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Archive for the ‘Air Force’ Category

“Special Air Warfare Forces”

Sunday, July 22nd, 2018

“Special Air Warfare Forces” is a 1965 US Air Force film about its fledgling Air Commando force.

100th Air Force Uniform Board Results Update AFI 36-2903, Dress and Personal Appearance of Air Force Personnel

Tuesday, July 17th, 2018

Based on results of the 100th Air Force Uniform Board, the Air Force announced a series of uniform updates to Air Force Instruction 36-2903, Dress and Personal Appearance of Air Force Personnel, effective July 13, 2018.

According to a release by Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs,notable changes include:

Grooming and Appearance Standards

– No minimum hair length for females, but up to a maximum bulk of three-and-half inches from scalp, allowing for proper wear of headgear.
– Females are also authorized locs, which must be lightly fused or interwoven to present a neat, professional appearance.

Dress Uniform

– All enlisted personnel may wear three-and-a-half inch or four-inch chevrons.
– All or some ribbons and devices may be worn on service dress uniform.
– All, some or no ribbons and devices may be worn on blue service uniform.

Outer Garments, Headgear, Rank Insignia and Accessories

– While off duty in civilian clothes males are authorized to wear earrings on or off installation.
– Females are authorized to wear round or square white diamond, gold, white pearl or silver earrings as a set with any uniform combination.
– Eyeglasses and sunglasses may have a small logo that can contrast with frame color or lenses. Conservative, clear, slightly tinted or photosensitive lenses are also authorized.
– Airmen may wear either a sling style backpack or two strap backpack.
– Handbags for all uniform combinations will be solid black leather or vinyl without ornamentation with black or white stitching.

Physical Training Gear

– Short- and long-sleeved solid white, black or light gray form fitting undershirts may be worn and visible under the short-sleeved shirt.
– A balaclava (black) may now be worn with PT gear while performing physical fitness activities outdoors.

For the complete list of changes, with lts of info on the transition to OCP, visit: static.e-publishing.af.mil/production/1/af_a1/publication/afi36-2903/afi36-2903

USAF Activates Recruiting Squadron Specifically For Battlefield Airman

Saturday, July 14th, 2018

The first squadron focused solely on recruiting Battlefield Airmen and combat support career fields stood up recently in a ceremony at the Medina Annex on Joint Base San Antonio – Lackland.

The reactivation of the 330th Recruiting Squadron, U.S. Air Force Recruiting’s 28th squadron, marks the first time in Air Force history that a unit will be dedicated to recruiting men and women for hard-to-fill positions within special operations and combat support roles.

The reactivation began with members of the Battlefield Airmen Training Group and the 330th RCS freefalling into the ceremony with the squadron guidon and the American Flag. Col. Ron Stenger, BATG commander and a special tactics officer, passed the guidon to Col. Robert Trayers, AFRS vice commander, and former commander of the 330th RCS when it was deactivated back in 2009.

Following the jump, members of the 330th RCS participated in memorial pushups at the Lt. Col. William Schroeder Memorial.

“Memorial pushups are a tradition in our community to recognize and honor our fallen comrades,” said Master Sgt. Benjamin Hannigan, a liaison to AFRS from the 24th Special Operations Wing. “They are usually done after strenuous physical activity, because our fallen comrades did more than their physical body could. Our physical sacrifice of remembrance could never match up to their sacrifice.”

Shortly after the memorial pushups, the official party moved into the Lt. Col. Schroeder Auditorium for the assumption of command ceremony. Trayers provided remarks about the squadron’s heritage.

“It’s great to be able to reactivate this squadron with a great team and new leaders,” Trayers said. “You now have the important responsibility of recruiting the folks you want at the tip of the spear of our nation.”

The reason for activating the 330th RCS was to overcome the challenges of recruiting and training Battlefield Airmen, said Trayers.

Since the standup of the BATG in 2016 to the beginning of the current prep course, this activation completes the span between recruiting and training in the of the revolutionary new Special Operations recruiting model.

