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  • Offutt community to observe National Police Week

    The community of Offutt Air Force Base will observe National Police Week May 9 through 15, culminating in a retreat ceremony.Offutt AFB Airmen will host numerous functions throughout Police Week to honor security forces Airmen, here and around the globe, as well as civilian law enforcement officers

  • President issues Military Spouse Appreciation Day proclamation

    President Barack Obama has issued a proclamation declaring May 7 as Military Spouse Appreciation Day.Here is the text of the president's proclamation:"When Americans answer the call to serve in our armed forces, a sacred trust is forged. Our men and women in uniform take on the duty of protecting us

  • 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' online inbox goes live

    A new online inbox that enables servicemembers and their families to comment anonymously about the impact of a possible repeal of the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" law has gone live. The inbox will enable servicemembers and families to offer their thoughts about how a repeal of the law that prohibits gays

  • Country star entertains troops in Germany

    Country music icon Toby Keith performed for the Kaiserslautern Military Community at a jam-packed concert May 1 here.The concert was headed up by officials from the USO, Armed Forces Entertainment and the 86th Services Squadron here and was open to all military ID card holders.Mr. Keith

  • Air Guard security forces at the top of their game

    Air National Guard security forces are at the top of their game, their top officer said here April 21. "We're better equipped, better trained, better (tasked) than we have ever been," said Col. John Wakefield at a conference of nearly 400 ANG security forces personnel.Thousands of them have deployed

  • Airmen train Japanese customs agency members to detect threats

    Air Force Office of Special Investigations agents from Det. 623 here and Airmen from the 35th Civil Engineer Squadron Explosive Ordnance Unit here trained Hakodate customs inspectors with the Japan Ministry of Finance April 23 on counterterrorism measures to deter potential threats that may pass

  • Troops take advantage of GI Bill transferability

    More than 100,000 requests from troops desiring to transfer their unused education benefits to family members have been approved under the Post-9/11 GI Bill, a defense official said April 22 here. Signed into law in June 2008, the new GI Bill is a Department of Veteran Affairs-sponsored program that

  • DFAS begins recouping separation pay soon

    Recouping military retirees' voluntary separation incentive special separation benefit and other separation payments by the Defense Finance and Accounting Service will resume in August. Separation payments and others, such as severance pay, were offered to active-duty servicemembers to reduce

  • Department hailed as leader in 'green' movement

    In a prelude to this week's Earth Day events, a major independent research group April 21 called the Defense Department a leader in energy conservation."The department is doing more than sounding an alarm; it has enacted energy goals and is inventing, testing and deploying new technologies and

  • Inaugural warrior and survivor care conference held

    "Care beyond duty" was the theme for the Warrior and Survivor Care Conference hosted by Air Force Personnel Center officials here April 6 through 9."The goal for this conference was to bring three major groups together: the recovery care coordinators, base level community readiness consultants and

  • Misawa servicemembers, Japanese clean beach, port

    Combat boots were swapped for rubber galoshes when Misawa Airmen, Sailors and their family members cleaned up Misawa's port and beach area April 11 here in advance of Earth Day.Volunteers from the 35th Civil Engineer Squadron and Misawa Fishing Association organized the 13th annual ecological event

  • Cadets take 1st, 3rd at international LOAC competitions

    Six U.S. Air Force Academy cadets ventured to Quebec, Canada, and San Remo, Italy, in March, during spring break to compete in Law of Armed Conflict competitions against international contestants. Cadet 1st Class Charlton Coats from Cadet Squadron 08 won the top individual honor out of 70

  • Newly renovated USO opens in downtown San Antonio

    USO officials unveiled a newly renovated, state-of-the-art facility for military members and their families April 7 at the USO San Antonio Riverwalk Center.The renovated facility features a children's play area, a computer area with six new stations, free Wi-Fi, refurbished pools tables, an

