Tax relief, danger pay eligibility expands

Tax relief and special pay for servicemembers involved in Operation Iraqi Freedom have expanded.On April 11, a Defense Department memo certified that OIF troops stationed in Turkey and Israel and deployed to Mediterranean waters east of 30 degrees east longitude are now eligible for combat zone tax

High-fiber diet

Promotion study guides arrive in May

The 2003 promotion fitness exam and supervisory examination study guides are expected at Air Force locations worldwide in May.Air Force Occupational Measurement Squadron officials here said Air Force Pamphlet 36-2241, Volumes 1 and 2, Promotion Fitness Examination and U.S. Air Force Supervisory

On the cover

Airman 1st Class Darnell Sharp provides cover fire during a security forces exercise here April 17. Sharp is assigned to the base's 39th Security Forces Squadron. (U.S. Force photo by Airman Joseph Thompson)

U.S. not asking for long-term Iraqi bases

The United States has neither asked nor considered asking a future Iraqi government for use of four air bases, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said today.Rumsfeld called a New York Times story that suggested such a thing "unhelpful." He said such articles left people in the Middle East with the

Bone marrow donor, recipient meet

Tech. Sgt. Daniel MacDonald and Gregg Smith have shared the same bone marrow for a year and a half, but they did not meet face to face until recently.MacDonald, an instructor with the 366th Training Squadron's Detachment 7 at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., donated his bone marrow to Smith on Oct. 16, 2001.

Air component commander updates troops on Operation Iraqi Freedom

Lt. Gen. T. Michael Moseley, the Operation Iraqi Freedom Combined Forces Air Component commander, visited this deployed location recently to update the troops on Operation Iraqi Freedom and to award a B-1B Lancer flight crew from the 405th Air Expeditionary Wing Distinguished Flying Crosses for

Pilots receive Distinguished Flying Crosses for first strike of OIF

Two F-117A Nighthawk pilots from the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing at a forward-deployed desert air base in were awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross recently for extraordinary achievement while flying in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.On the opening day of the air campaign Lt. Col. David

Total force team excels at bare base

A total force team of active-duty, reserve and Guard airmen deployed to this austere deployed location have worked together to provide "amazing" support for Operation Iraqi Freedom, their commander said.The 485th Air Expeditionary Wing here is composed of active-duty F-15 Eagle fighters from Langley

Software analyst becomes agricultural inventor

Farming and a little laziness combined to earn a software analyst here a patent for a self-opening gate that operates with no electricity, batteries, solar panels or remote controls.Possibly revolutionizing life for cattle farmers, Dan Hix's gate, according to a patent search, is like no other. It

Coalition takes "Queen of Spades," continues security operations

The coalition has trumped the Queen of Spades in the Iraqi most-wanted deck.Muhammad Hamza Zubaydi, a former prime minister and member of the Revolutionary Command Council in Iraq, is in coalition custody, said U.S. Central Command officials. He is the highest-ranking member of the former regime

Air Force names legal award winners

Air Force office of the judge advocate general officials have named the winners of their 2002 annual awards. They are:-- Albert M. Kuhfeld Award for judge advocate of the year: Maj. James K. Floyd, Air Force Legal Services Agency, Bolling Air Force Base, D.C.-- Reginald C. Harmon Award for Air

Team cleans up unexploded ordnance

While troops help Iraqis gain independence in the streets of Baghdad, Basra and Kirkuk, people from the 386th Explosive Ordnance Disposal team at one forward-deployed location are cleaning up remnants of the 1991 Gulf War."Unexploded ordnance poses a threat to both military members and the civilian

Total force soars over Iraq

Crewmembers from active duty, Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve joined forces in a KC-135 Stratotanker aerial refueling mission over Iraq on April 19.The crew consisted of the Wisconsin Air National Guard's Maj. Craig Campbell, active-duty pilot 1st Lt. Jacob Thornburg, and reservist Master

Tools of the trade

Aircraft of the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing and coalition counterparts fly over the desert April 14. They were flying in formation to commemorate the success of the wing in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Each of the aircraft flew with the 379th AEW during the operation. Aircraft include the KC-135

