By Bradley HicksAEDC Public Affairs

To coincide with the Ar-nold Engineering Development Complex 70th anniversary cel-ebration at Arnold Air Force Base, the Coffee Airfoilers Model RC Club invited young-sters in the community to come out and try their hand at flight.

The club hosted a children’s airplane toss competition June 26 at Coffee Airfoilers Field.

This event was held to pro-mote science, technology, en-gineering and mathematics, or STEM, among its participants. The competitors assembled small balsa wood airplanes,

with top prizes going to those whose planes flew the farthest from the launch line. Students taking part were allowed prac-tice throws before making of-ficial tosses, allowing them to do a little problem-solving and make modifications to their planes in the pursuit of maximum distance.

Don Cleveland, Coffee Air-foilers president, said the event was intended to boost interest in the remote control, or RC, hob-by and introduce the children to fields they could potentially pur-sue as careers.

“We hope that the kids get awareness of not only RC but of aeronautics in general,” he said.

The event also featured a digital flight simulator, provid-ing attendees a risk-free way to take a crack at navigating an RC plane. Those present also had the opportunity to take control of an actual RC plane with as-sistance from Coffee Airfoilers Club instructors.

On hand for the event was 16-year-old Nicholas Amelang,who cut his teeth at the CoffeeAirfoilers Field and is now anational RC champion. The lo-cal teen recently took first placein the intermediate division at

Arnold AFB, Tenn. July 6, 2021Vol. 68, No. 13

PRSRT STDUS POSTAGE PAIDTULLAHOMA TNPERMIT NO. 29

Prahl charged with leading Space Test Branch

By Bradley HicksAEDC Public Affairs

The timing couldn’t have been better.It just so happened that one of the

T-38 jets flown by the 586th Flight TestSquadron at Holloman Air Force Base,New Mexico, was in need of a new paintjob as the 70th anniversary of both the Air Force Test Center and Arnold Engineer-ing Development Complex approached.

It also happened that this aircraft was set to take to the skies over the AEDC

headquarters at Arnold Air Force Base during a retreat ceremony June 26.

The new paint scheme for the 586 FLTS jet commemorates the 70th anni-versary of the AFTC, which was estab-lished on June 25, 1951, the same date President Harry Truman visited Arnold AFB to dedicate the AEDC.

“I thought this would be a great time to get the jet painted in a unique way to celebrate our mission, improve morale and spark conversation with our custom-ers about our capabilities and heritage

while showing our pride,” said Lt. Col. Scott Pontzer, 586 FLTS director of op-erations. “With it being the 70th anniver-sary, it seems appropriate to leverage this timing and opportunity and make a con-nection between the two.”

The 586 FLTS is part of the Holloman AFB-headquartered 704th Test Group, which is a unit of AEDC. AEDC is a unit of the AFTC.

The dark and light grey paint that pre-

AEDC celebrates 70 years with open houseBy Jill PickettAEDC Public Affairs

The AEDC “Hap Arnold Day” 70th Anniversary Celebration Open House on June 26 afforded members of the com-munity a rare opportunity to see behind the fence and learn about the contribu-tions the men and women of Arnold En-gineering Development Complex have made to national defense and the ad-vancement of technology.

AEDC, headquartered at Arnold Air Force Base, Tenn., was dedicated on June 25, 1951, by President Harry Tru-man and named after five-star General of the Air Force Henry ‘Hap’ Arnold. Since then, organizations and loca-tions have been added to AEDC bring-ing the total number of test cells, fa-cilities and offices operated nationwide by AEDC personnel to 68, with more

See OPEN HOUSE, page 2

AEDC Commander applauds community STEM event

Flyover debuts new paint scheme for 586 FLTS jet

See STEM, page 3

See FLYOVER, page 11

A T-38 Talon is flown over Arnold Air Force Base by Airmen of the 586th Flight Test Squadron, 704th Test Group, Arnold Engineering Development Complex, during a flag retreat ceremony after the AEDC “Hap Arnold Day” 70th Anniversary June 26. The aircraft was flown by Lt. Col. Alex “Cuda” Wolfard and Maj. Ali “Axle” Hamidani. (U.S. Air Force photo by Jill Pickett)

By Arnold Community Council

TULLAHOMA, Tenn. - The Arnold Community Council AEDC Fellows Committee is pleased to announce that six individuals who have made exceptionally significant long-term contributions to the advancement of aerospace ground test-ing technology and capabilities at the Ar-nold Engineering Development Complex (AEDC), headquartered at Arnold Air Force Base, Tenn., have been selected as 2021 AEDC Fellows.

Dr. Ralph Jones, Alan Milhoan and the late Maj. Gen. Leif Sverdrup have been selected to be honored as AEDC Techni-cal Fellows.

Ron Wood has been selected to be honored as an AEDC Craft Fellow.

Maurice May and the late Hugh Hor-rocks have been selected as AEDC Life-time Achievement Fellows.

Maj. Gen. Leif Sverdrup

Maj. Gen. Sverdrup’s original leader-ship regarding the fabrication of the in-frastructure at AEDC was not limited to the utilities, facilities and modalities of the then Center. He also established the pay and benefits structure to attract and retain high-tech talent to (at that time) a more remote location in Tennessee which proved enormously successful. He was personally involved in quickly mediat-

Six selected to be AEDC Fellows

See FELLOWS, page 3

Miland Bonner, left, Bryce Spencer, center and Brandon Prince give their balsa wood planes a toss during a June 26 event hosted by the Coffee Airfoilers Model RC Club to coincide with the Arnold Engineering Development Complex 70th anniver-sary celebration. (U.S. Air Force photo by Bradley Hicks)

…Page 2

Allen undertakes 26.3-mile hike to fulfill a wish

Lt. Col. Justin Tolliver, director of operations, Space Test Branch, Test Division, Arnold Engineering Development Complex, talks about the J-6 Large Rocket Motor Test Facility to an attendee of the AEDC “Hap Arnold Day” 70th An-niversary Celebration Open House, June 26 at Arnold Air Force Base. In the background is the test cell of J-6, used to test solid rocket motors, such as those in the Minuteman III ICBMs. (U.S. Air Force photo by Jill Pickett)

…Page 4

under construction.“Arnold Air Force Base and

Arnold Engineering Develop-ment Complex are really central to the way that we develop air and space power for the nation,” said Col. Lincoln Bonner, chief, Test Division, AEDC. “Nearly every high-performance aircraft and missile since 1951 in operation today in the Army, Navy, Ma-rine Corps and United States Air Force has part of its roots here at Arnold Air Force Base. And that’s not something that most of the public gets to know or gets to see. Having the opportunity to share that with the community, to let them know how important the workforce here is to the na-tion, helps us better communi-cate and just say ‘thank you’ to the community for all that they do to help support us. Certainly, we are here to support the nation, but the community, the American taxpayers, the citizens, they’re the ones who provide for all of this; and they should know just how valuable it really is and ev-erything that it’s done to support our national defense.”

