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  • Wrestler's eyes fixed on Athens

    Sitting in a quiet corner of the wrestling room at the Olympic Training Center, Jacob Hey stares into the bright yellow color of the floor mats mentally preparing himself to conquer his next obstacle.A year after successful reconstructive shoulder surgery, the Greco-Roman wrestler is back to 100

  • Soldiers experience Air Force military education

    The Air Force Senior Noncommissioned Officer Academy at Gunter Annex here has some new faces among its students: those of Army soldiers.The Army is back after pulling its students out of other service senior NCO academies in 1998 to teach them exclusively at the Army Senior NCO Academy in Fort

  • Reserve system streamlines Air Force travel processing

    Accurate and secure records, universal e-mail copies of vouchers and possibly faster payouts are what Air Force travelers have to look forward to starting this spring.Financial management offices throughout the active-duty Air Force are set to begin using Air Force Reserve Command’s Reserve Travel

  • Ogden center delivers first Falcon STAR F-16

    Maintainers here recently handed off to the Minnesota Air National Guard's 148th Fighter Wing the first F-16 Fighting Falcon to undergo a nearly $1 billion upgrade that promises to make the fleet operational beyond 2020.The revamped F-16 was part of the Structural Augmentation Roadmap program, also

  • Officials limit re-enlistment window to three months

    Air Force personnel officials are changing the re-enlistment eligibility window beginning March 5.The new policy requires active-duty airmen to re-enlist within three months of their term of service expiring, a change from the 12-month window currently in effect.“In our effort to shape the force, we

  • Officials update enlistment test norms

    Department of Defense officials announced Feb. 6 that new norms for the enlistment test, Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery, will be implemented this summer. The ASVAB is a multiple aptitude test battery originally designed to predict training and job performance in military occupations.

  • Hill equipment investigates whale geometry

    Although located hundreds of miles from the nearest ocean, technology here may help unlock the mysteries of how whales use and are affected by sound.Experts here recently used computed tomography equipment, normally used to scan Minuteman missile parts to detect cracks, voids or separations, for

  • Test uniforms hit the streets

    Airmen at two bases will get a first-hand look at the proposed new utility uniform Feb. 9 when the tiger-striped blue-, green- and gray-patterned ensemble begins its wear-test phase.Officials will deliver the distinctive uniforms to testers at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, and Langley AFB,

  • Defense Department axing Internet voting plans

    Defense Department officials are axing an Internet voting program because of concerns about security, a Pentagon spokeswoman said Feb. 6.The Federal Voting Assistance Program, which aids Americans serving overseas in the voting process, will not use the SERVE system in November. The acronym stands

  • Doors open for active duty to join Air Force Reserve

    The Air Force is opening doors and modifying programs to give people leaving active duty an opportunity to continue their military careers in the Air Force Reserve.As the active force tries to reduce manning by about 16,600, the Air Force Reserve is seeking to hire many of those experienced airmen

  • Air Force, FAA continue air traffic control modernization efforts

    Air Force sites in Michigan and Arizona joined the growing list of airfields replacing aging legacy air traffic control systems with state-of-the-art technology through the National Airspace System upgrade.The Alpena Air National Guard Combat Readiness Training Center in Michigan and Luke Air Force

  • C-130s modernized with new avionics

    After extensive air and ground testing, Air Force Reserve Command and the Air National Guard will begin modernizing their fleets of C-130 Hercules cargo aircraft with new avionics.C-130H-2s from AFRC's 908th Airlift Wing here, along with C-130E models from the Idaho Air National Guard's 124th Wing

  • Basic trainees now clean M-16s in new facility

    A recently completed 9,000-square-foot facility here has added a few hours and a new activity to the Air Force basic training program: M-16 cleaning.The more than 40,000 trainees who attend basic training each year will now use the $365,000 weapons cleaning pavilion to clean their rifles after

  • Emulator boosts GPS training

    Gone are the days of using a compass for direction finding.Now, through a constellation of 29 satellites, warfighters, banks, automobile drivers and others benefit from the Air Force's technological advancements with the Global Positioning System.Owned and operated by the Air Force, GPS provides

