Black Airmen Discuss Race | F-16 Pilot Killed in Crash Identified

July 6, 2020

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

Lt. Gen. Anthony Cotton, a former Air University president and commander who has since become Air Force Global Strike Command's first Black deputy commander, speaks with more than 100 Airmen enrolled in Airman Leadership School Class 19-4, on February 11, 2019, at the Air National Guard’s training and education center in East Tennessee. Air National Guard photo by Master Sgt. Mike R. Smith.

Black Airmen Talk Race in the Air Force

By Rachel S. Cohen

Black Airmen are wrestling with their own reality in an Air Force that still suffers from its own racial blind spots and systemic discrimination, as civil unrest sweeps the nation following the May death of George Floyd. A dozen Black Airmen—including current and former officers, enlisted members, and civilians—shared their experiences with Air Force Magazine in June, describing how race has influenced their lives and careers, and how the Air Force still needs to evolve.

Shaw Identifies Pilot Killed in F-16 Crash

By Brian W. Everstine

The F-16 pilot killed in the June 30 crash at Shaw Air Force Base, S.C., has been identified as 1st Lt. David Schmitz. Schmitz, assigned to the 77th Fighter Squadron at Shaw, was flying a local training sortie as his squadron is preparing to deploy when his F-16CM crashed on the base at about 11:30 p.m. The cause of the crash is under investigation. Schmitz is a prior enlisted Airman, who served as a C-17 loadmaster before earning his commission through Officer Training School, 20th Fighter Wing Commander Col. Larry Sullivan said in a video. He earned his pilot’s license at 17 years old, before enlisting in the Air Force.

House Armed Services Committee Passes 2021 Policy Bill

By Rachel S. Cohen

The House Armed Services Committee argued its way through its version of the fiscal 2021 defense policy bill on July 1, ultimately approving the annual legislation 56-0. The unanimous vote is a stark departure from the committee’s 33-24 vote last year, which largely fell along party lines after a contentious marathon debate. In comparison, this markup lasted only about 14 hours. One of Congress’s most traditional lawmaking processes is taking place under the least traditional circumstances, thanks to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Lengyel: Military Should Stay Out of Civil-Unrest Missions

By Jennifer-Leigh Oprihory

Civil-unrest response efforts should be undertaken by law-enforcement authorities, not U.S. troops, National Guard Bureau Chief Air Force Gen. Joseph L. Lengyel said July 2 during an event hosted by the Brookings Institution think tank. “In my opinion, uniforms, I don't care what flavor they are—Title 10, Active-duty, National Guard, Reserve—uniforms being out there in law-enforcement situations is not optimal,” he told Brookings Senior Fellow Michael E. O’Hanlon during a live-streamed conversation about the state of the Guard. “We should do as little of it as we can, and it should be predominantly a law-enforcement, police operation and when they need us, we can and we will come. But we should do what we can to avoid that.” As of the morning of July 2, approximately 570 Guard personnel—including about 60 Air Guardsmen—were still activated in six states and the nation's capital to back up law enforcement in case unrest broke out, down from nearly 41,500 at the beginning of June.

DOD: Afghan Air Force Airstrike Ops Improving, Struggles in Maintenance

By Brian W. Everstine

The Afghan Air Force has made major strides in its ability to plan and conduct operations, especially on its A-29 Super Tucano fleet, but it is overly reliant on contractor support to keep flying, according to a new Defense Department report on progress in Afghanistan. The Afghan Air Force, alongside the country’s special forces, are the most capable components of Afghanistan’s military, the Pentagon said in a report to Congress released July 1. The AAF’s strike aircraft, which was “almost nothing” in 2014 now conducts nearly half of all airstrikes in the country even as U.S. airstrikes have surged. The AAF comprises three flight wings and 18 detachments, flying A-29s, C-208s, AC-208s, C-130s, Mi-17s, and MD-530s.

Clark Nominated to Lead Air Force Academy

By Jennifer-Leigh Oprihory

President Donald J. Trump has nominated Lt. Gen. Richard M. Clark to be the next U.S. Air Force Academy superintendent. If confirmed, Clark will replace Lt. Gen. Jay B. Silveria, who graduated from the Academy in 1985 and has led the school since August 2017. Silveria plans to retire later this year, according to a USAFA release. Clark, who currently works as the Air Force’s deputy chief of staff for strategic deterrence and nuclear integration, is a 1986 USAFA graduate and a former commandant of cadets, according to his service biography. Prior to his arrival at the Pentagon, he led 3rd and 8th Air Forces, and served as vice-commander of Air Force Global Strike Command.

