Cannon In the News

From the Usual USAF Source:

Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Installations, Environment, and Logistics Terry Yonkers, New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez and State Land Commissioner Ray Powell were among many Air Force, State of New Mexico and county officials at the lease signing ceremony on Jan. 18, 2012, in Santa Fe.  (U.S. Air Force photo by Armando Perez)

Air Force Receives Land Grant to Expand Melrose Range: The Air Force accepted a land grant of 11,000 acres from the State of New Mexico that will allow Air Force Special Operations Command to expand live-fire ranges and desert and urban warfare training on the Melrose Air Force Range adjacent to Cannon Air Force Base. "It's an honor for me to be here today to accept this very gracious gift," said Terry Yonkers, the Air Force's assistant secretary for installations, environment, and logistics, during the Jan. 18 land-transfer ceremony in Santa Fe. He added, "Ranges and airspace are the lifeblood of our ability to train and be ready to fight those conflicts the nation asks of us." The land gift is valued at approximately $3.2 million. It is the result of a June 2008 memorandum of understanding between the Air Force and New Mexico. New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez (R) was one of the dignitaries at the event. (Washington, D.C., release)

Cool.  More s'plosions in the night!

Miscellanea

The 1099s are beginning to roll in; I've received two from My Favorite Uncle (the USAF one and the Social InSecurity one) already.  Private industry, which is supposed to be SO much more efficient and timely than the gub'mint, hasn't seen fit to send me their 1099s as yet... but they have until the end o' this month, right?  And I'm thinkin' they'll use every last day of the available time, too.

I'm also thinkin' I MIGHT do my taxes before the very last minute this year, on the off-chance I may get some money back.  That's because this is my year to take the one remaining child exemption I share with The Second Mrs. Pennington, which usually results in a modest refund rather than me writing a check to the Infernal Revenoo Service.  "Service?"  My ass...

―:☺:―

Did that sound bitchy?  I didn't mean to sound that way, if so.  Wait.  Mebbe I DID.  But, as long as we're bein' bitchy, there's this: I don't like Blogger's new default comment form, which takes ya to the bottom of the comments page.  Which means ya have to scroll back up to read previous comments (which I always do, so's I don't repeat what someone else said and look stoopid or redundant or both) and then scroll back DOWN to make your Astute Observation™.  Unless you're the first to comment, which is almost never the case for me, given that I lay around in bed until the crack o' noon.  Or thereabouts.  On most days, anyhoo.

WHY do coders feel compelled to fix shit that ain't broke?  That's one o' life's small yet enduring mysteries.

―:☺:―

This is interesting...

Air Force photo by A1C Ericka Engblom

F-15E Reaches 10,000 Flight Hours: An F-15E operating from Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, became the first Air Force F-15 of any type to reach 10,000 flying hours, according to airmen at Bagram. The Strike Eagle, No. 89-0487, achieved the milestone on Jan. 13. A crew from Seymour Johnson AFB, N.C., flew the aircraft on the historic mission. The F-15E, assigned to Seymour Johnson's 335th Fighter Squadron, has been flying for more than 21 years and is a veteran of combat going back to Operation Desert Storm. "It has taken more than 21 years of qualified maintenance technicians performing more than one million hours of inspections and repairs in all types of environments . . . to ensure aircraft #89-0487 was available," said CMSgt. John Parrott, superintendent of Bagram's 335th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Unit. He also credited all the other airmen, like weapons loaders, involved in keeping the aircraft operating. (Bagram report by TSgt. Vernon Cunningham)

That's from the Usual USAF Source, of course.  I wonder about the veracity of that claim, though.  I suppose it's true when one only considers the F-15, but I'm pretty damned sure each and every B-52 has at least 10,000 flight hours on the airframe, given the fact the BUFF has been in service for-frickin'-evah (read as: since 1954, the newest BUFF bein' procured in FY62).  The same could be said for the KC-135, the C-130, and god-only-knows how many other front-line airframes.  They're gonna be around a LOT longer, too, from the looks o' the budget situation. 

Defense Strategy

The President of the Air Force Association weighs in...

