Stars & Stripes - 04.13.18

Volume 10, No. 18 ŠSS 2018

FRIDAY, A PRIL 13, 2018

Forecasting danger As more US air assets move into Afghanistan, role of meteorologists increasingly significant Page 2

451st Expeditionary Operation Support Squadron airmen complete an inventory on weather equipment in January at Kandahar Air Field, Afghanistan.

DIVINE C OX /Courtesy of the U.S. Air Force

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COVER STORY

Meteorologists’ work vital for safety of aircrews

BY PHILLIP WALTER WELLMAN Stars and Stripes

KANDAHAR AIR FIELD, Afghanistan — Last fall, as dark clouds moved into northern Kandahar province, a U.S. mine-resistant vehicle hit a land mine, and an airborne rescue unit had to be dispatched to the scene.

“We pulled up our radar and were like, ‘The thunderstorm is exactly 20 miles out; you’ve got 20 minutes to get there and get back,’ ” recalled Air Force Master Sgt. Dominick Martin, flight chief of the 451st Expeditionary Operations Support Squadron’s meteorological team.

A rescue operation was quickly launched, and a group of U.S. servicemembers, one of whom was injured, was brought back to Kandahar Air Field just in time.

“We were up in our observation tower watching the storm moving around, then you could see the rescue guys drop the injured guy off and see him being taken to the hospital,” said Air Force Maj. William Henning, the met team’s flight commander. “It was a visual depiction of how our forecast had such a big impact.”

With more American air assets being moved into Afghanistan to combat persistent insurgents and incursions by Islamic State affiliates, the role of meteorologists will become increasingly significant, especially in the south — the focus of Henning’s team. More than 16 years into the war, the U.S. continues to carry out important missions in the area, the Taliban heartland. This

DIVINE C OX /Courtesy of the U.S. Air Force

Tech. Sgt. Michael Theos collects weather data using a kestrel reader Jan. 11 at Kandahar Air Field, Afghanistan. The device measures air pressure, relative humidity, wind speed and direction. happens to be among the most difficult places in the world to forecast weather, meteorologists say.

The work of meteorologists is vital for ensuring the safety of aircrew and military assets.

“Forecasting and reporting accurate weather conditions often makes the difference to mission success,” Air Force

Lt. Col. Jonathan Burdick, deputy commander for the 451st Air Expeditionary Group, told Stars and Stripes.

“Weather data is especially important in regions like Helmand and Kandahar provinces because there is a constant demand for airpower support.”

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‘ They don’t want the ‘50 percent chance of precipitation’ that the National Weather Service is going to tell somebody. They want to know if they can put a $2 million aircraft in an area safely or not.

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Air Force Master Sgt. Dominick Martin 451st Expeditionary Operations Support Squadron

PHILLIP WALTER WELLMAN /Stars and Stripes

Members of the 451st Expeditionary Operations Support Squadron’s meteorological team, from left, Air Force Master Sgt. Dominick Martin, Tech. Sgt. Michael Theos, Maj. William Henning and Staff Sgt. Timothey Everhard.

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COVER STORY FROM PAGE 2

To keep up with that demand, the four men who make up the 451st EOSS meteorological team work 24 hours a day to ensure aircrews have the most up-to-date weather information.

Their work is broken into two parts: observing and forecasting.

Observing entails scanning the airfield at least once an hour to look for things such as low visibility, lightning, cloud height, wind direction and speed, temperature and dew point. When weather is bad, several observations are made an hour.

To help with their forecasts, the team uses sophisticated instruments, including satellite imagery and the only radar installation in southern Afghanistan, which they are constantly monitoring.

Kandahar and the surrounding areas see everything from strong winds and lightning to sand storms and hail. Understanding the different weather conditions allows operators to initiate missions in areas where they can be maintained.

But providing accurate information for aircrews operating in the region is difficult, according to Martin — who is on his fourth deployment to Afghanistan and has worked as a meteorologist across the United States and Europe — particularly because of a lack of data observation posts in the volatile area.

