Air Force Magazine
Daily Report for May 8, 2020

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

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CSAF Nominee Seeks Roles and Missions Review
By Rachel S. Cohen

Pacific Air Forces boss Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr. is arguing for a wholesale
refresh of the Air Force’s roles and missions as he prepares to take the
service’s top job. Brown, a decorated combat pilot, faced the Senate Armed
Services Committee May 7 during a confirmation hearing to become the Air
Force’s 22nd Chief of Staff. In answers to advance policy questions provided
to the committee, Brown made the case for a sweeping review of what work the
service should manage. There’s no better time to consider those changes than
during the first few years of a new National Defense Strategy and the infancy of
the Space Force, and in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, he said.

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Brown Vows New Measures to Boost USAF Readiness
By Rachel S. Cohen

The Air Force inspector general is conducting a sweeping review of the
service’s readiness assessments and reporting, the year after a Pentagon-wide
order directed the armed forces to improve the state of key fighter fleets,
according to the service’s presumptive next Chief of Staff. Air Force
department leadership told the inspector general in mid-March to begin the
classified review, Pacific Air Forces boss Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr. told the
Senate Armed Services Committee ahead of his May 7 confirmation hearing. The
review’s findings will shape the service’s path forward as it looks for more
comprehensive metrics for whether it can spring into action. Overall readiness
reportedly grew 16 percent from April 2018 to February 2020.

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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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Next ABMS Experiments to Focus on Space Force, Indo-PACOM
By John A. Tirpak

The next Advanced Battle Management System experiment, slated for late August or
early September, will focus on supporting U.S. Space Force, and the one after
that will be centered on Indo-PACOM, Air Force chief architect Preston Dunlap
said May 7. Speaking during a Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies virtual
event, Dunlap said the next ABMS event will expand on things learned in last
September's "on-ramp," while the Pacific event will be the first to take place
"in the field." Dunlap also discussed distribution of secure personal devices
that can download classified data but are "safe" when not being used for secret
transmissions.

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Commemorating the 75th Anniversary of V-E Day
By John A. Tirpak

May 8 marks the 75th anniversary of the official end of the war against Nazi
Germany. In 1945, the Allied powers accepted unconditional surrender from
representatives of Adm. Karl Dönitz, the hand-picked new leader of Germany upon
the April 30 suicide of Adolph Hitler. “Our rejoicing is sobered and subdued
by a supreme consciousness of the terrible price we have paid to rid the world
of Hitler and his evil band,” President Harry S. Truman said in announcing the
German surrender. “Let us not forget, my fellow Americans, the sorrow and
heartache which today abide in the homes of so many of our neighbors—neighbors
whose most priceless possession has been rendered as a sacrifice to redeem our
liberty.”

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DOD Nominee: Afghanistan Withdrawal Will be ‘Reassessed’ if Taliban Doesn’t Stop Attacks
By Brian W. Everstine

The Pentagon is proceeding with its planned drawdown to 8,600 troops in
Afghanistan by July, but the situation will be “reassessed” with possible
additional deployments if the Taliban does not stop attacking Afghan forces, a
nominee to help lead Defense Department policy told lawmakers May 7. James
Anderson, the nominee to be the deputy under secretary of defense for policy,
told the Senate Armed Services Committee the Taliban has refrained from
attacking U.S. troops and major urban centers, but the group has been
“robustly" targeting Afghan forces at an “unfortunate level.” “We’re
going to reassess all the conditions going forward,” Anderson said. “I would
hope that the deal would not collapse.”

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For Recruits, COVID-19 Is Just Another Preexisting Condition
By Jennifer-Leigh Oprihory

The military will accept COVID-19 survivors as recruits and new officers,
contrary to reports that suggested the Defense Department planned to disqualify
anyone with a history of COVID-19. But individuals who are hospitalized in
connection with the new coronavirus will need a waiver to enter service, a DOD
official told Air Force Magazine.

