By Hailey Haux.

Better leaders up and down the chain, commissioned and non-commissioned; that’s what the Air and Space Force will get when Airmen and Guardians are sent to the Ranger Assessment Course (RAC).

As a commander and supervisor, wouldn’t you want those kinds of highly motivated, trained and dedicated Airmen on your team? It all begins with supporting them and sending them through the RAC.

Recently, 15 Airmen, 15 Soldiers and one Guardian put that thought to the test during a Ranger Assessment Course, the Air Forces’ version of the Army’s Small Unit Ranger Tactics, or SURT. The Air Force RAC is a 19-day course designed to assess the physical and mental toughness of Airmen and Guardians who are interested in attending Army Ranger School.

“Ranger school is the Department of Defense’s premier combat leadership school, there’s really no better reason to go through a school than that,” said U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Luciano Rosano, RAC Instructor. “Some leaders are born, some leaders are made, some leaders are forged through fire. Whether you graduate or not, everyone comes out of school with a different perspective on life.”

While going through the Ranger Assessment Course, the students learned skills such as battle drills, land navigation, and small unit tactics like ambushes which ultimately led to an understanding of combat leadership, followership, troop leading procedures, communication skills, accountability, performance under stress, intestinal fortitude and much more.

“Integrity first, service before self, excellence in all we do, and character, connection, commitment and courage,” said Gabriel Rodriguez, Readiness Training and Ranger Assessment Course program manager. “These are the Air and Space Force’s core values respectively; the principles that help guide decision making and vector to take a path toward mission accomplishment are the same. No matter what you’re wearing on your uniform, it all ties into being united and growing together as one interconnected force on the same mission in protecting our country.”

The Airmen, Soldiers and Guardian worked together throughout the course, further reinforcing the need to understand what it’s like to operate in a joint environment and in turn how to better support one another once they return to their respective units.

For the Guardian, his every-day job is developing satellite communications tools for warfighters. During this course, he was able to get first-hand exposure to those communications tools and how they work out in the field.

“One of the biggest challenges that I think I’ve faced in my work back home is we design a system that doesn’t meet the intent of the warfighter, and that comes from a lack of communication and a lack of understanding,” said U.S. Space Force Capt. Daniel Reynolds, RAC student coming from the 4th Test and Evaluation Squadron out of Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado. “At courses like this we take individuals who are working in space, and we get them together with individuals who are the tip of the spear, executing these missions, engaging the enemy face-to-face. That’s where we learn how to design better systems and capabilities.”

The National Defense Strategy identifies four top-level priorities that the Department of Defense must pursue to strengthen deterrence, and the fourth priority is, “to ensure our future military advantage, we will build a resilient Joint Force and defense ecosystem.”

“In the joint environment we all have the same mission, so maintaining the relationships and unit cohesion with all my teammates—Soldiers, Guardians, Airmen, etc.—is crucial so that whenever we work together—now or in the future—it goes smooth,” said U.S. Air Force 1st Lt. John Aldaco, RAC student coming from the 820th Base Defense Group out of Moody Air Force Base, Georgia. “These are all my teammates around me, and they are crucial to success in this course and will be crucial all the way through Ranger School and beyond.”

Truly representing a joint force, there were service members from numerous Air and Space Force Specialty Codes and Army Military Occupational Specialties in the RAC. It ranged from Army infantry to Air Force medics a Space Force developmental engineer, and included career fields like engineer officer, military police, contracting, security forces and others.

“Being here, they are learning how to operate in a joint environment,” said U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Douglas Brock, RAC Instructor “These Airmen—and Guardian—are exposed to working alongside their Army counterparts; learning how to lead service members to fight onto an objective and complete the mission. The benefits of this course, as well as Ranger School, are increased mental and physical toughness, enhanced leadership skills, broader knowledge of military operations and a huge sense of accomplishment.”

While going through the RAC, students not only learned about the technical tactics, but they also conducted physical training and ruck marches to prepare them for the requirements at Ranger School. During the Ranger Assessment Phase week at Ranger School, students are required to complete 49 push-ups, 59 sit-ups, a five-mile run in 40 minutes, and six chin-ups. RAP week is culminated with a 12-mile foot march with each student carrying an average load of 35 pounds. After the RAP, – which lasts four days – generally, only two-thirds of the class will make it to the patrolling phase, or Darby Phase.

