Career Airmen Can Retrain More Easily Under New Air Force Rules

Career Airmen Can Retrain More Easily Under New Air Force Rules

Aug. 14, 2023 | By Greg Hadley

The Air Force is making it easier for career enlisted Airmen to retrain into a different specialty, following similar changes made earlier this year for first-term service members. 

The Noncommissioned Officer Retraining Program (NCORP), for Airmen on their second or any subsequent term of enlistment, opened Aug. 1 with Phase I, during which service members from overstaffed career fields can volunteer to retrain into undermanned specialties. 

In previous years, the application window for Airmen looking to volunteer for retraining was around a month. This year, the Air Force announced, it will be nine months, stretching until the end of April 2024. 

If there aren’t enough applicants after Phase I, the program moves to Phase II—during which the Air Force picks Airmen to retrain. In a release, the service said it will notify Airmen eligible to be involuntarily retrained starting in early February 2024 and encourage them to apply for a new Air Force Speciality Code (AFSC). Phase II won’t officially start, however, until May 1. 

The Air Force is adjusting Phase II this year, to allow career Airmen to retrain into any specialty below 90 percent manning instead of separating. 

That change is in line with moves the Air Force made in May to let Airmen in their first term of enlistment retrain into any AFSC below 90 percent, even if their current field is below 90 percent. 

“We are continuing to advance our talent management programs, allowing more flexibility and opportunities to keep Airmen in our ranks,” deputy chief of staff for manpower, personnel and services Lt. Gen. Caroline Miller said in a statement. “This is key to keeping great talent we need and for the future force against potential challenges.” 

Balancing force structure and filling out the ranks have been high priorities for the Air Force recently.  

On one hand, leaders say recruiting numbers continue to decline and the service is likely to miss its fiscal 2023 goals by thousands of Airmen. Officials say some of the challenges include a low unemployment rate and a declining propensity to serve, along with increased concerns about political polarization. 

On the other, retention has ticked down slightly after reaching record highs amid the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic but still generally remains strong. The number of career fields eligible for retention bonuses—which can rise when the Air Force needs to entice more Airmen to stay—dipped in 2023 after bumping up the year prior. 

At the same time, the service is promoting NCOs at its lowest rate in decades, driven in part by a belief that too many Airmen were promoted in the past with insufficient experience to be effective senior noncommissioned officers, and that a course correction is needed. Last week, the Air Force announced 17.4 percent of eligible senior airmen were promoted to staff sergeant, the lowest mark in 27 years. 

Russian Warplanes Fly Near Alaska and NATO in Separate Incidents on Same Day

Russian Warplanes Fly Near Alaska and NATO in Separate Incidents on Same Day

Aug. 14, 2023 | By Chris Gordon

Four Russian military aircraft operated near Alaska, according to North American Aerospace Defense Command, roughly two weeks after a flotilla of Russian and Chinese warships conducting joint exercises near the Aleutian Islands were shadowed by the Navy.

On the same day, thousands of miles away, Russian bombers also got near NATO airspace in Europe, prompting multiple countries to respond.

The incident near Alaska occurred late Aug. 13 and into the early morning hours of Aug. 14, according to a release from NORAD.

The command said it “detected and tracked” the Russian aircraft, but did not say whether American or Canadian aircraft were scrambled in response, as they sometimes have in the past. NORAD also did not identify what type of Russian aircraft were operating. The command did not immediately respond to queries.

NORAD did clarify that the Russian aircraft operated in the Alaska Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ), which is international airspace that serves as a buffer for early-warning defense of North America. Russia regularly conducts flights in that area, with the last announced incident occurring July 3, also involving four Russian aircraft.

“These types of flights are not that uncommon,” Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Brig. Gen. Patrick S. Ryder told reporters Aug. 14.

“The Russian aircraft remained in international airspace and did not enter American or Canadian sovereign airspace,” the NORAD release stated. “This Russian activity in the Alaska ADIZ occurs regularly and is not seen as a threat.”

Elsewhere on Aug. 14, multiple NATO countries scrambled fighters in response to Russian bomber flights near their countries.

Two Royal Air Force Typhoons on quick reaction alert from RAF Lossiemouth intercepted what it identified as Tu-142 Bear-F and Tu-142 Bear-J maritime patrol aircraft, which are used for “reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare,” according to the RAF. The Russian bombers were flying north of the Shetland Islands, a Scottish archipelago that is the northern-most part of the U.K. The British also scrambled a Voyager refueling aircraft. 

