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  • Combat communications squadron hooks up tent city

    One combat communications squadron convoyed more than 600 miles to provide support to an Air Force tent city here. More than 100 Airmen with the 33rd Combat Communications Squadron from Tinker Air Force Base, Okla., arrived here Sept. 5 with more than 30 military vehicles after having spent more

  • Little Rock AFB hub for international Katrina aid

    The first international aid for Hurricane Katrina victims touched down in Arkansas on Sept. 5, and more international flights are on the way.The base was tapped as the hub and clearinghouse for all international aid air shipments for Hurricane Katrina victims."Little Rock Air Force Base is proud to

  • Reservists mobilize for Katrina relief efforts

    Some Airmen with the 908th Airlift Wing here returned to their home base Sept. 6 after participating in an overseas deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Before they even returned, however, their commander said they were ready to serve again, only this time for disaster-relief

  • AMC aircraft, people continue hurricane relief efforts

    In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Air Mobility Command has moved thousands of military support people, civilian emergency responders and evacuees, and has delivered tons of emergency equipment and supplies supporting relief operations.To handle the increased air mobility operations into and out

  • Keesler recovery efforts already showing results

    People here are well into recovery operations just a week after the base and much of the Gulf Coast sustained massive damage from Hurricane Katrina."We're in the recovery and reconstitution stages where we're assessing the damage and repairing the facilities we're going to need in order to be able

  • Vandenberg tests Minuteman III ICBM

    An unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile successfully launched from here Sept. 7 and landed in the Marshall Islands about 30 minutes later.The mission, conducted by people with the 30th Space Wing and the 576th Flight Test Squadron here and the 91st SW from Minot AFB, N.D, tested

  • Air Force BEAR Base deploys supporting JTF-Katrina

    Airmen with the 49th Materiel Maintenance Group here began deploying in support of Joint Task Force-Katrina, the massive relief effort directed at providing humanitarian aid to Gulf Coast victims of Hurricane Katrina.The 49th MMG, the only Basic Expeditionary Airfield Resources Base group in the Air

  • Airmen saving lives in New Orleans, Mississippi

    Air Force bases nationwide are deploying hundreds of Airmen to Louisiana and Mississippi to save lives in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.Search and rescue missions are under way around the clock to evacuate hurricane victims stranded along the Gulf Coast.Two 50th Airlift Squadron C-130 Hercules

  • Lackland supports Hurricane Katrina evacuation

    Airmen here played a critical role in San Antonio’s hurricane evacuation operation.Over a 55-hour period, Lackland received 9,788 evacuees aboard 89 aircraft. Working in partnership with San Antonio first responders, Airmen helped unload passengers, provide medical assistance and prepare evacuees

  • Airmen evacuate hurricane victims

    Three Airmen flew their first humanitarian mission together here as part of the effort to evacuate Hurricane Katrina victims. After the storm hit New Orleans on Aug. 29, tens of thousands of residents there were left behind, trapped by the floodwater. They had little food and drinking water and no

  • Special unit provides airfield operations in New Orleans

    Without the quick deployment of an Air Mobility Command special unit, the air evacuation plan here would not have happened.The 818th Contingency Response Group from McGuire Air Force Base, N.J., arrived Aug. 31, a day after Hurricane Katrina demolished the area. They instantly provided relief to

  • Katrina floodwaters a biohazard-laden ‘soup’

    Airmen who continue to fly search and rescue missions must protect themselves from a host of biohazards in the floodwaters from where they pluck survivors.Contact with the polluted water, now called “the soup,” can cause rashes, illness and disease, said Col. (Dr.) Lewis Neace, a reserve flight

  • AFSPC Airmen support recovery efforts

    The magnitude of devastation left in the wake of Hurricane Katrina may take months to realize. But help is needed fast, and Air Force Space Command is responding quickly.Examples of this expeditious effort lie with some of the command’s deployed officers.Col. Jay Santee, 21st Space Wing vice

  • 1st AF provides command, control for Katrina relief efforts

    When the Federal Emergency Management Agency requested Department of Defense resources to help with Hurricane Katrina relief operations, 1st Air Force here established the 1st Aerospace Expeditionary Task Force-Katrina Operation.The 1st AETF is the Air Force organization designated to perform