“I’ve really enjoyed seeing the hunger in the Airmen and their eagerness to succeed because the Air and Space Forces don’t get very many Ranger School slots every year, so they have to be incredibly competitive and willing to push themselves to get those slots,” said U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Bryan Dabous, Lightning Academy Small Unit Ranger Tactics Instructor. “Ranger School is a leadership school, and it puts people in extremely stressful conditions. They teach them and they evaluate them, then those graduates go out and become leaders. If they are able to operate and lead in the most difficult conditions, they will be able to operate anytime, anywhere—ground, air, space, etc.”

Of the 31 total candidates that started the RAC, 19 completed the course and 15 met all the standards needed for a recommendation to go to Ranger School where their determination and grit will be put to the test and hopefully earn that coveted tab stating that they are Ranger qualified.

For Airmen and Guardians, earning their Ranger tab may be harder to come by, but that shouldn’t stop them—or commanders—from putting their hat in the ring. Since 1955 when the Air Force first began sending Airmen to Ranger School, a little more than 350 Airmen have graduated, and returned to their units with more knowledge and experience in leading. Those 350 Ranger Qualified Airmen were able to teach what they learned to those within their units, making the Air Force even better as a whole.

“Airmen and Guardians while at Ranger School will be exposed to a combat environment facing stressors like sleep and food deprivation, extreme weather conditions, and the stress of succeeding the course,” said U.S. Air Force Capt. Daniel Mack, RAC Instructor. “Anyone can lead in good conditions, but can you lead when you are hungry, tired, and fatigued? Additionally, can you get others to perform when they are in the same conditions? Completing the course or not, Airmen and Guardians go back to the Air and Space Force as a better leader.”

As an Airman or Guardian, if you are thinking that Ranger School is just out of reach, you may just be wrong—you might have what it takes and they only thing to do is give it a try!

One of the many misconceptions of the RAC and Ranger School is that you must be 100% ready before you even attend the Ranger Assessment Course—but that’s where most people are wrong. Yes, you need to prepare for it, but according to U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Keegan Donnelly, RAC instructor, the RAC curriculum has undergone an intense review and rewrite to craft a leadership laboratory. It has been designed in such a way where they teach and coach the students then assess their abilities which has proven to be a more digestible approach for the Airmen and Guardians wishing to attend. Regardless of their recommendation to move onto Ranger or not, they are still returning to their units a better trained and more lethal. adaptable leader in the joint arena.

“The amount of discipline, wide range of experiences and learning how to manage stress and find your best self is really good for anyone who wants to take this on,” said U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Oliver Ancans, RAC student coming from the 354th Contracting Squadron out of Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska. “Ranger School is a leadership school so getting the opportunity to go through it, learn and grow from it and then passing down the knowledge and discipline is important.”

Right now, the Air Force is heavily focused on Agile Combat Employment and Multi Capable Airmen. These concepts empower Airmen and Guardians who go through the Ranger Assessment Course, Ranger School, and become Ranger qualified to understand any mission and can assess and execute any task; anytime, anywhere.

“The NDS and the demands of warfare with a peer competitor can pose different challenges which being Ranger qualified makes Airmen or Guardians diverse in the foundational skills that enable them to succeed in a contested, degraded and operationally limited environment with minimal support,” said Rodriguez. “ACE teams consist of multi capable airmen able to provide mission control and base operating support as the mission dictates. By minimizing the footprint of personnel, Ranger qualified Air Force members can increase survivability and complicate adversary targets. Ranger school and RAC already bring all types of AFSCs and U.S. Army MOSs together to accomplish the same mission supporting higher headquarters’ guidance. Each member brings a different specialty, trained to meet the adversary all while trained under arduous conditions similar to those of combat.”

Being Ranger qualified means that those Airmen and Guardians are trained in a wide range of skills indicative to ACE and MCA such as land navigation, small unit tactics, reconnaissance, etc.

“A Ranger qualified individual has a reputation for being highly motivated and highly disciplined,” said Rodriguez. “This makes them well-suited for the demanding tasks that are often associated with MCA and ACE missions. This sense of camaraderie can be invaluable in the high-pressure environment of an MCA or ACE mission. When they work together, they can accomplish anything.”

