HomeNews

NATO Air Policing operations

U.S. Air Force News

  • Elmendorf NCO receives DOD honor

    Department of Defense officials recently recognized an Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska, NCO for significant contributions to the sustainment, beddown and/or operational capability of AIM-9X Sidewinder missiles for the 3rd Wing here. Staff Sgt. Wayne Zuiderhof of the 3rd Equipment Maintenance

  • Airmen, Soldiers improve Afghan lives

    Airmen from around the world and Soldiers from Pennsylvania, Texas, North Carolina and Virginia arrived in Afghanistan in early March to improve the lives of the people of Nangarhar Province. After two months on the ground, the team has gotten its bearings and is working to build strong

  • Airmen airdrop messages to Iraqi citizens

    A nine-member 737th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron C-130 Hercules aircrew took off from a Southwest Asian air base and airdropped several hundred thousand leaflets to Iraqi citizens on the ground recently.  Dropping leaflets with information for the local citizens is aimed at improving interactions

  • Judge advocate general announces award winners

    Maj. Gen. Jack L. Rives, the Air Force judge advocate general, has announced the 2007 Judge Advocate General Award winners. The award recipients will be formally recognized at an awards banquet during KEYSTONE 2008, the JAG Corps' leadership summit, to be held the first week of November in

  • Aircrews stand by to continue Burma relief mission

    For Capt. Trevor Hall, flying a C-130 Hercules to deliver humanitarian relief is largely what his mission is all about. Captain Hall and his aircrew were one of a handful of C-130s allowed to deliver relief supplies to the people of Burma in the wake of Tropical Cyclone Nagris that swept through the

  • Prototype UAV tested at Northern Edge

    Thanks to technology advances in small, unmanned reconnaissance aircraft, servicemembers on the ground may be able to get an inside track on what lies ahead, literally. The Air Force Research Laboratory tested the Arcturus unmanned aerial vehhicle prototype May 7 at Northern Edge 2008 in the Pacific

  • Humanitarian aid provided to more than 1,600 Salvadorans

    An 18-person medical team made up of Airmen and Soldiers spent two days operating a makeshift clinic at an elementary school near Comasagua, El Salvador, May 7 and 8 during Fuerzas Aliadas Humanitarias 2008. The team, part of the Joint Task Force-Bravo Medical Element at Soto Cano Air Base,

  • Camp Eggers staff visit Afghan girls' school

    Nearly 70 members of Combined Security Transition Command-Afghanistan delivered backpacks, toys and school supplies to the Zabuli Education Center for Girls and Women May 8 outside of Kabul. American servicemembers from Camp Eggers visited the school as part of the volunteer community relations

  • Airmen, Soldiers hone skills of Afghanistan National Police

    A Parwan Police Mentoring Team traveled to Dandar, a small village in the Parwan province of Afghanistan, May 8 to instruct  members of the Afghanistan National Police on hand-to-hand combat, community policing, coordination-cell training and criminal investigation. The PMT is a highly-efficient

  • Civil engineers enhance El Salvador exercise with imagery

    Two Joint Task Force-Bravo civil engineers provided damage assessment for humanitarian purposes during a regional disaster relief exercise involving military and civilian agencies May 5 here. Flying aboard a JTF-Bravo UH-60 Blackhawk, the engineers used an automated route reconnaissance kit, called

  • Applicants sought for air attache duty

    Air Force officials here are accepting applications until June 13 from senior captains, majors and lieutenant colonels to fill 19 air attache positions with in-country reporting dates from June 2010 to February 2011. Officers selected for attache duty will attend training during the period of

  • Study of Iraqi birds to help reduce aircraft mishaps

    One of the Air Force's greatest airpower adversaries doesn't wear the uniform of another country; it wears feathers. Both deadly and expensive, aircraft accidents and mishaps caused by collisions with birds have cost the service approximately $35 million each year since 1985, according to Air Force

