HomeNews

NATO Air Policing operations

U.S. Air Force News

  • Airman, dog provide security for Afghanistan

    In August, Staff Sgt. David Yepsen had to do everything all Airmen do when they deploy, from updating training to getting medically cleared. He also had one more thing to worry about -- his military working dog deploying alongside him.Sergeant Yepsen and his dog, Dax, from the 43rd Security Forces

  • Fuels Airmen ‘top off’ mission

    A key part of the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing’s mission is providing aerial refueling capabilities for the war on terrorism. For tankers, or any other aircraft, to get off the ground, they rely on the Air Force’s expeditionary fuel distribution center at a forward-deployed location.The 380th

  • Airman discovers her American Indian heritage

    The questions lingered in her head each day she attended school while growing up in rural South Dakota. Who am I?For the first 16 years of her life, Airman 1st Class Haida Boyd, a descendant of Seminole, Cherokee and other eastern American Indian tribes, knew nothing of her culture.“I felt

  • Troops get 3.5 percent raise, increase in housing allowance

    Money contained within the 2005 National Defense Authorization Act will fund a 3.5 percent troop pay raise and eliminate servicemembers' out-of-pocket costs for family housing, the Department of Defense’s top military personnel official said.The January troop pay raise will be applied across the

  • Code Talker describes military experience

    The pride in Teddy Draper’s voice is evident as he talks about events that helped America win the war in the Pacific 62 years ago.Mr. Draper, who was born on a Navajo Indian reservation in Canyon Del Muerto, Ariz., was one of the Marine Corps Code Talkers who mystified the Japanese forces as the

  • Four-legged sentinels key to force protection

    Dogs are rarely permitted anywhere these days. Whether it is the grocery store or a crowded rock concert, dogs are often turned away at the door. However, at a forward-deployed location here, the dogs have free reign and an important job to do.From detecting explosives to searching buildings and

  • DOD to use 'forward-deployed active-layered defense' to protect country

    The Department of Defense's new strategy for helping protect the nation is to have a "forward-deployed active-layered defense," said the man who helped craft the plan.Paul McHale, assistant secretary of defense for homeland defense, said his agency "firmly believes" the nation's defense begins

  • Building relationships one mile at a time

    The road between Djibouti City and Hol Hol has not gotten any shorter, but traversing this vital link between these two cities in the East African country of Djibouti is becoming much quicker and safer because of 823rd Expeditionary Red Horse Squadron Airmen.The 22-mile rough and tumble road is the

  • 'Defend America' helps Americans support troops

    One often-repeated question from forward-deployed Airmen is some form of: "Does America support what we're doing over here?"Judging by the number of Web sites devoted to that support, the answer is a resounding, "Yes!"But as times have changed, so have the ways to support the troops. Just because

  • Air Force 'e-exams' provide instant results

    Whether at home or in the field, the answer will come sooner when it comes to taking an Air Force examination.By January, Air Force Institute for Advanced Distributed Learning officials at nearby Gunter Annex will have fully implemented the e-exam computer-based testing program which will provide a

  • Pilot receives ball, honor from NFL football player

    Though they wear different uniforms and fight different battles, for a brief moment, an NFL football player and an Air Force pilot met eye to eye. Capt. Ryan Silver, a pilot with the 89th Flying Training Squadron at Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas, stood on the sidelines in Tampa, Fla., on Nov. 21 as

  • Senator praises Air Force secretary

    A leading member of Congress praised Secretary of the Air Force Dr. James G. Roche on the floor of the U.S. Senate on Nov. 19, just days after the secretary announced his resignation.Sen. James Inhofe paid tribute Secretary Roche’s service, specifically pointing to his efforts at revitalizing

  • PACAF earns ‘Top’ honors at William Tell

    The very last flight of the 2004 William Tell air-to-air weapons meet was flown by the Pacific Air Forces team from Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska, on Nov. 18, and it was that mission that put them on top.“We never expected a team to walk away with it, and nobody did walk away with it,” said Lt.

