NATO Air Policing operations

U.S. Air Force News

  • Outstanding airmen honored

    The Air Force’s 12 Outstanding Airmen of the Year for 2003 received a ceremonial tribute Sept. 15 at the Air Force Association convention here.Each year, the AFA honors the 12 airmen at its annual convention in Washington, D.C. The program was initiated at the organization’s 10th annual national

  • Squadron wins DOD maintenance award

    The 74th Fighter Squadron here has been named winner of the 2003 Secretary of Defense Maintenance Award in the small category.The A-10 Thunderbolt II unit was the only Air Force winner out of six units in the small, medium and large categories.The selection panel looked at mission accomplishments,

  • Distant cousins reunite in desert

    In a deployed environment, amazing things can happen. For Lt. Col. Kevin Turnbo and Tech. Sgt. Robert Turnbo, being deployed turned into a lesson in family history.“My first thought was, ‘Wow! There is a guy in the Air Force with the same last name and spelling as mine,’ ” said the colonel, who is

  • 2003 AFA convention opens

    The 2003 Air Force Association convention began Sept. 15 including a gathering of more than 90 global air chiefs from around the world.Honor guardsmen posted flags from each nation represented at the convention, visually reinforcing the global nature of the annual gathering. The Global Air Chiefs

  • Now showing: Sept. 15 edition of AFTV News

    The contribution airmen make at the detainee center in U.S. Naval Base Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, is chronicled in the latest edition of Air Force Television News. Tech. Sgt. Pachari Lutke has an exclusive look at how airmen are helping guard the hundreds of detainees being held at the center as part of

  • Eielson forces respond to base fire

    Firefighters and security forces here contained a fire in base housing Sept. 7 at around 6 p.m.The heating unit of an empty waterbed in the bedroom ignited the fire, according to officials.“The fire crews did an awesome job. It was a textbook operation,” said Master Sgt. Shawn Ricchuito, 354th

  • KC-135s stay perfect during 17-day hot streak

    Really good or just lucky – which describes the 376th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron?From Aug. 25 to Sept. 10, all of the KC-135 Stratotankers here were ready, willing and able to get the job done in the sky over Afghanistan.The mission-capable rate target for Air Mobility Command

  • No plans to extend Guard, Reserve

    Air Force officials do not plan to extend the involuntary deployment of Reserve and Air National Guard airmen to Iraq.About 4,700 ANG and Reserve airmen are deployed supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. According to a senior Air Force official, about 12,000 deployed Air Reserve Component airmen have

  • Airman rings ‘Bell of Remembrance’

    One of the Air Force’s 12 Outstanding Airmen of the Year helped the U.S. Senate pay tribute to the victims of the 9-11 terrorist attacks on America.Senior Master Sgt. Thomas McConnell represented the Air Force in a ceremony Sept. 11 to introduce the Senate Resolution of Remembrance. McConnell is an

  • Airmen remember pain of Sept. 11

    Time is said to heal all wounds, but how much time heals emptiness left behind when more than 3,000 lives are instantaneously and mercilessly cut short? Two years have passed since Sept. 11, yet servicemembers here, like all Americans, continue to sort through the pain of personal and symbolic

  • Deployed aircraft given ISO inspection

    Maintainers recently completed a comprehensive inspection of a deployed aircraft here for the first time when a Kentucky Air National Guard C-130 Hercules underwent a complete isochronal inspection.Isochronal inspections examine numerous essential aircraft systems like propulsion and hydraulics,

  • BRAC e-mail story deemed a hoax

    An e-mail hoax has been circulating through inboxes. The e-mail contains a spoofed Air Force Print News story about proposed base realignment and closure actions allegedly affecting all services.Air Force public affairs officials were alerted to the hoax by a military officers’ association in

  • Airmen patrol enemy’s side of wire

    In a hot and dusty Afghani valley, there is land scarred with land mines and tied down with concertina wire fences separating American heroes from terrorists. The environment alone is hostile, featuring sweltering summers and bone-chilling winters. The habitat is a haven for venomous creatures and

  • Satellite launches in Florida

    The last Phase III Defense Satellite Communications System launched on board a Delta IV rocket from here Aug. 29. The satellite system will operate for the next 15 years and replaces another that was launched in 1995, according to 45th Space Wing officials. The Department of Defense satellite

