Air Force Follows Navy in Adopting New Army Sidearm
Military.com |30 Mar 2018 |By Matthew Cox

Compact XM18 MHS (U.S. Army Photo)

The U.S. Air Force confirmed Thursday that it will field 130,000 of the Army's Modular Handgun System to replace its existing inventory of 9mm M9 pistols.

"We've started the procurement process and plan to buy approximately 130,000 weapons," Air Force spokeswoman Laura McAndrews told Military.com in an email.

"As a joint partner in this endeavor, we determined the [X]M18 MHS, the compact version, will best meet the Air Force mission needs, and selected it as the standard handgun for all Air Force users," she wrote.

The Army awarded Sig Sauer an MHS contract worth up to $580 million in January 2017. The 10-year MHS agreement calls for Sig Sauer to supply the service with full-size XM17 and compact XM18 versions of its 9mm pistol.

The Air Force's decision follows similar moves by the Navy and Marine Corps to select MHS.

The Navy plans to field 60,000 XM18s, and the Corps budgeted money in its proposed fiscal 2019 budget to purchase 35,000 MHS pistols. Marine Corps Systems Command officials declined to comment on the budget submission.

The Marine Corps may also be leaning more toward the smaller XM18 model, according to a "sources sought" solicitation posted on FedBizOpps.gov on Feb. 13.

"The Program Manager Individual Combat and Equipment, Marine Corps Systems Command, is seeking industry input that identifies potential sources for holster sleeve for the Modular Handgun System (P320 Sig Sauer handgun) Compact ([XM18]) version," the solicitation states.

Companies have a deadline of March 30 to submit concept proposals, the solicitation states.

The Air Force selected only the XM18 rather than both MHS models because "a single model handgun simplifies procurement, sustainment, and reduces support equipment cost while ensuring commonality with other services," McAndrews said.

The striker-fired MHS pistols can be outfitted with suppressors and accommodate standard and extended-capacity magazines. There is also an accessory rail for mounting accessories such as weapon lights.

The Coast Guard has also placed an order to purchase MHS, according to according to Tom Taylor, chief marketing officer for Sig Sauer.

Military.com has contacted the Coast Guard for comment but has not received a response yet.

This is not the first time the services have agreed to adopt a common pistol. The Army selected the M9 in 1985 to replace the .45 caliber 1911A1, and the M9 soon became the sidearm for entire U.S. military.

The Army intends to purchase 195,000 MHS pistols, mostly in the full-size XM17 version.

Sig Sauer beat out Glock Inc., FN America and Beretta, in the MHS competition, an effort the Army launched in late August 2015. It appears that Sig's victory may have formally ended Beretta's 30-year hold on the U.S. military's sidearm market.

-- Matthew Cox can be reached at matthew.cox@military.com.

FBI JOBS – WMD Management/Analyst

Management and Program Analyst, GS 0343-14, Weapons of Mass Destruction, Washington, D.C.

Who May Apply:

     Open to current, permanent FBI employees and others in all locations

     Opening Date: April 25, 2018

     Closing Date: May 8, 2018 11:59 pm (EST)

Questions regarding this opening should be directed to Shauna Rowe at (202) 324-7058 or shauna.rowe@ic.fbi.gov

Job Summary:

Position: Management and Program Analyst, GS 0343 - 14

Division: Weapons of Mass Destruction Directorate

Unit: Nuclear Radiological Countermeasures

Location: Washington, D.C.

Working Hours: 9:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.

Salary: GS- $114,590.00 - $148,967.00

Full Performance level: GS - 14

Number of Positions Available: One (1)

Duration: Full Time/Permanent

 View and apply at: https://nam01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fapply.fbijobs.gov%2Fpsp%2Fps%2FEMPLOYEE%2FHRMS%2Fc%2FHRS_HRAM_FL.HRS_CG_SEARCH_FL.GBL%3FPage%3DHRS_APP_JBPST_FL%26Action%3DU%26FOCUS%3DApplicant%26SiteId%3D1%26JobOpeningId%3D18665%26PostingSeq%3D1&data=02%7C01%7C%7C6a02daf00f5a446c53b208d5afa91fff%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C636608063271475207&sdata=Vy4K5DLZqCKJ2o3g2VJh%2FzTgC2NRE3nC9Ih9xple%2FXc%3D&reserved=0

Defender Challenge Returns

By BGen Andrea D. Tullos

If I said the words “Peacekeeper Challenge” what would it mean to you? Hmmm…doesn’t ring a bell?   If you vaguely recall hearing something about it “Peacekeeper Challenge” but remember being annoyed listening to the old senior NCOs and Colonels reliving their glory days and then saying “too bad you didn’t get a chance to do that” then maybe we’re on to something. If the term immediately made your heart rate increase and brought back a stream of memories of successfully navigating “dirty names” and the “stairway to heaven” and joining your team at the start of the first event having successfully overcome the RAF Regiment team’s efforts to “prep the battlefield,” then congratulations on making Chief – you’re officially old school.   If I said the words “Defender Challenge” and you said “oh yeah, now I know what you’re talking about” then I think I’ve finally tapped into the full audience.

Well, we’re bringing it back in the Fall of 2018 after a 14-year hiatus. No, not for the Colonels and Chiefs to relive their glory days – for the up and comers. We’re inviting Defenders from every Major Command, our Total Force partners, and our Air Force counterparts from the British Royal Air Force, Canada, Australia, and Germany—as we have in the past—to show up and compete in a series of events for bragging rights, fellowship, and to give us an opportunity to showcase some of the weapons and technology we’re in the process of fielding. We will compete on the fields of friendly strife with the best of the best, familiarize ourselves with how our coalition partners operate when all that matters is who finishes first – before lives are on the line, and continue a Defender tradition, build upon that heritage and give this generation of Defenders stories they will tell and experiences they will share for years to come.

There will be nay sayers – we don’t have the time, we need to focus on readiness, only a small portion of our force will actually get to compete, etc, etc. Well, to those nay sayers, I would ask that you read our new National Defense Strategy and think of Defender Challenge in a new light. We need to compete and we need to win. And we need to do it every day, not just when the enemy forces us to or when our National Command Authority directs us to do so. We need to stimulate competition in every squadron so that every new Defender who arrives from Lackland wants to be a more proficient shooter, wants to master our tactics, techniques, and procedures, and wants to represent their squadron and their Major Command at Defender Challenge. They want to do more than “meet standards” -- they want to raise the standard. They want to return to their home unit as a member of the team that raised the Sadler Cup as the overall victors – named after Maj Gen Thomas Sadler, our Chief of Security Police from 1975-1977.

We realize we’re focused on reconstituting our forces and restoring full spectrum readiness – that’s exactly what you need to do if you want to compete in Defender Challenge. The competition will test the very same skills you might be asked to employ on any day defending any air base in any AOR. You will employ your rifle and handgun. You will be placed under stress and you will need to shoot, move, and communicate with your fire team. You will maneuver as a team and come upon diverse scenarios that will require you to observe, orient, decide, and act – you will be physically and mentally challenged.

We’ll be sending a warning order out soon with details…for now, train, train, and train. Take each lesson you learn every day defending your air base and ask yourself, how can I do it better? For NCOs and supervisors, don’t accept mediocre as the standard. Push your Defenders to learn from their mistakes, compete amongst each other, and use every opportunity to make them better Airmen and better Defenders. A well-led, confident Defender will embrace competition – and they will win.

Defensor Fortis!

Off-duty 2nd SFS Defender Rescues Teenager

Story by Airman 1st Class Tessa Corrick, 2nd Bomb Wing Public Affairs, Barksdale AFB, LA, 2 May 2018

One moment he’s looking over a design for a tattoo, the next he’s saving someone’s life.

Second Lt. Adam Sacchetti, 2nd Security Forces Squadron, Supply and Logistics officer in charge, removed a 17-year-old from a smoking car following an accident in San Antonio on April 6, 2018.

“I went into the tattoo parlor just after noon, we were simply going over the draft of my tattoo. Then out of nowhere, a massive crunching noise filled the room around me,” Sacchetti said. “I looked up and all I saw was a vehicle flying vertically through the air. It flipped and landed, crushing right down on the roof.”

