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  • 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

  • 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

  • 3-D models of urban environments to aid military efforts

    An Air Force Office of Scientific Research-funded team at the University of California, Berkeley, has built 3-D models of urban environments for the first time in a fast, scalable and automated way. Dr. Avideh Zakhor, a professor of electrical engineering at the university, leads a team that has

  • 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

  • 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

  • Info sharing allows realistic coalition training

    Simulated air campaigns practiced during aircrew training scenarios gained an increased level of realism as members of the Distributed Mission Operations Center here implemented a complex, new electronic filter designed to bring more "reality" to virtual reality simulations. Exercise Northern

  • 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

  • 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

  • Cadets get firsthand knowledge of deployments

    Members of the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing here hosted a rotation of U.S. Air Force Academy cadets who visited Southwest Asia to experience a deployment firsthand. The cadets toured the Combined Air and Space Operations Center, security forces and the fire department to give them a better working

  • B-1 crews excel at shows of presence

    Airmen and B-1B Lancers from Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, have taken the reins from the 34th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron here. Since arriving in July, the 9th EBS has logged about 25 missions, dropping bombs on enemies throughout Iraq and Afghanistan.To help ease the transition, the 9th EBS deployed

  • Manta Airmen continue their counterdrug war

    American forces flying from here to hunt down drug runners could soon have to pack up their whole operation and move elsewhere. That is because Ecuadorian President Raphael Correa wants American forces out of the Andean country. He vows not to renew a 1999 agreement with the United States that

  • Air Force integrates space operations into A-staff

    Air Force officials here completed the final phase in integrating space functions into key Air Staff processes for operations, plans and requirements, or A3/5. As of Aug. 1, space functions previously found within the Directorate of Strategic Security, or A3S, have been reorganized to better

  • DOD, VA pass information sharing milestone

    Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs officials here Aug. 3 announced the departments have successfully tested and deployed an interface that was developed to extend the reach and capabilities of the Bidirectional Health Information Exchange.With BHIE, the DOD and VA can share

  • 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

  • Life support, survival equipment career fields merging

    Aircrew life support and survival equipment Airmen always have had jobs that mirrored each other somewhat. Under a new directive, the two Air Force specialty codes are merging, and Airmen here are far into the merger process. More than 60 Kadena Airmen are undergoing cross-utilization training to

  • Airmen, Soldiers form relationships with Iraqi children

    With little care for surrounding hostilities, a small Iraqi boy stomped his sandaled foot on Baghdad's dusty ground, and chanted an Arabic nursery rhyme. He clapped his hands to the beat and sung with several other children. All were gathered to watch a tall, muscled Airman dance to their song.

  • July 31 airpower summary: F-16s provide effective overwatch

    Coalition airpower supported coalition ground forces in Iraq and International Security Assistance Force troops in Afghanistan during operations July 31, according to Combined Air and Space Operations Center officials here. In Afghanistan, Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt IIs dropped guided bomb unit-12s

  • New active-duty competition to debut at Air Force Marathon

    Which Air Force major command comprises the fastest, fittest flock of fine physiques? The answer may become clear Sept. 15 at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base when a new type of competition for active-duty Air Force servicemembers debuts at this year's Air Force Marathon. The Major Command, or

  • Aerial porters help demonstrate new transportation concepts

    Airmen from the 305th Aerial Port Squadron here recently played a major role in helping U.S. Transportation Command officials assess joint modular intermodal distribution, or JMIDS, concepts. Through JMIDS, USTRANSCOM officials seek greater efficiency in delivering cargo to the warfighter while

  • 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

  • Contractors help equip warfighters

    The local base magazine, sports drinks, construction projects ... many servicemembers pass by these things everyday not knowing where they came from, how they got here or how they're maintained. That's where the 379th Expeditionary Contracting Squadron comes in. The 379th ECONS procures the