During the open house, at-tendees drove along a pre-planned route to see the test fa-cilities at Arnold AFB. An esti-mated 1,075 people attended the event. COVID-19 pandemic pol-icies necessitated the open house be a drive-thru event. Along the route, members of Team AEDC eagerly shared information about the test capabilities. Attendees could also scan QR codes on a provided map to watch videos about select facilities. Those videos can be viewed at https://www.dvidshub.net/tags/video/hap-arnold-day.

The open house was also an opportunity for mem-

bers of Team AEDC to share with their families where they work.

“It’s not every day that we get to bring our families out,” said Nick Hibdon, program-ming chief, Test Engineer-ing Section, Civil Engineer-ing Branch, AEDC. “Getting to actually bring them out and let them see the size of what we’re dealing with and some of the capacities that we have is really the goal for today.”

At the end of the day, AEDC

Commander Col. Jeffrey Ger-aghty held a retreat ceremony, with two flyovers, for AEDC military and Department of De-fense personnel. The first flyover was a T-38 Talon of the 586th Flight Test Squadron, 704th Test Group, AEDC, out of Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico. The second flyover was a pair of F-15 Eagles of the 96th Test Wing out of Eglin Air Force Base, Florida.

“Since we at Arnold aren’t on the front lines of our defense,

I think a lot of times we forget what we’re here for,” Hibdon said. “We’re making sure that pilots are safe, that our weap-onry systems are safe; and I just wanted my kids to get to see that and feel that a little bit. And, of course, they’re re-ally young, so the excitement of getting to see jets fly over is something they’ll probably remember for a long time.”

2 • July 6, 2021

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

See more OPEN HOUSE photos on page 9

OPEN HOUSE from page 1

Prahl charged with leading Space Test BranchCol. Lincoln Bonner, left, chief of the Arnold Engineering Development Complex Test Division, passes the guidon to incoming Space Test Branch chief, Lt. Col. Dayvid Prahl, after leadership of the Branch was relinquished by Lt. Col. Adam Quick, right, during a Change of Leadership ceremony June 24 at Arnold Lakeside Complex at Arnold Air Force Base. (U.S. Air Force photo by Jill Pickett)

Kirk Butler, right, director of operations, Ground Test Team, Hypersonic Systems Test Branch, Test Division, Arnold Engineering Development Complex, and Maj. Scott Burrows, left, deputy branch chief, Hypersonic Systems Test Branch, speak about the branch to attendees of the AEDC “Hap Arnold Day” 70th Anniversary Celebration Open House June 26 at Arnold Air Force Base. (U.S. Air Force photo by Jill Pickett)

July 6, 2021 • 3

STEM from page 1an RC aerobatics competition held at the Academy of Model Aeronautics head-quarters in Muncie, Indiana. That com-petition was designed to mimic full-scale aerobatics, and participants were judged on how well they completed a flight pat-tern developed by the organizers.

Those in attendance looked on as Amelang displayed the RC prowess that earned him national recognition, putting

on an aerobatics demonstration during which he made his RC plane loop, twirl and soar at various speeds and altitudes above Airfoilers Field.

Amelang, was around the same age of several airplane toss participants when he took up the hobby of RC flying after being introduced to the pastime by his grandfa-ther about six years ago.

“It’s awesome,” Amelang said of the event. “I love seeing the kids getting into this. It’s good to see new people.”

Cleveland said club involvement among youth is already fairly strong, as many of the younger flyers were intro-duced to the world of RC by family mem-bers.

“We have a lot of third- and fourth-generation flyers here,” he said.

AEDC Commander Col. Jeffrey Ger-aghty was in attendance to congratulate the airplane toss winners and present them with their medals. Geraghty expressed his appreciation to those who came together to make the event happen.

“We’re extremely thankful that the Coffee County Airfoilers put this event on to get our youth connected to a really tan-gible aspect of airpower,” he said. “This is the type of thing that gets the kids ex-cited about things that could connect them to the mission we do at AEDC. It was a beautiful day to come out and throw air-planes or try to practice flying remote control airplanes, and we’re thankful to have so much support from the commu-nity to help put this on.”

There were two first-place and two second-place winners. Those earning sec-ond-place honors were Will Jenkins, with a flight of 41 feet, and Milad Bonner, with a flight of 44 feet. The first-place winners

were Brandon Prince, with a flight of 125 feet, and Bryce Spencer, with a flight of 129.5 feet.

While this was the first STEM-focused event the Coffee Airfoilers

hosted, Cleveland said it won’t be the last. The club is planning to hold a similar event in the fall.

Col. Lincoln Bonner, chief of the Arnold Engineering Development Complex Test Division, helps his son Solomon, right, ready his balsa wood airplane for a practice toss during a June 26 event hosted by the Coffee Airfoilers Model RC Club to coincide with the AEDC 70th anniversary celebration. Also pictured is Bonner’s son Romal. Youth participating in the event were tasked with assembling small balsa wood airplanes, with top prizes going to those whose planes flew the farthest from the launch line. The event was intended to promote science, technology, engineering and mathemat-ics, or STEM, interest among students taking part. (U.S. Air Force photo by Bradley Hicks)

See more STEM photos on page 9

ing and fixing any deficien-cies identified by the Air Force while he was the head of Sver-drup Corporation. His reputa-tion as someone who could get tough things done for the Army Corps of Engineers was likely one of the reasons his company was selected to be the original architect and builder of AEDC. He was the seminal positive influence on bringing AEDC facilities and personnel into ex-istence.

Dr. Ralph Jones

Dr. Jones made extensive and substantial contributions to the advancement of engi-neering development and test techniques at AEDC. He was an early adopter of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) model-ing. His mastery in simulating test conditions in CFD led to the resolution of many perplex-ing issues with ground testing of various systems. Some of the issues he contributed to include a broad suite of propulsion test activities, including solid rock-ets, thrust vector control system performance, design support for a horizontal ground-level rocket test stand, and altitude test facility modifications to accommodate testing of jet en-gines equipped with thrust vec-toring/reversing nozzles.

Alan Milhoan

Milhoan made extensive and substantial contributions to the advancement of engineering de-velopment and test techniques at AEDC. His improvements to provide faster and more ac-curate controllability to process air and other fluid systems has resulted in significant advances in repeatability and stability re-

quired to test systems that op-erate in a dynamic mode. He has expanded the world-class capabilities provided by the Aeropropulsion Systems Test Facility and greatly improved usability and performance capa-bilities of the Aerodynamic and Propulsion Test Unit, providing unparalleled simulation of a hy-personic vehicle and propulsion systems test environment.

Ron Wood

Wood is an instrumentation specialist whose technical skills have significantly contributed to the success of the aerospace test community at AEDC and beyond. His expertise in analog circuitry was a key asset in the transition to digital electron-ics from the mid-1980s to the mid-1990s. He focused on de-veloping small form-factor cir-cuit boards and surface mount soldering techniques that pro-vided engineers with oppor-tunities to design and develop novel approaches to ultraviolet and infrared sensing equipment which ultimately put AEDC at the forefront of missile systems plume detection and propul-sion systems health monitor-ing. These systems supported NASA in the development of health monitoring systems for tests on the Space Shuttle’s main engines.

