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  • Teets discusses recapitalization, death benefit, core values

    The acting secretary of the Air Force spoke on Capitol Hill March 2 about recapitalizing aging systems, the death gratuity and recent problems within the service.In testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee, Peter B. Teets explained the importance of modernizing the service's fleet of

  • Officials working to retain seasoned special operators

    A new incentive package is expected to help the military better compete against other federal agencies and the private sector for skills possessed by special operations forces, said the Defense Department’s top official on special operations and low-intensity conflict.Assistant Secretary of Defense

  • Proper hygiene keeps coalition fit to fight

    Proper hygiene is critical to remaining combat-ready.To ensure servicemembers stay healthy, most forward-deployed locations throughout Afghanistan offer plenty of opportunities for good hygiene, like running water for showers and hand-washing stations next to the chow line.However, the situation

  • General Jumper commends CENTAF Airmen

    Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper made time to visit two forward-deployed locations recently during a trip to the region for the Middle Eastern Air Symposium. He received an operations update at U.S. Central Command Air Forces-Forward headquarters at one location, before visiting top

  • Hanscom children honored with medal

    Base officials have a new medal in their arsenal to recognize family sacrifices made during the war on terrorism.The Children's Home Front Hero Medal, which features a replica of the American flag, is for children of deployed servicemembers.Dawn Andreucci, a community readiness consultant for

  • Airborne network to link sensors, shooters, decision makers

    Electronic Systems Center officials here are working on a new airborne network that will revolutionize airborne communications and bring network-centric warfare to the air."The intent ... is to translate information superiority into combat power by linking sensors, decision makers and shooters to

  • Predator reaches initial operating capacity

    One of the most heavily used and valued weapons systems of operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom has reached initial operating capability, Air Combat Command officials here announced March 1.The MQ-1 Predator unmanned aerial vehicle was officially declared IOC March 1 by Lt. Gen. William

  • Tuskegee Airman visits Cannon

    Retired Lt. Col. Herbert Carter is the embodiment of walking history. He was part of the 99th Pursuit Squadron, the famous “Red Tails,” made up of a group of black pilots known as the Tuskegee Airmen.Colonel Carter visited here recently to speak at Cannon’s Black History Month dinner.“I actually

  • Missing Korean War Airman identified

    Department of Defense officials announced Feb. 25 that the remains of an Air Force pilot, missing in action from the Korean War, have been identified and will soon be returned to his family for burial with full military honors.Capt. Troy Cope of Norfolk, Ark., will be buried in Plano, Texas, on May

  • Frigid chapter closes for C-141

    Another chapter closed in the storied aviation history of the venerable C-141 Starlifter as a 452nd Air Mobility Wing-based crew from here flew aircraft number 152 from the South Pole for the last time.For 39 years, crews have flown C-141s loaded with people and equipment to Antarctica for the

  • Security forces provide fly-away protection

    In many forward-operating locations for Operation Enduring Freedom, C-130 Hercules planes from here make landings on dirt airstrips.Many times, riding along with the C-130 aircrews are highly trained and skilled Air Force security forces Airmen from the 416th Expeditionary Mission Support Squadron's

  • Holloman NCO steps up, helps to control in-flight emergency

    “There’s a bomb on the plane, I know it!”Staff Sgt. Jeremiah Drew was on a commercial flight while returning from leave recently when he heard an unruly woman scream this suspicion.“She went on yelling this a few times,” said Sergeant Drew, who is assigned to the 49th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron

  • Troops deal with stress of working 'inside the wire'

    Working "inside the wire" of the enemy combatant detention facility can lead to stress for the U.S. troops working here. But experts and leaders are working hard to help servicemembers deal with the unique conditions of working on this isolated island base.Stress-control issues are something the

  • War highlights need for military medical transformation

    While peak combat readiness is a persistent goal of America's armed forces, much less has been made of the state of the military's medical readiness, especially with regard to support systems and processes for returning National Guard and Reserve servicemembers wounded in the war on terror.In a

  • Medals updated in personnel system

    Air Force officials have completed a batch update to currently reflect award of the Korean Defense Service Medal and Global War on Terrorism-Expeditionary Medal in the military personnel data system.Air Force Personnel Center officials here recently completed a mass decorations update for more than