  • Combat Flightline keeps C-130s flying

    The year was 1965. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was still alive and man had yet to land on the moon. Amazingly, most of the C-130E Hercules aircraft currently based here were flying in 1965; many were used during the Vietnam conflict. Like a car, these aircraft will last longer and perform better

  • Silently surveying surroundings

    At first glance, it appears to be an airplane model a child might pull off a local toy-store shelf. But unlike the recreational remote aircraft, this force-protection asset is no toy. The 7-pound aircraft allows security forces to see beyond what the human eye can see and silently survey the

  • Airman shares patriotism with thousands

    The honor guard team members were at attention on the sideline, hearts pounding and adrenaline racing, although the momentous game would not begin for another half hour. The honor and glory was not for the servicemembers themselves, but for their flag, their country and their military.Tech Sgt.

  • Leave program helps activated fed employees

    Federal employees who are called up by a Reserve or National Guard unit to support a contingency can use special leave to supplement lost wages.They can receive their civilian income instead of military pay for 22 days if their civil service job pays more than the military.“Although not new to the

  • Civil engineers putting shivers aside

    Despite record-setting cold temperatures here, people assigned to the 319th Civil Engineer Squadron are keeping the base running as usual.From Jan. 24 to 26, the base received 21 inches of snow. By Jan. 29, temperatures dipped to a new winter low of minus 37 with a wind chill that hit 60 below

  • New dining facility opens in Iraq

    After several months of planning and construction, the new dining facility here officially opened for business Jan. 27. The facility broke ground in early December and served its first meal Jan. 22. With a full-sized kitchen, serving lines and a highly trained professional staff, Maj. Robert

  • K-2 airmen use innovation to prevent ‘Groundhog Day’

    For 25 members of the aerial port flight here, every day would be "Groundhog Day" if they focused only on the day-to-day task of moving passengers and cargo. But for this team from the Nevada Air National Guard's 152nd Airlift Wing, the mission is not just loading and unloading aircraft, it is

  • 'Force shaping' means some can leave active duty early

    There is good news for thousands of airmen considering leaving active duty who thought they could not because of existing service obligations.An effort dubbed "force shaping" is opening the exit doors to officers and enlisted servicemembers in select career fields and year groups by waiving some

  • DOD has civilian buyout, retirement authority

    The Department of Defense now has permanent authority to offer civilian employees voluntary early retirements and buyouts (voluntary separation incentives) without having to get Office of Personnel Management approval each year.The voluntary early retirement and voluntary separation incentive

  • Group develops C-5 grease

    A low-cost, multipurpose grease developed by Air Force Research Laboratory technicians has received a positive evaluation from Air Force maintainers. The evaluation follows nearly 1,529 airframe hours, which adds up to roughly 11 months of operation, on the C-5 Galaxy aircraft.Equipment specialists

  • Mural thanks fallen servicemembers

    Bayshore patriots wave flags, kindergartners write thank you letters and spouses send pictures, all supporting servicemembers fighting during Operation Enduring Freedom. Stewart Wavell-Smith took a different approach to show his appreciation to the military, especially those who give the ultimate

  • Squadron supports 'Freedom Hangar' mission

    People from the 728th Air Mobility Squadron’s aerial port flight have a hand in servicing just about every aircraft that transits here, whether it is supporting Operation Enduring Freedom or carrying passengers home after a holiday in the United States.While their job may not be as visible or

  • Patriot Express restructures

    Fiscal realities and limited use have led U.S. Transportation Command to restructure Patriot Express. Patriot Express is the military's chartered commercial air service for transporting servicemembers on permanent-change-of-station orders and their families to and from overseas locations. Air

  • Civil engineers’ work noticed every day

    Every day, airmen of the 379th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron are seen doing a multitude of tasks, from digging trenches for electrical wiring to setting up restroom facilities.The unit’s accomplishments can be noticed when one makes a 2 a.m. trip to the restroom and comes face to face with a

  • Wing moves from Tallil to Balad

    The famed “Red Tails” were on the move recently when they relocated from a base in southern Iraq to just north of Baghdad.The 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing flag was furled here before being flown to its new home at Balad Air Base, where the wing was reactivated Jan. 30. The move is part of the

