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U.S. Air Force News

  • A-10 crashes in Baghdad

    An A-10 Thunderbolt II pilot ejected safely before the aircraft crashed in Baghdad, Iraq, on April 8. The pilot was rescued by coalition ground forces, according to a U.S. Central Command official.During a press briefing from Qatar, Army Brig. Gen. Vincent Brooks said, "The aircraft is believed to

  • Lancer hits regime leadership target

    An Air Force B-1B Lancer struck a building in a residential area in Baghdad, Iraq, on April 7 where a high-level Iraqi leadership meeting was believed to be ongoing.Officials at U.S. Central Command confirmed the attack during the daily press briefing at their forward headquarters in Qatar on April

  • Officials name manpower, organization winners

    Officials from the Air Force's directorate of manpower and organization have named the winners of the 2002 Air Force Manpower and Organization Awards. They are:Field Grade Officer of the Year -- Maj. Troy L. Hawk, 18th Wing, Kadena Air Base, Japan.Company Grade Officer of the Year -- Capt.

  • Park it

    A crew chief from the 392nd Air Expeditionary Wing marshals an A-10 Thunderbolt II to its parking spot April 3. The 392nd AEW is at a forward-deployed location in southern Iraq supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Shane A. Cuomo)

  • 3 armed forces vacation spots closing

    The war in Iraq, increased force protection and a declining dollar value overseas has forced Army officials to close three of its armed forces recreation centers in Europe a year earlier than planned.The Von Steuben Hotel in Garmisch will close April 15, while the Chiemsee Lake and Park hotels will

  • B-1 crew describes taking out 'The Big One'

    An Air Force B-1 Lancer crew rode an "adrenaline rush" as they prepared to strike a recently discovered target of opportunity believed to be the site of a high-level Iraqi leadership meeting April 7."There wasn't a lot of time for reflection," Lt. Col. Fred Swan told Pentagon reporters via telephone

  • Air Force announces transportation awards

    Air Force officials recently announced the winners of the 2002 U.S. Air Force Transportation Awards.Unit winners include:-- Vehicle maintenance unit: 52nd Logistics Readiness Squadron, Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany.-- Vehicle operations unit: 86th LRS, Ramstein AB, Germany.-- Combat readiness

  • Air Force announces logistics plans awards

    Air Force officials recently announced the winners of the 2002 U.S. Air Force Logistics Plans Awards.Award winners include:-- Command senior manager: Maj. Christopher D. Long, 609th Air Support Squadron, Shaw Air Force Base, S.C.-- Command manager: Capt. Gail Sledge, 8th Air Force, Barksdale

  • Scrubbing pads join cluster bombs in crucial fight

    To the arsenal of Air Force cluster bombs, joint direct-attack munitions and Maverick missiles, add scrubbing pads, towels and pressure washers.Without them, B-52 Stratofortress maintainers could not keep the forward-deployed location's hulking, aged aircraft clean and flying coalition bombing

  • Congress interested in reserve issues

    Congress has increased its focus on helping the reserve components since more than 200,000 members of the National Guard and Reserve have been mobilized for the war on terrorism.With newly introduced bills to enhance reservists' benefits, along with the existing House Guard and Reserve Caucus plus

  • CENTAF command chief addresses issues

    As Air Force operations continue in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, the service's senior enlisted member in Southwest Asia says the exact future of operations has yet to be determined."The war isn't over," said Chief Master Sgt. Mack Williams, U.S. Central Command Air Forces command chief master

  • Reservist testifies about mobilization

    Television viewers who tuned into C-SPAN on April 3 may have seen an Air Force reservist from here testifying before a House Armed Services subcommittee.Master Sgt. Kevin Smith, logistics plans technician, joined six other National Guard and Reserve members to address the committee and answer

  • Thrift Savings Plan open season begins April 15

    Civilian and military employees can sign up for or change Thrift Savings Plan accounts during "open season" from April 15 to June 30."TSP is an easy, long-term retirement savings plan that everyone should consider," said Maj. Alessandra Stokstad, chief of the Air Force Personnel Center's contact

  • Pit stop

    Staff Sgt. Randy Simmons and Senior Airmen Benjamin David, Steven Campos and Matthew Easton push a new B-52 Stratofortress tire toward its mount April 7 at a forward-deployed location. Two or three of the 500-pound tires get changed each day at this base. The process takes about 20 minutes for