  • F-16 pilots respond to Denver-bound aircraft

    Two F-16 Fighting Falcon pilots under the direction of North American Aerospace Defense Command officials here intercepted a Denver-bound airliner at about 6:45 p.m. Mountain time April 7. Shortly before the airliner was scheduled to land in Denver from Washington National Airport, a passenger

  • Veterans Affairs officials tackle root causes of homelessness

    No one who has ever served the United States in uniform should ever end up living on the street, Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric K. Shinseki insisted. So he and VA officials are committed to ending homelessness among America's veterans within the next five years, and said he's already seeing signs

  • Bagram medics remove unexploded ordnance from patient

    Airmen from the Craig Joint Theater Hospital trauma team here removed an unexploded ordnance from a patient's scalp March 18 here.The patient, an Afghan National Army soldier, was involved in an improvised explosive device attack and had a 14.5 mm high explosive incendiary round with approximately 5

  • Assistant VA secretary, U.S. Olympians join veterans on ski slopes

    The assistant secretary for Veterans Affairs and two U.S. Olympic athletes joined each other on the slopes during the 24th National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic March 31 here.VA Assistant Secretary Tammy Duckworth, Bode Miller and Casey Puckett skied with the veterans as part of the

  • Pentagon officials may extend tanker bid deadline

    Defense Department officials here March 31 informed companies interested in bidding on the KC-X aerial refueling tanker contract that if the European Aeronautics Defense and Space Co. formally expresses an intention to compete, the bidding deadline would be extended 60 days, the Pentagon press

  • General Holm remembered in ceremony at Arlington

    The first female two-star general in both the Air Force and Department of Defense was laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery March 29. Retired Maj. Gen. Jeanne M. Holm is credited as the single driving force in achieving equality for military women and making them a viable part of the

  • Latest 'Portraits in Courage' released

    The stories of heroism, valor, sacrifice and bravery of 17 Airmen appear in the fourth edition of the Air Force's Portraits in Courage now available.The stories are compelling: Airmen who call in close-air support following an improvised explosive device attack, save the life of an Afghan

  • Pentagon officials change 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' enforcement

    The Defense secretary announced changes to the Pentagon's regulation on homosexuals serving in the military that he said make the Defense Department's enforcement of the so-called "Don't ask, don't tell" law "fairer and more appropriate" March 25 here. Secretary Robert M. Gates announced Feb. 2 he'd

  • Air Force leaders expand force management options

    Due to the high volume of traffic on the Air Force Personnel Center personnel services Web site following this announcement, Airmen experiencing difficulty accessing the site may direct their questions concerning force management to their base military personnel sections or the Total Force Service

  • Defense secretary to recommend Navy admiral to head F-35 program

    The Defense secretary will recommend President Barack Obama nominate Navy Vice Adm. David J. Venlet to oversee restructuring of the F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighter program, a Defense Department official told a congressional panel March 24 here. Ashton B. Carter, undersecretary of Defense for

  • Holloman Airmen train for worst in active shooter exercise

    Holloman Air Force Base members tested their preparedness during a simulated active gunman situation March 11 at the Domenici Fitness and Sports Center here.As 49th Security Forces Squadron patrolmen cleared the building in search of the suspects, a quick reaction force stood up and was en route to

  • Air Force leaders issue 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' message

    The three top Air Force leaders have issued a service-wide message explaining how Air Force people will support the Department of Defense working group evaluating "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" legislation.Air Force Secretary Michael Donley, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz and Chief Master

  • Air Force's new undersecretary sworn in

    The Senate confirmed the nomination of Erin C. Conaton to become the next undersecretary of the Air Force March 4 and she began her transition into the office after being sworn in March 15."This is a great day for the Air Force," said Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley. "Erin will be a

  • Official announces plans to curb fighter program's cost

    Defense Department officials will require a shift to a fixed-price contract in their negotiations with Lockheed Martin for the initial production phase of the F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighter, a defense official said here March 15 in a briefing at the Pentagon. Department officials also will

