HomeNews

NATO Air Policing operations

U.S. Air Force News

  • DOD expands troop anthrax, smallpox vaccination

    More U.S. servicemembers, including those serving in South Korea, will be vaccinated against smallpox and anthrax, the Defense Department's senior medical adviser said June 30.The availability of additional smallpox and anthrax vaccine will allow for vaccinating all servicemembers assigned to U.S.

  • A-10 upgrades double operational lifespan

    The first production A-10 Thunderbolt II was delivered here in October 1975. Fifteen years later, the A-10 was called the most formidable weapon system of its type while flying combat missions during Operation Desert Storm.Today, more than 30 years after beginning service, many of the Air Force’s

  • SECAF approves 'V' device for heroism award

    Secretary of the Air Force Dr. James G. Roche has authorized use of the “V” device, to represent valor, on Distinguished Flying Crosses awarded for heroism.The decision is intended to clearly distinguish and denote a DFC awarded for heroism. It allows any Reserve, Guard or active-duty Airman or Air

  • Reservists, guardsmen may be eligible for FICA refund

    An interpretation of a government rule may mean that mobilized National Guardsmen, reservists and their employers may get a refund on some taxes paid to the federal government.While researching tax rules for deployed National Guardsmen and reservists, retired Army Reserve Lt. Col. Frank Scattene, a

  • ‘American family’ supports NATO, humanitarian effort

    Military convoys are a common site in Kosovo, so when a military convoy set out from Kosovo Force headquarters here headed for Gracanica on June 27, it was not given a second look. However, this convoy was not carrying weapons, military supplies or security forces for post relief. It was carrying

  • Airmen deliver 35,000 helmets to Afghanistan

    Airmen flew more than 35,000 Romanian military helmets to Afghanistan from here June 24 in a U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III. The helmets are for the Afghan army.Donated by the Romanian government, the helmets were packed and loaded by a team of Romanian servicemembers and a three-person U.S.

  • Officials announce Air Force chaplain service award winners

    Officials announced the Air Force chaplain service award winners on June 25.Established this year, the award program recognizes outstanding individual and organizational performance within the chaplain service. The 2003 winners are:-- Richard C. Schneider Award (chaplain’s assistant, Airman):

  • F/A-22 goes ‘On the Record’

    Fox News Channel is scheduled to broadcast a special edition of "On the Record with Greta Van Susteren” from here June 28.The one-hour live broadcast from Nellis' F/A-22 Raptor hangar includes footage from a June 27 chase mission Ms. Van Susteren participated in. The program also will include an

  • Air Force honors Youth of the Year

    A ceremony at the Pentagon on June 23 honored Air Force youth representing bases worldwide.This year’s master of ceremonies was both the Air Force Materiel Command Youth of the Year and the Oklahoma State Youth of the Year. Michael Goodman, son of retired Master Sgt. Randall and Donna Goodman from

  • General Bradley will command Air Force Reserve

    On June 24, the Senate confirmed Maj. Gen. John A. Bradley as chief of Air Force Reserve and commander of Air Force Reserve Command, and appointed him to the rank of lieutenant general. General Bradley is the former assistant to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff for reserve matters at the

  • Children’s yoga class offers more than quiet poses

    “Breathe in” and “breathe out” are typically what someone may expect to hear in a yoga class. What is unexpected are children ages 2 to 14 posing like cobras, monkeys and airplanes, and making noises like them.This is exactly what happens during a children’s summer yoga class the youth center here.

  • Robotic warriors display capabilities

    Pentagon officials and guests were treated to a demonstration of the remote detection challenge and response, or REDCAR, initiative June 23.REDCAR uses unmanned robotic platforms to provide perimeter defense of Air Force bases and forward-deployed units.“With REDCAR we can integrate a family of

  • Airman loses 100 pounds

    It took a missile maintainer here nine months to fix one of the Air Force's most important weapon systems, and he did it out of uniform, without technical orders and after duty hours.Senior Airman Norman Barore, assigned to the 341st Missile Maintenance Squadron here, lost 100 pounds in nine months,

  • Congress recognizes four Air Force people

    Four members of the Air Force family received Congressional Award Gold Medals along with 171 other young men and women during a ceremony on June 23 at the Russell Senate Office Building.The program recognizes outstanding achievement in people ages 14 to 23 and involves setting goals in four areas:

  • Airman becomes 'Met for a Day'

    One McGuire airman traded his flight suit for a baseball uniform June 22 and became an honorary member of the New York Mets for a day.Senior Airman Chardo Richardson, a boom operator with the 32nd Air Refueling Squadron here, shadowed Mets left-handed pitcher Al Leiter in the second part of a job

  • Murray talks deployments, force shaping

    Combat needs, not current manpower standards, are what Air Force officials are using to determine how many people are filling the ranks, Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Gerald Murray said. This, he said, is the first time in Air Force history that combat needs have been the determining

  • Officials detail global posture realignment process

    The realignment of U.S. forces in the world will mirror the changing threats and be a result of a fundamental shift in national security, the DOD undersecretary for policy told the House Armed Services Committee on June 23.Douglas Feith said that the effort now under way thinks through how U.S.

  • House hears military construction testimony

    Justification for the Air Force’s annual construction budget request can usually be summed up in a couple of words, the service’s top uniformed official said.Mission accomplishment.That message was the central theme during testimony on Capitol Hill on June 22, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P.

  • A Minuteman moment

    An unarmed Minuteman III ICBM launched from here at 1:32 a.m. PDT on June 23. The missile’s unarmed re-entry vehicle traveled nearly 4,200 miles in about 30 minutes, hitting a predetermined target on Kwajalein Atoll in the western chain of the Marshall Islands. The mission was part of the Force

  • UAV Battlelab stands up at Indian Springs

    Indian Springs Air Force Auxiliary Field near here is entering a new era in providing unmanned aerial vehicle support to the combat air force.Currently the only installation with a fleet of operational remotely piloted aircraft, Indian Springs is now also the home of the Air Force’s Unmanned Aerial

  • Manpower, personnel functions merging

    Manpower, personnel, and education and training functions will merge and realign under mission support squadrons at installations throughout the Air Force beginning July 1."Manpower and personnel have been separate disciplines throughout the Air Force's history," said Col. Douglas V. Bell, Air

  • GI Bill still important 60 years later

    Times were tough. The nation was slowly emerging from the Great Depression when World War II flared up in 1941.Before the war, the unemployment rate hovered at 15 percent, more than 11 million homes did not have running water or electricity, and fewer than 50,000 taxpayers earned more than $2,500 a

  • Nature center brings children joy, education

    Sharon Batchelder said some days she feels like she works in a zoo.But she has a good reason. As a recreation aid at the Spalding Nature Center here, she spends her time working in the only Air Force facility that is home to snakes, rabbits, turtles, a variety of birds and even a couple of

  • Shop reorganizes, reduces maintenance-flow days

    Maintainers here are promising to cut nearly two months off Common Configuration Improvement Program efforts on Air Force fighter aircraft by rearranging work spaces and making the flow smoother.Program modifications are being done here to enhance the cockpit, avionics and combat capability of about

  • Now showing: June 21 edition of AFTV News

    The last active-duty Airman who was a prisoner of war in Vietnam, and his trip back to the country of his captivity highlights the June 21 edition of Air Force Television News. Tech. Sgt. Bill Scherer went along as Maj. Gen. Ed Mechenbier flew the famed “Hanoi Taxi” to the Vietnamese capital. The

  • Cadets get ‘constructive’ engineering experience

    Cadets exchange computers, backpacks and books for hard hats, lumber and a bulldozer when they sign up for a summer civil engineering course.The entry-level course takes place in the academy’s Jacks Valley at the field engineering and readiness laboratory. The five-week program acquaints 60 cadets

  • Doctor reports from field

    Keeping in touch with family and friends at home is a high priority for many deployed Airmen, but Lt. Col. (Dr.) John Torres, or "Dr. John" as he is known back home in Colorado, goes a step further.Besides being an emergency room doctor, Dr. Torres records a medical segment three times a week for

  • Tobacco use terminated in technical training

    Tobacco use and possession are no longer allowed for nonprior-service technical training students at any time while on base or in uniform. The change is included in Air Education and Training Command Instruction 36-2216, "Administration of Military Standards and Discipline Training," published June