  • ONW fighters say final goodbye to Incirlik

    The last Operation Northern Watch mission flew March 17, but the end of the operation was not obvious until the last fighter aircraft roared out of here April 7.The last fighter planes, eight F-16CJ Fighting Falcons from the 55th Fighter Squadron at Shaw Air Force Base, S.C., left for home and did

  • Pilots work to eliminate collateral damage

    Pilots who specialize in close-air-support missions do "exhaustive work" to prevent hitting the wrong targets, an A-10 Thunderbolt II pilot told reporters April 7.Lt. Col. Mike Webb, operations officer with the 190th Fighter Squadron of the Idaho Air National Guard, explained the process of target

  • Hurry up and wait

    Staff Sgt. James Foster waits for an A-10 Thunderbolt II to taxi to its parking spot April 3 at a forward-deployed location in southern Iraq. Foster is a weapons loader currently assigned to the 392nd Air Expeditionary Wing. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Shane A. Cuomo)

  • Academy programs rank among nation's best

    The U.S. Air Force Academy has one of the nation's top undergraduate engineering programs, according to U.S. News & World Report.The national news magazine just released its America's Best Colleges 2003 edition, which rated universities in a number of general areas. In terms of specific academic

  • Youth claim 'Bowl by Mail' trophies

    Air Force Services Agency officials here recently announced the winners of the annual Bowl by Mail tournament.Bowl by Mail is a worldwide youth-bowling competition that allows children ages 5 through 18 to compete against others their age, but with a slight twist -- it is done via e-mail or postal

  • Personnel data system upgrade smooth, uneventful

    One week before the end of March, in the middle of a war, the military personnel data system underwent a major database upgrade -- and nobody noticed."After some of the things we've gone through that made MilPDS almost a four-letter word throughout the Air Force, this is an important

  • U.S. forces drub Baghdad defenders, WMD search continues

    U.S. military combat action in Baghdad yesterday may have inflicted thousands of casualties on the enemy, a senior U.S. Central Command spokesperson said today."It certainly demonstrated our ability to operate within Baghdad at a time and place of our choosing and to inflict severe damage on anyone

  • St. Elmo's visit

    Capt. Rachel Tukey of the 28th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron watches a natural phenomenon known as St. Elmo's Fire on the windshield of her KC-135 Stratotanker aerial refueler. The KC-135 crew had just refueled a B-52 Stratofortress bomber April 2. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt.

  • Night check

    Capt. Steven, a B-52 Stratofortress pilot from Minot Air Force Base, N.D., checks his night-vision equipment at a forward-deployed location supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. He is deployed with the 457th Air Expeditionary Group. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Stacia M. Willis)

  • By the setting sun

    Staff Sgt. George Gardner builds a storage facility April 5 at a desert air base supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. He is with the 379th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron's structures shop. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Terry L. Blevins)

  • Abu is coming

    An F-16CJ Fighting Falcon pilot who goes by the call sign "Abu" prepares to taxi out for an April 5 combat sortie in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. He is deployed with the 157th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Terry L. Blevins)

  • Wash day

    Staff Sgt. Michael Mariner washes down an F-15E Strike Eagle on April 5 to reduce the dust and dirt on the aircraft. Mariner is a crew chief with the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing at a forward-deployed location supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Terry L.

  • Assignment keeps recruiter, recruitee together

    When Airman 1st Class Natasha Butler reported for duty to the 463rd Airlift Group at Little Rock Air Force Base, Ark., in September 2000, she felt like she was coming home again.Not only was she from Little Rock, but her recruiter, Master Sgt. Lorenzo, was assigned to the same unit and she had

  • Coalition air effort runs gamut of missions

    With their dazzling accuracy played out frequently for worldwide television audiences, precision-guided weapons have made media favorites out of strategic and tactical bombing missions.But there is a wide variety of other air operations going on around the clock that are just as important to the war

  • Friendly fire incidents will be investigated

    It is unfortunate when coalition forces and equipment are lost in combat, but it is particularly tragic when those losses come as a result of friendly fire, the combined forces air component commander of Operation Iraqi Freedom said April 5.Lt. Gen. T. Michael Moseley said during a Pentagon