  • NRO director supports hurricane relief, warfighter

    As a newly minted physicist, one of the first sets of experiments Dr. Donald M. Kerr worked on involved the use of small rockets. Today, many years later, Dr. Kerr is no longer simply experimenting with rocket science; instead, he is leading it as the new director of the National Reconnaissance

  • Offutt services crew provides comfort to hurricane victims

    Some Airmen may wear the uniform for quite a while before they truly learn what it means to be in the Air Force.But for Airman 1st Class Keith Torgersen, it only took 10 months.Airman Torgersen is a services specialist with the 55th Services Squadron. He, and about 20 of his peers from Offutt Air

  • Edwards tests production Global Hawk for possible deployment

    Global Hawk flight test efforts were completed Aug. 28, bringing the latest version of the aircraft one step closer to warfighter employment.The tests on the unmanned aerial vehicle, conducted here by the Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center's Detachment 5, the 31st Test and Evaluation

  • Airmen build tent city for relief workers

    While helicopters continue to airlift victims of Hurricane Katrina to the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, a group of Airmen are constructing a massive tent city for relief workers.More than 70 Airmen of different backgrounds and units have come together to form the beginnings of

  • Pararescuemen hoist survivors to safety

    Though it is a city without electricity, rescue crews see plenty of lights as they fly over New Orleans each night searching for survivors in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.Sporadic fires burn wildly, but through their night-vision devices, combat search and rescue crews from the Air Force

  • More active, Guard troops join Katrina response

    President Bush announced Sept. 4 the deployment of 7,000 more active-duty forces to support hurricane relief operations along the hurricane-devastated Gulf Coast.There, they will join 5,000 other active forces and almost 22,000 National Guardsmen already on the ground evacuating stranded people,

  • Air Force MASF last stop for some hurricane victims

    Usually, this airport is pretty sterile. With waxed floors and fresh air, everybody moves through quickly and nobody plans staying long. That was before Hurricane Katrina. Now, instead of businessmen and vacationers, a different kind of traveler packs the airport -- evacuees trying to catch a plane

  • Air Force support of Hurricane Katrina continues

    A week after Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast, the Air Force continues its fever-pitch support effort to aid the people it has affected.Airmen, aircraft and equipment from bases nationwide are playing a vital role in the Federal Emergency Management Agency-directed Hurricane Katrina

  • Airmen provide communications capabilities

    Several Airman from the 5th Combat Communications Group left their families here Sept. 1 to provide communications capabilities for servicemembers in the devastated Gulf Coast region. Airmen from all four squadrons of the 5th CCG loaded about 25 pallets of communications equipment and headed to

  • Raptor releases JDAM during first 'follow-on' evaluation mission

    Members of the 422nd Test and Evaluation Squadron here flew the first F/A-22 Raptor Follow-on Operational Test and Evaluation mission Aug. 29, releasing Joint Direct Attack Munitions on the Utah Test and Training Range.In one of the largest Raptor test phases to date, Air Force organizations are

  • Aeromedical evacuation hub established at Lackland

    Patients from the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport are now being flown to Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, where a hub has been established to support Hurricane Katrina aeromedical evacuation operations.Base officials said the location was chosen as a hub because of its ramp

  • Little Rock, Tyndall, Guard Bureau helping evacuees

    As recovery efforts continue in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Air Force bases are opening their doors to help evacuees."We will do everything we can to get (families) situated here and to be comfortable," said Brig. Gen. Joseph M. Reheiser, 314th Airlift Wing commander at Little Rock Air Force

  • AMC response groups establish airfield operations for hurricane relief

    In support of massive relief operations to help victims of Hurricane Katrina, several elements of the Air Mobility Command Contingency Response Group deployed to Louisiana and Mississippi Aug. 30 and 31 to establish air mobility operations.On Aug. 30, a four-person assessment team from the 615th

  • Maxwell serves as staging facility for hurricane operations

    As evacuees continue to surge here fleeing the devastating affects of Hurricane Katrina, officials are bracing for the 1,300 Keesler Air Force Base training students expected here Sept. 3. So far, 750 hurricane refugees from flooded coastal regions have made their way here to escape what President

  • EMS team deploys to New Orleans

    Airmen with the 375th Medical Group here deployed to hurricane-ravaged New Orleans on Sept. 1 to provide additional medical support to relief agencies already present in the area.The Expeditionary Medical Support Team, comprising about 80 doctors, nurses, medical technicians and support personnel,

