WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio — In 2020, the leadership, service members, civilian personnel, contractors and wider community at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base rose to the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, which touched virtually every aspect of the mission. The pandemic response required the base going from Health Protection Condition Bravo to HPCON Charlie and then HPCON Bravo, Phase I and Plan and Phase II Return to Full Capacity Plan as conditions dictated or permitted. WPAFB moved into new ways to perform the mission and adapt, innovate and flex to the new landscape.
In some places, that meant keeping a safe physical distance of 6 feet away; in other ways, it meant working from home to “flatten the curve” and safeguard others. Protecting health, safety and security were of utmost importance and the driving forces behind leadership decisions. The 88th Air Base Wing quickly responded to update information, policies and procedures, hosting town halls and tabletop exercises, communicating via the WPAFB website and using social media to provide awareness. Other tenant units adapted just as quickly. Read below about the dozens of ways the base community responded to the COVID-19 pandemic with ingenuity, agility and teamwork. Throughout 2020, there were many significant milestones achieved by numerous organizations across WPAFB. Here are some of the milestones, events, COVID-19 related actions, awards and other things that contributed to overall mission success:
Milestones
■ Col. Patrick Miller accepted command of the 88 ABW during a ceremony at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force on June 12. Lt. Gen. Robert McMurry, then the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center commander, outlined Miller’s successful 22- year service track record. Miller reminded the audience this is his second tour at WPAFB, having been an instructor as a captain at the Air Force Institute of Technology’s Graduate School of Civil Engineering and Management 14 years ago.
■ Gen. Arnold Bunch Jr., commander of Air Force Materiel Command, and Gen. Mike Holmes, commander of Air Combat Command, signed a memorandum of agreement between the two major commands during the Technology and Acquisition Sustainment Review conference Jan. 29 at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia. The commanders are taking an active approach to ensuring a collaboration channel exists between acquisition program offices and operational wings. The agreement creates a new culture paradigm for the acquisition and operational communities, focused on improved communication and continuous collaboration. It also establishes a framework for bilateral immersions of Airmen to create better understanding of the maintenance and operational requirements of a weapons system throughout its life cycle.
Events
WPAFB launched its campaign to address social justice, diversity and inclusion concerns July 10. The physically distanced 5K Ruck March/Walk for Social Justice & Diversity Inclusion was held at Bass Lake and included waves of dozens of Airmen, civilians and other participants. A second event was held to address social justice and diversity inclusion concerns July 16. The “Racial Disparity Summit: Listen to Understand From All Perspectives” was a no-rank, no-uniform, off-base event that offered an open discussion forum for all Airmen to have their voices heard, share their experiences, gain understanding and perspective, and support one another in the journey toward social and racial justice. The forum was organized by Master Sgt. Jesus Gonzalez, Senior Master Sgt. Starr Williams, Master Sgt. Durell Lawton and Senior Master Sgt. Quami King.
New faces/roles
■ Brig. Gen. Heather Pringle, Air Force Research Laboratory commander
■ Jacqueline Janning-Lask, Senior Executive Service, AFRL Sensors Directorate director
■ Dr. Timothy Bunning, SES, AFRL chief technology officer
■ Maj. Jonathan Polston, 788th Civil Engineer Squadron commander
■ Anthony “Tony” Everidge, SES, Air Force Installation Contracting Center executive director
■ Chief Master Sgt. Jason Shaffer, 88 ABW command chief
■ Lt. Col. Nathaniel Peace, 18th Intelligence Squadron commander, 544th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group
■ Col. Christian Lyons, 88th Medical Group commander
■ Derrick Brashears, privatized housing advocate
■ Brig. Gen. Jeannine Ryder, AFRL’s 711th Human Performance Wing commander
■ Lt. Gen. Shaun Morris, AFLCMC commander
■ Chief Master Sgt. Jeremy Carlson, AFIT superintendent of education for the Civil Engineer School and chief enlisted manager
■ C. Anthony “Tony” Braswell, AFLCMC director of contracting
COVID-19 responses, adaptations and innovations
On March 17, the Wright-Patterson Medical Center began limiting entry to the medical facility to ensure the health and safety of patients, staff and visitors, designating only two entry points. The two entry points allowed staff the opportunity to institute precautionary screening for patients, staff and visitors before entering. Other WPAFB facilities closed or reduced hours of operation. Base officials formed a COVID-19 Incident Command Center on March 23 at the WPMC. Led by Lt. Col. (Dr.) Hui Ling Li, base public health officer, as the incident commander, and advised by base Fire Chief Jacob King, the ICC is comprised of subject-matter experts from other areas of responsibility such as Public Health, Operations, Planning, Logistics, Security Forces, Finance and Administration.
