NATO Air Policing operations

U.S. Air Force News

  • Engineers mix batch of laser chemicals

    A 1,200-gallon batch of chemicals that help make a laser beam capable of destroying a ballistic missile was recently prepared and assessed by airborne laser engineers from here.The event occurred at the Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., ABL facility shortly after a shipment of 4,400 gallons of

  • Safety concerns ground aircraft

    Forty-five aircraft assigned here have been grounded amid safety concerns after Air Force quality assurance evaluators discovered contractor maintenance irregularities. The grounding affects cadets participating in soaring and parachute training, and the Cadet Flying Team.Safety concern was

  • Captain donates marrow to save life

    When Capt. Brent Davis agreed to help drum up support for a bone marrow donor drive, he had no idea that 18 months and 1.5 liters of bone marrow later his actions may have saved a young man’s life.The journey began when a fellow officer contacted Captain Davis, 910th Airlift Wing public affairs

  • Development teams up, running

    Every officer career field now has development teams set up to “vector” officer career development. "They're up and running," said Col. Kathleen Grabowski, chief of assignment policy at the Air Force Personnel Center here. "They're applying a great deal of collective officer career experience to

  • Airman selected for flight attendant program

    It is not every day you get to cook dinner for Vice President Dick Cheney and his wife, but that is what Staff Sgt. Melissa Magyari will soon be doing -- and at 30,000 feet, no less.The 19th Air Refueling Group command section information manager was one of 10 active-duty servicemembers recently

  • Four airmen vie for GEICO awards

    Four Air Force noncommissioned officers have been chosen to represent the Air Force and vie for the 2003 Government Employee Insurance Company Military Service Awards.The NCOs' records will compete against other members of the armed forces in three categories. Staff Sgt. Mashawn Black and Senior

  • ART leave no longer authorized

    Volunteerism by Air Force Reserve Command's full-time military technicians may drop as result of a new interpretation of law. Air reserve technicians can no longer use 44 days of military leave while serving on active duty outside the continental United States, said officials in the office of the

  • 'Fellows' get front-row view of government

    At a time when citizen airmen are being activated and deployed, making personal sacrifices and being placed in harms way, it is important the government they defend understands the issues facing them.To ensure they are represented in Congress, Air Force reservists participate in the Air Force

  • DOD resumes anthrax shots

    A federal judge ruled Jan. 7 that the Defense Department could again legally administer anthrax immunizations to servicemembers.Military commanders "should immediately resume the anthrax vaccination program," wrote Dr. David S.C. Chu, DOD personnel chief, in a department-wide memorandum. The

  • Airman fulfills 'the American dream'

    She is of Bulgarian descent, her last name is Irish and she picked up English as her fifth language.Although Senior Airman Deliana Kelly, of the 376th Mission Support Group, has lived in the United States for less than five years, she feels she is the living, breathing embodiment of “the American

  • Voluntary NCO retraining begins

    The Air Force needs 1,100 noncommissioned officers in surplus career fields to voluntarily retrain into shortage career fields to balance the enlisted force in 2004.The voluntary phase of the fiscal 2004 NCO Retraining Program began Jan. 5 and ends Feb. 23. The program helps balance the enlisted

  • Leaders do first official PT test

    The Air Force’s most senior leaders, both officer and enlisted, completed their fitness evaluations Jan. 7 at the Bolling Air Force Base Wellness Center. The group was among the first in the Air Force to have their physical fitness evaluated using the service’s new fitness standard. Under the

  • Rumsfeld outlines DOD priorities

    The war on terrorism will remain the Defense Department's top priority in the new year, as officials continue to focus on improving and modernizing its programs, systems and forces to make them more responsive to 21st century requirements.Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said the department

  • Balad medics aid villagers

    She could not walk or sit. The 5-year-old girl was the size of a child two years younger. In the United States she would have had surgery in infancy and would have likely grown and developed normally. That is in the United States. In Iraq, millions of Iraqis have gone without proper medical care

  • Now showing: Jan. 5 edition of AFTV News

    The celebrated history of the Air Force’s precision aerial demonstration team, the Thunderbirds, is the subject of the latest edition of Air Force Television News. Produced and anchored by Staff Sgt. Marty Rush, the program is the third in a series of four special editions during the holiday

