chapter officers - afatucson105.files.wordpress.com€¦ · web view07.07.2019 · flight line. air...
TRANSCRIPT
From the Prez -
Well the heat has enveloped Tucson, the Snowbirds have fled and we’re waiting for the start of the Monsoons.
The past three months have been busy for the chapter and its faithful members.
In April, we had a successful golf tourna- ment at The Haven Golf Course in Green Val- ley due to the efforts of our tournament chair, Dick Roberts, and the support of your Execu- tive Committee before and during the event. Thank you to all who came out to man the prize holes and to our loyal hole sponsors. Finally, we had 65 golfers that enjoyed good weather and help raise over $6,000 that will be used to support chapter activities.
Our April guest speaker was retired F/EF- 111 pilot Rick “LA” Laws. Rick started his presentation with a short history and compari- son of the various F-111 and EF-111 models. He then covered his role as an EF-111 pilot on the opening night of “Operation Desert Storm”, the successful 1991 operation to liber- ate Kuwait from Iraqi occupation. See what you miss when you don’t attend?
On April 7th, I presented the AFA Chapter 105 162d Wing Junior Airman of the Year Award to SSgt Gibrann R. Rodrigura.
Our 2019 Chapter Teacher of the Year, An- drew Christian, Sahauro High School, Tucson Unified School District was recognized at the high school’s Honors Night, Friday May 17th. I was proud to present him with the certificate from National, the $250 check from National and the $250 check from the chapter.
Although we didn’t have a meeting in May due to Memorial Day Weekend, three chapter members attended the Southwest Region Con- ference in Albuquerque NM, May 31- June1. Thank you Bill Goodall and Len Sommers for making the trek along with me to represent the chapter. The event was hosted by the Albu- querque Chapter on behalf of our Southwest Region President Bobi Oates from Las Vegas.
Our June meeting saw us recognizing our chapter AFA Pitsenbarger Spring 2019 schol- arship recipient, SrA Dylan Cubilette. While AFA National recognizes one recipient we have recognized a second recipient when funding available.
Col (Ret) Margie Humphrey gave an excellent presentation on the Titan Missile Museum in Sahuarita where she has been a docent for the last 14 years. Margie was a combat crew com- mander in the 390th Missile Wing at DMAFB 1981-1984 which provided extra insight not nor- mally found.
The base organizations are deep into change of command season and your chapter officers par- ticipate in as many as possible to show our sup- port and spread awareness about the AFA and your local chapter. If you’re interested in repre- senting the chapter at a change of command, let me know.
Your Executive Committee has volunteered to serve a home-cooked meal on Sunday, July 28 at one of the D-MAFB dorms known as The Loft. Setup will start at 1630 hours (4:30pm). If you’re interested in helping please contact Marie Lankford, [email protected] or Vickie Jo Ryder, [email protected].
It is that time of the year again: Election of Chapter Officers! We will elect our Chapter President, Vice President, Treasurer and Secre- tary at our September Chapter meeting. These four officers will serve as your chapter leader- ship October 1, 2019 – September 30, 2020. The incumbents are President: Wally Saeger; Vice President: Mark Koechle; Treasurer: Marie Lankford; and Secretary: Vickie Jo Ryder. If you’re interested or want more information about any of these officers please contact me: wsae- [email protected].
The AFA National Convention will be held in Washington DC, September 14-15. At the Con- vention, elections will be held for several key positions including Chairman of the Board, VCB Field Operations, VCB Aerospace Education, Secretary, Treasurer and several other field level positions. The AFA National Air, Space and Cyber Conference will be held at the same loca- tion, September 16-18. For more information, see www.afa.org.
We are always looking for members who want to be involved and everyone is invited to our Executive Committee meetings which are held the first Monday of the month. See the Coming Events listing elsewhere in this newsletter.
