On Wednesday, the JBSA-Lackland (Medina) Training Annex will be renamed in remembrance of Medal of Honor recipient, MSgt John A. Chapman.
The renaming ceremony will be held at 10:00 AM CST on March 4, 2020, and is open to all DoD cardholders. It will also be live-streamed on several venues.
February 20, 2020 – (Orlando, FL) – Mick Golson, Chief Operations Officer of Engineering & Computer Simulations (ECS), announced that the company will be providing training coursework for the Profession of Arms Center of Excellence (PACE). Awarded by the USAF as a one-year contract, this innovative PACE project supports organic learning and innovation within United States Air Force (USAF) squadrons and develops newly appointed command team members for their leadership roles. Joanne Barnieu, ECS Director of Instructional Science, and Joe Neubauer, ECS Project Manager/Subject Matter Expert, will lead the project.
This project supports the training initiatives of the Secretary of the Air Force (AF), Chief of Staff of the Air Force, and Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force by delivering innovative training solutions to develop leaders and to support organic learning within AF squadrons. The course targets newly assigned members of the command team, such as AF Squadron Commanders, Superintendents, and First Sergeants, so that important concepts and principles are taught early and can be applied throughout their assignment.
Golson states: “Strengthening the skills and experience of our U.S. Air Force squadrons is critical and, for over 23 years, ECS has been honored to help train those who serve and protect our country. As an Air Force veteran, I’m very excited; new projects, such as this one for PACE, allow our team to grow as we look forward to the future.”
In the early stages of development, this program will present a high-level overview of Emotional Intelligence, Empathetic Listening, Team Building, and Followership. Hosted on an Air Force learning management system, it will include stand-alone micro learning content, facilitator guides, and lesson plans to support an integrated multi-disciplinary solution for a Squadron Command Team Product Line. The PACE course will include four 50-minute, online lessons and will be reinforced with stand-alone microlearning content that will be used following the initial course. Each of the lessons will teach necessary skills, using a structured framework, to inspire, change mindsets, motivate, and educate squadron leadership.
Barnieu adds: “It is rewarding for our instructional team to provide organic learning opportunities that will achieve positive outcomes for our military service members. This type of project-based learning allows for the squadrons to train to their highest potential in order to successfully perform their missions throughout the world. As a “proof of concept” project, we are delving into innovative solutions for leadership skills and look forward to the client’s feedback in order to deliver future solutions for leaders at all levels.”
LIFT Aviation is one of several companies awarded developmental Other Transaction Authority Agreements with the US Air Force to develop a Next Generation Fixed Wing Helmet, which was originally an AFWERX project.
This project is moving along quickly as you can see from the quad chart. LIFT Aviation is well known for their commercial AV-1 KOR helmet.
You can definitely see the DNA in their NGFWH candidate.
LIFT Aviation had this to say…
“We are honored to have been selected by the Department of Defense and the U.S. Air Force to be involved with this program. Innovation is something that has been lacking in the fixed wing helmet that the U.S. Air Force has implemented for the past number of decades and we are thrilled to have the opportunity to work with the USAF and DoD to continue to develop the next generation fixed wing flight helmet. The approach taken with our first flight helmet was to have it be modern, innovative and above all, safe. We can’t wait to bring that same approach while developing this next generation fixed wing helmet to provide our airmen and warfighters the best in flight helmet technology.” states Guido Rietdyk, President and CEO of LIFT Aviation. “The technological advances that we developed in our other businesses in personal safety products in the orthopedic and extreme sports industries under our EVS Sports brand, and in the industrial safety industry with our LIFT Safety brand, in addition to our LIFT Aviation flight focused brand, all have greatly contributed to us being able to draw innovation from a variety of applications and come up with state of the art technology in the cockpit, now working to make our USAF air crews equipped just as well as their air craft are.”
Carbondale, PA, February 26, 2020 – Gentex Corporation, a global leader in personal protection and situational awareness solutions for defense forces, aircrew, emergency responders, and industrial personnel, announced today that it was awarded an OTA Agreement by the United States Air Force for its NGFWH System, following a global-scale competition.
The United States Air Force challenged individuals and businesses from across the world to submit a NGFWH prototype, focusing on addressing shortfalls in previous helmet models, including stability, equipment compatibility, and mass properties. After being tested by USAF pilots and maintainers, the Gentex NGFWH System prototype, created by Gentex’s international team of designers and engineers, was awarded an OTA Agreement for further development and testing.
The Gentex NGFWH System fully integrates the latest Gentex advancements and innovation in all facets of helmet system design and integration, including the helmet system itself, optics, hearing protection, communications and situational awareness, respiratory protection integration and helmet mounted device integration. The NGFWH System will provide a higher level of protection and operational capability for current and future Aircrew.
