Why Are Airmen Training for Arctic Weather in Florida?

Why Are Airmen Training for Arctic Weather in Florida?

Sunny, humid Florida may not fit most people’s idea of an Arctic warfare training location, but a group of 23 Airmen from Hurlburt Field, Fla. proved otherwise during a recent visit to the McKinley Climatic Laboratory at nearby Eglin Air Force Base.

The world’s largest environmental test complex, the McKinley lab gauges how stealth bombers, trucks, and other equipment fare under extreme weather conditions. The lab can heat up to 165 degrees Fahrenheit or cool down to -80 degrees. It can create high humidity, high altitude air pressure, solar radiation, salt spray, ice, wind, rain, freezing rain, and clouds of sand or dust. Hurlburt’s Mission Sustainment Team wanted cold weather and darkness so they could prepare for what conditions might be like in the Arctic.

“We are quantifying scientifically how much we can do with the equipment and the personnel that we have,” Master Sgt. Luis Velez, logistics material management superintendent for the 1st Special Operations Logistics Readiness Squadron, said in a press release about the visit. “This training is vital for preparing our Airmen for the challenges they may face.”

Lives may depend on their ability to work in the freezing cold. Special Operations Mission Sustainment Teams (SOMSTs) set up forward operating bases or contingency locations that allow Air Force special operations forces to operate in remote environments.

arctic
Medics from Hurlburt Field assigned to 1st Special Operations Support Squadron practiced prolonged casualty care in cold weather environments during a two-day training at the Mckinley Climatic Lab at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, Oct 19, 2023. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Hussein Enaya)

“As an example, a SOMST element of about 10 Airmen could deploy to a small airfield on an island and set up a contingency location enabling the aircraft and aircrew to launch and recover with no previously established lodging, food, or mission generation support,” 2nd Lt. Andre Jackman, 1st Special Operations Support Squadron Mission Sustainment Team commander, told Air & Space Forces Magazine.

“A SOMST of 54 Airmen could set up a forward operating base enabling mission generation, protection, and sustainment of about 400 Airmen flying aircraft out of a small airfield or an abandoned road,” he added.

As interest, tensions, and temperatures rise in the Arctic, Airmen may be called on to set up food, shelter, or other essentials in the far north. The Mission Sustainment Team wanted to test their gear and each other under the conditions found there.

“Equipment and personnel tend to operate differently in cold climates,” Jackman said. “This exercise allows us to adapt our equipment and learn how to navigate this environment effectively.”

arctic
Airmen from Hurlburt Field assigned to the Mission Sustainment Team participate in a two-day cold weather training at the Mckinley Climatic Lab at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, Oct 20, 2023 U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Hussein Enaya

The Airmen practiced stacking equipment on pallets, off-loading cargo from pallets, and rapidly setting up a contingency site with a generator and HVAC units. The temperature in the test chamber on Oct. 19 was 0 degrees Fahrenheit, then -10 degrees on Oct. 20. The only lighting was from whatever equipment the team brought with them, in an effort to simulate the dark of an Arctic winter.

The team learned that diesel-powered generators require different sustainment techniques in extreme cold; that tent fabric hardens, which can cause cracking and take up more space when re-packed; and that HVAC units could not provide enough heat without running additional units or insulating the tents. The Airmen also learned how the cold affected them personally.

“Even with cold weather personal protective gear, freezing temperatures require longer rest cycles/shorter work cycles,” Jackman wrote. 

arctic
Airmen from Hurlburt Field assigned to the Mission Sustainment Team participate in a two-day cold weather training at the Mckinley Climatic Lab at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, Oct 20, 2023 U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Hussein Enaya

Other Airmen have had a similar experience in the cold. Chief Master Sgt. Jeremiah Wickenhauser and Master Sgt. Cody Hallas, both members of the Minnesota Air National Guard’s 133rd Contingency Response Team, trained with international partners in negative 65-degree weather in northern Canada in February.

“The Arctic environment is constantly trying to kill you; every task is harder in the cold,” Hallas said afterwards. “Every task takes longer, and the risk of serious injury is always present. Moisture management and the inability to dry gear is a huge issue. Cold, wet gear is miserable to wear and work in and extremely dangerous in the Arctic.”

Since the Arctic is such a significant challenge, and since McKinley is so close to Hurlburt, Jackman hopes to make the visit an annual training event for the SOMST. The next iteration may even feature snow and ice. The climate just outside is a nice perk, too.

“Emerging from the cold darkness into 75-degree sunshine was a relief and a great way to end a two-day exercise,” he said. 

As Funding Deadline Looms, Air Force Warns of Major Impacts from Another Stopgap

As Funding Deadline Looms, Air Force Warns of Major Impacts from Another Stopgap

As Congress barrels toward another government funding deadline, the Department of the Air Force has prepared a sobering assessment of how a continuing resolution would hurt modernization and undermine readiness.

