Top Air Force Stories for Feb. 15, 2012

Today's stories include:

AFSPC commander addresses maturing cyberspace domain 
http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?storyID=123290240

CSAF visits RAF Lakenheath 
http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?storyID=123289894

Air Force advisers, Afghan aircrew drop medical supplies to rural villages 
http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?storyID=123290168

Air Force Medical Service turns to secure messaging  
http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?storyID=123290079

Tuskegee Airman one of first 'top guns' 
http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?storyID=123290098



All stories in this message as well as any referenced images are in the public domain and do not require copyright release. Story submissions should be sent to afnewsdesk@dma.mil. To unsubscribe from this service, scroll to the bottom of this message for instructions.

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AFSPC commander addresses maturing cyberspace domain

by Capt. Tamara Fischer-Carter
Air Force Space Command Public Affairs

PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. (AFNS) -- The Air Force Space Command commander highlighted space and cyberspace superiority, acquisition strategies and industry partnerships, and the need for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education during a speech Feb. 7 in Colorado Springs, Colo.

Gen. William Shelton kicked off the Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association Cyberspace 2012 Symposium, addressing government and industry professionals in the cyber domain.

Shelton spoke to updates on AFSPC's cyber mission and shared some of the challenges associated with a growing cyberspace domain.

"Some of these challenges include establishing some much needed lanes in the road, adjusting the acquisitions process to reflect the nature of cyber products, and expediting a fundamental culture shift across the Air Force from a cyberspace support mindset to one of cyberspace operations," the AFSPC commander said.

"Our military's reliance on cyberspace is hard to fully comprehend because our reliance on networked capabilities is so ubiquitous it's taken for granted," the general said, comparing the ease of networked capabilities to plugging in a utility. "It shouldn't be hard, and in this age of information-enabled warfare, that utility mindset is the way it should be for our warfighters."

Still, he acknowledged with the significant revision to the Air Force's basic cyber doctrine, the cyber business is in its formative stages with rules still being written and skill sets yet defined.

"We've moved on from the term computer network operations to a much more active description of what our service is tasked to provide: cyberspace superiority," Shelton said. "Cyberspace superiority describes our mission to gain advantage in, from and through cyberspace at the times and places of our choosing, even when faced with opposition. We have defined three sub-disciplines of cyberspace superiority: cyberspace force application, cyberspace defense and cyberspace support."

Operating within the cyber domain calls for a unique type of thinking with regard to definitions of offensive and defensive cyberspace capabilities, the general said.

"Our new Air Force doctrine document thoroughly discusses cyberspace operations, and it goes into great detail on how the basic principles of war such as mass, maneuver, surprise and others apply in cyberspace," he said. "But the document does not fully define exactly what is offense, what is defense, or things like 'show of force' and 'effects-based operations.'"

Shelton discussed his goal of seamless integration from terrestrial networks to airborne networks to space-based networks.

"If we're going to be successful with cross-domain solutions, it's clear to me our networks must move data without regard to which physical layer is being used," he said.

The general also acknowledged budgetary constraints and highlighted cyberspace priorities in light of fiscal responsibilities.

"We'll focus first on passive defense, then defensive counter cyberspace; cyberspace ISR and situational awareness; persistent network operations; data confidentiality and integrity systems; and the cyberspace air and space operations center," Shelton said. "We round out our priorities with offensive counter cyberspace, contingency extension and influence operations."

Shelton also emphasized cyberspace acquisition and sustainment should produce agile programs of record while addressing the challenges associated with keeping pace with a domain that changes rapidly.

"The Joint Space Operations Center Mission System, or JMS, program will have a huge impact on just about everything we do in space," the general said.

Acting as the hub, JMS will revolutionize space situational awareness capabilities, taking inputs from a huge variety of radar and optical, ground- and space-based, space weather, and many other types of sensors, Shelton said.

"JMS is a great example of how an industrial-age acquisition system just isn't agile enough for an information age program," the general said. "The system is too slow, too stodgy, and the requirements it places on program developers are too cumbersome."

Streamlined acquisition requires everyone to streamline their expectations and process, he said, and is especially important to cyber acquisition process.

"In cyber, state of the art hardware can become antiquated before the ink is dry on the check that paid for it -- and software is even worse," the general said.

Cyber systems change on a timescale of days or months versus the timescales of an aircraft that change over years, Shelton said.

"Success will require agreement and commitment by all organizations up front to make streamlined acquisition a priority," the general said.

"History has shown that industry advances in information technology develop much more quickly than (the Department of Defense) can purchase and apply them," he said, emphasizing the need for industry's ideas to move forward since they are not bound by the government acquisition process.

The general recognized the underlying support for industrial advances is through education. Technical education includes science, technology, engineering and mathematics and is often referred to as STEM. Shelton said the lack of graduates in America within these skill sets could constitute a national security issue in the broadest sense. He emphasized the need for an exciting STEM curriculum and financial incentives to keep students interested in STEM-based subjects throughout high school and college.

Shelton also called for partnership between industry, non-profit educational institutions, and educators in school districts, colleges and universities to encourage STEM education and careers.

