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Well the heat that enveloped Tucson has fi- nally abated, the Snowbirds will soon be re- turning and we’ve probably seen the last of the Monsoons.Although we didn’t have a chapter meeting
in July we did enjoy a joint summer social with the members of the Old Pueblo Flight 12 Daedalians at the Community Center (formerly Club Ironwood). On July 28th, the Executive Community and several other chap- ter members served a Sunday evening dinner at The Loft located in the DMAFB dorm area for approximately 25 airmen. Thank you Ma- rie Lankford and Vickie Jo Ryder for organiz- ing this outstanding event.August saw us meeting at the Community
Center where we received a briefing from the 563d Rescue Group Commander, Colonel Jason Pifer. Colonel Pifer’s briefing covered the mission of the group and the long range mission to aid two seriously injured Mexican fishermen who were 1,200 miles from shore and needed immediate medical care. See a separate article for more details on this suc- cessful effort.Chapter Treasurer Marie Lankford was rec-
ognized as a Congressional Veteran of Dis- tinction; the award is sponsored by Senator Martha McSally. Again there is a more de- tailed article in this newsletter.The AFA National Convention was held at
the Gaylord Convention Center and Resort, National Harbor, which is just southeast of Washington DC. Arizona sent a delegation of six people for this 2-day event, September 14-15. For more details, see the article elsewhere in this newsletter.The AFA’s Air, Space and Cyberspace Con-
ference was held at the same venue September 16-18 and was attended by over 12,000 indi- viduals during the 3-day event which included the Twelve Outstanding Airmen of The Year Dinner on Monday evening and the AFA’s Air Force Birthday Dinner on Wednesday evening. Videos and Audio recordings of many of the presentations can be found on the AFA web site, afa.org, under “Meetings & Events”.We did have a September meeting at the
Community Center where we elected the fol- lowing for another 1-year term:President: Wally SaegerVice President: Mark Koechle Secretary: Vickie Jo Ryder Treasurer: Marie Lankford
Our September Guest Speaker was the 355th Wing Commander, Colonel Michael Drowley. Also in attendance were the Vice Wing Com- mander, Colonel Vincent Pereira, and Wing Command Chief, Chief Master Sergeant James Lyda. Colonel Drowley talked about the current state of the wing and what he sees as the near term future for the wing and for DMAFB as a whole. We also hosted four airmen from differ- ent groups and the wing staff for a chance to hear their wing commander in an environment that they normally don’t get.
Many base organizations had changes of com- mand and your chapter officers attended as many as we could to show the AFA flag and our com- mitment to being involved with the organizations on DMAFB. In addition we supported the An- nual SNCO Induction Ceremony, an ALS Gradu- ation and the Medical Group’s Reorganization Ceremony in August. That was followed by the 9/11 Remembrance and POW/MIA Remem- brance Ceremonies in September. These are all activities that show that we in AFA believe that we are “Airmen for Life”.We have several upcoming events that are listed
in the calendar elsewhere in the newsletter so please make note of the details found there. Our October will involve a briefing about the 25th Operational Weather Squadron. We won’t have a meeting in November due to Thanksgiving. Our December event will be a joint Christmas Dinner and Annual Awards with The Daedali- ans’ Old Pueblo Flight 12. This dinner will be December 5th at the DMAFB Community Cen- ter. Watch for more details as they become available.We are always looking for members who want
to be involved and everyone is invited to our Executive Committee meetings which are held the first Monday of the month. See the Coming Events listing elsewhere in this newsletter.Finally, the AFA web site is still a work in pro-
gress as they continue to tweak it to make it more user friendly. I know that I get frustrated at times when it has changed and I have to try to find what I had looked at before. The staff knows that we are not all techies and are working with that in mind while trying to make it appeal- ing for those that are. Please be patient and if you have a complaint or an idea on how to make it better, let me know so I can let them know. Believe me, they know who I am and are usual- ly very responsive.
