Air Force Magazine
Daily Report for May 18, 2020

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

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No Damage Reported After Tonopah Earthquake
By John A. Tirpak

A powerful earthquake in the vicinity of Tonopah Test Range in Nevada did not
cause any immediately apparent damage to the base or facilities on the nearby
Nellis range complex, a Nellis Air Force Base spokesperson reported. Tonopah is
where the Air Force maintains its fleet of stealthy F-117 attack jets in
"flyable storage." The Air Force would not comment on whether the aircraft
suffered any damage.

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Eglin F-22 Crashes, Pilot Ejects
By Brian W. Everstine

An F-22 from the 43rd Fighter Squadron at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., crashed
the morning of May 15 just north of the base. The pilot safely ejected and was
taken to the hospital for evaluation. The F-22, assigned to the 325th Fighter
Wing, was flying a training sortie with Eglin’s 33rd Fighter Wing about 12
miles northeast of Eglin in the base’s test and training range when the pilot
was forced to eject.

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Space Force to Governors: Tell Us Why You Deserve to Host Space Command HQ
By Amanda Miller and Brian W. Everstine

The Space Force is asking local leaders across the country to nominate
themselves to host the headquarters of U.S. Space Command. With the Space Force
established and headquartered in the Pentagon, the Air Force and Defense
Department announced May 15—the same day it unveiled the new service’s flag
in a White House ceremony—it has revised how it will establish the permanent
location of U.S. Space Command. John Henderson, the assistant secretary of the
Air Force for installations, in a letter to the nation’s governors, called for
“eligible communities to self-nominate to serve as the host for this critical
mission.” States have until June 30, 2020, to nominate. Once the nominations
are received, the Air Force will evaluate the options based on the previous
criteria and the top scoring candidates will receive a site visit for additional
research. The Air Force expects a final selection for the preferred headquarters
in early 2021.


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Ground-Based Strategic Deterrent Passes Preliminary Design Review
By John A. Tirpak

The Air Force's Ground-Based Strategic Deterrent program has passed its
preliminary design review, clearing the way for an award of the engineering and
manufacturing development contract by the end of September. If all goes as
planned, the new intercontinental ballistic missiles will be deployed to
existing silos starting in the late 2020s and continue through most of the
2030s.

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Wilsbach Nominated to Lead Pacific Air Forces
By Brian W. Everstine

Lt. Gen. Kenneth Wilsbach has been nominated to take command of Pacific Air
Forces, replacing Gen. C.Q. Brown who is the presumptive next Air Force chief of
staff. President Donald Trump nominated Wilsbach, currently the commander of 7th
Air Force and deputy commander of U.S. Forces-Korea, to lead the 46,000 airmen
in PACAF, according to a release. Before his current job, Wilsbach was the
commander of North American Aerospace Defense Command’s Alaskan region,
commander Alaskan Command for U.S. Northern Command, and commander of 11th Air
Force.

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X-37B Offers New Opportunity for Student Satellite Builders
By Rachel S. Cohen

The X-37B spaceplane launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., on
May 17, sending the U.S. Air Force Academy's largest batch of satellite
experiments to date along for the ride. USAFA’s FalconSat program, run with
the Air Force Research Laboratory and contractor Geneva Technologies, is a
hands-on opportunity to design, build, test, launch, and operate small
satellites for the Department of the Air Force while still in school.
FalconSat-8, which will tag along on the X-37B for the first time, is carrying
five experiments onboard. “Anytime we can find relationships that allow us to
leverage rides that are already going up, we take advantage of that wherever we
can,” Col. Luke Sauter, head of USAFA’s astronautics department, said May
14. “It's a win-win for both organizations.”