Being a security forces Airman for 11 1/2 years, Sacchetti’s reaction to the accident was instinctual.

“I looked over to the tattoo artist and said ‘hey, I’ll be right back,’” Sacchetti said.

He ran out into the busy three-lane road attempting to stop the traffic around the crash site. As Sacchetti got to the inverted car, he could hear the screams of the 17-year-old who was trapped inside.

“I could see this kid was in complete shock, but he was moving around trying to get out. The car was smoking and there was fluid all around, that was when I made the decision to pull him out,” Sacchetti said.

Sacchetti reached in through the debris and broken glass, grabbed the young man by his arms and pulled him to safety. Sacchetti, with training in combat lifesaving, was able to ensure there was nothing seriously wrong with the 17-year-old at that time.

When first responders arrived, Sacchetti gave them the information he had. At that point, he knew the young man was in good hands and proceeded back to the tattoo parlor where he then sat for an 11-hour session.

“Being prior enlisted, I have had a lot of deployments and have dealt with these sort of situations overseas,” Sacchetti said. “When it happens, you don’t do it for notoriety or recognition, you do it because you have to. My adrenaline was pumping and I didn’t really think about myself. I saw that kid in need and felt I had to get to him. It was just instantaneously reverting back to my training.”

Sacchetti’s actions have been recognized by different roles of leadership including, Col. Ty Neuman, 2nd Bomb Wing commander and Lt. Col. Ryan Natalini, 2nd SFS commander.

“The actions of Lt. Sacchetti were nothing short of courageous. He wasn’t obligated to help, but his true character showed as he immediately stepped into action. As defenders, it is our job to look out for those in need," Natalini said. "Lt. Sacchetti demonstrated what we expect out of our defenders. He is a world-class Airman, and I am proud to have him on our team.”

Sacchetti believes it is important to help others when they are in need.

"In my opinion, if you have the ability to help, you have the responsibility. If you can make a difference, as little as it may be, it’s better than nothing,” Sacchetti said. “I woke up that day just expecting to get a tattoo, but it turned out to be an experience I will never forget.”

National Police Week 2018 – Remembering the Fallen

By Joseph L. Rector, Deputy Director, 11th Security Forces Group / Published May 08, 2018

11th Security Forces Group members light candles during the 29th Annual Candlelight Vigil in Washington, D.C., May 13, 2017. This was one of the National Police Week events held to bring together law enforcement from around the world and honor past and present police officers and security forces members. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Valentina Lopez) JOINT BASE ANDREWS, Md. --

Next week, Joint Base Andrews Security Forces will kick off five days of National Police Week activities. Not only will we honor and remember those in law enforcement who made the ultimate sacrifice, but we will showcase our capabilities as defenders, compete in friendly competition and revel in comradery with our fellow law enforcement officers.

In 1962, President John F. Kennedy proclaimed May 15 as National Peace Officers Memorial Day and the calendar week in which May 15 falls, as National Police Week. Established by a joint resolution of Congress in 1962, National Police Week pays special recognition to those law enforcement officers who have lost their lives in the line of duty for the safety and protection of others.  

The security forces career field possesses a rich history of those who have made the ultimate sacrifice. As a young lieutenant I remember listening in amazement in my Security Police Basic Officer Course to stories about the gallant defense of Bunker 51 at Tan Son Nhut Air Base in Vietnam during the Tet Offensive.

There five security police NCOs: Sgt. Louis Fischer, Sgt. William J. Cyr, Sgt. Charles E. Hebron, Sgt. Roger B. Mills, and Sgt. Alonzo J. Coggins fought against over 600 Viet Cong. Four security police were killed and the fifth was so badly wounded, that the Viet Cong left him for dead. The actions by these defenders held the bunker for 24 minutes against overwhelming odds and allowed reinforcements to hold against the attack on the airfield.

There, Capt. Reginald V. Maisey, Jr., assigned to the 3rd Security Police Squadron at Bien Hoa Air Base in Vietnam, fought courageously defending Bunker 10 from the North Vietnamese Army and Viet Cong guerrillas. Maisey paid the ultimate price when he was killed by a rocket propelled grenade. For his efforts, Maisey was awarded the Air Force Cross. And if you didn’t know, the Maisey Building at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling is named after him.

We tend to view our home station installations as a sort of “Mayberry” where there is very little crime. The reality is it can be much different. Tech. Sgt. Robert Butler was shot and killed Jan. 10, 1998 at Edwards Air Force Base in California after stopping the vehicle of a fellow Airman who had killed another Airman moments earlier. At the time, Butler did not know the driver was a suspect in the murder.

There are currently over 21,000 names of officers killed in the line of duty at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington D.C. Three hundred sixty names of police officers will be added to the Memorial in ceremonies this year.

The first known death of a law enforcement officer dates back to 1791, while the deadliest year in law enforcement history was 1930 when 307 officers lost their lives. Law enforcement fatalities have remained around 130 per year in the United States over the years. The last time law officer fatalities were lower than 100 was in 1944.

One hundred twenty-eight federal, state, local, tribal and territorial officers died in the line of duty in 2017. Forty-four officers were shot and killed, which represents a 33 percent reduction over 2016 when 66 officers died as a result of gunfire.

While this downturn in officer deaths by firearms is good news, it appears to be fleeting. As I write this article, officer deaths by firearms have increased by 63 percent in 2018 over the same time period last year.

I ask that you take the opportunity over the course of National Police Week to say thanks to our local, state and federal law enforcement partners when you see them. Those in law enforcement serve in a noble profession that provides that thin blue line that protects and serves our community against the evil-doers of society. Law enforcement serves as an enabler of democracy and the freedoms we cherish in America.

MacDill Airmen Help Rescue Five

A1C Adam R. Shanks, 6th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs, 4 May 2018, MacDill AFB, FL

Four Marine Patrol Airmen assigned to the 6th Security Forces Squadron patrol the 7.2-mile coastline of MacDill Air Force Base, FL. On April 7, these Airmen assisted five local and federal Tampa Bay agencies in rescuing five people after their boat capsized near Davis Island.

It was April 7 and for the 6th Security Forces Squadron marine patrol unit, it was like any other day. They were routinely conducting patrols around the 7.2-mile coastline of MacDill Air Force Base, Florida.

Every weekend, boaters make their way onto the water to enjoy the mid-70 degree weather. But on this day, water conditions were rough; swells reached heights of 6 to 7 feet and winds were around 30 knots.

At approximately 2:08 p.m., Airman 1st Class Christian Britton and Senior Airman Michael Roper, 6th SFS marine patrolmen, received a “PANPAN” alert from U.S. Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg.

“The call we received said there was a capsized vessel with around four individuals in the water near Davis Island,” said Roper. “Britton and I immediately began heading over to help and we spotted a helicopter hovering over one spot in the water, so we knew that had to be it.”

The helicopter, piloted by Todd Curabba, the chief pilot with Tampa Police Department’s Aviation Unit, was providing aerial support to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office dive team who were on scene.

“There were victims holding onto a buoy in the channel, and we were told to hold fast because HCSO’s rescue diver was making his way to give them floatation devices,” said Roper.

At this point, the situation seemed to be under control. The diver assisted the individuals in the water, and Tampa Fire and Rescue was waiting on the island to transport them to Tampa General Hospital.

But then the helicopter pilot stated over the VHF radio that they spotted another person in the water.

“The HCSO boat had already left with the four rescued, so our boat was the only one in the immediate area,” said Roper. “We headed over to the location that Tampa PD gave us.”

Moments later, the two patrolmen saw a man sprawled out on the shore of one of the spoil islands in the channel, not moving. Britton told Roper that the man looked unresponsive, and dove into the rough bay waters without hesitation, and rushed toward shore.

“I kept the boat steady while Britton made his way to the man,” said Roper. “I then contacted an additional patrol boat of ours to help because the water was so bad.”

