“Red Tails” film honors Tuskegee Airmen

Yesterday, Jan. 20, was the special screening of the new George Lucas-produced film “Red Tails” at Rave Cinemas Franklin Park, Toledo, Ohio.

The all-black unit Tuskegee Airmen of the Army Air Corps in the segregated military of World War II didn’t often get recognition, let alone applause, as its members flew successful missions over Europe.

The Airmen believe the new film, directed by Anthony Hemmingway, will bring long overdue attention to their service.

“What we did was to pretty much change the course of history in terms of civil rights and everything that came after it,” said Harold H. Brown of Port Clinton, 87, who was a pilot flying escort missions as part of the Airmen’s 332nd Fighter Group — the Red Tails that are the subject of the film and so named for the bright red painted on the tails of the P-51 Mustangs they flew.

“There was an awful lot of history in terms of breaking down barriers,” said Mr. Brown, of the Airmen’s Ohio Chapter, in a conversation before a dinner to honor the Airmen.

“This movie is important because it tells a story that needs to be told without the usual Hollywood embellishments,” said John M. Stewart, of the Tuskegee Airmen Inc. Detroit chapter. He served stateside in the Air Force from 1949 — the year after the armed forces were integrated — to 1954. Unlike Mr. Brown, he is not an “original,” as the Airmen call those in the contingent trained at Tuskegee, Ala., for the war effort. But he joined the organization to honor those who were.

“If it wasn’t for the Tuskegee Airmen and the black Marines, we’d all be marching with a swastika flag in front of us,” Mr. Stewart said.

A poster for the movie — which features vanquished Nazi planes aflame and headed earthward — was on prominent display at the dinner, held at the Elephant Bar & Restaurant. Under the movie title was the legend, “Courage has no color.” The Airmen autographed the poster and stood in ones and twos in front of it as comrades or family members took pictures.

In a program at the theater, Mayor Mike Bell, who was made an honorary Tuskegee Airman last summer, said: “The idea of what these Tuskegee Airmen still stand for is a great thing.”

He said that he realized when took a ride aboard an F-16 fighter jet courtesy of the 180th Fighter Wing not only what that unit of the Ohio Air National Guard has done for America, “but also about what these gentlemen have done for America, and at how smart and how quick you have to be able think and how much you have to know to be able to fly.

“It made me think as we were riding home how safe America is because of people like the Tuskegee Airmen and the 180th that protect our country every day.”

The audience in the packed theater included the mayor, Mr. Brown, and U.S. Rep. Bob Latta (R., Bowling Green), whose newly constituted Fifth District will include Toledo Express Airport. About 450 were members of the 180th Fighter Wing of the Ohio Air National Guard, which is based at the airport.

Lt. Col. Mike Digby of the 180th Fighter Wing said the screening was held “to recognize the heritage and history and to see how far we’ve come.” They turned out to be one of the best flying squadrons in World War II.

By chance, when the 180th deployed to Iraq, it was assigned to the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing, a successor to the Red Tails’ fighter group. Airspace over Balad Air Base was divided into “Tuskegee North” and “Tuskegee South,” and when Colonel Digby was a supervisor there, he was designated Red Tail 1 or Red Tail 2.

“It all ties together,” Colonel Digby said.

The Tuskegee connection to northwest Ohio goes back to World War II. Art Jibilian, who grew up in Toledo, was one of three who parachuted behind enemy lines in Nazi-occupied Serbia to orchestrate the air rescue of more than 500 downed U.S. airmen. The Tuskegee Airmen — the Red Tails — provided air cover for what was called “Operation Halyard,” which took several months.

Brian McMahon, a Perrysburg real estate developer, helped arrange honors for Mr. Jibilian and for the surviving Tuskegee Airmen in 2009 at the largest private air show in the world. He and Colonel Digby helped arrange the dinner and screening.

The story of Mr. Jibilian and the Airmen will have to wait for another movie. But Mr. McMahon hopes that awareness created by Red Tails leads to a Medal of Honor, the highest U.S. military honor. Mr. Jibilian died in March, 2010, in his Fremont home. A resolution for the medal was co-signed by Mr. Latta and U.S. Rep Marcy Kaptur (D., Toledo).

After the movie showing, some airmen commented on how realistic it was.

“They had to jazz up a few things, but if you don’t do that, you don’t have a good movie,” Mr. Brown said.

His favorite part was the raid on Berlin, but he noted that all of the accounts in the movie occurred in real life.

