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  • Air Force receives top DOD-level award

    The U.S. Air Forces in Europe communications and information directorate, which oversees the Air Force's communications and information-management effort in the European theater, was given top honors in the chief information officer awards team category Oct. 7.Defense Department officials honored

  • 'Master problem solver' wins Air Force award

    The challenge of keeping his computer customers connected is what drives Tony Bufford, winner of the Air Force’s Outstanding Employee with a Disability Award for 2004.Mr. Bufford, system administrator for the 81st Supply and Transportation squadrons, was also Keesler’s nominee for the award in 2000

  • Junior ROTC expands, seeks retirees to teach at new units

    Airmen planning to retire within the next couple of years and Airmen who have retired within the past five years may want to look to Junior ROTC before storing their uniforms, said Jo Alice Talley. She is the Air Force Junior ROTC instructor management chief.Air Force Junior ROTC will add 201 units

  • General Martin withdraws PACOM nomination

    Gen. Gregory S. Martin requested his nomination to be commander of U.S. Pacific Command be withdrawn hours after his Senate Armed Services Committee confirmation hearing Oct. 6.A Pentagon statement said General Martin “has requested that his nomination by the Bush administration to be the new U.S.

  • Myers: Changing military culture key to transformation

    The most important area for transformation is the space "between our warfighters' ears," said the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.During an interview, Gen. Richard B. Myers addressed the need for servicemembers and Department of Defense civilians to transform the way they think. He said DOD

  • DEET first line of defense against insects

    Whether hiking in the woods at home or serving in the sands of the Middle East, Airmen need a repellent to shield themselves from biting insects.The active ingredient in most skin-applied repellents is commonly referred to as DEET. It is a must on almost every deployment checklist and for good

  • Officials unveil employment initiative for wounded vets

    Injured servicemembers returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan will get individualized job training, counseling and re-employment services, Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao said Oct. 4.During a signing ceremony at Walter Reed Army Medical Center here, Ms. Chao joined Army Maj. Gen. Kenneth Farmer

  • AMC officials recognize civil reserve employees

    Air Mobility Command officials have begun awarding hundreds of Aerial Achievement Medals and thousands of certificates of appreciation to the employees of commercial air carriers called to duty during the Civil Reserve Air Fleet activation in 2003.The fleet of commercial passenger and cargo aircraft

  • Tyndall's youth sports program earns award

    The youth center staff here will receive one of five 2004 Excellence in Youth Sports Awards from the National Alliance for Youth Sports and Athletic Business magazine. Baseball all-star Cal Ripkin Jr. will present the award Nov. 12 in Orlando, Fla.The award recognizes organizations worldwide that

  • DOD expands anthrax, smallpox vaccination programs

    Department of Defense is expanding its anthrax and smallpox immunization programs following an evaluation conducted by the Military Health System. Air Force officials released service-specific guidance recently.Dr. William Winkenwerder Jr., assistant secretary of defense for health affairs,

  • Airmen use GBU-38 in combat

    During one particular night shift recently, a team primarily composed of Air National Guardsmen conducted the first successful drop of a GBU-38 bomb in combat.The majority of the people connected to the effort came from the Alabama Air National Guard and were supplemented by Airmen from Illinois and

  • Reserve pilots not reserved when protecting ground troops

    Ammunitions troops here charged with reloading a wingman’s A-10 Thunderbolt II Gatling gun had a busy night recently, following his return. New Orleans Air Force Reserve pilots proved that they are anything but reserved when it comes to protecting U.S. ground troops in Afghanistan. In defense of a

  • Upcoming summit shapes new sexual-assault policies

    Decisions made at a senior-leader summit are expected to have a sweeping effect on the Defense Department's sexual-assault prevention and response efforts, said the task force commander charged with turning the group's recommendations into DOD-wide policies.The Oct. 6 summit, made up of senior

  • Airmen brace for new fitness test

    The Air Force chief of staff fired a shot across the bow in July 2003 that got the attention of Airmen everywhere.Gen. John P. Jumper forewarned that a new fit-to-fight program would replace the cycle ergometry test and encouraged everyone to get ready. Staff Sgt. Kurt Hartmann did not, and he paid

  • Academy Airmanship operations take flight under AETC

    The U.S. Air Force Academy’s airmanship operations realigned under the Air Education and Training Command as the newly named 306th Flying Training Group on Oct. 1.The operations are elective courses at the academy and are aimed at giving cadets firsthand knowledge and understanding of the flight

