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U.S. Air Force News

  • Providing shelter is a BEAR

    Air, water, food and shelter are the basic essentials for life. But when Airmen deploy to an environment where no one has lived before, these essentials need to be brought in. Anywhere in the world and within a matter of days, a Base Expeditionary Airfield Resource, commonly referred to as a BEAR

  • 'Today's Air Force' features the F-15 return to flight

    This week's edition of "Today's Air Force" highlights how the Air Force carried on its mission while more than seven hundred of its F-15 Eagles were grounded.  See its return to flight -- the Eagle flies once again! Also featured is the F-16 Fighting Falcon with its twenty-millimeter cannon and

  • Military absentee voting 'primary' concern for officials

    For Federal Voting Assistance Program officials, getting deployed troops and their families engaged in the current election season is a primary goal. Ahead of the November general election, officials with the FVAP, which fosters voting participation by uniformed and U.S. citizens abroad, are

  • Weather center offers Web-based broadcasts

    In an effort to offer servicemembers, their families and other Department of Defense personnel stationed overseas access to timely weather updates, American Forces Network Weather Center weathermen here now include daily forecasts on their Web site. In what is a typical 11-forecast daily programming

  • Kunsan, Eielson swap F-16s

    Officials from the 8th Fighter Wing received 18 modified F-16 Fighting Falcons in mid January from Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, as the two bases exchange fighter aircraft. Currently, 80th Fighter Squadron pilots at Kunsan AB are flying Block 30s, which will transition to the aggressor squadron

  • General Brady assumes command of USAFE

    General Roger A. Brady ceremonially assumed command of U.S. Air Forces in Europe Jan. 17. General Brady, who previously worked as the deputy chief of staff for Manpower and Personnel at Headquarters U.S. Air Force in Washington, begins his term as USAFE commander eight years after he last left the

  • Museum unveils F-22 public display

    National Museum of the U.S. Air Force officials here unveiled the new F-22 Raptor exhibit Jan. 17 available to be viewed by all visitors to the public museum.Several high-ranking officials, distinguished guests and many employees from Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, gathered to witness

  • Maintenance unit completes upgrade of 100th A-10

    An upgraded A-10 Thunderbolt II, which took off in early January for Moody Air Force Base, Ga., represents another production milestone for the Air Force.Aircraft 80-0172 is the 100th A-10 to go through the Precision Engagement program, started in the 309th Aircraft Maintenance Group in July 2006.

  • New Airmen 'do something amazing' in the snow

    Thirty-four new Airmen joined the Air Force Jan. 12 at a World PowerSport Association Snowmobile Tour event in Shakopee, Minn. More than 25,000 fans at the Air Force Canterbury SnoCross event witnessed the young adults take the Air Force oath of enlistment for the first time, led by Brig. Gen.

  • Leaders announce policy changes for Airmen in AOR

    Changes are on the horizon for Airmen serving in the Central Command area of responsibility. In an effort to standardize policies among those assigned and those deployed to the CENTCOM AOR, Air Force officials will implement several changes beginning as soon as February 2008. "There are several

  • Pilot mushes dogs for noble cause

    A pilot with the Alaska Air National Guard and a team of 27 Siberian Huskies are currently breaking new strides while mushing through the icy Interior of Alaska to help children in need. Maj. Blake Matray, 168th Air Refueling Wing KC-135 pilot and weapons and tactics chief here, joined forces

  • National sports program features female general

    A female Air Force general will be one of the people featured during an episode of CBS Sports Spectacular titled Pride, Passion and Power.  The show will air  Jan. 19 from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. EST. Brig. Gen. Michelle Johnson, the deputy director of the Joint Staff's War on Terrorism, Strategic Plans

  • DOD officials select new government travel charge card

    Department of Defense officials announced the selection of Citibank to provide travel charge card services for its members under the General Services Administration's umbrella SmartPay® 2 master contract Jan. 16. The new official travel cards will activate on Nov. 30, 2008. DOD currently has 1.2

  • Personnel center leadership changes hands

    Air Force Personnel Center officials welcomed their 23rd commander during a change-of-command ceremony here Jan. 16. Maj. Gen. K.C. McClain, a 30-year career Airman, succeeds Maj. Gen. Anthony F. Przybyslawski, who was selected for reassignment as director of operations for Air Education and

