Inside Gates’ ride
Posted by Mike on June 11th, 2008 filed in Secretary Gates | Comment now » 
Welcome to Defense Secretary Robert Gates’ personal airline where they vow never to charge you an extra $25 for luggage.
Gates and his staff flies on an Air Force C-40B/C, which is a Boeing 737-700 business jet specifically modified to carry combatant commanders as well as members of Congress and the President’s Cabinet.
Here is a shot of the cabin where the press corps sat. All the seating was first class with plenty of leg room. Next to each seat was a data port where you could connect to the internet as well as a power chord. As for what was playing on the drop-down screens, I hate to disappoint all those Fox News fans because CNN was the channel of choice. However, that might have something to do with the fact a CNN correspondent, Jaime McIntyre, was traveling on the plane.
The plane is broken up into four sections. The first is a communications suite where communications airmen sit at their stations. I can’t imagine their’s a better communications assignment across the service than flying on these jets getting to travel all over the world with different dignataries.
The second portion looks like a U.S. Airways first class section where the press corps sat and the third has tables for Gates’ staff.
The back section is where Gates resides with a couch and a desk for him to get some work done during the sometimes lengthy trips. The extra room also proves handy to host round table sessions for the traveling journalists.
As for the plane’s toilets, the bathrooms were impeccably clean and much spacier than typical commercial plane. There was even complimentary mouth wash and shaving cream.
If only airline travel was always as comfortable as this.
Scott airmen applaud Gates
Posted by Mike on June 11th, 2008 filed in Secretary Gates | Comment now »
Not until reaching Scott Air Force Base, Ill., did Defense Secretary Robert Gates receive any type of reaction from the nervous airmen who sat and listened to him speak about why he fired the Air Force’s two service chiefs and who he nominated to replace them.
Airmen simply nodded in approval or slumped their shoulders with disappointment during Gates’ first two stops during his three base tour. But, the Scott airmen packed into the base’s joint officer/enlisted club erupted into applause once Gates announced one of their own would be the next to lead the service.
Gen. Norton Schwartz, head of Transportation Command who Gates nominated to become the next Air Force chief of staff, calls Scott home, so I’m sure he had a few friends in the audience.
I was hustled out of the club before the Q&A session started, but could hear Gates receive another couple rounds of applause through the thick wooden doors where the press corps feverishly tried to file their stories.
Again, Gates stuck to the script he delivered to airmen at Langley Air Force Base, Va., and Peterson Air Force Base., Col. Gates planned to meet with Schwartz at Scott to speak about the confirmation process and his future as the next chief. However, it was cut short once Gates got word a thunderstorm was moving into the Washington D.C. area.
Gates’ motorcade was rushed to his plane, but someone forgot to tell the press corps. We drew the defense secretary’s ire as he was forced to wait five minutes before the plane took off.
“I didn’t want us to get diverted to BWI or Philadelphia to , so I wanted to get us out of there,” said Gates on the plane headed back to Andrews Air Force Base, Md. visibly invigorated by the positive response he received at Scott.
Nervous airmen at Peterson
Posted by Mike on June 11th, 2008 filed in Secretary Gates | Comment now »
Seconds before Defense Secretary Robert Gates walked into the base theater at Peterson Air Force Base, Col., a nervous silence befell the crowd of about 400 extremely nervous airmen.
Airmen didn’t have to say a word. The dark circles under their eyes from a weekend that probably included quite a few duty hours and the sullen look on their faces told the story. Just like at Langley Air Force Base, Va., airmen understood the gravity of Gates’ decision to essentially decapitate its service’s leadership and start from scrap.
Gates warned that further disciplinary actions including firings would occur based on the results of Adm. Kirkland Donald’s nuclear report, and it seemed many in the crowd were either afraid for their jobs or someone they knew.
The rank makeup sitting inside the base theater also told the story over how serious Space Command officials were taking Gates’ visit. It’s not atypical to have a lot of rank in the crowd, but there is usually at least a couple airmen first class sitting amongst the master sergeants and above. Today, not a junior enlisted airmen could be found. Maybe they were worried one might pull out their cell phone and start playing video games in the middle of the speech much like the one at Minot during the nuclear surety inspection last month.
Once Gates reached the podium, he delivered almost the same exact speech he gave to Langley airmen except for a couple additional comments regarding missileers who make up a chunk of the command.
At the end of the speech Gates again asked the press to leave for the Q&A session with airmen to allow for a “comfortable exchange of ideas.” Although I can’t imagine many, if any, questions were not rigorously checked and rechecked by base leadership.
Kudos to any airmen who had the guts to have a question pop into his mind and then ask the defense secretary off the cuff two weeks after he canned that airman’s two bosses.
