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BULLHORN #18
 

 ANAers!! 

 First, to all who responded so generously to our annual solicitation, thank you!!  It is only through your membership and generosity
 that the Association is carrying on its vital work of promoting all of Naval Aviation.  We will have the final tally soon – look in the
 next HOWGOZIT.   

 Remember, ANA will participate in the National Naval Aviation Museum Foundation Symposium 7 -  9 May at the Museum in
 Pensacola.  7 May is golf day, symposium events will be held 8 and 9 May.  ANA highlights will include the presentation of three of
 our annual awards AND an ANA meeting. 

 The Winter edition of our Flag Ship Publication, WINGS OF GOLD, is in “blue-line” and will be off the presses very soon.  Look
 for another great issue, full of articles on contemporary issues, historical events and people, squadron news and the like.

 The NIMITZ Battle Group just deployed from San Diego - Naval Aviation forces are fully engaged in Iraq/Afghanistan and around
 the world!  – NAVY IN ACTION!  Please find the details and lots more news in the attachment. 

 Go NAVY!!  Its time for our high school seniors to get serious about post-graduation.  And its time that the juniors start looking for
 their follow-on education or other career choices.  The Navy web site has a lots of good information on career potentials, including
 college, at the Navy web site, http://www.navy.com/.  NROTC is featured at http://www.navy.com/careers/nrotc/. 

 For those interested in a bit of nostalgia, you can get e-copies of current and past issues of Naval Aviation News, PLUS Grampaw
 Pettibone at http://www.history.navy.mil/branches/nhcorg5.htm.
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STATUS OF THE NAVY

January 24, 2008

Navy Personnel
 

 Active Duty:   333,552

 Officers:   51,224  

 Enlisted:   277,961  

 Midshipmen:   4,367

 Ready Reserve:   127,793 [As of 19 Dec]  

 Selected Reserves: 70,470 

 Individual Ready Reserve: 57,323

 Reserves currently mobilized:   5,043 [As of 23 Jan]

 Personnel on deployment:   56,489

 Navy Department Civilian Employees:   177,598

Ships and Submarines

 Deployable Battle Force Ships: 280  

 Ships Underway (away from homeport): 123 ships (44% of total)  

 On deployment: 96 ships (34% of total)

 Attack submarines underway (away from homeport): 25 submarines (46%)  

 On deployment: 20 submarines (37%)

Ships Underway 

 Carriers:

USS Nimitz (CVN 68) - 3rd Fleet

USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) - Pacific Ocean

USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) - 5th Fleet

 Amphibious Warfare Ships:

USS Essex (LHD 2) - Sea of Japan

USS Kearsarge (LHD 3) - 2nd Fleet

USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6) - Pacific Ocean

 Tarawa Expeditionary Strike Group:

USS Tarawa (LHA 1) - 5th Fleet

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 Pentagon backs troubled presidential copter program 

 By TONY CAPACCIO
 Bloomberg News

 The Pentagon has rejected a recommendation by the Navy to delay the purchase and operation of a new presidential helicopter built
 by a team led by Lockheed Martin, according to a budget document.

 Instead, in a Dec. 17 memo, Pentagon Comptroller Tina Jonas included $555.6 million to buy four helicopters in the next fiscal year.
 Navy Secretary Donald Winter, citing "consistent under-execution," recommended in August that the purchase be delayed until after
 2010 and the money transferred into more development.

 Jonas directed the Navy to pay for improvements to the fleet of 19 presidential helicopters, some of them 40 years old, until the new
 model becomes operational. The Pentagon's budget request will be scrutinized by lawmakers after the Navy said it was reorganizing
 the $6.1 billion program because of projected cost growth, weight increases and delays.

 None of those issues are addressed in the memo, which says the program will request $1 billion in fiscal 2009, including $555.6
 million to buy four helicopters.

 The Lockheed aircraft is based on the design of the EH101 helicopter produced by AgustaWestland, a unit of Finmeccanica SpA
 of Italy. Fort Worth-based Bell Helicopter would build the aircraft.

 The Pentagon's decision to move ahead comes as "the White House has rebuffed proposals to significantly delay the program
 because the current fleet of helicopters has grown quite old and lacks important features" for the president, said Loren Thompson, a
 defense analyst with the Arlington, Va.-based Lexington Institute, a defense research group.

 Lockheed spokeswoman Monica Hallman said the company "has received no official notification on funding decisions."

 Jonas' spokesman, Lt. Col. Brian Maka, declined to comment on the decision. Kevin Wensing, a spokesman for Deputy Defense
 Secretary Gordon England, said "the program is moving ahead." England met with White House officials last week to review various
 options, Wensing said.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
 Northrop Grumman going after new Navy contract

 Newsday.com

 BY JAMES BERNSTEIN

 james.bernstein@newsday.com

 4:24 PM EST, December 18, 2007

 Northrop Grumman Corp.'s unit in Bethpage has teamed up with Manhattan-based L-3 Communications Holdings Inc. to compete
 against other major aerospace and defense companies in building a new surveillance and reconnaissance plane for the Navy under a
 contract that could be worth more than $1 billion, the two companies said this week.

 The competition is to build a replacement for the Navy's EP-3E aircraft. Variants of the EP-3E have been in Navy service since
 1969.

 Jim Hart, a Northrop Grumman spokesman, said that the company's efforts on the program will be located in Bethpage. Northrop
 Grumman has about 2,000 employees on Long Island, the majority in Bethpage.

 L-3, a defense-electronics contractor, would be a subcontractor to Northrop Grumman if the two companies are successful in
 winning a contract to build the new plane.

 The plane captured headlines around the world on April 1, 2001, when an EP-3E collided in midair with a Chinese fighter jet about
 70 miles off the Chinese island of Hainan. The American crew of 24 were detained and released 11 days later. The midair collision
 killed the pilot of the Chinese jet and triggered a brief crises in U.S.-Chinese relations.

 Northrop Grumman said in an announcement Monday that the proposal is submitted along with L-3 was in response to a Navy
 request that solicited bids to develop a shore-based, manned aircraft that provides surveillance and reconnaissance.

 The Navy has not said how many such planes it is seeking. The service has about 16 EP-3E aircraft.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 Lockheed shows off new fighter jet in Fort Worth

 04:52 PM CST on Tuesday, December 18, 2007

 Associated Press

 Lockheed Martin Corp. showed off the vertical-takeoff version of its next military aircraft on Tuesday to an important customer —
 the U.S. Marine Corps.

