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  • Motorcycle safety leaves no margin for error

    In December, a young airman was visiting his family for the holidays. After dinner and a movie with his mother, he told her he was going for a ride on his motorcycle. That was the last time she saw her son alive.He was 10 minutes from home when he lost control of his bike and was killed instantly.

  • Commander recounts historic Iraq C-17 airdrop

    It was by any measure a landmark moment for airlift operations and the C-17 Globemaster III. The nighttime airdrop last month of 1,000 "Sky Soldiers" from the 173rd Airborne Brigade behind enemy lines into northern Iraq was the largest combat airdrop since the invasion of Panama in December 1989

  • 1st humanitarian flight arrives at Baghdad airport

    Although combat continues in a number of areas in Iraq, coalition efforts to increase humanitarian assistance are becoming more important, according to U.S. Central Command officials."Last night, the first humanitarian-focused flight went into Baghdad International Airport," said Army Brig. Gen.

  • Bashur airmen toughing it out

    If they did not know before, the more than 200 airmen who run Bashur Airfield in northern Iraq now know what it is like living in austere conditions.Because if it was not for the cargo that transport aircraft drop off day and night, there would not be much here to write home about.The only claim to

  • Female fighter pilots take on challenges full throttle

    Female fighter pilots are a special breed. They are willing to crack into a male-dominated field, take a $30 million aircraft, fly at mind-numbing speeds and head straight into the face of danger, all the while knowing they may not be coming back.But most will say they are happy to do just that,

  • Airborne Red Horse teams joins the mix

    The Air Force has a new capability thanks to the members of three new Airborne Red Horse teams. Red Horse teams provide the Air Force with a mobile, rapid-response civil engineer force to support contingency and special operations in remote, high-threat environments worldwide. In wartime, the

  • Officials cancel 2003 sports, training camps

    In view of world events, ops tempo, and Stop-Loss measures, Air Force officials are canceling the 2003 Air Force sports and training camps program.Officials will re-evaluate this decision in 90 days, depending on world events.This difficult decision was made by the Air Force fitness and sports staff

  • Free Iraqi forces: 'Members of the team' liberating Iraq

    They're intimately familiar with Iraqi language and culture, they wear distinctive uniforms, they serve with U.S. civil affairs troops in Iraq -- and they don't like Saddam Hussein.Who are these guys?They're members of the Free Iraqi Forces working with U.S. Army and Marine Corps civil affairs units

  • Airmen help injured soldier

    Airmen recently helped a seriously injured soldier who was wounded in an ambush in southern Afghanistan.The same ambush killed two servicemembers. Army Sgt. Orlando Morales, 33, a native of Manati, Puerto Rico, and Air National Guard Staff Sgt. Jacob L. Frazier, 24, of St. Charles, Ill., were the

  • Airfield management providing clear runway

    An increased operations tempo means busier traffic on the runways used by the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing at a forward-deployed location. But thanks to the 380th Operations Support Squadron's airfield management team, the airfield environment remains clear and safe for base people.Only two months

  • Readiness, reconstitution concerns loom large

    Military readiness may crumble if Congress does not approve additional funding soon, the Joint Staff director of operations told senators April 9."Our previous wartime experiences have proven that readiness is a fragile commodity," Lt. Gen. Norman A. Schwartz told members of the Senate Armed

  • SECAF: Mobility key to war effort

    The secretary of the Air Force praised Air Mobility Command for quietly building up resources in Southwest Asia before the opening days of the war in Iraq. He also lauded the continued "spectacular" air support during the campaign to remove the Iraqi regime from power."Under the direction of

  • Munitions tool passes wartime test

    A new munitions-tracking program has passed the wartime test at a forward-deployed location supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.The command and control concept of operations software allows real-time tracking of the number and status of munitions worldwide.The program was developed for wartime, but

  • B-52 dons new upgrade

    Aircrews flying the Air Force's oldest aircraft can now better verify targets and pick them themselves thanks to experts integrating a targeting pod on the B-52 Stratofortress.Maj. Keith Colmer, one of the original operational test pilots here for the Litening II targeting pod that was developed for

