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U.S. Air Force News

  • 9-11 flag inspires people at Ramstein

    Reserve Capt. Eric Szillus hangs an American flag flown at Ground Zero in a fitness center turned medical staging area here. Szillus is a clinical nurse with the 514th Aeromedical Staging Squadron from McGuire Air Force Base, N.J., and a full-time New York firefighter who was at the World Trade

  • More than 100,000 coalition troops in Iraq

    More than 300,000 coalition troops are deployed in support of combat operations, with more than a third of those inside Iraq, defense officials said March 31.In addition, each day about 2,000 coalition servicemembers, "flow" into the theater each day, Pentagon spokeswoman Torie Clarke said at a

  • Federal employees will see bump in pay

    Most federal employees will soon see a larger 2003 pay increase thanks to an amended Executive Order 13282 providing retroactive locality pay. The increase varies by locality from .9 to 1.7 percent and will be retroactive to Jan. 12.Officials at the Defense Finance and Accounting Service should

  • Air Force names top command post controllers

    Air Force operations and training officials here have named the following airmen as 2002 Command Post Controllers of the Year:-- Command Post Senior Noncommissioned Officer of the Year is Master Sgt. Joseph A. Howell Jr., Yokota Air Base, Japan.-- Command Post NCO of the Year is Staff Sgt. Rodney D.

  • C-130s are SUVs of airlift

    In a world where fighters are seen as the sleek Lamborghinis of the flying world, C-130s are still carrying the load as the SUVs of airlift. According to workers from of the C-130 system program office and the production people who maintain the aircraft here, that is just what it should be

  • Now showing: March 31 edition of Air Force Television News

    The vast array of Air Force assets contributing to Operation Iraqi Freedom are spotlighted in the latest edition of Air Force Television News.Staff Sgt. Leigh Bellinger shows all the ground and air people plus materiel making up the Air Force part of the war against Iraq; Master Sgt. Dan Robinson

  • Coalition air strikes weaken Republican Guard

    Air strikes continue to weaken Iraqi Republican Guard forces, the vice director for operations on the Joint Staff told reporters during a March 31 press briefing at the Pentagon.Army Maj. Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal said coalition air forces have used 3,000 precision-guided weapons since March 28,

  • Coalition forces target Ministry of Information

    Coalition forces targeted the Ministry of Information in downtown Baghdad March 30 to reduce the Hussein regime's command and control capabilities.The ministry is located west of the Tigris River and was targeted with a Tomahawk Land Attack Munition. The strike enhances the security of coalition

  • Coalition bringing all powers to bear on Iraq

    Coalition forces are bringing all powers to bear on the Iraqi regime, Army Brig. Gen. Vincent Brooks, vice director of operations for U.S. Central Command said today during a briefing in Qatar.Coalition forces on the land, air and sea are targeting the things nearest and dearest to the regime's

  • Air Force continues attacks on Iraqi regime, military

    A wide variety of Air Force aircraft played key roles in weekend missions designed to destroy Iraqi regime and military targets.The latest -- the obliteration of an enemy aircraft on a desert airfield by AC-130 gunships -- was displayed via video for reporters at a U.S. Central Command press

  • Coalition forces strike key target

    Coalition forces struck several key targets March 30 and 31 in an attempt to disrupt Iraqi military communications, degrade the Iraqi regime's ability to command and control military forces, and neutralize the threat from paramilitary forces.Two coalition aircraft using precision-guided munitions

  • Weather clears skies for bomber pilots

    While accurate bombs, jet-propelled missiles and well-trained crews mean the difference in a war, none of it gets off the ground without good weather.As aircrews and others at a forward-deployed location will tell you, weather is paramount for the success of Operation Iraqi Freedom. No one knows

  • Program offers close-up look at police work

    The last place most people want to find themselves is in a cop car, but that is exactly where one local teenager found his dream.Travis Sheets, a 17-year-old Enid High School student, is focused on an Air Force career thanks to his "Ride-Along Program" experience.The program, managed by 71st

  • After first week of war, airmen charged, ready

    With the first week of Operation Iraq Freedom successfully waged, 40,000 airmen spread across 30 locations stand poised for the long and difficult road ahead.But to airmen such as Senior Airman Jennifer Raney, the duration of the journey is secondary to dispelling the regime of Saddam Hussein."I'm

