Tricare beneficiaries save time, money with new service

Registering for the Tricare mail-order pharmacy is now just a quick phone call or click of a mouse away for military families and retireees with the launch of the new Member Choice Center. With this new service, beneficiaries obtain enrollment assistance, and MCC members contact the physician to

C-5 to be showcased at Air Force Marathon

The official aircraft of the 11th annual Air Force Marathon is the C-5 Galaxy and marathon participants, spectators and volunteers will see the aircraft fly over the course of the race Sept. 15 at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.A C-5 will fly over the base as the day will be filled with

Air Force's 'Knowledge Now' streamlines flow of information

The Air Force now has a "virtual community" where individuals can go anytime to share information with their peers anywhere in the world. Called "Knowledge Now," this community is a collaborative Web system that is accessible through the Air Force Portal and is designed to allow Airmen of all ranks,

50 slots available for nurse enlisted commissioning program

An Air Force supplemental board is scheduled for October to select 50 additional candidates due to a shortfall in the number of qualified applicants for the Nurse Enlisted Commissioning Program.Program officials are looking to fill those slots for the spring 2008 start date with Airmen who want to

CSAF's Scope highlights SERE training, AMU reorganization

The Chief of Staff of the Air Force's Scope focuses on current topics the Air Force chief of staff feels are of special importance to today's Airmen. Among Gen. T. Michael Moseley's top issues this month are revamping survival, evasion, resistance and escape training for Airmen and reorganizing

E-Pubs migrate to Air Force Public Web

Whether you are a warfighter in Iraq or a retired Airman in Nebraska, accessing Air Force forms or publications is now easier than ever due to a centralized Web site that began Aug. 24.The Air Force Departmental Publishing Office, or e-Pubs, officially migrated under the Air Force Public Web program

Air Force Week art exhibit opening set for Sept. 13

"Heritage to Horizons: Living History through Air Force Art" is one of the featured events of Air Force Week Honolulu set to take place Sept. 7 to 15.  Plans for the art exhibit in honor of the Air Force's 60th anniversary will showcase 50 paintings from the Pacific Air Forces' collection of about

Manas Top 3 Council swings into action in Kyrgyzstan

What do you get when you combine 11 Airmen, a swing set and about 60 children? A recipe for success. Members from the Manas Air Base Top Three Council delivered a swing set to the Umut-Nadjeshda Children's Rehabilitation Center Aug. 20 in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. Officials from the U.S.

Wilford Hall opens Joint Warfighter Refractive Surgery Center

Cutting-edge laser eye surgery procedures for active-duty servicemembers are now available as 59th Medical Wing officials opened the first Department of Defense Joint Warfighter Refractive Surgery Center Aug. 23 here.  The $2.7 million renovated facility houses the most advanced technology available

Small meds make big impact in Afghan village

Provincial Reconstruction Team Qalat members left many Afghan villagers with a healthier outlook on life after an Aug. 22 village medical outreach in this remote region of Zabul Province in Afghanistan. Nearly 200 people were seen by medics assigned to PRT Qalat and other military units stationed in

Annual unit award winners announced

The Secretary of the Air Force Personnel Council recognized the following units as Air Force Organizational Excellence Award recipients during the period of 2006-2007. Headquarters, Air Combat Command, June 1, 2004 - May 31, 2006 Headquarters, Air Mobility Command, June 1, 2004 - May 31, 2006

DOD honors Air Force civilian with small business award

Department of Defense officials honored an Air Force civilian employee with the DOD Small Business Program Manager of the Year Award for fiscal 2005 during a ceremony Aug. 22 in Washington, D.C. William G. Machingo, then the chief of the Air Force Plant 42 Integrated Product Team of the Acquisition

Offutt agency provides supplies to school

Five members of the Air Force Weather Agency here delivered more than 200 pounds of school supplies Aug. 23 to Indian Hill Elementary School students in Omaha, Neb. Staff Sgt. Kenyatta Williams, the assistant NCO in charge of net-centric database management and data routing for the Air Force Weather

Winter flights to Antarctica wrap up

Airmen from McChord Air Force Base, Wash., completed the Operation Deep Freeze 2007-08 winter fly-in season when a final C-17 Globemaster III took off Aug. 25 from Pegasus White Ice Runway in Antarctica. Members of the 304th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron flew a total of 355 passengers and 119,953

Big month for small Alaskan town

August marked a big month for the citizens of a little town in Alaska as military members will finish the Operation Alaskan Road project Aug. 31 in Metlakatla, Alaska.The Metlakatla Indian Community hosted a dedication ceremony Aug. 6 honoring the military for their commitment to complete the

Dover honors women's contribution to force

Dover Air Force Base members commemorated the 87 years since the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was passed and saluted all women here Aug. 24. Since Esther Blake enlisted July 8, 1948 on the first minute of the first hour of the first day regular Air Force duty was authorized for women,

Airmen gather at Air Force Sergeant Association Conference

The Air Force Sergeants Association met here for a week, starting Aug. 19, to discuss issues Airmen are facing in the Air Force. "This conference is an excellent opportunity for today's Airmen to meet with our knowledgeable and experienced veteran Airmen to discuss topics and issues important to the

Info gathering made 'simple' with net-centricity

U.S. Strategic Command provides the national command authority, including the secretary of defense and the president, with information on nearly any global contingency. This information must be solid enough to enable often rapid decision-making and comprehensive enough to allow potential response

Virtual warehouse for foreign military sales sets record

With one month still remaining in fiscal 2007, the Worldwide Warehouse Redistribution Services program is approaching the $16 million mark, shattering the previous record for annual sales. Managed by the Air Force Security Assistance Center here, Worldwide Warehouse Redistribution Services, or WWRS,

Americans, Iraqis interact at historical monument

Approximately 80 Iraqis from the city of An Nasiriyah interacted for the first time with Airmen and Soldiers at the Ziggurat historical monument Aug. 21 at Ali Base. It has been more than 10 years since any Iraqi native has been allowed to visit the Ziggurat of Ur, which is the most dominant

Neither snow nor deep freeze keep mail from Antarctica

Members of the Det. 4, Pacific Air Forces Air Postal Squadron here have been busy supporting Operation Deep Freeze 2007-08 winter flights to Antarctica beginning in late August after more than 150 days since the last shipment of mail to the ice station. The detachment members collected 14,000 pounds

Vandenberg supports successful missile defense experiment

Vandenberg space technicians successfully launched a space launch vehicle, the Chimera, Aug. 23 from North Vandenberg.  The Chimera is a modified Minuteman II booster vehicle with a simplified target payload. The launch was part of an exercise involving the tracking of a long-range target missile by

Air Force Reserve to form F-15E associate detachment

As part of the Air Force's Total Force Integration, the Air Force Reserve is teaming up with Air Combat Command to establish an F-15E Strike Eagle associate unit in October. A detachment of eight instructor pilots, four instructor weapon systems officers and two administrative specialists will

Air Force Reserve to form A-10 associate units

As part of the Air Force's total force integration, Air Force Reserve Command officials are teaming up with Air Combat Command officials to establish two A-10 Thunderbolt II associate units in October. A classic associate group of about 215 reservists will support the active duty 23rd Wing at Moody

Air Force convenes AFSO 21 summit

The secretary of the Air Force, chief of staff and the heads of all Air Force major commands gathered here Aug. 22 to increase the capability of the individual warfighter through Air Force Smart Operations for the 21st century, commonly known as AFSO 21. AFSO 21 is a dedicated effort to maximize

Travis Airmen grant child's wish

The 6th Air Refueling Squadron granted a local boy's wish by making him a "Pilot for a Day" in the U.S. Air Force. Mitchell Louie, of San Carlos, Calif., who is battling gliolastoma spinal cancer, got the chance to become a KC-10 Extender pilot Aug. 20 as part of the Pilot for a Day program. The

Fairchild NCO receives $10,000 for great idea

A Fairchild Air Force Base NCO used his knowledge and experience as a KC-10 Extender and KC-135 Stratotanker crew chief to come up with an idea worth $10,000.Tech. Sgt. Cade Peterson, a 92nd Maintenance Operations Squadron senior weapon system coordinator, used the the Innovative Development through

Air Force officials announce 2008 force-shaping plans

Air Force officials recently announced plans to meet the 2008 fiscal year end-strength of 328,600, which calls for a force reduction of about 5,400 officers and enlisted members through normal attrition, retirement or force-shaping measures. The reductions are in line with Air Force efforts to

Manas medical group provides hope to local hospitals

Members of the 376th Expeditionary Medical Group recently saw their efforts come to fruition during a hand-over ceremony of humanitarian medical equipment from the United States to three hospitals in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, as part of Operation Provide Hope.The largest single U.S.-assistance project

Operation Deep Freeze 2007-08 begins

Operation Deep Freeze 2007-08 winter flights began Aug. 20 ending more than five months of isolation for the research station as the first C-17 Globemaster III delivered passengers and cargo to McMurdo Station, Antarctica. Landing 15 miles from McMurdo Station at Pegasus Runway, the C-17s will carry

Afghan conference addresses communications issues

An American Airman spoke to more than 75 senior military communications professionals of the Afghan national army during a conference in July at Kabul.The conference, "Building a Capable C4 Force," was held to discuss strategic communications networks, tactical equipment fielding plans, signal

'Today's Air Force' focuses on recapitalization

This week's edition of "Today's Air Force" highlights recapitalization -- replacing the aging F-15 Eagle with the front-line air dominance fighter, the F-22 Raptor. And see more than 22,000 Airmen, Sailors, Marines and Coastguardsmen participate in Exercise Valiant Shield. The exercise showcases

Enhanced use lease will substantially benefit Air Force

The Air Force announced Aug. 17 the selection of Sunset Ridge Development Partners LLC as the highest ranked offeror for Phase 1 of the West Side Development Enhanced Use Lease, or EUL, project here. Kathleen I. Ferguson, deputy Air Force Civil Engineer at the Pentagon, selected Sunset Ridge

Speakers talk integration, cyberspace at conference

Nearly 5,000 government and industry officials gathered here at the Auburn University-Montgomery campus Aug. 13 to 15 for the 2007 Air Force Information Technology Conference. Hosted by the 754th Electronic Systems Group in conjunction with the city of Montgomery, the Air Force Information

Whole-base transfer completed at Carswell

The Air Force recently completed a whole-base transfer of legacy Base Closure and Realignment property at the former Carswell Air Force Base here when the Army accepted ownership of 247 acres of property known as the weapons storage area.In the 1940s, the former Carswell AFB was used for training,

Programs help Airmen, families prepare for deployment

As part of ongoing efforts to inform Airmen about ways to manage stress, Air Force officials here introduced a monthly campaign to highlight initiatives to help Airmen and their families cope with life's difficulties, and the initiative for August is deployment readiness.Air Force officials employ

Academy academics rank among best in nation

The Air Force Academy was named the best baccalaureate college in the west, and received top rankings in several engineering programs, according to the U.S. News & World Report's America's Best Colleges 2008 rankings, released Aug. 17. U.S. News & World Report evaluated the 320 universities in the

U.S. military women reach out to Djiboutian women

U.S. military women attached to Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa visited the girls' orphanage Aug. 15 in Djibouti City. During the visit, the servicemembers taught the female students the "Alphabet Song," how to count to 10, how to say and spell certain words and how to introduce

CSAF's Scope highlights force structure changes

The CSAF's Scope focuses on current topics the Air Force chief of staff feels are of special importance to today's Airmen. Among Gen. T. Michael Moseley's top issues this month is the Air Force's force structure changes and "The High Ground." To facilitate effectively success of the future force

No mountain too high, no bridge too far for Afghan PRT

Whether crawling over dirt mounds to inspect a school, hiking mountains 9,000 feet above sea level or handing out stuffed animals, members of the Panjshir Provincial Reconstruction Team are pushing progress in Afghanistan. "It's a very unique job," said Lt. Col. Christopher Luedtke, PRT commander

Gen. Pace visits servicemembers in Djibouti

The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff answered questions and addressed concerns from a large audience of servicemembers during a "Town Hall meeting" Aug.14 at the Thunder Dome at Camp Lemonier, Djibouti. Marine Gen. Peter Pace, the highest-ranking officer in the U.S. military, went to Camp

