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  • Silver Star represents 44-year closure for KIA Airman's family

    "Promise me you're going to find out what happened to him."All Lillian Calfee wanted to know was the fate of her only son.On March 11, 1968, Lillian was told by her daughter-in-law, June Calfee, that her son, Master Sgt. James Calfee was missing in action. He was part of a secret mission in

  • Silver Star shines bright on Hutchins’ heroic actions

    Maj. Gen. Thomas Deale, the director of operations of Air Combat Command, presented retired Staff Sgt. Benjamin Hutchins, a former 18th Air Support Operations Group joint terminal attack controller, with the Silver Star during a ceremony Nov. 4 at Pope Army Airfield, North Carolina.

  • Simple AFSO 21 effort to reap big savings for Hanscom

    By eliminating unused phone lines, Hanscom AFB officials are potentially saving more than $200,000 annually using Air Force Smart Operations for the 21st century initiatives.The 66th Air Base Wing Communication and Information Division and the Electronic Systems Center Plans and Programs office led

  • Simple exercise steps keep force fit and mission-ready

    With the inception of the Air Force Fit to Fight program, Airmen had to adjust to a regular regimen of running, sit-ups, push-ups and other physical activities.Some Airmen experienced injuries while adjusting to the new standards, resulting in a need to see a physical therapist.“We saw a lot of

  • Simple tips Airmen should 'take to heart'

    February is designated American Heart Month with the mission to increase awareness about heart health, a growing problem within the Air Force, according to a cardiology consultant to the Air Force surgeon general.

  • Sims aren't just for flying anymore

    Officials with the 337th Test and Evaluation Squadron here, through a cooperative program with the U.S. Air Force Academy, is developing a computer-based simulator program that will allow leaders to make more informed decisions regarding resource allocations.The program allows a user to input

  • Simulation center prepares medics for saving lives

    In this world where hospital staffs hold human lives in their hands, where do they train to function under this ultimate responsibility? When they are put under the stress of doing a job so important that even the military considers them doctors first and military second, where do they learn to

  • Simulation center provides edge to medics

    For nearly two years, Wilford Hall Medical Center's simulation center has been preparing Airmen for real-world medical scenarios here and in the deployed setting. The center was established as a task to create a needs assessment for the incorporation of medical simulation into Air Force Medical

  • Simulator gives airmen realistic training

    A new simulator is providing realistic, localized training for 72nd Operations Support Squadron air traffic controllers here.The simulator gives airmen the opportunity to operate in a computer-based environment before they take the helm in the tower.“Our new controllers customize what they have

  • Simulator 'heats up' training

    Construction team members and fire trainers came together here Sept. 9 to view a new aircraft fire training simulator designed to enhance future firefighter training for the Air Force, and host nation responders.The aircraft simulator is already scheduled for use by the 886th Civil Engineer

  • Simulator helps attack controllers train

    Coalition and joint terminal attack controllers used a simulator to hone their skills in calling in close-air support during U.S. Joint Forces Command's advanced-concept technology demonstration Bold Quest 2009, which concluded here and at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, N.C., Nov. 5. The

  • Simulator improves command post training

    A state-of-the-art simulator in the 334th Training Squadron here is giving command post apprentice course students vivid training, making them more mission-ready upon graduation.The new $500,000 simulator replaced a 20-year-old system that was losing its upgrade capability, said squadron

  • Simulator prepares Airmen for combat

    Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to infiltrate enemy territory in the cover of darkness. Sentries will be posted at various checkpoints throughout your path to offer additional assistance. Armed with night-vision goggles, weapons and wits, your mission will be trying and perilous.

