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U.S. Air Force News

  • Airmen in personal effects office take small items to heart

    Watches, coins, photos, dog tags and necklaces. To many, these are just items carried or worn by military members, even when serving in places like Iraq or Afghanistan. For families of the fallen, these simple items may be cherished keepsakes that serve as reminders of their son or daughter who paid

  • Heritage Coat production uncertain despite favorable reviews

    Though Air Force officials here have not made a final decision on the new service coat, pre-decisional results show Airmen who sampled the Heritage Coat gave it high marks. Survey feedback showed 92 percent of wear test participants deemed the coat suitable for military uniform, and overall 66

  • Helicopter pilots train Japanese forces on air refueling

    A team of HH-60G Pave Hawk pilots here provided a three-day intensive course on air refueling to Japanese Self Defense Forces helicopter rescue pilots in late March over Japan. The training, given by pilots from the 33rd Rescue Squadron, gave JASDF members hands-on helicopter air refueling training.

  • Airmen help launch satellite into orbit

    The Air Force's second Wibeband Global Satellite Communications satellite was successfully launched into orbit April 3 by officials from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. WGS-2 joins the service's first WGS satellite that was launched Oct. 10, 2007. The WGS system significantly increases the

  • Air Force officials take delivery of first MC-12

    Winning the fight from up high just got more advanced since the recent delivery of the MC-12 Project Liberty special mission turboprop aircraft. The MC-12 is the first of its kind for the Air Force and is set to venture downrange in May. Lt. Gen. David Deptula, Air Force Deputy Chief of Staff for

  • Space education seeks prominence

    The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff's newly-released special area of emphasis, "Space as a Contested Environment," draws attention to the reality that the United States can and will be challenged in space, and that military education needs modification to address this reality. The overall goal

  • Airman's Roll Call: Sexual Assault Awareness Month

    This week's Airman's Roll Call focuses on Web sites, campaigns and other events, observing Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Defense Department officials launched a new Web site and campaign April 3 that gives servicemembers fresh initiatives and new teaching methods to prevent sexual

  • Ramstein welcomes new J-model C-130

    Ramstein's first J-model C-130 Super Hercules aircraft was welcomed by a capacity crowd April 7 during an arrival ceremony here. Tail number 8601, the first of 14 J-models in production for the 86th Airlift Wing, also serves as the first Air Force Super Hercules permanently stationed at an overseas

  • World War II aviators share stories, experiences

    It's rare today to be able to sit down with living legends and pick their brains of past experiences and commitment during their military aviation careers. Three such individuals provided that opportunity for servicemembers and civilians here March 31 during "Lunch with the Legends" at the base

  • Officials discuss Air Force role for Africa Command

    Officials from Air University, U.S. Africa Command and the 17th Air Force kicked off a symposium March 31 to foster recommendations for the Air Force's involvement for Africa Command. The 17th Air Force, also known as U.S. Air Forces Africa, is the air arm of the new unified command and the main

  • Drill team prepares for upcoming drill season

    Members of the Air Force Honor Guard drill team completed its annual training camp in March at Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala. During their month long temporary duty, the team learned a new routine for the 2009 drill-season with the biggest change being the addition of Max Impact, the Air Force's

  • April 5 airpower summary: F-15Es deter enemy

    Coalition airpower integrated with coalition ground forces in Iraq and the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan during operations April 5, according to Combined Air and Space Operations Center officials here. In Afghanistan, a B-1B Lancer destroyed an anti-Afghan pillbox near Musa

  • Gates lays out defense budget recommendations

    Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates laid out his recommendations for the 2010 budget during an April 6 Pentagon press conference . The secretary said he included his experiences in national security to make the decisions. To start, Secretary Gates plans to significantly restructure the Army's Future

  • Iraqis provide new line of security for Joint Base Balad

    Another layer of outer perimeter security was added here April 1 to help protect the men and women of JBB, and the new initiative is staffed by more than 100 local Iraqis from the surrounding area. "This contract is a first of its kind," said Lt. Col. Raymond Reyes, JBB Regional Contracting Center