■ ICC coordinates information and requests with the base Emergency Operations Center, Crisis Action Team, installation leadership, first responders and medical officials as they continue to work closely with the Ohio Department of Health to coordinate prevention and response efforts in the local area. When an individual associated with WPAFB tested positive for COVID-19, a key team in the 88th Medical Group’s Public Health Flight traced that person’s close contacts to prevent further spread.
■ The 88th Communications Squadron worked in conjunction with 16th Air Force to provide as much capability as possible to perform operations remotely. Today’s network was not engineered to support the telework level trying to be executed, but changes were made daily (sometimes hourly) to make improvements.
■ Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and to protect the health and safety for more than 25,000 participants, volunteers and guests, Air Force officials canceled the 2020 Air Force Marathon, set for Sept. 19, except for the Virtual Race. This year would have marked the 24th annual event with more than 13,000 runners from all 50 states and many countries participating. Ironically, the new Virtual Race was added to allow runners from all over the world to join in from afar, and it sold out. Participants could virtually complete the Air Force Marathon, half marathon, 10K, 5K, Tailwind Trot or Fly! Fight! Win! Challenge Series race. For the Virtual Race, runners ran their selected distances in September; once completed, participants received their 2020 bib, medal, race shirt and a 20 percent discount to any 2021 Air Force Marathon race.
■ AFIT students developed a predictive modeling app called COVID-19 Health Assessment Dashboard to provide a centralized location for Air Force leadership to receive up-to-date pandemic information specifically tailored to military installations and the surrounding local areas.
■ With only 24-hour notice, seven Reserve Citizen Airmen from the 445th Airlift Wing packed their bags and boarded a C-17 Globemaster III bound for New York City, where thousands of people tested positive for COVID-19. The team of Air Force medical professionals volunteered to deploy in response to New York’s coronavirus crisis. The physician, nurse practitioner and five nurses, who are members of the 445th Aeromedical Staging Squadron and 445th Aerospace Medicine Squadron, flew to McGuire AFB, New Jersey, and then continued on to Manhattan, where they joined medical professionals from the civilian sector and all armed services components in response to COVID-19.
■ U.S. Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine professionals trained medics on Transport Isolation System use to move patients affected by COVID-19 aboard military cargo aircraft. TIS is an infectious disease-containment unit designed to minimize risk to aircrew and medical attendants, while allowing in-flight medical care for patients afflicted by contagions like COVID-19. It represents an important tool in Air Mobility Command’s COVID-19 response to safely transport patients afflicted by the virus.
■ AFLCMC’s Air Force CBRN Defense Systems Branch partnered with the Joint Program Executive Office for Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defense and other organizations across the Department of Defense and academia to deliver an isolation container prototype to Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina, on April 21. The isolation container prototype was slated for testing for potential use as a transport module for individuals infected with the COVID-19 virus and other highly infectious diseases. Rapidly developed in response to U.S. Transportation Command’s Joint Urgent Operational Need, the Negatively Pressurized Conex is designed to fit inside of a C-17 aircraft and enable the safe transport of as many as 28 patients, both ambulatory and on litters, as well as teams of medical professionals to medical facilities around the globe.
