Archive | January 31, 2012 | Armed with Science

F-15E Reaches 10,000 Flying-Hours

Filed under STEM, Technology by Carla Voorhees on January 31, 2012 at 2:06 pm {2 comments}

by Tech Sgt. Vernon Cunningham, 455th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs

BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan (AFNS) — In the early hours of the day, the aircraft parking ramp here was alive with activity. Checklists were run, hatches checked, bombs loaded and missions briefed, as the crew chiefs, support units, and flyers of F-15E Strike Eagle #89-0487 achieved a milestone 10,000 flying hours Jan. 13.

An F-15E Strike Eagle flies over Afghanistan. The F-15E's primary role in Afghanistan is providing close-air support for ground troops. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Aaron Allmon)

F-15E Strike Eagle #89-0487, or “#487″ for short, was commissioned Nov. 13, 1990. It’s the first F-15 of any type to reach 10,000 hours, despite being younger than many F-15A and F-15C models. During its service, the aircraft participated in operations Desert Storm, Deliberate Guard, Northern Watch, Southern Watch, Iraqi Freedom, and Enduring Freedom.

The accomplishment of flying more than 10,000 hours was shared by the entire 455th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron. The 455th EAMXS includes the 335th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Unit and supporting units.

“It has taken more than 21 years of qualified maintenance technicians performing more than one million hours of inspections and repairs in all types of environments at home station, depot facilities,(temporary duty assignment) and (air and space expeditionary force) locations to ensure aircraft #89-0487 was available to deploy on numerous TDYs and AEFs,” Chief Master Sgt. John Parrott, the 335th EAMU superintendent said. “It also took careful, timely loading and maintenance by hundreds of weapons technicians in conjunction with countless hours of repairs and inspections performed by avionics, electrical and environmental, engine, fuels, egress, and structural Airmen.”

(more…)

Fort Campbell Makes Advances in TBI Evaluation

Filed under Life Sciences by Carla Voorhees on January 30, 2012 at 10:44 am {one comment}

Posted by Kathy Helmick, DCoE deputy director for traumatic brain injury on the DCoE Blog.

In December, I had the opportunity to visit Fort Campbell, Ky., to learn more about their Military Functional Assessment Program. Maj. Sarah Goldman, Army Office of the Surgeon General, traumatic brain injury (TBI) program manager, and I were invited to see this comprehensive, advanced five-day assessment, which is part of a 12-week program designed to treat service members with TBIs.

Spc. Brad Vineyard, 541st Transportation Company, 106th Transportation Battalion, 101st Sustainment Brigade, takes part in the Military Functional Assessment Program with the Traumatic Brain Injury Clinic at Fort Campbell. The week-long training helps medical personnel evaluate soldiers’ rehabilitation in a non-clinical atmosphere. (Photo by Nondice Thurman, Fort Campbell Courier)

This evaluation does not rely on a pen and paper test or a computer assessment. It takes place on post and in the program’s simulation lab, exposing service members to realistic combat scenarios while allowing a team of medical and rehabilitation providers the opportunity to evaluate their responses. Service members are observed on camera while combat-related decision-making functions are tested, such as how long it takes a service member to come to the aid of a fallen comrade, identify a threat, plan a course of action, or radio call into a command center. If they perform tasks in simulated combat situations in accordance to Army standards, then this information helps guide return-to-duty decision-making.

Additionally, the lab tests how the service member performs under environmental stressors, such as lack of light or loud sounds, to approximate scenarios encountered in combat zones.

One of the program’s best practices relates to integrating the expertise of a non-commissioned officer (NCO) to evaluate the ability of the soldier to perform the tasks to established Army standards. In the assessment we saw, the NCO was instrumental in educating medical providers about Army standards and describing combat scenarios. Leveraging the knowledge of a qualified NCO helps the medical provider offer a comprehensive evaluation of the service member’s impairments associated with TBI and the injury’s effects on their ability to perform military duties on the battlefield to standard.

I was also impressed with how this program focused on function; instead of clicking a dot on a computer test or circling a multiple choice question, service members with TBI are put in an environment to test their performance and capabilities. Some service members may perform well in a controlled rehabilitation environment, but may not be able to perform as well when multitasking during a high-pressure combat scenario. It was clear that the service members appreciated this type of evaluation and gained more confidence, whether they transitioned back to duty, or out of the military into civilian life.

In continuing to follow this advanced program, I hope that we can identify key outcomes that predict return-to-duty success, or help service members return back home.

