The Air Force’s top 12 enlisted Airmen were treated to a gala affair Sept. 24 during the Air Force Association’s Air & Space Conference and Technology Exposition here.

Each year, the AFA honors the 12 Airmen at its annual convention in Washington, D.C. Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Rodney J. McKinley presented the awards. He said that each Airman is an outstanding role model for the nation.

“These 12 outstanding Airmen will continue to be great Air Force ambassadors around the world,” he said. “And, I’d like to say that I am extremely proud to serve with each and every one of you.”

Air Force Vice Chief of Staff General Duncan J. McNabb, the event’s keynote speaker, evoked the Airmen’s Creed when describing these 12 Airmen.

“You symbolize our proud tradition,” General McNabb said. “You symbolize our tradition of honor and legacy and valor. You are our nation’s guardian of freedom and justice. You are the sword and shield. You are its sentry and avenger. And you are a wingman, a warrior, and a leader. It has been great to be with you. Congratulations to all of you.”

The 12 Airmen are authorized to wear the Outstanding Airman of the Year ribbon and will wear the bronze service star device on the ribbon. The winners also will wear the Outstanding Airman Badge for one year from the date of the formal presentation. They also will serve as members of the AFA’s enlisted advisory council for the next year.

The Outstanding Airmen of the Year are:

1. Staff Sgt. Jonathan C. McCoy
2. Staff Sgt. David
3. Staff Sgt. Geoffrey M. Welsh
4. Senior Airman Matthew C. Hulsman
5. Master Sgt. Lawrence B. Taylor
6. Staff Sgt. Richard W. Rose
7. Staff Sgt. Matthew J. Hefti
8. Tech. Sgt. Jeremy L. Griffin
9. Senior Master Sgt. Ronald A. Colaninno
10. Senior Airman Linn Aubrey
11. Senior Master Sgt. Tammy L. Brangard-Hern
12. Tech. Sgt. Sachiko D. Jones

To know more about the 12 Outstanding Airmen of the Years: visit http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123070054

After F135 test engine automatically shut down, Pratt & Whitney checks the said engine during ground testing for the short take-off and vertical landing variant of the Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.

The incident occurred on 30 August on a test stand at Pratt & Whitney’s West Palm Beach, Florida facility, where the company is working towards initial flight release of the STOVL F135 to support the planned May 2008 first flight of the F-35B.

P&W says the F135 was “completing a control model validation qualification test in powered-lift mode… when it automatically powered down based on a stall indication”.

Read the full article: http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2007/09/11/216723/pratt.html

Early September saw the aerial delivery of relief supplies to victims of Hurricane Felix in Puerto Cabezas, Nicaragua. USS Wasp (LHD-1), USS Samuel B. Roberts (FFG-58) and the World Food Programme collectively provided much needed food and water to the hurricane victims. Delivery of relief goods began from Wasp on September 7. Two days later, Samuel B. Roberts took over the mission with its embarked SH-60B Seahawks from Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron Light (HSL) 48.

On its first day of the relief effort, Samuel B. Roberts and its helicopters flew 11 missions and delivered nearly 10,000 liters of water to the hardest hit areas, one of which was Sandy Bay. Helicopter crews and ground support personnel directed distribution and loaded relief supplies.

Said Helicopter Mine Countermeasures Squadron (HM) 15 Commanding Officer Commander Frank Dowd, “Our helicopters flew over the region Thursday and saw many communities that received the worst of Felix’s wrath. The crews marked each position, and we relayed the information to coordinate the distribution efforts. It was easy to see we could make an immediate difference as soon as we could deliver relief supplies.”

Close to 16,000 people were without fresh food and water, and very little medicine. Thus when help arrived, there was a bit of a commotion. The locals, unaware of the potential dangers of hovering helicopters delivering supplies by air, came swarming forward as soon as they saw water. Other emergency relief supplies, most of which were provided by the Office of US Foreign Disaster Assistance, were hygiene kits, blankets and plastic sheeting to provide cover from rain.

Marvin Hendriquez, a resident of Sandy Bay, said that while it will take three years to rebuild, eventually they will. He said local communities were grateful to the US military for providing aid.

During a ceremony in Langley Air Force Base, Vancouver, the precision engagement modified A-10C Thunderbolt II received its Initial Operational Capability last Aug. 21.

“The A-10C has received its most significant modifications in its 30-year history”, said Lt. Col. Ralph Hansen, chief of A-10 requirements for Air Combat Command.

The modifications, give the A-10C pilots better battlefield capabilities.

The now digital A-10C upgrades include: the “hands-on-throttle and stick,” which allows the pilot to drop bombs or switch positions without taking his or her hands off the throttle or stick. The situational awareness data link, allows the pilot to link the targeting pod to a target and the new system will determine the coordinates.
Additionally, the new 1760 data bus that runs most of the weapons systems allows the A-10C to use the joint direct attack munitions, or JDAM, and wind corrected munitions dispensers. The new upgrades also include a digital stores management system. This computer system keeps track of the munitions loaded onto the aircraft and which of those are still on board.

“The A-10 is best known for its missions of close-air support, airborne forward air controller, and combat search and rescue. The A-10C can be used against all ground targets, including tanks and other armored vehicles. The upgrades will only enhance those capabilities”, according to one pilot.

“The main benefit of the A-10C is the inter-connectivity between the pilot, the weapons and the targets. The 104th is the first to receive the new upgrades, just in time for the unit’s upcoming deployment to Iraq.” said Lt. Col. Timothy G. Smith, commander of the 104th Fighter Squadron for the Maryland Air National Guard.

The advantage of all the new digital systems and weaponry is “The pilots can see much better than they have in the past and perform in all weather. It is much more than subsystems working together — it is actually all of them integrated together to perform seamlessly,” said Stephen Ramsey, executive vice president of Lockheed Martin Systems Integration - Owego.

The new wiring on the A-10C enables it to carry the Lockheed Martin Sniper XR or Northrop Grumman Litening AT advanced targeting pods. The targeting pods can link up two aircraft or even the air to ground forces below to locate and lock on to targets.

“What normally could have taken several minutes to half an hour can now be done in seconds. The A-10C now has the ability to link up and identify targets as a collective with ground forces and any other sources without each individual aircraft having to search and find them.”, said Lt. Col. Eric Mann, 104th FS operational requirements division chief for the Guard.

One of the key factors in the successful A-10 upgrade is the “Total force effort where it includes all of our industry partners, includes the reserves, includes the active duty and certainly our Air National Guard brothers,” said Gen. Ronald E. Keys, commander of ACC.

By 2011, the project to modernize the 356 A-10As will cost around $500 million and is scheduled for completion with around 75 A-10s currently upgraded .

Reference:
Air Force Print News | August 29, 2007

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