 As designed, the joint strike fighter would give the Marines something they’ve never had: a stealthy supersonic fighter capable of
 helicopter-like takeoffs and landings.

 Marine Commandant Gen. James T. Conway said the plane would allow his pilots to control the skies, drop bombs and take out
 enemy missiles in battlegrounds like those in Iraq.

 Dozens of Marine officers and foreign military officials attended a pomp-filled ceremony inside Lockheed’s giant aircraft-assembly
 plant to mark the rollout of the F-35B. A Marine band played martial music, and assembly workers paused to watch from
 scaffolding.

 A simpler model that can’t take off vertically is being built for the Air Force and has undergone more than 20 test flights, including
 two this month.

 The first copy of the Marine version is expected to fly by the middle of next year, after extensive ground tests. A giant fan behind the
 cockpit allows it to take off and land like a helicopter, then fly like a conventional jet.

 Conway said the Marines decided to skip a generation of planes to wait for the F-35.

 “It’s a great airplane. Air superiority is only part of what it does,” Conway said. It can also “provide support to troops on the
 ground; that’s what we do.”

 The development of the joint strike fighter has been bumpy at times. Lockheed began a costly redesign three years ago after officials
 found that the plane was going to be too heavy. More recently, one of the test planes was grounded for several months.

 “Every new aircraft has its warts, and there will be delays,” Conway said, but he expressed confidence that Lockheed will deliver
 the first F-35s to the Corps on time in 2012.

 The Air Force is scheduled to get its first copies the next year, followed by the Navy’s aircraft carrier version in 2015.

 Lockheed, the world’s largest defense contractor, says the Air Force model will cost nearly $50 million, while the Marine and Navy
 versions are expected to cost around $65 million apiece.

 Those prices have led some analysts to wonder whether the government should stick with tried-and-true aircraft. The Congressional
 Budget Office said this year that the government could save $87 billion by killing the F-35 and buying currently available planes such
 as Lockheed’s F-16.

 The lineup of companies working on the F-35 reads like a who’s who of defense contractors, including Northrop Grumman, BAE
 Systems and subcontractors in other countries that are helping pay development costs.

 Sales of the F-35 could top $300 billion. It comes just as one of Lockheed’s most successful programs, the F-16 fighter, is nearing
 its end.

 Lockheed has built and sold 4,400 F-16s over three decades. Chairman and Chief Executive Robert J. Stevens, who attended
 Tuesday’s unveiling, said the company has another winner in the F-35.

 “We think the joint strike fighter will be the 21st century version of the F-16, probably selling an equivalent number of units or
 more,” he said. “The future is very bright for the F-35 and for Lockheed Martin.”

 From The Seattle Times –

 Monday, December 31, 2007 - Page updated at 12:00 AM

 Australia may cancel Boeing contract, report says

 Australia will review its air-combat spending program, which includes a $5.8 billion deal for 24 F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter
 bombers from Boeing, the Sydney Morning Herald reported today.

 The review is being will start "as soon as practicably possible," a spokesperson for Defense Minister Joel Fitzgibbon said in an e-
 mail.

 Fitzgibbon took office after Kevin Rudd's Labor Party defeated John Howard's Liberal-National coalition government last month.

 The government may cancel the Boeing deal or try to renegotiate it, the Herald said.

 Former Defense Minister Brendan Nelson agreed to buy the planes in March. He drew criticism for not involving Australia's defense
 chiefs.
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 dailypress.com

 Shipyard changes schedules for Bush

 Heavier traffic is expected due to the new location of the aircraft carrier George H.W. Bush.

 By PETER FROST
 247-4744
 January 1, 2008

 NEWPORT NEWS

 Shipyard employees returning to work Wednesday can expect to encounter heavier traffic than usual and more competition over
  parking spots on the south end of the yard.

 Over the holidays, Northrop Grumman Newport News moved the aircraft carrier George H.W. Bush from the north end of the
 yard to the south end for testing and the final phase on construction.

 The move places the 1,092-foot carrier next to the USS Carl Vinson, marking the first time two carriers are docked simultaneously
 on the south end of the shipyard. It also moves more than 3,000 employees and Navy personnel more than a mile south on the yard,
 combining with Vinson workers to create a crush of new traffic and expanded parking needs.

 In response, Northrop Grumman turned back the clock for workers on the Bush: They're now expected to punch in at 6 a.m., the
 same time as Vinson workers and an hour earlier than their old schedule. Coordinating workers' schedules allows for fair
 competition for limited parking slots, said yard spokeswoman Jennifer Dellapenta.

The yard also developed a new parking system to deal with more employees on the south end, including a new bus service that will ferry workers from north end parking lots and the conversion of some south end parking lots to accommodate employees who car pool.

 "It's probably going to take a couple of weeks before employees get it all sorted out and get back on a routine," Dellapenta said.

 In the meantime, the yard expects some traffic and parking issues — and some general confusion. Employees were notified of the
 change before they left for the holidays.

 "It's going to be a little crazy," Dellapenta said. "There will be a lot of traffic on Wednesday morning."

 The Bush was floated to Pier 2 on Thursday, five days later than planned due to high winds over the water. It had been in Outfitting
 Berth 1 for a little over a year.

 At Pier 2, the shipyard and the Navy will complete final testing and outfitting of the ship.

 Later this month, the yard expects to start testing the carrier's catapults by launching heavy orange boxes used to mimic the weight
 of aircraft into the James River. The tests ensure the catapults are strong enough to propel airplanes into flight while over open
 water.

 Northrop Grumman plans to deliver the ship to the Navy in late 2008.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 From The Mississippi Press –

 Global Hawk assembled at Moss Point

 Wednesday, January 02, 2008

 Staff Report

 MOSS POINT -- Northrop Grumman could play a key role in the development of unmanned aircraft if it wins the U.S.
 Navy's Broad Area Maritime Surveillance contract.

 Northrop is competing against Boeing and a Lockheed-Martin-led group to win the seven-year deal to build
 unmanned aircraft. The $3 billion contract is expected to be awarded in early February.

 The fuselage of an unmanned surveillance aircraft, the Global Hawk, is currently built in Moss Point.