  • Teets: Air Force confident, strong, ready

    The acting secretary of the Air Force assured the Air Force Association here Feb. 17 the service is confident, strong and ready to face any threat.“And I know it will remain that way,” Peter B. Teets told about 1,000 attendees of the association’s annual Air Warfare Symposium. The association

  • Troops deployed in combat areas get tax credit options

    Servicemembers receiving federal tax exemptions for some or all of their military pay may now elect to apply for certain tax credit options, the chief of the Armed Forces Tax Council said here Feb. 17.Troops deployed to combat zones can now apply for tax refunds based on earned income tax credits,

  • Future military doctors hone field medicine skills

    A fictitious Middle Eastern country, Pandakar, was facing internal unrest and taking casualties. Fourth-year medical students at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Md., were called in to treat the patients.Operation Bushmaster, a 72-hour exercise designed to

  • Myers: Military stressed, but able to execute strategy

    Despite stresses and strains on the force, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff told members of the House Armed Services Committee on Feb. 16 that the American military remains able to execute America's national military strategy."We are now in our fourth year of sustained combat operations,"

  • FAST mission for security forces

    Their job is simple: Cockpit denial and ground security. The training is intense, and only the best will get the assignment.The two-man teams are called fly-away security teams and are an offshoot of Air Mobility Command’s Phoenix Raven program. Due to a high volume of intratheater airlift

  • Officials release F-16 accident report

    A left brake anti-skid malfunction during landing and the pilot's failure to follow an emergency checklist caused an F-16 Fighting Falcon to leave the runway while deployed July 10, according to an accident investigation board report released Feb. 15.The aircraft came to rest on its targeting pod

  • Symposium students complete 32,000 hours of instruction

    Students and instructors said they developed a new appreciation for the word “training” during the 2005 Environmental Training Symposium, which ended here Feb. 11.About 153 instructors taught 111 courses to more than 1,250 students throughout the week-long event.More than 32,100 hours of instruction

  • Officials clear C-130J container delivery system

    Eight back-to-back flights flown in eight days on a stretch C-130J Hercules tested it for the container delivery system’s ability to carry about 40,000 pounds of bundled equipment.The stretch C-130J is 15 feet longer than the C-130J and can drop more equipment.The system is used in combat to deliver

  • New trauma registry captures valuable wartime data

    A new registry being established here is helping track casualty information from Iraq and Afghanistan to give senior leaders information needed to make decisions ranging from troops’ protective gear to combat casualty care.The Joint Theater Trauma Registry is ensuring that decision makers have more

  • Predators protect troops

    The loud roars of F-16 Fighting Falcons here are familiar reminders of close-air support, but unmanned Predators silently swarm the sky protecting troops by different means.The RQ/MQ-1 Predator unmanned aerial vehicle is a lightweight, low-horsepower aircraft capable of taking daylight and infrared

  • Space war game improves joint warfighting capability

    The Schriever III space war game is under way here, where a 350-person team of space professionals battle in a global environment scenario set in the year 2020. The simulation was designed to verify space capabilities and tactics and techniques used by the 21st century joint warfighter, officials

  • Airmen provide convoy security for Soldiers, Marines in Iraq

    When Master Sgt. William Chapman joined the Air Force transportation field 20 years ago, he never dreamed he would use his skills far beyond the flightline.Recently returned from Iraq, Sergeant Chapman is teaching his fellow Airmen critical skills needed to conduct convoy-security missions there.It

  • Reserve Airmen test C-130J in Southwest Asia

    Faster, farther, higher, safer. Aircrews and maintainers from the Air Force Reserve Command’s 403rd Wing here are changing attitudes and proving the effectiveness of their bird the J-model C-130 Hercules.As the first unit to take delivery of the aircraft in 1999, Airmen in the wing’s 815th Airlift

  • Air Logistics Centers add wings, squadrons

    As part of its ongoing goal to better support operational commands and warfighters in the field, Air Force Materiel Command officials will reorganize the command’s three air logistics centers over the coming weeks. The reorganization, which will incorporate a specialized mission wing structure

