Forum: Air Force Life

Tragic

Air Force Link wrote:

7/28/2008 - ELMENDORF AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska (AFPN) -- Brig. Gen. Thomas L. Tinsley, commander of the 3rd Wing here, died of a gunshot wound July 27 at his on-base residence.

Elmendorf medical authorities responded and General Tinsley was declared dead at approximately 10:30 pm July 27. The general had served as the wing commander here since May 2007.

The incident is under investigation and more information will be provided as it becomes available.

General Tinsley was commissioned in 1984 through the ROTC program at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and subsequently was a distinguished graduate of undergraduate pilot training. He has served as an F-15 instructor pilot, F-15C test pilot, wing weapons officer, exchange officer and instructor with the Royal Australian Air Force.

He has served in the Directorate for Plans and Policy on the Joint Staff as South Asia desk officer and executive assistant to the Deputy for Political-Military Affairs for Asia Pacific and the Middle East. He has commanded the 12th Fighter Squadron, Elmendorf AFB, and the 1st Operations Group, Langley AFB, Va.

Source: http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123108306

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Stars & Stripes wrote:

Brig. Gen. Tinsley, 3rd Wing commander at Elmendorf, dies of gunshot wound
By Jeff Schogol, Stars and Stripes
Stars and Stripes online edition, Monday, July 28, 2008

ARLINGTON, Va. — Air Force Brig. Gen. Thomas Tinsley, commander of the 3rd Wing in Elmendorf, Alaska, died Sunday at his home of a gunshot wound, the Air Force announced Monday.

Air Force officials would not discuss the circumstances of Tinsley’s death, but Air Force spokesman Lt. Col. Michael Paoli said there are no indications of foul play.

Tinsley, who became wing commander in May 2007, was pronounced dead at 10:30 p.m. Sunday after medical officials responded to his home on base, an Air Force news release said.

Because the incident is under investigation, no further information was available Monday, Paoli said.

Capt. Kelley Jeter, a spokeswoman for the 3rd Wing, described Tinsley as a charismatic leader who had the ability to make a lengthy briefing feel like it only lasted 10 minutes.

During one such briefing Thursday, Tinsley lit up the room by conveying his love for the wing, Jeter said.

“He was a fantastic leader,” she said. “He was a mentor to so many people. Everyone really looked up to him. He was a true airman leader.”

Jeter said she planned to see later Monday whether Tinsley’s family had a statement for the media.

Tinsley was commissioned in 1984 through the Reserve Officer Training Corps program at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, according to his Air Force biography.

Before becoming wing commander at Elmendorf, he served as executive officer to the Air Force chief of staff. In another previous assignment, he served on the Joint Staff at the Pentagon.

Tinsley, who served both as an instructor and test pilot, logged more than 3,200 hours in the air during his career in the F-15, F/A-18 and F-22A.

With Tinsley's death, Air Force Col. Richard Walberg, vice wing commander, is serving as the acting commander of the wing, Jeter said.

"Elmendorf is focusing on taking care of Mrs. Tinsley and her family right now," said Walberg said in a news release. "We ask that your thoughts and prayers go out to his family as well as his Air Force family who regarded him as a mentor, leader, world-class Airman and friend."

Brig Gen. Tinsley's Air Force biography

source: http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?sect ... icle=56408

OK, what the Hell is going on WTF

7/28/2008 - WASHINGTON (AFPN) -- Acting Secretary of the Air Force Michael B. Donley today accepted a letter of resignation from William C. "Bill" Anderson, assistant secretary of the Air Force for installations, environment and logistics. Mr. Anderson's resignation will take effect August 15.

Secretary Donley said "Mr. Anderson is enormously talented, very experienced, and has superb strategic vision."

The secretary praised Mr. Anderson's leadership citing the Air Force's progress in alternative fuels, energy conservation and energy partnerships at the local, state and international levels.

Source: http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123108358

did anyone notice on Gen Tinsley's date of rank for Brig Gen it says "frocked"? isnt that just a little odd?

