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  • Geren: AF fighting three wars

    The Air Force is now fighting three "wars," said the service's senior-most civilian leader. Those three wars are the war on terrorism, the effort to provide disaster relief in the United States, and the push for reform of the Air Force acquisition process, said Pete Geren, acting Secretary of the

  • Airman views devastated hometown from air

    Airmen with the 822nd Security Forces Squadron are used to deploying into war-ravaged regions and securing airfields -- that is their primary mission. But for one of the squadron’s Airmen, the 822nd’s current mission to provide security here in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina has been

  • Air Force medics help Katrina victims locate loved ones

    Searching through handwritten passenger manifests and scouring computer databases is not in the usual day’s work for Air Force medics. However, in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, medics with the 4th Air Expeditionary Group are doing just that for families separated from loved ones airlifted from

  • Air Force Association begins 2005 conference

    The Air Force Association's 2005 Air and Space Conference and Technology Exposition opened here Sept. 12.The conference features three days of workshops focused on professional requirements, networking and dialogue among active-duty and reserve-component Airmen, civilians, retirees and industry

  • Maintainers keep rescue helicopters flying

    As Air Force rescue helicopter aircrews plucked survivors from flooded New Orleans and other Gulf Coast areas devastated by Hurricane Katrina, they drew upon adrenaline to keep going during the 10- to 12-hour missions.However, to keep their HH-60G Pave Hawk aircraft flying, they relied on a

  • Schriever brings total-force support to Katrina relief

    Space experts here are working around the clock to provide space system capabilities to civilian and military agencies, allowing the agencies to save lives and provide food, medicine and clothing to people displaced by Hurricane Katrina. Airmen with the 50th Operations Group here provide navigation

  • Guard counterdrug units aid hurricane rescue effort

    Guardsmen from several state counterdrug programs are here using their specialized equipment for recovery mission support after the devastating attack from Hurricane Katrina. Using Light Armored Vehicles, also known as LAVs, counterdrug Airmen and Soldiers have rescued more than 150 victims from

  • C-130s to spray for insects in states affected by hurricane

    Two C-130 Hercules and 50 Air Force reservists from the 910th Airlift Wing left Youngstown Air Reserve Station on Sept. 8 to fly aerial spray missions in Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi.In coordination with the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Centers for Disease Control, the Air Force

  • Airmen serve in Iraq to honor 9/11 victims

    Never in a million years did Kara Gaines dream she would enlist in the military and follow in the footsteps of her retired Air Force father. That was until the senior airman with the 407th Expeditionary Communications Squadron here watched in horror as terrorists rammed three planes into some of the

  • Geren: People, equipment top Air Force priorities

    Beginning with operations Desert Shield, Desert Storm, Southern and Northern Watch and operations in countries such as Bosnia, Kosovo, Afghanistan and Iraq, the Air Force has been on war footing since the summer of 1990, said the acting secretary of the Air Force."The men and women of the Air Force

  • Baby arrives during hurricane via C-section by flashlight

    Hurricane Katrina’s awesome power could not keep a baby from making her debut at the medical center here during a cesarean section illuminated by a ring of flashlights.“Our team delivered a healthy, robust baby girl -- definitely not a shrinking violet,” said Maj. Betsy Majma, a nurse anesthetist.

  • AF continues hurricane relief effort in Jackson

    After more than a week of 24-hour search and rescue operations from here, HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters switched to flying day missions Sept. 8.But the 347th Expeditionary Rescue Group -- with elements from six active-duty, Guard and Reserve units -- has not finished its vital mission, said Capt.

  • AFRC wants hurricane victims to check in

    Air Force Reserve Command officials said they are extremely concerned about reservists assigned to New Orleans or Keesler Air Force Base, Miss., who have not contacted their units with their status after Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast on Aug. 29."Only 63 percent of our (servicemembers)

  • AFOATS organizations hit hard by Katrina

    Air Force Officer Accession and Training School officials here are assessing the damage to Air Force ROTC detachments and Junior ROTC units affected by Hurricane Katrina.Twenty-five Air Force Junior ROTC units located in high schools in Mississippi, Louisiana, Florida and Alabama are potentially

  • New policy decreases threat of identity theft

    The undersecretary of defense-comptroller and the undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness have cosigned a new policy that directs military departments and all defense civilian employees to support the policy to eliminate paper copies of leave and earnings statements and W-2 tax