  • Air Force takes care of Keesler’s expectant mothers

    Kimberly Harris knew things were bad when the water started creeping up her legs in the Keesler Air Force Base, Miss., hospital basement Aug. 29, but the nine-months-pregnant senior airman knew it was getting a lot worse when another expectant mom had an emergency cesarean section -- by

  • AF helicopter crews rescue 221 hurricane victims

    Air Force special operations helicopter crews from the 347th Rescue Wing rescued more than 200 people stranded in areas hard hit by Hurricane Katrina through Aug. 31.Flying from Jackson-Evers International Airport, Miss., these and other Air Force Special Operations Command aircrews are continuing

  • Hurricane Katrina relief effort total force response

    Airmen from across the Air Force are continuing to search for, rescue, evacuate, treat, feed and comfort Hurricane Katrina’s millions of victims.Most of the Airmen helping with relief operations in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama are deploying with units as part of a total force response. And

  • Jumper reflects on challenges facing Air Force

    During his final media availability session here Aug. 29, the departing chief of staff of the Air Force discussed his vision of the future force, Base Realignment and Closure and the challenges he faced as the service's senior military leader.Gen. John P. Jumper said he believes the F/A-22 Raptor is

  • AMC focusing on Katrina aeromedical evacuations

    The Tanker Airlift Control Center here is working to move as many aircraft as possible into the New Orleans airport to evacuate wounded.“If we can get three more planes in by nightfall (Aug. 31), we might be able to save another 100 people,” said Col. Jeff Franklin, a control center controller.There

  • Airmen help on 'front lines' in New Orleans

    In a cramped conference room, Airmen from the 122nd Air Support Operations Squadron here operate and monitor a satellite radio linked to tactical air control party Airman in New Orleans to help coordinate disaster relief efforts in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Controllers from the squadron, who

  • Power outages across Gulf Coast

    The aftermath of Hurricane Katrina was captured by an Air Force meteorological satellite from the Air Force Weather agency here as it flew over the southeastern United States.The image taken Aug. 30 shows the widespread power outages across the Gulf Coast after Hurricane Katrina ravaged the area.

  • Air Force provides support to hurricane relief effort

    The Air Force is part of the national support network that is providing aid to victims of Hurricane Katrina in disaster stricken regions of Mississippi and Louisiana.The 1st Air Force at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., is the lead for planning, orchestrating and overseeing Air Force support to Joint

  • Air Force Reserve flies missions to storm-ravaged areas

    Within hours after Hurricane Katrina slammed into the Gulf Coast, Air Force Reserve Command people and aircraft were headed toward disaster areas to help survivors.Three HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters from the 920th Rescue Wing at Patrick Air Force Base, Fla., flew to Jackson, Miss., late Aug. 30 to

  • Gulfport Armed Forces Retirement Home residents evacuate

    Officials at the Armed Forces Retirement Home in Gulfport, Miss., announced plans Aug. 30 to evacuate 416 now-homeless veterans from the hurricane-decimated home and move them to its sister facility here.Most of the veterans were preparing to leave Gulfport on Aug. 30 by charter bus for the Armed

  • AMC answering humanitarian call in aftermath of Katrina

    The Tanker Airlift Control Center here started generating missions Air Mobility Command aircrews will fly supporting Hurricane Katrina relief operations in Louisiana and Mississippi.The Federal Emergency Management Agency, through Northern Command and U.S. Transportation Command, asked for airlift

  • Guard, NORTHCOM respond to hurricane aftermath

    Twenty-four hours after Hurricane Katrina battered the Gulf Coast, about 7,500 National Guardsmen from Alabama, Florida, Louisiana and Mississippi were on duty supporting civil authorities, distributing generators, providing medical care, and setting up shelters for displaced residents.In addition,

  • New center helps promote records classification review

    A governmentwide effort to declassify documents that no longer need protecting took a big step forward recently with the official opening of the Interagency Referral Center in College Park, Md.The new center, at the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration, is part of an initiative launched

  • F/A-22 to begin follow-on operational test, evaluation

    The F/A-22 Raptor began follow-on operational test and evaluation Aug. 29.Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center officials here will evaluate the Raptor in several areas, including air-to-ground capabilities and its suitability for deployment by C-17 Globemaster IIIs.The center will test

  • Sexual assault prevention film must-see for Airmen

    A new training video recently distributed to the Air Force through vice wing commanders is required viewing for all Airmen.All Airmen must view the new video, entitled "Targeting Sexual Assault," by Nov. 1. It is part of a larger Air Force campaign to educate Airmen about the realities of sexual

  • Commander sees AEF working from deployed perspective

    The Air and Space Expeditionary Force Center commander recently visited his largest customer in theater -- U.S. Central Command Air Forces.Brig. Gen. Stephen L. Hoog said there was no better place to see that the AEF is working as advertised than in the Southwest Asia and Central Asia.“I appreciate

  • Cooperative Key 05 kicks off

    More than 140 Airmen have joined servicemembers from 14 NATO and seven partner nations to participate in Cooperative Key 05, a NATO Air Force exercise.The exercise began Aug. 24 and runs through Sept. 5, with live flying taking place Aug. 27 through Sept. 4.The multinational exercise is designed to

  • Guardsmen make combat airdrop in Afghanistan

    Six Airmen from the North Carolina Air National Guard’s 156th Airlift Squadron traveled more than 7,000 miles recently to perform an airdrop mission over Afghanistan.The guardsmen, who are currently assigned to the 738th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron at a forward-deployed location, airdropped more

  • 1st Air Force transitions to warfighting headquarters

    First Air Force and Continental U.S. North American Aerospace Defense Command Region are making structural changes to transition into one of 10 warfighting headquarters to better support geographic and functional combatant commanders worldwide.The transition is part of the Air Force’s move to

  • Airmen drop much-needed supplies to Soldiers, Marines

    Airmen from the 745th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron traveled to the eastern region of Afghanistan on Aug. 23 to resupply Soldiers and Marines who are helping Afghanistan prepare for elections Sept. 18.The mission, which included the delivery of more than 39,000 pounds of cargo, is just one of

  • Homeland defense exercise wraps up in Alaska

    A massive homeland defense exercise in Alaska wrapped up Aug. 19 after five days of simulated natural disasters and terrorist events, including earthquakes, aircraft crashes and anthrax attacks in 21 communities statewide.Alaska Shield/Northern Edge 05 allowed local, state and federal agencies to

  • Willow Grove operates joint hazmat pharmacy

    More joint operations seem to be the way of the future for America's military, with the four branches of service sharing land, runways, missions and services. At Willow Grove, they are sharing chemicals, too.Located on the southeast side of the base, the hazmat pharmacy here provides the chemical

  • Space Shuttle Discovery stops at Altus, Barksdale

    Thousands of onlookers defied the summer heat to watch Space Shuttle Discovery arrive at two Air Force bases Aug 19. Altus Air Force Base, Okla., was the first of two stops for NASA's shuttle ferry, a Boeing 747 that carried the space shuttle on its back from Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., to

  • Iraqi, U.S. C-130 crewmembers fly boy to receive heart surgery

    Although 8-year-old Baher looks happy and healthy, Iraqi and U.S. Air Force C-130 crewmembers knew his true condition when they gave him the ride of his life Aug. 22.Baher and his mother, Afaf, were headed to New Orleans to repair a hole in his heart via a new program called Operation Mend a Heart.

  • Jumper: BRAC decisions needed to continue transformation

    The Air Force chief of staff told the Base Realignment and Closure Commission on Aug. 20 that while many of the decisions related to base closure are “gut wrenching,” the changes are needed to allow the Air Force to continue to transform to meet the war-fighting demands of the 21st century.“The

  • NATO, USAFE vie during Excalibur bombing competition

    ROYAL AIR FORCE LAKENHEATH, England (AFPN) -- Aircraft from the U.S. Air Force and the Royal Air Force joined forces for a training exercise here Aug. 17 to 19.Excalibur, a multination bombing competition, is an opportunity for aircrew members to test their skills and pit their wits against each

  • Airmen contain fire on joint installation

    Firefighters with the 407th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron contained a fire on the Army side of the base Aug. 15, only hours after they assumed fire protection coverage here and for Base Camp Adder. Six hours and 45 minutes after they officially took over, flames were shooting from a trailer

  • Shuttle lands, departs under Edwards watchful eye

    From its Aug. 9 landing to its Aug. 19 departure here on the back of a modified Boeing 747, civilians and Airmen here remained heavily engaged in supporting Space Shuttle Discovery.While the shuttle and its mission were primarily NASA's responsibility, Edwards played a major role in bringing the