“It’s one of the hardest places, I think, on the planet to forecast for because it’s datasparse,” Martin said. “Commanders and decision makers and pilots in commands, they don’t want the ‘50 percent chance of precipitation’ that the National Weather Service is going to tell somebody. They want to know if they can put a $2 million aircraft in an area safely or not.

“There’s a lot of guesswork, and you’re saying, ‘I really feel confident this is going to happen in this area at this time,’ but in the back of your mind, you’re thinking there’s also a small possibility it could be really bad there.”

Because of the stakes involved, met team members are an integral part of U.S. efforts in Afghanistan, even if their jobs aren’t usually as exciting

PHOTOS

BY

PHILLIP WALTER WELLMAN /Stars and Stripes

Air Force Maj. William Henning, flight commander of the 451st Expeditionary Operations Support Squadron’s meteorological team, analyzes the weather in his office at Kandahar Air Field, Afghanistan, on March 19. as those of airmen flying missions, said Tech Sgt. Michael Theos, the air field services noncommissioned officer in charge.

“With a lot of that stuff they are talking to us before it happens,” Theos said, referring to his colleagues who plan aerial operations. “Pretty much anything that happens they’re talking to weather, they’re looking online to see what’s occurring, the observations, the forecast, so we’re very much a part of it.”

That includes the ongoing airstrikes against Taliban narcotics labs, which Theos said planners have been regularly contacting his team about.

The strikes are intended to target the insurgents’ revenue streams and are part of a larger expansion of U.S. airpower in Afghanistan.

In February, Air Force Maj. Gen. James Hecker, commander of NATO Air, said that Afghanistan had become U.S.

Central Command’s main effort because of success in Iraq and Syria and that the military had begun shifting resources to the south Asian nation to combat the Taliban, the local ISIS branch and other groups.

The spike came after U.S. forces were given more authority to target Taliban insurgents, who have made substantial gains in recent years.

The uptick in activity and the buildup mean the current meteorological team at Kandahar and its successor will continue to play an important, behind-the-scenes role in America’s longest war.

The 451st Air Expeditionary Group it supports “already made exceptional gains in 2018 and we intend on maintaining this trend,” commander Burdick said, adding that it would be impossible without the meteorologists. wellman.phillip@stripes.com Twitter: @pwwellman

Air Force Master Sgt. Dominick Martin, flight chief of the 451st Expeditionary Operations Support Squadron’s meteorological team, looks out from the observation deck.

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EUROPE

UK, US troops test using robots in breaching drill

BY M ARTIN EGNASH Stars and Stripes

GRAFENWOEHR, Germany — Humans took a back seat during a base exercise on April 6 in which robots cleared obstacles for manned tanks and fighting vehicles.

U.S. and British troops participated in the Robotic Complex Breach Concept demonstration, during which several remote-controlled vehicles performed a task usually carried out by soldiers.

“We did a robotic breach today, which has never been done before. This is a historic moment,” said 1st Lt. Cody Rothschild, an officer with the 1st Infantry Division’s 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, currently on rotation in Europe. “This is a great step forward for the Army, and for robotics.”

The rotational armor brigade was the main armor element during the exercise.

It provided suppressing fire with M1A2 Abrams tanks and Bradley Fighting Vehicles, while remote-controlled U.K. Terrier engineering vehicles cleared a simulated minefield and bridged a tank trench.

Breaching enemy obstacles is one of the most dangerous tasks on a battlefield, said British Warrant Officer Robert Kemp.

“Any breach like this will have enemy weapons trained in on the area,” Kemp said.

“Roboticizing breach operations takes away the risk of life and makes clearing enemy obstacles much safer.”

This is great news for the engineers who would otherwise be on the front lines of an assault.

“It keeps us safe from being out there like sitting ducks,” said Pvt. Jonathon Ramirez, an engineer with 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team.

“As an engineer, this means a lot to me,” said 1st Lt. Felix Derosin, a platoon leader with the 2ABCT. “The casualty rate for a breach is expected to be 50 percent. Being able to take our guys away from that, and have some robots go in there, is a very positive thing for us. In the future, this can save engineers’ lives.”