  • Now showing: Feb. 2 edition of AFTV News

    The growing effect long activations are having on reservists and Air National Guardsmen spotlights the latest edition of Air Force Television News. Staff Sgt. Melissa Allan visits a reservist at Andrews Air Force Base, Md., whose family is trying to decide if re-enlistment is an option because of

  • Oversight office changes name

    The agency that ensures the Air Force gets its money’s worth from contracts totaling more than half the service’s annual procurement budget takes on a new identity Feb. 1.The Air Force Program Executive Officer for Combat and Mission Support officially stands up, changing its name from AFPEO for

  • Air Force redesigns Web site

    The Air Force is unveiling a new look, feel and functionality for its official Web site Feb. 1.“Air Force Link, the service’s Web site, will have a cleaner, more modern look,” said Leslie Benito, chief of news technology and project manager for the redesign for Air Force News Service, a part of the

  • Winter record set at Grand Forks

    A record was set here for the coldest day in January when temperatures reached minus 37 on Jan. 29 and 30, said officials at the 319th Operations Support Squadron weather flight here.The base is also experiencing one of the snowiest winters on record,From Jan. 24 to 26, the base received 21 inches

  • New equipment saves time, money

    Paying at the pump is always cheaper and faster than using the old system with a full-service gas station attendant. The staff at the 445th Maintenance Squadron’s machine shop has a new piece of equipment that does not pump gas, but it is saving them time and money. Plus, it is great for the

  • TO management becoming easier

    Ever receive an update to a technical order that is out of sequence? For instance, update No. 11 came after update No. 12 rather than before.Ever ask for a specific technical order and never receive it? Technical orders provide the blueprint maintainers use for the upkeep of aircraft in the Air

  • Commander selections get boost

    The latest 503 officers selected as support commanders highlights a new way of identifying future commanders using force development, said Air Force Personnel Center officials here."Squadron commanders are the heart and soul of the Air Force and support command is a prestigious leadership position,"

  • Guard legal team working hard

    For some, the base legal office is a place to take care of wills or powers of attorney, but the office staff here does a lot more than that.Lt. Col. Brent Wright, an Oklahoma Air National Guard staff judge advocate, and Master Sgt. Mary Alice Rebis, a New York ANG paralegal, are teamed together to

  • Reservist selected for NASA crew

    A reserve officer assigned to the F-16 Fighting Falcon system program office here is one of four NASA astronauts named to fly on space shuttle mission STS-121. The mission, planned for November, will follow a shuttle mission scheduled for September. Making his first flight into space will be

  • February issue of Citizen Airman available

    Air Force Reserve Command's 908th Airlift Wing at Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala., is on the leading edge of the Air Force's effort to modernize its fleet of C-130 Hercules aircraft.C-130H-2s from the 908th, along with C-130E models from the Idaho Air National Guard's 124th Wing in Boise, will be the

  • Military retirees to see pay increase

    An estimated 150,000 military retirees will see an increase in their pay Feb. 2. The National Defense Authorization Act, enacted in November, significantly modified a long-standing law preventing retirees from receiving full retired pay if they also received disability pay from the Department of

  • Airmen test skills on Korean peninsula

    More than 100 airmen, 12 F-15 Eagles and three KC-135 Stratotankers returned to Kadena Air Base, Japan, on Jan. 27 after a four-day deployment here. The mission was a test of the 18th Wing’s ability to deploy during a scheduled operational readiness exercise that began at Kadena on Jan. 24 and is

  • DFAS clarifies retro civilian pay raise

    The additional 2.1-percent pay raise for civilian employees authorized by the president Jan. 23, will be retroactive to Jan. 11. However, before it can take effect, an executive order must be issued addressing how the increase will be split between base and locality pay, said Defense Finance and

  • Soldiers leaving AF gates

    A mix of airmen, civilians, contractors and new technology will replace Army National Guard military policemen now posted at Air Force bases.The original agreement struck between the Air Force and the Army called for using the Guardsmen at base entry points for two years, enough time to find a

  • Randolph gets its first T-38C

    The first T-38C Talon destined for operations in the 12th Flying Training Wing touched down here Jan. 21 at 10:06 a.m.There were no brass bands or flag-carrying marchers to greet the new arrival. In fact, the small cluster of people waiting on the ramp gave no hint of the importance of the event.