  • Transient-alert team keeps flightline running

    The flightline is a busy place and no one knows that better than the people who keep it all running smoothly at one forward-deployed location.The 386th Air Expeditionary Wing's transient alert team has aircraft crew chiefs who ensure all the transient aircraft -- aircraft that do not belong to the

  • Team helps troops travel on stomachs

    Underscoring the value of a well-fed force, Napoleon once asserted, "An army travels on its stomach."Despite a rapid and massive buildup for Operation Iraqi Freedom, the 386th Expeditionary Services Squadron's food services team didn't flinch at the task of feeding thousands of coalition bellies for

  • Keeping a promise to POW, MIA families

    The day before five soldiers became prisoners of war in Operation Iraqi Freedom, a meeting for relatives of some still lost from past wars demonstrated the eternal promise that everyone comes home.A "Family Member Update" brought experts working on POW and MIA cases together to share information

  • Lynch to rescuers: 'I'm an American soldier, too'

    The special operations mission to rescue Army Pfc. Jessica D. Lynch from Iraqi captivity was a triumph of joint planning and execution, said Air Force Maj. Gen. Victor Renuart.Renuart, operations chief at U.S. Central Command, gave more information about the Lynch rescue during a press conference in

  • Bomber surge: 103 sorties in less than three days

    Although B-52 Stratofortresses and B-1B Lancers have become a common sight in the skies here their presence has been more visible the past few days.Bombers from the 7th Air Expeditionary Wing here, successfully completed 103 sorties in less than three days as part of a surge in operations March 30

  • Pentagon revises smallpox vaccination policy

    Department of Defense officials are taking a watchful approach to the department's smallpox vaccination program after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta reported investigating whether a sequence of cardiac deaths was associated with the vaccine.Government officials have

  • Coalition aircraft strike home of 'Chemical Ali'

    Coalition aircraft struck the residence of Ali Hassan al-Majid, Iraqi President Saddam Hussein's cousin, April 4.Two coalition aircraft using laser-guided munitions struck the home, located in Al Basrah, approximately 250 miles southeast of Baghdad.The strike was part of an ongoing effort to end

  • Moseley: 'Softening' not accurate description

    "Softening" Iraqi Republican Guard forces in and around Baghdad is not the way Lt. Gen. T. Michael Moseley would describe the effect of coalition air strikes."We are not softening them up. We are killing them," Moseley said April 5 in a teleconference with Pentagon reporters from his headquarters

  • Bomber over ballpark

    An Air Force B-1B Lancer flies over the Texas Rangers first season home game at the Ballpark here April 4. The aircraft is assigned to the 28th Bomb Squadron at Dyess Air Force Base, Texas. This is the third year a Dyess B-1 has flown over the team's first home game. (U.S. Air Force photo by

  • Maintainers get results despite tough conditions

    Approximately 1,900 coalition aircraft have launched almost 24,000 round-the-clock sorties since March 19 supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.That means 24,000 opportunities for something to go wrong mechanically."No problem," say maintainers like Senior Master Sgt. Ricky Abbott and Staff Sgt. Robert

  • Dover team serves to honor fallen heroes

    With the arrival of remains from Operation Iraqi Freedom, the honor guard is performing more than its usual duties.Besides providing military funeral honors, honor guard airmen, working with the 3rd U.S. Infantry (The Old Guard), bring the remains to the Charles C. Carson Center for Mortuary Affairs

  • Former POW celebrates 30 years of freedom

    As U.S. prisoners of war in Iraq await their freedom, Col. Charles Brown, 439th Maintenance Group commander here recalled the end of his own POW experience 30 years earlier.On April 1, 1973, a young, Captain Brown walked off a C-9 Nightingale onto the tarmac here after spending 101 days as a

  • On the lookout

    Master Sgt. Eric Draper scans the desert for threats as his HC-130 flies into a U.S.-controlled airfield in southern Iraq on April 3. Draper is a loadmaster with the 39th Rescue Squadron from Patrick Air Force Base, Fla., and is deployed to support Operation Iraqi Freedom. (U.S. Air Force photo by

