on October 21, 2023
Esper estimated the cost to be "several billion dollars," but did not provide a formal estimate. She was very unfair and unethical to members going through medical treatment and those who sought mental health, said an airman who served with 317 AMXS for five years who agreed to speak with Task & Purpose under the pseudonym CL.. In late September, Jordana Kennedy said in a memo to reviewing authorities that Retka should not be retained on active duty, and should be removed from command and leave the service. People do not want to work for assholes who play favorites.. Were looking forward to another amazing season with this team. The mission of the 52nd Fighter Wing is to deliver airpower options to deter and combat aggression. Witnesses interviewed by OSI also described a history of unprofessional, sexist and misogynistic comments and inappropriate behavior on Retkas part, including an inappropriate comment after an anti-sexual harassment skit. The 52d Fighter Wing, Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, provides Airpower options to deter and combat aggression. U.S. to End Spangdahlem Air Base's Mission, Remove 11,900 Personnel Specifically, the wing maintains and employs F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter aircraft and $6 billion of United States Protection Level 1 assets in support of NATO and national defense directives. The F-16 Fighting Falcon is a compact, multi-role fighter aircraft. The 52nd has always been prepared to SEEK ATTACK DESTROY. All Rights Reserved. I didnt want to make a big deal of it because the night had just started and I wanted to honor these nice people, Kennedy told Air Force Times. Widman declined to comment. He survived and was checked into a mental health clinic in San Antonio, about a four-hour drive south of Dyess. For example, the 52nd has increased rotational missions in Poland as part of EUCOMs push to bolster the military presence in the region. In January, the top enlisted leader in the branch, Chief Master Sgt. June 2014 June 2015, student, U.S. Army War College, Carlisle, Pa. 14. The Air Force last week halted the intelligence mission of the 102nd Intelligence Wing as the services inspector general investigates. First-term airmen will have an easier time finding a new Air Force job, Meet 12M+, the new community app for military spouses, Kansas man upset he cant buy mini Toyotas like the Taliban and ISIS, Army Special Ops Command welcomes first female command sergeant major, UN envoy says Sudans warring sides agree to negotiate, Your next tech and incoming AI | Defense News Weekly Full Episode 4.28.2023, Home Improvement Loans What are my options? Other airmen shared negative experiences regarding Widman on social media. David Owsianka). USAFE said Retka chose to retire several months earlier than expected. The group consists of seven squadrons providing communications, security, contracting, transportation, supply, deployment planning and execution, education, lodging, food services, recreation, personnel support, fitness programs, engineering, housing, disaster response, explosive ordnance disposal, fire and environmental protection for more than 11,500 personnel in the local community and geographically separated units; all while preparing combat ready forces for US and NATO missions. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, was more supportive. On February 12, 2019, news that the first woman to lead an Air Force demonstration team was fired after just two weeks in the position sent shockwaves through the aviation community and made headlines in the mainstream press. It flies the F-16CJ fighter aircraft. The wing provides United States Air Forces in Europe - Air Forces Africa and/or the NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe with mission-ready personnel and systems. A culture where respect, trust, accountability, and compassion guide our actions.. The detachment commander who was suspended was in charge of overseeing administrative support for airmen at the unit, the Air Force said. Air Force fires commander who separated an airman recovering from a The MMG receives, stores, maintains, controls and employs $6 billion of U.S. protection level 1 assets in direct support of NATO contingency, wartime and strike missions. New commander takes charge of 52nd FW. Bilodeau, a Distinguished Flying Cross recipient, flew F-16s at Spangdahlem for nearly three years in the late 1990s, when he served as an instructor pilot and assistant chief of weapons for the 23rd Fighter Squadron. Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Service. After October 1985, using the F-4 Phantom II model aircraft, defense suppression became the wing's sole tactical mission. It operated with other NATO forces in frequent "squadron exchange" programs and hosted US-based units on temporary duty in Europe. Additionally, LRS is responsible for the commercial movement and storage of personal property and provides ticketing for PCS, TDY and emergency leaves for DoD passengers; ensures quality petroleum and cryogenics products are acquired/produced/issued safely and efficiently to using organizations and executes vehicle maintenance, management and operation of more than 875 vehicles. Its a commander-run program that fell under the oversight of the Airmen and Family Readiness Center, CL explained. 