2005: an Air Force year to remember

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SAN ANTONIO (AFPN) --  It’s going to be hard to forget 2005, with the war on terrorism, tsunami response, hurricanes and floods. But light did find its way through the darkness.

Most memorable are the Airmen who lent a helping hand to those in desperate need.

This year also brought new technology, a continued presence at two wars and the rearrangement of military installations under the Base Realignment and Closure Commission.

Following is a chronological look at the highlights of 2005 where Airmen made a difference. To view a presentation of photographs of major events, click on the U.S. Air Force Year in Photos 2005.  

January
The first day of the New Year started on a sad note. That was the day President George W. Bush talked to the nation about a killer tsunami in Asia.

“The carnage is of a scale that defies comprehension,” the president said. “As the people of this devastated region struggle to recover, we offer our love and compassion, and our assurance that America will be there to help.”

A magnitude 9.0 earthquake, the largest recorded since 1964, triggered a series of two-foot waves that traveled at more than 250 mph.

The waves swelled to 20 to 30 feet as they rumbled across the shores of 12 different countries. An estimated 165,000 to 234,000 people died in Thailand, Sri Lanka, India, Malaysia and Indonesia.

Help came in the way of $350 million in relief assistance and the U.S. military. Airmen delivered millions of pounds of relief supplies and equipment using helicopters, cargo and tanker aircraft. Kadena Air Base, Japan, and Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, deployed the bulk of Airmen who joined more than 11,500 military members across the region in Operation Unified Assistance. Yokota AB, Japan, and the U.S. Coast Guard supplied most of the C-130 cargo airlift.

Besides cargo planes filled with relief supplies, Joint Task Force 536, based at Utapao, Thailand, included Airmen deployed from around the world.

February
Two Air Force F/A-22 Raptors flew over pre-game festivities at Super Bowl XXXIX where the New England Patriots beat the Philadelphia Eagles Feb. 6.

Also notable was the Air Force Academy’s 25-voice Cadet Chorale helping sing the national anthem and a joint color guard, which included an Airman from Moody AFB, Ga., that presented the national colors.

While the Raptors were in the spotlight, the Air Force’s new C-130J Hercules endured eight back-to-back flights flown in eight days. Air Force officials tested its container delivery system’s ability to carry 40,000 pounds of bundled equipment.

The stretch C-130J is 15 feet longer than the C-130 and can drop more equipment.

The system is used in combat to deliver the “bacon and bullets” to warfighters in the field. Of the 488 bundles released during the test here, none were damaged and testers attained a 100 percent survivability rate.

At Bagram AB, Afghanistan, a cold winter compelled Soldiers and Airmen to travel more than 30 miles southwest into the Afghan mountains, delivering blankets, clothes, food and medicine to snowbound villages.

The Army-led reconstruction team provided humanitarian aid throughout the Parwan province as needed. The cold weather resulted in an average of three missions per month.

February also saw another chapter close in the storied aviation history of the C-141 Starlifter as a 452nd Air Mobility Wing-based crew from March Air Reserve Base, Calif., flew aircraft number 152 from the South Pole for the last time.

For 39 years, crews have flown C-141s loaded with people and equipment to Antarctica for the National Science Foundation and its research efforts there. This year, more than 2.7 million pounds of cargo and about 3,000 passengers were flown to the massive ice continent supporting Operation Deep Freeze.

March
One of the most heavily used and valued weapons systems in operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom reached initial operating capability, Air Combat Command officials announced March 1.

The MQ-1 Predator unmanned aerial vehicle was officially declared service ready Lt. Gen. William Fraser III, the command’s vice commander. The milestone was reached after the MQ-1 completed 11 requirements including supportability, maintainability and aircraft and parts availability.

Initially fielded as the RQ-1, an advanced concept technology demonstrator, the Predator was first used in the Balkan theater in the mid-1990s. Over time, the aircraft has undergone various upgrades to improve its combat effectiveness. The MQ-1 version is equipped with advanced sensors and armed with AGM-114 Hellfire missiles.

