Page 1 - Desert Lightning News So. AZ Edition

Vol. 14, No. 2 Serving Southern Arizona’s military community, including Davis-Monthan Air Force Base
Look for expanded coverage in the digital edition of Desert Lightning News and on
INSIDE
StorIES
 Dr. King, 2
 Military tax services, 3
 309th Aerospace
Maintenance,
Regeneration Group, 4
 D-M begins
administering vaccine,
6/7
 Medical operations
during Desert Shield,
Desert Storm, 8
Continue to get Davis-Monthan
information from these sources: 55th RQS receives rescue squadron of the year award
Air Force Base latest news and
http://www.aerotechnews.
com/davis-monthanafb
and social media
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Frequent Updates – Breaking News – Local • Regional • National
February 2021
www.aerotechnews.com/davis-monthanafb/.
Spark Tank 2021 finalists announced
by
SeCReTARY oF The AiR
FoRCe
Public Affairs
ARLiNGToN, Va. — It’s been nearly a
year since Master Sgt. Gabrial Valenzuela,
Capt. David Coyle and Lt. Adam Treece
were selected as co-winners of Spark Tank
2020 for their Smart Weapons Loading
Checklist and Low-Cost Threat Emitter
concepts.
Now, with 2021 underway, Air Force and
Space Force leaders have selected five more
ideas from the Spark Tank 2021 semi-finals
board to be shared virtually with senior
leaders at this year’s Air Force Association
Virtual Aerospace Warfare Symposium.
Spark Tank — the Department’s capstone
innovation campaign co-produced by Rich
Lombardi, Air Force deputy chief manage-
ment officer, and AFWERX — unleashes
the innovative capacity of Airmen and Staff Sgt. James Richardson
Guardians, reflecting leadership’s contin- The Spark Tank trophy is back up for grabs at this year’s Air Force Association Vir-
tual Aerospace Warfare Symposium Feb. 26. At last year’s event, Airmen shared the
See fINALISTS, Page 2 trophy after Air Force and industry leaders declared a two-way tie.
by Staff Sgt.
GioVANNi SiMS
355th Wing Public Affairs
(Editor’s note: The mention of the nonprofit organization That
Others May Live does not constitute endorsement of affiliation by
Davis-Monthan Air Force Base or the U.S. Air Force.)
In the first year of partnering with the Air Rescue Association,
the 55th Rescue Squadron was awarded the That Others May Live
Foundation Rescue Squadron of the Year Award in 2020.
See SquADRON, Page 9
Lt. Col. Charles Redmond, 55th Rescue Squadron commander,
poses with members of the board of directors for the That Oth-
ers May Live Foundation as recipient of the 2020 Rescue Squad-
ron of the Year award at Davis-Monthan Dec. 18, 2020. This
annual award is presented to an active duty, Air National Guard
or Air Force Reserve rescue unit that scores highest in the cat-
egories of mission events, combat effectiveness, squadron ac-
Senior Airman Nicholas Ross complishments and community relations.
See DOOLITTLE, Page 7
AlwAys free Access!