Frocked is a term meaning they have the rank, but it still needs approval. That means they can wear the rank and have all the bene's it has other then the pay. I am sure his family will get that. It is a really common practice.

Purple

Man - Very sad day indeed. God speed to his family

Tragic (and grief) indeed.

I'm going to stick my neck out here (but then when will it be appropriate with respects to his family), to ask if it was one shot or multiple? And at what range and what trajectory? These answers must be made public ASAP... both for respect to his family (in closing, as being the important public figure as he was) and for the public's interest in the democratic system we have.

Furthermore, it must be made public info as to the extent into the official/private investigation into his death, again, for the public's interest in a modern democratic system.

On a total side note and completely independent, does anyone know if Brig Gen. Tinsley was more pro-F-35 or pro-F-22, or if he had any opinion therein vis-a-vis RAAF selection?? I'm sorry for an insensitive question but perhaps there is no other better time to ask as well. Thanks in advance and you can PM me if you prefer.

God Speed, Elmendorf, USAF and family.

Respects.

Anchorage news reports self inflicted

Holy smokes.....that's horrible. Man, you just can't ever understand unless you've stared whatever he was staring at down, but.......

Awful.

Self inflicted as a accident? Or did he mean to?

The Associated Press
Posted : Tuesday Jul 29, 2008 9:02:50 EDT

ELMENDORF AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska — An Air Force brigadier general died of a gunshot wound that likely was self-inflicted, a spokesman said Monday.

Brig. Gen. Thomas L. Tinsley, the commander at Elmendorf Air Force Base in Anchorage, suffered a gunshot wound to his chest late Sunday night and was pronounced dead within a half-hour, said Col. Richard Walberg, who assumed command at Elmendorf after Tinsley’s death.

“To the best information, it’s possible it was a self-inflicted gunshot wound,” Walberg said at a news conference.

Medical responders rushed to Tinsley’s home on base but were unsuccessful in trying to save him. Tinsley’s wife and college-age daughter were home at the time of the shooting.

Tinsley was named base commander in May 2007. He had served as an F-15 instructor pilot, F-15C test pilot, wing weapons officer, exchange officer and instructor with the Royal Australian Air Force.

His previous 22-month assignment was as executive officer to the Air Force chief of staff, Gen. T. Michael “Buzz” Moseley, who in June resigned under pressure in an agency shakeup.

Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates ousted both Moseley and Air Force Secretary Michael Wynne, the agency’s civilian head, holding them accountable for failing to fully correct an erosion of nuclear-related performance standards.

Walberg said Tinsley was not under investigation or undue stress.

“Gen. Tinsley was under no investigation,” he said. “As far as stress, sir, this job, by nature of being an Air Force officer in a nation at war, is stressful. Undue stress, no.”

Walberg lives across the street from the base commander’s home.

He and his wife went to bed at about 10 p.m. Sunday and the base command post called about 10 to 15 minutes later.

“The individual on the end of the line was fairly agitated and said there was a report of a gunshot at Gen. Tinsley’s house and people are screaming.”

The colonel bolted out of the house with his wife behind him and met Col. Eli Powell, the 3rd Medical Group commander and an orthopedic surgeon, inside. Powell, who lives next door to Walberg, had also received a call. He started resuscitation efforts on Tinsley as family members watched.

Tinsley was declared dead at 10:30 p.m.

Representatives of the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology will do a report and declare Tinsley’s cause of death and determine whether it was a suicide, Walberg said.

“We’re assuming it was, and I’m not prepared to make that statement,” he said. A report takes an average of 30 days to complete, he said.

Tinsley’s outstanding achievement was the care he showed for those under his command, Walberg said.

“Brig. Gen. Tom Tinsley’s best accomplishment in the 15 months or so that he’s been the commander is his absolute love, and I mean love with a capital L, for his airmen. His first thought in the morning, his last thought at night for his professional family was how can I better take care of these airmen who are being sent in harm’s way.”

