The Integrator -- News From Across ESC

The Integrator

A collection of news and information specifically for the C4ISR community

Vol. 5, No.14
April 9, 2009

Center team works to connect new fighters, bomber

F-35 test aircraft AA-1 undergoes flight test over Fort Worth, Texas. An airborne networking team at Hanscom Air Force Base, Mass., is working to connect low-observables aircraft such as the F-22, F-35 and B-2 with each other, and with the rest of the force. (Photo courtesy of Lockheed Martin)

By Chuck Paone
66th Air Base Wing Public Affairs

An airborne networking team here is working to connect low-observable aircraft such as the F-22, F-35 and B-2 with each other, and with the rest of the force.

These aircraft rely on a number of technological advantages to defeat adversaries and accomplish their missions. Not the least of those advantages is stealth. Unfortunately, stealth is negated the moment voice communication becomes necessary.

"These aircraft are designed specifically to penetrate anti-access areas," said Mike Therrien, chief of Electronic Systems Center's Airborne Networking Division within the 653rd Electronic Systems Group. "But if I use voice in that area, then why do I have stealth? As soon as I talk, I give myself away." (More)

Air Force looks at bigger role for small business

Ronald Poussard (left), director of Air Force Small Business Programs, and David Van Buren, principal deputy assistant secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, discuss the importance of small business during a joint interview here April 2. (Photo by Linda LaBonte-Britt)

By Chuck Paone
66th Air Base Wing Public Affairs

The Air Force is looking to support small businesses in a big way, two top service officials said during a visit here April 2.

David Van Buren, principal deputy assistant secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, and Ronald Poussard, director of Air Force Small Business Programs, said during a joint interview that the Air Force acquisition community is redoubling efforts to reach out to small companies.

"We want to bring small businesses in, not because somebody set some percentage goal and said 'that's what you need to do,' but because they add value to the mission and value to the warfighter," Mr. Poussard said. This is the key message behind his 'Beyond Goals' initiative, which seeks to remove the "check-the-block" mentality often associated with small business outreach. (More)

Retired Chief Fisk headlines Heritage of Freedom event April 15

By Kevin Gilmartin
66th Air Base Wing Public Affairs

One of the most decorated Air Force enlisted members from the Vietnam era will highlight the next Heritage of Freedom Speaker Series April 15 at 4 p.m. in the Minuteman Club ballroom.

Chief Master Sgt. Wayne Fisk, who participated in the 1970 raid on Son Tay prison in North Vietnam as well as in the rescue of the crew of the USS Mayagüez in Cambodia, will recount his experiences and answer questions from the audience during the one-hour event. Along with Chief Fisk, the Heritage of Freedom will feature presentations from an Electronic Systems Center officer and an A-10 pilot who performed in a Combat Search and Rescue role.

The Heritage of Freedom Speaker Series is a free event held quarterly that features three speakers, each of whom discuss their experiences serving in combat or while deployed. Their hard-hitting 15-20 minute presentations are followed by short question and answer periods. Everyone is welcome at this free, informal event. The Paul Revere Chapter of the Air Force Association is hosting a membership night following the speakers, with free food and refreshments. Attendees are welcome to remain after the addresses and talk informally with the speakers. (More)

Flying high over Fenway

Hanscom Airmen stand at attention along the legendary Green Monster at Fenway Park, while F-15s from the 104th Fighter Wing, Barnes Air National Guard Base, Westfield, Mass., perform a flyover to mark the start of the Boston Red Sox 2009 season on April 7. Members of all the armed forces participated in the opening day events at Fenway. (Photo by Mark Wyatt)

C2ISR symposium dates slip to Sept. 28-30

By Kevin Gilmartin
66th Air Base Wing Public Affairs

Because of a conflict with an Air Force Materiel Command conference, the C2ISR symposium scheduled for Aug. 31 to Sept. 2 at the MGM Grand Hotel at Foxwoods in Ledyard, Conn. has been moved to Sept. 28-30.

The location for the symposium and the general theme remain unchanged, according to Angela Dupont, president of the Paul Revere Chapter of the Air Force Association, which is cosponsoring the event with the Electronic Systems Center. She said the symposium will be modeled after previous C2ISR summits the chapter has held, most recently in 2004, and will feature senior leaders from across the Department of Defense and industry, as well as a huge exhibit area with the latest technology displays.

