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  • Airmen establish early warning network with locals

    Instead of relying solely on patrolmen and sensors to analyze the ever-evolving installation defense puzzle, security forces specialists here are using the help of a previously underused weapon system -- word of mouth. Security forces patrol teams responsible for securing Tallil’s perimeter are

  • DOD issues guidance for medics dealing with detainees

    Department of Defense officials recently issued new guidelines for military medics dealing with detainees.The new rules deal with patient care, interrogations and medical-record confidentiality, among other issues, the department’s top doctor said June 17.Dr. William Winkenwerder Jr., assistant

  • Air Force releases findings of Wassaw Sound survey

    Air Force officials completed their evaluation of radiation levels in the Wassaw Sound where an incomplete nuclear weapon was lost off the coast of Georgia in 1958.During a June 17 press conference in Savannah, Ga., Air Force officials released results of a data collection survey conducted Sept.

  • U-2, early Cold War reconnaissance exhibit opens at museum

    An exhibit highlighting the Air Force's early Cold War reconnaissance opened to the public at the National Museum of the United States Air Force here June 15."Dragon Lady: The U-2 and Early Cold War Reconnaissance" exhibit joins the museum's permanent displays in the Cold War Gallery.The U-2 has

  • 2006 Thunderbirds team includes first female pilot

    U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron, “Thunderbirds,” officials announced their new pilots for the 2006 demonstration season which includes the first female demonstration pilot in the 52-year history of the Thunderbirds. Capt. Nicole Malachowski, of the 494th Fighter Squadron at Royal Air Force

  • Guardsmen familiarize Polish airmen with F-16

    Once adversaries, American F-16 Fighting Falcons and Soviet-era MiG-29s sit side by side on the flightline here during exercise Sentry White Falcon 2005.Warm emotions can be felt as the Polish and American pilots share each other’s planes; sometimes the fighter pilots cannot fight away the

  • Airman saves life while TDY

    Air Command and Staff College student Maj. Michael Jansen cannot explain his actions while on temporary duty to Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., for specialized study of air and space power. “Something like that may happen once in your lifetime, but hopefully never,” he said. “You can’t plan how you

  • New mission arrives at Incirlik

    A new mission kicked off here recently with the arrival and departure of C-17 Globemaster IIIs carrying cargo to Iraq supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.The new mission, which works on a “hub and spoke” concept, calls for cargo to come into the base from Charleston Air Force Base, S. C., and be

  • Off-duty travel site opens Australia as vacation destination

    Military travelers can purchase vacations to Australia for about the same cost as a getaway to Europe simply by visiting a military-sponsored Web site.Authorized morale, welfare and recreation patrons can go to the Off-Duty Travel Web site and click on "Joint Services Travel Specials" to begin a

  • Volunteers fly 'greatest generation' to see their memorial

    Thousands of visitors have come to the National World War II Memorial here since it opened last year. But the miles between the memorial and the ever-dwindling, increasingly frail ranks of World War II veterans make it difficult for many members of "The Greatest Generation" to make the pilgrimage

  • System increases B-52 target precision

    Along with successfully developing a new targeting capability for the B-52 Stratofortress, 53rd Wing test managers and aircrews also demonstrated a new $8.6 million avionics system capability for the aircraft June 14.A B-52 from Barksdale Air Force Base, La., was launched with Boeing’s prototype

  • Communications flight Airmen link base with outside world

    Without people like Staff Sgt. Karisa Szczygiel and Senior Airman Keith Hopson life at this forward-deployed location would be lonely and quiet. Morale and mission accomplishment certainly would be severely degraded if not downright nonexistent. The two Airmen are part of a 12-person shop within

  • Top runners to participate in Air Force Marathon

    Two of the top distance runners of all time will be part of the ninth annual U.S. Air Force Marathon in September.Bill Rodgers and Alberto Salazar became running legends in the 1970s and 1980s before the cable television explosion brought new exposure to athletes.Both will conduct separate free

  • Supply Airmen keep deployed essentials on shelf

    Continuously keeping supplies on the shelf to support military operations here falls on the shoulders of a group of Airmen from the 416th Expeditionary Mission Support Squadron’s supply section.They ensure warfighters have the necessary gear and parts to effectively fight the war on terrorism. They

  • Latest C-130J evolution arrives on desert ramp

    The faster more powerful C-130 Hercules J-models and the stretch version arrived in Southwest Asia on June 7 and 8, bringing state-of-the-art technology to the war on terrorism.Airmen with the Rhode Island Air National Guard’s 143rd Airlift Squadron, the California ANG’s 146th AS and the Maryland

  • Teen queen makes 'dream come true'

    One child stood out above the rest of the nearly 100 children from military families and their parents packed into the room here on Capitol Hill on June 10.They were here to meet teen actress and singer Hilary Duff. Alyssa Weishoff, 12, came as Ms. Duff's special guest. When the actress finally

  • Iraqi airmen tack on master sergeant’s stripes

    An Airman here chose to have two unusual attendees, or in his words, his adopted family, tack on his new stripes recently. Master Sgt. Bubba Beason, 777th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron pneudraulic systems technician instructor deployed from Little Rock Air Force Base, Ark., asked two

  • Airmen join Soldiers taking Kenya military to new heights

    As the sun rose June 6, seven Airmen wearing desert flightsuits stood outside the guarded entrance to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport waiting for their passengers.The C-130 Hercules crew, deployed to Southwest Asia from the 440th Airlift Wing at General Mitchell Air Reserve Base, Wis., were

  • Volunteers collect supplies for local Iraqi schools

    Most adults remember the joy of receiving a new box of crayons or coloring book as a child. In the U.S., this moment of joy is easy to achieve, but in Iraq, it is nearly impossible for some schoolchildren.Airmen and Soldiers here are trying to change that -- one school packet at a time.As

  • Yokota couple wins O’Malley award

    Sources have it that behind every good man stands a good woman.Col. Mark Schissler, a former 374th Airlift Wing commander here, said he has to agree.His wife, Marcia, and himself led the wing and its tenant units through two years of relief efforts, community relations events, inspections and

  • Tricare benefits enhanced for certain active-duty survivors

    Citing the debt of gratitude owed to those who have served the country and made the ultimate sacrifice, a top defense health official recently revised the Tricare policy for transitional survivors. The change allows active-duty families who live overseas, and who are on accompanied orders at the

  • Air Force Research Lab gives new meaning to ‘battlebots’

    An unidentified man walks toward a security forces vehicle. A loud, firm voice warns the man to “halt and be identified.” The man does not comply and continues to advance. The vehicle backs up cautiously flashing its red and blue lights to make sure the man knows he is dealing with security

  • DOD to increase Tricare access for reserve components

    Defense Department officials have made "tremendous efforts and strides" to meet the needs of reservists and guardsmen who now qualify for health-care coverage under the Tricare program, the program manager said June 8.The recent introduction of new patients into the Tricare system presents "a

  • Air Force leaders testify on IG tanker lease report

    The Air Force's two most senior leaders testified June 7 on Capitol Hill about the Service's efforts to recapitalize its fleet of refueler aircraft. Michael L. Dominguez, acting secretary of the Air Force, and Gen. John P. Jumper, Air Force chief of staff, both answered questions for the Senate

  • O'Brien: BRAC communities regained 90 percent of lost jobs

    Redevelopment efforts have created more than 115,000 new jobs nationwide in communities affected by the last four Base Realignment and Closure actions, a senior Defense Department official said here.Those employment gains account for "nearly 90 percent of the civilian jobs that were lost" as the

  • Health-behavior survey tracks military trends

    Midway through the survey period, Defense Department officials are reporting steady returns on the latest health-related behaviors survey, and officials are urging others selected to participate to weigh in with their responses.The 2005 Health Related Behavior Survey assesses active-duty

  • New launch date projected for new civilian personnel system

    The first phase of the Defense Department's new National Security Personnel System has been adjusted slightly, to later in the fiscal year, NSPS officials said June 7.The Defense Department will work with the Office of Personnel Management to adjust the proposed NSPS regulation based on public

  • State-of-the-art carbon dioxide laser speeds up production

    A unique tool used to cut parts for all weapons systems supported here brings a whole new meaning to cutting edge technology at the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center.“This (carbon dioxide) laser supports all weapon systems here … and the engine workload,” said Alan Casey, computer numerical control

