Air Force | Soldier Systems Daily Soldier Systems Daily

Archive for the ‘Air Force’ Category

Today’s Air Commandos Celebrate Tomorrow’s Legends

Saturday, June 24th, 2023

CLOVIS, N.M. —

Today’s Air Commandos…tomorrow’s legends was the theme throughout the week when the Air Force Special Operations Command Outstanding Airmen of the Year were brought to Cannon AFB, N.M., for two days of professional development, recognition and celebration at the annual OAY banquet held at the Clovis Civic Center, June 8, 2023.

“As America’s Air Commandos, we truly do stand on the shoulders of giants,” said Lt. Gen. Tony Bauernfeind, AFSOC commander, during his speech to the audience of more than 300. “We are each cut from the cloth from those who have come before us, and that’s something to be truly proud of.”

The Outstanding Airmen of the Year were nominated by their leadership and selected by board members based on their exceptional job performance, superior leadership and followership, and the epitome of the whole airman concept. The Airman, Non-commissioned Officer and Senior NCO now compete at the Air Force level-OAY competition. The first sergeant, base honor guard and honor guard manager also move on to compete for Air Force-level awards.

“The mindset of an Air Commando is not built around one specialty code,” the general said. “It runs in the blood of each of us. It pushes us forward to break boundaries and to exceed expectations. Tonight, these winners truly epitomize what it means to be an Air Commando.”

The general went on to thank the winners for their sacrifices and ensured the audience knew “Air Commandos are absolutely our competitive advantage… in every future conflict. And it is clear we are America’s Air Commandos; ready to fight tonight and pathfinding for tomorrow.”

The 2022 AFSOC Airmen of the Year are:

Airman
SSgt Emilee S. Underwood, 492d Special Operations Support Squadron, Duke Field, Fla.
Underwood served as an intelligence analyst in support of Pacific Eagle, backing five aircraft and 297 combat flying hours for Special Operations Command-Pacific’s number one counterterrorism priority. She deployed as the sole intelligence support for the Joint Special Operations Air Detachment-Singapore where she led 22 mission threat briefings, mitigating the risk of three C-146 aircraft and protecting 35 crew members for 431 sorties across 52 airfields. She also managed two major programs where she served as the vehicle control officer to oversee 120 inspection items while also providing quality assurance and preservation of 50 deployed communication assets worth $150,000.

Non-commissioned Officer
TSgt Kimberly R. Mastrocola, 1st Special Operations Wing, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
Mastrocola served as non-commissioned officer in charge of Project Integration for the Wing’s Innovation Cell. She was by-name requested as lead project officer for the Air Force Chief of Staff’s Bravo Hackathon series in addition to leading a liaison fellowship with the Air Force Installation Mission Support Center. She piloted 11 wing-level projects impacting 3,000 Airmen while also overseeing the planning of three Hackathon events that showcased 1,300 members across every branch of service. Mastrocola also led a non-profit STEM program for 10,000 students, facilitating 60 events and instructing 31 courses. Her dedication as a community partner culminated in the award of 41 educational youth grants valued at $161 million.

Senior Non-commissioned Officer
Master Sergeant Jerry M. Scott, 33d Special Operations Squadron, Cannon Air Force Base, N.M.
Scott served as the senior enlisted leader of the 1st Special Operations Support Squadronduring a five-month manning shortage of senior non-commissioned officers. Steering the command’s pivot to integrated deterrence and global power competition, he conquered a historical unit growth of 45 percent to create the Air Force’s largest OSS consisting of 503 Airmen from 75 career fields. He also oversaw 110 deployments embedding combat support into 204 exercises across five geographical areas and onboarded 154 Mission Sustainment Team members to lead agile combat employment efforts. His experience flying five aircraft across three major commands immersed him with tactical, operational and strategic-level experience.

First Sergeant
SMSgt Garrett A. Hetzel, 352d Special Operations Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, Royal Air Force Mildenhall, United Kingdom
As the first sergeant, Hetzel shaped standards for 496 Airmen across and enabled 5,800 flight hours across three areas of responsibility which led to the maintenance group’s first MAJCOM-level Maintenance Effectiveness Award. He also authored a first sergeant management guidebook to assist U.S. Air Forces in Europe and Air Forces Africa Command Chiefs in leading first sergeants. His efforts delivered a boots-on-the-ground perspective in direct support of 35,000 warfighters and their families. He also drove Air Force Southern Command’s initiative to educate the Colombian Air Force on benefits of the First Sergeant. He provided the baseline for a three-day course consisting of 100 senior enlisted leaders.

Base Honor Guard Member
SrA Asawna A. Thomas, 727th Special Operations Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, Cannon Air Force Base, N.M.
Thomas developed 18 Honor Guard members through instruction on 60 standing manuals necessary in the execution of colors and final military funeral honors maneuvers. She pushed two training flights and molded 10 Airmen into elite base honor guardsmen through 855 detail man hours which spanned over 15,000 miles. She was hand-selected to be a pallbearer for Cannon Air Force Base’s first active-duty send-off resulting in establishment of a new wing standard. Her dedication to the community was evident in her 15 hours of service feeding the less fortunate with her church, preserving four lives by dedicating 50 hours to the Airmen Against Drunk Driving program and volunteering at an assisted living facility which created community cohesion and showcased the Base Honor Guard.