AFA members, Congressional staff members, civic leaders, DOCA members, yesterday the President, Secretary of Defense, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (then later the Deputy Secretary of Defense, Under Secretary of Defense Policy, and Vice Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff) rolled out the new defense strategy.  You can find it at:  http://www.defense.gov/news/Defense_Strategic_Guidance.pdf

I listened to the presentations and read the piece carefully.  Initially, I was critical of the work.  First it is not a “strategy” in the classic sense of the word (ends, ways, and means).  You cannot have a strategy without detailing the resources and none were listed.  Secondly it seemed to be just a compendium of thoughts on the strategic environment and a listing of missions of the armed forces.  The latter seemed to be in priority order, but that is an assumption on my part and was not overtly stated.  There was a lot of talk about process vice the tough choices.  And finally, there were lots of words on what the Armed Forces will do and few words on what the Armed Forces won’t be doing – given a $450B budget cut.  Like others, I could be critical about what was “not included.” 

However, as I read the piece for the second time (and understanding that this is a public document … not a classified one which would be at the SECRET or higher level), I found much in it to commend it to you.

First, it recognizes the nation is at a turning point after a decade at war.  We have a broader range of challenges than just the focus on the past wars.  The force of the future will be smaller and leaner, but will be agile, flexible, ready, and technologically advanced.  The department will avoid a “hollow force.”  DOD will reorient the force towards the Asia-Pacific region.  This puts a premium on Air, Space, and naval forces.  As I was quoted recently [see:  http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2012/01/planes-cut/] – 100% of the Pacific is covered by air and space.

In the primary mission of US Armed Forces section, I was pleased to see that the mission to project power despite anti-access/area denial challenges was listed.  Despite the fact that the authors did not mention one of the most important elements of power projection [Air Superiority], the idea that the Pentagon should look to the future shoots holes in the concept of “next-war-itis” and is long overdue.  I found the concept of deterring and defeating aggression to be refreshing: 
“Even when US forces are committed to a large-scale operation in one region, they will be capable of denying the objectives of – or imposing unacceptable cost on – an opportunistic aggressor in a second region.” 

This puts a premium on those forces that can rapidly shift from one theater to another – predominantly Airpower.

I found the articulation of the concept of conducting long term occupation and stability operations to take into account the realities of what we have seen over the past ten years – where we projected vulnerability – with over 46,000 wounded and more than 6,200 dead.  The piece says:  “ … US forces will no longer be sized to conduct large-scale, prolonged stability operations.”  In my words, we should take advantage of the inherent strengths of Airpower – speed, range, flexibility, technology – and limit the exposure of our forces to our enemies.

I liked the focus on the Guard and Reserves – both of which have carried a heavy load over the past decade.

And I thought the focus on science, technology, innovation, and the industrial base to be important to discuss in any strategy document.  I also thought the concept mentioned in the paper about “reversibility” to be an important one in dealing with risk.  We have not, in recent history, done well in predicting who, where, and when we will fight.

I might differ on the margins about things like the listing of Hezbollah as a terrorist organization, while leaving out Hamas (and others); talking about operating “effectively” in Cyberspace and Space [these are mediums in which we should dominate]; and suggesting that we can achieve our nuclear deterrence goals with a smaller nuclear force [depends on what the goals are].  But on balance, the document is welcomed relief to the past and recognition that the US has broad, enduring, and overarching goals … and challenges.

Finally, I have to back away and comment on the totality of the challenge facing the Department of Defense.  Yes … we’re in a budget crisis.  And … yes we need to cut government spending.  However, during the Kennedy Administration this nation spent 50% of the federal budget on defense.  It’s less than 20% today.  Then we spent 9.5% of our GDP on Defense; today it’s 3.4% and getting lower.  The question we must ask is:  Should we balance the budget on the back of defense spending?  We have proven over time that a weak America invites aggression.  I’m reminded of the famous quote from President Reagan:  “Of the four wars in my lifetime, none came about because the U.S. was too strong.”

Last comment:  Documents like these don’t always drive resource decisions.  Many times, the Services are given dollar bogeys in a “salami-slice” fashion … without regard for the strategy.  We should all watch the budget rollout to see if the resources match the “strategy.”

Let me ask you to read the document and tell me what you think.

For your consideration.
 
Mike
 Michael M. Dunn
 President/CEO
 Air Force Association
 
“The only thing more expensive than a first-rate Air Force is … a second-rate Air Force.”  --  Senate staff member

I know that was long but there was no way to link it, given the message arrived as an e-mail and not as an article in the Usual USAF Source.  Speaking of the Usual Source... there are three discrete blurbs on this subject in today's report (01-06-2012), all with links to official statements on the subject of the new strategy.