Hugh Horrocks

Horrocks made significant and exceptionally valuable con-tributions throughout his ca-reer as a test engineer and site manager for Pratt & Whitney at AEDC. He continually pushed AEDC to improve how they handled and installed turbine engines in test cells, contribut-

ing to reducing engine mount time from weeks to days. His focus helped initiate major standardization efforts across the AEDC Engine Test Facil-ity with respect to engine han-dling carts, engine thrust stand mounting systems, instrumen-tation and service systems in-terfaces and instrumentation database interfaces. He often dealt with a dynamic test load with four to five P&W engines in AEDC test cells at the same time. He also led the effort to bring P&W commercial engine testing to AEDC starting in the late-1980s to the early-1990s with the PW4000 series of large engines.

Maurice May

May provided exception-ally valuable contributions to AEDC during a nearly half-cen-tury career. Originally working for ARO as test engineer on the P&W F100 engine, he became a pioneer in the use of computer math models at AEDC. In 1977, he accepted a position with Pratt & Whitney where he continued supporting F100 engine testing at Arnold. He was a key P&W

interface with airframe and weapon systems manufactures. He was later involved in the F119 engine and was the princi-pal lead engineer for the P&W F135 test programs at AEDC. He helped P&W achieve ISO certification and after returning to AEDC as an Air Force civil-ian employee used this experi-ence to help support AEDC ISO certification efforts.

Induction Ceremony

The new AEDC Fellows will be honored and inducted as AEDC Fellows at an event to be scheduled later this year.

The annual Fellows banquet is usually on the closest avail-able date to the birthday of General of the Air Force Henry Harley “Hap” Arnold, who was born on June 25, 1886, but has been delayed this year due to uncertainties of the COVID pandemic.

President Harry S. Truman dedicated AEDC 70 years ago in Gen. Arnold’s memory on June 25, 1951, saying in his speech, “Here men will test what lies on the other side of the speed of sound.”

The AEDC Fellows program was established in 1989 as AE-DC’s top award to honor those who have made exceptionally significant long-term contri-butions to advance aerospace ground flight-simulation tech-nology and capabilities.

To date, 107 people have been inducted as AEDC Fel-lows.

In late 2016, the Arnold Community Council, a 501(c)(6) Tennessee nonprofit corpo-ration formed in 2000 to sup-port AEDC, took over respon-sibility for the AEDC FellowsProgram.

Changes to Air Force policy in mid-2016 prevent the Air Force from giving awards to contractor personnel.

The ACC AEDC Fellows committee, headed up by for-mer AEDC Commander, re-tired Maj. Gen. Mike Wiedemer (Lifetime Achievement AEDC Fellow), made the selection of the 2021 AEDC Fellows from nominations submitted by past and present AEDC personnel and current AEDC Fellows.

FELLOWS from page 1

Maj. Gen. Leif Sverdrup

Dr. Ralph Jones Alan Milhoan

Ron Wood

Hugh Horrocks Maurice May

4 • July 6, 2021

By Jill PickettAEDC Public Affairs

A beautiful vista or a crashing wa-terfall is often the reward sought by hikers, but Shannon Allen undertook a recent hike to grant a wish for a child.

Allen, the National Environmen-tal Policy Act, Natural and Cultural Resources planner for Arnold Air Force Base, and hundreds of oth-ers trained for months to be able to complete the Make-A-Wish Founda-tion Alabama Trailblaze Challenge, a 26.3-mile hike on the Pinhoti Trail in Alabama in a single day. As part of the challenge, hikers commit to rais-ing a minimum of $2,500 to be able to guarantee a wish for a child.

As a cancer survivor, Allen can attest to the spirit-lifting power of having a dream fulfilled during a dif-ficult time. She and her husband took a trip to the West Coast after her sur-gery to remove breast cancer before undergoing the rest of her treatment.

“I only had short stays in the hospi-tal, but so many doctor and treatment appointments I can’t count them,” Allen said. “It just fills up your life. Anything to break the monotony is a welcome distraction, even just for a little while. Some of these children are in the hospital for years! I think granting them their special wish can make a huge difference in their treat-ment success and their happiness.”

Just like a granted wish for a child can also lift the spirits of their par-ents, Allen said it benefited her hus-band as well.

“We were both so stressed out af-ter my breast cancer diagnosis, with the uncertainly behind treatment suc-cess and just the physical pain of sur-gery and treatment,” she said. “Even though the trip was my idea to help me mentally prepare for treatment, he was happy for the escape from real-

ity. He also is a wildlife biologist, so seeing new plants and animals was just as much a treat for him as it was for me.”

Allen and a couple of friends she met while pursuing a master’s degree learned about the challenge through Facebook a few years ago, but at the time, the length of the hike and train-ing schedule seemed daunting.

“Those of us with young children thought it would be better to wait a few years so that we would have enough time to train and ensure a successful hike,” Allen said. “Our kids are old enough now that we have been able to adequately train this spring and have often included them on our hikes.”

The Make-A-Wish Foundation Al-abama Trailblaze Challenge program provides a months-long training pro-gram of hikes on trails in Alabama to help participants with novice to ad-vanced skill levels succeed in com-pleting the hike. Some other Make-A-Wish chapters also hold TrailblazeChallenge events of varying lengths.

Hiking is nothing new to Allen. She started hiking as a child, is a former trail runner and has spent many days in the woods as a wildlife biologist.

“I love the solitude, the unexpect-edness, the exercise and not being in-side at my desk,” Allen said.

To prepare for the challenge hike, Allen increased the length and fre-quency of her hikes. Her training in-cluded a hike of the University of the South Perimeter Trail, a 20-mile loop. She completed that hike in 7.5 hours.

Allen completed the challenge with her two friends, who are also wildlife biologists.

“Getting together has always been difficult since we are so spread out, but we have been hiking together for 15 years and are familiar with each other’s strengths and weaknesses,” Allen said. “We also keep each other laughing - essential on this long hike.”

Allen undertakes 26.3-mile hike to fulfill a wish

Shannon Allen, the National Environmental Policy Act, Natural and Cultural Re-sources Planner for Arnold Air Force Base, crosses the Chinnabee Creek while hiking part of the Pinhoti Trail in Alabama during the Make-A-Wish Foundation Alabama Trailblaze Challenge, May 1. (Courtesy photo)

Celebrate National Grilling Month with safe grilling practices

Air Force rethinks Position, Navigation and Timing

July 6, 2021 • 5

Around Arnold

By Rick FlemingAEDC Safety

July, more than half way through the year and right in the middle of summer, is celebrated as National Grilling Month.

Here is a brief history of grilling.Indigenous tribes, the Arawak people

of South America, were cooking meat over an indirect flame before Christo-pher Columbus encountered them on the island of Hispaniola. They roasted meat on a wooden structure called barbacoa, but the word was eventually modified to “barbecue.”

In 1919, Edward G. Kingsford devel-oped charcoal briquettes into what many use today. Kingsford, noticed that Ford’s Model T production lines were generat-ing a large amount of wood scraps that were being discarded. He suggested to Ford that a charcoal manufacturing fa-cility be established to process and sell charcoal under the Ford name at Ford dealerships, according to https://www.kingsford.com/country/about-us/.