  • Distribution center saves lives, makes travel easier

    Not many servicemembers ducking into foxholes stop to think about where their body armor comes from or how each strap of it was sewn together. What they may think about after the air clears is how thankful they are to have it. Members of the Expeditionary Theater Distribution Center, part of the

  • Airmen, Soldiers honor fallen comrade

    Airmen and Soldiers from Bagram Air Base honored an Airman who paid the ultimate sacrifice for his country during a memorial ceremony May 1 here. Senior Airman Jonathan A.V. Yelner, a convoy driver assigned to the Kapisa and Parwan Provincial Reconstruction Team, died of wounds suffered when his

  • Air Force officials announce captain selections

    Air Force officials selected 97 first lieutenants for promotion from 101 officers considered during the 2007D captain selection process. The entire list of promotion selects is posted on the Air Force Personnel Center's officer promotions home page. The results of the board are as follows: Selection

  • B-52 simulators receive overhaul

    With 19 years and more than 3,000 flying hours piloting the B-52 Stratofortress, Lt. Col. Tom Silvia is the right person to ensure the bomber' s simulator is realistic as overhauls are completed to bring it up to date.Realism was lacking previously in the simulators, the colonel said. The view of

  • PERSCO: Keeping tabs on the ins and outs of troop movement

    The shuffling of duffle bags and backpacks belonging to more than 70 Airmen and civilian contractors echoes through the patio as the morning sun's rays start to push back the night's cover. While some are nearing the end of their deployment to Southwest Asia and others are just beginning, one thing

  • Air Force family helps Purple Heart recipient, wife

    Staff Sgt. Matthew Slaydon lay motionless on a dusty road in Iraq, his body riddled with shrapnel after an improvised explosive device exploded about 2 feet from his face. His left arm hung by a couple of tendons and his face was unrecognizable. His friends worked frantically to save him from an

  • Pilots contribute to sorties milestone, much more

    At 6 a.m., it's another early April morning in Iraq as the two pilots deployed from Hill Air Force Base, Utah, get ready to venture into harm's way yet again. It's a day like many others the pilots, assigned to the 421st Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, have experienced since arriving here in

  • Singapore aircraft signals strong coalition relationship

    Airmen of the Singapore air force rejoined the U.S. Air Force fleet here when one of their four KC-135 refueling aircraft arrived to take its place with dozens of U.S. assets April 16 on this Southwest Asian air base flightline. As coalition partners, the Singapore air force mission is to integrate

  • Deep Freeze Airmen warm New Zealand community's heart

    Five-year-old Benjamin Laury talked about elephants, storm troopers and how cool pilots are -- all in a single, convoluted sentence -- as he looked around a C-17 Globemaster III April 17 here. As part of a home-schooling group invited to check out the enormous airplane that just flew into their

  • Air Force enhances medical scholarships with $20,000 bonus

    Students selected by Air Force officials for three- or four-year medical school scholarships in fiscal 2008 will get an extra $20,000 in their wallets with the new Critical Skills Accession Bonus. Qualified Medical Corps Health Professions Scholarship Program recipients awarded contracts from Oct.

  • Innovative idea saves nearly $400,000

    Contracting officers recently leveraged the benefits of technology to save $395,000 for the Air Force at a Southwest Asia air base. Airmen from the 386th Expeditionary Contracting Squadron used electronic reverse auctioning or e-RA to save the Air Force hundreds of thousands of dollars. Reverse

  • General speaks about mentorship at Women's Final Four

    The young lieutenant sat in the copilot's chair and tried to decide what she was going to do.Some of the dials on the control panel were not in the right position, but did she dare correct the pilot? She thought the grizzled lieutenant colonel, who was notorious for showing no mercy to young pilots,

  • Young Iraqi burn victim progressing well

    Since 3-year-old Al Amreeki left Balad Air Base, Iraq, with more than 45 percent of his body burned from a stove fire at his home, he has come a long way due to treatment from Airmen and medics throughout the world.The young boy's uncle brought him to the Air Force Theater Hospital in Iraq Jan. 25,

