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Inside a Civil Air Patrol SAR Mission

Wednesday, April 3rd, 2024

ARLINGTON, Va. (AFNS) —

On Feb. 6, five Marines aboard a CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter belonging to the U.S. Marine Corps’ 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing were reported “overdue” while en route to San Diego, sparking a search and rescue mission for the missing service members.

The search efforts included members of Civil Air Patrol, who along with firefighters and other state, federal and local agencies located the aircraft the next day. Unfortunately, all five Marines on board were confirmed deceased.

“The night of the crash, we were alerted to the missing aircraft and spun up resources to find it,” said Lt. Col. Steven DeFord, incident commander for CAP’s California Wing. “Due to the bad weather in the area, we activated two aircraft from Arizona and got a ground search team to begin a search.”

DeFord explained members of CAP’s National Radar Analysis Team quickly found a radar track for the missing helicopter and gave the teams a helpful last-known position, which was roughly 300 feet away from the actual crash site. CAP began sharing the data with search parties within 30 minutes.

NRAT’s mission is to “shorten the crash to rescue time” by using advanced technologies and data sources developed by the experienced team. Once this team is activated, analysis and actionable data can be provided to others in minutes.

“With our analysis team’s 15 years of experience, and our team-built tools, we’ve become very skilled at analyzing radar data to determine where a probable crash site is located,” said Lt. Col. John C. Henderson, NRAT vice commander.

During the search, 35 CAP volunteers from across Nevada, Arizona and California collaborated to find the aircraft. The Air Force Rescue Coordination Center, located at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida, was responsible for alerting local CAP agencies, allowing the Air Force to mediate between the other state and federal agencies on scene.

“We had two liaison officers interfacing with the numerous other agencies to coordinate our response,” DeFord added. “CAP provided radar forensics and ground electronic search capabilities, while other agencies provided mobility support and a location for a joint incident command post.”

Founded in 1941 and established as the official civilian auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force seven years later, Civil Air Patrol is chartered by Congress as a nonprofit organization for the purposes of youth development, aerospace education, and to promote general aviation. In an auxiliary role as a Total Force partner of the Air Force, CAP operates the world’s largest fleet of single-engine aircraft for search and rescue, disaster relief, training, and education. The all-volunteer force is made up of more than 66,000 members nationally.

The California Wing engages in multiple exercises weekly, aiding mission partners such as the U.S. Coast Guard by flying multiple aircraft throughout the state to ensure direction-finding coverage to support their lifesaving missions. Additionally, its volunteers stand by to support in-state and federal search and rescue missions looking for emergency location transmitters and missing persons.

No matter the outcome, CAP and its volunteers work alongside the Air Force to provide trained search and rescue professionals and crash data analytics to quickly respond to any event to which they’re called.

Posted in Air Force, Forces Focus, Guest Post, SERE | Comments Off on Inside a Civil Air Patrol SAR Mission

Space Force Guardians Advance SOF Space Interoperability During Emerald Warrior Exercise

Sunday, March 31st, 2024

HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. —

Air Force Special Operations Command, in collaboration with the United States Space Force Special Operations Element (USSFSOE), unveiled the 527th Space Aggressor Squadron full suite of capabilities for the first time during its annual Emerald Warrior exercise, underscoring the unique and invaluable role of USSF Guardians in advancing SOF Space integration.

Emerald Warrior is an AFSOC-sponsored combined joint exercise that provides realistic, relevant, high-end training to prepare special operations forces, conventional forces and international partners for the evolving strategic environment.

The USSFSOE coordinated Guardian support to deliver specialized space expertise, space-related intelligence and integration over the three-week exercise. As representatives of the newest service, the USSFSOE is responsible for space coordination and support to U.S. Special Operations Command.

“The United States Space Force Special Operations Element is strengthening the SOF-Space relationship by integrating our service capabilities into SOCOM exercises like Emerald Warrior,” said Maj. Jonathan Green, USSFSOE plans and programs chief. “These exercises and training opportunities provide Guardians and SOF personnel with much needed interoperability for future joint operations.”

Support for the exercise from the 527th SAS included joint personnel from the USAF, USMC and USSF.

During the exercise, they replicated satellite communication and GPS-based electromagnetic interference to emulate a contested, degraded, operationally limited environment prevalent in areas of operation around the world. This support provided operators the real-world experience that they require.

