Thunderbolt 8/03/2023

Vol. 51, No. 31

Thursday, August 3, 2023

High-flying NASA pilot takes off from MacDill News/Features: page 3 Connected battle space

News/Features: page 3 Mobility Guardian 23

Week in photos: page 4 Images from the week

Photo by Senior Airman Joshua Hastings

Community: page 15 Events, Chapel, more...

Kirt Stallings, NASA ER-2 pilot with the Armstrong Flight Research Center, prepares to fly an ER-2 at MacDill Air Force Base July 20. Stallings is a retired U.S. Air Force colonel and previously piloted the U-2S Dragon Lady, an aircraft with similar capabilities to the ER-2. NASA uses the ER-2, which operates at altitudes from 20,000 feet to 70,000 feet, to collect information about the Earth’s resources, celestial observations, atmospheric chemistry and dynamics, and oceanic processes.

NEWS/FEATURES

From survival training to saving lives - a transition story

by Airman 1st Class Zachary Foster 6th Air Refueling Wing, Public Affairs Some Airmen join the Air Force to travel, and some to learn a trade. For 1st Lt. David Foreman, it was to start a new adventure away from home.

In 2006, Foreman enlisted as a survival, evasion, resistance and escape (SERE) specialist. During that time, he learned not only to protect himself but to teach others to do the same.

“For the first four years [as a SERE specialist] we focus on teaching aircrew survival skills,” said Foreman. “After that time, we’re able to pursue positions that fit into a bigger picture.”

Following the typical teaching commitment, SERE specialists are given roles focused on planning and recovery. According to Foreman, outside of a few classes per month, his role was preparing aircrew for emergency situations.

“SERE specialists spend a lot of time developing their individual survival skills, so they understand the situations later in their career,” said Foreman. “A lot of the role SERE specialists play is in assessing risk, creating an escape and recovery plan for aircrew and ensuring that crew is adequately trained to carry it out.”

While the SERE career field had fulfilled his need for adventure towards the beginning of his enlistment, Foreman started to feel the physical commitments catching up to him.

“I remember towards the end of my enlistment finding it incredibly hard to bend down to pick up my daughter and play with my kids,” said Foreman. “That was really my wake-up call to find something that gave me the flexibility to continue serving but would give me the flexibility to live my life.”

After coming to the decision that a change needed to be made, Fore-

Photo by Airman 1st Class Zachary Foster

U.S. Air Force 1st Lt. David Foreman, 6th Medical Group physician assistant, poses for a photo at MacDill Air Force Base July 19. Foreman enlisted as a survival, evasion, resistance and escape specialist from 2006 to 2021. man reflected on the skills he enjoyed most as a SERE specialist. He found that he had an affinity for medicine and after successfully teaching dozens of tactical combat casualty care courses, he had the baseline skill to be competitive.

COMMANDER’S ACTION LINE The Action Line provides two-way communication between the 6th Air Refueling Wing commander and the MacDill community. Personnel may submit questions, concerns or comments via email to macdillwingcommander@us.af.mil or Facebook @6thARWCommandTeam

MacDill Thunderbolt Publisher: Joe Deluca Editor: Nick Stubbs The MacDill Thunderbolt is published by the Times Publishing Company, a private firm in no way connected with the U.S. Air Force. This commercial enterprise newspaper is an authorized publication for distribution to members of the U.S. military services on MacDill. Contents of the MacDill Thunderbolt are not necessarily the official views of, or endorsed by the U.S. government, the Department of Defense,

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the Department of the Air Force or the 6th Air Refueling Wing.

The appearance of advertising in this publication, including inserts or supplements, does not constitute endorsement by the Department of Defense, the Department of the Air Force, 6th Air Refueling Wing or the Publishing Company of the products or service advertised.

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See IPAP, Page 12

MacDill on the web Website: www.macdill.af.mil Facebook: www.facebook.com/ MacDillAirForceBase Instagram: macdill_afb Twitter: @macdill_afb News items for the MacDill Thunderbolt can be submitted to the 6th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs office, 8208 Hangar Loop Dr., suite 14, MacDill AFB, FL 33621. Call the Thunderbolt at 828-2215. Email: 6arw.pa.macdillthunderbolt@ us.af.mil.

Deadline for article submissions is noon, Wednesdays to appear in the next week’s publication. Articles received after deadline may be considered for future use. All submissions are considered for publication based on news value and timeliness.

