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  • Aircrew breaks C-17 record with heaviest airdrop

    Members of the 418th Flight Test Squadron here set a record for the heaviest single payload ever extracted out of a C-17A T-1 during flight April 14 over Yuma Proving Ground, Ariz. A 77,000 pound jumbo drop test vehicle was extracted out of a C-17 at 25,000 feet. The JDTV is used to test the

  • Airmen, Soldiers team up to tackle threats

    Air Force and Army members here performed a joint, force-protection patrol April 14 near one of the U.S. Air Force's Central Command's main airbases in Iraq.Members of the Air Force's 532nd Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron and the Army's 1st of the 28th Infantry Battalion  teamed up and armed

  • Air Force's most tenured recruiter retires

    Nearly 26 years ago Doug Sikat felt it was time for a change in his three-year Air Force career. The New York City native was a buck sergeant working as an F-15 Eagle crew chief at Kadena Air Base, Japan. While he loved his job, he knew there was something else out there for him.That "something

  • Appointees get a large glimpse of Academy life

    Officially accepting a college offer can be intimidating when one is admitted to several competitive academic institutions. Upon receiving an appointment to the U.S. Air Force Academy, some applicants know without a doubt they will accept if given the chance. Other applicants would like some more

  • Air Force officials launch Atlas V carrying X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle

    Members of the 45th Space Wing here launched a United Launch Alliance-built Atlas V Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle carrying an X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle at 7:52 p.m. EDT April 22 here.The X-37B, making its first space flight, will provide a flexible space test platform to conduct various

  • Dyess offers specialized housing through privatization

    Housing program officials here point to the privatized housing units managed off base as a success story, as the Air Force plans for 22 more bases to go "private" by the end of next year. "We started demolishing 1950s-era homes almost 10 years ago," said Dolores Green, housing program manager with

  • Air Force, community reps plant trees across America

    In recognition of the 40th anniversary of Earth Day on April 22, Air Force Real Property Agency officials enlisted the participation of people in 40 communities to plant a tree at one of 40 former and active Air Force bases, from Hickam Air Force Base in Hawaii to the former Loring AFB in Maine, as

  • Caring for People Forum wraps up

    The 2010 Caring for People Forum concluded here April 21 with the presentation of a list of proposed initiatives from attendees focused on a range of issues affecting Airmen and their families.Approximately 250 active-duty, Guard and Reserve Airmen and civilians gathered for this second annual

  • Air Force officials launch Combat Airman initiative

    Properly outfitted and equipped Airmen are essential to mission success, according to Air Force logistics officials who recently unveiled a new program focused on what Airmen wear and carry during training, at home station or deployed.Air Force officials hosted an initial planning conference in

  • Contract award to enhance in-flight operations for top U.S. officials

    Air Force officials here issued a contract award in mid-April that will provide highly reliable, secure and integrated voice, data and video equipment for airborne U.S. senior leaders. The nearly $209 million award to Rockwell Collins will allow Air Force officials to retrofit a fleet of 20 special

  • Better prosthetics coming for wounded warriors

    From developing a new microprocessor-controlled prosthetic leg to a non-chafing socket device, the Telemedicine and Advanced Technology Research Center here is making big strides in advancing prosthetic science to improve wounded warriors' quality of life.The center reaches out to a broad spectrum

  • Air Force officials announce AFAF competition winners

    Air Force officials have announced their Group 1 winners of the annual Air Force Assistance Fund "Commitment to Caring" campaign, which provides Airmen the opportunity to contribute to four official Air Force charitable organizations.The campaign, which started Feb. 8 and runs until May 7, features

  • VA officials mark 85 years of 'discovery, innovation and advancement'

    Eighty-five years of enriching the lives of veterans and all Americans through top-notch medical research will be spotlighted April 26 through 30 when members of the Department of Veterans Affairs celebrate National VA Research Week.On April 22, Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs W. Scott Gould

  • Combat arms team supports all operations

    Airmen at the 451st Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron Combat Arms Training and Maintenance team here are directly responsible for ensuring each Air Force member is issued ammunition upon arrival here. In addition, the two-person team of Staff Sgt. Chanson Johnson, and Senior Airman Jacob

