More DOD COVID-19 Cases | New KC-46 Instructors Course | Hickam Escapes First Pacific Hurricane

July 28, 2020

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

U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Alexandria Johnson, 81st Diagnostic and Therapeutics Squadron lab technician, prepares a COVID-19 sample for testing inside the Keesler Medical Center at Keesler Air Force Base, Miss., on July 1, 2020. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Spencer Tobler.

USAF Sees Spike in COVID-19 Cases as Bases Increase Restrictions

By Brian W. Everstine

The total number of COVID-19 cases increased by more than 1,000 across the Department of the Air Force for the second week in a row, as bases across the military continue to increase health protection conditions amid the pandemic. On July 27, the Air Force reported 6,169 total cases, including 3,964 uniformed military members, 885 civilians, 981 dependents, and 339 contractors. There are 36,659 cumulative Defense Department cases as of July 27, and bases are responding by increasing restrictions. The Associated Press reported that as of July 24 more than 45 percent of total service installations around the world are at “Health Protection Condition Charlie,” the second-highest level, which indicates substantial risk of sustained community transmission.

USAF Creating KC-46 Weapons Instructor Course

By Jennifer-Leigh Oprihory

Air Mobility Command is partnering with Air Combat Command and the Air Force Weapons School at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., to create a KC-46 Pegasus Weapons Instructor Course, according to a July 24 AMC release. The team is working to incorporate the KC-46 into the school’s existing KC-135 Weapons Instructor Course syllabus, but the Pegasus-specific course will eventually move to a KC-46 main operating base, where a permanent weapons squadron will be set up. “Charting the course for establishing a KC-46 Weapons Instructor Course ensures we leverage the expertise and innovation of our best and brightest Airmen to deliver Rapid Global Mobility for the Joint warfighter,” said Maj. Gen. Joel D. Jackson, director of operations, strategic deterrence, and nuclear Integration at Headquarters Air Mobility Command, in the release.

Pearl Harbor-Hickam Returns to Normal Ops After Hurricane Douglas Passes

By Brian W. Everstine

Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, returned to normal operations after Hurricane Douglas passed by the Hawaiian Islands as a Category One storm on July 26. The storm, which reached maximum sustained winds of about 90 miles per hour, passed north of the islands moving west, bringing heavy rains but no major damage. The base raised its condition of readiness, secured all aircraft, and sent all ships and submarines not under maintenance out to sea in advance of the storm. The 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron’s “Hurricane Hunters” at Keesler Air Force Base, Miss., deployed to Hawaii to fly into the hurricane as it approached.

National Guard Exercise Takes Unexpected Twist in Michigan

By Alyk Russell Kenlan

A sudden fire off base added an unexpected sense of urgency and realism to a firefighting training exercise in Northern Michigan. When a historic building in Alpena, Mich. suddenly caught on fire, nearby firefighters participating in parts of Northern Strike 20, a National Guard annual joint training exercise, were called to battle the inferno alongside local first responders. “We all worked together really well,” said Steve Papineau, Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center fire department crew chief. “Firefighting is kind of like a brotherhood, so it would be the same if we were at a fire in New York or anywhere else.” After five hours of fighting the blaze, the firefighters put the fire out and protected nearby structures.

Virtual Events: 2020 AFWERX Fusion Kicks Off, and More

By Jennifer-Leigh Oprihory

Today at 11 a.m. EDT, Day 1 of the 2020 AFWERX Fusion event, which is focused around the theme “Base of the Future,” will kick off. Learn more about the event here, and register here.

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.

Pentagon Says It Will Invest $77 Million to Bolster Industrial Base

Inside Defense

The Pentagon said July 24 it is investing $77.3 million in three different companies to "sustain and strengthen essential domestic industrial base capabilities and defense-critical workforce in the aviation, rare earth materials, and electronics industries."

Trump National Security Adviser Robert O’Brien Has Coronavirus

Bloomberg

President Donald J. Trump’s National Security Adviser Robert O’Brien tested positive for COVID-19 but the White House said his infection poses no risk to the President or Vice President Mike Pence.

Iran Moves Mock Aircraft Carrier to Sea Amid US Tensions

The Associated Press

Iran has moved a mock aircraft carrier to the strategic Strait of Hormuz amid heightened tensions with the United States, satellite photographs released on July 27 show, likely signalling the Islamic Republic soon plans to use it for live-fire drills.

CENTCOM: F-15 Flies Near Iranian Airliner over Syria; Iran Objects

Air Force Times

An American F-15 fighter jet flew about 1,000 meters from an Iranian passenger airliner over Syria, while conducting what it called a “standard visual inspection” of the aircraft, officials from U.S. Central Command said.

OPINION: Gen. Jeff Harrigian: Air Superiority Is Fundamental for USAF, but Our Enemies Are Gaining Ground

Fox News

“The U.S. Air Force is a powerful force today,” writes Gen. Jeffrey L. Harrigian, who commands U.S. Air Forces in Europe-Air Forces Africa and Allied Air Command, and directs the Joint Air Power Competence Centre in Kalkar, Germany. “If it is to remain so, prioritized investment is required. Failure to do so will cost our nation its edge over our adversaries.”

In a Future Bomber Force, Old and Ugly Beats New and Snazzy

The Associated Press

This might seem to defy logic, but the elite group of men and women who have flown the bat-winged B-2 Spirit accept the reasons for phasing it out when a next-generation bomber comes on line.

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.

Pentagon’s Enterprise DevSecOps Initiative Presents an Ambitious Model for the Future of Software

Nextgov

The Air Force’s chief software officer provided insights into the operation of Platform One, a project at the beginning of what could be a profound transformation for cybersecurity.

OPINION: This Is Not Your Parents’ Military. We Can’t Fund It the Same Way

Defense One

“Comparing a dollar spent on the Vietnam-era military with a dollar spent on today’s military fails to account for the extraordinary changes in military affairs over the intervening half-century—not only in technology, but also in the cost of talent and expectations for how we treat those in uniform,” writes Heritage Foundation Senior Research Fellow Dakota Wood. “With the exception of the venerable M2 Browning .50-caliber heavy machine gun, introduced in 1933, every piece of weaponry, equipment, and platforms has become more complex, more lethal, and more capable. It is naive to think that one can blindly compare past and present defense investments simply by accounting for inflation and completely ignoring the impact that technologies have had on the conduct of military affairs.”

The Air Force Wanted Feedback on Racial Injustice. The Response Was Overwhelming

Military.com

When the U.S. Air Force introduced a new survey earlier this month that asked Airmen to describe racial injustice or bias they'd witnessed or experienced during their careers, leaders figured they'd get a lot of feedback. But they didn't expect that thousands would come forward with stories.

One More Thing

RQ-170 Sentinel Stealth Spy Drone Photographed Landing at Plant 42 in Palmdale

The Drive

13 years after it was first spotted, the RQ-170 still lives a secretive life. So, returning to its place of birth in broad daylight is a bit shocking.