Air Force Magazine
Daily Report for April 13, 2020

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Edited by Amy McCullough with Rachel S. Cohen, Brian W. Everstine and Jennifer-Leigh Oprihory

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Aviano Airmen Stay Mission Ready in a COVID-19 Hot Spot
By Brian W. Everstine

Aviano Air Base is situated in the northeast of Italy, not far from what was the
global hotspot of the new coronavirus outbreak. However, as the virus spread
through the region, Aviano’s Airmen and aircraft have been able to fly as much
as normal, if not more, through a realignment of their training priorities,
increased social distancing, and finding new ways to be flexible. “We’re
taking really, really careful precautions to ensure the safety of all of our
members and their families. But it can’t be understated how important it is
that we’re still projecting airpower,” said Capt. Claire Bieber, an F-16
pilot with the 510th Fighter Squadron.

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AETC Commander on Stop-Loss: We’re Not There Yet
By Jennifer-Leigh Oprihory

While the COVID-19 pandemic has set back BMT shipping rates, Air Education and
Training Command boss Lt. Gen. Brad Webb said an Air Force stop-loss order
isn’t on the table yet. “Our assessment is that we don't have to take other
measures, such as stop-loss, which of course has been ... discussed inside of
Washington. We're not at that point yet,” he said. The Air Force has
significantly reduced the BMT class size, from about 700 trainees to just 460.
"We had a little bit of a cache that you would always expect of a training
pipeline ..., but we're going to eat into that the longer this continues," Webb
said.

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When a natural disaster or emergency occur, an immediate and seamless response is necessary to
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If critical infrastructure is down in the disaster zone, then the systems and networks required for
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communication needs. Read the full story.
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Illinois Guard C-130s Deliver Isolation Pods for Coronavirus Response
By Brian W. Everstine

The Illinois Air National Guard’s 182nd Airlift Wing was recently called to
serve on short notice to bring in high-demand COVID-19 treatment devices for
hard-hit Chicago. On April 8, two C-130Hs and 14 Airmen ferried 250 isolation
pods, a total of 13,500 pounds of cargo, from the manufacturer in Eugene, Ore.,
to Chicago’s Midway International Airport, to be used at the McCormick Place
alternative care center in Chicago. “[This mission] flows into the Air Force
core values and why we put on the uniform every day, and why we do what we
do,” said Maj. Brian Rezac, the aircraft commander for one of the C-130s and
the chief of safety for the 182nd Airlift Wing. “It is to help others.”

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DOD Could Move Medical Personnel as NY Demand Changes
By Rachel S. Cohen

The Defense Department may move its medical personnel from the New York area to
other facilities or parts of the country that are hardest hit by the coronavirus
pandemic because of lower-than-expected demand. DOD has provided military
employees to 11 civilian hospitals around New York City, as well as on the USNS
Comfort hospital ship docked nearby, and at the city’s Javits Center. They
intended to treat trauma and emergency care patients that hospital staffs could
not handle at the same time as coronavirus patients, as well as lighten the load
of people suffering from the COVID-19 illness. But as the Javits and Comfort
locations see fewer patients than projected, and medical needs ramp up in places
like New Orleans, Detroit, and Texas, the military could shift its expertise
elsewhere. It is working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on
those decisions.

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Exceptional Family Member Program Launching Online Portal for Travel Screening
By Jennifer-Leigh Oprihory

On April 15, the Air Force Exceptional Family Member Program will launch a web
portal to let participating families start, track, and request updates on their
Family Member Travel Screening packages from the comfort of their homes,
according to an April 8 release from the Air Force Surgeon General. According to
the release, USAF is also working to ensure EFMP families can get the medical
clearances they need to PCS as planned once military travel goes back to normal.

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Radar Sweep

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One-Third of the DOD’s Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients Are in the ICU

Of the 146 patients hospitalized in U.S. military medical centers for the novel
coronavirus, one-third are in intensive care units, including a sailor from the
aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt who remains at U.S. Naval Hospital Guam.

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Commercial Aircraft Industry’s Woes Could Help Air Force Pilot Retention

It’s too early to know how the new coronavirus pandemic could impact ongoing
Air Force efforts to decrease the pilot shortage, the head of Air Education and
Training Command said April 10. “Well, it’s not helping,” said AETC
Commander Lt. Gen. Brad Webb, who acknowledged that the service’s
undergraduate pilot training capacity has been reduced due to the spread of
COVID-19.

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Eight Airmen Recognized for Mideast Raids, Including One That Killed ‘Top Al Qaeda Leader’

Eight special tactics airmen received awards following a three-month deployment
with the Army’s 75th Ranger Regiment in Afghanistan last summer, according to
the 24th Special Operations Wing. The airmen were part of a joint task force
that accomplished 129 direct action raids and 153 kinetic strikes over a 105-day
rotation.

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GOP Senators Want New Reviews to Flag Chinese Action in U.S. Economy During Pandemic

A group of Republican senators led by Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman
Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) is urging the Trump administration to "scrutinize" any
transaction or investment the Chinese government or its state-controlled
companies are making in the U.S. industrial base that could "undermine" national
security.

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USAF Band of Flight Working Hard at Home, Still Reaching Public

“We’re looking at ways to keep connected to our local community and support
the mission of our Public Affairs teams,” said Tech. Sgt. Kelcey McDonald,
non-commissioned officer in charge of productions with the Air Force Band of
Flight. “We’re currently working on three different campaigns all of which
are of band members working from home.”

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New Virtualization Capability to Support Space Force

An Atlanta-based company has established a new virtualization ecosystem that can
support and test technologies for the Space Force and other commercial service
providers. Envistacom believes its new Transport Virtualization Ecosystem can
streamline the Space Force’s vision to develop satellite communication
technologies without lengthy development cycles, a company executive said.

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General Atomics Opens Satellite Factory in Colorado

General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems, based in San Diego, Calif., has opened
a spacecraft development, integration, and test factory in Centennial, Colo.,
the company announced April 9. A longtime defense contractor, General Atomics in
recent years has expanded its space business after acquiring two small satellite
manufacturers.

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One More Thing...
Report Released on French Rafale Passenger’s Accidental Ejection Reveals Both Human and Technical Failures

You may recall an unusual incident from Mar. 20, 2019, when a civilian passenger
riding in a two-seat Armée de l’Air Dassault Rafale ejected from the aircraft
while the pilot flying remained at the controls, despite his canopy being
jettisoned, and managed to make an emergency landing. The report from the
incident has just been released by French officials, and it makes for bizarre
reading.

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