Remember, we’re all: A irmen for Life
Wally Saeger, President
Flight LineAir Force Association Chapter 105
2019-3 Tucson, Arizona July 2019
Chapter Officers
President Wally Saeger
Vice President
Mark [email protected]
Secretary Vickie Jo Ryder
Treasurer Marie A. Lankford [email protected]
VP Aerospace Education VP CyberPatriot
Wally [email protected]
VP Government Relations
VP Leadership Develop.Cal Payne
VP Membership Vickie Jo Ryder
VP Veterans Affairs Bill Goodall
VP Military Liaison Kevin Long
VP Programs / Communication Marie A. Lankford
VP Community Partners Dave Carrell
VP Community Outreach Heidi Goldman
VP Aerospace Education (ROTC) Cadet Dylan Brummett [email protected]
VP Awards
VP AFA Golf Fundraiser Dick Roberts
VP Public Affairs / Newsletter Dick Roberts [email protected]
Tucson Chapter’s April MeetingLt Col (Ret) Rick “LA” Laws
Those attending our April 26th meeting were treated to an engaging presentation by Lt Col (Ret) Rick “LA” Laws about his experience flying the various models of the F-111 and the EF-111. Rick started with a brief comparison of the various models of the F-111 and how the EF-111evolved from F- 111As.The EF-111 “Raven” retained the F-111A's navigation sys-
tems, with a revised AN/APQ-160 radar primarily for ground mapping. The primary feature of the Raven, however, was
the AN/ALQ-99E jamming system, developed from the Navy's ALQ-99 on the Prowler. The aircraft also utilized the ALR-62 Countermeas- ures Receiving System (CRS) as a Radar Homing and Warning (RHAW) System, the same system carried by all F-111 fighter/bomber models in the United States and Australia. The ALQ-99E primary electronics were installed in the weapons bay, with transmitters fit- ted in a 16 foot (4.9 m) long ventral "canoe" radome; the complete in- stallation weighed some 6,000
Tucson Chapter’s June Meeting Margie Humphrey, Col, USAF
(Ret) Docent—Titan Missile Museum
Margie Humphrey, Col. USAF (Ret) and now a do- cent at the Titan Missile Museum in Sahuarita, AZ
gave a great presentation on the Museum. Margie was the Missile Combat Crew Com- mander, Plans Officer, and Executive Officer to Com- mander, 390th Strategic Mis- sile Wing at Davis-Monthan AFB 1981-84. She has given tours as a docent at the Titan Missile Museum since 2005. The Titan Missile Museum, also known as Air Force Fa- cility Missile Site 8 or as Ti- tan II ICBM Site 571-7. It is now a museum run by the
nonprofit Arizona Aerospace Foundation and includes an inert Titan II intercontinental ballistic missile in the silo, as well as theoriginal launch facili- ties. It was declared a National Historic
Rick Laws w/Pres. Wally Saeger
pounds (2,700 kg). Receivers were installed in a fin-tip pod, or "football", similar to that of the EA-6B. The air-
Landmark in 1994.The Titan Missile was
part of a US Strategiccraft's electrical and cooling systems had to be extensively upgraded to support this equipment. The cockpit was also rearranged, with all flight and navigation displays relocated to the pilot's side, and flight controls except throttles being removed from the other seat, where the electronic warfare officer's instrumentation and controls were installed. The EF-111 was unarmed. Its speed and acceleration were its main means of self-defense. It was not capable of firing anti- radiation missiles in the Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses (SEAD) role, which was a tactical limitation. The Raven's engines were upgraded to the more powerful TF30-P-9 of the D-model, with 12,000 pounds-force dry and 19,600 lbf after- burning thrust in 1986.Rick and his wingman were assigned a jamming mission on
the first night of the Gulf War, Operation Desert Storm, 1991. They were to fly deep into Kuwait and then back out so their EF-111s could jam the enemy’s radars and “hide” the attack- ing force of USAF aircraft that was going after ground targets like radars, command & control facilities, and the Republican Guard.Rick’s greatest concern was that their flight path was going
to take them over a known stronghold of the Republican Guard with their surface-to-air missiles. When he pointed this out to one of the mission planners, he was told not to worry. He was still worried when he took off but was re-
Triad to deter war bypresenting a credible threat. It was the larg- est land-based missileever deployed by the US and was deployed in 3 Wings of 18 missiles each in Arizona, Arkansas, and Kansas. It was operational from 1963-87.
The missile had a range of 6500 nm, a velocity of17,000 nm/hour, time to target of 30 minutes, and a yield of 9 mega- tons.Missile Combat
Crews were re-sponsible for keeping the missile ready to launch at all times and to launch if so ordered to do so by the Presi- dent.
Crews comprised of 2 officers and 2 enlisted personnel and re- quired 9 months of training before being qualified as a Combat Crew. At the end of Titan’s life, there were sites that were salvaged, de- stroyed and the land sold.
lieved when just before he & his wingman were approaching the area they were concerned about overflying, it was at- tacked by Army helicopters that obliterated it. Rick said he was glad that the mission planner was right about not needing
Titan Missile re-entryvehicle (which housed the 9 megaton war- head)
Several scenes in the 1996 filmStar Trek: First Contact were shot at the Sahuarita site. The missile itself was depicted as the launch
to be concerned but he was also glad the helicopters did their job.Rick was an entertaining speaker who will be missed since
he & his wife are moving to Mukwonago, Wisconsin (a little town southwest of Milwaukee).
vehicle for the film's Phoenix spacecraft, the first warpprototype; at one point, Data notes the profound irony that a weapon of mass destruction was used to bring about the global peace and unity of Trek's future.