  • New software eases workload

    Advanced software technology has arrived at the 43rd Fighter Squadron that will soon benefit all of Tyndall and beyond.Known as the Combat Crew Training Management System, the automatic tracking program checks the progress of F/A-22 Raptor students, what stage of training they have completed, and

  • Targeting pods bolster F-16 training

    The 149th Fighter Wing received something Jan. 14 that will literally put its current class of F-16 fighter pilots right on target with their training.The unit will be the first in the Air Force to graduate pilots from the F-16 Fighting Falcon basic course with targeting-pod training. The enhanced

  • Sergeant deploys with casino

    As a child, Master Sgt. Thomas Shircel enjoyed sharing games of rummy with his grandparents, and playing black jack on his video game system.Some years later, as a college student, his appreciation for casino games expanded to providing casino equipment for charity and social functions. He

  • Firefighters keep flames at bay

    Sixty seconds. Just 60 seconds is all it takes for a fire to decimate a tent in a deployed environment.But the 376th Air Expeditionary Wing’s team of firefighters is here to prevent that from happening. The team has many missions, but fire prevention is the most critical so the team never has to

  • Exercise tests shuttle rescue capabilities

    Lajes Field's capabilities to save a downed space shuttle crew will be put to the test during a daylong exercise here Jan. 30.The exercise involves American and Portuguese forces and a Defense Department agency for space flight.The combined event joins 65th Air Base Wing and Portuguese Air Base 4

  • Wife helps identify drug problem

    “No matter what kind of person you are, drugs will ruin you,” said an obviously uneasy, 21-year-old Airman Basic Michael Dancer as he nervously turned the wedding band on his finger.Wearing a blue correctional custody jump suit, Airman Michael spoke from experience. Though he was not caught driving

  • ‘Spiderman’ joins OEF

    Airmen are known for their innovation, and are encouraged and challenged to continually look for better and smarter ways to accomplish the mission.For one senior noncommissioned officer supporting Operation Enduring Freedom, that challenge led to a labor of love. He developed a computer tool --

  • Air Force saves native remains

    Quick action and the use of high-tech radar at an old radar site allowed an Air Force team to find 15 unmarked graves of Alaska natives that were in danger of being washed out to sea this winter.Earlier in the year, the rural village of Port Heiden, Alaska, saw their old graveyard get torn apart by

  • Camera phones pose risk to security

    Carrying the latest "have-to-have" electronic gadget may mean big trouble for the person who brings it into unauthorized locations.Officials from the National Security Agency said in an advisory that new cellular phones with integral digital cameras pose an unacceptable security risk to homeland

  • Tricare Standard allows civilian care

    People covered by the Tricare Standard military health care plan no longer need approval from their military treatment facility to seek inpatient care at civilian hospitals.The need to get a nonavailability statement before seeking civilian inpatient care expired Dec. 28 under a provision of the

  • Firefighters ‘adapt’ to situation

    Necessity is said to be the mother of invention. Two firefighters here have taken this old saying to heart and invented an adapter to increase their capacity to fight fires.Staff Sgt. Clinton Saul, of the 447th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron fire department, and Army Spc. James Michaels, of

  • AF creates personnel system team

    The Air Force has formed a team to implement the Defense Department’s most dramatic civilian personnel system transformation in the last 50 years.The National Security Personnel System gives DOD managers the flexibility to place civilian workers where they are needed most, without delay. It reduces

  • Mentoring Month brings out role models

    Most people know how hard it can be to take time, especially quality time, to spend with their children.But finding time in a busy schedule to spend with other people’s children takes dedication -- the dedication given to children by adults who choose to be their mentors.January is National

