Screenshot Utah, Died June 22 When the F-16 That Air Force
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Air Force World By Michael Sirak, Senior Editor, with Marc Schanz, Associate Editor F-16 Pilot Killed in Crash is a central mobility hub for operations Capt. George B. Houghton, 28, of in Afghanistan—despite an earlier the 421st Fighter Squadron at Hill AFB, decision in February to oust the US screenshot Utah, died June 22 when the F-16 that Air Force. he was flying crashed at the Utah Test According to a Pentagon report, the and Training Range during a routine new agreement raised the rent from training mission. $17.4 million annually to $60 million The aircraft was destroyed on im- per year for use of the facility, which is USAF photo by A1C ChadWarren pact, according to Hill’s 388th Fighter transited by about 15,000 troops and Wing, the squadron’s parent unit. The some 500 tons of cargo every month. crash site was reported as being about “There is give and take in any ne- 35 miles south of Wendover near the gotiation, and I think we arrived at a Utah-Nevada state line. place where we both felt comfortable,” As of late June, the Air Force had not said Pentagon spokesman Geoff Mor- determined the cause of the crash, but rell during a press briefing on June 24, had convened an investigation board. when asked to comment on the new arrangement. US Renews Access to Manas The Parliament of Kyrgyzstan on USAF Leaders Shift June 25 ratified a new agreement that Gen. Carrol H. Chandler received will enable US and coalition forces to Senate confirmation June 19 to become continue using Manas Air Base—which vice chief of staff of the Air Force. In Air Strike Rules Tightened in Afghanistan Army Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, who became commander of NATO’s International Security Assistance Force and commander of US Forces- Afghanistan on June 15, formulated a new tactical directive, shortly upon assuming his new posts, to restrict the use of air strikes in Afghanistan in cases where civilians might be at risk of harm. The Los Angeles Times reported June 23 that McChrystal’s action was intended to reduce the number of Afghan civilian casualties, a large por- tion of which have been attributed to US and coalition air strikes over the past several years, sowing some anti-Afghan government and anti-NATO sentiments. According to the newspaper, the new operational standards place the emphasis on protecting civilians rather than killing Taliban insurgents, but they do not go as far as to prohibit close air support. Rather they call for refraining from firing from the air upon structures in which insurgents may have taken refuge among civilians, unless friendly ground troops are in imminent danger. McChrystal’s action came in the aftermath of the controversial air strike May 4 in the village of Gerani in Farah province during a firefight between the Taliban and an Afghan-coalition ground force. While US Central Command’s initial findings into the incident concluded that at least 26 and possibly more civilians died, along with 60 to 65 Taliban, the Afghan government put the civilian toll at around 140 and called on the US to halt all air strikes. CENTCOM’s executive summary of the report on its investigation into the bombing, issued on June 19, concluded that the US aircraft strikes were lawful. However, “absent a direct or imminent threat,” it advocated “a tactical approach that prioritizes avoidance of civilian casualties as a fundamental aspect of mission success.” Army Col. John Spiszer, commander of the 1st Infantry Division’s 3rd Brigade Combat Team, told reporters June 23 that McChrystal’s directive is “entirely in line” with that approach. 10 AIR FORCE Magazine / August 2009 July, Lt. Gen. Gary L. North was nomi- nominated June 4 for promotion to the Meanwhile, the Senate Armed Ser- nated to succeed Chandler at Pacific rank of general and in July was nomi- vices Committee on June 25 approved Air Forces, the command that Chandler nated to head Air Mobility Command. an amendment introduced by Sen. headed since 2007. The current commander of AMC, Gen. John Thune (R-S.D.) that makes it On June 25, Gen. Douglas M. Fraser Arthur J. Lichte, is retiring. “the policy of the United States to took charge of US Southern Command. support a development program for The Senate confirmed his nomination Congress Supports Bomber Work next-generation bomber technologies.” on June 10. He had been deputy com- The House Armed Services Com- While the Pentagon’s request did mander at US Pacific Command. mittee in June added $215 million to not contain any dollars for the now Lt. Gen. Raymond E. Johns Jr., the Pentagon’s Fiscal 2010 budget deferred bomber program, the Air deputy chief of staff for strategic plans proposal for technology studies