■ Since WPAFB’s first positive COVID-19 case was announced March 20, Kittyhawk Pharmacy has remained committed to its thousands of active-duty, retiree and eligible veteran customers. Changes were made quickly to ensure continued service to hospital clients as well as safety measures for pharmacy staff. The drive-thru pharmacy deployed Airmen to effectively meet and greet customers at their vehicles, taking information and then bringing medications back to the vehicle. While customers may have fretted about long lines and wait times to get their prescriptions, there were accolades and praises on Facebook and through the Commander’s Direct Line.
■ Under a cooperative agreement with the University of Cincinnati, AFRL’s 711 HPW is supporting a first-of-its-kind clinical trial involving closed-loop control of oxygenation during mechanical ventilation. In the long-term, findings from this trial could improve ventilator technology, a key tool in the COVID- 19 fight.
■ AFRL scientists are working with University of Michigan and Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity researchers to build and test a revolutionary chemical sensing device that can detect acute respiratory disease syndrome associated with COVID-19 deaths.
■ Air Force Marathon director Brandon Hough gave runners a taste of the marathon experience and held livestreams on Facebook the morning of Sept. 19, which would have been the actual day of the marathon. During the streaming, a group of junior Airmen made up of the recipients of “Gift an Airman” registration and 88th Security Forces members had the opportunity to run their selected races.
Awards/recognition
■ Six AFMC civilian senior executives were named 2019 Presidential Rank Awards recipients. The awards feature two categories: distinguished and meritorious. Only 5 percent of Senior Executive Service and Senior Professionals may receive the Presidential Meritorious Rank Award, and only 1 percent may receive the Presidential Distinguished Rank Award. The AFMC recipients are: Distinguished Executive Kathy Watern, executive director; AFLCMC Meritorious Executive Bill Snodgrass, director, Manpower, Personnel and Services; HQ AFMC Meritorious Senior Professional Dr. Alok Das, senior scientist for Design Innovation, AFRL; Dr. Paul Antonik, chief scientist, Information Directorate, AFRL; Dr. Joseph Nichols, technical adviser, Flight Test and Evaluation, Air Force Test Center.
■ AFRL engineer Dr. Douglas Talley was honored by the Joint Army-Navy-NASA-Air Force Liquid Propulsion subcommittee with the Lifetime Achievement Award for his 30-year career in leading innovative research into liquid rocket engine physics.
■ AFRL aerospace engineer Dr. Campbell Carter was named an American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics fellow for his distinguished career in the study of highspeed propulsion.
■ Lawrence “Larry” Knight Sr., deputy commander of the Air Force Installation Contracting Center’s 771st Enterprise Sourcing Squadron, was selected to represent the AFMC for the 2020 Air Force Association Outstanding Air Force Civilian Employees of the Year, Civilian Senior Manager Category.
■ Air Force Marathon Director Brandon Hough was awarded the Rising Star award Feb. 9 at the 2020 Running USA Industry Conference in Las Vegas. The Running USA Rising Star award recognizes a young professional in the sport who has demonstrated strong leadership, initiative, entrepreneurship and exceptional contributions early in their career.
■ Dr. Jennifer Fielding, AFRL’s section chief of Composite Performance and Applications, was one of 20 women who received special recognition from the Society of Manufacturing Engineers for making their mark in aerospace and defense smart manufacturing.
■ A group of Air Force Academy cadets hosted by WPAFB was named the Therapeutic Riding Institute’s 2019 Volunteer Group of the Year at its annual awards banquet Jan. 23. This award is given to a service group that went above and beyond for the riding institute during 2019. Accepting the award on behalf of the cadets was Lt. Col. Karen Kramer, 88th Aerospace Medicine Squadron’s Public Health Flight commander.
