Air Force radio operators

Transcription

Official Magazine of the U.S. Air Force
Spring 2007, Volume LI, Number 2
Secretary of the Air Force
Michael W. Wynne
Chief of Staff, U.S. Air Force
Gen. T. Michael Moseley
Director of Communications
Brig. Gen. William A. Chambers
Director of Public Affairs
Brig. Gen. Michelle D. Johnson
Executive Director, Air Force News Agency
Dr. Robin K. Crumm
Airman Staff
Editor
Design Editor
1st Lt. Shannon Collins
Steve Ingram
Assistant Design Editor
G. Patrick Harris
Associate Design Editor
Virginia Reyes
Production Manager
Andrew Yacenda
Airman is published quarterly by the Air
Force News Agency (AFNEWS) for the Secretary of the Air Force Office of Public Affairs. As the official magazine of the U.S. Air
Force, it is a medium of information for Air
Force personnel. Readers may submit articles, photographs and artwork. Suggestions
and criticisms are welcomed. All pictures
are U.S. Air Force photos unless otherwise
identified. Opinions of contributors are not
necessarily those of the Air Force.
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Features
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Trimming the force
As the Air Force strives to balance the force, it must make some tough decisions.
10
Still on target
16
It’s all about the Airmen
18
Conquering the final frontier
28
Keeping the ‘comm’ up in Africa
36
The road to recovery
38
Frontline duty
40
Keepeers of their stories
44
Life thrives at polar ‘space base’
F.E. Warren Airmen are still using the frontier to continue their vigilance.
Chief of staff meets Airmen to explain the issues affecting their careers.
Airmen astronauts help NASA carry out its mission.
Editorial offices: Airman, AFNEWS/
PANA, 203 Norton St., San Antonio, TX
78226-1848. Telephone (210) 925-7757;
DSN 945-7757, fax (210) 925-7219; DSN
945-7219. E-mail: [email protected]
Airman can be found on Air Force Link,
the Air Force’s official World Wide Web
home page (www.af.mil/news/airman). For
unit subscriptions, administrative support
offices can send the unit’s mailing address
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issues may not be available. For change of
address, write Government Printing Office,
Superintendent of Documents, Mail Stop
SSOM, Washington, D.C. 20401. Distribution: one copy for approximately three
military and civilian personnel. AFRP 35-1.
Two Airmen keep the lines of communications open for Soldiers deployed to Ethiopia.
Sergeant fights to recover and to stay in the Air Force.
Airmen play crucial role in the war on terrorism.
American aviation history is alive at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force.
Thule Airmen overcome harsh environment to get their job done.
Departments
Airmail...2
Profile...8
Profile...26
Xtreme...34
From the Top...48
AIRMAIL
Benefits of deployment
Over the past two years, the Airman staff tried
new content and design to reach the younger
Airmen. The article “Answering the Call: Top 10
benefits of deployment” [Winter 2006], was one
of those attempts. However, we received many
e-mails from readers who did not agree with
our message. We realized that, despite our best
intentions, we were off target in the way we
tried to communicate them.
We neglected to say that the FIRST and
LAST reason to deploy is, and always will be,
duty, honor and country.
May of you wrote us to point out that duty
and patriotism are the primary reasons you
deploy and felt we had diminished the seriousness of deployment, thus demeaning the
actions of those Airmen — past, present and
future — who deployed in defense of our nation
and our allies.
That was certainly not our intention. Our
aim was simply to inform Airmen that there are
things the Air Force does to take care of its
deployed forces to fulfilling that important duty.
Thank you to those who provided us with good,
constructive criticism. Thank you for your readership and valued service to the nation.
correctly depict the command’s mission as the
Air Force transferred the pararescue mission to
Air Combat Command in April 2006.
Correction
The photo accompanying the Air Force Special
Operations Command entry on Page 11 of
Airman’s “The Book 2007” almanac issue
shows Air Force pararescuemen on a hoist
during a mission. However, the photo does not
Clarification
Many readers have written in, concerned
about the numbers pictured in the photograph
of Zachary Moore in the feature “Living with
Leukemia” [Winter 2007]. So we thought we’d
clarify for everyone. The numbers pictured on
Letter to editor
As an author on the Air Force and the
Korean War, I have interviewed retired Maj.
John Yingling and dozens of other veterans of his F-51D Mustang-equipped 18th
Fighter-Bomber Wing. They are brave men.
Mr. Yingling should inspire today’s Airmen
with his heroic air-to-ground missions. While
Mr. Yingling believes he encountered a
Soviet-built MiG-15 jet fighter that could not
have happened.
The genesis for Airman’s article was a
well-intentioned, but flawed, interview in the
recent past that should never have been
made part of the record. On four occasions,
American or Allied pilots in propeller-driven
fighters shot down jet-powered MiGs — two
each in Korea and Vietnam. None belonged
to the Air Force or flew a Mustang. Based on
official records of wing operations, interviews with Mr. Yingling and his buddies,
aerial victory credits published in several
forms over the years, and the entire body
of historical evidence available to us, no
18th Fighter-Bomber Wing pilot could have
come near a MiG-15 at the time and date
indicated, let alone shot one down.
The art accompanying the story did not
meet Airman’s standard. The article used a
poor, black and white photo of World War
II “razorback” P-51B/C Mustangs when
photos of Korea-era F-51Ds are readily
available. In the lead photo, the veteran pilot
Airman  Spring 2007
Airmen of the 18th Fighter-Bomber Wing arm F-51
Mustang fighters with rockets before a mission from a
base in South Korea during the Korean War.
‘The Book 2007’ available
online
Airman magazine’s annual almanac issue,
“The Book 2007,” is a tool for referencing facts and figures about the Air Force.
View the entire issue online and download
a PDF copy at http://www.af.mil/news/airman/0307/downloads.shtml.
was posed with an F-51H, a Mustang version
that never saw combat.
— Robert F. Dorr
Oakton, Virginia
(Mr. Dorr is co-author of “The Korean Air War”
Osceola: Motorbooks International, 1994)
AFNEWS response:
Following the distribution of the Winter 2007 issue
of Airman, several readers contacted the magazine’s
staff to tell us of errors in the story, “The Unknown
Tale of John Yingling.” It was pointed out that retired
Major Yingling’s story about the day he shot down
a MiG-15 Faggot jet with his propeller-driven F-51
Mustang had never been documented as an official
“kill” by Air Force historians. In recounting only Mr.
Yingling’s oral description of the mission, Airman
magazine unintentionally misinformed readers as
to the historical validity of the event. In addition, we
made an error in designating the F-51 as a P-51
and referring to cannon fire, when the aircraft had
no such armament. The Air Force News Agency
regrets having made these errors and for not having
presented Major Yingling’s story as a personal account of the event and the controversy over why the
Air Force has never officially recorded it.
When conducting the interview and subsequent research to independently verify the story, the magazine
staff found that the major’s story couldn’t be found in
the usual Air Force history books as the original article
noted. But the staff did account for Mr. Yingling’s story
in a book titled, Airman of Courage: Our Heritage. The
his wristband are identification numbers assigned by the hospital, not his Social Security
number. Thank you for your concern and for
writing in.
Reader feedback
Have a story idea, want to share your story or
photos, or just want to comment on a recent
issue? Send us an e-mail at editor@afnews.
af.mil.
book is the work of a couple of Air Force historians and is part of a series of compilations of oral
histories, a fact the writer didn’t know about until
after we published the story. Although Air Force
historians continue trying to validate Mr. Yingling’s
story today, so far the research has not proven his
claim. Airman magazine did communicate in its
story that the account “doesn’t appear in many,
if any, books.” We appreciate readers having
brought this issue to our attention and in the future
all historical stories will be coordinated through
the Air Force Historian and the Air Force Historical
Research Agency.
Regarding the art selection, the magazine staff
used photos that were representative samples of
the aircraft Major Yingling flew. Due to proximity
and ease for the major, who lives in the Air Force
Village in San Antonio, we took the opening
photo at the Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, air
park. While the photos were not “true” representations of the aircraft flown by Major Yingling, we
used them as supporting elements to give the
average reader an idea as to what type of aircraft
he flew, something we should have noted in the
photo cutline.
AFNEWS certainly regrets any misrepresentation or misunderstanding this story may have
caused. Our intent was to highlight individuals
from Air Force history and to educate our audience on the importance and rich history of our
Air Force to the national security of our nation.
See related information on next page.
U.S. Air Force photo
Book 2007 kudos
I’ve been collecting Airman’s almanac
[“The Book”] since I joined the Air Force in
1996. Every year, I’ve been impressed with
the quality. While previous copies have
been outstanding, this year’s is without
a doubt the best yet. Every aspect of
the magazine seems to have improved.
Thanks for putting so much time, effort
and pride in your work.
Maj. Todd Osgood
Pentagon
Recounting history is not always an easy task
T
he Air Force News Agency is an award-winning organization. Its staff members record
hundreds of videos, write hundreds of
stories and take thousands of photographs each
year as they perform their mission of telling the Air
Force story.
Each story provides the opportunity for
journalists like me, who write for Airman, to learn
something new. In the Winter 2007 issue of Airman
magazine, I wrote “The Unknown Tale of John Yingling.” In this story, I learned many things, including
there often is a difference between “history” and
“his story.”
For my story, I interviewed retired Major Yingling,
who he told me his story about shooting down a
MiG-15 Faggot with his F-51D Mustang over Korea.
But I wasn’t aware his story, and his claimed aerial
kill, is not an official record in the annals of Air Force
history.
A historian at the Air Force Historical Research
Agency, located at Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.,
told me the telling and retelling of historical stories
can be, and is, complex.
Staff Sgt. Matthew Rosine has
been an awardwinning military
journalist for
seven years. He
is from Duncan,
Okla., and served
in Uzbekistan
during the war on
terrorism. He is
currently at the
Air Force News
Agency in San
Antonio.
Such is the case with Mr. Yingling’s story. The Air
Force has yet to officially confirm his claimed aerial
kill, Dr. Daniel Haulman said. He is chief of the organizational histories branch at the research agency.
The doctor has served more than 20 years as the
primary historian responsible for answering and
researching questions about aerial kill victory credits.
Dr. Haulman said to officially recognize an aerial
kill the agency relies on two forms of documentation. It uses a victory credit report, determined by
a board, or an official order awarding the credit.
The order must state that the award is for shooting
down an enemy aircraft.
The agency tracks these official records for each
war. It also has compiled aerial kill victory studies
for all the wars and maintains the Air Force’s official
aerial victory credit list. In Mr. Yingling’s case, these
things didn’t happen. The reason remains a mystery. But the research agency continues trying and
corroborate Mr. Yingling’s story even today.
