A collection of news and information specifically for the C4ISR community

Vol. 4, No. 16
April 24, 2008

Mission Planning System gains Milestone B approval

By Monica D. Morales
66th Air Base Wing Public Affairs

Rising fuel costs don’t affect just those who take to the roads but also those who take to the skies.

The signing of a memorandum last week addresses in part this costly quandary by enabling a 951st Electronic Systems Group system to save the Air Force more than $1 million per month in fuel costs.

“The signing of this memorandum signals a vote of confidence in us, and it’s definitely rewarding to have this milestone occur,” said Col. Daryl Hauck, 951 ELSG commander. “The 951st is very proud of the confidence in our ability to get the job done. Most importantly, though, this gives us the authority to move ahead and deliver combat capability needed by the joint warfighter.”

The 951st ELSG’s Mission Planning System was granted Increment IV milestone approval by John Young Jr., Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics, when he signed the system’s Acquisition Decision Memorandum on April 15.  (More)

General Hoffman to lead Air Force Materiel Command 

Lt. Gen. Donald Hoffman

WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio — Department of Defense officials announced April 18 that Lt. Gen. Donald J. Hoffman, currently the military deputy in the office of the assistant Air Force secretary for acquisition at the Pentagon, will become the sixth commander of Air Force Materiel Command.

President Bush has nominated General Hoffman for promotion to the grade of general with assignment as commander of AFMC, headquartered at Wright-Patterson AFB. General Hoffman will succeed Gen. Bruce Carlson, the current AFMC commander who has served in the position since August 2005.

No dates have been announced for when the change of command will occur, or when General Carlson will retire to end a 37-year Air Force career.  (More)

General Bowlds visits Lackland unit

Electronic Systems Center Commander Lt. Gen. Ted Bowlds listens as Staff Sgt. John Goll explains the functionality of an air collection system during a visit to the Cryptologic Systems Group in San Antonio, Texas, April 16. ESC Engineering Director Steve Wert, Executive Director Fran Duntz and 753rd Electronic Systems Group Commander Col. Leslie Blackham accompanied the general. (Courtesy photo)
 

AFPC, AFMC temporarily collaborate to staff AFMC vacancies 

Air Force Personnel Center and Air Force Materiel Command officials are partnering to reduce the number of Air Force civilian personnel actions currently in the system. Four AFMC bases temporarily will assume responsibility for all AFMC civilian fill actions.

The large civilian centers at Hill, Robins, Tinker and Wright-Patterson Air Force bases will assist AFPC by working all AFMC civilian actions until September 2009, when the responsibility will return to AFPC.

"We are carving out time to establish a flexible process that will allow for the ebb and flow of civilian actions in the Air Force," said Maj. Gen. K.C. McClain, AFPC commander. "New initiatives of the past 12 months, such as the implementation of a new staffing tool and National Security Personnel System, have culminated in a build up of work."

AFPC specialists now fill positions using both General Schedule and NSPS process and rules, which has significantly increased workload and the need for advanced training. Under NSPS, the classification system, compensation structure and staffing component varies drastically from GS, impacting AFPC's ability to swiftly fill civilian vacancies.(More)

f

f

By Chuck Paone
66th Air Base Wing Public Affairs

The secretary of the Air Force and the vice chief of the Joint Chiefs of Staff will headline a list of high-level speakers scheduled to address the Air Force Cyberspace Symposium II set for June 17 to 19 at the Best Western Royal Plaza Hotel and Trade Center in Marlborough, Mass.

Air Force Secretary Michael W. Wynne and JCS Vice Chairman Gen. James E. Cartwright will be joined by a number of other key Air Force leaders who will discuss the emerging and ever-expanding cyber challenges facing the nation. The theme for the symposium, co-sponsored by Electronic Systems Center, Air Force Cyberspace Command (Provisional) and the Air Force Association's Paul Revere Chapter, is "Equipping the Cyber Warrior to Fight in Cyberspace."

In addition to General Cartwright and Secretary Wynne, the symposium will feature ESC Commander Lt. Gen. Ted Bowlds, Defense Information Systems Agency Director Lt. Gen. Charles E. Croom Jr., 8th Air Force Commander Lt. Gen. Robert J. Elder, Air Force Cyberspace Command (Provisional) Commander Maj. Gen. William T. Lord and Air Force Research Laboratory Commander Maj. Gen. Curtis M. Bedke.  (More)

To see the agenda slated for the Air Force Cyberspace Symposium II, click here.