 Sensors on the Global Hawk can keep track of any ship or vessel at sea, said Northrop Grumman spokesman Tom
 Twoney. If operators wanted to take a closer look at a ship they can bring the unmanned aircraft closer for a better
 view.

 If Northrop Grumman is awarded the Navy contract, the number of employees at the company's Moss Point
 Unmanned Systems Center could double.

 Site Manager Bryan Mahoney recently said there are 37 employees.

 The Moss Point Unmanned Systems Center is a 101,000-square-foot facility completed in April 2006 at a cost of
 $13 million. The facility released its first Global Hawk fuselage in March 2007.

 Once a fuselage is built, it is shipped to Northrop Grumman's Antelope Manufacturing Center in Palmdale, Calif.,
 where the wings, sensors and other components are assembled for a complete aircraft.

 Twoney said a Global Hawk costs about $27 million without sensors. If more Global Hawks are ordered, he said the
 price of each aircraft could go down.

 The Navy wants to put unmanned aircraft at five bases around the world, Northrop officials have said. According to
 the presentation made to county leaders in December, at least one aircraft at each base would always be in the air.

 The five bases will allow the Navy to track most global shipping. Twoney said the Global Hawk is suited to the
 project because it can remain in the air for periods of 36 hours or more at a speed of 310 knots. He said the Global
 Hawk can fly at any altitude from 50 feet to 60,000 feet.

 The company could see more international sales. Company spokesman James Stratford said South Korea, Spain
 and Japan are waiting for the Navy to make a decision on the surveillance program before ordering unmanned
 aircraft for their defense forces.

 Workers at Northrop Grumman's Moss Point facility build the fuselage for the EuroHawk in addition to work on the
 Global Hawk. The EuroHawk is the Global Hawk's European equivalent.

 Another development in the unmanned aircraft industry announced in December is Northrop Grumman's plans to
 test its Fire Scout, an unmanned helicopter, at the Trent Lott International Airport.

 A $1 million access road will connect Northrop Grumman's facility in the Airport Industrial Park to the runway in
 preparation for flight testing, instead of trucking the Fire Scout to Maryland, where it's currently tested, according to
 Twoney.

 George Freeland, executive director of the Jackson County Economic Development Foundation, said the access
 road will be built with Community Development Block Grant funds. Construction is expected to begin early this year.

 At least 11 testing jobs will move here from Maryland when the access road is completed and the site is approved
 for testing, Mahoney said.

 Mahoney said the primary advantage of the Fire Scout and the Global Hawk is that both are unmanned, so they can
 fly dangerous missions or in inclement weather without risking the lives of pilots.

 Because the aircraft are operated remotely, he said, the unmanned aircraft can be used to provide "over the
 horizon" views for smaller ships or other forces using the systems. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 4th Fleet could return to Central, South America 

 By Mark D. Faram – Navy Times Staff writer
 Posted: Thursday Jan 3, 2008 22:47:52 EST 

 U.S. 4th Fleet, which hunted submarines in the South Atlantic during World War II until it was dissolved almost six
 decades ago, is on its way back.

 The new 4th Fleet would cover a similar area, with plans to operate from Naval Station Mayport, Fla., and oversee
 operations in Central and South America. The commander of Naval Forces Southern Command would also be the
 head of 4th Fleet, Navy officials said.

 The fleet would not own any ships. Instead, it would operate in the same way Navy forces do in the Persian Gulf
 region. In U.S. Central Command, one admiral serves as head of both Naval Forces Central Command and 5th
 Fleet. Therefore, the dual-hatted admiral in charge of 4th Fleet and NavSouth would be under the commander of
 Southern Command.

 The NavSouth commander has a seat at the operational planning table through Southern Command. The creation
 of a numbered fleet gives the same commander an official role in allocating training and resources, letting him help
 tailor the forces for his missions.

 The decision to stand up the fleet, Navy officials said, is within the scope of the chief of naval operations, as
 changing ship home ports are. But a final go-ahead is still a ways off, though sources say the Navy’s leadership is
 actively working the issue and strongly in favor of the idea.

 A final decision will not come until the Navy has briefed military and congressional leaders.

 Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Gary Roughead “believes that having a command-and-control structure in
 NavSouth aligned with Navy component commands in other regions would enable us to more effectively carry out
 the maritime strategy,” said Cmdr. Jeff Davis, a spokesman for the Navy at the Pentagon. “More and more,
 SouthCom is a maritime theater, with Navy forces gaining increasing prominence.”

 Recent examples include the deployments of the hospital ship Comfort, amphibious assault ships and the high-
 speed vessel Swift to the area.

 The NavSouth job is held now by a one-star admiral, Rear Adm. James W. Stevenson Jr., though the Navy formally
 upgraded the billet to that of a two-star admiral last summer, though the service, as is routine, will wait to put a two-
 star in the job until after Stevenson rotates out later this year.

 The five current numbered fleet commanders are three-star admirals. While officials say upgrading the 4th Fleet job
 to three-star status would be a possibility in the future, such a move would require congressional approval, as it
 would most likely also require an increase in the number of vice admirals.

 The choice of the 4th Fleet name is a nod to precedence and history. In March 1943, the Navy stood up a 4th Fleet
 whose responsibility was to patrol the South Atlantic for submarines and other enemy vessels. The command lasted
 until 1950, when it was absorbed into 2nd Fleet in Norfolk, Va.

 Lockheed Martin awarded $141 million missile system contract with Portugal

 January 03, 2008: 12:28 PM EST

 From www.strategypage.com

 USN Puts NCOs In Pilots Seats
 January 5, 2008:  The U.S. Navy awarded wings to its first two non-officer pilots in over sixty years. Faced with a
 growing shortage of pilots, the U.S. Navy has finally adopted a solution the U.S. Army implemented long ago;
 warrant officer pilots. The first fourteen navy warrant officer pilots were commissioned a year ago and sent off to
 flight school.

 Noting over half a century of U.S. Army success with warrant officer program, the U.S. Navy decided to try it out, and
 called for enlisted volunteers two years ago. The navy warrant officer pilots will serve as flying officers in patrol,
 electronic warfare and helicopter aircraft. These pilots would remain pilots their entire careers. Commissioned
 officers are expected to move on to leadership positions. Traditionally, this often means spending some of your
 time flying a desk, instead of an aircraft. Many pilots don't like this, and the warrant officer program is, for them,  an
 attractive option.