Remember, we’re all: A irmen for Life
Wally Saeger, President
Flight LineAir Force Association Chapter 105
2019-4 Tucson, Arizona October 2019
Chapter Officers
President Wally Saeger
Vice President
Mark [email protected]
Secretary Vickie Jo Ryder
Treasurer Marie A. Lankford [email protected]
VP Aerospace Education VP CyberPatriot
Wally [email protected]
VP Government Relations
VP Leadership Develop.Cal Payne
VP Membership Vickie Jo Ryder
VP Veterans Affairs Bill Goodall
VP Military Liaison Kevin Long
VP Programs / Communication Marie A. Lankford
VP Community Partners Dave Carrell
VP Community Outreach Heidi Goldman
VP Aerospace Education (ROTC) Cadet Dylan Brummett [email protected]
VP Awards Cal Payne
VP AFA Golf Fundraiser Dick Roberts
VP Public Affairs / Newsletter Dick Roberts [email protected]
Tucson Chapter’s August MeetingCol. Jason Pifer
For our August meeting, we had Colonel Jason Pifer as our guest speaker. Colonel Pifer is the Commander of the 563d Rescue Group which became part of the 355th Wing in Octo- ber 2018. The group has over 670 personnel and seven squadrons, including two located at Nellis AFB in Nevada,
and directs flying operations dedicated to personnel recov- ery. The group is responsible for training, readiness, and operations of one Lockheed HC-130J Combat King squad- ron, two Sikorsky HH-60G Pave Hawk squadrons, two “Guardian Angel” rescue squadrons, and an operations support squadron. The group was assigned to Davis- Monthan AFB in 2003 to com- mand rescue units in the west- ern United States.Colonel Pifer gave on over-
view of the group’s organization and the seven squadrons within the group. He emphasized that the group’s focus was being prepared to employ it’s people and aircraft to recover downed airmen and isolated personnel in hostile environ- ments during day, night, or marginal weather conditions. The group’s squadrons can also be called upon to conduct civil search and rescue, disaster relief, international aid, emergen- cy medical evacuation, and counter-drug activities.
A recent example of the group’s capabilities was demon- strated 10-12 July 2019 when the group was tasked to exe- cute a civilian “rescue” of two critically injured Mexican civilians 1300 NM off the western coast of Mexico in the Pacific Ocean. Colonel Pifer received a phone call approxi- mately 0330 hours from the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center (AFRCC) alerting him to the potential tasking for the mission. The two Mexican citizens aboard the fishing vessel TAMARA had suffered severe, life-threatening injuries when a crane on the ship fell on them. An HC-130J, which had originally been tasked for a training mission to drop parares- cuemen (PJs) in Lake Mead was redirected to conduct this mission. After launching at 1015 local, the HC-130J flew 5+ hours (2,000NM) to reach the drop zone near the TAMARA. Initially seven Guardian Angels jumped into the waters near the vessel and were recovered by small boats from the TAMARA and taken to the ship. After determining that the flight surgeon waiting on the HC-130J could provide addi- tional medical attention to the injured Mexicans, he jumped in tandem with the eighth PJ. The team stabilized and treated the two patients during the 58 hour transit to the nearest Mex- ican port at Socorro Island using the medical kits dropped by the initial HC-130J and an additional HC-130J sent to pro- vide a resupply. The team dropped into treat the injured sea- men was returned to DMAFB by an HC-130J. The whole effort depended upon coordination with the AFRCC, the US Coast Guard, Mexican Navy, US Embassy, Department of State and the civilian fishing company. In addition, the initial HC-130J required an air-to-air refueling by a KC-10 from Travis AFB in order to return to base.
Quite a series of events to produce a successful real world outcome that had started as normal scheduled training event. A testament to their motto “These things we do…That others may live”
. Tucson Chapter’s September Meeting Col. Michael Drowley
The 355th Wing Commander, Colonel Michael Drowley, was our guest speaker for the September 27th chapter meeting. He is responsible for one of the largest installations and flying operations in the USAF, with 41 mission partners, more than
45,000 personal, 152 aircraft and $5.1B dollars in assets. Colonel Drowley earned a Bachelor of Science in Engi- neering and his commission from the United States Air Force Academy in 1996. He is a command pilot with more than 2,200 fighter hours in the A-10, including more than 200 combat hours.
Colonel Drowley talked brief- ly about the multitude of mis- sions found at DMAFB, all
aimed at providing combat power for the USAF and combatant commanders worldwide. He said that this came at a price to the families of those performing the mission, whether it is time away while deployed or TDY elsewhere, the long days at home station, or the missed family time because duty calls. He acknowledged that there is no one-solution that fits all but that the wing leadership is always searching for better ways to get the mission done while taking better care of the people and their families.