Every article and photograph is edited for accuracy, clarity, brevity, conformance with the “Associated Press Stylebook and Libel Manual” and Air Force Instruction 35-101.

NEWS/FEATURES

Connected battlespace modernizes fight in Indo-Pacific

by Senior Airman Sebastian Romawac 18th Wing Public Affairs KADENA AIR BASE, Japan (AFNS)—History was made during exercise Northern Edge 23-2 as the Utah Air National Guard’s 151st Air Refueling Wing, working with the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve Test Center, sent their modified KC-135 Stratotanker to Kadena Air Base for use in the Western Pacific.

The KC-135, equipped with the Real-Time Information in the Cockpit system, otherwise known as RTIC, and the Collins Aerospace Intelligent Gateway flew alongside the Raytheon Multi-Program Testbed, otherwise known as RMT, as well as numerous joint and coalition aircraft, to modernize and enhance battlespace communications for all players in the Indo-Pacific region.

The RTIC program of record provides realtime situational awareness to KC-135 crews by displaying enemy threats, target data and allied force locations on an avionics display located in the cockpit.

See BATTLESPACE, Page 14

Photo by Senior Airman Sebastian Romawac

A KC-135 Stratotanker assigned to the 151st Air Refueling Wing takes off during exercise Northern Edge 23-2 at Kadena Air Base, Japan, July 12. The Intelligent Gateway connectivity combined with Battlespace Command and Control Center Air Battle Management hardware/software provides command and control capabilities to the ABMs conducting a distributed tactical C2 experiment during NE 23-2.

Mobility Guardian 23 sharpens AFMC’s warfighter support

by Derek Kaufman Air Force Materiel Command

WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio (AFNS)—Wartime contingency and campaign planners can learn a lot from a major multi-national exercise, with dozens of aircraft carrying thousands of participants and moving tons of materiel and equipment across the Indo-Pacific theater.

Air Force Materiel Command logisticians have worked behind the scenes on exercise Mobility Guardian 23 since Fall 2022 and are critical to the successful planning and execution of Air Mobility Command’s largest, and arguably most challenging, exercise in years.

“This exercise is really highlighting how the AFMC logistics enterprise supports the warfighter,” said Col. John Klohr, Headquarters AFMC logistics lead. “The vast distances and water make pre-positioned War Reserve Materiel critical to our readiness in the Indo-Pacific theater.”

See MOBILITY GUARDIAN, Page 10

Photo by Airman 1st Class Kadielle Shaw

Staff Sgt. Daniel Medellin, 15th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron crew chief, participates in an interactive Aircraft Battle Damage Repair training at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, July 13. Members had the opportunity to simulate aircraft damage by sledgehammering an old airplane wing, similar to those they would be repairing in the field.

This training is mission-critical for understanding battle damage maintenance and how to gather accurate data.

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WEEK IN PHOTOS

Photo by Airman 1st Class Sterling Sutton

A KC-135 Stratotanker assigned to 6th Air Refueling Wing is shown on the flight line at MacDill Air Force Base July 7. The KC-135 is primarily used for air refueling, a capability that enables the air assets of the Defense Department and partner nations to fly longer and have a greater reach.

Photo by Senior Airman Joshua Hastings

Members with the Armstrong Flight Research Center prepare a NASA ER-2 for flight at MacDill Air Force Base, July 20. NASA used the ER-2, which operates at altitudes from 20,000 feet to 70,000 feet, to research terrestrial gamma-ray flashes over the Gulf of Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean. The research will aid NASA in understanding TGFs in one of the most TGF-intense regions on Earth and will enhance spaceborne lightning mapper performance validation and characterization in tropical and oceanic regions.

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Photo by Senior Airman Jessica Do

U.S. Air Force A1C Rinoa Cornel, base honor guardsman, presents the United States flag to Special Agent Timothy Ries, during his retirement ceremony at MacDill Air Force Base July 27. After retiring from active duty in 2000 with the rank of lieutenant colonel, Ries went on to serve an additional 23 years as a civilian special agent with the Department of the Air Force Office of Special Investigations.

NEWS/FEATURES General Allvin nominated to be next Air Force Chief of Staff Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs ARLINGTON, Va. (AFNS)—Air Force Vice Chief of Staff Gen. David W. Allvin, a command pilot with expertise in joint planning and strategy, has been nominated as the Air Force’s 23rd Chief of Staff, President Joe Biden and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin IIIannounced July 26.