  • Officials announce 2005 awards for air mobility excellence

    Air Mobility Command officials recently announced this year's Airlift/Tanker Association award winners.Each year, the association recognizes individuals who have demonstrated superior leadership, made outstanding contributions to the airlift/tanker mission, and provided invaluable service to their

  • Dyess AFB demonstrates B-1B's upgrades, combat capabilities

    The 337th Test and Evaluation Squadron here set a number of “firsts” recently for the B-1B Lancer.Those 'firsts' were demonstrated July 25 over the White Sands Missile Range, N.M., when two Lancers from Dyess auto-released a Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile as well as three dissimilar weapons

  • America’s B-1B Lancer takes to Russian sky

    Because of its ability to rapidly deliver massive quantities of weapons against any adversary in the world, the capabilities of America’s B-1B Lancer may have once been feared by the former Soviet Union during the Cold War.Now it is demonstrating its capabilities during the Moscow International

  • Safety officials help curb motorcycle fatalities

    After four more motorcycle deaths in the Air Force were added to the “101 Critical Days of Summer” fatality toll recently, safety office officials here have taken steps to make sure everyone complies with the requirement to wear safety gear.People from the 375th Airlift Wing’s safety office, along

  • Unmanned aircraft capabilities expanding in war on terrorism

    Once used only for remote reconnaissance, unmanned aircraft technology has rapidly evolved in recent years. Such systems now feature strike capabilities and are being used for force-protection and signals-collection missions in Iraq and Afghanistan.Unmanned aerial systems "have helped reduce the

  • Rescue mission saves another Alaskan child

    For the second time in less than six months, a child in Alaska was rescued from near death by a team of Air Force medics at Wilford Hall Medical Center here who stay on alert for their unique lifesaving mission.The latest mission was completed Aug. 14, covering more than 8,000 miles and 28 hours,

  • Airman gets FDNY promotion while deployed to Iraq

    An Airman here recently gained the distinction of being addressed as both a staff sergeant and a lieutenant. Staff Sgt. Gregg Magi, a 407th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron firefighter, was promoted to the rank of lieutenant in the Fire Department City of New York via telephone during an Aug.

  • Airmen support PACAF operations while deployed

    About 300 Airmen from Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho, are perfecting their F-15E Strike Eagle skills during an air and space expeditionary force deployment here. “Our deployment here has been excellent,” said Capt. Joe Ryther, an F-15E pilot with the 391st Expeditionary Fighter Squadron.

  • Deployed medics face gamut of medical conditions

    When providing medical care at a remote location, the pace of business and the variety of medical conditions can change quickly.For medical Airmen with the 40th Air Expeditionary Group at this forward-deployed location, it has been a combination of business as usual and urgent issues requiring 12

  • Total force shares capabilities

    The assistant secretary of the Air Force for Manpower and Reserve Affairs told a panel of Base Realignment and Closure commissioners the Air Force would change its size and modify its missions.The Air Force will become smaller in terms of the number of aircraft the service keeps. If the Air Force's

  • Training keeping Spangdahlem ‘Warthogs’ ready to deploy

    A-10 Thunderbolt II pilots at this hilltop base are busy flying and training for their next deployment, which could be to Afghanistan -- again.That is not a certainty, but deploying to Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan, is almost routine for the 81st Fighter Squadron. As the only A-10 unit stationed in

  • 36th Rescue Flight makes another save

    Crewmembers of the 36th Rescue Flight successfully completed their 602nd save Aug. 13.Just before 9 p.m., the crew, using night-vision goggles, began their hour-long flight to the Wenatchee, Wash., area.Once reaching the response area, the crew was given their mission's details: Rescue a man

  • Mechanics keep war effort rolling

    High-mobility multipurpose-wheeled vehicles began serving America’s Soldiers, Airmen and Marines worldwide in 1983. For 22 years the vehicle has been an icon for troops supporting the full spectrum of operations from humanitarian and disaster relief to major theater war.The Humvee has proven its

  • Spangdahlem’s new airlift mission has room for expansion

    The 726th Airlift Support Squadron has not finished moving here from Rhein-Main Air Base, but its new home might have already earned it a bigger airlift mission.On Oct. 1, the squadron starts operations from its state-of-the art facility at this longtime fighter base in Germany’s Eifel region. It

  • C-130 maintainers sustain mission readiness

    A combined team of active-duty and Guard C-130 Hercules maintainers with the 774th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron are keeping mission-capable rates for the base’s fleet in the high 90s.The squadron, comprising active-duty Airmen and guardsmen working together as part of the air mobility team,

  • First Air Force Stryker unit deploys to Iraq

    The first Air Force Stryker unit marked its first deployment with the high-tech Army vehicle when it departed here Aug. 14 for Iraq.About 20 Airmen from the 3rd Air Support Operations Squadron deployed with the Army’s 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, both stationed at nearby Fort Wainwright.“Our

  • What's in a name?