  • NASA X-43A rockets to Mach 9.8 at Edwards

    After postponing the mission because of a problem with the X-43A hypersonic research aircraft, NASA officials said they could not have hoped for a better flight than the one they had here Nov. 16."It was a great mission," said Joel Sitz, X-43A project manager. "It was 90 seconds of terror, but once

  • Speckled Trout takes detour to aid deployed Airman

    “Airmen helping Airmen” is a statement that is made often in the ranks of the Air Force.High-ranking Air Force leaders and a C-135C Speckled Trout crew from here demonstrated it Nov. 11.The crew was preparing to leave Incirlik Air Base, Turkey, with Secretary of the Air Force Dr. James G. Roche and

  • Duck hunting William Tell style

    “It’s just like duck hunting ...” Well, maybe not just like duck hunting. The “duck” is a 40-by-8 foot target being hauled 2,000 feet behind a Learjet flying about 20,000 feet over the Gulf of Mexico. Otherwise, it is really similar to duck hunting.During William Tell, F-15 Eagle pilots compete

  • Aggressors add realism to William Tell

    Russian on your tail, Russian on your wingman, and you have got only one missile remaining. What should you do?You should be thankful they are just flying out of Nevada to give you a taste of worldwide flying tactics, that is what.Pilots of the 64th Aggressor Squadron out of Nellis Air Force Base,

  • ROTC cadets use marathon to reinforce core values

    Nine Air Force ROTC cadets used the Marine Corps Marathon to help them become better leaders.The University of Notre Dame cadets from Air Force ROTC Detachment 225 traveled from Indiana to Arlington Va., recently to compete in the 29th Marine Corps Marathon.The detachment’s athletic goals are to

  • Airman prescribes dose of ‘fun,’ boosts morale

    Tech. Sgt. Daniel Vargas is not certified to practice medicine. Nonetheless, he admits it feels good whenever he can prescribe a good dose of “fun” to boost the morale of injured servicemembers recovering at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio.Sergeant Vargas is an information manager

  • Airman achieves dream to fly 'into the wild blue yonder'

    The anticipation shines in his eyes. The smile on his face is genuine and easy. His demeanor exudes an infectious energy.Capt. Terry Tyree Jr. gets to fly today.It has taken him 14 years, three technical schools and a positive attitude to achieve his dream of becoming an Air Force pilot.He

  • AAFES worker trains daily despite prosthetic leg

    Terry Mallon broke his back, both legs and both ankles showing off a stunt. The 60-foot fall off an amusement park ride pushed his shin bones past his knees.Twenty-four years and 11 surgeries later, which included the loss of his right leg, the Army and Air Force Exchange Service security

  • Children experience military 'deployment'

    Children here recently got a taste of what their military parents go through when deploying during Operation Kids Investigating Deployment Services.Tech. Sgt. Senya Zeitvogel, noncommissioned officer in charge of family readiness at the 82nd Mission Support Squadron here, said she planned this event

  • U.S., Japanese forces conduct weapons familiarization

    U.S. Air Force weapons crews and Japan’s air self-defense forces conducted a turn-around familiarization exercise inside an aircraft hangar here Nov. 15. during Keen Sword 2005. Keen Sword is designed to increase the defensive readiness of Japanese and American forces though training in air,

  • Airmen providing civil engineering support to Soldiers

    About 50 Airmen from the 52nd Civil Engineer Squadron here, along with four from Ramstein Air Base, Germany, low crawled and convoyed their way to becoming an “Army of One.” This prepared them to deploy downrange to provide civil engineering support for the Army.The team is the first from U.S. Air

  • Airman recalls convoy duty in Iraq

    Staff Sgt. Amelia Solomon did not spend her summer backpacking through Europe or sunbathing on the beaches of Cornwall with her 3-year-old daughter. Instead, she spent her summer in the dry, blistering heat of Iraq, wondering how many improvised explosive devices might be hidden on the trail in

  • Air Force seeks navigators

    Air Force officials are providing more opportunities to active-duty officers who want to become navigators.Officers who meet basic qualifications must submit their application package by Dec. 29 to be considered by the Feb. 8 to 10 undergraduate flying training selection board at the Air Force

  • New light-weight weapon joins Balad arsenal

    In an effort to keep pace with the ever-changing face of close quarters combat, F-16 Fighting Falcon crews here plan to use a new, lightweight satellite-guided munition soon.The GBU-38 500-pound Joint Direct Attack Munition is designed to reduce collateral damage, limit unintended casualties and

