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  • Deployed reservists help charities in Kyrgyzstan

    Air Force reservists from here deployed to Manas Air Base, Kyrgyzstan, are supporting combat operations in Afghanistan. They also are helping to make life better for people near there.Airmen of Air Force Reserve Command’s 908th Airlift Wing arrived at the old Soviet airfield in early December to

  • Guardian Challenge champions announced

    The scores are in. Teams from 21st Space Wing, 91st SW and 45th SW garnered top honors at Air Force Space Command's Guardian Challenge 2004.Trophies were presented to AFSPC's top space and missile warriors during a ceremony here May 6.The 21st SW at Peterson Air Force Base, Colo., earned the

  • 2003 B-1B records become official

    Records set by a B-1B Lancer here during the 2003 Open House and Air Show were officially certified April 30 by the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale in Switzerland.In two flights Oct. 25 and 26, the B-1B set 45 world records and broke five previously set records in the National Aeronautic

  • Official: AF nurses provide key support in OEF, OIF

    Air Force nurses have provided tremendous support in operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom, treating more than 200,000 patients throughout Southwest Asia, Maj. Gen. Barbara C. Brannon told the Senate Appropriations Committee's subcommittee on defense April 28.General Brannon, the Air Force’s

  • Air Guard firefighters stand down

    The Air National Guard's 146th Airlift Wing was released from aerial firefighting duty May 5. Improving weather conditions aided forestry and fire protection agencies in making strong gains against Southern California wildfires.Two C-130 Hercules aircraft equipped for aerial firefighting helped

  • 1st Air Force looks inward to keep America safe

    It was the day the screens went black. Sept. 11, 2001, was the day that breathed life into what some considered a “sunset mission.” It was the day when everything changed. In the hours before the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington, 1st Air Force and the Continental United States North

  • Air National Guard unit fights wildfires

    California Air National Guardsmen from the 146th Airlift Wing launched aircraft outfitted for aerial firefighting May 5 to aid in the fight against Southern California wildfires.The wing's first missions of the day were flown against Santa Barbara County's Cachuma fire.The Ventura County-based

  • Maintainers target wiring problems

    Maintainers from the 4th Component Maintenance Squadron here have created a process that could potentially change the way the Air Force troubleshoots electronic systems.They combined one-of-a-kind commercial hardware with locally written software programs to locate wiring problems within three

  • MacDill teams compete in Tampa's first dragon boat race

    Skinny, colorfully painted dragon boats swiftly paddled through Tampa's downtown Garrison Channel on May 1 during their Asia Fest. The boats, including one from the base here, competed in Tampa's first Dragon Boat Race.The MacDill team, composed of people from various base organizations, finished

  • History Channel features Predator on ‘Mail Call’

    The History Channel show “Mail Call” will feature a segment on the MQ-1 Predator Unmanned Aerial Vehicle on May 9.“Mail Call” is a weekly series that answers viewer’s questions about technology, weapons and equipment used throughout history by the armed forces. A production crew visited nearby

  • Presence policy helps define expeditionary force

    The secretary of the Air Force recently signed a policy clearly defining the structure and role of the air and space expeditionary force within the joint warfare environment. The Air and Space Expeditionary Force Presence Policy, among other things, defines AEF, outlines its command structure and

  • Air Force begins Raptor operational tests

    Operational testing on the F/A-22 Raptor began April 29 when the first two-ship sortie was flown and tested by members of the F/A-22 Combined Test Force here.After the operational testing is complete, a report will provide senior leaders with the information needed to approve the Raptor for

  • Academy trains with new incident response system

    Emergency responders here were introduced to the new national incident management system that was signed into federal law March 1.The new program outlines the National Response Plan all federal, state and local emergency responders must adhere to by end of 2004 when responding to an incident

  • Officials name manpower, organization winners

    Officials have named the winners of the 2003 Air Force Manpower and Organization awards. They are:-- Headquarters-Level Field Grade Officer of the Year: Lt. Col. Timothy Clary from the Air Force manpower requirements determination squadron here.-- Headquarters-Level Company Grade Officer of the

  • Communications director prepares to leave Air Force

    When William C. Bodie leaves his job as director of communications to begin work for the private sector, he will do so with an elevated appreciation for the Air Force and the challenges it faces daily.In return, the Air Force comes away with a level of strategic communications capability that many

