TRAVIS TAILWIND
RAPTOR LAUNCH
621st CRW race in Turkey Trot
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Army is undertaking a sweeping transformation of its acquisition process, designed to dramatically accelerate the delivery of critical warfighting capabilities to soldiers. Recognizing that current acquisition processes are hampered by bureaucracy and outdated requirements, the Army is implementing significant structural and procedural changes to prioritize speed, accountability and delivery.
The most significant change is the identification of six Portfolio Acquisition Executives. Each PAE will own a comprehensive “capability area” aligned to the emerging Army Warfighting Concept. The six PAE organizations are: Fires; Maneuver Ground; Maneuver Air; Command and Control and Counter Command and Control; Agile Sustainment and Ammo; and Layered Protection and CBRND.
This shift makes a single leader accountable for all aspects of that capability area, including requirements, science and technology, contracting,
Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Vance Hand/U.S. Navy file photo (2024) Brent Ingraham, left, greets Cmdr. Matthew Farell, the commanding officer of the Independence-variant littoral combat ship USS Manchester Gold crew, in the ship’s flight mission bay, Dec. 12, 2024.
Tech. Sgt. Levi Reynolds/U.S. Air Force file photos
621st CRW airmen participate in the Turkey Trot Fun Run 5K at Travis Air Force Base, Nov. 21. The event brought service members and families together for fitness and holiday-themed camaraderie before Thanksgiving.
Airmen assigned to the 621st CRW race in the Turkey Trot Fun Run 5K at Travis Air Force Base, Nov. 21. An airman assigned to the 621st CRW runs in the Turkey Trot Fun Run 5K while wearing a turkey hat at Travis Air Force Base, Nov. 21.
Military Star card makes spirits bright with 15% off first-day purchases Dec. 4-18
the Express. n 10% off food purchases at participating Exchange restaurants.
TRAVIS
The Military Star card is making the holidays merrier for Travis Air Force Base airmen and their families by offering new cardmembers 15% off first-day purchases.
From Dec. 4 to Dec. 18, authorized Travis shoppers who open a new Military Star account can save 15% on all first-day purchases instead of the regular 10% discount.
New cardmembers can also combine this discount with other Military Star or Exchange promotions for even more savings. The discount is also valid at the Coast Guard Exchange, the Navy Exchange, the Marine Corps Exchange and the Defense Agency Commissary.
“The Military Star card is a tool to help airmen strengthen their financial readiness,” Travis Exchange General Manager Cathie Byrns said. “With 15% off firstday purchases, new cardmembers can take a smart step to building credit responsibly while enjoying immediate savings.”
Cardmembers also enjoy everyday savings, such as: n 5 cents off every gallon of gas from
n Free shipping on online purchases at ShopMyExchange.com, MyNavyExchange.com and ShopCGX.com.
Shoppers also earn unlimited 2% rewards on purchases everywhere the card is accepted, including commissaries; concessionaires; third-party vendors; Air Force Support Squadron and Army Morale, Welfare and Recreation activities.
Cardmembers also enjoy an industry-low APR regardless of credit score and no annual, late or overlimit fees. The Military Star card is administered by the Army & Air Force Exchange Service.
Eligible active-duty service members, dependents, retirees, Department of War civilians, and honorably discharged veterans who have confirmed their eligibility to shop at ShopMyExchange. com can apply for a Military Star card. The first-day discount is dependent upon the application being approved and will be applied as credit on the first monthly billing statement. For more information or to apply for a Military Star card, visit https://aafes.media/ militarystar25.
: Aaron Rosenblatt
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controllers navigate the arrival and departure of every aircraft within the airspace.
In a small room on top of the control tower, a team of airmen works 24/7 to sequence aircraft and coordinate with hostnation partners to ensure safe, uninterrupted flight operations.
“Our job never stops,” said Air Force Staff Sgt. Lana Fischer, 86th OSS air traffic control watch supervisor. “We work nights, weekends and holidays.”