  • Simulator prepares medical staff for obstetric emergencies

    Child birth, although a natural process, can sometimes pose certain emergency risks.Advances in technology however, have been able to significantly decrease these maternal and prenatal risks associated with child birth. Most notably, the 366th Medical Group Obstetric service boasts such technology

  • Simulator provides risk-free training at Eielson

    The 354th Security Forces Squadron training instructors here recently received training on a new simulation system that will train Airmen in marksmanship, collective and judgmental firing skills. The Engagement Skills Trainer 2000 is a small-arms training system used to increase deployment

  • Simulator to help prepare Elmendorf pilots for C-17s

    In preparation for Elmendorf's first C-17 Globemaster III arriving in June 2007, members of the Program Integration Office here flew to Tinker Air Force Base, Okla., to pick up the base's newest simulator."The purpose of the simulator is to train Elmendorf pilots and loadmasters to fly the Air

  • Simulators prepare Airmen for real-world scenarios

    “They blink, they breathe,” said Raymond Jernigan, 633rd MDG simulator operator. “Even the baby simulators have motion. They cry. I can program it to talk. They can be programmed to have physiological responses – I’ll set the vital signs.”

  • Simulators train aircrew at fraction of cost

    Using simulators for the majority of pilot training is a huge advantage. They operate at about 5 percent of the cost of real jets. One hour of flying in a C-17 costs approximately $23,424 -- a substantial difference compared to the simulator.

  • Singapore AF enhances Red Flag 17-2

    As the Singapore CH-47 Chinook’s twin rotors build speed and spin in unison, a loud but calming hum fills the interior of the helicopter. Seven Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape specialists sit with their gear in front of them, parachutes on their backs.

  • Singapore air and trade show wraps up

    Approximately 69 Sailors, Airmen and Department of Defense personnel from across the Pacific represented U.S. military forces at the largest air show in Asia here Feb. 14-19.As one of the top three aerospace and defense exhibitions in the world, the biennial Singapore Airshow 2012 drew thousands of

  • Singapore aircraft signals strong coalition relationship

    Airmen of the Singapore air force rejoined the U.S. Air Force fleet here when one of their four KC-135 refueling aircraft arrived to take its place with dozens of U.S. assets April 16 on this Southwest Asian air base flightline. As coalition partners, the Singapore air force mission is to integrate

  • Singapore celebrates partnership with Air Force

    U.S. government and Republic of Singapore officials celebrated their partnership during the Peace Carvin V inauguration of the F-15SG fighter detachment Nov. 19 here.The ceremony honored the Peace Carvin V F-15 detachment known as the 428th Fighter Squadron, which will operate up to 12 F-15SG

  • Singaporean leaders visit, recognize first weapons instructors

    The 366th Fighter Wing welcomed Singaporean Maj. Gen. Mervyn Tan, chief of Republic of Singapore Air Force, and Brig. Gen. Tommy Tan Ah Han, Republic of Singapore Air Force Air Combat Command commander, Aug. 17-20, to recognize the first graduates of the Singaporean Fighter Weapons Instructor Course

  • Singer encourages new recruits to stay focused

    A rising country music singer and a former Air Force pararescueman recorded two public service announcements to encourage servicemember July 17 at the Air Force Recruiting Service here. Donovan Chapman, who served in the Air Force for 11 years, recorded one message that saluted Air Force

  • Single Airman Working Group opens support structure discussion

    Air Force officials here established the Single Airman Working Group to evaluate and develop morale and support programs for its members as part of the Year of the Air Force Family.Officer and enlisted single Airmen representatives from each major command and subject-matter experts from several

  • Single C-17 breaks airdrop record

    A single Air Force C-17 Globemaster III airdropped 32,400 pounds of humanitarian aid within 40 minutes to four locations in central and eastern Afghanistan March 16. This feat marked the most cargo airdropped to this many drop-zones in the shortest amount of time from a single aircraft in the

  • Single parents juggle military, home demands

    The active-duty military includes nearly 73,000 single parents, which equates to 5.3 percent of the total force, according to Defense Department statistics from 2008. The Army leads the way with more than 35,000 single parents, followed by the Navy with more than 16,000, and the Air Force with more

  • Single staffing tool goes Air Force wide

    Beginning this summer, all Air Force civil service employees will have transitioned to a resume based system when seeking new positions for Air Force civilian vacancies worldwide. In 2010, the Air Force Personnel Center announced the transition to a single staffing tool for all Air Force job seekers

  • Sink or swim

    Senior Airman Robert Cordell swims across the pool while wearing his anti-exposure suit during water survival training here. The swimming pool training provides students a realistic environment for using life support equipment in water. Cordell is a C-130 Hercules loadmaster from the base's 36th

  • 'Sir, tell the TACP thanks'

    On 13 May 2010, an Airman First Class taught me some lessons I'll never forget. I think of Airman 1st Class Corey Hughes almost every week. His actions on that particular day in May remind me to focus on others first, that heroic leaders exist among us all the time, and doing the right thing takes

  • Sirius Potatoes wins StellarXplorers STEM competition

    Sirius Potatoes, a team from Palos Verdes Peninsula High School in Rolling Hills Estates, California, recently won the StellarXplorers space system design competition at the Space Foundation’s 32nd Space Symposium in Colorado Springs.