Allvin would assume the highest military position in the Air Force, responsible for the organization, training and equipping of 689,000 active-duty, Guard, Reserve, and civilian members serving in the United States and overseas. If confirmed by the Senate, he is poised to replace Gen. CQ Brown, Jr., who was recently nominated to be the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

“I am honored and privileged to be nominat-

ed as the next Chief of Staff of the Air Force.

If confirmed, I will continue the tradition and legacy of integrity, service and excellence that this position requires. Gina and I are humbled to serve our Air Force, our Airmen and their families.”Air Force Vice Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin Allvin’s nomination by President Joe Biden, was met with support across the service for a senior leader who is well known. He has served as the Air Force’s second-highest-ranking military officer for three years.

“I’m delighted to support General Dave Allvin’s nomination to serve as the next Chief of Staff of the Air Force,” said Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall. “This nomination speaks to Dave’s exceptional leadership and selfless serSee ALLVIN, Page 7

U.S. Air Force photo

Air Force Vice Chief of Staff Gen. David W. Allvin, a command pilot with expertise in joint planning and strategy, has been nominated as the Air Force’s 23rd chief of staff, President Joe Biden and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin III, announced July 26.

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ALLVIN From Page 5

vice. Throughout his distinguished career, he has exemplified the highest standards of professionalism, and I have every confidence that he will continue to lead the Air Force and our Airmen with the same passion and commitment that has defined his reputation.”

As a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the CSAF and other service chiefs function as military advisers to the Secretary of Defense, National Security Council and the President of the United States. Allvin will play a critical role in representing the Air Force’s priorities and interests as well as integrating the service’s core missions into the Department of Defense’s Defend the Nation priorities.

“General Dave Allvin is the right leader for this defining decade, as our Air Force continues to adapt to the evolving global security environment, and ensure we have the culture, concepts and capabilities needed to compete and win in a highly contested environment,” said Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. CQ Brown, Jr. “His expertise in strategy and planning will be crucial to the service’s success in this era of sustained strength and deterrence.”

Allvin’s 37 years of service is highlighted by his leadership, dedication and experience, which are seen as critical qualities for meeting the de-

mands and expectations of the position.

In 1986, Allvin graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy with a Bachelor of Science in Astronautical Engineering. He is a command pilot with more than 4,600 hours, including 800 flight test hours in more than 30 aircraft and 100 combat hours in Iraq and Afghanistan.

He has commanded at the squadron and wing levels, which included serving as the Commander for the 97th Air Mobility Wing and 618th Air and Space Operations Center. He also held major command staff assignments and served in several Joint Staff positions, including as a Commanding General for the NATO Air Training Command – Afghanistan and NATO Training Mission-Afghanistan/Combined Security Transition Command-Afghanistan, and Commander for the 438th Air Expeditionary Wing.

Allvin has served as the Director for Strategy and Policy for Headquarters U.S. European Command and Vice Director for Strategy, Plans, and Policy (J-5) at the Joint Staff. More recently, prior to his current assignment, he was the Director for Strategy, Plans, and Policy (J-5) Joint Staff and the senior member of the United States Delegation to the United Nations Military Staff Committee.

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Courtesy photo

U.S. Air Force Maj. Michael Bakke, 621st Mobility Support Operations Squadron, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., watches as a Japanese C-130 lands on Baker Landing Zone in Tinian, U.S. Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas, July 12. The 621st Mobility Support Operations Squadron members, air mobility liaison officers, Expeditionary Air Ground Liaison Element members, and Japanese loadmasters participated in exercise Mobility Guardian 23, supporting the coalition landing zone, drop zone operations and support cargo preparation.

AMC’s largest global exercise a success in Indo-PacifiTheater

Air Mobility Command Public Affairs

JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii (AFNS)—Air Mobility Command concluded exercise Mobility Guardian 23, the largest iteration of the Air Force’s premier multinational mobility exercise to date, July 21.

The debut of the exercise in the Indo-Pacific saw 70 mobility aircraft with more than 3,000 service members from Australia, Canada, France, Japan, New Zealand, the U.K. and the U.S. surge across an exercise area spanning 13 million square miles. The integration of Mobility Guardian in the Pacific enabled the maneuver of more than 15,000 joint forces associated with other exercises also in theater.

The exercise demonstrated the interoperability of combined forces and advanced a shared vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific region while honing readiness objectives from each country.

“The relationships and integration with our allies and partners as well as the joint force was paramount. We experienced the geography together, we learned together,” said Gen. Mike Minihan, AMC commander. “Our combined ability to project into theater, line up on priorities and to achieve unity of effort and action were proven here.”