I Love This Stuff

Ten minutes that make ya pause, think, and marvel...

I remember the historical events in the first part of this video, at least the stuff that begins about the time Sputnik was launched.  I also remember somewhat more vividly the mystique and aura surrounding our satellite reconnaissance capabilities during the '70s and the '80s, mainly because I worked on the technical side... on the periphery... of the spy business during that time.  The surveillance satellites discussed in the video played a VERY large part in putting me out of a job, actually, given the fact the ground-based monitoring systems I worked on did the same sort of work at a much higher cost and produced significantly inferior results.

The thing that REALLY blows me away, however, is the fact these satellites and their supporting infrastructure were designed and deployed in the 1950s and 1960s, without the benefits of either internet or massive computing capabilities.  Ain't that SUMTHIN'?

h/t:  This article in The Atlantic.

More From the In-Box

Lotsa stuff in there this "morning," most of it delete-key fodder.  Like this:

I've never had a subscription to the NYT, unless you count the four month Sunday-edition Christmas gift subscription I got from a buddy back in '96 or '97.  The NYT must really be hurtin' if they're sendin' stuff like this out.

And then there's this:

I've never bought anything from Amazon's herbs, spices, and seasonings department but I DID click on a link to 25 Tahitian Vanilla Beans in an old post by Blog-Bud Andy.  Amazon NEVER forgets... that's pretty scary, sometimes.

From my daily Townhall newsletter... there are new political cartoons at the Usual Source, this among them:

You might wanna watch Monday's video again.

The Usual USAF Source reminds me where I should be at 1430 hrs today:

Go Falcons!: The Air Force Academy Falcons host the University of Toledo Rockets Wednesday in the Military Bowl at RFK Stadium in the nation's capital. ESPN will air the football game nationally at 4:30 p.m. East Coast time. "The game is all about the men and women of our military and raising support and awareness for the USO, so having a military academy represented in the Air Force Academy versus an exciting, high-scoring Toledo Rockets team is great for our game," said Steve Beck, Military Bowl president and executive director, in a release. The Falcons, members of the Mountain West Conference, finished their regular season with a winning 7-5 record. They are making a bowl appearance for the fifth consecutive year, a school record. The Rockets, from the Mid-American Conference, finished their season with eight wins and four losses. This marks the two teams' first meeting. (See also the academy's game notes; caution, large-sized file.)

OK, it ain't a BCS bowl.  So?  

The Air Force game is only an hour from now; I just poured my second cup and haven't even begun to make the blog-rounds.  I'm upside down again, sleep-wise, and to further complicate things it's a nice day outside (55 degrees!) and there are errands to be run.  I don't see how I'm gonna get everythang I wanna do done... sumthin's gonna have to give and it might be the football game.

Update, 1430 hrs:  This:

I deleted that, too.

Don't Forget!

I'm getting excited!  We ALWAYS track Santa here at EIP; it's in our blood.

Back when I was in the radar biz we used to do this sort of thing locally for the families of the guys at the radar sites where I was stationed. Back in the day every USAF long-range aircraft control and warning (AC&W) radar site had a video mapping device that fed programmed exercise video to Operations; the normal output from the video mapper was "canned" and consisted of video blips simulating actual aircraft. The video mapper was used to train ground-control intercept controllers and technicians during the course of “normal” business, but we put that video mapper to a much different use at Christmas. On Christmas Eve we'd load up a special video overlay and route it to the intercept control scopes in Operations. While "exercise" video consisted of fake bogeys (simple blips) and tracks to train intercept controllers and technicians, the special Santa video showed a sleigh and reindeer on the scopes, and of course the sleigh moved…traversing our radar coverage area. Not nearly real, but real enough for the kids that saw it! (And for the adults, too…those willing to “suspend disbelief,” as it were.)

The kids always got a big thrill out of the radar displays. Doing the Santa video was one of the most fun things I ever did while I was a radar guy.

My first Santa tracking experience was at Lompoc Air Force Station during Christmas of 1964.  A lot o' water has passed under the bridge since then, but I still get a kick out of tracking Santa. 

I always put this up on Christmas Eve (or close to it).

From the In-Box

My Good Buddy Ed In Florida sends along the following photo essay...

Heh.  I wouldn't wanna be that 104 pilot.  Coal.  Lotsa coal.

