SECDEF Directs Pentagon to Champion LGBTQI+ Rights

March 16, 2021 | By Jennifer-Leigh Oprihory

Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III on March 12 directed the Defense Department to “take steps to rescind any directives, orders, regulations, policies, or guidance” that doesn’t line up with President Joe Biden’s Feb. 4 memorandum that charged multiple U.S. government organizations with championing and safeguarding the human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex (LGBTQI+) individuals by April 15.

In the same memo, Austin charged all parts of the Pentagon to analyze and report back on how the military is implementing Biden’s memo, and to recommend more ways they can help advance the population’s human rights.

“In accordance with the Presidential Memorandum, it is the policy of the DOD to pursue an end to violence and discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or sex characteristics, and DOD will lead by example in the cause of advancing the human rights of LGBTQI+ persons around the world,” Austin wrote.

Austin said the Defense Department will achieve this by:

Enhancing current initiatives to push back against foreign governments’ efforts to make being LGBTQI+ a crime
Initiating or supporting initiatives to tackle “discrimination, homophobia, transphobia, and intolerance on the basis of LGBTQI+ status or conduct”
Widening current efforts to make sure the department regularly engages “with governments, citizens, civil society, and the private sector” to advocate for the LGBTQI+ population’s human rights and tackle discrimination
Taking the potential impacts of DOD-funded programs on the human rights of all people (including the LGBTQI+ community) into account when deciding what to spend Pentagon funds on

F-22 Experiences In-Flight Emergency, Ground Mishap at Eglin

March 15, 2021 | By Brian W. Everstine

An F-22 assigned to the 325th Fighter Wing experienced an in-flight emergency and a subsequent mishap upon landing March 15 at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla.

The pilot was transported to the base’s flight medicine clinic for an evaluation immediately after landing, Eglin said in a statement.

The F-22 landed safely around 3:30 p.m., and there were no details available on the aircraft’s condition. Fire crews responded immediately.

The incident is under investigation, according to Eglin.

It is the second F-22 mishap involving the wing in less than a year. On May 15, 2020, an F-22 from the wing’s 43rd Fighter Squadron crashed north of the base. The pilot in that incident ejected safely. The Air Force has not released its findings into the crash.

After a hurricane struck nearby Tyndall Air Force Base in 2018, the Air Force moved most of the F-22s that had been based there to other bases, including Eglin.

‘Accelerated Path to Wings’ Graduates First Class of Pilots

March 15, 2021 | By Jennifer-Leigh Oprihory

Air Education and Training Command’s “Accelerated Path to Wings” program graduated its first-ever class of undergraduate pilots at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas, on March 12.

The program, also dubbed XPW, produces pilots in approximately seven months—five months shorter than typical undergraduate pilot training—and lets student pilots stick to a single aircraft, according to an AETC release.

Instead of learning how to fly both the T-6A Texan II and the T-1 Jayhawk like traditional undergraduate pilot training requires, XPW students start with classroom training, then proceed to the 12th Training Squadron’s simulator branch, the release said.

There, students practice flying the Jayhawk until they become “proficient in all the required training that will be carried into the aircraft,” Jack Burns, T-1 Academics & Simulation Branch supervisor, explained in a March 3 video about the program.

“Once they get through a certain level of simulator training, they are now opted to go fly in the T-1 with the 99th [Flying Training Squadron],” he says in the video.

Video: Benjamin Faske/12th Flying Training Wing

XPW looks to target “civilian-rated USAF officers or cadets who want to become Air Force pilots,” Air Force Magazine reported last September.

“We had students from various backgrounds, including five who had completed their initial flight training and two who had earned their private pilot’s license,” 99th Flying Training Squadron Commander Lt. Col. Eric Peterson said in the release. “This is a great program for students who want to go fly heavy aircraft in Air Mobility Command, or who want to go fly certain aircraft in special operations or in Air Combat Command.”

New Ribbon Recognizes Guard Troops Who Supported Biden Inauguration

March 15, 2021 | By Jennifer-Leigh Oprihory

The D.C. National Guard Presidential Inauguration Support Ribbon, a new award created by the head of the District of Columbia National Guard and approved by the Army last year, recognizes National Guard troops from the District and any U.S. state or territory who supported President Joe Biden’s inauguration on Title 32 orders, DCNG wrote in a March 15 release.

Troops may wear the ribbon on their dress uniforms after state- and federal-level awards when they’re “not on federal Title 10 orders,” the release explained.

