|
 |
A collection of
news and information specifically for the C4ISR community
Vol. 4, No. 5
February 7, 2008 |
|
Air Force, DoD move forward on NextGen
ESC preparing to play central role
 |
If current projections are right, an air traffic
picture, such as this one captured on a routine
day in August 2006, could contain three times as
much yellow by 2025. Officials at the Electronic
Systems Center are working with officials from
across the federal government, via the NextGen
initiative, on plans and technologies needed to
meet such emerging demand.
(NASA imagery)
|
By Chuck Paone
66 ABW/PA
HANSCOM AFB, Mass. -- As the Department of Defense formally
begins participating in a massive interagency effort to
transform America’s air transportation system, the Electronic
Systems Center here is gearing up to play a leading role.
Facing estimates that call for domestic air transportation
volume to triple by 2025, Congress passed legislation three
years ago mandating that key government agencies work
cooperatively to plan for future U.S. air transportation needs.
Public Law 108-176 directed the Departments of Transportation,
Defense, Commerce and Homeland Security, as well as the National
Aeronautics and Space Administration and the White House’s
Office of Science and Technology Policy, to work together on
this issue.
The combined effort came to be known as the Next Generation Air
Transportation System, or simply as NextGen. In late December,
DoD formally established guidance for its involvement in NextGen.
“DoD must participate in the NextGen interagency partnership in
a cohesive, authoritative manner,” Deputy Secretary of Defense
Gordon England wrote in the Dec. 28, 2007, memorandum. In the
memo, Secretary England officially designated the Air Force as
DoD’s lead agency for this mammoth effort.
Even before making the official designation, DoD had asked Air
Force Secretary Michael Wynne to serve as the department’s
executive agent. He and Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. T. Michael
Moseley chose Senior Executive Service Member Gerald "Fred"
Pease to direct the effort. (More)
|
 |
Engineering update
Phyllis DiTocco of the Boeing Corp. (left), Joanne Ouillette
of Lockheed Martin Corp. and Dr. Jim Cunningham, who
recently retired from his position as director of
Engineering for the Electronic Systems Center, chat at
today’s monthly Hanscom Representatives Association meeting
at the Hanscom Minuteman Club. At the meeting, Dr.
Cunningham gave an assessment of progress made to date in
re-establishing ESC’s organic engineering capability.
(U.S. Air Force Photo by Linda LaBonte Britt) |
|
|
ESC NSPS results on track with Defense
Department averages
By Kevin Gilmartin
66 ABW/PA
Electronic Systems
Center’s results for the first performance period of
the National Security Personnel System are similar
to the average results across the Department of
Defense in both payout percentages and rating
distribution.
“This shows that ESC’s pay pools got it right,” said
Bob Youtt, ESC’s NSPS program manager. “Our pay pool
members and managers worked very hard to make this
new system fair and equitable, and from what I can
see, they succeeded.”
NSPS is a new pay-for-performance personnel system
that rewards employees for their contributions to
the organization’s mission. It was implemented at
Hanscom Jan. 21, 2007 for all non-bargaining unit
employees. ESC conducted seven pay pools in December
to determine how each of the more than 900 ESC
employees covered by NSPS was compensated for their
performance. Employees under NSPS received their
ratings by Jan. 3, and their payouts, distributed as
a combination of salary increase and bonus, were
reflected in Jan. 25 pay checks.
For ESC employees at Hanscom, the average total
payout, which includes a salary increase, a bonus, a
pay band adjustment and locality pay, amounted to
7.68 percent. This is on track with the DoD average
payout of 7.6 percent.
Mr. Youtt cautioned that, “People shouldn’t read too
much into these averages, because there are a number
of variables that contribute to each.” He cited
different locality pay rates at each ESC location as
well as across DoD, and different share values
within each pay pool as data that can affect each
average.
(More) |
AFMC recognizes Hanscom Heroes Homecoming
with Public Affairs award
| |
|
 |
|
HANSCOM AFB, Mass. -- Air Force Materiel Command last
week recognized Hanscom's signature Heroes' Homecoming
events with the Maj. H. H. “Hap” Arnold Award for Public
Affairs communications effectiveness. Shown here
Hanscom's deployed Heroes' are welcomed home by base
leaders and a cheering crowd of co-workers, relatives
and local community members during the last homecoming
celebration that took place on Dec. 5, 2007. The next
Homecoming event will take place on June 27. (U.S.