Cyber Command officials define unit's scope

Lt. Col. Tim Sands (from left), Capt. Jon Smith and Lt. Col. John Arnold monitor a simulated test April 16 in the Central Control Facility at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. They use the Central Control Facility to oversee electronic warfare mission data flight testing. Portions of their missions may expand under the new Air Force Cyber Command. Colonel Sands is the 53rd Electronic Warfare Group AFCYBER Transition Team Chief, Captain Smith is the 36th Electronic Warfare Squadron Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses Test director, and Colonel Arnold is the 36th Electronic Warfare Squadron commander.  (Photo by Capt. Carrie Kessler)

By Karen Petitt
Air Force Cyber Command (Provisional) Public Affairs

SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. -- Ray guns and light sabers may be weapons of science fiction, but using energy as a warfighting tool is one area that members of the Air Force Cyber Command's 450th Electronic Warfare Wing will be charged with exploring.

While details of the wing's composition, mission and manning are still being developed as AFCYBER prepares to become operational by Oct. 1, it's clear that Air Force officials plan to kick it up a notch when it comes to dominance in the electromagnetic spectrum.

"We're going to stop yielding the battlefield to these people who can set off explosives with a cell phone or who can use radar, radio waves or other forms of energy to disrupt our mission or hurt our people," said Lt. Col. Tim Sands, the AFCYBER Transition Team Chief with the 53rd Electronic Warfare Group at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla.  (More)

NSPS program manager retires after 31 years of government service 

Mr. Bob Youtt

By Kevin Gilmartin
66th Air Base Wing Public Affairs

After successfully implementing a new pay-for-performance personnel system across Electronic Systems Center, Bob Youtt, ESC’s National Security Personnel System program manager, is retiring May 2 with 31 years of federal service.

Mr. Youtt began his federal career as an education counselor with the Army at Fort Devens, Mass., in 1977. He came to Hanscom and ESC in 1980, spending the majority of his career in procurement, and eventually rising to the position of deputy director of Contracting before being hand-picked in 2005 to roll out the new personnel system across ESC.

A native of the small upstate New York city of Glens Falls, Mr. Youtt earned a bachelor’s degree in liberal arts with a focus on chemistry in 1970 from State University of New York Plattsburg, and in 1976, earned a master’s degree in counseling, also from SUNY Plattsburg.  (More)

VPP in Action: Hazard report tool reaches milestone 

By Rhonda Siciliano
66th Air Base Wing Public Affairs

The Hazard Report button found on the Electronic Systems Center Centernet recently marked a milestone with the submission of the 100th online hazard report.

Staff Sgt. Jacqueline Bridges, chaplain assistant, submitted the 100th online report on April 9. Sergeant Bridges identified and reported a hazard through the online tool -- a crumbling brick wall on an outside staircase near the bike path entrance to the chapel.

"The broken wall created a hazard to our parishioners and customers, especially children who may want to play on it and could end up getting hurt," Sergeant Bridges said. "It also posed a hazard to people who bike on the path since the bricks were sometimes falling off onto the path."

Sergeant Bridges said she had heard about the hazard report button through her Voluntary Protection Program representatives and through the Wing Chaplain Lt. Col. Dennis Kitterman, who was one of the first people to utilize the online tool.  (More)

Airmen of note

First Lt. David Alpar (right), commander of the Air Force Band of Liberty at Hanscom, chats with Maj. Keith Bland, Squadron Section commander for the United States Air Force Band from Bolling AFB, Washington D.C. and Michael P. Mulrenan of the Woburn, Mass., School Committee, following a performance by the USAF Band and the Air Force Singing Sergeants at Woburn Memorial High School April 10. (Courtesy photo by Joe Brown)
 

554 ELSW awards Personnel Services Delivery Transformation contract 

By Karen Costura
554th Electronic Systems Wing

The Air Force took a giant leap forward toward a more modern approach to human resources by moving human resources tasks to the Web when it awarded the Personnel Services Delivery Transformation Strategic Partnership contract to Lockheed Martin on April 1. The contract supports an Air Force Manpower, Personnel and Services initiative.

“This selection culminates an acquisition process that began over 18 months ago and marks the start of a period in A1 transformation that we all hope will produce significant results in total force transformation activities and will identify and improve areas where we can operate more efficiently and effectively,” said Mark Doboga, director of Plans and Integration for AF/A1.

The $234-million, eight-year contract — which was established by consolidating 25 contracts — will allow Lockheed Martin and the Air Force to first assess the status of human resource-related data and to then develop a Web application to improve the system.

The self-service PSDT Web system will permit Air Force personnel to better monitor promotions and respond to various personnel requests electronically, in addition to a variety of other tasks. Presently, these tasks are most often done on paper, wasting time and resources.

In addition to assessing current HR deficiencies and developing a solution to fix them, Lockheed Martin will continue to maintain the Air Force’s existing programs, including numerous IT systems and military personnel data systems.