“The ribbon is to recognize the sacrifice of Guardsmen who leave their businesses, their families, their educations to come here and ensure the peaceful transition of presidential power,” said DCNG Commanding General Army Maj. Gen. William J. Walker in the release. “They’re part of a security apparatus in support of the U.S. Secret Service. For many, it’s a once-in-a-career opportunity, and I think this ribbon is befitting of their time, energy and effort to support democracy.”

Many states who sent troops to the National Capital Region following the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection have long-standing histories of supporting inauguration security in D.C.

As of press time, though, Guard personnel who supported the 2021 inauguration were the only ones cleared to receive the award, the release stated.

However, in the release, Walker hinted at potential regulation changes that would greenlight Guard troops who supported past inaugurations to get it, too.

“We believe that it is fitting to award those Guardsmen,” Walker said in the release. “Any Guardsmen alive should be given this award in recognition of their service during the inaugural periods established by the Presidential Inaugural Committee. And it’s something they should look back on fondly for their participation in history.”

If such retroactive recognition is approved, Guard troops who’ve supported more than one inauguration will be able to indicate this service via “numeral devices,” it added.

The ribbon’s design incorporates both national and local symbolism, with its patriotically hued vertical bands representing the American flag, and its red stars against a white backdrop representing the D.C. flag, the release explained. The Army Institute of Heraldry gave the ribbon the official go-ahead late last year, it added.

The award also pays homage to the Guard’s legacy of securing presidential inaugurations dating back to the swearing-in of America’s first President, the release stated.

“The National Guard has been involved with the inauguration of [the U.S.] President since George Washington, when militia groups escorted him to New York for his first inauguration,” said DCNG Senior Enlisted Leader Army Command Sgt. Maj. Michael F. Brooks in the release. “The D.C. National Guard’s specific history with the inauguration starts in 1861, with the inauguration of President Lincoln, where there were credible threats to the [President-elect], so the D.C. National Guard escorted him to the Capitol. And the reason why that’s important is our primary role is not ceremonial, it is to provide security, and it has been since 1861.”

Military.com broke news of the award on March 5.

“In recognition of their service as part of the security mission at the U.S. Capitol and other facilities in Washington, D.C., before, during and after the 59th Presidential Inauguration, the District of Columbia National Guard plans to present all Soldiers and Airmen who took part in the mission one or both of the following decorations: the District of Columbia National Guard Presidential Inauguration Support Ribbon and/or the District of Columbia Emergency Service Ribbon,” Air Force Lt. Col. Robert Carver, spokesman for the Virginia Air National Guard and director of Joint Task Force-DC Joint Information Center, said in a statement provided to Military.com. “Both ribbons are District-level decorations. Plans for their presentation are not yet final. Other federal decorations are also being considered.”

And while civilian Guard personnel who backed up this year’s festivities can’t wear military ribbons, they may receive the same recognition in the form of a certificate, the release noted.

Lawmakers, NGAUS Call for End to Guard Mission at US Capitol

March 15, 2021 | By Brian W. Everstine

Bipartisan lawmakers and the main advocacy group for the National Guard are calling on the Defense Department to end the mission protecting the U.S. Capitol, as about 2,300 Guard personnel remain on duty.

Three days before the mission was slated to end on March 12, Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III extended the mission through May 23 at the request of U.S. Capitol Police. The Guard personnel will “fill some of the gaps” in protecting the Capitol complex, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said.

The decision to extend the mission reportedly came against the advice of National Guard Bureau Chief Army Gen. Daniel R. Hokanson, who in a memo wrote that the Guard could not secure enough volunteers to fill the needs.

“I am concerned that the continued indefinite nature of this requirement may also impede our ability to man future missions as both adjutants general and Guardsmen alike may be skeptical about committing to future endeavors,” Hokanson wrote, according to Fox News.

The National Guard Association of the United States, in a March 12 statement, echoed Hokanson’s concerns, saying the inability to find enough volunteers is a “reflection of the continuing demands of training and missions back in the states on a predominantly part-time force that must always balance military duties with civilian employers and families.”

Guard personnel need to leave Washington, D.C., and go home to their families, employers, and regular obligations. “They have completed their mission,” NGAUS wrote. “They have made us all proud.”

In a March 11 statement, House Armed Services Committee Chairman Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.) and Ranking Member Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Ala.) wrote that they have been “deeply troubled” by the security around the Capitol more than two months after the Jan. 6 insurrection. The current posture is not needed, though some Guard personnel could still provide support if there are credible threats.