Colonel Drowley acknowledged that the 355th Wing and other units at DMAFB are viewed as the leaders in the Air Force in developing and implementing new ways of doing business. One of the areas he discussed was the concept of being able to deploy the whole wing to an austere location and being to perform the mission. This means that airmen could no longer be specialists only in their career field but that they must be able to be cross utilized to help other airmen. They may be a fuels specialist who is cross trained to provide perim- eter security at the deployed location. This ability to deploy as a wing was common before 9/11 and the Air Force has to learn how to do it again and the 355th is leading the way in achiev- ing that goal.
Colonel Drowley stated that there is plenty of real estate on DMAFB for mission growth and its proximity to ranges makes it ideal for a wide variety of permanent and temporary mis- sions. In comparison to a lot of other bases, such as Luke, DMAFB is well suited for mission growth.
DMAFB works hard to partner with the local community to enhance mission accomplishment and the lives of the airmen and their families. Examples are reduced tuition at the U of A for airmen taking classes, reciprocity agreements for spouses that have professional certifications from other states, and the employment opportunities offered within Tucson.
During the Q&A session, Colonel Drowley acknowledged that there is still a pilot retention problem that is being worked at the national level as well as locally. He wasn’t sure what the ultimate mix of solutions would be and when it might be resolved but it was obviously a topic that concerned him.
Besides Colonel Drowley, Colonel Victor Pereira, the vice wing commander, and CMSgt James Lyda, the wing command chief were in attendance. Three airmen from three different groups and one from the wing staff also attended as guests of
2 the chapter so they could hear Colonel Drowley speak.
2019 National Aerospace Teacher of the Year
Michael Vargas, of Pinnacle High School, Phoenix, has been named the 2019 AFA National Aerospace Teacher of the Year (TOY) presented by Rolls-Royce.Vargas has been an educator for 19 years and is currently a 9th
-grade physics teacher at Pinnacle High School. Prior to that, hespent 10 years at DoDEA International School in Belgium, SHAPE American High School, which provided a strong, global foundation for innovative STEM instructional strategies and experiential learning.As part of AFA’s mission to encourage
aerospace education in science, technolo- gy, engineering, and math (STEM) fields, the TOY program ensures America’s aerospace excellence by supporting teachers who carry out that mission in the
classroom.“Our 2019 National Teacher of the Year, Michael Vargas of
Arizona, is another great STEM educator selected to be a part of AFA’s prestigious Teacher of the Year program,” said Whitten Peters, AFA Chairman of the Board. “His collaborative work with other STEM organizations and leadership garnered legisla- tive support and funding to increase the number of certified STEM educators, quite an impressive accomplishment.”As a senior in college, he helped to form Team ASPIRE (Arizona Student Program Investing Resources in Education), and he traveled the state promoting college to students in rural areas. Vargas eventually returned to Arizona and joined the Sci- ence Teachers Association which is partnered with the Arizona State University Physics Department. He built a close relation- ship with legislative champions and assisted in getting two ma- jor education bills passed in Arizona. One of those bills was passed in 2016 funded 150 scholarships to address the critical shortfall of physics and chemistry teachers. The most recent bill, at the end of May, brought an additional $1.2 million to extend the scholarship program for three more years. The goal of these bills is to drive education policy toward the infusion of physics into every school as the foundational STEM driver and to dou- ble the number of physics teachers in Arizona in five years.Vargas also provides his students with unique opportunities
outside of the classroom. He has initiated numerous Near Space High altitude balloon launches and many rocket launches. He also has invited the local Civil Air Patrol members to teach his students to track locations using GPS systems in emergency rescue missions. He also allows the students to apply their knowledge by participating in simulated disaster days in the desert. Vargas involves the community and other STEM organi- zations in teaching his students, which in turn raises more awareness about his programs.Vargas has had a very successful career and will continue to
gain more opportunities where he can share his passion for edu- cating children in physics. He has made an amazing impact in Arizona and we hope to see that spread throughout the nation.The second and third place winners for AFA National Teachers
of the Year presented by Rolls-Royce are:Second Place Winner:
Roy Bartnick,Coolidge Elementary School, Enid, OK Third Place Winner:
Lori Nelson, Roger B Chaffee Elementary, Huntsville, AL The Air Force Association is grateful to its Aerospace Educa- tion Program Platinum sponsor, Rolls-Royce, for their continued sponsorship of the AFA Teacher of the Year program, allowing the program to continue honoring educational innovators in STEM. The AFA Teacher of the Year program dates back to the early 1990s when the mission to recognize classroom teachers(K-12) for their innovative and successful instructional pro- 3 grams originally began.