  • Special ops symposium looks at future of coalition warfare

    Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld and CIA director Porter J. Goss are working to make sure President Bush has a full range of options for dealing with terror threats, a top DOD official said Feb. 4.This includes covert and clandestine operations, said Thomas W. O'Connell, assistant secretary of

  • Cope Tiger roars over Thailand

    The sky here has been alive with the sounds of military aircraft from Thailand, Singapore and the United States supporting exercise Cope Tiger 05.“Every year there are challenges that you deal with,” said Col. George Daniels, exercise director from Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala. “The exercise players

  • F/A-22 on track to go operational

    The F/A-22 Raptor, the Air Force’s next-generation air superiority fighter, performed well in recently completed operational testing and is on track to go operational in December, the director of the program’s combined test force said.Speaking prior to a lecture he delivered at the National Museum

  • General Moseley testifies for raising death benefit

    The Senate Armed Services Committee heard testimony Feb. 1 from senior service leaders about a proposed boost in payments to survivors of military people killed in combat.Vice Chief of Staff Gen. T. Michael Moseley testified on behalf of the Air Force.Under the Pentagon's plan released Jan. 31, a

  • F/A-22 passes initial operational test, evaluation

    The results of a recently released Air Force study bode well for the future of the F/A-22 Raptor, officials said.The Raptor demonstrated “overwhelmingly effective” warfighting capability according to the initial operational test and evaluation report released by Air Force Operational Test and

  • Airmen train firefighters to saw through aircraft parts

    A call for assistance rang out from the fire department here recently, but it was not to battle a raging fire.Firefighters asked 653rd Combat Logistics Support Squadron Airmen for some hands-on training on a K-12 cut-saw, a piece of equipment both agencies use in their lines of work.The training

  • Joint STARS duo reaches troops on the ground

    One is active duty straight out of technical training; the other served on active duty and is now in the Air National Guard. One is male, the other is female.Yet despite their differences on the surface, Tech. Sgt. Thomas Bloomberg and Airman 1st Class Emily Leece, could not be any closer.“We

  • ‘Line of Sight’ test brings out tactical side of X-45A

    Joint-unmanned-combat-air-systems test team officials here successfully demonstrated a transfer of command and control using line-of-sight capabilities on two unmanned X-45A aircraft Jan. 27.The test followed the successful Dec. 9 sortie that transferred control of the aircraft to a control station

  • Pentagon, Senate seek doubling of G.I. survivors' benefit

    Pentagon leaders and Capitol Hill legislators want to increase the current available combined government death benefit for families of fallen servicemembers by about $250,000.If enacted, the proposed change essentially would double the $262,000 now available to families of servicemembers killed in

  • Murray launches inaugural edition of Airman handbook

    If Airman Basic Rachel Redel ever forgets who presented her with one of the first two copies of Airman, Air Force Handbook 1, she can find the answer under “Chief Master Sergeants of the Air Force," on Page 15, "Gerald R. Murray.”If the 23-year-old basic trainee is curious about what her

  • Jumper presents Purple Hearts to Baghdad bombing victims

    Two Air Force Office of Special Investigations agents were presented Purple Hearts on Jan. 31 in a ceremony at the Brooke Army Medical Center at nearby Fort Sam Houston.Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper presented the medals to Special Agents Therese Frentz and Todd King, who are still

  • Air Force works to meet QDR challenges

    Air Force strategic capabilities are already working to meet the challenges outlined in the Quadrennial Defense Review, officials said.Every four years Department of Defense officials conduct a thorough review, as requested by Congress, to ensure that each service has the right mix of people,

  • Fighting Falcons tackle 'DEAD' mission

    The CJ model of the F-16 Fighting Falcon offers cutting-edge war-time fighting capabilities. Three new upgrades have helped the aircraft here transform from suppressing enemy air defenses to destroying enemy air defenses.“With the Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System, the targeting pod and the Link

  • Help available for troops facing adjustment issues

    The Defense Department's senior medical adviser said that troops redeployed from combat zones should suffer no stigma for seeking help for emotional problems.Some troops who have returned from duty tours in Afghanistan or Iraq are experiencing symptoms associated with post-traumatic stress disorder,