The Terriers were controlled Being British able to see by soldiers it, eyes several on, shows hundred feet away me what inside U.S. the future Bradley Fighting is going Vehicles.

Besides to be like, the Terand it’s riers, the pretty troops used other good. roboticized 1st Lt. Felix systems, Derosin such as an unmanned M113 armored personnel carrier, to deliver walls of thick, white smoke to help cloak the breaching operation.

The drill also employed several models of drones, including the Puma Unmanned Aerial System to gather intelligence and the Instant Eye UAS to search for possible chemical weapons.

Though troops have been utilizing unmanned vehicles, especially drones, for decades, the use of the robotic systems at the demonstration was new to most of the troops involved.

“When I first came in, I didn’t expect to be seeing robots doing (combat operations) like this. Being able to see it, eyes on, shows me what the future is going to be like, and it’s pretty good,” Derosin said.

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egnash.martin@stripes.com Twitter: @Marty_Stripes

PHOTOS

BY

M ARTIN EGNASH /Stars and Stripes

An unmanned U.K. Terrier engineering vehicle clears mines during the Robotic Complex Breach Concept demonstration at Grafenwoehr, Germany, on April 6.

Spc. Brandon Burton reaches for an Instant Eye unmanned aerial system.

A U.K. Terrier drops a bundle into a tank trench during the demonstration at Grafenwoehr.

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Sgt. Maj. of the Army visits Fort Gordon

by Laura Levering | Fort Gordon Public Affairs Office

Sgt. Maj. of the Army Daniel A. Dailey visited Fort Gordon on March 28-29.

Dailey, who is the Army Chief of Staff ’s personal advisor and the Army’s top enlisted Soldier, said the visit was an important opportunity for Soldiers to communicate faceto-face their needs to senior leadership. Being on the ground with Soldiers also gave him a chance to be able see and accurately depict critical missions Soldiers conduct every day to senior officials in Washington, D.C. “Soldiers need to be able to see and talk to senior leadership, and say ‘these are the things I need you to go back to (Department of the Army) staff and be our advocate for,’” Dailey said.

During his stay, Dailey joined Soldiers for physical training on Barton Field, attended a Soldier’s re-enlistment ceremony, received a windshield tour from the Garrison command team, listened to briefings, toured facilities, and attended the installation’s Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention month opening ceremony.

Prior to his visit, Dailey had never been to Fort Gordon. But as military brat, he heard stories about the installation as a child from his father, who was stationed at Fort Gordon in the 1960’s as a signaleer. Seeing the installation firsthand for the first time, Dailey said he was most surprised by the massive amount of growth happening in a short amount of time.

Pfc. Isiah Sharp, 116th Military Intelligence Brigade, shares a laugh with Sgt. Maj. of the Army Daniel A. Dailey and Brig. Gen. Robert L. Edmonson II, Chief of Signal and U.S. Army Signal School commandant, prior to Fort Gordon’s Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention month opening ceremony held on March 29.

Laura Levering / Fort Gordon Public Affairs Office

“Fort Gordon has gone from being a predominately training base to now being a truly multi-functional installation,” Dailey said.

Dailey was able to see and hear for himself about the evolution of Fort Gordon – specifically the cyber force – after visiting several of the installation’s facilities and listening to Soldiers talk about their roles.

Spc. Christopher Fairchild (far right), 202nd Military Intelligence Battalion, performs a card trick for Brig. Gen. Robert L. Edmonson II, Chief of Signal and U.S. Army Signal School commandant (left), and Sgt. Maj. of the Army Daniel A. Dailey (right).

Laura Levering / Fort Gordon Public Affairs Office

“In today’s environment, our vulnerabilities from a digital perspective are increasing every day, and our adversaries’ capabilities are increasing every single day, so the criticality of developing the cyber force is something that is on the forefront of the senior leadership of the Army,” Dailey said. “Their job is a big part of our defense and a big part of the overall mission that we have.”

As Fort Gordon continues its transformation to becoming home of U.S. Army Cyber Command, Dailey noted that Soldiers aren’t the only ones who play a vital role in ensuring a successful transition and mission. The installation relies on its civilian counterparts and surrounding communities.