While navigating their way through the RAC, the Airmen, Guardian, and Soldiers were looked after by a team of joint force medics—further displaying how integrated the Air Force is with its Army counterparts.
“It’s important to share the workload, integrate with our joint service members and share our different experiences,” said U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Aubrey Rowe, 15th Wing Operational Medical Readiness Squadron Independent Duty Medical Technician. “I’ve really enjoyed being part of this joint team and building the trust between us as medics, the instructors, and the students. Over our time here, we’ve been able to learn from each other in order to protect the health and safety of the students.”

One thing commanders can be sure of if they send their Airmen and Guardians to the Ranger Assessment Course is that it’s a valuable tool for identifying and developing future leaders, and it builds unit cohesion by having the diversity of training and talent within their ranks.

“Wearing the Ranger tab, to me, means embodying the idea that you are expected to face adversity, danger, and difficulty for yourself and those that you lead or work alongside. That you have a unique personality trait of choosing to face any challenge head-on and under any unknown terms,” said Rodriguez. “Someone who will do all they can to help others no matter the cost. A team player that leaves no one behind, and shares what they have. They will endure hardship, injury, and danger to accomplish the mission. Someone who doesn’t give up!”

Ranger Creed

Recognizing that I volunteered as a Ranger, fully knowing the hazards of my chosen profession, I will always endeavor to uphold the prestige, honor, and high esprit-de-corps of the Rangers.

Acknowledging the fact that a Ranger is a more elite Soldier who arrives at the cutting edge of battle by land, sea, or air, I accept the fact that as a Ranger my country expects me to move further, faster and fight harder than any other Soldier.

Never shall I fail my comrades. I will always keep myself mentally alert, physically strong, and morally straight and I will shoulder more than my share of the task, whatever it may be, one hundred percent and then some.

Gallantly will I show the world that I am a specially selected and well-trained Soldier. My courtesy to superior officers, neatness of dress, and care of equipment shall set the example for others to follow.

Energetically will I meet the enemies of my country. I shall defeat them on the field of battle for I am better trained and will fight with all my might. Surrender is not a Ranger word. I will never leave a fallen comrade to fall into the hands of the enemy and under no circumstances will I ever embarrass my country.

Readily will I display the intestinal fortitude required to fight on to the Ranger objective and complete the mission, though I be the lone survivor.

Rangers Lead The Way!

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This story by Tech. Sgt. Hailey Haux was first published on August 30, 2023, by the Defense Information Visual Distribution Service. DVIDS content is in the public domain.

Photo: Ranger Assessment Course students run up the largest hill—known as Big Ivan—May 23, 2023, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii. During the course the Airmen, Soldiers and Guardian worked together, further reinforcing the need to understand what it’s like to work in a joint environment and in turn how to better support one another once they return to their respective units. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Hailey Haux)

Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. CQ Brown, Jr. approved new Air Force combat dive badges and associated wear criteria for Airmen who have been wearing the Navy scuba badge.

Airmen who have graduated the Air Force Combat Dive Course are now authorized to wear the new Air Force-specific qualification badges for divers and diver supervisors as soon as they become available in Army and Air Force Exchange Service stores. 

“Air Force combat divers are essential to both combat and austere rescue situations,” said Maj. Gen. Charles Corcoran, Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations. “Having our own service-specific qualification badge accurately represents our unique capability to augment missions with any sister service component, and most importantly, highlights our member’s heroic actions to conduct rescue and retrieval operations to ensure no one gets left behind.”

The Air Force Combat Dive Course was established in January 2006 at Naval Support Activity Panama City, Florida. Prior to the establishment of the AFCDC, Air Force personnel had to attend the U.S. Army Combat Diver Qualification Course or U.S. Marine Combat Diver Course to earn combat diver qualifications.

Upon graduation, graduates were awarded the Navy Scuba qualification and badge, even though the Navy-designed badge does not accurately represent Air Force combat diver capabilities.

“Navy scuba divers are trained for submarine and salvage diving,” said Senior Master Sgt. Christopher Uriarte, Air Force Command Dive Program manager and diver. “In contrast, U.S. Air Force combat divers are trained in the fundamentals of underwater tactical diving for insertion, extraction, and maritime rescue and recovery operations.”

