Category: Air Force

My son graduated basic at Lackland in six weeks back in 2001. According to Stars & Stripes, the Air Force extended Basic Training to seven and a half weeks during the war against terror, and now they’ve extended it another five days to train recruits on “character development to raise awareness about sexual misconduct”;

“Capstone,” as it’s called, will emphasize core values and skills the Air Force believes airmen will need in their personal lives and careers. It is part of a makeover in basic training prompted by a scandal at Lackland that sparked an Air Force investigation and congressional hearings.

“I think it is truly revolutionary, what we’re doing,” said Col. Michele Edmondson, commander of the 737th Training Group at Lackland, the home of Air Force basic training. “It’s a totally different form of learning for these airmen, it is an investment in their future as airmen.”

That’s all well and good, but how are they going to train their field grade and flag officers? Those are the folks that we read about in the news who have a problem with sexual misconduct.

Thanks to Chock Block for the link.

There’s a story at the Luke Air Force Base website about Capt. Aaron Cavazos, an A-10 pilot who did what the pilots of more advanced aircraft couldn’t do in Afghanistan back in 2008;

A Marine had been shot twice in the arm, another in the helmet and the Marine Special Operations Team had three of their weapons damaged by fire. They were outnumbered 11 to one and in desperate need of air support.

The enemy began overwhelming them with rocket-propelled grenades, heavy machine guns and small-arms fire. The last building they found cover in had been struck by more than 20 rocket-propelled grenades causing the walls to crumble forcing the team into their last few defensible rooms. For more than two hours the team repelled three attempts by the enemy to breach their cover. They were approaching a hand-to-hand combat situation.

Two sections of F-18 Super Hornet fighter jets responded to the Marines’ request for close-air support but couldn’t help them because they would not fly below the clouds covering the mountains below.

Shortly after, the Marines received word that two A-10 Warthogs, one flown by 1st Lt. Aaron Cavazos, penetrated the cloud cover and found a way into the tight valley. While the A-10s diverted surface fire to themselves by using overt lighting, they were able to identify friendly and enemy positions allowing the Marines time to develop a plan.

[…]

Because of the heroic actions of then 1st Lt., now Capt. Aaron Cavazos, 61st Fighter Squadron weapons officer, the lives of those six Marines were saved, earning him the Distinguished Flying Cross with Valor, which he received on Jan. 16 in Club Five Six at Luke Air Force Base.

I sure hope he doesn’t tell Congress how the A-10 was the only aircraft that could have accomplished that particular mission and saved those six Marines’ lives. He could be branded a traitor. Brrrrt on, sir.

According to the Arizona Daily Independent, Major General James Post, Vice Commander of Air Combat Command, told junior officers that “if anyone accuses me of saying this, I will deny it . . . anyone who is passing information to Congress about A-10 capabilities is committing treason.”

So, I guess it’s treason to defend a weapon system that saves US lives on the battlefield. In defense of the General, the local PAO wrote to the ADI;

“The general’s use of hyperbole in his comments during a recent discussion with attendees at a Tactics Review Board at Nellis were intended to communicate a serious point: the Air Force decision on recommended actions/strategic choices for the constrained fiscal environment has been made and the service’s position communicated.”

Yeah, well, whatever. I guess every US infantryman who describes the warm and fuzzy feeling he gets when he sees the A-10 floating above his battle space is a traitor, well, in the hyperbolic sense. No one should tell Congress that Iraqis during the Gulf War called it the “cross of death” because of it’s unique shape and the fear the mere sight of it causes in our enemies. That’s a combat multiplier right there.

Of course, the Air Force isn’t in the business of fighting wars, I suppose. The Swiss Army knife of the aviation community, the F-35, is supposed to replace the A-10 in it’s close air support role, but, according to Investors Business Daily, the F-35 won’t be able to fire it’s 25mm cannon until 2019, even though it’s going into service this year with the Marine Corps. If the Air Force gets it’s way this year, troops will have no close air support for four more years.

I’m sure that’s all good news for the Islamic State which is dealing with the “cross of death” currently.

AW1Ed sends us a link to af.mil which tells the story of Master Sergeant Ivan Ruiz who was awarded the Air Force Cross for his actions on December 10, 2013 in Afghanistan while he was assigned as a PJ to the 22d Expeditionary Special Tactics Squadron;

While moving through several compounds after infiltrating enemy territory with his special operations forces counterparts, Ruiz and two U.S. Army Special Forces teammates became separated from the main friendly element. They were immediately confronted by four insurgents in a point-blank engagement. Ruiz and his teammates quickly killed the enemy, but suddenly became trapped in a courtyard by vicious and intense insurgent crossfire.

“I didn’t really think, I reacted,” Ruiz said. “Anytime something bad happens in my career, I just fall back on my training. It prepares us for what we can encounter when we are doing our work.”

The two Soldiers were immediately wounded by the enemy’s barrage of heavy gunfire and grenades, rendering them immobile and exposed. According to the medal citation, Ruiz sprinted through the waves of gunfire with complete disregard for his own personal safety to defend his teammates in their exposed position.

Ruiz was forced to fight lying flat on the ground due to grenades exploding around him, some only 15 feet from his position. He continued to return fire at multiple enemy locations to prevent enemy fighters from maneuvering toward his teammates.

“I just wanted to make sure my guys didn’t get hurt any more than they already were,” Ruiz said. “I just wanted to do my job.”

Refusing to take cover or leave his wounded teammates exposed to potentially fatal shots, Ruiz continued to fight the enemy alone in the courtyard until reinforcements arrived. Once they did, he advanced again through a hail of gunfire, dragged his teammates to a nearby position of concealment and immediately administered life-saving trauma care. Due to the lack of light, Ruiz had to use night vision goggles to administer the care.

The Daily Beast reports that the greatest complainers of the military services, the Air Force, says that this new drone thing is at it’s “breaking point” – not that there aren’t enough craft, but the personnel aspect of flying drones will suffer;

“ACC believes we are about to see a perfect storm of increased COCOM [Combatant Commander] demand, accession reductions, and outflow increases that will damage the readiness and combat capability of the MQ-1/9 enterprise for years to come,” reads an internal Air Force memo from ACC commander Gen. Herbert “Hawk” Carlisle, addressed to Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Welsh. “I am extremely concerned.”

“ACC will continue to non-concur to increased tasking beyond our FY15 [fiscal year 2015] force offering and respectfully requests your support in ensuring the combat viability of the MQ-1/9 platform,” Carlisle added.

In other words, the Air Force is saying that its drone force has been stretched to its limits.

I thought the drone force was cost effective because, you know, the pilots don’t get captured or shot out of the sky. The aircraft is less expensive to maintain and operate the battlefield than other aircraft, but apparently there aren’t enough drone medals available to make the career field attractive.

It seems to me that manpower issues can be overcome with a simple schedule change, but I guess this shows what I know.

PapaMAS sends us a link to af.mil which reports about the flash mob that the Air Force perpetrated on visitors to the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. It was actually really good;

But, you know, I’m a cynic and I couldn’t help but think how much money is being spent on that huge band that could be spent on other more important things. The Pentagon slashes personnel, training and equipment while they cling to public relations monstrosities like the Air Force Band.

But, seriously folks, good job. I’m just an old curmudgeon firmly rooted in reality.