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  • Football: Opportunistic Falcons topple New Mexico

    Air Force survived a first quarter marred by turnovers and a strong New Mexico running game to pull out a 23-10 victory at Falcon Stadium in Colorado Oct. 23. The Falcons turned the ball over on three of their first four possessions, spotting the Lobos 10 points while allowing 149 total yards, 101

  • Lasers may aid missile defense, engine crack detection

    Air Force Office of Scientific Research-funded work at the University of Colorado at Boulder could lead to possible future technologies that use the high energy densities of lasers. Studies by university officials explore how atoms and molecules respond to light pulses, which could show cracks in

  • Cannon officials use AFSO 21 to improve inprocessing

    Cannon Air Force Base officials recently revamped its inprocessing program using Air Force Smart Operations for the 21st century to take a three week process into a four hour program. Beginning in July, base officials worked to improve and consolidate inprocessing for new base members and their

  • Student pilot gets first UAS assignment at Vance

    As part of an Air Force initiative to meet increased demands for its airborne intelligence, reconnaissance, surveillance, force protection and strike capabilities, student pilots in the Air Education and Training Command have a new potential assignment among the array of Air Force aircraft: unmanned

  • Keesler officials launch new force support officer course

    The first group of force support officers in a new Air Force Specialty Code began classes Oct. 6 at Keesler Air Force Base. The new 38F AFSC, which becomes official Oct. 31, is a combination of what used to be three separate career fields: personnel, manpower and services. Training previously was

  • Top military leaders visit Airmen in Southwest Asia

    The Air Force chief of staff and chief master sergeant of the Air Force visited Airmen of the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing Oct. 22 during their visit to the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility. "I'm pleased to be back in the AOR to see the many changes and steps the Air Force is taking to

  • ACC team effort vital to nuclear evaluation mission

    A three-month process, planned a year in advance, involving hundreds of man-hours of detailed coordination with people at more than four Air Force bases funnels down to one aircraft, one missile, one sortie and the push of a button. The aircraft is a B-52 Stratofortress flown by an aircrew from the

  • 2nd Air Force transformation driven by warfighter's needs

    Transformation is underway at 2nd Air Force here beginning with construction on a 2,000-square foot operations floor designed to support the new technical training operations center. The new center will serve as the operational command and control hub for technical training operations across 2nd Air

  • Chief of staff tours Bagram, addresses Airmen's questions

    The 19th Air Force chief of staff accompanied by the chief master sergeant of the Air Force made his first official trip to Bagram Airfield Oct. 21. Gen. Norton A. Schwartz toured the 455th Expeditionary Mission Support Group to learn more about the growing efforts to support the mission here, and

  • Defense secretary lauds wounded warrior care improvements

    The military has made "some significant steps forward" in caring for wounded warriors, the Defense secretary said during a Pentagon Channel interview broadcast Oct. 22. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said inpatient care provided to wounded warriors always has been world-class. "We've never had a

  • Agility, flexibility, teamwork: Key components of airpower

    Examine most successful business or sports teams, and you may find their foundation is based on flexibility, agility and teamwork. The success of airpower in Iraq and Afghanistan incorporates these three traits on a daily basis, through the interaction with coalition forces and U.S. sister services.

  • Tricare, Medicare work together for eligible beneficiaries

    Tricare officials want beneficiaries who receive a disability check to ensure they are getting the Tricare coverage they are entitled to receive. In general, most beneficiaries become eligible for Medicare at age 65; however, many beneficiaries younger than 65 also qualify for Medicare and there is

  • Airman, medical response save Korean leukemia patient

    It took less than 24 hours for one Kunsan Airman and several base medical providers to respond to the needs of a 24-year-old Korean leukemia patient; ultimately saving her life. After finishing a 14-hour shift defending the base, Airman Tamarias Pope, 8th Security Forces Squadron, was alerted that

  • Iraqi air force pilots take flight into history

    The first three pilots graduated from Iraq's only fixed-wing flight training school at Kirkuk Regional Air Base Oct. 13. With cooperation from the Coalition Air Force Training Team and the 52nd Expeditionary Flying Training Squadron at Kirkuk Regional AB, the Iraqi training wing presented the new

