MSgt. Marcus Mader, recruiting, assessments and selection superintendent with the Special Tactics Training Squadron at Hurlburt Field, Fla., is one of the Air Force’s 12 Outstanding Airmen of the Year for 2016. Mader led the Special Tactics Training Squadron’s largest assault team, training 37 airmen in four Air Force specialty codes while managing an operating budget of more than $470,000. When a Louisiana National Guard UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter crashed in the Gulf of Mexico, he alerted the dive team, stood up the unit control center, and oversaw 92 dives in five days, ensuring the remains of the seven marines and four soldiers onboard were returned honorably. Additionally, he led 60 airmen through seven months of deployment preparation, pushing 22 special operations forces to three areas of responsibility, crushing ISIS with 582 strikes and an estimated 1,200 enemies killed in action. Finally, he led a local memorial and dignified transfer, raising $5,000 in a teammate’s honor. Air Force Magazine is shining the spotlight on each OAY in the days leading up to AFA’s Air, Space & Cyber Conference, which starts Sept. 19 in National Harbor, Md. Also featured were: SMSgt. Mark Farmer, SMSgt. Jeremiah Grisham, and SMSgt. Rebecca McNelley.
Competitors Not Picked for CCA Look Forward to Increment 2
April 25, 2024
While none of the major aircraft contractors were selected to develop the Collaborative Combat Aircraft, all three say they are seeking further autonomous aircraft work for the Navy, foreign partners, or in the classified arena, and maybe future versions of the CCA itself.