Keesler Aircraft Evacuate Ahead of Double Storm | B-52s in Europe

Aug. 25, 2020

Edited by Amy McCullough with Brian W. Everstine, Jennifer-Leigh Oprihory and John A. Tirpak

This graphic from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows the path that Tropical Storm Laura was expected to follow as of 8 a.m. EDT on Aug. 24, 2020. NOAA National Weather Service National Hurricane Center graphic.

Ahead of Double Storm, Keesler Moves Aircraft but Barksdale Stays Put

By John A. Tirpak

Keesler Air Force Base, Miss., moved C-130J transports and WC-130 hurricane hunters to other bases ahead of a double tropical storm bearing down on the Gulf Coast, but Barksdale Air Force Base, La., home of Global Strike Command and half of USAF's B-52 bombers, plans to hunker down and keep its airplanes home. Keesler leaders do not plan to evacuate personnel from the base in advance of Tropical Storm Marco, expecting only heavy rains, a base spokeswoman said Aug. 24. They had not yet decided what to do about Tropical Storm Laura, which is expected to become a hurricane by the time it makes landfall, but are considering moving Basic Military Training recruits from Keesler’s Hattiesburg, La., facility to the U.S. Army’s Camp Shelby, some 80 miles north. If the storm continued to move west, the spokeswoman said, BMT trainees are likely to sit out the storm in base dormitories.

B-52s Deploy to Europe, Train in Norway

By Brian W. Everstine

Six B-52s trained alongside Royal Norwegian fighters in Northern Norway shortly after they deployed to Europe on Aug. 22. The task forces of B-52s deployed to RAF Fairford, England, from the 5th Bomb Wing at Minot Air Force Base, N.D., for a “long-planned training mission where the aircraft will conduct theater and flight training across Europe and Africa,” U.S. Air Forces in Europe-Air Forces Africa said in a release. “I am happy that our American friends choose to practice and train in our local areas,” Chief of Defense Eirik Kristoffersen said in a translation of an Aug. 24 Norwegian release. “It is important that they know Norwegian conditions and can operate with us if necessary.”

MacDill KC-135s Deploy to Middle East, as McConnell Stratotankers Return

By Brian W. Everstine

KC-135s and Airmen from MacDill Air Force Base, Fla., recently deployed to the Middle East to take over the in-theater refueling mission from McConnell Air Force Base, Kan., tankers that returned home. The entire 50th Air Refueling Squadron deployed to al-Udeid Air Base, Qatar, on Aug. 18, as opposed to a piecemeal deployment of individual tankers and Airmen from across Air Mobility Command. This is the first “mass unit” deployment for the McConnell squadron, which replaced the 349th Air Refueling Squadron that also deployed as a whole unit in April. KC-135s began operating under the new deployment model, which has since moved to C-130 units as well, in August 2019, according to AMC.

8th Fighter Wing Inspects Kunsan Dorms after Mold Photos Circulate

By Jennifer-Leigh Oprihory

The 8th Fighter Wing is performing health and welfare checks at Kunsan Air Base, South Korea, to help it identify and remedy mold and other moisture-related issues in its on-base housing, after a popular Facebook page published photos and video of affected dorms, wing spokesperson Maj. Emily C. Grabowski told Air Force Magazine in an Aug. 24 email. “After seeing the troubling images that were circulating last week, wing leadership and our civil engineer squadron were concerned that issues in the dorms were not identified during previous inspections or were not being reported,” she wrote. “As such, our CE squadron recommended the following list for review during welfare checks: room temperature, humidity, dehumidifier status, mold or mildew build-up, and heating, ventilation, and air conditioning equipment issues.”

Senior Air Force Leaders Visit ‘Agility Prime’

By Brian W. Everstine

The Air Force's new senior leadership team, in its first trip together, visited the service’s effort to create a “flying car” for both military and civilian use. Air Force Secretary Barbara M. Barrett, Chief of Staff Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr., and Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force JoAnne S. Bass on Aug. 20 visited the AFWERX “Agility Prime” program near Austin, Texas. As part of the visit at Camp Mabry, the chief executive officer of LIFT flew in the company’s “Hexa” electrical vertical takeoff and landing vehicle. The futuristic machine looks like a massive consumer drone, with a small cockpit. There are 15 companies partnering with Agility Prime, and “many of them” are on contract to produce their version of a flying car, Col. Nathan Diller, AFWERX director and Agility Prime lead, said in a release. AFWERX hopes to field a vehicle in 2023.

Virtual Events: Roper Hosts ABMS ‘Ask Me Anything’, and More

By Jennifer-Leigh Oprihory

Today, Air Force acquisition boss Will Roper will host an “Ask Me Anything” event about the Advanced Battle Management System, which will be moderated by Air Force Chief Architect Preston Dunlap. The event will be livestreamed on YouTube, and you can learn more about it here.

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