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14 reasons Chuck Yeager may be the greatest military pilot of all time

Posted On April 02, 2018 09:40:13

Air Force legend Charles Elwood “Chuck” Yeager turned 93 this year, but don’t let that milestone fool you into believing that he’s too old to be tech-savvy. A couple of years ago he started to tweet about his exploits during his long flying career, which spanned more than sixty years. Here’s an example:

My friend, James “Jimmy” Doolittle, was born on December 14, 1896 in Alameda, California. He promoted me to 2nd lt. then Captain during WWII

— Chuck Yeager (@GenChuckYeager) December 15, 2015

Reading General Yeager’s tweets is like looking back at his life, and what an amazing life it’s been. Here are a few reasons why the private who rose to become a general just might be the greatest military pilot ever.

1. He enlisted to be a mechanic. Within two years, he was a pilot.

14 reasons Chuck Yeager may be the greatest military pilot of all time

In September 1941, 18-year-old Yeager enlisted in the Army Air Corps as an an aircraft mechanic. His eyesight and natural flying ability earned him a Flight Officer (Warrant Officer equivalent) slot at Luke Field, Arizona. By November 1943, he was in England flying P-51 Mustangs against the Nazi Luftwaffe.

Mar 4, 1944. 72 years ago today, WWII, I shot down my 1st enemy a/c. (Also my 2nd but did not get credit). — Chuck Yeager (@GenChuckYeager) March 4, 2016

2. After being shot down, he aided the French Resistance.

Yeager was shot down over France in March 1944 on his eighth air mission. He taught the Maquis (as the French Resistance was called) to make homemade bombs, a skill he learned from his dad. Yeager escaped to Spain through the Pyrenees with their help. He also helped another airman, who lost a leg, escape with him.

Visited w/ some WWII Maquis who saved my life. They reminded me I helped them blow up bridges by fixing the fuses… http://t.co/Ti3oXbnJUW

— Chuck Yeager (@GenChuckYeager) September 30, 2013

3. He fought to go back into air combat and won.

During WWII, pilots who were helped by resistance groups during evasion couldn’t return to air combat in the same theater. The reason was that if they pilot were downed and captured, he could reveal information about the resistance. Since the Allies were already in France and the Maquis were openly fighting against the Nazis, Yeager argued there was little the he could reveal that the Nazis would learn. Eisenhower agreed and returned him to flying status.

Jan 16, 1944 – Gen Eisenhower took command of Allied invasion force in UK.He’s the 1 let me back on combat after being shot down o’er France — Chuck Yeager (@GenChuckYeager) January 17, 2016

4. Yeager downed five enemies in a single mission. Two of those without firing a shot.

On October 12, 1944, he flew into firing position against a Messerschmitt BF-109 when the enemy pilot panicked, broke to starboard and collided with his wingman. Both pilots bailed out.

5. He scored one of the first kills against jet aircraft.

The German ME-262 was the second jet-powered fighter aircraft. It didn’t appear in the war until mid-1944, too late to make a difference in air superiority. It was still able to take down more than 500 allied fighters, however. Not before Yeager took down two ME-262s. He finished WWII with at least 11 kills and the rank of captain.

Nov 6, 1944: I saw the Me 262 on final for landing. Very unsportsmanlike but what the hell? My only choice was to… http://t.co/NQ1ZWZMnrC — Chuck Yeager (@GenChuckYeager) November 22, 2013

6. He became a test pilot after the war.

When the Air Force became a separate service in 1947, Yeager stayed in and became a test pilot at what would become Edwards Air Force Base. He was one of the first U.S. pilots to fly a captured MiG-15 after its North Korean pilot defected to the South.

Sept 1953: Gen Boyd calls me in: Pack your bags. Me: Why, Sir? Gen Boyd: A North Korean defector just brought in… http://t.co/qyYqZFXFum — Chuck Yeager (@GenChuckYeager) October 13, 2013

7. Yeager broke the sound barrier with two broken ribs

This is one of Yeager’s highest achievements. After civilian pilot “Slick” Goodin demanded $150,000 to do it, Yeager broke the sound barrier in an X-1 rocket-powered plane. The night before this flight, he fell off a horse and broke two ribs. Worried the injury would get him booted from the mission, he had a civilian doctor tape him up. The injury hurt so much he couldn’t close the X-1’s hatch. His fellow pilot Jack Ridley made a device with a broom handle that allowed Yeager to operate it. His plane was named Glamorous Glennis, after his wife.

Oct 14, 1947: 10:24am California time: Gen Yeager became the first person to fly supersonic. His 1st words were:… http://t.co/KLGjykTMww — Chuck Yeager (@GenChuckYeager) October 14, 2013

8. He rained on the Navy’s parade.

After Scott Crossfield flew at twice the speed of sound in a U.S. Navy program, he was to be dubbed “the fastest man alive” during a celebration for the 50th anniversary of flight. Yeager and Ridley launcher what they called “Operation NACA Weep,” a personal effort to beat Crossfield’s speed. They did it in time to spoil the celebration.

9. He was cool under pressure.

On December 12, 1953, Yeager reach Mach 2.44 in a Bell X-1A. He lost control of the aircraft at 80,000 feet, unable to control the aircraft’s pitch, yawn, or roll. He dropped 51,000 feet in 51 seconds before regaining control and landing the plane without any further incident.