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Outstanding Civil Air Patrol Cadet of the YearEach year, every Civil Air Patrol squadron or unit can select
any cadet to be recognized as their squadron’s Outstanding Ca- det of the Year. The award is sponsored by the AFA. In order
to allow commanders the widest possible latitude in this selection, the award may go to any cadet, at any level of achievement in the CAP Cadet Program who has displayed superior per- formance during the year. This year the Neo- toma Composite Squad- ron of Tucson, AZ se-
AFA Tucson 1052019 Golf Tournament
The Haven Golf Course in Green Valley was the setting for AFA’s Tucson Chapter 105’s 2019 golf tournament on April 13th. Sixty-seven players were registered for the event to raise funds to benefit the Airmen & Families at Davis-Monthan AFB.
The past few tournaments were played in very windy weather, but on this day, winds were calm, the sun was out and one couldn’t wish for nicer weather to play golf!
Cadet/Senior Master Sergeant AlexanderDiaz receives the CAP Outstanding Cadet of the Year Award from AFA Chapter 105 President, Col (Ret) Walter Saeger during a Neotoma Squadron recognition ceremony.
lected Cadet/SMSgt Al- exander Diaz for this spe- cial recognition. Not only is Cadet Diaz heavily involved in planning and
All holes were sponsored by Friends of Anita Barnett, Friendsof Glen Kerslake, Friends of Mike Harris, Friends of Dorothy Finley, Green Valley Pecan Factory, Ciruli Brothers, Farmers Investment Company (FICO), Jesse Lapham (Executive Realty), 19th Hole/Twist & Shout Restaurants, BGI, Jim Click Automo-
conducting the multiple activities essential to the success of the squadron, he was the team leader of the squadron’s successful CyberPatriot team.The team composed of cadets Ria Blackwood, Joey Buix, Al-
exander Diaz, William Fricke, Nathan Poulton and Benjamin Snow placed 2nd in the Arizona Gold Level for the All Services Division. They then went on to finish in 1st place for the all Civil Air Patrol teams in the Gold Level of the All Services Di- vision. The team’s success was greatly aided by Technical Mentor Cannon Smith (a member of previous teams), Assistant Coach Silvia Smith and Coach Laura Markiewicz. Teams are divided into Platinum, Gold and Silver levels based upon the scores in the initial rounds of the CyberPatriot competition and compete against teams in the same level in subsequent rounds. The Neotoma Composite Squadron is dedicated to providing southern Arizona with a well-trained Ground Search and Rescue resource, promoting aerospace education, and providing high quality Cadet programs to support the missions of Civil Air Pa- trol. The squadron has been performing this invaluable mission for the last 40 years.
tive, A&E Specialty Marketing, Tom Swanton, Bryan Foulk,Bill’s Home Service, Chick-fil-A Tanque Verde, Chick-fil-A El Con, and Vantage West Credit Union.
Jim Click Automotive pro- vided hole-in-one insurance prizes for all the par 3’s (Ford Escape on hole 11), but no hole-in-ones were recorded.
The first place team with golfers Tony Arnold, Mark
Guillot, Tom Kiebelstis, and Andy Halli came in with the low score and took the prize of a gift certificate of $50 for each play- er. Teams that finished 2nd & 3rd received gift certificates of $35 and $25 respectively.
Of course to run a golf tournament, you need many volunteers and those that helpedthis year are: Dick Roberts, Chair, Wal- ly Saeger, Co-Chair, Carol Koechle, Tom Johnson, BillGoodall, Allen Chapman, Len Som- mers, Joan Saeger, Al Sporer, Jack Carter, Vickie Joe Ryder, Cal Payne, Marie Lankford, andCadets Soo Hoo & Leidy (UA ROTC). A beautiful day on the links at the Haven GC
Along with the golf tournament a silent auction and raffle was held and of course, mulligans were sold...all bringing in addition- al funds for the Chapter.
Haven Golf Course provided a lunch of hamburgers, salads, and drinks at the conclusion of the event.
