By Jill PickettAEDC Public Affairs

From mowing grass to op-erating test utility systems, the Arnold Engineering De-velopment Complex Civil En-gineering Branch, or TSDC, ensures the readiness of the grounds, facilities and utility systems at Arnold Air Force Base, headquarters of AEDC.

“The Test Support Di-vision’s Civil Engineering Branch provides a wide vari-

ety of capabilities and servic-es that directly support every person, every organization and every test capability on Arnold AFB,” said John Lavi-olette, TSDC chief. “Many of these services are founda-tional to successfully accom-plishing the installation’s test mission.”

A team of DOD and con-tractor personnel work to-gether to sustain, restore and

Arnold AFB, Tenn. December 21, 2020Vol. 67, No. 24

PRSRT STDUS POSTAGE PAIDTULLAHOMA TNPERMIT NO. 29

AEDC team member spends free time tending to tiny

farm animals…Page 2 …Page 3

‘Tis the season...for scams and malicious campaigns

Former USAF crew chief puts knowledge to use as test engineer

at AEDC engine test facilities

…Page 10

AEDC hypersonic tests to benefit from improvements to emissivity measurement accuracyBy Jill PickettAEDC Public Affairs

As hypersonic vehicle de-velopment heats up, the Ar-nold Engineering Development Complex Aerothermal Measure-ments Laboratory (ATML) is preparing to help test engineers know just how hot it is getting.

When a vehicle travels at high rates of speed, friction of the air against the vehicle gen-erates heat that can threaten the integrity of the vehicle’s surface. Aerothermal tests in AEDC ground test cells, or wind tunnels, analyze this effect on transonic, supersonic and hy-personic flight systems.

“Most high-speed flight ve-hicle programs have required aerothermal capabilities pro-vided by the AEDC test facili-ties and the technical services of the ATML,” said Nick Galyen, AEDC program manager for the ATML.

“Surface temperature and heat flux are necessary to un-derstand boundary layer transi-tion, especially for hypersonic

flight systems and vehicles dur-ing test and evaluation, science and technology applications in AEDC Tunnels A, B, C, 16T (transonic), 16S (supersonic) and the Aerodynamic and Pro-

pulsion Test Unit,” he said.In order to improve measure-

ment accuracy, a Small Busi-ness Innovation Research effort by Advanced Fuel Research is underway to provide the ATML

with a new spectral emissometer with enhanced capabilities to re-place an older legacy system.

The ATML fabricates and in-stalls temperature and heat flux sensors in flight system models,

but there are limitations on the number and locations these can be placed. Infrared cameras al-low for continuous measure-ment of the surface tempera-tures of a model under test, but the infrared camera measure-ments must be verified first. That’s where the emissometer comes into the picture.

“The emissivity of the sur-face of a material relates to its effectiveness in emitting energy as thermal radiation, both vis-ible radiation and infrared radia-tion,” said Dr. Robert Howard, AEDC subject matter expert for Instrumentation and Diag-nostics. “The emissivity var-ies from zero, for a shiny mir-rored surface, to one for an ideal black surface. For any particular wavelength and temperature, the amount of thermal radiation emitted depends on the emis-sivity of the object’s surface. Thus, the surface temperature can be deduced from a measure of the radiation at a particular spectral region and knowledge

Annette Painter, AEDC Fellow and instrument technician specialist, operates the legacy emis-someter in the calibration laboratory of the Arnold Engineering Development Complex Aero-thermal Measurements Laboratory at Arnold Air Force Base. An acetylene torch is positioned to heat a sample before measuring the emissivity when bombarded by a blackbody simulator. The enhanced emissometer being developed for the ATML will include a built-in heat source and al-low for measurements at additional angles. (U.S. Air Force photo)

AEDC Base Civil Engineering Branch vital to mission success at Arnold AFB

See SUCCESS, page 4

Garry Sudberry, an Arnold Engineering Development Complex fuel farm machinist, sets up the A Plant Fuel System, Sept. 10, at Arnold Air Force Base. The AEDC Base Civil Engineering Branch oversees utilities at Arnold AFB, including jet fuel for testing needs. (U.S. Air Force photo by Jill Pickett)

See HYPERSONIC, page 3

Former USAF crew chief puts knowledge to use as test engineer at AEDC engine test facilitiesBy Deidre MoonAEDC Public Affairs

Bryon Harrington, a test en-gineer for the Propulsion Test Branch at Arnold Air Force Base, Tenn., served previously as a crew chief in the U.S. Air Force from 2007 to 2017.

While serving in the Air Force, Harrington worked hands-on with several of the air-craft and the engines that AEDC teams test and evaluate.

“I worked the F-15 Eagle, F-22 Raptor and MQ-1B Preda-tor aircraft over my career andreached the rank of Tech Ser-geant,” he said. “I became En-gine Run-qualified on the F-22in 2010 as a Senior Airman, andmy last engine run was in 2016.

“I have troubleshot the F119 engine for numerous faults and

changed out almost every part possible while the engine is still installed on the aircraft. From my experience, I am quite fa-miliar with the integration of the engine into the aircraft and the current engine configuration used.”

After separating from the Air Force in 2017, he headed to Tennessee Technological University where he earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering. During his studies, he started interning at Arnold, which later landed him a full-time position with Arnold Engi-neering Development Complex in June 2020.

Using all he learned from his time spent as crew chief, along with the help of the experienced

Bryon Harrington, then an Airman 1st Class, is shown here in January 2009 reviewing aircraft data as F-22 Raptors deployed from Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska, arrive at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam. Harrington now works as a test engineer for the Arnold Engineering Development Complex Propulsion Test Branch at Arnold Air Force Base. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Kevin J. Gruenwald)

See CHIEF, page 3

2 • December 21, 2020

By Air Force Office of Special Investigations, Det. 106

As this holiday season ap-proaches, the Office of Special Investigations (OSI) Detach-ment 106 would like to re-mind everyone to be aware of potential scams and malicious campaigns, particularly when browsing or shopping online. Fraud is obtaining something of value through willful misrepre-sentation. Bad actors may send emails, e-cards or text messag-es containing malicious links or attachments infected with malware, or may send spoofed emails requesting support for fraudulent charities, causes or pandemics. This can happen at home or at work.

In 2019, a holiday-themed phishing campaign delivering emails pretending to be Ama-zon order confirmations target-ed people shopping for holiday gifts. The bad actors infected their targets with a Trojan that would log keystrokes, steal credentials and perform vari-ous other nefarious activities on their computers. If you have any reason to believe that you were the victim of a malware campaign or phishing scam, you need to take the following measures to protect yourself

and prevent any further finan-cial, data loss or potential iden-tity theft fraud:

• File a complaint withthe FBI’s Internet CrimeComplaint Center (IC3)Federal Bureau ofInvestigation Internet CrimeComplaint Center: https://www.ic3.gov/default.aspx.

• File a complaint withthe Tennessee Bureau ofInvestigation Cyber CrimeDivision: https://www.tn .gov / tb i / c r ime- i s sues /crime-issues/cybercrime.html.

• Report the attack to thepolice and file a reportwith the Federal Trade Commission.

• Contact your financial institution immediately andclose any accounts that mayhave been compromised. Watch for any unexplainablecharges to your account.

• There are several signs that indicate you might bedealing with a bad actor, they include contact from someone:

• Claiming to be from the government and asking you

to pay money.

• Asking you to pay moneyor taxes upfront to receive aprize or a gift.

• Asking you to wire them money, sending money bycourier, or putting money ona prepaid card or gift cardand sending it to them.

• Asking for access to yourmoney – such as your ATM cards, bank accounts,credit cards or investmentaccounts.

• Paying a larger than normalamount due to COVID-19.

Remember these tips also apply while you are working on Arnold Air Force Base. You are not protected from scams while at work. If something doesn’t seem right, you can always hang up or walk away. Bad ac-tors often want you to make a quick decision without thinking about it. Slow down, do your own research about the offer or consult with someone you trust.

With the onset of COV-ID-19, bad actors have taken advantage of the anxious en-vironment and will try to take advantage of you through mis-information and scare tactics. They might contact you via

phone, email, postal mail, text or social media. Protect your money and your identity by not sharing personal information like your bank account number, Social Security number or date of birth. This includes your government affiliated equiva-lents, like GPC number, expira-tion dates, etc.

If you believe you have been the target of any scam, report the incident to OSI Detachment 106. Our contact information isbelow.

OSI Detachment 106 Con-tact Options:

Duty Hours Phone: 931-454-7820

Detachment Email: AFO-SIDet106.CC@us.af.mil

Text: Text “AFOSI” + Your Tip Info to “Crimes” (274637)

Scan: Scan QR

Values

Vision

• Ethics. We are uncompromising in our integrity, honesty, and fairness.

• Safety & Health. We are relentless in keeping people safe from harm, andwe provide a safe and healthy work

environment.• Security. We are disciplined and vigilant in protecting sensitive AEDC information and ensuring system integrity to support

national security and our customers.• Excellence. We thrive on challenge, accomplishment, and mission success.• Quality. We are passionate about doing

our work right the first time.• People. We have a mission-focused,inclusive workforce who have a diverse skill set, are committed to success, demonstrate innovation and have a can

do attitude.• Culture. Our team is proud of our diver-sity, inclusiveness, and collaborative work environment. We are proud of what we do

and how we do it.• Relationships. We build positive, long-term business relationships through trust,

respect, and collaboration.• Innovation. We overcome challenges through creativity, perseverance, technol-ogy, and flexibility. We actively seek to

continually improve.• Sustainability. We plan and act for thelong term benefit of our communities and

our environment.