  • Loans temporarily help reservists

    Overseas deployments can be tough on families. Naturally, the initial focus falls upon the emotional cost of separation. But, for guardsmen and reservists who own small businesses, the cost involved in a deployment takes on a whole new meaning.For the past two years, the U.S. Small Business

  • Airmen provide humanitarian relief

    An adolescent Afghan girl watched protectively over a group of small children as they looked for winter clothing amidst a pile of boxes containing humanitarian relief supplies. As crowds of people from neighboring villages pressed their way forward, the girl stood her ground and pushed people back

  • Operation Hero Miles expands

    Alice Rodgers, a single mother, paid more than $1,000 for round-trip tickets from Tipton, Iowa, so she and her daughter, Lindsey, could visit her son. He is recuperating at Walter Reed Army Medical Center here from wounds he suffered in an ambush in Iraq.However, when Rodgers returns for her next

  • AFMC improves deployment process

    Air Force Materiel Command officials fielded a tool in the summer designed to help people keep better track of their deployment information and they said it is already making a difference.The Deployment Qualification System is a Web-based tool providing units with capabilities they have never had

  • Visual information flashes light on mission

    Thousands of unsung heroes are contributing to the rebuilding of Iraq, and a team of military visual information specialists at Baghdad International Airport are letting the American public see more of these dedicated airmen.“Primarily, we support the 447th Air Expeditionary Group by documenting

  • Officials examine anthrax court decision

    The Defense Department will stop anthrax vaccinations until the legal situation around a recent court decision is resolved, Department of Defense officials said. Defense officials and lawyers with the Justice Department are examining a decision handed down by a federal judge in Washington on Dec. 22

  • Prior-service airmen receive SKT exemptions

    Prior-service airmen who do not possess the minimum required primary Air Force specialty skill level commensurate with their grade will now automatically receive a two-year exemption from taking the Specialty Knowledge Test during promotion fitness exams.The change will become effective with the

  • Blood donors needed during holiday

    Armed Services Blood Program officials are urging eligible donors to give blood this holiday season to ensure supplies are available to treat servicemembers, retirees and their families.The blood program organization collects, processes and distributes blood and blood products for the Department of

  • Class project teaches movie-making

    He is dry-witted, serious about his craft, and worried about budget and deadlines. He produced and directed his first movie last spring and, perhaps most notably, he is too young to legally see many movies playing in the theaters.Steven Watts, a 13-year-old Spangdahlem Middle School student, and

  • New MRE entrees coming soon

    Servicemembers in the field about to grab a Meal, Ready to Eat combat ration might want to choose the Jamaican pork chop, the pasta with alfredo sauce or the beef with mushrooms.These entrees will soon be gone from the MRE inventory, and replaced by new dishes that food technologists at the U.S.

  • Automated External Defibrillator saves life

    Two days before Thanksgiving, Bob Green and his wife, Mary, came here to shop at the commissary.While such trips are not usually very momentous, this one proved to be a lifesaver for the 68-year-old retired Air Force technical sergeant who suddenly became ill that day. Sitting on a bench while his

  • Capturing holiday with one shot

    “Just like senior pictures.” More than one airman or soldier made that remark on a recent weekend as they waited their turn to pose for digital Christmas portraits.The picture-perfect gifts were meant for family and friends.A 455th Expeditionary Operations Group aircraft maintenance hangar was

  • Rocket launches from Florida

    One hundred years after the Wright Brothers flew 120 feet, a Delta II rocket placed a Global Positioning System satellite into orbit from here Dec. 21.A team consisting of people from the 1st Space Launch Squadron, the Space and Missile Systems Center, Lockheed and Boeing launched the 49th GPS.“The

  • Now showing: Dec. 22 edition of AFTV News

    The Dec. 22 edition of Air Force Television News celebrates the centennial of flight, the Air Force contribution to man’s eternal quest to fly and the repository highlighting that quest.Produced and hosted by Tech. Sgt. Bill Scherer, the second of four special editions of Air Force Television News

