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  • Edwards' testers 'propel' Hurricane Hunters through Katrina

    It has been labeled the greatest disaster in this nation's history by government officials. Hurricane Katrina, which made landfall Aug. 29, has devastated the Gulf Coast and left thousands homeless.As Air Force bases nationwide work to provide immediate aid through airlift, medical support,

  • Airmen, Soldiers provide hurricane support

    Air Force reservists with the 939th Air Refueling Wing here are providing around-the-clock support to airlift the Oregon Army National Guard’s 41st Brigade deploying to the area affected by Hurricane Katrina. Since Sept. 2, the 939th Logistics Readiness Squadron and the 83rd Aerial Port Squadron

  • C-130s to spray for insects in states affected by hurricane

    Two C-130 Hercules and 50 Air Force reservists from the 910th Airlift Wing left Youngstown Air Reserve Station on Sept. 8 to fly aerial spray missions in Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi.In coordination with the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Centers for Disease Control, the Air Force

  • Airmen serve in Iraq to honor 9/11 victims

    Never in a million years did Kara Gaines dream she would enlist in the military and follow in the footsteps of her retired Air Force father. That was until the senior airman with the 407th Expeditionary Communications Squadron here watched in horror as terrorists rammed three planes into some of the

  • AF continues hurricane relief effort in Jackson

    After more than a week of 24-hour search and rescue operations from here, HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters switched to flying day missions Sept. 8.But the 347th Expeditionary Rescue Group -- with elements from six active-duty, Guard and Reserve units -- has not finished its vital mission, said Capt.

  • AFRC wants hurricane victims to check in

    Air Force Reserve Command officials said they are extremely concerned about reservists assigned to New Orleans or Keesler Air Force Base, Miss., who have not contacted their units with their status after Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast on Aug. 29."Only 63 percent of our (servicemembers)

  • AFOATS organizations hit hard by Katrina

    Air Force Officer Accession and Training School officials here are assessing the damage to Air Force ROTC detachments and Junior ROTC units affected by Hurricane Katrina.Twenty-five Air Force Junior ROTC units located in high schools in Mississippi, Louisiana, Florida and Alabama are potentially

  • Keesler chaplains receive welcome additions

    For nine Air Force chaplains, providing ministry to Airmen recovering from Hurricane Katrina at Keesler Air Force Base, Miss., is challenging.The chaplains and chaplain assistants there are working overtime, yet with the prospect of post-traumatic stress-related issues affecting troops and families,

  • New policy decreases threat of identity theft

    The undersecretary of defense-comptroller and the undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness have cosigned a new policy that directs military departments and all defense civilian employees to support the policy to eliminate paper copies of leave and earnings statements and W-2 tax

  • Displaced families can seek safe haven within United States

    Military families and Department of Defense civilians and their family members ordered to evacuate military installations in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama because of Hurricane Katrina are now authorized to select an alternate safe haven anywhere in the continental United States, defense

  • DOD, OPM offer information, help for displaced employees

    Defense officials vowed this week to keep Department of Defense civilian employees affected by Hurricane Katrina as up-to-date as possible on benefits and other entitlements and to help these employees continue to contribute to the department's mission."Our DOD civilian employees are a valuable

  • Reservists charge into aeromedical evacuation effort

    Nerves of steel, the patience of a saint and the ability to forego substantial eating and sleeping for days at a time.Anyone seeking a job coordinating the aeromedical evacuation of thousands after a major disaster need not apply unless they have those traits. Some dry-erase markers, a telephone and

  • Air Force rescues top 4,000 mark

    Since Air Force helicopters first started search-and-rescue operations 34 hours after Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast, Airmen here have rescued more than 4,000 people as of Sept. 7.Of that number, active-duty rescue units picked up more than 2,800, said Lt. Col. Bob Thompson, spokesman for the

  • Helicopter mission changes as rescue tempo slows

    As the forced evacuation of New Orleans continues, Air Force helicopter crews here are flying fewer rescues and conducting more ferry missions from evacuee collection points.Though aircrews still have a high operations tempo and their helicopters are flying much more than usual, it is different from

  • Communication units deploy to support hurricane relief

    Airmen from Air Combat Command headquarters and the Air National Guard deployed during the past several days to provide around-the-clock service and support to the areas in the Gulf Coast ravaged by Hurricane Katrina. The Airmen are from combat communications and tactical communications units and