Base Honor Guard Member Program Manager
TSgt Jorge Ochoa, 1st Special Operations Force Support Squadron, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
As program manager for Hurlburt Field’s Base Honor Guard, Ochoa led the command’s largest Honor Guard program by guiding 87 Airmen with six elements and overseeing the execution of 2,100 training hours. His efforts delivered 334 military funeral honors across two states and 20 counties. He synchronized Honor Guard and Airmen Leadership School personnel to establish and solidify ceremony sequences and events that resulted in five classes graduating 434 members and the presentation of 55 awards for 22 units. As a mentor, he fostered leadership qualities in his Airmen that empowered his team to train tenant wing personnel and enabled 13 retirement ceremonies and 284 years of service being honored. He was recognized by the community for his work with Junior ROTC students.

Company Grade Officer
Captain Seamus G. Feeley, Detachment 2, 24th Special Operations Wing, Duke Field, Fla.
Feeley served as Mission Commander, Combat Aviation Advisor & Chief of Intelligence when he led 17 advisors on a critical mission to Eastern Europe in an effort to increase unconventional warfare capabilities. He directed the administration of the Air Force’s only Irregular Warfare group where he managed 423 Airmen across four squadrons and earned 17 MAJCOM awards. He also led the first integration of Estonian Special Operations Forces into three multinational exercises, resulting in 26 sorties and the promotion of allied joint civil military activities and Secretary of Defense strategic objectives. He also oversaw a $940,000 communications node, sustaining four secure networks, 25 multiband radios and 15 classified systems without degradation.

Individual Reservist Officer
Major Caesar X. Baldemor, 27th Special Operations Security Forces Squadron, Cannon Air Force Base, N.M.
Baldemor served as the Defense Force Flight Commander at Al Asad Air Base, Iraq, where he led 47 defenders charged with airfield defense. He planned and executed 16 base-wide exercises for 89 quick-reaction force personnel from multiple services. His rehearsals were tested when his team responded to multiple hostile fire events resulting in detecting and deterring enemy ground attacks to the base and zero interruptions to airfield operations. On only his fifth day in country, he led his flight through two complex attacks to the air base. His expedient actions established a southern facing perimeter and thwarted enemy ground efforts. His team’s robust security operations vetted 5.6 million gallons of water and fuel, and 100 tons of food for critical life support of 2,800 base personnel and $3.3 million in airfield infrastructure upgrades.

Civilian Category One
Jennifer L. Post, 1st Special Operations Medical Group, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
Serving as a pharmacy supply custodian, Post managed 232 contracts and a $5 million budget to supply 162,000 life-saving medications for 71,000 patients. She developed and implemented several process improvements that saved 1,000 labor hours and reduced patient wait times by 27 percent. Her attention to detail recouped $541,000 and earned the unit a Defense Health Agency Market’s best contract compliance score. She also powered a highly visible Special Operations Forces Generation tasker quickly staging 450,000 deployment medication kits in support of two combatant commands ensuring 378 deployers were ready and cementing her unit’s recognition as Air Force Special Operations Command’s Surgeon General Clinic of the Year.

Civilian Category Two
Jana L. Brown, 23rd Special Operations Weather Squadron, AFSOC Operations Center, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
As a Supervisory Lead Meteorological Technician, Brown led a global operations team of 27 forecasters in creation of 2,500 products supporting 21,000 flight hours. She identified and corrected a weather forecast briefing deficiency by creating five scenario-based training requirements to enhance certification and qualification standards, reducing errors by 25 percent. In response to a commander priority, she led her section in creating four environmental intelligence training packages that aligned the technical capability of the unit with the National Defense Security Strategy for maritime, arctic, space and tropical forecasting. She also incorporated lessons learned from a leadership course into the squadron’s resiliency day training, promoting team building and unit cohesion.

Civilian Category Three
David Saugstad, 1st Special Operations Civil Engineer Squadron, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
Saugstand served as a structures foreman and maintenance mechanic supervisor when he led four elements of 28 military and three civilian personnel in the completion of more than 2,000 projects val. His team completed 2,000 repairs in support of 1,000 facilities and 77 Special Operations aircraft. When faced with a 25 percent manning reduction, he established a $124,000 gutter repair contract which diverted 1,500 hours of preventative maintenance and uncovered 159 at risk facilities. He also pioneered AFSOC’s small unmanned aircraft system inspection program by analyzing 377 buildings to capture 1,500 data points and preserving $1.5 billion in roof systems. Readying the force for the future, he steered a $448,000 contingency training project and focused the efforts of 22 engineers in the construction of a 2,400 square foot Resiliency Center which enhanced 281 mission-ready Airman’s skills and morale.

Civilian Category Four
Sharon A. Brewer, 1st Special Operations Force Support Squadron, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
Serving as the Flight Chief and Child Development Specialist in the Child and Youth Services Flight, she led 191 civilians, five child development operations and 14 licensed providers to cut wait lists by two months and uphold daily childcare needs for 605 personnel and saving $45,000 through Air Force subsidy. She was hand selected to lead 16 subject matter experts in development of service and program strategies, impacting 72 youth programs and improving quality of life for 265,000 children Air Force wide. Teaming with Florida’s Early Learning Coalition, she amplified six Child Development Programs and received $63,000 and increased grants by 25 percent with a volunteer pre-Kindergarten program. Her efforts resolved childcare needs for 523 families and surpassed national standards by 130 percent.