  • Air Force box-offs showcase lean, mean card

    The 2005 U.S. Air Force Boxing Championship, known as the box-offs, was on the ropes before the first punch was thrown here Jan. 22.Global operations reduced this year’s boxing trial camp to just 10 available fighters, down two-thirds from 2004. Seven bouts were on the card, which was unofficially

  • Chu urges renewed focus to reduce preventable accidents

    The Defense Department wants servicemembers and civilians to concentrate on safety whether they are on or off duty, the department's top personnel official said Jan. 24.Each year scores of Sailors, Soldiers, Marines, Airmen and Coast Guardsmen, as well as DOD civilians, are killed or injured by

  • Airmen provide Rhein-Main blanket of security

    For the last decade, the end has always seemed near for this historic air base. Now, the scheduled handover to Germany is officially within 12 months. As the closure nears, officials said the base is probably more important than it has ever been. Airmen and aircraft here are sustaining a heavy

  • Hawaii Air Guard participates in Cope Tiger

    Eight F-15 Eagles and 70 Airmen from the Hawaii Air National Guard's 199th Fighter Squadron deployed here Jan. 24 for Cope Tiger 2005. They were here to practice their flying-training skills with Thai and Singaporean airmen, and U.S. Navy and U.S. Air Force air and ground support crews.This is the

  • Officials release updated transformation flight plan

    Air Staff officials recently updated the U.S. Air Force Transformation Flight Plan, which spells out the transformation strategy of the Air Force. According to the secretary of defense's transformation planning guidance, officials in the office of force transformation use the flight plan and the

  • President thanks veterans for service during inaugural ball

    President Bush and first lady Laura Bush were greeted with resounding cheers as they made the first stop of their whirlwind tour of inaugural galas here Jan. 20. At the "Salute to Heroes" inaugural ball, hundreds of veterans from across the country, along with their wives and families, greeted the

  • Lackland medics support OIF evacuation mission

    The medical mission in Iraq is complex, made up of a variety of Air Force and Army units that provide care for servicemembers and Defense Department civilians and contractors who need help with various ailments -- ranging from minor scorpion stings to serious combat injuries. But patients who need

  • Boom operators provide fuel for warfighters

    Some Airmen spend their work days in office cubicles, but a select group of enlisted fliers work in an “office” 25,000 feet in the air while traveling 500 mph.Boom operators from the 908th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron, do not push papers; instead, they push fuel to combat aircraft engaged in

  • AF teams win armed forces bowling championships

    First Lt. Rickie Banister and Master Sgt. Christine Dash led their Air Force teams to the men's and women's team titles in the 2005 Armed Forces Bowling Championships here Jan. 12.The tournament was held in conjunction with the 2005 USA Bowling National Amateur Championships, and the field was cut

  • Deployed C-130Js exceeding expectations

    When the C-130J -- the newest variant of the versatile C-130 Hercules -- deployed for the first time in December, Air Mobility Command officials said they were confident of the aircraft’s capabilities.During the first few weeks of the aircraft's deployment, the J model has met and in some cases

  • Super Bowl broadcast plans under way for deployed troops

    Are you ready for some football? Troops deployed in combat zones will see the Super Bowl live on the American Forces Network on Feb. 6.In fact, one of the questions Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld got during a news conference in Kuwait was whether troops would see the Super Bowl."American

  • Airmen help train Iraqi soldiers

    A professional military education instructor had to overcome a language barrier, an unfamiliar curriculum and a trust issue with his students to contribute to the development of a new nation.Master Sgt. Mark Leuquire was one of 28 Air Force instructors deployed to Iraq to train noncommissioned

  • OSI -- putting the pieces together

    Many people know the Air Force Office of Special Investigations as the Air Force’s felony-level investigative service that uncovers crimes and fraud.However, there is a side of OSI that most people do not know about, at least until they deploy.“Our primary mission, both at home and deployed, is

  • Secretary Roche retires

    Airmen, along with servicemembers from more than 14 nations, bid farewell to the 20th Secretary of the Air Force here Jan. 18.Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz presented Air Force Secretary Dr. James G. Roche the Department of Defense award for distinguished public service upon his

  • AFSOC unit wraps up Asian aid mission

    Airmen from the 353rd Special Operations Group at Kadena Air Base, Japan, are going home. Almost a month after a monster earthquake and killer tsunamis claimed untold thousands of lives, the Airmen’s quick-reaction work here is complete as conventional Air Force units have arrived.The MC-130 Combat

