ON-FINAL NEWS BULLETIN – August 5, 2022 (Vol 42, No. 8)

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  • 507th ARW

ON-FINAL NEWS BULLETIN – August 5, 2022 (Vol 42, No. 8)

(Click headline to follow link to story and photos)

Okies support world’s largest international maritime exercise at RIMPAC
The Okies supported RIMPAC in July 2022. Story to follow next month!

Reservists build a bridge of service around the world
Tucked away in a rural town of Nigeria, lies a small mission hospital where a young Ifiok Idem and Emem Idem worked together as local doctors. One day, someone was in dire need of surgery and a blood transfusion, yet there was not enough blood in the blood bank.

Air Force Reserve welcomes its new commander
Lt. Gen. John Healy received command of the Air Force Reserve Command from Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. CQ Brown, Jr., during a change of command ceremony here Aug. 3.

Just keep swimming; Reservists train on water survival
Thirty U.S. Air Force Reserve aircrew members from the 507th Air Refueling Wing and the 513th Air Control Group here attended a water training exercise at a local wave pool for water survival recertification, June 4, 2022.

Lt. Gen. Richard Scobee thanks Reserve Citizen Airmen
A multimedia piece designed for social media featuring comments from Lt. Gen. Richard W. Scobee's final interview as Air Force Reserve commander. In the video, Scobee expresses his belief that the people of the Air Force Reserve are responsible for his success and thanks them.

507th ARW August Enlisted Promotions  

MESSAGES FROM AIR FORCE LEADERS

August 1, 2022

One Team, One Fight, One Year Later:

To our Airmen and Guardians, our civilian employees, and their families and loved ones,

                One year into my tenure as the Secretary of the Air Force, I'd like to share with you some thoughts about what we have achieved in the last year and what I hope we can accomplish going forward.  I want to begin by thanking all of you for everything you do to make our Nation's Air and

Space Forces capable, professional, and ready.   You all work to keep our nation safe every day.

There is no more fulfilling or important mission, and you perform it amazingly.  I'm proud and humbled to have the opportunity to lead the Department of the Air Force.

                One year ago, I introduced the mantra One Team, One Fight as a guiding principle.  The best teams, in any endeavor, are successful when everyone does his or her job and commits themselves fully to the overall success of the whole team.  We are all on the American national security team, and we must all be focused on making that team successful in any fight we are called upon to win.

Most of all, we must be ready to deal with our pacing challenge, which of course is China.  At the same time we have to perform all of our other missions, including deterring acute threats like Russia, or other potentially hostile states, and dealing with violent extremist groups.  To do all this successfully, we have to recognize our roles in contributing to the larger overall national security effort.  None of this is about us individually whether we are in the Active, Guard or Reserve Component, or even about our immediate unit or organization; it's about something bigger than any of us, and a much bigger team of which we are all just one contributing part.

                As a Military Department that includes two Services we provide combat and combat support capabilities to a Joint or Combined Force that must fight as an integrated team to win.  The military team we are part of depends completely on the Total Force making up Air and Space Forces for operational success; we must do our part to support each other and the overall team.  Our American defense strategy calls for integrated deterrence in which whole of government and international partners are united in our "one fight".  We live in an increasingly dangerous world, and we cannot afford to let parochial interests get in the way of performing our broader mission as essential members of the American national security team.  One year later, this principle must still guide us.

                The threat is increasing, and it will continue to do so.  For decades now, China has endeavored to field forces designed to deter or defeat the United States, especially the power projection capability of the Air Force and the Space Force.  In my first year with the Department, we have seen public evidence that China is expanding their nuclear forces, testing novel orbital weapons, continuing an unabated conventional force modernization program, and increasing the aggressiveness of their behavior in the Western Pacific, all while also expanding their reach globally.

                In the last year, we've made a lot of progress in determining how we can stay ahead of our pacing challenge.  We've focused our work on seven "operational imperatives," areas where there are current or emerging gaps in capability.  For several months, expert teams have worked to define the best concepts and investments to close these gaps. Their work will be reflected in next year's budget request, but in many cases, we have already started efforts to move both the Air and Space Force in the right direction.  I have also appreciated the hard work that has gone into roughly a dozen specific management initiatives, our efforts to identify opportunities to improve the management of the headquarters and the enterprise overall.  As a result, we have been able to make a significant down payment to improve our IT and cyber posture - in other words, to fix our computers.

                So far Congress has been receptive to our approach, but we will need continued support as we transition to new capabilities.  My goal now is to obtain the resources we need to put militarily meaningful new capability into the hands of our Airman and Guardians as soon as possible.  As we move into the next year, the Department's senior leadership, myself, the Under Secretary, the Service Chiefs and Vices, and the Service Senior Enlisted Leaders will do everything we can to achieve this goal.  Your senior leadership team knows that its first responsibility is to give all of you the tools and training you need to do your jobs, now and into the foreseeable future.

