Home Care In Barksdale AFB, LA

BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, La. --

“These robot dogs not only have the potential to save Airmen's lives, but they also serve as a reminder of how valuable your voice is, regardless of rank.”

Master Sgt. Dominic Garcia, the emergency management flight chief from the 2nd Civil Engineer Squadron, devised the concept of robot dogs and while he advanced his idea into building and testing the robots, he learned some valuable lessons along the way.

Garcia is originally from Denver, enlisted in the Air Force in 2006 and spent most of his career working under Air Force Global Strike Command.

In 2017, Garcia deployed to Syria from his home station at Dyess Air Force Base, Texas. After returning from his deployment Garcia reflected on his time in Syria.

“I had a really hard time adjusting back, and when you're trying to adjust back, you replay a lot of things in your head,” said Garcia. “You replay certain situations, you think; what could I have done better? What could I have done differently?”

While reflecting on his deployment he remembered seeing canine teams on some of the chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear missions. He said while he considered the things he would improve; he wondered if there was a way to arm the dogs with detectors instead of sending an entire team into a potentially hazardous environment.

In 2019, Garcia was one of six AFGSC Airmen of the Year award recipients and met people from across AFGSC. His networking led to the opportunity to bring the concept of robot dogs to life through the Air Force Work Project.

AFWERX is an Air Force innovation program that connects Airmen with technology developers to turn creative ideas into a reality. While Garcia worked on his concept with AFWERX, he connected with the company Ghost Robotics who agreed to build the robot dogs.

In 2022, Garcia and his team applied for the Silver Award Grant and they were awarded 1.25 million dollars for the project. Garcia said he was delightfully surprised as he discovered opportunities and programs as he progressed in his journey to make his robot dog idea possible.

“All I knew up until 2018 and 2019 was, if you want something done, you have to wait for policy or requirements,” said Garcia. “I didn't know that there's this whole other side of the Air Force that allows you to fast track and get what you need, kind of at the speed of relevancy to the tactical edge.”

Once the robot parts were ready and delivered Garcia and his team assembled the parts into two user-friendly robotic canines.

The team tested the functionality of the newly assembled robot dogs before advancing to test their capabilities to tackle Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear materials incidents. The team tested the dogs’ CBRN readiness by putting them through radioactive sites at the Defense Nuclear Weapons School at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico.

While it might seem odd to build expensive equipment and then immediately expose it to extreme situations, this testing is necessary. Garcia created the robot dogs to replace Airmen in life-threatening situations and withstand dangerous environments. He also armed the robotic canines with detectors capable of simultaneously detecting various threats.

Garcia and his team went to the Dugway Proving Grounds in Utah to test the detectors, sensor data feedback, communication, and terrain performance.

Garcia’s focus while developing the dogs was to design equipment that could save Airmen’s lives both here in the United States and when deployed overseas. He said in addition to preventing Airmen from risking their lives, the robots could fill operational gaps and increase the manpower in hazardous specialties.

Persistent to meet these goals, Garcia and his flight continue to test the robotic canines through further research and development.

Throughout the development of his robot dog concept, Garcia discovered a new passion for empowering Airmen to share their perspectives. He emphasized the importance of listening to and encouraging different perspectives of his teammates.

“We need to be able to say yes more and listen more,” said Garcia. “We need to be able to allow our Airmen, our sergeants, our lieutenants, whoever, to be able to give those ideas and support them because if you say no you’ll never know the return on investment. But a simple yes can have so many positive effects that we don't even see sometimes.”

Prior to his innovative journey Garcia said he didn’t know he could come up with a concept and receive the support to make it a reality.

Going through this process opened his eyes to the value of involving Airmen at every level, encouraging them, and supporting their ideas. Garcia said that is the reason he wanted to involve his teammates in the testing and evaluation of the robot dogs.

“This is one of the few times that we get to build by the end user, for the end user. Yes, end users test certain pieces of equipment, but very rarely do they get to build it out for an entire career flow for an entire mission,” said Garcia. “That's why I wanted to create an exposure for these guys to show them that it doesn't matter what rank you are, it doesn't matter how much experience you have in the Air Force, we all bring something to the table.”