Air & Space Force Key Spouse
Lina M. Arenas 752d Special Operations Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, Royal Air Force Mildenhall, United Kingdom
Arenas was critical to the success of 235 Airmen and their families as part of a high-demand, rapidly deployable unit, supporting 13 deployments. She provided food and clothing packages for deployment teams and led the creation and distribution of seven newborn care packages enhancing quality of life for impacted members. While attending the annual key spouse symposium, she briefed 96 leaders on the communication limitations between leadership and tri-base area spouses. Her dedication to resolving issues positively impacted families across four wings and their surrounding communities. She also leveraged her emergency management expertise to impart disaster action knowledge in support of a first-of-its-kind, dual-wing crash recovery exercise, readying the installation for crisis response actions.
*It was announced at the banquet that Arenas was also selected as the 2022 Air Force Key Spouse of the Year Award winner.

CMSgt. Anthony Green, AFSOC command chief, closed out the evening by thanking all the supervisors, leaders, families, friends and community members for “pouring into our award winners and supporting them each and every single day to make us the best version of ourselves.”

By Dawn Hart

Air Force Special Operations Command Public Affairs

Posted in Air Force, Guest Post, SOF | 3 Comments »

Look Back: Olive Drab, Haze Blue and Jet Black: the Problem of Aircraft Camouflage Prior to and During WWII

Friday, June 23rd, 2023

Camouflage, in the form of paint applied to aircraft, has been regularly studied and experimented with since the First World War. The use of ground-based or airborne radar to detect enemy aircraft did not have significant application until the British used it successfully during the Battle of Britain in 1940. Until that time and even after, until radar was in widespread use, visual detection of aircraft was the primary means. The Army Air Corps and the wartime Army Air Forces wrestled with a number of aircraft camouflage concepts during the pre-war and wartime years. The final standards, schemes and colors were a compromise, and balanced a number of factors. All of this work was indicative of an air arm that now contemplated the task of executing new, world-wide, missions and operations.

The basic problem of how to camouflage any object starts with the concept of visibility. An object such as an aircraft is visible because it contrasts with its background – either the sky or the ground. The contrast may be in shape, shadow, texture, color, shine (flat to gloss), movement, or any combination of those characteristics. A regular or known shape will identify an object. Shadow and contrast also define it. A light-colored aircraft on a light runway is visible because of its shadow. A dark aircraft on a light runway or a light aircraft on a dark runway is visible because of its contrast. A dark aircraft on a dark runway helps to obscure both conditions. A moving aircraft seen against the sky or against the static terrain is visible because it attracts attention. All these physical factors need to be accounted for to some degree when deciding on camouflage schemes.

Similar to other tradeoffs in aircraft design, when dealing with the practical decisions regarding aircraft camouflage, there are many alternatives to be considered. A single-color scheme is not going to be suitable for all weather and seasonal variations and regular repainting during combat operations is not practical. What works well to hide an aircraft on the ground may be the opposite of what works well for the same aircraft in flight, so a compromise is necessary. The aircraft shape cannot be changed, so experimenting with different painting designs may determine what helps to “break up” the shape and make it less conspicuous.

Paint adds weight to an aircraft which can lower the performance; however, paint does improve resistance to corrosion which reduces maintenance and lengthens the aircraft service life. The paint itself must be durable enough to withstand field use and weather/sun exposure without significant fading or chipping which would reduce the overall camouflage effect. Painting an aircraft adds both material and labor costs, as well as schedule, to aircraft production – a non-trivial consideration during the rapid mass production executed during World War II. National insignia must be applied and must be visible – in some ways defeating the main purpose of camouflage to begin with. Finally, industry must be able to produce the paint in enough quantity and to required finish specifications in order to meet the needs of the Service and a very large aircraft fleet.

As far back as World War I, camouflage schemes were considered for aircraft. One disturbing factor that moderated the search for an effective concealment approach for U.S. aircraft was a report of a high number of “friendly fire” shootdowns of Allied planes by other Allied airmen because they could not distinguish their markings. As a result, the U.S. decided to err on the side of safety adopt the U.K. practice of painting, or “doping,” the fabric aircraft with one solid color, hoping this would reduce the number of accidental shootdowns.

After WWI, the U.S. Army and Navy continued extensive, parallel, and in some cases overlapping, experiments with aircraft camouflage. The research initially was focused on dying different materials and dopes for use on fabric-covered aircraft. As these fabric-covered aircraft gradually gave way to metal-skinned aircraft in the U.S. fleet, the focus changed to evaluating different paint formulations for metal surfaces. In the late 1930s, the Air Corps experimented with a number of camouflage schemes and measured their effectiveness in limited engineering testing. Additional practical trials were then conducted with temporary finishes as part of nation-wide exercises and war games. These temporary finishes were in a wide range of blues, greens, whites, grays and even purple!

By February 1940, with the war in Europe now raging, the Air Corps embarked on a comprehensive, service-wide initiative to test “protective coloration of aircraft, both in the air and on the ground.” The Air Corps had already decided by 1940 to specify a uniform design and color for tactical/combat aircraft, so the question to be answered was, which schemes would be adopted? Several Army and Air Corps organizations, with different and specific responsibilities, contributed to the effort. This extensive study considered many of the factors previously discussed: visibility, application, national insignia, durability, cost, materials, and both in-flight and ground effectiveness. They studied both U.S. Army and Navy and British systems to arrive at the best consensus.

