Volume 3 Issue 1 October 2006 943rd Rescue Group, Davis-Monthan AFB Ariz AFRC

AMERICA HONORSITS AIRMEN WITHAIR FORCE MEMORIAL

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is a funded Air Force Reserve authorizedpublication for the members of the 943rdRescue Group, Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona.The contents expressed herein are notnecessarily the official views of or endorsedby the U.S. Government, the Department ofDefense, or the Department of the Air Force.All photographs are U.S. Air Force photographsunless otherwise indicated. Deadline for articlesubmission is the 15th of each month prior tothe desired month of publication. All stories,graphics, commentaries and photos will besubject to editorial review.

943rd RQG CommanderColonel Robert Dunn

Chief of Public AffairsTech. Sgt. Shawn David McCowan

Editorial AssistanceTeam

Capt. Eric SimonCapt. Michael Williams

Chief Master Sgt. Craig BergmanTech. Sgt. Rita Webb

Contact Information943rd Rescue Group Public Affairs Office

5020 E. Arizola StreetDavis-Monthan AFB, AZ 85707-3108

Phone: (520) 228-5952DSN: 228-5952

FAX: (520) 228-5258943rqg.pa@dm.af.mil

TSgt. Shawn David McCowanPony Express Editor

From the Stable

TTTTTHEHEHEHEHE P P P P PONYONYONYONYONY E E E E EXPRESSXPRESSXPRESSXPRESSXPRESS

When I met with Col. RobertDunn, 943rd Rescue Groupcommander, for my interview as chiefof Public Affairs, he warned meabout the heat here. I started to saythat anything’s better than muggyOhio summers.

But he meant work-related heat.There hadn’t been a public affairs

person in over a year and people hadforgotten we were here; buried atDavis-Monthan Air Force Base.Which is sad, because many times anHH-60 Pave Hawk is doing a rescueon a news program it’s the 943rd doingthe saving. So he wanted to get ourname out there in a big way.

Then he asked me if anyone hadmentioned they didn’t have anyone inprotocol, awards and decorations or ahistorian and no current plans to hireany. I’d need to fill in there too. Oh,and the Executive officer is new andwould like some help, too.

Then he added, “By the way, asenator, two representatives, fourHondurans and the new basecommander are coming to visit.”

I wanted to ask about a visit froma partridge in a pear tree, but Idecided to hold that one back untilcloser to Christmas or when the jobwas actually offered to me,whichever came first.

Once I cleaned up a year’s worthof mail and paperwork in my newoffice, I realized this was Tech Sgt.Ruby Zarzyczy’s old unit. Rats, she’sreally nice; no one here’s going to likeme!

I started designing a mask with aphoto of Ruby to acclimate everyone,but I held that idea back, too.

So I started to resurrect the PAoffice and the base magazine, thePony Express. Rewriting the staffsection was fun; “Chief, Shawn.

NCOIC, Shawn. Editor, Shawn.Writer, Shawn. Photos, Shawn.”

It’s time to invent somepseudonyms.

On my third day the financedirector asked if I could docalligraphy for a going away gift.Who told anybody I could doCalligraphy? I know it wasn’t me!

What specialty code goes with acalligrapher anyway?

That’s when I first realized what itfelt like to be “one-deep” in threedifferent shops.

So instead of complaining (bloggingat work all day is a no-no) I walkedaround and introduced myself, startedorganizing a calendar, began filing oldrescue photos and brushed up on mycalligraphy skills.

During my rounds, I found out thata lot of people are dong a lot of extrawork. The Air Force is reducing itsnumbers, but the mission still needs toget accomplished.

I noticed there was somegrumbling, but everyone was stillgiving their all… and loving it.

Sure, people complain about extrawork from time to time. I’ve done it.But the truth is I love my job. All ofthem. And I’d be happy to take up anM-16, a medical litter or a shovel too.

And I know I’m not alone. With allthe complaining that goes on withreductions in force, and some of itvalid, I still see Airmen making thebest of it when everyone’s wearing atleast two hats.

With walk-outs in professionalfootball, strikes in schools anddemonstrations in front of majorcorporations, it’s refreshing to see Iwork for an employer where theworkers love their work.

Col. Dunn recently asked how Iliked my new job so far. I was aboutto ask, “which one?”

But I’ll hold on to that one untilafter my performance review!