  • Airman pulls man from burning building

    When fire roared through an off-base house here, the actions of a 1st Special Operations Squadron pilot saved a 94-year-old man's life.Capt. Tom Geiser was on a cordless phone late April 2 outside his house about three kilometers from Kadena Air Base."I saw smoke rising from a house about 50 yards

  • CENTAF command chief addresses issues

    As Air Force operations continue in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, the service's senior enlisted member in Southwest Asia says the exact future of operations has yet to be determined."The war isn't over," said Chief Master Sgt. Mack Williams, U.S. Central Command Air Forces command chief master

  • Reservist testifies about mobilization

    Television viewers who tuned into C-SPAN on April 3 may have seen an Air Force reservist from here testifying before a House Armed Services subcommittee.Master Sgt. Kevin Smith, logistics plans technician, joined six other National Guard and Reserve members to address the committee and answer

  • Thrift Savings Plan open season begins April 15

    Civilian and military employees can sign up for or change Thrift Savings Plan accounts during "open season" from April 15 to June 30."TSP is an easy, long-term retirement savings plan that everyone should consider," said Maj. Alessandra Stokstad, chief of the Air Force Personnel Center's contact

  • Academy programs rank among nation's best

    The U.S. Air Force Academy has one of the nation's top undergraduate engineering programs, according to U.S. News & World Report.The national news magazine just released its America's Best Colleges 2003 edition, which rated universities in a number of general areas. In terms of specific academic

  • Assignment keeps recruiter, recruitee together

    When Airman 1st Class Natasha Butler reported for duty to the 463rd Airlift Group at Little Rock Air Force Base, Ark., in September 2000, she felt like she was coming home again.Not only was she from Little Rock, but her recruiter, Master Sgt. Lorenzo, was assigned to the same unit and she had

  • Bomber surge: 103 sorties in less than three days

    Although B-52 Stratofortresses and B-1B Lancers have become a common sight in the skies here their presence has been more visible the past few days.Bombers from the 7th Air Expeditionary Wing here, successfully completed 103 sorties in less than three days as part of a surge in operations March 30

  • JAG discusses rules of combat

    When Americans go to war, they are armed with more than the best weapons and training the nation has to offer -- they are equipped with the "rule of law."According to the Air Force's senior lawyer, the United States fights wars differently from other nations."The Constitution governs everything we

  • Guard, Reserve airmen testify about effects of mobilization

    Members of Congress turned to a panel of noncommissioned officers April 3 to determine the price military reservists are paying to help defend the nation.Two members of the Air National Guard and an Air Force reservist were on the multi-service panel that told members of the House Armed Services

  • Agreement establishes Fighter Associate Program

    Air Force Reserve Command and Air Combat Command have joined forces to begin the Fighter Associate Program.Gen. Hal M. Hornburg, ACC commander, and Lt. Gen. James E. Sherrard III, AFRC commander, signed a memorandum of agreement that took effect April 2.The Fighter Associate Program is designed to

  • Renamed airport gateway to Iraq's future

    Saddam International Airport is under new management and has been renamed Baghdad International Airport, U.S. Central Command officials said today.Army Brig. Gen. Vincent Brooks, during a news conference in Qatar, said Army 5th Corps forces took the airport after heavy fighting. He said the airport

  • Exercise good medicine for arthritis sufferers

    Should people with arthritis exercise? The answer to this question is a resounding "yes," according to 1st Lt. Justin Theiss, a physical therapist at the medical center here."Studies have shown exercise helps preserve joint mobility and function," Theiss said. "Inactive lifestyles and low fitness

  • Teachers take to the field

    They say those who cannot do, teach. But do not say that around the advisers from Ammo U, who just arrived at a forward-deployed location to give, and get, an education.The 40 or so airmen from the Air Force Combat Ammunition Center at Beale Air Force Base, Calif., have closed the school and moved

  • Water flowing into southern Iraq; food on the way

    With the help of the Kuwaiti government, fresh water is flowing into coalition-held areas of southern Iraq, and food is on the way, the American officer in charge of these efforts said today.Coalition forces are coordinating delivery of water from a pipeline the Kuwait government set up into

  • Tower a pinnacle of support for fliers

    As B-52 Stratofortresses lift off from a deployed location, the last person to wish them well is not the commander or maintainers. It is Airman 1st Class Jeremy Beecher, an air traffic controller with the 457th Air Expeditionary Group.Air traffic controllers direct all air and runway traffic. They

