Two Samoan Colonels within the US Airforce whom have flown military sorties in Iraq.

COLONEL STEPHEN L. SU’A-FILO

Colonel Su’a-Filo is now the 154th Operations Group Commander.

Prior to being promoted to Colonel and his new command position, Su’a-Filo held the 154th Deputy Operations Group Commander position where he advised and assisted the 154th Operations Group Commander on operations and training programs, policies for three flying squadrons, a radar control squadron, and a support squadron. He also monitored all flying training, weapons control, standardization, safety, flying hour management, manpower, finances and air defense alert programs.

Su’a-Filo recently served as the 204th Airlift Squadron (AS) Commander from 2007 to 2009, leading them through the first ever combined C-17 Guard/Active Duty “Operational Readiness Inspection” in February of 2009, achieving the grade of “Excellent.”

Colonel Su’a-Filo is an Evaluator Pilot in the C-17A and a Command Pilot with over 7,240 total flying hours including Combat Support Sorties. He has flown the T-37, T-38, KC-135A, Q, R, T, EC-135J, KC-10, and the F-15 fighter aircraft. He has performed frequent visits to flying and ground-controlled interception units and provided policy direction and guidance to unit commanders. He worked and continues to work closely with the 15th Air Wing, Hawaii Air National Guard (HIANG) Headquarters in Honolulu, Hawaii.

The Colonel has served on numerous real world deployments to Turkey, Italy, Iceland, Russia, France, Croatia, Australia, Guam, India and participated in numerous training deployments in Thailand, Philippines, Australia, England, Japan, South Korea, Alaska, and Germany.

Born in Wellington, New Zealand, Colonel Su’a-Filo is the son of Paul Fogalepolo Su’a-Filo of Upolu and Dorothy Coverdale Su’a-Filo of Hull, England.

Su’a-Filo graduated from Kahuku High School in 1976. He then served a two-year mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and afterwards attended and graduated from the University of Hawaii and received his commission through the ROTC program in 1984.

He is married to Francine “Cookie” Mililani Hong and are proud parents of seven children.

COLONEL STANLEY ULUALOFAIGA SNOW, JR.

Colonel Snow has held several leadership positions throughout his career, most recently as Full-Time Supervisor of the 109th Air Operations Group (AOG) of the Hawaii Air National Guard. There he served as Chief of the Combat Operations Division unit to augment the 613th Air and Space Operations Center, Pacific Command.

Snow was responsible for offensive and defensive combat operations throughout the entire Pacific area theater of operations.

He served a two-year mission with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Washington, D.C. where he knew Faleomavaega and his family during his work with the Insular Affairs Office.

After completing his mission, Snow graduated from Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah in 1983 where received his commission as a Distinguished Graduate of the Air Force ROTC; he also was student brigade Commander of the BYU Air Force ROTC program.

Colonel Snow began his career in Alaska as an A-10 pilot before becoming a fighter instructor at Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico. He then earned a Master of Aeronautical Science in Aerospace Operations and Aviation Management from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in 1998.

The Colonel is currently a Command Fighter Pilot with more than 3,100 total military flight hours. He has flown the F-15, AT-38B, A-10 and C-130 aircraft. His extensive experience includes time as military flight instructor and in combat service over Iraq.

His prior service in the Hawaii Air National Guard includes positions as Chief of the 154th Wing Control Center where he commanded post operations of the four squadron composite wing. Snow served as Commander of the F-15 Alert Program and as point of contact to PACAF Air Defense Commander for all fighter operations issues regarding the Hawaiian Air Defense mission.

Since 1992, Colonel Snow has also worked as an International and Domestic Airline Pilot for United Airlines. He has flown over 6,200 hours as a qualified B-747 and B-777 pilot and currently works as Airline Captain of the A-320 Airbus based in San Francisco.

Additionally, Colonel Snow is an Upper-Division Adjunct Instructor for the Aviation Department of Utah Valley University’s Provo Airport Campus, teaching the Global Navigation/International Flight Operations on-line course.