It was a very successful event and the Chapter’s Executive Committee wants to thank all those who helped with all the work that it takes to stage a golf tournament.
Getting ready to go!
Chapter Officer Elections for 2019-2020Chapter Officer elections will be held at our September
meeting since they must be in place on October 1, 2019. If you are interested in any of the four elected positions, you can contact me or the incumbent for more information about what the position involves. Each officer serves for 1 year. We do not have term limits since these are volunteer, non- paid positions, but they are required for the chapter to con- tinue to be recognized.The four elected officers and the current incumbents are:
President: Wally SaegerVice President: Mark Koechle Secretary: Vickie Jo Ryder Treasurer: Marie Lankford
I can be contacted at [email protected] or by cell phone at 801-643-8087.
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Looking to the future: Local Air Force Associa- tion holds first ever gathering at Fort
Huachuca May 13, 2019
FORT HUACHUCA—The Cochise Chapter 107 of the Air Force Association (AFA) held its first gathering at Fort Huachuca’s Thunder Mountain Activity Center this week,
celebrating the or- ganization’s work in the community, as well as the im- portant role the Air Force plays in pro- tecting the nation. While the AFA Cochise Chapter107 has been in Sierra Vista since the 1980s, it is the first time the organ- ization has held a formal gathering,
The tone of the presentation soon grew more serious, as Wright discussed the current threats posed to national security by Russia, China, North Korea, and ISIS, and the importance of having a strong Air Force ready to stand up to them.“(It’s important) how we talk to those at the diner, and how
we talk to our congressmen and our elected officials, about why we need an Air Force, and why we cannot thank enough those young men and women who are willing to serve for keeping us free and keeping us safe,” he said.“We talk a lot about combat readiness — we don’t have
readiness unless we have the strength of the families, and these young men and women, less than 1 percent of our socie- ty now, that sign up and still are willing to hold up their right hand.”
“We can’t do enough for them — and that’s our Air Force Association,” he continued.The event concluded by giving formal thanks to some of the local businesses and organizations that had done their part to help the men and women of the Air Force and their families by becoming community partners with the Cochise chapter.The organization also continued to support local education
by presenting an award of $500 to their Teacher of the YearAFA President “Orville” Wright
said chapter Presi- dent George Castle.
for 2019, Jeff Ofestedahl of the Center for Academic Success in Sierra Vista.
The gathering, which is set to become a tradition for the or-ganization, was conceived as a way to strengthen ties among the AFA members at the local, state, and national leels, as well as “say thank you” to the Cochise chapter’s community partners, he said.“Mainly what we do is support the schools in science, tech-
nology engineering and math (STEM), so we spend most of our time doing that, “ Castle said.Since there is no Air Force base in the Sierra Vista area, the
Cochise chapter is relatively small compared to others in the state, with about 130 members. However, those members make a big impact in the community, supporting local educa- tional programs such as CyberPatriot, a national AFA program that encourages children to study STEM fields.“We probably have between a third to a half of all of the Cy-
berPatriot teams in all of Arizona, and that’s considering that Phoenix is the fifth or sixth largest city in the nation,” said Castle, adding that the Cochise chapter was voted best small AFA chapter in 2017. “So CyberPatriot is really a big thing that we work on a lot.”Thinking about the future—whether it be teaching kids about
STEM, or how to best defend the nation against looming threats—was a major theme of guest presenter Lt. Gen. Bruce “Orville” Wright’s presentation at the event.Wright, nicknamed after the famous pioneer pilot because a
supervisor once told him he had “never met a fighter pilot named Bruce,” is the current president of the national Air Force Association, having been elected in early 2019 and overseeing the operations of nearly 100,000 AFA members nationwide.He retired as a three-star general after 34 years of service
where his accomplishments included heading 65 combat mis- sions. Wright and his wife, Kerri, traveled to Arizona from their home in Arlington, VA in order to learn abut the Cochise chapter of the AFA and to speak about his vision for the or- ganization.“How is it that one of strongest ever AFA chapters is in the
middle of an Army post?” Wright joked at the beginning of his talk.
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The Cochise chapter is currently “gearing up” to support theCyberPatriot program at Cochise College this summer, said Vice President Stu Carter
Sierra Vista Herald/Review MediaEmily Ellis
Tucson Chapter 105 was rep- resented at the meeting by Bill Goodall and Dick Rob- erts. Members of the ANG’s 162nd Fighter Wing were also represented by those who are on the MQ-9 RPV program in Sierra Vista.