Also in March, Guardian Challenge, the Air Force’s annual space and missile competition, was canceled for 2005 to allow Airmen to focus on real-world deployments and ease budget constraints, Air Force Space Command officials said.

History was being made at Andersen when B-2 Spirit bombers deployed there for the first time to support U.S. Pacific Command’s security efforts in the western Pacific.

More than 270 Airmen of the 393rd Expeditionary Bomb Squadron deployed from the 509th Bomb Wing at Whiteman AFB, Mo., the only B-2 unit in the Air Force. They replaced the 93rd EBS from Barksdale AFB, La.

On the home front, the Air Force surpassed the 10,000-home milestone in its military family housing privatization program.

On March 23, officials from the Electronic Systems Center at Hanscom AFB, Mass., delivered the 17th and final E-8C Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System aircraft to the 116th Air Control Wing at Robins AFB, Ga.

The wing is the only unit to fly the aircraft. The Joint STARS aircraft is the world's most advanced airborne ground surveillance, targeting and battle management system.

And on the final day in March, former acting secretary of the Air Force Michael L. Dominguez became the new acting secretary after Peter B. Teets resigned.

April
Nellis AFB’s annual Red Flag exercise grew to monster proportions. The first U.S. forces and coalition Joint Red Flag exercise concluded April 2. The two-week joint exercise was considered one of the largest distributive exercises in the history of the U.S. military with more than 10,000 participants in 44 different sites nationwide.

May
The E-8 JSTARS reached 10,000 combat hours in Southwest Asia.

The aircraft and its operators, maintainers and support people have had a continuous presence in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility since July 2003 as part of the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing at a deployed location there.

Meanwhile, officials at U.S. Air Forces in Europe activated a new wing May 12 enhancing the command’s ability to provide support to its geographically separated units in England.

During that same time, Defense Department officials recommended closing 33 major bases and realigning 29 others as part of a comprehensive reshaping of the military infrastructure through the Base Realignment and Closure process.

At Vandenberg AFB, Calif., joint warfighters worldwide reaped the benefits from the Joint Space Operations Center, which opened May 18.

Space assets are now controlled by a single entity for the first time. The center is responsible for coordinating and delivering space effects, officials said.

Also during this month, the Pentagon Channel marked its one-year anniversary by broadcasting live from the Joint Service Open House at Andrews AFB, Md., on May 20.

The Pentagon Channel broadcasts military news and information for, and about, 2.6 million U.S. servicemembers. Broadcast 24/7, the Pentagon Channel helps ensure that U.S. forces remain the best informed in the world.

In late May, the first storm of the 2005 hurricane season came a little early. It appeared in the Pacific off the coast of Central America. It would prove to be a precursor of the deadly hurricanes that came later. What is also notable about the storm is that that was the first time the Hurricane Hunters at Keesler AFB, Miss., flew the new WC-130J Hercules into an active hurricane.

June
A new mission kicked off at Incirlik AB, Turkey, with the arrival and departure of C-17 Globemaster IIIs carrying cargo to Iraq supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

The new mission, which works on a “hub and spoke” concept, called for cargo to come into the base from Charleston AFB, S. C., and be transferred to several locations in Iraq.

The cargo hub mission moved to Incirlik from Rhein-Main AB, Germany, in an effort to conserve Air Force resources.

The newest addition to the cargo fleet proved its capabilities during the first-ever C-130J Hercules combat airdrop.

The new J-model aircraft had been put to the test on various missions both at home and abroad to ensure it met all requirements and continued to maintain its reputation as the Air Force’s workhorse.

Another perfect opportunity presented itself when Army ground forces requested civic assistance and troop resupply drops in Afghanistan, officials said. The Combined Air Operations Center air mobility division went to work on the day’s air tasking order and matched the right aircraft to the job: the C-130J.

Also during this month, the U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron, “Thunderbirds,” officials announced their new pilots for the 2006 demonstration season, which included the first female demonstration pilot in its 52-year history.

Capt. Nicole Malachowski, of the 494th Fighter Squadron at Royal Air Force Lakenheath, England, joined the team as a demonstration pilot.

