Bronze Stars for Two PJs | More 5G at Bases | DOD Rolls Out Data Strategy

Oct. 13, 2020

Edited by Brian W. Everstine with Rachel S. Cohen and Jennifer-Leigh Oprihory

Two Bronze Stars with valor sit on a table at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., on Oct. 1, 2020. U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Adam and Staff Sgt. Benjamin, 48th Rescue Squadron pararescuemen, were presented Bronze Stars with valor for their actions while deployed. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Jacob T. Stephens.

Pararescuemen Earn Bronze Stars for Bravery in Afghanistan

By Brian W. Everstine

Two pararescuemen on Oct. 1 received Bronze Stars with Valor for their roles in saving the lives of partner forces in two separate fights in Afghanistan in 2019. Master Sgt. Adam Fagan and Staff Sgt. Benjamin Brudnicki, Airmen serving in the 48th Rescue Squadron, received the nation’s fourth-highest military honor during a ceremony at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz. They credited training before their deployment for saving the lives of special operations forces overseas. “The experience and brotherhood created with my team overseas is the most valuable piece for me,” Brudnicki said in a release.

DOD Continues Push to Bring 5G to Bases

By Rachel S. Cohen

Wireless networking initiatives are spreading across the Defense Department as the military embraces 5G technology. On Oct. 8, the Pentagon awarded $600 million in contracts to several companies that will test out uses of fifth-generation wireless networks at military installations nationwide. Those projects advance alongside the Air Force’s rollout of 5G at its own bases. This is DOD's first round of 5G experimentation contracts, and it will announce work at more sites in the future.

Pentagon Issues Strategy to Better Harness Data

By Rachel S. Cohen

The Pentagon this month debuted an overarching data strategy to move the military toward cloud storage, information-crunching algorithms, and predictive analytics for digital-age warfare. “Adversaries are also racing to amass data superiority, and whichever side can better leverage data will gain military advantage,” Deputy Defense Secretary David L. Norquist. “Our ability to fight and win wars requires that we become world leaders in operationalizing and protecting our data resources at speed and scale.” A new Chief Data Officer Council will help turn plans into reality.

Air National Guard Gets New Command Chief Master Sergeant

By Brian W. Everstine

Chief Master Sgt. Maurice L. Williams took over as the 13th command chief master sergeant of the Air National Guard during an Oct. 9 ceremony at the Pentagon’s Hall of Heroes. Williams, previously the senior enlisted adviser of the Kansas National Guard, replaces Chief Master Sgt. Ronald C. Anderson. “He’s been there on the frontlines with each and every one of our Airmen,” Air National Guard Director Lt. Gen. Michael A. Loh said at the ceremony. “He knows what they feel, he knows how they act, he knows the tough things we do when we’re deployed away form home and how our families feel.”

Outstanding Airmen of the Year

The Outstanding Airman Program annually recognizes 12 enlisted members for superior leadership, job performance, community involvement, and personal achievements. The Air Force Association drove the creation of the Outstanding Airmen of the Year program, which debuted at AFA’s 10th annual convention in 1956. Airmen selected receive the Outstanding Airman of the Year ribbon with bronze service star device; they also wear the Outstanding Airman badge for a full year. This year’s honorees were chosen by a selection board from among nominees advanced by commands in the Air Force and Space Force.

Virtual Events: USSF’s Saltzman on Mitchell’s Space Power Forum, and More

By Jennifer-Leigh Oprihory

On Oct. 16, the Air Force Association's Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies will host a Space Power Forum featuring Space Force Deputy Chief of Space Operations for Operations, Cyber, and Nuclear Lt. Gen. B. Chance Saltzman. The think tank will tentatively post event video on its website and YouTube page.

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.

Study Offers Recommendations for Retaining Air Force Civilians

Federal News Network’s “Federal Drive with Tom Temin” podcast

Maria Lytell, associate director for the Personnel, Training, and Health Program at the RAND Corporation’s Arroyo Center, and Kirsten Keller, senior behavioral scientist and associate director of the Manpower, Personnel, and Training Program at RAND’s Project AIR FORCE, joined discuss a RAND study examining USAF’s challenges retaining civilian employees.

Commander at Lewis-McChord Base Hospital Is Suspended, Under Investigation

Stars and Stripes (Subscription Required)

Col. Christopher H. Warner was suspended from his duties as commander of Madigan Army Medical Center at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash., after less than three months on the job, base officials confirmed Oct. 8.

OPINION: A National Security Reckoning

Foreign Affairs

“In a year marked by plague and protest, Americans are reckoning with long-overdue questions about racial justice, economic inequality, and disparities in health care,” writes former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. “The current crisis should also prompt a reckoning about the United States’ national security priorities. The country is dangerously unprepared for a range of threats, not just future pandemics but also an escalating climate crisis and multidimensional challenges from China and Russia.”

Satellite Images Confirm Turkish F-16 Fighters Secretly Deployed To Azerbaijan

The Drive

F-16s appear to have remained in Azerbaijan long after Turkey sent them there for an exercise months ago, despite denials from Ankara and Baku.

More than 1,000 Air Force Cyber Security Operators to Transfer to Space Force

SpaceNews

As many as 1,000 enlisted personnel and 130 officers currently in Air Force cyber security jobs will be asked to join the U.S. Space Force, a senior official said Oct. 8. The selected airmen from cyber security career fields also have expertise in space programs and could be transferring to the Space Force in fiscal year 2021, said Maj. Gen. Kimberly A. Crider, Space Force chief technology and innovation officer.

Joint All-Domain Awareness

Air Force Magazine

Get a better sense of the drive for greater connectedness between air, space, cyber, land, and maritime forces. Catch up on all-things JADC2 now.

Chief Bass: Disrespect of Fellow Airmen Must Stop—Now

Air Force Times

Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force JoAnne S. Bass on Oct. 8 delivered a strong message to airmen who think it’s funny to harass or disrespect their fellow airmen: “Respect is non-negotiable.”

One More Thing

At Naval Station Norfolk, a Different Kind of Bucket Line to Fight Fires

Daily Press

They broke the Bambi Buckets out of storage a few weeks back, after seeing how Navy helicopters pitched in to battle California’s wildfires. Now Norfolk, Va.-based helicopter pilots are practicing the careful art of flying the six-foot, collapsible fabric bucket to drop 11,000 pounds of water on roaring blazes.