Q: General, what is the enemy plane you feared the most? A: None. — Chuck Yeager (@GenChuckYeager) September 7, 2013

10. He trained astronauts and test pilots.

Yeager was the first commandant of the USAF Aerospace Research Pilot School, producing astronauts and test pilots for the Air Force. Since Yeager only had a high school education, he could not be an astronaut, but he still trained to operate NASA vehicles and equipment.

11. He was the first pilot to eject in full compression gear and the story is epic.

He was flying a Lockheed NF-104 Starfighter, which is basically an F-104 attached to a rocket that would lift the plane to 140,000 feet. The pilots wore pressure suits like astronauts, training in weightlessness to work the thrusters used in space vehicles at the time. One morning, Yeager topped 104,000 feet but the air was still too thick to work the thrusters while Yeager’s 104 was still pitched up. He fell into a flat spin and started dropping back to Earth. He fell at 9,000 feet per minute in a spin. He deployed the craft’s chute to pitch the plane back down. Once he jettisoned the chute, the plane pitched back up. Since he couldn’t restart the engines and had no power, he ejected from the plane at 8,000 feet. His suit was covered in propellant and caught fire. The fire spread to the oxygen in his suit and turned the inside of his helmet into an inferno. His finger was broken, he was covered in burns, and he almost lost his left eye… but he still walked away from the crash.

Chuck Yeager-ism: Find what you like to do, earn a living at it, and then make your lifestyle fit your income. — Chuck Yeager (@GenChuckYeager) November 3, 2013

12. He flew combat missions in the Vietnam War.

In 1966, Yeager was a full-bird colonel in command of the 405th Fighter Wing in the Philippines. He flew 414 hours of combat time over Vietnam in 127 missions while training bomber pilots. He was promoted to Brigadier General in 1969.

Q: General, which Wing in Vietnam, Sir? A: 405th. I had B-57s, F-100s, F-102s, F-4s. I liked the B-57s the best. — Chuck Yeager (@GenChuckYeager) September 8, 2013

13. After retiring, he continued to fly as a consultant for the Air Force.

Yeager retired from the Air Force in 1975, and continued to work for the Air Force until 1995. President Reagan appointed him to the Rogers Commission, the body that investigated the 1986 Challenger Shuttle disaster. He continued to break light aircraft speed and endurance records. Two years after his retiring from flight, he celebrated the 50th anniversary of breaking the sound barrier by doing it again in an F-15D named Glamorous Glennis III.

Q: Isn’t flying expensive to learn for a profession. A: Uncle Sam will pay to teach you, if you’re willing to bleed a little. 🙂

— Chuck Yeager (@GenChuckYeager) November 4, 2013

BONUS: He made a cameo appearance in “The Right Stuff.”

Look for “Fred,” a bartender at Pancho’s Place, in the 1983 film “The Right Stuff.”

ANSWER re RIGHT STUFF: Besides playing Fred in The Right Stuff, I flew many of the planes for the movie. I also… http://t.co/3uQQadAs4E — Chuck Yeager (@GenChuckYeager) September 8, 2013

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The Ministry of Magic has its own feared version of the FBI

Ruddy Cano

Posted On July 29, 2021 23:40:07

Snow Owl/Canva.

In J.K. Rowling’s Wizarding World, the Ministry of Magic is the organization of the enchanted world in Britain and is controlled by a Minister for Magic that thoroughly works like the FBI. “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone” (yes Philosopher’s – they changed it to “Sorcerer’s” for American kids who wouldn’t want to read a book with Philosopher in the title. Yes, really.) is the very first book to acknowledge the magical administration in Britain, whereas “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix” is the very first book to actively include the Ministry. Most often, it is portrayed as blatantly corrupt during Harry’s youth. It’s close to the edge executives are ignorant to alarming occurrences. They are unwilling to take measures towards wizard society’s enemies – Voldemort and the Deatheaters. The Auror, also known as Dark Wizard catchers, is the ministry’s elite crime-fighting force.

OpSec

Dolores Umbridge was shipped off Hogwarts to watch the school’s exercises and restrict the gossip of Voldemort’s return from getting out. OpSec is nothing new on the Federal level. After reaching its peak of depravity, Lord Voldemort firmly takes control. While Voldemort clung desperately to life, his followers infiltrated the highest levels of government. The Ministry of Magic is taken over by Kingsley Shacklebolt after the last book, after Voldemort’s demise. Hermione Granger is the Minister for Magic in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.

Training

To find and capture dark wizards, the Ministry uses Aurors. As an individual from the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, an Auror is entrusted with catching evil wizards. Because they are workers of the Ministry of Magic, it is their responsibility to track out and apprehend witches and wizards who practice Dark Arts. It is reported by Minerva McGonagall that the Auror Office accepts newly recruited members who have a minimum of five New Eyes for the Young Talents or N.E.W.T.s, the Wizarding World’s S.A.T.s.

It is recommended that those who wish to be considered for entrance to the training program study Tonics, Defense Even against Dark Arts, Metamorphosis, Enchantment and Herbology N.E.W.Ts. A set of character and competence tests” are also required of a potential investor. Deception and Camouflage and Secrecy and Surveillance are among the project’s areas of study, according to Nymphadora Tonks, who says the training is difficult to pass with high good grades.

