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  • Amputee pilot back in the cockpit

    Most people would have thought Lt. Col. Andrew Lourake would never see the inside of an Air Force cockpit again, at least not as a pilot.The colonel was injured in a motorcycle accident in the fall of 1998. Infection following surgery to repair a broken bone left him with few choices but to have

  • Reservist returns POW/MIA bracelet worn in remembrance

    A reservist here who pledged to keep the memory of a fallen Airman alive for almost 20 years has returned the Vietnam warrior’s POW/MIA bracelet to his family after he was finally laid to rest.Master Sgt. Sheila Couzins, an intelligence analyst in the 445th Operations Support Squadron, purchased a

  • MQ-1 Predator crashes in Southwest Asia

    An Air Force MQ-1 Predator Unmanned Aerial Vehicle crashed at 10:20 a.m. Greenwich Mean Time on Nov. 24 at an undisclosed military installation in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility. Combined Air Operations Center officials said the accident was not the result of enemy fire, and the

  • Airmen run fire department at forward operating base

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

  • Scientists identify remains of six Air Force MIAs

    The remains of six Airmen missing in action from the Vietnam War have been identified and are being buried at Arlington National Cemetery on Nov. 5 with full military honors.They are: Cols. Theodore Kryszak of Buffalo, N.Y., and Harding Smith of Los Gatos, Calif.; Lt. Col. Russell Martin of

  • Guard chaplains minister to wounded troops

    There was no doubt in anyone's mind, including his wife's and his father's, that Arkansas Army National Guard Spc. Ronald Baker was going to die. All that kept the man from Cabot, Ark., alive at the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany was a life support system and his wife's concern for his

  • Crash victim identified

    Department of Defense officials identified an Airman who died in Afghanistan on Oct. 21.Airman 1st Class Jesse M. Samek, 21, of Rogers, Ark., died Oct. 21 from injuries he received when an HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter crashed during a medical-evacuation mission. He was a flight engineer assigned to

  • Airmen recall Swiss internment

    Confinement did not stop some servicemembers from doing their duty during World War II, and now a little distance did not keep them from rekindling old memories.Thirty one former Army Air Force servicemembers, here for the Swiss Internees Association reunion Oct. 14, all have a different story. But

  • Airman dies, two injured in helicopter crash

    An Airman died Oct. 21 from injuries sustained in an Oct. 20 HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter crash about 105 miles east of Shindand, Afghanistan. Two other Airmen were injured in the crash and were taken to a medical facility at Kandahar Air Field, along with an Afghan who works for the Joint Electoral

  • Air Force blanks American International 4-0

    Cadet Peter Foster posted his second career shutout, and the Air Force Academy peppered American International College with 52 shots as the Falcons beat the Yellow Jackets, 4-0, in the consolation hockey game of the ninth annual Quinnipiac Cup here Oct. 16.Air Force improved to 1-0-1 overall this

  • Airmen train with NATO allies during exercise

    Airmen from Aviano Air Base, Italy, joined forces with NATO’s newest member Oct. 4 to 7 to improve the way they rescue downed pilots.The training was part of Adriatic Rescue 04, a U.S.-Slovenian combat search-and-rescue exercise.While Slovenia conducted similar training with the United States

  • Officials release Predator accident report

    Crew error caused an MQ-1L Predator unmanned aerial vehicle to crash during a training mission June 14 at Indian Springs Air Force Auxiliary Field, Nev., according to an Air Force report released Sept. 30.The instructor pilot allowed the student pilot to continue too far into a landing approach

  • Tornado damages ANG aircraft, buildings in Delaware

    Many people from the Delaware Air National Guard’s 166th Airlift Wing here witnessed C-130 Hercules aircraft “dancing like ballerinas,” as a tornado struck here Sept. 28.The surprise funnel cloud touched down in the late afternoon at New Castle County Airport, damaging several of the wing’s

  • WC-130J team tracks hurricanes with improved radar system

    Experts here battled 155-mph winds and penetrated two hurricanes 15 times recently to put the WC-130J Hercules’ improved weather-radar system to the test.Together with Air Force Reserve Command's 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron at Keesler Air Force Base, Miss., joint test team experts flew