  • Air Force family celebrates 'Facility Energy' initiatives this Earth Day

    Air Force men and women join millions of people across the country and around the globe this year in celebrating 40 years of Earth Day. Celebrated annually on April 22, Earth Day promotes awareness and appreciation for the environment. The slogan, "make every day Earth Day" is exemplified in the Air

  • Troops take advantage of GI Bill transferability

    More than 100,000 requests from troops desiring to transfer their unused education benefits to family members have been approved under the Post-9/11 GI Bill, a defense official said April 22 here. Signed into law in June 2008, the new GI Bill is a Department of Veteran Affairs-sponsored program that

  • Additional resources online to support NSPS conversion

    Online training courses are now available to help smooth the upcoming transition of more than 40,000 current Air Force National Security Personnel System employees into non-NSPS personnel systems. To facilitate the conversion, multiple resources have been added to the NSPS's official Web site,

  • DFAS begins recouping separation pay soon

    Recouping military retirees' voluntary separation incentive special separation benefit and other separation payments by the Defense Finance and Accounting Service will resume in August. Separation payments and others, such as severance pay, were offered to active-duty servicemembers to reduce

  • Airman gets NASCAR 'Royal' treatment

    It's not every day the morning starts with a phone call from a NASCAR driver, but that's exactly how a 56th Maintenance Group Quality Assurance inspector began work April 8 here.Staff Sgt. Damon Thurman's supervisor handed him the phone and Matt Kenseth, driver of the No. 17 Crown Royal Black car,

  • Department hailed as leader in 'green' movement

    In a prelude to this week's Earth Day events, a major independent research group April 21 called the Defense Department a leader in energy conservation."The department is doing more than sounding an alarm; it has enacted energy goals and is inventing, testing and deploying new technologies and

  • Official details results of missile review

    Ballistic missiles are an increasing threat to the United States and the Defense Department must keep up with them, the deputy undersecretary of defense for policy said.James N. Miller, speaking about the department's Nuclear Posture Review April 20 before the Senate Armed Services Committee, said

  • Inaugural warrior and survivor care conference held

    "Care beyond duty" was the theme for the Warrior and Survivor Care Conference hosted by Air Force Personnel Center officials here April 6 through 9."The goal for this conference was to bring three major groups together: the recovery care coordinators, base level community readiness consultants and

  • Air Force officials unveil new rescue aircraft model

    A new model of an aircraft used in Air Force rescue efforts since 1956 was formally presented to the Air Force in a ceremony April 19 here. The HC-130J Super Hercules combat rescue tanker is configured to provide support to special operations missions and will become a backbone of Moody Air Force

  • April 17 airpower summary

    Coalition airpower integrated with ground forces in Iraq and International Security Assistance Force troops in Afghanistan during operations April 17, according to Combined Air and Space Operations Center officials here.Air Operations in AfghanistanClose-Air SupportQarah BaghAir Force F-15E Strike

  • Virtual world prepares mobility Airmen for real mission

    Airmen preparing for the worldwide mobility mission of the 621st Contingency Response Wing here now have a powerful new training tool. A state-of-the-art virtual firearms training simulator with a 300-degree field of view is now being operated by members of the 819th Global Support Squadron to

  • Airmen deliver new Army helicopter to Europe

    A C-17 Globemaster III loaded new Army light utility helicopters for delivery to the warfighters April 12 here.This marked the first time UH-72 helicopters were transferred directly overseas via Air Force transport. The C-17 assigned to the Mississippi Air National Guard's 172nd Airlift Wing in

  • Air Force officials cancel officer training boards

    Air Force Recruiting Service officials here announced April 14 that they are canceling the upcoming summer Officer Training School board and possibly other future boards until further notice. The board is being canceled due to the Air Force's recently announced overall Force Management program to

  • Altus Airman, Soldier help set world record

    A Soldier with the Army's Golden Knights parachute demonstration team attempted to set a new world wing-suit distance record April 14, over Altus Air Force Base. According to Army Staff Sgt. Ben Borger and a C-17 Globemaster III crew, he broke the record by a mile and a half. The total distance