He is the son of Stanley Snow Sr. of Fagatogo and Taavale Tulimalefo’i Asuega Ainuu of Pago Pago. Colonel Snow is married to Yolanthy Leinalani Tagiafoga “Lani” Kanahele, and are proud parents of four children.

“I want to take this opportunity to congratulate both Colonel Su’a-Filo and Colonel Snow for their promotion to this much esteemed rank,” Faleomavaega said.

“Seeing the achievements of these two sons of Samoa as they rise in rank in the U.S. Air Force and Air National Guard is an inspiration to our people and sets a standard of excellence for all who serve and will serve our country in the future.

They have continued to further their military careers by taking on leadership roles that require the highest levels of skill, dedication and responsibility. Surely their extensive experience will prepare them for their new assignments. More importantly, their character will enable them to serve with dignity throughout our Pacific community and the world. I know that both Colonel Su’a-Filo and Colonel Snow will serve us well.”

“I would also like to express my appreciation to both Colonel Su’a-Filo and Colonel Snow for their assistance during the recent tsunami relief mission to American Samoa.

Colonel Su’a-Filo served as the pilot on several flights out of Honolulu, including my flight to American Samoa, shortly after the tsunami. Colonel Snow also played a vital role in coordinating Hickam AFB operations as the Air National Guard Liaison to the 15th Air Wing Command Center and PACAF Air Mobility Division. He also maintained direct contact with the Deputy Director of Airport Operations throughout the relief mission. I thank both of these self-sacrificing leaders in their service to our people.”

“I also want to take this opportunity to congratulate both the Su’a-Filo and Snow families and wish them the very best as they continue to be the support system behind these two highly accomplished officers of the Air Force,” Faleomavaega concluded.

(Source: Office of Congressman Faleomavaega Eni Hunkin)

This Samoan could fly one of those RAAF FA18 Superhornets, in Amberley Airforce base, South West of Brisbane, for the 82nd wing, 1st and 6th sqd. So who said Samoans can't reach for the skies? We havent had a Samoan landing on the moon yet!

Tofa Soifua

Tim Tufuga
Brisbane

ps. Congressman Faleomavaega is a distant relative of mine, on my late mother's side. He is a Tuiletufuga, and, is, therefore, a kin of mine from my Apia family side, which means we are family.

The Queensland Carpetbagger: Pauline Hanson heads to the NSW Legislative Council

The Queensland Carpetbagger: Pauline Hanson heads to the NSW Legislative Council
Posted on March 23, 2011 by timbtufuga


New South Wales State Election, 26th March, 2011:

A Carpetbagger she very well may be, but, this Queenslander knows the odds when it comes to political professionalism and surviving the turmoils of a public life. Pauline Hanson’s political acrimonious career may be considered as controversial over the years and she may be best be remembered politically in parity and synomonous with the British National Party, and the Enoch Powell racialist hysteria, of rightwing xenophobic politics. Since this indelible political stigma Pauline Hanson, has become less bellicose and controversial over the years but more of a professional politician knowing how to extract some election campaign funds in order to maintain her quality of life.

Pauline Hanson needs only to poll 4% of the Legislative Council vote within her electorate to be entitled to a federal campaign reimbursement. (Anthony Green 2011). In 2004, Pauline Hanson had received $199,886,77 in Federal funds. In 2007, she received a further $213,095,49 for her bid for parliamentary incumbency. It is also ironic to think that on the very issue of campaign funding she was charged, arrested, arraigned, convicted and imprisoned for election campaign funding fraud. She was later pardoned and vindicated for this wrongful imprisonment.

Now, what of the Carpetbagger? She has become somewhat convinced that she has an even chance in polling at least the required 4% for election campaign funding reimbursement and she can happily walk away after plundering the New South Wales election campaign funding coffers.

