January 2015

Volume 18, Issue 1

This New Year brings with it new challenges

and, along with these new challenges, new

opportunities. As my first official act as your

President let me extend my sincere

appreciation to all of you for your support in

the elections and to offer my praise to the

2014 officers for their stellar work.

I look forward with enthusiasm to this year

and to the opportunity to engage with each

of you in developing an agenda that will

incorporate your ideas and broaden our organizational goals.

Please join me in supporting our Community, State and Federal

leaders and most of all, our comrades in the Profession of Arms.

Respectfully,

Annette Stewart

CMSgt, USAF, Retired

President

THE E-9ERS ASSOCIATION

NEXT MONTHLY MEETING

January 28, 2015

11:00 AM

Mr. Panda Restaurant 2852 S Havana St

Aurora CO

The E-9ers of Colorado

www.e9ers.org

www.e9ers.com

E-9

The E-9ers Officers The officers of the E-9ers Association are interested in hearing from you and what suggestions that you may have to improve our group. If you have any thoughts that you would like to share, please give one or more of them a call. They would love to hear from you. President: Annette Stewart 303-870-6185 Annette1986kouko@hotmail.com Vice President: Jerry Gamache 303-400-6752 sjgam@comcast.net Secretary: Sharon Melcher 303-341-9170 kcmelcher@comcast.net Treasurer: Ken Melcher 303-341-9170 kcmelcher@comcast.net Historian: Julian Dracon 303-795-5350 jiffy@q.com Director: Jack Hunter 303-797-3136 jackhunter@e9ers.org Director: Bob Olson 303-503-4884 olsonb475@earthlink.net Director: Patty Lee 303-796-9650 Sergeant-at-Arms: Cal Keil 303-755-8532 calkeil@aol.com Newsletter Editor: Andrew Grieb 303-283-1801 newsletter@e9ers.org

PRESIDENT’S COLUMN

WELCOME NEW MEMBERS!

CMSgt (Ret) James Hickman and Janette Hickman

CMSgt (Ret) Clyde Leckie and Perla Leckie

SGM (Ret) Larry Padilla

Amy Wanke

CMSgt (Ret) Stephen and Dolores Melko

WASHINGTON — A pair of U.S. and Chinese military ships on

Thursday began a two-day anti-piracy exercise in the Gulf of Aden off

the Horn of Africa.

The USS Sterret, a guided-missile cruiser, will participate with a

Chinese ship on “simple naval maneuvers,” boarding exercises and

helicopter cross deck operations, which will see an American aircraft

land on the Chinese ship and vice versa.

The ships were also scheduled to conduct a live fire exercise in which

guns on both craft would fire on a common target.

In total, 700 sailors from both navies will be part of the exercise.

Pentagon officials said Thursday they were unsure of the identity of the

Chinese ship.

Pentagon spokesman Col. Steve Warren told reporters the exercise

was intended to “enhance partnership and demonstrate strength and

presence in the region.”

It’s the second exercise of its type, Pentagon officials said. A previous

joint U.S.-China antipiracy naval exercise was held in August 2013.

news@stripes.com

HAWAII SQUADRON HEADING TO KOREA FOR ROTATIONAL DEPLOYMENT FROM STARS & STRIPES

US, CHINA LAUNCH 2ND JOINT ANTI-PIRACY EXERCISE FROM STARS AND STRIPES

SEOUL, South Korea — The 2nd Squadron, 6th Cavalry Regiment will begin a nine-month rotational deployment at Camp Humphreys in January, according to the 8th Army.

The 2-6 CAV, based at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, will replace the 6-17th Cavalry Regiment, which will return to Fort Wainwright, Alaska. The 6-17 CAV has been providing aviation reconnaissance and security support to U.S. and South Korean forces under the 2nd Combat Aviation Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, during its nine-month deployment, according to an 8th Army statement Friday.

The upcoming arrival of the 2-6 CAV is the latest in a growing number of rotational deployments to the Korean peninsula. Supporters say rotational deployments, which involve intact units rather than servicemembers on individual tours, means more stability and less turnover within units.

Officials have not said how many 2-6 CAV soldiers will be part of the deployment.

news@stripes.co

2

USS Sterret, DG-104,with two

of her helicopters.