Before the screening, four Tuskegee Airmen in attendance, including Mr. Brown and Alexander Jefferson, both of whom were shot down and became Nazi prisoners of war, were honored with coins — a military tradition, Brig. Gen. Mark Bartman said — and congratulations.

Mr. Bell also was made an “honorary Buckeye colonel” and thereby an official member of the militia in the state.

 

-toledoblade.com

Iraqi parliamentarian seek for more F-16s

BAGHDAD — Iraq’s decision to purchase 18 F-16 fighter jets will provide a “very robust capability” where today there is none and will allow the country’s military to protect its airspace, the chief U.S. military spokesman in Iraq said Thursday.

But an Iraqi parliamentarian who sits on the defense oversight committee said the size of the order was so small as to be “ridiculous.” Top aides to Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki said a follow-up order for the “Fighting Falcon,” which Lockheed Martin manufactures at Fort Worth, Texas, is a near-certainty.

The deal, worth $3 billion, was announced this week after Iraq, its treasury flush thanks to high oil prices, made a $1.4 billion down payment.

Ali Musawi, a spokesman for Maliki, said the 18 planes were “a first installment, and hopefully there will be another 18 to make a total of 36.”

While the fighters “will enhance” Iraq’s abilities to protect its airspace, land and waters, “They will not, by themselves, be enough, because our neighboring countries have a large number of fighter planes,” Musawi told McClatchy, referring to Turkey, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Syria. “So looking to Iraq’s position in the region, having those planes is not much, but it is a beginning.”

Mudher Khidr Nasir, a member of parliament’s Security and Defense Committee, said the committee hadn’t received official notification of the contract, but added: “I find the number 18 ridiculous.”

The chief U.S. military spokesman in Iraq said in the context of the complete withdrawal of U.S. forces by the end of this year, Iraq had taken a major step forward.

“The F-16 is a good example of them taking a step to reinforce their sovereignty, increase their self-reliance and deal with one of those security gaps that they still have,” Maj. Gen. Jeffrey Buchanan said.

Concerns about Iraq’s lack of air defense capabilities had been one reason some have advocated that the United State leave substantial numbers of troops in Iraq after the Dec. 31 pullout deadline.

But Buchanan said Iraq had made a number of advances toward regaining full sovereignty over its airspace after eight years in which the United States exercised control.

Next month, Iraqi air traffic controllers will assume responsibility for flights below 15,000 feet in the central part of the country, the only part of Iraqi airspace where the U.S. remains in control. Iraq’s air defense radars and long-range radar systems will be fully functional by the middle of next year. And the Iraqi military now has a modern air-operations center that controls military aircraft throughout the country and is able to sound a warning if the borders are breached.

What Iraq has lacked “is the ability to defend their airspace,” Buchanan said. The F-16s will provide help provide that.

“It gives them a very robust capability right now, where they currently have none.” He said that one squadron of F-16s could cover the entire country. He acknowledged that this was likely to be a first installment. “Could you do more with 36 than 18? The answer would be yes, he said.

One additional element still to be set up is ground-based air defense — missiles and guns — which will be deployed to key locations that the Iraqi authorities say must be defended. This is still under discussion with U.S. experts, Buchanan said.

With just 90 days until the deadline for full withdrawal, the U.S. troop presence now stands at 44,000, down from 92,000 at the start of the year. The military has redeployed 1.5 million pieces of equipment, with 800,000 left to go. American forces are still on 34 bases, down from 505 in 2008, Buchanan said.

It’s still unclear whether any U.S. troops will stay on after Dec. 31 as trainers and advisers. Top Iraqi politicians are at loggerheads over whom to appoint to head the Defense and Interior ministries, a decision that’s become inextricably linked to Iraq’s request for the American advisers and trainers.

Tahseen al Shaikhli, a government spokesman, said this week that Iraq and the United States had agreed in principle to have some 3,000 American trainers remain, but he acknowledged that an agreement to provide them immunity from Iraqi prosecution hadn’t been concluded.

In July, Shaikhli had said Iraq was hoping to have some 13,000 U.S. advisers and trainers remain in the country after Dec. 31.

Buchanan said the F-16 deal had been due to be completed in January but that Iraq had postponed it for budgetary and political reasons, including concerns that the country didn’t have enough money to provide for staples for Iraqis receiving food rations.

But with oil at more than $100 a barrel for much of the year, the government, which draws 90 percent of its income from oil sales, found itself with an unexpected windfall of at least $14 billion, Buchanan said.

