Air Force of Zimbabwe

The Air Force of Zimbabwe (AFZ) is the air force of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces. It was known as the Rhodesian Air Force until 1980. The Air Force of Zimbabwe saw service in the Mozambican Civil War in 1985 and the Second Congo War of 1998–2001.
History.
Formation and early days.
The Rhodesian Air Force (RhAF; formerly known, from 1954 until 1970, as the Royal Rhodesian Air Force (RRAF)), was reconstituted into the Air Force of Zimbabwe in 1980. The RhAF's 12 Hunter FGA.MK 9s were joined by other aircraft in 1981, 1984 and in 1987 from Kenya and the British Royal Air Force (RAF).
Pakistan Air Force trained most of the Zimbabwean pilots in the initial days along with construction of Thornhill Air Base. Pakistan also sent Air Marshal Azim Daudpota to Zimbabwe as the Chief of Air Staff of the Air and Edias Ntini was a great commander for the ground work Force of Zimbabwe.
In 1981, the Air Force of Zimbabwe ordered 8 eight Hawk MK60s, which were delivered in July 1982. On the night of 25 July 1982 a sabotage attack on Thornhill Airbase damaged four Hawks, nine Hunters and a single FTB-337G. One Hawk was written off, another was repaired on site and the other two were returned to BAE for a rebuild. A follow-up order for five additional Hawks was completed in September 1992.
The first supersonic interceptor operated by the air force was the F7 Airguard, 12 of the IIN and II variants were delivered in 1986. In 1993, a pair of O-2As were delivered for anti-poaching patrols over Zimbabwe's national parks. Two Cougar helicopters were reported to be in use in 1997. One was delivered in April 1995 and the second in September 1996. They were used for VIP duties.
Second Congo War 1998–2003.
The Second Congo War, also known as "Coltan War" and the Great War of Africa, began in August 1998 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly called Zaire), and officially ended in July 2003 when the Transitional Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo took power; although hostilities are currently ongoing.
Zimbabwe's well-trained military entered the war as the best-equipped side. In mid-August 1998, the AFZ deployed five or six F-7s, most of the C.212s, at least four Cessna 337G Lynxs, and a dozen or more helicopters, including Alouettes, Bell 412s and Mi-35s, to Congo. All aircraft were flown by Zimbabwean pilots. After receiving an urgent shipment of spare Hawks, the AFZ apparently deployed some of them as well. At the start of the war, the Hawks had been reported to be in unflyable condition. Due to these circumstances the AFZ contingent in the Congo in August and September 1998 consisted of flights from No.3, No.4, No.5, No.7 and No.8 Squadrons, while a flight from No.2 Squadron was to follow later.
The No.2 AFZ Squadron deployed 12 BAe Hawk T.Mk.60/60As, which were used as strike-fighters and equipped with AIM-9B Sidewinder AAMs, Mk.82-series bombs, and Hunting BL.755 cluster-bomber units (CBUs), as well as launchers for unguided rockets. Only six or seven F-7s From No.5 squadron were fully mission-capable. Prior to the war in Congo, Zimbabwe was in the middle of negotiations with China for 12 additional F-7s.
For transport, the AFZ had the No.3 Squadron, flying 12 CASA C-212 Aviocar and six Britten-Norman BN-2A Islander light transports which had already seen heavy service, and were to see even more of this in Congo. Transport and liaison were also duties of the No.7 Squadron, equipped with Aérospatiale SA 316B Alouette IIIs (including ex-Portuguese Air Force – and Romanian IAR-built examples), as well as of the No.8 Squadron, equipped with Agusta-Bell 412SPs which were later armed with rocket launchers for this war. However, the latter unit would soon play a significant role in the war in DRC, as it was only recently equipped with the newest addition to the AFZ: six Mi-35 helicopters (including two Mi-35Ps). The first AFZ Mi-35-crews were trained at Thornhill AB, in Gweru, by Russian instructors. CO of this unit was Sqn. Ldr. Mukotekwa.
The first noted AFZ operation took place on 26 August 1998, where they destroyed a 5 km armoured column of rebels as they were approaching Kinshasa. After defeating the invaders in Kinshasa, the Zimbabweans, in the belief that Kabila's government was already safe, suggested that there was no need to continue the war, and peace should be negotiated. This resulted in the reinforcement of rebel efforts as well as the Rwandans and Ugandans rushing better-equipped units into the battle. The garrisons in eastern Congo that remained loyal to Kabila fell to rebel attacks. The Ndigili airport, in Kibanseke Province, as well as Kitona, both held by Zimbabwean troops, were attacked simultaneously. In both cases, the AFZ responded with fierce air strikes. Rebels claimed that up to 100 civilians were killed by their bombs.
A series of fierce battles were fought between 4 and 13 September 1998, during which the Angolan mechanised forces were finally able to deploy their full firepower. The Chadian contingent was meanwhile deployed in NE Congo, where it participated in re-capture of Lubutu. The AFZ and FAC were active in this area for several days, flying a number of strikes during which cluster-bomb units (CBUs) were used. According to government reports, 45 rebels were killed and 19 captured in this battle.
On 13 September, when the Angolans attacked towards Kamina, the Zimbabweans found themselves under fierce attacks by thousands of rebels in the Manono area. It was in this area that the AFZ suffered its first documented loss of this war: on 4 September the Aermacchi SF.260 flown by wing commander Sharaunga crashed in bad weather, killing the pilot. Nine days later an Alouette III helicopter carrying several high-ranking officers, including Col. Kufa and Sqn. Ldr. Vundla, was shot down by rebels in eastern central Congo. Kufa and Vundla were killed, while Flt. Sgt. Sande was captured by RCD.
In late October 1998, the Zimbabweans launched an offensive in SE Congo. The offensive was made possible owing to the deployment of additional foreign troops in Congo, including some 2,000 Namibians. This began with a series of air strikes, partially flown by BAe Hawk T.Mk.60s of the No.2 Squadron, newly deployed in Congo, and by F-7s of the No.5 Squadron. These units first targeted airfields in Gbadolite, Dongo and Gmena, and then rebel and Rwandan communications and depots in the Kisangani area, on 21 November. On the following day the No.2 Squadron launched a strike package of six aircraft, armed with Mk.82 bombs and Matra 155 rocket launchers for unguided rockets calibre 68mm, which reached out far over central Congo. They deployed over Lake Tanganyika and attacked ferries used to transport Burundi troops and supplies into the war in Congo. According to Zimbabwean reports their strike came as a complete surprise. With machine-guns and light infantry weapons as the only means of air defense, six ferries were sunk and 600 Burundi and Rwandan troops killed. In a similar attack, on 7 December 1998, Zimbabwean planes or helicopters sank two rebel boats on Lake Tanganyika some 40 km north of Moba.
In November 1998, it was reported that a $54 million shipment of helicopters, fighters and spotter aircraft had arrived in Zimbabwe to assist in the Democratic Republic of Congo. It is unclear who received the delivered weapons. There were only very few reports about the fighting in the next few days, probably because the Congolese, Zimbabwean and Angolan governments found themselves under heavy pressure from Western powers because of this offensive. The few reports released from sources close to the rebels indicated Zimbabwean and Congolese attacks on Nuyuzu, Kasinge and towards Manono, supported by T-62 tanks and heavy artillery. According to Zimbabwean reports the Hawks and F-7s continued their operations and made additional attacks against Kalemi on 24 November, and a new round of strikes against different airfields in eastern Congo two days late. After the attacks the pilots of No.5 Squadron claimed destruction of an unidentified An-12 transport on the ground.
Current organizational structure.
The AFZ is subdivided into the Administration Wing, the Engineering Wing, the Flying Wing, and the Regimental Wing. The Administration Wing supports equipment purchasing, recruitment, staff support, food supplies, and related functions. The Engineering Wing maintains and inspects aircraft and related equipment, and covers the School of Technical Training, a tertiary education institution responsible for training aircraft maintenance engineering technicians. The training institute is the only federation aviation school in Africa. The Flying Wing handles aircrew personnel divided into eight squadrons at three primary bases. It also covers the schools for flying and parachute training. The Regimental Wing covers those squadrons specially selected to guard other AFZ assets, such as personnel and installations.
and weapon activations.
DIRECTORATES FOUND IN THE AIRFORCE OF ZIMBABWE
Regiment
Civil Military Relations
Finance
Training
Health Services
Intelligence
Administration
Engineering
Aircraft.
Current inventory.
It is difficult to ascertain a list of aircraft types operated by the Air force of Zimbabwe because of secrecy. AFZ has been constantly linked to Mikoyan MiG-29 since 1980 and even sent pilots to the then USSR for training. In February 2002 the EU enforced an arms embargo on Zimbabwe in reaction to severe violations of human rights in the nation. Unable to buy spare parts for the British designed and manufactured BAE Systems Hawk, in 2006 the air force received the first K-8. The air force also had Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23 fighter jets donated by the late Muammar Gaddafi.
Future.
Zimbabwe has been interested in MiG-29s in both the recent and more distant past. A $300 million-plus order for a squadron was placed with Russia in the late 1980s but was cancelled in 1992. Negotiations to buy 14 MiG-29SMTs from Russia were held again in 2004 but an order for JF-17 fighters was apparently placed instead.
The Zimbabwe Air Force is also sending its officers to attend Pakistan Air Force Combat Commanders School and Pakistan Army School of Army Air Defence each year for Advanced Training.
Retired aircraft.
Previous notable aircraft operated by the Air Force consisted of the English Electric Canberra, Hawker Hunter, de Havilland Vampire, C-47 Dakota, Aermacchi AL-60, Reims 337 Lynx, BAE Hawk, Aérospatiale Alouette II, and the Agusta-Bell 205 helicopter.
Rank structure.
The AFZ's rank structure is similar to the RAF's rank structure from where, via the Rhodesian Air Force, its ranks were derived.
Officers/Commissioned Ranks.
In descending order, the AFZ officer ranks are:
Airmen/Other ranks/Non Commissioned Ranks.
In descending order, the AFZ airman ranks are:
Aircraft losses.
Exact figures for the Air Force of Zimbabwe's aircraft losses have not been publicly published. It is believed four Hawks were lost, three F7s and several helicopters.


