April 2015/$10

AFA’s Air Warfare Symposium

War and Budgets p . 22 & 28 Bolstering Europe p . 38 Mobility Creativity p . 36 AFSOC Renaissance p . 33

Also Bud Wassom SAC’s

April 2015, Vol. 98, No. 4

FEATURES 4 Editorial: Forgotten, But Not Gone By Adam J. Hebert It is time to prioritize the nuclear deter- rent.

22 The Air Force at War By Marc V. Schanz USAF must prepare for high-end con- fl ict while already engaged worldwide.

28 The $10 Billion Gamble By John A. Tirpak USAF can’t execute the national military strategy with sequester-level budgets.

33 AFSOC Renaissance By Aaron M. U. Church The command is working hard to mod- ernize, recapitalize, and stay out front.

36 Mobility Creativity By Michael C. Sirak AMC’s commander stresses innovation in future tankers and the next . 22 38 Bolstering Europe By Amy McCullough USAF is moving to counter Russian aggression and uncertainty.

40 Nuclear Force Improvement By Amy McCullough The Force Improvement Program promises grassroots fi xes for USAF’s nuclear forces.

46 An Airman in a Storm By Autumn A. Arnett MSgt. Bud Wassom gave his life protecting his daughter from a deadly tornado.

50 SAC’s Heyday Photos from the collection of Warren Thompson ’s airborne arsenal is showcased in these rare color photos.

About the cover: An E-3 Sentry returns to 58 Watershed Air War Nellis AFB, Nev., after a training mission By Daniel L. Haulman at the Nevada Test and Training Range. Enemy air forces haven’t challenged See “The $10 Billion Gamble,” p. 28. USAF the US since Operation Allied Force in photo by SrA. Brett Clashman. 1999. 33

AIR FORCE Magazine / April 2015 1 64 George Kenney’s Fighting Spirit By John T. Correll Kenney had numerous strengths but the critical one was that he got along with Douglas MacArthur.

70 The Raiders at Eglin By Robert B. Kane In March 1942, the Doolittle Raiders trained in the Florida Panhandle for their historic mission.

70

www.airforcemag.com DEPARTMENTS 6 Letters Publisher: Mark A. Barrett 9 Aperture: CAS confab; PACAF’s Editor in Chief: Adam J. Hebert new boss; The missions are the message .... Managing Editor: Juliette Kelsey Chagnon Special Content Director: Michael C. Sirak 11 Action in Congress Editorial Director: John A. Tirpak 12 Air Force World News Editor: Amy McCullough Senior Editor: Marc V. Schanz 18 Index to Advertisers Senior Designer: Heather Lewis 18 Senior Staff Changes Special Projects Manager: Gideon Grudo 19 Flashback: Close-Up Designer: Kristina Parrill Assistant Managing Editor: Frances McKenney 20 Verbatim Associate Editors: Aaron M. U. Church, June L. Kim 21 Books Special: CSAF Reading List Production Manager: Eric Chang Lee 2015 Photo Editor: Zaur Eylanbekov Media Research Editor: Chequita Wood 75 AFA National Report 78 Reunions Contributors: Walter J. Boyne, John T. Correll, Robert S. Dudney, Daniel L. Haulman, Robert B. Kane, Warren Thompson 80 Airpower Classics: MiG-21 Fishbed

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AIR FORCE Magazine (ISSN 0730-6784) April 2015 (Vol. 98, No. 4) is published monthly by the Air Force Association, 1501 Lee Highway, Arling- ton, VA 22209-1198. Phone (703) 247-5800. Perodical postage paid at Arlington, Va., and additional mailing offi ces. Membership Rate: $45 per year; $30 e-Membership; $110 for three-year membership. Life Membership (nonrefundable): $600 single payment, $630 extended payments. Subscription Rate: $45 per year; $29 per year additional for postage to foreign addresses (except Canada and Mexico, which are $10 per year additional). Regular issues $10 each. USAF Almanac issue $20 each. Change of address requires four weeks’ notice. Please include mailing label. POSTMASTER: Send changes of address to Air Force Association, 1501 Lee Highway, Arlington, VA 22209-1198. Publisher assumes no responsibility for unsolicited material. Trademark registered by Air Force Association. Copyright 2015 by Air Force Association.

2 AIR FORCE Magazine / April 2015 CORPORATE MEMBER SPOTLIGHT The AFA Corporate Membership Program recognizes companies that support the Air Force Association’s mission, people, and events. These businesses play a vital role in making AFA the most powerful advocate for every member of the Air Force family. This month we highlight selected corporate tier members. For more information on the Corporate Membership Program, please visit www.afa.org/CM.

Engility FLIR Systems, Inc. Engility is a pure-play government services contractor providing FLIR’s full line of High Definition ISR&T solutions delivers the highly skilled personnel wherever, whenever they are needed in a combat-proven performance needed for the time-sensitive and cost-effective manner. The company provides specialized technical critical missions of today’s Air Force. With cutting-edge, com- consulting, program/business support services, engineering and mercially developed, military qualified solutions like the Star SA- technology lifecycle support, information technology moderniza- FIRE 380-HDc, FLIR provides proven reliability and a 30-year tion and sustainment, supply chain services and logistics manage- tradition of delivering powerful imaging to today’s operators. ment, and training and education for the US Government. www.FLIR.com | Wilsonville, Ore. www.engilitycorp.com | Chantilly, Va.

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. Dynamics Mission Systems General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI), is a lead- General Dynamics Mission Systems (GDMS) connects and ing manufacturer of remotely piloted aircraft systems, radars, and protects critical communication networks across land, sea, air, electro-optic and related mission systems, including the Predator/ space, and cyber domains. Grounded in a “with you all the way” Gray Eagle aircraft series, and Lynx Multimode Radar. GA-ASI culture, GDMS delivers the highest level of support, keeping its provides long-endurance, mission-capable aircraft with the inte- customers steps ahead of threats with the intelligence and infor- grated sensor and data link systems required to deliver persistent mation they need for mission success. situational awareness and rapid strike capabilities. www.gdmissionsystems.com | Fairfax, Va. www.ga-asi.com | San Diego

L-3 MacAulay-Brown, Inc. Headquartered in , L-3 employs approximately MacAulay-Brown, Inc. (MacB), has been solving some of the na- 48,000 people worldwide and is a prime contractor in aerospace tion’s most complex national security challenges for decades. De- systems and national security solutions. L-3 is also a leading pro- fense, IC, Homeland Security, and other federal agencies rely on vider of a broad range of communication and electronic systems our innovative and proven engineering and technical solutions to and products used on military and commercial platforms. The meet the challenges of an ever-changing world. We are dedicated company reported 2013 sales of $12.6 billion. to developing mission-focused and results-oriented solutions. www.l-3com.com | New York www.macb.com | Dayton, Ohio, and Vienna, Va. Meggitt SES Government Solutions Headquartered in the UK, Meggitt is a global engineering group With a fleet of over 50 satellites offering comprehensive glob- specializing in extreme-environment components and smart al coverage, 99.99-percent availability, and three-four hosted sub-systems.Meggitt designs and manufactures environmental payload opportunities every year, SES Government Solutions control and thermal management systems, ammunition han- is an industry leader in supporting US Government SATCOM dling systems, scoring systems and services, airborne pods and missions. countermeasures, air data systems, flight deck displays, and life www.ses-gs.com | Reston, Va. support systems for aircraft and helicopters. www.meggitt.com | United Kingdom

Triumph Group, Inc. Triumph Group, Inc. designs, engineers, tests, manufactures, repairs, and overhauls an extensive portfolio of aerostructures, engine, and aircraft control components, accessories, interior YOUR COMPANY COULD BE FEATURED HERE. components, and subassemblies. Our customers include original equipment manufacturers of commercial, regional, business and Contact Elizabeth Moloney at military aircraft, rotorcraft and aircraft components, as well as [email protected] commercial and regional airlines and air cargo carriers. to join AFA as a Corporate Member. www.triumphgroup.com | Berwyn, Pa. Editorial By Adam J. Hebert, Editor in Chief Forgotten, But Not Gone

ix years ago this month, Barack guarantee that defense to our allies … is reminiscent of what Harold Brown, SObama, the then-new US President, but we will begin the work of reducing Defense Secretary under President journeyed to Prague to declare his de- our arsenal.” Carter, once said of the Soviet Union’s sire for a nuclear weapons-free world. In reality, there was very little new arsenal. To paraphrase: When we build, The strategic deterrent had already been there. Eliminating nuclear weapons has they build. When we stop, they build. an afterthought for 20 years, struggling been US policy under every president Many of these nations—such as Iran, to maintain funding or support from any- since Reagan, and inventories have North Korea, and Russia—are belliger- one not directly supporting the mission. been steadily and dramatically declining ent and threatening to their neighbors. The deterrent may as well be invis- since the 1980s. Others (India, Pakistan, Israel) have ible to many in the military, members of Officials in nuclear leadership posi- long-standing border disputes. For- Congress, and the American public. In tions pointed to Obama’s Prague pledge tunately, although other nations want early 2015, the Iranian nuclear program to maintain nuclear safety, security, and these weapons for many of the same has gotten more attention in the US than effectiveness—but this passage was reasons the US does, there is a clear the nation’s own strategic deterrent. clearly a digression from the President’s worldwide taboo against using them. A deterrent only works if it is known to An effective US deterrent can bring be effective and ready for use, but the a measure of stability even to unstable American nuclear enterprise has long It is time to prioritize the states. Nations such as North Korea been underfunded and under-prioritized. nuclear deterrent. and Iran must be made to understand A catch-up program is desperately that using nuclear weapons would needed. If enemies come to disregard mean an instant end to their leaders the US deterrent, something critically main point, which could be summarized and regimes. important will be lost. as: We need to get rid of these things. The should absolutely Nuclear weapons provide essential This cast a tone of obsolescence reduce its nuclear inventory to the mini- insurance for the US, its interests and and irrelevance over the US nuclear mum level necessary to meet national troops overseas, and even to its allies. enterprise. Ingrained habits will now security requirements. The requirement Until 1945, massive and deadly state- take time to overcome. itself can be reduced through verifiable on-state conflicts were the norm. Six- Case in point: At a March 17 House and enforceable arms control treaties, teen million people died in . Armed Services Committee hearing so the US should pursue beneficial Just two decades later, 60 million died with the seven military service Chiefs agreements with nations such as Rus- in World War II. and Secretaries, the word “nuclear” was sia, China, North Korea, and Iran. You Then, suddenly, this type of war uttered exactly nine times in a 31,000- don’t have to like a nation to benefit ended. Nuclear weapons were the prime word posture hearing. It usually came from a treaty with it. reason for this change in human behav- up in conjunction with other capabilities, The US should also defend the Non- ior: Their enormous destructive power such as cyber. proliferation Treaty, making it harder for compels nations to tread very carefully. This is somewhat expected with the new nations to acquire nuclear weap- But the President’s 2009 Prague speech nation still involved in shooting wars, but ons. Work should continue on reducing reinforced an ambivalence seen since the nuclear mission can no longer be ig- and securing materials, to keep them the ended. nored—or even left on the back burner. out of terrorist hands. The US must also “I state clearly and with conviction The Air Force is taking positive steps, reassure the nations under its nuclear America’s commitment to seek the by pushing for a next generation bomb- umbrella, so that countries such as peace and security of a world without er, cruise missile, and ICBM. It is elevat- Japan, South Korea, Germany, and nuclear weapons. I’m not naïve,” Obama ing the commander of Air Force Global Estonia are not inspired to develop their said. “This goal will not be reached Strike Command from a three-star to a own weapons. quickly—perhaps not in my lifetime. It four-star position and is pumping $160 At the same time, these weapons will will take patience and persistence. But million into nuclear force equipment. serve a valuable purpose for the fore- now we, too, must ignore the voices who Now it must follow through with these seeable future, and the Administration tell us that the world cannot change. We plans, for years. shouldn’t be afraid to publicly support have to insist, ‘Yes, we can.’” Abolitionists bemoan nuclear weap- the mission. The US must modernize to The US “will take concrete steps ons’ very existence and claim that US keep the deterrent credible, and should towards a world without nuclear weap- modernization programs inspire other press on with plans to develop next gen- ons,” he continued. “To put an end to nations to pursue the weapons and ex- eration systems. Strategic deterrence Cold War thinking, we will reduce the pand their arsenals. This is nonsense. must return to a place of prominence role of nuclear weapons in our national The security and influence that nukes in military decision-making. security strategy, and urge others to do offer is clear for all to see. It will soon be 70 years since nuclear the same. Make no mistake: As long as Other nuclear states and nuclear aspi- weapons were used in war. May this these weapons exist, the United States rants have zealously moved forward with be just the beginning. An effective US will maintain a safe, secure, and effec- developing and modernizing arsenals deterrent will help keep the world safer tive arsenal to deter any adversary and while America paused. The situation for the next 70 years, too. %

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It’s Not All About the Cash Money Trophy section: A C-130 crew awarded Events...... [email protected] I read with interest your take on mili- the trophy for 1992 was omitted. This Field Services ...... fi [email protected] tary pay and benefits [“Editorial: Pay crew was intercepted over international Government Relations ...... [email protected] and Benefits and National Security,” airspace by Peruvian aircraft, strafed March, p. 4]. three times, and managed to find an Industry Relations ...... [email protected] The reason most people choose to airfield to land. Unfortunately, one Insurance...... [email protected] stay in the service varies. Pay is just member perished, and six others were one. I think our military is paid well wounded in the incident. Member Benefi ts...... [email protected] today. But I thought I was being paid As a member of that crew, please Membership ...... [email protected] well from 1976 to 1995 when I took add us to the list, as we remember the Communications (news media)...... early retirement at the rank of E-7 at C-130 as a wonderful workhorse, able ...... [email protected] 19 years, one month, and 25 days. I do to withstand great amounts of damage not know where the concept of military and still fly under austere conditions. CyberPatriot...... [email protected] pay having to be equal to civilian pay MSgt. Raymond A. Fisher, Air Force Memorial Foundation...... [email protected] came from. We were always told that USAF (Ret.) the reason for the lower pay was we Papillion, Neb. Magazine had free medical, BAS, and BAQ not Advertising ...... [email protected] taxed, and we did not have to pay The C-130 Hercules is indeed an anything for retirement benefits. “Airpower Classic” and has participated AFA National Report...... [email protected] I looked at the Military Compensa- in numerous roles, as the article stated. Editorial Offi ces ...... [email protected] tion and Retirement Modernization The article listed the AC, EC, KC, and Committee’s report on retirement value MC, but in my humble opinion, failed Letters to Editor Column...... [email protected] for an E-7 under the current system: to mention its very valuable role as a $201,000 and blended $248,649. I have DC-130. During the , the Change of Address been retired for 20 years and have DC-130 flew hundreds of missions, collected $306,925 as of December launching and monitoring drones that Requires four weeks’ notice. Please mail your 2014. So I do not know what hat they would fly over North Vietnam, provid- magazine label and fi rst and last name to the Membership Department at 1501 Lee High- pulled the numbers from. But it is not ing valuable photographic intelligence way, Arlington, VA 22209-1198. You may also based on the real world, and I know used to plan targets and to determine update this information under the Members an E-7 retiring today will be getting a the results of the strike missions. They Only area of our website at www.afa.org, by much bigger monthly check than I do— also provided locations of various types calling our Membership Department at 1-800- about $270 more per month. $529,680 of defensive systems used by the North 727-3337, or emailing [email protected]. in 20 years, not even figuring COLA Vietnamese. Drones launched by DC- increases. Maybe now is the time to AFA’s Mission require retirement contributions and Our mission is to promote a dominant United limited COLA increases for the first 20 Do you have a comment about a years. Once you look at the numbers, I States Air Force and a strong national defense current article in the magazine? and to honor airmen and our Air Force heri- have always thought that there should Write to “Letters,” Air Force Mag- tage. To accomplish this, we: be something for the people who serve a zine, 1501 Lee Highway, Ar- at least 10 years. lington, VA 22209-1198. (Email: Educate the public on the critical need for MSgt. Jeff L. Surratt, [email protected].) Letters should unmatched aerospace power and a techni- cally superior workforce to ensure US national USAF (Ret.) be concise and timely. We cannot security. Great Falls, Mont. acknowledge receipt of letters. We reserve the right to condense Advocate for aerospace power and STEM Missing Mackay letters. Letters without name and education. In reading the article on the C-130 in city/base and state are not accept- Support the Total Air Force family and promote the February 2015 magazine [“Airpower able. Photographs can not be used aerospace education. Classics: C-130 Hercules,” p. 92], I or returned.—THE EDITORS noticed an omission under the Mackay

6 AIR FORCE Magazine / April 2015 1 0 r l r p ri It is true the MC-12s would have g F A i r r i i i been operated by AFSOC airmen. A Air r r li i p l i l r r pr r The fact that the aircraft would have l r r ll ppr i r i A i lli i r been transferred, more accurately, via r i l r r 2015 p 2 1 0 r pr r USSOCOM, is pertinent because the lpi r r p i r l i p r ri r command planned to shuffle and redis- [“Airman’s Best Friend”]. r p r i i A tribute two fleets. Of the 51 MC-12Ws r r l r in service—41 Project Liberty aircraft rri r i i r i / r p A belong to , and r r r ll ll 10 Javaman aircraft are assigned to ili r i pp r SOCOM. SOCOM planned to split r i i r i i i l R Ra ACC’s aircraft between AFSOC and the i l i ri ri r i r i l Army and pass its Javamen—currently r i r ir ri i Army operated—to AFSOC. In the end, i r pri r ir r i Congress froze and finally barred the i l l r i pl i r transferring all but 13 of the aircraft, r which will go to the A l r Al A 11 l i r r to stand up a special operations mis- 1 i i i i r r r sion in Oklahoma.—the editors 2 1 ppr i i r [“With the Raptors Over Syria,” February, p. 26]. ri ir r p i i i li l l l i r r l l p r r r r p l li i li GAME CHANGER r ri i i li pr l Maximum Clearance, Twice the Range i r i r illi r i lli r i ll r i i i ill i r 22 p i r i pi i r i p i ili r i p i l i i l l i r i r r li ir r ll l ll i p r r r r r ll r i i r A l A i

AF I AF I AF r i r r i 12 12 i r ir r r i i i r rr p i l p r i [“Aperture: Other Budget Fallout,” p. 12]. i p i l p r i i ili r r i p i l r i r i l i r FLIR Systems continues to redefi ne what’s Ar i p i l r possible with the new Star SAFIRE™ 380HDc. Ar ll p Unmatched multi-spectral HD imaging in a p r r i light, compact, low profi le system designed ill 12 i r rr have USAF markings and be flown and for your mission. Star SAFIRE® 380-HDc i i ir li A 1 0 Long-Range Performance 22 in a Compact System r p i l r r ri p i l p r i ill pr i i ir r ill A ir r p r l ill i ir For more information A r i r visit www.fl ir.com/380hdc ill r The World’s Sixth Sense A / fl i r h q @ fl i r A l

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r ll p pr i l l l r i i r l i p i l p r i i i r r Air Force Magazine i i ri i i ll A 10 l i il rl ll r il r pr p r l l i r i p r i i Ar l r ll tant unit. The 100th ARW regularly i A l i i i i r i pp r ir r r i i r l l A 10 ri ri pp r i i i ir i ir pi i ill i il r rl i r i ill fleet in the 1960s—and apply it to their r l r r r i l i r p i ii ll i i i i i r li l ri porting flight. Furthermore, the close ll r i l r i p i ri r proximity of RAF Mildenhall to another ri i l USAF base, namely RAF Lakenheath l r li r r ili r r presently flying F-15s and soon to be i i i r r p i l /r pl 5 Fa n i e r pi 10 000 always made a lot of financial sense r l r rri 1 i ri l ll r r i p r i ip r l 1 i i i r l l il r i i i l l r ri p r r r il r i i i r r li i li p i ll i r r ri i i l ir l r i l l l r r i r i r l A i p i l i r r i USAF (Ret.) l l r i i r p i ll r r li l r i when mostly required during a conflict. r r The F-16’s official name is the Fight- Mine why shutting down RAF Mildenhall is ing Falcon, but the aircraft is almost rr i pi r p i not a good idea. Previous BRACs have universally referred to by its nickname, p 0 r r i r r p r r ilr i the Viper.—the editors l r r r [“The i l r JSTARS Recap,” February, p. 36]. RAF Mildenhall will prove to be, without ee ing e e A Agen O ange ir r pi r i ll l r doubt, not just a financial mistake but, A i r A A r 50 il r r p ll i p r i l i r r Air Force Magazine, r r r i i p li i ll ll r p i ll normally find any glaring omissions in former Gulfstream GV flight-test air p rr Air r r i l ri rr ll plane, serial No. 501. 501 was the first l r ip ill l p r i r ir r p 5 l i il 550 l sequences of abandoning RAF Mildenhall r 2015 ii Air Force the modern PlaneView flight deck of pr i ll r i / r Magazine, r rr ll ri 550 r i pr i r l i i r r r A r i p ri l li ili r i has transcended Vietnam. The significant irpl pp r i i i l ll l r i i r i modified configuration as their ISR il il r l r r r l An A i n r i A i 2010 p r / 501 r l r A r r i ili Air r i r rr ll r i l ll i ill i i i l ri li Air r i r r i r rr l i A 10 r r 2010 r i i Air r i l pi r r A r A i l i l r l r p pr pri r A [“Letters: Time for Reflection,” A A i i r l r l l l r February, p. 7]. i p i l A i r i A A USAF (Ret.) p r i i r i ri i r i r A ir r l r 2010 p r i i r r i l r A A A i i C ing Mi en a I a Mi a e i ir p r i r i p 1 2010 l r r The planned closure of RAF Milden A r r i ir the VA stating the following: “Regard ll l r l mandos who flew P-51s and B-25s in i r r r /i rr i r i l ir pp r ri i i i i l ri l pr i i l Air r l r ip [“Air Force r Ai ir r i i l i i World: European Base Consolidation,” dos flew aircraft also deemed obsolete r r r l i i March, p. 15]. i r i r A 2 il i i r il A r pr i i i p r i l rl r i r i i r i i i r Air r r l A 10 i l r i l i r l li r l r i ll pp r A2/AD conflict, it is the perfect instru p r ir i r i r i r rir r r r i l i i r i low-intensity conflicts of the sort with p r l l i ri i i r i r r i A i i l rr ill r ri i r i 1 pr i ir r i p r ll l USAF flight orders or PCS orders or TDY pr i A i i ll r r ir r i i i r r r pr i i ll r i r r ri i ir p r i r A l l l r ri i A i l A i i r l r l i 130 fleet. Since Grenada, AC-130s USAF (Ret.) 52 ill r have flown many sorties that are not r i

AIR FORCE Magazine / April 2015 Aperture By Marc V. Schanz, Senior Editor

CAS confab; PACAF’­ s new boss; The missions are the message ….

THE CAS CAMPAIGN discussion on how to make sure CAS is a “sustainable” mis- sion. “We have no preconceived notions or end state other Since the Fiscal 2016 President’s Budget was released, than to generate ideas,” he added. USAF officials have gone on a public relations offensive, at- At least publicly the ground service is backing USAF’s talk- tempting to answer critics who question the service’s steward- ing points. CAS is a “platform agnostic” mission, said Army ship of the mission. The push began at the Secretary John M. McHugh on Feb. 26, echoing comments Air Force Association’s Air Warfare Symposium in Orlando, by USAF pilots. As technology and capabilities change, the Fla., in February, with Welsh’s loud defense of USAF’s ac- expectations between services also will change, said McHugh, complishments and commitment to the mission. who noted that CAS’s future is a strategic discussion that will It’s an interesting conversation where everyone’s talking be “addressed and readdressed over time.” about the F-35 not doing close air support when that’s all McHugh swatted down the notion that the Army could the Marine Corps is buying it for, Welsh said. The “thread inherit divested A-10s. Fixed wing CAS is an “Air Force of conversation,” which claims USAF doesn’t care about the mission, and it should be. And I’m sure the Air Force feels CAS mission, “is a little ridiculous.” the same way,” he told reporters. What is important is that The Air Force flew some 20,000 CAS sorties a year on when needed, ground troops can have timely and effective average just in the last seven years, he noted, asking, “When “explosive ordnance on enemy positions,” McHugh said. is there a little bit of credit given for that?” Welsh said P- He said he has received assurances from USAF that this 40s conducted CAS missions in World War II as did A-7s in will continue to be the case into the future. Vietnam, “long before we had an A-10.” The idea that USAF does not have a “mentality” for CAS is “a little beyond my comprehension,” he added. THE VIEW FROM HICKAM In a background briefing held later that month at the Pen- tagon, several Air Force pilots described their CAS experi- In her first interview with Air Force Magazine as Pacific Air ences in F-15Es, F-16s, and other aircraft over the last 14 Forces boss, Gen. Lori J. Robinson, an experienced air battle years. Improvements in joint terminal attack control, precision manager, said she wants to continue and expand theater weapons, and training since September 2001 have rendered security cooperation as dictated by the “places not bases” the close air support mission “platform agnostic,” said one construct emphasized by her predecessor. veteran F-16 pilot and weapons school instructor. Due to However, Robinson gave it her own twist: “places, some years of combat deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq, a wide bases, but airmen ambassador faces.” swath of the combat air force is now steeped in CAS knowl- This concept applies to the PACAF’s core tasks, with regard edge, from the F-16 to the B-1B. “You train for the mission to its theater security cooperation efforts—partnerships, pres- you expect to fly. In the last 14 years, that’s been close air ence, and power projection, she said. Airmen are serving as support,” said one pilot. the Air Force’s ambassadors at all levels. Shortly after she USAF’s motivation for pushback is clear: The CAS conver- took command, she went to Japan for a conference of allied sation “is getting wrapped around the A-10,” Air Combat Com- air Chiefs. Japan Air Self-Defense Force Chief of Staff Gen. mand boss Gen. Herbert J. “Hawk” Carlisle said in Orlando. Harukazu Saito dubbed her the “dean” for the delegation, Carlisle said he planned to convene a weeklong summit of and as such, Robinson represented all the Chiefs present in the services in early March to discuss the CAS lessons from meetings with the Defense Minister and Prime Minister Shinzo Southwest Asia operations and how the joint force should Abe. “That put a big stamp on my understanding of my role in adapt to provide CAS in future combat scenarios, such as developing partnerships in the region,” she said. contested or anti-access, area-denial environments. Robinson sees great value in joint initiatives with key allies ACC officials dubbed the event “CAS Focus Week,” calling from Japan to South Korea to PACAF headquarters at JB Pearl it a deep dive into the mission to see what the services “have Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, particularly with regard to command learned and what we think the gaps and seams are.” Working and control and data sharing initiatives. groups from the Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, Army, and US “If we think of [theater security cooperation] as a method Special Operations Command met at the Pentagon in the first of building trust and confidence, this is another measure ... week in March to discuss subjects ranging from tactics to data as far as I am concerned,” she said. and information sharing practices. They briefed Carlisle on Robinson said there must be a “constant conversation” the findings, then presented the findings to the service Chiefs. between military leaders and policy-makers, so no one has to “We’re hoping to solve a lot of this stuff,” Carlisle noted. figure out where they stand on issues when a crisis emerges. An ACC official, speaking on background, said the timing USAF and its policy-makers “both need to understand what’s for the event was part of a larger discussion about how USAF going on so we can provide the best defensive capability and is reorganizing, training, and equipping its combat air forces. the best mutual understanding of what’s happening in the USAF leadership felt now was the time to uncover “existing battlespace.” and potential challenges, future requirements, and capabil- She also touted joint US-Japan initiatives. These include ity gaps” in CAS. Specific decisions “will be made over the the JASDF Air Defense Command at Yokota AB, Japan, where coming months,” he added, but ACC’s goal is to engender USAF personnel work alongside their Japanese counterparts