The additional boat came with Staff Sgts. Adrian O’Neil and Vaughn Faubel on board. Britton made contact with the man, who was around 75 years old. He gave him a life preserver and instructed that they swim together back to the marine patrol boat. The man gasped, “I can’t swim.”

“I knew Britton wouldn’t be able to swim the man back to the boat alone because of the water conditions, so I dove in to help with the rescue,” said O’Neil.

Roper then maneuvered the security forces vessel as close as possible to the three, without running aground.

“For me, that was the most difficult part because I had to turn off the engines to prepare for them to come on board,” said Roper. “And the waves were so bad that it only took seconds for the boat to start drifting toward land.”

After multiple attempts to keep the boat steady, Roper helped Britton and O’Neil bring the man on board. TFR notified them that they were standing by at the Davis Island boat ramp to receive and treat the man.

“We were making a patrol flight within Tampa when our neighboring sector dispatcher received the 911 call about the capsized boat,” said Curabba, “I have seen a great deal in my 17 years of airborne law enforcement, and all my training came together in a matter of minutes that day.”

“It was incredible how all of our agencies worked together seamlessly for the common good of saving a life.”

New Veterans ID Cards Finally Being Delivered, But Feature Office Depot’s Logo on Back

By: Leo Shane III, Military Times, 16 May 2018

A sample copy of the front of the new Veterans ID card. After a lengthy delay, the new cards have been mailed out to thousands of veterans in recent weeks. (Courtesy of the Department of Veterans Affairs)

WASHINGTON — Thousands of veterans received their free veterans ID cards this week featuring their names, their branch of service and a bright red advertisement on the back.

The cards, approved by Congress almost three years ago, are available at no charge to veterans with good conduct discharges. But to pay for printing and delivery, the Department of Veterans Affairs partnered with Office Depot, whose logo is displayed on the back of each card.

The arrangement was first reported by Military.com earlier this week. VA officials dismissed concerns about the unusual decision to display a corporate logo on a federal ID, noting that Congress approved no funding for the program when it passed the requirement in summer 2015.

“As such, VA approached Office Depot regarding a partnership to print and mail ID cards to veterans after applications are reviewed and approved by VA staff,” said VA spokesman Curt Cashour. “Under the arrangement, Veterans are not required to pay a fee for the card.

“This is precisely the type of outside-the-box thinking that has been missing from the federal government for far too long and that we are bringing to the table under the leadership of President (Donald) Trump.”

Neither VA nor Office Depot officials would release the cost of the partnership to the office supply firm.

In a statement, Office Depot Vice President for Print Services Andrew Tomlin said the company will supply veterans with ID cards at no cost through the end of 2020 because “Office Depot recognizes the sacrifices that veterans have made and this partnership is one small way that we can give back and thank them for their service.”

The backs of the cards also feature contact information for the Veterans Crisis Line and a line specifying that the corporate logo “does not represent an endorsement of Office Depot’s general policies, activities, products or services” by the VA.

As of Monday, 10,735 veterans had received the ID cards, about one-tenth of the applications received through the VA website.

Administration officials touted the new card process in November, as part of their extended Veterans Day celebration. But shortly after the department began accepting online applications, the system was overwhelmed and taken offline.

Cashour said officials are confident those technical issues have now been resolved. Nearly 16,000 more veterans have been approved for the cards and are expected to receive them in the mail in coming weeks.

The new cards do not replace VA medical cards or official defense retiree cards, and will not carry any force of law behind them.

They are designed to be an easy way for veterans to prove their military service for private sector recognition or discounts, replacing the need for individuals to carry around copies of their discharge paperwork. Numerous states have adopted procedures to display veteran status on driver’s licenses to work around that problem.

Under rules developed by VA, individuals who served in the armed forces, including the reserve components, and have a character of discharge of honorable or general under honorable conditions are eligible for the new IDs. Veterans with other than honorable status are not eligible, a move that has upset some outside advocates.

Veterans can apply for the cards through the VA web site. Applicants must register through the site to begin the application process.

These are the Air Force’s 12 Outstanding Airmen of the Year

By: Victoria Leoni and Noah Nash, Air Force Times, 23 June 2018  

The Air Force has announced this year’s Outstanding Airmen of the Year winners.

The 12 winners represent the service’s top enlisted members and were selected from a pool of 36 nominees based on their superior leadership, job performance and personal achievements.

The winners are listed below in alphabetic order.

Senior Master Sgt. Melissa Beam, Air Combat Command

Staff Sgt. Elizabeth Caulfield, Air Force District of Washington

Staff Sgt. Wilson Gardner, Air National Guard

Senior Master Sgt. Ruth Griffin, Air Force Global Strike Command

Tech. Sgt. Brett Laswell, Air Force Special Operations Command

Master Sgt. Kit Lui, Air Force Reserve Command

Master Sgt. Joshua Matias, Air Education and Training Command

Tech Sgt. David Miller, U.S. Air Forces in Europe

Senior Airman Patrick Schilling, Air Force Materiel Command

Tech Sgt. April Spilde, Air Force Space Command

CONGRATS DEFENDER!!!!

Tech Sgt. April Spilde, Air Force Space Command, a Bravo flight chief at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, leads 135 airmen securing $10.2 billion in space launch assets. A native of Minneapolis, Spilde has been stationed in Alaska and Washington, D.C., and has also been deployed to Afghanistan and the United Arab Emirates since joining the Air Force in 2008.

Senior Master Sgt. Lucero Stockett, Air Mobility Command

Senior Airman Jon Taitano, Pacific Air Force

The long-awaited OCP uniform is on its way to the Air Force — and here’s when you could get it
By: Stephen Losey, 14 May 2018, Air Force Times

The wait is over: OCPs are here.

For years, airmen have dreamed of it, demanded it, and envied those lucky enough to have it already.

And now, finally, the Operational Camouflage Pattern uniform on its way. For everybody. 

The Air Force announced Monday that it is adopting the Army’s OCP as its official utility uniform. The uniform will roll out across the force over the next three years. 

While some airmen already wear the OCP ― such as airmen in the Middle East and Air Force Global Strike Command security forces ― the Air Force will start rolling it out to others beginning Oct. 1.

By April 1, 2021, all airmen will be required to wear the OCP, and the current airman battle uniform, or ABU, will be no more. 

“Our airmen have made it clear, with a resounding, ‘Hey, we want to get into this uniform as soon as we possibly can,’” Maj. Gen. Robert LaBrutta, the Air Force’s director of military force management policy, said in a May 9 interview at the Pentagon. “Downrange and in garrison, [airmen consistently reported] it’s a better utility uniform than the ABU.”

LaBrutta said Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Dave Goldfein and Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force Kaleth Wright made the decision and were backed by Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson.

“We looked at all utility uniforms currently in our inventory to find the best of breed,” Goldfein said in a release Monday. “We spoke to and listened to airmen on this, and the OCP was the clear choice. The uniform works in all climates ― from Minot to Manbij ― and across the spectrum of missions we perform. It’s suitable for our airmen working on a flight line in Northern Tier states and for those conducting patrols in the Middle East.”

The OCP was chosen for three reasons: Its improved fit and comfort will make it easier for airmen to do their jobs, it will help airmen fit in alongside soldiers in the field and improve joint integration, and airmen consistently said they wanted the switch.

Operational Camouflage Pattern

The Air Force plans to switch completely over to the Operational Camouflage Pattern uniform by April 1, 2021. (Air Force)

“The OCP is a uniform for form, fit and function,” LaBrutta said. “It is the best of breed utility uniform that we believe is in the inventory that we can get into. And, as a result of that, our airmen are going to benefit from enhanced readiness through the use of the OCP.”

Air Force officials determined early on ― after receiving overwhelmingly positive feedback from airmen already wearing it ― that the OCP was the way to go, LaBrutta said. The question was, largely, how quickly to roll it out.

Since 2012, the OCP has been airmen’s combat utility uniform. It was first approved for airmen deployed to Afghanistan, so they would blend in alongside soldiers while on patrol, and later expanded to other Middle East locations.

