USAF ACADEMY – Air Force battled back to a 19-18 criteria loss against Big 12 rival Northern Colorado in the regular season finale. The Falcons (4-9, 1-8 Big 12) overcame an early 13-0 deficit but was unable to upend the Bears (6-6, 3-5 Big 12) when the dust settled.
Northern Colorado got off to strong start, building a 13-point lead via three decision victories and a major decision from No. 9 Andrew Alirez at 141.
The Falcon’s 157-pounder Giano Petrucelli (13-11) got Clune Arena to erupt as he battled to a third period pin (5:59) against Nathan Moore. UNC was deducted a team point for unsportsmanlike conduct by Moore.
Air Force kept the momentum rolling at 165 as senior Trey Brisker commanded a 9-2 decision over Brayden Engelking, lifting the Falcons to nine team points to the Bears’ 12. Brisker notched his 10th win of the season in the effort.
The Falcons continued their roll at 174 as No. 31 Sam Wolf posted a decisive victory over Damen Pape, 9-2, equalizing the team score at 12. Wolf improved his record to 15-7 with the win.
Northern Colorado pulled off narrow victories in the ensuing two matches, winning a 3-2 sudden victory win at 184 and a 9-6 decision at 197, increasing the team score to 18-12 heading into the final bout.
Wyatt Hendrickson (20-0) took the mat knowing a pin was necessity. Hendrickson, who has 13 Division I pins this season, got the job done against a stubborn Jacob Seely at 4:59. With the final score equal at 18, the Bears were issued a match victory criteria point to break the tie and finalize the regular season. Hendrickson finalized his regular season with a 10-0 mark in dual action, eight of those victories coming with bonus points.
Next up, the Falcons send their top-10 to Tulsa, Oklahoma, to compete in the 2021-22 Big 12 Championships hosted in the BOK Center, March 5-6. Preliminary and quarterfinal matches are slated to begin at 11 a.m. CT.
Feb. 20 – Northern Colorado 19, Air Force 18
125: Jace Koelzer (UNC) Dec. Jared Van Vleet (AF), 6-3 | UNC 3, AF 0
133: Jace Koelzer (UNC) Dec. #33 Sidney Flores (AF), 7-5 | UNC 6, AF 0
141: #9 Andrew Alirez (UNC) MD Cody Phippen (AF), 10-2 | UNC 10, AF 0
149: Chris Sandoval (UNC) Dec. Dylan Martinez (AF), 5-2 | UNC 13, AF 0
157: Giano Petrucelli (AF) Fall Nathan Moore (UNC) (5:59) | UNC 12, AF 6*
165: Trey Brisker (AF) Dec. Brayden Engelking (UNC), 9-3 | UNC 12, AF 9
174: #31 Sam Wolf (AF) Dec. Damen Pape (UNC), 9-2 | UNC 12, AF 12
184: Xavier Vasquez (UNC) Dec. Noah Blake (AF), SV-1 3-2 | UNC 15, AF 12
197: #24 Alan Clothier (UNC) Dec. Kayne Hutchison (AF), 9-6 | UNC 18, AF 12
285: #6 Wyatt Hendrickson (AF) Fall Jacob Seely (UNC), (4:59) | UNC 19, AF 18**
#NCAA Coaches Rankings
*Team point deducted from UNC for unsportsmanlike conduct
**Team point awarded to UNC by tie-break criteria, six matches to four
The latest Department of the Air Force Military Service Award recipients were named during the 2022 Black Engineer of the Year Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics conference in Washington, D.C., Feb. 18, 2022.
An Airman and a Guardian were each recognized for their tremendous accomplishments and mentorship in STEM career fields over the course of the past year.
The recipients were Col. Jenise M. Carroll, the 75th Air Base Wing commander at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, and Brig. Gen. Devin R. Pepper, the deputy director for the U.S. Space Force’s Strategy, Plans and Policy Directorate.
Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. CQ Brown, Jr. provided the keynote address during the award ceremony that capped the event. He emphasized the impact STEM has on accomplishing the Air Force mission.
“Education is fundamental to the Air Force,” Brown said. “Never before in our history have we depended more heavily on the application of technology to fly, fight and win. Science and technology is vital to ensure we can deliver airpower – anytime, anywhere. The success of the Air Force depends on our continued innovation and technical excellence.”
During the three-day annual conference, selectees attend career fairs on behalf of Air Force and Space Force recruiting and witness multiple discussion panels. On the last day, the Stars and Stripes Youth Mentoring session and award ceremony take place.
This ceremony offers an opportunity to recognize the contributions of Airmen, Guardians and other Defense Department exemplars who have advocated and mentored in STEM-related fields. Brown paid special honor to Brig. Gen. Charles McGee, Tuskegee Airman and STEM advocate, who died recently.
BEYA’s mission is to ensure the nation’s security and global leadership by increasing the numbers of citizens pursuing STEM-based educational and career paths. The conference is intended to create connections between students, educators and STEM professionals, and honor individuals who have served with distinction, supporting the military’s efforts in mentorship and diversity.
“I’m very proud of Jenise for what she is able to do,” Brown said, congratulating the Air Force Military Service Award winner during the ceremony. “Particularly, being at the 75th Air Base Wing, when you think about the logistics we have there … Jenise is making sure we are able to do the United States Air Force mission of ‘Fly, Fight and Win … airpower – anytime, anywhere.”
CINCINNATI, Ohio – The Air Force boxing team capped the regular season with an impressive 6-2 finish at the Bearcat Brawl in Cincinnati on Saturday, Feb. 19. Freshman Luke Kohout earned the team’s Boxer of the Week award after forcing the referee to halt his 160-pound bout with Ohio State’s Matt Corso in the second round.
Kohout was one of two Falcons to claim referee-stopped victories on Saturday, as junior Walker Morris won his 185-pound bout against Strongstyle Boxing’s Jordan Gruszewski before the first round ended. Jacob Mendoza also picked up a 185-pound title, as he earned a split decision over Miami’s Max Brenner.
Freshman Andrew Lu opened the competition for Air Force with a 130-pound victory over Ohio State’s Giaminh Nguyen, while junior Tyler Dalzell and sophomore Leo Camacho rounded out the Falcons’ list of winners with a pair of victories over opponents from Army West Point. Dalzell earned a 6-3 win over Zeke Mercado in a 150-pound bout, while Camacho decisioned Dylan Sheriff in a 124-pound contest.
Sophomore Joe Wilson and Victor Benitez also competed at the Cincinnati Fitness and Boxing Club, but dropped their respective bouts as Wilson dropped his 179-pound bout to Miami’s Wade Browning and Benitez fell in a heavyweight contest with Army West Point’s Matthew Beason.
Air Force and Army West Point both finished with 6-2 records on the overall card, but the Falcons broke the tie with a 2-1 advantage in head-to-head contests. The two academies separated themselves from the rest of the field, as Miami (2-3), Cincinnati (1-1), Ohio State (0-3) and a trio of unattached boxers (0-3) rounded out the field of the Bearcat Brawl. With the regular season complete, Air Force turns its attention to the postseason, which begins on Feb. 25, with the semifinals of the Wing Open Tournament.
RESULTS
130-lbs.: Andrew Lu (Air Force) dec. Giaminh Nguyen (Ohio State)
150-lbs.: Tyler Dalzell (Air Force) dec. Zeke Mercado (Army West Point)
185-lbs.: Walker Morris (Air Force) rsc-1 Jordan Gruszewski (Strongstyle Boxing)
185-lbs.: Jacob Mendoza (Air Force) dec. Max Brenner (Miami)
160-lbs.: Luke Kohout (Air Force) rsc-2 Matt Corso (Ohio State)
124-lbs.: Leo Camacho (Air Force) dec. Dylan Sheriff (Army West Point)
179-lbs.: Wade Browning (Miami) dec. Joe Wilson (Air Force)
Hywt.: Matthew Beason (Army West Point) dec. Victor Benitez (Air Force)
TheAir Force Reserve Command’s 920th Rescue Wing conducted a multi-person medical airlift in support of a critically-injured person aboard a cruise ship 600 nautical miles off the coast of Florida, Feb. 15.