“We need that continued support and we need that continued collaboration so the leaders here can continue to represent and say that ‘this is your Army; it’s not just ours,’” Dailey said.

Fortunately, achieving the aforementioned is not much of a concern.

“We have great communities outside all of our installations, and I just want to say I appreciate the hard work and dedication that communities outside the gates of Fort Gordon have been doing – not just now, but have been sustaining for a long time,” Dailey said.

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Opening ceremony kicks off Sexual Assault Awareness, Prevention Month

by Wilson A. Rivera | Fort Gordon Public Affairs Office “Shaping a culture of trust” is this year’s theme for Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month stated during the SAAPM opening ceremony held March 29 at the Signal Towers flag pole.

Civilian and military communities observe Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month to raise awareness, prevent sexual violence and provide essential support to survivors. Societal awareness of sexual harassment and sexual assault have soared in recent months as a result of misconduct charges sweeping across media, entertainment, and other industries.

“Today we are recognizing with the rest of the nation that April is Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month,” said Capt. Tabitha Sassor, Sexual Harassment/Assault Response and Prevention Program deputy manager. “Our Fort Gordon SAPR and SHARP teams work year round to draw attention to the fact that sexual violence is an inexcusable crime, which impacts mission readiness, a top priority.”

SHARP’s primary mission is prevention of sexual violence as a means to support the Army senior leadership’s goal of maintaining the highest levels of unit and organizational readiness. SAAPM provides an opportunity to increase awareness of the complex, integrated work of the Army’s SHARP professionals and mission stakeholders such as the Criminal Investigation Command, Office of the Judge Advocate General, and Office of the Surgeon General.

Sexual Assault Response Coordinators and Sexual Assault Prevention Representatives place teal ribbons for display at the Signal Towers flag pole during a Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month opening ceremony held March 29.

Wilson A. Rivera / Fort Gordon Public Affairs Office

Brig. Gen. Robert L. Edmonson II, Chief of Signal and U.S. Army Signal School commandant, signs a pledge to eradicate sexual harassment and sexual assault under the signature of Sgt. Maj. of the Army Daniel A. Dailey, who stands to the right, during a Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month opening ceremony held March 29 at the Signal Towers flag pole.

Wilson A. Rivera / Fort Gordon Public Affairs Office

“It’s the responsibility of every one of us to ensure we live and work without the threat of sexual harassment or sexual assault. I believe that we can accomplish this first by shaping a culture of trust, which will in turn protect our people and therefore protect our mission,” said Brig. Gen. Robert L. Edmonson II, Chief of Signal and U.S. Army Signal School commandant.

During SAAPM, the Army highlights the roles and responsibilities of these entities in helping Command Teams establish healthy, preventionfocused climates, ensure competent and compassionate victim care, and facilitate offender accountability.

The Army will continue to educate the Army team about sexual violence, increase awareness about the importance of preventing these offenses, and reinforce individual and collective responsibilities to report and respond to sexual harassment and sexual assault incidents when they occur.

Throughout the month of April, keys events will assist with education about preventing and responding to inappropriate behaviors and the crime of sexual assault.

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PACIFIC

Navy plans to deploy F-35Cs to Japan sometime after 2021

BY T YLER HLAVAC Stars and Stripes

YOKOSUKA NAVAL Base, Japan — The Navy expects to deploy its version of America’s most advanced joint strike fighter to Japan sometime after 2021.

The plan — confirmed last week by Naval Forces Japan spokeswoman Cmdr. Reann Mommsen — involves sending an unspecified number of F-35C Lightning IIs to Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni.

“The U.S. Navy places its most advanced and combatcapable units in the forward deployed naval force,” she told Stars and Stripes in an email. “This future upgrade will enhance the capabilities of the air wing and its mission to defend Japan and contribute to regional peace and security.”

The F-35Cs will be assigned to Carrier Air Wing 5 of the USS Ronald Reagan strike group. Last week, CVW-5 finished relocating its fixed-wing aircraft from Naval Air Facility Atsugi to Iwakuni, which is hundreds of miles away near the southern end of Japan’s main island of Honshu.