Training builds foundation for deploying medics

The acrid, hazy smoke hangs over a scene that is straight out of a nightmare. A red substance that looks like blood is smeared all over the two vehicles, and one of the vehicles is tipped over on its side. Fake body parts and debris are scattered everywhere like a petulant child's unappreciated

Air Force medics provide care aboard Navy hospital ship

A team of more than 60 Air Force medics is in South America participating in a four-month joint Medical Readiness Training Exercise aboard the USNS Comfort hospital ship. The medical team, along with Latin American and Caribbean health officials, is providing free medical treatment to underserved

Automated test helps maintainers solve F-15 problems

Maintainers from bases around the world are focusing their eyes on Robins Air Force Base, the 566th Combat Sustainment Squadron's test equipment office, and a new test set that officials developed as a solution to F-15 Eagle maintenance dilemmas. A new automated flight control system test set has

Virtualized servers saving time, money and power

'The server is down' are four words you never want to hear at work, especially in Iraq. Global Cyberspace Integration Center Airmen have teamed with Multi-National Corps-Iraq communications people to evaluate server usage and provide methods of improvement to eliminate this problem, specifically

USO takes to the road in new mobile canteens

One of three United Service Organizations' mobile canteens spent Aug. 11 here during drill week as part of an effort to reach out to servicemembers who are not often exposed to the USO. The USO, famous for taking the show on the road, is using the new set of wheels to help the agency travel to

Airmen trek over mountains to deliver aid in Afghanistan

Trekking more than four hours over mountain ridges and valleys, 19 members of the Panjshir Provincial Reconstruction Team delivered medical and humanitarian aid Aug. 7 to people living in Roydara, a village set deep in a valley in Afghanistan. The group, made mostly of Airmen, as well as Soldiers,

'Today's Air Force' highlights mission in Ecuador

This week's edition of "Today's Air Force" highlights the Manta Air Base mission in Ecuador -- the fight against drug trafficking. It also features the Air Mobility Command Rodeo. See how more than 40 teams and 2,500 people from the Air Force, Air Force Reserve and allied nations took part in the

Rock band reaches out to Djiboutian villages

The U. S. Central Command Air Forces Expeditionary band "Thunder Roll" entertained audiences in local villages around Djibouti City during their summer concert series in Africa Aug. 8 to 10. Their stops included the villages of Hol Hol and Danerjog. The CENTAF band deployed to the area of operations

Afghan cadet selected for Air Force pilot training

An Afghan translator soon will attend Air Force pilot training in the United States as part of the service's Aviation Leadership Program, becoming the first such trained pilot in the Afghan National Army Air Corps. Cadet Faiz Mohd Ramaki said he is the luckiest person in Afghanistan because of the

Air National Guard recognizes top Airmen

The Air National Guard's top six enlisted Airmen of the year were recognized for their achievements when the Air Guard's command chief master sergeant hosted Airmen of the Year Week here Aug. 4 to 11. The Airmen are: -- Airman of the Year: Staff Sgt. Jesse Permenter, 116th Air Support Operations

Retired Airmen don uniforms once again to teach JROTC cadets

More than 1,900 Junior ROTC instructors, who teach at 869 school units throughout the world, finished their initial instructor training here last week. Jo Alice Talley, chief of JROTC instructor management at Air Force Officer Accession and Training Schools, said the newly hired instructors were

Secretary monitors Joint Tactical Radio System development

The secretary of the Air Force recently visited the Joint Program Executive Office in San Diego to discuss the current status of the Department of Defense-mandated Joint Tactical Radio System, or JTRS, program. Secretary Michael W. Wynne, who sits on the board of directors for the JTRS program,

General shares Tuskegee heritage with Balad Airmen

Airmen serving with the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing here got a chance to meet with a man who shared some heritage with them July 31. On his sixth visit to Balad Air Base in recent years, Maj. Gen. Darryl A. Scott, the son of a Tuskegee Airman, arrived with a number of purposes. As the commander of

Aug. 8 airpower summary: Ready on the flightline

Coalition airpower supported coalition ground forces in Iraq and International Security Assistance Force troops in Afghanistan during operations Aug. 8, according to Combined Air and Space Operations Center officials here. In Afghanistan, an Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt II dropped a guided bomb