“Our team allows units to operate in a realistic radio frequency limited environment, providing commanders the benefit of preparing their units with the most effective training,” said U.S. Marine Corps Capt. Bryan Hernandez, 527th SAS mission commander.

“The relationship between the USSF and special operations is imperative as we address next-generation challenges related to great power competition,” said Green. “We will continue to integrate space capabilities and personnel with special operations to meet joint warfighter needs.”

By Maj Jessica Gross & 1st Lt. Cassandra Saphore, Air Force Special Operations Command Public Affairs

Posted in Air Force, Forces Focus, Guest Post, SOF, Space | Comments Off on Space Force Guardians Advance SOF Space Interoperability During Emerald Warrior Exercise

Air Force to Establish New Squadron at Beale AFB

Saturday, March 30th, 2024

ARLINGTON, Va. (AFNS) —

The Department of the Air Force selected Beale Air Force Base, California, as the home of a new Battle Management Control Squadron.

The new mission will add 140 military authorizations at Beale AFB over the next few years with personnel expected to begin arriving in summer 2025.

This is a vital step in the Department of the Air Force’s battle management modernization as the department desires to perform this function for multiple theaters simultaneously from a location outside the theater(s) of operations.

The BMCS will integrate with the Common Mission Control Center at Beale AFB and perform battle management of manned and unmanned new and legacy aircraft and allow greater collaboration between information systems.

The CMCC’s mission is to present integrated and fused multi-domain intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance data to decision makers by using artificial intelligence and machine learning to reduce human task load. It manages command and control productivity, shortens the task execution chain and reduces human-intensive communications.

Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs

Posted in Air Force, C5ISR, Guest Post | 1 Comment »

Iowa Guard’s 132d Cyber Range Hosts Training Event

Tuesday, March 26th, 2024

DES MOINES, Iowa – The 132d Wing’s Cyberspace Range Squadron hosted its first training event at the 132d Wing, Iowa Air National Guard, Feb. 29-March 3.

The 132d RANS is a first-of-its-kind cyber range provider for the Air National Guard, focusing on certifying cyberspace capabilities to the joint force.

Members of the 168th Cyberspace Operations Squadron, also attached to the 132d Wing, were the first clients of the range and used the training to hone their skills on the weapon system.

“The event hosted by the RANS provided an opportunity for our operators to train in a realistic and holistic manner that is not present in other training platforms,” said Capt. Joseph Wilburn, 168th COS team lead. “The RANS team and their weapon system simulator possess the flexibility to adapt to the operator’s specific training needs in real time that ensures skill improvement remains consistent throughout the event. The training event demonstrated by the RANS represents a significant force multiplier for Air National Guard cyber protection teams.”

The exercise aimed to increase the proficiency of the 168th COS in detecting, validating and responding to cyber threats. The exercises improve Cyber Mission Force mission readiness by providing scenarios as a service, meeting the annual training requirements of cyber units.

“Our first range event was significant because it proved to the cyber community that we are capable of providing this service and why Iowa is the right choice for the Range Squadron,” said Lt. Col. Kevin Taylor, 132d RANS commander.

Capt. Chad McDonnell, 132d RANS director of operations, said the training events offer more than just a virtual range environment where cyber operators can practice. The RANS provides all the required roles for evaluating teams, opposing force teams, cyber intelligence and a mission partner to serve as the organization the team is defending. Additionally, they build the range environment so their customers can deploy their physical cyber weapon system.

“This is not only important because it allows them to train like they fight, but it allows their maintenance team the opportunity to receive crucial training as well by physically deploying their equipment to an alternate location, configuring it to connect to the mission partner’s network, and providing weapon system maintenance for the operators during the event,” said McDonnell.

At the end of the event, exercise facilitators provided the 168th COS’s training, standards and evaluation shop with a document that identified every task and event they accomplished to maintain their operator currencies and proficiencies.

“We’re able to do all of this because we have fully qualified cyber operators with real-world mobilizations under their belt, in addition to the years of experience in the civilian sector,” said McDonnell. “Our Airmen and the experience they bring is truly our greatest asset to this unit.”

By MSgt Michael Kelly, 132d Wing, Public Affairs, Iowa Air National Guard

Posted in Air Force, Cyber, Guest Post | Comments Off on Iowa Guard’s 132d Cyber Range Hosts Training Event

Emerald Warrior Tests Air Commandos Mettle

Monday, March 25th, 2024

HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. —

Air Force Special Operations Command’s 17th annual Emerald Warrior exercise concluded recently having exercised in three extreme cold weather environments throughout the midwestern U.S. with many firsts.

