Jayhawk Flyer

The Official Newsletter of the 184th Wing

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May 2024

Wing Priorities

Lethality  |  Readiness  |  Resiliency

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Around the Wing

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184th CES Emergency Management Specialists Survive Grueling ANG SPEARS Course

Three Kansas Air National Guard emergency management (EM) specialists assigned to the 184th Wing’s Civil Engineer Squadron attended the Air National Guard’s Specialized Personnel and Equipment for Austere Reconnaissance and Surveillance (SPEARS) course at Fort Chaffee Maneuver Training Center near Fort Smith, Ark., March 16-24, 2024.

The SPEARS course prepares combat-ready EM specialists for operations in degraded and contested environments. It’s designed and hosted by the Arkansas Air National Guard’s 188th Wing.

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284th ASOS Conducts Annual Viking Challenge

The 284th Air Support Operations Squadron conducted their annual Viking Challenge at Smoky Hill Air National Guard Range, April 4-7, 2024. The Viking Challenge is a squadron-level competition that tests the physical endurance, technical knowledge, and mental strength of the unit’s Tactical Air Control Parties.

As part of this year’s competition, participants were required to carry heavy objects (and each other) over long distances, clear buildings in a village containing opposing forces, push and pull vehicles, and provide long-distance communications.

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Smoky Hill ANG Range Hosts Emergency Readiness Exercise

The 184th Wing’s Detachment 1 hosted an annual emergency readiness exercise with local first responders at Smoky Hill Air National Guard Range, Salina, March 28, 2024. The scenario simulated an inflight emergency that forced a UH-60 helicopter to perform a hard landing on the range.

The aircraft was flown by the Kansas National Guard’s 1st Battalion, 108th Aviation Regiment stationed in Salina. First responders included personnel from the Salina Fire Department, Salina EMS, and Saline County Sheriff’s Office.

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HC-130J Units Compete in Rescue Rodeo ’24 at SHANGR, Salina Area

U.S. Air Force units from across the nation who fly HC-130J Combat King IIs converged at Smoky Hill Air Nation Guard Range and the Salina, Kansas, area for Rescue Rodeo ’24, March 25-29, 2024. Rescue Rodeo is an annual competition in which HC-130J squadrons compete for best-in-class for fixed-wing rescue units.

For the first time ever, fixed-wing rescue units from Regular Air Force, Air Force Reserves, and Air National Guard participated in the competition. Events included precision drops, touch-and-go landings, and search-and-find missing personnel.

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Jamvold takes Command of Mission Support Group

Col. Joe Deeds relinquished command of the 184th Mission Support Group to Col. Penny Jamvold during a change of command ceremony at McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas, April 7, 2024. The presiding official for the ceremony was Col. David Hewlett, commander of the 184th Wing.

Jamvold previously served as the commander of the 190th Force Support Squadron in Topeka. Deeds was recently selected as the deputy commander of the 184th Wing.

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Baggett Commands Logistics Readiness Squadron

Lt. Col. Amanda Gifford relinquished command of the 184th Logistics Readiness Squadron  to Lt. Col. Linda Baggett during a change of command ceremony at McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas, April 6, 2024. Col. Joe Deeds, deputy commander of the 184th Wing was the presiding official for the ceremony.

Baggett previously served as the commander of the 184th Force Support Squadron. Gifford was recently selected as the deputy commander of the 184th Mission Support Group.

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Around the World

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Tricare for Technicians: The Servicemember Healthcare Freedom Act

As most Military Technicians and other Federal employees are keenly aware, Federal law does not allow them to enroll, participate in, or consider TRICARE Reserve Select (TRS) as an option for health care for them or their families. Even with the most recent change coming in 2020 that would open the door for Technician enrollment in TRS after 1 January 2030, the delay and restriction are unwelcomed by the majority of Technicians.

But why is this class of employees excluded from coverage?

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What to Expect When You Retire: Part 1, Gray Area Retirees

Gray area retirees, those Guard members who choose to retire prior to reaching age 60, earn an array of benefits for a lifetime. However, those benefits differ somewhat from other categories of retirees.

This paper discusses some important aspects of reserve retirement. Gray area retirement is considered to be a non-regular retirement; a regular retirement has an immediate annuity and a non-regular retirement has a delayed annuity—at age 60.

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Hokanson: Nation’s Investment in National Guard Comes at Pivotal Moment

The National Guard is a dynamic operational force integral to the National Defense Strategy, the Guard’s most senior officer told lawmakers April 30, emphasizing that sustained mission readiness requires continued and deeper investment in the Guard.

In his annual testimony to the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, Army Gen. Daniel Hokanson, 29th chief of the National Guard Bureau and a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, stressed the need to reform Guard and reserve duty statuses, modernize the federal military technician program, revisit the cap on Active Guard Reserve positions, and overhaul the health care program available to Reserve component service members serving on part-time orders — about 80% of the National Guard.

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We’re All Recruiters

Your referrals make a big difference. Forward this newsletter to your family, friends, and coworkers. And tell them about your experience in the Kansas Air National Guard.

Invite them to contact a recruiter at 316.759.7424.

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Featured Job Openings

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1D7X1R: RF Transmissions

Radio Frequency Transmission Systems specialists install and maintain our radio frequency communications. These experts must deploy, sustain, troubleshoot and repair the vast variety of communications devices—including antenna systems, tuners and transmission lines—to ensure our ability to communicate between multiple assets and platforms.

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1C5X1: Command and Control Battle Management Operations

As a Command and Control Battle Management Operations Specialist, you'll perform surveillance, combat identification, weapons control, tactical data link management, communications, and computer system management. You'll counter electronic attacks, provide radar control, monitor air weapons during offensive and defensive air operations, and take decisive action in conducting battle management air operations. You'll keep a watchful eye on everything that goes on in the sky using sophisticated radar and systems from both fixed military installations and deployed locations.

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1C8X3: Radar, Airfield, and Weather Systems

Pilots and aircrews need multiple systems to keep them flying. That's where the Radar, Airfield, and Weather Systems Specialists are crucial. You'll install and maintain everything from air traffic control and weather equipment to ground control and warning radar. You'll be a key component in ensuring our aircrews accomplish their mission.

The Jayhawk Flyer
184th Wing, Public Affairs
52955 Jayhawk Drive, McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas, 67221

184iw.ang.af.mil