  • Air Force engineers work 'outside the wire' every day

    As part of a Provincial Reconstruction Team it is common to go "outside the wire" to do work. While some may only leave the base once a week, engineers are out there every day conducting site assessments, quality control missions and preparing the province to respond to natural disasters. April 1,

  • Tweet complete: T-37 retires after 39 years of service

    The T-37 Tweet formally retired April 3 from Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training here after 39 years of service as the gateway to the sky for more than 10,000 Air Force aviators. Columbus Air Force Base was the last Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training base flying the T-37, but the T-37

  • General participates in Women's Final Four

    The most decorated female athlete in the U.S. Air Force Academy's history took part in the 2008 NCAA Women's Final Four April 4 through 7 at Tampa.Brig. Gen. Michelle D. Johnson, the deputy director for the war on terrorism in the Strategic Plans and Policy Directorate of the Joint Staff at the

  • Tankers support NATO summit from Hungary, Bulgaria

    KC-135 Stratotankers and aircrews from U.S. Air Forces in Europe and Air Mobility Command deployed to Hungary and Bulgaria to provide air-refueling support for the NATO summit running April 2 through 4 in Romania. The Romanian-led operation will police the sky over Bucharest, Romania, during the

  • Temporary hospital finds permanent place in history

    Airmen from the 332nd Expeditionary Medical Group and the 332nd Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron here worked together to preserve a piece of Balad Air Base, Logistics Support Area Anaconda and Operation Iraqi Freedom history. The emergency room from the old Balad AB Air Force Theater Hospital,

  • U.S., Japan AWACS units join forces

    A Kadena Air Base squadron signed an agreement here March 26 with its Japan Air Self-Defense Force counterpart formalizing the joint working relationship they've enjoyed for years. Lt. Col. Rene Romero, the 961st Airborne Air Control Squadron commander, endorsed the first sister squadron agreement

  • Hanscom unit preps new CAOC facility

    Members of the 652nd Electronic Systems Squadron here are preparing for the future home of the U.S. Air Force Central's Combined Air and Space Operations Center facility as construction continues in Southwest Asia. The Air and Space Operations Center Weapons System, officially referred to as the

  • SARC helps deployed servicemembers respond to crisis

    Air Force Sexual Assault Response Coordinators will be stressing education and awareness about sexual assault throughout the month of April, which is Sexual Assault Awareness Month.Those deployed, with a three-drink-a-night limit on alcohol and General Order 1 applying to their interactions with

  • New Procedure introduced in Air Force podiatric surgery

    Medical specialists in the 59th Orthopedic and Rehabilitation Squadron at Wilford Hall Medical Center here are introducing a new procedure in the podiatric surgery department. The procedure, Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy, or ESWT, is a form of treatment for chronic plantar fasciitis. Chronic

  • B-1B achieves first supersonic flight using synthetic fuel

    A B-1B Lancer from the 9th Bomb Squadron here became the first Air Force aircraft to fly at supersonic speed using an alternate fuel March 19 in a flight over Texas and New Mexico. The fuel, a 50/50 blend of synthetic and petroleum gases, is being tested as part of an ongoing Air Force program to

  • Little, but strong: Burned Iraqi child overcomes odds

    Editor's Note: The names of the Iraqi mother and son in this article have been changed, at the mother's request, to protect their identities from terrorists who would harm them if it was known that the pair received help from American servicemembers and the U.S. government. A photo of an adorable

  • Medal of Honor recipients visit throughout AFCENT

    Manas Air Base Airmen, Soldiers and transitory personnel got a firsthand glimpse into history this week. Three Medal of Honor recipients from the Vietnam War toured the base and spoke at several local engagements on their stop here before touring other locations in the U.S. Air Forces Central area

  • Airmen integral part of unmanned aerial system milestones

    The Global Hawk unmanned aerial system recently reached its 10 year and 20,000 flight hour milestones. More than 15,000 of those hours and most of those years have been amassed in support of operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom, providing intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance to