  • Servicemembers provide dental training for Afghans

    Members of the Zabul Provincial Reconstruction Team united with U.S. Public Health Service officials to offer an emergency dental care certification course to Afghan dental professionals from the province in October. In Zabul, Afghanistan's poorest province, many people are forced to either provide

  • Air Force officials invest $12 million in research program

    Air Force Office of Scientific Research officials here announced Oct. 17 they will award approximately $12.1 million in grants to 39 scientists and engineers who submitted winning research proposals through the Air Force's Young Investigator Research Program. The program is open to scientists and

  • Gates vows continued commitment to wounded warrior care

    Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates assured participants in the first Wounded Warriors Family Summit here Oct. 20 he will "continue to press forward with a sense of urgency" to provide top-level care and support for wounded warriors in a way that lays groundwork for the next administration's leaders

  • AF officials, Ohio hospital to ready nurses for deployment

    University Hospital Cincinnati and the Air Force officials inaugurated a new program in October to provide newly graduated registered nurses the advanced clinical training and experience needed to become Air Force Nurse Corps officers and to prepare them for deployment. University Hospital is the

  • Depot efforts continue to keep T-38s flying

    Members of the 573rd Commodities Maintenance Squadron here continue to put in long hours to make sure Air Force pilot training doesn't come to a halt. Many members of the squadron have been working 10-hour days, seven days a week to make a new aileron actuator lever for the T-38 Talon used to train

  • Defense Media Activity officially stands up

    The Defense Media Activity gives public affairs within the Defense Department a new structure to move forward as a consolidated and integrated team, Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England said during the organization's activation ceremony at the Pentagon Oct. 20. "This is where jointness really

  • Football: Falcons win thriller in desert 29-28

    The U.S. Air Force Academy football team won a nailbiter against the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in a 29-28 back and forth game Oct. 18 in Las Vegas. The Falcons put the ball in the air only seven times while rushing 68 times; however, freshman quarterback Tim Jefferson connected on six of those

  • 'Today's Air Force' features Airmen training Iraqi's military

    This edition of "Today's Air Force" highlights a challenging assignment of mentoring another country's airmen. See how American Airmen train Iraqi air force pilots to fly, fight and win. Also featured is a new combat vehicle: the high mobility engineer excavator. These new vehicles are built strong,

  • New first-aid products could save lives, officials say

    Two new first-aid products being sent into the combat theater could save more servicemembers' lives, medical officials said at a Pentagon news conference Oct. 15. Test results from the U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command's Institute of Surgical Research, or ISR, showed Combat Gauze field

  • AFRICOM officials note milestones, challenges ahead

    Army Gen. William E. "Kip" Ward brought the celebration of U.S. Africa Command's activation home to Germany Oct. 17 as he praised those who came together to stand the command up so quickly and urged them to continue working together so it can reach its potential. Speaking at the AfriCom's

  • Berlin Airlift vets recognized by German government

    Veterans of the Berlin Airlift were recognized by the German government for their bravery and sacrifice at an Oct. 15 ceremony here.The ceremony celebrated the 60th anniversary of the operation and marked the opening of a six-week exhibit on the Berlin Airlift at the air museum at Travis Air Force

  • Afghan baby born at Bagram Airfield hospital

    It was the middle of the night and hospital staff's pagers were going off. Inside Craig Joint Theater Hospital there was a scramble to pull together the people and equipment needed for a successful procedure. It wasn't a coalition servicemember's life they were trying to save; they were bringing a

  • Secretary Donley visits Bagram Airmen

    Secretary of the Air Force Michael B. Donley visited with Airmen from Bagram Airfield Oct. 15 during his first visit to the country since being confirmed by Congress earlier this month. During his visit, Secretary Donley held an Airman's call for approximately 400 Airmen stationed here. "Since I

  • SECAF discusses vision with Airmen in AOR

    After gaining insight into the diverse mission capabilities of the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing, Secretary of the Air Force Michael B. Donley discussed the Air Force vision with Airmen from the wing Oct. 14 at an air base in Southwest Asia. The secretary toured the base for much of the day, delving

  • Historic homecoming for Tuskegee Airmen as site opens

    Hundreds of aviators, mechanics and support personnel who once worked at the Tuskegee Army Airfield and Moton Field, Ala., during the 1930s and '40s gathered here once again Oct. 10 when the National Park Service memorialized the efforts of the first black pilots, the famed Tuskegee Airmen, in the

