Applying for Space Force | Goldfein Defends ABMS

April 24, 2020

Edited by Amy McCullough with Rachel S. Cohen, Brian W. Everstine and John A. Tirpak

US Space Force Chief of Space Operations Gen. Jay Raymond displays the service’s uniform nametapes in the Pentagon on Jan. 17, 2020, in Arlington, Va. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Robert Barnett.

Space Force Details Application Process for Active Duty Airmen

By Rachel S. Cohen

The Space Force will soon start formally accepting Airmen’s applications but isn’t taking volunteers from services outside the Air Force just yet, officials clarified this week. During the month of May, Active-duty Air Force officers and enlisted members in existing space careers and certain other jobs can apply to join the Space Force. That includes the 16,000 or so military and civilian employees who previously worked for Air Force Space Command and now make up the bulk of the new service, but have not yet formally transferred in. Airmen in the 13S and 1C6 fields will start transferring into the Space Force on Sept. 1.

Goldfein Says GAO Out of Date, Out of the Secrecy Loop on ABMS Report

By John A. Tirpak

Chief of Staff Gen. David Goldfein said the Government Accountability Office's recent report blasting the service's centerpiece Advanced Battle Management System was based on old information and lacked insight into the system's secrets. He said he'd be happy to walk GAO's auditors through the classified aspects of the program so they, Congress, and other opinion-shapers can understand the importance of ABMS, which he said is moving at unprecedented speed.

B-1 Returns to Pacific in 30-Hour Training Flight to Japan

By Brian W. Everstine

A B-1B Lancer flew a 30-hour flight to train alongside USAF and Japanese fighters on April 22, the first bomber sortie in the Pacific since the Air Force ended the continuous bomber presence mission on April 17. The B-1, from Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D., linked up with six USAF F-16s, seven Japan Air Self-Defense Force F-2s, and eight JASDF F-15s over the Draughon Range near Misawa Air Base before returning home. The mission was a joint U.S. Indo-Pacific Command and U.S. Strategic Command bomber task force mission, and marks the first time a B-1 has been in the region since early 2018.

Aviano’s Triple Nickel First Full Unit to Return from Deployment Amid COVID-19

By Brian W. Everstine

Airmen and F-16s from the “Triple Nickel” returned to Aviano Air Base, Italy, from a six-month combat deployment to the Middle East—the first time a full unit returned from a deployment since the Defense Department ordered a restriction on movement because of COVID-19. The Airmen wore masks and had their temperatures checked once arriving at their home base. Now, they will be quarantined for about two weeks. The 555th Fighter Squadron deployed to southwest Asia in October on short notice amid tensions with Iran, arriving in theater 14 days after the order.

Virtual Events Calendar: James and Guetlein on the Mitchell Institute’s Space Power Forum, and More

By Jennifer-Leigh Oprihory

Today, Army Brig. Gen. Thomas James, commander of Joint Task Force-Space Defense, and Air Force Maj. Gen. Michael Guetlein, deputy director of the National Reconnaissance Office, will discuss U.S. Space Command and NRO operations during a virtual installment of the Space Power Forum , hosted by the Air Force Association's Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies, and the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum will host its inaugural Virtual Astronomy Live event.

Radar Sweep

Snapshot: DOD and COVID-19

Air Force Magazine

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

Coronavirus Pandemic Leads to Spike in Disinformation Directed at U.S., NATO in Europe

Stars and Stripes

Disinformation aimed at undermining the U.S. and NATO forces has surged in Europe as adversaries seize on the coronavirus pandemic in their attempts to create instability, Lithuania’s Defense Ministry said in a new report. There have been 807 cases of false or misleading information about the virus, much of it focused on Lithuania, since February, according to an analysis by the Lithuanian military’s strategic communication department.

26 U.S. Navy Ships Currently Have Coronavirus Cases

CNN

There are currently coronavirus cases on 26 U.S. Navy warships, and another 14 have been hit by the virus but the crew members impacted have recovered, a senior Navy official told CNN April 22. The 26 ships with current cases are in port or maintenance yards, the official added.

IRGC Commander Threatens U.S. Navy after Trump Tweet

Associated Press

The leader of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard warned on April 23 that he has ordered his forces to potentially target the U.S. Navy after President Donald Trump’s tweet the previous day threatening to sink Iranian vessels. Iran also summoned the Swiss ambassador, who looks out for America’s interests in the country, to complain about Trump’s threat coming amid months of escalating tensions between the two countries.

NDIA Says Small Businesses Report Problems with Meeting Obligations and Access to Capital

Inside Defense

About 770 small businesses in the defense sector participated in the survey, which the National Defense Industrial Association managed at the request of the Defense Department. The survey closed April 10.

Rapid Acquisition & Sustainment

Air Force Magazine

The Air Force and U.S. defense establishment are breaking down barriers and injecting speed, innovation, and creativity into the procurement system. Check out our new page to learn more about these efforts.

20 Empty Seats: Coronavirus May Slow Pentagon’s Push to Fill Vacancies

Defense News

A third of the Pentagon’s jobs are missing a Senate-confirmed leader, and amid the coronavirus pandemic, there are new questions about how many of those roles can be filled before November’s presidential election. Of the Pentagon’s 60 positions that must be confirmed by the Senate, 20 jobs are empty, a spokesman from the Defense Department confirmed.

One More Thing

Tweak the KC-135 Stratotanker's Windshield Wipers. Save Millions.

Popular Mechanics

The Air Force has discovered a simple engineering change to the venerable KC-135 Stratotanker that could save up to $7 million a year. Using computer modeling, the Air Force realized it could increase the aerodynamic efficiency of the converted jetliner by one percent by changing the orientation of the windshield wipers. The increased efficiency translates into greater fuel savings.