  • ‘First-strike rations’ developed

    "Ration stripping" is what they call it when forward-deployed combat servicemembers get rid of all but the most essential items from their Meals, Ready to Eat so they do not have so much to carry as they set out on a mission.Servicemembers in Operation Anaconda in Afghanistan reported sacrificing

  • Applications available for teen aviation camp

    Thirty-six teens will have the opportunity to attend the fifth annual Air Force Teen Aviation Camp at the U.S. Air Force Academy. The camp will run June 5 to 11.High-school students who have completed their freshman or sophomore year and are interested in the academy and aviation camp should submit

  • Lackland civilian wins DOD award

    Department of Defense officials named the 2003 Outstanding DOD Employee with a Disability Award during a recent ceremony in Bethesda, Md.Raymond Jenks, an instructional systems specialist with the 37th Training Support Squadron at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, is the winner.“It really feels great

  • AF names environmental winners

    The Air Force civil engineer announced the winners of the Gen. Thomas D. White Environmental Award for 2003.Nine of the winners are eligible for the secretary of defense environmental-security award and will go forward as the nominees.The 2003 winners are:-- Environmental Quality Award

  • SG prioritizes influenza vaccinations

    The Air Force is taking prudent steps to protect the health and safety of all its beneficiaries in light of the early onset of influenza.The nationwide increase of influenza cases and reports of severe complications, including deaths, has led to a higher demand for influenza vaccination than in

  • C-17 debuts in exercise

    For the first time, the C-17 Globemaster III was included in a mission-employment exercise held here the first two weeks of December. The C-17 adds a greater air-mobility presence to the exercise, which allows combat air forces to get a better idea of how the airlifters are used, said Lt. Col. John

  • Tallil airmen donate clothes to Iraqis

    Airmen here have found a way to become involved with the local Iraqi community through a joint operation with the Army.As airmen leave the base after their tours of duty, many dispose of their civilian clothes. Officials here decided to collect the discarded clothes, clean them and give them to

  • AF identifies operational shortfalls

    Air Force officials released a list of operational shortfalls Dec. 17. The list came from a two-year analysis of current and future warfighting effects and capabilities, a process called a capabilities review and risk assessment.The assessment identified and prioritized critical operational

  • ‘Spirit of Freedom’ dedicated at AF museum

    U.S. Air Force Museum officials formally inducted a B-2 Spirit stealth bomber into the institution’s aircraft collection Dec. 16. The Air Force’s national museum is the first place to permanently exhibit the stealth bomber to the public.During the dedication ceremony, officials christened the

  • Replacements sought for aging helicopters

    An aging fleet of combat search and rescue helicopters is leading Air Force officials on a quest for a new personnel recovery vehicle.The HH-60G Pave Hawks that comprise the CSAR helicopter fleet are 14 years old on average. The oldest are 23 years old and have surpassed the 7,000 flying-hour mark.

  • Regis, Kelly featuring troop holiday messages

    Regis Philbin and Kelly Ripa, hosts of the morning talk show, "Live with Regis and Kelly," will feature televised holiday greetings from deployed U.S. servicemembers to their loved ones at home throughout Christmas week.Footage of troops in Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait, Korea and Bosnia, all shot by

  • Hoaxes affect government cards

    A recent e-mail hoax targeted government purchasing cardholders in an attempt to gain vital account information.The e-mail message linked users to a Web-based form, which fraudulently requested key information such as Social Security number, credit card account numbers and expiration dates.“This is

  • Group explains re-employment rights

    Bobby Hollingsworth calls it “closing the loop.”He is the executive director of the National Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve, commonly referred to as ESGR. He is referring to how that organization is taking its message to members of the National Guard and other reservists,

  • Airman plays big role in B-2 legacy

    He is Whiteman 7. He is Spirit 36. He is “GQ.” He is the first Whiteman-trained B-2 Spirit instructor pilot. And now, he is the project officer for the celebration of the 10th anniversary of the Spirit of Missouri’s arrival here Dec. 17.Col. Scott Land, 509th Operations Group deputy commander,

