L O G I S T I C S O F F I C E R A S S O C I AT I O N Enhancing the military logistics profession since 1982
EXECUTIVE BOARD President Col Carmen Mezzacappa president@loanational.org Vice President Lt Col Evan Miller vicepres@loanational.org Treasurer Major Kevin Sampels treasurer@loanational.org Assistant Treasurer Lt Col Tracy Smiedendorf assttreas@loanational.org Membership Development Capt Stephanie Halcrow membership@loanational.org
The Exceptional Release SPRING 2003
Summer 2003
FEATURES Reflections on Operation IRAQI FREEDOM . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 To Dare Mighty Things . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Leaping Loggies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 Resurrecting the Spirit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 Joint Logistics - In Support of Ground Combat . . . . . . . . . . .18 Packing Up and Heading Out . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22 Supporting a Shadow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24
Executive Senior Advisor Lt Gen Michael E. Zettler
B-1 Dual Dock Phase Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28
ANG Advisor Brig Gen Paul S. Kimmel
Contractors - A Vital Part In War Effort . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32
AFRC Advisor Maj Gen Douglas S. Metcalf
Thinking About Military Logistics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35
Retiree Advisor Lt Col (Ret.) Ray Reed ray.reed@cmsis.com
2003 National Conference Info
Historian Col (ret) James E. Maher
National Conference Update . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36
LOA Website www.loanational.org
National Conference Agenda . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38
Webmaster Capt JD DuVall webmaster@loanational.org
National Conference Corporate Sponsors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39
THE EXCEPTIONAL RELEASE Editor Lt Col James “Reggie” Hall Assistant Editor Col (ret) Kent Mueller editor@loanational.org Executive Director, Marketing/PR ER Managing Editor/Publisher Marta Hannon pr@loanational.org Graphic Design MMagination, Inc. - Fairfax, VA LOA National PO Box 2264 – Arlington, VA 22202 ISSUE NO. 89 – SUMMER 2003
National Conference Booth and Exhibitor Layout . . . . . . . . .40
In Every Issue Vantage Point . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Editor's Debrief . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 CGO Corner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41 Chapter Update . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42 MOA/LOA History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45 On The Move . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46 ER Cover Photo: A crewmember from the 71st Expeditionary Rescue Squadron performs a postflight maintenance inspection on an HC-130 Hercules at a forward deployed Operation IRAQI FREEDOM location. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Lindsey M. Slocum)
Vantage Point I trust this finds you ending a fun-filled summer. If you're deployed making air power happen, our thoughts and prayers are with you and your families. Deployed or not, my sincere wish is that you are growing as a logistician and having fun at your job! In response to your ER Survey comments (201 responded), this issue is full of articles from deployed loggies supporting OIF and OEF--to include bomber units, munitions, loggies who jumped into Iraq and more. Authors are from a variety of ranks/logistics disciplines, including contractor partners. We are trying diligently to meet deadlines to ensure consistent and timely receipt of your magazines as well as improved quality.
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Plan to attend the Expeditionary Crossroads Conference in OK City 13-16 Oct. The Crossroads Chapter is doing a fantastic job coordinating with the National Board, local hotels, and caterers to make this the highlight of your year! Its mid-august and we already have over 600 registrants. There's an excellent speaker slate from all logistics disciplines and a variety of rank structure. Events start on Monday with a golf tournament and wind up Thursday with General Jumper's Keynote for the banquet. We welcome spouse attendance, and offer several fantastic spouse tours. You'll find more specific conference information and updates in the conference section of this issue or on our website. Thanks to our vendor partners, we have over 85 booth spaces sold and a number of corporate sponsors helping us put on the best LOA conference ever. There are few booths and sponsorships still available so contact Marta Hannon for details now! Speaking of the conference, we now provide our membership the opportunity to use credit cards to pay for conference registration--to transition LOA into an organization that provides the convenience to do your business on-line. However, the online service is not free, therefore, LOA must charge a conference cancellation fee of $20 prior to 19 September. This defrays most (but not all) bank charges LOA incurs. If you cancel after 19 September you could lose all of your fees due to commitments to the hotel and conference center--contact the conference staff if you must cancel your registration. There are many volunteers I must thank on behalf of LOA. Thanks to Donna Parry for photographing last year's conference. We failed to thank her in our last issue, and I apologize. Capt Stephanie Halcrow, of the Wasatch Warriors, has stepped up to be our Membership Officer to help us reach our goal of 2500 members by 2005. She will be working with chapters on start-up, membership, enrollment, and member updates. Mr. Ray Reed (President from 1986-1988) will be replacing Col (ret) Geary Wallace as our Retiree Advisor. I'd like to especially recognize him for starting and continuing to personally contribute generously to our scholarship fund! We have an Editorial Staff recognized further in Editor's Debrief. This team helped Reggie and Marta edit, proof and review ER articles. Last, but surely not least, I must thank Lt Col Reggie Hall for his work as Asst Editor and ER Editor for the past year. He helped us transition to a new PR/Marketing Manager and worked with her to promote the ER Survey. His contributions, to include forming our Editorial Staff, were invaluable and I wish him and his family well as they transition to their new station in Hawaii. (Someone has to do it!) I welcome Col (ret) Kent Mueller as our new ER Editor. Kent was our editor a few years ago and has volunteered to fill Reggie's shoes. Thanks from LOA to all of you who I've mentioned above, and to all the unsung volunteers throughout the chapters that I cannot make note of here. You are what make our organization vibrant and strong. Enjoy this issue of the ER, and I sincerely hope to meet you at the conference!
––C O L C A R M E N M E Z Z A C A P P A , LOA President 2 SUMMER
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Editor’s Debrief The E xceptional R elease
A Professional Military Journal written by logisticians for logisticians The purpose of the Logistics Officer Association (LOA) is to enhance the military logistics profession. LOA provides an open forum to promote quality logistics support and logistic officer professional development. Policy on Written Submissions: The editor invites articles and other contributions on issues that support LOA’s purpose. Direct manuscripts, letters and other communications to pr@loanational.org. Deadlines: The 1st day of March, June, September and December. Story Format: Double-spaced, typed and electronically submitted to pr@loanational.org. Photos & Graphics: Send individual electronic files (JPG, TIFF or EPS with type as outlines) along with stories (as separate text files) and include cutlines/captions. All photos should be at least 300 dpi or greater resolution. Submitter data: Should be typed at the end of the story file. Information included should be: Rank; full name; service; home mailing address; business name and address; business phone (DSN and commercial); email; three to five sentence biographical sketch; and a photo (as a separate file – see photos and graphics above). Editorial Policy: The editors reserve the right to edit all submissions for length, clarity and libel. All submissions become the property of LOA. Advertisement Formats: Each ad must be sent as a composite hi-res (300 dpi or greater) EPS file with fonts saved as outlines. Full-page ads with bleeds should allow at least 3/8” bleeds. Advertising Contact: Ms Marta Hannon, Managing Editor PO Box 2264 Arlington, VA 22202 email: pr@loanational.org Subscriptions: The ER is published quarterly and is available via membership in the Logistics Officer Association at the annual rate of $25. Access membership forms on the website at www.loanational.org.
This issue is filled with stories from Operation IRAQI FREEDOM and offers a glimpse of agile combat support in action. We've compiled tales from logisticians who deployed in support of OIF to provide insight on logistics operations in the combat zone. But first I'd like to mention a few new members of the ER staff. Lt Col Cheryl Allen joins the ER staff as our new Assistant Editor and LOA National Pentagon Liaison. Maj Dana Pelletier is our new Chapter Updates editor. The ER editing team is: Col Mary Parker, Lt Col Richard Schwing, Maj Gene Carter, Capt Robert Bearden, Capt Richard Fletcher, Capt Mark O'Reily. The CGO Corner is a result of feedback received from our reader survey and will provide a forum for topics of particular interest to our company grade members. When the call came to launch the air campaign for OIF, the coalition responded with roughly 1,000 strike sorties a night during the first week of operations. Since then, airmen have worked around the clock and around the world to keep air power flexed. The efforts of loggies deployed in support of OIF are a testament to the ingenuity, professionalism, and warrior spirit to do whatever it takes to get the job done. We begin with insights from Lt Gen Michael Zettler, AF/IL on the planning efforts initiated months before operations began and laid the foundation for successful air power operations. Next, we present an account of the first Air Force logistics professionals to jump into combat in over 50 years. The issue is filled with first hand accounts of wartime logistics from maintainers, planning officers and even contract partners. This will be my last issue as your ER editor. I'm passing the torch back to a former editor Col (ret) Kent Muller who has agreed to re-engage as I begin my joint tour as the Assistant Chief of Staff for Operations, 599th Transportation Group at Wheeler AAF, Hawaii. Thanks to Col Mezzacappa and the LOA National executive board for the opportunity to serve as senior editor and also a big thanks to Marta Hannon and all the ER volunteers for making the ER better than you found it. Best of luck in the future, I know you'll continue to do great things. Aloha,
––R E G G I E H A L L EXCEPTIONAL RELEASE
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Reflections on Operation IRAQI FREEDOM: “ P L A N N I N G I S A S I M P O R TA N T A S E X E C U T I N G ” Air Force planners had been very carefully preparing for war in Iraq long before the first night of the Operation IRAQI FREEDOM (OIF) air campaign. In fact, much of the installations and logistics (IL) planning started nearly one year before those first bombs hit Baghdad. As I begin, I’d like to say that there are many people much more qualified than me to discuss the operational details of OIF. However, I personally witnessed IL personnel on the Air Staff and in the field in the thick of its strategic planning. Therefore, I’m pleased to share with you their story.
Lt Gen Michael E. Zettler
Getting started early with any planning effort is every IL action officer’s dream…and that’s exactly what happened prior to OIF. Initial planning efforts commenced in May 2002 with CENTCOM’s logistics sustainment conference, which revealed to the logisticians the new Iraq OPLAN. To champion the colossal logistics requirements evident in the OPLAN, as well as those that the Combatant Commander, General Tommy Franks, would invariably need to achieve success, I formed an Agile Combat Expeditionary Support (ACES) team. Led by a very adroit Colonel Frank Gorman, this 7-person ACES team set up operations in our Combat Support Center. Working hand-in-hand with the Air Force/XO’s Checkmate team in the basement of the Pentagon, they began putting the gears in motion for what would eventually manifest itself into a herculean logistics effort. My guidance to them was very broad, but clear: “Identify the issues, seek solutions, and above all, get us ready.” The ACES team, which is still up and running, is a cross section of core IL functions comprised of expertise from: Communications, Services, Supply, Fuels, Munitions, Transportation, Maintenance, and Civil Engineering. Working closely with CENTAF, the operations folks in Checkmate, and planners from around the globe, the ACES team went to work. In August 2002, their initial planning details were presented to CENTAF at the logistics sustainability analysis (LSA) conference. This conference, conducted at appropriately classified levels, involved over 100 people representing all MAJCOMs. After this historic LSA, Colonel Duane Jones, Chief of Logistics for the Combined Forces Air Component Command, championed the findings and subsequently pitched them to CENTCOM. As a result, CENTCOM gave us the thumbs-up to begin focusing on several critical areas such as construction, communications equipment, spare parts, vehicles, fuels equipment, housing, feeding facilities, munitions, and so on. Consequently, planners were able to draft support contracts, source equipment, move goods, and plan for the anticipated high usage of spare parts needed to maintain the projected sortie rates and flying hours. Let me highlight just one of the many examples of smart planning used prior to OIF. To ensure there were enough munitions in theater, the planners looked at the retrograde schedule of three afloat pre-positioned fleet (APF) ships and WRM sustainment ammo as well as the stocks in USAFE. Carefully comparing the APF retrograde schedule with CENTCOM’s requirements, the ACES team, in concert with the MAJCOMs, decided to change the schedule for one of the ships and steamed munitions to the theater early. Not only did this ensure munitions were in place, but it saved money and precious airlift by moving them to the theater by using surface ships. This clairvoyance enabled the right munitions to be in the right place at the right time, ultimately enabling our aircrews to expend over 12,000 precision munitions during OIF. Moreover, by doing this we found ourselves not having to react to get munitions to the fight. Advanced planning and execution made it look easy, but we all know that in reality movement and build up of munitions is anything but easy. Surface movement wasn’t limited to munitions; it also helped us move the bulk of our heavy equipment to the AOR.