Legends inducted into Space, Missile Pioneers Hall of Fame

One man was a nuclear physicist who led the Air Force to create a command dedicated to space, while the second is an aviation legend famous for flying airplanes into space, and together they entered the Air Force Space and Missile Pioneers Hall of Fame Aug. 8 here. The 2007 Space and Missile Pioneer

Rules change to require technicians to wear uniforms fulltime

When people visit an Air Force Reserve Command unit during a normal work week in the coming months, they are likely to see more people in military uniforms. Air Force officials changed three instructions Aug. 7 to require all air reserve technicians to wear military uniforms rather than civilian

Enlisted aviator career fields open for retrainees

Opportunities for Airmen to retrain into one of eight career enlisted aviator career fields have just been released by Air Force officials here. The Air Force has openings for first-term Airmen to retrain into the flight engineer, flight attendant, and aerial gunner specialties. In addition, the

Airman's Roll Call highlights Airmen's education benefits

This week's Airman's Roll Call highlights the importance of education for the professional and personal development of all Airmen. Through base education centers and the Air Force Virtual Education Center, Airmen have countless educational benefits right at their fingertips. The Air Force Tuition

Air Force technology helps put out fires faster

Scientists at Tyndall AFB, Fla., have developed ultra high pressure water firefighting technology that has resulted in a smaller, leaner air transportable fire truck. Starting in fiscal 2008, these new trucks can be deployed in sets of two on a C-130 Hercules, whereas the former fire trucks could

Air Force signs multiyear contract for F-22

Air Force officials here signed a production contract with Lockheed Martin Corp. to add 60 F-22 Raptors to the Air Force inventory by December 2011. The multiyear contract for the fifth-generation fighters will save the Air Force $411 million compared to a traditional annual procurement program of

Air Force leaders hold Heritage to Horizons summit

Air Force leaders past and present met with the Air Force chief of staff for the Heritage to Horizons summit Aug. 7 at Bolling Air Force Base, Washington, D.C. Gen. T. Michael Moseley led the group, which included retired Air Force chief master sergeants and general officers as the leaders provided

Full replacement value for personal property begins soon

Department of Defense customers, including servicemembers and DOD civilians, will soon be eligible for full replacement value protection on most DOD-funded personal property shipments. Full replacement value coverage will apply to personal property shipments with a pickup date on or after: -- Oct.

Center delivers new accounting, management system

A state-of-the-art financial management system that serves the Air Force and U.S. Transportation Command came to fruition last month when the Defense Enterprise Accounting and Management System Increment 1, Spiral 1 was successfully fielded at Scott Air Force Base, Ill. The DEAMS program, a vision

NCO retraining program seeks to fill some 900 positions

The 2008 NCO Retraining Program began Aug. 7 as the Air Force seeks to fill approximately 900 shortage career field and special duty positions. NCOs notified of their vulnerability to retrain must submit the shortage career field choices they would most like to retrain into or apply for a special

Improved health care plan for reservists starts in October

Reservists can begin signing up Aug. 11 for more affordable Tricare Select Reserve health care that starts Oct. 1. For some, it means they will pay a third of what they are paying today. "All drilling reservists, including individual mobilization augmentees, will have access to the health-care

Services, mission support merger complete at test bases

The merger of services and mission support squadrons at six Air Force bases is now complete. The new combined organizations, called "force support squadrons," are paying huge dividends through improved service to customers, better synergy between organizations and increased efficiency in processes

Falcons have everything to prove this football season

Unlike previous seasons, the 2007 Air Force football team has no catchy slogan it will use as a rallying cry or the media can use as a sound bite or a headline. Instead, first-year head coach and 1989 Academy grad, Troy Calhoun, told the annual media day gathering of local and regional reporters on

'Today's Air Force' highlights Afghan operations

The first segment of this week's edition of "Today's Air Force" features the Craig Joint Theater Hospital, a state-of-the-art facility at Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan, that provides top-notch healthcare for deployed Airmen.This new facility was constructed by a provincial reconstruction team, or

Manas helpers receive a little help themselves

The two main Manas Air Base community service organizations received some assistance of their own Aug. 4, with a $10,000 donation. The Royal Exodus Colonial Club donated $5,000 each to the Manas Air Base Outreach Society and the Manas Service Organization. The Royal Exodus Colonial Club is a leisure

