It was hot – brutally so — and the Marshalling Area Control Officer (MACO) for the paradrop exercise was starting his pre-jump mantra. 

“I am Sergeant First Class Rodrick Jackson, and I will now provide your MACO brief….” 

The blistering 102° heat was oppressive and made it hard to focus on anything for very long.

“Drop altitude will be 1500 feet AGL….six  drops per pass…”

The combined weight of the combat gear with the main and reserve parachutes made it increasingly difficult to stand.

“Direction of flight is northwest … first jumper — we want you to make it to the ‘X’ on the drop zone…”

Drinking water helped, but it required extra effort to concentrate on everything being said. 

“Any questions?…Line up in chalk order!”

As the temperature rose to record highs at Fort A.P. Hill, Virginia, on 7 July, 34 Soldiers soared closer to a blazing sun on wings of silk to reach new heights of their own.  In an airborne exercise that played out like a textbook Total Force success story, the 55^th Signal Company (Combat Camera) from Fort Meade led a team of Reserve and National Guard units in the groundbreaking paradrop of personnel from a helicopter onto the sun-scorched Bowling Green Drop Zone.   The ambitious event had been weeks in the making, and was flawlessly executed in just a matter of hours by the air-ground cooperative.  With each pass over the drop zone, a short staccato of six streamers burst downward from the Black Hawk helicopter, softly blossoming into parachutes in the aircraft’s wake and gracefully alighting on the rolling greenway.

Captain Rock Stevens, the Executive Officer for the 55^th  Signal Company (Combat Camera), highlighted the significance of the training.  “Today’s exercise was a historic moment for the 55^th, since it was the first Combat Camera-led airborne operation.  This was a huge step forward – a proof of concept demonstrating that our unit can lead air operations involving rotary or fixed wing aircraft.  Now we can step it up with slingloads or follow-on missions.  In combat, we support all combat arms — providing commanders with a battlefield perspective of the front line.  While we’re sometimes considered an after-thought, now we’ve shown that we can be part of the main effort – defeating enemy propaganda and running air operations.”  

Lieutenant Colonel John Harris, commander, 114^th Signal Battalion, noted the almost symbiotic nature of the exercise’s planning and execution.  “There are actually a lot of small units in the area that have an airborne mission and need this training.  But since no one unit is large enough, it takes our informal ‘Mid-Atlantic Airborne Coalition’ to get organized and pull something like this off.  And by working together, we all maintain proficiency on our airborne mission essential tasks.” 

Lieutenant Colonel Harris underscored the value of proficiency training saying, “The 55^th Combat Camera has a real need to keep their skills current — we had 24 Soldiers jump today.  Our combat camera teams support the Rangers, the 82^nd Airborne Division, and special operations units; and as more of our missions involve integrating with these types of forces, training like today’s jump ensures that we can support them.  This exercise fostered team building; the same units we jumped with today — Operational Detachment Alpha Special Operations Forces, riggers, Civil Affairs, and aviation — are the types that we’ll work with in the future:  Definitely, this was the beginning of embedded training with units that we’ll support.” 

Specialist Christopher Baker, a combat photographer for the 55^th Signal Company (Combat Camera), also emphasized the credibility this training provides when embedded with other organizations.   “We deploy with multiple units, and sometimes they don’t think we do a lot because we a carry a camera.  But if you have jump wings or an Air Assault badge, they look at you like you have more to offer to the mission.  They put more stock in you. This builds up a rapport and camaraderie with the guys that you’re going out with.” 

And the 55th Signal Company is “going out” a lot!  Major Tyler Shelbert, the company commander, described the unit’s high operational tempo.  “About a third of the company is deployed at any time for Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom and various other contingency operations.  In fact, we just had 22 Soldiers return from Iraq, and another 20 are getting ready to go Afghanistan right now.  Increasingly more of our Soldiers are being embedded with front line units, which places a pretty heavy demand on the limited airborne authorized billets in the company.” 