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Major end items such as fire trucks and refuelers to support the air operations were preferably sent by sealift. However, it was the smart combination of airlift, sealift, and tankers that enabled our forces to quickly and safely deploy and set up operations. Here’s just a sliver of what your IL team has achieved: Over 30,000 combat support personnel deployed with over 38 various Basic Expeditionary Airfield Resources sets Maintainers bedded down & maintained nearly 900 aircraft Fuels troops pumped over 220 million gallons of aviation fuel (and still counting) Civil Engineers not only built the largest aircraft parking ramp in the world, they set up bases, maintained power systems, drilled wells, and conducted CBRN operations ! Communications technicians established bandwith 8 times larger than OEF, 20 times larger than DESERT STORM ! Services served over 111,000 hot meals per day on average, including hot meals on Easter Sunday for all Airmen at all supported bases ! ! ! !
Without a doubt, the amazing performance of all our troops before, during, and after OIF has simply watered the eyes of the IL staff. Most impressive was the way you collectively were able to get results out of your equipment, despite the fact that most of our aircraft are flying their highest UTEs since the Gulf War. It took the efforts of the aforementioned 30,000 combat support troops as well as all the maintenance and munitions troops who deployed with the aviation packages to generate sorties and to earn the MC rates we’re experiencing. Aggregate Air Force MC rates are above 76% for the first time since FY97 and the ever-improving Air Force supply support is greatly contributing to this; it continues as an Air Force success story. The performance of all of our weapons systems deserves kudos: airlifters, fighters, bombers, tankers, and ISR platforms. I’d be remiss if I didn’t showcase a select few: ! For starters, our combined fleet of active, guard, and reserve T-Tail warhorses inserted over 289,000 personnel into the AOR. Flying the bulk of the airlift missions, the C-17, for example, continues to set new records for flying hours and utilization rates with MC rates in the 86-88% range. ! Leading the fighter fleet is the F-15E Strike Eagle. It’s experiencing MC rates 4 points higher than FY01 with a 45% reduction in cann rates since FY97. ! The B-1 continues to lead the Air Force in MC and TNMCS improvements with 71.6% and 12.1% respectively – significant improvements since the late 1990s. ! In the ISR community, the U-2 continues its steady performance with MC rates at 77% for the last 3 years, while the E-3s FY03 MC and TNMCM rates are the best since FY97. These are impressive statistics but once again testament to the phenomenal synergistic work being done by all the suppliers, transporters, and maintainers supporting those aircraft. More specific examples of stellar performance includes the suppliers turning on the pipeline and having parts available when needed and the transporters putting in place shipment nodes and creating in-transit visibility that allowed timely and accurate movement of assets – all this was facilitated because we planned for it. Our mobility assets played a pivotal role in OIF success. Beyond inserting forces into the AOR via strategic airlift, they performed critical intratheater airlift as well. Proving instrumental, the latter enabled us to get replacement aircraft parts, components, engines and ECM/targeting pods to the deployed units. We certainly demonstrated that with the right airlift support we could complete the mission with a reduced footprint in the AOR. A large measure of success in this area goes to our planning for Centralized Intermediate Repair Facilities, or CIRFs. Our CIRFs were hugely successful thanks to the suppliers, transporters, and maintainers who manned them and worked together as a synchronized team. continued on following page...
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Initially established during ALLIED FORCE in Kosovo, CIRFs proved equally invaluable during OIF in repairing engines, pods, avionics and other components for our combat units. By positioning the CIRFs at existing USAFE work centers, or a few selected CENTAF sites, we were able to minimize our deployed footprint while continuing to provide intermediate level maintenance for critical items. Fourteen USAFE maintenance work centers were augmented with a total of 317 active and reserve forces maintenance technicians. Working with the permanent party folks, these CIRF augmentees repaired 16 fighter engines, 40 pods, 491 avionics components, 230 wheels and tires, 97 brakes, 13 C-130 engines, 65 C-130 props, 9 hydrazine tanks, and 150 patient LOX bottles. The bottom line here is that we met our combat taskings because our units had the spares they needed to generate sorties — CIRFs, and again the personnel who manned them, made this possible. The sequel to our CIRF success is that we still have work to do on managing the transportation process. Our transporters did great work, but we need to improve the process that identifies the fact that we have critical retrograde ready to go to the CIRF, or repaired items ready to move to the operational bases. CIRF works, but only as well as the transportation execution piece. As I mentioned earlier, nearly a year of planning culminated many extraordinary actions. However, one example in particular is uniquely impressive and captures the pure essence of what we can achieve. I was beaming at the Pentagon when I heard the story of the Red Tail Express. Tracing their heritage back to the Tuskegee Airmen, the Red Tails of the 332d Air Expeditionary Wing made history with their ingenuity and bold determination by convoying critical food, water, ammo, refueling vehicles, and fire trucks from Kuwait into the heart of Iraq to establish operational capability. Newspaper Clipping. Caption: “Members of Goodfellow Air Force Base’s Security Forces With the US Army providing cover Squadron escort a convoy of three tankers of jet fuel, a fire truck and semis carrying bulldozers and supplies toward the Iraq border, enroute to provide backup for a recently and protection, they snaked their way secured airbase in Iraq.” Photo by A1C Valentine Cortez, 17th Security Forces Squadron. through shifting sands and enemy fire, ultimately enabling critical supplies to reach new airfields and allowing the beddown and sustainment of aircraft and their support personnel – truly a remarkable accomplishment, and one that none of us thought our Expeditionary Air Force would be doing. Now that the largest part of the air war is over, there has been recent talk about “resetting the force” – more planning. In addition to allowing our troops to recuperate as we bring our forces back home, we need to determine what capabilities we’ve temporarily lost due to the war and what capabilities we need. Thus, the job of the ACES team isn’t finished yet. Teaming with the Director of Logistics Readiness, they’re leading this reconstitution and recapitalization effort. Beyond the simple identification piece, we need to ascertain how we work these requirements into the Program
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Objective Memorandum and budgets for items such as vehicles and munitions. That’s one of the many jobs of the IL staff here in the Pentagon. With the help of the MAJCOMs, we’re ensuring our agile combat support requirements are properly identified, funded and ultimately delivered into the hands of the warfighters. As I bring this article to a close, chances are good that many of you are working lessons learned and thinking how to do the tasks even better. Getting an early start certainly helps guarantee success. Right now, you’re leading and training your people and ensuring your equipment and materials are in good shape. In case you haven’t put these on your list yet, let me emphasize two critical lessons. First, remember that planning is as important as executing. Weaving logistics into the operations planning early enough will help influence and improve operations and tactics. Secondly, making adjustments through deliberate planning will save lives, money, and valuable resources. I urge you to jot these down and put them in your planning folder. They’ll certainly come in handy in the future. Lastly, I’d like to personally thank each of you for contributing to the success of OIF. Airmen, NCOs, officers, civilians, and contractors from our entire IL community: Communications, Civil Engineering, Maintenance, Munitions, Missiles, Services, and Logistics Readiness performed marvelously. I’m proud to represent you as the Air Force IL. Since the terrorist attacks of 11 Sept 01, your Air Force has been at a full sprint as we operate from nearly every corner of the globe and you’ve been the world-class sprinters. Quite frankly, you are the reason why “No One Comes Close.” Keep up the great work!
––L T G E N M I C H A E L E . Z E T T L E R
Tinker AFB, Oklahoma City, is home to LOA’s Crossroads Chapter, host of the 2003 LOA National Conference. Tinker is also home of one of the Air Force’s three premier aviation repair and overhaul facilities and the Air Force’s only engine depot-level repair facility. This year’s conference theme, Expeditionary Crossroads, focuses on expeditionary logistics and transformational issues. Mark your calendar now for October 13-16, 2003. For more information, visit www.loanational.org.
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To Dare Mighty Things It is safe to say that the OIF Northern front owed its momentum to combat transporters. Combat transportation and port operations did not die with the departure of the Mobile Aerial Port Squadrons. It’s alive and well in the hands of the members of 86 AMS as proven during vital airborne operations and combat mobility into Northern Iraq. During OIF it was commanded by Lt Col Michael A. Marra, who was assisted by Director of Operations: Capt Timothy Lee (Transportation), Superintendent: MSgt Paulo DaSilva (AGE maintenance), and First Sergeant TSgt Hector Nieves.
ER: TO DARE MIGHTY THINGS
With 65 authorized and 56 assigned, its mission was to provide a rapidly deployable, first-in air mobility command and control structure capable of expediting the deployment, reception, servicing and bed-down of airlift aircraft and aircrew for expeditionary operations. This was accomplished through the integration of command and control, mobile aerial port, aircraft maintenance, communications, readiness/resources and force protection disciplines into a single team of highly trained, physically fit, disciplined, focused and motivated professional airmen. This was just one small but critical operation in a large conflict. Again, logistics professionals made the difference by moving an enormous amount of combat power through a very small airhead in an austere location in record time. The effect of a small but powerful Army and Air Force in the north gave the combatant commander the leverage needed to successfully prosecute the war in other parts of Iraq, resulting in a rapid and decisive victory. Keys to the success of this operation were having the right equipment, training, and the confidence of the front line supervisors to trust even the newest airmen performing on the flight-line. Despite bad weather, darkness, enemy missile attacks, and extremely harsh living conditions, the field had no delays and delivered 100% of the personnel, rolling stock and cargo to our Army warriors. As an integral part of the 86 CRG operations, AMS members were part of the combat jump into Bashur, contributing millions of pounds of time-sensitive combat cargo handling to vital operations in Northern Iraq...living up to their battle cry‌ TO DARE MIGHTY THINGS! K
Members of the 86 CRG that jumped into Bashur, N. Iraq. Photo by Tsgt Richard C. Puckett. 1st Row Kneeling from L to R: MSgt Chuck Cremeans, TSgt Ben Delmar, Capt Jason Beers, Col Steve Weart (holding flag), Maj Erik Rundquist, Capt Mike Evancic, SSgt Damian Spaits 2nd Row Standing from L to R: MSgt Gary Ruddell, TSgt Chet Kelley, 1st Lt Jarrett Lee, SSgt Frank Barnett, SMSgt Bob Henson, SSgt Josh Braune, TSgt Bobby Hoyt, SSgt Jeff Scott, SSgt Ace Jones, SSgt Frank Zientek, SMSgt Chris Batta, SSgt Larry Knoll, MSgt Bill Maus.
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trained pretty hard for this job, but it wasn’t until August of 2000 that I finally was able to get a slot to Airborne School at Ft Benning, GA. That was to be the hardest, most exciting 3 weeks of my life (up to that point). I completed my fifth and final jump at school on 13 Oct 2000. Once back at the unit, I participated in airborne exercises in many countries, including Germany, France, Hungary, Italy, England, Bulgaria, and lastly Iraq. FARRP (Forward Area Refueling and Rearming Point) School and PLMC (Petroleum Leadership Management Course) rounded out all of the advanced fuels schools needed for Contingency Response Group (CRG) operations. Training to perform various fuels missions, we traveled to Senegal, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Bulgaria, Romania, Azerbaijan, and Russia. Needless to say, we were mission ready. The work up for a potential Iraqi mission began in November 2002. By February 2003, we sent a team to
LOGGIES Vicenza, Italy to work with the 173d Airborne Brigade. In the mean-time numerous people wanted eyes on the potential airfield. Fellow Airman, TSgt Chet Kelley and I were sent to Romania to try to get into Bashur Airfield as an advance team to conduct a pavement evaluation and site survey. However, due to diplomatic clearance problems in neighboring countries, we were unable to complete the mission and on 21 March we were recalled, and the unit left for Aviano the next day. While at Aviano we conducted training both within the unit, and with the paratroopers of the 173rd. As of yet a final day had not been set for the drop. On 25 March we got the word that 26 March was a go. From there everything occurred very quickly and 26 March was a day I will never forget. We got up early, not that we got much sleep to begin with and did our final equipment and gear checks. We all (20 AF from the 86 CRG and 980 from the Army) proceeded to continued on following page...
Photo: More than 2,000 "Sky Soldiers" of the 173rd Airborne Brigade, Air Force tactical air controllers and airmen of the 86th Contingency Response Group, Ramstein Air Base, Germany, parachuted into the Kurdish-controlled area of northern Iraq. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Stephen Faulisi) EXCEPTIONAL RELEASE
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from 40,000 feet to 1200 feet in about 2 minutes. Once the plane leveled out it was a little easier to stand although not much. I’ll tell you Disney should patent this stuff! I can honestly tell you that there is no way to describe what I was thinking when I heard that two minute warning, it is definitely a “you had to be there” kind of thing. Even as I sit here reliving it, I still get butterflies in my stomach.
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Staff Sgt. Brian Munn takes cover behind a forklift April 12 as a C-17 Globemaster III taxis toward the runway at Bashur Airfield in northern Iraq. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Keith Reed)
a soccer field near the flight line and conducted our sustained airborne training. This consisted of going over jump procedures, actions upon landing, and various safety briefings. Around 1500 we headed to our assigned aircraft for chute issue and donning then boarded the C-17 for a 1700 launch. We received word at the last minute that Turkey had granted over-flight permission, reducing our flight time from 8 hours to 4.