About 100,000 airmen have worn the OCP downrange since 2012, and about 20,000 airmen currently wear it both deployed to U.S. Air Forces Central Command, and in garrison when guarding Global Strike Command facilities. Air Force Special Operations Command airmen and aircrews in Air Mobility Command also wear the OCP.

Their feedback has helped the Air Force make decisions on adopting the OCP across the force, LaBrutta said.

Goldfein, Wright and Wilson have also heard a great deal of interest in the OCP from airmen while traveling to bases.

It will also simplify life for airmen, who won’t have to maintain two different sets of utility uniforms.

“It just makes sense that we would have one utility uniform, instead of two,” LaBrutta said.

The OCP has a six-color palette and smooth lines, allowing its camouflage to better blend in to various environments, Global Strike Command said in 2014, when it started switching its security forces to that uniform.

ABUs, on the other hand, have a four-color, pixelated camouflage pattern that does not blend in as well.

“If you get in a firefight in the field and you’re laying down fire, who are you going to see first? Obviously that guy” in ABUs, Chief Master Sgt. Scott Daigneault, then-senior enlisted manager for the force improvement program at Global Strike Command, said in a 2014 release announcing the change. “The difference is almost night and day. Your eyes skim right over the guy in OCP and zone in on the guy in ABUs.”

 When AFCENT in 2012 adopted OCPs as its official uniform for airmen deployed to Afghanistan, the command said the uniforms were chosen because they are comfortable, flame resistant and blend in well with Afghanistan’s terrain.

Airmen will wear their rank in the middle of their chest -- instead of on the sleeves or collars and the uniform will have Velcro pockets on the chest. (Air Force)

These uniforms are eagerly anticipated by airmen ― so much so that Wright stirred up a hornet’s nest online in March when he posted photos on social media of himself wearing the OCP.

One commenter wondered if his photos were a “savage tease or friendly foreshadowing?” Others online suggested the photos were ”Troll level 1000,“ or “rubbing it in.”

This prompted a mea culpa from Wright, who denied any hidden message or attempt at trolling. Wright explained he only sought to blend in during his visit to the 27th Special Operations Group at Cannon Air Force Base in New Mexico, which already wore the OCP.

“Wow! I never thought I’d have to start of a post with ‘my bad’ but ... my bad!” Wright wrote online soon afterward.

When you’ll get it

Here’s the timeline for the rollout of the OCP:

July 2018: The Air Force expects to release an Air Force guidance memorandum on how to properly wear the OCP uniform.

Oct. 1: ”Optional wear” of the OCP will begin. That means anyone who already has the uniform hanging in his or her closet ― such as from a previous deployment to Afghanistan ― will be able to wear it.

Also that month, OCPs will go on sale at AAFES stores at a handful of bases ― Aviano Air Base in Italy, Joint Base Charleston in South Carolina, MacDill Air Force Base in Florida, and Shaw Air Force Base in South Carolina.

The Air Force will gradually expand from there, as the Defense Logistics Agency ramps up its ability to produce more of the new uniforms.

April 1, 2019: More AAFES stores ― but not yet all ― will start to get the OCP.

Oct. 1, 2019: New airmen coming in through basic military training, officer training school, and the Reserve Officer Training Corps will get their OCPs beginning next October, when LaBrutta said the production capacity is expected to be able to meet that demand.

Military training instructors and military training leaders will also start wearing OCPs at that time, to demonstrate proper dress and appearance standards to trainees.

AAFES is expected to start selling OCPs online next October as well.

June 2020: All airmen must transition to coyote brown boots. The old sage green boots, which most airmen wear with their ABUs, or desert sand boots, worn by some who already have OCPs, will no longer be allowed.

April 1, 2021: The final deadline for all of the more than 500,000 total force airmen to be wearing OCPs, and stop wearing ABUs once and for all.

The new OCP will cost about $20 more than the ABU, LaBrutta said. It will take the Air Force until this October to increase airmen’s clothing bag allowance by that amount, which is another reason why the service is waiting until fall to start allowing airmen to wear it. The coyote brown boots will cost about the same as the old boots, he said.

The Air Force also wants airmen who already have OCPs to switch over at the same time, where possible, which is why optional wear isn’t beginning before October, he said.

“It’s a heavy lift,” LaBrutta said of DLA’s effort to provide OCPs for both the Army and the Air Force. “It’s going to take some time for us to be able to field this across the United States Air Force. Folks are going to have to be patient.”

Get ready for squadron patches

Enlisted airmen will no longer wear their rank insignia on their sleeves, and officer insignia won’t be on their collars anymore. Instead, officers and enlisted will both wear rank insignia in the middle of their chests.

Airmen will also have their last names on the back of their patrol caps.

The Air Force will use a spice brown color for lettering, patches and most insignia, LaBrutta said, as opposed to the black used by the Army on their OCPs.

First lieutenant and lieutenant colonel insignia will be black, to differentiate them from second lieutenant and major insignia. The uniform configurations will otherwise be the same as the Army’s version.

And as part of an effort to build esprit de corps and revitalize the squadron structure of the Air Force ― one of Goldfein’s top priorities ― airmen will wear heraldry patches on their new uniforms alongside the U.S. flag.

“Folks like to pay tribute to their organizations,” LaBrutta said. “And so the patches, from a squadron perspective, are going to be part of the uniform as well. They’ll have to meet the color requirements that we have, and we’ll get that out to them. But squadron patches, heraldry patches will be on the uniform.“

In a follow-up email, Air Force spokeswoman Maj. Kate Atanasoff said headquarters patches and the U.S. flag will be worn on the right shoulder, and unit patches and authorized duty identifiers ― such as security forces, combat controller or Tactical Air Control Party ― will be worn on the left shoulder. The guidance coming out this summer will provide more detail on proper wear of patches.

As organizations design their new patches, they will have to use spice brown, as well as other specific thread colors that will be authorized by the Air Force.

“Unit patches express squadron identity and heritage ― something our airmen are incredibly proud of and want to celebrate,” Goldfein said.

So-called morale shirts, which were color-coded by squadron, are going away, Air Force spokeswoman Brooke Brzozowske said.

Patches will be velcroed on, but LaBrutta said airmen will be able to choose whether they velcro or sew on their name tag and U.S. Air Force tag.

Pockets on the chest will be at the same slanted configuration as on the Army’s OCP, and will velcro shut. Pockets on the arms will have side zippers, Atanasoff said.

The Air Force’s current sage green boots will be no more, and the service will transition into the coyote brown boots. Airmen will no longer be able to wear desert sand boots, as some currently do with their OCPs.

Old boots will be disposed of, but there will not be a buy-back.

LaBrutta said airmen could wear a tan t-shirt under the OCP, which he said matches well with the coyote brown boots. Airmen will continue wearing the so-called “DLA green” socks, he said, which are similar in color to tan. The belt will also be tan.

“The chief and the chief master sergeant of the Air Force, they want to make sure that we’re looking as professional as we possibly can in this uniform, thus the color patterns and everything,” LaBrutta said.

Airmen will also be able to roll their sleeves in this uniform, Atanasoff said.

The Air Force will use the Army’s inventory of backpacks and other equipment, to make sure it matches the new uniforms.

When stacked up against the current ABU, the Army’s OCP fits better and is more comfortable, LaBrutta said. It will likely last about as long as the old ABU before it wears out, he said.

“Those that wear the uniform, day in and day out, say that it actually wears better,” LaBrutta said. “In the operations that we’re wearing the uniform in, whether it’s a defender at Air Force Global Strike Command, or a battlefield airman, they believe it’s a better uniform to actually do their duties in.”

Atanasoff said the old and new uniforms have the same fabric weight, and the same 50-50 nylon cotton blend. The OCP will have no permanent press treatment, as the ABU initially had, and the OCP will have an “insect shield” permethrin treatment.

The uniform will simply be called the OCP, not the Airman Combat Uniform, as it has previously been called.

The switch will come with a hefty up-front price tag ― about $237 million over the first three years, to dispose of all the old boots and uniforms that will no longer be needed.

LaBrutta said one reason the Air Force stretched the adoption over three years was to draw down the old inventory as much as possible.

Some old ABUs could be handed down to JROTC units, LaBrutta said.