  • Air Force announces top recruiters for 2007

    Fourteen Air Force recruiters were named tops in their field for fiscal 2007 by Air Force Recruiting Service officials here Jan. 14. The Air Force Blue Suit recruiters for 2007 are: -- Master Sgt. Russell Benigno of the 337th Recruiting Squadron at Fayetteville, N.C., -- Master Sgt. Brian Clark of

  • Airmen participate in dedication ceremony at South Pole

    Two Airmen attended the Jan. 12 Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station dedication ceremony, the culmination of the National Science Foundation's 12-year effort to construct a new station on Antarctica.Maj. Gen. Robert A. Knauff, the New York Air National Guard chief of staff and commander, and Col. Ron

  • Air Force center receives recycling award

    In recognition of significant waste diversions achieved from October 2006 through September 2007, the Arnold Engineering Development Center will receive the Government Recycler of the Year award Jan. 18 from the Tennessee Recycling Coalition. In her award notification to AEDC, Gail Randolph, chair

  • Fellowship offers spouses portable skills

    Frequent military relocations can take a toll on spouses' careers unless they have a portable skill, which is exactly what one foundation has set out to provide them. The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority Investor Education Foundation has partnered with the Association for Financial Counseling

  • It's better to give

    January is National Blood Donor Month and the Armed Services Blood Program extends a worldwide thank-you to all blood and platelet donors. The ASBP manages the colossal responsibility of supplying more than 1.3 million troops and family members with blood worldwide, said Ralph Peters, an ASBP Blood

  • Exercise trains next Horn of Africa task force leaders

    Leaders preparing to deploy to Djibouti as the next headquarters staff at Combined Joint Task Force Horn of Africa are wrapping up a week-long exercise to prepare them for the challenges they'll face.The mission rehearsal exercise is under way at U.S. Joint Forces Command's Joint Warfighting Center

  • 'Today's Air Force' features alternative energy sources

    This week's edition of "Today's Air Force" highlights an Air Force priority: alternative sources of energy.  Milestones have already been reached in the synthetic fuel testing program, and another version of the fuel has been used in some flightline ground vehicles that run on aviation gas. Also

  • Polish air force commander visits AETC

    The commander of the Polish air force visited several Air Education and Training Command locations during a visit to the United States Jan. 6-8. Lt. Gen. Andrzej Blasik, a 22-year veteran, was here primarily to focus on the Polish air force's F-16 Fighting Falcon and C-130 Hercules implementation

  • Air Force maintainers help improve future for Afghans

    The efforts of a trio of Airmen here are helping ensure success for a mission bringing self-governance, security and economic growth to the people of Afghanistan's Paktya and Logar provinces. Vehicle maintainers Tech. Sgt. Kendrick Ouzts, Staff Sgt. Andrew Hawley and Staff Sgt. Russell Achee enable

  • Air Combat Command clears selected F-15s for flight

    Air Combat Command officials cleared a portion of the F-15 Eagle A through D model aircraft Jan. 9 for flying status and recommended a limited return to flight for Air Force units worldwide following engineering risk assessments and data received from multiple fleet-wide inspections. The return to

  • Civilian personnel system offers workers opportunities, officials say

    In its second year of implementation, the Defense Department's new civilian personnel system is meeting its goal of shifting the department to a performance-based pay system while giving employees the power to boost their own careers, two officials with the program said here Jan. 7. The National

  • Pararescueman raises money for AIDS awareness

    An Airman battled body, mind and social stigmas to raise awareness about AIDS and HIV testing for African Americans by running from San Francisco to Los Angeles in 14 days in December, which was approximately 26 miles a day for two weeks. Tech. Sgt. Lejon Boudreaux, a California Air National Guard

  • Air Force funds fiber laser research, considers applications

    The Air Force Office of Scientific Research officials have recently funded a project that creates fiber-lasers as thin as a human hair. The ultra-fast fiber laser development will provide compact and cost effective solutions across a number of technologies of direct relevance to the Air Force.

  • Commercial flights move servicemembers around Africa

    The secretary of defense recently granted a waiver to allow Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa members to partner with a civilian contractor to take American servicemembers from major cities in the area of operation and fly them to smaller, remote locations.Secretary Robert M. Gates approved

  • Wind tunnel helps determine impact of hypersonic speeds

    Funding provided by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research has resulted in the world's only quiet hypersonic wind tunnel, which researchers are now using to test the performance of vehicles traveling at hypersonic speeds, or approximately 4,000 mph. A team of researchers at Purdue University,

  • Airmen design everything from bridges to buildings for Army

    Airmen here are helping their Army brethren everyday in different parts of Iraq, improving their quality of life by creating the blueprints for what may be the next place the Soldiers rest. Those Airmen are the engineering assistants of the 732nd Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron Det. 6. They're

  • Academy seeks enlisted applicants

    Enlisted Airmen interested in attending the U.S. Air Force Academy this entry year must submit completed forms no later than Jan. 31. There are 135 slots available for enlisted Airmen each year through the Leaders Encouraging Airman Development program. "The LEAD program is an ongoing effort to give

  • New analysis tool boosts AF's wartime mission

    The Air Force has developed a new tool for personnelists and functional area managers that provides a complete and accurate accounting of deployment assets. For the first time, FAMs at the Air Force headquarters and major command level can look at their Air Force specialty codes and make accurate

  • Emergency airdrop rescues stranded ship

    Teamwork, flexibility and airpower were used to deliver critical repair parts to a stranded British fishing vessel, the Argos Georgia, and its 25-person crew Jan. 4. The vessel had lost all main power and been frozen in the ice flow off the Ross Ice Shelf since Christmas Eve, New Zealand

  • Scholarships for military children application deadline nears

    Applications for the 2008 Scholarships for Military Children Program must be turned in to a commissary by close of business Feb. 20. Scholarship applications are available in commissaries worldwide or online through at http://www.commissaries.com and directly at http://www.militaryscholar.org, where

  • Reserve Command Recruiting Service seeks applicants

    The Air Force Reserve Command Recruiting Service is now seeking applicants to fill recruiting positions in locations across the globe. In addition to finding qualified applicants for careers in the Air Force Reserve, a recruiter interacts with the community and serves as a representative of the

  • Air Force officials recognize top cadet

    Air Force officials honored the 2007 Cadet of the Year in a ceremony Jan. 3 at the Pentagon. The Cadet of the Year Award recognizes the most outstanding cadet in an Air Force commissioning program. Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force Gen. Duncan McNabb presented the award to U.S. Air Force Academy

  • Airman participates in Marine Corps martial arts program

    An Airman deployed to Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa received the Marine Corps martial arts program green belt Dec. 28 here. Airman 1st Class Joseph Cawood, an 81st Expeditionary Rescue Squadron aerospace ground equipment technician, is participating with more than 30 Marines assigned to

  • Calendar provides troop-support ideas

    New Year's resolutions frequently include good intentions, such as joining a gym, calling parents or organizing closets. But through its America Supports You program, the Defense Department is helping Americans resolve to support the nation's servicemembers throughout 2008. America Supports You is a

  • Airmen, Soldiers deliver wheelchairs to Hondurans

    A Civil Military Operations team from Joint Task Force-Bravo delivered 100 donated wheelchairs to disabled villagers along the Miskito Coast of Honduras Dec. 28. The Alabama non-profit organization Missions Unlimited contacted the U.S. Agency for International Development to coordinate the donation.

  • Certain officer, enlisted bonuses expired Dec. 31

    Certain bonus programs for Reserve and active duty officer and enlisted personnel expired Dec. 31 due to the president not signing the fiscal 2008 National Defense Authorization Act and returning it to Congress for changes. All reenlistments for eligible Airmen in Air Force Specialty Codes with a

  • 'Today's Air Force' features the F-22 Raptor

    This week's edition of "Today's Air Force" highlights the F-22 Raptor.  Also featured are an air combat training exercise called "Red Flag" and the F-35 Lightning II. The F-22 reached initial operational capability two years ago, but until recently that operational presence was restricted to the

  • Malmstrom Airmen replace missile guidance systems

    Missile maintenance Airmen installed the final replacement to the missile guidance system at each missile launch facility of the base's Minuteman III fleet Dec. 4 at Malmstrom Air Force Base. The NS-20 system has been replaced with the NS-50 system through the Guidance Replacement Program. The GRP