Mobility Excellence One of the key highlights of MG23 was the integration of forces, allowing for the application of many new concepts, including the Air Force Force 8

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Generation model and Agile Combat Employment. The exercise featured a wide range of refueling and transport aircraft working with thousands of joint service members and international allies and partners to practice interoperability across all five core capabilities across the fly, fix and support functions. These include airlift, air refueling, aeromedical evacuation, air mobility ground support operations [Global Air Mobility Support System], and command and control in contested, degraded and operationally limited environments.

“Mobility Guardian was specifically designed to challenge our readiness, to get after our tactics, techniques and procedures, as well as develop our capabilities, so that we are ready to face whatever it is our nation calls on us to do.,” said Maj. Gen. Darren Cole, AMC Operations, Strategic Deterrence and Nuclear Integration director.

Aeromedical evacuation, a core mission set provided to the joint force by AMC, was widely exercised across MG23, culminating in Japan hosting its first large-scale multinational AE military training event. The AE event hosted a pivotal demonstration of AE capabilities, including the successful deployment of three specialized and modular AE teams deployed forward to handle the movement of 48 unregulated patients across six missions in austere and degraded conditions.

Aerial refueling, the cornerstone of rapid global mobility and global power projection, served as a critical solution in a theater where the ability to

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See GLOBAL EXERCISE, Page 11

U.S. Air Force Airmen From MacDill Air Force Base refuel F-16 Fighting Falcons from Kadena Air Base, Japan, in support of exercise Mobility Guardian 23, July 9 over the Indo-Pacific region.

A multilateral endeavor, MG23 featured seven participating countries - Australia, Canada, France, Japan, New Zealand, United Kingdom and the United States operating approximately 70 mobility aircraft across multiple locations spanning a 3,000-mile exercise area from July 5th through July 21.

Photo by Shelby Rapert

Phto by Staff Sgt. Bailee Ann Darbasie

Photo by Staff Sgt. Christian Sullivan

(Left) U.S. and coalition aircraft deployed to the Indo-Pacific theater conduct an elephant walk at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, July 19. More than 15,000 U.S. and coalition forces participated in various exercises across the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command area of responsibility.

(Above) U.S. Contingency Response Airmen prepare to open the airfield on Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, during Mobility Guardian 23. In this exercise, CR Airmen rapidly deploy personnel and quickly established an airbase.

This capability allows U.S. forces, allies and partners to be agile and respond to real world needs whenever and wherever necessary.

MOBILITY GUARDIAN From Page 3

The exercise runs July 5-21, 2023. It is a major test of emerging operational concepts including the Air Force’s Force Generation Model and Agile Combat Employment, which features a hub-and-spoke base network of several operating locations manned by multi-capable Airmen to generate combat sorties.

Gen. Mike Minihan, AMC commander, visited Wright-Patterson AFB last fall for a senior staff-to-staff engagement to highlight his readiness objectives and ask for AFMC’s help.

“That really kind of kicked off all the support for this specific exercise,” said Rich Moore, a senior analyst at the Air Force Sustainment Center assigned to Wright-Patterson AFB. “That’s kind of telling, I think, when the operators come here saying, ‘we need you.’”

Logistics on the Attack In March 2023, Minihan shared the stage with Gen. Duke Z. Richardson, AFMC Commander, during the annual Air Warfare Symposium hosted by the Air and Space Forces Association. They jointly highlighted the logistics challenges posed by the tyranny of distance and ocean in the U.S. INDOPACOM area of responsibility and the urgency to get ready, in an integrated way, to deter, fight and win there. The discussion highlighted the need to rapidly deploy, operate and sustain a high-tempo fight, which will require Airmen to think differently. The generals emphasized during their joint panel that pre-positioned war reserve materiel supports a “distributed laydown” and interoperability with allies and partners.

This theme was also telegraphed by Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. CQ Brown, Jr., during his recent confirmation hearing to serve as the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

You cannot wait until the crisis occurs to be able to deploy capability,” Brown told committee members. “You have to work with allies and partners to have access to locations so you can put that capability in place.”

Fast forward to Mobility Guardian and the logistics planning and agile combat employment, theory is being put to its largest test yet.

“If you just trace the supply chain of what it takes to fight a war, all of it runs through AFMC,” Moore said.

Requirements for spare parts, support equipment, fuels, munitions planning and more need to be forecasted and aligned with the war plan, he said, adding Mobility Guardian is part of a series of logistics-focused wargames the command is using to refine processes.

