News
2009 REUNION
The 34nd Air Rescue Association reunion will be held in Philadelphia, PA from Wednesday 23 September to Saturday 26, September. Many interesting events are planned. More information is available on "Reunion News".
Where's my May ARA Reunion Newsletter?
Answer:
Your Newsletter Editor has mailed the newsletter to all members whose
dues are paid up-to-date. Contact Sandy Gonzalez at
sgonzalez2@cfl.rr.com if
you have not received yours.
Successful Missions
Moody Rescuers Find Survivor: An HC-130P and two HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters with pararescuemen from the 23rd Wing at Moody AFB, Ga., last week rescued an individual from the Gulf of Mexico, 60 miles off the Florida coast. The Air Force Rescue Coordination Center at Tyndall AFB, Fla., tapped the 23rd after initial searches came up empty following report of a missing boat with two passengers, reports CCapt. Dustin Hart. The boat had been last seen on the Steinhatchee River in Florida. Within four hours of their search, the 23rd Wing crews spotted an individual in the Gulf with the stranded boat. (Posted 8/15/07)
Boldly Beyond Voice-Only: Members of the California Air National Guard's 129th Rescue Wing at Moffett Federal Air Field near Sacramento, successfully demonstrated a prototype network-enabled situation awareness system for personnel recovery for the first time at US Joint Forces Command's Bold Quest exercise. The wing sent 23 airmen and an MC-130P rescue aircraft to the coalition-centric exercise, which took place Oct. 27 to Nov. 5 at MCAS Cherry Point, N.C. They flew eight missions with the MC-130P acting as the airborne mission commander during the simulated recovery missions. The aircraft carried a data link capability evaluated in April that allows for the integration of air and ground forces during recovery operations. So-called "digitally aided personnel recovery" goes beyond the constraints of voice-only communications that rapidly become saturated during intense rescue operations due to the volume of information being passed, according to wing officials. (Moffett report by Capt. Alyson Teeter) (Posted 11/21/09)
Memorable Rescue: A four-man crew from the 36th Rescue Flight at Fairchild AFB, Wash., saved a 77-year-old man injured in the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness in Idaho last week, and they say it was the most difficult rescues of more than 600 made by the flight. SSgt. Connie Bias reports that they faced several problems: heavy cloud cover, steep and jagged rock surrounding the rescue area, the man's extensive injuries, lack of fuel, and a failed hoist. The steep terrain made the hoist necessary. TSgt. Patrick Hunt, an independent-duty medical technician, worked on stabilizing the man so he could be hoisted, and TSgt. William Wren, flight engineer, worked on the hoist to get it operating at a low speed. The crew and the injured man, Lloyd Johnson, flew at maximum speed to Lewistown, Idaho, where Johnson could be hospitalized. (Posted 9/10/07
Have You Seen It?: The Air Force has a new recruiting commercial—one that features its combat search and rescue mission. It started airing last week in various TV markets and at select movie theaters. The first two ads in this series highlighted unmanned aircraft operations and space operations. Col. Michael Tillema, Air Force Recruiting Service Strategic Communications director and a former CSAR pilot, said of this latest commercial, "We are showcasing one of the Air Force's unique missions; I'm sure it'll resonate with young people of today who are looking to do something incredible with their lives and want to be part of a great championship team." The Daily Report saw it on TV—good one. (To see the video—not as effective as on TV—click on the highlighted "CSAR" in the second paragraph of this AFRS release) (Posted 10/12/09)
