Travis Tailwind: Dec. 9, 2022

Exchange Shoppers get extended holiday price guarantee

Army & Air Force Exchange Service Public Affairs

TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE — The Army & Air Force Exchange Service is ensuring Travis Air Force Base air men and families get the best deal on their holiday shopping with an ex tended holiday price guarantee.

Now though Dec. 24, Travis shop pers who make a purchase at the Ex change or ShopMyExchange.com and find the identical item at a lower price at a local retailer can receive an Ex change gift card for the difference.

“The Exchange is making it easy to ensure Travis Air Force Base shop pers get the best value for their dol lars,” Travis Exchange General Manager Phonda Bishop said in a press release. “That’s in addition to our hol iday sales and always-tax-free shop ping, so the military community can celebrate the holidays without break ing the bank.”

Shoppers can visit the Exchange’s customer service desk for more in formation.

Shoppers who made their pur chase at ShopMyExchange.com can receive their gift card by filling out a customer feedback form at Shop MyExchange.com/customer-service or by calling the Exchange Customer Contact Center at 1-800-527-2345.

Shoppers must present a receipt or online order confirmation along with a local competitor’s current ad.

The offer excludes items related to Black Friday and Cyber Week sales (Nov. 24 through Dec. 2) or one-day special events. Other restrictions may apply.

Air Force announces Spark Tank 2023 semifinalists

Deputy Under Secretary of the Air Force, Management

ARLINGTON, Va. (AFNS) — The sixth annual Spark Tank 2023, or ST23, quar terfinals were held Nov. 9, at the Basic Research Innovation and Collaboration Center in Arlington, with the top 15 ideas selected to advance to semifinals.

The Spark Tank competition identifies, supports and celebrates high-performing Department of the Air Force innovators who submit and rally around ideas through the Guardians and Airmen Innovation Net work, or GAIN, a force-wide crowdsourc ing platform.

“Spark Tank’s democratized and iter ative vetting processes are how we deter mine the top 15 ideas,” said William Brou Gautier, Spark Tank director. “We want to ensure the ideas that have the best poten tial for significant positive change in ad vancing military capability are provided a path to DAF advocacy and becoming a reality.”

The venture capital style pitch to investment Spark Tank competition is co-sponsored and organized by the Office of the Deputy Under Secretary of the Air Force, Management, or SAF/MG, and AFWERX. The event featured a hybrid panel of inperson and virtual subject matter experts from across the Air Force who discussed the merits of each pitch.

AFWERX is a Technology Directorate of the Air Force Research Laboratory and the innovation arm of the Department of the Air Force.

During the 78-day innovation incubation

period, guardians and airmen submitted 235 ideas on wide-ranging topics designed to improve maintenance, operations, com munications, medical and support activi ties. Originating from enlisted and officer intrapreneurs, ideas came from almost ev ery major and field command. Air Com bat Command led the way with 44 sub missions.

New this year, and in support of the Department of the Air Force’s

tive, ST23 launched with a goal of 100% digital execution.

The program accomplished this by leveraging GAIN’s smart technology oper ating platform to streamline campaign communications between coordinators, moderators and intrapreneurs. Then, to ensure the fastest and most asynchronous coordination, the campaign management

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CONTENTS

Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. CQ Brown Jr. congratulates retired Brig. Gen. Clarence E. “Bud” Anderson, during a ceremony promoting Anderson to the honorary rank of Brigadier General at the Aerospace Museum of California in McClellan, Dec. 2. Nicholas Pilch/U.S. Air Force

ON THE COVER

Travis hosts new 9-day DoD training

RIGHT: U.S. airmen participate in a final field exercise at Travis Air Force Base, Nov. 22. Mobility Airmen in various operational positions completed a new nine-day Department of Defense/Defense Health Agency Tactical Combat Casualty Care Tier 3 Combat Medic Corpsman/Aerospace Medicine Technician training course.