2019 AFA National ConventionThe 2019 AFA National Convention was held at The Gaylord
Center, National Harbor, Washington DC September 14-15, 2019. The convention is held annually and is attended by dele- gates representing their states to vote on business of the National AFA. Election of National officers also takes place during the convention. This year, over 200 delegates attended to vote on matters at hand and gain knowledge to help their state and local chapters. Arizona was represented by Stu Carter (State Presi- dent), Ross Marshall (State Secretary), Joe Marvin (State VP for Government Relations), myself, George Castle (Chapter 107 President), and Ed Logan (Chapter 151 President). Arizona was authorized a total of 11 delegates based upon the total members in Arizona.To start off the day on Saturday, there were eight development
sessions held over two 1-hour block sessions. While I attended the AFA Development Initiatives and Chapter Web Sites ses- sions, the other five Arizona delegates spread-out to cover as many of the other six sessions as we could. I found the sessions I attended useful and will try to apply what I learned to help our chapter continue to do well in the future.While there were several presentations on Saturday, the most
anticipated was the chance for those standing for election to vari- ous AFA national board positions to provide a nominating and background speech. There were six uncontested board positions that were up for election and two National Director-at-Large po- sitions four candidates were vying for.
The following were the uncontested positions:Chairman of the Board: Gerald Murray, Former CMSAF Vice Chair for Field Operations: Mac McAloon, 4th term of 4
yearsVice Chair for Aerospace Education: Jim Hannon, 2nd term of
2 yearsNational Secretary: Rick Hartle, 2 of 2 years National Treasurer: Steve LundgrenNational Director Central Area: Jim Simmons
All were confirmed. I personally know Gerald Murray and feel he will be a GREAT Chairman of our board and hopefully will attract more enlisted membership and involvement.
The four candidates for the National Director-at-Large positions were:
Joe Burke Christine Lussier James Navarro Molly Mae Potter
James Navarro and Molly Mae Potter were elected on Sunday.
Bios for all candidates can be found at: http://www.airforcemag.com/MagazineArchive/Pages/2019/ July%202019/AFA-Nominees-2019-2020.aspx
On Sunday, the delegates heard from the current CMSAF Kaleth Wright about his vision for the USAF enlisted force and the af- fect of suicides today and efforts to reduce them. He also out- lined current efforts to make the USAF better for the Total Force. A very dynamic speaker.
For me, the best presentation was by the National Teacher of the Year, Mike Vargas from the Phoenix Chapter 151. What a pas- sionate speaker. He has definite ideas how to promote STEM education in AZ and the USA. It will be interesting to watch what happens over the next year.
I didn’t stay for the Air, Space and Cyber Conference but you can check out the agendas and videos of various sessions at https://www.afa.org/events/airspacecyber/recordings0
Remember, We Are Airmen for Life. Wally Saeger, President . Chapter 105See page 4 for AZ Delegation
Continued from page 3: Delegation to AFA Convention
Caption for picture: The Arizona delegation for the 2019 National Convention stand with the National Teacher of the Year from Pinna- cle High School, Phoenix, AZ. Pictured from left to right are Stu Carter, State President; Ross Lampert, State Secretary; Mike Vargas, 2019 National TOY; George Castle, Chapter 107 President; Joe Marvin, State VP for Government Affairs; Ed Logan, Chapter 151 President; and Wally Saeger, Chapter 105 President.
MISSION Act Urgent Care Benefits
This information from the local VA will allow Veterans to use local urgent care and have the VA pay for it. The links will show you what paperwork you need and the approved locations. You can also use this link for more infor- mation :https://vaurgentcarelocator.triwest.com.