Like NORAD, the RAF also noted such incidents are not rare but said the Russian planes “can pose a hazard to other aircraft.”

“These Russian aircraft often do not talk to air traffic control or ‘squawk’, broadcasting a code ensuring they are visible to other air users and air traffic controllers on the ground,” an RAF release added.

The British pilots were “ready to counter any potential threat to U.K. territory” and “take action at a moment’s notice to keep our country safe,” U.K. Minister for the Armed Forces James Heappey said in a statement.

The incident was within NATO’s air policing zone, but in international airspace. The Danish Air Force aircraft also intercepted two Russian Bears in the morning of Aug. 14 in what appeared to involve the same Russian aircraft, according to the Netherlands. Two Dutch F-16s from Volkel Air Base were scrambled as the aircraft “flew towards Dutch airspace,” but the Russian aircraft changed course.

“This does not happen often, but today’s incident does demonstrate the importance of rapid employability,” the Dutch Ministry of Defense said in a statement.

The incidents come in the midst of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and on the heels of 11 Russian and Chinese warships conducting drills near the Aleutian Islands, which were monitored four U.S. destroyers—the USS John S. McCain, the USS Benfold, the USS John Finn, and the USS Chung-Hoon— and P-8 Poseidon aircraft. However, Ryder said the latest Russian flights near Alaska did not appear to be linked to that incident.

“No indication that I’m aware of that’s it’s linked to any exercise activity,” Ryder said of the flights, but added the U.S. had a policy to “make people aware.”

B-2s Land in Iceland for First Bomber Task Force in Months

B-2s Land in Iceland for First Bomber Task Force in Months

Aug. 14, 2023 | By John A. Tirpak

Three B-2 bombers from the 509th Bomb Wing at Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo., landed in Keflavik, Iceland, on Aug. 13 to begin a Bomber Task Force deployment, the service announced. The deployment marks the first overseas appearance of the stealth bomber since the B-2 fleet’s six-month safety pause ended this May.

The planned duration of the deployment was not disclosed, but BTFs typically last 2-6 weeks. More than 150 support Airmen and aircrew deployed alongside the bombers and will exercise with NATO and U.S. Air Forces in Europe (USAFE) units in the region.

The B-2 is the Air Force’s sole operational stealth bomber, with a globe-girdling range, and the ongoing Bomber Task Force rotations in Europe are seen as one element of NATO’s heightened level of alert since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in early 2022.

The Spirit’s return to Europe comes after it spent the first part of 2023 on the ground—the fleet stopped flying after one aircraft was damaged following an emergency landing at Whiteman, but the Air Force has not given the root cause of that accident nor explained why the “safety pause” in operations was necessary.

This is not the first B-2 deployment to Keflavik. Three B-2s, with more than 200 support personnel, operated from the Icelandic base in September 2021 for nearly three weeks. At the time, Air Force officials said establishing Keflavik as a location from which B-2s could operate added “another strategic stepping stone” for U.S. bombers to the European theater. During that deployment, the bombers practiced suppression of enemy air defenses and the employment of standoff missiles along with aircraft from other NATO countries.

The most recent Bomber Task Force rotation to Europe was a contingent of B-1B bombers from the 7th Bomb Wing of Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, which operated from RAF Fairford, U.K., from late May until late June. During the monthlong visit, the B-1s participated in four U.S. and international exercises, including two Arctic drills; made an appearance at the Paris Air Show; and landed in Sweden, which is in the process of joining NATO, for the first time.

Global Strike Command also continues to conduct BTFs in the Pacific, having deployed B-52 contingents to Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, in June and July and a package of B-1s to Misawa Air Base, Japan, in July.

The reduced number of Airmen and support personnel accompanying the B-2s to Iceland during this deployment may be a demonstration of the Air Force’s ongoing effort to reduce its footprint when positioning forces away from home base. Under the Agile Combat Employment model, USAF is striving to make deployments with as few personnel as possible, often to austere or remote airfields, to practice moving quickly and complicating an adversary’s targeting.

Imagery of the B-2s arriving at Keflavik, released by the Pentagon, also showed two C-5Ms of the 433rd Air Wing, which presumably brought their support gear and personnel.

“Each bomber task force mission underscores the prowess of our armed forces in navigating today’s intricate and unpredictable global security terrain, with a focus on fostering stability, security, and freedom across Europe,” said Gen. James Hecker, commander of USAFE.