One of Garcia’s flight members, Airman 1st Class Daisy Slater, an emergency management specialist from the 2nd Civil Engineer Squadron, has been learning from Garcia while they work with the robot dogs.

She said she is grateful for the opportunity to work with Garcia and learn about the dog’s performance and capabilities.

“I feel like getting to this flight, I've been given the opportunity to hit the ground running, so to speak,” said Slater. “There are so many NCOs and especially Airmen coming out of this flight that are making waves in the career field. And when you situate yourself next to people doing great things, it opens a door for you to also do great things.”

Garcia said he is inspired by the adaptability and eagerness displayed by the newer generation of Airmen and he hopes he has paved a path for the many Airmen who have innovative ideas.

“The robot dogs are amazing. I love them, and I believe they're going to save lives,” said Garcia. “What we're doing for the career field, I think is awesome because we're the first ones in the whole emergency management career field doing this, but the more important message is, we need to be able to be more open.”

Colonel Michael D. Maginness is the Commander, 2d Bomb Wing, Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. He is responsible for providing B-52H combat aircraft, crews, and associated support to conduct global conventional or nuclear operations. As Barksdale’s installation commander, he supports Headquarters Air Force Global Strike Command, Headquarters Eighth Air Force, Air Force Reserve Command’s 307th Bomb Wing, and 30 tenant units. He promotes the welfare of more than 11,400 military and civilian personnel, 6,300 family members, and 25,000 retirees.

Prior to assuming these positions, Colonel Maginness was the Vice Commander, 5th Bomb Wing and former Commander, 5th Mission Support Group, Minot Air Force Base, N.D. In these roles, he was responsible for the health and welfare of over 4,900 active-duty members, 500 civilian employees, 6,000 family members and over $4 billion in assets. Additionally, he was the commander's direct representative in overseeing global B-52H operations providing deterrence and long-range strike capability for combatant command operations worldwide.

Colonel Maginness graduated from Texas A&M University and was commissioned through Officer Training School. He has served in numerous operational and staff assignments as B-52 Aircraft Commander, Weapons Officer, Weapons School Instructor, Aide-de-Camp to the Commander, Air Force Global Strike Command, and Commander of the 5th Mission Support Group. He has global experience in the B-52, including multiple deployments to the Pacific, European, and Central Command areas of responsibility. Col Maginness is a graduate of the United States Marine Corps School of Advanced Warfighting and National War College. He has commanded at the squadron and group levels to include command of an operational bomb squadron in combat during Operations IRAQI FREEDOM, ENDURING FREEDOM, and FREEDOM'S SENTINEL.

EDUCATION 2001 Bachelor of Science Degree in Political Science, Texas A&M University, College Station 2002 U.S. Air Force Officer Training School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala. (Distinguished Graduate) 2009 U.S. Air Force Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala. (Distinguished Graduate) 2010 U.S. Air Force Weapons School, Nellis AFB, Nev. (Distinguished Graduate) 2012 Master of Arts Degree in American Military History, American Military University 2013 National Technical Fellowship Program, Argonne Labs, Department of Energy (DOE), Chicago, Ill. 2014 Master of Arts Degree in Military Operational Art, School of Advanced Warfighting (ASG), Quantico Marine Corps Base, Quantico, Va. 2019 Master of Arts in National Security Strategy, National War College, Washington D.C.

