NATO Air Policing operations

U.S. Air Force News

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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,

  • 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

  • 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

  • Teets, Lord tell Senate the nation needs 'space cadre'

    The Air Force's top two space officials told lawmakers March 12 that development of a "space cadre" was one of their top agenda items for national security space programs in 2004.Undersecretary of the Air Force Peter B. Teets and Gen. Lance W. Lord, commander of Air Force Space Command, also told

  • Fitness workouts OK after smallpox shot

    Air Force fitness center patrons who receive the smallpox vaccination got a welcome shot in the arm concerning their fitness routines thanks to some common sense rules.Vaccinated gym-goers can go about their workouts by simply following the precautions prominently posted in the various fitness

  • Child-care test program provides peace of mind

    Airmen who use base child-care facilities no longer need to take a day off of work when their children are too sick to stay with others.A test program began recently at 25 Air Force installations designating a special-care provider for children who are mildly ill -- children who would, under Air

  • 'Flying Sergeants' helped forge Air Force legacy

    They were not paid much, their opportunities for promotion were limited, and they were treated harshly in training, but that did not stop three generations of enlisted aviators from becoming pilots in the Army Air Corps.Beginning in 1912, enlisted pilots played an important role in writing the

  • Leaner Northern Edge exercise under way at Eielson

    Approximately 1,600 airmen, soldiers, sailors, Marines and Coast Guardsmen are participating in a scaled-down version of Northern Edge, a joint-service training exercise here and at other Alaska military installations, as well as the port of Valdez. The exercise, which began March 3, ends March

  • Roche: Academy problems are a 'corporate responsibility'

    Citing policies that were "clearly not smart," the Air Force's senior official acknowledged March 6 the service has a corporate responsibility for the barrage of sexual assault charges filed at the U.S. Air Force Academy.Secretary of the Air Force Dr. James G. Roche told members of the Senate Armed

  • From biscuits to gravy

    Barry has retired from the 90th Space Wing Security Forces here after 11 years of battling crime. He was obedient, loyal, vigilant and protective.Barry was an ideal military working dog.The Air Force purchased Barry in 1991 for $3,500 from a Belgium breeder. He was one of only three Belgium

  • Pilot survives jet crash

    An Air Force T-38 Talon aircraft crashed into two houses in nearby Valparaiso on March 8. The pilot ejected safely, and no one was injured on the ground.The pilot was on a training mission from Holloman Air Force Base, N.M., when the accident occurred.An interim safety board has been established to

  • Ahhh...

    Staff Sgt. Waddell Reese (left) and Lt. Col. James C. Vechery practice drinking from a canteen while wearing chemical warfare gear March 8. This type of training helps keep the airmen prepared for the potential threats at this forward-deployed location. Both airmen are assigned to the 340th

  • Sheppard unit will train ALC maintainers

    The 982nd Training Group, the Air Force's advanced maintenance training unit, joined with Air Force Materiel Command to tackle a critical need in the world of aircraft systems maintenance.The 982nd TRG instructors will teach and certify 19 new civilian instructors who will join existing field

  • Joint STARS takes off for second deployment

    Two E-8C Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System aircraft and several dozen airmen here answered the call of duty March 5 as they headed to a forward-operating location to support operations in Southwest Asia.The aircraft and airmen are assigned to the 116th Air Control Wing here.According to

  • Black Knights saddle up for deployment

    Airman 1st Class Saraha Hughes, 21, has no idea where she will lay her head in a few days.She does not know if she packed enough, too much or too little, but that does not quell the excitement of her very first deployment.A jet engine mechanic with the 19th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron here, Hughes

  • Two Osan airmen receive federal convictions

    Two airmen here received federal convictions during two separate courts-martial recently.Senior Airman Lucinda F. Shaw from the 303rd Intelligence Squadron pleaded not guilty to all charges and specifications against her during a special court-martial. She was charged with disrespecting her section

  • Strike Eagle pilots destroy targets

    Capt. Jonathon Breingan, an F-15E Strike Eagle pilot with the 336th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, is proud that his airframe relies on two people sitting in its seats."We take the enemy head-on," he said. "We go out and destroy targets. It's what we do best, and we're the best in the Air Force

  • Proper protection can negate bioterror weapons

    The Air Force Medical Service's biggest challenge in saving lives and sustaining combat capability after a bioterror attack hinges on rapidly translating complex biological systems data into "operationally significant information," according to the Air Force surgeon general."It can take from days to

