Representatives from Pacific Air Forces, 154th Wing, 15th Wing, Air Force Civil Engineer Center, and the United States Army Corps of Engineers participate in a ground-breaking ceremony for the new F-22 Aerospace Control Alert (ACA) Facility on Feb 14, 2019 at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii. The blessing was performed by Kahu Kelekona Bishaw and included seven ground-breaking o’o sticks used in traditional Hawaiian ceremonies. (Hawaii Air National Guard photo by Senior Airman Robert Cabuco)
Team Hickam ushered in a new era of air defense during a ground-breaking ceremony for the new F-22 Aerospace Control Alert [ACA] Facility on February 14, 2019 at Joint Base Pearl-Harbor Hickam, Hawaii.
Representatives from Pacific Air Forces, 154th Wing and 15th Wing, Air Force Civil Engineer Center, and the United States Army Corps of Engineers gathered for a traditional Hawaiian blessing performed by Kahu Kelekona Bishaw. Included were seven ground-breaking o’o sticks used in traditional Hawaiian ceremonies.
“The milo wood bowl and the o’o sticks keeps us connected to the aina (land),” said Bishaw, “In old Hawaii, the o’o stick was the multi-purpose tool for farmers. It was used to dig, harvest and to protect.”
The current building was built in 1958 and it will be torn down once the new facility comes online. The new facility will continue to support the ACA mission which is carried out by pilots, maintainers, and weapons crews. They are on call 24/7, ready to respond at a moments notice against air threats to the Hawaiian Islands.
“The new alert shack has been a long time coming,” said Brig. Gen. Gregory S. Woodrow, Commander, 154th Wing. “The old alert shack hasn’t been updated much from 1958. We owe it to our service members to build something worthy for the mission Team Hickam is going to perform.”
Team Hickam consists of Hawaii Air National Guardsmen and active-duty service-members. This unit is one of several ACA sites around the country, which provides a national network of combat aircraft capable of activating at any time under any weather condition in response to airborne threats to national airspace.
Hopefully, retired pilots and maintainers who worked in the old alert facility will be invited to the facility blessing.
From the U.S. News & World Report website
The retirement years often lead to a new lifestyle. “Retirement offers that time and flexibility to find meaning in ways you might not have thought of before,” says Scot Landborg, a partner and senior wealth advisor at Sterling Wealth Partners, based in Orange County, California. You’ll likely discover a long list of options to fill your post-work days.
Whether it’s touring new museums, meeting friends at restaurants for dinner or exploring nature reserves, the activities you pursue can quickly eat into your retirement income. Taking a careful look at what’s important to you, as well as the funds available, can help you map out a meaningful retirement without overspending.
It isn’t clear, however, if sleep apnea causes the buildup of “tau” protein tangles in the brain that are a marker for Alzheimer’s, or if the increased tau helps cause the apnea, the researchers said.
“Since tau accumulation is a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease, an increase in tau raises concern that sleep apnea could make [people] with sleep apnea more vulnerable to Alzheimer’s,” said lead researcher Dr. Diego Carvalho, a neurologist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.
Miles Tadashi Nakamura, 63, formerly from Kapolei, HI passed peacefully, amidst family members, on January 5, 2019 at Porter Hospice, in Colorado.
Survived by his mother, Anne Nakamura, wife, Lucille, and sons, Kekoaalii, Dustin, Keli, and Alika. Daughter Nicole (Jayson) Hariuchi. Other survivors include siblings, Dianne (Frank) Tabata, Ashley (Adele), and Jerry (Nancy) Nakamura. Step-children: Dani Katrice Ekahilani (Santo II) Ruiz, and Darice Elualani (Edward) Apo; 16 Grandchildren and 2 Great-grandchildren.
Miles was stationed at Hickam AFB with the 154th Wing and retired from Hawaii Air National Guard in 2015 after 36 years of service. As an aircraft mechanic, he crewed on multiple airframes, such as C-130s and C-17s. He and Lucille were also foster parents with the Department of Human Services for 14 years.