  • Strikes target Fedayeen, other regime operations

    Coalition airmen kept the heat on the Iraqi regime March 29 with precision strikes on Fedayeen, air-defense and command-and-control facilities.Coalition aircraft bombed the main training facility of the Fedayeen paramilitary forces in eastern Baghdad. The Fedayeen in this area are in charge of

  • Forces not 'paused'; coalition attacks continue

    Army Gen. Tommy Franks said coalition forces are not "paused" and are not suffering from a lack of supplies.Franks, who spoke today at a press conference in Qatar, said, "Where we stand today is not only acceptable, ... it is truly remarkable."He spoke of "large and capable ground forces within 60

  • Operations center in action

    Staff Sgt. Selena Matlock (foreground)tracks aircraft take-off and landing times at the coalition operations center. She is assigned to the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing at a deployed location. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Terry Blevins)

  • Gas guzzler

    Tech. Sgt. George Anderson refuels a coalition aircraft from a fuel bladder at a forward-deployed location. Anderson is assigned to the 380th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron and deployed from Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, N.C. (U.S. Air Force photo by 2nd Lt. Nancy Kuck)

  • Air National Guard unit ensures safe flying

    Communication is vital. It is the key to the success of any operation. Without it, assumption and perception take over, causing malfunctions and putting lives at stake.This is something the air traffic control and radar approach control airmen at Bagram, Afghanistan know well.Listening for

  • Experience levels vary in Operation Iraqi Freedom

    The level of experience of Air Force members currently deployed to the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing at an undisclosed location in Southwest Asia runs the gamut, from battle-tested veteran to bright-eyed teenager.But whether they are new to the game or have seen it all before, the mission must go

  • U.S. troops' remains found near Nasiriyah

    The remains of American troops have been discovered in southern Iraq near where paramilitary forces loyal to Saddam Hussein have been accused by the Pentagon of executing U.S. service members after they'd surrendered.U.S. Central Command spokesman Air Force Maj. Gen. Victor Renuart told reporters

  • Iraqi units may have orders to use chem/bio weapons

    Coalition forces have seen indications that Iraqi units have been given the freedom to use chemical weapons, Army Brig. Gen. Vincent Brooks said today.Brooks, deputy director of operations at CENTCOM's deployed headquarters in Qatar, told a press conference that intelligence sources indicate that

  • Bomb kills U.S. troops near Najaf; Iraqi missile damages Kuwait City mall

    Five U.S. 3rd Infantry Division soldiers were killed in Iraq today by an apparent suicide bomber at a road checkpoint near Najaf."That kind of activity, I think, is something that is a symbol of an organization that's beginning to get a little bit desperate," Air Force Maj. Gen. Victor Renuart, a

  • Strike Eagles destroy Ba'ath leadership facility

    A pair of Air Force F-15E Strike Eagles attacked a Ba'ath Party headquarters building in southern Iraq on March 28, where some 200 leaders of the Iraqi "irregular forces" were meeting.According to Maj. Gen. Victor Renuart, U.S. Central Command director of operations, the attack was meant to destroy

  • Wounded return to United States

    A wounded military member is moved to an ambulance here March 28. He is one of 13 Americans who arrived in a C-141 Starlifter from the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany. The patients are the first people wounded in Operation Iraqi Freedom to be returned to the United States. They were

  • Air Force wins 5th straight bowling crown

    For anyone who says sports dynasties are dead, say hello to the Air Force bowling team.The team dominated the 25th annual Armed Forces Bowling Championship held March 14 to 20 at the Lackland Air Force Base, Texas.Airmen swept all the gold medals, claiming their fifth consecutive interservice team

  • Moving forward

    Airmen of the 821st Tanker Airlift Control Element wait to board a C-130 Hercules aircraft March 27. The aircraft will move the airmen to another undisclosed location supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Quinton T. Burris)

  • Buildup

    Staff Sgt. Matthew Duncan puts a fuse into a 2,000-pound Mk-84 bomb before it is loaded onto a B-52 Stratofortress bomber. Duncan is assigned to the 457th Air Expeditionary Group at a forward-deployed location. He is deployed from Beale Air Force Base, Calif. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st