The government is only funded through Nov. 17, and Congress looks unlikely to pass a full budget. Instead, it is expected to pass a temporary extension, known as a continuing resolution (CR), which keeps the government open at the previous year’s funding levels.

“Any length of CR impacts DAF readiness, hinders acceleration of the Space Force, delays military construction (MILCON) projects, reduces aircraft availability, and curbs modernization in our race for technological superiority,” according to an unclassified Department of the Air Force document obtained by Air & Space Forces Magazine.

Most prominently, continuing resolutions do not allow so-called new-starts, which are programs not authorized under the prior year’s budget.

The prohibition against new starts would be a major obstacle as the Air Force has proposed an array of new initiatives in its fiscal year 2024 budget. They include new programs, such as Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCAs), as well as investments in infrastructure, communications, and base defense of around $1.2 billion in the Indo-Pacific under the umbrella of Agile Combat Employment. None of that could happen under a CR.

In a Nov. 13 event at the Center for a New American Security, Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall offered a stark appraisal of how continuing resolutions have stymied his modernization efforts.

“If we have a yearlong CR, I’m looking at the possibility that my entire tenure in office will be spent waiting for money from the Congress, that we’ll have identified in the first few months what we need to do, asked the Congress for that money and then spent the entire rest of the term waiting for that money to be appropriated,” he said.

Just how much harm is done to the Air Force’s effort to compete against China and other adversaries would depend on how long the continuing resolution is in effect—a yearlong CR is not guaranteed.

“We need more time,” Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas), chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said on CBS’s Face the Nation Nov. 12. “The CRs always hurt the military, always hurt our national security.”

But there are few other feasible options to avert a government shutdown next week, McCaul noted.

“We’re going have to. I mean, there’s no choice here,” he added. “We can’t sit back and do nothing.”

Kendall and other defense officials have warned that CRs stretching into 2024 would take an increasing toll on the service’s programs, an assessment echoed by the DAF document. 

A yearlong CR would mark an 8 percent cut to the DAF’s non-personnel budget, according to a November DAF assessment. The document lists some of the tangible impacts of a lengthy CR.

“These actions not only stifle modernization, but inalterably give ground to our adversaries by reducing DAF buying power,” it states. The DAF says that the total would be around $13 billion.

The first flight of the B-21 Raider bomber on Nov. 10 created a sensation among defense and national security observers. But under a CR, the Air Force would not be able to ramp up production of the aircraft. The document states that under a CR, B-21 procurement would be delayed as a contract award “is held to the previous year’s quantity and funding.”

A lengthy CR would also delay the Air Force’s efforts to expand production of the JASSM standoff cruise missile. The key long-range munition is currently at maximum production, according to defense officials, at 550 missiles per year. The Pentagon wants to finalize a multiyear contract to help expand production, but a yearlong CR would mean the Air Force “will not be able to provide the tooling, test equipment, and staffing necessary to begin increasing JASSM production capacity to the 810 missiles [a year] required of a high‐end fight,” according to the document. It would also mean that the service would not be able to buy an additional 518 Small Diameter Bombs.

A full year continuing resolution would also force the Air Force to cut its buy of F-35 Lighting IIs, the future backbone of the its manned fighter fleet, by five airframes—the service has hoped to purchase 48 F-35s in fiscal 2024, according to the document.

Overall, a yearlong CR would delay the purchase of 754 munitions and 10 aircraft, according to the DAF.

The Space Force would also be affected by a yearlong CR, losing out on $2.8 billion in planned growth—nearly one-tenth of the USSF’s budget. Such an outcome, the document says, would impede “the development of a family of survivable, long‐range, persistent sensors and kill chain automation tools necessary for warfighter capability,” such as data transport, missile tracking, and sensing.

The cuts would also impact programs “critical to the Joint Force in contested environments,” according to the document. The military would also be exposed to “massive risk” by delays of seven National Security Space Launch (NSSL) missions under a yearlong CR.

“We don’t have an innovation problem, we have a money problem,” Kendall said. “We know what we need to buy. We know where to buy it from. We need the money to buy it. That’s really where we are, right now. There is a very long list of things that I would love to buy for the Department of the Air Force that I can’t afford to fund.”

The government is already operating under a CR, which has become common practice. Since fiscal 2000, defense appropriations have only been passed on time on six occasions.

“We really would like to get that budget,” deputy secretary of defense Kathleen Hicks said at CNAS on Nov. 7. “The now-routine failure to secure needed resources for defense and for the whole government erodes military trust in civilian leaders. If you add up the months DOD has been under a CR since 2011, it totals four years worth of delays—delayed new programmings, delayed training, and delayed permanent change of station moves. We cannot afford any further delays. I can assure you that Russia and [China] are not going to slow down while we get our house in order.”