  • Hawgsmoke 2008 gets into full swing

    With the arrival of the last group of A-10 Thunderbolt IIs late in the afternoon, Hawgsmoke 2008 got into full swing Oct. 15 as pilots flew out to the Kansas Air National Guard's Smoky Hill bomb and gunnery range nearby for range familiarization flights. The clearing sky signaled the end of nearly

  • Dover Airman donates kidney to fiance

    A Dover Air Force Base NCO gave her heart to her fiance in 2005, and almost four years later she gave him the gift of life Sept. 22. Master Sgt. Laura Perry, an air Reserve technician with the 512th Civil Engineer Squadron, donated her kidney to her fiance and fellow squadron member, Staff Sgt. Mark

  • Guard unit provides 'one-stop' Predator training

    As the Air Force's and Air National Guard's unmanned aircraft system mission continues to grow, Airmen with the 163rd Maintenance Group here are stepping up their training program to ensure availability of enough highly-skilled personnel to support these systems, especially the MQ-1 Predator.

  • Pope energy initiative saves thousands, lights the way

    A 43rd Civil Engineer Squadron member here received $10,000 for a proposal of a wireless-ramp-lighting initiative. Anton Klein submitted the proposal to the Air Force Innovative Development through Employee Awareness Program, or IDEA, for base members to turn off ramp lights when planes were not

  • Air Force secretary wraps up first visit to the AOR

    Secretary of the Air Force Michael B. Donley visited with Airmen throughout the Air Forces Central Command area of operations Oct. 9 to 15 during his first trip to the combat zone since being confirmed Oct. 2 as the 22nd secretary of the Air Force. Secretary Donley visited with thousands of Airmen

  • NATO air chiefs discuss common challenges, solutions

    Nineteen NATO air chiefs gathered to discuss how to meet the security demands of a changing world at the chief of staff of the Air Force-hosted 2008 NATO Air Chiefs Conference Oct. 5 through 12 here. The theme for this year's conference was "The Community of Airmen: Solutions to Common Challenges,"

  • Air Force secretary visits Manas Airmen

    The secretary of the Air Force visited Manas Air Base on the final stop of a weeklong, seven-base tour of the U.S. Air Forces Central area of responsibility Oct. 15 here. Secretary Michael B. Donley spoke to Airmen and visited base facilities including the passenger terminal, expeditionary theater

  • One of the top personnel officers 'Spreads the Word'

    Air Force Personnel Center officials sent a team of experts here Oct. 8, launching a global "Spread the Word" campaign to educate Airmen about new and changing personnel and deployment programs. As part of the two-day Spread the Word visit, Maj. Gen. K.C. McClain, AFPC commander, visited with U.S.

  • Bolling officials to display 200 new Air Force paintings

    Air Force officials will display more than 200 new Air Force Art Program paintings from about 150 artists Oct. 21 through 24 at the Officers' Club at Bolling Air Force Base, D.C. The art was given by artists from around the country and donated to the Air Force, bringing the total number of paintings

  • Multi-skill crew delivers first C-17 ahead of schedule

    The C-17 Globemaster III cargo plane that sat in front of a maintenance hangar here looked no different than any other C-17, but the maintenance crew around it was unique. The crew, part of the 562nd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, is the first to be trained under a new "multi-skill" initiative. The

  • Secretary tours Joint Base Balad, shares Air Force vision

    The secretary of the Air Force visited Joint Base Balad Oct. 13 to learn about the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing's contributions to the war on terrorism and to share his vision for the future of the Air Force. Secretary Michael B. Donley toured the Air Force Theater Hospital, the 46th Expeditionary

  • Museum to be featured on CMT's 'Top 20 Countdown'

    The National Museum of the U.S. Air Force here will be featured on Country Music Television's "Top 20 Countdown" set to air at 1 p.m. EDT Oct. 17.The show's host, Lance Smith, and other crewmembers filmed parts of the museum during their visit to Dayton in mid-October. They chose the Air Force's

  • PRT unit makes 'a difference beyond the berm'

    Every group, every mission here in Afghanistan is designed for a purpose. It's no different for the Kapisa and Parwan Provincial Reconstruction Team. The 91-person joint-service team has a goal of improving security and government capacity in its area of responsibility, an objective its members

  • EC-130 squadron surpasses 10,000 combat hours

    Members of the 41st Expeditionary Electronic Combat Squadron here surpassed 10,000 combat hours in the EC-130H Compass Call while supporting Operation Enduring Freedom in September. The 41st EECS, deployed from Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., flies the EC-130H. The Compass Call's primary

  • Negotiations to exchange Tyndall property announced

    Air Force officials and Florida Congressman Allen Boyd announced Oct. 14 the selection of Tyndall Development Partners, LLC, as the highest ranked offeror for negotiating a transfer of the Lynn Haven Fuel Depot property in Lynn Haven, Fla., in exchange for performing military construction at Tyndall

  • Secretary visits Airmen in Southwest Asia

    The secretary of the Air Force met and spoke to 450 Airmen during an Oct. 11 visit to an air base in Southwest Asia. Secretary Michael B. Donley toured the base and the U.S. Air Forces Central Combined Air and Space Operations Center, and told Airmen that the Air Force is very involved in the war on

  • 'Today's Air Force' features unmanned aircraft systems

    This edition of "Today's Air Force" highlights the Air Force's unmanned aircraft systems, or UAS, and how Air Force officials plan to train more UAS operators. And more Airmen are finding themselves in non-traditional roles. At Joint Base Balad in Iraq, a segment shows how the skills Airmen possess

  • SECAF visits Ramstein, discusses leadership priorities

    Secretary of the Air Force Michael B. Donley visited with Airmen from U.S. Air Forces in Europe and toured the base here today as part of his first overseas trip since being confirmed secretary of the Air Force earlier this month. Secretary Donley, the 22nd Air Force secretary, visited with Airmen

  • Building dedication honors Airman killed on 9/11

    Members of the 445th Airlift Wing here honored the life and service of one its former members who was killed as part of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks by dedicating the new operations building to him Oct. 4 here.Maj. LeRoy W. Homer Jr. died while serving as the first officer on United Airlines Flight

  • Airmen to support presidential inauguration

    More than 85 Airmen from 30 different Air Force bases formed the 320th Air Expeditionary Wing in September to support the Armed Forces Inaugural Committee in Washington. The 320th AEW members will combine with members from the other military services to provide ceremonial support to the presidential

  • Recruiters meet, exceed goals for ninth year in a row

    Air Force recruiters met their active-duty enlisted recruiting goal for the ninth year in a row and met their chaplain and Officer Training School accession goals for fiscal year 2008. "I'm proud of our highly professional recruiting force, who continues to exemplify the Air Force core values of

  • AFMC captures AF Marathon major command trophy

    Air Force Materiel Command, headquartered here, is the sophomore winner of the U.S. Air Force Marathon Major Command Challenge Commander's Trophy. The announcement was made Oct. 3 at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo., by Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton A. Schwartz. General

  • Program works to ensure absentee voting opportunities

    It's still not too late to register to cast an absentee ballot in the Nov. 4 general election in many states, a Defense Department official said Oct. 9."We want to make sure everyone has the opportunity to vote, and that the vote is counted," said Polli Brunelli, director of the Federal Voting

  • Giving Airmen time back

    Improvements in technology, review of manpower solutions and additional duty workload, and refining ancillary training topped the recommendations presented to Lt. Gen. Richard Newton III, deputy chief of staff for manpower, personnel and services, by a team he chartered to find what impacts Airmen's

  • Upgrade makes electronic forms more user friendly

    Air Force officials recently rolled out a new software upgrade that makes it easier for Airmen to view and print electronic forms. Feedback from Airmen revealed problems with blank lines appearing on paper copies of electronic forms that were not visible on digital versions. "The issue was with the

  • MIT research enhances high-speed computers

    Air Force-sponsored research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology is accelerating the development of quantum, or high-speed, computers which help Air Force specialists with cryptoanalysis, or 'code-breaking,' microwave electronics and materials science. Chief researcher Dr. William Oliver of

  • Alaskan long range radar station goes green

    In an effort to reduce high operating costs at the Tin City Long Range Radar Station, engineers with the 611th Civil Engineer Squadron here have completed the construction of a wind turbine generator there.  It is the first such generator to be installed on an Alaskan Air Force installation and

  • Former POWs now eligible for posthumous Purple Hearts

    A policy change to expand eligibility for the Purple Heart award to prisoners of war who died in captivity represents the right decision that recognizes their sacrifice, a senior defense official said. Pentagon officials announced the new policy Oct. 6 that will extend criteria for receiving Purple

  • Training courses help Airmen handle sports bikes

    The "coolness" factor of sport bikes is tied to their characteristics: sport bikes are sleek, colorful, and built for speed. For Airmen, many of whom are attracted to an adrenaline rush, these characteristics are huge selling points. However, these same features make riding sport bikes much

  • Solar energy research could reduce energy needs

    Solar energy could be a powerful solution to the energy needs of the future for military and commercial entities. However, scientists point out the constant need for power, not just when the sun is shining. Funding support from the Air Force Office of Scientific Research is enabling a Massachusetts

  • Air Force training facility underway at NAS Pensacola

    Officials at the Naval Facilities Engineering Command-Southeast, in partnership with representatives from Air Education and Training Command and a construction conglomerate known as NTF, L.L.C., broke ground Oct. 2 for a new training instruction facility at Naval Air Station Pensacola.NAVFAC

  • Air Force senior leaders take up key decisions

    The nuclear enterprise, cyber organization, end strength, force shaping, and command and control of Air Force operations were just some of the topics discussed when Air Force senior leaders met at CORONA on Oct. 1-3 at the U.S. Air Force Academy, Colo. Secretary of the Air Force Michael B. Donley

  • Threat Reduction Agency marks 10 years of operations

    It is an agency that seems tailor-made to combat the threats the United States faces today: nuclear proliferation, chemical weapons and the possibility of genetically modified diseases. But the Defense Threat Reduction Agency was formed when Americans still thought there was such a thing as a "peace

  • Reserve liaison office answers for AOR

    When a part-time job becomes a full-time commitment questions usually come along with the transition. A small office here answers them for all the reservists and Guardsmen in the area of responsibility. The Air Reserve Component Liaison Office here helps more than 4,000 members of the Air National

  • Program strengthens U.S., host-nation relationships

    More than 1,000 Manas Air Base servicemembers have a unique opportunity through the base International Tours and Travel office to get out of the base from time to time. Each week, the ITT office puts together off-base request trips to more than 40 locations ranging from hiking and dining trips to

  • Special Ops weathermen get new specialty code

    Air Force special operations weathermen now have a new specialty code they can call their own. Recruiters can enlist trainees directly into the 1W0X2 special operations weathermen career field since the new Air Force specialty code is now in the enlisted classification directory. Before this new

  • Tricare takes aim at childhood obesity

    October is Children's Health Month and Tricare has launched a new Web page at http://www.tricare.mil/getfit to promote a healthy lifestyle partnership aimed at military families. The new page serves as campaign "headquarters." The target? Childhood obesity. Tricare is partnering with the Defense

  • Volunteer program aims to go Air Force-wide

    What started off as a desire to volunteer at a local hospital now has the potential to spread Air Force-wide. Staff Sgt. Jewell Hicks Jr., an executive communications support Airman with the 375th Communications Squadron here, began Airmen for Children in July. The program encourages Scott Air Force

  • A revolution in the classroom

    In an era where computers and the Internet have changed almost every aspect of daily life, from shopping to working to entertainment, is it time for technology to change the way Airmen learn? For younger Airmen, it seems, the answer is yes. Air Education and Training Command officials recently

  • AFPC Spread the Word team launches global tour

    The Air Force Personnel Center Commander, Maj. Gen. K.C. McClain, will kick off an Air Force-wide "Spread the Word" briefing tour at Oct. 7 and 8 at Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii. "AFPC is evolving to provide personnel services in new formats through new programs, and we want to communicate these

  • Gen. McKinley approved to lead Guard Bureau

    Lt. Gen. Craig R. McKinley was confirmed as the 26th chief of the National Guard Bureau by the Senate Oct. 2 in Washington, D.C. He will also become the first four-star general in the nearly 372-year history of the National Guard. The current director of the Air National Guard, General McKinley was

  • Senate confirms Gen. Fraser as next vice chief of staff

    General William M. Fraser III, a command pilot, will be the Air Force's next vice chief of staff, based on a Senate confirmation vote, which occurred Oct. 2. Now the president must offer the official appointment to the general before he can assume his new position. General Fraser, who now serves as

  • Feedback sought from servicemembers, their families

    The Military Health System invites wounded, ill or injured servicemembers and their families to respond to a new pair of questionnaires designed to help MHS leaders better understand the needs and expectations of the warriors in their care. The questionnaires -- one for wounded, ill or injured

  • Air Force launches 'BlueTube' site for online videos

    When you get an interesting or funny Air Force video in your e-mail, do you ever send it out to family, friends and co-workers? Now the Air Force has its own channel, called AirForceBlueTube, for those videos on the popular video-sharing site YouTube.com. "We wanted to have a one-stop shop to host

  • Africa Command unfurls colors during Pentagon ceremony

    The flag for a new U.S. unified command that seeks to meld civilian expertise with military planning and logistics was unfurled Oct. 1 during a Pentagon ceremony. Army Gen. William E. "Kip" Ward unfurled the colors and told Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

  • Seventeenth Air Force stands up

    The air component for U.S. Africa Command declared initial operational capability Sept. 18 in an assumption-of-command ceremony on Ramstein which also celebrated the unit's Oct. 1 activation. Seventeenth Air Force, also to be known as Air Forces Africa, marked the coming activation by handing the

  • Charleston officials begin transporting new Army vehicles

    Charleston Air Force Base officials began receiving and immediately shipping six new Army High Mobility Engineer Excavator vehicles to warfighters in Southwest Asia Sept. 29 here. Charleston AFB is the first Air Force base to receive and ship the HMEE, which is a newly developed military

  • Reserve contact center announces new weekend schedule

    The Reserve Personnel Contact Center support schedule is changing, Air Reserve Personnel Center officials here said. Starting Oct. 4, customer service counselors will be available the first three Saturdays of each month from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. mountain time to support Air National Guard and Air Force

  • Air Force Reserve exceeds recruiting goal

    Air Force Reserve recruiters signed up 8,390 people in fiscal year 2008, exceeding the goal by almost 5 percent.  The additional recruits followed as the command met its annual goal of 8,000 on Aug. 28, some 33 days ahead of schedule. Col. Francis M. Mungavin, Air Force Reserve Command Recruiting

  • Simulation center prepares medics for saving lives

    In this world where hospital staffs hold human lives in their hands, where do they train to function under this ultimate responsibility? When they are put under the stress of doing a job so important that even the military considers them doctors first and military second, where do they learn to

  • Deep Freeze Airman given Christchurch civic award

    Fresh off the successful night-time landing of a C-17 Globemaster III on the cold Antarctica ice, a 12-year veteran of Operation Deep Freeze missions has become the first American to receive the Christchurch Civic Award. Lt. Col. Jim McGann, 304th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron commander, received

  • New course trains medical teams in Pacific

    Critical care specialists from the Air Force, Army and Navy are training on moving seriously ill patients in the Pacific theater at a Sept. 29 through Oct. 3 course being held here. The aeromedical evacuation regulating organization for U.S. Pacific Command, 13th Air Force's Theater Patient Movement

  • Defense contributions help NASA's 50-year legacy

    As the men and women of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration celebrate its 50th anniversary this week, Defense Department personnel also can take a bow for the key role they have played in lending technology and expertise to NASA's space exploration and research mission.NASA began

  • Provisional team prepares for cyber mission assurance

    The Air Force Cyber Command (Provisional) staff here has spent a year defining and shaping the future of the service's cyberspace operations. There have been numerous contributions from the team that will assist the Air Force as it decides how it will "fly, fight and win" in the cyberspace domain,

  • MH-53s fly final combat missions

    Aircrews flew the remaining six MH-53 Pave Low helicopters on their last combat missions in support of special operations forces Sept. 27 in Southwest Asia. The last mission, a SOF logistical resupply and passenger movement throughout central and southern Iraq, marks their last combat mission before