  • AFRC steps forward to help hurricane victims

    From coast to coast, people assigned to and associated with Air Force Reserve Command are stepping forward to help victims of Hurricane Katrina.Pararescuemen, aeromedical caregivers, airlift crews, aerial porters and reservists from dozens of other specialties have logged hundreds of missions,

  • AFSPC helicopter deployment aids Hurricane Katrina relief efforts

    Air Force Space Command deployed eight helicopters and their crews to Columbus Air Force Base, Miss., to aid in hurricane relief efforts beginning Sept. 2.This is the first time the command has assigned helicopters outside its normal area of operations.“The helicopters assigned to 20th Air Force are

  • Keesler medical aid reaches community neighbors

    As a team of medics here walked to the doors of a local high school converted into a shelter, a man approached with wide eyes and a huge smile.Stopping a few steps from the Airmen, he raised a hand to his brow and said, “I salute you. I’m proud of you all and thank you for your support.”Jack

  • Air Force rescues top 4,000 mark

    Since Air Force helicopters first started search-and-rescue operations 34 hours after Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast, Airmen here have rescued more than 4,000 people as of Sept. 7.Of that number, active-duty rescue units picked up more than 2,800, said Lt. Col. Bob Thompson, spokesman for the

  • Helicopter mission changes as rescue tempo slows

    As the forced evacuation of New Orleans continues, Air Force helicopter crews here are flying fewer rescues and conducting more ferry missions from evacuee collection points.Though aircrews still have a high operations tempo and their helicopters are flying much more than usual, it is different from

  • Communication units deploy to support hurricane relief

    Airmen from Air Combat Command headquarters and the Air National Guard deployed during the past several days to provide around-the-clock service and support to the areas in the Gulf Coast ravaged by Hurricane Katrina. The Airmen are from combat communications and tactical communications units and

  • Geren lauds total AF Katrina effort

    As Hurricane Katrina passed through the Gulf Coast region, the Air Force responded even before the full gravity of the effects were known, taking care of its own people, and assisting in rescue and recovery missions afterwards."The total force of the Air Force -- the active duty, Guard and Reserve

  • Airmen repair helo in New Orleans, spend two days without food

    After a complete electrical failure rendered an HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter useless during search-and-rescue efforts near New Orleans on Sept. 1, Air Force officials were quick to deploy two staff sergeants to the scene.When the call came in at 2 a.m., Staff Sgts. Brandon LaFountain and Kevin

  • Combat communications squadron hooks up tent city

    One combat communications squadron convoyed more than 600 miles to provide support to an Air Force tent city here. More than 100 Airmen with the 33rd Combat Communications Squadron from Tinker Air Force Base, Okla., arrived here Sept. 5 with more than 30 military vehicles after having spent more

  • Reservists mobilize for Katrina relief efforts

    Some Airmen with the 908th Airlift Wing here returned to their home base Sept. 6 after participating in an overseas deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Before they even returned, however, their commander said they were ready to serve again, only this time for disaster-relief

  • AMC aircraft, people continue hurricane relief efforts

    In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Air Mobility Command has moved thousands of military support people, civilian emergency responders and evacuees, and has delivered tons of emergency equipment and supplies supporting relief operations.To handle the increased air mobility operations into and out

  • Air Force BEAR Base deploys supporting JTF-Katrina

    Airmen with the 49th Materiel Maintenance Group here began deploying in support of Joint Task Force-Katrina, the massive relief effort directed at providing humanitarian aid to Gulf Coast victims of Hurricane Katrina.The 49th MMG, the only Basic Expeditionary Airfield Resources Base group in the Air

  • Airmen saving lives in New Orleans, Mississippi

    Air Force bases nationwide are deploying hundreds of Airmen to Louisiana and Mississippi to save lives in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.Search and rescue missions are under way around the clock to evacuate hurricane victims stranded along the Gulf Coast.Two 50th Airlift Squadron C-130 Hercules

  • Lackland supports Hurricane Katrina evacuation

    Airmen here played a critical role in San Antonio’s hurricane evacuation operation.Over a 55-hour period, Lackland received 9,788 evacuees aboard 89 aircraft. Working in partnership with San Antonio first responders, Airmen helped unload passengers, provide medical assistance and prepare evacuees

