Daily Report

Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz said last week that, although the combat search and rescue replacement vehicle program was canceled, “we didn’t cancel a mission.” Speaking at a National Aeronautic Association-sponsored event April 16 in Washington, D.C.,...

Combat search and rescue/personnel recovery has long been a core USAF mission; however, Defense Secretary Robert Gates clearly wants to rewrite the CSAR portion of roles and missions. In remarks April 15 at Air University, Maxwell AFB, Ala., he said, “Frankly, the notion of an unarmed helicopter going 250 miles by itself to rescue somebody did not seem to me to be a realistic [operational concept],” he said. (For the record: CSAR-X would have crew machine guns and likely would operate with other air assets, as needed.) Gates added, “What I want is a joint effort.” He was responding to a question from an Air National Guard HH-60 Pave Hawk pilot, who said: "The advocacy for Air Force rescue seems to have been sidetracked by the CSAR acquisition program to the detriment of our mission itself. As you know, we've performed thousands of joint and coalition recoveries in [US Central Command's area of responsibility] largely because the operational flexibility of our profession transcends the risk capability of other recovery forces and … often provides the best chance, if you will, to recover a wounded soldier from the point of injury back to effective trauma care within the golden hour." So, the rescue pilot asked, "Given the dichotomy between the current issues and that objective, can you clarify for us please what is your vision for Air Force rescue as a core function of the Air Force and what would be a more sustainable approach at this time?" (Read for yourself the full exchange; Gates' complete response is very telling.)

In the upcoming quadrennial defense review, the health of the industrial base will be a factor in how to proceed with the next Air Force bomber program, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz said April 16. “Keeping design...

The Air Force announced last week that the Minnesota Air National Guard’s 179th Fighter Squadron, the sole F-16 unit of the 148th Fighter Wing based at Duluth, has won the Raytheon Trophy for 2008. USAF presents the Raytheon Trophy, formerly...

The Pentagon has announced that President Obama has nominated Maj. Gen. Charles Green to be the Air Force’s next Surgeon General. With Senate confirmation, Green, who currently serves as deputy surgeon general, would receive a third star. Green entered the...

Vice President Joe Biden, on an April 16 visit to Whiteman AFB, Mo., addressed a crowd of airmen, saying, ” I admire you, the President admires you, and we are putting our money where our mouth is in terms of...

With four weeks of classroom training and six weeks of real-time flight instructions under their belts, the first 11 unmanned aerial vehicle system crews have graduated from formal training at Holloman AFB, N.M. Air Combat Command announced last summer that...

The Air Force has three winners among eight recipients of the just announced 2009 Secretary of Defense Environmental Awards. The Air Force winners are: n Vandenberg AFB, Calif., received the installation cultural resources management award. n The Environmental Management Division...

Air Sorties in War on Terrorism, Southwest AsiaApril 15, 2009 Sortie Type OIF OEF OIF/OEF Total YTD ISR 14 24 38 4,073 CAS/Armed Recon 13 62 75 10,302 Airlift 125 125 13,970 Air refueling 35 35 4,666 Total 273 33,011...