DOD WANTS BULLET THAT CAN CHANGE DIRECTION AFTER BEING FIRED FROM MILITARY.COM

New .50-caliber bullets that can change direction after they have been fired could make soon make U.S. military snipers more deadly.

The EXACTO program — or Extreme Accuracy Tasked Ordnance — is being developed by California’s Teledyne Scientific & Imaging, LLC at the behest of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, according to a DARPA video posted on Youtube.

“The objective of the EXACTO program is to revolutionize rifle accuracy and range by developing the first ever guided small-caliber bullet,” DARPA officials said in a July statement accompanying the video. “The EXACTO .50-caliber round and optical sighting technology expects to greatly extend the day and nighttime range over current state-of-the-art sniper systems.”

The specially designed ammunition can change direction in midair. How that is done remains a tightly held secret. The Defense Department and its related

agencies declined to comment. DARPA’s statement announced that testing had been successful, a historical first. The

video shows two rounds of testing, in February and April. A bullet was deliberately fired off target both times, then changed path. In the second test, it appears to have struck the intended target.

Snipers generally operate in two-man teams — a shooter and a spotter — who have to make adjustment for a number of factors once they’re in position.

For instance, DARPA says sniper teams find places like Afghanistan, with its high winds and dusty terrain, extremely challenging. The Defense Department believes it is “critical” that snipers engage targets faster and more accurately, which will likely increase safety by concealing their location longer.

DARPA hopes to give them EXACTO soon. The program’s second phase, completed over the summer, provided a number of

improvements, and the current phase will focus on a system-level live-fire test and further refinements, the statement said.

Weapons experts applauded the breakthrough, but they wonder if the technology will translate to success in the field.

Ted Gatchel, professor emeritus at the Naval War College and expert in amphibious warfare, fortifications and small arms, said he has reservations about feasibility. Sniper teams already carry a large amount of gear with them. Gatchel didn’t see how it would be possible to add to that load.

He also saw potential issues with getting off a fast second shot. After a miss, a team’s spotter generally counsels the shooter on adjustments based on

where the first shot hit, or if they are successful, they move to a secondary target. They then take an almost immediate second shot. Inserting technology into the process could potentially impact that speed.

He also wondered if a person’s reflexes in guidance, as high-velocity rounds travel faster than sound, would be an issue.

“I don’t know if you push a button and it takes over,” Gatchel said. “I just couldn’t find out enough about the system to know how it works.”

Gatchel also saw potential pitfalls in inserting technology into an arena marked by rough terrain, rain and sand. He used the analogy that a map will still work with a bullet hole in it, while a tablet or a computer might not.

“You still need to train these snipers in the traditional methods,” he said. “Right now, sniping is a real precise art.”

Gatchel said if the program truly works, there is good reason to keep it highly classified, which led him to several other considerations that will likely be taken up by military officials.

The ability of the enemy to come up with effective countermeasures must also be taken into consideration.

Taking all of that into account, technological advances such as EXACTO can often contribute to or improve existing programs — or perhaps be used for something else altogether, Gatchel said. So even if it doesn’t find its way to the battlefield, it can still be beneficial.

“I never think it’s a bad idea to try something out,” Gatchel said. But “if it works, you can’t argue against that.”

3

FORT HOOD ATTACK VICTIMS CLOSER TO PURPLE HEARTS

DALLAS (AP) — The victims of the 2009 Fort Hood shooting that left 13 dead and more than 30 wounded moved closer Friday to receiving the Purple Hearts many say they are due.

Congress passed a defense policy bill Friday evening that includes a provision making victims of the attacks at the Texas Army post eligible for the Purple Heart. The award given to military personnel wounded in battle also offers increased retirement benefits.

The Department of Defense has denied the award to Fort Hood shooting victims, calling the November 2009 attack an act of workplace violence, not terrorism. That distinction has angered victims who say gunman Nidal Hasan committed a terrorist attack inspired by al-Qaida and an anti-American cleric abroad. Many victims still deal with lingering injuries and have struggled to find work after leaving the military.

A provision sponsored by U.S. Sen. John Cornyn R-Texas, requires the Defense Department to define an "international terrorist attack" as one inspired or motivated by a foreign terrorist group. According to Cornyn's office, the new definition would require the attacker to have been in contact with such a group.

