Air Force Dispatches Natural Disaster Recovery Team to Guam After Typhoon

Air Force Dispatches Natural Disaster Recovery Team to Guam After Typhoon

A task force of the Air Force’s Natural Disaster Recovery Team is enroute to Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, to assess the condition of the facilities there and advise the 36th Wing commander in the wake of Super Typhoon Mawar, which struck the island May 24 with the force of a Category 4 hurricane.

The team is expected to be in place in the next few days and will provide an initial assessment to the wing commander at Andersen in the following week, according to Col. Robert L. Bartlow, Jr., chief of the Air Force’s Civil Engineer Center Natural Disaster Recovery Division at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla.

The tropical cyclone came ashore at Andersen at the northeast part of the island. The island was hit with winds of up to 140 miles per hour, two feet of rain, a storm surge, flooding, downed trees, utility outages, and building collapses. While some minor injuries have been reported, no deaths have been attributed to the storm.

In preparation for the storm, Andersen aircraft were either evacuated or secured in hangars, and naval vessels were sent out to sea. Thus far, no aircraft damage has been reported.

The Air Force’s Natural Disaster Recovery Team (NDRT), which consists of Active-Duty military, government civilians, and contractors, numbers about 80 personnel, five of whom have been dispatched to Guam. They will assess damage, augment the base’s own civil engineering capacity, and recommend both immediate and long-term action, Bartlow told Air & Space Forces Magazine.

The NDRT was created in the wake of 2018’s Hurricane Michael—which destroyed most of Tyndall—and highly destructive flooding in 2019 at Offutt Air Force Base, Neb. It manages the civil engineering response to disasters at Air Force bases, from initial assessment through the contracting and implementation phase of reconstruction.

To get to Guam, the team is making its way first to Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, by commercial air, and then by military transport to the island, as Won Pat International Aiport is damaged and not expected to be back in operation until May 30 at the earliest.

The Navy has also ordered the USS Nimitz aircraft carrier and its strike group—now in the vicinity of Japan—to Guam to assist with recovery. The vessels should reach Guam by May 29. The Federal Emergency Management Agency deployed 130 staff to the island ahead of the storm.

It hasn’t been determined how long the assessment team will be on site, Bartlow said, but its findings will help form the basis for any special needs or requests made to Pacific Air Forces, and, if necessary, Headquarters Air Force.

“We’ve had this capability for between a year and two years now,” Bartlow said.

When a natural disaster occurs—or is imminent—the team has the authority to mobilize for a response, Bartlow said. The Guam assessment marks the third time the team has done so.

“We first mobilized a team last October in response to Hurricane Ian, that hit South Florida,” he noted. It was expected that Ian would do serious damage to MacDill Air Force Base, Fla., but would up shifting course. While MacDill “did sustain some serious damage,” it wasn’t catastrophic, Bartlow said, and “we set the team down for five or six days to assist the base there.”

The second deployment was to Little Rock Air Force Base, Ark., in the wake of a winter storm in December 2022 that resulted in tornados and heavy snow.  

This response to Guam, however, has “a little more the impact [as it is] more severe than what we saw on the previous two,” Barlow said.

Because Guam’s location is subject to frequent cyclones, “the facilities and infrastructure … are probably better prepared for a storm of that magnitude than, say, the facilities at Tyndall,” he observed.

An initial damage report is conducted after a typhoon hit the island of Guam and damaged Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, May 26, 2023. Typhoon Mawar was a Category 4 storm, producing winds of at least 130 miles per hour, making it one of the stronger typhoons to hit Guam in decades. U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Allison Martin

While the 36th Wing’s own civil engineering staff will conduct assessments, the disaster team “brings in some unique expertise that you don’t typically have at an installation … and we’re sending that to assist them,” Bartlow said. The 36th Wing commander specifically requested their presence, even as his base works to ensure they can properly support personnel.

With their expertise assessing and contracting for remediation and recovery at Tyndall and Offutt, the team has unique insight into “the cost and scope of what the recovery will be,” Bartlow said—they are knowledgeable about the cost and timing needed to fix runways, rebuild hangars, repair or rebuild the water and electrical systems, and more.

The goal is for a full assessment to be complete in 30 days, he said, which will include cost estimates and “preliminary programming documents completed for those recovery projects.” But it will depend on the scope of the damage.

The team will focus on permanent repairs but can help with short-term mitigation efforts, he said. PACAF will then work with the Pentagon “to source those additional requirements that can’t be sourced from within the command.”

If necessary, the task force, or others from the NDRT, will stay on site and assist the local civil engineering shop beyond the assessment, but they likely won’t be overseeing the management and execution of the repair projects, Bartlow said.