  • Most airlines change luggage weight limits

    Most major airlines have changed their checked baggage policy concerning weight limits and excess charges for luggage on domestic flights, according to Air Mobility Command transportation officials. These changes will affect military travelers."The carriers will continue to accept luggage up to 100

  • Base is no place for owls

    As sprawling neighborhoods take over wide-open spaces and devour wildlife habitats, some animals are forced to move to new homes. Sometimes those homes are on military installations.Most animals pose no threat, but others -- like a pair of barn owls that made their home in a hangar here -- can

  • 'Flying schoolgirl' inspired early aviators

    In the early 1900s, flying was a novelty, pilots were idolized like movie stars, and air shows drew huge crowds fascinated by the emerging technology of flight.Few men were brave enough to take to the sky and women pilots were rare. That is what makes Katherine Stinson's aviation accomplishments

  • B-2 strikes Baghdad communications tower

    An Air Force B-2 Spirit bomber shook downtown Baghdad after hitting a key communications facility with two precision-guided munitions March 27.Massive plumes of smoke and debris rose from the target, a large tower on the east bank of the Tigris River. Officials at Operation Iraqi Freedom's Combined

  • Timeline for parts cut in half

    Airmen assigned to the 320th Expeditionary Aerial Port Squadron began getting parts March 22 in half the time it previously took.A Department of Defense-contracted carrier streamlined normal customs procedures to deliver cargo directly to the designated unit.The airmen and other base leaders

  • Controllers keep air traffic in sync

    Air traffic controllers have handled up to 1,600 sorties a day as the "shock and awe" air campaign continues and ground forces make a beeline for Baghdad.The torrid pace shows no signs of slowing, said Tech. Sgt. Mark Morrison, a controller working at a forward-deployed location. He works in radar

  • Combat vets wage public-info campaign

    Four Air Force combat veterans began a new campaign March 27 -- informing the public of the Air Force's role in Operation Iraqi Freedom.The airmen -- three aircrew members and a combat controller -- spoke to reporters from across the nation in a television studio here on topics including the latest

  • Take a break

    Master Sgt. Mark Kuntz (right) takes a break during a survival, evasion, resistance and escape exercise here. As part of exercise Foal Eagle, Kuntz, a SERE instructor, is helping to train Korean air force members to navigate and guide Air Force rescue units to their location. (U.S. Air Force photo

  • Science, technology investment determines future

    Warfighting effects and what is needed to achieve them drive the Air Force's science and technology program, the deputy assistant secretary of the Air Force for science, technology and engineering told members of Congress on March 27."We're committed to a robust science and technology program that

  • Female astronaut pioneers last frontier

    Whether they sailed across the oceans, climbed mountains, or rolled across the Great Plains, pioneers were first to explore new frontiers. Col. Susan Helms is not rambling across the prairie in a covered wagon, but she is a pioneer. She is an astronaut. Her frontier: space.Helms was the first

  • F/A-22 resumes testing

    F/A-22 Raptor test and training flight operations resumed here March 22 after a brief delay following a nose-gear-retraction incident.On March 18, the nose gear of an F/A-22 retracted unexpectedly as the engines were being shut down. The incident occurred after successful completion of a routine

  • UAV 'roadmap' helps warfighter

    The Department of Defense's Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Roadmap provides a defensewide vision for UAVs and related technology, said the deputy of the UAV Planning Task Force in congressional testimony here March 26.The goal of the plan is to ensure UAV programs proceed in a coordinated and efficient

  • Combined security

    Jeko Jekov (left) and Staff Sgt. Olga Valery patrol the beach area here. Jekov is with the Bulgarian military police while Valery is assigned to the 409th Air Expeditionary Group's security forces. U.S. security forces airmen work with Bulgarian military police to maintain security on Camp Sarafovo

  • C-17 crews describe paratroop drop

    Training. Teamwork. Focus. Pride.That is how the commander of the largest airborne mission since 1990's Operation Just Cause sums up the aerial delivery of 1,000 members of the Army's 173rd Airborne Brigade into northern Iraq on March 26.It was the first time a C-17 Globemaster III had inserted