  • JAG discusses rules of combat

    When Americans go to war, they are armed with more than the best weapons and training the nation has to offer -- they are equipped with the "rule of law."According to the Air Force's senior lawyer, the United States fights wars differently from other nations."The Constitution governs everything we

  • Guard, Reserve airmen testify about effects of mobilization

    Members of Congress turned to a panel of noncommissioned officers April 3 to determine the price military reservists are paying to help defend the nation.Two members of the Air National Guard and an Air Force reservist were on the multi-service panel that told members of the House Armed Services

  • Agreement establishes Fighter Associate Program

    Air Force Reserve Command and Air Combat Command have joined forces to begin the Fighter Associate Program.Gen. Hal M. Hornburg, ACC commander, and Lt. Gen. James E. Sherrard III, AFRC commander, signed a memorandum of agreement that took effect April 2.The Fighter Associate Program is designed to

  • Renamed airport gateway to Iraq's future

    Saddam International Airport is under new management and has been renamed Baghdad International Airport, U.S. Central Command officials said today.Army Brig. Gen. Vincent Brooks, during a news conference in Qatar, said Army 5th Corps forces took the airport after heavy fighting. He said the airport

  • Team's efforts help warplanes go farther

    What do a maintenance scheduler, an information management specialist and an F-16 Fighting Falcon crew chief have in common?Normally, not a whole lot. But at a desert air base, they are all part of a 16-person team sent from Shaw Air Force Base, S.C., that augments the 363rd Expeditionary

  • Air Force discusses information technology with Congress

    Department of Defense leaders met with the House Armed Services Committee subcommittee on terrorism, unconventional threats and capabilities April 3 to discuss the role of information technology on mission capability."The Air Force is undergoing the most significant transformation in its relatively

  • Exercise good medicine for arthritis sufferers

    Should people with arthritis exercise? The answer to this question is a resounding "yes," according to 1st Lt. Justin Theiss, a physical therapist at the medical center here."Studies have shown exercise helps preserve joint mobility and function," Theiss said. "Inactive lifestyles and low fitness

  • Teachers take to the field

    They say those who cannot do, teach. But do not say that around the advisers from Ammo U, who just arrived at a forward-deployed location to give, and get, an education.The 40 or so airmen from the Air Force Combat Ammunition Center at Beale Air Force Base, Calif., have closed the school and moved

  • Aviano volunteers make deployment transit experience memorable

    Luke-warm coffee and a plate of stale cookies while waiting to move forward are deployment facts of life, right up there with tent living and a quarter-mile hike to the bathroom.Thanks to a program named Operation Yellow Ribbon, individuals passing through here are treated to something a little out

  • Acquisition official briefs aircraft budget to Congress

    Over the last year, the Air Force has successfully implemented changes to its acquisition process and provided increased capabilities to warfighters, the service's top acquisition official said in written statements to lawmakers April 3."We will continue to leverage the technology of this nation to

  • Forces join together to fuel the coalition

    The U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force have joined forces at an RAF base in the Eastern Mediterranean to set up a refueling mission.A refueling system was needed that was more efficient than refueling aircraft by fuel trucks, according to RAF Warrant Officer 2nd Class Paul

  • Water flowing into southern Iraq; food on the way

    With the help of the Kuwaiti government, fresh water is flowing into coalition-held areas of southern Iraq, and food is on the way, the American officer in charge of these efforts said today.Coalition forces are coordinating delivery of water from a pipeline the Kuwait government set up into

  • Powell predicts better day ahead for Iraq

    With Iraq's day of liberation drawing near, U.S. officials are hard at work on plans for an interim authority, U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell said today."We want an interim authority that is representative of all the groups who have an interest in the future of Iraq," Powell told reporters at

  • Jabara Award honors aviators' efforts

    Two Air Force helicopter pilots have earned the 2003 Col. James Jabara Award for Airmanship.Majs. Leighton Anderson and Edward Lengel, both 1992 academy graduates, earned the award for their contributions to airpower during Operation Enduring Freedom.This is the first time the award has been given

  • Tower a pinnacle of support for fliers

    As B-52 Stratofortresses lift off from a deployed location, the last person to wish them well is not the commander or maintainers. It is Airman 1st Class Jeremy Beecher, an air traffic controller with the 457th Air Expeditionary Group.Air traffic controllers direct all air and runway traffic. They