But over time, as the Air Force no longer has to pay for tens of thousands of airmen to keep up two different sets of utility uniforms, LaBrutta expects the service will break even.

“There are up-front investment costs any time you transition into something like this,” LaBrutta said. “But in the long term, it will be a break-even for the United States Air Force. The benefit that we’re going to get out of this in readiness, joint integration, and the airman demand signal that’s out there, are the reasons why we’re doing this, and very worthwhile.”

Deployed airmen who will go outside the wire will still receive a fire-resistant version of the OCP, LaBrutta said.

Pilots and other rated airmen will continue to wear their usual flight suits when performing rated duties, he said, but will wear OCPs like everybody else at other times.

LaBrutta said the women’s version of the OCP will have 20 different sizes. Female airmen who have worn the OCP while deployed to AFCENT have said it fits them much better than the women’s version of the ABU, he said.

Women will also have the option of wearing the unisex version of the OCP.

“The feedback that we’ve received from the women that have worn it in Air Forces Central Command has been very positive,” LaBrutta said. “So that’s another reason for moving into this new equipment item.”

Stephen Losey covers Air Force leadership and personnel issues as the senior reporter for Air Force Times.

Deputy Director's Introduction ...

By Heidi Scheppers

Defenders -- I am honored to be back with the Defender team as your Deputy Director of Security Forces. I was humbled when Brig Gen Tullos selected me -- sometimes you don’t appreciate the value or worth of something until it’s gone. I am rejoining the team after 14 years serving in other services, agencies and learning about warfighting of other domains, I’ve missed our Defender spirit and tenacity. This is an exciting time for Security Forces and big changes are a foot. The Reconstitute Defenders Initiative is in full swing with Brig Gen Tullos and Chief Hartz leading the way. This plan restores readiness, revitalizes the Security Forces organizations at all levels and builds a more lethal force. The enterprise-wide effort is aimed at aggressively delivering Security Forces capable of protecting, defending and fighting to enable Air Force, Joint, and Coalition missions across the full-spectrum of operating environments. The Reconstitute Defender Initiative is a huge undertaking and enormous changes have already been made in training, weapons modernization and equipment.

Over the past 14 years, I have been immersed in the world of program management focused on capability and cyberspace platform development and building the human capital framework to support the mission. I am going to take this knowledge and experience, focus on closing the Security Forces technology gap and help move Brig Gen Tullos’ Reconstitute Defenders Initiative forward. I’ll share a few things we are working on.

First up, if you didn’t know, we are in the process of fielding digital fingerprinting Air Force-wide with an estimated completion date of October 2018. The fielding is in lock-step with the Air Force Office of Special Investigations and our Army counterparts. Digital fingerprinting is one piece of a larger Integrated Defense infrastructure we are developing as an Air Force and Sister Service community. New capabilities are under development in biometrics and evidence accountability, criminal case management and confinement systems along with a global blotter initiative that will allow for trend analysis, compliance checks and hopefully negate the need for last-minute data calls. We are leveraging what has already been modernized, built, fielded and tested by our sister services and our data will be shared and integrated with our service and Air Force Office of Special Investigation teammates. Our squadrons are our Air Force’s essential fighting force and the technological burden cannot add to the manpower burden, it must empower the squadron to accomplish the mission. Deliberate actions are being taken to ensure all technological advances will translate into making our squadrons more effective.

For our Department of the Air Force Security Forces civilians, I am working with our career field teams to develop a career path allowing for advancement and growth within the Security Forces and the larger Logistics, Engineering and Force Protection community. We need our civilian Defenders to provide continuity and fill the gaps created by resource constraints and deployments. We are looking at how you can grow from an entry-level Security Police GS-5 to an Air Force Logistics, Engineering and Force Protection GS-15, providing the training, education and experience required to meet our Security Forces mission and your professional goals.

The future is awesome! I am so excited to talk with all of you and hopefully get to see you at this year’s AFSFA National Meeting in Sacramento, California. I understand this is a great time and an opportunity for all of us to honor our heritage, learn from Defender trail blazers and chart the best path forward for our Airmen.

Root Canal Gets Canine Warrior’s Bite Back

By: Daisy Grant, The Journal Record , Tinker Take Off, 5 July 2018

Kevan Goff-Parker, Staff Writer

One of Tinker Air Force Base’s 72nd Security Forces Squadron K9 team members, Aruba, a German shepherd, age 4, recently suffered a chipped tooth during a Military Working Dog demonstration after he was commanded to attack a man wearing a bite suit on May 29.

Military Working Dog Aruba, a four-year-old German shepherd, relaxes outside of the surgery suite in the vet clinic before his procedure to have a new crown fitted to one of his canine teeth. (U.S. Air Force photo/Kelly White)

Aruba’s handler, Airman 1st Class Marco Arroyo, said he and Aruba were doing bite work on controlled aggression training when one of his dog’s canine teeth broke off. Despite his injury, Aruba kept working.

“I heard a break, like a stick snapping, and saw his tooth fly in the air, but he didn’t give up,” Arroyo said. “I had to take him off because he was still biting. He’s one of the youngest dogs, very energetic and hungry to learn, but I was very concerned.”

Fortunately, Veterinarian Dr. Heather Cameron was in the audience along with visiting U.S. Army Lt. Col. Sidney M. Cobb Jr. Once Arroyo saw that his MWD’s tooth was bleeding, they immediately took Aruba to the vet clinic so Cameron could examine him. She provided pain management to make him comfortable for the night, and took X-ray images the next day.

Upon examining the X-rays, Cameron discovered Aruba needed a root canal. She then called U.S. Air Force Comprehensive Dentist Maj. (Dr.) Heather Brooks with the 72nd Dental Squadron, to see if she was interested in performing the procedure

“We don’t usually do root canals or crowns, but we discovered we could save a good chunk of the root — the actual part of the tooth that sits on the gum line,” Cameron said. “That’s always a better option for a Military Working Dog because it helps him maintain that bone as he ages, and Aruba’s only 4 and has a good, long working life ahead of him in the future. We’ve worked with Maj. Brooks and the 72nd Dental Squadron before and they’ve been very helpful and willing to help us out.

Airman 1st Class Marco Arroyo comforts a 72nd Security Forces Squadron K9 team member Aruba before his root canal. (U.S. Air Force photo/Amy Schiess)

“Dr. Brooks has a lot more experience on root canals than I do because they do them every day. The last one I did was four years ago, so if she was willing to do it, I’d rather have that quality of care for my Military Working Dogs.”

Brooks said she was thrilled to have the opportunity. She had actually saved a lecture she had heard five years before about performing root canals on the military’s canine warriors.

“It’s a good thing I’m a hoarder,” Brooks said, laughing. “I kept all those lectures. The irony was, I was briefed during my first residency at Travis Air Force Base and you never know you might get the opportunity to do this. I really studied up!”

Brooks said the biggest difference between dog and human teeth is that dog’s teeth, especially canine teeth, are significantly longer and the curvature is different. Cameron, Brooks and both vet clinic and 72nd DS staff assisted with the root canal. Aruba received a kiss from Arroyo, then anesthesia and Brooks got busy. The operation lasted more than two hours.

“Aruba had a deep break, so we had to do a little bit of dental heroics,” Brooks said. “We don’t have dental trays for dogs, so we created an impression tray and made a putty mold of his teeth. Aruba’s canine teeth are huge at 3.5 centimeters long, so we had some MacGyver moments, because while they had some of the equipment we needed, human dental instruments aren’t large enough for a dog’s tooth.

“In a perfect world I would have post drills for dogs, but we just had human drills so we did the best we could. We took out the nerve, cleaned it out and disinfected the tooth, put the filler in and sealed it and irrigated the area.”

Maj. (Dr.) Heather Brooks and Airman 1st Class Eliza Patton, with the 72nd Dental Squadron, along with Dr. Heather Cameron, Tinker veterinarian, work together to prepare MWD Aruba’s tooth for his new crown. (U.S. Air Force photo/Kelly White)

Because of the way Aruba’s tooth broke, Brooks decided to create a crown with a post, primarily because she didn’t want the dog to be sedated three times. On June 18, the team reconvened and inserted Aruba’s new crown. It is silver and made of high noble metal alloy.

