Page 8 - Luke AFB Thunderbolt 4-15-16

8 April 15, 2016
www.aerotechnews.com/lukeaf b
PEOPLE
FIRST
Editor’s Note: The “People First” section is
compiled from information from the Air Force
Personnel Center, TRICARE, 56th Force Sup-
port Squadron, Airman and Family Readiness
Flight, Veterans Affairs, the civilian personnel Balkans, Air Force RPAs have been in high
office and armed forces news services. For the
complete story, go to the web address listed at
the end of the story.
Air Force approves RPA
initiatives
WASHINGTON (AFNS) — The Air Force
recently approved two initiatives for the
remotely piloted aircraft career field. First,
eight RPA reconnaissance squadrons will be
redesignated as attack squadrons. Second,Air
Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Welsh III
authorized RPA aircrews to log combat time
when flying an aircraft within designated
hostile airspace, regardless of the aircrew’s
physical location.
The changes were two of many recommen-
dations that emerged as part of Air Combat
Command’s Culture and Process Improve-
ment Program, which seeks to address a
number of issues affecting operations and
the morale and welfare of Airmen across the
RPA enterprise.
The redesignation will affect the names,
but not the core missions of RPA squadrons at
Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico;White-
man AFB, Missouri; and Creech AFB, Nevada.
These units, consisting of approximately 600
officers and 700 enlisted Airmen, will continue
to provide real-time intelligence, surveillance
and reconnaissance to commanders, close air
support to ground troops, and post-operation
battle damage assessment to senior leaders.
Previously, squadrons consisting of MQ-9
Reaper aircraft were designated attack
squadrons, while squadrons of MQ-1 Preda-
tor aircraft were designated reconnaissance
squadrons. The redesignation anticipates the
Air Force’s ongoing transition to an all MQ-9
fleet and acknowledges the capability of these
ΣΑςΕ Α ΛΙΦΕ. ΔΟΝ∏Τ ΔΡΙςΕ ΗΟΜΕ ΒΥΖΖΕΔ.
ΒΥΖΖΕΔ ΔΡΙςΙΝΓ ΙΣ ΔΡΥΝΚ ΔΡΙςΙΝΓ.
NEWS
units to support military operations that can
include strikes against targets.The cost of the
redesignation is minimal, mostly affecting
signs, stationary and other local items that
display the unit’s name or emblem.
Since their first employment over the
demand, according to Air Force senior lead-
ers. This has led to rapid expansion of both
the number of squadrons and the number of
operators.
Unique organizational structures and
names evolved during this time, and the Air
Force is now taking steps to standardize op-
erations and improve conditions for operators.
The RPA mission“is instrumental to achiev-
ing decision advantage against our enemies,
is an indispensable asset to our national secu-
rity, and is the backbone to the success of our
fights in Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, and other
areas combating extremism and terrorism,”
Gen. Hawk Carlisle, commander of ACC, said
March 16 in his testimony to the U.S. Senate
Committee on Armed Services.“The Air Force
is fully invested in continuing to achieve sus-
tainability of this enterprise.”
The Air Force reduced the number of com-
bat lines to 60, from 65 in 2015. They also
increased incentive retention pay for pilots
to $25,000, matching incentive pay for rated
pilots in other airframes.
ACC is expanding the training pipeline for
operators, creating a more robust force and
decreasing the current operational tempo.
A combat operations-to-dwell ratio of 2:1
will provide Airmen predictable schedules,
improve work-life balance, enable further
professional development, offer increased
training opportunities,and ultimately improve
readiness, according to Col. Jeffry Long,ACC’s
director of CPIP.
http://www.af.mil/News/ArticleDisplay/tabid/223/Ar-
ticle/717598/air-force-approves-rpa-initiatives.aspx Joint Pacific Alaska Range Complex (JPARC)
Cody engages with deployed
Airmen
Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James
A. Cody engaged with Airmen deployed to
Afghanistan in support of the NATO Resolute
Support mission and Operation Freedom’s
Sentinel from April 4-6 through a series of
Q&A format all calls, small group discussions
THE BEST CANDIDATE
FOR THE JOB ISN’T ALWAYS
THE TYPICAL CANDIDATE.
and personal site visits.