What resulted, in April 1942, was a general standard adopted by both the Air Corps and the Navy. On the Navy side, ship-based aircraft and flying boats would be camouflaged with Non-Specular (lightdiffusing) Medium Blue Gray on the upper surfaces and Light Gray on the undersurfaces. For the Air Corps, Army land-based planes would be Olive Drab on the upper surfaces and Neutral Gray on the lower surfaces. The Army Ground Forces also adopted Olive Drab as the basic camouflage for all of their vehicles during WWII. (Olive Drab, although it appears “green” to the eye, is technically a mixture of black and yellow, Neutral Gray is a mixture of pure black and white only).

The main categories of aircraft considered for application of camouflage were roughly: combat or combat support aircraft (such as transports), high-altitude photographic reconnaissance aircraft that operated alone or in small formations; and night fighters or night bombers which required a special degree of invisibility in the night sky. A separate sub-category of combat aircraft early in the war was anti-submarine patrol planes which needed to be hidden from surfaced submarines so they could make their approach and attack before they were detected, and the sub had a chance to submerge and escape.

During operations overseas in different theaters, local variations of standard schemes were also used. Olive Drab aircraft were also later painted with Medium Green “splotches” or “blotches” around the upper surface leading and trailing edges to better conceal them when parked. Fighters and bombers in desert regions also used colors more suited to the surrounding terrain to break up the shape of the aircraft. In some areas of the world where U.S. Army Air Forces supplies were not available, units applied British Royal Air Force colors to their aircraft, as closely approximating the U.S. standard schemes as they could.

So-called “Haze Paint” for photo-reconnaissance aircraft was an interesting problem. These aircraft normally operated at high altitude, often alone, and required them to fly specific controlled flight patterns to get the necessary photographic coverage of targets. This made them especially vulnerable to interception by fighter aircraft or ground-based air defenses. Considerable efforts on the part of the U.S. Army Air Forces and industry were expended to make these aircraft as invisible as possible through passive defense measures. The aim with this was to increase their chances of mission success. Several special formulas and techniques for haze painting were tried out, principally on reconnaissance versions of the P-38 fighter, known as the F-4 or F-5. The development and use of this special paint was probably studied more extensively than any other aircraft finish during the war. Haze Paint was intended to vary the appearance of the aircraft from blue to white depending on the viewing angle. The scheme was successful at reducing the visibility of the aircraft at high altitudes, but it was highly dependent on application method and expertise of the painter. As a result, to allow the application of these finishes to large numbers of mass-produced aircraft, a synthetic or simpler-to-produce haze paint was developed and used by Lockheed. Over time, scuffing and weathering of Haze Paint on operational aircraft reduced its effectiveness. Further, an additional drawback to sporting a haze finish is that it highlights to the enemy the fact that this is a special reconnaissance aircraft, and therefore potentially unarmed. Other than applications to a small fleet of photo aircraft, Haze Paint and synthetic Haze Paint was only used for a limited period during the war.

Night fighter paint schemes were also heavily researched, and the resulting “best approach” ended up being counter-intuitive to initial assumptions about what finish would work best to hide the aircraft from ground or air observation and reflection of search light beams. After extensive testing on many airframes, it was determined that either a glossy black finish or a standard Olive Drab was actually more effective at this objective than a flat black finish. This was standardized by 1944, when it was directed that all night fighters (P-61s, P-70s and later P-38Ms and P-82s) were to be painted with glossy black and, if possible, polished to a mirror-like finish. (The specification for this gloss black was Jet Finish No. 622, probably where we get the name “Jet Black”). Because of their unique mission, night fighters were the notable exception to the late war AAF directive to cease camouflage painting. In fact, night fighters remained in their glossy black finish even through the Korean War, after which the mission ceased, and the aircraft left the USAF inventory.

Because the Atlantic U-Boat threat to the U.S. East Coast and Great Britain was so immediate, significant resources were put against finding an effective paint scheme for sub-hunting aircraft. The main threat to the aircraft in this mission was not from enemy aircraft, but rather surfaced submarines. The working assumption for these studies was that the aircrew had no more than 30 seconds to strike a sub on the surface before it executed a crash dive. This made visual “stealth” essential. After a series of tests of different finishes at various altitudes, sky conditions and viewing angles, the optimum scheme proved to be: Insignia White on the undersurfaces, leading edges and sides of the aircraft and either Olive Drab or Neutral Gray on the top surfaces. Variations of this specific type of camouflage for the submarine search mission were used by both the U.S. and the U.K. and proved effective for allowing the patrol aircraft approaching from head-on to avoid detection until the last possible moment – and strike submarines on the surface before they had a chance to escape below the surface. The scheme was clearly specified to be used only on aircraft that operated in a theater where “no enemy air opposition is to be expected” because this new design was not optimized for air-to-air concealment.

A special technical concern arose during the war involving detection by infrared (IR) photography. IR aerial photography could be employed to detect and defeat camouflage and “see through” natural haze to find objects on the ground. This technology was still in the early stages, but enough of a concern that the AAF examined families of paints and finishes that would frustrate infrared detection. By July 1942, this work eventually led to the development and application of a special shade of “high infrared-reflecting Olive Drab,” (based on a chromium oxide pigment) that promised the highest degree of protection against IR photography. Aircraft upper surfaces were to be painted with this new finish to mask them from detection by enemy aerial reconnaissance. During the period, the USAAF sourced aircraft paint from as many as a dozen or more different suppliers to ensure they had sufficient stocks on hand to cover the vast wartime fleet.

Throughout the war, there was a continual debate over the overall value of camouflage finishes versus leaving the aircraft in natural metal or unpainted, which offered a bit more extra speed due to either polishing of the surfaces or reduction in weight. There is a speed penalty imposed by rough painted surfaces that increases aircraft drag contrasted against smooth polished metal.