Editor’s Note: This story was updated Nov. 14 after the Department of the Air Force provided a revised estimate on the impact a yearlong CR would have on DAF’s non-personnel budget.

Frank Borman, Apollo 8 Commander and USAF Pilot, Dies at 95

Frank Borman, Apollo 8 Commander and USAF Pilot, Dies at 95

Frank Borman, Air Force fighter and test pilot, American astronaut who commanded Gemini 7 and Apollo 8, and later head of Eastern Air Lines, died Nov. 7 at 95.

The Apollo 8 mission, in December, 1968, was the first manned mission to fly the Saturn V rocket, and marked first time human beings traveled to and orbited the moon. The successful flight paved the way for the six moon landings by the U.S. that followed.

Borman learned to fly at 15, graduated West Point near the top of his class in 1950, and joined the Air Force, where he became an instructor and fighter pilot. He flew F-80s, T-33s and F-84s. After earning a master’s degree in aeronautical engineering at the California Institute of Technology in 1957, he taught thermal dynamics and fluid dynamics at West Point for three years. He then attended the Air Force’s test pilot school and was involved in testing a number of new aircraft, including the F-104 in a series of “zoom” to high-altitude test flights.

In 1962, Borman was picked for the second group of astronauts, and went into rotation for the Gemini and Apollo flights.

He was chosen to command his first space mission, Gemini 7, flown in 1965. The 14-day mission in the cramped capsule with fellow astronaut Jim Lovell proved that human beings could function in weightlessness for the duration needed in the upcoming Apollo flights. In addition, the craft rendezvoused with Gemini 6, validating procedures needed for future space rendezvous and docking activities.

The crew of Apollo 1—Gus Grissom, Edward White ,and Roger Chaffee—died in a capsule fire while performing a launchpad “plugs out” check of their spacecraft in January, 1967. Pressurization and the hatch’s design had made it impossible for the crew to escape. Borman was tapped to be the sole astronaut on the review board to determine the root causes of the fire.

He was also credited with persuading Congress to resume support for the Apollo program in testimony on the review’s findings. Borman expressed his confidence in the enterprise and its leadership and said the fire was due to a “failure of imagination” to anticipate every potential problem, and asked for Congress’ confidence that NASA would learn from the tragedy.

Borman was then chosen to work with North American Aviation to correct the deficiencies and defects in the Apollo spacecraft, and redesign the hatch so that future crews could escape quickly if necessary.

Picked to command Apollo 8, Borman accepted the challenge when the 1968 mission was changed. It was originally intended to be a deep-space test of the Apollo Command and service modules with the lunar module. But the Soviet Union had achieved a lunar circumnavigation with a “Zond” unmanned craft earlier in the year, and intelligence indicated Russia might try to declare victory in the moon race by sending two cosmonauts on a similar flight in a Soyuz craft before the end of the year.

Viewing the situation as virtually a military battle, Borman took on the retooled mission, which only allowed a few months of training.

Apollo 8, which made ten lunar orbits, came off with virtually no technical glitches. It confirmed the navigation techniques and computer software needed to go to the moon.

It was during the mission—flown by Borman, Lovell and William Anders—that the famous “Earthrise” photo was taken of the small and fragile-looking Earth emerging over the lunar horizon, providing inspiration for the environmental movement and the creation of a national “Earth Day” less than two years later. The flight was also memorable for the crew’s reading from the biblical book of Genesis during a live broadcast from the spacecraft on Christmas Eve.

Taken aboard Apollo 8 by Bill Anders, this iconic picture shows Earth peeking out from beyond the lunar surface as the first crewed spacecraft circumnavigated the Moon, with astronauts Anders, Frank Borman, and Jim Lovell aboard. NASA photo

A year of traumatic events, 1968 had seen the Tet offensive in Vietnam, the assassinations of Martin Luther King and Robert F. Kennedy, Russia’s invasion of Czechoslovakia, race riots in U.S. cities and unrest on college campuses. NASA received a telegram after the moon mission, addressed to Borman and the crew, expressing appreciation that “you saved 1968.”

Borman was NASA’s liaison with the White House for Apollo 11 in 1969, and he successfully coached President Richard Nixon to shorten his congratulatory message to the moon landing crew and a playing of the National Anthem, as it would consume precious extra minutes of the crew’s air.   

Though offered command of a moon landing mission, Borman declined, saying he had no interest in lunar exploration and that he had simply viewed the moon race as a necessary military contest with the Soviet Union that the U.S. had to win.

He told an interviewer in 1999 that “as far as I was concerned, when Apollo 11 was over, the mission was over,” and the science obtained on the five subsequent landings was “frosting on the cake.”