  • Pennies, POGs -- dollars, cents of setting up shop in war zone

    While Army and Air Force Exchange Service officials have responded to the needs of deployed troops in operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom, there has been some confusion about where the metal currency goes once servicemembers hit the ground."In contingency operations, AAFES must rely on

  • USAFE civilian personnel servicing moves to AFPC

    U.S. Air Forces in Europe family members looking for employment will soon have a centralized site for handling civilian personnel servicing when civilian personnel operations move July 10.The move is part of the Air Force’s long-term plan to streamline operations by having the Air Force Personnel

  • VA chief: Opportunity ensures care for all servicemembers

    The secretary of Veterans Affairs said June 3 that where some might see challenges for the department, he sees opportunities."One of the big opportunities we have, and it's a priority of ours, is to make sure that our servicemembers coming out of the combat theater are well taken care of," R. James

  • BRAC changes to medicine focus on care, training, research

    Airmen bound for a career in the Air Force Medical Service will start off by training in a joint environment if all Base Realignment and Closure recommendations are approved.The changes will not completely homogenize training for enlisted medical specialists, but they will allow all the services to

  • New technology unveils hidden data in images

    Using the power and speed of high-performance computers, Air Force Research Laboratory engineers here are finding the keys to unlock hidden data in the digital world.Working with an algorithm, engineers have reached a major milestone in the research and development of steganographic key-breaking,

  • Deployed plumbers keep water flowing

    Water. It is one of life’s most basic necessities. Without it, battles have been lost and entire armies have fallen.It can mean the difference between success and failure -- and even life and death.The Airmen of the 447th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron utilities team know that getting clean

  • Airmen guard camp, detainees in Iraq

    Airmen here are performing jobs normally reserved for deployed Soldiers. They are escorting patrols and convoys, helping provide force protection for an Army camp and guarding detainees. More than 6,000 detainees are housed in the temporary internment facility here while awaiting legal proceedings

  • Family fitness room lets parents get fit while children play

    The fitness center here is making getting into shape a family affair with the addition of a new family fitness room.The room provides customers who have small children the freedom to workout and watch their children, said John Enterman, the fitness center director.Once an old racquetball court in

  • Air Force improving force protection

    Protecting military people or equipment is not a new thing in the Air Force, but the way it is being done is. More and more emphasis is being placed on how the Air Force does force protection business and the effects are being seen at home bases servicewide and the U.S. Central Command’s area of

  • Military responders geared up for active hurricane season

    With forecasters predicting an active hurricane season this year, military responders are geared up for whatever Mother Nature whirls their way.Hurricane season officially kicked off June 1, and meteorologists expect the decade-long trend toward active hurricane seasons in the Atlantic to continue

  • Robots, Airmen defuse unexploded ordnance

    With the help of new, faster and more agile robots, explosive ordnance disposal Airmen here have an opportunity to keep their distance from bombs set to harm servicemembers off the base.Teaming man and machine is giving Airmen of the EOD unit an upper hand in the seemingly never-ending battle

  • Vice president addresses academy Class of 2005

    Vice President Richard B. Cheney told 922 graduating cadets here that they are taking their places as commissioned officers of the most powerful air and space force in the history of mankind.“Responsibility comes to you in a period of unprecedented challenge for your country and extraordinary change

  • World War II women warriors pass on history, heritage

    After pooling her quarters with her cousin to pay the whopping, 1920s fee of $1.50, Caro Bayley climbed into a Tri-motor Ford airplane at Springfield Airfield, Ohio. She was about to make a historic flight -- the first in her life.Soaring over the clouds, the young girl looked down at the ground.

  • Academy sports recap: Falcon lacrosse MVP selected for all-star classic

    Air Force lacrosse player Tim Hade has been selected as an alternate to play for the North squad at the 64th annual STX-GEICO North/South Classic, which will be held June 11 on the campus of State University of New York - Cortland. Recently, Hade, a long-stick midfielder/defender, was honored as

  • Motorcycle safety forum held at Andrews

    The muffled roar of motorcycles filled the air here May 28 as the base held the inaugural Air Force Motorcycle Safety Forum.The main goals of the forum were to save lives by promoting safe riding and to encourage the motorcycle mentoring concept called for by Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P.

  • Air Force marathon set for Sept. 17

    Air Force Services officials will hold the ninth annual Air Force Marathon at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, on Sept. 17. The marathon will also include a half-marathon, wheelchair race, a four-person relay and a 5k race.The deadline for registration is Sept. 2. The race is open to the

  • PACAF officials establish warfighting headquarters

    Pacific Air Forces headquarters officials established the George C. Kenney Headquarters (Provisional) here June 1. The newly formed warfighting headquarters will focus exclusively on planning and executing military operations throughout the Pacific theater, excluding the Korean Peninsula. It is

  • Arlington National Cemetery gains 70 acres of land

    In 1998, burial space at the country's most prestigious resting place for servicemembers and their spouses was becoming scarce, and officials worried they would run out of room at Arlington National Cemetery in about 25 years.After years of searching for more space, Defense Department officials have

  • Airman magazine changes to quarterly publication

    Beginning in July, Airman magazine will be distributed on a quarterly basis versus monthly, to include the January almanac edition.Readers can expect to see enhanced photography and changes in content, layout and design. Because of the transition, the June issue will not be published, but excerpts

  • Paperless transition of emergency data cards complete

    After decades of Airmen updating emergency contact information in their personnel records, everyone is now required to update the information online rather than visiting their military personnel flights.Effective immediately, personnel flight officials are no longer required to print and file a

  • Air Force finalizes new utility uniform

    Blue and green tiger stripes are out; the digitized pattern with subdued green, tan, blue and gray is in.After reviewing more than 150,000 bits of feedback throughout the initial seven-month wear test of the proposed utility uniform, Air Force leaders recently decided to eliminate the original color

  • 'Chief's View' focuses on communication

    A new television production featuring the chief master sergeant of the Air Force is providing an information venue for key Air Force issues to Airmen worldwide.The one-minute segments, called "Chief's View," air globally on American Forces Radio and Television Service, the Pentagon Channel and are

  • Promotion takes to airwaves

    Separation proved no obstacle for a couple here May 26 as they were promoted to first lieutenant together via computer-based video conference while geographically separated by more than 7,000 miles.First Lts. Eric Johnston, who is deployed to Balad Air Base, Iraq, and Sheila Johnston, of the 47th

  • Airmen work with Soldiers to help Iraqi communities

    The public works directorate here, comprising Air Force and Army civil engineers, work on everything from constructing new facilities to designing waste-water treatment facilities to installing electric power nodes. “In short, if you need a construction project done, we do it all,” said Maj. Thomas

  • Airmen provide support during Operation Alaskan Road

    A group of Airmen at Camp Wy-Wuh, Alaska, is supporting the troops of Joint Task Force Alaskan Road by making sure their camp has at least some of the comforts of home. Operation Alaskan Road entails the construction of a 14.5-mile road on an island that is Alaska’s only federally recognized Indian

  • Sister, brother meet up in Southwest Asia

    An Airman here got quite a surprise when she got off the plane in a forward-deployed location in Southwest Asia in transit to her final destination here.It was the smiling face of her brother, Staff Sgt. Matthew Hochstein, an aerospace ground equipment technician with the 379th Expeditionary

  • Severely injured troops relearn living skills

    "It smells good in here already," a visitor to "Fort Independence" said as she walked into the kitchen where amputees sharpen their culinary skills at Walter Reed Army Medical Center here.Fort Independence is a mock apartment set up in the hospital's occupational-therapy department to train newly

  • Volunteers give to community at Marian House

    Downtown Colorado Springs was quiet on a recent morning. Traffic, normally a dull roar during the week, was a whisper as cars zipped along a nearly empty Interstate 25 and local roads. A dozen cars sat parked behind a yellow house on a road about a quarter of a mile from the highway.As other

  • Civil support teams provide WMD expertise to communities

    Guardsmen with the 61st Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Support Team here like to think of themselves as firefighters."We're ready to go, but we don't go until the bell goes off," said Lt. Col. Keith Bauder, commander of the unit since it activated five years ago.The "bell" sounds in the event of