This U.S. Special Operations Command-supported exercise aligned with the Special Operations Command-Europe exercise Trojan Footprint under the large-scale global exercise construct to demonstrate Special Operations Forces value to the Joint Force and strengthen military relationships with U.S. and partner forces.

“Our Nation has entered a new era of competition,” said Lt. Gen. Tony Bauernfeind, AFSOC commander. “We must continue to innovate and transform to remain the most capable, most lethal Air Force in the world…and that’s exactly what AFSOC is doing.”

Air Commandos trained on chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear readiness incorporating new decontamination systems like the CBRN MRZR that supports decontamination during infiltration, exfiltration, tactical movement and maneuver where force size and composition constraints exist.

A continued focus area this year was building autonomy through mission command to ensure Special Operations Task Groups and Special Operations Task Units are trained to operate in today’s dynamic operating environment.

“Every Emerald Warrior, we build on lessons learned from previous iterations and this year was no different,” said U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. David Allen, Emerald Warrior exercise director. “We further developed the Agile Combat Employment concept through Mission Sustainment Teams by successfully relocating two Special Operations Task Groups, to multiple locations. These SOTGs exercised flexible response options conducting strategic fires, air-to-ground integration with close air support and non-kinetic effects to deter aggression.”

In addition to kinetic effects, EW exercised non-kinetic effects and capabilities like space, cyber, public affairs and information operations. They employed technical and deceptive activities in support of exercise objectives for the participants to enhance overall combat operability.

“From strategic messaging to incorporating effects in the gray zone, Emerald Warrior provides the joint force the ability to adapt and create dilemmas for tomorrow’s adversaries,” said Allen.

Emerald Warrior ensures preparedness of Special Operations Forces, conventional force enablers, partner forces and interagency elements through realistic and relevant, high-end pre-deployment training encompassing multiple joint operating areas.

By 1st Lt Cassandra Saphore, Air Force Special Operations Command Public Affairs

Posted in Air Force, Guest Post, SOF | 1 Comment »

Flosi Takes His Place as the 20th Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force

Monday, March 18th, 2024

JOINT BASE ANDREWS, Md. (AFNS) —

Chief Master Sgt. David A. Flosi was formally installed March 8 as the 20th Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force.

In remarks after the formal “Change of Responsibility” ceremony in which he assumed the job from retiring Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force JoAnne S. Bass, Flosi emphasized both the opportunity before him and what it means to the Total Force at a time of dramatic change and challenge across the service.

“As I assume this role, I’m aware of the challenges ahead,” Flosi said. “We live in a rapidly evolving world, where new threats emerge with alarming frequency, and the demands on our Air Force continue to grow.

“While demanding, I am confident in our ability to rise to the occasion. I am confident because over the course of my career, time and time again, I have witnessed the dedication and professionalism of our Airmen,” he said.

Flosi’s installation as the highest-ranking enlisted noncommissioned officer in the Air Force completes a total overhaul of senior military leaders for the service. Gen. David Allvin was installed as Air Force chief of staff on Nov. 2 and Gen. Jim Slife officially became Air Force vice chief of staff on Dec. 29.

All three senior leaders, along with Department of the Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall, will be instrumental in successfully establishing far-reaching plans to “reoptimize” the Air Force to better confront China and other modern-day adversaries.

Allvin stressed that effort in welcoming Flosi during the dignified ceremony, which also included comments from Gen. CQ Brown, Jr., chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and, prior to that, Air Force chief of staff.

“Dynamic, fast-paced environments require agile, determined leadership – that’s exactly what Chief Flosi brings to the fight,” Allvin said. “We’ve got work to do, and I know Chief Flosi is ready to move out on reoptimization to enhance our readiness and mold our one Air Force.”

In his remarks, Kendall offered a glowing tribute to Bass and provided clear guidance for what he expects from Flosi.

Bass, he said, “has served over 30 years in the Air Force, and we are an infinitely better organization because of your service. She’s been a standout leader at every level.

“Chief Flosi, you’re going to have to fill some pretty big shoes. I look forward to working together and to everything you have to offer. I want to welcome you to an incredible team. … We will need your experience and your perspective to make sure the needs of our Airmen and their families are always at the forefront of all of our efforts,” Kendall said.