  • Airmen supporting JTF in Cuba

    A handful of airmen are among those supporting Joint Task Force-Guantanamo charged with supporting the detainee mission here. More than 2,000 soldiers, sailors, Marines, Coast Guardsmen and airmen are supporting the war on terrorism by providing humane treatment and care to approximately 660

  • Airmen attend Army weather course

    Several experienced Air Force forecasters completed a pilot version of a new course designed to help airmen provide weather support for Army operations.The first official staff weather officer course is scheduled for October. Its instructors teach Air Force weather specialists some of the Army’s

  • Medical-grade oxygen available at Ganci

    “E-DOCS” is now up and running here but it is not a Web-based replacement for the medical staff.The Expeditionary Deployable Oxygen Concentration System is a big step forward for medical care at this forward base, said Maj. Cheryl Bott, chief of aerospace medicine for the 376th Expeditionary Medical

  • 'Hunters' fly with hurricanes

    As the midway point of hurricane season approaches, the 53rd Reconnaissance Squadron "Hurricane Hunters" here remain vigilant about tropical-weather threats.The Hurricane Hunters are part of Air Force Reserve Command’s 403rd Wing here. They are the only Department of Defense organization still

  • Base is first to test alternative fuel cell

    A new fuel cell is giving airmen here a sneak peek at the Defense Department's proposed plan for using hydrogen as an alternative fuel source. The test unit installed here is the fifth in the Department of Defense and the first to be evaluated on an Air Force base, officials said.Thirty military

  • Fitness experts: Start training now

    Air Force fitness experts say airmen must begin preparations now if they want to pass the new fitness evaluations in January. "They need to start training today for year-round fitness to meet mission readiness. They must include running, push-ups and crunches into their program," said Sylvia Goff,

  • Former TAC commander dead at 76

    The general who led Tactical Air Command for more than six years died Aug. 26 in Las Vegas at the age of 76.Retired Gen. Wilbur L. “Bill” Creech, TAC commander from May 1, 1978, to Dec. 31, 1984, is survived by his wife Caroline A. Creech.Creech was a command pilot who flew more than 40 fighter,

  • Airmen play in national exercise

    Operations, logistics and medical experts here continue to assist state and federal agencies in a simulated nation-wide battle against the pneumonic plague, wildfires and bad weather, which began Aug. 18.The exercise, Determined Promise ‘03, was designed to test U.S. Northern Command’s

  • Teamwork reaches back to junior ROTC

    While flying combat missions over Iraq, 1st Lt. Brian Huster is never alone.As a co-pilot on a KC-10A Extender, he is part of crew of four aviators, and he is connected with the team of thousands of U.S. and coalition troops fighting the global war on terrorism. But for this new flier, there is an

  • Rumsfeld: Two options in terror war

    Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld told servicemembers at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, Aug. 25 the United States faced only two options in its war on terror: Fight the terrorists where they live today, or fight them in America tomorrow.Rumsfeld said the war on terrorism is unlike any the United

  • DOD students score high on national test

    Results show Defense Department school system students scored consistently higher than the national average on a standardized test.Numbers from the 2003 TerraNova 2nd Edition standardized test revealed DOD third-to eleventh-graders scored higher than the national 50th-percentile average in the

  • Tinker employee saves AF $5 million

    A logistics management specialist in the cruise missile product group came up with a suggestion to save the Air Force close to $5.5 million.In the process, Tracy Thompson earned $10,000 for himself through the Innovative Development through Employee Awareness program.Thompson came up with his

  • AFMC welcomes new commander

    Air Force Materiel Command’s new leader officially accepted command Aug. 22 during a ceremony at the Air Force Museum here.Gen. Gregory S. Martin assumed command from Gen. Lester L. Lyles who held the position since April 2000. Following the change of command, Lyles retired after 35 years of

  • Air Force teamwork saves U.N. lives

    Airmen from several Air Force units at Baghdad International Airport rescued seven U.N. employees injured when a terrorist bomb exploded outside their headquarters here Aug. 19. Approximately 90 minutes after the attack, 301st Expeditionary Rescue Squadron officials sent two combat search and rescue