  • Precision: Everyday standard at base lab

    Calibrating a weapon system properly is the difference between striking at the heart of an enemy force or possibly hitting the friendly forces engaged with that same enemy. Members of the 46th Maintenance Squadron's Precision Measurement Equipment Laboratory here are the purveyors of accuracy and

  • Medics, volunteers help servicemembers recover for duty

    The 379th Expeditionary Medical Group nurses and technicians here join forces with base volunteers in a program to help servicemembers with non-debilitating injuries or non-urgent surgical needs to fully recover and get back in the fight. The In-Theater Care Program was established to treat patients

  • Teamwork ensures Thunderbirds performance

    Airmen from three commands came together to prepare the Thunderbirds F-16 Fighting Falcons in time for the Keesler Air Force Base airshow April 4 after inclement weather damaged five of the aircraft's noses.The damage from the weather occurred as the Thunderbirds arrived for the airshow and was

  • Airman helps Iraqis bury past, rebuild future

    It has been said that those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it, but a group of Iraqi contractors, with the help of an American Airman, are taking a different approach. They are burying the past to rebuild a new future. The past, in this case, are three villas located in the

  • SECAF visits Expeditionary Center, McGuire

    Citing the U.S. Air Force Expeditionary Center as a "critical component of the Air Force's ability to train Airmen," Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley pronounced his first familiarization visit to the center here on March 31 a success. "The Air Force mission to fly, fight and win ... in air,

  • VA secretary expects big impact from post-9/11 GI Bill

    All systems are on track for this summer's rollout of the new Post-9/11 GI Bill, which Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric K. Shinseki said he expects to have as monumental an impact as the original World War II-era GI Bill of Rights. Secretary Shinseki, who served as Army chief of staff from 1999 to

  • Maxwell legal services wins government-wide award

    The director of the Air Force Legal Operations Agency's Directorate of Legal Information Services, or AFLOA/JAS here, said he was notified March 27 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Graduate School that his organization had won the government-wide 2009 W. Edwards Deming Award. Col. Peter

  • Air Force officials separate E-7, E-6 promotion release dates

    Air Force officials here are initiating a new process to separate the release dates for the master sergeant and technical sergeant promotion lists. The new master sergeant promotion list will now be released on May 14 and the technical sergeant list will be released on June 18 after 12 years of

  • April 3 airpower summary: B-1Bs deliver firepower

    Coalition airpower integrated with coalition ground forces in Iraq and International Security Assistance Force troops in Afghanistan during operations April 3, according to Combined Air and Space Operations Center officials here.In Afghanistan, an Air Force B-1B Lancer bomber destroyed an

  • Military communications satellite successfully launched

    An Air Force team successfully launched a new-generation military communication satellite from here April 3 at 8:31 p.m. (EDT) when an Atlas V rocket carried a Wideband Global Satellite Communication satellite into space. These satellites are designed to provide high-capacity communications to U.S.

  • New satellite model showcased in dedication ceremony

    Air Force Space Command officials, in partnership with Lockheed Martin representatives, unveiled a one-quarter scale model of the Advanced Extremely High Frequency satellite here April 1 during a ceremony in the AFSPC headquarters building. "It is phenomenally important to us and the warfighting

  • Air Force instructors empower Iraqi warrant officers to lead

    Twenty-nine Iraqi air force members graduated from the warrant officer professional development course at the Iraqi air force schoolhouse with help from their U.S. Air Force instructors here March 28. The largest class to date demonstrates the commitment of the Iraqi air force throughout the ranks

  • Fiscal 2010 budget to reflect 'fundamental shift' in defense

    Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates will make budget decisions this weekend that will indicate a "fundamental shift in direction" for the department, the Pentagon press secretary said April 3. "These are not changes to the margins," Geoff Morrell said. The changes will affect the fiscal 2010 Defense

  • Air Force takes combat air acquisitions priorities to Hill

    As airpower takes on an increasingly critical role in the joint fight, Air Force and Navy officials testified before the House Appropriations Committee March 25 here to outline the services' top combat air acquisition priorities. Lt. Gen. Mark D. "Shack" Shackelford, the acquisition deputy to the