“We cannot ignore the financial costs associated with this prolonged deployment, nor can we turn a blind eye to the effects it will soon have on the National Guard’s overall readiness,” the lawmakers wrote. “We appreciate our Guardsmen answering the call to protect the Capitol, but it’s time for us to review what level of security is required, so they can return home to their families and communities.”

The Senate Sergeant at Arms on March 15 announced that some of the security posture at the Capitol complex would change, with temporary fencing beginning to come down because of the lack of a credible threat, according to USA Today.

Pilots Could Be Eligible for Up to $420K to Stay in Service

March 15, 2021 | By Brian W. Everstine

The Air Force is offering bonuses of up to $420,000 to pilots who commit to staying in uniform for up to 12 years.

The service wants to keep pilots in its cockpits longer as it continues to grapple with an ongoing pilot shortage and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Here’s a breakdown of what’s being offered and who is eligible:

Bomber, fighter, mobility, special operations, and combat search and rescue fixed wing pilots: Annual payments of $25,000 for contract lengths of 5 to 7 years, or $35,000 for contracts of 8 to 12 years. These pilots could also opt for up-front payments of $100,000 for 5-7 year contracts, and $200,000 for 8-12 years.
Combat search and rescue rotary wing pilots: Annual payments of $15,000 for 5-7 year contracts, or $25,000 for 8-12 year contracts.
Remotely piloted aircraft pilots: Annual payments of $25,000 for 5-7 year contracts, or $35,000 for 8-12 year contracts. RPA pilots could also choose an up-front payment of $100,000 for 8-12 year contracts.
Combat systems officers: Annual payments of $15,000 for 5-7 year contracts, or $25,000 for 8-12 years.
Air battle managers: Annual payments of $15,000 for 5-7 year contracts, or $25,000 for 8-12 year contracts.

Bomber, fighter, CSAR, mobility, RPA, and special operations pilots whose contracts have expired or who previously signed an aviation bonus contract that expired before this fiscal year are eligible for annual payments of $15,000 for 5-7 year contracts, or $25,000 for 8-12 year contracts, according to a USAF statement provided to Air Force Magazine.

For those whose who are non-contracted or whose contract expired, there is a five-year minimum and 24 years of aviation service maximum, according to the Air Force. Previous bonus offers had allowed for three-year minimums.

‘Fly Like a Girl’: The Story Behind a Morale Patch That Honors Female Aviators

March 14, 2021 | By Jennifer-Leigh Oprihory

Air Force Capt. Melaine Valentin, a T-38C instructor pilot from Laughlin Air Force Base, Texas, leveraged her lifelong passion for visual art when asked to design a morale patch for Air Education and Training Command’s 2019 Women’s Fly-In. Since the event, the patch’s popularity has grown so much that the company she worked with to get it manufactured now sells it on its website.

The patch, which depicts a female aviator in a helmet and mask along with the slogan “Fly Like a Girl,” was a great complement to the event’s focus on uniting USAF aviators from a variety of Air Force Specialty Codes to network with one another, assist the service with fitting gear to female proportions, and serving as aviation ambassadors to the next generation of would-be women aviators.

“Everyone’s always heard … the phrase, you ‘throw like a girl’ or like that kind of off-the-cuff response, and I thought it would be cool to kind of take that back,” she recalled of the patch’s origin story during a March 11 interview with Air Force Magazine. “And yeah, I fly like a girl—I’m awesome. …. so kind of just a fun patch that kind of conveyed … ‘I am a female aviator, and I love it,’ and kind of being proud of that whole idea.”

The Huntington Beach, Calif., native first reached out to the company Bomber Patches in order to get the patches made for the event, but the company subsequently started selling the patch on its website. As of press time, the patch was sold out.

According to Valentin, representation is the biggest hurdle women aviators face, so “having this tangible representation” of their ability to get behind the controls of an aircraft can also give women who never thought about a flying career as a possibility permission to envision such a future.

“This is an example,” she said. “This is a dream that you can have.”

Valentin said Airmen who feel inspired to design a morale patch or challenge coin should be proactive about it and have “the initiative to have a vision and kind of go out and just make the change you want to see in the world.”

“But then on top of that, the avenues that I’ve used, there’s a couple patches of companies out there that you can contact and kind of help you on that journey, and all of ‘em are great,” she added. “They’ll be really helpful to take your vision and transition it to an actual tangible, physical piece of patch or coin or something so that you can kind of start on that journey.”

And the first steps need not be sophisticated, she said.