"Hands-on participation in real science and engineering projects would go a long way toward exciting these students enough to pursue STEM education and a career in a STEM-related field," the general said.

"We'll lean heavily on our partners in the cyber industry to continue to push the envelope in cyberspace innovation and help us overcome the challenges ahead as we work toward our goal of resilient, assured cyberspace operations," Shelton said.

CSAF visits RAF Lakenheath

by Senior Airman Tiffany M. Deuel
48th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

ROYAL AIR FORCE LAKENHEATH, England (AFNS) -- Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz and his wife Suzie helped honor the 48th Fighter Wing's annual award winners and nominees during a ceremony here Feb. 11.

Those recognized as the Liberty Wing's 2011 Annual Award winners were:

- Maj. Andrew Garcia, Field Grade Officer of the Year
- Capt. Christopher Obranovich, Company Grade Officer of the Year
- Senior Master Sgt. Brian Huber, First Sergeant of the Year
- Master Sgt. Brian Cain, Senior Noncommissioned Officer of the Year:
- Tech. Sgt. Kristen Davis, NCO of the Year
- Airman 1st Class Robin Bouton, Airman of the Year
- Staff Sgt. Markus Anthony, Military Volunteer of the Year
- Senior Airman Branden Alexander, Honor Guard Member of the Year
- Tina Barnes, Civilian Category I of the Year
- Martin Heli, Civilian Category II of the Year
- Lela Smith, Civilian Volunteer of the Year

The theme of the night was "A Decade of War: Defending with Excellence," and Schwartz said those at RAF Lakenheath should be proud of the important role they have played in operations over the last 10 years.

"It is an honor to celebrate these achievements with the war-fighting Airmen of the Liberty Wing," said Schwartz.

Schwartz expressed his appreciation for the award winners' accomplishments in front of more than Airmen and civilians at the banquet.

"What a pleasure it is for Suzie and me to be here with 540 members and supporters of the wing," he said. "I salute every award winner tonight for their outstanding work."

Schwartz said the Liberty Wing has a reputation for excellence, as evidenced by the award of the Mackay Trophy to four of the wing's Airmen and the selection of two more for the most recent edition of the Air Force's Portraits in Courage series.

"Airmen like you have served with distinction in operations vital to our nation, our NATO allies and the security of the entire region," Schwartz said. "America can always count on Liberty Airmen to get the job done."

Schwartz ended his speech with encouraging words for those in attendance.

"Every Airman has an opportunity to take part in making our Air Force better," Schwartz said. "I call on each and every Airman to do just that. Enjoy each other's company and, most importantly, celebrate the noble mission of the Liberty Wing."

During the visit, the general and his wife visited the Strike Eagle Complex and the local village of Elveden. They also attended a key spouses' luncheon where Suzie Schwartz emphasized the importance of the Key Spouse Program.

"We have to thank you for what you do; it's volunteering at its best," she said. "It's the combination of all your wonderful caring, the sharing of information and being part of the team that makes the Air Force the great place and great family that it is."

Air Force advisers, Afghan aircrew drop medical supplies to rural villages

by Tech. Sgt. Jeremy Larlee
438th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs

KABUL, Afghanistan (AFNS) -- Advisors from the 738th Air Expeditionary Advisory Group and an Afghan air force helicopter aircrew from Shindand Air Base delivered critical medical supplies Jan. 27 to two remote Afghan villages.

The villagers of Sarji and Gaw Hoshtah were struck by a measles epidemic, which claimed the lives of 12 children, the advisors said.

The villages are isolated by mountains and the only delivery method possible for the supplies was by air transport.

Air Force Tech. Sgt. Jason Stitt, a MI-17 aerial gunner adviser, said the Afghan aircrew did a great job during the mission and that it made him feel good to help out those in need.

"The mission went well," Stitt said. "We took five Afghan doctors, and 2,200 pounds of medical supplies, coordinated by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Aid and the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, were airlifted by the Afghan air force from Chagcharan to the remote villages."

The team faced many challenges during the mission, the advisors said. In addition to traversing the mountainous terrain, extra precautions were taken to ensure none of the Afghan aircrew was exposed to the virus. Stitt said that they were unsure which of the Afghan aircrew had gotten the proper vaccinations for the disease.

The advising team spent time researching measles transmission and decided the unvaccinated crew would stay on board. All of the crew was outfitted with masks and gloves as another safety precaution to prevent the spread of the disease, Stitt said.

The team also had to deal with a difficult landing that involved a whiteout landing caused by the snow in the landing zone, which was at an altitude of 7,500 feet above sea level.
Stitt said he was very proud of how well everybody worked together.

"The highlight for me was working with our Afghan counterparts to accomplish this mission and bring relief to these two isolated villages," he said. "It feels good anytime that you get a chance to help someone out, especially when you get to help a village that had already lost 12 children due to the illness."

Air Force Medical Service turns to secure messaging

by Gary Pomeroy and Jon Stock
Air Force Surgeon General Public Affairs

WASHINGTON (AFNS) -- Patients at Air Force-wide medical treatment facilities will soon be able to communicate securely and privately with their health care teams anywhere and anytime thanks to the expansion of secure messaging.

