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  • Operation Deep Freeze sees end of C-141 Starlifter era

    The gateway to the highest, driest and coldest continent on earth remains wide open and actively engaged by Airmen deployed supporting Operation Deep Freeze.Since late August, Air Force LC-130 Hercules equipped with skis have flown more than 330 sorties supporting the U.S. Antarctic Program which

  • Air Force works to meet QDR challenges

    Air Force strategic capabilities are already working to meet the challenges outlined in the Quadrennial Defense Review, officials said.Every four years Department of Defense officials conduct a thorough review, as requested by Congress, to ensure that each service has the right mix of people,

  • C-model A-10 takes first flight

    The newly designated C-model A-10 Thunderbolt II, modified with precision engagement technology, was flown for the first time here recently by a 40th Flight Test Squadron pilot. Precision-engagement technology allows the Air Force’s premier close-air support aircraft to also use smart weapons such

  • Help available for troops facing adjustment issues

    The Defense Department's senior medical adviser said that troops redeployed from combat zones should suffer no stigma for seeking help for emotional problems.Some troops who have returned from duty tours in Afghanistan or Iraq are experiencing symptoms associated with post-traumatic stress disorder,

  • Officials launch 'Healthy Choices for Life' program

    Defense Department officials are launching a new preventive health-care program called "Healthy Choices for Life," the department's senior medical adviser said here Jan. 26.The purpose of the Tricare-managed program is "to put information in the hands of individual servicemembers and family members

  • DOD tsunami-relief efforts in transition

    Department of Defense tsunami relief efforts are "transitioning to something different," the assistant secretary of defense for international security affairs told a House subcommittee here Jan. 26."A lot of what the U.S. Department of Defense has provided may not be as necessary as it was, and

  • Staying in the Reserve after separation can pay off

    Should I stay or should I go? For those in uniform, it is a question they face each time they come to the end of their enlistment. To many, deciding to stay on active duty or switch to the civilian sector seems to be their only options. Air Force Reserve officials beg to differ.Tech. Sgt. Michael

  • Airmen help bring donations to Uzbek orphanages

    Airmen, Soldiers and civilians supporting Operation Enduring Freedom from here brought donated toys, clothing, shoes, food and a variety of other products to local Uzbek orphanages Jan 17 and 22. The Jan. 17 visit went to a baby orphanage in Qitab, and the Jan. 22 visit was to an orphanage in

  • Parts kit extends service life of F-16 Fighting Falcon

    Defense Supply Center Richmond officials are working on a billion-dollar, multiyear project that will extend the service life of the Air Force’s F-16 Fighting Falcons.The F-16 Structure Augmentation Roadmap, or "Falcon STAR," program uses parts kits to strengthen the aircraft’s structure, officials

  • Airmen passing relief operation to UN-led team

    The more than 850 deployed Airmen from bases around Pacific Air Forces are preparing to head home. PACAF aircrews, maintainers and mission support Airmen have been here supporting Operation Unified Assistance, the humanitarian effort delivering relief supplies to several countries in Southeast Asia

  • Reservists switch to paperless LES

    Jan. 1 was the deadline for Air Force reservists to start using myPay, the Web-based method for managing pay.Airmen who did not sign up may find it difficult to know how much they are getting paid. The Feb. 1 leave and earning statement is the last paper copy they will receive through the mail.

  • Chu urges renewed focus to reduce preventable accidents

    The Defense Department wants servicemembers and civilians to concentrate on safety whether they are on or off duty, the department's top personnel official said Jan. 24.Each year scores of Sailors, Soldiers, Marines, Airmen and Coast Guardsmen, as well as DOD civilians, are killed or injured by

  • Falcon men place second, women fourth, at invitational

    Olivia Korte crushed her week-old academy weight throw record as the Air Force Academy track and field team finished up competition at the annual Air Force Invitational here Jan. 22. The men claimed second in the 10-team matchup with 94.50 points, while the women placed fourth of 12 teams with a

  • Air Force Assistance Fund campaign kicks off Feb. 14

    The Air Force Assistance Fund "Commitment to Caring" campaign runs Feb. 14 to May 6. Program officials invite Airmen to contribute to any of the Air Force’s four official charitable organizations.The charities benefit active-duty, Reserve, Guard, retired servicemembers, surviving spouses and