  • Airmen evacuate hurricane victims

    Three Airmen flew their first humanitarian mission together here as part of the effort to evacuate Hurricane Katrina victims. After the storm hit New Orleans on Aug. 29, tens of thousands of residents there were left behind, trapped by the floodwater. They had little food and drinking water and no

  • Special unit provides airfield operations in New Orleans

    Without the quick deployment of an Air Mobility Command special unit, the air evacuation plan here would not have happened.The 818th Contingency Response Group from McGuire Air Force Base, N.J., arrived Aug. 31, a day after Hurricane Katrina demolished the area. They instantly provided relief to

  • Katrina floodwaters a biohazard-laden ‘soup’

    Airmen who continue to fly search and rescue missions must protect themselves from a host of biohazards in the floodwaters from where they pluck survivors.Contact with the polluted water, now called “the soup,” can cause rashes, illness and disease, said Col. (Dr.) Lewis Neace, a reserve flight

  • Airmen build tent city for relief workers

    While helicopters continue to airlift victims of Hurricane Katrina to the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, a group of Airmen are constructing a massive tent city for relief workers.More than 70 Airmen of different backgrounds and units have come together to form the beginnings of

  • Volunteers help keep Airmen safe by searching vehicles

    Several Airmen here recently received a small taste of what it is like to part of security forces for a day when they volunteered to help at the visitor control center search pit here.“Providing security for the base is our first duty as Airmen,” said Senior Airman Ben Abbott, a 407th Expeditionary

  • Holiday greetings teams begin worldwide tour

    Four teams of broadcasters from the Army and Air Force Hometown News Service here will begin their annual worldwide holiday greetings tour Sept. 10, giving thousands of servicemembers and Department of Defense civilians stationed overseas a chance to send a message to their families back home.The

  • Air Force announces OTS selections

    More than 60 men and women from throughout America have earned an opportunity to become Air Force leaders following their selection for a commission, officials here announced Sept. 2. Air Force Recruiting Service officials considered 467 applications as part of Officer Training School Selection

  • Hurricane-affected Airmen to redeploy

    More than 300 active-duty and Reserve Airmen deployed from Keesler Air Force Base, Miss., will return early from their deployments to attend to their families’ needs and aid in base recovery in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.Nearly 100 Airmen who were scheduled to deploy from Keesler will remain

  • Airmen provide communications capabilities

    Several Airman from the 5th Combat Communications Group left their families here Sept. 1 to provide communications capabilities for servicemembers in the devastated Gulf Coast region. Airmen from all four squadrons of the 5th CCG loaded about 25 pallets of communications equipment and headed to

  • Air Combat Command Airmen provide hurricane relief

    More than 500 combat engineers, communication specialists, medics and helicopter crews from Air Combat Command are providing relief in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.The 823rd Red Horse Squadron at Hurlburt Field, Fla., deployed to Keesler Air Force Base, Miss., along with an 88-person ACC team

  • Raptor releases JDAM during first 'follow-on' evaluation mission

    Members of the 422nd Test and Evaluation Squadron here flew the first F/A-22 Raptor Follow-on Operational Test and Evaluation mission Aug. 29, releasing Joint Direct Attack Munitions on the Utah Test and Training Range.In one of the largest Raptor test phases to date, Air Force organizations are

  • Little Rock, Tyndall, Guard Bureau helping evacuees

    As recovery efforts continue in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Air Force bases are opening their doors to help evacuees."We will do everything we can to get (families) situated here and to be comfortable," said Brig. Gen. Joseph M. Reheiser, 314th Airlift Wing commander at Little Rock Air Force

  • AMC response groups establish airfield operations for hurricane relief

    In support of massive relief operations to help victims of Hurricane Katrina, several elements of the Air Mobility Command Contingency Response Group deployed to Louisiana and Mississippi Aug. 30 and 31 to establish air mobility operations.On Aug. 30, a four-person assessment team from the 615th

  • Hurricane Hunters rebound, gear up for next storm

    For a week and a half, Air Force Reserve Command's Hurricane Hunters from the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron flew in and out of Hurricane Katrina around the clock gathering data.The Airmen provided the National Hurricane Center in Miami with critical information on the monster storm as it