Secure messaging will be available to patients through what is known as the MiCare portal. The MiCare portal is built to facilitate secure, online communications between patients and their healthcare team.

The goal of MiCare is to improve the quality of healthcare that patients receive and provide a mechanism for patients to have better access to their own health information at whatever time is most convenient to them, Air Force Medical Service officials said. MiCare will streamline communication and access to information between office visits, reducing the frequency of office visits for some patients. It will also reduce reliance on telephone calls, providing more convenience for the patients.

"MiCare will make routine health care more convenient for our patients, while reducing unnecessary visits to the MTF, thus freeing up our providers to see more acute patients," said Lt. Gen. (Dr.) Charles B. Green, the Air Force Surgeon General. "This is an important goal in Air Force Patient-Centered Medical Home."

Benefits from MiCare's secure messaging tool include patient access anytime, anywhere to: 

-- Communicate privately with their healthcare team online without waiting in phone trees or playing phone tag;
-- Ask their healthcare team for advice about non-urgent symptoms;
-- Receive medical test and lab results;
-- Request medication renewals;
-- Request a copy of immunization records; and
-- Access physician-approved health resource links at their convenience.

The healthcare team will be able to contact patients via MiCare to provide:

-- Appointment reminders;
-- Follow up on a condition without requiring a trip to the MTF;
-- Medication alerts/refill information;
-- Medical test and referral results; and
-- Notifications regarding Flu vaccinations, school and sports physicals, MTF closure dates, etc.

In addition, according to AFMS officials, in the near future, MiCare will offer patients secure access to their personal health record. The PHR feature will allow patients to capture medical information in a central, online location. Officials emphasized that this has not been an option for patients in the past, making it difficult for them to keep track of health information coming from different doctors, treatment locations, emergency providers and overseas stations.

Since MiCare is a patient-driven service, the beneficiary must register with their MTF to have an active account. MiCare deployment to Air Force hospitals and clinics is underway and will progress through the remainder of 2012. In the coming months, more information will be coming directly from the MTF regarding when MiCare will become available at each base and what to expect when MiCare arrives.

To find out more, please visit www.sg.af.mil/MiCare, or ask your local MTF when it will be available to you.


Tuskegee Airman one of first 'top guns'

FORT GEORGE G. MEADE, Md. (AFNS) -- When most of us think about "Top Gun," we usually associate it with Tom Cruise's character during the '80s movie showcasing the Navy's F-14 Tomcat exploits and over-the-top maneuvers.

But in reality, it was a Tuskegee Airmen who took part and won the military's first "Top Gun" style competition.

Born in Montclair, N.J., on July 13, 1923, to a poor but proud family, James H. Harvey III served more than 20 years in the military and would go on to become of a member of the famed Tuskegee Airmen and the first African-American pilot to fly combat missions over Korean airspace.

Harvey also one of two surviving Tuskegee Airmen who won the Air Force's inaugural weapons meet in 1949. The other survivor is Master Sgt. Buford Johnson.

After being denied an enlistment in the Army Air Corps for cadet pilot training, Harvey was drafted into the Army in 1943 and boarded a train for Fort Meade, Md., where he took his physical and written examinations. Based on his written examination score, he was assigned to the Army Air Corps Engineers to be a bulldozer operator to clear areas for airfields.

"I decided this was not for me, so I applied for cadet training again," he wrote on his website. "This time, I was accepted and reported to Bolling Field, D.C., for my written test and physical examination, which I passed with flying colors. There were 10 of us taking the examination, nine Whites and myself, and only I and one White passed the examination to attend Pilot Training School."

After passing his examination, he was accepted to attend pilot training at Tuskegee Army Air Field. While there, Harvey said he spent his primary training by alternating half his day learning to fly aircraft and the other half at the Tuskegee Institute where he and other cadets had classes in math; English; Morse Code; aircraft, ship submarine identification; and navigation.

After he graduated his primary training, he said he went on to advance training on the AT-6 aircraft until he graduated as a second lieutenant Oct. 16, 1944.

Harvey's first duty assignment was the 99th Fighter Squadron at Godman Field, Ky. Four years later in 1949, Harvey competed in the first USAF Weapons Meet at Las Vegas Air Force Base, Nev. As a first lieutenant, he, along with Capt. Alva Temple and 1st Lt. Harry Stewart, represented the 332nd Fighter Group Weapons Team where they won the competition flying their P-47N Thunderbolts. However, their victory wasn't officially recognized until April 1995, he said.

Later that year, he was assigned to Misawa Air Base, Japan, where he served as an F-80 Shooting Star fighter pilot. Harvey would retire from the Air Force as a lieutenant colonel May 31, 1965.

On August 6, 2011, Harvey received the Noel F. Parrish Award -- the Tuskegee Airmen's highest honor at the Tuskegee Airmen 40th National Convention. This award recognizes outstanding endeavors to enhance access to knowledge, skills, and opportunities.