AIR FORCE Magazine / April 2015 9 Aperture to produce a common operating picture of the Japanese home Pentagon’s combatant commanders and the need to maximize islands, and exercises such as the integrated air and missile and modernize joint military power. defense drills held at the Pacific Integrated Air and Missile During a Feb. 27 hearing before the House Appropriations Defense Center at Hickam. USAF airmen and their allies in Committee’s defense panel, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark countries like Japan “are starting to think alike” on how inte- A. Welsh III pointed out that intelligence, surveillance, and recon- grated air and space operations are managed and controlled, naissance demands, in particular, continue to mushroom despite and over time, this will have strategic implications in theater. the Afghanistan drawdown. US Central Command’s needs to These efforts are reflected in the expansion of PACAF’s set support Operation Inherent Resolve—the campaign to degrade piece exercises, such as February’s Cope North on Andersen and defeat ISIS—are a leading driver of ISR demands. Air Force AFB, Guam. There, USAF worked alongside the Royal New Secretary Deborah Lee James noted during the same hearing Zealand Air Force and others in a humanitarian disaster that the Air Force has provided some 18 million images during response event staged on the islands of Rota and Tinian, in OIR alone, which has led to “22 high value individuals” being addition to joint combat training. The exercise involved some killed or captured. 2,340 personnel from the US, Australia, Japan, New Zealand, The value of ISR as the “coin of the realm” on the battlefield the , and South Korea, making it the largest-yet continues to shape USAF decisions, Welsh said. “That’s where iteration of Cope North. Vietnam, an emerging partner the US the demand is coming from,” he declared. Seven years ago the Air is courting in Southeast Asia, sent observers, as did Singapore. Force shut down 10 fighter squadrons in order to steer manpower The “consistent presence and drumbeat of that exercise” has helped create stability and trust between key regional allies and partners, Robinson said, particularly enhancing hu- manitarian and disaster cooperation practices and procedures. The joint US-Republic of Korea Key Resolve/Foal Eagle exercises, which began March 2, are an annual event featur- ing a series of air, naval, land, and command post exercises Ash M. Scott by photo USAF intended to prepare forces to counter North Korean threats on the peninsula. The event drew a typically belligerent response from the North, which fired two Scud-class ballistic missiles from the port of Nampo into the Sea of Japan the same day. The launch was followed by a propaganda blast from its military general staff denouncing the exercises as “dangerous nuclear war drills for invading” the North. Asked for her assessment of the military balance on the peninsula, Robinson said she had only visited South Korea briefly to call on ROK and US officials and to attend the 7th Air Force change of command ceremony in December, when Lt. Gen. Terrence J. O’Shaughnessy assumed leadership from Lt. Gen. Jan-Marc Jouas. “You can see there is a lot of James and Welsh testified about the “coin of the realm”—ISR. vigilance, I’ll put it that way,” she said, adding that she would be returning in April for a longer visit. The vigilance is in part due to the large number of rocket and resources to more ISR capabilities, he noted, adding that and missile firings in the North over the last year, as both ROK that’s “part of the capacity problem now ... for fighter squadrons, and US officials note, 2014 was the busiest year on record but we did it because that was the only place ... to get resources.” for these events. Welsh said he asks combatant commanders whether they “prefer While the US is attempting to get the North to return to the us ... to invest in more ISR or more [fighter] capacity,” and they Six Party Talks regarding its nuclear program, Kim Jong Un’s always ask for more ISR. regime has demonstrated no interest and has alienated some USAF is pushing this argument to defend its move to convert of the North’s traditional allies with its ruler’s behavior. (Kim 18 combat-coded A-10s to backup aircraft inventory (BAI), which has yet to pay a visit to Beijing as head of state.) it announced on Feb. 27. Instead of moving the 36 airframes The March 2 launch was the third reported missile launch authorized in the 2015 National Defense Authorization Act into of 2015. Between January 2014 and March 2015, the North BAI, James has taken a cautious approach, saying she will re- launched 117 rocket artillery rounds and ballistic missiles visit the action later in the year to see if it adequately balances during tests and demonstrations, according to Jeffrey Lewis, current combat needs with the need to modernize. Air Force director of the East Asia Nonproliferation Program at the leaders continue to push for the A-10 divesture, not only to meet Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey in Budget Control Act funding caps, but also because USAF needs California. These include five separate testing events of an the experienced maintainers on the A-10 to begin integration into extended-range KN-02 short-range ballistic missile variant the F-35 program. and six testing events of Scud variant missiles. “That’s where we come to these very difficult decisions,” Welsh argued to the HAC-D. In comments to Congress and the press in February, Welsh NEEDS AND WANTS and James have repeatedly emphasized the need to talk about close air support as a mission critical to the Air Force and joint Air Force leaders returned to Capitol Hill in late February to combat operations. “The F-35 will not be a great CAS platform at advocate for several unpopular proposals in the Fiscal 2016 IOC [initial operational capability] in 2016,” Welsh bluntly told the budget plan, such as the phaseout of the U-2 and A-10 fleets. HAC-D. “It was not intended to be.” By 2021, however, “it will be However, this time, USAF fine-tuned its pitch, emphasizing a different story” and USAF is in the process now of developing that its plans are a response to rising requirements from the “new weapons capabilities” for this mission area for the F-35. %

10 A e / April 2015 Action in Congress By Megan Scully

ir Force leaders are making the exactly right, James said, leaving no Congress last year approved $220 Arounds on Capitol Hill, imploring wiggle room for even the most minor million for this fiscal year to kick-start lawmakers to give them some relief of developmental setbacks. the research and development effort from an ambitious—and congressionally United Launch Alliance, a Boeing for a domestic rocket engine. In its mandated—deadline to end reliance and Lockheed Martin joint venture, Fiscal 2016 request, the Air Force on a Russian-built rocket engine in just has a stranglehold on the EELV com- proposed $85 million for the program, four years. petition, producing both the Atlas V and a total of $295 million over the The issue has been propelled into the and the larger and more expensive next five years. limelight by steadily deteriorating rela- Delta IV, which does not use the James acknowledged to House tions between Washington and Moscow RD-180. appropriators Feb. 27 that that is not in the wake of Russia’s incursion in Upstart SpaceX should be certified enough money for the Air Force to pay Ukraine. It is shaping up to be one of the to launch the satellites later this year. for the program on its own. Service of- most closely watched during this year’s Because its rocket, the Falcon 9, also ficials are planning to pursue a public- round of negotiations on private partnership, with the annual defense spend- industry self-funding SpaceX photo ing and policy bills. some of the effort. The Fiscal 2015 de- “We may have to ad- fense authorization law, just this as we learn approved by Congress in more, but we thought December, includes a pro- that was a good starting vision that would require point,” James said. the Air Force to abandon The Air Force is re- use of the Russian-built searching how to create RD-180 engine to launch material strong enough the Atlas V, one of two to resist the enormous rockets certified for the temperature and pres- Evolved Expendable sures involved with Launch Vehicle program, spaceflight. by 2019. Service officials will But Air Force Secretary use that money to fund Deborah Lee James has several launch service been explaining to law- providers to start de- makers that the date is veloping engine alter- simply not feasible. natives. Technical experts, whom The next step, James James has offered up for Will Falcon 9 be the next launcher? said, is to put out to in- briefings on Capitol Hill, dustry a formal request estimate it could take six for information—and to seven years to develop the engine, does not use the Russian engine, it ultimately, a request for proposal—a and another year or two to integrate it could be in a good position to benefit process that could take years. on the rocket. if the current restriction remains in The question, though, is whether A rocket engine, she has urged, is place. lawmakers—particularly those on the far more complex than a jet engine ULA’s Delta IV could certainly take House and Senate Armed Services and must withstand intense heat and over some of the Atlas V’s missions, Committee, who are tasked with draft- pressure. And it’s not just a matter of but James suggested that it may not ing the annual authorization mea- engineering—it also involves procuring be cost-effective. sure—will buy the Air Force some time materials for those extreme conditions. If Congress keeps the 2019 dead- by relaxing the 2019 deadline. The United States, James stressed, line in place, the Air Force would es- Perhaps the most important law- simply does not have enough know-how sentially be transferring the grip on the maker to watch on this issue will be in this area to develop a new engine on EELV from one company to the next, Senate Armed Services Chairman an extremely tight timetable. abandoning the long-running desire John McCain (R-Ariz.), who has been “This truly is rocket science,” James to have competition for the lucrative among the senators most vocally con- told the Senate appropriations sub- program. cerned about the use of the Russian committee on defense Feb. 25 while “I worry that we run the risk of trad- engines. He may be the toughest to testifying on the Air Force’s 2016 budget ing one monopoly, which is what ULA sell of the idea on an extension. % proposal. “These are hard technical has been, for a new monopoly,” James problems.” told reporters after the Senate hear- To deliver the engine on time, ev- ing. “And I don’t think anybody wants Megan Scully is a reporter for CQ Roll erything would need to fall into place that to happen.” Call.

April 2015 11 Air Force World

Carter Sworn In as 25th Defense Secretary his oath of office. First, to help the President make the best Ashton B. Carter became the 25th Defense Secretary—the possible decisions to protect the nation and to implement those fourth to serve under President Obama—replacing Chuck Hagel decisions, second, to ensure the “strength and health” of service in a ceremony at the Pentagon on Feb. 17. members and protect readiness, and finally to build the “force Carter previously served as the No. 2 and No. 3 offi cial at the of the future” by steering through budgetary uncertainty and Pentagon. “embracing change.” “Starting today, I will be calling on each and every one of “With his decades of experience, Ash will help keep our military you to help carry out three top priorities,” Carter said following strong as we continue the fi ght against terrorist networks, mod-

screenshot

12 AIR FORCE Magazine / April 2015 By Aaron M. U. Church, Associate Editor

ernize our alliances, and invest in new capabilities to keep our “We’re authorized to put up to 13 of them at Oklahoma, so armed forces prepared for long-term threats,” President Obama we’re doing that,” said AFSOC Commander Lt. Gen. Bradley said in a statement. A. Heithold in February. He was speaking at the Air Force As- sociation’s Air Warfare Symposium in Orlando, Fla. Sooner MC-12s, Then Later … The ANG unit will conduct special operations intelligence, The Air National Guard is standing up a new MC-12 Liberty surveillance, and reconnaissance and Aviation Foreign Internal special operations unit at Will Rogers ANGB, Okla., “later this Defense training in support of US Special Operations Command, year,” according to Air Force Special Operations Command. said Heithold.

03.01.2015

A1C Jacob Dudley, an F-16 crew chief, conducts a prefl ight inspection at Misawa AB, Japan, during operational readi- ness exercise Beverly Sunrise. OREs inject wartime turn- around procedures into the daily routine of crew chiefs, allowing them to practice quickly generating aircraft as they would need to in combat conditions.

USAF photo by A1C Jordyn Rucker

AIR FORCE Magazine / April 2015 13 Air Force World USAF photos by 1st Lt. Sarah Ruckriegle Sarah Lt. 1st by photos USAF

AFSOC planned to replace its U-28 fleet with MC-12s Bang, Zoom, Straight to the Moon: SSgt. John Mitchell divested by Air Combat Command and acquired via SO- (l) and SrA. Jeff Glover (r), both explosive ordnance disposal COM. Congress blocked the move pending a report on its technicians with the 386th Expeditionary Civil Engineer , go over a recoil absorbing mechanism at a base rationale, which Heithold said will be briefed to legislators in Southwest Asia. The mechanism is used to disrupt the “in the near future.” circuitry of a bomb. In the picture at right, a plume of smoke and fi re erupts from a controlled detonation—performed by the EOD techs—of unserviceable or unexploded munitions. Strategy, by Every Other Name President Obama unveiled a broad-based security Legion, for Our Uses Are Many vision spanning everything from strengthening regional Lockheed Martin unveiled the new Legion Pod, which defense alliances to reducing carbon emissions in would work in tandem with the F-15C’s planned infrared his 2015 National Security Strategy, released Feb. 6. search and track capability to enable cooperative targeting “The strategy wisely calls for drawing on all the in radar-denied situations, the company said. sources of our national power—including the unri- Faced with “more of a near-peer adversary” such as China valed strength and resilience of America’s economy, or Russia, the Air Force will need sensors that produce a diplomacy, and military, as well as our values,” said “legion of capabilities” without encumbering aircraft, com- then-Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel in a statement. pany officials said at Air Force Association’s Air Warfare The White House fact sheet laying out the principles Symposium in Orlando, Fla., Feb. 12. of the strategy calls for “maintaining a national defense The 16-inch-diameter pod was designed to accommodate that is the best trained, equipped, and led force in the current and future payloads with a common power distribu- world” and ending the “draconian cuts imposed by tion and self-sufficient cooling system. sequestration.” It can offer the F-15 “high-fidelity tracking without alert- The document does not address recapitalizing aging ing the enemy, increasing operator workload,” or blacking US military equipment, but does call for “modernizing out when jammed. The pod integrates the IRST-21 with the NATO Alliance to meet emerging threats,” accord- networking and advanced open architecture processing ing to the fact sheet. Obama reiterated his call for “a and supports emerging fifth-to-fourth generation commu- world without nuclear weapons” and similarly called nication gateways. for “preventing Iran from producing a nuclear weapon.” The Administration aims to shift to what it calls a Can’t See You “sustainable global security posture,” relying heavily Investigators determined that a student pilot’s failure on allies and partners, to “keep pressure” on groups to maintain visual contact and deconfliction caused the such as ISIS and al Qaeda. collision of two Oklahoma Air National Guard F-16Cs on —Aaron M. U. Church Oct. 20, 2014. The instructor pilot, who had more than 2,400 flight hours in an F-16, was playing the role of the “engaged pilot” dur-

14 AIR FORCE Magazine / April 2015 ing a training mission, while the student pilot, who had 106 F-16 flight hours, was to play the supporting role. CMSAF James C. Binnicker, 1938-2015 A third F-16 was to act as the adversary, according to the ac- Retired CMSAF James C. Binnicker, cident investigation board report, released Feb. 20. who served from July 1986 through During the second scenario, the student pilot lost visual contact July 1990 as the ninth Chief Mas of the instructor pilot and collided 16 seconds later. ter Sergeant of the Air Force, The instructor successfully ejected from his stricken aircraft i r 21 i l sustaining minor injuries, but the student was able to return to Ga. He was 76. base despite losing a large portion of his aircraft’s right flaperon i i r and horizontal stabilizer. r i i The crash was estimated at a $22.5 million loss. Both aircraft and greater than himself,” said pilots were assigned to the Oklahoma ANG’s 138th Fighter Wing. Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James, in a service news Osprey Offload r l i p i i r A KC-10 tanker escorted and refueled a flight of five Marine ll ir p pr Corps MV-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft en route to exercise Cobra around the globe,” she said. Gold in Thailand, early this year. During his tenure as the service’s top enlisted leader, “Not only did we conduct two aerial refuels, but we effectively Binnicker led the transformation from the Airman Per showcased the expanding envelope of the MV-22 and its ability formance Report to the Enlisted Performance Report, to range the entirety of the Pacific Command” area of operations, developed the performance feedback system, and said Marine Capt. Victor Bockman, commander of Medium Tilt- worked to have master sergeants admitted to the Senior Rotor Squadron 265. Noncommissioned Officer Academy and to increase “It is a very capable platform that can hold more fuel than the pp r i i r i ri l ir C-130s we are used to working with.” The KC-10 transferred 40,000 Binnicker’s Air Force career spanned 33 years. He pounds of fuel on a 2,000-mile trip from Clark AB, Philippines, to officially retired in August 1990. U Tapao RTAB, Thailand, additionally acting as a communications “We often speak of legends, those airmen who have relay for the Ospreys. gone before us,” said CMSAF James A. Cody. “Chief A KC-10 from Travis AFB, Calif., previously tested aerial re- i i r i l l i i p fueling operations with an Osprey off the coast of California last on our Air Force is everlasting and we will truly miss his October, according to a news release. leadership, counsel, and friendship.” Cobra Gold ran Feb. 7 to 21. In 2000 Binnicker, who was a native of Orangeburg, S.C., became president and CEO of the Air Force Spatter in Space Enlisted Village in Shalimar, Fla., near Eglin Air Force A military weather satellite broke up Feb. 3 after the power l il i system overheated, causing it to spin out of control, Air Force Space Command officials told Air Force Magazine in a statement. The Joint Space Operations Center “identified a debris field” indicating Defense Meteorological Satellite Program flight 13 “While the initial response is complete, JSpOC personnel will disintegrated into 43 bits of debris. continue to assess this event to learn more about what happened and what it will mean for users within this orbit,” Col. John Giles, JSpOC director, said in the statement. T-X: Coming Quick DMSP-13 was the oldest operational satellite in the constel- Air i r i i il lation and was relegated to backup status in 2006. i r r r i r ir r r pl Operators took action to “render the vehicle safe” soon after i ri l p the temperature spike, and the debris does not appear to pose a A pl pr r r ir collision risk to other space assets, according to the statement. Air r 50 i i i i l p r i l JSpOC is continuing to monitor and warn of any potential risks, p ili i 202 r pl 21 l p l said AFSPC officials. Air Force Magazine. The most recent DMSP satellite, DMSP-19, launched last April. The T-38 fleet has received a number of service life extension program modifications over its 54-year life Israel Buys More F-35s ill p 202 202 i Israeli defense officials signed an agreement with the United there is a delay to T-X, “we would have to do additional States to acquire 14 additional F-35A strike fighters, bringing [service life extension programs] on the T-38.” The T-X Israel’s total order to date to 33, the Jerusalem Post reported. is to finish delivery in 2031. Under a $2.82 billion deal announced by the Israeli defense Air r r i r l p ministry on Feb. 22, Israel will receive the 14 Lockheed Martin- because “12 of the 18 tasks” that pilots must learn for built stealth jets, along with logistical support, flight and ground advanced fast-jet training “can’t be [accomplished] crew training, replacement parts, and maintenance services, by the T-38.” according to the newspaper’s report. These have chiefly to do with cockpit management, The package also includes development and integration of p i ll i r r l i il Israeli combat systems and avionics on the airplanes. program has passed the Air Force’s own requirements The order builds on the 19 F-35As that Israel bought in 2010 review, it will go before the Pentagon’s Joint Require under a foreign military sales arrangement with the United States. ments Oversight Council in April for its blessing. Israel is scheduled to receive its first F-35As in 2016, according At that time, the Navy, an observer on T-X, will to the Associated Press. p r pr r i ill T-45” through 2035, Dunlop said. BUFF Denuclearization —John A. Tirpak Air Force Global Strike Command will begin denuclearizing 30 B-52H bombers to conventional-only configuration this year to meet limits under the New START agreement.

AIR FORCE Magazine / April 2015 15 Air Force World USAF photo by SSgt. Kelly Goonan Kelly SSgt. by photo USAF

Looks Real to Me: Pararescue jumpers and combat rescue rejoin the operational fl eet, according to Air Force Global offi cers make their way through collapsed buildings, mangled Strike Command. vehicles, fl ooded housing areas, and work with dozens of civil- Serial No. 61-0007, nicknamed Ghost Rider, was held in ian role-players during training at a Guardian Centers site in type 1000 storage at Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz., and will be Perry, Ga. The Reservists practiced responses to two natural the first B-52H regenerated back into the fleet, according disasters and an IED scenario at the realistic civilian center. Guardian Centers provides opportunities for fi rst responders of to officials at Tinker AFB, Okla. all sorts, including military, to train for large-scale disasters. “We had an accident with one of our B-52s, … so we pulled one out of the Boneyard,” commander of AFGSC “We’ll be starting that process, and it’s basically going to be a Lt. Gen. Stephen W. “Seve” Wilson said at AFA’s Air War- box. ... It will be outboard visible,” AFGSC boss Lt. Gen. Stephen fare Symposium in Orlando. A cockpit oxygen fire caused W. “Seve” Wilson said in a briefi ng. “We’ve already looked at severe damage to the aircraft, but no serious injuries to it, tested it, and now [we] just need to get it in production,” he personnel, he said. stated at AFA’s Air Warfare Symposium in February. Maintainers at Barksdale will upgrade 0007 to fleet Under the New START agreement both the United States standards before ferrying the aircraft to Tinker for full-up and Russia must cut nuclear arsenals to 1,550 deployed programmed depot maintenance later this year. warheads, 700 deployed launchers, and 800 deployed and Ghost Rider last underwent PDM in 2004 and will return nondeployed launchers by February 2018. to operations at Barksdale in summer 2016, according to Wilson said AFGSC will “easily make” the deadline with a the news release. year’s wiggle room for unforeseen delays. Ebola Endgame Back From the “Boneyard” US military involvement in Operation United Assis- A B-52H resurrected from the “Boneyard” was tance—the international Ebola relief effort—ended after delivered to Barksdale AFB, La., Feb. 13, in preparation to four months of continuous airlift to Monrovia, Liberia, and to Dakar, Senegal, in February. “No military in the world can do what we did in Africa,” said Gen. Frank Gorenc, US Air Forces in Europe-Air Forces By the Numbers Africa commander, in a press release. “Our forward pres- ence in Europe gives us the unique capability to act quickly when our partners in both Africa and Europe ask for help.” A total of 2,800 Defense Department personnel deployed to West Africa at the height of the epidemic, according to 492,000 the Pentagon. The revised Total Force personnel end strength Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James announced in AEHF Wraps Up Operational Testing Air Force Space Command completed Advanced Ex- February to amend cuts and add 6,600 airmen to tremely High Frequency military satellite communication understaffed career fi elds, including maintenance, system operational test and evaluation, paving the way for nuclear, and cyber. AEHF’s initial operational capability, officials announced. Once data from the six-month intensive evaluation is analyzed, AFSPC “will decide whether the AEHF system

16 AIR FORCE Magazine / April 2015 e a n e i

O e a i n Re e A g ani an

n ea e an some at the end of the year,” and until then, the AAF will A Air r l ir pp r i p ili p make do with a mix of -armed Mi-17 and that must be filled to enable coalition forces to hand more MD-530 helicopters and a handful of Mi-35 attack chop- security responsibility over to Afghan forces, said US Forces- pers, he said. Afghanistan Commander Army Gen. John F. Campbell. “What I tell the Afghans is, don’t plan your operation The AAF’s future CAS capability relies on the A-29 Super wholly dependent upon close air support. … The Taliban pl r Air r i r r r r i i doesn’t have close air support,” he said, stressing that reli- the Afghans on at Moody AFB, Ga. ance on CAS is often just a lack of battlefield confidence “In hindsight, I wish we would have started that years and leadership. ago and we’d have that capability now,” Campbell testified The United States will deliver 20 A-29s to the Afghans before the House Armed Services Committee on March 4. between now and 2018, but “quite frankly, we can’t get “We won’t have any for this fighting season ’15. We’ll get [equipment] quickly enough for them,” said Campbell.

O e a i n In e en Re e ia an I a

C a e F-22 Raptors have flown in the majority of Operation Coalition advisors provided “operational and intelligence Inherent Resolve strike missions in Syria, due to their assistance,” said the release. The operation shows how force-multiplying effect on the capability of legacy air- ISIS forces can be defeated by using a combination of craft, Air Combat Command boss Gen. Herbert J. “Hawk” ground forces “enabled by coalition aviation and advise- Carlisle said. and-assist capabilities,” said task force commander Army “When you have F-22s in a package, every single airplane Lt. Gen. James L. Terry. in that package is better because the F-22s are there,” he The strikes came just days after the in-theater meeting said during a panel discussion at the Air Force Associa- of military leaders from 20 nations taking part in OIR, the tion’s Air Warfare Symposium in Orlando, Fla., in February. US-led effort to eliminate the ISIS threat in Iraq, Syria, “We’re putting Raptors into every package, whenever and the entire Middle East. we can, and it is most of the time,” Carlisle said. In addition to the F-22’s ability to go into airspace denied i e ing ne to other aircraft, its capacity to escort, manage, retask, and More than 350 airmen recently returned to Dyess AFB, provide dynamic targeting information “has even exceeded Texas, after a six-month deployment to the Persian Gulf our expectations—the airplane has performed fantastically” region where they supported B-1B operations. The air- against ISIS, he said. The F-22 saw its combat debut last men participated in three separate missions—Operation September, leading a strike sortie against ISIS targets in Enduring Freedom, Operation Freedom’s Sentinel, and Syria. Operation Inherent Resolve. While deployed to the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing at C a i i n Ai i e Ena e ain ea M Al Udeid AB, Qatar, the 9th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron Iraqi and anti-ISIS coalition forces have steadily built carried out a blistering pace of strikes, dropping more than up plans to take back Mosul from ISIS, and in February, 2,000 bombs in the performance of close air support mis- li i ir r r r p p i i r i sions, a “significant increase” in weapons drops compared enabling Kurdish forces to gain ground. to the squadron’s 2013 deployment, according to Lt. Col. After “precise and effective” air strikes on ISIS positions, Ed Sumangil, unit commander. Kurdish fighters seized three bridgeheads—considered Flying in support of OIR sorties over Iraq and Syria, B-1s strategic chokepoints for ground forces to move on Mo- accounted for 23 percent of sorties involving weapons sul—on the west bank of the Tigris River north of the city releases during CAS in the first two months of the opera- between Feb. 6 and Feb. 8, reported a news release from tion, and were the lead package during the first night of the Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve. strikes in Syria. The strikes aided the maneuver of the Kurdish forces B-1Bs continue to prosecute strikes as part of OIR. The and “their successful attack” on these locations, the release airmen were recently replaced by a stated. The Kurds held this territory and were postured to deployment from Ellsworth AFB, S.D., that arrived at Al take more in the areas around Mosul. Udeid in late January. has reached initial operational capability,” said Operations A i e a ge Director Lt. Col. Zachary Owen of the 4th Space Operations The Wisconsin Air National Guard’s 115th Fighter Wing stood Squadron in a Feb. 10 news release. up an active association with an injection of Active Duty airmen at Tests included proving the AEHF constellation could be Truax Field near Madison, Wis., on Feb. 7. controlled by a mobile control center separate from Schriever “We’re going to get young aviators, young maintainers, young AFB, Colo., as well as integrating with the legacy Milstar support personnel, and they are going to work right alongside those satcom system, according to officials. of you in the Guard who have been doing this for a lot longer than Cyber aggressors also probed AEHF’s network security they have,” said Lt. Col. J. Scott Gibson, commander of the new and Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center per- Active Duty 495th Fighter Group, Det. 176, at Truax. sonnel visited representative joint service and allied users The detachment will add four Active Duty F-16 pilots and 40 Active including Britain, Canada, and the Netherlands to assure maintenance and support personnel who will work alongside their end-user access worldwide. Air National Guard counterparts, according to the unit press release.