  • AFMC provides assistance in Katrina's aftermath

    When disaster struck the Gulf Coast states of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida in the form of Hurricane Katrina, Air Force Materiel Command stood up its crisis action team to assist with relief efforts to the region.Since then, support has come from each of the command's bases -- from

  • PJs airlift those devastated by Hurricane Katrina

    Nearly 3,000 people have been airlifted out of the New Orleans area and taken to local care centers in the arms of 374th Expeditionary Rescue Group pararescuemen.Pararescuemen from three rescue squadrons nationwide are deployed here participating in what has been described as the largest

  • Airmen repair helo in New Orleans, spend two days without food

    After a complete electrical failure rendered an HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter useless during search-and-rescue efforts near New Orleans on Sept. 1, Air Force officials were quick to deploy two staff sergeants to the scene.When the call came in at 2 a.m., Staff Sgts. Brandon LaFountain and Kevin

  • Air War College revises nonresident program

    The Air War College here announced the revision of its nonresident studies course to ensure currency and relevancy.The college will launch the new curriculum in January.The accelerated content meets joint professional military education Phase II requirements and reflects recent changes in the Air

  • Combat communications squadron hooks up tent city

    One combat communications squadron convoyed more than 600 miles to provide support to an Air Force tent city here. More than 100 Airmen with the 33rd Combat Communications Squadron from Tinker Air Force Base, Okla., arrived here Sept. 5 with more than 30 military vehicles after having spent more

  • Animals in the aftermath

    When David Cook’s resolve crumbled after a week of surviving in his third-floor apartment amid Hurricane Katrina floodwaters, he searched for help that arrived too quickly.After Mr. Cook endured Katrina’s wrath Aug. 29, he said his two “hardheaded” roommates talked him into staying put another seven

  • AMC aircraft, people continue hurricane relief efforts

    In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Air Mobility Command has moved thousands of military support people, civilian emergency responders and evacuees, and has delivered tons of emergency equipment and supplies supporting relief operations.To handle the increased air mobility operations into and out

  • Couple weds outside Keesler shelter

    Five days after Hurricane Katrina dramatically changed many lives in the Gulf Coast region, a couple here began a new chapter in their own lives.Tech. Sgt. Daniel McMullen of the 335th Training Squadron and his girlfriend of three years, LaVerne, exchanged wedding vows Sept. 3 outside one of the

  • Air Force BEAR Base deploys supporting JTF-Katrina

    Airmen with the 49th Materiel Maintenance Group here began deploying in support of Joint Task Force-Katrina, the massive relief effort directed at providing humanitarian aid to Gulf Coast victims of Hurricane Katrina.The 49th MMG, the only Basic Expeditionary Airfield Resources Base group in the Air

  • Airmen saving lives in New Orleans, Mississippi

    Air Force bases nationwide are deploying hundreds of Airmen to Louisiana and Mississippi to save lives in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.Search and rescue missions are under way around the clock to evacuate hurricane victims stranded along the Gulf Coast.Two 50th Airlift Squadron C-130 Hercules

  • Lackland supports Hurricane Katrina evacuation

    Airmen here played a critical role in San Antonio’s hurricane evacuation operation.Over a 55-hour period, Lackland received 9,788 evacuees aboard 89 aircraft. Working in partnership with San Antonio first responders, Airmen helped unload passengers, provide medical assistance and prepare evacuees

  • Airmen evacuate hurricane victims

    Three Airmen flew their first humanitarian mission together here as part of the effort to evacuate Hurricane Katrina victims. After the storm hit New Orleans on Aug. 29, tens of thousands of residents there were left behind, trapped by the floodwater. They had little food and drinking water and no

  • Special unit provides airfield operations in New Orleans

    Without the quick deployment of an Air Mobility Command special unit, the air evacuation plan here would not have happened.The 818th Contingency Response Group from McGuire Air Force Base, N.J., arrived Aug. 31, a day after Hurricane Katrina demolished the area. They instantly provided relief to

  • 1st AF provides command, control for Katrina relief efforts

    When the Federal Emergency Management Agency requested Department of Defense resources to help with Hurricane Katrina relief operations, 1st Air Force here established the 1st Aerospace Expeditionary Task Force-Katrina Operation.The 1st AETF is the Air Force organization designated to perform

