Corporate Air Commando ACA Partners Air Commando Journal October 2018 Assisting ACA in our mission to support Air Commandos JOURNAL Vol. 7, Issue 2 and their families: Past, Present, and Future Publisher Michael Wooley / Email: [email protected] PLATINUM Editor in Chief ARMA Dennis Barnett / Email: [email protected] Bell Helicopter Senior Editor 4 Boeing Rick Newton Foreword: Brenda Cartier, Brig Gen (Sel), USAF CACI Research Editor Elbit Systems Paul Harmon Geico Book Review Editor Scott McIntosh / Email: [email protected] Intellisense Systems 8 Lockheed Martin Contributing Editors Spectre EWO: Tracy Onufer Michael McKinney Orbital ATK Dan Settergren Principal Deloitte Consulting, LLP Darrel Whitcomb Ultra Electronics ICE Public Affairs/Marketing Director 14 35 Melissa Gross / Email: [email protected] Tactical Communications: Anna Gunship Sisterhood: GOLD Graphic Designer Meghan Ripple Arby’s Jeanette Elliott / Email: [email protected] Garcia-Lucas L-3 Mission Integration Air Commando Association Board of Directors Leonardo DRS Chairman of the Board : 5 Sierra Nevada Group Michael Wooley, Lt Gen, USAF (Ret) 18 VATC Chindit Chatter President: Maintenance Leader: Heather Bueter Dennis Barnett, Col, USAF (Ret) SILVER Vice President: 6 CAE USA Wayne Norrad, CMSgt, USAF (Ret) Hotwash Creative Awards & Framing Treasurer: 24 James Connors, Col, USAF (Ret) The Hoplite Group One Woman’s Journey to Becoming MacAulay-Brown, Inc. Executive Directors: 32 Norman Brozenick Jr., Maj Gen, USAF (Ret) Maintenance Officer: Rally Point Management Clay McCutchan, Maj Gen, USAF (Ret) An Air Commando: Allison Black SoCoSIX Strategies William Turner, CMSgt, USAF (Ret) Rachel Halvorson VectorCSP Directors: Tom Bradley, Col, USAF (Ret) 27 Heather Bueter, CMSgt, USAF (Ret) BRONZE Chris Foltz, Lt Col, USAF 40 Beam, McLaughlin & Associates Hollis Tompkins, SMSgt, USAF (Ret) Air Force Reserves - Air The Road Less Traveled: Micheal Wright, CMSgt, USAF (Ret) Booz Allen Hamilton Commando: Jackie Powell Kate Hewlett GE Aviation General Atomics Aeronautical Quantitech 44 Rockwell Collins Air Commando - It’s A Culture: Rolls-Royce North America ON THE Trident University Air Commando Association Kristina Montgomery P.O. Box 7, Mary Esther, FL 32569 Telephone: (850) 581-0099 COVER SPIRIT Fax: (850) 581-8988 Air Force Special Operations Command opened combat aircrew 48 Blue Water Escape Web Site: www.aircommando.org Email: [email protected] positions to women in 1993, but Remembering Anissa Shero: Eglin Federal Credit Union This publication is for the information, interest, and enjoyment of our women have served in the Air Emerald Coast Convention Center readers. Views and opinions expressed are of the author or source of Force in critical support roles Air Commando material and do not necessarily reflect opinions, views, or endorsements for decades. This issue of the Air Esterline Defense Technologies of the ACA. Material in the Air Commando Journal may be reproduced Commando Journal recognizes and Southeastern Landscaping provided the source is credited. Air Commando Journal is not sponsored by DOD, USAF, or AFSOC. honors their service and sacrifice WinTec Arrowmaker, Inc. ACA does not endorse any particular candidate or political action group. as Airmen, as teammates, and as 50 Individual members are asked to restrain from inferring or stating any Air Commandos. such association of the ACA in their dealings with these type groups. Book Reviews 2 │ AIR COMMANDO JOURNAL │Vol 7, Issue 2 www.aircommando.org www.aircommando.org Vol 7, Issue 2 │ AIR COMMANDO JOURNAL │ 3 FOREWORD CHINDIT CHATTER In 1993 Congress repealed the ban on women serving Montgomery, Rachel Halvorson, Kate Hewlett, Jackie Powell, in combat aircraft. Shortly thereafter Air Force Special and Anna Garcia-Lucas. I am grateful to these women for Operations Command (AFSOC) led the way integrating sharing their stories in this edition and personifying hundreds women into all fixed wing aircrew positions. Yet, nearly a of female Air Commandos past, present, and future. quarter of a century later, the story of AFSOC’s female Air Nevertheless, in spite of two-plus decades of women Commandos has never been told in a cohesive, comprehensive serving as Air Commandos, I still run into people who don’t omen have played a vital role in AFSOC since its inception in 1987. However, it was manner that captures our vast combat experience, leadership, realize or believe women serve in special operations. There are not until April 1993 that AFSOC opened the AC-130 and HC/MC-130 Combat Shadows and significant impact on those who, despite our successes—including being awarded and Combat Talons to women. In late 1993 the first two women to start training for a Air Commando history. This Distinguished Flying Crosses, hundreds of Air Medals, and W role