The MISSION Act took effect on June 6, 2019. The MIS- SION Act urgent care benefit covers treatment of nonemer- gent symptoms which are typically addressed by urgent care facilities and walk-in retail health clinics. Excluded from the benefit are preventive and dental services. While urgent care is a convenient benefit for the treatment of nonemergent symp- toms, Veterans should always consider talking with or seeing their primary care provider. In addition, if you believe your life or health is in danger, call 911 or go to the nearest emer- gency department right away. Locate the nearest VA- approved Urgent Care: HERE For more information click
Marie Lankford Recognized as a Veteran of Distinction
Longtime chapter member Marie Lankford was one of 66 veterans recognized during the 4th Annual Congressional Vet- eran of Distinction Award ceremony held August 24th at the Phoenix VA Center. The award is sponsored by Senator Mar- tha McSally. Marie was nominated for the award based on her honorable 17 years of service in the United States Air Force before taking early retirement as a Master Sergeant and her continued community service since then. Marie is cur- rently the chapter treasurer and has served as the chapter sec- retary in the past. Besides her active involvement in chapter 105 activities, she serves as the secretary of Tucson Commu- nity Cares Foundation, a non-profit organization acting as a conduit between the base and the community.Marie is one of the founders and is the current president of
the Pan American Community Alliance (PACA). The non- profit organization started out as a group of caring people helping the Vietnamese refugees assimilate to their new home. Programs such as driver’s training, computer skills, soldering skills, banking, learning English, and US Citizen- ship class are among the programs the organization created.Marie formed a dance group, The Polynesian Dancers, that has performed in various venues to include the Southern AZ Veterans’ Home, Reid Park’s Fit Fest, the annual Tucson Meet Yourself, Knights of Columbus at St Elizabeth Ann Se- ton Church, Handmakers Assisted Living, Pima Community College west and downtown campuses, and many more. If that’s not enough, Marie serves as the point person for Oasis Church’s Careportal, a nationwide non-profit organization partnering with the Department of Child Safety to provide for the physical needs of families and aging out foster children. Oasis Church is one of many Tucson churches answering re- quests from families for beds, furniture, car seats, cribs, dress- ers and many more requirements for families to stay intact. Marie collects, purchases, and delivers these items to needy families or youths.It is obvious why it was an honor to nominate this great vet-
eran and member of our chapter for recognition as a Congres- sional Veteran of Distinction.
University of Arizona AFROTCAFROTC Det 20, University of Arizona, is back in full swing
with the start of the Fall 2019 semester. We are expecting an excit- ing year and great things from are new and continuing cadets. Our New Student Orientation yielded 46 new freshmen cadets entering the program with several others still undecided. While most of the new cadets are from right here in Arizona, we have cadets from California, Hawaii, Massachusetts, and New York joining our ranks. Amongst them, 7 are Air Force High School Scholarship recipients. We have high expectations for this new group.
Even though the school year is fairly new, the Wildcat Wing has been active. Our Honor had the privilege of presenting the colors at an Arizona Diamondbacks (University of Arizona Appreciation Night) game as well as 2 U of A football games. The Wing partici- pated in both the 9/11 Remembrance Challenge on campus and a memorial run on Tumamoc Hill to honor the fallen. Finally, on Oct 5, members of the Wing volunteered and participated in the annual Boneyard Run hosted by Davis Monthan AFB. These are just a few of the great things going on in Det 20.
As always, we appreciate your interest and support of AFROTC Det 20 and we look forward to our continued cooperation. Until next time, “Aim High, Bear Down!”
Sincerely, 4Carlos R. Messer Jr., Col, USAF Commander, AFROTC Det 020
Marie with her Congressional Veteran of Distinction Award sponsored by Senator Martha McSally. Pictured from left to right are Wally & Joan Saeger, Senator Mar- tha McSally, Greg & Marie Lankford, and Marie’s son Chris Meek.
Disabled American Veterans are looking for volunteer drivers
Since 1987, DAV (Disabled American Veterans) Transpor- tation Network volunteer drivers have logged 734.6 million miles, providing nearly 19 million no-cost rides for Veterans to and from VA health care appointments. This program
makes an incredible impact on Veterans like 94-year- old Vincent Rolves, a former POW who served in WWII.“I think they’re just
wonderful,” said Rolves of DAV vol- unteer drivers. “Not everybody is so
thoughtful of Veterans, but the ones that are, I just really appreciate.”DAV needs more volunteer drivers nationwide to meet the
growing transportation need of Veterans.Without this program, many Veterans would not have access to the VA health care they’ve earned. DAV has donated a total of 3,517 vehicles to VA medical centers, and the VA has valued DAV hours of volunteer service at nearly $34.7 million annually—making it an indispensable resource for Veterans and a cost-effective solution for the VA.