  • Barksdale helps hurricane evacuees, families

    The family assistance control center here continues to help relief efforts for victims of Hurricane Katrina.Hundreds of servicemembers and Department of Defense civilians have fled to the Bossier City and Shreveport area in northern Louisiana seeking a safe haven, said Theresa Marvin, family support

  • NRO director supports hurricane relief, warfighter

    As a newly minted physicist, one of the first sets of experiments Dr. Donald M. Kerr worked on involved the use of small rockets. Today, many years later, Dr. Kerr is no longer simply experimenting with rocket science; instead, he is leading it as the new director of the National Reconnaissance

  • Guard chief describes Katrina response operations

    The chief of the National Guard Bureau declared the National Guard's role in Hurricane Katrina response operations "a great success story," after a recent trip to the Gulf Coast where he saw guardsmen providing almost three-quarters of the military's uniformed response.General Blum said he was

  • RC-26 assists Hurricane Katrina recovery operations

    The RC-26 is normally tasked to assist law enforcement in a counterdrug role, but now has now been tasked to assist state and federal officials in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.In the immediate aftermath of the devastating hurricane, the 147th Fighter Wing here dispatched its RC-26 to fly photo

  • Offutt services crew provides comfort to hurricane victims

    Some Airmen may wear the uniform for quite a while before they truly learn what it means to be in the Air Force.But for Airman 1st Class Keith Torgersen, it only took 10 months.Airman Torgersen is a services specialist with the 55th Services Squadron. He, and about 20 of his peers from Offutt Air

  • Airmen build tent city for relief workers

    While helicopters continue to airlift victims of Hurricane Katrina to the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, a group of Airmen are constructing a massive tent city for relief workers.More than 70 Airmen of different backgrounds and units have come together to form the beginnings of

  • Pararescuemen hoist survivors to safety

    Though it is a city without electricity, rescue crews see plenty of lights as they fly over New Orleans each night searching for survivors in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.Sporadic fires burn wildly, but through their night-vision devices, combat search and rescue crews from the Air Force

  • A city underwater gets help from above

    With their homes and city underwater, many citizens of New Orleans have been looking to the skies for help from helicopter rescue crews of the Air Force Reserve, Air National Guard and active duty.Hoisted aloft from rooftops and carried aboard from broken bridge spans and other locations isolated by

  • Rumsfeld, Myers visit New Orleans airport

    The secretary of defense and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff visited here to witness efforts to evacuate thousands this struggling city.Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Gen. Richard B. Myers toured the airport and visited with some of the more than 1,000 servicemembers living and working at the

  • More active, Guard troops join Katrina response

    President Bush announced Sept. 4 the deployment of 7,000 more active-duty forces to support hurricane relief operations along the hurricane-devastated Gulf Coast.There, they will join 5,000 other active forces and almost 22,000 National Guardsmen already on the ground evacuating stranded people,

  • Retirement home residents recall Katrina's wrath

    It was hot, muggy and scary. Temperatures hovered above 95 degrees in the 11-story high-rise home built for more than 600 military retirees, and there was no power or water as the aging veterans peered through windows watching the total devastation Hurricane Katrina left behind, including cars

  • Price family glad to leave New Orleans

    Ralph Price Sr. had a smile on his face Sept. 3 when he and his family got off the C-9 Nightingale aircraft that brought him here from New Orleans.He and his family had finally escaped what he called “the hell-hole of New Orleans.” And, he said, the nightmare of the New Orleans airport.The waters

  • World War II vets honored at 60th anniversary of war's end

    World War II veterans gathered with military, political and diplomatic leaders and the public to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the war's end Sept. 2 at the World War II Memorial on the National Mall here.Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld sponsored the event, and military leaders from every

  • Air Force MASF last stop for some hurricane victims

    Usually, this airport is pretty sterile. With waxed floors and fresh air, everybody moves through quickly and nobody plans staying long. That was before Hurricane Katrina. Now, instead of businessmen and vacationers, a different kind of traveler packs the airport -- evacuees trying to catch a plane

  • Air Force support of Hurricane Katrina continues

    A week after Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast, the Air Force continues its fever-pitch support effort to aid the people it has affected.Airmen, aircraft and equipment from bases nationwide are playing a vital role in the Federal Emergency Management Agency-directed Hurricane Katrina

  • After recovery, Keesler’s future uncertain

    Hurricane Katrina tried to give Keesler Air Force Base, Miss., a knockout blow. But though it left a huge path of destruction in its wake -- it did not succeed. The massive storm devastated the base. No doubt about that, base officials said. And it claimed the base’s once vibrant training mission.