“Again, that’s part of what we do in natural disaster recovery; there is a long-term requirement to assist and augment the installation [personnel],” he said.

With natural disasters increasing in frequency and severity—one of the reasons why the NDRT was stood up in the first place—Bartlow said the organization is structured to be able to scale up if necessary.

“Today, we have exactly what we need. But if called upon to take on another installation, it would be relatively simple for us to scale up and take that on,” he said.

Much of the organization’s work thus far has centered on the reconstruction at Tyndall and Offutt, and Bartlow said those projects have hit an “inflection point.”

“Within about eight months … we moved from the majority of the programs still in acquisition to now, [where] we have over 90 percent of the program actually on contract and under construction. So that’s a big step,” he said.

At Tyndall alone, 55 projects are underway, with only a few left to award in 2024, Bartlow said. The first major project—a new Child Development Center—will be finished in August.

Given the scope and cost to rebuild at Tyndall and Offutt, the team was directed “not to build what we had before”—officials have said they want to build “installations of the future” that are capable of withstanding extreme weather. On both bases, the elevation of key buildings is being raised so they will remain above either flood stage or storm surge levels of the magnitude expected for 100 years, Bartlow said.

At Tyndall, construction includes new facilities to house a wing with three squadrons of F-35s, including the “associated support, personnel and capabilities to go with that,” Bartlow said. “It certainly will not be an austere base.”

At Offutt, only a third of the base was destroyed, but that third took down “largely the mission-related facilities along the flightline. So we’re … building back to meet the mission.“ Much of the Air Force’s intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance fleet, along with U.S. Strategic Command, are based there.

The 2019 flood established a new baseline for how high facilities had to be. Bartlow said the Army Corps of Engineers and contractors brought in “hundreds of thousands of cubic yards of fill” to raise the levels of the re-built facilities and to strengthen levees to protect them.

Now Enlisted Airmen Can Swap Assignments. But Only If You Meet All Requirements

Now Enlisted Airmen Can Swap Assignments. But Only If You Meet All Requirements

Airmen will be able to swap assignments starting June 1, but the offer comes with strings attached. 

The new enlisted assignment swap program announced May 25 is open available to senior master sergeants and below who can find a match for:   

  • Air Force Specialty Code 
  • Skill level 
  • Grade or projected grade 
  • Special Experience Identifier (as required) 
  • Vector (as required) 
  • Security Clearance (as required) 

Airmen will also have to have the same PCS eligibility “such as time on station, tour length, and retainability,” according to a memo from assistant secretary for manpower and reserve affairs Alex Wagner, which leaked on Reddit and was confirmed as authentic to Air & Space Forces Magazine.

Both parties must initiate assignment swaps within 90 days from their assignment selection date to qualify. Airmen with adverse quality force indicators are ineligible.

People commenting on Reddit expressed concern over the time-on-station requirement, which is four years for career Airmen. That will limit the pool of eligible Airmen.

The concept first arose eight months ago with Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force JoAnne Bass teased a new assignment swap policy at AFA’s Air, Space & Cyber Conference, drawing spirited applause from the crowd.

In a release, Air Force leaders urged Airmen not to use open online platforms like Reddit to coordinate assignment swaps, citing the need to protect confidential information and operational security.  

Instead, they recommended using MyVector, the Air Force’s online platform for career development and mentorship—while also noting the frustrations many Airmen have with the service’s web applications.

“The program application on MyVector isn’t perfect, but it will evolve throughout the year,” Wagner said. “We understand the frustrations with our IT infrastructure, which is why it’s important for you to provide feedback to the team to make them better.” 

“We aren’t waiting for the perfect system to be built and I’m glad to see this program come to fruition,” added Bass. 

The Air Force has had an assignment swap policies in the past—Airmen previously used online forums and newspaper classified ads to search for possible swaps. 

Several years ago, however, the program was shut down when it was determined to be “unfair,” according to an Air Force Personnel Center post on Facebook. Because Airmen had to cover their own moving expenses, some in the lower ranks couldn’t afford to participate. All told, less than 5 percent of Airmen took advantage of the program. 

The new swap program aims to fix that problem—in his memo, Wagner wrote that “this policy will not require Airmen to pay for their relocations.” 

Oregon Guard Base Will Get Third F-35 Schoolhouse

Oregon Guard Base Will Get Third F-35 Schoolhouse

F-35As are headed to Kingsley Field in Klamath Falls, Ore., which will become home to the Air Force’s third formal training F-35A training unit, the USAF announced May 25. 

Some 20 F-35s will replace the 27 F-15Cs currently at the Oregon Air National Guard base, pending an environmental impact analysis that’s expected to finish in 2025. The move is a change from a 2020 plan to establish an F-15EX schoolhouse at Kingsley, which has long hosted F-15C/D training. 