  • Joint fighter faces critical period

    Contracting for the F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighter, touted as the future backbone of U.S. air superiority, must be brought in line with budget realities to make the aircraft affordable again, a defense official said in March here. Key manufacturing and testing milestones are expected for the

  • First Sergeant Academy curriculum, organization mirrors total force

    The life of an Air Force first sergeant is truly a tale of two experiences. There exists the joy of watching Airmen receive well-deserved promotions and recognition, and there is the disappointment and sadness at receiving a 3 a.m. phone call from a law enforcement desk or casualty affairs. These

  • Officials emphasize importance of hiring disabled veterans

    Federal officials are taking action to reverse years of decline in the percentage of people with disabilities in the federal workforce, speakers said at a March 5 training session held to prepare for a Federal Hiring Event for People and Veterans with Disabilities scheduled for April.The percentage

  • Air Force leaders outline plans before Senate committee

    Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley and Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz testified March 4 before the Senate Armed Services Committee to outline specifics about their $119.6 billion budget proposal for fiscal 2011."The last two decades of sustained operations have strained our

  • Lockheed to speed development of F-35

    Defense Department leaders and Lockheed Martin executives explained to international partners changes that have been made in the joint strike fighter program. Ashton B. Carter, the department's undersecretary for acquisition, technology and logistics, and Robert Stevens, the chief operating officer

  • 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' review seeks broadest input

    The Defense Department's review on the potential impact of repealing the ban on gays serving openly in the military will solicit input from troops of every service and rank -- as well as their families -- through surveys, focus groups and social media tools, the team heading up the review told

  • National Resource Directory offers single Web site for wounded warriors

    Officials with the federal departments of Veterans Affairs, Labor and Defense unveiled an improved Web site for wounded warriors Feb. 26. "VA is committed to tapping into the full powers of the Internet to provide accurate, timely, easy to find and easy to understand information that improves the

  • 3rd AF commander discusses upcoming changes

    Lt. Gen. Frank Gorenc, 3rd Air Force commander, visited Spangdahlem Air Base Feb. 18 to receive a visual update on recent changes and innovations in operations at the 52nd Fighter Wing. General Gorenc offered insight into upcoming operational changes members of the base and local community could see

  • VA officials create ad campaign to highlight educational benefits

    Department of Veterans Affairs officials announced a two-month, nationwide advertising campaign Feb. 22 to assist student veterans and servicemembers applying for the Post-9/11 GI Bill."VA, student veterans and our schools have made significant progress in implementing the GI Bill this spring, but

  • Spring to mark start of personnel system transition

    Defense Department officials here are on track to transition the majority of its more than 220,000 civilian employees out of the National Security Personnel System by Sept. 30, more than a year ahead of deadline, the official heading up that transition said Feb. 18. The 2010 National Defense

  • Air Force, DOD pioneer passes away

    The first woman to serve as major general in the Air Force, and the Department of Defense, passed away Feb. 15. Retired Maj. Gen. Jeanne M. Holm is credited as the single driving force in achieving parity for military women and making them a viable part of the mainstream military.The Portland, Ore.,

  • Gates: 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' repeal demands study

    The Defense Department's review of the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" law, which bans gays from serving openly in the military, will help to ensure readiness and unit cohesion remain intact if Congress repeals it, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said in an interview aired Feb. 9. Secretary Gates also

  • Air Force secretary to headline symposium at Academy

    The 17th-annual National Character and Leadership Symposium will feature presentations by Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley and other keynote and concurrent speakers who will gather here Feb. 17 through 19.U.S. Air Force Academy cadets, faculty, Academy alumni, government employees and other

  • NORAD plans air patrols for Super Bowl

    Fighter jet crews from North American Aerospace Defense Command's Continental United States Region will be protecting the skies around Sun Life Stadium during Super Bowl XLIV Feb. 7, in Miami. Air Force fighter jets will be airborne while enforcing the Federal Aviation Administration's temporary