♪♫ Someone to Watch Over Me ♫♪

From the Usual USAF Source:

Here (top), Lt. Col. Joseph Paguiligan, mission commander aboard the JSTARS aircraft, monitors operations during the historic mission. At bottom, Maj. Steve Eadie lands his U-2 at an undisclosed air base in Southwest Asia after completing the final manned ISR flight over Iraq on that same day.  Air Force photos by TSgt. DeNoris A. Mickle and SSgt. J.G. Buzanowski

Overhead Vigilance Helped Keep Final Iraq Convoy Safe: A lone U-2 Dragon Lady and an E-8C JSTARS were among the aircraft that flew the final intelligence-surveillance-reconnaissance sorties over Iraq to guard the last US convoy as it drove into Kuwait to complete the US military pullout. "We were able to cover and support, from the air, the last boots on the ground going across the border, bringing a close to a nearly nine-year war in Iraq," said Lt. Col. Curtis Bass, commander of the 7th Expeditionary Airborne Command and Control Squadron, a JSTARS unit, of the Dec. 18 mission. "It's a good feeling to watch those last [vehicles] roll out; it's a historic occasion," he added. "The best part about it was it was quiet," said Maj. Steve Eadie, a U-2 pilot with the 99th Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron. "There were no issues as they were leaving. . . . I'm proud to have been a part of it," he noted. Also providing overwatch for the historic final convoy were Predator remotely piloted aircraft and F-16s, Air Force officials have said. (Air Forces Central report by SrA. Sara Csurilla) (380th AEW report SSgt. J.G. Buzanowski)

I'm glad our guys made it out without "incidents" along the way.  It's also good to know USAF had our troops' back during the final days of the pull-out. 

The post title?  This...




Ella's always appropriate.

―:☺:―

In other news... So I watched (as instructed by the NWS in ABQ) for that winter storm all day yesterday and into the wee smalls of this morning.  Total snow accumulation?  Zero.  Zip.  Nada.  That's not to say we didn't get ANY snow; it really did come down at times, almost obscuring the view of 18th Street from my window on occasion, but our temps were just too warm for any of the icky white stuff to stay on the ground. Yet another case of someone watching over me.

We're Out

The occasion was all over the news yesterday and today... Hell, Fox News even sent Geraldo to Kuwait to cover the withdrawal, an event I took a pass on.  I can't think of one single, solitary reason to lend my eyes to anything featuring that guy.  Period.  That said, I did see several smaller pieces here and there, one o' them being this one from the Usual USAF Source:

Sixty-two airmen and 55 soldiers flew aboard a C-17 from Imam Ali Base in southern Iraq to Kuwait, Dec. 17, 2011. This was the final US military flight from Iraq as part of the phased pullout of US troops, which concluded on the following day. Here, the airmen and soldiers aboard the C-17 prior to its takeoff.  Air Force photo by MSgt. Cecilio Ricardo

Last US Military Flight Leaves Iraq: Iraqi-Kuwaiti theater—Sixty-two airmen and 55 soldiers assigned to Camp Adder, known to the Iraqis as the Imam Ali Base, on the outskirts of Nasiriyah in southern Iraq, boarded a C-17 from Travis AFB, Calif., on Dec. 17 for a flight back to Kuwait. It was the last flight from the last US military base on the last night of Operation New Dawn, said Maj. Gen. Anthony Rock, 321st Air Expeditionary Wing commander, who flew from Kuwait back to Iraq to thank the troops for their service and make the historic flight back with them. The Daily Report was aboard for both legs. "This is a very historic night. I encourage all of you to look at the airmen to your left and to your right and shake their hands," said Maj. Gen. Russell Handy, the senior Air Force leader in Iraq, who also made the flight back to greet the troops. Handy told the airmen to remember the hundreds of thousands who served before them and the 4,500 Americans who gave their lives in Iraq. "We buy a lot of equipment in the Air Force, but it's really all about the people. If there was ever an operation that was about the people, it's what we did here in Iraq. Thanks for your service and everything you've done," he said. Camp Adder transitioned back to the Iraqis on Dec. 16.

—Amy McCullough

Thanks for your service, indeed.  There are NO words to express the debt o' gratitude we owe these fine young people.  The old ones, too.

The 27th Special Operations Wing Wishes You Happy Holidays

And a Merry Christmas, too... although the HH language outnumbers "Merry Christmas" by about five to one.  Big sigh...

