Travis Tailwind: Feb. 3, 2023

Reserve airmen reflect on careers flying KC-10 Extenders out of Travis PAGE 3

TRAVIS

Travis celebrates

TAILWIND BLACK HISTORY

Chustine Minoda/U.S. Air Force

U.S. airmen walk on the flight line as part of a Black History Month celebration at Travis Air Force Base, Jan. 30. Travis celebrates Black History Month by highlighting the resilience, achievements and stories of the base’s Black airmen.

Airmen re-familiarize with M4 rifle

60th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs

TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE — Airmen from across the 60th Air Mobility Wing took time in January to re-familiarize themselves with the M4 carbine at Travis Air Force Base.

More than 1,890 active-duty airmen were scheduled to participate in the initial stages of Ready Airmen Training, a readiness training requirement from Air Force leadership in line with the new deployment model, known as Air Force Force Generation or AFFORGEN.

According to an article published by the Air Force in the summer of 2021, the Air Force is transitioning to a process that would replace the current Air Expeditionary Force construct with a 24-month cycle composed of four, six-month readiness phases. This would ensure a sustainable force offering of airmen and air power to the Joint Force. The Air Force Force Generation model was implemented Oct. 1.

“The vision for how airmen train and deploy embraces an emerging culture of support maintaining and building readiness across the AFFORGEN phases,” said Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. CQ Brown Jr. “We must challenge the status quo to prepare our airmen for operating in environments far more complex than we have in the past.”

Ready Airman Training will prepare airmen to develop and demonstrate the mindset required to support the Air Force Force Generation deployment model.

“Over the next couple of weeks, we’ll be cycling airmen from across the wing through 45-minute refresher courses on the care, safety and use of the M4 carbine rifle,” said Senior Airman David Medeiros, 60th Security Forces Squadron combat arms training and maintenance instructor.

“In today’s climate, we’re more than airmen who only do accounting, supply, medical or mechanics; we’re multicapable airmen.”

Airmen begin in the classroom where they review care and safety procedures for their weapons, then they proceed to the firing range and fire 15 rounds at 25 meters. This tailored training will be spread throughout the 18-month Reset, Prepare and Ready phase of the Air Force Force Generation cycle.

“Our (combat arms training and maintenance) instructors were given a task,

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they did all of the scheduling to cycle through over 1,890 airmen to get their hands on these weapons because that’s what was required of them,” said Master Sgt. Justin Traylor, 60th Security Forces Squadron logistics superintendent. “This quick, hands-on training gives airmen the familiarity they need to be comfortable if the occasion would arise where they need to use this weapon, especially outside of their career fields.”

Over the past year, Air Mobility Command has taken a deliberate approach to rapidly prepare for a high-end fight.

Content published in Travis Tailwind is not necessarily the official view of, nor is it endorsed by, the U.S. government, the Department of Defense or the Department of the Air Force. The appearance of advertising in the publication, including inserts or supplements, does not constitute an endorsement by the Department of Defense, the Department of the Air Force or the Daily Republic of the products or services advertised.

“Lethality matters most,” said Gen. Mike Minihan, commander of Air Mobility Command. “I’m not interested in being the best Air Force on the planet. I’m interested in being the most lethal force the world has ever known.”

The 60th Security Forces Squadron supported the training initiative with 25 additional support staff and flight personnel

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Nicholas Pilch/U.S. Air Force photos

U.S. airmen assigned to the 60th Air Mobility Wing review their targets after firing the M4 carbine at Travis Air Force Base, Jan. 18. Airmen from across the 60th Air Mobility Wing are taking the time to re-familiarize themselves with the M4 carbine throughout the rest of January in a focused Ready Airmen Training, as part of the Air Force’s new deployment model, Air Force Force Generation.

U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Maxin Smith, 60th Operation Support Squadron air traffic control journeyman, fires the M4 carbine at Travis Air Force Base, Jan. 18.

U.S. airmen assigned to the 60th Air Mobility Wing review their targets after firing the M4 carbine at Travis Air Force Base, Jan. 18.

Reserve airmen reflect on flying KC-10s out of Travis

Rossi D. Pedroza

349 AIR MOBILITY WING

TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE —

Time has a way of flying by when airmen are flying high.

Logging 30 years’ worth of flight hours in the blue, the smooth glide of the KC-10A Extender will forever cease operations Sept. 30, 2024. Travis Air Force Base will make way for a new era as the KC-46A Pegasus aircraft begin to arrive this year.