I spoke to several authors of books on the Korean War about the nature of the history business.
“Sorting out what really happened, and its
importance, is the challenge of attempting to write
history,” said Tracy Connors, a retired Navy captain
and author. He has written many books, including
a combat diary about the 18th Fighter-Bomber
Wing’s 37 months of combat operations in the
Korean War. Retired Major Yingling served in one of
the wing’s squadrons.
“It’s hard enough determining, with accuracy,
‘what happened,’ when events are current and taking place around us,” Mr. Connor said. “Doing so
many years later compounds the challenge many
times over, particularly when the source of what
happened is a personal recollection.
“Personal accounts of actions taken in combat
are highly subjective and often incomplete,” he
said. “The interests of accuracy and completeness
in such cases are best served by using the recollections with collaborating documentation.”
However, the numerous personal accounts
of past events can provide more insight into Air
Force history. These stories are critical to Air Force
heritage.
But personal accounts of historical events can
raise historical concerns. After reading my story
[see the letter to editor on previous page], Robert
F. Dorr raised some concerns, too. An author of a
book on the Korean War, Mr. Dorr has also written
extensively about Air Force history for the Air Force
Times newspaper. He felt I should have done more
research to discover the controversy surrounding
Mr. Yingling’s story. And he was right.
This story has taught me I need to more
thoroughly check published sources and always
talk to subject matter experts to ensure historical
accuracy.
Books have so many historical perspectives
that it can be difficult to know what is true. But I’ve
learned that our Air Force history experts are so
thorough in their documentation that I have complete trust in the accuracy of their official records.
As Airmen, we take pride in our Air Force heritage and we have a responsibility to become more
knowledgeable about the rich history of the organization we represent. In fact, I’ve learned there are
multiple Web sites that feature details about official
aerial kills, and others have stories that recount how
our heroes earned Distinguished Flying Crosses.
I recommend using a search engine to find more
information on these topics. Try searching for “U.S.
Air Force aerial victory credits” or “U.S. Air Force
Distinguished Flying Cross recipients.”
This story taught me many things. I hope those
reading my story have learned something about Air
Force history, too.
— Staff Sgt. Matthew Rosine
T
Basic trainees wait in line for lunch during their week-long
field training exercise at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas.
Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. T. Michael Moseley said taking care of Airmen and making them a better-prepared
force is one of the Air Force’s three top priorities.
Airman J Spring 2007
he Air Force is having to deal with a lot of hot issues these
days.
Recapitalization, modernization, long deployments and
winning the war on terrorism are just some of them. But
everything boils down to the Air Force having the people it needs to work
these concerns.
That’s why no issue burns with more intensity than force shaping.
However, the Air Force needs to downsize. That means cutting more than
28,000 Airmen by 2009 — this after 25,000 officers and enlisted have
already left the service since 2004, either voluntarily or involuntarily. In
fiscal 2007 alone, the target is to reduce the force by 25,000 to achieve
the end strength of 334,200.
The cuts impact the service as a whole. In every office on every base,
someone knows someone affected by force shaping initiatives.
Two Airmen who work in the force shaping branch at the Air Force
Personnel Center at Randolph Air Force Base, Texas, are familiar
with the issue. It is their job to help Airmen transition out of the Air
Force.
“We don’t go through a stack of records and randomly choose people
to separate,” branch chief Maj. Lorraine Hodge said.
In fact, the force shaping branch has little to do with deciding which
Airmen must involuntarily separate. A board typically made up of
colonels, general officers and commanders makes that decision.
Providing help
What the branch does is provide board-eligible Airmen who must
separate the support, information and resources they need to help
them through the process as much as possible.
This help includes conducting briefings on the force shaping program,
maintaining a Web site (http://ask.afpc.randolph.af.mil/forceshape)
dedicated to force shaping initiatives and answering hundreds of e-mails
every week from people across the globe who are concerned their careers
may soon end.
“These are people who don’t want to leave the Air Force,” deputy
branch chief Maj. Ashley Heyen said. “It’s a big part of their life and so
they are fighting to stay in.”
Because of this, branch members often find themselves emotionally
involved.
“You try not to be, but it’s hard, especially when you listen to their
stories and hear the disappointment and sadness in their voices,” Major
Hodge said. But not every case is heartbreaking. In some cases, Airmen volunteer
to separate or are relieved to find out they can leave the Air Force early.
Ultimately, force shaping comes down to numbers. Personal desires have
little impact on an Airman’s chances. The Air Force must reduce its force to
meet recapitalization and modernization goals, personnel officials said.
First Lt. Matt Butler knows that all too well. A security forces officer,
he was on the list of board-eligible officers for his career field. He faced
having to leave the service early in 2006.
Lt. Col. Mike Kelly (left), 37th Training Group deputy commander, goes
over staff packages with 1st Lt. Matt
Butler. Lieutenant Butler survived
force shaping last year and was able
to stay in the Air Force. Fifty to 60
percent of all security forces lieutenants in the 2003 commissioning year
group had to leave the service. The
lieutenant works as the executive
officer to Colonel Kelly. Second Lt.
Emily Brand (center) files retention
recommendation forms used to help
assist in the force-shaping process.
Lieutenant Brand is helping the
force-shaping branch while waiting
for a pilot training slot.
by Staff Sgt. Brian Ferguson
“It’s all about the needs of the Air Force,” he said.
Fortunately, the Air Force didn’t choose the lieutenant for involuntarily
separation. But he still remembers opening the notification.
“It was such a simple letter,” he said. “But it was the sense of relief
knowing the Air Force still wanted me.”
The branch is ready to help those who get the other kind of letter, the
one letting them know they must separate. Perhaps the best help it offers
is in the form of advice. On a regular basis, the force-shaping staff tells
people to perform several vital actions.
“The most important thing Airmen who are being considered for
involuntary separation can do is check their records and make sure
they are correct,” Major Hodge said. “We simply can’t stress that
enough.”
One common misconception is that Airmen only need to check their
records at the local military personnel flight. This is not the case. The
records the board receives and maintains inside the personnel center are
separate, and are therefore often wrong or incomplete. So, the branch
recommends Airmen check these records, too.
Checking records
People can accomplish this in several ways. Airmen can take permissive
temporary duty to Randolph and personally inspect their records. Or they
can call the record section and conduct a scrub over the phone.
Airmen should also regularly check the force shaping Web site for
updates, new information and regulations.
“We work hard to get information to Airmen,” Major Hodge said.
“The Web site is one of our best tools to do this and it’s a great source for
Airmen who may have questions about the force shaping program.”
Another message the branch tries to get out is that force shaping is not
simply about reducing numbers. It’s also about balancing the force.
“Yes, the Air Force needs to involuntarily separate some Airmen,”
said Lt. Col. James Standridge, deputy chief of the personnel center’s
retirements and separations division. “But it has to make sure it separates
the right ones.”
This means examining every Air Force Specialty Code, determining the
ones with too few, or too many, Airmen and setting a target percentage of
Airmen to add or cut from each job.
“Separating half the maintainers in the Air Force all at once would not
be good,” the colonel said. “So making sure to obtain a representative
sample from every job to place on these boards is important.”
Quality Airmen
Frustrating as it may be for Airmen to find themselves facing involuntary
separation, Majors Hodge and Heyen both stress Airmen should not
feel discouraged or unwanted. Many react by thinking they weren’t good
enough or the Air Force simply didn’t want them.
by Tech Sgt. Larry Simmons
That is not the case, Major Hodge said.
“The fact is we’re forcing out some very good Airmen,” she said. “They
aren’t being separated because they’re troublemakers or below-average
performers. It’s simply because the Air Force has to cut some positions.”
In reality, force shaping would be much easier if there were a lot of lowquality Airmen to separate. But, for the most part, today’s Airmen are top
notch performers, she said.
“After all, we are the best air and space force in the world,” she said.
Major Hodge said people should remember one thing.
“This isn’t your grandfather’s or your father’s Air Force where you could
sign up and do your 20 or 30 years,” she said. “You may do 20 or you
may do six. But 20 years is not guaranteed anymore.”
As the cuts continue, young officers like Lieutenant Butler have to wait
patiently. If the Air Force needs them, they will stay. If not, then they’ll have to go.
“I’m taking it one duty station at a time,” Lieutenant Butler said.
Editor’s note: The personnel center’s records section officer’s side
is at DSN 665-2371, commercial at 210-565-2371. The enlisted’s
side is at DSN 665-2353, commercial at 210-565-2353. Call
customer service at DSN 665-2998, commercial at 210-565-2998
or by calling 1-800-210-565-1136.
by Staff Sgt. Bryan Bouchard
First Lt. Brooks Roland (left), a security forces officer,
calls to fellow Airmen for support during a combat first aid
obstacle course exercise at McGuire Air Force Base, N.J.
During the 2006 force-shaping process, his career field
was cut by about 60 percent, due to overmanning. Staff
Sgt. Eric Flinders (above), a communications specialist, works on a network server. Over the next few years,
force shaping will impact some enlisted communications
AFSCs and other career fields across the Air Force. Airmen affected may be forced to cross-train or separate.
Airman J Spring 2007
PROFILE
Airman 1st Class Corina Scagliola
Air transportation journeyman
728th Air Mobility Squadron, Incirlik Air Base, Turkey
Years in the Air Force: Three
Hometown: Farmington, Conn.
Number in air transportation field (2T2X1): 4,730
“Our mission is important
for the troops downrange
fighting the war on
terrorism.”
Cargo loaders help save lives
Though she’s a few hundred miles from the war zone
in Iraq, Airman 1st Class Corina Scagliola helps keep
American Airmen and Soldiers off dangerous Iraqi
convoy routes plagued by roadside bombs and sniper
attacks.
The air transportation journeyman at Incirlik Air Base,
Turkey, and her fellow Airmen unload cargo from civilian
transport aircraft that fly into the base from the United States.
Then they reload the cargo onto the tactical C-17 Globemaster
III aircraft destined for bases in Iraq.
By helping the transports get their critically needed cargo
directly to American bases, she and her team of warfighters
helps reduce the number of supply convoys on the perilous
roads.
“Our mission is important for the troops downrange fighting
the war on terrorism,” she said. “Certain supplies are needed
quickly in the war zone, and we help provide them. They
(convoys) stay off the roads. The more they are off the roads,
the less danger they’re in.”
When she isn’t working, Airman Scagliola studies culinary
arts at Central Texas University. She is also taking in the sites
in Turkey, and has already visited mosques and castles.
Though she enjoys learning about different cultures, this
high-speed Airman enjoys doing her vital part of the Air Force
mission. She knows how important it is, having served at
Balad Air Base, Iraq, in 2005.