  • New hospital provides wealth of services to base

    The 386th Expeditionary Medical Group, also known as "Med Rock," is now open for business.Before the hospital opening, many patients were sent off-base for various aspects of their medical care."We can provide much of this basic care here on base, saving time in treatment and allowing our deployed

  • Leaders address sexual assault at academy

    The Air Force's senior leaders vowed March 3 to work closely with Congress to uncover the facts behind recent sexual assault cases and to address the broader climate at the U.S. Air Force Academy in a comprehensive manner."There is no place in our Air Force for anyone who would assault a woman,

  • Future leader wags his way into sector's hearts

    He wears a green cape, but he cannot leap tall buildings with a single bound nor can he drive a super-charged car. He does not live in familiar places like Metropolis or Gotham City.However, this four-legged, soon-to-be hero can be seen running around the hallways of the Western Air Defense Sector

  • March issue of Airman available

    Take a look at Air Force technological changes through the years, learn about economical space launches, and read about how Office or Special Investigations forensic sciences consultants help track down the bad guys. These features and more highlight the March issue of Airman magazine, now

  • SGLI cost reduced; coverage remains same

    The amount airmen pay for Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance and Family Member SGLI will be automatically reduced starting July 1.Decreased mortality rates allow for the reductions of 1.5 cents per $1,000 of coverage for military people and as much as a 42 percent decrease for spouse coverage.

  • Now showing: March 3 edition of Air Force Television News

    Training for two different types of wars is highlighted in the latest edition of Air Force Television News.Staff Sgt. Leigh Bellinger goes along with a B-1 Lancer crew practicing bomb runs over west Texas using new computer technology that makes them more efficient.Meanwhile, Tech. Sgt. Pachari

  • Air Force opens 14th NCO academy

    With a growing population of technical sergeants in need of professional military education, the Air Force opened a 14th noncommissioned officer academy at Gunter Annex here.The first class at Gunter NCO Academy is 189 students strong and consists of 14 flights. Class 03-3 began its course of 28

  • Roche: 'We must not commission any criminal'

    The Air Force is committed to rid the Air Force Academy of anyone who would sexually assault another, the service's secretary told members of the House Armed Services Committee on Feb. 27."We have a very simple proposition," Air Force Secretary Dr. James G. Roche told committee chairman Rep. Duncan

  • Air Force helps Army with airdrops

    Two aircrews from the 772nd Expeditionary Airlift Squadron and two from the 774th EAS conducted a heavy equipment combat airdrop in south central Afghanistan Feb. 17, and a container delivery system airdrop Feb. 23.The crews, both assigned to the 320th Air Expeditionary Wing at a forward-deployed

  • Flight keeps base fueled up

    Keeping tent fuel drums filled and aircraft gassed up is vital at Ganci Air Base, Kyrgyzstan. Without fuel, the mission stops and living spaces inside tents feel like a freezer.That is why airmen from the 376th Logistics Readiness Squadron's petroleum, oil and lubricants flight tirelessly work to

  • Engineer follows path to education, success

    More than 25 years ago he set off on the path of opportunity he imagined lay before him in the Air Force's scientific and engineering communities. Today, with doctorate, master's and bachelor's degrees hanging on his wall, five patents to his credit and four more patents pending, Dr. Nelson Forster

  • Air Force reaches 75 percent deployment-capable rate

    In just more than a year, the number of "deployable" airmen has increased to nearly 75 percent of all Air Force members.That increase reflects a growth of nearly 100,000 in just the past year.The increase in deployment rolls is not because more people joined the service. According to Maj. Gen.

  • Protocol, aide de camp special duties move

    By May, the special-duty positions of protocol officer and aide de camp will become regular duty as part of the Air Force services career field.Those officers holding these positions will gain a new Air Force specialty code -- 34M -- services April 30. The change is part of an Air Force move to

  • Air Force rethinks air operations centers

    The Air Force needs to start thinking of its air operations centers as weapon systems if the service wants to remain the best in the world, the deputy chief of staff for air and space operations said."The AOC is fundamental to what makes us great as an Air Force," Lt. Gen. Ronald E. Keys said. "If

  • Westover bridges airlift effort to Southwest Asia

    Westover's Air Force Reserve Command assets again stand at the critical junction of an air bridge across the Atlantic.The base has become a hive of troops in desert camouflage, C-5 Galaxys filled with equipment and "controlled chaos" in the aerial port and passenger terminal operations hub.A long

  • Deployed chaplains minister to warfighters

    It was the summer of '69, the height of the Vietnam War. Young men were bleeding and dying daily all around war-torn Southeast Asia.But on one particular day, things were different for the Americans at a base near the village of Buon Me Thuot, in the central highlands.For a few hours that day,