  • VIDOC: Worth a thousand words

    Pushy paparazzi, nosy TV reporters and supermodel photographers have nothing on a team of Airmen here. They take your picture, and they videotape you at work. They announce what you are doing to the masses, and they plaster you onto posters -- and most people do not even know they are there.They

  • Weapons directors provide situational awareness

    They came to William Tell to play a video game. But they are not playing Donkey Kong or the latest version of Halo. Instead, they are monitoring radar screens to make sure their pilots stay on track during the competition.William Tell is a competition which tests an aircrew's ability to perform

  • Airman sets sights on shooting championship

    You are in the bathtub. You hear a sound. Suddenly you jump up and run to the nightstand. There you grab your pistol and immediately begin firing. Does this sound like a scene out of a crime drama, or a night at home gone very wrong? No. It is just another day at the range for Maj. Roger

  • Columbus goes ‘batty’

    The new neighbors here never come outside during the day. Rumors say they nibble on people’s necks and suck their blood, but some people know better.“It’s important for the base community to become educated about bats,” said Charlie Burgess, 17, the Boy Scout responsible for spearheading a project

  • William Tell still anybody’s game

    “Not in our house” may have been the slogan chanted by the New York Yankees fans during game seven of the league championship series against the Boston Red Sox, but they obviously did not mean it as the Red Sox went on to become the World Champions of baseball.The Airmen from here, however, seem to

  • Weapons troops are not cowboys during Loadeo

    Despite what people may think, the Loadeo event does not feature an Airman wearing a cowboy hat, straddling an AIM-120 missile, ready for the ride of his life.Loadeo is the weapons-loading competition taking place here during the 2004 William Tell air-to-air weapons meet.“Loadeo is a competition

  • Air Force offers ACP program in fiscal 2005

    Certain rated officers can request an aviator continuation pay bonus option under fiscal 2005 program guidelines.A five-year, fixed-length agreement option is available to eligible pilots, navigators and air battle managers.Other options have been offered in recent years, but were curtailed this

  • Air Force’s future ‘invented’ at research lab

    It still may be a little too soon for Star Trek’s “beam me up, Scotty” technology, but Air Force scientists and engineers are trying to narrow the gap between science fiction and science fact.The Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, recently published the results

  • Reservists arrive in Uruguay for exercise

    A team of Air Force reservists from the 5th Special Operations Squadron at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., arrived here Nov. 9 for Unitas 2004, the largest and longest naval exercise in the Americas. Arriving aboard an MC-130P Combat Shadow, they are the Air Force’s first unit to participate in the

  • Air Force officials announce OTS selections

    More than 180 men and women from throughout America have earned an opportunity to become Air Force leaders following their selection for a commission, officials here announced Nov. 12.Air Force Recruiting Service officials considered 205 applications as part of Officer Training School Selection

  • Airmen run fire department at forward operating base

    With safety at the forefront in everyone’s minds, having firefighters ready and standing by is important when an emergency happens on base.The fire department here is run by four Airmen from Manas Air Base, Kyrgyz Republic, who respond to emergencies. The types of emergencies the team is prepared to

  • Air Force shows off new ‘tent city’

    Airmen of the 435th Materiel Maintenance Squadron here showed off their newest asset, the “550 I” Basic Expeditionary Airfield Resources base kit in Sanem, Luxembourg, on Nov. 9. The kit, known as “tent city,” is the first of its kind in the U.S. Air Force. It is staged there at the U.S. Air

  • Experience, fresh eyes ensure airfield security

    Airman Michael Roomsburg stopped the Humvee as Staff Sgt. Chad Marten called to notify the security forces command post that the Delta-5 external security response team was set to patrol outer perimeter road.“I’ll man the turret,” said Airman Roomsburg, an active-duty Airman deployed from Pope Air

  • Unmanned aircraft gain starring role in terror war

    Unmanned aerial vehicles are earning star status in the war on terrorism. They are becoming the most-requested capability among combatant commanders in Southwest Asia and use has increased fourfold in that theater during the last year alone, said the deputy director of the Pentagon's UAV planning

  • PACAF’s team uses advantage during William Tell

    A pilot checks his radar and looks over his shoulder to see an enemy fighter at his 3 o’clock position. The infrared seeker on the air-to-air missile rotates to the right as the pilot moves his head. He lines up the enemy fighter with the crosshairs on his helmet-visor display and shoots. The

