January 2012 Issue
The Dropzone C-27 and Global Hawk Block 30 to be canceled in light of heavy budget cuts‌ pg 12
Table of Contents Front cover is a collage of a C-27J Spartan, a Global Hawk Block 30, and US money
Fresh Faces………page 4
Big Time Budget Cuts……...page 12
Back cover is a picture of a C-27J Spartan
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“The
Navy can lose Air Force can win salvation, but the means
us the war, but only the it. The fighters are our bombers alone provide the of victory.� 3
-Winston Churchill
Fresh Faces For the Spring 2012 semester, Detachment 772 has received six new Cadets. Each is from a different background with a different set of ideas and values, and that is what makes them special. Bright new ideas from fresh minds are always needed in an ever evolving world, especially in the Armed Forces. Here are some of thoughts and expectations about entering the program.
From top to bottom: Cadet Colby, Cadet Foster, Cadet Handy, Cadet Ott, Cadet Scott, and Cadet von Lehe. 4
Cadet Ryan Colby Ever since I was very young, I have been infatuated with the United States military. My father and his father before him all served their country and I wanted to do the same. I chose the United States Air Force because they are more brains than brawn and handle some of the most expensive military equipment on the planet. I wanted to be a part of the branch that is held at a very high level of responsibility and I wanted to work with the some of the brightest military personal on the planet. A military force that can hop on a F-117 in the dead of night, fly half way across the world, complete their mission and be back before breakfast is a force I revere and want to be a part of. First and foremost while in AFROTC, I want to better myself as a human being and be ready for duty as a commissioned officer in the United States Air Force. I also want to train my body in becoming physically fit and train my mind in becoming mentally sharp for all tasks that might lie ahead both in AFROTC and beyond. Last but not least I want to give back to my country and serve to the utmost of my ability. 5
Cadet Tamisha Foster There are several reasons why I became a part of the Air Force ROTC program at Charleston Southern University. I needed to find my purpose in life and I knew I had two great qualities. The two qualities that I can contribute to the Air Force are my athleticism and leadership abilities. Not only does the Air Force provide a guaranteed job, but it helps to start my life. I’m looking to gain a lot from this program. I am hoping to gain discipline, responsibility, and learn how to become the best officer I can be. Being an officer will be a great accomplishment for me and I will be able to play a role in the safety of all American citizens. Even though it is hard work, I am going to give it my all. I need the AFROTC because it helps me prioritize and keep things organized. The discipline will help me in life by showing me the proper way to walk, talk, and speak among others with authority. The Air force crossed my mind a lot this last year and I decided to give it a try. The Air Force is a decision that took a lot of thought. I heard the positives and negatives from others, but I wanted to make my own decision. I did not want to go enlisted because I did not want to start from the bottom of the ranks, and my college degree would have been a little pointless. I am glad I chose AFROTC because it gives me a significant role and the people are great. There is nothing like being around peers that are conquering their dreams and know what their purpose is in the United States of America.
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Cadet Desuni’a Handy My father, Fabian Handy, was in the United States Army for 20 years. I look up to him in so many ways. My father has influenced me to reach my goal to become an 2nd Lt in the United States Air Force. I choose Air Force because it provides you with good training, education, and I want to make it a career. Coming into the ARFOTC I expect to learn discipline. I want to know and understand the meaning of becoming an Officer in the Air Force. I look at my fellow cadets as inspiration because they motivate me to not give up. It’s also a great experience. I also want to pass the AFQT and PT test to get commission early. 7
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Cadet Shauna Ott I once stumbled upon a bumper sticker that stated, “If you can read this, thank a teacher. If you are reading it in English, thank a solider.” The justification behind my personal choices of being part of the AFROTC is as follows: I am here to help ensure that my children will have a better tomorrow. As an American, I vow that my service in the United States Air Force will not go unnoticed, for I will make a difference. I will help instill change within the surrounding communities. I will help out local chapters and schools if possible. From this program I expect to gain knowledge and understanding of how the United States Air Force operates on a daily basis. I will be given the tools necessary to predict and solve any possible issues that may arise between me and my subordinates, as well as between me and my superiors. Julius Caesar once stated, “Veni, Vidi, Vici.” In translation, that means, “I came, I saw, I conquered.” My expectation of this ROTC program is to come, to see, to conquer; and to apply these practices in my everyday life as a Commissioned Officer. In conclusion, I am here to help shape the service for my predecessors. I plan on being involved within my Air Force community and assisting those in need. I will walk away from this program with the knowledge and expectations that I have what it takes to be an Air Force Officer. I will have the courage to take on the weight of the world with my fellow flight mates.
In all honesty, this program is where my true passion is. I am planning on making this my career. I can’t give up,
and I won’t give up.
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Cadet Monica Scott I am interested in joining the Air Force ROTC program because it will teach me many lessons that I will have to learn throughout life. ROTC will teach me lessons on how to become a leader and how to maintain a leader’s position while still being able to work with my subordinates. Not only will it teach me lessons, but it will also prepare me for future circumstances. Being a part of ROTC will help me establish leadership, selfdiscipline, time-management skills, and responsibility. The main focus is to learn how to become a leader by completing task and competing to be the best. As I strive to uphold a leadership role, there will be many obstacles trying to hinder my success, but I will learn to be the best. ROTC will help me step up and be in charge when everyone else does not step up to the tasks. This program helps build leadership by focusing on confidence and self-discipline. By focusing on self-discipline and confidence, I will become a stronger person. My character will transform and I will become more focused on my priorities. This will help me build my time-management skills and make better decisions when dealing with time restraints. As I become better at time-management, I will be more trustworthy and responsible with being on time. People will be able to trust that I am responsible enough to be on time when dealing with important meetings. When others notice that I am responsible, I will be given better jobs and opportunities. These jobs and opportunities will help me become stable and independent which will lead to my success. As I continue to participate in the Air Force ROTC program, I will soon acknowledge the build in my character. I will focus on my goal to become a leader and succeed in not only ROTC but in life. I believe I will be able to uphold a good leadership role and guide others to do as well.