Air Force clubs offer scholarships

Air Force Clubs is offering $25,000 in scholarship money to any club member or his or her family members. There will be six scholarships awarded, with the top prize of $6,000 for higher education costs.Scholarships will be awarded based on a 500-word essay written about "Air Force Clubs -- Help Us

Officials announce Air Force fuels, supply awards

Air Force officials recently announced the outstanding supply and fuels individual and unit awards for 2002.The individual supply winners are:-- Col. F. Badger Johnson III Senior Supply Manager of the Year: Lt. Col. Kenneth Hession from the 363rd Expeditionary Supply Squadron at Prince Sultan Air

U.S., Poland finalize deal on F-16s

This month's signing of a military hardware deal with Poland is expected to kick off a long-term relationship between the United States and the former Warsaw Pact nation, according to Air Force officials.On April 18, Polish officials signed a deal to purchase 48 new F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft

New ID cards are secure, ready

The high-tech identification common access card currently replacing the familiar green ID card worldwide is secure and proven in combat, despite some rumors to the contrary."Worries are unfounded" that the new ID cards are easily accessible to identity thieves or even hostile forces, said Chief

Firefighters keep watch over planes, people

Firefighters are an insurance policy the Air Force can't afford to be without, according to Operation Iraqi Freedom's top fire chief."What we bring to the fight," said Chief Master Sgt. Darryl R. Stewart, the U.S. Central Command Area of Responsibility fire chief, "is a safety factor that the Air

Security forces keep base secure

At this forward-deployed Operation Iraqi Freedom location, two security forces airmen in an observation post keep a close watch on local shipping traffic with high-powered binoculars.At the search pit, military working dogs sniff through a vehicle before it is released to approach the entry control

JPRA helps return captives to normal life

It's going to take more than returning Pfc. Jessica Lynch to the United States for her to get back to a normal life.Much the same could be said about the seven prisoners of war - her five unit comrades and two pilots - rescued April 13.After spending eight days in Iraqi captivity and a nearly equal

First impressions

Tech. Sgt. Joseph Vest, a support airman for the 8th Fighter Squadron here, meets his 1-week-old son, Joseph Jr., for the first time after returning from a deployment. He was one of the airmen who returned April 17 after supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. About 300 people from Holloman AFB who

Readiness center orchestrates contingency support

David Copperfield made the Statue of Liberty disappear, walked through the Great Wall of China and made audience members vanish, only to reappear somewhere else. But, those were just magic tricks -- grandiose illusions.Try making 3,000 soldiers, more than 200 aircraft and nearly 5,000 tons of

Murderer killed in coalition raid in Kandahar province

Coalition forces in Afghanistan believe they killed the man who murdered a Salvadoran Red Cross worker March 27, officials at Combined Joint Task Force 180 said today.The action occurred April 21 in Kandahar province in the southern part of the country. Coalition forces worked with officials of the

Second F-15E crewmember confirmed dead

Department of Defense officials announced April 23 that Maj. William R. Watkins III, 37, of Danville, Va., was killed in action April 7 while supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. Watkins was assigned to the 333rd Fighter Squadron, Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, N.C.Watkins was the weapons system

Air Force, Army coordinate fire

Whether they are jumping out of aircraft or rolling in a convoy, one essential entity in any of the 82nd Airborne Division's operations carried out at Kandahar Air Field, Afghanistan, is an Air Force Tactical Air Control Party.Without the TACP, soldiers would not have a team to arrange air cover

Former POW recounts 67-month experience

Even after 67 months as a prisoner of war in North Vietnam, Col. George "Bud" Day could still recognize his wife Doris' footsteps as she walked up behind him at March Air Force Base, Calif., March 17, 1973.He said it was because of his lifelong faith in God and his deep-rooted love of country and

Feedback from survey to improve civilian leadership development

A sampling of Air Force civilians in the grades of GS-12 through GS-15 have received and completed the civilian long-term training survey via e-mail in recent days.The 12-question survey, which is being distributed through April 25, is an opportunity for people to express their thoughts or concerns