■ When most Air Force fighter and bomber aircraft need to strike a target, they rely on the Sniper Pod, which provides long-range detection/identification of targets, as well as all mission surveillance, including close air support of ground troops. The Precision Attack Sniper Integrated Product Team, part of AFLCMC’s Agile Combat Support Directorate, ensures the Sniper Pod operates as designed. The team won the 2019 Secretary of Defense Performance-Based Logistics Award in the Sub-System Category for its work providing modernization and sustainment support to the Sniper Pod.
■ Dr. Richard Vaia of AFRL’s Materials and Manufacturing Directorate was elected a member to the National Academy of Engineering. Appointment to the NAE is among the highest professional distinctions bestowed upon an engineer.
■ Master Sgt. Timothy Heggedahl, an intelligence analyst, was awarded the Bronze Star for his actions while deployed to Iraq in 2018-19. Heggedahl’s citation states that he “distinguished himself by meritorious achievement as superintendent, Detachment 2, 370th Air Expeditionary Advisory Group, 321st Air Expeditionary Wing, Bagdad Diplomatic Support Center, Iraq while engaged in military operations against an opposing armed force” from Nov. 18, 2018, to June 25, 2019. Heggedahl led 42 missions outside coalition-controlled areas, traveling more than 250 miles of roadways with confirmed improvised explosive device threats, conducting 66 key leader engagements with a dozen Iraqi Air Force units and 24 Iraqi officers, the citation continued. He also identified important gaps in Iraqi intelligence, and during an enemy rocket attack, coordinated the extraction of two air traffic control liaison officers, the citation states.
■ Dr. Alok Das, director of AFRL’s Center for Rapid Innovation, and Dr. Paul Antonik, chief scientist for AFRL’s Information Directorate, received the Presidential Rank Award for Meritorious Professional for their sustained accomplishments, exemplary public service and long-term dedication to the mission during the PRA Leadership Summit in Washington. Given by the president to exemplary federal leaders, PRA is the highest award a civilian federal employee can receive.
■ Jack Owsley III, AFRL’s Sensors Directorate Tech Transfer and Alliance Program manager, was selected from among 300 federal laboratories to earn the 2020 Rookie of the Year Award from the Federal Laboratory Consortium for Technology Transfer. FLC is the congressionally mandated organization that educates, promotes and facilitates federal technology transfer.
■ Kevin Simmons Sr., Affirmative Employment program manager, was awarded the 2020 Parity Inc. Top Ten African American Male award, which acknowledges those who mentor and are involved in the African-American community to help others achieve social and economic equality.
■ Senior Airman Lawrence Onochie, a biomedical equipment repair technician at the 88 MDG, was selected as a national USO Volunteer of the Quarter for the first quarter of 2020. Of some 30,000 volunteers worldwide, only seven are selected as USO Volunteer of the Quarter.
■ A sensory psychologist and a technology transfer specialist in AFRL’s 711 HPW were selected for a 2020 Excellence in Technology Transfer Award by the Federal Laboratory Consortium for Technology Transfer for Multi-Modal Communication. Dr. Brian Simpson and Dr. James Kearns were selected for the successful technology transfer of MMC, which is a system invented to manage complex communication environments.
■ Ten scientists and engineers from AFRL earned accolades as winners of 2019 Science, Technology, Engineering and Math awards. This prestigious honor from the office of the Air Force Chief Scientist and Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math recognizes Department of Defense civilians for their technical contributions, career achievements and superior dedication to the mission.
■ The F-35 Joint Program Office’s Environmental, Safety and Occupational Health Team was recognized as a 2020 Secretary of Defense Environmental Award winner for Environmental Excellence in Weapon System Acquisition in the large program category April 22. ESOHT received the honor for its actions to eliminate hazards associated with the production, operation and maintenance of the F-35 Lightning II. One of the team’s most prominent accomplishments was its work in eliminating hazardous heavy metals traditionally employed in aircraft for protection against equipment wear and corrosion.
■ AFIT’s Center for Space Research and Assurance was selected as winner of the General Muir S. Fairchild Educational Achievement Award for 2019.