How you can helpIf you want to give back to your community and to Veter-
ans that served our country, and their families, and help them attend their health care appointments, volunteer to be a driver for DAV.Interested applications can call their local VA Health Care
System’s Voluntary Service Department or send a message or request through https://www.volunteer.va.gov/apps/ VolunteerNow. Applicants can also request the route area they prefer.Requirements Pass a physical given by a VA Occupational Health pro- vider. Have good judgement and ability to solve problems. Ability to remain calm under stressful conditions. Willing to do minor vehicle inspections for safety. Complete an annual VA-sponsored defensive driving class. Possess a valid state driver’s license and clean driving record. Possess personal auto liability insurance. Keep DAV van clean inside and out for comfort. DutiesVolunteer drivers: Report to the Voluntary Service Department and DAV personnel. Drive Veterans to their health care appointments to VA health care systems Coordinate with Veteran passengers on where to meet and the time of their departure to their health care appoint- ment.Return Veterans to their original pick up location after their health care appointment.
If you or anyone you may know would like to get involved and drive a DAV van to assist Veterans in getting to and from their health care appointment, please visit http:// dav.org/help-dav/volunteer/ to learn more.
“A Little Bit of History” Douglas B-18 “Bolo”
Bomber
The Douglas B-18 Bolo is an American medium bomber which served with the United States Army Air Corps and the Royal Cana- dian Air Force (as the Digby) dur ing the late 1930s and ear ly 1940s. The Bolo was built by the Douglas Aircraft Company, based on its DC-2, and wasdeveloped to replace the Martin B-10. By 1940, it was considered to be underpowered, to have inadequate defen- sive armament, and tocarry too small a bomb load. Many were destroyed during the at- tacks on Pearl Harbor and the Philippines in December 1941.
In 1942, the surviving B-18s were relegated to antisubmarine, transport duty, and training. A B-18 was one of the first American aircraft to sink a German U-boat, U-654 on 22 August 1942 in the Caribbean.
The initial contract called for 133 B-18s, using Wright R- 1820 radial engines. The last B-18 of the run had a power- operated nose turret. This design did not become standard. Addition- al contracts in 1937 (177 aircraft) and 1938 (40 aircraft) were for the B-18A, which had the bombardier's position further forward over the nose-gunner's station. The B-18A also used more powerful en- gines.
Production B-18s, with full military equipment fitted, had a maxi- mum speed of 217 mph, cruising speed of 167 mph, and combat range of 850 miles. By 1940, most USAAC bomber squadrons were equipped with B-18s or B-18As.
However, in spite of the known shortcomings of the B-18/B-18A, the Douglas aircraft was the most numerous American bomber type deployed outside the continental United States at the time of the attack on Pearl Harbor. It was hoped that the B-18 could play a stopgap role until more suitable aircraft such as the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress and Consolidated B-24 Liberator became available in quantity.
General characteristics Crew: 6Lenth: 57 ft 10 in (17.63 m)Wingspan: 89 ft 6 in (27.28 m)Max takeoff weight: 27,673 lb (12,552 kg)Powerplant: 2 × Wright R-1820-53 Cyclone 9-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engines, 1,000 hp (750 kW) each Performance Maximum speed: 216 mph (348 km/h, 188 kn) at 10,000 ft(3,000 m)Range: 900 mi (1,400 km, 780 nmi)Service ceiling: 23,900 ft (7,300 m) Armament Guns: 3 × 0.30 in (7.6 mm) machine guns Bombs: 2,900 lb (1,300 kg) normal ; 4,400 lb (2,000 kg) maximum
5
Air Force’s All-new Advanced Trainer
The Air Force’s all-new advanced trainer aircraft, the T-X, has officially been named the T-7A Red Hawk.
Acting Secretary of the Air Force Matthew Do- novan made the announce- ment during his speech atthe 2019 Air Force Associ- ation’s Air, Space and Cyber Conference in Na-tional Harbor, Sept. 16.Donovan was joined on
stage by one of the original Tuskegee Airmen, Col. Charles McGee, who flew more than 400 combat missions in World War II, Korea and Vietnam. Also seated in the audience were members of the East Coast Chapter of the Tuskegee Airmen.