In 1952, George Stephen, a welder at a metal fabrication shop primarily con-cerned with making steel buoys, was tired of the wind blowing ash onto his food when he grilled. He took the lower half of a buoy, welded three steel legs onto it and fabricated a shallower hemi-sphere for use as a lid, creating the kettle grill, according to https://www.weber.com/US/en/our-history.html. Before this, people occasionally cooked outside, but it was done by burning charcoal in a shallow, sheet-metal pan that stood on thin legs.

Grilling always seems to bring up memories of summer gatherings with family and friends when taking advan-tage of the weather and moving the cooking outside. Move ahead to 2021, seven out of 10 adults in the U.S. have a grill or smoker. For example my son, just

got a grill that is a charcoal/gas combo unit that can grill and/or smoke food us-ing charcoal or gas for heat and prepared chips or pellets of flavor makers.

Grilling technology has come a long way, but most of how to safely use a grill really hasn’t.

Between 2014 – 2018 fire depart-ments went to an annual average of 10,600 home fires involving grills, hi-bachis or barbecues per year, including 3,900 structure fires and 4,900 outside or unclassified fires. July is the peak month for grill fires, an average of 19,700 pa-tients per year went to emergency rooms because of injuries involving grills, ac-cording to Consumer Product Safety Commission’s National Electronic Inju-ry Surveillance System, queried in April 2016. Children under five accounted for an average of 2,000 or 39 percent, of the contact-type burns per year, according to National Fire Protection Association’s Applied Research. These burns typically occurred when someone, often a child, bumped into, touched or fell on the grill, grill part or hot coals.

Most grilling accidents are caused by grills that haven’t been properly main-tained. With gas grills, which account for about 80 percent of these fires, a leak or break is most often to blame. Whether gas- or charcoal-fed, grills that are not cleaned often trigger fires because of a buildup of grease and fat from previous cooking.

To grill safely, first, follow the manu-facturer’s instructions. Not all grills are created equal. Whether you are on team charcoal or team gas some things are the same.• All grills are only to be used out-

doors with proper ventilation.• All grills should be placed at least

10 feet away from anything combus-tible:

o Your house.

o Deck railings.

o Out from under eaves andoverhanging branches.

• Keep children and pets at least 3 feetaway from the grill area.

• Do not allow grease to build up; itcan catch fire.

• Never leave the grill unattended.• Charcoal Grills

o When starting your charcoal,using a charcoal chimneyand paper, starter fluid or anelectric starter; be sure to followmanufacturer’s instructions.

o Never add starter fluid or anyother flammable liquids to a fire.

o Keep Starter fluid out of the reachof children and away from heatsources.

o Let coals cool completely beforedisposing of in a metal container.

• Gas Grills

o Check the gas tank hose for leaksbefore using it for the first timeeach year.

o Apply a light soap and watersolution to the hose. A propaneleak will release bubbles. If yourgrill has a gas leak, by smell orthe soapy bubble test, and thereis no flame, turn off both thegas tank and the grill. If the leakstops, get the grill serviced by aprofessional before using it again.If the leak does not stop, call thefire department.

o If you smell gas while cooking,immediately get away from the

grill and call the fire department. Do not move the grill. If the flame goes out, turn the grill and gas off and wait at least 5 minutes before re-lighting it.

o Always make sure your gas grilllid is open before lighting it.

• Thermal burn examples:

o A man was burned trying to re-light a grill with lighter fluid andit exploded in his face.

o A woman was lighting a grillwhen the gas line disconnected,shooting flames into her face andhair.

o A man suffered burns to his faceand arm when, at first, a gas grillwould not ignite, but then burstinto flames.

o A father had his 7-month-olddaughter in a chest carrier whenhe got too close to a grill. The girlwas burned on her foot and knee.

o A girl ran over a hot coal that hadjust been poured out of a grill andburned her foot.

o A boy was playing football athome and ran into a hot grill.

If you use your grill once or twice a summer for hot dogs and burgers or if you use one every day for elaborate meals like stuffed pork loin and veg-etable kabobs, grills are a great tool for the quintessential summer get together. So get your grill warming, food prepped and take the cooking outside. It will cre-ate memories and help keep the house cooler too. Just always remember safety first.

Take care of each other.

Celebrate National Grilling Month with safe grilling practices

By Mark IngramAir Force Strategic Development Planning and ExperimentationOffice

WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio (AFRL) – The Air Force Stra-tegic Development Planning & Experimentation Office, along-side the Naval Surface Warfare Center took steps forward in April toward making the Air Force’s new Precision, Naviga-tion and Timing (PNT) concept of operations a reality as it dem-onstrated fused PNT technolo-gies within an AgilePod during six successful Phase I sorties on an airborne testbed in Centen-nial, Colorado, and successfully fit-tested the configuration on a T-38 at Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico, ahead of planned Phase II flight tests in August.

According to Maj. Andy Cottle, SDPE’s Operational Ex-perimentation Lead for Comple-mentary-PNT, the Centennial sorties explored a concept of op-erations developed by Air Force Futures aimed to rethink the Services’ approach to PNT by adapting open software archi-tectures with existing PNT tech-nologies like Vision Navigation (VisNav), Signals of Opportuni-ty (SoOP) and magnetic anom-aly navigation (MAGNAV). He explained that the sorties successfully demonstrated that a fused VisNav/SoOP system could perform within the recon-figurable AgilePod throughout a

wide range of aircraft and envi-ronmental conditions.

“PNT isn’t a new challenge for the Air Force, but we know uncontested Air Force domi-nance isn’t assured and we can’t be complacent,” Cottle said. “This concept recognizes that a single alternative-PNT technol-ogy isn’t going to give us the edge against our adversaries as they attempt to disrupt tra-

ditional GPS sources; we need to think differently about ways to employ those technologies together to achieve our desired effects.”

Cottle stated that the Cen-tennial tests were just the first phase in a series of flight tests aimed to rapidly explore the op-erational utility of this concept, adding that during the tests, the team will also assess the MAG-

NAV technology for potential incorporation in future tests. He added that in another important milestone, the team completed a successful fit-check of the Agi-lePod on a T-38 to prepare for Phase II flight testing at Edwards Air Force Base with the 586th Flight Test Squadron in August.

“This is what experimenta-tion is about,” said Rudy Klos-terman, SDPE’s Experimenta-

tion & Prototyping Division Chief. “We’re bringing together planners, scientists, engineers, and operators to rapidly – and for relatively small investments – explore competitive advantages, understand operational utility, develop CONOPS, and help the Air Force pivot as needed to en-sure capabilities being developed meet the ever changing demands of the battlefield.”

Air Force rethinks Position, Navigation and Timing

The Air Force Strategic Development Planning and Experimentation office took steps forward in April in making the Air Force’s new Precision, Navigation and Timing concept of operations a reality as it demonstrated fused PNT technologies within an AgilePod during six successful Phase I sorties on an airborne testbed in Centennial, Colorado, and successfully fit-tested the configuration on a T-38 at Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico, ahead of planned Phase II flight tests in Au-gust. (Courtesy photo)

6 • July 6, 2021

By Tech. Sgt. Emili KoonceAir Combat Command Public Affairs

JOINT BASE LANGLEY-EUSTIS, Va. (AFNS) – Recognizing an operation-al need to dominate the electromagnetic spectrum, Air Combat Command acti-vated the 350th Spectrum Warfare Wing June 25, which is temporarily located at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, while the Air Force conducts an environmental re-view for the permanent location.

