Air Force, Navy weather forecasters form one front

Air Force weather forecasters from the 21st Operational Weather Squadron welcomed Navy weather forecasters into their unit here Aug. 31. With a Navy drawdown and reach-back initiatives, the number of maritime weather forecasters in Europe was reduced by more than half. "Based on the cuts in theater,

Bagram C-130s drop high-tech cargo delivery system

The same global positioning technology that helps fighter and bomber pilots deliver smart bombs with pinpoint accuracy now allows cargo bundles dropped from cargo planes to steer themselves to drop zones. A C-130 Hercules from the 774th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron here dropped supplies to a U.S.

Military helps wounded troops return to work

Officials from the Defense Department and military services got together here Aug. 30 for the first "From Deployment to Employment" conference to discuss ways to better serve America's severely injured servicemembers. The day-long conference was a forum to exchange ideas about how to improve the

AFSO 21 team learns 'Lean' lessons from Dover Airmen

An Air Force Smart Operations 21 team from the office of the secretary of the Air Force gained valuable insight into how to "Lean" a work process during a visit to Dover Air Force Base, Del., Aug. 21 to 25. The AFSO 21 team from the Pentagon is comprised of 72 master process officers going through a

Charleston closed, airlift still going strong

Charleston Air Force Base, S.C., closed Aug. 31 because of severe weather conditions from Tropical Storm Ernesto, but the base's global airlift mission is still enduring. The base's fleet of C-17 Globemaster III aircraft evacuated Aug. 30 to Whiteman AFB, Mo., and Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, to

After Katrina: ACC's intel team applies lessons learned

The men and women of Air Combat Command's intelligence directorate haven't been stocking up on distilled water and plywood, but they are prepared for the busy part of the 2006 hurricane season or any natural disaster that might affect the United States. "We're light-years ahead of where we were this

Wilford Hall holds dedication ceremony for C-9 Nightingale

Active duty and retired military medical personnel gathered here Aug. 31 to dedicate the C-9 Nightingale static display. Nicknamed the "Cadillac of Medevac" and the "Workhorse" for aeromedical evacuation, it provided service not only to the military, but also to the Department of Veterans Affairs

Electronic travel system streamlines business process

The Air Force has completed deployment of a new computerized travel system at all its major installations. The Defense Travel System was installed Aug. 10 at Los Angeles Air Force Base, Calif., marking the end of a nearly three-year deployment of the system to bases in both the United States and

NASA invites students to help astronaut count the stars

NASA and the Canadian Space Agency are collaborating on a new education activity that helps students become astronomers. The Star Count Project will investigate the visual quality of the night sky and help assess the extent of atmospheric light pollution.There are many factors that affect how many

CAP proves worth during Katrina relief

When Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast a year ago, the nation went into immediate humanitarian mission mode. Along with the efforts of countless organizations came help from a 57,000-strong force often overlooked. While the debris settled and devastation became evident under clear skies, the

Fairchild combines wing functions to streamline operations

Members of the 92nd Air Refueling Wing opened the doors Aug. 29 to a facility responsible for three key functions for Fairchild Air Force Base's expeditionary success.The Expeditionary Airmen's Center of Excellence will synergize the 92nd ARW's Air Expeditionary Force, Air Force Smart Operations for

Airmen experience tip of expeditionary spear

Most Airmen have experienced the expeditionary air and space force, but for about 170 Airmen serving in the military personnel exchange program, the term "expeditionary" takes on a whole new meaning. Officers and senior NCOs serving in the MPEP are assigned to nearly three dozen foreign air forces

Memorial dedication honors American, Russian aviators

American, Russian, French and Canadian dignitaries, to include Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, gathered here Aug. 27 to honor Russian and American aviators and troops responsible for ferrying more than 8,000 American-built warplanes from the Midwest through Canada to Fairbanks during World War

Airmen return to big family welcome

Family, friends and squadron members welcomed home 13 Airmen with fresh grilled food, cold drinks and cheerful faces Aug. 29. After their nine-month deployment supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom, serving side-by-side with Army Soldiers to jointly handle security at Camp Bucca, the Airmen were met by