  • Air Force ROTC detachments remain open

    Five Air Force ROTC detachments previously identified for closure will remain open on a two-year period of evaluation, as recently approved by Secretary of the Air Force Dr. James G. Roche.The detachments are at the University of Memphis in Tennessee; University of Cincinnati in Ohio; Wilkes

  • Shaw trains still chugging

    History stops here often. It chugs to a halt about three times a week outside an elongated single-story building as two 80-ton locomotives deliver jet fuel to the fuels management flight. Shaw's rail operation, which has been active since 1941, is almost an anomaly in the Air Force."We're one of

  • Missile crewmember deploys with refuelers

    Most Air Force missile crewmembers spend the majority of their time in an underground launch control center monitoring intercontinental ballistic missiles. But one missileer experienced deployed life in the flying world.First Lt. Joe Page, a missile combat crew commander from Minot Air Force Base,

  • ‘Eyes of the North’ steady as AF moves mission to Guard

    Defending the homeland is one of the key missions of the Air National Guard, and Oct. 1, the Alaska Air National Guard will officially assume operations of the Air Force’s regional air operation center here. The center’s mission is to provide ready teams to operate and maintain North American

  • Despite predictable weather, specialists still keep busy

    When an area averages an annual temperature of about 100 degrees and less than 1 inch of rain, a person could assume that the weather is fairly predictable. One could also assume that a bunch of weather specialists would not be gainfully employed at such a location. But then again, everyone knows

  • Despite danger, convoy Airmen keep on trucking

    The hours are long, and their jobs are dangerous, but Airmen keeping supply lines running on northern Iraq roads are determined to keep on trucking. That is because they realize the importance of what they do, said Capt. Harley Smith, commander of more than 140 Airmen assigned to Detachment 1 of the

  • Air Force wins 10th-straight Service Academy Golf Classic

    The Air Force Academy golf team extended its winning streak to 10 on Sept. 26 and 27 at the annual Service Academy Golf Classic, as the Falcons finished four strokes ahead of Army with a three-round total of 1,107. Navy was third in the team standings (1,132), while the Merchant Marines came in

  • Tennessee Guard moves, prepares for C-5s

    Air Force officials signed a land-exchange agreement with the Memphis-Shelby County Airport Authority on Sept. 20 allowing the Tennessee Air National Guard’s 164th Airlift Wing more space to convert from C-141B Starlifters to C-5 Galaxys.Fred Kuhn, deputy assistant secretary of the Air Force for

  • Airmen help save lives following UH-60 crash at Tallil

    Just after 9:20 p.m. Sept. 21, two Army UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters took off from the flightline here.Two minutes later, something went horribly wrong with one of them.“The first thing I heard was a loud, dull thud, kind of like a fist hitting a wooden wall,” said Senior Airman John Byrum, a

  • U.S. military supports South African trade show

    U.S. military equipment and Airmen from the New York Air National Guard are here for the Aerospace Exhibition.The event marks the first time aircraft and guardsmen from New York have participated in a South African air show, officials said.Visitors will get a close-up look at four static displays:

  • Gotta fix ‘em before you fly ‘em

    Nestled in a small, nondescript building among a dozen aircraft revetments here, the 353rd Maintenance Squadron’s consolidated tool kit section hums with activity around the clock.With more than 1,600 bench-stock items, 200 pieces of test equipment and 120 hazardous materials, it is the first and

  • Number of officers receiving command pay reduced

    Command Responsibility Pay now received by some field-grade officers in command positions will end in October.In a Sight Picture titled, “Recognizing the Responsibility of Command,” Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper announced the Air Force would reduce the number of command positions that

  • Command, control: Prescription for aeromedical-evacuation success

    A battlefield injury or illness poses a threat to those deployed worldwide. When that threat turns into reality, the Air Force’s extensive aeromedical-evacuation network ensures wounded warriors are moved rapidly to a medical facility to get the care they need. The expansive network includes Airmen

  • Special ops maintainers team up on Kadena's tiny troubles

    Ehren Wahl and Wesley Brown are both staff sergeants, they are assigned to the 353rd Maintenance Squadron, and they each have spent most of their careers here on Okinawa, a tiny island in southern Japan. That is where the similarities end.Sergeant Wahl is an outspoken, 24-year-old from New York who

  • Deployed contracting makes it happen

    It is hard to believe that a stroke of a pen can cost the Air Force hundreds of thousands of dollars; it is even harder to believe that it is a staff sergeant’s pen that does this nearly every day.Such is the job of 379th Expeditionary Contracting Squadron Airmen at a forward-deployed location.

