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U.S. Air Force News

  • Joint Base San Antonio moves closer toward implementation

    Representatives from the Office of the Secretary of Defense and participating branches of the service met to finalize the way ahead for Randolph Air Force Base, Lackland AFB and Fort Sam Houston during a joint basing workshop hosted by Air Education and Training Command officials June 9 through 11

  • Holloman Airmen honor fallen Soldier

    More than 300 Holloman Air Force Base members turned out June 11 to pay their respects to an Alamogordo resident and Army Soldier who paid the ultimate sacrifice earlier this month in Iraq. Army Spc. Christopher M. Kurth was killed in a grenade attack June 4 near Kirkuk, Iraq. He was stationed at

  • Iraqi senior engineers visit Langley

    Langley Air Force Base officials opened their gates to five Iraqi military members and one Iraqi contractor June 10 as a part of the Multinational Security Transition Command-Iraq Iraqi Security Forces Senior Engineer Symposium. The Iraqi Security Forces Senior Engineer Symposium showcased how the

  • Pilot dies in F-16 accident

    Hill Air Force Base officials confirmed an F-16 Fighting Falcon pilot was killed at about 10:25 p.m. June 22 after the aircraft crashed on the Utah Test and Training Range about 35 miles south of Wendover, Utah. The pilot, Capt. George Bryan Houghton, 28, from the 388th Fighter Wing here, graduated

  • Medics perform 3-tier mission in Nangarhar

    The medics assigned to the Nangarhar Provincial Reconstruction Team boast a three-fold mission here. The medical team is responsible for running an aid station, providing combat support and helping with the ongoing reconstruction efforts in Nangarhar Province. As a recent addition to their

  • Airmen, aircraft on display at Paris Air Show

    Airmen stood alongside aviation industry members and an international mix of civilian and military pilots to parade a host of aircraft, reconnaissance platforms and weapon systems at this year's centenary Paris Air Show here June 18. Le Bourget airfield, located 10 miles north of Paris, drew nearly

  • Air National Guard members visit Polish air base

    Members of the 182nd Airlift Wing arrived at the 33rd Air Base here as part of the Illinois Air National Guard's role in the State Partnership Program. The visit is part of a continual endeavor by National Guard Units and European military forces to facilitate information exchange and

  • Web site to open sign-ups for Post-9/11 GI Bill transfers

    It's official. The Defense Department signed off June 22 on policies and procedures servicemembers will use to transfer their unused Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits to their spouses or children, a Pentagon official said June 23. Eligible servicemembers will be able to register their immediate family

  • Military unites with Hollywood on 'Transformers'

    "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" hits theaters nationwide June 24 as the culmination of more than a year of Defense Department support, ranging from script and uniform notes to C-17 Globemaster III aerial maneuvers and jumps from the Army's Golden Knights parachute demonstration team. The first

  • Tactical Satellite-3 completes successful first month of operations

    The Tactical Satellite-3 has exceeded expectations and is performing well a month after being launched, according to the program manager of the experimental spacecraft. Launched May 19, TacSat-3 is managed by the Air Force Research Laboratory's Space Vehicles Directorate officials here. The TacSat-3

  • Officials work to lessen impact of deployments on children

    Defense Department officials here are working aggressively to reduce the impact of multiple deployments on the children of military families. "The department recognizes that these multiple, long-term deployments are really tough on families," said Barbara Thompson, director of the Pentagon's Office

  • Suicide prevention message rolls through cities nationwide

    The Department of Veterans Affairs took to the road, literally, when it decided to advertise about its "VA Suicide Prevention Lifeline" on public transportation buses in 124 communities across the country. "We continue to look for new, innovative ways to reach our veterans," said Tammy Duckworth,

  • Air University leader presents honorary degree to former astronaut

    The commander of the first mission to orbit the moon received an honorary doctor of science degree by Air University officials for his contributions to aviation and space exploration at the Air Force Test Pilot School June 13 here. Retired Col. Frank Borman, the leader of the Apollo 8

  • Brazil wins World Military Women's Soccer Championship at Keesler

    Brazil defeated South Korea 1-0 to capture the gold medal in the 5th Counseil Du International Sports Militaire World Military Women's Soccer Championship held June 13 here. The championship, hosted by Keesler Air Force Base officials and played at the Biloxi High School Stadium and Gulfport Sports