Dick Roberts with AFA Presi- dent “Orville” Wright
AFA President “Orville” Wright with Jerry Consiglio, US Army Combat Vet of D- Day at Utah Beach and Battle of the Bulge
Bill Goodall
Visit to F-35A Training at Luke AFBWe were given the opportunity to visit Luke AFB on June 19th by
the Luke AFA Chapter. Unfortunately the invitation was extended late and for only four people so only a few individuals were able to attend.
The F-35A is the conventional take-off and landing version flown by the USAF and several US allies and is only version stationed at
Luke AFB. The F- 35B is the vertical/ short take-off and landing version developed for the Marines while the F-35C is the carrier version developed for the US Navy.
Dave Swock from the Luke Chapter made arrangements for the group to tour
“A Little Bit of History” North American P-82 Twin Mustang
The North American P-82 Twin Mustang is the last Amer ican
The first F-35A for the 63rd Fight Squad- ron arrives on the Luke flightline March 2017, flown by the squadron commander, Lt Col Matthew Vedder.
and simulator training areas. After an ini- tial briefing about the fa- cility and the training that the students receive, the group was taken to an unclassified training room set up with flat screen monitors and a throttle and stick that replicate those in the actual F-35A cockpit. This area is used to famil-
the 15,000 square foot training facility
that all pilots pass thru during their initial train- ing since the facility contains the academic
piston-engine fighter ordered into production by the USAF. Based on the P-51 Mustang, the P-82 was originally designed as a long- range escort fighter in World War II. The war ended well before the first production units were operational.
Initially intended as a very long-range (VLR) escort fighter, the P- 82 was designed to escort Boeing B-29 Superfortress bombers on missions exceeding 2,000 miles (3,200 km) from the Solomon Is- lands or Philippines to Tokyo, missions beyond the range of the Lockheed P-38 Lightning and conventional P-51 Mustangs. Such missions were part of the planned U.S. invasion of the Japanese home islands, which was forestalled by the surrender of Japan after the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the opening of Soviet attacks on Japanese-held territory in Manchuria.
The XP-82 was to be powered by two Packard-built Rolls-Royce V-1650 Merlin engines. Initially, the left engine was a V-1650-23 with an additional gear in the propeller reduction box to allow the left propeller to turn opposite to the right propeller, which was driven by the more conventional V-1650-25. In this arrangement both propel-
iarize the students with thecockpit’s display layout and the 12 multi-function buttons on the throttle and
The visitors receive a F-35A Capabilities brief from our host in the 63FS, Captain Samuel "Clutch" Major.
lers would turn upward as they approached the center wing, which in theory would have allowed better single-engine control. This proved not to be the case when the aircraft refused to become airborne dur- ing its first flight attempt. After a month of work North American
stick. Each of these stations cost $4,000 but are much cheaper tooperate than the simulator. Each student is issued a laptop and a throttle and stick replica that are used with the laptop so they can continue their familiarization outside of the classroom.
While we had the opportunity to “fly” these simulators it was ob- vious that they were a long way from replicating the actual simula- tors which are classified and we obviously weren’t allowed to view.
After lunch at Club 56 (the combined club on base) it was off to visit the 63rd Fighter Squadron and its associated 63rd Aircraft Maintenance Unit. The FS and AMU are located together in a purpose-built building during the F-35 beddown. The AMU occupies the
engineers finally discovered that rotating the propellers to meet in the center on their upward turn created sufficient drag to cancel out all lift from the center wing section, one quarter of the aircraft's total wing surface area. The engines and propellers were then exchanged, with their rotation meeting on the downward turn, and the problem was fully solved. The first XP-82 prototype was completed on 25 May 1945, and made the type's first successful flight on 26 June 1945. This aircraft was accepted by the Army Air Forces on 30 Au- gust 1945, whose officials were so impressed by the aircraft, while still in development, that they ordered the first production P-82Bs in March 1945, fully three months before its first flight.The XP-82 prototypes, and production P-82Bs and P-82Es, retained
both fully equipped cockpits so that pilots could fly the aircraft from either position, alternating control on long flights, while later night fighter versions kept the cockpit on the left side only, placing the radar operator in the right position.Although some P-82B airframes were completed before the end of
World War II, most remained at the North American factory in Cali-The visitors gather in the entry hall of the 15,000 sq ft F-35 Training Facility
ground floor while the FSoccupies the second floor.
The F-35s being flown and
fornia waiting for engines until 1946. As a result, none saw service during the war.General characteristics
maintained are located a short walk out the doors of the building; a great setup for efficient operations.