“We never let our guard down,” she continued. “One mistake on our end could have a dire impact, so we run checklists and briefs constantly. Our No. 1 rule is to ensure safe airfield operations.”
The tower provides air traffic services for the base’s surrounding
area from the surface to 3,600 feet using both visual and radar feeds. They do all of this while simultaneously meeting every standard required to fly within the local airspace.
Daily operations inside the tower require tight teamwork.
“It’s a very close-knit environment,” said Air Force Master Sgt. Paige Smith, 86th OSS air traffic control chief controller.
“You’re working in a small space together every day, so the team becomes like family. I was stationed here 10 years ago, and it still feels the same. I love coming to work with these people.”
To Smith, the job is like solving a puzzle. Sequencing aircraft with different performance characteristics requires constant recalculation in real time.
“You see a potential
conflict out the window and you start working through the solution in your head,” Smith said. “Which aircraft needs spacing? Who needs priority? You see your plan play out in front of you and that’s the part I love.” Ramstein Air Base’s air traffic controllers play a vital role in missions far beyond Germany. From
Travis Exchange extends holiday price guarantee
A rmy & A ir Force exchAnge Service
Public A FFAirS
TRAVIS AFB — Travis shoppers can stretch their holiday budgets this season thanks to the Army & Air Force Exchange Service’s extended price guarantee, available through Dec. 24. The guarantee allows shoppers to receive an Exchange gift card for the
difference if they find an identical item at a lower price from a local retailer. The offer applies to purchases made in-store or at ShopMyExchange.com.
“The Exchange is dedicated to helping service members and their families make the most of their holiday shopping,” Travis Exchange General Manager Cathie Byrns said. “With tax-free
pricing, military-exclusive pricing and our extended price guarantee, military shoppers can keep more money in their pockets during the busiest season of the year.”
To claim the price adjustment, shoppers should bring their original receipt or order confirmation along with a local competitor’s advertisement to their Exchange
customer service desk. Online shoppers can submit a request through the customer feedback form at ShopMyExchange. com/customer-service/ contact-us or call 800-527-2345.
Exclusions apply, including Black Friday and Cyber Week promotions or one-day specials. Additional restrictions may apply.
Layout
Senior Airman Jacob Holwegner, 86th Operations Support Squadron ground controlled approach control specialist, manages air traffic within the airspace at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, Nov. 13. The ground controlled approach radar team sequences aircraft until they are roughly 5 miles outside the range of the flight line before they transition them to the tower, which takes control of the final approach and landing.
See Tower, Page 7
newest Combat Training Center and generates readiness in the environments and conditions where forces are most likely to operate.
(HIMAR) inside a C-17
Multinational
Harbor
programs, but an increased focus on capabilities. With the alignment of the capability portfolios under PAEs, the Army is restructuring the Program Executive Offices to better nest capabilities.
“Under the current fragmented process, accountability is distributed across multiple organizations and functions, creating misalignment between critical stakeholders,” said Brent Ingraham, the Army’s Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology; and Army Acquisition Executive. “Aligning this reform with operational concepts better postures the Army to deliver capabilities our soldiers need without delay.”
Additionally, the Army is streamlining its contracting processes through the lifecycle of the materiel process – just one example of focused outcomes over processes within the new PAE structure. Each PAE will have an embedded Senior Contracting Official with the authority to award contracts quickly, eliminating bottlenecks and simplifying the process for industry. The Army plans to continue to leverage flexible contracting tools like Other Transaction Authorities and commercial solutions where applicable. This creates fewer bottlenecks and clearer entry points for industry.
“Consolidating functions under a single,
accountable leader will streamline decision-making and remove barriers. It will empower leaders to take calculated risk where appropriate, delivering capabilities faster and more effectively,” said Ingraham. “All acquisition authorities will remain intact.”
The Army began implementing the iterative PAE construct in early October and will achieve initial operating capability in January 2026. All PAEs will be dual support, reporting to the U.S. Army’s newly activated Transformation and Training Command, or T2COM, for Army requirements generation, and to the Assistant Secretary of Army (Acquisition Logistics and Technology) for acquisition and materiel development.