Within the USAAF, there was never a consensus about which property was more important— concealment or speed – so instead they settled the issue by directing that manufacturers cease camouflaging most combat aircraft as of 1943. This instruction applied to most combat aircraft, except some tactical fleets, such as transports or gliders. In light of the progress of Allied forces it also made sense operationally – air superiority over the battlefield was now changing over from Axis to Allied air forces; German progress in radar surveillance and detection made visual concealment less vital, especially in the case of large fleets of hundreds of strategic bombers daily hitting the Third Reich. Additionally, Allied bases in the U.K. and on The Continent were less threatened by surprise air attack because of our own radar coverage. The AAF summarized the situation in April 1943, “Due to the early warning and vectoring capabilities of radar, camouflage is losing its importance when weighed against the cost in speed and weight.” Some local commanders in the Pacific still felt camouflage was necessary for use in some geographic areas.

Reducing the aircraft weight and increasing performance was now offered a better tactical advantage to fighters and bombers. The piston-driven fighter aircraft particularly needed all the speed they could get to deal with the threat from the German jets. There was also the secondary benefit of reduced cost and production time, which facilitated quicker replacement of lost airframes.

Ironically, in spite of all the years of studies and experimentation, at the end of the conflict in 1945, camouflage finishes had almost entirely disappeared from USAAF and then USAF aircraft through the 1950s. By then, radar detection had almost totally eclipsed visual means. Camouflage finishes only made a significant reappearance after operations in Southeast Asia in the 1960s brought back the need to conceal aircraft against the jungle terrain in that particular theater.

The majority of the text for this Look Back is adapted from the Air Materiel Command Historical Study No. 115., Case History of Camouflage Paint, Volumes 1 and 2, January 1947 (research completed to November 1945.) For Further Reading: Bell, Dana: Air Force Colors, Volumes 1, 2, 3., (Nos. 6150, 6151, 6152.) Carrollton, TX: Squadron/Signal Publications Inc. 1979-1980.

By Brian J. Duddy

Air Force Materiel Command History Office

Full Text: media.defense.gov/2023/Jun/21/2003245250/-1/-1/1/LOOKBA_1.PDF/LOOKBA_1

Posted in Air Force, Aviation, Camo, Guest Post, History | 6 Comments »

Space Control Squadron Redesignated Electronic Warfare Squadron

Wednesday, June 21st, 2023

CAPE CANAVERAL SPACE FORCE STATION, Fla. – The 114th Space Control Squadron, a geographically separated unit assigned to the Florida Air National Guard’s 125th Fighter Wing, was redesignated as the 114th Electromagnetic Warfare Squadron Jan. 14.

The redesignation more accurately associates the unit’s name with its mission and aligns it with active-duty Space Force counterparts who were redesignated last year. It also reflects the evolution of electromagnetic warfare technologies to the forefront of space operations.

U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Scott McGuire, commander of the 114th Electromagnetic Warfare Squadron, said the squadron will now be recognized, by name, as a combat unit providing critical electromagnetic warfare functions to joint force warfighters across domains. At the same time, they will continue providing the same support to the U.S. Space Force. This change also recognizes that these Airmen offer the same capabilities as their active-duty Space Force counterparts.

The 114th’s mission is to organize, train and equip personnel to conduct electromagnetic attacks in contested, congested and constrained environments downrange, using specialized equipment such as the counter communications system, or CCS. The CCS denies communications from satellites in orbit, cutting off adversarial communications during a conflict, creating a safer, more secure environment for U.S. and joint warfighters.

“Successful space operations depend on dominating the electromagnetic spectrum,” said Ed Zoiss, president of the space and airborne systems segment for L3Harris Technologies and a Navy veteran. “Denying our enemies the ability to use their space assets protects U.S. warfighter operations.”

While the mission is the same, the newly designated electromagnetic warfare squadron remains committed to developing combat-trained, combat-ready and combat-focused Airmen ready to support warfighters across all domains.

“The Department of Defense’s growing dependence on the electromagnetic spectrum to remain connected and share data is only growing,” said U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Anthony Surman, assistant operations officer at the 114th Electromagnetic Warfare Squadron. “It’s important that we recognize that we need the capability to conduct both electromagnetic and kinetic attacks; we can deliver a multitude of options.”

Air National Guard units reporting to the former U.S. Space Command have continued supporting space-centric missions for the Space Force since its inception in 2019. The units have an atypical arrangement in which they fall under a major command of the Air Force while receiving operational taskings from the Space Force.

By Senior Airman Jacob Hancock, 125th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

Posted in Air Force, EW, Guest Post, Space | Comments Off on Space Control Squadron Redesignated Electronic Warfare Squadron

AFCEC Successfully Tests Multi-Capable Airmen Airfield Repair Concept

Monday, June 19th, 2023

JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas (AFNS) —

The concept of a cross section of Airmen carrying out important wartime tasks seems like a good idea, but does it work?

That’s what the Air Force Civil Engineer Center’s readiness team set out to prove May 22-24 during a Rapid Damage Repair Multi-Capable Airmen exercise at an Air Force regional training site at Dobbins Air Force Base, Georgia.

The exercise, the first of its kind for AFCEC, successfully demonstrated the concept said Master Sgt. Broc French, contingency training program manager at the center.