  • Airmen mentor Afghan counterparts to provide care

    Air Force medics here are working hand-in-hand with their counterparts from the Afghan National Army, out of a co-located clinic, to provide mentoring on medical equipment, administration and military medical care. The three-person staff, consisting of a physician's assistant, independent medical

  • President acknowledges military fathers' sacrifices, contributions

    President Barack Obama recognized in his Father's Day proclamation the sacrifices military fathers make every day, and hosted the Military Father of the Year June 19 at the White House for a town hall session on fatherhood. Navy Chief Petty Officer John Lehnen, the father of four children with

  • Tactical comm Airmen keep military ops online, on target

    Performing missions within the Nangarhar province of Afghanistan requires the U.S. military to maintain an open line of communication at all times, especially when convoys take people outside the wire. For one Airman in particular, the role of tactical communications means knowing a variety of

  • Role-playing Airmen put Vigilant Guard, disaster responders on the record

    Delivering vital news coverage to the public before, during and after a major disaster may be more the job of the media than the National Guard, but at any domestic emergency, the Guard's ability to explain its missions and roles is still vital. That's why Master Sgt. Mavi Smith from the Air Guard

  • New online housing support available to USAFE Airmen

    Airmen moving into or out of the United States Air Forces in Europe command now have a access to a new online housing support program. USAFE housing offices are implementing the new Internet-based Automated Housing Referral Network, AHRN.com, to facilitate the long-distance house-hunting process

  • Agency makes civilian development a priority

    The Air Force is paying more attention than ever to civilian career development, enhancement and expanding various developmental opportunities. The Air Force Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Agency understands the direct correlation between civilian career development and mission

  • New prescription ATM eases patients' wait time

    The 61st Medical Group recently introduced a prescription dispensing machine during a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Base Exchange here June 13. The ScriptCenter Express Prescription Refill and Pickup Center is the first of its kind in Los Angeles County, the Air Force, and the Department of

  • Air defense exercise to test NORTHCOM response

    Months of planning and preparations are being tested as Airmen, Soldiers and Sailors participate in Exercise Amalgam Dart '09, a major U.S. Northern Command air defense exercise here June 18 through 20. The exercise is one of several North American Aerospace Defense Command and USNORTHCOM exercises

  • Weather forecasters look to the skies during Northern Edge

    Northern Edge 2009, the largest military training exercise in Alaska is under way. The pilots and support personnel involved in the air-centric exercise have many tasks to accomplish but one consistent obstacle, the weather, can always affect the mission. Leading the charge to stay one step ahead of

  • National Guard kicks off Vigilant Guard in Iowa

    It was around this time last year when the Iowa National Guard responded to assist residents overwhelmed by the disaster caused by an F5 tornado and Midwest floods. This week, the National Guard acted as the nation's first military responders to domestic emergencies such as mock chemical spills,

  • 'Letter to Airmen' highlights joint teamwork

    In his current Letter to Airmen, the secretary of the Air Force highlights how the joint team works together to create success by telling the story of a combat controller."Earlier this year General Schwartz and I had the privilege of presenting the Air Force Cross, the Air Force's highest

  • Advanced tactical laser aircraft fires high-power laser in flight

    Members of the 413th Flight Test Squadron, Hurlburt Field, Fla., and contractor Boeing recently successfully fired the high-power laser aboard the Advanced Tactical Laser aircraft for the first time in flight. The combined effort between Boeing and the 413th was instrumental to the "first light" of

  • Laos, Thailand, U.S. officials host disease surveillance workshop

    In a cooperative effort to improve their ability to detect, respond to and contain infectious diseases in the Asia-Pacific region, medical experts from Laos, Thailand and the United States participated in a four-day disease surveillance workshop in Laos June 6-9. The conference was hosted by the

  • Airpower to protect Iraq security gains as forces withdraw from cities

    As U.S. forces in Iraq prepare to pull back from most major cities by June 30, U.S. air support will continue to enable and protect security gains made over the past two years, a U.S. commander said in a "DoDLive" bloggers roundtable June 17. Col. Michael Fantini, commander of the 332nd