  • Idaho Air Guard helps test new stackable cargo pallets

    As part of an ongoing Air Expeditionary Force Battlelab initiative, a team tested a new bilevel aircraft loading system aboard an Idaho Air National Guard C-130 Hercules here April 22.People from the battlelab, a think tank for new and innovative ideas based at Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho,

  • Pope C-130s supply beans, bullets to war on terror

    They like to think of themselves as the "18-wheeler trucks" that supply the front lines in the war on terrorism. C-130 Hercules aircraft crews from the 2nd and 41st Airlift Squadrons at Pope Air Force Base, N.C., deliver food, ammunition and servicemembers throughout Southwest Asia. Unlike larger

  • 'M' for mobility: Air Force introduces new AFSC

    The Air Force will introduce new Air Force specialty codes for mobility pilots and navigators May 1.The new codes will replace the airlift "A" and tanker "T" with the new "M," said Col. John Clatanoff, chief of Air Mobility Command’s operations and training division. All airlift and tanker pilots

  • Medevac squadron proves it’s 'always ready'

    The 86th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron lived up to its motto, “always ready,” April 19 as a routine C-130 Hercules channel mission to Pristina, Kosovo, turned into a life-saving assignment. An hour before takeoff, Maj. Chuck Wheeler, 86th AES training flight commander, learned there would be a

  • Officials working to speed military mail system

    Acknowledging that problems persist in the military mail system, Defense Department officials said they are taking steps to improve the process.A report in April by the General Accounting Office, which oversees government agencies and spending, said long-standing problems with military mail delivery

  • Space, missile competition set to launch

    The 30th Space Wing here will hold Guardian Challenge 2004, the largest test of space and missile warfighting skills outside of real-world operations, May 2 to 7.Nearly 200 competitors from around Air Force Space Command will test their mettle here in the Air Force’s only space and missile

  • Yokota provides typhoon relief to island of Yap

    The island of Yap in Micronesia was devastated by Typhoon Sudal on April 10. The typhoon had wind speeds up to 125 mph for six to 10 hours, knocking out the island’s power, communications and infrastructure.Two C-130 Hercules aircraft, four aircrews and six crew chiefs returned here April 16 after

  • XC-99 begins piece-by-piece trip to Air Force Museum

    Several parts of a historic XC-99 aircraft located at the Kelly Annex to Lackland were hauled to the Air Force Museum near Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, recently. A C-5 Galaxy from the 433rd Airlift Wing here hauled the initial load of the three-phase dismantling project.Disassembling began

  • Tanker aircraft delivers 1 billionth pound of fuel

    If you were to count from one to 1 billion it would take about 95 years. It took a little over a year for U.S. Central Command’s Combined Force Air Component Command-controlled tanker airlift to deliver 1 billion pounds of jet fuel. A KC-135 Stratotanker delivered 84,000 pounds of fuel to three

  • Wearable computers move to flightline

    Maintenance is about to change because of new tools maintainers will have at their disposal.Through a pilot program at the 116th Air Control Wing here, 116th Maintenance Group workers are beginning to integrate a new wearable computer, which can be used across the maintenance spectrum.The small

  • Reserve C-130 crews critical to front-line fighters

    While many people here are at the end of their average workday, eagerly anticipating working out, eating dinner or catching a movie before turning in for the night, Maj. James Hayes’ duty day is just beginning.At 4:30 p.m., the telephone rings, alerting the 777th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron pilot

  • Organ donation gives woman life, hope

    The gift of life through organ donations took on a new meaning five years ago for a senior noncommissioned officer here.Master Sgt. Jan Cutrona, a 56th Fighter Wing information manager, was prepared for the worst after her sister’s heart was attacked by a virus in February 1999.Sergeant Cutrona’s

  • JEFX 04 Spiral 2 showcases future of air battle management

    Responding quickly to lessons learned in operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom, the Joint Expeditionary Force Experiment 04 showcased the future of air battle management command and control. The experiment, the Air Force’s primary venue for innovative command and control technology and

  • Colonel reflects on attempted rescue mission

    It was Thanksgiving weekend in 1979 when then-Capt. Michael Sumida received an unusual call on a day off summoning him to the squadron from the comfort of his home.Captain Sumida was a C-130 Hercules navigator with the 1st Special Operations Squadron at Kadena Air Base, Japan. He said he had not