“Incremental change is not sufficient to match the
rate of change in our operating environment. The deliberate partnering of our seasoned operational and acquisitions leaders will enable continuous transformation at the pace of relevance,” Gen. David Hodne, commanding general of T2COM.
To build the team, each PAE will include organizations in direct support from key stakeholders across the Army, ensuring a unified and collaborative approach to achieving mission success.
“Additionally, we are launching the Pathway for Innovation and Technology, or PIT, driving innovation, streamlining processes, and accelerating technology development from concept to prototype, and to fullscale implementation,” said Ingraham.
Reporting directly to ASA(ALT), the PIT oper-
China is already dominating the data war in the Pacific, experts say
Tribune ConTenT AgenCy
HONOLULU, Hawaii — Nine months into the second Trump administration, an acting defense secretary from President Trump’s first term said he thought “we’d be a lot further along” toward a nimbler military.
“I’m seeing a lot of marketing coming out of the department, and not a lot of outcomes,” Chris Miller said during a panel at the AFCEA TechNet Indo-Pacific conference on October.
Miller, who served as acting defense secretary from November 2020 to January 2021, said today’s Pentagon leaders are taking “an approach where if you have experience inside the Beltway, somehow you’re suspect and not worthy. And what I’m seeing are a bunch of like, quote-unquote brilliant business people that do not understand the plumbing of the most bureaucratic, Byzantine organization, probably since [the] Byzantine [Empire], and we’re losing opportunities because there’s a lack of focus.”
Amid a shift in national security strategies from the Indo-Pacific to the southern border, the former Special Forces colonel also criticized the push to focus on one adversary or challenge at a time. “Where’s the leadership? We spend a trillion dollars a year on national security. We can do more than one thing.”
Miller offered his comments during a discussion on ubiquitous digital surveillance in the region, where Sean Berg, a former deputy commander of Special Operations Command Pacific, said China “is already in phase three of that war: dominate” while “we still think of ourselves in phase zero: shaping.”
battalion,” he said. The challenge of open data and ubiquitous surveillance is particularly relevant in the Pacific, where Rob Christian, the former command chief warrant officer for 311th Signal Command, pointed out that China “is the largest technically advanced enemy we’ve ever seen and could imagine, and they also own the majority of the infrastructure.”
Twenty years ago, operators could use burner phones, get local SIM cards, or even turn phones off to “hide in the noise.” But “hiding in the noise now is much more difficult when you think about the layer of AI and analytics on top of things that are out there and all the stuff we’ve dumped out there through our travels,” Christian said.
“I think the challenge is slowly kind of morphing into, ‘OK, you’ve got to project, but you’ve also got to protect’.”
Panel moderator Mike Stokes, vice president of strategic engagements and marketing for Ridgeline, called the issue one of “digital signature warfare.”
ates under a synchronized framework to deliver advanced capabilities, strengthen the industrial base, integrate soldier feedback, and enhance readiness at the speed of relevance.
“Adopting a venture capitalist mindset, the PIT focuses on broad technology scouting, calculated risk-taking, and scaling the most promising solutions to meet critical Army priorities,” said Ingraham.
The Army is committed to transforming acquisition into an outcome-driven enabler to ensure rapid and continuous modernization of key capabilities across all domains.
But when quantum decryption becomes practical, Berg said, China will be able to read untold oceans of oncesecure messages that it has intercepted and filed away, then use them to gain unprecedented understanding of the patterns of U.S. forces.