  • Global Cyberspace Integration Center hot bench active

    The Global Cyberspace Integration Center here houses an operations center that serves as a test bed or "hot bench" that assesses various software and information systems to detect potential problems before they are delivered to the field. A team guides innovation, experimentation and sustainment

  • 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

  • Medical symposium strengthens ties in Kirkuk

    U.S. Air Force and Army physicians welcomed their local Iraqi counterparts here July 22 for a gathering of medical knowledge and camaraderie in a region recently the focus of intense terror bombings. The medical symposium, a joint effort on the part of 506th Expeditionary Medical Squadron officials

  • Blended teams blaze new trail at Rodeo 2007

    Just like the famous cowboys Jim Shoulders and Bill Picket changed the face of the rodeo, there's a new group of boots in town that are stirring things up. But, these aren't your normal cowboys.  What they're doing has little to do with horses but a whole lot to do with the spirit of teamwork,

  • Reserve wing will be first to host Guard associate

    The Air Force Reserve Command's 507th Air Refueling Wing begins a new partnership in August when members of the Oklahoma Air National Guard team up for the drill weekend. With this action, the 507th ARW will become the first AFRC wing to have an Air National Guard wing associated with it.

  • 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

  • New Jersey F-16 accident report released

    Air Force officials here July 26 determined that the cause of the forest fire on the Warren Grove Training Range in New Jersey May 15 was pilot error, committed when a F-16 Fighting Falcon pilot deployed countermeasure flares at an altitude that allowed the flares to land on the range while they

  • 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

  • Airmen train Iraqi firefighters at international airport

    Firefighters from the 447th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron are spending their spare time training firefighters from the Iraqi air force to make them an autonomous unit at New Al-Muthana Air Base. Airmen spend about one day a week running Iraqis through drills and training procedures. During

  • Airman missing 28 years comes home

    For nearly 30 years, the family of a deceased Airman has been waiting for his return home. The wait ended July 18 when Staff Sgt. Donald Michaud's remains returned to New England and met by two members of the Patriot Honor Guard from Hanscom Air Force Base accompanied by Logan Airport firefighters

  • Heritage tailflash connects fighter past

    In medieval times, knights and royal families used heraldic symbols to identify themselves and remember their heritage. With modern military traditions connected to that time of chivalry and honor, 51st Fighter Wing officials from Osan Air Base are bringing back a symbol that promotes its heritage.

  • 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

  • Air Force Marathon continues to add new race elements

    In response to runners' requests, Air Force Marathon race officials here have adjusted awards categories for this year's half-marathon race so they are in five-year age increments, rather than 10.The change is part of a growing list of new elements for this year's Air Force 60th Anniversary event,

  • 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

  • Airmen save the day for Turkish Rodeo team

    When the Turkish C-130 airplane broke down just before the 2007 Air Mobility Command Rodeo competition began, American Airmen banded together to make the impossible happen. When all was said and done, a maintenance job that normally takes weeks was performed in five days, all in the spirit of Rodeo

  • Airmen prep battlefield dropping 120,000 leaflets

    Airmen of the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing dropped 120,000 leaflets over the Helmand Province in Afghanistan July 22 to help prevent civilian casualties while prepping the battlefield for future operations. The nine-member crew of the 746th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron, all based out of Dyess Air

  • New tinted windows 'shades' light on tower

    Air traffic controllers here now have a clearer view of commercial and military operations, thanks to the installation of new glass and lighting in the control tower. Base engineers accomplished the final inspection and accepted the work July 23 on more than $41,000 in upgrades. Previously, Kyrgyz

  • Cultures come together at Rodeo 2007

    On the outside, the United Arab Emirates' tent looks just like the 20 or so others dotting Rainier Ranch, the off-duty area for the 2007 Air Mobility Command Rodeo competition at McChord Air Force Base. But the similarities end when the front flap of the olive-green tent is opened. In a scene that