  • HYDRA '09 prepares Airmen for real world emergencies

    Members of the 615th Contingency Response Wing and 15 other units from around the United States joined together to participate in HYDRA '09. The joint exercise is the 615th CRW's most comprehensive training event, organized to allow Airmen to hone their skills and enhance command, control and joint

  • Kadena Airman named enlisted aviator of year

    A staff sergeant assigned to the 390th Intelligence Squadron was named the Air Force's noncommissioned officer recipient of the 2008 Henry "Red" Erwin Enlisted Aviator of the Year June 12. "It was an honor to even be considered for this award, since there are many other just as, if not more

  • Air Force officials host first regional air chiefs conference

    Military and civilian leaders from Canada, Mexico and the United States attended the first North American Regional Air Chiefs Conference here June 8 to 12. It was hosted by officials of 1st Air Force (Air Forces Northern). The attendees participated in a variety of mission briefings and interactive

  • Flight becomes first foster unit to military working puppy

    After three weeks, the newest member of the 37th Force Support Squadron Airman and Family Readiness Flight knows her way around the three-story building and often bounds through open doors on surprise visits. Aamee, a four-month old Belgian Malinois, is the first puppy to be fostered by a unit at

  • Reservists help get wheelchairs to needy Iraqi children

    After a brief stop in America's Heartland, an Air Force Reserve C-130 Hercules aircrew from here took another step in a long journey for a special load of cargo headed for Iraq. On June 11, reservists from the 302nd Airlift Wing flew to Sioux City, Iowa, where they received four pallets of

  • Exercise Northern Edge 2009 kicks into high gear

    Exercise Northern Edge 2009 officially kicked off June 15 at various locations throughout Alaska. Participants from all branches of the military are training together in order to hone their tactics, techniques and procedures associated with defensive counter-air, close-air support, air interdiction

  • Air Force Reserve unit hosts IRR muster in Alaska

    Reservists from Air Force Reserve Command's 477th Fighter Group hosted an individual ready reserve muster here June 12. The purpose of a muster is to gather IRR members and to maintain their contact information and availability for activation to support a partial, total or full mobilization

  • PCS policy changes promote stability, quality of life

    Air Force officials have modified two permanent change of station policies to give Airmen more flexible assignment options and better force development opportunities. The time-on-station requirement for government funded join-spouse assignments, where military couples are assigned, when possible, to

  • Airman's Roll Call: Special duty pay for military training instructors

    This week's Airman's Roll Call focuses on special duty pay for military training instructors and the need for more MTIs. Pentagon officials recently revised Special Duty Assignment Pay for Military Training Instructors. The revision, effective June 1, increases SDAP levels for MTIs. According to

  • Coalition's Iraq withdrawal plans on track, officials say

    The withdrawal of American troops from Iraq cities is on track, Iraqi and coalition officials said this week. Iraqi security forces are set to assume responsibility for the areas, Iraqi spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh said at a June 15 news conference. "The step of withdrawal of American forces from the

  • Anticipation is backbone of homeland defense, commander says

    Anticipation is the key to readiness, the chief of the combatant command responsible for the military role in homeland defense said June 16. Gen. Victor E. Renuart Jr., commander of U.S. Northern Command and North American Aerospace Defense Command, said that when he took over the reins more than

  • Photo Essay: Military working dogs sniff out weapons

    Some military working dogs, such as Nero and Lasso, shown in this photo essay, are trained to sniff out weapons and explosives.   During a clearing mission June 13 in Al Doura, Iraq, Soldiers and Airmen from Camp Victory in Baghdad bring out their dogs to search for dangerous devices.View military

  • General McKinley: International alliances have matured well

    The National Guard's State Partnership Program started as a confidence-building measure between formerly hostile nations and has grown into solid, long-standing alliances, according to the chief of the National Guard Bureau.  "The relationship has matured well," Gen. Craig R. McKinley

  • AMC supports humanitarian mission to Argentina

    Members of the 375th Logistics Readiness Squadron here June 12 loaded the 26,000-pound heart of a Magnetic Resonance Imaging machine onto a C-17 Globemaster III bound for Charleston Air Force Base, S.C. -- and ultimately Argentina. The MRI equipment was donated to a hospital in Salta, Argentina, by