The Auror training program begins with a battery of cognitive exams. They must demonstrate their magic fighting and prosecutorial skills.

In their three-year training program, Aurors would be assessed on their ability to perform successfully despite strain. This includes the ability to generate a Patronus or to use an Animagi talent. Most don’t. Nevertheless, the Ministry receives a large number of individuals. As McGonagall points out in the Goblet of Fire, almost three years had passed since anybody had been accepted to the program at the time of Harry’s interest in becoming one.

The First and Second Voldemort Wars

To kill, compel and torture suspected Death Eaters was legal under the Intolerable Curse words throughout the First War versus Voldemort. Several of Harry Potter’s Dark offenders initially fight the Aurors dispatched to capture them prior to eventually surrendering. Kingsley Shacklebolt, an Auror who works discreetly for the Muggle Prime Minister in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, also protects Harry Potter, Hogwarts and the Muggle Prime Minister.

The fact that Crouch gave Aurors the authority to impose broad powers was yet another foolish decision. To resist their adversary, Aurors might employ whatsoever power they deemed appropriate. This featured the use of Inexcusable Scourges, a technique that was not usual. Essentially, a license to kill. It was also extended to Aurors the right to kill first and ask questions afterward, as well. As Crouch’s motto went, “Kill rather than capture.”

To a Minister of Magic with his back against the wall, the end justifies the means. However, a new generation of wizards has replaced the old guard in the latest books and plays inspired by J.K. Rowling’s work. As mentioned earlier in the article, the three main characters become leaders in the Ministry of Magic. So, it is safe to say they will hopefully learn from the mistakes of the past. Aurors, and the real-world FBI agents they’re based on, are the last line of defense in the never-ending battle against the Dark Arts.

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5 competitions you can do while on active duty

Ruddy Cano

Posted On June 18, 2021 09:02:21

When picturing a member of the armed forces, a fit person often comes to mind, and with good reason. Fitness is an essential part of being in the military. An unfit person is unable to carry the necessary gear in dangerous situations. Lacking physical fitness is a liability, both for the service member and their battle buddy. Therefore, active-duty members go through fitness tests on a regular basis.

The relationship between sports and the armed forces goes beyond the ability to carry a heavy backpack. After all, they both require discipline, commitment, and the ability to constantly push one’s limits. This is why the armed forces encourage active-duty members who wish reach the highest level of competition. Service members have programs, special authorizations, and may even delay active duty service. A Military world-class athlete has the chance to honor and represent our country in sports events all around the globe. Here are five ways they can do so.

The Olympic Games

Members of the military have taken part in the Olympic Games for years. In fact, for a long time, officers completely dominated shooting and horse riding events. Nowadays, active-duty members can compete in the Olympic trials. Officers and enlisted may join the U.S. team in both the Summer and the Winter Olympic Games. They can participate in events such as boxing, wrestling, gymnastics, swimming, climbing, shooting, modern pentathlon, table tennis, triathlon, judo, fencing, kayaking, softball and more. Thanks to the emphasis on physical fitness and the pride of representing Ol’ Glory, service members have succeeded in the past.

The Paralympic Games

If an amputee soldier wishes to remain on active duty, he or she must demonstrate a higher level of function with a prosthesis and have the recommendation of two medical officers. The soldiers are evaluated for prosthetic ambulation that exceeds basic ambulation skills, exhibiting high impact, typical of the prosthetic demands of the active adult or athlete, which is consistent with a K4 Medicare Functional Classification Level.
Gailey RS, Roach KE, Applegate EB, et al. The amputee mobility predictor: an instrument to assess determinants of the lower-limb amputee’s ability to ambulate. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2002;83:613– 627

Although military personnel with a disability are eligible to qualify for the Paralympic Games, they are usually are no longer active duty military. Only very rarely can a service member remain on active duty while wounded. A number of veterans wounded in action make it to the Paralympic Games. Discipline, mental strength, and determination are necessary to perform in sports and to overcome those life-altering injuries. That is why former military personnel are an important part of the teams who participate in the Paralympic Games. They have a good fitness base, and the right mental framework to overcome any obstacle in front of them and to transcend whatever impairment they face, translating into amazing skills.

Marathons

The Marathon is the longest foot race in the Olympics. They are harrowing but rewarding challenges. In recent years, their popularity has increased, along with the rise of the fitness trend that started in the 80s. To run a marathon requires stamina, determination, and the will to keep going until reaching the finish line, even when every muscle burns and the lungs cry for help. This makes military personnel very suited for the task. Numerous active-duty members have taken part in popular editions around the world, such as the New York, Boston, London, or Paris marathons. Some hard-chargers love nothing more than a challenge; a few of them have run the race in full gear to establish dominance.

Major Leagues (NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL…)

A number of graduates from military academies, such as West Point, the Naval Academy, and the Air Force Academy, have been offered a shot at the pros upon graduation. However, a minimum of two-years of active duty service is required post-graduation. Naturally, most athletes lose that opportunity. In 2017, that rule was challenged. Graduates from the military academies are now allowed to go straight to the major leagues, replacing the two years of active duty by eight to ten years in the reserves. This change will probably allow the academies, who have been producing many brilliant military and business careers, to also produce world-class athletes while upholding the values of the US military.