Chief McKinley addresses senior rater, stratification policy

In his first "Enlisted Perspective," Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Rodney McKinley discusses the new senior rater policy and use of stratification statements for enlisted performance reports. Stratification statements take into consideration the number or percentage of enlisted members in a

Katrina shapes rescue mission

On Aug. 29, 2005, the third-strongest hurricane ever to hit U.S soil made landfall on the Louisiana and Mississippi border. Soon after, rescue crews from here were called on to perform search and rescue on a scale previously unseen. "The Katrina relief effort was a benchmark for Air Force rescue,"

Operation Deep Freeze under way with C-17 support

A C-17 Globemaster III from the 62nd Airlift Wing at McChord Air Force Base, Wash., has flown four missions from Christchurch, New Zealand, kicking off the 2006 to 2007 season for Joint Task Force Support Forces Antarctica, known as Operation Deep Freeze.Servicemembers and equipment will stage to

New intel squadron turns aerial eye on terrorists

Terrorists and their supporters around the world soon will be under the gaze of a powerful "unblinking eye" providing information on their whereabouts to a "brain" here. The reactivation of the 11th Intelligence Squadron here marks a milestone for Air Force Special Operations Command, which gains

Keesler Medical Center rebounds from Katrina

Keesler Medical Center, the second largest Air Force medical center, has made great strides in rebounding from the damage inflicted by Hurricane Katrina one year ago. The facility is rapidly returning to its pre-Katrina status, both from the standpoint of the physical plant and services. Full

Leadership development program assists GS-15 advancement

A new leadership development program called GS-15 LD provides a total force development vision for Air Force civilians in the GS-15 grade, preparing them for senior roles in the Department of Defense. "We're working hard to prepare these people to successfully lead at the Senior Executive Service

AFSO 21 a success at McChord

The banner hanging above the shop floor of the 62nd Maintenance Squadron wheel and tire shop is a sign of the success here for Air Force Smart Operations for the 21st century. The 2005 Chief of Staff Team Excellence Award banner recognizes outstanding team performance and promotion of systematic

Joint review fosters communication, collaboration

Air Force Office of Scientific Research officials recently traveled to Atlanta where they completed their yearly Joint Program Review of basic research funded projects. Hundreds of notable researchers and scientists attended this year's program representing the Air Force Research Laboratory,

Web site to outline voting options for Americans overseas

A new Web site being developed by the Defense Department will provide information on electronic voting options for servicemembers and other U.S. citizens living overseas. The Integrated Voting Alternative Site is scheduled to be accessible Sept. 1. It will include information from all 55 states and

Life after Katrina, Airmen ready to help again

The fifth tropical depression of the year is gathering force in the Caribbean Sea and making a beeline for the Gulf of Mexico. It might, or might not, turn into a hurricane. Either way, there is no doubt Airmen at bases along the Gulf Coast are wondering if they will soon have to hunker down and

Tenacious trainers triumph in Katrina's wake

One of Keesler's most remarkable Hurricane Katrina success stories is the resurgence of the 81st Training Group. Training, Keesler's primary mission, has not only rebounded, but has flourished in the past year, said Col. Deborah Van De Ven, who took command of the 81st TRG a month after Katrina's

Keesler Air Force Base: One year after Katrina

Bent but not broken by the worst natural disaster in the nation's history, Keesler's recovery continues to exceed expectations. "The damage to the base by Hurricane Katrina was a staggering $950 million. With that in mind, no one imagined in the days immediately after Aug. 29, 2005, we'd be where we

Joint dermatology program receives maximum accreditation

Accreditation was awarded to the Brooke Army Medical Center and Wilford Hall Medical Center Dermatology Residency Program Aug. 16. The accreditation signifies that the integrated Army and Air Force dermatology program meets or exceeds the standards set by the Accreditation Council for Graduate

Air Force leaders attend Blue Summit

More than 600 senior Air Force leaders gathered here Aug. 24 at the invitation of their top uniformed leader to discuss issues of importance to that service. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. T. Michael Moseley invited all general officers from the ranks of active duty, Air National Guard and Air Force

