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  • Airmen offload 250th Pakistan relief aircraft

    The Air Force unloaded the 250th aircraft taking part in Operation Lifeline -- the humanitarian relief mission providing aid to the people hit by a 7.6 magnitude earthquake here in early October. The Idaho Air National Guard C-130 Hercules, arrived Nov. 29 at Chaklala Air Base from Afghanistan. It

  • A-10 pilot ‘talks down’ civilian airplane with emergency

    “Mayday. Mayday.” The distress call is familiar to most people who watch television and movies. But when it is made for real, it can make a pilot’s mouth go dry and his stomach cramp. That is the feeling pilot Naim Fazlija said he had when he made the distress call to German radar controllers when

  • Supplemental deployment health assessment starts in December

    Airmen returning from deployment now have two opportunities to let healthcare workers know of their mental and physical health status. Beginning in December, the Air Force will require all Airmen returning from deployments to complete a post-deployment health reassessment. The PDHRA needs to be

  • Air Force gun trucks deliver the goods

    As Airmen saddle up for one of the most notorious jobs in Iraq, the mood is not dread, but drive and determination. There's confidence in every move as members of the 732nd Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron here at Forward Operating Base Speicher prepare to escort truck convoys on some of

  • Second chance: Active-duty father donates kidney

    It’s evening, and the Pitman family is playing Candyland in their living room. Devin, 5, bounces from the sofa to the gameboard and pulls a card. “Ice cream!” the blue-eyed boy shouts, and moves his yellow pawn toward the end of the trail. “My turn,” his father says, leaning over the board to pull a

  • Mechanics turn wrenches to save lives

    Mechanics often talk about vehicle maintenance as if it were life and death. For the gun-truck maintainers of the 732nd Logistic Support Squadron, the idea is more than a figure of speech. The trucks they maintain help provide convoy security, traveling some of the most brutal roads in Iraq.

  • ORIs evolve with modern war fighting

    Airmen today can face deployment with increased confidence after practicing modified operational readiness inspection scenarios that reflect current wartime conditions. According to Air Combat Command's Inspector General Col. Tom Jones, with the expeditionary nature of today's Air Force, it is

  • Young man's dream tour causes 'ripple effect'

    When a rock hits the calm surface of a pond, ripples form and travel outward in expanding circles. The story begins with a 14 year old and his dream -- a goal of overcoming his health problems and flying for the Air Force. The boy, Ryan Penne of Chico, Calif., stepped into dreamland last year at

  • All secure, and then some

    Security in Southwest Asia is no joke, but you may still get a smile from security forces Airmen when they check your ID. Ensuring the security of coalition forces and resources is a job the 379th Expeditionary Security Forces team takes very seriously. “We have a dedicated and enthusiastic team

  • Reserve giving warfighters gifts they can use

    Giving and receiving are the hallmarks of the holiday season. If you don't believe it, ask the aerial porters here who receive an average of 600,000 pounds of cargo every day and give the warfighters in Iraq "gifts" they can use. "When airlift operations at Frankfurt (Germany) closed, Incirlik ops

  • Ramstein Reservist helps injured troops get home

    "Home for the holidays" is a familiar goal for many military people, but not Tech. Sgt. Katheryn Bicker. This Reservist from the 944th Fighter Wing at Luke AFB, Ariz., is forgoing her own holidays to help others in what she feels is the true spirit of the season. "I don't think about it being

  • Vandenberg Airmen put eyes in sky

    Somewhere on Vandenberg, two Airmen wearing berets and rifle slings have their heads in a monitor as they fly a remote control plane. The Airmen are demonstrating a new capability for security, surveillance, reconnaissance, battle damage assessment and more, in the form of a four-pound,

  • The making of a memorial

    It was his favorite holiday. He looked at his birthday in October as a count down to Christmas. So Army Sgt. Michael E. Yaschinski loved being with his family at that very special time of the year. “He never missed a Christmas, even when he was stationed in Italy -- except for 2003,” said his

  • Surviving the unthinkable

    Airmen sang Christmas carols as they cruised their armored truck through the thick gray fog of Iraq’s northern desert on that late November morning. It was the 2004 holiday season and the Airmen were in good spirits as they neared the end of their 30-day mission. They had helped guard Army convoys