Meanwhile, what of her politics? The date September 10th, 1996, in the delivery of her maiden speech remains her indelible mark upon Australian political history. There is almost nothing after this date in which Pauline Hanson’s contribution to Australian political life could be considered as significantly relevant.

Pauline Hanson, is really just another Carpetbagger.

Fa’afetai lava

Tim Tufuga 24th March 2011

Better Eyes for F-18 Super Hornets

The Royal Australian Air Force have acquired 24 APG-79 AESA array radar system affixed upon their FA-18 Superhornets, some 24 are now fully fitted and are fully operational within RAAF bases throughout Australia, particularly at the Amberley Air Force Base, South West of Brisbane. The 82nd Wing of the 1st and 6th squadron, of teh RAAF, have 24 FA-18 Superhornets stationed on location.

The APG-79 AESA system represents the latest state of the art electronic warfare capability for the Australian defense system which is unparalleled within the South East region air defense capabilities. Suffice it to suggest, that the current generation 4, multi-role fighter jet, which has been recently made operational within RAAF was procured specifically to replace the antiquated F111 Aardvark. The FA-18, Superhornet, was made fully operational within Australia in 2011, and will become, with the augmentation of the APG-79 AESA Array Radar system, the latest military exponent to be made fully operational throughout the South East Asian region.

However, come 2014, will we see the highly anticipated arrival of the JSF-35 Strikefighter multi-role fighter jet, which is considered a generation 5 level fighting craft which will match the Chinese most recent public release of their generation 5, multi-role fighter aircraft.


http://youtu.be/4tsH-Q8jZk0 Joint Strike Fighter, JSF-35, will enjoin the 82 Wing 1st sqd, and the 6th Sqd, of the RAAF come 2014, when, some 100 JSF 35, which have been procured and manufactured within the USA, specifically for the RAAF.

The JSF35 will be fitted with AN/APG-81 AESA Radar, designed by Northrop-Grumman, plus 6 additional passive infrared sensors, the AN/AAQ-37, called the Distributed Aperture System (DAS) in particular, gives the JSF-35 a hightened sensitvity in the skies, which will sense the departure points of Surface to air missles, their locality, and to vector co-ordinates for eliminating the threat. These sensors also detects air to air launched missiles by hostile aircrafts.

The most likely threat to the airspace dominance of the JSF35, certainly within the next two decades within South East Asian skies at least, could only come from the Chinese airforce.

http://youtu.be/o3v7-MdIXYk

Ia manuia

Tofa

Tim Tufuga Brisbane.

Julia Gillard Press Conference: Multi-Party Climate Change Committee Car...

The carbon price mechanism which have been proposed to Australia is really a unilateral policy initiative by the Australian Federal labor government which has been taken with some reservations by President Obama. However, Australians will initiate this venture which will be a precedent by other OECD member nations.

"Carbon pollution is a threat to our future... we need to price carbon, we need to put a price tag to pollution"! The message is simple and clear!

Tim Tufuga ALPQ

Running for the Heart Research Institute of Australia

Talofa lava and Gidday from Brisbane,

This year has started off very tumultuously with natural disasters throughout Australia and across the Tasman, in New Zealand. Somehow, I feel abit paranoid about providence and the affects and effects of fatalism which has been very unkind to my environment.

For starters, I live in Brisbane, where we have had recent flooding, which has prompted me, along with some 23,000 other Brisbane residents, to feel compelled and obligated to become a "do-gooder", admittedly, this is something which comes natural for me, people, even if I am an atheist and a devout irreligious citizen of both Australia and New Zealand.

I was born in Christchurch, New Zealand, which has now become famous throughout the globe for all the wrong reasons. As they say, "you may take the boy from the village but you can not take the village out of the boy". Well, I am a New Zealand born Samoan, and although, I am a very dark brown skinned Polynesian man, I was born in a very temperate and cool city called Christchurch. This going back a few decades mind you, say back in the 1960s when the flower power era was nouvou and Vietnam and Cuba were sending fearmongering Capitalists to war in an Asian country no one up until then had known ever existed, well, at least for most of the modestly educated diggers whom were sent there to fight for ideological politicians.