Brooks described Aruba as “adorable” and said she enjoyed watching him do laps with Arroyo. She and the team also took photos of Aruba and his handler.

Arroyo said he found the root canal process interesting and felt confident that Aruba was in good hands.

“It was cool watching the root canal and going through the process and learning how everything works,” he said. “It was pretty exciting and the best thing I got out of that was when he woke up and was fine. It felt nice seeing him getting fixed up like that because he’s like my child.”

Arroyo said on June 26 that Aruba is doing great after his follow-up visit.

“He’s ready to rock and roll, he’s good to bite and to get back to work,” he said

Benchmark! Way to go McConnell!

Kudos to Maj Gen Sharpy and the AMC leadership team for what Chief Hartz just witnessed at McConnell AFB. Her visit was intended to assist the unit with transitioning to our new shift schedule, predicated upon 8-hours of armed duty, protected time off, and scheduled reconstitution time. It turns out not only do they not need our help (they transitioned without our presumed manpower assist) they have essentially checked the box on every Reconstitute Defender Initiative we have which involves their mission set.

They accomplished this because of the support of their Wing leadership and in the words of their Defense Force Commander, Major John Farmer, "it just takes hard work and not pushing the easy button." Their Security Forces Manager, Chief Rebecca McNelley, is leading the charge and has her Defenders motivated to generate airpower.

For those who may think McConnell is a sleepy hollow, I don't believe such a thing exists in our Air Force -- this unit made it happen in the midst of working KC-46 bed down, an open house air show, an aggressive MAJCOM and Wing exercise schedule, and the need to relocate squadron facilities (the photo of the wood pile is what they are reclaiming and turning into unit farewell plaques through self- help). Everyone has a full plate.

 1st Leaders Led Trainer

 Automated Fingerprint Training

 Total Force Integration Training

Reconstitute Defender Initiative in Action!

• New Shift Schedule - 8 hours armed
  • MSgts leading/coaching/mentoring as Flight Chiefs
  • Reconstitution Time Built into Schedule
  • Protected Time Off
  • Surge Capability
• Leader Led Trainers deliver training on-duty
• Firearms simulator in use—Milo system
• Sending Defenders to Tiered Training
• Expended 75% of ammo, requested/received more for sustainment firing
• Enhancing Installation Access Control Points to eliminate perimeter breaches
• Culture and history—prideful unit
• Team of teams—UDM initiative benchmark 

Defenders Wanted ... looking for a job?

HEB Security Site Monitor Position Open

HEB has two vacancies and will conduct interviews for others. They are looking for tranisitoning Security Forces types with Personnel Protection training and experience.

Security Site Monitor (2 openings)

Here is the link to the position. https://heb.taleo.net/careersection/ex-corporate/jobdetail.ftl?job=18016787&tz=GMT-05%3A00

A few things about the position:

• It’s shift work. We have three shifts – 6a – 2p, 2p – 10p, 10p – 6a. They rotate shifts once a month and need to be able to work all three shifts, work OT, and be on call.
• This is part of a small team monitoring security cameras (CCTV) for our executive team (several residences and business locations). They are the eyes and ears for the

Executive Protective agents. They monitor the cameras but don’t respond to incidents (the EP agents or SAPD, etc. would be called by the Security Site Monitor to respond).

• Because of the confidential nature of the role, we cannot have anyone in position with a close friend or relative that currently works for H-E-B.
• A unique factor that candidates also need to know is that they will not be able to move into other areas of the company after being in this role (sensitive nature of the position) and since the team is so small there are no promotional opportunities.
• We are looking for someone with a security background, especially if they have experience monitoring CCTVs. A degree is a plus but not required.

 Executive Protection (no active openings but would like to conduct exploratory interviews)

• Provides armed protection to H-E-B executive (driving, close protection duties)
• They travel to events with their protectee and may be away up to 2 weeks at a time
• Should be humble, intelligent, adaptable, well-spoken, well-groomed in appearance, and confidential
• Must have several years of direct EP level experience with a high value client, well trained
• We are looking for someone who wants to stay in position for several years
• They cannot have relatives or close friends currently with H-E-B

****************

Centerra Los Alamos

Position Title:                        CAS/CUAS Supervisor

Department:                          PF Operations

Hourly Wage Range           $38.79

JOB PURPOSE

This supervisory position is responsible for directing and controlling the Central Alarm Station (CAS) operations and supervising CAS personnel. It provides day to day

supervision and direction to CAS and SAS operators during routine operations and during any required security and/or emergency response operations. This position identifies CAS staffing needs and develops staffing analysis reports. In addition, this position has direct oversight and accountability for Counter Unmanned Aerial Systems (CUAS) Operations, including monitoring, detection, identification, tracking and neutralization of unauthorized UAS activity within LANL’s restricted air space. It provides direction to other area PF supervisors regarding the use of secondary CUAS systems.

Communicates with Emergency Management and Response (EM&R) in regards to a UAS situation and the compensatory measures required after employment of CUAS measures, including the initiation and coordination of render-safe operations for downed platforms.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

1. Associates degree or four (4) years’ experience in security or related field.
2. Minimum two years Protective Force security experience with Department of Energy armed security operations.
3. Demonstrated tactical leadership, oversight and supervisory skills and knowledge of security practices.
4. Ability to speak and write in a grammatically correct, professional, effective manner, drafting correspondence, proofreading text, coordinating the work of others, preparing reports.
5. Supervisory skills to include leading personnel, directing work assignments and tactical responses, planning, organizing, scheduling, team building, problem solving, conflict resolution, and directing activities of assigned employees.
6. Must be able to react, provide direction, leadership and support under any type of emergency conditions.
7. Intermediate-level computer skills that include all the Microsoft Office Suite of software.
8. Required to successfully complete Site Specific Training Programs, OJT and maintain proficiency.
9. Currently have or be able to obtain and maintain a Department of Energy (DOE) Q

-Clearance and be certified/volunteer for the Human Reliability Program (HRP).

10. Ability to obtain and maintain a valid driver’s license.
11. Successfully complete site specific CAS/ CUAS training course and certification designed to provide the minimum level of skills and knowledge needed to competently perform all tasks associated with job responsibilities.
12. Must be available to work extended hours (day and night).
13. Must be able to work in remote and austere environments.

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS

1. Certification as a CUAS operator with neutralization authority and Certification as a UAS pilot/pilot in command; prior military experience as UAS operator (Army MOS 15W/Air Force MOSC 1U0X1).
2. Central Alarm Station Supervisory experience.
3. Knowledge of and experience with early detection and alarm systems, and/or closed circuit television (CCTV) monitoring systems.

NOTE: (Internal Applicants) Discipline on file does not disqualify an applicant.

However, discipline on file will be taken into consideration as part of the hiring process.

TO APPLY:

INTERNAL APPLICANTS: Internal applicants who are qualified and interested

MUST submit a resume and cover letter describing in detail how your experience meets the minimum and additional desired position qualifications. Internal applicants are not required to submit a new employment application. Email your resume and cover letter by the close date to brandyl@lanl.gov

EXTERNAL APPLICANTS: External applicants who are qualified and interested

MUST complete both of the outlined steps below.

1. Complete the online application process for this position by visiting the following link:

http://www.centerragroup.com/careers.html

• Select—“Jobs at Centerra!” Search by: Los Alamos

2. Submit a cover letter describing in detail how your experience meets the minimum and additional desired position qualifications. Email your cover letter to brandyl@lanl.gov

 POSITION CLOSE DATE: Tuesday, August 7, 2018 at 5:00PM (MST) Contact Brandy at 505-665-7521 if you have any questions regarding this posting.

These Four-Legged Military Heroes Will Soon Have an Award of Their Own

By: Noah Nash, Military Times, 8 August 2018

Senior Airman Ryne Wilson, 99th Security Forces Squadron military working dog handler, praises Habo during a patrol at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., Aug. 7, 2017. (Airman 1st Class Andrew D. Sarver/Air Force) 

Military working dogs, the beloved canines who have saved countless of troops on the battlefield, will soon have their own commendation.