Air Force photo by Mark Wyatt) |
By Kevin Gilmartin
66th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
HANSCOM AFB, Mass. -- Air Force Materiel Command has recognized one
of Hanscom's signature events of the past year - the Hanscom Heroes
Homecoming - with the Maj. H. H. "Hap" Arnold Award for Public
Affairs communications effectiveness.
The award, one of several recognizing individual and organizational
excellence in public affairs across the command, was announced last
week. Named for General Arnold, who as a major, was chief of the
Information Division in the Office of the Chief of Air Corps and
later went on to attain the rank of a five-star general, the award
recognizes those public affairs offices which have created or
managed a planned single event, which was unique in nature or
presented a challenge to public affairs.
The Hanscom Heroes Homecomings, conceived to celebrate the return of
Hanscom's deployed Airmen, brought together local community and base
organizations in pep-rally style events that caught the attention of
virtually all of Boston's media outlets.
"Hanscom is a little different than some bases, because, even though
we deploy more than 100 military members every year, our folks often
go in small groups, or even alone, which means they return to little
fanfare," said Col. Tom Schluckebier, 66th Air Base wing commander.
"We were looking for a way to show our appreciation for the
sacrifices made by our deployers and those of their families, so
Public Affairs, working with Services, the Air Force Band of Liberty
and many other volunteers, developed the first Heroes Homecoming in
January 2007. We held three events last year, and each one has grown
bigger and better as more local community organizations come forward
to show their support for Hanscom's military members and their
families."
(More) |
Tacking on
HANSCOM AFB, Mass. – Newly promoted Senior Airman Michael
Horn, 66th Security Forces Squadron, gets his stripes
“tacked” on by Staff Sgt. Michael Ford (left) and Tech Sgt.
John Williams (right), during the Enlisted Promotion
Ceremony Jan. 31 at the Minuteman Club. Airman Horn was one
of many Airmen from across ESC to be promoted for February.
(U.S. Air Force photo by Mark Wyatt) |
|
|
|
AFSPC commander sees space assets in
action By Tech. Sgt.
Joel Langton
U.S. Central Command Air Forces Public Affairs
2/6/2008 - SOUTHWEST ASIA (AFPN) -- To get a look inside
real-time space operations in the battlespace, Gen. C. Robert
"Bob" Kehler, Air Force Space Command commander, visited the
Combined Air and Space Operations Center Feb. 2, during an
extended tour of the area of responsibility.
"We are synchronizing and integrating with ground forces and
providing everything from weather forecasts and satellite images
to improvised explosive device detection," said General Kehler.
"So it's critical that I get over here and see how our
space-force members are doing."
With a variety of satellites at their disposal, the space force
affects many facets of warfare, from helping the warfighter drop
bombs on target, to locating poppy fields that are used to fund
the Taliban, to providing unmanned aerial vehicle feeds
throughout the world, said Col. John Riordan, the U.S. Central
Command Air Forces Director of Space Forces in the CAOC. "The
CAOC is the cornerstone for space integration in the AOR."
Space assets are integrated into every step of coalition efforts
and space has never played a larger role than it does in today's
war on terrorism, said General Kehler. (More) |
|
66 SFS takes best in command honors
By J.C. Corcoran
66th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
HANSCOM AFB, Mass. -- The 66th Security Forces Squadron has been
selected by Headquarters Air Force Materiel Command as the Best
Medium Security Forces Unit within the command and will now go
on to compete for the best in Air Force title against similar
sized units.
One of the most heavily tasked units to provide support in the
Global War on Terror, the 66 SFS was recognized for providing
superior performance to meet the global security forces mission
and providing first-rate combat support by deploying 43 Security
Forces personnel to the Area of Responsibility in 2007.
The accomplishments of SFS personnel included conducting over
120 convoys and patrols with no casualties or loss of property,
orchestrating five medical evacuations for over 63 local
national personnel and conducting in-depth assessments of three
Tikrit Iraqi police stations, identifying over 100
vulnerabilities and instituting corrective actions.