So, we're just in from running our errands and while we were out we stopped at the Cannon Airplane Patch airpark just inside the main gate to take a few cheesy cellphone pics of the various units' Christmas greetings, and there were a lot of 'em.  And here we go...

The beginning of the unit displays

"Non-standard" refers to the fact this unit flies a specially modified bid'niz aircraft.

 Cannon has a UAV unit, too.  These guys obviously fly Reapers.

SN1's old unit... the Fireballs.  The 522nd flew F-16s when Buck was with 'em.

 Hey!  You're not THE Green Hornets!  Stop that!

Saving the best for last... Have a KILLER holiday!

Click to embiggen, of course.  Right-click on the images once you get into Blogger's new-fangled (and ugly) pic viewer and choose "view image" if ya wanna see the full size pic.

Oooh! And Aaah!

From the Usual USAF Source:

Wake Up to the Rhythm: Neatly tucked away on shelves in Wake Island Airfield's base operations building, airmen uncovered an immaculate trove of 9,000 vinyl records—the 1970s collection of Wake's former radio station. Inconspicuously locked behind a door stenciled with the station's call letters KEAD, "it's a little time capsule," said Colin Bradley, a communications contractor. "I have not run across a collection that well preserved or that intact in my career." Originally provided by Armed Forces Radio and Television Service to entertain the troops, the island's 611th Air Support Group detachment is working to send the unique collection back to AFRTS in Virginia for preservation. Requiring an estimated $10,000 worth of packaging and 75 16-inch boxes to ship, the records will complete AFRTS' local museum collection, with any extras headed to the Library of Congress or National Archives. (Wake report by Capt. Amy Hansen)

Wow.  This lil item rings bells with me seein' as how I did a short stint (not quite a year) as a deejay at an AFRTS affiliate station (a very loose affiliate) in Sinop, Turkey back in the '70s.  Our station... KBOK (which was a play on words, "bok" bein' Turkish slang for excrement)...  received between $50 and $100 every quarter to buy records from the base exchange and YrHmblScrb was in a position to buy a lot of those records.  That money went a LONG way back in the day, seein' as how yer average LP only cost two and a half Yankee Dollars back then.  

Our station library was at least as large as Wake's and I took the opportunity to "borrow" records on a daily basis and tape them on my reel-to-reel recorder, an endeavor that produced about 100 reel-to-reel tapes with an average of five albums per reel.  It's too damned bad that I was "under the influence" during most of those taping sessions, coz the resulting tapes were mostly over-modulated and nearly un-listenable, in retrospect.  This, of course, was during the Golden Age of rock 'n' roll and I scored me some mighty fine music during that year.  Those tapes still exist... along with my Revox A-77 tape deck... and are in the care of SN2.  Mebbe I'll retrieve 'em some day.

Make Cuts, But Don't Cut MY Stuff!

It never fails...

Wait a Minute, Man: Sen. Kent Conrad (D-N.D.) called on Defense Secretary Leon Panetta to ensure that the Minuteman III ICBM force is not eliminated as one of the moves that Pentagon officials might feel compelled to make to deal with potential budget cuts up to $100 billion annually over the next 10 years. Conrad wrote Panetta after Panetta told lawmakers earlier this month that such steep budget reductions might force DOD to "eliminate [the] ICBM leg of triad," among the many drastic actions that might be unavoidable. Getting rid of the ICBMs would provide an estimated $8 billion in savings, said Panetta. But such thinking is alarming, asserted Conrad. "It's a shock to hear the Pentagon say that the ICBM is a good place to find short-term savings," he wrote in his Nov. 18 letter to Panetta. "This total reversal of our long-held and successful nuclear deterrent strategy would create unnecessary strategic danger; moreover, it does not make fiscal sense," stated Conrad. Accordingly, "I ask that you protect the 420-missile and 450-silo ICBM force from cuts outside the arms control process, and refrain from considering our nation's most cost-effective and stabilizing nuclear deterrent," he underscored.

That's from the Usual USAF Source, of course.  I agree with Senator Conrad in principle but his credibility is somewhat diminished by the fact the majority of the nation's ICBMs are based in NoDak.  When I was stationed up that way we used to joke that if NoDak seceded from the union they'd be the world's third largest nuclear power.  That wasn't a joke, actually... it's entirely true if one considers the nuclear-armed B-52s at Minot along with the 150 Minuteman silos scattered all over North Dakota.