  • IMAX film crew wraps session at Nellis

    Filming wrapped for the summer here Aug. 22 on an IMAX film based on the Air Force and the mission of Red Flag.The 45-minute, multimillion-dollar film is scheduled to be released in 2004, according to officials.“IMAX is a spectacular venue in which to showcase the Air Force,” said Maj. Gen. Steve

  • Airman’s lifestyle change reaps benefits

    With preparation for the new Air Force fitness standards underway, some servicemembers are already getting in shape.A simple challenge from his leaders was all it took for one airman here to do just that, and lose 35 pounds.Col. Jack Gundrum, 731st Air Mobility Squadron commander, made a New Year’s

  • F-15 canopies buffed to visual perfection

    Even the slightest scratch in an F-15 Eagle windscreen can keep a pilot from seeing the enemy, according to F-15 test pilot Maj. Fritz Heck.That is why technicians in the F-15 canopy shop here work diligently to overhaul the acrylic bubbles in canopies and give fighter pilots a clear

  • U.S. aircraft return to Incirlik

    U.S. officials are sending four KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft and six aircrews here to provide air-refueling support for operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. Aircraft and people began arriving Aug. 19 and should be in place by Aug. 23.The first aircraft and aircrew are from the Air

  • Now showing: Aug. 18 edition of AFTV News

    The work of Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard in three northeastern states to keep people and supplies moving to and from Southwest Asia is spotlighted in the latest edition of Air Force Television News. Staff Sgt. Bill Scherer visits Pease Air National Guard Base, N.H., an ANG unit at

  • Twins celebrate 21st in Afghanistan

    The 455th Expeditionary Operations Group air traffic control flight celebrated the birthday of two of its airmen here Aug. 13. Senior Airmen Jason and Miles Herder, who are identical twins, turned 21 while deployed from the Air National Guard’s 243rd Air Traffic Control Squadron in Cheyenne, Wyo.

  • AF students bound for space camp

    Last year, the Military Child Education Coalition had only enough money to send one student of military parents to the U.S. Space Camp in Huntsville, Ala. But this year, two Air Force children are among five youngsters to experience the camp thanks to a $5,000 corporate donation.London H. Durand,

  • CSAF talks changes in Air Force

    New demands on today’s airmen are driving changes to the Air Force physical fitness program and a possible new uniform, said the service’s senior leader during a visit here Aug. 13.As the Air Force’s needs and demands change, so should airmen, said Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper. “I

  • Deployed airmen getting small-town living

    Airmen deployed here will soon be saying farewell to their tents and hello to small-town living.This welcome change for airmen is just part of the transformation of this expeditionary base into a permanent air base with most of the amenities found at home.“We’re in the process of building a small

  • DOD is transforming training

    A Marine unit facing combat runs into opposition. The call goes out for fire support. In the past, the call would likely have gone to a Marine artillery unit or air asset.Today, that call could go to an Army helicopter unit or an Air Force precision- strike aircraft. It could go to a Navy

  • New service-commitment policy coming

    Starting Oct. 1, Air Force Reserve Command will implement a comprehensive, service-commitment directive for certain kinds of training, education and promotions.“The Reserve Service Commitment policy accomplishes two goals," said Lt. Gen. James E. Sherrard III, AFRC commander. "First, the RSC

  • Civil engineers build Iraqi base

    Everything that does not move is covered in a grayish-brown, powdery dust. The heat is oppressive -- more than 120 degrees in the shade. Open fields and roads bear craters large enough to swallow small trucks.In March, the area around Tallil Air Base looked more like the surface of the moon than

  • CAP recognized for post-9/11 work

    For its work in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, Civil Air Patrol has been selected to receive the Associations Advance America Summit Award.CAP is one of only six associations chosen for this award, the highest honor bestowed by the American Society of Association Executives

  • BMT sets new fitness standards

    Chief of Staff Gen. John Jumper announced July 30 the Air Force would be raising fitness standards in January. More rigorous basic military training graduation standards will take effect here Oct. 12.Basic military training daily physical fitness regimens are now tougher and more focused on

  • Security forces ensure convoy safety in Iraq

    Convoys have been the lifeblood for operations here ever since coalition forces took control of this former Iraqi air force field at the start of Operation Iraqi Freedom.The job of the 407th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron is to ensure that the convoys get through. Since March, the defenders