Virtual Events: Mitchell Rolls Out New Paper, and More

By Jennifer-Leigh Oprihory

On July 8, AFA's Mitchell Institute will host a virtual rollout for its newest paper, "Building an Effective, Efficient Air Force: The Imperative for Cost-Per-Effect Analysis." Event video will tentatively be posted on Mitchell's website and YouTube page after the event.

Correction

A story that ran in the July 2 Daily Report, “USAF Taps 18 More Companies to Develop New Combat Network," incorrectly identified how much money each company could receive under the contract. Each contract is notionally worth up to $950 million. We have corrected the story online.

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.

Troops Who Stepped Up for COVID-19 Pandemic Response Are Eligible for These Two Medals

Military Times

Active-duty, Reserve, and National Guard service members who mobilized to work in medical centers, man testing outposts, distribute supplies, and otherwise support their communities in pandemic response are authorized to receive the Armed Forces Service and/or Humanitarian Service medals, per a Defense Department memo signed June 30.

In Russian Bounties, Former Diplomats See Effort to Mess with U.S.—but Not Much More

Defense One

Why would Russia take such an escalatory step, some analysts have asked, when the Taliban were already killing Americans in Afghanistan of their own accord? For former senior diplomats to the region, the answer is likely simple: Russian President Vladimir Putin saw an opportunity to cause harm to the United States, and he took it.

Democrats Say Troop Threats Should Be Pursued ‘Relentlessly’

The Associated Press

The two top Democrats in Congress said July 2 that any threats to U.S. troops must be pursued “relentlessly,” rebuking President Donald Trump after receiving a highly classified briefing about intelligence that Russia offered bounties for killing U.S. troops in Afghanistan.

House Slides Money into B-21 Bomber Procurement Account

Defense News

An amendment to the House version of the fiscal 2021 defense policy bill would move some funding for the secretive B-21 bomber program from its research and development account to procurement, a sign that production activities could be picking up. The amendment transfers $20 million into “Long Range Strike Bomber advanced procurement” and would “allow the program to begin some procurement activities ahead of schedule,” according to the legislation.

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.

Major Airfield Expansion on Wake Island Seen by Satellite as U.S. Preps for Pacific Fight

The Drive

America's remote island outpost in the Pacific is an essential fallback point for pushing airpower west during a major conflict.

OPINION: Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles Still Matter

RealClear Defense

"On July 1st, the House Armed Services Committee derailed an effort to kill funding for the U.S. Air Force's intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) replacement, the Ground-Based Strategic Deterrent (GBSD)," write Adam Lowther, a professor at the U.S. Army’s School of Advanced Military Studies; William Murphy, director of senior leader education for nuclear command, control, and communications at the Louisiana Tech Research Institute; and retired USAF Brig. Gen. Gerald Goodfellow, executive director of the Louisiana Tech Research Institute. "This was a big win for the Air Force because the arms control community has set its sights on GBSD and its primary target."

France Withdraws from NATO Naval Mission: Turkish Alleged Actions as Cause

Second Line of Defense

France has pulled out of a NATO naval mission in the Mediterranean in protest against a Turkish frigate allegedly switching on targeting radar on a French warship, plunging ties between two members of the military alliance to a new low.

Mitchell Forum Paper: ‘The RAF Eighty Years on from the Battle of Britain’

AFA’s Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies

“With the anniversary of the Battle of Britain upon us, reflecting on that time 80 years ago and where we are today, the similarities between the Royal Air Force of 1940 and that of 2020 are striking,” writes Kevin Billings, a senior visiting fellow at AFA’s Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies. “It is worth considering that now, as then, control of the air—and today space—remains the vital enabler of everything the total force does. As Field Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery observed, “If we lose the war in the air, we lose the war, and we lose it quickly.”

Fighting Suicide through Education, Guaranteed Job Placement

Air Force Magazine

Kyle Kaiser and Mark Sayampanthan started Veteran Internships Providing Employment Readiness a year ago. VIPER helps connect veterans with internships and job training that leads to assured employment after being discharged.

WATCH: Military Aircraft Fly over NYC for Fourth of July Celebration

NBC New York

Before the big nighttime fireworks show filled the skies above New York City, another boom of celebration could be heard as jets flew over the city. The Defense Department announced plans of a flyover event with aircraft from the Air Force and Marine Corps recognizing New York City's role "in the birth of this great nation." The event, expected in other major cities as well, was coined "Salute to the Great Cities of the American Revolution."

One More Thing

This Cat Stowed Away on a Military Cargo Plane, Now Some Humans Are Trying to Help It Get Home

Bangor Daily News

Airport staff are not even sure where the cat—a friendly gray-and-white male—boarded the Boeing C-17 Globemaster III cargo plane. The flight originated at Travis Air Force Base, Calif., but made a stop in Colorado Springs, Colo., before continuing on to Bangor International Airport in Maine.