  • Mechanics finish six-year F-15 engine upgrades

    Jet engine mechanics have turned the final wrenches on a unique F-15 Eagle engine upgrade program here, saving the Air Force more than $100 million, officials said. For the last six years, more than 100 jet engine mechanics with the 18th Maintenance Group have been converting F-15 engines. They

  • Airmen survive terrorist attack by being fit to fight

    In the early morning hours of May 30, an Airman lay in a dusty maintenance room of a building in Khobar, Saudi Arabia, with a tourniquet around his arm, struggling to stay alive.The morning before, Lt. Col. James Broome III and a colleague, Lt. Col. Ed O’Neal, both assigned to the U.S. Military

  • TACC commander receives management award

    The commander of the Tanker Airlift Control Center has received the 2003 Eugene M. Zuckert Management Award.Secretary of the Air Force Dr. James G. Roche presented Brig. Gen. Paul J. Selva with the award during a ceremony at the Pentagon on June 16.“I have the coolest job on the planet, because I

  • T-ballers make a hit on White House lawn

    What could be better than playing Little League baseball on a pleasant Sunday afternoon where no score is kept, everyone on the team gets to bat and a good time is had by all? Playing at the White House in the company of the president and first lady, that's what. Representing the Air Force, 14

  • NFL player scores big points at Incirlik

    As a Pittsburgh Steeler wide receiver, Hines Ward is accustomed to whipping past the opposition and scoring touchdowns on the football field. But during a visit here June 17, Mr. Ward scored big points -- not with his team, but with base people.Fans turned out in droves to meet Mr. Ward, who spent

  • Long-term care insurance still available

    Active-duty Airmen, some reservists, appropriated-fund civilian employees, retirees and qualified family members can still apply for the Federal Long-Term Care Insurance Program.The program is a benefit authorized by Congress to help federal employees defray the costs of in-home care, nursing-home

  • Reserve volunteers needed for force-protection duties

    Reserve component enlisted Airmen in any career field are eligible for a unique program allowing them to help protect Air Force bases nationwide. The air reserve component force protection volunteer program gives individual mobilization augmentee, Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard members

  • Air Force family fights fire with generosity

    A first-term Airman from the 3rd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron here, her husband, and their two small children were left homeless when an unexplained fire destroyed everything in their base housing unit recently.Out of the ashes of this tragedy, however, rose an unexpected phoenix. The Vazquez's

  • Officials take second look at ‘code-C’ limitations

    Following a review of the new force-shaping policy, Air Force officials rescinded the enlisted date-of-separation rollback for Airmen with an assignment limitation code “C.”“The secretary and chief of staff of the Air Force decided we should take a harder look at code-C limitations, and the medical

  • Morón keeps aircraft moving, projects expeditionary air power

    About halfway between the United States and the Middle East, the runway here was recently labeled by Secretary of the Air Force Dr. James G. Roche as “the irreplaceable gateway” for aircraft, cargo and troops headed for central and Southwest Asia . U.S. Air Forces in Europe leaders visited here

  • Web site explains National Security Personnel System

    Department of Defense officials launched a Web site to educate civilian employees about the new National Security Personnel System. NSPS will make changes in the way the department hires, pays, promotes, disciplines and fires civilian employees.The site is meant to help DOD employees understand the

  • Secretary, three others receive NAACP awards

    The Air Force secretary and three other Airmen received NAACP awards for outstanding and noteworthy efforts in implementing policies and programs which promote equal opportunity in the military.Secretary of the Air Force Dr. James G. Roche garnered the National Association for the Advancement of

  • Air Force journalists win DOD awards

    Air Force print and broadcast journalists won nine categories in the 2003 Thomas Jefferson Awards for excellence in military media. The results were announced by Defense Information School officials here.The awards recognize military and civilian employee print and broadcast journalists for

  • Major proves age, injury no obstacles to fitness

    Maj. Jeanne Frazier could not run, and she was dreading the mandatory physical training and fitness tests.Three months later, the 50-year-old major assigned to the 552nd Operations Support Squadron here was not only running, but she finished the required run in 16 minutes and 46 seconds. All