Cody made stops at Bagram Airfield, Reso-
lute Support Headquarters in Kabul, Hamid
Karzai International Airport and Kandahar
Airfield, where he was able to see firsthand
the impact Airmen are making every day in
Afghanistan.
Airmen in Afghanistan are accomplishing
critical roles as they perform launch and
recovery of aircraft for counter-terrorism mis-
sions, find and process detailed intelligence
information for combatant commanders, or
train, advice and assist the Afghan military.
During the all calls and discussions, the
chief candidly and honestly answered a
variety of questions ranging from the new
Enlisted Evaluation System to health care
and compensation. He also received mission
briefings from each of the units involved and
had an opportunity to see Airmen display the
weapon systems they operate.Throughout his
interactions,he remindedAirmen of one thing.
http://www.af.mil/News/ArticleDisplay/tabid/223/
Article/716461/cody-engages-with-deployed-airmen.
aspx
Eielson selected to receive
operational F-35A aircraft
WASHINGTON (AFNS) — Eielson Air
Force Base, Alaska, was selected as the new
home for the Air Force’s first operational over-
seas F-35A Lightning IIs.
Air Force officials chose Eielson AFB after
a lengthy analysis of the location’s operational
considerations, installation attributes, envi-
ronmental factors and cost.
“Alaska combines a strategically important
location with a world-class training environ-
ment. Basing the F-35s at Eielson AFB will
allow the Air Force the capability of using the
for large force exercises using a multitude of
ranges and maneuver areas in Alaska,” said
Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James.
“This, combined with the largest airspace in
theAir Force,ensures realistic combat training
for the (Defense Department).”
Proximity to the JPARC will enable the
Air Force to take advantage of approximately
65,000 square miles of available airspace for
realistic, world-class training in the Air Force’s
most advanced fifth-generation fighter.
LEARN HOW TO FIND, TRAIN AND CULTIVATE
A GREAT POOL OF UNTAPPED TALENT.
Thunderbolt
http://www.luke.af.mil
The decision culminates a three-year pro-
cess that included an extensive environmental
impact statement that examined impacts on
such factors as air quality, noise, land use and
socioeconomics.
“The decision to base two F-35 squadrons
at Eielson AFB,Alaska, combined with the ex-
isting F-22 Raptors at Joint Base Elmendorf-
Richardson, will double our fifth-generation
fighter aircraft presence in the Pacific theater,”
said Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A.
Welsh III. “Integrating that fifth-generation
force with Navy, Marine, and allied F-35 forces
will provide joint and coalition warfighters
unprecedented survivability,lethality and bat-
tlespace awareness in contested environments.
It’s an exciting time for Pacific airpower.”
The base is projected to receive two squad-
rons of F-35As, which will join the wing’s F-16
Fighting Falcon aggressor squadron currently
assigned to Eielson AFB.
On-base construction to prepare for the
aircraft is expected to start in fiscal year 2017
in order to be ready to accept the first F-35As,
which are currently scheduled to begin arriv-
ing in 2020.
Preliminary estimates had the new aircraft
arriving a year earlier, but officials say the
2020 arrival will provide the Air Force more
time and grow its active-duty maintenance
force.
“The Air Force is facing a shortage of expe-
rienced, active-duty fighter aircraft maintain-
ers as we transition from legacy aircraft to
the F-35A,” said Lt. Gen. John B. Cooper, the
deputy chief of staff the Air Force for logistics,
installations and mission support. “Adjust-
ing the initial plan and slightly accelerating
F-35A arrivals at Burlington Air Guard Sta-
tion, Burlington, Vermont, to fall 2019 will
allow the service to stick to the overall F-35
rollout schedule, while capitalizing on the
Air National Guard’s experienced fighter air-
craft maintenance force as we put additional
measures in place to increase the number of
trained active-duty maintainers.”
The F-35A, manufactured by Lockheed
Martin, is a fifth-generation fighter aircraft
intended to be the Air Force’s premier strike
aircraft through the first half of the 21st cen-
tury. It is a multi-role fighter that is expected
to eventually replace the service’s legacy air-
to-ground fighter fleets.