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Volume 63, Number 32 Serving the community of Edwards Air Force Base, California February 19, 2016
First www.edwards.af.mil – www.facebook.com/edwardsairforcebase
civilians
graduate 1DY\WHDPPRGL¿HV(GZDUGV
from ALS KC-135 instrumentation
by Rebecca Amber by Rebecca Amber
Staff writer Staff writer
Base leadership and attendees from $861DY\$LUFUDIW9HKLFOH0RGL¿FDWLRQ Navy photograph
all over Edwards congratulated a new and Instrumentation team is hard at work
class of Airman Leadership School augmenting instrumentation to an Edwards A U.S. Navy P-8A Poseidon is used for long-range, anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface
graduates; Feb. 11 during a ceremony assigned KC-135 tanker. warfare, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. A U.S. Navy Aircraft Vehicle
at Club Muroc. 0RGL¿FDWLRQDQG,QVWUXPHQWDWLRQWHDPLVZRUNLQJFORVHO\ZLWKWKHWK7HVW0DQDJHPHQW
The unusual arrangement started when the *URXSDW(GZDUGV$)%WRFRQGXFWWHVWLQJWRFHUWLI\D3$IURP1DY\XQLW9;DW3DWX[HQW
This particular class was unique be- 1DY\30$SURJUDPRI¿FHDSSURDFKHG River, Md., for aerial refueling.
cause it included two civilians among the 412th Test Management Group about us-
the graduates, Matt Holder, 412th Com- ing the Edwards AFB-instrumented KC-135 right now working other projects — KC-46, absolutely.’”
munications Squadron, and Christo- to certify their P-8A Poseidon from Navy [Joint Strike Fighter] ... we just didn’t have On Feb. 3, an eight-man AVMI team from
pher Allen, 912th Aircraft Maintenance unit VX-20 at Naval Air Station Patuxent WKHFDSDFLW\WR>PDNHDGGLWLRQDOPRGL¿FD-
Squadron. River, Md., for aerial refueling. tions],” said Steve Parker, 412th TENG, the Naval Air Systems Command arrived at
Global Reach Instrumentation lead. “So I Edwards to begin modifying the KC-135
According to ALS commandant, The P-8A Poseidon is a long-range, anti- approached the Navy and asked if they could using the Air Force processes. The 412th
Master Sgt. Daniel Magas, civilians submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, in- support with their own instrumentation en- 7(1*ZLOORYHUVHHWKHPRGL¿FDWLRQVDVWKH\
were incorporated into the school in telligence, surveillance and reconnaissance gineers and technicians and they said, ‘Yes,
an effort to bridge the gap within the aircraft. It functions as a multi-mission See NAVY, Page 4
“Total Force” arena. Civilian directors aircraft used by the U.S. Navy for anti-sub-
and supervisors for young Airmen are marine warfare and communications com-
not uncommon, but the civilian leaders mand control, and intelligence missions. It
were never offered the same education possesses an advance mission system that
that the young senior airmen they super- ensures maximum interoperability in future
vise were offered. battle space, which is capable of broad area
maritime and literal operations. It will also
“My efforts here at Edwards give LQÀXHQFHKRZWKH1DY\¶VPDULWLPHSDWURO
those civilians the ability to develop and reconnaissance forces train, operate and
their Airmen in depth,” said Magas. deploy.
“The changing Enlisted Evaluation While the 412th Test Engineering Group
System does not offer the time needed was all too happy to offer their support with
to learn and effectively complete the an instrumented KC-135, the Navy program
Air Force Form 931 — Airman Com- needed additional instrumentation.
prehensive Assessment; and the 910
— Enlisted Evaluation,” he explained. “The Instrumentation division is very busy
“ALS gives those civilians that distinct
ability if they are to supervise military KC-46 successfully refuels F/A-18
members.”
by Kenji Thuloweit %RHLQJSKRWRJUDSKE\-RKQ3DUNHU
According to Magas, Allen and Hold- Editor
er were the first civilians to graduate
from ALS in Air Force Materiel Com- A U.S. Air Force and Boeing aircrew
mand. aboard the KC-46 tanker successfully refu-
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Allen applied for a spot in ALS after
seeing an e-mail that civilians try for a 7KHDLUUHIXHOLQJZDVWKHSURJUDP¶V¿UVW
spot in the class. He submitted his re- using the KC-46s hose and drogue system.
sume along with a letter of recommen- It took place in the skies over Washington
dation from his group commander. Ulti- State.
mately, Brig. Gen. Carl Schaefer, 412th
Test Wing commander, chose him and $FFRUGLQJWR%RHLQJWKHÀLJKWODVWHGPRUH
+ROGHUDVWKH¿UVWDWWHQGHHV than four hours and the tanker’s air refueling
operator successfully transferred fuel to the
In the class they were expected to F/A-18 at 20,000 feet.
complete the same course curriculum
as the military students, from written The KC-46 will refuel aircraft using both
class work and oral presentations to its boom, and hose and drogue systems. The
close-order drills. boom allows the tanker to transfer up to
1,200 gallons of fuel per minute, while the
“[We] were held to the same academic plane’s hose and drogue systems, located on
and dress and appearance standards. We both the plane’s wing and centerline, enables
were cut some slack in that we didn’t the KC-46 to refuel smaller aircraft such as
the F/A-18 with up to 400 gallons of fuel per
See ALS, Page 3 minute, said a Boeing release.
)$VDUHÀRZQE\ERWKWKH861DY\
See TANKER, Page 5