Damage docs patch, repair battle aircraft

With aircraft battered and torn from the fight, aircrews depend on the "damage doctors" to get them and their aircraft back into the fray.During the conflict in Iraq, members of the 653rd Combat Logistics Support Squadron here have been the "docs" carefully patching and repairing aircraft, making

Air Force pilots help Japanese go the distance

When your car runs low on gas during a long trip, it is easy to pull up to the pump like you have done a hundred times before. It involves a lot more planning if you are at 25,000 feet, traveling several times your average freeway speed and practicing a foreign language. When your vehicle is one

Ground commander lauds land troops' success in Iraq

Coalition forces are nearing the end of combat operations, but the campaign will continue, the chief of coalition land forces said during an interview from Baghdad.In a videoconferenced briefing with Pentagon reporters, Army Lt. Gen. David McKiernan said the ground campaign against the regime of

Delivery for Baghdad

Well aware of the threats on the ground around Baghdad, Iraq, a crew of six from the West Virginia Air National Guard loaded up their C-130 Hercules and headed for Iraq.The crew, who are deployed to a desert air base in Southwest Asia, said the mission was similar to the ones in the past but this

Mobile aeromedical staging facility touches lives in Iraq

From Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, to Tallil Air Base, Iraq, may seem a long way, but for Air Force Reservists of the 433rd Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron, it was the chance of a lifetime to practice skills that are literally a matter of life or death to a wounded soldier.Their journey to Tallil

More regime leaders captured, three Marines die in accident

The Iraqi deck lost three more cards April 23, and coalition special operations forces took into custody another regime member who might be able to name all the Iraqi spies in the United States. Also, three Marines died and seven more were injured the same day when the rocket-propelled grenade

Team brings captured base online

Warfighters had a big problem as coalition combat forces pushed through Iraqi defenders: their tactical communications systems were not enough for the job at hand, but a better, more permanent solution wasn't yet available anywhere near the front.Air Force engineering installation teams stepped up

Engineering installation team brings captured base on line

Warfighters had a big problem as coalition combat forces pushed through Iraqi defenders: their tactical communications systems were not enough for the job at hand, but a better, more permanent solution wasn't yet available anywhere near the front.Air Force engineering installation teams stepped up

U.S., China say 'No Nukes' to North Koreans

The North Korean government shouldn't feel threatened because the United States, China and other nations want the Korean peninsula to be nuclear- weapon-free, the top U.S. diplomat said here today.North Korea, which is suspected of having one or two nuclear weapons, has "nothing to fear from de-

Possible SARS cases at Hill; patients recovered

Test results April 21 identified two probable cases of severe acute respiratory syndrome here, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Two retired Air Force officers, who recently returned to Utah from a trip to Asia, have now recovered from the symptoms.However, officials from

NCO retraining programs begin

The Air Force recently began the voluntary phase of its fiscal 2003 and 2004 noncommissioned officer retaining programs. The program is designed to help the Air Force balance its enlisted force by moving NCOs in specialties with surpluses to those with shortages, personnel officials said. It

Roche, Jumper to speak at academy graduation

Air Force officials announced April 23 that Dr. James Roche, secretary of the Air Force, and Gen. John Jumper, Air Force chief of staff, will speak at this year's Air Force Academy grauation. "Both personally are very much involved in the Air Force Academy and Air Force military education, and

Possible SARS cases at Hill; patients recovered

Test results April 21 identified two probable cases of severe acute respiratory syndrome here, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Two retired Air Force officers, who recently returned to Utah from a trip to Asia, have now recovered from the symptoms. However, officials from

Cooperation key for coalition success, Hailston says

The key to the success of Operation Iraqi Freedom was the outstanding cooperation among all of the services and coalition partners, the top Marine in the command said today.Speaking from his headquarters in Bahrain, Marine Lt. Gen. Earl Hailston said that force planned and executed the operation as

