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  • Coalition strikes back at Iraq

    Coalition aircraft struck at an Iraqi integrated air defense site in the northern no-fly zone Oct. 22, said Air Force Maj. Scott Covode, a spokesman for the combined task force.Both U.S. and British aircraft took part in the attack. While Covode would not specify the planes used, he did say the

  • Keeping cool key for surviving desert deployment

    It would seem to take a Herculean effort to turn a 32-foot by 12-foot by 20-foot tent that has been boiling outside in 90- to 130-degree temperatures into a veritable icebox. But superheroes from the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing -- appropriately dubbed "icemen" - do it every dayThe heating,

  • Supply, fuels teams compete during 'Roadeo'

    Thirty-six teams from around the Air Force gathered here to compete in this year's supply and fuels readiness competition, also known as "Roadeo." When it was all over, the team from Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, earned bragging rights by accumulating the most points in the three-day competition.The

  • First lady touts 'Troops to Teachers' program

    The birthplace of aviation became a launching pad for new career possibilities Oct. 16 as first lady Laura Bush spoke here about the Defense Department's Troops to Teachers program.Bush recognized educators and the potential roles departing military members can play in education during a rally

  • Mass casualty exercise focuses on readiness, teamwork

    The 363rd Expeditionary Medical Group got an edge on readiness and teamwork during a mass casualty exercise recently."Exercises like this keep us prepared for anything," said Lt. Col. Les Folio, 363rd EMDG chief of aerospace medicine and exercise coordinator from Travis Air Force Base, Calif. "We

  • Deployed life support shop vital to OEF missions

    The people in the 777th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron life support shop work hard to maintain their equipment, but they will be content if customers never have the chance to use most of it.That is because most of the equipment they maintain, including body armor, global positioning system

  • Coming home

    Fifteen C-130 Hercules from the 302nd Airlift Wing taxi down the runway here toward a crowd of anxious families Oct 1. Coming home were more than 250 Air Force Reserve members who were deployed in support of operations Joint Forge, Enduring Freedom and Noble Eagle. A ceremony afterward signified

  • Malmstrom airman's idea earns $10K

    Everyone likes to save money and the Air Force is no exception. So when Master Sgt. Bruce Ronke submitted a price challenge saving the Air Force $400,000 annually, the Air Force awarded him $10,000.Ronke, the former noncommissioned officer in charge of weapons and tactics codes operations here,

  • Hurricane Hunters monitor Lili

    The "Hurricane Hunters" of the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, a Reserve unit here have been busy, flying their WC-130 Hercules aircraft into Hurricane Lili, gathering data about the storm for the National Hurricane Center.The hurricane, with winds in excess of 145 miles per hour, was expected

  • Guard, Reserve forces cope with active-duty extension

    For Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard troops, the jab "weekend warrior" lost relevance long ago.As many as 14,000 such troops, more than 60 percent of them in the security forces career field, have been on active duty for more than a year now as a result of the war on terrorism. Recently,

  • 'Oh say can you see...'

    Senior Airman Marcie Mascaro and Airman 1st Class LaTanza Meabon, both touring performers with Tops In Blue, invite an airman to help sing the "Star Spangled Banner" during the opening of their performance at a forward-deployed location supporting Operation Enduring Freedom recently. Tops In Blue,

  • ROTC offers airmen education, commissioning opportunities

    Enlisted people interested in becoming commissioned officers may want to consider Air Force ROTC.Airmen have four Air Force ROTC commissioning programs from which to choose. If selected, they will enroll and will receive a commission when they complete the program.The programs are the Airman

  • Latest issue of Citizen Airman magazine now available

    A little more than a year into the nation's war on terrorism, Air Force leaders are in the midst of a transition from a "crisis-response" mode, with heavy reliance on mobilized Guard and Reserve members, to a new steady state, which relies mainly on volunteer reservists and guardsmen to help meet

  • Hollywood animation enhancing survival training

    Instructors at the U.S. Air Force Survival School here are incorporating Hollywood-style animation techniques into programs used to train students in such skills as navigation and surviving underwater aircraft accidents.Six years in development, this newest training technology will allow students to