 There's a sense of déjà vu with this. The navy had NCOs flying aircraft early in World War II. Ever since, there's been
 a controversy over whether all pilots (most of whom are highly trained warriors, not leaders, which is what officers
 are supposed to be) must be officers. At the start of World War II, the army air force (there was no separate air
 force yet) also had enlisted pilots. These men were NCOs ("flying sergeants") selected for their flying potential and
 trained to be pilots. Not leaders of pilots, but professional pilots of fighters, bombers and whatnot. Officers trained
 as pilots would also fly, but in addition they would provide the leadership for the sergeant pilots in the air and on the
 ground. As the Army Air Corps changed into the mighty Army Air Force (with 2.4 million personnel, and 80,000
 aircraft, at its peak), its capable and persuasive commander (General Hap Arnold), insisted that all pilots be
 officers. Actually, he wanted them all to be college graduates as well, until it was pointed out that the pool of college
 graduates was too small to provide the 200,000 pilots the Army Air Force eventually trained. But Arnold forced the
 issue on only officers being pilots, and the navy had to go along to remain competitive in recruiting. When the air
 force split off from the army in 1947, the army went back to the original concept of "flying sergeants," by making
 most pilots Warrant Officers (a sort of super NCO rank for experienced troops who are expected to spend all their
 working their specialty, not being diverted into command or staff duties.) Many air force pilots envied the army
 "flying Warrants" because the Warrant Officers just fly. That's what most pilots want to do, just fly an aircraft, not a
 desk. But a commissioned officer must take many non-flying assignments in order to become a "well rounded
 officer." Many navy and air force pilots don't want to be well rounded officers, they want to fly. So a lot of them quit
 the military go work for an airline. They often they stay in the reserve, and fly warplanes on weekends, and get paid
 for it. This is considered an excellent arrangement for the many pilots who take this route.

 What the navy is trying to do, besides experiment with the old "flying sergeants" arrangement, is address a
 shortage of pilots for combat support aircraft. Fighters are the most attractive aircraft for military pilots, but far fewer
 qualified people want to do the more unexciting work of piloting patrol aircraft and helicopters. The navy is also
 confronted with the coming generation of robotic aircraft. These UAV (unmanned aerial vehicles) are usually
 controlled (when they are "flown" at all) from the ground. This job has been unattractive to pilots, and often NCOs are
 used (except by the air force, which has made some of its UAVs completely robotic so they could allow NCOs to
 push the buttons) to do this. Warrant Officers would be better suited to be career UAV operators.

 2 U.S. Fighter Planes Crash in Persian Gulf; No Injuries Reported
 Monday , January 07, 2008
 

 WASHINGTON — 

 Two U.S. warplanes crashed over the Persian Gulf Monday, although the pilots were able to eject and have been
 pulled to safety, Pentagon officials said.

 The F-18 fighter jets were stationed aboard the U.S.S. Harry Truman aircraft carrier, which is the lead boat in the
 carrier group stationed in the Persian Gulf.

 One fighter was a one-seater, the other was a two-seater. Officials said all three pilots were recovered from the
 water and are reportedly safe aboard the Truman.

 The two planes apparently collided.

 The incident comes less than 48 hours after a tense standoff in the Strait of Hormuz involving three U.S. Navy
 vessels and five Iranian boats believed to belong to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard.

 The small speed boats harassed the U.S. ships and came within 200 yards. But the U.S. ships to evasive
 measures to avoid striking the boats, and armed their weapons, and the Iranian boats retreated. The incident lasted
 15-20 minutes.

 Subject: Navy P-3Cs certify for RNP RNAV and Mode S
 Date: 10-Jan-08

 News Release Number: E200801101

 News Release Copy: By Kristine Wilcox, PMA-290 Communications

 NAVAIR Patuxent River, MD – The P-3C Orion program recently became the first tactical aircraft to receive U.S. Navy
 certification for two major components of the Communication Navigation Surveillance/Air Traffic Management upgrade.

 The upgrade, certified Nov. 26 here, is an airspace access requirement mandated by the Federal Aviation Administration and
 International Civil Aviation Organization.

 With air traffic increasing worldwide, the CNS/ATM system has been developed to increase efficiency of assigned airspace and the
 level of safety. When combined, the upgrades will allow the airplane to fly on a more precise path.

 “Upgrading to CNS/ATM will essentially put the aircraft in the HOV lane,” said Capt. Joe Rixey, Maritime Patrol and
 Reconnaissance Aircraft Program (PMA-290) manager here. “Instead of sitting in traffic or having to take longer routes, aircraft will
 reach their destination sooner, using less fuel and allowing for longer mission time. That transitions to a more successful mission; and
 with the hundreds of hours our P-3s are flying, it is imperative that we provide this technology to the Fleet.”

 The P-3C aircraft received certifications for Mode Select and Required Navigation Performance Area Navigation. Mode S is a
 data-link signal that sends the aircraft’s identity information to the air traffic controllers in a shorter amount of time, reducing channel
 congestion over the airwaves. RNP RNAV uses the Global Positioning System as a primary means of navigation to seamlessly
 navigate the aircraft on its planned path without requiring it to zigzag from one ground-based navigation aid to the next. The U.S.
 Navy version of RNP RNAV uses the protected, secure, Precision Positioning Service GPS signal in order to operate in stressed
 environments in the battlefield as well as civil controlled airspace.

 The PMA-290 P-3C program and Air Combat Electronics CNS/ATM program (PMA-209) joined forces in 2004 to support the
 transformation of Naval aviation to meet CNS/ATM requirements. As part of the tasking, PMA-209 was asked to identify the
 appropriate functionalities for each aircraft; provide common solutions that could be achieved with military avionics; develop system
 level functional requirements to support testing and certification; and to provide technical management of the integration into each
 Navy and Marine Corps’ tactical aircraft.

 “The P-3C platform has really laid the foundation for all other Navy aircraft. This will save time and money as we move forward to
 upgrade the remaining Navy aircraft,” Chris Hoover, CNS/ATM team lead at PMA-209.

 “This has been a tremendous NAVAIR and industry team effort,” said Dan Shannon, P-3 CNS/ATM team lead at PMA-290.
 “Our industry partners Rockwell Collins, Northrop Grumman, BAE and Innovative Solutions and Support, along with Air Test and
 Evaluation Squadron Two Zero, Naval Air Warfare Center, Fleet Readiness Center Southeast and PMA-209 really came together
 to make this work. It was the hard work of an integrated team that allowed the P-3C to achieve this certification in such a short
 time. I am extremely proud that the work these teams have accomplished, which will also benefit the rest of the Navy and Marine
 Corp aircraft.”