Time Saver: Rescue forces from Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz., earlier this month conducted the base's first multilift HC-130 airdrop on its own flightline. HC-130 aircrew from the active duty 79th Rescue Squadron practiced with pararescue jumpers from Air Force Reserve Command's 943rd Rescue Group so that the latter could accomplish their jump training requirements. In the past, such exercises have been conducted at more remote locations, with the long transit times limiting the amount of training per flight. But use of the Davis-Monthan flightline enabled "accomplishing literally several months' worth of training" in a single day, said Lt. Col. Michael Hinsch, 79th RQS director of operations. During the Aug. 15 exercise, the PJs were able to complete seven drops from different altitudes. This flightline exercise was "very successful," said Hinsch. "We hope to complete this type of event on a regular basis," he said. (Davis-Monthan report by SSgt. Tim Beckham) (Posted 9/15/09)
One Stop Rescue: The Air Force Rescue Coordination Center at Tyndall AFB, Fla., responds to multiple calls for help around the country "on any given day" as the inland search and rescue coordinator for the entire US, according to Lt. Col. Clifton Hicks, AFRCC director of operations. On July 10, for instance, the center handled three rescue operations, one each in Colorado, Utah, and Washington, working with local and state agencies that contacted the center for assistance. In many cases, the AFRCC turns to the Air Force Auxiliary Civil Air Patrol to conduct on-the-spot airborne searches. Last year alone, CAP helped save 91 people. The AFRCC, part of US Northern Command, operates 24/7 with "some of the sharpest SAR coordinators the military has to offer," said Hicks. (Tyndall report by 1st Lt. Jared Scott) (Posted 7/14/09)
Angels From Above: Airmen of the 23rd
Wing at Moody AFB, Ga., flew two HH-60G Pave Hawk rescue helicopters and
one HC-130P tanker aircraft on a 10-hour mission April 25 to help saves
the lives of six Cubans in distress at sea in the Gulf of Mexico after
fleeing the communist nation. The Panamanian-flagged tanker ship Eos
discovered the Cubans and pulled them from the waters, officials from
Moody said in an April 30 release. At the request of the Coast Guard,
the Moody element then deployed to retrieve the Cubans from the tanker,
which was located about 260 miles south of New Orleans, to bring them to
a medical facility in the city. (Posted 5/1/08)
Airman Honored for Heroism: TSgt. Clinton Beck, a pararescueman with the 24th Special Tactics Squadron at Pope AFB, N.C., has won the Air Force's 2008 Vanguard Award for his heroic actions in saving the lives of two Afghan girls wounded during a firefight between his unit and enemy combatants in April 2007 in Afghanistan. "I got recognized for the award, but I've got 25 guys on my team who are doing the same thing every day," he said. The Noncommissioned Officers Association sponsors the award, which recognizes an NCO who has performed a heroic act, on or off duty, resulting in saving lives or preventing serious injury. Heroism is no stranger to this unit. Indeed, TSgt. Davide Keaton, a PJ like Beck, last month received the Air Force Sergeants Association's 2008 Pitsenbarger Award for his heroism in saving the lives of three Afghan children and two Afghan women being used as human shields during a firefight. (Includes Hurlburt report by Capt. Amy Cooper) (Posted 7/10/08)
Helicopters Rescue Hurricane Victims: Air Nation al Guard and Air Force Reserve Command rescue helicopters have been bringing to safety residents of areas of the southeastern Texas coast that Hurricane Ike ravaged this past weekend. Joint Task Force 129, a rescue unit of four HH-60G helicopters, two MC-130P tankers, and more than 100 airmen from the California ANG's 129th Rescue Wing, New York ANG's 106th RQW, and Alaska ANG's 176th Wing, has been operating from San Antonio to help stranded persons near Galveston. On Sept. 13 alone, task force members rescued 48 people, many of them elderly, and 13 dogs. "When we got to Galveston, it looked like a war zone," said Maj. Rhys Hunt, a 129th RQW pilot. On that same day, Reservists from the 920th RQW at Patrick AFB, Fla., used their HH-60s to pluck 17 people as well as several pets from flood waters in the small Texas town of Nederland south of Beaumont and northeast of Galveston. Members of the 920th RQW have been operating out of Randolph AFB, Tex., as part of the 331st Air Expeditionary Group, which comprises 20 Air Force and Navy helicopters, four HC-130 tankers, and more than 800 personnel. (129th RQW report by Capt. Alyson Teeter and 920th RQW report by TSgt. Paul Flipse) (Posted 9/16/08).