I like to do a bit of narssicistic self promotion over the internet which is my own right to do so since no one in their own right mind would or should give a shit about anything I have to say anyway. It is all irrelevant unless you do take notice and respond. I don't care if anyone ever reads any of my blogs at all. Suffice it to suggest, just like my sister would agree with me in stating, that this is a very therapuetic pyschological cathartic exercise, in prose. Unlike an Anne Frank foreboding moribund diary, these entries are not fatalistically tragic nor action packed, in fact, these entries are simply a window into a world of which I view the world and which I share it with you. I gain nothing from this exercise except a purely individualistic glimpse into my life even as moribund, morose, exciting, sensationalist and outright mundane. I don't care for anyone's opinions let alone a pyschological profile of yours truly.

So, I have received a commendation certificate for helping out flood victims along with some 23,000 other volunteers. SES and Australian military personnel are simply doing their duties and are not included in this 'mud army' accreditation, the difference is that the SES, politicians and the Military personnel are fully taxed funded employees whereas we, the volunteers, spent our own personel effects, brooms, shovels, cleaning agents, clothes, and our own elbow grease, to proffer a civic and civil duty to our community.

Now, on a less than self gratifying sense of achievement, I am about to embark on yet another adventure on the roads, by running my fifth 42km marathon in as many years.

I have run the Gold Coast 42km marathon, then my second 42km ever, in 2008, for the Cancer Council of Australia. I had tried, in vain, to fundraise for my 42km effort. Unfortunately, I had not fundraise a cent from any donating people, and so I donated my own money to the Cancer Council of Australia, only $25 though, I was unemployed at the time. Not only did I fork out my own money to contribute to Cancer sufferers throughout Australia, I was jeered and heckled as I was running the 42km marathon.

I have, therefore, assumed that people are not mind readers, and that if someone does do a good deed for others it may be miscontrued, or may be not so misconstrued as serving some other ulterior motive by people with more skeptical views bordering on my true insincere motivations for doing some endurance events and paying for it from my own meagre sources and income. I was ignored by people which is good in a way because in truth I would always shy away from public profiling especially by strangers within the media. So I had resigned myself with having to be labelled as a "do-gooder" ego-centric, at least, in my interpretations.

So, factually speaking people, as an unemployed man, running a 42km marathon, and even forking out what little meagre resources from my wallet to fundraise monies for some stranger dying in a hospital bed for his or her cancer medication, I thought, that being human and showing an inkling of humanity is considered as self serving and self precating to most people. In truth, I do agree about some of these motives. In fact, I had considered all these actions as suitable for my resume and curricula vitae, so in a sense, they are so correct. I have always considered doing such a do gooder deed as feather on my cap as a decent human being and a fully self actualised man.

In the meantime, I have decided to re focus my energies once again on endurance events and after doing the Ironman triathlon in 2010 for the second time I had decided to do the Canberra marathon for the first time. However, since this will be my fifth marathon as already mentioned, I will be more wary of the tortures that my body will undoubtedly be expected to endure. Not only will I feel this torture physically but more than likely financially as well.

So, I will have to approach my fundraising efforts for the Heart Research Institue (HRI) differently. Instead of trying to cold call and door knocking and seeing people scoff at me seeing a mesomorphic ex-rugby player, stating that I am about to run another 42km marathon, I will allow Fairfax papers, and the Canberra Times newspapers assist me in my fundraising efforts.

http://everydayhero.com.au/Tim_Tufuga

Once, again. I am sceptical about the enthusiasm by sado-masochists endurance athletes especially if they are muscle bound and weighing 82km as I do. But, I do endure and I will cross the finishline with some sense of regret of my oft mediocre efforts in my four previous outings. This time, I hope to have a self satisfying grin on my tortured face when I complete number five.

Good day to all. Tofa soifua

Tim Tufuga

3rd March 2011