Daily Report

Oct. 19, 2009

Search for F-16 Pilot Called Off

Col. Joe Guastella, 20th Fighter Wing commander at Shaw AFB, S.C., acknowledged at 10 p.m. Saturday that an intense search had not revealed any trace of Capt. Nicholas Giglio, missing since his F-16 collided with another Viper over the Atlantic...

Luke Forward, Maybe

There was considerable ballyhoo last week when Arizona officials and business leaders launched the state’s new Luke Forward campaign designed to secure the F-35 for Luke Air Force Base, but there are still some dissenting voices. The Phoenix Business Journal...

Minot Missile Wing Has New Boss

Col. Fred Stoss III is the new commander for the 91st Missile Wing at Minot AFB, N.D., taking charge after Air Force Space Command announced last week it had relieved the previous commander, Col. Christopher Ayres. Stoss has served as vice commander of the 90th MW at F.E. Warren AFB, Wyo., since June 2008. He has served in various missile combat crew positions and nuclear mission-related staff and command assignments, including serving as the Air Staff's chief of the nuclear operations division. The Minot Daily News reports that, when asked about the removal of his predecessor, Stoss told reporters, "This is a tough business we're in. There are many requirements. The Minuteman … is a complex system, and it requires the utmost professionalism." He added that he expects the 91st MW to have "the highest standards."

Atlas V Launches Weather Sat

An Air Force Space Command and industry team at Vandenberg AFB, Calif., on Saturday morning successfully launched a United Launch Alliance Atlas V expendable launch vehicle to place a Lockheed Martin-built Defense Meteorological Satellite Program spacecraft (DMSP Flight 18) into...

AFRC Commander Moves

The commander of Air Force Reserve Command last week moved his permanent residence from the Washington, D.C. area to Georgia, home to AFRC headquarters at Robins Air Force Base. We reported last month that the move was imminent. AFRC boss,...

Dean Takes 1st

The Air Force on Friday announced that Maj. Gen. Garry Dean would replace Maj. Gen. Hank Morrow as commander of the Continental NORAD Region and 1st Air Force/Air Forces Northern, headquartered at Tyndall AFB, Fla. Morrow now is going to...

EOD Airman Receives Bronze Star

The Air Force has awarded a Bronze Star with Valor to TSgt. Michael Williams, an explosive ordnance disposal technician with the 437th Civil Engineer Squadron at Charleston AFB, S.C. The Oct. 16 photo release announcing the award contained no details...

AFRC Shuttering Some ACLFs

The Airlift Control Flight for the 445th Airlift Wing at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, which is one of four Air Force Reserve Command ALCFs that are shutting down as part of USAF's 2010 aircraft restructuring plan announced in June, formally closed its doors Sept. 30, according to an Oct. 15 wing release. The Reservists either found a new slot in the wing, retired, or transferred to another base. The equipment went to the AFRC unit at Dover AFB, Del. The other three closing ALCFs, whose airmen set up command and control operations at austere airfields when needed for Air Mobility Command missions, are at Dobbins ARB, Ga., McChord AFB, Wash., and Peterson AFB, Colo. (AFRC June 26 restructure release lists losing and gaining units in the ACLF restructure.)

Vermont Viper Drops Fuel Tanks

A pilot with the Vermont Air National Guard’s 158th Fighter Wing experienced an in-flight emergency Friday morning about 13 minutes into a training flight and needed to jettison his external fuel tanks, burning off most of the fuel first, reports...

Another Case of Foot in Mouth

Marines seeing a new Air Force recruiting video in which a military training instructor says USAF's basic training has the hardest physical training standards of all the services got riled, reports The Examiner. We looked at the PT standards and found that USMC recruits must run three miles versus the 1.5 miles for USAF recruits, while both services require 50 sit-ups. The Air Force requires a minimum of 45 pushups (male), and, although there are no USMC pushups, marine recruits must complete combat fitness testing, including lifting a 30-pound ammunition can overhead for at least 45 times in two minutes (male). The Air Force MTI must have read a different set of standards. The Air Force Recruiting Service, prompted by CMSAF James Roy, who was alerted to the video by his counterpart, Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps Carlton Kent, has removed the video. (USAF standards; USMC standards)

Air Sorties in Southwest Asia

Oct. 13, 2009 Sortie Type OIF OEF OIF/OEF Total YTD ISR 28 34 62 13,087 CAS/Armed Recon 18 70 88 27,829 Airlift 134 134 38,033 Air refueling 52 52 13,760 Total 336 92,709 OIF=Operation Iraqi Freedom OEF=Operation Enduring Freedom ISR=Intelligence-surveillance-reconnaissance...