The 70th Air Refueling Squadron took delivery of the KC-10A Extender on Sept. 1, 1994. The Air Mobility Command tanker and cargo aircraft, known as “Big Sexy” by air crews due to the sleek and graceful wing design, compared to other aircraft, and performed outstandingly as an aerial refueler, which is its primary mission. Cargo, troop movement and aerial medical evacuation were also part of mission requirements this aircraft performed through its service.

Staff Sgt. Scott E. Speck, 70th Air Refueling Squadron flight engineer, was on board the KC10A when he shared his thoughts about his military journey.

“As a flight engineer on the KC-10, I run the systems and go through the checklists,” Speck said. “I get the jet ready and then put it to bed. We have an old girl to fly, and to look after her is what we must do.”

Speck said he found his way into this job while he was waiting to join active duty. He said an Air Force Reserve recruiter gave a good pitch, and after a few months had passed and signatures were signed, Speck was on his way.

“I look back now, and I have enjoyed every day of it. Any flying position I would say is a great experience,” Speck said. “I have done some traveling and have met some good people. I have a good level of responsibility which gives me a great reward at the end of the day.”

Chief Master Sgt. Donald P.

Davis, 70th Air Refueling Squadron chief boom operator, said he has put 26 years of service into the career. Davis said he has seen jets come and go.

“A more capable aircraft may never be built compared to the KC-10A Extender,“ Davis said. “The range, fuel delivery and cargo capability are second to none.”

Another air crew member who spends a lot of time on board the KC-10A Extender describes how his career as a Reserve citizen airmen started.

“I picked this career because I viewed it on YouTube, and I thought it would be cool,” Staff Sgt. Jared M. Breaux, 70th Air Refueling Squadron boom operator, said. Breaux also wanted to talk with an active-duty Air Force recruiter. “I had been talking with an active-duty recruiter, and one day he wasn’t there. But there was an Air Force Reserve recruiter that day, and so we started talking,” Breaux said.

Breaux showed the reserve recruiter the video, and the recruiter was encouraged to help him find a billet as an air crew airmen. Breaux worked the process with the recruiter, and he said is continuing his education in airway science disciplines.

Davis said both career minded reservists will be cross trained over to the KC-46A Pegasus within the next two years after the last KC-10A Extender does a “Check wheels down” at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group located at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona. The final resting place for U.S. Air Force retired aircraft is located here.

Speck reflected on what he is going to miss about the KC-10A: “I’m a little afraid of the community I am going to give up. I am in going to miss it.”

Speck reflected on his time spent in the air: “She’s a good plane. She is temperamental at times, but always in good ways. And she takes care of you.”

Breaux said he is going to miss everything about it.

“The mission is awesome. Probably the one thing I am going to miss the most is the view in the back,” he said. “Not having that

window back there to just look out of and to have that contact.”

The 70th and 79th Air Refueling Squadrons support the KC10A Extender and its mission.

The KC-10A Extender is

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Dennis Santarinala/U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Scott E. Speck, flight engineer with the 70th Air Refueling Squadron, performs preflight systems check on board one of the KC-10A Extender aircraft prior to departure.

The Washington Post

WASHINGTON — President Biden’s brusque refusal to fulfill Ukraine’s request for F-16 jets has been greeted with skepticism at the Pentagon, where some officials, citing the administration’s pattern of reversal after first rejecting other pleas from Kyiv, foresee eventual approval or a scenario where American allies provide the aircraft with administration approval.

The conjecture among U.S. defense officials follows the commander in chief’s one-word response on Monday when a reporter asked outside the White House if he would send F-16s to Ukraine. “No,” Biden replied.

One senior defense official, who, like some others interviewed for this report, spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations, said that while the Pentagon’s calculus was unlikely to shift soon, there remains a possibility that the discussion could be “M1-ed,” a reference to Biden’s recent

commitment of M1 Abrams tanks after administration officials suggested for months that the sophisticated arms would be too complex for Ukraine to maintain.

Another senior defense official acknowledged that there is growing frustration in the Pentagon among those who want to do more to help Ukraine but find their views stymied by others who favor a more cautious approach. This official said that while Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and some of his senior staff were reluctant to approve the Abrams tanks and, weeks before that, the advanced Patriot missile system, Biden eventually did so.

A Pentagon spokesman, Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder, said that the United States and its allies have provided near-term support to “sustain and bolster Ukraine’s existing air capability” and that they are consulting with Ukraine on its long-term needs. The Pentagon said in April that some allies had agreed to provide spare parts for planes that Ukraine already had.

“The war remains fluid and dynamic, so the nature of our support will continue to adapt and evolve as necessary to give Ukraine the training, equipment and capabilities they require to be effective on the battlefield,” Ryder said.