  • National Nurse Anesthetist Week kicks off Jan. 23

    Whether administering epidurals for women in labor, giving patients minor sedation in the emergency room, or watching over their patients in the operating room, certified registered nurse anesthetists have been working with surgeons, dentists and podiatrists for nearly 150 years to deliver safe

  • Miracle baby joins McGuire family

    A family here witnessed a miracle recently when their baby was born 16 weeks early.Mayra Morales, the wife of Staff Sgt. Freddie Morales Fernandez, gave birth to Ariam Marie Morales at a hospital in nearby Camden.Sergeant Morales Fernandez, a 305th Civil Engineer Squadron electrical systems

  • Some gifts cannot be wrapped

    An Air Force Space Command headquarters Airman helped save his brother-in-law’s life here.Maj. Dave Holz, a plans and programs officer, gave a Christmas present that did not need wrapping. Rich Borsuk, Major Holz’s brother-in-law, was diagnosed with type-one diabetes 25 years ago as a 6-year-old

  • Airman’s hobby goes to the dogs

    The barking is deafening, but there is no perpetrator lurking around the property or a violent storm on the way. There is only a woman approaching the dog pen with a fistful of harnesses. The dogs know one thing, they are going to run. Senior Airman Mary Lunde, with the 5th Munitions Squadron, is a

  • Scams target tsunami donors

    The tsunamis that hit South Asia are being hailed as the worst natural disaster in this century. With death tolls topping 200,000 and countless people injured, our brethren in Asia are in need of relief -- shelter, food, clothing and other necessities. Americans opening their purse strings to

  • CMSAF: Our airlift is what makes us a global power

    Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Gerald R. Murray highlighted the Air Force’s airlift mission during a three-day visit here Jan. 12.“We could not do what we do in the United States military and as a nation without our great airlifters,” Chief Murray said. “Our airlift is what makes us a global

  • Super Bowl broadcast plans under way for deployed troops

    Are you ready for some football? Troops deployed in combat zones will see the Super Bowl live on the American Forces Network on Feb. 6.In fact, one of the questions Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld got during a news conference in Kuwait was whether troops would see the Super Bowl."American

  • Fairchild tests environmental cleanup process

    The base here encompasses 536,028 acres, all of which the Air Force is mandated by federal law to protect and conserve through effective environmental planning and management.As part of this effort, there is a one-acre site where 1,130 hybrid poplar trees were planted; a drip irrigation system was

  • Service demographics offer snapshot of force

    Air Force Personnel Center officials here recently published the quarterly demographics report offering a snapshot of the service's active-duty and civilian force, as of Dec. 31.More information can be found online at www.afpc.randolph.af.mil/demographics/. Statistics rounded to the nearest tenth.

  • Airman returns nearly $5,000 to wallet owner

    Airmen here continue to be good neighbors including one who recently returned a wallet he found in the snow.Airman 1st Class Robert Humphus, of the 28th Civil Engineer Squadron’s explosive ordnance disposal flight, was on his way to his first delivery for the local Meals on Wheels program when he

  • OSI -- putting the pieces together

    Many people know the Air Force Office of Special Investigations as the Air Force’s felony-level investigative service that uncovers crimes and fraud.However, there is a side of OSI that most people do not know about, at least until they deploy.“Our primary mission, both at home and deployed, is

  • Tsunami preparedness part of Civil Air Patrol training

    The idea of tsunami preparedness is nothing new for Civil Air Patrol members in Hawaii. In the aftermath of the recent tsunamis in South Asia, CAP's Hawaii Wing has scheduled additional exercises to supplement its usual tsunami preparedness training, officials said. "Our wing works extensively with

  • Track, field records fall at Air Force All-Comers Meet

    The Air Force track and field team opened the 2005 season with an impressive showing at the All-Comers Meet here Jan. 15. The Falcons picked up seven first-place finishes in their season debut, including a win from Olivia Korte, who set a new academy weight throw record in the process.On the men’s

  • Four Airmen vie for GEICO awards

    Four Airmen have been chosen to represent the Air Force to compete for the 2004 Government Employee Insurance Company Military Service Awards.Their records will compete against other servicemembers in three categories: drug and alcohol abuse prevention, fire prevention and safety, and traffic safety