  • Reserve, active duty blend seamlessly

    Active-duty and Reserve airmen are working side by side and facing the same wartime challenges while deployed for Operation Iraqi Freedom.Air reserve technicians from the 917th Wing at Barksdale Air Force Base, La., work in tandem with their active-duty counterparts as members of the 5th

  • Day in the life: B-52 commander's day filled with make-or-break decisions

    His day begins shortly before 6 a.m., making deposits.Each person he sees, he pats on the shoulder, shakes hands with or offers a warm greeting -- deposits of confidence, calm and comfort. He treats them all alike, from the single-stripe airman to the blue-oak-leaf lieutenant colonel.For Col. Dan

  • Airlifters play big role in Iraqi Freedom

    A C-130 Hercules aircraft from the 320th Air Expeditionary Wing was the first U.S. Air Force aircraft to land at an Iraqi airfield in the southern part of the country after it was secured by coalition forces March 27.The mission, flown by wing commander Col Rich Johnston and his crew, was the first

  • Female B-2 pilot makes history

    Military women are continuing to knock down barriers and make history.Capt. Jennifer Wilson, a B-2 Spirit pilot deployed with the 393rd Expeditionary Bomb Squadron, landed on the runway April 1 at her forward-deployed location, making her the first female B-2 pilot to fly a combat mission. "Flying

  • Wing prepares for CV-22 training

    With two CV-22 simulators on board here, 58th Special Operations Wing workers are making strides toward setting up training for the new aircraft.The Air Force officially accepted ownership of its first full-motion CV-22 simulator at the 58th Training Squadron recently.The unit will receive four

  • Airmen jump in, prepare airfield in northern Iraq

    As part of what may be the largest airborne assault since D-Day, 20 airmen of the 86th Contingency Response Group parachuted into northern Iraq on March 27 with more than 1,000 soldiers of the 173rd Airborne Brigade.The people who jumped into Iraq comprised a team of specialists from the

  • Air Force surgeon general: 'We are ready'

    Improvements in the deployment process since the 1991 Gulf War have resulted in a more fit and healthy fighting force, the Air Force surgeon general told a House committee March 27."Our military now finds itself engaged in war on multiple fronts -- in fact, a greater percentage of our troops are

  • Personnel training teams visiting bases

    Help is on the way for Military Personnel Data System users, which should lead to better customer service for airmen and commanders, according to an Air Force Personnel Center official here.Six-person training teams from the center are traveling to every base in the Air Force."We're training each

  • Troops hope their work doesn't come home

    They descended on a forward-deployed location with one focus: building bombs. Not just any bombs. They wanted to build the kind that don't come back. It is the lifeblood of any ammo troop.They didn't build for two weeks, just long enough for them to get antsy, wondering when they would get their

  • KC-135 Stratotankers keep allied forces flying

    As the Air Force's operating tempo climbs to unprecedented heights in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, the efforts of refueling tankers are keeping the air war on track.With the average daily number of air sorties going from 1,000 to 1,800 in the past two days, according to a defense official,

  • Air Force names top command post controllers

    Air Force operations and training officials here have named the following airmen as 2002 Command Post Controllers of the Year:-- Command Post Senior Noncommissioned Officer of the Year is Master Sgt. Joseph A. Howell Jr., Yokota Air Base, Japan.-- Command Post NCO of the Year is Staff Sgt. Rodney D.

  • C-130s are SUVs of airlift

    In a world where fighters are seen as the sleek Lamborghinis of the flying world, C-130s are still carrying the load as the SUVs of airlift. According to workers from of the C-130 system program office and the production people who maintain the aircraft here, that is just what it should be

  • Weather clears skies for bomber pilots

    While accurate bombs, jet-propelled missiles and well-trained crews mean the difference in a war, none of it gets off the ground without good weather.As aircrews and others at a forward-deployed location will tell you, weather is paramount for the success of Operation Iraqi Freedom. No one knows

  • Program offers close-up look at police work

    The last place most people want to find themselves is in a cop car, but that is exactly where one local teenager found his dream.Travis Sheets, a 17-year-old Enid High School student, is focused on an Air Force career thanks to his "Ride-Along Program" experience.The program, managed by 71st