After a short video highlighting the aircraft’s lineage, Donovan said, “ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the newest RedTail!” A drape was then lifted to reveal a quarter-scale model of a T-7A Red Hawk painted in a distinct, red-tailed color scheme.
“The name Red Hawk honors the legacy of Tuskegee Air-men and pays homage to their signature red-tailed aircraft from World War II,” Donovan said. “The name is also a tribute tothe Curtiss P-40 Warhawk, an American fighter aircraft thatfirst flew in 1938 and was flown by the 99th Fighter Squadron, the U.S. Army Air Forces’ first African American fightersquadron.”
The Tuskegee Airmen subsequently paintedtheir Republic P-47 Thunderbolts and North AmericanP-51 Mustangs with a red- tailed paint scheme.
The T-7A Red Hawk, manufactured by Boeing, introducescapabilities that prepare pilots for fifth generation fighters, in- cluding high-G environment, information and sensor manage- ment, high angle of attack flight characteristics, night opera-tions and transferable air-to-air and air-to-ground skills.
Along with updated technology and performance capabilities, the T-7A will be accompanied by enhanced simulators and the ability to update system software faster and more seamlessly. The plane was also designed with maintainers in mind by utiliz- ing easy-to-reach and open access panels.
“The distance between the T-38 and an F-35 is night andday,” said Air Force Chief of Staff General David L. Goldfein. “But with the T-7A the distance is much, much smaller, andthat’s important because it means the pilots trained on it will be that much better, that much faster at a time when we must beable to train to the speed of the threat.”
The first T-7A aircraft and simulators are scheduled to arriveat Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas, in 2023. All under- graduate pilot training bases will eventually transition from the T-38C to the T-7A. Those bases include Columbus Air Force Base, Mississippi; Laughlin AFB and Sheppard AFB, Tex-as; and Vance AFB, Oklahoma. 6
It is hard to believe that another summer has come and gone and STARBASE Arizona is already in the second session of students. We kicked off the year on July 30st with nearly 125 fifth grade students from Sycamore Elementary School in the Vail School District. Each class came to Davis-Monthan five different times for a total of 25 hours. During those 25 hours, they learned about engineering, chemistry, robotics, physics, geospatial intelligence, 3D computer-aided design and were also able to see working squadrons on base and learn how they use S.T.E.M. (science, technology, engineer- ing and math) on a daily basis.
After Sycamore completed the program, we moved straight into another wonderful group of fifth graders from the Am- phitheater and Sunnyside School Districts. We are in the final week of the 25 hours with them and after they finish up, we will roll right into another group of 4 classes. It is non- stop here at STARBASE and we love every minute of it and every student that comes through. Overall this year, we are slated to see 32 classes from the city of Tucson. That usually works out to between 900 and 1,000 fifth grade students.
A big part of our program is partnering with DM and active military to expose the STARBASE students to positive role models in the Air Force. We call up the Airmen to volunteer with our program in a number of ways; as career guide brief- ers, who come and talk to the students about what they do here on base and how they use STEM and as rocket launch volunteers, assisting the students with their water bottle rock- et launch after learning all about Isaac Newton and his three laws of motion. We are grateful to be a part of the DM com- munity and all the support we receive from the base. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact STARBASE Arizona director Mikelle Cronk at (520)591-6680 or via email at [email protected] .
Bill Goodall and Vickie Jo Ryder are presented their AFA National Medals of Merit in recognition of their continued service to Tucson Chapter 105 and their active promotion of the mission of the AFA and its impact on the greater Tucson area.
Community Partner ProgramFor more than 40 years, businesses have been joining the Air Force Association to support both AFA National and local AFA chap-ters. Becoming a Community Partner is a great way to get your business involved with your local Air Force Community. Community Partners are partnership businesses that want to assist both AFA National and the local AFA chapters by becoming involved in Community efforts to support the United States Air Force.
By forming a partnership with your local AFA chapter, your business will help AFA fulfill their mission to promote a dominant Unit- ed States Air Force and a strong national defense. Any business or organization can become a CP and have two options for member- ship:
Category One (CP I) $90.00 annually- Business can designate one person to receive AFA Membership and enjoy all benefits thereof.
Category Two (CP II) $180.00 annually- Business can designate two people to receive AFA Membership and enjoy all benefits thereof.