“Based on that, they decided to go back and see how they were prioritizing spending their money,” he said. Recognizing that they still needed combat aircraft, “they allocated money to it.”

-miamiherald.com

Senators want Pres. Obama to sell F-16s to Taiwan

Nearly half the Senate (45 members) surged President Obama on Thursday to authorize quickly the sale of F-16 jet fighters to Taiwan, a request that has been hanging for five years.

Taiwan says it needs the 66 planes to maintain a credible defense and provide leverage in negotiations with Beijing. U.S. agreement to the sale, worth billions of dollars, would anger China’s communist-led government and would set back improved U.S.-China relations.

“Without new fighter aircraft and upgrades to its existing fleet of F-16s, Taiwan will be dangerously exposed to Chinese military threats, aggression and provocation, which pose significant national security implications for the United States,” says a letter, signed by 45 of the 100 members of the Senate, both Democrats and Republicans.

Gary Locke, nominated to become U.S. ambassador to China, told lawmakers Thursday that no decision has been made on the sale, and the request for the F-16 C/Ds still is being evaluated by the Defense and State departments.He said China should reduce its military deployments aimed at Taiwan.

The Obama administration faces an awkward choice. It is obligated under U.S. law to provide Taiwan the means of self-defense. Approving the sale, however, could prompt China to cut military ties that the United States has worked hard to forge as a way of smoothing over tensions in the Asia-Pacific where China’s military buildup has caused widespread unease.

Source: Fox News

UAE F-16 veers off runway in Italy

A United Arab Emirates F-16 fighter jet taking part in NATO-led military operations over Libya crashed on landing at Naval Air Station Sigonella, Italy on Wednesday, officials confirmed. The pilot was forced to eject.

“An F-16 crashed on landing at Sigonella air base,” a NATO official told AFP, adding that he could not reveal the nationality of the plane involved.

UAE’s armed forces said that the F-16 jet was one of theirs in a statement released to the official UAE news agency WAM in Abu Dhabi. The report said that the plane “veered off the runway after landing.”

“The pilot had to eject from the plane to save his life, and minor damages were caused to the plane’s frame,” the military was quoted as saying.

The F-16 fighter plane was not on a combat operation and was being transferred from a base in Sardinia to the Sigonella base in Sicily, NATO said.

Italy’s ANSA news agency reported that the base had been temporarily shut down and flights were routed through another base in Trapani.

Source: Google News

Six ANG fighter wings to lose 3 F-16s each

The Air Force will move 18 Air National Guard F-16s to backup status in fiscal 2012 — a move that the association that advocates for the National Guard says represents “a further effort to chip away at the Air Guard’s flying mission.”

The decision affects three fighters each at six wings across the country, three of which fly air-sovereignty missions.

“The Air Force remains committed to ensuring the health of its Total Force fighter fleet across the active, reserve and guard components,” service spokesman Lt. Col. Todd Vician wrote in an e-mail.

The Air Force and the National Guard Association of the U.S. disagree on how many airmen will be affected. The post on the association’s website said each wing will lose seven full-time and 106 drill-status maintainers. The Air Force said the result will be a loss of one full-time technician and 76 drill-status guardsmen.

The affected units are the 187th Fighter Wing in Alabama, the 114th Fighter Wing in South Dakota, the 132nd Fighter Wing in Iowa, the 158th Fighter Wing in Vermont, the 140th Tactical Fighter Wing in Colorado and the 115th Fighter Wing in Wisconsin.

National Guard Association of the U.S. spokesman John Goheen said the moves could push out some of the Air Force’s more experienced pilots and maintainers.

“We have the most experienced pilots in the Air Force,” Goheen said in a telephone interview. “We have the most experienced maintainers in the Air Force. We’re cost-effective. So we need to ask the question: Why not rely on us more?”

The affected wings in Colorado, Wisconsin and Vermont fly air-sovereignty missions, intercepting unknown aircraft as they enter American airspace.

“These missions aren’t going away,” Goheen said. “The threat to a nation hasn’t gone away. But how do we perform these missions with fewer aircraft?”

But Vician said the air-sovereignty mission was one of an array of factors the National Guard Bureau considered. Relegating three F-16 aircraft at six bases to backup status was the National Guard Bureau’s preferred course of action, Vician wrote, and the moves shouldn’t affect the ability to use the aircraft in war.

- Airforcetimes