■ Felicia Harlow, an AFRL Sensors Directorate senior security research engineer, was selected by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Dayton Section to receive the 2020 IEEE Dayton Section Women in Engineering Award. Within IEEE, Women in Engineering work to promote women in STEM careers, and inspire young girls to pursue careers in these areas. Harlow, who has been volunteering with the organization since 2007, was recognized for her contributions to IEEE at both the local and regional level.
■ Dr. Kerianne Hobbs, a research aerospace engineer with AFRL’s Aerospace Systems Directorate, earned the 40 Under 40 Award from the International Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association. The award is given to 40 individuals ages 40 and under for their significant contributions in a technical STEM field by providing innovation, thought leadership and support to their client or organizations using information technology.
■ Franklin “Miles” Smith- Custer was named the 2020 Ohio Military Youth of the Year by the Boys and Girls Clubs of America’s Youth of the Year Program and awarded a scholarship. He is the son of Sara Smith-Custer, a contracting officer in AFL- CMC’s Contract Execution Directorate. ( June 19)
■ Dr. Candice Hatcher-Solis, a research scientist in AFRL’s 711 HPW, was honored with the Women of Color STEM Technical Innovation in Government award for her mentoring, leadership, spirit of innovation and advocacy for women and minorities in science, technology, engineering and math careers.
■ Lt. Col. Jay Rutledge, an associate professor and senior military faculty member at AFIT and performing a yearlong sabbatical in the directorate, earned the 2020 Science, Engineering and Technical Management Award in the Science and Engineering Educator category at the AFMC level June 22.
■ Wright-Patterson Medical Center was designated a “High-Performing Facility” in the Culture of Patient Safety Survey conducted by the Defense Health Agency. Of 22 facilities identified as large in DHA, the medical center was one of three facilities identified in the high-performance group.
■ AFRL scientist Dr. Steve Kim was honored with the Society of Asian Scientists and Engineers Professional Achievement Award for his innovative research and persistent drive to tackle challenging and evolving subject matter. Kim is a scientist in the Performance Optimization Branch of the 711 HPW’s Airman Systems Directorate.
■ The Society of American Military Engineers honored Randall Parker, director of the Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center’s Detachment 6, and David Perkins, director of the 88 ABW Strategic Initiatives Office, during a ceremony held virtually Sept. 16. Parker received the Gerald C. Brown Mentoring Award for lifetime achievement during SAME’s Academy of Fellows Class of 2020 Investiture. Perkins was inducted into SAME’s Academy of Fellows.
■ Dr. Adedeji Badiru, dean of AFIT’s Graduate School of Engineering and Management, received the second annual Taylor & Francis Lifetime Achievement Award during a virtual ceremony Oct. 30. This award is in honor of Badiru’s significant and pioneering contributions in the field of industrial and systems engineering and his extensive publication record, including books, book chapters and also serving as series editor or co-series editor of the “Systems Innovation Book Series,” “Environmental and Occupational Health Series” and “Analytics and Control Series.”
■ AFRL’s 711 HPW was awarded the 2019 Air Force Outstanding Unit Award. The wing, comprised of the Airman Systems Directorate, USAFSAM and a robust support team, shared the award with three other AFMC units.
■ WPAFB was among the honorees Oct. 21 during Leadership Dayton’s annual meeting. Col. Patrick Miller, 88 ABW and installation commander, accepted the Program Partner of the Year Award on the installation’s behalf. It recognizes WPAFB’s commitment to the organization and Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce.
■ Air Force Civil Engineer Center announced winners of the 2020 Air Force Design Awards, recognizing seven innovative designs that embody the best in new construction, landscape architecture and facility renovations and additions. In the Facility Renovations and Additions category, the Bldg. 32 Renovation project won an Honor Award, the highest achievement.