Fail

Rumor had it yesterday the Supercommittee was going to announce their failure today, but mebbe not.  Negotiations always seem to go down to the wire, that's just the way life is when there are Big Thangs at stake.  I hope those asshats get it together because the consequences of failure are pretty bad in this case.  Just for starters... the DJIA is down 282 and plummeting as I type.  And then there's this:

It's Worse Than You Think: Even without the Budget Control Act's sequestration mechanism kicking in, "we know there will be much more than $450 billion in defense cuts" in the coming decade, said Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Philip Breedlove. Addressing AFA's Global Warfare Symposium in Los Angeles last week, Breedlove said the service is planning for far deeper reductions that will result "in our Total Force getting smaller" and putting the nation "at a significant level of risk." If the sequester does happen—essentially doubling that $450 billion figure—it will result in programmatic chaos, said Breedlove. "Most people don't understand" how the sequester would work, he said. Every line item "would be cut equally," meaning that virtually all contracts would be broken, resulting in stop-work fees of frightening proportions and leaving programs in the lurch, he said. Such action overall would be "onerous," and compel USAF to cut deeply in readiness and modernization, since only they can hit the "hard target" reductions and yield saving in "near years," he explained. Base closures, for example, would "take years to realize savings," said Breedlove. "We have to find near-term dollars. We can't build a slope that ramps over seven or eight years," he continued. Faced with sequester, the Air Force also would have no choice but to "look at missions" and choose some to stop doing, despite the fact that seemingly every mission USAF performs is in greater demand than ever, he said during his Nov. 18 speech.

—John A. Tirpak

That's from the Usual USAF Source, of course.

Interesting times.

How Times Change

Some plane pr0n from the Usual USAF Source...

C-130 Hercules cargo aircraft fly in formation during a training mission near Mount Fuji, Japan, as part of exercise Samurai Surge, Nov. 2, 2011. (Air Force photo by SSgt. Samuel Morse)

and a similar shot from times past:

I much prefer the top photo.  I'm thinkin' the Nihonjin do, too.

―:☺:―

We're back to our old habits, kinda-sorta, in that we didn't hit the hay until 0430 hrs this morning and slept in until 1100 hrs.   Part o' the reason is I took a two-hour nap yesterday afternoon, mainly because last night's Wings game was a late one in San Jose.  I prolly shouldn't have bothered because the Wings lost and it wasn't even close, what with a 5-2 final score.  I had high hopes last night, seein' as how the Wings completely dominated the first period when most of the play took place at San Jose's end of the rink.  Alas, the game changed radically in the second period and stayed that way.  I don't feel the loss was due to lack of effort on the Wings part, seein' as how they had 42 shots on goal, compared to the Sharks' 28.  But there are shots and then there are SHOTS... good teams find a way to put the puck in the net.  Good teams also don't cough the puck up and allow the opposition to score on them, almost at will.  The Wings better get it together, and soon... if the playoffs began tomorrow the Wings wouldn't be in it for the first time in 20 years.  That would break my hard little heart.

Not Your Father's Air Force XIV

From the Usual USAF Source...

(From left) Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz, Capt. Nicholas Tsougas, Lt. Col. Dylan Wells, Capt. Leigh Larkin, retired Lt. Col. Donald Cornwell and National Aeronautic Association Chairman Walter Boyne.  (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Tiffany Trojca) (click for hi-res)

F-15E Aircrews Presented Mackay Trophy: Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz and National Aeronautic Association Chairman Walter Boyne presented the 2010 Mackay Trophy to the four members of "Dude Flight" for their heroics actions last year in the cockpits of two F-15Es during a mission over Afghanistan. Now-retired Lt. Col. Donald Cornwell as well as Lt. Col. Dylan Wells, Capt. Leigh Larkin, and Capt. Nicholas Tsougas received the trophy, which recognizes the most meritorious flight in a given year, during NAA's fall awards dinner Monday in Arlington, Va. On April 6, 2010, these airmen, flying in F-15Es with call signs Dude-01 and Dude-02, performed show-of-force passes and subsequently deployed six joint direct attack munitions to protect a task force of some 30 coalition troops under attack by approximately 100 Taliban fighters in Bala Morgab. Their attacks killed more than 80 Taliban, saving the task force members' lives. (SAF/PA report by SSgt. Eric Donner) (See also NAA Mackay Trophy webpage.)

