New Energy Policy

Air Force Secretary Michael Donley last month signed the Air Force energy program policy (full document) that will serve as the blueprint for how the service institutes energy efficiency and conservation in all aspects of its operations. "The Air Force energy strategy furthers an energy future that is secure, efficient, and environmentally sound" Donley said in a release yesterday. The document outlines the efforts underway and in development to reduce the service’s energy demand while increasing supply—especially from domestic sources of renewable and alternative energy—and ushering in a cultural change so that airmen make energy conservation a daily consideration. Among the activities, the Air Force wants to reduce aviation fuel use per hour of operation by 10 percent (2005 baseline) by 2015 and installation energy intensity by three percent per annum. It aims to increase facility renewable energy use at annual targets of five percent by Fiscal 2010 and 25 percent by Fiscal 2020. It seeks to be positioned by 2016 to acquire half of its domestic aviation fuel via an alternative fuel blend. The document reiterates the objective of certifying all aircraft in the fleet to run on a 50/50 mix of JP-8 jet fuel and synthetic paraffinic kerosene by 2011. The policy also calls for implementing an energy curriculum at the Air Force Academy and Air University by 2010 and providing energy leadership through energy management steering groups. Management of service-wide energy issues will fall to the undersecretary of the Air Force, but, since that post is still vacant, the assistant secretary for installations, environment, and logistics will take the lead. Earlier this year, Air Force officials said the service’s energy initiatives would become more joint in nature.

Tanker Rotation at Andersen

More than 100 airmen and four KC-135 tankers from Air Force Reserve Command’s 434th Air Refueling Wing at Grissom ARB, Ind., arrived on Guam Dec. 31 to take over refueling operations in the Pacific theater. The Reserve contingent replaces elements...

Fond Farewell, Mr. President

The Pentagon leadership yesterday paid tribute to President Bush during an armed forces farewell ceremony at Ft. Myer, Va. Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, credited Bush, who now has...

Flying Tiger on Watch at Moody

An F-16C went on permanent static display Jan. 4 at Moody AFB, Ga., in front of the Michael Maltz First-Term Airman and Professional Enhancement Center. This F-16C was once assigned to the 74th Fighter Squadron when the “Flying Tigers” unit...

Topping It All Off

SrA. Victoria Drefs, a technician with the 376th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron’s Petroleum, Oils, and Lubricants Flight, on Dec. 26 reached the milestone of pumping two million gallons of fuel into KC-135 tankers during her four-month deployment to Manas AB,...

Churning Them Out

Officials with the Electronic Systems Center at Hanscom AFB, Mass., last fall delivered the 20,000th combat survivor evader locator radio system in use by operators across the Department of Defense and are now on track to deliver an additional 20,000...

Preparing for Patriots

Airmen of the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing at a major base of Air Force operations in Southwest Asia are laying the groundwork for the arrival of a battery of the Army’s Patriot air defense system to bolster the base’s security....

New MALD Variant under Study

The Air Force awarded Raytheon a $12.2 million contract on Monday to refine the concept for a block II version of the miniature air launched decoy jammer over the next 14 months. According to a DOD release, this feasibility study...

Korean War Ace Dies

Retired Air Force Col. Ralph “Hoot” Gibson, who shot down five enemy fighters during the Korean War, died Jan. 2 as the result of an accidental fall in Tucson, Ariz., where he lived. According to a bio sketch at the...