High Mach Staff:Kathy Jacobsen,

NAS Executive Editor

Jill Pickett NAS Editor

Arnold Air Force

Base

Richard TigheGeneral Manager,

National Aerospace Solutions

High Mach is published by Lakeway Publishers, Inc. a pri-vate firm in no way connected with the U.S. Air Force, Arnold Air Force Base, Arnold Engi-neering Development Complex (AEDC) or National Aerospace Solutions (NAS), under exclu-sive written contract with NAS at Arnold AFB, Tenn., 37389.

Everything advertised in this publication will be made available for purchase, use or patronage without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital sta-tus, physical handicap, political affiliation or any other non-merit factor of the purchaser, user or patron.

The High Mach office is located at 100 Kindel Drive, Suite A236, Arnold AFB, Tenn. 37389-1236. Editorial content is edited and prepared by NAS. Deadline for copy is Wednes-day at close of business one week before publication.

This commercial enterprise newspaper is an allowable NAS contractor publication for personnel at Arnold AFB.

The content of High Mach does not necessarily reflect the views of the Air Force, Arnold AFB, AEDC or NAS. The ap-pearance of advertising in this publication does not constitute endorsement of the products or services advertised by the Department of Defense, the Department of the Air Force, Arnold AFB, AEDC, NAS or Lakeway Publishers, Inc.For general information about High Mach, call (931) 454-5655 or visit www.arnold.af.mil.

Core Values• Integrityfirst

• Service before self• Excellence in all

we do

Use High Mach to mar-ket your products and services. Contact Joe at 931-455-4545 or jmartin@tullahomanews.com

“NAS delivers the best aerospace testing

capabilities today and in the future.”

Col. Jeffrey GeraghtyCommander

Jason AustinChief,

Public Affairs

Smoking Policy1. The following revised Arnold AFB smoking policy is effective immediately and applies to all individuals on

Arnold AFB.2. Traditional Tobacco products (e.g. cigars and cigarettes):

a. Smoking is permitted solely in Designated Tobacco Areas (DTAs) identified by designated signage. If nosignage exists, smoking is not permitted in that area. It is the responsibility of all smokers to keep DTAsclean of cigarette butts.

b. Tobacco use on the Arnold AFB Golf Course is permitted, but discouraged based on the health hazardsof tobacco use and secondhand smoke. No smoking is permitted within 50 feet of golf course buildingsexcept in the approved DTA.

c. Smoking in government-owned/leased vehicles is strictly prohibited. Personnel are allowed to smoke in theirpersonal vehicles at any time; however, at no time will personnel discard cigarette butts outside their vehicle.

d. For government employees, the fact that a person smokes has no bearing on the number of breaks theymay take. Breaks should be taken in accordance with the current supervisory and personnel policies thatafford all employees the same break opportunities consistent with good work practices and accomplish-ment of the mission.

3. Smokeless Tobacco products (e.g. snuff and dip):Smokeless tobacco products are not to be restricted to DTAs. Smokeless tobacco use will be permitted in allworkplace areas (inside and out) subject to reasonable safety and sanitary conditions. Specifically, containersof tobacco waste product, including sealed containers, must not be left unattended or disposed of in trashreceptacles. Users of smokeless tobacco must flush tobacco waste down the toilet.

4. Electronic Cigarettes (also known as “e-cigs”):Pursuant to Air Force Instruction (AFI) 40-102, Tobacco Free Living, e-cigs are considered to be equivalent totobacco products; however, e-cigs are not restricted to DTAs and are allowed to be used outdoors at a minimumdistance of 25 feet from building entry/egress points. (This policy is dated July 27, 2016)

Team AEDC,I believe in free and open communications

with our Team AEDC employees, and that’s why we have the Action Line available. People can use the Action Line to clear up rumors, ask ques-tions, suggest ideas on improvements, enter complaints or get other issues off their chests.

The Action Line has been expanded to in-clude an option for your ideas, comments, or suggestions on the AcqDemo personnel sys-tem. Simply call the normal x6000 commander’s action line. You will then be prompted to select option 1 for the Commander’s Action Line or Op-tion 2 for the AcqDemo line. They can access the Action Line via the AEDC intranet home page and by calling 931-454-6000.

Although the Action Line is always available, the best and fastest way to get things resolved is by using your chain of command or by con-tacting the organization directly involved. I en-courage everyone to go that route first, then if the situation isn’t made right, give us a chance.

Col. Jeffrey GeraghtyAEDC Commander

Action Line

‘Tis the season...for scams and malicious campaigns

By 1st Lt. Stephanie Mullins75th Air Base Wing Medical Group

HILL AIR FORCE BASE, Utah – This year’s holiday season comes with many unique challenges. Safe-guarding ourselves and the community from COVID-19 has been a marathon and will continue into 2021. The ef-fects of this pandemic during the holiday season will test our resiliency. Here are some helpful tips to stay mentally safe and healthy.

Embrace Winter Activities:Enjoy the fresh air and

sunshine. Although this area is legendary for taking to the slopes, there are many other fun outdoor activities.

Run/hike/camp/snowshoe/cross-country ski/sled are just a few ways to enjoy the win-ter.

If tubing is more your speed there are plenty of free hills, from Ogden to Bountiful. And for a fee, there are hills that have been engineered to be very fast. Some locations fea-ture refreshments, music, lift to bring you back up the hill, and lights for extended hours.

New hobbies and ‘alone to-gether’ COVID-style:

Schedule FaceTime with new and old friends, family, faith-based community or a new virtual group of people

who share a common interest.Some ‘alone together’

time suggestions include tak-ing the opportunity to learn a new hobby or activity such as painting or playing the guitar.

Be realistic:The 2020 holidays will not

look like they did in years past.

Leave and/or travel re-quests may not be approved or contain restrictions but that doesn’t mean you can’t make the best of it. Much of life is not what happens to us but what we make of it. New tra-ditions may emerge as we find ways to be ‘alone together’ and find meaning in celebrat-ing the holidays locally.

Don’t forget about your health:

Remember to take time for yourself. This may mean tak-ing a break from watching television or social media.

Work on getting enough sleep, avoid alcohol, eat well and exercise.

Make time to unwind with meditation or prayer, yoga, journaling, crossword puzzles, listening to music or reading.

As winter progresses, and the days get shorter, find time to get some natural sunlight. Great satisfaction can be found in volunteering a service to a needy population.

Finally, reach out if you’re struggling! You do not have

to manage this season alone. Resources:

• Employee AssistanceProgram (EAP): (866) 580-9078

• Military Crisis Line: (800)

273-8255, then press 1,or access online chat bytexting 838255

• Vets4Warriors: (855) 838-8255, or chat online at www.vets4warriors.com.

Self-care this holiday season

This year’s holiday season comes with many unique challenges. Safeguarding ourselves and the community from COVID-19 has been a marathon and will continue into 2021. (Courtesy graphic from cdc.gov/coronavirus)

December 21, 2020 • 3

CHIEF from page 1

test analysts and engi-neers at Arnold, Har-rington said he hopes he can provide some insight into different projects being worked in the engine test facili-ties.

“I have been able to use my knowledge of the engine components and their operation to help the modeling en-gineers develop an ac-curate representation of the current engine configuration,” he said. “Working with the Technical and Manage-ment Advisory Services experts, I have assisted in providing past test information to validate those models.”

Harrington also noted that his previ-ous experience work-ing and operating the engine has made it easy to relate operating and emergency procedures in the test cell to flight line procedures.

“Many of the test objectives include sim-ulating an engine in-stalled in an aircraft to include power extrac-tion and bleed extrac-tion,” he said. “Know-ing all the components of the aircraft that make up the Accessory Drive and Environmen-tal Controls System helps me understand what we are simulating.

Having run the engine from the cockpit, I am familiar with monitor-ing key engine param-eters and what to watch on the engine to detect an emergency condi-tion and take action to prevent damage or fail-ure.”

In his new position as test engineer, Har-rington is responsible for safely and effec-tively integrating the

engine into the test cell, which includes contributing to the Safety Review Board, Test Review Board and Test Readiness Review; monitoring and record-ing data during the test; and contributing to the Technical Report after the test.

“In addition to en-gine test programs, test engineers contribute to many of the AEDC

technology projects and provide engine expertise to those,” he said. “The ops (op-erations) tempo can be much slower on the test as there are still a lot of unknowns. In the operational Air Force the aircraft and engine have already been thor-oughly tested and the focus is on delivering aircraft to the warfight-er daily.”

Technical advisor Steve Arnold said he con-siders Harrington’s expe-rience a unique asset for the branch.

“We’ve already taken advantage of Bryon’s hands-on experience to provide rapid support to customers for some of the engines he maintained as a crew chief,” Arnold said.

Though Harrington hasn’t been at Arnold a year yet, he said he is thor-

oughly enjoying his job and AEDC.

“The working envi-ronment here is great as everyone tries to con-tribute and share their knowledge to achieve testing goals,” he said. “There is a real focus on maintaining a cohesive work environment, which sometimes gets lost in the operational world due to a faster ops tempo and mis-sion requirements.”