“The previous dates conflicted with AFMC’s Senior Leader Conference, Air Force Ball and a technical symposium hosted by the Dayton-area chapter of AFA,” Ms. Dupont said. “For our event to be successful, we need our ESC colleagues’ expertise and participation. With these new dates in late September, Col. Rob Domniguez and his 350th Electronic Systems Wing, our partners in this endeavor, will be able to fully focus on making this a world-class symposium. We’re looking forward to an exciting line up of informative presentations from senior DoD and industry leaders focused on command and control, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance systems.” (More)

Commentary
Going above, beyond for VPP is everyday business


Col. Robert Dominguez
By Col. Robert Dominguez 
350th Electronic Systems Wing Commander

The Voluntary Protection Program has been explained as going above and beyond what is required for safety and doing more than just being in compliance.

I would hope that for the safety and welfare of their workers, whether it be military, civilian or contractor, that organizations were already doing this before VPP was introduced. As I look at some of the safety initiatives that have taken place in my Wing, such as providing an online safety resource, I see initiatives that were implemented out of concern for the safety of all workers, with the goal of ensuring the safety of all and promoting a positive safety culture.

Now we have a label for these initiatives - VPP initiatives. As we look forward, we need to ensure that people know that what they saw as just being part of the safety program, providing recommendations to the safety representative on safety initiatives or voicing concerns, ideas to the facility manager, constitutes the concept of VPP.

My hope is that organizations and their leaders will continue to promote safety and a positive safety culture and that going above and beyond what is required is the norm, whether it is referred to as VPP or just safety.

AF officials cite quicker process for filling acquisition jobs

By 2nd Lt. Gina M. Vaccaro 
Air Force Personnel Center Public Affairs

RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- In an effort to speed up hiring in the critically manned acquisition career fields, Air Force Personnel Center officials here announced a streamlined process to fill key civilian jobs in half the time.

The growing shortage in acquisition positions resulted in Department of Defense officials authorizing components to forego the typical hiring process in order to fill the vacancies more quickly.

There are approximately 16,000 shortage acquisition positions in the Air Force in various career fields including: auditing, business, financial management, contracting, information technology, logistics, engineering, and science and technology management. The accelerated hiring policy pertains to mid- and senior-level positions and will be in effect through September 2012. (More)

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Air Force officials look at bigger role for small business
-- Aerotech News and Review
The Air Force is looking to support small businesses in a big way, two top service officials said during a visit to Hanscom Air Force Base, Mass., April 2.

Pentagon spends $100 million to fix cyber attacks
-- Associated Press
The Pentagon spent more than $100 million in the last six months responding to and repairing damage from cyber attacks and other computer network problems, military leaders said Tuesday.

Joint STARS aircraft sustains inflight damage
-- Macon (Ga.) Telegraph
A Joint STARS aircraft belonging to the 116th Air Control Wing has sustained in-flight damage in Southwest Asia.

Contracting boom could fizzle out
-- Washington Post
The recent surge in the Washington area's defense-contracting workforce would begin to ebb under Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates's latest budget proposal as the Pentagon moves to replace legions of private workers with full-time civil servants.

Short-order satellites
-- Defense News
By 2015, space engineers and managers at Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M., are to be ready with a range of backup options and satellite sensors that could be launched quickly if an enemy were to knock out critical U.S. surveillance satellites, or if regional commanders requested more sensor coverage.

House chairmen want to stop performance pay
-- Federal Computer Week
Senior Democratic House members have asked the Office of Management and Budget to stop any further advancement of pay-for-performance systems across the federal government.

GAO: DOD knows little about its acquisition employees
-- Defense News
Defense Department officials know little about their acquisition workforce’s makeup, which creates problems when analyzing their employees and contractors, according to a report.

John Young’s valedictory defense; ATL ain’t broke
-- DoD Buzz
As his days in office dwindle, the Pentagon’s acquisition czar John Young has issued a five-page memo slamming the latest GAO criticism of Pentagon acquisition, calling it “misleading, out-of-date and largely irrelevant to the current management of DoD programs.”

command comments ...

…. Put simply, until recently, there has not been an institutional home in the Defense Department for today's warfighter. Our contemporary wartime needs must receive steady long-term funding and a bureaucratic constituency similar to conventional modernization programs. I intend to use the FY '10 budget to begin this process.

First, we will increase intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance support for the warfighter in the base budget by some $2 billion. This will include fielding and sustaining 50 Predator and Reaper class unmanned aerial vehicle orbits by FY '11 and maximizing their production. This capability, which has been in such high demand in both Iraq and Afghanistan, will now be permanently funded in the base budget. It will represent a 62 percent increase in capability over the current level and 127 percent from a year ago.

We will increase manned ISR capabilities such as the turboprop aircraft deployed so successfully as part of Task Force ODIN in Iraq. We will initiate and -- research and development on a number of ISR enhancements and experimental platforms optimized for today's battlefield. …

-- Secretary of Defense
Robert M. Gates at April 6 Pentagon news briefing

To read complete transcript,
click here

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