Thomas Seller Wallace

Thomas Seller Wallace, MM (1896 – October 8, 1935) was a British-born Canadian police officer who was killed in the 1935 Royal Canadian Mounted Police Killings. On 8 October 1935, Wallace was shot in the chest by one of the fugitives in the incident on the outskirts of Banff, Alberta, succumbing to his wounds later that day. He had previously earned a distinguished service record in the British Army during World War I. He emigrated to Canada and joined the Alberta Provincial Police after the war in 1921, before it was amalgamated with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police by 1932 and had been a law enforcement officer in Alberta for 14 years before his death.
Early life and World War I.
Wallace was born in Banffshire, Scotland and enlisted in the British Army prior to the First World War. Assigned to the 1/6 Battalion, Gordon Highlanders, he saw action in the initial campaigns of the war including the Battle of Mons as an "old contemptible" of the British Expeditionary Force. He was awarded a Military Medal for his distinguished service as a sniper and left the army as a Serjeant.
Police career.
After the First World War, Thomas emigrated to Canada and joined the Alberta Provincial Police in 1921. The force itself was relatively new after having been formed in 1917 to replace the paramilitary Northwest Mounted Police which had just relinquished policing duties in Alberta. He was posted across Alberta throughout his career with the APP was noted as an effective policeman winning the Byron Trophy for being the best shot with a revolver in the entire force.
The force was amalgamated with the RCMP in 1932 as a cost-cutting measure during the Great Depression. At the time of the amalgamation, Wallace was an APP Sergeant serving as a drill instructor stationed in Lethbridge. He was allowed retained his rank in the newly formed Alberta detachment of the RCMP after additional training in Regina.
Death and funeral.
On 7 October 1935, Wallace had been dispatched with fellow British born RCMP officer Constable George "Scotty" Harrison while in dressed in plain clothed. They were to assist with the capture of three fugitive Doukhobors identified as John Kalmakoff, Joseph Posnikoff, and Peter Woiken. They had been suspected of killing Constable William Wainwright of the Benito police force and RCMP Constable John Shaw. They joined with uniformed RCMP officers G.E Combes and Gray Campbell in an unmarked police vehicle.
On 8 October, the perpetrators had robbed a vehicle driven by C.T Scott. Scott had his money and wristwatch stolen by the disoriented fugitives. They bizarrely informed him that they would return his wristwatch if he did not inform the police and continued to follow his vehicle westward as it drove towards Banff. As the two vehicles arrived in Banff, Scott stopped his vehicle before an RCMP checkpoint near the eastern gate of Banff National Park and informed the uniformed Campbell that the men in the vehicle following him had just robbed him.
As Wallace and Harrison approached the vehicle, two shots through the windshield were fired by its occupants, hitting both officers. The officers continued to engage the fugitives but had been mortally wounded. Harrison had been shot in the neck, and managed to shoot out the headlights of the vehicle before losing consciousness. Wallace fired his service revolver until he was low on ammunition and collapsed from his wounds. Combes was able to shoot Woiken, killing him instantly while the remaining two perpetrators were tracked down by a combined force of RCMP officers and enraged civilians. Kalmakoff and Posnikoff were both and ultimately shot and morally wounded by civilian William Neish.
Wallace was transported to Calgary for medical attention after the shooting where he died of his wounds, with his wife Helen at his side. His partner Harrison also died of his wounds on the same day. At the time of his death, Wallace had been a police officer for 14 years in Alberta. His long years of service were recognized in his massive funeral procession led by the Calgary Highlanders' Pipes and Drums band. He was buried with full masonic and military honours at Calgary's Union Cemetery.


Ceylon Defence Force

The Ceylon Defence Force (CDF) was established in 1910 by the Ceylonese legislation "Ceylon Defence Force Ordinance", which reformed the Ceylon Volunteer Force (CVF) that existed previously as the military reserve in the British Crown colony of Ceylon. At the time of forming it was only a reserve force but soon developed into a regular force responsible for the defence of Ceylon. The CDF was under the command of the General Officer Commanding, Ceylon of the British Army in Ceylon if mobilised. However mobilisation could be carried out only under orders from the Governor.
Personal.
Its commissioned officers received their commission from the Governor, instead of the British Monarch which was the case in the British Army. Since the force was a volunteer force, its personal were made up of exclusively of the upper and middle class of the island who could spare the free time. Much of the officer carder was made up of Europeans, Burghers and a smaller extent from the Sinhalese, Tamils and Moor communities. A few Europeans had served with the British Army, vast majority were planters, landowners and professionals such as lawyers, doctors engineers and civil servants. Oxbridge graduates could easily gain a commission. Officer training was limited with, much of the training and activity were planned on weekends and at the annual training camp and exercise that took place in Diyatalawa. Infantry companies were formed in cities and towns with local volunteers.
History.
The origins of the Ceylon Defence Force can be traced back to the formation of the Ceylon Volunteers in 1881, whereby the Citizens' Rifle Society rifle section was designated the 1st Battalion Ceylon Light Infantry with Lieutenant Colonel John Scott Armtage appointed as the first Commanding Officer. The Ceylon Volunteers subsequently were renamed the Ceylon Volunteer Force and finally was renamed the Ceylon Defence Force in 1910. Units of the Ceylon Volunteer Force in 1910.
Second Boer War.
In 1900 Ceylon Mounted Infantry saw action and in 1902 a contingent of Ceylon Planters Rifle Corps, took part in the Second Boer War in South Africa. Their services were recognised by presentation, in 1902, of a colour to the Ceylon Mounted Infantry, and a presentation in 1904, of a Banner to the Ceylon Planters Rifle Corps.
Although there were Ceylonese officers much of the officer corps was made up of British officers and the other ranks were mostly Ceylonese with the exception of the Ceylon Planters Rifle Corps which was completely made up of Europeans.
World War I.
In 1914 with the out break of World War I the Ceylon Defence Force was mobilised and expanded. Many volunteers from the Defence Force traveled to England and joined the British Army, and many of them were killed in action. One of them mentioned by Arthur Conan Doyle was Private Jacotine of the Ceylon Light Infantry, who was the last man left alive in his unit at the Battle of Lys, and who continued to fight for 20 minutes before he was killed. The CPRC sent a force of 8 officers and 229 other ranks commanded by Major J. Hall Brown to the Great War. The unit sailed for Egypt in October 1914, and was deployed in defence of the Suez Canal. This unit was officially attached to the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) and was in 1915 dispatched to Anzac Cove (‘Z’ Beach) on the Gallipoli Peninsula. The CPRC performed operational duties as guards to ANZAC headquarter staff, including the General Officer Commanding ANZAC, Lieutenant General William Birdwood, who remarked, “I have an excellent guard of Ceylon Planters who are such a nice lot of fellows.” According to its onetime Commanding Officer (CO), Colonel T.Y. Wright (1904–1912), the Ceylon Planters Rifle Corps had sustained overall losses of 80 killed and 99 wounded in the Great War. Soon after the war the 80th Carnatics, who were the last regular military unit stationed in Ceylon on garrison duties, left. This resulted in the Ceylon Defence Force becoming a regular military unit with some units, such as the Mobilized Detachment of Ceylon Light Infantry Volunteers having troops mobilised on a permanent basis.
World War II.
In 1939 with the Second World War Ceylon Defence Force was mobilised and expanded to fortify Ceylon to meet a possible threat posed by the Japanese. CDF came direct command of the South East Asia Command (SEAC) and formed part of the British 11th Army Group. It was sometimes referred to as the British Army in Ceylon during this time. South East Asia Command under Admiral Lord Louis Mountbatten had its headquarters located at Kandy, Ceylon.
Troops from the Ceylon Defence Force, mainly the Ceylon Light Infantry and the Ceylon Garrison Artillery were placed outside Ceylon undertaking garrison duties on the Seychelles and the Cocos Islands. In Cocos Islands Mutiny took place (encouraged by Trotskyist Lanka Sama Samaja Party) by a few members of the Ceylon Garrison Artillery but was immediately put down by the Ceylon Light Infantry. CLI troops in 1941 escorted Italian POWs from the Middle East to Ceylon, and later in 1946 Japanese POWs from Ceylon to India.
In 1945 reached its wartime peak at 645 officers and 14,247 other ranks. At the centre of the expansion was the Ceylon Light Infantry which grew by 1946 from one to five battalions.
Post war.
In 1947 the CDF was again mobilised in its last major internal security operation to suppress a left wing hartal, or mass stoppage of work. The Ceylon Defence Force was given additional support by an armed detachment of British Royal Marines from HMS "Glasgow", who were utilised to deter strikers in Colombo.
The Ceylon Defence Force was officially disbanded on 11 April 1949 and reconstituted by "Army Act No. 17 of 1949" which revoked the "Ceylon Defence Force Ordinance of 1910" as the Ceylon Volunteer Force (CVF), itself becoming the Sri Lanka Army Volunteer Force (SLAVF) in 1972.
Impact on the Ceylon Army.
Soldiers who had experience in the CDF were actively recruited into the newly constructed regular force, and reconstituted volunteer force of the new Ceylon Army. In its first few years, and with few exceptions, the only new recruits enlisted were officer cadets and soldiers below the rank of warrant officer. Ceylon Defence Force veterans featured prominently in the post-independence regular Ceylon Army until General D. S. Attygalle (1967–1977) finished his term as Commander. The last Ceylon Defence Force veteran to leave the Army was Brigadier T. S. B. Sally, who ended his service tenure in 1979.
Former decorations & medals.
From its formation the Ceylon Defence Force used British military decorations.


Mark Furey

Mark Ignatius Furey is a Canadian politician and retired police officer, who was elected to the Nova Scotia House of Assembly in the 2013 provincial election. A member of the Nova Scotia Liberal Party, he represents the electoral district of Lunenburg West.
Furey is a retired police officer, having served in the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
On October 22, 2013 Furey was appointed to the Executive Council of Nova Scotia where he served as Minister of Service Nova Scotia and Municipal Relations, as well as Minister responsible for Part II of the Gaming Control Act and the Minister responsible for the Residential Tenancies Act.
Furey was re-elected in the 2017 election. On June 15, 2017, premier Stephen McNeil shuffled his cabinet, moving Furey to Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Provincial Secretary, and the newly established Minister of Labour Relations.
Electoral record.