  • Patient safety year-round process

    Although the National Patient Safety Foundation celebrates Patient Safety Awareness week in March, Air Force Medical Service officials take it on as a year-round process.“Delivery of safe and effective patient care hinges on the integration of a continuous process designed to detect, assess,

  • Air National Guard experiencing transformation process

    The Air National Guard has developed its own way of transforming its forces to meet “The Way Ahead” initiatives of Army Lt. Gen. Steven Blum, chief of the National Guard Bureau, and to remain relevant to the active Air Force.Air National Guard officials call it “Vanguard,” the long-range

  • Flexibility helps 497th CTS Airmen succeed in Singapore

    Col. John Rogers Jr. credits being able to “think outside the box” to the success of his Airmen who successfully perform their daily mission here. Colonel Rogers is commander of the 497th Combat Training Squadron, a 36-person group comprising the basic functional elements of a small-scale fighter

  • Now showing: June 7 edition of AFTV News

    The continued increase in an Air Force presence in the Pacific region spotlights the latest edition of Air Force Television News. Tech. Sgt. Rusty Barfield reports on the planned addition of a C-17 Globemaster III unit at Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii, that will complement a buildup of air and

  • Officials remind Airmen to register to vote

    General elections are approaching and Air Force voting officials at the Air Force Personnel Center here are reminding everyone to register to vote.Department of Defense officials recently announced they have worked out a plan with the U.S. Postal Service to get absentee ballots to servicemembers

  • June issue of Airman available

    Read about Airmen chasing Olympic dreams, learn about the Army Air Forces involvement in D-Day and take a look at how one base is working to create happy trails for tiny lizards. These features and more highlight the June issue of Airman magazine, now available in print and online at

  • ‘Integration’ theme of JEFX 04 Spiral 3

    With the successful conclusion of Joint Expeditionary Force Experiment Spiral 3 recently, the stage is now set for the largest battle management command and control experiment ever.JEFX ‘04, the Air Force’s premier experimental venue for groundbreaking command and control technology and processes,

  • Commanders must lead efforts to combat sexual assaults

    The Air Force director of manpower and reserve affairs testified June 3 before Congress during a hearing on sexual-assault prevention and response within the armed forces.Michael Dominguez told members of the House Armed Service Committee total force subcommittee about efforts the service had made

  • PCS orders process streamlined for civilian employees

    Permanent change-of-station orders for Air Force civilians moving under the career program are now being prepared by Air Force Personnel Center officials here in an effort to simplify and streamline the process for getting orders to the employees.The majority of moves funded by the central PCS

  • Air Force announces business awards

    Winners of the 2003 Secretary of the Air Force Small and Disadvantaged Business Awards were recognized by Peter B. Teets, undersecretary of the Air Force, in a ceremony June 1.“As President (George W.) Bush said recently, small businesses and the entrepreneur spirit are ‘really what America has

  • Airmen, Soldiers team up to move payload

    Airmen and Soldiers here are joining forces to get passengers and cargo in and out of Baghdad International Airport rapidly.Airmen from the 447th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron’s aerial port flight and Soldiers from the 368th Cargo Transfer Company’s 4th Platoon and from the 386th

  • Absentee voter registration under way

    In just five months, voters nationwide will be taking advantage of their Constitutional rights as they help decide who will win the 2004 general election. With many servicemembers and civilian employees deployed overseas, voting by absentee ballot is just as important to the election as the votes

  • New inspection tool saves time, money, environment

    Air Force officials here are implementing a new inspection device to be used on aging aircraft that will speed repair, return them to operations for improved mission readiness and save $18 million in the process.The new system, called multiaxis X-ray, or MAX, uses noninvasive technology to detect

  • New procedures to speed overseas absentee balloting

    Absentee ballots from servicemembers overseas will move faster and with greater control for the 2004 elections, Department of Defense and U.S. Postal Service officials said June 2.Charles S. Abell, principal deputy undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness, and Paul Vogel, the Postal

  • Air Force offers new incentive for South Korea duty

    Airmen who volunteer to extend their tours of duty in South Korea may be eligible for an extra $300 per month.The assignment incentive pay program is designed to reduce permanent-change-of-station requirements, encourage longer tours, provide further stability and improve readiness on the peninsula,