BOTTOM RIGHT: U.S. Air Force Tech Sgt. Stephanie Eck, 921st Contingency Response Squadron security forces assistant flight chief, participates in a final field exercise at Travis Air Force Base, Nov. 22.

BOTTOM CENTER: U.S. airmen participate in a final field exercise at Travis Air Force Base, Nov. 22.

BOTTOM LEFT: U.S. airmen participate in a final field exercise at Travis Air Force Base, Nov. 22.

Heide Couch/U.S. Air Force photos

Travis prepares to receive KC-46A Pegasus

The KC-46A

Programmers work in a mechanical room at the KC46A Pegasus 3-bay maintenance hangar construction site

TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE — Crews are continuing work to build a massive three-bay han gar at Travis Air Force Base to serve as the base of operations for the new KC-46A Pegasus.

Travis is scheduled to receive this latest aircraft in August 2023. It’s the first new aircraft at the base since August 2006. The base’s full anticipated comple ment of KC-46s is expected by the first quarter of 2025.

The high-capacity KC-46A will ultimately displace the KC-10 Extender and replace the KC-135 Stratotanker.

Travis was selected as the West Coast home for the Pega sus in January 2017.

Basing the KC-46A at Travis requires numerous projects to renovate existing facility space or construct new facilities for mission functions that lacked

sufficient resources or did not previously exist. The Air Force Civil Engineer Center awarded a contract in December 2019 for a three-bay maintenance hangar at Travis. The $137 million project is the largest item in an estimated $188 million list of construction, repair and modernization proj ects designed to get Travis ready for the new tanker.

A ceremony to break ground for the hangar took place Dec. 14, 2018. Construction was delayed in 2020 by the Covid-19 pandem ic.

With more than 40,000 air re fueling contacts with a multitude of joint force and internation al partners and allies receivers since the U.S. Air Force accept ed delivery of the first aircraft in January 2019, the KC-46A is con necting and projecting the Joint Force to meet worldwide global mission demands.

Hun Chustine Minoda/U.S. Air Force photos

Electricians work at the foam room at the KC-46A Pegasus 3-bay maintenance hangar construction site at Travis Air Force Base, Dec. 5. The foam room is used to extinguish fires inside aircraft hangars to protect airmen and Air Force assets. The facility will be utilized for the maintenance and upkeep of Travis AFB’s future KC-46 tanker jet inventory upon the hangar’s completion in 2023.

Pegasus 3-bay maintenance hangar construction site at Travis Air Force Base, Dec. 5. The facility will be utilized for the maintenance and upkeep of Travis AFB’s future KC-46 tanker jet inventory upon the hangar’s completion in 2023.

at Travis Air Force Base, Dec. 5.

Daily Republic Staff

Exchange buy online, pick up in store options serve shoppers this holiday season

Army & Air Force Exchange Service Public Affairs

TRAVIS AIR FORCE — Mil itary shoppers can plan for the holidays with added convenience when placing orders in advance with the Army & Air Force Ex change Service’s buy online, pick up in store and curbside services at the Travis BX.

Authorized shoppers with instore shopping privileges, includ ing service-connected disabled Veterans and Department of

Defense civilians, can visit Shop MyExchange.com to find mili tary-exclusive deals on gifts for the entire family. For more sav ings, shoppers can check out the Exchange’s weekly digital ads.

To start a pickup order, shop pers can go to ShopMyExchange. com, select items on their shop ping list, choose the “Pick Up in Store” option, select the Travis BX main store and submit their order for pickup. Orders can be picked up at the customer service area at the Travis BX. Shoppers

can also opt for curbside pickup at select stores.

“The Exchange is all in to give shoppers added value, which also means saving time this holiday season,” said Travis BX General Manager Phonda Bishop. “Mili tary shoppers at Travis AFB skip the checkout lines with these easy and convenient services.”

To find a list of participating stores offering curbside pickup, visit ShopMyExchange.com/customer-service/shipping-delivery/ curbside-pickup.