Hold that thought

FY 2007 UTAsOctober 14-15November 4-5December 2-3January 6-7February 3-4March 3-4

April 7-8May 5-6June 2-3July 7-8August 4-5September 8-9

On On On On On TTTTThe Cohe Cohe Cohe Cohe Covvvvvererererer:::::Organizers make final preperations forthe dedication ceremony of the AirForce Memorial, in Arlington, Va., onOct. 12. The memorial’s dedicationceremony kicks off at 9 a.m. Oct. 14.(U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. LarryA. Simmons). See full story andphotos on page 10.

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From the Stable

of the past 59 years, the United States AirForce has established itself as thedominant force in air, space andcyberspace.

Our knowledge-enabled Airmen haverevolutionized the way our nation defendsitself and its allies across the full spectrumof threats.

Before our inception as an independentservice, the Air Force responded whereverand whenever needed, whether fordisaster relief, humanitarian operations orcombat operations.

We have only gotten better in time.

Our heritage is one of technologicalinnovation, courage and dedication. As webuild on that proud heritage and looktoward new and unlimited horizons, wewill continue to deliver unmatched air,space and cyberspace dominance for theinterdependent joint team and our nation.

Your tireless commitment, agility andprofessionalism are the foundation for oursuccesses. Without you, and the supportof your families, we could not be theworld-class team we are.

America’s Airmen exemplify our corevalues of Integrity First, Service BeforeSelf and Excellence inAll We Do.

As we lead into our diamondanniversary celebration, we count on ourmost valuable asset – our Airmen – tocontinue the magnificent work ourforebears began.

We are confident you’ll conquertomorrow’s challenges with the samecourage, commitment and confidence thatdefined our first 59 years.

Thanks to our entire Air Force familyacross the globe: active duty, civilian,Guard, Reserve, retirees, veterans, and alltheir families.

Happy birthday, Air Force!

The following is a message from Secretary of the Air Force Michael W.Wynne and Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. T. Michael Moseley.

Happy 59th birthday, Air Force!

Over the courseOver the courseOver the courseOver the courseOver the courseGeneral T. Michael Moseley is

Chief of Staff of the U.S. Air Force,Washington, D.C. As Chief, heserves as the senior uniformed AirForce officer responsible fororganizing, training and equipping ofmore than 710,000 active-duty,Guard, Reserve and civilian forces.

As a member of the Joint Chiefsof Staff, the general functions asmilitary advisor to the Secretary ofDefense, National Security Counciland the President.

The general has served as thecombat Director of Operations forJoint Task Force-Southwest Asia.General Moseley also commanded9th Air Force and U.S. CentralCommand Air Forces while servingas Combined Forces Air ComponentCommander for operations SouthernWatch, Enduring Freedom and IraqiFreedom. The general is a memberof the Council on Foreign Relations.

General Moseley’s staffassignments have been a mix ofoperational, joint and personnel duties.These include Deputy Director forPolitico-Military Affairs for Asia/Pacific and Middle East, Chief ofStaff of the Air Force Chair andProfessor of Joint and CombinedWarfare at the National War College;and Chief of the Tactical FighterBranch, Tactical Forces Division, Dir.of Plans, Headquarters

About Gen. T. Michael Moseley:

General T. Michael Moseley

“Without you, and the supportof your families, we could not be

the world-class team we are.”-- General Moseley

Why are we the Pony ExPrEss?

In 1800’s America, communication between the Eastand goldmining communities of California challengedeven the bold. So rode the Pony Express in rain, insnow, in sleet, over moonlit prairie and down tortuousmountain paths. The Pony Express knitted togetherthe ragged edges of a rising nation. Hearty soulstoiled over plain and mountain that understandingmight be shared in a nation spanning a continent.

Through the iterations of symbols that representedthe 943rd, one image was always retained; thewinged horse. Symbolizing strength, power andgrace, the white horse has remained through eachchange of this group’s history.

The combination of symbolisms made the name“Pony Express” ideal; the message of the 943rdRescue Group to its sister locations across America.

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From the Stable

Recently, an event happened whichI really didn’t think would to myfamily or me: a fire in our home. Apropane gas fire. Let me set the stagefor you.

Our backyard is very small. Ourcovered patio occupies two-thirds ofthat space. This past summer thewife and I set up a screen enclosureso we could enjoy the summerevenings without being eaten byblood-sucking bugs. This tent coversmost of the patio, not leaving muchroom for anything else.

You can see it coming, can’t you?I should’ve as well.

This “mishap” began innocentlyenough. My wife called me while Iwas driving home from work toinform me that I needed to stop at thestore for groceries. In the middle ofthe dairy section, the wife calls again.