A first of its kind, the 350th SWW will enable, equip and optimize fielding capabilities to give the U.S. and its al-lies a sustainable, competitive advantage over adversaries in the electromagnetic spectrum.

The new wing will provide mainte-nance, operational and technical exper-tise for electronic warfare in support of

the Combat Air Forces.“The competition in the electromag-

netic spectrum is more important than ever before. The joint force is connected by and delivers effects in and through the EMS,” said Col. William Young, 350th Spectrum Warfare Wing commander. “If we lose the fight in the EMS, we will lose the fights in all other domains. We’re here to help make sure that doesn’t happen. Standing up this unit emphasizes the Air Force’s commitment to consolidating and modernizing our entire enterprise so that joint warfighters have freedom to at-tack, maneuver and protect themselves at the time, place and parameters of our choosing.”

The EMS is a sovereign national re-source that exists as part of an intangible world, yet manifests itself through ev-eryday items. The EMS includes every-

thing from radio waves to visible light and affects almost every aspect of life from personal cellular phones and Wi-Fi to advanced technology used in military applications.

The EMS as a warfighting battlespace is not a new concept, but according to Young, advances in technology have cre-ated a critical need for Airmen to better understand their role within this intan-gible domain.

“The activation of the 350th Spec-trum Warfare Wing is the latest step the Air Force has taken to maintain our com-petitive advantage in electromagnetic warfare,” said Maj. Gen. Case Cunning-ham, United States Air Force Warfare Center commander. “Placing this critical mission under a wing commander dedi-cated to this mission set is fundamental to accelerating needed change and ensur-

ing our warfighters can continue to fight and win in the EMS.”

The standup also ensures all Air Force electronic warfare and EMS capa-bilities are consolidated at one location. The 53rd Electronic Warfare Group will move from the 53rd Wing to the 350th SWW.

In order to remain competitive and in line with the National Defense Strategy, the 350th SWW will help the Air Force rethink its EW capabilities and plan for future requirements. Over time, the wing will mature, evolve and expand its EMS capabilities to provide spectrum warfare capabilities.

The Air Force will conduct fur-ther environmental analysis be-fore making a final basing decision for the wing’s permanent location, expected in spring 2022.

ACC activates 350th Spectrum Warfare Wing

The Eglin Air Force Base Honor Guard presents the colors during the 350th Spectrum Warfare Wing activation ceremony June 25. The 350th SWW is respon-sible for delivering electromagnetic spectrum capabilities to 69 United States and foreign partner electromagnetic warfare systems. Additionally, the wing is responsible for electromagnetic warfare reprogramming, modeling and simulation and assessments. (U.S. Air Force photo by 1st Lt. Karissa Rodriguez)

New data sharing tech to augment warfighters in contested environments

By K. Houston Waters66th Air Base Group Public Affairs

HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. – A Hanscom team recently completed dem-onstrations that tested new techniques on tactical data links to increase data sharing in contested environments and improve warfighter readiness.

The Tactical Data Link Enhancements Team, formed through a partnership between the Aerial Networks Division, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Lincoln Labo-ratory, a federally funded re-search and development center, traveled to Eielson Air Force Base and Joint Base Elmen-dorf-Richardson, Alaska, to test out their new Heimdall tactical data link system.

The system uses innovative techniques to improve overall fighter performance in highly contested, near-peer environ-ments.

“Heimdall provides a criti-cal capability to existing tac-tical data links that ensures continued operation in future fights,” said Michael McAu-liffe, program manager, Tacti-cal Datalinks and Gateways

Branch. “What our system does is provide the Air Force with an advanced capability not only for the aircraft of the future but the aircraft of today. We have to keep these current platforms relevant for the modern fight, and that’s our objective with Heimdall.”

The U.S., NATO, and co-alition forces use TDLs for transmitting and exchanging real-time data among allies for shared situational awareness.

“The problem with TDL technologies is that they often take years to integrate, decades

to field, and you can’t just flip a switch and get everyone on a new system,” said Dr. Bow-Nan Cheng, associate group leader, MIT LL. “With Heim-dall, we were able to develop the technology in a way that enables a phased rollout. This not only provides immediate gains, but also increased perfor-mance for platforms willing to make long-term enhance-ments.”

The team demonstrated the new capability on an F-15C Eagle, modified at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, and flown

to Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico. There, it joined a C-12J Huron, also equipped with the new technology, to fly test missions over the White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico. The team and aircraft then joined hundreds of other aircraft participating in exercise Northern Edge 21, based out of Eielson and Joint Base El-mendorf-Richardson, and flew test and exercise missions over the Joint Pacific Alaska Range Complex.

“We wanted to test this criti-cal capability in a live, con-

tested operational environment and we were able to do just that,” said McAuliffe. “During these demonstrations, we put our technology through a wide range of scenarios, against mul-tiple categories of threats, and Heimdall performed success-fully across the board.”

Prior to the month and a half of integration and testing, the team collaborated with over a dozen organizations to con-struct what McAuliffe believes was the most comprehensive and robust threat environment of its type, to date.

Speaking on the installa-tion of the hardware, McAuliffe believes it to be a relatively straightforward process, tak-ing only three days to outfit the F-15C. If the system is fielded,this will ensure downtime for modification is kept to a mini-mum, he said.

The team is planning addi-tional testing and development, but no future dates have been set.

The TDL Enhancements Team is part of the Aerial Networks Division of the Command, Control, Com-munications, Intelligence and Networks directorate, headquartered here.

Members of the Tactical Data Link Enhancements Team, located at Hanscom Air Force Base Mass., pose in front of an F-15 at Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico, in May. The team was conducting tests of their Heimdall tactical data link technology, which improves real-time infor-mation sharing and overall fighter performance in highly contested, near-peer environments. (Courtesy photo)

July 6, 2021 • 7

8 • July 6, 2021

UOTT pushes boundaries of F-35 operational testing

By 2nd Lt. Cameron B. GreerAir Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center Detachment 6

NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, Nev. (AFNS) – A team of engineers, analysts, and pilots are pushing the boundaries of F-35 combat aircraft operational testing. The United States Operational Test Team is partnered with Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center Detachment 6.

The UOTT, successor to the Joint Strike Fighter Operational Test Team, was established in December 2019. It is a multi-service operational test organization responsible for ensuring the interoperabili-ty of the three F-35 variants across the U.S. Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps and in-ternational partners.

Team members from Edwards Air Force Base, California, and Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Arizona, bring a broad range of Department of Defense experi-ence from research laboratories, develop-mental test programs, and program man-agement offices. Through the planning and execution of high-fidelity testing, the team evaluates the F-35’s performance in operationally realistic, combat-like envi-ronments while providing a unified and comprehensive multi-service evaluation of all F-35 variants.