  • Officials announce annual civil engineer award winners

    Air Force officials joined three civilian professional associations in honoring Air Force civil engineers recently.The Society of American Military Engineers, the National Society of Professional Engineers, the Northeast Chapter of the American Association of Airport Executives and Air Force

  • Combat weather forecasters fight ‘fog of war’

    It rolls in when it wants to, covers everything in its path and makes visibility so poor you can barely see your hand in front of your face. It is what some here call “the fog of war.”This fog, however, is the real thing. It is a fog so thick it makes missions for Operation Enduring Freedom here

  • Airmen bring relief to tsunami-devastated region

    Airmen of the 8th Airlift Squadron from McChord Air Force Base, Wash., continued their vital role in the disaster relief effort Jan. 12. Equipment, supplies and people were loaded onto one of the squadron's huge C-17 Globemaster III cargo jets headed to Banda Aceh, Indonesia.Indonesia was one of

  • General Jumper qualifies in F/A-22 Raptor

    Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper ended two weeks of training here Jan. 12, flying his qualification flight in the F/A-22 Raptor, the Air Force’s newest fighter aircraft.“I’ve been involved with the Raptor program for years, in one way or another,” General Jumper said. “Now, to be able

  • F-15E crew uses new targeting pod

    An F-15E Strike Eagle aircrew from the 494th Fighter Squadron took part in a flight that marked an evolution in weapons technology when it used a Sniper Advanced Targeting Pod on the aircraft Jan. 7.An F-15E weapons system officer can now independently launch satellite-guided weapons on targets.

  • Guardsmen help with tsunami relief

    Alaska and Hawaii, the two closest states, are supporting American relief efforts by sending Air National Guardsmen and resources to the region devastated by the Dec. 26 earthquake and tsunamis, Guard spokesmen said.Guardsmen are supporting the unprecedented relief effort for Indonesia, India, Sri

  • Air Force, partners deliver aid to Indonesia

    Unfamiliar partners from disparate lands have tuned the tools of their humanitarian outreach trade and are working in unison in the wake of one of the world’s worst natural disasters.Airmen of the 353rd Special Operations Group, based in Langkawi, Malaysia, said the 16-hour days typically begin,

  • Airmen bring aid where needed

    The children of Banda Aceh, Indonesia, a province in the northern tip of Sumatra hit hard by the Dec. 26 tsunamis, returned to school Jan. 10. It is not the same school they remember, and the class lists have been revised downward, too often halved. But it is a small step toward recovery -- a path

  • New year brings new missions for Air Force Reserve

    This year, citizen Airmen will see some new missions headed their way as they continue their efforts to fight and support the war against terrorism.Responding to the active-duty needs, reservists will take part in Future Total Force initiatives that will test new organizational constructs to

  • Combat weather team forecasts mission success

    Cloud reading may seem an ethereal art, but predicting the effects of alto cumulus clouds blowing over the southwest mountain range here is a pure science to aviators and ground troops traveling there.Leaders here rely on the technical know-how of the 455th Air Expeditionary Wing’s Combat weather

  • AMC aircraft, people support tsunami-relief operations

    In the days following the Dec. 26 tsunami disaster around the Indian Ocean, Air Mobility Command aircraft and people have delivered tons of relief equipment and hundreds of servicemembers into the affected region.As of Jan. 6, AMC aircraft and aircrews had delivered more than 1.66 million pounds of

  • B-1s return to flight

    The B-1B Lancer fleet returned to flight status Jan. 5 following a six-day grounding.Air Combat Command leaders halted flight operations for B-1Bs on Dec. 30 because of a possible nose landing gear problem.Concerns leading to the flight suspension have been addressed, command officials said.