But given the “strategic focus in the Indo-Pacific Command theater” and the need to field fifth-generation aircraft “as quickly as possible,” the 173rd Fighter Wing announced in February that the plan was again under review.  

The Air Force has also said it no longer plans to acquire 144 F-15EX Eagle IIs. After considering ending the program at 80 aircraft, planners now say they want a force of 104. 

But what USAF really wants and needs are fifth-generation jets that combine low-observable stealth with advanced electronics to pose a more complex threat to adversaries. The Air Force’s fiscal 2024 budget request seeks 48 F-35s and 24 F-15EXs. At that rate, Chief of Staff Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr. has said the F-35A will soon surpass the F-16 as the service’s biggest fighter fleet. 

“The Eagle II is a fantastic aircraft, and Team Kingsley was ready and willing to take on that mission,” Col. Lee Bouma, 173rd Fighter Wing commander, said in a statement. “However, our strategic focus has shifted since 2020; the Air Force needs F-35 squadrons available and fully mission-capable to prevail against peer adversaries. … That means they require more F-35 pilots. Team Kingsley’s adaptability and excellence allows us to fill this Air Force need.” 

The Air Force already has formal F-35 training units at Luke Air Force Base, Ariz., and Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. With Kingsley, the F-35 will match the F-16 in having three FTUs. 

Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, N.C., will take over all basic F-15 training in early 2026, with follow-on training on their specific model at their first unit. F-15Cs will gradually be retired in the coming years, remaining longest in Air National Guard units. Newer F-15E and F-15EX models will remain as part of the Air Force’s planned four-fighter fleet of the future

The Oregon ANG is still slated to get the F-15EX—the 142nd Wing at Portland Air National Guard Base is supposed to have the first operational F-15EX unit in fiscal 2025. 

The Likely Next Air Force Chief—and All the Contenders

The Likely Next Air Force Chief—and All the Contenders

Now that President Biden has officially said Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr. is his choice to be the next Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Pentagon leaders need to decide who will succeed Brown to become the 23rd Air Force Chief of Staff?

The odds on favorite is Vice Chief of Staff Gen. David W. Allvin, a career mobility and test pilot with an extensive operational and staff background. Allvin maintained a low profile for most of his tenure as the vice, but has had a more public role since the start of the year, apparently laying the groundwork for him to become the face of the force.

Allvin is the 40th Vice Chief of Staff, and would be the 10th of those to become Chief of Staff if he proves to be the choice. He’d also be the third this century, following Gen. David Goldfein, Chief No. 21, and Gen. T. Michael Moseley, No. 18.

As a leader on the Air Staff, Allvin has been a visionary helping to craft the joint force operating concepts advanced by three successive chiefs: Gen. Mark Welsh, No. 20, along with Goldfein and Brown. He helped write “America’s Air Force: A Call to the Future” in 2014 and the “Air Force Future Operating Concept” in 2015, both critical precursors to what would become Goldfein’s vision for multi-domain operations and, ultimately, what is now known throughout the services as Joint All-Domain Command and Control. 

More recently, he has been a leading voice tackling the service’s challenges with recruiting and retention.

Surprise selections

But just because Allvin is seen as the clear leading contender doesn’t mean surprises can’t happen. Before Goldfein was selected in 2015, news outlets failed to see him among the main contenders.

Candidates are all but certain to already be four-star generals. With the sole exception of the Air Force’s first chief, Gen. Carl A. Spaatz, every CSAF was a four-star and a career operator. While In at least one case—Chief No. 19, Gen. Norton Schwartz—the eventual choice was already nearing a planned retirement, it’s unlikely that either Gen. Glen D. VanHerck, head of U.S. Northern Command, or Gen. Mark Kelly, head of Air Combat Command, will be the choice at this stage. Also out of the running is Gen. Duke Z. Richardson, head of Air Force Materiel Command, who lacks the operational background essential to the job.

That leaves just a few generals to watch.

The Favorite

Gen. David W. Allvin — Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force 

Allvin has been vice chief since November 2020, shortly after Brown took the top job. A test pilot with experience in more than two dozen aircraft, Allvin gained most of his command experience in air refueling and mobility units. But he has extensive Pentagon and joint experience, including stints in the Strategy, Plans, and Policy directorate of the Joint Staff.

Having begun his vice chief tour operating largely out of public view, he has come out of the shadows in recent months, championing efforts to eliminate barriers to service and speaking about the service’s contributions to Joint-All Domain Command and Control which he has helped spearhead. He also appeared instead of Brown on a panel at the AFA Warfare Symposium with Chief of Space Operations Gen. B. Chance Saltzman, Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force JoAnne Bass, and Chief Master Sergeant of the Space Force Towberman. Among the past five Air Chiefs, two—Gen. T. Michael Moseley and Gen. David L. Goldfein—did stints as Vice Chief. 