“What you see before you is an Air Force Chief of Staff directed fix to a 21 year problem,” said Maj. Heath Kerns, 330th RCS commander after receiving the guidon from Trayers. “Our squadron is exclusively focused on scouting, developing and guiding future Battlefield Airmen and combat support warriors to their combat calling.”

Kerns comes to AFRS with more than a decade of experience as a special tactics officer. The 330th RCS is designed to recruit and access the next generation of Special Operations Airmen and combat support forces, which include combat controllers, pararescuemen, special operations weathermen, tactical air control party, survival evasion resistance and escape (SERE), and explosive ordnance disposal (EOD).

According to Kerns, this recruiting squadron is necessary because you cannot mass produce special operators.

“The old model of taking someone off the street to recruit for the Battlefield Airmen pipeline showed a 90 percent attrition rate,” he said. “Out of 100 people, only 10 would make it. This was not only a challenge for the recruiting force to have such low numbers on a high level of candidates, but also a large monetary cost for the Air Force itself.”

Previously, a trainee would be assessed and trained by traditional recruiters, attend Basic Military Training, then begin the indoctrination course. Now, recruiters of the 330th RCS train and access potential candidates alongside contract developers, who are retired service members with experience in special operations and combat support roles.

Master Sgt. Richard Geren, a 330th RCS flight chief for the Texas area, spoke on the importance of selecting the right candidates for Battlefield Airmen and combat support missions.

“First, we make sure they are qualified for the Air Force,” Geren said. “Once we know they are qualified, we see if they are a good fit to become a Battlefield Airman.”

According to Geren, a good fit includes the right mindset, attitude and understanding of the demands of the Battlefield Airmen career fields.

“I want to sit down with every person to explain the ins and outs of every single job we are recruiting for,” he said. “I also want to share stories and examples of what a pararescueman or combat controller’s worst day might be. It’s not all Hollywood and cool gear. It’s about hard work, determination and teamwork.”

Similarly, recruiters took a unique approach to understanding the career fields they seek candidates for by immersing themselves in to Battlefield Airmen training. Kerns commended the squadron for attending the week-long indoctrination before activing the squadron and then closed the ceremony by speaking directly to the 330th RCS members.

“We will become an audacious display of innovation and collaboration,” he said. “We will succeed in bringing the highest quality of warriors the Air Force and the world has ever seen. You embody these qualities; they are forged through a pursuit of personal excellence and enduring great challenge so that you can inspire young men and women to follow you to their combat calling.”

Air Education and Training Command

Air Force Special Operations Command

Become A Special Operations Tactical Air Control Party Airman

Saturday, July 14th, 2018

Do you have what it takes? The Air Force’s Special Operations Tactical Air Control Party Airmen, or SOF TACPs, are ground special operators who direct air power on the battlefield. Specifically, these Airmen call in air and ground strikes while embedded with a special forces team, such as the Army Rangers or Navy SEALs. These SOF TACPs are selected from the conventional TACP force to integrate air and ground in Air Force Special Tactics, with only 5% of TACPs serving in special operations. The majority of SOF TACPs are assigned to the 17th Special Tactics Squadron, who have been continuously deployed “outside the wire” since 9/11.

AFSOC Public Affairs Team

Belleville Boot OCP Boot Transition Guide For Airmen

Friday, July 13th, 2018

SSD Sponsor Belleville Boot, created this handy OCP boot transition guide for USAF personnel.

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www.bellevilleboot.com

Air Force Specialty Code 14F – Information Operations Officer

Saturday, June 23rd, 2018

In mid-May Chief Of Staff of the Air Force, Gen Dave Goldfein awarded four officers the new Information Operations occupational badge. Although it’s hard to see in this photo, it features a Trojan Horse, long associated with deception in war. In fact, the practitioners of this field, also have a new Air Force Specifically Code, 14F to go along with the badge. In the past, these functions were performed generally by Intelligence Officers (AFSC 14N), unrated Staff Officers (16G), and Behavioral Scientists (61B) based on ad-hoc training for duty positions.

This is an officer AFSC which uses information-related capabilities to influence, disrupt, corrupt or usurp the decision making of selected audiences to create desired effects.