Bad Weather Hawks: Airmen deployed to Bagram AB, Afghanistan, for combat
search and rescue work frequently have to sub for soldiers who conduct
the Army's UH-60 Blackhawk medical evacuation mission because the USAF
HH-60G Pave Hawk can handle bad weather. During one recent 24-hour
period, the 33rd Expeditionary Rescue Squadron deployed from Kadena AB,
Japan, flew 27 hours, covering five missions and saving nine lives,
according to an Aug. 20 Bagram report. The Pave Hawk, modified for the
CSAR role unlike its brother Blackhawk, has the communications and
navigation suite and weather radar that enables it to fly at night and
in poor weather. The 33rd ERS has been assisting the Army with its
frontline medevac mission since 2006. "During periods of poor weather,
the Army often calls upon the Air Force to conduct medevac missions; we
are always ready to use our capability to support the joint team," said
an unnamed 33rd ERS airman. The Aug. 5 assist turned into one of the
longest medevac operations so far for the 33rd, which received
subsequent taskings even before dropping off earlier ones. (Bagram
report by SSgt. Rachel Martinez) (Posted 8/21/08)
No End of Work: Since they deployed to Afghanistan in February, some 70
airmen from Air Force Reserve Command's 943rd Rescue Group at Davis-Monthan
AFB, Ariz., saved 185 people, assisted 120 others, and performed 124
escort missions. On Aug. 25, another batch of about 70 rescue airmen,
these from the 920th Rescue Wing at Patrick AFB, Fla., replaced the
943rd RQG force to continue covering operations in Afghanistan. (920th
RQW report by Capt. Cathleen Snow) (Posted 8/28/08)
Responding Together: Rescue airmen from the 18th Wing at Kadena AB, Japan, participated in an exercise with Japanese rescue personnel Oct. 8 off the coast of Japan to practice joint emergency response procedures. During the event, members of the 31st Rescue Squadron and 33rd RQS responded to a simulated F-15E crash in the waters off Okinawa, along with Japan Coast Guard personnel and officials from additional Japanese agencies. While an HH-60G rescue helicopter plucked one of the F-15E crash "survivors" from the waters, a Japan Coast Guard helicopter rescued the second airman and a Japan Coast Guard vessel retrieved a fisherman who was "injured" by debris from the downed aircraft. Planners representing both nations said the exercise went well. Maj. J.J. Fenceroy, chief of exercises and inspections in the 18th Wing's Plans and Programs office said the exercise demonstrated that the parties "can effectively and safely respond" together during an emergency situation. Yuji Sakoda, Japanese Director of Crisis Management for Okinawa, added, "We learned through an exercise today that we are fully capable of responding quickly should an accident happen." (Kadena report by Maj. John Hutcheson) (Posted 10/14/08)
Pave Hawk Unit Returns from Afghanistan Tour: Airmen from the 33rd Rescue Squadron's B Flight returned home to Kadena AB, Japan, on Oct. 6 after four months of operating out of Bagram AB, Afghanistan, in support of US and coalition operations in the Near East nation. Overall, the flight of HH-60G rescue helicopters saved 38 persons during the deployment and logged more than 375 combat hours, with each Pave Hawk pilot accumulating about 95 hours. Capt. Aaron Croft, a pilot with the unit, noted that the helicopters sometimes operated in high-altitude areas that made landings challenging. "[But] this increased our skills for future missions," he said. During the time at Bagram, the HH-60Gs operated increasingly in concert with other platforms such as A-10s, F-15s, special operations U-28As, and Army AH-64 Apache helicopters. "We had a couple of big missions where a lot more people were involved [than normal]," said Capt. Tom Harley, another 33rd RQS pilot. The HH-60Gs also carried out high-risk medical evacuation missions with the Apaches, when Army medevac assets could not, often in bad weather and at night. (Kadena report by TSgt. Rey Ramon) (Posted 10/16/08).
Air Guard Helo Crashes: An HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopter deployed from the New York Air National Guard's 106th Rescue Wing to Afghanistan crashed Jan. 16 near Kabul with no injuries to crew or passengers, reports the Long Island Newsday. A Jan. 16 release from US Forces-Afghanistan noted the crash was of a US Black Hawk helicopter, the Army's UH-60 version of the Sikorsky helicopter, but the Newsday report quotes 106th RQW spokesperson Lt. Col. Mary Ann Cline, who confirmed it was an HH-60 from the Gabreski Airport-based 106th. The 106th RQW airmen were on a medical evacuation mission at the time of the incident. (Posted 1/22/09).