  • B-1 fleet grounded after landing gear collapses

    B-1 Lancers Air Force-wide were grounded after one aircraft’s nose-gear collapsed at a forward-deployed location supporting operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom, Air Combat Command officials said Jan. 4.The 67 aircraft fleet will be grounded until each aircraft goes through a one-time

  • Now showing: Jan. 3 edition of AFTV News

    The Jan. 3 edition of Air Force Television News is a special production of the program dedicated to the Airmen involved in Operation Enduring Freedom. Produced and coanchored by Tech. Sgts. Pachari Lutke and Joy Josephson, the program examines the continuing role of the Air Force in that

  • Predators help TACP Airmen with mission

    If mentioned at all, tactical air control party Airmen are usually linked with a group of special forces on the front lines.Normally these Airmen find themselves out in the field directing combat aircraft against insurgents or coordinating artillery fire with air strikes, but most certainly not

  • Four earn Sijan award

    Four Airmen are being recognized with the service’s Lance P. Sijan Air Force Leadership Award:The Sijan award annually recognizes a senior and junior officer and a senior and junior enlisted person who demonstrates outstanding leadership abilities while assigned to organizations at the wing level or

  • More Airmen eligible for Air Force Recognition Ribbon

    More Airmen can wear the Air Force Recognition Ribbon for winning service-level competitions and awards.A recent change to an Air Force instruction allows members of small teams participating in events such as security forces' Defender Challenge, Air Mobility Command Rodeo or the William Tell

  • Supplements promise results, pose risks

    The path to fitness, weight loss and nutrition requires discipline and hard work, but many are turning to supplements to find a faster route to these goals, health officials said.Easily purchased over the counter, many supplements promise an extra edge. But with their promises come potential long-

  • Report: Fire caused Predator crash

    A fire caused an MQ-1 Predator Unmanned Aerial Vehicle to crash while supporting operations near Balad Air Base, Iraq, on Aug. 17, according to an Air Force report released Dec. 29.A misrouted oil line failed and leaked oil into the engine bay causing a fire, which spread and ultimately made the

  • Officials release F-15 accident report

    A loss of fuel to both engines resulted in a dual-engine flameout causing an F-15 Eagle to crash June 18 about 60 miles north of Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., according to an Air Force report released Dec. 29.The pilot ejected and sustained minor injuries. The aircraft, valued at $31.9 million, was

  • Military W-2s make it easier to determine tax credit eligibility

    The 2004 W-2 tax forms for servicemembers will now report pay earned while serving in a combat zone tax exclusion area. This information helps them determine their eligibility for the earned income tax credit and child tax credit.The combat pay information will be listed separately in Block 14 of

  • Portal allows Airmen to chat with friends, family

    Airmen at home station or a deployed location can now send instant messages to their friends or loved ones whenever they have access to the Internet. The Air Force recently implemented the "Friends and Family Instant Messenger" program, available through the Air Force Portal. Now, besides using

  • Air Force leaders send holiday message

    The following is a holiday message from Secretary of the Air Force Dr. James G. Roche and Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper:“In this special holiday season we offer our sincere best wishes to you, our Air Force family -- our total force of active duty, Guard, Reserve and civilians, as

  • U.S. Air Force deploys C-130Js for first time

    The U.S. Air Force's C-130J Hercules -- the newest variant of the versatile C-130 aircraft -- deployed for the first time this month.The deployed force includes maintainers, operators and support Airmen from Rhode Island Air National Guard’s 143rd Airlift Squadron, Maryland ANG’s 135th AS, Air Force

  • Airman could face death penalty in double-murder case

    An Airman here charged for the on-base killings of another Airman and his wife could face the death penalty when the case goes to court next year.Senior Airman Andrew Paul Witt is charged with two counts of premeditated murder, covered under Article 118 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice. He

  • Studying key to earning next stripe

    Enlisted promotion hopefuls will need to pull out their study materials as the next testing cycle is on the horizon. Testing for promotion to technical sergeant and master sergeant will be held throughout the Air Force Feb. 15 through March 31, and testing for staff sergeant will be held May 1

  • Thunderbirds release 2005 show schedule

    The U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron, known as the Thunderbirds, announced its 2005 air show schedule. The team is scheduled to perform more than 70 public shows in 29 states, Canada and Central America. The 2005 schedule is as follows:March19 and 20 -- Luke Air Force Base, Ariz.April2 and

  • SERE graduates authorized berets

    Students who complete the Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape specialist technical school here are now qualified to wear the new SERE beret.The pewter-green beret is worn with the SERE specialist device, which depicts a bald eagle in front of a compass rose with barbed wire across it.“The beret