  • Airmen help save lives following UH-60 crash at Tallil

    Just after 9:20 p.m. Sept. 21, two Army UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters took off from the flightline here.Two minutes later, something went horribly wrong with one of them.“The first thing I heard was a loud, dull thud, kind of like a fist hitting a wooden wall,” said Senior Airman John Byrum, a

  • Flying dog’s parachute lands at U.S. Air Force Museum

    A parachute made for a dog that flew alongside pilots during the Berlin Airlift was recently added to the Berlin Airlift Exhibit at the U.S. Air Force Museum here.The parachute, donated by Clarence Steber, was worn by his boxer, Vittles, during their flights on C-47s and C-54s to help deliver food

  • Teets: America must reach for space dominance

    On the anniversary of the first man-made object reaching the moon, the Department of Defense’s executive agent for space urged America to strive for dominance in space.Undersecretary of the Air Force Peter B. Teets, who also serves as the director of the National Reconnaissance Office, used the

  • Americans, Czechs honor those lost in World War II battle

    While people worldwide paused to remember the events of Sept. 11, 2001, a few hundred residents and visitors here gathered to remember a different air disaster -- one that occurred the early afternoon of Sept. 11, 1944. That was when a particularly fierce and bloody World War II air battle took

  • Airman tells of medical response to Pentagon attack

    When terrorists attacked the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001, the ops tempo at nearby Andrews Air Force Base, Md., hit a feverish pitch, said an Airman who was there.At that time, Senior Airman Andrea Taylor, a 319th Aeromedical-Dental Squadron bioenvironmental engineering journeyman, was working with a

  • Air Force team helps with Genesis return mission

    NASA scientists onboard a specially modified aircraft from here collected data as the world watched the unmanned Genesis spacecraft return to Earth Sept. 8. During the reentry, however, its parachute failed to deploy and Genesis crashed into a Utah desert.Although damage to the spacecraft and the

  • Officials complete F-15 accident investigation

    Air Force officials completed their investigation of the F-15 Eagle crash that happened May 21 on the shoreline of St. George Island, Fla.The accident investigation board determined the accident was caused by a chain of events that led to the pilot’s unintentional ejection, which ultimately led to

  • Officials release F-16 accident report

    A pilot's loss of situational awareness caused two F-16 Fighting Falcons to collide May 17, according to a report Air Force officials released Aug. 30.The lead pilot, of the Indiana Air National Guard’s 113th Fighter Squadron in Terre Haute, was killed in the crash. The pilot of the second

  • Two civilians survive, one dies in Alaska crash

    Two men survived and one died in an aircraft crash near here. They were found by an Alaska Air National Guard search-and-rescue team. The civilians were attempting to travel from here to Kotzebue in a De Havilland DHC-3 Otter on Aug. 27. Another airplane, apparently traveling with them as a

  • Airmen save aircraft crash victim

    For Alaska Air National Guard’s pararescuemen, it was a “pretty vanilla” rescue, but to one man, it was his life.The 49-year-old pilot of a Kolb Fire Star II Ultra Light aircraft apparently hit a large boulder when attempting to take off from his refueling point in Lake Clark Pass on Aug. 26,

  • C-130 marks 50 years of service

    There is one hero that may not be the biggest or fastest, but for 50 years, has borne the U.S. standard as a welcome projection of both American will and American compassion throughout the world. In battle, this hero can pound the enemy from on high with munitions, electronic jamming or information

  • TMO packs it, tracks it in Afghanistan

    In a combat zone, being able to track the exact location of critical outbound equipment is extremely important.That is why Airmen at the traffic management office here are the first in the service to test the Air Force’s latest version of cargo tracking software.The Airmen are responsible for

  • MQ-1 Predator crashes near Balad

    An Air Force MQ-1 Predator Unmanned Aerial Vehicle crashed at 9:20 a.m. Aug. 17 north of the base. The aircraft was assigned to the 46th Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron here. A board of officers will investigate the accident.