  • CE Airmen answer Army's call

    Air Force combat-trained engineers are providing construction and support services to Soldiers in Iraq. These Airmen, assigned to the 732nd Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron, Detachment 3, are not only working with the Army, but in it."Our team here was brought in to help the Army's Construction

  • Dental team teaches Colombian class oral hygiene

    Members from the dental team assigned to Military Sealift Command hospital ship USNS Comfort taught an oral hygiene class for 400 students at Chilvi School June 15. The team partnered with a Colombian dental student to provide cursory exams, to ensure the students' teeth were healthy, and gave the

  • Special Duty Assignment Pay increase approved for MTIs

    Pentagon officials recently revised Special Duty Assignment Pay for Military Training Instructors. The revision, effective June 1, increases SDAP levels for MTIs. According to officials, Air Force Basic Military Training has faced a shortage of MTIs since 2007. As an incentive for MTI recruitment

  • Air Force officials release technical sergeant selection stats

    Air Force officials selected 7,724 of 37,172 eligible staff sergeants for promotion to technical sergeant for a selection rate of 20.78 percent. The average score for those selected was 319.69, with an average time in grade and time in service of 5.68 and 10.85 years respectively. The average score

  • AFOTEC hosts cadets for summer research program

    The Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center is hosting the United States Air Force Academy's Cadet Summer Research Program for a second year at locations in California, Colorado, Florida, Nevada and Kirtland. During the program, cadets work on real-world Air Force projects during five-week

  • American hospital in Afghanistan holds health fair

    The Staff Sgt. Heathe N. Craig Joint Theater Hospital here opened its doors June 13 to highlight a number of services available to servicemembers in the regional command east area of operations. In an event that involved weeks of planning, the hospital staff came together to construct unique

  • Airmen take over C-21 maintenance mission

    For the first time in the history of the U.S. Central Command, the C-21s, the military version of the Learjet 35A, are being maintained by Airmen rather than contractors. The 119th Aircraft Maintenance Unit stood up May 30 after 25 Airmen deployed here for 60 days from the North Dakota Air National

  • Afghan officer earns pilot wings

    The first Afghan officer to train in the United States in nearly 50 years earned his pilot wings in a ceremony today at Columbus Air Force Base. Lt. Faiz Mohammed Ramaki was presented his pilot wings by Col. Roger Watkins, 14th Flying Training Wing commander, after completing the Aviation Leadership

  • Airmen execute Project Liberty

    Eighteen months ago officials created a plan to bolster the Air Force's intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance mission by adding a new platform to the ISR inventory. Now the Airmen assigned to the 362nd Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron Detachment 1 here at Camp Liberty, Iraq, are charged

  • AFPC officials seek GEICO award nominations

    Air Force Personnel Center officials here are currently seeking nominations for the 2009 Government Employees Insurance Company's Military Service Awards. The annual GEICO awards recognize enlisted servicemembers from all military service branches, Guard and Reserve for their contributions to

  • SECAF visits Paris to honor memorial and support air show

    The Secretary of the Air Force, Michael Donley, accompanied a congressional delegation of six senators that arrived in Paris June 13 to partake in a wreath laying ceremony at the Memorial de l'Escadrille Lafayette, in Marnes-la-Coquette. The members of the congressional delegation, who were also on

  • Pararescuemen demonstrate special jump capabilities

    Pararescuemen from the 58th Rescue Squadron stationed at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., demonstrated the rigged alternate method zodiac, or RAMZ, capabilities in the Caribbean June 9 for members of the Belize National Coast Guard and local media. Before the team jumped out of a C-130J Hercules into

  • Air Force officials update uniform board decisions

    Air Force officials today announced policy updates in the 98th Virtual Uniform Board decisions posted June 10. The following provides a snapshot of approved uniform wear. Follow-on messages will be released that contain detailed guidance and instructions. All information will be incorporated into

  • Memorial recognizes those killed in NATO operations

    NATO officials dedicated a monument here June 12 to personnel killed during alliance operations. NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said the stone marker outside the front door of the alliance's headquarters will serve as a reminder of the weight of the decisions made in the facility.