 The P-3C program completed their first software test flight in Sept. 2005. By August 2006, the CNS/ATM integration team had
 completed developmental testing and in early 2007, the data had been analyzed and the program was ready for Mode S and RNP
 RNAV certification.

 The Navy has already completed CNS/ATM installations on four P-3Cs. All P-3Cs and EP-3s are expected to be upgraded by
 2013. According to Shannon, the Navy is also providing the CNS/ATM solution to the U.S. Coast Guard and several foreign
 military sales customers.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 VH-71 Begins U.S. Flight Testing
 Story Number: NNS080110-13
 Release Date: 1/10/2008 5:11:00 PM

 From Naval Air Systems Command Public Affairs

 'Air Boss' Experiences, Discusses Future of Helicopter Aviation
 Story Number: NNS080110-07
 Release Date: 1/10/2008 2:58:00 PM

 By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class (SW/AW) Chris Fahey, Naval Air Forces Public
 Affairs

Fleet Readiness Center Southwest
Public Affairs Office
P.O. Box 357058
San Diego, Ca 92135-7058
(619) 545-3415

 Release #: 08-001                                                                       Jan. 7, 2008

KELLY TO COMMAND FLEET READINESS CENTER SOUTHWEST

 NAVAL AIR STATION NORTH ISLAND – Capt. Michael Kelly is scheduled to relieve Capt. Fred Cleveland as commanding
 officer of Fleet Readiness Center Southwest (FRCSW) on Jan. 16. The change of command ceremony will be held adjacent to
 Building 460, at 1 p.m. Kelly previously served as the command’s executive officer.

 Fleet Readiness Center Southwest is the Navy’s premier West Coast tactical aircraft depot and provides unsurpassed aircraft
 products and services to the Navy and Marine Corps. Besides North Island, the command has detachments at five other locations:
 Marine Corps Air Stations Miramar, Calif., Yuma, Ariz., and Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii; Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Calif.,
 and Naval Air Station Point Mugu, Calif.

 FRCSW provides comprehensive, quality support to the nation’s aviation warfighters through overhaul, repair, and modification of
 Navy and Marine Corps front line tactical, logistical, and rotary-wing aircraft and their components by using state-of-the-art
 management systems.

 So we can know what the light-blue folks are doing –  

 PRESS RELEASE -- Secretary of the Air Force, Office of Public Affairs

 Release No. 040108
 January 16,2008

 Air Force Chief of Staff Releases Future Roadmap

 http://www.new-navy-uniform.com/picture-nwu.html 

 Rollout of New Navy Uniform Adjusted
 Navy News | January 12, 2008 

 WASHINGTON - The Navy announced a revised rollout plan for the new uniforms in NAVADMIN 004/08, pushing back the
 release of the all ranks Navy Working Uniform.  

 Also referred to as the blue digital camouflage uniform, it will be released to the fleet in winter 2008 and to Recruit Training
 Command in spring 2009. The Service Uniform for E-1 through E-6 will begin late this summer.  

 Contracting and manufacturing issues caused the delay, according to Robert Carroll, head of Uniform Matters for the Chief of
 Naval Personnel. "Our goal is quality uniforms for all Sailors. We've amended our rollout plan to make sure our contractors deliver
 the best possible products to the Fleet," he explained. 

 The new uniforms will be made available through Navy Exchange uniform centers and temporary off-site locations until all regions
 have been fully outfitted, according to Carroll. Outfitting of accession commands will occur separately and independent of regional
 rollouts. 

 Each uniform rollout will take 24 months from the start of the uniforms availability to completion. The sequence and timeline for the
 rollouts will be announced later this year by NAVADMIN. During the phase in period both old and new uniforms are authorized for
 wear.  

 Carroll reminds Sailors that the increase in the clothing replacement allowance they are beginning to see in their pay now will be
 needed later to pay for the new uniforms.  

 "Sailors need to carefully manage this money to ensure they have the funds to buy new items to meet uniform requirements," he
 said. 

 Rollout of the Navy physical fitness uniform is on track for Spring 2008 according to Carroll. 
 =============================================================== 

 Subject: WD rolls out new Sidewinder training missile
 Date: 17-Jan-08
 News Release Number: ECL200801171

 News Release Copy: The AIM-9M Sidewinder Team, with support from the NAWCWD China Lake Weapons Prototype and
 Airframe Divisions and the Materials Engineering Division, introduced the Captive Air Training Missile (CATM) with MDU-27B/A
 and CATM-only wing during rollout ceremonies at China Lake on Dec. 19, and Naval Air Station Lemoore on Dec. 20.

 The MDU-27B/A is a mass-balanced tube which replaces the inert rocket motor, inert warhead, and fuze on CATM-9M training
 missiles. The MDU-27B/A is an upgrade of the blue tube (MDU-27A/A), with enhancements to make it capable of meeting the
 more rigorous dynamics of the F/A-18E/F aircraft. The CATM-only wing is a modification of the tactical wing, which was
 previously used with all AIM-9M and CATM-9M configurations. The new CATM wing is for captive training use only, and was
 designed to be more durable and, unlike current tactical wings, repairable by fleet ordnance personnel.

 Both initiatives are expected to increase availability of training assets by extending or eliminating inspection and replacement
 intervals, and making CATM easier and more economical to maintain. Current inert rocket motors have a severe flight time
 limitation on the F/A-18E/F aircraft and at present usage rates are projected to be fully exhausted by about 2012. The MDU-
 27B/A is expected to be capable of flying with minor restrictions for the remainder of the AIM-9M service life. There will be no
 flight restrictions on the CATM wing.

 The modified wing and MDU are compatible with all CATM-9M configurations and may be flown on any type/model/series aircraft
 in Navy and Marine Corps inventory. CATM-9M training missiles logged more than 50,000 flight hours on Navy and Marine
 Corps aircraft in calendar year 2007.

