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  • Insurgent to ambassador: Journal editor tells harrowing tale

    When Algerian-born Remy Mauduit, editor of the new French edition of the Air and Space Power Journal, sees terrorism and insurgency taking place in Iraq, he recalls a time when he, too, was an insurgent. Life was not good for Algerian citizens in the early 1950s. After French colonization, native

  • Botswana Defense Force learns about warehouse management

    Five members of the Botswana Defense Force, or BDF, visited Ramstein last week to learn about the Air Force’s warehouse management procedures and operations. The 435th Logistics Readiness Squadron hosted the visit, touring the group through the base’s inbound cargo sections, receiving section,

  • International students receive eye-opening glimpse of America

    Twenty-one international pilots in training here visited Atlanta Feb. 18 to 20 for a glimpse into America’s history and culture. Maj. William Hendrickson, base international liaison officer, organized the trip to expose the international military members to a side of American culture not locally

  • Customer feedback needed for new Web site

    The Air Force Personnel Center is giving its customers an opportunity to ensure the new AFPC Web site will answer their personnel questions. The new searchable site is accessible via a link on the current AFPC homepage at www.afpc.randolph.af.mil and customers are encouraged to provide feedback as

  • CENTCOM releases daily airpower summary

    U.S Central Command Air Forces officials released today's airpower summary.Coalition aircraft flew 56 close-air-support missions Feb. 22 for Operation Iraqi Freedom. They included support to coalition troops, infrastructure protection, reconstruction activities and operations to deter and disrupt

  • Merger forms Career Enlisted Aircrew Center of Excellence

    Enlisted aviator ground schools for seven different specialties are moving here to create the Career Enlisted Aircrew Center of Excellence. The move will provide better and quicker academic training at less cost, said Mark Smith, training manager and aircrew pipeline manager for the 344th Training

  • Operational Raptors fire first missiles in evaluation program

    The 27th Fighter Squadron made history when two F-22A Raptor pilots fired air-to-air missiles Feb. 14. It was the jet's first official air-to-air weapons system evaluation since becoming operational two months ago.Nearly 40 Airmen from the Langley Air Force Base, Va., squadron participated in the

  • Wilford Hall chosen for national study

    The vascular surgery service at Wilford Hall Medical Center has been chosen to participate in a national trial looking at the effectiveness of stent graft treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysms versus standard open repair. The trial has been named PIVOTAL, which stands for the Positive Impact of

  • AFNORTH activates at Tyndall

    First Air Force took on a second designation here Feb. 15 as part of the Air Force’s ongoing development of the warfighting headquarters. Air Forces Northern, or AFNORTH, became 1st Air Force’s provisional moniker under Air Combat Command. It is part of the Air Force’s move to redesignate 10

  • Military family featured on HGTV's "House Hunters"

    One Maxwell family got the opportunity to see what it is like to be in front of the camera, as a television producer and crew documented their search for a residence in the Montgomery area for the Home and Garden Television network's "House Hunters" series. Senior Master Sgt. Greg Day, Air Force

  • Recycling turns trash into cash

    The base’s recycling program is now in full swing, following nine months of implemention and acclimation to the program. There are about 200 blue and yellow recycle containers at various sites around the installation. The yellow containers are for aluminum cans and the blue bins are for plastic

  • Reserve and Guard run deployed personnel ops

    Guard and Reserve members provide many support roles in Personnel Support in Contingency Operations, or PERSCO, around the region. However, this rotation, Reserve component servicemembers comprise more than 95 percent of the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing PERSCO team. “We’re not sure why it happened

  • Readiness troops equip combat-ready PACAF Airmen

    Ensuring the serviceability and availability of more than 400,000 pieces of mobility equipment daily might be a daunting task. But for logistics Airmen providing the correct gear for combat-ready Pacific Air Force troops in training and real-world deployments, it is one of the most rewarding jobs in

  • Force shaping volunteer application deadline is March 1

    Officers scheduled to meet the 2006 Force Shaping Board have until March 1 to decide if they will leave voluntarily or meet the board. Officers planning to take advantage of the volunteer program must apply through their military personnel flights before the deadline. Through the voluntary Force

  • DOD identifies Air Force casualty

    The Department of Defense announced Feb. 21 the death of a Department of the Air Force civilian who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. Daniel J. Kuhlmeier, 30, of Omaha, Neb., died Feb. 20 in Baghdad, Iraq, when the convoy he was traveling in was struck by an improvised explosive device. He was

  • CENTAF releases daily airpower summary

    U.S. Central Command Air Forces officials released today's airpower summary. Coalition aircraft flew 36 close-air-support missions Feb. 21 for Operation Iraqi Freedom. They included support to coalition troops, infrastructure protection, reconstruction activities and operations to deter and disrupt