AIR FORCE Magazine / April 2015 Ai F e

Madison’s association is part of the Air Force’s overall Total basis” and that the Air Force has invested 150 people and Force Integration effort to stand up Active Duty detachments at $73 million toward the company’s certification and increased each of its ANG and Air Force Reserve Command fighter units. competition in launch bids. %

a e a n e e M e C e i i e in The Air Force will open three national security space In e A e i e launches for competition in Fiscal 2016 and three in Fiscal 2017. By Fiscal 2018 all 18 planned national security space i l 5 launches will be open to competition, Maj. Gen. Roger W. li r Teague, acquisition director for space programs, said Feb. 6. r r p r r “We are satisfying the terms of the contract we have USAA...... Cover III with [United Launch Alliance] while doing the best we can, maximizing competitive opportunities,” Teague said during A A rp r r ip USAF’s Fiscal 2016 space budget brief. A A l i The Air Force is “very, very near” completion of the SpaceX AFA Member Benefits Reference...... 79 certification program, commented Teague, who said he remains i Airli r r r optimistic the process will be completed by midyear. Teague A A said the Space and Missile Systems Center commander r ir i meets with SpaceX CEO Elon Musk on “a regular, weekly ip r

eni a C ange

RE IREME en a ge l r A r A rl r i l l ri l Ange e a r a i A Fe e A a n from Chief, Prgm. Integration Div., USAF, Pentagon, to a i rr A Fee an A A ll ri i aza e r il ri rl e ri i A p r 55 A A i e Ai l r e r r 55 A A A i r A A A OMI A IO e ene a ll a i i e ri l r A e r r p A r ie enan ene a C e an r A EUCOM, and SACEUR, EUCOM, Casteau, Belgium, to Dir., Combined E ige e II e Ma ene a ll a r p r i r l A A i e e A e r e i l e II r i ir e iga ie ene a i r A C e rr r A i r A i r A l C ni A r A C A a n illi rr Ma inez r p Alli r nig r A e i l O l A e e r rl ir p A A ll ri A iga ie ene a r e n i l Fee e l i l O r r 505 r l i n i e A rl r i l l r 0 A A A i l ll a i i from Mil. Dep., Office of Asst. C A E l A en r r i l A r A A r A ri r A i ri i A r ir i l A i ri in a r r 0 A Ops. & Research, Office of the Surgeon General, USAF, Falls Church, A A i p ir li i il A ir A i ri l r ir A i l p i Ran r r A A lp p A l ll ir p r r l r A r l A & Resources, Office of the Surgeon General, USAF, Falls Church, A a z r ir p l A A ll ri l i r A C e r r A p i i r A A ll l i r A ir l A ir Air p r i i A A ll p Alli r l r i r p r i r l r rl ri ill n r i A A i l C e r ir AF Senate Liaison Office, Office of the LL, Pentagon, to Dir., Svcs., A l i iri r DCS, Manpower, Personnel, & Svcs., USAF, Pentagon … Brig. Gen. Protection, USAF, Pentagon … Brig. Gen. (sel.) Barry R. C ni l l A e r p ir Air p r p p from Exec. Officer to the Cmdr., PACAF, JB Pearl Harbor-Hickam, AFSPC, Peterson AFB, Colo., to Vice Cmdr., US Air Warfare Center, ii r 1 A A A p ri A lli A i r ir l l A r A C r i ir p A r A r A l i p r Air l ir l r A A lp r r l p i r Air p r l an r / A p A i i ii r 5 A A A A p ri n r ir l r A COMMA C IEF C A E A a aza r A lp r A Air r rl r i i A A A i i r l r A l i l 12 A A i A Ari illi ne r A E ige from Dep. Surgeon General of the AF, Office of the r i 0 p A r A Surgeon General, USAF, Falls Church, Va., to Surgeon General of li i A A lp the AF, USAF, Pentagon … Maj. Gen. (sel.) James B. e e r r 1 A A A p ir l r E IOR E EC I E ER ICE C A E rl A a e A l i i p ir r i A i r A ill A r ir p i Al A r Utah … Heidi H. i ir A ll i r i A rl r i l l ir p ill A l A A ri r A i R e ge r A gg r ir i l p r A il p A i l r A ri Office of the Surgeon General, USAF, Falls Church, Va., to Dep. r A i e ing r l p i li l Surgeon General, Office of the Surgeon General, USAF, Pentagon Air p l r ri r A i l A e r p ir p p ri i ng to Dir., Washington Headquarters Svcs., Office ir p i A l A ir A i i r i J

AIR FORCE Magazine / April 2015 Flashback fl[email protected]

Close-Up USAF photos

In your face Off to war

Rarely has the art of the close-up action shot been demonstrated more vividly than in this remarkable image of a World War II B-26 Marauder , Fightin’ Cock. Of the seven air crew members, the photograph clearly shows four—including the nose gunner sneak- ing a smoke. The photo, snapped from a leading aircraft, is part of a personal al- bum of AAF Capt. Joseph J. Merhar Jr., who commanded the 9th Air Division’s Photo Laboratory in England. The collec- tion also contains the inset photo, which takes a panoramic view of a Marauder squadron on a mission to Europe.

Ap i 19 Verbatim [email protected] By Robert S. Dudney

Gas About CAS Snowden’s Conditions of our applicant pool. I’m one who “What you read about the Air Force “[Edward] Snowden is ready to return thinks we ought to be able to do bet- not caring about CAS is nonsense. ... to the States, but on the condition that ter. Let’s go for it. Let’s try. So we are The facts do not support the accusa- he is given a guarantee of a legal and setting an applicant pool goal of 30 tions. ... [USAF’s critics] forget that the impartial trial. He is thinking about percent. We want our officer accession A-10 was not designed for CAS [but for] it. He has a desire to return, and we sources to go after a 30 percent female direct attack of armor and interdiction— are doing everything we can to make applicant pool in the future.”—Secretary and not CAS. ... We like to label things. it happen.”—Anatoly Kucherena, Rus- of the Air Force Deborah Lee James, We call B-52s strategic bombers but we sian lawyer representing NSA turncoat remarks to Center for a New American have used B-52s for CAS. I had A-10s Edward Snowden, quoted in Politico. Security, March 4. doing road reconnaissance, airfield at- com, March 3. tacks, Scud hunting, and interdiction. Russia as Standard Bearer ... The Air Force has done a thorough If Only “We’re not seeing the same bipolar analysis. What else does Congress “The atmosphere was that we were world we had between capitalism and want?”—Retired USAF Lt. Gen. David going over there to provide the fire- communism. But we are seeing a new A. Deptula, on political backlash against power necessary to bring the North bipolar world, I think, where you have planned A-10 retirement, National Defense Vietnamese to their knees. It was the democracy versus authoritarianism, and Magazine, March 9. only war in town, and it was going to Russia now is really carrying the mantle be over with tomorrow. Boy, were we for authoritarian regimes.”—Rep. Adam The Enemy of Our Enemy wrong.”—Retired USAF Brig. Gen. Keith Schiff (D-Calif.), remarks on MSNBC’s “Iran’s regime is as radical as ever. B. Connolly, who was an F-100 fighter “Morning Joe” program, March 2. ... The ideology of Iran’s revolutionary pilot at the start of Operation Rolling regime is deeply rooted in militant Islam, Thunder in Vietnam, Stars and Stripes, Of Bombers and Dollars and that’s why this regime will always be March 1. “I’m afraid they’re [USAF] heading an enemy of America. Don’t be fooled. down a path here where they have The battle between Iran and ISIS doesn’t Professional Wet Work set themselves up politically to not turn Iran into a friend of America. Iran “[The killers selected] a very complex succeed. They’ve come out with these and ISIS are competing for the crown technical means, demanding the par- cost estimates that are surprisingly of militant Islam. ... In this deadly game ticipation of a large number of people low, and they seem to be doubling of thrones, there’s no place for America with a high level of preparation. I want down on the idea that they can build or for Israel. ... So when it comes to Iran to emphasize this because it is very this bomber cheaper than the last and ISIS, the enemy of your enemy is important. The ordinary basic training one.”—Todd Harrison, Center for Stra- ... your enemy.”—Israeli Prime Minister of the special forces of the GRU [Rus- tegic and Budgetary Assessments, on Benjamin Netanyahu, speech to Congress sian military intelligence] would not the relatively low projected cost of the on Iranian nuclear matters, March 3. be enough for something like this. It Long-Range Strike Bomber, Washington must have been a really professional Post, March 2. Art of the Bad Deal team.”—Andrei Soldatov, expert on Rus- “My friends, for over a year, we’ve sia’s special services, on the skill of Whose Boots? been told that no deal [with Iran] is bet- the assassin team that murdered dissi- “Somebody’s boots have to be on the ter than a bad deal. Well, this is a bad dent Boris Nemtsov, Radio Free Europe, ground. We’ve got some 3,000 boots deal. It’s a very bad deal. We’re better March 2. on the ground [in Iraq] today. Let’s not off without it.”—Israeli Prime Minister suggest that we don’t. ... We’re going Benjamin Netanyahu, speech to Congress The Grieving-Mother Count to have to have some people in there, on emerging US-Iran nuclear agreement, “When mothers start seeing sons providing advice, and those are boots on March 3. come home dead, when that price the ground.”—Speaker of the House John goes up, then that domestic support [in Boehner (R-Ohio), interview broadcast on Just Deserts Russia] begins to shrink. ... If you don’t CBS’s “Face the Nation,” March 1. “Our hope is that diplomacy can have something that gives muscle to work. And I believe, given our success the diplomacy, to the economic aspect, Advice from The K on the interim agreement [with Iran], then it’s not going to be as effective.”— “Serious attention must be given we deserve the benefit of the doubt to Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges, commander of US to the lagging modernization of our find out whether or not we can get a Army Europe, Associated Press dispatch strategic forces. ... The United States similarly good agreement with respect from Berlin, March 3. should have a strategy-driven budget, to the future.”—Secretary of State John not a budget-driven strategy.”—Former F. Kerry, on talks to halt Iran’s nuke The 30 Percent Solution Secretary of State Henry A. Kissinger, program, interview broadcast on ABC’s “Our female officer applicants cur- remarks to Senate Armed Services Com- “This Week,” March 1. rently comprise only about 25 percent mittee, Jan. 29.

20 AIR ORCE Magazine April 2015 Books Special: CSAF Reading List 2015

Compiled by Chequita Wood, Media Research Editor

Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Welsh III released his 2015 reading list in February. Twelve books form the centerpiece of the list, but it also includes fi lms, photographs, and art. In introducing the list, Welsh said, “Each selection for 2015 tells an important story about the profession of arms or our Air Force core values.”

Air Commanders. John An- Beer, Bacon, and Bullets: The Boys in the Boat: Nine Cybersecurity and Cyberwar: dreas Olsen. Potomac Books, Culture in Coalition Warfare Americans and Their Epic What Everyone Needs To Dulles, VA, c/o Longleaf From Gallipoli to Iraq. Gal Quest for Gold at the 1936 Know. P. W. Singer and Allan Services (800-848-6224). 542 Luft. BookSurge Publishing. Berlin Olympics. Daniel Friedman. Oxford University pages. $48. Order from: Amazon.com. 326 James Brown. Penguin Pub- Press, New York (800-445- pages. $18.99. lishing, New York (212-366- 9714). 320 pages. $74.95. 2000) 416 pages. $28.95.

Focus: The Hidden Driver Leadership and Self- Linchpin: Are You Indis- The Mission, the Men, of Excellence. Daniel Gole- Deception: Getting Out of pensable? Seth Godin. and Me: Lessons from man. HarperCollins, New the Box. Arbinger Institute. Penguin Publishing, New a Former Delta Force York (212-207-7000). 320 Berrett-Koehler Publishers, York (212-366-2000). 256 Commander. Pete Blaber. pages. $28.99. Oakland, CA (800-929- pages. $25.95. Penguin Publishing, New 2929). 240 pages. $16.95. York (212-366-2000). 336 pages. $16.

No Place To Hide: A Once an Eagle. Anton The Power of Professional- Team of Rivals: The Political Brain Surgeon’s Long Myrer. HarperCollins, ism: The Seven Mind-sets Genius of Abraham Lincoln. Journey Home From the New York (212-207- That Drive Performance and Doris Kearns Goodwin. Simon Iraq War. W. Lee Warren. 7000). 1,312 pages. Build Trust. Bill Wiersma. & Schuster, New York (800- Zondervan, Nashville, $21.99. Order from: Wiersma & Assoc., 223-2336). 944 pages. $37.50. TN (800-251-4000). 352 Pleasant Hill, CA (925-933- pages. $22.99. 6174). 384 pages. $32.95.

AIR FORCE Magazine / April 2015 21 USAF photo by TSgt. Jason Robertson

The Air Force

he Air Force’s speed, reach, Meanwhile, other nations have in- and rescue operations, to defeating and versatile combat pow- vested heavily in military space ca- modern mobile surface-to-air missiles, er are in growing demand pabilities, airpower, and air defenses. to command and control and battle around the world. But USAF For example, today the average age management of air campaigns, the US now must solve a very seri- of the fl eet of China’s People’s Libera- dominance in air, space, and cyberspace ous problem: Adapt the smallest force tion Army Air Force (PLAAF) is much power is narrowing today—and could inT its history to fight in conflicts lower than USAF’s. The PLAAF’s fl eet have consequences in battle. “My where its core strengths could be of fourth generation J-10 fi ghters is fi ve challenge, today, fi rst and foremost, challenged or thwarted in so-called years old on average, while USAF’s is to take care of my people and win “contested and degraded environ- F-16s are an average of 24 years old. today’s fi ght,” Air Combat Command’s ments,” from Asia to Europe to the Both Russia and China are now work- Gen. Herbert J. “Hawk” Carlisle said Middle East. ing on fi fth generation fi ghter programs in Orlando. “And then, still project Though tools such as mobility and as well. At some point, Welsh said, “no dominance into the future.” global intelligence, USAF task- surveillance, and ings to support reconnaissance are USAF must prepare for high-end confl ict the nascent battle in more demand than while already engaged worldwide. against ISIS ter- ever, the Air Force is rorists has quick- 40 percent smaller than the one that matter how fast the Air Force tries to ly overtaken diminishing demands won the more than two accelerate, the momentum of others from Afghanistan, and other scenarios decades ago, Chief of Staff Gen. will put them in the lead.” are also no longer theoretical. The Air Mark A. Welsh III said at February’s This dynamic has the service con- Force flew ISR missions near Ukraine Air Force Association Air Warfare cerned, as nearly every core mission in the aftermath of last year’s Crimea Symposium in Orlando, Fla. “There USAF performs is affected by the crisis, using RC-135s and RQ-4A is no excess capacity. ... Everything changing global military balance. From Global Hawks to gather intelligence is committed,” he said. close air support, to combat search on the disposition of Russian forces. In 22 AIR FORCE Magazine / April 2015 The Air Force

at WarBy Marc V. Schanz, Senior Editor

Two USAF F-15Cs, assigned to the 18th Wing, Kadena AB, Japan, fl y off the wing of a KC-135 tanker during Cope North 15 in February off the coast of Guam. AIR FORCE Magazine / April 2015 23 September, F-22s flew into combat for are working to fi ne-tune a variety of contest sea lanes and restrict access the first time, navigating the potential capabilities that clear the “ambiguity” to international airspace. danger of Syria’s air defense networks of these military operations, such as The spectrum of confl icts “fl oats,” during the first wave of strikes on ISIS tracking surface-to-air missiles moving Carlisle said to reporters, from a per- targets. “A year ago here, we weren’t back and forth across borders. missive operation such as Afghanistan talking about ISIS or Crimea,” Air In the Asia-Pacific, China has steadi- to a heavily contested anti-access, Force Global Strike Command’s Lt. ly increased the military and political area-denial scenario (A2/AD). “When Gen. Stephen W. “Seve” we talk about A2/AD,” people Wilson said. Preserving always think about China, Car- a globally responsive Air lisle said, but these capabilities Force capable of projecting are present in many other areas, power “at a moment’s no- such as Russia, Syria, and Iran. tice” despite these demands “The contested environment ... is vital to nearly every will be a factor anywhere in the potential scenario USAF future,” Carlisle said. With the could find itself called into, F-35 not entering the force in he pointed out. large numbers for several years, The Crimea crisis has USAF is now fi guring out how served as an eyebrow-rais- to link up both its most modern ing case for just the kinds assets—like the F-22—with of problem sets USAF its fleet of F-15Cs, F-16s, could find itself dealing and other “legacy” aircraft, with. Russia’s use of “hy- to enable airmen to survive brid warfare”—combining operations in contested and rapid movement of irregu- denied areas. lar and disguised regular Some enhancements are in forces, as well as combined the works, from putting Sniper arms formations in eastern targeting pods and prototype Ukraine—has kick-started long-wave infrared sensors both NATO and US mili- on F-15Cs, to getting Active tary “collective security” Electronically Scanned Array planning to respond to these types of pressure on tiny reefs and islands in (AESA) radars back into the F-16 mod- threats, US Air Forces in Europe-Air the South China Sea, fashioning some ernization program after the radars fell Forces Africa’s Gen. Frank Gorenc into airstrips and military garrisons victim to sequester-induced cuts. “We said in Orlando. “We are infusing air capable of hosting aircraft. Pacific need that,” Carlisle said of the AESA capabilities designed to defeat the ‘hy- Air Forces commander Gen. Lori J. radars for the F-16 fl eet. But many of brid warfare’ that [Russian President Robinson called this a “concerning” these efforts require investments in the Vladimir] Putin has very effectively trend to both the US and its regional near term, and ACC is “trying to fi gure done on the eastern side of ... Ukraine,” allies in Asia. Many see the potential out how to fi t [them] in” to the service’s he said, adding that the US and NATO for China to use these outposts to long-range plans. Concerns about air

Sukhoi photo

Above: A Chinese-produced propaganda brochure—in both English and Russian—claiming ownership of the disputed Diaoyu Islands, displayed in the Chinese Embassy in Washington, D.C. Here: A Russian T-50 (PAK-FA) fi fth generation fi ghter. Both Russia and China are making strides toward fi elding an advanced fi ghter to rival the F-22.

24 AIR FORCE Magazine / April 2015 Photo by Piotr Butowski

Here: This black-painted J-31 fi ghter (presented under its export designation of FC-31) fl ew last November at Airshow China 2014. It demonstrated short takeoff roll, some simple maneuvers, and landing with its brake chute. Below: USAF Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Welsh delivers the Air Force update to attendees of the Air Force Association’s annual Air Warfare Symposium in Orlando, Fla. Welsh warned that there is no excess capability in USAF force structure—everything is committed. battle management and command and ability to introduce new capabilities to Tyson Wetzel, an ISR instructor with control are why the Joint STARS recap cockpits via targeting pods. They could the 19th Weapons Squadron at Nellis is a top modernization priority and be used to provide information from AFB, Nev., said during a panel on recapping USAF’s air battle manage- “national technical means” in real time, USAF’s annual Weapons & Tactics ment workhorse—the E-3 fl eet—is Carlisle told reporters—measurement Conference (WEPTAC). The combat also a concern. and signature intelligence, for example, air force needs to improve its ability to Command and control animates to track and verify time-sensitive targets fi nd, fi x, and track modern SAMs before discussions about USAF’s potential such as missiles. it can destroy or disable them. Potential vulnerabilities in all missions. “We have Driving these needs in part is the adversaries have focused on making got to fi gure out how to do real-time [C2] proliferation of modern SAMs and their SAMs increasingly mobile, built interoperability across all up jamming and use denial our domains,” Air Force and deception tactics to Space Command’s Gen. protect these defenses. At John E. Hyten said, to extended ranges “cross- “protect and move the domain [ISR] collection data” where it is needed is critical and we need as soon as possible. some form of a fusion USAF is good at un- center to collect these derstanding if its net- data, and develop timely, works are up or down, actionable intelligence,” PACAF’s Robinson noted, Wetzel said. but must do more to un- Command and con- derstand how to detect trol’s importance to “degradation and detect- survival spurred a “C2 ing it and understanding” summit” at the WEPTAC those threats. “With vast gathering this past Janu- distances, and the need ary. Representatives from to command and control all USAF’s com- forces, what is our ability mands and the services to continue operations? ... USAF photo by Scott M. Ash gathered to hash out ideas Do you do it forward or about what Carlisle called do you do it with reach back? That’s integrated air defense systems that can “Big C2”—and what it will look like a what I think about when I think about target aircraft and weapons at longer decade from now. USAF’s combined theater airpower and the continuation distances than ever before, one weap- air and space operations construct has of operations,” she said. ons offi cer said. As USAF looks at a driven success on the battlefield over The services are steadily inching future where it must not only defeat the last two decades, he noted, but its closer on how to build resilient, surviv- long-range SAMs, but operate near and operations need to be modernized to able data links for the joint force to keep inside spaces defended by integrated respond to changing threats. “What up with threats seeking to contest and air defense systems, data sharing and will the AOC look like in 2025?” deny US airpower. This includes the targeting are a rising concern, Maj. he said. “How do you federate that AIR FORCE Magazine / April 2015 25 USAF photo by Delanie Stafford

system? How much is reach back [to integrated partner,” said UAE Air Crew chiefs prepare an RC-135 Rivet the operations center], how much is Force Lt. Col. Mohamed Hassan Ali Joint for launch Feb. 3 at Offutt AFB, Neb. USAF fl ew RC-135s on ISR mis- forward? What kind of data integrity” Alanazi, a veteran F-16E/F Block 60 sions to gather intelligence on Russian does one need? pilot and wing commander. troop dispositions during last year’s Concerns surrounding C2 and in- The UAE has supported coalition Crimea crisis. formation sharing are not only a military operations in Afghanistan, Ye- US military problem: They pervade men, Somalia, Libya, and now Syria, he to foster this level of cooperation coalition-style war in the 21st century. said, but it seeks to expand its integra- between USAF and its Asia-Pacific Nearly all contemporary US military tion with USAF and allied forces and partners, she said. “When you can do operations involve support from allies overcome persistent information and that with allies and coalition partners, and coalition partners, from Iraq and intelligence sharing restrictions—af- [it] underpins everything you do.” Syria to Eastern Europe, and increas- fecting everything from mission plan- At the operational level, airmen are ingly intelligence and information ning to access to more sophisticated working to adapt the force today to sharing with these allies is a growing weapons. better deal with rising threats. USAF concern. can’t wait for an F-X, the successor “There are two issues. One is policy,” FOSTERING COOPERATION to the F-22 Raptor, to show up in the said Gorenc. “And then there [are] “Working by ourselves we will force. Carlisle said the command is technical challenges.” Every day in have a small picture, and we want to already studying “Air Superiority Europe, he noted, “we are trying to change that,” Alanazi said, adding that 2030”—how to leverage advanced enforce standards to keep the capability he hopes the UAE can reach the same weapons, sensors, and “fourth to fifth of moving information from machine to level of integration some of USAF’s generation” links to use all domains machine.” Without the right C2 tools, NATO Allies enjoy. “There are areas to provide air superiority. and investing in this area, “you will which are affecting us, and we need Whether threats to air superiority significantly decrease the effective- to build up trust,” he said. or the danger of modern SAMs, the ness of the coalition.” This is why Information and C2 sharing is an tactical problems the force may face USAFE-AFA wants to improve the operational imperative for future op- are increasing in lethality. It is why hardware and software both US and erations involving complex scenarios weapons officers at this year’s WEP- NATO forces use to create mission such as integrated air and missile de- TAC conference took a deep look at systems. “I know there are policy is- fense and defending air bases against concepts such as using Miniature Air sues, but the Holy Grail is hardware. modern threats. Robinson noted a Launched Decoys in combat, priori- We’ll work policy,” he said. visit to Japan’s Air Defense Center tizing Integrated Air and Missile De- USAF’s more capable allies agree, at , where Japanese fense missile and weapon shots, and and say more needs to be done—as it Air Self-Defense Force and USAF performing “nontraditional” personnel will affect joint operations in future, airmen work jointly and demonstrate recovery and combat search and rescue contested conflicts, they argue. how important these activities are to in contested environments, several “The [United Arab Emirates] is play- the joint defense of Japan. The cen- weapons officers told AWS attendees ing a major role in coalition operations ter is a success story in information during a panel presentation. and with this strong participation, it sharing. PACAF’s Integrated Air and The problems are daunting, but can has allowed the UAE to be a more Missile Defense Center also attempts be answered using a combination of 26 AIR FORCE Magazine / April 2015 existing assets and new tactics to operate would help move the mission “from a If the conversation sounds too theo- in contested scenarios, the offi cers said. second or third level contingency to a retical, leaders emphasized there are Maj. Michael Kingry, an HH-60 weapons well-practiced skill set ... that we regu- important lessons to take from opera- school instructor and assistant director larly train for,” he said. tions occurring today. Carlisle expressed of operations for the 34th Weapons Even close air support will look far “frustration” with critiques of the anti- Squadron at Nellis who led a WEPTAC different in these types of scenarios ISIS air campaign, saying that by all group focusing on rescue operations in from the missions USAF fl ew over metrics thus far “airpower is doing contested environments, said potential Afghanistan, leaders pointed out. In the fantastic”—limiting the ability for ISIS adversaries could now wield modern near future, Carlisle told reporters, “I to mass forces, produce and sell oil, and IADS and jamming capable air assets believe we are going to have to perform command and control its own forces. to foil CSAR and personnel recovery CAS in contested environments” —areas “What do you do with [troops] when efforts. “where people are trying to not let us do you can’t mass them or command and USAF must prepare for recovery CAS with increasing sophistication.” It control them?” he asked rhetorically. operations in these areas by linking air, is why USAF called together a week- Regional allies, such as the Gulf Coop- space, and cyber forces. Some technol- long CAS summit across the services at eration Council states, have also come ogy gaps need to be closed, such as Nellis in March to discuss the future of a long way in their ability to carry out working on tools to resupply isolated the mission, to talk about lessons from joint coalition air operations, he noted. individuals, incorporating MALDs into combat in Iraq and Afghanistan, and to The F-22’s recent combat perfor- rescue planning, using better mapping adapt the mission for contested environ- mance also holds promise for the force’s tools on mobile devices, and improving ments, addressing topics as diverse as ability to adapt to these threats quickly. false isolated-personnel beacons—to data sharing to tactics. The meeting was Carlisle said, across the spectrum the deceive enemy forces trying to capture to be an effort to identify “what we think F-22 “has exceeded our expectations.” friendlies, he said. are the gaps and seams” in the mission, The fi ghter, designed as an air superior- USAF needs to better tailor survival, Carlisle said. “And we’re hoping to solve ity weapon, has displayed a remarkable evasion, resistance, and escape training a lot of this stuff.” ability to “rerole and mission manage for specifi c aircraft operating in specifi c Welsh, speaking with reporters, said the entire force,” he said—whether by regions, Kingry said, and work to better the services must get to a point where escorting a strike package or by using incorporate “nonconventional assisted they all understand “what the future its sensors to identify and track targets recovery” practices: the use of specially looks like in this arena.” This applies and share information with the CAOC. trained local forces by special operations not only to tactics but also munitions, “When you have F-22s in a package, to assist in rescues. as future scenarios may see innovations every single [other] airplane in that Kingry encouraged the development like using a “large number of forward package is better,” he concluded. ✪ of a “personnel recovery offi cer” in a fi ring laser guided rockets, … something squadron—be it a fl ying unit, space, or that fragments a rocket into a thousand At Airshow China 2014, China’s H-6M cyber unit—who would be an expert bullets, creating the effect of a thousand heavy bomber was displayed sur- on leveraging its system in the event round burst,” Welsh postulated—rather rounded by numerous guided and glide of a rescue situation. Better leadership than the limited burst from today’s guns. bombs.