  • Secretary Roche visits Manas Air Base

    Airmen of the 376th Air Expeditionary Wing welcomed Secretary of the Air Force Dr. James G. Roche for his inaugural visit here April 14 to 16. Manas is the primary strategic airlift hub for operations in and around Afghanistan and provides tactical-airlift and aerial-refueling support for Operation

  • Roche visits Bagram

    Damp, drizzly weather greeted Secretary of the Air Force Dr. James G. Roche when he visited Camp Cunningham and men and women of the 455th Expeditionary Operations Group here April 16. But the conditions did not dampen the spirits of the hundreds of Airmen and civilians who enthusiastically turned

  • Nurses keep up heartbeat of 379th AEW

    In stark contrast to the white sheets of the hospital bed and a patient in a light blue paper gown, a nurse in a brown and tan desert camouflage uniform checks the patient’s vital signs on the nurse’s ward.In lieu of the clinically white uniform, the seven-person nursing team wears combat boots and

  • Edwards test team fires F-16's first AIM-9X Sidewinder

    A test team from the Global Power Fighters Combined Test Force fired the newest variant of the AIM-9 Sidewinder, the X variant, for the first time from an F-16 Fighting Falcon here April 9.The Sidewinder is a supersonic, heat-seeking, air-to-air missile carried by fighter aircraft. Before this, the

  • Airmen respond to motorcycle accident

    A busload of Airmen from here were on their way to an observance honoring prisoners of war and servicemembers missing in action. They had no idea they would be the first people on the scene at a motorcycle crash April 9.The bus was en route to nearby North Little Rock but stopped along the highway

  • Pope families welcome loved ones home

    Balloons, hand-painted "welcome home" signs, ear-to-ear smiles and a few tears greeted Airmen and a small group of Soldiers who returned here April 14 following deployments in Southwest Asia."It's great to have them back," said Lt. Gen. William Welser III, commander of 18th Air Force at Scott Air

  • Enlisted aviators put 'chevrons' in the sky

    Between 1912 and 1942, nearly 3,000 enlisted men of the Signal Corps, Air Service and the Army Air Forces became enlisted pilots. In fact, enlisted men piloted many of the aircraft flown in the Allied invasion of North Africa in 1942.Although the Flight Officer Act in 1942 ended the enlisted pilot

  • Librarians encourage people to turn off TVs, pick up book

    As National Library Week kicks off April 18, Air Force librarians are encouraging people to visit their base library for a refreshing change from another night of channel surfing. Libraries throughout the Air Force offer many programs for active-duty Airmen, retirees, spouses and children. Some

  • Rescue team integral to contingency operations

    Imagine riding along outside the safety of a base and suddenly a rocket-propelled grenade blows a hole in the ground next to a Humvee in your convoy. The blast causes the vehicle to crash and flip upside down. One of your drivers is stuck under the wreckage; you have no equipment to help get him

  • Foundation seeking inputs for Air Force memorial

    Air Force Memorial Foundation officials are seeking ideas for inscriptions to be placed at the new memorial site.The official groundbreaking will take place Sept. 15 at the memorial site, just southwest of the Pentagon. The focal point of the Air Force memorial will be a 270-foot monument featuring

  • Readiness system saves time, money

    Robins is the test site for a new Web-based readiness system estimated to save the Air Force $79 million over the next five years. The system, called the deployment readiness service, will improve tracking and reduce the time and effort to keep people ready for deployments. It gives people access to

  • Sergeant's nightly movies benefit deployed Airmen

    When the sun sets on Camp Cunningham, the outdoor break area and meeting place known as the “Pradotorium” begins to buzz with a little more activity than it does during the day.This wooden deck area, similar to one that might be built in someone’s backyard, sits adjacent to the 455th Expeditionary

  • Officials announce 2004 Hennessy Trophy winners

    Air Force Services Agency officials announced the winners of the 2004 Hennessy Trophy Awards.Scott Air Force Base, Ill., is the winner in the single-facility category, and Keesler AFB, Miss., is the winner in the multiple-facility category.The Air Force Reserve Command award winner is the 911th