■ Civilian Airman and electrical engineer for AFLC- MC’s Fighters and Advanced Aircraft, Monique Brisson was honored with the Professional Achievement in Government award during the 2020 Women of Color STEM Virtual Conference, held Oct. 8-10.
■ Two WPAFB Airmen brought home honors for the Air Force at the 61st annual U.S. Armed Forces Chess Championship, held Oct. 10-12 in Virginia Beach, Virginia. First Lt. Eigen Wang, National Air and Space Intelligence Center, won the Air Force title and finished third overall, while Maj. Gordon Randall, 88th Comptroller Squadron director of operations, was second in the Air Force and fourth overall.
■ The Aerospace Medical Association honored AFRL physician researcher Brig. Gen. (Dr.) James McEachen with the title of fellow for his career-long accomplishments and professional dedication to aerospace medicine leadership, operations, education and research. McEachen is an aerospace medicine physician researcher and the optimization of human capital core research lead for AFRL’s 711 HPW. He is also a brigadier general in the Air National Guard, where he currently serves as ANG assistant to the Defense Health Agency director of combat support as well as the director of the joint DHA Reserve Liaison Office.
Community engagement
Airmen participated in a “Valentines for Vets” event at the Dayton VA Medical Center on Feb. 13. More than 20 handed out valentines to veterans who were visiting, hospitalized or living on the hospital’s campus. The U.S. Air Force Band of Flight also performed for veterans at several locations on Dayton VAMC’s campus. More than 30 Team Wright-Patt Airmen worked together to make the event happen.
Construction/facilities
■ Maj. Julie Roloson, 88th Security Forces Squadron commander, and Gold Star family members Chris Herwick and Don Herwick cut the ribbon Oct. 21 to officially open Defenders Grove at WPAFB. Defenders Grove is made up of 14 trees, each dedicated to the memory of a fallen 88 SFS Defender who made the ultimate sacrifice during Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. A plaque with the name and information of the Defender for whom it’s dedicated is located beside each tree. The grove was paid for through donations from Defenders and private organizations.
■ The safety and security of the nation’s air and space realms will be enhanced by a new addition to NASIC, where a groundbreaking ceremony was held Nov. 5. The five-story Intelligence Production Complex III project, with an estimated price tag of $156 million, will add 255,000 square feet, divided into more than 980 workstations, mission-specific functions, meeting areas, 3D visualization capabilities, conference rooms and such amenities as mothers’ rooms, natural light and showers. Almost 700 new parking spaces will be included. The addition is scheduled for occupation in early 2025.
Technology & education
■ For the first time in nearly 40 years, Air Force personnel who work near radioactive materials are receiving newly designed, higher-sensitivity radiation dosimeters that record the amount of exposure to ionizing radiation for individuals. Personnel in the USAF- SAM Radiation Dosimetry Laboratory began work with the new dosimeter design in 2018.
■ AFIT’s Graduate School of Engineering and Management awarded 229 master’s degrees and seven doctorate degrees in science, technology, engineering and math fields. Two graduate students received dual master’s degrees. Due to COVID-19 concerns, a commencement ceremony was not held. The graduating class included 195 Air Force officers, four Air Force noncommissioned officers, seven Army officers, four Marine Corps officers, 14 civilians and seven defense contractors. The school also graduated three international students from Australia and Brazil.
■ The Educational Outreach Office hosted virtual summer camps and apprenticeships for more than 300 participants this year. Funded by AFRL, the LEG- ACY program registered 228 kids for its weeklong Craftsman Camps and arranged two-month apprenticeships for 82 high school and college students.
■ The Community College of the Air Force held its fall graduation ceremony Nov. 19 in NMUSAF’s Carney Auditorium. Twenty-nine Airmen earned associate degrees.
Readiness & training
■ The 788 CES fire department revved up its peer fitness program so firefighters can provide one-on-one training. Created from a partnership between the International Association of Firefighters and International Association of Fire Chiefs, the peer fitness program was created to improve firefighter quality of life.