  • Airmen provide communications capabilities

    Several Airman from the 5th Combat Communications Group left their families here Sept. 1 to provide communications capabilities for servicemembers in the devastated Gulf Coast region. Airmen from all four squadrons of the 5th CCG loaded about 25 pallets of communications equipment and headed to

  • Safety enforced by motorcycle club

    Motorcyclists here know there is safety in numbers, which is one reason they created a motorcycle club.Missileers on Bikes is a private organization dedicated to offering motorcyclists here an opportunity to meet fellow riders, ride in a group, learn from more experienced riders and participate in

  • Air Combat Command Airmen provide hurricane relief

    More than 500 combat engineers, communication specialists, medics and helicopter crews from Air Combat Command are providing relief in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.The 823rd Red Horse Squadron at Hurlburt Field, Fla., deployed to Keesler Air Force Base, Miss., along with an 88-person ACC team

  • Raptor releases JDAM during first 'follow-on' evaluation mission

    Members of the 422nd Test and Evaluation Squadron here flew the first F/A-22 Raptor Follow-on Operational Test and Evaluation mission Aug. 29, releasing Joint Direct Attack Munitions on the Utah Test and Training Range.In one of the largest Raptor test phases to date, Air Force organizations are

  • Tricare benefits continue for hurricane victims

    Tricare beneficiaries and their families affected by Hurricane Katrina will continue to receive health benefits, service and support during this time of tragedy, said Tricare Management Activity officials.“We are aware that many of our active duty servicemembers, retirees and their families have

  • Aeromedical evacuation hub established at Lackland

    Patients from the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport are now being flown to Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, where a hub has been established to support Hurricane Katrina aeromedical evacuation operations.Base officials said the location was chosen as a hub because of its ramp

  • AAFES waives interest, suspends payments for hurricane victims

    Army and Air Force Exchange Service officials said they are waiving interest and suspending monthly payment requirements to exchange credit program cardholders displaced by Hurricane Katrina. “According to our records, there are approximately 15,000 accounts impacted in undeliverable zip codes,”

  • General Moseley swears in as Air Force’s 18th chief of staff

    Gen. T. Michael Moseley was sworn in as the Air Force’s 18th chief of staff in a ceremony here Sept. 2 that also featured the retirement of Gen. John P. Jumper after 39 years of service.Acting Secretary of the Air Force Pete Geren presided over the ceremony. Also taking part in the ceremony were

  • AMC response groups establish airfield operations for hurricane relief

    In support of massive relief operations to help victims of Hurricane Katrina, several elements of the Air Mobility Command Contingency Response Group deployed to Louisiana and Mississippi Aug. 30 and 31 to establish air mobility operations.On Aug. 30, a four-person assessment team from the 615th

  • Hurricane Hunters rebound, gear up for next storm

    For a week and a half, Air Force Reserve Command's Hurricane Hunters from the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron flew in and out of Hurricane Katrina around the clock gathering data.The Airmen provided the National Hurricane Center in Miami with critical information on the monster storm as it

  • EMS team deploys to New Orleans

    Airmen with the 375th Medical Group here deployed to hurricane-ravaged New Orleans on Sept. 1 to provide additional medical support to relief agencies already present in the area.The Expeditionary Medical Support Team, comprising about 80 doctors, nurses, medical technicians and support personnel,

  • Air Force takes care of Keesler’s expectant mothers

    Kimberly Harris knew things were bad when the water started creeping up her legs in the Keesler Air Force Base, Miss., hospital basement Aug. 29, but the nine-months-pregnant senior airman knew it was getting a lot worse when another expectant mom had an emergency cesarean section -- by

  • Hotline links deployed troops, hurricane-struck families

    With thousands of troops from the hurricane-stricken Gulf Coast deployed thousands of miles from home and worried about their families, a program operated by the National Guard Bureau is providing a vital communication link and assurance that families are being taken care of.Army Col. Anthony Baker