“In a deployed location, we might not be able to rely solely on civil engineers to execute traditionally CE work,” he said. “This exercise showcased that Airmen from various Air Force specialties can execute these types of repairs and support our CEs.”

In preparation for the exercise, five civil engineer Airmen from the 366th Civil Engineer Squadron at Mountain Home AFB, Idaho, attended a five-day course in 2022 to learn how to perform wartime RDR tasks.

To test the MCA concept, a combination of 25 CE and non-CE Mountain Home AFB Airmen, with no prior RDR experience, were then selected from across the base to take part in the exercise at Dobbins AFB’s Air Force Reserve Command Expeditionary Combat Support Training Certification Center.

Once at the Georgia base, the five engineer teammates became their instructors for two days of classroom, tabletop and hands-on training, followed by a practical test with the team of CE, finance, maintenance, munitions, medical and operations support Airmen having to complete six concrete crater repairs and spall operations within four hours.

In essence, they repaired airfield damage that could limit the ability of aircraft to take off and land in a real-world, wartime environment.

“Traditionally, civil engineers do the rapid damage repair like we did here, but with this beta test, we brought in different squadrons and different groups to augment some of the tasks in the repair process … and they executed,” said Chief Master Sgt. Chad Lepley, AFCEC Readiness Directorate senior enlisted leader.

Senior Airman Kayla Panzarella is a medic at Mountain Home AFB, but she was a CE “dirt boy” during the exercise.

“Being a complete outsider to this world and routine, I thought it was very clear and precise for what I needed,” Panzarella said of the training. “I was super nervous to come in here and start cutting concrete after two days, but my instructor was amazing. He taught me everything and was patient. That’s really what you need in an environment like this coming from different jobs to something as scary as this is.

I can’t explain the feeling of doing this wartime task, this mission. I remember looking out from inside the (concrete-cutting heavy equipment) and having the feeling of, ‘Wow, we’re doing this … I’m so proud of myself, proud of this team.’ It was a feeling I can’t really explain … just excellence in what we were doing. It was a great feeling.”

French was impressed with the entire operation.

“It’s been outstanding … pretty awesome to see Airmen who have never been in a compact track loader or ever touched any of this equipment executing the mission,” he said. “After two days, they’ve been able to fill craters and, if it were a real-world scenario, be able to get aircraft off the ground quickly. This is a great concept that works, and we’re looking to expand it in the future.”

Master Sgt. Patrick Murphy, the 366th CES heavy repair section chief at Mountain Home AFB and instructor lead during the exercise, said the positive attitudes of everyone involved were key to the success of the event.

“This (exercise and MCA concept) is a really good start for changing the battlefield space,” Murphy said. “If you could take different career fields like security forces, medical and finance like we had out here, you could put people together to form an ‘A Squad.’ With that, you could take care of everything with a small force, as long as you had the right attitude like we had with folks this week.”

Story by Debbie Aragon, Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center Public Affairs

Photos by Brian Goddin

Posted in Air Force, Guest Post | 4 Comments »

ACE Course Prepares Airmen for Strategic Engagements in Indo-Pacific

Sunday, June 18th, 2023

MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Ala. (AFNS) —

The National Defense Strategy and the U.S. Indo-Pacific Strategy identify the Indo-Pacific as a priority theater vital to the nation’s security and prosperity.

The Air Force Culture and Language Center has partnered with the Air Force Special Operations School and the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center on an innovative agile combat employment course. The most recent course focused on U.S. Indo-Pacific Command and taught in the Tagalog language, to demonstrate U.S. long-term commitment to strengthening partner autonomy and options throughout this region.

Eight Tagalog-speaking scholars in the Air Force’s Language Enabled Airman Program with a wide range of operational backgrounds — from medical and cyber operations to logistics and bioenvironmental engineering—were competitively selected to participate in this three-week course, held May 8-26, at Hurlburt Field, Florida.

The course is designed to build on the language and cultural skills they’ve gained throughout their LEAP experience to prepare them for Agile Combat Employment and their role in advancing a free and open Indo-Pacific region.

“There’s a sense of urgency in seamlessly working with partners and allies for integrated deterrence, especially in the INDOPACOM region,” said Howard Ward, AFCLC director. “Our force must understand culture to work with our counterparts and be highly skilled in the languages to get tempo and speed to build capacity and operating capability for ACE to be a credible deterrent.”

The program consists of one week of the special operations school’s “Intercultural Skills for Engagement,” or ENGAGE, course followed by two weeks of operationally focused advanced Tagalog language and cultural studies taught by a DLIFLC professor.

During the two weeks of operationally focused language studies in Tagalog, students gained knowledge and enhanced language proficiency on strategic topics relevant to the INDOPACOM theater, such as the state of Philippine and U.S. relations, Philippine and China relations related to economy, current events, and humanitarian aid and recovery efforts.

“This course connects Airmen to the operational environment in the safety of the classroom while still offering sufficient authenticity and operational relevance,” said Dr. Aleksandra Churinov, site director for the DLIFLC Hurlburt Field Language Training Detachment.

The students also took a deep dive into the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement to lead in-depth discussions on U.S. basing scenarios in the Philippines. This educational model prepared LEAP Scholars to use their language, regional expertise, and culture skills to facilitate future strategic conversations among senior leaders of U.S. military, partners, and allies in the Indo-Pacific while effectively bridging cultural barriers to enable ACE.

“There have been several announcements recently on basing and access agreements with the Philippines that are extremely important,” Ward said. “These students are being prepared in a unique way to have the conversation on how we, both the U.S. and the Philippines, can build our capacity together to move as one seamless team in deterring aggression from our adversaries.”