After leaving NASA, Borman undertook a mission for Nixon, visiting 25 countries in 25 days as a special presidential envoy, seeking help from countries to pressure North Vietnam to release American prisoners of war. Borman returned with good wishes but no practical results. He was invited to address a joint meeting of Congress to discuss the effort, in which he described the hardships of the captives, and urged lawmakers  “not to forsake your countrymen who have given so much for you.”

He retired from the Air Force in 1970 as a colonel.

Later that year, Borman joined Eastern Air Lines, becoming its senior vice president for operations. He rapidly rose through the executive ranks and became chief executive officer in 1975 and chairman of the board in 1976.

Borman’s hands-on approach was on display when Eastern Flight 401 crashed in the Florida Everglades in 1972. Borman took a helicopter to within 150 yards of the crash site, and, wading through deep water, helped locate survivors and get them to rescuers.

At first, Borman’s management turned the ailing airline’s fortunes around, slashing the ranks of middle management as well as corporate perks, and persuading workers to accept a pay freeze. By the late 1970s, Eastern was again profitable, and some workers received higher pay through a kind of profit sharing plan.

Borman then bought a fleet of more fuel-efficient aircraft to cope with rising gas prices, but soon after, airline deregulation—with some startups charging less than their costs to rapidly gain market share—combined with Eastern’s debt, clobbered the airline’s bottom line. Wage growth, already anemic, evaporated, and unions agreed to new contracts on the condition that Borman resign, which he did in 1986, although he stayed on the payroll as a consultant for a number of years. He served as CEO of Patlex Corp. a small technology company, from 1988.

After Eastern, Borman operated an auto dealership with his son, and then became a cattle rancher in Montana. In 1996, with co-writer Robert J. Serling, he published his autobiography, Countdown.

In retirement, he served on a number of corporate boards, including Home Depot and National Geographic.

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said Borman “knew the power exploration held in uniting humanity when he said, “Exploration is really the essence of the human spirit.’ His service to NASA and our nation will undoubtedly fuel the Artemis Generation to reach new cosmic shores.”

Borman’s lengthy list of awards included the Harmon Trophy—twice, for Gemini 7 and Apollo 8—and the Collier Trophy for the Apollo 8 mission, along with Lovell and Anders; the U.S. Air Force Space Trophy; the Robert H. Goddard Memorial Trophy; the Congressional Space Medal of Honor and the Society of Experimental Test Pilots James H. Doolittle Award, as well as honorary doctorates from eight institutes of higher learning, including Air University.

The crew of Apollo 8: James Lovell, William Anders, and Frank Borman. NASA photo
New B-21 Bomber Takes First Flight

New B-21 Bomber Takes First Flight

The first B-21 Raider bomber took off from Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale, Calif., just after dawn on Nov. 10, in a flight that concluded at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif, after 90 minutes, according to local observers.

“The B-21 safely landed,” said Air Force spokeswoman Ann Stefanek. “This was a test flight.”

The aircraft was filmed from outside Plant 42, heading eastbound with an F-16 chase plane after climbing to about 500 feet. The landing gear had yet to be retracted in video and photos that appeared on social media.

The aircraft appeared to be trailing a lengthy cable from the upper surface of the tail on the port side, near the exhausts.

An Air Force spokesperson confirmed reports by individuals watching from outside the gates that the aircraft took off at approximately 7 a.m. local time and landed at Edwards at approximately 8:30 a.m. local time.

The event fulfills the prediction by manufacturer Northrop Grumman and the Air Force that the new stealth bomber would fly before the end of 2023, and clears the way for the Air Force to issue a low-rate initial production contract for the bomber.

The duration of the flight suggests that the flight could have been more than a ferry hop to Edwards and that a test card may have been conducted, which can evaluate flying qualities. Flight tracking websites indicated the aircraft was flying a roundabout pattern between Palmdale and Edwards.

The service did not immediately release imagery, and the flight was not announced beforehand, which is consistent with the Air Force’s statements that the bomber would fly when it was ready to and not according to a calendar schedule.

“As confirmed by the U.S. Air Force, the B-21 Raider is in flight test,” Northrop Grumman spokesperson said. “The robust flight test campaign is being executed by a Combined Test Force comprised of Northrop Grumman and Air Force personnel that will validate our digital models and moves us another step closer to reaching operational capability.”

Flight testing “is a critical first step in the test campaign managed by the Air Force Test Center and 412th Test Wing’s B-21 Combined Test Force to provide survivable, long-range penetrating strike capabilities to deter aggression and strategic attacks against the United States, allies, and partners,” Stefanek added.

The first operational B-21s will be based at Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D., while maintenance will be managed at Tinker Air Force Base, Okla.