  • Guard, Reserve leaders address Senate subcommittee

    Reserve component leaders from the Air Force, Army and Marine Corps met before a Senate subcommittee reviewing the fiscal 2005 military budget here April 7.The leaders discussed transformation goals and spending requirements. They also touched on issues such as deployments, stress on the force and

  • Leaders approve combat device for expeditionary ribbon

    Secretary of the Air Force Dr. James G. Roche and Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper have approved the addition of a gold border to the Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon to signify satisfactory participation in combat operations. "This gold border, signifying participation in combat

  • Airmen train in Italy

    Twenty-six Airmen from the 37th Airlift Squadron at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, participated in Exercise Leaning Tower here from March 29 to April 3. They trained on formation low-level flights, evasive maneuvers and airdrops using night-vision goggles. “This whole exercise was made possible

  • F/A-22 important to all Airmen

    To Air Force people who do not fly or maintain aircraft, the oft-repeated characteristics of the F/A-22 Raptor, “stealth, supercruise, agility, integrated avionics, and supportability” probably mean about as much as “independent front suspension” and “aluminum alloy heads” mean to someone who is not

  • Communications Airmen help Iraqis connect

    Airmen worked for two days rebuilding and improving the communications infrastructure at Baghdad International Airport.A team of 447th Air Expeditionary Group cable maintenance shop and telephone systems Airmen started a job April 3. “Basically we were asked to come out here and establish high-speed

  • USAFE members hone search, rescue skills

    A CH-47 Chinook helicopter is shot down and four survivors are stranded in a hostile location awaiting rescue. The scenario was part of a joint combat search and rescue exercise held here March 20 to April 2.Led by the 56th Rescue Squadron at Naval Air Station Keflavik, Iceland, the exercise

  • Flightline upgrades boost mission

    New upgrades to the flightline are boosting operational capabilities, helping Airmen accomplish the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing’s expanding role to provide intra-theatre airlift for deployed forces.The latest upgrades completed March 31 include a new 320,000-square-foot C-130 Hercules parking ramp.

  • Air Force wants new human-resources system

    In testimony before Congress on March 31, the Air Force chief information officer said the service would like to accelerate development of a new joint personnel system.Air Force Chief Information Officer John Gilligan told members of the House Armed Services Committee subcommittee on terrorism,

  • Cold War space approach must change

    Transformation across the armed forces is happening much faster than expected when the concept was announced two years ago, the Defense Department's director of force transformation told the Senate subcommittee on strategic forces."It's happening due in large part to the information and power

  • Compass Call crew details mission, OIF success stories

    At the onset of Operation Iraqi Freedom, dozens of Iraqi soldiers waited patiently near the al Faw Peninsula for instructions being transmitted from higher headquarters to blow up key oil fields there.The message never came.In its place, courtesy of the U.S. Air Force’s EC-130H “Compass Call”

  • Official urges balanced treatment for reserve components

    With Reserve and National Guard forces now critical elements in the war on terrorism, the Defense Department's senior reserve affairs adviser told a Senate subcommittee here March 31 that the country must do more to care for them and their families. Thomas F. Hall, assistant secretary of defense for

  • Weapons testing enters new era

    Engineers and technicians here ushered in a new weapons-testing era by dropping an inert, precision laser-guided bomb from an F-15E Strike Eagle that struck an offshore floating target 21 miles away.The test is the first in a program to build an offshore-scoring system on the Eglin Gulf Test Range,

  • Vital ‘phase’ of maintenance

    “Phase maintenance” are two words that may not mean a lot to someone who does not work on the aircraft maintenance or operations side of the Air Force.But spend a few minutes talking with the supervisor of the A-10 Thunderbolt II phase maintenance team that is deployed here from Davis-Monthan Air

  • AF officials testify regarding importance of space

    Air Force officials joined those from the U.S. Navy in congressional testimony March 25, speaking before a Senate Armed Services Committee’s subcommittee on strategic forces, about future plans for using space.Peter B. Teets, undersecretary of the Air Force and director of the National

  • Group reflects on OIF mission one year later

    March 27 holds special meaning for people of the 86th Contingency Response Group; it marks an accomplishment they made during Operation Iraqi Freedom.Last year on that day, 20 Airmen from the 86th CRG parachuted into northern Iraq along with more than 1,000 Soldiers from the 173rd Airborne Brigade

