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  • AF colonel to oversee Colorado wildfire response

    A National Guard dual-status commander has been recently appointed to support wildfire response and relief efforts in Colorado, according to Defense Department and National Guard officials.Air Force Col. Peter J. Byrne -- director of the joint staff, Joint Force Headquarters-Colorado -- was selected

  • Two Airmen identified, returned home

    The remains of two servicemen, missing from World War II and the Vietnam War, have recently been identified and are being returned to their families for burial with full military honors, Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office officials announced June 29.Identified were Army Air Forces

  • Bio-environmental Airmen monitor Colorado Front Range air quality

    Visibility continues to change dramatically along the Front Range of Colorado Springs, Colo., as wildfires burn on the western edge of the city. With the air quality affected by the fires, Air Force Space Command bio-environmental Airmen are monitoring the situation to allow commanders to better

  • Academy residents return home, operations return to normal

    More than 2,100 Airmen and their families who had to evacuate their homes at the U.S. Air Force Academy due to the Waldo Canyon fire were allowed to return as of 5 a.m. June 29.With the fire contained after burning about 10 acres of land on the installation, Academy leaders determined it was safe

  • Physiology training combats human factors of flying

    One of the secrets behind nearly 75 years of U.S. air dominance is the quality of its pilot training. But long before students learn to identify, out-maneuver and defeat enemy aircraft, they have to learn to deal with a much more subtle but no less dangerous threat: hypoxia.Essentially a lack of

  • Language Enabled Airman Program application period begins July 2

    Air Force Culture and Language Center offcials recently announced the application window dates for the Fall 2012 Language Enabled Airman Program selection board. Applications for the Language Enabled Airman Program will be accepted July 2 through August 31, and a selection board will be held this

  • AGE turns ground power into air power

    When a call comes in to the 380th Expeditionary Maintenance Squadron Aerospace Ground Equipment flight, requesting a piece of equipment for an aircraft, the flight responds and delivers it.However, it isn't the call for AGE that prompts the flight into action - the delivery is actually the end

  • Firefighters make progress on Academy blaze

     The Waldo Canyon fire that has grown to 18,500 acres and burned hundreds of homes here has been contained on the southwestern corner of the U.S. Air Force Academy on June 28.The fire had burned about 10 acres of land on the Academy in the early morning of June 27, but firefighters on scene have

  • Despite fires, cadets arrive on time at Academy

    With fires still burning in the nearby Waldo Canyon and most of the base evacuated, about 1,000 new cadets of the class of 2016 in-processed on schedule June 28 at the U. S. Air Force Academy, Colo.To minimize the amount of cadets on base, Academy officials relocated about 550 cadets with about 200

  • Propulsion flight improves maintenance process on C-130s

    Members of the 379th Expeditionary Maintenance Squadron Propulsion Flight have implemented a new process that reduces the propeller maintenance repair cycle time for the C-130 Hercules here. "We are really excited about this process because the new two- and three-day flow processes we implemented

  • Overseas scholarship, fellowship applications due in July

    Airmen who want to attend university overseas, be a White House fellow, serve a two-year fellowship in Japan or compete for an information assurance scholarship have until July 31 to submit their application, Air Force Personnel Center officials said. "These programs help us develop Airmen, which is

  • National Guard to host virtual diversity update

    The Office of Diversity and Special Emphasis Programs is gearing up to host its semi-annual National Guard Bureau Virtual Diversity Update, viewable online beginning July 24.This semi-annual update features a roundtable discussion with Air Force Gen. Craig McKinley, the chief of the National Guard

  • CAP cadets get taste of pararescue career field

    The 306th Rescue Squadron hosted more than 20 Civil Air Patrol cadets during the advanced pararescue orientation course here June 13-23.The course is a 10-day challenge that tests CAP cadets both mentally and physically as they are constantly evaluated on the stringent requirements of the

  • CSAF honors flight training instructor with Kolligian Trophy

    Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz presented Capt. Frank Baumann, an instructor pilot from the 80th Flying Training Wing at Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas, one of the Air Force's most prestigious flight safety awards during a Pentagon ceremony here June 27. Baumann was named the 2011