National and International Championships

The excellent athletes on active duty are present at the national and international competition levels. Thanks to special authorizations, they are allowed to train to reach their peak and travel around the country and the globe to represent the Star-Spangled Banner. Whether national championship, Pan-American championship, qualifying rounds, invitationals, or world championship, they are present across many competitions to represent both their country and the military they serve. Thanks to the values of discipline and hard work promoted by Uncle Sam, these athletes often achieve very good results.

Feature image: U.S. Army photo

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This is how US subs make oxygen from seawater

Tim Kirkpatrick

Posted On November 01, 2018 21:07:27

Nuclear-powered submarines are considered one of the most lethal weapons in the American arsenal and have been protecting it citizens for decades from deep down in the dark oceans. You can’t see them, but they are out there defending the United States and hunting the enemy.

In modern times, many subs have the ability to dive over 170 meters, stay below the water line for up to six months without resurfacing, and can operate for 20-years before having to refuel.

The Ohio Class is the largest submarine in the US fleet and must deliver enough oxygen to the men aboard the well-designed vessel for months while remaining cloaked for days or weeks in the ocean’s depths.

Related: This is how German submarines changed the world during World War I

On average, each crew member needs 12 cubic meters of oxygen every single day to function — or more, depending on their level physical activity.

Typical vessels would have to come up for air every seven days, but with the innovative scientific method of extracting oxygen from the seawater that surrounds them, today’s subs can stay under much longer.

Modern submarines now use a process known as electrolysis to separate water molecules into oxygen and hydrogen, thus creating the components for breathable air.

Also Read: This is actual footage of the Japanese surrender aboard the USS Missouri

Once the process occurs, the oxygen is collected and continuously pumped throughout the sub’s ventilation system and into the various inhabited chambers.

Check out the National Geographic video below to witness the magic of how the art of science helps submariners breath precious oxygen extracted from seawater.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zaS_0-F4Y9M

(T, YouTube)

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John Glenn’s incredible response to a political opponent said he ‘never held a job’

Business Insider

Posted On February 05, 2020 19:03:40

John Glenn, the first American to orbit the Earth, a former US senator, and former Marine aviator who saw combat in World War II and Korea, has died at 95.

Glenn is known for a number of accolades throughout his life of service, from the military to the astronaut program and eventually, into politics. So it’s worth looking back on his entry into politics, when he first ran for office against an incumbent named Howard Metzenbaum.

Also read: This is the little-known combat career of John Glenn

In 1974, Glenn’s military record offered an opening for criticism by his opponent, who was mindful of Americans’ anti-war fervor during the Vietnam War. Metzenbaum began calling him “Col. Glenn” to highlight his time in the Marine Corps, and later told him that he “had never met a payroll,” which Glenn perceived as being told that his military record and service with NASA didn’t qualify as “having held a job.”

His response during the debate was remarkable, and at the end of it, he received more than 20 seconds of sustained applause, according to PBS. Here’s what he said:

“I spent 23 years in the United States Marine Corps. I lived through two wars. I flew 149 missions. I was in the space program. It wasn’t my checkbook, it was my life that was on the line.
You go with me as I did out to a veterans’ hospital and look those men with their mangled bodies in the eye and tell them that they didn’t hold a job. You go with me to any Gold Star mother and you look her in the eye and you tell her that her son did not hold a job. You go to Arlington National Cemetery — where I have more friends than I’d like to remember — and you think about this nation, and you tell me that those people didn’t have a job.
I tell you, Howard Metzenbaum, you should be on your knees every day of your life thanking God that there were some men, some men, who held a job. And they required a dedication to purpose, a love of country, and a dedication to duty that was more important than life itself.
And their self-sacrifice is what has made this nation possible.
I have held a job, Howard.”

Glenn went on to defeat Metzenbaum in the primary and win the general election. He served in the Senate from 1974 to 1999. His speech was also used to motivate a group of US Marines before they went into combat in Marjah, Afghanistan in 2010.

Watch the video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNyqiHuutkM

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The Air Force is running out of pilots

Harold C. Hutchison

Posted On September 11, 2018 23:12:36

While the Air Force has gotten the F-35A to its initial operating capability, the service is having a ton of other problems — problems that could place the ability of the United States to control the air in doubt.

According to a report by FoxNews.com, the service is short by about 700 pilots and 4,000 mechanics. This is not a small issue. A shortage of well-trained pilots can be costly.

F-16s fly beside a KC-135 during a refueling mission over Ramstein Air Base, Germany. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Preston Cherry)

In World War II, the United States had a strict policy of rotating experienced pilots back to the states. This is why John Thach, the inventor of the Thach Weave, had only seven kills in World War II, according to Air University’s ace pilots list.

He was sent back to train the pilots needed to fly the hundreds of F6F Hellcats and F4U Corsairs. By contrast, Japan kept pilots on the front line until they were shot down or badly wounded. It cost them experience.

Maintenance personnel also matter. A fighter on the flight line does no good if it can’t fly, and the mechanics are the folks who keep it functional. The thing is, no mechanic — no matter how good he or she is — can fix two planes at once.

So why is the United States Air Force facing this much of a shortage? An Air Force release notes that the decline took place over the last ten years, but was exacerbated by the sequestration cuts of 2011.

“The risk of manpower shortage is masked and placed on the backs of Airmen,” Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David L. Goldfein said in that release. “Because if you go back and look at the data and the way we measure readiness, did we taxi? Yes. Did we launch? Yes. Did we make the deployed destination and accomplish the mission? Yes.”

