Features
Air Power

FEATURES

  • Husband, wife serving at Balad

    Air Force families find ways to stay connected when separated -- phone calls, emails, and internet chats stretching over 10 time zones are commonplace. But nothing beats seeing a spouse face-to-face. Deployed to Balad Air Base, Iraq, Staff Sgt. Millie Nordman knows how it feels to be separated from

  • Local linguist helps deployed Airmen, shows his pride as an American

    A good part of his life was driven by a quest for money and success in America. In his younger days, he fought oppressors as a militiaman in his native country, Lebanon. Now, as an American citizen, he uses his energy and wisdom to help bring peace to this nation. The locals call him “Sam the

  • Airman rebuilds, restores history

    Many Airmen volunteer their time, but not all of them get to be a part of history. Staff Sgt. Ryan Spencer has seen his efforts on display in one museum, and now a second project is under way for another museum. As the builder of two large-scale model aircraft carriers, as well as the restorer of an

  • Retired master sergeant weathers new career

    He stood talking to himself; passersby may have thought it was a strange scene. But he was just responding to the voices in his head. “Sure. Will do. OK, now? What was that?” he said as he breathed in deeply. “How does that look? Is that OK? Here we go. “Well I hope you packed your sunglasses

  • Mastering the “Sweet Science”

    In a small gym in Rapid City, Andre Penn is drenched in sweat. He’s dancing around the middle of a boxing ring, peppering the mitts on his coach’s hands with lightning quick jabs, hooks and uppercuts. With every connection, the gym echoes, speaking on behalf of the power behind each blow. He

  • One flight – several missions

    They provide the base food, a place to sleep, somewhere to work out, a book to read, official ceremony honors and and help families when Airmen die. These are the unique responsibilities of one diverse group of people -- those who work in base services squadrons. Here, it's the job of the 2nd

  • Bodybuilder, powerlifter weighs into the competition

    When 5-year-old Troy Saunders saw Tom Platz -- the man known most for his sculpted legs in the bodybuilding world -- his mind was made up. “It made me want to have muscles like that,” said Master Sgt. Troy Saunders a transportation specialist with the 435th Materiel Maintenance Squadron. “From then

  • Tanker crew, medics practice medevac mission

    More than 50 years after it entered the Air Force, aircrews are still finding ways to increase the capabilities of the KC-135 Stratotanker. Ten reservists from the 939th Air Refueling Wing here and four the 349th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron at Travis Air Force Base, Calif., demonstrated the

  • Extraordinary care packed in ordinary tents

    In a sea of tents and trailers on Balad Air Base in northern Iraq, shrapnel is being surgically removed from a limb, medics are racing to stop someone from bleeding to death and another life is being saved from wounds inflicted on the battlefield. It is that sea of tents which houses the Air Force

  • Airmen spread holiday spirit around the world

    Although many Airmen around the world use the holidays as a time for leave, to visit family members, or feast with friends, there are still many who use it as a time to share -- share themselves. The Air Force mission does not stop because of the holidays, in fact, some of the missions are in