  • Through Airmen's Eyes: Deployed Airman lives her core values

    (This feature is part of the "Through Airmen's Eyes" series on AF.mil. These stories and commentaries focus on a single Airman, highlighting their Air Force story.)Just two months into her first deployment, Air Force Airman 1st Class Rhiannon O'Leary is staying busy. While working for the 451st

  • Officials say progress must continue in PTSD treatment

    Great strides have been made in treating service members with post-traumatic stress disorder, but progress must continue, military and medical leaders told an audience here today.The military's three surgeons general and the Army's senior sergeant major spoke at an event to mark the third-annual

  • Academy cadet uses training to save life

    A United States Air Force Academy cadet put his military training into action when he saved the life of a civilian from a car accident on June 9, 2012. Christopher Kirk, of Burlington, Iowa, has just completed his third year at the academy and was selected amongst his peers to attend a 5-week

  • Firefighters continue to battle Colorado Springs blaze

    Firefighters continued to battle several fires that burned into the evening hours in Waldo Canyon near here June 27.The fires, which have burned more than 15,000 acres, began spreading to the southwestern corner of the Academy in the early morning, causing base officials to evacuate residents, with

  • Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System crews eager to fight fire another day

     Members of the 731st Expeditionary Air Squadron arrived during the early morning hours of June 27 to prepare the Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System-equipped C-130 Hercules for another day of aerial fire-fighting. MAFFS is a self-contained aerial firefighting system owned by the U.S. Forest

  • Vandenberg sends 'hot shots' to Colorado wildfire front lines

    Vandenberg Air Force Base officials deployed the only Defense Department wildland firefighting asset at 2 p.m. June 27 in support of the wildland firefighting efforts in Colorado Springs, Colo.The 18-member Vandenberg Air Force Base Hot Shot crew, along with two hot shots crew carrier vehicles, one

  • Information is best weapon against suicide

    In 2010 there were 110, in 2011 there were 122, and halfway through 2012 the number is already 140.These numbers, according to Defense Department officials, refer to suicides committed across the services within the past three years. It shows an upward trend in the number of lives lost despite the

  • US, Indonesia air forces strengthen partnership during tactical exercise

     Approximately 80 U.S. and 75 Indonesian airmen will participate in exercise Cope West 2012 here June 25 - 29.Cope West is a bilateral, tactical airlift exercise designed to advance interoperability between the two partner air forces.The exercise will allow U.S. and Indonesian airmen to exchange

  • Dempsey details defense challenges in visit to Nebraska base

    Likening the global security environment to strong winds such as those that come with severe weather here in the central plains, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff spoke June 26 about challenges buffeting the nation.Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey and his wife, Deanie, spoke with 300 service

  • Airmen train with Kyrgyzstan partners

    Exercise Regional Cooperation 2012, a multinational exercise designed to strengthen relationships and promote regional cooperation among participating nations, is being held at the Koi Tash Military Academy, Kyrgyzstan, June 18 to 28. The exercise tested participants' emergency management

  • 'Son Tay' Talon flies into history

    After more than 23,500 hours of flight and approximately 47 years in service, the MC-130E Combat Talon I known as the "Godfather" left the ground here for the last time June 22 for its ultimate mission.The aircraft with the tail number 64-0523 took off for its final resting place -- a special

  • International summit focuses on enlisted issues

    Representatives of air forces from seventeen nations participated in the 2012 Partner Nations Summit here this week. The three-day event was co-hosted by the Royal Canadian Air Force and the U.S. Air Force, and focused on building relationships through discussion of common topical issues."We are

  • Wildland fire fight presents operational, personal challenges

    The flightline here roared to life June 26 as the engines of four C-130 Hercules cranked up to begin day two of Modular Airborne Fire Fighting missions in Colorado. The scene was reminiscent of a NASCAR pit with aircraft landing and refueling quickly before taking flight. Tuesday began the first

  • Air Force teams work to tame Colorado wildfires

    An Air Force team from the active duty, Air National Guard, the Air Reserve and the Air Force Academy have mobilized to help fight the quickly spreading Waldo Canyon fire near Colorado Springs, Colo., that has burned more than 3,500 acres.The request for assistance from the National Interagency Fire

  • AF top engineers give tips on saving energy, money

    Summer is officially under way. While it means fun in the sun for Airmen and their families, it can be an expensive, wasteful time of year for the Air Force. Utility bills on installations often rise drastically as air conditioning units and sprinkler systems work to keep up. The Air Force spends