At nearby Indian Springs Air Force Auxiliary Air Field, the Air Force officially changed the field’s name to Creech Air Force Base on June 20 in honor of Gen. Wilbur L. “Bill” Creech.

As the commander of Tactical Air Command from 1978 to 1984, General Creech shaped the Air Force of today with a call for new weapons and tactics. He revolutionized the Air Force by espousing a philosophy of decentralized authority and responsibility. He was also known as the “father of the Thunderbirds.”

July
Maj. John Teichert, a 411th Flight Test Squadron test pilot, pushed the F-22A Raptor past Mach 1 on July 25, opened the weapons bay and released 32 1,000-pound joint direct attack munition, marking the first time a Raptor has dropped a JDAM at supersonic speed.

Earlier in the month, 86th Airlift Wing aircraft and Airmen left Ramstein Air Base, Germany, for Kigali, Rwanda, to begin a month-long airlift mission to the Darfur region of Sudan. Once in Rwanda, U.S. aircraft carried Rwandan troops deploying to help ease the humanitarian crisis in Darfur. The mission was part of NATO’s response to support the African Union’s expanded peacekeeping mission in Darfur with logistics and training, officials said.

In another part of the world, others were venturing on a different kind of mission. The 45th Space Wing at Patrick Air Force Base, Fla., provided support for NASA’s successful launch of Space Shuttle Discovery for its “Return to Flight” on July 26. The flight crew included retired Col. Eileen Collins, the crew commander, Navy Capt. Wendy Lawrence, mission specialist and logistics manager, and Col. James Kelly, Discovery's pilot. This was the shuttle’s first flight since the Columbia tragedy on Feb. 1, 2003.

July also saw the first devastating hurricane of the season when Hurricane Dennis made its way toward Florida on July 8. When the maximum sustained winds peaked at 150 mph, Dennis made history as the strongest Atlantic Basin hurricane on record for July and the strongest Atlantic hurricane this early in the season. When the storm made landfall near Eglin AFB, Fla., on July 10 Dennis clocked sustained winds of 65 mph with gusts of more than 100 mph, but the base was spared any major damage. Other bases would not be so lucky in the coming months.

August
Early in the month, Air Mobility Command helped in the rescue effort to save seven Russian sailors stranded aboard a submarine off Russia's Pacific coast. A Russian minisubmarine, an AS-28, became tangled in a fishing net Aug. 4 during a military exercise near the Kamchatka peninsula in Siberia. The command generated several airlift and air refueling missions supporting the three-day rescue effort.

Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast, including Keesler AFB, Miss., which survived a direct hit. From the Florida panhandle to New Orleans, Air Force bases began preparing for the storm a week in advance. By Aug. 26 most bases in the region were working under their emergency plans.

The powerful hurricane made landfall near Buras, La. -- close to the border between Mississippi and Lousiana -- at about 10 a.m. Aug. 29. Top winds reached about 145 mph, National Hurricane Center officials in Miami said. Keesler AFB suffered severe damage to infrastructure and housing, and people were sheltered at the major technical training base until the beginning of September.

Just hours after Katrina struck, the Air Force began disaster relief efforts. Joint Task Force Katrina set up at Camp Shelby, Miss., on Aug. 31. Air Force helicopters were in Mississippi for search-and-rescue missions. Air Force cargo aircraft were picking up rescue teams and supplies to help hurricane victims. C-17s also evacuated students at Keesler AFB to safety. The support continued for weeks.

September
Not only were Airmen helping those in Mississippi, they were also helping out where Hurricane Katrina had left the most destruction -– New Orleans. Airmen deployed to the airport, helped New Orleans residents evacuate to safety and helped families reunite. They also provided medical care to those who needed it. A medical staging facility was set up in the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport.

Search-and-rescue crews were out day and night over Louisiana and Mississippi, saving lives and bringing people to safety. People were evacuated to safety all over the country.

Once hurricane relief operations began to settle down, the Air Force began preparing for yet another hurricane –- Hurricane Rita.