  • McConnell completes first refurbishment project

    Several Airmen here joined the 22nd Maintenance Squadron's equipment excellence section in a Refurb Rollout ceremony Nov. 21, which celebrated the end of McConnell’s first complete KC-135 Stratotanker refurbishment. “The result was a 40-year-old aircraft that looked brand new in approximately 30

  • Airmen ‘march to the beat’ in Tokyo

    Band members from units throughout the Air Force came to play in the annual Marching Band Festival held at this city’s Budokan Hall. The concert, on Nov. 18 and 19, is an annual event held near the anniversary of the founding of the Japan Self-Defense Forces. This year, a crowd of nearly 50,000

  • Aerial port center making air movements easier

    The U.S. Central Command Air Forces aerial port control center here makes it easier to move troops and cargo through this region each day. That includes tons of cargo and thousands of troops and is a process that takes a lot planning and coordination, officials said. The center cuts a step out of

  • Airmen graduate from Army interrogator school

    More than 90 Airmen stood next to Soldiers when the first “bluesuiter” graduated from the U.S. Army Intelligence Center’s interrogator school at Fort Huachuca, Ariz. The Airmen -- with youth ministers and Scout leaders in their midst -- graduated Nov. 10. The Airmen volunteered after the Army asked

  • Airmen respond to bus accident

    The emergency response team here went into action after a bus full of Soldiers overturned just outside the base gate. Fire department, security forces and medical personnel responded to a Nov. 18 call for help just before 10 a.m. The Soldiers were on their way to the base for airlift to Iraq, when

  • Fairchild security forces provide combat skills training

    Because Airmen are deploying to hostile areas, the Air Force directed major commands to provide those deploying intensive expeditionary combat skills training. Since much of the training is ground-combat related, security forces are providing the training. Fairchild has started providing its

  • Small team has Herculean task

    Little known to many here is a team of 30 operators, engineers and contractors vital to the training of C-130 Hercules aircrews around the world. The team oversees more than 1,700 training courses, more than $500 million in contracts and training simulators in 10 locations worldwide. Detachment 3,

  • Pakistan quake relief funds nearly double

    The Defense Department is nearly doubling its funding for earthquake relief operations in Pakistan -- to $110 million -- State Department officials said Nov. 19. The devastating Oct. 8 earthquake killed an estimated 73,000 people. U.S. Agency for International Development administrator Andrew

  • Air Force sets physical training uniform wear date

    The Air Force Uniform Board established an Oct. 1, 2006, mandatory wear date of the physical training uniform, or PTU, for unit fitness activities. The board also released additional guidance for Airmen wearing the uniform for personal workouts. Airmen may wear the PTU during personal workouts given

  • Leaders say Cope India 'great success'

    Exercise Cope India ‘06 ends Nov. 20, but U.S. and Indian air force leaders have already said the training has been a resounding success. The exercise, which began Nov. 7, involves Indian Airmen and about 250 U.S. Airmen from Pacific Air Forces bases. “Such exercises not only help in promoting

  • Fire rescue team supports combat operations

    The role of Air Force firefighters is changing here, with tents replacing fire station, dirt airfields and, at times, rocket attacks. In the last six months, a six-man Air Force fire and crash rescue unit has gone on five missions into some of Afghanistan’s most remote areas. There was enough

  • Commando Sling wraps up

    The first Commando Sling exercise of the fiscal year ended here today, wrapping up a month of air-to-air combat training. Nearly 80 members and their F-16 Fighting Falcons from the 14th Fighter Squadron at Misawa Air Base, Japan, deployed to this island city state to square off against Singapore air

  • A-staff helps sustain joint humanitarian effort

    The 818th Contingency Response Group and 24th Air Expeditionary Group continue handling hundreds of thousands of pounds of cargo each day as part of the continuing Pakistani earthquake recovery effort. Col. Richard Walberg, who commands both groups, said while much of the "visible work" goes on in

  • Pararescuemen continue Pakistan humanitarian relief

    Above the mountainous countryside of northern Pakistan, two Air Force pararescuemen aboard a Russian-made MI-8 helicopter survey areas where people may need relief supplies. These Airmen, known as PJs, are part of a unit that traveled halfway around the world to participate in the ongoing