The 920th RQW launched two of its HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters, two HC-130J Combat King II aircraft, and a team of pararescuemen within three hours of notification to rendezvous with the ship and transport a patient and ship’s nurse to a Florida hospital.
“The combined capabilities of our special mission personnel and aircraft permitted us to provide immediate support,” said Col. Brian Diehl, 920th Operations Group commander. “Our constant planning and preparation allowed both operations and maintenance teams to shift rapidly from a normal training day to successful completion of this mission with very little notice.”
In contact with the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center at Tyndall Air Force Base, the team executed the airlift under Defense Support of Civil Authorities. DSCA is the process by which United States military assets and personnel can be used to assist civil authorities during emergencies and other specific events.
Reaching the ship’s remote location required three aerial refuelings en route, provided by one HC-130J, while the second Combat King II performed double duty as a spare tanker and went directly to the vessel to initiate coordination from the air.
Once at the location, and under the command of the 920th RQW’s 301st Rescue Squadron, the HH-60s took control, examined the ship and conditions to position successfully from the air, insert two pararescuemen who were hoisted down, and immediately began preparing the patient and ship’s nurse for the emergency transport. Once prepared, the PJs, pilots, and special mission aviators worked in concert to hoist them into the helicopter, where the patient was stabilized while en route to a Florida hospital.
The entire extraction took less than four minutes.
“High seas, strong winds, and a ship going 10 knots added a lot of dynamics to this rescue as we worked on getting these people up into the aircraft, but this is what we train for” said a 301st RQS pilot. “When they say that there is a real-world rescue to execute, our focus is on saving lives.”
The 920th Maintenance Group generated six aircraft and ensured they were crew-ready in less than one hour. This feat required inspecting, fueling, and configuring the aircraft for the mission while executing other aircraft maintenance requirements.
“Much like our wing exercises that simulate Indo-Pacific region travel over long distances of water in a short period of time, our training and preparation allow us to ensure aircraft are ready for real-world events at a moment’s notice and shows the importance of getting aircraft back to flight line 100% ready for any contingency at any time,” said Lt. Col. George Cole, 920th Maintenance Group commander.
The rescue mission covered just under 1,100 miles round trip over open ocean and completed in eight hours.
Based at Patrick Space Force Base, the 920th RQW is AFRC’s only combat search and rescue wing. Its primary mission is to plan, lead, and conduct military rescue operations and missions to deny competitors and adversaries’ exploitation of isolated personnel.
COLLEGE STATION, Texas – Air Force concluded conference championship action, Saturday afternoon at the Rec Center on the Campus of Texas A&M. San Diego State won the 2022 Mountain West Swimming and Diving Championships, scoring 1,541.5 total points. The Aztecs’ will bring the hardware back to San Diego for the third time in the last four years.
Nevada finished second on the leaderboard with 1,277.5 points. UNLV was third with 1,249 points and Wyoming fourth, scoring 888.5 points. Colorado State came in fifth with 760 points, followed by Fresno State (691.5), Air Force (678), San José State (597.5) and New Mexico (378.5).
Saturday’s midday competition set up the Falcons for a fast final session. On the platform, diver Grace Treanor nailed her dives in the Consolation Final for a fantastic 12th place finish. Her personal best score of 230.8 qualifies her for NCAA Zones.
The milers came out strong with two new additions to the Air Force Top-10 list to put points on the board. Katie Kucik pushed a 17:01.46 to place 11th and grab the six spot on the AF list. Lauren Arnold’s 17:04.55 got her on the board in 12th place and she jumped to eighth all-time in the Top-10.