  • Kunsan civilian re-connects with Korean War savior

    A civilian employee here recently re-established ties with the man who saved his life and the Air Force unit that adopted him during the Korean War.Yong Ku "Mike" Yi, an employee at the base skills center, received an honorary induction into his savior's unit, the 6147th Tactical Control Group's

  • New system makes tracking supplies easier

    In Afghanistan and other austere locations, U.S. troops are now able to better track their orders of vital supplies. That is because of recent efforts by U.S. Transportation Command officials to improve the "in-transit visibility" of people and cargo moving through the Defense Transportation

  • Tuition assistance increases for undergraduate program

    For the second year in a row, Air Force Reserve Command is boosting the amount of help offered through its Tuition Assistance Program for undergraduate work.Starting Oct. 1, the Reserve will increase a student's maximum assistance per semester from $187.50 to $250 for undergraduate work, reimbursing

  • Reserve recouping funds from ineligible GI Bill recipients

    Beginning Oct. 1, the Air Force Reserve will recoup money from reservists who receive GI Bill benefits but fail to complete their military or education obligations.The Montgomery GI Bill-Selected Reserve enables reserve component members who enlist, re-enlist or extend in the Selected Reserve for a

  • NASA honors academy aeronautics research efforts

    Members of the Air Force Academy's aeronautics department received recognition from the NASA Johnson Space Center for their work on the X-38 crew return vehicle, which will serve as a lifeboat for the International Space Station.Named as recipients of the NASA Group Achievement Award are Dr. Tom

  • Maintenance group focusing on core competencies

    Wings around the Air Force are creating maintenance groups as part of a move toward the new combat wing organization structure.The changes are in accordance with a recent directive by Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper that maintenance groups be stood up and have attained initial

  • $10.4 million upgrade increases test capability

    With a $10.4 million test facility upgrade here, Air Force officials hope to make Arnold Engineering Development Center a "one-stop" shopping center for aerodynamic and propulsion test customers by providing Mach 8 capability.The Mach 8 milestone, which equates to objects traveling about 6,000 mph,

  • Oklahoma Guardsmen join U.S. planes in South Africa

    Even with more than 60 nations represented on the flightline and in hangars at the South African Aerospace Defense Exhibition here, many here say the most recognizable tail art goes to the 185th Airlift Squadron from the Oklahoma Air National Guard's 137th Airlift Wing.The unit, based in Oklahoma

  • Teamwork spans across miles of water

    While they may not ride the same shuttle to work or eat in the same dining facility, members of the 40th Expeditionary Maintenance Squadron are very much a part of the deployed 40th Air Expeditionary Wing.The 40th EMXS is located at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, and provides contingency phase

  • Air Force, NASCAR teams compete in 'reverse pit stop'

    Elite teams of highly skilled professionals from NASCAR and the Air Force faced off on the flightline here Sept. 19 in a unique competition dubbed the "reverse pit stop." The purpose of the three-hour event was to demonstrate the many similarities and contrasts between the two organizations and to

  • Demobilized reservists receive time to out-process

    Air Force reservists who are not being extended into a second year or have not been identified for early demobilization should begin demobilizing at least 45 days before their call-up anniversary date, said officials.These days give reservists time to complete mandatory medical evaluations and

  • Fifth Air Force Marathon a success

    More than 3,200 runners from 48 states and eight foreign countries ran in the fifth Air Force Marathon here Sept. 21.Wheelchair competitors began the 26.2-mile race at 7 a.m., followed by individual runners at 7:05 a.m., and relay teams at 7:30 a.m.Patrick Doak of Alpharetta, Ga., was the first male

  • USAFE gains two units under realignment plan

    A major command, U.S. Air Forces in Europe, is gaining two new units with the implementation of the Unified Command Plan on Oct. 1.The 65th Air Base Wing at Lajes Air Base, Azores, and the 85th Group at Naval Air Station Keflavik, Iceland, will transition from Air Combat Command to USAFE as part of

  • Vigilance remains key to preventing terrorist activity

    Air Force members and their families are vital assets to law enforcement authorities who identify and assess potential threats in the area to help safeguard people and other resources."Vigilance at home is a phrase that's been used time and again since Sept. 11," said Special Agent Robert Hicks,