  • AF helicopter crews rescue 221 hurricane victims

    Air Force special operations helicopter crews from the 347th Rescue Wing rescued more than 200 people stranded in areas hard hit by Hurricane Katrina through Aug. 31.Flying from Jackson-Evers International Airport, Miss., these and other Air Force Special Operations Command aircrews are continuing

  • Hurricane Katrina relief effort total force response

    Airmen from across the Air Force are continuing to search for, rescue, evacuate, treat, feed and comfort Hurricane Katrina’s millions of victims.Most of the Airmen helping with relief operations in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama are deploying with units as part of a total force response. And

  • Airmen help on 'front lines' in New Orleans

    In a cramped conference room, Airmen from the 122nd Air Support Operations Squadron here operate and monitor a satellite radio linked to tactical air control party Airman in New Orleans to help coordinate disaster relief efforts in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Controllers from the squadron, who

  • Foglesong honored with Order of the Sword

    The U.S. Air Forces in Europe commander was bestowed the enlisted corps highest honor Aug. 26.Gen. Robert H. “Doc” Foglesong, who has led USAFE since August 2003, was inducted into the Order of the Sword before nearly 600 enlisted Airmen and guests representing every base within the command.General

  • Rescue squad brings experience to Cooperative Key

    More than 50 Airmen, along with two HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters from the 56th Rescue Squadron at Naval Air Station Keflavik, Iceland, made the trip here to bring their special rescue skills to exercise Cooperative Key 05.The exercise, which began Aug. 24 and ends Sept. 5, is a multinational

  • Families say goodbye as Alaskan units deploy

    About 100 servicemembers from the Air Force and the Alaska Army National Guard deployed from here Aug. 30 to the Middle East.The servicemembers did not express much apprehension about the mission ahead of them, but their family members showed signs of uneasiness.Erin Ellingwood, wife of Staff Sgt.

  • Air Force provides support to hurricane relief effort

    The Air Force is part of the national support network that is providing aid to victims of Hurricane Katrina in disaster stricken regions of Mississippi and Louisiana.The 1st Air Force at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., is the lead for planning, orchestrating and overseeing Air Force support to Joint

  • Contact information available concerning Hurricane Katrina

    For information relating to Hurricane Katrina, to include Stop Movement and entitlements, the following phone numbers and Web sites are available:The Air Force Personnel Center Personnel Readiness Center can be contacted toll free at (800) 435-9941. The PRC can provide information about bases

  • Air Force Reserve flies missions to storm-ravaged areas

    Within hours after Hurricane Katrina slammed into the Gulf Coast, Air Force Reserve Command people and aircraft were headed toward disaster areas to help survivors.Three HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters from the 920th Rescue Wing at Patrick Air Force Base, Fla., flew to Jackson, Miss., late Aug. 30 to

  • CCAF unlocks doors of opportunity

    Many Airmen could be closer than they think to a degree from the Community College of the Air Force.Among work, family, temporary duty and deployments, many Airmen may feel they do not have enough time to finish their degree.“One of the biggest obstacles is discouragement,” said Tiffany Dalmida, the

  • SGLI coverage takes effect Sept. 1

    The Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance maximum coverage will increase to $400,000 on Sept. 1, Department of Defense officials said.Servicemembers eligible for SGLI will automatically be insured for the maximum coverage of $400,000. The monthly premium remains $3.25 per $50,000 of coverage, so the

  • Military providing full-scale response to hurricane relief effort

    Joint Task Force Katrina is setting up Aug. 31 at Camp Shelby, Miss., as the Defense Department's focal point to support the Federal Emergency Management Agency's relief efforts along the Gulf Coast, said Maj. Eric Butterbaugh, a U.S. Northern Command spokesman.Army Lt. Gen. Russel Honore, 1st U.S.