Iraqis need work, paychecks, U.S. administrator says

American officials are working to reconstitute Iraqi government ministries and get employees back to work and receiving paychecks, the man charged with getting Iraq running again said today.Jay Garner, director of the Pentagon's Office of Reconstruction and Humanitarian Assistance, said in a Baghdad

Bomber group heads home

After dropping 3.2 million pounds of explosives and 9 million leaflets during 120 combat sorties, more than 1,000 airmen are packing up and going home from this forward-operating location. The redeployment of the 457th Air Expeditionary Group began April 24 with approximately a dozen B-52

Readiness troops break new ground at Iraqi base

Setting up shop at Tallil Air Base, Iraq has the very first civil engineer readiness troops in-country working around the clock and setting milestones for their career field.Readiness teams employ the Air Force's full spectrum threat response plan to prepare the base for any attack or disaster, from

Space units provide impact during OIF

During Operation Iraqi Freedom, thousands of Air Force reservists helped drop bombs on the enemy, deliver supplies and fuel to coalition forces, and rescue stranded or besieged troops on the ground.Many of these reservists worked behind the scenes, including several hundred Air Force Reserve Command

Mobile aeromedical staging facility cares for war's wounded

Providing medical care to injured soldiers and airmen is the main job for 26 active duty and Reserve airmen of the 387th Air Expeditionary Group, deployed to a location in Southwest Asia.Comprising the Expeditionary Mobile Aeromedical Staging Facility staff, the team members are a model of the

Tinker employees awarded $10K for ideas

Collectively saving the Air Force more than $700,000 in the next year recently made two employees here $10,000 richer thanks to suggestions submitted to the Innovative Development through Employee Awareness program.Karen Goss, a publications systems specialist earned her $10,000 by discovering a

Homeward-bound crew thankful for support

Among the many missions B-52s flew during Operation Iraqi Freedom, crewmembers aboard one Stratofortress said their most eagerly awaited sortie was the one they were on April 24.The crew spoke to reporters at the Pentagon via a radio-to-telephone connection as they flew home to Minot Air Force Base,

Officials announce AF comm, info awards

Officials announced the Air Force’s communication and information awards for 2002 here recently.Individual winners:-- Outstanding Field Grade Officer: Maj. Eric J. Bjurstrom from Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia.-- Outstanding Company Grade Officer: Capt. Robert K. Lyman from the 50th Space

Rotary-wing asset saves lives

Saving lives in a combat environment means taking risks. It means going where no one else can to get the person to medical help. The 41st Expeditionary Rescue Squadron airmen from Moody Air Force Base, Ga., do just that. Their mission, it takes 12 airmen -- six each in two HH-60 Pave Hawk

CV-22 reaches high point in history

The CV-22 Osprey test program recently reached a high point in its flight test history when Osprey 7 successfully completed a terrain-following radar exercise during the multimode radar test plan segment here.Osprey 9, expected to return to normal flight testing in June, is undergoing hydraulic and

People are the key to air power, CSAF says

The men and women of the Air Force are the basis of America’s air and space power, according to the Air Force chief of staff.“It’s all about smart people and the tools they’ve used in new and different ways,” Gen. John P. Jumper told an audience April 24 at the National Air and Space Museum

Aziz brings total of 'Top 55' in custody to 12

With Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister and sometime-spokesman Tariq Aziz now in American custody, 12 of the 55 most wanted Iraqis are accounted for, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said today. Rumsfeld said during a noon Pentagon press briefing that coalition forces also have "a number" of other

Deployed airman attacks educational dreams

Most airmen serving overseas supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom use their spare time catching up on sleep or writing to loved ones back home. But one sergeant kept education as a priority in his busy schedule.Master Sgt. Craig Pate is the first student to complete an Air Force Institute of

Now showing: April 28 edition of AFTVNews

The gradual Air Force shift from war to support in Iraq is highlighted in the latest edition of Air Force Television News.Staff Sgt. Chris Vadnais reports from Bashur Airfield in northern Iraq on how airmen are helping get supplies to troops on the ground. In the United Kingdom, Staff Sgt. Michelle