 Subject: VX-31 delivers new night vision capability to Iraq

 Date: 17-Jan-08
 News Release Number: ECL200801171
 News Release Copy: By Renee Hatcher NAWCWD Public Affairs

 Two Marines assigned to Air Test and Evaluation Squadron 31 (VX-31) at NAWCWD China Lake recently traveled to Iraq to
 deliver a new night vision capability to Marine Fighter/Attack Squadron (VMFA(AW))-225. The Night Vision Cueing and Display
 (NVCD) system provides Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System (JHMCS) functionality integrated into night vision devices
 providing improved situational awareness for pilots during night flights.

 “It felt great to take this new technology to those who need it the most – a Hornet Squadron operating around the clock in Iraq,”
 said Maj. Danny Johnson, F/A-18 Test and Evaluation military deputy for VX-31. “They were extremely excited to get this system
 that significantly improves their support to Marines on the ground.”

 The new night vision system is a follow-on to the JHMCS, a joint effort between the Navy and the Air Force. Testing of the
 JHMCS is complete, and more than 2,000 day helmets have been delivered to the Navy, Marine Corps and the Air Force over the
 last 10 years. The Navy and Marine Corps use the day helmet system in the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and have begun installing the
 system into the F/A-18C. Installation of a dual seat capable system into the F/A-18D is scheduled to begin later this year. The
 JHMCS projects the information shown on the heads-up display in the aircraft onto the pilot’s helmet visor.

 “We’ve taken that very successful day helmet a step forward to an integrated night vision system,” Johnson said. “The new system
 acts as a force multiplier because it fuses together all the sensors in the jet for both the front and back seats as well as between
 aircraft in the same network.”

 The QuadEye™ NVCD system incorporates the same symbology - including airspeed and altitude, heading, and where the aircraft
 sensors are looking - shown in the JHMCS into a four-tube night vision goggle. The only difference is that it is injected into a tube
 on the goggles overlaying the night scene. There is also a camera mounted on the goggle that records everything, which serves as a
 useful post-flight debrief tool. The two outer tubes can be removed creating a two-tube version, known as Mini-QuadEye™.

 The Mini-QuadEye™ had only been cleared for use by VX-31 and VX-9. The F/A-18 Program Office (PMA-265) at NAVAIR
 headquarters arranged an interim flight clearance for VMFA(AW)-225 to fly the two-tube goggles during actual fleet operations.
 The four-tube goggles do not have a flight clearance yet but they will be tested soon at NAWCWD’s Supersonic Naval Ordnance
 Research Track to confirm safe ejection.

 Johnson and Maj. Chad Sund, VX-31 operations officer, took two sets of Mini-QuadEye™ goggles to VMFA(AW)-225 for
 assistance in developmental testing. Johnson and Sund spent a week with the squadron, which has two aircraft modified for the
 JHMCS.

 “It’s almost unheard of for something to have such favorable integrated test reviews , allowing combat exposure without having first
 completed developmental testing (DT) and operational testing (OT) first,” said Tim Hofer, QuadEye™ lead at NAWCWD’s F/A-
 18 and EA-18G Advanced Weapons Lab (AWL). “There was a big voice from the fleet asking for this new capability.”

 An approved Universal Urgent Need Statement from Marine Corps headquarters helped clear the way for a flight clearance for the
 VFMA(AW)-225 Vikings. The Vikings have been flying combat missions with the Mini-QuadEye™ every night since December
 2007 and will continue to fly with them until March. Reports from the squadron say that the Mini-QuadEye™ enables pilots to
 acquire and share target information much easier and faster at night.

 “We are hearing that it significantly increases their situational awareness at night, and provides a much more useful night scene than
 the current night vision system,” Johnson said. VMFA(AW)-225 Vikings have accrued over 60 flight hours and “Response is very
 positive,” according to a recent Viking flight report.

 While in theater, Johnson flew several missions with the Vikings and said that being able to experience current operations in person
 was a strong reminder about who he is working for, and reemphasized the importance of his team’s work here in the acquisition
 world.

 “I was able to see firsthand how much better the Mini-QuadEye™ is compared to the current night vision system especially when
 flying over urban areas,” Johnson said. “The blooms are smaller so you can discern city blocks and houses easier, and the bright
 lights in the foreground don’t blank out the terrain in the background.”

 Configuring the JHMCS for the Mini-QuadEye™ is easy according to China Lake engineers. The goggles simply snap onto the
 front of the helmet and can be modified for individual preferences. The Crew Systems Program Office (PMA-202) at NAVAIR
 headquarters developed a few prototypes of the NVCD system three years ago, and VX-31 has been flying them as part of an
 initial concept demonstration, risk reduction, and validation program for about two years.

 “The two-tube version is an 80 percent solution that requires the pilot to constantly turn his head to gather outside information,” said
 Steve Slay, QuadEye™ engineer at F/A-18 and EA-18G AWL. “The four-tube system significantly reduces the pilot workload. He
 can minimize his head movements and see the ground, cockpit and his wingman with normal periphery vision.”

 Johnson and his team will release a full DT report in March, and it is expected that VX-9 will then conduct some type of OT
 assessment. If all goes well, there could be a production decision by the end of this calendar year.

 “This is an example of everyone – NAVAIR and Headquarters Marine Corps, VX-31 developmental testers, VX-9 operational
 testers and the fleet - working together to get a much-needed capability out to the warfighter,” said Lt. Col. Mark Johnson, VX-31
 Commanding Officer.

 Nimitz Carrier Strike Group Set to Deploy
 Story Number: NNS080118-02
 Release Date: 1/18/2008 1:06:00 PM
 From Commander, U.S. 3rd Fleet Public Affairs

SAN DIEGO (Jan. 24, 2008) Sailors man the rails aboard the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68) as the ship gets under way. More than 5,000 Sailors from the Nimitz Carrier Strike Group departed San Diego on a surge deployment in support of U.S. military operations. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Kathleen Gorby (Released)

 Welcome to U.S. Air Force AIM Points 

 Lockheed Martin will 'back into' STOVL F-35 JSF testing
 BY: Graham Warwick, Flight International
 01/18/2008

 Lockheed Martin plans to "back into" jet-borne flight tests of the short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) F-35B
 Joint Strike Fighter, taking the approach used by Hawker with the original Harrier and Boeing with its X-32B JSF
 concept demonstrator.

 Flight testing will start with conventional take-offs and landings, and transitions from wing-borne to jet-borne flight will
 begin at altitude and gradually "build down" to vertical landings, says Doug Pearson, vice-president, F-35
 integrated test force.