  • Two commands join forces during terror exercises

    It was a nightmare worst-case scenario, but that is what U.S. Northern Command officials had intended for "Determined Promise '04."The exercise, which ran Aug. 5 to 10, was designed to test NORTHCOM's ability to respond to multiple, simultaneous homeland-defense and federal-relief efforts.This

  • Airman steps in when patrons have enough to drink

    Staff Sgt. Brian Miller, a bartender at the sports bar J.R. Rockers here, will not hesitate to take keys from patrons he thinks have had too much to drink.Sergeant Miller is assigned to the 2nd Airlift Squadron and has been bartending for six years.In Sergeant Miller’s bartending tenure, he said

  • New system leading way for safer military flights

    Thanks to a new software-based program being implemented here, terminal instrument procedures specialists will soon be able to support flying missions within U.S. Air Forces in Europe’s area of operations more efficiently and with increased safety.The new system, called the Global Procedure

  • Remains from Vietnam War identified

    An Airman missing in action from the Vietnam War has been identified and returned to his family for burial with full military honors.He is Chief Master Sgt. Luther L. Rose of Howe, Texas.On June 23, 1966, Chief Rose was serving as a gunner on an AC-47 Spooky gunship on a nighttime armed

  • Motorcycle safety can save Airmen

    For anyone on two wheels, the asphalt offers no pardon for its hunger, and guardrails, lamp posts and four-wheeled vehicles do not forgive an impact.Motorcycle accidents continue to rob the Air Force of its most precious resource – people.“I saw an Airman with little riding experience snap his back

  • ACC officials release F-15E accident report

    A bird strike caused an F-15E Strike Eagle's engine to fail, forcing the crew to eject during a training mission May 6 near Callaway, Va., according to Air Force investigators.The pilot and weapons system officer ejected safely and were not injured.The $42 million aircraft, assigned to the 335th

  • Officials release Beechcraft aircraft crash report

    An accident investigation board report released July 30 indicates “sudden cardiac death” caused an Air Force Beechcraft KA 1900 pilot to crash at the Nevada Test and Training Range on March 16, killing all five people aboard.The crash happened in an unpopulated area as the aircraft was taking

  • Major commands highlight support, sustainment issues

    Air Force acquisition and management officials met with Air Mobility Command leaders here July 27 to review programs, discuss sustainment issues and look for ways to better support air mobility warriors.Dr. Marvin R. Sambur, assistant secretary of the Air Force for acquisition; Gen. John W. Handy,

  • Air Force leaders support C-130J program

    Air Force officials are standing by the C-130J Hercules as the aircraft prepares to join the fight, despite a recent Department of Defense inspector general report criticizing the program.The Air Force fully endorses the C-130J, senior Air Force acquisitions officials said. The program is one of

  • Guardsmen rescue pilot, dog after plane crash

    Pararescuemen from the Alaska Air National Guard’s 210th Rescue Squadron rescued a pilot and his dog following a crash July 21 in a steep canyon near Knik Glacier, 40 miles north of Anchorage.The Piper Cub pilot, in his late 60s, encountered a sudden downdraft and crashed his plane in the valley

  • Officials complete T-6A accident investigation

    Air Force officials completed the investigation of a T-6A Texan II that crashed April 3 at the Savannah Hilton-Head International Airport in Georgia killing two Air Force pilots.The investigation determined the accident was caused by pilot error.The pilots, Capts. Judson Brinson and Thomas Moore,

  • Desert Hawk gives security forces an eye in sky

    Airmen at one forward-deployed location who routinely work, eat, run errands and sleep may not think to look up in the sky. But if they did, they would see something looking right back at them. Flying at about 300 feet above the ground is a small foam aircraft with a built-in video camera. It is

  • MedFlag 2004 kicks off

    About 250 U.S Airmen from bases in Europe and the United States joined their South African defense force partners here July 2 to begin Exercise MedFlag 2004.The annual two-week joint-combined medical training and civil assistance exercise in Africa includes units under U.S. European Command. It

  • Teamwork, determination avert crash landing

    A C-130 Hercules from the 710th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron, with 65 people on board, came within minutes of making a crash landing June 29.What started out to be a 90-minute flight turned into three and a half hours of nonstop effort to get the aircraft safely on the ground.Leaving Balad Air

  • Officials release A-10 accident report

    Air Force investigators determined spatial disorientation was the likely cause of an A-10 Thunderbolt II crash 3.5 miles north of Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, on Feb. 25.The pilot, Capt. Jonathan P. Scheer, was killed and the aircraft was destroyed.Based on evidence obtained during the accident

  • F-15 crashes in Nevada

    An Air Force F-15 Eagle crashed at about 11 a.m. June 18 on the nearby Nevada Test and Training Range during a training mission. The aircraft was assigned to the Weapons School here. The pilot successfully ejected, and he was taken to the hospital here for evaluation.An interim safety board of