Contenders

Gen. James B. Hecker — Commander of U.S. Air Forces in Europe-Air Forces Africa 

Hecker has overseen USAFE at a pivotal time in Europe, taking over not long after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. His command has been on constant watch, with Airmen and aircraft operating in the skies and along the borders to reassure allies and secure NATO’s eastern flank. Hecker headed Air University prior to taking command at USAFE-AFAFRICA. A fighter pilot who flew F-15s and F-22s, he has commanded at the group, wing, and Numbered Air Force levels. Three of the past seven Chiefs of Staff had commanded USAFE: Gen. Mike Ryan, Gen. John Jumper, and Gen. Mark Welsh.  

Gen. Thomas A. Bussiere — Commander of Air Force Global Strike Command 

As the head of AFGSC, Bussiere oversees the Air Force’s two legs of the nuclear triad, both of which are in the midst of massive modernization efforts that started years ago and will continue into the next decade. Under his command, AFGSC rolled out the new B-21 Raider in December 2022, which will be the “backbone” of the bomber fleet for years to come. Bussiere has flown the F-15, B-1, B-2, and F-22, and led the Eighth and Eleventh Air Forces. He was also vice commander of U.S. Strategic Command. He would be the first Chief ever to ascend from Global Strike Command, established in 2009, and the first bomber pilot to become Chief since Gen. David C. Jones in 1974.   

Gen. Mike Minihan — Commander of Air Mobility Command 

Since taking command of AMC in October 2021, Minihan has gained a reputation for bold, brash, inspirational leadership. His “Mobility Manifesto” address at AFA’s Air, Space, and Cyber conference in September 2022 lit up the crowd and launched an ambitious trajectory to prepare AMC’s Airmen for conflict in the Indo-Pacific. Since then, his experiments have yielded 24- and 36-hour sorties in the KC-46, successful operations with limited aircrew, and this summer, the massive “Mobility Guardian” exercise intended to demonstrate air mobility’s reach across the Pacific region this summer. But Minihan probably lost standing when he garnered international headlines for a memo to AMC Airmen that was leaked to the media in January. The memo suggested war with China was likely in 2025 and urged Airmen to brush up on their marksmanship by practicing aiming for the head. The memo was never intended for public consumption, but the negative publicity could prove problematic in confirmation hearings.

Gen. Jacqueline D. Van Ovost — Commander of U.S. Transportation Command 

Van Ovost, a former test pilot who has flown a dozen aircraft types, would be the first woman ever to be Air Force Chief. Prior to leading TRANSCOM, she headed Air Mobility Command and before that was the Air Force’s Director of Staff at the Pentagon. She headed AMC during the record-breaking noncombatant evacuation operation from Afghanistan in 2021 and has overseen the massive logistical enterprise transporting materiel to Ukraine while at TRANSCOM. Van Ovost has also led a reconsideration of TRANSCOM’s posture in the Pacific, and helped to implement the Global Household Goods Contract for transporting troops’ possessions during moves. Two prior TRANSCOM commanders have gone on to become Chief of Staff—Gen. Ronald Fogleman in 1994, and Gen. Norton A. Schwartz in 2008. 

Gen. Anthony J. Cotton — Commander of U.S. Strategic Command 

Having only arrived at STRATCOM in December 2022, Cotton is a missileer whose prior command at Air Force Global Strike Command lasted less than a year before he was nominated to lead STRATCOM. If selected, he would be the first missileer ever to be Chief of Staff. Cotton’s was previously vice chief at AFGSC. He has commanded an Air Force Space Wing and was president of Air University.  

‘A Proud, Butt-Kicking American Airman’: Biden Introduces Brown as Pick for Chairman

‘A Proud, Butt-Kicking American Airman’: Biden Introduces Brown as Pick for Chairman

It’s official: President Joe Biden has picked an Airman to be his top military adviser.

At 1:52 pm on May 25, Biden walked out of the West Wing and into the Rose Garden alongside Gen. Charles Q. Brown, Jr. to formally announce he is nominating the Air Force Chief of Staff to become the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Introducing Brown to many Americans who may not know him, Biden had a simple message:

“Gen. Brown is a proud, butt-kicking American Airman.”

Vice President Kamala Harris and Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III stood beside the two men as Biden went on to lay out the reasons he selected Brown after months of anticipation.

