POLISH AIR FORCE WORKS WITH RAMSTEIN AIRMEN

Members of the 115th Fighter Wing, Wisconsin Air National Guard, arrive for Aviation Detachment Rotation 13-2, May 9, 2013, at Lask Air Base, Poland. More than 100 Airmen will be working with the Polish Air Force for the first F-16 fighter aircraft rotation and second overall this year. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Kenya Shiloh)


FROM: U.S. AIR FORCE
Ramstein Airmen build capability with Polish air force
by 1st Lt. Kay M. Nissen
86th Airlift Wing Public Affairs

6/19/2013 - RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany (AFNS) -- The 86th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron and 435th Contingency Response Group continuously train to meet sustainable medical readiness throughout the European theater here.

Training not only benefits Ramstein Airmen, but also other allies like the Polish air force who have consistently engaged in AE training and familiarization throughout 2012 and 2013.

"All NATO countries benefit from having highly skilled and qualified teams to transport wounded warriors from theater back to higher levels of medical care, and eventually back to their home country," said Lt. Col. Kevin D. Hettinger, the 435th CRG flight surgeon and Poland AE Building Partnership Capacity team lead.

In early 2012, Polish AE team members visited the 86th AES Airmen here. In turn, three months later, a member of the 86th AES attended the first medical evacuation and aeromedical evacuation conference at the Polish air force academy.

Last month, two Airmen from the 86th AES, and one Airman from the 435th CRG engaged with Poland again to focus on advancements of the Polish AE team from the previous year.

"The Polish (Aeromedical Evacuation) team has a goal of obtaining NATO certification for aeromedical evacuation," Hettinger said. "Our team was able to provide some recommendations toward this goal after reviewing published NATO standards for AE and inspection checklists."

Currently, the Polish AE team can transport stabilized Polish troops from Landstuhl Regional Medical Center back to Poland.

"Their team is amazing," said Tech. Sgt. Elizabeth Araujo, a 86th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron technician and fluent Polish speaker. "It's a team of six. They fly as a CCATT (Critical Care Air Transport Team). They do everything, they receive the phone call, they receive the plane, they set up and they fly."

While the Poland AE team impressed their U.S. counterparts, the Polish medical experts continue to work to reach their certification and sharpen their skills.

"It was nice to see how receptive they are and how willing they are to take in that information," Araujo said. "They're hungry for information, they want it, they're open to suggestions, they're willing to take criticism and learn from it."

While, the Polish AE team was absorbing information, the three Ramstein Airmen also learned from their interaction with fellow medical professionals.

"Both teams benefited as each shared their processes for safely moving patients during air evacuation," Hettinger said.

Training between both countries is planned to continue to ensure strategic capabilities for NATO allies throughout the European theater.

A FLYING PARALEGAL

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Air Force Lt. Col. Rich Radvanyi goes over the incentive flight route with Airman 1st Class Nicholas Fennen, at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, June 22, 2012. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Chad Thompson

Face of Defense: Airman Realizes Dream of Flying
By Air Force Tech. Sgt. Chad Thompson
86th Airlift Wing
RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany, Aug. 10, 2012 - An airman with the 86th Airlift Wing Judge Advocate office here has realized his dream of being a pilot, at least for one exciting mission over Germany.

Airman 1st Class Nicholas Fennen, a discharge paralegal, was selected to participate in the Ramstein Daedalians Aviation Incentive Flight program, which gives deserving young airmen the chance to live out a childhood fantasy of flight.

Fennen might spend his days processing administrative discharge paperwork, but he has a history of being close to planes. "My cousin and his dad were both pilots ... and my uncle flew planes during Vietnam," Fennen said.

Flying seems to be in his blood, which might also explain why one of his initial experiences with a plane came when he was young. "My cousin owned his own plane and he would take me flying around the farm all the time," Fennen, a Katy, Texas, native said. "As a child I loved the feeling of flying, the takeoff was the most thrilling experience as a kid." Those early flights gave him a thirst for being in the clouds.