  • From Hawaii, C-17’s fly first contingency response mission

    Active-duty Airmen and Guardsmen from Hawaii are flying a C-17 contingency response mission to support relief efforts in the Philippines. The split crew of active-duty Airmen from the 535th Airlift Squadron and Guardsmen from the Hawaii Air National Guard’s 204th Airlift Squadron departed Hickam Air

  • Deployed wing counts down to ‘The Move’

    The next time Airmen from the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing pack their bags, it will not be to return home. Instead they will travel to a new home right here. That home is the Temporary Cantonment Area, or TCA. As construction progresses at the TCA, base leadership scheduled April as the month “to

  • DOD identifies Airmen killed in helicopter crash

    The Defense Department has announced the names of two Airmen and eight Marines killed in a Feb. 17 helicopter crash while supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. Ten servicemembers died when two CH-53 Sea Stallion helicopters crashed into the Gulf of Aden near Ras Siyyan in northern Djibouti, while

  • Air Force unit provides new “hoops” for Philippines youth

    Airmen from the 624th Civil Engineer Squadron and Philippine soldiers came together Feb. 17 to build a basketball court for children here. Shortly after arriving at the base from Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii Feb. 15 to participate in Exercise Balikatan 2006, Airmen noticed a group of children

  • Academy to hold leadership symposium

    "Courage in The Face of Adversity” is highlighted by the personal stories of a holocaust survivor, the commander of the successful return of the Apollo 13 mission, a terrorist survivor, two NFL head coaches, the only deaf Miss America and an Air Force Chief of Staff during the 13th Annual National

  • CENTAF releases combined airpower summary

    U.S Central Command Air Forces officials released the airpower summary for Feb. 18 to 21.Coalition aircraft flew 32 close-air-support missions Feb. 20 for Operation Iraqi Freedom. These missions included support to coalition troops, infrastructure protection, reconstruction activities and operations

  • Global Hawk UAV welcomed home after three-year deployment

    After supporting the global war on terror for three years, Global Hawk Unmanned Aerial Vehicle No. 3 (UAV-3) received its official homecoming Feb. 20 when its wheels touched down at 11:30 a.m. Pacific Time at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.During its overseas deployment, UAV-3 logged more than 4,800

  • Airmen provide vital support in mudslide relief effort

    Airmen from the 36th Expeditionary Contingency Response Group here are working alongside the Filipino government to assess requirements for support of mudslide relief efforts in Leyte, Philippines. At the request of the Filipino government, the 36th ECRG and other units of the U.S. Pacific Command

  • Airmen at Philippine exercise provide real world assistance

    Airmen from Yokota Air Base, Japan; Andersen Air Force Base, Guam; and Kadena AB, Japan, who were in the Philippines as part of an annual bilateral exercise, are providing real-world humanitarian assistance after mudslides engulfed a village and 1,800 people Feb. 17. U.S. Pacific Command authorized

  • Air Force terminates contract

    The Air Force announced today termination of the Thunderbird Airshow Production Services contract with Strategic Message Solutions. A protest of the award was made to the Government Accountability Office on Jan. 17. An Air Force review of the protest determined contract termination was appropriate.

  • Good Conduct Medal award elimination explained

    The Air Force Uniform Board announced Feb. 6 that the Good Conduct Medal will no longer be awarded. The Air Force director of Airman development and sustainment recently explained the reasons behind this decision. "The quality of our enlisted personnel today is so high, we expect good conduct from

  • Civilian sector the biggest space customer

    The head of Air Force Space Command said people might be surprised to learn that corporate America is the biggest user of Air Force space products. Gen. Lance W. Lord said the main reason for this is the reliability of space-based assets and because the technologies -- which are giving coalition

  • Medical group keeps warfighters in fight

    The 379th Expeditionary Medical Group Hospital provides medical care impacting missions well beyond its boundaries, helping warfighters stay in the fight in-theater. Minor shrapnel and gunshot wounds often prevent a soldier from staying in theater while they recover, so they come this hospital to

  • Air Force announces OTS selection board results

    Two hundred fifty men and women have been selected to attend Officer Training School. Air Force Recruiting Service officials considered 810 applications as part of Officer Training School, or OTS, Selection Board 06OT02. The board selected 250 for a 30.9 percent selection rate. Of those, 87 enlisted

  • Global Hawk UAV returns to America

    The Edwards flightline is the scheduled return landing site for Prototype Global Hawk Air Vehicle No. 3, an unmanned aircraft that has flown 4,245 hours in support of combat operations for Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom and the Combined Task Force-Horn of Africa mission. This