  • Creech crew chief feared drowned following boating incident

    Local authorities continue to perform search and recovery operations for 28 year-old Staff Sgt. Antonio Tucker, a remotely piloted aircraft crew chief for the 432d Aircraft Maintenance Squadron here who disappeared after leaving his rental boat on June 23. The operation changed from search and

  • 'New AFNIC' offers cyber advantage

    "Cyber Innovation. Mission Success." This is how the "New" Air Force Network Integration Center officials sum up what their organization provides to the Air Force and other mission partners.It's a phrase representing a new direction for a not-so-new organization. AFNIC, established from what was

  • Two RAF Fairford firefighters earn AF heroism award

    Two firefighters from the 420th Air Base Squadron were recently awarded the Robert A. McAllister Heroism Award.Firefighters Lynsey Pope and Robert McEvoy were recognized by the Air Force for performing an act of courage above and beyond the call of duty after encountering a car crash on an English

  • Air Force presence helps preserve progress in Iraq

    A group of Airmen assigned to the Office of Security Cooperation - Iraq help to preserve progress made in the country after almost a decade of war. The mission of OSC-I, in coordination with USCENTCOM and U.S. Mission-Iraq, is to conduct security cooperation activities to build partner capacity in

  • Air Force awards $960 million in small business IT contracts

    The Air Force is announcing the award of 12 contracts worth up to $960 million that will make it quicker and easier for the warfighter to obtain innovative information technology services and capabilities covering the full spectrum of operations and missions.The Air Force's Network Centric

  • Colorado reserve unit called in to fight wildland fires

    The Air Force Reserve Command's 302nd Airlift Wing here received word June 24 that it was tasked to provide Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System, or MAFFS, support to the ongoing Colorado wildland fires. The request for assistance from The National Interagency Fire Center to the Department of

  • Kansas reservists 'refuel' Military Channel

    A KC-135 Stratotanker aircrew assigned to the Air Force Reserve 931st Air Refueling Group here was cast in a sort of supporting role for a Military Channel television program while performing an air refueling mission in the skies above New Mexico June 21.The routine air refueling mission called for

  • SOUTHCOM, partners prepare to respond to natural disasters

    Putting lessons learned from the 2010 earthquake response in Haiti into practice, U.S. Southern Command has entered this year's hurricane season ready to provide timely, effective aid should another disaster strike the region, command officials reported."We remain deliberately prepared," Southcom

  • AF instructors learn modern Army combatives skills

    After spending five days in a joint combatives "train the trainer" course, Air Force participants gained a valuable benefit in becoming certified to teach both Modern Army Combatives and Basic Air Force Combatives:"Confidence," said Lt. Col. Tim Thurston, the 322nd Training Squadron commander --

  • Program encourages Airmen to 'Be Ready'

    Every year on June 1, when hurricane season officially begins, Airmen at bases along the East Coast and the Gulf of Mexico start to pay more attention to the weather. It pays to be vigilant. Last year, on Aug. 27, 2011, Hurricane Irene landed in North Carolina and traveled up the Atlantic Coast,

  • U.S., Japanese defense officials to meet to discuss Osprey issues

    Senior Defense Department officials will brief a Japanese delegation at the Pentagon on July 22 on recent incidents involving U.S. MV-22 and CV-22 Osprey aircraft variants, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said today."This is a tangible demonstration of how seriously the Department of Defense

  • Air Force Safety Automated System vital to tracking, preventing mishaps

    The Air Force Safety Center continues to develop and deploy enhancements to the Air Force Safety Automated System to provide accurate mishap information and timely risk mitigation data to all levels of command. AFSAS is a Web-enabled mishap reporting and analysis system that's accessible 24/7

  • Thousands of Vietnamese receive health care during joint, combined operation

    A team of approximately 30 U.S. military service members conducted health education clinics for local residents at two schools here June 10-18. The U.S. service members joined more than 25 Vietnamese civilian and military doctors and 21 non-governmental organization volunteers as part of Operation

  • Air Force male athlete of the year goes for gold

    The sound of thrashing epees and rubber soles squeaking against metal boards ring throughout the fencing gym at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. It is here that fencer Weston Kelsey practices twice a day, five days a week, in preparation for the 2012 Olympic Games in London.

  • Historic flying units celebrate anniversary, continue making history

    In the spring of 1942 the United States filled battle-torn European skies with squadrons of airborne war machines. Among them, two transport squadrons began carrying troops and supplies into the Second World War, beginning a parallel history spanning seven decades and many military conflicts. As if

  • German air force brings Eurofighter, skills to Eielson AFB

    After a nearly 5,000-mile trip across the world, 150 members of the German air force recently arrived here with eight German Eurofighter Typhoons.It is the first time the German airframe has deployed overseas, according to German officials. In fact, it is the very first of the Eurofighter's

  • Airman missing from Vietnam War identified

    The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office announced June 20 that the remains of a service member, missing in action since the Vietnam War, have been identified and will be returned to his family for burial with full military honors.Capt. Clyde W. Campbell, of Longview, Texas, will be

  • Air Force officials announce milestone Atlas V launch

    As part of the Defense Department's ongoing efforts to maintain assured, affordable access to space through 2030, the Atlas V rocket successfully lifted off from Space Launch Complex-41 at Florida's Cape Canaveral on June 20, Air Force officials said."This is an exciting time for the U.S. space

  • Two Airmen missing from Vietnam War identified

    The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office announced today that the remains of two servicemen, missing in action from the Vietnam War, have been identified and are being returned to their families for burial with full military honors.Lt. Col. Charles M. Walling of Phoenix was buried June

  • Engineer hits way onto All-Air Force team

    First Lt. Kristina Stewart has taken a few weeks off from her duties as the 3rd Space Operations Squadron mission planning and engineering section chief here to play a little volleyball. Actually, Stewart will play more than just a little after earning a spot on the All-Air Force Women's Volleyball

  • Carter urges Charleston service members to consider future

    Deputy Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter visited service members in the coastal low country of South Carolina on June 18, urging the Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen who serve the nation here to think about the future. Against the backdrop of a hulking C-17 Globemaster III transport jet, one of 54 on

  • 702nd Expeditionary Airlift Squadron deactivates at Kandahar Airfield

    A small group of Air Guardsmen were joined by senior leaders June 18 to celebrate the completion of their deployment in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and to honor the deactivation of the 702nd Expeditionary Airlift Squadron here.The 702nd EAS was activated here July 31, 2011, and charged to

  • Playground dedicated for children of the fallen

    Donors, wing leaders and distinguished guests were on hand for a ribbon cutting ceremony of a new playground at the Fisher House for Families of the Fallen June 18 here. The playground, dedicated to the children who travel to Dover Air Force Base, Del., to witness a dignified transfer of a loved

  • Famed 'Candy Bomber' honored at JB Charleston

    Retired Col. Gail Halvorsen's Air Force legacy is built on chocolate, bubble gum and hope. Leaders here renamed the C-17 Aircrew Training Building after Halvorsen June 15 with a dedication ceremony in honor of the legendary "Berlin Candy Bomber." In 1948, World War II was over and its aftermath had

  • Polish AF flies in Red Flag for first time

    They boarded a C-130 Hercules and made the flight across the Atlantic Ocean to a place where the local language isn't their own native tongue. This isn't your normal U.S. Air Force deployment scenario, but the experience of a Polish air force crew participating in Red Flag-Alaska. Red Flag is a

  • Air Force Lt. finishes Bronco's mini-camp, continues to follow dream

    As another year of the National Football League season nears, military members might want to pay closer attention to their TVs as one of their own maybe lining up on the gridiron Sunday afternoons.Benjamin Garland, a Grand Junction, Colo. native, recently completed the Denver Broncos three-day

  • Osan unveils monument dedicated to fallen Airmen

    U.S. and South Korea air force leaders gathered in front of the officers' club here June 12 to unveil a monument dedicated to the 1,920 U.S. Airmen killed or wounded in the Korean War. The bronze bust depicts Capt. James A. Van Fleet Jr., who lost his life in 1952 during a night bombing mission near

  • Exercises demonstrate Global Strike flexibility, capability

    Air Force Global Strike Command Airmen participated in two major exercises this month, demonstrating the command's flexibility and global reach while testing its tactics, techniques and procedures.Airmen from the 2nd Bomb Wing's 20th and 96th Bomb Squadrons teamed with Airmen from the 307th Bomb

  • Total Force Personnel Services Customer Experience survey launches June 22

    Air Force officials will distribute an online survey June 22 to to solicit feedback about user's experiences using the myPers-Total Force Service Center and myPers website.Thousands of Regular Air Force, Air National Guard, Air Force Reserve and civilian members will be asked for their participation

  • Australian airmen glimpse future at Red Flag-Alaska

    Men and women in flight suits of green passed through the halls in a hive of activity. The building was buzzing with the language and accents of different nationalities, all in preparation for the day's oncoming events here. As personnel filtered through the doors of the building and onto the

  • U.S., Vietnamese militaries collaborate on clinic restoration

    Airmen and Soldiers from around the Pacific have worked to restore the Xuan Lam Medical Clinic in Nghe An Province, Vietnam, since the start of Operation Pacific Angel 12 here beginning June 10. The restoration is one part of PACANGEL-Vietnam 12, an eight-day engagement designed to strengthen

  • Air Force space vehicle comes in for a landing

    The Air Force's unmanned, reusable space plane landed in the early morning of June 16 at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., a successful conclusion to a record-setting test-flight mission that began March 5, 2011, from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla.The X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle, one of two

  • Cold War U-2 pilot gets posthumous Silver Star

    More than 50 years after his U-2 aircraft was shot down over the former Soviet Union, Capt. Francis Gary Powers posthumously received one of the military's highest decorations during a ceremony here at the Pentagon June 15.Powers, who died in a helicopter crash in 1977, was awarded the Silver Star

  • Weapons school integrates cyber warfare

    Eight Air Force weapons officers completed the first cyber weapons instructor course at the U.S. Air Force Weapons School, 328th Weapons Squadron, June 16 here.Weapons officers are tactical experts trained in the art of battlespace dominance who instruct the Air Force's instructor corps and serve as

  • Joint mobility team concludes support for major combat exercise

    A joint Air Force and Army team of 120 contingency response experts concluded support operations June 9, for Joint Operational Access Exercise 12-02 in North Carolina.JOAX was a two-week mobility and ground combat exercise to prepare Airmen and Soldiers to respond to worldwide crises and

  • Combat controller posthumously awarded Silver Star

    Senior Airman Mark Forester had an American flag wrapped around his chest plate inside his body armor when he was fatally wounded by an enemy sniper's fire Sept. 29, 2010.This simple act is a testament to how Forester lived his life, a life respected by all who knew him.Forester, a combat controller

  • Finance team brings cash flow back to Iraq

    In August 2010, President Barack Obama announced the end of the combat mission in Iraq. In December 2011, images of the last U.S. service members leaving the country flooded the media. But they weren't the last to leave. A handful of U.S. service members, along with a strong U.S. and international

  • Military leaders discuss operations during Pacific region air boss conference

     Military leaders from the U.S. and the Republic of Korea gathered here June 13-14 to discuss airpower strategies in the Pacific region.The bilateral air boss conference is an annual conference that combined 120 leaders from the U.S. Air Force, Marines, Army and ROK to make up the air component team

  • Utah reservists, Lajes Airmen train together

    Reservists from the 419th Logistics Readiness Squadron at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, arrived here June 9 as part of a cooperative effort with the 65th Air Base Wing.Members of the 419th LRS completed annual training during their temporary duty stay here, while members of the 65th LRS exercised their

  • Eglin fire department named best in Air Force

    For the past four years, Eglin's Fire Department was the best large department in Air Force Materiel Command. Now, for the first time in the most seasoned fire fighters' memories, it's the best in Air Force.The fire department services a unique location. Broken into seven districts, eight fire

  • Heroes emerge in crash

    A Misawa Air Base bus was hit from behind by a Japanese national south of Sendai when returning from Tokyo, June 7.Lucky for the driver who hit the bus; his heroes were soon to emerge from three vehicles, including the bus he impacted.A group of eight servicemembers, all from the 35th Logistics

  • Airmen save drowning man

    "Help!" someone faintly calls out. You look out to the ocean and see a man's arms flailing about, half a mile into the surf, struggling to stay afloat as waves crash down on him. What would you do, knowing lifeguards are not close enough to save him?Three 4th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron Airmen