  • After first week of war, airmen charged, ready

    With the first week of Operation Iraq Freedom successfully waged, 40,000 airmen spread across 30 locations stand poised for the long and difficult road ahead.But to airmen such as Senior Airman Jennifer Raney, the duration of the journey is secondary to dispelling the regime of Saddam Hussein."I'm

  • Strikes target Fedayeen, other regime operations

    Coalition airmen kept the heat on the Iraqi regime March 29 with precision strikes on Fedayeen, air-defense and command-and-control facilities.Coalition aircraft bombed the main training facility of the Fedayeen paramilitary forces in eastern Baghdad. The Fedayeen in this area are in charge of

  • Forces not 'paused'; coalition attacks continue

    Army Gen. Tommy Franks said coalition forces are not "paused" and are not suffering from a lack of supplies.Franks, who spoke today at a press conference in Qatar, said, "Where we stand today is not only acceptable, ... it is truly remarkable."He spoke of "large and capable ground forces within 60

  • Bomb kills U.S. troops near Najaf; Iraqi missile damages Kuwait City mall

    Five U.S. 3rd Infantry Division soldiers were killed in Iraq today by an apparent suicide bomber at a road checkpoint near Najaf."That kind of activity, I think, is something that is a symbol of an organization that's beginning to get a little bit desperate," Air Force Maj. Gen. Victor Renuart, a

  • Air Force wins 5th straight bowling crown

    For anyone who says sports dynasties are dead, say hello to the Air Force bowling team.The team dominated the 25th annual Armed Forces Bowling Championship held March 14 to 20 at the Lackland Air Force Base, Texas.Airmen swept all the gold medals, claiming their fifth consecutive interservice team

  • Base is no place for owls

    As sprawling neighborhoods take over wide-open spaces and devour wildlife habitats, some animals are forced to move to new homes. Sometimes those homes are on military installations.Most animals pose no threat, but others -- like a pair of barn owls that made their home in a hangar here -- can

  • Controllers keep air traffic in sync

    Air traffic controllers have handled up to 1,600 sorties a day as the "shock and awe" air campaign continues and ground forces make a beeline for Baghdad.The torrid pace shows no signs of slowing, said Tech. Sgt. Mark Morrison, a controller working at a forward-deployed location. He works in radar

  • Take a break

    Master Sgt. Mark Kuntz (right) takes a break during a survival, evasion, resistance and escape exercise here. As part of exercise Foal Eagle, Kuntz, a SERE instructor, is helping to train Korean air force members to navigate and guide Air Force rescue units to their location. (U.S. Air Force photo

  • Female astronaut pioneers last frontier

    Whether they sailed across the oceans, climbed mountains, or rolled across the Great Plains, pioneers were first to explore new frontiers. Col. Susan Helms is not rambling across the prairie in a covered wagon, but she is a pioneer. She is an astronaut. Her frontier: space.Helms was the first

  • F/A-22 resumes testing

    F/A-22 Raptor test and training flight operations resumed here March 22 after a brief delay following a nose-gear-retraction incident.On March 18, the nose gear of an F/A-22 retracted unexpectedly as the engines were being shut down. The incident occurred after successful completion of a routine

  • C-17 crews describe paratroop drop

    Training. Teamwork. Focus. Pride.That is how the commander of the largest airborne mission since 1990's Operation Just Cause sums up the aerial delivery of 1,000 members of the Army's 173rd Airborne Brigade into northern Iraq on March 26.It was the first time a C-17 Globemaster III had inserted

  • C-17 crews conduct historic airborne operation

    Under the cover of darkness, almost 1,000 "Sky Soldiers" of the 173rd Airborne Brigade parachuted from C-17 Globemaster IIIs into the Kurdish-controlled area of northern Iraq. This was the first combat insertion of paratroopers using a C-17."This is a historic milestone in the evolution of the

  • Airman grew up behind Berlin Wall

    For Senior Airman Anke Dzincielewski, the day the Berlin Wall fell is one she will never forget."Senior Airman D.," as co-workers call her, was born and raised in Kleinmachnow, a small town on the southwest corner of Berlin in East Germany. She grew up knowing that the West was there but never