“I like knowing that my co-workers and I save lives every
day,” she said.
by Michael Tolzmann
photo by Tech. Sgt. Larry Simmons
photo illustration by G. Patrick Harris
STILL ON
Airmen provide nation’s strategic umbrella
TARGET
By Staff Sgt. Jeremy Larlee
T
he ghosts of generations of military
members whisper throughout F.E.
Warren Air Force Base, Wyo.
Formed as Fort D.A. Russell in 1867,
renamed Fort Francis E. Warren in 1930
and then given its current name when
the Army handed the base over to the Air
Force in 1947, the base has seen its capabilities transition radically over the years.
The installation began as a frontier
cavalry unit that protected the railroad. It
gave security to people as manifest destiny drove them westward looking for their
piece of the American dream.
Some 140 years later, some of the
base’s frontier-days appearances have not
changed. Many buildings at the installation are now on historical registers and
are older than the state of Wyoming,
which didn’t join the Union until 1890.
But visitors shouldn’t be fooled by the
well-worn look, because the base now has
a mission vital to the protection of the
entire country, said Col. Michael Morgan,
vice commander of the 90th Space Wing.
“When you come through the main
gate, you see beautiful red brick homes
and lanes lined with trees,” he said. “But
behind all that are missiles that pack one
heck of a wallop. You would never know
that by looking in from outside the gate.”
First Lt. Matthew Bejcek (left) and Capt. Mark
Olenick keep watch over the missile alert facility
launch control center around the clock, three days
at a time. They cycle out with other members of
the 319th Missile Squadron.
10
Team effort
The base is home to one of three missile
wings in the Air Force. Their weapon of choice
is the Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic
missile, or ICBM.
“The efforts of the personnel are vital to the
11
defense of the nation and an important
resource of this command,” said Gen.
Kevin P. Chilton, commander of Air
Force Space Command. “Our ICBM
force provides that strategic umbrella
for our nation and that doesn’t happen
by accident, the Airmen are out there
every day doing the job.”
One of those Airmen, 1st Lt. Matthew Bejcek, is a deputy combat crew
member with the 319th Missile Squadron. He works at a missile alert facility
in the rural Wyoming countryside an
hours drive from the base.
Every morning, the lieutenant faces
a long drive to work over deserted
country roads, and 90 minutes of security checks before he can start work.
Working more than 60 feet underground, his job is more difficult
than simply monitoring a mythical
big red button. There are checklists
to go through during his shift, and
he usually has a headset to his ear,
coordinating actions throughout the
missile field.
The job can be quite hectic, but it
is easier because of the close bond
the lieutenant has with his crew partner, Capt. Mark Olenick. They have
been a team since November.
“It is a very unique position down
here,” the lieutenant said. “From the
beginning, we just seemed to click.
There are times that we get into a
rhythm, and just a couple of words
are needed for him to know what is
going on.”
Teamwork between crew members
is essential because of the cramped
work area, nicknamed “the capsule”
because it resembles pill capsule.
There is space for only two chairs, a
few monitors and twin-sized bunks.
The Airmen are not so concerned
with the creature comforts of their
work space. They know they have a
Illustration by G. Patrick Harris
very serious mission.
But if the crew ever had to launch their
not the only part of a missile alert facility.
deadly missiles, it is a more complicated
Above ground is a compound that houses a
process than just “pushing a button.” They
support staff and a robust security forces unit
would have to work together through numertrained to defend the compound and others
ous checklists and turn their individual keys
like it spread across Wyoming, Colorado and
simultaneously.
Nebraska.
It is an action Lieutenant Bejcek hopes he
will never to have to perform. But he goes to
Vital security
work each day, ready to carry out the orders
Tech. Sgt. Paul Bobenmoyer is a missile
to launch, if directed.
alert facility manager. It is a special-duty asThat’s why missile duty can be lonely work.
signment and he has found it to be a lot differBut the crew is not alone. Their capsule is
ent than his former duties as a C-130 Hercules
12
photo by Senior Airman Javier Cruz Jr.
Airmen at F.E. Warren Air Force
Base, Wyo., are upholding a long
tradition and heritage that dates to
the Army posts of the old frontier
days. From this historical base
— which still has homes and offices dating back to the late 1800s
— they operate missile alert facilities
that help protect the United States.
This Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic
missile training tool helps teach new Airmen
to the 90th Space Wing the job they will do
for Air Force Space Command. The training
site is a realistic replica of the 150 missile
alert facilities the wing operates throughout
Wyoming, western Nebraska and northern
Colorado.
engine mechanic.
As a facility manager, he has a part to play in
nearly every facet of the mission. On a daily basis, he can find himself calling for maintenance
help or dealing with animals tripping sensors
around the facility.
“You dabble in everything as a facility manager,” he said. “You have to have basic knowledge
about the systems, in case something goes wrong
so you can fix it or call in the proper assistance.”
Because of the mission, security at the
compound is extremely tight. Crews must pass
through several levels of security checks before
they get to their capsule.
Security forces get special training to work at
the facilities. One class is at Camp Guernsey, a
small, modest National Guard base about a twohour drive north of F.E. Warren. The training s
vital in the protection of the site and its missiles,
said Maj. Joseph Gallagher, commander of the
90th Ground Combat Training Course.
The contents of the course are a product
of collaboration between some of the most
experienced security forces in the world, the
major said.
“If you train continuously, when bad things
happen, you will be ready,” he said.
Recapitalizing the tool box
The training is part of the command’s effort to
upgrade all its capabilities.
“This is an exciting time to be in Air Force
Space Command, because we are recapitalizing
every system in the command right now,” General Chilton said.
Out on the prairies, there are major projects
underway to upgrade launch facilities. One is to
change the “B-Plug.” This is a large concrete and
metal security door used to seal the entrance to a
launch facility in case of an attack. The method
of deployment — an electro-mechanical actuator
— had not changed much since the 1950s. An
upgrade now lets the door deploy in seconds
instead of minutes.
The level of caution is an inherent part of the
nuclear mission, Colonel Morgan said.
“When it comes to operating nuclear weapons, you have to put your ‘A game’ on each and
13
Air Force Photo
photo by Senior Airman Javier Cruz Jr.
Security forces Airmen (above) prepare to enter a room to deal
with a hostage situation during a special training session at Camp
Guernsey, Wyo. Security forces go there for convoy security,
sniper and close quarters combat training provided by the 90th
Ground Training Squadron. Missile alert facilty manager Tech. Sgt.
Paul Bobenmoyer (right) enters a missile facility through the thick
blast door that protects the launch control center. The sergeant
is with the 319th Missile Squadron.
every day,” he said. “The president requires a
number of tools in his toolbox. I would submit
that we are the sledgehammer — and there are
times that you may need a sledgehammer.”
Living by the sledgehammer
For some people, like Paula Taylor, living
around the ICBM “sledgehammer” is a way of
life.
Ms. Taylor is the director of the Warren ICBM/
Heritage Museum and has an in depth knowledge of the history of the base and its missile
mission. She is now a fifth-generation Wyomian
born in 1959 — one year after the start of the
ICBM mission at F.E. Warren.
She said people often ask her if she is scared
to live in an area of the country with so many
missiles. She tells them the weapons have always been a part of her life. She also thinks that
even though the tools have changed from horses
to missiles, some things never change.
“Our mission has not changed from 1867,”
she said. “Our duty then was to protect Americans, and today, we are doing the same mission
with the ICBMs.”
14
Air Force Space Command Airmen use a host of
computer programs to observe and track objects in
space, including space debris. Every white speck in this
graphic depicts a satellite or piece of space junk.
Space’s new future is bright
The Airmen of Air Force Space Command are tracking a lot more
point on this requirement for the future,” the general said. “After we
than the man-made space junk that orbits the Earth.
understand the situational awareness up there and develop that, we
Space operators are also busy trying to improve the way they do
need to also focus on how we can command and control our assets so
business. They’re focusing on improving their capabilities — which
they can be responsive to any threat that may appear.”
most Americans know little about — to better provide information to
Getting to that point means facing change involving recapitulation
troops on the battlefield.
and acquisition. But the general said his Airmen are up to the chalLeading the effort are leaders with experience in real-world combat
lenges and this will make for some exiting times ahead.
operations. These men and women know how to work with their sister
“We are recapitalizing every system in the command,” General Chilservices to ensure servicemembers on the ground get the best air and
ton said. “Right now every satellite system — whether it’s a weather,
space support needed to win the war on terrorism. Every day, these
communications, missile warning or GPS satellite — is being recapitalcombat Airmen help joint forces achieve the best possible spherical
ized. We are developing brand new ones and we are launching some
situational awareness.
of those satellites this year.”
The commander of these space Airmen, Gen. Kevin P. Chilton, is a
The command is looking deep into the future to develop satellites
longtime space operator. The command is modernizing its capabilities
that won’t go into service for several years, but that will help with
and technologies and fixating on the details to make
space surveillance. And the command is also recapithe services second to none. He said the command is
talizing the Air Force’s entire ICBM force, essentially
focusing on several key areas.
“Nothing we do in Air Force rebuilding the Minuteman III missile system deployed
“First we need to be preserve and develop new
the field.
Space Command is for Air in These
capabilities the joint warfighter relies on. Second, we
are very important programs for the nation
Force Space Command.
have to provide a nuclear deterrent with our ICBM
and the general said it is “essential that we continue
[intercontinental ballistic missile] force,” the general
to fund these as we move forward.”
Everything we do is for
said. “Third, unlike other commands, we have an acGetting the funds needed to recapitalize means
the joint fight.”
quisition responsibility. So we are focusing on makmaking lawmakers and the American public more
ing sure we develop, acquire and field the necessary
aware of the command’s capabilities. Doing that is a
capabilities we need for the future.
dedicated cadre of Airmen doing a task most people don’t know about
“Underpinning this is our need for talented people,” he said.
— space command missions. It’s a job space Airmen should be proud
So as the command heads into a more clearly defined future, it is
of, the general said.
concentrating on recruiting, training and retaining “the talent we need
“We require them to train and be proficient in what they do — but
to run our space systems in the future,” he said.
they are in the fight 24-7,” the general said. “On top of that, our ICBM
That is a key strategy for fighting the continuing war on terrorism,
force provides that strategic umbrella for our nations and that doesn’t
a battle in which command Airmen are deeply involved each day.
happen by accident. They are out there everyday doing the job.”
Space operators bring global positioning system navigation and timing
But it’s the payoff of having a viable space command that makes it
to worldwide joint fight. They also provide global control and comcapabilities worth their weight in gold to the command’s customers.
munications and weather data and missile warning with an arsenal of
“Nothing we do in Air Force Space Command is for Air Force Space
satellites.
