Introducing Mission Grant

/ Ian L. Sitren / Leave a comment

Today is an important day for the military community.

It is National POW/MIA Recognition Day, when we remember those who endured captivity, those who never returned home, and the families who continue to wait.

It is also the 79th birthday of the United States Air Force.

It seems like an especially appropriate day for AFA Palm Springs Chapter 134 to announce something new.

We are introducing Mission Grant, a program designed to provide one-time grants of up to $500 to veterans, active-duty service members, spouses and military family members facing an immediate and demonstrated financial need.

The idea behind Mission Grant is simple.

Sometimes a relatively small amount of money can keep a difficult situation from becoming a genuine crisis. It might be a $400 car repair that allows someone to continue getting to work. It might be groceries for the widow of a veteran trying to make it through the end of the month. It might be a prescription, a utility bill or another unexpected expense.

We cannot solve every problem. But sometimes as much as $500 can solve the problem that matters right now.

Requests will be reviewed by a small Chapter committee, and applicants and recipients will be treated confidentially. We do not believe someone should have to publicly share a difficult personal situation in order to ask for help.

We are still putting the final application procedures in place, and an online application will be available soon.

Today we have launched a new Mission Grant page on the AFA Palm Springs Chapter 134 website where you can learn more about the program.

Visit AFAPalmSprings.org and select Mission Grant from the main menu.

The mission of the Air & Space Forces Association is Educate. Advocate. Support.

On a day when we remember those who served, honor those who never came home, and celebrate 79 years of the United States Air Force, Support seems like a particularly appropriate word.

Mission Grant is one more way AFA Palm Springs Chapter 134 is putting our mission to Support into action.

Thank You!

Happy 79th Birthday United States Air Force

/ Ian L. Sitren / Leave a comment

Today we celebrate the 79th birthday of the United States Air Force.

On September 18, 1947, the United States Air Force officially became an independent military service with the implementation of the National Security Act of 1947. Until then, America’s military aviation had been part of the Army, most recently as the U.S. Army Air Forces. The experience of World War II had demonstrated the importance of air power and the need for a separate military service.

The organization we know today as the Air & Space Forces Association actually predates the Air Force. AFA was founded in 1946 under the leadership of General Jimmy Doolittle, with advancing air power and establishing an independent Air Force among its earliest priorities.

From its beginnings in the years immediately following World War II, the Air Force evolved through the Cold War, Korea, Vietnam, the Gulf War and decades of operations around the world. Today, its mission reaches far beyond flying aircraft, encompassing global mobility, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, cyber operations, nuclear deterrence and rapidly developing technologies.

Another major evolution came in 2019 with the creation of the United States Space Force as a separate military service within the Department of the Air Force. AFA now represents and supports both Airmen and Guardians.

For AFA Palm Springs Chapter 134, this history is very much a part of who we are. Here in the Coachella Valley, we carry the AFA mission forward through Cyber Education, Teacher of the Year, our relationships with students and educators, Civil Air Patrol and aviation organizations, and our growing connections with veterans, active-duty military and military families.

Educate. Advocate. Support. Those three words defined an important purpose for AFA when it was founded 80 years ago, and they continue to define our mission today.

AFA Palm Springs Chapter 134 proudly recognizes the generations of Airmen who have served our nation and those serving around the world today.

Happy 79th Birthday to the United States Air Force!

National POW/MIA Recognition Day

/ Ian L. Sitren / Leave a comment

Today is National POW/MIA Recognition Day, a day set aside to honor Americans who endured captivity as prisoners of war and those who served our nation and never came home.

First observed in 1979, National POW/MIA Recognition Day is observed each year on the third Friday in September. Across the country, the familiar black and white POW/MIA flag reminds us of a promise that has endured for generations: You Are Not Forgotten.

That promise extends beyond those who remain missing. It belongs to their families, some of whom have waited decades for answers. It honors former prisoners of war who returned home carrying experiences that few of us can fully understand. And it reminds us that our obligation to those who serve does not end when a war ends.