AFMC centers deliver range of support The Air Force Sustainment Center “depot surge” is just one area where AFMC civilian and uniformed Airmen supported the exercise.

“We asked, ‘What parts can we surge?’ and ‘How can we get tankers out of depot sooner?’ We then looked at some of the authorities and things within our control to accelerate our processes,” Klohr said. “So the planning aspect of Mobility Guardian produced some goodness that helped AFMC think differently about our processes.”

The AFSC, headquartered at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma, led the way in support for Mobility Guardian by accelerating aircraft through depot maintenance, surging parts for anticipated need of increased flying operations, and deploying Airmen to perform depot level maintenance in the Indo Pacific.

“Mobility Guardian is an incredibly important test of readiness and projecting joint capabilities in support of our National Defense Strategy. I couldn’t be more proud of everyone across the Sustainment Center team for leaning into this important exercise,” said Lt. Gen. Stacey Hawkins, AFSC commander.

The depot team at Tinker AFB increased man-hours to deliver two KC-135s undergoing programmed depot maintenance back to AMC early, so they could support air See MOBILITY GUARDIAN, Page 13

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Photo by Airman 1st Class Amanda Jett

Airmen from the 6th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron walk to a KC-135 Stratotanker to perform maintenance inspections in support of exercise Mobility Guardian 2023 at Yokota Air Base, Japan, July 9. MG23 is an opportunity to deepen connections with regional allies and partners using bold initiatives.

Photo by Staff Sgt. Christian Sullivan

Royal Canadian Air Force Master Cpl. Montgomery Burke, right, and RCAF MCpl Cody Reese, aerospace telecommunications and information systems technicians assigned to the 8th Canadian Communications and Control Squadron, works with the U.S. Joint Communications Support Element to set up a high frequency radio during exercise Mobility Guardian 23, July 16 at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam.

GLOBAL EXERCISE From Page 8

land and refuel is far more limited. Long-duration endurance sorties, such as the record-setting 20+ hour UK A400Mnon-stop flight from RAF Brize Norton, U.K., to Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, demonstrated the ability to not only cover challenging distances, but also the flexibility of aerial refueling to remain airborne for prolonged periods, creating more options for air commanders orchestrating complex and dynamic air movements across the theater.

“Our KC-135 [Stratotanker] and KC-46 [Pegasus] crews conducted sorties executed over consecutive Air Tasking Order days, including a 35-hour long KC-46 sortie and KC-135 sorties lasting beyond 48 hours by utilizing new hot pit refueling techniques,” explained Lt. Col. Jake Parker, Exercise Mobility Guardian 23 director. “Air refueling is king in this theater and these TTPs demonstrate we can keep our capabilities airborne when it matters. We’re taking the time to learn how to do this now, safely, in a more controlled manner rather than be forced to learn it later out of necessity when the consequences are potentially more severe.”

AMC also exercised long mission durations across the airlift community as well, with 40+ hour C-130J Super Hercules missions to achieve tactical objectives at some locations.

The airlift mission was widely applied across MG23, including a realworld rescue mission supported by a French A400M and Canadian CC130J. The airlift community provided the maneuver of thousands of joint forces, the integration of multilateral AE training events and demonstrated its airdrop capabilities across a complex seven-nation coalition airdrop event based out of Guam and a maritime resupply mission in partnership with U.S. Strategic Command and the U.S. Navy.

GAMSS widely flexed its adaptability in MG23, with Contingency Response forces and newly-developed airlift operations support crews, called Air Mobility Teams, opening more than 13 primary and supplemental operating locations. CR forces were also responsible for establishing and handing over operations of two air expeditionary wings to units at Andersen AFB, Guam, and RAAF Darwin, Australia, demonstrating the AFFORGEN deployment model.

AMC CR forces also partnered with Japanese Air Self Defense Forces Contingency Response teams to complete the first bilateral U.S.-Japan contingency response interoperability event.

Command and control played a unique role in MG23, with AMC exercising a new structure known as a “Mobility Task Force” to deliver dynamic C2 support to mobility forces in theater in conjunction with both the 613th Air Operations Center and 618th AOC. Importantly, MG23 also demonstrated robust interoperability through its Combined Mission Planning Cell at Andersen AFB where the seven partner nations planned and executed all coalition activities from a centralized location, integrated but decentralized from other C2.