There were 100 jumpers per aircraft, I was number 27 on the left door, middle row second man in. As the 25th jumper came down the outside isle he was screaming, “last man, last man” letting the inboard jumpers know to get ready to go. I
The first thing you do when you exit the aircraft is count, “one thousand, two thousand, three thousand, four thousand” that is how long it takes your chute to deploy. If you don’t feel an opening shock, you have the rest of your airborne life to pull your reserve!
My aircraft was the last of a 10-ship formation that departed Aviano. While in the air you try to clear your felt my stomach lurch. I remember thinking, “I’m a head and focus on the mission at hand, but I’ll tell you *&@^@%#$ POL troop, what the Hell am I doing here?” when you’re jumping into an unknown country under pos- At that point there was nothing else to do, I was commitsible hostile conditions, it’s hard to think of anything else. ted to the mission. At approximately 2230Z 26 Mar 2003 About two hours into the flight we rigged up our gear, I exited the C-17 into the great unknown of northern Iraq. hooking up rucksacks to waistband and weapons. I might point out that I woke up that morning weighing approxi- The night was picked because there was no moon and NO LIGHT! You couldn’t see your hand in front of mately 185 your face. At 1200 feet, it takes about 10 to 12 lbs, when I The warning came quickly after that, seconds to hit the ground, and when you can’t exited the airsee, everything seems to happen even faster. “TWO MINUTES, 1 MINUTE, craft I was closer to 320 30 SECONDS, GO! GO! GO!” Luckily my chute deployed, although it was a bit lbs. The antitwisted. At this point training takes over, I got rid aircraft threat of the twist just in time to make final adjustments was unknown at the time so we entered Iraqi airspace at and hit the ground. Normally you lower your ruck, but 40,000 feet. At 10 minutes out we got the “stand up, hook things seemed to happen in a different time zone that up” call from the jumpmaster. Once we were all hooked up night. I landed while still wearing all of my equipment. and ready to go, the aircraft started its decent. We dropped That hurt! I did my “206 check”, that’s where you wiggle 10 S U M M E R
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everything to make sure you don’t have more than 206 bones, anymore would be bad. I was fine but I think it had a lot to do with the 2 feet of mud I landed in. After that I said a prayer, thanking God for another safe jump.
South Dakota!) Everyone else was having the same problem, and about that time it was daybreak anyway. Those of us that had tasks with the Army set out to link up.
On the ground, the first thing you do is get your weapon into action. I know it didn’t take very long to do this, but it felt like I was moving in slow motion. Next I got out my night vision goggles and turned on my radio only to find out it hadn’t survived the jump. Oh well, better it than me! I gathered up my chute and other air items and shoved them in the A-bag. I stood up, got my bearings and headed out in what I hoped was the right direction. As it turned out it wasn’t, good thing I met up with an AF combat controller who straightened me out. The going was very rough, due to all the rain the With aircraft landing day and night at Bashur Airfield, crews must stay on the run to offload them quickly. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Keith Reed) area had received; we slogged through shin deep, and at some points thigh-deep mud. This was when the 80 lb ruck on My job was to help sweep the runway and taxiways for my back became a real nuisance. The slightest bit off bal- debris that needed to be removed before the aircraft ance and I went face first into the mud. I finally took my arrived that night. Walking the length of the runway was ruck off my back, threw it forward as far as I could, (about good because it warmed us up. Once that was complete, 5 feet at a time) then walked towards it and repeated the we set about the task of securing sites for future operations. steps all over. This went on for about 100 meters, proba- Easier said than done. Getting our first look during daybly 45 minutes worth of travel. About 1-½ hours after exit- light was an eye opener. The entire place was saturated; ing the aircraft, I met up with the rest of my unit. From the only area not swamp was the paved areas of the runthere we cross checked all equipment, and made contact way, taxiways and parking ramp. Setting up a base was going to be difficult. Even the high ground was too wet to with higher HQ to issue a status report. set up tents, walking five feet off the pavement added ten We were supposed to link with the Army for further mispounds of mud to each boot. We set up a make shift base sions, but they were still busy with accountability of perof operations in the far corner of the parking ramp and sonnel, so we decided to get as many people down to rest prepared for the night’s aircraft. as possible. We left two people to man the radio and tried to create a makeshift sleep area. We had all brought one- Darkness came around 2000 local. Our first two aircraft man tents with us but with all the rain, there was no place landed at about 2030, bringing in more of the CRG, more dry to set up camp. We all basically pitched our tents on security forces and aircraft download crews from the 86 Air the tarmac and tried to get some sleep. I was lucky enough Mobility Squadron. The first night we received 12 aircraft to get about an hour and a half before I woke up colder and downloaded 1.3 million pounds of cargo in 4 hours! than I had ever been in my life. (And I was stationed in continued on following page... EXCEPTIONAL RELEASE
11
ER: LEAPING LOGGIES
Members of the 86th Air Mobility Squadron rush in to offload a C-17 Globemaster III at Bashur Air Base, Iraq. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Keith Reed)
This pace continued for the next 5 days when it increased to about 15 to 20 aircraft per night. Day 3 we got the word that there was going to be a C-17 coming in that night to offload JP-8 for the helicopters that had landed. Up to this point they were being refueled by MC-130s. I linked up with the Army POC and set about finding a suitable location for fuel bladders, a task complicated by the fact that even the high ground was nothing but muck.
What do you need to fix it? I worked with folks from HQ AMC (both fuels and C-17 staff), HQ CENTAF, CENTAF forward, and a Special Ops fuels guy in Qatar. You name it, they all had a solution. The problem was that it was an Army system that I didn’t have control over. After the 3rd day of airlift the Army brought in part of a 300K fuel system, and that solved most of our problems. We broke into the system and pulled out several lengths of 4-inch soft hose and replaced all the 2 and 3 inch receipt hoses. This greatly improved fuel off-load times. Our problems were pretty much over at that point; as we got word that we would be receiving commercial
trucks out of Turkey. Fuels operations became routine as the Army’s 30 POL troops on the ground managed their system quite effectively. I made daily SITREP checks with the Army, but for the most part let them run their show. We focused on building up base defenses, and worked on some quality of life issues, like tents with real floors.
We decided on a spot south of the parking ramp where we could download cargo and fuel simultaneously. Keep in mind, this all occurred during darkness while wearing night vision goggles. We set up an Armystyle system consisting of two 10K bladders. The site was on a hill about 5 feet above the ramp and about 120 feet away. This was as close as we could get and still maintain wingtip clearance. The aircraft did come that night and, although slow, it went well.
Overall it was an awesome mission. Working with the Army was interesting. We were only on the ground for 30 days, but I took home a lifetime of memories.
Then the questions started rolling in. Why was refueling going so slow?
jump, and the only known AF Fuels
MSgt William Maus entered the Air Force in Jul 1981; he is currently on his 7th assignment performing the duties of 1st Sgt and Superintendent of S-1 for the 786 Security Forces at Sembach AB, Germany. He currently has 22 jumps on the books and is the only AF Fuels troop on jump status, the only AF Fuels troop with a combat troop to graduate US Army Air Assault School. K
12 S U M M E R
2003
Resurrecting the
Spirit
The hot and muggy flightline was buzzing with energy and every person moved with a sense of urgency. The bombers and tankers roared to life and the well-orchestrated chaos began. Night one of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM was only hours away. B-52s rolled, followed by our B-2s, then the tankers. The taxiway was full as the first heavily laden 52 lumbered into the sky toward a fast approaching Pacific storm. The clouds looked menacing and we hoped our B-2 Spirits could get through an opening. The transition to altitude with a B-2 through storm clouds often results in a larger amount of lowobservable material (LO) work; which means the potential exists for reduced stealth and much longer turn times. Since we were launching the first-ever combat B-2 sorties from a deployed location with only half of our planned LO shelters complete, those storm clouds were weighing heavy on my mind. Unexpectedly, the B2s turned out of the long line on the taxiway. My heart skipped a couple beats as the aircraft passed us and back-taxied to the other end of the runway. The last of the B-52s lifted off to the cheers and raised fists of hundreds of maintainers lining the length of the runway making way for the waiting tankers. After a couple minutes, the first B-2 rolls into sight taking off fully loaded with a swift tailwind. More importantly, they were flying away from the dark storm clouds. The pilots performed a logistical twist to this already
historic moment and saved many hours of restoration. After the last B-2 took off, as if it was waiting for the Spirits to launch, a hard, steady rain began. Maintainers along the flightline stayed put, pumping their fists and cheering until the last of the tankers lifted into the sky. It was a day I will never forget and am honored to have had the opportunity to lead a group of absolute professionals making history with the world’s premier bomber.
responsibility to ensure the B-2 fleet was ready for war. I knew the lives of many aircrew members rested squarely on my shoulders.
In early January, when the intelligence reports began to look like we might go to war, our B-2 fleet was not ready. Of thirteen possible warfighting jets, we only had three ready to go! We A KC-135 Stratotanker prepares to refuel a B-2 stealth bomber forward deployed with the 40th Air Expeditionary Wing. The first ever deployed B-2 had an LO backlog of bombers took part in the air campaign, Operation IRAQI FREEDOM (U.S. Air 3107 hours – as a result Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Richard Freeland). we had to sit our warfighting jets down for restoration and the B-2 community came together to make that happen. The Pilots reflowed their As Chief “Beau” training requirements to Turner drove us to an get by using the three jets afternoon meeting at we use for the bulk of the 40 AEW headtraining sorties. We quarters, he noticed scheduled daily sorties my grin and asked using all three jets with what I was thinking. I no spares. Flying schedulexplained that I was ing effectiveness dropped feeling a great sense of to record lows. relief; after months of A 40th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron pilot signals ready with a "thumbs-up" came sign prior to a B-52 bombing mission over Iraq. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Maintainers stress, my main mission Sgt. Richard Freeland) together from various was complete. Now, squadrons around one you might be wondering how I could possibly feel this way common purpose, preparing the fleet for war. Structures folks on the first night of OIF. It was because I knew that expert (or LO Troops, as we refer to them) began working 12-hour maintainers were on the job and there was no doubt in my shifts at least 6 days a week and continued this grueling pace mind that they would simply make it happen. My job was throughout the war. As the B-2 community worked toward to help them get what they needed to accomplish the job complete war readiness, our MC rate hit a rock bottom of in the most timely manner, be it parts, information, or 0% before rebounding to 87%. The highest MC rate ever whatever threatened to slow them down. attained on the fleet with no LO deficiencies on warfighters. As I said earlier, getting to night one was a different story. As the AMXS Operations Officer, I felt that it was my continued on following page... EXCEPTIONAL RELEASE
15
Our ADVON team had been deployed to their location
mildly) when, after our second day’s launch we had already
for about 30 days. These professionals started from scratch
used our only spare engine and both of our actuator remote
to build a place to live and work. Although our deployable
terminals (ARTs). These ARTs manage the flight control
shelters were in place and operational (you cannot accom-
surfaces and therefore are absolutely essential for flight. As
plish LO work without these climate controlled facilities),
we found out, despite an earlier modification, ARTs do not
we had no place to work from and no tents set up to live
like hot weather. To say our location was hot is a huge
in. By the time our 180 maintainers arrived, the ADVON
understatement… Obviously, the heat factor was com-
team had two work tents operational, complete with 8
pounded by the fact that the B-2 is black.
computer stations, and some very comfortable tent living spaces. It’s a good thing ADVON was there, because within a few hours of our main body hitting the island, the first B-2s arrived. A mere 6 days later, we launched combat sor-
ER: RESURRECTING
THE
SPIRIT
ties for the first night of the air campaign.
To solve this problem, home station, Tinker SPO, and Northrop Grumman swung into action to get us another engine and more ARTs substantially quicker than the advertised 9 days. Meanwhile, we scrambled to find someway to prevent more ARTs from succumbing to the heat.
The deployed location is a loggie’s nightmare. It’s a military-
Maintenance began running air conditioner hoses into the
only location over a thousand miles from anywhere. There
avionics bays a full five hours before flight. The pilots
are no commercial airlines. If you are waiting on something,
began sending buddy crews to start the aircraft three hours
it must come by military/contract air or ship. Traditional
before flight. Circuit breakers were pulled until they were
MICAP receipt times for Operation ENDURING FREE-
absolutely necessary to keep equipment cooler. Our eight
DOM had averaged 9 days. This caused concern (to put it
ARTs and two spare engines arrived on the island within
16 S U M M E R
2003
4 days and we never had another ART or engine fail.