 The first F-35B, aircraft BF-1, is in ground testing at Lockheed's Fort Worth, Texas plant after roll-out on 18
 December. The aircraft (pictured) is in the fuel barn, where the fuel system is being checked for leaks, tanks filled
 and flushed to remove debris, fuel quantity calibrated, and aircraft empty weight and unusable fuel measured.

 Any manufacturing debris larger than 200µ must be removed before flight. On the first F-35, aircraft AA-1, this took
 one-third of the fills and flushes required for the first F-22, says Pearson, adding: "That's an indication of
 manufacturing quality." AA-1 also had no external leaks, he says.

 After the fuel barn, flight test instrumentation will be checked out. BF-1 has the most complex instrumentation of all
 the development aircraft, says Pearson, because it will be the workhorse for propulsion, flying qualities and aerial
 refuelling testing.

 This will be followed by structural coupling and ground vibration tests in various configurations, with doors open and
 closed. "We've got a lot of doors," says Pearson. Vehicle systems functionality will then be checked, including a taxi
 test of the F-35B's smaller and lighter brakes.

 Early in the second quarter, BF-1 is scheduled on the hover pit at Fort Worth for the first of two periods of propulsion
 system ground testing. This will characterise the engine and check the functioning of doors and nozzles.

 Lasting about a week, the tests will involve about 10h of engine runs with the aircraft strapped down, says Pearson.
 A second round of pit tests will follow, lasting about two weeks and looking at the STOVL propulsion system in more
 detail.

 Lockheed then plans to change out "a very few of the subsystems", installing later versions, before beginning flight
 tests. BF-1 is planned to fly around mid-year, says Pearson, adding: "The window opens at the end of May." BAE
 Systems test pilot Graham Tomlinson is scheduled to make the first flight.

 Testing will begin by flying BF-1 on the same conventional "up-and-away" profiles as AA-1 for comparison. "We will
 back into STOVL tests," says Pearson. "We could begin with 'press-ups', but the risk is higher. This way we make
 sure all the control and radios work."

 Transition testing will begin at higher altitudes and speeds and work lower and slower, he adds. "We will begin the
 transitions up-and-away so if we have an issue there is altitude to recover. Then we will do slower and slower
 approaches and landings before we do a full-blown STOVL."

 BF-1 is expected to fly at Fort Worth for several months before deploying to the US Navy test centre in Patuxent
 River, Maryland, "likely in the first quarter of 2009", says Pearson. In all, there will be 13 flight-test F-35s - four
 CTOL, five STOVL and three for the CV carrier variant, plus AA-1, which is not production-representative.

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Higher, Farther, Faster: Ospreys in Iraq

Military.com  |  By Christian Lowe  |  January 21, 2008

Al ASAD, Iraq - The Marine Corps moved heaven and earth to get them here. An amphibious assault ship was commandeered specifically to carry the New River, N.C.-based squadron halfway around the world to the most dangerous war zone on the planet.
 

And there was a lot riding on this deployment. Billions of dollars were spent over nearly three decades on a technology that many said would
 never work. And its track record -- at least in the early years -- wasn’t very good.

 But the Corps’ most high-profile program is finally deployed, and from the looks of it, the MV-
 22 Osprey tiltrotor transport is living up to its promise.

 "There’s nothing in the inventory that can keep up with the Osprey," said Lt. Col. Paul Rock,
 commander of Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 263, which deployed here in late September.
 "This aircraft can scream across the ground."

 And that’s a big deal in a war zone still simmering with insurgents and terrorist-inspired
 upheaval. The more an aircraft can stay out of the danger zone the better.

 Over the last five months, the Osprey has flown myriad missions. But most of its hops have
 consisted of run-of-the-mill logistics runs: shepherding troops to widely scattered forward
 operating bases, flying in supplies and mail, shuttling commanders to meetings with tribal
 leaders and Iraqi security officials.

 But, while officials here don’t like to put it in such terms, the MV-22 has been put through its
 paces with an array of missions intended to push its limits and see just how much the
 helicopter/airplane hybrid can do.

 The Osprey squadron was tasked late last year with supporting a new mission dubbed
 "aeroscout," where a flight of Ospreys would swoop into an area with little U.S. military
 presence, drop off its load of Marines and wait there until the troops had scoured the area for
 enemy fighters and weapons caches. This was a tasking previously left almost exclusively to a
 squadron of shorter-range CH-53D Sea Stallion helicopters, but commanders wanted to see
 how the Osprey -- which is in part being purchased by the Corps to replace the 53D -- would
 perform on such a mission.

 But sometimes the mission is less "kinetic," as commanders here like to say. For more than a
 month during the November-December timeframe, the Osprey was tasked with medivac
 missions in support of Army UH-60 Blackhawks. Since the Osprey has much greater range and
 speed than other helos, it can pick up and drop off wounded much more quickly than the CH-46
 Sea Knight, the Corps’ primary medivac lifter.

 In once instance, an Osprey was dispatched to a remote outpost in western Iraq to pick up a
 Soldier with a routine, but serious, medical condition and flew the 130 mile round trip in less
 than an hour.

 "We can get that patient back during that critical ‘golden hour’ " during which medical attention
 can mean the difference between life and death, Rock said.

 Sure, commanders are singing the Osprey’s praises, but what do the pilots think?

 Though it took a little getting used to for Capt. Lee York, a former CH-46 pilot, the smoother
 controls and better situational awareness afforded by the advanced flight computers and
 navigation suite makes the job of flying the Osprey a lot easier.

 "In the Phrog, you had to stay on top of it constantly," York said during a daytime mission to a
 half dozen forward operating bases as far away as the Syrian border. "Phrog" is a term Marine
 pilots use to describe the CH-46 Sea Knight.

 "With all the technology [the Osprey] gives you … it makes it much easier to fly," York said.

 Pilots can set the Osprey on autopilot -- inputting speed, heading and altitude -- and sit back
 and almost relax for a while during the flight. The crew also feels a lot safer at the higher
 altitudes and speed the Osprey flies,        staying out of range of most handheld surface to air
 missiles and small arms fire. And in sandy, brownout conditions and night operations with low-
 light, pilots can "hover couple" the Osprey and fly it into the LZ without touching the stick.

 But, like any aircraft deployed to a combat zone, the Osprey is not without its maintenance
 hiccups.