U.S. Air Force Col. Lee Merkle, 349th Air Mobility Wing commander, and Chief Master Sgt. Edward Ramirez, 349th Air Mobility Wing command chief, serve food at the Monarch Dining Facility on Travis Air Force Base, December 3. Merkle and Ramirez joined other leadership serving airmen during the December drill weekend.

Travis Exchange allowing more time for holiday returns

Army & Air Force Exchange Service Public Affairs

TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE — Army & Air Force Exchange Ser vice shoppers have extra time to

the Travis Exchange or at Shop MyExchange.com.

“There’s always so much go ing on around the holidays,” Travis Exchange General Manager Phonda Bishop said in a press release. “The Travis Exchange wants to make sure shoppers are able to make returns on their own schedule.”

Shoppers will have until Jan. 31 to make

on purchases made from Nov. 1 to Dec. 24 at

The Exchange’s regular re turn policy allows returns from 15 to 90 days after the purchase with a receipt, depending on the item. If an item’s regular return window extends past Jan. 31, that date will be honored.

Some exclusions apply.

Aerodynamic technologies for mobility aircraft promise high return on investment

Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs

WASHINGTON (AFNS) — As part of its ef fort to increase readiness and capability, the Air Force is working to introduce aerodynamic technologies on mobility aircraft to improve airflow, reduce maintenance issues, increase payload capability, and decrease fuel demand.

Air Mobility Command, the Air Force Re search Laboratory and Air Force Operation al Energy have partnered with commercial vendors to research, design, test and certify a number of these innovations into the mo bility fleet, including the KC-135 Stratotanker, C-17 Globemaster III and C-130 Hercules.

Each initiative is at various phases of de velopment and transition, gaining momentum with the influx of funding from the Fiscal Year

2022 Presidential Budget.

“Optimization programs like these just make sense for the Air Force,” said Deputy Assistant Secretary of Air Force Operation al Energy Roberto Guerrero. “My office has been working to advance initiatives that not only make us smarter about how we consume fuel, but also help to prevent maintenance is sues, increase engine performance and improve mission planning.”

After several years of research and test ing, microvanes for the C-17 are in the process of airworthiness certification at the Air Force Research Laboratory and the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center. Microvanes are small 3D-printed structures that attach to the aft-end of the fuselage. The fin-like

The drag reduction devices known as microvanes are shown on the aft-end of a C-17 Globemaster III at Joint Base LewisMcChord, Wash. As part of its effort to increase readiness and capability, the Air Force is working to introduce aerodynamic technologies on mobility aircraft to improve airflow, reduce maintenance issues, increase payload capability, and decrease fuel demand.

U.S. Air Force photo

Technology

shape helps redirect airflow in this higher drag area, streamlin ing the aerodynamics and reduc ing overall fuel demand by ap proximately 1%.

When installed across the C-17 fleet, including Air Nation al Guard and Air Force Reserve aircraft, the Air Force estimates the microvanes will pay for them selves in fuel savings in seven months, and save over $10 mil lion per year.

The Air Force is evaluating vertical wiper blades on the KC-135 as another airstream drag reduction project that will im prove fuel economy, range, and capacity. Across the KC-135 fleet, windshield wiper blades have been placed horizontally for over

60 years; however, aerodynam ic ground testing confirmed that adjusting the wipers to sit ver tically will optimize the aircraft by about 1%, a potential fuel sav ings of over $7 million across the fleet. Now, the wipers will prog ress to airworthiness flight testing where they will be installed

on several aircraft.

The KC-135 has also been un dergoing testing for a replacement engine fan duct panel that can better withstand corrosion and water contamination. The current KC-135 fan ducts have aluminum panels which are susceptible to corrosion and degradation when

exposed to water and debris over an extended period of time. The current repair to this corrosion in hibits airflow to the engine, reduc ing performance and increasing fuel use by an estimated $5.5 million each year. Additionally, air craft are often out of operation for over two days while the main tenance crews work to fix this recurring issue that affects a major ity of the KC-135 fleet.