Now, some of you younger folks might think that it would
Although the parts weren’t needed, it was a great example
be an excellent time for me to retire. No way! We are
of how innovative logistics can save the day.
kicking down doors, making a difference, and rewriting the
In all, our 4 deployed B-2 aircraft flew 20 combat sorties for 386 total hours and dropped 258 precision-guided munitions. In addition, our home station flew 27 combat
future of the B-2. I’m having too much fun to get out now! Major R. Kevin Stroud is currently an Operations Officer,
at
the
509th
AMXS, Whiteman AFB,
976
MO. His previous assign-
hours dropping a
ments include Clemson
total of 338 preci-
University
sion-guided muni-
ROTC
sorties
for
tions and one load of 80 MK-82s — another B-2 first. This was easily the highpoint of my twenty-three years in the Air Force.
Air
Instructor
Force and
Royal Air Force Exchange Officer. K
JOINT LOGISTICS IN SUPPORT OF
GROUND COMBAT
L
ast February, I deployed to Camp Doha, Kuwait, to work at the Headquarters for the Coalition Forces Land Component Command (CFLCC) for Operation IRAQI FREEDOM (OIF). I augmented a joint staff of logisticians from the Army, Marines and Air Force. As an AF logistics planner, I learned about a whole new world: joint logistics in support of ground combat. Sustainment to the war fighters was critical to the success of OIF. In the CFLCC Logistics Directorate, there were three goals for sustaining the ground maneuver forces: 1) Developing a theater logistics system for sustaining CFLCC forces throughout
Photo: A C-5 Galaxy as seen through a hole in a window at Baghdad International Airport. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. James M. Bowman)
Iraq; 2) Creating a theater distribution system to meet operational support requirements; 3) Establishing logistical support areas along the lines of communication (LOC). A LOC is a route, either land, water, and/or air, which connects an operating military force with a base of operations and along which supplies and military forces move. As it turned out, I would get an in depth experience in the establishment of air LOCs which became the focus of my efforts throughout OIF. Tactical and Logistics operational planners had been developing these concepts since the early stages of 2001 with many evolutions following 9-11. By the time I arrived in Feb 03, the plan was in its final stages and virtually stabilized with minor tweaks being applied based on requirements from Central Command and the National Command Authority. The planners within the 3d Movement Control Agency had carefully researched the ground LOCs, the various highways and roads, to determine the Main Supply Routes (MSRs) and Alternate Supply Routes (ASRs), so planning for those was complete. The MSRs and ASRs were strategically located to ensure they supported anticipated traffic between the selected airfields along the MSRs. They designated Logistics Support Areas along the MSRs to support the ground maneuver forces as they conducted rapid movement deep into the interior of Iraq as they pursued the destruction of the Iraqi Military. As part of the planning process they had also pinpointed airfields within certain areas as air
LOCs along the ground LOCs for successful logistics sustainment. Early on in the planning, it was determined that both the ground and air LOCs were critical for the success of supporting the war fighters on the ground. MAJ Billy LaGrone, an experienced logistics planner from V Corps, said it best, “Immediate tactical resupply was based on the extensive use of ground LOCs. Sustained resupply was based on a combination of ground and air LOCs.” It was imperative that there were redundant systems available to ensure that sustainment could reach the forward forces if the ground LOCs became inundated or unusable due to various events that were anticipated to unfold as this operation began. As a planner at the operational level of war for the land component command headquarters, I learned how important it was that the LOCs weren’t extended too far too fast. I also learned early on that one of the hardest parts of being an operational planner is not dropping down to your comfort level at the tactical level, which is a continuous frustration for Army planners, since the vast majority have grown up in the military at this level. We needed to be flexible depending on the situation and the scheme of maneuver. In one of our battle update assessments, LTG McKiernan, CFLCC Commander had said, “Fight the enemy, not the plan.” When I arrived, we still needed to refine the seizure of the airfields and the air LOCs. As the lead Air Force logistics planner, I noticed that this
The wreckage of an Iraqi air force helicopter and jet sit amid the debris of an aircraft bone yard on Tallil Air Base in southern Iraq. (U.S. Air Force photo by Bob Jensen)
was an area on which the Army planners had spent very little time. This was not due to their lack of concern, but to the lack of expertise—airfields are one of the Air Force’s primary concerns for any operation. The airfield-planning group I became part of knew that airfields were critical not only for logistics sustainment, but also for casualty evacuation, enhancement of close air support capability, and humanitarian operations. Several airfields had already been selected for seizure with the primary goal of “sustaining the maneuver forces—especially with fuel, ammo, food and water,” according to LTC Keith Jones, CFLCC C4 Chief of Plans. “We determined early on that we needed airfields that were at least C-130 capable,” he noted. The airfields needed to be prioritized continued on following page...
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19
G R O U N D C O M B AT OF
SUPPORT IN
ER: JOINT LOGISTICS
according to the scheme of maneuver. Furthermore, in order to get support for our airfield seizures, we needed to let the air component, Coalition Forces Air Component Command (CFACC), and the Coalition Forces Special Operations Component Command (CFSOCC) know what the supported commander needed. Each component played a role in airfield seizure by helping secure the airfield, assessing the airfield, and then immediate command and control of the airfield. Realizing the need to prioritize airfields and determine the seizure procedures, CFLCC created a Coalition Airfield Action Team (CAAT). The CAAT consisted of the following from within the CFLCC headquarters: Operations/Aviation (C3), Engineering (C7), Logistics (C4) and the Air Component Coordination Element (ACCE)—which was our link to communicating with CFACC. Each representative provided expertise in their respective area to ensure Iraqi airfield seizure and sustainment would be successful. One of our principle goals was to determine the airfield seizure priority—which wasn’t as simple as we thought it would be. There were three Major Subordinate Commands (MSCs) under CFLCC conducting maneuvers and support during OIF: V Corps, I MEF, and the 377th Theater Support Command. Both the V Corps
An Army Blackhawk helicopter sits quietly on the ground as an F-16 Fighting Falcon lands during a severe sand storm. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Terry L. Blevins)
and I MEF would be executing their missions simultaneously but from different points of origin. We decided to prioritize by timing as we soon realized that if you didn’t seize the first airfield on the map properly to support the forces and conduct missions, then there wasn’t any certainty you’d make it to the next airfield further north.
The problem was do we prioritize by timing of the seizure or by the importance of the airfield? 20 S U M M E R
2003
Another important consideration was resources. In order to seize an airfield, you
need to understand the ground maneuver commanders’ concept of operations so that we could link all these pieces to ensure a seamless operation and you need support from various types of airfield teams (which involved different components). These teams included Global Assessment Teams, Tanker Airlift Control Elements, Contingency Response Groups, and Special Tactics Squadron teams all designed to support airfield seizure and command and control. There were only so many teams available to support the airfield
seizure, so together the components had to agree upon which teams would support which airfields at which time. Additionally, both CFSOCC and CFACC had certain airfields they needed to seize to enhance their combat power, so that was additional requirements levied upon already limited resources. CFACC consolidated the big picture based on each component’s requirements. Competing requirements and limited resources were a challenge as each component had a critical responsibility in accomplishing the overall seizure and support of airfields. At CFLCC, we were concerned with maximum combat effectiveness and force sustainment of the 150,000 troops on the ground. As we determined the priorities and defined requirements, it became clear to us that we needed to establish joint airfield seizure procedures and organizational responsibilities. Each component played a role in airfield seizure, and we needed everyone to agree on each airfield’s requirements and which component would provide that requirement. We also had to synchronize the timing of the teams required to assess and control airfields with the timing of the soldiers and marines on the ground seizing the airfields and surrounding areas. Our biggest challenge came when trying to anticipate the needs of the maneuver forces. The enemy always
has a vote and its vote will always impact the plan and require changes to the plan, which normally happens at the tactical level. As the plan would change, we would try to anticipate the next step and position our-
either because of damage done during OIF or because the Iraqis had sabotaged them. If an airfield was too damaged, then it would take too long to repair it for C-130 capability and the unit would have already moved on to the next airfield. In the end, each component worked extremely well together to make things happen. Approximately 19 airfields were seized and subsequently used by the different components. It was quite an experience seeing everyone work together to make things happen—especially since this is the first time we have planned and executed this type of operation. While there were definitely improvements we could make for future possible conflicts, OIF was a success. The key for the CAAT was the integration of all the services into the planning and execution of airfield seizure—a true joint victory for combat operations and logistics sustainment.
selves so that we complemented the ground scheme of maneuver. Each day the CAAT met to discuss recent developments and changes in the plan. There were constant questions concerning changing airfields and anticipating what the next airfields were going to be, based on the current situation. If the MSC requested to open a certain airfield that we had not planned on, we would review the battle damage assessment and ask CFACC for their recommendation— especially concerning force protection and runway capabilities. Some of the runways weren’t in very good shape—
Major Julie L. Wende was deployed CFLCC C4 Plans Officer 52 LRS, Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany and will be PCSing to Tinker AFB, OK, Sep 03 Contributions by LTC (P) Franklin K. Jones, TC, USA deployed CFLCC C4 Plans Chief FORSCOM
Deputy
G4,
Fort
McPherson, GA. K
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21
U
nder our current military conditions, it’s nearly impossible to be a maintenance officer and not deploy. The big questions are always “What do I take?” and “How do I prepare?” I don’t profess to be an expert, but I’ve deployed multiple times and have several lessons learned to pass on — some the hard way. Most of my comments focus on bare base and near-bare base deployed locations. The first focus area is your own equipment. Specifically, tools and parts. Get out of your office, grab your lead techs and walk down to mobility. Lay eyes on what you’re taking. Ensure the lead techs have everything they need (not want) to perform their job. Check your PMEL dates, ops check your equipment, and inspect your tools. Continue to visit regularly before your deployment, one trip will never be enough since your requirements will constantly change. A four-ship becomes a ten-ship, and one location becomes two. Understand your space requirements and learn what fits on a C-130 and what fits on a C-17. Strategic airlift is hard to come by, so minimize what you take!
Supply is always a limiting factor to a successful maintenance operation and crucial to a deployment. When the supply folks tell you that your war readiness spares kits (WRSK) are 95% full, don’t think that’s good. Most likely those 5% missing parts are the very ones you’ll need when you deploy. Learn which items are high failure and remember a bad engine rpm gauge is just as grounding as a faulty flight control. If necessary, look to cannibalize to fill your kits. There is a process within the regulations to do that. Follow it. Additionally, ensure you take a COSO supply troop with you. A kit manager is great for finding stuff inside the WRSK, but a COSO troop will help you acquire the stuff that’s not in the kit once you’re deployed. This is especially valuable when forced to deal with another service’s supply system, a commonplace occurrence at bare-bases. Call ahead to the base you’re going to and find out what AGE will be assigned to support you. Don’t count shared equipment, you’ll never get to use it if it’s in someone else’s hands when you arrive. Know your AGE require-
Packing Up and Heading Out
ments, don’t take something you’ll only use once every six months (you can source that in theatre), and be sure that the AGE troop you take with you is a mechanic and not just a driver.
thought it would come off. We eventually had to remove both fuel tanks. However, tank dollies were unavailable in theatre. With 3/4-inch plywood, a few 2x4s, and a seasoned, senior NCO who knew a little about woodwork (thanks Bob!), we were able to build cribs for the tanks and lower them using B-1 stands.
Finally, the key to successful bare base operations: find $2,000 and buy your squadron a woodworking kit to include: circular saws, hammers, nails, wood screws, and a tape measure. If you Some or all of this may be deployed with transportation “old hat” to many of you. freight handling specialist, those For us, these simple guidepersonnel are experts in building lines, combined with well whatever type of crate, crib, or thought-out planning, box you’ll need. If not, take an Our homemade tank cribs saved the day. contributed to our success amateur carpenter along with in Pakistan. you. Civil Engineering will have the wood and tools for Capt Ronald “Tike” Dunlap is the Chief, Test Support loan, but the tools may not be available when you need Branch for the 586 Flight Test Squadron, Holloman AF. them — someone is always building themselves a door or Prior to this assignment he was the 40th AS Sortie shelves. These tools came in handy for us in Qatar, during Generation Flight Commander, Dyess AFB. K Operation ENDURING FREEDOM. We had an external C-130 fuel tank that was shaking so violently, the aircrew
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23
W
hen the F-117A Stealth Fighters deployed to the Middle East in February of 2003, people got excited.