For AFA Palm Springs Chapter 134, that has particular meaning.

Veterans and military families are an important part of our Chapter and our greater Coachella Valley community. As we expand the work of our Chapter, supporting them and strengthening our relationships with organizations that serve them will continue to be an important part of what we do.

The mission of the Air & Space Forces Association is Educate. Advocate. Support. National POW/MIA Recognition Day reminds us just how important the word Support can be.

Today we remember those who came home after captivity, those who remain missing, and the families who continue to wait.

You Are Not Forgotten.

Important Chapter Dates for September and October

/ Ian L. Sitren / Leave a comment

We have some important Chapter dates coming up, beginning with our next Air Commandos Lunch on Wednesday, September 23.

Our Air Commandos lunches have no agenda. They are informal gatherings, a chance to have lunch, talk aviation, catch up with friends and enjoy the conversation. At the same time, we are continuing to discuss what is happening with AFA Palm Springs Chapter 134, the programs we are developing, new relationships in our community and ideas for where we go next. Bring your thoughts and ideas with you.

On Wednesday, October 7, we will hold our monthly Chapter Meeting & Lunch. In addition to Chapter business and updates, we will have a presentation by the Honor Flight Network.

Honor Flight Network is a national nonprofit organization that transports eligible veterans to Washington, D.C., at no cost to them so they can visit the memorials dedicated to their service and sacrifice. The program gives priority to World War II, Korean War and Vietnam War veterans, as well as veterans who are critically ill. It operates through a nationwide network of local hubs and has transported hundreds of thousands of veterans since the first Honor Flight in 2005.

Then on Wednesday, October 21, we are back to our informal Air Commandos Lunch.

All three begin at 11:30 AM in our “Ready Room” at ROC’s Firehouse Grille in Palm Desert.

There is no charge to attend. You only pay for your own lunch and beverage.

Everyone is welcome. You do not have to be an AFA member to join us. Come for lunch, come for the conversation, and come see what is happening at AFA Palm Springs Chapter 134.

Thanks!

Did You Know? The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies

/ Ian L. Sitren / Leave a comment

Did you know that the Air & Space Forces Association has an organization devoted specifically to the study of aerospace power and its importance to our national security?

It is the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies, an affiliate of AFA and the only aerospace power-focused think tank in our nation’s capital. The Institute is an independent, nonpartisan research organization that informs the national security debate, educates about the essential role of aerospace power, and develops fact-based research, analysis and policy options for decision-makers, experts and the public.

For many of us at AFA Palm Springs Chapter 134, the Mitchell Institute may be one of the less familiar parts of the larger AFA organization. Yet its work addresses many of the issues that are important to the Air Force and Space Force today.

Mitchell examines subjects ranging from air combat and command and control to emerging technologies, unmanned aircraft, air base defense, force design, space superiority and sustaining operations in space. Its work includes research reports, policy papers, workshops, wargames, symposia, roundtables, webinars and the weekly Aerospace Advantage podcast.

There is a great deal more to AFA than what most of us encounter through our local Chapter activities. Part of improving communications at AFA Palm Springs is making sure our members know about resources like the Mitchell Institute and have an opportunity to explore them.

You can learn more about the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies at:

The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies

September 11, 2001 We Remember 25 Years Later

/ Ian L. Sitren / Leave a comment

Twenty-five years ago today, September 11, 2001, our nation changed forever.

Nearly 3,000 people lost their lives that morning in New York City, at the Pentagon and aboard Flight 93 in Pennsylvania. They were people going to work, boarding airplanes, beginning another ordinary Tuesday morning, never knowing how profoundly that day would become part of American history.

We remember them.

We remember the firefighters, police officers, emergency medical personnel and countless others who ran toward danger while others were trying to escape it.

We remember the passengers and crew of Flight 93, who learned what was happening elsewhere and acted with extraordinary courage.

And we remember the service that followed.

In the years after September 11, an entire generation of Americans answered the call to serve. Members of our Armed Forces deployed around the world, often repeatedly. Their families served alongside them through long separations, uncertainty and sacrifice. For some, that service continues today.

