.

How to get a VHIC

Veterans must be en-rolled in the VA health care system to receive a VHIC. To enroll, com-plete an application for enrollment in VA health care by telephone with-out the need for a signed-paper application. Just call 877-222-VETS (8387)Monday through Fridayfrom 8 a.m. until 8 p.m.EST. Veterans can alsoapply for VA healthcarebenefits online at www.va.gov/healthbenefits/en-roll, or in-person at a localVA medical facility. Onceenrollment is verified, vet-erans can have their pic-ture taken at their local VAmedical center, and VAwill mail the VHIC.

ID needed for VHIC

To ensure a veteran’s identity, enrollees must provide one form of pri-mary identification when requesting a VHIC. Ac-ceptable forms of primary identification are: a state-issued driver’s license; a U.S. passport or passport card; or another form of government ID.

This ID can be is-sued by federal, state or local government agen-cies provided it contains a photograph, name, date of birth and address. If the address is not on the proofing document, veter-ans can provide separate documentation to confirm their address. Acceptable address documents in-clude: electric bill, cable bill, other mailing docu-ment, or voter registration card.

How long does it take?

Once the picture for the ID is taken, veter-ans should receive their VHIC within 10 days. If they have any questions, veterans should contact their local VA medical fa-cility where they receive care or call 877-222-VETS (8387).

Primary family caregivers of eligible

veterans

Eligible caregivers will receive an eligibility letter from VA’s Office of Community Care.

If a primary fam-ily caregiver under the PCAFC loses their eli-gibility letter, please call 877-733-7927 to request areplacement. Please allowtwo weeks for processing.

For installation access, entry to some commissary stores and at point of sale at commissaries, exchang-es, and MWR retail fa-cilities, eligible caregivers will need to show an ac-ceptable credential along with their eligibility let-ter. Acceptable credentials may include:

• DOD common accesscard (when otherwiseeligible)

• DOD uniformed services identificationcard (when otherwiseeligible)

• REAL ID-compliant driver’s license issuedby a state, territory,possession, or the District of Columbia

• REAL ID-compliantn o n - d r i v e r ’ sidentification cardissued by a state, territory, possession, or the District of Columbia

• Enhanced driver’s license issued by a state, territory, possession, or the District of Columbia

• U.S. passport orpassport card

• Foreign passportbearing an unexpiredimmigrant or non-immigrant visa or entry stamp

• Federal personal identity verification card (when otherwise eligible)

• VHIC

• Transportation WorkerIdentification Card

First visit to an installation using the

VHIC

Upon the first visit to an installation, eligible veterans and caregivers

must stop at the Visitor Control Center, or VCC. Depending on the type of installation, veterans may enroll for recurring ac-cess, which allows them to proceed to the gate for entry upon subsequent visits without having to stop again at the VCC.

As with all other indi-viduals seeking access to DOD installations, all eli-gible veterans must pass a basic on-the-spot back-ground check prior to en-rolling and an automated check each time they enter the installation. Veterans with felony convictions, felony arrest warrants, or other types of deroga-tory information related to criminal history or terror-ism will not be permitted entry.

To learn more about the commissary, mili-tary exchange and MWR expansion, visit: https://download.militaryone-source.mil/12038/MOS/Factsheets/expanding-access-fact-sheet.pdf. The following websites are also available for more information about military resale privileges:

• Army and Air ForceExchange Service( h t t p s : / / w w w .shopmyexchange .com/vets)

• Coast Guard Exchange(https://shopCGX.com)

• Defense CommissaryAgency (https://www.commissaries.com/)

• Navy Exchange( h t t p s : / / w w w .mynavyexchange .com/)

• Marine Corps Exchange (http://www.mymcx.com/)

• Military Star Card(https://www.myecp.com/)

• American ForcesTravel (https://www.americanforcestravel.com)This article was com-

piled using information from the “Department of Defense Expanding Access to Commissaries, Military Exchanges and Recreation Facilities” and “Veterans with Veteran Health ID Card can shop at Military Exchange starting Jan. 1” news releases.

VOODOO 1 from page 1

AFRL successfully completes two and a half-day flight of Ultra Long Endurance Unmanned Air Platform

smoke and fumes can rap-idly incapacitate a crew. Ad-ditionally, there is a limited amount of time before a fire reaches critical flight systems or causes a loss of structural integrity which can lead to a crash.

In this potentially deadly situation, the five aircrew members acted quickly. No-tably, Kassemi initiated emer-gency communications, di-rected aircrew actions and programmed navigational aids for landing. McNiel fought

and extinguished the fire with onboard firefighting equip-ment, during which the pilots landed the aircraft safely at Holloman AFB within min-utes of the fire starting. Due to the crew’s rapid and effective emergency actions, there were no major injuries to the air-crew or significant damage to the one of a kind test aircraft.

Members of the 704th TG were also operating the Hollo-man airfield at the time of the aircraft fire. They coordinated the safe recovery and emer-

gency response to the aircraft after landing.

Those members were:

• Maj. Benjamin Karlow, operations duty officer,746th Test Squadron

• 2nd Lt. LaVincha Wilbon,test manager, 746th Test Squadron

• Airman 1st Class RodrigoNoriega, operations desk coordinator, 586th Flight Test SquadronOf particular note, Kar-

low ensured the runway lights

were on for the pilot’s rapid visual cueing. He addition-ally directly coordinated with the Command Post and Fire Department to ensure a quick response. According to Col. Charles B. Cain, 704th TG commander, the 704th Test Group is particularly grateful to the 49th Wing for authoriz-ing and enabling after-hours use of the Holloman airfield. This provided a long, familiar, lighted runway with full-time emergency response capabil-ity, factors that helped ensure

the safe recovery of the air-craft and crew.

Cain summed it up this way, ”Bottom line, these Airmen from the 704th Test Group and 49th Wing team applied their training and worked together to safely and effectively respond to this emergency and they are here to all tell the story because of it.”

Having won at the AFMC level, the VOODOO 1 aircrew will now be considered for the award at the Air Force level.