  • Dedication recognizes Airmen who deliver under fire

    Senior Enlisted Leader Summit participants and officials recognized the perseverance of Airmen on convoy duty at the Air Force Convoy Gun Truck Dedication at the Air Force Enlisted Heritage Hall July 23 at Maxwell Air Force Base's Gunter Annex, Ala. More than 350 people in attendance dedicated a

  • Task force provides training to El Salvadorian military

    Joint Task Force-Bravo, a 26-member task force, traveled to San Salvador, El Salvador, July 16 to train soldiers deploying in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. During the week-long training mission, El Salvadorian soldiers were instructed on driver, convoy and perimeter security; communications;

  • Reserve, active duty units partner for 'win-win' training

    On board the C-130 Hercules, as the "patient" struggled to breathe, the medical technicians and flight nurses from the 43rd Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron gave their best efforts to save his life. In addition to having respiratory problems, he had suffered bilateral burns on the eyes. As his

  • 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

  • Flood protection wall will improve Afghan quality of life

    A contract worth more than $75,000 to begin the construction of a flood protection wall was signed here recently. The contract between provincial reconstruction team officials and the New Sahak Construction Company provides for all the necessary labor, equipment and materials to construct a

  • Pilot crusades for safer skies

    One man's personal mission to help improve flight safety is making headway through the aviation community. Lt. Col. Ned Linch, 12th Air Force chief of flight safety, is an F-16 Fighting Falcon pilot with more than 4,000 hours in the cockpit of the F-16, experimental aircraft and airliners. He is

  • 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.

  • Ceremonies mark official start for Air Mobility Rodeo 2007

    The head of Air Mobility Command welcomed more than 2,500 competitors and observers from the U.S. and 34 other countries July 22 to the largest Air Mobility Rodeo in history. "The fact that we had so many allies and friends that came to join us in this great competition, I can't tell you what that

  • Enlisted leaders hit the road to set example

    They stretched, did push-ups, sit-ups, formed up, then literally hit the road to make examples of themselves. Nearly 400 senior enlisted leaders at the first Senior Enlisted Leader Summit, including instructors and students at the Air Force First Sergeants Academy, exercised and ran one-and one-half

  • 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

  • Singer encourages new recruits to stay focused

    A rising country music singer and a former Air Force pararescueman recorded two public service announcements to encourage servicemember July 17 at the Air Force Recruiting Service here. Donovan Chapman, who served in the Air Force for 11 years, recorded one message that saluted Air Force

  • New service coat to better represent Airmen set for testing

    Air Force officials are now set to begin fit and wear tests of the new service coat to better establish a dress uniform that fits the "warrior ethos" Airmen have today. It's important for the uniform to represent the roles and accomplishments of Airmen, said Brig. Gen. Floyd L. Carpenter, the Airmen

  • 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

  • Center has key role in Integral Fire 2007

    When Exercise Integral Fire 2007 kicks off July 23 here and at 14 other sites across the country, the Global Cyberspace Integration Center will provide the necessary command and control systems and expertise to link the various simulations being tested. Integral Fire 07, an Air Force integrated

  • Air Force museum wins heritage award

    The National Museum of the United States Air Force recently was awarded the 2007 Air Force Heritage Award by the USAF History and Museums Program for its exhibit, "Return with Honor: American Prisoners of War in Southeast Asia." The exhibit, which opened in May 2006, features reproductions of three

  • Air Force Honor Guard visits Air Force Enlisted Village

    Residents at the Air Force Enlisted Village here were treated to a special visit from the Air Force Honor Guard drill team July 13. The team was in Florida for a recruitment tour, and during their visit to nearby Hurlburt Field, the Airmen asked about the possibility of performing at the Air Force

  • Save money if you register now for the Air Force Marathon

    Attention all marathoners and half-marathoners: If you've put off early registration for the 11th annual U.S. Air Force Marathon, Sept. 15, your time for procrastinating is running out.If you haven't logged onto www.usafmarathon.com and registered for your race by the time the clock strikes midnight