  • Fate reunites key players in 33-year education odyssey

    Don Jenrette was an Air Force one-striper working on the back of a mail truck here in the pre-e-mail days of 1971. He said he suspected that his life, while interesting, held more promise than running eight to 10 daily mail routes peppered with stacks of “Holey Joes.”His suspicions were confirmed

  • AF nominates combined test force for Collier Trophy

    Air Force officials nominated the Global Reach Combined Test Force here for the National Aeronautic Association’s 2004 Robert J. Collier Trophy.Task force workers were cited for accomplishing test projects that increased aircraft performance, safety and efficiency, said Lt. Col. Kelly Latimer,

  • Air Force charity ball set for March 12

    The Air Force’s official charity ball returns in 2005 after the 2004 event raised more than $240,000 for the Air Force Aid Society.The ball is set for March 12 at Bolling Air Force Base, D.C. The committee stops taking reservations Feb. 4.“We’re well on our way to doing even better than last year,”

  • General Jumper qualifies in F/A-22 Raptor

    Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper ended two weeks of training here Jan. 12, flying his qualification flight in the F/A-22 Raptor, the Air Force’s newest fighter aircraft.“I’ve been involved with the Raptor program for years, in one way or another,” General Jumper said. “Now, to be able

  • Airborne security flight reaches across ‘high frontier’

    It was enough to make a person nauseous. The UH-1N Huey tested the limits of both the aircraft and the defenders it carried as it turned nearly on its side circling the missile launch facility.With their cast-iron stomachs, the security forces Airmen glared out the aircraft’s windows to conduct an

  • Airman moonlights as CAP officer

    During the week Jillian Smith is called “airman first class”; on the weekends it is “lieutenant.” Why the change? The 27th Intelligence Support Squadron communications troop splits her time between the Air Force and the Virginia Wing of the U.S. Air Force Auxiliary Civil Air Patrol. A nonprofit

  • Commissioning program available for active-duty Airmen

    In 2001, Second Lt. Christiane Makela was one step away from leaving the Air Force. At the time, she was a staff sergeant assigned to the 56th Civil Engineer Squadron at Luke Air Force Base, Ariz.She changed her mind and traded her stripes for gold lieutenant bars via the Airman Education and

  • 'Scholarships for Military Children' application deadline nears

    The deadline to apply for $1,500 scholarships from the Scholarships for Military Children program is Feb. 16, and applications must be delivered to a Defense Commissary Agency store by then.At least one scholarship will be awarded at every commissary location with qualified applicants, agency

  • Deployed troops send relief to Southeast Asia survivors

    Deployed troops at a forward-deployed location here combined forces to send relief items to victims of the tsunamis that swept through Southeast Asia on Dec. 26. Several base agencies worked hand-in-hand with host-nation organizations to provide much-needed clothes, sanitation items and food to Sri

  • Instruction clarifies enlisted Airmen’s roles, responsibilities

    Air Force officials further clarified and standardized the roles, responsibilities and duty titles of its enlisted Airmen with the latest version of Air Force Instruction 36-2618, The Enlisted Force Structure.The 19-page document, certified by Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Gerald R. Murray,

  • New year brings new missions for Air Force Reserve

    This year, citizen Airmen will see some new missions headed their way as they continue their efforts to fight and support the war against terrorism.Responding to the active-duty needs, reservists will take part in Future Total Force initiatives that will test new organizational constructs to

  • Campaign brings hope to Airmen

    A new initiative by the Air Force chaplain’s office aims to bring to Airmen something that cannot be issued -- hope.Air Force chaplain service officials kicked off a year-long and service-wide "Campaign of Hope" Jan. 3, said Chaplain (Col.) Bob Page, of the chaplain’s office. The campaign started

  • C-130J software upgrades get final adjustment

    October through December was a critical time for the C-130J Hercules' Block 5.4 upgrade, as testers here determined the final adjustments needed to bring this software improvement to the operational fleet.Currently, the C-130J has certain operational limitations, but the upgrade was designed to

  • Course changes enhance enlisted professionals

    Air Force officials recently standardized enlisted professional enhancement courses and changed the supervisory structure for career assistance advisers and First Term Airman’s Center course managers. These changes enhance enlisted professionals by linking formal training, education and on-the-job