480th Fighter Squadron - Wikipedia Comm:011-49-6565-61-1110 It is highly maneuverable and has proven itself in air-to-air combat and air-to-surface attack. | This was made years before she served in the same squadron. In 2010, the 22nd and 23rd Fighter Squadrons were combined to form the 480th Fighter Squadron. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. Service members will be told of re-stationing decisions well in advance in order to prepare themselves and their families for their move, USAFE said. His official bio, which you can read in full here, states his responsibilities as such: "He is responsible for the mission readiness of the wings aircraft, 17 wing staff agencies, stewardship of Shaw, and the health and welfare of 6,576 active duty Airmen and civilians and more than 8,000 family members. Melody W. Howley), U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. Randall Reed, Third Air Force commander (left), passes the guidon to Col. Leslie Hauck, 52nd Fighter Wing incoming commander July 15, 2021, on Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany. Hauck is a command pilot with more than 2,400 hours in the F-16 Fighting Falcon, including 285 combat hours in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Roberson announced the appointment of Col. Lars R. Hubert, 52nd Fighter Wing vice commander, as interim wing commander until a replacement can assume full-time duties. The Wisconsin Air National Guards 115th Fighter Wing has been working toward the F-35 for years nowTruax Field was selected as one of two preferred locations for, Eighteen KC-135s, spread over more than half a mile, lined up on the runwayat MacDill Air Force Base, Fla., on April 26the sixthelephant walk the Air Force has put on across the country in the past six weeks. Calling from CONUS: (Michael Abrams/Stars and Stripes). The 52nd FWs main priorities are deterrence, agile combat employment, and integrated base defense. Ramstein Air Base is unaffected, DOD officials said. CL also recalled an incident when Widman retaliated against another airmans wife for trying to help the spouses of other airmen. The 22nd Expeditionary Fighter Squadron began flying operations at a deployed location in support of the war on terrorism within 100 hours of tasking notification. I was made to feel like I was a second-class citizen and a piece of shit for things outside my control., Luckily, CL was saved by a few good senior non-commissioned officers in the unit who care about their troops and saw what was happening, he said. Other pilots also engaged in steamrolling at the Kunsan dorms in the early 2000s, witnesses said, describing a frathouse-like atmosphere rife with pranks and heavy alcohol use that was more tolerated in the Air Force at the time. The 52d Operations Group Detachment 2, located at Miroslawiec AB, Poland, operates MQ-9 aircraft and delivers persistent airborne ISR capabilities throughout the theater. from around the world. DSN: 314-452-1110 Her husband told investigators that Retka approached the group directly behind his wife and stood crowded subway close to her, which he described as awkward. The deployment of rotational forces from the United States we have observed whether its the BCTs going from the United States to Korea, to Poland, or the bomber task force, were finding that they are deploying at a much higher level of readiness, Esper said. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. May 1997 September 1998, student, Undergraduate Pilot Training, Vance AFB, Okla. 3. June 2018 present, Commander, Shaw AFB, S.C. June 2015 June 2017, Senior Military Advisor for Air Warfare Systems, Office of the Secretary of Defense, Director of Operational Test & Evaluation, Pentagon, Va. Hubert has been vice commander since July 2013. Two months later, he took command of Spangdahlems 480th Fighter Squadron, under Retkas command. Spangdahlem F-16 squadron demonstrates - U.S. Central Command (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. I cant give names but I can say that I witnessed the results of her trying to break him, he went on. CL was undergoing medical treatment and started a medical evaluation board (MEB) when Widman took command of the 317 AMXS in the summer of 2020. 8. Careerism and cronyism are a cancer in the Air Force that is causing retention issues, he said. U.S. Air Forces in Europe, with headquarters at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, is a major command of the U.S. Air Force. Esper estimated the cost to be several billion dollars, but did not provide a formal estimate. Upon assuming command in July, Bilodeau shared his leadership style with the airmen who would serve under him. Witnesses also revealed that in 2004, while he was a captain deployed to Kunsan Air Base in South Korea, Retka engaged in a prank called steamrolling, barging naked into sleeping pilots dorm rooms and rolling over them in bed until they woke up. Both the 100th Air Refueling Wing and the 352nd Special Operations Wing will remain at Mildenhall in the United Kingdom. Lt. Kaitlin Cashin, public affairs officer for the 7th Bomb Wing at Dyess. Criminal charges were not filed against Retka, Myers said. It was activated in 1948, but derives significant elements of its history from the predecessor Second World War 52nd Fighter Group, which is now the 52nd Operations Group, subordinate to the wing. The squadron oversees $60 million in annual obligations, co-leads with CPTS the wings end of fiscal year operations, manages the FWs $25 million Government Purchase card program and Quality Assurance Program (as it relates to contracts), and provides all contracting authority for Theater Security Package operations. Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah), who offered a failed amendment to the 2021 defense policy bill that would have blocked such a move, called the plan a grave error.. A female officer at Spangdahlem told investigators that in October 2018, Retka tried to sidestep her authority by saying he would solve a particular issue with another male officer, and said, We will talk about this as men later, over cigars and scotch.. Commanders are taking appropriate action as information becomes available, the Air Force said. The wing maintains and employs F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter aircraft in support of NATO and national defense directives. Not only does the plan fail to consider major logistical issues, questions about deterrence and implementation of the National Defense Strategy, and concerns about implications for U.S. efforts in Africa and elsewhere, but also it will almost certainly result in significant costs to the Department, he said in a statement. They support on-going contingency operations by deploying fully trained members for traditional security missions and joint expeditionary taskings. Teixeira is alleged to have used the online forum Discord to share the leaked information with his small community of online friends and to have taken photos of paper documents that he may have smuggled out of a secure facility. Maj. April Widman, the commander of the 317th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron at Dyess Air Force Base, was fired at 9 a.m. on Dec. 2, after the commander of the 317th Airlift Wing, Col. James Young, lost confidence in her ability to lead the squadron, said 1st. The problems are compounded by a lack of effective prevention and intervention from mental health, he added. Making mistakes is a part of life. This whole incident sparked an investigation and we know what came from that., Though Widman declined to comment for this story, when asked about the accusations that Widman had retaliated against subordinates, the 7th Bomb Wing replied: Retaliation is illegal and not in alignment with our Air Force core values for integrity, Lt. Cashin wrote. The 52d Communications Squadron (52 CS) provides war-ready Airmen, communications capabilities, and cyber services to sustain Saber operations and Air Force power projection anytime, anywhere. Like driving the Batmobile into the future: Air Force uses JLTV in mission for 1st time, Refreshed US-Philippine relations revive fighter jet training paused 3 decades ago, Victims of Army helicopter collision in Alaska include 2 chief warrant officers, Reports of sexual assaults increased in Navy, Air Force and Marines in 2022; Army saw decline, New bill aims to expand mental health care for military families, K-Town Now features the latest news from the Kaiserslautern Military Community. Col. Anthony Retka, who was commander of the 52nd Operations Group at Spangdahlem Air Base in Germany, was disciplined with an administrative action after an investigation into allegations that. In addition to moving the F-16s, EUCOM will relocate its own headquarters from Stuttgart, Germany, to Belgium, where NATO has its headquarters. Retka returned to Kunsan in 2012 as a squadron commander. The 52nd FW commander oversees all five of the wings groups, who directly support the mission to provide strategic, theater and contract commercial air mobility capability for Europe, Africa and Southwest Asia. Command of an Air Force unit is a position that requires trust, both up and down the chain of command, Young said in a statement. Widman was mad the unit was already trending at this time due to those logistics issues, CL said. January 2003 - July 2004, student, U.S. Air Force Weapons Instructor Course, 16th . Based in Stuttgart, Germany, he previously worked for newspapers in New Jersey, North Carolina and Maryland. The colonel asked the group, Did somebody just touch my butt? and Kennedy replied, Yeah, mine too, the report said. Melody W. Howley), U.S. Air Force Col. Leslie Hauck, 52nd Fighter Wing incoming commander, renders his first salute during the 52nd FW Change of Command ceremony July 15, 2021, on Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany. Germanys delinquent, they havent paid their fees, they havent paid their NATO fees, he said, referring to NATOs stated goal for member nations to spend 2 percent of their gross domestic product on defense. The tankers were participating in MacDills Operation Violent Storm, an exercisedesigned to force, In the months following the reveal of Northrop Grummans