I can imagine the secretary will receive a warner reception at the next base, Scott Air Force Base, Ill., which Gen. Norton Schwartz, Gates’ nominee to lead the service, calls home.
Wake up Colorado Springs
Posted by Mike on June 10th, 2008 filed in Secretary Gates | Comment now »
Defense Secretary Robert Gates was met yesterday evening by Gen. Bob Kehler, head of Space Command, and Gen. Victor Renaurt, head of U.S. NorthCom, after flying into Peterson Air Force Base, Col., from Langley Air Force Base, Va.
I heard Gates enjoyed a steak dinner last night at MacKenzie’s Chop House in downtown Colorado Springs. For those visiting the Springs, I would recommend the Phantom Canyon Brew Pub. They serve a delicious trout dish.
Today, Gates kicks of the second leg of his Air Force tour speaking to airmen at Peterson Air Force Base, Col. at 8:30 a.m. local time before flying over to Scott Air Force Base, Illi where he’ll speak to Air Mobility Command airmen at 1:00 p.m. local time.
I wonder if Gate’s chief of staff nominee Gen. Norton Schwartz will be in attendance. Schwartz calls Scott home and was getting ready to start his retirement after 30-plus years of service, but instead of planning that fishing trip he might need to check out some D.C. real estate.
Looking forward to seeing today if Gates will provide any more detail into Adm. Kirkland Donald’s investigation into the mis-shipment of four nuclear nose cones to Tawain. I still question what set him off to fire Moseley and Wynne considering both an Air Force report and a Defense Science Board team came to the same conclusions Gates said he discovered in the Donald report.
And, yes that is CNN’s very own military correspondent Jaime McIntyre coming off the plane behind Gates.
DoD gets buffalo sauced
Posted by Mike on June 10th, 2008 filed in Secretary Gates | Comment now »
Bear with me as I take you through my thought process on what Air Force in-flight dining might consist of before it arrived.
Airplane food now costs $5 and it still tastes like cardboard, just $5 cardboard.
Air Force dining facility cuisine also tends not to liven the palate.
Now combine the two. But wait, it has to be good, right? It’s the defense secretary’s plane after all. I mean there isn’t even coach level seating in the C-40 he flies in.
And, as the unofficial food critic for all that is Defense Secretary in-flight cuisine, I would have to say it wasn’t too bad.
The buffalo chicken strips needed a bit more spice, but the blue cheese sauce on the side was a nice touch. Although the chicken tended to fall apart when you dipped it.
The spinach dip was a bit runny, but tasty causing me to consider to eat it by itself after I had devoured the three measly pita slices provided along with the adjoining carrots.
All in all, not bad, but maybe thats because my standards were so low going in and the fact I hadn’t eaten anything but an apple all day.
Note: Check back to the blog later for more in flight pictures. I got the go ahead while exiting the plane to take more shots inside.
Also, be sure to check the main website for all the news Gates broke during his short 30 minute interview after his Langley speech that provided clarity on issues such as the F-22, nuclear standards, manning cuts and why he chose Schwartz and Donley.
Airmen question defense secretary
Posted by Mike on June 10th, 2008 filed in Secretary Gates | Comment now »
I know this is a drab picture, but I thought it captured the sullen atmosphere within Langely Air Force Base’s theatre before and during Defense Secretary Robert Gates’ first speech since axing the Air Force’s two top service chiefs.
Throughout his prepared comments Gates rehashed mostly what he said last week about his refusal to accept the Air Force’s declining nuclear standards before dropping the bomb at the end saying he would halt all personnel reductions. Talk about burying the lead (sorry journalism speak). Either way, the senior master sergeant sitting in front of me apparently agreed with everything he was saying as she continued to shake her head emphatically in approval when he described how disappointed he was that he had to step in to improve an eroding situation.
Gates also announced his nominations to replace the service chiefs tapping Gen. Norton Schwartz, head of Transportation Command, to take over as chief of staff and Michael Donley to take over as Air Force Secretary. The airmen I spoke to throughout the day mostly supported the decision saying how shocked they were that the nuclear situation had gotten so bad, and others said they looked forward to an Air Force not run by a fighter pilot. First time since 1982. Apparently quite a few airmen are tired of the “fighter mafia” having a choke hold over their service. Gates apparently agrees.
The Langley theater might have livened up during a question and answer session held by Gates with airmen after his speech, but the press corps was hurriedly rushed out of the theater before it could start. The defense secretary wanted to provide and “inside the family” type atmosphere.
Later on the plane, Gates’ media flak filled the press in on what they missed explaining how the defense secretary received exactly 20 questions (isn’t that convenient) and had a wide range of airmen as low as a master sergeant and as high ranking as a brigadier general weigh in. As a fellow member of the traveling media accurately stated later: “If I referred to a master sergeant as a low ranking my email would be packed with complaints.”
