Aerial porters unload cargo for all of Iraq

Airmen assigned to the 532nd Expeditionary Operations Support Squadron Air Mobility Flight load a cargo pallet on to a semi-truck April 20, 2011, at Al Asad Air Base, Iraq. The flight recently took on a commercial cargo mission and made history by unloading its first Boeing 747 in April. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. R. Michael Longoria)

Aerial porters unload cargo for all of Iraq

Airman 1st Class James Simpson operates a forklift to move a cargo pallet April 20, 2011, at Al Asad Air Base, Iraq. The flight recently took on a commercial cargo mission and made history by unloading its first Boeing 747 in April. Airman Simpson is an aerial porter assigned to the 532nd Expeditionary Operations Support Squadron Air Mobility Flight. (U.S. Air Force Photo/Staff Sgt. R. Michael Longoria)

Technology boost

Five Geospatial Information Interoperability Exploitation Portable go kits, like the one shown here, were presented by Air Forces Northern officials to Civil Air Patrol members Jan. 26, 2011, at Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala. The GIIEPs feature self-contained communications equipment and other hardware that allows for real-time and near-real-time full-motion video, digital imagery and in-flight chat capability with federal, state and local emergency operations centers supporting emergency situations. (Civil Air Patrol photo/Steve Cox)

Recycling saves money

A large mechanical claw at a commercial shredding facility near Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., grabs a load of discarded miniature practice bombs that will be fed into a shredder. The shredded material then will be recycled. To date, more than seven million pounds of range debris metal have been recycled, saving the government millions of dollars. (Courtesy photo)

FalconSAT-5 rockets into orbit

A satellite dish at the Kodiak Launch Complex in Alaska reflects light from a sunset Nov. 19, 2010, prior to liftoff of a rocket carrying the Air Force Academy's FalconSAT-5 at the complex. (U.S. Air Force photo/Col. Marty France)

New radar systems

Senior Airman Jacob Tucker and Master Sgt. Jae Ewing monitor aircraft Nov. 22, 2010, in the Radar Approach Control facility at Royal Air Force Lakenheath, England. They are using new Standard Terminal Automation Replacement System equipment recently installed as part of a replacement program under the Air Force Electronic Systems Center and the Federal Aviation Administration. Airman Tucker is an air traffic control journeyman with the 48th Operation Support Squadron, and Sergeant Ewing is the 48th OSS senior watch supervisor. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman David Dobrydney)

Ground-Based Electro-Optical Deep Space Surveillance

The Ground-Based Electro-Optical Deep Space Surveillance facility at Detachment 2, in Diego Garcia, British Indian OceanTerritory is one of three operational sites worldwide. The facility tracks known manmade deep space objects in orbit around Earth. (U.S. Air Force photo)

Air Force Research Laboratory officials launch new age in testing

Air Force Research Laboratory workers make necessary adjustments before lifting the Upper Stage Engine Technology turbo pump with a crane to attach it to AFRL's 2A rocket test stand. The USET turbo pump produces about 4,000 horsepower and will propel the upper stage portion of a rocket into space once the lower stage booster is detached. (U.S. Air Force photo/Kenji Thuloweit)

Space control squadron team marks 5 years of continuous deployment

Airmen of the 16th and 380th Space Control Squadrons use Rapid Attack Identification Detection Reporting System Deployable Ground Segment Zero antennas to detect interference on mission critical satellite communication links in Southwest Asia. Members of the 16th and 380th Space Control Squadrons achieved a milestone recently when their deployed mission, Operation Silent Sentry, surpassed five years of continuous deployed operations. (U.S. Air Force photo)

Century old brick homes still strong.

Original base housing is still used after 100 years. The historic homes have had their interiors renovated over the years and are the homes for junior enlisted to commanders at F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming on April 6, 2010. The storm clouds dropped a light snowfall that evening. (U.S. Air Force photo/Lance Cheung)

Winds of Energy

One of three wind turbines at F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming. This is one of the original, smaller wind turbines. They face the wind coming across the high plains and push against the clouds, in the distance, that later dropped a few inches of snow on the base and surrounding city of Cheyenne on April 6, 2010. A larger wind turbine was completed and online early in 2009 and is rated at 2 mega watts of electrical energy that goes directly into the base power grid. This and another two produces a combined output of 1.3MW. From most points on the base the wind turbines can be seen. (U.S. Air Force photo/Lance Cheung)

Winds of Energy

The biggest and newest of three wind turbines at F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming faces the wind coming across the high plains and push against the clouds that later brought dropped a few inches of snow on the base and surrounding city of Cheyenne on April 6, 2010. The larger wind turbine was completed and online early in 2009 and is rated at 2 mega watts of electrical energy that goes directly into the base power grid. The other two produces a combined output of 1.3MW. From most points on the base the wind turbines can be seen. At its base the blades make a low whoosh sound. (U.S. Air Force photo/Lance Cheung)