  • Air Force, Army leaders examine air-ground ops

    The Air Force and Army chiefs of staff are leading a focused effort to examine air-ground operations in order to improve the two services' combat capability.Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper and Army Chief of Staff Gen. Eric K. Shinseki said they recognize the need to improve air-ground

  • Association recognizes airman for heroism

    Life-saving actions have earned an Eglin sergeant the Noncommissioned Officer Association's Vanguard Award for heroism.Senior Master Sgt. David Popwell, superintendent of the 96th Ground Combat Training Squadron here, saved the lives of three people injured in a two-car collision on Florida's

  • Fitness center becomes aeromedical facility

    One of the fitness centers here became a contingency aeromedical staging facility March 23.The staging facility, the first of this type stood up by the Air Force since Operation Desert Storm in 1991, is designed to hold injured servicemembers who have been medically evacuated from Operation Iraqi

  • Pilots say training prepared them for combat

    Pilots flying combat missions over Iraq in recent days are saying that the real-world operations there are validating their years of training.The comments came from a March 26 teleconference in which pilots and other members of the 363rd Air Expeditionary Wing at an undisclosed location described

  • Leaders outline academy overhaul

    Four U.S. Air Force Academy leaders will be replaced as part of sweeping changes designed to ensure a safe and secure environment for the school's cadets, officials announced at a Pentagon press briefing March 26.The changes were announced by Secretary of the Air Force Dr. James G. Roche and Air

  • Diversity stressed for civilians

    As the Air Force takes the first steps toward transforming the way it develops its civilian employees, its leaders are stressing the importance of diversity in the workplace.Secretary of the Air Force Dr. James G. Roche said ensuring diversity in the work force is much more than a legal obligation

  • K-9 partners operate on vigilance, trust

    At base gates, military working dogs and handlers are doing their part in the war with Iraq while guarding against the threat of terrorism.These threats mean there are more reasons than ever to suspect that America's enemies will target its most valuable resources with explosives or hazardous

  • Lancer crews describe B-1 missions over Iraq

    B-1B Lancers, combining the latest in technology with old-fashioned elbow grease, are taking the air war of Operation Iraqi Freedom to regime and military targets in every inch of that country.Four members of the 405th Air Expeditionary Wing described their mission to Pentagon reporters in a March

  • Coalition on track, forces 'flowing' into Iraq

    After five days of ground combat, coalition forces are more than 200 miles into Iraq and poised to take on forces defending Baghdad, DoD leaders said today.Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Air Force Gen. Richard Myers told reporters at a Pentagon press

  • Wounded troops receive top medical attention in Germany

    One of Ramstein Air Base, Germany's fitness centers became a contingency aero-medical staging facility March 23.The CSAF, the first of this type of facility stood up by the Air Force since the 1991 Persian Gulf War, is designed to host injured service members medevaced here from forward deployed

  • Officials release T-37 accident report

    Air Force officials have determined pilot error caused the Dec. 20 mid-air collision of two T-37 Tweet trainer aircraft out of Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas.In its description of the incident, the accident investigation board said the pilot of one of the T-37s did not ensure adequate separation

  • Pilots face increasing ground threats

    Coalition pilots have not yet had to face the intense air defenses over Iraq they had to deal with during the Gulf War.Still, the Iraqis fire on coalition aircraft on every mission, an A-10 Thunderbolt II pilot with five combat missions in Operation Iraqi Freedom said. And as coalition forces

  • B-52 pilot still flying high after 33 years

    During the evacuation of Quang Tri in 1972, 1st Lt. Bill Jankowski, an O2-A pilot, flew out of DaNang Air Base, Vietnam, to find enemy targets and bring air support assistance to South Vietnamese who were resisting North Vietnamese. Quang Tri had Americans within the area, and Jankowski's role was

  • Protesters offer training for security

    Security forces here responded to nearly 50 protesters at a base gate March 22 and arrested three.Another group of military supporters gathered at the gate to lend their encouragement to the base and its people.During the weeks leading up to the protest, groups informed the base they would exercise

