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U.S. Air Force News

  • AFNORTH Airmen support tsunami relief

    Air Forces Northern officials recently stood up a defense support of civil authorities operations center here to aid in relief efforts of the tsunami that swept across the U.S. territories of the Samoa Islands, and the Super Typhoon Melor bearing down on Guam. "We have six emergency preparedness

  • Task force takes up effort to prevent suicides

    Bonnie Carroll, co-chair of the congressionally mandated Suicide Prevention Task Force, aims to remove the stigma within the military of seeking mental health care. Ms. Carroll is the founder and executive director of the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors. The group represents all military

  • Wounded warriors get heros' welcome at Andrews

    Minutes after the hulking C-17 Globemaster III rolled to a stop on the tarmac here Sept. 28, two oversized ambulances backed up to its rear loading ramp to receive its precious cargo: 23 wounded warriors and sick or injured servicemembers in need of advanced medical care. Most of the patients

  • Hawaii Air Guard doctor details American Samoa recovery effort

    Capt. Nathaniel Duff is a physician's assistant with the 154th Wing of the Hawaii Air National Guard based at Hickam Air Force Base. He is a member of the medical team embedded with the chemical, biological, radiological/nuclear and explosives enhanced response force package that was on the first

  • UAS career field decisions, ISR organization discussed at summit

    Air Force leaders met at an intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance summit here Sept. 29 to discuss ISR organizational plans and further refine a blueprint for unmanned aircraft systems career fields. Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz and

  • Airmen return from Africa Partnership Station 2009 support

    Airmen from the 621st Contingency Response Wing here recently returned from a six-month split deployment to West Central Africa in support of Africa Partnership Station 2009, which is an initiative aimed at improving maritime safety and regional security on the African continent. Africa Partnership

  • Chief of staff calls for harmony between technology, doctrine

    The Air Force chief of staff discussed the complementary roles of technology and doctrine during a major conference here Sept. 30."Our success today relies on both the technology that enables advanced systems and, believe it or not, the doctrine that articulates our institutionally held beliefs on

  • Air Force demilitarizes big backlog of nuclear weapons-related components

    Air Force officials here have undertaken a massive effort to demilitarize more than 100,000 nuclear weapons-related legacy assets from its intercontinental ballistic missile, aircraft and space test programs. Under a $35 million, five-year plan funded by the Air Force chief of staff, Air Force

  • NORAD fighters escort troubled aircraft

    Two F-16 Fighting Falcons intercepted a civilian aircraft Sept. 30 over Muncie, Ind., at the North American Aerospace Defense Command's direction and stayed with the aircraft and its unconscious pilot until it crashed, NORAD officials reported. NORAD scrambled the Air National Guard F-16s at about

  • Web site offers help for military families in transition

    Sixteen-year-old Robyn Lutzkanin loves the military. As a military child, she said she has moved often and enjoys seeing new places and meeting new people. "It really opens your eyes up to the world," Robyn added. But she admited to dreading the transition of moving to that new place and having to

  • Joint force employs humanitarian effort in American Samoa

    Two C-17 Globemaster IIIs departed here Sept. 30 with approximately 100 military personnel to provide humanitarian assistance to the island of American Samoa. The island nation was struck Sept. 29 by an 8.3 magnitude earthquake generating 15-foot waves and destroying whole villages. At least 111

  • Iraqi air force assumes control of their C-130 operations

    Iraqi air force officials officially began fully independent C-130 air operations Sept. 29, marking the end of the U.S. C-130 air advisory mission here. A ceremony deactivating the U.S. Air Force's 321st Air Expeditionary Advisory Squadron and marking assumption of C-130 operations, maintenance and

  • Critical Care Air Transport Team mission to save lives

    A critical care air transport team, or CCATT, with the 451st Air Expeditionary Wing at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan, received an urgent call the morning of June 24. A Marine had been severely injured by an improvised explosive device while on patrol in Afghanistan and needed immediate evacuation

