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  • Commission wraps up BRAC decisions

    The Defense Base Realignment and Closure Commission wrapped up four days of deliberations in final actions Aug. 26 and 27 by voting to turn Pope Air Force Base, N.C., into an Army airfield and recommending sweeping recommendations to revamp the Air National Guard and consolidate its operations.The

  • Commissioning program available for active-duty Airmen

    In 2001, Second Lt. Christiane Makela was one step away from leaving the Air Force. At the time, she was a staff sergeant assigned to the 56th Civil Engineer Squadron at Luke Air Force Base, Ariz.She changed her mind and traded her stripes for gold lieutenant bars via the Airman Education and

  • Committee debates tanker lease plan

    Members of the Senate Armed Services Committee do not question the Air Force’s need for new tankers, only how the service plans to get them.Air Force Secretary Dr. James G. Roche met with the committee Sept. 4. He outlined the importance of immediately upgrading the service’s aging aerial refueling

  • Committee discusses status, plans for joint jet pilot training

    Members of the Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training Program Steering Committee finished their week-long meeting Sept. 25 where they discussed the current status and future plans for the program. They also reflected on the flow of student pilots, instructor pilot training, leadership and command

  • Committee examines issue of women separating

    Female military doctors, lawyers and chaplains are more likely than their male counterparts to leave the military after serving five to eight years, and the Defense Department Advisory Committee on Women in the Services wants to know why.By examining these three career fields, the committee hopes to

  • Committee focuses on servicewomen

    Here is bad news for folks who argue that women do not belong in the military: Recruitment and retention rates are up; their roles in the military continue to grow; and they are just as good as men at their jobs -- or better."Naysayers" may find the above facts discouraging, but they are good news

  • Committee reviewing military pay package

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

  • Commodity council makes $10 million impact on spending

    The Air Force’s first commodity council stretched Air Force buying power for laptop and desktop computers by $10 million throughout the last year.The Information Technology Commodity Council was established after a review of acquisition data from across the Air Force by a procurement transformation

  • Common interests, challenges discussed at African Air Chiefs Conference

    Shared interests and common challenges topped discussions between African air chiefs from 24 nations and their U.S. counterparts during the 2011 African Air Chiefs Conference April 26 through 28 here.The conference aims to foster communication and dialogue between regional and multilateral partner

  • Common sense key to safety

    Air Force officials want Airmen to use common sense and not fall victim to accidents during the “101 Critical Days of Summer.”These 101 days fall between Memorial Day and Labor Day. This is the time period when the Air Force sees a rise in off-duty injuries caused by increased activity and risk

  • Comms program hits 100,000 hours of warfighter connectivity

    The Battlefield Airborne Communications Node (BACN) program reached 100,000 combat flight hours Jan. 30. The system, which provides coalition interoperability among air, space and surface systems by forwarding and translating voice and data across disparate networks, began operating in theater in

  • Communication Airmen hardwire Baltops mission

    In support of Baltic Operations 2015 June 5-20, a team of Airmen from the 1st Combat Communications Squadron deployed to Powidz Air Base, and were charged with the responsibility of maintaining all communication requirements for the Air Force at the installation.

  • Communication helps children cope with deployments

    For service members and their families, preparing for an upcoming deployment is another of the many challenges unique to military life. Letting children know that they can talk about their fears and worries when preparing for a deployment helps them prepare for stressful situations in the

  • Communication key in protecting security clearance during financial hardships

    As the government shutdown continues, Air Force leadership wants their civilian workforce to communicate well and often as possible financial challenges arise -- something that could impact one’s security clearance. With such a large number of civilians possessing security clearances, including many

  • Communication on demand

    The 386th Expeditionary Communications Squadron trains with a communication fly-away kit for these what-if scenarios.