  • AF helicopter crews rescue 221 hurricane victims

    Air Force special operations helicopter crews from the 347th Rescue Wing rescued more than 200 people stranded in areas hard hit by Hurricane Katrina through Aug. 31.Flying from Jackson-Evers International Airport, Miss., these and other Air Force Special Operations Command aircrews are continuing

  • Hurricane Katrina relief effort total force response

    Airmen from across the Air Force are continuing to search for, rescue, evacuate, treat, feed and comfort Hurricane Katrina’s millions of victims.Most of the Airmen helping with relief operations in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama are deploying with units as part of a total force response. And

  • Jumper reflects on challenges facing Air Force

    During his final media availability session here Aug. 29, the departing chief of staff of the Air Force discussed his vision of the future force, Base Realignment and Closure and the challenges he faced as the service's senior military leader.Gen. John P. Jumper said he believes the F/A-22 Raptor is

  • AMC focusing on Katrina aeromedical evacuations

    The Tanker Airlift Control Center here is working to move as many aircraft as possible into the New Orleans airport to evacuate wounded.“If we can get three more planes in by nightfall (Aug. 31), we might be able to save another 100 people,” said Col. Jeff Franklin, a control center controller.There

  • Airmen help on 'front lines' in New Orleans

    In a cramped conference room, Airmen from the 122nd Air Support Operations Squadron here operate and monitor a satellite radio linked to tactical air control party Airman in New Orleans to help coordinate disaster relief efforts in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Controllers from the squadron, who

  • Hurlburt combat engineers rush to aid of Keesler Airmen

    Combat engineers capable of rapid deployment into war zones are proving to be effective first responders in bringing aid to areas devastated by Hurricane Katrina. Airmen with the 823rd Red Horse Squadron here left early Aug. 30 bound for Keesler Air Force Base, Miss., one of the worst-hit areas in

  • Foglesong honored with Order of the Sword

    The U.S. Air Forces in Europe commander was bestowed the enlisted corps highest honor Aug. 26.Gen. Robert H. “Doc” Foglesong, who has led USAFE since August 2003, was inducted into the Order of the Sword before nearly 600 enlisted Airmen and guests representing every base within the command.General

  • Contact information available concerning Hurricane Katrina

    For information relating to Hurricane Katrina, to include Stop Movement and entitlements, the following phone numbers and Web sites are available:The Air Force Personnel Center Personnel Readiness Center can be contacted toll free at (800) 435-9941. The PRC can provide information about bases

  • Flyover to honor chief of staff change

    Old and new fighter aircraft will perform a farewell flyover for the outgoing Air Force chief and welcome the new chief during a ceremony at Andrews Air Force Base, Md., on Sept. 2.Gen. John P. Jumper, the current Air Force chief of staff, will retire and pass the flag to the current vice chief of

  • People venture outside Keesler shelters

    For the first time since Hurricane Katrina forced them into shelters, 6,000 people at Keesler Air Force Base, Miss., ventured outside for a breath of fresh air.That was late in the day on Aug. 30, just after eating their first hot meal since the devastating hurricane nearly blew the base and that

  • Air Force Reserve flies missions to storm-ravaged areas

    Within hours after Hurricane Katrina slammed into the Gulf Coast, Air Force Reserve Command people and aircraft were headed toward disaster areas to help survivors.Three HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters from the 920th Rescue Wing at Patrick Air Force Base, Fla., flew to Jackson, Miss., late Aug. 30 to

  • SGLI coverage takes effect Sept. 1

    The Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance maximum coverage will increase to $400,000 on Sept. 1, Department of Defense officials said.Servicemembers eligible for SGLI will automatically be insured for the maximum coverage of $400,000. The monthly premium remains $3.25 per $50,000 of coverage, so the

  • FEGLI 2004 open season elections take effect

    Federal employees who elected or changed their Federal Employees' Group Life Insurance during last year’s open season will have their elections take effect the first day of the first pay period that begins on or after Sept. 1.For most Air Force-serviced civilian employees, the effective date will be

  • AMC answering humanitarian call in aftermath of Katrina

    The Tanker Airlift Control Center here started generating missions Air Mobility Command aircrews will fly supporting Hurricane Katrina relief operations in Louisiana and Mississippi.The Federal Emergency Management Agency, through Northern Command and U.S. Transportation Command, asked for airlift