  • Contract controllers vital link between airport, deployed base

    Civilian contractors play a vital role in keeping the sky safe here. The Air Force Contingency Augmentation Program Air Traffic Control liaison contractors serve as a link between the Manas International Airport and the base.“We are a conduit between the base and the airport authorities for

  • 'America Supports You' links American public with the troops

    Department of Defense officials launched a nationwide program, America Supports You, and Web site to showcase the many activities taking place across the nation in support of the troops. The Web site, which highlights organizations and individuals coordinating local and national support efforts,

  • Raptors cleared to fly again

    Air Force officials cleared the F/A-22 Raptor to resume flight operations Jan. 6 following a comprehensive review of procedural and engineering data.One of the aircraft crashed Dec. 20 at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., which caused a temporary halt to flying the most technologically advanced fighter

  • DOD implements new sexual-assault prevention policy

    Defense Department officials here Jan. 4 announced sweeping changes in how the military handles sexual assaults, with uniform policies and procedures that apply to all servicemembers, wherever they are at home station or deployed.Dr. David S.C. Chu, undersecretary of defense for personnel and

  • Air Force selects 35 for test pilot training

    A board has selected 35 officers to take part in the Air Force’s test pilot program. The board met at the Air Force Personnel Center here in November. Most of those selected will attend the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. Two will attend the U.S. Navy Test Pilot

  • AFRL scientist receives national recognition

    A research scientist and engineer at the Air Force Research Laboratory’s sensors directorate here has been selected for two national awards.Dr. Stanley Rogers has been selected for the 2005 Black Engineer of the Year award for career achievement in government and the 2005 National Society of Black

  • 'Andro' supplement off limits in new year

    Airmen who take androstenedione to increase muscle mass will soon have to ditch the supplement and just do extra repetitions at the gym.Under a new law that takes effect Jan. 20, the prohormone androstenedione will be classified as a Schedule III controlled substance. Schedule III substances are

  • Airmen continue to deliver relief supplies in devastated Thailand

    As the calendar turned a new year, the aid delivered by Airmen of the 353rd Special Operations Group to communities on Thailand’s southwest coast approached 100 tons.Four MC-130s and 100 Airmen from the group continue to pump vital relief supplies into strategic cities located along the devastated

  • Now showing: Jan. 3 edition of AFTV News

    The Jan. 3 edition of Air Force Television News is a special production of the program dedicated to the Airmen involved in Operation Enduring Freedom. Produced and coanchored by Tech. Sgts. Pachari Lutke and Joy Josephson, the program examines the continuing role of the Air Force in that

  • Four earn Sijan award

    Four Airmen are being recognized with the service’s Lance P. Sijan Air Force Leadership Award:The Sijan award annually recognizes a senior and junior officer and a senior and junior enlisted person who demonstrates outstanding leadership abilities while assigned to organizations at the wing level or

  • More Airmen eligible for Air Force Recognition Ribbon

    More Airmen can wear the Air Force Recognition Ribbon for winning service-level competitions and awards.A recent change to an Air Force instruction allows members of small teams participating in events such as security forces' Defender Challenge, Air Mobility Command Rodeo or the William Tell

  • Thule Airmen bring Julemand to children

    Airmen from here shared some Christmas cheer during a gift exchange with about 260 children in Qaanaaq, a city roughly 75 miles from here.The Airmen raised almost $15,000 for Operation Julemand, an annual base fundraiser named after the Danish word for Santa Claus.“We’re proud to be partners with

  • Troop, base realignments pressure exchanges to change

    Projected negative economic impact accompanying future realignment of U.S. forces in Europe and elsewhere to stateside bases is a key reason the military's exchange system needs to become more efficient, a senior Department of Defense official looking into these issues said.As part of

  • Defense Department expands flu vaccine program

    Department of Defense officials are expanding the flu vaccination program to include people as young as age 50 and those in close contact with those at high risk of getting the flu, the Pentagon's top doctor said Dec. 22. The military medical system has enough flu vaccine on hand to expand the

  • Malmstrom Airman gives gift of life

    Although separated by thousands of miles, an Airman here and a special little girl have a common bond.First Lt. Janelle Rust, a 12th Missile Squadron missile officer, signed up for the Department of Defense Bone Marrow Donor Program while at Officer Training School at Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.