  • Desert duty

    Tech. Sgt. Rey Rodriguez prepares support brackets for shower tent at a forward-deployed location April 1. Rodriguez is a load team superintendent with the 621st Tanker Airlift Control Element and is deployed from the 821st Air Mobility Squadron at McGuire Air Force Base, N.J. (U.S. Air Force

  • Academy honors distinguished graduates

    Contributions to the Air Force and nation have earned two Air Force Academy graduates the academy's distinguished graduate awards.Retired Air Force Gen. Robert Oaks and Dr. Paul Kaminski have earned the 2002 Distinguished Graduate Award. The award recognizes graduates for contributions to the

  • Reserve, active duty blend seamlessly

    Active-duty and Reserve airmen are working side by side and facing the same wartime challenges while deployed for Operation Iraqi Freedom.Air reserve technicians from the 917th Wing at Barksdale Air Force Base, La., work in tandem with their active-duty counterparts as members of the 5th

  • AF provides Congress with Raptor update

    Air dominance is the first priority of any combat commander and the F/A-22 Raptor will provide it for them, Lt. Gen. John D.W. Corley said in congressional testimony April 2.Corley is the principal deputy assistant secretary of the Air Force for acquisition at the Pentagon."Air dominance provides

  • You've got a friend

    Tech. Sgt. Terrance Butler shares his hat with a Bulgarian child April 2. Butler is currently assigned to the 409th Air Expeditionary Group at Camp Sarafovo, Bulgaria. More than 40 children from two orphanages in nearby Burgas toured the camp and entertained the deployed troops. (U.S. Air Force

  • Highlighting cruel nature of Iraqi regime

    Since the beginning of the war in Iraq, defense officials have pointed out the Iraqi regime's policy of consistently ignoring the laws of armed conflict and the Geneva Conventions.From setting death squads on their own people to holing up in mosques and shrines, regime forces have flouted

  • Pope people, aircraft supporting fight

    Members of Pope's Flying Tigers -- the only active-duty A-10 Thunderbolt II unit in Southwest Asia -- are bringing the fight to the enemy as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom.A number of the 23rd Fighter Group's aircraft and people are deployed to a forward location and participating in combat

  • Snow duty

    Moving a patient front of the Old Faithful ranger station here are, from left, Ranger Jan Cauthorn-Page Senior Master Sgt. Johnny Cupp (left) and Senior Airman Nathan Steele. Cupp and Steele are emergency medical technicians with the 445th Aeromedical Staging Squadron at Wright-Patterson Air Force

  • Day in the life: B-52 commander's day filled with make-or-break decisions

    His day begins shortly before 6 a.m., making deposits.Each person he sees, he pats on the shoulder, shakes hands with or offers a warm greeting -- deposits of confidence, calm and comfort. He treats them all alike, from the single-stripe airman to the blue-oak-leaf lieutenant colonel.For Col. Dan

  • Tricare may change for some families

    With Operation Iraqi Freedom in full swing, deployments have become common for military members stationed at overseas locaitions. This can affect health care for family members.Health care is available for eligible family members whether they choose to stay overseas or decide to temporarily return

  • Coalition forces in commuting distance to downtown Baghdad

    Coalition forces have taken outlying areas of Baghdad "and are closer to the center of the Iraqi capital than many American commuters are to their downtown offices," Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said at the Pentagon today.The secretary said the people of Iraq are beginning to realize the

  • Precision munitions provide 'great capability,' carry 'great responsibility'

    Precision munitions and careful targeting have enabled Operation Iraqi Freedom planners to maximize the effects of missiles and bombs and minimize unintended Iraqi civilian casualties and collateral damage."I believe that we have proven, to date, that we have waged a very precise -- and very focused

  • Coalition land forces approaching Baghdad

    A Navy F/A-18 Hornet fighter jet went missing and an Army UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter crashed in central Iraq April 2, U.S. Central Command officials said this morning.According to military officials in the region, the Hornet "went down" at about 3:45 p.m. Eastern time. No further details were given

  • U.S. pledges extra $200 million for Iraqi food relief

    The United States increased its cash donation to the international community to purchase food for the Iraqi people, a senior U.S. government official said here yesterday."We would like to announce ... an additional contribution today of $200 million in cash to the [U.N.] World Food Program to