Federal officials have already called Hasan a homegrown violent extremist, and the FBI has released emails Hasan exchanged with a cleric who was killed by an American drone strike in Yemen.

It's unclear when victims might receive Purple Hearts. The Department of Defense is expected to take several months longer to review the Fort Hood cases.

Keely Vanacker, a daughter of Michael Cahill, the lone civilian killed in the attack, said she expected Purple Hearts to move forward once Hasan was convicted and sentenced. Cahill would not be eligible for a Purple Heart, but Cornyn's bill aims to make civilians wounded eligible for the Medal for the Defense of Freedom.

"For some of the wounded that I don't think have really had an opportunity to move on yet and have maybe needed this for some closure, I hope they get their closure from this," Vanacker said in a telephone interview.

Hasan, an Army psychiatrist who later labeled himself a religious warrior, was convicted and sentenced to death in August 2013. He is on death row at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.

4

TRICARE beneficiaries need to be aware of a telephone scam affecting beneficiaries over 65 and on Medicare nationwide.

A caller will usually identify themselves as being an official Medicare vendor, and will then offer to sell you back braces. The caller may have specific information that makes the call seem official, typically your address, phone numbers and doctor’s name. The caller is hoping this will convince you they are a legitimate vendor and that you will give them your social security number and additional personal information. If you receive a call like this, DO NOT give any of your personal identifiable information, such as birth date, social security number or banking information. TRICARE never asks beneficiaries for this information when calling for an official Department of Defense survey. The Defense Health Agency (DHA) Program Integrity Office is closely monitoring this situation. If you receive a call of this nature, please do not provide your information and contact the DHA Program Integrity Office directly. For more information on fraud and abuse reporting visit, www.TRICARE. mil/fraud.

NATIONWIDE SCAM AFFECTING TRICARE BENEFICIARIES

COURTESY TRICARE & SHIFT COLORS

Hubert “Shu” Wayne Shumaker passed away suddenly due to a home

accident on November 30, 2014 at the age of 85.

He was born May 21, 1929 in Star Junction, PA to Robert William and

Margaret Delilah Shumaker. He graduated from Jefferson High School,

PA and then entered the United States Air Force on February 18, 1949

where he served for 29 years, retiring on January 1, 1977. He married

Violet Walters on November 30, 1950.

Upon his retiring from the USAF and moving to Evans, CO in 1976, he

was active in the community. He was known as “The Wood’n Shu” and

after retiring from his business, he worked for Habitat for Humanity for

some eight years, where he was the Building Superintendent. He was

in charge of building the first Blitz House west of the Mississippi River.

Shu moved to Ohio, where he and his wife found 1.5 acres in a country

setting and designed and built a 2,400 sq. ft. home with two oversized

garages, one of which became his workshop. In 2003, they decided to

return to Evans where he had a house built and where Shu was presi-

dent of the HOA for about six years before retiring.

He is survived by his wife of 64 years, Violet of Evans; children, Monica

(Daniel) Link of Johnstown, CO, and Gary (Cindy) Shumaker of Sarato-

ga, WY.; five grandchildren, Zackary Shumaker of Laramie, WY, Daniel

Shumaker of Saratoga, Steven Shumaker of Casper, WY, Lindsey Jan-

sen of Fairport, NY and Nathan Jones of Johnstown,CO; and ten great

grandchildren.

In addition to his immediate family, Shu is also survived by his brother,

LaMar and sister, Beverly both living in Pennsylvania.

SUBMISSION POLICY

The E-9ers Association

Newsletter has an open

submission policy. If you

have news that will be of

interest to the organization,

please send it to us!

Articles will be edited for

length, grammar,

spelling and punctuation.

Deadline for the next

month’s newsletter is the

15th of each month.

Pictures must be

submitted in JPEG

format. Pictures are

subject to the same

deadline as articles.

For more information,

please contact the

newsletter editor at 303-

283-1801 or by email at

newsletter@e9ers.org.

Thank you!

Andrew Grieb Editor

5

A man dressed as a highly decorated Army Ranger at a Philadelphia

shopping mall on Black Friday --and caught on video in a confrontation

over his uniform -- may face federal criminal charges.