  • B-52 simulator plays big role in exercise

    A B-52 Stratofortress simulator is allowing 11th Bomb Squadron students to train with Soldiers and Airmen near Fort Polk, La., taking part in the live fire portion of exercise Air Warrior II. The simulator provides Airmen here a unique training opportunity -- and an alternative to participating in

  • Sergeant provides Cope India 06's contract for success

    Food, bottled water, rooms, cars and cell phones -– it takes all of these things and more to make a deployed unit function smoothly in a foreign country. Getting all of this for the 250 U.S. Airmen supporting exercise Cope India 06 is just one person -– Master Sgt. Elizabeth Wills, from the 374th

  • Communicators lay foundation for Afghanistan’s future

    Before U.S. forces return the airport terminal and tower here to Afghan control, combat communicators first installed more than a mile of copper and fiber cable. Airmen from the 451st Air Expeditionary Group communications flight here stepped up to install the critical communications cables when an

  • Big bangs destroy 2,000 munitions

    Airmen from the 407th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron explosive ordnance disposal flight detonated 2,000 munitions, keeping them the out of the hands of insurgents. It took four detonations to destroy the weapons, which members of the Iraqi national guard had captured. After each big bang,

  • Fundamentals course gives space students head start

    A training squadron here is offering students the first-ever spacelift course. Taught by instructors of the 392nd Training Squadron, the two-week class provides students training in spacelift concepts, capabilities and operations. There was a need for the course. In January 2004, Air Force Space

  • Teamwork keeps Balad power on

    A group of Airmen has the tough and fast-paced job of maintaining all the generators that power this desert base. The Airmen are with the 727th Expeditionary Air Control Squadron’s aerospace ground equipment and heating ventilation and air conditioning shop. They stay busy. "Power generation is the

  • Controllers keep Balad traffic flowing

    A director producing a blockbuster film must know where each actor and camera is at all times to ensure the right shot. Air traffic controllers from the 332nd Expeditionary Operations Support Squadron must be just as diligent to ensure aircraft take off and land safely at this busy base. The

  • President Bush thanks troops at Elmendorf

    President George Bush stopped here on the first leg of his week-long Asia tour and thanked servicemembers and civilians for volunteering to serve and continuing the fight the global war on terrorism. It was the president’s second visit here. He spoke for nearly 45 minutes with more than 4,500

  • Airmen should verify deployment credit

    Airmen not issued contingency, exercise or deployment orders should verify their personnel records include credit for those deployments. A deployment is any temporary duty away from home station filling a validated combatant or component commander or supported major command requirement for forces in

  • Communications network impacts intelligence

    The blue forces are pinned down. Mortars are exploding all around them. A blue force attack controller requests help from a nearby MQ-1 Predator unmanned aerial vehicle armed with Hellfire missiles. The Air Force responds to the request. The attack controller on the ground is able to locate and

  • Wargames are serious business

    To the untrained eye it seems to be a room full of computers. However, to Airmen of the 608th Combat Operations Squadron the combined air and space operations center here is a lethal weapon system. “It’s the total package, we find the target, fix the position, track it, engage the target and assess

  • Airman, volunteers working to renovate hospital

    Airmen from the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing here are revamping the Air Force theater hospital, creating a brighter and safer environment for patients and providers. The 332nd Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron, 332nd Expeditionary Communications Squadron and 332nd Expeditionary Medical Support

  • Schoolhouse trains tanker instructor pilots to be weapons officers

    Some Airmen here are helping produce experts in Air Force tanker operations. Members of the 509th Weapons Squadron do that by conducting the KC-135 Weapons Instructor Course and running the tanker intelligence formal training unit here. The squadron is one of three that make up the U.S. Air Mobility

  • Exercise tests aircrews in virtual reality by linking simulators nationwide

    The first nationwide virtual reality exercise, Virtual Flag 06, used networked simulators to create a realistic and cheap simulated battlespace to test aircrews and space and ground operators. The exercise, led by the Distributed Mission Operations Center here, ended Nov. 4. The networked simulators