Six test aircraft are being produced now. The test aircraft are being built on the same production line, using the tools, processes, and technicians that will be used for production aircraft.

The Air Force has previously said that B-21 test aircraft will be “usable assets” as soon as they are airworthy, and that the test aircraft will be converted to operational configuration after developmental and operational testing is complete.

The contract for the B-21, originally called the Long-Range Strike Bomber, was awarded in 2015, and the aircraft is expected to cost around $700 million each in current dollars.

The B-21 was officially named the “Raider” in 2016, to honor the Doolittle Raiders of World War II that carried out the first airstrikes against Japan.

Northrop Grumman president and chief executive officer Kathy Warden has acknowledged that, due to the fixed-price nature of the program, inflation, and labor costs in recent years, the company will earn “zero” profit on the initial production contract. However, the company has said it expects to receive a $60 million adjustment from the Air Force to mitigate those additional expenses.

US Conducts More Airstrikes in Syria as Attacks on American Troops Continue

US Conducts More Airstrikes in Syria as Attacks on American Troops Continue

Editor’s Note: This article was updated Nov. 12 after additional U.S. airstrikes in Syria.

The U.S. conducted airstrikes in eastern Syria on Nov. 12, its third bombing raid against Iranian-linked targets in less than three weeks.

Iranian-backed militias have continued to attack American forces despite airstrikes the U.S. previously carried out on Nov. 8 and Oct. 26 in eastern Syria.

The latest airstrike represents yet another Pentagon attempt to reestablish deterrence against militias in Syria and Iran who seemed determined to continue their rocket and drone attacks against U.S. forces in those countries.

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III said in a statement that “precision strikes” were carried out against a training facility in Abu Kamal and safe house in Mayadin used by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Iranian-backed militias.

Austin’s statement did not discuss the significance of the targets that were struck, what damage was caused, and whether there were any casualties.

“The President has no higher priority than the safety of U.S. personnel, and he directed today’s action to make clear that the United States will defend itself, its personnel, and its interests,” Austin said.

As of the morning of Nov. 10, at least five militia rockets and drone attacks were directed against American forces in Iraq and Syria following the previous U.S. retaliatory airstrike on Nov. 8 against a warehouse linked to the IRGC.

The rocket attacks occurred at Mission Support Site Green Village, Syria, at 6:25 pm and 10:11 pm Eastern Time on Nov. 8. A one-way drone attack took place at Mission Support Site Euphrates, Syria, at 10:33 pm Eastern Time on Nov. 8. Al Asad Air Base, Iraq was also attacked with a drone at 8:45 am Eastern Time on Nov. 9, according to a U.S. military official. A one-way drone was shot down on the morning of Nov. 10 before it reached its target at Al Tanf Garrison, Syria, a military official said.

Three U.S. service members were injured in the 10:11 pm attack when multiple rockets hit the Green Village outpost in eastern Syria, though they have since returned to duty, a military official said.

The Nov. 8 U.S. airstrike, which was carried out by two F-15Es, was intended to send a message to Tehran that it should instruct the militias it supports to cease their attacks 

A declassified video from a U.S. drone that was released Nov. 9 shows the target was a weapons storage facility at Maysulun, Syria. 

Multiple secondary explosions occurred as debris was thrown high into the air amid large plumes of smoke. 

“If the attacks against our forces don’t decrease or stop, we will take additional measures,” Austin said Nov. 9. “We’re going to do everything we can to protect our troops, and we are absolutely serious about that.”

Few experts, however, expect the militia attacks to stop. There have been nearly 50 attacks since Oct. 17, according to the Pentagon, which have resulted in 56 injuries to U.S. troops. The U.S. has confirmed a total of 47 attacks.

Many of the injuries were diagnosed as traumatic brain injuries (TBI), and the number of troops suffering from that condition has grown as troops continued to report symptoms days after the attack. All the personnel have since returned to duty, including two service members who were sent to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, Germany, for further evaluation.

“Thankfully, none of our troops have been injured seriously,” Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh told reporters Nov. 9.

The Pentagon said there were no Iranian or militia casualties in the Nov. 8 strike or in earlier ones that were carried out on Oct. 26. The Pentagon did not say whether the Nov. 12 strike caused any casualties.

The Iranian-backed militias, in contrast, have been attempting to cause American casualties by attacking bases when U.S. troops are known to be present, U.S. military officials say. 

“We are minimizing what these groups are able to use, the capabilities that they are able to use,” Singh said. “We believe and we feel that these are proportionate responses.”

Attacks against the U.S. widened beyond Iraq and Syria when Houthis in Yemen shot down an Air Force MQ-9 over the Red Sea, also on Nov. 9. The Houthis have been developing air defense systems that can target some slow, lower systems such as drones for “quite a while,” said Michael Knights of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.