The Iceland BTF is led by Lt. Col. Andrew Kousgaard, commander of 393rd Bomb Squadron. He said BTFs demonstrate the Air Force’s strategy of strategic unpredictability with operational adaptability.

“The B-2 bomber is arguably the most strategically significant airplane in the world, but that doesn’t mean it’s inflexible; dynamically deploying the bombers forward is a unique and important capability,” Kousgaard said.

He added that there is “simply no substitute for the hands-on integration” with U.S. allies and partners in the region. The deployments help familiarize USAF, Joint and allied forces in the region with the capabilities of U.S. bombers, he said.

It was not disclosed whether the B-2s will operate from any forward areas in Europe, but BTFs often include unannounced secondary deployments.

Iceland is a member of NATO but has no military forces and has over the past six decades allowed NATO units to operate from its airfields. The U.S. Air Force maintained an interceptor capability at Keflvik until the early 2000s. Subsequently the base has been reactivated for exercises and NATO air policing missions. B-2s had transited through Keflavik before but never used it as an operating location until 2021.

Tyndall Air Force Base Will Be An F-35 Maintainer’s Dream … Eventually

Tyndall Air Force Base Will Be An F-35 Maintainer’s Dream … Eventually

Aug. 14, 2023 | By David Roza

TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla.—Three new hangars under construction at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla. could make maintaining the F-35 more efficient than ever, with built-in maintenance facilities, a walkable campus, enhanced wireless connectivity, and other amenities.

“This is a dream for any maintainer,” said Col. Robert Kongaika, commander of the 325th Maintenance Group that will oversee upkeep for the 78 F-35s to be assigned to Tyndall’s 325th Fighter Wing.

The base as a whole is undergoing a $5 billion reconstruction effort after the devastation of Hurricane Michael in 2018. Officials want to make Tyndall the Air Force’s ‘Installation of the Future,’ the model of what the service could look like in years to come—complete with facilities that can withstand the most extreme weather and new technologies to make maintenance and base security faster and better.

But the biggest single investment is going toward Tyndall’s transition from training F-22 students to flying operational F-35s. The three hangars being built, one for each future squadron, are part of what leaders are calling ‘Zone One,’ an area devoted to flightline activities.

The zone includes a maintenance complex, group headquarters, aircraft parking aprons, aircraft support equipment storage, a corrosion control facility, and an F-35A flight simulator building. It is the single largest military construction contract on record in the Air Force database, which dates back to 2008, according to an Air Force release. The construction contract is $532 million, but contingencies and contract oversight brings the total investment to $604 million.

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A scale model of the F-35A hangars under construction at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla. The roof was removed to show the doors at either end of the hangar, allowing aircraft to move in and out more easily. Air & Space Forces Magazine photo by David Roza

Next Generation Hangars

Officials say that top-dollar price will bring top-of-the-line quality; each hangar will serve as home for both maintainers and pilots for each of the three F-35 squadrons, which should allow for easy cross-pollination, Kongaika said. Hangar doors at either end of the facilities will let jets flow in and out more easily, he said.

Maintenance demands ample electricity to power the aircraft; air for inflating tires or environmental control systems; and water for spraying down the jets. In older hangars, maintainers would bring in noisy aerospace ground equipment that guzzled fuel and generated exhaust, but at Tyndall those utilities will come straight out of the building itself. Kongaika worked with a similar set-up at Luke Air Force Base, Ariz., another F-35 location, where utilities rose up from the hangar floor on hydraulics.

“That’s state-of-the-art, in my opinion, because you’re reducing your thrash: the wasted time it takes to bring in other equipment and take it out,” he said.

Air conditioning and high-speed wireless internet will be built-in rather than bolted on, as is the case in some other facilities. Reliable Wi-Fi is increasingly important to connect tablets and other devices maintainers rely on to fix F-35s. Kongaika envisioned future wrench-turners using augmented reality-equipped headsets or glasses to further streamline the maintenance process.  