  • Commission wraps up BRAC decisions

    The Defense Base Realignment and Closure Commission wrapped up four days of deliberations in final actions Aug. 26 and 27 by voting to turn Pope Air Force Base, N.C., into an Army airfield and recommending sweeping recommendations to revamp the Air National Guard and consolidate its operations.The

  • Guard, NORTHCOM respond to hurricane aftermath

    Twenty-four hours after Hurricane Katrina battered the Gulf Coast, about 7,500 National Guardsmen from Alabama, Florida, Louisiana and Mississippi were on duty supporting civil authorities, distributing generators, providing medical care, and setting up shelters for displaced residents.In addition,

  • Silent protectors support Operation Enduring Freedom

    A silent protector continues to support the war on terrorism, often accomplishing its mission without the beneficiaries of the protection it offers even knowing a sortie is being flown.The EC-130H Compass Call is an airborne tactical system that disrupts enemy command and control communications, as

  • Base chaplain epitomizes Air Force diversity

    Sept. 11, 2001, inspired her to join the military, and her father was the reason she joined the Air Force. Now, the Air Force’s first female rabbi, Chaplain (Capt.) Sarah Schechter, is here serving Airmen of all religious faiths.“Clearly, supporting our troops was the best way to help our country,”

  • Keesler, Columbus survive Hurricane Katrina

    Keesler Air Force Base, Miss., survived a direct hit by Hurricane Katrina, but initial estimates show it suffered extensive damage to industrial and housing areas.At Columbus AFB, Miss., about 290 miles north of Keesler, base officials said the pilot training base suffered only moderate damage to

  • Bases hunker down to ride out Katrina

    As Hurricane Katrina devastates the Louisiana and Mississippi Gulf Coast, Air Force units in the area have hunkered down to ride out the storm.The powerful hurricane made landfall near Buras, La. -- close to the border between the two states -- at about 10 a.m. Aug. 29. Top winds reached about 145

  • Airmen support close-air support missions

    This time, things went down differently than planned. As arranged, the men prepped and fired a mortar at coalition forces. They shuttled into their vehicle, certain of a smooth exit. What the terrorists did not count on was what happened afterward: An American fighter aircraft zoomed overhead,

  • Vandenberg launches Minuteman III

    An unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile launched from here Aug. 26 as part of a developmental test demonstrating the ability to integrate a safety enhanced re-entry vehicle into the existing Minuteman III weapons system.The missile launched under the guidance of the 576th Flight

  • Logistics Airmen supply customers with team effort

    From the outside, it looks like nothing more than a giant storage unit, but inside, it is a one-stop shop.“If you don’t see what you’re looking for, you’ve come to the right place,” said Tech. Sgt. Tonya Hamilton, noncommissioned officer in charge of the base service supply store here. “I can get

  • Kirkuk firefighters train Iraqis

    In order to stabilize Iraq, coalition forces must teach Iraqis the skills they need to stand on their own. The firefighters of the 506th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron here are doing their part in this important mission by teaching Iraqis first aid and basic firefighting skills.“Seeing them

  • Commander sees AEF working from deployed perspective

    The Air and Space Expeditionary Force Center commander recently visited his largest customer in theater -- U.S. Central Command Air Forces.Brig. Gen. Stephen L. Hoog said there was no better place to see that the AEF is working as advertised than in the Southwest Asia and Central Asia.“I appreciate

  • Cooperative Key 05 kicks off

    More than 140 Airmen have joined servicemembers from 14 NATO and seven partner nations to participate in Cooperative Key 05, a NATO Air Force exercise.The exercise began Aug. 24 and runs through Sept. 5, with live flying taking place Aug. 27 through Sept. 4.The multinational exercise is designed to

  • Convoy escorts continue proud heritage of Tuskegee Airmen

    The 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing is steeped in the rich history of its predecessors, the Tuskegee Airmen of the 332nd Fighter Group. While today’s Airmen do not share the hardships of breaking racial barriers, Airmen with Detachment 2 here and Det. 1 at Camp Speicher, Iraq, face their own

  • Airmen control sky over Iraq

    With more than 270,000 square miles of playing field, Airmen with the 727th Expeditionary Air Control Squadron have their game faces on, providing command and control of joint air operations supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.Providing surveillance, identification, weapons control, theater missile

  • Medics relieve pain at home, in war

    As servicemembers continue to fight the war on terrorism, a small group of Airmen at Balad Air Base, Iraq, is ensuring that each warfighter is fit to fight. At the same time they are gaining valuable experience to bring home.The physical and occupational therapy clinic at the Air Force Theater