(more…)

Obama Praises DOD’s Energy Leadership, Stewardship

Filed under Energy by Carla Voorhees on January 27, 2012 at 2:00 pm {no comments}

By Donna Miles, American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Jan. 26, 2012 – President Barack Obama traveled to Buckley Air Force Base near Denver today to praise the military for “doing its part” – not just in the nation’s defense, but also as leaders in energy conservation.

President Barack Obama holds a press conference on Buckley Air Force Base, Colo., Jan. 26, 2012, to praise the military’s efforts as being leaders in energy conservation. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Marcy Glass)

Obama delivered his message at the home of the 460th Space Wing in Aurora, Colo., calling the “green” initiatives being advanced here indicative of the Defense Department’s clean-energy focus.

The Air Force has installed a 1-megawatt solar array on the base, and last year test piloted jets there that run on advanced biofuels, demonstrating a key technology that reduces U.S. dependence on foreign oil.

Joined today by Air Force Secretary Michael B. Donley, Navy Secretary Ray Mabus, and Sharon Burke, assistant secretary of defense for operational energy, Obama praised them for their work with Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta “to keep our military the strongest in the world, and to make our military more energy efficient.”

“Now, it’s important for the military to do its part because … our military is the largest energy consumer in the world,” the president said. “So we can set a good example, and help create an additional market for clean energy.”

Obama noted that the Navy plans to buy enough clean energy to power 250,000 homes a year, through an effort that won’t cost taxpayers a dime.

(more…)

500 Units of Blood To Save One Soldier’s Life

Filed under Uncategorized by Carla Voorhees on January 27, 2012 at 11:23 am {no comments}

by 1st Lt. Anthony M. Formica, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division Public Affairs

PANJWA’I DISTRICT, Afghanistan – On the evening of Nov. 12, Sgt. Adam Lundy found himself in the ROLE 3 hospital at Kandahar Airfield. Just two hours prior, Lundy, an Alliance, Neb., native, was on patrol in the western side of Panjwa’i district, when his platoon struck several IEDs.

First Lt. Nicholas Vogt, platoon leader with the 1st Battalion, 5th Infantry Regiment, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, stands next to a village elder during a mission in Kandahar province, Afghanistan. (Courtesy Photo)

Suffering multiple shrapnel wounds, he was MEDEVACed to Role 3 medical facility for further assessment. In spite of having received shrapnel wounds to his face, arms and torso, he was listed in good condition and was able to walk unassisted.

Two of his comrades, 1st Lt. Nicholas Vogt and Spc. Calvin Pereda, were not as fortunate. Pereda, the platoon’s radio-telephone operator, had been in the immediate vicinity of the blast area of the first IED and suffered massive internal bleeding, which ultimately cost him his life.

For Pereda, it was the second time in his seven months in Afghanistan that he had been injured in combat.

Vogt, a 2010 graduate of West Point, had barely been in charge of his platoon for a month when he had heroically pushed one of his soldiers out of the way of a second IED and absorbed the brunt of the blast.

The force of the blast combined with the projectiles seriously injured the Ohio native.

As a result, Vogt was listed in critical condition and was under constant observation at the Intensive Care Unit, requiring a double-amputation and massive amounts of blood to stay alive.

Lundy, a combat veteran of both Iraq and Afghanistan, recalls being overcome with emotion at learning about the condition of both of his comrades.

“I couldn’t think,” Lundy said, remembering that day. “I needed to cool off, clear my head.” Lundy recalls not being able to formulate cogent emotions, let alone thoughts.

“I was just feeling so many things, anger, fear, guilt, confusion … all of it,” he said.

(more…)

Flying at 70,000 Feet Requires Special Suits

Filed under Life Sciences, Technology by Carla Voorhees on January 26, 2012 at 9:36 am {no comments}

Routinely flown at altitudes over 70,000 feet, the U-2 pilot must wear a full pressure suit similar to those worn by astronauts. The low-altitude handling characteristics of the aircraft and bicycle-type landing gear require precise control inputs during landing; forward visibility is also limited due to the extended aircraft nose and “taildragger” configuration. A second U-2 pilot normally “chases” each landing in a high-performance vehicle, assisting the pilot by providing radio inputs for altitude and runway alignment. These characteristics combine to earn the U-2 a widely accepted title as the most difficult aircraft in the world to fly.