  • Air Force wishes Army 'Happy Birthday'

    Since its birth on June 14, 1775, a year prior to the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Army has been a stalwart protector of and vital contributor to American freedom and advancement. On behalf of all Airmen, Air Force leaders wish all members of the U.S. Army a happy

  • Admiral Mullen offers leadership lesson to National Defense University grads

    Flanked by rows of professors cloaked in traditional academic regalia, the nation's top military officer offered one final, brief lecture June 11 to a group of graduating senior military officers at the National Defense University here. But Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Navy Adm. Mike Mullen

  • Officials look to colleges, universities for civilian employees

    As Air Force officials seek the best and brightest talent for the civilian workforce, they continue to actively recruit students enrolled in undergraduate and graduate degree programs. The Student Career Experience Program, or SCEP, allows qualified college students to apply at participating state

  • Law gives military renters more protection against foreclosures

    President Barack Obama's latest efforts to look after home renters gives military members additional protection if the homes they rent are foreclosed, a Defense Department official said today. The president's Protecting Tenants at Foreclosure Act of 2009 was signed into law on May 20. The

  • Airman honored for ambassadorship, volunteerism

    For her efforts in founding the Iraqi Kids Outreach program, a first lieutenant from Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho, recently received honors during the Defense Department's annual meritorious service awards banquet in San Antonio. The 366th Services Squadron's 1st Lt. Sarah Flackus was the Air

  • 618th TACC initiative wins DOD recognition

    The 618th Tanker Airlift Control Center here was awarded first prize for the best operational improvement initiative during the Defense Department's second annual Continuous Process Improvement Symposium June 1 through 3 at the National Conference Center in Lansdowne, Va. All military branches were

  • MC-12 flies first combat mission

    The Air Force's newest intelligence, reconnaissance and surveillance aircraft flew its first combat sortie June 10 over Iraq.The MC-12 Liberty, assigned to the 362nd Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron, arrived in Iraq June 8 and took off from Joint Base Balad at approximately 2:30 p.m. local time

  • May recruiting shows across-the-board success

    May was a banner recruiting month for every military service, but especially for the Marine Corps, which topped its active-duty goal by 42 percent and its Marine Corps Reserve goal by 12 percent, Defense Department officials announced today.The Marine recruiting successes represent a particularly

  • Chief McKinley sends last 'Perspective'

    In his last "Enlisted Perspective," the Air Force's top enlisted leader encourages Airmen to take advantage of all that the Air Force offers. "I am very grateful to the Air Force and all the leadership over my 30 years that has provided me the opportunity to serve my country, raise my family, see

  • Education activity lowers kindergarten pupil-to-teacher ratio

    Kindergartens at many Department of Defense Education Activity schools will have fewer students per teacher when classes resume in the fall. A student-to-teacher ratio that has ranged from 24-to-1 to 29-to-1 will drop to 18-to-1. "We've made the decision to place an additional classroom teacher and

  • Mullen: Warfighters, families, wounded warriors drive budget request

    The nation's top military officer told Congress June 9 that the fiscal 2010 defense budget request puts money where it's needed: to recruit and retain the quality troops and their families who form the foundation of the all-volunteer force. But Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of

  • Guard looks to new media to attract recruits

    The end strength for the Army and Air National Guard remained above 100 percent in May due in part to various social media outlets, such as You Tube, Facebook and Twitter, currently being used by both services. "Social networking and new media as a whole is the fastest growing communication medium

  • Hanscom to lead Air Force efforts in interoperability demo

    Officials here are busy setting up a mock air operations center for the annual Coalition Warrior Interoperability Demonstration, which will run June 15 through 25. Hanscom is once again serving as a major host site for CWID and the lead Air Force site. Operators from the Air Force, other services,

  • Russians visit Dyess as part of START Treaty

    Dyess Air Force Base officials hosted a 10-person Russian-led team of inspectors who arrived May 29 here to visit the base as part of a Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty inspection. The inspection team updated data relating to the 7th Bomb Wing's compliance with terms of the START treaty. The purpose

  • Operation Southern Partner servicemembers paint brighter future in Belize

    Nearly a dozen servicemembers of Operation Southern Partner found time between their subject matter exchanges to help renovate and enhance the New Stella Maris School for the Physically Disabled with a fresh coat of paint here June 8. The small, 13-classroom school in the Belize City center was