  • Beale’s Global Hawk mission extends worldwide

    Airman with the 12th Reconnaissance Squadron here are part of the Air Force’s only operational Global Hawk Unmanned Aerial Vehicle unit.The $35-million Global Hawk is used to provide Air Force and joint battlefield commanders near real-time, high-resolution intelligence, surveillance and

  • Total force team saves lives

    A total force unit here supports joint missions to help save the lives of the coalition forces on the frontlines. The Air National Guard, Air Force Reserve and active-duty nurses, medical technicians and others who make up the 455th Expeditionary Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron are on a mission:

  • Exchange program connects U.S., Dutch Airmen

    Training young pilots to push the F-16 Fighting Falcon to its operational limits is a job Lt. Col. David Stine loves as much as flying.Even better is doing both those things with the Royal Netherlands Air Force, he said. That is just what he has done for three years as an exchange pilot at this

  • Environmental branch improves air quality

    The potential harmful effects of breathing diesel fumes came into focus when the Clean Air Task Force released a report estimating that diesel fumes kill about 21,000 Americans each year. According to the report, diesel exhaust exceeds the national ambient air quality standards for carbon monoxide,

  • Television star visits troops in Southwest Asia

    It is a common refrain in the cut-throat world of stand-up comedy that the hungriest and most fearless performers will go anywhere and work any room to get their levity-rich message to the masses.Drew Carey, among the most recognizable comedians in the world, stretched the “have laughs, will travel”

  • AGE Airmen pick up skills useful in civilian sector

    When Staff Sgt. Michele Calton spotted a stranded elderly woman whose car had broken down with smoke streaming from under the hood, her first instinct was not to call someone else for help. She calmly got out of her car in her 4-inch heels and skirt she wore for a girls’ night out, lifted up the

  • Willow Grove operates joint hazmat pharmacy

    More joint operations seem to be the way of the future for America's military, with the four branches of service sharing land, runways, missions and services. At Willow Grove, they are sharing chemicals, too.Located on the southeast side of the base, the hazmat pharmacy here provides the chemical

  • Airmen get in shape with boot camp aerobics

    Boot camp aerobics can be a pain when participants are doing it, but it could one day save their life.The boot camp aerobics class, which has been offered here for about five years, adds a new emphasis to workouts, incorporating scenarios Airmen could face while deployed.While the main idea is still

  • Kadena medics provide lifeline in air

    Capt. Donna Hornberger held a satellite phone as her aircraft headed for an unknown airport in the middle of the night during a medical evacuation mission from Saipan. Their mission, she said, was to help a severely injured young child who was run over by a truck. The child was in critical

  • Airmen keep base supplied

    Laptops to lumber and even bicycles to B-52 Stratofortresses all have something in common at this forward-deployed location -- none of it gets here without the 15 Airmen with the 40th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Flight.These supply Airmen deployed from Minot Air Force Base, N.D. maintain a

  • NATO, USAFE vie during Excalibur bombing competition

    ROYAL AIR FORCE LAKENHEATH, England (AFPN) -- Aircraft from the U.S. Air Force and the Royal Air Force joined forces for a training exercise here Aug. 17 to 19.Excalibur, a multination bombing competition, is an opportunity for aircrew members to test their skills and pit their wits against each

  • Airman donates hair to Locks of Love

    Eielson has many volunteers who give of themselves for the benefit of others. However, not many can say they committed themselves and prepared for more than a year before they could give their gift.Staff Sgt. Amanda Lamar, a unit deployment manager for the 354th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, grew

  • AFIA’s health services inspections demystified

    When a team from the Air Force Inspection Agency arrives at the front door of a medical treatment facility, they have one goal: Turning excellent health care into outstanding health care. The inspection agency is the only Air Force unit that conducts health services inspections on all Air Force

  • Guardsmen contribute to total force

    Maintaining and flying F-16 Fighting Falcons in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom is what Air National Guard units from Minnesota, Texas and Arkansas do to provide ground support to Soldiers and Marines. Demonstrating the power of a total force, these units, along with the active-duty 510th

  • Carlson assumes command of AFMC

    Gen. Bruce Carlson assumed command of Air Force Materiel Command from Gen. Gregory S. Martin on Aug. 19 at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force in Dayton, Ohio.General Carlson, who previously commanded the 8th Air Force at Barksdale Air Force Base, La., pinned on his fourth star in a private