The ENGAGE course included lessons to help students enhance cultural competencies for military operations in areas such as modern information warfare, conflict de-escalation, negotiation strategies for military effectiveness, and key leader engagements. LEAP Scholars also integrated with air commando students during the course, providing a deeper cultural context to each lesson.

“It was incredible to have the Filipino students in this course to provide accurate and insightful cultural context to all the lessons we covered,” said Maj. Krista Schaeffer, a non-standard aviation pilot enrolled in the ENGAGE course. “I felt lucky to have this opportunity. I think this collaboration is a win-win, and I am excited about the future iterations.”

Scholars put the knowledge gained through classroom activities and discussion into practice in realistic scenarios conducted completely in the Tagalog language on operational tactics such as establishing operations centers, developing airfield suitability assessments, and conducting virtual planning conferences. These scenarios equipped students with the skills needed to determine the interest of the Philippines and the U.S. to increase strategic joint capacity.

“We create complex scenarios that students must navigate in the target language to demonstrate their cultural knowledge and understanding. When our Tagalog group can go to the Philippines and serve as liaisons between the Philippine military, the Filipino population, and the U.S. military personnel, they can bring a greater level of understanding and integration to facilitate a strategic partnership,” said Lt. Col. Jared Cordell, special operations school’s chief of faculty development.

Master Sgt. Ramchand Francisco, one of the Tagalog LEAP Scholars who participated in the course, recently supported bilateral cooperation in the Philippines with the Philippine marine corps and U.S. counterparts through LEAP. From his experience during that mission and this course, he said he saw the need to build rapport in the Philippines as one of the most critical factors for seamless integration in the Indo-Pacific region.

“The U.S. is very transactional and wants to get the job done in bilateral relations with the Philippines, but the Philippines will not agree without trust and a mutually beneficial bilateral connection. Our cultural skills as LEAP Scholars are essential to facilitate that strategic relationship,” he explained.

Upon completion of the course, these multi-capable Airmen will be postured to support advancing a “free and open Indo-Pacific” by modernizing long-standing alliances and strengthening emerging partnerships through expertise in the Tagalog language and the Philippine culture. They will also leave the course with integrated capabilities and interoperability across core functions, a vital component of the ACE framework.

By Mikala McCurry, Air Force Cultural Language Center Outreach Team

Posted in Air Force, Guest Post, Training | Comments Off on ACE Course Prepares Airmen for Strategic Engagements in Indo-Pacific

AFRL Collaborates with Industry Partners on In-Theater Alternative to GPS

Friday, June 16th, 2023

WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, OHIO (AFRL) — The Air Force Research Laboratory, or AFRL, partnered with Luminous Cyber Corp. to develop a more resilient alternative to GPS for regions where coverage is not as reliable or where there is a risk of interference or jamming by malicious actors. Luminous develops alternative-position navigation and timing, or A-PNT solutions for navigation of crewed and uncrewed orbital, avionic, marine and mounted land-based systems.

Luminous submitted their in-theater GPS alternative through the Air and Space Force Tech Connect website, which helps entities from industry, small business and academia gain access to relevant Air and Space Force subject matter experts to provide opportunities to develop new technologies relevant to the U.S. military.

“The submission provides an alternative to GPS along with ultra-wideband secure communications links, an integrated capability needed by our warfighters,” said Dr. Nicholaos I. Limberopoulos, integration lead, aerospace components and subsystems technology at AFRL’s Sensors Directorate. “The submission met the needs for developing a needed integrated capability.”

Collaborating through the Tech Connect website, AFRL’s Sensors Directorate worked with Luminous Cyber to adapt their commercially available Location Information Service, or LIS, platform to provide resilient real-time geolocation and time synchronization information to warfighters in GPS-denied environments.

“We found out about the Tech Connect website through Aegis Creek, a team who specializes in helping small tech companies leverage non-dilutive funding to effectively bring ideas to market,” said Dr. Charles Barry, founder and CEO of Luminous Cyber Corp. “There are a large number of different ways to engage with Air Force and Space Force technical stakeholders. Tech Connect is one of the easiest and most responsive, and it’s well worth the effort.”

Strong collaboration with Tech Connect is key for continuous access to new technology ideas from industry and academia. The Tech Connect program has been a huge success, according to Limberopoulos.

Luminous Cyber sought to adapt their commercially available LIS platform, using their real-time network multilateration technology to include providing geolocation and synchronization data for fixed and mobile airborne Air Force assets in locations where GPS is less reliable because of the danger of outages, jamming, space weather impacts and geographical obstructions. Adapting an already commercially available option to work within the Air Force’s requirements also helped to provide a lower-cost solution than developing one from scratch.

“Luminous’ solution combines advanced algorithms, AI, machine learning and multi-sensor data fusion to provide the utmost in accuracy, safety and reliability,” said Barry. “Given the increasing reliance on GPS and the wide availability of inexpensive tools to jam, spoof and obstruct GPS transmissions, robust A-PNT tools are in high demand.”

According to Luminous, a clear and present danger exists to government and military assets in areas where GPS is not as dependable due to the dependence on GPS for A-PNT, data. Their LIS platform intends to provide an alternative to GPS in areas where signals are less reliable.

Luminous Cyber submitted the idea through the Tech Connect program in May 2021. After initial contact and determining that the proposal had merit, the AFRL Sensors Directorate reached out to Luminous Cyber and the Florida International University o proceed with further development.