    When researching what to call their children, parents often turn to a book of popular names. Or, they may select one they have heard simply because they like it.The process is not so simple when naming a military aerospace vehicle. For the Air Force and its sister services, the process begins

  • U.S. Air Force lands at Moscow air show

    U.S. Air Force maintainers chocked and secured six aircraft at Ramenskoye Airfield here Aug. 14, as they prepared to participate in the Moscow International Aviation and Space Salon.About 100 U.S. serviceembers are playing an active part in the Moscow air show Aug. 16 to 21, where visitors can get a

  • FTF set to leave lasting impression in Pacific theater

    The Air Force broke ground last August for the first Pacific Air Forces C-17 Globemaster III squadron based outside the continental United States. One year later, using the Future Total Force initiative with an eye toward the future, Hickam Air Force Base is building a strong foundation for a new

  • New technologies, teaching boost language training

    New technologies and teaching approaches are improving the quality of instruction here as the Defense Language Institute supports the Defense Department's effort to boost foreign-language capability within the ranks.The school experienced "explosive growth" this year and expects the trend to

  • Deployed firefighters modern day dragon slayers

    Throughout Iraq, sleeping dragons lie in slumber, ready to wreak havoc, death and destruction if disturbed.Air Force firefighters here remain vigilant serving as modern day dragon slayers who stand ready to bring down any dragon that threatens innocent civilians or coalition forces.Iraq’s dragons

  • Rhein-Main still ticking as closure looms nears

    Though this base’s mission ends Oct. 1, its people are still doing what made it the Air Force’s premier airlift hub in Europe -- airlift support.The base, which shares runways with Frankfurt International Airport, has been drawing down since 1999 for its December closure. Its landmass has already

  • AMC 'total force’ rushes to aid of trapped Russian sailors

    It was a total force effort by Air Mobility Command active-duty, Reserve and Air National Guard units in a long-distance rescue effort Aug. 5 to free seven Russian sailors trapped in a submarine 625 feet beneath the sea. The Russian sub became tangled in a fishing net Aug. 4 during a military

  • Aeromedical evacuation improvements saving lives

    Better training, more advanced equipment and aeromedical evacuation procedures that are constantly being improved are helping save the lives of thousands of wounded servicemembers in Iraq and Afghanistan, Air Force medical officers said.Lt. Col. (Dr.) Warren Dorlac, chief of critical care and trauma

  • Rhein-Main transition on track

    The more than $465-million project to return Rhein-Main Air Base to Germany by Dec. 31 is “on track,” the Rhein-Main Transition Program chief said.Col. Tom Schnee, of U.S. Air Forces in Europe here, also said by Oct. 31 the command will finish shifting Rhein-Main’s key airlift mission to Ramstein

  • Battlelab turns ideas into innovation

    Anyone who has ever done business with the Air Force Information Warfare Battlelab here knows the people of that organization recognize a good idea when they see one.Just ask retired Master Sgt. Chuck Doig.Nearly four years ago the senior noncommissioned officer submitted an idea to the battlelab to

  • Kadena Airmen rescue stranded surfer

    A day of surfing in Okinawa could have turned deadly for a Marine Corps family member the evening of Aug. 5 had it not been for the quick efforts of Airmen here.An HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter crew jumped into action after the Japanese coast guard asked Kadena's 18th Wing for assistance in finding a

  • Future Total Force in step with PACAF mission

    As the Future Total Force initiative integrates with Air Force operations in the Pacific, the transition is looking good, said the Pacific Air Forces commander.“The transformational pieces of our capabilities are clearly in the form of long-range bombers, the C-17 (Globemaster III), F/A-22 (Raptor)

  • Life support technicians inspect, maintain survival equipment

    The 774th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron's life support section is full of aircrew life support technicians who work hard every day since their work can mean "life or death" for C-130 Hercules aircrews and passengers.Life support equipment always has to be in tip-top condition to be ready whenever a