  • Predator crashes in Nevada

    An MQ-1 Predator Unmanned Aerial Vehicle crashed June 14 at about 2:40 p.m. at nearby Indian Springs Air Force Auxiliary Field. The aircraft was returning from a local training mission on the nearby Nevada Test and Training Range. There were no injuries or property damage. A safety board of

  • People remember World War II nurses

    Many Americans commemorated the 60th anniversary of D-Day on June 6, watching and remembering those World War II veterans who stormed the beaches of Normandy. Often forgotten are the flight nurses who served behind the scenes ensuring the men who fought that day lived to talk about it.Flight nurses

  • World War II veteran receives Purple Heart

    Fifty-nine years after his plane crashed near Rheims, France, an Air Force staff sergeant received his Purple Heart during a ceremony May 28 at the World War II Memorial here.John Martinez was a staff sergeant serving with the 9th Air Force as an aerial gunner in an A-20 attack bomber April 11,

  • Firefighters, community preserve Air Force history

    People of the 49th Civil Engineer Squadron fire and emergency services department here recently finished restoring a 1958 O-6 Cardox fire crash truck. They presented it to the military firefighter’s heritage museum at Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas, during a dedication ceremony May 18.Mark

  • Tyndall aircraft crashes

    An F-15 Eagle crashed into the Gulf of Mexico at about noon May 21.The plane, assigned to the 325th Fighter Wing here, was on a training mission. Lt. Col. Patrick Marshall, 1st Fighter Squadron commander, piloted the aircraft and is reported in good condition.A board of officers will investigate the

  • Luke F-16 crashes

    A Singapore pilot assigned to the 56th Fighter Wing here was killed when his F-16 Fighting Falcon crashed May 19. Singapore air force Lieutenant Brandon Loo was on a night training mission in the Sells Military Operating Area south of the Barry M. Goldwater Range when the crash occurred.The

  • Officials return Vietnam War remains to family

    The remains of an Airman missing in action from the Vietnam War were returned to his family May 18 for burial. They have been identified as Col. Lester Holmes, from Plainfield, Iowa, who was missing since May 22, 1967.Senior Master Sgt. Roger Holmes, a first sergeant with the 36th Aerial Port

  • Now showing: May 10 edition of AFTV News

    Man’s thirst for flight highlights the latest edition of Air Force Television News. Stories from Staff Sgts. Melissa Allan and Leigh Bellinger illustrate two different ways flying has occupied and enriched two people’s lives.Sergeant Allen profiles Maj. Andrew Lurake. Despite having his leg

  • F-15E crew ‘walks away’ from crash

    Two 4th Fighter Wing aircrew members walked away uninjured from an F-15E Strike Eagle crash May 6 near Roanoke, Va.Base officials identified the pilot as Capt. Darren Wees and the weapon systems officer as Capt. Daniel Spier. Both Airmen ejected safely.The cause of the accident will be

  • European memorials honor those who fought for freedom

    An American bomber was shot out of the sky by German fighter aircraft 60 years ago, and on April 29, Airmen from U.S. Air Forces in Europe honored the fallen aircrew in a ceremony in Dinklage, Germany.The B-24 Liberator bomber, named “El Lobo,” was returning from a bombing mission to Berlin during

  • Air Force scientists battle aviator fatigue

    Air Force scientists here are using their research to help battle fatigue in aviators. “Fatigue from sustained operations can place pilots at severe risk from (decreased alertness) unless effective fatigue-management strategies are (used)” said Dr. John Caldwell, a scientist with the Air Force

  • ‘The Rocket’ lands at Offutt

    The all-time strikeout leader in American League history, Roger Clemens, visited here April 26 as part of a United Service Organizations tour.Mr. Clemens, known in baseball circles as “The Rocket,” also participated in a USO tour to Qatar, Kuwait, Afghanistan and the Arabian Sea about a

  • Idaho Air Guard helps test new stackable cargo pallets

    As part of an ongoing Air Expeditionary Force Battlelab initiative, a team tested a new bilevel aircraft loading system aboard an Idaho Air National Guard C-130 Hercules here April 22.People from the battlelab, a think tank for new and innovative ideas based at Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho,

