Air Force Magazine
Daily Report for July 9, 2020

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Edited by Brian W. Everstine with Rachel S. Cohen, Jennifer Hlad and John A. Tirpak

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USAF’s Diversity Task Force is Already Making Changes
By Rachel S. Cohen

The Department of the Air Force is tackling the issue of systemic racism in the
same way as it does many others: by standing up a task force. The Diversity and
Inclusion Task Force, created June 9, will look at how racial, ethnic, and other
demographic disparities affect the Air Force and Space Force, USAF said in a
July 8 release. A group of Airmen from various demographic groups and at
different ranks are mulling the policies, procedures, and various other barriers
that keep minority Airmen from advancing through the ranks and from feeling
included in their units. Members are focusing on five areas: culture and policy;
education, training, and testing; recruiting and accessions; workforce
diversity; and aircrew diversity.

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Report: Cost-Per-Effect Is Best Way to Compare Weapons’ Value
By John A. Tirpak

The Air Force should replace traditional metrics like cost per flying hour and
unit price when calculating the cost of weapon systems with metrics that instead
account for weapons' efficiency and effectiveness. By focusing instead on
cost-per-effect, a new study argues, the Air Force can better compare options
for how best to invest in the future. AFA's Mitchell Institute for Aerospace
Studies unveiled the paper—“Building an Effective and Efficient Air Force:
The Imperative for Cost-Per-Effect Analysis”—at an online event July 8.

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Okinawa Troops Create Communication Center for COVID-19 Information
By Jennifer Hlad

When COVID-19 became a threat in early 2020, US military leaders in Okinawa
quickly realized they needed a way to communicate and share resources among the
services. Discussions began in January, and by late April, the Joint COVID-19
Response Center, or JCRC, was fully operational. “Being out here in Okinawa,
we’re limited sometimes, especially if the supply chain is constrained, or
with the travel restrictions… so with our services being able to work
together, we can actually utilize our resources in a way that helps benefit the
greater population of our U.S. forces,” explained Capt. Brandon Longstreet,
the Air Force medical representative for the JCRC.

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Lord: COVID-19 Highlights Need for US Independence in Manufacturing
By Brian W. Everstine

The coronavirus pandemic has highlighted fragility within the defense industrial
base and an overreliance on Chinese manufacturers that present a security risk,
prompting U.S. policymakers to look at potential changes. Without COVID-19, the
Pentagon wouldn't be as aware of problems in its supply chain or of China's
outsized impact, Ellen M. Lord, undersecretary of defense for acquisition and
sustainment, said during a July 8 Brookings Institution event. “Now we have
interest in actually making sure that we understand the fragilities in our
supply chain, and that we make sure we reshore as much as possible, and also
have partners and allies supporting us wherever possible,” Lord said.

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Proposal to Roll Over Some Pentagon Funds Could Help Save Money
By Rachel S. Cohen

Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-Texas) hopes a small addition to fiscal 2021 defense
legislation will make a big difference in how the Pentagon spends its money. The
top Republican on the House Armed Services Committee argues Congress should let
the military roll over as much as half of its annual operations and maintenance
funding to the next year. O&M money, by far the Pentagon’s biggest account,
expires at the end of each fiscal year, prompting a scramble to spend the entire
pot by Sept. 30 every year. The Defense Department wants to spend nearly $290
billion on operations and maintenance in 2021, about $125 billion more than the
next-largest category of personnel. If Thornberry’s proposal is implemented,
the move could help the U.S. shrink defense spending over time.