  • Joint training at 12,500 feet

    In less than 10 seconds, they were gone.Traveling toward earth at speeds of approximately 150 mph, the operators open their parachutes and slowly drift to the ground.Once safely on land, they repack, board a C-17 Globemaster III and do it again. This scenario happened four more times over a drop

  • Wounded warrior to compete at Warrior Games

    Tech. Sgt. Israel Del Toro Jr. laid in a hospital bed at Brooks Army Medical Center in San Antonio after an improvised explosive device left 80 percent of his body covered in third-degree burns in December 2005.He was missing fingers from both hands and had severe inhalation burns when doctors told

  • New AF dining program opens doors for retirees, base employees

    Air Force Services Agency officials are implementing a new Food Transformation Initiative, enabling base employees and retirees living near six bases to use military food service establishments previously reserved for active-duty Airmen. Retirees and base employees will pay the same menu price as

  • Chief of staff kicks off Caring for People Forum

    As Airmen from throughout the Air Force gathered here April 20 through 22 for the 2010 Caring for People Forum, the chief of staff of the Air Force underscored the importance of their participation.Approximately 250 active-duty, Guard and Reserve Airmen and civilians gathered for the second annual

  • Mullen reaches out to local communities on behalf of veterans

    Investing in America's military veterans through education and employment opportunities will benefit local communities greatly, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Navy Adm. Mike Mullen said during the World Leader's Forum at Columbia University here April 18. Columbia University is the first of

  • Cope West shows U.S. partnership with Indonesia

    The U.S. and Indonesian air forces held an opening ceremony here April 20 that officially marked the beginning of a U.S. and Indonesian tactical airlift exercise called Cope West 10. Cope West is a week-long bilateral field training exercise sponsored by the two countries' air forces. Airmen from

  • Historic 44th Fighter Group activated at Holloman

    The Air Force Reserve Command's 44th Fighter Group officially stood up here April 9 with an activation ceremony and passing of the historic group's guidon.The 44th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron and 301st Fighter Squadron also were activated during the ceremony as part of the fighter group.Maj. Gen.

  • Airmen contribute humanitarian aid to Afghan people

    Members of the 455th Expeditionary Aerial Port Squadron here recently adjusted office space to accommodate more than 1,100 pounds of humanitarian aid sent to Bagram Airfield. The donation, 38 boxes of shoes, was facilitated by Tech. Sgt. Ronald Knight, an air transportation operations center data

  • Aircrews kick off Red Flag-Alaska 10-2

    The initial briefings and familiarization flights are complete and now pilots and aircrews are participating in world-class aerial combat training over Alaska until the end of April.  Officials here are hosting Red Flag-Alaska 10-2. Air Force units from Barksdale Air Force Base, La.; Kunsan Air

  • Balad becomes divert base for wounded troops

    Senior U.S. Air Forces Central Command medical officers have temporarily named Joint Base Balad as the new hub for all aeromedical evacuations following worldwide air travel disruptions caused by ash from Iceland's Eyjafjallajokull volcano eruptions. The Air Force Theater Hospital received its first

  • General Schwartz delivers first Super Herc to Dyess

    The Air Force's top military leader flew and delivered a new C-130J Super Hercules here April 16 from Little Rock Air Force Base, Ark. Opening a new era in tactical airlift for Dyess AFB, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz spoke to a crowded hangar of distinguished visitors and

  • Sheppard members start new combat fit program

    The staff of the Health and Wellness Center here recently started a new exercise program, titled Combat Fit, to help Sheppard people get physically prepared for the combat environment.Combat Fit is a circuit-training program designed by HAWC fitness professionals to strengthen core muscles and build

  • Armed Forces Chaplaincy Center transition complete

    The Air Force and Navy chaplain schools have relocated to the Armed Forces Chaplaincy Center at Fort Jackson, S.C. Between June 2009 and February 2010 both staffs occupied a former elementary school annex on Fort Jackson. The transition to the new facility is now complete.  A dedication ceremony is