The backstrokers raced tough in the 200. Building on morning swims that reorganized the Top-10 list, Corrine Yorkman, Corbyn Cormack, Ella Martin, and Allana Clarke placed seventh, thirteenth, sixteenth, and twenty-third, respectively. With swims done for the day, Yorkman (2:00.16) enters the Top-10 list fourth; Cormack (2:01.16) is sixth; and Martin (2:01.73) is tenth.
The sprinters all looked speedy in finals. Abby Turner dropped half a second from prelims to post a 50.69 for tenth place, with Sefilina Maile close behind in 14th place. Kara Galvin added to the team score with a 24th place finish.
Kimmy Woolfenden swam a new lifetime best in the 200 Breast (2:15.95) to place twelfth and move up to number four on the AF Top Ten list. Senior Evelyn Johnson finished 21st in her final swim as a Falcon. Her points in the 200 tonight added to her 24th place performance in the 100 Breast on Friday.
Three Falcons placed in the 200 fly. Darien Tompkins finished 14th with Alex Clark a touch behind for 15th. Shayla Markle posted a 2:03.94 to finish twentieth and clinched the ten spot on the AF Top-10 list.
Air Force closed out the night with the 400 free relay. A strong seventh place finish in the relay helped The Falcons close out the meet seventh in the conference. The swimmers resume competition at the CSCAA invite and divers at NCAA Zones.
SDSU, which has now won the title six times overall, set a championship record with its 1,541.5 total points, surpassing its own record set in 2020 (1,463.5).
Two 2019 Air Force Academy graduates were the first in the school’s history to be selected for a then-new program that put STEM majors without pilot training experience on a path to attend Air Force Test Pilot School so they can then conduct vital flight testing and data generation on a variety of aircraft as flight test engineers.
First Lieutenants Abraham Eaton and Maria Carter completed STEM-focused graduate programs at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Purdue and are currently at Air Force Test Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base in California. The officers gained operational experience in multiple test squadrons before beginning a 48-week program where they are flying anything from World War II relics to F-16s.
Both officers were encouraged to consider the program as cadets by Col. Brian Neff, the academy’s electrical and computer engineering department head who is also a graduate of the Test Pilot School. Neff pioneered the streamlined candidacy effort, with faculty and department heads mentoring and preparing top STEM majors.
“A great test pilot candidate is someone who can make decisions rapidly, often without much information or time to prepare,” Neff said in a press release. “They’re agile thinkers, able to dissect large problems into manageable parts very quickly and efficiently. They are calm and collected expert risk managers. The robust engineering programs, faculty accessibility, and small class sizes make the academy a fitting undergraduate experience for Test Pilot School candidates.”
Air Force Academy cadets connect with astronaut aboard the International Space Station
Eaton remembers getting motion sickness on playgrounds as a child but never let that keep him from his lifelong goal of flying. While at the academy, Eaton learned he was colorblind, which disqualified him for the pilot career field. But his exceptional academic record and operations research and applied mathematics double major opened many doors. He earned a masters degree in business analytics from MIT.
Carter loved math and science as a child and decided in seventh grade that she wanted to be an engineer and be a role model to young girls. The astronautical engineering major at the academy then earned a masters degree in aeronautical and astronautical engineering at Purdue. Though her goal was never to be a pilot, she was drawn to the program because of her passion for space and engineering.
Military experts discuss the future of warfare in forum
Both advanced degrees were fully funded through the academy’s graduate scholarship program.
The Test Pilot School was established Sept. 9, 1944, and is deemed “the center of the aerospace testing universe.” A total of 101 Test Pilot School graduates have gone on to become NASA astronauts.
“Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need to be either a pilot or a navigator to attend this type of flight training. Flight test engineers like Eaton are equally critical to conducting vital testing and data generation, shaping future technology while also saving lives and millions of dollars in resources,” according to the Air Force Academy.
Following the success of the program’s first candidates, 2020 academy graduate’s 2nd Lt. Noah Diamond and 2nd Lt. Gordon McCulloh are the next two former cadets heading to the Test Pilot School.