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Col. Robert Kongaika, head of the 325th Maintenance Group at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., displays a mock-up of Zone 1, where the 325th Fighter Wing’s hangars, headquarters, flight simulators, and other facilities will be built. The three identical buildings near the top represent a hangar for each of the wing’s F-35 squadrons. Air & Space Forces Magazine photo by David Roza

Current Challenges

While Kongaika and other Air Force leaders envision a high-tech future for maintainers, there is an obvious challenge—the hangars will not be completed until 2026, but F-35s with the 95th Fighter Squadron have already begun arriving. The first four landed at Tyndall in early August, with 12 more scheduled by the end of summer 2024. For now, maintainers with the 95th Fighter Generation Squadron work out of a refurbished office space, but the jets remain outside without the benefit of sunshades.

“We’ve got ice machines, we’ve got Gatorade to try and make that as tolerable as possible, but they will be straight up on the open ramp in the Florida sun,” said Maj. Benjamin Flores, commander of the 95th FGS. “That will be something we’ll have to keep a focus on and try to make it as easy as possible for them.”

Another challenge is the scale of the rebuilding effort, where up to 4,000 construction workers rub elbows with operational Airmen. The tight quarters require careful coordination between the 325th Fighter Wing, the Air Force’s Natural Disaster Recovery Division, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the contractors the corps manages. 

“We spend a lot of time trying to look forward to identify where those conflicts could occur and mitigate them before they become an issue,” said Col. Robert Bartlow Jr., chief of the Air Force Civil Engineer Center Natural Disaster Recovery Division. “But things happen all the time where we realize we’ve got a problem and we need to address it.”

For example, one of the tenant units at Tyndall is the 601st Air and Space Operations Center, which plans, directs, and assesses air and space operations over North America, a vital mission that cannot be interrupted. But over the next few months, Tyndall is renovating all the utilities across the base, which will require shutting down the roads leading to the 601st Air Operations Center (AOC).

“Right now we’re figuring out alternate means of access to the AOC and we’ll come up with one, get it approved and we’ll press forward,” Bartlow said. “That’s one thing that fortunately we identified well enough in advance.”

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Construction workers construct concrete forms on Zone 1 at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida, June 9, 2023. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Zachary Nordheim)

Kongaika expressed concern for his Airmen’s safety amid the congestion and construction. 

“We have to have a really heightened sense of situational awareness around us, so I’m always preaching safety,” he said. “I want to empower our Airmen to knock it off or slow it down whenever they see things that are the three Ds: dumb, dangerous, or different.”

Maintainers with the 95th FGS are adapting to the circumstances. Their main depot for tools and spare parts is about a mile away and across a security checkpoint from their temporary facility, which can disrupt workflow, so they set up a smaller warehouse in a side room of their current building, reducing the number of back-and-forth trips.

Sustaining a fighter squadron requires thousands of spare parts and equipment such as rolling tool boxes, torque wrenches, screw drivers, pliers, engine covers, safety gear, latex gloves, and more. Col. George Watkins, the commander of the 325th Fighter Wing, likened it to “standing up a super-sized AutoZone.”

But a successful fighter generation squadron also requires the right culture to sustain mission-ready aircraft every day, even in difficult weather. While finding experienced F-35 maintainers is not as difficult today as it was a few years ago when the jet was brand-new, it will take time for the 95th FGS to learn how to work as a team.

“We have not worked as a team to generate aircraft; we’ve all done it individually at different places,” Flores said. “We have to make sure we have the communication in place and the expectations set so we make the right call and follow the right processes. We’ll learn but I think that’s just part of the growing process for a new team.”

Kongaika pointed to the arrival of the first F-35s as crucial to building that teamwork.

“There’s nothing that replaces hands-on training, so we need some aircraft in order to train,” he said.

Barring further production delays, the 95th Fighter Squadron should reach full operational capability with 24 primary assigned aircraft and two more in reserve by the middle of 2025. The number of 95th FGS maintainers will also grow from about 50 people on the ground today to an end-strength of 200. Becoming operational will take sweat and coordination, but the new aircraft, the new hangars, and the chance to build a new unit from the ground up has its rewards too.

“Seeing our own aircraft in front of the squadron with the Tyndall tail flash on it … it’s just a good feeling, and I think that’s what everyone is excited about,” said Flores.

Ramstein C-130s Get Invasion Stripes For D-Day Commemoration Next Year

Ramstein C-130s Get Invasion Stripes For D-Day Commemoration Next Year

Aug. 11, 2023 | By Greg Hadley

Six C-130J aircraft at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, received a special paint job and decals recently to show off over the beaches of Normandy, France, on the 80th anniversary of D-Day next June. 

