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  • '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

  • New DVD helps children deal with deployment

    Defense and USO officials joined military families at the U.S. Navy Memorial here yesterday to celebrate the launch of a new DVD created to help military children cope with a parent's deployment."With You All the Way" -- a joint effort by the Defense Department, USO and the Trevor Romain Co. --

  • New sexual assault response program created at Sheppard AFB

    A program is now in place that gives Airmen in Training here a bigger role in sexual assault prevention and response.Officials with the 82nd Training Wing Sexual Assault Response Coordinator office recently created the Air Force's first student advocate program. Students against Sexual Assault and

  • Eligible officers may apply for VSP April 1

    Air Force Personnel Center officials here begin accepting applications for voluntary separation pay April 1 from eligible officers.Officers in nine Air Force specialties across five year groups who are being considered to meet the 2010 Reduction in Force Board convening Sept. 20 are eligible to

  • Operation Purple reconnects children, parents after deployments

    It wasn't a typical cross country skiing race where skill and speed are factors. In this race, it was all about cooperation. Three children and two parents, lined up like a caterpillar with their hands on the shoulders of the person in front of them, inching along in unison and trying not to trip

  • Air Force officials conclude 2010 NCO retraining program

    The 2010 NCO Retraining Program has concluded with 966 Air Force NCOs identified to transition to new career fields and the successful introduction of two new procedures. Efforts to rebalance the NCO force are being considered a success this year, officials at the Air Force Personnel Center here

  • Radar bound for Bagram will help pilots avoid birds

    A trailer with antennas and wires temporarily parked on base awaiting transit to Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, might not look like much, but it could save the military lives and money when it gets shipped later this spring. The trailer contains a Merlin Aircraft Birdstrike Avoidance Radar System

  • First Iraqi weather officers graduate

    The first class of Iraqi air force meteorology officers graduated March 25 from a formal technical training course in Baghdad taught by U.S. Air Force weather forecasters.Iraqi Training and Advisory Mission-Air Force officials have Airmen assigned to teach Iraqi personnel how to create a

  • Social media sites soon will be open on the Air Force Network

    Air Force officials are opening the Air Force network to allow access to Internet-based social-networking sites. Initial access will be available at five Pacific Air Forces bases March 30, and will begin opening sites Air Force-wide later in April.This change in policy is a result of the Department

  • Shaw dormitory earns national environmental award

    Shaw Air Force Base's newest Airmen's dormitory, building 421, has earned the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED, Silver Certification by the U.S. Green Building Council. The award was presented in a ceremony here March 16.The building earned the distinction for a number of

  • Kadena Airmen test readines during exercise

    Kadena Air Base Airmen processed cargo and personnel, donned gas masks, launched aircraft and searched for downed aircrew as part of a base exercise March 22 through 26 here.The local operational readiness exercise, Beverly High 10-02, was designed to prepare Airmen to defend Japan and maintain

  • Elmendorf Airmen complete airdrop using 3-D weather technology

    Airmen from Elmendorf Air Force Base completed the first improved container delivery system drop using new 3-D weather technology March 19 over Tin City, Alaska.The new system allows for better drop precision, factors in the altitude, wind speed, wind direction, terrain and other circumstances that

  • Air Force scientists test, develop bio jet fuels

    While the world searches for more efficient ways to fuel automobiles and create usable energy, Air Force scientists are looking for cleaner, more efficient ways to fuel the military's aircraft. An A-10 Thunderbolt II flew March 25 solely on a blend of biomass-derived fuel and conventional JP-8 jet

  • New Reserve group stands up at Seymour Johnson

    To keep up with the increasing demand for F-15E Strike Eagle pilots and weapon systems officers, a new group is standing up here.The Air Force Reserve Command's 414th Fighter Group may have only a handful of assigned personnel now, but about 340 people will fall under the group, the 307th Fighter