This time she’s in panic mode.The call went something like this:“Grill on fire. Fire sprayingeverywhere. Water won’t put it out.Fire trucks on the way.”

Knowing the grill was under thepatio covering, I became quite excitedand made a beeline for my truck. Ibelieve I broke every written trafficlaw in the attempt to save my house.

With the store a mere half mileaway from home and the fireprofessionals more than two miles

away, I made it there first. I fullyexpected to see the glow of flamesagainst the night sky as I pulled up infront of the house.

I grabbed my NOMEX flight jacketto give myself some level ofprotection, picked up the alreadydischarged fire extinguisher and ranpast the family toward the back yard.

There was a fire all right: a flameabout 10” long was torching from theregulator valve attached to the tank.To my surprise, the wife had left thegarden hose running on the tank. Toher credit, this may have helped inquelling the flames.

By the time I arrived the pressurein the tank had been sufficiently“burned” off allowing for the stream

When good grills go bad

“There I was...”

Tech. Sgt. Greg Gaunt,a crew chief with 943rdRescue Group’sMaintenance Squadron,faced the unlitmateirony; a fire at his homeduring fire safety month.

His family’s awarenessand quick actions madehis story an example, nota statistic.

He took the time to sharehis experience, and thelessons learned, withThe Pony Express.

All in the familyThe Gaunt family personified “preparedness” during their frightening fire ordeal. (Fromleft) Kyle, family cat, Oliver (still monitoring the grill) Kristen, Evan Shari and Greg.

TSgt. Greg Gaunt943rd RQG Maintenance

Courtesy Photo

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From the Stableof water to extinguish the fire. After what seemed anextremely long time the valve handle was cool enough toturn off the gas.

Within a minute the fire department arrived. Theyinspected the tank and valve and surmised that theregulator wasn’t properly secured allowing propane gas toescape and be ignited by the burners above.

Fortunately, and I mean very fortunately, the fire wascontained to the grill itself. The enclosed, stainless steelcabinet holding the tank and the regulator were the onlyvictims and the damage was light. The fear I had of thepatio covering and house going up in flames wereunfounded.

There are lessons to be learned from every mishap.Mine was no exception. That night after eating steaks(grilled on the stove), I rattled off to my family a fewlessons I just learned.

- Give the ol’ family grill a good preflight beforecranking it up. Even though our grill is only four monthsold and one would expect it to be perfectly assembled,never over estimate mass-production.

- If you have a fire extinguisher, be sure it’s serviceableand inspected regularly. An unserviceable extinguisherwon’t be any good when you need it.

- When the family realized the fire was beyond theircontrol, the wife and kids did the right thing by evacuatingthe house (with the cat), rallied in front and stayedtogether.

- Even though our covered patio takes up the majority ofour back yard, limiting where the grill can be placed, weshould place the grill in the most open space away fromflammable materials.

I’m very proud of my wife and kids for knowing whenthey could do no more. They got out early and saved theirlives, even the cat’s. As for the grill, the damaged partscan be replaced for less than $45. The fire extinguisherhas been recharged and is ready should a next time occur.

My family and I were extremely lucky. Had the firebeen more intense and not contained to the grill we mayhave lost everything. This experience proved everythingwe’ve been taught over the years. Train like you fight.Fight like you train.

The A-B-Cs of fire extinguishers PASS this fireextinguisher test

What Should You DoPlan two escape routes out of each room. Practice fire drills

at least twice a year.

• Teach family members to stay low to the ground when

escaping from a fire.

• Teach family members never to open doors that are hot. In a fire, feel the bottom of the door with the palm of yourhand. If hot, do not open the door. Find another way out.

• Install smoke detectors on every level of your home. Clean and test them at least once a month. Changebatteries at least once a year.

• Check electrical outlets. Do not overload outlets.

• Purchase and learn to use a fire extinguishers.

• Have a collapsible ladder on upper floor of your house.

Fire preventionweek is Oct. 8-14

All Information Source: National Fire Protection Association: www.nfpa.org

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News

Katrina rememberedOn the one-year anniversary of one of America’s worst tragedies,the 943rd Rescue Group remembers one of its greatest triumphs

Hang in thereMSgt. Brett Konczal, apararescue jumper withthe 306th RescueSquadron, hoists onemore victim to safety. The306th, a part of the 943rdRescue Group, was oneof the most active rescueunits during HurricaneKatrina and Rita rescueoperations.