  • Communication techs ensure message gets through

    Technicians from the 374th Communications Squadron’s systems control and facility control offices here help Pacific Air Forces leaders plan, direct, coordinate and execute operations worldwide. The vast majority of command and control, voice conferencing and combat support communications traffic

  • Communication units deploy to support hurricane relief

    Airmen from Air Combat Command headquarters and the Air National Guard deployed during the past several days to provide around-the-clock service and support to the areas in the Gulf Coast ravaged by Hurricane Katrina. The Airmen are from combat communications and tactical communications units and

  • Communications agency looks to protect data

    Air Force Communications Agency members here are aggressively developing a solution to protect personal and other sensitive information from being stolen and misused. Several government agencies have been victims of compromised data stored on stolen or lost computers during the past few years,

  • Communications Airmen complete Rodeo ‘puzzle’

    Months of preparation have allowed base officials to assemble the puzzle pieces necessary to run Rodeo 2005. Perhaps one of the most essential, and busiest, pieces of the puzzle has been the Airmen of the 62nd Communications Squadron here.With more than 1,000 people coming here for the one-week air

  • Communications Airmen enable Greek, US flight training

    The success of a flying-training deployment involving U.S. and Hellenic air forces here hinges on an array of variables, and one quick-response communications force is ensuring tactical messages are delivered.

  • Communications Airmen help Iraqis connect

    Airmen worked for two days rebuilding and improving the communications infrastructure at Baghdad International Airport.A team of 447th Air Expeditionary Group cable maintenance shop and telephone systems Airmen started a job April 3. “Basically we were asked to come out here and establish high-speed

  • Communications Airmen make the connection

    A small contingent of four communications Airmen traveled to Al Asad Air Base to provide communication connectivity while base facilities were being built around them. "The day we got here, there were no radios, only a couple computers and no telephones installed anywhere," said Staff Sgt. Sean

  • Communications Airmen meet to discuss career field's transformation

    Senior enlisted communicators from around the Air Force held a conference at Robins Air Force Base, Ga., May 19 through 21 to discuss details for the upcoming communications Air Force specialty code conversions.During this transformation, the largest in the history of Air Force communications, more

  • Communications Airmen prove vital to Regional Command-West mission

    Imagine a small group of elite Soldiers on patrol in the mountains of the northern Herat province of Afghanistan coming under heavy attack by a large group of insurgents.What if these outnumbered and outgunned Soldiers called back to camp for close-air support but found no answer on the receiving

  • Communications and Information Hall of Fame to stay at Scott AFB

    Air Force Space Command officials announced this week that the Communications and Information Hall of Fame will remain at its current location at the Air Force Network Integration Center on Scott Air Force Base, Ill. Furthermore, the nomination and selection process remains unchanged from last year.

  • Communications and information service consolidation eases MAJCOM workloads

    The transition of common communication and information workloads from major commands to the Air Force Network Integration Center is complete, enabling MAJCOM communications and information staffs to further focus on core warfighting missions and information needs.The transfer centralized 10 services

  • Communications construction crew makes mission happen

    In the face of mortar attacks, gun fights, restricted movement and a heavier than normal workload, Airmen pressed on to finish a mission paving the way for enhanced communications for servicemembers throughout the AOR. These Airmen, assigned to the A67, the engineering and installation arm of the

  • Communications director prepares to leave Air Force

    When William C. Bodie leaves his job as director of communications to begin work for the private sector, he will do so with an elevated appreciation for the Air Force and the challenges it faces daily.In return, the Air Force comes away with a level of strategic communications capability that many

  • Communications directorate consolidates, stands-up

    The air logistics center here becomes the first in Air Force Materiel Command to stand up a communications directorate. As a part of an effort to consolidate the communications squadrons and the information technology directorates, the three AFMC ALCs are required to combine the two. In a ceremony

  • Communications essential part of Joint Red Flag operations

    Airmen of the Air Force Forces Communications and Control Center in the Combined Air and Space Operations Center here are meeting the challenges presented at Joint Red Flag, a U.S. Joint Forces Command exercise.To allow the thousands of people at 44 sites across the county to come together during

  • Communications failures contributed to border incident

    United States forces acted in self-defense and responded with appropriate force after being fired upon during a Nov. 25-26 incident on Afghanistan's border with Pakistan, according to findings from a Defense Department investigation that was released Dec. 22.Twenty-four Pakistani soldiers were