  • Air Force Assistance Fund campaign ends May 1

    This year's Air Force Assistance Fund "Commitment to Caring" campaign, from Feb. 9 to May 1, provides Airmen the opportunity to contribute to any of the four official Air Force charitable organizations. Now in its 36th year, 100 percent of designated AFAF contributions benefit active-duty, Reserve,

  • Kehler: Spherical battlespace is new theater of operations

    The world is no longer flat and information is no longer static. Neither can military operations confine focus to one area of a conflict while remaining oblivious to interconnections with the larger picture. It is time the view of the battlefield is turned upside-down. This is the message of the

  • AFPC officials launch improved Airmen Development Plan

    Active-duty officers, and soon civilians, can now more effectively map their careers with the recent phase two launch of the Airmen Development Plan. The phase II version includes a new audit trail feature and the ability to generate weekly e-mail notifications. The ADP application was introduced in

  • CES Airman maps base 'hot spots'

    Six hours of helicopter flight time has the potential to save the Air Force hundreds of thousands of dollars in energy savings. Master Sgt. Joseph Hudson, 374th Civil Engineer Squadron infrastructure superintendent, received a bird's-eye view of Yokota's more than 1,700 acres during six

  • NASA joins 'around the world in 80 telescopes'

    A collection of NASA missions will be involved in a live event April 3 that will allow the public to get an inside look at how these missions are run. "Around the World in 80 Telescopes" is a 24-hour webcast that is part of the "100 Hours of Astronomy" event for the International Year of Astronomy

  • Tricare officials launch Web page to down alcohol abuse

    April is Alcohol Awareness Month and Tricare officials here are committed to creating a "buzz" about the effects of alcohol abuse. A new Tricare Web page at http://www.tricare.mil/alcoholawareness sheds some light on alcohol abuse and promotes responsible drinking. Heavy alcohol consumption is a

  • Force support officers represent flexibility

    Responding to evolving needs from the field has prompted several transformations in the manpower, personnel and services community over the past few years, including the recent stand up of an initial skills training course for force support officers. "Our Air Force officers are showing great

  • Air Force officials hold Caring for People Forum

    More than 200 Air Force behavioral specialists, chaplains, family advocacy personnel and other family support members gathered to discuss how to care for the Air Force family April 1 in Arlington, Va. The Year of the Air Force Family: Caring for People Forum started in a hotel in the shadow of the

  • April 1 airpower summary: B-1B pounds enemy compound

    Coalition airpower integrated with coalition ground forces in Iraq and the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan during operations April 1, according to Combined Air and Space Operations Center officials here. In Afghanistan, coalition aircraft performed strikes near Kajaki Dam

  • Luke Airmen assist disabled veterans at ski clinic

    A team of eight Airmen from Luke Air Force Base, Ariz., volunteered their time and energy to drive 15 hours and assist nearly 400 disabled veterans participate in a winter sports rehabilitation clinic here. The team is spending a week helping disabled veterans experience the 23rd National Disabled

  • Winter rehabilitation clinic shows veterans potential

    More than 400 disabled veterans this year are pushing themselves to the limits by taking part in the Department of Veterans Affairs' 23rd National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic at Snowmass Village, Colo. The clinic, a six-day event that began March 28, teaches veterans with disabilities

  • Gates signs policy for dignified transfer operations

    Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates has approved a policy change that, under strictly delineated conditions, allows media filming of dignified transfer operations of fallen servicemembers' remains at Dover Air Force Base, Del. The new policy is slated to be implemented April 6, Pentagon spokesman

  • ALO commands new combat unit at Bagram

    A former air liaison officer to the Army's 101st Airborne Division in Iraq took command of the newly activated 504th Expeditionary Air Support Operations Group during an assumption of command ceremony here March 30. Col. James Thomas took hold of the 504th EASOG guidon from Lt. Gen. Gary North,

  • Reserve commander briefs Congress

    Two units received a "positive plug" in the congressional record when the commander of Air Force Reserve Command testified March 25 before the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense. Lt. Gen. Charles E. Stenner Jr. touted the strong Yellow Ribbon Program partnership initiatives between Airmen

