Wing commanders are in for the challenge of their careers with the coronavirus outbreak, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Goldfein wrote in a March 13 letter to Total Force leaders. “Commanding your wings when things are going well is a pleasure … but rarely remembered,” Goldfein wrote. “Commanding during a crisis is an opportunity for you, your Chief, and your spouse (or volunteer lead spouse) to rise to the occasion and lead through the storm. This is a time that will be remembered by all."
The Pentagon on March 17 reached into its strategic reserves to help respond to the new coronavirus outbreak, making available 5 million N95 respirator masks and 2,000 deployable ventilators. In addition, laboratories are available for COVID-19 testing as the Defense Department researches what other steps it can take. Defense Secretary Mark Esper said 1 million of the N95 masks are available to the Department of Health and Human Services immediately, and the DOD is looking at how to train civilian personnel to use the ventilators. Esper said he has talked to some governors about what the Pentagon can provide as the need for additional medical infrastructure grows, though he cautioned the military’s capabilities are not a panacea for restraining the spread of COVID-19.
The COVID-19 pandemic won’t halt most Air Force training yet, Air Education and Training Command said in a March 17 release. But it may look a little different, as officials attempt to mitigate coronavirus exposure. Although the Defense Department’s “response to the coronavirus outbreak continues to be dynamic and policy may quickly change,” here’s what the pandemic means for Air Force training and education as of March 17.
The Pentagon has started a daily dialogue with its top vendors as it attempts to measure and mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on the defense industry. Meanwhile, Boeing and Lockheed Martin said production on major acquisition systems like the KC-46 tanker and F-35 strike fighter will continue.
The nation’s nuclear triad is working to get ahead of the new coronavirus outbreak by placing key personnel in “protective self-quarantines.” U.S. Strategic Command also is prescreening service members and depending on long-established redundancies in a community designed to operate independently, Adm. Charles Richard told reporters March 17. So far, the impact of the virus has been “minimal,” he added.
The U.S.-led coalition is withdrawing from multiple small bases around Iraq, as even more rockets target American operating locations within the country. U.S. forces demolished much of their share of the Al Qaim base near the border with Syria, and formally transferred the base to Iraqi Security Forces on March 17. Troops also will withdraw from other locations in the country, such as K-1 Air Base in Kirkuk and Qayyarah West near Mosul.
The Air Force is moving ahead with contracts for both finalists involved in its exploration of light-attack aircraft, issuing awards to both Textron’s AT-6 and Sierra Nevada Corp.’s A-29 over the past few weeks. Formal funding is the latest step in the Air Force’s light-attack experiment that began in 2017, though it falls short of the large-scale procurement that some want. Textron announced March 16 it will use $70.2 million from the Air Force to provide two AT-6 Wolverines. SNC also earned an award worth up to approximately $129 million for two aircraft.