Although Hurricane Rita did not cause nearly as much destruction as Katrina had, Airmen were ready and willing to help. Airmen who were deployed to the New Orleans airport gathered their things and made their way to Houston, where the hurricane was projected to hit. Wilford Hall Medical Center at Lackland AFB, Texas, provided shelter to those who were forced to evacuate along the coast. Impacting the Florida Keys and eventually the Texas/Louisiana border, the hurricane prompted massive evacuations along the Gulf Coast and caused widespread damage in parts of southwest Louisiana.

In other news in September, Gen. T. Michael Moseley became the 18th Air Force chief of staff. He replaced Gen. John P. Jumper, who retired from the service after 39 years.

Later in the month, the Air Force said farewell to the most powerful ICBM -– the Peacekeeper, often credited with helping end the Cold War. The development of the missile system began in 1979. In 1988, the Peacekeeper became fully operational and 50 missiles were deployed to F.E. Warren AFB, Wyo., under operational control of the 400th Missile Squadron. Each missile cost about $70 million. The deactivation is estimated to save the Air Force more than $600 million through 2010.

The C-141 Starlifter also had a last -- flying its last mission from a combat zone. The aircraft first started airlifting the sick and wounded from combat zones more than 40 years ago in Southeast Asia. The Starlifter took cargo to Europe before its historic last mission out of Southwest Asia in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Medics will continue their aeromedical role on other types of aircraft, such as the C-17A Globemaster III or C-5 Galaxy.

A deployed C-130 Hercules crew made history in September being the first all-female C-130 crew to fly a combat mission. Capt. Carol Mitchell, aircraft commander; 1st Lt. Siobhan Couturier, pilot; Capt. Anita Mack, navigator; Staff Sgt. Josie Harshe, flight engineer; and loadmasters Tech. Sgt. Sigrid Carrero-Perez and Senior Airman Ci Ci Alonzo were deployed to the 737th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron flying cargo and troops in and out of Iraq, Afghanistan and the Horn of Africa.

Airman 1st Class Elizabeth Jacobson, 21, was killed during a convoy mission near Camp Bucca, Iraq. She was providing convoy security when the vehicle she was riding in was hit by an improvised explosive device. Airman Jacobson was the first female Airman killed in the line of duty in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

October
Following months of hurricanes, Pakistan endured a separate natural disaster. An earthquake left thousands dead and thousands more injured. The Air Force was on its way to provide relief for the victims. The first relief supplies from the United States arrived in Pakistan on a C-17 Globemaster III less than 48 hours after the earthquake. The C-17 and its crew delivered 12 pallets -- almost 90,000 pounds -- of food, water, medicine and blankets. Relief efforts are still continuing.

In other October news, the “Gateway to Europe” ended its 60-year airlift legacy. Rhein-Main AB, Germany, closed its gates in a ceremony Oct. 10. The base’s vital airlift support mission transitioned to Ramstein and Spangdahlem air bases Oct. 1.

The new F-22A Raptors left their nest for the first time at Langley AFB, Va., on a training deployment to Hill AFB, Utah. The goal of this training was to complete the first Raptor deployment and generate a combat-effective sortie rate away from home.

November
Michael W. Wynne became the 21st secretary of the Air Force on Nov. 3. He replaced Pete Geren, who served as the acting secretary of the Air Force since July 29.

December
The Air Force continued to make history at the end of the year. Little Rock AFB, Ark., received its last C-130J Hercules, the Air Force released its new mission statement and the Raptor went operational.

The C-130J is the latest addition to the C-130 fleet and will replace aging C-130Es. The J-model provides 40-percent more range and flies 24-percent faster than the C-130E and H-models. The C-130J can also take off on shorter runways and its avionics allow for better data capability and control. They are also larger, with enough room for 128 people compared to the 92-troop capacity of earlier models.

And the Raptor is now ready for combat. The aircraft reached its initial operational capability, meaning its proven capabilities are available for combat and supported by a properly trained and equipped force.

Finally, the new mission statement defines the where and what the Air Force accomplishes on a daily basis. The mission of the United States Air Force is to deliver sovereign options for the defense of the United States of America and its global interests -- to fly and fight in Air, Space, and Cyberspace.