“We’re honored to be awarded this contract,” said Robert McCay, vice president of aircrew systems at Gentex Corporation, “It’s a testament to Gentex’s generations-long history of leading-edge technological advancement and innovation.”
This research for this OTA was, in part, funded by the U.S. Government. The views and conclusions contained in this document are those of the authors and should not be interpreted as representing the official policies, either expressed or implied, of the U.S. Government.
JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RANDOLPH, Texas – To better afford enlisted recruits the time and opportunity to find the path of their greatest calling, the Air Force has created a single path of entry into the special warfare recruiting and initial training pipeline.
The Special Warfare Operator Enlistment Vectoring program will officially commence in early April of this year with a new Air Force Specialty Code for accessions and the first shipment of special warfare candidates to the service’s basic military training.
“On initial entry into the Air Force, the 9T500 AFSC will be the only path for new Airmen to pursue a career into the Combat Control, Pararescue, Tactical Air Control Party or Special Reconnaissance career fields,” said Lt. Col. Joseph Lopez, chief of the special warfare division at Air Education and Training Command headquarters. “This change allows candidates to make a more informed career decision, prior to being vectored, after months of education, training, development, and mentorship, to see what career field might be the best fit for them. The program also enhances the Air Force’s ability to assign Airmen a permanent AFSC in an equitable way across the special warfare community after a thorough “whole-person” evaluation has been conducted on every candidate going through through the accessions and initial phase of training.”
Every day, special warfare Airmen deploy around the world to project American military power through global access, rescue friendly forces through personnel recovery operations and to destroy the enemy through precision strikes.
The SWOE-V program centers on a “coach-develop-mentor” mindset that begins in the pre-accession phase where recruiting development teams identify potential special warfare operators and begin the process to prepare them for the rigors of the special warfare training pipeline and later, their designated career field.
“The typical special warfare scouting, recruiting and development process for a candidate from pre-accessioning to shipping to BMT takes from four to six months,” said Lt. Col. Heath Kerns, commander of the 330th Recruiting Squadron which specializes in special warfare and combat support recruiting. “During pre-accessioning with help from our developers, candidates begin a 21-day “Pass the PAST” workout program developed to help them pass the Physical Abilities Stamina Test, while at the same time being educated on special warfare components, missions and specialties and the SWOE vector process.”
Another key element to the SWOE-V program will be the base lining of enlistment standards for recruits.
“Having a standardized baseline of enlistment standards will eliminate confusion amongst potential recruits, as well as opens up a larger pool of candidates during the recruiting process who might be eligible for and interested in a career in special warfare,” Kerns said.
After a potential candidate passes the PAST, a test that represents the minimum physical fitness entrance standards for enlisted special warfare career fields, they compete for selection and receive a developer recommendation before contracting and shipping to BMT at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas, as a SWOE candidate, Kerns said.
During BMT, SWOE candidates will master curriculum that includes the Air Force mission and vision, core values, drill and ceremony, history and priorities, field training and joint warfare like every other trainee, but undergo additional training to prepare them for the Special Warfare Prep Course.
“While assigned to their special warfare BMT flights, candidates conduct additional physical training and continue their education about all things special warfare related including components, missions and specialties and the SWOE vectoring process,” Lopez said.
SWOEs’ BMT performance evaluation data is collected throughout training to be included as part of the vectoring process once trainees enter the Special Warfare Prep course, administered by officials at the Special Warfare Training Wing, also at JBSA-Lackland.
“Along with the performance data from BMT, data from the Special Warfare prep course, and a SWOE’s career preference, candidates are vectored to either the Special Tactics and Guardian Angel, or the Tactical Air Control Party, courses of initial entry,” Lopez said.
Selection for a specific special warfare Air Force Specialty Code is heavily based on a candidate’s performance, which drives a competitive model early on, even before shipping to BMT, thus helping shape individual’s drive, determination and strengths, intended to create trust and team cohesion among candidates, Lopez said.
“Nothing is given; Airmen must earn their spot in their chosen career field and fight for it,” Lopez said. “We are evaluating them continuously through pre-accessioning, BMT and the Special Warfare Prep Course, using a whole person concept that includes cognitive, physical skills, as well as Airmanship and instructors’ evaluation of teamwork and attitude.”
From this point in the pipeline, SWOE candidates are split into one of two paths: the four-week Special Tactics and Guardian Angel course of initial entry or the TACP initial course of entry.
“After successful completion of the ST/GA initial course of entry, candidates will be assigned into the combat controller, pararescue or special reconnaissance AFSC based on their continued performance during training and their preference,” Lopez said. “After successful completion of that course, candidates continue along their respective AFSC-specific training pipelines.”
Those who enter the TACP course of initial entry and successfully complete it will continue along in the remainder of the TACP training pipeline, said Lopez.