Rankings aside, Gates was happy to finally clear the air with a group of airmen as he sounded beat down most of the day after what I’m sure was a long week deciding to take the unprecedented move of firing both officials. After speaking with airmen he said both he and those who filled the brick base theater benefitted.
This is Gates’ response after he was asked what he felt the mood within the Air Force ranks.
“What they seem to me is very professional. Ready to move on. I think they understand there is a problem that needs to be dealt with. I believe they appreciate it. My willingness to talk to them face to face and not only explain why I made the decision I made but then stand up and take questions for almost an hour as a gesture of respect to them.”
We shall see, he has two more bases left on the trip. I’m hoping those airmen are also lucky enough to have Get Smart opening already in their base theater’s.
Gates hits the road
Posted by Mike on June 8th, 2008 filed in Secretary Gates | Comment now »
Defense Secretary Robert Gates and the Air Force made history last week when Gates ousted his top two Air Force leaders, Chief of Staff Gen. T. Michael Moseley and Secretary Michael Wynne, on June 5. Never before has a service had both service chiefs simultaneously fired.
Gates said a recent report investigating the mistaken shipment of four classified nuclear fuses to Taiwan “triggered” his decision, but the Air Force also lost track of six nuclear warheads over 36 hours last August after airmen at Minot Air Force Base, N.D., accidentally flew them across country to Barksdale Air Force Base, La.
Gates is flying to three Air Force bases on Monday and Tuesday to reassure airmen, and stress how serious he is about reversing the erosion of its nuclear enterprise.
He plans to stop at Langley Air Force Base, Va., on Monday and both Peterson Air Force Base, Col., and Scott Air Force Base, Ill., on Tuesday.
Along with Gates I’ll be joining the press corps following the defense secretary around checking out what he has to say to airmen while getting their reactions.
Since this is the first time I’ve gotten a chance to blog on the Reporter’s Notebook I figured I’d quickly introduce myself. My name is Michael Hoffman and I’m a former airman myself, serving as an officer before I got out and started writing for the Air Force Times. Less than a year ago, I was at Pope Air Force Base, N.C., where it was a big deal to brief a colonel, let alone travel alongside the defense secretary.
I’ve been covering nuclear issues since I first uncovered the monumental accident at Minot and Barksdale that caused airmen everywhere to wonder not so elegantly “whiskey-tango-foxtrot” is going on. So, I’m eager to see how Gates will address this disturbing nuclear trend that Air Force leaders have been warned about for over a decade.
I also want to include you, the reader, in this trip. It’s rare to get this much access to the defense secretary, so hopefully I’ll have a few minutes to bounce some questions off him. Send me an email at mhoffman@airforcetimes.com with any questions you might have from the serious like: What exactly was in that investigative report regarding the lost nuclear fuses that worried you so much? To, the not so serious: What’s your favorite base to play golf at?
Either way, hit me up on email or leave your questions in the comment sections.
Wrap interview with the GIFF founders
Posted by soconnor on May 19th, 2008 filed in 2008 GI Film Festival | Comment now »Here’s my final interview with Brandon Millett and Maj. Laura Law-Millett, Army Reserve, ret., founders of the GI Film Festival.
I caught up with the husband-and-wife team with a few hours left to go in the festival. How did it go, I asked?
“I think our program is far beyond what a program would normally be for a second-year festival, so we’re thrilled,” Brandon said. The festival’s second run was much bigger than the inaugural version, with more sponsors, films, veterans organizations and “celebrity star power,” he said.
I also asked about the crowd mix they were looking for. From my observations at the festival, the largest group in attendance at most times was film industry people, followed by veterans, general public and lastly active-duty troops.
“I think the crowd here is pretty much what we wanted. We want military, and we’ve had tons of retired military,” Laura said. But by the same token, “I think people who serve in the military know how great the military is. We’d like to get some more people who are just moviegoers who want to learn more about the military and learn about the different lives of military folks.”
That response seems to be more in line with the festival’s purpose. From Brandon and Laura’s various expressions, the GIFF’s mission boils down to honoring American service members by depicting their service and sacrifices in an accurate, respectful and honorable way. This serves different populations in different ways: GIs have a chance to see movies that don’t insult or stereotype them, and the general public has a chance to experience the humanity and everyday lives of military members.
The founders also want to see more filmmakers and industry professionals at future GIFFs in hopes that the festival’s selections will be picked for distribution deals, and filmmakers will “be inspired to produce a film that portrays GIs accurately and positively,” Brandon said.
