This ain't Hell, but you can see it from here

Category: Air Force

  • AF considers “stop-loss” for pilots

    Roll Call reports that times are tough for the Air Force – they’re having trouble meeting their responsibilities in the war against ISIS because of their pilots heading for the exits. Gen. Carlton Everhart, chief of the Air Mobility Command told Roll Call that there is a meeting scheduled for next month between the Air Force and airline executives;

    The goal of the meeting will be to find ways to solve the exodus of Air Force pilots to the industry in a way that is mutually acceptable for the U.S. military and the airlines — without the Air Force having to resort to “stop-loss,” a means of forcing Air Force personnel to stay in the service beyond the period of their commitment.

    Everhart said he has already told airline executives that stop-loss is an option. “I said to the industry … if we can’t meet the requirements, the chief could drop in a stop-loss — and you need to understand that,” he said.

    The shortages, especially in fighter pilots, are beginning to hurt the Air Force’s fight against the Islamic State, or ISIS, Everhart said.

    “If I don’t have pilots to fly, the enemy has a vote, and if I can’t put warheads on foreheads, then [ISIS] is winning,” he said.

    There is talk of boosting the bonus pilots receive for staying in their blue uniforms, but the bonuses haven’t stopped the Air Force from coming up short 1550 pilots of whom 950 are fighter pilots. They’re also short 3400 maintenance folks.

  • Air Force Tech. Sgt. Brian Claughsey earns a Silver Star

    Air Force Tech. Sgt. Brian Claughsey earns a Silver Star

    Devtun sends us a link at Military.com about Air Force Tech. Sergeant Brian Claughsey and his Silver Star that he was awarded yesterday at Pope Field, North Carolina for his actions in Kunduz, Afghanistan on September 28, 2015.

    For four days, with no sleep and under constant fire from Taliban guns or mortars, Claughsey directed U.S. airstrikes during the battle.

    It’s a pretty long story and I don’t want to seal the work of the folks at Military.com so you should click over and read about the Tech Sergeant’s valor. This is from the Air Force Times;

    Lt. Col. Stewart Parker, the 21st Special Tactics Squadron commander, said he has enjoyed his time working with Claughsey.

    “You’d never know if you met him on the street the kind of hero he is because he just doesn’t wear it on his sleeve,” Parker said.

    Claughsey said receiving the Silver Star is “really humbling” and shows him that the other combat controllers and Special Forces team members had confidence in him.

    “It’s humbling to be a part of such a large team and such a joint force that did a really incredible job of getting the city back to the Afghan people, who deserved to have their city,” he said.

    Claughsey has also been selected to attend officer training and he’s on his way to become a second lieutenant.

  • F-16 crashes near Joint Base Andrews

    F-16 crashes near Joint Base Andrews

    WTOP reports that an F-16 has crashed in southern Maryland near Joint Base Andrews;

    [Prince George’s County Fire & EMS spokesman Mark] Brady said one pilot parachuted out. The pilot was located nearby but not in the immediate area of the crash, Brady said. The pilot was picked up by a military helicopter and taken to an area hospital. His condition is unknown.

    Prince George’s County officials are standing by in the immediate area of the crash, according to Brady. They have not directly approached the aircraft.

    From WTTG Fox5;

    The U.S. Air Force reported that the pilot is a member of the D.C. Air National Guard 113th Fighter Wing and was able to safely eject from the F-16 before the crash happened about 6 miles from National Harbor. No one else was believed to be on the plane.

    Thanks to Chip for the link.

  • Command Chief Master Sgt. Jose A. Barraza charged

    Command Chief Master Sgt. Jose A. Barraza charged

    Bobo sent us a link to the Stars & Stripes in regards to Command Chief Master Sgt. Jose A. Barraza who was charged with 15 violations of the Uniform Code of Military Justice;

    The Air Force would not specify what generated the charges but said they were tied to Barraza’s time as the top noncommissioned officer at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona. The base is home to the Boneyard, where preserved and retired aircraft are stored, and a sizable fleet of active A-10 aircraft.

    By all accounts, Barraza was a model airman, rising from the mean streets of LA an gang roots to a top NCO in the Air Force.

    According to John Q. Public;

    AFSOUTH Commander Lt. Gen. Mark Kelly removed Chief Master Sgt. Jose Barraza Nov. 23 due to a “loss of confidence in his ability to carry out his duties,” AFSOUTH reported in November.

    According to the release dated March 30, the 355th Fighter Wing commander preferred charges against Barraza. The charges are the result of an ongoing investigation conducted by the Air Force Office of Special Investigations.

    Barraza is charged with one specification for willfully disobeying an order, seven specifications for dereliction of duty, two specifications for making false official statements and five specifications for obstruction of justice in violation of UCMJ Articles 90, 92, 107 and 134 respectively. The 355th Fighter Wing Commander, Col. Scott C. Campbell, preferred the specifications.

    A preliminary hearing has not yet been scheduled.

  • USAF Considering a New Fighter Jet Platform

    Image result for photos of F-35A

    Photo: US Air Force

    The US Air Force has released a statement detailing some of its plans to improve its carbon footprint by developing a new fighter jet platform.