in AFSOC weapon systems as crewmembers were SrA Christine Kelley and SrA Lisa Wilson volume is an opportunity dozens of Air Force Combat Action Medals— still doubt that at Little Rock AFB. Their follow-on was as loadmasters on the AC-130H. 25 years later, women for the women of AFSOC when faced with the immense challenges of combat we can have truly made their mark during countless hours in combat in nearly every AFSOC weapon to share a glimpse into the overcome obstacles and emerge successfully alongside our system and in support roles across the entire spectrum. AFSOC leadership has recognized these lives of your wives, mothers, brothers in arms. contributions and have selected women for every level of command and Senior NCO leadership friends, and neighbors who The truth is today we have women serving with positions. We are proud to have AFSOC’s first female flag officer, are proud to call themselves distinction in all crew positions and combat support roles. The Brig Gen (Sel) Brenda Cartier introduce this historic edition of the Air Air Commandos past and Air Commandos in these pages represent some of our nation’s Commando Journal in the foreword. We are also proud that we are the present. top talent, contributing diversity of thought, perspectives, and first publication dedicated to telling these courageous women’s stories Twenty-plus years skills to AFSOC. We have fought in every combat contingency across the command. I think our readers will enjoy learning of the many ago when I heard the news since Operation ALLIED FORCE (1999). We are patriots who roles that they have fulfilled. that AFSOC was hiring, have a deep desire to serve our nation, defend our Constitution I was a junior captain at and support our allies at all costs. Some have paid the ultimate There is another significant event that I need to highlight: the recent the decision point of whether or not to stay in the Air Force sacrifice, including women such as SSgt Anissa Shero. posthumous award of the Medal of Honor to then TSgt John Chapman. when my active duty service commitment expired. I thought, We’ve turned to each other along the way, both deployed Air Commandos and airmen across the entire Air Force are extremely “This sounds like my dream job.” I made a phone call to and at home, forming bonds of friendship and family. proud that his is the first awarded to an Airman for service above and the squadron commander of the 16th Special Operations We’ve also enjoyed tremendous support from many of our beyond since Viet Nam. Your Air Commando Association is assisting Squadron, then Lt Col Brad Heithold , who told me, “Brenda, male counterparts and leadership who have trained with us, in the celebration of this feat as we take this edition to print. Lt Gen we’re happy to hire you into Spectre gunships, but if you deployed in combat with us, and developed us into AFSOC Webb, the AFSOC Commander, has entrusted ACA to plan and host want an assignment quickly give the 4th SOS a call. They’re leaders. Across our joint SOF world, many of us have a story the culminating event which will be a banquet attended by innumerable a new airframe and trying to fill a lot of crew positions.” On of being ‘by name requested’ by a SEAL or Special Forces dignitaries. The primary event of that evening will be the induction of his advice, I called the 4th Special Operations Squadron and team going to the ‘X’ to be the crewmembers of choice on TSgt Chapman into the Air Commando Hall of Fame. We are thrilled for spoke with Lt Col Eric Fiel who asked when I could start. particularly tough missions. this opportunity and will do all Air Commandos and the Chapman family Soon thereafter my orders arrived, and I checked into the 19th While these pages highlight our history and our Air proud. We will further highlight TSgt Chapman in Volume 7 Issue 3 of the Journal which will Special Operations Squadron for AC-130U Spooky Gunship Commando experience today, this edition is also a call to the feature not only TSgt Chapman’s induction, but also the five new inductees that will be inducted training in September 1997. future. The next generation of girls and boys who want to during our convention in December. Those great Americans are recognized in another part of this I don’t remember exactly how many female aircrew be Air Commandos is out there. We want them to know the edition. there were when I arrived at Hurlburt Field in the late ‘90s, hangar doors are wide open for them to join the proud women All in all, this is an exciting time to be an Air Commando. The focus of this edition of the ACJ but I do recall there were fewer than a dozen or so that I and men of Air Force Special Operations Command. highlighting “Women in the Fight” is long overdue. Be proud Air Commandos….be very proud knew of across all AFSOC aircraft.