Not only does a Community Partner receive all the benefits of an AFA membership, such as a variety of product and service dis- counts, insurance programs, and much more, but the partner will also receive the following upon joining AFA:
Date Medallion
Wooden Plaque
8”x5” “Our Business Supports Our Troops" Window Decal
If your business is interested in becoming a Community Partner, you should first contact your local chapter.
For questions or for more information on the program, please contact: Dave Carrell, [email protected], (520) 305-4407
Have your business become a part of a great cause and show your patrons that you support our Air Force!
Tucson Chapter’s Community Partners
A & E Specialty MarketingElliott M. Klahr
Chick-fil-AMatt Hountz
La Posada Lodge & CasitasJuan Loo, Sales & Catering Mgr
P. O. Box 4423 3605 E. Broadway Blvd 5900 N. Oracle RdRio Rico, AZ 85648 Tucson, AZ 85716 Tucson, AZ 85704520-281-1369 (P) 520-321-4232 520-887-4800 (P)520-980-0515 (C) 520-293-7543 (F)[email protected] Ciruli Brothers ascendcollection.com
5 Calle CristinaChick-fil-A Rio Rico, AZ 85648 Jackson Oil CompanyDave Carrell 520-281-1456 Robert Ferretti6675 E. Grant Rd. 623-217-8005Tucson, AZ 85715 Vantage West Credit Union520-305-4407 Cindy Brainer Radisson Suites Tucson
P.O. Box 15115 Valerie Friend, General ManagerTucson, AZ 85708 6555 E. Speedway Blvd
Chick-fil-A 520-298-7882 Tucson, AZ 85710Jim Paine 800-888-7882 520-721-7100 Ext.7600 (P)4885 N. Oracle Rd. Vantagewest.org 520-722-6146 (F)Tucson, AZ 85705 [email protected]
Chick-fil-ABrian White3943 W. Ina Road Tucson, AZ 85741(520) 744-6269
Sonesta ES SuitesEllen Jimenez, Director of Sales 6477 East Speedway Boulevard Tucson, AZ 85710520-721-0991SonestaESsuites.com
Tucson Appliance CompanyChris Edwards
4229 E. Speedway Blvd Tucson, AZ 85712-4523
7
Upcoming Events
Look for future “field trips” to different organization on base; if you have something specific you want to see please let us know! There are MANY events supporting our local Airmen listed below and more to come! As a Chapter, we try to attend all that we can. If you are interested in representing our AFA Chapter at any of these, please inform Wally Saeger ([email protected]) and he will coordi- nate it. You just have to show up and enjoy these traditional military ceremonies and gatherings. First come, first served!!
October 2019 - 7th: Chapter Executive Committee Meeting, 1200, 355th Fighter (Formerly Ops) Group Conference Room (all welcome!)
- 25th: Chapter Monthly Meeting, Working with the 25th Operational Weather Squadron to either visit the squadron or receive a briefing at Iron- wood Community Center
November 2019 - 4th: Chapter Executive Committee Meeting, 1200, 355th Fighter Group Conference Room (all welcome!)
- No Chapter Monthly Meeting December 2019 - 2nd: Chapter Executive Committee Meeting, 1200, 355th Fighter Group Conference Room (all welcome!)
- 5th: Annual Daedalians Ole Pueblo Flight & AFA Chapter 105 Christmas & Awards Banquet; Community Center
SAVE THESE DATES: - January 6th: Chapter Executive Committee Meeting, 1200, 355th Fighter Group Conference Room (all welcome!)
- January 24th: Chapter Monthly Meeting, TBD
- February 3rd: Chapter Executive Committee Meeting, 1200, 355th Fighter Group Conference Room (all welcome!)
- February 28th – March 1st: Annual Heritage Flight Training and Certification Course, NO CHAPTER MEETING- March 2nd: Chapter Executive Committee Meeting, 1200, 355th Fighter Group Conference Room (all welcome!)- March 27th: Chapter Monthly Meeting, TBD
Air Force Association Tucson Chapter 105
P. O. Box 15057 Tucson, AZ 85708
Air Force Association Means Americans for Air Power
JOIN AFA
AFA’s MissionOur Mission is to promote a dominant USAF and a strong national defense and to honor airmen and our AF heritage. To accomplish this we:
Educate the public on the critical need for unmatched aerospace power and a technically superior workforce to ensure US national security,Advocate for aerospace power and STEM education, and
Support the total Air Force Family and promote aerospace education.