“Gen. Brown is a warrior descended from a proud line of warriors,” Biden told the crowd, which included service chiefs and Defense Department leaders. “He knows what it means to be in the thick of battle and how to keep your cool when things get hard.”

Biden then recounted one episode that illustrates Brown’s calm and measured demeanor.

In 1991, Brown was flying an F-16 that caught fire over the Florida Everglades. Forced to eject, he landed far from civilization. Luckily the water was not too high and he was eventually rescued, Brown previously recounted to Air & Space Forces Magazine.

“That’s a lot of fun, huh?” Biden said. “Well, I tell you what, he was back in the cockpit the next week with a new call sign, ‘Swamp Thang.'”

Brown has 3,000 hours of flying experience, including 130 combat hours. The son and grandson of veterans, Brown has command experience in the Middle East, Europe, and, perhaps most importantly, the Indo-Pacific. Prior to assuming his current role, Brown was the commander of Pacific Air Forces.

“He plays to win and that’s obvious,” Biden said. “That mindset is going to be an enormous asset to me as commander-in-chief and to the United States of America as we navigate challenges in the coming years.”

Brown is set to replace Army Gen. Mark A. Milley, subject to confirmation by the Senate. The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs does not command any troops but serves as the president’s top military advisor. Brown’s experience in the Pacific, where the Air Force is rapidly adapting, stood out to Biden, the president said.

Through his career, Brown “gained the respect of our allies and partners around the world who regard Gen. Brown as a trusted partner and a top-notch strategist,” Biden added.

In a roughly 15-minute speech, Biden praised Brown’s efforts to modernize the Air Force for a near-peer fight and praised the way Brown has articulated the need to think differently.

“Over the past three years as chief of staff of the Air Force, Gen. Brown has become known for his signature approach, Accelerate Change or Lose,” Biden said.

“Accelerate Change or Lose,” Biden repeated for emphasis. “General, you’re right on. As I’ve often said, our world is at an inflection point where the decisions we make today are going to determine the course of our world for decades to come.”

Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall, who has long-praised Brown as a like-minded thinker, looked on with a smile.

Milley addressed reporters at the Pentagon before the Rose Garden event after a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group and said Brown had “all the knowledge, skills, and attributes” needed to serve as Chairman.

“C.Q. is absolutely superb,” Milley added.

In a lighthearted moment, Milley and other senior military leaders took a group photo after the event—save for Brown, who followed Biden, Harris, and Austin back into the West Wing.

“We’ll photoshop C.Q. in,” Milley quipped.

Brown enjoyed strong support in the Senate when he was nominated for Air Force chief, getting confirmed in a 98-0 vote. And while Sen. Tommy Tuberville is currently blocking unanimous consent votes on senior military promotions because of his objection to the Department of Defense’s policy that funds out-of-state travel for those who seek an abortion, Brown’s new nomination could go to an up-or-down roll call vote, as Milley’s did when he was approved 89-1 in 2019.

“C.Q. is a fearless leader and an unyielding patriot,” Biden said. “I urge the Senate to once again confirm Gen. Brown with the same overwhelming bipartisan support for his new role as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.”

Biden’s announcement came on the third anniversary of the murder of George Floyd at the hands of police officers, which sparked nationwide protests. The president also noted the nation is coming up on the 75th anniversary of the desegregation of the military.

If confirmed by the Senate now, Brown would be the second Black service member to serve as Chairman, following Army Gen. Colin Powell, who served as Chairman from 1989 to 1993.

The George Floyd protests unfolded as Brown was still awaiting confirmation to become the first Black Air Force Chief of Staff, and he released a forceful video at the time recounting his experiences as a Black fighter pilot and officer.

“I’m thinking about the pressure I felt to perform error-free, especially for supervisors I perceived had expected less from me as an African American,” Brown said in the video. “I’m thinking about having to represent by working twice as hard to prove their expectations and perceptions of African Americans were invalid.”

Biden praised the strong nature of Brown’s message at the time after Floyd’s killing.

“It took real backbone, and it struck a chord not only with our military members but with Americans all across the country,” Biden said.

The president said he could rely on Brown to be “a thoughtful, deliberate leader who is unafraid to speak his mind, as someone who will deliver an honest message that needs to be heard, and who will always do the right thing when it’s hard.”

“That’s the number one quality a President needs in a Chairman,” Biden said.

If confirmed by the Senate, Brown will be only the fifth Airman in the 73-year history of the job and the first since Gen. Richard Myers stepped down in 2005.

GAO: Boeing Unlikely to Meet Revised T-7 Schedule

GAO: Boeing Unlikely to Meet Revised T-7 Schedule

The T-7A trainer, already two years behind schedule for production and initial operational capability, will probably see further delays, the Government Accountability Office said in a new report.