  • Academy engineers, faculty assist Navajo Nation

    Air Force Academy cadets and civil engineering faculty recently put their skills to work on the Navajo Reservation here. A team of two cadets, two instructors from the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and a family member wrapped up a week of working on traditional Navajo homes

  • DOD program aims to create new biodiesel fuel

    Ever imagine filling up the fuel tanks on a military aircraft with french fry grease?  That's exactly what Air Force officials could do someday if a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency research program proves successful. DARPA is the Defense Department's scientific agency that pushes the

  • PBS special airs to help military families cope with change

    Sesame Workshop will air a PBS special at 8 p.m. EST April 1 aimed at helping military families cope with changes. The half-hour special, which will air at the beginning of the "Month of the Military Child," is a part of Sesame Workshop's "Talk, Listen, Connect" initiative, which began two years

  • March 30 airpower summary: Predator strikes enemy forces

    Coalition airpower integrated with coalition ground forces in Iraq and the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan during operations March 30, according to Combined Air and Space Operations Center officials here. In Afghanistan, Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt IIs and an MQ-1 Predator

  • Ukrainians, Danes, Americans resupply remote outpost

    Thule Air Base was the scene of an historic event of multinational cooperation between three countries that less than 20 years ago glared at each other across the Cold War's Iron Curtain. American, Danish and Ukrainian air forces successfully completed Operation Brilliant Ice 2009 March 26 after

  • VA secretary opens Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic

    Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric K. Shinseki opened the 23rd annual National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic here March 29, encouraging more than 400 participants he said had found their way "to the top of the mountain in search of miracles." "Thank you for your service. Thank you for your

  • Spangdahlem comm facility earns top award

    Striving for excellence is standard for the people at the Global Information Grid facility here.  They have placed no lower than runner-up in the Europe Defense Information Systems Agency annual awards since 2001. They garnered a first place finish once again, capturing the DISA Outstanding GIG

  • Yokota Airmen train with Japanese police

    Members of the 374th Security Forces Squadron here conducted a joint response training exercise with members of the Japanese National Police-Fussa Division March 26 here. Fussa officials came up with idea of a joint unexploded ordnance response and investigation exercise to educate new police

  • 'Space as a contested environment' debuts

    A new special area of emphasis, or SAE, titled "Space as a Contested Environment," was introduced by U.S. military officials here March 30 at the 25th National Space Symposium. SAEs are established by the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff  to address topics of great importance to the joint

  • Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program reaches milestone

    The advisory board of a new program mandated by the 2008 National Defense Authorization Act held its inaugural meeting here March 30. The Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program fulfills the requirement of establishing a national combat veteran reintegration program. The program's goal is to prepare

  • AMC goes green with aircraft engine washes

    Air Mobility Command bases are using a new aircraft engine wash system that's not only better for the plane, but also it is better for the environment. The EcoPower Engine Wash System is a system that uses atomized water, collects the effluent water and purifies it for recycled use. EcoPower

  • AF officials announce new discrimination hotline number

    The Air Force Discrimination Hotline has a new toll free number that will serve all active-duty, Guard, Reserve and civilian Airmen. The hotline number will ensure all unlawful discrimination and sexual harassment concerns are quickly identified and addressed. "The Air Force is committed to ensuring

  • Air Force officials begin Phase II of NCO retraining program

    Two deadlines are quickly approaching for Airmen identified for retraining under Phase II of the Air Force Noncommissioned Officer Retraining Program. These Airmen must submit a retraining request by April 6 and must also complete a retraining package by April 29 for the Air Force specialty code

  • Revised 'Little Brown Book' now available

    Air Force officials here recently revised Air Force instruction 36-2618, The Enlisted Force Structure, also known as "The Little Brown Book," and the electronic version is available now with hardcopies expected to be available in May. The guide has long been a staple of establishing expectations and