  • Servicemembers join World War II vets at National Mall

    Nearly 45 volunteers from the Fort Meade community gathered at the National Mall May 27 to help give 55 men and women who served during World War II a chance to see the memorial dedicated to their service. "These vets are our living military heritage," said retired Master Sgt. Russ Wagner, the

  • General Gould takes command of the Academy

    Lt. Gen. Michael Gould took command of the U.S. Air Force Academy as the 18th superintendent during a ceremony here June 9. General Gould is a class of '76 Academy graduate and the first superintendant to graduate from the U.S. Air Force Prep School.General Gould comes to the Academy from Scott Air

  • Air Force officials revise fitness program

    The need for a "clear, understandable and simpler" fitness program will mean significant changes to the Air Force's current fitness program, said the service's top officer during a senior leadership conference held June 4 through 6 at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. Air Force Chief of Staff

  • Questions abound in cyber theater of operations, vice chairman says

    Cyber operations simply are another theater of operations for the U.S. military, and the Defense Department must apply the same analytical rigor and resources to it as it would to any other theater, the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said recently. "There will be a cyber capability at

  • Ceremony honors 293 medical graduates

    Dr. Kenneth Torrington, dean of the San Antonio Uniformed Services Health Education Consortium, honored 293 physicians and allied health care providers during the annual SAUSHEC awards and graduation ceremony June 5 at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. SAUSHEC is the

  • Advisory team votes yes to building partnerships doctrine

    The LeMay Center hosted the biannual Air Force Doctrine Advisory Group in May resulting in the Department of Defense's first building partnerships doctrine. "The AFDAG prioritizes efforts and direction for Air Force doctrine," said Col. Russ Smith, director of doctrine development. "We bring

  • Information managers transform into knowledge operations managers

    Airmen in the former information management career field started a two-part transformation Oct. 31, 2008, as they changed their job titles to knowledge operations managers.Airmen in the knowledge operations management career field will undergo another transformation in October 2009 when it

  • Communications Airmen meet to discuss career field's transformation

    Senior enlisted communicators from around the Air Force held a conference at Robins Air Force Base, Ga., May 19 through 21 to discuss details for the upcoming communications Air Force specialty code conversions.During this transformation, the largest in the history of Air Force communications, more

  • CORONA yields personnel decisions, mission requirements

    Air Force senior leaders addressed numerous strategic and personnel issues, from manpower re-alignment to uniform changes to nuclear enterprise initiatives, when they met here for CORONA TOP June 4 through 6. "This is a forum where we need to address everything from fundamental strategic issues to

  • Wright-Patt building earns Air Force leadership in energy certification

    The Air Force Institute of Technology's new academic building here recently achieved the base's first Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design "Silver" certification rating, a nationally accepted benchmark for facility design, construction and operation. LEED is an Air Force initiative for

  • Mobility Airmen, aircraft begin moving Strykers into Afghanistan

    Members of Air Mobility Command's hub for global airlift, air refueling and aeromedical evacuation here are "all in" with its commitment to support joint worldwide operations, kicking off efforts this week to airlift more than 300 Stryker vehicles to military forces in Afghanistan. The term Stryker

  • Air Force flight surgeons hand over training mission to Iraqis

    As U.S. forces withdraw over the next year, Iraqi air force members have begun the process of taking over the new missions and responsibilities including the aeromedical training of flight medical technicians here. The four-week training course is now taught by Iraqi flight medics with coalition

  • Airmen test emergency response at Joint Base Balad

    Airmen in the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing here participated in a major accident response exercise June 5 at Joint Base Balad. "A MARE is an opportunity for the 332nd AEW disaster response force to conduct response actions, evaluate emergency response plans, solidify tactics, techniques and

  • Mildenhall tanker crew deploys to Sweden for exercise support

    Air and ground crews from U.S. Air Forces in Europe joined military units from 10 other nations June 8 for Exercise Loyal Arrow 2009, a 10-day exercise hosted by the Swedish air force's Norrbotten Wing here. A team of 15 Airmen from the 100th Air Refueling Wing from Royal Air Force Mildenhall,

