Kaiserslautern American, February 15, 2019

Page 1

HEALTH

FEATURE

SAFETY

SPORTS

Airmen encouraged to participate in Health Related Behaviors Survey, Page 3

Bolado honored as Airlifter of the Week, Page 5

Heavy tread: Choose correct tires for winter, Page 10

La’Jhanique Brown says goodbye on Senior Night with 28 points, Page 14

February 15, 2019 | Volume 43, Number 6

Read the KA also online at KaiserslauternAmerican.com

CMSAF Wright testifies before Congress on Air Force quality of life by Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs

Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Kaleth O. Wright prepares to testify before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction and Veterans Affairs in Washington, D.C., March 8, 2017. The CMSAF was joined by his service counterparts for the hearing. Photo by Scott M. Ash

Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Kaleth O. Wright told members of Congress at Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C., Feb. 7, that issues such as adequate base housing, reliable child care and other quality of life factors are “inextricably linked” to the service’s readiness. “Recruiting the best Airmen possible, training and retaining the Airmen of today, and ensuring our Airmen and their families are taken care of directly impacts readiness,” said Wright during a House Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction and Veterans Affairs hearing. Making investments to ensure lethality, restore readiness, properly fund and train personnel and deliver cost-effective, adaptive infrastructure is essential to preserving the Air Force’s power projection advantage, he continued. In one of the first hearings of the 2019 budget cycle, Wright was joined by his colleagues from the Army, Marine Corps and Navy to discuss the

quality of life and needs for enlisted personnel across the sprawling United States military. As he has done in other instances, Wright emphasized the importance of a work environment that provides strong opportunities for continuing training, is free from sexual harassment and is focused on maintaining the resilience of the Total Force. “It is imperative we take care of the entire Air Force family,” he said. “We must continue to improve child care availability and affordability, and eliminate barriers to military spouse employment. These issues are important because we don’t only retain Airmen — we retain families. “Finally, we must continue to invest in our infrastructure,” he continued. “Our installations are unique; they are vital to supporting joint operations worldwide. More than just pavement, runways and buildings, they include airspace, ranges, locations and surge capacity with significant strategic value. Decades of challenging fiscal conditions and competing priorities See QUALITY, Page 2

Ready for the fight: WPC hosts missile defense exercise Story and photo by Airman 1st Class Ariel Leighty 86th Airlift Wing Public Affairs The Warrior Preparation Center European Integrated Air and Missile Defense Center hosted a three-day, joint-service Integrated Air and Missile Defense exercise on Einsiedlerhof Air Station, Jan. 28 to 31. Approximately 60 participants

from the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, and NATO affiliates collaborated in the exercise. “The exercise was a hyper realistic simulation where we engaged in both offensive and defensive scenarios,” said U.S. Army Col. Timothy Hines, Missile Defense Agency government lead. “Our agency modeled the simulation to account for any possible missile or airborne threat from modern technology to projected future tech-

nological advancements.” The exercise simulated scenarios countering collections of firepower from hypersonic to ballistic missiles. The participants also practiced countering new technology and advancing cyber threats. The training consolidated two concurrent exercises: the European Testbed, which tested upper tier ballistic missile defense, and Spartan Shield, which tested lower-to-mid tier defenses.

U.S. Army 1st Lt. Johnathan Nowicki, 5th Battalion, 7th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, Patriot Weapon System operator said, “the exercise takes every air breathing threat into account and how to combat them — from air surface missiles, hypersonic missiles, cruise missiles, unmanned aircraft, and anti-radiation threats.” See READY FOR FIGHT, Page 2


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.