Usually when the F-117s show up to a
Supporting a Shadow Supporting Supporting a Shadow Supporting a Shadow Supporting a Shadow Supporting a Shadow a Shadow
deployed location, the shooting is imminent. We quickly realized that we were not going to start shooting any time soon, and the excitement of the maintainers gradually shifted as we started a regimen of training sorties. Rumors were rampant and rumor control was an every day challenge, we were constantly telling the maintainers, “No, we aren’t going to war tomorrow.” The biggest leadership challenge as a supervisor was keeping the edge sharp. Once the initial deployment excitement wore off and combat was nowhere in sight, motivation was our number one priority. Then the 8th Aircraft Maintenance Unit got the opportunity to do something no other stealth maintenance unit has done…launch a short-notice combat strike sortie.
installing “enhancers” on the right On 20 March, 2003, at 0330, and left sides of the aircraft to help two F-117s launched from an make the aircraft visible to radar. undisclosed location to exeAlso in peacetime, we are not cute the first strike of required to keep the radar Operation IRAQI FREEabsorbent material (RAM) coating DOM. The operational side on the aircraft in perfect condition. of the mission was widely When preparing for combat, the publicized, but the story of enhancers and anti-collision lights the maintenance efforts that produced these sorties has An F-117 pulls onto the tarmac after returning from its mis- are taken off and the RAM is never been told. Despite the sion in support of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM. (U.S. Air restored to perfect condition. The Force photo by Airman 1st Class Vanessa LaBoy) maintainers take this responsibility stories you may have heard, very seriously as the pilot has no the F-117A was not sitting on alert that night, nor had they ever sat alert before. Fate, defensive capability other than the low radar signature of established quality maintenance practices within the 8th his aircraft…no gun, no missiles…nothing. The maintainers were starting to get Aircraft Maintenance anxious about launchUnit, and a true team ing jets into combat, so effort allowed a successto keep the guys calm, I ful strike that night. told them to take their On 19 March, the opertime getting the jets ations squadron comready and not worry mander set up a trainabout going to combat ing afternoon for the that night because we pilots since we were had a couple of planning on using the days…oh, how wrong I EGBU-27 for the first was! time in combat - both At 0130 on 20 March, the pilots and maina call came from ops tainers had very limited experience with this F-117 Nighthawks park along flight line before leaving for their OIF mission. saying they needed to see me right away. I weapon. So we loaded (Photo by Staff Sgt. Vince Parker) hopped in the truck two EGBU-27s for and drove, at a safe training and brought all the pilots out to do a show and tell. As it happened, that flightline speed, over to the ops building…which was only training proved both timely and invaluable. We had all about 400 meters away. I thought security forces might been watching the news and knew that the air war could oppose me going over the barbed wire fence…so I drove start any day, but we also thought that we had at least a the mile or so around the ECP. When I got to ops, the first couple of days of preparation time left. We had ceased fly- question was, “How soon can you have two jets ready?” I ing in anticipation of combat operations, so there wasn’t was told the munitions would be on their way to our area much maintenance to do, so I gave direction to start zero- in approximately 10 minutes and as soon as the jets were ready they would launch. The longer it took to get ready, ing out the aircraft and do thorough pre-flights on each. the greater the risk of not being able to take off, or even The F-117’s peacetime configuration includes installing an continued on following page... anti-collision light on the right lower fuselage and EXCEPTIONAL RELEASE
25
ER: SUPPORTING
A
SHADOW
worse, taking off and being over downtown Baghdad at daybreak! I called my pro super, and we were off to get the jets ready ASAP. For the rest of my life, I will remember the competency and professionalism with which our maintainers reacted. They prepared the aircraft with a sense of urgency I had never seen before. I felt helpless An F-117 prepare to launch from a forward-deployed air base in the Middle East in support of Operation standing there watching IRAQI FREEDOM. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Derrick C. Goode) everything unfold, but I felt a sense of pride watching everyone from the pro super around a computer monitor to watch the news. We shared to the 3-man weapons crew perform beyond any level I the single prayer that our pilots make it home safely. had thought them capable. The weapons crews loaded the When the news reported a strike had occurred, we knew EGBU-27 for its first ever combat drop with such speed our jets had made it and we only had to wait for their return. Unfortunately, and proficiency that it the news only reported looked like a load crew that the tomahawk misof the year competisiles had been launched tion. There was no and never mentioned whining and no excusthe stealths…it was a es. The maintainers good thing we weren’t knew they had one allowed to make phone shot at this mission, calls. I had never been which would make hisinvolved in launching a tory if we could pull it combat strike sortie off! before and it was then that I fully realized the immense The two F-117s taxied and took off at 0330, only later did responsibility placed on maintenance officers and enlisted we find out that had we been 5 minutes later, we would maintainers. I have never felt more proud to be a maintenot have made the sortie. We knew what time the aircraft nance officer and am honored that I was given the responwere going to be over their target, and we all gathered sibility of taking an aircraft maintenance unit into combat.
In less than 45 minutes, we loaded two aircraft (one prime and one spare), updated the pre-flights on three aircraft, and ensured the RAM coating was perfect…all before operations had the mission materials ready. 26 S U M M E R
2003
Not a single person left when their shift ended at 0600. Everyone from the 49th Fighter Wing was on the line waiting for the aircraft. The F117A can’t communicate unless the antenna is extended, which compromises their radar signature, so we
knew we wouldn’t hear from them until they were out of Iraqi airspace. When the call came over the radio, that lines one and two were ten minutes out, a sense of relief washed over the unit. As the planes entered initial approach, over 150 maintainers, supply troops, and support personnel cheered as though our team had just won the Super Bowl.
immeasurable contribution to the success of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM and to the defense of the United States.
After that mission, 8th Aircraft Maintenance Unit produced 99 combat sor- Several F-117 Nighthawks being prepared for their mission. (AF Photo) ties without a single sortie lost due to maintenance. Every single person in the 49th Maintenance Group, both deployed and at home, made an
Capt Lindsay Droz is the OIC of the 8th Aircraft Maintenance
Unit
at
Holloman AFB, NM. Her previous assignment was at Shaw AFB, SC where she was in the 20th
Equipment
Maintenance Squadron, 20th Component Repair Squadron,
and
55th
Fighter Squadron. K
B-1 DUAL DOCK PHASE INSPECTION After the attacks that both devastated and united America on 11 Sep, the B-1 immediately stepped into action. Deploying initially from Ellsworth and Mountain Home AFB as part of the Aerospace Expeditionary Force, B-1s began flying grueling 12-14 hour missions from Diego Garcia. Back home at Dyess AFB, maintainers recognized early on the need to implement aircraft inspection plans which were capable of meeting the needs of deployed commanders as well home station training requirements. Our challenge was daunting. The B-1 undergoes major 28 S U M M E R
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phase inspection every 400-flight hours, or every 12 to 18 months. Aircraft deployed in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM were flying out their 400 hours in only 3 months, requiring phase inspection 8 times in the same 2-year period! A new approach was needed to ensure aircraft availability, and, most importantly, aircraft reliability kept pace with intense combat operations and training. A team of handpicked individuals was built across operational and logistical lines. Along with members of the 7th
E q u i p m e n t Maintenance Squadron, there were representatives from the 7th Component Repair Squadron, and the 9th, 13th, and 28th Bomb Squadron maintenance. Each member provided an in-depth briefing to the rest of the group on their particular part of the inspection process, and all were briefed on the current Air Force aircraft inspection philosophy.
In early December, the dual dock went into full-scale operation. Process feedback was conducted, and certain back shop maintenance functions adjusted. Not settling for status quo, further feedback sessions were conducted resulting in even more timesaving scheduling adjustments and maintenance processes. When all was said and done, the team completed 6 inspections in only 23 working days — normally a 3month output!
Four options for this modified inspection After the first six airflow were considered. craft were inspected, In each, three manthe most significant agement objectives measure of success was were focused on; (1) availability of man- Air Force crew chiefs service a B-1B Lancer engine. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff the slashing of the Sgt. Shane Cuomo) phase-flow inspection power, tools, test rate from a 9.6-day equipment and spare parts, (2) uncompromised safety and maintainability of average prior to the dual docks to an absolutely astoundhigh caliber inspections, and (3) ensuring quality mainte- ing 5.3-day phase-flow inspection rate during the dual nance practices were used during any accelerated inspec- docks. tion process. The four options were tested in tabletop scenarios to provide a clear comparison of a wide variance of B-1 utilization rates versus potential inspection output. The team used data from Dyess AFB, Ellsworth AFB, and the forward operating location (FOL) to ensure that all pieces of this highly-complex puzzle were considered. As a result of this analysis, for the first time in the B-1’s history, we stood up a second phase inspection dock. This “dual dock” inspection process would feature a seven-day inspection flow, and would produce six aircraft per month, four FOL aircraft, one home-station training aircraft and an open inspection slot.
continued on following page...
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The dual dock phase inspection team at Dyess AFB achieved a maintenance feat of magnificent proportions, giving combatant commanders incredible flexibility while making the B-1 a weapon of choice, ready for the halls of Air Power history.
ER: B-1 DUAL DOCK PHASE INSPECTION
While production was the key word during the dual dock inspections, quality and safety were always present. During the entire process, the accelerated inspections garnered a 100% Quality Assurance pass rate and a 100% Mission Effectiveness rate for all six aircraft.
Maintainers perform a visual inspection of a B-1 Lancer accessory drive gear box. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Tracy Reisinger)
Additionally, constant focus on quality and safety resulted in the aircraft returning from phase mission ready. The average number of days from inspection to first flight dropped from an average of 11 days (with a high of 37) to an average of 10 days (with a high of 17). (Figure 2 below) B-1s coming out of dual dock inspection were missionready an average of 5 days sooner, saving over 720 hours in mission capable time, and dual dock output aircraft landed Code 2 or better.
Now a proven concept, dual dock was re-implemented on 26 Mar 02 with eight aircraft phased in only 35 working days, for a total production of fourteen combat missionready B-1s without the cost of deploying a 40-person inspection team and support equipment.
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1Lt Joshua Pope currently serves as the Assistant Maintenance Supervisor
for the 7th Equipment Maintenance Squadron at Dyess AFB, TX. Lt Pope has served in 7th EMS as the Armament Flight Commander, Aerospace Ground Equipment Flight Commander, and has also served as the Sortie Support Flight Commander for the 28th Bomb Squadron. K
An Air Force crew chief checks the engine intake area of a B-1B Lancer for cracks during a routine safety check. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Larry A. Simmons)
Contractors... a V ital Role in War Effort
T
he world forever changed that September day in
the most rapid and decisive military action in history.
2001 when the towers came down and the
Contractors on the battlefield….a combat force multiplier.
Pentagon struck. Those of you who are military
knew it was only a matter of time before the call would come; this was not to be taken lying down. And, the call did come, the War on Terrorism began, sending thousands to fight OEF, then OIF.
A R I N C D E P L O Y E D F L I G H T O P E R AT I O N S December 2002… the emails became frantic…phone calls urgent. The experienced MH-53J/M PAVE LOW crews of ARINC’s Hurlburt Field operation were being asked to deploy with the 20th Special Operations
For many however, it was not a call from their CO saying, “It’s time to go…” It was a call from the CEO saying, “We got the contract.” Some moved troops and supplies, others contributed engineering and technical support, and yes, some deployed to fly combat platforms.
Squadron. That meant special insurance, shots, chemical warfare training, all the pre-deployment effort their military customers were undergoing, and more. The objective, provide the same functional test flights and engine runs they’ve done at home, only “on call” in the
While not an historic “first,” contractors were an even
AOR, deployed with the force. Tom Aldrich led three
more vital part of the OEF/OIF mission, at home and at
crews in processing and “rolling” with deploying forces.
forward deployed locations. The result was an awesome
Arriving first, after intense helicopter build ups, our
effort in which the government/contractor team executed
lead crew was called first for a 3A.M. test flight. In a
“nervous” air defense box of British Rapier and Army Patriot batteries, with no moon and haze creating a “no horizon” night, our lead crew flew a full profile check, on night vision goggles, following instrument rules. It was an “autorotation check” to remember. Over the ensuing months ARINC’s “gray beard” crews flew hundreds of hours, allowing combat crews to rest for “on call” SOF missions. All the while, Tom and his troops were in MOPP4 and “bunker diving” during SCUD attacks, just like the active force. From the successful Fah Oil Field raid, to PAVE LOW setting historic high MC and availability rates for combat operations, ARINC crews were a ARINC “Graybeards” in action. seamless part of the combat support of AFSOC. At the pre-redeployment “hot wash,” SOF deployed commanders declared ARINC Flight Ops “MVP” among deployed contractors at their fighting location.