Some Fort Carson troops placed on ‘increased readiness’ should Russia invade Ukraine: Pentagon
There wasn’t just one thing that allowed the Air Force women to overcome a pesky challenge from Utah State on Saturday.
Maybe that’s the key to why this program keeps chugging along in ways it never has before – because they’ve suddenly filled their arsenal with so many ways to win.
In beating Utah State 67-56 at Clune Arena in a unique spot as a favored team needing a win, the Falcons answered immediately all five times the Aggies scored to tie or take the lead (each time with a different player), they piled up seven steals to gain separation in the third quarter and had signature style performances from all three seniors on a day they celebrated the outgoing class.
The win extends Air Force’s school record for victories in a season (15) and conference season (9) and guarantees the program will not finish below .500 for the first time since it moved to Division 1 in 1996.
“They really believe,” coach Chris Gobrecht said. “They believe they’re going to find a way, so that’s how they play.”
The win pushes Air Force (15-11, 9-6 Mountain West) into sole possession of fourth place in the Mountain West, half a game up on No. 5 Wyoming. The top five earn first-round byes in the conference tournament. Colorado State is a game back in sixth place but with two more games remaining than the Falcons. Air Force would hold the tiebreaker over the Rams.
Those stakes made the game against the Aggies (8-19, 3-13) all the more important, and Utah State made things difficult behind 27 points and 10 rebounds from Adryana Quezada.
Air Force senior Cierra Winters scored the game’s first six points en route to 13, but Utah State recovered to take the lead early in the second quarter.
Winters immediately responded with the next five points.
The Aggies tied it a few minutes later and freshman Lauren McDonald hit a 3 to push Air Force back in front.
That’s how it went through the two middle quarters, with Kamri Heath, Nikki McDonald and Riley Snyder coming up with immediate answers just as the Aggies would tie or move in front.
“We know that every player on our team can score,” Winters said. “We just trust each other to get it done.”
Winters had three of the Falcons’ seven third-quarter steals, with the defense leading the way to close the quarter on a 10-2 run and pull ahead by eight.
The Falcons finally opened their first double-digit lead in the fourth quarter and Gobrecht removed her three seniors together with a minute remaining. There is still one home game left on the schedule, but they opted to celebrate the seniors on Saturday to ensure families could travel in for the weekend game.
Seniors Audrey Gadison (knee injury) and Briana Autry-Thompson (academics) were unavailable to play, but were honored along with their classmates in a pregame ceremony.
And the seniors led. Winters had five steals to go with her 13 points. Snyder, celebrating her birthday, scored a team-high 17 points with six rebounds. Haley Jones added nine points, eight rebounds and two steals.
“We knew that’s a game we should have won,” Snyder said. “We know we’re going to get everybody’s best. We have to make sure we’re winning the games that we need to win, which, honestly, from here on out we want to win every single one of them.”
Gobrecht inherited a program in 2015 that had lost 43 consecutive games against Mountain West competition. Her first two seasons produced a record of 5-54. Now, the Falcons have won as many games in this month (4) with two games remaining as they had ever won in a full conference season before her arrival.
“(Assistant coach) Stacey (McIntyre) and I gave each other a little extra pat on the back and said, ‘Did we ever think we’d get to 15?’” Gobrecht said of the record number of wins the program has posted. “So, yes, it does, it feels pretty good. I couldn’t’ think of a better bunch to be able to celebrate it with.
Military experts in the U.S. are urging Western nations to bolster Ukraine’s air defenses, fearing that Russia will swiftly take over its former territory’s airspace in the opening moves of a possible invasion.
An air assault on Ukraine would test the limits of the U.S. and NATO’s willingness to remain active over a country they have scrambled to militarily assist in the past few months, they say. The outcome of a decision to fly into a worsening or expanding Russian offensive could reshape the military relationship between the Cold War adversaries and their allies for the first time in over three decades.