Brown echoed Kendall in his praise and admiration for Bass.

“Jo, I’m so glad I hired you. You’ve been an inspiration for me. We were able to break barriers together,” Brown said, referring to their shared histories in which Brown was the first African American to be named Chief of Staff of any branch of the military and Bass’s selection as the first woman to serve as a Service senior enlisted advisor in the history of the United States military.

“You’ve been an inspiration to me. You’ve been an inspiration to our Air Force; you’ve been an inspiration to our nation,” Brown said.

Flosi steps into the job being vacated by the retiring Bass, who senior leaders said set the standard by which all subsequent Chiefs will be judged.

“Chief Bass’s passion for Airmen and their families has defined her time as our 19th Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force,” Allvin said. “Her tireless work on their behalf has propelled our force forward. Even after over 30 years of dedicated service, I have no doubts that she will continue to be an advocate for Airmen and airpower moving forward.”

In her remarks at the dignified ceremony, Bass highlighted memories and achievements from across her 31-year career. She thanked a list of people who helped her at every point, including her husband Rahn, her parents, and a large group of Air Force colleagues who served as mentors and role models.

She directed special praise to Brown, who selected her to be chief master sergeant of the Air Force when Brown served as chief of staff.

“General Brown, chairman, thank you for hiring me as your wingman and chief. The best words you shared with me were ‘proceed until apprehended.’ And I did just that,” she said.

“I may have gotten apprehended once or twice, maybe three times. In any case, you let me be me and get after the things that matter to our Airmen and their families. It’s been an honor for Rahn and I to serve alongside you and Sharene,” she said.

Flosi’s new job is similar to his previous post but on a larger, more high-profile stage. He arrived at the Pentagon from Air Force Materiel Command at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, where he served as the command chief master sergeant. That role was similar in many respects to the role he now assuming. At AFMC, he is the senior enlisted leader and the primary advisor to the commander on all matters regarding the readiness, training, professional development, and effective utilization of the command’s 89,000 total force Airmen.

Like his predecessors, Flosi pledged to lock arms with Airmen to help them – and the Air Force – thrive and succeed.

“Today, as we stand on the dawn of a new era, we recognize we are serving at a time of consequence. It is imperative we acknowledge the urgency of the challenges we face,” he said.

Later in his remarks, he added, “Fellow Airmen, my commitment to you and to our Air Force is unwavering. As we navigate the complexities of great power competition and seek to optimize our force, I pledge to be your wingman.”

Prior to his tour at Wright-Patterson AFB, Flosi served as the command chief master sergeant at the Air Force’s Sustainment Center at Tinker AFB, Oklahoma.

Flosi began his Air Force career in 1996 as a nuclear weapons specialist. That focus expanded over the years to include various leadership duties in conventional and nuclear munitions, as well as missile operations, program management and test and contingency operations.

Like Bass and previous CMSAFs, Flosi will be the public face for Air Force personnel to those in all levels of government. He will be a personal adviser to Allvin and other senior leaders, both military and civilian, and will be expected to provide insight on issues regarding the welfare, readiness, morale and proper utilization and progress of the Air Force’s entire cadre of Airmen.

Flosi emerged as the clear choice from a group of the most highly respected, experienced graduated command chief master sergeants from across the Air Force’s global operations, officials said. These leaders were selected based on breadth of experience, recommendations from senior commanders and performance across each candidate’s Air Force career.

Story by Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs

Posted in Air Force, Guest Post, Profession of Arms | 1 Comment »

AFSOC to Resume CV-22 Flight Operations

Sunday, March 17th, 2024

Following the March 8, 2024 Naval Air Systems Command flight bulletin returning the V-22 Osprey to operation with safety controls in place, Air Force Special Operations Command is implementing a multi-phased approach to ensure our aircrew, maintainers and aircraft are ready to resume flight operations.

Lt Gen Tony Bauernfeind, AFSOC Commander, directed the operational standdown of the CV-22 fleet December 6, 2023 in response to preliminary investigation information indicating a materiel failure following the November 29, 2023 mishap near Yakushima, Japan. This was followed by NAVAIR issuing a flight bulletin grounding the V-22 enterprise.

Phase one of AFSOC’s return to fly plan includes ground and simulator training integrating planned flight controls, safety briefings, a review of maintenance records and refining by-squadron training plans to implement the new safety protocols.