Brandon and Laura were both very pleased with the success of their festival, and I definitely saw some positive reactions among festivalgoers all weekend. What stuck out to me most is that during Q-and-As after screenings and during panels, most veterans offered up stories and opinions rather than questions. These films and the discussions really opened up veterans and got people talking about their experiences. That’s not something you see often outside of military-only gatherings, so the feeling of security and acceptance seems to me a marker of success.
So now begins the planning for next year. The GIFF founders identified a few major challenges on the road to their goal of expansion: assembling the right team; securing more funding; and avoiding labels.
The sponsorship and staff problems are common to any start-up non-profit. It’s the labels that will be hardest for the GIFF to tackle.
For one thing, the founders know they have to prove they aren’t just a war-movies-buff reunion.
“We try to provide a lot of emotional tones,” Brandon said. “We don’t just screen one kind of film, the classic war film. It’s possible someone could come to this film festival, watch every single film in it, and not see the same thing twice.”
“The films are not history-class films,” Laura said. “You’re not going to feel like you’re in eighth-grade history class.” The GIFF wants to show films that a general moviegoer would pay $10 to see at a theater and be happy they did, she said.
The festival also runs the risk of being labeled politically, as pro-war or jingoistic.
“We really want to avoid any political labels,” Brandon said. “As a film festival, we don’t take a position on any particular conflict. … Really, we called this the GI Film festival because we want to place the focus where it belongs. We could have called it the military film festival. We decided to go with the GI Film festival to focus on the experience of the American GI inside and outside the theater of war.”
Later, he added: “We’re not into whitewashing the impact of war. It’s devastating and horrible, and there’s no way you can do that, nor would we ever seek to do that. Nor would anybody in the military seek to do that.”
Whether or not that’s true of the entire military, Brandon’s statement rings true of the GIFF’s films. “The Last 600 Meters” and “This is War” especially portray troops as sometimes doubtful of their commanders’ decisions, and none of the troops in the films said, “I sure am glad to be here at war.”
The founders look forward to opening up their festival to more films next year, even though they watched 7,000 minutes of submitted footage this year (of course, 6,000 minutes of that was “Gods and Generals” … well, almost). Through the festival, they hope to introduce more GIs to the film industry, which was described all weekend as being completely insulated from the military world.
“It really takes getting more military folks into Hollywood to correct the problem,” Brandon said.
Video from the awards ceremony
Posted by soconnor on May 19th, 2008 filed in 2008 GI Film Festival | Comment now »This is a snippet of James McEachin’s “The Old Soldier” performance:
http://www.divshare.com/download/4534083-f3a
And remember Scott Sturla? He did another live performance of “Eight Days,” his tribute to his injured brother.
http://www.divshare.com/download/4534084-01a
Awards
Posted by soconnor on May 18th, 2008 filed in 2008 GI Film Festival | Comment now »The following pictures won “Best of” Awards, as judged by a panel of “film industry professionals,” the founders said:
Best Student Film: “As You Were” directed by Ben Bumgarner
Best Feature Short: “God and Country” directed by Daniel Piatt
Best Documentary Short: “Spitfire 944” directed by William Lorton
Best Feature Narrative: “A Soldier’s Heart” directed by Anthony Lover
GI Family Movie Award (given to a movie inspired by a military family member of the filmmaker): “The Flyboys” directed by Rocco DeVilliers
Best Feature Documentary: “Brothers at War”
Founder’s Choice: “The Last 600 Meters”
The Milletts also gave a Volunteer Award to ticketing organizer Debbie Stewart, which I thought was a classy move. It turns out the festival was run by an all-volunteer staff, which is pretty impressive; there wasn’t any point in the festival that didn’t seem to run smoothly.
The final award was the GI Hero Award, which you might expect would go to a GI, but in fact went to the media liaison/organizer/rainmaker Aimee Fasi. I can say from personal experience that she was a big help, and would be a credit to any Public Affairs office if she ever signed up.
So that’s it for this year’s GI Film Festival! I enjoyed the vast majority of the films I saw, and I heard great things about the films I wasn’t able to see. Here are my personal recommendations:
Must-see flicks: “Brothers at War,” “Year at Danger,” “The World Without Us”
For history buffs: “Spitfire 944,” “I’m Staying with My Boys”
Expand your mind: “The Men,” “Fighting for Life”
Rot your brain (and enjoy it): “The Marine,” “Buck Rogers in the 25th Century”
Show respect: “This is War,” “The Last 600 Meters,” “The Undefeated: Why We Fight”
I didn’t see it, but I heard great things: “Swim,” “Outside the Wire”
I’ll wrap up the blog tomorrow morning with the last of the video and an interview with Brandon Millett and Laura Law-Millett.