“This is only part of what makes the UOTT unique,” said Marine Lt. Col. David A. Merritt, UOTT deputy direc-tor. “The UOTT stands out because of its focus on joint operations. The UOTT re-cently participated in the joint, Pacific Air Forces Northern Edge training exercise that allowed the team to shift from a fixed, requirements-driven approach to an all-domain, integrated testing approach.”

“The UOTT is driving the test enter-prise toward the future,” said Col. Dan Javorsek, AFOTEC Detachment 6 com-mander and UOTT director. “The work the UOTT performs is an integral part of the acquisitions life cycle of the F-35. The team focuses on capabilities rather than

requirements. The emphasis is on analyz-ing what the jet can actually do rather than what it was designed to do.”

The UOTT is also working to broad-en the scope of operational (testing) as it relates to domain-agnostic warfare,” Ja-vorsek said. “Contemporary operational test events are extremely domain-specific whereby the focus is exclusively on how the F-35 (or any aircraft) handles problems on its own, from the air domain with no consideration of contributions from the other warfighting domains. In contrast, we want to shift to the delivery of domain-agnostic effects because it is important to assess how the F-35 integrates into a more holistic force complete with maritime, ground, cyber, and space suppliers.

“Rather than examining only how the jet maneuvers in the airspace, UOTT engi-neers and analysts adopted an all-domain approach to both the F-35 and the future of warfare,” Javorsek said. “In a software defined combat system like the F-35, cyber defense is far more important than it was in legacy aircraft to include the F-22 (Rap-tor).”

For Javorsek and his team, communi-cating the importance of cyber defense has been a top priority. UOTT cyber test engi-neers recently briefed the Air Force chief of staff, Marine deputy commandant for information, and naval operation informa-tion warfare deputy chief. These engineers recommended viable solutions to software and network security for the lifecycle of the F-35 platform. The briefing team, led by the UOTT’s Cyber Test deputy chief, 1st Lt. Alexandra Horstman, generated seven action items the CSAF took with him into present-day discussions on the future viability of the F-35 program. This brief propelled Horstman and her group forward in their efforts to critically analyze F-35 cyber system architecture.

“The military must continue investing in evolving cyber threat identification and mitigation along with improving recovery capabilities while remaining agile for the

foreseeable future.” said Jamal Quinnert, UOTT cyberspace operational test ana-lyst. “As operational testers, our responsi-bility is to continue to test in operationally realistic environments while supporting the warfighter. We have to remain vigilant and be change agents in cybersecurity.”

The UOTT also contains analysts fo-cused on increasing the fidelity of F-35 test events. “Missions that mimic the re-alities of war are critical for making sure the jet outperforms all enemies it encoun-ters,” said Capt. James Deitschel, UOTT operational test analyst. “I evaluate mis-sion events to determine how effectively the jet performs under the pressures of combat. The more hours we put on the airframe, the more data we collect. This kind of evaluation is essential for inform-ing the release of new software iterations. The goal is to equip the fleet with soft-ware upgrades that offer the best combat capability.”

“From cyberspace operations to mis-sion analysis, the UOTT performs the breadth of testing needed to ensure the success of the F-35 program. “The F-35

is ideally suited to handle the future of air combat,” Javorsek said. “With auto-throt-tle, voice recognition, advanced sensors, and a low signature, it can rapidly adapt to a changing world.”

Putting these capabilities through the rigors of operational testing ensures the jet remains effective for the duration of its life cycle. “Much of the UOTT’s effec-tiveness comes from the flexibility to fo-cus on what the aircraft can actually do,” Javorsek said. “This affords us a unique perspective that no one else has. While the UOTT is unique in its structure, at its root is a joint organization with the entire test enterprise in mind.”

“The UOTT is unfettered from the limitations associated with the origi-nal requirements for the aircraft in the beginning,” Merritt said. “Couple that with team members possessing experi-ence in aerospace, cyber, space, land, sea, and undersea domains and the result is a test team well equipped to drive the future of operational (tests), especially the next phase of operational testing for the F-35 in fall 2021.”

An F-35A Lightning II flies with an F-22 Raptor to test interoperability between the two aircraft platforms. A team of engineers, analysts, and pilots from the United States Operational Test Team, or UOTT, and Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center Detachment 6 are pushing the boundaries of F-35 com-bat aircraft operational testing. (U.S. Air Force photo)

By Jessica Casserly66th Air Base Group Public Affairs

HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. – Personnel from the AFNet Sustainment and Op-erations Branch here are partner-ing with the Air Combat Com-mand Directorate of Cyberspace and Information Dominance to develop a modern software-based perimeter that will deliver zero trust capabilities to applica-tions across the Air Force.

Defined by the Air Force as a “data or application access strat-egy that assumes all resource requests originate from an un-trusted source,” zero trust net-works grant access for individual requests only after establishing confidence in both the user and the device through identity veri-fication and connection context attributes.

“The concept of zero trust has been around for many years, but recent cyberattacks and the heightened cyber threat land-scape have elevated the need to implement zero trust architec-tures,” said Raju Ranjan, an AF-Net Sustainment and Operations Branch engineer. “Last year’s National Institute of Standards and Technology special publi-cation and the Department of Defense’s reference architecture helped us better understand this strategy, and it’s now a DOD mandate for all agencies to use a zero trust architecture model.”

Vincent Maguire, the branch’s lead engineer, said the zero trust concept is a paradigm shift in how the Air Force secures its ap-plications.

“With the architecture we have now, we’ve focused on hardening our network and then trusting users connected to it with a CAC card,” he said. “But with zero trust, users can be on any network in the world, be-

cause we don’t start off with the premise of trust. We establish trust at the time of a transaction and we build different levels of trust depending on how healthy the machine is and the user’s identity.”

ACC is developing the con-cept and strategy for the Air Force to move forward on zero trust, the AFNet Sustainment and Operations Branch is leading the integration efforts and the Plat-form One team is tackling the development, security, and op-erations piece, Maguire said.

“Based on the strategy ACC’s provided, Raju is leading a team of engineers that is building a software-based zero trust bound-ary,” he said.

Ranjan added that the con-cept also offers consistency, agil-ity and savings.

“Currently, our boundary stack drives significant cost, and

this concept could reduce those costs by as much as two or three times less than the current price,” he said.

The Massachusetts National Guard’s 126th Cyber Protection Battalion recently spent a week at the Lantern, also known as the Hanscom Collaboration and Innovation Center, proving the value proposition for micro seg-mentation work designed to help increase the project’s security, said Lt. Col. Darren Edmonds, the Lantern’s director.

Stephen Haselhorst, chief technology officer for the ACC Directorate of Cyberspace and Information Dominance, empha-sized how “revolutionary” this project is for the DOD.

“It’s an architecture adapted from cloud-based technologies used by the Air Force Platform One team that have never been used on legacy networks in the

DOD, that we know of,” he said. “It’s embracing a lot of modern concepts of DevSecOps, such as automation and orchestration necessary for zero trust to exist. The work that Raju is leading at Hanscom is pretty groundbreak-ing.”

Lauren Knausenberger, the Air Force’s chief information officer, agreed that innovative projects like this one are key to accelerating our warfighting advantage, by simplifying digi-tal access for our Airmen and Guardians, without sacrificing security.