Command,” General Chilton said. “Everything we do is for the joint
The command has some immediate goals, though it will continue to
fight.”
face challenges, he said.
That’s why the general said he want everyone to know and have
“Many of the goals we are paying close attention to are what we
the confidence to turn to the command for “anything space.” Space
call space situational awareness,” he said. “We need to have a better
Airmen have capabilities that run the gamut from systems development,
understanding of what is up in space.”
acquisition fielding and actual operations to the launch of ICBMs, misThe command is doing a good job of cataloging objects orbiting the
sile warning, space surveillance and a host of key satellite systems.
Earth, he said. But the command need a better understanding of just
“We have the expertise for America in Air Force Space Command,”
what the object are, the capabilities of the satellites in space and the
he said. “If you have a question about space, we should be at the top
intent of the satellite users.
of your Rolodex.”
“The recent Chinese anti-satellite test really put an exclamation
— Louis A. Arana-Barradas
15
It’s all about the Airmen
‘We are not supporting this war, we are in this war’
story by Staff Sgt. Matthew Bates, photos by Donna Perry
G
en. T. Michael Moseley cares about Airmen and the jobs
they do for their country.
I discovered this during a whirlwind tour with the chief
of staff to bases in Iraq, Afghanistan and Kuwait in Febru-
ary.
It was great to get an invitation to accompany the chief, though I
didn’t know what to expect. It wasn’t long before I realized this would
be a very educational journey.
As we crossed the Atlantic on the plane ride over, a passenger
asked the general why he’d planned this trip.
“I’ll be stuck in Washington [D.C.] for Congressional hearings
soon,” he replied. “So, I wanted to take this opportunity to visit our
deployed Airmen while I could.”
This theme would remain constant throughout the trip. Because for
General Moseley it’s all about the Airmen. At each stop, there were
the obligatory tours and meetings with base leaders and the typical
meet-and-greet courtesies. But I could tell the general couldn’t wait to
meet Airmen. He was truly in his element mingling with Airmen or addressing them in groups ranging from a few dozen to a few thousand.
For example, at each stop he ate his meals with Airmen. The general would ask them about their jobs and families. And he gave them
a chance to ask him questions or voice a concern or opinion. It was
also when the general got candid answers to questions about the host
of issues the Air Force faces. And he asked Airmen what they felt bout
the new physical training uniform and longer deployments. I could tell
the general really valued the answers.
As he hit one base after another, and no matter the audience’s size,
General Moseley’s message was the same: “You [Airmen] are my priority.”
At the first stop, I took up my position at the rear of the crowd and
waited patiently, along with several hundred Airmen, for the general to begin speaking. I didn’t know what he was going to say, but I
couldn’t wait to hear it. Having spent the better part of a day on the
plane with the four-star, I already knew enough to expect this speech
to be a good one.
The general started by thanking the Airmen for their service and
sacrifice. But it wasn’t a hollow homage from an out-of-touch general
just going through the motions. I sensed the heartfelt gratitude that
was as sincere as it was fervent.
Then he launched into the heart of his speech. He outlined three
priorities he felt were important to the Air Force: Continuing the war
on terrorism, recapitalizing and modernizing the Air Force’s aging fleet
and ensuring a sound quality of life for Air Force people.
General Moseley said the Air Force is the most feared and most
Staff Sgt. Matthew Bates has been
a military journalist nine years. He is
from Grand Rapids, Mich., and has
served in Iraq and Afghanistan. He
currently works at the Air Force News
Agency in San Antonio.
16
powerful component of the
U.S. military and that each
and every Airman should
be proud to be a part of the
service.
“Do you think Beijing worries about our Army or our
Navy when they lie in their
beds at night?” the general
asked. “No, they worry about
our Air Force — our fighters
and our bombers — that can
drop thousands of bombs
right on their heads.
“That’s the power of this Air
Force, to strike fear into the
hearts of our enemies before
we ever have to engage them,”
he said.
Still, the war on terrorism is
a different fight.
“I believe this is an existential fight,” the general said.
“We are in a fight to preserve
our way of life against a group
of radical people who would
like to take that away from
us.”
This will not be an easy
fight either, he said. It will
take many more years to stabilize the region, and Airmen
will be a part of the fight to
the end.
For this reason, it’s important for every Airman to be a
competent, capable warfighter.
“We are not supporting this
war, we are in this war,” General Moseley said.
The general touched on
deployment issues, including
making 100 percent of the
force deployment capable
and ready and finding ways
to limit the number of deployment short-falls due to medical concerns.
He also told Airmen how he plans to replace the Air Force’s aging
fleet of bombers, fighters and tankers.
“We can’t continue to operate with aircraft that have been around
since Korea and Vietnam,” the general said.
Despite these limitations, he relayed his belief that the Air Force
should never surrender its quality of life standards.
“The other services make fun of us for being treated so well,” he
said. “I’m OK with that. There’s nothing wrong with taking care of
your people.”
Then he thanked the Airmen again, telling them he was going be-
fore Congress to fight to get what the Air Force needs.
It was a good speech. It was open, honest and direct — exactly
what Airmen deployed to a combat zone should expect. I didn’t feel
the general said what he did because he thought it was what Airmen
wanted to hear. I believe he meant every word.
During the rest of the trip, the general met thousands of Airmen,
and I would hear his speech many more times. But every time he was
passionate and sincere.
On my plane ride home to San Antonio, I thought about the trip,
the places I visited, the people I met and of the opportunities I had
to speak with the man who leads the world’s most powerful air and
space force.
Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. T. Michael Moseley talks
to several hundred Airmen in the auditorium at a base
in Southwest Asia.
I came to the conclusion that General Moseley really does care
about Airmen. Not in that “it’s-election-time-so-I-like-the-military”
way so many of us are used to putting up with.
His message was clear: “You are the backbone of the world’s finest
air and space force, and I owe it to you to give you the best equipment, bases and standards possible.”
The Air Force is in good hands — hands that care about where we
are going, how we are getting there and how best to do both.
17
courtesy photo
Airmen’s support
is out of this world
by Staff Sgt. Matthew Rosine
photos by Tech. Sgt. Larry Simmons
C
ol. Rex Walheim is both scared and exhilarated. He
will be going first this time.
Less than 10 minutes away from his second spacewalk, a familiar voice comes on over the radio.
“It’s five minutes to sunset.”
“Oh, no,” he thinks. In space, at night, everything is dark
– completely dark.
Time steadily ticks away, and soon, it’s time to start. Colonel
Walheim turns the crank on the hatch of the space station floor.
It locks firmly into place on the front wall, and he positions
himself over the black portal. He gazes into the black oblivion
250 miles above the Earth. Now comes the hard part. He has to
dive head first into the cold nothingness of space.
“You are tethered inside the airlock so you know you’re not
going anywhere,” the astronaut said. “But the act of going out
head first when it is pitch black outside — it really gets your attention.
“That first dive out is a doozy, especially when you are going
out first,” he said. “When you go out second, you go out legs
first, so it’s not quite as difficult or as scary.”
Astronaut Col. Rex Walheim walks in space during a shuttle mission.
18
The right stuff
Colonel Walheim’s experience isn’t unique. Other Airmen have
been in space. Today, he is only one of the many Airmen directly and indirectly supporting NASA operations.
From the astronauts who fly the missions to the scientists
who work on experiments at the Johnson Space Center in
Houston, Airmen support the full spectrum of NASA missions.
“What (Airmen) bring to the table is that we’re very much
in the business of operations,” said retired Col. Steve Lindsey,
chief of the astronaut office. “Air Force folks bring operational
expertise, because that’s what we’re about in the Air Force. So
we take advantage of all the Air Force training and operational
experience — that’s why they are so attractive (to NASA).”
And proper training is something critical to mission success
at NASA.
“There is an incredible amount of training,” Air Force astronaut Lt. Col. James Dutton said. “Normally, crews will begin
training in earnest about a year prior, and a lot of the training
you have had prior to that is analogous to Air Force pilot training.”
The training Airmen receive before working at NASA helps
prepare them for success against any challenge.
“The Air Force prepared me well,” Colonel Dutton said. “I
19
Col. Rex Walheim practices
departing from a shuttle for an
upcoming mission. The colonel’s first
outer space mission was STS-110 Atlantis
were he was a mission specialist. A technician
inside the neutral buoyancy lab at Houston’s
Johnson Space Center (left), works in a full-sized
mock-up of the International Space Station. The lab
is the world’s largest indoor pool. It contains 6.2
million gallons of water.
think it is just that competing demand to keep all the plates
spinning, and I think with most Air Force jobs, it is the same
thing. We are doing more with less people. Everyone has to be
able to multi-task.”
That means every astronaut must be in top physical condition. Helping ensure the health and well-being of each astronaut are Air Force flight surgeons, with their varied medical expertise.
“Sometimes (astronauts) may be in the ‘queue’ for almost 10
years before they fly. So keeping them healthy with preventive
medicine is of paramount importance,” said Col. (Dr.) J.T. Polk,
chief of NASA’s medical operations branch flight surgeons’ cadre.
These motivated Airmen also perform many valuable nontraditional roles for the NASA mission, including being an integral part of engineering systems that affect human beings. They
20
work in mission control and support American astronauts working with cosmonauts.
“The absolute best thing is that this is a profession and mission that is constantly evolving and changing,” Colonel Polk
said.
Space age warfighters
Evolution and change are also NASA traits. Keeping tabs of he
changes is a group of Airmen who work in a small office nestled
deep inside mission control. Their motto is “space technology
for the warfighter.”
The Airmen make up the Department of Defense Spaceflight
Payload Office. Part of the DOD Space Test Program, they support three kinds of missions: Shuttle and International Space
Station payloads and deploying payloads on the outside of the
space station.
While they don’t create the experiments, these spaceflight
payload specialists fight to keep a DOD presence on every mission.
“We operate in the deliberate balance between safety and
science,” Maj. Matthew Budde said. He is a human spaceflight
payload manager. “As often as we can, we get some kind of experiment on every space shuttle mission.”
While this little-known office has only four people – three Airmen and one civilian – it performs a big mission for America’s
warfighters.
“We are a technology development unit,” Major Budde said.
“Eventually these experiments will evolve into operational capabilities. DOD is really helping pave the way for science.”
The office’s most recent accomplishment was successfully
launching two perfectly spherical satellites during mission STS116. This was the first time shuttle crews used a canister pay-
load deployment system for satellites, and the spaceflight payload office built the launcher. The two satellites measure the actual drag on satellites in the Earth’s atmosphere.
