Top Stories for Wednesday February 8, 2012

Today's stories include:

Airmen provide dental care in Honduras 
http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?storyID=123289209

Airmen halt nighttime training to aid victims 
http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?storyID=123289160

AF announces test pilot school selections 
http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?storyID=123289037

Tuskegee Airman gives account of 'lucky' day 
http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?storyID=123289056

Air Force announces first female four-star general nominee 
http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?storyID=123289113



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America's Air Force... Integrity, Service, Excellence



Airmen provide dental care in Honduras

by Staff Sgt. Bryan Franks
Joint Task Force-Bravo Public Affairs

OLANCHO, Honduras (AFNS) -- Members of the Joint Medical Readiness Training Exercise provided medical services to more than 730 La Bacadia community members here recently, including more than 85 patients seen by the dental team.

The Joint MEDRETE's dental members were responsible for dental assessment and tooth extraction during the event.

"Extracting decayed teeth is an efficient way of providing relief to our patients," said Lt. Col. Ray Williams, the medical element's dentist. "It allows us to get rid of the source of the infection as well as the pain."

For many rural areas of Honduras, dental visits are few and far between, and, as a result, tooth decay is a constant issue within these communities.

"I love the smiles from patients' faces after I'm done," said Staff Sgt. Marchawn Walker, the medical element's dental technician. "I love working with the children -- they bring a smile to my face."

For Walker, this was her second MEDRETE, the first being in Thailand.

"I was mentally prepared for this MEDRETE," Walker said. "I didn't know what to expect the first time in Thailand, but it definitely helped me be a better dental technician for this one now."

While the dental team is typically the last ones to finish each day of the MEDRETE, the members said they wish they could do even more.

"As with being deployed anywhere, you always face the challenges of limited supplies and time, but we are proud of the work we do," Williams said.

"They may have one less tooth, but they don't hurt anymore," Walker continued.

In fiscal 2011, Joint Task Force-Bravo and the Honduran Ministry of Health clinicians provided general medical care to 14,401 patients and dental care to 1,061 patients for a total of 15,462 Hondurans receiving much-needed assistance.

Airmen halt nighttime training to aid victims

by Capt. Cathleen Snow
920th Rescue Wing Public Affairs

PATRICK AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. (AFNS) -- Combat-search-and-rescue Airmen from the 920th Rescue Wing here halted their nighttime training operations at a remote drop zone in Central Florida to transport accident victims to the hospital.

Four people were injured, one seriously, when their airboat flipped on the St. John's River, approximately 30 miles north of where the Airmen were rehearsing for war.

With the help of the 920th local Airmen piloting an HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter, the Brevard County Sheriff's department launched a rescue mission dispatching airboats from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and Camp Holley Fish Camp, to assist in taking paramedics to the secluded accident site.

The Reserve Airmen landed the Pave Hawk on a spit of land in the middle of a swamp, according to the aircrew.

After paramedics finished treating the patients at the crash site, Rescue Wing Airmen transported three of the four patients to Holmes Regional Medical Center in Melbourne, including the most seriously injured victim. The fourth patient was taken by airboat then driven to Holmes for evaluation.

Maj. Rod Stout, Pave Hawk pilot assigned to the 920th's on-call desk when the call came in at 7:50 p.m. "We can have these guys to the hospital in five minutes," said Stout when briefed on the situation.

While the flight to the hospital itself lasted a few minutes, from the time the Airmen got the call, to the time they were unloading the patients off the helicopter pad at the hospital, was one hour.

"It was nice to be able to help," said Col. Jeffrey Macrander, 920th Rescue Wing commander, who piloted the Pave Hawk.

Earlier today, the wing welcomed home 70 Rescue Airmen from Afghanistan. Those Airmen are credited with 490 combat rescues.



AF announces test pilot school selections

by Debbie Gildea
Air Force Personnel, Services and Manpower Public Affairs

JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO -- RANDOLPH, Texas (AFNS) -- Sixty-plus Airmen are primary or alternate Air Force and Navy test pilot school selectees, while one has been selected to attend the Epner Test Pilot School in France, and another will attend the Empire Test Pilot School in England, Air Force Personnel Center officials announced.

Selectees, identified during the August 2011 school selection board, will fill July 2012 and January 2013 classes. The board named pilots to fill requirements for fighter, multi-engine, helicopter and remotely piloted aircraft; combat and weapon systems officer requirements, and flight test engineer requirements, said Howard Peterson, AFPC pipeline and trainer assignments branch.