  • Airmen from European bases support special ops in Africa

    Airmen from bases throughout Europe are supporting special operations forces along the fringes of the Sahara Desert in the continuing war on terrorism.Currently, Soldiers assigned to the 1st Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne) in Stuttgart, Germany, are training African soldiers in Mali

  • April issue of Citizen Airman available online

    For the past 33-plus years, Lt. Gen. James E. Sherrard III has been contributing to the Air Force mission as a reservist, with the last five-plus years as the commander of Air Force Reserve Command and chief of Air Force Reserve. During that time, he has fought for better benefits and entitlements

  • C-17 crew wins Mackay Trophy

    One year after they led the biggest combat airdrop since Operation Just Cause in Panama in December 1989, five Airmen from McChord Air Force Base, Wash., are the winners of the National Aeronautic Association's Clarence Mackay Trophy for 2003.Lt. Col. Shane Hershman, from the 7th Airlift Squadron;

  • Joint Strike Fighter under attack on Capitol Hill

    A senior Air Force official told lawmakers March 25 that the service would not be interested in the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter if a technical glitch could not be overcome or if program funds were cut off.Lt. Gen. Ronald E. Keys, deputy chief of staff for air and space operations, bluntly told members

  • OSI agents help with historic drug seizure

    With less than one month on the job, a special agent with Detachment 311 of the Air Force Office of Special Investigations here answered a call from a Drug Enforcement Administration detective in Jacksonville, Fla. What he had to tell OSI agents ultimately culminated in the largest single narcotics

  • AFIT class includes first enlisted graduates

    Eight enlisted Airmen graduated from the Air Force Institute of Technology on March 23, marking one of the more historic achievements in the history of the service's enlisted force.Secretary of the Air Force Dr. James G. Roche, in delivering the graduation address to a crowd of more than 1,000

  • Airmen provide exercise tips to prevent pain

    Military hospitals have seen more injuries than usual since the Air Force adopted the new physical fitness test.The majority of these injuries could have been prevented with common sense and "listening to your body," said Maj. Chu Soh of the 374th Medical Operations Squadron’s physical therapy

  • AFIT graduates Class of 2004

    More than 200 scientists and engineers received graduate and doctoral degrees from the Air Force Institute of Technology.AFIT’s Graduate School of Engineering and Management held its 2004 graduation ceremony March 23 at the Air Force Museum. Secretary of the Air Force Dr. James G. Roche delivered

  • Close-air support variant of Joint Strike Fighter too heavy

    Early reports show that the Air Force’s next generation close-air support aircraft has a weight problem.Secretary of the Air Force Dr. James G. Roche told members of the Senate Committee on Appropriations subcommittee on defense the issue was predictable.“The (F-35 Joint Strike Fighter) has only

  • Base recalls teamwork following ramp horror

    A visit to Building 900 brings back a visual that retired Senior Master Sgt. Eric Truesdale said he has spent the last decade trying to forget.It was there March 23, 1994, that 24 Fort Bragg, N.C., Soldiers were killed, more than 100 were injured and countless other troops’ lives were changed in

  • First C-130J arrives for active duty

    The first C-130J Hercules assigned to an active-duty unit arrived here March 19.“We are proud to call Little Rock Air Force Base and central Arkansas home -- home of the United States Air Force’s first active-duty C-130J,” said Col. Joseph Reheiser, 314th Airlift Wing commander. “We look forward to

  • Luke expands forward air-control program

    Unconventional warfare can be defined as the absence of a clearly defined enemy and lacking classic lines of battle.Combining this definition with the rugged terrain of Afghanistan and Iraq, it is easy to see why commanders throughout the combat air forces are clamoring for forward air control

  • AWACS voice recognition may enhance accuracy

    The Airborne Warning and Control System program office is developing software that could make the mouse an endangered species on the E-3 Sentry. Voice-recognition software allows an air battle manager to control his or her radar screen by speaking to it, instead of using a traditional trackball or

  • CMSAF talks fitness, force shaping

    During a visit here March 15, the top enlisted Airman talked about fitness and force shaping. Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Gerald Murray explained there was no plan to use the new fitness assessment as a part of the Weighted Airmen Promotion System.“(Leaders have) talked about a possible

