Tag Archives: air force

“There are No Fighter Pilots in the Navy…”

The old marching tune that “there are no fighter pilots in [any of the services but the Air Force]” isn’t entirely true (though the Navy calls theirs “aviators,” since “pilots” drive the boat).  However, in the short term, the Navy is having some issues creating pilots:

With hundreds of newly commissioned officers waiting to start flight training in Pensacola, Fla., the Navy is urging potential aviators to transfer into other communities or take temporary internships in Washington.

Apparently, aircraft issues (maintenance) have reduced the number of available aircraft, thus reducing the size of the Navy’s flight school pipeline.  But that’s not the only Read more

Air Force Chaplains will be Missed

An article at the Stars and Stripes talks about the impact to Airmen due to the Air Force’s decision to reduce the number of Chaplains (previously noted).

Chaplain (Maj. Gen.) Cecil Richardson, Air Force chief of chaplains, said he understands the need for force-shaping, but laments trimming chaplains during wartime.

“We’re fully engaged in the desert,” he said, “and we’re fully engaged stateside.”

Interestingly, the Air Force has a mandated increase of “mental health positions” at the same time it is cutting Chaplains.  Also, the Army is actually increasing its number of Chaplains, and it already has a 350-1 Chaplain-to-Soldier ratio, while the Navy expects to increase its number of Chaplains from its current 700-1 ratio (compared to 785-1 in the Air Force).  As previously noted, Chaplains in some Air Force units are already stretched thin.

Troops Say Public Prayers on Baghdad Hilltop

The US military Chaplaincy staff at Camp Liberty, Baghdad, Iraq, started a “Mountaintop Experience” to help local Americans “strengthen their resiliency.”  A significant group of servicemembers and civilians meets atop Signal Hill at 0500, overlooking the base, and prays together.

Col. Mike Lembke, the Chaplain, and Sgt Michael Lee, the Chaplain’s assistant, said:

“Spiritual resiliency is the individual ability to exercise your faith on a daily basis so you are able to understand, or you are able integrate the joys and sorrows of each day into your life,” Lembke said…

When a person has a solid, spiritual foundation, they understand that someone has everything under control and they can lean on that during the tough times instead of relying on themselves to make through, Lee said.

The group is made up of many from the base, including, as shown in the picture Read more

02 March 2010: 100 Years of Military Aviation

According to an Air Force press release, a reenactment of the first flight of a US military airplane will occur at Fort Sam Houston in Texas, commemorating the flight 100 years ago today.

The celebration is reportedly being held by both the Army and the Air Force.  Obviously, the first military flight was conducted in a US Army aircraft.

Update: Read the post-celebration article, which includes pictures of the unique flyby of the Wright B Flyer.

Air Force 747 Shoots Down Missile

The Air Force announced that the YAL-1, or Airborne Laser, had successfully intercepted a representative ballistic missile in the boost phase, proving the concept of an aircraft based, directed energy anti-ballistic missile weapon system.  Pictures and video are available at the official site of the Department of Defense Missile Defense Agency.

Notwithstanding the historic strategic bombers, the YAL-1, which is a highly modified Boeing 747-400, is the largest aircraft to ever demonstrate an offensive “air to air” capability and is the only one to use directed energy to achieve a kinetic purpose.

Fighter pilot perspective:  If it can bring down a missile at range like that, imagine what it could do to bombers, fighters, UAVs, or even a variety of select ground targets…

Academies Among 100 “Best Value Colleges” 2010

As noted at AF.mil, the US military academies (Air Force, Navy, Army, Coast Guard, and Merchant Marine) were ranked in the “top 100” Best Value Colleges by the Princeton Review/USA Today (again, see 2009).

The military academies, which combine both military and academic training, are government-funded and built around their missions.  As a result, they are no-cost, have low student/teacher ratios, and provide some of the best educational opportunities in the US.

As quoted in the Air Force article, The Princeton Review said

If you can make it through this four-year gauntlet, though, an Air Force diploma is an awesome credential. You will almost certainly leave here with a knack for leadership and a skill set that will impress your friends.

While “impressing your friends” is hardly a worthwhile credential, it is worth noting that the Review recognizes the value of a military academy diploma.  They are challenging to earn, and are earned in limited numbers, making them a commodity even in the civilian sector.  (Though the education is valuable, an Academy diploma does not necessarily have instrinsic value within the military.)

The 2010 Princeton Review can be accessed directly here.

Dobson’s Resignation…and the Military

Many outlets carried news of Focus on the Family Founder James Dobson’s resignation as chairman of the organization.  Interestingly, this caught the attention of some military/religion activist groups.  They have frequently belittled Focus and accused it of complicity in its dealings with the US Air Force Academy just a few miles away in Colorado Springs, accusing it of attempting to “Christianize” the military.

The new outrage is over Dobson’s replacement: Patrick P. Caruana.  Caruana is a 1963 Air Force Academy graduate and retired as an Air Force Lieutenant General in 1997.  To some, it is the perfect proof of conspiracy.

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