Veterans with Veteran Health ID Card to receive commissary, military exchange and certain MWR privileges starting Jan. 1

January 6, 2020 • 5

By 88th Air Base Wing Public Affairs

W R I G H T - P A T -TERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio – The Air Force Research Labora-tory’s Center for Rapid Innovation (CRI) has suc-cessfully completed initial flight tests for a revolu-tionary Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) with a customizable suite of In-telligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) tools that supports extend-ed missions.

This series of flight tests began in February 2019 at Dugway Prov-ing Ground, Utah, culmi-nating with a two and a half-day continuous flight demonstration from Dec. 9 to Dec 11. Subsequent flight tests will demon-strate increased levels of flight endurance.

The Ultra Long En-durance Aircraft Platform (Ultra LEAP) consists of a high-performance, cost-effective, sport-class commercial airframe con-verted to a fully automated system with autonomous takeoff and landing capa-bilities. Ultra LEAP also features secure, easy to use navigation employ-ing anti-jam GPS and full global operational access via a satellite-based com-mand and control and high-rate ISR data relay link.

“As the Air Force bal-ances current readiness with long-term modern-ization, Ultra LEAP rep-resents an affordable ap-proach that supports both existing and future force needs,” said Maj. Gen. William Cooley, AFRL commander, adding that the “enhanced UAS capa-

bilities along with the cost savings offers the military a winning solution.”

“Developing a UAS with this level of endur-ance is an incredible achievement for future warfighting and battlefield success,” said Paul Litke, the AFRL project engineer leading this effort. Litke explains that since the sys-tem employs many com-mercial off-the-shelf com-ponents, Ultra LEAP will dramatically shift the ISR cost-performance curve for the U.S. military.

Developing Ultra LEAP from concept to first flight took less than 10 months, and the sys-tem could be ready for operational fielding as soon as 2020. The high level of automation it pro-vides will enable greatly reduced operator training requirements for the U.S. Air Force. Smaller sup-port crews will also lead to lower operating costs.

“Accomplished after only 10 months of devel-opment by our AFRL/in-dustry team, today’s 2.5-day Ultra LEAP mission is a significant milestone in solving the tyranny of distance problem for ISR systems,” said Dr. Alok Das, AFRL Senior Scien-tist and the CRI Director. “It will provide immedi-ate benefit to our warf-ighters while at the same time paving the path for future low-cost, multi-day endurance ISR sys-tems.”

Ultra LEAP employs many of the subsystems and lessons learned from AFRL’s highly success-ful prior LEAP program, a UAS that supports mis-sions up to 40 hours. To date, LEAP has com-

pleted more than 18,000 combat flight hours and demonstrated one of the lowest mishap rates and smallest mission crew size of any operational UAS in its class. CRI em-ployed the same strategy in both efforts of convert-ing existing aircraft into ISR platforms.

Litke explains that by leveraging the commer-cial aircraft market, AFRL significantly reduced the cost to manufacture and provide logistical spares relative to UAS.

“This way, the U.S.

military will save money without sacrificing reli-ability and maintainabil-ity,” he said.

Going forward, par-allel AFRL-CRI efforts will focus on UAS opera-tions with short takeoff and landing distances to support deployments at non-traditional locations.

As an early adopter of creating disruptive in-novation through para-digm shifts, AFRL estab-lished the CRI in 2006 to streamline AFRL’s application of new and existing technologies to

address dynamic chang-es in air, space, ground, and cyber battlespaces and solve evolving and urgent operational chal-lenges. The execution of this unique process uti-lizes highly diverse sub-ject matter expertise and a collaborative Govern-ment-Industry technical and management capabil-ity to nimbly and rapidly develop, test, and deploy innovative prototype so-lutions for dynamic op-erational environments.

CRI routinely uses the Small Business Innova-

tion Research program to identify both disruptive technology and innova-tive engineering talent for its projects. Working with teams of innovative small businesses, CRI has demonstrated nu-merous operational suc-cesses in such areas as back-packable precision strike platforms, counter-improvised explosive devices, counter drone capabilities and secure on-the-move communi-cations. Several efforts have transitioned to Pro-grams of Record.

AFRL successfully completes two and a half-day flight of Ultra Long Endurance Unmanned Air Platform

The Ultra Long Endurance Aircraft Platform (Ultra LEAP) consists of a high-performance, cost-effective, sport-class commercial airframe converted to a fully automated system with autonomous takeoff and landing capabilities. The Air Force Research Laboratory’s Center for Rapid Innovation (CRI) has success-fully completed initial flight tests for the revolutionary Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) with a customiz-able suite of Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) tools that supports extended missions. This series of flight tests began in February 2019 at Dugway Proving Ground, Utah, culminating with a two and a half-day continuous flight demonstration from Dec. 9 to Dec 11. Subsequent flight tests will demon-strate increased levels of flight endurance. (Courtesy artwork/Air Force Research Laboratory)

is most conducive to our secu-rity and prosperity.” A direct quote from the Summary of the 2018 National Defense Strategy (NDS) of the United States of America.

So, how exactly does the 704 TSS support superior test and evaluation in support of the NDS? The 704 TSS is re-sponsible for a multitude of test support functions, to include but not limited to: acquisition and contracting support, envi-ronmental protection, financial management, human resources, information technology, logis-tics readiness, fleet logistics, and plans and programs. Additional support functions reporting di-rectly to the 704 TG Command-er include: physical and cyber security, flight, ground and oc-cupational safety, and quality assurance/inspection readiness.

Without these, and many other support services, the 704 TG would not be able to effectively and efficiently conduct its test and evaluation mission.