  • Flying dog’s parachute lands at U.S. Air Force Museum

    A parachute made for a dog that flew alongside pilots during the Berlin Airlift was recently added to the Berlin Airlift Exhibit at the U.S. Air Force Museum here.The parachute, donated by Clarence Steber, was worn by his boxer, Vittles, during their flights on C-47s and C-54s to help deliver food

  • Virginia Air Guard responds to Florida storms

    Nearly 50 Virginia Air National Guardsmen responded to hurricane relief efforts in Florida, making it the first time their unit has deployed to Florida for a natural disaster.The 203rd Red Horse Squadron from Virginia Beach deployed to assist in the clean-up efforts after Hurricane Frances and wound

  • Airman goes green to aid OIF medical mission

    When Senior Airman Gary Doran graduated from the Department of Defense biomedical equipment technician’s course in 2002 and moved to Scott Air Force Base, Ill., he thought his time at the joint-service school would be his last experience working with Soldiers for a long time. In fact, he said he

  • Academy water polo falls thrice at So-Cal Tournament

    Despite some gutsy performances, the 18th-ranked Air Force Academy water polo team was unable to record a victory in the So-Cal Tournament, held by the University of Southern California. The Air Force Falcons fell 12-1 in the first game to the USC Trojans on Sept. 18, before dropping a

  • Air Force announces team-excellence awards

    Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper announced the five teams selected for 2004 Chief of Staff Team Excellence Awards during a ceremony Sept 14.Fifteen teams were nominated for the awards, which recognize outstanding team performance and promote systematic process improvement. The awards

  • Air Force working to combat stressors

    The war on terrorism is placing many stresses on the Air Force, but Airmen are responding well to those stresses, and leaders are working to alleviate them.Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Gerald R. Murray -- the service's highest-ranking enlisted person -- said there are more than 29,000 Airmen

  • Air Force expands awards eligibility to recognize civilian teams

    The Air Force has expanded the eligibility criteria for the Time-Off Incentive Award to include recognition of civilian teams.The Civilian Team Incentive Award allows supervisors to grant a time-off award to individual employees who comprise a team. The team's joint achievements must contribute to

  • Air Force teams take two simulation awards

    Two Air Force teams are recipients of Department of Defense Modeling and Simulation Awards.The Air Force winners are:Acquisition -- Simulation and Analysis Facility Joint Unmanned Combat Air System Simulation Team from the advanced computational analysis directorate at Wright-Patterson Air Force

  • Minot officer dies after fall

    A lieutenant colonel here died Sept. 18 at about 12:30 p.m. from injuries sustained in a fall earlier in the day.Lt. Col. David Patterson, 5th Maintenance Group deputy commander, fell from an obstacle at the base’s confidence course while participating in a team-building exercise.The colonel arrived

  • AETC commander gives education update

    Right number, right skills, right training and right quality.That is the bottom line, said Gen. Donald G. Cook, commander of Air Education and Training Command, when he gave his stakeholders’ report at the Air Force Association’s 2004 Air and Space Conference and Technology Exposition on Sept.

  • Bombers rotations continue on Guam

    Demonstrating once again that bomber forces can be sustained in the Pacific, about 250 Airmen deployed Sept. 10 to 12 from Louisiana to Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, as part of a 120-day air and space expeditionary force rotation.The 20th Expeditionary Bomber Squadron is the third of four existing

  • Hurricanes, home, mission focus of Gwangju Airmen

    Airmen deployed with the 3rd Air Expeditionary Group here focus daily on the task of ensuring the F-15E Strike Eagles can perform the mission and return safely. But for more than 100 of them, that focus is split between accomplishing the mission here and keeping their minds on the weather causing

  • Latest AFIT graduates earn degrees

    More than 70 scientists and engineers are the recipients of graduate and doctoral degrees from the Air Force Institute of Technology.AFIT’s Graduate School of Engineering and Management held its graduation ceremony Sept. 14. The graduating class earned 67 master’s degrees and four doctorates.Air