  • 100-percent accountability paramount in deployed operations

    Imagine showing up to work one day only to discover everyone is new. Well, that has been the case at this and many other forward-deployed locations worldwide. Most of the Airmen in the air and space expeditionary force’s current rotation arrived within the past month, and that means Airmen at the

  • Academy sports recap: Falcons name new basketball head coach

    Former Denver Nuggets coach Jeff Bzdelik has been named the new head coach for the Falcon men's basketball team. He replaces Chris Mooney, who left the academy May 5 to accept the head coaching job at the University of Richmond.“We’re very excited about having Jeff lead the men’s basketball team

  • Air National Guard leaders focus on BRAC

    Air National Guard leaders are urging citizen Airmen nationwide to remain focused on their missions while they and others consider the organization's future during this year's Base Realignment and Closure process. Lt. Gen. Daniel James III, ANG director, and Chief Master Sgt. Richard Smith, ANG

  • Officials unveil new generation command and control system

    A new generation command and control system was unveiled recently when Air Mobility Command officials began fielding a new system that provides unit-level and force-level mission planning, scheduling and tracking of all mobility airlift and air refueling missions.The global decision support system

  • Pilots give new C-130J aircraft rave reviews

    Here at the "Home of the Herk" -- the affectionate nickname for the C-130 Hercules aircraft -- there is no ambivalence about the new "J" model.The C-130J is the latest addition to the C-130 fleet, bringing state-of-the-art technology to the tactical cargo- and troop-transport aircraft that has been

  • Hurricane Hunters fly first operation WC-130J mission

    The first storm of the 2005 hurricane season came a little early this year appearing in the Pacific off the coast of Central America. Hurricane Adrian also marked the beginning of a new era in weather reconnaissance for the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron’s “Hurricane Hunters” here.When

  • Lab uses vibration testing to solve aircraft problems

    For every test Bill Fleenor conducts in the vibration test facility here, there is one overriding intention.“If an item is going to fail, I want it to fail on my table and not with the warfighter,” said Mr. Fleenor, a mechanical engineer.Mr. Fleenor, whose degree is in physics for industrial

  • Airmen make most of temporary situation

    In many deployed locations, temporary quarters are commonplace. Taking that to a whole new level, air traffic controllers with the 332nd Expeditionary Airfield Operations Squadron here have set up shop in a plywood tower nicknamed the “tree house.”“When we arrived … a renovation project on the

  • Sending charitable donations via MPS prohibited

    Each year, the Department of Defense plays a huge role in delivering relief supplies and assisting in relief operations worldwide. For people overseas who want to contribute, the problem is getting the package where it needs to be.However, the military postal service is not an option, said U.S. Air

  • BRAC recommendations present beneficial results

    Air Force Base Realignment and Closure recommendations provide an opportunity for the Air Force to effectively organize its total force into a more capable and efficient warfighting organization, transforming the Air Force to better meet future threats.The co-chairman of the Air Force's Base Closure

  • A father remembered

    Five numbers painted on the tail of a local parade’s float will pass by thousands of people, and they may not see what is between them.A string of numbers can represent anything from how much money someone has in his or her bank account, to phone numbers or even ZIP codes.71424 represents the life

  • Civil Air Patrol helps test D.C. warning system

    Civil Air Patrol’s national capital wing is helping the Air Force test its new visual warning system for pilots, a security measure set to become operational over the Washington, D.C., area on May 21, officials said. The system signals pilots who fly into the D.C. area’s air defense identification

  • DOD tests ‘revolutionary’ biological warfare detection device

    Department of Defense specialists are testing a cutting-edge technology so revolutionary military scientists said it will change the face of biological warfare.The joint biological agent identification and diagnostic system, a 40-pound device small enough to slip into a rucksack, is designed to

  • Air Force officials send Armed Forces Day message

    The following is an Armed Forces Day message from Michael L. Dominguez, acting secretary of the Air Force, and Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper:In the first presidential proclamation for Armed Forces Day in 1950, President Truman said the day ‘marks the first combined demonstration by