A great example of the agile support and value the 704 TSS brings to the fight was the reach-back support Staff Sgt. Duran Perry delivered to Arnold En-gineering Development Com-plex’s Test Support Division’s, or TSD, Logistics Branch during the spring of 2019 Financial Im-provement and Audit Readiness equipment inventory. Through Perry’s leadership, experience and exemplary support, he en-abled TSD to remedy several deficiencies as a result of the ex-tensively broad scope of effort. Perry’s actions ensures AEDC’s overall readiness and places AEDC at the forefront of en-abling the delivery of “military

power anywhere in the world.”Working closely with the

AEDC Plans and Programs and Financial Management of-fices, the 704 TSS identified over a hundred line-items and over two-hundred million dollars in unfunded requirements. Many of these requirements include multi-million dollar improvement and modernization efforts. Further, through the advocacy of AEDC/XP, the 704 TSS was able to se-cure restoration of funds in the 704 TG baseline budget; funding that is absolutely essential to the long-term health of 704 TG T&E capabilities and infrastructure. Recapitalizing AEDC’s test and evaluation infrastructure supports Air Force Test Center and Air Force Materiel Command deci-sion makers’ long-range planning, ensures AEDC’s readiness for next-generation weapon systems

testing and “ensures the balances of power remain in our favor.”

Another game-changer the 704 TSS delivered to the 704 TG is the Initial Operational Ca-pability of the Defense Research and Engineering Network, or DREN. The DREN delivers High-Performance Computing, or HPC, to test engineers and data analyst, providing a much needed capability in support of critical weapons systems test-ing. Being flexible, innovative and ready to adapt to an ever-changing environment, 704 TSS Cyber Warriors met the de-mands of the test engineers. Key to this enhancing capability was the 704 TSS’s partnership with AEDC’s Test and Base Com-munications Branch, without whose help, HPC and the DREN would not have come to fruition at the 704 TG.

Bottom Line: 704 TSS’s job is all about support services. The 704 TSS delivers quality test support service, on time, day-or-night, and will always tell the customer “Yes”…unless we have to tell them “No.” A char-acter trait retired U.S. Air Force Gen. Stephen Lorenz is well known for, which he included in his book “Lorenz on Leader-ship” when he wrote, “I never say no until I research the issue and look into all of the alterna-tives.” Looking at the innova-tive, agile support the 704 TSS provides to the 704 TG test units, Lorenz’s philosophy is readily visible. The 704th Test Support Squadron almost always finds a way to “Yes,” delivering to the warfighter superior enabling test and evaluation support, which ultimately supports the National Defense Strategy.

AGILIS from page 2

TESTING from page 2to destroy mobile power-pro-jection platforms. The Hy-personic Conventional Strike Weapon does precisely this; it is a hypersonic development and test program capable of launch from an aircraft with the ability to penetrate long-range air defense areas.

As a medium-tier acquisi-tion rapid prototyping initia-tive, HCSW has an aggressive schedule and is leveraging nu-merous innovative approaches to acquisition, technical de-velopment, integration and test.

It was determined that test-ing in the AEDC von Kármán Gas Dynamics Facility (VKF) was required to succeed.

In order to meet the ac-celerated schedule, numerous

hurdles had to be overcome in a short timeframe to include designing and fabricating a test model, putting together a test plan, and performing high-fidelity modeling and simula-tion. Leveraging longstanding partnerships and relying on some unique capabilities, the team leaned into the challenge to obtain time critical data necessary for the rapid devel-opment of this game-changing technology.

AEDC Test Operations Division, Test System Sus-tainment Division, the AEDC Model Shop and the AEDC Safety Office worked together to push hard to accelerate the planning, build-up, installa-tion, test execution and report-ing of the system under test. A

Hypersonic Systems Branch team consisting of Ben Mills, Sarah Adams and Ancie Dot-son worked closely with the AEDC Model Shop, local Se-curity and IT personnel in the development and execution of the model fabrication and acceptance plan. This team’s collaboration across multiple disciplines enabled the AEDC Model Shop to deliver two sensitive models in less than six weeks, much faster than originally scheduled.

Similarly, a team from the Test System Sustainment Di-vision, led by Adam Fanning, performed a System Safety Hazard Analysis and Safety Review to bring an elevated risk sub-system back on line temporarily to support the

stressing test conditions with-in the tight schedule.

The Flight Systems Branch test team, led by Test Man-ager John Hopf, worked over eighty-hour weeks for mul-tiple consecutive weeks in the VKF to obtain the data re-quired.

The AEDC team’s efforts paid off. The team validated weapon system performance predictions and filled gaps in knowledge where predictions were not available. Addition-ally, the test surge allowed the program to stay on their accel-erated schedule.

The Hypersonic Conven-tional Strike Weapon testing at AEDC was crucial to the program’s accelerated devel-opment schedule and in meet-

ing the demands of the NDS. AEDC recognized this and prioritized efforts to provide quality decisions and infor-mation within an accelerated timeline. This was accom-plished through the tight col-laboration across the AEDC enterprise.

The knowledge gained from AEDC’s efforts was in-strumental in proving the su-periority of the weapon sys-tem to meet the demands of the NDS. This success is just one of the many times in its history that AEDC has risen to meet the demands of the NDS by quickly adapting to meet a program’s accelerated testing schedule.

Hap Arnold’s legacy is alive and well; “Second to None.”

6 • January 6, 2020

By Senior Airman Rhett Isbell18th Wing Public Affairs

KADENA AIR BASE, Japan (AFNS) – Kadena Air Base hosted visitors from the Japan Air Self-De-fense Force during the 2019 NCO Bilateral Exchange program Nov. 15–22.

The NCO Bilateral Ex-change program consists of U.S. Air Force, U.S. Army and Japan Self-Defense Force members coming to-gether to learn and grow. The program pairs members from similar career fields, so they can learn how their counterparts operate to ac-complish the missions of peaceful development, con-tingency response and ag-gression deterrence.

“The purpose of the NCO Bilateral Exchange is to gain insight on how our

partners perform their mis-sion and how we perform ours,” said Tech. Sgt. Adrian Lemard, 18th Aircraft Main-tenance Squadron crew chief. “For instance, they organize their crew chiefs in a different way compared to us. They’re a lot more specialized in their career fields.”

The program includ-ed historical and mission briefs, base tour, physical training, professional en-hancement seminars and worksite visits.