  • Sister service siblings serve side-by-side

    They grew up with stories about his heroism and bravery as a 19-year-old Soldier. They knew of his sacrifice to leave his new bride and his dedication to serve his nation. They were told he suffered a great loss and was never the same after he watched his best friend die on D-Day. They admired his

  • Sister, brother meet up in Southwest Asia

    An Airman here got quite a surprise when she got off the plane in a forward-deployed location in Southwest Asia in transit to her final destination here.It was the smiling face of her brother, Staff Sgt. Matthew Hochstein, an aerospace ground equipment technician with the 379th Expeditionary

  • Sisters in service: Closing the joint warfighter’s diversity gap

    The Joint Women’s Leadership Symposium at the San Diego Convention Center June 20-22, 2018, included attendees from the U.S. Air Force, Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard and other service members from 20 different countries. As the largest gathering of military women in the nation, it marked the

  • Sister-service PME provides valuable joint tool

    As part of a career broadening opportunity, a new nomination and selection process to attend sister-service enlisted professional military education (EPME) courses has been established for senior non-commissioned officers."The significance rests with the transformation from a first-come,

  • Site dedicated to Pentagon's Sept. 11 victims

    In a solemn ceremony under sunny skies, the ground that nearly five years ago was the scene of a catastrophic attack was dedicated June 15 to the memory of those who were killed. Senior Defense Department leaders, Cabinet members, members of Congress, family members, friends and Pentagon employees

  • Sitka 43 Airmen remembered in memorial unveiling

    Air Force officials along with actor Gary Sinise unveiled the Sitka 43 Memorial during a ceremony Sept. 16 here to honor four Airmen who died in an aircraft accident July 28.Mr. Sinise unveiled a scale C-17 Globemaster III, the centerpiece of the memorial, in memory of Maj. Aaron Malone, Maj.

  • Sitka 43 Memorial at Arctic Thunder 2010 honors fallen aviators

    Master Sgt. Brian Johnson (right) and 2nd Lt. Sherry Ferno, both of the 176th Security Forces Squadron, stand guard at the memorial display for Sitka 43 during the Arctic Thunder Air Show July 31, 2010, at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska. Four aviators were killed when their C-17 Globemaster

  • Situation in Iraq brightening; troops still in danger

    The situation on the ground "continues to brighten in Iraq," the Pentagon's chief spokeswoman said in the Pentagon today. "But our troops are still putting their lives on the line, and the work is still dangerous."American and other coalition forces are working with local Iraqi leaders, clerics and

  • Six airmen die in helicopter crash

    An Air Force HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter crashed near Ghazni, Afghanistan, on March 23, killing all aboard, said Combined Joint Task Force 180 officials at Bagram Air Base.Six airmen died in the crash, task force spokesman Army Col. Roger King said. Names of the dead are being withheld pending

  • Six installations test consolidated food service operations

    Air Force Services Agency officials are slated to begin testing a re-engineering of Air Force food services this fall with a pilot program at six Air Force installations across the U.S. The pilot program, called the Food Transformation Initiative, will test a food delivery model aimed at improving

  • Six selected for Air Force chess team

    Seventeen Airmen recently battled head to head here on one of the oldest battlefields in history -- the chessboard.The 2005 Air Force Chess Tournament determined the 2005 Air Force chess team. The top six players were named to the team that will compete in the interservice tournament in June at

  • Six servicemembers die after helicopter crash

    Six U.S. servicemembers have died of injuries sustained when a U.S. Army UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter attached to 1st Battalion, 214th Aviation Regiment crashed at approximately noon Nov. 8, 22 miles southwest of Aviano. Five died in the crash and one died later that evening.Eleven U.S. Airmen and

  • SJAFB begins post-Irene clean up

    After winds and rain died down enough for crews to venture out, the 4th Civil Engineer Squadron put its Airmen to work cleaning up after Hurricane Irene starting Aug. 27.View the slideshow.