But accomplishing the mission came at a price, Goldfein explained. “What’s masked is the fact that the shortage of people has fundamentally changed the way we do business in terms of the operational risk day to day.”

When asked for a comment by the writer, Elaine Donnelly of the Center for Military Readiness said,

“I’m not aware of an official survey to confirm what may be going on, but it appears that the mystique of being an [Air Force] pilot has been eroded by a combination of budget cuts and social agendas; e.g., Air Force Secretary Deborah James’ Diversity Initiative Fact Sheet. Mandates such as this clearly indicate that qualifications and high standards are not very important, and certain types of applicants need not apply.”

Donnelly also pointed to aircraft readiness issues in the Navy and Marine Corps, as well as the many aging airframes in the U.S. inventory.

Also of note – FoxNews.com noted that in 1991, the Air Force had 134 fighter squadrons. Today, there are only 55, marking a reduction of 59% in the number of fighter squadrons.

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Military Families Advisory Network introduces 2021-2023 Advisory Board

Team Mighty

Posted On July 22, 2021 13:18:05

Military and veteran spouses selected from nationwide search to represent their communities and provide a deeper understanding of what today’s military families need and value

One of MFAN’s greatest assets, the advisory board is a talented group of military and veteran spouses who are leaders, changemakers, and champions for military families in their community and around the world. Organized as a peer-influencer model, advisors utilize their unique perspectives and diverse networks to provide an authentic pulse on the most pressing issues facing the military community today. The work of the advisory board not only informs MFAN’s research, programming, and strategic priorities, but connects leaders in the public and private sectors – including the White House, U.S. Congress, U.S. Department of Defense, corporate partners, and military and veteran service organizations – with the lived experiences of military families.

The 14 advisors were selected from over 260 total applicants, a program record. MFAN’s fifth cohort represents 10 states and includes spouses of active duty service members and veterans from all six branches of service and the National Guard.

“Our advisory board is the foundation for all we do – informing us on emerging trends that are starting to take root in military households and allowing MFAN to stay one step ahead on key issues like military housing and food insecurity,” said Shannon Razsadin, MFAN president and executive director. “We’re thrilled to welcome our new advisors. I look forward to learning from them and working together to serve our incredible community.”

Advisors apply for and are selected to serve two-year terms. Candidates are selected by the MFAN Board of Directors.

Through a rigorous application and interview process, the new advisors have offered insights into critical areas affecting the military community like food insecurity, access to affordable housing, financial readiness, education, health care, employment and entrepreneurship, military and veteran caregiving, the transition to civilian life, LGBTQIA+ rights, and more.

“Choosing from our largest applicant pool yet, we’re incredibly grateful for everyone’s interest and commitment to serving the military community with us,” said Rosemary Williams, chair of the MFAN board of directors. “In selecting our new advisors, we focused on building a diverse and unique team with the ability to represent the entire military community. We’re thrilled to work with this impressive group and support our most deserving families.”

2021-2023 advisory board members include:

Joanne Coddington (Army Veteran, Army Spouse – North Carolina)
Heidi Dindial (Navy Veteran, Navy Spouse – Virginia)
Jennifer Gibbs (Coast Guard Spouse – Minnesota)
Jennifer Goodale (Marine Corps Veteran, Marine Corps Spouse – Virginia)
Joanna Guldin-Noll (Navy Spouse – Pennsylvania)*
Lauren Hope (Army Spouse – Colorado)
Kyra Mailki (Air Force Spouse – Colorado)
Cindy Meili (Air National Guard Spouse – New York)
Mary Monrose (Navy Spouse – Hawaii)
Rachel Moyers (Air Force Spouse – Missouri)
Hana Romer (Marine Corps Veteran, Marine Corps Spouse – California)*
Alexandra Simon (Navy Spouse – Louisiana)
Margaret Van Lieshout (Army Spouse – Louisiana)
Mychael Willon (Army Spouse – Virginia)

*Served on 2019-2021 Advisory Board

If you are interested in scheduling an interview with a 2021-2023 advisory board member or with an MFAN spokesperson, please contact media@militaryfamilyadvisorynetwork.org.

Feature image: U.S. Army

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US Navy Blue Angels will fly over Disney World

Orlando Sentinel

Posted On January 28, 2019 18:39:13

You don’t see too many planes flying over Walt Disney World, but that will change on April 6 when the U.S. Navy Blue Angels make two flybys over the Magic Kingdom.

This isn’t the first time the performance squadron has graced the skies above Mickey’s place. The Blues did a flyby back in 2015, when six F/A-18 Hornets flew right over Main Street and performed a Delta Break in which they split into six different directions. The two planned flybys on April 6 will happen between 9:30 a.m.-10 a.m., according to the Disney Parks blog.

The Blue Angels are set to perform at the Sun ‘n Fun Fly-In in Lakeland, Florida. They practice at Lakeland Linder Regional Airport on April 6 and April 7 and have performances on April 8 and April 9.

While they are based in Pensacola, the Blue Angels are making their first Florida appearance of the year. Their Air Force counterparts, the Thunderbirds, have already made two of their three planned air show appearances for 2017 ,having just performed at the Melbourne Air Space Show the weekend of April 1.