These fundamentally different qualifications drove the requirement to establish a separate and distinct qualification badge for Air Force members and follows the precedent of other military branches replacing the Navy scuba badge with their own.

The new badges were developed by 350th Special Warfare Training Squadron Detachment 1 personnel. Two levels are authorized: Air Force Combat Diver, with a closed-circuit rebreather and Air Force Combat Dive Supervisor, identified by a traditional star and wreath on the badge, positioned on the rebreather.

Eligibility for wear of the respective badges is approved for graduates, both officer and enlisted, who have completed a Combat Diver or Combat Dive Supervisor course authorized in accordance with AFI 10-3504, Air Force Dive Program, paragraph 3.7.

The Air Force combat dive badges will be worn in accordance with AFI 36-2903, Dress and Personal Appearance of Air Force Personnel, guidance for wear of Miscellaneous Badges.

The textile badges are expected to be available in AAFES by the end of October 2022. The metal badges are currently in pre-production development.

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This article was originally published online by the Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs office on October 18, 2022. Content published by the Department of Defense is in the public domain.

Image at top of article by U.S. Air Force is the Air Force Combat Dive Supervisor Badge.

Story by Andre Trinidad, 943rd Rescue Group.

Reserve Citizen Airmen from the 943rd Rescue Group successfully completed training scenarios that incorporated highly mobile, temporary facilities in remote, austere locations while still performing combat search and rescue operations from 30 April through 3 May.

Exercise Northern Assessment was hosted by the Arizona Army National Guard Base at Camp Navajo, near Flagstaff, Ariz.

Lieutenant Colonel Paul, Chief of Safety, 943rd Rescue Group, is the project coordinator for the exercise and he said, “the purpose of this exercise was to test and prove our combat search and rescue capabilities under the Dynamic Force Employment (DFE) and Agile Combat Employment (ACE) models.”

Agile Combat Employment demands Airmen develop a broader set of skills so smaller teams can accomplish the mission from remote, austere, and temporary operating bases.

A team of less than 120 military personnel were able to setup and establish a Forward Operating Base (FOB) and a Forward Operating Site (FOS) to provide on-call Combat Search and Rescue (CSAR) and Casualty Evacuation (CASEVAC) operations within the first day of arrival and provide support for military air operations in an Area of Responsibility (AOR) covering thousands of square miles.

The exercise kicked off on Friday by performing a pallet drop from an HC-130J Combat King II, where Airmen from the 943rd Rescue Group quickly set up and established a FOS. The rest of the team set up and established the FOB at another location.

Staff Sergeant Andre, Aircraft Structural Maintenance, 943rd Maintenance Squadron said “at Davis-Monthan I perform my job and wait until something is broken but here we were augmented to support Security Forces and litter carry to support our medical personnel. When there was a maintenance issue we had to figure out how to get the parts we needed and what we needed to fill in the gaps for continued mission success.”

Under the new way of thinking in ACE, military professionals obtained new roles in order to work as a team and accomplish the mission.

Technical Sergeant John, Squad Leader, 720th Security Forces Squadron served with the Marines before coming to the Air Force and deployed to combat zones in Iraq and Afghanistan.

“I think the augmentees worked well and I believe that we could do this real world,” said Sgt. John. “For most of our deployments, we go to a base and everything is already established. Capt. Elizabeth, camp commander, 943rd Operations Support Flight, did a good job of checking in with us and making sure we had everything we needed, including getting meals.”

Lieutenant Colonel John, Flight Surgeon, 943rd Aerospace Medicine Squadron, is a traditional reservist whose civilian job is an Emergency Room physician and he has deployed many times.

“It’s a bare bones facility but we’re acting beyond just basic and paramedic care. We are executing mid-level support you would find in an Emergency Room,” said Colonel John. “I think this is living proof that the 943rd Rescue Group is able to perform this task in a real-world environment.”

Exercise Northern Assessment was not confined to ground operations. One of the flying medical training scenarios was performed by the 943rd Aerospace Medicine Squadrons own Critical Care Air Transport Team (pronounced C-CATT). The CCATT is essentially an Intensive Care Unit aboard an aircraft.