  • ‘Good thing’ when nothing happens

    When nothing happens, it is a good thing, said Capt. Mark Martin, 386th Expeditionary Security Forces chief of anti-terrorism and force protection at a forward-deployed location.Captain Martin is not referring to the day-to-day activities. Or rather, he is, in regards to base security.With more

  • ‘Silver Lobos’ fly into retirement

    The Air Force’s last operational F-4 Phantom II squadron held its inactivation ceremony here Dec. 20.The inactivation of the 20th Fighter Squadron, known as the Silver Lobos, also signifies the end of a 33-year German-American joint fighter training program in the decades-old F-4E and F aircraft.

  • Wrestlers grapple for troops in Iraq

    Thousands of servicemembers in Iraq got up close and personal with professional wrestlers from World Wrestling Entertainment, and the rest of the world will get a chance to watch.The entertainment group’s weekly “Smackdown” program will air Dec. 23 on UPN, featuring matches conducted Dec. 18 at Camp

  • Crash leads to investigation, Raptor safety stand down

    Commanders of units flying the F/A-22 Raptor called for a safety stand down of the fleet following a crash Dec. 20 at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev.The pilot ejected safely and suffered no serious injuries.The aircraft, assigned to the 422nd Test and Evaluation Squadron at Nellis, crashed on takeoff

  • Blood transfer center essential to mission

    Six Airmen deployed to an air base here are the lifeline of Operation Iraqi Freedom -- literally and figuratively. For them, receiving, monitoring and shipping blood products is a sobering, but motivating responsibility.“People’s lives depend on the accuracy of our job performance,” said Staff Sgt.

  • Portal allows Airmen to chat with friends, family

    Airmen at home station or a deployed location can now send instant messages to their friends or loved ones whenever they have access to the Internet. The Air Force recently implemented the "Friends and Family Instant Messenger" program, available through the Air Force Portal. Now, besides using

  • ‘Mothership’ retires

    NASA's B-52B Stratofortress "mothership" air-launch aircraft has retired after nearly 50 years of dropping advanced research vehicles.Officials at the Air Force Flight Test Center and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s Dryden Flight Research Center here held a retirement ceremony

  • Now showing: Dec. 20 edition of AFTV News

    This edition of Air Force Television News is a special program examining the past, present and future of unmanned aerial vehicles in the Air Force. The first of two holiday specials offered by Air Force Electronic News, the program is produced by Staff Sgt. Michael Noel.In the first segment of the

  • Elmendorf squadron takes holiday cheer north

    As Santa Claus prepares for his big trip from the North Pole, he took some time out to make a special trip with the 517th Airlift Squadron "Firebirds" here to deliver Christmas presents and supplies to an Athabascan village in northern Alaska -- a tradition that's been around for 37 years.In 1967,

  • Pentagon, eight bases test new civilian personnel system

    Defense Department officials announced Dec. 15 that elements of the Air Force headquarters and eight bases will be in the initial implementation of the National Security Personnel System. The eight bases are: Eglin Air Force Base, Fla.; Ellsworth AFB, S.D.; Lackland AFB, Texas; March Air Reserve

  • Labor Department grants aid veteran job placement

    More than 1,600 veterans will be placed in new jobs, thanks to $3.78 million in Labor Department grants awarded Dec. 14.Another 600 veterans are expected to receive employment and training services as a result of these grants, which are awarded under the Workforce Investment Act, officials said."The

  • Medical outprocessing goes digital

    A new computer-based health assessment system will help Airmen returning from deployments get back to their families more quickly. The U.S. Central Command Air Forces surgeon general recently started using the computer based post-deployment health assessments theaterwide.The assessment is now a

  • Officials announce 2005 housing allowance rates

    Department of Defense officials released the 2005 Basic Allowance for Housing rates Dec. 15, continuing to reduce servicemembers’ out-of-pocket housing costs. Three main components are included in computing the allowance: median current market rent, average cost for utilities and average renter's

  • Vandenberg activates interceptor missile

    Missile defense is likened to hitting a bullet with a bullet. Using that analogy, the Air Force now has a round in the chamber.Officials from the 30th Space Wing here and the Missile Defense Agency positioned the first ground-based interceptor missile in an underground launch facility here Dec. 10,