The replacement panel is made of a composite material that is impervious to similar degrada tion and corrosion. This one-time fix will eliminate frequent inspec tions and panel repairs. Flight evaluations start this December and run through February. Once certified, the team hopes to re place the panel across the entire KC-135 fleet.

These initiatives are just a se lect few that are the furthest along in their development. However,

the Air Force is working with the commercial industry and de fense partners on several other optimization initiatives includ ing other drag reduction efforts, engine sustainment and propul sion improvements for legacy air craft, mission planning software upgrades, process optimization, transformational aircraft body designs and more.

As part of the Air Force’s ef fort to ‘Accelerate Change,’ these programs aim to increase readi ness and capability, and address a ‘Logistics Under Attack’ scenario. At the same time, they support the Department of Defense’s cli mate mitigation goals as part of President Biden’s executive or der: Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad, as well as the newly released Department of the Air Force Climate Action Plan.

Senior Airman Noah D. Coger/U.S. Air Force

U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Casey Herring walks under the tail of a KC-135 Stratotanker at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, Jan. 4.

B-21 Raider bomber makes public debut

of the modernized bomber fleet.

adaptable, state-of-the-art air craft that will gradually replace aging B-1 Lancer and B-2 Spirit bombers now in service.

PALMDALE (AFNS) — In a tangible display Dec. 2 of the na tion’s resolve in meeting security threats, the U.S. Air Force pub licly unveiled the B-21 Raider, the first new, long-range strike bomber in a generation and an aircraft specifically designed to be the multifunctional backbone

While the B-21 isn’t expect ed to be operational and intro duced into service for several more years, the formal unveil ing ceremony hosted by Northrop Grumman Corporation at its pro duction facilities in California is a significant milestone in the Air Force’s effort to modernize com bat capabilities. The B-21 is de signed to be a more capable and

According to design require ments, the B-21 is a long-range, highly survivable stealth bomb er capable of delivering a mix of conventional and nuclear mu nitions. The aircraft will play a major role supporting national security objectives and assuring U.S. allies and partners across the globe.

Senior defense officials note that the National Defense

Strategy and other analyses make clear the need for the B-21 and its capabilities.

“The B-21 Raider is the first strategic bomber in more than three decades,” Secretary of De fense Lloyd J. Austin said dur ing the ceremony. “It is a tes tament to America’s enduring

advantages in ingenuity and in novation. And it’s proof of the Department’s long-term commit ment to building advanced capa bilities that will fortify America’s ability to deter aggression, today and into the future.”

The B-21, Austin said, “is

“The B-21 Raider is the first strategic bomber in more than three decades.”

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin

team created a Microsoft Teams collaboration forum for internal communications.

“The combination of Spark Tank operations’ digital work flows provided real-time updates, reduced the risk of outdated cam paign or idea information, pre vented locking data in email mes sages, and significantly reduced the coordination time gap be tween identifying concerns and devising solutions,” said Crystal Ortiz, SAF/MG Spark Tank oper ations action officer.

This year, guardians and air men participated in dual peer re view phases leveraging GAIN’s PairWise and TokenVoting tech nology.

“These techniques allowed us to review each idea and vote on which were the most deserv ing to move forward,” said Aaron Beebe, AFWERX Spark Cell pro gram manager and Spark Tank production manager. “The net re sult of peer review phases was that 35 distinct ideas emerged with clear support,” Beebe said. “Of those, we saw trends around

adopting emerging technology to solve emerging problems and a reoccurring need for finding bet ter tools to improve existing tech niques and workflows.”

Last year, Spark Tank created a new Just Do It, or JDI, catego ry. The team extended that con cept this year by identifying a list of high fidelity, simple ideas.

While no longer in the com petition for financial support, all JDIs are tracked to ensure the concepts are vetted by the owning Department of the Air Force headquarters functional owner, the lead command responsible for the capability and its sustainment, and the capability deliv ery teams or program offices who must coordinate on and approve program kit, Ortiz said. Like in ST22, 10 innovations this year were designated as JDI that will challenge the velocity the Spark Tank program can accelerate change at scale.