One of the unit’s high-demand paratroopers, Specialist Derrick Tolliver, an all-wheel mechanic, described the experience of parachuting from a helicopter rather than a C-130 cargo plane.  “I last jumped about 3 weeks ago out of a C-130, and it’s totally different.  On a C-130, you sit on a bench seat inside a cramped, closed aircraft, push your way to the door to jump out, and then get snapped around by the shock of the opening parachute.  With a Black Hawk, you sit in the open doorway the whole time, with your legs just flying in the breeze and simply push yourself off the edge.  And you don’t have that initial shock; instead, it’s a very smooth opening.  I think it’s better because it’s simpler.” 

Specialist Baker echoed similar sentiments about the heliborne jump.  “This is my first time out of a Black Hawk.  It was eye-opening… it’s different.  In a C-130, you never see out the door until you jump out; you just follow everyone else in a line to exit the aircraft —there’s no thought process.  But in a Black Hawk, you sit there on the edge and watch the landscape and drop zone develop in front of you.  So this was my first time actually seeing what I was jumping into.  It makes you think more about the jump.” 

Providing that new perspective was a UH-60 Black Hawk aircrew from Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2^nd Battalion, 224^th Aviation Regiment, of the Virginia Army National Guard’s Army Aviation Support Facility at Sandston.  Major W. Keith Nunnally, the battalion operations officer and one of the mission’s pilots, remarked on how smoothly the exercise was executed. “It was a typical summer day with a low breeze — a little hot perhaps — and the drops happened effortlessly.  Training also went very well for the aircrew.   This was our first time training with these units, since we usually support jumps at Fort Bragg or the Rigger School at Fort Lee.   Since tactical jumps are normally conducted by the Air Force, you’ll find that this is not a typical task for most Army aviation units.  That said, paradrops are part of our Commander’s Task List for selected members of our unit to maintain proficiency, and this exercise provided a good training opportunity for us.”  

In addition, some Soldiers of the 55^th Signal Company who are going to Air Assault School soon received slingload instruction on the DZ to have a leg up before arriving at the course.  Sergeant Jason Bushong, multi-media team leader, 55^th Signal Company (Combat Camera), thought the hands-on preparation was useful.  “This was our second prep class today.  Last month we learned about aircraft capabilities, mission planning, and rigged a HMMWV slingload.   This time we practiced the hand-and-arm signals that guide a helicopter, set up a tactical landing zone incorporating glide-slope ratios, and rehearsed how the ground crew and aircrew work together to accomplish the slingload.  You can read the manual, but that can be pretty dry.  Getting hands-on training is beneficial since it fills in some of the gaps you hadn’t thought of.” 

Major Shelbert summed up the reason for the exercise’s success with one word, “Flexibility… We had a solid plan and were able to adjust to some minor, last-minute changes.  To coordinate the execution of 5 diverse organizations and pull all of this together is quite an experience.  It was good working with the other units and learning from each other about improving our airborne operations.”

Photo caption, upper left: SFC Roderick Jackson of the 55th Signal Company (Combat Camera), 114th Signal Battalion, performs a jump master personnel inspection on a soldier during an airborne operation at Fort A.P. Hill Va. on July 7, 2010. This was the 55th’s first time hosting their own Airborne Operation in the history of the unit. (U.S. Army photo by PFC Brian Kohl) 

Photo caption, middle right: Soldiers of the 55th Signal Company (Combat Combat) take off in a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter from HHC/2-224 Aviation for an airborne operation at Fort A.P. Hill Va. on July 7, 2010. (U.S. Army photo by CPL Benjamin Boren) 

Photo caption, middle left: Soldiers of the 55th Signal Company (Combat Camera) prepare to board a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter from HHC/2-224 Aviation for an airborne operation at Fort A.P. Hill Va. on July 7, 2010. (U.S. Army photo by CPL Benjamin Boren)

Photo caption, bottom right: Soldiers of the 55th Signal Company (Combat Combat) take off in a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter from HHC/2-224 Aviation for an airborne operation at Fort A.P. Hill Va. on July 7, 2010.  (U.S. Army photo by CPL Benjamin Boren)

So far, four medical readiness and training exercise teams have provided assistance, and a team from the 56^th Medical Group, Luke Air Force Base, Ariz., began work July 12 in the northern city of Ennery. Patients can come to the team for primary care needs and can also expect to receive public health information and prescription medication if needed, Air Force Col. Thomas Steinbrunner said.