Enthusiasm, dedication fuel Tops in Blue team

The 2006 edition of Tops in Blue, "What's Love," has completed one of two tours of the Southwest Asia area of responsibility. The team performed 11 shows over 19 days for approximately 7,500 deployed servicemembers."It's a grueling schedule," said Tom Edwards, chief of Air Force Entertainment and

Salvaged flight deck from C-5 mishap becomes tool

The crew compartment belonging to the C-5 Galaxy aircraft that fell less than a mile short of Dover Air Force Base's runway April 3 has been salvaged for use in C-5 aircraft crew training. The compartment, commonly referred to as the aircraft's flight deck, was loaded onto a C-5 and airlifted to its

Symposium focuses on needs of young veterans

Registration is open for the National Symposium for the Needs of Young Veterans scheduled for Oct. 18 to 21 in Chicago. The event will bring together a diverse and representative group of 1,500 active-duty servicemembers, reservists and veterans to find solutions to the challenges servicemembers

Little Rock Airmen train Romanian maintainers

Members of the 373rd Training Squadron, Detachment 4, are providing first-of-its-kind training for Romanian air force maintainers with a custom-made program at the C-130 Center of Excellence here.Det. 4 members built training classes specifically for the Romanians, and then four separate classes of

B-52 Stratofortress ages like wine

First deployed in 1955, the B-52 Stratofortress is already twice the age of many Airmen who maintain it. Despite its age, Airmen assigned to the 5th Bomb Wing here have an affinity for flying and maintaining this Air Force legacy aircraft and recognize its relevance today. "She gets finer with age

C-141 'Hanoi Taxi' now on display at museum

The first aircraft to return Vietnam prisoners of war to the United States is now on public display at the National Museum of the United States Air Force. The C-141 "Hanoi Taxi" was the first aircraft to arrive in Hanoi in February 1973 to pick up the POWs returning to the United States.The "Hanoi

Products to revolutionize space weather forecasts

Predicting the harmful effects of space weather on a U.S. military asset or mission has been advanced with the delivery of a prototype that combines environmental information with system specifications and thresholds. The prototype, which consists of five computer-generated products, provides

Air Force legal leaders meet with Afghan counterparts

Two Air Force legal leaders visited Southwest Asia in August, stopping in Kabul, Afghanistan, for a two-day seminar with Afghan military legal leaders on the rule of law.Maj. Gen. Jack Rives, Air Force judge advocate general, and Col. Lindsey Graham, appellate military judge, met leaders from the

Small-diameter bomb ready for war on terror

Four major acquisition programs -- developed in parallel -- have come together to provide Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle crews with a revolutionary capability that combines accuracy and reduced collateral damage. Military and civilian employees in seven locations worked together developing the four

AF automates Korean medal process

Officials from the Air Force Personnel Center have recently added the Korean Defense Service Medal to its list of personnel processes automatically updated in the Military Personnel Data System. The new process automatically updates an Airman's record in the data system for those who served in Korea

New senior acquisition executive on board

Air Force officials recently named the new assistant secretary of the Air Force for acquisition. As the Air Force's new senior acquisition executive, Sue C. Payton is responsible for all Air Force research, development and non-space acquisition activities. She provides direction, guidance and

B-1 Lancers join 379th fleet

The 379th Air Expeditionary Wing welcomed its newest airframe to the fleet here Aug. 16. For weeks the wing has played host to several B-1 Lancers, providing support to the aircraft and the people associated with it, but now the bomber is officially assigned here. "Moving the aircraft here can help

Senior leaders eye robust intelligence capabilities, people

Several active duty and retired senior leaders from the Air Force intelligence community gathered with Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. T. Michael Moseley at the Pentagon recently as part of an intelligence summit and strategy session. The leaders are reviewing how and when the Air Force uses

Kansas ANG home of newest intelligence center

Kansas became home to "America's newest intelligence center," the largest intelligence processing center in the Air National Guard, on Aug. 16.The state-of-the-art Distributed Ground System intelligence facility at McConnell Air Force Base will be the permanent home to the Kansas ANG's 161st

COMUSAFE concludes Russian visit

Improved relations and future operational cooperation between U.S. and Russian air forces was the goal of a four-day visit to Russia by the commander of U.S. Air Forces in Europe.Gen. Tom Hobbins, who visited Moscow and Lipetsk Air Base Aug. 14 to 17, said the military-to-military relationship

Falcons eye 'Return to Dominance'

The Air Force football team broke out new uniforms for its annual media day following their first fall practice last week. The players told reporters the 2006 season will be the Falcons' "Return to Dominance." "Their motto sends a great message to me," Air Force head coach Fisher DeBerry said.