Gas n goOne of the 943rd’s HH-60PaveHawks takes on-the-fly fuel from a C-130before returning to work.

SMSgt. Bob Branchfield

SMSgt. Bob Branchfield

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News

assigned to the 943rdRescue Group recentlyreceived honors for theirrescue efforts following lastyear’s Hurricanes Katrinaand Rita.

The reservists belong to943rd RQG‘s 305th RescueSquadron, 306th RQS,943rd MaintenanceSquadron and other groupsupport units.

Tucson Mayor RobertWalkup was keynotespeaker at the event. Hespoke on his perspective oflast year’s events.

“I didn’t have to makethe call to this unit. By thetime I heard we may needto send our men andwomen, they were alreadypreparing to deploy.

“In the midst of thisterrible tragedy were ourbrave Airmen, ready tohelp,” said Mayor Walkup.

Col. Robert Dunn, 943rdRQG commander and co-presenter at the ceremony,spoke briefly to theassembled group about hispersonal perspective of lastyear’s missions.

“I know how hard thesemen and women workedbecause I was there withthem. Just returning fromAfghanistan, theyimmediately prepared toleave for Louisiana andthen Mississippi.

“I didn’t hear anycomplaining. It’s in ourblood,” said Colonel Dunn.

Chief Master Sgt. CraigBergman, chief of the943rd MXS and one of therecipients of theHumanitarian ServiceMedal, said this was justanother example ofReserve readiness.

“This is an Air ForceReserve of volunteers. Weknew it would be long daysand nights and we knew itwouldn’t be easy. But we

had so many reservistswanting to help that we hadto turn some away. Oncewe were there it wasimpossible to tell who wasactive, Guard or Reserve.We were one force,” saidChief Bergman.

Chief Bergman also saidhe was touched to seethose who served duringlast year’s rescue effortswere being recognized.

Other military leaderswere present to honor theAirmen including Col. KentLaughbaum, commander ofthe active force’s 355thWing, Davis-Monthan AFB,and Col. Joseph Trippy, vicecommander of theReserve’s 920th RescueWing, Patrick AFB, Fla.Colonels Trippy and Dunnwere both presenters at theceremony.

More thanMore thanMore thanMore thanMore thanfortyfortyfortyfortyfortyreservistsreservistsreservistsreservistsreservists

“By the time I heardwe may need to sendour men and women,

they were alreadypreparing to deploy.”

-- Tucson MayorRobert Walkup

TSgt. Shawn David McCowan

TSgt. Shawn David McCowanPony Express

(Left) Every member at the 943rdRescue Group was on hand tohelp honor the award recipients.

(Below) Tucson Mayor RobertWalkup congratulates CMSgt.Craig Bergman after he recievedhis three awards.

TSgt. Shawn David McCowan

TSgt. Shawn David McCowan

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W-2s on Mypay are available:

https://mypay.dfas.mil/

AF News

WASHINGTON (AFPN) — Air Force leaders aregathering in early Novemberto discuss plans for creation ofa new command, onechartered with flying andfighting in cyber space.

Cyberspace became anofficial Air Force domain, likeair and space, on Dec. 7, 2005,when Secretary of the AirForce Michael W. Wynne andChief of Staff of the Air ForceGen. T. Michael Moseleyintroduced a new missionstatement.

In a letter to Airmen, theysaid the new mission was to“deliver sovereign options forthe defense of the UnitedStates of America and itsglobal interests — to fly andfight in air, space andcyberspace.”

Now, Air Force leaders areplanning to stand up a new“cyber command,” to beresponsible for fighting in thatdomain, said General Moseley.

“To deliver the full spectrumof effects we will evolve acoherent enterprise, with war-fighting ethos, ready to executeany mission in peace, crisis andwar,” the general said. “Wewill foster a force of 21stcentury warriors, capable of

delivering the full spectrum ofkinetic an non-kinetic, lethaland non-lethal effects acrossall three domains. This is whywe are standing up anoperational command forcyberspace, capable offunctioning as a supported orsupporting component of thejoint force.”

Air Force leaders beginplanning for the new cybercommand Nov. 16 at theCyber Summit. During thesummit, Air Force leaders willchart a way ahead for the AirForce’s role in cyberspace,also called the cyber domain,said Dr. Lani Kass, director ofthe Air Force Cyberspace TaskForce.

“The chief of staff of theAir Force is going to gather hissenior officers and talk aboutthe new domain, in which,according to our mission, weare going to fly and fight,” shesaid.