“When we talk about contested environments, we need to increase our agility and confidence in flexible command and control,” Cole said. “There are times for centralized, decentralized, and disaggregated C2. There are times when we’ll need to flex across all options available to us. There are times when we need to fully entrust our tactical level Airmen who have the ground-truth and commander’s intent, as we do with our Mission Type Orders.”

Closing the Gaps The challenges of time and distance reinforce areas the command has focused on for the last year: command and control, navigation, and maneuver at the tempo required to win anytime, anywhere. The unique design of this exercise explored both maximizing existing capabilities and new capabilities tested in theater against key problem sets.

“The tyranny of distance focuses on the vast area and challenges that this theater presents,” Parker said. “To put it into perspective, when we look at the distance between the locations that we operated in through this exercise, it equates to width of the United States. To even get into theater, we had to move three-times that distance. It’s a lot of ocean. We’ve shown that we can overcome that distance by executing this exercise, and we can tackle our most challenging gaps by putting our Airmen in this theater shoulder-to-shoulder with our partners to apply their first-hand problemsolving and innovation.”

Interoperability initiatives unlocked new levels of synergy across the seven nations participating in MG23. Combined planning efforts led to interfly agreements allowing mixed aircrews on airlift missions, blended multi-nation AE teams, new aerial refueling validations, and integrated maintenance support that allowed maintainers from different nations to fix one another’s aircraft and source shared parts.

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IPAP

From Page 2

Shortly after, Foreman discovered the Interservice Physician Assistant Program (IPAP), a joint service commissioning program designed to take civilians and prior enlisted service members and create experienced commissioned leaders.

“I applied to the IPAP board not expecting much because it’s incredibly competitive,” said Foreman. “Soon after that, I found myself headed to Fort Sam Houston for my first phase of classes.”

According to Foreman, IPAP is broken down into two phases. The first phase is focused on the medical background required for a physician assistant to be successful. The second phase is tailored towards military education and primarily serves to orient civilians to the lifestyle. The full program awards students a Master of Science degree in Physician Assistance Studies.

Upon graduation from IPAP, the newly commissioned officers are sent to an installation where they undergo on-the-job training. For Foreman, his initial training took place at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida.

Foreman now serves at MacDill AFB alongside a diverse team of medical professionals, serving the 6th and 927th Air Refueling Wings, U.S. Special Operations Command, U.S. Central Command and hundreds of thousands of retirees and dependents from the Tampa Bay area.

As an officer with enlisted experience, Foreman brings a unique perspective to his role, explaining, “there is a shared experience that connects prior enlisted officers and their Airmen. I know how it feels to carry a heavy workload and not see the impact of officers. Now that I fill that role, I try my best to both mitigate that workload and better communicate the administrative and managerial work that needs to be done.”

Seventeen years into his military service, Foreman is starting over, finding a new passion for the work he does every day. He advises anyone looking for a similar success to be patient in finding it.

“When I first enlisted, I waited 13 months in the delayed entry program for that SERE specialist slot,” said Foreman. “When I attended

Photo by Airman 1st Class Zachary Foster

Coins belonging to U.S. Air Force 1st Lt. David Foreman, 6th Medical Group physician assistant, are shown at MacDill Air Force Base July 19.

Foreman enlisted as a survival, evasion, resistance and escape specialist from 2006 to 2021.

IPAP, I went through years of full-time school to get where I am now. Patience is key. Anything that is worth doing, is worth waiting for.”

Forem an is one exam ple of Airm en everywhere utilizing the skills they learned while they were enlisted, now as a commissioned officer. For m ore inform ation on available com m issioning opportunities, see your local education and training center or recruiter.

Be sure to visit the official 6th Air Refueling Wing website at www.macdill.af.mil 12

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MOBILITY GUARDIAN From Page 10

refueling and airlift taskings during Mobility Guardian.

The 635th Supply Chain Operations Wing at Scott AFB, Illinois, and the 448th Supply Chain Management Wing at Tinker AFB, partnered to surge parts from within the global supply chain and depot sources of repair to ensure deploying units had every available part at their disposal to keep aircraft flying, said Col. Nicole Fuller, 635th SCOW vice commander.

During the exercise to date, Fuller said the teams worked with DLA Aviation to source more than 30 urgently needed Mission Impaired Capability Awaiting Parts, returning 15 non-mission capable aircraft to full mission capable status.

The 635th SCOW is the War Reserve Materiel expert as they oversee the Pre-positioned WRM Program Integration Office responsible for integrating assets worldwide. Fuller said the combined WRM team sourced vehicles and support equipment for deployment and MG 23 use.