  • Communications flight Airmen link base with outside world

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

  • Communications keep Cope India Airmen connected

    Setting up complete operational communication support for 250 deployed Airmen in a foreign country doesn’t just happen overnight. But the 35th Communications Squadron’s 10-person theater deployable communication package did that in 48 hours. The unit from Misawa Air Base, Japan, is here to support

  • Communications network continues to evolve

    Two years after its standup, the Radio-over-Internet Protocol Routed network, or RIPRnet, has a very different mission and much greater reach than originally planned. The RIPRnet is a key communications network for both ground convoys and air operations throughout Iraq, consisting of 15 core sites

  • Communications network impacts intelligence

    The blue forces are pinned down. Mortars are exploding all around them. A blue force attack controller requests help from a nearby MQ-1 Predator unmanned aerial vehicle armed with Hellfire missiles. The Air Force responds to the request. The attack controller on the ground is able to locate and

  • Communications satellite turns 20

    The 3rd Space Operations Squadron celebrated the Defense Satellite Communications System B10 satellite's 20th anniversary on orbit Nov. 28. The anniversary held significant importance for the squadron and for the Air Force, in part because the satellite was designed to operate for only 10 years.

  • Communications upgrades keep warfighters connected

    The Theater Deployable Communications Team at the Electronic Systems Center here is continuing to ensure warfighters have the key communications infrastructure they need while deployed."We are looking for capability modernization and to update the equipment modules that make up TDC as they get to

  • Communicators lay foundation for Afghanistan’s future

    Before U.S. forces return the airport terminal and tower here to Afghan control, combat communicators first installed more than a mile of copper and fiber cable. Airmen from the 451st Air Expeditionary Group communications flight here stepped up to install the critical communications cables when an

  • Communicators train to face enemies on digital battlefield

    In millions of real-world attacks each year, hackers from every corner of the Earth try to crack through computer network defenses. But in the Air Force Communications Agency’s simulator training exercises here, the attacks come from hackers a mere 30 feet away. The defenders are Airmen from network

  • Communities affected by BRAC have transition partner

    As the next round of base realignment and closure looms on the horizon, officials at the office of economic adjustment stand ready to assist affected communities.The office’s role is to help communities affected by Defense Department program changes, said Patrick O’Brien, the office’s director. That

  • Community at large benefits from space innovation

    In the midst of budget cuts and space program cost overruns, the Air Force has found a way to save taxpayers money and, at the same time, increase small satellite launch capability to its maximum potential. It’s called the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle Secondary Payload Adapter, or ESPA, ring.

  • Community celebrates life of general, wife

    A memorial service was held May 1, at Fort Lesley J. McNair for a general and his wife who recently passed away.Maj. Gen. Joseph D. Brown, IV, who served as the commandant for the Dwight D. Eisenhower School for National Security and Resource Strategy, National Defense University, and his wife, Sue,

  • Community College of the Air Force reveals plans for new degree program

    The new Associate of Applied Science in Military Technology and Applied Sciences Management degree is a flexible alternative for enlisted personnel serving in Air Force specialties lacking enough formal skills training to meet current degree program requirements, said Dr. Hank Dasinger, the dean of

  • Community leaders share information, ideas with AFMC commander

    Eighteen civic leaders from across Air Force Materiel Command met with the commander Oct. 28, for a discussion of challenges that lie ahead in five significant categories tied to the AFMC mission.The civic leaders are members of the command's Community Liaison Program, a group of 40 people

  • Community members show support for local servicemembers

    The Military Affairs Committee of the Cheyenne Chamber of Commerce gave a special "Salute to the Military" Sept. 20. The event, the 23rd annual Santa Maria Barbecue, included a roast beef dinner, live music and a chance for military members and their families to socialize and interact with the

  • Community, Air Force team up to give Haitians bear hugs

    More than 3,000 Haitian earthquake victims have processed through Homestead Air Reserve Base, Fla., evacuating Haiti on military aircraft. The victims rely on Airmen and civilian community members to provide temporary relief until they can reunite with friends, loved ones or family members. Among

  • COMPACAF presented Order of the Sword

    Enlisted Pacific Air Forces Airmen gathered here Aug. 26 to induct the PACAF commander into the command's Order of the Sword.Gen. Gary North distinguished himself by dedicating nearly $150 million to improve PACAF Airmen's quality of life while cultivating and fostering command-wide, total-force

  • COMPACAF visit to Mongolia affirms growing partnership

    Developing an air force has been one of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command’s long-term priorities for greater engagement with Mongolia and part of the command’s overall goal to assist the Mongolian Armed Forces in pursuing defense reform priorities.