  • Ganci AB supports flood of soldiers

    A flash flood of fully armed, desert-camouflaged warriors swept through the flightline here this week, leaving the base’s passenger and cargo moving experts wiped out.The huge influx of Army troops stopped here briefly before heading to Afghanistan to relieve troops already in place. At times, the

  • Promotion study list now available

    Promotion-eligible enlisted people can now find out which materials to study for the 2004 testing cycles.The most current Weighted Airman Promotion System catalog, which lists the materials used by test writers to develop the 2004 promotion tests, is now available on the Air Force Personnel Center

  • Program desperately needs blood

    The Armed Services Blood Program needs eligible Type O blood donors to support ongoing military operations worldwide and to replenish the military's frozen blood reserves.A single battlefield injury victim can require more than 40 units of blood in an emergency. Type O donors are especially

  • August Airman now available

    The August issue of Airman features “aces,” snipers at Bashur Airfield, the upcoming Air Force Academy football season and road maintenance airmen in a Washington national forest. These stories and more can be found in this month’s magazine, now available in print and online.Ace in the Sky -- World

  • Combat communicators keep airmen in touch

    As the fourth aircraft touched down after the Army seized the airfield here, the base gained one of its mission essential teams -- combat communicators.The team’s sole purpose is to deploy into a bare-base environment and set up expeditionary communications. For them it is not a challenge. It was

  • McChord couple overcomes tragedy

    Reserve Senior Airman Chris Murphy was in the hospital operating room to see the birth of his daughter, Katie, at 11:34 a.m. May 1. Moments later, he told his wife, Reserve Staff Sgt. Becky Murphy, one last "I love you," before he was told to leave so the oncologist could start the fight to save

  • Myers convinced of coalition progress in Iraq, Afghanistan

    The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff came away from his just-concluded Iraq and Afghanistan visit pleased with the progress the coalition is making in both countries.Air Force Gen. Richard B. Myers visited both countries and consulted with allies in Qatar, India, Pakistan and Oman. He left July

  • Travis, Patrick airmen earn big $$$

    An airman from Travis Air Force Base, Calif., and another from Patrick AFB, Fla., each earned a coveted $10,000 cash award for suggestions submitted through the Air Force’s Innovative Development through Employee Awareness program.Staff Sgts. Nick Bugni and Al-Quaddir Vines received their checks for

  • CAAs help airmen make informed decisions

    Air Force career assistance advisers do more than advise commanders on retention issues; they help shape the force and assist airmen in making informed career decisions.The position was created three years ago to help counter the service’s declining retention rates. The job has evolved since then,

  • Test Pilot School reaches new heights

    The increasing push for a military space force has led Department of Defense officials to expand the Air Force envelope to include space education, with an emphasis on military applications.The U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School here has followed suit, answering DOD’s call by creating the first

  • CSAF announces fitness program

    Airmen will begin hitting the track soon as the Air Force begins a new physical fitness program, the service’s senior leader announced in his July 30 “Fit to Fight” Sight Picture.Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper directed that airmen will now test their fitness levels by performing

  • Pilot values liaison work with Army

    It takes more than a pilot in a plane to put bombs on target.Air Force pilots, acting as air liaison officers and assigned to Army units, paint a roadmap in the sky for pilots overhead so they can drop bombs on the enemy without harming nearby friendly forces.Capt. Danny Stout, a liaison officer and

  • Conjoined twins born at Wilford Hall

    Conjoined twins Brynleigh and Victoria Smith beat the odds when they were born July 25 at Wilford Hall Medical Center here. While roughly 60 percent of conjoined twins are stillborn, Brynleigh and Victoria survived birth. However, their premature lungs required immediate ventilation in the neonatal

  • Ammo troops build more than munitions

    Six airmen from the 81st Expeditionary Fighter Squadron’s ammunition flight say conditions are much better here since they constructed a wooden shelter to shade their work on the munitions pad.“Our table has an aluminum cover and by regulations, it has to be grounded,” said Master Sgt. Robert Byrd,

  • AF announces Boeing inquiry results

    Air Force officials announced July 24 that the Boeing Company has committed serious violations of federal law. This determination is based on the service’s review into allegations of wrongdoing by Boeing during the 1998 evolved expendable launch vehicle source selection. As a result, the Air Force

  • Pentagon is scene of major exercise

    Fire trucks, ambulances and police cars from Arlington, Va., and nearby Fort Meyer sped into the Pentagon’s south parking lot early July 23.There was no emergency, however. These agencies were there to participate in the Pentagon's chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear exercise called

  • Travis puts new face on blood program

    A $1 million upgrade in frozen-blood processing and thawing here is expected to help level the inventory in the "feast-or-famine" business of blood collection in the Department of Defense.The Armed Services Whole Blood Processing Lab-West, a tenant unit at Travis, is one of two tri-service storage

  • Officer sets sights on silver oak leaves

    His personal data sheet is a blow-by-blow inventory of educational achievements, professional successes and impressive assignments that span a career of more than 16 years.When he went before the lieutenant colonel promotion board in November 2001, his chances for promotion looked promising.However,

  • August issue of Citizen Airman available

    The August edition of Citizen Airman highlights how F-16 Fighting Falcon instructors in Arizona are going above and beyond in their efforts to provide the Air Force with top-notch combat fighter pilots.The magazine tells how airmen from the 944th Fighter Wing at Luke Air Force Base are kicking the

  • AF releases 2004 realignments

    The Air Force will lose 2,260 military and 2,839 civilian manpower positions, and 1,055 reserve drill authorizations next year, according to the 2004 force-structure announcement released July 23.Many bases, both active duty and reserve component, are affected by the realignment. In many cases,

  • Airmen fly Marines to Liberia

    Air Force HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters flew a Marine antiterrorism security team to the U.S. Embassy in Monrovia, Liberia, on July 21, according to officials here. They also evacuated 23 people.The airmen and helicopters are assigned to the 56th Expeditionary Rescue Squadron from Naval Air Station

  • ‘Dateline NBC’ features Alaska ANG

    The NBC News program “Dateline NBC” features Alaska Air National Guard's pararescuemen accomplishing a high-altitude mountain rescue. The show is scheduled to air July 27. The story is about the 210th Rescue Squadron’s mission in 1998 that saved six travelers after their airplane crashed onto a

  • Vietnam vet ensures others never forgotten

    As a young boy, Roberto Barrera remembers looking through stacks of pictures his father had taken while stationed in Italy as an Army infantry private during World War II. The images stirred his curiosity and interest in the military and, shortly after high school, he decided to enlist in the

  • PACAF names first responders

    Military commanders used to look at a deployment location and ask, “Who’s going in first?” Gen. William J. Begert, Pacific Air Forces commander, answered that question for PACAF by creating the 613th Contingency Response Group here. “We were developed to provide a short-notice, light and lean,

  • Airman convicted of drugs, forgery

    An airman received a bad conduct discharge, 20 months confinement and forfeit of all pay and allowances after being convicted of several crimes in a general court-martial here.Airman Basic Joseph J. Loehr, of the 377th Medical Support Squadron, pleaded guilty to willfully disobeying a superior

  • Guardsmen detail close-air support

    Three days into Operation Iraqi Freedom, Lt. Col. Dave Kennedy got a new mission: Go to Tallil Air Base in Iraq and ready it for A-10 Thunderbolt II missions.Kennedy, the commander of the Michigan Air National Guard's 110th Operations Group, knew the mission could be an enormous asset in the war

  • Controllers receive AFA award

    Five tactical-air command and control airmen accepted the Air Force Association’s Air Force Outstanding Team of the Year award July 14 in Arlington, Va.Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Gerald R. Murray coordinates with command chief master sergeants to select the career field to receive the award.

  • Airmen support operations in Liberia

    It is a hot, humid, rainy day here, and airmen from the 56th Rescue Squadron out of Naval Air Station Keflavik, Iceland, are feeling the heat. The airmen, along with others from the 786th Security Forces Squadron at Sembach Air Base, Germany, deployed here July 13 to support operations in Liberia.