  • JAG Corps offers accessions programs

    The Air Force's Judge Advocate General Corps gives company-grade officers two opportunities during January through March to join their ranks. The programs, the Funded Legal Education Program and the Excess Leave Program, allow active-duty officers to pursue law degrees without leaving the Air Force

  • Airborne Laser conducts extended flight test

    YAL-1A, the Airborne Laser aircraft, flew for 2 hours and 31 minutes here Dec. 9. The flight was part of a continuing series to re-establish airworthiness, a requirement since the aircraft has been out of service for almost two years for modifications and installation of the laser’s complex beam

  • Air Force makes a stable move

    It is the only one of its kind left, a physical testament to sacrifices made by the greatest generation of our nation. It is a piece of history forever linking future generations of Americans to an era unlike any other in history. It is a priceless artifact of World War II.It is a horse stable.“It

  • Deployed Marine teaches Airmen martial arts

    Physically, Marine Sgt. Luis Mercado stands a modest 5-feet-7-inches tall and weighs only 150 pounds. But he barks orders and works his students as though he were King Kong himself.“I want to share my knowledge,” the martial arts instructor said. “There’s no point in keeping it to myself.”Sergeant

  • Initiative to help injured troops gets startup funding

    Department of Defense officials have startup funding for a new initiative for servicemembers injured in the war on terrorism, a senior official said here Dec. 7."We're looking at possibilities for internships and other types of trial employment," John M. Molino, the acting deputy undersecretary for

  • Airmen add ‘information armor’ to Iraq convoys

    When a convoy heads out on the roads of Iraq, it can be a life or death mission. Faced with violent threats from insurgents, the troops are armed and ready. But in this hostile environment, a “protective posture” requires more than mere Kevlar. Airmen of the 90th Information Operations Squadron

  • Deployed Airmen get online holiday voice greetings

    Deployed Airmen can now receive holiday-season voice greetings from family and friends via the Internet.Offered through the Air Force Crossroads Web site and the Air Force’s GIMail service, the program allows friends and family members of deployed Airmen to pick up a telephone, dial a toll-free

  • White House Fellows Program seeks applicants

    Air Force officials are encouraging Airmen to apply for the White House Fellows Program. Applicants must obtain written endorsement and authorization from their commanders.Founded in 1964, the program is one of America's most prestigious for leadership and public service, officials said. It

  • TSP begins catch-up contributions enrollment for 2005

    Air Force Personnel Center's benefits and entitlements service team automated systems will be available for 2005 Thrift Savings Plan catch-up contribution enrollments beginning Dec. 12."TSP catch-up contributions are additional tax-deferred contributions, separate from (regular) contributions," said

  • DOD, Armed Services YMCA sign support agreement

    An organization that began supporting the military during the American Civil War will continue to do so under an agreement signed Dec. 7 at the Pentagon.Armed Services YMCA officials began serving servicemembers and their families in 1861. Now, for the first time, the relationship between the

  • Airmen teach English to South Korean children

    Airmen from here are traveling to Suwon City to help teach English to students at an elementary school.Since August, 25 Airmen assigned to the 51st Medical Group have taught English at the school the first Saturday of every month.The volunteer work got the attention of the city’s mayor, Kim Young

  • Financial impact of force shaping lessened

    Airmen transitioning to the Air Force Reserve through Palace Chase or to the Army through Blue to Green force-shaping initiatives now face a lighter economic impact.Airmen will no longer have to pay education costs or unearned portions of enlistment bonuses if they applied for separation after Dec.

  • Officials release academy sexual-assault IG reports

    Defense Department and Air Force officials released findings of two inspector general investigation reports on sexual assault at the U.S. Air Force Academy.The findings were presented at a Pentagon press briefing Dec. 7 by the deputy undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness, Dr. David

  • 668 Airmen face involuntary retraining

    Although many Airmen have already volunteered to change career fields or separate under the initial phase of the Air Force's fiscal 2005 noncommissioned officer retraining program, 668 other active-duty Airmen face involuntary retraining.In Phase I of the program, Air Force officials notified more

  • Air Force news subscriptions top 100,000

    For the first time since Air Force Link, the Air Force’s official Web site, was introduced nearly 10 years ago, the number of subscribers to its electronic news and information products has exceeded 100,000.The growth is attributed to the Web site’s continuing popularity, combined with an