ASSIGNMENTS 1. January 2003-July 2003, Student Pilot, 479th Operations Support Squadron, Moody Air Force Base, Ga. 2. July 2003-April 2004, Student Pilot Phase Ill, 87th Flying Training Squadron, Laughlin AFB, Texas 3. April 2004-April 2005, Executive Officer, 85th Flying Training Squadron, Laughlin AFB, Texas 4. April 2005-March 2006, B-52H Instructor Pilot, 11th Bomb Squadron, Barksdale, AFB, La. 5. March 2006-May 2007, B-52H Pilot, 96th Bomb Squadron, Barksdale AFB, La. 6. May 2007-March 2008, B-52H Aircraft Commander and Flight Commander, 96th Bomb Squadron, Barksdale AFB, La. 7. March 2008-Jan 201 O; B-52H Instructor Pilot and Flight Commander, 96th Bomb Squadron, Barksdale AFB, La. 8. January 2010-June 2010. Weapons Undergraduate, 340th Weapons Squadron, Nellis AFB, Nev. 9. June 2010-January 2011, Weapons and Tactics Flight Commander, 20th Bomb Squadron, Barksdale AFB, La. 10.January 2011-June 2012, Mission Employment Flight Commander, 340th Weapons Squadron, Nellis AFB, Nev. 11.June 2012-June 2013, Aide-de-Camp to the Commander, Air Force Global Strike Command, Barksdale AFB, La. 12.June 2013-June 2014, Air Force Fellow, Argonne National Laboratory (DOE), Chicago, Ill. 13. June 2014-June 2015, Student, U.S. Marine Corps School of Advanced Warfighting, Quantico Marine Corps Base, Quantico, Va. 14. June 2015-May 2016, Director of Operations, 69th Bomb Squadron, Minot AFB, N.D. 15. May 2016-June 2018, Commander, 23d Bomb Squadron, Minot AFB, N.D. 16. June 2018-June 2019, Student, National War College, Ft. McNair, Washington D.C. 17. June 2019-June 2021, Assistant Deputy Director, J36 Nuclear and Homeland Defense Operations, the Joint Staff, The Pentagon, Washington D.C. 18. June 2021-Jul 2023, Vice Commander, 5th Bomb Wing, Minot AFB, N.D. 19. February 2023-June 2023, Commander, 5th Mission Support Group, Minot AFB, N.D. SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS 1. June 2019-June 2021, Assistant Deputy Director, J36 Nuclear and Homeland Defense Operations, the Joint Staff, The Pentagon, Washington D.C., as a colonel

FLIGHT INFORMATION Rating: Command Pilot Flight hours: 3,600 including 373 combat hours Aircraft flown: B-52H, T-38A, T-6A MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS Defense Superior Service Medal Legion of Merit Meritorious Service Medal with 2 oak leaf clusters Air Medal Air and Space Achievement Medal with oak leaf cluster Joint Service Commendation Medal Air and Space Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster

OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS 2002 Distinguished Graduate, United States Air Force Officer Training School 2009 Distinguished Graduate, United States Air Force Squadron Officer School 2010 Distinguished Graduate, United States Air Force Weapons School 2010 Flying Award, United States Air Force Weapons School 2018 General Curtis E. LeMay Award

EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION [MILITARY ONLY] Second Lieutenant Dec. 20, 2002 First Lieutenant Dec. 20, 2004 Captain Dec. 20, 2006 Major Nov. 1, 2012 Lieutenant Colonel Jan. 1, 2016

(Current as of October 2023)

BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, La. --

The word "community" is defined as a feeling of fellowship with others that arises from sharing common attitudes, interests, and goals.

Senior Airman David Kiige, a mental health technician at the 2nd Medical Group, is passionate about building community wherever he goes, fostering fellowship in every life he touches.

Kiige was born in Nairobi and spent most of his childhood in eastern Kenya. There, he witnessed terrorist attacks until U.S. military and joint NATO forces intervened.

Inspired by the aid of American forces in his homeland, Kiige was determined to join the U.S. military. With a mentor's assistance, he moved to El Paso, Texas, in 2019. Just a year later, he enlisted in the Air Force.

During Basic Military Training, Kiige was presented with an opportunity to pursue a career in mental health. A few weeks after applying, he found out he got the job. This seemingly in-the-moment decision set Kiige down a path toward a higher purpose.

“I chose mental health when I had that opportunity in order to learn and understand more about the human brain,” said Kiige. “Working in mental health gives me insight in understanding how people think and how different cultures work.”

