Combat Air Force Airmen integrate into new plan

Combat Air Force officials released the 2010 CAF Strategic Plan Sept. 15, a document that focuses on the development, planning and employment of integrated combat capabilities."The Combat Air Force is a group of eight major commands and the Airmen that work in those commands across our Air Force;

Combat Air Force leaders sign new strategic plan

Top Air Force leaders from the eight commands representing the Combat Air Force released "Securing the High Ground: Agile Combat Airpower," Sept. 15. This strategic plan provides a construct for developing, planning and employing integrated combat capabilities for the nation."The CAF is America's

Combat air forces leader describes role, requirement of future force

The leader of Air Combat Command unveiled his assessment of the blueprint required for the combat air forces in the 2020s in remarks during the Air Force Association’s Air & Space Conference and Technology Exposition here Sept. 17.

Combat Air Forces squadron commander candidates named

Air Force officials have selected 335 officers as candidates for Combat Air Forces squadron command in 2018.

Combat Air Forces to resume flying

Combat Air Forces, or CAF, units from multiple commands began flying again today after many stopped flying in April of this year due to sequestration. The restored flying hour program represents Congressional action on the $1.8 billion overseas contingency operations reprogramming action made

Combat Airmen keep convoy routes open

Fifty-eight Air Force engineers filling a shortage of Soldiers in Iraq have completed more than a dozen construction projects, often under fire, throughout a 10,000-square-mile zone for the Army's 1st Brigade Combat Team.After six months, the Airmen of the 732nd Expeditionary Civil Engineer

Combat arms instructor is third generation Air Force cop

Staff Sgt. William Delphia said he has gained both strength and wisdom from his father, a former Airman. Delphia, a 633rd Security Forces Squadron combat arms training and maintenance instructor at Langley Air Force Base, Va., has spent his enlistment continuing the legacy of his father, Bruce

Combat arms team supports all operations

Airmen at the 451st Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron Combat Arms Training and Maintenance team here are directly responsible for ensuring each Air Force member is issued ammunition upon arrival here. In addition, the two-person team of Staff Sgt. Chanson Johnson, and Senior Airman Jacob

Combat arms training

Combat arms training

Combat balloon to improve communications

Warfighters who depend on ground communications for mission success will soon have improved technology, thanks to a system currently under examination here at the 2006 Joint Expeditionary Force Experiment. Combat Skysat uses balloons to take advantage of untapped airspace and improve line-of-sight

Combat camera Airmen hone battlefield capabilities through Scorpion Lens

More than 100 photo and broadcast journalists from the 1st Combat Camera Squadron at Joint Base Charleston and the 3rd Combat Camera Squadron from Joint Base San Antonio, Texas, are participating in Scorpion Lens 2016, an ability to survive and operate exercise at McCrady Training Center on Fort

Combat camera Airmen learn battlefield forensics

It was a first for the Air Force when a cadre of instructors from Six3 Systems Inc. arrived here to teach a battlefield forensics course to 4th Combat Camera Squadron Airmen. In the past, company officials taught the course to only Army and Marine Corps units, but 4th Combat Squadron officials

Combat camera videographer receives Purple Heart

Within an hour of waking up in the Air Force Theater Hospital on the morning of Feb. 11, Staff Sgt. Kathryn Robinson was presented with the Purple Heart. Sergeant Robinson, a videographer assigned to the 4th Combat Camera Squadron in March Air Reserve Base, Calif. , was shot once in the left forearm

Combat care

Combat cargo capability

Combat comm Airmen hone skills in field training

The 1st Combat Communication Squadron from Ramstein Air Base, recently trained in a field near Bitburg, Germany, where they dealt with hostile conditions simulating a deployed environment. The comm squadron has several field training sessions throughout each year, with both classroom and field

Combat Comm readies Airmen for deployments

Driving convoys, building defense fighting positions and throwing elbows in hand-to-hand combat were all incorporated into the combat readiness course here Oct. 20 to 27. The 1st Combat Communications Squadron trained 33 newcomers at the mandatory course, which prepares the Airmen for hostile