  • Osprey crash leaves five injured

    Five aircrew members were injured when their tilt-rotor aircraft crashed north of Navarre, Fla. on the Eglin Range. At approximately 6:45 p.m. June 13, Hurlburt Field was notified that a 1st Special Operations Wing aircraft had crashed on the Eglin Range during a routine training mission. Emergency

  • Air Force, Republic of Korea allies partner for potential CBRN attacks

    With the ever-present threat of North Korea so close, Pacific Air Forces and South Korean Airmen constantly train to respond to any potential attacks.A combined workshop June 7 and 8 gave the allies a chance to strengthen their partnership through demonstrations of the equipment each side uses

  • National Guard troops battle Western wildfires

    Citizen-Soldiers and -Airmen from five states are working alongside civilian first responders as they continue to battle wildfires in Colorado and New Mexico.New Mexico Army National Guard members are still battling the Little Bear wildfire near Ruidoso, N.M., which is approximately 35 percent

  • Air Force leaders send birthday messages to Army

    Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz and Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force James Roy salute the Army on its 237th birthday June 14. Secretary Donley wrote a letter to the secretary of the Army stating:"Congratulations to you and all of your

  • Air Force launches first special tactics wing

    U.S. Air Force Special Operations Command stood up the 24th Special Operations Wing in a ceremony at Hurlburt Field, Fla., June 12 to meet the growing demand for the unique capabilities special tactics Air Commandos provide.AFSOC commander Lt. Gen. Eric Fiel said creation of this new brand of wing

  • AF officials launch online civilian retirement tool

    Air Force human resources officials added a new feature in May to the Employee Benefits Information System Web application that allows Air Force appropriated fund civilians to request benefits-related actions online. The HR Link module will help civilians prepare for retirement, request a retirement

  • PACANGEL 12 kicks off in Vietnam

    Approximately 58 U.S. military members, along with the Vietnam People's Armed Forces and two non-governmental organizations, Project H.O.P.E. and East Meets West, kicked-off Pacific Angel-Vietnam 12 in Nghe An Province, Vietnam, June 11.This iteration of PACANGEL-Vietnam includes humanitarian

  • Colorado, New Mexico, Wyoming National Guards battling wildfires

    National Guard units are currently battling wildfires in parts of Colorado, New Mexico and Wyoming, deploying approximately 180 Citizen Soldiers and Airmen on state active duty to assist local civilian first responders.In Colorado, Army National Guard members were assisting firefighting efforts at

  • MIA bracelet connects Airmen across decades

    Twenty-two years ago, Air Force Academy cadet Amy Santmyer, now Lt. Col. Amy Young, decided she would wear an MIA bracelet honoring Lt. Col. Charles Walling, an F-4C Phantom pilot who was shot down Aug. 8, 1966, during a close air support mission in the Dong Nai province northeast of Saigon,

  • CSAF: Balance required to avoid a 'hollow force'

    The Air Force chief of staff reinforced the importance of avoiding a "hollow force" to a group of civic and industry leaders attending the Air Force Association's monthly breakfast here June 11.Gen. Norton Schwartz said the Air Force must secure the proper balance between three separate but closely

  • Laughlin AFB civilian dies in motorcycle accident

    A civilian employee with the 47th Maintenance Directorate here was killed in a motorcycle accident in Del Rio, Texas, June 11 at about 6:45 a.m.The name of the deceased is being withheld until 24 hours after next-of-kin are notified. "My deepest condolences go out to the family, friends and

  • Michigan ANG in Estonia for Saber Strike 2012

    The Michigan Air National Guard has landed in Estonia. Operating as part of Saber Strike 2012, a multi-national exercise based in Estonia and Latvia, the Michigan ANG has landed KC-135 Stratotanker and A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft at Amari Air Base, Estonia. "We are eager to begin working with our

  • Marine, AF pilots temporarily swap services

    Two instructor pilots assigned to the 310th Fighter Squadron are currently on very similar and overlapping career paths at Luke Air Force Base as part of the Joint Service Pilot Exchange Program.Air Force Capt. Michael McGrew is on his way to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, Calif., to begin the

  • Airmen retrieve fuel tanks from at Misawa AB

    Eight Airmen from the 35th Fighter Wing recovered two external fuel tanks from the Draughon Range bombing facility here June 1.On May 17, 2012, at 9:15 a.m., an F-16 Fighting Falcon from Misawa Air Base inadvertently released the two external fuel tanks while conducting flight training on Draughon