And even when the initial production airplanes arrive, they may not meet Air Force requirements because they’re being built before the service signs a contract with Boeing specifying what they should be.

Quoting Air Force officials, the GAO said a new T-7A program schedule developed by Boeing in January is “optimistic, relying on favorable outcomes not supported by past performance,” and that the relationship between the service and the company is “tenuous.”

Even if everything goes right from here on, the GAO said, USAF will have to extend the life of the 60-year-old T-38 trainer because of T-7A delays.

The agency recommended the Air Force conduct a schedule risk assessment to examine the concurrent development, testing, and production in the program, as well as “risks related to contractor management.”

The GAO also urged the service to figure out “under what conditions it would accept production work completed“ before signing a contract for the jets.

Again quoting Air Force officials, the GAO said friction between the service and Boeing is expected to continue to affect the program, especially given Boeing’s mounting losses on it—the Air Force and Boeing already have “differing interpretations” of contract requirements, which may multiply as construction proceeds.

Key problems with the T-7 involve its escape system—which has problems safely ejecting smaller pilots—as well as software and flight controls.

Air Force acquisition executive Andrew Hunter told Congress in April the T-7A won’t achieve IOC until early 2027—missing its initial target of 2024 and slipping beyond a subsequent goal of 2026, which the service and Boeing set late last year.

The delay is due to the Air Force delaying Milestone C—the full-rate production decision—until February 2026, to give more time to fix the escape system and other issues, and test those changes out in flight test, Hunter told Air & Space Forces Magazine in an email.

“We are pursuing risk-reduction activities to mitigate some of these schedule changes,” he said.

Yet even with the extra delays, the GAO report called Boeing’s test schedule is “optimistic,” given that it does not account for any more delays in development or possible re-testing if problems arise at that stage.

Hunter said the Air Force and Boeing “are confident improvements and recent testing are yielding a safe and effective escape system” for the T-7. But until that’s concluded, USAF won’t let test pilots fly the jets. Delays in testing affect other milestones, and the Air Force has previously said it cannot accelerate the T-7A’s test program.

The GAO said it was told the T-7A’s flight test software may have to undergo six or more iterations before it can be considered fully ready.

Boeing built two pre-production prototype T-7As during the T-X Advanced Pilot Training Aircraft competition and has largely completed the first five aircraft that will be used for test flights. But it is also starting to build the first production aircraft before the flight test program even begins.

Given that the escape system and other issues are not resolved—the report notes there have been thousands of changes made to the design since Boeing won the T-X competition in 2018—GAO said the Air Force could wind up paying for airplanes that don’t meet final requirements determined after testing.

Although the Defense Department “concurred” with GAO’s recommendations, the Air Force was not immediately able to comment on when the suggested schedule risk assessment will be completed, or how it will decide whether to accept jets built before requirements have been finalized.

The T-7A was billed from the outset as a revolutionary program, its digital design influencing everything from the aircraft shape and systems to the layout of the factory floor. Boeing brought its two prototype T-Xs from the drawing board to the flightline in under 36 months, and, relying on anticipated cost avoidance, bid as much as $10 billion below what the Air Force thought the trainer fleet and its associated simulators and coursework would cost.

However, Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall said May 22 the digital approach being taken on the T-7A—as well as on Northrop Grumman’s B-21 bomber, and the Next Generation Air Dominance fighter—can’t be expected to radically reduce the time and cost of development, as real-world testing still has to confirm what digital models predict.

“The T-7 is a good example of that,” he said. Digital “doesn’t help you when you’re doing a design that’s different from anything you’ve ever done before. Having it digital doesn’t give you better knowledge of how it’s going to work. You end up having to do testing just as we always have.”

The GAO said the Air Force’s own last schedule risk assessment on the T-7A—conducted in January—didn’t adequately take into account the risk of “overlap between key program phases,” which “magnifies the cost and schedule impact of potential issues discovered during testing.”

Cascading delays, GAO said, increase reliances on the T-38 or fighter jets for training—both costly options. Delays also affect contractor decisions regarding manufacturing, which affects Air Force oversight.

While the Air Force hasn’t yet ordered any jets beyond the five test aircraft, Boeing began producing parts in March 2022 and plans to start building more aircraft in early 2024. But since it hasn’t signed a contract, the usual oversight of production isn’t taking place, the GAO said, noting in the absence of a contract, the Defense Contract Management Agency can’t exercise any oversight, either. There’s no way at this point for the Air Force to know that the parts being built for early production T-7As are of proper quality.

The Air Force “does not have a plan for determining under what conditions it would accept production work completed prior to contract delivery,” the GAO noted.