Maintainers painted black-and-white stripes on the 37th Airlift Squadron’s C-130s to mimic the “invasion” or “liberation” stripes sported by Allied aircraft during World War II to distinguish them from enemy aircraft and reduce the chance of friendly fire. 

The Airmen from the 86th Maintenance Squadron also gave a nod to the 37th’s lineage by painting a W-7 insignia on the invasion stripes—a Douglas C-47 Skytrain aircraft named Whiskey Seven belonging to the 37th Troop Carrier Squadron was the first to cross enemy lines to drop paratroopers. 

Units across the Air Force have painted invasion stripes on their aircraft over the years to celebrate the service’s World War II roots. This year alone, F-15E fighters from Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, N.C., and a C-17 Globemaster III from Pittsburgh International Airport Air Reserve Station, Penn., have sported the stripes. 

But only the Ramstein C-130s, however, are scheduled to participate in the D-Day 80th anniversary celebrations on June 6, 2024.

“We get the sole honor in the Air Force of applying liberation stripes to our aircraft in celebration of 80 years of NATO air superiority in Europe,” Tech. Sgt. Garrett Magnie, 86th Maintenance Squadron aircraft structural maintenance noncommissioned officer in charge, said in a statement. “The 37th Troop Carrier Squadron, now known as the 37th Airlift Squadron, flew Whiskey Seven over enemy airspace. Historically the 37th can lay claim to be a part of the Normandy liberation.”  

The 37th also supported the 75th anniversary of D-Day five years ago, with a C-130 sporting invasion stripes that dropped paratroopers in France and flew alongside a heritage C-47. 

Preparations for the 80th anniversary are underway, but details have yet to be announced. 

Air Guard, Reserve Tackle Wildfires Across U.S. West

Air Guard, Reserve Tackle Wildfires Across U.S. West

Aug. 11, 2023 | By Greg Hadley

Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve personnel were activated across the Western United States this week to help fight wildfires raging from Hawaii to Oregon to Alaska. 

The Pentagon announced Aug. 10 that around three dozen members of the Hawaii Air National Guard were activated to respond to the wildfires on the island of Maui, which have killed more than 50 people. That’s in addition to around 100 Army National Guard members and multiple helicopters from the Army and Navy. 

Also on Aug. 10, Hawaii Air Guardsmen transported vehicles and personnel from the Honolulu Fire Department, along with disaster relief supplies, to Maui on a C-17 Globemaster III. 

In Alaska, five firefighters from the Air National Guard’s 176th Civil Engineer Squadron deployed to Clear Space Force Station on Aug. 6 with a firetruck to support firefighting efforts in the area. There are several wildfires in the region covering thousands of acres.

And on the West Coast, two C-130s equipped with the Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System (MAFFS) arrived at Klamath Falls Airtanker Base, Ore., this week—one each from the Wyoming Air National Guard’s 153rd Airlift Wing and the Air Force Reserve’s 302nd Airlift Wing in Colorado Springs, Colo. 

MAFFS is a roll-on, roll-off system with a 3,000-gallon tank that can shoot water or fire retardant out the plane’s rear parachute door, emptying the tank in as little as six seconds. C-130s equipped with the system have become a regular fire-fighting fixture in the West in recent years, helping to battle large wildfires in California, Oregon, Colorado, and more. 

“The MAFFS aircraft play a pivotal role in combating wildfires, and their swift deployment to affected areas allows us to respond rapidly to emerging fire incidents,” said Col. Barry Deibert, commander of the 153rd Airlift Wing, in a release. “Our primary goal is to enhance aircraft operations, ensuring the protection of lives and property, and providing unwavering support to the multi-agency firefighting response effort.” 

The National Interagency Fire Center requests the Air Force’s help with firefighting missions, and the U.S. Forest Service provides the MAFFS system and fire retardant. This marks the first deployment of the C-130-equipped MAFFS this wildfire season—later than previous years. 

There are currently four wildfires raging in Oregon’s Willamette National Forest, covering hundreds of acres. 

Can Tyndall’s New Tech Keep Airmen’s Dorms Mold-Free?

Can Tyndall’s New Tech Keep Airmen’s Dorms Mold-Free?

Aug. 11, 2023 | By David Roza

TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla.—As the Air Force rebuilds Tyndall from the destruction of Hurricane Michael as its so-called “Installation of the Future,” officials aren’t just thinking about maintenance hangars and flightline operations. They’re looking to new technology to help solve other problems, like mold growth in Air Force dorm rooms and other facilities.

