Wednesday, July 23, 2014

Squadron 150 Promotions and Awards

From Left to right, CAPT David Powell, 2LT Ghislain Martial N Ngangnang, 2LT Michael Wetsman,  CAPT Brian Donegan, and Lt Col William Phinizy, Squadron 150 Commander
LOS ALAMITOS, CA– On Thursday evening July 17, 2014, Squadron 150 of the United States Air Force Auxiliary Group 7, promoted Senior members, Brian Donegan to the grade of Captain, David Powell to the grade of Captain, Michael Wetsman to the grade of 2nd Lieutenant, and Ghislain Martial N Ngangnang to the grade of 2nd Lieutenant,

CAPT David Powell, joined CAP in 2014 partly out of a desire to serve and make a difference. Combining his passion to make an impact with the passion to fly in the Civil Air Patrol.

CAPT Powell serves as the squadron’s finance officer. "...No man is an island, and we need each other as a crew to save lives together," says Captain Powell.

2LT Ghislain Martial N Ngangnang, joined CAP in 2014 completing the requirements and demonstrated skills and attitude necessary to be recognized with promotion to the grade of 2nd Lieutenant.

2LT Michael Wetsman, joined CAP in 2013 a commercial pilot for over 20 years, and currently serves as the squadron’s safety education officer. He is currently training to be a Gulfstream V instructor and is a CAP Transport Mission Pilots (TMP) and cadet orientation pilot.

CAPT Brian Donegan, joined CAP in 2014 with the desire of being able to fly on missions while also serving the community. An officer in the United States Air Force currently stationed in California, CAPT Donegan serves as the squadron’s aerospace education officer.

"..Our newly minted Officers are very exciting, it is a privilege to acknowledge those who have demonstrated an outstanding performance, as well as having their talents and experience mold into our Unit. They are an asset to CAP, and it’s an honor to have them continue to serve utilizing their leadership and growing expertise," says CAPT Lloyd Bumanglag, the unit's Public Affairs Officer.

CAP, the official auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force, is a nonprofit organization with more than 60,000 members nationwide. CAP volunteers perform 95 percent of continental U.S. inland search and rescue missions as tasked by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center (AFRCC) and also perform homeland security, disaster relief and counterdrug missions at the request of federal, state and local agencies.

Members take a leading role in aerospace education and serve as mentors to the almost 25,000 young people currently participating in the CAP Cadet Program. CAP's cadet programs provide young men and women with a safe and motivating environment in which to grow and explore opportunities in the military and aviation industries. Cadets progress through a 16-step program of leadership and aerospace education. CAP has been performing missions for America for more than 63 years. For information, go to www.gocivilairpatrol.com

The Long Beach Senior Squadron 150 meets on Thursday evenings at the Joint Forces Training Base (JFTB) in Los Alamitos on 3976 Constitution Avenue. Anyone interested in becoming a member are always welcome. Contact Paul Koons, 2nd Lt, CAP, Recruiting and Retention Officer at recruiting@sq150.org

Tuesday, July 01, 2014


Missile-warning satellites contract awarded

/ Published June 30, 2014


LOS ANGELES AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. (AFNS) --

The Air Force Space Command's Space and Missile Systems Center awarded a $1.86 billion contract to Lockheed Martin Space Systems in Sunnyvale, California, for production of the fifth and sixth Space-Based Infrared System, or SBIRS, geosynchronous, or GEO, missile-warning satellites.

"This is a great day in the history of the SBIRS program," said Col. Mike Guetlein, the production program manager. "We saved hundreds of millions by relentlessly pursuing efficiencies. We eliminated unnecessary layers of program oversight and contract reporting, restructured our test program, and streamlined the production schedules."

The Air Force implemented the Defense Department’s Better Buying Power practices to make this program more affordable.

"The magnitude of the savings is remarkable and directly attributable to the hard work and dedication of the combined Lockheed Martin and Air Force team over the past two years," said Lt. Col. David Menke, the Air Force's lead to build the next two satellites.

SBIRS is the next-generation strategic missile-warning system replacing the 1970s Defense Support Program constellation. SBIRS delivers global, overhead, persistent, task able 24/7 infrared surveillance capabilities to meet 21st century demands for early warning of missile launches, while simultaneously supporting other critical missions including missile defense, technical intelligence and battle space awareness.

The SBIRS objective constellation consists of four GEO satellites, two highly elliptical earth orbit payloads, and associated ground infrastructure. The fifth and sixth satellites will replenish on-orbit satellites in the constellation in order to maintain the required operational mission capabilities.

The SBIRS program is led by the Infrared Space Systems Directorate at the Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center. Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company is the SBIRS prime contractor. Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems, Azusa, California, is the payload integrator. The 460th Space Wing at Buckley Air Force Base, Colo., operates the SBIRS system.

AFSPC’s Space and Missile Systems Center, located at Los Angeles AFB, Calif., is the Air Force's center of acquisition excellence for acquiring and developing military space systems.


Courtesy of: Public Affairs Officer