 Earlier in the deployment several of the squadron’s aircraft had a key part fail. At one point
 "there were a couple of days when we didn’t have an aircraft in the air" because of a shortage
 of replacement parts, said Lt. Col. Evan Leblanc, the squadron’s operations officer.

 After some arm-twisting at the top, Osprey manufacturers Bell Helicopter Textron and Boeing
 sent over replacement "slip rings" to get the birds back in the air.

 "Sometimes it seems like we need to send up a red star cluster when we need spare parts,"
 Leblanc said. "But when we do, they just seem to materialize out of nowhere."

 In the maintenance hanger there was the usual grumbling about this part wearing out quicker
 than expected or surprise at that part holding up better than expected. One surprise for Osprey
 maintainers, however, is that the Moon-like dust here is less of a problem than the gritty sand
 of Arizona where a lot of MV-22 desert testing was conducted. The finer sand of Iraq is easier
 to blow out of engine parts and other tight spaces, maintainers said.

 But like any aircraft in a war zone, the Osprey has its good days and bad days.

 "It seems like these planes all talk to each other," said Sgt. Robert McGregor, a flight-line
 mechanic with VMM 263. When a part goes bad on one of them it goes bad on all of them, he
 said.

 Though most squadron Marines recognize the pressure they’re under to make this first combat
 deployment with the high-profile plane a success, leathernecks in the maintenance bays and
 airplane crews say their commanders have done a good job of keeping them focused on the
 mission rather than the scuttlebutt back home.

 One nine-year veteran of the program said he’s seen it all, and that while the Osprey does
 have its limitations, he’d rather be flying on this plane than the alternative.

 "The Osprey’s always going to have its critics," said Gunnery Sgt. Mike Brodeur, a crew chief
 with VMM 263, as he leaned through the cockpit door during a flight to al Rutbah. "When we
 first got these birds they were a nightmare … Now they’re a whole lot better."

 "This program’s come a long way," he added.

 Carrier's Namesake Tests Catapult
 Story Number: NNS080125-18
 Release Date: 1/25/2008 4:32:00 PM
 

 From Precommissioning Unit George H. W. Bush (CVN 77) Public Affairs

 CNO Announces Flag Officer Assignments
 Story Number: NNS080125-19
 Release Date: 1/25/2008 4:32:00 PM

 From the Department of Defense

 WASHINGTON (NNS) -- Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Gary Roughead announced the
 following flag officer assignments Jan. 25:

 Rear Adm. Michael H. Miller is being assigned as chief of Legislative Affairs, Washington, D.C.
 Miller is currently serving as deputy chief of staff for global force management and joint
 operations, N3/N5, U.S. Fleet Forces Command, Norfolk, Va.

 Rear Adm. (lower half) Kendall L. Card is being assigned as commander, expeditionary strike
 group three/ commander, amphibious group three, San Diego, Calif. Card is currently serving
 as director, command control systems, J6, North American Aerospace Defense Command/
 director, architectures and integration, J6, U.S. Northern Command, Colorado Springs, Colo.
 

Rear Admiral Michael H. Miller
Deputy Chief of Staff,
Global force Management & Joint Operations (N3/N5), Commander, U.S. fleet Forces Command
 

Rear Admiral Michael H. Miller, a native of Minot, N.D., was commissioned at the United States Naval Academy in 1974, and earned his “Wings of Gold” at Pensacola in January 1976. Subsequent flying tours were primarily out of Naval Air Station Cecil Field, Fla., flying the S-3A/B Viking on carrier deployments around the world, including combat operations against Libya, the Achille Lauro terrorist incident and squadron command in the Persian Gulf during Desert Shield/Desert Storm.

Rear Adm. Miller’s shore assignments include duty as Flag Lieutenant and Aide to the Deputy Commander in Chief, U. S. Atlantic Fleet (1979), Chief Staff Officer to Sea Strike Wing One (1986), and Executive Assistant to the Commander, Naval Air Forces Pacific (1994).

Rear Adm. Miller has served at sea as Air Operations Officer for Commander, Carrier Group 8, Executive Officer onboard USS John F. Kennedy (CV-67), and in command of the Third Fleet Flagship, USS Coronado (AGF-11). During this tour, he was responsible for a state-of-the-art technology infusion into the command ship for the eastern Pacific.

Following Coronado, Rear Adm. Miller was assigned as the Operations Officer for the 7th Fleet on board USS Blue Ridge (LCC-19), home ported in Yokosuka, Japan. He returned to John F. Kennedy in August of 1999 as Commanding Officer, and left almost immediately for an extended deployment to the Persian Gulf. He reported for duty as the Deputy Director of the White House Military Office in November of 2000; Rear Adm. Miller was commissioned as a Deputy Assistant to the President and the first-ever active duty Director of the White House Military Office in November 2002. He next assumed command of Carrier Strike Group 7/USS Ronald Reagan Strike Group in April, 2005, and subsequently led the Reagan Strike Group on its maiden deployment to the Persian Gulf and Western Pacific in 2006.

In February 2007, Rear Adm. Miller reported to Commander, U.S. Fleet Forces Command, assigned as the Deputy Chief of Staff for Global Force Management & Joint Operations (N3/N5).

Rear Admiral Miller’s personal decorations include the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, the Legion of Merit (5 awards), the Bronze Star, three Air Medals, the Meritorious Service Medal (3 awards), the Joint Service Commendation Medal, the Navy Commendation Medal (2 awards), Navy Achievement Medal and various service and campaign awards.

Rear Admiral Kendall L. Card
Director, Command Control Systems
NORAD-USNORTHCOM J6
 

Rear Admiral Kendall L. Card assumed the position of Director, Command Control Systems, North American Aerospace Defense Command/U.S. Northern Command (NORAD/USNORTHCOM) J6, on 28 July 2006.

Rear Adm. Card is native of Fort Stockton, Texas, and graduated from Vanderbilt University with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering in December 1977. He was then commissioned an ensign, reported for flight training, and was designated a Naval Aviator in July 1979.

From 1979 to 1996, Rear Adm. Card served in various aviation squadrons at sea, flying from the decks of USS Forrestal (CV 59), USS America (CV 66), USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71), USS Saratoga (CV 60), and USS Enterprise (CVN 65). During this period, he accumulated more than 3,900 flight hours in the SH-3H Sea King, SH