  • Air Force women help save convoy

    The lives of four women and their convoy team changed forever Dec. 5. They were ambushed that night. Insurgents from a village outside of Balad Air Base, Iraq, fired on the convoy, injuring two as they drove back to the base. Airman First Class Nicole O’Hara, a convoy gunner deployed from Langley

  • Cope Tiger '06 wraps up in Thailand

    Nearly 300 Airmen are packing their bags and returning home to bases throughout the Pacific as officials mark the end of a two-week multi-lateral exercise called Cope Tiger '06. Gen. Paul V. Hester, Pacific Air Forces commander, spoke with Airmen here during closing ceremonies. “Airmen are proud of

  • USAFE assists Darfur mission

    U.S. Air Forces in Europe and U.S. European Command are providing contract airlift transport to Rwandan Defense Forces as part of the African Union's mission in the Darfur region of the Sudan. A small number of USAFE Airmen from Ramstein Air Base, Germany, are providing logistics support to the

  • CENTAF releases daily airpower summary

    U.S. Central Command Air Forces officials release today's airpower summary.Coalition aircraft flew 42 close-air-support missions Feb. 16 for Operation Iraqi Freedom. They included support to coalition troops, infrastructure protection, reconstruction activities and operations to deter and disrupt

  • Chief master sergeant of the Air Force testifies on quality of life issues

    Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Gerald R. Murray testified on Capitol Hill Feb. 15 about Air Force quality of life issues before the House Appropriations Committee subcommittee on military quality of life, veterans affairs and related agencies. "I truly believe, and I think you'll agree, that our

  • Group sews globally for wounded troops

    The electronic age has helped give birth to a global sewing circle that creates unique clothing for America's wounded troops as they heal. With an executive director in Ohio, a president in Minnesota and more than 300 seamstresses scattered throughout the world, the members of "Sew Much Comfort" use

  • Former chiefs reflect on today’s Air Force

    Several former chief master sergeants of the Air Force came together here Feb. 13 to 15 to meet with Airmen and speak with current service leaders. Of the 14 Airmen who’ve held the highest enlisted position, nine were present as the group met at both Bolling Air Force Base and the Pentagon. It’s

  • Thunderbirds to hold change of command

    The U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron, “Thunderbirds,” is welcoming a new commander. Lt. Col. Kevin J. Robbins will take command of the unit from outgoing commander Lt. Col. Michael J. Chandler here Feb. 17. The U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron is an Air Combat Command unit of eight

  • General Lord launches high frontier adventures

    Air Force Space Command’s senior leader headed back to the classroom this week, not to brush up on the latest space concepts, but to share some of his expertise with the students. Gen. Lance W. Lord shared his space experience with some of Discovery Canyon’s fifth and sixth graders. The AFSPC

  • Bolling Airmen share Valentine’s Day with veterans

    Ninety Air Force and civilian volunteers from Bolling and the Pentagon visited the Department of Veterans Affairs Maryland Health Care System Medical Center in Baltimore and the Baltimore VA Rehabilitation Center Feb. 14 as part of National Salute to Hospitalized Veterans Week. Before the trip,

  • Going virtual: Flight training takes shape in cyberspace

    How do you get 30 bases, hundreds of personnel and tons of aircraft and equipment together in one place? The answer -- cyberspace. For the second time since its conception in September, aircrews from the 23rd Fighter Group stepped into a simulated exercise called Virtual Red Flag. The virtual war

  • Getting dirty keeps planes flying

    Dirty hands and smudged faces are just the icing on the cake when it comes to maintaining A-10 Thunderbolt IIs and C-130 Hercules. It’s all that and more that make engine and hydraulic maintenance one of the dirtiest jobs here.Every aircraft that launches from the flightline here has been in the

  • Operation Winter Games -- Let the games begin

    Not long after the Olympic torch was lit honoring the beginning of the Winter Olympics games in Torino, Italy, a local team of Airmen were preparing for winter games of their own -- Operation Winter Games. The games, held Feb. 11 at Igriste-Vlasenica Ski Area, Bosnia, may have lacked the pomp and

  • Rescue wing featured on outdoor network

    The 106th Rescue Wing will be featured on the Outdoor Life Network Feb. 17. The episode of “The Best and Worst of Tred Barta” originally aired Jan. 27. The Air National Guard wing from the Long Island, N.Y., area has been performing rescue missions since 1975. After Hurricane Katrina, they rescued