Services will be held on Saturday, March 16, 2019, at Bishop Memorial Chapel of the Kamehameha Schools. Visitation 1-2 pm; Services 2-3 PM. Burial at National Memorial Cemetery, Punchbowl, on Monday, March 18, 2019 at 1PM. Casual attire.
Retiree News extends heartfelt sympathy to his family and friends.
Janine Orbando photograph | click to enlarge
Former 201st Combat Communications Group member Janine Obando who recently retired from the Florida Air National Guard shared this photograph. The photograph was taken at Walt Disney World with Gina and Gordon Kim who work Washington D.C.
All three were members of the 201st Combat Communications Group who moved for other positions.
As life happens and things change — and as you pass big milestones like getting married, having children or retiring — your estate plan and will should change too.
The risk of not having a current estate plan and will that reflects your wishes is great. “When individuals do not put any plan into place, it leads to confusion, chaos and unintended consequences,” she says.
Audio alone doesn’t cut it anymore. This generation expects to see someone’s face when they talk
Retirees Kristi Appelhans, 68, and her husband, Tony, 69, live in Idaho Falls, Idaho—about 2,000 miles from their daughter Kira’s family in Staten Island, N.Y. Although they visit every couple of months, they have found that the best way to stay connected to their grandson, Oliver, age 5, is through video chats using Skype and FaceTime.
Off the Hawaii Air National Guard Facebook page
Hawaii National Guard Photograph | click to enlarge
This weekend, our Airmen teamed up with their Hawaii Army National Guard counterparts for a chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) defense exercise. The joint team was evaluated as they recovered dozens of victims with simulated injuries.
Airmen from 154th Medical Group’s Detachment 1 specialize in search and extraction, triage response, medical treatment and more. Communications support was set up by members of the 154th Communications Squadron and Airmen from the 154th Force Support Squadron conducted mortuary affairs training.
Airman is the online information website of the United States Air Force. Articles are posted continuously online by the Defense Media Activity (DMA) group for the Secretary of the Air Force Office of Public Affairs.
Paper magazines remembered by retirees were discontinued many years ago. Digital e-magazines were posted online for several years, but has transitioned into a continuous postings.
Read the latest postings at the Airman Magazine website
The Air Force has additional social media presence online:
Our next Association Meeting is coming up this Saturday, 16 March 2019, at 10:00 am. We will meet at the Pearl Harbor Navy Exchange Food Court, on the Lanai.
This month we will present a very important topic – Legal Services.
We hope to see you there, please see the attached flyer for details – MRRA March 2018 Meeting Notice
Thanks to Walter Lai for sharing this information.
Hawaii Air National Guard photograph | click to enlarge
This undated photograph shows an after drill parties in the old radar dock. Shown are (l-r) Roy Matsuoka, William Akiona, and James “Bubba” Tachihata. These parties ranged from wing wide, or squadron events. This one appears like a small get-together.
Roy served in the missile shop, and Bill and James on the fighter flightline. All retired after long careers in the maintenance complex. James passed in 2016 after a long battle with cancer.
Thanks to Bill Chang, Gordon Lau and Gary Soma for their assistance in identifying the Guardmembers in the photograph.
Boeing photograph | click to enlarge
Boeing Co. has unveiled a new concept for an unmanned fighter that would work autonomously alongside fourth- and fifth-generation fighter aircraft.
Dubbed the Airpower Teaming System, the drone-jet hybrid would be a multi-mission craft using artificial intelligence to conduct intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions to supply pilots with more information during a conflict, according to the company.
Continue reading– includes a video
For most people, starting in their 50s and 60s, the brain’s ability to remember names, multi-task or learn something new starts declining. While our genes (which we can’t control) play a key role in determining our cognitive aging, our general health (which we do have some control over) plays a big factor, too.
From the List Challenges website
How many of the 150 most famous landmarks in the world have you experienced?
Landmarks from six continents.