Bryon Harrington, a test engineer for the Propulsion Test Branch, Test Division, Arnold Engineering Development Complex, stands in front of an F100 engine outside of the Engine Test Facility at Arnold Air Force Base, Dec. 4. When Harrington was an enlisted Airman in the U.S. Air Force he serviced and removed F100 engines. He now works as a civilian for an organization which has per-formed ground testing on the engine. (U.S. Air Force photo by Jill Pickett)

of the emissivity. In gen-eral, the surface emis-sivity of materials can change with wavelength, temperature and viewing angle, making it is nec-essary to characterize the emissivity for materials of interest over a wide range conditions that might be encountered during test programs.”

The emissometer bombards a sample with electromagnetic radia-tion from a blackbody simulator. A true black-body would perfectly emit radiation of all wavelengths. The radia-tion from the blackbody

simulator excites the at-oms of the sample caus-ing it to emit radiation. The optical spectrometer within the emissometer then detects and records the energy emitted from the material at specific wavelengths. Comparing these results to those of an infrared camera allows technicians to verify the accuracy of the camera.

“High- temperature surface emissivity data is critical to the transforma-tion of infrared images into temperature maps across a hypersonic test article,” said Dr. Joe Weh-rmeyer, AEDC technical

advisor for Test Technol-ogy. “These temperature maps can subsequently be transformed into surface heat transfer information, all of which is important to characterize a hyper-sonic vehicle’s thermal protection systems.”

The enhanced emis-someter will be able to heat samples above 3,000 degrees Rankine, with a stretch goal of achieving 5,000 degrees Rankine. The legacy instrument was limited to 3,000 de-grees Rankine or below. It will also be able to take spectral measurements at four different viewing

angles as opposed to the legacy instrument which can only take measure-ments at a single angle. Both variables can influ-ence spectral emissivity and the resulting confi-dence in the accuracy of temperatures deduced from an infrared camera image.

“Spectral directional emissivity can be angle dependent, so the best condition in your test cell is to have your thermal camera mounted to mea-sure at the same angle as used in the emissometer,” Galyen said. “But, for example, if due to clash

with other hardware, your thermal camera can only be mounted at a 45-de-gree angle to the target surface, it is possible that the emissivity value from the original angle is not accurate, thus increasing your temperature mea-surement error in the test cell.”

Adding capabilities is also in the plans for the new instrument.

“The new emissometer will maintain the capabil-ity to optically determine the sample’s temperature with the additional goal of simultaneous measure-ments of reflectance and

transmittance to decrease measurement time,” Galyen said. “All of these are vast improvements to the older emissometer de-veloped and delivered by Advanced Fuel Research in 1993.”

The new emissometer has been designed, parts have been ordered and fabrication of the new system is underway. De-livery of the completed instrument is expected in 12 to 18 months. Keely Beale, who heads up the ATML, is excited for the new capabilities that the technology will bring to the lab and to AEDC.

HYPERSONIC from page 1

By Greg ChadwickAir Force Materiel Command Health & Wellness Team

W R I G H T - P A T -TERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio – The flu is a contagious respira-tory illness caused by the influenza viruses that infect the nose, throat, and sometimes the lungs. Most infectious disease experts believe that flu viruses spread mainly by droplets made when people with the flu cough, sneeze or talk. These droplets can land in the mouths or noses of people who are nearby or possi-bly be inhaled into the lungs. A person might also get the flu by touch-ing a surface or object that has the flu virus on it and then touch their own mouth, nose, or eyes.

The Centers for Dis-ease Control and Preven-tion (CDC) states that the best way to protect your-self and your loved ones against influenza is to get a flu vaccine every flu season. Flu vaccine has been shown in research studies to reduce flu re-lated illnesses and the

risk of serious flu com-plications that can result in hospitalization or even death. Flu viruses are constantly changing, so flu vaccines may be up-dated from one season to the next to protect against the viruses that research suggests will be common during the upcoming flu season. Your protection from a flu vaccine de-clines over time. Yearly vaccination is needed for the best protection.

Vaccination of high risk persons is especially important to decrease their risk of severe flu illness. People at high risk of serious flu com-plications include young children, pregnant wom-en, people with certain chronic health conditions like asthma, diabetes, or heart and lung disease, and people 65 years and older.

Influenza vaccina-tions for all military members are a manda-tory requirement, and available through mobile immunization clinics at each installation or at any participating Tricare eli-gible pharmacies. Tricare beneficiaries are also eli-

gible for flu shots through immunization clinics on base, or at no cost at Tricare eligible pharma-cies. For the civilian workforce, all Federal Employee Health Benefit plans cover flu shots at no cost for members and are available at local retail pharmacies.

The CDC also recom-mends everyday preven-tive actions to help slow the spread of germs that

cause respiratory illness-es, like flu. Healthy habits to help prevent flu include:

Avoid close contact with people who are sick.

Stay home when you are sick to help prevent the spreading of your ill-ness to others.

Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing.

Wash your hands often to help protect yourself from germs.

Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth.

Clean and disinfect frequently touched sur-faces and objects like phones and doorknobs.

Practice other good health habits. Get plenty of sleep, be physically ac-tive, manage your stress, drink plenty of fluids, and eat nutritious foods.

For more information on preventing seasonal flu, visit USAFwellness.

com or contact your local Civilian Health Promo-tion Services team. Com-prehensive information on healthy habits to help prevent the flu can be found at the Centers for Disease Control and Pre-vention website at: cdc.gov.

Active duty Airmen are advised to consult their base’s medical ser-vices to check the avail-ability of the flu vaccine.

Preventing seasonal flu

Master Sgt. Chad Hardesty, 412th Security Forces Squadron, receives the flu vaccine from Senior Airman Natalie Avalos, 412th Medical Group, at Edwards Air Force Base, California, Nov. 13. (Air Force photo by Giancarlo Casem)

modernize facilities and transportation systems. They also operate the test utility systems, en-abling their fellow mem-bers of Team AEDC to execute a critical nation-al defense mission. And, if something should go wrong, the Branch is tasked with providing emergency response.

Four sections – the Engineering Section,

the Operations Section, the Installation Manage-ment Section and the Emergency Management Section – comprise the Base Civil Engineering Branch.

The Engineering Section has cradle-to-grave oversight of the design and construction of all test utilities, and the sustainment, resto-ration and moderniza-

tion of buildings.“Our projects sup-

port all test capabilities, as well as mission sup-port functions across the installation,” said Jon Paul Wallace, chief of the Section.

These projects range in scale from concrete slabs and roof replace-ments to renovation of an entire facility. Re-cently, the team over-

saw improvements at the Main Gate and the Visitor Control Center. They also were respon-sible for comprehensive renovations for the Base Civil Engineer Building and the Water Treatment Plant.

“These renovations greatly enhanced the quality of life for per-sonnel working in these facilities, as well as the operations,” Wallace said.

The team also has a suite of contract ve-hicles that has increased the efficiency of the pro-curement process, sig-nificantly reducing the time required to award construction contracts and advance the AEDC mission.

The Operations Sec-tion is responsible for operation and mainte-nance of the utility sys-tems on base, and main-tenance of buildings and grounds.

The utility systems include the traditional systems which provide the basic utility servic-es to the personnel on base similar to a public utility company, such as potable water treat-ment, sewage collec-tion and treatment, and electrical distribution. The team also operates and maintains non-tradi-tional utility systems in support of the test mis-sion, such as test power, cooling water, petroleum fuel and nitrogen.

“All of our utilities are critical to accom-plishing the mission,” said Joshua Cooke, a se-nior utility manager.

The testing mission at Arnold AFB creates a high demand for utility support.

Daily electrical pow-er requirements can at times equal that of a city the size of Chatta-nooga. To meet this de-mand, system engineers and operators maintain communication with the power provider, Tennes-see Valley Authority.

Running engines for testing requires fuel and the infrastructure to store and deliver it to the test cells. The Opera-tions Section is capable of pumping more than

100,000 gallons of jet fuel each day. Fuels man-agers coordinate fuel de-livery with the Defense Logistics Agency.

“We also have one of the most complex in-dustrial cooling water systems in the world,” Cooke said.

The Section has the capability of flowing up to 600 million gallons of cooling water through the pumping station in a day. The Woods Reser-voir is the source of the water. The Section oper-ates the Elk River Dam to manage the reservoir.

“The Utility program that we have here is very unique and very large,” Cooke said. “That’s why we’re very fortunate to have a team of profes-sionals that have a wealth of knowledge and work hard. We need that every day to continue to sup-port our mission.”

The Installation Man-agement Section is re-sponsible for ensuring Arnold AFB is in com-pliance with all state and federal regulations concerning environmen-tal, natural and cultural resources. In order to maintain compliance with water quality and air emissions standards, the team interacts with the Environmental Pro-tection Agency and the Tennessee Department of Environment and Con-servation to coordinate inspections and obtain permit renewals.

Hazardous materials management and dispos-al is coordinated with the Defense Logistics Agen-cy. The handling of haz-ardous materials requires the training of base per-sonnel on proper labeling and packaging.

A partnership with the Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency aids Arnold AFB in manag-ing 40,000 acres of for-ests and wildlife habitat, many of which is open to the public for recreation-al use. The Base is home to 137 species of plants, animals and invertebrates identified by the state for protection and three spe-cies of bats under federal protection.