Boeing is also three years late in providing a complete “bill of materials,” necessary for the Air Force to begin planning its organic maintenance of the trainer, the GAO said. The service is also waiting on other sustainment data from Boeing.

The Air Force doesn’t expect the first production T-7A to be delivered until December 2025 at the earliest.

The T-7A program calls for 351 of the supersonic trainers to be built, along with 46 high-fidelity simulators. The Air Force’s new “Reforge” fighter pilot training overhaul may increase the number of T-7As the service could buy. The development contract calls for up to 475 aircraft.

Airman Dies in Kuwait in Non-Combat Incident

Airman Dies in Kuwait in Non-Combat Incident

An Airman died May 24 while deployed to Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, in support of Operation Inherent Resolve the Pentagon announced May 25. 

Maj. Stephen Khou, 36, died in a non-combat related incident, the Department of Defense said in a statement. The incident is under investigation. 

Khou, a native of Philadelphia, was assigned to the 32nd Weapons Squadron at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. The 57th Wing declined further comment on the incident. 

The 32nd Weapons Squadron, activated in 2018, instructs officers in the U.S. Air Force Weapons School on cyber warfare operations, providing “graduate-level training to officers in the planning and execution of offensive and defensive cyber warfare operations.” 

According to online records, Khou authored several research papers while at the Air Force Institute of Technology, where he was pursuing a master’s degree. He was a cyberspace operations expert, and his research papers focused primarily on systems security engineering. In 2020, he was named a Joint Forces Headquarters Department of Defense Information Network Defender of the Year for 2019. At the time, he was a captain stationed at Scott Air Force Base,

Khou is the second service member to die in a non-combat incident in Kuwait this week. U.S. Army Central announced May 25 that a soldier was killed in a vehicle accident at Udairi Range. 

The last previous death DOD announced in support of Operation Inherent Resolve was in December 2022, when Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Samuel D. Lecce died in a non-combat incident in Iraq.  

Everything You Need to Know About the Space Force’s Fitness Tracker PT Study

Everything You Need to Know About the Space Force’s Fitness Tracker PT Study

As the Space Force closes in on standards for its ground-breaking health and physical fitness program, USSF announced plans May 24 for an expansive study of thousands of volunteer Guardians to share data from wearable fitness trackers. 

Now through June 30, Guardians will be offered a wearable fitness tracker in exchange for agreeing to be part of the “Continuous Fitness Assessment.” Better still, participants will be exempted from taking the annual Air Force PT test for two years. 

Participants must wear the fitness trackers when they exercise, respond to questionnaires, and consent to share certain data with the Air Force Research Laboratory’s 711th Human Performance Wing, which is partnering to do the study. 

The Space Force aims to rethink conventional annual physical fitness tests that can make or break a career and replace it with a holistic approach to fitness that keeps health a focus year-round. 

Here’s the hard part: Figuring out how to make that work while juggling cybersecurity, privacy, and logistical concerns, said Vice Chief of Space Operations Gen. David D. Thompson in a podcast with Chief Master Sergeant of the Space Force Roger A. Towberman.

Now that some of those concerns have been addressed, Space Force leaders must determine what its standards should be.  

“The choice that a Guardian gets to make is essentially whether or not they want to be part of this groundbreaking study that gets the data and gets the analytics that we need to understand how well we want to hold ourselves accountable for our own health and wellness,” said Deputy Chief of Space Operations for Human Capital Katharine Kelley during the podcast. “And then also define long term what the right health and wellness standards need to be for the Space Force, which quite frankly, is one of the mandates that we have from DOD.” 

Towberman said that goal has never changed. “This is a study that allows us to inform those decisions,” he said. “This is not quite the same thing as ‘Hey, we’re starting our continuous fitness assessment now.’ This is a study that allows us to work all of these details out.” 

Who Can Join 

The Space Force wants at least 2,000 Guardians to participate in the study, Towberman said. As many as 6,000 will be allowed to volunteer. Guardians deployed overseas will not be allowed to participate due to security concerns. 

No one will be required to join the study. Kelley stressed in a memo that Guardian volunteering must do so “without influence, compulsion, or pressure from leadership at any level.” 

What Does It Include 

A Space Force spokeswoman told Air & Space Forces Magazine the data the study will look at in particular are: 

  • Cardiovascular intensity minutes, or amount of time with an elevated high heart rate in exercise 
  • One VO2max assessment per month 
  • One-minute maximum repetition pushup test per month 

Guardians will be expected to work out as part of the study. Thompson indicated during the podcast that three workouts per week of roughly 30-45 minutes would be more than sufficient. 

Completion of surveys will be crucial. “Once I’m in the study, there’s really some mandatory things,” Towberman said. “Once I’m in, I can’t not give you the feedback. I can’t not do the questionnaires. I can’t not work out.”