As an Alcohol and Drugs Abuse Prevention and Treatment technician, Kiige assists with psychological testing and provides treatment to those with substance abuse issues.

Kiige’s work ethic is evident to his teammates at the mental health flight.

“Senior Airman Kiige is very driven and motivated in order to achieve his goals,” said Technical Sgt. Maryanne Armada, 2nd Medical Group mental health flight chief. “He has a clear vision for the future he wants, and the team here provides guidance to help him take those steps.”

One of Kiige’s goals is to give back, both in his native African homeland and in the Bossier City-Shreveport area.

He established a nonprofit to offer refuge to Kenyan women and children fleeing domestic violence and poverty.

With a team managing his overseas initiatives, Kiige dedicates his free time to maintaining shelters in northwestern Louisiana.

“Kiige leads over 20 volunteers in feeding people and rescuing hundreds of women from domestic violence,” said Armada. “It's been amazing and inspiring to a lot of people.”

Kiige expressed his gratitude towards the wider Air Force team for helping him foster a community of connectivity and altruism.

“I want to thank everyone who has left their homes and have dedicated their lives to building this Air Force community,” said Kiige. “Thank you for joining us in making a difference.”

You can check out Senior Airman Kiige’s nonprofit website at https://ahimsastarfish.org/

(The inclusion of links to non-Department of Defense websites does not constitute official endorsement from the U.S. Air Force or the Department of Defense)

BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, La. -- More than 60 senior leaders from Major Commands, Numbered Air Forces, and Wings across the U.S. Air Force converged on Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, to attend Air Force Global Strike Command’s 2023 Air Reserve Component Summit on Aug. 29. The purpose of the event was to reaffirm the continuing relationship that AFGSC has with the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve Command.

During the event, AFGSC commander Gen. Thomas Bussiere shared the vision that he and his team have for AFGSC’s enlisted development model, overall mission, and plans for increased Total Force Integration. Additionally, he mentioned that he is hopeful to see what that Total Force relationship looks like as they all continue working together to create and train innovative leaders who provide safe, secure, and effective combat-ready forces for nuclear and conventional global strike.

“When the boss says, ‘Hey, what does the future look like?’ I tell him that it will include Total Force Integration. That's why we're here,” said Chief Master Sgt. Melvina Smith, AFGSC command chief. “At the end of the day, it's the three leaders moving in the same direction so that we can smartly be able to have a conversation about our enemy.”

One of the highlights of the ARC Summit was when Chief Master Sgt. Melvina Smith hosted a working lunch for the other command chiefs and senior enlisted leaders in attendance. Joining her was Chief Master Sgt. Maurice L. Williams, Air National Guard command chief; Chief Master Sgt. Israel Nuñez, Air Force Reserve Command command chief; Chief Master Sgt. Neco Johnson, AFGSC first sergeant; Chief Master Sgt. Ronnie Woods, Eighth Air Force and the Joint-Global Strike Operations Center (AFGSC) command chief; Chief Master Sgt. Christopher S. Bluto, Jr., 10^th Air Force (AFRC) command chief; Chief Master Sgt. Kim Groat, Alaska ANG command chief; Chief Master Sgt. Jessica Settle, Missouri ANG command chief; Chief Master Sgt. Andy Anderson, South Dakota ANG command chief; Chief Master Sgt. Joshua Moore, Wyoming ANG command chief; and many other SELs from around the Air Force.

With these leaders all gathered at once they were able to dissect topic after topic throughout their two hours together. With Total Force Integration as the overarching theme, they were able to hit all three of Smith’s top priorities: Readiness, resilience, and retention. All of these topics focused on Gen. Bussiere’s number one line of effort: People.

“These Airmen raise their hand just like us. They serve just like us,” said Smith. “We're having candid conversation with them; and while not everything we have to say is something that they want to hear, we're being very honest and open with every conversation we have.”

By having the goal of taking care of people at the forefront of the mission, this led to in-depth strategic conversations about how quality of life and quality of service could be improved. Part of meeting that demand drew on the need for more first sergeants across the entire force. The command chiefs of both the ANG and AFRC said they were confident in their MAJCOMs’ abilities to provide support.