  • Rescue squad puts training to test

    The blades of the Army UH-60 Black Hawk medevac helicopter beat the air as four firefighters rushed to it with 200 pounds of specialized extrication gear. The 407th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron Airmen knew this time it wasn’t a drill. Two trucks were in a near head-on collision 10 minutes

  • VA program promotes employment among new vets

    The Department of Veterans Affairs is promoting job opportunities for those leaving military service with a new program. R. James Nicholson, the VA secretary, spoke to the American Forces Press Service and the Pentagon Channel in anticipation of National Veterans Awareness Week, which began Nov. 6

  • Development division helping equip security forces

    The 820th Security Forces Group here reorganized itself and now includes a division dedicated to testing and evaluating new equipment for Airmen deploying to Iraq. The new combat development division -- created in mid-October -- aims to supply the group with more effective gear, while also saving

  • Communications keep Cope India Airmen connected

    Setting up complete operational communication support for 250 deployed Airmen in a foreign country doesn’t just happen overnight. But the 35th Communications Squadron’s 10-person theater deployable communication package did that in 48 hours. The unit from Misawa Air Base, Japan, is here to support

  • Newest vets get VA medical care priority

    Some 120,000 Iraq and Afghanistan veterans receiving Department of Veterans Affairs medical care are getting top priority at some of the world's best-quality medical treatment, the secretary of Veterans Affairs said. R. James Nicholson spoke to the American Forces Press Service and the Pentagon

  • Health program will help returning troops

    Servicemembers returning from deployments will now participate in a post-deployment health reassessment program that all the services are instituting. Defense Department officials said the new program will assess the health -- both physical and mental -- of servicemembers from 90 to 120 days after

  • Air Force facing higher energy bill

    Hurricanes Katrina and Rita were summer events, but their impact will probably be felt this winter. And that impact will not just be on the Gulf Coast, but across the nation and on military installations as facility energy prices continue to increase, Air Force officials said. The storms caused

  • Eagles, Raptors team to deter ‘attack’

    Every day, F-15 Eagle instructor pilots here teach dozens of student pilots how to fight and win in combat. But the instructors rarely get a chance to showcase their own warfighting skills. Fortunately, some 1st Fighter Squadron instructors got a chance to test their skills against the toughest and

  • C-130J Hercules undergoes new test

    As part of the second phase of the C-130J Hercules qualification test and evaluation, the aircraft will fly airdrop and formation-drop operations later this month. The aircraft from here will take part in an exercise at the Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Polk, La., from Nov. 13 to 17. The

  • Airmen start deployment training early

    Members of air expeditionary forces nine and 10 here began preparing for their deployment by learning essential combat skills. The 88th Air Base Wing readiness section started the expeditionary combat skills training course last month to cover the 19 hours of training troops need before deploying.

  • Operation Ruthless Raven: OSI cracks down on drug smugglers

    The Air Force Office of Special Investigations is heading up Operation Ruthless Raven, a joint task force to combat drug smuggling. Ruthless Raven Task Force goals are to identify vulnerabilities in the Air Force transportation and mail systems and to leverage internal and external capabilities to

  • 23rd EFS protects Baltic skies

    Providing security over the Baltic countries of Eastern Europe is no easy task.But the 23rd Expeditionary Fighter Squadron is constantly training, even while deployed, to effectively address any airborne threats to the area. The 23rd EFS is provides 24-hour air policing coverage over Lithuania,

  • Vehicle revs up to shatter land speed record

    It looks like a plane, sounds like a plane and even goes as fast as a plane, but it never leaves the ground. What is it? It's the North American Eagle, a land vehicle attempting to bring the world land speed record back to the United States. In preparation for this feat, the NAE team tested their

  • Summit helps young children, families cope

    A Defense Department summit today addressed how trauma and stress impact children's well-being and what interventions work to support their healthy development and family competence. The summit, titled "When Duty Calls -- Supporting Military Families Through Challenging Times" -- ends Nov. 5. More

  • DoD extends deadline for increased SGLI coverage for Katrina victims

    The Department of Defense announced today the deadline for reducing or declining increased Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance coverage has been extended for servicemembers affected by Hurricane Katrina. Maximum SGLI coverage increased to $400,000 on Sept. 1. On that date, members eligible for SGLI