BOEING
2003. Engineers and technical representatives, already deployed into Europe, were further augmented at Ramstein AB and Rhein-Main AB. In addition to normal AMC en route locations, spares were provided to such places as Seeb and Shaikh Isa. On going, on-site troubleshooting assistance and engineering dispositions were provided that helped ensure rapid aircraft discrepancy resolution and return to mission capable status. SSIPT people provided on-site repair support at Bagram, Incirlik, Delhi, Baghdad, and other locations. Work was performed on engines, landing gear, avionics, and aircraft general systems. The extra efforts by everyone in the supply chain contributed to a TNMCS rate of 3.1%. The combined efforts of everyone in SSIPT contributed to the C-17 worldwide logistics departure rate consistently exceeding 93%. The men and women in SSIPT are proud to have made these and other outstanding contributions to our nation in support of OIF.
ANYWHERE – ANYTIME... “That is our sloB U R L I N G T O N gan; that sums it up,” said NORTHERN AND Gustavo “Gus” Urzua, S A N TA F E R A I LWAY General Manager of Military Harnesses Iron Boeing’s C-17 Support Horse….. A new railhead Systems Integrated Product at Fort Hood helped the Team (SSIPT). “We are Burlington Northern and poised to support our cusSanta Fe Railway rapidly tomer, no matter the locaexpedite equipment from tion, no matter the time, no America’s largest military matter the task,” he conbase in conjunction with tinued. Indeed, the SSIPT Fred Bahmani, Boeing C-17 Field Services, en-route from repair of P-32 Operation Iron Horse. Lt. professionals, consisting of in Bagram, Afghanistan. Col. Bob Bricone, III maintainers, engineers, Corps’ G3 Chief of Operations, said the new railhead gave supply technicians, and others, have performed magnificentFort Hood tremendous additional capability to push out a ly during all crises involving the aircraft, especially OIF. division. By some estimates it tripled the speed, enabling SSIPT people went where C-17 aircraft went—people from Fort Hood to load and launch 200 to 240 railcars per day. the McChord AFB site went to Charleston AFB where a continued on following page... 24/7 support operation was set up from January to June EXCEPTIONAL RELEASE
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WAR EFFORT IN
E R : C O N T R A C T O R S . . . . A V I TA L R O L E
January 20, marked the beginning of the 4th Infantry Division’s rail shipments for use in Operation IRAQI FREEDOM. In just 14 days, the military’s first digitallyenhanced, heavy fighting division shipped over 6,000 pieces of equipment — among them new combat tools like the Abrams M1A2 tank, Shadow 200RQ-7A spy drone and the AH-64D Longbow Apache helicopter.
other products BNSF transports, Operation Iron Horse was very challenging. We couldn’t have done it without the help and superior planning provided by military logistics officers and personnel.”
VERTEX A E R O S PA C E
Contract Field Team Deploys Hundreds….. From the pre-wartime buildup to present day, hundreds of Vertex In addition to Fort Hood, Aerospace (formerly BNSF crews transported Raytheon Aerospace) large quantities of military employees volunteered impedimenta from the for temporary deploymajor power projection On-site trouble-shooting courtesy of Vertex Aerospace. ments to Southwest points of Fort Carson, Fort Asia in direct support Sill, Fort Lewis and Fort of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM in Afghanistan and Leonard Wood to the ports of Corpus Christi and Operation Iraqi Freedom. Vertex provides personnel and Beaumont, Texas, and, with the help of eastern rail carricargo transport, refueling, recovery operations, mainteers CSXT and Norfolk Southern to the ports of nance & repair support of frontline combat and logistics Jacksonville, FL and Charleston, SC. aircraft and other equipment. In fact, a Vertex Contract Not since 33 million Field Team provided daysquare feet of cargo were to-day maintenance and shipped overseas during refueling for the UH-60 the first Persian Gulf War assigned to General Tommy has BNSF moved equipFranks. Vertex C-12 and Cment from fort to port in 21 teams also performed such massive volumes. vital missions transporting With the able assistance of key personnel and cargo. U.S. troops, the company “Our employees in the war railed 8,070 loaded cars on theater live and work over 129 trains and backalongside our men and hauled 7,470 empties on women in uniform; the 115 trains. The trains were only difference is we don’t given top priority handling fight. But our customers as crews, locomotives, railoften remind us that our contributions are essential to cars and protection resources were committed whenever their mission,” said Jay Ward, Vertex COO. K and wherever necessary. “The U.S. military is a very important customer with very special requirements,” said Dave Hallberg, BNSF assistant vice president. “Because military equipment differs from the
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Thinking About Military Logistics “CUSTOMER? WHO’S OUR CUSTOMER?” Customer service is a hot topic. Dozens of books are written about it. Many millions of dollars are being spent by commercial business and government organizations to better understand and please “customers.” Expensive customer relationship management (CRM) software is being installed to collect customer data, automate marketing and sales, and segment customers according to their characteristics and preferences; all with the purpose to respond to customer needs in near real time1. Making CRM work means more business, profits, and more importantly repeat, high value business. Key to all this is an understanding who the customer ultimately is, given the products produced. In a military context some special consideration needs to be given to “who is the customer?” The DoD has been directed over the years to become more “business-like,” and adapt best commercial practices. Doing so is important and is essential to transforming military logistics to support an expeditionary, agile 21st century fighting force. However, in all this the role of the customer seems to have been ignored (or possibly misunderstood). So, given the business expense and effort going into CRM, putting the customer in a military context seems appropriate, if full advantage of this best practice is to be realized. “Who’s the customer of the US military?” When this question is asked, the responses include: “the taxpayer,” “the Congress,” “citizens,” “the President,” “the Maintenance Technician,” or “the Warfighter.” Certainly these can be customers, but put in the business context of the DoD, we may see them a bit differently. In the parlance of business to which DoD organizations are compared, the Taxpayer is the shareholder; the Congress the board of directors (how may corporations have a BoD of 535?); Citizens are stakeholders, the President the CEO; the Maintenance Technician the service center rep; and the Warfighter the sales force. Why categorize this way? Because, if the military is to be effective in adopting commercial business practices, its focus on the customer is a must. The other members need to be classified as to their roles using a standard business context. And the ultimate customer of the military must be seen in a military sense. Mindsets and capabilities that impact war fighting are at stake. The answer to, “Who’s the customer of the US Military?” is simple. The customer of interest is the enemy. Everything important the military must focus on is to deter and defeat the enemy. This is a very different concept from which commercial business best practices are developed around. Actually, the US Military wants no customers, and particularly if a customer call must be made, wants not repeat customers. How many commercial business models have had their desired end result to destroy their customers? Not many! And the way the Warfighter delivers this outcome is with a weapons system. The point to all this is that to be effective in applying proven commercial business principles to the military, military and civilian logisticians must understand whom the customer is. It’s the enemy, serviced by a warfigher using a weapons system. All “business” processes need to be focused on ensuring the weapons system is available to the warfigher when needed. If not, there’s likely a failure in good customer service. That is an unacceptable outcome.
––BRIG GEN (RET) ROBERT MANSFIELD See The CRM Handbook: “A Business Guide to Customer Relationship Management,” by Jill Dyche, Addison-Wesley Information Technology Series,
1
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The Mystery of the Depot Ever wait in anticipation for your jet to taxi up that flight line returning home from repair at the “depot”? Ever wonder why some things get fixed and others do not? What happens to a jet engine when inducted into the repair line? What processes set the depot world apart from the hustle and bustle of the day-to-day logistics operations at the wing? What in the world goes on that makes the depot such a unique and fascinating place?
E R : 2 0 0 3 C O N F E R E N C E U P D AT E
Your opportunity to learn what goes on at a “no kidding” depot is coming! Join us for the Logistics Officer Association National Conference October 13 - 16, 2003. The Crossroads Chapter at Tinker Air Force Base, will host our 2003 LOA National Conference. Tinker is home to the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center (OC-ALC), one of three premier US Air Force aviation repair and overhaul facilities and the Air Force’s only organic depot level engine repair facility. OC-ALC has the largest workload for aircraft Programmed Depot Maintenance (PDM) in Air Force Material Command, completing PDM on over 100 C/KC-135 tankers, B-1 and B-52 bombers, and E-3 Sentry AWACS aircraft annually. Of special note is the fact that the OC-ALC Aircraft Division performs the Enhanced Phased Maintenance for the US Navy E-6 aircraft, which is co-located at Tinker. The ALC also repairs literally thousands of airborne accessories from constant speed drives and oxygen regulators to fuel controls and avionics components. Building 3001 at the ALC is a huge industrial facility and covers 62 acres under one roof extending .7 mile from one end to the other. The building houses such unique capabilities as the largest industrial plating facility in the Department of Defense and a most unusual cable testing fixture designed to measure tensile strength of all kinds of aircraft cables. Molten salt baths, reaching a temperature of 1200 degrees Fahrenheit, remove the engine exhaust and corrosion from aircraft engine blades on the engine production line. Every major aircraft engine or engine module or component is repaired, overhauled, modified or managed here at the Oklahoma City ALC. These and many other fascinating industrial shops will be available to be seen during the ALC tour. The National LOA Conference offers not only this special tour opportunity but also a chance to experience the truly “joint service” operations, which are also located at or near Tinker. A tour of the US Army’s McAlester Ammunition Plant and Depot, a tour of the US Navy’s Command Strategic Communications Wing One (CSCW-1) as well as a tour of the US Air Force’s one of a kind, 552d Air Control Wing (ACW), are all planned for that week. These events are in addition to the superb list of keynote speakers from all over the Department of Defense and commercial industry, as well as a growing list of defense contract exhibitors who will provide state of the art technology demonstrations. Don’t leave your best friend at home!! There will be multiple specialized spouse/friend tours of Oklahoma City (by trolley), the Oklahoma City National Memorial, the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum, as well as the city of Guthrie, Oklahoma, a must for antique collectors. Guthrie was the first capital of the Territory of Oklahoma. Enjoy any of these tours or explore the multiple shopping opportunities, ethnic restaurants or golf courses that abound throughout metropolitan OKC. So, y’all come broaden your horizons! Experience the world of depot repair and overhaul, the truly joint operations that go on everyday at Tinker AFB and the wonderful hospitality of the Old West. This is OKC in 2003!
––COLONEL (RET) JENNIFER FOX Col (ret) Jennifer Fox is the Retiree Advisor to the Crossroads Chapter of LOA, Tinker AFB.
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T U O D L O S Join us in Las Vegas 2004!
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2003 National LOA Conference Oklahoma City, OK "Expeditionary Crossroads" M O N D AY, 1 3 O C T
T U E S D AY, 1 4 O C T
W E D N E S D AY, 1 5 O C T
T H U R S D AY, 1 6 O C T
1015-1030 Board Buses for Golf Conv Ctr Breezeway
0800-0830 Welcome
ALL DAY One-on-one appts with Career Counselors
0805-0900 Unit Success Stories
1100-1200 Golf Registration/Lunch Tinker Golf Course 1200-1700 Golf (Shotgun Start) Golf Course 1700-1730 Golf Awards Ceremony Golf Course 1900-
Icebreaker/Mixer Bricktown Brewery - Dress: Casual civilian
0830-0930 AF/IL Top View Lt Gen Zettler 0930-1000 Mentor Program Briefing Maj Gen Metcalf
0800-0900 AFPC Force Development Overview
1000-1015 Break
0900-1000 ACC/LG, Brig Gen Collings
1015-1100 Expeditionary Introduction Session I Contracting on the Battlefield Expeditionary Airfield Setup Fuels Operations Forward Munitions Forward 1100-1200 Expeditionary Session II Repeat Session I Seminars 1200-1315 Lunch Keynote Speaker Gen Handy, CC USTRANSCOM and AMC 1315-1415 Breakout Sessions Aircraft Maintenance Officers Contracting Officers Logistics Readiness Officers Missile/Munitions Maintenance Officers Logistics Civilian Career Enhancement Pgm 1415-1430 Break 1430-1530 AEF Center Update 1530-1630 CENTAF Briefing 1630-1715 AMC/LG, Brig Gen Reno 1715-1745 Chapter Presidents' Meeting (Chap Pres Only) 1800-2000 Vendor Reception in Exhibit Area - Dress: Casual civilian
1000-1015 Break 1015-1100 Breakout Sessions F/A-22 C-17 Aging Aircraft / Fleet Viability Spares/DMRT 1100-1200 Breakout Sessions Repeat Previous Session Seminars 1200-1300 Lunch Keynote Speaker Gen Eberhart,USNORTHCOM / NORAD 1315-1415 Breakout Sessions Joint Strike Fighter AF Research Lab Initiatives Advanced Maint/Munitions Officer School Expeditionary Combat Support Initiatives 1415-1500 Army Logistics in Operation Iraqi Freedom
0900-1000 Defense Logistics Agency Update 1000-1015 Break 1015-1130 AFMC/CC, Gen Martin 1130 Mentorship Lunch, OPEN luncheon Optional mentorship opportunity Professional Development Tours 1130-1630 Wal-Mart Distribution Center Bus Departs 1215-1630 Tinker AFB Tour Bus Departs 1300-1630 FAA Center Tour Bus Departs 1800-1900 Pre-banquet cocktails Exhibit Area 1900 ANNUAL BANQUET Gen Jumper, CSAF LOA Awards, Scholarships Announced -Uniform: Service Dress/Coat & Tie
1500-1515 Break 1515-1645 Leadership Panel 1645-1700 2004 Conference Preview 2005 Conference Announcement
Professionals Dedicated to the Readiness and Sustainability of Air and Space Forces 38 S U M M E R
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Thank You Sponsors! YOUR GOLD SPONSORS: Advanced Testing Technologies, Inc. The Nordam Group Alaska Structures
Y O U R S I LV E R S P O N S O R S : Lockheed-Martin Pratt & Whitney
YOUR KEY CARD SPONSOR: The Boeing Company
YOUR VENDOR RECEPTION SPONSOR: Alaska Structures
YOUR ICE BREAKER SPONSOR: Northrup-Grumman
YOUR GOLF TOURNAMENT SPONSOR The Nordam Group
SCHOLARSHIP DONORS ($500
AND UP)
AAI/ACL ATTI The Boeing Company Booz Allen Hamilton ESSI Pratt & Whitney Mr. Stephen Farish Ms. Wendy Stahl Mr. Denny Portz Mr. Geary Wallace There are still sponsorships available. Please email or call Marta Hannon: pr@loanational.org, 405-692-5827.