A U.S. Air Force U-2 spy plane pilot and accompanying passenger prepare for flight while physiological support technicians attach a parachute torso harness Dec. 2, 2011, at Beale Air Force Base, Calif. (U.S. Air Force photo by John Schwab)

(more…)

First Army Uses Simulator Training to Prevent Deaths on Battlefield

Filed under Life Sciences, STEM, Technology by Carla Voorhees on January 25, 2012 at 8:27 am {no comments}

By Sgt. Amburr Reese, First Army Division East

FORT GORDON, Ga. (Jan. 10, 2012) — With blood loss being the leading cause of preventable death on the battlefield, First Army Division East is incorporating more realistic, up-to-date training to prepare the nation’s deploying Soldiers for treating injuries on the battlefield. The ultimate goal: more lives saved.

Staff Sgt. Jeremiah Christy, a combat medic and trainer mentor with First Army Division East, takes the pulse of the Laerdal SimMan patient simulator during a four-day familiarization course in September at the Regional Training Site-Medical, Fort Gordon, Ga. (Photo by: Sgt. Amburr Reese, First Army Division East)

Recently, 11 combat medics from First Army Division East underwent four days of in-depth train-the-trainer-type training on the Laerdal® SimMan patient simulator at the Regional Training Site-Medical located at Fort Gordon, Ga. Upon returning to their mobilization training sites, these medics will then use their knowledge and experience to train medics prior to their deployments.

Unlike active duty Soldiers who work and train daily in their chosen career field, Reserve component service members only have approximately 39 days a year to achieve the same level of proficiency prior to mobilization, which makes simulated training a beneficial tool.

“This simulated training is good. I think it’s very relevant, especially given the training tasks and missions we handle,” said Sgt. 1st Class Matthew Furnace, a combat medic with the 158th Infantry Brigade, Camp Shelby, Miss.

(more…)

U.S., Coalition Nations Form Wideband Global Satellite Partnership

Filed under Space, STEM, Technology by Carla Voorhees on January 23, 2012 at 3:53 pm {no comments}

by Tech. Sgt. Chris Powell, Defense Media Activity

Senior defense officials from six countries announced a multilateral partnership in wideband global satellite (WGS) communication, which is valued at more than $10 billion, Jan. 17 here.

(U.S. Air Force Graphic/Corey Parrish)

The officials from Canada, Denmark, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand and the U.S. held an initial WGS partnership steering committee meeting prior to the announcement.

“This new WGS partnership provides an example of how the U.S. plans to continue exploring opportunities to strengthen our existing cooperative relationship and to build new partnerships,” said Heidi Grant, the Deputy Under Secretary of the Air Force for International Affairs. “These activities will bolster our mutual trust, help to achieve further interoperability for our warfighters, and will increase the capabilities and capacity of all partners.”

Currently, there are three WGS satellites in orbit, with six additional satellites scheduled for launches from 2012 through 2018, including a ninth satellite that is enabled by the new partnership.

(more…)

Armed Services Blood Program Supports Patient Care World-Wide

Filed under Life Sciences, STEM, Technology by Carla Voorhees on January 20, 2012 at 1:13 pm {no comments}

Recently I had the opportunity to interview the Deputy Director for Policy at the Armed Services Blood Program, Lieutenant Commander Aaron J. Harding, MSC, U.S. Navy, about the organization and the challenges of collecting blood for the services.

Q. Can you tell me a bit about the Armed Services Blood Program’s key activities?

A: The Armed Services Blood Program’s (ASBP) mission is to support military operations and patient care at military medical facilities world-wide. Blood support to medical units in Afghanistan is a primary focus that includes the availability of blood products throughout the continuum of care to our wounded warrior from the battlefield to here at home.

Army Colonel Frank Rentas, director of the Armed Services Blood Program presented a trophy to the winner of the Army Navy Blood Challenge. As you can see the Navy was the winner. (Representatives of both the Army and the Navy were wounded warriors.) (Photo by: Armed Services Blood Program)

Q. Why does the military have its own blood donation program? Why not take from civilian reserves such as those collected by the Red Cross?

A: Our blood program supports the warfighter, so by having our own program we can quickly respond to any contingency by way of an integrated system involving each of the Services; from collecting blood to moving it to where it needs to be. Civilian blood reserves would not be able to meet demands for such a situation without impacting the delivery of blood to civilian hospitals across the country.

Q. Are there any specific risks or challenges associated with world-wide travel undertaken by military members in relationship to the blood they donate? For example disease exposure, vaccinations, or other conditions that might change the blood that is donated?

(more…)