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U-2 Fleet Welcomes First Reservist Pilot
By Rachel S. Cohen

A Reservist has qualified to fly the U-2 spy plane for the first time in Air
Force history, using a fast-track program that opens up new manning options for
the intelligence enterprise, the 9th Reconnaissance Wing said May 13. Maj.
Jeffrey Anderson joined the highly selective U-2 program while serving on
Active-duty, then moved to the Air Force Reserve, the service said in a release.
After flying Delta Airlines jets for two years, he returned to the military
through an initiative known as the “commander-directed requalification
program,” which allows pilots who have fallen behind on aircraft qualification
for a short period of time, usually less than 36 months, to rejoin the force.

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Virtual Events: Wilson on Mitchell Institute’s ‘Aerospace Nation,’ and More
By Jennifer-Leigh Oprihory

This week, AFA's Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies will host a virtual
discussion with Air Force Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Stephen Wilson as part of its
<a href="[link removed]">"Aerospace
Nation" series</a>, and the COVID-19 Military Support Initiative will host
online town halls about <a
href="[link removed]">how
COVID-19 will impact the future of the U.S. military</a> and about <a
href="[link removed]">addressing
caregiver needs during the pandemic</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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DOD Takes Lead Role in Trump's 'Operation Warp Speed' Vaccine Effort

President Trump on May 15 launched a whole-of-government COVID-19 vaccine effort
called "Operation Warp Speed" and said the Pentagon will have a major role to
play. "When a vaccine is ready, the U.S. government will deploy every plane,
truck, and Soldier required to help distribute it to the American people as
quickly as possible," he said during a White House press conference alongside
senior government officials.

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Sailors on Sidelined Carrier Get Virus for Second Time

Five sailors on the U.S. aircraft carrier sidelined in Guam due to a COVID-19
outbreak have tested positive for the virus for the second time and have been
taken off the ship, according to the Navy.

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Tensions with Iran and Its Proxies Led to Accelerated Transfer of Bases Housing Coalition Troops to Iraqi Forces

An inspector general report detailed how tensions between Iran and its militia
forces with the U.S. led to an accelerated transfer of several bases to Iraqi
troops over force protection issues.

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Oversight of Veterans Homes to Be Probed after Virus Deaths

A congressional watchdog agency has agreed to investigate the Veterans Affairs
Department’s oversight of homes for aging veterans following a surge of
coronavirus deaths at the state-run facilities. The Government Accountability
Office said in a letter May 14 that it will conduct a review into the VA’s
oversight of care at state veterans homes after a request by a group of
Democratic U.S. senators.

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Air Force Aims to Make Secure Mobile Identity Management the Norm

Jason Howe, the Air Force's CTO and chief cloud architect for manpower,
personnel, and services said the current reality has exposed DOD's need to
loosen its view on mobile security.

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Pentagon Keeping an Eye on Space Industry Bankruptcies but No Actions Planned Yet

The Pentagon does not plan to rescue companies in financial distress except in
extreme circumstances, said Will Roper, assistant secretary of the Air Force for
acquisition, technology and logistics. The Defense Department would intervene if
it were at risk of losing access to key supplies or if a U.S. company that
develops technology of great value to the military were being targeted by
foreign buyers, said Roper. Otherwise, “We simply cannot do stimulus for every
company that is under duress right now.”

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Air Force’s Roper: 3D Printing ‘Going Like Gangbusters’

The Air and Space Forces are speeding efforts to adopt 3D printing as a major
pillar of force sustainment, now making critical spare parts for weapon systems
such as engine components for fighters and rockets.

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Transportation Secretary Appoints Industry Leaders to Women in Aviation Advisory Board

Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao on May 15 announced the appointment of 30
board members to the newly formed Women in Aviation Advisory Board. Former Air
Force Secretary Heather Wilson will serve as chair of the board.

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One More Thing...
Conor Daly’s Car, Number for Indy 500 to Honor USAF

Daly will be in the No. 47 car, in order to pay homage to the founding of the
U.S. Air Force in 1947. It will be painted bright orange, a tribute to Chuck
Yeager, the first pilot to break the sound barrier. The 104th Indianapolis 500
will be run on Aug. 23 after being rescheduled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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