  • 50th anniversary of William Tell kicks off at Tyndall

    The U.S. Air Forces in Europe team jumped off to an early lead after officials kicked off William Tell 2004 here Nov. 8. The start marked the 50th anniversary of the Air Force air-to-air weapons meet.This year's meet has put to rest the longest gap in its history after an eight year hiatus because

  • Senior leaders discuss Air Force future

    The Air Force’s top three leaders stopped at this forward-deployed location Nov. 8 while on their tour through Southwest Asia. Secretary of the Air Force Dr. James G. Roche, Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper and Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Gerald R. Murray met with Airmen of the 386th Air

  • Act increases bonuses, education benefits for reserve

    Increased education benefits and more flexibility in awarding bonuses are among the quality-of-life improvements targeting National Guard and Reserve servicemembers in the 2005 National Defense Authorization Act.The act also provides for changes in how guardsmen and reservists are mobilized and

  • Stratotanker crew comes to aid of F-16 pilot

    The Yogi Berra saying that “it ain't over ‘till it’s over” seems to be the most appropriate way to describe one particular flight over Iraq in October, when a KC-135 Stratotanker crew thought they had completed their mission and were returning to their forward-deployed base.“We had already secured

  • Camp Zama Airmen provide vital communications link

    A small group of Airmen at this Army installation provides vital worldwide communications links for the Department of Defense and its allies in the Pacific region. The technicians assigned to Operating Location C of the 374th Communications Squadron at Yokota Air Base, Japan, handle area, regional,

  • Military family support professionals gather

    Directors of family support centers from across the Air Force gathered nearby in Landsdowne, Va., to discuss how to better serve Airmen and their loved ones. The weeklong conference, Strengthening the Home Front, focused on two areas: integrating the Air Force One Source program into base

  • Officials investigate training incident

    Air Force officials are investigating a weapons incident that took place during a nighttime training mission in the Warren Grove Range airspace in New Jersey on Nov. 3.An Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon expended an undetermined number of 20 mm ammunition rounds, officials said.The aircraft is

  • Multinational exercise begins in South Atlantic

    The Atlantic phase of Unitas, the largest and longest-held naval exercise in the Americas, began here Nov. 3. This two-week exercise incorporates for the first time a U.S. Air Force unit that joins ships, aircraft and submarines from Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Spain and the United States.The 5th

  • Deployed Airmen getting new physical training uniform first

    When the Air Force chief of staff announced a new fitness standard in July 2003, he promised Airmen a new physical training uniform in which to prepare. That new uniform is now ready, and Airmen serving in Southwest Asia will be the first to get them, said Senior Master Sgt. Jacqueline Dean, the Air

  • Third DOS rollback takes effect

    As a part of force shaping, Air Force personnel officials have implemented a third enlisted date of separation rollback.The program “rolls back” the date of separation of enlisted Airmen with specific re-enlistment eligibility codes, or assignment availability codes. These Airmen will have less

  • New York Airmen provide medical equipment for refugees

    Thousands of Nicaraguans needing treatment received help from New York guardsmen when the Airmen gathered to sort through a hospital full of dusty medical equipment.Sister Deb, or Debbie Blow, executive director of the North Country Mission of Hope in Plattsburgh, N.Y., has an ongoing mission to

  • Airmen visit Rwanda genocide memorial

    On Oct. 30 a C-130 Hercules sat unceremoniously on the tarmac of Kigali International Airport here, waiting for the arrival of Rwandan troops.For the American Airmen here, the mission was clear: deliver Rwandan troops and equipment to Al-Fashir, Sudan, where they would join other African Union

  • Task forces enhance global mobility support

    Air Mobility Command’s expeditionary mobility task forces, now a year old, were highlighted during the 2004 Airlift/Tanker Association Convention here Oct. 29.Brig. Gen. Bobby J. Wilkes, commander of the 21st Expeditionary Mobility Task Force at McGuire Air Force Base, N.J., described the units as

  • Defense Act increases pay, provides benefits

    P resident Bush signed the $420.6 billion National Defense Authorization Act on Oct. 28.This makes up 19.9 percent of the total fiscal 2005 federal budget and 3.6 percent of the gross domestic product. Last year, the percentages were 20.2 percent and 3.8 percent, respectively.The authorization act