Currently, part of their qualification includes attending Military Information Support Operations aka PSYOPS training with the Army at Ft Bragg, as well as Courses in Tactical Deception and Operations Security.

However, the Air Force is standing up a new schoolhouse at Hurlburt Field, Florida, which is coincidentally the headquarters of the Air Force Special Operations Command. A new 15-week course will come online in 2019 and focus specifically on the Air Force application of IO.

The careerfield itself remains small, but there are multiple IO Squadrons within the Air Force which conduct a wide variety of intelligence functions. This is sure to lead to confusion about the specialized focus of the 14F AFSC.

Photos via CSAF twitter feed.

Existing USAF Huey Bases To Receive Replacement Aircraft

Friday, June 22nd, 2018

WASHINGTON (AFNS) — The Air Force announced today that each UH-1N Huey location will receive replacement aircraft.


A UH-1N Huey helicopter prepares to land at Malmstrom Air Force Base, Mont. Air Force bases currently flying the UH-1N will receive upgraded aircraft sometime between 2020 and 2032. (U.S. Air Force photo)

The Air Force is replacing the UH-1N Huey 46-year-old fleet by procuring new replacement aircraft to support four missions – Nuclear Deterrence Operations, Continuation of Government Operations, Survival School support, and Test and Training.

Current UH-1N Huey locations include Eglin Air Force Base’s Duke Field, Florida; Fairchild AFB, Washington; FE Warren AFB, Wyoming; Joint Base Andrews-Naval Air Facility Washington, Maryland; Kirtland AFB, New Mexico; Malmstrom AFB, Montana; and Minot AFB, North Dakota.

The Air Force UH-1N Huey replacement program supports the Defense Department’s principal priority to maintain a safe, secure and effective nuclear deterrent that safeguards the homeland, assures allies and deters adversaries. The replacement for the UH-1N Huey will feature significant improvements in the areas of speed, range, endurance, payload capacity and survivability.

Each stateside active duty UH-1N Huey location will receive replacement aircraft pending the outcome of the environmental analysis.

The 2016 Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Joint Requirements Oversight Council approved the purchase of new aircraft to replace the 46-year-old UH-1N Huey fleet. A contract award for the new aircraft is anticipated later this year with deliveries planned for 2020-2032.

By Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs

Pre-order “CCT – The Eye Of The Storm”

Monday, June 4th, 2018

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This premium 9×12 hardback ‘encyclopedia’ is filled with nearly 1,000 pages of now declassified CCT stories and hundreds of color photos; it will be a treasured addition to your library, office or man cave.

Celebrating eight decades of Air Force CCT history; this chronicle is filled with now declassified stories of CCT exploits.

CCT: The Eye of the Storm chronicles the exploits of Air Force Combat Control Teams (CCT). It is told in a series of short stories – many etched by a cocktail of blood, sweat and tears. The Combat Control story began in Volume I with the appearance of the first CCTs; i.e., command and control teams cobbled together by the WWII U.S. Army Air Force [USAAF] for Operation VARSITY. VARSITY, the airborne assault across the Rhine; was one component of a multifaceted ground invasion leading to the surrender of Nazi Germany on May 7, 1945. The CCT story continued in Volume II, detailing the 21st Century fight in the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT). Included are several humanitarian missions; two missions of epic proportion in Haiti and Japan.

In this new book, subtitled Medal of Honor (MOH) the CCT chronicle continues, incorporating the two previously published volumes and adding stories of ongoing combat operations in Afghanistan; now America’s longest war. The earlier, self-published volumes targeted a limited military audience of USSOCOM forces, families and friends. This new book is an all-inclusive compilation offered in a single premium publication expected to reach a world-wide audience of US and allied military organizations, families, friends and military enthusiasts.

CCT has been a critical linchpin in thousands of operations over the course of the careerfield’s history, yet they are one of the least known Special Operations Force. Pre-ordering this book will help ensure their story is told.

This book isn’t cheap, but if you’re a true history buff, especially of SOF, this is a must-have volume. What’s more, it’s sure to increase in value.

www.mentormilitary.com/CCT-The-Eye-of-the-Storm-p/adc-cct