One doctor makes up deployed dental flight

The 380th Air Expeditionary Wing has a dental flight. It is a flight of one.Lt. Col. (Dr.) Alan Sutton is the sole source of minor dental treatment for servicemembers at this forward-deployed location. Treatment includes extractions, fillings, root canals, maintaining orthodontic appliances and

Ammo flight puts ‘force’ in Air Force

Without munitions, the Air Force would be just the world’s largest, fastest airline.The 379th Air Expeditionary Wing put more than 3.2 million pounds of ordnance on target in Iraq, more than 90 percent of it precision-guided weapons. Those bombs came from the airmen in the 379th Expeditionary

DOD expands vaccination eligibility list

Adult family members of some servicemembers have joined the list of those eligible to receive smallpox and anthrax vaccinations.According to Department of Defense officials, the voluntary vaccinations are available in designated higher-threat areas, including State Department missions. Eligible

‘Red Tail Express’ delivers in Iraq

Taking a page from the annals of Air Force history, members of the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing are doing whatever it takes to get the job done.Faced with the problem of getting much-needed supplies to airmen at remote locations supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom, and no apparent way to get it

OIF contracting effort proves successful

The early insertion of contracting officers into mobility packages may prove to be one of the most cost-effective decisions the Air Force made during Operation Iraqi Freedom, the coalition air force’s top logistics officer said.“At first blush, you might ask why we’d deploy a contracting officer to

Conventional missile plays crucial role

From the beginning of Operation Iraqi Freedom, much of the success coalition forces experienced depended largely upon the ability to inflict maximum damage to precise targets while incurring minimum risk. The plan required accurate weapons as much as skilled strategists.One such weapon is the

Military Appreciation Month begins May 1

Organizers for National Military Appreciation Month are asking Americans to show their appreciation for the military by displaying the American flag and the POW/MIA flag May 1 through Flag Day on June 14.In 1999, a resolution was passed in Congress proclaiming May as National Military Appreciation

Former Robins employee sentenced for fraud

A former Robins employee was recently sentenced to five months imprisonment, five months house arrest with electronic monitoring and three years supervised probation after being convicted of Federal Employees' Compensation Act fraud.A U.S. district judge also ordered the former aircraft electrician

Services strives for better frontline meals

The immediate requirements of conducting war demand a no-frills approach to frontline living. However, that does not mean conditions have to stay that way.The chief of logistics for the Combined Forces Air Component Command said that once the basic resources needed to effectively fight a war have

Dover airmen bring their parents to work

More than 100 parents beamed with pride and admiration as they walked arm-in-arm with their sons or daughters here. For many of these parents, this was their first exposure to the Air Force’s inner-workings and lifestyle.Bring Your Parents to Work Day, held at the Air Mobility Command Museum on

U.S. aircraft leaving Saudi Arabian base

Department of Defense officials said the combined air operations center here will be mothballed and all U.S. aircraft operating at the base will be gone by August.The decision was made by "mutual agreement," said Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld following a meeting with Saudi defense minister

Center manages all OIF ground support

Services. Logistics plans. Transportation. Ammo. Aircraft maintenance. Supply. Fuels.They are diverse, wide-ranging specialties, but they have one thing in common – they are tied together by the same nerve center bringing logistical support to Operation Iraqi Freedom’s air warriors.The

War reunites deployed brothers

None of them were supposed to be here. Two pairs of brothers thrown together as if a game of jacks were being played with aircraft and aircrew; each one being snatched up and dropped randomly at a Royal Air Force base in the eastern Mediterranean. But before anyone could swipe all the Air Force

Force development prepares airmen for success

Force-development efforts are under way to ensure the Air Force’s enlisted corps remains the best in the world, said the service’s top enlisted leader.According to Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Gerald R. Murray, force development is simply a methodical approach to giving airmen the tools,

CSAF presents Purple Heart to pararescueman

After being hit by enemy fire April 18 during a mission in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, Staff Sgt. Robert L. Disney Jr. was on the receiving end of the lifesaving steps he knows well as an Air Force pararescueman.At a Pentagon ceremony April 30, he received a Purple Heart presented by Air