■ Airmen participated in a deployment-processing line exercise March 5, which simulated the base’s ability to quickly call upon a large amount of deployers. Also called a Phase 1 exercise, the Personnel Deployment Function, or PDF line, simulates a situation that could happen on WPAFB should a mass number of Airmen need to be deployed quickly. During the exercise, Wing Inspection Team members watched and evaluated the execution against various checklist items mandatory for proper procedures during such events. Every Air Force base is evaluated with an operational readiness inspection at regular intervals, so exercises like these are vital to keep in compliance with standards of being ready to support the mission anywhere in the world at a moment’s notice.
Miscellaneous
■ Employment opportunities for military members and their spouses received a boost Jan. 27 from a bill signed by Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine during a ceremony at NMUSAF. Senate Bill 7 mandates state occupational licensing agencies to issue licenses or certification to qualifying members of the military and their spouses who are licensed in another state. That way, the military member or a spouse can practice their profession immediately.
■ AFRL’s X-60A program achieved a key developmental milestone with the completion of integrated vehicle propulsion system verification ground testing. The X-60A is an air-launched rocket designed for hypersonic flight research. It is being developed by Generation Orbit Launch Services under an AFRL Small Business Innovation Research contract. The X-60A program’s goal is to provide affordable and routine access to relevant hypersonic flight conditions for technology maturation.
■ A team under the direction of AFLCMC’s C-17 Program Office completed Block 21 upgrades on the entire fleet of 275 C-17 aircraft operated by the Air Force and eight allied countries, meeting the Jan. 1, 2020, mandate imposed by civil aviation authorities. With Block 21, the aircraft now have hardware and software for the Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast Out system required by the Federal Aviation Administration and aviation authorities in Europe, for planes operating in controlled airspace. ADS-B Out is a next-generation transponder system that broadcasts the precise position and location information of an aircraft in real time, giving air traffic control better visibility to track and manage aircraft while enhancing aircraft safety by providing aircrew more situational awareness of nearby aircraft.
■ A team of medical experts in AFRL’s 711 HPW traveled to Little Rock AFB, Arkansas, in mid-January to perform an initial site visit for what will be the first fully capable Operational Support Team. The 711 HPW was charged with developing a data-driven approach to provide direct operational medical support to all Air Force personnel. These teams are being established to help address the two largest reasons why Airmen utilize the medical clinics: musculoskeletal injuries and mental health. As such, OSTs are comprised of both musculoskeletal and mental health subject matter experts. During this visit, 711 HPW medical experts briefed LRAFB personnel on OST and met with base leaders to discuss their plans to integrate with existing base resources and initiatives.
■ Telework capabilities were expanded for WPAFB personnel working from home due to COVID-19 restrictions. The Department of Defense provided a temporary collaboration of capabilities for at-home workers through the Commercial Virtual Remote environment and an increased number of VPN connections. Without requiring virtual private network connections, CVR provides commercially accessible versions of Microsoft Teams, SharePoint online, OneDrive and Skype for over 4 million DOD users outside the Air Force network.
■ AFIT’s additive manufacturing laboratory printed face shield prototypes for NASIC to extend the longevity of N95 masks. The 88 MDG tested the prototypes. The first iteration of the N95 shields were 3D printed flat and then shaped to fit over the N95 mask. The shields are intended to prevent abrasion and keep liquids or particulates away from the mask. The second round of prototypes have been a face shield comprised of a headband with top and bottom structural supports.
■ Three Air Force researchers were granted a patent on a method for stabilizing biological materials such as vaccines, antibodies, antivenoms and antibiotics without using refrigeration. Drs. Joseph Slocik, Rajesh Naik and Patrick Dennis of AFRL’s 711 HPW and Materials and Manufacturing Directorate have spent the last three years working on this vital project.
■ AFLCMC’s Human Systems Division launched a new app in June that will give aircrews a quick and easy way to provide feedback and address concerns with their equipment and gear. The inception of this app occurred at a 2019 AFW- ERX event, where female aircrew expressed their desire for a streamlined method to provide feedback concerning gear and ensure their voices are being heard.