  • Airborne opens new front in Iraq; Mines delay food aid in Umm Qasr

    Several hundred "Sky Soldiers" of the 173rd Airborne Brigade opened a new front in a Kurdish-controlled area of northern Iraq, defense officials announced.The troopers jumped onto an airfield. Now that the area is secure, flights will bring in more equipment and personnel. The 173rd is based in

  • Supply lines pumping, sorties rolling

    B-52 Stratofortresses keep rolling down the runway at a deployed location, carrying the fight and firepower to the Iraqi regime.As the operators and maintainers of the 457th Air Expeditionary Group keep the Buffs flying, having parts and equipment at the ready is critical."The relationship between

  • Bush, Blair: Coalition loosening Iraqi regime's 'grip of terror'

    "Slowly, but surely, the grip of terror around the throats of the Iraqi people is being loosened," President Bush said today.Accompanied by British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Bush spoke at a press conference at Camp David, Md. He said coalition forces are "advancing day by day in steady progress

  • Wing's aircrews and support side help maintain mission

    Although most members of the 321st Air Expeditionary Wing may see their participation in the war against terrorism as being behind the scenes, the action is main stage for the flying squadrons at this deployed location.C-130 Hercules crews based here fly daily missions supporting the war effort,

  • Stop-Loss affects deployed airmen

    Even though Air Force officials have identified 99 career fields affected by Stop-Loss, all airmen currently deployed are affected as well.Responding to erroneous news reports and some confusion in the ranks, officials are re-emphasizing how Stop-Loss affects deployed airmen.Stop-Loss is keeping all

  • Act may protect active-duty reservists

    Guardsmen and reservists called to active duty to fight the global war on terror may seek credit protection under a law passed to aid GIs in an earlier global war. The Soldiers' and Sailors' Civil Relief Act of 1940 protects military members from certain legal obligations while they are actively

  • Remote returnees get a breather

    Airmen returning from overseas remote "short" tours will receive six-month exemptions from deploying with their new units on scheduled air and space expeditionary force deployments.The policy change is the result of input from airmen in the field, according to Maj. Gen. Timothy A. Peppe, special

  • Coalition air forces fly 1,500 missions March 26

    Coalition air forces struck repeatedly at Iraqi Republican Guard formations March 26, defense officials said.Coalition aircraft flew about 1,500 sorties with about 600 strikes on that day. Only about 100 of the strikes were "planned;" the others were Republican Guard targets of opportunity,

  • 'This is for you'

    Today I took a late lunch in town and stopped into KFC, in uniform.I was almost finished with my lunch and had some chicken grease on my fingers. A gentleman from across the room walked over to my table and handed me a folded piece of paper, and said, "This is for you." I reached out my two clean

  • C-17 crews conduct historic airborne operation

    Under the cover of darkness, almost 1,000 "Sky Soldiers" of the 173rd Airborne Brigade parachuted from C-17 Globemaster IIIs into the Kurdish-controlled area of northern Iraq. This was the first combat insertion of paratroopers using a C-17."This is a historic milestone in the evolution of the

  • B-2 strikes key Iraqi communications facility

    A United States Air Force B-2 Spirit bomber targeted and struck a major link in Iraq's national communication network March 27.The communication link occupied a large tower on the east bank of the Tigris River in downtown Baghdad.The strike with two precision-guided munitions was to degrade the

  • Warren missileer crowned as DOD 'Kingpin'

    To win a local sporting event is an achievement, to compete and win at Air Force level is a heralded milestone, and to take home the gold at a Department of Defense event is worthy of gladiator recognition.Second Lt. Rickie Banister, a 319th Missile Squadron missileer, bowled over the competition

  • Sandtrooper

    Airman Matthew Jensen sits atop a Humvee during a sand storm at a forward-deployed location March 26. Jensen is assigned to the 379th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. David Donovan)

  • Airman grew up behind Berlin Wall

    For Senior Airman Anke Dzincielewski, the day the Berlin Wall fell is one she will never forget."Senior Airman D.," as co-workers call her, was born and raised in Kleinmachnow, a small town on the southwest corner of Berlin in East Germany. She grew up knowing that the West was there but never

  • Preflight

    Capt. Jeremy Quatacker checks preflight forms before an Operation Iraqi Freedom mission. Quatacker is an F-16 Fighting Falcon pilot assigned to the 524th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron at a desert base. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Stefan Alford)