  • Family recovering after fire

    A Tinker airman deployed to Iraq is home helping nurse his family to health after a fire recently destroyed their home.The 2-year-old daughter of Staff Sgt. Steven Mitchell, a power production chief with the 34th Combat Communications Squadron, was the most seriously injured. She had first- and

  • AF names 12 outstanding airmen

    Air Force officials announced the 12 Outstanding Airmen of the Year for 2003 on July 10. The top airmen were chosen from a field of 46 members representing organizations at all levels of command throughout the Air Force.The winners are:-- Staff Sgt. Omar Ali Abed, from the 37th Security Forces

  • Officials announce AF services awards

    Air Force Services Agency officials announced the winners of the 2003 services awards July 7.Misawa Air Base, Japan, won the Gen. Curtis E. Lemay Trophy for best overall services unit at a large base. Incirlik AB, Turkey, won the Maj. Gen. Eugene L. Eubank Trophy for best services at a small base.

  • Moody NCO earns first sergeant award

    A senior noncommissioned officer assigned to the 347th Maintenance Squadron at Moody Air Force Base, Ga., is the recipient of the 2003 Air Force First Sergeant of the Year award.Master Sgt. Jeffery Hollinshead is being recognized for transforming a marginal unit into a first-rate one, while

  • Combat training goes rangeless

    The P5 Combat Training System introduced recently promises to revolutionize training by allowing warfighting pilots to test their skills anywhere, versus in limited air space, according to Air Armament Center officials here.The system uses pods that communicate with each other. The pods enable

  • Predator team prowls Iraq

    It hunts alone, flying quietly for more than 20 hours at a time, carefully scouring the Earth for the most minute evidence of ground activity and discretely relaying intelligence information to analysts half a world away. But on a moment's notice, the Predator unmanned aerial vehicle can transform

  • ‘Red Horse’ rides in to Tallil

    Part of the 1st Expeditionary Red Horse Group stepped off a plane here June 26 on the very runway they came to repair. The 11-person heavy operational repair team will fix more than 40 surface chips in both base runways, according to officials.Onced repaired, the runways will be able to withstand

  • Upgrade halts service temporarily

    An upgrade to the Defense Civilian Personnel Data System will shut down its services July 18 to 31, according to Air Force Personnel Center officials here.The improvement, which affects the servicing of more than 130,000 Air Force civilian employees, will allow all Department of Defense civilians to

  • Air Force JAGs make History Channel

    With the exception of several law degrees and a handful of gavels, the office of Brig. Gen. Jarisse J. Sanborn could be mistaken for any senior leader's workspace.Recently, however, her office was transformed into a miniature production studio, complete with audio and video cables, a 1,000-watt

  • Hardships affect mobilization length

    Mobilized reservists may request to remain on or get off active duty because of personal or financial hardship caused by mobilization, early deactivation or demobilization."We look at each situation, whether it's a request to remain mobilized or a request to demobilize early," said Col. Mike

  • Researchers combat ‘traveler’s trots’

    Incirlik has many claims to fame, particularly during its support of operations Northern Watch and Enduring Freedom. While proud of their endeavors, most people would probably choose to do without one infamous part of Incirlik life -- diarrhea.Unfortunately for residents, Incirlik has a 10 to 15

  • Hyperbaric laboratory earns accreditation

    Global health and safety received a much-needed shot in the arm recently when a U.S. Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine organization here became the first nationally accredited Department of Defense hyperbaric facility, according to officials.The school’s hyperbaric medicine division, also known

  • General receives management award

    Lt. Gen. Brian A. Arnold is the winner of the 2002 Eugene M. Zuckert Management Award. Secretary of the Air Force Dr. James G. Roche presented him with the award during a ceremony in the Pentagon on June 24.This award is named after Eugene M. Zuckert, who served as secretary of the Air Force from

  • AF tries reducing deployment discrepancies

    Today’s Air Force is expeditionary, and all airmen should be prepared to deploy to support military operations worldwide, according to Maj. Gen. Timothy A. Peppe.The majority of airmen arriving in an area of responsibility are ready to accomplish their mission, however, nearly 10 percent report for

  • Marine killed in training accident

    A Marine was killed and eight Marines and Navy servicemembers injured in what appears to be a training accident in Djibouti on June 22, Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa officials said.An Air Force B-52 Stratofortress apparently dropped "multiple" bombs in the wrong area of Godoria Range,