Photo by Piotr Butowski

AIR FORCE Magazine / April 2015 27 The $10 Billion Gamble By John A. Tirpak, Editorial Director

he Air Force has asked for February, Air Force Secretary Deborah Even the requested amount, though, $10 billion more in its Fiscal Lee James told reporters, “The national isn’t enough to let the Air Force keep 2016 budget than it will get strategy is a good national strategy. We the A-10 attack jet or upgrade the T if sequestration—driven by ought not to change it, so we are ... F-16 fleet. A return to “full-spectrum the 2011 Budget Control Act—comes just going to make the case as strongly readiness,” even at consistently higher back in September. Service leaders as we know how with ... Congress funding levels, will still take a decade said in February that at the requested that we need this additional funding.” or more. dollar amount, USAF can still do most She also said the Air Force, industry, This budget is not perfect, James of what the national military strategy and AFA “must work together to ask acknowledged in her symposium requires. At sequester levels, though, Congress to get rid of sequestration speech, but if sequester returns, the the strategy will have to be thrown permanently.” list of financial casualties will include out and replaced with something less The $10 billion boost was approved KC-10 tankers, RQ-4 Global Hawks, demanding, because, as Chief of Staff by top Pentagon leaders and the White F-35 fighters, readiness, Red Flag Gen. Mark A. Welsh III said, “We sim- House. The Air Force is targeting exercises, and further delay in getting ply can’t execute the defense strategic it toward modernization, improving the nuclear deterrent back up to par. guidance as written.” readiness, revitalizing the nuclear The Air Force would likely have to Speaking at AFA’s Air Warfare enterprise, and reversing personnel kill a new engine program that holds Symposium in Orlando, Fla., in cuts that James said went “too far.” “great promise for fuel savings.”

USAF photo by SrA. Brett Clashman

28 AIR FORCE Magazine / April 2015 An E-3 AWACS returns from a mission over the Nevada Test and Training Range during a Red Flag exercise at Nellis AFB, Nev., in 2011. Com- batant commanders are demanding more ISR capability. Air Force officials are trying to meet that need with more AWACS coverage, among other things.

Intelligence, surveillance, and “We simply will not be able to Force. Everything is committed to reconnaissance—the No. 1 demand from defeat one adversary, deny a second the fight.” regional commanders right now—would adversary, and defend the homeland “The demand for what we do in the Air be hit hard. Many of the video screens simultaneously,” he said in a press Force, ... for our capabilities” across air, providing real-time views of enemy conference. “We just don’t have the space, and cyber, “is going up, up, up. activities will “just go dark … and we capacity to do that anymore at the BCA … Everybody wants more Air Force,” go blind on the battlefield,” James said. level.” said James. At the same time, adversaries Full mission readiness of the combat In his speech to the symposium, Welsh are catching up in technology, there’s no air forces—already down to about 40 noted that in the 1990-91 Gulf War, the letup in combat operations given the new percent—will slip further. Air Force fielded 188 fighter squadrons. fight against ISIS in Iraq, and USAF’s The big problem with the sequester- In the Fiscal 2016 budget, though, “we’ll aircraft are older than ever. level budgets, Welsh told reporters, go to 49.” Similarly, USAF had 511,000 The Air Force has “12 fleets of airplanes isn’t just that modernization will be airmen on Active Duty in 1990, but “we … that qualify for antique license plates,” postponed yet again or that neglected now have 313,000. That’s 40 percent Welsh noted, and “four fleets ... that facilities will languish longer. It’s that smaller.” qualify” for American Association of USAF won’t be able to handle the What it all adds up to, Welsh said, is Retired Persons (AARP) membership— “simultaneity” of what the defense “there is no excess capacity anymore. in other words, 12 aircraft types older strategic guidance demands. There is no bench to go to in the Air than 25 years, and four older than 50.

USAF can’t execute the national military strategy with sequester-level budgets.

AIR FORCE Magazine / April 2015 29 “We must modernize the Air Force. Or will you lift sequestration and give us classic associations on RQ-4 Global This isn’t optional. We must do it. And it more money? And … that would certainly Hawk units, and increase the number of will be painful,” he said, because to find ... ease the strain,” James asserted. cyber operators in the reserves, she said. the money to buy new gear, USAF must In her speech, James said the Air Force There would also be some innovations, take older equipment out of service and must get $10 billion in order to get the job such as seeking permission to allow use the savings to reinvest in the force, done, “period.” If it comes, it would be reservists to train Active Duty pilots. even though USAF is already maxed recognition of “just how important the Air In addition, the extra funds would out in using all its remaining assets in Force is in every joint operation around help stem the drain of people from real-world operations. the world, as well as how important the remotely piloted aircraft units, which The services got a reprieve from Air Force is in protecting the homeland.” are badly overworked, by offering new sequester in the 2013 bipartisan budget While the Air Force is engaged in retention pay. Incentive pay would also deal brokered by Sen. Patty Murray myriad operations, when James visits be increased for some nuclear specialties, (D-Wash.) and Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.). with airmen at their bases and deployed to attract and retain people in that field. It lifted spending caps for Fiscal 2014 and locations, she said their “No. 1 concern” Combatant commanders are 2015, but extended the BCA through the is whether the Air Force will continue demanding ever-more ISR capability, middle of the 2020s. James told reporters downsizing. She said she and Welsh, and “given the changed world she has some reason to be hopeful that based on discussions with top service circumstances,” such as the fight against

A p A1 r l Ar r A p r l

SSgt. Alek Albrecht practices hacking into a network during a Network War Bridge Course at , Fla. USAF Secretary Deborah Lee James said a budget boost could increase the number of cyber operators.

Congress will recognize the damage leaders, have concluded that “enough is ISIS and Russia’s belligerence in Eastern that continuing sequester will do to the enough. No more. We need to stop this.” Europe, coverage will ramp up with Air Force. additional medium-altitude RPAs, more About the Fiscal 2015 budget—when A ECA E EFORE REA I AWACS, and an extension of the U-2’s the Air Force recommended retiring the Under the Fiscal 2016 budget request, service life. A-10 and U-2 and was rebuffed on both the service would buy back some people it Near-term readiness would be counts—“there was great disagreement has given up in previous rounds of budget- boosted by restoring full funding for on those proposals but there was quite a cutting. Total Force end strength—Active, Red Flag and Green Flag exercises, lot of agreement … on other matters,” Guard, and Reserve together—would James said. The flying hour program James said in a press conference. actually increase by 6,600 people, to would also be funded “to the maximum “After all the dust settled,” she 492,000. execution level.” continued, “we got most of the money That figure “should give us the breathing Welsh said the readiness situation and most of the accounts as we would room to alleviate some operational strain, “is not a new problem,” having grown have wished” and for that, “we’re grateful to bolster our nuclear enterprise, to over the years when USAF was to ... Congress.” increase the number of cyber teams, and concentrating on the current fight in Iraq Nevertheless, USAF has to put plug some holes” in the force, such as and Afghanistan and neither investing in together one- and five-year spending in maintenance. She said she and Welsh future systems adequately nor training plans that match the strategy and the regard the manning issue to be a “red line. for a “high-end” fight. money available. It has to “make sense We want no more downsizing.” “One of the things” the sequester as a whole,” she said. Though some For the reserve component particularly, reprieve gave the Air Force “was the proposals have drawn objection, “it the budget would buy back some F-15Cs ability to ... improve individual and unit comes back to, ‘if not this, then what?’ for Air National Guard units, create short-term readiness,” he explained. AIR FORCE Magazine / April 2015 That meant more flying hours, “the replacement for the 1980s-vintage RD-180 engine for space launch,” ability to train, more exercises,” but it Air-Launched Cruise Missile—“by she said, noting that there’s $293 did not allow USAF to invest in what two years,” she added. million in the five-year budget plan he calls long-term readiness. as a “down payment” on a new rocket “We haven’t upgraded our training AR ARE IM ERA I E motor. Technical maturation and risk ranges to reflect current and emerging It’s critically important that USAF’s reduction efforts will be undertaken “in threats. We haven’t upgraded the test top three modernization priorities—the cooperation with NASA, the national facilities” for both secret and open F-35 fighter, KC-46 tanker, and Long- labs, universities, and industry.” The “test infrastructure.” Investing in those Range Strike Bomber—be kept on goal is “to ensure commercially viable things—steadily—will allow USAF to track, James said, as they provide the domestic launch service providers that regain its full-spectrum readiness, he said. basic capability to win “in … a high- will give us assured access to space for The ability to fight proficiently against end threat environment.” Joining those our national security space mission.” everything from unsophisticated enemies three are two new hardware imperatives: The Air Force, however, won’t skimp to those with complex anti-access, area the T-X trainer to replace the 50-year- on the process of certifying new launch denial capabilities is essential. old T-38 and a new JSTARS ground- service providers, like SpaceX. USAF “We have got to get back to a persistent, monitoring radar system to replace the does not want “a repeat of the spectacular consistent investment in this kind of existing fleet. space launch failures that occurred in

ll r i i

A B-52 is towed from a maintenance area after being regenerated for active service. The aircraft had been sitting in storage at the “Boneyard” at Davis- Monthan AFB, Ariz., since 2008.

A KC-46A tanker refuels an F-15 in a Boeing artist’s illustration. James said it is imperative to keep the new tanker program—and USAF’s other top two priorities, the F-35 and the Long-Range Strike Bomber—on track.

infrastructure or our Air Force will The T-X, James said, will be a “test the 1990s,” when billion-dollar military break 10 years from now,” Welsh warned case” for a new way of doing business satellites were lost, James cautioned. attendees. with industry. The Air Force will share its However, she said the service is doing “It will take us 10 to 12 years before requirements with industry early—they all it can to find ways to “speed up the we recover ‘big readiness,’ ” he said. If were set to be released in March—and process.” sequester resumes, “hanging onto” less there will be a “dialogue” with contractors There’s a “resetting” going on in than 50 percent full-mission capability about what can be provided, and at what the broader discussion of space as a “is going to be fingernails scratching cost, well before the request for proposals “warfighting domain,” Welsh said. down the side of the wall, trying to is posted in Fiscal 2016. “Industry will “We don’t want to fight a war, hold on.” know, when the time comes,” what kinetically, in space,” he noted. But the The nuclear enterprise is slated to requirements the Air Force must meet and Air Force must “acknowledge the fact get an additional $5.6 billion over the what capabilities it would like to have that others are posturing to be able to do next five years under USAF’s proposed and how much more—if anything—the just that. And we either adjust to that or budget. It’s “a very significant increase service would be willing to pay to get face the consequences.” for a community that over time has not the extras. The Air Force’s vision of space gotten this level of attention. So we’re Convinced that competition always superiority is evolving, he said. Not long committed to persistent focus” on the leads to lower costs and better capabilities, ago, it was focused on space situational nuclear mission over time, James said. James said she is working to infuse every awareness, which remains “critically In terms of hardware, the new budget procurement with as much competition important” but is “not sufficient in and would support a Minuteman ICBM as possible. of itself,” Welsh asserted. fleet follow-on program and accelerate “We in the Air Force are committed “Now you have to be able to survive in the Long-Range Standoff Weapon—a to ending our reliance on the Russian space. Resiliency is critical.” Air Force AIR FORCE Magazine / April 2015 doing stuff that isn’t connected” to where the service needs to be 10, 20, and 30 years from now. Welsh said the Air Force will dive

back r i p into “developmental planning,” a cycle of assessing the environment, threat, and strategies and plugging in the needed hardware, costs, and operational concepts that pull it together and expose the “gaps and shortfalls.” The Air Force has “pockets of it, but institutionally, we gave it away” when Air Force Systems Command was folded into Air Force Materiel Command. “We have to bring it back,” Welsh insisted. A big part of that process will be to have a plan ready to go when certain

Ap technological rA r breakthroughs pay off—not wait until the breakthrough happens. Industry will be brought in early to help USAF figure out “what we plan to do” when technologies—such as hypersonics, lasers, directed energy, or nano-tech—become practical. Developmental planning will “allow us to now plan for success” in the R&D world, he explained. Welsh said the queries he hears from airmen in the field about sequestration, downsizing, furloughs, and whether the retirement system will change are all symptoms that “we’re distracted.” He said “for a military service, this can be Top: U-2s may get a service life extension to aid an ever-increasing need for ISR a problem if it continues over time.” coverage. Above: SrA. Steve Roeper runs a pylon inspection on an A-10 at Kanda- har Airfield, Afghanistan, in 2011. So far, Congress has refused to allow USAF to In 2015, “I think we need to refocus retire the aircraft. on the things that really matter,” Welsh said, starting with “a refocus Space Command is now defining what Hypersonics is one such area, on our mission … to fight and win our “locational or situational superiority in James noted, pointing out that the nation’s wars.” space” means, he said. Welsh also urged X-51 Waverider project in 2013 Toward that refocus, Welsh that the Air Force continue to be “the demonstrated “that we can go real announced that Air Education and lead operational voice in discussions fast and shoot from a safe distance Training Command is creating a about the space domain … because and strike targets before they can “new Profession of Arms Center nobody knows [it] … better.” He said shoot back or move—or even know of Excellence” to ensure that every James has “helped us by energizing” that we’re coming toward them.” professional military education USAF’s executive agency for space course reinforces the warrior ethic. and is deeply involved in its details. E O OF RA E IE The profession of arms is “an ugly The Pentagon is looking for Technology is a big element—but business sometimes and somebody’s offsetting technologies that can provide not the only one—in the Air Force’s got to be good at it,” Welsh said. a leap beyond the weapons now being strategic master plan, which Welsh “We can’t afford to ever forget fielded by US adversaries, James said. said brings together all the roadmaps, that airmen are still, right now … “They’ve been studying us carefully … concepts of operations, personnel plans, engaged in very real and very dangerous and they haven’t been standing still,” and acquisition programs into a single, operations in Afghanistan, in Iraq, she noted. The Air Force can’t stand coherent document, to be fully fleshed in Syria, in Africa, even in Eastern still either, she said, and is raising out this month. The roadmap merges the Europe,” he asserted. They “stand ready its research, development, test, and “what we do, …who we are going to on the Korean Peninsula,” serve on evaluation budget for Fiscal 2016 by be,” and the “how” of USAF’s strategies. “February’s frozen missile fields,” and $2 billion over Fiscal 2015 levels. She’s To live within the money USAF Air Guardsmen “here in this country still hoping that an increased emphasis hopes to have, “anything that’s stand strip alert to conduct air defense on innovation and partnership with disconnected” from the rest of the missions.” The reality of being in the industry will “make the impossible plan “should be thrown away,” he fight “should be the focus of our efforts possible.” said. “We don’t have money to keep day to day,” Welsh said. J AIR FORCE Magazine / April 2015 AFSOC Renaissance By Aaron M. U. Church, Associate Editor ir Force Special Operations Com- mand is undergoing one of the larg- est modernization and recapitaliza- tion efforts in its history. Despite Amodernization programs in general falling fourth on the priority list behind readiness, airmen and family welfare, and virtualizing training—ac- cording to AFSOC boss Lt. Gen. Bradley A.

The command is working hard to modernize, recapitalize, and stay out front.

SSgt. James Klutts, a dedicated crew chief with the 9th Aircraft Maintenance Unit, works on an MC-130H at Hurlburt Field, Fla. Air Force Special Operations Command is in the middle of a signifi cant recapitalization effort that includes the MC-130 fl eet.

USAF photo by SrA. Christopher Callaway

AIR FORCE Magazine / April 2015 33 Heithold—the command is replacing the MC-130J is still being developed, “I call it the ‘ultimate battle plane,’ the lion’s share of its aircraft. the 23 airframes delivered to date because I’m going to have a dial-a-bomb This puts AFSOC ahead of much lack low-level infi ltration capability. capability” in addition to the legacy of the Air Force in the long run, To compensate, AFSOC has to hang AC-130’s battery of guns, he said. The but requires a deft balance given the on to its legacy MC-130s “a little bit Precision Strike Package (PSP) devel- command’s diverse and high-intensity longer” to cover high-end missions, oped on the legacy AC-130W Stinger II operational requirements. Many of the Heithold said. combines a 30 mm cannon with precision Air Force’s smallest, most specialized, “I’m confi dent we’ll get a TF/TA weapons such as the Griffi n missile or and highest-demand fl eets and person- radar, … but it’s going to take time,” Small Diameter Bomb. Then Heithold nel pools reside within the command, he said. decided to up the new gunship’s fi re- giving AFSOC little wiggle room for Cannon Air Force Base in New power by adding an aft, side-mounted transition. Mexico has begun receiving new MC- 105 mm gun. With ongoing combat commitments 130s. The Europe-based fl eet at RAF “It will be an ultimate night-[close air in the Horn of Africa, Afghanistan, and Mildenhall, UK, has completely changed support] airplane for special operations,” now against ISIS at other locations in the over, and AFSOC just began replacing he said. Ghostrider will bundle a “deep” Middle East, AFSOC faces a constant, the Pacifi c-based fl eet at Kadena AB, artillery magazine with an arsenal of high demand to provide critical support Japan, this year. guided weapons. Essentially, “you’ve to combatant commanders. The MC-130 is part of AFSOC’s got a bomb truck with guns on it.” “Right now, AFSOC is in the middle largest overall recapitalization effort— Despite a long C-130 gunship tradi- of a pretty signifi cant recapitalization replacing legacy Hercules fl eets with tion, converting a J variant posed some effort,” Heithold said at the Air Force Super Hercules-based variants. Another unique challenges, detailed in the 2014 Association’s Air Warfare Symposium big chunk of C-130J airframes is destined Director of Test and Evaluation’s annual in Orlando, Fla., Feb. 12. “We are for gunship use, as AC-130J Ghostriders. report. Though PSP is already opera- recapitalizing our AC-130s, our MC- AFSOC requirements call for 57 new- tional on the AC-130W, putting it on 130s, our [intelligence, surveillance, build MC-130Js and 37 fresh AC-130J the AC-130J proved a bit more complex and reconnaissance] platforms—just gunships. This is the requirement, at and has resulted in testing delays. The J almost across my entire portfolio there’s least, based on strategic guidance and model’s engines and propellers gener- change going on,” he added. combatant commander needs. “What ate more vibration than the W model’s, At the same time, “we’re in the can you afford to buy is a different blurring the sensor target view. Elec- middle of a confl ict” against violent question,” said Heithold. tromagnetic interference hampered the terrorists that shows no sign of abating, He noted that only 79 of the 94 crew’s ability to control the sensor suite. “so I can’t take a knee,” he said. “I have required airframes are in the budget’s On top of this, the prototype departed to maintain a level of capability and program of record. Getting the full controlled fl ight during a handling test, readiness today with my legacy force” number of aircraft needed to replace requiring additional test fl ights following while the same personnel pool simul- the current fl eets, though, “depends on a brief grounding. taneously replaces the heavily tasked whether the budget gets better looking “All of this is manageable … as long older platforms with new aircraft. than it does today,” he acknowledged. as we don’t get in too big of a hurry to Replacing the command’s old MC- try to get it done,” Heithold said. “I’m 130 Combat Talon II fl eet with the DIAL-A-BOMB CAPABILITY new-build MC-130J Commando II air- On the gunship recap, AFSOC’s fi rst frames is a case study in the challenges. converted AC-130J Ghostrider entered The MC-130s are covert, penetrating combined developmental and opera- tankers, the crews are in constant high tional testing just last year. “We’ve got demand, and even the old models offer the operational test guys fl ying on the critical capabilities their replacements developmental test at the same time,” have not yet fi elded. Since a new terrain- Heithold said. He is “pretty pleased” following/terrain-avoidance radar for with development thus far.

Two MC-130P Combat Shadows fl y by the control tower at Hurlburt Field, while others wait on the ramp. There are 14 AC-130Us left in the fl eet. The others have been retired.

USAF photo by SSgt. Tyler Placie

34 AIR FORCE Magazine / April 2015 USAF photo

AFSOC requirements call for 37 fresh AC-130J Ghostriders. confi dent that if we slow down, we’ll commanders are continually calling and retire all but fi ve of the Skytrucks, get it right.” Until then, AFSOC plans for more eyes in the sky—particularly relegating the remainder to AvFID duties. to hang on to as many legacy gunships manned ISR, in AFSOC’s case. The Future budgets permitting, Heithold as it can, he said. command plans to boost capacity by said he would also like to cushion the The last of eight AC-130H Spectre replacing the U-28 fl eet with more ca- CV-22 tilt-rotor fl eet with up to four and three additional AC-130U Spooky pable MC-12Ws. attrition reserve airframes. IIs recently retired, leaving 26 gun- The plan called for AFSOC to receive For the time being, AFSOC is pursuing ships—14 AC-130Us and 12 AC-130W a total of 43 MC-12s—33 shed by Air a forward-facing gun to give the aircraft Stinger IIs—still in service. Combat Command and 10 US Special better protection in “hot” landing zones. Heithold said he is quite confi dent Operations Command-owned airframes. “It doesn’t need to be exotic” Heithold AFSOC can hold onto all of them The aircraft would be split between said, but the Osprey’s “got to have some “for a good time until we get some J Cannon, Hurlburt Field, Fla., and a new protection.” models.” AFSOC will begin retiring Air National Guard unit at Will Rogers In line with the command’s No. 3 airframes based on remaining service ANGB, Okla. priority—increasing the amount and life as Ghostriders start to be delivered. However, Congress barred transfer of quality of virtual, networked training— “We look at the life on the wing and the all but the ANG aircraft, pending a report AFSOC is also focused on investing in various components on the airplanes and detailing the plan’s fi scal justifi cation and new, high-quality simulators and infra- we end up retiring the most expensive military rationale. “We’re authorized to structure. In some cases, Heithold said, aircraft” whether that’s an AC-130U or put up to 13” in Oklahoma, and Heithold he has even elected to buy simulators an AC-130W, he said. said the command will start doing that ahead of aircraft. “We actually moved As the new gunship matures, Heithold this year. The ANG unit will provide … one AC-130 to the right, in order to envisions eventually equipping Ghost- both Aviation Foreign Internal Defense buy three simulators on the front end, rider with microwave and even laser (AvFID) training to partner nation air because we can do so much more now weapons in the future. “You’re going forces and manned special operations in the simulators,” he said. “We are to fi nd this very hard to believe, but we ISR support. Special operations offi cials transforming the way we train to opti- don’t want to kill everybody that we have will brief their case to Congress “in the mize human performance—more virtual in our sights,” joked Hiethold. “There’re near future,” while continuing to fl y training, more time in simulators,” he times actually that we would like to U-28s, he said. explained. In the future, “we are going have nonlethal means to force them to AFSOC is also shuffl ing its specialized to shoot more, we are going to fl y more, stop what they’re doing—things like light mobility fl eets, replacing its smaller and we are going to train harder,” both microwave energy guns,” he said. A high C-145 Skytrucks with the purchase in and out of sims. energy laser could eventually replace of more Dornier C-146 Wolfhounds. With all the current programs under- the 105 mm gun, enabling Ghostrider Heithold said the command is very way, Heithold is “confi dent we have the to silently take out targets in the middle impressed with them. “We found that, right tools coming” and that AFSOC of the night. “No one hears anything, no frankly, to be a great airplane for doing equally has a solid program with “the one sees anything, it just quits working nonstandard aviation, so we’re going to right numbers and right capabilities” for because we burned a hole in it,” he said. up the numbers by a few and retire the the future fi ght. “We are working hard ISR is AFSOC’s second largest effort, C-145s” from that role, Heithold said. to modernize, recapitalize, and stay out in terms of total airframes. Combatant AFSOC plans to buy up to 23 Wolfhounds front,” he said. ✪ AIR FORCE Magazine / April 2015 35 Boeing illustration

By Michael C. Sirak, Special Content Director Mobility Creativity ffi cials must think outside the box when they de- The second portion, KC-Y, will follow to continue replac- sign a next generation tanker and even the VC-25 ing KC-135s. The KC-Y aircraft “could be an evolution (Air Force One) presidential aircraft replacement, of the KC-46,” perhaps a “KC-46B” model, or it may end Osaid Gen. Darren W. McDew, head of Air Mobil- up being another aircraft type, said McDew. ity Command, at the Air Force Association’s Air Warfare “It probably won’t be autonomous or semi-autonomous,” Symposium in Orlando, Fla. and it will likely incorporate technology that exists today KC-Z, the Air Force’s designation for the third and last portion but just hasn’t been part of a tanker before, he said. of USAF’s tanker recapitalization decades from now, “must be a revolution” and not just an evolution in aerial refueling technology, McDew told reporters during the symposium. AMC’s commander emphasizes This platform will feature “things that don’t exist today that we have got to start dreaming,” he said. It “needs to innovation in future tankers be autonomous or semi-autonomous. It must be dual-role, and the next Air Force One. but maybe those roles aren’t cargo and tanker. Maybe it’s tanker and [intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance]. It could be smaller, Thereafter will come KC-Z. When all is said and done, lighter, more agile, but it has to the Air Force expects that it will fi eld up to 479 new tank- be persistent with a great [fuel] ers, said McDew. offl oad capability.” AMC must take a similarly bold approach with the next The Air Force is still presidential aircraft, said McDew. It must be more than a in the early stages of conveyance, he said. This airplane, a modifi ed version of the KC-X program, the Boeing’s 747-8 confi guration, is scheduled to enter the in- fi rst part of the tanker ventory in 2023. recap, to replace its “We have got to think of it differently,” said McDew. oldest KC-135 tank- “Think about the leaders who will inherit this airplane. If I ers with 179 Boeing- were to make myself a standard leader today, I am OK with built KC-46As by being disconnected and being connected when I need to be 2028. connected. My aide over there is of a generation [that] can’t Gen. Darren McDew, envision not being connected. He is the leader who will inherit head of AMC, says this airplane.” USAF must think boldly Accordingly, McDew said the platform must also be a in planning capabilities communications node and part of the command and control in tankers and Air Force structure for national security wherever the President is. “That One. is the way that I think about that airplane,” he said. 36 USAF photo by Scott M. Ash AIR FORCE Magazine / April 2015 A 777-based tanker refuels a KC-46 in this illustration. All together, the KC-46 and the follow-on KC-Y and KC-Z will number just under 500 aircraft.