  • Commission wraps up BRAC decisions

    The Defense Base Realignment and Closure Commission wrapped up four days of deliberations in final actions Aug. 26 and 27 by voting to turn Pope Air Force Base, N.C., into an Army airfield and recommending sweeping recommendations to revamp the Air National Guard and consolidate its operations.The

  • Guard, NORTHCOM respond to hurricane aftermath

    Twenty-four hours after Hurricane Katrina battered the Gulf Coast, about 7,500 National Guardsmen from Alabama, Florida, Louisiana and Mississippi were on duty supporting civil authorities, distributing generators, providing medical care, and setting up shelters for displaced residents.In addition,

  • New center helps promote records classification review

    A governmentwide effort to declassify documents that no longer need protecting took a big step forward recently with the official opening of the Interagency Referral Center in College Park, Md.The new center, at the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration, is part of an initiative launched

  • Bases hunker down to ride out Katrina

    As Hurricane Katrina devastates the Louisiana and Mississippi Gulf Coast, Air Force units in the area have hunkered down to ride out the storm.The powerful hurricane made landfall near Buras, La. -- close to the border between the two states -- at about 10 a.m. Aug. 29. Top winds reached about 145

  • Airmen support close-air support missions

    This time, things went down differently than planned. As arranged, the men prepped and fired a mortar at coalition forces. They shuttled into their vehicle, certain of a smooth exit. What the terrorists did not count on was what happened afterward: An American fighter aircraft zoomed overhead,

  • Sexual assault prevention film must-see for Airmen

    A new training video recently distributed to the Air Force through vice wing commanders is required viewing for all Airmen.All Airmen must view the new video, entitled "Targeting Sexual Assault," by Nov. 1. It is part of a larger Air Force campaign to educate Airmen about the realities of sexual

  • Family members, survivors receive identification cards

    A permanent U.S. uniformed services identification card will be available in September for all eligible family members and survivors age 75 and over of deceased servicemembers.Currently, uniformed services retirees are the only persons who receive a permanent ID card.Beneficiaries currently in

  • Commander sees AEF working from deployed perspective

    The Air and Space Expeditionary Force Center commander recently visited his largest customer in theater -- U.S. Central Command Air Forces.Brig. Gen. Stephen L. Hoog said there was no better place to see that the AEF is working as advertised than in the Southwest Asia and Central Asia.“I appreciate

  • 1st Air Force transitions to warfighting headquarters

    First Air Force and Continental U.S. North American Aerospace Defense Command Region are making structural changes to transition into one of 10 warfighting headquarters to better support geographic and functional combatant commanders worldwide.The transition is part of the Air Force’s move to

  • Convoy escorts continue proud heritage of Tuskegee Airmen

    The 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing is steeped in the rich history of its predecessors, the Tuskegee Airmen of the 332nd Fighter Group. While today’s Airmen do not share the hardships of breaking racial barriers, Airmen with Detachment 2 here and Det. 1 at Camp Speicher, Iraq, face their own

  • Medics relieve pain at home, in war

    As servicemembers continue to fight the war on terrorism, a small group of Airmen at Balad Air Base, Iraq, is ensuring that each warfighter is fit to fight. At the same time they are gaining valuable experience to bring home.The physical and occupational therapy clinic at the Air Force Theater

  • Tricare unveils new extended health-care option

    Tricare’s Extended Care Health Option will be available for beneficiaries of active-duty family members with defined qualifying conditions Sept. 1. Beneficiaries currently receiving care through the Program for Persons with Disabilities and not qualified for ECHO will continue care through Tricare

  • Beale’s Global Hawk mission extends worldwide

    Airman with the 12th Reconnaissance Squadron here are part of the Air Force’s only operational Global Hawk Unmanned Aerial Vehicle unit.The $35-million Global Hawk is used to provide Air Force and joint battlefield commanders near real-time, high-resolution intelligence, surveillance and

  • Exchange program connects U.S., Dutch Airmen

    Training young pilots to push the F-16 Fighting Falcon to its operational limits is a job Lt. Col. David Stine loves as much as flying.Even better is doing both those things with the Royal Netherlands Air Force, he said. That is just what he has done for three years as an exchange pilot at this