Congratulations to Colonels Cornwell and Wells and Captains Larkin and Tsougas.  This isn't the first time the Mackay trophy has been awarded to a female airman... I think the first female aircrew member was awarded the trophy in 2000... but it certainly gets the attention of the old geezers among us.  

I just can't imagine having a conversation with the wife that goes sumthin' like this:  

"How was your day, Honey?"  
"Oh, just the usual... knocked off 80 Taliban that were giving our guys a hard time..."

But I think it would be pretty cool.

Oh, and Capt. Larkin?  Square away those wings.  Ma'am.

Ramirez Does GOML and Radars

From the Usual Source...

Yup.

―:☺:―

A blast from the past from the Usual USAF Source:

Igloo Upgrade: The Air Force has awarded Lockheed Martin $46.8 million in contract options to upgrade its Atmospheric Warning System radars throughout the US and Canada. The contract covers initial planning and design work to modernize 29 AN/FPS-117 long-range surveillance radars, which were initially built by Lockheed in the 1980s under the Seek Igloo North Warning program, according to a company release. It includes 15 radars in Alaska, 11 in Canada, as well as individual sites in Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and Utah. The solid-state L-band radar is capable of continuously covering airspace out to 250 miles using unmanned operations that are reliable even in harsh Arctic climates. Lockheed expects to be awarded follow-on contract options to update the radar's signal and data processing, extending the network life-span through 2025, states the release. The company already has completed similar work at sites in the UK, Germany, Romania, and Kuwait.

That would be a COLD blast from the past.   A lot o' you Gentle Readers know that I spent 16 years in the long-range air defense radar bid'niz, with a couple o' tours off for good behavior which I spent on the periphery o' the Once and Current Evil Empire.  Said tours weren't much of an improvement, actually, when it came to geographic locations, but there were other benefits.

I didn't much like the radar biz, mainly coz it ain't nice living on top of mountains or in close proximity to same, USUALLY out in the boonies somewhere... but not always: there were USAF radar sites in Palos Verdes in El-Eh, Mt. Tamalpais in SFO, and Montauk Point on Long Island, just to name three desirable sites (at which I never served).  So it pleases me to read the current radars use "unmanned operations," which I take to mean minimally attended.  There really isn't such a thing as unmanned ops; maintenance must be performed on a regular basis.  That maintenance is better performed by contractors than Blue Suiters, sez I, coz I know what it means to do that sorta thang.  In environments like this:

I spent one year, three days, eight hours and ten minutes there.  Not that I was counting.

Linkage

It's only been TWO YEARS between posts (Counting?  Who's counting?) but there's new stuff up at SN1's blog.  Buck is using his blog as a medium for publishing some of his course work at the Army Command & General Staff College... and it's some interesting stuff.  Really.  Here's an excerpt from his post on leadership:

Leaders lead from the front of the organization. Physically, you must get "eyes-on" with the majority of your troops on a regular basis. Leadership by emails, orders from behind the desk or memos from "on-high" accomplish nothing, but create needless space between you and your organization. Set the example in all aspects of your job. Know your "core business" better than anyone else. Get to know your people and their workspaces. Know your place in the "big picture" and be able to explain it to anyone. Understand not only the mission of your unit, but how your people make that mission happen, what tools they use and what systems or other units they depend on to make the mission happen. Know all these things and ensure your people and processes are all geared toward accomplishing the units’ mission. Set clear expectations for everyone’s performance...especially yours!

Buck mentions one of my pet peeves in civilian life: the manager who managed via e-mail and memo.  I was fortunate not to have run into any of these guys, which is to say report to one, during my civilian career.  But I sure knew a lot of the asshats.  I also knew more than my share of managers, as opposed to leaders.  That's one of the best things about the military: you learn the difference between the two.  

A Milestone and Schooling

From the Usual USAF Source...