Jumping into Action: The aircrew of Jolly 91, an HH-60G helicopter with the California Air National Guard's 129th Rescue Wing at Moffett Federal Airfield, helped save the life of a downed pilot Jan. 29 in the waters off of San Francisco. Jolly 91 was heading back home after a full day of training with the Coast Guard in San Francisco Bay when the call came in about a pilot whose airplane had just crashed off of Pillar Point, southwest of the city. While the helicopter headed to the point, a Coast Guard C-130 dropped a life raft to the pilot. Once the HH-60 arrived, the aircrew extended a rescue strop to hoist him into the helicopter and then carried him back to land where he was treated for hypothermia. "It was pretty cool to be in the right place at the right time and know that you have just saved a life," said. Capt. Nathan Nowaski, aircraft commander of Jolly 91. With this mission, the Air Guard wing has now saved 599 lives. (Moffett report by Capt. Alyson Teeter) (Posted 2/5/09)
Record-setting Test Pilot Dies: Robert G. Ferry, 85, a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel who flew a record-setting nonstop solo helicopter flight from California to Florida in 1966, died Jan. 15 of natural causes at his home in Lake San Marcos, Calif. The Los Angeles Times reported Feb. 9 that Ferry, born in Minneapolis, flew 90 helicopter missions during the Korean War and then was a test pilot at Edwards AFB, Calif., from 1954 to 1960. He joined Hughes Aircraft in 1964 and worked there for 18 years as chief test pilot. In April 1966, he made his record 2,213-mile flight in a Hughes YOH-6A light observation helicopter from Culver City, Calif., to Ormond Beach, Fla., in 15 hours and eight minutes, without refueling. This record still stands, according to the Times. (Posted 2/11/09)
Defending CSAR-X: Despite the doubt expressed last year by the Pentagon's top weapons buyer on the need for a new dedicated fleet of combat search and rescue helicopters, there has been no similar pushback from the warfighting community questioning the need for the new helicopters, the Air Force's top uniformed officer told defense reporters Tuesday in Washington, D.C. "Not withstanding the acquisition executive's perspective on this, it is a standing requirement, which has yet to be disputed by those who have an appropriate role in formulating those requirements," said Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz. He said the need for the new CSAR-X helicopter is "not just" an Air Force requirement, but also "a joint requirement" that was fully vetted through the Pentagon's joint requirements oversight council. Last fall, Pentagon acquisition czar John Young questioned the need for the new CSAR-X fleet "for the occasional rescue mission," saying there are "a lot of assets" that could be pressed into service for rescues if there is enough time for planning. When asked to respond to those comments, Schwartz said he sees "no excess capacity for helicopters" across the US military to apply to CSAR when needed. The demand for CSAR and all vertical-lift assets, for that matter, is high in the "irregular warfare circumstances" of the ongoing war on terror, he said. "The bottom line," Schwartz said, is that the Air Force intends to proceed with the CSAR-X recapitalization program, which is currently in the source-selection phase and, barring last-minute changes by the Obama Administration, is expected to yield a winner in the spring of summer. (Posted 2/18/09)
Airmen Aided Search for NFL Players: Among the forces participating in the search for four missing boaters, including NFL players Victor Cooper and Corey Smith, off the coast of Tampa Bay, Fla., was Air Force Reserve Command's 920th Rescue Wing at Patrick AFB, Fla. The 920th RQW on March 1 dispatched an HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter around 5 p.m., with its airmen utilizing night vision goggles to scan the choppy water over some six hours. According to a Coast Guard release, an Air Force C-130 from Moody AFB, Ga., also participated in the search, which the Coast Guard finally suspended on March 3 after a three-day search spanning some 24,000 square miles. The search had revealed only Nick Schuyler, who was found clinging to the group's overturned 21-foot boat. Cooper, Smith, and the other missing boater, William Bleakley, were not found. (AFRC report by Capt. Cathleen Snow) (Posted3/9/09)