The top 15 ideas will be pitched Dec. 7, at the ST23 semifinals, an event co-chaired by the vice chief of staff of the Air Force and the vice chief of Space Operations, U.S. Space Force. The finals will be held during the 2023 Air and Space Forces Association’s War fare Symposium, March 8, 2023,

in Aurora, Colorado.

The 2023 Spark Tank quarter finalists are:

Note: An asterisk (*) denotes selection as a semifinalist and a double asterisk (**) indicates JDI ideas. No asterisk indicates the idea did not advance to the semi finals.

n *Accelerate the Killchain –“Spinning the Killweb.”

n *Accelerated Development of Multi-Capable Airmen.

n *Agile Content Evolution and Deployment.

n *Advanced Maintenance & Troubleshooting Suite.

n Air Force Materiel Com mand Test Aircraft Problem –VR “Just in Time.”

n *Airspace Optimization Ap plication.

n *Astro Psychiatric Artificial Intelligence.

n *B-52 Nuclear Arming Com ponents: Mobile Shielded Coding Enclosure.

n Base Comm Out Back Up Plan.

n **Boom Cover Removal and Installation Tool.

n Contested Degraded Envi ronment Comm Suite.

n **Eliminating “Ghosts” from Reserve Units.

n Enterprise Analytics Plat form.

n **Fighting Falcon F-16 Hor izontal Stabilizer Training Aid. n Foreign Object Damage.

n Improving Training Pro gram with Learning Manage ment System.

n **In-house Automated Solar Powered Camera Cleaning Sys tem.

n **Infiniguard Corrosion Prevention Solution.

n *Infrastructure in an AR World.

n **Medium Reach Articulat ing Staircase Type II MX Stand “B7” Safety Step.

n *Mercury West – Emulated Signal/Target Training Network.

n *OpsLab Automated

Scheduling.

n *Project Kinetic Cargo Sus tainment.

n *Project Oregon Trail.

n **Project Patient Airlift (formerly Stanchion Litter Sys tem).

n *Real-time Asset Manage ment System.

n **Robotics Universal Re mote.

n *Space Bot – AI Platform for Space.

n **Space Force Crew Sched uler.

n Tactical Ballistic Applied Geolocation System.

n The Next Revolution in Maintenance Information Sys tems.

n **Transformed Entry Au thorization List System.

n Turbo Requirements Gen erator.

n *Vital Beacon for Personnel Recovery.

n Wearable Edge Compute for Artificial Intelligence Aided Target Development.

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deterrence the American way. . . . This isn’t just another airplane. It’s not just another acquisition. . . . It’s the embodiment of Ameri ca’s determination to defend the republic that we all love. It’s a testament to our strategy of de terrence – with the capabilities to back it up, every time and everywhere.”

The world and its threats have

changed dramatically since the last new bomber was introduced in 1988, as has the way the Air Force, other U.S. military ser vices and allies work together as a joint, multi-domain force. Se nior defense officials say that new thinking and innovation are need ed to meet the new and emerging threats.

“That innovative spirit is sit ting behind us right now,” Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. CQ Brown Jr. told reporters short ly before the plane was unveiled.

“You think about what we’re

able to do in the amount of time with the workforce here from Northrop Grumman, the collabo ration with the United States Air Force to bring in a capability us ing a digital approach which is new and different from anything we’ve done any major program, that’s part of the Raider spirit,” he said.

The B-21 is the first new bomb er to be introduced since the end of the Cold War. Air Force offi cials envision an ultimate fleet of at least 100 aircraft with an average procurement unit cost

requirement of $692 million (base year 2022 dollars).

“When I think about acceler ate change, this is exactly what it means to be able to bring this kind of capability very quickly and be able to adapt it vis-à-vis the threat,” Brown said in his meeting with reporters. “And so today, I’m really excited that we bring the B-21 Raider into the fu ture. It’ll be the backbone of our bomber fleet.”