  • Compact helps military children transition into their new school

    In four years, Cait Horner, a Peterson Air Force Base family member, attended four different schools in two different states and one foreign country. Each time she moved, she was retested for placement in the gifted and talented program. Sometimes she was placed in the gifted program, sometimes she

  • Company grade officer PME undergoes transformation

    Air Force senior leaders recently approved a plan to transform professional military education for company grade officers. The two existing developmental education venues for lieutenants and captains will soon merge into a single in-residence opportunity for CGOs.The air and space basic course at

  • Company grade officers selected for undergrad flying training

    Several dozen lieutenants and captains have been selected for the undergraduate flying training program, Air Force Personnel Center officials said.To see the list, go to http://www.afpc.af.mil/shared/media/document/AFD-130213-082.pdf.The UFT annual selection board convened in January to consider

  • Compass Call continues to 'Jam' enemy

    In two years, aircrews in the 41st Expeditionary Electronic Combat Squadron have flown 5,000 combat hours in support of the war on terrorism. The squadron has flown more than 940 sorties supporting ground troops here. This milestone reflects the longest deployment in the squadron's history, said

  • Compass Call crew details mission, OIF success stories

    At the onset of Operation Iraqi Freedom, dozens of Iraqi soldiers waited patiently near the al Faw Peninsula for instructions being transmitted from higher headquarters to blow up key oil fields there.The message never came.In its place, courtesy of the U.S. Air Force’s EC-130H “Compass Call”

  • Compass Call dominates OIR with electronic warfare

    Often times when we think about how air power is used in the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, we think about cargo aircraft delivering critical supplies and personnel to the frontlines or bombs being dropped onto targets. What’s not often thought of is how the Air Force has the

  • Compass Call receives navigation upgrade

    Since it became operational, the EC-130H Compass Call has demonstrated its electronic combat power in tactical air operations around the world, and this year the aircraft has achieved another first. The aircraft has received an avionic viability program upgrade to make it more effective in combat

  • Compass Call squadron departs 386th AEW as a result of drawdown in Iraq

    The last EC-130H Compass Call assigned to the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing departed here Aug. 29 for deployment to another U.S. Central Command base, capping a 6.5 year tour of duty in which Compass Call crews flew some 23,300 combat hours in direct support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.The 43rd

  • Compass Call targets ISIL through electronic attack

    Military operations are complex. Attacking an adversary requires significant coordination and communication between a commander and their fighters. The fog and friction of war means that even the best laid plans are often adapted on the fly, and competent leaders need the ability to redirect their

  • Compensation panel recommends Tricare changes

    Members of the Quadrennial Review of Military Compensation have recommended fee changes to Tricare, the military's health care system.The recommendations mostly would affect retirees and will not affect active-duty servicemembers or their dependents, retired Air Force Brig. Gen. Jan D. "Denny"

  • Competencies lay foundation for success

    A competency is a combination of knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics that manifest in an observable and measurable pattern of behaviors.