  • President makes stop at Ramstein Air Base

    President Barack Obama passed through Ramstein Air Base on his way to spending some time with wounded warriors at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, Germany, June 5. The president's visit was his first to the hospital since coming into office. The visit to LRMC was closed to the public and media, as

  • Air Force researcher wins top science award

    A Wilford Hall doctor has received one of the highest distinctions a researcher can achieve, according to medical officials here. Maj. (Dr) Vikhyat Bebarta, chief of medical toxicology and a staff emergency physician, is the recipient of the Best Basic Science Research Award, presented by the

  • AFSOUTH gearing up for New Horizons Guyana

    Nearly 650 Soldiers, Sailors, Marines and Airmen are preparing to take part in New Horizons Guyana, a U.S. Southern Command-sponsored annual exercise starting July 1.The exercise is designed to strengthen ties with partner nations in Central and South America through combined quality-of-life

  • FEMA says National Guard essential to hurricane response

    The National Guard is essential to hurricane response, the head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency told lawmakers here June 5. And the National Guard and U.S. Northern Command stand ready to support civil authorities in the 2009 hurricane season, added NORTHCOM's director of operations, Army

  • Air mobility maintains the fight in Afghanistan

    Being in a fight is easy; it is having the ability to stay in the fight until you win that is the hard part. This is especially true in the new type of war being fought by the coalition forces in Afghanistan where the enemy's strategy is to outlast the resolve and sustainment capability of U.S. and

  • Misawa implements new financial in-processing system

    New arrivals here can now in-process with the base finance office using the Permanent Change of Station In-Processing System, or PiPS. Misawa is the first base in the Pacific Air Forces to implement PiPS, a web-based financial system that provides general PCS in-processing information and discusses

  • Vice chairman: Deterrence plays into overseas basing decisions

    The overseas basing choices the United States makes for its military forces are a factor in deterring potential enemies, the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said June 4 here. Marine Corps Gen. James E. Cartwright told a gathering at the Center for International and Strategic Studies here

  • Stateside donations give Kyrgyz students tools of art trade

    Members of the 376th Expeditionary Medical Group here delivered handmade art easels and art supply donations in May to children of the Atbashinskaya School in Manas Village, Kyrgyzstan.The art supplies came from care packages sent from American servicemembers' family and friends in the United States

  • Officials announce commander of 24th Air Force

    Air Force officials announced June 4 the commander of 24th Air Force, a new numbered Air Force focused on the cyber mission. Maj. Gen. Richard E. Webber will assume command of the NAF later this year.Currently, General Webber is the assistant deputy chief for air, space and information operations,

  • Airmen aboard hospital ship, providing humanitarian help

    For Airmen traveling aboard the hospital ship USNS Comfort, 10 days spent in Colon, Panama, meant helping bring smiles to thousands of grateful Panamanians through the U.S. Southern Command's mission Continuing Promise 2009.From April through July, Airmen, along with servicemembers from all military

  • Academy of Military Science moving to Maxwell

    With the Academy of Military Science moving from Tennessee's McGhee Tyson Air National Guard Base to Maxwell Air Force Base's Officer Training School, all Air Force commissioning sources, except the U.S. Air Force Academy, will be under one roof. "Starting this fiscal year, all officer trainees will

  • Bikers raise money for wounded warriors during Cycling Classic

    Nearly 1,000 riders participated in the two-day Air Force Cycling Classic raised almost $35, 000 for a charity that supports wounded warriors and the families of military members who have died serving their country May 30 and 31 in Virginia. The cycling classic combined a technical sprint race, a

  • Panjshir reconstruction team bids farewell to fallen comrades

    The dining facility at Forward Operating Base Lion where Airmen and Soldiers typically exchanged stories and laughter was instead filled with reminiscing and tears as the Panjshir Provincial Reconstruction Team honored four of its fallen comrades May 31. Lt. Col. Mark Stratton, the team's commander,

  • Lab officials confirm Airman has H1N1 flu

    An active-duty officer from Seymour Johnson Air Force Base was diagnosed June 3 as the first case of H1N1 Flu in Wayne County, N.C.Officials from the Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine Epidemiology Lab at Brooks City Base, Texas, confirmed the officer assigned to the 4th Fighter Wing was treated