“If you have any first sergeant slots that you are not able to fill within your MAJCOM, we are willing to fill those,” said Williams. “We want to get something established and to make it a continuum because we need our first sergeants taking care of people regardless of where they are.”

The AFRC command chief echoed the ANG command chief’s remarks when he noted that in addition to having the Air Guard and Reserve’s multi-capable Airmen fill in for short-term and long-term capacities, they can also be mobilized to support deployments.

“If you know consistently that you have a need in your first sergeant force, then if you plan it two years in advance you can easily access the Reserve, and you can easily call up our first sergeants to help support in a deployment type of scenario,” said Nuñez. “That's what we call assumed versus assured access.”

One of the other big takeaways was how they all can better communicate and promote taking full advantage of available Guard and Reserve MPA/RPA orders and IMA opportunities to ensure improved readiness, resilience, and retention across the entire force.

Additional topics covered were how to secure course seats specifically for Reservists and Guardsmen; ensuring relevant technical training; the similarities and differences between MPA/RPA orders and IMA positions; managing TDYs and PCSs; Palace Chase and Palace Front opportunities; and much more.

With each new point of interest brought up, they were all able to go around the room to add their unique perspectives and expertise to the conversation. Many of the command chiefs and other SELs present echoed remarks about how they were thankful to have a seat at the table in order to contribute and to have more talking points about the field to bring back home.

“If there is something that we are rolling out when it comes to nuclear education and you're a partner, I need to have a seat at the table for you,” said Smith. “Because you are going to go with us and you're going to go for us and you're going to stand in for us. We have to be doing it together now in all the efforts that we do.”

As their two-hour window came to a close, Smith reiterated the importance of their meeting and the entire ARC Summit.

“I typically sit where you sit, and this is what I see every single day: Airmen providing long-range precision striking,” said Smith. “I never forget why we're here, and I never forget what we're doing. Ever.”

BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, La. --

The 2nd Bomb Wing hosted local education leaders on May 10 at Barksdale Air Force Base.

The event was part of an effort to strengthen Barksdale’s relationship with local key influencers, discuss the opportunities and benefits of military service, and provide an understanding of the 2nd Bomb Wing mission.

Attendees participated in a discussion with Col. Joseph McKenna, 2nd Bomb Wing vice commander, about the recent decline in recruiting and the critical role educators play in influencing the choices of today’s youth. Attendees also learned about the strategic mission of the 2nd Bomb Wing and participated in a B-52 Stratofortress tour conducted by aircrew, weapons and maintenance Airmen.

The group discussed some of the reasons why young adults are less likely to enlist today as opposed to past decades and what could be done to address those concerns.

McKenna talked about how young adults often don’t have access to information about everything the military has to offer. Many lack personal connections to individuals with knowledge about the military. That lack of knowledge may cause them to feel disconnected and disinterested in military service.

In an interview prior to the event, Col. Scott Weyermuller, commander of the 2nd Bomb Wing, said he hopes that these community members can take what they learned during their visit and answer students' military questions, as well as share their knowledge of the Air Force.

“I ask them basically to tell our story; tell the kids what it is they see out here,” Weyermuller explained.

One of the educators in attendance was Rebekah Burns, a 1st grade teacher at Kingston Elementary School. She said that many students start thinking about their future as early as elementary school.

“We start talking about what you want to be when you grow up, even in Kindergarten,” said Burns. “Being here today is really impactful for me so that whenever my students tell me ‘I want to be in the Air Force when I grow up,’ I can talk to them about my experiences with the Air Force and help them make that connection.”

The group expressed their enthusiasm for gaining a deeper understanding of the Air Force and all it has to offer for the next generation. Wing leadership shared that they look forward to collaborating more with the local community and continuing to strengthen the relationship between key influencers and Barksdale Air Force Base.

Weyermuller said he hopes this event is just the first step and that it leads to similar events down the road.

He added that the ultimate goal is to keep the next generation informed about the opportunities available to them, and this group can help to share that information.