Conference Exhibitor Booth(s) List AAI/ACL.....................................................................22-25 AFIL/BearingPoint ............................................................16 AFIT ..................................................................................28 Alaska Structures.........................................................Sec B Altarum .............................................................................14 Anteon ..............................................................................35 ARINC .........................................................................57,58 ATTI...................................................................74,75,82,83 BAE ....................................................................77,78,79,80 Battelle ..............................................................................42 Battlelab, Mountain Home AFB .......................................9 BearingPoint......................................................................27 Boeing............................................................................4,5,6 CACI................................................................................7,8 CDO Technologies ...........................................................36 DLIS ..................................................................................66 DRS Tactical Systems ................................................51, 52 Dynamics Research Company....................................Sec A EDO...................................................................................53 GE......................................................................................33 Honeywell.....................................................................72,73 Hyperion............................................................................15 Karta Technologies............................................................50 KC Plant............................................................................76 KLSS..................................................................................81 Kontron Mobile Computing.............................................45
Lockheed Martin................................................46,47,48,49 Maxwell-AFLMA..............................................................54 Modern Technologies Corporation ..................................68 Nordam..............................................................................69 Northrop Grumman.....................................................55,56 OO-ALC/MAS .................................................................10 Parker Aerospace ..............................................................30 PsionTeklogix ....................................................................18 Pratt & Whitney..........................................................31,32 SAIC.............................................................................70,71 Sheppard AFB..............................................................11,12 SSAI ..................................................................................44 Star Software.....................................................................37 SWRI.................................................................................43 Telos...................................................................................39 Teradata/NCR ...................................................................41 Teradyne, Inc.....................................................................67 TFD....................................................................................40 Thomas Instruments .........................................................26 Total Quality Systems, Inc. ..............................................13 Vertex Aerospace ..............................................................29 Wing Enterprises ...............................................................59 WL Gore ......................................................................64,65 WP-AFRL .........................................................................38 WP-AFRL ....................................................................62,63 WR-ALC...........................................................................34
For more info contact Ms Marta Hannon, pr@loanational.org 40 S U M M E R
2003
CGO Corner G R E E T I N G S F R O M T H E B E A U T I F U L N O R T H W E S T A N D T H E B E E H I V E S T A T E ! Welcome to the first installment of the Company Grade Officer’s Corner! The CGO Corner is a new addition to the ER. I’m Capt Michelle Hall and along with my colleague, Lt Bethany Titus, we’ve been given space in each issue to discuss topics interesting to all LOA members but of special interest to LOA CGOs. First, let us tell you a bit about ourselves. Lt Titus is currently stationed at Hill AFB, home of the 388th Fighter Wing, the premier F-16 unit west of the Mississippi. She is currently the Assistant OIC of the 4th AMU, 388 AMXS. A traditional 21A, her background includes jobs in MOS and CMS. She’s headed across the pond late this summer to begin her next tour in the 31st Fighter Wing at Aviano AB, Italy. I’m a Logistics Readiness Officer at McChord AFB with experience in Transportation and Logistics Plans. Currently, I’m the 62d Airlift Wing Installation Deployment Officer and Readiness Flight Commander in the 62d Logistics Readiness Squadron. After serving three years at McChord, I’ll be heading to RAF Mildenhall this summer to serve in the 727th Air Mobility Squadron. This issue of the ER is dedicated to Operation IRAQI FREEDOM. Many of you have been deployed, or have seen a number of your colleagues deploy in support of this and other operations across the globe. From McChord alone we deployed over 1000 personnel in support of these operations. This equates to 33% of our wing population! As a logistician involved in our wing’s deployment process it was especially gratifying to ensure each and every person departed safely. At McChord, our primary AEF “bucket” is 7/8. In preparation for this large deployment, we underwent a worst-case scenario tasking deployment exercise that required processing personnel and equipment through the deployment machine. This helped identify and correct any potential shortfalls prior to being tasked. As it stands, we deployed nearly twice what we were expecting and the practice was well worth it. As many of you know, personnel who deployed for AEF 7/8 were frozen in theater for an indefinite amount of time to support OIF. We’re just now starting to see some of those folks return home. Redeployment and reconstitution present different challenges to logisticians as we work to get personnel and their equipment ready to return to the AOR, if necessary. During my career, I’ve never had the opportunity to see the full-cycle of deployment/redeployment. Getting folks to the fight on time, with the right equipment, and then back home, is a large part of what we do as logisticians and to help with that has been awesome. Many of you have similar, more extraordinary stories to tell about your experiences during deployments and otherwise. Please feel free to send them to us for possible inclusion in future issues. You can e-mail your stories or ideas for future CGO Corner topics to us at CGOcorner@loanational.org. This space is for CGOs! Let’s use it wisely to present topics of interest to junior members. LOA wants to hear from us and is providing the forum for our productive discussions. Give us feedback so we can make the information applicable and interesting to you. We look forward to hearing from you.
V/R, C A P T M I C H E L L E H A L L & LT B E T H A N Y T I T U S
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Chapter Updates CAJUN CHAPTER (BARKSDALE AFB, LA) Submitted by: Capt Tim Gillaspie, Vice President The Cajun Chapter offers congratulations to newest chapter leaders: President: Capt Lawrence Buerger Vice President: Capt Timothy Gillaspie
BLACK HILLS BANDITS CHAPTER (ELLSWORTH AFB, SD) Submitted by: Maj Deborah Liddick We currently have 15 national members at Ellsworth...and still growing!
E R : C H A P T E R U P D AT E S
MAGNOLIA CHAPTER (KEESLER AFB, MS) Submitted by: 2d Lt Jim Lovell, President We recently elected new officers for our chapter. President: 2d Lt Jim Lovell Vice-President: 1st Lt Rex Lutz Treasurer: 1st Lt Patrick Doran Secretary: 2d Lt Gerald Proctor
MISS VEEDOL CHAPTER (MISAWA AB, JAPAN) Submitted by: Lt Col Jim Eilers The Misawa Miss Veedol chapter had a very exciting and memorable quarter. It began with leadership insights from one of our sister services. CAPT Rich High, the commanding officer of Naval Air Facility Misawa, spoke to the junior Miss Veedol members about his experiences in the Navy and passed on some of his leadership secrets that he thought were important to having a successful career. Chapter members also had the opportunity to host two distinguished professional loggies. First was Brig Gen Art Morrill, PACAF/LG, who paid us a visit on his tour through Japan. General Morrill met with wing leadership, toured the base, and shared some of his leadership vignettes with us. He spoke about one of the most important lessons learned from the recent conflict in Afghanistan and the war in Iraq - RELEVANCE. Gen Morrill explained, “The Air Force carefully cultivates a culture of change, but it’s important to ensure we change practices that are no longer relevant and keep those that are. As the Air Force moves forward and changes to improve processes and strengthen forces, it will become increasingly important to examine the relevance of “old” practices and apply them to new technology. We must employ those practices that make the most sense in a given situation.” The highlight of the chapter’s quarter was a visit to Misawa by “the grandfather” of modern logistics, Lt Gen (ret) Leo Marquez. Gen Marquez took time out of his busy schedule to personally meet with the Misawa loggies and share some of his experiences. In return, we introduced him to one of the many pleasures of northern Japan, Sapporo beer! General Marquez shared stories about his early days as a maintenance officer. One of his most memorable stories was about how the Aircraft Maintenance badge came to be. It was quite an honor to have this logistics legend spend time with us and we wish him many years of success and good health.
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Our next quarter is looking to be quite exciting as well. The 2nd Annual Misawa Crud Tournament is coming up in July and we’re now taking applications for visiting teams and guest officials.
Lt Col Jim Eilers, Misawa LOA Miss Veedol Chapter President, presents Brig Gen Morrill with a Hachinohe Horse.
Lt Gen (ret) Marquez has lunch with Misawa LOA members
LOOKING GLASS CHAPTER (OFFUTT AFB, NE) Submitted by: 2d Lt Andrew Lonas, Information Officer We just wanted to drop a line to let you know what the Looking Glass Chapter has been up to. Our membership includes officers and civilians from the 55th Wing and U.S. Strategic Command, USAF, US Navy, and government civilians. We’ve been attracting new membership interest with frequent tours and events-we hope to crack the top 10 chapters by year’s end. We got a great look at the Strategic Command Operations Center and not long ago were fortunate enough to see the inner workings of the Werner Trucking Company. We plan to visit the Harley-Davidson Factory in Kansas City in the near future. We just had a picnic and recruiting drive that was a great time for 20 members, prospective members, and family members in attendance. Last month we got 24 loggies out on the golf course for our second annual outing, which was a big success. In July, we had a Company Grade Officer versus Field Grade Officer volleyball match. As you can see, we’re staying pretty busy here and having a great time in the process. With the continued support from our advisor Col Dawson, 55 MXG/CC, we will be sending a cadre of folks from the Looking Glass Chapter to the OKC conference to share in the experience. Looking forward to seeing you all there!
MUSTANG CHAPTER (OSAN AB, ROK) Submitted by: Maj Dana Pelletier, President Greetings Loggies, It’s as busy as ever in South Korea and change never slows. We are in the midst of yet another annual turnover, and pressing forward generating activities. It has been a quick five months since chapter elections placed the following in office: President: Maj Dana Pelletier Vice President: Capt Anthony (AJ) Mims Secretary: 1st Lt Mary Lee Treasurer: Capt Catherine Williams continued on following page...
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Some of Osan’s finest, 731 AMS, showcased Aerial Port Operations in May. The tour and mission brief were well received and extremely informative. There aren’t a lot of active aerial ports in the Air Force located alongside a fighter wing, so this was a great learning opportunity. At our most recent meeting, we had the pleasure of hearing 7th Air Force Commander, Lt Gen Lance Smith, share a war fighting commander’s views on logistics and the importance of what logisticians brings to the fight. He highlighted how commanders must understand that logistics makes the war fight possible. Lt Gen Smith’s closing statement was that logisticians must remember that while commanders today understand what logistics can deliver, they really depend on the logistics professionals to make the plans happen.
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MIDDLE GEORGIA CHAPTER (ROBINS AFB, GA) Capt Chuck Hollis, Vice President/Maj Mike Mistretta, President We are gaining momentum and garnering much needed support for a strong LOA chapter! We recently held Middle Georgia Chapter elections. Here are our new chapters leaders: President: Maj Mike Mistretta Vice President: Capt Hollis “Chuck” Payne Secretary: Maj Leon Dockery Treasure: Maj(s) Eric Ellmyer Senior Advisor: Col David Nakayama On behalf of the whole chapter, we would like to thank the outgoing Executive Board members (President, Lt Col James Watts; Vice President, Lt Col James Lewit; Secretary, Capt Sean Wade and Treasurer, Capt Stacy Craig) for their excellent service over the past year. In addition, our chapter recently hosted Maj Gen Donald J. Wetekam, Commander, Warner Robins Air Logistics Center, and Mr. Howard Chambers at our May “lunch and learn.” Mr. Chambers is vice president and general manager of Air Force Airlift and Tanker Programs for Boeing Integrated Defense Systems. They spoke about the importance of teaming and the value added they have enjoyed in the Boeing Company and at WR-ALC. A special thanks to our guest speakers and to Col Paul Dunbar for supporting this first-class function.