  • BRAC Commission chairman describes panel's role

    The Defense Department's base realignment and closure recommendations are now in the hands of the nine-member commission that will make the final decisions.The Base Realignment and Closure Commission takes its independent role very seriously, said the BRAC chairman, and he vowed an "open and

  • New law to affect SGLI payments, premiums

    Defense Department and Veterans Affairs officials are ironing out details of programs that will expand benefits provided through Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance.The $82 billion supplemental legislation signed into law by President Bush on May 11 increases maximum SGLI coverage to $400,000 and

  • ‘Metal mayhem’ returns to Kunsan

    Metal mayhem returned here as heavy metal giants Quiet Riot and Skid Row rocked a packed house during their final concert on the Korean peninsula May 17.During the previous week, Quiet Riot and Skid Row toured Army and Air Force installations to bring their in-your-face style of hard rock, said

  • Air Force launches 'AF eMail'

    The Air Force began the first phase of a new e-mail system May 6 that will enhance communication of Airmen worldwide.AF eMail (aka eMail-for-Life) is a single, static e-mail address that will not change during the career of an Airman or Air Force civilian employee.The current e-mail system, rapid

  • Rumsfeld, Myers state their case to commission

    As the military confronts the "new demands of the war against extremism and other evolving challenges in the world," the Defense Department's recommendations for base realignments and closures are necessary, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld told the commission considering DOD's proposals May

  • Recommendations 'will reshape Air Force'

    Air Force recommendations provided to the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure Commission will reorganize that service, making it more capable to address threats to national security, the Air Force's top civilian told commissioners here May 17."We have presented to you a bold program that will reshape

  • DOD prepares biometric ID system for U.S. bases in Iraq

    The Defense Department is fine-tuning a $75 million biometric identification system designed to improve force protection at U.S. military bases in Iraq, said officials involved with the project.At a recent demonstration, DOD officials said the state-of-the-art system will use biographical data,

  • Desert lifestyle results in big weight loss

    Most of the people assigned at this forward-deployed location as part of Air and Space Expeditionary Force 3/4 have rotated home, but they left behind a lot of excess baggage – unwanted pounds.Airmen hit the gym in heavy numbers, sometimes filling the two facilities here, and many left in much

  • Academy sports recap: Lacrosse coach selected to hall of fame

    Fred Acee, head coach of the academy lacrosse team was selected for induction into the National Junior College Athletic Association Hall of Fame. Before coming to the academy in 1998, he spent 30 years as head coach of the Farmingdale State University of New York team, building them into a national

  • New directorate merges information technology

    Air Force leaders marked the standup of an organization designed to be the single focal point for information technology policy formulation and execution to best integrate current technologies.This helps meet the Air Force chief of staff’s vision of "shortening the kill chain," which refers to the

  • Airmen allowed to show service colors while traveling

    A new Air Force policy gives Airmen the choice to show their colors when traveling to and from deployment locations.Airmen traveling to and from the U.S. Central Command Air Forces' area of responsibility have been, until recently, required to wear civilian clothing on flights in and out of the

  • Donation provides mobility, honors Jumper

    In honor of Chief of Staff of the Air Force Gen. John P. Jumper and his wife, Ellen, the Ford Motor company donated two wheelchair accessible vans to Walter Reed Army Medical Center during a ceremony May 12 at the Pentagon.Edsel B. Ford II, of the company’s board of directors, said they donated the

  • Air Force meeting nurse recruiting and retaining challenges

    The nurse shortage is a growing national and international problem, but Air Force officials are taking several measures to sustain its 3,608 person active-duty nurse corps, the Air Force’s assistant surgeon general for nursing services told a Senate panel May 10.“The nurse shortage continues to pose

  • BRAC process revamps medical system

    Defense Department officials have used the Base Realignment and Closure process to transform the way military medicine operates.Officials said medical facilities will become more joint, will consolidate where patients reside and will become state-of-the-art."We want to rival Johns Hopkins or the

  • Rumsfeld recommends 5 to 11 percent cut in infrastructure

    Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld's recommendations to the Base Realignment and Closure Commission would cut excess military infrastructure between 5 and 11 percent, he said during a Pentagon news conference May 12."The department is recommending fewer major base closures than had earlier been

