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IN THE NEWS

Lieutenant General Richard W. Scobee, Chief of the Air Force Reserve and Commander of the Air Force Reserve Command, was inducted into the Air Force Order of the Sword at Washington, D.C., July 12, 2022.

The Order of the Sword is the highest honor and tribute noncommissioned officers can bestow upon an individual.

Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Reserve Timothy A. White led the ceremony as Chief Master Sergeant of the Mess.

"I can speak from the heart about this man all day," said White. “There wasn’t one day that I came into work, that I did not know that this man to my right [Scobee] didn’t have my back. I am completely honored and privileged to have been his wingman for the past three and half years. I can tell you, that all the things we went through, I couldn’t imagine having a better leader in the seat, to lead this command.”

The ceremony included a presentation of the Order of the Sword proclamation, a ceremonial scroll signed by the attendees attesting to Scobee’s service and leadership, and the bestowal of a personal sword.

During the ceremony, Scobee expressed his gratitude to the Airmen for inducting him into the order.

Contracts For July 15, 2022

Honeywell International Inc., Tempe, Arizona, has been awarded a $7,520,030 firm-fixed-price modification (P00019) to the previously awarded contract (FA8109-19-D-0001).  This is an enterprise level strategic contract for highly specialized repair, overhaul, and engineering services for line replacement units, shop replaceable units, test equipment and individual components. This effort includes requirements from Robins Air Force Base, Georgia; Hill AFB, Utah; and Tinker AFB, Oklahoma. Work will be performed in various U.S. locations, and is expected to be completed by July 18, 2025. Strategic Contracting, Tinker AFB, Oklahoma, is the contracting activity (FA8109-19-D-0001).

Robins Air Force Base Opens New MQ-9 Reaper Facility

Joseph Mather

Friday, July 15th, 2022

The Warner Robins Air Logistics Complex held a ribbon cutting ceremony for a new MQ-9 Reaper aircraft electronics repair facility at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, July 12, 2022.

The ribbon cutting ceremony is part of the collective depot activation efforts for the MQ-9 Reaper Public Private Partnership efforts to the 402nd Electronics Maintenance Group and 402nd Software Engineering Group with the WR-ALC, and L3Harris Technologies.

Chris Barkley, 402nd EMXG director, said this is part of an ongoing partnership to provide depot level support.

“This repair facility will give specialized electronics and avionics support for the MQ-9 Reaper,” he said. “We expect to have continued success with this and other EMXG work coming to the facility.”

The Reaper is employed primarily as an intelligence-collection asset and secondarily against dynamic execution targets. The aircraft is capable of remaining in the air for a long periods of time, and has a wide-range of sensors, multi-mode communications suite, and precision weapons, it provides a unique capability to perform strike, coordination and reconnaissance against high-value, fleeting and time-sensitive targets.

Middle Georgia could become regional tech hub with new Senate Bill

“Having that equipment here means that students would be able to follow the entire research from start to finish.”

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT)—If you’re thinking of going to college for a STEM career, your first choice is probably not a school in Middle Georgia. A bill in the U.S. Senate could potentially change that, because it would double National Science Funding for schools.

Middle Georgia State University Department Chair for Natural Sciences, Dr. Dawn Sherry, says if the bill passes they hope to get access to the funding to buy more high tech equipment. 

“We may get them to a certain point and then they have to send off their samples to a lab to be analyzed,” Dr. Sherry explained. “Having that equipment here means that students would be able to follow the entire research from start to finish.”

The bill also includes a study from two MIT professors who have identified more than 100 U.S. cities that have the potential to become regional tech hubs. One of the cities is Warner Robins. Senator Raphael Warnock says he’s working to make that a reality.

“It just corroborates what we already know with the Warner Robins Air Force Base there,” Senator Warnock said. “The incredible talent that’s in Middle Georgia, they (Warner Robins) would be well positioned for this.”

Senator Warnock says Middle Georgians shouldn’t have to move away to places like Silicon Valley or New York to work in STEM or tech careers.

“Getting this bill done will help with the kind of investment and resources that are necessary to keep our talent in Georgia,” said Senator Warnock.

Enlisting in the Air Force could land you almost $60,000 in bonus pay

With just over two months left to hit its recruiting goals, the Air Force is dangling hefty enlistment bonuses for anyone who wants to fill a growing list of in-demand jobs.

The service on Monday added several more career fields that come with signing bonuses for those who enlist for four or six years by Sept. 30, bringing the total to 22 specialties. Those new options largely focus on computer systems and aircraft maintenance-related fields.