Former secretary of the Air Force dies

Former Secretary of the Air Force John C. Stetson died Aug. 2 at his home in Lake Forest, Ill. Mr. Stetson was the 12th secretary of the Air Force, serving from June 1978 to May 1979. He was born in Chicago in 1920. He received a bachelor of science degree in aeronautical engineering from

Regional demonstrations encourage bright future

The Air Force along with 15 countries from Central America, South America and the Caribbean came together to participate in a Regional Coordination Center demonstration July 31 through Aug. 2 in Eagan, Minn. With joint efforts from the U.S. Southern Command, Air Forces Southern, and Lockheed Martin,

Raptor maintenance training 'ramps' up at Sheppard

The world of F-22 Raptor maintenance is becoming as high-tech as the sophisticated fighter itself. Because of new equipment called Portable Maintenance Aids,  or PMAs, maintainers here have vastly improved capabilities over past procedures and the initial skills training will reflect this advanced

Airmen teach Afghan police forces tactics, training

Members of the Police Technical Advisory Team here have trained more than 200 Afghan national police and Afghan national auxiliary police since April to help improve the security of Afghanistan.Team members train 10 to 20 Afghan national police and Afghan national auxiliary police every week and

Air Force funds research on self-healing materials

A research team at the University of Illinois, funded by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, is creating new, cutting-edge structural microvascular materials which will have repetitive, self-healing capabilities as well as self-cooling behavior.Professor Scott White and his colleagues are

Latest 'Today's Air Force' highlights Air Force's focus

This week's edition of "Today's Air Force" highlights three Air Force's topics:  modernization and recapitalization, air shows and the culture of responsibility. Leaders understand that cyberspace will be the final war-fighting frontier. With technology steadily advancing, the need for cyberspace

Joint servicemembers convoy supplies to Afghan refugees

Dozens of joint servicemembers delivered clothing and supplies to an Afghan refugee camp near Kabul July 27 as part of a volunteer community relations program offered by the garrison chaplains at Camp Eggers. Combined Security Transition Command-Afghanistan members delivered a truck full of

Volunteers deliver donations in Kabul

Humanitarian team returns from Pacific mission

A team of approximately 50 medical, dental and civil engineer servicemembers returned to Hickam Air Force Base July 28 after completing a mission to provide civil assistance and training to local residents of three Pacific islands. The team of Airmen, Sailors and Soldiers departed Hickam AFB for the

Artists document Rodeo competition

Whether it's the sound of a pencil scratching paper or the flash of light from their digital cameras, four artists with the Air Force Art Program are working to portray Air Mobility Command's Rodeo 2007 through their art at McChord Air Force Base. More than 2,500 competitors and observers from the

Beale Global Hawk deploys for first time

The 9th Reconnaissance Wing's RQ-4 Global Hawk program passed a significant milestone by completing its first operational Global Hawk deployment July 19 from Beale Air Force Base to Andersen AFB, Guam. "This is the first time in United States Air Force history that we've deployed the Global Hawk

Space institute hosts first international students

Four Australian military members recently traveled more than 10,000 miles to Peterson Air Force Base to expand their knowledge of U.S. space operations and the constantly changing global arena of space. Air Force Space Command officials invited these international students to attend the National

Reservist helps fellow firefighters in Nauru

A reservist used his civilian job connections in addition to his Air Force training to make life better for the people living on the island of Nauru in the South Pacific during a U.S. Pacific Command humanitarian mission there July 20 through 30. Master Sgt. Paul Melkers, a Reserve flight medic with

Security forces Rodeo teams tested by the best

When it comes to adding realism to Air Mobility Command's Rodeo 2007 security forces tactics competition being held here July 21 through 28, the Airmen testing the competitors are among the best the Air Force has to offer. The approximately 30 role players and coordination and support staff for the

International officers observe Red Flag-Alaska

Eighteen senior military leaders from nations across the globe converged in Alaska to see first-hand the training capabilities offered through Red Flag-Alaska exercises. This year's Executive Observer Program shows that many international militaries have interest in participating in the exercise