  • National Security Forum introduces civic leaders to Air Force

    Jim Lawrance was just one of many guests attending this year’s National Security Forum who was favorably impressed by Air War College students, faculty and civilians.“I’ve been extremely impressed by the quality of the military personnel I’ve encountered here at Maxwell,” said Mr. Lawrance, a bank

  • DOD begins Tricare Retail Pharmacy

    Department of Defense officials announced that on June 1 the new Tricare Retail Pharmacy contract takes effect for Tricare beneficiaries located in the 50 United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Guam.The contract has about 53,000 civilian pharmacies in the

  • Airman found guilty of rape

    An Airman from the 27th Security Forces Squadron was found guilty of two charges of rape, one of carnal knowledge and one of indecent assault in a general court-martial held here recently.A military judge sentenced Airman 1st Class Joshua Loyd to 18 years confinement, a dishonorable discharge,

  • Recruiting numbers decrease with force shaping

    Air Force recruiters will be searching for about 11,000 fewer people in fiscal 2005 as a result of the service’s force-shaping efforts, officials here announced May 28. Phase II of the Air Force’s force-shaping program calls for enlisted accessions to drop by about 11,000 to reach authorized end

  • June issue of Citizen Airman available

    The June issue of Citizen Airman, the official magazine of the Air Force Reserve, is now available in print and online at www.afrc.af.mil/HQ/citamn/. Extra Hands -- When a group of people is carrying a load and the weight increases, a few extra hands can help relieve some of the burden of the

  • World War II veteran receives Purple Heart

    Fifty-nine years after his plane crashed near Rheims, France, an Air Force staff sergeant received his Purple Heart during a ceremony May 28 at the World War II Memorial here.John Martinez was a staff sergeant serving with the 9th Air Force as an aerial gunner in an A-20 attack bomber April 11,

  • Americans asked to remember heroes

    White House officials are asking Americans worldwide to pause for 60 seconds at 3 p.m. local time May 31 -- Memorial Day -- to honor America's fallen heroes and to recognize veterans and today's servicemembers, particularly those serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.This does not mean coming to a

  • Guard officials stress physical fitness

    Qatar is not as hot in November and December as it is in July and August; but the 80- to 90-degree days and the 40-degree nights in that small desert land between Saudi Arabia and the Persian Gulf can raise havoc with people who are not physically fit.That is a lesson some Airmen of the New York Air

  • Program seeks foreign language, area experts

    People with international skills are becoming more valuable to many organizations, and the Air Force is no exception.The foreign area officer program develops line officers with certain skills used by the Air Force and Department of Defense in positions where they are needed, said Lt. Col. Mike

  • Air Force officials approve force shaping Phase II

    As personnel officials review the last remaining applications for retirement or separation under the force-shaping program, a more extensive second phase of the plan has begun.The new initiatives include expanded waivers for a number of programs including active-duty service commitments and

  • F-16 technology links allied nations' aircraft

    Warriors in future conflicts will see United States and coalition nations sharing more of the battlefield load thanks to U.S. and allied countries' F-16 Fighting Falcons getting an upgraded software program.The U.S. version of the software underwent large-force operational testing during a recent

  • Officials approve wear of expeditionary medal

    Air Force officials have authorized wear of the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal which was approved by President Bush in 2003.The Department of Defense campaign medal applies to active-duty, Reserve and Guard servicemembers deployed abroad on or after Sept.11, 2001, for operations

  • Pro baseball player spends day as Airman

    Major League Baseball pitcher Al Leiter swapped his New York Mets uniform May 24 for an Air Force flight suit to become a boom operator here for a day.While here, the left-hander who has played in three World Series and has 146 career wins, learned the ropes of refueling from Senior Airman Chardo

  • Pilots train on gunnery marksmanship

    Firing on a banner pulled behind a slow-flying aircraft, F-15 Eagle pilots worked on their gunnery marksmanship near here May 17 to 21.The training simulates air-to-air combat by using a Learjet 35 to drag a 68-pound banner 1,500 feet behind the aircraft. Pilots shoot at the banner as it is pulled

  • Military, civilian medics join forces

    About 400 civilian and military medics joined together here recently for a high-level medical conference held by the Air National Guard’s medical service.The Readiness Frontiers Medical Conference explored, among other matters, the relationship between the civilian and military medical