  • 'Hoop dreams' come true for Airman

    For the fourth year in a row a Reserve Command member has been tapped to play on the All Air Force basketball team. Capt. Kurtis Darden, the only reservist on the team, will play in the Armed Forces Basketball Tournament to be held March 23 to 28 at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas. "This year I'm

  • Team effort keeps Balad water supply safe

    For Airmen stationed at Balad Air Base and Soldiers at the co-located Logistics Support Area Anaconda, staying hydrated is crucial in the desert heat of Iraq.In order to keep hydrated, servicemembers here need to have the confidence the water available to them is safe, so the water undergoes

  • Balad Airmen teach contractors lifesaving skills

    When it comes to rescuing someone trapped in a vehicle, using the "jaws of life" can mean the difference between life and death -- but only if the tool is used properly. Members of the Balad Air Base Fire Department recently led refresher training sessions for U.S. government contracted personnel

  • Services tests 'pallet to palate' philosophy

    From "pallet to palate" is the philosophy behind an 18th Services Squadron capability tested during the Pacific Air Forces Operational Readiness Inspection held March 9 to 15 here. Wherever Airmen deploy, the single pallet expeditionary kitchen, or SPEK, can go with them to provide support. "The

  • Airmen complete first Air Advisor Course

    The first class of Airmen headed to Iraq and Afghanistan to train foreign military members on Airmanship graduated here March 7. A total of 59 Airmen completed the course, developed to prepare instructors to train Iraqi and Afghan airmen to re-establish their national air forces. The U.S. Air Force

  • Alaskan villages benefit from joint military medical outreach

    Mixed teams of Army, Navy and Air Force health-care providers are spent a week treating hundreds of medically-underserved people as part of Operation Arctic Care 2008 in six remote villages in March in Alaska. Residents of Karluk, Old Harbor, Ouzinkie, Port Lions, Akhiok and Larsen Bay invited the

  • Kadena officials go to great lengths for OPSEC

    Members of the 18th Wing operations security team are going to extremes to ensure wing members adhere to OPSEC principles. The team members randomly visit units on base and dive into the dumpsters to try and find sensitive material that has been thrown away, as part of an overall effort to raise

  • Airmen aid coalition ground forces one leaflet at a time

    American Airman here and members of the Australian Defence Force recently teamed up to deliver critical information to Iraqi civilians in southern Iraq. Flying in a C-130 Hercules, Airmen from the 737th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron, worked in conjunction with Australians from Overwatch Battle

  • Dyess Airmen help airborne operations return to Fort Hood

    "Stand up! Hook up!" More than 20 personnel heard these words as they rushed to jump out of a C-130 Hercules on the first airborne operation conducted in more than 10 years for Fort Hood Soldiers.Airmen of the 317th Airlift Group from Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, partnered with Fort Hood officials

  • World's first astronautics department celebrates 50 years

    The world's oldest astronautics department celebrates its 50th anniversary on March 7. The academic department is home to the nation's only undergraduate satellite program, and is also busy designing rapid, responsive sounding rockets, and controlling the Air Force Academy's growing space fleet. "As

  • Officials announce 2007 Air Force Media Contest winners

    A panel of civilian journalists, photographers, broadcasters, teachers and public relations professionals selected the best individuals and units in Air Force print, photo and broadcast journalism for the 52nd annual Air Force Media Contest. The media contest is sponsored annually by the Secretary

  • Air Force officials announce officer promotions

    Air Force officials here March 5 announced the 2007B line of the Air Force, line of the Air Force-judge advocate, medical service corps and chaplain central selection boards selected 24 lieutenant colonels, 1,094 majors and 94 captains for promotion. The entire list can be found on the Air Force