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Hill Airmen, F-35s Return from Middle East Deployment
By Brian W. Everstine

Airmen and F-35s from the 388th and 419th Fighter Wings at Hill Air Force Base,
Utah, returned home on May 7 from the aircraft type’s second combat deployment
to the Middle East. The Airmen and aircraft deployed to Al Dhafra Air Base,
United Arab Emirates, in November 2019 for the F-35’s first “Immediate
Response Force” deployment as tensions with Iran increased. During the
six-month deployment, Airmen from the Active Duty 34th Fighter Squadron and
Reserve 466th Fighter Squadron, as well as Airmen with the 34th and 466th
Aircraft Maintenance Units, operated from multiple bases throughout the region
and flew close air support, offensive and defensive counter-air, and maritime
escort missions, according to a Hill release.

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Virtual Events: Commemorating the 75th Anniversary of V-E Day | Mrs. Pence Salutes Military Spouses | & More
By Jennifer-Leigh Oprihory

Today, Defense Secretary Mark Esper will speak at a virtual Victory in Europe
Day commemoration alongside Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark
Milley, ABC’s Robin Roberts, NBC’s Tom Brokaw, and Comedian Jay Leno. The
event will be broadcast at 10:30 a.m. EDT on <a
href="[link removed]">defense.gov</a>, as well as
the <a href="[link removed]">Defense Department’s
Facebook</a> and <a href="[link removed]"Twitter</a> pages.
Additionally, Second Lady Karen Pence will speak at an <a
href="[link removed]">online
town hall</a> being hosted by the COVID-19 Military Support Initiative to
commemorate Military Spouse Appreciation Day from 3-4 p.m. EDT, which you can
register for <a
href="[link removed]">here</a>.

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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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US Pulls Anti-Missile Systems from Saudi Arabia Amid Dispute

The U.S. is pulling two Patriot missile batteries and some fighter aircraft out
of Saudi Arabia, an American official said Thursday, amid tensions between the
kingdom and the Trump administration over oil production.

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Air Force Engineers Repair a Battle-Damaged A-10 From Their Bedrooms

Engineers from the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center at Hill Air Force
Base, Utah, figured out a way to fix a bullet hole in the belly of an A-10
Warthog without ever seeing the plane. The hole was apparently the result of
enemy action over the course of a recent mission.

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How the Air Force Halved T-6 Hypoxia Cases in 2019

The Air Force cut the number of hypoxia and similar incidents in the T-6A Texan
II by more than half in fiscal 2019 after putting into place a series of changes
it hoped would fix the problem. But the Air Force pilots still recorded 41
hypoxia-like incidents in the crucial trainer aircraft last year, according to
data provided at Air Force Times’ request.

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Training Jet Makes Emergency Landing at Offutt Air Force Base

A 55th Wing jet on a training flight made an emergency landing at Offutt Air
Force Base, Neb., on the morning of May 7.

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'Get a Haircut,' Real Space Force Chief Tells Netflix 'Space Force' Star Steve Carell

The leader of the real U.S. Space Force says he's looking forward to the Netflix
show about the new military branch, but he has a note for series star and
co-creator Steve Carell.

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Lockheed Martin and USAF Partner on Autonomous ISR System

Lockheed Martin Skunk Works has partnered with the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot
School to demonstrate an autonomous intelligence, surveillance, and
reconnaissance system to advance troop effectiveness in denied communications
environments.

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Boeing Rolls Out Australia’s First ‘Loyal Wingman’ Combat Drone

“This is a truly historic moment for our country and for Australian defense
innovation,” said Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison. “The Loyal
Wingman will be pivotal to exploring the critical capabilities our Air Force
needs to protect our nation and its allies into the future.”

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First Air Force Continues Pandemic Supply Transport; Bolsters Response Through CAP

Civil Air Patrol, the official auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force, New Hampshire
Wing, enters the seventh week of COVID-19 pandemic-related missions. The most
visible task the wing has carried out is the transport and distribution of
personal protective equipment (PPE).

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One More Thing...
What’s in a [Baby] Name? AvGeekery, If You’re Grimes

SpaceX founder Elon Musk and his partner, Canadian musician Grimes, recently
welcomed their first child into the world. When it came time to name him,
though, no creativity was spared, as the duo dubbed him X Æ A-12. Check out a
May 5 tweet from the new mother to learn the story behind his name and to find
out how it quietly honors an historic stealth aircraft.

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