ZIA CHAPTER (CANNON AFB, NM) Submitted by: Capt Peter Blake The Zia Chapter hosted the first Logistics Officer Professional Development Day at Cannon AFB, 30 June 2003. The Chapter was fortunate enough to have Major General Terry L. Gabreski, AFMC/LG, Col Carmen Mezzacappa, LOA National President, and Col (ret) Richard Kind, GE Aircraft Engines, in attendance. The Chapter played host to over 70 logistics officers from 5 bases covering both maintenance and logistics readiness. It was impressive to see the entire LOA community come together to support officer development. AFPC provided briefings on assignments as well as how to improve performance report writing. Gen Gabreski gave an excellent presentation on the future of logistics and our officers in a briefing titled, “Our Future…Leadership.” She quickly attacked the subject by discussing transformation within the Air Force and how to develop logistics leaders to embrace change. She stressed the need for accountability and the importance of direct feedback on developing our future leaders. The briefing was concluded with an awe inspiring film of US airpower at it’s finest.
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The luncheon keynote speaker was Col (ret) Richard Kind, currently employed with General Electric. He discussed the transition from active duty to the civilian workforce. His candid and quite humorous comments quickly drove home the importance of careful retirement planning. After lunch, the conference continued with several panel discussions. That event concluded with a dinner featuring a keynote from Gen Gabreski. She highlighted the recent accomplishments of the 27 FW’s efforts during Operation IRAQI FREEDOM. The Zia Chapter’s Logistics Officer Professional Development Day was a great success. The event will surely become an annual occurrence. K
Major General Terry L. Gabreski, AFMC/LG, mentors a logistician at the Logistics Officers Professional Development Day at Cannon AFB.
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EUROPEAN MOA CONFERENCE 1985 Front Row (Left to Right) Ron Barber, Capt Paula (Gunton) Dugan, Capt Joanne Rodefer, Capt Tom Ragland Second Row Maj Gen Lew Curtis, Lt Col Bill Dillion, ?, Major Dave Gorman, Lt Col Dick Trainor, Col Denis Garcia, Capt Art Morrill, Capt Guy Vanderman Third Row Maj Larry Mullins, Maj Howard Creek, George Kishigan, Frank Zohner Forth Row Capt Ron Pincollini, ?, Capt Polly Peyer, Lt Col Marv Rosenthal, Col Ross Schmoll, Col Art "Buzz" Busby Fifth Row Jack Steele, ?, Major Brian Grady, Major Dave Miller, Lt Col (GAF) Klaus Niemeyer, ___ Fletcher, Col Steve Powers MOA-LOA HISTORY MOA-LOA HISTORY MOA-LOA HISTORY MOA-LOA HISTORY MOA-LOA HISTORY MOA-LOA HISTORY
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On The Move CAPT MATT PASKIN WRITES: In July I finished my 13 months at the Pentagon and PCSed to Dyess AFB as the 9th AMU OIC for the B-1 Bomber. My new e-mail is matthew.paskin@dyess.af.mil. Hope to catch up with you all at the Conference in OKC.
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CAPT LORI A. VESSELS WRITES: I have moved to the F/A-22 SPO as the Site Activation Team, Tyndall Lead. GO RAPTORS! My new DSN is 674-5215. Keep em flyin~!
COL JIM SILVA WRITES: Moved from the Special Ops world in sunny MacDill to the dry heat in north Texas at Sheppard AFB. Took command of the 982d TRG running all 44 Field Trng DETs around the world. Great mission ... combat capability starts here!
MAJ JOHN C. MATEER IV WRITES: Escaped/Rescued from the Pentagon and set up shop at Luke AFB as the 56 AMXS/CC. Loving every minute of it!!!
MAJ KYLE M. CORNELL WRITES: We are "on the move" again. Just PCS'd from a terrific tour at Seymour Johnson AFB, NC as the 4th Transportation Squadron commander and later as the 4th Maintenance Operations Squadron commander. The adventure continues for us as I recently took command of the 35th Maintenance Squadron at beautiful Misawa AB, Japan.
1LT NATHAN MCLEOD-HUGHES WRITES: Recently PCS'd to Kunsan AB, ROK, and loving it (so far).
CAPT LYDIA GREGORITSCH WRITES: I have moved on from Dyess AFB to Seymour Johnson AFB in May 03.
LT COL CHARLES JOHNSON WRITES: I just left a great tour as 509th AMXS Commander and am headed to US Army War College.
CAPT JOE BONITA WRITES: My family and I have made the transition from Hickam AFB to Nellis AFB. I completed the first Advanced Maintenance and Munitions Officer School course here at Nellis, and am staying on as an instructor.
COL FRAN CROWLEY WRITES: From: Director, A4/Logistics, 13th Air Force, Andersen AFB, GU To: Director, Air Force Fleet Viability Board, WP-AFB, OH Effective: 1 Aug 03 MAJ JOHN "BULL" BULLDIS WRITES: My family and I are moving to Wright Patterson AFB to attend AFIT/ACSC in Aug. Leaving Germany is difficult but, with the next adventure brings more great memories and fun. Hope I still have some old friends who decided to stay a bit longer. Bull and Family LT COL JIM HANNON WRITES: Graduated from ICAF in June and now at OC-ALC as the Chief of Maintenance Transformation. Look forward to catching up with everyone at the conference! 46 S U M M E R
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1LT ARTHUR SHIELDS WRITES: Been on fighters for 11 years....now leaving Davis-Monthan for KC-135 PDM Post-Production at Tinker AFB! LT COL MIKE SALVI WRITES: I assumed command of the 37th LRS on 6 June after my stint on the Joint Staff. There's a lot going on at Lackland, which gives me plenty of opportunity to learn the ropes. Look forward to seeing you at the OK City convention. CAPT MIKE COLVARD WRITES: Just finished up my tour as the AETC/LG exec and will be heading to the 352 MXS at Mildenhall, England in August 03.
COL (RET) KEN LEWANDOWSKI WRITES: I retired at the end of May as the commander of AMARC and am currently living and working in Phoenix, Arizona as a School Director for Universal Technical Institute, a privately owned automotive training school that has campuses all over the US. CAPT JACQUELINE CHANG WRITES: Hi Everyone! I report to Osan AB on July 15, where I'll be working QA. Look me up if you're passing through! Jackie MAJ DAVID E. DUTCHER WRITES: After a highly educational tour at the Ogden ALC, working alongside some of the finest logistics officers in the USAF, I've returned to the "Land of the Morning Calm", serving at USFK/J-4, Yong San Garrison, ROK. MAJ JOE BANIAK WRITES: I've moved to the 46th AMXS here at Eglin AFB as the Maintenance Operations Officer. MAJ JULIE TRAVNICEK-BURNS WRITES: Moving from ACSC to Kunsan AB to be the 8 LRS/CC in June. 1LT JOSHUA POPE WRITES: After spending 3 great years at Dyess, I've PCSd to DavisMonthan and am now assigned to the 355th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, 354th AMU -- the "Bulldogs". LT COL (RET) PAUL BRICKER WRITES: I just retired after 20 awesome years of serving in our great Air Force. I am now working for Thomas Instrument, an aircraft component manufacturer and overhaul & repair source outside of Houston, TX. Thanks to my many great mentors such as Mr. Bob Mason, Maj Gen Haines, Brig Gen Worthington, Col Bob Simmons, Col Denny Portz and Col Guy Vanderman for leading the way in maintenance and logistics. I look forward to seeing many of you at the next LOA Convention.
LT COL DARLENE SANDERS WRITES: Pinned on 30 April. Leaving as commander of the 314 MOS in mid-June. Heading for Yokota to take command of the 374th AMXS in mid-July. CAPT JD DUVALL WRITES: PCSed from HQ AMC/LGSPS, Scott AFB IL to the 377th Logistics Readiness Squadron at Kirtland AFB NM Jun 03. You can reach me via email at webmaster@loanational.org 1LT B. TODD GUEST WRITES: I recently PCSed from Seymour Johnson AFB to Lackland AFB, where I am the Support Flight Commander for the 369th Recruiting Group. I'm very glad to be here, but I can't wait to get back to maintenance! COL JUDY FEDDER WRITES: Have completed almost two years as Commander of the 65th Air Base Wing & US Forces Azores, Lajes Field; am now Executive Officer to the CSAF. MAJ DAN WUCHENICH WRITES: Finishing my 2-year unaccompanied NATO tour in the Logistics Division of AirSouth here in Naples, Italy. Will miss the cappuccino and my colleagues (didn't ever have 'colleagues' until I came to NATO). Going back to Little Rock AFB (left there in '97) where I will take command of the 314th Maintenance Squadron in June. COL RICK MATTHEWS WRITES: Reluctantly relinquished command of 57th Maintenance Group at Nellis in December to become the B-2 System Program Director at Wright-Pat. Learning a lot, having a blast, and was proud to "knock down the door" for our other great aircraft platforms so they could join the fight during OIF. If you're in Dayton area, please stop by. I love to visit with people who speak my language. Cheers. LT BRAD HOFFMAN WRITES: Time here at Dyess is up. As of 1 Jul I will be working at the AFC2ISR Center in Langley. continued on following page...
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MAJ STEVE BACHELOR WRITES: Hey, after a great tour as Commander, 97th Supply Squadron at Altus AFB OK, followed by a stint as a student at Air Command and Staff College, I'm now assigned as a Special Action Officer and Legislative Liaison for the USAFE Commander's Action Group at Ramstein AB GE. Been here since Jun 02.
be PCSing to Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia to take command of the 363 Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron for one year. As you can imagine, it's going to be fast, furious and extremely challenging and I look forward to it. I'm sure many of you will have the pleasure of a rotation to the "sand box" while I'm there so make sure you look me up.
BRIG GEN (RET) CHARLES E. SAVAGE WRITES: Retired effective 15 April 2003 as the ANG Assistant to US Joint Forces Command serving as Vice J8, Requirements and Integraton 1 July 2002-15 April 2003 and Vice J4, Logistics and Engineering 15 April 2000-1 Jul 2002. 40+ years of service. Prior assignment was Logistics Group Commander, McEntire ANG Base, South Carolina Air National Guard. Currently the Eastern Regional Manager, Customer Support, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company.
COL SUSAN VOVERIS WRITES: I took command of the 52d Maintenance Group at Spangdahlem AB, Germany on 3 January 2003.
MAJ GEOFF BACON WRITES: I've been selected to attend ACSC in residence beginning Aug 03. SQ/CC has been absolutely phenomenal! Looking forward to seeing the other Loggies at ACSC. CIV GS-12 ELIAS G. DUNGCA WRITES: PCSing in May 03 from Tinker AFB (CLS Directorate) via McGuire AFB as the KC-10 Weapons Systems Logistics Officer to HQ ACC, Langley AFB on a GS-13 Logistics Career Broadening assignment for the next two years. Will initially be assigned to the Assessment Division in the LG side of the house. We need more civilians to be active members of LOA!!! LT COL HENRY PANDES WRITES: I've moved on to Prince Sultan AB, Saudi Arabia to be the 363rd Deputy Mission Group Commander after serving as a staff officer in SAF/AQC (AF Contract-ing), Pentagon,Wash DC. LT COL CRAIG HALL WRITES: Fellow Loggies, My tenure as the 649 CLSS Commander at Hill AFB is rapidly coming to an end but I have another terrific opportunity to look forward to. In June 03, I will
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CAPT MAX STITZER WRITES: Currently a student at Nellis AFB in the new Advanced Maintenance and Munitions Officer School (AMMOS)the new "Fighter Weapons School" for Maintenance Officers from 22 Jan to 6 Jun 2003. Otherwise, still serving as the 301 MXS/CC at NAS Fort Worth, TX, where we just won our 3rd consecutive MAJCOM Maintenance Effectiveness Award! Recently notified of my selection for Major, pinning on 30 September 2003. COL (RET) LORI T. HILL WRITES: I finally took the plunge into civilian life and retired on 10 Mar 03 at the Women's Memorial in Arlington, VA. 90+ friends and family were on hand for the event and Lt Gen Zettler did the honors! I plan on keeping in touch with folks and coming to the LOA Conference in Oct. Please give me a call if anyone is ever in the area. My retirement info follows: 4636 20th St N., Arlington, VA 22207 email: dhill101@comcast.net. Take care all and keep 'em flying! K
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