A highlight of that was the transportation of 87-year-old Buzz Aldrin, who can now say he’s walked on the moon and flown in a Thunderbird. They earlier performed at the TICO Warbird Airshow in Titusville, Florida, and had their own flyby of an American icon, when they took to the skies over Daytona International Speedway ahead of the Daytona 500.

The Thunderbirds finish their Florida schedule for 2017 with a stop up in the Panhandle for the Gulf Coast Salute at Tyndall Air Force Base on April 22-23.

The Blue Angels will make three more stops in the state stretching into November: the mid-summer Pensacola Beach Air Show on July 8, a two-day performance at Naval Air Station Jacksonville on Nov. 4-5 and the Homecoming Air Show at Naval Air Station Pensacola on Nov. 11-12. Air shows held at military bases are free.

The Sun ‘n Fun will also feature the French Air Force’s Patrouille de France Jet Demonstration Team, which this year is making its first U.S. appearances in 30 years.

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Are there any military spouse retirement benefits?

Military.com

Posted On September 11, 2018 23:19:16

Military retirement often marks the end of a long road.

As a military spouse, you’ve put in months of waiting on your service member to come home from long trainings or deployment, all while holding down your home and taking care of your family. You’ve battled career challenges for yourself, planning disasters, cross-country moves and everything Murphy’s Law could throw at you.

But other than the long-sought break from the challenges of military life, what’s in military retirement for you? Although your service member is who put on the uniform every day, military retirement isn’t without perks for military spouses or ways that you can still benefit from the community.

And while all of the benefits available to you are by virtue of your spouse’s service, it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take full advantage of them.

Military spouse retirement benefits

Health and dental care. After military retirement, you are eligible to continue using Tricare, the military’s health care system. If you are near a base, you may even still be able to be seen in the military treatment facility or hospital if that is your wish. You can also sign-up for a dental plan for military retirees.

Commissary and shopping privileges. Now that you’re not a part of the active-duty military anymore, you might find that your living expenses go up. But as the spouse of a military retiree, you still have access to the military commissary and exchange systems. Although just how much you save at those stores over civilian markets is an often-debated topic, everyone agrees there is some benefit to shopping at them.

Military lodging and recreation. As a military retiree, you still have access to the military lodging and recreation systems. Although there are some rules restricting who can stay in military lodges overseas, most allow military retirees. Maybe now is the time to take that girls’ or guys’ vacation you’ve been dreaming about for the last 10 years.

GI Bill and education benefits. If your service member transferred the Post-9/11 GI Bill to you while he or she was still on active duty, you can use it to go back to school. Through it, you will receive a monthly housing allowance, an annual books stipend and, depending on where you are going to school, all of your tuition costs and fees covered. The GI Bill must be transferred while the service member is on active duty for this to be available.

If you don’t have the GI Bill and your service member has died, you might be eligible for Survivor and Dependents Educational Assistance.

Survivor Benefit Plan. If your service member chooses to set up the Survivor Benefit Plan, an insurance policy, at the time of his retirement, you will have access to that money after he or she dies. That plan can be complicated and confusing, so go here for the full explanation.

VA benefits after your service member’s death. Although a service member’s pension checks end with his or her death, you may have access to Dependency and Indemnity Compensation, and the Veteran’s Death Pension.

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Watch this female MMA fighter and combat-veteran Marine share her home base

Jessica Manfre

Posted On August 27, 2021 08:11:42

Liz Carmouche is a force to be reckoned with inside the female mixed martial arts world. But before she was fighting for belts, she was fighting to protect and defend us all as a Marine.

Carmouche’s passion for service was rooted in childhood and she knew one day she wanted to raise her own right hand for her country, just like her father did for the Air Force. “Being around all of those military personnel it really just made a strong connection for myself and me wanting to fulfill a desire to go into service as well,” she explained.

Growing up in Okinawa, Japan gave her the opportunity to see and work alongside all branches of service. But there was one in particular which called to her. “The Marine Corps really stood out for me,” Carmouche shared.

After enlisting in 2004 and going through boot camp at Parris Island, she was stationed in San Diego as an aviation electrician. Carmouche fell in love with the city and eventually made it her home.

In her first five years of service, she deployed to Iraq three times.

“My service changed me in a very positive way,” she said. Once Carmouche transitioned out of the Marine Corps in 2009, she began opening gyms — fitness had always been a passion.

“Very soon after leaving the military I started my professional career in MMA. I participated in organizations like Strikeforce and UFC Bellator,” Carmouche explained. “I was fortunate enough to come to this place on my journey where I’ve partnered with USAA and ESPN to give a tour of my home base here.”

As both a military child and veteran, she recognized the power of home. Though she is a private person, Carmouche said welcoming the film crew inside was actually a blast. They were amazing to work with and her wife and son enjoyed the process, she shared.

So, what will viewers be most surprised to learn about Carmouche as she welcomes them into her home? “The livestock,” she said laughing. “I basically have a mini-farm in my backyard.” In partnership with USAA, ESPN’s YouTube Channel aired the episode on Tuesday August 24, 2021.

Her 5-year-old son is just starting to really ask questions about her time in service. “He’s getting to an age where he’s starting to understand it. I don’t think he really knows but he’s seen my uniforms and pictures. He thinks it’s cool but I don’t think he knows yet what it means to be a service member,” she explained.

