Air Force Magazine
Daily Report for April 6, 2020

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Edited by Amy McCullough with Rachel S. Cohen, Brian W. Everstine, Tobias Naegele, Jennifer-Leigh Oprihory and John A. Tirpak

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Space Force Preps New Acquisition Ideas
By Rachel S. Cohen

The Space Force is wrapping up its report on how to build a successful new
military space acquisition enterprise, posing 10 recommendations to Capitol Hill
while starting to move out on pieces of the plan. Air Force Secretary Barbara
Barrett was expected to sign the document by April 3. It then heads to senior
Pentagon officials for coordination before the Defense Department submits it to
lawmakers. It was due to the Hill on March 31. Six of the 10 recommendations
would require legislative changes, according to Shawn Barnes, acting assistant
secretary of the Air Force for space acquisition and integration. The report
stops short of suggesting bill text, which could land in the fiscal 2021 defense
policy bill, but highlights policies and approaches that need to change to
streamline how the Pentagon develops, buys, and upgrades space systems.

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1,000 Medical Airmen, Sailors Will Fight COVID-19 in New York
By Jennifer-Leigh Oprihory

Over the next three days, U.S. Northern Command will send 1,000 medical
providers—pulled from both the Air Force and Navy—“to the New York City
area” to back up the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s response to the
COVID-19 pandemic there, according to an April 5 release.

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Empowering Disaster Response and Recovery From Space
When a natural disaster or emergency occur, an immediate and seamless response is necessary to
save lives. Operational and situational awareness becomes increasingly important to responders.
If critical infrastructure is down in the disaster zone, then the systems and networks required for
powering the relief efforts are compromised. Ground operations must look to space to solve their
communication needs. Read the full story.
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USAFA Cadet Wing Commander to Alumni: ‘Stand Behind Us’
By Tobias Naegele

An open letter to Air Force Academy alumni and parents from the Cadet Wing
Commander, Cadet First Class Haeley Deeney, takes critics to task for "negative
or otherwise harmful posts and comments" in the wake of two suspected suicides
at the Colorado Springs campus and the decision last week to move up graduation
to April 18, more than a month early. "In the next two weeks leading up to
graduation, we would like to ask for your trust in our leadership team and trust
that all decisions are made with the safety and well-being of the cadets as a
driving factor," Deeney said. "Now, more than ever, we need support and
thoughtful comments from all parties."

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AMC Prioritizing Bomber, Fighter Alert Support During Coronavirus Outbreak
By Brian W. Everstine

Air Mobility Command will soon stop some missions and cut back others to focus
on what it has deemed essential, as the new coronavirus outbreak changes how the
military operates globally. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Goldfein ordered
all major commands to provide a report detailing what is and is not essential,
so USAF can determine which missions can temporarily be cut to free up resources
and protect Airmen during the pandemic. For mobility, these essential missions
include keeping the refueling tanker fleet ready to support nuclear bombers and
fighters on homeland protection alert, along with continuing necessary global
airlift missions and aeromedical evacuation to help with COVID-19 response, AMC
Deputy Commander Lt. Gen. Jon Thomas said during an April 3 briefing.

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Airmen Use Coronavirus Quarantine to Shift Development Online
By Brian W. Everstine

What started as an idea during a lunch at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., before
the COVID-19 outbreak forced many Airmen to work remotely, has become a group of
more than 11,000 people coming together online to learn and further their
professional development. The Facebook group “AF Quarantine University”
gathers subject matter experts from inside the Air Force, retirees, and others
who provide video lectures on any topic they propose, to help Airmen learn and
develop away from in-person interactions on base. “It’s an example of
something we’re encouraging all of our Airmen to do," said Senior Master Sgt.
Harry Kibbe, spokesman for Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force Kaleth Wright.
"We want them to find ways to stay connected, take care of each other, and use
this time as an opportunity to keep growing as Airmen.”