Combat communications answers the call

They can set up communications to anywhere in the world from anywhere in the world. They can take a strip of land and turn it into an airfield capable of carrying out military or relief missions, but for now, members of the elite 5th Combat Communications Group are at a former Soviet republic making

Combat communications group and wing inactivate

Air Force Space Command and 24th Air Force officials announced inactivation of the 689th Combat Communications Wing at Robins Air Force Base, Ga., and the 3rd Combat Communications Group at Tinker AFB, Okla. Inactivation of both units is scheduled for September. The inactivations are part of overall

Combat communications squadron hooks up tent city

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

Combat communications team supports New Horizons Panama 2010

An 11-person team from the 32nd Combat Communications Squadron from Tinker Air Force Base, Okla., is deployed to Meteti, Panama, to bring phone and data service to engineers and support personnel participating in New Horizons Panama 2010.New Horizons Panama 2010 is a U.S. Southern Command sponsored

Combat communicators keep airmen in touch

As the fourth aircraft touched down after the Army seized the airfield here, the base gained one of its mission essential teams -- combat communicators.The team’s sole purpose is to deploy into a bare-base environment and set up expeditionary communications. For them it is not a challenge. It was

Combat communicators provide more than ‘terabyte’ of support

If you ask Staff Sgt. Brandon Miranda what a “terabyte” is, the communications-computer systems operations journeyman with the 416th Expeditionary Mission Support Squadron communications flight here will tell you it is a computer server that can store more than 1,000 gigabytes.For the nearly 1,000

Combat controller buried, had 'heart of a lion'

The last of three Airmen, who died in an Aug. 6 helicopter crash in Afghanistan, was buried at Los Angeles National Cemetery here Sept. 10.Staff Sgt. Andrew Harvell, an Air Force Special Operations Command combat controller, was one of 30 Americans killed in action when the CH-47 Chinook they were

Combat controller continues Special Tactics legacy of valor

During a ceremony Nov. 16, at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, Maj. Gen. Eugene Haase the Air Force Special Operations Command vice commander, presented the nation’s third highest medal for gallantry against an armed enemy of the U.S. in combat to Thiem. Thiem's actions occurred when he was

Combat controller earns Pitsenbarger award

A combat controller from Little Rock Air Force Base, Ark., has been named the 2003 Pitsenbarger award winner.Staff Sgt. Gabriel Brown was selected for his heroism while supporting Operation Anaconda during Operation Enduring Freedom.While attached to the 75th Ranger Regiment, his quick-reaction

Combat controller posthumously awarded Silver Star

Senior Airman Mark Forester had an American flag wrapped around his chest plate inside his body armor when he was fatally wounded by an enemy sniper's fire Sept. 29, 2010.This simple act is a testament to how Forester lived his life, a life respected by all who knew him.Forester, a combat controller

Combat controller receives Air Force Cross, Purple Heart

Tears stood in Sue Rhyner's eyes as she talked about her son, who, in a ceremony March 10 here received the Air Force Cross, the highest military decoration awarded by the service, and a Purple Heart. Staff Sgt. Zachary Rhyner of the 21st Special Tactics Squadron from Pope Air Force Base, N.C.,

Combat controller receives two Bronze Stars with valor

A combat controller, who is now charged with helping fill the special tactics ranks, was presented with two Bronze Stars with valor during a ceremony held recently at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas. Master Sgt. Ken Huhman, a special tactics recruiter in San Antonio, received the medals for his

Combat controller recognized for leadership on, off battlefield

A combat controller with the 24th Special Tactics Squadron recently received Air Force recognition for his leadership in his personal and professional life. Technical Sgt. Nathaniel Hoag was awarded the Lance P. Sijan Junior Enlisted of the Year Award for 2011. "I was honored to be nominated," Hoag

Combat controller recounts battle for AFA audience

A combat controller assigned to the 21st Special Tactics Squadron at Pope Air Force Base, N.C., brought an Air Force Special Operations Command perspective on the war on terrorism to attendees at the Air Force Association's 2007 Air & Space Conference and Technology Exposition Sept. 24. "You will