Maj. Venus, Critical Care Air Transport Team registered nurse, 943rd AMDS, said, “I thought it was a great, realistic exercise. For us being in that tactical environment we pushed forward in a new mission set.” During the exercise the CCAT Team flew aboard an HC-130J Combat King II, from the 79th Rescue Squadron.

“We flew in alert status the whole time and it just added to our patient load. We had to start thinking about resources, and how we were going to manage all those patients until we could get back,” said Venus. “And then we flew much longer times with no options for re-supply so it exceeded our normal job requirement capacity. It helped us know what we needed to plus up from or minus from so that we have more room for what we need.”

The 305th Rescue Squadron flew search and rescue missions during the exercise. An HH-60 flown by exercise instructors would drop off volunteer personal with simulated wounds in remote areas of Northern Arizona. An alert notice would then be given to the exercise players and they would launch their HH-60’s with full flight crew and Pararescue personnel, to search for the missing persons using last known coordinates.

The exercise encompassed support from active duty, guard and reserve members from the following entities: 12th Air Force, 56th Logistics Readiness Squadron, 79th Rescue Squadron, 655th AMXS, 919th Special Operations Communication Squadron, and the Arizona Army National Guard.

The 943rd Rescue Group organizes, trains and equips mission ready citizen airmen to perform personnel recovery operations worldwide and is assigned to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona. Their parent wing is the 920th Rescue Wing assigned to Patrick Space Force Base, Florida.

Exercise Northern Assessment was safely conducted using current CDC protocols and all service members were fully vaccinated.

Photo: A pararescue jumper, equipped with night vision goggles, scans the Iraqi terrain for mortar fire and stray bullets while engaged in a combat search and rescue rehearsal mission outside of Balad Air Base, Feb 23. Their mission is to bring back downed Airmen anywhere in the area of operations. They are assigned to the 64th Expeditionary Rescue Squadron. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Cecilio M. Ricardo Jr.)

Story: This story by Andre Trinidad of the 943rd Rescue Group Public Affairs office was originally published by the Defense Visual Information Distribution Service on May 17, 2021. DVIDS publishes media content that is in the public domain.

By Senior Airman Lauren Silverthorne.

The sounds of frogs, birds and cicadas rang loudly in his ears as the hot sun crawled across the sky. He hoped nightfall would provide a reprieve, but it only gave way to equally muggy and noisy nights.

Capt. Daniel’s tired eyes scanned the dark for alligators, snakes, and spiders while his fellow students hauled their pounds of gear through the thick mud. This pack of Army Ranger School students, sweaty and sore, made their way through a wet, mosquito-infested Florida swamp, and this was just one of the three phases the students would have to overcome if they wanted to earn the title of Ranger.

A U.S. Air Force member completing the U.S. Army Ranger Course may seem unusual, and that’s because it is. Being a Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) pilot from the 867th Attack Squadron, the Spartans, makes Daniel’s accomplishment of becoming a Ranger all the more unusual.

Daniel said he missed an opportunity to go through Army Ranger School years ago and he thought he would never have the chance to do it again. That was until Chief Master Sgt. Jamie Newman, Ranger and former 432nd Wing/432nd Air Expeditionary Wing command chief, challenged Creech Airmen to push themselves to try this very course.

“I always thought it would be such a special thing to do; to even try to be a part of that community, and see if you have what it takes,” explained Daniel. “It was just one of those opportunities that I couldn’t say no to.”

Newman shared his understanding for Daniel’s interest, as a Security Forces Airman by trade, it made sense for Daniel, a prior-enlisted Survival Evasion Resist and Escape (SERE) expert, to be interested as well.

Newman conducted a vigorous physical fitness test with all who were interested in attempting the course. The fitness test included the Ranger Physical Fitness Test, The Water Survival Test, and the 12-mile road march with a 65-pound rucksack.

“I established the date, and time, and all I asked was that they be ready,” Newman said. “Daniel was, and did fantastic!”

Thanks to Newman’s trial, experience and praise, Daniel felt validated in his pursuit of his Ranger tab.

“In stature, Chief [Newman] is such an impressive and intimidating guy,” Daniel said. “When he told me that he had confidence in me, and he thought I had what it takes to be successful in the course. I truly felt better about myself, and that inspired me to train even harder.”