Help Available for Airmen, Guardians to Mitigate Inflation Impacts

Tech. Sgt. Armando Schwier-Morales

Tuesday, July 12th, 2022

Assistance to reduce the impact of inflated costs on Airmen, Guardians and their families is available through four areas of effort.

Aiming to ease the burden of price hikes, the Department of the Air Force is assessing and enacting support across compensation, entitlements for permanent change of station/household goods moves, personal finance readiness and food insecurity aid.

“Our Airmen, Guardians and their loved ones fulfill critical national security roles on behalf of the nation,” said Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall. “Financial strain due to inflation can create stresses on our teammates, and it is our responsibility as leaders at all levels to do everything we can to use available programs and resources to provide relief, and where appropriate, advocate for additional measures.”

“Real-world events continue to drive up inflation — from the ongoing effects of COVID-19 on our global supply chains, to the economic and energy-related consequences of Russia’s brutal and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. Unfortunately, the rising costs due to inflation have placed an increased burden on our service members and their families," said Under Secretary of the Air Force Gina Ortiz Jones. “As we work to implement measures to mitigate those impacts, I encourage all Airmen and Guardians to look at the resources and programs available and see which ones can best help, as well as inform their chains of command who are there to help during times such as this."

A large effort is being made by Airman & Family Readiness Centers to ensure Airmen and Guardians are not only educated but ready to meet current economic conditions. Airmen and Guardians can contact their local finance or A&FRC for more information. For a detailed breakdown of each area of effort, see below.

Pentagon’s secret JADC2 plan ‘evolving,’ official says, as lawmakers seek audit

MCLEAN, Va.— The Pentagon’s implementation plan for its military communications and data-sharing overhaul is a “living document” that will be amended as advances are made and the spectrum of threats worldwide changes, according to an acquisitions official.

The classified plan for Joint All-Domain Command and Control, signed by Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks in March, will be updated as needed to reflect successes and failures, said Arsenio “Bong” Gumahad, director of the command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance division in the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment.

“The document will evolve, it’s a living document,” Gumahad said July 11 at the National Defense Industrial Association JADC2: All-Domain Warfare Symposium.

“Over its lifetime,” he added, “it will be updated to include lessons we’ve learned from both our developmental efforts as well as from those of our adversaries” and more.

The comments come after the House Armed Services cyber and innovative technologies subcommittee requested a review of JADC2 and inventories of related efforts, goals and potential shortfalls. The oversight will inform future support and is not meant to be punitive, panel staff said last month.

In celebration of the 10th anniversary of the Air Force Sustainment Center in July 2022, Lt. Gen. Tom Miller, AFSC commander, recognizes the hard work of the 40,000+ personnel who provide sustainment and logistics readiness to deliver combat power to America.

Wilma Vaught, Who Shattered USAF Glass Ceilings, Honored With Medal of Freedom

President Joe Biden awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom to retired Air Force Brig. Gen. Wilma Vaught at a July 7 White House ceremony. Vaught is only the eighth distinguished Airman to earn the honor.

Over the course of a 28-year Air Force career, Vaught, 92, was “the first woman to hold every job she ever had,” her medal citation states. Over a 28-year career, she became the first woman to deploy with an Air Force bomber unit, serving in Vietnam, and was among the first women to break into the general officer ranks, retiring as a brigadier general in the Air Force.

After retiring, Vaught spearheaded the creation of the first national memorial honoring the more than 3 million women who served in the U.S. military. The Military Women’s Memorial is the result of that work, located at the gateway to Arlington National Cemetery, where it features a portrait of Vaught as a tribute to her determination to recognize women veterans.

AT&T, 26 other companies join Air Force’s $950 million JADC2 effort

WASHINGTON — More than two dozen companies including a division of AT&T Inc. are entering the competition to make real the Pentagon’s vision of seamless communications as part of a deal worth up to $950 million.

The U.S. Air Force on July 1 selected an additional 27 vendors, both large and small, to compete for work tied to Joint All-Domain Command and Control, or JADC2, which aims to better connect sensors and shooters and enable rapid responses on the battlefield.

C4ISRNET in November 2020 reported the Air Force made similar awards to 93 total companies.

While the Department of Defense on Friday did not specify what the contractors would produce, a related contract announcement said they would be tasked with the “maturation, demonstration and proliferation of capability across platforms and domains, leveraging open systems design, modern software and algorithm development.”

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