Upping the Rescue Challenge: Military rescue operations in Afghanistan have been tough and take longer than those in Iraq and the planned increase of US troop strength by 17,000 in that mountainous country will up the stakes, prompting Dutch Maj. Gen. Mart de Kruif, a commander in southern Afghanistan, to suggest there will be a "significant spike in incidents" requiring rescue forces, reports the USA Today. Air Force Col. Lee dePalo, commander of the 563rd Rescue Group at Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz., also told the newspaper that rescue operations in the Afghan theater often call for personnel who can fly in pitch darkness, scale peaks, and fight their way in and out. Among the forces the Air Force has lost in Afghanistan was TSgt. Jason Cunningham, a pararescue jumper who received the Air Force Cross posthumously for his valor in saving 10 troops during one rescue effort. And, part of the rescue mission also includes recovering the remains of fallen troops, which dePalo said prevents the Taliban and insurgents from displaying the bodies. "We deny that, and we provide closure to the families that I think is incredibly important," said dePalo. SSgt. Thomas Pearce, a PJ with the 38th Rescue Squadron at Moody AFB, Ga., told USA Today that one such recovery mission in 2006 took 10 hours as the rescuers had to establish defenses to fend off hostile forces. (Posted 3/27/09)
AFA Members, Congressional Staffers, Civic Leaders, and DOCA members,
one of the (dumber) ideas floating around Washington these days is to
cancel the AF's replacement rescue helicopter designated Combat Search
and Rescue (CSAR) X. The logic behind this idea is that other assets
can do the mission, and therefore, the DOD does not need specialized
assets. This logic is ably disputed with an op-ed written by former
Chief of Staff of the Air Force, Gen (Ret) Michael E. Ryan [see:
http://www.afa.org/EdOp/2009/edop_32609.asp]. Gen Ryan argues that
the CSAR mission area is not a "pick-up" game; AF CSAR forces have
rescued over 3000 people in CENTCOM's Area of Responsibility since 9/11;
and CSAR is a very complicated and dangerous mission for which we need a ready, trained, and dedicated force. In a recent panel discussion of
AFA's Mitchell Institute at the National Press Club, a similar question
was asked to the panel. I thought Gen (Ret) Gregory S. Martin's answer
deserves your attention. He said that there are a lot of experts on CSAR but none of them are in positions of authority. He (Martin) has
commanded CSAR forces and understands a little bit about the mission. If
you are interested in rescuing people who have been shot down, then you
need a dedicated force one that is trained, equipped, and properly
sized to be available to rescue people who become isolated behind enemy
lines. You don't know where you will have to go you may have to go
into the mouth of the tiger; you may have to shoot your way in or out
but it is the American military ethos to not leave people behind. Since
I also commanded a group with two CSAR squadrons in it if only for
just a short period of time let me add that my units saved lots of
lives "in peacetime." They were scrambled, often in the middle of the
night, to go to some faraway places. The crews, to include the PJs, were
the most professional of any I saw during my career. They were deployed
over 200 days per year and saved hundreds of civilians in their assigned
area. Further, in Iraq and Afghanistan, our present enemies don't
exactly have POW camps. They don't bother to follow the Geneva
Conventions. They torture and kill their captives. To quote Gen (Ret) T.
Michael Moseley, former Chief of Staff of the Air Force, " to protect
our people not just Airmen, but those of all Services it is a moral
imperative that we field a new system." That is why the CSAR X was and
still is the #2 acquisition priority (behind KC-X) of the Air Force.
(Posted 3/29/09)
Tackling Floods and Blizzards: Among the US military forces dispatched
to aid four states stricken by heavy flooding and snows are search and
rescue crews and two HH-60 helicopters from Minot AFB, N.D. The
Minot crews deployed first to Bismarck, N.D., where they helped break up
ice dams "strategically placing dynamite," said SrA. Timothy Merlin, a
flight engineer from Minot's 54th Helicopter Squadron. The Air Force
Huey teams next shifted to Grand Forks AFB, N.D., where they were
staging out of Hillsboro Airport for rescue missions. By being halfway
between both Fargo�the site of some of the worst Red River flooding on
record�and Grand Forks, 54th HS pilot 1st Lt. Chris Obranovich said,
"We're able to cover more ground for any potential rescue that may
occur." The Army National Guard also dispatched helicopters to the area,
but they don't have hoists like the Air Force HH-60s, and, Lt. Col.