The aircraft is designed with updated stealth qualities and mis sion flexibility that senior leaders

in the Air Force and across the Department of Defense say are necessary to achieve the U.S. goal of achieving integrated de terrence, and if necessary, capa bilities required to successfully respond to aggression anywhere in the world at any time.

The specific B-21 unveiled Dec. 2 is one of six under pro duction. Each is considered a test aircraft, but each is being built on the same production line, us ing the same tools, processes, and technicians who will build pro duction aircraft.

Retired WWII triple ace fighter pilot promoted to brigadier general

Nicholas Pilch 60TH AIR MOBILITY WING PUBLIC AFFAIRS

MCCLELLAN — Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. CQ Brown Jr. presided over a ceremony Dec. 2 for retired Col. Clarence E. “Bud” Anderson, promoting him to the honorary rank of brigadier general at the Aerospace Muse um of California in McClellan.

The ceremony was an oppor tunity to honor the 100-year-old World War II triple ace during the 75th anniversary year of the U.S. Air Force’s establishment as a military service.

Anderson was also presented with a general officer’s personal flag, which has historically sym bolized leadership on the battle field. Today, general officer flags signify the presence of a general officer, and their personal flags are present at all official military functions one attends.

“It is a real, real pleasure and honor to be here today with you,” Brown said. “As you might imag ine, I get to do some pretty neat things, and this is one of them. This is the second opportuni ty I’ve had to promote someone from our Greatest Generation.”

Anderson flew 116 combat missions as a fighter pilot and leader with the 357th Fighter Group during World War II. He shot down 16 ¼ enemy aircraft during combat in his P-51 Mustang, earning the title, “triple ace.” The term ‘ace’ is used to describe a fighter pilot who has been credited with shooting down five enemy aircraft.

The California native is the last American triple-ace from World War II and the oldest liv ing American fighter ace.

“For me, he represents all the guys he flew with,” said re tired Lt. Col. Jim Anderson, son

of Bud. “He’s the last of them.”

Anderson served from 1942 to 1972. Some of his decorations in clude two Legions of Merit, five Distinguished Flying Crosses, 16 Air Medals and the Bronze Star. After retiring from active duty, Anderson worked at the F-15 test facility at Edwards Air Force Base.

“[Bud’s] kind of a wrecking ball of a guy and I think for many of us, probably wouldn’t want to have him behind us shooting us down – he had a distinguished ca reer,” Brown said. “It was really good to have a chance just to read through [some of Bud’s service records] and for me personally to reflect on the impact you had on our history of our Air Force.”

A large crowd of more than 200 people were in attendance to honor Anderson, as well as mem bers of Congress, local district representatives and retired mil itary.

“To all the young people that have the ambition to join the Air Force,” Anderson said. “Have at it! You can be what you want to be and you should know that when you like what you do, you can excel, be a better person at your job to do it better.”

Before the ceremony, Ander son was asked how it feels to re ceive this honor. He said he was too overwhelmed to answer that question.

After the ceremony, refresh ments and cake were provid ed to celebrate Anderson. The crowd raised shots of Old Crow, the bourbon whiskey Anderson named his aircraft after; Ander son’s first “Old Crow” was a P39Q when flying with the 363rd Fighter Squadron during World War II.

U.S. Air Force retired Col. Clarence E. “Bud” Anderson spends time with family before a ceremony promoting him to the honorary rank of brigadier general by Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. CQ Brown Jr. at the Aerospace Museum of California in McClellan, Dec. 2. The ceremony was an opportunity to honor the 100-year-old World War II triple ace during the 75th anniversary year of the U.S. Air Force’s establishment as a military service.

Nicholas Pilch/U.S. Air Force photos

Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. CQ Brown Jr. and retired Brig. Gen. Clarence E. “Bud” Anderson, celebrate during a ceremony promoting Anderson to the honorary rank of brigadier general at the Aerospace Museum of California in McClellan, Dec. 2.