We were given a tour of the AMU setup to include the support section where tools, supplies and support equipment are stored and maintained for the ready use by the aircraft maintainers. The FS on the second floor, contains all of the offices, briefing rooms and Ops desk to conduct efficient day-to-day operations. There is even a deck that overlooks the flightline where the pilots can relax (we didn’t see any) and enjoy items from their well-appointed snack bar. While we were in Panther country, we received an unclassified briefing on the operation and capabilities of the F-35A.
Crew: 2Length: 42 ft 5 in (12.93 m)Wingspan: 51 ft 3 in (15.62 m)Empty weight: 15,997 lb (7,256 kg)Max. takeoff weight: 25,591 lb (11,608 kg)Powerplant: 2 × Allison V-1710-143/145 counter-rotating liquid-cooled V12 engines, 1,600 hp (1,193 kW) eachMaximum speed: 461 mph (401 kn; 742 km/h) at 6,400 m (21,000 ft)
Cruise speed: 286 mph (249 kn; 460 km/h)Range: 2,240 mi (3,605 km)Service ceiling: 38,900 ft (11,855 m)Guns: 6 × .50 cal (12.7 mm) M3 Browning machine guns Rockets: 25 ×
127 mm (5 in) rocketsBombs: 4 × 1,000 lb (454 kg) bombs
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AFA Chapter 105 2019 Teacher of the YearI was privileged to present our AFA Chapter 105 2019
Teacher of the Year award to Andrew Christian on May 17th at an Honors Ceremony at Sahuaro High School, Tucson
Unified School Dis- trict. Andrew has been teaching for 20 years and has taught Com- puter Science, Ad- vanced Placement Sta- tistics and Statistics for the last 17 years. To recognize him, he was presented with a Chap- ter TOY certificate from AFA National, an AFA TOY Padfolio
Tucson Chapter’s AFA Pitsenbarger Spring 2019 Scholarship Recipient
SrA Dylan Cubilette is a 2nd generation member of the US Armed Force and entered active duty in November 2016. He
was assigned to Davis- Monthan AFB in May 2017 and is an Auxiliary Power Unit Technician in the TF-34 “Small Gas” section.
Dylan is a graduate of Park University with a B.S. degree in Finance. He authored the “Get Fit With Ace” program aimed at providing fitnessguidance and resources for
and TOY pin, and a$250 check. The chapter matched that with a $250 check. Andrew is quiet and humble but enthusiastic about his stu- dents who have competed for several years in VEX Robotic competitions and has formed a Girls Coding Club to encour- age girl students involvement in non-traditional areas. He is working with his administration, and last year’s Chapter 105 TOY Dan Schneider, to participate in AFA’s CyberPatriot cyber defense competition.Thank you Andrew for being a teacher that is shaping the
future and congratulations on being our chapter’s 2019
Presentation of Ptisenbarger Award to SrA Dylan Cubilette
new airman.
162d Wing Junior Airman of the Year for 2019
SSgt Gibrann R. Rodriguera was selected by the 162d Wing (ANG) at Tucson International Airport as their AFA
Chapter 105 Junior Airman of the year for his diligence and job performance. SSgt Rodriguera is part of the 162d Logistics Readiness Squadron and was named as the squadron’s top NCO. He is a fully qualified Hazardous Material Preparer which greatly enhanced mission ac- complishment. Partic- ipated in four recruit- ing events for the 162d Wing, helping to ex- pand the pool of eligi- ble airmen to support
the wing’s mission. He was the right choice for this pres- tigious award that was presented during the Wing’s Annu- al Awards ceremony on April 7th.
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VA “Mission Act”
Sharing the e-mail below – the new VA “Mission Act” program will cover Urgent Care costs for enrolled Vet- eran Patients – at specific care locations. See e-mail below for link to more information and specif- ics. There are 90 locations listed within a 100 mile radius of the Tucson VA – but only the 15 closest are tagged on the map. I suggest you click on the tab that
VA has developed specific tools to assist Veterans access to their Urgent Care benefits. The VA Facility
Locator provides Veterans with a list of urgent care providers in VA’s contracted network. Upon arriving, Veterans must state they are using their VA Urgent Care benefit. The urgent care provider will verify the Veteran’s eligibility before providing care. If a Veteran encounters any difficulties at the urgent care location they can call 866 - 620 - 2071 for assistance.
allows you to search by zip code then you will get a map tagging the 15 closest to your area of town.
Veterans do not have an insurance card for this benefit.