Hanscom runners to honor fallen Security Forces Airmen in Boston race 

Hanscom participants in last year’s Run to Remember pose prior to the start of the race. The event recognizes the men and women in law enforcement killed in the line of duty.  (Courtesy photo)

A group of Hanscom people will be running in honor of fallen security forces Airmen during Boston’s Run to Remember May 25, which recognizes the men and women in law enforcement killed in the line of duty.

The race, which begins at 8:30 a.m. and takes place throughout historic downtown Boston, is sponsored by The Boston Police Department and Boston Police Runner's Club. Participants have the choice of entering a 5-mile road course or half-marathon road course beginning at the Seaport World Trade Center. Registration is accomplished online and costs are $30 for the 5-mile race and $50 for the half-marathon.

“As a military body participating in this great event, we embody our debt of gratitude for our comrades’ ultimate sacrifices,” said 1st Lt. Christie Jones of the 642d Electronic Systems Squadron. “Running together, we will convey our appreciation to those brave men and women and their families who attend the event.”  (More)

Three siblings from three services share one goal

Capt. Brad Panton (front), program manager for the Enhanced Regional Situation Awareness Program here, and siblings Army Capt. Jeannie Deakyne (center) and Navy Lt. Davie Panton, board a bus from the Fitness and Sports Center for the Boston Marathon April 21. Due to deployments and being geographically separated, the three of them decided to run the marathon together, after not seeing each other for close to a year. (Air Force photo by Mark Wyatt)

By 2nd Lt. C. Michaela Judge
66th Air Base Wing Public Affairs

What do an Army beauty queen, an Air Force captain and a Navy lieutenant have in common? Family and willpower.

April 21 not only marked the date for the 112th Boston Marathon, it also created an opportunity to reunite the Panton family - two brothers and a sister, all serving across the country and in different branches of the military.

Capt. Brad Panton, program manager for the Enhanced Regional Situation Awareness Program here, said that when he decided to take on his first marathon, he was quick to call up his brother, Navy Lt. Davie Panton, and sister, Army Capt. Jeannie Deakyne, bringing them together after almost a year apart.

"[Running this race together] is a good experience. It's my first time seeing them since returning from Iraq -- so it's a nice way to do it," said Captain Deakyne.

Captain Deakyne, who has served two overseas tours in Iraq, was also crowned Mrs. Texas International in 2005 and was recently crowned Mrs. U.S. Beauties 2008. She is currently in the process of PCSing to teach ROTC at the University of Texas at Arlington, where she is also an alumna.

On the morning of the race, the three siblings seemed both calm and collected, though Captain Panton said he was probably "the most nervous," since it was his first marathon. The Boston Marathon was Captain Deakyne's second marathon, and one of many for Lieutenant Panton, who's stationed out of San Diego.

The team of three, who sported matching family shirts, ran on the mild spring day with goals in mind and with a little "friendly competition" between branches.  (More)

Partnership is raring for Omaha to 'Go!' forward
-- Omaha World-Herald
The Omaha area would gain nearly 30,000 jobs, create more than $5 billion in property value and add $2 billion in annual sales by 2013 under a plan outlined today by the Greater Omaha Economic Development Partnership.

Cadets on the front line of cyberdefense
-- Times Herald-Record
In a stuffy classroom draped with jungle netting, about 30 camouflaged Army cadets huddle around glowing computer screens, waiting for the next attack.

Raytheon looking at technological answer to cut GBS bandwidth
-- Inside the Air Force
 As Raytheon positions itself to make a run for a $30 million contract to move the Global Broadcast System’s ground stations to a centralized facility, the company also is looking at technologies to minimize the bandwidth required for the asset, according to the company’s program manager.

Report says Pentagon lacks cohesive ISR vision 
-- C4ISR Journal
The Defense Department lacks a clear vision for the future of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, and the integration of its ISR agencies is not adequate to ensure their efforts are coordinated, effective and efficient, according to a new report by the Government Accountability Office.

Obering would welcome 'missile defense race'
-- Defense News
A key American general said April 23 the United States should not shy from a global "missile defense race," because the shield Washington is pursuing - composed of sophisticated interceptors, radars and satellites - will be difficult to penetrate.

Blog: ISR tsunami hits Washington
-- Aviation Week
This Washington maneuver isn’t very subtle.

command comments ...

-- Secretary of Defense
Robert M. Gates during
April 21 speech at
Maxwell Air Force Base-
Gunter Annex, Ala.

The Integrator is a weekly product of the 66th Air Base Wing Public Affairs Office designed to give ESC decision makers a snapshot of news affecting the C4ISR community.  This e-publication is approved by Kevin Gilmartin, Chief of Public Affairs, (DSN) 478-4110 or commercial (781) 377-4110.  Back issues are available online.  To facilitate service, please select a link for your e-mails:  
Subscribe -- Unsubscribe -- Offer Comments.