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February Commander’s Call Topics

Friday, January 26, 2007

February 2007

QUOTABLE QUOTES

— Gen. William R. Looney III, Commander, Air Education and Training Command

FROM THE SECRETARY

In the latest Letter to Airmen, Secretary of the Air Force Michael W. Wynne discusses the core value of “Excellence in All We Do” and how it relates to Air Force Smart Operations for the 21st Century.

To read the entire Letter to Airmen, go to

FROM THE CMSAF

Jan. 26, 2007: NSPS – Learn More!

Jan. 19, 2007: Responsible conduct for warfighters

Jan. 12, 2007: Force Shaping – Explaining the Numbers

“Through this process, we will gain a smaller, more efficient force. With the savings that come from a smaller force, we will realize money that can be used to recapitalize the force now, so that Airmen 10 to 20 years from now will be able to meet future threats head on.”

Jan. 5, 2007: AFSO21

Dec. 29, 2006: MyEDP – Your tool for success

“From their first day of duty to their last, enlisted Airmen can enjoy features of the site designed to provide standardization in every aspect of their career progression.” http://www.af.mil/shared/media/document/AFD-061228-118.pdf

CSAF’S PRIORITIES

FORCE SHAPING

The Air Force will convene an officer reduction in force board in June if it fails to meet its force-shaping goal. The window for officers to voluntarily separate from the Air Force with the VSP option has been extended to March 31. Officers seeking more information about VSP can call the Air Force Personnel Center contact center at 800-616-3775, or visit its website at http://ask.afpc.randolph.af.mil/.

The RIF board would consider Air Force officers with six to 12 years of active commissioned service in overage career fields from six year groups: 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000 and 2001. The RIF board process is expected to achieve approximately 1,000 officer reductions. Officers not selected for retention will be separated by Jan. 29, 2008.
For more information, read the Air Force Print News story at

In response to better-than-expected 2006 retention rates, 3,090 Airmen must be cut by Sept. 30 in order to meet this year’s force-shaping goals. Three personnel programs will be used to help meet the goal. Those programs involve an extension of the limited active-duty service commitment, or LADSC, waiver for technical and master sergeants to retire; a second wave of date-of-separation rollbacks; and a limited number of LADSC waivers for Airmen with 6 to 11 years of service in some career fields to voluntarily separate.

Last year, the Air Force offered LADSC waivers for some master and technical sergeants.
The window to apply for the program has been extended until April 30, but they must choose a retirement date that is no later than Sept. 1, 2007.

The DOS rollback program will give many Airmen a new separation date of Aug. 1, 2007.
Airmen from all Air Force specialty codes can be affected by this program.

Finally, the Air Force is offering LADSC waivers to Airmen in 23 control AFSCs who have more than six but less than 11 years of service. Under this program, the Air Force will waive an Airman’s service commitment so he or she may separate early. A limited number of waivers will be granted, and Airmen who elect to participate in the program must choose a separation date of Sept. 29, 2007 or earlier.

For more information, read the Air Force Print News story at

For Airmen identified to retrain, and who completed the required application by the Jan. 15 deadline, Phase II eligibles must choose an Air Force specialty code from a list of available AFSCs and submit a completed retraining application by Feb. 28.

Phase II began Jan. 3 and will end when retraining quotas are met, but not later than March 31. Airmen should contact their command support staff personnel, their base career assistance advisor or the Air Force Contact Center at 800-665-5000 for more information.

For more information, read the Air Force Print News story at

PERSONNEL

February marks the beginning of Black History Month – an annual celebration that began in 1926. The National Museum of the Air Force will celebrate with several exhibits featuring contributions from prominent black Airmen in Air Force history.

Read the Print News story at http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123038653

Visit Air Force Link throughout February for special features.

Read about how Airmen are rebuilding hope by mentoring Iraqi soldiers, see how warfare is evolving with invaluable training in the field, discover how the Balad AB hospital is thriving thanks to deployed servicemembers, and learn how one family is receiving much-needed support from the Air Force to care for their 3-year-old son with leukemia.
These features highlight the winter issue of Airman magazine, available in print and online at http://www.af.mil/news/airman/.

For more information, read the Air Force Print News story at

The Air Force has immediate openings for flight engineers, loadmasters, airborne mission systems, flight attendants, and airborne cryptologic linguists. First-term Airmen who have completed half of their initial enlistment may apply for an exception to policy to retrain earlier than their normal careers retraining window. Overseas applicants will have to apply within the nine- to 15-month window before their DEROS date.

Interested Airmen can call DSN 227-1717 or 703-697-1717, or visit the following sites:
virtual Military Personnel Flight retraining, or the career enlisted aviator recruiting Web site at https://afkm.wpafb.af.mil/cea.

For more information, read the Air Force Print News story at

Selected non-rated International Affairs Specialist positions will be converted to rated positions by summer 2007. The increase will make it easier for pilots, navigators, air battle managers and electronic warfare officers to serve as political-military affairs strategists and regional affairs strategists.

The IAS program deliberately develops line-of-the-Air Force officers in the 7-12 year window of commissioned service. This window enables the IAS program to competitively select officers who are already experts in their core specialties, and to ensure that they have time left in their careers to train, develop and be placed in political-military, regional and language-specific staff positions. Rated officers interested in the IAS program are encouraged to visit www.my.af.mil/iaw/iaw
for more information.