“We’re excited with the opportunity to take care of our Haitian patients,” Col. Steinbrunner mentioned.

If you’re interested in reading more about what the task force is working on, information is available at “DoDLive Bloggers Roundtable: New Horizons-Haiti 2010.”

Photo credit: Louisiana Guardsman Col. Mike Borrell, commander of Task Force Kout Men, speaks to media in Haiti June 15. The 500-member task force will construct four new schools in the Gonaives area and conduct 10 medical readiness and training exercises, or MEDRETEs. By Lt. Col. Ellen Krenke

It goes without saying that the moving process is stressful for our Airmen and civilian employees no matter how many times they move. With each move, you learn something new and try to do things differently the next time around. There’s one more small but important task you need to include in your moving process—the Customer Satisfaction Survey.

USTRANSCOM’s Joint Program Management Office Household Goods System is working on making your move better, but they need your help. Take some time out of unpacking and exploring your new community to answer a very short survey about your moving experience. Within several days of your household goods being delivered, check your e-mail inbox for the Customer Satisfaction Survey (CSS) link. Be honest and thoughtful. Your feedback about moving services has an effect on future moves for yourself and your fellow Airmen. If you had a really bad experience, you don’t want anyone else to go through what you went through. If you had a fantastic experience, why not let JPMO know and spread the joy to others?

“We need every DoD servicemember and civilian to remember that the CSS is your opportunity to tell us about your move, and we’ve got to hear the ground truth, ” Col. Michael J. Miller, JPMO program director, said.

To check out the complete article on moving from JPMO, see today’s DOD Live blog post “Family Focus: Making Busy Summer Move Season more Efficient.” The article also includes links to helpful moving tips and resources.

A major component of developing the health care system is increased recruiting. Doctors, nurses, and allied health professionals are needed. “The single largest obstacle to the development of the Afghan National Security Forces health care sector is lack of physicians,” Col. Geller, command surgeon and commander of the Medical Training Advisory Group, said.

For more information, see the transcript and audio recording of this bloggers roundtable, visit “DoDLive Bloggers Roundtable: Development of ANSF Health Care Capability.”

One of the first steps in the change process was that leaders at AFOTEC needed to be on the right page in order to communicate the changes, and this involved providing them with the right tools and messages. This gave them the understanding and buy in they needed to discuss changes with their employees. Leaders and subordinates are held responsible for communicating and seeking understanding throughout the change process.

Maj. Gen. Sargeant emphasizes that in order for an organization to survive changes, leadership needs to involve employees. Communicating forthcoming changes is just the first step, but it doesn’t ensure that transitions will go smoothly. Taking the extra step of making sure that employees understand is crucial for sustainable change. Staff must not only know what changes are taking place but must also know why change is necessary and what their role is through it all.

To read more about how AFOTEC is communicating change, see Maj. Gen. Sargeant’s complete article in the Kirtland Air Force Base Nucleus here and here.

One of the great privileges of this job is visiting our men and women in uniform, including our Soldiers, who serve around the world.  From Fort Hood to Kandahar and posts and FOBs in between, I am proud of and grateful for the courage you and your families display and the sacrifices you make every day.  You embody  what “Army Strong” is all about.

In a year that has seen historic progress in Iraq, a renewed effort in Afghanistan and a superb response to the humanitarian crisis following Haiti’s earthquake, the Army’s fighting spirit, resilience, and adaptability proved critical.  You brought fear to the enemy, hope to the destitute and security to your fellow citizens.  You proved in word and in deed that sometimes we defend our national interests best when we help others defend theirs.

I am also ever mindful of the commitment we must make to the fallen, our wounded warriors, and their families.  Their sacrifices are as profound as they are enduring, and we will always honor those who have given so much to our Army, our country, and the world.

On behalf of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Happy 235th birthday to our Army and our Army Families.  Hooah!