“It was a great time to improve the relations be-tween the Japanese and Americans,” said Japan Air Self-Defense Force Staff Sgt. Shuichiro Masu-naga, 6th Tactical Fighter Squadron aircraft general technician, who was paired with Lemard during the ex-change. “It’s awesome to

see the bond between us. I was able to improve my English and I liked how hands-on the maintenance is here.”

Masunaga he normally wouldn’t have the opportu-nity to take part in such as: tire changes, launch proce-dures on the F-15 (Eagle) and F-15 refueling proce-dures. The opportunity to work closely together left both Masunaga and Lemard hoping for more bilateral exchange events in the fu-ture.

“It’s good to see another side of the mission,” Lemard said. “You can get locked into a narrow viewpoint of how your mission and craft operates, so it’s always fun to be able to see another an-gle or learn new tricks of the trade that can make us better at what we do. I would love to do this again.”

NCO Bilateral Exchange: Growth through connection

Japan Air Self-Defense Force Staff Sgt. Shuichiro Masunaga, 6th Tactical Fight-er Squadron aircraft general technician, right, trains on refueling an F-15C Ea-gle with guidance from Tech. Sgt. Adrian Lemard, 18th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron crew chief, left, as part of an NCO Bilateral Exchange program at Kadena Air Base, Japan, Nov. 19. Bilateral exchanges allow for an improved understanding of capabilities held by each country’s armed forces, as well as the opportunity to improve relations between the United States and Japan. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Rhett Isbell)

Japan Air Self-Defense Force Staff Sgt. Shuichiro Masunaga, 6th Tactical Fight-er Squadron aircraft general technician, left, and Tech. Sgt. Adrian Lemard, 18th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron crew chief, change tires on an F-15C Eagle as part of an NCO Bilateral Exchange program at Kadena Air Base, Japan, Nov. 19. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Rhett Isbell)

Tech. Sgt. Mario Rey, 18th Security Forces Squadron military working dog han-dler, left, speaks with U.S. Air Force, U.S. Army and Japan Self-Defense Force members participating in an NCO Bilateral Exchange program about the capa-bilities and training of military working dogs at Kadena Air Base, Japan, Nov. 19. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Rhett Isbell)

By Airman 1st Class Jacob B. Wrightsman2nd Bomb Wing Public Affairs

BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, La. (AFNS) – The sun has set on an integral component of the United States' long-range strategic bomb-ing capabilities, as the final Conventional Air-Launched Cruise Missile package was download-ed and disassembled at Barksdale Air Force Base, Nov. 20.

The CALCM mis-sile has been employed in combat operations to include Desert Storm, Desert Strike, Desert Fox, Allied Force, Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Free-dom. Decades later, the final missile package was disassembled to become demilitarized.

“It’s incredible to see the tail end of a weapon system come full circle,” said Tech. Sgt. Carlos Solorza, 2nd Munitions Squadron weapons system bay chief, during the final upload of the CALCM weapon system. “I don’t think I’ll ever be a part of another weapon retire-ment, and the fact that I’m here right now is pretty special.”

The CALCM missile is a small, winged missile powered by a turbofan jet engine, able to fly compli-cated routes through ter-rain with the guidance of a GPS-aided inertial naviga-tion system.

“I’ve loaded this weap-on system well over 300 times,” said retired Chief Master Sgt. Paul LaFlame,

former weapons superin-tendent at Barksdale AFB. “This has been the prima-ry weapon system on the B-52 for decades now.”

Although missile de-sign began in the mid-1970s, the CALCM wasn’t employed in combat until January 1991, during Op-eration Secret Squirrel, a mission in which seven B-52G Stratofortressestook off from BarksdaleAFB toward Iraqi targets,launching 35 CALCMmissiles.

Opening the first strikes of Operation Des-ert Storm, the then-new CALCM missiles devas-tated Saddam Hussein’s

forces and marked the first time GPS had been used to guide a missile to a target.

Former members of the mission, retired Cols. Trey Morriss and Warren Ward, alongside LaFlame, were in attendance for the final download of the last CALCM missiles.

“It’s awesome to see these young Airmen; it makes me feel young,” Ward said. “It’s always great to interact with young troops. They’re phenomenal. It’s great to see the Air Force still mov-ing along seamlessly, with great people who still get the job done,” LaFlame added.

Final CALCM missile package retired

Airmen from the 2nd Munitions Squadron transport the final Conventional Air-launched Cruise Missile to be demilitarized at Barks-dale Air Force Base, La., Nov. 20. The CALCM missile package was first operationally used in 1991 during Operation Secret Squirrel. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Jacob B. Wrightsman)

Senior Airman Ryan B. Jarvis, 2nd Munitions Squadron launcher maintenance technician, watches as the last Conventional Air-Launched Cruise Missile is loaded into a launcher at Barksdale Air Force Base, La., Nov. 20. The 2nd MUNS loaded the final CALCM missile package into a launcher in order to disassemble the weapon to become demilitarized. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Jacob B. Wrightsman)

January 6, 2020 • 7

8 • January 6, 2020

By Bryan Ripple88th Air Base Wing Public Affairs Office

WRIGHT-PATTER-SON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio – The Air Force Re-search Laboratory continues to provide U.S. Air Force combat aviators with spe-cialized research and part-ner with the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center to provide technical support when called upon by the na-tion’s warfighters.

Earlier this year, the 20th Fighter Wing at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina, requested assistance with assessing cabin pressure, oxygen concentrations and possible hypoxia-like symp-toms reported by their F-16 pilots. The request came to AFRL through the Air Force Physiological Event Action Team and Air Combat Com-mand officials. On Sept. 16, scientists and engineers from AFRL and the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center at Wright-Patterson AFB began an eight-week flight demonstration of pro-totype monitoring devices that meet the 20th Fighter Wing’s needs.

The request was well-timed, as AFRL and AFL-CMC have been working together to develop cockpit monitoring technologies.