“Whoever gets quantum first and is able to use that metadata to go back and figure out and predict every single move that the U.S. is about to make, whether it’s an air crew landing and going to the same hotel, whether it is the fleet gearing up, and all the Copenhagen being bought out from 7-Eleven from a Ranger
“It’s almost its own domain, where we need to think about the adversary’s capabilities to collect on us and our ability to counter those threats as its own doctrine and policy,” Stokes said. Berg said that one problem is that success looks like nothing is happening. Even if the U.S. government funded an identity-management campaign “that had all of the both offensive and defensive capabilities that would be integral in the technical surveillance to both protect and then understand how we’re being surveilled, the metric that would come out of that is nothing. Nothing would happen. Adversaries would not violate people’s sovereignty. There would be no crossing the border. There would be no economic coercion that would happen. There would be no bilateral manipulation of currency happening. And when you are fighting for dollars, telling the HASC or the SASC or the Appropriations Committee, ‘Yes, for the $1.3 billion, how much nothing would you like, Madam Senator?’ It’s a terrible argument to make.” Additionally, the “bread and butter” of special operations is working with partner nations, and in every
See China, Page 7
Senior Airman Mark Sulaica/U.S Air Force file (2024)
Rocket System
Globemaster III during Joint Pacific
Readiness Center 25-01 at Joint Base Pearl
Hickam-Hawaii, Oct. 10, 2024.
818th MSAS, Chad grow operational capabilities
N.J. — The 818th Mobility Support Advisory Squadron routinely deploys to Chad to conduct engagements with their military in areas such as logistics, maintenance, and operational planning. These missions strengthen regional security, promote stability, and foster enduring partnerships, ultimately contributing to a more secure and prosperous environment.
Chad has established itself as a regional counterterrorism leader and is an integral U.S. partner in the fight against terrorism in the Sahel region of Africa.
“Our partnership with Chad is significant in many respects, but two that stand out are our continued efforts to counter violent extremist organizations and the great power competition,” said U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Joseph Severin, 818th MSAS assistant director of operations. “It gives the U.S. an opportunity to foster a cooperative burden sharing relationship with a partner who has a mutual interest in combating terrorism and helps maintain our presence and access to a strategically competitive region where our competitors are actively seeking to expand their sphere of influence.”
Since 2013, the 818 MSAS has engaged with over 1,000 partner nation members in Chad and conducted over 30 missions. Over the past few years, there has been high demand for Cessna 208 maintenance and flying operations. The squadron, along with U.S. Army counterparts, incorporated air-to-ground operations to enhance their interoperability for surveillance and counter violent extremist organization operations in the Lake Chad region.
“One of the most noticeable changes has been the evolution of their C-208 program, from initial acquisition and basic flying maneuvers to teaching intelligence surveillance reconnaissance holding patterns to effectively communicate with ground forces, collect and interpret intelligence, and brief leadership,” said U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Salvador Mascorro, 421st Combat Training Squadron flight chief.
The 818th MSAS acts as a conduit to support
United States Transportation Command objectives globally, including Africa. Mobility forces require access, overflight and sometimes support from partner nations ranging from fuel and aerial port services to ensure a safe and secure airfield. Air advisers provide a critical link to global partners to ensure partner personnel are ready to support both countries’ interests.
“Their malign influence is there, and we’re looking to counter it and these challenges demand that we adapt, that we innovate, and that we act decisively to secure our interests,” said U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth. “The United States believes that there are and have to be African solutions to African problems.”
Missions can involve advising on developing instructor and evaluator cadre across multiple military specialties, flight safety fundamentals, communications, logistics, aircraft maintenance and manned intelligence surveillance reconnaissance/intelligence collection processes.
“We exchanged best practices within the flight safety and command and control realms and during these exchanges we saw the impact from previous teams’ missions,” said U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Michael Mueller, 818th MSAS air adviser. “It’s the motivation going into future missions because you know your job matters. Our efforts are going to pay off long past my time with the unit so, I may not see the ‘direct’ milestones, but I do get to see others
come to fruition.”
A resilient U.S.-Africa partnership strengthens global cooperation and ensures mutual prosperity in an increasingly interconnected world. By sharing best practices, the 818th MSAS helps Chad build their capacity to meet security challenges independently and allows U.S. assets to be relocated for other operational demands.