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Virtual Events: Berry on ‘Aerospace Nation,’ Esper and Milley at HASC, and More
By Jennifer-Leigh Oprihory

Today, AFA's Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies will host Air Force Deputy
Chief of Staff for Logistics, Engineering, and Force Protection Lt. Gen. Warren
Beatty on its "Aerospace Nation" series, which will tentatively be posted to the
think tank's <a
href="[link removed]">website</a> and
<a href="[link removed]">YouTube
page</a>. Additionally, Defense Secretary Mark Esper and Chairman of the Joint
Chiefs of Staff Army Gen. Mark A. Milley <a
href="[link removed]">will testify before the House Armed Services
Committee</a>, the American Council for Technology and Industry Advisory Council
will host a <a
href="[link removed]">free
webinar on 5G</a>, and the Aerospace Corporation will present a <a
href="[link removed]">new episode of "The Space Policy Show."</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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Here’s Where the Air Force’s Pilot Shortfall Is the Worst

Despite the Air Force’s full-court press in recent years to close its
persistent and troubling pilot shortfall, the gaps in crucial categories
remain—and in some cases, have worsened. The Air Force closed out 2019 with
roughly 1 in 10 bomber, fighter and special operations pilot billets vacant,
according to statistics the service provided at Air Force Times’ request.

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US General Skeptical that Bounties Led to Troops’ Deaths

The top U.S. general for the Middle East said Tuesday that the intelligence
suggesting that Russia may have paid Taliban militants to kill American troops
in Afghanistan was worrisome, but he is not convinced that any bounties resulted
in U.S. military deaths.

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Trump Heads to US Military’s Southern Command in Florida as Coronavirus Cases Surge

President Donald Trump will meet July 10 with leaders of the U.S. military’s
Southern Command, the combatant command on the front lines of America’s effort
to curb drug trafficking.

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Space Force Proposes Headquarters Staff Led by Generals and Civilians

The U.S. Space Force Pentagon headquarters will have a leaner staff structure
than traditional military service headquarters and some senior staff posts will
be assigned to civilians, according to a draft proposal.

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Thousands of Contracts Highlight Quiet Ties between Big Tech and US Military

On July 8, newly published research from the technology accountability nonprofit
Tech Inquiry revealed that the Defense Department and federal law enforcement
agencies including Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Federal Bureau of
Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Agency, and the Federal Bureau of Prisons,
have secured thousands of deals with Google, Amazon, Microsoft, Dell, IBM,
Hewlett Packard, and even Facebook that have not been previously reported. The
report offers a new window into the relationship between tech companies and the
U.S. government, as well as an important detail about why such contracts are
often difficult to find.

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Calspan Awarded DARPA Air Combat Evolution Contract

Calspan Corporation has been awarded a $14.1 million, four-year contract by the
Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency to develop full-scale air combat
experimentation infrastructure for its Air Combat Evolution program. The overall
focus of the program is to develop and measure human trust in artificial
intelligence. The technologies developed within the ACE program will ultimately
enable future pilots to confidently offload some high workload tactical tasks
like visual air-to-air engagements so they can better focus on managing the
larger battlespace.

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Military's Top Appeals Court to Consider Whether Retirees Can Be Court-Martialed

The case of a retired sailor who was court-martialed after leaving the Navy has
reached the military's highest appeals court, potentially setting the stage for
a U.S. Supreme Court battle on the matter.

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Judge Awards $879 Million from Iran to Khobar Towers Bombing Victims, Families

U.S. District Court Chief Judge Beryl Howell ruled from Washington last week
that the backers, planners and supporters of the bombing—Iran and its
terrorist arm—should pay out $819,120,000 to 14 Airmen and 41 of their family
members who suffered that day and have been suffering since.

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National Museum USAF Adds New GPS, DSP Satellite Exhibit

New exhibits detailing the Air Force’s involvement in managing Global
Positioning System (GPS) and using Defense Support Program satellites are now on
display at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force.

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One More Thing...
These Incredible Colorized Photos Capture Life on the Front Lines of WWII

Jakob Lagerweij's interest in coloring historical photos began back in 2018,
when he started working on black and white photos from his hometown of Deventer.
And so he began in earnest, creating Colourised Piece of Jake and found his muse
in photos of war.

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