  • Air Force, Army leaders examine air-ground ops

    The Air Force and Army chiefs of staff are leading a focused effort to examine air-ground operations in order to improve the two services' combat capability.Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper and Army Chief of Staff Gen. Eric K. Shinseki said they recognize the need to improve air-ground

  • Association recognizes airman for heroism

    Life-saving actions have earned an Eglin sergeant the Noncommissioned Officer Association's Vanguard Award for heroism.Senior Master Sgt. David Popwell, superintendent of the 96th Ground Combat Training Squadron here, saved the lives of three people injured in a two-car collision on Florida's

  • Fitness center becomes aeromedical facility

    One of the fitness centers here became a contingency aeromedical staging facility March 23.The staging facility, the first of this type stood up by the Air Force since Operation Desert Storm in 1991, is designed to hold injured servicemembers who have been medically evacuated from Operation Iraqi

  • Pilots say training prepared them for combat

    Pilots flying combat missions over Iraq in recent days are saying that the real-world operations there are validating their years of training.The comments came from a March 26 teleconference in which pilots and other members of the 363rd Air Expeditionary Wing at an undisclosed location described

  • Leaders outline academy overhaul

    Four U.S. Air Force Academy leaders will be replaced as part of sweeping changes designed to ensure a safe and secure environment for the school's cadets, officials announced at a Pentagon press briefing March 26.The changes were announced by Secretary of the Air Force Dr. James G. Roche and Air

  • Roche, Jumper give Senate war update

    The U.S.-led "coalition of the willing" has achieved total air dominance in the skies over Iraq, Air Force leaders told members of the Senate on March 26."The Iraqi air force has not flown a single sortie against coalition forces," Secretary of the Air Force Dr. James G. Roche told members of the

  • Electrons get B-52s to battle

    It is not just jet fuel that launches B-52 Stratofortresses to the fight. It is electrons forming air-tasking orders streaming through a secure, secret military network that propels the bombers into flight."No comm, no bomb!" and "If you can't talk, you can't fight a war," boast the troops of the

  • Coalition leaflets emphasize intention to avoid landmarks

    Coalition aircrews dropped approximately 600,000 informational leaflets into Iraq on March 25. The leaflets provided a variety of messages, including one that emphasized that the coalition does not wish to harm Iraqi landmarks.The leaflet reinforces the coalition's policy to strike only targets of

  • Sandblast

    Airmen struggle to walk through a heavy sand storm at a forward-deployed air base March 26. Troops supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom are battling sand storms throughout Southwest Asia. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Derrick C. Goode)

  • Airman dies of injuries in Kuwait

    An Idaho Air National Guardsman has died of injuries received from a grenade attack on his tent in Kuwait on March 22.Officials announced Maj. Gregory L. Stone died March 25 at a U.S. Army field hospital in Kuwait.Stone had been serving as an air liaison officer with the U.S. Army's 101st Airborne

  • The ultimate line dance

    C-17 Globemaster IIIs await orders to load and launch in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom at a forward-deployed location. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Isaac G.L. Freeman)

  • Diversity stressed for civilians

    As the Air Force takes the first steps toward transforming the way it develops its civilian employees, its leaders are stressing the importance of diversity in the workplace.Secretary of the Air Force Dr. James G. Roche said ensuring diversity in the work force is much more than a legal obligation

  • Baghdad marketplace not a target

    A Baghdad marketplace reportedly rocked by an explosion killing 14 people was not targeted by coalition forces, Defense Department officials said March 26 during a Pentagon press briefing.Army Maj. Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, vice director for operations on the Joint Staff at the Pentagon, said

  • General: Iraqi regime showing 'true colors'

    The Iraqi regime has "shown its true colors" in recent days with brutality and disregard for international rules of warfare, a U.S. Central Command official said today.Army Brig. Gen. Vincent Brooks, deputy director of operations at CENTCOM's deployed headquarters in Qatar, said Iraqi forces are

  • Coalition progress 'phenomenal,' DOD officials say

    Six days into the campaign against Iraq and the coalition progress has been "phenomenal," Pentagon spokeswoman Victoria Clarke said today.Clarke, briefing at a Pentagon news conference with Army Maj. Gen. Stanley McChrystal, said the coalition is making progress on the sea, land and air."On the