The team also takes special care with cultural

resources, including 187 archaeological sites. To facilitate understanding and management of tra-ditional cultural proper-ties, they consult with 15 federally-recognized Na-tive American tribes.

“Installation Man-agement balances the stewardship of various resources entrusted to the Air Force with the cur-rent and future needs of the Air Force mission,” said David Carlon, chief of the Section.

The Emergency Man-agement Section watch-es and prepares for cri-ses. When one strikes, the Emergency Opera-tions Center is stood up to provide support to the incident commander from subject matter ex-perts across the installa-tion.

“We focus on an ‘all hazards’ approach and plan for a worst case scenario,” said J.D. Dill, chief of the Sec-tion. “Anything less than worst case is al-ways a great thing.”

Preparation is key. The group develops ac-tion plans to mitigate and recover from inci-dents, both natural and man-made. They also help Arnold AFB per-sonnel prepare through trainings, conducting “all hazard” threat as-sessments and holding base-wide exercises, amongst other activi-ties.

The Section is also tasked with monitoring severe weather. They receive briefings from National Weather Ser-vice offices and the 26th Operational Weather Squadron in Shreveport, Louisiana. If there is a threat of severe weather, an alert is pushed out to Arnold AFB personnel to enable them to take precautions.

“As Emergency Mangers, we work very closely with many part-ners here on Arnold Air Force Base and the local community,” Dill said. “From security and po-lice officers, Operations Center personnel, or firefighters, we must all work together as a team in order to be successful in any situation.”

4 • December 21, 2020

SUCCESS from page 1

Arnold Air Force Base Fire and Emergency Ser vices personnel attack a ground fire near an air craft with a hand line while training March 5 using a propane-fueled trainer brought to the base. Fire and Emergency Services is one sec tion of the Arnold Engineering Development Com plex Base Civil Engineering Branch.

A member of Team AEDC mows grass Sept. 10 at Arnold Air Force Base. Grounds maintenance is one of the responsibilities of the Arnold Engineering Development Complex Base Civil Engineering Branch. (U.S. Air Force photos by Jill Pickett)

Joshua Cooke, an Arnold Engineering Development Complex senior utility manager, inspects a water pumping station Sept. 10 at Arnold Air Force Base. The AEDC Base Civil Engineering Branch oversees utilities at Arnold AFB.

December 21, 2020 • 5

By Donna LindnerAir Force Research Laboratory

WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio (AFNS) – The objective of the Air Force Research Labo-ratory Research Collaboration Program II (also known as the Minority Leaders – RCP) is to enable collaborative research partnerships between AFRL and academia that engages a diverse pool of scientists and engineers in addressing foun-dational research challenges in support of the nation’s air, space and cyberspace technol-ogy needs.

The new effort, co-led by AFRL, Ohio State University, Wright State University and North Carolina A&T State University, will create a na-tional consortium to increase opportunities in the Air Force for minority science technolo-gy engineering and mathemat-ics students and graduates.

Diverse perspectives from across the nation help con-quer Air Force research and development challenges. Es-tablishing AFRL-led cutting edge research projects at his-torically black colleges and universities, minority serving institutions and other partner-ing foundations is encourag-ing growth competencies at these universities for support-ing aerospace technologies.

The six-year, $40 million project, funded by AFRL, develops and trains the next generation of STEM leaders. Students work with AFRL research mentors on proj-ects throughout the academic school year and are employed by AFRL under summer in-ternship programs with access to specialized research equip-ment and laboratory space to continue on-going research in

concert with that mentor.“This funding provides an

exciting opportunity for OSU to partner with minority insti-tutions from across the nation to develop creative approach-es to cultivating a prepared, diverse research workforce for the next generation of sci-entists for the U.S. Air Force,” said Morley Stone, senior vice president of research at OSU. “In addition, through this work, these organizations will be better positioned to pro-pose and perform on AFRL research opportunities and the larger U.S. Department of De-fense enterprise.”

The scope of the research projects encompass a broad range of evolutionary and revolutionary technology ad-vances within varied AFRL research topic areas, includ-ing structural and functional materials and applications, support for operations, manu-

facturing technology, radio frequency sensing, electro-optical sensing and spectrum warfare.

Layered sensing exploita-tion and enabling sensor de-vices/components, high speed systems, thermal management systems, rocket propulsion, turbine engines, aerospace vehicles, human-centered in-telligence surveillance and re-connaissance, bio effect, and training and decision making, are other topic areas of inter-est.

“There are many benefits to this program,” said Ashe-ley Blackford, AFRL RCP program manager. “It creates a new source of quality uni-versity research with a highly trained pool of excellent stu-dent and engineering gradu-ates. It also increases diversity of the workforce along with allowing access to innovative thoughts from culturally and

scientifically diverse sources.”AFRL has previously fund-

ed individual graduate student research projects. This effort is specifically designed to cre-ate a national infrastructure that will build a lasting pipe-line that brings science and engineering students from minority-serving institutions to the AFRL and strengthens research connections between the AFRL and MSIs.

“Our fundamental goal is to develop the kind of commu-nity network that not only de-velops students’ skills, but also builds a meaningful relation-ship for the long haul between the institutions we’re working with,” said Michael Groeber, associate professor in inte-grated systems engineering at OSU and research director for the project.

The consortium will help member institutions identify potential projects and develop

proposals for AFRL and other DOD research projects. The consortium will also subcon-tract awards to the participat-ing members: The consortium leadership (OSU, WSU and AFRL) will review propos-als, select projects for funding and offer technical support to MSI teams that receive fund-ing through the consortium for research. And, the AFRL will work with researchers throughout the lab to identify projects that would benefit from outside help.

The environment at AFRL is unique. It enables students to truly experience the culture and research with strong per-sonal experiences.

“I felt very relaxed and comfortable from the first day I arrived for work, and the en-vironment is very friendly,” said Cristian Orozco, graduate student from the University of Texas El Paso. “My men-tor introduced me to a slew of people that were always will-ing and eager to help me learn. I was empowered to indepen-dently perform hands-on work in the lab.”

Maintaining contact with each other is a great network-ing opportunity. Making new friends and learning a lot is priceless, Orozco commented.

This program permits stu-dents and faculty to be part of the cutting edge technologies developed in AFRL as well as leaving a strong technical footprint through collabora-tions. Research institutions have incorporated new com-petencies and curriculum to not only advance the institu-tions but the expertise of stu-dents across the nation. Stu-dents are grown into interdis-ciplinary researchers who are trained across multiple disci-plines as the new workforce of the future.

Air Force partners with universities in next-generation minority leaders research collaboration program

Cristian Orozco, a University of Texas El Paso graduate student, works in the Materials and Manufacturing Directorate over the summer. One of his duties includes working with a vacuum chamber for thin film coatings for optics. (U.S. Air Force photo by Donna Lindner)

By Kelley J. StewartPacific Air Forces Public Affairs

JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii (AFNS) – A C-130J Su-per Hercules conducted a hot-pit refuel of a pair of F-22 Raptors Nov. 24 at Koror Palau Interna-tional Airport using an Aerial Bulk Fuel Deliv-ery System.

This mission was one of a series of operations associated with Westpac, a dynamic force employ-ment of the 94th Expedi-tionary Fighter Squadron to the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command’s area of re-sponsibility.

According to the Air Expeditionary Force Fu-els Management Pocket Guide, ABFDS is an aer-ial, fuels-delivery system that enables aircraft to transport fuel rapidly to locations close to or be-hind enemy lines. This system is normally in-stalled on C-130s but can be used on C-5 Galaxies and C-17 Globemaster IIIs.

“Hot-pit refueling op-erations using ABFDS are relatively new,” said Chief Master Sgt. Steve McClure, Pacific Air Forces command fu-els functional manager. “The primary design of the ABFDS system is to refuel or to take bulk fuel to bladders in a con-

tingency location. It has the capability to refuel aircraft and always has, but we’ve stepped that up with (agile combat employment).”

According to Mc-Clure, the 374th Air-lift Wing developed the checklist to use ABFDS to refuel other aircraft, and this is the second time C-130s from the 36thAirlift Squadron, 374thAirlift Wing, Yokota AirBase, Japan, have hot-pit refueled F-22 Raptorsusing ABFDS. The firsttime was during exerciseValiant Shield 20, a bien-nial, U.S.-only, joint fieldtraining exercise at An-dersen Air Force Base,Guam, in September.

“They’ve been phe-nomenal and worked a lot on getting us to where we’re at,” he said.

ABFDS supports PA-CAF’s ACE concept, which envisions the use of agile operations to generate resilient airpow-er in a contested environ-ment. The system con-sists of two, 3,000-gallon aerial bladder tanks, two pumping modules, a me-ter and hoses. It is also capable of delivering 600 gallons per minute with one pump or 1,200 gallons per minute with both pumps.

Should pilots find themselves running out of fuel and they cannot land at the airfield they departed from because

it’s under attack or has battle damage, the pilots can divert to a different location knowing they can get refueled.

“If that location doesn’t have fuel sup-port, we can generate a mission to fly in and off load fuel to the aircraft,” McClure said.