  • Advanced field hospital put to test in Puerto Rico

    The earthquake and tsunami that struck here left a streaming mass of civilians requiring medical attention, and Arizona Air National Guard members flew here to render assistance. Or, at least, that's the scenario. In Exercise Vigilant Guard, Airmen from the 161st Medical Group of the Arizona

  • Spangdahlem Airmen to support Canadian troops

    The Canadians are coming to Spangdahlem Air Base.Canadian officials accepted a U.S. Air Force offer to use the base as the springboard to support to its deployed troops throughout Southwest Asia. Under an agreement with close allies Germany and the U.S., Canada has begun to implement a plan to use

  • Air Force officials deliver first C-130 to Polish military

    American and Polish airmen delivered the first of five refurbished C-130E Hercules military transport planes and spare parts March 24 to the Polish air force at Powidz Air Base, Poland. "It's a great day for them to celebrate the arrival of the Hercules. It's vital to them being able to -- own their

  • Amputee pilot completes third deployment

    What sets Maj. Alan Brown apart from other Airmen in the gym at Bagram Airfield's Camp Cunningham isn't his workout routine, it's his right leg. "When people see me in shorts at the gym there's definitely a pattern," said the 42-year-old mobility pilot of Pine Bluffs, Wyo. "They glance at my eyes,

  • March 25 airpower summary: B-1B protects coalition forces

    Coalition airpower integrated with coalition ground forces in Iraq and the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan during operations March 25, according to Combined Air and Space Operations Center officials here. In Afghanistan, an Air Force B-1B Lancer dropped guided bomb unit-38s

  • Fire muster challenges Airmen

    Airmen and Soldiers were put to the test in the air and space expeditionary force rotation 7/8 fire muster March 21 here. A fire muster is a fire department competition consisting of several different events from a dummy drag, putting out a "fire" using a bucket brigade, rolling up a hose, and

  • Changes make Letter of Evaluation more effective

    The Air Force Personnel Center recently introduced several changes to Air Force Form 77, Letter of Evaluation, as part of its ongoing efforts to improve and refine its processes.Some of the specific improvements included upgrading the form's layout and usability, creating dropdown boxes to eliminate

  • Course trains intelligence analysts in ground operations

    Air Force intelligence analysts have been trained to focus on air threats since they first entered the service. There's now a need for them to be trained to provide support for world-wide ground combat and force protection operations. The Air Force Force Protection Intelligence Formal Training Unit

  • Space operations units assume control of new GPS satellite

    The 2nd and 19th Space Operations Squadrons here assumed control of the Air Force's newest GPS satellite shortly after its launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., March 24. The satellite, named GPS IIR-20(M), is the 34th satellite in the GPS constellation, which provides precise

  • AFPC automates notifications for probationary periods

    In AFPC's ongoing effort to improve consistency and efficiency across the Air Force, supervisors will now receive an e-mail notification when one of their civilian employees is within 90 days of completing a probationary period. New employees and new supervisors serve an established probationary

  • Airmen demonstrate unmanned aircraft not merely 'drones'

    The door to the 62nd Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron features a drawing of an MQ-1 Predator armed with Hellfire missiles underscored with the words "We're not drones - we fire back." Often referred to by reporters as "drones," unmanned aircraft like the MQ-1 Predator and RQ-4 Global Hawk are

  • Career enlisted aviator positions open

    The Air Force has immediate openings for in-flight refueling specialists, flight engineers, loadmasters, airborne mission systems specialists, airborne operations specialists, flight attendants and aerial gunners. First term Airmen who have completed half of their initial enlistment may apply for an

  • C-17 arrives in New Zealand

    A C-17 Globemaster III crew of 14 from the 517th Airlift Squadron at Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska, arrived here March 18 for the 2009 Whenuapai Air Show. This is the first time since 1981 that a U. S. asset is participating in the yearly event, which began March 21, said U. S. Navy Chief Warrant

  • Intel system gains warfighting role

    Whether fighting the flames of California wildfires or detecting floating threats off coasts, officials from the 950th Electronic System Group are using a key imagery collection system known as Eagle Vision to transition victories from homeland defense into capabilities for warfighters use around