Daniel began Ranger School at Camp Darby in Fort Benning, Georgia, during the summer of 2019. He, along with nearly 400 others, were ready to take on the 62-day challenge that if successful, would make them Rangers.

Daniel said each of the three phases of training were physically and mentally demanding. All the while, people were dropping out of the course due to task failure, injury or quitting.

Those who powered through completed land navigation courses, patrols, and many other exercises while navigating the hostile terrains of mountainous Georgia and the swamplands of Florida. Students also battled with unpredictable weather, hunger and oftentimes, very little sleep.

These stressors are intended to allow them to evaluate their abilities and weaknesses. At the end of the course, 85 people, including Daniel, earned the title of “Ranger.”

When asked what kept him going during the most difficult times, Daniel said, “Every free moment I had, I would just think about my family. Thinking about them was almost like an escape.”

Daniel also shared how important it was to him that he didn’t let down any of the people who supported him throughout his training.

“My command staff was 100 percent supportive the entire time,” he said.

“Daniel is the first RPA Airman to earn this impressive honor, ” said Lt. Col. Christopher, 867th Attack Squadron commander. “He is a trailblazer in the RPA family. As the largest MWS (major weapons system) in the Air Force, integration with our other services is critical to taking RPA utilization to the next level.”

Newman agreed, as a former leader of the 432nd WG/432nd AEW, he also showcased the dexterity of perspective Daniel now brings to the fight.

“His graduation from Ranger School as an Airman is a huge deal,” Newman said. “He will forever be a part of a team of teams that truly understands the ground, and as an Airman, understand air, space and cyberspace.”

Now back in the pilot seat in one of 432nd Wing’s Geographically Separated Units (GSU), as an RPA pilot and Ranger, Daniel now serves as a Ranger ambassador for the Air Force, and has begun offering to help train Airmen who are interested in accepting the challenge of becoming a Ranger.

“I’m excited to be an Air Force guy with a Ranger tab,” Daniel beamed. “I saw this as a challenge I wanted to take on, and where it will lead me from here, I have no idea, but I’ll know I gave it all I had, and I was able to succeed.”

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Story: This article is a repost of “Reaper Airman fulfills dream of earning Ranger Tab”, DVIDS, 432nd Wing Public Affairs, by Senior Airman Lauren Silverthorne, May 15, 2020.

Photo: 2nd Lt. Timothy, remotely piloted aircraft student pilot, operates an MQ-9 flight simulator for training, Dec. 10, 2019, on Holloman Air Force Base. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Quion Lowe)

Angel Thunder 18 is a personnel recovery event that is held twice a year (May and November) in the United States southwest. The Combat Search and Rescue exercise is staged out of Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona.

Personnel from the Army, Marines, Navy, and Air Force participate in this bi-annual event. In addition, other countries provide military participants as well. This fall’s Angel Thunder 18 exercise features military units from Canada, France, Italy, and Poland. Each iteration of the exercise sees countries from all parts of the world participating.

In the past the Angel Thunder exercise was held once a year – usually in the spring. Typically, the U.S. Army Special Forces sent one or two SF teams to take part in the PR exercise – many times to conduct Non-Conventional Assisted Recovery (NAR) training. Now that the event is held twice a year it is a smaller exercise. The Angel Thunder 18 will use range sites across Arizona as well as in some neighboring states. First held in 2016 the Angel Thunder exercise is advertised as the world’s biggest joint-service, multinational, interagency combat search and rescue exercise.

The exercise typically involves a large number of aircraft of all types and a few thousand personnel. Davis-Monthan Air Force Base is home to several combat rescue units and the A-10 Thunderbolt II close air support aircraft. The A-10 is frequently used during CSAR missions.

The training scenarios simulate deployment conditions and contingencies allowing the personnel recovery forces to train through a large spectrum of PR capabilities. A wide variety of units and agencies participate – including special forces elements and government agencies such as the Drug Enforcement Agency and Department of State.

Read more in “Angel Thunder: Augmenting CSAR Readiness via Evolution”, DVIDS, November 6, 2017.