The Ukrainian request for additional fighter jets dates to the war’s opening weeks, nearly one year ago. The country’s air force

then had a few dozen Soviet-designed MiG-29 fighters, bolstered by smaller numbers of Su-24, Su-25 and Su-27 jets. Ukrainian pilots have flown them sparingly while facing a complex array of Russian surface-to-air missiles, and some have been shot down.

An assessment of the air war over Ukraine by the Royal United Services Institute in London found that Russian pilots have

remained “highly effective and lethal” against their Ukrainian counterparts, thanks to longrange missiles on their aircraft and superior technology overall. Ukrainian air defenses, infused with newer systems from the West, also have improved, prompting the Russian air force to keep its distance from the

battlefield, the assessment found. It suggested that even a small number of Western fighter jets could have a significant deterrent effect, even while facing Russian air defenses.

In late January, Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, told a gathering of U.S. and European defense leaders in Germany that they must act quickly to supply his government with tanks, long-range missiles, air defense systems and F-16s. Days later, agreements were reached

to send the tanks. Other requests, for now, remain elusive.

The Ukrainians want the F-16, in part, because there are more than two dozen nations that fly them, creating a large pool of potential donors, said David Deptula, a retired Air Force lieutenant general. Given the limited number of aircraft and spare parts available with the MiG-29, he said, Ukraine will need to adopt a Western aircraft at some point.

“What Ukraine needs is a game changer, and that’s air power,” said Deptula, the dean of the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Power Studies. “We have to stop asking what will happen if we provide air power, and start asking what will happen if we don’t.”

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Travis marks Biomedical Sciences Corps appreciation week

U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Jasmyn Leeheung, 60th Operational Medical Readiness Squadron optometry technician, demonstrates a slit lamp evaluation vision test at Travis Air Force Base, Jan. 17. The optometry flight ensures a deployable ready force; their motto is “can’t see them, can’t shoot them.” Team Travis celebrated Biomedical Sciences Corps appreciation week Jan. 23-27, recognizing the airmen who keep serviced members combat-ready.

Senior Airman Alexander Merchak/U.S. Air Force photos

U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Trevor Harding, 60th Operational Medical Readiness Squadron physical medicine technician, demonstrates the use of a Baltimore Therapeutic Exerciser at Travis Air Force Base, Jan. 17.

Air Force review to improve domestic violence support

Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs

ARLINGTON, Va. (AFNS) —

The secretary of the Air Force directed a 90-day cross-functional review Jan. 25 to comprehensively assess how domestic violence victims are supported in the Department of the Air Force.

“Domestic violence has no place in our Air and Space Forces – it breaks the bonds of our service family, destroys individuals, families and our communities, and is illegal,” Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall said. “We owe survivors of both domestic violence and sexual assault a foundation of trust to report violence, and confidence that all members of the Department of the Air Force know how to effectively respond and support.”

An Inspector General of the Department of the Air Force investigation into allegations concerning improper handling of domestic violence incidents found areas for improvement in establishing trust and rapport with victims, particularly in the early stages of reporting, response and investigations.

“While we have taken actions to improve victim response and support programs, there is more work to be done in earning and

sustaining the trust of survivors,” Kendall said.

The review will take a holistic look at the Department of the Air Force’s response to domestic violence and the support services offered to survivors of abuse. The effort will include partnering with outside organizations experienced in supporting military spouses and former military spouses who are domestic violence survivors to ensure programs, therapy and services are appropriately designed and employed for the proper prevention and treatment of those experiencing abuse.

Kendall also issued a call across the Department of the Air Force to consider how their actions create a safe and responsive environment for potential victims and survivors.

“Every member of our Air Force family deserves dignity and respect, and those who exhibit the strength and courage to seek support must be able to do so with the knowledge they will be treated with genuine care and competence,” Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. CQ Brown Jr. said.

The Department of the Air Force has taken on multiple initiatives in recent years to combat domestic violence.

“Our approach is centered on

supporting survivors and helping to prevent domestic violence and/or sexual assault in the first place,” Under Secretary of the Air Force Gina Ortiz Jones said. “This is a warfighting issue, a readiness issue and a leadership issue.”

The Department of the Air Force recently established a “Connect to Care” approach outlining explicit expectations for providing victim services. Jones in July directed the Integrated

Response Center Co-location Pilot at seven installations to improve awareness of response services, minimize retraumatization to the greatest extent possible and improve data collection and synergy among response providers.

Both initiatives are in direct response to the Department of the Air Force report on interpersonal violence published in 2021 and the Independent Review Commission on Sexual Assault in the Military recommendations with

initial feedback showing improvement in support for survivors as they navigate reporting options and available resources.