The rebel group has attempted to recover parts of the drone, Singh said.

“It is unlikely that they will be able to retrieve anything of significance,” she said. “We are not, right now, looking to recover anything, either.”

Posted in Air
Multi-Capable Training Course Builds New Skills for Beale Airmen

Multi-Capable Training Course Builds New Skills for Beale Airmen

A new course at Beale Air Force Base, Calif., prepares Airmen to be the Multi-Capable Airmen needed by a more flexible, expeditionary Air Force.

The Multi-Capable Airmen (MCA) Tier-1 certification course, held for the first time Oct. 16 to 27, trained 24 students in the legal, maintenance, and other career fields to handle expeditionary skills ranging from base defense, to forklift operation, cargo handling, aircraft refueling, and tactical combat casualty care.

The MCA concept is crucial to the Air Force’s Agile Combat Employment strategy, which envisions Airmen operating in small units from small, distributed airfields and changing locations frequently to make it harder for adversaries to target them with long-range weapons. The strategy is a shift away from the large, sprawling air bases that have been the traditional model for decades. Emphasizing a light footprint, ACE can work only if Airmen are ready to be jacks-of-all-trades.

“Not only does this training help prepare our Airmen for successfully supporting the day-to-day mission downrange, but it also helps support the future of Agile Combat Employment operations at forward operating sites and contingency locations,” Maj. Matthew Mays, 9th Reconnaissance Wing A4 (Logistics, Engineering and Force Protection) director, said in a press release about the training. 

“It is part of an Air Force initiative to move away from large-scale force packages and prepare units to operate as leaner, more agile forces within a permissive environment,” he added.

multi-capable airman
An Airman from the 9th Reconnaissance Wing conducts Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC) to a simulated injured Airman during the Multi-Capable Airmen Tier-1 course Oct. 27, at Beale Air Force Base, Calif. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Juliana Londono)

As a prerequisite before joining the course, students had to complete Ready Airman Training, which included firearms training and how to operated in a chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosives environment.

The MCA course built on that, putting Airmen through the basics of operating and defending a small airfield, including ground defense, setting up tents and control points, treating casualties, and assaulting a target area or facility.

“The course did have a heavy focus on base defense skills and will continue to do so,” Mays told Air & Space Forces Magazine. “However, the class also had a number of days for cargo handling and refueling, and the plan in the future will be to increase this type of training.”

Cargo handling was where Staff Sgt. Clayton Johnson, 9th Logistics Readiness Squadron fuels mobile distribution supervisor, came in to teach the students how to operate an all-terrain forklift that can pick up 10,000 pounds.

“This portion is important because when we go down range, if we have to drive a forklift and do not have a certified forklift operator, we can still move cargo that comes in and out of aircraft,” Johnson said in the release.

Under MCA, Airmen who don’t normally work with aircraft may have to help generate sorties, so the course taught students how to work safely on an active airfield.

“This included safe-for-maintenance (actions required to ensure the aircraft is safe enough for maintenance personnel to begin working on the aircraft), hazard areas such as moving surfaces and the engine intake, and safely working around aircraft support equipment,” Mays explained.

multi-capable airman
Airmen from the 9th Reconnaissance Wing fire M4s on the range during the Multi-Capable Airmen Tier-1 course Oct. 27, 2023, at Beale Air Force Base, Calif. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Juliana Londono)

The course ended with an all-day field training exercise, after which students received their official MCA certification, a feature which distinguishes Beale’s training from similar courses at other bases. But MCA skills are perishable, so certified Airmen must take part in at least one certifying event, such as a large-scale readiness exercise, every two years.

Those large-scale readiness exercises, and MCA training in general, will be worked into the new Air Force Force Generation (AFFORGEN) system, which aims to cycle units through four six-month phases of preparedness—reset, prepare, certify, and available to commit—over continuous two-year cycles.

“Certifying events are an evolving requirement of the AFFORGEN model,” Mays explained. “They are intended to exercise training received during the “prepare” phase and determine a unit’s ability to succeed during a deployment. While complete definitions of a certifying event are not yet finalized, these events fall under large-scale readiness exercises that test units’ ability to survive and operate in a deployed environment.”

The 9th Reconnaissance Wing aims to hold the MCA course quarterly, with the goal to train up to 60 students. Airmen in the “prepare” or “certify” phase have priority, since they are closer to the deployment window.

The first to complete the course enjoyed the experience:  Mays reported a 4 out of 5 average overall score on course feedback forms, with some students requesting another week of training.

“Being a Multi-Capable Airman is about generating airpower,” said Chief Master Sgt. Breanna Oliver, 9th Reconnaissance Wing command chief, in the release. “We can all contribute to that no matter what our function is.”