  • Servicemembers teaching others while deployed

    Education is something the military encourages servicemembers to seek whenever they can, as long as it doesn't interfere with the mission. Unfortunately, it can be difficult to get university teachers to deployed areas, but that's where certain deployed personnel, all of whom have at least one

  • Airmen simplify with AFSO 21

    Air Force Smart Operations for the 21st Century is enabling some Kadena Airmen to spend more time with family rather than extra hours on the job. The intent of AFSO 21 is to improve operations by simplifying processes, some of which may already be in place. Additionally, it aims to generate

  • Innovative brain therapies offer hope to injured troops

    Innovative therapies that have assisted previously comatose patients regain consciousness may be incorporated on a greater scale to treat troops diagnosed with traumatic brain injuries, a brain injury expert said here March 23. Dr. Philip A. DeFina, chief executive and scientific officer at the

  • Push-Pull to test real-world Air Force capabilities

    Push-Pull 2009 may sound like a new type of fitness regimen to some, but to about 150 regular Air Force retirees it will be a mobilization exercise of a different kind April 6 through 10 at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas. The Push-Pull 2009 exercise is designed to exercise and evaluate mobilization

  • Lackland conservation efforts equal big rebate

    Lackland Air Force Base officials received the largest rebate ever awarded by CPS Energy March 17 here after creating a win-win situation for the base and the city-owned utility company. Brigadier Gen. Leonard A. "Len" Patrick, the 37th Training Wing commander, received a rebate check for

  • Airmen train Iraqi maintainers

    Two maintenance Airmen took three Iraqi air force members from here to Camp Taji, Iraq, March 24 to help fix one of Iraq's C-130s In an attempt to help members of the Iraqi air force better cross utilize their resources and assets. Technical Sergeants Jim Grifasi and Bobby McKenzie, advisers with

  • Total force keeps air mobility in the fight

    Airmen of the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve have sustained the hub for directing global airlift, air refueling and aeromedical evacuation operations since the onset of operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom here.The 618th Tanker Airlift Control Center manages a daily average of 900

  • SOS 'blends' training model incorporating new technology

    Academic and military researchers are introducing and proposing new approaches on leadership and teamwork training at the Squadron Officer School at Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala. Officials with Air Education and Training Command, the sponsor organization, partnered with researchers at the University

  • Air Force 'Switching Seats' with NASCAR campaign

    The Air Force, along with its contract advertising agency GSD&M Idea City, launches the multimedia marketing campaign "Switching Seats" March 23 in support of its NASCAR partnership. The campaign centers on the parallels between Air Force and NASCAR high-performance jobs, and focuses on No. 43

  • 'One Voice' coordinates Air Force positions on joint and interagency issues

    Air Force officials recently announced the establishment of a new Headquarters Air Force capability devoted to providing Air Force leaders with coordinated Air Force positions for use in communicating with non-Air Force entities. This new capability is called "One Voice." "Each day, members of the

  • ISR operations: 'Eye in the sky'

    "Complete adaptation to environment means death. The essential point in all response is the desire to control environment." These words from the American philosopher and reformer John Dewey make the point that as conditions change, one must not simply adapt to them, but instead endeavor to control

  • Airmen help aircrews return if all goes awry

    When Staff Sgt. Eric Zwoll presents his briefing, aircrew members preparing for a mission listen carefully because they know if a mission goes awry then their lives will depend on his every word. Sergeant Zwoll is one of a handful of survival, evasion, resistance and escape specialists here who

  • AAFES officials ask shoppers to make a scene

    Aspiring filmmakers in the military community have the chance to flex their creative muscle and play a part in "It's My Benefit 2," the sequel to the Army and Air Force Exchange Service's inaugural 2008 video contest. With a theme of "Rediscover the Values of AAFES," this year's contest is looking

  • Stimulus package to aid Airmen

    Improvements in dormitories, child development centers and energy conservation plans will come to fruition as the Air Force receives about $1.7 billion in Defense-related appropriations through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, military finance officials said. "The Air Force fully supports