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COVID-19 Travel Restrictions Delay USAF Promotion Boards
By Jennifer-Leigh Oprihory

The Defense Department's COVID-19-related travel restrictions have prompted the
Air Force to postpone a series of promotion boards, the Air Force Personnel
Center announced April 3. “These prudent adjustments will help protect the
health and safety of our force while maintaining career development
opportunities for our Airmen,” AFPC Commander Maj. Gen. Andrew Toth said in
the release.

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T-7A Ground Training System Passes Critical Design Review
By John A. Tirpak

The ground-based training system supporting Boeing's T-7A Red Hawk trainer has
passed the Critical Design Review milestone, Boeing announced April 3. The
successful CDR follows the same milestone for the aircraft itself, which was
completed last September. The successful review means Boeing can now begin
fabrication of simulators and other hardware for ground training. The company
also said it sees a potential $40 billion market for the T-7 aircraft, training
system, and support.

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Virtual Events This Week
By Jennifer-Leigh Oprihory

Social distancing is in full effect, but it hasn't slowed down thought
leadership in defense. On April 6, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Goldfein
and Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force Kaleth Wright will co-host a Facebook
town hall about the COVID-19 pandemic. And on April 7, Chief of Space Operations
Gen. Jay Raymond will join the Mitchell Institute's new Aersopace Nation
interview series with host retired USAF Lt. Gen. David Deptula. Click the
headline above for more information on these and other events that you can
attend from the comfort of your couch.

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Radar Sweep

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Snapshot: DOD and COVID-19

Here's a look at how the Defense Department is being impacted by and responding
to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Top Enlisted Leader Towberman Officially Joins the U.S. Space Force

He will advise the Space Force’s enlisted corps and will serve as an adviser
to Chief of Space Operations Gen. Jay Raymond and Air Force Secretary Barbara
Barrett.

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C.I.A. Hunts for Authentic Virus Totals in China, Dismissing Government Tallies

Intelligence officials have told the White House for weeks that China has vastly
understated the spread of the coronavirus and the damage the pandemic has done.

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Nothing Prepared Air Force Academy's Top General for Coronavirus Fight

He’s flown bombing missions through Iraqi anti-aircraft fire and planned
America’s air war against the Islamic State group. But nothing prepared Air
Force Academy Superintendent Lt. Gen. Jay Silveria for coronavirus, suicides,
and a struggle to bring online learning and social distancing to what could be
the nation’s most close-knit college campus.

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Pentagon Releases FAQ on New Progress Payments Guidance

Defense Department acquisition officials have released answers to frequently
asked questions about implementing new guidance to increase progress payments to
contractors during the COVID-19 crisis.

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DOD Expands Care to COVID-19 Patients in Three Locations

Military medical support in New York City, New Orleans, and Dallas will expand
to include COVID-19 patients, and the Navy hospital ship in New York Harbor will
begin pier-side screening to reduce the backlog at hospitals, the Pentagon
announced the morning of April 3. The shift comes after commanders of the USNS
hospital ships Mercy and Comfort said they’ve remained mostly vacant since
they arrived in Los Angeles and New York City, respectively.

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Lockheed Adds 1,000 Employees Amid Coronavirus Crisis, Wants to Hire 5,000 More

The defense giant also said it would give bonuses to employees who can’t work
from home.

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More Than 110 VA Sites Now Dealing with Coronavirus Patients, 78 Patient Deaths across System

Here is the latest map of where Veterans Affairs medical center coronavirus
cases and deaths are located across America.

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NGA to Tap Commercial Data on Military Targets

"Basically, if that's where the bulk of the data is, then we will work where the
data exists," David Gauthier, head of NGA's Commercial and Business Operations
Group, said about using commercial imagery analysis.

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Dozens More Military Bases Have Suspected 'Forever Chemical' Contamination

The number of military installations with known contamination or suspected
discharges of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, continues to rise,
according to an environmental advocacy group keeping tally based on information
obtained from the Defense Department.

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One More Thing...
Can You Pass the COVID-19 Smell Test? You Might Have to Next Time You Head on Base in South Korea

Recent studies suggest that a loss of smell may be a symptom of COVID-19.

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