  • Air Force artist shows work

    At work, Master Sgt. Jeffery Kunkle is the quality assurance inspector for the 725th Air Mobility Squadron here. To friends and family, he is an aspiring artist. Sergeant Kunkle has been drawing since he was 8 years old, and recently showed his work at Peña Chuscho, a local art gallery located in

  • Airman at State of Union address

    Staff Sgt. Clinton Smith, of the 11th Security Forces Squadron at the Pentagon, was pleased and surprised with the additional temporary duties he assumed Jan. 20.Two months ago, Sergeant Smith was serving his country by performing security-forces duties while deployed in Iraq. On Jan. 20, he was

  • Forces prepare for Yama Sakura

    U.S. airmen and Japan self-defense forces are gearing up for exercise Yama Sakura ‘04 taking place here Jan. 25 to 31. Yama Sakura is an annual joint/bilateral command post exercise, and is one of the most important simulation-driven, force-on-force battle staff training exercises in Japan, said

  • JDAM team earns precision strike award

    The Air Force Joint Program Office received the William J. Perry Strike Award for developing and delivering the Joint Direct Attack Munition to the warfighter.The award was presented by the Precision Strike Association on Jan. 21 at its Winter Roundtable meeting in Arlington, Va.The award recognizes

  • Air traffic controllers own Iraqi sky

    From American and coalition aircraft to civilian airliners now traveling through the Iraqi airspace, the number of aircraft coming and going over Iraq has increased exponentially in the last year. In southern Iraq, 19 Air Force air traffic controllers here are ensuring the safety of the aircraft

  • AF wife takes deep breath after transplant

    Theresa Merkal was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis at age 2. Like 30,000 other Americans with CF, she struggles to live with the most common fatal hereditary disease among Caucasians, according to the American Lung Association. Cystic fibrosis is the result of a defective gene that causes the body

  • Center helping deployed airmen

    Deployed personnel specialists now have around-the-clock assistance in performing personnel actions for deployed airmen that previously may have taken days to complete. The Air Force Contact Center will now provide one-stop customer support for deployed operations, said Lt. Col. Jacqueline Harry,

  • Program offers ‘Vigilant Look’ at AFSPC

    While the Air Force encourages its personnel to "cross further into the blue" through its new force-development philosophy, Air Force Space Command officials have been using a unique application of that philosophy -- the Vigilant Look program.Nearly four years old, Vigilant Look encapsulates the

  • Simulator gives airmen realistic training

    A new simulator is providing realistic, localized training for 72nd Operations Support Squadron air traffic controllers here.The simulator gives airmen the opportunity to operate in a computer-based environment before they take the helm in the tower.“Our new controllers customize what they have

  • Academy aircraft return to flight

    Forty-five aircraft previously grounded amid safety concerns were cleared for normal flight operations Jan. 17. Air Force officials regained confidence in the contract maintenance program and permanent fixes were established for all discrepancies identified.Three UV-18 Twin Otter aircraft of the

  • Rocket test stand gets facelift

    The rocket test stand used more than 30 years ago for Apollo Moon-mission F-1 rocket engine production testing has been modernized and is ready for use.Test Stand 2-A is the only Department of Defense stand capable of performing full-scale rocket thrust chamber development testing in the

  • Pilot helps boy breathe easier

    If you ask Blake Henderson, a young boy from nearby Niceville, to tell you who Capt. James Dykas is he will most likely reply, “my pilot,” with a look of ownership and pride. But is was not until recently that the two met.When Blake was born four years ago, he underwent heart surgery for congenital

  • Back pain becomes Childs’ play

    Capt. John Childs, a physical therapist, is literally taking on a pain in the backside. By studying how patients respond to certain treatments, Captain Childs is aiming to reduce lower back pain, a condition that afflicts millions of Americans.Captain Childs, an Air Force Institute of Technology

  • Airmen restoring old mosque

    Among a landscape filled with tree stumps, old barbed wire, concrete and rebar, airmen from the 506th Air Expeditionary Group found a hidden jewel -- an old building in desperate need of repair. Thanks to base chapel, contracting and civil engineers leaders, and with the help of a large volunteer