The “Guardians of America’s Freedom Medal,” created via legislation introduced by Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., is the first official Defense Department commendation for military working dogs, the New York Times reported.

Menendez announced the passage of the legislation on Tuesday at the U.S. War Dog memorial in Holmdel, New Jersey. The award, included in the latest defense authorization act, will be official when President Trump signs the NDAA, something he’s expected to do in the coming days.

The legislation will allow each service to establish its own criteria for the award, Menendez said, according to the New York Times. Each service also will design its own version of the award.

“These dogs endure multiple tours of duty. Some come back having lost limbs and others give their lives in service to their teams,” Menendez said, according to the New York Times. “Yet until now the U.S. military did not recognize the incredible service and sacrifice of working dogs and their handlers.”

The military's first official commendation for military working dogs and their handlers is about to become official. The U.S. War Dog memorial in New Jersey is shown here. (Wikimedia Commons)

The U.S. War Dog memorial, where Menendez made the announcement, features a bronze statue of a Vietnam War soldier kneeling next to his loyal canine companion. The memorial was built in 2006 next to the New Jersey Vietnam Veterans Memorial. 

According to the New York Times, several hundred dogs are currently deployed to the Middle East.

Menendez, who cited the life-saving exploits of several working dogs and their handlers who attended Tuesday’s announcement, said there’s no reason why military dogs should be treated as just equipment or animals.

“If we as a nation can strap a Kevlar vest on Cairo and send him on a mission with SEAL Team 6, or we can deploy dogs like Kira or Khrusty or Rudy to dangerous regions around the world, then I think they deserve more than treats and a pat on the head,” he said.

The new measure is a significant change of pace from the way military dogs were considered at the time of the Vietnam War. According to the New York Times, dogs were often considered to be “equipment” and that many were euthanized or given away to the Vietnamese at the end of their service.

“Honoring [the dogs'] service — as well as their partner — I think is incredibly important. You know, we have lost a lot of dogs along the way who gave their lives ... others have been maimed for life,” the senator said. “At the end of the day, I think it’s the least a grateful nation can do for them and for their handlers.”

PAE Seeking Vice President, Safeguard and Security (SAS) and Emergency & First Responders (E&FR)

Summary: Looking for a retired 0-6/0-5/Chief. Current TS clearance required. Nuclear base experience or work with DOE also very helpful. The location is near Richland, Washington. Here is the application link with the fuller job description:

https://pae.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/PAE_Careers/job/US-WA-Olympia/Vice-President-Safeguards-and-Security_R0024726

The hiring authority, Mr. Kevin Smith can be reached at Kevin.W.Smith@pae.com or 509-396-1683.

Position Title: Vice President, Safeguards and Security (SAS) and Emergency & First Responders (E&FR)

Position Description: As a member of the executive leadership team, the candidate will be responsible for delivery of comprehensive, high-quality safeguards and security (SAS) and emergency and first response (E&FR) services under the Hanford Mission Essential Services Contract (HMESC) at the Department of Energy’s (DOE) 586-square mile Hanford Site near Richland, Washington. The candidate will directly supervise the Hanford Patrol Chief and Hanford Fire Chief, and others as assigned. The Hanford Patrol Chief leads the protective/security force to ensure the physical protection of Hanford Site special nuclear material (SNM), classified materials, industrial assets, and to mitigate and deter radiological and toxicological sabotage events. The Hanford Fire Chief leads the fire and first responders to prevent or effectively control/mitigate wildland and structural fires, and ensure timely and successful responses to emergency events on the Hanford Site.

Responsibilities:

• Put in place the governance and operational working practices of the SAS and E&FR department.
• Lead the SAS and E&FR team: Coach, mentor, motivate and empower the team.
• Plan the overall SAS and E&FR services from end-to-end. Monitor and report progress.
• Attend and participate in a variety of meetings and task force groups to integrate activities, communicate issues, obtain approvals, resolve problems and maintains specific level of knowledge pertaining to new developments, requirements and policies.
• Develop, maintain and enforce departmental policies and standard operating procedures.
• Follow all company and DOE policies and procedures; perform all assigned duties in a safe manner.
• Create and maintain the departmental plan, integrating key deliverables of the program.
• Coordinate and submit deliverables related to SAS and E&FR effort.
• Work with union leadership to develop & maintain common understanding of priorities and issues.
• Report overall departmental status to the leadership at regular intervals and on an ad-hoc basis.
• Responsible for departmental quality, and embed quality processes into operations from the outset.
• Work closely with the Quality Assurance, as necessary.
• Identify issues, initiate corrective action as necessary, work corrective actions to final resolution.
• Manage the program risks; embed a risk management process into the program from the outset.
• Review and evaluate job performance of subordinates as well as assess response crews for efficiency and effectiveness.
• Communicate regularly and effectively will stakeholders to include DOE, other Hanford Contractors (OHCs), direct management, and the entire contractor team.
• Coordinate representation of the Hanford Site SAS and E&FR team at local, state and national gatherings. Host gatherings of teams from other locations at the Hanford Site.
• Develop and manage the SAS and E&FR budget: Receive budget information from subordinate personnel, prepare budget estimates, manage to the approved budget.
• Responsible and accountable for the coordinated management of multiple related projects directed toward SAS and E&FR departmental objectives. Approve the project plans of the project teams, negotiating work packages as required. Ensure the delivery of these work packages within the set time, quality, and budget constraints.
• Monitor costs incurred against plans, demonstrate savings through innovative planning and coordinating techniques. Reduce assets in alignment with Site remediation and closure.
• Participate in analysis of cost and schedule specific to the SAS and E&FR scope, write variance analysis to support EVMS format 5.
• Prepare reports to the management summarizing departmental activities and status.

Qualifications Required:

• Bachelors’ degree in related field, such as law enforcement, police science, police administration, or criminology
• Fifteen (15) years’ experience in security or law enforcement administrative and operations (that includes protection of nuclear material) in the armed forces security police or civilian equivalent
• At least eight (8) managing large safeguards and SAS teams on a 24/7/365 operational schedule
• Prior security / law enforcement experience includes a leadership role in configuration and maintenance of physical security systems, information security, and personnel security programs
• Direct management of teams that provide SAS services to multiple stakeholders across a large geographical area.
• Understanding of emergency services
• Must possess and maintain a Top Secret security clearance
• Experience working within, influencing within, and networking within a matrix environment.
• Innovative problem solver.
• Excellent communication and briefing skills.

Qualifications Desired:

• Prior program leadership / management role within DOE or as contractor to DOE.
• Experience working at the DOE Hanford Site
• Experience in similar role at another DOE site
• MBA or other advanced degree

Optional program management qualification (PgMP or MSP)

PAE is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. Our hiring practices provide equal opportunity for employment without regard to race, religion, color, sex, gender, national origin, age, United States military veteran’s status, ancestry, sexual orientation, marital status, family structure, medical condition including genetic characteristics or information, veteran status, or mental or physical disability so long as the essential functions of the job can be performed with or without reasonable accommodation, or any other protected category under federal, state, or local law.

DEFENDER CHALLENGE 2018 RESULTS

Sourced by: AFIMSC/PA

 2018 DEFENDER CHALLENGE CHAMPIONS
1st: U.S. Pacific Air Forces
2nd: Air Combat Command
3rd: Air Force Materiel Command

SADLER CUP (Dismounted Ops)
1st: AMC
2nd: PACAF
3rd: ANG

COLEMAN CUP (Weapons)
1st: PACAF
2nd: ACC
3rd: AFSPC
 

TOP SHOT
1st: SST Benjamin Rodriguez, AFDW
2nd: SRA David Hightower, AETC
3rd: A1C Curtis Covington, PACAF

OUTSTANDING DEFENDER
Winner: LCPL Adam Butler, RAF Regiment
Nominated: SSGT Oscar Gomez, PACAF
Nominated: OR-6 Robin Schwab, German AF

COMBAT ENDURANCE
1st: German AF
2nd: ACC
3rd: AMC

Defender Challenge Cup (Defender Challenge 2018 Champion).  First place team receives a "traveling" trophy; this trophy must be returned prior to the next competition.  First, second, and third place teams will receive a plaque or equivalent.  First, second, and third place team members will receive medals. Overall team champion for the competition.