“Leaders at every level must stand ready to listen and provide the support and resources our guardians and their families deserve,” Chief of Space Operations Gen. Chance Saltzman said. “The Space Force is strongest when our guardians and families thrive.”

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From Page 7

Additional actions being taken to improve victim response and support programs include:

n Growing the number of special agents in the Office of Special Investigations solely dedicated to investigating allegations of interpersonal violence. Hiring 86 additional OSI personnel and improving training for all who investigate violent crimes,

to include domestic violence. Establishing a violent crime career track and increasing investigative interview instruction time for agents focused on these crimes to ensure the most experienced investigators are working on domestic violence cases.

n Assigning sole authority to decide whether to court martial domestic violence offenders to the Office of Special Trial Counsel. The office reports directly to the secretary of the Air Force independently of the command reporting structure and has a staff

of expert military litigators with experience prosecuting domestic violence and other serious crimes. The office will streamline the investigation and trial process, decrease case processing times, ensure experts in domestic violence investigate allegations immediately after an offense is reported, and prosecute the cases where appropriate leveraging expertise from specialized legal, law enforcement and prevention leaders.

n Improving the transitional compensation for abused

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dependents application process. Providing economic support, medical and on-base shopping privileges to eligible survivors of domestic violence. More information can be found at https:// www.resilience.af.mil/DomesticAbuse-Survivor-Support/.

n Establishing an electronic system that allows domestic abuse violence advocates to maintain records longer to better track and identify situations of repeated domestic abuse. Because domestic violence is now a separately enumerated offense under

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DoD releases Small Business Strategy

Department of Defense News

WASHINGTON (AFNS) —

The Department of Defense released its Small Business Strategy on Jan. 26. The strategy promotes a strong, dynamic and robust small business industrial base by focusing on reducing barriers to entry, increasing setaside competitions and leveraging programs to grow the industrial base.

“From manufacturers providing the critical parts that we need for our arsenal – to technology companies developing innovative systems and capabilities – small businesses are vital along the entire spectrum of the Department’s needs,” Deputy Secretary

M4

From Page 2

from more than 10 internal sections.

“As Defenders, we are expected to always be ready, adjust to anything and everything thrown at us and still maintain the security of the base and the safety of the people,” said Senior Master Sgt. Kazue Martinez, 60th Security

of Defense Kathleen Hicks said. “Reducing barriers and creating more opportunities for small businesses will allow us to expand, innovate and diversify, increasing our warfighter advantage, strengthening our supply chains, increasing competition in our marketplace and growing our economy here at home.”

Small businesses make up 99.9% of all U.S. businesses as well as 73% of companies in the defense industrial base, and last year small businesses were awarded more than 25% of all DoD prime contracts. As the economic engine of the nation, small businesses create jobs, generate

See STRATEGY Page 12

Forces Squadron Senior enlisted leader.

To echo Air Mobility Command initiatives, the 60th Security Forces Squadron took a proactive approach, highlighting the Air Force Force Generation deployment model. The Security Forces airmen executed the familiarization training initiatives within the month, while maintaining their daily operational requirements in support of air base ground defense.

Military Discounts Gratefully Given THOSE WHO SERVE

Nicholas Pilch/U.S. Air Force

U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Jester Sarangay helps an airman troubleshoot a jam on the M4 carbine at Travis Air Force Base, Jan. 18.

Strategy

From Page 11

innovation and are essential, daily contributors to national security and the defense mission.

This strategy will help DoD harness the full potential of small businesses through three objectives: implement a unified management approach for small business programs and activities; ensure the department’s small business activities align with national security priorities; and strengthen the department’s engagement and support of small businesses.

“Fostering a resilient and robust industrial base is one of my top priorities,” Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment William LaPlante said. “Supporting small businesses is not just about meeting a goal or checking a box; it’s about building advantages for our warfighters. All of American industry, especially our innovative small businesses, has a role in developing, delivering and sustaining the critical capabilities that are required to further implement the National Defense Strategy.”

“Small businesses are crucial to national security,” Director of the Office of Small Business Programs Farooq Mitha said. “Our military depends on small businesses that bring innovation and agility to support DoD’s mission.”

As part of DoD’s efforts to strengthen support of small businesses, this strategy focuses on stepping up engagement with industry, including providing more tools and resources. This engagement and training effort will be facilitated by the department’s 96 APEX Accelerators located across the country, formerly known as the Procurement Technical Assistance Centers, which serve as a resource for small businesses to increase their readiness, help them find opportunities to do business with the department and accelerate their insertion into the defense marketplace.