Air Force Magazine
Daily Report for May 19, 2020

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Edited by Amy McCullough with Brian W. Everstine and Jennifer-Leigh Oprihory

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Keesler AFB Graduates Its First-Ever BMT Flight
By Jennifer-Leigh Oprihory

Nearly 60 Airmen from 37th Training Wing Detachment 5 graduated from Basic
Military Training at Keesler Air Force Base, Miss., on May 15, according to an
81st Training Wing release. The graduation marked the end of a six-week proof of
concept that looked to show that bases other than Joint Base San
Antonio-Lackland, Texas, could host BMT if extenuating circumstances demanded
it. “COVID-19 may be a defining moment, but it doesn’t define who you are as
an Airman,” Air Education and Training Command boss Lt. Gen. Brad Webb said
during the ceremony. “These last few weeks at Keesler Air Force Base have
defined that.” All of the graduates will stay at Keesler to pursue technical
training, the release stated. According to Air Education and Training Command
spokesperson Jennifer Gonzalez, "officials are taking this week to evaluate BMT
at Keesler and determine the way forward."

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FBI: NAS Pensacola Shooter Linked to al-Qaida
By Brian W. Everstine

The Department of Justice and Federal Bureau of Investigation on May 18 said
Royal Saudi Air Force 2nd Lt. Mohammed Alshamrani, who killed three U.S. Navy
sailors and injured eight more Americans in a December 2019 attack at NAS
Pensacola, Fla., had “significant ties” to al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula
dating back to before he came to the U.S. for training. The FBI was able to
access iPhones belonging to Alshamrani, which the shooter had tried to destroy
during the attack before he was shot and killed. The phones had “information
previously unknown to us that definitively establishes Alshamrani’s
significant ties to al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula,” Attorney General
William Barr said during a press conference.

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USFK Lowers Health Protection Level as South Korea Makes Progress in COVID-19 Fight
By Brian W. Everstine

U.S. Forces Korea is lowering its health protection condition effective May 20
for forces across the country, except for the greater Seoul area, as South Korea
makes progress with its efforts to control the coronavirus outbreak. The
command, in a May 18 release, said that based on the country’s “current
COVID-19 conditions remaining favorable to their newly implemented social
distancing and preventive measures,” the HPCON level will lower to
“Bravo.” The direction includes both Osan and Kunsan air bases. This means
troops will be allowed to sit in restaurants, go shopping, and conduct outdoor
activities while maintaining social awareness and wearing a mask when needed.
U.S. personnel are still restricted from visiting Seoul, which continues to see
new cases.

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Hurricane Hunters Get Early Start on 2020 Season
By Brian W. Everstine

The Hurricane Hunters got an early start to the 2020 Atlantic season, flying
into Tropical Storm Arthur as it formed in the Atlantic on May 16. Arthur
approached the Carolinas on May 18, making this the sixth consecutive year there
has been a named storm in May, before the hurricane season officially starts on
June 1. The Reserve 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron’s WC-130J flew into
the storm as it approached the Bahamas, providing weather data to the National
Hurricane Center to improve its forecast models, Lt. Col Anthony Wilmot, the
squadron’s director of operations, said in a release.

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

Today, the COVID-19 Military Support initiative will host an online town hall
entitled "Addressing Caregiver Needs During COVID-19" from 3-4 p.m. EDT. You can
learn more or register for the event <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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Thousands Defer Plans to Leave the Military During Crisis

Across the military, uncertainty about future jobs or college opportunities is
driving more service members to re-enlist or at least postpone their scheduled
departures. As unemployment, layoffs and a historic economic downturn grip the
nation, the military—with its job security, steady paycheck, and benefits—is
looking much more appealing.

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Veterans with COVID-19 Will Be Given Prostate Cancer Drug in Trial

Researchers at the Veterans Affairs Department and University of California-Los
Angeles are studying whether a chemotherapy drug for prostate cancer can help
reduce the severity of COVID-19 in men. The VA announced last week that it will
test degarelix, also known by its brand name Firmagon, in nearly 200 veterans
hospitalized with the novel coronavirus at VA medical centers in Los Angeles,
New York City, and the Puget Sound area of Washington state.

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Canadian Air Force Officer Dies After Jet Crashes During Coronavirus Tribute

A member of an elite Canadian air force squadron died May 17 after a jet crashed
into a British Columbia home during a celebration for front-line workers in the
coronavirus pandemic, authorities said. The Royal Canadian Air Force identified
the deceased as Capt. Jenn Casey, a public affairs officer who joined the
"Snowbirds" in 2018. Another team member, Capt. Richard MacDougall, was
seriously injured.

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OPINION: Setting Up the Space Force for Success

"Space is crucial to modern American life whether viewed from an economic,
information, or national security vantage," writes retired USAF Lt. Gen. David
Deptula, dean of AFA's Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies. "Accordingly,
it is crucial to ensure the new military service is aligned for success. This
demands an honest assessment of its needs and key challenges, with full
recognition that establishing the new Space Force as a separate service was just
the first step of many that need to be taken."

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Air Force Finally Has Plans to Test a Laser Weapon on Its AC-130J Gunship

For the last five years, Air Force Special Operations Command has been working
toward incorporating a high-energy laser weapon on its newest AC-130J gunship.
It now plans to test-fire a 60-kilowatt laser in 2022, according to a program
officer affiliated with the program.

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Senators Ask Air Force to Not Terminate Partnerships with Space Launch Industry

Two senators from key committees have asked Air Force Secretary Barbara Barrett
to rethink plans to terminate existing partnerships with companies if they do
not win a National Security Space Launch procurement contract. In a May 13
letter to Barrett, Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) call
on the Air Force to continue funding agreements signed with three launch
companies in October 2018. The Air Force plans to terminate the agreements
except those with companies that win a National Security Space Launch Phase 2
procurement contract.

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Project Convergence: Linking Army Missile Defense, Offense, & Space

The Army wants to do a tech demonstration in the southwestern desert—COVID
permitting—of how the new weapons systems it’s developing can share data.

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One More Thing...
Try Your Hand at Docking SpaceX’s Dragon 2 to the ISS

This simulator will familiarize you with the controls of the actual interface
used by NASA astronauts to manually pilot the SpaceX Dragon 2 vehicle to the
International Space Station.

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