  • Hawaii Guard deploys after tsunami hits American Samoa

    About 90 Hawaii National Guard members aboard two C-17 Globemaster IIIs are on their way to American Samoa this morning to help in the recovery efforts on the Pacific island, National Guard officials here announced Sept. 30. Two C-17s from the 154th Wing, an associate unit based at Hickam Air Force

  • Joint maritime threat working group convenes at Kunsan

    More than 30 South Korean and American law enforcement agents met at Kunsan Air Base Sept. 3 for a joint forces maritime threat working group hosted by Air Force Office of Special Investigations officials here. This inaugural meeting had representatives from the South Korean Defense Security

  • Tricare inpatient costs increase for fiscal 2010

    Every year the costs for Tricare-covered inpatient services are reviewed and are subject to change. For the coming fiscal 2010, which runs Oct. 1 to Sept. 30, 2010, there is an increase for some out-of-pocket costs paid by Tricare Standard beneficiaries at civilian hospitals for inpatient care and

  • AMC office seeks to solve problems in 8 steps

    In life, it can take as many as eight steps to solve a problem. However, according to the Air Force's Smart Operations for the 21st Century program, eight steps to solve any problem is all it should take. "The eight-step process is a more disciplined approach to problem solving," said Col. Mark

  • Science, technology awards recognize Air Force's sharpest minds

    More than 30 top scientists and research teams were honored at the Air Force Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Awards banquet on Sept. 23 here. The ceremony was held at the U.S. Air Force Academy in conjunction with the first Air Force Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics

  • Airman sketches his way into Air Force history with UAS wings design

    A toddler's first artistic expressions often surface in the form of well-intended wall defacement or notepad squiggles -- but every now and then, a doodle becomes a hobby, and that hobby becomes a part of history. Staff Sgt. Austin May, a public affairs craftsman from the 100th Air Refueling Wing,

  • Air Force security forces, DOD police collaborate to keep joint base secure

    Department of Defense police at Naval Air Engeneering Station Lakehurst and Fort Dix will merge into the Air Force security forces squadron at McGuire Air Force Base effective Oct. 1 as part of an ongoing joint base effort.  Officials said this merger will ensure a seamless and secure transition to

  • Air National Guard program cuts red tape for quick solutions

    An Air National Guard program designed to cut through bureaucracy has led to safety solutions for problems as vast and varied as avian flu, pilot fatigue and reducing the carbon footprint. Five years ago, some Guard members deployed to Iraq brainstormed to share tactical data in a new way using

  • Air Force Club Membership scholarship winners announced

    Twenty-five individuals have been selected to receive $1,000 scholarships through the Air Force Services Club Membership Scholarship Program.  Club members and their families were given the opportunity to submit a 500-word essay on "The High Cost of Freedom."  A total of 154 entries were submitted

  • Thousands helped as Pacific Angel concludes

    Air Force officials concluded the final iteration of Operation Pacific Angel 2009 during a ceremony here Sept. 22, culminating a two-part operation that provided humanitarian aid to thousands of people in communities in the Asia-Pacific region. Operation Pacific Angel is a joint and combined

  • Air Force announces 2009 HENAAC, STEM award winners

    Air Force officials here selected four individuals to be honored as this year's Hispanic Engineering National Achievement Awards Corporation and Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Awards Program winners. The Professional Achievement Winner in the military category is Maj. William

  • Reserve, retired rated officers given active-duty opportunity

    ­The secretary of the Air Force has initiated two voluntary recall to active duty programs and expanded the number of eligible Air Force specialties for an existing one to help minimize the service's critical shortage of rated officers. "The rapid expansion of unmanned aircraft systems as well as

  • MacDill legal office earns American Bar Association LAMP Award

    The 6th Air Mobility Wing legal office was presented with the American Bar Association's Legal Assistance for Military Personnel, or LAMP, Distinguished Service Award on Sept. 15. The LAMP Distinguished Service Award recognizes exceptional achievements or exceptional service to or in support of the

  • VA to provide emergency checks to students awaiting benefits

    Checks for up to $3,000 will be available soon to students who have applied for Veterans Affairs educational benefits and who have not yet received their government payment. The checks will be distributed to eligible students at VA regional benefits offices across the country starting Oct. 2, said