The F-35 comes in three variants that cater to the needs of each service branch. The Air Force’s F-35As — designed for traditional takeoffs and landings — are lighter and can carry more fuel, while the Marine Corps’ F-35Bs are capable of short takeoffs and vertical landings that make them compatible with amphibious assault

ships such as the USS Wasp.

Manufacturer Lockheed Martin says the F-35C is the “only” fighter designed and built explicitly for carrier operations.

“The F-35C variant has larger wings and more robust landing gear than the other variants, making it suitable for catapult launches and fly-in arrestments aboard naval aircraft carriers,” the company says on its website. “It’s wingtips also fold to allow for more room on the carrier’s deck while deployed.”

The Navy says those foldable wings are “critical” for their use on aircraft carriers that can hold more than 70 aircraft, including 18C Hornets, 18G Growlers and 18E/F Super Hornets, E-2D Hawkeyes and C-2A Greyhounds.

Last month, pilots from Strike Fighter Squadrons 125 and 101 flew F-35Cs on day and night qualifications, with 140 arrested landings aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Atlantic Ocean. The carrier qualifications bring the Navy’s variant of the joint strike fighter one step closer to operational status.

MCAS Iwakuni already hosts a squadron of Marine Corps F35Bs flown by Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 121. The stealth fighters, which transferred from MCAS Yuma last year, are conducting their first regional patrol with the USS Wasp strike group. hlavac.tyler@stripes.com

JOSEPH PICK /Courtesy of the U.S. Air Force

Four CV-22 Osprey aircraft with the 8th Special Operations Squadron fly along the Lake Michigan coast in 2016. Five of the aircraft arrived at the home of U.S. Forces Japan on April 5.

Ospreys land at Yokota ahead of schedule

BY SETH ROBSON Stars and Stripes

YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan — Five Air Force CV-22 Ospreys landed in western Tokyo on April 5, marking the start of the tilt-rotor aircraft’s tenure at the home of U.S. Forces Japan.

The Ospreys, part of a special operations squadron of 10 aircraft that will be based at Yokota, flew there from Yokohama North Dock, where they recently had arrived on a container ship.

The arrival of the Ospreys — capable of taking off like helicopters, then tilting their rotors to fly long distances as fixed-wing aircraft — “addresses regional security concerns in line with the recently released 2018 National Defense Strategy and also provides a platform that can rapidly react to natural disasters or crises,” the statement said.

The Ospreys will remain at Yokota for a short time before leaving to train around the region over the next few months,

the Air Force said.

“When they return from the training, they will continue to operate from Yokota,” the statement added.

More personnel will arrive at the base over the next several months to support aircraft training operations in the region, the statement said.

The original plan for basing the Ospreys at Yokota would have added about 1,100 people to a population of 11,500.

However, the squadron will initially bring only about 100 people, with that number growing as additional aircraft are deployed, said Kaori Matsukasa, a spokeswoman for Yokota’s 374th Airlift Wing.

“Some additional personnel will be assigned to the 374th Airlift Wing to support the unit,” she said. “The total number of personnel added to Yokota Air Base over the next few years is expected to be around 450.”

Interim facilities to support the Ospreys were completed at the end of fiscal year 2017, and

construction of other facilities for the aircraft should start on time, she said.

Some people living in communities near Yokota oppose basing the Ospreys there and have held a number of protests to make their concerns known.

The Air Force statement described the Osprey as “a highly advanced aircraft with unique capabilities and an excellent operational safety record.”

“It brings unparalleled special operations capabilities to the region as part of the United States’ commitment to Japan’s defense,” the statement added.

The Air Force’s variant of the Osprey is among several platforms the U.S. has recently sent to Japan, including Yokota’s new C-130J Super Hercules transport planes, Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni’s F-35B stealth fighters and Sasebo Naval Base’s USS Wasp amphibious ship. robson.seth@stripes.com Twitter: @SethRobson1

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WAR ON TERRORISM

SIGAR: $60M Afghan power project bungled

BY CHAD GARLAND Stars and Stripes

A $60 million power project overseen by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Afghanistan couldn’t be powered up over fears that it would put Afghan lives at risk and that shoddy work could leave the system structurally unstable, a government watchdog found.