- Adm. Mike Mullen

“I knew this would be a challenge and the opportunity to work with the Marine Corps for seven weeks sounded like an awesome chance to grow personally and professionally,” said Sergeant Wolfe, who enlisted in the Air Force in 1992 and has served all over the world, to include the Middle East, Germany, Italy, Alaska and Wyoming. “My wife did three years in the Marine Corps and my oldest son enlisted last summer just after I left for Iraq, and is currently in tech school, so we have some family connection to the Corps as well.”

You can read his previous experiences HERE and HERE.

Week 3

The Marine Corps Advanced Course marches on here at Camp Pendleton with the academic schedule accelerating over the last two weeks. As of today, we are finished with the officially graded assignments and everyone seems to have done well.

PT has been tough as usual. I mentioned in my last post we were scheduled for a run called baby tears, and it was difficult – as advertised. A 4-mile run to the top of a training range, followed by a run back down to the bottom. Climbing for two miles straight does a number on your legs, and coming down, while faster, is equally as hard on the knees and ankles. We followed that up the next day with a circuit course, and one of the stations was the o-course itself.

The academic week was focused on the Marine Corps version of our OJT program, with an in-depth analysis of how the Marines ensure combat readiness across the Corps. Some similarities exist, but the system is largely focused around the idea of a constant training environment, something we sometimes cannot enjoy with home station mission requirements.

One of the highlights of the week was a pt session called run-swim-run. Camp Pendleton is divided into many geographically independent camps. Since our camp does not have a pool, we ran to an adjacent camp, a two-mile journey through the woods and brush on a trail with a few ups and downs. At the end of the two miles, a quick shower was followed by a refreshing dip in the pool. While I am not the strongest runner, I luckily have no problem in the pool. A quick down and back, and we were out of the pool and back on the trail to our camp. In the end, a four-mile run, with a quick swim in the middle. It was a great PT session, and of course it was competitive as usual. The pool being the great equalizer, I was able to improve my finish by about 25 places.  

A few group mentoring sessions this week with the Sergeant Major (equivalent of our CMSgt), have left me with a better understanding of the Marine Corps rank structure and relationships between the senior enlisted ranks. A split occurs when Marines are promoted to the grade of E-8, with some Marines becoming MSgt’s and some pinning on the rank of First Sergeant. I was able to provide a brief synopsis of our rank structure, hopefully shedding some light on our promotion system.

We ran a second Marine Corps PT Test this morning. It was not for score, just a measuring stick for the schools PT program. I can attest it has worked, as my 3-mile run time improved nearly two minutes, and I was able to keep myself in a new group of runners on the way. Even though every Marine knew the score did not count, everyone I saw was giving 100%, another testament of the dedication of these great professionals.

More from Camp Pendleton on graduation week.

(Picture attached: Gunnery Sergeants Truite, Raterink, and Standifird, along with me getting ready for the PT test 2 June 2010. The shirt we are wearing is the school PT uniform.)

U.S. Air Force bugler Master Sgt. Ken Oedemann, left, plays taps while Air Force Honor Guard member, Staff Sgt. Matthew Massoth salutes at a Memorial Day wreath laying ceremony at the U.S. Air Force Memorial in Arlington, Va. Monday.

Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force, James A. Roy, center, salutes a wreath during the Memorial Day ceremony held at the U.S. Air Force Memorial in Arlington, Va. Monday. Chief Roy is flanked by Dan Derrow of the Air Force Sergeant’s Association and Jim Lauducci of the Air Force Association.

Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force, James A. Roy addresses a crowd during a Memorial Day wreath laying ceremony at the U.S. Air Force Memorial in Arlington, Va. Monday. Chief Roy is flanked by Dan Derrow of the Air Force Sergeant’s Association and Jim Lauducci of the Air Force Association.

For Cheryl, home is wherever the Air Force sends her and her family.

So far, the California-native has lived in Mississippi, Kansas, Texas, Florida and Arizona, all in support of her active-duty Air Force husband, who is currently deployed for eight months. As a stay-at-home mother of two children, she shares her experiences in her blog, Boots in the Doorway, writing candidly about the ups and downs of life during a deployment.

“The airport allows military families  to go to the gate so that they can spend a little more time together which we were very thankful for,” she wrote of sending her husband off on his deployment. “On our way 2 different people stopped Chris to thank him for his service. I always get choked up when that happens because it means so much to hear that from people. It reminds me how proud and special all our military are and that our journeys tend to be a little different then civilians in so many ways that can’t be explained.”