  • Airmen may be able to carry over 'use or lose' leave

    Active-duty airmen who were unable to take annual leave this past year because they were supporting contingency operations will be allowed to accumulate more than the normal 60 days after the fiscal year ends.Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve members who performed full-time training or other

  • Air Force participates in South Africa exercise

    Air Force people arrived here Sept. 17 to participate in the first bilateral exercise between the air forces of South Africa and the United States.More than 200 airmen from Royal Air Force Mildenhall and RAF Lakenheath in England, Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D., and the Oklahoma Air National Guard

  • Squadron inactivating after 34 years

    Airman 1st Class Travis Reid checks an EC-130 Hercules for potential post-flight fuel and hydraulic leaks. Reid is a member of the 42nd Airborne Command and Control Squadron here which was born during the Vietnam War and is being inactivated Sept. 30. Air Force officials determined the unit's

  • Officials announce OTS selections

    The Air Force is giving 42 enlisted members the chance to trade in their stripes for gold bars after being chosen to attend Officer Training School at Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.Officials from Air Force Recruiting Service headquarters conducted OTS Selection Board 0208, which met here Aug. 6 to 9.

  • ID cards prepare airmen for deployment

    An airman's projected deployment information can fit inside his or her wallet thanks to the new air and space expeditionary force identification card available online.Officials at the AEF Center here recently introduced the cards as a way to help airmen understand the details of their

  • Airman sets world bench press record

    Gene Bell recently set world and national records with a 514-pound bench press at the USA Powerlifting National Bench Press Championships in Bedford Heights, Ohio.The quarter-ton-plus lift gave Bell, a master sergeant assigned to the Air Force Services Agency, the Master's World Bench Press and USA

  • Teleconferencing IDEA earns employee $10,000

    A suggestion to change the way in which video teleconferencing is provided has earned an Air Force Research Laboratory employee here a $10,000 award from the Air Force Innovative Development through Employee Awareness program.Gregory J. Howe, a telecommunications specialist in the AFRL information

  • 10 years later, ALS continues to evolve

    A little more than a decade old, airman leadership school has evolved in much the same way the rest of the Air Force has. Although the school and curriculum have changed with the times, one thing has not, said Tech. Sgt. Pamela Jones, an instructor and director of education at the Senior Master Sgt.

  • Test Pilot School updates admission requirements

    Pilots, engineers and navigators applying for slots at the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School here are finding some of the school's requirements have changed recently.The biggest difference for applicants comes in the easing of experience requirements for pilots and navigators.Beginning with this

  • ARPC selects 1,877 for promotion

    Air Reserve Personnel Center officials here announced Sept. 12 the results of the fiscal 2003 Air Force Reserve Line and Health Professions Captain and Lieutenant Colonel Promotion Selection Board. Board members selected 1,877 officers for promotion.A selection board convened at ARPC from June 24

  • B-1B finds home at Air Force Museum

    One of a fleet of aircraft commonly identified as the backbone of America's long-range bomber force and a vital enabler of U.S. global power projection found a new home at the U.S. Air Force Museum Sept 10 when a B-1B Lancer landed on a runway behind the museum here.Flown in directly from the 7th

  • Out on patrol

    An F-16 Fighting Falcon from Shaw Air Force Base, S.C., patrols the no-fly zone in support of Operation Northern Watch. The aircraft, assigned to the 77th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, was part of an air and space expeditionary force deployment package. The unit spent the 90-day rotation

  • Random act of kindness rewarded

    Darby Hill, whose drawing of the American flag and the words "Thank you" inspired Virginia Air National Guard's 192nd Fighter Wing in the weeks following the attacks of Sept. 11, was honored Sept. 6 by the unit at its headquarters in Richmond, Va.Dropped off at the gate days after the terrorist

  • Promotion study list now available

    Promotion-eligible enlisted people can now find out which materials to study for the 2003 testing cycles.The most current Weighted Airman Promotion System catalog, which lists the materials used by test writers to develop the 2003 promotion tests, is now available on the Air Force Personnel Center