  • Airmen train in joint environment

    Members from the Army, Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps came out to Davis-Monthan for helicopter pre-deployment training June 7.Lt. Col. Kjall Gopaul, 355th Mission Support Group deputy commander, led the multiservice training. It was the first of its kind at the base."This training is important so

  • AF med group tests disaster response

    Medical professionals from the 779th Medical Group honed their disaster-response skills during a recent exercise here.Two expeditionary medical support teams, made up of more than 50 members each, constructed and took down a 25-bed field hospital. "The EMEDS team provides full scale medical support

  • FOB Shank C-17 Accident Investigation Board complete

    Air Mobility Command released the results of its investigation into the Jan. 23, 2012, mishap involving a C-17A Globemaster III that landed at Forward Operating Base Shank, Afghanistan.The Accident Investigation Board, convened by AMC, found that the cause of the mishap was the pilot and co-pilot

  • 2nd Lt. earns Air Medal

    Before pilots fly in a deployed environment they have to become "mission ready." From the start of pilot training the process takes upwards of two years, but one hard-charging second lieutenant managed to obtain his commission, his wings and fly more than 20 combat sorties in the area of

  • Commando competition promotes special ops skills, collaboration

    As elite commandos from across the Western Hemisphere compete this week in a grueling counterterrorism and special operations skills competition, the commander of Special Operations Command South said they're building the relationships required to confront transnational organized crime gripping much

  • Buckley firefighters perform water rescue during storms

    Members of the Buckley Fire Department were dispatched around midnight June 7 to a water rescue call in Aurora, Colo. A man was trapped in his van due to flooding caused by severe storms, but due to the efforts of the fire department, he escaped unharmed, officials said.The call came in from Sable

  • Luke AFB reduces energy, earns money

    The 56th Civil Engineer Squadron here will receive approximately $54,500 from an energy program by reducing the amount of electricity Luke Air Force Base uses from June 1 to Sept. 30. The Peak Solutions Program was created through a partnership between Comverge, an energy management solution

  • Cactus Starfighter brings fight to range

    Troops sat pinned down under attack from a line of enemy vehicles. Insurgents shot down the F-16 Fighting Falcon coming to help and the pilot lay stranded near the fighting. On a small hilltop behind a pile of rocks, the joint terminal attack controller looks over the scene and coordinates close-air

  • NOAA armed for 2012 hurricane season

    While most residents here are crossing their fingers and hoping hurricanes miss the area this year, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's chief of programs is "looking forward" to the 2012 storm season.That's not to say James McFadden is hoping for plenty of hurricanes, just that he

  • Air advisors prepare Colombian air force for Red Flag

    A broken aircraft and several delays at the airport didn't stop the 571st Mobility Support Advisory Squadron from arriving in Colombia on June 3 to begin its building partner capacity mission here.The squadron's air advisors are currently working with the Colombian air force to promote regional

  • Hercules: A day in the life

    The C-130 Hercules continues to play an integral role transporting troops and cargo throughout Afghanistan. In addition to hauling cargo and passengers to forward operating locations throughout Afghanistan, the aircrews of the 455th Air Expeditionary Wing here are often tasked to fly airdrops,

  • Attaché duty applications due in July

    Line of the Air Force active-duty officers interested in opportunities to help build and sustain international relationships have until July 7 to apply for attaché officer duty at locations ranging from Burundi to Russia, Air Force Personnel Center officials announced June 7 here.AFPC and the Office

  • Holloman Airman killed in motorcycle accident

    A staff sergeant assigned to Holloman Air Force Base, N.M., was killed in a motorcycle accident six miles north of Timberon, N.M., May 27 at approximately 1:30 p.m.Staff Sgt. Jamaa Zachry, 27, was a 49th Maintenance Squadron aerospace ground equipment journeyman from Wichita Falls, Texas. He joined

  • Officials release investigation report on trainee's death

    The Air Force released a report of investigation June 7 into the death of an Air Force trainee, which occurred Oct. 19, 2011.The report cited Airman 1st Class Steven D. Williams' cause of death as cardiac dysrhythmia, or abnormal rhythm. Williams was in basic military training at Joint Base San