  • Ellsworth Airmen participate in training with local sheriff's department

    Airmen of the 28th Security Forces Squadron here participated in specialized training with the Pennington County Sheriff Department's special response team Jan. 25.The training was designed to help Airmen understand and develop tactics against armed threats, similar to the incident at Fort Hood,

  • U.S. military helps Haitian students return home

    The aftermath from the earthquake in Haiti still resonates across the world, and for a small group of Haitians studying in the United States, only one priority remains: to return home and find their loved ones. With the combined help of U.S. military services, seven Haitian coast guard members

  • Transit Center Airmen help save Peace Corps member

    Jan. 18 was a snowy day in Central Asia. Jamie Morris, a female Peace Corps volunteer assigned to a village in Kazakhstan, was traveling in a taxi with two other passengers when their vehicle was hit by a truck, killing the two others and leaving her with severe head injuries.Officials from the

  • Pay, medical, family issues highlight budget request

    President Barack Obama will request increased funding for military pay, housing allowances, family support programs and care for wounded warriors, as he recognizing the nation's responsibility to support its men and women in uniform and their families, White House officials said Jan.27, here. The

  • Dyess Airmen support Haiti relief efforts

    Six Dyess Air Force Base C-130 Hercules aircraft and aircrews supported relief efforts Jan. 17 following the 7.0-magnitude earthquake in Haiti Jan. 12. Since the disaster struck, Dyess AFB aircrews have flown to various bases on the East Coast to pick up fuel, relief workers and cargo bound for

  • JB Andrews Airmen train with state special tactical assault team

    Members from the 316th Security Forces Squadron here and the Maryland State Police Special Tactical Assault Team Element, or STATE team, conducted training exercises in unoccupied Joint Base Andrews housing units Jan. 19.The goal of the exercise for the security teams was to share experience and

  • Simulator provides risk-free training at Eielson

    The 354th Security Forces Squadron training instructors here recently received training on a new simulation system that will train Airmen in marksmanship, collective and judgmental firing skills. The Engagement Skills Trainer 2000 is a small-arms training system used to increase deployment

  • AF, Navy help Red Cross volunteers reach Haiti

    Air Force and Navy personnel helped deliver approximately 70 American Red Cross volunteers to Haiti, Jan. 21, to help improve communications between medical staff on the USNS Comfort and Haitian patients.The deployment was the largest in the Red Cross' recent history, according an ARC

  • New NSPS transition office announced

    The Department of Defense announced Jan. 21 the establishment of the National Security Personnel System Transition Office and the selection of John H. James Jr. as the director.Mr. James will report to the deputy under secretary of defense for civilian personnel policy and lead the NSPSTO in

  • Air Force officials participating in summer program

    Air Force organization officials have the opportunity to begin hiring students March 17 for temporary, funded positions as part of the 2010 Workforce Recruitment Program for College Students with Disabilities.Air Force officials are participating in the annual program sponsored by the Department of

  • Budget for 2010 to help Guard equip, modernize

    Increased funding in the fiscal 2010 budget will allow the National Guard to modernize and equip its forces for state and federal missions, Guard officials announced here Jan. 11."This robust funding will constitute a significant strengthening of the Guard's equipment fill and modernization

  • Cyberspace leaders hold career panel at Academy

    Senior officers with Air Force Space Command and 24th Air Force held a space and cyberspace career panel in the Academy's Fairchild Hall Jan. 11.The panel gave cadets in attendance a chance to ask the panelists questions about the future of space and cyberspace and how their future careers might fit

  • Air Force officials scramble F-16s in response of unruly air passenger

    Two F-16 Fighting Falcons under the direction of Continental U.S. North American Aerospace Defense Command Region officials launched at 11:44 a.m. Jan. 8 in response to reports of an unruly passenger aboard AirTran Flight 39 from Atlanta bound for San Francisco.The fighters arrived overhead of