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Cadet Charles von Lehe I joined the Air Force because it is something I felt I was meant to do. Many of the generations in my family have joined the military, and if I did not join there would be no one in my generation. My father was a Colonel in the Army just like his father before him. My uncle was a Colonel in the Air Force who retired shortly after returning from Afghanistan just a year ago. Another reason I joined was for the discipline and structure that the military has to offer. Lately, I have not been the most organized or disciplined person I know, and it is something I truly hope to improve. Hopefully, this discipline will also help me improve physically. I hope greatly improve my physical shape and have the discipline to maintain that good health. Ultimately, my goal is to become a medical doctor just as my dad was. There are also many generations of doctors in my family, and, again, if I did not become a doctor, there would be none in this generation. I am hoping that the Air Force can assist me by giving me the discipline I need to reach this goal and help support me financially after I have done my share in serving my country. The Air Force seemed like the best possible option that, not just I, but many others like me could take. Not only will it give you the skills you need to excel in whatever you attempt.
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Big Time Budget Cuts
The Department of Defense proposes to cut seven squadrons, cancel the C-27 and Global Hawk Block 30, and retire numerous transport aircraft. 12
Proposed reductions in defense spending would cut seven squadrons, cancel the C-27 and the Global Hawk Block 30, and retire numerous transport aircraft, according to documents obtained from sources by Air Force Times.
Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and other officials were expected to announce formally the cuts later on Thursday. The move is part of an effort to cut close to $500 billion from the Defense Department’s budget over the next decade. However, the department could face up to $600 billion more in spending cuts if Congress fails to reach a deal on how to trim the national debt by the end of the year. The proposed cuts are guided by the philosophy that after a decade of waging counterinsurgency campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan, the U.S. military has to prepare for a wider spectrum of missions. “In developing the President’s budget request for FY 2013-2017, we first turned to where DoD could reduce excess overhead, operations expenses, and personnel costs across the defense enterprise, and achieve better buying power in our acquisition of systems and services,” according to a presentation Panetta was expected to give of the proposed cuts. Toward that end, the proposed budget cuts including standing down a minimum of six tactical-air fighter squadrons and one training squadron, according to the presentation. “As we reduce air force structure, we are protecting aircraft with multi-role capabilities versus niche capabilities,” the presentation says. “The resultant force will be capable of handling our most demanding contingency plans in13
capabilities versus niche capabilities,” the presentation says. “The resultant force will be capable of handling our most demanding contingency plans including homeland defense.” The presentation does not outline which squadrons would be cut. The proposed cuts would also include terminating the C-27 project, a joint ArmyAir Force aircraft. “The new strategic guidance emphasizes flexibility and adaptability. The C-27J was developed and procured to provide a niche capability to directly support Army urgent needs in difficult environments such as Afghanistan where we thought the C-130 might not be able to operate effectively,” the presentation says. “However, in practice, we did not experience the anticipated airfield constraints for C-130 operations in Afghanistan and expect these constraints to be marginal in future scenarios. Since we have ample inventory of C-130s and the current cost to own and operate them is lower, we no longer need — nor can we afford — a niche capability like the C-27J aircraft.” Also on the chopping block would be the Global Hawk Block 30 unmanned aircraft.
“The resultant force will be capable of handling our most demanding contingency plans including homeland defense.”
“When we initially invested in the Global Hawk Block 30 program, it held the promise of providing essentially the same capability as the U-2 manned aircraft for significantly less money to both buy and operate,” the presentation says. “As the program has matured, these cost savings have not materialized and, at best, we project the future cost of Global Hawk Block 30 operations to be comparable with the U-2. In this five-year budget, the cost of the Global Hawk program would significantly exceed the cost of the U-2 so we cancelled Global Hawk Block 30 and extended the U-2 program. “Although this is a significant disappointment, our experience with Global Hawk Block 30 will help other Global Hawk programs like the Air Force Global Hawk Block 40, NATO’s Alliance Ground Surveillance (AGS), 14
and the Navy’s Broad Area Maritime Surveillance (BAMS).” Northrop released a statement later Thursday: “Northrop Grumman is disappointed with the Pentagon's decision, and plans to work with the Pentagon to assess alternatives to program termination. “The Global Hawk program has demonstrated its utility in U.S. military operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya, as well as its utility in humanitarian operations in Japan and Haiti. Just a few months ago, the Pentagon published an acquisition decision memorandum regarding Global Hawk Block 30 that stated: ‘The continuation of the program is essential to the national security ... there are no alternatives to the program which will provide acceptable capability to meet the joint military requirement at less cost.’” The U-2 program, according to the statement, “places pilots in danger, has limited flight duration, and provides limited sensor capacity. Extending the U-2’s service life also represents additional investment requirements for that program.” The proposed cuts also call for retiring 27 aging C-5As and 65 of the oldest C-130s, leaving Air Mobility Command with 52 C-5Ms, 318 C-130s and 222 C-17s.
The Air Force Times
http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2012/01/airforce-dod-proposes-to-cut-7-squadrons-cancel-c27-012612/
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