POL flight starts what could be 'benchmark' process

The 376th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron petroleum, oil and lubricants flight here was the first in the area of responsibility to implement a new pre-filter system for fuel which will save time and money and deliver better, cleaner fuel to the aircraft the KC-135 refuels. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Nichelle Anderson)

Sun spots and spikes

During training, Staff Sgt. Wesley Magnus analyzes a spike on the sun that is displayed on the solar radio spectrograph Nov. 18, 2009, at the Sagamore Hill Solar Observatory in Hamilton, Mass. The observatory operates around the clock to obtain scientific observations of the sun. (U.S. Air Force photo/Lance Cheung)

Depaint the big easy way

An Area Multi-axis Platform, or AMP, is suspended from overhead rails to another AMP at the 402nd Maintenance Support Squadron at Robins Air Force Base, Ga., Oct. 8, 2009. The operator controls the three-axis movement of the AMP and its four laser aimed nozzles that shoot compressed air and media at painted surfaces. The process breaks up the paint and reveals the bare surface underneath it. Inside the cab fresh air is pumped in for the operator and to push plastic beads and paint particles out of cab openings. (U.S. Air Force photo/Lance Cheung)

Depaint the big easy way

One of the four Area Multi-axis Platforms, or AMPs, that depaint C-130 Hercules aircraft at the 402nd Maintenance Support Squadron at Robins Air Force Base, Ga. A foreman operates the AMP from inside a cab that has fresh air pumped in for him to breathe and to push plastic beads and paint particles out of cab openings. The systems can be remotly positioned with a handheld wireless control. (U.S. Air Force photo/Lance Cheung)

Depaint the big easy way

What appears to be sand are plastic beads that are shot through four air hoses controlled by the Area Multi-axis Platforms, or AMP, to depaint aircraft at the 402nd Maintenance Support Squadron at Robins Air Force Base, Ga. A foreman operates the AMP from inside a cab that has fresh pumped in for the operator to breathe and to push plastic beads and paint particles out of cab openings. This environmentally friendly system presents a low hazard to the operators and the environment, while making the depaint process faster. Each AMP does the work of 10 people (four two-person teams with one nozzle to a team, plus additional safety/support personnel). (U.S. Air Force photo/Lance Cheung)

Depaint the big easy way

A North Carolina Air National Guard C-130 Hercules waits for depaint operations to begin at the 402nd Maintenance Support Squadron at Robins Air Force Base, Ga., Oct. 8, 2009. The four Area Multi-axis Platforms, or AMP, can be seen suspended from overhead rails. An operator controls the three-dimensional movement of the AMP and uses a set of four laser-aimed-nozzles that shoot compressed air and media at painted surfaces. The process breaks up the paint and reveals the bare surface underneath it. This environmentally friendly system presents a low hazard to the operators and the environment, while making the depaint process faster. (U.S. Air Force photo/Lance Cheung)

MATV load C-17

Staff Sgt. Nicholas Reddin serves as a clearance spotter while one of two mine-resistant, ambush-protected all-terrain vehicles, or M-ATVs, is loaded onto a C-17 Globemaster III at Charleston Air Force Base, S.C., Sept. 30, 2009. The two M-ATVs are the first to be delivered to the Afghanistan theater for operational use. Sergeant Reddin is an air transport specialist with the 437th Aerial Port Squadron at Charleston AFB. The C-17 is based out of McChord AFB, Wash. (U.S. Air Force photo/James M. Bowman)

MATV load C-17

One of two mine-resistant, ambush-protected all-terrain vehicles, or M-ATVs, is loaded onto a C-17 Globemaster III at Charleston Air Force Base, S.C., Sept. 30, 2009. The two M-ATVs are the first to be delivered to the Afghanistan theater for operational use. The C-17 is based out of McChord AFB, Wash. (U.S. Air Force photo/James M. Bowman)

Kandahar Airmen use AFSO 21 at war

The inside of an A-10 Thunderbolt II phase inspection shelter before Airmen applied Air Force Smart Operations for the 21st century Sept. 19, 2009, at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan. (U.S. Air Force photo/Lt. Col. David Glass)

Kandahar Airmen use AFSO 21 at war

The inside of an A-10 Thunderbolt II phase inspection shelter before Airmen applied Air Force Smart Operations for the 21st century Sept. 19, 2009, at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan. (U.S. Air Force photo/Lt. Col. David Glass)

Missile retrofit provides better accuracy, saves Air Force money

A member from the 86th Munitions Squadron removes the guidance control section of an AGM-65 Maverick missile system for upgrades Aug. 11, 2009 at Ramstein Air Base at Germany. By July 2011, more than 2,000 AGM-65 Maverick H and K models will have been updated across the Air Force, saving the Air Force $42.8 million. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Jocelyn Rich)

Missile retrofit provides better accuracy, saves Air Force money

Master Sgt. Eugene Rinaldi removes the guidance control section of an AGM-65 Maverick missile system for upgrades Aug. 11, 2009 at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. Each missile weighs either 466 or 654 pounds, depending on the model. Sergeant Rinaldi is an Air Force Reserve ammunition team member. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Jocelyn Rich)