News of the Force: Saturday, May 6, 2017 - Page 2

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News of the Force: Saturday, May 6, 2017 - Page 2

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U.S. Army

    A standing-room-only audience filled the Community Activity Center at Camp Carroll, South Korea, to celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month through taekwondo demonstrations, music, song, dance and food, on May 4th. Soldiers from the Pacific Islands and South Korea displayed the U.S. military’s diversity and strength during several performances show-casing their heritage. Audience members were welcomed onto the stage during two of the demonstrations to share in the traditions. "We may wear the same uniform, but our backgrounds are different," said Army Sgt. Esther Tukumoeatu, of the 6th Ordnance Battalion. "It’s important for everyone to understand where each other is from for the benefit of the team." Attendees of all ranks and ethnic backgrounds filled the auditorium wall to wall to enjoy the performances by U.S. soldiers, Korean Augmentation to the United States Army (KATUSA) soldiers and Korean nationals. "Today was about celebrating the heritage of Asian and Pacific Islanders who have contributed to the military," said Army Lt. Col. (Dr.) Huy Luu, the guest speaker and command surgeon for the 19th Expeditionary Sustainment Command. "The unique and diverse background makes us richer." Serving on the Korean Peninsula makes this celebration uniquely special, several service members said. The audience shared not only in Polynesian and Samoan traditions, presented by soldiers, but also Korean culture displayed by local residents. It is important to understand different cultures because U.S. military members represent nearly every nationality. "This was a very special experience, being able to share our culture with U.S. soldiers," said Park Jun-Sang, one of the Korean performers. "Our group is already making plans for next year’s observance. We would like to teach soldiers and invite them perform with us." After the cultural demonstrations were complete, guests were invited to sample several culinary dishes originating from the Pacific and Asian regions. The most visually striking item on display at the main table was a whole kalua pig for everyone to sample. Kalua is a traditional Hawaiian cooking method that utilizes an imu, a type of underground oven.

    A retired U.S. Army colonel and Cedar Rapids native has been named the new Iowa Veterans Home's chief operating officer.

    President Trump yesterday lost another nominee he had put forward to be his Army secretary after U.S. Sen. Mark Green, of Tennessee, withdrew his name from consideration.

    The Fort Belvoir, Va., MWR website is currently under maintenance. The website was upgraded this week.

    American and Chadian troops have kicked off Medical Training Exercise 17-3. The exercise includes participants from the Chadian government, U.S. Army Africa, and the 3rd Medical Command's Deployment Support unit from Forest Park, Illinois.

    The Army is marking ten years of the Warrior Transition Brigade. Since 2007, the Army's Warrior Transition Brigade has assisted thousands of injured solders at Walter Reed National Medical Center, Md.

    Perhaps few organizations face a more difficult challenge than the U.S. Army. Imagine having to recruit more than 60,000 people a year, every year.

    Two third-generation Kontio pneumatic launchers have been delivered to the U.S. Army Targets Management Division.

    The U.S. Army is preparing for the "Battle of Seoul," in South Korea.

    Sgt. Josh Rodgers, 22, was one of two U.S. Army Rangers killed last week fighting in Afghanistan. His body was brought back to his hometown yesterday.

    Russia no longer owns the airwaves in Eastern Europe. Two decades after the U.S. Army unilaterally disarmed its electronic warfare apparatus there, a new electronic warfare kits has come to the area.

    Nicknamed "The Thundering Herd Battalion," Marshall University has participated in the Army's Reserve Officer Training Corps program since 1951, and it's just commissioned seven of its students as officers in the U.S. Army.

    U.S. Army Reserve soldiers, the Florida Army National Guard, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue and several local law enforcement agencies have participated in a joint exercise in Miami, which included the testing of a new radiation-protective hazmat suit.

    The Wisconsin Army National Guard has participated in exercise "Cyber Shield," a National Guard exercise in cooperation with the U.S. Army Reserve designed to conduct defensive cyber operations and training. This year, the Army National Guard ran the exercise at Camp Williams, Utah.

    The Pennsylvania Army National Guard has held its annual “Guard Day at the Capital."

    And an El Paso, Texas-based roofing company has reached a settlement with the U.S. Justice Department on allegations that the company violated the job rights of an Army National Guard member.

 

U.S. Air Force

    At Scott AFB, Illinois, Algerian triplets have all joined the U.S. Air Force.

    U.S. Air Force Academy cadets have participated in a UAS competition at Camp Roberts, Calif.

    Airmen of the Qatari air force are honing their logistics and safety skills under the tutelage of the U.S. Air Force.

    The first group of airmen has completed their RPA training at Beale AFB, Calif.

    The Air Force has dropped its first GPS bomb, a GBU-38 JDAM, from a Reaper unmanned aerial vehicle at Creech AFB, Nev.

    The U.S. Air Force has given the go-ahead to change its annual "Angel Thunder" combat search-and-rescue exercise, based at Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz.