  • New unmanned spacecraft set to launch

    Air Force officials are scheduled to launch the U.S.'s newest and most advanced unmanned re-entry spacecraft April 22 at Cape Canaveral Air Station, Fla.The X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle will provide a flexible space test platform to conduct various experiments and allow satellite sensors, subsystems,

  • Cyber Command nominee urges government, private sector cooperation

    Officials in the new U.S. Cyber Command need to strike a balance between protecting military assets and personal privacy, the presidential nominee to lead the command told a Senate committee April 16.Army Lt. Gen. Keith B. Alexander, director of the National Security Agency and chief of Central

  • Keesler chief to compete in Warrior Games

    A chief master sergeant here is one of only 20 Airmen and Air Force veterans to participate in the inaugural Warrior Games, May 10 through 14, in Colorado Springs, Colo.Chief Master Sgt. Damian Orslene, the 81st Training Support Squadron superintendent, will represent the Air Force and compete with

  • Global Strike Challenge load competition kicks off at Minot

    Members of seven bomb wings competed in Air Force Global Strike Command's first-ever load competition April 13 and 14 here.The evaluation was based on hands-on skills and their knowledge of career fields."This brings us back to the old (Strategic Air Command) days and the Giant Sword competitions,"

  • FAA boss rides with Thunderbirds

    The head of the Federal Aviation Administration was given the opportunity to see the other side of flight safety when he flew with the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds April 15. Randy Babbitt, who is responsible for the safety of more than 30,000 aircraft and has accumulated more than 14,000 flying

  • April 13 airpower summary

    Coalition airpower integrated with ground forces in Iraq and International Security Assistance Force troops in Afghanistan during operations April 13, according to Combined Air and Space Operations Center officials here.Air Operations in AfghanistanClose-Air Support Chahar Bagh Coalition operators

  • Airmen lend a hand to world leaders

    Fifty aerial porters from Air Mobility Command bases throughout the United States were tasked to augment porters supporting the Nuclear Security Summit April 12 through 13 in Washington, D.C.Aerial porters executed a normal operations load of 98 missions throughout the summit in addition to 58

  • Air Force aid helps family provide 'Hope for Max'

    During the Air Force Assistance Fund campaign, Airmen have the opportunity to give to four charities that help Airmen and their families.  For one Joint Base Charleston Airman, the donations given by the Air Force family helped him care for his own family, specifically his son max, who was diagnosed

  • Mrs. Obama, Dr. Biden praise military children

    The wives of President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden paid tribute to military children, honoring their strength and sacrifice, in a Month of the Military Child video message posted on the White House Web site."As a grateful nation, it is our sacred responsibility to stand by our military

  • Lynn details Defense Department's space strategy

    From the commander in chief in the White House to an Airman manning an observation tower on Afghanistan's border with Pakistan, space is the domain that ties them together.Space provides critical capabilities for the Defense Department and the organization must change its space strategy as the

  • Military's top doctors discuss centers of excellence

    The military's top doctors were on Capitol Hill April 13 to give their assessment of the Defense Department's Medical Centers of Excellence, four hospital centers they say are on their way to becoming the best in the world for research and treatment.Dr. Charles L. Rice, assistant secretary of

  • Gates expresses confidence in continued Manas access

    The Defense secretary expressed confidence April 14 that political upheaval in Kyrgyzstan won't cause the United States to lose use of an air base that's critical to supplying operations in Afghanistan.Secretary Robert M. Gates told reporters traveling with him to Peru he has no reason to believe

  • Air Force officials reduce Palace Chase obligation

    Air Force officials here recently reduced the Reserve commitment for officers and enlisted members participating in Palace Chase temporarily as part of Air Force management measures to balance the force while meeting a congressionally mandated end strength. The three-to-one officer and two-for-one

  • Misawa maintainers keep F-16s flying

    Six engineers from the Air Force Engineering and Technical Services team here provide technical support to maintainers and aircrew for F-16 Fighting Falcon troubleshooting. With the F-16 aircraft airframe being about 30 years old keeping the jets in top form increases challenges, such as electrical

  • Luke Airmen train for combat

    Twelve Airmen from various career fields began a three-week military combative training course taught by Marine Corps instructors April 1 here. The training is designed to teach Airmen skills used in combat, for self defense and work on physical training. Some of the training includes learning