  • Airmen ongoing an ‘Amazing Race’

    Many organizations here have active group fitness programs. Some airmen head to the fitness center to play volleyball, while others go there and do timed push-ups and sit-ups.Each month, Space and Missile Systems Center Detachment 11 and Electronic Systems Center Detachment 5 airmen come together

  • AF suicide prevention recognized

    A landmark University of Rochester study of suicide in the U.S. Air Force concluded that the service’s suicide-prevention program reduced the risk of suicide by 33 percent during the past six years. The research was reported in the Dec. 12 edition of the British Medical Journal. "This is a

  • FEGLI rates rise for some

    Some Air Force people covered by Federal Employees Group Life Insurance will see an increase in premiums in January.Civilian employees in the Option B 70 to 80 or older age bands are slated for the increase the first full pay period of the new year, said Janet Thomas of the Air Force Personnel

  • Study determining C-5A's viability

    Experts here are evaluating the C-5 Galaxy's current health, service life and long-term viability as the first phase of an on-going study to decide the aircraft’s future.The four-phase C-5A Structural Risk Analysis and Model Revalidation study began here at the request of Air Mobility Command

  • Cadet named academic all-American

    An academy senior has been named to the 2003 Academic All-American Men’s Soccer Team, a first in the 48-year history of men’s soccer here.Cadet 1st Class Casey Chronister, of Yakima, Wash., is a forward and team co-captain on the soccer team, is a second-team selection and has a 3.85 grade point

  • AFN broadcasts from Baghdad

    U.S. military broadcasters hit the airwaves in Baghdad, Iraq, on Dec. 10 with the first manned American Forces Radio and Television Service broadcast from the country.American Forces Network-Iraq, features live shows, news, sports, weather and commentary 24 hours a day in Baghdad. By the end of

  • A Nighthawk in Raptor's clothing

    It took 10 gallons of dark gray paint, 5 1/2 gallons of light gray paint and 3 gallons of silicon paint to give one F-117A Nighthawk here an F/A-22 Raptor-style makeover.Lt. Col. Kevin Sullivan, the 53rd Test and Evaluation Group’s Detachment 1 commander, asked the 49th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron

  • Officials target military pay increases

    Military personnel will see their basic pay more in line with their civilian counterparts in the private sector in 2004 thanks to an increased pay and benefits compensation package. The package is included in the 2004 Defense Authorization Act approved by Congress.The 2004 military pay and benefits

  • AF releasing new fitness instruction

    One of the most noticeable changes to the Air Force’s new fitness program is that it will be defined by an operational rather than a medical instruction. The change shows that senior leaders consider fitness an important part of operational readiness, said Maj. Lisa Schmidt, the Air Force chief of

  • Advisory board seeks reservists’ input

    When reservists on the Air Force Reserve Advisory Board meet at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas, Jan. 23 and 24, they can add another success story to their list of accomplishments.President George W. Bush signed the fiscal 2004 National Defense Authorization Act on Nov. 24,

  • Now showing: Dec. 8 edition of AFTV News

    The journey from wanting to be a pilot in the Air Force to becoming one is the subject of the latest edition of Air Force Television News. “The Making of a Pilot” is the first program in a series of four special productions to be aired during the holiday season.Produced by Staff Sgt. Marty Rush at

  • Officials urge flu virus protection

    With flu season here and deadly outbreaks of the virus being reported across the country, Department of Defense health-care officials are urging servicemembers, DOD civilians and family members to get vaccinated. Dr. David Tornberg, deputy assistant secretary of defense for clinical and program

  • Environmental symposium registration begins

    Registration began Dec. 1 for the 2004 Environmental Training Symposium scheduled for March 8 to 12 in Nashville, Tenn.The symposium is conducted by officials from Air Combat Command, Air Education and Training Command, Air Mobility Command and Air Force Space Command. More than 1,500 students from

  • IDEA recovers more than $2 million

    A discovery by an Air Force Research Laboratory employee here has led to the recovery by the Air Force of more than $2 million in hidden funds. Susan Hluska, a procurement analyst at AFRL's information directorate, has earned a $10,000 award from the Air Force Innovative Development through