Tsaigumi

The Tsaigumi UAV is an unmanned aerial vehicle designed and used by the Nigerian Air Force. It is one of the first UAVs indigenously developed in Nigeria.
This is in furtherance of the ongoing drive to produce and incorporate made-in-Nigeria military weapons.
History.
Former President Goodluck Jonathan claimed that the Tsaigumi is actually the same as the GULMA drone developed by Nigeria in 2013, and hence not the first domestic Nigerian UAV. Air Vice Marshall Olatokunbo Adesanya disputed this, claiming that the GULMA drone "was not operational", and that the Tsaigumi was thus the first completed Nigerian UAV.
Operations.
Air Vice Marshal Olatokunbo Adesanya stated that the Tsaigumi would be used for operations including disaster monitor, law enforcement, weather forecasting, protecting wildlife, and monitoring Nigeria's exclusive economic zone.
Design.
The Tsaigumi UAV's airframe was built by the 431 Engineering Group of the Nigerian Air Force, with the avionics and telemetry equipment were developed by UAVision of Portugal. The designer was reported to be Nkemdilim Anulika Ofodile, an aerospace engineer in the Nigerian Air Force.
Tsaigumi means 'surveillance' in the local Hausa language. It is a twin-boom UAV spotting a pusher propeller configuration. It is fitted with an Electro-Optical Forward Looking Infra-red System (EO FLIR).
For take-off and landing, the Tsaigumi UAV is fitted with a tri-cycle landing gears which has two main wheels and a steerable front wheel attached to the nose of the vehicle.
Its maximum take-off weight is 95 kg.
General characteristics.
Crew: 3 Operator (Mission Commander, Pilot, Navigator)
Length:
Wingspan:
Max takeoff weight: 95 kg
Powerplant:
Performance.
Maximum speed:
Mission radius:
Range:
Endurance: 10 hours
Service ceiling:
Operational altitude:
Armament.
None
Service history.
The Tsaigumi was formally inducted into service on February 15, 2018.


USCGC Cheyenne

USCGC "Cheyenne" is a "Gasconade"-class river buoy tender which was built in 1966 at Tell City, Indiana by Maxon Construction Co. Upon commissioning she was assigned a homeport of Leavenworth, Kansas.
Design.
"Cheyenne" pushes a specific-use aid to navigation maintenance barge, with a crane and buoy service gear. The vessel has a beam, of draft, and displaces 141 tons (full load). She is powered by two Caterpillar diesel engines turning 2 shafts with 600 bhp, giving the vessel a capability of .
History.
"Cheyenne" was initially assigned a homeport at Leavenworth, Kansas, in 1966 but was transferred to Coast Guard Base St. Louis, Missouri, in 1970. Since the Great Flood of 1993, she has been homeported at the foot of Arsenal Street in St. Louis. She is commanded by a master chief boatswain's mate with a crew of thirteen assigned. Her area of operation includes the upper Mississippi River mile marker 109.9 at Chester, Illinois, to mile 200.8 at Alton, Illinois; the Missouri River mile marker 0.0 at St. Louis, Missouri, to mile 226.3 at Glasgow, Missouri; and the Kaskaskia River at mile marker 0.0 to mile 28.5 at New Athens, Illinois.


Badges of the United States Space Force

Badges of the United States Space Force are specific uniform paraphernalia authorized by the United States Space Force that signify ratings, special skills, career field qualifications, and serve as identification devices for personnel occupying certain assignments. Space Force occupational badges are awarded in three degrees or skill levels. Badges for space operations are awarded at basic, senior, and command levels; other occupational badges are issued in basic, senior, and master level. A star and wreath system, worn above the badge, denotes which degree or skill level a service member currently holds.
Occupational badges.
Current Space Force occupational badges are shared with the Air Force and come in the grades of basic, senior, and master or command. Space Force occupation badges are worn on the left side of the uniform in metal for the service and mess dress uniforms or embroidered in space blue on the OCP uniform. Space Force occupational badges are mandatory for wear.
Space Operations Badge.
The Space Operations Badge is awarded to 13S space operations officers and 1C6 space systems specialists. It is awarded in the grades of basic, senior, and command. The first space badge was authorized on 4 November 1982 and issued to 20XX space operations officers, before renamed the Space and Missile Badge on 22 October 1993 in recognition of the merging of the 18XX missile operations officer and 20XX space operations officer career fields into the 13S space operations officer career field. The section space badge, known as the Space Operations Badge, replaced the first space badge on 1 November 2005 and was initially known as the Space Badge. On 1 January 2004, it was renamed the Space Operations Badge.
"Official heraldry of the Space Operations Badge:" "The central globe represents the Earth as viewed from space, the Earth being the origin and control point for man’s space endeavors. The global lines of latitude and longitude hearken to the original 20th Air Force patch and emphasize the global nature of the Air Force space mission. The thrusts and vectors behind the globe represent the dynamic and infinite space environment. The deltoid symbolizes the Air Force’s upward thrust into space, the reentry vehicles of our intercontinental ballistic missile force and the launch vehicles that place satellites in orbit. The ellipses represent orbital paths traced by satellites in Earth orbit; the satellites symbolically depicted as four-pointed stars. The symmetric placement of the satellites signifies the Air Force’s worldwide coverage in accomplishing its mission."
Intelligence Badge.
The Intelligence Badge is awarded to 14N intelligence officers and 1N0 all source intelligence analysts, 1N1 geospatial intelligence analysts, 1N2 signals intelligence analysts, 1N4 fusion analysts, and 1N8 targeting analysts. It is awarded in the grades of basic, senior, and command.
Cyberspace Operator Badge.
The Cyberspace Operator Badge is awarded to 17C cyberspace warfare operations commanders, 17D warfighter communications operations officers, and 17S cyberspace effects operations officers. It is awarded in the grades of basic, senior, and master, replacing the previous Communications and Information Badge on 21 April 2010.
The lightning bolt wings signify the cyberspace domain while the globe signifies the projection of cyber power world-wide. The globe, combined with lightning bolt wings, signifies the Air Force's common communications heritage. The bolted wings, centered on the globe, are a design element from the Department of the Air Force Seal signifying the striking power through air, space and cyberspace. The orbits signify the space dimension of the cyberspace domain.
Cyberspace Support Badge.
The Cyberspace Support Badge is awarded to 3D0 cyberspace operations specialists and 3D1 cyberspace support specialists. It is awarded in the grades of basic, senior, and master, replacing the previous Communications and Information Badge on 1 June 2010.
Acquisition and Financial Management Badge.
The Acquisition and Financial Management Badge is awarded to 62E developmental engineers, 62S materiel leader, 63A acquisitions managers, 63G senior materiel leaders-lower echelon, and 63S materiel leaders. It is awarded in the grades of basic, senior, and command.
Duty badges.
Commander's Insignia.
The Commander's Insignia is worn by officers in the grade of colonel and below who are currently in command above the name tag on the right side of the uniform. Graduated commanders wear the commander's insignia beneath the nametag on the service uniform or the Velcro patch on the top of the right sleeve in the OCP uniform.


Abigail Borin


Leif Newry Fitzroy Crozier

Leif Newry Fitzroy Crozier (11 June 1846 – 25 February 1901), commonly known as L.N.F. Crozier, was a Canadian militia officer and a superintendent of the North-West Mounted Police (NWMP), now best remembered for his role in the North-West Rebellion of 1885, a resistance movement headed by Métis leader Louis Riel in what is now the modern province of Saskatchewan.
Early life.
Crozier was born in June 1846 in Ireland. The family emigrated to Canada and settled in Belleville, Upper Canada. In Belleville he tried a number of occupations such as printing, clerking in stores and offices, and in a lawyer's office. Subsequently he studied for a period at a medical college. The military had been Crozier's earliest interest, and he had enlisted in the Canadian Militia at the age of 16. He had served during the Fenian raids and by 1873 reached the rank of major in the militia.
Career.
Crozier was commissioned as Sub-Inspector in the NWMP in 1872, and was promoted to Inspector the following year. In the service, Crozier saw first hand the hardships faced by the Native people as the buffalo disappeared. By 1884, he was the Superintendent stationed in Fort Carlton. He warned Lieutenant-Governor Edgar Dewdney that government policies were creating unrest among the First Nations and Métis. Since he feared a repetition of the Red River Rebellion, he asked for reinforcements to be sent to the North-West.
Wanting to avoid conflict, he attempted to negotiate with Louis Riel but was unsuccessful leaving the situation in a stalemate.
On 26 March 1885, Crozier lead a group of approximately 100 mounted police and Prince Albert Volunteers from Fort Carlton and a seven-pounder gun to bring back provisions which were running low at Fort Carlton. These men were confronted by Gabriel Dumont and a superior force of Métis near Duck Lake, Saskatchewan; no shots were fired and the police returned to Fort Carlton. In the ensuing Battle of Duck Lake, the NWMP were routed by the Métis. The resistance that he had wanted to avoid earlier broke out.
On 21 March 1885, Major Crozier received a letter from Louis Riel demanding that he surrender or Riel will "commence without delay, a war of extermination upon those who have shown themselves hostile to our rights." The retreat of the government under heavy fire tarnished the reputation of the NWMP.
Crozier's role in the remainder of the rebellion was minimal, and his force largely remained at its post in Battleford, Saskatchewan. His march on Duck Lake and into an ambush stalled his career with the NWMP. Nevertheless, he was on 1 April promoted to assistant commissioner of the NWMP, a post which he held until his retirement in 1886. In 1886, after the Prime Minister, Sir John A. Macdonald, appointed a civilian commissioner instead of himself, he resigned. He spent his later years in as a merchant and banker in Oklahoma Territory, dying of a heart attack in Cushing, Oklahoma Territory on 25 February 1901. His body was brought back to Belleville, Ontario, to be buried.


6th Motor Transport Battalion

The 6th Motor Transport Battalion (6th MTB), redesignated as Combat Logistics Battalion 25, is a Marine Forces Reserve logistics unit of the United States Marine Corps and is headquartered at Red Bank, New Jersey. The unit falls under Combat Logistics Regiment 45 of the 4th Marine Logistics Group (4th MLG) and Marine Forces Reserve (MARFORRES).


JEFX

JEFX, or Joint Expeditionary Force Experiment, was the periodic US Air Force-led operational experiment created to evaluate new technologies and war fighting concepts in a simulated wartime battle environment. It was an outgrowth of the C4I (Command, Control, Communication, Computers and Intelligence) Initiative mandated by the Goldwater-Nichols Act of 1986. It was monitored by the Air Force senior leadership and each event culminated with a report for the Chief of Staff of the Air Force.
Origins.
Following Operation Desert Storm, the US Air Force was concerned about the interoperability of deployed command and control equipment. In 1996, AF Electronic Systems Center commander LtGen Franklin created a simulated battle containment area near the runway at Hanscom AFB, Massachusetts. Dubbed the "Fort Franklin Battlespace Laboratory", the experiment highlighted connectivity problems. The following year, Fort Franklin II showed progress but not sufficient to satisfy Air Force leadership.
In 1998 the Air Force's [single service] Expeditionary Force eXperiment (EFX 98) was created to continue the legacy of Fort Franklin. This experimentation and testing venue allowed innovators and formal acquisition programs to try out new equipment, tactics, procedures in a large-scale field environment. The equipment tested included C3 systems, vehicles, aircraft, software, radios, etc. focused on enhancing information/ISR collection and exchange, and improving interoperability. The venue quickly grew to include multiple services and nations and was redesignated The Joint Expeditionary Force eXperiment by 1999 (JEFX 99). It was subsequently conducted biannually in 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006 and 2008 with particular emphasis on C2 and improving the "Kill Chain".
Projects.
EFX 98.
The first experiment, called the Expeditionary Force Experiment, was held in 1998 to look at potentially useful technologies that might be useful 10–15 years down the road. However, at the end of the event, several technologies were seen as near-ready and transition strategies were created. One outcome was establishing the need for an Air Operations Center. It also saw the first use of the Collaborative Virtual Workstation (CVW) to manage a large experiment over the internet.
JEFX 99.
After the first event, the need was identified to involve other military services in the experiment, and the "Joint" designation was added to the name. Accomplishments include:
JEFX 2006.
Theme: air-to-air data communication.
Outcome: Demonstration and fielding of the Battlefield Airborne Communications Node, a flying gateway between multiple military communications networks, which enabled increased coordination between forces.
JEFX 2010.
Fiscal 2010 focused on irregular warfare activities, and the use of sensors on combat aircraft, such as the F16 advanced targeting pod, to provide "non-traditional ISR".
JEFX 2011.
Two themes: degraded space capabilities and unit level operations.
Unified Capabilities I (UC I), which evaluated the ability to leverage commercial cellular networks to provide access to personnel conducting operations around the base.
JEFX 2012.
Unified Capabilities II, to address a unit level warfighter challenge: effective C2 integration within and across a military base, and dialogue with local and regional authorities during emergency management operations.
Status.
Beginning in 2011, JEFX events became smaller, in light of budget shortfalls. The solution was to focus on specific areas for improvement in C2 integration and conducted on a smaller scale on a quarterly basis with occasional large-scale events.
The JEFX office was disestablished in 2013 with the closure of the AFC2IC.
Transition support.
In 2002, to address concerns that no demonstrated technology was reaching operational use, a Technology Transition office was established with the JEFX management office. This office created guidebooks, wrote funding requests and monitored development and delivery of JEFX technologies.


Board of Navy Commissioners

The Board of Naval Commissioners was a United States Navy administrative body in existence from 1815 to 1842, with responsibility for the navy's material support. The three-member Board was created as part of an expansion of the U.S. Navy Department at the end of the War of 1812. The system was implemented by Benjamin W. Crowninshield, Secretary of the Navy during the administrations of Presidents James Madison and James Monroe.
Following the recommendations of William Jones, the establishment of the Board of Naval Commissioners by act of Congress on February 7, 1815 (3 Stat. 202), was the outgrowth of efforts to relieve the Secretary of the Navy of some of responsibilities connected with the civilian functions of the navy, so he could devote more time to overall administration.
As naval warfare continued to increase in technical complexity, however, reformers began to consider that the three commissioners and a minimal staff were not enough to handle the navy's procurement needs. By the 1840s, it seemed that a functional approach was preferable—one which established bureaus or offices within the Navy Department to focus on specific areas such as shipbuilding or provisioning. This reform was finally achieved during the administration of President John Tyler, and implemented by his Secretary of the Navy Abel P. Upshur. An Act of Congress on August 31, 1842 abolished the Board of Naval Commissioners and established the "bureau system" in the Department of the Navy. This system, with modifications, lasted until the mid-1960s.
Establishment and responsibilities.
The board had responsibility for the procurement of naval stores and materials; construction, armament, equipment, repair, and preservation of naval vessels; establishment of regulations to secure uniformity in the classes of naval vessels; preparation of estimates of expenditures for different parts of the naval service; and supervision of navy yards, naval stations, and navy agents. The Secretary of the Navy retained control over personnel and appointments, movement of ships, and other administrative matters not delegated to the board.
As provided by the act, the board, attached to the Office of the Secretary, was composed of three post-captains appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate; the ranking officer of the board was to be its president. The board was authorized to establish its own regulations and employ a secretary to keep a record of its proceedings and two clerks to assist in other office work. Each commissioner was to receive $3,500 a year in lieu of wages, rations, and other pay due him as a naval officer.
Personnel.
Board presidents.
During its existence the board had five presidents. All held the courtesy rank of commodore; the rank of admiral did not come into existence until the American Civil War.
Chauncey, Morris, and Warrington also served on the board prior to their appointments to its presidency. Chauncey served from 1822 to 1824 and 1833 to 1837; Morris from 1823 to 1825, 1826 to 1827, and 1832 to 1840; and Warrington from 1827 to 1830 and 1840 to 1841.
Other commissioners.
The officers listed below served as the board's other commissioners. Likewise, all held the courtesy rank of commodore.
Secretaries of the board.
James Kirke Paulding—later Secretary of the Navy during the Van Buren administration—served as secretary of the board from 1815 to 1823. He was succeeded by the Navy Department's long-time chief clerk, Charles Washington Goldsborough.


National Museum of the American Sailor

The National Museum of the American Sailor (formerly the Great Lakes Naval Museum) is one of 10 Navy Museums that are operated by the Naval History & Heritage Command. As an official Department of the Navy Museum, the National Museum of the American Sailor's mission is to select, collect, preserve, and interpret the history of the United States Navy with particular emphasis on the Navy's enlisted Sailor. The National Museum of the American Sailor seeks to fulfill this mission by:
Collections and exhibits.
With more than 40,000 artifacts and records, the collections of the National Museum of the American Sailor hold an irreplaceable record of the U.S. Navy. Featuring naval uniforms and accessories from the early 1900s to the present, and the country's largest archive of boot camp-related photographs, the collection tells the story of the American Sailor in the United States Navy. The museum's permanent exhibits include displays related to the Navy's boot camp, the history of women and diversity in the Navy, the history of Naval Station Great Lakes and its impact on the Navy as a whole. The museum also offers an exhibit related to the rich traditions of honor and individuality woven into naval enlisted uniforms, as well as exhibits focusing on the daily life of an enlisted Sailor.
History.
The National Museum of the American Sailor is located at Naval Station Great Lakes, the home of the Navy's only "Boot Camp." The museum was founded in 1991 by the Great Lakes Naval Museum Foundation. In 2008, the museum moved into its current location in Building 42, the Hostess House, which was designed in 1942 by prominent architect Gordon Bunshaft of the prestigious architectural firm Skidmore, Owings, and Merrill (SOM). During World War II, the facility served as a welcome center for almost one million Sailors who entered boot camp before joining the fleet. After the war, the building served various functions until it fell into disrepair and was considered for demolition. However, it was recognized as a classic example of modern American architecture and repurposed for the establishment of the a museum which opened January 12, 2009. By adopting the Hostess House as its home, the National Museum of the American Sailor connects enlisted Sailors, Navy families, and the general public to this unique architectural treasure and the central role it played in the Navy's wartime history.
In January 2009, the Great Lakes Naval Museum became an official Department of the Navy museum operated by the Naval History and Heritage Command (NHHC). On May 29, 2014, Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus issued SECNAVNOTE 5755, which officially changed the Great Lakes Naval Museum's name to the National Museum of the American Sailor. This new title better reflects the strategic repositioning from a regional historic focus (Naval Station Great Lakes) to a museum that captures the entire experience and history of the United States Sailor and the museum's role as a source of heritage training for new recruits, fleet Sailors, and civilian visitors from throughout the country; emphasizing the story of turning civilians into Sailors, and of those Sailors' contributions to the protection of the nation.
Museum programs and resources.
The museum also offers guided tours, a lecture series, military band concerts, and STEM-based educational programing. An active volunteer corps participates in all museum functions. The museum’s collection is open to the general public for academic research via appointment.


USCGC Sockeye

The USCGC "Sockeye" (WPB-87337) is the United States Coast Guard's 37th Marine Protector class cutter.
She is stationed in Bodega Bay, California.
In October 2008, Angel Island was struck by serious brush fires. The "Sockeye" was assigned to coordinate the efforts of fire-fighters from a variety of agencies and local municipalities.


Shark Sense

Shark Sense is a U.S. Navy publication written for aviators on how to deal with sharks if they are forced to ditch a plane into the ocean. It was published in 1944 by the Aviation Training Division in the Office of the Chief of Naval operations.
Content.
"Shark Sense" contains instructions for surviving in tropical waters.It discusses the likelihood of a shark attack and notes that science had little information on shark behavior. The manual cautioned aviators not to rely on popular information about sharks .
The manual also mentions that scientists were not sure if shark olfaction was the same as with humans.
Illustrations.
"Shark Sense was" created as a comic book in order to be entertaining while informative. The cover features an aviator scrambling in the water with a small fish nibbling on his toe. A thought bubble shows the aviator thinks a shark is attacking him. He is having trouble keeping his head above water due to panic - staying calm is one of the points in the manual.
Most of the illustrations are humorous, but the manual also contained illustrations of a more instructional nature. The instructional panels informed the aviators of body language when downed in tropical waters.
No artists or authors are explicitly credited within the manual.


United States Navy Special Projects Office

United States Navy Special Projects Office (SPO) is a former research and design office of the United States Navy, responsible for the coordination of the development and design of the US Navy Fleet Ballistic Missiles (FBM) Polaris and Poseidon.
The Special Projects Office was initiated in 1956 as new organization with a mandate to develop a submarine-launched solid-fuel fleet ballistic missile. The Special Projects Office reported directly to Admiral Arleigh Burke, and the secretary of the Navy, an unprecedented bypass of the Navy bureaus that signalled the Navy's commitment to the FBM concept.
To direct the Special Projects Office, at John H. Sides' persistent suggestion, Burke selected Sides' former deputy, Rear Admiral William F. Raborn, Jr., whose phenomenal success in that role would earn him renown as the father of Polaris.
The Special Projects Office (SPO) is also known for the development of the planning and scheduling methodology, known as Program Evaluation and Review Technique or just PERT, and first published in 1958.
History.
Origins.
On September 13, 1955, President Dwight D. Eisenhower directed the Navy to design a ship-launched Fleet Ballistic Missile (FBM) similar to the Army's Jupiter IRBM. John H. Sides, director of the guided-missile division in the office of the chief of naval operations, and the Navy protested that liquid-fuel rockets like Jupiter were too dangerous for shipboard use and pushed instead for submarine-launched solid-fuel rockets for tactical use against enemy submarine bases. However, on November 17, 1955, Secretary of Defense Charles E. Wilson ordered the Navy to join the Army on Jupiter development, and specified that all such missile development would not be externally funded but would have to be carved out of the existing Navy budget.
Despite strong support from the Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Admiral Arleigh Burke, the program ballistic missile system for the fleet did not develop well, also due to the resistance of the bureaucracy in the Navy. Desiring to strengthen the status of the program and accelerate the development of its own missile, the Admiral created the Special Projects Office (SPO), independent of other technical offices, whose sole task was to support the work on the marine ballistic missile.
At the head of the Special Projects Office was appointed Admiral William Raborn, a former Navy pilot, chosen by Burke due to his personal qualities and belief in the military, rather than his vision on the technical run of the program. In these endeavors, Admiral Burke had strong support from the Secretary of the Navy Charles Thomas.
Research challenges.
Work on the marine version of the Jupiter missile gained momentum in 1956, while the year 1959 was sets as the date of dispatch for the first modified missiles on board commercial vessels at sea. For the naval version of the missile a drive based on solid fuel was considered. Some studies had showed, that this could be used in nuclear-powered submarine with ballistic missiles up to 8,300 tonnes.
During the program, the US Navy had doubts about the application of liquid fuel missiles on board, so initiated studies on the possibility of the use of drives on solid fuel, which, however, limited the ability to transfer cargo. A breakthrough in this area occurred in 1956, when scientists discovered a way to significantly reduce the size of thermonuclear warheads.
Father of the American hydrogen bomb - Dr. Edward Teller had stated in the summer of 1956, that soon heads weighing 400 pounds (181 kg) will have the power of a bomb explosion 5000-pound (2270 kg). In September that year, the US Atomic Energy Agency estimated, that such a small nuclear warhead would be available in 1965, with some chance of making it back in 1963. The development of this specific program coincided with the intensive work on the high thrust drive on solid fuels.
These developments made admiral Raborn decide, August 1956, to initiated a joined program with the US Navy and US Army. It was connected with the formal initiation of the small solid-fuel missile, which has been accepted by the Secretary of Defense in December 1956.
Program Evaluation and Review Technique PERT.
Program Evaluation and Review Technique PERT is developed for the U.S. Navy Special Projects Office in 1957 to support the U.S. Navy's Polaris nuclear submarine project. PERT was developed primarily to simplify the planning and scheduling of large and complex projects, and has found applications all over industry.
PERT had been made public in 1958 in two publications of the U.S. Department of the Navy, entitled "Program Evaluation Research Task, Summary Report, Phase 1." and "Program Evaluation Research Task, Summary Report, Phase 2." In a 1959 article in "The American Statistician" Willard Fazar, Head of the Program Evaluation Branch, Special Projects Office, U.S. Navy, gave a detailed description of the development, that led to the Program Evaluation and Review Technique. He explained:
For the subdivision of work units in PERT another tool was developed: the Work Breakdown Structure. The Work Breakdown Structure provides "a framework for complete networking, the Work Breakdown Structure was formally introduced as the first item of analysis in carrying out basic PERT/COST."
Renamed the Strategic Systems Project Office.
Due to changing interests in the naval programs, in 1968, the Special Projects Office was renamed the Strategic Systems Project Office and its tasks had been extended.


SA Army Troop Information Unit

SA Army Troop Information Unit was a South African Army Intelligence Corps COMOPS unit, utilizing conscripts who had completed university or worked in a professional capacity as cameramen, freelance journalists, photographers, public relations officers and journalists from practically every newspaper in South Africa.
The unit drew upon these specialist skills and professions, providing staff to the State run broadcasting service, the South African Broadcasting Corporation. The personnel undertook their two year military service within this non-military institution as a media centre where a paper war was being played out.


Shadows of a Hot Summer

Shadows of a Hot Summer () is a 1978 Czechoslovak thriller film by František Vláčil. The film won a Crystal Globe award at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival in 1978.
Plot.
The film is set in the 1940s after the end of World War II. Ondřej Baran lives with his family in Beskydy, at a homestead in the mountains. One day five members of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army come to their house. One of them is injured and the Ukrainians want to hide in the house until he recovers. They take the family as hostages and force Ondřej to bring a doctor to the house. They threaten Ondřej that if he appeals for help they will kill his family. Ondřej eventually realises that he has to deal with them by himself. He kills all the Ukrainians, but one of them shoots him and he dies. The film ends with Ondřej's funeral.


USCGC Douglas Munro (WHEC-724)

USCGC "Douglas Munro" (WHEC-724), previously USCGC " Munro" (WHEC-724), is a High Endurance Cutter of the United States Coast Guard, named for Signalman First Class Douglas A. Munro (1919–1942), the only Coast Guardsman to be awarded the Medal of Honor.
"Munro" was commissioned on September 27, 1971, at Avondale Shipyard in New Orleans, Louisiana. The tenth of twelve cutters, she was the first to be named after a Coast Guard hero. The previously commissioned 378-footers had been named for former secretaries of the Treasury, a tradition that began in 1830 when a cutter was named for Alexander Hamilton.
Secretary of Transportation John A. Volpe and Douglas Munro's mother, Edith, were on hand to commission "Munro". The ship's original complement included 17 officers and 143 enlisted men.
"Douglas Munro" was placed into In-Commission Special Status on March 31, 2021, beginning the process of decommissioning the final "Hamilton"-class cutter. "Douglas Munro" was decommissioned on April 24, 2021 and is expected to be disposed of by transfer to a foreign navy, in keeping with the disposition of the rest of the class.
1970s.
The dedication of the ship took place on April 15, 1972, at "Munro"s first homeport of Boston, Massachusetts. Secretary Volpe attended the ceremony. The first commanding officer was Captain John T. Rouse. While operating out of Boston, the ship's original missions included ocean station patrol and search and rescue.
The stay in Boston was not to last long, however, as "Munro" shifted to a new homeport of Seattle, Washington, on August 29, 1973. The "Seattle Post-Intelligencer" hailed the arrival of "Two ("Munro" and ) of the newest, finest ships in the Coast Guard fleet." Seattle was also especially receptive to "Munro" because Douglas Munro himself had been a resident of Cle Elum, a small town in Washington State. While operating out of Seattle, "Munro" became more active in the fisheries enforcement mission and less active in the ocean station mission, which was quickly being made obsolete by technological advances. Alaskan fisheries were especially busy and controversial at this time. In 1971, for instance, the combined Japanese, Russian, Canadian, and South Korean fishing fleets had caught about ten times as many fish as the U.S. fleet did. Coast Guard action was badly needed to regulate the practices of these foreign fleets. "Munro" performed this mission with great success, including the seizure of the Korean longliner "Dong Won No. 51" in June 1979.
1980s.
In 1980, the ship moved to yet another new homeport: Honolulu, Hawaii. While conducting training with the Japan Coast Guard in 1983 "Munro" was called upon to aid in the rescue and salvage operations for Korean Air Flight 007 in the Sea of Japan. In 1986, "Munro" interdicted the motor vessel "Line Island Trader", which had been attempting to enter the U.S. with 4.5 tons of marijuana. Later that same year, the ship underwent an extensive three-year Fleet Rehabilitation and Modernization (FRAM) program. Weapons systems were upgraded and many portions of the cutter were remodeled. Upon being re-commissioned in November 1989, "Munro" was homeported at Coast Guard Island in Alameda, California.
1990s and 2000s.
In 1997, the cutter seized the Russian fishing trawler "Chernyayevo" in the Bering Sea for violation of the Magnuson-Stevens Fisheries Conservation and Management Act of 1976, setting an important precedent for law enforcement along the U.S./Russia maritime boundary. In 1998, "Munro" intercepted the Chinese vessel "Chih Yung", carrying 172 people attempting to illegally enter the U.S. In 1999, the cutter interdicted the fishing vessel "Eduardo I", carrying 83 illegal Ecuadorian migrants. Also in 1998, "Munro" interdicted the Mexican vessel "Xolescuintle", seizing 11.5 tons of cocaine, one of the largest drug seizures in Coast Guard history. In 1999, the cutter seized the motor vessel "Wing Fung Lung", carrying 259 illegal Chinese migrants. In 2003, the cutter interdicted the fishing vessel "Candy I" with 4 tons of cocaine. In 2003, the cutter interdicted two "go-fast" boats with 2 tons of cocaine using warning shots across the bow of one with an MH-68 "Stingray" Helicopter Interdiction Tactical Squadron (HITRON). "Munro" traveled on turbines for 16 hours to intercept the second, using dead reckoning based on the suspect vessel's course and speed to find it. The crew of the second "go-fast" then proceeded to light their vessel on fire to destroy the bales on board the vessel, but "Munro"s crew quickly sank the vessel and later recovered approximately 139 bales of cocaine. Four traffickers were recovered with two needing medical assistance from "Munro"s corpsman.
From December 2004 to June 2005, "Munro" operated in the Persian Gulf with the "Bonhomme Richard" Expeditionary Strike Group. During the "Out of Hemisphere" patrol "Munro" contributed in the relief efforts of the 2004 tsunami providing food and water to Indonesia and later seizing a vessel overtaken by pirates off the Horn of Africa. In 2006 the cutter interdicted two "go-fast" boats working in tandem with 2 tons of cocaine using disabling shots with an MH-68 "Stingray" HITRON.
As of September 4, 2007, "Munro" was home-ported in Kodiak, Alaska.
On March 23, 2008, "Munro" rescued survivors of FV "Alaska Ranger" when it sank west of Dutch Harbor. "Munro" deployed its HH-65 Dolphin helicopter to the sinking site, and received 20 of the surviving fishermen. The story of this rescue is detailed in "Deadliest Sea: The Untold Story Behind the Greatest Rescue in Coast Guard History" by Kalee Thompson. As "Aviation Week & Space Technology" states, "The USCG deems the operation the largest cold-water rescue in its history."
"Munro" was renamed to "Douglas Munro" to allow the new Legend-class cutter "Munro", launched in 2015, to assume the former name of the "Hamilton"-class cutter.
"Douglas Munro" also made an appearance in an episode of the Discovery Channel series "Deadliest Catch", conducting search and rescue operations following the loss of the fishing vessel "Ocean Challenger". It was also featured in the BBC series "Full Circle with Michael Palin" in 1997, as the presenter was on the ship at the end of his documentary circumnavigation of the Pacific Rim.
"Douglas Munro" completed its final deployment on March 13, 2021. It was decommissioned on April 24, 2021 in a decommissioning ceremony held at Coast Guard Base Kodiak in Kodiak, Alaska.


List of Royal Air Force first-class cricketers

From their first match in 1922 to their final match in 1946, 63 players represented the Royal Air Force cricket team in first-class cricket. A first-class match is a domestic cricket match between two representative teams, each having first-class status, as determined by the governing body for cricket in the country where the match is being played. First-class matches consist of matches of three or more days' duration, between two teams of eleven players, played on turf pitches.
The Royal Air Force was formed during World War I in 1918, with the Royal Air Force cricket team being formed in 1919 and playing its first against the British Army cricket team at Lord's in the same year.
This list includes all players who have played at least one first-class match and is initially arranged in the order of debut appearance. Where more than one player won their first cap in the same match, those players are initially listed by batting order at the time of debut.


Hugh Farrington

Hugh Farrington (June 9, 1931 - August 7, 2001) was an American actor best known for his recurring role as Detective Lieutenant Pete O'Brien on the television series "T. J. Hooker". Farrington was injured while serving as an aviator in the United States Navy and acted while using a wheelchair.
Farrington was also known for such films and television series "The Terminator", "Arizona Heat", "Caged Fury", "Quincy, M.E.", "Airwolf", "The Golden Girls" and "Coming Home".


Communications Platoon

In the USMC, a communications platoon, also known as the "S-6", is responsible for all related communications for the battalion. It is part of the Headquarters and Services Company and is responsible for supporting all companies within the battalion. At the regiment level, the communications platoon is responsible for providing support to the regiment as well as the battalion communication platoons. Within the communications platoon, there are four sections: Data, Wire, Radio, and Maintenance. Each of these sections have specialized individuals who have been trained to best understand their field.
Leadership.
The communications platoon is headed by a 2nd or 1st lieutenant, called the Communications Officer or S-6, and a master sergeant, called the Communications Chief. For regiment level communication platoons, it's typical to have a captain head the platoon and a master gunnery sergeant be the senior enlisted marine. Each section has a chief that is responsible for the work of the section. The rank of the section chief can vary from sergeant to master sergeant; however, to have a Data Chief, Radio Chief, Wire Chief, or Maintenance Chief MOS, the marine must be a staff Non-commissioned officer (NCO).
Data section.
Key objectives of the data section are to develop and prepare networks during field operations, maintain the network at the base, and provide helpdesk support. The data section is responsible for all computer related issues for the battalion, to include email, office support, servers, switches, routers, and printers. During preparation of field ops, the data section will configure routers and switches to create a LAN at the base of the field op. Additionally, the data section will prepare all laptops that will be used and the servers to support them (e.g. exchange servers, ESXi hosts, etc.).
Radio section.
Within the communications platoon, a section of 15 to 30 Radio operators provide Command and Control (C2) for the commanders and subordinate units. This ultimately leads to clear and concise information passage between units by way of two way radio communication. During operational situations such as field training exercises and deployments, the establishment and operation of radio networks is accomplished. A typical radio network has a central hub located at the battalions Combat Operations Center. For purposes of anti radio direction finding, all radio systems and antennas are remotely moved away from the battalion Combat Operations Center, leaving only the operators with an interface behind. This central hub allows exterior units to communicate with battalion assets. With this system established Indirect Fire Agencies, casualty evacuation, resupply and many other vital services can be accomplished. Enabling systems include satellite communications systems and high frequency radios for long range communication, ultra high frequency radios for air communication and very high frequency radios for tactical ground communication. Additionally, networks can have further extended ranges by establishing a repeater site known as a retransmission site. This allows a larger sphere of influence for the battalion commander and his staff and subordinate commanders.


United States Air Force Band of the Golden West

The United States Air Force Band of the Golden West is an American military band based at Travis Air Force Base, California. Its area of responsibility outside its home state includes Washington, Oregon, Arizona, and Nevada. It also supports 13 bases, 8 reserve wings, and 6 recruiting squadrons.
History.
The band's nickname/title of being the "Band of the Golden West" originated from the 574th and 575th Air Force Bands who were the first to be designated as such. Based in Pleasanton, California, they held this honour until they were both inactivated in 1954. In 1994, the NORAD Band merged with the 15th Air Force Band and in 1997, was re-designated with its current name. In the three years between the merge and the band's renaming, the band was known as the "Air Mobility Command Band of the Golden West", effectively becoming the only active duty USAF band west of the Rocky Mountains.
15th Air Force Band.
The 15th Air Force Band was constituted in Scott Field, Illinois on 1 October 1941 as a band in the United States Army Air Forces. It is the oldest ancestor of the current band. It originally was redesignated several times: first as the 23rd Army Air Forces Band, then finally as the 523rd Army Air Forces Band in 1944. The band was moved to Camp Shanks in New York in 1944 and was stationed there early 1945 when it sent to serve in Le Havre, France as well as the British city of Warton. It would stay overseas for the duriation of the year, coming home only in December of that year to be inactivated. in the mid-50s, the band was reactivated and moved to March Air Force Base, California on 1 December 1952. On its golden jubilee in 1991, the band was re-designated as the "15th Air Force Band of the Golden West", was moved to Travis Air Force Base to be merged with "America's Band in Blue" (504th Air Force Band).
NORAD Band.
The NORAD Band was sponsored by the USAF part of the North American Air Defense (NORAD) Command. It was a joint project between the United States Armed Forces and the Canadian Forces, as it was composed of members from the Army, Navy, and Air Force from the American side as well as musicians from the Royal Canadian Air Force representing the Canadian side. It was established in 1959 and operated as a touring band. During its existence, it had 90-members in its ranks. It often made performances on television and radio, making appearances at the "Today Show", the "Tonight Show", and the "Dinah Shore Show". It took part in the filming of shows such as "The Steve Allen Show" and "The Bell Telephone Hour". Ensembles it maintained ranged from the "Dixietones" to the NORAD "Velvetones". The band was dissolved in 1979, with the portion that were Americans being repurposed into the 504th Air Force Band of the Golden Gate. Notable Canadian members have included musician Bobby Herriot Rudolph Paul Gazarek future Director of the Naden Band of the Royal Canadian Navy(Naden-Band-history-Jack-Mirtle) and the then future director of the Central Band of the Canadian Armed Forces, Derek Stannard. In 1991, the band was re-designated as "America's Band in Blue".
Ensembles.
The band is composed of the following ensembles:
The Commanders Jazz Ensemble, is composed of 20 full-time professional musicians, and serves as the official jazz band for the Band of the Golden West. It performs many of the pieces written by jazz and big band personalities such as Duke Ellington, Woody Herman and Count Basie. It was declared a National Treasure by Congress in 1987.
Events.
The band has performed for gubernatorial inaugurations as well as military parades. Guest artists such as Marvin Stamm, Arturo Sandoval, Wayne Newton and Bob Hope have performed with the band. It has also performed at sporting events for teams such as the San Francisco Giants and the San Francisco 49ers. In a decade, the band led off three Tournament of Roses parades in Pasadena. In 2004, the band supported the interment ceremony of President Ronald Reagan in Simi Valley.


U.S. Air Force aeronautical rating

U.S. Air Force aeronautical ratings are military aviation skill standards established and awarded by the United States Air Force for commissioned officers participating in "regular and frequent flight", either aerially or in space, in performance of their duties. USAF aeronautical badges, commonly referred to as "wings" from their shape and their historical legacy, are awarded by the Air Force in recognition of degrees of achievement and experience. Officers earning these badges and maintaining their requirements are classified as rated officers and receive additional pay and allowances.
The first U.S. military aviator ratings were awarded in 1912, and the issuance of badges for recognition of the award began in 1913. The division of ratings into multiple skill levels and categories began in 1914 and expanded during World War I. With minor variations in numbers and titles of ratings, the system remained largely unchanged until 1940, when the current system of pilot ratings was introduced. During World War II, as many as 19 aeronautical ratings were recognized and awarded by the Army Air Forces, but most were discontinued after the war when the USAF came into being.
USAF ratings gradually expanded until seven categories and 21 ratings exist currently. The most recent change added the "RPA (Remotely Piloted Aircraft) Pilot" rating, effective 13 December 2010. Although in much smaller numbers, enlisted personnel were historically eligible to be rated until 1949. Since the later 1950s, highly trained enlisted personnel, along with officers whose duties do not include flying, are recognized by the awarding of Air Force Occupational Badges. In 2016, the Air Force opened RPA pilot positions to enlisted personnel, making them the first enlisted pilots since 1949.
Overview.
For all categories of aeronautical ratings, to be eligible for the rating and to wear the appropriate badge, an officer must be medically qualified to fly and also be qualified by flying status proficiency. Certified flight officers who develop medical conditions that disqualify them from flying are classified DNIF (Duties Not Including Flying). DNIF may be temporary or permanent. Officers placed on permanent DNIF status are either cross-trained into another career field, or separated from the Air Force, depending on the severity of their medical condition.
The Astronaut "qualifier" is awarded only by the Air Force Chief of Staff for rated officers formally qualified to perform duties at least 50 miles above the earth's surface and who have participated in at least one operational mission, and has a distinctive Astronaut Badge, consisting of a "shooting star" qualifier device superimposed on their rated badge.
The seven categories of aeronautical ratings, as authorized by Title 10, U.S.C. 8691, are:
Evolution of the USAF ratings system.
From the Aviation Act (40 Stat. 243), 24 July 1917:
That officers detailed in or attached to the aviation section of the signal corps may, when qualified therefore, be rated as junior military aviator, military aviator, junior military aeronaut, and military aeronaut ... Provided further, that any officer attached to the aviation section of the signal corps for any military duty requiring him to make regular and frequent flights shall receive an increase of 25 per centum of the pay of his grade and length of service under his commission.
Civil ratings.
Aeronautical ratings were established on 23 February 1912, by War Department Bulletin No. 6, as a new measurement of pilot skill. Before that time most pilots of the Aeronautical Division, Signal Corps soloed by the "short hop method" (also known as "grass-cutting"), in which student pilots, flying alone, learned to handle airplane controls on the ground, taxied in further practice until just short of takeoff speeds, and finally took off to a height of just ten feet, gradually working up to higher altitudes and turns. The practice resulted in the first pilot death only a month into training. At least three of these pilots had been previously instructed by Glenn Curtiss at North Island field, California. Concurrently, two pilots (future General of the Air Force Henry H. Arnold and Thomas DeWitt Milling) were instructed by the Wright Brothers and certified by the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) in July 1911.
Military Aviator.
To establish formal standards of certification, the Army created the "Military Aviator" rating and published requirements on 20 April 1912. The first rating was awarded to Henry H. Arnold on 5 July 1912. The first rating requirements were:
War Department General Order No. 39, dated 27 May 1913, certified 24 officers including Arnold as "qualified", and authorized issuance of a certificate and badge. A number of designs for the badge were considered before the War Department chose that of an eagle holding Signal Corps flags in its talons, suspended from a bar embossed with "Military Aviator", and had the dies manufactured. A group of 14 aviators still detailed to the Signal Corps was recommended on 29 September 1913 to receive the badge, and the two gold proofs were issued 16 October 1913, to Captain Charles DeF. Chandler and Lt. Thomas D. Milling, both of whom had also received the first ratings with Arnold on 5 July 1912. All 24 officers certified by G.O. 39, or their survivors, were eventually issued the badge.
Two levels of qualification were specified in War Department Bulletin No. 35 on 4 May 1914, with aviators below the rank of captain to be rated as "Junior Military Aviator" and those captain and above to be rated as "Military Aviator". Similar ratings were created for the lighter-than-air branch of aviation, termed "Military Aeronaut". On 18 July 1914, Congress established the Aviation Section, Signal Corps, incorporating, expanding and superseding the Aeronautical Division, and established in law both flight pay ( called the "aviation increase") and the awarding of ratings. The Act of 1914 authorized an aviation increase of 25% in pay to student pilots, 50% to those rated JMA, and 75% to those rated MA. Rated lieutenants who flew "regularly and frequently" were given the temporary rank, pay, and allowances of the next higher grade.
Because a provision also required three years' experience as a JMA in order to become eligible to be rated MA, all remaining Military Aviators had their ratings changed to JMA. None re-acquired the rating (and its "aviation increase") before July 1917. The National Defense Act of 1916 eliminated pilot age and rank eligibility restrictions and allowed captains to also draw the temporary rank, pay, and allowances of the next higher grade if required to participate in regular and frequent flight.
World War I and Air Service revisions.
The Military Aviator badge was superseded on 15 August 1917 by authorization of a new embroidered "wings" badge, the first sketches of which are attributed to Arnold. A new rating, "Reserve Military Aviator", was authorized on 3 June 1917 to rate pilots during World War I, with all ranks and grades being temporary. The Aviation Act of 24 July 1917 authorized those holding a pre-war JMA rating to advance to MA rating by the three-year rule, and along with RMA holders, by "distinguished service." A wartime "Reserve Military Aeronaut" rating for balloon pilots was also created, as was a rating of "Observer" for both airplanes and balloons, bringing the total number of aeronautical ratings to seven.
After the creation by executive order in 1918 of the Army Air Service, a standard wings-and-shield design for the rating badge, still in use today, was created by sculptor Herbert S. Adams of the United States Commission of Fine Arts and approved on 25 January 1919. Army regulations regarding ratings underwent a major revision by the Director of Air Service on 16 October 1919, when the RMA rating was officially changed to "Airplane Pilot" (although usage of the RMA terminology continued until 1920), all observers were termed "Aerial Observer", and new ratings of "Enlisted Pilot", "Airship Pilot", "Aerial Gunner", and "Aerial Bomber" were created. Among the new ratings, a 50% aviation increase was authorized for the enlisted pilot and 25% for all the others. The new ratings, however, proved to be only a demobilization expedient and lasted less than nine months.
In 1920, when the Air Service was made a statutory arm of the line, the National Defense Act of 1920 also ended the differentials in flight pay and standardized it at 50%. The policy of awarding rated officers a temporary advancement in grade was also terminated. To qualify for command of a unit, an officer was required by law to be rated. The existing ratings were reduced to four on 10 August 1920, combining the ratings of Reserve Military Aviator/Airplane Pilot, Junior Military Aviator, and Military Aviator into the rating of "Airplane Pilot" and Military Aeronaut and Balloon Observer into the rating of "Balloon Observer", renaming the rating of Aerial Observer as "Airplane Observer", and continuing the rating of "Airship Pilot". All those already holding the old ratings qualified automatically for the new. In 1921 the Air Service authorized the wearing of 3.125-inch ratings badges made of oxidized silver in lieu of embroidered badges.
In 1921 the Air Service also revised its pilot training program, adopting the "A Plan", which divided pilot ratings between "Junior Airplane Pilot" (completion of primary training, normally an enlisted rating) and "Airplane Pilot" (completion of advanced training). The bulk of new pilots were acquired from the enlisted classification of "flying cadet", with achievement of a JAP rating making a cadet eligible for advanced pilot training and commissioning. However, some older Air Service officers without flying experience, but requiring a rating to remain in the Air Service, acquired a JAP rating, including Chief of Air Service Maj. Gen. Mason Patrick.
In 1924 the "Tenth Annual Report of the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics", submitted by President Calvin Coolidge to the Congress, reported:
The Air Service has 845 officers with rating as airplane pilots, airplane observers, airship pilots, airship observers, or balloon observers. In addition about 51 enlisted men have the rating of airplane pilot, junior airplane pilot, or airship pilot.
Air Corps, World War II, Cold War and Post-Cold War changes.
In 1926, the new Air Corps discarded the A Plan in favor of the B Plan, which awarded only a single rating, Airplane Pilot, requiring completion of all phases of a year-long, three-school (Primary, Basic, and Advanced) flying training course. The Airship School closed in 1928 for economic reasons, ending all increases and replacements in airship ratings. The Air Corps Act of 1926 mandated that 90% of all Air Corps officers be rated, and that for reasons of economy, by 1929 at least 20% of tactical pilots had to be enlisted men. However, the latter requirement was so utterly impractical it was circumvented by the Air Corps with the tacit approval of the War Department. The Air Corps had only 38 rated enlisted men in 1930 (about 4% of all pilots), and nearly every enlisted graduate was being commissioned to decrease deficits in rated officers. Those remaining as enlisted men in the Regular Army held reserve officer commissions in the event of war.
In 1936, Maj. Gen. Frank M. Andrews, commanding the GHQ Air Force, promulgated a policy requiring newly minted pilots to spend a year flying single-engined aircraft and accruing 750 logged flight hours as a prerequisite to becoming a bomber pilot. Seven years of military flying experience and 2,000 logged hours qualified a pilot as an "airplane commander" in the GHQAF. In 1937 the Army formalized the requirement, creating a new advanced rating of "Military Airplane Pilot", setting 12 years as a rated pilot and 2,000 hours of flight time as the standard. The rating of Airship Pilot was discontinued at the same time and that of Airship Observer incorporated into Balloon Observer, leaving the Air Corps with five ratings.
Between November 1939 and March 1940 pilot ratings were revised to the permanent three-tier system with objective standards that exists today, with a total of eight ratings overall. Graduation from Advanced Flying School was required to be rated a "Pilot"; ten years service and 1,800 hours of military flight for "Senior Pilot" rating; and either 15 years service with 3,000 hours, or 20 years service with 2,000 hours, to become a "Command Pilot". For both advanced ratings, hours as a pilot or navigator (a specialization then performed only by rated pilots) were calculated at 100%, but military flight hours in any other capacity were calculated at a 50% rate. The Air Corps also divided the former Airplane Observer rating into that of "Combat Observer" and "Technical Observer".
"Navigator" was recognized by the United States Army Air Forces as a rating and authorized its own badge on 4 September 1942, one of a number of new wartime ratings that included "Bombardier", the "Glider Pilot", "Liaison Pilot" and "Service Pilot" ratings (N.B.: these three ratings were typically awarded to soldiers on the basis of prior civilian flying experience, with a higher age limit and relaxed medical requirements for entry vs. the normal Pilot training pipeline; their duty assignments were limited in scope), and enlisted Aircrew ratings. Combat Observer was renamed "Aircraft Observer". All of the wartime ratings except Navigator were discontinued by the USAF on 26 July 1949, with Navigator and Bombardier merged into a single Navigator rating and the badge design being changed in 1951 from that of an armillary sphere flanked by wings to that of the USAF shield flanked by wings. At this time, a tiered system of ratings based on hours and years of service was also implemented with Senior Navigator and Master Navigator following the same precepts as Senior Pilot and Command Pilot.
Beginning in 2011, the rating of Navigator was retitled, replaced by the aeronautical rating of Combat Systems Officer (CSO), with the same badge insignia as Navigator. This title change was intended to place the CSO more in line with their Naval Flight Officer (NFO) counterparts of the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps, especially since the latter have historically enjoyed more robust operational flying command and major command opportunities, to include promotion to 3-star and 4-star rank. Although observer ratings were also discontinued by USAF in 1949, the "Observer" title was revived in 1981 when a rating was created for otherwise non-aeronautically rated USAF officers who completed NASA mission specialist astronaut training and subsequently flew in space.
"Flight Surgeon"s were rated and received the "aviation increase" between 1918 and 1920. The rating was discontinued in 1920, however, and flight surgeons as a military profession were neglected by the headquarters of the successive Army air arms until late in 1939. In July 1940, the recommendations of a board of flight surgeons appointed by Gen. Arnold were adopted, standardizing ratings requirements as:
The Flight Surgeon rating received its own distinctive gold badge on 3 March 1942, which was changed to the standard oxidized silver wings in 1944 to avoid confusion with naval aviator badges.
USAF rating requirements.
Pilot ratings.
The USAF awards pilot ratings at three levels: "Pilot", "Senior Pilot", and "Command Pilot", to active duty officers and to officers considered as "rated assets" in the Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard (i.e., the Air Reserve Components). Rating standards apply equally to both fixed-wing and helicopter pilots.
The following additional criteria are required to be rated as a USAF Pilot:
RPA Pilot ratings.
The USAF awards remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) pilot ratings at three levels: "RPA Pilot", "Senior RPA Pilot", and "Command RPA Pilot", to active duty officers, to enlisted personnel, and to officers considered as "rated assets" in the Air Reserve Components.
The following additional criteria are required to be rated as a USAF remotely piloted aircraft pilot:
Combat System Officer ratings.
The Combat System Officer (CSO) rating is awarded to individuals who entered the CSO Undergraduate Flying Training after 1 October 2004. The USAF awards combat system officer ratings at three levels: "Combat System Officer", "Senior Combat System Officer", and "Master Combat System Officer", for active duty officers and officers considered rated assets in the Air Reserve Components. The insignia is identical to USAF Navigator, but rated navigators who are not CSO rated are not eligible for award of advanced CSO ratings. The following additional criteria are required for rating as a USAF Combat System Officer:
Navigator ratings.
The USAF awards navigator ratings at three levels: "Navigator", "Senior Navigator", and "Master Navigator", for active duty officers and officers considered "rated assets" in the Air Reserve Components. After 2009 only Combat System Operators receive ratings formerly awarded to navigators, as the occupational field is being phased out. The following additional criteria are required for rating as a USAF Navigator:
Air Battle Manager ratings.
The USAF awards Air Battle Manager ratings at three levels: "Air Battle Manager", "Senior Air Battle Manager", and "Master Air Battle Manager", for active duty officers and officers considered "rated assets" in the Air Reserve Components. The following additional criteria are required to be rated as a USAF Air Battle Manager:
Observer ratings.
The USAF awards observer ratings at three levels: "Observer", "Senior Observer", and "Master Observer", for active duty officers and officers considered "rated assets" in the Air Reserve Components. The insignia is identical to USAF Navigator/CSO and is typically only awarded as an "observer" insignia with the Astronaut emblem to USAF officers who have completed training as NASA Mission Specialist Astronauts, have flown at least once in space in the Space Shuttle and/or served at the International Space Station, and are not otherwise rated as USAF Pilots or USAF Navigators/CSOs. The following additional criteria are required to be rated as a USAF Observer:
Flight Surgeon ratings.
The USAF awards flight surgeon ratings at three levels: "Flight Surgeon", "Senior Flight Surgeon", and "Chief Flight Surgeon", for active duty officers and officers considered "rated assets" in the Air Reserve Components. The following additional criteria are required for rating as a USAF Flight Surgeon:
Pilot-Physicians.
Flight surgeons may also perform duties as "Pilot-Physicians" (Air Force Specialty Code 48VX). The purpose of pilot-physicians is to provide "integrated operational and aerospace medicine guidance" in the research, development, testing, and evaluation of Air Force systems and missions to realize the greatest effectiveness and cost savings.
Pilot-physicians were previously assigned only to an operational flying squadron in their respective aircraft, with their main assignment as a pilot, but also with clinical duties seeing patients, usually the flight medicine clinic, depending on the pilot-physician's medical specialty. On 21 April 2011 the Pilot-Physician Program (PPP) was completely revised to make "the most of the special resources of Air Force officers who are simultaneously qualified both as pilots and flight surgeons," with a senior pilot-physician selected by the Air Force Surgeon General to be Program Director, and assignment of designated command, staff, research, training, and education billets as well as duty in operational units. A P48VX specialty code is assigned to those on aeronautical orders as a pilot-physician and assigned to one of these designated PPP billets. Pilot-Physicians are entitled to conditional flight pay (ACIP), that is, only if assigned to an active flying position and flying a prescribed number of hours monthly.
In addition to being a rated pilot and a rated flight surgeon, a pilot-physician must have completed at least three years of operational flying and one year as an operational flight surgeon, with a provision for assigning applicants without flight surgeon operational experience to a base where they would likely become a "first assignment pilot-physician". The revised program allows flight surgeons access to undergraduate pilot training and remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) pilot training (one slot per year); allows participation of flight surgeons with experience as navigators, electronic warfare officers, RPA sensor operators, and flight test engineers as "navigator-physicians" or "flight test-physicians"; and authorizes pilot-physicians to compete for assignment to USAF Test Pilot School.
Pilot-physicians are defined by four core competencies to achieve program objectives:
Pilot-physicians are eligible for advanced ratings as both flight surgeons and pilots. They may apply toward advanced pilot ratings any USAF pilot years of aviation service, months of operational flying duty, and total flying hours accrued before achieving flight surgeon status. After attaining status as a pilot-physician, all hours flown as a pilot, and months of operational flying duty credit accrued as a pilot, are "dual-credited" toward both advanced pilot and flight surgeon ratings as long as the officer is on aeronautical orders as an active pilot-physician.