An initial onslaught of cyberattacks would likely be followed by air and missile strikes as an opening physical assault to control the skies, Seth Jones, who directs the international security program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, wrote Jan. 13.
Senior Airman Josiah Goodman, 934th Maintenance Squadron aerospace propulsion technician, texts his girlfriend “goodbye” as he waits for his C-130 to take off at Minneapolis-St. Paul Air Reserve Station on Feb. 16, 2022. (Chris Farley/Air Force)
That would challenge Ukraine’s air defenses, a particularly weak point in a military aviation enterprise already outmatched by Russian capabilities.
“The Russian forces staging or available to be used against Ukraine … are wholly modernized and capable of dominating Ukraine’s defenses,” including through airstrikes and their own anti-aircraft weapons, wrote Wesley Clark, a retired four-star Army general who served as NATO’s supreme allied commander from 1997 to 2000, in a Jan. 14 Washington Post op-ed.
Ukraine’s sizable stockpile of anti-aircraft missiles are largely outdated and are Russian-built weapons, which that military knows how to evade, said Philip Breedlove, a retired four-star Air Force general who served as head of U.S. European Command and NATO’s supreme allied commander from 2013 to 2016.
Breedlove was also the Air Force’s vice chief of staff in 2011-2012 before commanding U.S. Air Forces in Europe until May 2013. He now works as a Europe expert with the Middle East Institute.
Foreign nations have provided Ukraine with shoulder-fired Stinger missiles that can shoot down aircraft but are typically only useful against helicopters or certain drones. That solves only a small part of the air power problem, Breedlove said.
Airmen assigned to the 86th Airlift Wing load supplies onto a C-130J Super Hercules aircraft at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, Feb. 4, 2022. U.S. Air Forces in Europe are prepared and strategically positioned to rapidly surge forces across the region to support the alliance and defend against any aggression. (Senior Airman Thomas Karol/Air Force)
Clark and Jones both urged the U.S. and NATO countries to send more air defense equipment to Ukraine without delay.
“Nations have a legitimate right to self-defense, and the United States and our allies have every right to provide such means now,” Clark wrote. “We should expedite the delivery of defensive means and insist that our NATO allies do likewise. No other act now can show more resolve to Putin.”
Another issue: a vulnerable air command-and-control enterprise that is geared to look west at the former Soviet Union’s foes, rather than east to modern-day Russia.
Ukraine owns Russian-made command-and-control systems, which makes them particularly susceptible to electronic jamming and attack by their creator, Breedlove said in an interview Thursday.
“I take you back to 2014, when the Russians invaded and occupied Crimea. When they flipped that switch to take over Crimea, they completely, absolutely, 100% disconnected the military garrisons in Crimea from Kyiv,” he said. “Some of that was electronic warfare.”
Ukraine still lacks the ability to move through each step of air operations, from sensing a threat and identifying what it is, to targeting and shooting at it, Breedlove added.
“In the face of a dedicated Russian attack, with Russian air forces bringing their full force down to bear on Ukraine, they would not be able to defend their sovereign airspace,” he said.
Airman 1st Class Stephen Knotts, 436th Aerial Port Squadron ramp services apprentice, positions a cargo loader to an aircraft during a foreign military sales mission with Ukraine at Dover Air Force Base, Del., Feb. 10, 2022. (Roland Balik/Air Force)
U.S. Air Force and allied tanker and transport planes continue to help move people and equipment into Ukraine and the wider region.
The service on Friday referred questions on the specifics of their activities to Pentagon headquarters, and Air Mobility Command spokesperson Lindsey Wilkinson declined to comment on any considerations for a last-minute evacuation effort.
“Air Mobility Command — like any military unit — plans and prepares for a wide array of contingencies and humanitarian events,” she said in an email.
Lessons learned from Operation Allies Refuge, the frantic effort to fly more than 124,000 evacuees out of Afghanistan as the country fell to Taliban extremists last summer, will inform the Air Force’s planning going forward, Wilkinson added.