Coleman Cup (Combat Weapons Challenge).  First place team receives a "traveling" Coleman Cup; this trophy must be returned prior to the next competition.  First, second, and third place teams receive a plaque or equivalent.  First, second, and third place teams members will receive medals.  The weapons competition is an individual event designed to identify the most skilled and disciplined shooter. Presented to the teams that displayed the highest marksmanship skills during the competition.

Sadler Cup (Dismounted Operations Challenge).  First place team receives a "traveling" Sadler Cup; this trophy must be returned prior to the next competition.  First, second, and third place teams receive a plaque or equivalent.  First, second, and third place teams members will receive medals. A four-person fire team will compete in a physically and mentally challenging event.  The objective is to measure strength, endurance, agility, teamwork, leadership, problem-solving, and knowledge of core skills. Teams navigated a difficult course through the thick brush while
completing various skills assessments critical to their daily duties.

Combat Endurance Challenge.  First, second, and third place teams receive a plaque or equivalent.  First, second, and third place teams members will receive medals. A four-person fire team will compete in a Combat Endurance Relay Competition.  The objective of this event is to negotiate four pre-determined physical agility stations along with predesignated shooting stations for each leg of the relay as quickly as possible.  Each team member will execute one station of the relay.  Tested how each individual and team reacted under stressful conditions. Individual team members completed a grueling relay of calisthenics to increase their physiological stress level prior to engaging a target with their weapon.

Individual Awards:

a.      Top Shot Awards.  Awards will be based on the composite results of all weapons events.  First, second and third place individuals will receive awards.  Presented to individuals who clearly mastered the vital marksmanship skills necessary for our profession.

b.      Most Outstanding Defender Award.  This award is presented on behalf of the Director of Security Forces for outstanding leadership and performance throughout the competition. The three were nominated by their team, observed by the cadre as demonstrating exceptional leadership throughout the competition and evaluated by a panel of Chiefs.

AFSFA and our chapters are proud to support the return of Defender Challenge and congratulates all the teams competitors on showing true warrior spirit and determination. You made the competition spectacular and highly motivating. HOOAH!!!

Overwatch Security Group, Inc., is looking for up to 10 retired law enforcement officers with their current HR218/LEOSA to work in the Florence, SC area. The client is requesting immediate deployment. The pay will be $350 per day. Please contact us if interested at: 904-263-2531.

Our Corporate Office
2738 U.S. 1 South
St. Augustine, Florida 32086
Phone  904-770-2745

Las Vegas Office
4132 S. Rainbow Blvd, Suite 105
Las Vegas, Nevada 89103
Phone  904-770-2745

Defender Performance Optimization

By BGen Andrea D. Tullos

We’re a year into reconstituting our Security Forces and aligning those efforts with the National Defense Strategy. We’re training hard and focused on becoming more lethal and more ready for the challenges we face today and for what’s on the horizon. We overhauled our technical training curriculum, focused more intently on weapons proficiency, and we’re sending all our Defenders to Readiness Training Centers where they will train with their peers, have the opportunity to share experiences with Defenders from other installations and Major Commands, and receive training tailored to their rank and skill level. To enable our ability to operate effectively as a team, we must ensure we’re taking care of the essential building block, the individual Defender as a human weapon system. To help our leaders at all levels better prepare our Defenders for the physical and mental challenges our mission demands every day, we rolled out our Defender Performance Optimization force development construct.

We know Defenders face unique demands from the day they assume their first post. We spend long hours on our feet, under load, armed not only with a weapon, but with the knowledge we may be called upon to use it with little to no warning. We work around the clock in harsh environments, expose ourselves to risks ranging from distracted drivers to individuals under the influence of alcohol or narcotics, and protect assets and personnel in areas of the world where health risks from water and foodborne pathogens present as much of a risk to our forces as criminals or terrorists. Unfortunately, we also know our Defenders lead the Air Force in lower extremity, back and hip injuries that erode readiness and our ability to conduct our integrated defense mission. We know we need our Defenders to be more fit, more healthy, better rested, and therefore more lethal and ready, and we’re getting after it.

Defender Performance Optimization arms our Defenders with the knowledge to prepare themselves to operate at peak performance. The concept delivers our Commanders techniques to integrate into their unit training plans and operating procedures to address nutrition, sleep hygiene, physical conditioning, mental practices, injury prevention, and effective stress resistance training. We are baking these concepts into all of our Security Forces training at the school house, readiness training centers, and at home station. And we’re working with the Air Force Exercise Science Unit to develop a Functional Fitness Exercise Regimen that will lead to an occupationally specific, relevant physical fitness test for Defenders.

Security Forces Training Reference Guide 8, Defender Performance Optimization, puts the tools into the hands of our Commanders, Noncommissioned Officers and Unit Trainers to teach our Defenders how to train harder and smarter to more effectively enable their respective missions. The guide provides both near and long term actions for Defenders at every level to continuously progress physically, mentally, and in terms of overall wellness. The concepts are intended for application prior to and during shift work, during reconstitution time, and during a Defender’s protected time off.    

For those who stand the watch, there is no “off season.” We owe it to ourselves, our Wingmen, and our nation to be as lethal and ready as we can possibly be, and that starts with our own physical and mental preparation to “take the field” every day. We don’t have the luxury of knowing when we might have to make that “game saving” play, so we will prepare so that when called upon, we’re ready. Defender Performance Optimization is our play book to get there. Start using it today.

Defensor Fortis!

Shining a Spotlight on the 2018 Outstanding Airmen of the Year

Air Force Magazine Daily Report, 17 November 2018

Brian Everstine, Steve Hirsch, Amy McCullough, and Jennifer-Leigh Oprihory

The Air Force Association will recognize the 12 Outstanding Airmen of the Year for 2018 on Sept. 17, during the opening night of its Air, Space & Cyber Conference in National Harbor, Md. A total of 36 nominees were considered, and an Air Force selection board chose the 12 winners on the basis of leadership, job performance, and personal achievement. The Outstanding Airman of the Year program debuted at AFA's 10th annual National Convention in 1956, and the association has continued to shine a spotlight on the outstanding airmen from each major command every year since.

TSgt. April A. Spilde

Flight Chief/Security Forces Craftsman

30th Security Forces Squadron, Vandenberg AFB, CA

Home of Record: Minneapolis, MN

Sgt. April Spilde was instrumental to the Total Force success of the 58th Presidential Inauguration, dedicating 80 hours to training 90 Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve Airmen as Ceremonial Guardsmen with the USAF Honor Guard. Spilde led a three-person mobile training team to the 156th Airlift Wing at Air Base Muniz, Puerto Rico, and established a fully funded base honor guard program including a budget increase of $10,000. As a Security Forces flight chief, Spilde led 135 airmen securing $10.2 billion in space launch assets and managed the flight schedule, logistics, and daily police operations defending 999 family houses, 2,100 facilities, and 15,000 personnel across a 99,000-acre installation. Spilde masterfully completed nine college classes and graduated cum laude, earning her bachelor’s degree in English. She graduated from the NCO Academy and was the recipient of the John L. Levitow leadership awards.

CFC YOUR SECURITY FORCES MUSEUM
CFC #47254
1 September 2018 – 15 January 2019

Your Security Forces Museum is open, alive and healthy and needs your support. The Security Forces Museum Foundation continues to improve the museum and displays ensuring the Security Forces career field story is told proudly and for a long time. The season for painless giving to your favorite local charity is again approaching. The official Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) is the annual program that permits one-time or periodic payroll deductions to support charities whose mission statements and tax exempt status has been examined and approved. We hope you will designate the SECURITY FORCES MUSEUM FOUNDATION – CFC #47254 as your charity of choice. It is an IRS 501(c)(3) organization and your donations are tax deductible. Checks are also welcome.