  • 'M' for mobility: Air Force introduces new AFSC

    The Air Force will introduce new Air Force specialty codes for mobility pilots and navigators May 1.The new codes will replace the airlift "A" and tanker "T" with the new "M," said Col. John Clatanoff, chief of Air Mobility Command’s operations and training division. All airlift and tanker pilots

  • Base motorcycle clubs will promote rider safety

    The formation of motorcycle clubs on Air Force bases worldwide may increase mentoring, an important element for promoting safe riding, said the Air Force’s senior safety official.Air Force leaders are alarmed at the rate that the Air Force is losing its Airmen, not only in four-wheeled vehicle

  • Traffic-safety courses target vehicle fatalities

    Air Force safety officials are unveiling four new traffic-safety programs in the coming months to battle the steady increase of traffic fatalities in the last four years.“While no age, gender or rank group is immune to vehicle crashes, statistically speaking, our most at-risk population is young

  • Airmen respond to motorcycle accident

    A busload of Airmen from here were on their way to an observance honoring prisoners of war and servicemembers missing in action. They had no idea they would be the first people on the scene at a motorcycle crash April 9.The bus was en route to nearby North Little Rock but stopped along the highway

  • Rescue team integral to contingency operations

    Imagine riding along outside the safety of a base and suddenly a rocket-propelled grenade blows a hole in the ground next to a Humvee in your convoy. The blast causes the vehicle to crash and flip upside down. One of your drivers is stuck under the wreckage; you have no equipment to help get him

  • Moody pilots killed in crash

    Two pilots died when an Air Force T-6 Texan II crashed April 3 at the airport in Savannah, Ga. The aircraft was assigned to the 479th Flying Training Group here.The reservists were identified as Capt. Judson Brinson of Thomasville, Ga., and Capt. Lee Moore of Valdosta, Ga. At the time of the

  • A-10 pilot wows Smithsonian crowd

    The Iraqi republican guard may have had luck on their side that miserable Baghdad day, but they did not know who was flying the A-10 Thunderbolt II they had just hit with a rocket.It was April 7, 2003, and an elite unit of Iraqis had U.S. forces pinned down along the Tigris River, firing

  • Base recalls teamwork following ramp horror

    A visit to Building 900 brings back a visual that retired Senior Master Sgt. Eric Truesdale said he has spent the last decade trying to forget.It was there March 23, 1994, that 24 Fort Bragg, N.C., Soldiers were killed, more than 100 were injured and countless other troops’ lives were changed in

  • First C-130J arrives for active duty

    The first C-130J Hercules assigned to an active-duty unit arrived here March 19.“We are proud to call Little Rock Air Force Base and central Arkansas home -- home of the United States Air Force’s first active-duty C-130J,” said Col. Joseph Reheiser, 314th Airlift Wing commander. “We look forward to

  • Five killed in Nevada crash

    Five people were killed when the Air Force aircraft they were traveling in crashed in the Nevada desert about 125 miles northwest of Nellis Air Force Base on March 16.The Air Force civilian pilot of the Beechcraft KA 1900 and four civilian contractors died in the crash. The aircraft was on a

  • Officials release Predator accident report

    Operator error caused an RQ-1L Predator remotely piloted aircraft to crash Dec. 11 in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, according to Air Force officials.Based on an Accident Investigation Board report released March 17 by Air Combat Command, the pilot over-controlled the aircraft's

  • Officials release Pave Low accident report

    An accident investigation board determined that failure of the No. 2 engine because of compressor stall, failure of the auxiliary fuel tanks to jettison and the uneven terrain of the landing area caused an MH-53 Pave Low helicopter to crash Nov. 23. The board released its findings March 10.The

  • Officials release A-10 accident report

    Mechanical failure caused the pilot of an A-10 Thunderbolt II to crash in a military training range near Las Vegas on Nov. 18, according to a report Air Force officials released March 2.The pilot ejected safely in the Nevada Test and Training Range about 45 miles northwest of Nellis Air Force Base,

  • Airmen rescue civilian pilot in Alaska

    A pilot is out of the woods, literally, after being rescued by the Alaska Air National Guard’s 210th Rescue Squadron on March 1.Ted Greene, an Anchorage resident in his mid-70s, called in a mayday report after his plane crashed and was hung up in some trees in the Skwenta area, about 60 miles