  • Greater access to pay information through E/MSS

    The Defense Finance and Accounting Service Employee/Member Self-Service system has been expanded to allow greater access to pay information and more changes to pay records.The new enhancements provide more options to employees, are user-friendly, and help give employees more control over their pay

  • Reservists must report extension to keep benefits

    Mobilized reservists who are extended into a second year must report the extension to their servicing military personnel unit to ensure they receive continuous health care and other benefits.If deployed overseas, reservists can go to their personnel support for contingency operations team to update

  • First test of 'Net Decoy' system shows promise

    The airmen of the 100th Communications Squadron here hosted the first-ever demonstration of the pioneering "Net Decoy" system, combining two defensive information systems that detect, track and potentially identify cyberspace intruders.During the latter part of August the Air Force Information

  • Research lab applies robotic technology to mission

    On June 25, 1996, the military community was devastated when several American military members were killed and many more injured, including some local civilians, when the Khobar Towers in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, were bombed.Following this tragic event, Air Force officials identified a need to safely

  • Supply flight keeps parts moving at OEF base

    The 379th Air Expeditionary Wing is one of the largest units in the Persian Gulf region to support Operation Enduring Freedom. Its primary aircraft are KC-10 Extenders and KC-135 Stratotankers. The wing has delivered almost 300 million pounds of fuel to U.S. and coalition aircraft in the war on

  • Launch marks new era of space vehicles

    A new era of space launch vehicles began when the first Lockheed-Martin Atlas V lifted off the pad at Cape Canaveral Aug. 21.This launch begins the operational start of the Air Force's Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle program, the latest in technology for launching critical payloads into space.EELV

  • Mr. Sandman

    Staff Sgt. Jon Slingerland, from the 379th Expeditionary Comptroller Squadron at a forward deployed location, sands wood on a hole his unit is building for the base's new miniature golf course. Once complete, the course will be added to a growing list of activities offered by the 379th

  • Aircraft storage center receives first B-1

    The first of two dozen B-1 Lancers to be stored as part of the Air Force's B-1 fleet reduction plan arrived at the Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Center here Aug. 20.The arrival starts a reduction process that will take the Air Force's B-1 fleet to 60 from its current 92 count. Twenty four

  • Let there be light!

    Senior Airman Jeremy Tripp, an electrical power production journeyman from the 438th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Flight, works on an air compressor Aug. 17 that boosts a telescopic floodlight unit into position to illuminate a new laundry facility at a forward-deployed location. (Photo by Staff

  • Mom, son fight war on terrorism together

    The Schnichels family has done a great job of sticking together.Not only are three of them bearing the same last name stationed together at Grand Forks Air Force Base, N.D., but two are fighting the war on terrorism at the same forward-deployed location in the Arabian Gulf region.Master Sgt. Carol

  • Wing practicing sound resource management

    The 379th Air Expeditionary Wing has established new resource management forums that comptroller officials at this forward-deployed location say will be a benchmark for large contingency bases.The wing recently held its first Financial Working Group and Financial Management Board to ensure

  • Operation Pillowcase softens sting of family separation

    An award-winning program designed to make children feel less anxious is softening the sting while a parent is away from home on military duty.Operation Pillowcase, developed by the 439th Airlift Wing family support center staff here, provides children of activated reservists with a pillowcase

  • Disciplinary authority for friendly fire incident changed

    Disciplinary authority over the April 17 friendly fire incident near Kandahar, Afghanistan, that resulted in the deaths of four Canadian paratroopers was passed Aug.16 to the U.S. Air Force's 8th Air Force commander, Lt. Gen. Bruce Carlson.Gen. Hal M. Hornburg, Air Combat Command commander,

  • ROTC cadets shadow pilots

    Cadet Jeffery Hill, from the University of Alaska-Anchorage's ROTC Detachment 1, receives an incentive flight in an F-15 Eagle. ROTC cadets are shadowing 19th Fighter Squadron pilots and other support people here as part of a working agreement between the squadron and university to show future