  • Rumsfeld defers tanker lease decision

    Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld has deferred a decision on the tanker recapitalization program until additional studies now under way can be completed. Officials said the decision was based in part on recommendations made by the Defense Science Board’s aerial refueling task force.The data

  • Airmen help rural Thai preschool

    More than 12 Airmen from Kadena Air Base, Japan, helped a preschool near here May 19, offering supplies, building materials and a playground renovation.Airmen from the 353rd Special Operations Group arrived at the rural school, located 30 miles south of here, at about 10 a.m. They began

  • Americans teach Thai teenagers English

    Passakorn Bungaow never spoke English with a foreigner before. That changed May 21 when Airmen visited a local school to help teach Thai students studying English. The visit was part of the speaking and listening program run by English teacher Sompong Phothijark.“The (Airmen) are very, very good at

  • Firefighters, community preserve Air Force history

    People of the 49th Civil Engineer Squadron fire and emergency services department here recently finished restoring a 1958 O-6 Cardox fire crash truck. They presented it to the military firefighter’s heritage museum at Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas, during a dedication ceremony May 18.Mark

  • Deadline set to apply for developmental education

    Mission support officers considering basic developmental education programs in 2005 have until June 15 to apply.Available programs include:-- Air Force Institute of Technology.-- Education with industry.-- Space-lift education and crossover program.-- Space and missile acquisition exchange

  • Airman makes children smile in Cambodia

    Children here have already figured out that if they stop by the hospital here in the afternoon, they are almost sure to be in for some type of treat. The first day it was coloring books. Then it was lollipops and high-fives. May 23 it was clothes. But while the handouts have been random, there is

  • Now showing: May 24 edition of AFTV News

    The affect of extended activations on Air Force reservists, Air National Guardsmen, their families and employers, spotlights the latest edition of Air Force Television News.Tech. Sgt. Bill Scherer travels to Pennsylvania to profile Jillian Mentkewicz, a senior airman in the Air Force Reserve who is

  • Man becomes Airman, dreams of flying

    His destiny hit him in a flash, as an 8-year-old child watching television in his family’s home.“I just got a push,” said Senior Airman Kamarudini Raimi, a 509th Munitions Squadron supply liaison. “It came while I was watching TV. I saw pilots with their headsets and suits and I thought it was

  • Last Randolph T-38A simulator shut down

    After 26 years of training thousands of pilots, the last full-motion T-38A Talon simulators here was retired. The once state-of-the-art equipment is being replaced by virtual reality trainers designed to reproduce the cockpit of the new T-38C aircraft. Ron Hamada, now a training manager at the Air

  • Medics distribute mosquito nets in Cambodia

    Tech. Sgt. Bryan Gray spent the morning of May 20 handing out 300 mosquito nets to three Cham-Muslim villages near here, something he said is extremely rewarding.“To help poor people by giving them something that will help them from getting sick is rewarding. Especially since there is no medical

  • AF family gives two Chernobyl children health, hope

    On April 26, 1986, the world’s worst nuclear power accident occurred at Chernobyl in the former Soviet Union, now the Ukraine.Plant workers noticed something drastically wrong with a reactor and began an emergency shutdown -- a procedure that only takes 20 seconds. Unfortunately, that was 13

  • Two Airmen among recipients of GEICO award

    Two Airmen were among the recipients of the annual Government Employees Insurance Company Military Service Awards. The Airmen were chosen for the award because of their work with drug- and alcohol-abuse prevention programs, officials said. Air Force award recipients for 2003 are: -- Senior Master

  • Military brings Iraqi children gifts from America

    More than 300 Iraqi children from a small village near here thanked the Airmen and Soldiers who delivered a large number school supplies and toys from American children.About 30 Airmen and Soldiers traveled May 17 to the village to hand out school supplies and toys to the children. The items were

  • Airmen complete Marine Corps martial arts training

    Staff Sgt. Eric Earp does not necessarily consider himself athletic, but that did not keep him from completing a “grueling” weeklong Marine Corps martial arts training program. “I wanted to see if I could complete a Marine Corps program,” said Sergeant Earp of the 735th Expeditionary Communications