  • Andersen answers call for help

    Airmen here answered the call for help from the government of Guam when a jumbo jet’s nose gear collapsed on the runway upon landing, closing Won Pat International Airport on Aug. 19.Andersen Airmen safely recovered eight aircraft with more than 830 passengers. It is a fantastic feeling when Team

  • Shuttle lands, departs under Edwards watchful eye

    From its Aug. 9 landing to its Aug. 19 departure here on the back of a modified Boeing 747, civilians and Airmen here remained heavily engaged in supporting Space Shuttle Discovery.While the shuttle and its mission were primarily NASA's responsibility, Edwards played a major role in bringing the

  • New runway opens possibilities at Balad

    A C-12 made history Aug. 15 when its wheels touched down here on a little-known piece of airfield. It was the first aircraft to take off and land on Balad’s newest runway.“The completion of the runway gives us an exponential increase in the efficiency of the airfield,” said Brig. Gen. Frank Gorenc,

  • Academy engineering ranks among nation’s finest

    Several of the U.S. Air Force Academy’s undergraduate engineering programs rank among the top in the nation, according to the U.S. News & World Report.The national news magazine released its America’s Best Colleges 2006 edition Aug. 18.The rankings are separated by universities that offer graduate

  • 'Tribute to the Troops' scheduled for 9/11

    The second annual "Tribute to the Troops" motorcycle ride is scheduled to roll through the American heartland over the Sept. 11 weekend.The tribute ride, which will include several hundred bikers, is a means to honor servicemembers who gave their lives for freedom and to raise money for local

  • Officials announce 2005 awards for air mobility excellence

    Air Mobility Command officials recently announced this year's Airlift/Tanker Association award winners.Each year, the association recognizes individuals who have demonstrated superior leadership, made outstanding contributions to the airlift/tanker mission, and provided invaluable service to their

  • Dyess AFB demonstrates B-1B's upgrades, combat capabilities

    The 337th Test and Evaluation Squadron here set a number of “firsts” recently for the B-1B Lancer.Those 'firsts' were demonstrated July 25 over the White Sands Missile Range, N.M., when two Lancers from Dyess auto-released a Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile as well as three dissimilar weapons

  • America’s B-1B Lancer takes to Russian sky

    Because of its ability to rapidly deliver massive quantities of weapons against any adversary in the world, the capabilities of America’s B-1B Lancer may have once been feared by the former Soviet Union during the Cold War.Now it is demonstrating its capabilities during the Moscow International

  • New flag-folding script focuses on history, AF significance

    Air Force leaders recently approved a new script that can be read during flag-folding ceremonies. Though there are no official ceremonies in the Air Force that require a script to be read when a flag is folded, unofficial ceremonies such as retirements often do, said Lt. Col. Samuel Hudspath, Air

  • Rescue mission saves another Alaskan child

    For the second time in less than six months, a child in Alaska was rescued from near death by a team of Air Force medics at Wilford Hall Medical Center here who stay on alert for their unique lifesaving mission.The latest mission was completed Aug. 14, covering more than 8,000 miles and 28 hours,

  • Airman gets FDNY promotion while deployed to Iraq

    An Airman here recently gained the distinction of being addressed as both a staff sergeant and a lieutenant. Staff Sgt. Gregg Magi, a 407th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron firefighter, was promoted to the rank of lieutenant in the Fire Department City of New York via telephone during an Aug.

  • Total force shares capabilities

    The assistant secretary of the Air Force for Manpower and Reserve Affairs told a panel of Base Realignment and Closure commissioners the Air Force would change its size and modify its missions.The Air Force will become smaller in terms of the number of aircraft the service keeps. If the Air Force's

  • Training keeping Spangdahlem ‘Warthogs’ ready to deploy

    A-10 Thunderbolt II pilots at this hilltop base are busy flying and training for their next deployment, which could be to Afghanistan -- again.That is not a certainty, but deploying to Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan, is almost routine for the 81st Fighter Squadron. As the only A-10 unit stationed in

  • Spangdahlem’s new airlift mission has room for expansion

    The 726th Airlift Support Squadron has not finished moving here from Rhein-Main Air Base, but its new home might have already earned it a bigger airlift mission.On Oct. 1, the squadron starts operations from its state-of-the art facility at this longtime fighter base in Germany’s Eifel region. It