Beyond recapitalization, McDew said “deliberately devel- At the symposium, McDew oping” mobility airmen is a command priority in 2015. This and CMSAF James Cody theme is not limited to AMC, as CMSAF James A. Cody also (right) stressed career development for mobil- discussed it at the symposium as being an Air Force priority. ity airmen. Career development must be a priority for all airmen. USAF photo by Scott M. Ash “I am going to dive deeper this particular year into airmen,” said McDew. The goal is to help them be better airmen and eternally grateful,” leaders, partly by making sure they have the right kind of as- he said. “But what signment and educational opportunities, he said. I think we may For example, AMC is joining forces with Air Force Space have missed along Command for an offi cer exchange program, said McDew. “I the way is a level am going to bring in a cyber-smart, space-smart [] of understanding of into the Tanker Airlift Control Center [at Scott AFB, Ill.] in a who our airmen are,” senior position to bring that kind of knowledge in,” he said. he said. In return, AMC will send one of its offi cers to share mobil- Re-establishing airmen ity know-how with the space cadre and gain exposure to other as “a fabric of the community” Air Force core competencies. will strengthen that understand- ing, said McDew. “The Guard and MORE BALANCE NEEDED Reserve have kept that going, but the Active Another aspect of the deep dive is bringing more diversity Duty hasn’t been as much a part of that.” to AMC, said McDew. For example, he said he wants to look Air mobility operations are still at a high tempo, said into why the command does not have more female wing McDew. While there has been some drop in airlift activity commanders. since the conclusion of the combat mission in Afghanistan, “I have got more women in who he said, there really hasn’t been any letup in the high opera- fl y airplanes than anybody else in the . tions tempo for tankers in US Central Command’s area of Therefore, I should have more female wing commanders. … responsibility, given the US-led anti-ISIS air campaign in I do not have that today,” he said. Iraq and Syria. McDew said he also wants airmen across the airlift and Plus, those mobility assets that left Southwest Asia have been tanker fl eets to be represented across the command. Today, he needed elsewhere, such as supporting the recently completed said, the culture is “a bit unbalanced,” weighing more heavily mission to thwart the spread of the Ebola virus in West Africa. on the C-17 side. “So we came out of Afghanistan, [but] that airlift went to McDew wants the command to “engage with the Ameri- Ebola and other places,” said McDew. “So I would say the can public” more. “I don’t remember any time in our history airlift [fl eet] has had a bit of a turndown, a bit. The tanker with the American public being as supportive … and I am fl eet—not.” ✪ AIR FORCE Magazine / April 2015 37 ATO is in the early stages of developing a “full slate Chinese menu” of airpower Ncapabilities, said US Air Forces in Europe-Air Forces Africa Commander Gen. Frank Gorenc in A p r l February. This arsenal will be avail-

A p able to support NATO’s newly formed Very High Readiness Joint Task Force (VJTF) commander. The task force was formed in part to provide assurance to Eastern European NATO states worried about Russia’s continued aggression in Ukraine. It is intended to serve as a “responsive, ready, and fit” force that can quickly respond to crises when they arise, said Gorenc. Seven NATO members—Esto- nia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, and Slovakia—were under Soviet domination during the Cold War and today share land borders with either Russia or Ukraine. The spearhead force, which NATO ministers first agreed to during the 2014 Wales Summit and officially approved in early February, will primarily be made up of troops based in Germany, the Netherlands, and Norway, although

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38 / April 2015 Bolstering Europe By Amy McCullough, News Editor all 28 Alliance countries will contrib- The funding also will be used to Spangdahlem in far-western Germany ute to the effort. Gorenc said NATO cover the operation and maintenance for their six-month rotation, they will officials are still trying to determine cost “that will accommodate training” deploy several times to Eastern Europe exactly how the force will operate and as well as participation in NATO ex- in support of “a whole string of exer- what it will look like. ercises. “That money was timely. That cises” that are part of Atlantic Resolve. money was ... focused, and that money For example, the A-10s will support VIVID REMINDER will allow us to contribute air into the a detachment of Army soldiers training Regardless of its makeup, the force reassurance effort,” said Gorenc. in Poland, as well as exercises in Bul- must be able to address the concept of A big part of that reassurance effort garia and Romania. The combination “hybrid warfare” that Russian President is the introduction of theater security of A-10s with ground forces require- Vladimir Putin has evoked in Crimea packages in Europe. Some 300 airmen ments “is advantageous to everybody,” and eastern Ukraine, “to introduce am- and 12 A-10 Warthogs from Davis- said Gorenc. biguity into the situation,” said Gorenc. “That ambiguity, I think, was designed to take away the asymmetric advantage that airpower brings.” The continued buildup of Russian USAF is moving to counter Russian forces in and around Ukraine serves as a “vivid reminder” that the Air Force aggression and uncertainty. needs to maintain a “very high level of readiness” in Europe, said Gorenc. The Fiscal 2016 budget provides just under $1 billion for the European Reassurance Initiative, which funds an increase in Monthan AFB, Ariz., deployed to the “The Air Force has been rotating NATO deployments meant to counter 52nd Fighter Wing at Spangdahlem AB, forces as a part of [Operation Atlan- Russia. Of that, the Air Force will get Germany, in mid-February, marking the tic Resolve] for the past year,” said “roughly” $300 million, to be used Air Force’s first European TSP. USAFE -AFAFRICA Vice Commander to improve airfields in the Baltics, The theater security package will Lt. Gen. Noel T. “Tom” Jones in a Bulgaria, Poland, and Romania, said support Operation Atlantic Resolve—a release. “The TSP is another way the Gorenc. demonstration of the US’ commitment Air Force is increasing [its] rotational “In my NATO air command hat, what to NATO and to maintaining security presence in Europe to reassure our allies we’re trying to do is really agnostic to in the region—conducting training and partner nations that our commit- airframes,” he told Air Force Magazine alongside NATO allies across Europe. ment to European security is a priority.” in a February interview at the Air Force Although USAFE-AFAFRICA re- Gorenc said the command will con- Association’s Air Warfare Symposium quested fighter support, not specifically tinue to request fighter support through in Orlando, Fla. “We’re trying to figure A-10s, for the first TSP, Gorenc said TSPs to support Atlantic Resolve mis- out the exact air effects that the VJTF the deployment is “a match made in sions. Whether those rotations will be would expect, ... but one thing that’s heaven.” back-to-back and what assets will be pretty clear is, air will be a big part of it.” Now that combat operations have made available is yet to be seen. “Those projects are modest, but [they ended in Afghanistan, many European “I would imagine the emergence of are] directly designed to be able to al- allies and partners are back home and Russia and the way they are acting out low that airfield to support an increased have joint terminal attack control- in the Ukraine will give it reasonable sortie generation capability, so we’re lers who require training. Although priority, and I think we’ll be reasonably very, very excited about that,” he said. the Warthogs will be based out of successful,” he added. J

Top: Two A-10s taxi on the flight line at Center: SSgt. Christopher Pridgen, a Bottom: USAF and Estonian airmen , Azores, Portugal, in Febru- crew chief, salutes an F-16 pilot on the board a US C-130J for parachute train- ary. The A-10s are deployed as part ramp at Souda AB, Greece. Greece is ing during Saber Strike, a multinational of the security package supporting a NATO partner nation in Operation exercise in the Baltics aimed at train- Operation Atlantic Resolve. Atlantic Resolve. ing for contingencies in NATO nations.

AIR FORCE Magazine / April 2015 39 Nuclear Force Improvements

The Force Improvement Program promises grassroots fi xes for USAF’s nuclear forces. By Amy McCullough, News Editor

issileers are cautiously op- The teams visited all three missile voice to airmen who likely didn’t have timistic the latest plan to wings at Malmstrom, F. E. Warren AFB, one before. It’s meant to turn the ICBM reinvigorate the nuclear force Wyo., and Minot AFB, N.D., where culture of severe micromanagement will have lasting effects—but they conducted hundreds of interviews and fear into one of empowerment for after being dubbed the “prob- to determine what challenges exist for all airmen. lemM child of the Air Force” by numerous airmen in their respective mission areas. “This is a program owned by air- reviews and panels over the years, many The group came up with more than 300 men,” said Wilson. “We have really say they are waiting to see what the future recommendations, which were pitched good people. If we give them the right will really hold. to senior Air Force leaders. Of those, 98 education, training, and experience, if The Air Force launched the Force percent were approved. The recommen- we make sure they are confi dent and Improvement Program in February dations fall into three main categories: proud, [and] if we make sure they are 2014 after an internal investigation inspections, leadership development, personally and professionally fulfi lled, uncovered widespread cheating on a and the personnel reliability program. we [get] mission success.” nuclear proficiency exam at Malm- The changes have been steadily rolling strom AFB, Mont. The “unignorable out to the fi eld ever since. BREAKING THE SYSTEM moment,” as it’s sometimes referred to Last year, Air Force Secretary Deborah The Air Force nuclear enterprise has today, coincided with another scandal, Lee James authorized $160 million of a long history, and under Strategic Air involving allegations of drug abuse FIP funding to improve things across the Command it fl ourished. But the fall of the among a few missileers. enterprise, including much-needed new Soviet Union and SAC’s inactivation in As part of FIP last year, the Air Force vehicles for missileers, new uniforms and 1992 ushered in a lengthy period when— created five functional cultural work- rifl e scopes for security forces members, despite assertions to the contrary—the ing groups made up of lower-ranking additional manning, new equipment nec- nuclear enterprise was not a high priority. airmen, junior and senior noncommis- essary to maintain ICBMs, and quality of Still, missileers at all levels felt com- sioned officers, as well as company life improvements, such as new couches pelled to be perfect 100 percent of the grade officers from the following career and desks. time. The unrealistic pressures created fields: missile operations, security Lt. Gen. Stephen W. “Seve” Wilson, by that environment plunged morale to forces, maintenance, mission support, commander of Air Force Global Strike an all-time low. and helicopter operations. Command, said the nuclear enterprise Lt. Col. Patrick Baum, commander The working groups were augmented remains a top priority for Air Force and of the 490th Missile Squadron at Malm- by experts outside the ICBM field, Defense Department leaders. strom, told a story of growing up in the such as Navy submariners, bomber Wilson said he is confi dent FIP will late 1990s as a young lieutenant under combat systems officers, or members live on even after the existing leadership a system of severe micromanagement. of the 576th Flight Test Squadron and rotates out because it is unlike anything “I hated it. It drove me insane. It at Vandenberg the Air Force has ever tried before. The was like, why am I being treated like AFB, Calif. bottom-up, grassroots approach gives a I’m seven years old? I’m a grown man. 40 AIR FORCE Magazine / April 2015 USAF photo by TSgt. Aaron Allmon

A convoy response force with the 91st Missile Security Forces Squadron carries out operations in March 2014. USAF Force Improvement Program teams visited missile wings to determine what challenges airmen face in the nuclear force.

AIR FORCE Magazine / April 2015 41 First Lt. Irvin George (foreground) and 2nd Lt. Michelle Campbell pull alert at a missile facility in Montana. I’m an officer in the Air Force. Give me the responsibility and authority to do my job and I’ll do it—and I’ll do it well, and if I don’t, then hold me accountable,” said Baum. It’s the same tale young lieutenants and captains across AFGSC p A ll told members of the FIP teams over and over again. Col. Glenn E. Hillis, commander of the 341st Operations Group at Malmstrom, said the culture of perfection really intensified after a B-52 flew from Minot to Barksdale AFB, La., in August 2007 with six live AGM-129 nuclear missiles aboard, unbeknownst to anyone in the force. Report after report that followed urged commanders to come up with a policy that would ensure it would never happen again. In the years that followed, young officers were caught cheating and senior officers who led them were later relieved of command. Hillis said they “felt tremendous pressure” for perfection from their superiors, and they “did what [they] had to do to survive.” “What FIP did, I think, is break the status quo,” said Baum. “It gave us the ability and authority to break the system, which it’s needed for years.”

A RO ER OICE The officers who were brought in to pick up the pieces don’t believe in micromanagement. They strive every day to give air- men the authority they need to take back their jobs. And they are enjoying watching the airmen thrive as they embrace their new responsibilities. In November 2014, then-Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel an- nounced that AFGSC would soon be led by a four-star general, and a three-star general would oversee the Air Staff’s nuclear directorate. The announcement was part of sweeping changes to DOD’s overall nuclear enterprise. In March, DOD announced that Gen. was nominated to become the first four-star leader of AFGSC. The promotion will give the commander of the world’s most powerful weapon system a stronger voice at the table and help make sure the nuclear enterprise stays on the Pentagon’s priority list. However, there are still things that will always require perfec- tion. For example, “we cannot lose a nuke. We have to be perfect with how we target these things. We have to be perfect, God forbid, if we ever have to launch them,” said Hillis. But perfection is not necessary in a learning environment. “There were cases here where people were getting letters of counseling or letters of admonishment because they weren’t making certain test scores or they weren’t doing things exactly right in a trainer, which is absolutely ridiculous,” he added. Before FIP, the ICBM community trained to the test. “Test- ing used to be the foundation of everything,” said Col. John T. Wilcox II, commander, at Malmstrom. Missileers technically needed a 90 percent to pass the monthly proficiency exam, but anything less than 100 percent affected their promotion chances. Now the test is recorded as pass or fail, although the standards haven’t changed. Instead of a person’s performance report show- ing an average test score of 98.9 percent, it will evaluate that person based on his or her work in the field and how they do during simulator rides. “If you train to a test, you lose peoples’ attention,” said Wil- cox. “They want to know how the weapon system works” and the “deep complexity of the weapon system.”

SSgt. Robert Kohlenberg, 40th Helicopter Squadron, prepares for landing at a Malmstrom alert facility.

AIR FORCE Magazine / April 2015 The new ICBM training paradigm I E REA C EA I A I ME mimics the one used for aircrews. Instead A total of 100 officers assigned to the 341st Missile Wing were implicated in of taking monthly recertification tests 2014’s nuclear proficiency exam cheating scandal. Of those, 16 received an that focused on mundane parts of the job, Article 15, nonjudicial punishment; 70 received a letter of reprimand, a letter of missile crews now test quarterly. Instead admonishment, or a letter of counseling; nine were exonerated; and one separated of one large four-hour block, crews go before the investigation began and was no longer under the Air Force’s jurisdiction, through separate training before they get Wing Commander Col. John T. Wilcox II said in January in an Air Force Magazine in the simulator, then take a two-hour interview at Malmstrom. simulator ride covering things they won’t Former 341st Missile Wing Commander Col. Robert W. Stanley II resigned after typically see while pulling alert, such the allegations surfaced, and nine commanders below him were fired, including as what to do in the case of a fire, or the commanders of all three of the wing’s missile squadrons. Those squadrons actually launching a missile. Then after oversee 50 Minuteman III nuclear missiles each. Also disciplined were the com the simulator session is complete, there mander and deputy commander of the 341st Operations Group, which at the time is a debrief where they can talk about oversaw the missile squadrons, an operational support squadron responsible for what they did right and areas that need administering the exams, and a helicopter unit. improvement. Coinciding with the investigation into the cheating scandal, allegations surfaced of illegal drug use among missileers. Second Lt. Nicole Dalmazzi was found guilty An unarmed Minuteman ICBM from of illegal use of ecstasy pills in violation of Article 112A of the Uniform Code of Vandenberg AFB, Calif., streaks across Military Justice during a Jan. 21 general court-martial, said spokesman John A. the southern California sky in 2013. Turner Jr. She was sentenced to one-month confinement and dismissed from the Air Force. The remaining three cases of cheating or drug use were still under investiga tion as of late January, said Wilcox, who estimated it would take another six months before the investigation completely wraps up. Sixty-six missileers have regained their security clearances and are back pull ing alert as of late January. Some are still undergoing review, waiting to be put back to work or discharged. “It’s still going to take a little while to run this to the end, but we’re getting a little closer and making a lot of progress,” said Wilcox.

Courtesy photo by Lt. Col. Andy Wulfestieg

The Air Force also implemented a For example, before FIP a missileer could several annual cycles of pulling alert, “3+3” operational tour concept for missile come in as an operator and pull crew for … but we were bouncing them around combat crew officers. It is intended to six months, then go be an instructor for so much they couldn’t get deep into the provide missileers time and direction to eight months, and then be upgraded to crew position. … Now they can.” focus on developing their weapon system commander and pull alert for another six The new concept gets rid of what Wilson proficiency during the first three-year months before becoming an evaluator for referred to as the “one-room schoolhouse,” tour. In their second three-year assign- another six months or a year, said Wilcox. where everyone, whether they pulled alert ment, probably at a different ICBM base, “We were taking our CGOs who are three times or for the last three years, re- they will serve as instructors, evaluators, motivated to do the job and leaving them ceived the exact same training. and/or flight commanders. They also will in positions for only six months,” said But not everyone has bought in to the new provide guidance and mentoring to other Wilcox. In a staff job at a major command training paradigm. Before FIP rolled out, officers while performing alert. or the Pentagon, he said, “at the six- missileers generally dreaded pulling alert. The 3+3 concept is a significant de- month mark you’re just learning where That type of culture is not something that parture from the previous training model. the rings are. You have to go through can be changed overnight. AIR FORCE Magazine / April 2015 10th Missile Squad- ron missileer 1st Lt. Benjamin Hunt loads a floppy disc at an alert facility in January.

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First Lt. Grace Butler, who writes simulator scripts in the levels of protection against extreme conditions at northern tier 10th Missile Squadron mission planning room at Malmstrom, bases—and more comfortable helmets. acknowledged that the “paranoia” she and her colleagues felt Perhaps most motivating, though, is the additional incentive before FIP has gone away. She said there is “a world of dif- and special assignment pay—between $75 and $300 a month—for ference” from just one year ago, and she and her fellow crew enlisted and selected officers serving in 11 nuclear career fields, members now feel “trusted day-to-day to do their jobs.” including SF and missileers. But she’s still not sure about the new 3+3 model. She’s not The additional pay is meant to “incentivize airmen to volun- alone. teer for and perform duties in a particular career field, location, “I think 3+3 is a great idea for those that want to stay 13N and/or special assignment where the scope of responsibility and [in nuclear and missile operations]. It provides structured required skills exceed those of other airmen in the same career progression that makes sense. You don’t become an instruc- field and rank,” said Brig. Gen. Brian T. Kelly, director of force tor until you understand the job better,” said Butler. But “it management policy, in an October 2014 news release. depends on if you’re individually motivated to do your job. If you need to be happy in your job and you did not want to be IOR AR I O MORE a 13N career member, it’s going to be difficult for you to find FIP also brought big changes for the helicopter crews that incentive to do your job well. On the flip side, you volunteered provide an additional layer of security at each of the three to be in the Air Force and should be willing to do whatever missile bases. Although, the crews are still flying Vietnam-era job they give you.” UH-1N Hueys, the Air Force’s Fiscal 2016 budget proposal at The problems were different for security forces. Defenders long last fields a replacement by purchasing Army UH-60A regularly spend long hours traveling on winding, rocky roads in Black Hawks for conversion to the UH-60L configuration. deep snow in the middle of nowhere as temperatures often dip AFGSC also formed a provisional helicopter operations well below zero. In addition, the career field has suffered from a group that will provide a more focused command chain for manning shortage, forcing security forces airmen to work even the three helicopter squadrons under 20th Air Force. The longer hours in such conditions. group, based at F. E. Warren, is expected to assume control “We currently do not have enough manning for every flight of the 37th, 40th, and 54th Helicopter Squadrons and a newly to post out to 100 percent,” said MSgt. Robert Wilson, 90th formed operations support squadron tailored for the three Missile Security Forces Squadron flight chief at F. E. Warren, units later this year. in a December 2014 press release. “In order to make up for SSgt. Robert Kohlenberg, a special mission aviator with that, we pull what we call a standby; essentially, our airmen the 40th HS at Malmstrom, lauded the creation of the new are made to work an extra one or two days with other flights to Huey ops group. “I was on the FIP team and one of the bigger meet mandatory posting requirements.” examples in the Huey community is that leadership did not FIP has authorized hundreds of new billets to help ease the understand the risk involved in going out to do the mission manning shortfall, and though it will take time to fill all the and in the training we did day in and day out,” said Kohlen- positions, new defenders are starting to roll in to the squadrons berg. “Now we have top cover at the O-6 level. As Huey guys at all three missile bases. we never really had that before. … We’ve typically been the Morale also suffered within the missile security forces com- junior varsity airframe compared to the HH-60.” munity because the airmen were working with inadequate gear. Almost anyone you talk to in the missile community Now they will be issued generation III cold weather gear—seven tells you they have complete faith in the current leader- AIR FORCE Magazine / April 2015 ship, from Wilson—the commander I I IO A I I FORCE IM RO EME of AFGSC—down to their squadron r r pr r r p il p commanders. They love the additional infiltrating every aspect of Air Force Global Strike Command. pay and really appreciate the money After the FIP in the missile community wrapped up, AFGSC initiated a second for new gear. And though they’d all FIP in the bomber community. The result of the two deep dives were surprisingly like to believe FIP means permanent similar, said AFGSC boss Lt. Gen. Stephen W. “Seve” Wilson. changes, most also say, “We’ve been “It was much of the same thing. Our bomber guys identified some infrastructure burned before.” things, improvements that they need, whether it be in buildings or facilities. We’re For them FIP can’t really be a suc- getting after that,” said Wilson. cess story until they see the long-term The bomber FIP also identified some shortfalls in both maintenance and opera modernization and sustainment plan tions training. for the aging ICBMs and support “We pretty much revamped how we’re training our B-52 crews. We had a big equipment start to come to fruition. Tiger Team that looked at how we trained, ways to improve our training, and ev The last Minuteman IIIs came online erything from how we do it at the schoolhouse to how we do it at the squadrons in 1973 and they’ve been on nonstop will be changing here in the next several months,” said Wilson in January. alert ever since. The infrastructure was As part of that training overhaul, Wilson said the command is going to maximize designed in the 1950s and built in the the limited flight hours it has available. 1960s—yet the first deep clean of the AFGSC also is working closely with and US Pacific Command facilities didn’t happen until late last to see how it can improve its continuous bomber presence, now in its 11th year at year. Air Force leaders understand this, Andersen AFB, Guam. Though he couldn’t yet talk specifics, Wilson said the com and are taking action. The Future Years mand also is close to rolling out “some things that will make that mission better.” Defense Plan allocates $5.6 billion for Force improvement teams were scheduled to visit the 625th Strategic Opera upgrades to the nuclear enterprise over tions Squadron at Offutt AFB, Neb., in late January to begin in-person interviews the next five years. with members of the unit. The command also is looking at sending FIP teams to the 620th Ground Combat Training Squadron at Camp Guernsey, Wyo.; the 576th SSgt. Nicholas Miller (l) and Flight Test Squadron at Vandenberg AFB, Calif.; or the 381st Training Group also SrA. Melvin Hill secure the at Vandy, said Wilson. area during an ICBM missile This isn’t just an ICBM or a bomber thing. “It impacts every part of our com convoy mission at Malm- mand,” he added. strom.

USAF photo by SSgt. Jonathan Snyder

The Fiscal 2016 budget proposal con- It also helps fill the manpower gap in and the Minuteman III infrastructure tinues incentive pay for certain nuclear the nuclear enterprise by funding 1,120 recapitalization effort. career fields and funds various security additional military and civilian billets “I think we have tremendous momen- upgrades, such as the replacement of the plus 158 technical and engineering tum right now. The challenge will be nuclear warhead payload transporter van staff positions at Hill AFB, Utah, to on the follow-through, the sustainment and the addition of cameras at the missile support the next generation Ground- and the commitment in the long term,” fields, according to documents. Based Strategic Deterrent initiative said AFGSC commander Wilson. J AIR FORCE Magazine / April 2015 By Autumn A. Arnett