  • Ammo airmen build munitions for war

    After two weeks of waiting, munitions airmen at a forward-deployed location began working day and night building M-117 and 85 GBU-31 Joint Direct Attack Munitions for the "shock and awe" phase of the war in Iraq.Arriving at this location March 6, members of the 5th Expeditionary Maintenance Squadron

  • Predator helps in ground war success

    Flying over coalition troops racing toward Baghdad, RQ-1 Predators are providing ground commanders up-to-the-second information on what lies ahead.That is helping make the ground war a success by minimizing coalition troop losses, said Predator pilot Capt. Traz Trzaskoma by telephone."We immediately

  • Maintainers unleash wave of B-52s

    More than 70 aircraft maintainers worked earnestly through the early morning March 21 to unleash the first wave of B-52 bombers on the Iraqi regime from this forward-deployed location.Later in the day they watched with the rest of the world as their "Buffs" delivered what would come to be regarded

  • Medical staff provides care during exercise

    Staff Sgt. Sonia Rincon's hands are splattered with blood and pieces of torn flesh. Her patient has a sucking chest wound and a fractured leg.Despite these gruesome injuries, Rincon takes her time tending to the wounds.She is not actually dressing the wounds, but creating them. Rincon is one of

  • Innovative training fosters acquisition transformation

    The Air Force acquisition community is transforming the way it does business by not only reforming its processes but also changing the way its workforce thinks and acts. To accomplish this, Paradigm Learning Inc., helped the Air Force develop a new learning tool for the entire acquisition workforce,

  • Tanker crews launch combat support missions

    While most people were waking up and drinking their first cups of coffee, the first of several KC-135 Stratotanker aircrews from the 401st Air Expeditionary Wing launched combat support missions from their deployed location March 19."It was definitely a team effort all the way around today," said

  • 'Gray Eagle' awards presented to longest-serving pilots

    Just minutes after airmen deployed for Operation Iraqi Freedom began the highly anticipated "shock and awe" attack on Baghdad on March 21, Air Force leaders paused to pay tribute to two of the service's longest-serving pilots.Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Richard B. Myers and Maj. Gen.

  • Legendary group enhances defense at Fairford

    Security here has taken on a formidable new dimension.After adding layers of concertina wire, K-9s and four contingents of law enforcement, officials at this British installation have added a regiment nothing short of legendary.The Gurkhas, the world-renowned Nepali special forces contingent of the

  • Saddam's Days Numbered, Rumsfeld Says

    U.S. Central Command exercised "flexibility" in attacking a senior Iraqi leadership compound last night, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said today.Rumsfeld spoke to a packed house at the Pentagon and answered questions about Operation Iraqi Freedom. He also spoke directly to Iraqi soldiers and

  • Rumsfeld Praises Troops, Cites Iraq War As 'Necessary, Just'

    Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld today praised American troops deployed overseas to disarm and oust Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, noting that their efforts support a just cause."It is essential to world peace and our security that we act against the regime of Saddam Hussein," Rumsfeld said in a

  • Pilot dies in T-38 crash

    An instructor pilot assigned to the 100th Flying Training Squadron was killed March 19 after his T-38 Talon crash here at approximately 4 p.m.The pilot, Maj. Pete Jahns, was pronounced dead at 4:52 p.m. at Brooke Army Medical Center.The second pilot, Lt. Col. Frank Gebert, survived the crash,

  • Outreach program helps critically ill infants

    Many nurses and physicians have limited experience in helping sick newborns. It can be a challenge for hospital staff to maintain skills in this area.Nurses at Wilford Hall Medical Center attended a new course March 13 designed to train them to care for critically ill infants who must be

  • Friendly fire hearing officer recommends against courts-martial

    The two Illinois Air National Guard F-16 Fighting Falcon pilots implicated in a deadly "friendly fire" incident last year should not face courts-martial, the investigating officer's report said.Majs. Harry Schmidt and William Umbach, of the 170th Fighter Squadron, face a variety of charges stemming

  • Vice chief airs readiness concerns to Congress

    Today's high operational tempo is affecting the Air Force's ability to conduct necessary training, which may affect readiness, the service's vice chief of staff told lawmakers March 18.Gen. Robert H. Foglesong also told members of the House Armed Services Committee subcommittee on readiness he was