“We responded to the request from Shaw AFB as a team from AFRL’s 711th Human Performance Wing, the F-16 System Program Office, and AFLCMC’s Hu-man Systems Division Air-crew Performance Branch to give them (the 20th Fighter Wing) a demonstration of all the devices that we had at the highest technology read-iness levels,” said 2nd Lt. (Dr.) Dominique O’Brien, Project Lead, Airman Sens-ing and Assessment Product Line, with the 711HPW’s Airman Systems Director-ate.

“The 20th Fighter Wing

stated that several devices used for cockpit environ-ment sensing and breathing gas monitoring met their needs, and requested that the team from AFRL and AFLCMC assist with fly-ing these devices on their F-16s. In response, the team initiated a rigorous safety as-sessment. The team accom-plished a battery of lab and ground integration tests that culminated in a “Safe-to-Fly” recommendation, and subsequent Airworthiness approval for two devices, all within six months of the initial meeting,” O’Brien added

One device is called the “Slam Stick,” which is available commercially, off-the-shelf (COTS). It mea-sures tri-axial acceleration – or acceleration in all threeaxes, X, Y, and Z, accordingto O’Brien.

“It also measures tem-perature, humidity, and cab-in pressure, has a high sam-pling rate and can be set to Zulu time so the actual time can be recorded,” O’Brien said. “The pilot simply in-serts the device into a flight suit pocket.”

The second device is called the Insta Pilot Breath Air Monitor, or IPBAM, measures several critical parameters of the breathing gas delivered to the pilot, delivering early warnings to the pilot that help reduce the risk of physiological events.

“The IPBAM alerts the user in low oxygen or pres-sure conditions by haptic indication to the breathing mask, similar to a stick shak-er, and by visual indicators on the IPBAM main unit,” O’Brien said. “It logs all data and alerts, and is stand-alone pilot gear with no air-craft integration needed. It is a small, rugged device that couples to the oxygen hose and into the oxygen regulator. It measures two main things – cabin pressure and oxygen concentration,

which provides information regarding performance of the On-Board Oxygen Gen-eration System, or OBOGS.

The flight demonstra-tion concluded Nov. 6 fol-lowing flights at both Shaw AFB and Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, where sev-eral aircraft from the wing’s 77th Fighter Squadron were performing temporary duty in support of an exercise, as well as participating as part of the “Red” team for the Weapons Instructor School.

At the conclusion of the demonstration, the team ob-tained data from 22 different pilots and 16 aircraft fly-ing four types of missions. In total the team collected over 94 flight hours of data, which met all objectives to assess both the performance of the OBOGS in routine operations as well as the ef-fectiveness and ease of use of the devices.

During an Oct. 2 flight, a

pilot experienced physiolog-ical event (PE)-like symp-toms at Shaw AFB while flying with the devices.

“The pilot did not re-port it as a PE, but during debrief he stated that he felt dizzy and air-hungry at alti-tude, which are symptoms that could relate to a PE,” O’Brien said. “Based on a review of all available data including additional assis-tance from medical special-ists in the Airman Systems Directorate of AFRL, the team concluded that this event wasn’t hypoxia in the traditional sense. We are also relieved that neither pi-lot nor aircraft safety were compromised, as the pilot was able to quickly alleviate the symptoms by going to 100 percent oxygen.”

There are many factors than can cause a PE, both physiological and cockpit environment-related, ac-cording to O’Brien.

“We concluded that the cabin pressure was suffi-cient and normal, and the oxygen levels provided to the pilot were likewise nor-mal. Therefore, the event could have been caused by any of a number of ad-ditional factors, such as air quality, pilot fatigue, or low blood oxygen. We are cur-rently developing recom-mendations for follow-on studies with other devices based on feedback from pi-lots and leadership within 20th Fighter Wing.”

O’Brien said there are two devices the AFRL/AFLCMC team are con-sidering for a follow-on demonstration. One is a Real-Time Air Quality Sen-

sor, or RTAQS, which mea-sures contaminants such as carbon dioxide and volatile organic compounds. Since this device requires integra-tion with the aircraft rather than simply mounting to the pilot’s harness, additional coordination must be ac-complished for airworthi-ness approval.

The second device, cour-tesy of the Naval Air War-fare Center is called Holistic Modular Aircrew Physi-ologic Status, or HMAPS, which measures a pilot’s blood oxygen levels, and is simply worn by the pilot on an armband.

The team will provide an out-brief to the 20th Fighter Wing leadership in the be-ginning of December to conclude the first phase of the demonstration, O’Brien added, “So far, our con-clusion based on all data collected is that the cabin pressure and oxygen out-put from their OBOGS for the aircraft that we’ve seen is working well, but there are other possible contribu-tors that require these other devices to assess, hence the need for follow-on studies.”

The process of test, evaluation, and Airwor-thiness approval within a relatively short amount of time required close coordi-nation between AFRL, and the AFLCMC’s Human Systems Division and F-16 Program Offices. Taking the project from concept in March 2019, to Sept. 16, the first day of the flight demonstrations, was a huge accomplishment, O’Brien said.

“The goals and vision of

the SPOs and the AFRL/711 HPW are aligned. While we were getting these moni-toring devices through the process, we were also writ-ing the new operating pro-cedures, and developing transition plans to meet all requirements for routine use of the products” she said.

“Airworthiness approv-als, especially for pilot-mounted gear, can be com-plicated and time-consum-ing,” commented 1st Lt. Lauren Kuennen, Project Lead Engineer at the AFL-CMC’s Human Systems Di-vision Aircrew Performance Branch, “but O’Brien’s team was very proactive so we were able to quickly gather the safety evidence needed to accomplish the Airworthiness Approval.”

This flight demonstra-tion is helping the 711th Human Performance Wing create a streamlined path-way for adoption of this type of technology so future implementation can be ac-complished rapidly and ef-fectively.

“Getting flight tests done is huge for development. We cannot replicate the high-performance environ-ment of the cockpit – Gs, acceleration, pressure, tem-perature and vibration all at the same time. Flight tests and demonstrations provide critical data for both device development and eventual fielding. The opportunity was useful for the lab and addressed the immedi-ate needs of our custom-ers – our fighter pilots, said O’Brien.”