“Despite U.S. military prowess, it has always been apparent to me that we simply can’t be everywhere all the time and need to foster partnerships with like-minded partners to help in our fight against the enemy,” Severin said. “I personally feel proud of our partnership with Chad, because if a small air advisor team can foster a relationship and enhance the skills of our partner, it relieves the burden on our warfighters to be in harm’s way and frees up high demand/low density U.S. assets for deterrence and to enact lethal effects elsewhere.”
Being able to celebrate their successes has not only reinforced the impact of shared efforts but motivates continued growth and strengthens collective trust for future endeavors.
“Those relationships we’ve fostered for over a decade have opened doors and enabled other U.S. agencies to access Chadian assets when they couldn’t before,” Mascorro said. “Seeing them grow as a force, having the opportunity to celebrate their promotions, being there when they comeback from a deployment and hearing them tell you the train-
shopping early,” Travis Exchange’s Cathie Byrns said. “By placing ShopMyEx change.com orders by the right dates and with the
right shipping options, the Travis community can ensure their gifts will be on the way in time.” In-store or curbside pickup for online purchases is available for most items. Shipping times vary, and personalized items may take longer to ship. For more information on holiday shipping and delivery, visit ShopMyExchange.com/ customer-service/ship ping-delivery. Authorized shoppers can also browse the Exchange’s weekly digital ads to find the best deals throughout the holiday season. All honorably discharged veterans can confirm their eligibility to shop online at ShopMyExchange.com and enjoy these benefits. Visit https://aafes.media/ paveterans to learn more.
ing they received helped along the way has been extremely rewarding.”
Tech. Sgt. Gustavo Gonzalez/U.S. Air Force file (2018) Master Sgt. Jonathan Pogue, 818th Mobility Support Advisory Squadron air adviser, walks through inventory procedures with a Chadian Air Force airman during a mobile training team event at Adji Kossei Air Base, N’Djamena, Chad, Jan. 15, 2018.
Thomas Brading AFOSI PUBLIC AFFAIRS
DENVER, Colo. —
The U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations was among the agen cies that uncovered an alleged scheme involving two Denver-area compa nies and three executives selling Chinese-made forklifts to federal agen cies under the false label of “Made in America,” according to a Justice Department release.
A federal grand jury in Denver returned an indictment on Aug. 21, charging Endless Sales Inc., Octane Forklifts Inc., executives Brian Firkins and Jeffrey Blasdel, and former executive J.R. Antczak, prosecutors said. According to the DOJ, the defendants worked with a Chinese manufacturer and an unnamed Chinese national to falsify invoices, disguise the products’ origins and avoid more than $1 million in tariffs and duties. Then, the forklifts were mar-
keted to agencies including the Department of War and FEMA as U.S.-made products, despite being imported from China, the DOJ said, adding that companies falsely certified compliance with the Buy America Act to secure federal contracts.
According to the release, AFOSI Special
Agents worked with the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the Army Criminal Investigation Division and several federal inspectors general to build the case.
“This indictment reflects the commitment of the Department of the Air
Force to uphold integrity in public contracting and protect taxpayer dollars,” said Jason T. Hein, Director of AFOSI’s Office of Procurement Fraud Investigations. “Procurement fraud undermines trust in government and diverts resources from maintaining our national security and missions they’re meant to serve.”
The indictment also charges the companies and executives with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud and conspiring to enter goods into the United States through false statements.
Blasdel also faces a separate charge of making false statements to the government. Each wire fraud count carries a potential 20-year prison sentence for the individuals, while the companies face fines of up to $500,000 or twice the financial harm caused, according to the Justice Department. The case is being prosecuted by the DOJ Antitrust Divi-
sion’s Chicago Office, with assistance from AFOSI and other law enforcement partners.
“Great work by the AFOSI PF team and our partners in the Procure-
ment Collusion Strike Force,” Hein said. “This investigation shows what we can accomplish together to protect the integrity of government contracting.”
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