  • Teamwork puts F-15E back in the fight

    Airmen here worked together, and with outside agencies, to turn an unforeseen setback around and quickly bring a combat asset back to the fight. In late-January, Staff Sgt. Chris Petty, a 335th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Unit electro-environmental specialist, was troubleshooting an issue

  • GPS helps troops locate targets, one another

    Members of the Joint Service System Management Office here provide global positioning systems-enabled technology in direct support of warfighters worldwide.Part of the 752nd Combat Sustainment Group, the JSSMO has representatives from all military branches. The unit maintains GPS receivers in the

  • Exercise Balikatan '08 tests ability to deliver

    Moving large amounts of equipment, personnel or humanitarian relief supplies can be a daunting task. But it's a task tactical and strategic airlifters like the C-130 Hercules and the C-17 Globemaster III are made for. That's why they were instrumental in Exercise Balikatan '08 held here. The joint

  • Peacekeeping mission continues for Airmen in Kosovo

    More than a dozen Airmen currently deployed here are helping 1,400 American Soldiers maintain stability here despite the riots and assault on the U.S. embassy in protest to Kosovo's declaration of independence Feb. 17 in Belgrade, Serbia. Tech. Sgt. Scott Williams is one of four combat weathermen

  • Elmendorf pilot to appear on 'Jeopardy!'

    The answer: An Elmendorf Air Force Base F-15 Eagle pilot who filmed an episode of "Jeopardy!" in November who will appear on television March 6. The question: Who is Capt. Timothy Bobinski?The captain, the 19th Fighter Squadron chief of safety, was a contestant on the quiz show after going through

  • Providing safer blood products faster to wounded warriors

    A new whole-blood donation process here will now be forwarded on to the Armed Services Blood Program as a suggested technique to be implemented throughout the Department of Defense. The process, implemented by Capt. Ronni Leslie, the 332nd Expeditionary Aeromedical Squadron laboratory officer in

  • Kunsan pilots improve capability with AIM-9X missile

    Pilots, maintainers and ammunition Airmen at Kunsan Air Base have been introduced recently to a new generation weapon that changes air-to-air combat.The Air Intercept Missile-9X Sidewinder, developed by Raytheon engineers, is a fifth generation AIM-9 missile that is a substantial upgrade to the

  • Airmen train Iraqi firefighters for improved regional safety

    Air Force firefighters here conducted training sessions with members of the city of Kirkuk fire department Feb. 27 in an effort to improve fire response and overall safety for Iraqi citizens in the region. These sessions are scheduled to become weekly events and eventually train a total of more than

  • C-130 crew receives award for averting crisis

    A Pope Air Force Base C-130 Hercules crew was awarded Air Mobility Command's 2007 Field of Aeronautics and Astronautics Aviator Valor Award recently.The crew evaded surface-to-air rocket fire just five minutes into a flight out of Baghdad International Airport on the night of Aug. 30, 2007, while

  • Airmen load Japanese helicopter into U.S. plane

    American Airmen and Japan Ground Self Defense Force members loaded a Japanese CH-47J Chinook onto a C-17 Globemaster III Feb. 23 at Yokota Air BaseThe demonstration took place the last morning of the Pacific Global Air Mobility Seminar held Feb. 22 and 23 and attended by representatives from Japan,

  • Medal of Honor recipient visits Kunsan

    There are few opportunities allowing Airmen to gain first-hand insights on the history and achievements of the Air Force, which have helped shaped the foundation of the organization, while at the same time, inspiring Airmen of all ranks. One of the military's most valued and respected achievements

  • Air Force drill team kicks off 2008 season in D.C.