“[Tech Connect] gives us confidence that no good ideas are rejected and that those considered and brought forth to us have a good chance of meeting our integrated capability development requirements and making a real difference to the warfighter,” said Limberopoulos.

After further development, Luminous Cyber was selected and funded and underwent a successful transition to a Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Technology Transfer Phase II with a project kick-off in June 2022.

“Our experience with the Air Force has been quite positive and helped us drive our technology from ideation to product,” said Barry. “A-PNT is crucial to the future of shipping and transportation because of the rise of technologies that can interfere with GPS.”

Jeremy Dunn Air Force Research Laboratory Public Affairs

Posted in Air Force, Guest Post, Research, Space | Comments Off on AFRL Collaborates with Industry Partners on In-Theater Alternative to GPS

Seeing into the Future: AF Looks to AI for Data Analysis

Saturday, June 10th, 2023

ARLINGTON, Va. (AFNS) —

In an effort to digest and rapidly analyze the process of decision making, Headquarters Air Force Digital Operations Directorate (A3X) developed an artificial intelligence-based software that can be applied to all Air Force specialty codes to better examine and predict operational outcomes.

Tomorrow’s operating environment requires Airmen to have the most accurate and up-to-date intelligence to act quickly in real time, today. Headquarters Air Staff have developed six software programs for career fields using AI to conduct data analysis.

George Forbes, director of HAF Digital Operations Directorate, cited the exponential benefits of being able to make decisions more accurately, more predictably and more precisely.

“We can shift from spending time doing manual tasks – like putting information into computers – and move to more cognitive techniques where we can analyze the data because the computer is doing much of the busy and manual work.”

George Forbes, Director, HAF Digital Operations Directorate

Besides data management, the AI software can calculate predictions based off equations and programming, depending on the type of data available. Whether the predicted outcome is correct or not, the software is capable of learning and adapting to produce even more accurate outcomes for future calculations.

“We might take in different data, like how many people are in the Air Force, what is their behavior based upon their gender and age, or other demographic categories to anticipate [their behaviors] in a particular situation. For instance, we can predict their decision to stay in or leave the Air Force,” Forbes said. “We use the force’s past behavior to train the models to predict their future behavior. Specifically, we use a Recurring Neural Network Methodology, which is a high-end AI method.”

The software is adaptable across all AFSCs to interpret different situations. From tracking flight hours to locating equipment, this new application can replace cumbersome applications and software systems presently used to more user-friendly ones for newcomers. Past applications are portable to other asset management type work but not necessarily in AI.

“When you build an application to manage something like equipment, you want it to be kept alive. This is where standardized application development systems come in,” Forbes said. “You can build them at your current base, and, once you PCS [Permanent Change of Station], you can still use the same process.”

The overarching goal of the new software systems is to provide leaders quicker access to interpret data and make impactful decisions.

Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs

Posted in AI / ML, Air Force, Guest Post | Comments Off on Seeing into the Future: AF Looks to AI for Data Analysis

AFSOC Hosts Security Force Assistance Air Advisor Summit

Tuesday, June 6th, 2023

HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. —

Hurlburt Field, Fla. –Key members from across the Security Force Assistance and Air Advisor enterprise gathered here for a summit, 23-25 May.

The purpose of the summit was to gather expertise to plan and propose a way forward for cross-functional, Air Force-wide Security Force Assistance capabilities that can support higher-level guidance and Combatant Commander objectives and campaign plans.

The conference kicked off with opening remarks from Maj. Gen. Albert G. Miller, Headquarters U.S. Air Force Director of Training and Readiness, and included Col. Jocelyn Schermerhorn, AFSOC Director of Operations, Dr. Sean McFate, a foreign policy expert with a focus on National Security Strategy, and Ms. Beth Grill, RAND Corporation national security policy analyst.

During her remarks, Schermerhorn emphasized the importance of foundationally getting the structure of Air Advisors across the formation right.

“The strategic environment we’re in today is much different than the place we’ve operated for the last 20 years,” said Schermerhorn. “We have an opportunity to make sure that we get this right as we develop a sustainable capability from the ground up. We’re looking to your expertise to ensure that we get there.”

The National Security Strategy and National Defense Strategy details the need to develop diplomacy with our partners and allies – an area that SOF forces are uniquely suited to support.

“If we get this right, we’ll have a more deliberate, requirement-focused enterprise that spans across our formation with a significant return on investment,” said Schermerhorn.

Speakers, panelists, and audience members hailed from a variety of areas, such as International Affairs at Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the U.S. Army Security Force Assistance Command, Air Force Materiel Command, 621st Air Mobility Advisory Group, 571st Mobility Support Advisory Squadron, 435th Contingency Response Support Squadron, 36th Tactical Advisory Squadron, and several others.

The summit concluded with an out brief that detailed findings and made recommendations on a way forward for senior leaders to consider as they’re making decisions.

“Based on the work that I saw this week and the feedback we got from our senior leaders during our out brief – I’m confident that we were able to work together to propose a way forward that accomplishes the mission,” said Col Magill, Headquarters Air Force, Mobility Air Forces Division, air advising cross-functional manager. “Ultimately, we’re bringing back some great proposals that should integrate partners by design, enabling day-zero interoperability and combined effects.”

By Ciara Travis

Posted in Air Force, Guest Post, SOF | Comments Off on AFSOC Hosts Security Force Assistance Air Advisor Summit