■ To expedite the advancement and innovation of quantum technologies, AFRL awarded $5.25 million to 23 small businesses during a firstof-its-kind virtual quantum collider pitch event June 15-16.
■ More than 50 firsttime commanders and civilian materiel leaders were prepped for success during the first virtual Air Force Materiel Command Squadron Leader Orientation July 7-17.
■ Team Wright-Patt jumped into action after being notified Aug. 20 that up to 72 aircraft may have been flying to WPAFB as a safe haven from Tropical Storm Marco and Hurricane Laura. After the storm track shifted, only eight F-22s ended up requiring shelter and arrived at Wright-Patterson AFB on Aug. 22. The aircraft are assigned to Tyndall AFB, Florida, but were flying out of Eglin AFB, Florida, due to damage on Tyndall’s flight line from a hurricane in October 2018.
■ The Air Force’s 18th Intelligence Squadron was deactivated and then activated as the 73rd Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Squadron, U.S. Space Force, during a ceremony Sept. 3 in NMUSAF’s Space Gallery. The unit is one of the first ISR squadrons to support space operations and acquisition. It will be located within WPAFB’s National Air and Space Intelligence Center, as the 18 IS was. It is assigned to Space Force Delta 7, Peterson-Schriever Garrison, Colorado.
■ In a virtual, worldwide event led by Gen. John Raymond, U.S. Space Force chief of Space Operations, 15 Airmen from across WPAFB were ceremonially sworn into the Space Force on Sept. 15. The ceremony was part of Raymond’s keynote address on the Air Force Association 2020 Virtual Air, Space and Cyber Conference’s second day. More than 300 space professionals participated, including seven company grade officers and eight enlisted Airmen from AFIT and NASIC.
■ An anniversary Nov. 21 reminded the WPAFB community that it served as location for the Dayton Peace Accords in 1995, which ended the brutal Bosnian War in Europe. A private wreath-laying ceremony took place at a commemorative bench and plaque along the winding Peace Walk between the Hope Hotel and Visiting Officer Quarters where diplomats stayed. The unofficial talks that happened as the diplomats walked back and forth are credited with playing a role in the war’s end.
■ Two WPAFB Airmen stopped Nov. 18 to aid a teen who was hanging over the side of a bridge in Fairborn and appeared to be in distress. Tech. Sgt. Anthony Staton, National Air and Space Intelligence Center, and Senior Master Sgt. David Briden, Air Force Installation Contracting Center expeditionary operations manager, stayed with the teen until police and medics arrived.
Sports, fitness and awareness events
■ To reflect on the events of Sept. 11, 2001, the 88th Security Forces Squadron and Wright-Patterson Company Grade Officers Association hosted 9/11 remembrance events. A Remembrance Walk was held at AFIT’s track. Participants walked the track in 30-minute intervals in teams of five to 10, carrying a flag, two rifles and two fire hoses. The second event, a stair-climbing challenge meant to pay tribute to the firefighters who responded bravely by climbing the 110 flights at the World Trade Center towers to save people trapped inside, was done independently.
■ New trees were planted at the Properties at Wright Field to replace some lost from tornadoes in 2019. Through a grant from the Arbor Day Foundation, 83 trees of four different varieties were purchased from local nurseries.
■ With its newest race series in 2021, the Air Force Marathon aims to highlight retired aircraft that have shaped U.S. air power throughout history. On Dec. 1, registration opened for the first event in the six-part History & Heritage Race Series. Participants in each race series will receive a finisher’s medal, commemorative patch portraying the six featured aircraft, and information about the plane and its role within the Air Force. The chosen aircraft represent six unique categories: pre-World War I, World War II, Korean War Era, Vietnam Era, Post-Vietnam Era and Experimental. All featured aircraft can be found inside NMUSAF.