  • SJAFB evacuates jets as Irene approaches

    As Hurricane Irene approaches, the 4th Fighter Wing and 916th Air Refueling Wing began evacuating approximately 60 F-15E Strike Eagles and eight KC-135R Stratotankers to Barksdale Air Force Base, La., Aug. 25.In addition to the aircraft sent to Barksdale, the base also sent approximately 350 aircrew

  • Skeet shooters bring home victory for Air Force

    The Air Force Skeet Team presented a plaque to the director of the AIr Force SErvices Agency in a ceremony at the Pentagon here Nov. 2, capping a season that blasted Navy, Marines and Army teams in competition. Maj. Vernon Lucas, who represented the skeet team and works at the Pentagon, expressed

  • Skeet team to hold training camp

    The Air Force international skeet team will hold a training camp and team selection match April 7 to 12 at Robins Air Force Base, Ga.After four days of training, participants will compete in a two-day match to decide who makes the team, which is part of the Air Force's shooting program.Participants

  • Skeletal remains discovered during dig at Mildenhall

    As the archeological team from Suffolk County Council was in the middle of a routine dig in the RAF Mildenhall officers' housing area in Beck Row March 12, they knew they'd stumbled across an interesting find when a shovel hit something solid. That  "something solid" turned out to be the skull of a

  • Skeptical blood donor wins new SUV

    Ron Bagby was a hard sell, even as the voice on the phone tried to convince him to come to an Oklahoma City car dealership and pick up the new vehicle he had won.Mr. Bagby, a mechanic at the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center here, laughs about it now. But he was so skeptical about what he was

  • Skies to conquer: Langley Airman scales Mount Everest

    In the early hours of May 19, Capt. Kyle Martin battled cutting winds gusting at 100 mph as he fought to summit the highest point on earth. After nine hours of technical climbing, he and the rest of the Air Force 7 Summits team stood atop 29,029 feet of rock and ice. Martin, an F-16 Fighting Falcon

  • Skill pairing helps develop future leaders

    Force development teams now have a new tool -- skill pairing -- to help them better shape future leaders. Skill pairing is a method of combining developmental expertise across functions to meet Air Force sustainment requirements. Airmen gain this expertise through education and training

  • Skills summit aims to streamline training for Airmen

    The evolving war on terrorism has made Col. Jenny Pickett's personal mission of "keeping Airmen alive" more challenging these days. The commandant of the U.S. Air Force Expeditionary Operations School, which trains Airmen for deployment, says inconsistencies in where and how troops gain war-fighting

  • Skydiver places 3rd, donates winnings

    As a canopy pilot, also known as a swooper,a 3rd Space Operations Squadron captain maneuvers high performance parachutes with the goal of flying through a course just inches above the Earth. He then drags his foot across a pond in a controlled manner gaining points in three separate categories:

  • SkyTote to demonstrate high-speed flight with vertical takeoff

    Air Force Research Laboratory scientists are working on a novel unmanned air vehicle called SkyTote that will take off and land vertically like a helicopter, but also transition into horizontal flight like a conventional aircraft. SkyTote's primary mission is to deliver a payload to a specific point

  • Sleep is serious: Catch your Zzzs

    “Beep. Beep. Beep,” the alarm blares. Time to get up. Do you hit snooze? On average, we spend 33 percent of our lives asleep. When assessing your overall health, have you considered your sleep habits?