B-21 Raider in December, several publications affiliated with the Chinese Communist Party or its Peoples Liberation Army published articles downplaying the aircrafts viability, saying the U.S. cannot afford enough of the bombers to make a difference in a possible conflict with, The Air Force will consider the Armys freshly-chosen Bell V-280 tiltrotor as a possible combat search and rescue platform for work in contested airspace, but will also look at other technical options, including the CV-22 as an interim solution, Chief of Staff Gen. Charles Q., Brown, Jr. told the House, The planned Special Operations Power Projection Wing at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., will include MC-130s, AC-130s, and light attack aircraft, Chief of Staff Gen. Charles Q. The airmans mental health continued to deteriorate until one day in March 2021, when he attempted suicide. Within one month the wing had deployed people and equipment in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in and around Afghanistan. 52nd Mission Support Group > Spangdahlem Air Base > Fact Sheets [9] As a result of the drawdown of F-16s, the 22nd and 23rd Fighter Squadrons were inactivated on 13 August 2010 and formed a single "new" squadron, the 480th Fighter Squadron. Shortly after the Kennedys arrived and began chatting with other guests in the center aisle of the dining room, the report said, Retka walked up to the group and pinched or touched a male colonels rear end. Calling from Germany: If searching for a phone number on base, call the base operator. Hauck will be taking command over the 52nd Fighter Wing, which has a total population of 5,000 Airmen and civilian personnel. The wife was a member of the Key Spouses organization, where spouses of service members volunteer to help out the families of deployed airmen and anyone that could use a hand. Looking back, I realize that instead of being asked how we can make this happen, Im basically told what is going to happen. The Public Affairs office is unable to redirect calls or provide phone numbers. The commander of the 102nd Intelligence Support Squadron, part of the Massachusetts Air National Guard in which the 21-year-old Teixeira served, was suspended from his leadership position, as was . My primary focus remains on motivational mission accomplishment, compassionate care of airmen and their families, and the drive to constantly improve and innovate.. This line of thinking is the same as the Air Forces bomber deployments that have become prevalent in the Pacific. When it comes to innovative thinking, you are the benchmark that all the rest of my wings measure against. DSN: 314-452-1110, An official website of the United States government. Its no surprise to me that this team was the first in-theater to reach Initial Operation Capability for a new paradigm of deterrence that we call Agile Combat Employment, Reed added. But the fact that the spouse got access to the orders set Widman off, CL recalled. The Air Force is investing to improve other bases across the region, including facilities in Poland, Estonia, and Romania. Maj. Gen. Randall Reed, commander of Third Air Force at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, presided over the ceremony. Teixeira, 21, an airman first class, was assigned to the 102nd Intelligence Wing at Otis Air National Guard Base, Massachusetts. This made life more difficult for CL because he was already unable to drive due to his medical issues. Saber Nation is driven by initiative and innovation by our most junior Airmen and our management and tolerance of risk at our most senior levels so we can fail fast and fail forward to succeed., An official website of the United States government, Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil. The 52d Medical Group consists of Operational Medical Readiness, Health Care Operations, and Medical Support Squadrons. The group is also responsible for the safe storage, maintenance, buildup, and delivery of a combat ready munitions stockpile valued in excess of $275 million. Air & Space Forces Magazine is the official publication of the Air & Space Forces Association, 1501 Langston Boulevard, Arlington, Va., 22209-1198. All Rights Reserved. The 52nd Munitions Maintenance Group provides four fully capable U.S. munitions support squadrons responsible for the ownership, custody, accountability and release of war reserve munitions supporting Belgian, Dutch, German and Italian air forces. Hauck comes from Aviano Air Base, Italy, where he served as the commander of the 31st Operations Group. His command team said they would not help him with transportation due to manning and operations issues, he said. Near the end of 1992, it began receiving A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft. But at the same time, I wish I had [said] Tony, what is your goal? It was exciting to have the first female demo team pilot here at Shaw, but Im also just as excited about the many other females that are serving with great distinction across our Air Force. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin ordered a review of how classified information is handled and secured.
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