Convoy Airmen face challenging duties

For more than two years Airmen have been driving convoys for the Army on some of the most dangerous roads in the world. From their Army camp to the border of southern Iraq and to the most northern reaches of a country roughly the size of California, members of the 586th Expeditionary Logistics

Viper Lance pilots trade rides

Among the sounds of jets starting their engines and Romanian air force maintainers prepping their aircraft for departure, an American fighter pilot climbing into the back seat of a MiG-21 Lancer was a rare sight on the flightline here Aug. 11. Pilots from the 22nd Expeditionary Fighter Squadron here

Space Command focuses on tailoring mission with new triad

Strategic deterrence, securing the space domain and recapitalizing on a lesser budget are among the priorities for the Air Force Space Command commander.In keeping with the theme, "Global missions... meeting the challenge," Gen. Kevin P. Chilton spoke on the future of Air Force space missions at the

Air Force recruiting meeting its goal for 7th year

The Air Force is on track to make its recruiting goal this year, marking the seventh consecutive year the service has brought in the right number and mix of new Airmen. To date, 25,645 people have enlisted in the Air Force and entered active duty in fiscal 2006. That puts the Air Force on pace to

California Air National Guard embraces new mission

The sun heats a Nevada desert landscape as a small group of warriors focus on computer terminals. These men and women know their actions directly support others facing the heat of another desert half a world away. Members of the California Air National Guard's 163rd Air Refueling Wing have spent the

New platforms provide patients comfort

In an effort to improve safety and comfort for patients being transported on high-deck aircraft, Air Mobility Command officials plan to soon acquire several high-deck patient loading platform, or HDPLP, vehicles. The HDPLP is a vehicle with a series of hoists that allows the cab and patient seating

Raptor meets new challenges, expands capabilities

For the men and women taking care of the Air Force's newest and most lethal fighter aircraft, the F-22A Raptor, firsts seem to be a common occurrence. Along with milestones by the 27th and 94th Fighter Squadrons have come new challenges in places such as Alaska, Utah and Florida that have left

Deployed Airmen register for marrow program

The faces on posters that call attention to a number of worthwhile volunteer causes are often lost in the hustle of accomplishing the daily mission. However, the association of one poster to a deployed Airman at a recent drive in Southwest Asia put a face on the critical need for all to register as

Massachusetts gains new Air National Guard unit

As part of the Air Force Total Force Integration initiative, the Massachusetts Air National Guard will establish a distributed ground station unit here. A DGS unit provides real-time intelligence processing, exploitation and dissemination for commanders. Experienced members of the Massachusetts Air

B-2 Spirit exceeds mission standard

The B-2 Spirit exceeded Air Combat Command's fully mission capable rate standard of 51 percent in June, a feat not achieved since September 2004. Keeping the B-2 ready for war is an effort that requires the hard work and support of everyone who works on base, said Col. Bob Dulong, 509th Maintenance

AFSO21 Leans out uniform development

In January, a limited number of the new Air Force utility uniforms will roll off production lines. Their arrival will mark the end of a nearly five-year development cycle. Lessons learned from development of the Airman Battle Uniform will be applied to the Air Force's next uniform project, the

C-5 Galaxy undergoes dynamic runway testing

As part of the C-5 Galaxy's Reliability Enhancement and Re-engining Program, the aircraft is undergoing dynamic taxi testing to check the structural strength and flexibility of the four-engine modification. The main focus of the RERP testing was the C-5 structure's movement when traveling over