  • Laws change for military, overseas voters

    Servicemembers and overseas voters shouldn't assume they automatically will receive ballots for the 2010 elections just because they have in the past. Previously, voters would receive absentee ballots for up to two cycles following their request, Bob Carey, Federal Voting Assistance Program

  • Chief of staff dedicates Center for Families of the Fallen

    The Air Force chief of staff dedicated the new Center for Families of the Fallen at the Air Force Mortuary Affairs Operations Center here Jan. 6."For many of us, this dedication is a bittersweet event," said Gen. Norton Schwartz, the Air Force chief of staff. "This center is emblematic of our

  • Oregon F-15s scramble to escort Hawaiian Airlines flight

    Two Oregon Air National Guard F-15 Eagles, under the direction of North American Aerospace Defense Command, scrambled Jan. 6 when the pilot of a commercial airliner reported having a disruptive passenger on board. The F-15s, stationed at Portland Air National Guard Base, piloted by Air Guardsmen

  • Stop-loss payments continue, but some no longer eligible

    The fiscal 2010 defense budget extends payments to servicemembers involuntarily extended on active duty under the so-called "Stop Loss" program, but those who received a bonus for voluntarily re-enlisting or extending their service no longer qualify for retroactive stop-loss pay. Defense Department

  • Program helps servicemembers transition to civilian life

    The Department of Defense's Transition Assistance Program is working to prepare servicemembers and their families for a successful transition to civilian life. "We are trying to ensure that (servicemembers) transition from active duty back to the civilian community is a smooth and seamless one," Ron

  • Officials encourage Guard, Reserve to honor employers

    Providing pay and benefits during deployments, sending care packages to deployed employees, allowing time off, and celebrating military service with send-off and homecoming ceremonies are just a few commitments that the Guard and Reserve's top employers are honored for each year. Officials here are

  • Air Force senior leaders pay holiday visit to Global Strike Command Airmen

    The Air Force's top uniformed officer and top enlisted leader each visited Air Force Global Strike Command wings for Christmas, spending the holiday with Airmen charged with the nuclear strategic deterrence mission and global strike operations.Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz visited

  • Holloman Airmen train to fight back

    Airmen of the 49th Security Forces Squadron here received first responder to an active gunman training Dec. 15 to 17 from members of the Roswell Police Department special operations team in New Mexico.The training allowed defenders to practice the proper techniques to safely eliminate any emergency

  • President signs 2010 Defense budget into law

    Defense officials are hailing passage of the fiscal 2010 budget that funds military programs and wartime operations in Afghanistan and Iraq and provides a military pay raise. President Barack Obama signed the 2010 Department of Defense Appropriations Act into law Dec. 19 after the Senate approved it

  • Air Force nurses welcome Iraqi colleagues, share skills

    Seventeen Iraqi medical care providers recently attended the December installment of the 332nd Expeditionary Medical Group's Iraqi Nursing Partnership Program here.As the responsible drawdown of U.S. forces from Iraq continues, the program is intended to further the medical capabilities of local

  • Law allows spouses to keep residency while under orders

    A new law protects military spouses from being taxed for work performed in states where they're living outside their home states as a result of military orders. President Barack Obama signed the Military Spouses Residency Relief Act, an amendment to the 2003 Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, on Nov.