The third phase in the Corps’ North East Power System project strung high-voltage power lines through 32 miles of Parwan and Kapisa provinces as part of an international effort to build up Afghanistan’s power grid to bring electricity to communities and military installations throughout the beleaguered country.

But when the system was turned over to the Afghan government, residents in some areas were still living and farming on land used for the project, perhaps dangerously close to the transmission towers and high-voltage power lines — in some cases, directly under them — according a review by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, published April 4.

Inspectors also found what they said were signs of poor workmanship at some of the 18 transmission towers inspected last fall, which the report said could lead to their collapse from crumbling concrete foundations or from erosion.

A Corps official at Bagram Air Field said officials reviewed the structural concerns raised in the report and found they do not pose a risk to the system’s long-term operation. Spokeswoman Britney Walker said other issues noted in the report had been resolved and the power would be turned on in seven days.

In an official response included in the SIGAR report, the Corps rejected most of the report’s findings and recommendations — including its title, which accused the Corps of “mismanagement.”

Officials said SIGAR ignored the fact that some features of the power system, such as connecting the third phase of the project to its power source, were supposed to be done by other organizations involved in building out the grid, such as the U.S. Agency for International Development, the Asian Development Bank or the governments of Afghanistan, France or India.

“The SIGAR report appears to

C HAD G ARLAND/Stars and Stripes

Afghan women walk in December along a highway in Parwan province near power lines built under U.S.-funded contracts. suggest that if (the Corps) finished a project before another critical piece of the grid was available, (it) should build the incomplete segment or terminate the contract,” the response said.

Acknowledging the difficulty of completing power projects in the embattled country, where insurgents control, influence or contest more than half of the districts, Walker said officials “are confident the Afghan government can operate these systems safely.”

SIGAR said that the Afghan government failed to acquire the privately owned land that made up two-thirds of the project before the Corps authorized a contractor to start construction.

Concerned the government would “flip the switch” before moving residents from the land, the Corps tasked the contractor with disabling the substation before it was turned over to the Afghan Ministry of Energy and Water in February, SIGAR said.

It could take years and millions of dollars in additional funding to establish safe and permanent connections to the two other completed substations, the report said.

Meanwhile, the lines and equipment could be at risk of theft or decay, though Corps officials said the substation is fenced and the transmission towers are designed to be

vandal-resistant.

But on April 5, Walker said the Afghan government and the electricity utility told the Corps that right-of-way issues had been resolved and residents had been relocated safely away from the power lines in the past 30 days, though the Corps “has no way of verifying this information.”

The Corps said in its official response that it was conducting a review to determine why construction went forward before right-of-way issues had been resolved.

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MILITARY/WAR

Army expects to keep Mannheim barracks

BY JOHN VANDIVER Stars and Stripes

STUTTGART, Germany — The U.S. Army probably will hold on to Mannheim’s Coleman Barracks until at least 2021 because of the base’s key role in stockpiling equipment for the military’s beefed-up Europe mission.

“It is very unlikely that we will be able to turn over Coleman Barracks (to the Germans) prior to 2021. Coleman plays a central strategic role for the US Army in Europe until further notice,” USAREUR said in a statement April 5.

For some time, local officials in Mannheim have eyed the post to house migrants. But those plans have been put on indefinite hold because of the Army’s need for the barracks.

The U.S. military was poised to return Coleman to the Germans in 2015 as part of a broader post-Cold War drawdown in Europe.

But 48 hours before turning over the keys, the U.S reached a deal in February of that year to temporarily maintain access to the site, which was needed to house an influx of Europebound Army equipment.

In the wake of Russia’s 2014 invasion of Ukraine, the U.S. was forced to scramble for facilities to accommodate

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Establishing the power grid is just part of the Corps’ work in Afghanistan, where it began managing projects in 1955, said Lt. Gen. Todd Semonite, the Corps’ commander and chief of engineers, during a visit to Bagram in December.