  • CMSAF addresses top issues

    Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Gerald R. Murray addressed hundreds of troops attending the 2004 Airlift/Tanker Association Symposium on Oct. 29, an event he has been unable to attend in years past.Chief Murray gave his insight on three main topics he said he feels are the backbone of the

  • Air Force musicians join AEF rotations

    Air Force bandsmen rarely play to boisterous crowds of 2,000 people dancing, singing and stage-diving, but at one deployed location in Southwest Asia, that is what happened. The show was among several in the Middle East as part of the Air Force Band of Mid-America’s tour during its first air and

  • Hurlburt Airmen can dine ‘n’ dash

    Airmen here can literally dine and dash -- to the gym, that is -- after the opening of a combined dining facility and fitness center. “Customers love it because it just makes sense,” said Nate Harris, Riptide fitness center manager here. “They like to work out upstairs, then go downstairs to

  • Civilian health-care ‘open season’ offers 18 new plans

    Office of Personnel Management officials announced new health-care options that may provide better financial opportunities for employees.Eighteen new high-deductible health plans will be offered by the federal employees’ health benefits program for 2005. The new health plans, when used with a health

  • British team shoots to top at Defender Challenge 2004

    An eight-person British team took home the top award at the worldwide security forces competition Defender Challenge 2004 held here Oct. 22 to 28.The Royal Air Force Regiment took first in the grueling fitness challenge event and third in the Sadler Cup tactical exercise. These wins earned them the

  • Airmen roll past 1 million convoy miles

    The convoy escorts of the 732nd Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron rolled over an impressive milestone recently when its Airmen passed 1 million miles driven for missions throughout Iraq.“From my standpoint, it’s a tremendous milestone,” said Col. Eric Pohland, 732nd Expeditionary Mission

  • AEF Center commander explains longer cycle

    The effect of the expanded air and space expeditionary force tour lengths on troop morale was addressed here by the general in charge of the deployment schedule.Brig. Gen. Steven Hoog, AEF Center commander, explained how the recent extension to four-month deployments is working out.“Airmen have

  • CMSAF addresses fitness, training

    Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force Gerald R. Murray spoke to a crowd of nearly 400 Airmen at an enlisted seminar here Oct. 22.He discussed issues facing the Air Force, and fielded questions and concerns from those in attendance. He started by asking how many in the audience had heard of Airman

  • Leaders call for evaluation of suicide prevention efforts

    Air Force senior leaders are calling for commanders to conduct full reviews of suicide prevention efforts and to ensure that all Airmen are aware of resources such as life skills and other support agencies to address the service’s highest suicide rate in nine years.As of Oct. 27, 46 active-duty

  • New office focusing on improving joint operations

    While U.S. military forces deployed to the Middle East continue operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, leaders at home are applying lessons learned from the campaigns to improve joint operations between the Air Force and Army.The first of nearly 20 Air Force and Army initiatives toward improving joint

  • Officials: BRAC 2005 to support defense transformation

    The 2005 base realignment and closure initiative will be different from previous rounds in that it will directly contribute to the Department of Defense's transformation efforts, a top official said here Oct. 25.BRACs conducted between 1988 and 1995 closed 97 military bases and realigned 57, said

  • Physical medicine team keeps ‘sprains and strains’ down

    Things do not ever seem to slow down for the physical medicine team here. The staff of six -- an occupational therapist, a physical therapist and four physical medicine technicians -- has seen more than 1,000 patients since Sept. 20. “There’s just a continual flow of patients here,” said Maj. Brian

  • Officials announce 2004 awards for air mobility excellence

    Airlift/Tanker Association officials recently announced the 2004 award winners for excellence within the air mobility community.The association recognized 27 people in five categories. These Airmen will be honored at its annual convention in Dallas on Oct. 29.The Young Leadership Award is presented

  • DOD program provides technology for disabled workers

    A Department of Defense program that provides the technology and services disabled workers need to use computers and other basic office equipment evens the employment playing field for the disabled. It also makes it easier for managers to hire them, said Dinah Cohen, the DOD official who has run

  • DOD officials issue 'green' procurement policy

    Department of Defense officials issued a new procurement policy this week urging employees and the military to "buy green."The policy requires the department's civilian and military people to purchase products and services that benefit the environment, said Alex Beehler, DOD's chief of environmental