  • Elmendorf Airmen complete million push-up challenge

    In about 3.5 months, 425 Elmendorf Air Force Base Airmen accumulated more than 1 million push-ups to reach a unit goal.In an effort to improve physical training scores and build camaraderie, 3rd Medical Group leaders posed the 100-day million push-up challenge and unit medics began logging their

  • General Holm remembered in ceremony at Arlington

    The first female two-star general in both the Air Force and Department of Defense was laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery March 29. Retired Maj. Gen. Jeanne M. Holm is credited as the single driving force in achieving equality for military women and making them a viable part of the

  • Circus entertains, honors military families

    The military and the circus have a lot in common.  They both have people from around the nation and assets from around the world. Both are highly trained units that perform sometimes unimaginable feats and handle unspeakable logistical details in carrying out their mission. And, most importantly,

  • Base study could launch Air Mobility Command closer to energy independence

    A renewable energy study at six installations may result in a different kind of Air Mobility Command "power projection."Conducted by Department of Energy officials, the study will determine whether renewable energy sources, including wind farms and solar panels, could be cost effective; thus

  • Airmen train Afghan C-27 loadmaster

    Airmen from the 538th Air Expeditionary Advisory Squadron and Afghan soldiers with the Afghanistan National Army Air Corps completed a successful check ride for the nation's first qualified C-27 Spartan loadmaster March 28 here.During an almost two-hour International Security Assistance Force

  • Shinseki urges disabled vets to conquer mountain, doubts

    Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric K. Shinseki opened the 24th Annual National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic here March 28, encouraging participants to conquer the mountain and prove to themselves what they're able to achieve.Secretary Shinseki challenged more than 400 disabled veterans

  • Airmen work toward boxing championships

    Twelve potential Air Force boxers circled around a conference table March 19 to listen to the coach's goals for the 14-day boxing crash course at Lackland Air Force Base, which ends in the two-day Air Force Box-off April 2 and 3 at the Bennett Fitness Center here. From the outset, Air Force boxing

  • Reporters reflect on '30 Days Through Afghanistan'

    Two Air Force journalists behind an ambitious NATO International Security Assistance Force project to traverse Afghanistan in one month and file daily reports in words, photos and video recapped their experiences in a March 25 "DOD Live" bloggers roundtable. The Web-based project, titled "30 Days

  • President Obama pays surprise visit to troops in Afghanistan

    President Barack Obama paid a surprise visit to troops in Afghanistan March 28, delivering a message of praise to American servicemembers on behalf of the United States. Speaking at Bagram Airfield to an audience of Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines, President Obama said support for deployed

  • Flight tests set course for improved airborne communication

    A series of early March flight tests has validated a two-and-a-half year effort and set the course for significantly enhanced airborne communications capability.A team of specialists from the Electronic Systems Center, MITRE Corporation and MIT Lincoln Laboratory used a 707 test bed aircraft to

  • Kirkuk Airmen use small aircraft with huge capabilities

    Airmen here use the RQ-11B Raven, a small unmanned aircraft equipped with cameras, sensors and communications tools, to give coalition warfighters an advantage of eyes in the sky.There are many different types of unmanned aircraft, ranging in size and capability, but Kirkuk Regional Air Base Airmen

  • Air Force officials team up with Kenny Bernstein Racing team

    Air Force recruiting officials announced March 26 that the Air Force will begin a new partnership with Kenny Bernstein Racing as a sponsor of the Coparts/Lucas Oil top fuel dragster for the remaining 20 races in the 2010 Full Throttle Drag Racing Series. "It is with a great deal of patriotic pride

  • Air Force officials reduce current accessions goal

    Air Force officials here are reducing the service's current active-duty enlisted recruiting goal from 31,750 to 29,384 for the remainder of fiscal 2010. This reduction is one of the measures the Air Force uses to manage force manning to meet authorized Air Force end-strength. Force management is a

  • VA officials propose change to aid veterans exposed to Agent Orange

    More than 100,000 veterans exposed to herbicides while serving in Vietnam and other areas will have an easier path to qualify for disability pay under a proposed regulation published by Department of Veterans Affairs officials that adds three new illnesses to the list of health problems found to be

  • Pentagon officials change 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' enforcement

    The Defense secretary announced changes to the Pentagon's regulation on homosexuals serving in the military that he said make the Defense Department's enforcement of the so-called "Don't ask, don't tell" law "fairer and more appropriate" March 25 here. Secretary Robert M. Gates announced Feb. 2 he'd

  • Airmen help Afghans fly C-27 mission

    A joint aircrew of U.S. Airmen from the 538th Air Expeditionary Advisory Squadron and Afghan soldiers in the Afghanistan National Army Air Corps completed an operational C-27 Spartan mission here March 24.Taking off from Kabul International Airport, the four-man aircrew flew Southwest to Kandahar

  • Air Force leaders expand force management options

    Due to the high volume of traffic on the Air Force Personnel Center personnel services Web site following this announcement, Airmen experiencing difficulty accessing the site may direct their questions concerning force management to their base military personnel sections or the Total Force Service

  • Bases get new names in realignment

    Some military installations are consolidating and getting new names as joint basing becomes a reality. The 2005 Base Realignment and Closure Commission's directive to consolidate 26 stateside military installations into 12 joint bases has brought names such as Lewis-McChord, Langley-Eustis, and even

  • Air Force officials continue plans to modernize GPS

    Through the years, the Global Positioning System has become one of the most widely-used Air Force applications.Today GPS is used in everything from farming and aviation to public safety, disaster relief and recreation, not to mention its military purpose of providing precision navigation and timing

  • Afghanistan troop level to eclipse Iraq by midyear

    This summer will mark the first time since 2003 that the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan will overshadow the American presence in Iraq, the top U.S. military officer told Congress March 24 here. Driving the eclipse is the 30,000-troop surge President Barack Obama announced for Afghanistan in

  • Yokota maintainers use AFSO21 to improve C-130 inspection process

    Twenty-one Airmen held a weeklong training scenario focusing on improving the C-130 Hercules isochronal inspection process in mid-March here.The inspection is a requirement that has recently changed from a 365-day requirement to a to a 450-day interval and one that requires cooperation from numerous

  • Dates, locations announced for 2010 Air Force Weeks

    Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz has announced the dates and locations for the two Air Force Weeks to be held in 2010. The first Air Force Week will be held in New York City from Aug. 25th through the 29th, culminating with the two-day Coney Island Air Show that will feature the U.S.

  • MC-12 aircrews complete 2,000th combat sortie

    MC-12 Liberty aircrews assigned to the 362nd Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron completed their 2,000th combat sortie recently from Joint Base Balad.The MC-12 program took off in the fall as Airmen flew the first combat mission in the intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft that

  • Air Combat Command leader discusses priorities during visit to Nellis

    The commander of Air Combat Command discussed priorities and focus areas for the command with Airmen here during a visit March 10 through 12.Topping Gen. William M. Fraser III's list of the command's priorities is taking care of Airmen."It's not the hardware or platforms making the mission happen --

  • Former chief of staff laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery

    The 10th chief of staff of the Air Force was laid to rest in a full-honors ceremony March 22 at Arlington National Cemetery, but his legacy lives with today's Airmen through his emphasis on developing camaraderie, pursuing history and recognizing excellence.Gen. Lew Allen Jr. passed away Jan. 4 in

  • Joint team leads Afghan crew chief academy

    A team of Airmen from the 440th Air Expeditionary Advisory Squadron and Soldiers from the 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade, Task Force Falcon, led the first class of Afghan National Army Air Corp soldiers through the Afghan National Security Forces Crew Chief Academy March 6 here.The joint team of

  • Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office staff updates families of loved ones

    More than 280 loved ones of American servicemembers missing in action and prisoners of war gathered for a briefing from the Defense Prisoner of War/Missing Personnel Office March 20 here.The mission of the DPMO is to establish policies worldwide for accounting for all missing servicemembers from all