  • Reservist receives academy airmanship award

    U.S. Air Force Academy officials named an Air Force Reserve Command pilot the winner of the 2005 Colonel James Jabara Award for Airmanship for his contributions to air power during Operation Iraqi Freedom.Lt. Col. Keith Schultz, a 1979 academy graduate, is the operations group deputy commander for

  • USAFE activates new wing at Mildenhall

    U.S. Air Forces in Europe activated a new wing here May 12 enhancing the command’s ability to provide support to its geographically separated units in the United Kingdom.The Airmen of the 501st Combat Support Wing will focus on units that, by their nature, are separated from main operating bases of

  • Committee reviewing military pay package

    A new committee is studying the military compensation system to come up with ways to bring it more in line with what servicemembers want and operational needs demand.The defense advisory committee on military compensation held its first public meeting May 11 to explain how Defense Secretary Donald

  • Innovation, education benefit ongoing PEB mission

    Facing an increased caseload since Sept. 11, 2001, innovation and education have improved the Air Force Physical Disability Division's service to the Air Force and boarded Airmen, those who enter the disability evaluation system to determine their fitness. Some are returned to duty, while others may

  • AMC commander delivers C-130J

    The commander of Air Mobility Command delivered the Air Force’s third active-duty C-130J Hercules here May 5.Gen. John W. Handy and a crew from the 48th Airlift Squadron here flew the aircraft from the Lockheed Martin plant in Marietta, Ga., where it was built."I have had more fun today than anybody

  • Overseas realignment proceeding in 'deliberate, thoughtful' manner

    The Defense Department is moving forward with plans to reshape its force structure overseas through close coordination with Congress, other government agencies and U.S. allies and partners, defense officials said May 9.The global defense posture review is being undertaken as a "deliberate,

  • Officials brief commissioners on BRAC strategy concerns

    Base Realignment and Closure commissioners heard about the strategic underpinnings of the Defense Department's approach during May 4 testimony.Ryan Henry, principal deputy undersecretary of defense for policy, spoke to the panel about the national defense strategy, the upcoming Quadrennial Defense

  • Services director inducted into Boys, Girls Clubs Hall of Fame

    The director of Air Force Services was recently inducted into the Boys and Girls Clubs of America Hall of Fame.Arthur J. Myers, a Boys Club member in his native state of New Jersey, was nominated and selected for his public service and excellence in Air Force Services. The hall of fame induction

  • BRAC information available for affected bases

    The secretary of defense is expected to announce the proposed Base Realignment and Closure list during a press conference May 13.Air Force officials said they understand the effect BRAC can have on servicemembers, retirees, employees and their families.To assist people with vital BRAC information,

  • Air Force medics treat patients at Abu Ghraib

    It takes confidence to stare into the face of one’s enemy and offer him an aspirin, but that is what Air Force medics deployed to Abu Ghraib prison must do every day.As a forward-deployed element of the 447th Expeditionary Medical Squadron, the small team provides medical screening to detainees with

  • C-130 maintainers accomplish ‘in-field’ depot maintenance

    It took about a month for C-130 Hercules maintainers here to repair significant structural damage normally requiring a stateside depot team with full access to back shop structural support.A C-130 with the 774th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron received significant structural damage when its right

  • Special Olympics brings joy to Yokota volunteers

    More than 700 American and Japanese volunteers helped make the 26th Annual Kanto Plain Special Olympics a rousing success, officials said.But for some of the volunteers, seeing the May 7 and 8 event succeed is not the only reason they came.“I’m so happy to see the joy on the athlete’s faces,” said

  • Young Airmen protect base, people

    Cops. They are everywhere -- on the flightline, on the roadways, at the entry control points, in the search pits. They work the beat on base and beyond -- and take their role supporting the war on terrorism seriously.“The most important thing we must (do) is to remain focused,” said Master Sgt.

  • Airmen keep wheels turning

    Aircraft loaders, Humvees and forklifts are just a few examples of the nearly 120 vehicles cared for here by maintainers with the 416th Expeditionary Mission Support Squadron’s vehicle maintenance flight. Keeping the fleet in constant motion is a challenge for the flight’s five vehicle maintainers,