    Air Force Honor Guard Drill Team members from here revealed their newly choreographed routine in front of a large crowd Feb. 21 at bustling Union Station in downtown Washington. The crowd came to a standstill and watched as the drill team's public event opened the 2008 performance season. The new

  • Airmen mentor Afghan national army

    Airmen from the 755th Expeditionary Support Squadron here are currently mentoring Afghan national army soldiers at the Logistics Support Operations Center in Kabul.The Airmen work closely with their Afghan counterparts to assist them setting up a web of logistics throughout the country. The eventual

  • Air Force announces medical, dental officer promotions

    Air Force officials here have selected 94 lieutenant colonels, 154 majors and 352 captains in the medical and dental corps for promotion Feb. 21. The board considered 1,349 officers for promotion. The results of the promotion board are as follows: Selection statistics in-the-promotion zone for

  • Maxwell Airmen assist city devastated by tornado

    More than 20 Maxwell Air Force Base Airmen teamed up with 66 Officer Training School trainees from here Feb. 19 to help people recover from a devastating tornado that leveled 150 homes in Prattville, Ala. The Enhanced Fujita Scale-3 tornado that swept through the city 15 miles northwest of Maxwell

  • Joint STARS goes beyond line of sight

    A straight line is the shortest distance between two points and the best way for communication to pass from one to the other, unless the earth's curvature prevents it. Then, what is known as beyond-line-of-sight, or BLOS, communication capability becomes necessary. BLOS uses two straight lines, one

  • Airmen, Marines seek to synchronize in sky over Iraq

    Leadership from the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing and the 3rd Marine Air Wing-Forward met here Feb. 10 and 11 to raise joint air traffic control and airspace utilization in central Iraq to new levels of safety and effectiveness. During the conference, the military services discussed ways to increase

  • Airmen perform unique mission in Iraq

    While the spiraled rows of concertina wire, countless watch towers, and endless miles of fencing resemble that of detention facilities throughout the world, for the more than 600 Airmen deployed to the Theater Internment Facility at Camp Bucca, Iraq, the mission is unlike anything they've ever done.

  • Expeditionary rescue helps save Afghan boy

    Air Force helicopters were airborne within three minutes of receiving a call to pick up a 5-year-old local national boy who had been struck by a vehicle near Jalalabad Airfield, Afghanistan, Feb. 2. Members of the 210th Expeditionary Rescue Squadron received the request to medevac the young boy who

  • Virtual MPF adds new self-service program for assignments

    A new self-service assignments application launching Feb. 19 will eliminate a visit to the military personnel flight/element, saving Airmen both time and effort as part of the continuing initiatives of the Air Force's Personnel Services Delivery Transformation. Using the Expanded Permissive

  • Lunar New Year event strengthens ties, cultural awareness

    Members of the South Korea air force's 38th Fighter Group hosted Airmen from the 8th Fighter Wing for a Korean Lunar New Year celebration Feb. 5 here. Airmen from the 38th FG hosted a variety of events to include a traditional bowing ceremony, food and games. The Korean Lunar New Year or "Seollal,"

  • Active duty, Guard, Reserve: One awesome force

    The Chief of Staff of the Air Force, Gen. T. Michael Moseley, recently said, "You can't look at an Airman and tell if he or she is active, Guard or Reserve. We all wear the same uniform, do the same jobs and help make this Air Force the best in the world." Nowhere is that more appropriate than here,

  • Air Force Honor Guard holds annual training at Maxwell

    Maxwell Air Force Base is now the new home for annual training of the Air Force Honor Guard Drill Team. The team spent the past month learning its 2008 routine here. The team is a branch of the Air Force Honor Guard based out of Bolling Air Force Base, D.C. For the past 12 years, the group learned

  • Deployed AWACS aircrews overcome unique challenge

    E-3 Sentry aircrews deployed here in support of Exercise Cope Tiger 2008 performed a quick turnaround and still completed a mission on time Feb. 3. A rare challenge, the E-3 was flying a mission during the exercise's large force employment  when a KC-135 Stratotanker from the 909th Air Refueling

  • New earned income credit rules lucrative for some Airmen

    Filing his family's taxes each year online, Master Sgt. Ron Przysucha says he normally receives about $3,000 in tax returns. This year however, he was taken by surprise when the same Web site he traditionally uses calculated his return at nearly $8,000. "I immediately thought it was a mistake and I

  • RC-135 outlasts 1960's contemporaries

    In the year 1962, The Beatles recorded their debut single, "Love Me Do," "The Beverly Hillbillies" premiered on television, a ticket to the movies cost 50 cents and the first RC-135 Rivet Joint aircraft rolled off the Boeing assembly line. Now, nearly a half a century later, The Beatles haven't had

  • AETC releases vision of future learning

    Air Education and Training Command officials here released a vision for the years between 2008 and 2030 when they unveiled "On Learning: The Future of Air Force Education and Training," a 29-page white paper Jan. 31. The Air Force must transform its training and education system of today into a

  • First aerial bombing mission completed at Kwajalein

    On Jan. 23, the 393rd Expeditionary Bomb Squadron, deployed here with their B-2 Spirit stealth bombers from Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo., completed the first aerial bombing mission at the U.S. Army Kwajalein Atoll Ronald Reagan Ballistic Missile Defense Test Site . The Kwajalein Atoll is home to

  • CENTAF commander applauds theater hospital Airmen

    The U.S. Central Command Air Forces commander and command chief had high praises for the Airmen manning the Air Force Theater Hospital during their tour here Jan. 26. Lt. Gen. Gary North and Chief Master Sgt. Richard Small recognized several of the hospital's top performers and showed their

  • Cope Tiger takes flight

    Aircrews from the Air Force, Marines, Royal Thai air force and the Republic of Singapore air force began launching sorties in support of Exercise Cope Tiger 2008 Jan. 27 here. More than 1,400 people Air Force, Marines, Royal Thai army and air force, and the Royal Singapore air force are

  • Air Force general praises joint success

    Air Force and Army officials synchronized to eliminate threats to ground forces in southern Iraq in what was called a "relentless pursuit of the enemy" during Operation Marne Thunderbolt in January. Aircrews of F-16 Fighting Falcons, B-1B Lancers, Navy F/A -18 Hornet pilots, Army 3rd Infantry

  • Manas Airmen improve on community legacy

    Airmen of the 376th Expeditionary Mission Support Group and Security Forces Squadron here donated $1,403 Jan. 23 for infrastructure improvements in their near-by adopted village Oktyabrskoye. Village mayor Galina Tereschuk met with visiting Manas AB Airmen and invited a small gathering of villagers

  • Air Force develops friend vs. foe identification system

    Air Force Research Laboratory officials here recently have developed a technology that helps identify friendly forces during combat exercises. Working with Lumitex Inc. of Strongsville, Ohio, members of AFRL's Materials and Manufacturing Directorate developed and fielded the Target Recognition

  • C-17 pilot auditions for 'American Idol'

    A C-17 Globemaster III pilot with the 317th Airlift Squadron at Charleston Air Force Base recently lived out one of her dreams -- to audition for "American Idol." Capt. Lyndsey Goodman, a Reserve pilot who has flown the half-million pound airlifter into combat zones in Iraq and Afghanistan, also

  • Brooks to serve as initial venue to test fit new service coat

    About 150 Airmen from Brooks City-Base, Lackland and Randolph Air Force Bases in Texas, will participate in a fit test of the new Air Force Heritage service dress coat here Jan. 28 - Feb. 1. Subsequent fit tests in February and March are slated for the Air Force Academy and Maxwell-Gunter AFB, Ala.

  • Mobile readiness team gets pallets back into the system

    The Airmen assigned to Task Force 586 here recently took on an additional tasking to redistribute equipment and supplies for the Army. Mobile redistribution teams go to forward-operating bases throughout Iraq to collect excess supplies, and the Airmen searched for pallets crucial for the air

  • Air Force band kicks off tour in Djibouti

    The nine-piece U.S. Central Command Air Forces Band Live Round kicked off their tour in Africa with a one-hour show for American servicemembers and local law enforcers Jan. 22 at Djibouti's national police academy. The ensemble performed before about 100 members of the nation's police force and