  • Four Falcons claim championship titles

    Four members of the Air Force Academy’s track and field program claimed conference titles May 14 and 15 at the 2004 Mountain West Conference Outdoor Championships in Las Vegas. For the third consecutive year, the men earned a third-place finish with 161.5 points, while the women finished seventh

  • Senior citizens punch, kick their way to health

    While some people may retire to a rocking chair, Nancy Newell is spending her retirement punching and kicking her way to a healthier lifestyle.And she is not alone.Seventeen senior citizens put up a “fight” at the fitness center here for a senior Tae Bo class May 10 -- a special feature to the

  • Medics provide multifaceted care

    Medical technicians here are perfecting the art of multitasking.Although they receive initial training in a variety of jobs, at a home base the technicians are usually only assigned one job at a time, said Master Sgt. Bill Wnek, the 447th Expeditionary Medical Squadron’s nursing services

  • Leaders show off Raptor, Joint Strike Fighter at air show

    Air Force senior leaders took advantage of an open house here to tell reporters and visitors about the service’s newest fighters, the F/A-22 Raptor and F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.Secretary of the Air Force Dr. James G. Roche held a press conference before a static display of both aircraft May 14

  • Crew returns Phantom jet to Florida sky

    Arizona-based technicians saved the military $620,000 when they rebuilt a QF-4 Phantom II full-scale aerial target drone. The drone had suffered extensive missile damage to its aft section during a warfare exercise over the Atlantic Ocean near here.Even though shrapnel had shattered the QF-4's

  • DOD officials expand Pentagon Channel

    The Pentagon Channel, the Defense Department's news and information television source, officially expanded its service May 14 with a live broadcast from Andrews Air Force Base, Md. The Pentagon Channel, which previously existed as an information channel within the Pentagon, is now distributed 24

  • Airman struggles to save her family

    Soon, Airman 1st Class Ayaan Nduli hopes to sleep well at night.It would mean 15 years of worrying and waiting were over.It would mean her family is safe.The story of Airman Nduli, an honor guard member here, begins in Somalia in 1981, when her mother, Sahra Cali Sherwac, was pregnant with her, the

  • Recalled officer retires -- again

    An Airman who began his military career as a Marine Corps rifleman in 1962 is retiring for the second time.Lt. Col. Theron Sims, who is on terminal leave, rejoined the Air Force on May 15, 2002, as part of the Rated Officer Recall Program. Colonel Sims was the service’s senior lieutenant colonel,

  • Air Force garners 18 Presidential Rank Awards

    White House officials recently named the 2003 Presidential Rank Award recipients.The awards program was established to recognize career senior executive service employees and senior professionals who exemplify the highest level of integrity, leadership and personal conduct.Awards are given in two

  • Air Force takes four White House-level environmental awards

    The Air Force received 2004 White House Closing the Circle awards for four environmental programs.Closing the Circle awards are presented to federal agencies that demonstrate outstanding achievement in environmental innovation, recycling, and waste and pollution prevention.The 2004 Closing the

  • Robins employee sheds 150 pounds

    An employee here replaced her size 28 pants and more than 150 extra pounds with a size 16 and a new lease on life. Irish Frederick, 35, of Byron, Ga., said she is slimmer, fitter and “lookin’ good.”The classroom program assistant at Robins’ Child Development Center said she lost weight by changing

  • VA reaches out to newest combat veterans

    The Department of Veterans Affairs is expanding its efforts to reach veterans of combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan to ensure they are aware of benefits they have earned.Anthony Principi, VA secretary, is sending a letter to more than 150,000 veterans of operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring

  • NASA selects servicemembers to explore space

    Four servicemembers were among 11 candidates NASA has chosen to be the next generation of space explorers, officials announced May 6.Maj. James Dutton, 35, and Marine Corps Maj. Randolph Bresnik, 36, were chosen to be space shuttle pilots. Navy Lt. Cmdr. Christopher Cassidy, 34, and Army Maj. Shane

  • Blood donors necessary in war, peace

    It may seem like blood centers are always asking for more. The fact is, there is a constant need for blood.Technological advances have a lot to do with this continuous need for blood, said Capt. Christine Murphy, the 48th Medical Group executive officer here. More and more, there have been