  • Total force showing its muscle

    The total force muscle is showing its strength throughout U.S. Air Forces in Europe as Air Force reservists and Air National Guardsmen answer the call of duty alongside their active-duty counterparts.Although the number varies daily, the Air National Guard has about 1,800 airmen and more than 60

  • Space command cancels Guardian Challenge

    Air Force Space Command officials have canceled this year's Guardian Challenge, the annual space warfighter competition held at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif.The competition, slated for May 5 to 9, was canceled because the command needs its resources focused on day-to-day operations. The

  • Korean exercises kick off

    Forces from all U.S. services started arriving here March 11 for the peninsula's largest exercises.Soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines gathered in Korea to work with their South Korean counterparts in the two major exercises to show how U.S. forces will help defend the country. The exercises will

  • I'm all eyes

    Master Sgt. Gary Easterwood (right) talks with a pilot about the proper procedures for using chemical warfare equipment in the F-16 Fighting Falcon. Easterwood is an aircrew life support assistant superintendent. The equipment pilots wear is called the aircrew eye and respiratory protection

  • Now showing: March 17 edition of Air Force Television News

    The growing scandal of current and former female Air Force Academy cadets accusing their male counterparts of rape or sexual assault headlines the latest edition of Air Force Television News.Staff Sgt. Kevin Dennison reports on the charges by the female cadets and what Air Force senior leaders and

  • Women aviators highlight flight progress

    In 1944, when the B-29 hit the flightline, Army Air Corps pilots were hesitant to fly the new bomber. It was bigger and more complicated than its predecessor, the B-17, and had a reputation for engine fires.Then-Lt. Col. Paul W. Tibbets, who was in charge of training the Army Air Forces' pilots,

  • Roche, Jumper address incoming cadets' parents

    The service's senior leaders recently penned a letter to parents of incoming Air Force Academy cadets, promising to protect their children as "we would our own."Secretary of the Air Force Dr. James G. Roche and Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper sent letters March 13 to the parents of

  • At home on the range

    Combat controllers practice firing movements on the range at a forward-deployed location supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. Air Force combat controller teams are trained to conduct and support special operations under clandestine, covert or low-visibility conditions. (Photo by Staff Sgt.

  • Survey will help servicemembers, families

    A survey designed to gauge the Air Force's success in building communities is set for distribution in early April.The 2003 Community Assessment Survey will be sent out servicewide, said the Air Force's director of family advocacy research and the project officer for the survey. He added that the

  • Pilots safe after midair collision

    The pilots of two Air Force F-15 Eagles are safe following a midair collision of their aircraft March 17 about 65 miles northeast of here.One aircraft returned safely to the base while the other crashed on the Nevada Test and Training Range complex. The pilot of the second aircraft ejected and was

  • Air Force leaders explain effect of encroachment

    Two Air Force leaders testified before Congress on March 13 about the effects of environmental encroachment on the service's mission.In separate testimonies, Air Force Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Robert H. Foglesong and Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Installations, Environment and Logistics

  • Packing a punch for combat power

    Laser and global positioning systems-guided munitions have taken a lot of the guesswork out of bombing so the accuracy and precision of putting bombs on target gets better and better.At the root of that process are weapons loaders. Since the beginning, when someone first strapped a bomb under the

  • Program offers electronic deployment information

    A Web-based, user-friendly software program Air Force Materiel Command experts here are testing promises warfighters instant access to deployment information. Plus, it will save the Air Force nearly $79 million during a five-year period.The Deployment Qualification System works through the Air

  • WASP make weather history

    Women's roles in the military may not have started at Offutt, but the Air Force Weather Agency was here when women stepped forward to serve their country.The Air Weather Service was one of the first military agencies to use military women as pilots during World War II.In early 1943, the first

  • Three Air Force commissaries among five best

    Air Force commissaries were named "best" in three of the four categories in the Defense Commissary Agency's 2003 Best Commissary awards. Two other commissaries tied for "best" in the fourth category.Top commissaries are at:-- Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., winner of the Bill Nichols Award for the

  • Red Flag cancelled again

    For the second time this year, Air Combat Command officials here cancelled a Red Flag exercise because of emerging Air Force deployment requirements.The exercise was originally scheduled to be held later this month at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev.Red Flag, a realistic combat-training exercise