  • Total force provides seamless airlift support

    Nearly 60 Air National Guardsmen finished a 10-week tour of duty Jan. 11 with the 38th Airlift Squadron here where they'd collectively hauled more than 283 tons of cargo throughout Europe in 109 sorties on C-130 Hercules aircraft.Their mission was a testament of how seamlessly Guard, Reserve and

  • Contingency Wartime Planning Course prepares Airmen for duty

    As the supreme allied commander of allied forces in Europe during the Normandy invasion in World War II, Dwight D. Eisenhower explained the importance of military planning when he said, "In preparing for battle, I have always found that plans are useless but planning is indispensable." A course

  • Policy changes to delay some Reserve field grade officer promotions

    Starting this year, policy changes will result in some Air Force Reserve officers having to wait longer before becoming eligible for promotion. One major change will require lieutenant colonels to serve four or more years' time in grade before meeting the colonel board. Air Force Reserve officials

  • Pilot mushes dogs for noble cause

    A pilot with the Alaska Air National Guard and a team of 27 Siberian Huskies are currently breaking new strides while mushing through the icy Interior of Alaska to help children in need. Maj. Blake Matray, 168th Air Refueling Wing KC-135 pilot and weapons and tactics chief here, joined forces

  • German airman assists with Holloman ceremony

    Attendees at the 49th Fighter Wing change-of-command ceremony were treated to a strange sight if they looked closely at the honor guard detail that was presenting the colors Jan.11 here as one member of the six-man team stood out, due to the fact that he was wearing a different uniform and carrying

  • Air Force announces captain selections

    Air Force officials here selected 3,569 first lieutenants for promotion from 3,594 officers considered during the calendar year 2007C captain selection process. The entire list of promotion selects is posted on the Air Force Personnel Center's public Web site. The results of the board are as

  • Balad Airmen take on galactic mission

    For Airmen assigned to the 721st Aircraft Mobility Operations Group Det. 5 here, going to work each day means taking on two of the largest aircraft in the Air Force inventory. Charged with maintenance support for the C-5 Galaxy and C-17 Globemaster III, the Airmen provide en route maintenance,

  • Project promises economic boost for Afghans

    A recently-approved $300,000 construction contract promises economic growth for Afghans here, according to the Airman leading engineering efforts for the Mehtar Lam Provincial Reconstruction Team. The contract for the construction of four new agricultural buildings in the Mehtar Lam agricultural

  • Malmstrom Airmen replace missile guidance systems

    Missile maintenance Airmen installed the final replacement to the missile guidance system at each missile launch facility of the base's Minuteman III fleet Dec. 4 at Malmstrom Air Force Base. The NS-20 system has been replaced with the NS-50 system through the Guidance Replacement Program. The GRP

  • Kadena Airmen aerovac patients in need

    Airmen from the 18th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron here aerovaced a patient on a KC-135 Stratotanker Dec. 18 from Yokota Air Base, Japan. Members of the 18th AES travel throughout the Pacific picking up critical patients and transporting them to hospitals that can meet their needs.Every week a

  • Maxwell trainers develop Iraqi air force officers

    Four Officer Training School instructors returned here recently after spending the past several months in Iraq building the country's air force officer training program from the ground up. Maj. Scott Bergren and Capt. Michael Powell worked at Taji Air Base, Iraq, to establish a stand-alone officer

  • Families displaced by ice storm find home on Tinker

    Three hours after being notified, Tinker Air Force Base leaders were providing emergency shelter for Air Force families left without heat and power, some with infants, following an ice storm Dec. 10 here. 72nd Medical Group first sergeant  Master Sgt. Lisa Sears obtained 30 unused dormitory keys to

  • Air Force provides Army burn flight team with training

    Since Operation Iraqi Freedom began in March 2003, Army burn flight and Air Force critical care air transport teams have evacuated and treated hundreds of patients who've suffered burn and inhalation injuries primarily resulting from improvised explosive device detonations. In response, joint