  • U.S. Northern Command setup becomes clearer

    When U.S. Northern Command stands up Oct. 1, the new organization in charge of homeland defense will have "combatant command" of a small number of specialized units.Combatant command, or COCOM, gives combatant commanders the authority to organize, train and operate units. It is different from

  • Help desk 'makes bits flow' to support war on terrorism

    They call it "making bits flow." That is how members of the 379th Expeditionary Communications Squadron help desk refer to assisting customers at this forward deployed location.The help desk is responsible for troubleshooting and repairing computer problems for about 2,000 warfighters here.The

  • Remembering close air support's humble beginnings

    Even the most complex of systems often begin with a simple idea.Case in point: close air support.While today's soldier can expect aerial support from fighter aircraft, specially designed gunships and helicopters -- even heavy bombers dropping laser guided munitions from several miles away -- the

  • Reserve aircrew honored for heroic mission

    When the call for help came the evening of Dec. 7, the MC-130E Combat Talon crew from the 919th Special Operations Wing here, did not hesitate to fly through enemy territory to assist their fellow special operators.The 711th Special Operations Squadron crew's actions earned them one of the Air Force

  • Detachment activated to support V-22 testing

    A new detachment was activated here recently to support V-22 Osprey testing.Detachment 2 was created to operationally test the MV-22 from the special operations perspective to assess its value as a baseline for the special operations variant, the CV-22."I'm proud to be part of the outstanding team

  • Resume requirements clarified for Air Force civilian employment

    Palace Compass officials here recently clarified whether or not applicants need a resume when applying for civilian employment."Applicants for job vacancies filled by the Air Force Personnel Center may not need a resume," said Lee McGehee, technical director. "But all applicants must self-nominate

  • CCAF offers FAA certification for engine maintainers

    After four years in development, a new certification program offered by the Community College of the Air Force could replace the title"aircraft mechanic" with "Federal Aviation Administration-certified aviation maintenance technician" in for airmen working on military aircraft.The Joint Service

  • Air Force announces OTS selections

    The Air Force is giving 92 enlisted members the chance to trade in their stripes for gold bars after being chosen to attend Officer Training School.Headquarters Air Force Recruiting Service conducted OTS Selection Board 0207, which met here June 25 to 28. The board considered 654 total applications,

  • B-1 consolidation begins

    A year after the B-1 Lancer consolidation plan was first announced, people here are seeing the first steps take shape.The plan, announced last year, calls for the B-1 fleet to be consolidated here and at Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D. The other three bases where B-1s were assigned have already

  • Reservists demobilize to prepare for new 'steady state'

    In response to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the Air Force mobilized more than 30,000 Air National Guardsmen and Air Force Reservists.Nearly a year later, a large portion of them are being released as the Air Force embraces a new steady state, according to Michael L. Dominguez, assistant secretary

  • Power production farm keeps OEF base running

    Just like a body needs food, a forward-deployed unit needs power.Without them, neither will survive.The 379th Expeditionary Civil Engineer power production farm at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, ensures the base's electrical needs are kept well-fed."We produce every bit of power used by the military

  • Spangdahlem tests virtual out-processing initiative

    In an effort to improve quality of life by streamlining base processes, Spangdahlem Air Base is one of four bases worldwide to test the Air Force's new virtual out-processing initiative.Throughout August, select families moving back to the United States will test a customized database system online.

  • Quarterly overseas enlisted assignment listing available

    The Enlisted Quarterly Assignment Listing for overseas assignments is now available for the April to June 2003 cycle.The deadline for updating assignment preferences is Aug. 22. Airmen will be notified of their selection by Sept. 9.EQUAL advertises upcoming assignment requirements by Air Force

  • Sergeant creates dragons in Japan

    Staff Sgt. Eric Suan often wears a white uniform, but he is not a medic and he does not work in a snowy climate. If you think he sells ice cream, think again -- or you might get kicked in the teeth.Six nights a week, this 34-year-old aviation resource manager with the 17th Special Operations

  • Lowest bidder wins this auction

    It is similar to any other auction, but with a twist. In the Air Force Center for Environmental Excellence's version, the lowest bidder wins, not the highest.The environmental center is trying out a "reverse auction" procedure that allows contractors to bid on some center work via the Internet.It