  • Slideshow: Fifth-generation formation

    An F-35A Lightning II joint strike fighter and an F-22A Raptor flew together for the Air Force for the first time Sept. 19 over Florida's Emerald Coast.The two fifth-generation fighters took off from Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., where the F-35A is stationed with the 33rd Fighter Wing. The F-22

  • Slideshow: Firefighters, aircrews continue to battle Colorado wildfire

    More than 90 firefighters from the U.S. Air Force Academy, along with assets from Air Force Space Command; F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyo.; Fort Carson, Colo.; and the local community continue to fight wildfires near Colorado Springs, Colo., June 29.The Waldo Canyon fire has grown to more

  • Slideshow: Phantom in the water

    The Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson Crash Recovery Unit and Anchorage Port Authority removed an F-4 Phantom II fuel tank that was embedded in the harbor bank here Sept. 18.Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson Airmen and the Port of Anchorage worked together to safely remove the external fuel tank, which

  • Slife takes command of AFSOC

    At a ceremony at Hurlburt Field, Florida, June 28, Lt. Gen. Jim Slife took command of Air Force Special Operations Command. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David L. Goldfein, presided over the ceremony where Slife took over for Lt. Gen. Brad Webb, who will go on to serve as the commander of Air

  • Small aircraft take on some of the biggest missions

    Patrolling the sky over Iraq for more than 2,250 hours in May, the 46th Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron here leads the largest unmanned aerial vehicle operation in the world with one of the Air Force’s smallest aircraft -- the MQ-1 Predator. Providing “real-time eyes-in-the-sky,” the squadron

  • Small antennas could bring big benefits to the Air Force

    When it comes to military and consumer electronics, smaller is often better, and the Air Force Research Laboratory’s revolutionary new antenna design is promising to make military electronics much better.Researchers at the AFRL Materials and Manufacturing Directorate, in partnership with

  • Small base has big mission

    At first glance, the little-known airfield in Karshi-Khanabad, often called K-2, appears to be nothing more than a sleepy, little whistle-stop for aircraft supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.For airmen assigned to the 416th Air Expeditionary Group here, and the aircrews they support, the base and

  • Small business award winners chosen

    The 2006 Secretary of the Air Force Small Business Awards were presented by the under secretary of the Air Force in a ceremony in Washington, D.C. "It is a pleasure to recognize these Air Force members and teams who have excelled in this important area," said Dr. Ronald M. Sega. "Their efforts play

  • Small business integral part of Air Force operations

    When President George W. Bush declared April 9 to 15 National Small Business Week, he noted that “small businesses create most new jobs in our country, and small businesses have been a driving force behind America’s tremendous economic growth and job creation.” Translated into impact on the U.S. Air

  • Small business specialist recognized with DOD award

    The small business specialist for the 6th Air Mobility Wing at MacDill Air Force Base, Fla., was one of six individuals recognized in the Department of Defense for his efforts in going beyond goals to advance the objectives of the service-disabled veteran-owned small business, or

  • 'Small but critical' unit moving to F.E. Warren

    The commander of Air Force Global Strike Command has announced plans to relocate the command's 24-person Missile Engineer Squadron from Peterson Air Force Base, Colo., to F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyo. "The unit is small but critical, with unique deeply technical capabilities that can best be

  • Small but mighty: ECONS packs a punch

    Airmen with the Expeditionary Contracting Squadron can tell you first hand what’s missing. From the construction flight to the services flight, all the way to the commodities flight, if you take them away, you end up with a deployment no one really wants to be on.

  • Small chapel team praised as best in Air Force for 2017

    After being honored with the best small chapel award for Air Combat Command two times, it has finally happened. The 70th Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Wing Chapel has been named the Air Force’s Best Small Chapel of the Year for 2017.

  • Small Diameter Bomb certified for operational test, evaluation

    19! 23! 35! 37! 20!No, that's not a football audible at the line of scrimmage, but the accomplishments of the Small Diameter Bomb Program: the number of months, 19, from the system design and development contract award to the first production contract award; the number of months, 23, from

  • Small Diameter Bomb I delivered ahead of schedule

    The culmination of more than five years of extraordinary teamwork was realized when the GBU-39/B Small Diameter Bomb was successfully delivered to the warfighter ahead of schedule and under cost. "This achievement represents an unparalleled team victory for the combined Air Armament Center and

  • Small group takes small packages, makes huge impact

    When servicemen find themselves in harm's way they reach for a small item with a huge impact -- the individual first aid kit. A process here ensures they can depend on what's inside. Two Airmen from the 379th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron and three from the 379th Expeditionary Medical