With two brothers already in the military -- one in the Army, the other in the Air Force -- Fennen said the choice was easy when it came to joining the Air Force. It has always been his dream to be a pilot and a leader. "The drive to become a pilot is more than just the flying aspect," he said. "The leaders of our Air Force are mostly pilots. I want to lead."

With about 15 months in service, Fennen has already proven his dedication to the mission, which is why his supervisor, Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Frank Portillo, submitted him for this opportunity.

Fennen has shown a maturity that normally takes time for a young airman to develop, Portillo said. "He started at legal assistance where he worked at scheduling clients and working power of attorney worksheets," Portillo said. "We felt he was ready to move up because he had the work ethic and attention to detail to move on and do more tasks."

Portillo said Fennen has excelled at every aspect of the job. Submitting him for this incentive flight was just a small thank you for all his hard work and dedication.

When Fennen first heard he was getting the chance to fly, he said he was surprised to be getting the opportunity to fulfill a dream, but for a while it seemed like it wouldn't happen. The flight was plagued by bad weather and cancellations until, after about a month of waiting, he got off the ground June 22.

During his one-hour flight, Fennen took the controls of the Cessna 172 and performed basic maneuvers including climbs, descents, turns and even flew most of the final approach to the runway. "Fennen did fantastic," said Air Force Lt. Col. Rich Radvanyi, pilot and president of the Coleman Aero Club. "This incentive program is designed to give these young airmen a taste of what it's like to fly and show them some basics in navigation."

Radvanyi said a lot of work goes into keeping a small plane on the proper heading when there are strong winds involved and, despite the weather, Fennen was able to keep it on course. "It was bumpy and a little rocky," Fennen said. "It was a lot more work than I thought it would be."

For someone who is only 20, Fennen has already done a lot. He has traveled Europe, has hopes of playing soccer for the base intramural team, and with the right motivation he may one day have his name painted on the side of his favorite aircraft, the A-10 Thunderbolt II.

"It was surreal to be flying over Germany," Fennen said. "When I was a kid I would have never dreamed I would be flying a plane over the Rhine River and castles. It still amazes me ... all the things I'm accomplishing."

AIR FORCE AEROMEDICAL EVACUATION TRAINING

FROM:   U.S. AIR FORCE
86th Aeromedical Evacuation
　
U.S. Air Force members from the 86th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron, Ramstein Air Base, Germany review the checklist before loading simulated patients aboard an C-17 Globemaster III aircraft from the Heavy Airlift Wing (HAW) before a training flight to Tbilisi, Georgia, July 25, 2012.

The mission marked the first aeromedical training mission executed by the HAW, a multinational C-17 Wing comprised of members from 12 nations. (U.S. Air Force photo/MSgt Wayne Clark, AFNE Regional News Bureau) (Released)

U.S. Air Force members from the 86th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron, Ramstein Air Base, Germany conduct a simulated patient assessment aboard C-17 Globemaster III aircraft from the Heavy Airlift Wing (HAW) during a training flight to Tbilisi, Georgia, July 25, 2012. (U.S. Air Force photo/MSgt Wayne Clark, AFNE Regional News Bureau) (Released)

REMERBERANCE OF WWI VETERANS AT ST. MIHIEL CEMETERY

FROM:  U.S. AIR FORCE
THIAUCOURT, France -- The Ramstein Air Base, Germany, Honor Guard colors detail advances to position during the Memorial Day event at the St. Mihiel American Cemetery May 27, 2012. The 40.5-acre World War I cemetery, about 24 miles southwest of Metz, France, contains the graves of 4,153 of U.S. military dead. It is the third largest of the eight World War I American military cemetery memorials in Europe. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Francesca Popp)