  • Father, son deploy to Afghanistan together

    Missing family members is a common feeling many Airmen have while deployed, but for two Airmen serving with the 774th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron here, that feeling is a little less prominent. This father and son duo deployed to war together to support Operation Enduring Freedom. Lt. Col. Bartley

  • Air Force leaders emphasize AFSO21

    In a joint June 2009 memorandum, the secretary and chief of staff of the Air Force pointed out the importance of Air Force Smart Operations for the 21st Century, or AFSO21. "AFSO21 represents a fundamental transformation in how Airmen work," Michael Donley and Gen. Norton Schwartz said in their

  • UAS mission enters new chapter with graduation

    Ten pilots and nine sensor operators graduated Sept. 25 from initial qualification training at Creech Air Force Base, Nev., where they learned to operate the MQ-1 Predator. Among the graduates were eight pilot candidates from nonpilot career fields. The group was part of a Beta-test class to train

  • 'Year of the Air Force Family' Web site launched

    Air Force officials have launched a new Web site to showcase the Year of the Air Force Family effort. Airmen and their families can log on to http://www.af.mil/yoaff/index.asp to learn about AF-wide initiatives, monthly themes and programs, as well as contact local installation Airman Family and

  • AMC commander welcomes news of KC-X tanker request for proposal

    The announcement of the KC-X tanker request for proposal Sept. 24 in a Pentagon briefing is welcome news for Air Mobility Command. "This is a great day not only for Air Mobility Command, which operates our nation's fleet of aerial refueling aircraft, but also for our country as this is a capability

  • British band performs in Pentagon courtyard

    The British Army's 1st Battalion Scots Guards Pipes and Drums Band played in the Pentagon courtyard during lunchtime Sept. 25 as a show of solidarity with the U.S. Armed Forces, according to a British liaison officer to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.The unit's performance is "an

  • McChord Airmen head for 'the ice' as Operation Deep Freeze season kicks off

    Thirty-seven McChord Air Force Base Airmen left Sept. 24 in a C-17 Globemaster III loaded with more than 90,000 pounds of cargo destined for Antarctica to begin another season of Operation Deep Freeze. The 2009-2010 season of Operation Deep Freeze, the Defense Department's support of the U.S.

  • Airmen thank Iraqi family for lifesaving assist

    Several members of the 887th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron delivered a new generator, a care package filled with baked goods and a heart-felt thank you to a young Iraqi girl and her family near Camp Bucca, Iraq, Sept. 18. The girl was playing with a group of friends when she noticed

  • Kisling NCO Academy hosts first international student

    The Kisling Noncommissioned Officer Academy accepted its first international air force student this week as part of the United States Air Forces in Europe effort to build the capabilities of its partner nations. Romanian air force Plutonier (technical sergeant equivalent) Diana-Cristina Mireuta will

  • Air Force officials discontinue permissive PCS policy

    Air Force officials here have announced a recent change to the permissive permanent change of station policy. The permissive PCS program will be discontinued. However, other policies have changed lifting restrictions from the join spouse and base-of-preference programs. "For years we have allowed

  • Assignment deferment extended for births, adoptions

    Air Force officials here announced recent modifications to the post-birth and post-adoption assignment deferment policy will increase the time a parent can delay reporting to certain assignments, re-emphasizing the Air Force's commitment of taking care of its people. Birth mothers and adoptive

  • Guard offers resiliency training to servicemembers, families

    Officials with the National Guard Resiliency Center showcased their training program Sep. 24 here at the Army National Guard Readiness Center in an effort to give military leaders, both enlisted and officers, the tools they need to deal with stress. The training program, titled "Flash Forward -

  • DOD officials announce requirement for new aerial tanker competition

    The needs of warfighters and value for taxpayers are at the heart of the new draft request for proposal for aerial refueling capability, Deputy Defense Secretary William J. Lynn said here Sept. 24. Mr. Lynn, Air Force Secretary Michael Donley and Ashton B. Carter, defense undersecretary for

  • U.S. military to begin new Deep Freeze season

    U.S. military officials will kick off the 2009-2010 season of Operation Deep Freeze, the Department of Defense's support of the U.S. Antarctic Program and the National Science Foundation, on Sept. 25. Operation Deep Freeze involves operational and logistic support of the National Science

  • Vice president's wife urges support for military families

    The wife of Vice President Joe Biden met with New York National Guard personnel and their families in mid-September in Latham, N.Y. Dr. Jill Biden visited with the family members of deployed servicemembers and the professionals who support them, and pledged her support for military families and

  • Gen. Petraeus cites need for critical warfighting specialties

    The U.S. military needs more people trained in specialties critical to the fight against global extremism, the chief of U.S. Central Command said here Sept. 23. "The fact is, there are a number of, still, very-high-demand, low density skill areas" that need to be addressed by military personnel

  • General says U.S.-Iraqi partnership growing

    Iraqi security forces continue to make progress in providing security for their own country, the deputy commander of Multinational Corps Iraq said Sept. 22. Iraqi security forces are quickly improving as they train with American forces, said Maj. Gen. James P. Hunt said during a videoconference from

  • Defense Department to announce balanced social media policy

    Defense Department officials here plan to forward a social media policy to the department leadership within the next two weeks that will balance the pros and cons of social networking sites, the department's top public affairs official said on National Public Radio's "Talk of the Nation" Sept. 23.

  • Leaders call for balance between network use and protection

    Finding the right balance between user needs and network protection is essential, senior officials from the Air Force, the joint community and other organizations said during a conference here Sept. 21. Addressing the 7th annual Net-centric Operations Conference, Air Force Electronic Systems Center

  • Air Force, Army, Navy family services expand for new joint base

    Family services members here will expand to support Air Force, Army and Navy personnel and their dependents as Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst moves toward full operational capability Oct. 1. The Airman and Family Readiness Center at McGuire, along with Navy Fleet and Family Services and Army

  • Memorial officials call for photos of Vietnam vets

    The National Call for Photos, a campaign to gather images of the more than 58,000 men and women whose names are on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, was launched recently at an event here hosted by officials with the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund and FedEx Office. FedEx Office officials will use their

  • CMSAF visits Hurlburt Airmen

    Hundreds of Hurlburt Field Airmen gathered to meet and listen to the 16th chief master sergeant of the Air Force Sept. 22 here. Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James A. Roy talked to Hurlburt Field Airmen about his priorities for America's Airmen, and toured the 1st Special Operations Wing, Air

  • Pacific Angel optometry team provides vision in Vietnam

    Air Force optometrists are making vision a bit clearer for Vietnamese residents during Operation Pacific Angel 2009 Sept. 15 through 24 here. The operation is a joint and combined humanitarian and civic assistance program aimed at improving military civic cooperation between the United States and

  • Airmen restore Vietnamese clinic during Pacific Angel

    A 15-member Air Force civil engineer team is refurbishing the Cam Thuy Medical Clinic here as part of Operation Pacific Angel 2009, taking place Sept. 15 to 24. The civil engineers are completing the electrical, plumbing and structural work while humanitarian medical operations take place

  • NASA officials assign crew for final scheduled Space Shuttle mission

    NASA officials have assigned the crew for the last scheduled space shuttle mission, targeted to launch in September 2010. The flight to the International Space Station will carry a pressurized logistics module to the station. Veteran shuttle commander and retired Air Force Col. Steven W. Lindsey

  • Defense Department officials to announce balanced social media policy

    Defense Department officials plan to forward a social media policy to the department leadership within the next two weeks that will balance the pros and cons of social networking sites, the department's top public affairs official said on National Public Radio's "Talk of the Nation" Sept. 22. "I

  • 'Today's Air Force' features views from the top

    In this edition of "Today's Air Force," key leaders discuss the future of the air force and aerospace development, members of an all new enlisted career field talk about their job, and two brothers enjoy a virtual reunion.Several top Air Force officials were in the nation's capitol for the 2009 Air

  • CMSAF visits exercise participants on Navy ship

    The chief master sergeant of the Air Force toured USS Mesa Verde at sea in the Caribbean and met Airmen at the Air Force Command Center at Tocumen Airport in Panama City, Panama, during Fuerzas Aliadas Panamax 2009, a 12-day security training exercise involving 20 countries in the Panama region

