OSPREY COMES TO ENGLAND

FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Ospreys migrate to England6/26/2013 - An MC-130H Combat Talon II from the 7th Special Operations Squadron refuels a CV-22B Osprey off the coast of Greenland, June 21, 2013. The CV-22, assigned to the 7th SOS, is the first of 10 slated to arrive as part of the 352nd Special Operations Group expansion, which is slated to last through the end of 2014. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Laura Yahemiak/Released)

RECENT U.S. NAVY PHOTOS

FROM: U.S. NAVY
The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) pulls away from the pier at Naval Station Norfolk for a deployment to support maritime security operation and theater security cooperation efforts in the U.S. 5th and 6th Fleet areas of responsibility, Feb. 21. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Ryan D. McLearnon-Released)

An MV-22 Osprey assigned to Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 265 takes off from the amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6) as another Osprey prepares for take-off. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jerome D. Johnson-Released)

U.S./JAPAN GO AHEAD WITH OSPREY UPGRADE

Photo:  Soldiers Offload From Osprey.  Credit:  U.S. Navy. 
FROM:  AMERICAN FORCES PRESS SERVICE
DOD, Japan Move Forward on Osprey Fleet Upgrade
By Cheryl Pellerin
WASHINGTON, June 29, 2012 - Working closely with the Japanese government, the Defense Department will replace CH-46 helicopters used by the III Marine Expeditionary Force in Okinawa with MV-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft for operations beginning in August.

Recent mishaps involving an MV-22 and a CV-22 aircraft raised concerns about the fleet upgrade by the governor of Okinawa, according to Pentagon Press Secretary George Little. Senior DOD officials briefed a Japanese delegation on the incidents at the Pentagon June 22.

On April 11 in Morocco, an MV-22 crashed while taking part in a bilateral military exercise. There were no casualties. Flight data indicates the aircraft performed as expected. In a statement, DOD said the U.S. Marine Corps determined the aircraft did not suffer a mechanical or material failure and there were no problems with the aircraft's safety.

Earlier this month, a CV-22 crashed during a training mission in Navarre, Florida, leaving five crew members injured. A preliminary review uncovered no information that would preclude the aircraft's continued operation, DOD said.


PHOTO:  OSPREY CRASH .  CREDIT:  U.S. AIR FORCE

The Defense Department, including senior U.S. Air Force leaders, stands behind the CV-22's reliability and is convinced the aircraft is safe for operation, officials said.
The MV-22 Osprey operates with the speed and range of a turboprop, the maneuverability of a helicopter and the ability to carry 24 Marine combat troops. It travels twice as fast and five times farther than previous helicopters.

The Air Force CV-22 Osprey is a special operations variant of the aircraft. It can fly like an airplane and land like a helicopter.

In response to remaining safety concerns, according to DOD officials, the MV-22 will not fly in Japan until results of the investigations are presented to the Japanese government in August.

During this time, Japan will be the only location worldwide, including the continental United States, where MV-22 flight operations will be suspended, officials said.
The MV-22 Osprey has an excellent safety record and has logged more than 115,000 flight hours, officials said. About a third of those flight hours were flown during the last two years.

The Osprey achieved these flight hours performing combat operations, humanitarian assistance, training, and test and evaluation missions, officials said.
Basing the Osprey in Okinawa, according to the DOD statement, will strengthen the U.S. ability to provide for the defense of Japan, perform humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations, and fulfill other alliance roles.

U.S.-JAPANESE OFFICIALS DISCUSS PROBLEMS WITH OSPREY

Photo:  Osprey Aircraft In Flight.  Credit:  U.S. Air Force

FROM:  AMERICAN FORCES PRESS SERVICE

U.S., Japanese Officials Discuss Osprey Issues

WASHINGTON, June 22, 2012 - Defense Department officials today held a director-level meeting at the Pentagon with officials from the Japanese Ministry of Defense and Ministry of Foreign Affairs to provide an update on MV-22 and CV-22 Osprey aircraft issues, according to Pentagon Press Secretary George Little.


Today's meeting, Little said, was led by Christopher Johnstone, Director for Northeast Asia, Office of the Secretary of Defense (Policy) and Air Force Brig. Gen. Terrence O'Shaughnessy, Deputy Director for Politico-Military Affairs for Asia, the Joint Staff. The meeting also included representatives from the U.S. Marine Corps and other U.S. Air Force members who provided updates on the status of the investigations into recent mishaps involving Osprey aircraft, Little said.