in Force’s list of unfunded priorities in and programs since October 2006, was support of a future bomber. Fiscal 2010 did include a $140 million This flight of five F-15C Eagle fighters forms up in the skies above Okinawa and against the backdrop of a total solar eclipse, which was visible across the western Pacific and Asia. The fighters are assigned to the Air Force’s 44th Fighter Squad- 07.22.2009 ron at Kadena AB, Japan. Millions in Asia watched the eclipse, which lasted for six minutes and 39 seconds. This rare event lasted longer than any eclipse that has oc- curred since 1991. AIR FORCE Magazine / August 2009 11 Air Force World request for a “classified” program that Congress Challenges Pentagon Fighter Decisions later was revealed to entail work on bomber concepts. For the fourth consecutive year, Congress acted in June against the Pen- The House committee, in its markup tagon’s plan to stop development of the General Electric-Rolls Royce F136 of the defense authorization bill on June engine for the F-35 Lightning II. 17, provided $75 million above the Air In another high-profile move against the Obama Administration’s plan, House Force’s request, said a spokesman for and Senate defense authorizers added funds to build more F-22s beyond 187, Rep. Neil Abercrombie (D-Hawaii), who though the full Senate on July 21 reversed itself. (See “Washington Watch,” p. 7.) chairs the air and land forces panel. The House Armed Services Committee earmarked $603 million to continue development of the F136, the alternate power plant to Pratt & Whitney’s F135, Corona Brings Changes in its markup of the Department of Defense’s Fiscal 2010 budget request on The Air Force announced June 8 that June 17. The Senate Armed Services Committee added $438.9 million for it would make manpower changes in the F136 in its markup June 25. some of its air and space operations The Office of the Secretary of Defense says the risk is acceptable going centers to better balance resources forward with just the F135. But Rep. Neil Abercrombie (D-Hawaii), chairman with requirements. This was one of the of the House committee’s air and land forces panel, said June 12 that it repre- decisions resulting from the Corona sents “too high an operational risk to take” to have thousands of future F-35s Top leadership summit held June 4-6 dependent on just one engine type. at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio. In another conflict area, the Air Force proposed in its Fiscal 2010 budget The leadership decided to recatego- phasing out a combination of 254 A-10s, F-15s, and F-16s next year, but the rize about 835 rated staff officer billets House committee added language that prohibits retirement of the fighters until to nonrated positions and fill some per- the Pentagon provides a report explaining how it plans to fill the capability sonnel shortfalls with military-to-civilian gaps left by their removal. conversions. To support the standup of Further, concerned about impact of these cuts on the Air National Guard 24th Air Force, the service’s new cyber and the impact on the air sovereignty alert mission, House defense autho- organization, the leadership adopted rizers approved an amendment requiring OSD to report on the feasibility of network configuration standards and purchasing new 4.5 generation fighters such as the F-15 or F-16 to sustain doctrine updates and instructions. the Air Guard during the transition to new fifth gen fighters such as the F-35. A final decision on the Heritage Coat The House passed its version of the defense authorization bill on June 25 was deferred until 2010, and the lead- by a vote of 389 to 22. The House and Senate also approved $2.2 billion to buy eight C-17 Globe- Buffs On the Edge: A B-52 takes to master III transports not requested by the Pentagon in the Fiscal 2009 war the air at Eielson AFB, Alaska, in June supplemental that both chambers approved in June. They also added $504 as part of US Pacific Command’s North- million for three MC-130J special mission transports and four HC-130J combat ern Edge 2009. Northern Edge is one rescue aircraft. of a series of exercises that prepares joint forces to respond to crises in the Pacific region. USAF photo by SSgt. Christopher Boitz 12 AIR FORCE Magazine / August 2009 ership approved the plan to introduce Robert S. McNamara 1916-2009 physical fitness testing twice a year, starting next January. Robert S. McNamara, who served as Worker Strike Ends at Vance Secretary of Defense during a pivotal Unionized civilian employees at seven years of the Cold War, was the Vance AFB, Okla., agreed June 22 to principal architect of the Vietnam War, a new labor proposal enabling them and reorganized the Pentagon’s bureau- to return to work immediately, thus cracy, died July 6 in Washington, D.C.