Walberg recalled his first contact with Tinsley 18 months ago. Over the phone, Tinsley introduced himself as “Pugs,” his fighter pilot call sign.

“I said, ‘Why is that important to me?’ ”

“He said, ‘Dude, we’re going to have a lot of fun together. I’m your boss.’ ”

The fighter pilot and the transport pilot traded good-natured barbs.

“And he was always right because he was a general and I was a colonel,” he said.

“In the 13 months that we’ve worked together, I think we did a lot of great things together and we had a lot of fun,” he said. “This is a real tragedy and I’ve lost a very, very good friend.”

Sounded like a great CC!!

Whiskey Tango Fox?

I have to chuckle.....a General Officer who says "dude"?

I got a wonderful e-mail from him last year shortly after he took over....we have his jet on one of our releases, and he seemed kinda stoked about it....very nice guy. In 12 years seeing the worst in the human condition, I'm incredibly jaded and nothing surprises me anymore, but this just doesn't seem to jive. Its telling that the new CO would mention suicide, but gee whiz....

There is some disturbing things happening at the top of AF brass....man I hope nothing filtered down.

Lots of stress on leaders anytime “Craptors” involved.

1/25/2008 - ELMENDORF AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska -- As children, we are told, "You have to walk before you can run." The 90th Fighter Squadron is doing a similar task by completing steps to declare initial operational capability, with the overall goal of declaring full operational capability.

The 90th FS and 90th Aircraft Maintenance Unit exercised a mock bomb drop over the Alaska training range Jan. 16.

"This was an excellent opportunity for both our pilots and maintainers to experience real-world operations," said Lt. Col. Mike Shower, the 90th FS commander.

The 90th AMU Airmen produced the concrete-filled mock bomb and loaded it into an F-22A Raptor.

After launching the Raptor, the pilots dropped the munitions as if they were in a real-life scenario.

This completed task is an essential one to declare IOC, said Colonel Shower.
Declaring IOC is the official "ready for war" statement.

"This means that the Air Force asks who is ready to deploy, we have the ability to answer the call," said Colonel Shower.

Other beneficial training opportunities will occur during Red Flag-Alaska and Northern Edge exercises.

"These are key events to insure our pilots, many of whom are new to the Raptor, have seen large composite force missions similar to what they'd experience in combat," said Colonel Shower.

"These exercises will also help balance the time lost by some additional, unforeseen mission requirements," he added.

The added alert mission isn't the only obstacle for the 90th FS and AMU.

"Here at Elmendorf, the lack of facilities combined with the cold temperatures and arctic weather make it more challenging than at other operational bases," the commander said.

Several tasks must be completed before the declaration can be made.

"Aside from the bomb drops, we have to deploy Airmen and equipment off base, deploy jets off station, sit Alert and participate in the OREs (operational readiness exercises)," said Capt. Megan Rogers, the 90th AMU officer in charge.

"We're planning a WSEP (weapons system evaluation program) at Tyndall (Air Force Base, Fla.) early next month to mark off that task on our check list," she added.
The unit has plans on deploying eight aircraft, equipment and several personnel for two weeks during this WSEP TDY.

The unit hopes to fulfill all of the requirements to declare IOC in August.

Source: http://www.elmendorf.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123083573

Fox News just annouced unknown charges on Sen. Stevens from Alaska......any chance these are related?....I hope not!

Purple

I think you’re onto something Purple.

In just a few years, Mr. Stevens built a $50,000 investment tailored for him by a developer into a personal fortune of perhaps a million dollars or more in real estate. In a separate dealing, the senator, whose clout at the Pentagon is legendary, helped this private-sector patron secure a $450 million Air Force housing contract over Pentagon objections.

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2003/12/27/opini ... r=USERLAND

I think we need to brace ourselves for a big sh*t storm.

Forum: Air Force Life

Elmendorf commander dies of gunshot wound