  • Pay incentives help military avoid nursing shortage

    Army, Navy and Air Force nurse corps members are highly trained, capable and critical to the wartime mission of each service, the corps' leaders told a congressional committee this week here. The Senate Appropriations Committee's defense subcommittee heard testimony March 18 from the services'

  • Manas KC-135s revolutionize combat operations

    The 376th Air Expeditionary Wing's fleet of KC-135 Stratotankers here delivers more than fuel to the fight in Afghanistan these days as it is revolutionizing the way war is fought by serving as a data network relay high above the battlefield. At first glance, the cluster of cases mounted in the back

  • B-2 aircrew participates in exercise in Pacific

    Airmen aboard a B-2 Spirit tested their endurance in a 24-hour, 8,000-mile mission to Alaska and back to Guam March 12 in an exercise showcasing U.S. commitment to peace and stability throughout the Pacific region. Four B-2s and 270 Airmen from the 13th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron are deployed to

  • Top doctor: Medical infrastructure affects readiness

    The more than 1,000 major facilities that make up the Defense Department's medical infrastructure are key strategic national assets, the department's top medical official told Congress March 18 here. Dr. S. Ward Casscells, the assistant Defense secretary for health affairs, told the House Armed

  • Deterrence still key to national security, general says

    Deterrence remains as central to America's national security as it was during the Cold War, U.S. Strategic Command's top officer told the Senate Armed Services Committee March 19. "Our unique global perspective has given us a good platform for advocating for the nation's needs for missile defense;

  • Online poll for NASA's Mars Rover naming contest opens March 23

    NASA officials will post online nine names that are finalists for the agency's Mars Science Laboratory mission and invite the public to vote for a favorite. The non-binding poll to help NASA officials select a name opens online March 23 and votes will be accepted through March 29. More than 9,000

  • Gates recommends new terms, positions for senior officers

    Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates March 18 announced his recommendations that President Barack Obama re-nominate Navy Adm. Mike Mullen and Marine Gen. James E. Cartwright as the chairman and vice chairman, respectively, of the Joint Chiefs of Staff for a second two-year term. Secretary Gates also

  • AF Raven B operators maintain 'eyes-on' for ground forces

    "There it is," said Staff Sgt. Jeff Tomkiewicz, 887th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron, as he pointed at a little, buzzing white dot in the sky. As the Raven B operator approached the small strip of sand of Camp Bucca's Burge Field, the tiny Raven B unmanned aircraft system hovered above the

  • March 18 airpower summary: A-10 hits target

    Coalition airpower integrated with coalition ground forces in Iraq and the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan during operations March 18, according to Combined Air and Space Operations Center officials here. In Afghanistan, an Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt II dropped guided bomb

  • Japan, U.S. forces come together to Guard, Protect

    U.S. and Japanese forces practiced defending the Misawa Air Base during Exercise Guard and Protect Exercise March 11 through 13 here. The annual exercise was expanded to last for 24 hours and included a fully integrated Base Defense Operations Center. A company-sized group of soldiers from the Japan

  • March 17 airpower summary: F-16s strike target

    Coalition airpower integrated with coalition ground forces in Iraq and the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan during operations March 17, according to Combined Air and Space Operations Center officials here. In Afghanistan, Navy F/A-18F Super Hornets flew a show of force,

  • March 16 airpower summary: C-130s sustain operations

    Coalition airpower integrated with coalition ground forces in Iraq and the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan during operations March 16, according to Combined Air and Space Operations Center officials here. In Afghanistan, Air Force F-15E Strike Eagles hit enemy positions near

  • March 15 airpower summary: F-15 destroys cache

    Coalition airpower integrated with coalition ground forces in Iraq and the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan during operations March 15, according to Combined Air and Space Operations Center officials here. In Afghanistan, an Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle destroyed a cache of

  • New Kandahar unit prepares for troop increase

    Kandahar Airfield officials activated the 772nd Expeditionary Airlift Squadron March 15 here as the NATO base prepares for the build-up of forces to support Operation Enduring Freedom.The newest airlift squadron in the Air Force will be flying the C-130J Hercules, and serve under the 451st Air