  • Air Guard planners host first domestic ops conference

    Air National Guard planners kicked off Sept. 22 with what they hope will become an annual conference for drafting a domestic operations strategy. "We're leading the way to help build a formal document for the Air Force," said Lt. Gen. Harry M. Wyatt III, the director of the Air National Guard. The

  • 'My Biz' offers training records updating for civilians

    A new tab in "My Biz" allows Air Force civilian employees to update their completed training through the self-service module in the Defense Civilian Personnel Data System. Employees and their supervisors can view and print satisfactorily completed training and professional military education from

  • U.S.-Iraqi partnership growing, general says

    Iraqi security forces continue to make progress in providing security for their own country, the deputy commander of Multinational Corps Iraq said today. Iraqi security forces are quickly improving as they train with American forces, Maj. Gen. James P. Hunt said during a videoconference from Baghdad

  • Changes ahead for Air Force acquisition

    More than 275 Air Force and defense industry leaders met here Sept. 3 to discuss military technology acquisition challenges and opportunities facing the nation. The Air Force Association Technology Symposium was timed to immediately follow the semi-annual Air Force Materiel Command Senior Leaders

  • Randolph Airmen expose at-risk students to today's Air Force

    More than 150 Fox Technical High School ninth and 10th-grade students from inner-city San Antonio visited Randolph Air Force Base Sept. 11 to learn about  positive Air Force career opportunities as part of the Giving Americans Motivational Education for the Real world program. GAMER is the

  • Basic Military Training construction project begins this fall

    Change is coming to the Lackland Air Force Base skyline this fall as work begins in October on the first of 13 new Basic Military Training facilities. With a price tag of nearly $900 million, the eight Airmen training complexes and four associated dining-classroom facilities will be located on two

  • Air Force dentists saving smiles in Vietnam

    If anyone knows the importance of a smile, it's a dentist. And dentists like Maj. (Dr.) Diep Le, who is taking part in the humanitarian assistance mission Operation Pacific Angel 2009 here, are doing every thing possible to save the smiles of local Vietnamese people during their 10-day mission.

  • Former Kadena commander and spouse receive 2009 O'Malley Award

    The former Kadena Air Base, Japan, wing commander and his wife received the 2009 General Jerome F. O'Malley and Diane O'Malley Award Sept. 11 at a ceremony in the Pentagon. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz presented the award and Sharon O'Malley Burg made two special presentations of

  • Airmen begin humanitarian mission in Vietnam

    U.S. civil engineer and medical Airmen are here providing humanitarian and civic assistance to local communities Sept. 15 to 24 as part of Operation Pacific Angel 2009.   Operation Pacific Angel is a joint and combined humanitarian assistance operation conducted in the Pacific area of responsibility

  • Pentagon ceremony salutes former POWs, missing in action

    A group of senior U.S. officials paid homage to servicemembers who have been prisoners of war or are listed as missing in action during an observance ceremony Sept. 18 on the Pentagon's River Terrace parade field. Proclaiming Sept. 18 as National POW/MIA Recognition Day, President Barack Obama

  • Lakenheath aircrews train with Estonian forward air controllers

    Several F-15E Strike Eagles aircrews participated in a two-day NATO training event helping to train Estonian forward air controllers in calling in close-air support Sept. 14 and 15 near Tallinn, Estonia. The event, titled Baltic Region Training Event IV Alpha, gave the aircrews from the 494th

  • Air Force study uses virtual reality for PTSD

    A new virtual reality program to treat combat veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan experiencing post traumatic stress disorder is being used at Wilford Hall Medical Center here. Virtual reality exposure therapy is a computer-simulated virtual Iraq and virtual Afghanistan that allows Airmen

  • Pacific Air Forces commander focuses on future

    The commander of Pacific Air Forces spoke with national media members to outline his responsibilities during the 2009 Air Force Association Air & Space Conference and Technology Exposition Sept. 16 at the National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Md. Gen. Gary North discussed his role as the Pacific Air Forces