Veterans can call 833-4VETNOW (833-483-8669), 24/7 to check their eligibility for the
urgent care benefit
Please pass along to other Veterans to assist wih access to their Urgent Care
Community Partner ProgramFor more than 40 years, businesses have been joining the Air Force Association to support both AFA National and local AFA chap-ters. Becoming a Community Partner is a great way to get your business involved with your local Air Force Community. Community Partners are partnership businesses that want to assist both AFA National and the local AFA chapters by becoming involved in Community efforts to support the United States Air Force.
By forming a partnership with your local AFA chapter, your business will help AFA fulfill their mission to promote a dominant Unit- ed States Air Force and a strong national defense. Any business or organization can become a CP and have two options for member- ship:
Category One (CP I) $90.00 annually- Business can designate one person to receive AFA Membership and enjoy all benefits thereof.
Category Two (CP II) $180.00 annually- Business can designate two people to receive AFA Membership and enjoy all benefits thereof.
Not only does a Community Partner receive all the benefits of an AFA membership, such as a variety of product and service dis- counts, insurance programs, and much more, but the partner will also receive the following upon joining AFA:
Date Medallion
Wooden Plaque
8”x5” “Our Business Supports Our Troops" Window Decal
If your business is interested in becoming a Community Partner, you should first contact your local chapter.
For questions or for more information on the program, please contact: Dave Carrell, [email protected], (520) 305-4407
Have your business become a part of a great cause and show your patrons that you support our Air Force!
Tucson Chapter’s Community Partners
A & E Specialty MarketingElliott M. Klahr
Chick-fil-AMatt Hountz
La Posada Lodge & CasitasJuan Loo, Sales & Catering Mgr
P. O. Box 4423 3605 E. Broadway Blvd 5900 N. Oracle RdRio Rico, AZ 85648 Tucson, AZ 85716 Tucson, AZ 85704520-281-1369 (P) 520-321-4232 520-887-4800 (P)520-980-0515 (C) 520-293-7543 (F)[email protected] Ciruli Brothers ascendcollection.com
5 Calle CristinaChick-fil-A Rio Rico, AZ 85648 Jackson Oil CompanyDave Carrell 520-281-1456 Robert Ferretti6675 E. Grant Rd. 623-217-8005Tucson, AZ 85715 Vantage West Credit Union520-305-4407 Cindy Brainer Radisson Suites Tucson
P.O. Box 15115 Valerie Friend, General ManagerTucson, AZ 85708 6555 E. Speedway Blvd
Chick-fil-A 520-298-7882 Tucson, AZ 85710Jim Paine 800-888-7882 520-721-7100 Ext.7600 (P)4885 N. Oracle Rd. Vantagewest.org 520-722-6146 (F)Tucson, AZ 85705 [email protected]
Chick-fil-ABrian White3943 W. Ina Road Tucson, AZ 85741(520) 744-6269
Sonesta ES SuitesEllen Jimenez, Director of Sales 6477 East Speedway Boulevard Tucson, AZ 85710520-721-0991SonestaESsuites.com
Tucson Appliance CompanyChris Edwards
4229 E. Speedway Blvd Tucson, AZ 85712-4523
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AFA Southwest Region Conferencein Albuquerque, NM, May 31 – June 1, 2019
The Albuquerque AFA Chapter the 2019 Southwest Region Confer- ence at the Hotel Albuquerque, Friday May 31st and Saturday June 1st. The conference had representatives from each state (Arizona, Nevada and New Mexico) although not every state had representation from each chapter in that state.The 2-day conference started on Friday with excellent mission briefs
and tours of the USAF Pararescue School and the Space and Missiles System Center (SMC) directorates located on Kirtland AFB. Partici- pants in the conference were then treated to a Welcome Social hosted by the Albuquerque AFA Chapter.Saturday, June 1st started with a mission brief by Mark “Nitro” Glis-
son from HQ Air Force Safety Center, Space Safety Division. He continually stressed that the Space Safety Division’s mission is to conserve combat space-power by anticipating, reducing and prevent- ing mishaps. This is done by developing, executing and evaluating AF space mishap prevention programs and executing Interagency Nuclear Surety Review Panel responsibilities on behalf of the Depart- ment of Defense.