“AMC is exercising what equipment they will need and where they will need it postured to enable Agile Combat Employment on demand. So, Mobility Guardian will help inform each of our commands on an optimal global laydown of WRM,” Klohr said.

Moore added the logistics community is answering Richardson’s call to incorporate powerful digital tools and real progress is being made to become more predictive. One that is maturing and demonstrating its value is called CSPEC, short for Combat Support Planning, Execution and Control. Another is BLADE, the Air Force’s Basing and Logistics Analytics Data Environment.

“We are moving beyond Excel and PowerPoint,” Moore said. “So we have modeling and simulation, analysis tools, forecasting based on planned flying activity in the theater, forecasting what the demands are going to be for different categories of resources, like parts, munitions, fuel.”

AFSC also deployed two Aircraft Battle Damage Repair teams to MG23. These special-duty, multi-qualified enlisted technicians bring the capability to perform depot-level repairs in the field. One six-person team deployed to Yokota Air Base, Japan, and another dozen to Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii. In wartime, these skilled maintainers meet up with their “battle wagon” of tools and materials to perform heavy maintenance and return damaged aircraft to the fight.

“We were Multi-Capable Airmen before MCA was cool and a ‘thing,’” said Master Sgt. Kyle Sommerfeldt, with the ABDR program office at Wright-Patterson AFB. Klohr also noted that the Air Force Research Laboratory is helping lead the service’s quest to field modernized common aviation support equipment.

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BATTLESPACE From Page 3

“Prior to RTIC, we were completely relying on outside sources to tell us where threats were, let us know if we were in danger and tell us where our receivers were,” said U.S. Air Force Maj. Mike Starley, Air National Guard Air Force Reserve Command Test Center KC-135 test detachment director. “Now the KC-135 crews have a moving map screen available in the cockpit and can make their own tactical decisions on whether or not they’re at risk, which will allow them to get closer to the fight and offload fuel.”

Building upon RTIC, the Utah ANG and AATC, in coordination with Collins Aerospace, an RTX business, have been testing a connected battlespace through what the team calls the Intelligent Gateway. This new advancement for the KC-135 was able to bridge beyond line-of sight networks with operational and strategic level information to line-of-sight datalinks at the tactical edge. This allows the transfer of situational awareness and closure of decision cycles between joint and air operations centers, tactical command and control nodes, and joint and coalition assets from sub-surface all the way to space.

With the Intelligent Gateway, air operations centers are provided with a live picture of the battlespace and have situational awareness they did not have before. Joint, allied and partner forces can communicate through the KC-135 Intelligent Gateway to make tactical decisions with a common operating picture. From the warfighter in the air, to the commander on the ground, everyone’s situational awareness is enhanced through the KC-135 Intelligent Gateway.

“We only have so many surveillance aircraft available and in a theater as large as the Indo-Pacific, there’s going to be a lot of holes with no command and control,” Starley said. “But we’re always going to have a tanker there, no matter what. Now we’re able to take advantage of all that space and use the KC-135, that’s already in the fight anyway, for C2.”

During Northern Edge 23-2, the Utah ANG KC-135 worked in tandem with the RMT to test advanced communication and intelligence-gathering capabilities. The RMT uses a combination of radar and electronic intelligence sensors to capture information on simulated threats. Onboard processors then generate a clear targeting solution that is passed on to the Utah ANG KC135 and then to joint and allied players on the network for C2 purposes.

The KC-135 team from Utah ANG and the RMT participated in Northern Edge 23-1 recently held in Alaska as well.

See BATTLESPACE, Page 16

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Photo by Senior Airman Sebastian Romawac

The Raytheon Multi-Program Testbed takes off during exercise Northern Edge 23-2 at Kadena Air Base, Japan, July 12. The RMT uses a combination of radar and electronic intelligence sensors to capture information on simulated threats which is then passed on to allied players for enhanced command and control.

Photo by Senior Airman Sebastian Romawac

A KC-135 Stratotanker assigned to the 151st Air Refueling Wing is parked during exercise Northern Edge 23-2 at Kadena Air Base, Japan, July 11. The Real-time Information in the Cockpit system provides command and control capabilities to KC-135 crews by displaying enemy threats, target data and allied force locations on an avionics display located in the cockpit.