  • Military housing allowance rates set for 2010

    Military members will see an average raise of 2.5 percent in housing allowance rates in 2010, a BAH program analyst for the Defense Department here said Dec. 16. The increase comes to average of around $37 per month for the more than 900,000 servicemembers expected to draw the basic allowance for

  • Crime lab casts net ahead of cyber criminals

    Public fascination with television's "CSI" forensic detectives and with the virtual reality depicted in the "Matrix" films may be partly responsible for the high level of interest garnered by a Defense Department contest to solve cyber crimes. The Digital Forensics Challenge was created by Jim

  • President signs bill, aids military spouses

    The President signed a bill Nov. 11 to help ease the strain on military families who frequently travel from state to state and country to country.President Barack Obama signed the bill, known as the 'Military Spouses Residency Relief Act,' as an amendment to the 2003 Servicemembers Civil Relief

  • Secretary Gates to discuss progress, drawdown in Baghdad

    Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates arrived here Dec. 10 to meet with Iraqi and U.S. military leaders about continuing progress toward building Iraqi security forces and drawing down the U.S. force presence here to 50,000 by late August. The visit, Secretary Gates' first since July, comes as the

  • Airmen aid in search for stranded hiker

    Members of the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center here aided in search operations with local and state agencies to save a stranded man late Dec. 1 in the Sonoran Desert in Apache Junction, Ariz.The young man was hiking on Superstition Mountain, became stranded and was suffering from hypothermia.

  • Deputy defense secretary outlines protections for information

    Although information technology enables the Defense Department to make gains in military capabilities, those gains come at a cost, the deputy defense secretary told industry executives in New York. "The Defense Department makes a tempting target," Mr. William J. Lynn III said. "We have 7 million

  • 2009 tax form, pay statement availability announced

    Air Force retirees with a myPay online account can now download their annual account statements. Annuitant statements will be available online Dec. 14.There will not be a cost-of-living adjustment increase for military retirees or annuitants in 2010. COLA increases are determined each year based on

  • Airmen lead training course for Iraqi police

    Airmen assigned to the Iraq Police Transition Team here started a new class Nov. 18 for recent graduates of the Iraqi Police Academy as an effort to further enhance their capabilities as officers securing their communities.The five-day class is part of an on-going effort to transition responsibility

  • Servicemembers' Holiday Greetings now available online

    Members of the Joint Hometown News Service here recently posted more than 8,000 holiday greetings from servicemembers and their families stationed around the world on its Web site.To see the holiday greetings, family members, servicemembers and their families can visit at

  • Corrections experts, engineers visit Afghan prison construction site

    Correctional experts and Kunar Provincial Reconstruction Team engineers visited the Kunar Prison construction site to conduct a quality assurance check and address potential security concerns recently in the Kunar Province.Experts with the Corrections System Support Program, a Department of State

  • Air Force leaders reinforce senior adviser hiring guidance

    Air Force senior leaders here recently completed a year-long comprehensive review of the requirements, contracting processes and tasks performed by senior advisers.While the review did not find any ethical or legal concerns, Air Force Secretary Michael B. Donley and Air Force Chief of Staff Gen.

  • Vietnam military health, logistics reps visit Hickam

    Six delegates from the Vietnam military's health and general logistics fields met with U.S. Air Force officials here Nov. 10 during a 13th Air Force-hosted visit. The visit was designed to familiarize the Vietnamese delegates with how the U.S. military conducts surveillance, screening and testing of

  • Federal officials pledge support for hiring veterans

    Senior federal officials here Nov. 12 pledged their support of President Barack Obama's directive to increase the hiring of military veterans. President Obama signed the executive order Nov. 9 that calls on each federal agency to establish a veterans' employment program office designed to help

  • Ring returned to Vietnam POW 44 years after imprisonment

    With the traditional "I do's" and exchange of wedding bands some 54 years ago on Oct. 1, 1955, James and Phyllis Hivner began their life's journey together which, like many young couples, began with not knowing what the future held.That journey was rocked 10 years later, almost to the day, when

  • Executive order seeks more veterans in government

    President Barack Obama signed an executive order Nov. 9 aimed at hiring more veterans to work in the federal government. A governmentwide Council on Veterans' Employment will be chaired by Labor Secretary Hilda Solis and Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki. The order calls on each federal