“The SWOE-V really is a big deal as it represents a momentous change for the Air Force special warfare community,” Lopez said. “By removing constraints in the recruiting and accessions process, we are expanding the talent pool while streamlining entry into the service. We also ensure ensure equitable distribution consistent with and proportional to Air Force-established production goals.”
By Dan Hawkins, Air Education and Training Command Public Affairs
AF Note: To hear more about the SWOE-V program, listen to “The Air Force Starts Here” podcast featuring Lt. Col Lopez, AETC’s special warfare division chief, and Lt. Col. Heath Kerns, 330th Recruiting Squadron commander. The podcast is available for download or streaming on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Google Play, as well as on the AETC website.
CAMP LEMONNIER, Djibouti (AFNS) — The Air Force uses more than 20 types of parachutes to conduct personnel recovery, airdrops and asset insertion into combat zones. Knowing what type of parachute is required for each mission and verifying the safety of those parachutes is the job of a parachute rigger.
This responsibility on Camp Lemonnier is up to the 82nd Expeditionary Rescue Squadron Aircrew Flight Equipment riggers, deployed from Moffett Federal Airfield, California.
“Being a rigger, everything we do has to be 100 percent,” said Tech. Sgt. Isaac Corniel, the 82nd ERQS AFE NCO in charge. “There is no room for mistakes. There’s no room for error. Their lives are in our hands. Even if we have a small twist in a line we want to make it straight, as it can mean someone’s life.”
Being deployed to Djibouti has allowed the 82nd ERQS AFE to train on real-world missions unlike any other training they can get at home station.
AFE riggers are required to pack a variety of chutes in a variety of conditions throughout the world to meet mission needs. The packing can take from 35 minutes to several hours to inspect and repack. Along with the complex quality control measures that must be performed.
“We just try to be the best that we can. We preach quality, quantity and efficiency,” Corniel said. “We are combined with a variety of military forces being deployed, so our guys get to train on more scenarios than they would at home.”
According to Corniel, being deployed to Africa has allowed the team to have hands-on experience with more airdrop missions, whereas back home they would only provide chutes for one or two drops a month. The AFE Airmen said they have grown their understanding on the job to make their deployment a success.
“The guys have been great. They all live up to the riggers creed; they know now what it is to be a rigger,” Corniel said. “We are a part of something special and we strive to keep the history of excellence between the pararescue teams and riggers.”
By SSgt Carlin Leslie , Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa Public Affairs
ARLINGTON, Va. (AFNS) — The U.S. Space Force is looking for feedback from U.S. military space professionals on what Space Force members should be called – similar to how the Air Force refers to its members as ‘Airmen’ or the Army refers to its members as ‘Soldiers’.
Given the significance a name has to the identity and culture of an organization, the Space Force is taking a deliberate approach to ensure Space Force member titles and ranks appropriately convey the nature of the newest Armed Forces branch and the domain in which it operates.
Toward that end, Space Force officials are soliciting ideas related to Space Force ranks, names for operational units and what Space Force members should be called collectively. They are especially interested in soliciting ideas from those currently assigned to the U.S. Space Force or those who expect to be members of the Space Force in the future.
Air Force Common Access Card holders with access to Air Force Portal should submit their ideas online by Feb. 24 through the IdeaScale website at usaf.ideascalegov.com/a/ideas/recent/campaigns/122. Space Force officials will also be reaching out to the Army, Navy and Marine Corps space communities to offer military space professionals in other services the opportunity to submit ideas.
“As we continue to forge the Space Force into a lean, agile and forward-looking 21st century warfighting branch, we want to provide space professionals the opportunity to influence what the members of our new service will be called,” said Lt. Gen. DT Thompson, U.S. Space Force vice commander. “The decisions we make today will shape the Space Force for decades to come, so we want to ensure those who will serve in the Space Force have a say when it comes to important organizational and cultural identity considerations.”
Officials emphasized several guidelines respondents must consider when submitting ideas. For example, proposals must be gender-neutral, distinctive and should emphasize a future-oriented military force. In addition, submissions cannot violate copyrights, infringe on trademarks or other intellectual property rights, or be proprietary. Any submission falling into those categories will not be considered. Submissions must also be in good taste.
Once the submission deadline closes, a panel of Space Force officials will review inputs along with other feedback received from various sources to help inform a final decision on the new Space Force member moniker. That decision, which will be made by senior Space Force leaders, will be announced publicly at a future date to be determined.
By Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs
Testing of the Army’s potential cold weather solutions is joint. Last month, Alaska’s 354th SFS partnered with the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Developmental Command to try out some of the new cold weather gear also being evaluated at Fort drum in New York. 
Photos by Senior Airman Beaux Hebert