T-7A Red Hawk Trainer Arrives at Edwards to Begin Next Phase of Flight Tests

T-7A Red Hawk Trainer Arrives at Edwards to Begin Next Phase of Flight Tests

The first T-7A Red Hawk landed at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. on Nov. 8, marking the start of the developmental flight test campaign for the two-seat jet, which is meant to replace the aging T-38 as a trainer for fighter and bomber pilots. 

Designated APT 2, the Boeing-made jet was the first production representative T-7 to be built, and the same aircraft that Maj. Bryce Turner flew on June 28, in the first official test flight by an Air Force pilot. A joint Boeing and Air Force crew flew the jet from the Boeing facilities at St. Louis, Mo. to Vance Air Force Base, Okla., Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M., and Luke Air Force Base, Ariz., before finally arriving at Edwards.

“This arrival marks an exciting transition into the next phase of developmental flight” Maj. Jonathan Aronoff, T-7A test pilot, said in an Air Force press release. “The T-7A gives immense capability updates that will allow the Air Force to train the next generation of combat aviators. Success of first delivery is truly a testament to the joint USAF-industry team we have in place.”

t-7a red hawk
The first T-7A Red Hawk, piloted by USAF test pilot Maj. Jonathan “Gremlin” Aronoff and Boeing test pilot Steve “Bull” Schmidt, soars over Edwards Air Force Base, California, Nov. 8, prior to arrival. Air Force photo by Bryce Bennett

The goal of developmental flight testing is to evaluate changes made earlier in the development process and determine how and whether to refine the aircraft further. Boeing and Air Force officials told reporters in September that another T-7 designated APT 1 will join APT 2 at Edwards while APT 3 will undergo weather testing at the McKinley Climatic Laboratory at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., before being used as a mission systems testing platform. APT 4 and 5 are due later this year.

According to the press release, test pilots have been rehearsing missions in a simulator and will now start flying up to three times a day as they try expanding APT-2’s flight envelope—the maximum altitude and airspeed in certain conditions—before testing mission systems. 

The Air Force needs the T-7 to replace the 1960s-era T-38 fleet, which is becoming increasingly difficult to keep airborne. The Red Hawk is designed to be easier to maintain. Its information management and modular systems architecture are meant to help student pilots better prepare for modern aerial combat. However, the jet, which was originally due to reach initial operational capacity in 2024, has been marred by delays, including problems with flight stability, flight control software, and its ejection seats.

Even so, the Air Force may find uses for the T-7 outside of training. Breaking Defense reported on Nov. 8 that the service is considering an armed variant called the F-7 to perform light attack missions. In the meantime, the team at Edwards will evaluate the Red Hawk for its training potential.

“This is the right team to go after any challenges we find,” Col. Kirt Cassell, division chief for the Air Force T-7 program, said in a Boeing press release.

EOD Airmen Blow Up TNT Stash Found in Alaska

EOD Airmen Blow Up TNT Stash Found in Alaska

When archeologists found a crate of TNT in Eastern Alaska recently, an Air Force Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team at Eielson Air Force Base got a chance to practice their skills. And have a blast doing so.

The archaeologists discovered the TNT Sept. 28, but its original source remains a mystery. Soon after they called, Airmen arrived, assessed the materials, and coordinated a controlled explosion the same day, a spokesperson told Air & Space Forces magazine.

Such opportunities are rare, especially for junior personnel. Senior Airmen Andrew Payne, Erik Paulson, and Jonathan Grey, all with the 354th Civil Engineering Squadron, got a charge out of this real-world experience, the spokesperson said.  

354th Civil Engineering Squadron Explosive Ordnance Disposal technicians pose after executing a controlled detonation near Tok, Alaska, September 28. (USAF Photo)

“My main concern is ensuring the tasks I was assigned get completed, like estimating the hazard area, ensuring civilians did not enter the hazard area, and helping set up the demolition shot in a way that made sense and improved safety,” said Grey in a release.

Arriving at the scene, the team confirmed the archeologist’s find was, indeed, 98 half-pound blocks of TNT. Determining that the material could be safely relocated to avoid potential damage to buildings or infrastructure. But they also knew it needed to be neutralized as soon as possible .

Technicians assisted estimating danger zones, kept civilians away from the area, and then safely set up for detonation.

“This response really highlights just a small part of what we do in EOD,” said Staff Sgt. Jason Verhoef, an EOD Technician with the 354th CES. “I really enjoy being able to see first-hand the impact we can make in the local community by dealing with explosive hazards.”

EOD Airmen wield specialized tools to detect and handle dangerous weapons such as explosives.

Airmen lined up 98 blocks of TNT before a controlled detonation near Tok, Alaska, September 28. (USAF Photo)

TNT is a common military explosive, known for its stability and insensitivity to shock and friction. But it is also flammable and toxic, requiring strict controls to limit its exposure ti air, water, soil, and workplaces. TNT can bind to soil and be absorbed by plants.