Air Force NSPS update released

The Air Force has deployed more than 39,000 employees to the National Security Personnel System. When fully implemented, NSPS will cover more than 128,000 Air Force employees and affect civilian employees, civilian supervisors and military members who supervise civilian employees. The Air Force

Joint team works to improve care in Nauru

Life is unique in the world's smallest island nation -- the tiny South Pacific island of Nauru. It sits just slightly south of the equator, so most of the day is uncommonly hot. Electricity flows in a given facility for no more than 12 hours a day; it comes on for about six hours at a time on the

Kyrgyz air controllers view Manas from the ground

Kyrgyz Air Navigation controllers who help keep a watchful eye on the sky over Manas finally had a chance to get the "ground's eye" view of Manas Air Base in July. The controller crews toured the base as part of their ongoing English education program with members of the 376th Expeditionary

Airman's Roll Call discusses base realignment, closure

This week's Airman's Roll Call discusses base realignment and closure requirements for Air Force installations and offices to be closed or moved to maximize efficiency. The efficiencies that will be achieved as a result of BRAC will help free up critical resources needed for today's fight, as well

Planners keep Rodeo 2007 aircraft flying

On a gray Pacific Northwest morning in the middle of July, McChord Air Force Base resembled a European airfield at the height of the Berlin Airlift. While the operations tempo for McChord AFB has been high for the last several years, the influx of aircraft here for the 2007 Air Mobility Command

Center delivers interoperability between combat, mobility air forces

The Global Cyberspace Integration Center here soon will begin fielding Theater Battle Management Core System Service Pack 7, a critical system upgrade and important milestone to completing seamless interoperability with Air Mobility Command's new flagship unit and force level Global Decision Support

Air Force med techs solve equipment problems at Vietnamese hospital

While the USS Peleliu's embarked medical staff has been conducting medical and dental civic action programs throughout the Da Nang region, a small team of Air Force technicians have been working behind the scenes to contribute to Pacific Partnership's medical mission as well. Three Air Force

Latest 'Today's Air Force' highlights efficiency, management

This week's edition of "Today's Air Force" highlights how Airmen at bases around the world are continually looking for ways to help the Air Force become more efficient. The war on terrorism has Airmen all around the world doing their part, whether in Iraq, Afghanistan or anywhere around the globe.

Art exhibit draws crowd to Air Force heritage

A collection of art illustrating Air Force heritage since before the service's beginning through today's expeditionary operations was the spotlight for local military, civic and business leaders during a gathering July 18 in honor of the Air Force's 60th Anniversary. The exhibit, titled "Heritage to

Defense leaders build on strong relations in Hawaii

Defense officials are working to make Hawaii a better place for military members and their families to live. Navy Adm. Timothy Keating, the commander of U.S. Pacific Command, met here with Dr. David Chu, under secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, this week to discuss key issues. Solid

AU provides curriculum, manpower for Iraqi officer training

When Air University officials received a request in November to develop a curriculum for two Iraqi air force officer training schools, it produced the material in less than three months. "It took 79 days from beginning to end," said Dr. Charles Nath, director of curriculum at the Air Force Officer

Air tactics evolve to achieve effects for war on terrorism

Achieving airpower objectives more effectively is what more than 200 of the most proficient expeditionary Airmen gathered recently to discuss at the quarterly Weapons and Tactics Conference in Bahrain in July. The Weapons and Tactics Conference is a venue for Air Force weapons officers along with

Guide helps leaders manage people in distress

Air Force officials introduced 12 monthly initiatives in April to help Air Force members effectively manage stress, and July's initiative is "The Leader's Guide to Managing Personnel in Distress." The guide was created to help supervisors, first sergeants and commanders recognize distress-related

New communications platform helps EOD save lives, time

Explosive ordnance disposal teams deployed to the areas of responsibility throughout Southwest Asia now have one more tool to help them fight the war on terrorism. The very small aperture terminal, or VSAT, is a computer system that gives EOD teams the capability to make DSN calls and send and

Military team to conduct humanitarian assistance in Oceania

Approximately 50 Air Force, Army and Navy members will travel to the Pacific islands of Vanuatu, Kiribati and Nauru July 20 to 30 to provide medical, dental and engineering support and training to local residents there. This mission displays the Air Force's ability to quickly deliver relief in the