David Lowe 54th HS commander, said that "brings a lot to the table in
terms of rescue capability." Under guidance from US Northern Command,
1st Air Force/Air Forces Northern activated the Joint Personnel Recovery
Center at Tyndall AFB, Fla., to oversee SAR operations. The Civil Air
Patrol, the Air Force Auxiliary, has been providing aerial photos to aid
emergency responders and guide decisions about critical infrastructure
and, on the ground, joined in the sandbag assembly lines in the stricken
areas. Air Force and Army�active duty and National Guard�also have
helped to fill and place sandbags and to provide security and man
traffic control points. (More in National Guard Bureau March 26
release;
NORTHCOM March 29
release; AFNORTH March 28
release; Grand
Forks March 28
release; Minot March 25
release; CAP
March 27 release)
(Posted 3/30/09)
Gates Hits Reset Button on CSAR-X: Among the victims of Defense
Secretary Robert Gates' program killing spree Monday was the Air Force's
combat search and rescue aircraft (dubbed CSAR-X), the planned
replacement for the elderly HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopter. The CSAR-X
program has had until now a "troubled acquisition history," Gates said
during his press conference. He said, too, that there is a "fundamental
question of whether this important mission can only be accomplished by
yet another single-service solution, with a single-purpose aircraft."
Gates said DOD would take another look at the requirements behind the
program and develop a more "sustainable approach" on a reboot of the
effort. The relook would determine whether there is a requirement for a
"specialized" CSAR aircraft or whether it should be a "joint
capability," he said. Before Gates' announcement, the Air Force was
poised to award
the CSAR-X contract later this year, believing that it had
resolved the issues
that had derailed the original source-selection in November 2006. Gates
comments echo the criticisms of outgoing DOD weapons czar John Young,
who said last fall
that he wouldn't just "automatically rubber stamp" the CSAR-X
requirement. (For more on Young's questioning the CSAR-X requirement,
read The John Young
View.)
Practice Splashdown: Six pararescuemen from Air Force Reserve Command's
920th Rescue Wing conducted an astronaut recovery drill last month using
a mockup of NASA's next-generation Orion crew capsule in the waters off
Cape Canaveral AFS, Fla. During this "post-landing Orion recovery test,"
the airmen worked as they would during an actual splashdown, deploying
an inflatable flotation collar around the mockup to stabilize the
capsule and create a platform on which to stand as they help astronauts
exit. Air Force pararescuemen will be the first on scene after an Orion
splashdown to assist the astronauts and provide on-the-scene medial
treatment, if necessary. Besides the opportunity for the airmen to work
with the capsule in outdoor conditions, the drill allowed NASA engineers
to discover what kind of motion the astronauts could expect after
splashdown. (Cape Canaveral
report by TSgt.