  • Missile Defense Review confirms capability's necessity

    Ballistic missile defense has come out of the world of the controversial and improbable and now is in the realm of the accepted and possible, the deputy Defense secretary said March 22 here.Deputy Secretary William J. Lynn III spoke to the 8th Annual U.S. Missile Defense Conference held at the

  • DOD, airline officials sign alternative fuels pact

    A new agreement between the Defense Logistics Agency's Defense Energy Support Center and the Air Transport Association of America will help to promote widespread commercialization of environmentally friendly aviation fuels with less reliance on fossil fuels. Representatives of the Defense Logistics

  • Chilean, Air Force medics share knowledge, experience

    Air Force and Chilean medics are transitioning duties while sharing knowledge at the expeditionary hospital here March 22.Since the hospital opened March 13, Chilean and Air Force medics worked side-by-side to treat more than 130 patients and perform 16 surgeries. For many of the Airmen here,

  • Holloman Airmen train for worst in active shooter exercise

    Holloman Air Force Base members tested their preparedness during a simulated active gunman situation March 11 at the Domenici Fitness and Sports Center here.As 49th Security Forces Squadron patrolmen cleared the building in search of the suspects, a quick reaction force stood up and was en route to

  • Air Combat Command leader visits Mountain Home Airmen

    The commander of Air Combat Command visited the 366th Fighter Wing Airmen here March 7 and 8 to see them firsthand, thank them for their sacrifices and gain a better understanding of their mission, capabilities and challenges.Gen. William M. Fraser III's visit included a dinner with Idaho Gov. C. L.

  • Airman's vigilance prevents aircraft mishap

    Airmen from the 455th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron aborted an F-15E Strike Eagle mission minutes before takeoff March 12 here when a crew chief noticed an oddity with the flight controls of an aircraft.Staff Sgt. Justin Wilson, a 494th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Unit crew

  • Construction begins on new fuel pipeline at Southwest Asia base

    Construction on a new 2.7-mile pipeline to bolster ground refueling operations for the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing began March 17 at a non-disclosed base here.The $5.7 million project calls for the construction of an above-ground 8-inch carbon steel pipeline from the existing tanker truck offload

  • Civil engagement program helps prepare Iraq for future

    As U.S. officials prepare to draw down troops in Iraq, efforts are being made to ensure the effect on the country's infrastructure is minimal. Joint Base Balad's civil engagement program maximizes the base's resources and abilities and helps more than 800,000 Iraqis in the Salah ad Din Province. The

  • USAFE officials visit command's newest wing

    Gen. Roger Brady, commander of U.S. Air Forces in Europe, and Chief Master Sgt. Pamela Derrow, USAFE command chief master sergeant, visited the Airmen of the 435th Air Ground Operations Wing March 16 to see the unique blend of capabilities the unit brings to USAFE.The visit allowed General Brady and

  • 505th Command and Control Wing welcomes new Royal Air Force exchange officer

    Royal Air Force Wing Commander Allan Goodison recently took the reins as 505th Training Group deputy commander of development, here. Wing Commander Goodison will work with the 505th TRG commander integrating command and control or C2, operations with joint and coalition forces.Group members develop

  • Steering committee wraps up discussions

    Officials from 13 international air forces welcomed a new chairman after completing week-long discussions at the 59th Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training Steering Committee March 12. The discussions, hosted by members of the 80th Flying Training Wing, covered the current syllabus, funding for the

  • Lajes officials take step toward solar power

    As part of the Air Force officials' renewable energy initiative, members of the 65th Civil Engineer Squadron have taken a step toward saving taxpayers money after installing and testing their first solar energy-producing panels in a military family housing unit Feb. 22 here. The panel unit costs

  • Predator passes 700,000 hours

    Airmen of the 432nd Air Expeditionary Wing reached a new flight milestone March 12 when they surpassed 700,000 flight hours in the MQ-1B Predator remotely piloted aircraft.The last 200,000 Predator hours were flown in just over 12 months compared to 19 months to fly the previous 250,000 hours and

  • U.S., Philippine servicemembers visit school children

    Philippine and U.S. servicemembers joined together to provide much-needed clothing and other every day items to local school children March 15 here.The community relations project took place during Balikatan 2010, an annual bilateral exercise involving the Philippine military, Philippine civil

  • DOD announces recruiting and retention numbers

    Department of Defense officials announced March 18 their recruiting and retention statistics for the active and reserve components for February 2010.Active Component:Recruiting Three of the four active services met or exceeded their accession goals for February 2010. The Marine Corps purposefully

  • Joint STARS resumes re-engining program with two major contract actions

    The 751st Electronic Systems Group has successfully resumed the system design and development phase of the E-8C Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System re-engining program with the award of two large contract actions. The E-8C Joint STARS is an airborne battle management command and control

  • Precision airdrop training coming to Altus AFB

    A new training course will be soon implemented into the syllabus for all C-17 Globemaster III aircrew members attending technical training here.Air Force officials are relocating the improved container delivery system and joint precision airdrop system training to Altus Air Force Base in the coming

  • U.S., JASDF Airmen work side by side during ATR exercise

    Crewchiefs and fuels specialists worked side-by-side with their Japan Air Self Defense Force counterparts as a part of a cross-familiarization program during an aviation training relocation exercise March 8 through 12 at Tsuiki Air Base.   Staff Sgt. Curtis Roe and Airman 1st Class Curtis Watson,

  • Altus training operations begin to recover from ice storm

    Looking at Altus Air Force Base, the only signs of this year's ice storm are limbless trees that had to be trimmed down after the storm covered the base in a thick sheet of ice. However, members of the 97th Training Squadron are just now recovering from its lingering effects.The ice storm hit Altus

  • Air Force Uniform Office planning for the future

    Officials in the Air Force Uniform Office here are developing a seven-year strategic plan, which will be used to provide Air Force Uniform Board members vital uniform technology information to assist in making decisions on allocating limited resources to pursue the board's priorities.Priorities for

  • TRANSCOM gives U.S. key advantage, commander says

    One of the U.S. military's greatest advantages over its adversaries is its ability to move an enormous amount of equipment and people quickly anywhere in the world, the commander of U.S. Transportation Command told the House Armed Services Committee March 17. Gen. Duncan J. McNabb said he was

  • New members appointed to VA Advisory Committee on Women Veterans

    Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki has appointed six new members to the Advisory Committee on Women Veterans, an expert panel that advises Department of Veterans Affairs officials on a wide array of issues affecting women veterans."VA remains committed to providing quality, timely care

  • Tsuiki ATR exercise concludes

    The departure of the final two F-16 Fighting Falcons from Tsuiki Air Base March 12 signaled the end of a weeklong aviation training relocation exercise between the 35th Fighter Wing from Misawa AB, Japan and the Japan Air Self Defense Force. Approximately 90 Airmen and five F-16s were deployed from

  • Officials implement second DOS rollback

    Air Force officials announced March 17 the need for a second enlisted date of separation rollback with a mandatory DOS of June 30, 2010. This program is part of an overall effort to maintain a quality enlisted force and meet the congressionally mandated end strength.In November, officials announced

  • SOUTHCOM provides support to relief operations in Chile

    U.S. military officials are providing support to the ongoing relief efforts in Chile following the 8.8- magnitude earthquake that struck the country in late February. "U.S. military personnel have been working with local and international responders to provide relief to the hard-hit areas," said

  • U.S. Cyber Command preparations under way, general says

    Preparations for the formal establishment of U.S. Cyber Command are under way, a senior military officer here reported to Congress March 16. The formal launch of the new organization is awaiting congressional approval of its commander, according to Gen. Kevin P. Chilton, the commander of U.S.