    A joint team comprised of U.S. Air Force missileers and U.S. Navy E-6B Mercury aircrews ave successfully launched an unarmed Minuteman III rocket.

    U.S. Air Force Col. Theresa Prince has been pinned with her first star by retired Brig. Gen. Jim Chow and her husband, Ken, at McEntire Joint National Guard Base, S.C.

    U.S. Air Force dental airmen are giving the citizens of Morocco healthy smiles.

    American Ninja Warriors star Barclay Stockett used an M4 carbine along with other military equipment on April 21st, during a tour of  Patrick Air Force Base, Fla.

    It's being called the largest deployment of North Dakota Air National Guard members since the Korean War. About 150 members of the Air Guard have deployed to Southwest Asia.

    Whether he is barrel-rolling 1,000 feet above the horizon or slowly cruising at 120 knots, 150 feet above a pine forest, Air Force Lt. Col. Ryan Scofield knows there is no place he would rather be than in the air. Scofield, an instructor pilot for the Wyoming Air National Guard’s 187th Airlift Squadron, based in Cheyenne, piloted his first aircraft, a Cessna 152, at age 17 and was hooked. "I was doing something I thought I could never do," he said. "There were no pilots in my family, and I thought it was an elusive opportunity reserved for people with aviation backgrounds or lots of money, neither of which my family had." More than 29 years later, "Sco," as his fellow aviators refer to him, is still as in love with flying as he was at 17. He’s seen much of the world through the windshield of a C-130 Hercules, an aircraft he’s been flying for 19 years in the military. A traditional Air National Guard officer, he pilots an Airbus 320 for a commercial airline carrier, or performs aerobatic feats in his RV8 with the Rocky Mountain Formation Flyers when not on military orders. Scofield’s aerobatic experience gives him a unique perspective on flying Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System missions. "Flying MAFFS in really tight formation requires a very active and constant appreciation for precise flying," said Scofield, who hails from Greeley, Colo. "You’re flying 3 feet away from another airplane," he added, "so you're really focused and constantly making control inputs to maintain formation position." This year marks Scofield’s 14th year flying MAFFS missions, one of the most demanding non-combat missions a pilot can fly. "In combat, you might have a couple risk factors in any given mission - in MAFFS, you have no less than half a dozen high-risk factors in any sortie," he said, ticking off factors like: low-level flying, slow airspeeds, formation flying, mountainous terrain, low visibility, and additional aerial traffic. Even as a pilot with 7,800 flying hours, 800 of them in combat, Scofield said MAFFS operations isn't something everyone can do, nor should they. MAFFS aircrew only train after obtaining a well-rounded and extensive flying background. Considerations include aptitude, flying hours and quantifiable leadership skills. "Every pilot training for MAFFS will fly in the right seat as a co-pilot for a minimum of two years, even if they are highly seasoned, mostly because the mission is highly demanding and requires extensive experience with crew resource management, communications and risk," Scofield said. Air Force Lt. Col. Alan Brown, a fellow 187th Airlift Squadron member and a long-time MAFFS pilot, said Scofield’s ability to retain and apply information is what makes him an exceptional addition to the team. "Whether it's systems, regulations, procedures or techniques, Sco is one of our go-to guys in the aerial fire-fighting community. Couple that with his C-130 experience and his stick-and-rudder skills, and you have one of Wyoming's best MAFFS instructors," Brown said. MAFFS is a joint Department of Defense and U.S. Forest Service program designed to provide additional aerial firefighting resources when commercial and private air tankers are no longer able to meet the needs of the Forest Service. The program was established by Congress in the 1970s. Four military units fly the mission; Scofield’s home unit, the Wyoming Air National Guard’s 153rd Airlift Wing; the Nevada Air National Guard’s 152nd Airlift Wing in Reno; the California Air National Guard’s 146th Airlift Wing in Port Hueneme; and the U.S. Air Force Reserve’s 302nd Airlift Wing, in Colorado Springs, Colo. MAFFS is a self-contained aerial firefighting system owned by the U.S. Forest Service that can discharge 3,000 gallons of water or fire retardant in less than five seconds, covering an area one-quarter of a mile long by 100-feet wide. Once the load is discharged, it can be refilled in less than 12 minutes.

    An open house is being held celebrating the 50th anniversary of the 190th Air Refueling Wing at Forbes Field, Kansas, and the 60th anniversary of the Kansas Air National Guard.