Photos courtesy of the Wassom family

MSgt. Bud Wassom gave his Left: Wassom, as a Guard loadmaster life protecting his daughters instructor, could have avoided deploy- ment. He chose not to. Center: Wassom and his daughters, Sydney (l) and Lore- from a deadly tornado. lai (r). Right: Wassom in Iraq. This is his mother’s favorite picture of him. 46 AIR FORCE Magazine / April 2015 the house and it sent stuff everywhere, fl ying debris, and whatnot. We’re as- suming that when the roof got ripped But on this particular day, Dan Was- off the house, it may have picked [Dan] som’s house was, in fact, about to be hit and Lorelai up a little bit, because they by a deadly tornado. With the twister were moved.” ne year ago, MSgt. Daniel R. bearing down on their home, he and Suzanne Wassom later told Dan’s “Bud” Wassom II died in the his wife, Suzanne, grabbed their young mother that, despite the chaos, Dan was Oline of duty. daughters, seven-year-old Sydney and calm and reassured the family as the His was not a combat-related death but fi ve-year-old Lorelai, and went to the tornado fi rst began tearing apart their a tragedy related to his duty as a father safest part of the house, before throw- home. He did what he could to shield and a family man. ing themselves over the girls to shield Lorelai with his own body. On April 27, 2014, at approximately 8 them from the storm. What happened Nine minutes after the tornado hit, p.m., tornado warning sirens sounded in next was a blur, and the family can only it was over. “With winds reaching Vilonia, Ark., a sound not totally foreign speculate on the exact series of events. nearly 200 miles per hour, the dev- for that part of the country. Dan Wassom’s “The girls told me that they could astating EF-4 tornado smashed into mother, Pamela Wassom, said, “You don’t hear [the tornado] in the kitchen, they Vilonia, Ark., April 27, 2014, killing really expect to get hit” when the sirens could hear mommy’s dishes breaking,” 16 people,” the Air Force summarized go off. In fact, she sometimes liked to go said Pam Wassom. “And then they said in its “Profi les in Courage” tribute to outside and look at the clouds and see the house exploded. We’re fi guring Wassom, published Feb. 4, 2015. “The what was coming her way. that, of course, it ripped the roof off twister demolished 50 of 56 homes in AIR FORCE Magazine / April 2015 47 i l r ri p the Wassom’s subdivision, as well as was the guy who answered that ques- Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring nearly half the businesses in the town tion and said, ‘I won’t.’ Dan was that Freedom. “That was something that was of 3,800.” guy. He answered the question and he very, very important to him, not only from Wassom was found slumped over, passed the test.” a service standpoint, but more than that, face down with a piece of wood through in teaching the school, he wanted to have his chest. His mother said it was likely a I I O O credibility with his [students]. If [they] structural beam that had come crashing Wassom joined the Air National were out there fighting and getting shot at, down on top of him, “and that probably Guard right after 9/11, following in he wanted to go get shot at and understand killed him instantly.” His wife returned the footsteps of his father, who is a what they were going through,” Ator said. to his side after taking the girls to retired C-130 crew chief and who still Back in Arkansas, Wassom helped safety, but her husband was already works at Little Rock Air Force Base as stand up a “traveling road show” training dead. Lorelai suffered a serious right a contractor and had enjoyed an office program for other loadmasters, said Ator. shoulder injury and lost a toe on her a few minutes away from his son’s. “There’s a requirement for every load- left foot—but she survived. “We’re a big Air Force family,” said master to be able to, every year, ... go to The family and the entire commu- Pam Wassom. Already armed with a loadmaster refresher training. And usually nity at Little Rock AFB, Ark., was hit bachelor’s degree, Dan “could have that’s done where we have the simulator hard by the loss of a man who, by all been an officer; … however, he just stationed, and ... every loadmaster would accounts, was an exemplary father and chose to stay being an enlisted guy, and have to travel for that school. What we airman. His mother recounted that more that’s what he wanted to do, and that’s did is, we put together a training team than 1,500 people attended his funeral, what he loved,” his mother said. She of two loadmasters and we would go to with little room for folks even to stand. added that her children were raised in a wing and get a whole wing banged out A loadmaster instructor with the the “God, family, country” tradition. with just only traveling two guys,” the 189th Airlift Wing, Wassom had left a Wassom’s younger cousin (raised wing commander said. “Dan was right in mark on everyone he’d encountered. as a sibling) has already joined the the middle of standing that whole thing “He was your picture-perfect airman,” Air Force, and another plans to do the up, so he progressed very quickly in his said Col. Robert A. Ator II, commander same after school. His sister’s husband qualifications as a loadmaster and he was of the 189th Airlift Wing and previously is also an airman. just generally a leader within the section.” Wassom’s squadron commander. Dan dove right in as an airman. “What Wassom was “highly respected” by “Every airman from the beginning of to me was striking was that he joined the others in the unit, Ator said. “If you met time has, when approaching a stress- unit knowing full well what the upcom- Dan once, it was like he’s an old friend. ful situation, rolling into combat for ing fight, with 9/11 and all that” would He’s one of those guys who always walked the first time, ... always [said] a silent entail, said Ator. As a Guard loadmaster around with a smile on his face, always little prayer, like, ‘Please, God, don’t instructor, Wassom was technically exempt upbeat. Nothing seemed to get him too let me screw this up,’ ” Ator said. “As from deploying, but he said he could not riled up. One of those guys who’s just parents, we would do anything for our in good conscience teach things he was one of those solid dudes that you would kids. ... But what Dan did, very self- not willing to live himself. want to spend your time with. He made lessly, when the chips were down, [was] “He said he couldn’t ... teach his students everyone around him better just because exactly what we’d all hope to do. So to go and do if he wasn’t willing to go of his attitude and his outlook on life.” when asking the question of ‘Please, over himself,” his mother recalled. And Wassom’s wife of some 10 years, Su- God, don’t let me screw this up,’ Dan so Wassom deployed twice for Operation zanne, doesn’t like to talk to the media AIR FORCE Magazine / April 2015 and has since moved her family to the Playing pranks was just one example Left: A subdivision in Vilonia, Ark., West Coast, away from “tornado alley,” of Wassom’s sense of humor and jovial, after a tornado leveled it on April 27, to try to move on from the tragedy, ac- upbeat nature. 2014. Wassom, 31 years old, died in the storm. Center: Pam and Dan Wassom cording to Ator. When he was alive and in how he died, and the street sign commemorating “The girls had little issues. Every time Wassom exemplified what service means their son’s heroism. Right: ANG Direc- there’s a storm, ... they’d get a little upset,” and Air Force core values, his cowork- tor Lt. Gen. Stanley Clarke presents he said of Lorelai and Sydney. He said the ers say. the Airman’s Medal to Wassom’s wife, squadron shared their grief. Wassom earned posthumous awards Suzanne, on Dec. 6, 2014. “One of the challenges after Dan’s that are still piling up. First, there was the Ator said Army Gen. Frank J. Grass, passing was to make sure that we’re tak- naming of a road that runs through Little chief of the National Guard Bureau, was ing care of each other and being good, Rock Air Force Base, an idea conceived by the one who started the conversation about resilient airmen for each other and being Ator and the section loadmasters. the Airman’s Medal for Wassom. “I will good wingmen—on top of that trying to “They wanted to do something, and they tell you, everyone in the entire leadership take care of Suzanne and the girls, making started talking about wanting to name our chain, General Grass, [ANG Director Lt. sure that we’re still connected,” he said. auditorium where we brief our students Gen. Stanley E. Clarke III], they all called The person who has gone “all-in on every morning” after him, Ator said. “I us. I talked to them pretty much the day supporting Suzanne and the girls” is thought, ‘That’s just a little too small,’ in after it occurred, and it was General Grass TSgt. Brian Swanson, one of Wassom’s the sense that it’s not just an operations who brought it up first,” Ator said. best friends in the unit. “Brian and he, guy. He’s a wing member, and everyone In February, Wassom was also honored honestly—they were like brothers. They in this wing felt his presence when he was at the Air Force’s annual Portraits in Cour- did everything together. Their families did here and lamented his passing.” The airmen age ceremony in Arlington, Va. everything together,” said Ator. “Brian wanted to find a way to do something bigger. CMSAF James A. Cody told the audi- was one of the guys ... I was most worried ence of his admiration for Wassom “who, about right afterwards.” REMI ER OF I E AC while not in combat, still faced insurmount- Pam Wassom chuckled as she described Ator said he approached the base com- able odds” in the face of “an unprecedented the relationship between her son—affec- mander, who said they could “absolutely” tornado in Arkansas,” where “the whole tionately known to his family as Bud—and move forward with the renaming. “Every world was coming unhinged around him.” Swanson. “He was pranking Brian for day, we turn onto this street and it’s a Cody said Wassom’s actions that day four years, and Brian would confide in constant reminder to us of what his legacy displayed “a different kind of courage than him, and … he didn’t figure out it was is and a constant reminder to us of the call going in the face of an enemy.” This was, in Bud who was pranking him until [after] to service and sacrifice. … It’s a constant its unexpected way, representative of what he died,” she said. reminder to us of who he was and what the United States Air Force is all about. “Brian got the job of cleaning Bud’s he stood for,” Ator commented. “He had such a beautiful house and he filing cabinet out at work, after Bud died, Wassom has been posthumously award- had a beautiful life. A beautiful family. and that’s when he found out Bud was ed the Airman’s Medal, bestowed for a Everything was going so great for him, pranking him all that time. There was heroic act, usually at the voluntary risk of and then it gets wiped out in like two a file folder of bumper stickers. … He life but not involving actual combat. He seconds,” Wassom’s mother said. “We’re would put these on Brian’s car to see has also received the Meritorious Service just grateful that he was our son; he was how long it took Brian to figure out it Medal and the Arkansas Distinguished such a good person, he influenced so was there.” Service Medal. many people.” J AIR FORCE Magazine / April 2015 SAC’s Heyday

Strategic Air Command’s airborne arsenal is showcased in these rare color photos.

defi ning characteristic of the US Air Force has always been its ability to Adeliver fi re and steel at very long range—a mission embodied in the bomber. For the fi rst time since the late 1970s, the Air Force is about to award a contract for another such airplane: the Long-Range Strike Bomber. There was a time, though, when new bombers came fast and furious—during the Strategic Air Command era before the B-1, when each aircraft design was an urgent and hard push at the edges of the envelope for payload, speed, and range. Here, in color, are some snapshots of that era. When the Soviet Union developed its own nuclear bombers and missiles, it was imperative that SAC bombers get airborne as fast as possible. Here, a swept- wing Boeing B-47 Stratojet, equipped with Jet-Assisted Takeoff (JATO) rockets, leaps into the sky.

50 AIR FORCE Magazine / April 2015 SAC’s Heyday Photos from the collection of Warren Thompson

Photo by David Menard

AIR FORCE Magazine / April 2015 51 1 Photo by Warren Bodie

2 Photo by Vincent Beebe 3 Photo by Ken Smith

4 Photo by David Menard |1| 98th Bomb Group Boeing B-29 Superfortresses return from a mission over North Korea in 1951. The World War II-era B-29 would soon be superseded by the up- engined B-50, and new bombers would follow every few years into the 1960s. |2| A B-47 and KC-135 tankers at Hickam AFB, Hawaii, deployed in 1962 for Operation Dominic, a series of live nuclear weapon tests in the South Pacific. |3| In August 1966, a Convair B-58 Hustler warms up engines after maintenance work. |4| B-58 Greased Lightning set a 1963 re- cord—still standing—of eight hours and 35 minutes for the Tokyo- London run. The 305th Bomb Wing airplane averaged 938 mph for the 8,028-mile record flight. This shot shows off the B-58’s three hatches.

52 AIR FORCE Magazine / April 2015 1 ir

|1| A B-47 approaching Alaska is intercepted by a Lockheed F-94B Starfire. The B-47 was SAC’s first all-jet, swept-wing bomber with a fighter-like tandem cockpit—a pioneer of many advances in one graceful planform. |2| A B-58 of the 305th Bomb Wing pulls up for a tanker top off. A total of 116 Hus- tlers were produced. Despite its cutting-edge speed, the B-58 only had a 10-year operational lifetime. |3| Note the German V-1 missile (or a Republic/Ford JB-2 copy) on this B-29’s wing at Ladd AFB, Alaska. A squadron was testing “buzz bombs” in 1949.

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/ April 2015 53 1 USAF photo 2 Photo by Ken Smith

3 Convair Aviation photo

4 Photo by Bob Amos |1| A B-36 over Guadalupe in April 1949 during a routine training flight out of Carswell AFB, Texas. |2| The Peacemaker, shown here at Carswell, was a formidable and deadly aircraft. |3| The Con- vair XB-36, right, unofficially the “Aluminum Overcast,” dwarfs a B-29 in a posed shot at Cars well in 1948. |4| Air Force Association founding member Jimmy Stewart, then a Reserve brigadier general, signs autographs for airmen after a long mission from Andersen AFB, Guam, to Vietnam in Febru- ary 1966. Stewart was a highly decorated World War II bomber pilot who later made the movie “Strategic Air Command,” featuring the B-36 and B-47, both of which he also flew.

54 AIR FORCE Magazine / April 2015 1 Photo by John Hoffman 2 Photo by Warren Thompson

3 Photo by Warren Thompson 4 Photo by Ben Whitaker

5 Photo by Ray Shewfelt |1| A flight of B-36 Peacemakers of the 11th Bomb Wing on a flight from Carswell to North Africa. |2| At Eaker AFB, Ark., Big Stick awaits takeoff. It’s wearing an odd mix of B-52 paint schemes. |3| At Eglin AFB, Fla., a crew readies a B-58 for tests in car- rying conventional bombs. The B-58 was meant to fly high and fast. The advent of surface-to-air missiles, however, forced it to lower altitudes, where it lost its speed advantage. SAC retired the Hustler in 1970. |4| An 11th Bomb Wing B-36 over Ari- zona. The B-36D got four jet engines in outboard pods to help the huge bomber gain altitude more quickly. |5| A B-47 over Algeria in 1955. On extended missions overseas, the Stratojet could carry jettisonable 1,760-gallon fuel tanks on each wing.

AIR FORCE Magazine / April 2015 55 1 i r 2 r rl

|1| The B-58 had an enormous under-fuselage weapon pod, given the limited space available under its delta wings. This one is prepar- ing to launch from a UK base in 1967. The B-58 appeared in the 1964 Cold War thriller “Fail Safe.” |2| Bristling with guns, a flight of B-29s flies over Britain circa 1948. |3| The B-47’s swept wings are evident in this image taken over Canada in the late 1950s. Though superseded by the B-52—which had a similar planform—the B-47 was adapted to recce and elec- tronic warfare roles. |4| A B-52E in the strategic paint scheme awaits a mission over North Vietnam in June 1968.

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56 / April 2015 1 i

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|1| Using its drag chute to slow down, a B-58 touches down at Little Rock AFB, Ark., in 1967. |2| A B-52D at U Tapao RTAB, Thailand, readies for a 1970 mission, fully loaded with bombs. |3| In late 1964, a B-52 flies out of Andersen on its way back to Vietnam. The last B-52H was built in 1962, and yet the venerable bomb- er remains the backbone of USAF’s bomber fleet today. |4| Leaving spectacular contrails, a B-52 starts the journey back to Ander sen after a 1972 mission. SAC was inactivated after the Cold War, in 1992, but was brought back and renamed Air Force Global Strike Command in 2009. %

/ April 2015 57 irplanes played no role Slobodan Milosevic, was determined The crisis in Kosovo continued to in combat until the 20th to prevent a new secession threat in intensify in early 1999, as Serb tanks century. By the middle the Serbian province of Kosovo, where fi red into houses near Malopoljce and of the century, they dem- there was an Albanian ethnic majority. Petrova. At least 45 ethnic Albanians onstratedA that wars could not be fought In September 1998, Serbian forces were reported as killed in Racak, where successfully without them. By the end launched offensives in Kosovo, and houses were set on fi re. Milosevic re- of the century, airplanes could win wars tens of thousands of ethnic Albanians fused to allow a UN war crimes prosecu- without ground forces. fled their homes. Observers feared tor to investigate the Racak killings, and In this regard, the air war over Serbia, the Serbs were launching an “eth- he demanded the head of the Kosovo in 1999, was revolutionary. The last war nic cleansing” campaign to remove Verifi cation Mission leave the country. of the 20th century was also the last non-Serbs from areas they wished to On Jan. 19, NATO Supreme Allied war in which there was aerial combat, dominate. A UN resolution called for Commander, Europe, Army Gen. Wesley with manned aircraft shooting down Yugoslavia to stop offensives against K. Clark met with Milosevic in Belgrade other manned aircraft, and victory was civilians, withdraw security units, and demanded that Yugoslav forces pull achieved without ground operations. admit international monitors, and fa- out of Kosovo. During the decade of the 1990s, Yu- cilitate the return of ethnic Albanian Milosevic agreed to peace talks at goslavia broke up into several indepen- refugees. In October, NATO backed up Rambouillet and later at Paris in Febru- dent countries. Some of them seceded the UN resolution and prepared for the ary and March, but they produced no peacefully from the federation, which same kind of air strikes that had been agreement and he continued to reject had been dominated by Serbia, but war so successful in the Bosnian crisis a the entry of foreign troops into Kosovo. resulted when Bosnia-Herzegovina, few years earlier. Meanwhile, a Finnish forensic investiga- which retained a large Serbian popula- tion revealed that Serbs had killed more tion, attempted to break away. In 1995, BAIT AND SWITCH than 40 unarmed civilians in Racak. NATO air strikes, most fl own by USAF That month, Milosevic agreed to On March 20, the Serbs launched aircraft, enforced reso- remove thousands of his troops from a new offensive, forcing thousands lutions that restored peace and secured Kosovo and allow NATO aircraft to of ethnic Albanians from their homes Bosnian independence. The operation fl y reconnaissance missions to verify northwest of Pristina, Kosovo’s capital. was called Deliberate Force. their withdrawal, but his compliance Yugoslav forces began killing ethnic By the end of the decade, all that was was illusory: At the end of the year, he Albanians and shelling their villages. left of Yugoslavia was Serbia and Mon- forbade UN war crimes investigators And so, on March 24, NATO launched tenegro. Yugoslavia’s Serb President, from entering Kosovo. Operation Allied Force, the fi rst time

Watershed Air War By Daniel L. Haulman

Enemy air forces haven’t challenged the US since Operation Allied Force in 1999.

58 AIR FORCE Magazine / April 2015 NATO had gone to war against a sov- deployed some 40,000 troops and heavy Italy, Germany, the United Kingdom, ereign country in the Alliance’s 50-year equipment to the disputed province. and the US. history. Short favored an immediate applica- Venerable B-52 bombers based at RAF Exclusively an air campaign, Allied tion of overwhelming airpower against Fairford in the UK launched precision Force involved the forces of many Belgrade, the Yugoslavian capital, and cruise missiles against Yugoslavia at the NATO countries, but the United States Serbia’s command and control struc- opening of the campaign. provided the leadership and the bulk of tures, but NATO had already prepared B-2 bombers entered combat for the resources. USAF Lt. Gen. Michael a five-phase campaign by which the the fi rst time, fl ying round-trip from C. Short, commander of 16th Air Force, Alliance would gradually increase the in Missouri was air component commander and di- pressure on Milosevic to change his to Yugoslavia and back—a 29-hour rected the air campaign from a combined course. Under the rules agreed to by round-trip requiring numerous aerial air operations center at Vicenza, Italy. the Alliance—barely unified in sup- refuelings. NATO faced a Yugoslav air force that porting the operation—NATO member The Air Force employed all three of included 16 MiG-29 and 80 MiG-21 countries could veto certain targets or its strategic bomber types during the fi ghters plus 28 J-22 and 70 G-4M attack refuse to allow aircraft to take off from course of the campaign, including its airplanes. Serbian air defenses included their soil if headed to certain targets. supersonic B-1s. more than 800 man-portable SA-7, SA- In the first phases of the air cam- The Navy also took part in the 14, and SA-16 surface-to-air missiles paign, Belgrade was largely a sanc- initial air strikes, using Tomahawk and 130 other low-altitude anti-aircraft tuary, except for certain air defense Land Attack Missiles (TLAMs) to hit missiles. Other larger and longer range targets. Clark favored targeting Serbian elements of Yugoslavia’s integrated air missiles included four SA-2s, 16 SA-3s, ground forces within Kosovo, despite defense system and key command and and more than 80 SA-6s. the difficulty of hitting tanks, armored control sites. NATO intelligence estimated the vehicles, and artillery pieces from NATO relied heavily on the United Serbs had more than 400 pieces of anti- high altitude, and there was no ground States for night operations, precision aircraft artillery, and other enemy forces campaign to force the Serb troops to guided munitions, identifying aircraft included 200,000 ground troops—some concentrate and thus become more beyond visual range, providing airborne 120,000 in the Yugoslavian army and the vulnerable to air strikes. command and control, and furnishing rest in paramilitary forces. These troops On the opening night of the campaign, intelligence, surveillance, and recon- possessed about 540 tanks, 630 other March 24, the NATO CAOC managed naissance. armored vehicles, and almost 200 pieces 214 strike aircraft, with more than half USAF fi ghters also assumed promi- of fi eld artillery. Eventually Milosevic from the United States. They struck from nent roles in the confl ict. On the fi rst

USAF photo by SrA. Mitch Fuqua

An F-15E takes off from Aviano AB, Italy, for a strike mission over Yugoslavia in Operation Allied Force in March 1999.

AIR FORCE Magazine / April 2015 59 Heavy Duty USAF photo by SSgt. Randy Mallard Operation Allied Force involved some 38,000 NATO sorties—most fl own by USAF aircraft. By the end of the war, 13,850 USAF airmen were deployed to or worked from 24 stations. What started out as a contingency operation became a major theater war, with more than a third of the Air Force’s front-line fi ghters involved. USAF furnished some 30,000 of the 38,004 NATO sorties: 8,889 by fi ghters, 322 by bombers, 6,959 by tankers, 1,038 by ISR aircraft, 834 by special operations aircraft, 11,480 by transports, and 496 by RPAs. Of 829 NATO aircraft involved, some 530 belonged to USAF, including 214 fi ghters, 18 bombers, 175 tankers, and 43 transports. Air Mobility Command aircraft fl ew 2,130 airlift missions that transported 32,111 passengers and 52,645 short tons of cargo. By the end of Operation Allied Force, NATO had 175 tankers based at 12 operating locations. USAF KC-135 and KC-10 tankers fl ew some 9,000 missions and transferred more than 348 million pounds of fuel while airborne. Other USAF aircraft included E-3 AWACS, E-8 JSTARS, RC-135s, RQ-1 Predators, and U-2s. Among the special operations and rescue aircraft and crews taking part were AC-130, EC-130, HC-130, and MC-130 aircraft, as well as HH-60, MH-53, and MH-60 helicopters. Of the 28,018 munitions expended by NATO, USAF delivered 21,120. The Air Force dropped more than 650 of the new satellite guided JDAMs. In foggy or cloudy weather, of which Yugoslavia had plenty, the JDAMs were even more accurate than laser guided or television guided bombs. The Air Force expended 8,618 tons of munitions. NATO depended almost entirely on the United States for intelligence during the cam- paign. Ninety-nine percent of target nominations came from US intelligence sources. NATO’s inability to link intelligence sources with operations, except through the United States, is one reason the US dominated planning for the air operation.

day, Serbia launched at least a dozen days of the confl ict, with no friendly to fl y at altitudes of 15,000 feet or more. MiG-29s to intercept the fi rst NATO air aircraft losses. The high-altitude missions degraded the strikes. Two USAF F-15C pilots, Lt. Despite heavy air attacks the fi rst accuracy of strikes on fi elded forces Col. Cesar A. Rodriguez Jr. and Capt. three nights, Milosevic did not give in. hiding in the forests of Kosovo. Michael K. Shower, each shot down a Despite the temptation to use radar to Short assigned much of the ground MiG-29 using AIM-120 missiles. guide their extensive air defense net- attack job to F-16 pilots out of Aviano. A Dutch F-16 pilot also shot down work’s formidable arsenal of surface- EC-130s served as Airborne Battlefi eld a MiG-29 that day. to-air missiles, the Serbs largely left the Command and Control Center (ABCCC) Two days later, USAF F-15C pilot radar off, knowing that NATO fi ghters aircraft. Unmanned and unarmed RQ-1 Capt. Jeffery G. J. Hwang shot down with High-speed Anti-radiation Missiles Predator reconnaissance and surveil- two more MiG-29s. (HARMs) could zero in on them. As a lance aircraft, based at Tazsar, Hungary, NATO had shot down fi ve of the best result, throughout the confl ict, the SAMs provided guidance on where the enemy Yugoslavian fi ghters in the fi rst three remained a threat, forcing NATO aircraft was hiding.

A weapons specialist and a crew chief run a fi nal check on an F-16 at Aviano before it takes off on a mission for Allied Force in May 1999.

USAF photo by SrA. Delia A. Castillo

60 AIR FORCE Magazine / April 2015 A USAF B-52H taxis on the fl ight line at RAF Fairford, UK, while another Stratofortress (at left) awaits a mis- sion. B-52s based at Fairford launched cruise missiles during the opening phase of Allied Force.

Then, on March 27, something nearly a result, NATO members expanded the fi rst time, destroying the Yugoslavian unthinkable happened: A Serbian sur- target list to include sites in downtown and Serbian interior ministries. Some of face-to-air missile shot down a stealthy Belgrade, and on March 31, NATO these missiles were TLAMs, launched F-117 Nighthawk, piloted by Maj. aircraft struck the headquarters of the from Navy ships in the Adriatic. B-1s Darrell P. Zelko. He went down near Yugoslavian army’s Special Unit Corps deployed from the United States to RAF Budanovici, some 28 miles northwest of in downtown Belgrade. Fairford, where they were equipped with Belgrade. Analysts later speculated that conventional air-launched cruise mis- the Serbs were able to down the airplane SUSTAIN HOPE siles for additional attacks on Belgrade. partly because it was fl ying a predict- On March 30, the combined air inter- In Pristina, a NATO cruise missile on able path, and the F-117 may have been diction of fi elded forces began. It was April 8 destroyed the main telecommu- detected when it became more visible initially limited to a 10-mile penetration nications building. It had been used to on radar as it opened its weapons bay of Kosovo. NATO continued to press the help coordinate Serbian ground opera- doors. It also might have been observed air campaign in a gradual escalation. tions in the province. on radar when it banked, increasing its Clouds and bad weather delayed suc- Clark and Short did not agree on the radar cross section momentarily. cessful early attacks against the Serbian operation’s most important target set. The news that day was not all bad, Army in Kosovo. A-10s conducted Clark insisted that the air strikes con- however. Capt. John A. Cherrey, an their fi rst successful attack on April 6, centrate on Yugoslavia’s 3rd Army in A-10 pilot, located the downed pilot and destroying a Serbian truck park. Kosovo, but Short would have preferred vectored a helicopter rescue team to save Short’s son fl ew one of the A-10s in to hit enemy headquarters in Belgrade. him. The effort involved the cooperative combat over Kosovo, and on one occa- It would have been much easier to hit efforts of A-10, F-16, C-130, KC-135, sion, his aircraft was hit by a SAM that large fi xed visible targets that were and MH-53 pilots and crews. Cherrey failed to explode. He returned safely. hubs in the enemy network than small earned a for his role in the Since March 1998, more than a half- tanks and armored vehicles hidden in rescue, and the incident demonstrated the million people had been displaced from the forests of Kosovo—especially since progress made since the 1995 downing their homes in Kosovo, a fi fth of them NATO aircraft fl ew at high altitudes to of Capt. Scott F. O’Grady—who had to in the last week of March 1999. Without avoid ground fi re. evade enemy forces for six days before reducing the Allied Force air campaign, Clark was not able to fi ght the war he was rescued. NATO and the United States inaugurated entirely his way, however. He would have By the end of March, Milosevic inten- an additional operation called Sustain preferred to include a NATO ground of- sifi ed his ground campaign in Kosovo, Hope, to airlift humanitarian supplies fensive that would force the Kosovo army forcing ever increasing numbers of to the refugees in Albania. The United to mass and become more vulnerable to refugees to fl ee to neighboring states. States utilized new C-17 transports. air strikes, but NATO leaders refused to Between March 24 and 31, more than NATO air strikes on Belgrade were allow such a ground offensive. 100,000 people fl ed Kosovo to Alba- not limited to aircraft. On April 3, NATO Three weeks into the Allied Force air nia, Macedonia, and Montenegro. As missiles struck central Belgrade for the campaign, Serbian troops were still well AIR FORCE Magazine / April 2015 61 Ap rA r r

Amn. McKinte Young (right) positions a bomb load truck as two weapons load crew members ready an AGM-65 missile for placement on an A-10.