  • Leaders discuss future of unmanned aircraft

    With 10 different unmanned aerial vehicle systems flying over Iraq and Afghanistan, military leaders met with members of Congress to discuss the rapidly changing role of UAVs in military operations.Lt. Gen. Walter Buchanan III testified before the House Armed Services Committee subcommittee on

  • Air Force names top public affairs performers

    The secretary of the Air Force and the Air Force chief of staff have announced the following 2003 Air Force public affairs achievement award recipients.Winners of the Secretary of the Air Force Office of Public Affairs director’s excellence awards are:Major Command Category: The "Brig. Gen. Harry

  • Air Force announces media contest winners

    A panel of civilian journalists, teachers and public relations professionals selected the best in Air Force print and broadcast journalism for the 48th annual Air Force Media Contest. The winners were announced March 17. Master Sgt. Deborah Smith, from the Colorado National Guard headquarters

  • MH-60S helicopter load validated on C-17

    Officials here performed a load validation on a C-17 Globemaster III for the MH-60S Knight Hawk helicopter recently with the help of Navy specialists.This is the seventh helicopter model validated on a C-17. Airmen from Altus' 58th Airlift Squadron along with 21 people from the Navy loaded the Navy

  • Air Force's newest wing activates at Hurlburt

    The Air Force activated its newest wing during a ceremony here March 12.The former Air Force Command and Control Training and Innovation Group is now officially the 505th Command and Control Wing.Gen. Hal M. Hornburg, Air Combat Command commander, presided over the ceremony."This is a good deal,"

  • New machine makes materiel storage, retrieval easier

    A new mechanized cargo-handling machine here will make materiel storage and retrieval easier.The 60-ton Elevated Transfer Vehicle is a part of the Department of Defense Mechanized Materiel Handling System. The $11 million system, the largest in DOD, is being installed at the new air freight

  • U.S. Airmen deliver aid to Chad

    Answering an urgent request for assistance, units from Ramstein Air Base, Germany, responded with two C-130 Hercules aircraft in support of a European Command mission to deliver more than 19 tons of aid March 13 to Chad. The call for aid came after the Chadian army engaged in a heavy battle with a

  • Joint-range extension linking global network

    An Electronic Systems Center-developed product, now deployed in operational theaters worldwide, is linking information cells together into a global network to give warfighters broader communication ability.Joint-Range Extension is a hardware and software system that receives information transmitted

  • AMC central to historic troop rotation

    Department of Defense officials have challenged those from Air Mobility Command to play a central role in the Southwest Asia troop rotation by moving 250,000 people in 60 days. That roughly equates to the number of passengers who can sit in 720 wide-body commercial aircraft or the entire population

  • Murray talks rotations, uniforms, quality of life

    Retro was all the rage March 10 here as Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Gerald Murray met with enlisted Airmen here.Chief Murray, the Pacific Air Forces command chief before assuming his current job, addressed a standing-room-only crowd about several issues concerning the base, Pacific Air Forces

  • Target identification system nears completion

    By the end of the year, U.S. military forces will be able to pinpoint targets with equipment that is lighter and more compact, thanks to the Air Force Research Laboratory's Laser Integrated Target Identification System.For U.S. forces to pinpoint a military target now, they need eight separate

  • Air Force avoiding Draconian measures while shaping force

    The Air Force will try to avoid "adverse consequences" while reducing its end strength during the next few years. During testimony before the House Armed Services Committee subcommittee on total force, the Air Force's deputy chief of staff for personnel discussed the service's plans for force

  • Airlifters haul forces to Haiti

    On Feb. 29, President George W. Bush ordered U.S. Marines into the Republic of Haiti as the leading element of a multinational peacekeeping force sanctioned by the United Nations.Air Mobility Command aircraft were tapped to bring up to 2,000 Marines into Haiti's capital of Port-au-Prince, with 18th

  • Some personnel services become Web-only

    Starting March 15, Airmen will no longer have to stand in line to accomplish a personnel records review or several other common tasks.To make it easier for personnel customers, six different personnel services are now available only on the Web. Military personnel flight workers will point customers

  • Airmen return from deep freeze

    The last C-141 Starlifter from the 445th Airlift Wing returned March 4 from Christchurch, New Zealand, after completing its role in Operation Deep Freeze.Operation Deep Freeze flights support the National Science Foundation, which operates scientific stations in Antarctica to explore the origins of