  • Coalition forces strike missile launchers

    Coalition aircraft used precision-guided weapons to target nine Iraqi surface-to-surface missiles and launchers in Baghdad on March 26.The missiles and launchers were placed within a civilian residential area. Most of the missiles were positioned less than 300 feet from homes. A full assessment of

  • Sands of time

    Senior Airman Lisa Jones loads air-to-ground missiles for an F-16 Fighting Falcon on the flightline at a forward-deployed location March 25. Jones is a precision-guided munitions crew member with the 363rd Expeditionary Equipment Maintenance Squadron. She is deployed from the 18th Fighter Squadron

  • Iraq's Umm Qasr port opens for aid shipments

    An influx of humanitarian aid is en route to the Iraqi port town of Umm Qasr, a military official said March 26."The port is being prepared for reopening and port workers have been invited to come back and begin work," said Brig. Gen. Vincent Brooks, deputy director of operations for U.S. Central

  • SECDEF: Air strikes not aimed at civilians

    U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld lauded the air coalition's unsurpassed ability to avoid collateral damage during a March 25 press conference in the Pentagon.Speaking directly to Iraqi civilians about the intent of coalition air strikes, the secretary said that there can be no mistake about

  • U.S., aid agencies ready to assist impoverished Iraqis

    United States and international relief workers are poised to enter the Umm Qasr port to address acute shortages of public drinking water and unsafe sanitary conditions in southern Iraq, particularly in the city of Basra to the northwest.Andrew Natsios, administrator of the U.S. Agency for

  • K-9 partners operate on vigilance, trust

    At base gates, military working dogs and handlers are doing their part in the war with Iraq while guarding against the threat of terrorism.These threats mean there are more reasons than ever to suspect that America's enemies will target its most valuable resources with explosives or hazardous

  • Load 'em up

    A weapons load crew from the 22nd Expeditionary Fighter Squadron loads a GBU-31 precision-guided bomb on an F-16 Fighting Falcon on March 24 at a forward-deployed air base. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Derrick C. Goode)

  • Coalition pilots strike satellite guidance jammers

    Coalition airmen struck Iraqi equipment used to jam satellite guidance systems March 24, according to defense officials.B-1B Lancers and F-117 Nighhawks bombed six Global Positioning System jammers during coalition strikes. Iraq was using the jammers in an attempt to disrupt the guidance system of

  • Lancer crews describe B-1 missions over Iraq

    B-1B Lancers, combining the latest in technology with old-fashioned elbow grease, are taking the air war of Operation Iraqi Freedom to regime and military targets in every inch of that country.Four members of the 405th Air Expeditionary Wing described their mission to Pentagon reporters in a March

  • Reserve taps 776 for promotion to major

    Air Reserve Personnel Center officials here selected 776 captains for promotion to major, they announced March 25.The officers were selected from the 2004 Air Force Reserve line and health professions major promotion selection boards held at the center Feb. 3 to 7.Board members reviewed the records

  • Act may protect active-duty reservists

    Guardsmen and reservists called to active duty to fight the global war on terror may seek credit protection under a law passed to aid GIs in an earlier global war.The Soldiers' and Sailors' Civil Relief Act of 1940 protects military members from certain legal obligations while they are actively

  • Navy, Air Force sink Iraqi patrol boat

    U.S. Navy and Air Force assets teamed together to target and sink a fast-attack Iraqi patrol boat in the Arabian Gulf on March 21 using precision-guided ordnance.A Navy P-3C Orion long-range patrol aircraft located and tracked the patrol boat and then relayed the information to an Air Force AC-130

  • Coalition aircraft flew more than 1,500 sorties over Iraq

    Coalition aircraft flew more than 1,500 sorties in the continuing air war against the regime in Iraq on March 24, coalition officials in the region said today.More than 800 were strike sorties, with 200 of those being flown against "preplanned" targets. The rest were flown against "emerging targets"

  • Bush calls wartime supplemental budget request 'urgent'

    The president said today his $74.7 billion wartime supplemental budget request is urgent and "directly related to winning this war and to securing the peace that will follow this war."President Bush visited the Pentagon and told a roomful of senior defense officials that the money, once appropriated