  • Congress ponders exchange merger

    Department of Defense leaders met with the House Armed Services Committee subcommittee on total force April 2 to discuss the future of the department's three exchange services.Of specific interest was a potential merger of the Army and Air Force Exchange Service, the Navy Exchange and the Marine

  • Advanced scopes give engine mechanics an edge

    New digital borescopes are allowing mechanics here to more efficiently and accurately inspect aircraft engines getting aircraft back in warfighters' hands quicker.The fiber-optic borescopes detect, measure and retrieve damaging foreign debris from inside aircraft engines. This allows Oklahoma City

  • Airlifters play big role in Iraqi Freedom

    A C-130 Hercules aircraft from the 320th Air Expeditionary Wing was the first U.S. Air Force aircraft to land at an Iraqi airfield in the southern part of the country after it was secured by coalition forces March 27.The mission, flown by wing commander Col Rich Johnston and his crew, was the first

  • Air Force helps rescue Army private

    Air Force pilots and combat controllers played a part in the rescue of Army Pfc. Jessica D. Lynch from the hands of her Iraqi captors during a mission into the town of Nasiriyah, U.S. Central Command officials said April 2.Coalition special operations forces rescued Lynch who was held at the Saddam

  • B-52 crews use 'smart-guided' cluster bomb

    Air Force B-52 Stratofortress crews made history April 2 when they dropped six sensor-fused cluster bombs on a column of Iraqi tanks headed south out of Baghdad.The bombing runs resulted in the destruction of the tanks and marked the first time in history that CBU-105 Wind Corrected Munitions

  • CENTCOM: Republican Guard division 'destroyed'

    With divisions divided and divisions destroyed, April is off to a bad start for Iraq's famed Republican Guard.An official from U.S. Central Command confirmed in an April 2 press briefing at the unit's forward headquarters in Qatar that the Baghdad division of the guard "has been destroyed" in

  • Fix nets new stripes for 23 airmen

    Nearly two dozen enlisted airmen will receive an unexpected promotion since personnel officials discovered systemic errors involving people who returned to the Air Force after a break in service.While no stripes will be taken away, officials discovered that 35 "prior-service" airmen had -- unknown

  • Letterman features Alaska airmen

    Ten members of the 962nd Airborne Air Control Squadron here will share the spotlight with David Letterman when they present a "top 10 list" on his TV show April 4. The airmen will give late-night audiences the "Top 10 Cool Things about Being Stationed in Alaska." The segment was taped in front of

  • Last American flag on Iwo Jima flies over Buckley

    In 1968, Old Glory was lowered on the island of Iwo Jima for the last time as the island returned to the Japanese government.A flag had flown day and night on Mount Suribachi since U.S. Marines famously raised on there during the battle for Iwo Jima.On March 27, that last flag flew here as part of a

  • Female B-2 pilot makes history

    Military women are continuing to knock down barriers and make history.Capt. Jennifer Wilson, a B-2 Spirit pilot deployed with the 393rd Expeditionary Bomb Squadron, landed on the runway April 1 at her forward-deployed location, making her the first female B-2 pilot to fly a combat mission. "Flying

  • Night ops in the north

    Master Sgt. Gerritt McCrory of the 86th Expeditionary Contingency Response Group marshals cargo and people from a C-17 Globemaster III aircraft during night operations March 30 at an airfield in northern Iraq. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Rich Puckett)

  • Wing prepares for CV-22 training

    With two CV-22 simulators on board here, 58th Special Operations Wing workers are making strides toward setting up training for the new aircraft.The Air Force officially accepted ownership of its first full-motion CV-22 simulator at the 58th Training Squadron recently.The unit will receive four

  • Illinois base prepares for possible war casualties

    As coalition forces zero in on Baghdad, there is a possibility of mass military casualties. If that happens, Scott AFB in America's heartland may serve as a central medical "hub" for getting wounded warriors to the care they need."If the number of casualties is great, we need to be prepared," said

  • Airmen jump in, prepare airfield in northern Iraq

    As part of what may be the largest airborne assault since D-Day, 20 airmen of the 86th Contingency Response Group parachuted into northern Iraq on March 27 with more than 1,000 soldiers of the 173rd Airborne Brigade.The people who jumped into Iraq comprised a team of specialists from the