For more information, read the Air Force Print News story at

Air Force active-duty, Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard members have a chance to test their marksmanship skills. Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, hosts a rifle match Feb. 26 through March 1. The competition can accommodate as many as 252 shooters who will compete for 25 Excellence-in-Competition medals. The event is an official military function. Eligible competitors may seek permissive temporary duty to attend.

For more information, read the Air Force Print News story at

Defense Department news releases, articles and other information are now available in a new format that is customized for easier viewing on mobile devices such as a BlackBerry.
The new, mobile-device-friendly format can be accessed at www.dod.mil/mobile.

For more information, read the Air Force Print News story at

GUARD AND RESERVE

Department of Defense officials are changing the way they will manage reserve-component forces. Changes include:

– Future deployments will be managed on a unit basis, allowing for greater unit cohesion and predictability for training and deployments.
– The department will reduce the maximum mobilization timeframe to one year.
– The policy objective for involuntary mobilization of Guard and Reserve units will remain a one-year-mobilized to five-year-demobilized ratio. However, today’s global demands will require a number of selected Guard and Reserve units to be remobilized sooner than the current policy goal.

HEALTH AND FITNESSS

Exactly how you go about losing unwanted pounds is an individual issue that needs to be tailored to your taste and food preferences, but a few concepts should be at the heart of your plan.

— Calories do count; consuming more calories than you burn in physical activity equals pounds gained, and reversing that ratio equals pounds lost.

— Make every calorie count by reading a product’s nutrition facts label, and understanding what you’ve read. The Food and Drug Administration has recently released an interactive online learning program that makes labels a little more user friendly at http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/labelman.

— If you don’t like to read labels, fill your cart with items from the perimeter of the commissary, where the “whole foods” reside. Nearly anything in the produce section is fair game. Make lean choices at the fresh meat case, go for products labeled low-fat or fat-free in the dairy department, and choose whole grain breads as much as possible.

Take note of the shelf talkers located throughout your commissary, which offer quick and easy messages from the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, and always remember, It’s your choice, make it healthy! View the entire Defense Commissary Agency news story at:

The Defense Commissary Agency now has a registered dietitian on staff. Some of the initiatives

planned for the DeCA dietitian include an “Ask the Dietitian” feature on the DeCA Web site at http://www.commissaries.com and increased visibility for the recently revamped “5 A Day for Better Health” program, which focuses on fruits and vegetables.

60TH ANNIVERSARY

Anniversary posters and art are available for downloading at

WORTH REPEATING

RESOURCES

AIR FORCE HERITAGE TO HORIZONS

Visit Air Force Link for the new Heritage to Horizons series. Currently highlighted is
the 1st Special Operations Wing:

The February history spotlight (launching Feb. 9, 2007) will recognize the contributions of the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing. The heritage of the 332nd AEW is tied to the 332nd Fighter Group led by the Tuskegee Airmen in World War II.

Feb. 1, 1952 — The U.S. Air Force acquired its first general-purpose, high-speed digital computer, a vacuum-tube-based Univac I.

Feb. 3, 1961 — Strategic Air Command initiated the Looking Glass airborne command post. Maintaining continuous 24-hour coverage in shifts, Looking Glass aircraft were equipped to communicate with the Joint Chiefs of Staff, any SAC base or any SAC aircraft.

Feb. 3, 1995 — U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Eileen M. Collins became the first woman space shuttle pilot.

Feb. 6, 1991 — Reserve Capt. Robert R. Swain of the 706th Tactical Fighter Squadron scored the first ever A-10 Warthog air-to-air kill by shooting down an Iraqi helicopter.

Feb. 10, 1994 — Lt. Jeannie Flynn, the first woman selected for U.S. Air Force combat pilot training, completed training in an F-15E Strike Eagle.

Feb. 10, 1952 — Leading a flight of three F-86 Sabrejets on a combat air patrol mission near the Manchurian border, Maj. George A. Davis Jr., engaged 12 enemy MiG-15 jet fighters in aerial combat. Major Davis is the first Airman to become an ace in two wars.

Feb. 12, 1959 — Strategic Air Command retired its last B-36 Peacemaker to become an all-jet bomber force.

Feb. 12, 1973 — Military Airlift Command pilots initiated Operation Homecoming, flying the first of 590 released American prisoners of war from Hanoi, North Vietnam, to Clark AB, Philippines. The Mackay Trophy is awarded to the aircrews of MAC.

Feb. 24, 1969 — An AC-47 gunship on which A1C John L. Levitow served is struck by an enemy mortar shell. Although seriously wounded, he ejects a smoking flare and was awarded the Medal of Honor.

Feb. 24, 1967 — Capt. Hilliard A. Wilbanks attacked a large body of Vietcong who had ambushed a smaller force of South Vietnamese rangers. Captain Wilbanks sacrificed his life to protect the withdrawing rangers and was awarded the Medal of Honor.

Feb. 28, 1991 — The Gulf War ends at 8 a.m. with

a coalition-declared cease-fire. During the war,

F-117A Stealth fighter-bombers flew only 2 percent of the combat sorties but attacked 40 percent of Iraqi strategic targets.

Air Force mission — The mission of the U.S. Air Force is to deliver sovereign options for the defense of the United States of America and its global interests — to fly and fight in air, space and cyberspace.

Air Force core competencies — Developing Airmen, technology-to-warfighting and integrating operations.

Air Force distinctive capabilities — Air and space superiority, global attack, rapid global mobility, precision engagement, information superiority and agile combat support.

Air Force core values — Integrity first, service before self and excellence in all we do.

USAFnews

Friday, January 26, 2007