The White House has warned Americans in Ukraine it would not rescue them if war breaks out before they leave. The State Department estimated that about 6,600 U.S. citizens wete in the country as of October, plus additional American travelers.
If an invasion does unfold, Breedlove doubts U.S. planes will offer much direct support, like airborne transport for the Ukrainian military. Intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance support is more likely to last throughout a conflict, he said.
A screenshot capture at around 9 p.m. EST Feb. 18, 2022, shows a U.S. Air Force RQ-4 Global Hawk surveillance drone flying over Ukraine. (Courtesy of Flightradar24.com)
American spy planes, including RQ-4 Global Hawk drones and RC-135V/W Rivet Joints, have routinely patrolled Ukrainian airspace and nearby areas like the Black Sea for several weeks. Still, it’s unclear how much intelligence data the U.S. and NATO countries send to Ukraine.
The issue has raised concerns on Capitol Hill. A bipartisan group of Senate Intelligence Committee members wrote to President Joe Biden on Feb. 9 and pushed him to share as much information as possible with Kyiv.
The intent to gather useful data would remain, and possibly intensify, in an invasion, Breedlove said.
“The things I would be thinking about are, how do I adequately surveil such that I can help the Ukrainians?” Breedlove said. “That would begin to not only talk about Ukraine, but Belarus and the north part of the Black Sea.”
Intelligence-collection satellites may prove particularly important in an invasion, though Russia could try to jam their signals and blind their cameras. Breedlove believes drones and manned aircraft could still collect helpful information from a distance as well.
“We have often thought about how and where we could fly in a way that gives us coverage of international airspace and would make it an act of war for Russia to come out there and get them,” he added.
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The U.S. and NATO have begun reinforcing their attack aircraft in Eastern Europe, from American F-35A Lightning II fighter jets at Germany’s Spangdahlem Air Base to F-15E Strike Eagles at Poland’s Łask Air Base. But their role in what may come next is murky.
Clark recommended dispatching NATO air assets to Romania, Bulgaria and Poland as a precaution. Though some Eurofighters and foreign F-15 and F-16 fighter jet models are nearby to police NATO airspace — ideally to deter Russian military planes — he believes further air power would “reassure these allies and contain any spillover of Russian military action” into NATO territory.
“The time for this is now, before any action begins, rather than rushing forward in the face of Russian action, when the risks of accidental hostile encounters would be much higher,” he said.
Breedlove also suggested activating NATO’s Very High Readiness Joint Task Force, its most responsive military force that can mobilize within days in case conditions go south.
Experts differ on whether Russia would gamble with taking on U.S. or NATO aircraft in various scenarios.
Senior military fellows at the Atlantic Council argued Feb. 16 that Russia’s air-dominance training has signaled its willingness to engage outside aircraft if they try to intervene in Ukraine.
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Russian Tu-22 nuclear-capable bombers have recently patrolled the skies over Belarus, they noted. Training exercises can also shed light on possible moves in the future, including ground-attack practice with Su-25 planes on Feb. 10 and scrambling Su-35S fighters to capture and destroy an unresponsive air target seen as a stand-in for American or NATO jets.
“Advanced fighter aircraft and surface-to-air missiles Russia has deployed to Belarus provide the anti-access … “bubble” that covers much of the Ukrainian airspace — a further warning against any NATO nation entering Ukrainian airspace in the event of further hostilities,” the Atlantic Council fellows wrote.
Breedlove questions whether Russian President Vladimir Putin would give the U.S. a reason to return fire, inside Ukrainian borders or in broader Europe. The decision to shoot back would be left up to Biden, the commander in chief, and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, he said.
“[Putin] knows where he can go and stay below the line of NATO’s response. I think that tripping the NATO wire is not something he wants to do,” Breedlove said, declining to speculate further.