17TH AIR FORCE STANDS DOWN TO PASS AFRICAN MISSION TO USAFE

FROM:  U.S. AIR FORCE
17th Air Force stands down, passes African mission to USAFE
(Left to right) 17th Air Force Command Chief CMSgt Michael Grimm, U.S. Air Forces in Europe Commander Gen. Mark Welsh and 17th AF Commander Maj. Gen. Margaret Woodward furl and case the 17th AF flag during an inactivation ceremony here April 20. The unit, which served as the air component for U.S. Africa Command, was also designated as Air Forces Africa. During the ceremony, the Air Forces Africa mission was transferred to USAFE and 3rd Air Force. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman Basic Brea Miller)
by Master Sgt. Jim Fisher
U.S. Air Forces in Europe Public Affairs

4/24/2012 - RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany -- Seventeenth Air Force stood down in an inactivation ceremony here today and the Air Forces Africa flag and mission were passed to U.S. Air Forces in Europe.

The numbered Air Force, which has also been known as Air Forces Africa, served as the air component for U.S. Africa Command. USAFE now takes up air component responsibilities for the African area of activity.

U.S. Africa Command commander Gen. Carter F. Ham was joined by USAFE commander Gen. Mark A. Welsh III in overseeing the inactivation and transfer, both lauding 17th Air Force commander Maj. Gen. Margaret Woodward and her organization.

"Air power is defined by speed, agility, decisive application of combat power, teamwork, and audacity. I think those characteristics perfectly describe the 17th Air Force and they especially describe its commander. I have not known General Maggie Woodward all that long, but what a year it's been," Ham said, adding that the period which included Operation ODYSSEY DAWN and the Libyan conflict might be the defining epoch of this incarnation of 17th Air Force.

Taking note of the importance of 17th's accomplishments, Welsh said that as the Air Force prepared to close the latest chapter of 17th history, it also was prepared to continue executing the Air Forces Africa mission. The responsibilities for planning, engagement and command and control of air operations conducted in support of AFRICOM now transfer to USAFE and 3rd Air Force.

"I think [General Ham] and I understand the significance of this transfer, and we understand the significance of the accomplishments of the men and women who have been serving in this air component," Welsh said. "As we get ready to case the colors and close this chapter of 17th Air Force history I need to remind everyone of one very important thing: the mission is not going away. There are still operations to conduct and partnerships to strengthen. The unstable regions of Africa are not suddenly stable. The commitments made to leaders in Africa must be honored. There is no indication that Africa will be any less busy in the future than it has been in the past."

Woodward said she was confident the mission, vital to U.S. national security, was in good hands.

"Even as we pause to reflect on what we have done, we reaffirm the commitment to what we must do because today we know more than ever that there remains a mission in Africa as critical as any other to the protection of America's freedom and the security of our nation," she said, adding that General Welsh overseeing the transition was especially advantageous. "I know of no Airman with a deeper understanding of what airpower brings to the joint force. Our African partners are indeed fortunate to have you leading our new AFAFRICA command. Thanks to you and all the men and women of USAFE for their dedicated support."

Many of the Airmen formerly assigned to 17th Air Force have joined USAFE and 3rd Air Force and remain focused on the African mission.

She also reserved the highest praise for the men and women of 17th Air Force, taking a final opportunity to say thank you to her troops.

"To the men and women of 17th Air Force, it seems like only yesterday that we started this journey," General Woodward said, noting the accomplishments over the last 22 months of her tenure. "We locked arms, and stood together to form one extraordinary team. We may not have been the largest NAF in the Air Force but in my opinion we were certainly the best."

In the almost four years since 17th was reactivated in October 2008 to coincide with the standup of AFRICOM as a unified command, the unit accomplished more than 200 engagement events with 36 partner nations in Africa. They also took planning and command and control responsibility for air operations in Africa. While intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance and contingency response activity was ongoing through its existence, 17th's most momentous accomplishments may have come during the air campaign over Libya.

In Support of U.N. Security Council Resolution 1973 to protect Libyan civilians from Momar Qaddafi's regime forces, Woodward and 17th Air Force served as the Joint Forces Air Component Command, executing command and control via the 617th and 603rd Air and Space Operations Centers, over the coalition air campaign. Seventeenth Air Force was given the Outstanding Unit Award for its role, and Woodward, the first woman to lead an air campaign, was named one of Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People for 2011.