For all of the mainly ju-nior military, civilians and contractors working on this flight demonstration, to see the operational side of the Air Force is energizing, O’Brien said. “Once you have the chance to work alongside and directly sup-port the customer, you see that all this work that we’re doing in the lab is relevant, needed, and very much ap-preciated. It’s tremendously rewarding for myself and the team.”

“Our customers are the warfighters, and they’re really looking to us for an-swers. I am deeply proud of the entire AFRL/AFLCMC team for responding to their needs and helping ensure pilot safety and effective-ness,” said O’Brien.

AFRL, AFLCMC respond to warfighter request for assistance

2nd Lt. (Dr.) Dominique O’Brien, Project Lead, Airman Sensing and Assessment Product Line, with the 711th Human Performance Wing’s Airman Systems Directorate, displays two devices her team used dur-ing flight tests in support of a request from the 20th Fighter Wing to provide assistance with assessing cabin pressure, oxygen concentrations, and possible hypoxia-like symptoms reported by their F-16 pi-lots. One device is called the “Slam Stick,” (orange in color), which measures tri-axial acceleration – or acceleration in all three axes, X, Y, and Z. The second device is called the Insta Pilot Breath Air Monitor, or IPBAM, (black device being held by Lt. O’Brien) which measures several critical parameters of the breath-ing gas delivered to the pilot. (U.S. Air Force photo by Bryan Ripple)

January 6, 2020 • 9


For some, the start of a new year means the tradi-tion of making New Year’s resolutions and making plans for self-improve-ment.

AEDC team members were asked about their plans for 2020, and many have set goals for the year.

“I do not follow New Year’s Resolutions, but I do believe in a daily motto: When you know better, do better, and always grow!” – Dawnsherrae Bryant,Safety Professional

“For 2020, I want to make a better effort to spend quality time with my entire family. Life passes by so quickly. Be-fore I know it my kids will be too old to spend time with me and it will be too late to spend time with my parents. I spend many days and nights working, attending ball practices and games, but never tak-ing a moment to spend quality time with my loved ones. Living life without regrets.” – Nena Draine, Administrative Assistant

“Try to improve my health; exercise; get closer

to God; be a better dad, grandfather and husband.” – Perry Hoge, Pipefitter

“We should always becontinuing to better our-selves rather than wait on a new year to make im-provements. Currently, I am working to improve both my physical and mental health by eating whole foods, reducing sugar and increasing phys-ical activity with the goal of completing the 2020 Sunrise Century 100-mile bicycle race. I am also in-corporating longer medita-tion sessions, more books and less social media for the coming new year.” – Matt Lance, Machinist Journeyman

“My New Year’s reso-lution has always been simply just to learn, grow, mature and be better than the person I was a year ago.” – 2nd Lt. Gregory Landrum, Engine Test Project Manager

“Sleep better; focus on family, spend more time together; invest in advanc-ing hobby skills; and read 25 books.” – Michael Magistro, Test Engineer

“My plans to resolve are to continue updating my important systems and

be more grateful.” – Gar-rick Muncie, ID&C En-gineer

“A goal I am embark-ing on is training to see if I can try to run a 50K ultra marathon. I’ve never run more than a half marathon prior to this adventure. I’m also hoping to get in an-other section hike or two on the Appalachian Trail and take my husband on his first backpacking trip.” – Ashley Rose-Nalin, Program Manager

“I don’t normally set specific goals at the start of each new year but af-ter giving it some thought, here are a few ideas I had:

“I actually broke the screen of my phone about a month ago and am just now getting around to fix-

ing it. As a result, I have used my phone much less than I normally would, and that’s a trend I would like to continue in the new year.

“When visiting with family recently, I realized we hadn’t taken a trip to-gether in some time. In 2020, I will volunteer to

plan a small trip or vaca-tion that we’ve always talked about but have never actually done.

“The last thing I thought about was how I could be more mind-ful about my consump-tion of resources. I’m challenging myself to make a conscious effort

to reuse, repair and re-purpose items before re-placing them. Although my individual impact might be small in the grand scheme of things, I won’t let that discourage me from practicing re-sponsible stewardship.” – Emily Sayles, ID&CSoftware Engineer, TOS

AEDC team members setting personal goals for the new year

Ashley Rose-NalinMichael Magistro

Perry Hoge Matthew LanceDawnsherrae Bryant Nena Draine

2nd Lt. Gregory Landrum

10 • January 6, 2020

Arnold AFB Milestones35 YEARSCinda Jernigan, TOSEarl Pewitt, TOSRobert Reed, TMASJohn Silva, TOSGeorge Wilson, TOS

30 YEARSDavid Day, AFWilliam Epley, TOSPhenillophie Miller, TOSVernon Rogers, TOS

25 YEARSBarry Henderson, TOSGeorge Jenkins, TOS

20 YEARSJohn Nunley, TOS

15 YEARSRyan Allen, TOSKevin Boyce, TOSJason Bramblett, TOSEric Brumley, TOSMichael Dickey, TOSZachary Grosch, TOSMatthew Kennedy, TOS

Michael Kinslow, TOSRonald Meadows, TOSJeff Moss, TOSCarlos Nichols, TOSGeorge Reel, TOSCarlton Rogers, TOSClarence Rogers, TOSJoe Simmons, TOSTimothy Taylor, TOSJimmy Towry, TOSAdam Webb, TOS

10 YEARSArmando Aguirre, AFBrian Barnes, FSSKevin Hill, TOSMichael Slack, TOSSam Teat, FSS

5 YEARSSylvia Armer, TOSClint Bryant, TMASChad Cantrell, TOSCasey Culver, TOSJim Hereford, TOSJason Hoge, TOSEthan Jobe, TOSEddie Lee, TOS

Edward Murphy, TOSWilliam Nelson, TOSJames Rogers, TMASNathan Tendick, TMASMatt Witt, TOSJohn Wohleber, TMAS

INBOUND MILITARY1st Lt. Brian Gatzke, AF2nd Lt. Mason Lucas, AFStaff Sgt. Jason McDaniel, AFStaff Sgt. Devonta McGee, AF