As for what drove her to begin competing in MMA, many would be surprised to learn it was actually a Marine Corps officer who suggested it. After initially being unsure, it didn’t take long to be all in. “I absolutely fell in love with it and wanted to get more involved with training. The first time I got hit in the face, whatever it was about it, had me hooked,” Carmouche laughed.

For her, getting hit wasn’t as bad as it seems. For many veterans who’ve witnessed and been through combat, the life stressors after service can sometimes often pale in comparison.

“The coping mechanisms you develop by being in combat in places like Iraq transfer over to everything,” she explained. “All the lessons you learned, stresses, experiences and overcoming things in life can help you adapt to any situation.”

And adapt she did.

Now 11 years later, her transition from service brought her right where she wants to be. It’s a feeling she hopes all veterans will find for themselves. “I have many veteran friends who didn’t know who they were without the military. My biggest message is that they can find their identity again,”Carmouche said. “If they believe in themselves and recognize that the things they’ve been through have made them more resilient than anyone out there, they can do it.”

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Air Force loosens flight suit sleeve rules

Military.com

Posted On April 02, 2018 09:44:29

The Air Force is allowing its pilots, navigators and airmen who wear flight suits to roll up their sleeves whenever they’re not on in-flight duty, according to a new memo.

The latest policy, first published on the popular Air Force blog John Q. Public, mimics what airmen who wear the Airman Battle Uniform are already allowed to do when they’re not performing official duties, said Air Force spokesman Maj. Bryan Lewis.

Also read: 15 years later, Pararescueman awarded Air Force Cross for valor

“The flight suit sleeve policy was updated to align with the Airman Battle Uniform coat [shirt] wear policy,” Lewis said in an email Monday.

The change amends Air Force Instruction 36-2903, “Dress and Personal Appearance of Air Force Personnel,” which already states in the case of the ABU that “commanders may authorize sleeves to be rolled up on the ABU coat; however, the cuffs will remain visible and the sleeve will rest at, or within 1 inch of, the forearm when the arm is bent at a 90-degree angle.”

“Regardless as to whether the sleeves are rolled up or unrolled, the cuffs will remain visible at all times,” the AFI says.

Similarly, airmen who wear a Flight Duty Uniform or Desert Flight Duty Uniform can roll or tuck their suit sleeves under, Lewis said, and “are now approved to pull the sleeves up to within 1 inch of the elbow using the Velcro, already incorporated in the suit, to hold them in place.”

Lt. Gen. Mark Nowland, deputy chief of staff for operations, enacted the change — effective immediately — on Jan. 23, according to the memo.

Airmen “will still be required to have sleeves rolled down to the wrist when performing aircrew duties in-flight,” Lewis said — for example, while flying or on the flight line.

The previous policy for flight suits stated airmen could have their sleeves rolled under “if not performing in-flight duties.” However, the rolled-under sleeve “will not end above the natural bend of the wrist when the wearer’s arms are hanging naturally at their side.”

Lewis could not say if similar provisions for flight suits were made in the past.

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This French general is best remembered for his failed suicide attempt

Frank Jastrzembski

Posted On April 02, 2018 09:42:15

General Charles Denis Bourbaki forged a long career fighting in the French Second Empire’s wars in North Africa, the Crimea, and Italy. He served as a lieutenant with the Zouaves from 1836 to 1838 and received a promotion to captain in June of 1842. He quickly rose to the rank of Colonel by 1851 and received advancement to general of division in 1857. He served with distinction at the Battles of Alma, Inkerman, and the assault of Sebastopol during the Crimean War. He fought in the Franco-Austrian War of 1859 and in July of 1870, was nominated as aide-de-camp to Emperor Napoleon, earning renown as one of his most resourceful generals.

With the outbreak of the Franco-Prussian War, he took command of the First Army of the North. Like most of Napoleon III’s most senior generals, he too proved to be unprepared and unqualified for the war. The Prussian superiority in modern firearms and tactics proved to be too much for the French, who at one time seemed to possess the best army in the world. The Franco-Prussian War ended the myth of French military superiority.

Famed Marxist philosopher and war correspondent Friedrich Engels called the January 1871 Battle of the Lisaine “Bourbaki’s shipwreck.” The battle and subsequent flight of Bourbaki and his army left most of his surviving soldiers without winter clothing, ammunition, or provisions.

Five days after his First Army of the North met defeat at the hands of the Prussians, Bourbaki and 80,000 surviving troops reached the French city of Besançon on their way to the Swiss border in search of sanctuary. They were cold and dispirited.

The choices were grim: flight across the neutral Swiss border or surrender to the victorious Prussians. The condition of his shattered ranks, coupled with the censure for his indecisiveness and poor decision-making during the battle, proved to be unbearable for Bourbaki. In thirty-plus years of campaigning, the general had never experienced defeat on this scale.

“The whole behaviour of Bourbaki, from the 15th to the 26th, seems to prove that he had lost all confidence in his men and that consequently he also lost all confidence in himself,” Engels reported in The Pall Mall Gazette on February 18, 1871. No one ever questioned Bourbaki’s bravery, but his ability to command an army left much to be desired.

Bourbaki’s staff officers worried about his mood over the days leading up to January 26. They intentionally hid his sidearm from him because they were afraid that he would attempt to take his life. Bourbaki located a gunsmith in the city to purchase another weapon, but the gunsmith turned him away, warned of Bourbaki’s suicidal intentions.