References:

Angel Thunder – USAF
www.dm.af.mil/About-Us/Library/Angel-Thunder/

Watch a video of a Special Operations Weather Team (Air Force) conduct a weather balloon test of upper air movement at Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti. The AFSOC weathermen are members of Special Operations Command Africa (SOCAF) on temporary assignment to Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA).

www.dvidshub.net/video/499846/weather-balloon-launch-djibouti

Keeping the Osprey Airborne – CV-22 Maintenance. A lot of maintenance takes place to keep the CV-22 Osprey of AFSOC’s 27th Special Operations Wing of Cannon Air Force Base in flying condition. The maintenance workers get a lot done during the hours of darkness.

“The aircraft taxis to its home for the night and powers down, the sparkle of its rotors’ static electricity disappearing from view in the pilots’ night vision goggles. The engines bow forward, the lights turn off and an aircrew emerges from the Osprey’s back ramp. The fliers have successfully completed their night’s work. But for the 727th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron’s 20th Aircraft Maintenance Unit, the night has just begun.

This is mid-shift, the 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. block of the night when the 20th AMU is at its busiest, according to Master Sgt. Harry Rodriguez, 727th SOAMXS production superintendent.”

Read more about CV-22 maintenance in “Cannon After Dark: Night life with the 20th AMU”, DVIDS, November 18, 2016.

The newly-established Target Fusion Cell (TFC) works within the Combined Force Air Component Command (CFACC) in the CENTCOM Area of Responsibility (AOR). The Target Fusion Cell is “. . . an integrated cell of intelligence analysts, targeting experts and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance tactical controllers . . .” The intent of the Target Fusion cell is to bring more information together faster, fuse it, and provide it to decision-makers to allow aircraft (and drones) to hit targets quicker.

Read more about the Target Fusion Cell (TFC) of the CFACC in “Coalition establishes new targeting capability, launches largest strike of the year”, DVIDS, December 17, 2016.

The idea or concept of using remotely piloted aircraft or RPA for reconnaissance purposes has been around for a long time. In the early 1980s the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) outfitted drones with modern-day technology. The early remotely piloted vehicles (RPAs) were the GNAT 750 – which led to the development and production of the RQ-1 Predator in the early 1990s. The Predators would soon be flying over the Balkans in the 1990s conducting intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions.

The armed RPA (or drone as some refer to RPAs) came about in the early 2000’s. The MQ-1 Predator was retrofitted to carry the AGM-114 Hellfire anti-tank missile. It would soon see action in Afghanistan and later in Iraq, Somalia, Yemen, and . . . perhaps a few other locations around the world.

Read more about the history of armed drones in “The evolution of the combat RPA”, by Senior Airman Christian Clausen, 423nd Wing Air Expeditionary Public Affairs, December 18, 2016.

The Air Force has been trying to get rid of the A-10 Warthog close support aircraft for a long time. However Congress and the needs of close air support aircraft in the Middle East and Afghanistan delaying any retirement of this beloved airframe.

The A-10 Warthog carries some fearsome armament that can tear up troops in the open, in armored troop carriers, tanks, or bunkered positions. The Warthog is one plane that was built around a gun – as opposed to a gun mounted on an airplane. The 30-mm GAU-8 Avenger seven-barrel rotary cannon at the front of the airplane can put out some lead. In addition to the 30-mm gun the aircraft can also carry laser-guided and GPS-guided bombs, air-to-ground laser guided missiles, and external fuel tanks to provide extra range or loiter time.

The A-10 Warthog is able to fly for long periods of time and loiter around an area much longer than other jet fighters in the U.S. Air Force inventory. It’s slower speed and better armament (“the bathtub”) makes it the ideal close air support aircraft needed by Marines, Army, and special operations forces on the ground. The A-10 pilots are well-versed in close air support as that is their primary mission. In addition, the “Sandys” are highly trained in the conduct of personnel recovery missions. Introduced in the 1970s the Warhogs have had a long run. The Air Force’s attempts to retire the A-10 is on hold for now (Dec 2016) due to strong resistance from Congress and the mission requirements of a close air support aircraft in the current conflicts raging in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Read some recent news reports on the A-10:

“Call in the A-10: Why a ground-attack classic has so far survived Air Force efforts to kill it”, Air & Space Magazine, November 2016.

Read more about the A-10 Warthog:

Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II, WikipediA
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairchild_Republic_A-10_Thunderbolt_II