Airman Posthumously Receives Medal of Honor
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COMMANDER’S CORNER: HIGH-TOUCH LEADERSHIP - PAGE 2 Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado Thursday, August 2, 2018 Vol. 62 No. 31 Airman posthumously receives Medal of Honor HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. (AFNS) − As a combat controller, Tech. Sgt. John A. Chapman was trained and equipped for immediate deployment into combat operations. Trained to infiltrate in combat and austere environments, he was an experienced static line and military free fall jumper, and combat diver. By Staff Sgt. Ryan Conroy Combat control training is more than two years 24th Special Operations Wing Public Affairs long and amongst the most rigorous in the U.S. military. Only about one in ten Airmen who start the program graduate. HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. (AFNS) — The White From months of rigorous physical fitness train- House announced July 27, 2018, that Air Force ing to multiple joint schools – including military Tech. Sgt. John Chapman will be posthumously SCUBA, Army static-line and freefall, air traffic awarded the Medal of Honor Aug. 22, for his ex- control, and combat control schools – Chapman is traordinary heroism during the Battle of Takur remembered as someone who could do anything Ghar, Afghanistan, in March 2002. put in front of him. According to the Medal of Honor nomination, “One remembers two types of students — Chapman distinguished himself on the battle- the sharp ones and the really dull ones — and field through “conspicuous gallantry and intre- Chapman was in the sharp category,” said Ron pidity,” sacrificing his life to preserve those of his teammates. Childress, a former Combat Control School instructor. Making it look easy Combat Control School is one of the most Chapman enlisted in the Air Force Sept. 27, difficult points of a combat controller’s training 1985, as an information systems operator, but felt program, from completing arduous tasks without called to be part of Air Force special operations. sleeping for days, to running miles with weighted In 1989, he cross-trained to become an Air Force rucksacks and a gas mask. combat controller. “During one of his first days at Combat Control According to friends and family, Chapman had School, I noticed a slight smirk on his face like a tendency to make the difficult look effortless, [the training] was too simple for him … and it and consistently sought new challenges. Dating was,” said Childress. back to his high school days, he made the varsity Following Combat Control School, Chapman soccer squad as a freshman. Also an avid mus- served with the 1721st Combat Control Squadron cle-car enthusiast, he rebuilt and maintained an at Pope Air Force Base, North Carolina, where old Pontiac GTO. he met his wife, Valerie, in 1992. They had two Tech. Sgt. John A. Chapman, shown at the rank of senior airman, will be the 19th Airman Combat control would prove to be another in- See Medal of Honor page 12 awarded the Medal of Honor since the Department of the Air Force was established in 1947. stance of “making it look easy.” INSIDE News 1-15 Alpha Warrior 21st Briefs 4 certifies Space Wing Classifieds 16 trainers at Command AF week Crossword 19 Peterson structure in photos Page 8 Page 10 Page 14 SPACE OBSERVER 2 Thursday, August 2, 2018 www.peterson.af.mil 21ST SPACE WING COMMANDER’S CORNER personal interactions aimed at guidance and mentor- ship. Without engaging in interactive and personal performance feedback, leaders risk abdicating the High-touch leadership responsibility of taking unbiased ownership of each member’s actions. JOINT BASE CHARLESTON, S.C. (AFNS) -- A critical component of effective leadership is tak- Technology has revolutionized our lives and the Air By Lt. Col. Chris ing complete ownership of the intent and execution Force. Our high-tech culture and military are capable of unprecedented effectiveness and agility due to the Carnduff of the organization’s mission. One can only achieve speed of communication. In many facets of our personal such ownership through high-touch interactions. In and professional lives, technology gives us the ability 628th Civil an age of digital work accomplishment and commu- to communicate rapidly and accomplish a variety of nication, a leader can fail to take responsibility for tasks with minimal personal interaction. However, Engineer subordinates’ work. Many times that failing is due to this high-tech world introduces a risk of leaders losing Squadron not wanting to micromanage Airmen, a noble intent. touch with those under their command. To reduce the However, a leader can make the motivation clearer by potential of technological isolationism, leaders must involving themselves in their subordinates’ actions focus on using high-touch tactics, including learning understand