About $500 million in projects were under construction and $300 million more were being

MICHAEL A BRAMS/Stars and Stripes

Rows of Bradley Fighting Vehicles are parked at Coleman Barracks in Mannheim, Germany, in June. a rejuvenated USAREUR mission.

Now, there are some 20,000 pieces of equipment stored at Coleman, ranging from M-149 Water Buffalo trailers to M1A1 Abrams tanks.

The Army also has set up a network of sites across Europe where it has prepositioned stocks of equipment. The warehouses — mainly in Western Europe — include locations in Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands.

Work is underway to push more assets east, where NATO has been work-

designed.

During his visit, officials discussed “very aggressive plans” to complete an “arm of power” flexing across Afghanistan, which would bring imported power from neighboring countries to remote provinces from Parwan, home to Bagram, in the north to Kandahar in the south.

Officials believe electrifying the country will spark eco-

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ing to reinforce its defenses.

The Army is developing plans to construct a warehouse in Powidz, Poland, that could be ready for use by 2021, possibly to house such equipment as air-defense and fire-support weaponry.

In 2017, USAREUR visited various German military facilities to survey potential locations for more troops in case the Pentagon decided to send more to Europe in the future.

USAREUR, which hasn’t ruled out keeping Coleman beyond 2021, said

nomic development in areas now largely powerless — an important goal for a country that cannot sustain itself economically without foreign donations.

The grid is also expected to supply power to nearly 100 Afghan military bases dotting the landscape, where the Kabul government, backed by NATO and others, is battling a stubborn insurgency in its

This publication is a compilation of stories from Stars and Stripes, the editorially independent newspaper authorized by the Department of Defense for members of the military community. The contents of Stars and Stripes are unofficial, and are not to be considered as the official views of, or endorsed by, the U.S. government, including the Defense Department or the military services. The U.S. Edition of Stars and Stripes is published jointly by Stars and Stripes and this newspaper.

The appearance of advertising in this publication, including inserts or supplements, does not constitute endorsement by the DOD or Stars and Stripes of the products or services advertised.

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© Stars and Stripes, 2018

there are logistical advantages to the Mannheim facility.

“Not as an airport, as it served for a long time, but because of the large area and the generously dimensioned rail connection, because of the proximity to the Rhine and the fast accessibility from Ramstein Air Base,” USAREUR said.

The Army operated an airfield in Mannheim years ago that is no longer in use. vandiver.john@stripes.com Twitter: @john_vandiver

17th year.

Many of those outposts depend on generators for power at 53 cents per kilowatt-hour, Semonite said. On grid power, that cost drops to 22 cents per kilowatt-hour, “plus it’s a lot more reliable.”

The savings could amount to $65 million per year that

could be applied to equipment for the security forces, said Semonite, who helped lead efforts to rebuild Iraq’s power grid after the 2003 invasion.

“I saw the benefits of electricity,” he said. “It is good business.” garland.chad@stripes.com Twitter: @chadgarland

C HAD G ARLAND/Stars and Stripes

A map inset shows the scope of U.S.-funded power projects planned to form a circuit through Afghanistan and power the country’s rural areas.

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Divers hope to solve old Hercules crash mystery

BY WILLIAM HOWARD Stars and Stripes

RAF MILDENHALL, England — Almost 50 years ago, Sgt. Paul Adams Meyer, a U.S. Air Force assistant crew chief, got drunk, impersonated an officer and stole a C-130 Hercules from RAF Mildenhall in England so he could fly home to his new wife. Two hours later, he crashed into the English Channel.

Now, a team of British divers called Deeper Dorset hopes to raise $8,430 on an all-or-nothing Kickstarter to find the plane and uncover the truth behind the crash.

The divers have until April 11 to meet their fundraising goal or go back to the drawing board.

“We’ve known about the Hercules story for about 10 years, and it’s one of those stories that grabs the imagination,” said Deeper Dorset photographer Simon Brown.

“It’s a human tale as much as research of as to where it is.”

What happened to Meyer has been subject to rumor and speculation for nearly half a century.