But the stubborn general was resolute. He would not be joining his men on their journey to Switzerland.

He commandeered a pistol from one of his aides and retired to his quarters. It was exactly seven o’clock on the evening of January 26, 1871 when his aides heard the single crack of a gunshot echo from Bourbaki’s room.

Bourbaki likely used a weapon like this “Pistolet Cavaliere Modele 1822 TBIS” – the sidearm issued to French officers at the outbreak of the Franco-Prussian War.

One of Bourbaki’s aides burst through the door of his room and discovered the general slumped over on his bed with his face and head covered with blood. He was miraculously still alive, still able to speak but unable to recall the names of his staff officers.

Two doctors rushed to perform immediate surgery. They discovered a 12mm ball lodged into his temporal muscle. No fracture of the skull was found and the general appeared to only suffer slight amnesia from the concussion of the bullet’s impact.

Bourbaki attributed his attempted suicide to the fact that he was denied a glorious death in battle. But by June, the war was over and he resumed his duties in the French Army.

He lived another 26 years and died in Cambo-Les-Bains on September 22, 1897, well-established among the public as the French general whose failed suicide became his legacy.

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7 of Hollywood’s most legendary female military roles

Ward Carroll

Posted On January 28, 2019 18:38:00

Over the last few decades female service members have been allowed to join (or attempt to join) a number of warfare specialties that were once only available to men. Some would like to credit the political winds in the wake of the Tailhook Scandal in ’91 or the DoD Sexual Harassment Report a couple of years ago, but — as with most things in the Free World — the biggest influence to shaping attitudes about a woman’s ability to serve is how she is represented on the Silver Screen.

Here are seven of the most iconic and groundbreaking portrayals of the military female experience in the history of cinema:

1. PATRICIA NEAL as Lieutenant Maggie Hayes in “In Harm’s Way” (1965)

Patricia Neal’s reading of Lt. Maggie Hayes is pitch-perfect. She’s tough but understanding as the head Navy nurse at a Pearl Harbor installation during the high optempo days of World War II. She’s also a great girlfriend to Capt. “Rock” Torrey (played by John Wayne in maximum swagger mode) and presents a model of how to navigate the fine (and potentially messy) lines of work-life blending and differences in rank.

2. DEMI MOORE as Lieutenant Jordan O’Neill in “G.I. Jane” (1997)

The powers-that-be are thinking of opening up Navy SEAL training to women these days? Thank Demi Moore. Her portrayal of never-say-quit Lt. O’Neill is gritty and honest. And she also delivers a classic line where she tells one of her instructors to do something to her that’s anatomically impossible. HOO-YAH, bitches!

3. DEMI MOORE as Lieutenant Commander JoAnne Galloway in “A Few Good Men” (1992)

Demi Moore tackles the part of Lcdr. JoAnne Galloway with gusto, and in the process she emerges as a role model for female officers stuck in prosaic support specialties like Navy JAG. She handles the ever-whiney Lt. Dan Kaffee (played by the ever-whiney Tom Cruise) with aplomb and only cries a few times over the course of their time together. Her sense of justice is laudable. Her choice of hairstyles is less so, but let’s blame director Rob Reiner for that. Actually, skip that. He got that absolutely right.

4. GOLDIE HAWN as Private Judy Benjamin in “Private Benjamin” (1980)

Although it’s a comedy, Goldie Hawn’s reading of her character is really a procedural for using the U.S. military as a means of getting your shit together, female-style. Benjamin is a spoiled rich girl who becomes a widow at a young age and is tricked (you know how they do) by a recruiter into joining the Army. She weathers sexual harassment at the hands of her lesbian DI as well as her special ops CO (Col. Thornbush), but ultimately (after a tour at SHAPE and great Paris RR) she emerges stronger and more courageous than before she donned the uniform. (And how about those veteran’s benefits?)

5. Kelly McGillis as Charlie in “Top Gun” (1986)

Hey, in case you haven’t noticed, contractors are a big part of the military, and no actress has ever represented those proud patriots as well as Kelly McGillis does while holding down the role of Charlie in the all-time military classic “Top Gun.” As with Demi Moore in “A Few Good Men,” McGillis gets points for playing opposite whiney Tom Cruise, this time whining into an oxygen mask a lot of the time, but beyond that she exudes strength (the government gave her a top secret clearance, lieutenant) and sweet surrender (everybody: *take my breath awaaaaaayyyy*).

6. CARRIE FISHER as Princess Leia in “Return of the Jedi” (1983)

Because she had the strength to outlast the ick of lusting after her brother for all that time and because she’s a princess, which must make her the commander-in-chief of the rebel forces (or something) and therefore a military person. *Hand salute*

7. SIGOURNEY WEAVER as Warrant Officer Ellen Ripley in “Alien” (1979)

Few characters, male or female, in the history of cinema have jumped off the screen with as much moxie and brio as Sigourney Weaver managed while playing Ripley in the sci-fi epic “Alien.” The movie is basically a one-act play where Weaver’s character has every chance to freak the hell out but doesn’t, and therefore she survives (because if she hadn’t there wouldn’t have been a sequel). Ripley is a model of strength and calm under pressure, and her BS meter is way dialed in.

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