  • Transient alert keeps airflow moving

    Unlike the old saying which goes, “jack of all trades, master of none,” the 376th Air Expeditionary Wing’s transient alert team here are "airmen of all aircraft, masters of most."The team is primarily responsible for meeting the fuel, cargo and maintenance needs of military and commercial passenger

  • AAFES helping deployed troops

    Since setting up a mobile store at Tallil Air Base, Iraq, in April, the Army and Air Force Exchange Service continues providing "a little bit of home" to deployed troops.There are 30 exchanges in Iraq and 52 throughout operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom, said Judd Anstey, AAFES public

  • Defense institute gets new home

    The new home of the Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute officially opened here Jan. 14.Dr. Davis S. Chu, undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness, cut the ribbon to open the two-story, 92,000-square-foot facility.A new-campus task force was established in the early 1990s,

  • Veteran hiring increases

    Hiring of military veterans across the federal civilian work force increased in fiscal 2002, the government's director of personnel said recently.In fact, hiring of veterans in the federal work force was up more than 19 percent over the previous fiscal year, said Kay Coles James, U.S. Office of

  • New GPS satellite operational

    Global Positioning System satellite IIR-10, which launched from here Dec. 21, is now fully operational."It is officially 'turned on' for the warfighter as of Jan. 12," said Capt. Thomas R. Ste. Marie, an Air Force launch controller with the 1st Space Launch Squadron here. "IIR-10 will appear on GPS

  • Incirlik serves as Army 'terminal'

    Incirlik has a new role as a temporary "terminal" for U.S. soldiers traveling home after serving about a year in Iraq.The more than 300 soldiers who arrived here Jan. 6 are the first of what will be thousands transiting through Incirlik during the massive Army troop changeover."We're providing a

  • AAFES receives special award

    The Army and Air Force Exchange Service received the American Spirit Award during the National Retail Federation's annual convention recently.AAFES was selected for the 2004 honor because of its support of U.S. servicemembers fighting terrorism. The award is designed to recognize exceptional

  • Development changes affect chiefs

    The Air Force is transforming the way it manages and develops chief master sergeants as part of a servicewide change in professional development.“For more than a year now … we have begun major cultural changes in the Air Force, a new vision -- how to best develop our force for the future” said Brig.

  • D.C. Guardsmen have worldwide mission

    It would be hard to pick out pilots David Morales or John Moring III in a crowd most days when they are flying for the District of Columbia Air National Guard. And that is just the way they like it. They wear civilian shirts, ties and slacks, so they will not draw attention to themselves as U.S.

  • Cadets take controls of tomorrow’s fighter

    Tomorrow’s fighter pilots got a taste of tomorrow’s combat airpower Jan. 8 and 9 at the Air Force Academy when F/A-22 Raptor manufacturer Lockheed Martin Corporation let cadets take the controls in their updated F/A-22 cockpit flight simulator.The F/A-22 Raptor is the next generation of multi-role

  • Sheet metal shop workers help warfighters

    Fifty years ago, William "Bill" Shirah picked up a skill that today is helping "shape" the U.S. Air Force.Over the years, as a master sheet metal worker, he has bent and shaped the metal that wraps around countless Air Force aircraft.Today he shares his years of experience with 53 other people in

  • Medical priority for disabled vets

    Veterans Affairs officials want to send veterans with service-connected medical problems to the front of the line when it comes to receiving medical treatment at VA facilities.Anthony J. Principi, VA secretary, issued a new directive to all VA medical facilities requiring that "priority access" be

  • ART leave no longer authorized

    Volunteerism by Air Force Reserve Command's full-time military technicians may drop as result of a new interpretation of law. Air reserve technicians can no longer use 44 days of military leave while serving on active duty outside the continental United States, said officials in the office of the

  • Roche unveils AF hero memorial

    The secretary of the Air Force unveiled a memorial at Arlington National Cemetery on Jan. 8 to honor the service’s highest-decorated combat controller.Tech. Sgt. John A. Chapman, from the 24th Special Tactics Squadron, was killed March 4, 2002, while fighting against the Taliban during Operation