An F-15C Eagle assigned to the 493rd Fighter Squadron sits ready to perform a NATO Enhanced Air Policing mission at Łask Air Base, Poland, Feb. 11, 2022. During enhanced air policing, jets and aircrew are ready to respond to any airborne threat at a moment’s notice. (Tech. Sgt. Jacob Albers/Air Force)
To keep Russia on its toes, the retired Air Force general favors turning the regional air policing mission into one of air defense. He believes the rules of engagement governing what pilots can do during air policing are “wholly inadequate” outside of peacetime.
Fighter jets are tasked with identifying and addressing renegade aircraft, such as when American and European fighters intercepted Russian military jets that veered near their airspace over the Baltic Sea and in the High North on Feb. 3. Yet they can’t fire unless fired upon when flying over a foreign country, he said.
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For now, experts want to see more firepower — like F-35s, F-22 Raptor jets and naval cruisers or destroyers — spread across Europe.
“[Putin is] most afraid of NATO forces, capabilities and weapons in the forward area, so that’s what I’d give him,” Breedlove said. “I would send him a message: ‘Your bad behavior is going to cost you what you most did not want.’”
Rachel Cohen joined Air Force Times as senior reporter in March 2021. Her work has appeared in Air Force Magazine, Inside Defense, Inside Health Policy, the Frederick News-Post (Md.), the Washington Post, and others.
COLORADO SPRINGS – Legendary Air Force head wrestling coach Wayne Baughman passed away the evening of February 16, at home surrounded by his family. He was 81 years old.
A distinguished member of the national wrestling hall of fame, Coach Baughman was born and raised in Oklahoma and wrestled collegiately at the University of Oklahoma where he won a national championship.
After college, Coach Baughman put together one of the finest international wrestling careers in United States history. He won five national championships in Freestyle, nine in Greco, and one in Sambo. He captured gold at the 1967 Pan American Games and was a member of three Olympic teams. He is the only American wrestler to have won a national championship in all four recognized styles.
Baughman’s athletic accolades may only be shadowed by his remarkable coaching career. Coach Baughman led the USA as head coach on five world championship teams and was the head coach of the 1976 US Olympic Freestyle team.
As a former Air Force officer himself, Coach Baughman was instrumental in keeping Air Force active in wrestling. Baughman served two stints as head coach of the Falcons, from 1974-84 and 1988-2006. He produced a record of 183-134-4 in 27 seasons and led the Falcons to the 1991 WAC championship. Baughman coached 16 individual WAC champions and seven Western Regional champions while earning Colorado collegiate coach of the year honors five times. Baughman coached four NCAA All-Americans and a National Finalist while at the Academy.
“Coach Baughman is such an important figure in our program and in the sport of wrestling. We are so grateful for the time we got to spend with him,” head wrestling coach Sam Barber said. “He lived an incredibly full life, and he touched so many people’s life in such an extraordinary way. The impact he had on the program has elevated us to where we are today, not only did he lay the foundation, but he led a path of excellence that every Cadet Athlete can aspire to follow. He will be missed but never forgotten, his legacy will live on in perpetuity every time an Air Force Wrestler steps on the mat.”
Vice athletic director Colonel Thad Allen adds, “Coach Baughman has been a lifelong mentor to so many wrestlers. I can honestly say, of all the people at the Academy, he had the largest impact on me during my time there and since. He’s a stalwart friend, mentor and coach.”
“As a 19-year-old student athlete it was difficult to understand the championship, no holds barred toughness of a man like Wayne Baughman,” said Matt Ciccarello, a former athlete and assistant coach. “As a 52-year-old man, I constantly reflect and am thankful for the impact that Coach and Betty have had on me throughout my life. We were and are better officers, husbands, fathers and men because of the influence of Coach and Betty!”
Coach Baughman’s funeral service will be held on Saturday, March 12 at Crossroads Chapel, 840 North Gate Blvd, Colorado Springs, CO 80921. The service will commence at 1:30 p.m. MT. At the request of the Baughman family, in lieu of cards or flowers, please consider a gift to the Wayne Baughman Wrestling Program Endowment. For more information, please visit https://www.afacademyfoundation.org/.
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