Being able to get fuel to places in the USIN-DOPACOM theater of operations is important due to its size. The com-

mand’s area of responsi-bility is more than 100 million square miles, or roughly 52 percent of the Earth’s surface, stretch-ing from the west coast of the United States, the west coast of India, and from the Arctic to the Antarctic, making this an important capability.

“There are more air-fields than there is capa-bility at those airfields,” McClure said. “You never know when we’re

going to land, and you never know when we’re going to need support. It offers us the opportunity to put fuel at a location in a relatively short amount of time as opposed to moving it via maritime.

“We have the capabil-ity to load fuel on an air-craft. Take that aircraft and land somewhere, re-fuel and get back out of there. Once all aircraft are gone, it’s like we’ve never been there.”

ABFDS has been used in other USINDOPA-COM exercises and used to rotate U-2 Dragon La-dies in and out of South Korea. The system was also loaded onto Royal Australian Air Force C-17s and used to refuel a C-130 during Arctic Ace2018.

The 94th EFS is de-ployed to Andersen AFB from the 1st Fighter Wing, Joint Base Lang-ley-Eustis, Virginia.

C-130J refuels F-22s using Aerial Bulk Fuel Delivery System

An Airman prepares to provide fuel to a U.S. Air Force C-130J Super Hercules assigned to the 36th Airlift Squadron, Yokota Air Base, Japan, during a Dynamic Force Employment on Palau, Nov. 24. DFE is an op-erational platform that allows our forces to be strategically predictable and operationally unpredictable. The United States security presence, along with its allies and partners, underpins the peace and stability that has enabled the Indo-Pacific region to develop and prosper for more than seven decades. (U.S. Air Force courtesy photo)

By Christa D’AndreaAir Education and Training Command

JOINT BASE SAN A N T O N I O - R A N -DOLPH, Texas (AFNS) – In today’s competency-based approach to ForceDevelopment, the Air Force will now be ableto capture an Airman’s knowledge and capabil-ity through the newly re-leased Airman’s Founda-tional Competencies.

A competency is a combination of knowl-edge, skills, abilities and other characteristics that manifest in an observable and measurable pattern of behaviors.

The Airman’s Founda-tional Competencies are categorized into four ma-jor groups: Developing Self, Developing Others, Developing Ideas and De-veloping Organizations. Twenty-two competen-cies were approved last summer, two more were approved last month and there are more competen-cies on the horizon.

The Air Education and Training Command Direc-torate of Operations and Communications Compe-tencies Division has been methodically developing the competencies through a comprehensive study

and research process over the past three years.

“We opened the ap-erture to listen to what Airmen say matters most to them to be successful in the service,” said Col. Mark Coggins, AETC Competencies Division chief. “We faithfully wrote down what we learned and now we know what makes up the ‘average’ success-ful Airman.”

These competencies, along with occupational competencies currently in development, are part of the service’s system-atic competency-based approach to develop the force. It is an outcomes-based approach that ties a task together with specific behaviors to not only iden-tify what success looks like, but to create a path-way that deliberately de-velops Airmen to become top performers.

Coggins added that competency-based devel-opment allows Airmen to understand their proficien-cy level and gives super-visors greater insight into what their Airmen need to be more successful.

When conducting large-group studies to de-termine what competen-cies were important to Airmen, Coggins stated that accountability was

number one and teamwork was number two.

“I think if we applied resources to those two competencies, we could get a pretty good return on our investment,” he added.

To help Airmen gain a better understanding of their competency profi-ciency level, an Air Force Competencies section was recently added to MyVec-tor. On this page, Airmen will be able to take self-assessments and review resources to further their personal and professional development.

These assessment tools can assist an Airman, or their supervisor, in deter-mining if they have met expected behaviors as-sociated with a specific competency. Additionally, they are designed to give Airmen a clear descrip-tion of what’s expected of them as a member of the Profession of Arms.

“Competencies get to the heart of making the force ready and lay the foundation for ‘Devel-oping the Airmen We Need’,” Coggins said. “We are passionate about teaching Airmen some-thing about themselves, and pointing them to re-sources they can use for self-improvement.”

With ever-changing

operational environ-ments, the Department of the Air Force is moving toward a more competi-tive approach to devel-oping Airmen that links training, education and experiences to develop an

Airman’s competencies to out-think and out-perform adversaries.

“They (competen-cies) are the common currency of Force Devel-opment and are a power-ful tool for Airmen to

use as a pathway to suc-cess,” Coggins said.

For more informa-tion about Foundational and Occupational Com-petencies, visit https://www.aetc.af.mil/Force-Development/.

6 • December 21, 2020

Competencies lay foundation for success

The Airman’s Foundational Competencies are categorized into four major groups: Developing Self, Developing Others, Developing Ideas and Develop-ing Organizations. Twenty-two competencies were approved last summer, two more were approved last month with others on the way. To help Airmen gain a better understanding of their competency proficiency level, an Air Force Com-petencies section was recently added to MyVector. (U.S. Air Force graphic by Christa D’Andrea)

By Amy RollinsSkywrighter Staff

W R I G H T - P A T -TERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio – On Nov. 18, Tech. Sgt. Anthony Staton was headed to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base to begin his workday at the National Air and Space Intelli-gence Center. Little did he know the actions he took before reaching the base’s gate would mean he po-tentially saved someone’s life. Little did he know a wingman would soon come along to assist.

Staton was driv-ing on a South Maple Drive overpass in Fair-born when he saw a fig-ure hanging onto a light pole outside the railing. At first, he thought it was a child, but then real-ized the individual was a

young man peering down over the railing and look-ing at the railroad tracks below.

The Airman pulled over his car in one of the lanes, slowly walked to the distressed teen and began a conversation. The teen spoke softly, was hesitant and seemed to have a lot on his mind, Staton said.

“I stopped because of his body language – he looked sad. He didn’t look like he was in the best place,” he said. “You can tell when your friends are down; you notice body language, especially with everything going on this year. You want ev-erybody to be OK. I was worried for him.

“I asked him to come over to me and he eventu-ally did. I put myself be-tween the railing and him

and kept a hand on his shoulder while I called the police. That’s when Senior Master Sgt. (Da-vid) Briden came along.”

Briden, expeditionary operations manager for the Air Force Installa-tion Contracting Center, also was driving to work when he saw Staton’s uni-form, parked his pickup behind the Airman’s car and turned on his hazard lights.

“When he pulled up, I needed another person because I was afraid (the teen) would go back on his decision while I was on the phone,” Staton said. “Sgt. Briden also talked to him and knew to put our bodies between the railing and him and make sure he couldn’t choose another way. (Briden) was very calm himself. He’s a senior

master sergeant, so he has probably had to deal with some situations of calm-ing people down.”

The truck’s tailgate served as a convenient seat for the teen after the Airmen escorted him to safety and while a 911 dispatcher spoke with him. Soon several Fair-born Police Department units arrived and took charge, eventually taking the individual to medical care and discussing avail-able resources with him.

“We certainly appre-ciate them stopping and helping that young man in crisis and we are thankful they were able to assist us,” said Fairborn Police Department Sgt. Ben Ro-man. “We value Wright-Patterson Air Force Base as a member of our com-munity. They are always willing to assist us.

“We appreciate them remaining observant of their surroundings and recognizing someone in need of help and making this a positive outcome.”

Staton said the Air Force suicide awareness and prevention training was a factor in how the incident was resolved. As a supervisor, he’s had to worry about his troops once or twice and head over to their home, he said, but this was a bit different.

“I’m glad I was there at the right time. I feel like I didn’t do anything that anyone else could have done. I’m thankful it ended the way it did,” he said.

He plans to reach out to the Fairborn Police De-partment for a wellness check on the teen.

“What stood out to me

was the cool-headedness of the technical sergeant,” Briden said. “He did re-markably well, kept his composure and was talk-ing to authorities until they arrived and helped de-escalate the situation. He definitely didn’t have to jump out or do any-thing like that. He could have just driven by like others had, but Tech. Sgt. Staton decided he was going to get out there and take care of this.”

Col. Maurizio Ca-labrese, NASIC com-mander, commended the two Airmen.

“These are caring and quick-thinking Airmen who literally didn’t think twice about who they protect and defend on a daily basis,” he said. “It’s really humbling, and I’m proud to serve with such selfless NCOs.”

Airmen respond to distressed teen on overpass, potentially saving life

By Lt. Col. Wayne Capps315th Airlift Wing Public Affairs

JOINT BASE CHARLESTON, S.C. (AFNS) – The 16th Airlift Squadron at Joint Base Charleston delivered wa-ter purification systems to Honduras following the devastation caused by Hurricanes Eta and Iota.

The water purification systems were donated by Water Missions, a local Charleston charity.

The donated cargo totaled nearly 22,000 pounds and is valued at $81,140. According to donating organizations, the aid supplies are esti-

mated to support the lives of 35,000 people living in Honduras.

“Right now, the quick-est way to get supplies into Honduras is with the Air Force because some places are inundated with as much as eight to nine feet of water,” said Mark Baker, director of disaster response for Water Mis-sions. “Safe water is the most critical thing a per-son can have in the after-math of a disaster.”

The cargo was do-nated in conjunction with the Denton Amendment, a State Department and USAID program that al-lows humanitarian aid to

be flown on existing U.S. Air Force missions, on a space-available basis. These missions are flown at no additional cost to the U.S. taxpayers.