  • Air Force surgeons train Hondurans

    In a Third World country like Honduras, trauma-care surgeons are in short supply, forcing first-line doctors to perform life-saving operations on demand.A seven-person team from Wilford Hall Medical Center at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, joined with support people from the medical element at

  • Where there is a will to vote, there is a way

    Floating around the Earth 230 miles up, NASA Astronaut Leroy Chiao is not too far from the polls to stand up and be counted on Election Day.From the International Space Station, Mr. Chiao will cast his vote in the Nov. 2 national election. Mr Chiao said he is passionate about his civic duty and

  • Drug testing program targets those most likely to use

    A recent change to the Air Force's drug testing program aims to further reduce the number of substance abusers by targeting Airmen most likely to use them. The Air Force began its "Smart Testing" program Oct. 1, at three major commands. Under the program, individuals in the group shown to most

  • Last Peacekeeper class graduates

    The era of the Peacekeeper intercontinental ballistic missile is coming to a close as the last class of Peacekeeper operators graduated here Oct. 15. There will be no more Peacekeepers after September 2005.Gen. Lance W. Lord, commander of Air Force Space Command, presided over the graduation. The

  • AMC exercise kicks off in Michigan

    Nearly 500 people from McChord Air Force Base, Wash., Grand Forks AFB, N.D., and Travis AFB, Calif., traveled to an Air National Guard base here for exercise Crisis Outlook 2004, a weeklong exercise designed to practice “ability to survive and operate” scenarios.Col. Chris Coley, 62nd Operations

  • Kirkuk firefighters train Iraqis

    A siren pierces the early evening night calling attention to the bright yellow firetruck speeding toward a pillar of smoke in the distance.People here are accustomed to the sounds and sights of the emergency response crews as they hurry to save lives and property, but this crew is different.Instead

  • General Jumper visits Pacific Coast Air Museum

    Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper visited here Oct. 16 for a dedication ceremony at the Pacific Coast Air Museum.At the event, a restored F-106A Delta Dart was dedicated in honor and remembrance of General Jumper’s father, Maj. Gen. Jimmy Jumper, and the 48th Fighter Interceptor Squadron,

  • Officials activate National Security Space Institute

    Air Force Space Command officials stood up a space education and training organization here recently that they said will provide the foundation to creating a new generation of space professionals. The National Security Space Institute will be the Department of Defense's single focal point for space

  • Airman’s American journey spans 13 years, two countries

    “My parents told us we were going to Disneyland, but they told me not to bring any clothes or toys because they would buy us new ones.”That was how Senior Airman Jesus Espinoza Ogarcia, now assigned to the 14th Medical Operations Squadron, was persuaded to leave his home in Puebla, Mexico, when he

  • Active-duty, reservists combine forces in Afghan sky

    In the Afghanistan sky, the 81st Expeditionary Fighter Squadron has a “rainbow” effect. Air Force Reserve and active-duty pilots have teamed together for an air and space expeditionary force deployment here to protect U.S. and coalition people from attackers whose aim is to disrupt the national

  • POL Airmen help turn C-130 into flying gas station

    For Staff Sgt. Chris Cooper and Senior Airman Pete Kaplan, being fuels specialists is what they joined the Air Force to do. But the two petroleum, oil and lubricant experts had no idea they would be donning body armor and flying a 3,000-gallon fuel bladder around the desert, refueling much-needed

  • Babysitting club teaches teens responsibility

    What started out as just an after-school club to occupy free time, turned into a well-known organization here dedicated to teaching teenagers responsibilities of adulthood.Sherry Franklin, a program’s director at the youth center, started the babysitter club in 1999. Since then, their services have

  • Thrift Savings Plan kicks off open season

    The federal government's Thrift Savings Plan kicked off its 2004 "open season" Oct. 15 with slogans to remind servicemembers and civilian government employees that they can increase their retirement coffers substantially by investing in TSP, a 401K-type savings program.Open season -- the period when

  • Reserve unit begins deactivating

    Already hard-pressed aircrews at this active airlift hub will be even busier starting in December when two Reserve squadrons begin deactivating after two years on active duty.The 97th and 728th Airlift Squadrons, of the Air Force Reserve’s 446th Airlift Wing here, mobilized in February 2003. Both