  • Air Force commander 'ecstatic' at Iraqi coordination

    For the last two months, U.S. Airmen with Multinational Division South have been training Iraqi airmen to be the "eye in the sky" for Iraqi ground forces. That mission was accomplished during a Sept. 12 training exercise at Camp Wessam, Iraq. "Today, we brought the Airmen out to Wessam to work with

  • Air Force doctor studies new medication for traumatic brain injury patients

    A neurologist at the Wilford Hall Medical Center here is studying a medication that may significantly reduce chronic headaches and migraines without all the usual side effects from oral medications. Maj. (Dr.) Maria Alvarez, a 59th Medical Operations Squadron staff neurologist with a special

  • McKinley: Guard's 'smart power' building partnership capacity worldwide

    The National Guard is focused on helping the nation build partnership capacity worldwide, the chief of the National Guard Bureau told State Department officials Sept. 14. Examples include the National Guard's Agribusiness Development Teams serving in Afghanistan and its State Partnership Program

  • Wilford Hall opens new PTSD Clinic

    Wilford Hall Medical Center has a new clinic to treat patients who suffer from post traumatic stress disorder. The PTSD Clinic offers evidence-based treatments and a virtual reality program to help Airmen returning from combat operations. PTSD is an anxiety disorder which can occur after a person

  • Photo essay: Avs face off at Clune Arena

    The Colorado Avalanche held its annual Burgundy and White Game at the U.S. Air Force Academy's Clune Arena Sept. 16.Proceeds from the scrimmage benefit military families, The Home Front Cares projects and the Colorado Avalanche Youth Hockey program.The Burgundy and White teams were tied 2-2 at the

  • Charleston Airmen gets 'Lean' with AFSO21

    An Air Force Smart Operations for the 21st century rapid improvement event took place at the 437th Aerial Port Squadron here Sept. 8 through 11. The main objectives of the 437th APS rapid improvement event included improving cargo flow inside the aerial port and surge operations for humanitarian

  • CMSAF holds open forum for Airmen at AFA

    The Air Force's top enlisted leader conducted an open forum at the 2009 Air Force Association Air & Space Conference and Technology Exposition at the National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Md., Sept. 16. Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James A. Roy discussed such current issues as training, compliance and

  • General Stenner: Keep components in sync

    "We are not interested in a tiered readiness level," said the chief of the Air Force Reserve Sept. 15 during the Air Force Association's 2009 Air & Space Conference and Technology Exposition held at the National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Md. "We are a seamless partner. We must turn challenges into

  • Air Force Association honors Doolittle Raiders, Tuskegee Airmen

    Several members of the Doolittle Raiders and original Tuskegee Airmen were honored with Lifetime Achievement Awards from Air Force Association officials Sept. 16 at the National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Md. During a special dinner at the 2009 Air Force Association Air & Space Conference and Technology

  • Air Force officials announce criteria for basing of joint strike fighter

    After extensive internal review, Air Force officials released Sept. 17 their basing criteria that will be used to determine the future basing of joint strike fighters. The basing criteria were approved by the Secretary and Chief of Staff of the Air Force. The basing criteria are airspace, flight

  • RED HORSE Airmen bring combat outpost into fight

    Before the arrival of the 809th Expeditionary Rapid Engineer Deployable Heavy Operational Repair Squadron, the servicemembers here were living in a British compound lined with tents and relying solely on supplies brought in from convoys and air drops. Now, the vital role of the RED HORSE mission is

  • Former RAF POWs share experiences with Mildenhall Airmen

    About 50 Airmen were given a first-hand account of life in a German World War II prison camp during a question-and-answer session held here Sept. 16. Dr. Howard Tuck, whose career is dedicated to military history, introduced retired Air Cmdr. Charles Clarke and Andrew Wiseman, both of whom was

  • Wyatt: Diverse, experienced Air Guard must come from below

    The Air National Guard's ability to successfully conduct missions in the future depends on the development of future leaders, its top officer said Sept. 14. "It is our responsibility as an organization to develop the content of their character," said Lt. Gen. Harry M. Wyatt III, director of the Air