  • Last active-duty C-141B Starlifter makes final flight

    The last two active-duty C-141B Starlifters in the U.S. Air Force inventory flew their final journey Sept. 16 after a special departure ceremony here.This final flight marked the end of nearly 40 years of service to the nation by C-141s and their crews.“If you look at the sum total of its history,

  • Not-so-common POW: Grandmother tells of imprisonment

    The many stories about American prisoners of war usually detail the experiences of servicemembers captured during combat overseas.The little-known tale of a teenage girl, now a grandmother in San Antonio, is also among the accounts deserving acknowledgement.Liz Lautzenhiser Irvine has scrapbooks

  • CSI: On the battlefield

    Some of today's most popular television shows feature crime scene investigations, but those pale in comparison to the real-life battlefield investigations an Air Force Research Laboratory scientist here carries out.In his role in the Air Force Reserve, Maj. Greg Moster, whose civilian job is with

  • EOD team enjoys ‘a booming business’

    Most boys dream of growing up to be just like their fathers. They imitate the way they walk, the way they talk and even the way they dress. Tech. Sgt. John Bell went a step further. He imitates the way his father made things explode.“I guess you can say blowing up things runs in the family,” said

  • Sailors, Airmen can 'go green'

    "Go Green" is not just the slogan of environmentalists anymore.The Army is increasing its end strength, and Operation Blue to Green is one method being used to assist in reaching the desired end strength, said Lt. Col. Roy Steed, recruiting policy branch chief at the Army's personnel

  • Special ops Airmen up to task of war on terror

    The war on terrorism has changed the way leaders think about managing conflict, but the commander of Air Force Special Operations Command said he is sure of one thing: His Airmen are right for the job.“(Sept. 11) redefined some key concepts,” said Lt. Gen. Michael W. Wooley, AFSOC commander. “It

  • Starlifters retire from active-duty service

    The last two active-duty C-141B Starlifter transport aircraft will retire Sept. 16 at McGuire Air Force Base, N.J.During the past 40 years, the C-141 has proven versatile for troop and cargo transport, humanitarian- and disaster-relief operations and aeromedical evacuation. As such, the Starlifter

  • Squadron ‘cleans house’ to build new home

    Stepping out of the sweltering heat into the cool shadows of hardened aircraft shelter No. 21, many visitors might notice the new paint on the walls or the freshly swept floors and the spacious room.The former Soviet-era shelter was not always so fresh, clean and inviting. Formerly used as a

  • Chief of staff outlines plans for fewer combat aircraft

    The Air Force will have fewer fighters and strike aircraft, but the lethality of those that remain will increase, the service’s top general said Sept. 13 at the 2004 Air Force Association’s Air and Space Conference and Technology Exposition here.Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper said the

  • Air Force Association’s 2004 conference opens

    Touting America’s superior air and space force, the Air Force Association’s 2004 Air and Space Conference and Technology Exposition opened here Sept. 13.Under the theme “Professional Development for the Total Force,” the conference features three days of workshops focused on furthering the potential

  • Air Force beats Army, wins softball championship

    The 2004 Armed Forces Men’s Softball Championship ended here Sept. 11 with the Air Force defeating the Army, 16-3, to win the gold.On Day 3 of the tournament, the Army had its second loss of the tournament to the Navy, but still could have taken it all since the championship game is a head-to-head

  • Air Force women’s soccer stormed 3-0 by Central Florida

    The Air Force Academy women’s soccer team ran into a furious tropical storm that was the University of Central Florida. Falling to the Golden Knights, 3-0, the game featured heavy rainfall. The Falcons fall to 3-3-0 on the season.Central Florida improves to 5-1-1 on the season and came into the

  • Survey will measure personnel services delivery

    Airmen can help make their personnel services delivery system better through survey feedback beginning Sept. 20.Air Force officials said they are transforming the way personnel services are delivered to make them more effective, efficient and timely. This PSD transformation uses technology to place

  • Air Force finishes in 8th place at Falcon invitational

    The Air Force Academy golf team saved its best round for last, shooting a 289 on the final day of the Gene Miranda Falcon Invitational held at the par-71 Eisenhower Blue Golf Course here Sept. 11.The Falcons finished in a tie for eighth-place with Weber State University at 887. Southern Utah State