  • New law sinks 'check floating' practice

    The practice of “floating” a check until payday will become a thing of the past Oct. 28 when the new federal Check Clearing for the 21st Century Act, also known as Check 21, goes into effect.“Check floating” occurs when people write checks a few days before payday, figuring that by the time their

  • Hope, awareness keys to suicide prevention

    Problems come unexpectedly, and things like deployments and family troubles can be big stressors for many servicemembers. But one thing care providers want to get across is that suicide is not the right answer.More than 40 Airmen Air Force-wide have committed suicide this year, and though leaders

  • C-141 schoolhouse closes at Wright-Pat

    Air Force Reserve Command officials shut down the C-141 Starlifter schoolhouse here Oct. 14.A ceremony marked the closing of the school, officially called the C-141 Formal Training Unit. It was managed by the 445th Airlift Wing. Use of the facility, the only one of its kind in the Air Force, ended

  • Officials allowing more wounded troops to remain on duty

    Defense Department officials have long been leaders in providing employment opportunities to people with disabilities; however, they have taken a major step forward by allowing disabled troops to remain in the military if they want to and can continue to perform, DOD's disability program manager

  • Student Civil Air Patrol program takes flight

    While some middle-school students spend their free time playing video games or watching television, a recently chartered organization here is giving future Airmen the opportunity to experience crossing into the blue as Civil Air Patrol cadets.Unlike ROTC, the cadets’ involvement is not graded as a

  • Rescue flight makes second save in nine days

    The 36th Rescue Flight made its second save in nine days with the rescue of an injured survival student Oct. 11.The student, a lieutenant, was doing night navigation training in the Colville National Forest when he tripped, fell and lost consciousness. The instructors immediately called the Tacoma

  • Physician assistants strong support for military medical units

    Every 15 minutes, Maj. James Kahler lifts a medical record from the rack, enters an exam room, and his hunt begins anew.Part medical detective, part complaint department head, part confession-hearing priest, Major Kahler weighs verbal feedback against diagnostic examination to determine a prognosis

  • Helmet upgrades enhance air power

    F-16 Fighting Falcon pilots here can now look, lock and launch on an enemy target in the blink of an eye. Because split seconds can mean the difference between life or death for a pilot in combat, the 52nd Fighter Wing here adopted an advanced approach to high-tech man-machine interaction with the

  • Services serves up thousands of feasts

    The days of the chow hall are gone. They have been replaced by a new trend, which sets the Air Force apart from other branches of the military; friendly customer service and out-of-this world food, even while deployed.But for the people at a forward-deployed services squadron, making the food taste

  • AETC civilians testing new finance system

    Civilian employees in Air Education and Training Command will soon begin testing a new finance system. It allows employees a chance to get answers to their leave and earnings statement questions without calling or visiting a civilian personnel office.The AETC test will last two pay periods, and

  • Combat controllers call in big guns for troops in Afghanistan

    They are respectfully referred to as “the guys with the beards,” by their fellow Airmen here. It is distinction that few American servicemembers in Afghanistan can claim. Dressed in unmarked desert camouflage uniforms, these distinctive Airmen convoy across the Afghan plains, trek through mountain

  • Now showing: Oct. 11 edition of AFTV News

    The continuing Air Force role in Operation Enduring Freedom highlights the latest edition of Air Force Television News. Tech. Sgt. Joy Josephson explains the resupply mission by Air National Guard C-130 Hercules units operating from Uzbekistan. Another aspect of the service’s contribution to peace

  • William Tell competition resumes after eight-year break

    The Air Force’s first William Tell air-to-air competition in eight years takes flight at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., Nov. 8 to 19.William Tell 2004 will test aircrew performance in the air dominance and air sovereignty missions, while evaluating weapons use and the tactics used. The meet also

  • Escorts keep watch over foreign workers

    Help wanted: Critical job working outside in sandy, arid 110-degree heat. Must leave comforts of home, family and friends for four months. Will provide perimeter security during increased threat levels and escort third-country and local nationals to job sites. Free travel!If someone read that ad

  • Thrift Savings Plan open season begins Oct. 15

    Civilian and military employees can sign up for, or change, their Thrift Savings Plan contribution amounts during the "open season" Oct. 15 to Dec. 31."TSP is a long-term retirement savings plan, which everyone should consider," said Senior Master Sgt. Felipe Ortiz, superintendent of the Air Force