  • Offutt community honors fallen Airman with road dedication

    Offutt community officials hosted a ceremony April 6 to dedicate and name a new road on base in honor of a fallen Airman. Lt. Col. Harrison "Harry" Tull served in the Air Force for 27 years, his career encompassing his time in World War II as a member of the famous Tuskegee Airmen, the Korean War

  • Elmendorf Airmen validate air-to-air gunnery capability

    Airmen from the 3rd Operations Group validated their air-to-air gunnery capability April 7 by performing their first live fire gunnery mission over a range in Alaska. The radar reflective target is launched by dragging it behind the plane until it lifts off the runway. Once the mission is over, the

  • Secretary Gates: Summit draws attention to nuclear security

    The opening of the two-day Nuclear Security Summit that convenes leaders of more than 40 countries April 12 through 13 here comes on the heels of the unveiling of the Nuclear Posture Review, a Defense Department-led effort that represents the first overarching look at U.S. nuclear strategy since the

  • Global Hawk flies first operational mission over Canada

    An RQ-4 Global Hawk remotely piloted vehicle flew its first operational mission over Canadian airspace.  The aircraft was flown April 8 by pilots and sensor operators from the 12th Reconnaissance Squadron here.According to Capt. Kyle Blaikie with the 12th RS, this was first time a Global Hawk flew

  • Little Rock Air Force Base Community Council wins Abilene Trophy

    Little Rock Air Force Base members and their community council won the 2009 Abilene Trophy announced March 31 here. The Abilene Trophy is the Air Mobility Command's community support award and is presented annually to a civilian community for outstanding support to an AMC base. The winner is

  • Air Forces Africa officials take part in cultural training

    Air Forces Africa's personnel directorate staff has been working with Air Force Culture and Language Center members at Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala., in recent months to tailor a training program for people charged with building and maintaining relationships in Africa. AFCLC officials had the

  • April 11 airpower summary

    Coalition airpower integrated with ground forces in Iraq and International Security Assistance Force troops in Afghanistan during operations April 11 according to Combined Air and Space Operations Center officials here.Air Operations in AfghanistanClose-Air SupportAsmarAir Force F-15E Strike Eagle

  • April 10 airpower summary

    Coalition airpower integrated with ground forces in Iraq and International Security Assistance Force troops in Afghanistan during operations April 10 according to Combined Air and Space Operations Center officials here.Air Operations in AfghanistanClose-Air SupportMorghabAir Force F-16C Fighting

  • Compact helps military children transition into their new school

    In four years, Cait Horner, a Peterson Air Force Base family member, attended four different schools in two different states and one foreign country. Each time she moved, she was retested for placement in the gifted and talented program. Sometimes she was placed in the gifted program, sometimes she

  • 'Today's Air Force' features ways families enjoy time together

    Featured in this edition of "Today's Air Force" is a segment dealing with a hidden enemy in the war on terrorism:  traumatic brain injuries. Plus, watch fighter pilots face off against their wingmen to hone their air combat skills. And, take a look at how different families find different ways to

  • First lady visits Pentagon, salutes military families, wounded warriors

    First lady Michelle Obama visited the Pentagon April 9 to thank military members, their families and civilians for their ongoing sacrifices in service to the nation.Defense Secretary Robert Gates introduced Mrs. Obama, who emerged before hundreds of spectators in the Pentagon courtyard. "She

  • Academy, VA team up for ambulatory surgery services

    A $14-million cooperative venture between officials from the U.S. Air Force Academy and the Department of Veterans Affairs, funded by the Department of Defense and VA's Joint Incentive Fund, will bring much-needed ambulatory surgical care to veterans in southern Colorado.Medical procedures for

  • Automation to improve Post-9/11 GI Bill processing

    With 153,000 veterans enrolled in the Post-9/11 GI Bill this semester, and new automation tools to arrive this month to improve processing procedures, the Veterans Affairs secretary declared the program "on track" and headed toward greater efficiency. Secretary Eric K. Shinseki acknowledged that the