  • Airmen ensure medical lifeline in Pacific

    A ready, reliable and efficient war reserve materiel operation is the “heart and soul of medical readiness,” said Senior Master Sgt. Joe Alfaro, superintendent of the 374th Medical Group’s logistics flight here.WRM is pre-positioned equipment and consumable items needed to support Air Force

  • Civil engineers build ‘Airmen-Soldiers’ legacy

    Throughout Iraq, Airmen are working side-by-side with Soldiers performing what have been traditionally considered Army jobs. Among those blazing a trail for this new culture of “Airmen-Soldiers” are the 732nd Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron Airmen.The more than 240 combat-trained engineers in

  • Employee celebrates half century of service

    You might say the Air Force and Steve Espinosa grew up together.For a fact, the two have shared more than five decades together. In uniform and as a civilian, Mr. Espinosa has served the Air Force for 54 years, nearly as long as the service has existed.A small-parts sheet-metal worker at the

  • General earns Dutch gold medal of merit

    An Air Force general was decorated Sept. 9 with the Dutch Medal of Merit in Gold at the Netherlands Embassy here.Maj. Gen. John L. "Jack" Hudson, assistant deputy undersecretary of the Air Force for international affairs, received the prestigious award for his role in bringing the F-35 Joint Strike

  • Radar techs keep combat zone airspace safe

    The sky over here is filled with aircraft around the clock -- A-10 Thunderbolt IIs share airspace with cargo aircraft and helicopters.Keeping those aircraft safe is an important and daunting task; but a team of Airmen recently installed new equipment to make that task a little easier.“We installed

  • Air Force team helps with Genesis return mission

    NASA scientists onboard a specially modified aircraft from here collected data as the world watched the unmanned Genesis spacecraft return to Earth Sept. 8. During the reentry, however, its parachute failed to deploy and Genesis crashed into a Utah desert.Although damage to the spacecraft and the

  • More aid heads to Russia

    A U.S. Air Force C-130 Hercules loaded with more than 10 tons of medical supplies arrived in Vladikavkaz, Russia, on Sept. 8 as part of the humanitarian response to the recent terrorist acts at a school in Beslan.The delivery of surgical supplies and burn-dressing kits from U.N. humanitarian

  • Frances causes ‘little damage’ at MacDill

    Charley struck out while Frances was a base hit, but disaster readiness officials here said they are hoping Ivan is an opponent they will not have to face at all.Following the second hurricane scare within one month, and Hurricane Ivan drawing a bead on Florida, emergency preparedness experts here

  • Aircrew training ensures air superiority

    Superb people and state-of-the-art technology help make the U.S. Air Force the most formidable air power in the world. But the general who oversees flying training for more than 19,000 Airmen a year said the biggest single factor that makes America's military stand out from other countries is its

  • Report focuses on Air Force Academy instructors

    Service and Department of Defense officials have agreed with most of the findings in a congressionally mandated study of faculty at the Air Force Academy.The Study and Report Related to Permanent Professors at the United States Military Academy was directed by the 2004 National Defense Authorization

  • Medical warriors deploy to Iraq

    About 100 Airmen from the 59th Medical Wing at Wilford Hall Medical Center here left Aug. 30 to staff a field hospital in Iraq.They are the largest contingent of about 160 people from the medical center deploying to Iraq."We’re proud to be sending highly trained and qualified (medics)," said Maj.

  • Mechanic pulls in cash with IDEA

    A pneudraulics systems mechanic here earned $6,200 from the Innovative Development through Employee Awareness program for developing a tool that keeps parts from being damaged during maintenance.Brett Harris earned his award for developing a tool to help with taking F-15 Eagle pitch trim controllers

  • Airmen reach out to locals

    Many of their homes are made of fabric held up by sticks. They have no running water, no septic system and no electricity. For more than 15 years, they have lived on the barren land that surrounds Tallil Air Base. They are local Bedouin families, they are survivors and they play an important role

  • Now showing: Aug. 30 edition of AFTV News

    The far-flung supply train for troops in Iraq headlines the latest edition of Air Force Television News.Tech. Sgt. Angie Pianga goes to Moron, Spain, to show how active-duty, Air National Guard and Reserve Airmen are performing a vital role in getting people and equipment to and from Iraq. Tech.