Program documents art of war

Four aviation artists spent two days visiting Tallil Air Base in southern Iraq to visually document and experience firsthand bare-base Air Force operations there. John Witt, Phil Weisgerber, Gregg Thompson and Harley Copic traveled to Southwest Asia to support the Air Force Art Program. Their job

AFSOC taking combat search, rescue

The Air Force will turn over functional management of the combat search and rescue mission to Air Force Special Operations Command on Oct. 1.The transition to AFSOC from Air Combat Command is meant to consolidate the management of CSAR and to take advantage of the synergies of combining like

Colonel runs 1,000 miles on deployment

After completing his goal of running 500 miles during a 90-day tour here, Lt. Col. Rod Matte upped his goal to 1,000 miles when his tour was extended to 150 days.Running about the equivalent of a marathon -- 25 miles -- every two days for the last three weeks, Matte has pushed himself hard to

Space program pioneers meet AF leaders

The father of the Air Force space program and a key leader in the development of weapons systems such as the Minuteman missile assembled former colleagues here April 23 to 27 for the annual meeting of the "Old Timers."Retired Gen. Bernard A. Schriever led the intercontinental ballistic missile

Mr. Rumsfeld goes to Baghdad

Perhaps symbolizing the importance of special operations forces to Operation Iraqi Freedom, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld arrived in Baghdad on an MC-130 from the Air Force's 919th Special Operations Wing today. Less than a month after the fall of Baghdad, Rumsfeld flew from Kuwait to Basra

Test sets world land speed record

A 192-pound, fully instrumented Missile Defense Agency payload traveled a little more than three miles in 6.04 seconds April 29, validating Holloman's high-speed test track hypersonic upgrades and setting a world land speed record.Air Force Materiel Command experts conducted the test in New Mexico's

CSAF: Instructor duty vital to future

The Air Force’s top uniformed leader is stressing the importance and value of instructor duty to all officers.In a Chief’s Sight Picture released in April, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper encouraged officers to invest in the future force by considering instructor opportunities an

2002 mission support awards announced

Officials recently announced the winners of the 2002 Air Force Mission Support Awards.The awards recognize airmen and their units for outstanding performance in the areas of personnel, military equal opportunity, professional military education and training.The winner of the Gen. Robert J. Dixon

POL troops fuel massive air campaign

Equipped with not much more than grit and determination, deployed airmen have dispensed jet fuel at a pace up to nine times faster than their stateside counterparts.According to Col. Duane A. Jones, chief of logistics for the Combined Forces Air Component Command, three bare-base airfields

Focus yields 98 percent mission-capable rate

An “extra shot of adrenaline” let aircraft maintainers ensure that nearly every scheduled aircraft was available to fly when needed for Operation Iraqi Freedom.The chief of logistics for the combined forces air component commander said the performance by maintainers during OIF has been nothing less

Air Force earns two public service awards

Organizations at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., and Schriever AFB, Colo., recently earned Public Service Excellence Awards from the Public Employees Roundtable.The 355th Aerospace Medicine Squadron’s airman’s attic at Davis-Monthan, earned the award in the community service category.The

Air Force starts assessment survey

After a short delay because of Operation Iraqi Freedom, the 2003 Air Force Community Assessment survey is under way.According to the director of family advocacy research, the agency responsible for conducting the assessment, the survey is now being sent out to more than 180,000 randomly chosen

Powell thanks Spain for political, material support in Iraq

Secretary of State Colin Powell today thanked one of America's staunchest allies for their support before and during the war in Iraq."I hope that the Spanish people will understand that their government and their leader was on the right side of history in this matter," Powell said in a joint media

Success in Iraq result of lessons learned

The reason the Air Force performed so well during Operation Iraqi Freedom can be traced back to lessons learned from earlier conflicts, according to the deputy chief of staff for air and space operations at the Pentagon.“We were better trained, better organized and better equipped than we have ever