  • Unpowered gliders resume flight

    The 94th Flying Training Squadron here resumed unpowered glider flights June 23.The flights were suspended in mid-May to “address glider operations guidance shortcomings, and leadership and cultural issues in the squadron,” said Brig. Gen. John Weida, the academy’s acting superintendent.Officer

  • Tech, master promotion rates down

    Air Force officials have selected 4,832 of 18,903 eligible technical sergeants for promotion to master sergeant, a 25.56 percent selection rate, and 7,116 of 32,501 eligible staff sergeants for promotion to technical sergeant, a 21.89 percent selection rate.A higher retention rate -- opening fewer

  • Roadmap outlines tanker fleet changes

    The Air Force released a plan June 18 outlining the retirement of the remaining 133 E-model KC-135 Stratotankers and the proposed integration of the 100 KC-767A tankers it is leasing from Boeing.Through the “tanker roadmap,” the Air Force is laying out the initial stages of tanker recapitalization

  • Operation Desert Scorpion continues throughout Iraq

    Operation Desert Scorpion continues throughout Iraq, said Army 5th Corps officials.Officials said Combined Joint Task Force 7 commanders are using all available assets in the hunt for former Saddam Hussein regime officials and forces. This includes air power and special operations forces as needed,

  • IG announces annual award winners

    The Air Force Inspector General announced the winners of the 2002 Howard W. Leaf Inspector General Awards on June 12.The award recognizes the outstanding enlisted and officer inspectors in the Air Force assigned to a major command inspector-general team.This year’s winners include:-- Enlisted

  • Miniature decoy development begins

    Experts here are helping develop a miniature air-launched decoy that Air Force officials hope will entice enemy forces to prematurely disclose their air defense locations, keeping friendly pilots further out of harms way.Precision strike system program office experts awarded an $88 million,

  • Dyess sets record mission-capable rates

    When the 7th Bomb Wing’s B-1 Lancer maintainers and operators here surpassed Air Combat Command's monthly mission-capable rate two months in a row last June and July, officials called it "a huge success." It was the first time the wing had accomplished the feat.But that accomplishment was just the

  • Air Force surveying reservists

    This year, for the first time, the Air Force Climate Survey will include all Air Force reservists.Feedback from last year’s study, formerly the Air Force Chief of Staff Survey, prompted the Air Force to involve a larger audience in the new survey, which will gauge factors affecting the day-to-day

  • Modifications give F-16s new life

    America's premier multirole fighter is “slipping” into some tougher armor that promises to extend the aircraft's life by about eight years.The F-16 Service Life Improvement Program modifications, better known as SLIP, are "all about extending these aircraft -- putting them back up to get more life

  • Readiness center prepared for disasters

    With the 2003 hurricane season in full swing, Air Force Personnel Center officials remind airmen that the Personnel Readiness Center here can assist them when natural disasters strike. In the event airmen are evacuated or communications are impaired, the PRC acts as a central point of contact to

  • Ramstein continues Algerian relief

    More humanitarian relief supplies were in the sky June 5 as three C-130 Hercules aircraft flew from Ramstein to earthquake-stricken Algeria. This is the second humanitarian mission bringing eight pallets containing more than 6 tons of much-needed supplies to the people in the areas surrounding

  • U-2 pilot receiving Kolligian trophy

    Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper will present Maj. Jeffrey Olesen, a U-2 Dragon Lady pilot, with the 2002 Koren Kolligian Jr. Trophy during a June 13 ceremony at the Pentagon.Olesen, assistant director of operations for the 1st Reconnaissance Squadron here, will receive the award for

  • Cooperative Cope Thunder kicks off

    Pacific Air Force's premier simulated combat-airpower employment exercise kicked off June 5, bringing allied nations to two bases in Alaska for training.Cooperative Cope Thunder runs through June 20 with operations here and at Eielson Air Force Base.The exercise showcases multinational airlift

  • Crew chief circles Earth 104 times

    Tech. Sgt. Rodger Folkerts is the first person to reach the 5,000-hour mark in a C-17 Globemaster III.It has been an “amazing” journey, said the aircraft pneudraulics specialist and flying crew chief.Folkerts reached the 5,000-hour mark during a recent Operation Enduring Freedom mission, according