Phase two is a multi-month program for aircrew and maintainers. Aircrew will focus on regaining basic mission currency and proficiency then expansion to full mission currency and proficiency. While maintainers have remained engaged conducting maintenance necessary to sustain the CV-22 during the standdown, they will receive training in line with the maintenance protocols directed by the NAVAIR return to fly bulletin. Each squadron will progress through this phase at different speeds based a variety of factors including maintenance requirements for aircraft, experience level of personnel in the squadron and weather impact to flight schedules.

Phase three will include resumption of full mission profiles, multi-lateral exercises and operational taskings and deployments.

This phased approach affords AFSOC the time required to maximize opportunities to learn as much as possible from the Safety Investigation Board and Accident Investigation Board to mitigate risk to our aircrew, maintainers, and joint partners.

The NAVAIR flight bulletin announcement can be found at: www.navair.navy.mil/news/NAVAIR-returns-V-22-Osprey-flight-status/Fri-03082024-0553.

Air Force Special Operations Command Public Affairs

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Recovery of Air Bases Denied by Ordnance (RADBO) Showcases Abilities at COPE NORTH 24

Friday, March 15th, 2024

WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio – The Recovery of Airbase Denied by Ordnance (RADBO), a variant of the Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) family, was utilized operationally for the first-time during Exercise Cope North 24 at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, in late January.

Cope North 24 is a multinational, U.S. Pacific Air Forces-sponsored, field training exercise focused on airborne integration for large-force employment and agile combat employment.

“Exercise Cope North is an annual exercise where EOD Technicians from across the Air Force, as well as the joint service, practice the EOD portion of the Rapid Airfield Damage Recovery mission,” said John Stewart, Air Force Civil Engineer Center EOD Modernization Program analyst and RADBO User Representative. “As a premier RADR exercise, fielding RADBO to the Andersen’s Red Horse Training Squadron provided exposure to the larger Air Force EOD enterprise who will start seeing RADBOs delivered to air bases and training locations globally.”

The intent of the vehicle is to utilize directed energy, or lasers, to safely neutralize and clear unexploded ordnance – such as bombs, grenades, improvised munitions, or other explosive devices – on airfields in deployed or austere locations.

“From a program office point of view, the performance was excellent,” said Tony Miranda, RADBO program manager with the Agile Combat Support Directorate’s Support Equipment and Vehicles Division. “There was a learning curve due to the atmospheric interference not encountered before, but the field service reps from the original equipment manufacturer made adjustments and resolved the focus issue.”

Miranda highlighted that the Explosive Ordnance Disposal teams were excited to have the RADBO asset in hand and praised the vehicle’s performance. RADBO is a crucial part of the Air Force Civil Engineering Center’s Rapid Explosive Hazard Mitigation and Rapid Airfield Damage Recovery concept.

“The role of RADBO is to rapidly neutralize any unexploded ordnance after an airfield attack so the airfield is safe for civil engineering to repair runway damage, allowing the air mission to continue and get the aircraft back in the fight,” said Miranda.

The key features of the RADBO allow for EOD operators to neutralize unexploded ordnances from the safety of the armored vehicle.

“The host chassis is a MRAP CAT 1A1 Cougar in which the Zeus III Laser System is integrated on,” said Miranda. “The Zeus III Laser System is a 3KW fiber optic laser that can fire continuously, provided there is diesel in the tanks for the Cougar to produce power.”

The Zeus III Laser System is effective at ranges from 50-300 meters. The requirement for a RADBO was identified in 2012 by Gen. Goldfein, then Combined Forces Air Component Commander.

“Gen. Goldfein signed an urgent operational need to rapidly neutralize multiple UXOs, repair the damaged runway, and return the airfield to service quickly,” explained Miranda. “Directed energy was somewhat of a new technology for the Air Force, so it has taken a very long time to get to where we are now.”

Currently the program office has fielded 13 RADBOs. Two prototypes are being upgraded to a production configuration, for a fleet of 15.

“The program office is also working on a contract modification to produce 14 additional RADBOs,” said Miranda. “Moreover, there is a lot of interest from our global allies in the RADBO system, so the program office foresees different variants of RADBO around the world in the next 10 years.”

Story by SSgt Mikaley Kline, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center Public Affairs

Photos by SrA Jasmine M. Barnes

Posted in Air Force, EOD, Guest Post | Comments Off on Recovery of Air Bases Denied by Ordnance (RADBO) Showcases Abilities at COPE NORTH 24