  • Cadets, students 'CANVAS' networks in hacking challenge

    Seventy college and high school students hunted down design and implementation weaknesses for a fictional social networking site during the 2010 Computer and Network Vulnerability Assessment Scenario April 2, here. College students from Colorado State University, the University of Colorado at

  • Newly renovated USO opens in downtown San Antonio

    USO officials unveiled a newly renovated, state-of-the-art facility for military members and their families April 7 at the USO San Antonio Riverwalk Center.The renovated facility features a children's play area, a computer area with six new stations, free Wi-Fi, refurbished pools tables, an

  • Air Force officials launch language program for Airmen

    Officials at the Air Force Culture and Language Center here recently launched a program designed to identify Airmen with foreign language abilities and foster those skills throughout their careers. The Language Enabled Airman Program is the first career-long program designed to offer

  • President Obama, President Medvedev sign new START treaty

    President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitriy Medvedev signed a new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty in Prague April 8, with both countries pledging to reduce their deployed, strategic nuclear weapons stockpiles. The so-called "New START" sets new limits on ready-to-use, long-range nuclear

  • Air Force officials honor top Public Affairs communicators

    Air Force Public Affairs Agency officials here announced the results of the 2009 Air Force Media Contest in writing, photography and broadcasting April 7.Winners in writing and broadcast categories advance to represent the Air Force in the annual Department of Defense Thomas Jefferson Awards

  • Combat stress team strives to connect

    Maj. Kim Floyd and Senior Airman Jessica Delgado just want to talk. Major Floyd, a psychologist deployed from the 92nd Medical Group at Fairchild Air Force Base, Wash., and Airman Delgado, a mental health technician deployed from the 5th Medical Group at Minot AFB, N.D., make up the Combat Stress

  • April 5 airpower summary

    Coalition airpower integrated with ground forces in Iraq and International Security Assistance Force troops in Afghanistan during operations April 5 according to Combined Air and Space Operations Center officials here.Air Operations in AfghanistanClose-Air SupportGereshkAir Force A-10 Thunderbolt II

  • Kirkuk vehicle maintainers keep mission going at Mosul

    For two vehicle maintainers attached to Kirkuk Regional Air Base, their job responsibilities extend beyond this base. They work at Forward Operating Base Diamondback in Mosul, Iraq, as maintainers for three aircraft cargo loaders. Tech. Sgt. Greg Marchand and Airman 1st Class Chris Kuczynski, both

  • Vice chairman expresses comfort with nuke production freeze

    The nation's second-ranking military officer said April 6 he's comfortable with a new U.S. policy that halts future production of nuclear weapons. The freeze on developing new nuclear platforms, save for extraordinary cases requiring presidential approval, is an element of the Nuclear Posture

  • Veterans Affairs officials tackle root causes of homelessness

    No one who has ever served the United States in uniform should ever end up living on the street, Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric K. Shinseki insisted. So he and VA officials are committed to ending homelessness among America's veterans within the next five years, and said he's already seeing signs

  • U.S. military officials contribute to Kyrgyz deworming conference

    Three U.S. military medical experts including two colonels from the Transit Center at Manas, Kyrgyzstan, attended a conference here on mass deworming April 2 to contribute American health care concepts to the health program this country's medical representatives have successfully started and plan to

  • Shinseki vows to reduce VA's claims backlog

    Prioritizing the work ahead shortly after his first anniversary on the job, Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric K. Shinseki said his focus for the year ahead is on reducing the disability claims backlog. "We are going to break the back of the backlog this year," Secretary Shinseki said during an

  • Nuke review takes comprehensive look at strategy

    The Nuclear Posture Review, released April 6, is the first overarching look at U.S. nuclear strategy since the end of the Cold War, a senior defense official briefing reporters on background said April 5. The review builds on President Barack Obama's promise to take concrete steps toward the goal of

  • April 4 airpower summary

    Coalition airpower integrated with ground forces in Iraq and International Security Assistance Force troops in Afghanistan during operations April 4 according to Combined Air and Space Operations Center officials here.Air Operations in AfghanistanClose-Air SupportSurkhabadAir Force A-10 Thunderbolt