The base is using a new platform called the Installation Resilience Operations Center (IROC), which is meant to give base leadership, first responders, and facility managers a common operating picture of what is happening across the installation in real-time.

IROC could pull in data from building sensors to alert facility managers if air conditioners are not working properly, if a leak is detected, or if humidity is reaching unusual levels, which can contribute to mold growth, said Lance Marrano, science and technology advisor for reconstruction at Tyndall.

“We’ve all seen highlights and stories about mold in [Department of Defense] facilities, and we’re trying to make sure that we’re more vigilant about that,” he said.

IROC could also be a game-changer in an emergency, when conventional processes require time for information to be relayed. For example, if a fire starts on the flightline, a fire marshal establishes a safety cordon and radios security forces, who map out the incident on a whiteboard with a marker, then relay that information to the unit command center, Marrano explained.

But each stage of voice-to-voice communication adds time and increases the risk that information will be relayed incorrectly, explained Mark Shackley, innovation team lead and security force program manager for the Natural Disaster Recovery Division at Tyndall.

“Grid coordinates or other numbers get switched around all the time,” he said. “Your entry control point might end up somewhere else. Being able to take that data, make it digital, and show the same across everyone’s devices means nobody’s getting lost.” 

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Members of the Bay County Sheriff’s Office special weapons and tactics team and 325th Security Forces Squadron tactical response team stack up in a hallway during a training exercise in Panama City, Florida, July 13, 2021. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Stefan Alvarez

IROC could be especially helpful as systems and sensors are networked into a base’s “internet of things.” 

“If you went to the fire station or the base defense operations center, you’ll see an Airman watching five or six monitors with three or four keyboards in front of them,” said Marrano. “You can’t respond effectively with that much information overload.” 

In the future, an IROC at a base could feed data to an enterprise-level operations center. If a vulnerability or inefficiency is detected at one base, analysts could resolve similar issues at other bases.  

To keep IROC cybersecure, each facility at Tyndall will have its own network switch and gateway, so that a vulnerability can be contained and not allowed to spread to the rest of the base, Marrano explained. 

The IROC already links more than 60 buildings at Tyndall, and USAF leaders are looking at which installation might be next. 

“Within a [fiscal] quarter or so, we’re going to have more examples of how that data gets connected together, more information fused and layered together to provide more insights,” Marrano said. 

Digital Twin

IROC is not the only tool base planners will use for long-term management. Tyndall is also testing a concept already familiar to Air Force weapons programs—a Digital Twin. Like a weapon’s digital twin, Tyndall is creating a model of the base in which each building is represented by a 3D virtual replica. Planners believe the model can save time and money by helping them to predict wear and tear on facilities and to manage a base-wide, comprehensive plan for maintenance. 

“Instead of waiting for the occupants to say ‘hey, I’ve got water on my floor,’ now the engineer can look across the base, get a better sense of which roofs are approaching end of life, and then you start developing those engineering projects rather than waiting for a work ticket and more damage,” Marrano said. 

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An example of a digital twin of a facility on Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla. shows how stakeholders can assess the health of a building on a virtual map. Air & Space Forces Magazine photo by David Roza

Marrano comes to Tyndall from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which hopes to learn from Tyndall’s example and possibly apply the same technology to Army bases. He explained that the digital twin enables a kind of “X-ray vision” for engineers or facility managers—they can point an iPad toward a ceiling and use the virtual model to detect exactly which ceiling tile they need to move to access a water pipe. 

The models are helpful even before the buildings are completed. The director of Tyndall’s soon-to-be-completed child development center did a virtual walkthrough of her building and identified areas where toddlers might hide, Marrano said.  

“Anybody from the base can come in and interact with their facility,” he said. “Being able to help users look at their facilities before they receive them and give feedback is really important.” 

The digital twin also helps managers anticipate how storm surges could affect the base and model traffic congestion due to construction or a major exercise. Security Forces Airmen can use it to practice responding to an active shooter scenario, knowing that important details, such as which way a door swings open, are faithfully rendered. 

The digital twin project is in a pilot stage as the base awaits cyber accreditation, Marrano said, but the program should be ready for wider use in about six to nine months. At that point, the concept could be applied to other bases—provided facility data is available. Over the next year, Marrano’s team will explore how to align data standards so that installation managers across the military can quickly create digital twins of their own bases. 