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

Combat controllers contributions honored in ceremony

The Air Force chief of staff presented 13 medals to 11 combat controllers during a ceremony here April 29. Gen. Norton Schwartz pinned three Silver Stars, five Bronze Stars with Valor, three Bronze Stars, and two Purple Hearts on Airmen from the 22nd Special Tactics Squadron for their actions during

Combat controllers crucial to Haiti earthquake relief

Thanks to a specialized group of Airmen used to working in austere locations, airlift operations in Haiti were possible in the initial days after an earthquake destroyed much of the capital, and since then these Airmen have made the airport one of the busiest in the world.Combat controllers are used

Combat controllers honor fallen comrades

Valerie Chapman (left), widow of fallen combat controller and Air Force Cross recipient Tech. Sgt. John Chapman, and Doris Maitland, sister of Andre Guillet, listed as missing in action from the Vietnam War, lay wreaths in honor of all the fallen controllers during the Combat Control Association

Combat controllers play key role in war on terror

The largest class of future combat controllers is training at Pope Air Force Base, N.C., to provide critical skills required in the war on terrorism. The current class of 32 students will help bolster the cadre of 360 combat controllers -- special-operations forces who deploy quickly into

Combat controllers recognized for heroic actions

A combat controller assigned to Hurlburt Field proved his combat skills during a recent deployment to Afghanistan.Tech. Sgt. Christopher Grove embodied the combat controller motto "First There," demonstrating the combat controller's commitment to undertaking the most dangerous missions behind enemy

Combat controllers support Northern Edge

Air Force combat controllers are a rare breed of elite specialists who accompany U.S. ground troops to serve as a liaison between those forces and the air support they rely on. Each combat controller is a fully qualified air traffic control expert, able to manage the complex air operations above a

Combat convoy course expands to driving 18-wheelers

The Basic Combat Convoy Course here now includes teaching Airmen to drive tractor-trailer supply trucks and gun trucks as convoy operations in Iraq have evolved into longer, more dangerous missions, course leaders said.All Airmen in the course also are now receiving combat lifesaver training during

Combat cover

Combat dentists keep troops’ teeth healthy

The familiar high-pitch sound of a drill floats out from behind the curtain. Bits and pieces of decayed tooth are chipped away as the drill bores deeper and deeper. A cavity or other tooth emergency is never fun, but for soldiers and airmen in Iraq, help is just a dental visit away.The staff at

Combat exercise showcasing proposed uniform

As the Air Force continues its wear test of the proposed new utility uniform, its sister services are getting a chance to get an up close and personal look at the uniform during exercise Northern Edge '04."There are a total of 90 Airmen on base participating in the wear test of the new blue, green

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

Combat Hammer

Combat Hammer 2014: Boosting RPA strike proficiency

Airmen from the 432nd Wing/432nd Air Expeditionary Wing and the air-to-ground weapons system evaluation program, or WSEP, team participated in the 2014 Combat Hammer exercise May 12-15, to operationally assess and evaluate the reliability, maintainability, suitability, and accuracy of remotely

Combat Hammer offers opportunity to evaluate precision-guided munitions

In a "remote village" west of Salt Lake City, a 2,000-pound enhanced guided bomb unit-15 slips suddenly through an open window of a 30-foot building with immaculate precision. Zero fatalities result from this TV-guided infrared intrusion that occurred May 13. The village -- stacks of cargo

Combat Hammer tests air-to-ground bombing capabilities

Eglin Air Force Base's western range, Bravo 70, was the site for the largest-ever Combat Hammer weapons system evaluation program Dec. 4 to 8, sponsored by the 86th Fighter Weapons Squadron. More than 40 precision-guided weapons were dropped, including laser-guided bombs, joint direct attack

Combat leadership course takes PME to next level

What does an Air Force supply noncommissioned officer and an Army infantry NCO have in common? What can someone who spends their days troubleshooting computers learn from someone who spends their days on convoys? The answer to these questions is leadership. Regardless of the branch of service or