Paul Flipse) (Posted 4/16/09)
Roles and Mission Shift?: 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.) (Posted 4/20/09)
No CSAR-X, Period: The Pentagon won't continue the CSAR-X combat search
and rescue helicopter program and has cut $144 million that had been
planned for the aircraft in Fiscal 2010. In announcing the CSAR-X
termination April 6, Defense Secretary Robert Gates
questioned the need
for a single-service, single-purpose program. The $89 million left in
the fiscal 2010 budget request will be used for "a requirements review,"
presumably after the need for the CSAR mission is settled in the
just-commenced Quadrennial Defense Review. Because the Air Force hasn't
been replacing any of its combat-loss or retired MH-60G Pave Hawks�it
has been waiting for the new aircraft�the service will start upgrading
the existing fleet and will buy two new UH-60 Black Hawks through the
Army to supplement what's left.(Posted 5/8/09)
Explaining CSAR: According to Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz,
Defense Secretary Robert Gates doesn't understand that the Air Force's
combat search and rescue mission supports the joint team. He believes
that may be a baseline misunderstanding that, coupled with asking for
too-high end platforms, led
Gates to axe the
CSAR-X helicopter replacement program. Schwartz told Senate Armed
Services Committee members last week that the service must satisfy Gates
on two points, and the first is that "we don't have people sitting
around on alert waiting to go pick up pilots." The second is that the
service can be "a little bit less ambitious about the platforms" it is
seeking to replace its elderly fleet of HH-60G Pave Hawks. In the
interim, to replace Pave Hawks lost in current operations, the Air Force
plans to purchase
two Army Black Hawks and modify them for the CSAR mission. (Posted
5/27/09)
Graveyard of Priorities: In October, 2006, the Air Force leadership
announced the service's top five procurement priorities. They were (1)
KC-X tanker; (2) CSAR-X combat search and rescue helicopter; (3)
space-based early warning and communications satellites; (4) F-35
fighter; and (5) the next-generation long-range bomber. Just 30 months
later, Defense Secretary Robert Gates has rendered all but one of these
top priorities kaput; the F-35 was preserved. Gates promises a restart
of the KC-X program he terminated last fall and will let the Air Force
buy some new versions of existing satellites, but he has terminated the
CSAR-X and Transformational Satellite (TSAT), with extreme prejudice�nobody expects them to come back in their previous form. No
one's sure when the bomber program will be reconstituted, either.
Service officials say that Air Force long-range plans and roadmaps will
have to be completely re-thought and that these will flow (it's getting
to be a hackneyed phrase) from the Quadrennial Defense Review. An Air
Force spokeswoman said the service hasn't had time to build a new top
procurement priorities list, given the pace at which program decisions
are being made. Watch this space. (Posted 5/27/09)
5K Hours in Pave Hawk: MSgt. Darren Bradley, a flight engineer, has
amassed 5,000 flying hours in the HH-60G Pave Hawk combat search and
rescue helicopter. Assigned to the 56th Rescue Squadron at RAF Lakenheath, England, Bradley has flown a total of 5,270 hours in Air
Force helicopters, starting his career in 1986 as a UH-1N Huey flight
engineer. Fellow flight engineer MSgt. Kevin Marlatt said that he knows
of no other airman to so far reach 5,000 hours in the HH-60. He said,
"The chances of someone reaching this milestone aren't just far and few
between, but they are virtually slim to non-existent." Bradley commented
at the milestone ceremony in which he had his feet painted green to add
his "Jolly Green" footprints to the ceiling in the squadron's flight
planning room, "I've been shooting f or [this milestone] my whole
career, and it was my goal to get here before I retire." Bradley's next
assignment is to instruct Pave Hawk student aircrew at Kirtland AFB,
N.M. (RAF Lakenheath
report by Capt.
Alysia Harvey) (Posted 5/27/09).
R.I.P. CSAR-X: The Air Force on Tuesday pounded another nail in the
coffin of its href="http://r.listpilot.net/c/afa/3zt0jmc/1usgo">
now-cancelled CSAR-X program, by "terminating for convenience" its
$712 million contract with Boeing from 2006 for the system development
and demonstration phase of the HH-47 rescue helicopter. "This contract
termination is a result of the CSAR-X program cancellation directed by
the under secretary of defense for acquisition, technology, and
logistics," the Air Force wrote in its brief statement, which appeared
in the June 2 list
of new Pentagon contracts. Why the need for this step, if the CSAR-X
program is already history? Well, Air Force spokeswoman Lt. Col. Karen
Platt told the Daily Report yesterday that, technically speaking, the
stop-work order from Nov. 22, 2006, had still been in effect for the
contract that Boeing received from the Air Force for HH-47 work on Nov.
9, 2006, when it won the original CSAR-X competition over Lockheed
Martin and Sikorsky. That stop-work order was never lifted as the CSAR-X
program remained bogged down in legal protests and the Air Force's
efforts to resolve them up until Defense Secretary Robert Gates' April 6
announcement that he was killing the program. But just because the
original CSAR-X contract is now officially toast doesn't mean that the
need for a new rescue platform has gone away, and the Air Force
leadership is
working to convince Defense Secretary Robert Gates that a new USAF
rescue bird would not be a single-service platform for an inherently
joint mission, as Gates maintains. (Posted 6/4/09)