  • Moseley: Airmen doing tremendous work

    During operations in Iraq, the Air Force experienced some of the highest mission-capable rates in recent history, said the service’s vice chief of staff.Gen. T. Michael Moseley spoke before a Senate Armed Service Committee subcommittee on readiness and management support March 9, directly crediting

  • Airmen deliver radio communications to servicemembers

    What do you get when you take the rim of an old tire, bolt wood into the lug nut openings, and secure an 11-foot fence pole to it? After attaching an 8-foot rod to the top of the pole, the answer is a ground-radio antenna that makes the communication needs of security detail Soldiers here.And what

  • Tyndall operates newest engine test controller

    Revving an engine and tweaking a motor until it purrs is an art the “hush-house” team here has perfected and taken to the next level with the arrival of the F/A-22 Raptor.A process once involving intense troubleshooting can now be accomplished more efficiently thanks to a new engine-test controller

  • Airships may play key homeland defense role

    The dirigible, or airship, may be used as a tool to detect potential attacks against the United States, Department of Defense officials told House of Representative members March 4."We believe the best way to protect Americans is to defeat terrorists as far away from our homeland as we can," said

  • Tuskegee Airmen opened doors for black aviators

    The modern Air Force is a diverse force made up of many races and cultures. But this was not always the case.More than 60 years ago, the U.S. Army Air Corps created an experimental black pilot-training program to test their abilities. With determination and persistence, the first black pilots, the

  • F/A-22 required for deep strike against enemy threats

    Maintaining deep-strike capability is critical to future warfighting operations. In a March 3 testimony before the House Armed Services Committee subcommittee on projection forces, Air Force Vice Chief of Staff Gen. T. Michael Moseley said the Air Force must continue to maintain its deep-strike

  • JASDF flies first humanitarian mission into Iraq

    The Japan air self-defense force flew its first humanitarian mission into Iraq as part of coalition air forces, landing at Tallil Air Base on March 3.While self defense forces have previously conducted humanitarian deployments to other locations in the world, this is the first time Japanese airmen

  • Wolfowitz addresses Guard, Reserve deployment concerns

    Though reserve-component forces are going through a stressful time, the Defense Department is working hard to improve the situation, Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz told Guard and Reserve leaders here.Secretary Wolfowitz, speaking at the Adjutants General Association of the United States

  • Predators move to Balad

    The unit came packed and ready to position themselves autonomously, so they could pursue their prey quietly, unseen for hours.Arriving ready to set up one of the most impressive unmanned aerial aircraft in the U.S. inventory, the Nevada unit was ready for business within days of their arrival here.

  • Personnel services now available on AF Portal

    The days where people need to remember numerous user IDs and passwords for basic online personnel services are coming to an end thanks to the Air Force Portal."The portal is a powerful tool," said Col. Gregory Touhill, director of personnel data systems at the Air Force Personnel Center here. "We

  • Officials work on balancing Guard force

    Governors will be able to call on at least 50 percent of their National Guard forces for homeland-defense missions and other state emergencies because of a plan to realign Army and Air Guard units during the next few years, the chief of the National Guard Bureau said."We will balance our forces,

  • Aircrew thinks fast during combat-zone emergency

    C-17 Globemaster III aircrews on departure from Iraqi airfields are accustomed to being on the lookout for threats to the aircraft. One crew from the 16th Airlift Squadron here had to wrestle with a threat from within the aircraft on a recent flight out of northern Iraq.The Globemaster III was

  • Reserve maintainer cashes in on award-winning idea

    A reservist here is $10,000 richer thanks to a suggestion that will save the Air Force millions of dollars each year.Master Sgt. Andrew Calvello, an aircraft engine mechanic supervisor with the 512th Component Maintenance Squadron, submitted the idea through the Innovative Development through

  • Air Force brings aid, experts to Morocco

    In the early hours of Feb. 24, a 6.4-magnitude earthquake struck the Al Hoceima Province in northern Morocco. Within the next few hours, two smaller aftershocks measuring 4.3 and 4.1 shook the remote region. Initial reports indicated more than 570 people were killed and 405 injured. On Feb. 28,