  • Desert Storm veterans return after 13 years

    When Saddam Hussein ordered his forces to march south through Kuwait on Aug. 2, 1990, little did he know of the resolve of the young airmen who would rise to the occasion to repulse the attack.From November 1990 to May 1991, Senior Airmen Darrell Wiedenbeck, Elbert Bembry and Edward Timberman, and

  • NASA names MacDill landing site for space shuttle

    National Aeronautics and Space Administration officials have named this base an alternate landing site for space shuttle missions.Alternate sites are typically selected based on weather conditions or the power level of the shuttle during re-entry.Software updates to the shuttles’ landing programs

  • Pilot dies after A-10 crash

    An A-10 Thunderbolt II pilot died Feb. 25 after his aircraft crashed at about 8:30 p.m. The aircraft crashed shortly after takeoff near the Chena Flood Plain area, southeast of Fairbanks, Alaska. Capt. Jonathan Scheer is officially assigned to the 354th Operations Support Squadron and he is an

  • DUI puts ex-cop on other side of law

    Handcuffed and scared, a 23-year-old senior airman here rode in the back seat of a local Warner Robins Police Department squad car, playing over in his mind the night that abruptly changed his life.It was Veterans' Day 2003 when Airman X, as he will be called at his request, drank, drove and crashed

  • Firefighters keep flames at bay

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

  • Exercise tests shuttle rescue capabilities

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

  • Five servicemembers laid to rest

    Five veterans of the war on terror were laid to rest Jan. 21 in Arlington National Cemetery.The five military members -- four from the Air Force and one from the Army -- were aboard an MH-53M Pave Low helicopter when it crashed in Afghanistan Nov. 23 while supporting Operation Mountain Resolve, part

  • Simulator gives airmen realistic training

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

  • Thunderbirds accident report released

    Pilot error caused a U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds F-16 aircraft to crash shortly after takeoff at an airshow Sept. 14 at Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho. The pilot ejected just before the aircraft hit the ground.According to the accident investigation board report released Jan. 21, the pilot

  • Poor awareness causes F-16 crash

    Poor situational awareness was the likely cause of an F-16 Fighting Falcon crash in South Korea on Sept. 9, a U.S. Air Force investigation team determined.Capt. Kevin Dydyk, of the 35th Fighter Squadron at Kunsan Air Base, South Korea, sustained minor injuries when the aircraft he was flying crashed

  • Turbine blade causes F-16 crash

    Failure of a turbine blade caused an F-16C Fighting Falcon to crash in an unpopulated area near Rosepine, La., on Sept. 22, according to a report Air Force officials released Jan. 6.The pilot ejected in a sparsely wooded area about 12 nautical miles southwest of Fort Polk Army Airfield.The aircraft

  • First sergeant testifies to seatbelt safety

    When Master Sgt. Thomas Dunlap buckled his seatbelt after climbing into his truck recently, he was not thinking about personal-risk management. He was simply doing what came naturally after years of accident-free driving.But as the 436th Services Squadron first sergeant crawled out of his wrecked

  • Two missing airmen identified

    Two airmen missing in action from the Vietnam War have been identified and returned to their families for burial. They are Maj. Richard W. Cooper Jr., of Salisbury, Md.; and Chief Master Sgt. Charlie S. Poole, of Gibsland, La.On Dec. 19, 1972, Cooper and Poole were crewmembers aboard a B-52D

  • C-130J squadron created

    The Air Force reactivated the 48th Airlift Squadron here Dec. 5, to establish the first active-duty C-130J Hercules training squadron in the Air Force.The reactivation of the 48th AS, the third flying unit attached to the 314th Airlift Wing here, will train crews in the newest generation of C-130s.

  • Officials release F-16 accident report

    Air Force investigators have determined trapped external fuel because of an aircraft malfunction and the pilot’s failure to properly monitor his fuel status were the causes of an F-16 Fighting Falcon crash in Iraq on June 12.The aircraft was assigned to the 421st Expeditionary Fighter Squadron and

  • Crash victims honored

    A ceremony here Dec. 3 honored four airmen who were killed when their MH-53 Pave Low helicopter crashed in Afghanistan on Nov. 23.About 2,000 people attended the ceremony.An enormous American Flag displayed behind the stage set the tone for the patriotic ceremony that remembered the lives of the

  • Officials name airmen killed in crash

    Department of Defense officials identified four airmen killed in an MH-53M Pave Low helicopter crash in Afghanistan on Nov. 23. The airmen were supporting Operation Mountain Resolve as part of Operation Enduring Freedom, officials announced Nov. 26.The deceased are:-- Tech. Sgt. William J. Kerwood,

  • Pave Low crashes in Afghanistan

    An Air Force MH-53 Pave Low helicopter crashed Nov. 23 near here, a U.S. Central Command official said. The status of the servicemembers on board is being determined. At the time of the crash, they were supporting Operation Mountain Resolve.The cause of the crash is under investigation.