  • Small idea making a big difference in Afghanistan

    Provincial Reconstruction Teams are engaged daily in large-scale projects building roads, bridges, schools and medical facilities to help the Afghan government develop its infrastructure. They also contribute small ideas that have the potential for large-scale impact. One such idea was to design and

  • Small meds make big impact in Afghan village

    Provincial Reconstruction Team Qalat members left many Afghan villagers with a healthier outlook on life after an Aug. 22 village medical outreach in this remote region of Zabul Province in Afghanistan. Nearly 200 people were seen by medics assigned to PRT Qalat and other military units stationed in

  • Small miracle -- Dangerously premature baby defies odds

    The greatest miracles come in the smallest packages. Just ask Tinker’s Nash family. Genevieve Faith Nash, the fifth child and first daughter of Staff Sgt. Gary Nash and his wife, Kelley, will be 5 months old when she celebrates her first Christmas, but she was supposed to be just 6 weeks old.“She

  • Small office comes up big for armament, munitions Airmen

    When it comes to handling munitions no one does a better job than the munitions materiel handling equipment focal point here. The focal point is an organization assigned to the agile combat support systems squadron. Its sole purpose is to support the entire Air Force armament and munitions community

  • Small rewards program results in big explosion

    A small rewards program led to a big explosion as explosive ordnance disposal Airmen detonated more than 900 pounds of munitions turned in by local Afghans Sept. 1 near Forward Operating Base Mehtar Lam. The detonation destroyed mortars, rocket-propelled grenades, rockets, bullets and other

  • Small shop spreads cool savings

    During the summer months at the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing a properly working air conditioner is a priority for Airmen and for aircraft assigned here supporting decisive combat air power and 30 percent of U.S. Air Forces Central Command's daily air tasking order sorties.

  • Small team ensures special tactics career fields grow with the best

    Special tactics career field training pipelines are some of the most physically and psychologically challenging in the Air Force. To ensure the correct individuals are on the battlefield, the Recruitment, Assessment and Selection team at Hurlburt Field, Florida, puts the cross-training candidates

  • Small team has Herculean task

    Little known to many here is a team of 30 operators, engineers and contractors vital to the training of C-130 Hercules aircrews around the world. The team oversees more than 1,700 training courses, more than $500 million in contracts and training simulators in 10 locations worldwide. Detachment 3,

  • Small team keeps combat hospital up, running

    A small team of Airmen provide the logistics and facilities management needed to keep Craig Joint Theater Hospital ready to care for patients at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan.

  • Small town donates $5 million for joint ed center

    The City of Jacksonville's 31,000 residents in Arkansas will soon donate $5 million to help construct a new education center for Little Rock Air Force Base and the local community. The citizens of Jacksonville raised $5 million through a 2003 sales tax to help the Air Force build a joint education

  • Small unit takes on big test

    The responsibility for testing the airworthiness of modified KC-135 Stratotankers rests with a small unit here.The 23-person 313th Flight Test Flight, an Air Force Reserve Command unit, is certifying the Stratotankers, following programmed depot maintenance and a new avionics upgrade.“We accomplish

  • Small-diameter bomb makes F-15E squadron more lethal

    When the 494th Fighter Squadron deploys to Southwest Asia later this year, its new small-diameter bomb will make its F-15E Strike Eagles even more lethal. The squadron will be the first to use the Air Force's new Guided Bomb Unit-39 bomb. It is a thin, Global Positioning System-guided 250-pound bomb

  • Small-diameter bomb ready for war on terror

    Four major acquisition programs -- developed in parallel -- have come together to provide Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle crews with a revolutionary capability that combines accuracy and reduced collateral damage. Military and civilian employees in seven locations worked together developing the four

  • Smaller carbon footprint means fewer risks, official says

    A hard push by the Defense Department and the military services to reduce dependence on fossil fuels will shrink risks on the battlefield along with the Pentagon's carbon footprint, a DOD official said yesterday.Oliver Fritz, the deputy director for policy in the Office of the Under Secretary of

  • Smallpox vaccine program extends to 'emergency essential' civilians

    Civilian employees deployed to fill emergency-essential positions at selected overseas locations are now required to receive the smallpox vaccine, Pentagon officials said.According to Col. Rainer Stachowitz, deputy director of the nuclear and counter proliferation directorate at the Pentagon,