An Air Force investigation found that at least two U.S. F-100 Super Sabre fighter jets from RAF Lakenheath, a C130 from Mildenhall and two RAF English Electric Lightning interceptors attempted contact with Meyer before he crashed into the English Channel near Alderney Island.

“Leave me alone for about five minutes. I’ve got trouble,” Meyer said in his final transmission to his wife in a link-up over the sideband radio.

Members of Deeper Dorset believe they can locate the missing Hercules using existing research, sonar and photogrammetry, a technique that builds 3-D models of wreckage.

“We’ve nailed down where we think the aircraft might be within a 10-square-mile box,” Brown said. “Within that box, there’s five hot spots. Places where people have reported losing fishing gear or snagging something, and those kinds of snags are usually

Stars and Stripes

The odyssey of Sgt. Paul Meyer was on the front page of the May 24, 1969, edition of Stars and Stripes.

This Google image shows the approximate crash site of the Hercules. According to an accident report by Lockheed Martin, Meyer was possibly shot down by allied forces. man-made.”

The diving team’s previous successes include locating La Mahenge, an 8,000-ton cargo ship found about 131 yards deep in the English Channel, and a British M1 submarine

found about 88 yards deep in waters off the Port of Plymouth.

The Kickstarter goal covers running costs of 25 days at sea, which is about a year of searching, taking into consid-

eration weather and tides.

“I think this project is too interesting to just let it pass, and with the Kickstarter goal, it can happen sooner, and we’ll be able to share more about what we find,” Brown said.

For more information or to donate, go to kickstarter.com/ projects/979818757/findingmeyers-missing-hercules. howard.william@stripes.com Twitter: @Howard_Stripes

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Fri Apr 13

All day World Voice Day AU’s Maxwell Theatre Presented by the Augusta University Opera Initiative. Free and open to the public. Call 706-667-4100 or visit augusta.edu/maxwelltheatre.

8pm Raheem DeVaughn Miller Theater $32-$100. Visit millertheateraugusta. com or call 800-514-3849.

Sat Apr 14

7:30am Take Back the Day 5K Augusta University Amphitheater A benefit for Rape Crisis and Sexual Assault Services on an all-downhill course that begins with registration at 7:30 a.m., followed by kick-off at 8:30 a.m. and the race at 8:45 a.m.

Runners: $25, advance; $30, day of race; $20, active-duty military. Walkers: $5, students; $10, individuals; $15, families.

Strollers and leashed dogs welcome.

Visit active.com to register. Call 706724-5200 or visit rapecrisisaugusta.org.

8am - noon Jimmy Jog 5K & 10K Lake Olmstead Park Race begins at 8:45 a.m. The Delta Chi Augusta event benefits the Jimmy V Foundation for Cancer Research. $20-$35. Visit eventbrite.com, or call 678-338-1327 or email dhruvatri1@ gmail.com.

11am - 2pm Family Kite and Flight Festival Citizens Park III, Aiken

Friday, April 13, 2018

Hosted by the city of Aiken Parks and Recreation Department, this event will include kite-flying, inflatables, train rides, live music and more.

Free admission, but tickets must be purchased to participate in amusements and activities. Email rgaines@ cityofaikensc.gov or call 803-642-7649.

Sun Apr 15

3pm - 4:30pm Canal Trail Talk: Inside Sibley Mill Power Plant Augusta Canal National Heritage Area Learn how the Sibley Mill power plant operates. Free, but donations appreciated. Call 706-823-0440, ext. 2, or visit augustacanal.com.

4pm Adam Golka Jabez S. Hardin Performing Arts Center The Symphony Orchestra Augusta presents this pianist. $24. Visit soaugusta.org or call 706-826-4705.

Mon Apr 16

6pm - 8pm Civil War Roundtable Meeting Goodwill’s The Snelling Center George C. Rable, a history professor emeritus at the University of Alabama, presents on “God as General: Was There a Religious History ofthe American Civil War?” based on his book “God’s Almost Chosen People: A Rebellious History of the American Civil War.” Meetings are $23, including dinner (buffet starts at 5:15).

Membership is $25 per year, individual; $40, couple. Call 706-736-2909 or visitcivilwarroundtableaugustaga.com.

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