                We have made good progress in making our "one team" as ready and capable as possible, but we know that more work is needed.   We have focused on assessing areas where we can improve.  The disparity reviews conducted last year and the Independent Review Commission (IRC) on Sexual Assault have informed our efforts to build a more inclusive force where diversity is valued and where everyone is respected and has the opportunity to make their fullest contribution to the team.  We have made meaningful policy changes intended to improve the quality of life of the Air and Space Force family in areas like caregiver leave, dress and personal appearance standards, and how we handle reports of sexual assault.  The Department of the Air Force strengthened the discharge process for sexual offenders, and we are in the process of implementing a pilot to co-locate support services for survivors of sexual assault. This is in direct response to our report on interpersonal violence, published last year, as well as the IRC recommendations. For each of these initiatives, and in many others, we have formulated plans and put policies in place designed to make the Department of the Air Force more effective, welcoming, diverse, and supportive.  Over the next year, we will be tracking our progress and taking additional steps to improve our support to the team.

                We had a challenging year and you have performed amazingly.   Your entire senior leadership team couldn't be more proud of what you have accomplished. You've met and defeated a pandemic, conducted the largest ever non-combatant aerial evacuation, assisted thousands of Afghan people transition to life in the United States, supported the people of Ukraine in their struggle against aggression, and deterred potential threats, of all types, around the world.   A year ago, I told you I was humbled and honored to be your new Secretary of the Air Force.  This year I'm also extremely proud to be a part of the Department of the Air Force family and a member of this team.

One Team, One Fight!

 

Frank Kendall

Secretary of the Air Force

 

UPCOMING EVENTS

Operation Holiday Spirit Steak Supper to be held Dec. 2
The 23rd Annual Operation Holiday Spirit (OHS) steak supper is scheduled to be held December 2nd. The steaks are 'to die for' every year!!!  Seats are limited to 350 so get your ticket while you can!  Plan early, have a great time, and help out our fellow Airmen. Tickets are now available online.  Visit www.holidayspirit.org for more information and to purchase tickets online.

75th Anniversary Air Force Ball
Event: 75th Anniversary Air Force Ball
Date:  24 Sept 22
Time:  1800
Location:  The Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark
Dress:  Mess Dress (01-09), Semi-Formal (E1-E9), Civilians: Formal Attire
Rsvp by:  23 Sept 22

Enlisted Commissioning Board to be held Oct. 15
If you are an enlisted member who has been considering commissioning, now is your chance!

The 507 ARW Non-EAD ACP board (formerly Deserving Airmen) will convene 15 October 2022.  Interested candidates must submit a complete package using the attached snowflake (as one PDF document) to 507.FSS.Workflow@us.af.mil with a standard subject line of 507 ARW Non-EAD ACP – Member’s Last Name.  507 MPF will review all packages and prepare them for the board.  Packages are due NLT 1600 on 3 Oct 2022

Chapel services available on UTA Sundays
Event:
Chapel Service Date: Sunday UTA Time: 0715-0745, Location: Bldg 1094, 72nd MDG, Heritage Hall in the basement

Event: Chapel Service Date: Sunday UTA Time: 0730-0800 Location: 72nd APS Conference Rm.

Event: Catholic Mass Date: Sunday UTA Time: 0730-0800 Location: Bldg 1059, 507th Operations Group, Conference Room

Event: Bible Study Date: Sunday UTA Time: 0800 – 0830, Location: Bldg 1048, 507th Logistics Readiness Squadron, Conference Room

For more information, please contact the 507th Chapel Staff at 405-734-1912.

Vanwey Dining Facility – Open for business

Mon-Fri

 

Sat-Sun

 

Breakfast

0600 – 0800

Brunch

0600 – 1300

Lunch

1100 – 1300

Dinner

1600 – 1800

Dinner

1630 – 1830

 

 

Due to social distancing requirements and minimal dine-in seating, the Vanwey Dining Facility requests your support in minimizing DFAC congestion by staggering customer meal times. The following schedule shows the suggested time-slots for customers:

10:30am- 507 MXS, 507 SFS, 513 AMXS, 970 AACS
11:00am- 507 CES, 507 LRS, 513 MXS, 513 OPS
11:30 am- 465 ARS, 507 OG, 507 OSS, 507 AMXS
12:00 pm- 507 FSS, 507 ARW, 507 MSG, 507 MXG
12:30 pm- 507 MDS, 72 APS, 513 ACG

Professional Development classes move to UTA Sundays

Motivated to do more and be more? Want to learn how to grow and develop yourself or your team? Know of current gaps in training?

Join us for our various training opportunities throughout the year to grow and professionally develop yourself!

2022 Professional Development Training, 507th Air Refueling Wing Auditorium, Bldg. 1056

Available via teleconference, just call 301-909-7357 and use access #: 247310745
POC: MSgt Megan Denman

August 7th @ 1000-1100

Effective Communication

Presented by: TSgt Grable

 

September 18th @ 1000-1100

Nutrition Training

      Presented by: Elizabeth Burgess

If you would like to get involved with the 507 ARW Professional Development Council, have any suggestions to improve the program, or have training topic suggestions, please reach out to any of the POC's below:​​

SMSgt Jeremy Scoles - MSgt Kurt Weisel​ - SrA Alyssa Perry​​​

Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program Upcoming Events
The Yellow Ribbon Program is a congressionally mandated program that is intended to provide military reservists and their families a forum to gather information on the resources and benefits available to them before and after deploying.

Crystal City, VA Aug 26-28, 2022

Orlando, FL Sep 16-18, 2022

For more information, contact the 507th ARW and 513th ACG’s yellow ribbon rep, 2nd Lt. Mary Begy at mary.begy@us.af.mil or at DSN: 884-5632 or cell: 407-517-2971

If you would like to submit information or photos to the On-final, email us at 507arw.pa2@us.af.mil.