  • Competing for Ms. Veteran America

    At the 322nd Training Squadron, she's a master military training instructor at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas. Away from the squadron, she's the mother of a 1-year-old little boy.At work, she's disciplined, and tough, and her voice can be heard loud and clear from one end of the drill pad to

  • Competition brings out the 'beast'

    Thirty-nine military working dog handlers from the Air Force, Army, Navy, Marine Corps, U.S. and the Honolulu Police Department, as well as from Japan and Alaska, brought their K-9s through a series of events during the 2010 Hawaiian Islands Working Dog Competition at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii,

  • Competition challenges Airmen's warfighting abilities

    Twenty-one teams composed of 84 Andersen AFB Airmen competed Jan. 25 and 26 here in Warrior Day, a competition designed to simulate challenges Airmen may face in combat. "Warrior Day is an annual competition on Andersen," said Senior Master Sgt. Ray Johnson who is assigned to the 36th Security

  • Competition fuels hearts, ignites relationship

    In 2015, when a Naperville, Illinois girl met a small-town boy from Eagle River, Alaska, neither knew immediately how their relationship would evolve beyond teammates; however, the now engaged pair of retired Air Force athletes would still say “teammates” will always be a word that first comes to

  • Competition integrates cyber capabilities, encourages new ideas

    Airmen from the 67th Network Warfare Wing took part in the first Cyber Nexus competition here May 17 to 19. The force-on-force event brought together operators from the Air Force's four cyber disciplines to compete as integrated teams. The four disciplines are network operations, defensive

  • Competitive career opportunities exist via officer crossflow program

    One of today’s opportunities for officers to broaden career options comes from the nonrated line officer crossflow program, which currently has openings for officers on active duty in certain career fields to volunteer for retraining into undermanned career fields.

  • Competitors battle ants and obstacles on Rodeo course

    One hundred million ants, 800 possible points, 150 pounds to carry, 13 umpires, eight obstacles, five teams, two visiting generals, and one endurance course … priceless.Participants in the aeromedical evacuation endurance course event may be new to Rodeo, but they took the challenge head-on and made

  • Competitors set for AMC Rodeo 2007

    More than 55 U.S. and international teams are slated to participate in Air Mobility Command's Rodeo 2007 to be held July 22 through 28 at McChord Air Force Base, Wash. The competition focuses on readiness, and features airdrop, air refueling, and other events showcasing security forces, aerial port,

  • Complete vouchers ensure speedy pay

    Department of Defense travelers can help ensure their travel vouchers are paid promptly by preventing common mistakes, according to the Defense Finance and Accounting Service officials here.Some of the biggest sources of delay in the travel-pay process are incorrect or incomplete information on

  • Complex closes out productive year with 217 aircraft serviced

    A total of 217 aircraft -- including C-5 Galaxy, C-17 Globemaster III, C-130 Hercules and F-15 Eagle models -- were serviced in fiscal year 2015, which ended Sept. 30. That number includes 15 unscheduled depot-level maintenance aircraft, with two C-5s, three C-17s and 10 C-130s.

  • Comprehensive Airman Fitness gains official AFI

    Comprehensive Airman Fitness is not a new term; however, Air Force Instruction 90-506 was released April 2 and further defines requirements for CAF in an effort to enhance the resilience of individuals, families, and communities.

  • Comprehensive Airman Fitness on the go

    The Wingman Toolkit, an outreach and communication tool designed to ensure Airmen have quick and easy access to the latest Comprehensive Airman Fitness programs and resources, now has a mobile app available to download.

  • Comprehensive Airman Fitness: Mental stability

    For a machine to function properly, the screws must be set, balance maintained and gaskets must be in good repair. Maybe that’s why mental instability is often characterized as having a loose screw, being out of balance or blowing a gasket. Recognized as one of the four domains of Comprehensive

  • Comptroller Airmen manage millions, serve thousands

    The 379th Expeditionary Comptroller Squadron manages more than $160 million and serves about 60,000 customers annually. More than a dozen Airmen make up the 379th ECPTS team. Those Airmen provide a range of financial services at Al Udeid Air Base, including financial analysis, military pay, travel

  • Comptroller notes progress in DOD financial management

    Despite financial uncertainties, the Defense Department has made significant progress in improving financial management, DOD Comptroller Robert F. Hale told the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee May 13 while in attendance with military senior leadership.