“With a better model of the Earth’s atmosphere, we could
dramatically improve theater operations for military satellites,” said Maj. Stephen McGrath, a reservist who also works
at NASA on the flight control team as a civilian. “We are always
planning for future events and forward thinking. Getting these
payloads flown is very important because these systems can
help our warfighters in the future.”
Making a difference
Like many NASA operations, Airmen work each day to help
each mission. Some are there making a difference before, during and after the missions.
“Basically, our mission here is to provide and coordinate
21
DOD support for all of the space shuttle launches and landings,” said Lt. Col. David Impiccini, a landing support officer.
The landing support office works with the flight control team
in mission control and coordinates for mission success around
the world, especially when Americans are flying with their Russian counterparts. But as Airmen, they also bring their own
unique abilities to the job.
“Probably the most valuable (thing) we provide to NASA is
the aviation experience that we have,” the former Air Force helicopter pilot said.
And it is the experience, expertise and professionalism Airmen provide NASA that helps astronauts like Colonel Walheim
succeed.
The colonel looks out the bottom of the space station into
infinite darkness and slowly dives head first out the hatch. He
grabs onto a handrail, guiding the rest of his body out of the airlock.
Floating 250 miles above the Earth, he listens to the fan in
his space suit hum steadily until a voice comes on over the radio.
“Welcome to the fraternity of spacewalking.” Astronauts
aren’t officially in “the club” until they go out first.
Colonel Walheim doesn’t have time to revel in his personal
accomplishment. As a mission specialist, he has a mission to
complete.
Astronauts work in NASA’s Mission Control Center during a shuttle mission to the International
Space Station.
Keeping them in stitches
Air Force flight surgeons keep astronauts flying
It is difficult for most Air Force doctors to make house calls,
especially when the patient is in outer space. However, seven
Air Force flight surgeons answered the call to keep America’s
astronauts fit to fly.
“We take care of the astronaut corps,” said Col. (Dr.) J.T.
Polk, chief of NASA’s medical operations branch flight surgeons’ cadre. NASA has 10 military flight surgeons, seven Airmen, two Sailors and one Soldier.
A flight surgeon “works” on a NASA patch to illustrate
how these doctors help keep astronauts in flying.
22
Since all NASA astronauts have to pass a modified Air Force
Class 3 physical, the medics bring extra experience to the job.
“There are modifications based on space-flight physiology,”
Colonel Polk said. “Things that you wouldn’t have to worry about
in a particular aviation environment, we do worry about in a
space-flight environment.”
For example, bone loss and kidney stones are a big concern for
astronauts because of the effects of long-duration space flight.
“After each mission, we want to return them to their pre-launch
health,” said Lt. Col. (Dr.) David Alexander, a NASA flight surgeon
and Texas Air National Guardsman with the 149th Fighter Wing.
“Astronauts can suffer up to 1 to 2 percent bone loss per month
while in space. It can take a couple of years for them to recover after an (International Space Station) mission.”
To help astronauts stay healthy in their unique environment,
flight surgeons undergo extensive training.
“The training aspect for the NASA flight docs is huge,” Colonel
Polk said. “Most people don’t realize how much training is required to be considered a part of the space cadre or to take care
of the space cadre. It is not just doing the physicals on the astronauts and hoping for the best.”
Flight surgeons add 572 hours of additional training beyond
their Air Force flight surgeon training. This training is required for
different vehicles, engineering systems, human factors and human systems engineering. It can take two years to finish the proper training.
The Airmen also bring their ability to do more with less to their
current profession. They are an integral part of human systems
integration for vehicles NASA is developing. They work with the
life support, launch and landing criteria and in vehicle design.
They also support each mission, in mission control, as one of the
flight controllers. Flight surgeons are the main medical consul-
tants to the flight director during a mission. They also deploy with
the NASA team around the world when working with their partners in space.
“We support our astronauts in Russia who are working toward
their mission with the International Space Station,” Colonel
Polk said. “Typically, the flight surgeons will spend three months
at a time twice a year in Russia with our crews.”
Whatever the challenge, whether performing family practice
medicine on astronaut families at home or their medical specialties while deployed overseas, Air Force flight surgeons are ready
to succeed.
“The absolute best thing is that this is a profession and
mission that is constantly evolving and changing,” Colonel Polk said. “While most people think of the 1960s as the
dawn of the space era, it is not over and it is still blossoming.”
Col. (Dr.) Keith Brandt (left) and Lt. Col. (Dr.) David Alexander view the chest X-rays of an astronaut taken
during a routine exam. The flight surgeons keep
crewmembers healthy before and after missions and
study the effects of space flight.
23
PROFILE
Lt. Col. (Dr.) Keith Brandt
Flight surgeon
NASA medical operations branch,
Houston’s Johnson Space Center
Years in the Air Force: 17
Hometown: New Castle, Ind.
Number of aerospace medicine
specialists (48A): 190
26
“The most rewarding part
of this current job is the
people I get to work with,
not only my fellow flight
surgeons, but definitely
the astronauts, too.”
Fulfil ing
a childhood
dream
M
ost people have certain expectations when they
think about doctors. But one Air Force flight
surgeon is happy to break that mold.
“I just couldn’t stand to be locked away in an office all
day,” Lt. Col. (Dr.) Keith Brandt said. “I thrive on variety
and, let’s face it, you can’t get more variety than being in
the Air Force.”
Currently serving as a flight surgeon in NASA’s
medical operations branch, he is one of seven Air Force
flight surgeons at Houston’s Johnson Space Center.
Not only does he work as a “regular doctor,” he also
works life support and helps determine launching and
landing criteria. He even helps NASA in vehicle design,
not to mention his work with Russian cosmonauts in
their own country.
Colonel Brandt is board certified in family practice
medicine, aerospace medicine and general preventive
medicine. He finds his unique position gratifying.
“The most rewarding part of this current job is the
people I get to work with, not only my fellow flight
surgeons, but definitely the astronauts, too,” the 17-year
veteran said.
Serving as a NASA flight surgeon is the fulfillment of a
childhood dream.
“I grew up with ‘Star Trek,’ ‘Star Wars’ and the Apollo
and moon missions,” he said. “I am just naturally drawn
to the excitement of this program. It has been a lifelong
love affair of mine.”
Staff Sgt. Matthew Rosine
photo by Tech. Sgt. Larry Simmons
27
Air Force radio operators
Airman 1st Class Steven Brumley (left) and Senior Airman
Jeremy Cole hand out bottled water and fresh fruit to villagers near their remote camp in the southern Ethiopian district
of Bilate. The Airmen, and the Soldiers they work with, make
such visits once a week.
Africa
Keeping the ‘comm’ up in
Airmen in Ethiopia keep Soldiers connected
story by Staff Sgt. Francesca Popp
photos by Master Sgt. Scott Wagers
O
utside the fence of Contingency Operating Location Bilate,
known as Camp Bilate, a remote outpost bordered by
grass-hut villages in southern Ethiopia, packs of hyenas
roam. After sunset, their distinctive laughing cries fill the
still night.
In the distance, vultures circle in the warm sky, waiting to land at
an abandoned kill and feast on what predators leave behind.
The camp in the country’s Bilate district is remote. The closest
town is a day’s drive away, and headquarters for Combined Joint Task
Force - Horn of Africa is nearly 500 miles to the northeast. So for U.S.
servicemembers, the ability to communicate with the outside world
ranks right up there with having fresh air to breathe.
That’s why radio operators Senior Airman Jeremy Cole and Airman
1st Class Steven Brumley keep their communication equipment
working all the time. The Soldiers they work with count on them.
“The little things — like having e-mail and a network connection
— are huge morale boosters,” Airman Cole said. He deployed to the
outpost from the 325th Communications Squadron at Tyndall Air
Force Base, Fla.
“It’s a great feeling when (the Soldiers) come to you with a
challenge,” he said. “They can ask us anything, and we’ll figure out a
way to make it happen.”
The only Airmen at the camp, they left Camp Lemonier, Djibouti,
to work with Guam Army National Guard Soldiers at the camp. The
Soldiers, who can spend from a year to 18 months in the country, are
training members of the Ethiopian National Defense Force.
The Airmen’s contributions to the mission don’t go unnoticed by the
Soldiers.
“We’ve had very little interruption with communications,” said 1st
28
Lt. David Afaisen, the officer in charge at the camp. The Soldiers are
from the Guam Guard’s 2nd Platoon, C Company, 1st Battalion of
the 294th Infantry Regiment (Light).
“When the Internet goes down, they’re on it. They’re like, ‘Sir, it’s
going to be up in 5 to 10 minutes,’” the lieutenant said.
Far from their tropical island home, the Soldiers depend on the
Airmen to communicate with the task force headquarters. They
use radio communications to request everything from fuel to fresh
vegetables, for airlift support — everything.
Airman Brumley, deployed from the 65th Communications
Squadron, Lajes Field, Azores, doesn’t mind the remoteness and
long hours. He likes being able to handle any communication issues
that may come up. That’s what makes the job rewarding.
The Airman said he is glad he could help “by bringing these guys
communications and morale while they carry out their mission.”
As the sun sets and the nighttime hunters hit the nearby bush in
search of a meal, the Airmen continue their task. They can’t afford
to let their communication system go down. Because in the months
Airmen have been on this — their first — deployment, they have
learned there is no room for service rivalries at this camp.
“When I started working next to them (Guam Army guardsmen),
they opened their arms and welcomed the Air Force,” Airman Cole
said.
The Airmen venture outside the camp, visiting local villages with
the Soldiers. There, they take part in sporting events and physical
training. They also distribute food and water. Lieutenant Afaisen
said the Airmen “have a lot of fun” doing that.
It’s the interaction with the community outside the camp Airman
Brumley is most proud of.
29
Cresting a hill
during a two-mile hike are
Spc. Albert Samana, Airman 1st Class Steven Brumley and
Spc. Manno Raigelig. The hikes are part of the guardsmen’s
weekly fitness regimen in which Airman Brumley, a radio
operator, takes part. In the distance are the half-dome barracks that house most of the Ethiopian troops in training.
Troubleshooting a network connectivity problem with
Army Sgt. Patrick Flores is part of the job Airman 1st Class Steven Brumley
does at Camp Bilate. Two Airmen are helping operate and maintain communications systems for Guam guardsmen at the camp in Ethiopia’s remote Bilate
district.
30
To help foster
good relations, U.S. servicemembers at Camp Bilate regularly
deliver fresh fruit and bottled water
to local villagers like this family at
the village of Chafa. Their grass
hut, supported by a dome-shaped
frame of woven sticks, took six
months to build.
31
Guam
guardsman
Sgt. John Ogo
[in sunglasses
in background]
and fellow
Soldiers teachcombat defensive tactics to
Ethiopian commandos, who
often integrate
mid-air flips to
their choreographed training sessions.