"The Air Force school is the world's preeminent fixed-wing test pilot school, providing the finest flight test professionals to develop and evaluate current and future weapon systems," Peterson said. "Graduates have profound strategic impact on the development of future combat capabilities, which will ensure mission dominance in the battlefield for years to come."

Program graduates are future senior leaders who will be in high demand, Peterson said, adding that program graduates will earn a Master of Science in Flight Test Engineering through Air University.

To see the list of primary and alternate selectees, or for more information on this annual program and other personnel issues, visit the Air Force Personnel Services website at https://gum-crm.csd.disa.mil. Search under all components for PSDM 12-04.


Tuskegee Airman gives account of 'lucky' day

FORT GEORGE G. MEADE, Md. (AFNS) -- Famed Yankees pitcher "Lefty Gomez" once remarked "I'd rather be lucky than good," but for one Tuskegee Airman, luck and good combined to make him one of the most successful combat pilots of World War II.

During the summer of 1944, 2nd Lt. Clarence D. "Lucky" Lester was flying the P-51 Mustang over the skies of Italy's Po Valley providing B-17 Flying Fortress bombers with cover support on their way to attack airfields in southern Germany.

Lester was assigned to the 100th Fighter Squadron, a part of the 332nd Fighter Group, and had earned the nickname "Lucky" "because of all the tight situations from which I had escaped without a scratch or even a bullet hole in my aircraft."

In a first person account, Lester describes the day that July of '44 that would seal that nickname for the rest of his career.

Lester describes meeting his bomber at about 25,000 feet and had reached a level of about 29,000 feet when he and his formation spotted enemy aircraft. "We were flying in a loose formation, about 200 feet apart and zig-zagging. The flight leader commanded 'hard right and punch tanks' (drop the external fuel tanks). I saw a formation of Messerschmitt Bf 109s straight ahead, but slightly lower. I closed to about 200 feet and started to fire. Smoke began to pour out of the 109 and the aircraft exploded. I was going so fast I was sure I would hit some of the debris from the explosion, but luckily I didn't."

According to Lester, he saw another 109 to his right as he continued to dodge debris from his first kill. "I turned on his tail and closed to about 200 feet while firing. His aircraft started to smoke and almost stopped. My closure was so fast that I began to overtake him. When I overran him I looked down to see the enemy pilot emerge from his burning aircraft. I remember seeing his blonde hair as he bailed out at about 8,000 feet."

Lester then began looking for his flight mates when he spotted his third 109 flying low, about 1,000 feet above the ground. "I dove to the right, behind him, and opened fire. As I scored hits, he apparently thought he had enough altitude to use a 'split S' maneuver (a half loop going down where the aircraft is rolled upside down and pulled straight through until it become right side up) to evade me. As I did a diving turn I saw the 109 go straight into the ground."

According to Lester, it took a while to sink in that in the span of about five minutes he had downed three enemy aircraft. "Everything went the same as in training except for the real bullets. Real Bullets!! Until then, the danger of the mission had never occurred to me."


Air Force announces first female four-star general nominee

WASHINGTON (AFNS) -- President Barack Obama nominated Air Force Lt. Gen. Janet Wolfenbarger for promotion Feb. 6, which, pending Senate approval, would make her the first female four-star general in Air Force history.

Wolfenbarger currently serves as the military deputy in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition here and she is one of four female lieutenant generals in the Air Force.

"I am humbled and honored to have been nominated by the President to the rank of general and to serve as commander of Air Force Materiel Command. I look forward to participating in the Senate confirmation process when the time comes. At present, I remain focused on the important Air Force acquisition work I've been charged with," Wolfenbarger said.

A Beavercreek, Ohio, native, Wolfenbarger was commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1980 after graduating in the first class with female cadets at the Air Force Academy.

She also holds a graduate degree in aeronautics and astronautics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge.

The general has held several positions in the F-22 System Program Office at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio; served as the F-22 lead program element monitor at the Pentagon, and was the B-2 system program director for the Aeronautical Systems Center, Wright-Patterson AFB.

She commanded ASC's C-17 Systems Group, Mobility Systems Wing and was the service's director of the Air Force Acquisition Center of Excellence at the Pentagon, then served as director of the headquarters AFMC Intelligence and Requirements Directorate, Wright-Patterson AFB.

Prior to her current assignment, Wolfenbarger was the vice commander of AFMC, Wright-Patterson AFB.

She has been awarded the Distinguished Service Medal, the Legion of Merit, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Air Force Commendation Medal, the Air Force Achievement Medal, the National Defense Medal and the Global War on Terrorism Medal.

Wolfenbarger received her third star in December 2009 and became the Air Force's highest-ranking woman in January 2010.

(Courtesy of Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs)