Air Force's Newest Security Forces Colonels!!!

Congratulations to the following individuals who have been selected for promotion to the rank of Colonel. Well done Defenders!!

 

 

 

 

 

BORDERS, MICHAEL J JR

NEIMAN, CHRISTOPHER M

REYES, FRANK N

SCHLUSSEL, DAMIAN

SPRINGER, ERIC J

WEYAND, DERRICK J

 

 

 

THE 2017 AF OUTSTANDING SECURITY FORCES (SF) INDIVIDUAL AWARD WINNERS

1.  I AM EXTREMELY PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE THE FOLLOWING INDIVIDUALS HAVE BEEN SELECTED AS THE 2017 SECURITY FORCES INDIVIDUAL AWARD WINNERS. THESE AWARDS RECOGNIZE THE EXTRAORDINARY CONTRIBUTIONS INDIVIDUALS HAVE MADE TO THE US AIR FORCE.

2.  AWARD WINNERS ARE LISTED IN THEIR RESPECTIVE CATEGORIES:

      A.  COLONEL BILLY JACK CARTER AWARD:   SMSGT JESSE T. FRANK, PACAF, 18 SFS, KADENA AB, JAPAN

      B.  A1C ELIZABETH JACOBSON AWARD FOR EXPEDITIONARY EXCELLENCE: SSGT CHARLES R. MARSH, AETC, 97 SFS, ALTUS AFB, OK

      C.  SSGT TODD 'TJ' LOBRAICO AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE: SMSGT DALE H. SNOWDON, NGB, 157 SFS, PEASE ANGB, NH

      D.  AIR RESERVE COMPONENT COMPANY GRADE OFFICER: CAPT MEGAN A. SYLVESTER, USAFE-UK, RAF MILDENHALL, UNITED KINGDOM

      E.  AIR RESERVE COMPONENT SENIOR NONCOMMISSIONED OFFICER: MSGT EDWIN I. VENTURA, PACAF, HQ PACAF, JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, HI

      F.  AIR RESERVE COMPONENT NONCOMMISSIONED OFFICER: TSGT CHARLES B. MCFALL, AFSOC, 1 SOSFS, HURLBURT FIELD, FL

      G.  AIR RESERVE COMPONENT AIRMAN: SRA JORDAN M. EDWARDS, AFRC, 434 SFS, GRISSOM ARB, IN

      H.  AIR RESERVE COMPONENT CIVILIAN: MR. CHRISTOPHER B. STOTLER, AFRC, 911 SFS, PITTSBURG ARS, PA

      I.  COMPANY GRADE OFFICER: 1LT NATHAN G. SPRADLEY, AETC, 902 SFS, JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO RANDOLPH, TX

      J.  FLIGHT LEVEL SENIOR NONCOMMISSIONED OFFICER: MSGT BRUCE J. RICK, PACAF, 35 SFS, MISAWA AB, JAPAN

      K.  FLIGHT LEVEL NONCOMMISSIONED OFFICER: TSGT ROBERT J. WILSON, ACC, 366 SFS, MOUNTAIN HOME, ID

      L.  FLIGHT LEVEL AIRMAN: SRA ZACHARY B. WESLEY, AFMC, 96 SFS, EGLIN AFB, FL

      M.  SUPPORT STAFF SENIOR NONCOMMISSIONED OFFICER: SMSGT JARED D. MORAN, USAFE, 48 SFS, RAK LAKENHEATH, UNITED KINGDOM

      N.  SUPPORT STAFF NONCOMMISSIONED OFFICER: TSGT RONALD J. WEAVER, AMC, 921 CRS, TRAVIS AFB, CA

      O.  SUPPORT STAFF AIRMAN: SRA MARISA M. MARTINEZ, AFGSC, 90 MSFS, FRANCIS E. WARREN, WY

      P.  SUPPORT STAFF CIVILIAN: MR. CHRISTOPHER J. MCCRADY, USAFA, 10 SFS, USAF ACADEMY, CO

      Q.  FLIGHT LEVEL CIVILIAN EMPLOYEE (SUPERVISOR): MR. MATTHEW GRANT Jr., PACAF, 36 SFS, ANDERSEN AFB, GUAM

      R.  FLIGHT LEVEL CIVILIAN EMPLOYEE (NON-SUPERVISOR): MS. CARROL B. FONTENOT, AETC, 81 SFS, KEESLER AFB, MS

      S.  HIGHER HEADQUARTERS COMPANY GRADE OFFICER: CAPT CALVIN E. GLASS Jr., HQ ACC, JOINT BASE LANGLEY-EUSTIS, VA

      T.  HIGHER HEADQUARTERS NONCOMMISSIONED OFFICER: MSGT KEVIN C. GRIMES, HQ USAFE, RAMSTEIN AB, GERMANY

      U.  HIGHER HEADQUARTERS CIVILIAN: MR. MARK E. DAVIS, AFMC, HQ AFIMSC, JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO LACKLAND, TX

3.  THESE AWARDS BRING MUCH DESERVED CREDIT TO THE INDIVIDUAL AWARD WINNERS, THEIR UNITS, INSTALLATIONS AND THE UNITED STATES AIR FORCE. SINCERE CONGRATULATIONS GO TO ALL THE NOMINEES AND THE WINNERS FOR THEIR SIGNIFICANT ACHIEVEMENTS.

4.  IAW AFI 36-2805, MILITARY RECIPIENTS OF THESE AWARDS ARE AUTHORIZED TO WEAR THE AIR FORCE RECOGNITION RIBBON AND CIVILIAN PERSONNEL ARE AUTHORIZED TO WEAR THE AIR FORCE RECOGNITION LAPEL PIN.

DEFENSOR FORTIS!

//SIGNED/jbc/20 Dec 17//
JOHN B. COOPER
Lieutenant General, USAF
DCS/Logistics, Engineering & Force Protection

Congratulations to the AF's Newest SF Squadron Commanders!!

The following SF officers were selected in late 2017 for their new commands in 2018:

05(s) Matthew T Ballanco – 99th Security Forces Squadron, Nellis AFB, NV

05 Patrick J Bass -- 87th Security Forces Squadron, JB McGuire AFB, NJ

05 Jonathan B Bell -- 11th Security Forces Squadron, JB Andrews, MD

04 Richard A Buckley – 65th Security Forces Squadron, Lajes AB, Azores          

05(s) Matthew G Butler – 51st Security Forces Squadron, Osan AB, ROK                       

04 Kenneth J Canty – 799th Security Forces Squadron, Creech AFB, NV

04 Shawn M Chamberlin – 377th Security Forces Squadron, Kirtland AFB, NM

04 Gregory A Degruchy – 412th Security Forces Squadron, Edwards AFB, CA

04 Paul D Dinkins – 435th Security Forces Squadron, Ramstein AB, Germany

05 Brandon B Edge – 375th Security Forces Squadron, Scott AFB, IL       

04 David J Embrey -- JTF-BRAVO, Soto Cano AB, PR          

05 Brian M Fitzpatrick -- 5th Security Forces Squadron, Minot AFB, ND    

04 Michael B Force – 380th Exp Security Forces Squadron, Al Dhafra AB, UAE 

04 Joshua Frizzell – 325th Security Forces Squadron, Tyndall AFB, FL

05 Michael Gallucci – 379th Exp Security Forces Squadron, Al Udeid AB, Qatar           

05(s) Jesse Alan Goens – 31st Security Forces Squadron, Aviano AB, Italy         

05(s) Lucas Hall – 96th Security Forces Squadron, Eglin AFB, FL

04 Scott A Haselden – 20th Security Forces Squadron, Shaw AFB, SC

04 George L Hern Jr – 455th Exp Security Forces Squadron, Bagram AB, Afghanistan

04 James P Hewett – 366th Security Forces Squadron, Mt Home AFB, ID

05 Eric M Horst – 8th Security Forces Squadron, Kunsan AB, ROK

05 James D Hughes -- 39th Security Forces Squadron, Incirlik, Turkey

04 Tyler J Hughes – 569th US Forces Police, Vogelweh, Germany

05(s) Mellissa Leuridan Hull -- 738th Exp Mission Support Squadron, Kandahar, Afghanistan

04 Lidia Iyassu – 2nd Security Forces Squadron, Barksdale AFB, LA

04 Matthew Kowalski -- 341st Training Squadron, JBSA Lackland AFB, TX

04 Daniel R Land -- 23rd Security Forces Squadron, Moody AFB, GA

05 Kevin B Lombardo – 341st Missile Security Forces, Malmstrom AFB, MT

04 David A Lycan – 890th Missile Security Forces, FE Warren AFB, WY

05 Leo A Martin Jr – 633rd Security Forces Squadron, JB Langley, VA

05 Tyrell O Mayfield – 72nd Security Forces Squadron, Tinker AFB,OK

05 Timothy K McCarty – 45th Security Forces Squadron, Patrick AFB, FL

04 Brandon S McKinnon – 791st Missile Security Forces, Minot AFB, ND

04 Daniel S Minnocci -- 721st Security Forces Squadron, Cheyenne Mountain, CO

05 Robert L Moore -- 6th Security Forces Squadron, MacDill AFB, FL

04 Adam Morgan -- 50th Security Forces Squadron, Schriever AFB, CO

04 James J James – 30th Security Forces Squadron, Vandenberg AFB, CA        

05 Barry C Nichols – 386th Exp Security Forces Squadron, Ali Al Salem AB, Kuwait     

04 Marcanthony C Ortiz – 355th Security Forces Squadron, Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ   

05 Nicholas J Petren – 790th Missile Security Forces, FE Warren AFB, WY

04(s) David S Ratte Jr – 620th Security Forces Squadron, Camp Guernsey, WY 

05(s) Christopher R Robinson – 647th Security Forces Squadron, JB Pearl Harbor Hickam, HI

04 Tito M Ruiz – 341st Security Support Squadron, Malmstrom AFB, MT

04 Nicole M Schatz – 28th Security Forces Squadron, Ellsworth AFB, SD

04 Joseph Schneider – 92nd Security Forces Squadron, Fairchild AFB, WA

05 Michael B Speck – 628th Security Forces Squadron, JB Charleston, SC

04 Jason E Stack – 332nd Integrated Base Defense Squadron, Jordan

04 David Issac Temple – 60th Security Forces Squadron, Travis AFB, CA

04 Christopher M Thompson – 841st Missile Security Forces, Malmstrom AFB, MT         

04 Jennifer M Titkemeier – 460th Security Forces Squadron, Buckley AFB, CO  

05(s) Dennis Trutwin – 902nd Security Forces Squadron, JBSA Randolph, TX  

04(s) Ronald E Tugby – 821st Security Forces Squadron, Thule AB, Greenland 

04 Michael L Warren – 341st Security Forces Squadron, Malmstrom AFB, MT

04 Joshua Webb – 90th Security Support Squadron, FE Warren AFB, WY

04 Michael E Wetlesen – 824th Base Defense Squadron, Moody AFB, GA

05(s) Aaron W Williams – 509th Security Forces Squadron, Whiteman AFB, MO

04 Kyle G Yates – 822nd Base Defense Squadron, Moody AFB, GA

05(s) Richard W Zeigler – 673rd Security Forces Squadron, JB Elmendorf, AK   

04 Jaroslaw Joseph Zrodlowski -- AFSPC (1S), FE Warren AFB, WY

Sig Sauer to Offer Commercial Version of Army's New Sidearm

Military.com, 9 December 2017, By Matthew Cox

The U.S. Army’s full-size XM17 MHS. Sig Sauer plans to sell a version of this pistol on the commercial market. (101st Airborne Division photo)

 

Sig Sauer, the maker of the U.S. Army's Modular Handgun System, intends to sell a special, commercial version of the full-size MHS 9mm pistol.

 

"We are planning to do a limited release of about 5,000 of the Army variant of the M17 for the commercial market," Tom Taylor, Sig Sauer's chief marketing officer and executive vice president for commercial sales, told Military.com. "The timing is not finalized yet, but it looks to be late spring."

 

The Army awarded Sig Sauer the MHS contract worth up to $580 million in January. The service launched its long-awaited MHS competition in late August 2015 to replace its Cold War-era M9 9mm pistol.

 

The selection of Sig Sauer formally ended Beretta's 30-year hold on the Army's sidearm market.

 

The 10-year agreement calls for Sig to supply the Army with full-size XM17 and compact XM18 versions of its 9mm pistol. The pistols will become the M17 and M18 after they are type-classified.

 

Each commercial MHS will be serialized and have serialized matching coin as well as a letter of authenticity from the CEO of Sig Sauer, Taylor said.

 

Sig Sauer would likely be able to sell more than 5,000 of these pistols, but Taylor said, "we just wanted to make it really special. ... And once they are out there, the owners will be privileged to own the actual gun."

 

The commercial version will be almost identical to the Army-issue, full-size MHS, except it will not have the anti-tamper mechanism for the striker action, nor will it have the special coatings on some of the internal parts that help it maintain lubricity under harsh conditions, Taylor said.

 

The Army MHS comes standard with a frame-mounted thumb safety. The commercial version will be available with or without the thumb safety, depending on customer preference, Taylor said.

 

Sig Sauer has not yet decided on a price tag for the endeavor.

 

"It's high in demand, but if we price it too high, they will say 'I really want it, but it is just too expensive.'"

 

In addition to Sig Sauer, Glock Inc. told a German publisher in August that it plans on selling its MHS variant on the commercial market as well.

 

Glock, FN America and Beretta USA, makers of the current M9 9mm pistol, all lost to Sig Sauer, but selling their versions of the MHS may allow them to recoup the money they invested in the high-profile endeavor.

 

Richard Flur, head of international sales for Glock GmbH, based in Deutsch-Wagram, Austria, told Stephan Dorler, managing director of European Security and Defence, a publication based in Bonn, Germany, about Glock's plans to sell its version of MHS on the commercial market.

 

A Glock official in the U.S. said, however, there is no timeline yet for such a plan.

 

-- Matthew Cox can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

 

Volunteers Share Holiday Spirit With Fallen Veterans Through Wreaths

news9.com,  Macomb, Oklahoma

 

WREATHS ACROSS AMERICA: Dozens of volunteers rolled through Oklahoma spreading the holiday spirit to those who served our country and lost their lives. Christmas wreaths were laid across America Saturday at the graves of veterans who are no longer with us.

“I know their spirits feel me,” said Ralph “Rowdy” Butler, who started Oklahoma’s Roll To Wreaths in 2014 after seeing the national effort to remember the fallen.

Christmas wreaths were laid across America Saturday at the graves of veterans who are no longer with us. Dozens of volunteers rolled through Oklahoma spreading the holiday spirit to those who served our country and lost their lives.

About 5,400 out of 1,570,000 wreaths made their way to the final resting places of local veterans this year.

“I know their spirits feel me,” said Ralph “Rowdy” Butler, who started Oklahoma’s Roll To Wreaths in 2014 after seeing the national effort to remember the fallen.

Fundraising has helped Butler grow the program annually, but there are still Oklahoman service members whose graves remain untouched. The volunteers do their best to send their thoughts to them.

Living veterans like Silver Star recipient William “Pete” Piazza often think of their fallen comrades.

“I miss them, truthfully,” he said.

Piazza lost four of his friends during the Vietnam War.

“We worked together as a group as a team, as any of the units did that were in Vietnam,” he said, “and the camaraderie, you will not find it nowhere else.”

Piazza said most civilians get so busy they forget to take a moment to reflect on the men and women who fight to protect our country.

Butler, who served in both the Army and the Air Force, admits those fighters do not sign up for the accolades, though.

“When that flag is flying I know I’ve got my freedom,” Butler said, “and the price that we pay is unconditional. We don’t want nothing in return. We never asked for anything in return.”

For Christmas, at least, the fallen can rest in peace in the spirit of the season.

“Their shadow, their silhouette, is looking back at me and saying thank you,” said Butler.

The wreaths will remain at the gravesites of veterans through the New Year. To learn more about the Roll to Wreaths project go to: http://www.wreathsacrossamerica.org/

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