Vultures feed on a cow carcass by a road
leading from Camp Bilate to a nearby military training site. A
civilian vehicle had struck the cow a week earlier.
The Ethiopian flag,
fluttering in the breeze next to the Stars
and Stripes, is one of the world’s newest
flags, having been adopted Feb. 6, 1996.
Once a week, radio operator Senior Airman Jeremy Cole
cleans and checks the connections on a communications dish that transmits
and receives data and voice signals at Camp Bilate.
32
33
story and photos by Staff Sgt. Brian Ferguson
illustration by G. Patrick Harris
he Airmen stood around, chatting nervously. They knew what to expect,
but they were still apprehensive.
Then the chatter stopped. They put on their chemical gear and walked
into the ominous chamber. The door shut and sealed tightly behind them. Now they
had to find and identify the deadly chemicals within.
More than an hour later, all the Airmen filed out of the chamber.
The readiness Airmen were students at the Chemical Defense Training Facility at
Fort Leonard Wood, Mo. They trained in a “live” chemical environment as part of
their job.
“These are real nerve agents,” readiness technician Tech. Sgt. James Smith said.
“The consequences, if someone is exposed, are real as well. This is not just some basic training gas chamber.”
Although the Army maintains it, the chamber is a joint training facility. Air Force,
Army, Navy and Marine instructors provide the training. International students and
instructors also go through the course on a regular basis.
For the Air Force, this chamber exercise is the culmination of a two-week, craftsman-level course that includes classroom and field training for readiness technicians.
These instructors provide nuclear, biological and chemical training to Airmen via
hands-on and classroom instruction. The training is mandatory for all Airmen, especially for those deploying.
The chemical training takes place in a sealed chamber within the CDTF. Each student receives training on all the equipment. Students also receive a long list of regulations that pertain to safety and chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear training before he or she enters the chamber — safety is the number one priority.
“Safety here can mean the difference between life and death,” said Army Sgt. 1st
Class George Young, CDTF operations non-commissioned officer. “We stress that to
the cadre. Everyone is a safety officer inside the chamber. If we see an action that we
deem unsafe, we stop that action.”
The air in the chamber recycles about every five minutes. Students cannot bring
anything into the chamber that they want to keep, except mask inserts. The students
receive everything they need when they arrive, even underwear. Whatever goes in
the chamber must then be decontaminated when it comes out. That includes people.
There has never been a mishap here, said the instructors. And they are very proud
of that fact, although, that does not settle the nerves of the students.
Masks are fit-tested, checked, checked again and then checked again. Instructors
spray stannic chloride around the mask to ensure every student is confident in his or
her mask seal. If a student can smell the stannic chloride, instructors tighten and inspect the mask.
Once inside the chamber, students begin their tests, using M8 and M9 chemical
detector paper as well as sensors, looking for and testing anything that could potentially be a threat. The nerve agents present are tabun, sarin, soman and VX, the most
well known nerve agents.
Since 1999, about 2,780 Airmen have braved the chamber.
“The chamber gives Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines confidence in their
gear,” Sergeant Young said. “They can go out and teach our forces because they are
living proof that nuclear biological and chemical equipment works.”
35
Staff Sgt. Israel Del Toro works out at the Randolph Air
Force Base, Texas, fitness center every other day. Before
his injuries in Afghanistan, he weighed 190 pounds and
used to bench press about 300 pounds.
The road to
recovery
story and photos by Tech. Sgt. Cecilio M. Ricardo Jr.
A
fter three months in a coma and three more months of intense
physical therapy, Staff Sgt. Israel Del Toro pushed himself to
recover enough just so he could walk a few steps.
That was important to the tactical air controller as he recovered from
the burns that cover nearly 80 percent of his body. He was determined
to walk on his own when Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. T. Michael
Moseley presented him with the Purple Heart and Army Commendation
medals.
The few steps he took the day of his award ceremony, June 23, 2006,
represented a world of pain, grief, hard work, love and support. Overcome with emotion, he had little to say.
“I’m not a big-speech guy,” Sergeant Del Toro managed to say.
Sergeant Del Toro received his injuries when an improvised explosive device exploded near him while he was on patrol in a village in
Afghanistan in December 2005.
The incident
As one of the Airmen helping fight the war on terrorism on the ground,
the sergeant was part of an Army scout team supporting two Army
36
companies. The team was tracking a group of Taliban fighters in some
mountains, when the insurgents escaped into a village.
The Taliban lured the team into a surprise attack. When the
explosive went off, it smashed the left side of Sergeant Del Toro’s
Humvee, engulfing him in flames and suffocating him in a cloud of
smoke.
“(Army) Lt. Brian Findley rolled me on the ground and tried to put
the fire out,” Sergeant Del Toro said. “It wasn’t enough.”
Lieutenant Findley ran with the sergeant to a nearby river, where
he jumped in and extinguished the flames.
Sergeant Del Toro says he remembers trying to call in air support
and a doctor telling him he was going to make it. His next memory
was of waking up from a coma three months later at Brooke Army
Medical Center in San Antonio.
Getting the call
But his fellow Airmen had been busy from the moment they found out
of the sergeant’s injuries. Hours after that surprise attack, Sergeant Del
Toro’s wife, Carmen, received a call where she was staying in Mexico.
Lt. Col. Wayne Canipe, the 4th Air Support Operations Group commander, called to tell her what had happened.
The Del Toros had been stationed in Vicenza, Italy, home of the Army’s 173rd Airborne
Brigade. But while he was in Afghanistan,
Mrs. del Toro and their son, Israel, were staying with family in Mexico.
Colonel Canipe told her what had happened and that her husband would soon arrive at the medical center and that she needed
to be there by his side.
It would prove to be a challenge getting
the Del Toros to San Antonio. Mrs. Del Toro
had an expired visa and didn’t have enough
money to buy airline tickets to San Antonio.
“When this happened, I called all his family members,” she said.
Sergeant Del Toro said his wife is normally
a shy and nurturing person. But she soon
realized she had to take charge to help her
husband recover.
“I’m not used to being the strong one, but
this time I was,” she said. “I tried to call the
Mexican embassy for help. I explained my
situation, but they basically said to go to the
back of the line.”
Fortunately, Colonel Canipe, with help from
Alex Palermo, Vicenza Casualty Assistance
Center officer in charge and chief of military
personnel divisions for U.S. Army Garrison,
Vicenza, reached the appropriate authorities.
They soon had the documents to expedite her
temporary visa. In San Antonio, Chief Master
Sgt. Ralph Humphrey, a family liaison officer
at Randolph Air Force Base, sped up the
finance process.
Within three days, the Air Force managed to expedite the visa
documents, acquire three plane tickets — for Mrs. Del Toro, Israel
and Sergeant Del Toro’s aunt — and get the family to the sergeant’s
bedside.
Waking up to reality
Sergeant Del Toro woke up from his medication-induced three-month
coma to find out he had burns on about 80 percent of his body. The tips
of his fingers on his right hand were burned off up to the first knuckles.
Doctors had to amputate his left hand, and he lost some vision in both
his eyes.
“I could have been bitter and depressed,” he said. “And at times, I
was. I mean, who wouldn’t be?”
But the sergeant doesn’t elaborate much on the
emotional trauma he went through as he recovered.
Instead, he credits most of his positive outlook to a
Soldier he met at the military’s premiere burn center.
“He was worse off than I was,” said the 31-yearold from Chicago. “But he had the greatest attitude.”
Sergeant Del Toro also attributes the motivation
he had for a speedy recovery to his wife and son.
“I think about setting an example for my son and
being there for him in his time of need,” the nineyear Air Force veteran said.
Healing
Sergeant Del Toro’s recovery takes hard work and
is painful as his body continues to heal.
“He healed really quickly for what he has been
through,” said Staff Sgt. Olga Hudson, an Airman
and family readiness flight member at Randolph,
who also helped the family with errands and translated for Mrs. Del Toro.
“I know there are guys in the hospital who
got there before he did (with lesser injuries) and
they’re still in the hospital,” Sergeant Hudson
said.
Sergeant Del Toro’s fast recovery earned him an early release from
the hospital in May 2006. On June 23, with more than 200 family,
military and civilian members watching, he walked for the first time
to receive his medals at a ceremony solely dedicated to honoring his
accomplishments.
“You’ve come a long way to be able to walk,” General Moseley
said. “You represent everything that’s good about the Air Force.”
Sergeant Del Toro continues to heal rapidly. Each day, he undergoes physical therapy at the medical center. Then he has a personal
workout session at the Randolph fitness center.
The sergeant’s hard work amazes Sgt. Shane Elder, a Soldier who is
an assistant physical therapist at the medical center.
“People don’t normally survive from these types of injuries,”
Sergeant Elder said. “The percentage of his burns was unserviceable
10 years ago. But with the growth of modern (medical) science and
Sergeant Del Toro’s strong will, he could become fully independent
again.”
Telling the Air Force message
Sergeant Del Toro is thinking the same thing. And despite his ongoing
therapy, he is not through with the Air Force. When not busy recovering, he has been touring Air Force bases, speaking to Airmen about
the importance of being prepared for deployments. And he talks to
them about being responsible Airmen and noncommissioned officers.
He even took part in a panel that focused on what type of combat
award the Air Force should institute for its warfighters.
Sergeant Del Toro said his devotion to duty and his strong patriotic
feelings allow him to put things in perspective as he pays respect to
those who came before him.
“I don’t see myself as a hero,” he said. “I’m just a regular guy who
got hurt while doing his job.”
Sergeant Del Toro’s recovery has not been easy, but his drive to be
with his family has made it faster.
“I don’t know if I just have more drive or good genes that help me
heal faster,” he said.
Now back with his family, the sergeant is concentrating on getting
well enough to return to duty, whatever that duty may be. It doesn’t
matter to him. He just wants to wear his uniform each day.
“I want to be a controller again,” he said. “But if I can’t, if my calling is the speaking circuit — and that’s the best way I can help the
Air Force — then so be it. I just want to stay in the Air Force.”
Editor’s note: On a visit to Randolph Air Force Base, Texas, in February,
General Moseley promoted Sergeant Del Toro to technical sergeant for his
many contributions and for telling the Air Force story and the importance
of the Air Force’s role in the war on terrorism in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Sergeant Del Toro’s wife, Carmen, helps him eat, bathe and dress daily. She
also helps nurse his wounds.
37
C-130
C-130 Hercules
loadmaster
Airman 1st Class Josh Huffman drops a box of
10,000 warning leaflets over Afghanistan’s southern mountains. The leaflets tell Afghans not to
communicate with the Taliban and warn them not
to interfere with coalition operations. The airdrop
mission was for the International Security Assistance Force’s Operation Achilles. The operation
hopes to allow the Afghan government to improve
security and the quality of life for its people.