OUTBOUND MILITARY1st Lt. Karlie Madden, AF

RETIREMENTSMaster Sgt. Matthew Alfreno, AFRuel Burns III, AFDon Corona, AFGary George, FSSCharles Henderson, FSSBilly King, FSSWarren Mullinax, TOSThomas Schmidt, TMASVickie Swickard, AFDennis Timmons, AFDebra Williams, AF

NEW HIRESJohn Bearden, TOSJoseph Braker, TOSNicole Bryant, AFJared Chandler, TOSSteven Chaput, TOSKatherine Crowell, TOSScott Dauzat, TOSBrenda Fryman, TOSCooper Green, AFChristaphor Griffin, TOSBrittany Hall, TOSAnthony Hanner, AFAmna Lynn, TOSJoshua Mataosky, TMASMatthew Mcbee, TMASAdam Moon, AFOlufemi Ogunmola, TOSTed Pierce, TOSKristopher Pollock, TOSMichael Purnell, TMASWilliam Russell, AFWilliam Sherwood, TOSBrian Stacy, AFJarrett Starbuck, AFSteven Stargel, TOSMichael Williams, TOSTaylor Wright, TMAS

PROMOTIONSLt. Col. Jeffrey Burdette pro-moted to colonel

Master Sgt. Jason Harlan promoted to senior master sergeant

1st Lt. Karlie Madden pro-moted to captain

Diana Skordallos, Services, promoted to Outdoor Recre-ation Manager

CERTIFICATESMark (Tony) Echols earned the APDP Program Manage-ment Level II certificate

Jeremy Morris earned Project Management Professional certification

Bernard Nichols, AF, com-pleted Air Command and Staff College

By Jasmine Porterfield

EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. – Leaders from the three bases that make up the Air Force Test Cen-ter came together to plan the future of Air Force test during an annual strategic planning gathering here Dec. 3-5.

Respective wing com-manders and senior leaders joined Maj. Gen. Christo-pher Azzano, AFTC com-mander, to evaluate past performances, discuss ideas and establish goals for the year ahead. The gathering occurs at a different AFTC site each year between here, Edwards Air Force Base, California and Arnold Air Force Base, Tennessee.

“We are a lynchpin to the future superiority of the free world,” said Azzano. “Everything we do moves the ball forward.”

According to Azzano, the Center currently runs more than 670 programs with many involving cyber capabilities and next-gener-ation technologies such as hypersonics, autonomous systems and directed energy.

The agenda focused on how to advance these tech-nologies to meet National Defense Strategy initiatives. Other topics included per-sonnel, infrastructure and budget as they pertain to mission success and strate-gic deterrence.

“We need to stay ahead of our adversaries,” said Az-

zano. “We need to be faster, have more agility and flex-ibility and take on more risk.”

During the event, lead-ers got an inside look into several Eglin assets and ca-pabilities, including the Air Force’s new HH-60 Com-bat Rescue helicopter, MH-139 facilities, the Invisible Wounds Clinic, and base-specific fire suppression practices being considered for Air Force-wide use.

“Do not underestimate the inertia of (Air Force Ma-terial Command) staff,” said Azzano. “(We’re) the point of execution to make things happen.”

An updated AFTC Stra-tegic Plan is scheduled to be published in early 2020.

Test Center leadership plan future of test

Maj. Gen. Christopher Azzano, Air Force Test Center commander, tours the 413th Flight Test Squadron’s helicopter testing areas on Duke Field Dec. 5 at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. The general toured the base during a strategic plan-ning visit. (U.S. Air Force photo by Jasmine Porterfield)

January 6, 2020 • 11

By Senior Airman Clayton Wear30th Space Wing Public Affairs

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. (AFNS) – All that stands between Fire Station 5 and 2,553 nautical miles of Pa-cific Ocean before reach-ing Hawaii is Ocean Ave. and the AMTRAC railway. In the face of this great ex-panse, and with 43 miles of coastline belonging to the base, the need for an atypi-cal set of training has con-tinually evolved since its inception.

The 30th Civil Engi-neer Squadron Fire Depart-ment innovated new ways for their first responders to serve their populace along the coastline and in the water. According to Alani Coleman, 30th CES fire fighter and water res-cue personnel, at any time, Vandenberg AFB beaches can have anywhere from 150 to 200 people. With 14 years experience at the 30th CES, Coleman has earned his share of learning op-portunities that, along with others, have created a better program.

“I was part of the water rescue program early in my career as a Hotshot,” Cole-man said. “Soon after transi-tioning over to the floor (Fire Station 5), we got reports of a small ‘dingy’, an alumi-num boat, overturned from the surf with three people on board … and one was miss-ing. Around 9 or 10 at night, the call came through so we quickly loaded up our skis (aquatic rescue vehicle). In pitch black, we drove down to the boat house, and low-ered the ARVs into the wa-ter. There were some lights down there, but it was still pretty dark.”

Unaware of the affect the poor lighting would have, Coleman stepped onto

his ARV with Nate Ogan, 30th CES firefighter and water rescue program lead. Wearing black wetsuits and riding two subtly-colored Jet Ski’s, they started their grid-pattern search. Starting from the last point of origin they rode 20 meters parallel to the shore before cutting back, creating a zigzag pat-tern in complete darkness.

“We were hoping for a spotlight the whole time … we were very aware of the fleeting ‘golden hour,’” Coleman said. ”Golden Hour is a period of time fol-lowing a traumatic injury where there is the highest likelihood that medical treat-ment will prevent death. As time passed, our response changed, as far as emergen-cy first aid. Anything after two hours is likely a body recovery. If they were in the water, the survivability was extremely low.”

For the next 48 hours, Coleman and Ogan used ev-erything within their control to ‘Serve-Save-Survive’, which is the Vandenberg Fire Department motto. Some-times though, situations are at the whim of forces more powerful than just darkness.