    In a message dated April 21st to Civil Air Patrol Kentucky Wing members, the wing commander wrote: "I am writing you all to bring focus on a very important matter. The status of our vehicle reporting and record keeping practices is far below par. KYWG suffers as a whole from this. Without justification and a track record of stewardship, we cannot be considered to replace our fleet of aging vehicles. There has been a significant amount of new vans, SUVs and trucks that have come into the region inventory, however, KYWG has not gained from it. This can only be attributed to our poor record keeping and simply not requesting vehicles because of the same. The remedy for this is a simple one. We will bring our record keeping into compliance.  will be consistent with our record keeping, and we will be in a position to gain new resources as a wing. to give the wing a fresh slate, every unit and vehicle custodian has now been granted amnesty for previous actions in the area of reporting and record keeping. However that has a cost. All vehicles will be brought current to having 12 months of reporting entered into ORMS by 2400 hrs April 30, 2017. This means both electronic entry and completed and correct upload of the CAPF 73 (both sides) will be completed for all months between April 2016-April 2017. This gives everyone one month to complete this, and you should have plenty of time to comply with this directive. I am aware of scanning challenges in regards to uploads. Many people have smart phones that can download apps that will convert photos to PDF documents. I encourage you to download such an app to make this requirement easier. e I will be using is called Tiny Scanner. But feel free to download the app of your choice. Just know that the upload must be a PDF format, you can not just upload a picture. For those that chose [sic] in complying will have their vehicle taken away, NO EXCEPTIONS. I know first hand how valuable a resource that a CAP vehicle can be to a unit or wing staff member. It would pain me greatly to be forced to remove a resource, but will do so if compliance is not completed. Looking down the road we will instituting [sic] a few things that will help the member in the field, and our processes to assign vehicles. 1) Vehicle Fleet Cards. This has already been approved by the finance committed [sic] some time ago, and it is my aim to push this out to the field. These are not the Shell cards that can only be used for A missions, but ones for using the vehicles to take a field trip, or local fuel needs so the member will not have to pay out of pocket. With convenience comes responsibilities. Record keeping and procedures will be adhered to or the loss of privileges will result. 2) Competitive vehicle applications. We will institute a procedure for units and staff to apply yearly for their vehicle. Simple idea is that this will help in justifications for vehicles and identify those who do not utilize them well. This will take place in August of each year for reassignments to take place in October. 3) Commander's Roll By Inspection. This will be a required appearance of all vehicles for inspection of the wing transportation officer, and will be the time when vehicles are reassigned. 4) Binder updates and standardization. We are developing a standardized set of vehicle binder tabs to insert into the vehicle binders. These will standardize the record keeping for our fleet. I hope that you can see how important this matter is to me as your commander. It is my most sincere hope that we give this the utmost attention. If you have questions or comments please utilize your chain of command. Col. Darrel Williamson, CAP, Kentucky Wing Commander"    

    And three cadets from the Jamestown Composite Squadron of the Civil Air Patrol have placed second in the 2017 New York Wing Conference Aerospace Competition.

 

Today in history

    On this date in 1682, King Louis XIV moved the French court to Versailles. In 1782, construction began on the Grand Palace in Bangkok, the residence of the King of Siam. In 1889, the Eiffel Tower officially opened to the public at the Universal Exposition in Paris. In 1954, medical student Roger Bannister, then-25, ran a mile in under 4 minutes. In 1957, the American television show "I Love Lucy" aired for the last time on CBS after running for 6 years. In 1983, The Hitler Diaries were revealed as a hoax when experts examined the books and concluded that they were fake. In 1997, The Bank of England became independent from political control. In 2001, during a trip to Syria, Pope John Paul II became the first pope to enter a mosque. In 2004, the final episode of Friends aired on NBC.

 

The parting shots

    Federal investigators are taking a deeper look into various alleged sexual harassment cases at Fox News.

    Country music legend Loretta Lynn suffered a stroke at her Tennessee home on Thursday night and was hospitalized, according to a post on her official website. Maria Malta, a publicist for Lynn, confirmed yesterday that the 85-year-old singer and songwriter was admitted into a Nashville hospital after suffering the stroke at her home in Hurricane Mills. According to the Friday afternoon post, Lynn is currently under medical care and is responsive and expected to make a full recovery. Upcoming events on her tour schedule will be postponed and more information on those dates will be posted on Lynn's website (LorettaLynn.com) in the coming days.

    Prosecutors in central Pennsylvania are about to announce results of a grand jury investigation into the death of a Penn State student who fell down steps during an alcohol-fueled pledge ceremony.

    2016 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton is reportedly building a political group that will fund the opposition to President Trump - talk about a sore loser!

    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) yesterday denied the validity of a memo circulating on social media that claims that Fox News will be the only news channel allowed on televisions for one of the agency's units.

    At the Multidisciplinary Science Building at the University of Kentucky, officials said, two students tried to steal an exam from an instructor's office.

    Yesterday, Today show co-hosts Matt Lauer and Savannah Guthrie made it clear to viewers that they were ready for more Kennedys in Washington.

    A preschool teacher at an Ohio Head Start program was fired this week after she was photographed dragging a young child down a hallway by the arm.

    And actor and TV Host Tom Bergeron is 62-years-old today, and actor George Clooney is 56.

 

 

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