  • A-10 crashes at Nellis, pilot safe

    An A-10 Thunderbolt II assigned to the 57th Wing here crashed Nov. 18 on the Nevada Test and Training Range, about 20 miles northeast of Indian Springs.The pilot of the single-seat aircraft, Capt. John Dyer, ejected from the aircraft safely. He was treated and released from Mike O’Callaghan Federal

  • Rescue center helps save pilot

    A Coast Guard pilot is alive thanks to quick action from Pacific Rescue Coordination Center workers on Nov. 16, officials said. Lt. Cmdr. William Spears, who was en route to Oakland, Calif., from Honolulu, crashed his single-engine Canard Pusher aircraft into the ocean Nov. 14, following an

  • New bird radar tracks patterns

    A bird-radar system here is a step toward the future of being able to advise air-traffic controllers and pilots of bird activity in the base’s airspace. “The bird-radar program could go amazing places,” said Herman Griese, 3rd Civil Engineer Squadron wildlife biologist. The system will be able to

  • Turbine blade caused June F-16 crash

    Air Force officials determined a manufacturing defect of a turbine blade caused an F-16 Fighting Falcon to crash June 10 at Luke Air Force Base, Ariz.In the recently released accident-investigation report, the board determined the crash was caused by a manufacturing defect in Blade 1 of the 4th

  • Cadre makes Eagle Flag come alive

    Eagle Flag brings together expeditionary combat-support people, role players, observers and exercise controllers to create one of the most dynamic exercises in the Air Force, officials said. Eagle Flag, which ran for the first time Oct. 13 to 22, is the Air Force’s newest flag-level exercise. It is

  • Sheppard aircraft crashes, crew safe

    A T-38A Talon aircraft assigned to the 80th Flying Training Wing, crashed here on takeoff Oct. 14. Both crewmembers successfully ejected from the aircraft. They were sent to the base hospital for observation but were later released.Emergency workers from the base responded to the incident. An

  • ‘Bird balls’ preventing aircraft strikes

    The base here is the first Air Force installation to use "bird balls" as part of a new program to prevent airfield bird strikes.The new tool, part of the 92nd Air Refueling Wing bird-aircraft strike hazard program, uses small, environmentally safe, black balls to cover the surface of the water on

  • Airman tells of grandfather's Flying Tiger days

    What do you do when your grandfather was played by John Wayne in a movie, a general at age 31 and a bona fide American war hero? If you are Maj. Reagan Schaupp, you write a book about him.Schaupp, of the 50th Space Support Squadron here, has spent the last five years working with his 88-year-old

  • Final tests begin on C-130J systems

    An electronic warfare test team here began the final phase of testing Oct. 7 of an integrated defensive system installed on a C-130J Hercules. Testing should be complete by Thanksgiving, with publication of the final test report scheduled for February 2004.The C-130J, a medium-range tactical

  • Thunderbirds resume schedule

    The U.S. Air Force’s air demonstration team, the Thunderbirds, will resume its schedule beginning with the Fort Smith Regional Air Show in Arkansas on Oct. 11 and 12. The Thunderbirds halted official demonstrations following an aircraft accident at Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho, on Sept.

  • Officials release F-16 accident report

    Air Force officials have determined a bird strike caused the crash of an F-16 Fighting Falcon on June 13 at Luke Air Force Base, Ariz.The fighter jet's single engine lost thrust when it ingested a turkey vulture shortly after takeoff, according to the accident investigation report released Oct. 7 by

  • Vietnam War MIAs identified

    The remains of four servicemen missing in action from the Vietnam War have been identified and are being returned to their families for burial with full military honors, defense officials announced Sept. 29.Three are airmen, and one is a Coast Guardsman. They are Staff Sgt. Elmer L. Holden from