Twenty-five years later, September 11 remains a day to remember those we lost, those who ran toward danger to help others, and those whose lives of service were shaped by what happened that morning.

At AFA Palm Springs Chapter 134, among our members are veterans, military families and people whose lives have been closely connected to the defense of this country. Today is not about politics or policy. It is about remembrance.

We remember September 11, 2001.

We remember the lives lost.

We remember the courage.

We remember the service that followed.

Thank You!

Air Commandos Lunch Today!

/ Ian L. Sitren / Leave a comment

There is a lot happening at AFA Palm Springs, and the best way to be part of it is to join us today, Wednesday, September 9, for our Air Commandos Lunch.

We will be gathering at 11:30 a.m. in our “Ready Room” at ROC’s Firehouse Grille in Palm Desert for good food, aviation conversation and a chance to continue the discussions that came out of our very successful Chapter meeting last week.

We are expanding our communications, moving forward with Cyber Education, continuing our Teacher of the Year program, developing our relationship with EAA Thermal Chapter and Young Eagles, reaching out to Civil Air Patrol Palm Springs and local veterans organizations, and working on new programs and ideas for our 519 Chapter members.

But all of this becomes more meaningful when more of our members participate.

Our Air Commandos lunches are an opportunity to sit down together, exchange ideas and help shape what comes next. You don’t need to be an officer or volunteer for a program. Come have lunch, meet some of your fellow members, listen to what is being discussed and tell us what you think.

If you have not been to one of our lunches in a while, come back. If you have never attended one, this is a great time to start.

The lunch is informal, everyone is welcome, and you only pay for your own lunch and beverage.

Can’t make it to ROC’s? Join us online. We want our members to participate wherever they happen to be.

Air Commandos Lunch
Wednesday, September 9
11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

ROC’s Firehouse Grille
36891 Cook Street
Palm Desert

Join us on Google Meet:
https://meet.google.com/gmc-nnwk-rnw

Or join by phone:
(650) 597-2588
PIN: 834 686 340#

Additional Google Meet phone numbers:
https://tel.meet/gmc-nnwk-rnw?pin=6888571928258

There is a new energy at AFA Palm Springs, and we want more of our members around the table. Come join us today.

Thanks!

Air Commandos Lunch and the Conversation Continues

/ Ian L. Sitren / Leave a comment

Tomorrow is another Air Commandos Lunch at our “Ready Room” at ROC’s Firehouse Grille in Palm Desert.

We get together at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, September 9, and as always, everyone is welcome. There is no charge to attend. You only pay for your own lunch and beverage.

Our Air Commandos lunches are intentionally informal. They are an opportunity to get together, enjoy lunch, talk aviation, Air Force and Space Force, and whatever else happens to come up around the table.

But there is certainly plenty to talk about this time.

Following our very successful Chapter meeting last week, we will continue the conversation about all of the new things happening at AFA Palm Springs. We have new leadership, a much larger membership than many of us realized, improved communications, year-round operations, expanding Cyber Education, our Teacher of the Year program, and plans for stronger relationships with local schools and colleges.

We are also looking forward to more aviation activities through our relationship with EAA Thermal Chapter and its Young Eagles program, along with building relationships with Civil Air Patrol Palm Springs and local veterans organizations.

And there is much more in the planning stages as we modernize the Chapter and look for new ways to Educate. Advocate. Support.

Most importantly, we want to hear your ideas. The future of AFA Palm Springs is not something that should be decided by just a few people. These lunches give us a chance to sit around the table, talk about what we can do, and find ways for more of our members to participate.

So come have lunch with us, bring your ideas, and be part of what is happening at AFA Palm Springs Chapter 134.

Wednesday, September 9 at 11:30 a.m.
ROC’s Firehouse Grille
36891 Cook Street, Palm Desert

Everyone is welcome!

Thanks!

Labor Day and the First Flight of the F-22 Raptor

/ Ian L. Sitren / Leave a comment

Today is Labor Day, a day when we recognize the work, skill and dedication of America’s workforce.