  • CENTAF releases daily airpower summary

    U.S. Central Command Air Forces officials released today's airpower summary.Coalition aircraft flew 40 close-air-support missions Feb. 15 for Operation Iraqi Freedom. They included support to coalition troops, infrastructure protection, reconstruction activities and operations to deter and disrupt

  • Minuteman III launches from Vandenberg

    An unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile, or ICBM, was launched from Launch Facility-10 on North Vandenberg at 12:01 a.m. today. The launch was part of a test to demonstrate the ability to integrate modified products into existing weapon systems. “The purpose of the flight was to

  • Air Force and VA to build joint clinic in San Antonio

    The South Texas Veterans Health Care System and Wilford Hall Medical Center announced construction of the North Central Federal Clinic during a groundbreaking ceremony Feb. 14. The new clinic will be located in north San Antonio and is scheduled to open in October. “This clinic is an innovative

  • Deployed fuels flight makes airlift delivery

    When fuel supplies are not available in the region, tactical and ground forces rely on the 379th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron. A team is always on standby to fulfill an aerial bulk fuels delivery system request. The team consists of two fuels technicians who have undergone special

  • General Lord receives highest enlisted honor

    Air Force Space Command’s enlisted personnel bestowed the Order of the Sword upon Gen. Lance W. Lord, Air Force Space Command commander, Feb. 11. The Order of the Sword is the highest honor enlisted Airmen can bestow on a leader. More than 500 active-duty and retired enlisted Airmen gathered from

  • Air Force regains decision authority on acquisition programs

    The Air Force recently regained oversight authority on some of the acquisition programs taken from it more than 10 months ago. The Department of Defense returned major milestone decision authority to the Air Force on 10 of 21 acquisition programs in January. The DOD had taken that authority from the

  • Forces prepare for Exercise Balikatan 2006

    U.S. servicemembers and Armed Forces of the Philippines are in the final week of preparations for Exercise Balikatan 2006, the 22nd annual bilateral combined exercise, scheduled Feb. 20 to March 5. The exercise will be conducted in three phases: humanitarian and civic assistance on the island of

  • Twelfth Air Force becomes Air Forces Southern

    Headquarters 12th Air Force is taking on an expanded mission and a new name. As part of the Air Force transformation, 12th Air Force transitions today into a warfighting headquarters and became Air Forces Southern (12th Air Force) provisional. “Along with the name change AFSOUTH is also changing its

  • Missile flight test program targets new successes

    The Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile flight test program added two more successes to its record during recent tests conducted at White Sands Missile Range, N.M. The program, one of Air Combat Command's priority programs, flew successful test flights at the missile range Jan. 25 from a B-1B

  • CENTAF releases daily airpower summary

    U.S. Central Command Air Forces officials released today's airpower summary. Coalition aircraft flew 40 close-air-support missions Feb. 14 for Operation Iraqi Freedom. They included support to coalition troops, infrastructure protection, reconstruction activities and operations to deter and disrupt

  • Letter to Airmen focuses on core values

    In his latest Letter to Airmen, Secretary of the Air Force Michael W. Wynne focused on the three core values of the Air Force:  Integrity First, Service Before Self and Excellence In All We Do."These core values should reflect the values we share from the moment we take our oath to support and

  • Anti-terrorism techniques essential

    When Lt. Col. Ed O’Neal was on a training mission in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, two years ago, his hotel came under attack. A group of insurgents took over the building and held it hostage for most of the day before authorities were able to regain control. Colonel O’Neal eventually escaped, but was shot

  • Base honor guard goes Hollywood

    Seven of the base’s elite took part in the filming of a primetime network drama Feb. 9 at a local church. The Los Angeles Air Force Base Honor Guard supported a request from NBC’s “The West Wing” for an Air Force presence in a television episode featuring the funeral of the series’ White House chief

  • AF director of staff visits hometown schools

    As a child growing up in the shadow of Yankee Stadium, the recently designated Air Force director of staff said he wanted to be Mickey Mantle. When he returned to his old neighborhood Feb. 9, he told the children at Sacred Heart Grammar School he was proud to serve his country in the military

  • Defense Department updates equipment reimbursement policy

    Defense Department officials announced Feb. 14 the revision of a memorandum on the policy and procedures for the reimbursement of privately purchased protective equipment for operations Noble Eagle, Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. The new memo, which was signed Feb. 10 by David S.C. Chu,

  • Cyber crime investigators search for truth

    Tech. Sgt. Jeff Barefoot has a strong presence in the courtroom. Three times he's stepped up to testify in court, and three times the defendants suddenly took a plea deal to avoid Sergeant Barefoot on the witness stand. Not because of his imposing stature or his 20 years of military experience, but