    The success of the experimental flight of Solar Impulse HB-SIB in 2016, which circumnavigated the globe in a mere 505 days at 45 MPH, was a heartening display of technological flight superiority.  This has been the inspiration for the prospective design change from the AVGAS-burning fighter jet to a solar-powered fighter jet.

    Fast-tracking the development of climate-friendly, clean aviation technology has been listed as one of the Air Force’s primary goals for the current century. Considering that the weight of a jet engine is directly related to a plane’s ability to climb, turn and maneuver, the thrust-to-weight factor when fully fueled and loaded, as well as the expense of AVGAS (kerosene) and maintenance of the engines and hydraulics, were all taken into consideration when discussing the development of this platform.

    Speed was included as part of that discussion. A lighter fighter powered by solar cells will not be dragged down by the weight of jet engines and their fuel requirements, allowing for a greater load of munitions such as rockets and bombs. The lack of doors on air intakes will likely contribute to fewer incidents of fuel-starvation for the engines and subsequent loss of the equipment.

    “It’s merely a matter of time before we get a fully-loaded, fully-functioning solar-powered fighter at MACH 3 flight speed,” said CAPT Robin Whitney. “The lowest thrust-to-weight ratio we’ve been able to get was 0.84 with the F35A. We’d like to drop that considerably by using a non-carbon powered flight platform. The weight of the airframe alone is exponentially lighter without the engines. This will provide the US Air Force with enormous savings in fuel costs, maintenance, and mechanical expenses, as well as giving us the extra room we need for long distance bombing runs. Our mission is, as always, efficiency, economy of style, and a forward-looking, environmentally-friendly program.”

    He added that between now and 2019, the development of solar-powered engines for the fighter plane platform should be right on schedule for a PR appearance at the EAA’s Fly-in at Oshkosh, WI.

  • Air Force Staff Sergeant Austin Bieren passes

    The Department of Defense reports the non-combat death of yet another Air Force airman;

    Staff Sgt. Austin Bieren, 25, of Umatilla, Oregon, died March 28 in northern Syria in a non-combat-related incident while deployed in support of combat operations.

    He was assigned to the 21st Space Wing at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado.

    According to his Facebook page, Bieren was a “Tactical Response Force Assaulter” and a “Security Manager” at Peterson AFB with more than six years of service in the Air Force. He was married, apparently.

  • Linley Lemburg; Air Force deserter arrested

    Brown Neck Gaiter sends us a link to the story of 75-year-old Linley Lemburg, who his neighbors knew as 65-year-old William Robertson. Lemburg has been a deserter from the Air Force since 1972 until local law enforcement rolled up on his Ocala, Florida home the other day, according to News 96.5;

    The Sheriff’s Office was contacted by the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, which asked investigators to help track down Lemburg.

    He was found living with his wife in the 7800 block of SW 5th Place in Ocala Tuesday morning, deputies said.

    He was taken to the MCSO Evidence Division where his fingerprints were compared to Air Force records from his 1960 enlistment.

    According to the Marion County Sheriff’s Department, he’s been transported to MacDill AFB. Fox35 reports that even his wife wasn’t aware of his deceit. I’m guessing that he did something really bad before he deserted, otherwise the Air Force wouldn’t be looking for him 45 years later. Or maybe they would, what do I know?

  • Master Sergeant Kristopher Parker’s Silver Star

    Master Sergeant Kristopher Parker’s Silver Star

    AverageNCO tipped us to the story of now-retired Air Force Master Sergeant Kristopher Parker and the events of May 21, 2014 in the mountains of Kandahar Providence in Afghanistan that earned him a Silver Star Medal. From the Abilene Reporter News;

    On May 21, 2014, during an air assault mission in Afghanistan, Parker and his team approached a cave expected to be filled with improvised explosives, ammunition and supplies. A nine-hour gunfight with enemy insurgents erupted.

    During that fight, the group’s lieutenant was severely wounded, and Parker “just took the lead,” Rand said.

    “He just led his way out, and he saved his men’s lives, and he saved the lives of soldiers and airmen,” he said.

    Parker immediately returned fire, holding insurgents in the cave opening. His team came under attack by small arms fire, rocket-propelled grenades and hand-thrown improvised explosive devices

    He directed suppressive fire and led the evacuation of the injured lieutenant, braving enemy direct fire while sweeping the engagement area for explosive devices, pulling troops to cover and aiding in timely evacuation of wounded personnel.

    Parker engaged the enemy continually, suppressing and drawing fire upon himself while marking additional cache sites for avoidance by ground forces and later destruction by air strike.

    Two other members of Parker’s team were submitted for Bronze Stars with Valor for their actions that day, according to Hill AFB’s website;

    Senior Airman TJ Brantley and (then) Senior Airman Kyle Bushey…Bushey’s bravery and heroism selflessly put the lives of fellow Soldiers and Airmen before his own and directly enabled the trapped platoon to break contact and evacuate the wounded.

    Throughout the grueling 10-hour mission, despite dehydration and a traumatic brain injury, Brantley stayed in the fight providing cover fire and exposing his body to protect the wounded. He was awarded the Air Force Combat Action Medal and the Purple Heart Medal.