  • Corny display honors C-130 Guard unit

    Pilots flying over the rural farmland near Lewistown, Ill., may be shocked to see the likeness of a C-130 Hercules etched into the landscape hundreds of feet below.This C-130, modeled after the neighboring Illinois Air National Guard’s 182nd Airlift Wing aircraft, is not some mysterious crop circle.

  • Reserve medics rely on Nigerien help with translation

    A medical humanitarian mission can have all the doctors and medicines in the world, but the mission may not be successful without good translators.This was true for a group of Air Force Reserve medics who treated more than 6,000 patients in the African nation of Niger. The team deployed here with

  • One dies, one injured in work-related accident

    One senior airman was killed and another seriously injured in a work-related accident here Aug. 23.Senior Airman Jesse Williamson Jr. died, and Senior Airman Ryan Robinson was injured while using a hydraulic lift to replace light fixtures inside an aircraft hangar, said Col. Greg Patterson, 78th Air

  • Air Force firefighter receive honors

    Air Force firefighters recognized their top performers Aug. 16 to 20 at the annual Department of Defense and Federal Fire and Emergency Services Training Conference in New Orleans. A California man who displayed an extraordinary feat of heroism and an Air Combat Command fire department received top

  • Airmen deserve recognition for national security operations

    Air Force leaders want to ensure Airmen get the recognition they deserve for fighting the war on terrorism at home and abroad, and for many more operations critical to national security.That is why Air Force personnel officials are looking at better ways to apply modern air and space mission

  • Guard squadron makes mark in Operation Iraqi Freedom

    The most recent deployment for the 107th Fighter Squadron was one of firsts, the unit's commander said here Aug. 24.Lt. Col. Glenn Schmidt said the Air National Guard unit became the first F-16 Fighting Falcon squadron to be based in Iraq when it established its base in Kirkuk in February. It also

  • Officials announce Innkeeper Award winners

    Air Force Services Agency officials recently announced the winners of its annual Innkeeper Award. Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., won in the large-base category, and Laughlin AFB, Texas, received the small-base category award.Created in 1981, The Air Force Innkeeper Award program is managed by

  • Airmen keep Litening pods striking

    As A-10 Thunderbolt IIs patrol over Afghanistan, one piece of avionics equipment is extremely important to them providing unparalleled close-air support to ground forces.The Laser Infrared Targeting and Navigation pod gives A-10 pilots a number of options to search out enemy forces and protect

  • Road Warrior III reinforces continuous training

    Road Warrior III trained nearly 90 Airmen from air force bases in Wyoming, Montana and North Dakota in the strategy and tactics of defending the nation’s ICBM resources for three weeks here.The exercise involved more than 120 people from the National Nuclear Security Agency’s office of secure

  • Maintainers race clock at Kyrgyzstan

    Senior Airman Derek Smith and Airman 1st Class Alex O’Donnell are perched high atop a C-130 Hercules trying to solve a mechanical problem. The No. 3 engine had a prop replaced a week before, and flight deck indicator lights now point out a malfunction. It is a mild 78 degrees at 8:50 a.m. when

  • Fuels Airmen pump up

    On a busy day at their home station, the Airmen from the fuels element measure their amount of pumped fuel by the thousands. When they are deployed here, they measure it by the hundreds of thousands. Busy is not the word.The 40th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Flight fuels Airmen pumped their

  • DIMO strengthening medical ties worldwide

    Defense Institute for Medical Operations officials recently sent out an eight-person team to head-up and teach an aeromedical evacuation and critical-care transport course in Ankara, Turkey.The five-day course provided the advanced training necessary to care for critically ill or injured patients in

  • Airmen provide tactical support from ground up

    Coalition ground troops are engaged in a firefight with insurgents. The unit's tactical air controller calls for air support and soon an F-16 Fighting Falcon is screaming overhead providing cover.Scenarios similar to this play out nearly every day in the desert of Iraq. Getting tactical aircraft

  • Airman named outstanding young American

    An Airman stationed at Sembach Annex, Germany, was named one of the 2004 Ten Outstanding Young Americans by U.S. Junior Chamber officials here.Maj. Eric Axelbank, 38, commands the 435th Materiel Maintenance Squadron. He will receive the award during a ceremony in New Orleans on Sept. 18.Annually

  • TMO packs it, tracks it in Afghanistan

    In a combat zone, being able to track the exact location of critical outbound equipment is extremely important.That is why Airmen at the traffic management office here are the first in the service to test the Air Force’s latest version of cargo tracking software.The Airmen are responsible for