Lt Col Ryan Rose, Chief of the Rocket Systems Launch Programpresented the follow-on briefing covering the SMC’s Small Launch &
The afternoon was devoted to both a SW Region business meeting and individual State meetings. We also had a call- in from Joe Burke who is running for the office of AFA National Director-At-Large. His key points were focusing on AFA Advocacy and IT governance to put more rigor into changes in AFA’s IT structure.At the AZ “State” meeting it was confirmed that the next
AFA State gathering in Sierra Vista AZ would be May 15- 16, 2020. AZ will probably have 11 delegates authorized for the National Convention, Sep 14-15 in Washington DC. Wally Saeger was confirmed as the state VP for 2019-2020 while the remainder of the officers will remain the same.
The conference was concluded with a dinner where JD Huss was the guest speaker and gave an outstanding
presentation on the 1st Aero Squad- ron’s involvement in the “Punitive Raids” to capture Pancho Via after his raid on Colum- bus New Mexico,
Targets Division, part of the Launch Enterprise Systems Directorate. JD Huss March 9, 1916. To
The division’s primary role is to assure space launch capability through existing launch vehicles but also to certify “new entrants” to provide launch services for National Security payloads. The Launch Enterprise Directorate is located at Kirtland AFB while SMC is head- quarter at Los Angeles AFB in El Segundo, CA.Before lunch, we had the opportunity to hear from two WWII pilots
who shared their experiences. Lt Col Bill Drumm talked about flying in the China-Burma-India AOR while Lt Col Byfield “Flash” Gordon shared his experiences flying bombers in North Africa and Italy. Both gentlemen were definitely part of the greatest generation.Gerald A. Murray, the retired 14th CMSgt of the Air Force (2002 –
2006) spoke to the attendees on several occasions during the confer-ence but the most memorable was during the lunch when he addressed us about why he served in the Air Force, his involvement as a member of the Board of Directors of USAA,
read more about the 1st Aero Squadron go to :https// en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1st_Reconnaissance_Squadron. JD flew Huey helicopters in Vietnam where he survived being shot down or crashing six times.The conference was attended by Bill Goodall, Wally Sae-
ger and Len Sommers on behalf of the chapter.
Statue of A1C William H. Pitsenbarger on display in the USAF Pararescue School. A1C Pitsenbarger was a para-
rescueman who was posthumously awarded the AirForce Cross in 1966, which was subsequently up-
graded to the Medal of Honor. He was the firstenlisted man to receive the medals
Gerald Murray, retired 14th Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force
and AFA, and his desire to be the next Chair- man of the Board for AFA (which he is cur-
rently running unopposed). Gerald is definitely down to earth and easy to talk to which appears to make him the perfect match for our new AFA President “Orville” Wright.
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Upcoming Events
Look for future “field trips” to different organization on base; if you have something specific you want to see please let us know! There are MANY events supporting our local Airmen listed below and more to come! As a Chapter, we try to attend all that we can. If you are interested in representing our AFA Chapter at any of these, please inform Wally Saeger ([email protected]) and he will coordinate it. You just have to show up and enjoy these traditional military cere- monies and gatherings. First come, first served!!
July 2019 - 1st: Chapter Executive Committee Meeting, 1200, 355th Fighter (Formerly Ops) Group Conference Room (all welcome!)- 28th: Loft meal, serving home-cooked meal to dorm residents at DMAFB, 1630. Watch for more info- No July Chapter Monthly Luncheon August 2019 - 5th: Chapter Executive Committee Meeting, 1200, 355th Fighter Group Conference Room (all welcome!)- 23rd: Chapter Monthly Meeting, 1130, Club Ironwood, Speaker TBD September 2019 - 2nd: Labor Day- 9th: Chapter Executive Committee Meeting, 1200, 355th Fighter Group Conference Room (all welcome!)- Sep 14-15: AFA National Convention, Washington DC- Sep 16-18: AFA Air, Space and Cyber Conference, Washington DC-27th: Chapter Monthly Meeting: Club Ironwood, Speaker TBD, Chapter Officer Elections
SAVE THESE DATES: - October 7th: Chapter Executive Committee Meeting, 1200, 355th Fighter Group Conference Room (all welcome!)- October 25th: Chapter Monthly Meeting, TBD- November 4th: Chapter Executive Committee Meeting, 1200, 355th Fighter Group Conference Room (all welcome!)- NO November Chapter Monthly Meeting- December 2nd: Chapter Executive Committee Meeting, 1200, 355th Fighter Group Conference Room (all welcome!)- December 5th: Annual Daedalians Ole Pueblo Flight & AFA Chapter 105 Christmas & Awards Banquet; TBD
Air Force Association Tucson Chapter 105
P. O. Box 15057 Tucson, AZ 85708
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