Kaiserslautern American, Feb. 14, 2020

Page 1

FEATURE

Check out Valentine’s messages, Pages 14-15

Airlifter of the Week: Leading, one lesson at a time, Page 3

HEALTH

Pediatric dental patients with special needs, Page 5

February 14, 2020 | Volume 44, Number 6

FEATURE

Technical Sgt. saves a life with CPR, Page 8

Read the KA online at KaiserslauternAmerican.com

Combating electronic warfare: 1 CBCS’ secret weapon Story & photo by Staff Sgt. Devin Boyer 86th Airlift Wing Public Affairs Imagine waking up in the unknown with no knowledge of your surroundings, without a single piece of working technology. You can’t contact anyone, you can’t determine your location through GPS, and you can’t access the internet for how-to videos on survival. Now, imagine you’re in enemy territory and bullets are zipping through the air around you.

U.S. Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Brandon Krueger, 1st Combat Communications Squadron operations superintendent, poses for a photo during exercise Heavy Rain in Grostenquin, France, Jan. 15. During the exercise, Krueger observed 1st CBCS Airmen and provided feedback in dealing with a contested communications environment.

How probable is your survival? Over the years, people have become reliant on technology to pull them out of sticky situations. Similarly, advances in technology have propelled the way militaries win wars, or prevent them from happening. What happens when these technological depen-

dencies suddenly disappear? How will people function if an adversary blocks communications for ground forces? When achieving a master’s degree from the National Defense University, Chief Master Sgt. Brandon Krueger, 1st Combat Communications Squadron operations superintendent, dove into this topic with a 72-page thesis. “My thesis outlines more of an expectation management and cultural problem within the military, than a technology problem,” he said. “There’s a focus amongst all the expeditionary communications units in the Department of Defense right now trying to figure out how we operate in a contested communications environment.” A struggle for the expeditionary communications career field is See WEAPON, Page2

Air Force’s proposed $169 billion budget focuses on ‘great power competition,’ readiness, establishing Space Force by Charles Pope Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs The Department of the Air Force released a $169 billion budget proposal Feb. 10, which for the first time includes funding for the newly created U.S. Space Force while also focusing funds to help both services modernize, address threats from Russia and China, and sustain readiness. The spending plan for fiscal year 2021 carries a $900 million increase from the previous year. But unlike 2020, funding for 2021 is apportioned differently, with $153.6 billion directed to the Air Force and $15.4 billion for the Space Force. “Our fiscal year ‘21 budget proposal helps drive irreversible

momentum as we implement the National Defense Strategy,” said Secretary of the Air Force Barbara Barrett. “The strategic advantages the Air Force and the Space Force bring to our nation are vital. This budget allows us to meet today’s national security challenges while taking important steps toward the Air and Space Forces we need in 2030.” The 2018 National Defense Strategy is an overarching blueprint for the entire U.S. military for defending the nation and its interests. At the heart of the Department of the Air Force’s strategy for winning future conflicts is creating a resilient battle network that connects ships, ground forces, planes and satellites to fight together at speeds far surpassing any adver-

sary. This budget provides funds for a rapid experimentation, prototyping and development effort supporting the overall Joint Staff-led initiative to connect every sensor and shooter in land, sea, air, space and cyber. The budget proposal calls for increased investments in space as well as ensuring sufficient combat power to respond decisively to any attack against the U.S. or allies. The budget proposal also addresses what the service calls “logistics under attack,” ensuring equipment, personnel and supplies are available when and where they are needed to sustain high-tempo actions in combat operations. Specifically, the budget calls for spending $5.8 billion to purchase 48 F-35A Lightning II aircraft. It

provides $3 billion to purchase 15 KC-46A Pegasus tankers and $1.4 billion for 12 F-15EX fighters. Research and development will grow by $1.5 billion for the Air Force to a total of $26.9 billion, which includes increased investment in the burgeoning battle network — the Advanced Battle Management System — development and capability demonstrations connecting the joint force. Funding for research and development in the Space Force will grow to $10.3 billion from $9.8 billion in fiscal year 2020. The budget carries $2.8 billion for continued development of the B-21 Raider, the next generation long-range bomber, and $1.5 billion for upgrading and modernizing the ground-based nuclear

force. That figure is nearly $1 billion greater than the previous fiscal year, underscoring the priority attached to modernizing the aging ground-based nuclear deterrent. “This budget moves us forward toward meeting the missions required under the National Defense Strategy while also providing room to innovate and build for the future,” said Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David L. Goldfein. “That’s the sweet spot we always want to hit. Like every budget, we didn’t get everything we put on the table, but we got a lot and the reason is our story resonated in terms of the force that we know we need to build to win.” In order to strike a balance See BUDGET, Page2


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