  • Comptroller outlines continuing resolution, sequestration

    The continuing resolution the Senate approved Sept. 22 and the president is expected to sign this week will affect short- and long-term Defense Department spending in coming months, a senior defense official said today.Pentagon Comptroller Robert F. Hale spoke on "Financing Defense: Strategies for

  • Comptroller: Sequestration Would Devastate Defense Spending

    Sequestration will devastate every aspect of Defense Department spending, from fighting the war in Afghanistan and supporting troop health and morale to training, maintenance and modernization, and carrying out the defense strategic guidance, Pentagon Comptroller Robert F. Hale said here Sept.

  • COMPUSEC automation delivers time, cost savings

    A three-person team of Matt Seibert, AFICC chief information officer and information technology specialists, Mia DeLucia and Liam Randall, competed in the Air Force's "Rise of the Digital Wingman Challenge," an Air Force-wide competition that empowers Airmen to automate and learn about Robotic

  • Computational analysis improves I-500 warhead survivability

    Air Force Research Laboratory engineers here conducted dynamic computational analysis geared toward improving the survivability of a proposed I-500 warhead design. Ongoing computational analysis suggests that resulting changes should significantly increase the warhead's structural survivability

  • Computer attacks, threats continue

    Government computers and official information are subject to a wide range of threats and vulnerabilities that are a constant, invisible threat to penetrate military networks and degrade warfighting abilities.Along with those nameless, faceless hostile enemies there is also a threat from simple

  • Computer modifications result in energy savings

    Carlene Conner-Kueck is an advocate for energy conservation -- and she's not alone. The Air Force Materiel Command Communications Installations and Mission Support directorate is filled with people devoted to money-saving conservation techniques. "All energy managers in this command have a passion

  • Computer program crash was a good thing

    There's nothing like a computer program crash to ruin your day, especially when it’s used to track patients in the Air Force’s largest medical facility. But with luck, a computer expert can help figure out the problem. And if you’re really lucky, the solution can be even better than the original.

  • Computer protection: Good IDEA

    Buying software to protect your home computer ensures it is safe from Internet viruses and hackers. When Air Force officials buy intrusion detection software for the service's computers, they don't browse through the aisles of the local computer store.The Intrusion Detection Exploration Analysis

  • Computer-based training available to all

    For Air Force people wishing to further their education, the solution could be just a mouse click away. The U.S. Air Force computer-based training system, located at http://usaf.smartforce.com, allows people to supplement major blocks of formal education that may not be a part of an individual’s

  • Computerized canines to join Tyndall AFB

    Tyndall will be one of the first Air Force bases to implement semi-autonomous robot dogs into their patrolling regiment, integrated with Immersive Wisdom’s 3D Virtual Ops Center.

  • Computers available at reduced prices

    Air Force technology officials have taken much of the work out of negotiating prices and picking vendors for organizations that will buy mainstream computers, especially those bought with end-of-year funds. Representatives from the Air Force’s major commands, as part of the Air Force Information

  • Computers to replace paper technical orders on Robins AFB flightline

    Within the next four years, laptop computers will be as important to aircraft mechanics here as wrenches and screwdrivers. Many Robins AFB mechanics are leading the way in the first test of "e-tools." That's the term used for the 300 laptops deployed on the flightline in the last 12 months to help

  • COMUSAFE boosts U.S.-Russian relations with visit

    The commander of U.S. Air Forces in Europe is in Russia to bolster relationships and security cooperation between U.S. and Russian Air Forces during a visit Aug. 14 to 17. Gen. Tom Hobbins' visit is reciprocal for one taken by Gen. Col. Aleksandr Zelin, deputy commander in chief of the Russian

  • COMUSAFE builds on U.S.-Romania relationship

    The road ahead for the partnering of U.S. and Romanian air forces continues on the fast-track after a visit Oct. 19 and 20 by the U.S. Air Forces in Europe commander, who met with key Romanian officials. Gen. Tom Hobbins traveled to Romania for a firsthand look at Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base, where

  • COMUSAFE concludes Russian visit

    Improved relations and future operational cooperation between U.S. and Russian air forces was the goal of a four-day visit to Russia by the commander of U.S. Air Forces in Europe.Gen. Tom Hobbins, who visited Moscow and Lipetsk Air Base Aug. 14 to 17, said the military-to-military relationship