  • Airmen help improve C-130 night missions

    Air Force survival equipment technicians are helping make Pacific Air Force nighttime airlift operations safer by replacing the interior insulation on C-130 Hercules aircraft during an ongoing refurbishment program here. During night training, C-130 aircrews use Night Vision Imaging System

  • Air Force logistics moves into new century with ‘eLog21’

    With the creation of the Air Force Installations and Logistics Directorate of Innovation and Transformation, the Air Force is updating the way logistics processes work.“There are some things we are still doing that fit a Cold War scenario,” said Lt. Gen. Michael Zettler, Air Force deputy chief of

  • Paper CLEP tests coming online

    The College Level Examination Program, a popular route for many servicemembers seeking degrees, will introduce 14 new paper tests in April.Since July 2001, more than 1,300 campus test centers have offered electronic computer-based CLEP tests. The reintroduced paper-based exams are considered "high

  • Civilian makes sculptures from recyclables

    Turning discarded aluminum soda cans, fabric, cardboard, plastic, glass, newspaper and wood into environmental art is a labor of love for Helen Walker.“Environmental art sculptures are very effective because they tell a story,” said the quality assurance evaluator for the 89th Civil Engineer

  • December issue of Airman available

    Learn where the Air Force is heading with the future of flight, take a look at airmen supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom, and learn about a unique program creating elite canine airmen. These features and more highlight the December issue of Airman magazine, now available in print and online at

  • AF-Navy develop joint radio system

    The Air Force and Navy have agreed to merge their two formerly separate programs for the acquisition of improved radio systems.The result will be the development of the Joint Tactical Radio System, a single family of radios designed to replace incompatible units in use across the services.Senior

  • Families ‘guarded’ while loved ones deployed

    Saying goodbye is never easy, especially to children who may not understand why their parents must deploy to support their country.One of the many tools Minnesota Family Programs Office officials offer is the Guardian Bear, which is available for children ranging in age from birth to 16 years.The

  • 'Starr' helps NORAD track Santa

    A “Starr” in the east will help guide North American Aerospace Defense Command’s Santa-tracking tradition Dec. 24. The Starr is none other than former Beatle, Ringo Starr, who will be NORAD’S honorary Santa tracker for Christmas 2003.“Santa and I are personal friends,” Starr said from his home in

  • AF announces prom sweepstakes

    Air Force officials announced the start of the fourth annual “Win the Perfect Prom Sweepstakes” on Dec 1.The sweepstakes, which runs through Feb. 29, offers high-school students a chance to win prizes, including the grand prize, an all-expenses-paid prom and a live prom concert by recording artists

  • Airmen encourage ‘green’ Christmas

    There is a Christmas story told about a little evergreen that wanted to grow up and be a beautiful Christmas tree.Airmen here have flipped the story by starting a program to take decorated holiday trees and replant them so they can be big, strong evergreens.Airmen from the 28th Civil Engineer

  • Tallil airman hears child’s birth

    Being in a deployed location is difficult on most servicemembers. That difficulty is only compounded when a wife back home is pregnant.Staff Sgt. Brian Schmied, a survival equipment craftsman assigned to Pope Air Force Base, N.C., was faced with that problem when he arrived here more than 100 days

  • New schools, centers of excellence created

    Two new centers of excellence and two Air Force schools have been created, Air Mobility Warfare Center officials announced Nov. 25.The warfare center now will be home to the centers for agile-combat support and for air mobility as well as the U.S. Air Force Mobility Operations School and the U.S.

  • December issue of Citizen Airman available

    Life is returning to normal for thousands of Air Force reservists mobilized -- some for as long as two years -- after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.For many reservists, the transition from full-time active-duty status back to civilian life and part-time Reserve duty has gone smooth as silk.