Combat metals

Combat metals flight fabricates essential aircraft parts

When maintainers here need new parts for their C-130 Hercules and C-17 Globemaster III aircraft, they can't just head down to the local parts store and pick one up. That's where the 386th Expeditionary Maintenance Squadron's Combat Metals Flight comes in. The unit fabricates aircraft parts from

Combat metals team innovates repair, saves AF thousands

You don’t always have everything you want on a deployment. No sixty inch plasma with video game console in your room, so you bring a laptop to play your games. Your cell phone doesn’t have coverage unless you pay exorbitant roaming fees, so you video chat with your family over Wi-Fi when you can

Combat metals: The modern-day blacksmiths

While there are a lot of precautionary measures in place to prevent bird strikes and other aircraft incidents, they are not 100 percent preventable.When these incidents occur, there’s a small group of Airmen who are called upon to do patchwork to get the aircraft back to base and to fix the damage

Combat mission

Combat mission

Combat mobility element moves cargo quickly, safely

The 15th Airlift Wing at Hickam AFB, Hawaii, sent a pair of its C-17 Globemaster IIIs here to support the Australian Defense Force. U.S. crews are shuttling cargo and Australian military forces to strategic locations within the country.This operation involves moving massive amounts of cargo, and

Combat Nighthawk increases awareness

Company grade and senior noncommissioned officers here are teaming up to further develop their leadership skills and increase their overall understanding of all aspects of the operational mission, as part of a Combat Nighthawk initiative.Combat Nighthawk is a leadership development and

Combat Ops continue in Iraq, humanitarian aid pours in

U.S. and coalition troops are searching out and eliminating pockets of Saddam-regime diehards, while providing much needed humanitarian relief to the Iraqi people.That's the message Army Brig. Gen. Vince Brooks, U.S. Central Command spokesperson delivered today at a press conference in Qatar.For

Combat personnelists get Airmen in, out of deployment

They do not fly combat missions, build bombs or conduct perimeter patrols, but the PERSCO team here processes the documents that make it possible for pilots, ammo troops and security forces to do those things supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. From hail to farewell, a two-person Personnel

Combat photographer braves bullets to tell stories

An award-winning Air Force photographer routinely braved bullets and bombs to tell the military's story through the lenses of his cameras to be named the Defense Department's Military Photographer of the Year for 2007. Combat photographer Tech. Sgt. Jeremy Lock also earned that honor in 2002 and

Combat photographer to compete in Warrior Games

Not once, but twice. Twice, in 2004 and 2007, a combat photographer who was assigned to the 1st Combat Camera Squadron, Charleston Air Force Base, S.C., was wounded in Iraq.It was her combat wounds in 2007 that caused retired Staff Sgt. Stacy Pearsall to give up her dream as a combat photographer

Combat ready

Capt. Helen Howell, a C-130 Hercules pilot from the 36th Airlift Squadron here, prepares to taxi during a combat readiness exercise. The exercise is designed to test the combat capabilities of the base. (Photo by Master Sgt. Val Gempis)

Combat rescue Airmen highlighted in new television documentary

After their successful 2013, six-episode series on Air Force Combat Rescue, a National Geographic Channel camera crew went back to Afghanistan for a 2014 two-hour special.

Combat rescue helicopter acquisition process underway

More than 30 potential civilian contract companies were in attendance during Industrial Days sponsored by the Aeronautical Systems Center at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, Jan. 9-11. The event, hosted by the Air Force Combat Rescue Helicopter Program, gave potential contractors a glimpse

Combat rescue officers celebrate 10-year anniversary

Officials celebrated the 10-year anniversary of the creation of the combat rescue officer career field Dec. 8."Our personnel recovery forces need to be organized, trained and equipped to operate across the full range of military operations, including humanitarian operations, irregular warfare and

Combat rescue officers ready for field

Nineteen men began their Sunday morning Oct. 21 with a three-mile run and 1,500-meter swim here. The intensive physical training test set the stage for six days of grueling workouts and evaluations -- so demanding, in fact, that by Friday only eight men were left. Those eight men are now combat