“Thousands of Hon-durans miss work and school daily because of water-borne illness,” ac-cording to Water Mis-sion’s Denton applica-tion. “The ability to have safe water available and local allows families to spend the hours they nor-mal spend collecting wa-ter or sick from drinking contaminated water to have much fuller, more successful lives and break cyclical poverty.”

JB Charleston teams up with local charity to airlift humanitarian aid to Honduras

Airmen assigned to the 16th Airlift Squadron load water purification systems at Joint Base Charleston, S.C., Nov. 25. The equipment was donated by Water Missions, a lo-cal Charleston charity, to be delivered to Hondurans affected by Hurricanes Eta and Iota. The cargo was donated in conjunction with the Denton Amendment, a State De-partment and USAID program that allows humanitarian aid to be flown on existing U.S. Air Force missions, on a space-available basis. These missions are flown at no additional cost to the U.S. taxpayers. (U.S. Air Force photo by Lt. Col. Wayne Capps)

December 21, 2020 • 7

By Master Sgt. Chance BabinAir Force Recruiting Service Public Affairs

HOMESTEAD AIR RESERVE BASE, Fla. (AFNS) – Airman 1st Class Sourav Basu Roy, an air transportation spe-cialist assigned to the 482nd Fighter Wing at Homestead Air Reserve Base and a commercial airline pilot, is living the American dream.

Born and raised in the small, mountainous and underdeveloped city of Agartala, India, Basu Roy had big dreams as a little boy, and, thankfully, par-ents who encouraged him to shoot for the stars.

“My childhood dream was to be an astronaut someday,” he said. “But, in my society, there was so much prejudice that not many people supported me, except my parents.”

He recalled writing an essay on his life goals when he was just 6 years old and receiving an un-usual reaction from his teacher about his future aspirations.

“I wrote an essay say-ing I would like to be an astronaut and how I would start by being a pilot,” he said. “But my teacher got mad at me. She thought I was being a daydreamer even though I was a good student at the time. She spanked my hands with a bamboo stick until my palms got red. She even made fun of me with a few other teachers. But I believe those kinds of

experiences made me a strong and successful per-son today.”

Unlike his teacher, Basu Roy’s parents sup-ported his dreams.

“I remember my par-ents said, ‘if you dream big over here, people will think you are crazy. We will work very hard and save money so we can send you to the only land of opportunity, which is the United States of Amer-ica. Nobody will judge you there. You will have enormous opportunities and freedom.’”

Basu Roy continued to do well in school and he never lost his passion for aviation and space.

“I remember myself playing with paper air-planes and pretending to be a pilot as a child. Many of my friends did the same,” he said. “Our paper aircrafts competed, formed flying squadrons, and participated in impor-tant air missions. Years passed by, and while my friends moved on with their dreams and changed the love for the games in the air for other interests, I realized that my passion for aviation and space is a lifetime crush.”

When he was 18, his parents decided it was time to send Basu Roy to the United States.

“We had many family members and friends liv-ing in the U.S.,” he said. “For my parents, it was the best place they could send their only child. I think that decision forever changed my life.”

Within 19 days of ar-riving in the U.S., Basu Roy began flight train-ing. Having spent end-less hours on a comput-er-based flight simulator growing up in India, he was well prepared for the actual training.

“My instructor was so happy that I already knew so much about the aircraft,” he said. “On top of that, I was able to do all the maneuvers by myself without his intervention. In my first entry in my pi-lot logbook, he wrote ‘Ex-cellent Job.’”

Basu Roy did his first solo flight when he was 19 and he passed his first exam for his private pi-lot’s license with flying colors. He received his instrument rating and his commercial pilot’s license in only six months.

With his pilot certifi-cates in hand, he enrolled at Miami Dade College to work on his associate’s degree and began working toward his certified flight instructor rating.

He earned an Associate of Science degree in pilot technology and a Bach-elor of Science degree in information technology as a distinguished gradu-ate while simultaneously pursuing his aviation ca-reer.

“Four years ago, when I started flying as a flight instructor, I trained many new pilots who passed with flying colors and now work for airlines worldwide,” he said.

An accomplished flight instructor, Basu

Roy accepted a job with Air Wisconsin Airlines, a regional partner of United Airlines.

“I joined them as a first officer about three years ago and accumulat-ed more than 3,000 hours in total flight time. I now have more than 1,500 hours in jet time,” he said.

He became an airline captain at age 24, then Basu Roy turned his at-tention to reaching his lifelong dream of becom-ing an astronaut.

“I applied for the U.S. Navy in 2016, thinking that someday it will open a pathway for me to ap-ply for Test Pilot School, which will make it easier for me to one day be a NASA astronaut,” he said.

During his applica-tion process, the Navy stopped recruiting people without a residency card due to a government di-rective. Undeterred, Basu Roy continued to look for a way to chase his dreams of becoming an astronaut and serve his country. Since he is not an Ameri-can citizen yet, he is not eligible to be an Air Force pilot. But he talked to an Air Force recruiter who explained that he could enlist. He set his sights on joining the Air Force Reserve.

“When I first met Basu Roy, I was impressed be-cause he was a 24-year-old airline pilot,” said Tech. Sgt. Reynaldo Ro-driguez, 351st Recruiting Squadron line recruiter. “He was willing to join as an enlisted member, with hopes of becoming a pilot later. He did whatever we asked of him. He has al-ways been motivated. He has always been active and confident in every-thing he does. I never had an issue with him.”

Basu Roy was all set to join the Reserve in late 2019, when an opportu-nity he couldn’t refuse came up. He received an offer from United Air-lines to transfer from the regional carrier to the main airline.

“So, I stopped the en-listment process for some time,” he said. “My plan was to start with United and then eventually enlist in the Reserve.”

“Back around Novem-ber of 2019, he told me he had to take a break because he was trans-ferring airline positions with United,” Rodriguez

said. “I told him that was a great civilian op-portunity and to not pass it up. He appreciated the honesty and said he would definitely stay in touch and continue the process someday. To be honest, I wasn’t sure if I would ever hear from him again.”

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit and the commercial aviation in-dustry suffered a major slowdown, Basu Roy’s position at United was put on hold and he thought it would be the perfect time to begin his military ca-reer.

“I saw that the avia-tion industry would take at least another year to recover completely,” he said. “I decided to com-plete my process for en-listment and training with the Air Force Reserve.”

While he is excited about serving as an Air-man, he still has some loftier goals in mind.

“My job for now will be air transportation,” he said. “My immediate next goal is to get selected by any pilot board within the Air Force Reserve, any-where in the continental United States for an un-dergraduate pilot train-ing slot and eventually make it to the Test Pilot School.”

With his sight set on still becoming an astro-naut one day, he has al-ready been accepted for a doctoral degree in un-manned aerial systems once he completes his master’s degree.

“I chose unmanned systems because I be-lieve that is the future as everything will go pilot-less with artificial intelli-gence,” he said. “Having my Ph.D. in unmanned systems, I will be future ready.”

As he continues to build his resume Basu Roy set his sights on his ultimate dream.

“This year, for the first time, I applied for NASA’s astronaut program as a ci-vilian,” he said. “I know nobody gets selected as an astronaut on the first attempt, so I will keep on trying until I fulfill this life goal from my childhood. I will be an Air Force Re-serve pilot and then, soon enough, a NASA astro-naut. That day will be my dream come true.”

Basu Roy realizes he doesn’t slow down even to enjoy an accomplishment

before moving to another one, but he hasn’t reached his final goal yet.

“I must say this has not been a comfortable jour-ney for me. I achieved so much in such a short pe-riod only because of my dedication,” he said. “I have to sacrifice so many things in my life so that I can stay on track. It gets tough and sometimes chal-lenging to work and study simultaneously. I will use one of the Air Force core values, which is ‘Excel-lence in All We Do.’ Hard work and dedication will always pay you back.”

While he continues to chase his dreams, Basu Roy gives a lot of credit for his values and the suc-cess he has achieved so far to his parents.

“I believe I am a pho-tocopy of my father,” he said. “He was a highly respected and now-retired police officer and a presi-dent medal awardee. My mom was a housewife. They taught me early in life how important it is to have high moral and ethical values. Watch-ing them, I learned how to value an organization and have high respect for people in uniform or peo-ple in general. We should make sure we do our best to make our employer suc-ceed. I inherited that kind of strong work and life ethics from them.”

His story resonated with Rodriguez since both of his parents immigrated to the U.S. for a better life.

“His story is special to me,” Rodriguez said. “When I hear his story and what he went through, I remember my family go-ing through similar situ-ations. As his recruiter, it gave me a greater pur-pose to help him fulfill his dream,”

Basu Roy also gives a lot of credit to the people who have helped him in his new country.

“I am so grateful to the United States of America and its people,” he said. “Today, whatever I am, a lot of credit goes to those who came into my life and left a positive impact on me. I can succeed in my life because of the help I got from so many kind people. I would like to thank the United States of America for giving me so many enormous opportu-nities. This is and will for-ever be a land of opportu-nity. Dreams do come true here. God bless America!”