“There were lightning and thunderstorms, so they called everybody back in,” Coleman said. “They said ‘you know there is going to be lightning in the area, and the Coast Guard is go-ing to be able to search in a helicopter a lot better than we are.’ We were all so fa-tigued at that point since we had hit the 48-hour mark try-ing to search for this person. We tried to do everything we could, but it just wasn’t working in the weather. Unfortunately, the fam-ily caught word and was waiting down there. That is the worst feeling ever. At that point you just want to give them closure so it was really hard to pull back, but we did.”

While the Coast Guard took over the search, Cole-man and Ogan went back to service their gear with the expectation of a call if anything was to be found, but they never received that call. As evening ap-proached and the tides dropped, the victim was located, wrapped in kelp just below the surface of where they had searched. After reflecting on the res-cue with visible empathy, Ogan explained how they had followed procedures.

“Every rescue presents its own challenges,” Ogan said. “We are constantly having to innovate better ways of doing things. A lot of the methods are tried and true; they’ve been around forever. Ninety percent of the world uses the same standards that we uphold through USLA (United State Life Saving Association). We maintain a certain level of fitness just to participate, and if you can swim, that is your best defense against drowning or an emergen-cy.”

As with every after-action report, Coleman and Ogan found great strengths of theirs and also room to innovate new initiatives from the rescue attempt. Coleman’s’ confidence in his posture said it all, communication with other helping agencies is one of their greatest strengths.

“We actually had mu-tual aid with Santa Bar-bara County,” Coleman said. “They have a re-ally good water rescue program and when they came, we all meshed. It was awesome because we try to model ourselves off of our surrounding ar-eas. We try to mimic their (standard operating proce-dures) so when we do work with them, we are speaking the same language.”

The water rescue pro-gram is not only supported by Santa Barbara County, but also the state of Cali-fornia. Coleman and Ogan were able to survive and per-form their duties that night because they had trained for similar situations.

“A lot of preparation goes into this,” Coleman said. “We go to classes through California Fire, like surf operations which is basically for the rescue swimmer. We also go to a rescue water craft class which specializes just on the operator and using the Jet Ski in a multitude of condi-tions. This three-day course is filled with different craft drills and concludes with a nighttime evolution, just to get operators comfortable in different situations that can arise.”

For 72 hours, opera-tors are taxed with difficult situations. It was not until a difficult real-world scenario hit their “desks” that they began to innovate new ways

to further improve their ser-vice to Vandenberg AFB.

“The water is cold out here so we have to have thick wetsuits,” Ogan said. “We have rocks, sea urchins and other sharp things so we have booties. One of the things we realized dur-ing that rescue was that our wetsuits are black, so we just weren’t visible. Even if we have floodlights from several helicopters, we were invisible. We started using

long-sleeved, yellow rash guards, so now we are in-credibly visible. With our water crafts, we have gotten as bright as we can get.”

Not only have they changed their color, but they also have invested in underwater lights, gog-gles, snorkels, fins and a plethora of new rescue equipment should the need arise. All of this done so that they can serve, save and survive even better.

By 1st Lt. Kayshel Trudell37th Training Wing

JOINT BASE SAN AN-TONIO-LACKLAND, Texas (AFNS) – The Air Force’s 344th Training Squadron Career En-listed Aviator Center of Excel-lence graduated the first basic flight engineer class, comprised completely of non-prior service students, Dec. 13.

Nine students began training Nov 8. and all of them earned their wings, becoming the first class in the history of the flight engineer three-level technical school course to become career enlisted aviator basic flight en-gineers.

“My classmates and I put in a lot of hard work and dedica-tion,” said Airman 1st Class Timothy Fox, flight engineer graduate. “Coming into it we knew we were going to be chal-lenged and we met those chal-lenges. We are extremely proud to be here and extremely proud to be part of air crew.”

For decades following World War II, until the mid-2000s, an individual could only apply to become a flight engineer after serving in a maintenance career field. In the late 2000s, the Air Force began allowing Airmen

from career fields outside of maintenance to apply for flight engineer duty, with exception to policy approval. The active component had not yet opened up a pipeline for non-prior ser-

vice Airmen to become flight engineers, until now.

These aviators will man air crew positions on aircraft, where they’ll be responsible for monitoring and controlling

aircraft systems, computing air-craft performance, calculating weight and balance and cross checking pilot actions. Aircraft assignments include: KC-10 Ex-tender, C-5 Galaxy, E-3 Sentry,

E-8 Joint Surveillance TargetAttack Radar System (STARS)and C-130 Hercules.

“I taught differently to adapt to younger students, but all-in-all they worked just as hard,” said Technical Sgt. Coty Mc-Cuddin, BFE course instructor. “These guys are hard workers, they’re hungry and they want to go fly. I expect great things from them.”

The flight engineer career field dates back to World War II, when experienced mechanics and maintenance personnel flew aboard larger aircraft, includ-ing the Enola Gay and Bockscar B-29 Superfortress.

“This morning you (Air-men) are joining a family over 13,000 aviators,” said Chief Master Sgt. Michael Arroyo, CEA COE commandant. “When you look down at the wings on your chest, I want you to real-ize that you will never fly on an aircraft again and not be part of the aircrew. Have fun with this journey, I wish you the best of luck.”

For more information on the Career Enlisted Aviator Cen-ter for Excellence, visit https://www.37trw.af.mil/Units/37th-Training-Group/344th-Train-ing-Squadron/.

Serve – Save – Survive: water rescue program brought to light

The 30th Civil Engineer Squadron fire department was awarded the “Best Fire Department in the Air Force,” and the “Best Fire Department in the De-partment of Defense” for 2018. (U.S. Air Force cour-tesy photo)

Air Force graduates first all non-prior service basic flight engineer class

Nine Airmen graduate from the Basic Flight Engineer Course at the 344th Training Squadron, Career Enlisted Aviator Center of Excellence, as the first-ever class comprised completely of non-prior service students at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas, Dec. 13. These new aviators will go on to man crew positions on aircraft responsible for monitoring and controlling aircraft systems, computing aircraft performance, calculating weight and balance and cross checking pilot actions. (U.S. Air Force courtesy photo)

12 • January 6, 2020

New Vice Director joins AEDC team

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