Web site honors Air Force heroes

A nonprofit organization's Web site is letting people pay tribute to Air Force heroes. A section in the Air Force Memorial Foundation's Web site, titled Air Force Heroes, allows people to honor an Airman with a paragraph about what makes them extraordinary. With the Air Force memorial scheduled to

Military pays tribute to World War II bomber pilot

A World War II bomber pilot was laid to rest with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery on Aug 11. Retired Maj. Gen. Jack I. Posner was one of the last remaining bomber pilots from World War II. His burial site is in a direct line of sight of the new Air Force Memorial. The general's

Modifications to extend service life of A-10s

At first glance the A-10 Thunderbolt II cockpit looks like a Category 5 tornado just touched down in the middle of it. The chaotic scene, with hundreds of loose wires and instrumentation ripped from consoles, is really the beginning of modifications that will extend the service life of A-10s while

Decorated Vietnam vet back at war

It may be surprising to hear that the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing has a Vietnam era Purple Heart recipient working at the wing. It is even more surprising to hear that the combat veteran is actually a C-130 Hercules deployed from Ramstein Air Base, Germany. On the flight deck of aircraft 63-7865 is

Cyber Security Boot Camp graduates Class of 2006

Thirty-five college students from across the nation were recognized Aug. 10 as graduates of the 2006 Advanced Course in Engineering, or ACE, Cyber Security Boot Camp, a 10-week program at the Air Force Research Laboratory information directorate. This year's class included 19 Air Force cadets, three

AFSO 21 breathes new life into old system

The 100th Logistics Readiness Squadron here has streamlined the way its receiving shop conducts business using the Air Force Smart Operations for the 21st Century concept.The material maintenance flight began by assembling a team from the traffic management, vehicle operations and supply offices

Bagram security forces fly away to support airlift mission

Security forces protect Air Force people and resources worldwide, even when those resources are on the move at more than 300 mph. The C-130 Hercules cargo plane is the primary means of moving supplies and troops around Afghanistan. Aircrews frequently land at remote, dirt landing strips to support

C-130s hit Jackpot over Baghdad

A C-130 unit assigned here is carrying a fairly conventional piece of equipment throughout the skies over the Central Command area of responsibility in an unconventional way. Instead of hauling people and cargo, the 777th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron is carrying an airborne command and control

Dental corps aims to stem shortage

It may be a tooth and nail struggle for the Air Force to keep its dentists, but its dental service is dedicated to providing expert care to Airmen worldwide, said the director of the Air Force Dental Corps here recently. "I think Airmen need to know that we are committed to providing them the dental

Wings combine strengths to solve Raptor issue

Four wings are combining efforts to analyze, develop and test a new advanced medium-range air-to-air missile data collection system for the first F-22A Raptor at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla. The 53rd Wing, 46th Test Wing, 1st Fighter Wing and 325th Fighter Wing worked side by side to solve the

Air Force still hiring

Despite rumors to the contrary, the Air Force is still hiring. People interested in joining are always encouraged to apply, even in light of the Air Force's recently released force-shaping initiatives. To match the Air Force's new strength numbers, next year's recruiting goals have reduced by nine

New airline security measures apply to AMC travelers

Airline travelers are facing new security measures at the nation's airports today that promise to disrupt flights and cause a domino affect around the world. The Department of Homeland Security increased airport and air travel security measures in response to a foiled plot by extremist to blow up

Sather medics treat detainees

Airmen here supported an Army forward surgical team in providing medical treatment to detainees as they transitioned from the Abu Ghraib Theater Internment Facility to a new facility on Camp Cropper near Baghdad.Multi-National Force-Iraq officials established the new facility July 30 to replace Abu

New Web portal to help enlisted career development

Enlisted Airmen will soon have a new development Web site portal designed to meet all of their career development needs, allowing them to navigate different aspects of their time in service from their desktop computers, Air Force officials here said. My Enlisted Development Plan, or MyEDP, is

Airman recognized for work with Iraqi army

"This is a big deal ... this is a big deal ... a Bronze Star!" said Col. Michael Boera, 36th Wing commander. He was presiding over a ceremony in which Tech. Sgt. Ruben Vazquez of the 36th Medical Operations Squadron was awarded a Bronze Star for his service as an independent duty medical technician