Retired Air Force Brig. Gen. Charles E. “Chuck” Yeager and Brig. Gen. Robert C. Nolan II, Air Force Flight Test Center commander, get ready to fly faster than the speed of sound in an F-16 during a morning flight over the Mojave Desert, Oct. 14, 2011. Yeager visited Edwards, where he broke the sound barrier in 1947, to help celebrate the 60th anniversary of the AFFTC. (U.S. Air Force photo/Rob Densmore)

Chuck Yeager in front of the X-1 he christened Glamorous Glennis (Wikipedia)

Sixty Years into the Unknown: A single F-16D accelerated through the sound barrier, celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Air Force Flight Test Center pushing the edge of the envelope at Edwards AFB, Calif. With retired Brig Gen. Chuck Yeager in the cockpit, together with AFFTC Commander Brig. Gen. Robert Nolan, the F-16's sonic wave reverberated, echoing Yeager's first supersonic flight in 1947. "When the Air Force Flight Test Center was established in 1951, Edwards Air Force Base had already become well known as the place where aviation history was being written," said Nolan, speaking at the celebration. Since then, the center "has been on the cutting edge of every major development that has transformed the field of flight—the turbo jet engine, supersonic and hypersonic flight," among many others, he added, addressing the hundreds gathered to mark the anniversary on Oct. 14 among test aircraft in Edward's hanger 1600. (Edwards report by Kate Blais)

Gen. Yeager is one of my heroes and it's good to see him still flying faster than the speed o' sound, even if he isn't the one at the controls.  I spent some time on Edwards AFB in the wayback, living in crappy base housing that was prolly built around the time Gen. Yeager first broke the sound barrier.  Blog-Bud Glenn is still there, working as a crew chief on a Lawn Dart, which is a kinda strange turn of affairs for a Squid, eh?

―:☺:―

Comment o' the day: 

Miss Manners has left a new comment on your post "Dinner...":

That looks nice, but I will have to subtract 5 points for the knife blade facing away from the dish.

Forks on the left of the plate, spoons and knives on the right.

Minus 10 points for putting cutlery into a dish before the eater is seated. People must be allowed to examine their cutlery before use.

Yes, you must eat with the fork in the left hand, and the knife in the right hand. When using a spoon, it is proper to have your left hand in your lap holding onto your napkin, and not make slurping noises.

Left handed people should be placed at the ends of the table, nearest the fire and the masters dog.

I'm posting this because (a) most people don't go back and read comments from week-old posts, and (b) it's good guidance even if a bit droll.  And we are aware of everything you cited in your critique, dear Miss Manners, but we dispensed with the formalities since the occasion was Dinner for One.  You'll no doubt be pleased to note that we observe all the social graces of table setting when we entertain... and did so even when it was just "the family" who sat down to dinner in the wayback.

Plane Pr0n

From the Usual USAF Source...

A row of F-16 Fighting Falcons deployed from Kunsan AB, South Korea, bask in the glow of the Northern Lights at Eielson AFB, Alaska, during Red Flag-Alaska 11-3, Sept. 14, 2011. (Air Force photo by SSgt. Kurtis Hoar)

I like to brag on New Mexico's brilliant night skies but we don't have anything to compare with Alaska's northern lights.  We don't have all that snow and bitter cold either, so I guess it's a wash.

Don't Mess With Texas

Here's new meaning for that phrase...from the Usual USAF Source:

The Texas Air National Guard's 149th Fighter Wing's flagship F-16 returning to Lackland Air Force Base after being painted to honor the 65th anniversary of the unit's affiliation with the Air National Guard, Sept. 29, 2011. (Air National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Phil Fountain/Released) (click for high-res)

From a Lackland AFB news release:

10/1/2011 - LACKLAND AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- Members of the Texas Air National Guard's 149th Fighter Wing have begun a year-long remembrance leading up to the unit's the 65th anniversary in the Air National Guard with a new design for the wing's flagship aircraft.

Known as the Lone Star Gunfighters, the 149th Fighter Wing's specialty logo directly ties the unit's connection to the state of Texas and western tradition in South Texas.

[...]

The graphical depictions were created by Senior Master Sgt. Penny Laflam and Staff Sgt. Chris Hamilton, both members of the 149th Maintenance Group. The final version of the aircraft paint design required approval of the group commander, wing commander, and National Guard Bureau, where it was reviewed against aircraft marking regulations.

So... the design "was reviewed against aircraft marking regulations," eh?  I'm not one to let a nit slide by without picking at it, so here's today's quiz, Gentle Reader... what's wrong with this picture?

Well, let me be clear: what's incongruous about the markings?  Nits aside, the paint job is pretty cool.  But not as cool as what the Squids are doing to celebrate the centennial of naval aviation; those paint jobs are cool.  (See blog-bud Glenn's header for an example.)  (OMG.  I said sumthin' good about the bleedin' NAVY... I must not be fully caffeinated yet.)