  • Program helps disabled vets get defense business contracts

    Thousands of disabled military veterans have enrolled in a governmentwide program that's designed to help them succeed in new careers as business owners, a Defense Department official said here July 18. The Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business Office was established at the Pentagon by an

  • Latest Roll Call addresses performance forms

    This week's Roll Call discusses streamlined officer and enlisted performance report forms.Air Force officials have already approved new forms incorporating fewer lines and a section to document annual fitness scores to better reflect a warrior ethos. Changes include new lables identifying

  • Agency helps expedite C-130 sale to Norway

    A quick turnaround by Air Force Security Assistance Center officials and other Air Force Materiel Command Foreign Military Sales organizations helped strengthen the tactical airlift capability of the Norwegian air force by arranging for the sale of four C-130J Hercules aircraft. The $516 million

  • New prosthesis could help keep troops in the fight

    A new prosthesis under development will give servicemember amputees more flexibility and help them better perform their military jobs if they choose to stay on active duty. A preview of the new technology July 17 at Walter Reed Army Medical Center here drew key staff and several servicemember

  • Exercise Angel Thunder trains combat search, rescue

    About 200 Davis-Monthan Airmen from the 563rd Rescue Group, the 943rd Rescue Group, the 355th Operations Group and the 55th Electronic Combat Group, along with the 12th Air Force Plans Shop and Personnel Recovery Coordination Center, are participating in Exercise Angel Thunder July 9 to 20 here. The

  • Fairchild security forces team trains for Rodeo

    It's 9 a.m. and already getting warm as three security forces Airmen run to the first of nine checkpoints in a multi-stage field training exercise July 13 at Fairchild Air Force Base. The 92nd Security Forces Squadron's Air Mobility Command Rodeo 2007 team is training for the competition, which runs

  • Changing with the Guard

    Seventy Air National Guardsmen are slated to begin working at the Air Reserve Personnel Center later this year for the first time in its history. The new Guardsmen are a result of the center taking on personnel services for the Air National Guard, increasing the ARPC's workload to nearly one million

  • Air Force uses new technology in cleanup

    Air Force officials plan to use an innovative technology to clean up contamination at a former plating shop at the former Kelly Air Force Base in Texas. Speeding up the cleanup process at former bases fulfills an Air Force-wide goal of accelerated environmental resolution, and allows Air Force

  • Latest 'Today's Air Force' addresses modernization

    This week's edition of "Today's Air Force" highlights Air Force initiatives to modernize the force through the introduction of new aircraft and the retirement of designated older models like the F-117 Nighthawk, the world's first stealth aircraft. And learn how Hollywood producers work to maintain a

  • CENTAF chaplain visits Djibouti orphanages

    The U.S. Central Command Air Forces command chaplain visited Camp Lemonier July 10 to 13 to meet with servicemembers and spent time at two local orphanages where he and members of the Alaska Air National Guard joined the boys in a basketball game.Chaplain (Col.) Gregory Tate also looked at the

  • Airmen cross into Navy blue

    The Philippine segment of Pacific Partnership on the USS Peleliu was completed July 7 with the help of some unlikely "Sailors." Air Force medical professionals joined the four-month humanitarian mission and according to them, have adjusted well to their new nautical working environment. "It's very

  • Air Force chief of staff initiates MQ-1 Predator plus-up

    Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. T. Michael Moseley is accelerating delivery of the Defense Department's December 2009 goal of 21 daily MQ-1 Predator unmanned aerial vehicle combat air patrols, or CAPs, by one year.At the chief of staff's request, Air Force officials coordinated deployment actions with

  • Air Guard opens new combat training runway

    It's a 3,500-foot-long stretch of cement with a few hundred feet added on, just in case. That's not much space on which to safely land a heavily loaded, half-million pound cargo plane, but officials here say it's the perfect runway for Mississippi Air National Guard pilots to train on. Mississippi

  • Airmen hold munitions exercise at Kunsan

    Airmen from across the Air Force are participating in the annual Combat Ammunition Production Exercise July 10 through 13 here. CAPEX is a three-day non-rated exercise that provides Pacific Air Forces and Air Combat Command units with training in mass-munitions assembly in support of aircraft sortie

  • Air Force officials discuss new e-mail accounts

    Air Force officials began sending notifications to the workforce this month about the new E4L, or "E-Mail for Life" accounts.  Everyone is receiving a new @us.af.mil address that will be used for the duration of his or her employment. This has led people to misunderstand that they must somehow start

  • Luke officials release statement on fallen Airman

    A Luke Air Force Base Airman died July 9 after succumbing to wounds sustained as a result of small-arms fire while deployed with the 755th Air Expeditionary Group in support of Operation Enduring Freedom outside of Camp Stone, a forward operating base near Herat, Afghanistan.Master Sgt. Randy J.

  • Air Force streamlines officer, enlisted evaluation forms

    Air Force officials are introducing new officer and enlisted evaluation forms as it transforms its personnel processes. The major part of this effort has been directed at reducing the workload associated with preparing officer and enlisted performance reports while ensuring the evaluation process

  • Latest Roll Call discusses contacting Airmen directly

    This week's Roll Call discusses how the Air Force chief of staff wants to expand on the information receiving process through a direct e-mail program. E-mails from "CSAF@us.af.mil" come directly from Gen. T. Michael Moseley. Airmen are encouraged to discuss these messages with fellow Airmen and

  • Air Force recognized for awarding veterans contracts

    The Department of Veterans Affairs recognized 23 Air Force bases for achievement under the Champions of Veteran Enterprise program during a conference June 27 at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. The 3rd Annual National Veteran Small Business Conference and Expo honored installations with the Federal

  • Medical program keeps scoring high

    The Emergency Medicine Residency Program at Wilford Hall Medical Center scored in the top three percentile in the nation in June. Out of 152 emergency residencies across the country, the emergency residency at Wilford Hall scored above 97 percent of the other residencies on in-service training exams

  • President picks Army general to lead new command

    President Bush named Army Gen. William E. "Kip" Ward July 10 to help stand up U.S. Africa Command as its first commander.General Ward has served as deputy commander of U.S. European Command in Stuttgart, Germany, since May 2006. In that role, he has been responsible for the day-to-day activities for

  • Manas fuels team gets high praise

    When the 40 Airmen from the 376th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron's Fuels Management Flight pulled back on the huge 4,000 pound fuel bladder to put it in to place on July 9, they were actually leaning forward. For the second time in just over two weeks, the fuels Airmen replaced one of

  • Active-duty unit marks first year under Guard wing

    Airmen of the 153rd Airlift Wing celebrated the first anniversary that marked the assimilation of active-duty Airmen into the Wyoming Air National Guard July 7 here. One year ago, active-duty Airmen reported to Cheyenne Regional Airport as the 30th Airlift Squadron stood up as Air Mobility Command's

  • Navy admiral takes helm of U.S. Special Ops command

    Adm. Eric T. Olson became the first Navy SEAL to command U.S. Special Operations Command during a ceremony here July 9. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates presided as Admiral Olson assumed command from Army Gen. Bryan Brown. General Brown had led the command since September 2003. Two of the more

  • Medics bring relief to Senegal

    Airmen provided medical care to more than 4,400 people here as Airmen, Marines, Sailors and Soldiers formed Task Force 225 and conducted joint training during Exercise Shared Accord June 16 to 28 in Senegal. Fourteen Air Force Reserve Command medics teamed up with a battalion of Marine reservists

