I have two news items. First, I finally found out where I'm going to be assigned once I get back to the states in late June: Edwards AFB, California. I'm quite excited. I really wanted to get stationed in California. I've always wanted to live there and it's close to home and family. I talked to someone at the unit I'll be assigned to. They are standing up a new "detachment" to handle the developmental testing for the F-35 or Joint Strike Fighter. Here's a little AF press blurb talking about my detachment:
10/5/2009 - Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M. -- The Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center stood up Detachment 1 at Edwards AFB, Calif., Oct. 2 to lead the operational test and evaluation of the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter. AFOTEC Detachment 1 will conduct operational test and evaluation on the JSF with three services and two international partners," said Maj. Gen. Stephen T. Sargeant, AFOTEC Commander. "The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter will deliver joint and coalition multi-role capabilities. AFOTEC will serve as the lead operational test agency for this the multi-service and multi-national initial operational test and evaluation, and we are already conducting operational assessments." According to General Sargeant, "The stand-up of this detachment is in line with our role to be in the right place at the right time to provide the right information to senior acquisition decision makers and the warfighter. AFOTEC is actively supporting the Chief of Staff of the Air Force goal of acquisition excellence by continuing to improve acquisition processes and skills." Detachment 1 will bring an additional 581 personnel to Edwards for JSF initial operational test and evaluation. The F-35 is projected to be operationally capable by 2013. "We are getting involved early in this program because we believe this approach to testing influences a program in a relevant, operational, and testable manner," said General Sargeant. "Early influence allows us to maintain an operational focus to ensure our combatant commanders have the right tools to win today's and tomorrow's battles." AFOTEC is a direct reporting unit under Headquarters, United States Air Force. It is the Air Force independent test agency responsible for testing, under operationally realistic conditions, new systems being developed for Air Force and multi-service use.
Here's a less than flattering article on the JSF from Time magazine.
Here are some pics:
Anyway, I think the job will be interesting and totally different from anything I've done before. I plan on living in this awesome town near the mountains to the west of Edwards called Tehachapi. I'll make sure I find a place with a couple extra bedrooms so you can all come to visit, and I'm pretty sure I'll get a couple dirt bikes so we can go riding in the mountains or desert when you get there. I hope to be all settled in there by late July. Tehachapi is about two hours from the heart of LA, and a little over three hours from Vegas.
Oh, I almost forgot my second news item. I originally thought I was going to have to wait longer, but
by my calculations, I'll get promoted to Lieutenant Colonel on November 1st of this year. Hooray for me!