33rd Fighter Wing gains F-35 training mission

Air Force officials announced plans to assign the mission of training new Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force and allied F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter pilots and maintainers to the 33rd Fighter Wing here. Final planning for the move is dependent on the results of the ongoing environmental impact

Officials announce clarification of EPR criteria, policy

The Air Force has released a policy to clarify senior rater endorsement and stratification procedures for enlisted performance reports. While many supervisors and senior NCOs looked to completion of the Senior NCO Academy and a Community College of the Air Force degree as criteria for consideration

Congress approves separation incentives for officers; no decision for enlisted

As part of the Air Force's Force Shaping Program initiatives, officers are being offered voluntary separation pay to leave the service earlier than scheduled, said an Air Force officer here recently. VSP allows government agencies that are downsizing or restructuring to offer employees a lump-sum

Old is new again

KC-135s take on aeromedical evacuation role

While the KC-135 Stratotanker was originally designed to extend the length of other aircrafts' flight times, aircrews at Fairchild are also using the airplane for a completely different mission: to extend medical care to critically injured patients. Tanker aircraft began augmenting the Air Force's

'Spirit of Solano' arrives at Travis

The much anticipated C-17 Globemaster III, the "Spirit of Solano," arrived home at Travis Air Force Base, Calif., on Aug. 8. Festivities began with a flyover of all three major airframes now based at Travis: the C-5 Galaxy, KC-10 Extender and C-17. The crowd of approximately 2,000 applauded as Maj.

C-17 Globemaster III crew doing its part

A long day of loading and unloading cargo off of the C-17 Globemaster III is nothing new to the 816th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron aircrew. On this day the crew was able to fly in more than 80 aircraft pallets full of supplies to Balad, Iraq, in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. "The deployed

KC-10 maintainers keep mission flowing

KC-10 Extender maintainers work long days on the flightline with temperatures reaching nearly 135 degrees on the scorching concrete, and it is even hotter in the KC-10s parked on the ramp. These are the conditions facing the Airmen of the 380th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron. The

Weather agency employs new forecast model

The Air Force Weather Agency headquartered here took the first steps to use the new Weather Research and Forecasting model, known as WRF, for operational forecasts. The WRF model, the first worldwide fine-scale computer forecasting program in nearly a decade, was created through a collaborative

Space brings invisible power to the fight

When space professionals deploy, they learn how to better provide combat effects, and warfighters learn more about the invisible power space brings to the fight. "It's not good enough to fly satellites from afar," said Lt. Col. John Shaw, the 4th Space Operations Squadron commander. "We need to

Letter to Airman asks Airmen to become communicators

In the latest Letter to Airmen, Secretary of the Air Force Michael W. Wynne recognizes the importance of every Airman communicating the Air Force story, especially the contribution the Air Force makes to the nation's security.  The secretary said that success of an enhanced strategic communication

New Air Force lieutenant colonels selected for SDE

The lieutenant colonel central selection board held at the Air Force Personnel Center here has identified senior developmental education "selects." Officers identified as selects join a resource pool of officers who will be considered for future attendance at in-residence SDE. SDE enhances the

Reserve personnel center expands news service

Air Reserve Personnel Center news can now be delivered directly to desktops via ARPC's new Really Simple Syndication, or RSS, feeds or to e-mail addresses via the new ARPC news service. "These two new services will serve to enhance our ability to communicate with Air Reserve Component members about

Transformation redefines multi-national exercise

As the Air Force transforms the way it does things, Pacific Air Forces is changing the way it conducts combat training exercises.At the forefront of this effort is PACAF's largest multi-national exercise, Cooperative Cope Thunder, soon to be renamed Red Flag Alaska. The exercise incorporates the

New AFSPC commander touts 'invisible force'

The new commander of Air Force Space Command visited the 90th Space Wing and 20th Air Force July 28 to Aug. 1, touting what he called the "invisible force" with the big hammer. Gen. Kevin P. Chilton said he is excited to leverage the creative talent of the Airmen at all levels of the command and is

PACAF leaders see flash of future in Georgia

Senior leaders from Pacific Air Forces toured the F-22 Raptor production facility here Aug. 3 and got a look at the command's first 5th-generation fighter aircraft. Raptor 4087, bearing "AK" on its tail, is bound for Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska. It will be the first of 36 Raptors, in two

Airmen train in ground combat at Camp Shelby

About 170 Airmen have graduated from Camp Shelby, Miss., after four weeks of ground combat skills training in preparation for deployment to Afghanistan to support Army embedded training teams. "Very few of us knew each other when we first got here," said Maj. Brenda Frye, support team commander.

New structures, names for SMC organization

The Air Force's Space and Missile Systems Center has reorganized and renamed its organizations to mirror the traditional Air Force structure in a ceremony July 31. The center activated six subordinate wings, 21 groups, 12 squadrons, 20 divisions, two system offices and the 61st Air Base Wing,

Tyndall spearheads F-22 fighter tactics integration

The 325th Air Control Squadron and 43rd Fighter Squadron here are making significant advances integrating F-22 Raptor fighter tactics with command and control operations, enhancing the capabilities of both. One of the new advances is the ability to send free text messages from command and control

PACAF unveils first F-22

Pacific Air Forces' officials got a glimpse into the future of fighter capability during a tail flash unveiling ceremony here today in which PACAF's first F-22 Raptor was unveiled. The aircraft, which is still under construction, will be the first of 36 F-22s assigned to Elmendorf Air Force Base,

Officials prepare for F-22 arrival

As Pacific Air Forces prepares to bring the F-22 to the command next year, the Headquarters PACAF F-22 Program Integration Office is working to ensure no detail is overlooked. The job is not a small task. The integration office staff is responsible for guiding, coordinating and synchronizing the

New AFIT commander focuses on military education system

Brig. Gen. Paula G. Thornhill accepted command of the Air Force Institute of Technology from Lt. Gen. Stephen R. Lorenz, Air University commander, during a ceremony July 31.  She replaced Brig. Gen. Mark T. Matthews who will become the director of plans and programs at Air Combat Command. "Every

Rescue unit faces moving challenges

It will be a while before the 56th Rescue Squadron fully transitions into operations at this fighter base and begins its new mission in Europe. The combat search and rescue unit arrived here in May from Naval Air Station Keflavik, Iceland, where it served 35 years. It left as part of the U.S.

Air Force museum launches new Web site

The National Museum of the United States Air Force is getting a new look online. The museum's new site features easy-to-navigate links to nearly 4,000 pages of museum news, exhibits, research information and more. In addition, more than 4,000 photographs will be available to download. The new Web

Academy stands up new cadet squadrons

The Air Force Academy will stand up four new cadet squadrons during an assumption of command ceremony here Aug. 6. Maj. Fred Cunningham will assume command of Squadron 37; Maj. Ryan Plunkett will assume command of Squadron 38, Maj. Phillip Tucker will assume command of Squadron 39; and Maj. Gilberto

Wynne: We are logisticians of information

As does its enemies, the Air Force considers cyberspace a warfighting domain. The Air Force has always been in the business of flying and fighting in the air, and in past decades, has included space in that mission. This year the Air Force expanded its mission to include cyberspace -- the domain of

'Your Guardians of Freedom' site set to scale down

Budget constraints and contract services reductions have forced officials  to make changes to the "Your Guardians of Freedom" Web site starting Oct 1. The Web site enables Air Force members to order pins for employers of activated Guardsmen (E pin), parents (P pin) and spouses (S pin). Pin

Small-diameter bomb makes F-15E squadron more lethal

When the 494th Fighter Squadron deploys to Southwest Asia later this year, its new small-diameter bomb will make its F-15E Strike Eagles even more lethal. The squadron will be the first to use the Air Force's new Guided Bomb Unit-39 bomb. It is a thin, Global Positioning System-guided 250-pound bomb

ROVER adds extra set of eyes to sky

A demonstration of the Remote Operated Video Enhanced Receiver during field training here on July 28 allowed basic cadets an opportunity to see how an extra set of eyes in the sky is a critical weapon in military arsenals."It's important to take a new group of leaders and have them interface on the