  • Environmental branch improves air quality

    The potential harmful effects of breathing diesel fumes came into focus when the Clean Air Task Force released a report estimating that diesel fumes kill about 21,000 Americans each year. According to the report, diesel exhaust exceeds the national ambient air quality standards for carbon monoxide,

  • Lieutenant selected for World Class Athlete Program

    Former Air Force pole vault standout 2nd Lt. Paul Gensic was recently accepted to the U.S. Air Force World Class Athlete Program.The program gives high-caliber athletes, both officers and enlisted, the opportunity to continue training in their sport, while preparing for a berth in the Olympic

  • Airmen get in shape with boot camp aerobics

    Boot camp aerobics can be a pain when participants are doing it, but it could one day save their life.The boot camp aerobics class, which has been offered here for about five years, adds a new emphasis to workouts, incorporating scenarios Airmen could face while deployed.While the main idea is still

  • Force shaping Phase II evolves for officers in fiscal 2006

    The Air Force’s officer corps is overmanned by about 4,000 Airmen.In fiscal 2005, the Air Force’s voluntary force shaping initiatives successfully reduced the size of the active duty population to its congressionally authorized level of 359,000.However, the fiscal 2006 budget trims the Air Force

  • Falcon football to kickoff at 'home' in Seattle

    Air Force Falcons will kickoff their season as the “home” team 1,400 miles away from Falcon Stadium in Colorado Springs, Colo. The Falcons begin their 2005 campaign against the University of Washington at Qwest Field in Seattle on Sept. 3.The season opener also will feature several demonstrations

  • Kirtland Airman hits jackpot

    A master sergeant here got a whole lot more than milk during a recent trip to the supermarket.In fact, Master Sgt. John San Cartier, a special operations loadmaster instructor with the 58th Training Squadron, “got” a lottery ticket that ended up winning the $93.4 million jackpot.The 15-year Air

  • Academy ranks top in professor availability

    Academy professors here are the most accessible to their students in the nation, according to “The Best 361 Colleges” released Aug. 22 by The Princeton Review.The New York-based education services company features the academy in “The Best 361 Colleges,” the new 2006 edition of its annual "best

  • International academy program gives worldly perspective

    Today’s officers must be prepared to function in an international environment. While the academy’s international program provides cadets with a variety of opportunities to hone their leadership skills overseas, foreign cadets travel here to study similar skills.There are 48 four-year international

  • Iraqi, U.S. C-130 crewmembers fly boy to receive heart surgery

    Although 8-year-old Baher looks happy and healthy, Iraqi and U.S. Air Force C-130 crewmembers knew his true condition when they gave him the ride of his life Aug. 22.Baher and his mother, Afaf, were headed to New Orleans to repair a hole in his heart via a new program called Operation Mend a Heart.

  • Agencies ease deployment pains

    With “my upcoming deployment” as the catch-phrase for most of Airmen, several organizations take extraordinary measures to ensure that not only the Airman is ready for deployment, but the families are as well.Family support centers, chapel staffs and many other agencies manage day-to-day efforts of

  • U.S. aircraft, troops popular at Moscow air show

    Staff Sgt. Christy Jeffreys is not new to traveling. In her nine year Air Force career, her job as a boom operator on the KC-10 Extender has taken her to more than 10 countries.But, this was the first time her job has also made her feel like a celebrity.Sergeant Jeffreys, a reservist assigned to

  • Jumper: BRAC decisions needed to continue transformation

    The Air Force chief of staff told the Base Realignment and Closure Commission on Aug. 20 that while many of the decisions related to base closure are “gut wrenching,” the changes are needed to allow the Air Force to continue to transform to meet the war-fighting demands of the 21st century.“The

  • New incentive for Air Force marathon runners

    The Air Force Marathon will feature an incentive for participants in the Sept. 17 event. Pace teams will be available to help marathon runners in the 26.2-mile race.Pace team members are athletes who help make sure runners do not burn out, go out too fast or run sporadically over the length. They

  • Carlson assumes command of AFMC

    Gen. Bruce Carlson assumed command of Air Force Materiel Command from Gen. Gregory S. Martin on Aug. 19 at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force in Dayton, Ohio.General Carlson, who previously commanded the 8th Air Force at Barksdale Air Force Base, La., pinned on his fourth star in a private