  • Guam unit continues providing Global Strike capabilities

    Four B-1B Lancers from the 37th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron here participated in Exercise Koa Lightning last week -- continuing their mission of providing Global Strike capabilities for Pacific Air Forces and Pacific Command. During the exercise held in Hawaii, the B-1s dropped inert weapons and

  • Center redesign promises to improve production

    Continuous process improvement is alive and well at the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center. For proof, look no further than the 76th Maintenance Wing's new F100 Business Unit being stood up as part of a landmark $500 million, 10-year process of transforming maintenance, repair and overhaul, or MRO,

  • 7th Fighter Squadron vet receives medals

    Sixty years after serving in the Army Air Corps, a 7th Fighter Squadron pilot received a Distinguished Flying Cross and an Air Medal. First Lieutenant James Costley, a P-38 pilot in World Word II, received the last of his military decorations in front of three generations of his family, friends and

  • Training teaches medics how to 'operate' in hostile areas

    A Tyndall Airman quickly took a position in the dirt and aimed his M-16 rifle as a group of suspicious-looking men carrying AK-47 assault rifles hid behind a bush.However, the men left without incident and the Airman avoided a potentially deadly firefight. This may sound like a dangerous

  • Joint Fires Center of Excellence begins training

    The Joint Fires Center of Excellence opened its doors Oct. 17 as the U.S. military’s only Europe-based joint firepower education center. The U.S. Air Forces in Europe-inspired initiative is designed to enhance close air support operations by providing a convenient training environment for

  • Air Force must stay the course with FTF, AEF

    The Air Force must transform through Future Total Force and stay the course with the Air and Space Expeditionary Force concept, said the directors of the Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard. The Future Total Force concept is the Air Force's plan to better integrate the Air National Guard, Air

  • New technology 'dazzles' aggressors

    A laser technology weapon will be the first man-portable, non-lethal deterrent weapon intended for protecting troops and controlling hostile crowds. The weapon, developed by the Air Force Research Laboratory's Directed Energy Directorate, employs a two-wavelength laser system and is a hand-held,

  • Air Force authorizes Berlin Airlift streamers

    Nearly 60 years after the operation, Air Force units involved in the Berlin Airlift are now authorized a new streamer to add to their unit guidons. “A question was raised to Dick Anderegg (the Air Force historian) a couple months ago if the Berlin Airlift was a campaign, and if so, do we have a

  • Third Air Force inactivates

    Headquarters 3rd Air Force inactivated today during a ceremony here as part of a larger U.S. Strategic Theater Transformation. Although 3rd Air Force was inactivated, the Air Force will leave a general officer in country. Maj. Gen. Paul Fletcher will remain at Royal Air Force Mildenhall as U.S.

  • Edwards' commanders test wheelchair accessibility

    The Air Force Flight Test Center has a long history of testing aircraft and parachutes, but one little known fact is that each year leaders here also "test" wheelchairs. Edwards' annual Wheelchair Test Day is held during National Disabilities Awareness Month in October. Organizers said the intent is

  • 'Open the air base' unit returns from successful desert trial

    Say you need to move troops to a war zone in some isolated region or relief supplies to a devastated area, and you need to do it in a hurry. Who do you call? The men and women of the 816th Contingency Response Group have a simple answer: "Call us." From Hurricanes Katrina and Rita to the recent

  • DOD announces recommended holiday mail dates

    The Department of Defense announced Oct. 31 the recommended mailing dates to ensure that holiday cards and packages for service members arrive overseas in time for the holiday season. "To ensure delivery … to military APO/FPO addresses overseas and to international addresses, we suggest mail be sent

  • Headphones OK during workouts

    There are many reasons people opt to use headphones while working out. Some use them to pace themselves while running and doing reps. For others, getting lost in the music helps them work out longer by losing track of time. Whatever the reason, headphones must be worn properly while working out in

  • Airman completes mission with pride, satisfaction

    As he completes his tour of duty at this small, forward-deployed desert air base, Master Sgt. James Royuela looks back with satisfaction and pride knowing his hard work directly contributed to the overall success of coalition forces fighting the global war on terror. Sergeant Royuela, a 1988