Cadet suspected of organizing inappropriate parties

Officials here announced May 1 that a senior cadet is under investigation for suspected misuse of government equipment and Internet services while organizing inappropriate activities off the installation.Charges have not been filed. The name of the cadet is being withheld pending completion of the

Cheney declares Iraqi Freedom 'most extraordinary military campaign'

Vice President Richard Cheney knows what it takes to launch a war in the Persian Gulf. He did just that in 1991 as the nation's 17th defense secretary. Who better then to compare operations Desert Storm and Iraqi Freedom 12 years later? In a speech to the Heritage Foundation today, Cheney called

President Bush proclaims end to major combat operations in Iraq

Major combat operations in Iraq are over, and America and her allies have prevailed, President Bush said this evening on the flight deck of a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier. "In this battle we have fought for the cause of liberty and for the peace of the world. Our nation and our coalition are proud of

Rumsfeld: We can't know how many troops needed in Iraq

The number of American and British forces needed to secure Iraq in the long and short term is "not knowable," Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said in London today.Rumsfeld met with British Defense Minister Geoffrey Hoon during a short stop in London following a weeklong tour through the Persian

Air Force announces OTS selections

The Air Force is giving 18 enlisted members the chance to trade in their stripes for gold bars after being chosen to attend Officer Training School.Air Force Recruiting Service officials conducted OTS Selection Board 0305, which considered 239 total applications, selecting 164 for a 67-percent

Youth center goes global

Children at the youth center here are going global -- the old-fashioned way.In a world of e-mail, modems and ever-changing technology, the center's “Journey Around the World” club gives its members the chance to make friends with others their age who live on Air Force bases worldwide, by simply

Air Force preparing for next contingency

Even as deployed airmen return home from Operation Iraqi Freedom, Air Force officials are focusing on what they need to do to reload the service for the next contingency.According to Lt. Gen. Ronald E. Keys, deputy chief of staff for air and space operations, the three priorities in reconstituting

Ceremony ends Operation Northern Watch

The Combined Task Force Operation Northern Watch guidon was encased May 1, in a ceremony signifying the successful end to its mission of enforcing U.N. Security Council Resolutions north of the 36th parallel. Gen. Charles F. Wald, U.S. European Command deputy commander, officiated the ceremony -- an

Air Force earns environmental awards

Two Air Force installations and one Air Force archaeologist are winners of Secretary of Defense Environmental Awards for 2002.Representatives from Hill Air Force Base, Utah, and Tinker AFB, Okla., along with Karlene Leeper of the 611th Air Support Group at Elmendorf AFB, Alaska, will receive their

Family members can return to Incirlik

State Department officials announced May 1 that family members who were part of the authorized departure instituted March 18 are now allowed to return here.Family support centers in the area of departed airmen will be advising them how to coordinate a government travel request and will answer other

Iraq's future in hands of its own people, U.S. officials say

Three senior U.S. government officials agreed that humanitarian efforts to renew and restore Iraq have gone well so far, and movement will continue to return Iraq to the Iraqi people.Undersecretary of Defense Dov Zakheim, DoD comptroller and chief financial officer, Undersecretary of State Alan

Domino effect began with weather forecast

Trace any Operation Iraqi Freedom mission back to its origin, and you will find the first action in the series of events was a weather forecast, said the senior weather officer for U.S. Central Command Air Forces.“We’re domino pushers,” said Lt. Col. Tom Frooninckx, commander of the 28th Operational

Jamming squadron accomplishes mission

After more than 220 sorties, almost 2,000 combat flying hours and more than 6,000 jammed enemy signals in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, the airmen of the 41st Expeditionary Electronic Combat Squadron can call it a day.As part of the 64th Air Expeditionary Wing deployed to Southwest Asia, the

'It's just heartbreaking' what Saddam did to Iraq, Rumsfeld says

The neglect and damage deposed dictator Saddam Hussein inflicted on Iraq and its people "is just heartbreaking," U.S. Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld told reporters here today.Back after his one-week, whirlwind trip to the Gulf region -- which included visits to Iraq and Afghanistan -- Rumsfeld