the clock. Eventually NATO aircraft flew combat missions from bases in 15 different countries. Clark and Short could generate some 1,000 strike sorties a day by early May and could destroy p targets l i in l rapid order. What delayed them was NATO political approval of certain targets. It sometimes took as long as two weeks. On May 2, 1999, Serbian forces shot down an F-16CJ, the second NATO aircraft destroyed by an SA-3 over Yugoslavia. The pilot, Lt. Col. David L. Goldfein, was quickly rescued by an MH-60 helicopter crew escorted by four A-10s. The Serbs had little time to celebrate. The next day, F-117s dropped CBU-94 Army Gen. Wesley Clark (l), Supreme Allied Commander, Europe, meets with Secre- munitions on five transformer yards of tary of Defense William Cohen in Mons, Belgium, during Allied Force. the electrical power grid of Belgrade, cutting off electricity to 70 percent of entrenched within Kosovo. Clark mar- air strikes against the enemy capital. Yugoslavia and degrading communica- shalled increasing numbers of aircraft On April 21, cruise missiles struck ra- tions with the Yugoslav 3rd Army in for the operation. The number went up dio and television stations in Belgrade Kosovo. Air strikes also destroyed a from 430 on March 24 to almost 1,000 and the political offices of Milosevic. huge vehicle and munitions factory in a month later. During April, air raids NATO later used 4,700-pound “bunker the enemy capital, vastly reducing Ser- intensified. By April 15, there were busting” bombs against Milosevic’s bia’s industrial production and depriving eight USAF air expeditionary wings national command center, buried 100 thousands of workers of their jobs. involved in the operation. By May 22, feet below the ground. Serbian aircraft failed to down a single there were 10. Pressure increased on Milosevic’s NATO aircraft during the campaign, While largely ineffective air raids on capital. Turkey and Hungary approved but on May 4, F-16CJ pilot Lt. Col. fielded Serbian forces in Kosovo con- strike operations from their territories, Michael H. Geczy shot down another tinued, Clark eventually directed more so NATO raids could proceed around MiG-29 over Kosovo, the fifth and final 62 / April 2015 the first major USAF air campaign with no friendly air crews killed or taken prisoner. In fact, there were no NATO fatalities. Only two of the many USAF A-10s involved received DOD photo by Spc. Tracy Trotter Tracy Spc. by photo DOD any battle damage. C-17s, the Air Force’s latest trans- port aircraft type, flew for the first time in a combat theater. For the first time, USAF Predator unmanned aerial vehicles helped locate enemy targets for destruction. For the first time, USAF used JDAMs, more than 80 percent of them hitting their targets. Immediately after the war, a short- lived controversy erupted when air- power critics attempted to paint the campaign as ineffective for destroying a small number of enemy tanks and armored vehicles. John Keegan, the famous military historian, noted that the campaign “proved that a war can be won by airpower alone.” Clark addressed the claim in his book Waging Modern War, admitting A US Army documentation team examines the wreckage that his own efforts to organize a NATO of a Yugoslavian MiG-29 in March 1999. NATO forces shot ground campaign came to nothing. the jet aircraft down inside Bosnia and Herzegovina. Clark himself was amazed that there was not a single Allied combat casualty in what proved to be a victorious war. USAF aerial victory of Allied Force and Milosevic finally agreed to talks on The repercussions of the successful the sixth such victory by NATO pilots. June 5, but even as they commenced, air campaign continued into the begin- The previous four American victories NATO air strikes continued to apply pres- ning of the 21st century. Hundreds of had been achieved by F-15C pilots. All sure, targeting airfields and oil refineries. thousands of ethnic Albanian Kosovars used AIM-120 air-to-air missiles. All the On June 7, two B-52s and a B-1 dropped were able to return to their homes enemy aircraft kills were of MiG-29s. 86 Mk 82 munitions and cluster bombs within Serbia, guarded by international On May 7, a B-2 dropped a Joint on Serbian troops in Kosovo, effectively peacekeepers from the threat of Serbian Direct Attack Munition on a building ending a Serbian offensive against the military and paramilitary forces. in Belgrade that turned out to be the Kovoso Liberation Army. On Oct. 6, 2000, Milosevic lost Chinese Embassy, killing three and On June 9, Milosevic agreed to all reelection in Serbia, and on June 29, wounding 20. President Clinton called NATO terms: immediate withdrawal of 2001, he was sent to The Hague in the the attack a “tragic mistake,” and air Serbian forces from Kosovo, the entry of Netherlands for trial by the United Na- campaign planners blamed faulty multinational peacekeeping forces into tions War Crimes Tribunal on charges maps that identified the building as the province, and the return of refugees that included genocide. On Feb. 12, the Federal Directorate for Supply to their homes. His only consolation 2002, Milosevic’s trial began. Never and Procurement. was that Kosovo would remain part of before had a head of state faced trial The resultant political furor forced Serbia, at least for the near future, and for war crimes in an international Clark to draw a five-mile-radius circle that some of the entering peacekeep- court. He died in captivity on March around central Belgrade. NATO air- ers would be from Russia, an old-time 11, 2006, with his trial still in progress. planes did not strike within it for almost Serbian ally. On June 10, 1999, after Allied Force proved that nations two weeks. 78 days of bombing, NATO suspended determined to use airpower effectively On May 24, NATO air strikes hit air strikes. in the name of humanity could stop the Yugoslavian electricity grid again, genocide. The operation allowed the depriving much of the country of power, AIR AR AF ERMA people of Kosovo to regain peace and crippling communications with armies The air war over Serbia was historic security at home and contributed to in the field in Kosovo, depriving Milos- for many reasons. In addition to the Kosovo’s later independence from evic of much of his broadcasting ability, many firsts already mentioned, it was Serbia. J and threatening the country’s banking operations. At around the same time, Daniel L. Haulman is a historian at the Air Force Historical Research Agency. He is the UN International Criminal Tribunal the author of three books, including r r li A r l for the former Yugoslavia indicted the ogy of Significant Air and Space Events, 1903-2002. He also has contributed to Yugoslavian leader for crimes against numerous Air Force publications. His most recent article for Air Force Magazine, humanity. “The Tuskegee Airfields,” appeared in June 2014. AIR FORCE Magazine / April 2015 hen the US Army needed too flamboyant. That was rich coming who had a reputation in the Air Corps for a new commander for air from MacArthur, who was famous far being outspoken and pugnacious. forces in the Southwest and wide for his egocentric style. When Kenney got to MacArthur’s WPacific in July 1942, Maj. Thus it came down to Kenney to replace headquarters in Australia, he confronted Gen. George C. Kenney was not the competent, easygoing Lt. Gen. George H. Sutherland first. Drawing a dot on first choice. Brett, who had clashed The Army’s first selection was Lt. with MacArthur and his Gen. Frank Andrews, but Andrews had heavy-handed chief of Kenney had numerous strengths previous knowledge of Gen. Doug- staff, Maj. Gen. Richard but the critical one was that he got las MacArthur, commander of Allied K. Sutherland. forces in that part of the world, and Lt. Gen. Henry H. along with Douglas MacArthur. detested him. He managed to evade “Hap” Arnold, com- the assignment. mander of the Army Air The Army’s second choice was Brig. Forces, said, “My God, if MacArthur can’t a piece of paper, he said, “This dot Gen. , hero of the air raid get along with Brett, how do you think he represents what you know about air on Tokyo, but MacArthur said he was can get along with Kenney?”—an airman operations, the entire rest of the paper 64 / April 2015 of a man.” He stood five feet five-and-a- half inches tall and had a scar on his chin from an old aircraft accident. Kenney left MIT, “bored,” before graduation in 1911 and worked in con- By John T. Correll struction and civil engineering jobs until joining the aviation cadets when the US George Kenney (r) delivered results said he was. The two soon formed a entered World War I. He completed flight in the South Pacific, and the acer- mutual admiration society. training, flew 75 missions in France, shot bic Kenney and the temperamental i l Ar iAfter p the war, MacArthur said, “Of all down two German airplanes, and was shot Douglas MacArthur (l) formed a the commanders of our major air forces down once himself. He ended the war as mutual admiration society. engaged in World War II, none surpassed a captain and remained in service, con- General Kenney in those three great es- centrating on aeronautical development sentials of successful combat leadership: and its application to warfare. aggressive vision, mastery over air strat- Kenney became known as an innovator. egy and tactics, and the ability to extract In 1924, he demonstrated that the fire- the maximum in fighting qualities from power of an airplane could be increased both men and equipment.” by installing machine guns on the wings. Of MacArthur, Kenney said, “This was Up to then, guns had been located only an able general, the most able general near the nose. we ever had, and one of the most able He was not part of the fraternity close generals the world has ever seen.” to Arnold—which notably included Carl A. “Tooey” Spaatz and Ira C. E I E O Eaker—in the 1920s and 1930s, nor Journalist Clare Boothe Luce fondly did he subscribe to their deep emphasis called Kenney a “scar-faced little bulldog on high-altitude . He

what I know.” When Kenney suggested they take the question to MacArthur, Sutherland uncharacteristically backed down. A meeting with MacArthur was next. According to Kenney, he said that he knew how to run an air force, that he could produce results, and that he would be loyal to MacArthur. In return, “You be loyal to me and my gang and make this thing 50-50, or I’ll be calling you from and telling you that I have quit.”

Whatever was said exactly, MacArthur p r l took a liking to Kenney, who fortunately turned out to be every bit as good as he AIR FORCE Magazine / April 2015 was the developer and champion of army general and the naval forces by a low-altitude attack. US admiral. His most effective forces, “I was the papa of attack aviation,” however, were the Allied air forces said Kenney, who was seldom modest. led by George Kenney—especially the “I wrote the textbooks on it, taught it, American component, Fifth Air Force, developed the tactics. When World War which Kenney also commanded. II broke out, by that time, I was the only By early 1942, the Japanese line of one who believed in attack aviation.” conquest had reached the northern part of As historian Phillip S. Meilinger has New Guinea. Their stronghold was said, Kenney’s name “infrequently ap- on the island of New Britain, northeast of pears in accounts of the great air events New Guinea. Rabaul had a deep harbor of the interwar years. He did not partici- with five airfields around it. The Japanese pate in the air refueling demonstrations, threatened to overrun the rest of the island long-range flights to Alaska and South and position themselves at Port Moresby America, or air races, or write inflam- on New Guinea’s southern coast, 300 miles matory articles from a desk at Maxwell across the Coral Sea from Australia. Field. Nevertheless, he was an excellent The most advanced Allied base was at officer with a solid combat record.” Port Moresby, where Kenney established Kenney managed to stay in the dog- the Advanced Echelon of Fifth Air Force, Kenney made the cover of both i e house of Maj. Gen. Oscar M. Westover, commanded by his able subordinate, Brig. magazine and IFE magazine in 1943. chief of the Air Corps, until Westover died Gen. Ennis C. Whitehead. in a 1938 aircraft accident and Arnold At the Arcadia conference in Decem- That brought the exceptional abilities became chief. Arnold rescued Kenney ber 1941, the United States and Britain of Kenney the innovator to the fore. from organizational purgatory and made had agreed to a “Germany First” policy Nobody was better at adapting what he him his troubleshooter. For the rest of his by which they would seek victory in had to fill his needs or at winning battles life, Kenney professed his friendship and Europe before making an all-out push with limited means. harmony with Arnold but he rarely passed in the Pacific. To the disgruntlement of Kenney began by getting rid of the dead up a chance to express his differences. MacArthur and Kenney, the Pacific was wood, although his claim that “within The two grated on each other regularly the second theater in more ways than the first week, I got rid of a couple of as the years went by. one, including a lower priority for forces major generals and a couple of brigadiers “Hap and I understood each other, we and resources. and about 40 colonels and lieutenant respected each other’s judgment and were strong personal friends of over 20 years’ standing,” Kenney said. “He called me almost daily about a multitude of matters, some big, some little, and sometimes, I suspected, just to blow off a little excess steam. Hap lived with the throttle well open most of the time.” Much the same could be said of Kenney.

MACAR R ACIFIC OMAI Before the war, MacArthur had been commander of US Army forces in the Far East with headquarters in the Philip- pines. In February 1942, just ahead of the Japanese takeover, President Roos- evelt ordered MacArthur to evacuate to Australia to be commander of the newly organized Southwest Pacific Area. Under the Allied division of respon- sibility in World War II, the Americans had command of the Pacific and the British had command of the Far East. The United States then split the Pacific into the Pacific Ocean Area, commanded by Adm. Chester W. Nimitz, and Mac- Arthur’s SWPA, which included the Philippines, the Dutch East Indies, New Guinea, and Australia. MacArthur set up his new headquarters in an insurance building in . The Allied ground forces under his command were headed by an Australian p r l AIR FORCE Magazine / April 2015 colonels and one captain” overstates inforce their remaining garrisons it somewhat. on New Guinea. In February He relied on Fifth Air Force as his main 1943, radio intercepts revealed striking arm, with the Australian Royal the Japanese would send a large Army Air Force concentrating on air convoy in early March from defense of Australia and anti submarine Rabaul across the Bismarck duties. In August 1942, Kenney’s total Sea to Lae on the eastern coast air strength was 517 combat aircraft, of New Guinea. but of those only 150 were combat ready Patrolling B-24s sighted a and most of the Australian aircraft were huge convoy off New Britain obsolete. March 1. US and Australian The Japanese offensive plan depended air forces struck the convoy on sea transport of troops, equipment, and promptly, before it could reach supplies from Rabaul, so Kenney applied the Vitiaz Strait leading into the his attack aviation tactics and improvisa- Solomon Sea and Lae. The most tion skills to sinking merchant shipping dramatic results were achieved and destroying Japanese airfields. His by Fifth Air Force B-25s and mechanics souped up the B-24 and B-25 A-20s using tech- and bombers with forward-firing .50 niques. caliber guns. Kenney claimed his airmen They also rigged the A-20 attack aircraft had sunk about a dozen transport with extra fuel tanks and racks to carry vehicles and six destroyers, shot the “parafrag” bombs that Kenney had down 60 airplanes, and killed developed years before. Each of these about 15,000 Japanese soldiers. munitions, dropped by parachute, con- MacArthur’s communiqué in- tained hundreds of explosive fragments. creased the numbers to 22 ships “We took on this Jap airfield at Buna and more than 100 aircraft. The and destroyed 18 or 20 airplanes on the New York Times called it “one of ground,” Kenney said. “We came in and the greatest triumphs of the war.” One innovation Kenney engineered made one pass over the place and dropped As subsequently determined by US was skip bombing, where low flying aircraft skipped bombs across a body these parachute bombs. We must have Intelligence, the actual toll was eight of water until they hit the intended used a couple hundred thousand parachute merchant vessels, four escort destroy- target and exploded. Here, a B-25 skips bombs during the war.” ers, 50 to 60 aircraft, and about 3,000 bombs off the water during a run at His most famous innovation, though, Japanese troops. It was still an astounding Wewak, New Guinea. was skip bombing, in which medium achievement, but MacArthur threatened to bombers and attack aircraft swept down on take action against those questioning his thought I was still working for him, but ships, releasing their bombs as low as 50 report and refused to make any changes. I wasn’t. I was working for MacArthur.” feet above the surface and skipping them “I do not appreciate the implication of Nevertheless, Kenney had to depend across the water like flat stones until they exaggeration or falsification by myself and on the AAF for aircraft, supplies, and struck their targets with devastating impact. members of my command,” Kenney said personnel. He complained loud and In the summer and fall of 1942, the in a cable to Arnold. “I can only speculate often about what he got and didn’t get. Japanese landed at Buna and Milne Bay on about the motives involved.” He was not inclined to cut Arnold any the north shore of New Guinea, hoping to Kenney made the cover of LIFE maga- slack although the European theater was advance over the Owen Stanley mountains zine March 22, which proclaimed him the first priority and there was a shortage and capture Port Moresby. MacArthur “Victor of the Bismarck Sea.” Two months of equipment everywhere. needed airpower to stop them, and Kenney previously, he had appeared on the cover In his memoirs, Kenney recalled a visit did not disappoint. Low-altitude attacks, of Time. Both magazines were published by Arnold to SWPA in 1942 and himself mainly by Mitchell B-25 bombers, sank by Clare Boothe Luce’s husband, Henry “chuckling at General MacArthur practi- ships, hammered reinforcements and Luce, who also thought well of Kenney. cally ordering Hap to give me anything supplies, and threw back the Japanese Sutherland, for many years Mac- I wanted.” Elsewhere Kenney recounted assault. MacArthur praised what airpower Arthur’s chief of staff and closest aide, his telling MacArthur that he had sent had done and recommended Kenney for warned other Army officers not to quarrel Arnold a message saying, “You are 8,000 his third star. with the air forces because MacArthur miles from this war,” whereupon “the old would always rule in favor of Kenney. man laughed and said, ‘Goddamn it, that A E OF E I MARC EA Kenney usually got along with the will fix him.’ ” Prior to his triumphal return to the ground forces but he disliked the Navy Another time, Kenney said, MacArthur Philippines, MacArthur’s greatest vic- and that relationship was never smooth. told Arnold, “Don’t tell me what to do, tory in World War II was the Battle of the As the war rolled on, Kenney chose and don’t tell him [Kenney] what to do.” Bismarck Sea, March 1-3, 1943. It was increasingly to emphasize his standing Kenney’s most serious rift with Arnold a stunning feat by airpower and it sent as MacArthur’s airman and his indepen- was over the new B-29 bomber, which MacArthur’s regard for Kenney soaring dence from Hap Arnold. “Every once in a Arnold was determined to use directly to new levels. while, Arnold would get sore at me about against the Japanese home islands. Ken- After their setback at Buna in 1942, something or another,” Kenney said in ney said, “If you want the B-29 used the Japanese sought to resupply and re- an oral history interview in 1974. “He efficiently and effectively where it will AIR FORCE Magazine / April 2015 was that Kenney would command the S. Vandenberg was selected instead. UN air force. Vandenberg assigned Kenney to Air Three months later, Kenney was University—up to then a two-star com- named commander of the new US mand—and called in Lt. Gen. Curtis E. Strategic Air Command, concurrent LeMay to rebuild SAC. McMullen was with his duties at the UN, and Kenney’s sent to the Air Materiel focus remained on the UN. He was often Area, which was a better match for absent and left the running of SAC to his talents. his deputy, Maj. Gen. St. Clair Streett, who had commanded Thirteenth Air A M I Force in the South Pacific. During his tour at Maxwell, Kenney There was no sense of urgency as wrote two books. His memoir, General Streett declared, “No major strategic Kenney Reports, came out in 1949. In threat or requirement now exists, in the June 1951, he published The MacArthur opinion of our country’s best strategists I Know, in which he said, “I am a Mac- nor will such a requirement exist for the Arthur man. I consider him one of our Hap Arnold (l) tours facilities at Manila, next three to five years.” greatest statesmen and leaders, and the Philippines, with Kenney. Kenney often boasted of a close friendship with In October, Kenney made big news best general that this country has ever Arnold, but Arnold spoke of Kenney far when the Associated Press reported him produced.” less often. as saying the answer to world peace was When Kenney retired from the Air “the eventual abolition of all national Force Aug. 31, 1951, the Washington do the most good in the shortest time, armies, navies, and air corps in favor Post said in an editorial, “Opinions the Southwest Pacific is the place and of an international force.” Kenney said, vary greatly on some of the theories of Fifth Air Force can do the job.” “This may take years and years to ac- Air Force Gen. George C. Kenney, who Kenney wanted to use the B-29s on complish, but the real answer lies with retired on Friday, but there can be no oil refineries in the East Indies and the countries of the world turning over doubt whatever of his competence as a speed up MacArthur’s drive northward. their forces to the United Nations.” general and as one of the real heroes of He predicted, erroneously, that B-29 The Chicago Tribune called on him the war against Japan. Things were never operations against Japan from bases in to resign, saying, “General Kenney dull around him, for General Kenney the Marianas would amount to nothing confuses his loyalty” and that he had was no parlor soldier.” more than “nuisance raids” and that disqualified himself for taking command From 1951 to 1964, Kenney was “the Japs would shoot them out of the of SAC or other positions of responsibil- president of the National Arthritis and air.” To Arnold’s exasperation, Kenney ity for national defense. Rheumatism Foundation. He was na- kept up his demand for B-29s long after Mercifully, the UN notion soon disap- tional president of the Air Force As- the issue was decided. peared from sight and history but not sociation 1953-1954 and chairman of In June 1944, SWPA gained the before Air Force Magazine, in transition the board 1954-1955. from the neigh- from an official AAF publication to the He made headlines again in 1957 when boring South Pacific Area. Kenney journal of the newly formed Air Force he said in a speech that the Soviet Union became commander of Far East Air Association, published a supportive and other Communist nations should Forces, which included both Fifth and cover story, “Building the United Na- be kicked out of the United Nations. Thirteenth Air Forces. He remained tions Air Force,” in the December 1947 “They have declared war against the free commander of Allied Air Forces as well. issue. world,” he said. “They haven’t lived up MacArthur recommended Kenney for Meanwhile, Maj. Gen. Clements Mc- to the charter from the very start, and it’s promotion to four-star general, declar- Mullen—who had run Kenney’s depots about time they were expelled.” ing that “nothing [AAF commander in during the war—replaced Streett as vice The official Soviet newspaper Izvestia Europe Lt. Gen. Carl] Spaatz or any commander of SAC and instituted poli- called Kenney a “high-ranking lunatic” other air officer has accomplished in cies designed to cut costs and reduce the and said he “should be placed in a strait the war compares to what Kenney has required number of officers per aircrew jacket.” Kenney loved it. contributed and none in my opinion is from five to three. McMullen also put Kenney later moved to Florida, where his equal in ability.” By then, MacAr- large numbers of good nonrated officers he died in 1977. thur, like Marshall, Eisenhower, and out of the service. Readiness plummeted, The definitive appreciation of Kenney Arnold, was already a five-star general. and so did morale. was from his longtime friend and foil, Kenney was promoted March 9, 1945, Cross-grained as ever, Kenney refused Hap Arnold. “It may be truthfully said with a date of rank two days earlier than to support the B-36 bomber, a top prior- that no air commander ever did so much Spaatz, who was also promoted. When ity program for the Air Force, saying, with so little,” Arnold said in a letter to Arnold retired in 1946, his chosen suc- “There is no future for this airplane” and Kenney at the end of the war. “All that cessor was Spaatz, not Kenney. continued to oppose it openly after the you have ever done since has made air production decision was made. history. The Army Air Forces honor your O AR I A E In April 1948, Kenney was again fighting spirit, to which we so largely In January 1946, Kenney was ap- passed over for Chief of Staff as Hoyt owe today’s splendid triumph.” J pointed senior US representative to the United Nations military staff. The John T. Correll was editor in chief of Air r i for 18 years and is now a idea of a UN force to keep peace in the contributor. His most recent article, “How Rolling Thunder Began,” appeared in the world had been floated and the prospect March issue. AIR FORCE Magazine / April 2015 Are you protected from the soaring costs of long-term care?

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/ April 2015 69 early March 1942, 140 men from the 17th Bombardment Group, recently reassigned from Pendleton AAF, Ore., to Columbia AAB, S.C., had arrived at Eglin Field, Fla. They were there to prepare for one of the most daring and famous air missions of World War II, an air attack on Japan. The mission was to raise American morale after months of doom-and-gloom news from Photos courtesy of doolittleraider.com the war fronts. Later known as the - ers, the men would spend three weeks at Eglin Field in preparation for their famous mission against Japan. After the Japanese attack on Hawaii on Dec. 7, 1941, President Franklin D.

Roosevelt wanted to retaliate. On Dec. 21, he asked for a plan to—in the words of Lt. Gen. Henry H. “Hap” Arnold, Chief of the Army Air Forces—bring “home to Japan proper, in the form of a bombing raid, the real meaning of war.” In March 1942, the Doolittle Raiders By the end of January, Lt. Col. James H. trained in the Florida Panhandle for their “Jimmy” Doolittle, special assistant to Arnold, and Navy Capt. Francis S. Low, historic mission. a submariner on the staff of Adm. Ernest J. King—commander in chief of the US Fleet and later Chief of Naval Opera- tions—had independently concluded that an AAF B-25 Mitchell medium bomber could take off from a Navy carrier with a 3,000-pound bomb load and hit Japan. The crews could fl y the 2,000 miles from a launch point 400 miles east of Japan, attack military targets, and safely reach bases in Chinese-held territory. After reviewing the AAF’s B-25 bomb groups, Doolittle selected the 17th Bom- bardment Group (Medium), consisting of the 34th, 37th, 95th Bombardment Squadrons and the 89th Reconnaissance

Top: Doolittle Raiders B-25s on the ramp at Eglin Field, Fla., in March 1942. Center: Raiders, including Lt. Richard Joyce (far left)—who had an accident during training when the nose gear of his aircraft collapsed after landing— spend some leisure time in the quarters at Eglin. Bottom: Mechanics work on the engine of a raider B-25. 70 AIR FORCE Magazine / April 2015 Squadron. Stationed at Pendleton in but had no accurate idea of where they crews at Field 3 to provide a ranking northeast Oregon, the group had been would be going. order, based on their performance. By conducting anti-submarine patrols off Their most important task at Eglin March 24, all of the crews could lift a the northwest US coast. On Feb. 3, the was to learn how to launch a fully loaded fully loaded B-25 off the ground with a group received orders, transferring them B-25 (31,000 pounds—aircraft, crew, speed of 55 to 60 mph with full fl aps in to Columbia Army Air Base. fuel, and bombs) from a standing start less than 500 feet without stalling. At the Meanwhile, Doolittle informed Lt. in less than 500 feet. Normally, a fully start of this training, the average takeoff Col. William C. Mills, the 17th BG com- loaded B-25 needed about 3,300 feet distance was 800 feet, but by the end the mander, that he had selected the unit for at sea level with zero wind to take off shortest takeoff roll was 287 feet. a hazardous mission that would require a safely. However, the B-25s that would In 1980s interviews, several raiders high degree of skill and be of great value launch from the carrier USS Hornet made comments such as, the fi elds to the US defense effort. Without provid- would have about 450 feet, the front were “away from prying eyes,” “close ing any other details, Doolittle diverted half of the carrier’s flight deck, for to Eglin,” and “out in the boondocks.” their aircraft to Minneapolis on the way to their takeoff since the B-25s would The remoteness of the auxiliary fi elds South Carolina, for various modifi cations. take up the rear half. and the early morning risings made it The 17th BG arrived at Columbia by From NAS Pensacola, Fla., Navy Lt. diffi cult, if not impossible, for the raiders Feb. 16, and Doolittle showed up a day Henry L. Miller, who had never seen to remember the specifi c fi elds where or two later, asking for volunteers for a B-25, much less fl own one, arrived they trained.