  • Official cites benefits of deploying civilians

    A recent Facebook post by a U.S. Soldier heading home from Iraq highlights some of the nonmilitary roles American troops often assume in today's counterinsurgency wars. "My time in Iraq approaches its end," the junior enlisted Soldier wrote, listing military duties he performed on tour, followed by

  • Airmen build up reconstruction yard for drawdown

    Airmen of the 732nd Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron's Det. 6 here are not only in the business of pushing dirt, but also in pushing the U.S. military closer to drawdown in Iraq. The Airmen are tasked to level off a Saddam Hussein-era munitions storage area to create a workspace for the

  • 'Cake Boss' episode filmed at Joint Base McGuire to air Nov 9

    Viewers of the hit television show "Cake Boss" will get a little taste of the Air Force mission when an episode filmed here in September airs on TLC, Nov. 9, at 10 p.m. Eastern time. Filmed at JB McGuire and aboard the USS New Jersey in Camden, the episode will feature an Air Force-themed cake

  • Airmen provide Iraqis building skills

    Airmen of the 506th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron here work with local Iraqis daily teaching them various trade skills as they team together to improve the infrastructure at Kirkuk Air Base. "I was given the opportunity to teach the local nationals what we could with the jobs that we're

  • VA secretary to outline plans to end veteran homelessness

    Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric K. Shinseki is expected to unveil a five-year plan to end homelessness among veterans as he, other VA officials and community outreach specialists come together for the Homeless Veteran Summit here beginning Nov. 3. Secretary Shinseki's team has made homelessness a

  • President proclaims November is Military Family Month

    President Barack Obama pledged his support of military members and their families and said Americans have a "solemn obligation" to preserve their well-being in his proclamation declaring November as Military Family Month. The proclamation reads: "No one pays a higher price for our freedom than

  • New perspective improves VA programs

    A new perspective has enabled leaders at the Department of Veterans Affairs to improve the level and accessibility of care provided to servicemembers, the department's assistant secretary for public and intergovernmental affairs said here Oct. 27. "I bring with me to VA a really different, new

  • Act ends controversial personnel system

     With President Barack Obama's signature today on the 2010 National Defense Authorization Act, a controversial pay-for-performance personnel system is abolished. About 220,000 Defense Department employees who had come under the National Security Personnel System will transition back to the

  • Obama signs veterans health care legislation

    President Barack Obama signed new legislation Oct. 22 that creates predictable funding for veterans' health care. The Veterans Healthcare Reform and Transparency Act fundamentally changes how Department of Veterans Affairs receives health care funding. The reform calls for appropriations a year in

  • AFSOUTH Airmen participate in Exercise SALITRE II

    More than 190 Air Forces Southern Airmen are representing the United States during Exercise SALITRE II, a Chilean air force-led coalition exercise which began Oct. 17 and ends Nov. 2, in Antofagasta and Iquique, Chile. SALITRE is a coalition air exercise, including search and rescue, aerial

  • Academy Assembly guests discuss bridging war, peace

    The vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff told Class of 2010 cadets here Oct. 8 that their education will not end at graduation during his keynote address for the 2009 U.S. Air Force Academy Assembly. "The world demands more education today," said Marine Gen. James Cartwright. "This is the

  • U-2 exceeds 25,000th hour of flight

    U-2 aircraft No. 068-0337 was accepted by Air Force officials in 1968, and exceeded the 25,000th hour of flight Oct. 18, 2009, in a mission out of Southwest Asia. The plane, with a wingspan of 105 feet, is maintained by military members and civilian contractors of the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing,

  • AFRCC Airmen respond to balloon chase in Colorado

    Air Force Rescue Coordination Center personnel here responded to calls for assistance when a hot air balloon, believed to be 'piloted' by a 6-year-old boy, broke free from its tethers and flew haphazardly through the skies near Denver Oct. 15. At approximately 1:25 p.m. Central Time, the AFRCC