USCGC Kukui

Three cutters of the United States Coast Guard have been named Kukui


United States Coast Guard Reserve

The United States Coast Guard Reserve is the reserve component of the United States Coast Guard. It is organized, trained, administered, and supplied under the direction of the Commandant of the Coast Guard through the Assistant Commandant for Reserve (CG-R).
Mission.
The mission of the Coast Guard Reserve is stated in the Reserve Policy Statement issued in 2018:
America's Coast Guard is an Armed Service, a critical instrument of national security, and a key component to the Nation's emergency response capability. As the Coast Guard's ready force in garrison, the Reserve Component provides operationally capable and ready personnel to support Coast Guard surge and mobilization requirements in the Homeland and abroad. For over seventy-five years, our extraordinary reservists have accomplished this through augmenting the Service's day-to-day missions while standing ready to mobilize in times of crisis.
Serving as the Coast Guard's only dedicated surge force the Reserve Component is a contingency-based workforce, trained locally and deployed globally to provide appropriately trained personnel to meet mission requirements within the prioritized focus areas of Defense Operations, Ports, Waterways, and Coastal Security, Incident Response and Management, & Mission Support.
It is the duty of every commander, commanding officer, officer-in-charge and program manager to provide the leadership and training necessary for assigned Reserve Component members to be expertly trained and prepared for active-duty when and where they are required. Active Duty for Training (ADT), Inactive Duty Training (IDT) and assigned competencies should relate to the prioritized focus areas. Additionally I place the same level of responsibility on every reservist to acquire and maintain the skills and personal readiness that our Coast Guard mission sets and core values demand.
The Reserve Component is as relevant and critical to the Coast Guard's organizational success today as at any time since 1941. We will continue to honor our citizen-sailors and meet the needs of the Nation by adhering to our core values and bringing a total workforce perspective to solve complex problems.
History.
The United States Coast Guard Reserve was originally established on 23 June 1939 as a civilian reserve. This civilian reserve was renamed the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary on the passage of the Coast Guard Reserve and Auxiliary Act of 19 February 1941 and the military reserve commenced operations at that time.
World War II.
Persons joining the Coast Guard after 1 February 1942 were signed on as regular reservists and were obligated to serve for "the duration plus six" months. These reservists served in every type of job that the Coast Guard had been tasked. Other volunteers and Coast Guard Auxiliary members formed what was termed the temporary reserve and they generally served without pay, receiving only reimbursement for fuel expenses on their privately owned boats to perform coastal patrols and port security.
The Women's Reserve was authorized by act of Congress on 23 November 1942 and soon became known as SPARS; derived from the Coast Guard's Motto: Semper Paratus, Always Ready. SPARS served in administrative, maintenance and training functions in the United States. Lieutenant Commander (later Captain) Dorothy C. Stratton was selected to head the SPAR Program and is credited with naming the group.
Because all of the personnel inducted in the Coast Guard after the start of the war were reservists, only 8% of the 214,000 Coast Guardsmen that served during World War II were non-reservists. An additional 125,000 temporary reservists also contributed to the war effort. At the end of the war most reservists were released to inactive duty or discharged. The SPARS were disbanded in July 1947.
Cold War period.
Due to increased tensions during the Korean War period, the SPARS were re-established in 1949 and Congress authorized funding of the first Coast Guard reserve units. The first units were known as Organized Reserve Training Unit, Port Security (ORTUPS) and consisted of reserve officers and enlisted training in port security operations. Meetings were generally held once a week for 4 hours on a week night. Four hours paid the reservist the equivalent of one day's pay for active duty Coast Guardsmen. There were 35 ORTUPS Units and 8300 reservists serving by July 1951.
During the Vietnam War period and shortly thereafter, the Coast Guard considered abandoning the reserve program, but the force was instead reoriented into force augmentation. The Coast Guard Reserve reached its peak strength of 17,815 in 1969, during the Vietnam War.
Post-Vietnam War events.
Mobilizations.
In 1973 the reserve exercised its first involuntary recall in support of flood operations in the Midwest. The next involuntary recall was in support of the Mariel Boat Lift exodus from Cuba in 1980. Reserve units were increasingly used to augment regular Coast Guard operations during the 1980s but the mission of the Reserves was still training for mobilization. Port Security Units (PSU) were formed during this time period and are made up of a small active duty element that handles the daily unit administration duties and a hundred or more reservists to complete the unit roster. Most of the enlisted reservists in a PSU are in the maritime enforcement specialist (ME) rating; a new rating as of 1 January 2010 that includes both active and reserve personnel. The ME rating was the old port security specialist (PS) rating, a reserve only rating that was integrated into the ME rating. Other rates assigned to the PSU's include boatswains mate (BM), machinery technician (MK), gunners mate (GM), yeoman (YN), storekeeper (SK), and health services technician (HS).
In 1990, the first PSU was called up to active duty to support Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm. Various PSU's have taken turns rotating in and out of Southwest Asia since that time.
Team Coast Guard.
1994 saw the restructuring of the reserve program with the advent of the "Team Coast Guard" concept. This led to the disestablishment of most reserve units and the assignment of the reservists to active duty commands. As a result, reservists work very closely with their active duty counterparts, the Coast Guard Auxiliary, and Coast Guard civilians as they augment the resources of active duty commands. PSUs are the only remaining reserve units, as all other reservists are assigned to active duty commands.
While reservists provide high-value augmentation of active duty forces to assist in accomplishing everyday missions, each reservist must continually balance augmentation duties with readiness for mobilization. Since 11 September 2001, over 8,500 reservists have been activated.
Recent events.
In 1997, a memorandum of understanding was signed between the New York Naval Militia and the U.S. Coast Guard, permitting Coast Guard reservists to serve in the New York Naval Militia, while simultaneously continuing their service in the Coast Guard Reserve.
The Commandant staff has recently developed a plan for support that "optimizes the organization, administration, recruiting, instruction, training, and readiness of the Coast Guard Reserve" known as Reserve Force Readiness System (RFRS). This program will improve the administrative and training readiness of the reserve force. The plans for improvements in funding and full-time support billets for the reserve force are being evaluated during 2009 and full implementation will be phased in over the next four years.
Organization.
The Coast Guard reservist normally trains two days a month and may perform up to 12 days of Active Duty for Training (ADT) a year. The Coast Guard Reserve has 6,293 men and women in service, most of them integrated directly with regular Coast Guard units.