Hercules
crew chief Tech. Sgt. John
Ryan (right) does a postflight inspection of one of
the four turbine engines on
his cargo airplane. Sergeant
Ryan is with the 746th
Aircraft Maintenance Unit.
aeromedical staging facility
(below) Airmen at Balad Air
Base, Iraq, wheel a criticalcare patient to an awaiting
C-17 Globemaster III bound
for Landstuhl Army Medical
Center, Germany. The
patient received his wounds
in combat.
by Staff. Sgt. David Miller
Contingency
by Tech. Sgt. Cecilio Ricardo
by Tech. Sgt. Cecilio Ricardo
by Staff Sgt. Michael B. Keller
y
t
Frontline
u
D
Airmen provide airpower for the fight
A
Airmen bound for Southwest Asia board a plane
at Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D. Nearly 300 Airmen, of the
28th Bomb Wing, deployed in support of operations Iraqi
Freedom and Enduring Freedom.
38
merica’s Airmen continue doing their duty on the front lines of the war on
terrorism.
Whether flying close air support missions, gathering intelligence, doing
surveillance and reconnaissance, hauling cargo, fixing or fueling jets, providing
security or critical care for the wounded, Airmen are on the job, 24-7. It’s a job for
which they are well trained and suited.
“We accomplish our warfighting mission every day,” Air Force Chief of Staff
Gen. T. Michael Moseley told the Air Force Association in February. “We’re engaged
around the world, fighting terrorism and insurgents ... fulfilling our roles as Airmen
on the joint team.”
In Iraq and Afghanistan, Airmen provide — on demand — the people, special
tactics, capabilities and aircraft that combatant commanders need to fight the war
on terrorism. Sometimes they do jobs they didn’t do before.
Vehicle operator Tech. Sgt. Keith Ferencz served two tours in Iraq as an Army
convoy commander. He hauled supplies and equipment on the most dangerous
roads in the world.
“It’s tough duty, but it’s satisfying duty,” Sergeant Ferencz said. “It’s a dangerous job — no doubt about it. But someone has to do it, so it might as well be me.”
Many Airmen think the same way.
— Airman staff
39
courtesy photo
National Museum
of the U.S. Air Force
keeps history alive
story and photos by Tech. Sgt. Larry A. Simmons
The “Heritage to Horizons: Commemorating 60 Years of Air & Space Power Through
Artists’ Eyes” exhibit is one of many at the museum.
As the Air Force com-
memorates 60 years of
air and space power, the
National Museum of the
U.S. Air Force collects
and preserves its heritage.
courtesy photo
40
40
Airman
AirmanSpring
Spring2007
2007
41
Staff Sgt. Patrick Roberson and his 10-year-old son, Justin, read a timeline
of early aircraft in the museum’s Early Years Gallery.
That is something Staff Sgt. Patrick Roberson, who is recuperating from an accident, explained to his 10-year-old son, Justin, as the
boy slowly pushed his father’s wheelchair past the museum’s many
exhibits.
The sergeant believes it is important to explain to his son the history of the Air Force and share his experiences in the Air Force he
serves.
“This place is great, and everything looks incredible,” said the sergeant, a safety Airman at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. “It is
nice seeing this with my son.”
The museum, located at Wright-Patterson, has hundreds of exhibits
and aircraft that help tell the Air Force story.
The painstaking detail that goes into each exhibit provides visitors
a vibrant glimpse into the history of the service and the aircraft it has
used to dominate the skies. The intent is to make displays come to life
and share their stories, museum volunteer Pete Britton said.
That is a job Mr. Britton loves to do. A retired Sailor, he grew up in the
area and has been a regular museum visitor since he was eight years old.
courtesy photo
Students work on a
project during a home
school day at the museum. The museum’s
education division,
and its more than 30
volunteers, has several
outreach programs to
help schoolchildren
learn about the Air
Force and technology.
42
Airman
Airman  Spring
Spring 2007
2007
“It was just my favorite place to go,” he said.
Today, he is part of an army of volunteers who work at the museum helping preserve Air Force history. Mr. Britton said the museum — the world’s
largest and oldest military aviation museum — is important for two reasons.
“First, people today just don’t have a sense of history,” he said. “The
other thing, there was a time when just about every American had some
sort of connection to the military — a grandfather, father, son or someone
that had served.”
Today, with the military’s all-volunteer force, Americans are beginning
to disconnect more and more from the military, Mr. Britton said. Museum
volunteers want to reestablish the link.
“They need a museum for that,” he said.
Last year, the museum received more than a million visitors from around
the world.
“Without a doubt, the museum has grown dramatically in both size and
stature. The public interest in military aviation keeps us telling the stories in
new and unique ways,” said retired Maj. Gen. Charles Metcalf, the museum
director.
With more than 300 aircraft and 17 acres of indoor space, the museum
has exhibits in several different aviation — era galleries, many of them oneof-a-kind.
In the Air Power Gallery, for example, the bomber that dropped
the atomic bomb on Nagasaki, the B-29 Superfortress “Bockscar,” is
a short walk from one of the B-25 Mitchell bombers that took part in
the Doolittle Raid on Tokyo.
On display in the Cold War Gallery is the Air Force's largest
bomber, the B-36 Peacemaker. The gallery also has the only permanent public display of the B-2 Spirit stealth bomber.
Other popular exhibits include the Air Force One, a VC-137C, that
carried President John F. Kennedy’s body back to Washington, D.C.,
after his assassination in Dallas. Also on display is the only remaining XB-70 Valkyrie. There are also sections of the Berlin Wall on
display.
Restoration is vital in keeping all aircraft and missiles looking mission ready. That’s where the volunteer force plays a big role. Many
give hundreds of hours maintaining the exibits.
This is evident at the display of the B-17F Flying Fortress, “Memphis Belle.” This World War II aircraft was the first heavy bomber
to complete 25 successful bombing missions over Europe. Museum
officials said it may take up to 10 years to complete the bomber’s
restoration. Visitors can view the restoration process by taking one of
the museum’s behind-the-scenes tours.
The museum depends on its more than 450 volunteers. Most have
a vast wealth of the military knowledge needed to guide visitors during their museum experience. They run information desks, monitor
galleries, do restoration, and answer questions and pass on history.
“Without the volunteers, the museum doesn’t exist,” General Metcalf said.
After visiting the museum, many Airmen view their Air Force
heritage with a sense of renewed pride and understanding, said Doug
Lanty, a museum historian.
Visitors learn about the legacy of former Airmen and their sacrifice
and dedication. That is a testament to the museum’s creed to be the
“keeper of their stories,” he said.
“I see the young Airmen visit and see them absorbing knowledge
and having a good time while they do it,” Mr. Lanty said. “It’s a realization to know where the Air Force has been.”
There are many things at the museum besides the inside exhibits.
It also has a six-story, 500-seat IMAX theatre, a souvenir shop and
14-seat ride that gives the sensation of flying a fighter jet. Outside,
there is an air park, with a World War II control tower and a memorial park.
With so much to see, the museum offers something for the whole
family, the general said.
“Whether near or far, come visit us to experience the many stories
the museum has to tell,” he said.
The museum’s first exhibit is a self-tour area where uniforms and other items honor
enlisted Airmen’s heritage of the past 90 years. Doc Casto (below), a technician with the
restoration shop, works on an exhibit for the B-17 Flying Fortress, “Memphis Belle.”
43
L
Extreme cold, ice, darkness challenge Airmen
story and photos by Michael Tolzmann
anding on a snow-packed runway 700 miles north
of the Arctic Circle in winter can be a white-knuckle experience for anyone. But that’s what it’s like at
Thule Air Base, Greenland.
Blinding winds howling at more than 50 mph, temperatures plunging below zero and 24-hour nights are commonplace there.
No wonder. Thule is more than 500 miles above the
most northern part of Alaska. If it were in the Southern
Hemisphere, the base would be at the same latitude as
Antarctica. It is the Department of Defense’s northernmost
base.
It seems like a strange place for Airmen to serve. But
in a land more home to reindeer, arctic fox and musk ox,
they are helping ensure the Air Force’s warfighting future
by providing a key mission: missile warning and space
surveillance and satellite command and control operations.
From the moment their feet touch the ground, Airmen
discover an uncommon experience, beginning with handshakes from the base commander and senior leaders who
endure the extreme runway cold to welcome each and every new arrival.
Airmen serve a one-year remote, unaccompanied tour in
a multinational workforce on a nearly deserted, rocky, frozen landscape. Their home is on one of the most extreme
environments found in the Air Force, or anywhere.
“This is not something you get to experience every day,
or even in a lifetime. The beauty here ... you cannot express the magnitude,” said Col. Edward A. Fienga, 821st
Air Base Group commander. The group operates and
maintains the base in support of its vital space missions.
“It looks like the moonscape here. It has an incredible,
rugged beauty of its own,” said Lt. Col. Bob Pavelko, commander of Detachment 3, 22nd Space Operations Squadron.
Lying halfway between Moscow and Washington, D.C.,
Thule started in the 1950s as a post in the vast defense
net built to hem in the Soviet Union. Today, the base has
two major space missions. It supports Air Force Space
Command, whose capabilities are a critical component for
success in modern warfare, especially in the war on terrorism.
Two Thule units help the United States maintain space
superiority.
As temperatures hover at 30 degrees below zero, the Airmen and radars of Detachment 3, 22nd Space Operations
Squadron stand watch over North America’s frozen north.
44
45
by Tech. Sgt. Dan Rea
Satellite trackers
Detachment 3 is part of the 50th Space Wing at
Schriever Air Force Base, Colo. Its primary mission
is to communicate with polar-orbiting satellites
— sending information to and receiving data from
the satellites — using three massive satellite dishes at an automated remote tracking station. Unit
Airmen and civilian contractors provide telemetry,
tracking and command operations for American
and allied government satellite programs. Large,
spherical domes house the satellite dishes to protect them from the extreme weather.
“Space is the ultimate high ground. If we lose
the ability to communicate with our satellites, we
lose that advantage,” Colonel Pavelko said.
Detachment specialists communicate with satellites 10 to 14 times a day and receive and relay
data used for communications, navigation and
weather. They make more than 22,000 satellite
contacts per year. The Airmen and civilians provide indirect support to warfighters by moving data
and information that may be used on the battlefield.
Early warning
Tech. Sgt. Bryan Schubert checks a moving satellite dish inside one of four “golf
ball” protective dish covers as it tracks a satellite moving across the northern polar
sky over Thule Air Base, Greenland.