  • Letters from Santa

    Combat weather flight airmen here will once again help Santa send out thousands of signed, North Pole-postmarked letters to children worldwide.The Santa’s Mailbag program started in 1954 by 58th Weather Reconnaissance Squadron airmen, and has been carried on by those of the 354th Operations Support

  • Babies help parents workout

    Balancing a career, family and fitness program is not always easy.A training routine, created by fitness trainer Mindy Mylrea here, may help new parents get fit and spend quality time with their babies.The routine is designed for mothers and fathers with a 20- to 30-pound baby and should be done

  • Now showing: Nov. 24 edition AFTV news

    The terrorist threat of urban warfare and how the Air Force is preparing for it, is highlighted in the latest edition of Air Force Television News. Tech. Sgt. Pachari Lutke goes to Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., to report on training airmen are getting before deploying to places like Iraq and

  • ACSC launches force-development curriculum

    More than 500 majors attending Air Command and Staff College here are the first to experience a more robust and tougher curriculum. The changes, directed by Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper, prepare officers for operational career broadening and increase their knowledge of military

  • Online voting offers alternative

    Potentially hundreds of airmen serving worldwide may be eligible to vote online in 2004 based on a major government initiative to simplify the absentee-ballot process.The secure electronic registration and voting experiment program is part of the Federal Voting Assistance Program. Program

  • Cadet named Rhodes Scholar

    An academy senior added a Rhodes Scholarship to her growing list of accomplishments Nov. 22.Cadet 1st Class Delavane Diaz was one of 32 U.S. citizens who will take post-graduate degree courses at the University of Oxford, in Oxford, England. Diaz, who was also an Academic All-District Team

  • Students welcome back 'Baghdad Buddy'

    Fourth-grade students Allison Foster and Rebeca Reyes, both 9, said they were sad to see the military go off to war in Iraq. Reyes said she really did not know much about the war, other than what her mother told her: "That my grandpapa was in the last one."However, on Nov. 21 any sadness the two

  • Bush signs defense authorization act

    Calling it a landmark piece of legislation that sends the clear message that "Americans stand with the United States military," President George W. Bush signed the fiscal 2004 National Defense Authorization Act in a Pentagon ceremony here Nov. 24.A bipartisan group of legislators and Department of

  • Civilians earn their 'stripes'

    The noncommissioned officers academy here is one of two Air Force test sites allowing civilians to learn the ropes of leadership by working side-by-side with enlisted airmen.Robins and Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M., are part of a yearlong trial phase that could change the way professional military

  • New protection ahead in helmets, body armor

    New, reinforced helmets and body armor currently being fielded to the military represent just the tip of the iceberg in terms of what is on the drawing board for protecting warfighters of the future.The future fighting force will have far superior protective systems that provide enhanced

  • Travelers may donate airline miles

    Operation Hero Miles allows travelers to donate frequent-flier miles to help servicemembers on leave from Iraq reach their destinations. Servicemembers participating in the two-week "rest and recuperation" leave program are flown free to airports at Rhein-Main Air Base, Germany; Atlanta; Baltimore;

  • Officials focus on ‘art-of-war’ decisions

    A new capability demonstrated by Electronic Systems Center officials here drives right to the heart of Air Force Chief of Staff Gen John P. Jumper’s quest for “machine-to-machine” automation of command and control.Known as Synchronized Air Power Management, this process gets air battle managers out

  • Seasons greetings host has AF background

    The emcee for a whirlwind musical and comedy show making six stops in Europe carries with her three decades of Air Force family life and the want to give back to her country.Mary Therese Tebbe is the hostess for the Air Force Reserve's Operation Seasons Greetings program. It includes combined Air

  • Air Force CD features Toby Keith

    This year's Red, White and Air Force Blue holiday compact disc features music and interviews from country-music star Toby Keith. This is the ninth holiday CD produced by the Air Force Recruiting Service. The CD is sent to radio stations across the country to help get the Air Force message on the

  • Space-acquisitions policy changes

    Air Force leaders announced a change in space-acquisition policy at a Senate Armed Services subcommittee meeting Nov. 18.Undersecretary of the Air Force Peter B. Teets and Lt. Gen. Brian Arnold, Space and Missile Systems Center commander, testified before members of the strategic forces

  • Yeti joins Air Force academy mascots

    The cast of falcon mascots here increased with the addition of its newest bird, Yeti.A hybrid cross between a white gyrfalcon and a Middle Eastern saker, Yeti is a large, athletic bird, said Lt. Col. Jim Imlay, 34th Training Wing director of staff and academy falconry director.The idea for the new