Why This Staff Sergeant Can Spend ‘Unlimited’ Amounts of Air Force Money

Why This Staff Sergeant Can Spend ‘Unlimited’ Amounts of Air Force Money

Many Airmen have impressive abilities, like flying jets past the sound barrier or performing battlefield surgery. But Staff Sgt. Elijah Braly has his own crucial ability: the power to spend as much money as necessary to get service members what they need at Incirlik Air Base, Turkey. 

As described in a Nov. 2 press release, Braly is the only staff sergeant outside of the continental U.S. with an unlimited warrant, the highest expenditure authority granted to Airmen in the contracting career field. 

“The name says it all, there is no trick meaning in ‘unlimited,’” Incirlik’s 39th Contracting Squadron (CONS) explained to Air & Space Forces Magazine. “Unlimited contracting officers can obligate government funds without limitation.”

Contracting Airmen work with private businesses to help plug the “capability gaps that can’t be resolved from within the military” the squadron said. The contracts are generally used to purchase a commodity, a service, or construction.

“Each base supported is almost like a small town and a contracting officer (enlisted or commissioned) has been involved in purchases ranging from printer paper to forklifts (commodity), groundskeeping to doctors (services), and fences to ATC towers (construction),” the squadron explained.

air force contract
Staff Sgt. Elijah Braly, the 39th Contracting Squadron noncommissioned officer in charge of architect engineering, shows off his unlimited warrant patch at Incirlik Air Base, Türkiye, Nov. 2, 2023. During his tenure at Incirlik AB, Braly was able to earn the unlimited warrant contract, the highest expenditure authority that is granted, which allows holders of the warrant to make purchases of any dollar amount. U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Alexis Sandoval

As the noncommissioned officer in charge of architect-engineering for the 39th CONS, Braly is responsible for the phase before a construction project takes place. If a new facility needs to be constructed, repaired, or altered, he would hire a licensed private contractor to develop architectural drawings showing electrical diagrams, floor plans, egress routes, and other factors that would be used in the actual construction project. It is an important duty, but the new unlimited warrant is an even greater responsibility.

Warrants are special authorizations granting individuals the ability to spend money on behalf of the government, Capt. Gabriel Stelly, director of business operations for the 39th CONS, explained in the press release. Airmen who have more than a year of contracting experience can receive a simplified acquisition threshold capped at $250,000.

When Braly first enlisted in 2017, usually Airman ranked only at technical sergeant and above received warrants, but the culture is shifting to give more junior enlisted Airmen greater responsibility. Two factors led to this shift, the squadron explained. The first is that the Air Force is trending “towards augmenting their capabilities with more contracts over providing “inhouse” capabilities.” The second is that the Air Force wants to make the most of its people and resources, including high-performing enlisted contracting officers.

“Due to these reasons, junior enlisted have slowly earned more responsibility and authority to execute with higher dollar warrants,” the squadron said. “A higher dollar warrant isn’t just an increase in spending, it increases the impact a contracting officer can have, it allows them to be a bigger force multiplier, and it allows them to tackle bigger issues in the Air Force and military.”

Case in point, Braly received his first warrant capped at $250,000 in 2021. He later applied for the unlimited warrant, though it was not an easy process. The Airman had to have two years of experience with a contracting warrant and a bachelor’s degree. He also had to pass the contracting officer’s test, participate in the contracting study group, receive a nomination from unit leadership, and receive final approval from a board that often includes the director of contracting for U.S. Air Forces in Europe, a lawyer, a policy analyst, and a pricing analyst.

Just 102 enlisted Airmen have unlimited warrants. Now that Braly has one, he can execute multi-million or multi-billion dollar acquisitions, a crucial ability for procuring weapon systems, theater-wide support contracts, and other big-ticket items. One example at Incirlik is the $100 million Multiple Award Construction Contract, split among eight construction contractors to repair base infrastructure.

“While specific examples are abundant, the larger idea is that Elijah has demonstrated unique business acumen and acquisition prowess to a degree that qualifies him to execute contracts at any fiscal level,” the squadron wrote. “Whether it is a $100 million dollar contract local for base support services, a $300 million dollar multiple-award contract for infrastructure repair, or a $1 billion dollar theater-wide dining facility contract, Sgt. Braly is now appointed, endorsed, and uniquely qualified to obtain these capabilities for the Air Force.”

That kind of experience working on large contracts can also make Braly a mentor for younger contracting officers. He already has some advice in mind.

“Be persistent, and really talk to your leadership about your goals and how they can help you get you to that point,” he said in the press release. “Really hone your craft, understand the amount of effort it takes to get to that accomplishment, and piece by piece move toward that goal.”