8 • December 21, 2020

Indian immigrant living the American dream, shooting for the stars in Air Force Reserve

Airman 1st Class Sourav Basu Roy, 482nd Fighter Wing air transportation spe-cialist, Homestead Air Reserve Base, Fla., and his co-pilot, Nicholas Emery, a warrant officer serving in the Army National Guard. sit in the cockpit of a Bombardier Canadair Regional Jet, Nov. 16. Basu Roy, also a commercial air-line pilot, enlisted in the Air Force Reserve with hopes of becoming a pilot and ultimately a NASA astronaut. (U.S. Air Force courtesy photo)

December 21, 2020 • 9

Services activities are open!except for Holiday Hours shown below

and may have limited hours and offeringsINFO UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE - SUBJECT TO CHANGE

Call to check and confirm availability.Other restrictions may apply.

GOLF COURSE: daily 7am-dusk Call @ upcoming tournaments 454-GOLFMULLIGAN’S GRILL: S-S only 7am-1pm 454-FOOD

CLOSED: every Thu Dec/Jan/Feb, Dec 25 7am-2pm Dec 24, 31

OUTDOOR REC: Office/Marina M, T, Th, F, Sa 10am-5pmCLOSED: Dec 12, 23-25/31, Jan 1

RESERVATIONS REQUIRED 454-6084 Some rentals/inflatables not available

CAFÉ 100: M-F 7:30am-12:30pm Grill closed 10-10:30amCLOSED Nov 30 - Jun 1 due to high telework/renovation project

FITNESS CENTER: M-F 5am-7:30pm Closed 1-1:30pm Sa 8am-1pmCLOSED: Dec 24-25, Jan 1 8am-1pm Dec 23 & 31

BY APPT ONLY, 454-6440, FOR AUTHORIZED USERS-Screening questions at entry -No lockers -Limited showers -Hours extended based on usage

Virtual Classes available through Wellbeats.com Use code: 479b0f59

ALC: Th-F 5-8pm dining (limited menu) & bar 454-3350CLOSED: Dec 20-Jan 6

Check flyers/posters, SharePoint, Facebook, or SKN tvs for specials & eventsDec Dining Special: Holiday Wreath Pizza or Garlic Bites Pull Apart Tree

Dec 18: Kids Craft Night – Gingerbread House picture frame

As of 23 Nov 20

WINGO INN: M-F 7am-6pm S-S 8am-4pm 454-30518am-4pm Dec 24-25/31, Jan 1

FOOD TRUCKS: M-F 10am-1pm

By Bradley HicksAEDC Public Affairs

Members of the Ar-nold Air Force Base Fire and Emergency Services team visited the Ar-nold Village community ahead of the Christmas holiday to deliver to the residents ornaments that could help save property and lives.

These “ornaments” were actually cards that could be hung on a Christmas tree or by stockings. The cards contained Christmas tree safety tips aimed at pre-venting holiday residen-tial fires.

Arnold FES wishes to share this advice with the entire Arnold Engi-neering Development Complex workforce.

“Obviously, 2020 has been a crazy year, I think for everybody,” said Christian Lyle, Ar-nold FES fire preven-t ion /communica t ions officer. “We’d just like for the residents and people at AEDC to have a good Christmas season and one that’s fire-safe so that after the first of the year, everybody can come back to work and continue to support the mission.”

According to the Na-tional Fire Protection Association, from 2014 to 2018, fire depart-ments across the U.S. re-sponded to an average of 160 home fires per year that started with Christ-mas trees. U.S. fire de-partments responded to an estimated average of 770 home structure fires per year that began with decorations, excluding Christmas trees.

Electrical distribution or lighting equipment was involved in almost half of home Christmas tree fires.

Forty-two percent of home Christmas tree fires started in the living room. Five percent were chimney or flue fires.

A little more than one-fifth of the decora-tion fires started in the kitchen. Sixteen per-cent started in the living room, family room or den.

Slightly more than half of December home decoration fires were started by candles, com-pared to 32 percent from January to November.

“While the fire de-partment is here for emergency response and to help people out, we definitely do not want our residents or base personnel to have a bad day,” Lyle said. “I think a little bit of preven-tion on everybody’s part can definitely go a long way.”

While live Christmas trees can enhance the holiday atmosphere, they can pose hazards. While not considered common, Christmas tree fires are more likely to be serious when they occur. Below are tips contained on the cards distributed by Arnold FES, as well as additional guidance, to guard against Christmas tree fires:• Choose a tree with

fresh, green needlesthat do not fall offwhen touched.

• Make sure the Christ-mas tree is at least 3feet away from anyheat source such asfireplaces, radiators,candles, heat ventsand lights.

• Always turn offChristmas tree lightsbefore leaving thehome or going to bed.

• Use lights that havethe label of a recog-nized testing labo-ratory, such as UL. Be aware that somelights are only for in-door or outdoor use.

• Do not overload pow-er strips or electricaloutlets.

• Replace any stringof lights with wornor broken cords orloose bulb connec-tions. Read the manu-facturer’s instructionsto ascertain the num-ber of light strands toconnect. Bring out-door electrical lightsinside after the holi-days to prevent haz-ards and make themlast longer.

• Never use lit candlesto decorate the tree.

• Before placing the

tree in its stand, cut 1 to 2 inches from the base of the trunk.

• Add water to the treestand. Be sure to addwater daily.

• Make sure the tree isnot blocking an exit.

• Remove the tree afterChristmas or when itis dry. Christmas treesare combustible itemsthat become increas-ingly flammable asthey continue to dryout and should not beleft in the home, ga-rage or placed outsideagainst the home.More than one-quar-

ter of home fires that begin with Christmas trees occur in Janu-ary.

• Properly dispose ofChristmas trees. Asklocal recycling centersif they accept Christ-mas trees for disposal.

• Make sure the homehas working smokealarms. Test thesealarms at least onceper month.Arnold FES provided

additional tips to help prevent holiday home fires:• Be careful with holi-

day decorations.

Choose decorations that are flame resistant or flame retardant.

• Keep lit candles awayfrom decorations andother things that canburn.

• Use clips, not nails,to hang lights so thecords do not get dam-aged.

• Keep decorationsaway from windows and doors.

• Along with testingsmoke alarms, tell holiday guests about your home fire escape plan.

• Keep children and

pets away from lit candles.

• Blow out lit candleswhen leaving the roomor going to bed.

• Keep matches and light-ers up high in a lockedcabinet.“We don’t want any-

body to have a fire or other emergency, but especially not with the season and Christmas and the holidays coming up,” Lyle said. “We’d rather they have good, happy memories.”

For more informa-tion, contact Arnold FES at 931-454-5569 or 931-454-5306.

Arnold AFB Fire and Emergency Services encourages safety while celebrating this season

Pictured is the ornament that members of the Arnold Air Force Base Fire and Emergency Services team distributed to residents of the Arnold Village community ahead of the Christmas holiday. Arnold FES is offering this advice, along with other tips, to help members of the Arnold Engineering Development Com-plex workforce have a fire-safe holiday season. (Courtesy graphic)

By Deidre MoonAEDC Public Affairs

Marcy Releford works as an adminis-trative assistant for the Base Operations and Support Branch at Ar-nold Air Force Base during the day, but be-fore getting to her office in the morning and after she leaves for the day, she can be found work-ing on her farm.

On her 7.5-acre farm in Morrison that she manages with her two children, Releford rais-es Nigerian dwarf goats and bantam Cochin chickens.

“Bantam means tiny, and of course, the dwarf goats are tiny as well,” she explained. “I cur-rently have 20 adult breeding stock goats and around 30 adult chick-ens. However, at times, I have had up to 45 goats and 60 chickens.”

Around Arnold AFB, Releford is sometimes referred to as the “Crazy Goat Lady,” and it’s a title she laughingly ac-cepts.

Releford grew up on a farm and instead of having toys as children, she and her sibling were tasked with taking care of the family’s animals.

“We had horses, cows, goats, guineas, dogs and cats,” she said. “It was a great life. My parents provided years of wonderful experience on the farm, which I feel prepared me well for my future.”

Releford has been around goats her entire life. She just started rais-ing chickens four years ago, but she’s quickly become knowledgeable about the bantam Cochin breed.

“Bantam Cochin chickens are beautiful, friendly and are excel-lent foragers helping to rid farms of ticks, flies, grubs and other nuisance insects,” she said. “Bantam breeds also possess excellent maternal instincts, often hatching chicks from up to 10 full-size eggs from large hens.”

Releford added that some farmers prefer bantam hens due to their feed intake being a mere fraction of the amount required to feed larger chickens.

“My children have successfully incubated many fertile eggs to re-produce Bantam Cochin chicks with the aid of a $75 incubator purchased online,” she said.

As for her Nigerian dwarf goats, Releford mentioned they’re an-other type of farm ani-mal that is easy to tend to without breaking the bank.

“Nigerian dwarf goats are extremely ef-ficient browsers, which means they can thrive on weedy plant material, and subsequently there is little input cost for feed,” she said. “They are highly sought after for clearing land that might not be fit for graz-ing cows or horses be-cause goats will eat the weed fodder that cows and horses will not eat.

“They also give birth

easily, are excellent mothers and are friendly little pets with lots of personality.”

Releford stated most of her goats go to homes where they will become pets and a few are sold for milk production.

“Raising the goats and chickens is also a very valuable tool for teaching my children adult responsibilities,” she said. “They learn all aspects of running a farm, from purchasing hay and grain, admin-istering dewormer and vaccinations, providing animal care and mainte-nance, record keeping, cost savings on inputs, breeding pair selection, and sales and market-ing.”