  • Recruiting focuses on select career fields

    The Air Force continues to recruit high quality people while using force-shaping efforts to keep people in critical career fields, the Air Force Recruiting Service commander said during a recent visit here. Brig. Gen. Robertus C.N. Remkes said the Air Force is striving to “balance the books” by

  • Combat personnelists get Airmen in, out of deployment

    They do not fly combat missions, build bombs or conduct perimeter patrols, but the PERSCO team here processes the documents that make it possible for pilots, ammo troops and security forces to do those things supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. From hail to farewell, a two-person Personnel

  • Test acceleration expedites fielding warning system

    Engineers here cut the test time for a crucial missile warning system from months to weeks, speeding the operational debut of the system on C-17 Globemaster IIIs.Changes to the system, which warns of an approaching missile and automatically fires flares to confuse the missile’s guidance system, were

  • Five Airmen receive Silver Stars

    Air Force Secretary Dr. James G. Roche presented five Airmen here Silver Stars on Dec. 9 for their handling of close-air support missions during operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom.“(We) are extremely proud of all of you and of all the battle-fit Airmen in the 18th Air Support Operations

  • Policy changes help wounded troops stay in service

    Fundamental changes have taken place in the Department of Defense's disability policy, a top Pentagon official told attendees at the 17th DOD Disability Forum here Dec. 7.John M. Molino, acting deputy undersecretary of defense for equal opportunity, cited a December 2003 visit by President Bush to

  • Deployed Marine teaches Airmen martial arts

    Physically, Marine Sgt. Luis Mercado stands a modest 5-feet-7-inches tall and weighs only 150 pounds. But he barks orders and works his students as though he were King Kong himself.“I want to share my knowledge,” the martial arts instructor said. “There’s no point in keeping it to myself.”Sergeant

  • Airmen add ‘information armor’ to Iraq convoys

    When a convoy heads out on the roads of Iraq, it can be a life or death mission. Faced with violent threats from insurgents, the troops are armed and ready. But in this hostile environment, a “protective posture” requires more than mere Kevlar. Airmen of the 90th Information Operations Squadron

  • DOD, Armed Services YMCA sign support agreement

    An organization that began supporting the military during the American Civil War will continue to do so under an agreement signed Dec. 7 at the Pentagon.Armed Services YMCA officials began serving servicemembers and their families in 1861. Now, for the first time, the relationship between the

  • Strategic forces authorized service medal

    The commander of U.S. Strategic Command has authorized the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal for all servicemembers assigned, attached or mobilized to the command for at least 30 consecutive days on or after Sept. 11, 2001.The medal is awarded to people involved in supporting operations against

  • Training prepares security forces Airmen for deployment

    Airmen of the 482nd Security Forces Squadron held a tactical training exercise here Dec. 5. The purpose of the exercise was to prepare them for a variety of possible scenarios if and when they deploy.Convoy missions and urban operations are among the most common challenges for security forces

  • Soldiers, Airmen train together for urban warfare

    Combat in urban environments, such as that recently conducted in Fallujah, Iraq, is becoming more commonplace, said defense officials. Providing protection to ground forces in such close quarters is a challenge for Soldiers and Airmen alike.During an exercise here, Soldiers from the 172nd Stryker

  • Fighter pilot film about teamwork, thrill of flight

    Civilians and Airmen alike can get breathtaking insight into parts of the Air Force they may not have seen before. The IMAX film "Fighter Pilot: Operation Red Flag," premiered Dec. 2 at the National Air and Space Museum here. Filmgoers got an inside look at one of the Air Force's largest training

  • Ammo Airmen help put steel on target

    Listen closely around the desert flightline at this deployed location and you will eventually hear the scream of an eagle or falcon flying overhead. These birds of prey are Air Force F-15E Strike Eagles and F-16 Fighting Falcons racing off to support the war on terrorism. Helping ground forces

  • December special issue of Airman available

    Airmen are the ultimate source of combat capability -- joining with other servicemembers to fight terrorism and protect America's freedoms. The December special issue of Airman magazine focuses on 24 people who represent the many military and civilian Airmen who make up the total force. Learn what