By Robert B. Kane a hazardous top secret mission. Since to train Doolittle’s crews on the short NOT HURLBURT the entire group volunteered, the bomb takeoffs. Little defi nitive evidence exists, but squadron commanders, Capt.Edward J. By the end of the fi rst week, the crews it appears the raiders trained at Auxil- York, Capt. Al Rutherford, and Capt. Karl began the short takeoff landing training, iary Field 1 (later Wagner Field) and at Baumeister, selected 24 crews (80 men) with their day normally beginning at 7 Auxiliary Field 3 (later ).The and 60 enlisted personnel (maintainers, a.m. and often ending at 10 p.m. Early 1944 Master Plan for Eglin Field specifi - armorers, and other specialists) from the each morning, they checked their air- cally mentions Field 1 as a training fi eld. group for the “Special Project.” craft at Eglin main, and the pilots and History of the Amy Air Forces Proving By Feb. 28, the selected crews and navigators received a separate briefi ng. Ground Command, Part 3, Gunnery enlisted men had arrived at Eglin Field The pilots then told their navigators what Training 1935-1944, mentioned that the near Fort Walton. In 1942, the Eglin mili- was on the day’s schedule: short takeoff, raiders trained at Field 3. Several raiders tary reservation consisted of Eglin main, bombing, or gunnery training at one of remembered training on a fi eld north seven auxiliary fi elds, and several ranges the auxiliary fi elds or navigation training of Eglin toward Crestview—Field 3 is for bombing and gunnery training and over the Gulf of Mexico. about 15 miles north of Eglin main, ap- weapons testing in the Choctawhatchee For the short takeoff training, white proximately halfway between Valparaiso National Forest. The airfi elds in the for- lines, simulating a carrier fl ight deck, and Crestview. On March 23, an aircraft est, the absence of large cities (in early were painted onto the runways of several fl own by Lt. James Bates stalled, caus- 1942, Okaloosa County only had about auxiliary fi elds. Flags were placed at the ing the aircraft to crash just after taking 12,900 inhabitants, and the largest town, 250-foot markers and at 50-foot intervals off from Field 3. The raiders probably Crestview, north of Fort Walton, had only from 400 to 700 feet to help the crews used other auxiliary fi elds to practice 2,900 inhabitants), and the proximity of judge their takeoff distances. The pilots the short takeoffs. the Gulf of Mexico for overwater naviga- started out with a light aircraft, weighing Using photographs of the short take- tion training made Eglin Field perfect 27,000 pounds, and tested combinations offs as evidence, some believe that the for the required training. of takeoff speed, application of brakes, raiders trained at Field 4, Peel Field. During the fi rst two days of March, the fl ap positions, and throttle positions to However, those pictures are not originals crews fl ew around the Eglin reservation fi nd the right combination to achieve from March 1942 but stills from the to locate the auxiliary fi elds. Doolittle a takeoff in less than 350 feet without 1944 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer movie arrived on March 3 and provided them stalling. “Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo” about the with a few additional details about the As this training progressed, the pilots Doolittle Raid. The history of the AAF mission and the training, specifi cally worked up to a full load and recorded the Proving Ground Command identifi es emphasizing their top secret nature. exact distance from start to takeoff, wind Peel as Field 4 where the fi lming of the By the end of the training at Eglin, the velocity, and load condition. During the movie occurred. raiders had fi gured out that they would training, Doolittle and Miller evaluated Finally, some believe the raiders be taking off from an aircraft carrier the short takeoff performance of the 24 trained at Field 9, now Hurlburt Field. A AIR FORCE Magazine / April 2015 71 Photos courtesy of doolittleraider.com Photo courtesy of doolittleraider.org former Hurlburt Field base commander bombsight, dubbed the “Mark Twain,” at the best rate of fuel consumption in the 1950s may have started this story, from two pieces of aluminum in the for low-altitude fl ying to maximize the and several official histories and raider Eglin Field workshops. It proved to be B-25’s range. interviews have perpetuated this belief. highly accurate during the bombing During the raiders’ stopover at the After Miller retired, he mentioned that training at Eglin Field and on the raid. Sacramento Air Depot (McClellan Field), the training occurred at “an airfield Since most of the gunners had never Calif., a mechanic replaced the Bendix near the water,” possibly Santa Rosa fired the guns on the aircraft, Doolittle carburetors on York’s aircraft with regular Sound, just south of Field 9. allotted time for gunnery practice. They ones. After taking off from the Hornet on However, the story is a total myth, fired both the .50-caliber turret guns and the morning of April 18, York realized as Field 9, much less a hard-surfaced the .30-caliber nose gun on the ground that his aircraft was burning fuel at a high runway there, did not exist in March and in the air. The raiders set up targets rate, and, after bombing Tokyo, diverted 1942. at one of Eglin’s auxiliary fields for to Vladivostok in the Soviet Union. The Doolittle raiders also practiced ground firing and used sea slicks in Since the Soviet Union was not at long-distance, low-level overwater the Gulf to practice strafing runs. The war with Japan, the Soviet government navigation to enable them to fly long shortage of .50-caliber machine gun jailed the crew and confi scated the distances without visual or radio ref- ammunition and the malfunctioning aircraft. After 13 months of internment erences or landmarks and to provide turrets limited the quantity of training that involved several moves to a small data for determining fuel consumption the gunners received. When the raiders town 20 miles from the Iranian border, under actual flying conditions that left Eglin on March 25, all of the guns York’s crew managed to escape into the raiders expected during the actual were operating satisfactorily, but there northern Iran. mission. They flew from Eglin Field were still problems with the turrets. Eglin workmen made other modifi ca- to Fort Myers, Fla.; then to Ellington tions to the aircraft. They added deicing Field, Texas; and after resting and re- MODIFYING THE AIRCRAFT boots to the leading edges of the wings fueling, back to Eglin Field. The first To save weight, Doolittle, at the sug- and installed cameras in all aircraft to accident during the training occurred gestion of two Mid-Continent Airlines take pictures of the actual bombing, but on March 10 at Ellington Field when mechanics earlier in February, had two none of the cameras survived the raid. the nose gear of Lt. Richard O. Joyce’s lathe-turned dowels, painted black to Many of the pilots had nose art painted aircraft collapsed after landing. resemble machine guns, installed in the on their aircraft after 1st Lt. Ted W. Law- In addition, the raiders conducted rear of each aircraft while they were at son, the pilot for aircraft 7, had a carica- low-altitude bombing by dropping Eglin. From Greening’s postraid report, ture of Donald Duck with a headset and 100-pound practice bombs on Eglin’s it appears these managed to deceive a crossed crutches painted on his bomber. bombing ranges and over the Gulf of few Japanese fi ghters that challenged Finally, since the Army crews would be Mexico from 1,500, 5,000, and 10,500 the raiders during the attack. on a Navy ship for several weeks, Miller feet. They also buzzed some of the Doolittle knew that fuel would be taught them Navy terms, courtesy, and towns along the Florida Gulf Coast, a critical element for a successful etiquette, such as saluting the national producing complaints by local citizens mission. He had additional fuel tanks ensign on a ship’s stern when boarding to the Eglin base commander, Maj. installed in the aircraft. He replaced and leaving a ship. George W. Mundy. the belly turret with a fuel tank and had As the project leader, Doolittle The low-altitude bombing training at another tank placed in the crawlway believed he should get checked out Eglin demonstrated the relative inac- above the bomb bay. By the time the on the B-25 and complete the short curacy of the Norden bombsight, the Navy loaded the B-25s onto Hornet takeoff training—and he also wanted to standard B-25 bombsight. Because of at NAS Alameda, Calif., each one lead the mission himself. When Capt. this inaccuracy and the possibility of the could carry a total of 1,141 gallons Vernon L. Stinzi fell ill with an ulcer, bombsight falling into Japanese hands, of gasoline. Doolittle trained with Stinzi’s crew to Doolittle had them removed from the In between the short takeoff train- complete the short takeoff training. As B-25s. Capt. Charles R. Greening, the ing periods, Eglin aircraft mechanics the training and aircraft modification armaments officer and pilot of aircraft and Bendix Corp. experts replaced the progressed at Eglin, Doolittle managed 11, and SSgt. Edwin V. Bain, the gunner original carburetors with special ones to get Arnold to allow him to command on aircraft 14, developed a “20 cent” to obtain the maximum performance the actual mission. 72 AIR FORCE Magazine / April 2015 Far left: Lt. Col. Jimmy Doolittle (cen- ter) confers with his crew near Hangar 68 at Eglin. They are (l-r) SSgt. Paul Leonard, Lt. Henry Potter, Lt. Richard Cole, and SSgt. Fred Braemer. Center: Some of the raider B-25s on the ramp at Eglin. Left: An aerial view of Wagner Field.

Photo via History Offi ce Offi History Wing Test 96th via Photo As it turned out, the training and aircraft modifi cations at Eglin Field in those brief three weeks in March 1942 were suffi cient. The raid “lifted the gloom that had descended upon America and her Pacifi c allies,” retired Col. Carroll V. Glines wrote in The Doolittle Raid: Photo courtesy of doolittleraider.org America’s Daring First Strike Against The crews and enlisted support cifi c Fleet, in Honolulu to create a task Japan. “The bomb damage that resulted personnel first stayed in barracks on force around USS Enterprise to protect was not great, compared with that in- Eglin. Doolittle allowed the married the Hornet’s task force. At the end of fl icted late in the war, but the raid had officers to have their wives with them, the third week of March, Duncan wired some far-reaching effects.” and they initially lived in a hotel in King, who had become the Chief of Naval Although the actual raid had virtually Fort Walton, 12 miles away. After a Operations in Washington, D.C., that no adverse tactical impact on Japan, it few days, though, Doolittle arranged the Enterprise task group would soon signifi cantly raised American morale for them to stay at the Valparaiso Inn, be completed and provided the code after four months of glum news and a hotel built in 1924 that overlooked phrase, “Tell Jimmy to get on his horse,” noticeably affected the sense of security the Choctawhatchee Bay, near Eglin’s the signal for Doolittle to depart Eglin of the Japanese people who, until April main gate. During their training, the Field for NAS Alameda in California, 18, had not suffered a direct enemy at- pilots often buzzed the Valparaiso Inn for loading onto Hornet. tack on their home islands. Furthermore, on their way back to the airfield. King then called Arnold with this the raid caused the Japanese military Doolittle, the single officers, and the news. In turn, Arnold notifi ed Doolittle. leaders to pull back fi ghter squadrons enlisted men stayed in base quarters, The crews at Eglin were awakened at 3 for home defense. but they had little leisure time at the a.m. to move out. More importantly, Japanese military end of their long days. Still, Miller leaders redirected their strategy from was appalled by his Eglin quarters RAISING MORALE expansion into South Asia and the Indian and later called them “lousy” and not Doolittle told them one more time what Ocean to the expansion of their defense “appealing as far as living quarters are he’d been harping on all along. “Don’t perimeter east toward Hawaii. They concerned.” tell anyone what we were doing here at also began planning a major operation Mundy, the Eglin Field commander, Eglin,” he reminded his team. Even if you to destroy the American carriers they became concerned over numerous flight think you’ve guessed what our mission had missed at Pearl Harbor. This opera- safety violations. He received many is, he said, keep in mind that “the lives tion ultimately produced a resounding phone calls from the local inhabitants of your buddies and a lot of other people American victory at the battle of Midway, about the B-25s’ low-level bombing depend on you keeping everything you June 3-6, 1942—the turning point in the practices, flying under bridges, and saw and did here a secret.” Pacifi c War. buzzing the beaches and other areas Doolittle dismissed everyone but On April 15, 2007, close to the 65th around the county. After the raiders the 22 crews chosen to fl y out to Mc- anniversary of the Doolittle Raid, Brig. took him for a low-altitude flight over Clellan Field for a fi nal inspection and Gen. David W. Eidsaune, the commander the Gulf of Mexico and up and down modifi cations. The crews stopped at of the Air Armament Center at Eglin, the Florida Gulf Coast, he forgot about McClellan and arrived at NAS Alameda dedicated a historical marker to the the complaints and the safety violations by March 30. Doolittle Raiders, commemorating their and wanted more flights. Hornet with 16 B-25s left Alameda training at Eglin Field. Subsequently, the Doolittle had restricted the unac- on April 1, 1942, for its rendezvous with base placed the marker near the entrance companied members to Eglin Field. the Enterprise task group and history. to Wagner Field. Still, some managed to get off base and Fog, bad weather, and the consider- On May 23, 2014, the Doolittle Raid- visited several local establishments, able time for the aircraft modifi cations at ers were honored with the Congressional such as the Magnolia Club in Fort Eglin had signifi cantly reduced the train- Gold Medal. On Sept. 12, 2014, the Walton, Bacon’s by the Sea in Mary ing time, but in “three weeks, ships and Air Force Association named its na- Esther, a small town several miles west crews were safely operational, although tional headquarters building the Doolittle of Fort Walton along Highway 98, and additional training of the crews and work Building, after AFA’s fi rst President. the Silver Bar and Cafe just outside of on the ships would have improved their Today, only three raiders are living: Eglin’s main gate alongside what was effi ciency,” wrote Doolittle in his after- Richard E. Cole, Robert L. Hite, and then Florida Highway 20. action report to Arnold in June 1942. David J. Thatcher. ✪ While the Doolittle Raiders trained at Eglin Field, Navy Capt. Donald B. Robert B. Kane retired from the US Air Force as a lieutenant colonel in July 2014 Duncan worked with Adm. Chester W. and serves as the director of history for Air University, Maxwell AFB, Ala. This is his Nimitz, commander in chief of the Pa- fi rst article for Air Force Magazine. AIR FORCE Magazine / April 2015 73 Ensure a legacy of strength.

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74 / April 2015 AFA National Report [email protected] By Frances McKenney, Assistant Managing Editor

From 10 to 130: Boosting the Numbers Emerging Leaders Sometimes only a dozen people showed up for meetings The Air Force Association’s Emerging of Tennessee’s Everett R. Cook Chapter, says its new Leaders Program began in 2013 as a way president, B. Randolph Witt. But in January, more than 130 to prepare volunteers for future AFA leader- guests filled the room. ship roles. Emerging Leaders serve for a This revival in attendance began last September. That’s year. They participate on a national-level when Witt showed up for what he thought was a regular council, attend national leader orientations, AFA meeting in his new hometown of Memphis. Instead, he and serve as National Convention delegates. stumbled into a Cook Chapter reorganization session. By the Emerging Leaders for 2015 are: Emilie S. Boschert, time he left it, he had been made chapter president. Shannon M. Farrell, Deborah A. Landry, Michael J. Liquori, He immediately invited other military-related organizations to Emily C. Shay, Christopher M. Talbot, James A. Thurber, AFA events. One of the groups he contacted was the local Air Jeremy Trotter, and Daniel Whalen. Force Academy Association of Graduates, headed by retired Here’s the sixth profile in AFA’s second group of Emerg- Lt. Col. Jack R. Trimble, a Vietnam War POW. Trimble was ing Leaders. a weapon systems officer on an F-4 when it was downed over North Vietnam on Dec. 27, 1972. He was 1st Lt. Christopher M. Talbot repatriated in March 1973 and went on to earn pilot wings, Home State: Texas. retiring from Active Duty in 1990. Chapter: William J. “Pete” Knight In Trimble, the chapter found a compelling guest speaker (Calif.). for its January meeting. Trimble illustrated his Cook Chapter

AFA Offices: Chapter president; Photo by Paul Vitale presentation with photos from his time at Udorn RTAB, Thai- former chapter secretary. land; of the Hilton where he was prisoner; from the Occupation: Executive Officer, Continued on p. 77. 412th Electronic Warfare Group, Edwards AFB, Calif. Jack Trimble Education: B.S., University of delivers a presentation to Maryland, College Park. the Everett R. Cook Chapter Q&A meeting about his How did you first learn about AFA?Buck Buckwalter experiences as a

[AFA’s fomer executive VP]. He needed some help with ANG photo by Ron Brotherton Vietnam War POW. CyberPatriot at the September [2009] convention and He also talked asked for help from my cadet detachment. about his return What new ideas would you like AFA to try? Work- visit to Hanoi, 40 ing with Arnold Air Society and Silver Wings, if they want years to the day of his shootdown. younger members. Something I’ve been doing as chapter president is trying to get them to my events. ... I’ve gone to a few of their events, and they love having Active Duty there. ... I’ve had them come out to Edwards, and they’ve really loved it. How do you build interest in your chapter? One thought that we had is that if we do a fund-raiser, we Photo by Joe Bryant contribute all the funds to the Air Force Assistance Fund. [Another is] Teach the Teacher. ... We’re going to bring [teachers] on base. ... We’re working with the on-base STEM education office. Photo by Elliot Spilk

Talbot lists music as a hobby. Turns out, he plays the trom- bone. Here, he rehearses with The 164th Airlift Wing opened a Globemaster III to those the band Bah Ram You, playing attending the Cook Chapter meeting. Here, loadmaster TSgt. “Out of Luck,” Ska style. Eric Yost leans against a fold-up seat on the C-17 as he listens to a question from chapter member Vernon Tabor.

A CE Maga ine April 2015 75 AFA National Report Gala in Orlando The 31st annual Air Force Gala, organized by the Central Florida Chapter in Orlando, Fla., recognized people, units, and industry partners in the command and control fi eld. To- gether they give USAF the ability to perform any mission, said Chapter President Bill Palmby. At right: Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James poses with award recipients representing various C2 roles: Maj. Kendrick Carroll, Lt. Col. Ronnie Hawkins, and Maj. Brad Dvorak (l-r). Below: Lt. Col. Gary Barker (l), from an Air Combat Command electronic-attack-pod team, and Gala Chairman Mike Liquori meet USAF Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Welsh (r). Many Air Force senior leaders attended the gala, held in conjunction with AFA’s Air Warfare Symposium. Below right: Welsh and James congratulate industry repre- sentative George Sewell and Lt. Col. Richard Martino after presenting them with Doolittle Fellow plaques. All C2 award- ees were honored as Jimmy Doolittle Educational Fellows. Photos by Dan Higgins

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If you have questions concerning this file, please contact our Production Manager immediately at 808.539.3487 Operation Homecoming repatriation; For all the support the chapter en- spoke about the wing’s deployment to and even a picture of the Vietnamese joys from the wing—vice command- Southwest Asia, completed last year. MiG-21 pilot, Tran Viet, who claims er Col. Michael R. Morgan serves The 169th is the largest operational to have shot him down. (Trimble met as its VP—it still boils down to F-16 wing in the Air National Guard Viet during a trip to Hanoi in 2012.) asking people to join AFA. As Lorenz and specializes in the suppression and To pull in a crowd for this occasion, put it, “We pick ’em off one by one.” destruction of enemy air defenses. It Witt used what he calls “overlap- had been the unit’s third foray to SWA ping communications”—the ability He’s the Boss—and a New Member in four years, according to a unit press to spread the word about chapter As a veteran of deployments to release. activities through other organizations’ Southwest Asia, Lt. Col. E. G. Shuler Shuler is the plans and programs of- members, newsletters, and channels III could tell a few war stories himself, fi cer for the 169th, but he is also a C-130 of communication. Indeed, word of but as South Carolina’s Columbia pilot with the 145th Airlift Wing, located Trimble’s appearance brought two Palmetto Chapter president, he left at Charlotte/Douglas Arpt., N.C. He’s other Vietnam War POWs to the that to the guest speaker, his boss. been deployed twice, to Afghanistan and chapter meeting: Kenneth R. Wells Col. David J. Meyer, who became Qatar, during his six years as chapter and Cecil H. Brunson. They both live commander of the 169th Fighter Wing president, most recently last summer. near Memphis. at McEntire JNGB, S.C., last May, ad- When he returned last fall, he invited As new chapter head, Witt had dressed the chapter in October. He Meyer to be a chapter speaker. Shuler also paid an office call on the local senior Air Force leader, last fall. Col. Mark J. Devine, commander of the 164th Airlift Wing, Memphis Arpt., Tenn., responded by volunteering to periodically host chapter meetings. AFA Member Benefit So the chapter’s January meeting took place at the ANG facility—and NATIONWIDE DENTAL PLAN with an added draw: The wing opened a C-17 Globemaster III for the chapter guests to tour. Chapter President Witt doesn’t promise big numbers for every meet- Your ing, but in January he showed it can be done. dental 25 New Members: One by One “We went from 190 members last health is quarter to over 215 members,” claimed Richard F. Lorenz, membership VP, in Vermont’s Green Mountain Chapter Important newsletter. Elaborating on how the chapter reeled in 25 newcomers, Lorenz said in to Us. a phone interview that the local Guard *When deemed necessary. facilities give the chapter “continuous FREE 30 DAY TRIAL OFFER face time with people.” During a December drill weekend, the chapter set up a membership kiosk Special Offer for AFA Members outside the dining hall for the 158th Fighter Wing at Burlington Airport. Benefit Services of America, our partner for over 15 years, is now Air Guardsmen poured through there, offering our members a 30 day free trial of their comprehensive Lorenz said. dental plan, Dental Benefits Max. Eight new members joined because of “direct solicitation.” Asked what that l Great Savings on All your Dental Needs. meant, he answered, “I cajole them.” l Choose From more than 132,000 Aetna Dentists and For example, he is a docent at the Specialists Nationwide. museum for Camp Johnson, the state’s l Save on everything from cleanings & crowns to braces & more. National Guard facility in Colchester. The work has given him “proximity to l Special Discounted Rates for AFA Members. the National Guard,” he said. Then a year ago, the chapter changed its meeting venue, and Lorenz feels 30 DAY FREE TRIAL IS A LIMITED TIME OFFER that made a difference. For a decade, the group met at an Elks Club “in the Call 1-866-481-6289 toll-free today far north corner of Burlington,” he & be sure to identify yourself as a AFA member. said. Air Guardsmen had to drive 45 minutes to reach the meeting loca- www.benefitservices.com/AFA tion. They couldn’t “slip away” to a THIS PLAN IS NOT INSURANCE. chapter luncheon. Now, the chapter holds meetings at the ANG site.

AIR FORCE Magazine / April 2015 7777 AFA National Report had already checked the chapter roster and knew Meyer wasn’t an AFA member. re nion a a or So when the chapter invitation prompted Reunions Meyer to ruminate, “I need to join,” Shuler had a quick reply: “Yes, you do.” t o p Tinian (1944-45). Sept. 9-13 (520-705-0658) or Vic Perry (707-321- Singing for the Veteran in Portland, OR. onta t Glenda Richards 3016). You might know her as the first (951-233-4516) ([email protected]). ilot n la June 14-16 at female Air Force pilot to fly a fighter t eteran A n Aug. 24- Courtyard Dayton North, OH. onta t airplane into enemy territory. Or as 28 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Dayton, Norman Fogg (865-984-8401) (norm- the first woman to command an Air OH. onta t Dennis Posey, (770-509- [email protected]). Force combat squadron. 7734) ([email protected]) and Bill But did you know that now-retired Col. Seals (281-395-3005) (colbillyseals@ ree ar eteran all services. May Martha McSally can sing? Members of hotmail.com). 18-20 in Las Vegas. onta t Lee Yagle the o i e apter in Arizona learned (888-452-3434) ([email protected]). this at a January luncheon where she t Tinian (1945). Sept. 23-27 delivered not just any ditty but the “Star- at Homewood Suites in New Orleans. Udorn RTAB, Thailand, veterans. July Spangled Banner.” onta t Frank Cacich (612-396-7949) 9-13 at the Best Western Plus Cutting Chapter President George Castle ([email protected]). Horse Inn and Suites, in Weatherford, gave this review of her performance: TX. onta t Jerry and Thim Long, “She is possibly as good a singer as a t a ti al ontrol A n Oct. 118 Mariah Dr., Weatherford, TX 76087 fighter pilot.” 7-10 in Dayton, OH. onta t Jim Ernst (817-594-4623) (jclhydsr71bafb@ McSally, newly elected to the US ([email protected]) (575-430-3904). gmail.com). I House of Representatives as a Repub- lican, performed at a luncheon honoring AF Officer Candidate School, all class- Having a Reunion? retired Army Lt. Col. Earl Devine. The es (1943-63). Oct. 8-12 in Montgomery, Email reunion notices four months Greater Sierra Vista United Veterans AL. onta t Dave Mason (757-820- ahead of time to [email protected], Council chose Devine as Veteran of 3740) ([email protected]). or mail notices to “Reunions,” Air the Year. The Cochise Chapter, as a Force Magazine, 1501 Lee Highway, member of the council, took its turn C-141A/B crew members and squad Arlington, VA 22209-1198. We re- this year in organizing the luncheon. ron Travis AFB. June 20 at Pippo Ranch, serve the right to condense notices. Chapter President George Castle Vacaville, CA. onta t Jack Pledger explained that the chapter did “all the legwork,” including inviting McSally— known to him because he’d worked on her election campaigns—and another VIP guest, Maj. Gen. Robert P. Ashley Jr. He is commanding general and commandant, Army Intelligence Center of Excellence at Fort Huachuca, Ariz. Nearly 100 guests attended the lun- cheon. “There were so many people, when they found out [Devine] was going to be honored,” said Castle. “Some of his friends came from Texas.” Devine,a former artillery officer who served in Vietnam, is no stranger to the chapter, because he led a fund-raising effort last year for an indoor chapel for the city’s veterans cemetery. The chapter donated $4,000, said Castle. Chapter VP Stu Carter served as The Cochise Chapter in Arizona organized a Veteran of the Year luncheon. Back master of ceremonies for the luncheon. row, third from left is the honoree, retired Army Lt. Col. Earl Devine. Back row, sec- Castle presented Devine with a ball ond from right, is Chapter President George Castle. Army Maj. Gen. Robert Ashley stands at left. Front row, fourth from left, is US Rep. Martha McSally (R-Ariz.). cap, personalized on the front with his name and on the back with his newest In New York, the Gen. Carl title, “Veteran of the Year.” % A. “Tooey” Spaatz Chapter secretary, Joe Traina (sec- Update Your Info ond from left), presented an This is a good time to remind our AFA Out- readers to update their addresses and standing Squadron Cadet phone numbers. Contact the Member- of the Year award to CAP ship Department at 1-800-727-3337, by Cadet 2nd Lt. Joseph Zaino. email at [email protected], or by At far left is CAP Col. John- writing to 1501 Lee Hwy., Arlington, VA nie Pantanelli, for whom 22209-1198. You may also update this Zaino’s CAP 238 Squadron

information under the Members Only area is named. At far right is Cadet 2nd Lt. Kyra M. Carlson Photo by CAP of our website, www.afa.org. CAP Maj. Edward Miraglia, squadron commander.

A R F R a a ine April 2015

MiG-21 Fishbed

The Soviet-designed MiG-21—NATO code name better avionics. They have also been fitted with Fishbed—is the most-produced supersonic jet a more powerful engine. Simple, inexpensive to aircraft in aviation history and the first Soviet buy and maintain, and easy to fly, the MiG-21 was aircraft to successfully combine fighter and in- widely exported and continues to be upgraded terceptor traits. Created by Mikoyan-Gurevich and used in several countries. Design Bureau in the 1950s, it is best known as an effective and tenacious foe of the F-4 Phantom The effectiveness of the speedy MiG-21, in the during the Vietnam War. It probably has flown in hands of skilled North Vietnamese pilots, came as more wars than any other fighter. a shock to US F-4 pilots in the skies over South- east Asia. It would attack in swarms, coming at From the outset, the MiG-21 has been a small, the F-4s from different directions, then abruptly fast, and agile lightweight fighter, achieving break off to escape. The little fighter’s success Mach 2 with a low-power turbojet engine. Its was eventually overcome, late in the Vietnam War, delta wing has a 57-degree sweep angle on the by greatly improved US pilot training and better leading edge. The early MiG-21 was hampered by rules of engagement. a short range, but later variants acquired more fuel capacity, along with heavier armament and —Robert S. Dudney with Walter J. Boyne

This aircraft: Soviet Air Force MiG-21PFM Fishbed F as it appeared in 1967 when assigned to 234th Guards Fighter Air Regiment, Kubinka AB, USSR.

In Brief Designed, built by Mikoyan-Gurevich OKB e first flight Feb. 14, 1956 e number built 11,496 (USSR, 10,645; Czechoslovakia, 194; India, 657) plus undetermined number in China e Specific to MiG-21PFM Fishbed F: one Tumansky R-11F2S-300 turbojet engine e armament one external GSh-23 cannon, up to 3,300 lb of missiles or rockets e max speed 1,386 mph e cruise speed 550 mph e max range 1,035 mi e weight (loaded) 20,010 lb e span 23 ft 6 in e length 40 ft 4 in e height 13 ft 6 in e service ceiling 62,000 ft. Famous Fliers Aces: North Vietnam Nguyen Van Coc (7 kills), Nguyen Doc Soat (5), Vu Ngoc Dinh (5); Syria Muhammad Mansour (5), Bassam Hamshu (5), Adeeb el-Gar (5). Notables: Munir Redfa (Iraqi defector who in 1966 flew MiG-21 to Israel); Abdul Qadar Al-Termanini (Syrian pilot who in 1976 defected with MiG-21 to Iraq); Danny Shapira (Israeli test pilot who flew purloined MiG-21); Ayesha Farooq (Pakistan’s first war-ready female fighter pilot). Selected wars: Vietnam War (flown by North Vietnam); Iran- Wilson Benjamin SrA. by photo USAF Iraq War (Iraq); Angolan Civil War (Cuban pilots); Balkan Wars (Serbia); 1967 Mideast War (Egypt, Syria, Iraq); 1971 Indo-Pakistani War (India); 1973 Mideast War (Egypt, Syria, Iraq); 1982 Lebanon War (Syria). Interesting Facts Used by North Vietnam in “one pass, then haul ass” attack strategy e prompted US Navy to create Topgun and USAF to start Red Flag e in December 1972, scored first-ever air combat kill of a B-52 bomber, over Hanoi e nicknamed “Balalaika” and “Pencil,” due to shape, also “Blue Ban- dit” e flown by more than 60 nations on four continents e still in service some 60 years after first flight e suffered early design defect that shifted center of gravity to rear whenever two-thirds of fuel used e examined in 1968 by US, which used a MiG-21 captured by Israel. A Romanian MiG-21 takes off from a Camp Turzii, Romania, runway.

80 AIR FORCE Magazine / April 2015

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