Though the farm is Releford’s “home busi-ness,” she says that tak-ing care of her animals is first and foremost her passion.

“I strive to create a home on our farm that my kids and I do not need a vacation from,” she said.

10 • December 21, 2020

AEDC team member spends free time tending to tiny farm animals

Marcy Releford, an administrative assistant for the Base Operations and Sup-port Branch at Arnold Air Force Base, holds one of the 20 Nigerian dwarf goats she cares for on her 7.5-acre farm in Morrison. In addition to goats, Releford also raises bantam Cochin chickens. (Courtesy photo)

Skylar and Savannah Releford, pictured here, help their mom Marcy Releford with daily farming duties, which includes caring for the bantam Cochin chick-ens and Nigerian dwarf goats. Marcy, who works as an administrative assistant for the Base Operations and Support Branch at Arnold Air Force Base, and her two children live on a 7.5-acre farm in Morrison. (Courtesy photo)

By Deidre MoonAEDC Public Affairs

Question: What is your favorite Christmas, or other holiday, tradition?

“It’s hard to narrow it down to a single tradition. I love taking my three sons to Opryland Hotel every year to see the lights, and reading their ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas pop-up book to them on Christmas Eve is always a favorite, too. Also, I have a small tree that is dedi-cated to my grandparents, who have all passed. It has ornaments with their pictures, as well as orna-ments that they made or that belonged to them. I love having a part of them still spending Christmas with us.” – Brian Casey, ENOVIA Administra-tor/Developer, BCITS

“Every New Year’s Eve, my husband and I watch the short comedy called ‘Dinner for One.’ It was originally recorded in 1963, in English, by a German TV station, and has become a tradition to watch on New Year’s Eve in Germany. It has now become a tradition for us, and we love sharing it with others. Hopefully,

you will enjoy it, too. You can find the short 18-min-ute comedy on YouTube.” – Tracey Shepherd,Project Controls Sched-uler, TOS

“Our family traditions start on the fourth Sunday before Christmas, when we begin nightly Advent readings. Since we are a large family, we draw names for gift exchanges. During the month, we make Lebkuchen (a tra-ditional German holiday cookie) to gift our neigh-bors and friends. We also enjoy making and deco-rating traditional ginger-bread men. Christmas Eve is very special. We attend a local church can-dlelit cantata and a bed-time reading from Luke 2. After the kids are in bed, my wife and I exchange

our gifts for each other. Christmas morning the kids join us downstairs for gifts then a huge break-fast. The rest of the day is playing and experiencing all our new gifts together. If the weather is nice, we enjoy a family hike then return home to lamb stew and fresh baked bread for dinner. This is an Austin Family Christmas.” – Ja-son Austin, Chief of Pub-lic Affairs, Air Force

AEDC team members share their special holiday traditions

Brian Casey Tracey Shepherd

Jason Austin

Maxwell AFB memorializes Rosa Parks, SecAF pays tribute to civil rights leader

December 21, 2020 • 11

By Senior Airman Charles WeltyAir University Public Affairs

MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Ala. (AFNS) – Air Force and Montgomery lead-ers honored Rosa Parks with a memorialization ceremony on Maxwell Air Force Base, Dec. 1, the 65th anniversary of Parks’ arrest for refusing to give up her seat on a Montgom-ery bus.

Secretary of the Air Force Barbara Barrett; Montgomery Mayor Steven Reed; Col. Eries Mentzer, 42nd Air Base Wing commander; Bryan Stevenson, Equal Justice Initiative found-er and director; and several other dignitaries were on hand for the unveiling of the Rosa Parks sculpture, created by Ian Mangum, a 42nd Force Sup-port Squadron team member.

“Sixty-five years ago today, a woman about my age refused to give up her seat on a city bus in protest of segregated transportation in Montgomery. That woman was Mrs. Rosa L. Parks,” Mentzer said. “Shewas not tired, she was tired ofgiving in. Her moral courage inthat moment sparked a move-ment that changed our nationfor the better.”

Parks’ arrest for refusing to give up her seat sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott, which is a well-known part of American history; however, lesser-known is that she worked as a seamstress in lodging on Maxwell Field in the 1940s.

“Today, we salute Ms. Rosa Parks, once as a civilian mem-ber of the United States Army Air Corps and forever a civil rights icon,” Barrett said. “On that cold December 1st, the di-minutive, bespeckled, 42-year-

old Rosa Parks took a stand by keeping her seat. Her simple ‘no’ sparked a movement for equanimity in America.”

During her time on Maxwell Field, Parks and her husband, Raymond, who worked at the military barbershop, experi-enced integrated public spaces and transportation while suf-fering segregation in the local community. In her memoir, Parks stated, “You might just say Maxwell opened my eyes up. It was an alternative to the ugly policies of Jim Crow.”

The event marks the start of a 382-day partnership between

Maxwell AFB and the city of Montgomery. The partnership’s aim is to focus on diversity and inclusion so everyone can “rise to their best,” Mentzer said. To make this possible, she formed the Freedom to Serve Initiative, a team of Airmen whose goal is to identify and find solutions to obstacles that may impede Air-men’s success.

“It’s an honor to commemo-rate such a courageous woman whose act of courage and life of activism led to many of the ac-complishments and things we take for granted today,” Reed said. “We hope that by partner-

ing with Maxwell Air Force Base for the next 382 days, we can share in ways that we can all be more inclusive and we can all do things to match … to live up to…the legacy and responsibility of Ms. Rosa Parks.”

Beyond Maxwell AFB and Montgomery, Parks’ legacy has served as an inspiration for Airmen worldwide, and the Air Force is proud to consider her a part of the family.

“Rosa Parks began the modern civil rights movement in the United States in 1955, and she changed the course of

history,” said Lt. Gen. Brad Webb, commander of Air Education and Training Com-mand, who watched the event via live stream. “Her courage and conviction were an inspi-ration to us all, and remind me how important it is for lead-ership to continue having dif-ficult conversations that lead to lasting change in our orga-nization. History will judge how we respond to current events, and I can’t think of a better role model than Rosa Parks to help us improve. This memorial is a fitting tribute to her American legacy.”

Col. Eries Mentzer, 42nd Air Base Wing commander, Montgomery Mayor Steven Reed and Secretary of the Air Force Barbara Barrett join other distinguished visitors Dec. 1 for the unveiling of a Rosa Parks memorial sculpture at Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala. Many people may know of the work Rosa Parks did during the Civil Rights Movement, but less may know she worked on Maxwell AFB in the 1940s. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Charles Welty)

Maxwell AFB memorializes Rosa Parks, SecAF pays tribute to civil rights leader

By C. Todd LopezDOD News

FORT MEADE, Md. – The incredible increase in telework within the Defense Depart-ment as a result of COVID-19-related social distancing requirements has provided U.S.adversaries more attack sur-face to cause harm to defensenetworks. This, among otherfactors, has increased the de-partment’s focus on zero trustarchitecture, the director of theDefense Information SystemsAgency said.

“The move to maximum telework has also accelerated a cybersecurity paradigm shift that we will outline in our up-coming ‘zero trust’ reference architecture,” said Vice Adm.

Nancy A. Norton during a keynote address Dec. 1 at the Armed Forces Communica-tions and Electronics Asso-ciation’s virtual TechNetCyber 2020 conference.

Under the “zero trust” mod-el, Norton said, DISA makes the assumption that the DOD’s internal networks are as hostile as external networks.

“We are being attacked in the cyber domain constantly, with state and non-state actors generating more than a billion cyber events a month on our networks across every DOD component around the world,” Norton said.

To defend against that, Nor-ton said, the defense depart-ment must get better at defend-ing its network. That’s some-

thing DISA and Joint Force Headquarters Department of Defense information networks are working on.

“We are moving towards more micro-segmentation in this cybersecurity model with zero trust,” she said. “It will apply to our data and critical resources from our data centers to our mobile devices.”

As a naval officer, Norton used the compartmentalization within a ship or submarine to prevent flooding as an example of how a network can be pro-tected against attack from ad-versaries.

“Segmenting critical assets ensures that when — not if, but when — your network is com-promised, the damage is lim-ited, the loss of data is limited

and your mission is assured,” Norton said. “In a traditional perimeter defense model to net-work defense, if an adversary got through the perimeter, they would have free rein through-out the network. We wouldn’t want a [similar] ship design that would allow one flooded com-partment to sink a warship.”

Norton said the paradigm change for zero trust comes through three principles.

The first of those is to never trust, but always verify.

“It ensures that all users and devices are treated as untrusted and everything is authenticated and explicitly authorized to the least privilege required using dynamic security policies,” she said.

Second, she said, that users

will always assume a breach of security and will intentionally operate and defend as if an ad-versary is already present inside the IT environment.

“We will scrutinize each re-quest for access, users, devices and data flows using a deny by default approach and logging and inspecting all traffic,” she said.

Finally, the third principle is to verify explicitly, she said.

“All resources must be con-sistently accessed in a secure manner using multiple attributes to build confidence levels for appropriate access to resourc-es,” she said. “With zero trust, we will affect every arena of our cyber domain, allowing us to shield our data better by closing every compartment in the ship.”

COVID-related telework accelerates DISA’s Zero-Trust adoption

12 • December 21, 2020