Failure to meet those expectations, which are easily checked on the devices, will end participation, Towberman said: “There are thresholds that will get me asked to depart.” 

Choice of Fitness Trackers 

Guardians will have a choice between two Garmin fitness trackers. 

“We picked the devices we’re offering Guardians for the duration of the research study from the National Security Agency approved personal electronic device list,” the USSF spokeswoman said. “They will be operable with our management systems, performed well in laboratory testing, and provide for protection of study participants’ privacy and data rights.” 

During the podcast, leaders said the decision was made to standardize the data being collected. Towberman indicated that Guardians who already own one of the two models will be allowed to use them. 

Data Security  

Dr. James Christensen, 711th Human Performance Wing product line lead, said during the podcast that Guardians will be able to see all the data the study is collecting, and none of the data will be shared with commanders or senior enlisted leaders. 

“Even while it’s a voluntary study, we’re still exercising a very high degree of care with regards to the members’ cybersecurity, ensuring their privacy and ensuring that their data doesn’t end up getting used in ways that we don’t intend and the member wouldn’t want,” Christensen said. 

While Guardians may wear their fitness devices throughout the day, only data from exercise events will be recorded. Service members will be instructed on how to disable the device’s GPS functions. 

Health Concerns 

Guardians will be able to voluntarily withdraw from the study, Christensen said, and researchers will be on the look out for indicators of Guardians who may be struggling. 

“There are some triggers there for us to recommend that perhaps you shouldn’t proceed in the study, given that it looks like it’s not helping you and we want to make sure we’re taking good care of you,” Christensen said. 

Resilience

The Space Force will also field new Guardian Resilience Teams at every Space Force Base, plus the Military District of Washington, D.C., Joint Base San Antonio, and a virtual team to aid geographically separated units and remote Guardians. 

Those teams will include a holistic health integrator, certified strength and conditioning specialist, licensed mental health provider, and physical therapist, mostly civilians. Kelley said the service is hiring for those positions right now and hopes to complete the process by early 2024. According to a USSF release, the teams could add uniformed mental health specialists and religious support team Airmen in the future. 

Or Take the Test Instead

Guardians opting out of the study must complete the Air Force’s standard PT test between July 1 and Sept. 30. If located at a site deemed in eligible for the study, PT tests will be required three months after the location is deemed ineligible. 

Those opting into the study, then later disenrolled, will be required to complete a PT test within three months after the date of disenrollment. 

5,000 Selected for Master Sergeant, But Promotion Rate Remains Low

5,000 Selected for Master Sergeant, But Promotion Rate Remains Low

Promotions for new master sergeants remained under 20 percent for the third year in a row, as retention held strong and increases in end strength leveled off, the Air Force announced May 25 before the finalized list is released May 31.

Some 4,998 technical sergeants were selected for promotion, out of a total pool 28,831 eligible Airmen. The 17.34 percent promotion rate was the third lowest since 2010, but up 2.5 percentage points from last year, the lowest in at least 14 years.

The full list be published May 31 at 8 a.m. Central time on the Air Force Personnel Center Public Affairs home page. 

Retention, which spiked amid the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic, has returned to pre-pandemic levels, but with a reduction in overall authorized end strength and an ongoing enlisted grade structure revision that won’t be done until fiscal 2025, there are fewer overall slots.

The restructuring of the enlisted force was driven by concerns about a lack of required experience among some newly promoted Airmen—the result of a force structure model that had become out of balance between lower, middle, and higher grades, according to Col. James Barger, Air Force Manpower Analysis Agency commander. The Air Force’s response has been to slow down promotion allocations for grades E-5 through E-7—all of which saw their lowest promotion rates in years in 2022. 

For example, of 45,991 eligible Senior Airmen, just 9,706 were selected in 2022—a 21.1 percent promotion rate, the lowest in nearly a quarter of a century. Out of 33,935 eligible staff sergeants, only 5,430 became tech sergeants, the fewest in at least a decade.  

In 2013 and 2014, the Air Force saw a significant downturn in promotion rates due to drastic force reductions. Since then, the service has seen significant swings in promotion rates year to year based on retention and end strength.

Air Force E-7 Promotion Rates Over the Years

YearEligiblePromotedPercent Rate
202328,8314,99817.34
202227,2964,04014.80
202124,7214,67618.92
202022,2864,64920.86
201919,4224,73324.37
201820,8666,17629.60
201720,1695,16625.61
201621,5045,01923.34
201523,6195,30122.44
201422,6784,07317.96
201337,6085,65415.03
201219,8095,46427.58
201119,5386,61833.87
201021,8295,42424.85