Combat rescue, special tactics officer bonus still available

For the second year in a row, qualified special operations officers are still eligible for a maximum of $80,000 in critical skills retention bonus money if they voluntarily extend their active-duty service commitment for up to four years."With the continued high demand for combat rescue and special

Combat rescue, special tactics retention bonuses available

Qualified special operations officers are now eligible for a maximum of $100,000 in critical skills retention bonus money if they voluntarily extend their active-duty service commitment for up to four years. The bonuses are due in part to a $2.5 million deposit from Department of Defense

Combat RPAs integral in defeating ISIS

U.S. forces, coalition partners and Syrian Democratic Forces liberated Raqqah, Syria from the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria’s control in early October 2017. ISIS used the city as its capital for terrorist operations since January 2014.

Combat runs on BACN

The Battlefield Airborne Communications Node will reach 10,000 combat missions within the next month, hitting a significant milestone just as the program office here works to expand the current fleet to eight combat-ready platforms.

Combat search and rescue at Red Flag-Alaska

Combat search and rescue training

Combat search and rescue training in Utah

Combat search, rescue highlighted in new commercial

A commercial highlighting combat search and rescue, or CSAR, Airmen began airing Oct. 5 in television markets and select movie theaters across the country."CSAR" shows the teamwork involved to locate, communicate with and recover downed aircrews and isolated personnel. The commercial is the third in

Combat search, rescue team saves two soldiers

A U.S. Air Force combat search and rescue team saved the lives of two critically wounded U.S. Army special operations soldiers despite severe weather conditions April 7 about five miles south of Baghdad.The soldiers were transferred to a hospital in Kuwait, where it was determined that they have a

Combat Shadows helping with Liberia

Airmen from the 398th Air Expeditionary Group embarked on a refueling flight Aug. 6 in an MC-130P Combat Shadow, originally from Royal Air Force Mildenhall, England, now supporting operations in Liberia. The mission was to refuel three HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters, also part of the 398th AEG, from

Combat Shield ensures Strike Eagles ready for war

Electronic warfare Airmen tested the radar capabilities of fighter aircraft to see if equipment is battle ready as part of the Combat Shield program from Oct. 19-23.

Combat skills course offers Airmen lifesaving training

In preparation for the Air Force's next Air and Space Expeditionary Force rotation, 94 people attended the Pacific Air Forces-sponsored combat skills course April 23 to 25 here. Several combat skills training course instructors came to Misawa to provide information that is not only designed to

Combat skills training is a must for today's Airmen

Since Airmen are taking on more non-traditional rolls and missions in deployed locations, the need for individual combat skills is imperative. Airmen selected to deploy for Air Expeditionary Force Cycle 5 and 6 from the 15th Airlift Wing recently took the three-day Expeditionary Combat Skills

Combat skills training prepares security forces

The 60th Security Forces Squadron here offers a two-day expeditionary combat skills training course to prepare Airmen for deployments."(We want to) give the students a set of basic skills to work with so if they ever encounter a force protection scenario, it'll give them that basic skill set to act

Combat skills training preps Airmen for war

Grunts, shouts and gunshots echoed through the fields here recently as nearly 90 Airmen pushed their bodies to the limit during expeditionary combat skills training. The Airmen dragged their bodies through the grass and mud in a low crawl, propelled themselves forward on their elbows in the high

Combat stress team strives to connect

Maj. Kim Floyd and Senior Airman Jessica Delgado just want to talk. Major Floyd, a psychologist deployed from the 92nd Medical Group at Fairchild Air Force Base, Wash., and Airman Delgado, a mental health technician deployed from the 5th Medical Group at Minot AFB, N.D., make up the Combat Stress

Combat support flight

Combat Support Wing exercise showcases agile lethality

More than 150 Airmen from seven major commands participated in a combat support wing proof-of-concept exercise Sept. 5 to 19 that tested a small team’s capability to conduct agile downrange operations. The exercise, conducted at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida, with forward deployments to Moody Air