how to motivate and mentor their Airmen personally instead of virtually. Additionally, being about subordinates, providing continuous performance to achieve excellence. involved personally, leaders enable an open dialogue feedback and taking ownership of the organization’s Deliberate performance feedback is critical to cor- which enhances communications of intent. actions. recting substandard performance, rewarding excellence The technological revolution our society has under- Leaders cannot lead effectively by sending a barrage and putting individuals on a path to being outstanding taken over the past few decades is awesome and the of e-mails; it takes time, effort, creativity and, most of contributors to the goals of the organization. Virtual application of new technologies has contributed to the all, requires genuinely caring about the welfare and feedback is not sufficient. Performance feedback must development of their personnel. In the age of social U. S. Air Force’s dominance in air, space and cyber- media and mass e-mails, it is easy to think we know be a face-to-face communication capitalizing on the space. However, we must never forget our people are, people based on what we see on a computer screen but knowledge a leader gains from learning about the sub- and will always be, our greatest asset. Regardless of the learning about an individual demands face-to-face ordinate. It is easy for leaders to think they provide generation, people are best understood by, mentored interaction, understanding their non-verbal commu- continuous feedback because they give guidance via by and led by people…not ones and zeros. A high- nications and gauging their motivations. Only through e-mail or through another virtual means but those tech organization deserves high-touch leadership to the process of learning about an individual can leaders mechanisms are ineffective in comparison to focused maximize the effectiveness of its people. The Transcript can publish your NOTICES OF GUARDIANSHIP For more info call 634-5905 SPACE OBSERVER www.peterson.af.mil Thursday, August 2, 2018 3 Lighter, leaner, lifesaving: AF tests wearable medical tech By Shireen Bedi Air Force Surgeon General Public Affairs FALLS CHURCH, Va. — Wearable medical technology is helping the Air Force bring advanced deployed medical capabilities further forward on the battlefield. Researchers from the 711th Human Performance Wing at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, are advancing wearable medical technology to offer new types of care in deployed environments, and improving care downrange and during medical evacuations. Wearable medical technology is designed to be small and lightweight to minimize additional burden on medical Airmen and the warfighter, whether they are on a remote battlefield or aboard an aircraft. “Wearables provide greater accessibility,” said Dr. David Burch, a research biomedical engineer and the medical tech- nology solutions team lead for the En Route Care Medical Technology Solutions Research Group, 711th HPW. “An aircraft has a very tight space and weight limit to maintain performance, and battlefield medics need to carry everything they use. Wearables provide accessibility to the human in a way that is better form, fit, and function.” One wearable device that achieves that accessibility is a tissue oxygenation sensor, developed jointly with a private company. This small, soft, injectable sensor lets medics de- termine if a patient is able to be medically evacuated by assessing how well their blood transports oxygen to tissue. “This sensor makes it easier to get clinical information at the point of injury and throughout the continuum of care,” said Dr. James Christensen, product line lead for Airman (Courtesy photo) Sensing and Assessment, from the 711 HPW’s Airman FALLS CHURCH, Va. — Researchers with 711th Human Performance Wing at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio worked jointly with a private Systems Directorate. “It improves capabilities while reducing company, to develop a small, soft, injectable tissue oxygenation sensor that would let medics get a patient’s clinical information from the point of weight, something that is important for both pararescuers injury and throughout the continuum of care. The idea behind such wearable medical technology is to advance deployed medical capabilities while and en route patient care.” minimizing adding burden on Airmen. While the sensor is still being tested, Burch is confident form of a compression undershirt that can perform several ical technology improves the readiness and lethality of U.S. that the tiny tissue oxygenation sensor will serve a vital functions while seamlessly fitting under a flight suit. Forces. readiness function. Called PHYSIO, this undershirt was designed for aircrew “Innovations like wearable medical technology opens “This technology