  • Now showing: Dec. 6 edition of AFTV News

    Two inspirational stories headline the latest edition of Air Force Television News. In the first, Staff Sgt. John Anderson profiles the story of Lt. Col. Andrew Lourake, a pilot whose flying career seemed doomed after his leg was amputated. Instead, through hard work and rehabilitation, Colonel

  • Shoplifting -- not worth it

    Shoplifting is a crime that could cost a servicemember his or her career and a whole lot of money, too."Whatever excuses people come up with to justify their actions, the fact remains that none of them are good enough reasons to risk a career over," said Steve Bass, Army and Air Force Exchange

  • Fighter pilot film about teamwork, thrill of flight

    Civilians and Airmen alike can get breathtaking insight into parts of the Air Force they may not have seen before. The IMAX film "Fighter Pilot: Operation Red Flag," premiered Dec. 2 at the National Air and Space Museum here. Filmgoers got an inside look at one of the Air Force's largest training

  • CE mapping goes digital with click of button

    Airmen of the 8th Civil Engineer Squadron here are giving new meaning to the term “situational awareness” by mapping the entire base in a digital format. The effort is part of an Air Force-wide program known as GeoBase.The program uses a “smart map,” said Maj. Dave McClure, 8th CES deputy

  • Operation Dear Abby uses e-mail

    In 1967, a servicemember wrote advice columnist "Dear Abby" requesting "just a letter from home" for deployed troops serving during the Vietnam War.The famous columnist, known by her pseudonym, Abigail Van Buren, responded, and the Operation Dear Abby mail program was born. Through the ensuing

  • New satellite terminal provides real-time intelligence

    A new satellite communications system is now operational that will help provide warfighters timely intelligence from U-2 Dragon Lady reconnaissance flights.Officials with the 480th Intelligence Wing here brought the Transportable Medium Earth Terminal II satellite communications system online Nov.

  • Officials announce Future Total Force initiatives

    Air Force officials plan to tap into the inherent strength and experience of all three Air Force components to increase overall combat capability.They announced six test initiatives Dec. 1 that fall under the Future Total Force plan that puts Airmen from active-duty, Air National Guard and Air Force

  • ‘Cable Dawgs’ keep Kirkuk connected

    Many people take for granted the luxury of having a dial tone when they pick up the phone, and e-mail when they turn on their computer, but there is a special group of Airmen working behind the scenes here to make it happen.The “Cable Dawgs,” as Airmen of the 506th Expeditionary Communications

  • CMSAF shares insight on fitness

    Almost a year into the Air Force’s new fitness program, the service’s senior enlisted Airman said he is happy with some things, but said the program is “not where it needs to be yet.”“(Air Force chief of staff Gen. John P. Jumper and I) are pleased, but we’re not so naïve to think you can change a

  • Air Guard retraces first flight to South Pole

    Their route was the same, but the crew of Skier 94 did not expect any of the hat tossing and hurrahs that greeted Navy Rear Adm. Richard E. Byrd and his flight crew 75 years ago.That is the difference between being the first plane ever to reach the South Pole and the fourth plane of the day.The

  • ‘Lean’ team lauded for manufacturing-technology advances

    The sixth annual Defense Manufacturing Technology Achievement Award was presented Nov. 30 at the Defense Manufacturing Conference in Las Vegas.John B. Todaro, director of the Department of Defense's technology transition office, presented the award to the Air Force's lean depot repair initiative.

  • Flag-flying donations warm American hearts, Afghan feet

    The excitement in the eyes of the Afghan children was mirrored on the faces of two American civilians as a truck carrying bags full of winter shoes backed into an orphanage courtyard recently. Donations received from the 455th Air Expeditionary Wing’s flag-flying program ensured that more than 300

  • Afghanistan-based Airmen revive adopt-a-village program

    Afghan children and adults swarmed Airmen bearing gifts recently, marking the revival of Bagram Air Base’s adopt-a-village program.To create more room for the almost daily arrival of clothing, toy and school supply donations from people worldwide, the program restarted with three distribution

  • New EEO process optimizes complaint resolution

    Air Force officials recently implemented a more streamlined process to help civilians resolve discrimination issues in their workplace.The new process, called the “compressed orderly rapid equitable” process, became available to civilians Oct. 1. The process is expected to greatly expedite