  • Delta rocket takes GPS satellite into orbit

    A Delta II, carrying a Global Positioning System satellite, launches from here March 31. The GPS system provides precise 24-hour navigational latitude, longitude, altitude, velocity and precise time information. In the first six days of Operation Iraqi Freedom, more than 80 percent of the

  • Towing the line

    Airman 1st Class Adam McChord helps tow an F-16 Fighting Falcon at a forward-deployed location. McChord is a crew chief assigned to the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Terry L. Blevins)

  • Unconditional surrender demanded of Iraqi regime

    The only thing the coalition is willing to discuss with the leaders of the Iraqi regime is their unconditional surrender, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said today.To get an idea of the progress the coalition is making in Iraq, people must try to view the world as Saddam Hussein - if he's

  • KC-135 Stratotankers keep allied forces flying

    As the Air Force's operating tempo climbs to unprecedented heights in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, the efforts of refueling tankers are keeping the air war on track.With the average daily number of air sorties going from 1,000 to 1,800 in the past two days, according to a defense official,

  • Air strikes hammer remote terrorist camp

    Coalition air strikes during Operation Iraqi Freedom are not only yielding the systematic demolition of the Saddam Hussein regime, but are hammering international terrorist organizations as well.Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Richard B. Myers, in an April 1 Pentagon press briefing,

  • Hurlburt Field selected for installation excellence

    Hurlburt Field, Fla., was selected as the Air Force winner of the 2003 Commander in Chief's Annual Award for Installation Excellence by the Department of Defense.Hurlburt is one of five installation winners announced April 1 by Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld. The award comes with $1

  • Scientists, engineers vital to Air Force mission

    The Air Force is having difficulty recruiting and retaining its civilian and military scientist and engineering workforce, Gen. Lester L. Lyles, commander of Air Force Materiel Command, told senators March 31.If the service wants to retain its position as the world's premier air and space force, it

  • AWACS keep flying despite challenges

    About 45 people deployed from Tinker Air Force Base, Okla., work together to make sure the E-3 Sentry, better known as the Airborne Warning and Control System aircraft or AWACS, is ready to launch within an hour if needed.That is no small task, according to the man in charge of the maintenance of

  • Troops hope their work doesn't come home

    They descended on a forward-deployed location with one focus: building bombs. Not just any bombs. They wanted to build the kind that don't come back. It is the lifeblood of any ammo troop.They didn't build for two weeks, just long enough for them to get antsy, wondering when they would get their

  • Personnel training teams visiting bases

    Help is on the way for Military Personnel Data System users, which should lead to better customer service for airmen and commanders, according to an Air Force Personnel Center official here.Six-person training teams from the center are traveling to every base in the Air Force."We're training each

  • Air Force surgeon general: 'We are ready'

    Improvements in the deployment process since the 1991 Gulf War have resulted in a more fit and healthy fighting force, the Air Force surgeon general told a House committee March 27."Our military now finds itself engaged in war on multiple fronts -- in fact, a greater percentage of our troops are

  • Senior leaders welcome independent academy review

    Even as the Air Force takes its first steps toward correcting problems that led to allegations of sexual assault at its academy, the service's leaders told lawmakers they would welcome a third-party investigation.Secretary of the Air Force Dr. James G. Roche and Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P.

  • April issue of Airman available

    Take a look at how the Air Force entered space, learn about the A-10 Thunderbolt II mission over Afghanistan, and read about the silent wings of history. These features and more highlight the April issue of Airman magazine, now available in print and online.In the early 1950s, America slowly began

  • Saddam a no-show on Iraqi television

    It's Day 12 of "Where's Saddam?"Since Sunday, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, and other senior DoD officials have noted that no one has seen Saddam Hussein since the operation to open the war.So many military and civilian personnel in the Pentagon watched a bit more intently when the news

  • Coalition aircraft strike two Iraqi targets

    Two coalition aircraft used laser-guided munitions to target a communications site west of Baghdad, while coalition aircraft with precision-guided munitions targeted a regime office complex in eastern Baghdad. Both strikes occurred April 1.The communication strike was directed against a radio relay