Speaking to reporters at the Pentagon yesterday, Little described the meeting as an effort to address concerns about the aircraft by the governor of Okinawa. DOD is planning to deploy the MV-22 -- the Marine Corps variant of the Osprey -- to the Asia-Pacific region.


The CV-22 Osprey is the Air Force's special operations variant. The tilt-rotor Osprey can fly like an airplane and land like a helicopter.


The Department of Defense takes the inquiries made by the Japanese government very seriously and provided relevant information to the extent currently possible, and will continue to do so, Little said.


The Osprey is a highly capable aircraft with an excellent operational safety record, which includes more than five years of worldwide deployments and 140,000 flight hours, he said.

POLARIS WARRIOR COMPETITION

FROM:  U.S. AIR FORCE SPECIAL OPERATIONS COMMAND
A CV-22 Osprey with the 20th Special Operations Wing at Cannon Air Force Base, N.M., descends on the Air Force Academy Cadet Area during the Academy's Polaris Warrior event April 28, 2012. Polaris Warrior combined several military training challenges designed to reinforce skills that cadets may need in the field. (U.S. Air Force photo/Raymond McCoy) 
AFSOC headlines 1st USAFA Polaris Warrior 
by Don Branum
Air Force Academy Public Affairs

5/7/2012 - U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. -- Almost a year of cadet training in military field skills culminated Saturday in what Commandant of Cadets Brig. Gen. Rich Clark called a "boom event."

The Polaris Warrior competition featured 10 events themed around skills cadets may need in deployed environments after they graduate.

"It's a chance for cadets to really show what they've learned, to have their skills tested and to compete, squadron against squadron, in all the skill areas they've been training in," Clark said.

Cadet Squadron 39 took top honors in the competition, which included self-aid and buddy care, mobile operations in urban terrain, combat arms and land navigation. CS 40 and CS 33 took second and third place, respectively.

Two teams each from the commandant's staff, the Dean of Faculty mission element and the 10th Air Base Wing also competed in the Battlefield Airman portion of the event.

Polaris Warrior started with Clark's stated desire to institute more military-style training during the academic year, culminating in a large-scale event, said Maj. John Schroeder, deputy chief of the Cadet Wing Training Division here.

"We tried to build an academic-year plan accordingly," Schroeder said. "We had to make course corrections along the way because this was our first year trying to plan such a large-scale event."

The overall training plan came together in spring of 2011, Schroeder said. Planning for Saturday's challenge began in December. Cadet 1st Class Michael Oakley of Cadet Squadron 30 and Cadet 2nd Class Tyler Stearns of CS 36 became involved a month later as the event's cadet in charge and cadet NCO in charge, respectively.

"We had to make sure every squadron was prepared," said Stearns, a native of Anchorage, Alaska. "We had to make sure they knew what Polaris Warrior was, that they knew about the final event, and most importantly, that they knew how to prepare for the final event."

Six of the events were compulsory. Another four, including a physical training challenge and a "sprint" from the Cadet Area to Falcon Stadium and back, were optional, Stearns said. After each event, squadron cadets in charge called in scores, which Oakley and Stearns tabulated with Schroeder's help.

Polaris Warrior allowed juniors to ease into leadership roles, which they will do to a larger degree as seniors during summer and 2013 academic year, Oakley said.

"Putting second-class cadets in charge is key for preparing them for next year. It gave them the opportunity for trial and error on a smaller scale before they really take charge of their squadrons," he added.

More than 50 Airmen with the 20th Special Operations Squadron at Cannon Air Force Base, N.M., also supported the event, along with six aircraft, including two CV-22 Ospreys and an MC-130 Combat Talon, said Lt. Col. Tony Valerio, the Cadet Wing Training Division director and a 1992 Academy graduate.

"We got remarkable support from Air Force Special Operations Command," Valerio said.

Airmen with the 20th SOS interacted directly with cadets, including a gathering at Arnold Hall the evening of April 25 as well as attendance alongside cadets in classes and at the April 27 noon meal formation. The interaction worked well, said Maj. David Penuela, the squadron's assistant director of operations.

"Integration into the actual Polaris Warrior training events also proved to be a great recruitment tool" for special operations career fields, Penuela said. Cadets' enthusiasm also motivated the AFSOC Airmen who took part.

Valerio said he would like to refine the process of preparing for Polaris Warrior in future years but added that he was "extremely proud of the blood, sweat and tears" that Schroeder and the two cadets invested in coordinating and pulling off the inaugural Polaris Warrior.

"I couldn't be more proud of the job they did and the efforts they put out there," he said.