  • The AC-130U Gunship program explores viper strike capability

    The AC-130U Gunship, managed by Aeronautical Systems Center's Special Operations Forces Systems Group here, is undergoing an Advanced Concept Technology Demonstration for a standoff precision-guided munition called Viper Strike. Viper Strike is a small, precision-attack munition with guide/glide

  • Medical logisticians deliver medical relief

    When warriors are wounded in the field, many rely on the men and women of the 379th Expeditionary Medical Squadron medical logistics flight for the medicine and supplies needed to patch them up. With a staff of seven, the logistics flight works long hours keeping medical supplies flowing to field

  • Combat communications answers the call

    They can set up communications to anywhere in the world from anywhere in the world. They can take a strip of land and turn it into an airfield capable of carrying out military or relief missions, but for now, members of the elite 5th Combat Communications Group are at a former Soviet republic making

  • Eagle Flag 06-1 finishes, but the learning goes on

    Being prepared to deploy is the key to success of the Air Force’s expeditionary mission. This is where Eagle Flag comes in. The two-week exercise, held Oct. 18 to 28 here, tested Airmen on a multitude of expeditionary combat support skills. Participants for the exercise are chosen based on their

  • Air commandos learn martial arts from Marines

    Beaten, bloodied and loving it. It’s the best way to describe the 20 battlefield Airmen who went toe-to-toe in hand-to-hand combat here, Oct. 17-28. Air commandos from Air Force Special Operations Command units around the world gathered at the 720th Special Tactics Group here to learn from three of

  • NDI stops problems before they start

    Similar to a private investigator gathering evidence to crack a case, the Non-Destructive Inspection unit here also gathers evidence -- but its intent is to ensure the case remians uncracked. The NDI unit uses methods such as magnetic particle, fluorescent penetrant, X-rays, and eddy current to

  • New tanker ramp opens, improves deployed operational safety and efficiency

    It is a scene that plays often at air bases -- crew chiefs guiding aircraft onto the ramp.But this time the aircraft was taxiing onto a brand new tanker ramp, and the sound of its engines signaled a new era of safety and efficiency for air operations here. The Oct. 22 opening of the new ramp --

  • 820th SFG field tests chemical warfare garments

    The 820th Security Forces Group here began the first military field durability tests on new chemical warfare garments Oct. 24.  The 820th SFG, which provides force protection for expeditionary air forces, is putting the latest version of the chemical warfare suit to the test to assess its fit,

  • Raptors return with insight, information

    The familiar sound of flying Raptors will soon fill the Virginia skies again. The 27th Fighter Squadron returns here Oct. 28 from Hill Air Force Base, Utah, ending two weeks of out-of-town training and bringing the first-ever deployment for the F/A-22 Raptor to a close. “Training like this is

  • 'Change Clock, Change Battery' campaign begins

    As residents turn their clocks back one hour this weekend and revert to standard time, defense safety officials urge them to change their smoke alarms batteries, too. Daylight-saving time ends 2 a.m. on Oct. 30, the last Sunday in the month. Clocks "fall back" one hour and standard time resumes. For

  • Predator’s success ups procurement and development

    With the MQ-1 Predator logging significant hours in counterinsurgency operations and earning troop support, the Air Force wants to buy more of the aircraft and develop the next-generation variant. Predators worldwide are logging 4,000 hours a month in support of the war on terrorism and other

  • Airmen help prepare Soldiers for Afghanistan duty

    Airmen from around the Air Force helped prepare 10th Mountain Division Soldiers for their deployment to Afghanistan during exercise Unified Endeavor 06 here. The exercise, which ended Oct. 23, prepared members of the division’s headquarters and staff for their upcoming rotation to head Combined

  • Sponsors help form newcomers’ first impressions

    Bad first impressions last a long time. That is what William Robinson tries to instill in every person assigned as a sponsor here. Sponsors provide those impressions of the base and the arriving member’s unit, said Mr. Robinson, 39th Mission Support Squadron family support center community readiness

  • Airmen, Sailors help Soldiers move containers of hope

    Airmen and Sailors continue helping Soldiers here provide humanitarian assistance and support to the earthquake-affected people of Pakistan. When they’re not fixing aircraft helping fight the war on terrorism, Air Force EC-130 Hercules and Navy E-6B Intruder maintainers have been helping 82nd