U.S. Rep. Mike Fitzpatrick sent a letter to Zane Memeger, U.S. attorney

for the eastern district of Pennsylvania, to see if the man, if indeed a

phony, could be charged under the Stolen Valor Act of 2013, which

makes it illegal to pose as a war hero to gain benefits. It is unclear if the

man received any military benefits while at the mall. Fitzpatrick, who

lives in the Philadelphia area, was a bill co-sponsor.

The incident unfolded when U.S. Army veteran Ryan Berk noticed the

man's uniform didn't look right. Berk took out his phone and began ask-

ing him questions about his service and uniform, including details about

combat patch placement. The video went viral with more than 2 million

views.

RETIREE ALERT

We have confirmed that if

you have a military ID

card, the services are in

the process of replacing

them with new versions

that will not have the

Social Security number

on them.

According to our sources

at Buckley AFB, the old

ID cards will not be

accepted after the first of

the year. You will be sent

to the base Pass & ID

section for new cards.

Please plan on getting

your ID cards replaced

soon, if you haven’t done

so already!

'FAKE' ARMY RANGER IN VIRAL VIDEO MAY FACE CHARGES

LOUIS ZAMPERINI TELLS HIS STORY WITH SOME HELP FROM ANGELINA FROM MILITARY.COM

“Unbroken”, director Angelina Jolie’s

movie about World War II hero Louis

Zamperini, opens on Christmas Day

and the studio has released a short

documentary clip to introduce his

incredible story to moviegoers who

don’t know Lauren Hillenbrand’s

bestselling book about Zamperini’s

life and his success as an Olympic

athlete at the 1936 Berlin games and

his brave WWII service.

Of course, Military.com readers

already know at least the outline of

that story, but Jolie interacted with

Zamperini a great deal during the

preparation for the film. Unfortunately, Louis died at 94 earlier this year

and didn’t have a chance to see the finished film, but his message

about perseverance in the face of overwhelming odds finally made it to

theaters last month.

(Editor’s Note: My wife and I saw a special on television on the making

of this film and we are looking forward to seeing it very soon. AG)

6

Director Angelina Jolie and

Louis Zamperini go through a

scrapbook of his life while

doing research for the new

movie, “Unbroken”.

A-10 Info

Affectionately called the “Warthog” for its aggressive look and often painted with teeth on the nose cone, the A-10 Thunderbolt II is the U.S. Air Force’s primary low-altitude close air support aircraft. The A-10 is perhaps best known for its fearsome GAU-8 Avenger 30mm gatling gun mounted on the nose. The GAU-8 is designed to fire armor-piercing depleted uranium and high explosive incendiary rounds.

The A-10 Thunderbolt II has excellent maneuverability at low air speeds and altitude, and is a highly accurate and survivable weapons-delivery platform. The aircraft can loiter near battle areas for extended periods of time and operate in low ceiling and visibility conditions. The wide combat radius and short takeoff and landing capability permit operations in and out of locations near front lines. Using night vision goggles, A-10 pilots can conduct their missions during darkness.

Thunderbolt IIs have Night Vision Imaging Systems, or NVIS, goggle compatible single-seat cockpits forward of their wings and a large bubble canopy which provides pilots all-around vision. The pilots are protected by titanium armor that also protects parts of the flight-control system. The redundant primary structural sections allow the aircraft to enjoy better survivability during close air support than did previous aircraft. The aircraft can survive direct hits from armor-piercing and high explosive projectiles up to 23mm. Their self-sealing fuel cells are protected by internal and external foam. Manual systems back up their redundant hydraulic flight-control systems. This permits pilots to fly and land when hydraulic power is lost.

The A-10 can be serviced and operated from austere bases with limited facilities near battle areas. Many of the aircraft's parts are interchangeable left and right, including the engines, main landing gear and vertical stabilizers. Avionics equipment includes multi-band communications; GPS and inertial navigation systems; infrared and electronic countermeasures against air-to-air and air-to-surface threats. And, it has a heads-up display to display flight and weapons delivery information.

This info is from Military.com.