  • Tricare can help make New Year's resolutions reality

    Saving money, tobacco use and fighting the battle of the bulge are among the hot topics on most people's New Year's resolution lists, but this year Tricare officials can help. Saving money on regularly used prescriptions got a lot easier in 2007 with the new Member Choice Center.The MCC can save a

  • Reserve recruiting earns business award

    Air Force Reserve Command Recruiting Service officials earned a nationally recognized sales award Dec. 6 at a ceremony in Las Vegas. Judges handed a "Stevie" Award, the business world's own Oscar awards, to recruiting officials as the Recruitment/Staffing Sales Organization of the Year Award for

  • Maxwell trainers develop Iraqi air force officers

    Four Officer Training School instructors returned here recently after spending the past several months in Iraq building the country's air force officer training program from the ground up. Maj. Scott Bergren and Capt. Michael Powell worked at Taji Air Base, Iraq, to establish a stand-alone officer

  • Air Force provides Army burn flight team with training

    Since Operation Iraqi Freedom began in March 2003, Army burn flight and Air Force critical care air transport teams have evacuated and treated hundreds of patients who've suffered burn and inhalation injuries primarily resulting from improvised explosive device detonations. In response, joint

  • Television holiday greetings available online

    Too busy to sit in front of the television to catch a holiday greeting from a friend or family member stationed or deployed overseas? Don't worry, the video hellos are now available online. The holiday greetings program, videotaped and produced by the Army and Air Force Hometown News Service, is in

  • Comfort group takes care of servicemembers

    Needles, thread, cookies and warm hearts surrounded two folding tables covered in fabric. Holiday carols, cheerful voices and the low whir of sewing machines filled the room. Several women sat chatting and sewing what some may consider "irregular" articles of clothing. Members of the Sew Much

  • C-17 polar airdrop capability successful

    During the winter season at the South Pole, temperatures often dip as low as minus 100 F and can paralyze an aircraft's hydraulic systems, crystallize the fuel and solidify lubricants. However, freezing temperatures did not deter Joint Task Force-Support Forces Antarctica Operation Deep Freeze crews

  • Holiday Notes from Home airs Dec. 24, 25

    Viewers around the world will have a chance to see this year's Holiday Notes from Home featuring the Band of the Air Force Reserve and a list of guest artists. Two shows air on Great American Country Television and the Armed Forces Radio and Televsion Network Dec. 24 and 25. Holiday Notes from Home

  • AWACS' special mission: Track Santa

    Airmen from the 552nd Air Control Wing here will once again track the man in red and keep a watchful eye as he and his reindeer fly through the night to deliver presents to children all over the United States. Just before midnight on Christmas Eve, an E-3 Sentry and crew will leave Tinker Air Force

  • CSAF announces selectees for new senior officer program

    Seven senior officers were recently selected to be part of a new program directed by Chief of the Staff of the Air Force Gen. T. Michael Moseley. As part of the Chief of Staff of the Air Force Fellows program, these select officers will work directly for the chief of staff in lieu of serving as a

  • Getting behavioral health treatment easier with Tricare

    Tricare officials want its non-active duty beneficiaries to know that if they need help, there is no reason to hesitate. Non-active duty beneficiaries may make their first eight outpatient behavioral health care visits per fiscal year without a referral from a primary care manager or prior

  • Cooperative effort nets C-130 wing for hands-on training

    Robins Air Force Base units joined forces recently to help officials of the 373rd Training Squadron Field Training Detachment here obtain a C-130 Hercules wing so students of the school could have hands-on training.With the wing, instructors can now demonstrate fuel systems repairs and allow the

  • 'Today's Air Force' features security forces

    This week's edition of "Today's Air Force" highlights security forces, including a simulator that does more then just prepare Airmen for qualifying on the range.  The second segment features building and maintaining international relationships and the roles Airmen play as diplomats to other

  • Flight safety office brings Balad bird strikes down 30 percent

    With the help of volunteers from around the base, the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing flight safety office reduced the number of bird strikes on aircraft by 30 percent here in November. They accomplished this through the Bird Aircraft Strike Hazard program, which uses awareness and proactivity to

  • Getting behavioral health treatment is easy with Tricare

    Tricare officials want non-active duty beneficiaries to know that if they need help, there is no reason to hesitate. Non-active duty beneficiaries may make their first eight outpatient behavioral health care visits per fiscal year -- Oct. 1 to Sept. 30 -- without a referral from a primary care

  • Assistant Air Force Surgeon General visits LRMC, Germany

    During a recent visit to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center Dec. 12, Maj. Gen. Melissa A. Rank interacted with staff and patients and commented on how armed forces medical care in Germany has evolved throughout her career. General Rank, the assistant Air Force surgeon general for medical force

  • AF officials set new course in future support operations

    When it comes to people programs, community support and quality of life, there will soon be one organization on base that will handle it all -- the Force Support Squadron. The new organization is the result of an ongoing Air Force-wide merger of Mission Support and Services Squadrons and is expected

  • Air Force selects 31 for test pilot training

    Thirty-one officers have been chosen to take part in the service's test pilot program by an Air Force board that met at the Air Force Personnel Center here Oct. 28 to Nov. 2.The board selected pilots, navigators and flight test engineers for classes beginning July 2008 and January 2009.Most of those

  • vMPF adds officer voluntary separation process

    Self-service officer voluntary separation will be added to the Air Force Personnel Center's virtual Military Personnel Flight Web site Jan. 7. Web-based processes and 24/7 customer service support are the core of AFPC's commitment to personnel transformation, referred to as personnel services

  • Linebacker II anniversary marked in memorial ceremony

    Servicemembers, congressional representatives, civil leaders and their families paused December 18 to recognize the 35th anniversary of Linebacker II in a memorial ceremony at Arc Light Park here. Linebacker II was an intensive bombing campaign in December 1972 ordered by President Richard Nixon to

  • CAP members place wreath at Air Force Memorial

    Members of the Civil Air Patrol paid their respects to fallen Airmen at a wreath laying ceremony at the Air Force Memorial here Dec. 15. CAP Brig. Gen. Amy Courter, national commander, joined the Hagerstown, Md., unit at the memorial to "offer support in the spirit the Civil Air Patrol always has."

  • Red Cross to deliver holiday cards to wounded

    This holiday season, American Red Cross volunteers will make sure holiday greetings generically addressed to wounded servicemembers at military medical facilities around the country will find a home. With help from Pitney Bowes Government Solutions, and the support of Defense Department and Walter

  • Travel policy change benefits military families

    Military families now can access military-supplied air transport to travel to their official "homes of record" located outside the continental United States when their sponsors are deployed for 120 days or more, thanks to a recent policy change, a military official said today. Before the change,

  • 'Today's Air Force' features cyberspace domain

    This week's edition of "Today's Air Force" highlights the Global Cyberspace Integration Center or GCIC at Langley Air Force Base. Also featured is TRICARE's new Web site for beneficiary enrollment and one of the most unique careers in the Air Force, Tops in Blue. See how the talented uniformed

  • C-17 uses synthetic fuel blend on transcontinental flight

    The Air Force marked the 104th anniversary of powered flight Dec. 17 by completing the first transcontinental flight of an aircraft using a blend of regular aviation and synthetic fuel. A C-17 Globemaster III using the synthetic fuel blend lifted off shortly before dawn at McChord Air Force Base,

  • Senior analyst receives top award

    An outstanding test team, initiative and imagination are what the 2006 Air Force Civilian Analyst of the Year award winner describes as key to his receiving this honor. Clyde Shook, the 8th Flight Test Squadron senior test analyst, received his award during a recent research symposium in Colorado

  • Wounded Warrior program delivers cookies

    Wounded American servicemembers aeromedically evacuated out of Ramstein Air Base every Tuesday leave Germany with home-baked goods made by base spouse group volunteers. The program, called Wounded Warrior, is sponsored by spouse groups in the 86th Operations Group and occurs every Tuesday throughout

  • Program offers cash, advanced assignment consideration

    Airmen selected for assignment to South Korea who apply for the Korea Assignment Incentive Pay Program can earn $300 a month and apply for advanced assignment consideration. The incentive program authorizes the monthly payments to Airmen who sign a written agreement to serve the prescribed tour

  • USAFE hosts AFSO 21 Process Council

    The Air Force Smart Operations for the 21st Century Process Council was hosted by U.S. Air Forces in Europe officials Dec. 10 and 11 at Ramstein Air Base. Secretary of the Air Force Michael W. Wynne and Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. T. Michael Moseley kicked off the council with a round-table

  • U.S. military medical team treats 7,300 patients in El Salvador

    A U.S. Southern Command team, consisting of approximately 16 Air Force medical professionals, completed a medical readiness training exercise in La Union, El Salvador Dec. 13, where they provided general medical services to 7,300 patients from communities near the country's southeastern coast. The

  • Review provides update on Global Logistics Support Center

    More than 80 supply chain customers and practitioners from across the Department of Defense and the Air Force came together here recently to participate in the second program management review for the Global Logistics Support Center. The sessions allowed Col. Joan Cornuet, Mobility Air Forces

  • Lackland near top of 'best place to raise a child' list

    In November, BusinessWeek.com reported a study that recognized Lackland AFB for being the eighth best place in the country to raise children. The study rated cities from all over the country in the following categories: school test scores, cost of living, recreational and cultural activities, number

  • Airmen participate in buddy wing program

    Republic of Korea air force airmen from Seosan Air Base visited Osan's 36th Fighter Squadron Dec. 11 to Dec. 13 to participate in Seventh Air Force's quarterly "buddy wing" program. The purpose of the buddy wing program is to exchange ideas, introduce tactics and improve interoperability between the

  • Air Force's top nurse visits Landstuhl medical center

    Approximately 30 years of experience separate the careers of 2nd Lt. Shelley Briggs and Maj. Gen. Melissa Rank, and both appreciated a recent opportunity to bridge the gap. "It was a great opportunity to glean some of the wisdom from her years of experience," said Lieutenant Briggs, one of a few

  • Leaders get 'lean' with green belt training

    The commander for Air Force Materiel Command, Gen. Bruce Carlson, has said that Air Force Smart Operations for the 21st Century is a mindset and a change in behavior. Within the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center here, senior leaders are changing their behavior and the center's culture one green

  • Academy officials: Sexual assault reporting shows system is working

    Rather than being alarmed by 40 reports of sexual assault at the U.S. service academies during the 2006-2007 school year, officials are calling them a sign that programs designed to encourage victims to report are working. "It tells me that cadets are coming forward," said Col. Gail Colvin, vice

  • New year brings higher housing allowance to most recipients

    Most servicemembers receiving a housing allowance will see more in their 2008 paychecks. The average increase more than doubled for 2008 at 7.3 percent over last year's 3.5 percent average increase. The Defense Department will pump an additional $600 million into the housing allowance program, for a

  • Assistant secretary: FM is enabler for programs

    In providing security for warfighters and protecting national interests, the Air Force is often the first on scene and the last to leave and that requires enormous funding, said one of the Air Force's top financial officials Dec. 3 here. John G. Vonglis the principal deputy assistant secretary of

  • Airmen named the 'Best of the Best' performers

    From a little bit of country to a whole lot of rock and roll, 56 Airmen from around the world displayed their talent before standing room only crowds, during free live performances this past weekend at the Bob Hope Theater at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas. All have hopes of not only being named the

  • Operation Toy Drop brings international, U.S. military together

    Army Private Gregory Amones sat on the ground with cherry pie oozing out the right thigh pocket of his uniform. Finishing his first parachute jump at Fort Bragg, N.C., the Soldier didn't mind the smashed cherry stain on his battle uniform. The "cherry pie" rite of passage didn't compare to the jump

  • Keesler couple earns 2007 O'Malley award

    The former Keesler Air Force Base, Miss., commander and his wife, who led the base's recovery efforts the two years following Hurricane Katrina, recently won the 2007 Gen. and Mrs. Jerome F. O'Malley Award. Brig. Gen. Paul Capasso and his wife, Laura, received the award that recognizes the wing

  • Holiday generosity in motion for wounded warriors

    Strong and steady waves of donations are arriving daily at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center.The wave of gifts and cards will usually crest toward the end of December, but chaplains, their assistants and a dedicated core of volunteers will be kept busy until January spreading the holiday cheer

  • Services meet November recruiting goals

    All military components met their recruiting goals in November, Defense Department officials said here Dec. 10. It was the sixth month in a row that all services made their recruiting goals, officials said. The military is recruiting in a difficult environment, defense officials said. Only three out

  • Astronaut applications available for May board

    Active duty Air Force Airmen have the opportunity to compete for pilot and mission specialist crew positions with the nation's space program through the Air Force Astronaut nomination program. Air Force nominees will compete with representatives from the other services for the chance to become an