  • Homestead cleans up, stages relief

    Just hours after Hurricane Wilma hit this base, the 482nd Fighter Wing had the base airfield open and ready to help with relief efforts. The wing is working with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Florida Army National Guard and local officials here to send relief supplies to south Florida

  • Real estate agency announces award winner

    The Air Force Real Property Agency has announced its 2005 Air Force Real Estate Award winners. Air Force-level winners are: -- Real estate specialist: Cheryl Cordray, 28th Civil Engineer Squadron, Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D. -- Senior real estate specialist: Lynn Holcomb, Air Force Space Command,

  • Academy gets new reserve squadron

    A new partnership between the reserve and active-duty force soared into the Rocky Mountains when the 70th Flying Training Squadron opened for business here. Formed Oct. 25, the new squadron -- formerly known as Detachment 1, 302nd Operations Group -- marks the first time citizen Airmen have had a

  • Web lets reservists track education progress

    Air Force reservists can now track their education progress, request transcripts and update personal education information on the Web.Going through the Air Force Portal -- and accessing the Virtual Education Center’s Web site at https://afvec.langley.af.mil  -- saves reservists time and money.

  • Air Force nation's leading 'green power' user

    For the Air Force, winning a 2005 Green Power Leadership Award was a breeze -- literally. Bases like Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, and Fairchild AFB, Wash. -- both which receive 100 percent of their energy from wind or other renewable energy power sources -- helped the Air Force earn the award Oct.

  • Reservists clean house, increase F-16 capability

    Desire and motivation drove 14 Reserve Airmen to turn a barely functional back shop into one of two fully functional avionic intermediate shops here. The revamped work center allowed the staff to double the improved avionic intermediate repair capabilities. The reservists deployed here from

  • Airmen in place for Hurricane Wilma relief

    As Hurricane Wilma rips through south Florida, Airmen from 1st Air Force are already in place today to help storm victims. The rest of 1st Air Force is ready to respond, if asked to provide resources for Wilma relief efforts, said 1st AF commander Maj. Gen. M. Scott Mayes. “If we get the call, we’re

  • Raptor drops first bomb

    “Weapon’s away.” Those two words from Lt. Col. Jim Hecker put the 27th Fighter Squadron into the record books. The squadron commander dropped the first bomb -- a 1000-pound global positioning system-guided joint direct attack munition -- from an F/A-22 Raptor Oct. 18. Eight more bombs followed

  • Cope Thunder 06-01 challenges end

    The first winter Cope Thunder ended here Oct. 20 and aircrews found the weather was their main adversary. But the weather at this remote base -- which grounded many missions -- is exactly why exercise planners picked it to host Pacific Air Force’s premier combat airpower exercise, said Col. Bob

  • Remains of missing World War II Airmen returning home

    The remains of three U. S. servicemen, missing in action since 1941, have been identified and are being returned to their families for burial with full military honors. They are Army Air Forces 2nd Lt. Augustus J. Allen, of Myrtle Springs, Texas; Staff Sgt. James D. Cartwright, of Los Angeles,

  • Honor guard takes national award

    The 301st Fighter Wing Honor Guard took center stage -- not as presenter, but as the recipient of the Air Force Association’s the 2005 Citation of Honor. This annual honor -- the association’s highest achievement award -- recognizes outstanding contributions by an individual or group in the

  • Personnel center will conduct force shaping board

    In an effort to right size and shape its future force, Air Force officials approved an annual board to evaluate officers for continued service at their three-year point. The board will be part of the service's force management program. The first Force Shaping Board is scheduled to convene at the Air

  • Cope Thunder medical team practices mobile medicine

    Practicing mobile medicine and leaving a small footprint on a mission is just one the aspects of participating in Cope Thunder 06-01, said a flight surgeon here. Six-year veteran Maj. (Dr.) John Cotton, said he is enjoying his first temporary duty assignment as the Cope Thunder flight surgeon. He

  • Airmen help with Guatemala relief

    Nine Airmen from Soto Cano Air Base, Honduras, deployed here as part of a Joint Task Force-Bravo team supporting Hurricane Stan relief operations in this Central American country. The hurricane, which hit the country Oct. 4, caused massive flooding and land slides and displaced thousands of people.