Combat tactics

Combat Talon crashes in Albania

An MC-130H Combat Talon II aircraft that crashed while on a joint training mission with the Albanian military, U.S. European Command officials announced April 1. There were nine people on board. A EUCOM news release said the crash occurred in a remote, mountainous area southeast of the Albanian

Combat Talon ends career as historic monument

Exactly one year after making its final operational flight, the MC-130E Combat Talon I 64-0567 reached the end of its 47-year journey with a stirring dedication ceremony here May 6.The Talon, or as it came to be know by 919th Special Operations Wing Airmen, "Wild Thing," will now be a historic

Combat Talon undergoes risk reduction testing

An MC-130E Combat Talon I completed the first risk reduction flight here March 15 after undergoing several months of improved avionics modifications. Airmen from the 418th Flight Test Squadron conducted the flight.The aircraft arrived here in October from the Air Force Reserve Command's 919th

Combat to cowboy boots: Airman uses horses to spread resiliency

(This feature is part of the "Through Airmen's Eyes" series. These stories focus on individual Airmen, highlighting their Air Force story.)Growing up, she recalled running around the woods of North Carolina trying to catch a wild horse. She had fallen in love with a flea bitten, little and gray

Combat training adds to Airmen's skills

Combat training is critical for Airmen deploying downrange. Senior Airman Joshua Issermoyer, a tactical air controller stationed at Fort Hood, Texas, already has deployed but continues to strengthen his skills with more training. Some of that training involved approximately 2,300 American and

Combat training goes rangeless

The P5 Combat Training System introduced recently promises to revolutionize training by allowing warfighting pilots to test their skills anywhere, versus in limited air space, according to Air Armament Center officials here.The system uses pods that communicate with each other. The pods enable

Combat training supports 21st century strategy

As the nation winds down from a decade of combat operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, the Department of Defense is shifting its focus to the future and recently introduced new strategic guidance describing the projected security environment and key military missions for which the department will

Combat truckers fill mail call void in Southwest Asia

The 586th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron's 70th Medium Truck Detachment Airmen took on the mission to ensure thousands of servicemembers received their mail Dec. 28, when a Department of Defense contract with a transport company was abruptly halted within Southwest Asia."This is an

Combat truckers roll out for last time

The guideon furled silently and slid into its sleeve, signifying the mission was officially complete for the 387th Expeditionary Logistics Squadron during its inactivation ceremony March 6.Since the mission began in 2003 at an undisclosed location in Southwest Asia, the Airmen and Soldiers of the

Combat vets wage public-info campaign

Four Air Force combat veterans began a new campaign March 27 -- informing the public of the Air Force's role in Operation Iraqi Freedom.The airmen -- three aircrew members and a combat controller -- spoke to reporters from across the nation in a television studio here on topics including the latest

Combat weather Airmen test out new initiative

Combat weather Airmen from the 93rd Air Ground and Operations Wing, as well as units from all over the world are currently participating in a training exercise here to test a new total-force initiative. The total-force initiative proposes the need to consolidate training locations and resources for

Combat weather forecasters fight ‘fog of war’

It rolls in when it wants to, covers everything in its path and makes visibility so poor you can barely see your hand in front of your face. It is what some here call “the fog of war.”This fog, however, is the real thing. It is a fog so thick it makes missions for Operation Enduring Freedom here

Combat weather forecasters help keep pilots out of harm’s way

It’s a tough job trying to predict Mother Nature and when it comes to weather, everyone’s a critic. Thinking the day holds nothing but sun and your picnic gets rained out can be aggravating. Now try to tell a pilot he can’t fly because the weather patterns shifted. This dilemma is something deployed

Combat weather team forecasts mission success

Cloud reading may seem an ethereal art, but predicting the effects of alto cumulus clouds blowing over the southwest mountain range here is a pure science to aviators and ground troops traveling there.Leaders here rely on the technical know-how of the 455th Air Expeditionary Wing’s Combat weather

Combat weather teams key in mission planning

When reporters describe the successes of the air war on terrorism, they frequently speak of special operations forces using global positioning system receivers and radios to direct laser-guided bombs to their targets.These stories are accurate and make for good video, but they only touch the surface