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A view from the control tower at Tyndall Air Force Base Fla. shows much of the installation under construction, Aug. 1, 2023. Air & Space Forces Magazine photo by David Roza

Installation of the Future

These new technologies form just one pillar of the ongoing $5 billion reconstruction project at Tyndall, which was destroyed by Hurricane Michael in 2018. New facilities and a new F-35A Lightning II fighter wing will also shape Tyndall’s effort to become an ‘Installation of the Future,’ a model for how the Air Force writ large might become safer, stronger, and more efficient in the years ahead.

“If we’re going to build the Installation of the Future, we need to figure out what’s new out there that we can use to make us more effective at operating,” said Col. Robert Bartlow Jr., chief of the Air Force Civil Engineer Center Natural Disaster Recovery Division. 

There are still more emerging technologies could further enhance security at Tyndall: 

  • ZeroEyes: An artificial intelligence program that scans more than 60 live security camera feeds and alerts Security Forces if a firearm is detected. Rapid detection should help defenders prepare and respond faster in case of an active shooter situation, Shackley said. Tyndall is the first Department of Defense installation to get ZeroEyes. 
  • Digital Force Technologies’ Force Protection Kit: A system of infrared cameras, ground-based radar, and laser-range finders that artificial intelligence can scan for threats such as unmanned aerial systems. The automated system is supposed to reduce the cognitive load for security forces Airmen, according to the Air Force. 
  • Robot Dogs: Designed by Ghost Robotics, the semi-autonomous quadrupeds sport nine sensors and act as extra eyes and ears both day-to-day and in extreme temperatures, according to the Air Force. 
If You Did Space Ops, You Could Become a ‘Legacy Guardian’

If You Did Space Ops, You Could Become a ‘Legacy Guardian’

Aug. 10, 2023 | By Greg Hadley

Before the Space Force was founded in December 2019, Airmen ruled the heavens, at least as far as most military space activities were concerned. For decades tens and perhaps hundreds of thousands of Airmen controlled and acquired satellites, managed communications and intelligence, and performed other space missions. Air Force Space Command claimed more than 26,000 personnel at one point.

A bipartisan group of lawmakers are close to giving some of those Airmen a chance to claim at least an honorary part of the newest military service.  

The “Space Force Legacy Guardian Recognition Act” is included in the House version of the National Defense Authorization bill, but not the Senate version. The measure would allow the Secretary of the Air Force to establish a process for veteran space professionals to be designated as honorary members of the Space Force. They would be called “Legacy Guardians.” 

Legacy Guardians would be eligible for “a certificate, approved device, or other insignia of such designation,” the bill states. They would not, however, be eligible for any additional benefits. 

The the measure would apply to anyone “whom the Secretary of the Air Force determines served in support of space operations as a member of the Air Force.” Space operators from the other services need not apply. Lawmakers have also introduced the matter as stand-alone legislation, but its best hope is that House and Senate conferees include it in the final compromise version of the NDAA now under construction. 

A staffer for Rep. Don Bacon, the retired Air Force brigadier general who introduced the legislation, told Air & Space Forces Magazine that lawmakers won’t distinguish among specialties, however. Space acquisition, intelligence, and other career fields could all qualify potentially—that decision would be left to the Department of the Air Force. 

Bacon’s bill is co-sponsored by four House members, all from the Space Force caucus, including Reps. Salud Carbajal (D-Calif.), Brian Babin (R-Texas), Doug Lamborn (R-Colo.), and Ted Lieu (D-Calif.). 

Bacon was not a space operator, but he and the veterans on his staff felt strongly about recognizing the legacy of space operators who paved the way for the Space Force. 

“Veterans of a service are important for a community as well,” the staffer said. “They’re representative of that service.” 

The staffer noted that as things currently stand, it will take years, if not decades, for the Space Force to develop a veteran community. 

Since first introducing the legislation in the NDAA, Bacon’s office has received positive feedback from veteran space operators and current Guardians alike, the staffer claimed. 

“This designation would not only bring together our space operations veterans with those who currently serve in the Space Force,” Lieu said in a statement. “It would appropriately honor the dedicated veterans and culture of service of the Air Force Space Command.” 

“I’m proud to stand alongside my colleagues in acknowledging the contributions of our nation’s Air Force Space Operators who laid the foundation upon which our current Space Force is built,” Babin said in a statement. “Their expertise and devotion to a country pushed us upward and outward, establishing and ensuring America’s military dominance in space.” 