Lawmakers on key defense panels have reached a deal on the annual defense authorization bill that would block the Pentagon from retiring the A-10 fleet. Sen. Carl Levin, the retiring chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and Rep. Howard “Buck” McKeon, the retiring chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, on Tuesday announced a compromise version of the Fiscal 2015 National Defense Authorization Act, which sets policy and spending goals for the year beginning Oct. 1. While the bill would prevent the Air Force from spending any funding in the year to retire the gunship, it would allow the service to move as many 36 of the planes to back-up status. The shift would free up more maintainers to work on the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program. Both panels backed a provision “that would prohibit obligation or expenditure of fiscal year 2015 funds to make significant changes to manning levels with respect to any A–10 aircraft squadrons, or to retire, prepare to retire, or place in storage any A–10 aircraft,” according to a report accompanying the legislation. In response to automatic budget cuts known as sequestration, the Air Force proposed scrapping its fleet of almost 300 of the Cold War-era planes, known officially as the Thunderbolt II and unofficially as the Warthog, to save an estimated $4.1 billion over five years. Its snub-nose packs a 30mm cannon designed to destroy tanks and other ground targets. Key senators such as Sen. John McCain, who next year will succeed Levin as chairman of the Senate panel, and Sen. Kelly Ayotte, a Republican from New Hampshire whose husband was a Warthog pilot, lined up to protect funding for the snub-nosed plane, which packs a 30mm cannon designed to destroy tanks and other ground targets. Before transferring some of the A-10s to back-up flying or inventory status, the defense secretary must certify to the defense committees that he or she has reviewed “alternative ways to provide manpower to maintain the Air Force fighter fleet and field Joint Strike Fighter aircraft,” and determined the move was needed to avoid “degrading the readiness of the Air Force fighter fleet” or “delaying the planned fielding of F-35 aircraft,” the report states. Months after Pentagon officials argued that the A-10 is no longer needed for close air support — a mission they said can be performed by such aircraft as the stealthy, single-engine F-35 fighter — the military deployed a squadron-sized element of the slow, low-flying Warthogs from Afghanistan to the Middle East to fight militants affiliated with the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, or ISIS. “They’re going over there because there’s a need … to be postured for a combat rescue mission,” Jennifer Cassidy, an Air Force spokeswoman, told the Stars & Stripes newspaper. Congress is expected to vote this month on the defense bill before members leave for the holiday recess.

LAWMAKERS AGREE TO BLOCK RETIREMENT OF A-10 FLEET FROM STARS AND STRIPES

7

CALENDAR

Please send all calendar

information to me for the

NEXT month to my email

address.

Thank you,

Andrew Grieb

Editor

January 2015 New Year’s Day ............ 1/1 Martin Luther King Day1/19 January Meeting ....... 1/28 February 2015 Groundhog Day ............ 2/2 Valentine’s Day ........... 2/14 Presidents’ Day .......... 2/16 February Meeting ...... 2/25

PLEASE PLACE STAMP HERE

January - Happy Anniversary

Cheryl & Andrew Six .................... 1/1/2000

David & Elsie Howard ................ 1/20/1957

Jake & Susan Gallik ................... 1/22/1955

Peter & Claire Denlea ................ 1/27/2001

James & Annette Stewart ........... 1/29/1992

January - Happy Birthday

Diann Oden........................................... 1/2

Larry Cruz ............................................. 1/4

Robert VanSciver .................................. 1/7

Bob Flor .............................................. 1/10

Frank Forsyth...................................... 1/11

Chuck Hoffman ................................... 1/11

Elleen Levy ......................................... 1/12

Thomas Rochford ............................... 1/13

Reed Lutz, Jr. ..................................... 1/14

Billy Peeples ....................................... 1/15

Lou Peeples ........................................ 1/16

Joel Brown .......................................... 1/19

Ruth Spaar.......................................... 1/24

Joe Ashby ........................................... 1/26

Dolores Colella ................................... 1/28

Perla Leckie ........................................ 1/28

George Sykora .................................... 1/28

Kenneth Christiansen ......................... 1/29

The E-9ers Association Andrew Grieb, Editor

2980 S Racine St Aurora CO 80014-3329

Phone: 303-283-1801 E-mail: newsletter@e9ers.org

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