“Our objective is to comeout with a course, a vector, that

will set us up for transformingour Air Force, to get us readyfor the fight of the 21stcentury.”

According to Dr. Kass,cyberspace is neither a missionnor an operation. Instead,cyberspace is a strategic,operational and tactical war-fighting domain — a place inwhich the Air Force or otherservices can fight.

“The domain is defined bythe electromagneticspectrum,” Dr. Kass said. “It’sa domain just like air, space,land and sea. It is a domain inand through which we delivereffects — fly and fight, attackand defend — and conductoperations to obtain our nationalinterests.”

The cyber domain includesall the places an electrontravels. The electron, which ispart of the atom, can travelfrom one atom to the next. Thisconcept is key to electroniccommunication and energytransmission.

An electron may travelfrom a cell phone to a celltower, for instance. The paththe electron takes, the shapeof its path, the speed it travels,and the direction it travels areall critical to ensuring the cellphone works and that a usablesignal is received.

As part of a signal, anelectron can travel from ahandheld computer to areception tower, over a wireto a telephone, to a televisionthrough an antenna, from aradio transmitter to radio, andfrom computer to computer aspart of a network.

The electron can also travel,as part of energy transmission,from a microwave oven topopcorn seeds to make thempop, from generators over awire to a light bulb, and froman X-ray machine throughbone to a detection plate tomake an image for a doctor toreview.

The places where theelectron travels is the cyber

Staff Sgt. C. Todd LopezAir Force Print News

Air ForceLeadersannounceplans fornewcommand

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AF Newsdomain, or cyberspace. Andthe ability to deliver a full rangeof cyber effects — to detect,deter, deceive, disrupt, defend,deny, and defeat any signal orelectron transmission — is theessence of fighting incyberspace.

In the United States,Americans depend on thecyber domain for nearlyeverything they do. The cyberdomain is the “center ofgravity” for all aspects ofnational power, includingeconomic, financial, technical,diplomatic and military might,Dr. Kass said.

“Cyberspace is somethingon which, as a technologicallyadvanced nation, the UnitedStates is hugely dependent,”Dr. Kass said.

“You use your ATM card,you use your cell phone andyou go to an Internet cafe. Ifsomebody is pregnant, they gohave a sonogram. If they aresick, they have an X-ray or anMRI. All those things are incyberspace.

Our life has become totallybounded, dependent oncyberspace. Therefore, theimportance of that domain isnot only for how we fight, butalso for our way of life.”

Failure to control anddominate the cyber domaincould be catastrophic, both athome and on the battlefield, Dr.Kass said. An enemy whowanted to inflict damage onthe United States could use thecyber domain to penetrate anynumber of online systems.

Once they have gainedaccess, they might be able todelete or manipulateinformation to create an effect.

“Picture for a second thatyou are trying to fix an aircraftand all the information in your

computerized manuals hasbeen corrupted and you beginto put things togetherbackward,” Dr. Kass said.

The attacks of 9/11illustrateanother kind of effect that canbe inflicted through the use ofthe cyber domain.

The terrorists responsiblefor the attacks used globalpositioning system receivers toguide planes into the towers inNew York. They trained onaircraft simulators, they usedthe Internet to recruitparticipants, and theytransferred money to fundtheir activities electronically.

In Iraq today, America’senemies are using the cyberdomain and improvisedexplosive devices to inflictdamage on American Soldiers,Marines, Sailors and Airmen.

“We just commemoratedthe 10th anniversary of KhobarTowers,” Dr. Kass said.

“What the enemy used forthat occasion, and what theenemy is using in Iraq everysingle day, is the radiofrequency spectrum forremotely detonated devices.”

The Air Force nowdominates both air and spaceabove a theater of operations,so it has “cross-domaindominance” there. But the AirForce must gain dominance incyberspace as well, becausecyberspace superiority is nowa prerequisite to effectiveoperations in all other war-fighting domains.

The U.S. military’s controlof air, land, sea and spacedepends entirely oncommunication andtransmission of energy in itsvarious forms. For the AirForce and its sister services,continued dominance in theirrespective domains means

establishing cross-domaindominance across air, space,land, sea and now cyber.

“Cross-domain dominancemeans being able to delivereffects in all domains at thesame time, at the speed ofsound and at the speed oflight,” Dr. Kass said.

“We cannot afford to allowan enemy to achieve cross-domain dominance before us.This is the nature of thetransformational mission thechief and the secretary gaveus.”