  • New Air Force commercial begins filming at Charleston AFB

    Camera crews from the Air Force’s advertising agency began filming a new Air Force recruiting commercial here Feb. 13. The theme is “Do something amazing.” The ads will be aired nationwide on television and Web sites. “We’re going to show all of the amazing things Air Force people do,” said Lee

  • Command post: commander's eyes, ears

    The 380th Air Expeditionary Wing’s command post Airmen have one of the most important areas in the area of responsibility to track. With four controllers and a superintendent covering around-the-clock operations this group is ready for anything. “We are the nerve center for the base in this war

  • Hawaii-based Airmen fight war on terror

    Airmen here are working on the front lines of the war on terror. When a Predator unmanned aerial vehicle takes off from Balad Air Base, Iraq, a pilot at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., takes control of it. Images from the Predator’s camera are then fed to one of five distributed ground stations, or

  • Air Force announces top civil engineer units

    The Air Force has announced the winners of the 2005 Society of American Military Engineers Maj. Gen. Robert H. Curtin Award. The award is presented annually to the top Air Force civil engineer unit in three categories. The winner in the small unit category is the 314th Civil Engineer Squadron,

  • Prototype Global Hawk flies home after 4,000 combat hours

    A high-flying prototype “Airman” is heading home after being deployed more than four years and flying 4,245 hours supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom and the Combined Task Force-Horn of Africa. Global Hawk Air Vehicle No. 3 began its journey back home at Edwards Air Force

  • CENTAF releases combined airpower summary

    U.S. Central Command Air Forces officials released the airpower summary for Feb. 13 to 14.Coalition aircraft flew 37 close-air-support missions Feb. 13 for Operation Iraqi Freedom. They included support to coalition troops, infrastructure protection, reconstruction activities and operations to deter

  • Manpower agency activates four new squadrons

    The Air Force Manpower Agency activated four new manpower squadrons to more effectively meet the needs of today’s expeditionary Air Force and to better position itself to support future capabilities. The 5th Manpower Requirements Squadron at Tinker Air Force Base, Okla., and the 4th MRS at Buckley

  • International affairs specialists to enter training pipeline

    The Air Force recently selected 87 officers out of more than 400 volunteers to become its first class of international affairs specialists. Those officers will enter training this summer to become either Political-Military Affairs Strategists, or PAS, or Regional Affairs Strategists, or RAS. The

  • First piece of Air Force memorial placed

    Construction crews raised the first piece of the Air Force Memorial here on top of a hill overlooking Arlington National Cemetery. The 40-foot long piece of stainless steel, which weighs more than 28 tons, is the first of 15 pieces to be placed. When completed, the memorial will be 270 feet tall.

  • Groups combine resources, give troops valentines

    Two organizations have teamed up to send valentines to troops in Baghdad in an effort made possible by "America Supports You." Since November 2004, the Defense Department program to facilitate grassroots and corporate support for the nation's troops has worked to bond supporters, using a combination

  • CENTAF releases combined airpower summary

    U.S. Central Command Air Forces officials released the airpower summary for Feb. 11 to 12. Coalition aircraft flew 37 close-air-support missions Feb. 11 for Operation Iraqi Freedom. They included support to coalition troops, infrastructure protection, reconstruction activities and operations to

  • Air Force team wins NFL Military Challenge

    In an event sponsored by the National Football League, the Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marines and Navy battled it out in six events that comprise the NFL Military Challenge Feb. 10. The Air Force team, made up of Hickam Air Force Base balers, took top honors, using overtime to capture the trophy.

  • Airmen to pay tribute to hospitalized veterans

    Airmen worldwide will be visiting Veterans Affairs medical centers, nursing homes, state veterans homes and other facilities this week to pay tribute to hospitalized veterans. They are helping celebrities, youth groups, community leaders, members of the general public and veterans service

  • Providing ‘red carpet’ service, without the carpet

    Day and night they arrive -- four-star generals, ambassadors. congressional leaders and even Vice President Dick Cheney. Whether they stop for a formal visit or are here en route to another location, a two-person protocol team is there to greet them with a salute and a smile. “We are the first

  • Former Chief Master Sgts. of the Air Force to meet

    The 14th Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force, Gerald R. Murray, will host a conference for former chief master sergeants who have held the Air Force's highest enlisted position. Eight of the nine living former CMSAFs will attend the conference, to be held at the Pentagon Feb. 13 to 16. "This group of

  • Team tests in-the-field aircraft decontamination procedures

    The Joint Strike Fighter Integrated Test Force pulled an F-16 Fighting Falcon out of a special hangar Feb. 11, marking the culmination of a series of unique tests here. As a surrogate for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, the F-16 was used to test Department of Defense chemical and biological