“Zero trust safely unlocks access to next-generation Joint All-Domain Command and Control warfighting capabili-ties by enabling seamless data sharing with our partners and allies, and greater freedom of maneuver for our warfighters,” she said. “At the same time,

zero trust capabilities also im-pose greater costs on any ad-versaries trying to disrupt these efforts. The inventive approach the Hanscom and ACC teams bring to this project is exactly the mindset we need to succeed in a future fight.”

The project is currently in the research and development phase, with many collabora-tors helping to move the effort forward, including the 16th Air Force, the Air Force Systems Networking office, the Cyber Capability Center, MITRE and others.

Haselhorst said the project’s proof of concept test is expected to conclude later this summer and two bases will serve as pilot locations for the boundary stack this fall. Air Force-wide deploy-ment is targeted for Fiscal Year 23.

Maguire said ACC’s timeline for Air Force-wide deployment aligns perfectly with the AFNet Sustainment and Operations Branch’s five-year roadmap, which also targets FY23 for a zero trust Air Force network.

The project is currently un-funded, but ACC has an FY23 budget submission that should provide the funds needed to move forward.

Haselhorst said the com-bined efforts of the AFNet Sustainment and Operations Branch’s perimeter work and the Lantern’s micro segmen-tation work will give the Air Force a solid foundational start in the zero trust journey.

“The team at Hanscom is helping transition zero trust from a buzzword to reality,” Haselhorst said. “The truly in-novative solutions they’re help-ing us develop will increase the security posture of the Air Force, while enabling Air-men to execute their mission anywhere, anytime.”

Software innovation drives ‘revolutionary’ zero trust effort

Raju Ranjan, an engineer from the AFNet Sustainment and Operations Branch discusses plans for a modern software-based perimeter with Capt. Christopher Kodama, a Branch engineer, at Hanscom Air Force Base, Mass., June 3. HNIB personnel are partnering with the Air Combat Command Directorate of Cyberspace and Information Dominance to develop the perimeter, which will deliver zero trust capability to applications across the Air Force. (U.S. Air Force photo by Mark Herlihy)

July 6, 2021 • 9OPEN HOUSE from page 2

STEM from page 3

2nd Lt. Paul McCormack hands out information about the Propulsion Test Branch, Test Division, AEDC, during the AEDC “Hap Arnold Day” 70th Anniversary Celebration Open House June 26 at Arnold AFB.

A detail of uniformed Airmen of Arnold Engineering Development Complex salute during a retreat ceremony after the AEDC “Hap Arnold Day” 70th Anniversary Celebration Open House June 26 at Arnold AFB.

A detail of Airmen of the Arnold Engineering Development Complex fold the U.S. flag during a retreat ceremony after the AEDC “Hap Arnold Day” 70th Anniversary Celebration Open House June 26 at Arnold AFB.

Bryce Spencer, center, was a first-place winner in the Coffee Airfoilers Model RC Club June 26 air-plane toss competition hosted by the club to co-incide with the Arnold Engineering Development Complex 70th anniversary. Also pictured are AEDC Commander Col. Jeffrey Geraghty, right, and AEDC Vice Director Jason Coker. (U.S. Air Force photos by Bradley Hicks)

Will Jenkins, center, was a second-place winner in the Coffee Airfoilers Model RC Club June 26 air-plane toss competition hosted by the club to co-incide with the Arnold Engineering Development Complex 70th anniversary. Also pictured are AEDC Commander Col. Jeffrey Geraghty, right, and AEDC Vice Director Jason Coker.

Miland Bonner, center, was a second-place winner in the Coffee Airfoilers Model RC Club June 26 air-plane toss competition hosted by the club to co-incide with the Arnold Engineering Development Complex 70th anniversary. Also pictured are AEDC Commander Col. Jeffrey Geraghty, right, and AEDC Vice Director Jason Coker.

Software innovation drives ‘revolutionary’ zero trust effort

Col. Lincoln Bonner, right, chief, Test Division, Arnold Engineering Development Complex, and other members of Team AEDC share information about the Aerodynamics Test Branch of the Test Division dur-ing the AEDC “Hap Arnold Day” 70th Anniversary Celebration Open House June 26 at Arnold AFB.

Giant birthday cards celebrating the 70th anniversary of the dedication of Arnold Engineering De-velopment Complex sit on display June 26 during the AEDC “Hap Arnold Day” 70th Anniversary Celebration Open House at Arnold Air Force Base. (U.S. Air Force photos by Jill Pickett)

Col. Jeffrey Geraghty, commander, AEDC, address-es AEDC military and Department of Defense per-sonnel gathered for a retreat ceremony.

A pair of F-15 Eagles from the 96th Test Wing out of Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, fly over Arnold AFB during a retreat ceremony.

Photo unavailable of first-place winner Brandon Prince

By Rick BrinkDeCA Public Affairs

FORT LEE, Va. – It’s not an over-statement to say that the new and im-proved Commissary CLICK2GO™ is, well, very much new and improved.

Now featuring online payment and more product information than ever be-fore, the online ordering/curbside deliv-ery service is being expanded to all state-side commissaries by the end of the year, and to overseas stores soon thereafter.

“We’ve learned a lot about what our customers want during our initial 11-store rollout the past two years, and thanks to re-cent innovations to our e-commerce plat-form we’ve made tremendous service and user-interface improvements that custom-ers expect in today’s retail environment,” said Bill Moore, director and CEO of the Defense Commissary Agency. “We’re go-ing to deliver this great service to all com-

missaries as quickly as possible.” Because of grocery shopping trends,

DeCA has been galvanized to bring on-line ordering, payment and pick-up op-tions to all commissary-eligible patrons.

The Food Marketing Institute recently reported that online grocery shopping has escalated to previously unpredict-able rates since the COVID-19 pandemic broke out. FMI had estimated that 20 per-cent of all U.S. grocery shopping would be done online by 2025. However, the rates of e-grocery sales expected to oc-cur over a 10-year timeframe actually oc-curred in just six months.

Here’s a brief rundown of Commis-sary CLICK2GO’s new features:

• Improved navigation and search functions to help customers plan healthy meals and take care of theirfamily’s needs

• Enhanced product information

• Robust recipe features

• Featured sales and promotions

• Upgraded mobile-friendly experience,to include seeing order history for easein re-ordering desired products

• Online payment

“Perhaps the most significant en-hancement is online payment,” Moore added. “You place your order and pay online, and then it’s simply a matter of driving up to the curbside delivery area of your commissary to have your groceries loaded into your vehicle – that’s a stream-lined process our customers expect in this information age.”

Information on how the service works and the rollout status is found on commissaries.com with dedicated sections such as “How CLICK2GO Works.” First-time customers will need to create an account.

Moore said the agency-wide expan-sion of online ordering/curbside deliv-ery service aligns with DeCA’s stra-tegic goals to make the commissary benefit accessible to as much of the patron base as possible.

“Our CLICK2GO rollout has been

long desired by our patrons and we fully grasp that they expect us to deliver this convenient method of grocery shopping as soon as possible – they want to know when they will see it at their commis-sary,” Moore said. “I can assure you that we’re working as hard as we can to make this happen as quickly as possible.