  • Working group releases museum report

    Independent working group officials, tasked to review the Air Force Museum's operational procedures, released their findings Nov. 18. The working group was assembled after museum artifacts turned up lost or missing.Secretary of the Air Force Dr. James G. Roche chartered the working group Sept. 15

  • Supplemental bill to improve quality of life

    Part of the $87.5 billion supplemental-appropriations bill for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan signed earlier this month by President George W. Bush will go toward improving quality of life for servicemembers there."We want people to have air conditioning," Dov S. Zakheim said here Nov.

  • Two programs help officers join JAG Corps

    Company grade officers who want to join forces with the Air Force's Judge Advocate General Corps will have a chance from January to March.Two programs, the Funded Legal Education Program and the Excess Leave Program, allow active-duty officers to pursue law degrees without ever leaving the Air

  • Fitness program showing results

    Airmen have been filling fitness centers and burning up running tracks in preparation for the new, tougher fitness-testing standard set to begin Jan. 1.Direct, immediate and overwhelming feedback from the field says that airmen are taking the new fitness challenge seriously, said Air Force Chief of

  • Personal beacon used in first rescue

    A Cleveland man was rescued Nov. 14 through the help of a personal locator beacon and efforts of Air Force Rescue Coordination Center officials here. The rescue marks the first such use of personal locator beacons in the contiguous United States.Carl Skalak was in the Adirondack Mountains of

  • Changes making civilian jobs easier to fill

    Internal and external job seekers will find some differences when applying for an Air Force nonbargaining career-program position."These changes reflect our effort to improve service, timeliness and quality of candidates referred for (job) vacancies," said Isabel Herrera, personnel management

  • First call-to-service airmen graduate

    The first person to enlist into the Air Force under the National Call to Service program graduated from Basic Military Training on Nov. 14 at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas. Airman Hector Barreto of Ingleside, Texas, joined seven other airmen graduating who were among the first to take advantage of

  • Deployed airmen help Kyrgyz children

    A small group of security forces airmen here made a large impact on the lives of a group of ailing, special needs and underprivileged children from a local orphanage Nov. 8 as part of an ongoing humanitarian effort.The group of 10 airmen, predominantly from Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., used

  • Tae Bo creator helps open fitness center

    Pounding music, NBA-style introductions and cheers of more than 500 people accompanied the base’s 18-person fitness team as they ran onto the new basketball court Nov. 7 to workout with Billy Blanks, the creator of Tae Bo.The mix of military and civilians, spouses, children and friends turned out

  • Elmendorf first to field new AIM-9X

    The 12th and 19th fighter squadrons here are the first operational units within the Department of Defense to field and train with the new AIM-9X Sidewinder.A ceremony celebrating the achievement was held here Nov. 13. “We’re thrilled the 3rd Wing has the opportunity to be on the cutting edge of

  • Tax relief aids military, families

    Legislation signed by President George W. Bush on Nov. 11 increases the death gratuity payment to $12,000 and provides that the full payment is tax-free.That portion of the Military Family Tax Relief Act of 2003 is retroactive to Sept. 10, 2001, to provide for servicemembers who died in the

  • Plant saves money, resources

    The Air Force's first power plant to use methane gas piped in from a nearby landfill should be completed here by August, saving the base $600,000 per year in energy costs.Funded by the private sector, the plant will use methane gas from a nearby landfill, allowing power recipients to keep from

  • Applications now accepted for intern program

    Air Force Research Laboratory Propulsion Directorate officials are kicking off the 3rd Annual Wright Scholar Research Assistant Program for summer 2004. High-school juniors and seniors can now apply for the opportunity to work hands-on research, while under the guidance of science and engineering

  • Global Hawk returns from Germany

    The Air Force’s Global Hawk Unmanned Aerial Vehicle has returned home from a successful three-week deployment to Germany, according to program officials.Landing at the Air Force Flight Test Center at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., Nov. 7, after a 21.6 hour transatlantic flight, the vehicle