WWW.MACDILLTHUNDERBOLT.COM ◆ Thursday, August 3, 2023 ◆ MACDILL THUNDERBOLT

COMMUNITY

EVENTS

Family First Fridays Come celebrate Family First Fridays on Aug. 4 at SeaScapes from 3 p.m. – 10 p.m. There will be luau themed men, drink specials, DJ, and karaoke. For event details, visit macdillfss.com/seascapes/.

Friday Stampede at Boomers Join the Boomers Stampede every Friday from 3 p.m. – 8 p.m.

Boomer’s is located inside the Breakaway Event Center with a full bar, multiple screen’s, music, and pool tables. Enjoy complimentary snacks and drink specials every Friday. Visit macdillfss.com/ boomers/ for more details.

Short Fitness Center June closure The Short Fitness Center will be closed August 10 and 11 but will accessible to those patrons with 24/7 access. For more information about obtaining 24/7 access, please visit, macdillfss.com/shortfitness-center/.

The OSI team

Members assigned to the Air Force Office of Special Investigations Detachment 340 stand for a group photo at MacDill Air Force Base July 24. OSI personnel are responsible for identifying, exploiting and neutralizing criminal, terrorist and intelligence threats to the Air Force, Department of Defense and U.S. Government.

D.I.Y. Auto Hobby Shop

The MacDill Auto Hobby Shop is designed specifically for individuals who need a place to work on their cars but lack suitable facilities where they live. Rent a bay with all the tools you need Wednesday – Friday from 9 a.m. – 7 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Upcoming events: Aug. 15 – oil change class for Ladies Aug. 18 – Free 72-point vehicle inspection. Visit macdillfss.com/ arts-and-trade-crafts/ for more information.

Find more events at: macdillfss.com

Photo by Airman 1st Class Zachary Foster

CHAPEL SCHEDULE Normal Hours- Monday - Friday - 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. After hours chaplain, call the Command Post at 828-4362/4361.

Monday-Wednesday Mass - 12:10 p.m.

Protestant virtual services - Sunday - 11 a.m. (www.facebook.com/6amwhc)

Jewish - Monthly Lunch and Learn: For schedule & to join distro, please contact elimelach.estrin@us.af.mil

www.macdill.af.mil/chapel

Islamic Service - Friday 1:30 p.m. (space reserved)

Catholic Mass - Sunday - 9:30 a.m. (confessions by appointment)

Other Faith Groups - Please contact the Chapel at

(813) 828-3621 or via email at 6ARW.HCADMIN@us.af.mil

For more details and information, visit the Chapel Facebook page at http://www.facebook/6amwhc/ or MacDill’s Chapel website is: https://www.macdill.af.mil/chapel MACDILL THUNDERBOLT ◆ Thursday, August 3, 2023 ◆ WWW.MACDILLTHUNDERBOLT.COM ◆ 15

BATTLESPACE From Page 14

“The Collins/RTX team in collaboration with the Utah ANG picked up in Japan, where we left off in Alaska,” said Lora Magliocco, Collins Aerospace Connected Battlespace Joint Experimentation and Demonstration director. “The team demonstrated the value of connecting the battlespace by providing relevant command and control, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance data to decision makers at machine speeds. The connected battlespace opens new opportunities to apply artificial intelligence, big data concepts and advanced networking at the tactical edge.”

This training enables real-world proficiency in sustaining joint forces through detecting, locating, tracking and engaging units at sea, in the air, on land and in cyberspace in response to a range of mission areas.

These systems are being stress tested and matured in the Indo-Pacific region during exercise Northern Edge 23-2 and are supporting Joint All-Domain Command and Control and Advanced Battle Management System initiatives by not only increasing communication capabilities, but also drastically shortening real-world decision-making timelines.

“When an aircraft lands after a mission with intelligence, surveillance, or reconnaissance, there is usually a 72-hour air tasking order cycle before a decision is made to go after that target,” Starley said. “In theory, we could take that 72-hour ATO cycle and shrink it to 72 minutes or less, meeting commander’s intent.”

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Photo by Senior Airman Sebastian Romawac

U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Zach Harvey, 151st Aircraft Maintenance Squadron crew chief, salutes U.S. Air Force Maj. Mike Starley, Air National Guard Air Force Reserve Command Test Center KC-135 test detachment director, as he taxis a KC-135 Stratotanker, assigned to the 151st Air Refueling Wing, during exercise Northern Edge 23-2 at Kadena Air Base, Japan, July 12.

WWW.MACDILLTHUNDERBOLT.COM ◆ Thursday, August 3, 2023 ◆ MACDILL THUNDERBOLT