A Department of the Air Force spokeswoman told Air & Space Forces Magazine that department leadership was not involved in crafting the legislation and is not tracking if or how many retired space operators have requested honorary or retroactive status in the Space Force. 

The Space Force Association endorsed the measure in an Aug. 9 release. 

First Air Force Reserve Unit to Get the F-35 Marks a Final Milestone with the F-16

First Air Force Reserve Unit to Get the F-35 Marks a Final Milestone with the F-16

Aug. 10, 2023 | By David Roza

The end of an era is swiftly approaching for the Air Force Reserve’s 301st Fighter Wing.

One of its units, the 457th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, is finishing its final deployment with the F-16 Fighting Falcon, widely known as the Viper. When the squadron returns home to Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas, later this month after its deployment to Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia, the unit will begin transitioning to the F-35A stealth fighter.

The 301st will be the first Air Force Reserve Command wing equipped with the F-35. It is expected to receive its first fifth-generation fighter in 2024, but to reach that point, it will have to say goodbye to its longtime F-16s.

“These F-16s have been part of our squadron for almost 30 years and have safely carried [our] pilots through thousands of combat sorties,” Lt. Col. David Snodgrass, commander of the 457th EFS, said in an Aug. 9 press release. “However, air combat has evolved and we are grateful our squadron has been chosen to convert to the F-35. We intend to carry the strong heritage of F-16 combat prowess forward to the new airplane.”

That release noted that the F-16s will not be retired—instead they will be distributed to Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., to be aggressors and to Homestead Air Reserve Base, Fla., to join the 93rd Fighter Squadron. Officials could not immediately provide Air & Space Forces Magazine with specific dates on when the transition will begin, but previous units to exchange F-16s for F-35s started sending planes out nearly a year in advance as they started the transition process.

“The F-16 has been the backbone of our operations for decades, and it’s sad to see it go,” said wing commander Col. Benjamin Harrison in a May release. “But at the same time, we’re excited for the new opportunities that lie ahead.”

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U.S. Airmen assigned to the 457th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron (EFS) pose for a group picture on Prince Sultan Air Base (PSAB), Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, June 4, 2023. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Alexander Frank

The jet proved its worth during this most recent deployment, where the 457th patrolled the Middle East in support of Operations Inherent Resolve, the ongoing fight against ISIS, and Spartan Shield, an effort to build up security partnerships in the region. U.S. Central Command has had an eventful summer, with multiple instances of Russian aircraft damaging U.S. MQ-9 Reaper drones and U.S. fighters deploying to deter Iranian aggression in the Strait of Hormuz.

Snodgrass said his pilots often flew long, complex missions.

“The main challenge for pilots [was] the seven-hour duration of the sorties along with balancing multiple mission types,” he said. “We began preparing for the deployment as soon as we found out about our mobilization [and] completed exercises practicing Agile Combat Employment concepts and close air support skills prior to arriving that prepared us for the challenges here.”

Heat, wind, and sand made the task of maintaining middle-aged jets even more complicated. Snodgrass said he was “amazed” by the Airmen of the 457th Expeditionary Fighter Generation Squadron, who worked through 115-degree heat and dust storms to get the job done. Lt. Col. Eric Wanless, commander of the 457th EFGS, said the speed of the operation represented another challenge.

“Compared to home station, [the] tempo is the biggest difference as it is nonstop maintenance along with flying,“ he said in the release. “Heat and wind conditions make it tough as it limits repair time as we follow heat rest cycles.”

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The 457th Fighter Squadron operates an F-16 heritage jet painted in the colors of the Texas flag. U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Jeremy Roman

Though its specialty mission is the suppression of enemy air defenses, the multirole F-35 will replace the F-16 as the backbone of Air Force operations. The jet has already arrived at operational units across the branch’s Active component, with more landing at Air National Guard and Reserve units over the coming years.

The 301st first activated in 1944 and flew the P-47 Thunderbolt, the F-105 Thunderchief, and the F-4 Phantom II before switching to the F-16, according to the unit’s history. Getting ready for the F-35 is no easy feat, but Harrison expressed confidence in his Airmen.

“Our pilots and maintainers have put in a lot of time and effort to make sure we’re ready to make the switch,” he said in May. “We’re confident that we’ll be able to make a seamless transition to the F-35 and continue to provide the same level of excellence that our unit is known for.”