  • Registry tracks effects of embedded metal fragments

    A Defense Department registry is helping officials gather data to be sure the long-accepted practice of leaving embedded metal fragments in wounded warriors' bodies as long as vital organs aren't threatened is valid. Officials at the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology created the Embedded Metal

  • Air Force, Navy officials agree upon F-35 depot workload

    Air Force and Navy officials here signed a memo Sept. 16 identifying a new process for allocating F-35 Lightning II depot repair workloads. The new process takes into account service competency and experience in determining workload allocation. "This was truly a joint effort on the part of the Air

  • World War II women aviators gather for final reunion

    The past and present came together Sept. 25 through 28 here as women aviators from different generations took part in the final reunion for the original Women Airforce Service Pilots of World War II. Women from across the country assembled to honor the courage and dedication of the pilots, and the

  • Air Force could save millions through recovery program

    A two-year proof of concept project to demanufacture and disassemble condemned jet engine parts for reuse is under way here and Air Force officials are praising initial results. About 200,000 pounds of material from the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center has already been introduced into the

  • New Air Force chief scientist has AFMC ties

    Dr. Werner J.A. Dahm will begin his assignment as the new Chief Scientist of the Air Force in October, replacing Dr. Mark Lewis. While his post will be at the Pentagon, Dr. Dahm has a connection with Air Force Materiel Command. Dr. Dahm was a research engineer from 1979 to 1981 at the Arnold

  • Little Rock Air Force Base shifting focus

    Officials from the 19th Airlift Wing will accept operational control of Little Rock Air Force Base Oct. 1 from 314th AW officials to become the base's host wing here. The 19th AW is an Air Mobility Command wing and the 314th AW is an Air Education and Training Command wing.   With an AMC wing taking

  • Airmen train at Fort Bragg for 'outside the wire' deployment

    More than 175 Airmen from 55 different bases around the world are training here with an "outside the wire" mindset as they prepare for their upcoming deployment to Afghanistan.The Airmen will be part of Provincial Reconstruction Teams on 270-day deployments to help rebuild the infrastructure and

  • Airman immerses into language for deployment

    An Airman deploying soon to Afghanistan as part of a Provincial Reconstruction Team will be able to use a hobby of his to help make his deployment easier for himself and his team. Senior Airman George Williams joined the Air Force almost four years ago in hopes of being a linguist specializing in

  • Village of Hope training center graduates final class

    A program designed to help "Sons of Iraq" citizen security group members learn skills that will enable them to help Iraq move forward graduated its final class of 60 students here Sept. 25. "The Village of Hope was part of a civil service corps program that took Sons of Iraq members from checkpoints

  • VA secretary establishes ALS as a compensable illness

    Veterans with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as "Lou Gehrig's Disease," soon may receive badly needed support for themselves and their families. The Department of Veterans Affairs secretary announced recently that ALS will become a presumptively compensable illness for all veterans with

  • Tricare retiree dental benefit available overseas

    Retired Tricare beneficiaries living overseas may enroll in the Tricare Retiree Dental Program beginning Oct. 1.The Enhanced-Overseas TRDP is available for all eligible uniformed service retirees and their families. "For many years, military retirees and their families have requested a dental

  • New organization changes how to get info, entertainment

    The Oct. 1 establishment of the Defense Media Activity will change the way Defense Department members get news, entertainment and information to servicemembers and their families. Servicemembers will not immediately notice a change: the Armed Forces Network will still broadcast football games and

  • Airmen support new Hollywood movie 'Eagle Eye'

    Members of the Air Force Office of Special Investigations will get ready for its close-up Sept. 26 as the movie "Eagle Eye" will be released to selected theaters around the country. The movie stars Shia LaBeouf and Michelle Monaghan and is directed by D. J. Caruso."This was a great opportunity for

  • International Space Station conducts tests for Air Force

    Air Force Research Laboratory officials here recently partnered with NASA to conduct materials experiments aboard the International Space Station. The project incorporates 500 materials samples into two suitcase-like containers attached to the exterior of the International Space Station. The

  • U.S. troops help build Afghan air corps

    A team of 170 U.S. Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines have been tasked with recruiting, training and equipping the Afghan National Army Air Corps. "Our goal is to develop this Air Corps to be fully independent and fully operational, capable to meet (the) security requirements of Afghanistan," Air