  • DOD identifies Marines killed in action

    The Department of Defense announced today the identities of two Marines killed in action March 23 in the vicinity of An Nasiriyah, Iraq. Killed were:Lance Corporal Brian Rory Buesing, 20, Cedar Key, FL. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade,

  • CENTCOM charts Operation Iraqi Freedom progress

    All of Iraq is a battlefield and coalition forces are challenging the heart of Iraqi resistance around Baghdad, Air Force Maj. Gen. Victor Renuart said today in Qatar.Renuart, U.S. Central Command operations chief, said despite bad weather, coalition forces are making adjustments and progressing in

  • Iraq flouting laws of war, Geneva Conventions

    The Iraqi regime is flouting the laws of war and the Geneva Conventions, said Pentagon spokeswoman Victoria Clarke at the news conference today.Clarke said that the deceptions have been so blatant "that some liken it to terrorism.""They are sending forces out carrying white surrender flags or

  • Air war turns focus to republican guard

    As the U.S.-led war against the Iraqi regime nears the one-week mark, officials from U.S. Central Command said March 25 that coalition air forces have begun narrowing their focus.Maj. Gen. Victor E. Renuart Jr., CENTCOM director of operations, told reporters during a press briefing at the command's

  • Coalition on track, forces 'flowing' into Iraq

    After five days of ground combat, coalition forces are more than 200 miles into Iraq and poised to take on forces defending Baghdad, DoD leaders said today.Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Air Force Gen. Richard Myers told reporters at a Pentagon press

  • A somber moment

    Army Chaplain (Col.) Richard Rogers leads a prayer March 25 for six airmen killed when their HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter crashed near Ghazni, Afghanistan, on March 23. The helicopter crew was on its way to pick up two Afghan children for treatment in U.S. medical facilities at Bagram Air Base. The

  • Mission support

    Staff Sgt. Jennifer Shockley volunteers at the laundry facility at a forward-deployed air base in Southwest Asia. Since the start of Operation Iraqi Freedom, servicemembers from different organizations have taken over the duties of non-U.S. civilians who are no longer permitted on base. With more

  • Passing the gas

    Master Sgt. Stephen Weigert, a KC-10 Extender boom operator with the 409th Air Expeditionary Group, delivers fuel to an E-3 Sentry Airborne Warning and Control System aircraft March 22 during a mission supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. KC-10s are deployed from the 305th/514th Air Mobility Wing at

  • Crash victims identified

    Air Force officials have identified the airmen killed in the HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopter crash in Afghanistan on March 23.The airmen were deployed from here supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. Killed in the crash were:-- 1st Lt. Tamara Archuleta, co-pilot.-- Staff Sgt. Jason Hicks, flight

  • Smallpox vaccine program extends to 'emergency essential' civilians

    Civilian employees deployed to fill emergency-essential positions at selected overseas locations are now required to receive the smallpox vaccine, Pentagon officials said.According to Col. Rainer Stachowitz, deputy director of the nuclear and counter proliferation directorate at the Pentagon,

  • Wounded troops receive top medical attention in Germany

    One of Ramstein Air Base, Germany's fitness centers became a contingency aero-medical staging facility March 23.The CSAF, the first of this type of facility stood up by the Air Force since the 1991 Persian Gulf War, is designed to host injured service members medevaced here from forward deployed

  • Officials release T-37 accident report

    Air Force officials have determined pilot error caused the Dec. 20 mid-air collision of two T-37 Tweet trainer aircraft out of Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas.In its description of the incident, the accident investigation board said the pilot of one of the T-37s did not ensure adequate separation

  • Three deployed airmen featured on MTV

    Three airmen supporting war operations at a forward-deployed location have been featured on "MTV Diaries," a reality series that airs weekly on the international music TV channel.Senior Airman Tia Schroeder, a still photographer with the 405th Expeditionary Communications Squadron, and Airman 1st

  • Air Force offers special war news Web site

    The Air Force has a special Operation Iraqi Freedom Web site highlighting the service news and photos from forward-deployed locations covering Air Force support of the war in Iraq.This site is in addition to daily Air Force-wide news featured at www.af.mil."We want to give people one easy access