  • Cadets get a taste of Moody's mission, active-duty life

    Air Force ROTC cadets experienced active-duty life and the mission at Moody Air Force Base during a visit here March 23 and 24.For many cadets from the University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras Det. 755, this was the first time they were able to leave their home country and visit an Air Force

  • Defense secretary urges Air Force cadets to demonstrate leadership

    As the United States and Russia prepare to sign a historic nuclear arms reduction treaty, the Defense secretary related to U.S. Air Force Academy cadets some lessons he has learned from a government career that has taken him from the shadows of the Cold War into a much-altered security landscape as

  • Marine squadron stands up at Eglin

    The first-ever Marine Corps F-35B Lightning II joint strike fighter training squadron, the Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron 501, stood up April 2 here.The significance of the occasion was not just for the new F-35 unit, but also it marked the first time a Marine Corps squadron was embedded in

  • Exercise key to Hawaiian air support center upgrade

    The Hawaii Air Support Operations Center staff here achieved initial operational capability after proving its ability to deploy and perform its mission during Exercise Balikatan 2010 in March.The unit, under the under the 25th Air Support Operations Squadron based at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam,

  • Iraqi business leaders gather at Balad

    Iraqi banks and business leaders met at Joint Base Balad at the Banking on Iraqi Business Conference March 31. The conference began building the relationships that are so important to doing business in Iraq."Only 9 percent of Iraqis have a bank account," said Army Capt. Shaun Miller, an Army Central

  • Air Force, Army officials partner to improve interoperability

    Officials from the Army's I-Corps Air and Missile Defense Detachment moved into 5th Air Support Operations Squadron facilities here in late March and now Soldiers and Airmen will work side-by-side strengthening the joint teamwork that will be critical in combat.This is the first time a Corps-level

  • Brothers in arms reunited for the first time

    Retired Staff Sgt. Brian Isenhour and retired Airman 1st Class Brandon Gauvreau had never met each other before, but the two had more in common than they knew.Both incurred traumatic brain injuries while on active duty and both attended the National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic in

  • March 31 airpower summary

    Coalition airpower integrated with ground forces in Iraq and International Security Assistance Force troops in Afghanistan during operations March 31 according to Combined Air and Space Operations Center officials here.Air Operations in AfghanistanClose-Air SupportKonduzAir Force F-15E Strike Eagle

  • April 1 airpower summary

    Coalition airpower integrated with ground forces in Iraq and International Security Assistance Force troops in Afghanistan during operations April 1 according to Combined Air and Space Operations Center officials here.Air Operations in AfghanistanClose-Air SupportMusa QalaCoalition aircrews provided

  • Barksdale Airmen build homes for needy families

    More than a dozen Barksdale Air Force Base Airmen came together to help give a deserving family the gift of a lifetime March 20 in downtown Shreveport, La. The volunteers met up at the building site with Habitat for Humanity volunteers, family members and workers from the Military Entrance

  • Bagram medics remove unexploded ordnance from patient

    Airmen from the Craig Joint Theater Hospital trauma team here removed an unexploded ordnance from a patient's scalp March 18 here.The patient, an Afghan National Army soldier, was involved in an improvised explosive device attack and had a 14.5 mm high explosive incendiary round with approximately 5

  • Original song competition at MyAirForceLife.com

    More than 70 years ago, Capt. Robert MacArthur Crawford, an Airman with the Army Air Corps, won an original song competition with an entry that eventually became the official song for the U.S. Air Force. Captain Crawford wrote the lyrics and music to "Off We Go Into the Wild Blue Yonder."Starting

  • VA secretary releases draft Gulf War task force report

    Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki announced March 31 that the department's Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses Task Force has completed the final draft of a comprehensive report that will redefine how VA officials address the concerns of veterans who deployed during the Gulf War in 1990 and

  • Global Hawk wet runway testing yields positive results

    Airmen, civilians and contractors of the 452nd Flight Test Squadron here conducted RQ-4 Global Hawk wet runway testing with positive results throughout March here.The wet runway test required the Global Hawk to demonstrate taxiing and stopping from 6, 12, 30, 50 and 70 knots.The Block 20 Global Hawk