  • Team Excellence Awards presented to five teams

    The Air Force chief of staff presented his Team Excellence Awards at a ceremony Sept. 15 during the Air Force Association Air and Space Conference and Technology Exposition here. The awards recognize teams who used a systematic approach to enhance mission capability, improve operational performance

  • U.S. Air Force Band receives Gill Robb Wilson Award

    The United States Air Force Band was awarded the prestigious Gill Robb Wilson Award Sept. 14 at the Air Force Association Awards Ceremony in Washington, D.C. The Gill Robb Wilson Award is presented annually to an Air Force unit for outstanding contributions to national defense in the field of arts

  • Generals look to future challenges, opportunities

    Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz joined 13 other generals during a panel discussion Sept. 16 at the 2009 Air Force Association Air & Space Conference and Technology Exposition held at the National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Md. "This is the group of leaders that strives every day to be worthy

  • Air Force has solid future capabilities, Secretary Gates says

    The foundation of America's airpower rests on a broad and versatile mix of capabilities, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said here Sept. 16. Speaking at the Air Force Association's Air and Space Conference, Secretary Gates addressed the range of things the Air Force must be able to do in the

  • Air Force engineer discusses building relationships in Afghanistan

    Although the formula for success in Afghanistan may be complex to some, it is commonly agreed that the war cannot be won by military might alone. According to Army Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the International Security Assistance Force commander, the current strategy used by coalition forces in the

  • AFSPC commander discusses space, cyberspace future at AFA convention

    The Air Force's lead for integrating space and cyberspace capabilities spoke at the 2009 Annual Air Force Association Air & Space Conference and Technology Exposition at the National Harbor, Oxon Hill, Md., Sept. 15. Gen. C. Robert Kehler, commander of the 43,000-member Air Force Space Command,

  • Blogging Airman sheds 70 pounds, ready to take on marathon

    As last Thanksgiving passed and the leftovers were all gone, one Airman had an epiphany about his portly self. Nearly a year later and 70 pounds lighter, Senior Master Sgt. Ken Holcomb is getting ready to run the Air Force Marathon Sept. 19 at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. He plans to blog

  • New AFOSR magnetron may help defeat enemy electronics

    Researchers at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, MIch., invented a new type of magnetron that could improve radar resolution. The magnetron is a type of vacuum tube used as the frequency source in microwave ovens, radar systems and other high-power microwave circuits. The project is funded by

  • Senior Air Force enlisted leaders address Airmen's concerns

    Five command chiefs and the chief master sergeant of the Air Force led a forum to answer Airmen's questions on a myriad of issues affecting the service during the 2009 Air Force Association Air & Space Conference and Technology Exposition Sept. 15 at the National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Md. Spearheaded

  • General Newton: People are priority No. 1

    "The Air Force is a great way of life and we are going to make it even better," said Lt. Gen. Richard Y. Newton III, deputy chief of staff for manpower and personnel at the 2009 Air Force Association Air & Space Conference and Technology Exposition at the National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Md. General

  • Air Force Marathon's MAJCOM Challenge draws record-breaking participation

    After first going to Air Education and Training Command at Randolph Air Force Base, Texas, and then to Air Force Materiel Command here, the Major Command Challenge, or MAJCOM Challenge, trophy is again up for grabs at this year's United States Air Force Marathon. The MAJCOM Challenge is an Air

  • CSAF addresses AFA convention

    Gen. Norton Schwartz, chief of staff of the Air Force, spoke Sept. 15 on his vision for the future, jointness, the Year of the Air Force Family and honored heroic sacrifices of Airmen. The general made his comments in a keynote address at the Air Force Association's Air & Space Conference and

  • Surgical residency receives full joint training platform accreditation

    The 81st Medical Group at Keesler AFB, which boasts the largest Air Force surgical training residency program, has received full Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education accreditation as a joint training platform. The program was evaluated by the ACGME, the governing body for all United

  • Air Force officials recognize 12 Outstanding Airmen of Year

    The 2009 12 Outstanding Airmen of the Year were recognized in a special ceremony during the 2009 Air Force Association Air & Space Conference and Technology Exposition Sept. 14 at the National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Md. Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James A. Roy hosted the evening's events that