Additionally, the squadron's K-9 teams logged 1,000 search hours
clearing 5,000 vehicles, helping protect in-place forces from
terrorist attacks.
Members of the 66th Security Forces Squadron have served at
various locations throughout the AOR, at places like Kirkuk, Al
Udeid, and Camp Bucca, and have been recognized for their
achievements with the award of three Bronze Stars and seven Army
Commendation Medals, as well as numerous individual and staff
support awards throughout 2007.
"This award is recognition of all the major contributions made
by every member of Hanscom's Security Forces teams that have
served and continue to serve here at home and in the AOR," said
Maj. Tammy Mayer, 66 SFS, commander. "I'm extremely proud of
each and every one of them for the work they do and proud of
their families for providing the continued support that is
important as they continue to serve our great country," she
said. (More) |
in
the news ...
Use of these articles does not
reflect official endorsement. Reproduction for private use or
gain is subject to original copyright restrictions.
'Father
Bedford' served all
-- Boston Globe
Gordon Feltman didn't smile a lot and often hid his dry wit. But
colleagues, neighbors, and friends saw who he was through his
actions: ...
U.S. Air Force Eyes New Surveillance
System
-- Aerospace Daily & Defense Report
The Pentagon plans to fund a new electro-optical intelligence system
for the U.S. Air Force beginning in fiscal 2009, according to
Defense Department sources.
Training System Models National Defense
-- SIGNAL Magazine
The U.S. Air Force’s Modeling and Simulation Training Toolkit (AFMSTT)
enables the service to train its personnel for a variety of
missions.
Developing WASS for drones
-- Inside the Air Force
While Air Force officials have yet to make a decision on whether to
employ the MP-RTIP wide-area radar on a
manned platform,
...
‘Battle Command’ Summits
-- Defense News
What happens when the U.S. Army, whose Blue-Force Tracking system
runs on Microsoft software, starts introducing the Future Combat
Systems (FCS) vehicles that use the Linux operating system?
Lean
Improves Joint STARS Workflow
-- Aviation
Week
Lean initiatives and employee-generated ideas helped improve the
workflow at Northrop Grumman Technical Services' Lake Charles, La.,
facility, which performs programmed depot maintenance for the U.S.
Air Force's 18 Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System (Joint
STARS) aircraft.
ACS, Aerial
Common Sensor - Strategy
-- Technology News Daily
The project manager of an airborne intelligence aircraft program
delayed due to a contract termination in 2006 has proposed a
strategy to ultimately deliver on the program's promise of providing
timely and critical intelligence to ground commanders.
DoD hands out bigger raises
-- Federal Times.com
Rumors about the Defense Department’s new performance-based pay
system National Security Personnel System ran rampant around
California’s Edwards Air Force Base last year.
For my black ops valentine
-- Boston Globe
As someone who once spent part of a family vacation visiting the Air
Force's secret Area 51 research facility in Nevada, I was fascinated
to see Trevor Paglen's "I Could Tell You But Then You Would Have to
Be Destroyed By Me: Emblems From the Pentagon's Black World." |
command comments ...
Let me begin by
recognizing and thanking our Service members
and their families. The brave men and women who
answer the noble call to defend our Nation and
the spouses, children and parents who support
them are our most valuable national asset.
Your Armed Forces, and their families, have
faced the challenges of continuous combat for
more than six years. Our men and women in
uniform serve our Nation, accepting unwelcome
separation from their loved ones, long hard work
under difficult circumstances, and in some cases
making the ultimate sacrifice.
Military families are equally deserving of our
gratitude. They bear the brunt of the
loneliness, the uncertainty, and the grief that
too often comes home when our Armed Forces are
at war.
Acknowledging the importance of their support,
we must consider new initiatives such as
transferring GI bill benefits to military
spouses and children, military spouse employment
support, expanded childcare and youth programs,
and long-term comprehensive support of Wounded
Warrior families.
- Adm. Michael G. Mullen, USN,
Chairman, Joint chiefs of Staff
in Statement to 110th Congress House Armed Services Committee
|
|
The Integrator
is a
weekly product of the Electronic Systems Center 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, Director 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. |