  • Leaders do first official PT test

    The Air Force’s most senior leaders, both officer and enlisted, completed their fitness evaluations Jan. 7 at the Bolling Air Force Base Wellness Center. The group was among the first in the Air Force to have their physical fitness evaluated using the service’s new fitness standard. Under the

  • AFRL computer guides Mars rovers

    Radiation-resistant computers Air Force Research Laboratory experts here developed helped steer one of NASA's Mars exploration rovers to a safe landing on the red planet Jan. 4.The AFRL's Rad6000 32-bit microprocessors, manufactured for the Air Force by BAE systems, controlled the spacecraft during

  • New law protects servicemembers

    A new law replacing the Soldiers' and Sailors' Civil Relief Act of 1940 provides servicemembers greater protections to handle personal financial and legal obligations, officials said.President Bush signed the Service Members' Civil Relief Act into law Dec. 19."The focus of the (new act) is the same

  • Rumsfeld outlines DOD priorities

    The war on terrorism will remain the Defense Department's top priority in the new year, as officials continue to focus on improving and modernizing its programs, systems and forces to make them more responsive to 21st century requirements.Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said the department

  • More airmen may live off base

    A change in how the Air Force figures unaccompanied housing requirements will call for fewer dormitory rooms -- meaning more airmen could move off base in the future.Under the new policy, which took effect Jan. 1, the Air Force must provide dormitory housing for unaccompanied E-1s through E-3s and

  • Kirkuk airmen provide relief supplies

    The words of a Kurdish refugee woman living in a tent on the outskirts of Kirkuk keep ringing in the ears of all who heard it. “This is no life for my children here,” the mother said, pointing to the dirt her young child walked through with no shoes. “This is no life in Iraq,” she cried out as

  • Loans temporarily help reservists

    Overseas deployments can be tough on families. Naturally, the initial focus falls upon the emotional cost of separation. But, for guardsmen and reservists who own small businesses, the cost involved in a deployment takes on a whole new meaning.For the past two years, the U.S. Small Business

  • Operation Hero Miles expands

    Alice Rodgers, a single mother, paid more than $1,000 for round-trip tickets from Tipton, Iowa, so she and her daughter, Lindsey, could visit her son. He is recuperating at Walter Reed Army Medical Center here from wounds he suffered in an ambush in Iraq.However, when Rodgers returns for her next

  • AFMC improves deployment process

    Air Force Materiel Command officials fielded a tool in the summer designed to help people keep better track of their deployment information and they said it is already making a difference.The Deployment Qualification System is a Web-based tool providing units with capabilities they have never had

  • President calls airman for Christmas

    An airman here got an extra Christmas gift this year.Senior Airman Sean Strong, an air traffic control specialist with the 332nd Expeditionary Operations Support Squadron, received a call from a White House operator Dec. 21 informing him he was going to receive a call from the president Dec. 24.“I

  • Officials may improve commissary benefits

    Finding ways to improve commissary benefits tops the Defense Department's list of things to do to enhance quality of life for servicemembers and their families.But when DOD officials announced they were studying the "variable pricing" concept being used by private-sector grocery stores and

  • Prior-service airmen receive SKT exemptions

    Prior-service airmen who do not possess the minimum required primary Air Force specialty skill level commensurate with their grade will now automatically receive a two-year exemption from taking the Specialty Knowledge Test during promotion fitness exams.The change will become effective with the

  • Reservist riding in Rose Bowl parade

    An Air Force Reserve officer will join marching bands, equestrian teams and colorful floats traveling down Colorado Boulevard in Pasadena, Calif., at the 115th Annual Tournament of Roses Parade on Jan. 1.Maj. Tami Rougeau, along with her family and civilian employer, will receive an

  • AF leaders send holiday message

    The following is a joint message from Secretary of the Air Force Dr. James G. Roche and Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper:“During this holiday season, Americans have placed their hopes for peace with those who have answered the call to secure freedom: The soldiers, sailors, airmen and

  • CMSAF sends holiday message

    The following is a holiday message from Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Gerald R. Murray:“To our airmen stationed at home and abroad, and their families -- Sherry and I send our warmest wishes to you this holiday season. It is an honor for us to serve in our U.S. Air Force with each of you.“The