Since then, she’s shared everything from class field trips with her daughter to preparing care packages for her husband, all while reflecting on what it means to serve from the homefront when it literally feels like half her heart is in Iraq. 

“I never know what is going to spark that emotion in me that can break me down in a instant,” she wrote recently. “Sometimes its driving by his work or seeing his uniform hanging in the closet, finding his favorite hot sauce hidden in the fridge, his razors in the cabinet or that song you hear on the radio.”

Recently, Cheryl got a happy distraction via a spouse incentive flight at her base on a KC-135 Stratotanker, where the ladies got to watch an F-15 refuel in the air. She was able to take photos and a short video clip of the flight for her blog.

“We took turns taking tons of pictures and watching the action,” she wrote. “I HIGHLY suggest you take the opportunity if it comes available to go on a spouse flight. They were happy to do it since they want the spouses to be excited about the Air Force so we encourage our hubby’s to stay active.”

To read more about Cheryl’s experience as the Air Force wife of a deployed Airman, visit Boots in the Doorway.

Admiral Mike Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, delivered the remarks to the graduating class of the United States Air Force Academy on May 26, 2010. DoD Live has video and the links to the full ceremony here. Below is the text of his speech.

I had the honor today of addressing the graduating class of 2010 from the United States Air Force Academy. They and a select group of college graduates throughout the country are receiving a diploma this month and then raising their hand to defend our nation. As I fly back home to Washington now, it is to these young men and women entering our military that I wish to impart some of the same time-tested advice I gave our newest Air Force officers.

In a word, it’s about duty.

Your first duty is to learn your jobs, and learn them well. Know them cold. Know them better than your peers, better even than your superiors. Stay ahead of the technology and the trends, because you are going to be on the leading edge of that change.

You are going to be responsible for making sure those you command and those you serve are informed and able to make the best decisions they can, often with little or no notice. You can’t do that if you don’t know what you’re talking about. Become an expert. That is the most meaningful way a junior officer can contribute to the mission.

Your second duty is to lead. And there’s a lot that goes into that, I know. Let me just tell you a little of what it means to me. It means loyalty. And loyalty must be demonstrated to seniors, peers, and subordinates alike. It must never be blind. Few things are more important to an organization than people who have the moral courage to question the direction in which the organization is headed and then the strength of character to support whatever final decisions are made.

Leadership also requires integrity. You may, at times, prove better than your word, but you will rarely prove better than your actions. The high standards by which you measure your own personal behavior and that of others, say more about you and your potential than any statements you make or guidance you give. You should strive to conduct yourself always in such a manner that it can never be said that you demanded less of yourself or of the men and women in your charge than that which is expected of you by your families or your countrymen.

A leader today must likewise think creatively. She should be able to place herself outside the problems immediately before her and look at them from a fresh perspective. While great decisions can be made in the heat of battle, great ideas are usually born in the ease of quiet. You must find the quiet to let your imaginations soar.

And that brings me to your final duty — to listen. You must listen to yourselves, to your instincts. You must also prove capable of listening to others, of trying to see problems through the perspectives of our allies, our partners, and our friends all over the world. No one military, no one nation, can do it alone anymore. It’s why I sat cross-legged in a shura with tribal elders in Afghanistan. It’s why our troops in that war-torn country are working so hard to speak the language and understand the culture.

Finally, remember that graduation and commissioning represent only the end of the beginning of your education. The world is now your classroom. Soldiers, Airmen, Sailors, and Marines are now your teachers. They and their families are the best they’ve ever been: talented, eager, and proud of what they are doing.

Take full advantage of their knowledge to improve yours. Show them your loyalty, and they will show you theirs. Demonstrate integrity in everything you do, and they will respect you. You represent the values they have — throughout our history — struggled to defend. Only by earning the support of those you lead can you ever truly hope to become a leader yourself.

Only by doing your duty — straight and true — can you hope to prove worthy of the trust this nation places in you today.

Best of luck to you all, God bless and congratulations.

– Adm. Mike Mullen