  • Airman flies to Soldier's aid, earns valor award

    An Airman attached to the 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team was awarded the Army Commendation Medal with a "V" Device for Valor June 8 for his actions that led to the saving of a Soldier's life. Special Agent Travis Guthmiller, a member of Weapons Intelligence Team 10 of Task Force Troy was

  • Music venue sheds spotlight on Air Force

    People were on their feet for the Air Force here July 6 during Air Force Week St. Louis as Tops in Blue 2007 performed a musical "fly-by" of the past 60 years. Drawing a crowd of nearly 1,500, outside the Saint Louis Science Center, the Air Force's own "expeditionary entertainers" danced and sang

  • Dover C-17 supports Air Force-Navy exercise

    A Dover C-17 Globemaster III teamed up with Air Combat Command and Navy fighters in a joint Air Force-Navy training operation June 29 at Naval Air Station Key West, Fla. The large transport, which 436th Airlift Wing officials received June 21, teamed up with F-15 Eagles from Eglin Air Force Base,

  • Enlisted Heritage Research Institute honors WWII gunner

    The director of the Enlisted Heritage Research Institute here described July 3 as a grand day because Enlisted Heritage Hall museum officials had inducted retired Master Sgt. James Traylor into its ranks.He joins the many enlisted members the museum honors who have made major contributions to the

  • Airmen join forces for Talisman Saber

    More than 270 Airmen here deployed to Australia to conduct the field training exercise portion of Talisman Saber 2007.  The exercise ran from June 18-26 and was followed by combined training with the Royal Australian Air Force. During the exercise, 37 Airmen from the Maj. Richard Bong Air and

  • DOD officials offer $1 million prize for wearable power innovations

    A typical dismounted troop going out for a four-day mission carries as much as 40 pounds of batteries and rechargers in his pack. Defense Department officials want to reduce that load significantly, and they're dangling a $1 million carrot to entice people to help them do it. They launched their

  • Hill reservists say goodbye to last of F-16s

    The last of the 419th Fighter Wing's F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft left here June 28, signifying an end of an era and a beginning of another for the unit. The pilots and maintainers from the Air Force Reserve Command wing will now team up with Hill's active-duty 388th FW to carry out a joint flying

  • Concrete barriers save lives

    A simple slab of concrete is the difference between life and death at the Victory Base Complex here in Baghdad. Concrete walls surround everything, serving as a daily reminder of insurgent hostilities. The barriers are more than 12 inches thick and reinforced with steel rods. They are designed to

  • Air Force Week strikes a chord with America's heartland

    As Americans reflect on the nation's freedoms this Independence week, events throughout the St. Louis region are putting special emphasis on the Air Force. During the second day of weeklong events here celebrating Air Force Week St. Louis, a concert was held July 3 at Jefferson Barracks County Park

  • Latest Roll Call discusses ancillary training requirements

    This week's Roll Call discusses the decision by Air Force leaders to reduce the amount of ancillary training Airmen will perform each year. The numerous training briefings Airmen are required to attend annually will be combined into a new "block instruction" plan, which will be arranged to more

  • North Dakota ANG unit flies first unmanned mission

    Members of the 119th Wing flew its first unmanned aircraft system mission as an MQ-1 Predator flew July 2 from Fargo. Airmen of the North Dakota Air National Guard squadron is flying the Predator after converting in January to new missions of unmanned aircraft and the C-21 cargo aircraft.The

  • Air Force leaders send Independence Day message

    The following is an Independence Day message from Secretary of the Air Force Michael W. Wynne and Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. T. Michael Moseley. "To the Airmen of the United States Air Force: "On July 4, 1776, 56 men signed a document that established the foundation for new nation where "all men

  • VA guarantees home loans for servicemembers

    Servicemembers returning to the states from overseas can now take advantage of a valuable home buying guarantee from the Department of Veterans Affairs.Contrary to what some may think, the VA does not offer home loans, instead they offer a home-loan guarantee, said Tan Johnson, a VA representative.