“We’ll have the schedule on our web-site to keep people updated as best we can,” he added. “Our promise is to get it to all U.S. stores this calendar year – maybe sooner – and we are committed to getting it to our overseas stores soon thereafter, as we work through international challenges like COVID restrictions.

“Commissary CLICK2GO builds on the vital benefit we deliver exclusively for our military community and their families – we deliver the savings but we have to improve on convenience and CLICK2GO does just that,” Moore said. “With it, pa-trons near and far can plan, order and pay for their purchases on-line and simply swing by the store to get them. It makesthe commissary worth the trip and I envi-sion it will enable us to eventually offer delivery – where our patrons can enjoy their hard-earned benefit from the com-fort of their homes or barracks.”

10 • July 6, 2021

Services activities are openbut may have limited hours and offerings

INFO UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE - SUBJECT TO CHANGECall to check and confirm availability.

Other restrictions may apply.

GOLF COURSE: Daily 7am-dusk MULLIGAN’S GRILL: S-S only 7am-1pm 454-FOOD

May be closed due to inclement weatherCall about upcoming tournaments 454-GOLF

Check flyers/posters, SharePoint, Facebook, or SKN tvs for specials & events

OUTDOOR REC:Open 4 July 10am-6pm

Closed 5 July M, T, Th, F 10am-5pm, Sa 8am-6pm

RESERVATIONS REQUIRED 454-6084 Some rentals not availableCheck flyers/posters, SharePoint, Facebook, or SKN tvs for specials & events

CAFÉ 100: CLOSED due to high telework/renovation projectCheck email, SharePoint, or tv outside Café 100 for project update presentation

FITNESS CENTER: M-F 5am-7:30pm Closed 1-1:30pm Sa 8am-1pmBY APPT ONLY, 454-6440, FOR AUTHORIZED USERS-Screening questions at entry -No lockers -Limited showers

Check flyers/posters, SharePoint, Facebook, or SKN tvs for specials & events

ALC: Th-F 5-8pm dining (limited menu) & bar 454-3350Check flyers/posters, SharePoint, Facebook, or SKN tvs for specials & events

WINGO INN: M-F 7am-6pm S-S 8am-4pm 454-3051

FOOD TRUCKS: M-F 10am-1pmAs of 17 May 21

(Courtesy graphic)

Enhanced online ordering/curbside delivery service moving to all stores

Arnold AFB Milestones

July 6, 2021 • 11

Arnold AFB Milestones40 YEARSRobert Brim, TOSMark Duke, TOS

35 YEARSMark Brandon, TOSJeffrey Foster, TOSRoberta Kologinczak, TOSSheila Sullivan, TOS

30 YEARSFerriss Blackwell, TOSRobert Tate, TOS

25 YEARSPaul Smith, TOS

20 YEARSDavid Claudio, TOSKay Odell, TOSGregory Sandlin, TOSCindy Sisson, TOS

10 YEARSPaul Garcia, TOSLaurie Winton, TOS

5 YEARSJoshua Keith, TOSSteven Meeks, TOSCourteney Penny, TOSGeorge Trussell, FSS

INBOUND MILITARYMaj. Bradley Breaux, AFMaj. Nicholas Frommelt, AFCol. Robert Lance, AFLt. Col. Michael Marlin, AF

OUTBOUND MILITARYLt. Col. Michael Knauf, AFSr. Airman Travis Russell, AFMaj. Stephen Satava, AF

RETIREMENTSJames Bennett, TOSLarry Davis, AFJody Frame, TOSHuland Smith, AFRonald Turner, TOSEric Yatsko, AF

NEW HIRESJason Adcock, TOSSophie Alderete, TOSTrevor Blair, TOSColton Bowlin, TOSKevin Brewer, TOSTyler Campbell, TOSRobert Clutter, TOSWilliam Crawford, TOSFrank Czyzyk, TOSScottie Davis, TOSAmy Duncan, AFTroy Farris, TOS

Jason Finchum, TOSCarl Hall, AFCarson Hampton, TOSLake Henderson, TOSWilliam Hunter, AFDavid Kaye, TOSChristopher Keele, TOSTaylor Malsy, TOSNathan McAdams, TOSJorge Moreno, TOS

Rico Nard, TOSWilliam Ray, TOSChristopher Reece, TOSJeffery Scissom, TOSJason Stacey, TOSKarl Steuer Jr., TOSBrian Sutton, TOSEmily Tighe, TOSHaden Welch, AFZhuri Winfree-Givens, TOS

Gill, Vaught promoted to first lieutenant

Lt. Col. John McShane, right, materiel leader of the Arnold Engineering Devel-opment Complex Aerodynamics Test Branch, administers the oath of office to newly-promoted first lieutenants Ryan Gill and Riley Vaught during a promotion ceremony May 25 at Arnold Air Force Base. (U.S. Air Force photo by Jill Pickett)

Blount promoted to first lieutenant

Lt. Col. Michael Knauf, left, administers the oath of office to newly-promot-ed 1st Lt. Ryan Blount during a promotion ceremony May 25 in Manchester. (Courtesy photo)

Mark Duke, TOS40 years

Mark Brandon, TOS35 years

viously adorned the body of the jet was replaced with a uniform chrome color-ing. White paint was used to decorate the wings. The U.S. Air Force roundels and the 586 FLTS patch gracing the jet have a little more “pop,” as they now feature their official colors, a stark con-trast to the indistinct markings previously found on the aircraft. Test orange striping was applied to the front and tail of the jet. The AFTC insignia, embedded in a black chevron, now bedecks the tail of the jet.

It was an opportune time to give the aircraft a fresh coat, as it was just coming

out of depot maintenance. “When these jets return from depot

maintenance, they are covered in a ragged pattern as many of the panels are replaced and devoid of paint,” Pontzer said.

To develop the new scheme, those in the 586 FLTS, with help from Capt. Preston Spaulding of the 40th Flight Test Squadron at Eglin Air Force Base, Flor-ida, rendered and drafted a model based on a scheme adorning an F-104 aircraft on display in the Holloman AFB heri-tage park. The F-104s were used as chase aircraft in the early years of the AFTC, then known as the Air Force Flight Test

Center. The similar scheme on the T-38 is intended to remind current and future members of the 586 FLTS of its pioneer-ing legacy.

Work on the jet’s makeover began around a year ago and was completed around the beginning of June, just in time for its reveal at the ceremony.

“As we are a unit under the command of the Arnold AFB, it just so happens that the paint was finished in time, and this is a great opportunity to share our story and promote the 586th Flight Test Squadron mission and heritage,” Pontzer said.

Pontzer added the new paint scheme

will most likely remain on the jet for the duration of its lifespan, to be removed only if mission or regulation dictates.

He also expressed his appreciation to those who helped take the new scheme from proposal to reality, with a special “thank you” to all the paint shop person-nel who brought the project to fruition.

“Thank to our maintenance folks and crew chiefs who keep our jets fly-ing,” Pontzer said. “And thanks to the leadership for making this possible and supporting the grassroots efforts of the squadron to honor our heritage, promote the mission and increase morale.”

FLYOVER from page 1

12 • July 6, 2021