While the Air Forcedevelops mastery of the cyberdomain, America’s enemiesare quickly becoming moreadept in their own use of thedomain, in part, because of thelow cost of fighting there.

“Enemies who cannotmatch us on land, at sea, in theair, or in space, are exploitingthe fact that in cyberspace youhave a very low entry cost,”Dr. Kass said.

“Low cost is what makesthat domain extremelyattractive to nations, criminaland terrorist organizations whocould not possibly attack theUnited States symmetrically.All you need to do is buy alaptop or a cell phone.

“As a matter of fact, youcan just go to an Internet caféand not even buy that stuff.You can buy yourself a phonecard and you can cause high-impact effects.”

Until recently, the Air Forcehad not named cyberspace asa separate war-fighting domainor said it would fly and fightthere. But now that the AirForce has recognized cyber asa war-fighting domain, it willbegin specific planning on howit can conduct both defensiveand offensive actions there.

“What I see in the future istrue cross-domain integration,to deliver effects, like wedeliver in air and space, wherethe commander has athis disposal, truly sovereignoptions, as stated in our mission,which is the ability to dowhatever we want, whereverwe want, whenever we want,and however we want —kinetically, and non-kineticallyand at the speed of sound andat the speed of light,” Dr. Kasssaid.

The Air Force is stillworking on what exactly itmeans to fight in the cyberdomain. While the Air Forceknows some of what it wantsto accomplish — things similarto what it is doing already inair and space, for instance —there remain challenges toworking in the new domain.

“One of the most importantthings we do, in and forcyberspace, is enable the killchain,” Dr. Kass said. “Itallows us to help find, fix andfinish the targets we are after.The problem is finding thetarget. Most of the enemiesare hiding in plain sight.”

Finding an enemy in thecyber domain means siftingthrough the huge amount ofdata there. In the United States,or above a battle space, thereare thousands of signals, andmost of those are “friendly.”The challenge is identifying thesignal of someone that meansto do harm.

“If you could use the cyberdomain, this river of ones andzeros, to pinpoint where the badguy is and who he is talking to,so you can get not only thesmall fish but get all his bestfriends and maybe his boss,then you are using cyber to itsfull capacity,” Dr. Kass said.

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AF News

WASHINGTON (AFPN) — Thenation’s youngest military service willkick off its 60th anniversaryobservance this weekend with theofficial dedication of the Air ForceMemorial here.

The memorial, composed of threebold and graceful spires soaringskyward to a height of 270 feet, willbe dedicated and given to the nationby the Air Force Memorial Foundationat an official ceremony at 1:30 p.m.Oct. 14 on a three-acre promontorynext to Arlington National Cemeteryand a short walk from the Pentagon.

Officials said the memorial honorsthe millions of men and women whohave served in the Air Force and itspredecessor organizations, includingthe U.S. Signal Corps, the Army AirCorps and the Army Air Forces. It pays

Air Force Memorial Set To OpenThe Air Force Memorial will be officially opened Oct. 14 with dedication ceremonies scheduled throughout the day,including a flyover of the Air Force Thunderbirds demonstration team.

MSgt. Gary R. Coppage

tribute to the dedication, sacrifice andcontributions of those who pioneeredthe skies, those who shape the air, spaceand cyberspace victories of today, andthose who will continue to do so in thefuture, officials said.

The memorial features a paved“Runway to Glory” at the site entrance;a larger-than-life bronze Honor Guardstatue; two granite inscription wallslocated at either end of a central lawn;and a glass contemplation wall thatreflects the missing-man formation, thefinal tribute given to fallen airmen. Thememorial’s surrounding spaces will belandscaped to create a memorial parkand parade ground overlooking thenation’s capital.

The dedication ceremony will includean aerial review consisting of aircraftfrom the 1930s through modern day,

from the B-17 Flying Fortress to theB-2 Spirit and F-22 Raptor.

The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirdsalso will perform a flyover and“bomb-burst” maneuver reflecting thedesign of the memorial’s three spires.

The Air Force also will host an openhouse in Pentagon South Parking from9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Oct. 14. Inaddition to the live simulcast of thededication from 1:30 to 3 p.m., theopen house will feature performancesby the U.S. Air Force Drill Team andthe U.S. Air Force Band’s high-energy“Max Impact” ensemble, a “HeritageParade of Uniforms,” a concert bycountry singer Lee Ann Womack anda variety of interactive displays andexhibits showcasing America’s airmen,Air Force equipment, technology andaircraft.

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