  • AMC answers call to help rescue Russian sailors

    Air Mobility Command was called upon Aug. 5 to assist in the rescue effort to save seven Russian sailors stranded aboard a submarine off Russia's Pacific coast.The minisubmarine, an AS-28, became tangled in a fishing net Aug. 4 during a military exercise near the Kamchatka peninsula in Siberia.AMC

  • Piece of Rhein-Main history gets new home

    One of the most touching symbols of Rhein-Main’s history will soon find a new home at nearby Ramstein Air Base.The base chapel’s stained-glass memorial window, commemorating the U.S. servicemembers who lost their lives during the Berlin Airlift, was removed here Aug. 2.“The window will hang in the

  • ‘Magic’ comes to North Carolina

    Magic filled the air and was on the basketball court here July 29 as Earvin “Magic” Johnson paid a visit to Fayetteville, N.C.Mr. Johnson, who led the Los Angeles Lakers to five National Basketball Association championships, spent his weekend with local Airmen and Soldiers.He also spoke with 200

  • Edwards, Eglin combine testing on next-generation F-16

    Combining two aircraft missions into one is not an easy feat, but that is exactly what engineers and pilots from here and Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., are testing. In the process, they have also combined operational and developmental into one testing effort.Five F-16 Fighting Falcons and aircrews

  • Space weather forecasts clear communication

    Staff Sgt. Guillermo Ybarra III sits staring intensely at the sun. Unblinking, his furrowed brow wrinkles slightly as his eyes sharpen their gaze. After several more minutes, his piercing glance finds a change in the sun’s surface -- a change he has been anticipating. He purposefully scoops up the

  • Handy inducted into Order of the Sword

    Representatives from the 43,000-strong Air Mobility Command enlisted force honored the commander of U.S. Transportation Command and AMC during an Order of the Sword ceremony here July 29.More than 400 Airmen commandwide along with Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve units attended the ceremony

  • Airmen support Soldiers with airdrop

    To keep yet another convoy off the road, 386th Air Expeditionary Wing aircrews at this forward-deployed location recently gave a textbook example of what agile combat support is all about.Several C-130 Hercules airdropped more than 69,000 pounds of Meals, Ready to Eat to U.S. and Iraqi Soldiers

  • Cold steel warms Airmen’s hearts

    The 446th Airlift Wing's aircraft maintenance crews are known for expertise on the job, but it is the tight, family like structure that helps keep them bonded together. Once again, they have come up with their own unique way to maintain that close-knit atmosphere, even while thousands of miles

  • Jumper provides insight to BRAC, joint basing initiatives

    The largest Base Realignment and Closure proposal in history calls for the closing of 10 Air Force installations and the realignment of 62 more. In his Aug. 3 Chief’s Sight Picture, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper explains how BRAC and joint basing will help maximize the Air Force’s

  • Airmen 'build bridge' for new mission at Spangdahlem

    About a dozen Airmen with the 817th Contingency Response Group from McGuire Air Force Base, N.J., arrived here July 28 to support the Rhein-Main Transition Program.The five-year Rhein-Main Transition Program, scheduled for completion in December, calls for closing down Rhein-Main Air Base,

  • Total force, joint, coalition team create synergy in CAOC

    Staffed by active-duty, Guard and Reserve forces from all the U.S. services along with coalition partners, the Central Air Forces Combined Air Operations Center at a forward-deployed location has proven to be a true total force, joint and coalition team.“The partnership (among) the people of these

  • Team effort brings America’s wounded troops home

    Moving wounded American servicemembers from the frontlines in Southwest Asia to hospitals in the United States is no easy task. The effort requires everything from treating patients in forward-deployed locations to airlifting and caring for them as they move from overseas to stateside locations.One

  • Guard, Reserve integrate seamlessly into Nellis organization

    Organizations at the Air Warfare Center here are taking the concept, “One Team, One Fight,” literally and are combining active duty, Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve Command personnel in all mission areas.“This is a smarter, better way of doing business, because we’re able to capitalize on

  • Airmen medevac two wounded Afghans

    A combat search and rescue crew evacuated two Afghan nationals who had been wounded by stray shrapnel from an anti-coalition militia mortar attack against a forward-operating base in a village northeast of Kandahar, Afghanistan, on July 28.After the attack, the two -- an adult and a 12-year-old boy