46
The 12th Space Warning Squadron operates the
Ballistic Missile Early Warning System. Part of
the 21st Space Wing at Peterson AFB, Colo., the
squadron’s primary mission is the detection of intercontinental ballistic missiles and sea-launched
ballistic missiles.
Squadron Airmen also watch the sky high over
the northern polar cap. They have a secondary
mission of space surveillance, monitoring objects
in space that come through their polar coverage
area. They perform these missions with a four-story-tall, two-faced, phased-array radar system. The
Airmen send the information they gather to Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Station, Colo., to update
a master space catalog. Two or three American or
Canadian servicemembers monitor the system’s
console at all times.
Greenlandic hunter Otto [top left] and 1st Lt. Lance
Brenneke head home after a six-day dog-sledding expedition in northwest Greenland. The lieutenant is with Thule’s
821st Support Squadron.
Security forces Staff Sgt. Nasim Norrisromine [top right] marks off a 100-meter cordon area on a Thule base map. The
area is one security forces would cordon off and secure during an emergency.
“Up to 3,000 miles away, we can see a piece of
metal the size of a softball,” squadron commander
Lt. Col. Timothy Lincoln said.
Thirteen miles from the center of the base, the
BMEWS site sits atop a large hill, giving its radar an open view northward. Because of the severe winter weather, the site has its own 15-room
“storm dorm” to house workers should bad weather prevent them from returning to Thule.
Security forces Airmen protect this Air Force
“priority level one” asset 24 hours a day.
As part of the Air Force’s modernization plan,
the system is undergoing an upgrade to its radar
and will become part of a new missile defense
called the ground-based midcourse defense system. The new capability will support a larger Department of Defense system that could destroy
incoming missiles before they re-enter the atmosphere. The upgrade should be complete by 2010.
Thule can receive visiting aircraft, a mission
now more common. With the closing of Keflavik
Air Station, Iceland, Thule has become an alternate landing base for transiting aircraft. Alaska Air
National Guard aircraft often stop for fuel when
moving to or from a theater of operations.
“It’s a unique opportunity here ... just being in
the darkness,” Colonel Fienga said. “With a oneyear assignment, you can roll up your sleeves and
really get something done because you’re likely to
only be one-deep in your job. You have a lot of responsibility at a junior rank.”
For a month, around December’s winter solstice, the sky is black. For another two months,
dim twilight is as bright as it gets and that lasts
only a few hours a day. So Airmen and civilians
develop ways to deal with the harsh environment.
Senior Airman Tom Gast, of the 821st Support
Squadron, said the first thing he does in the morning is turn on his “happy lamp.” The lamp replicates the light of the sun to keep his circadian
rhythms, or daily cycles, in balance.
“The cold is one of the biggest challenges,” said
Airman Pedro Pita, of the 821st Security Forces Squadron. “If you’re trained and know what
you’re doing, you’ll do all right.”
Getting used to the cold is also a safety concern. Average winter temperatures range from 13
to 20 degrees below zero, with wind-chill measurements commonly plunging into a dangerous zone
of 50 degrees or more below zero.
“The weather can be calm one day, and then
when you wake up the next day, the wind is blowing at 65 or 75 knots, and you can barely see outside. So you always have to be prepared to be
stuck wherever you are,” said Staff Sgt. Wayne
Taylor, also of the security forces unit.
Life at Thule
Getting the missions done, as well as life at Thule,
has its challenges. During winter, only aircraft and
dog sleds can make it to the base. The nearest village is 75 miles away. Winter storms can restrict
people to their rooms.
“But for the most part, we have a very normal
base with lots of facilities for quality of life that
keep people at the edge of mental acuity so they
can perform their jobs well,” Colonel Fienga said.
Airmen work with civilians and contractors from
Canada, Denmark and Greenland. The total workforce of about 600 people has many contractors.
About 52 percent are Danish.
“The continuity here is represented by the contractors here for the long term, whether it’s U.S. or
Danish contractors,” Colonel Fienga said.
Sergeant Taylor keeps busy to deal with the isolation and weather. And he doesn’t forget his family.
“I stay in constant contact with my family, hang
out with my friends and study for promotion testing,” he said.
Staying active is the key to coping, for some.
“The way I deal with these challenges is by
staying active, not sleeping all the time. I also buy
nice, warm, comfy clothing,” said Airman 1st Class
Angela Ortiz, another security forces Airman.
Thule is a small base, so everyone knows everyone else. That has its advantages.
“I had the opportunity to play basketball with
our base commander, which was really neat. I
don’t know if you could do that at any other base,”
security forces Airman 1st Class Tara Horvat said.
When summer hits, things change. The sun
comes out, and the pace of life picks up.
“You can climb Mount Dundas or go ‘Thule
Tripping’ [walking or driving off base],” Airman
Pita said. “You can go down to the waterfall or to
the ice caves.”
When the sun comes out, and stays out, the
trick becomes knowing when it’s time to hit the
sack. Even with shades to block out the sun, it’s
not always easy to fall asleep.
“You’ll stay up all day and not realize that it’s
two or three o’clock in the morning,” Airman Pita
said.
Thule’s mission is essential for the Air Force to
maintain air and space superiority. But it is not for
everyone. But those who endure the year-long tour
will always remember the extreme, polar base. Images of their Thule tour will remain frozen in their
minds as reminders of a once-in-a-lifetime polar
experience.
47
FROM THE TOP
Overhaul
in the works
General Deptula plans to group the command structure for all Air Force intelligence
agencies.
“I want to align Air Force intelligence so
there are coherent lines of responsibility and
authority for the intelligence function, and
make sure that it is treated as an Air Forcewide enterprise,” he said.
Intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance
That means making some key moves. The
capability gets facelift
Air Force Intelligence Agency at Lackland Air
roviding fighting forces the most acForce Base, Texas, and its subordinate units
curate intelligence, surveillance and
-- with the exception of the Air Force Informareconnaissance information is nothtion Operations Center -- will move from uning new to the military.
der Air Combat Command to become a field
In the late 1700s, the French used hot air
operating agency for the deputy chief of staff
balloons to gather military information as
for intelligence.
they fought their revolution. The Union Army
The agency will be renamed Air Force ISR
used balloons during the Civil War. And the
Command. The transformation was set to
first spindly aircraft over the World War I battake place March 1, the general said.
tlefield flew observation missions.
The Air Force Information Operations
That makes the intelligence, surveillance
Center, also at Lackland, will remain with
and reconnaissance one of the oldest misAir Combat Command as part of the 8th Air
sions in the military. On today’s battlefield,
Force Cyber Command at Barksdale AFB,
nothing is more important. It is just as imporLa.
tant in peacekeeping, counterterrorism and
The move is significant, with a switch in
counterdrug operations and disaster and huchains of command. But its people will remanitarian relief.
main in place,
The Air Force’s
the general said.
by Staff Sgt. Suzanne M. Jenkins
ISR role is ever inThe changes will
creasing and the
streamline the preservice’s top intelsentation of Air
ligence officer said
Force ISR capathe Air Force needs
bilities for national
to overhaul the way
and joint users, as
it does that mission.
well as establish
Lt. Gen. David A.
intelligence as an
Deptula, the depuAir Force-wide enty chief of staff for
terprise.
intelligence, wants
The general also
to effect changes
said that today, the
that will make the
Air Force is not adAir Force’s ISR caequately representpabilities the best
ed in senior ISR
available. He also
positions in joint,
wants to provide
national or comintelligence officers
batant commandmore leadership poer billets. In fact,
tential.
an Airman has not
“I want to manage ISR from a
held a component command
capabilities-based perspective,” he
intelligence post in more
said. “Organizationally, I want to
than five years.
treat Air Force intelligence as an Air
“(This) is not good for the
Force-wide enterprise. And personjoint or national communinel-wise, we need to reconstruct
ty,” he said. “Our combatour bench of Air Force senior inant commanders need to be
telligence officers so we can viably
served by an air perspeccompete for joint and interagency
tive.”
positions.”
General Deptula has also
When he took the intelligence
asked Air Force Chief of
helm, the general asked for a diaStaff Gen. T. Michael Mosegram of how the service’s ISR orgaley to expand the number of
nization interacted. He found conAir Force intelligence genvoluted relationships. He said the
eral officer billets. Genercomplexity of the organization left
al Deptula plans to ensure
An MQ-1 Predator unmanned aerial vehicle (top)
seams in ISR capability, unclear
those officers get the training
lands at Ali Air Base, Iraq, after a mission. Predators
lines of responsibility and a lack of
needed for them to be canprovide real-time surveillance imagery. Capt. Mike
a clear advocate for Air Force ISR
didates for future joint and
Shields (above) inspects his F-15E Strike Eagle before a
capability.
national senior intelligence
mission over Iraq. The jet carries a Sniper Pod, used for
“The way we do business today
positions.
conducting non-traditional intelligence, surveillance and
is that we define ISR capability by
by Staff Sgt. C. Todd Lopez
reconnaissance.
P
48
individual program elements. The net result is
a tendency to drive a disjointed approach to
ISR. We have the potential for the left hand
not knowing what the right hand is doing,
and in fact, that has happened,” he said.
For example, the Air Force was upgrading
software for the Distributed Common Ground
System, a global processing system that provides analysis and distribution of intelligence
data from anywhere on the planet. The software ended up being incompatible with the
new sensors aboard U-2 and Global Hawk
aircraft. The incompatibility was unexpected,
and it may now take as many as 20 months
and $17 million to fix the problem.
To prevent those kinds of mistakes in the
future, General Deptula is creating a position
to integrate ISR assets and manage them as
capability areas.
“It is too big a bridge to cross to try to
change the way [the Office of the Secretary of
Defense] manages by program element,” the
general said. “But I am going to put in place
an ISR capability integrator, not dissimilar to
a program manager, for each set of ISR capabilities.”
by Tech. Sgt. Justin D. Pyle
A B-2 Spirit stealth bomber flies over the St. Louis Arch during Air Force Week last August. The bomber is from the 509th Bomb Wing at Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo.
Air Force leaders want Americans to know more about what the service does to help protect the nation and its contributions to the war on terrorism. Air Force Week builds relationships in communities
where Airmen serve and helps to highlight the Air Force mission.
Each Air Force Week will include community visits and talks by senior Air Force officials, flight demonstration team performances and displays providing an up close and personal look at the Air Force
men and women serving on the front lines.
Upcoming 2007 Air Force Week events are at:
J
J
J
J
J
Sacramento, Calif., from June 4 to 10
St. Louis from July 2 to 8
New England from Aug.18 to 26
Honolulu from Sept. 10 to 16
Atlanta from Oct. 8 to 14

Air Force radio operators

Transcription

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