It is also the anniversary of a remarkable example of what that workforce can accomplish.

On September 7, 1997, the first F-22 Raptor took to the skies over Marietta, Georgia. F-22 Chief Test Pilot Paul Metz lifted off from Dobbins Air Reserve Base for a 58-minute first flight that began a new chapter in American airpower.

The F-22 was developed to succeed the F-15 in the air superiority role, bringing together stealth, maneuverability, advanced sensors and the ability to sustain supersonic flight without afterburner. The aircraft that flew that morning was the result of years of work by thousands of engineers, designers, technicians, mechanics, production workers, test personnel and members of the United States Air Force.

Twenty-nine years later, the Raptor remains an important part of the nation’s air dominance capability. The Air Force continues to modernize the aircraft as it looks toward the next generation of air combat.

That makes its first-flight anniversary especially appropriate for Labor Day.

Behind an aircraft as extraordinary as the F-22 are extraordinary people. From the people who conceived and designed it to those who built, tested, maintained and flew it, the Raptor represents American innovation, skill and teamwork on an enormous scale.

At AFA Palm Springs Chapter 134, our mission to Educate. Advocate. Support. includes recognizing both the people who serve and the people whose work makes their mission possible.

On this Labor Day, we recognize them all.

Thank You!

A Very Successful Meeting for AFA Palm Springs

/ Ian L. Sitren / 2 Comments

The September 2 meeting was much more than a regular business meeting. It was a very successful first meeting under our new leadership, with some new faces around the table and members also joining us remotely. It was our first opportunity to bring everyone together to talk about the changes already underway and where AFA Palm Springs Chapter 134 goes from here. Our new President, Ian L. Sitren; and our new Secretary/Treasurer, Frank Iain Parsons.

The discussion began with AFA’s mission and its three central areas: Educate. Advocate. Support. That mission provides the foundation for what we want to accomplish as we move forward.

One of the biggest surprises has been the actual size of our Chapter. We now know that AFA Palm Springs has 519 members, including 333 free Mission Members. A major priority will be doing a much better job of communicating with that membership and giving people more opportunities to participate.

Communications are already being expanded. Our website has been revitalized and is being updated regularly, and we are increasing our presence on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube. We are also moving to year-round Chapter operations rather than going dark during the summer.

Cyber Education will continue to be an important part of what we do. The Chapter conducted a very successful Cyber Camp this summer, and we are now working to continue and expand our Cyber Education programs and opportunities for young people.

We are also continuing our successful Teacher of the Year program. AFA Palm Springs has had three consecutive honorees go on to be named AFA California State Teacher of the Year, an extraordinary record that we want to continue.

Aviation will become a larger part of our activities as well. We are developing our relationship with EAA Thermal Chapter and its Young Eagles program, which introduces young people to aviation and gives them an opportunity to experience flight firsthand. We also plan to build a stronger relationship with Civil Air Patrol Palm Springs and explore other ways our organizations can work together.

Behind the scenes, we are modernizing how the Chapter operates. Records are being digitized, administrative systems are being updated, and information will become much more accessible to our members. We are also beginning the process of updating our Chapter By-Laws to better reflect how an active organization should operate today.

As new programs and activities develop, we will be looking for members to serve as Program Leads. This gives people an opportunity to take responsibility for something that interests them without creating unnecessary additional officer positions.

And our regular gatherings will continue. We meet for lunch every two weeks in what has become our “Ready Room” at ROC’s Firehouse Grille in Palm Desert. Once each month that gathering includes our formal Chapter meeting. The other lunches are casual, and everyone is welcome.

There is a lot happening at AFA Palm Springs right now, and the success of our September 2 meeting was a very encouraging start. Seeing new people around the table, longtime members returning, and others participating remotely showed us what is possible as we reach out to more of our 519 members.

With new leadership, better communications, expanding programs and new relationships throughout the Coachella Valley, we have an opportunity to build a much more active Chapter.

Now we need our members to be part of it.

Thank You!