  • Portal IM service allows Airmen, friends, family to connect

    Friends and family members can keep in touch with Airmen anywhere in the world through an instant messaging program available through the Air Force Portal. Every Airman is permitted up to five guest users through the Friends and Family Instant Messaging service, which works "24 hours a day, seven

  • 'Gifts from the Homefront' support does 'double time'

    Military advocates across America are making their support work twice as hard with Army and Air Force Exchange Service "Gifts from the Homefront" gift certificates. While assistance sent through this troop-support initiative provides for the immediate needs of troops throughout operations Enduring

  • 'Today's Air Force' features F-16 history

    This week's edition of "Today's Air Force" highlights the history of the first F-16 Fighting Falcon model flown in 1976, and the newest F-16 upgrades to include one of the most impressive feature of the new aircraft -- the helmets and visors. Also featured is a civil engineer squadron exercise

  • Commander retires after 38 years of service

    With one last review of a formation of Ramstein's finest Airmen, and along with it, one last coin challenge, Gen. William T. Hobbins, commander of United States Air Forces in Europe, was retired at a ceremony here Dec. 10 after more than 38 years of service. General Hobbins cited cooperation as key

  • AFMC Airmen honor commander with Order of the Sword

    Air Force Materiel Command's enlisted corps honored its leader with the Order of the Sword Dec. 6 at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force here. Gen. Bruce Carlson, the AFMC commander, received the AFMC Order of the Sword, the highest honor Air Force noncommissioned officers can give to an

  • Kunsan Airmen paint arctic F-16s for Eielson

    Airmen from the 8th Maintenance Squadron corrosion shop recently completed painting an arctic scheme on one of their F-16 Fighting Falcons -- a first for Kunsan and soon Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska. In October, Kunsan received its initial group of Block 40 F-16 aircraft under the Common

  • Wreath ceremonies to honor veterans Dec. 15

    Veterans' memorials and gravesites across the nation will be adorned with remembrance wreaths on Dec. 15 in stirring, solemn tributes to the courage and sacrifice of those who have guarded and preserved the nation throughout history. Through Wreaths Across America, Civil Air Patrol members join with

  • Operational readiness exercise tests Airmen, Marines

    Airmen from the 18th Wing joined with elements from the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing to conduct a joint operational readiness exercise Dec. 3 to 7 here. During the week-long exercise, Kadena Air Base members and their Marine counterparts were tested on their ability to execute their wartime taskings,

  • Award winning program prevents suicides

    The 59th Medical Wing leads the Department of Defense in patient safety for significantly reducing the chances for inpatient suicides among high risk people. The 59th Mental Health Squadron's winning initiative, "Nurse/Mental Health Technician Change of Shift Safety Checks," led by Capt. Jose

  • Air Force receives 2 DOD disability awards

    Defense officials here lauded an Air Force civilian and 15 everyday heroes for overcoming disabilities, as well as named the Air Force an outstanding organization for hiring people with disabilities Dec. 4 in Bethesda, Md. Among the award recipients was Ronald Greenfield, the chief of staff for the

  • Lackland AFB earns environmental award

    A Texas Air Force base recently earned a 2007 Water Efficiency Leader award for its efforts in reducing, reusing and recycling water. A panel of national water experts chose Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio based on three criteria: leadership, innovation and water saved. Base officials use

  • Lackland, Texas join forces with Santa for safety

    A skydiving Santa dropped into Lackland Air Force Base Dec. 4 to help launch the state's annual drunk driving prevention campaign. Texas Department of Transportation officials chose Lackland AFB as a backdrop to announce the beginning of its annual four-week drunk driving prevention campaign. The

  • NCO retraining program involuntary phase begins

    Airmen identified as required to retrain must submit a retraining request by Dec. 17 or separate from the Air Force under Phase II of the Air Force Fiscal 2008 Noncommissioned Officer Retraining Program. After meeting the Dec. 17 deadline, Phase II eligibles next must choose an Air Force specialty

  • Survivor assistance program manager receives new A1 award

    He provided around-the-clock assistance to more than 200 families who suffered the loss of an active-duty member, mentored 25 Airmen seriously injured or wounded in action, and was appointed by the secretary of Defense to serve on the Independent Review Group at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.