Her initial designs were drawings on paper, but she’s since begun drafting designs on “an iPad, so it’s a little bit easier of a digital medium to pass” the renderings onto would-be manufacturers.

Capt. Melaine Valentin is shown wearing the patch she designed. **Photo: Laughlin Air Force Base on Facebook**

And while the 2016 U.S. Air Force Academy graduate majored in history, she said art has been a mainstay for her since childhood.

“I wanted to be an artist ever since I could hold a pencil, my mom said,” she told the magazine. “I have constantly been drawing and sketching, and when … in class, I was doodling, so that kind of has been a constant pillar in my life. It’s my love, my art, or my hobby—I do it all the time.”

As she got older, she just set out to find ways to balance that passion with her education and career, she said.

Valentin encouraged fellow artists who might have military aspirations, but also doubts about how those passions might fit together, to go for it.

“The Air Force needs people who think, like every different way possible, right?” she said. “… A more diverse force makes us a much more lethal force, so we need people who are more artistic than others, and we need people who are more analytical, and we need people who see the world in different ways. And so the Air Force needs every single one of those people.”

You can follow Valentin’s artistic endeavors on her artist website or on Instagram at @planeoldart.

Yokota Airmen, Japanese Soldiers Conduct Large-Scale Airborne Operation

March 12, 2021 | By Amy Hudson

A dozen C-130Js from the 374th Airlift Wing at Yokota Air Base, Japan, supported more than 500 Japan Ground Self-Defense Force members in the “largest static-line personnel jump and cargo drop” between the two countries, according to a USAF release.

“This was not an overnight effort. To generate more than 80 percent of Yokota’s C-130J fleet required months of extensively planned logistics for the aircraft to be available, as well as planning and orchestration of the aircraft parking plan, and proper resourcing of aircraft configurations in order to make the mission happen,” said Maj. David Perkins, 374th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron operations officer, in a March 12 release.

During exercise Airborne 21, the JGSDF soldiers from the 1st Airborne Brigade jumped from the Super Hercs over the Combined Arms Training Center Camp Fuji, Japan, drop zone. USAF Airmen then dropped 134 container delivery system bundles for the Japanese troops to use on the ground.

Although the main goal of the operation was to demonstrate the JGSDF’s airborne insertion capability, the exercise also provided an opportunity to better the U.S. and Japan’s military-to-military relationship.

“This was an airlift that I’ve never seen in real life before,” said Capt. Christopher Espinosa, 36^th Airlift Squadron pilot and Airborne 21 mission commander. “I’ve definitely studied it, planned and trained for it, but to actually execute at that magnitude was an incredible opportunity…”

Yokota transitioned from the C-130H to the J-models in 2018. The new fleet has increased range, payload, and speed compared to the legacy aircraft, bolstering USAF’s flexibility in the Indo-Pacific theater.

B-1 Touches Down in Poland for the First Time

March 12, 2021 | By Brian W. Everstine

B-1s operating in Eastern Europe as part of a bomber task force continued their tour of the region, deploying to Poland for the first time March 12.

The B-1B from the 7th Bomb Wing at Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, touched down at Powidz, Poland—the first time a Lancer has landed in the country. While on the ground, the bomber conducted a “hot pit” refueling—filling up on fuel with engines running to return to flight rapidly, according to a U.S. Air Forces in Europe release.

“Proving the rapid refueling concept today in Poland alongside some of our closest allies speaks for itself,” said Gen. Jeffrey L. Harrigian, U.S. Air Forces in Europe-Air Forces Africa commander, in the release. “Our bombers can get after the mission anytime, anywhere.”

During the mission, the B-1 also received fuel from a USAF KC-135 from the 100th Air Refueling Wing at RAF Mildenhall, United Kingdom, and flew alongside Polish F-16s, Swedish JAS-39 Gripens, and Danish F-16s, according to the release.

The B-1s deployed to Norway last month for the first time in a bomber task force deployment aimed at integrating the bombers in new locations and training in the Arctic. USAFE Deputy Commander Lt. Gen. Steven L. Basham said March 5 that while bombers have gotten used to flying out of certain locations in Europe, the task force gives B-1s a chance to operate in new places.

“If we don’t expand our horizon and look for other opportunities to work with other allies, other partners, then we miss true training opportunities to continue to develop ourselves and, even more so I would say, to learn from others,” Basham said.

About four days before the Poland mission, a B-1 flew to another base in northern Norway for a “warm pit” refueling and trained with Norwegian and Swedish ground forces.