  • Germans honor AF surgeon general

    The German Ministry of Defense has awarded the Gold Cross of Honor of the Bundeswehr to Air Force Surgeon General Lt. Gen. (Dr.) George Peach Taylor Jr., for his ongoing contributions to the German aviation medicine community. Brig. Gen. (Dr.) Erich Roedig, the German air force’s surgeon general,

  • Officials committed to helping servicemembers vote

    Defense officials are committed to ensuring servicemembers have the ability to vote from anywhere in the world, Department of Defense's top personnel officer said."We're making a decided effort to make sure everyone gets the chance to vote," said David S. C. Chu, undersecretary for personnel and

  • Officials: Register to vote before deploying

    Airmen deploying between now and the general election Nov. 2 should register to vote with their deployed unit address before departing, said voting officials at the Air Force Personnel Center here.Registration is accomplished by completing a Federal Post Card Application Standard Form 76. Some

  • New manual gives mobility crews ‘go-to-war’ guidance

    For years, Air Force fighter and bomber crews have been guided into combat by a manual on tactics, techniques and procedures. Now, mobility aircrews will have similar guidance on how to go to war.Because Air Mobility Command aircrews and weapons systems were pushing closer to the threat envelope,

  • OSI helps keep Bagram safe

    When responding to attacks against Bagram, one team’s philosophy is simple: The best defense is a proactive offense.That offense is supporting the base operations defense plan, said Special Agent Jeff Rutherford, Air Force Office of Special Investigations detachment commander here. The team

  • U.S. ambassador visits reservists in Niger

    The U.S. Ambassador to Niger, Gail Denise Mathieu, visited here Aug. 17 to see 12 Air Force reservists who are treating local residents at the clinic.Ambassador Mathieu toured the medical compound and visited each of the examining rooms.“We are here because we have the opportunity to visit with a

  • Kunsan provides strong foundation for F-16 pilots

    First Lt. Wyatt Morrise, an F-16 Fighting Falcon pilot, jumped at the chance to come here after graduating from aviator school. Although it is a one-year unaccompanied tour, almost every veteran F-16 pilot he met recommended this place as one of the best flying assignments in the Air Force.Now,

  • Web page emphasizes importance of 'Airmen Votes'

    With less than 80 days to the presidential election, Air Force officials have added another tool to their voting effort to ensure all Airmen can participate. “Airmen Votes” is the name of a Web page designed to give Airmen, their family members and Air Force civilians all the information they need

  • AFA announces annual aerospace awards

    The following Airmen and organizations are winners of the 2004 Air Force Association Aerospace Awards. The awards will be presented at the AFA’s annual convention here Sept. 13 to 15.The Theodore Von Karman Award for the most outstanding contribution to national defense in the field of science and

  • Air Force C-130s support Afghan army deployment

    U.S. Air Force C-130 Hercules airlifted troops and supplies Aug. 15 and 16 supporting the deployment of several Afghan battalions to respond to factional fighting which started Aug. 14 in the Shindand area of the country.At the request of Afghan officials, forces from the coalition and international

  • CMSAF speaks to Nellis Airmen

    Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Gerald R. Murray visited here Aug. 11 and 12 and during his stay stressed that Airmen are the Air Force’s most important assets.“The strength of the Air Force is no longer the aircraft flying over the targets; it’s our Airmen in supply, vehicle maintenance, finance

  • AMC delivers hurricane relief

    Air Mobility Command began operations Aug. 13 to support the Federal Emergency Management Agency by providing emergency relief to areas in Florida devastated by Hurricane Charley.“AMC Tanker Airlift Control Center (began) moving 200 empty cargo pallets to Dobbins (Air Reserve Base), Ga., … so the

  • Helicopter pilots earn Cheney Award

    For the second straight year, Airmen from the 21st Special Operations Squadron at Royal Air Force Mildenhall, England, have earned the Cheney Award for aerial achievement.Capts. (then 1st Lts.) Randell Voas and Craig Prather earned the award for their role in the March 26, 2003, airdrop mission of

  • Life support keeps pilots prepared

    The cockpit of an aircraft is a self-contained environment, protecting the pilots from their surroundings.One group of Airmen here ensures the pilots have everything they need close at hand in there, especially those items they might need just “in case.”“We take care of the entire life-support