  • Exercise under way in Thailand

    More than 400 U.S. airmen and Marines and 600 servicemembers from Thailand and Singapore are flying air-to-air and air-to-ground missions as part of the annual multi-lateral exercise Cope Tiger 2003.The two-week exercise flown from here gives servicemembers from eight different U.S. bases and the

  • Zero tolerance for sexual assault

    The Air Force Academy superintendent restated Feb. 21 that there is "zero tolerance" for sexual assault at the academy and in the Air Force at large."Any and all perpetrators will be brought to justice and disciplined appropriately," said Lt. Gen. John Dallager. "Such reprehensible action is

  • Medics take patient care sky high

    Tucked away at this forward-located base is a tiny but tight knit medical team few troops ever notice. But should any one of them fall critically ill or injured, these airmen quickly will become their best friends. They will closely tend to their patient's urgent medical needs while flying

  • Army National Guard begins air base security mission

    Look closely as you drive through base entry gates and you may notice a different style rank insignia on the security guard -- that of the Army National Guard.The organization is deploying up to 10,000 soldiers to help secure Air Force installations worldwide. This is in response to a Defense

  • Group investigates Air Force sexual assault policies

    Several members of a working group created by the secretary of the Air Force to review the service's sexual assault policies began gathering information here Feb. 19.Dr. James G. Roche recently directed the Air Force's general counsel to lead the group looking at how the service deals with sexual

  • Strategy school changes name, expands

    To reflect the growing importance of space capabilities to the warfighter and the need for air and space strategists, Air University's School of Advanced Airpower Studies is changing its name and expanding.For the newly named School of Advanced Air and Space Studies here, the student body will

  • NCOs given advanced degree opportunities

    The Air Force Institute of Technology is once again offering eight noncommissioned officers the opportunity to pursue an advanced science, engineering or management degree in-residence at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.The goal of the Enlisted-to-AFIT Program is to provide commanders with a

  • ACC releases F-16 accident report

    Air Force investigators have determined engine failure caused an F-16C Fighting Falcon aircraft to crash Sept. 11 during a basic surface attack training sortie.The F-16C was destroyed upon impact 1,300 feet short of the runway at the Bobby L. Chain Municipal Airport in Hattiesburg, Miss. The pilot

  • Now showing: Feb. 17 edition of Air Force Television News

    The loss of two Air Force officers in the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster highlights the latest edition of Air Force Television News.Tech. Sgt. David Pullen profiles Col. Rick Husband, the mission commander, and Lt. Col. Michael Anderson, the payload commander, who were members of the seven-person

  • Air bases in Germany getting change of guard

    German troops will start providing some security at three Air Force bases in Germany this month to help ease the workload on security forces there.An historic memorandum of understanding signed Feb. 13 by U.S. and German military officials cleared the way for the unprecedented assistance, said Maj.

  • Enlisted aviator careers open

    Opportunities for enlisted aviators have never been better. With possible nine enlisted aviator careers, the dream of flying can quickly become a reality for Air Force people.According to Master Sgt. Jack Baker, from Air Mobility Command's aircrew training office, an urgent need for enlisted fliers

  • Skeet team to hold training camp

    The Air Force international skeet team will hold a training camp and team selection match April 7 to 12 at Robins Air Force Base, Ga.After four days of training, participants will compete in a two-day match to decide who makes the team, which is part of the Air Force's shooting program.Participants

  • AFIT stands up systems engineering center

    Air Force Institute of Technology officials have established a center for systems engineering.The center will help focus efforts to revitalize systems engineering within the Air Force."Many of our current system-acquisition programs are suffering from a lack of attention to or inconsistent

  • Academy seeks bios, photos of grads

    The dean of faculty here is seeking biographies and high quality on-the-job and in-training photos of Academy graduates who are in the Air Force work force or attending flight training or other technical schools.The items will be used in a display along the entire length of the second floor in

  • AF, Navy weather shops join forces

    The 40th Expeditionary Operational Support Squadron combat weather team completed its merger with the Naval Central Meteorology and Oceanography Detachment recently.At the beginning of the Air and Space Expeditionary Force 7/8 rotation, officers in charge of the Air Force and Navy weather shops

  • Total force strikes the Pacific

    True Air Force airpower was demonstrated at sunset recently over the Hawaiian Islands when two KC-135 Stratotankers from the Hawaii Air National Guard here refueled two Air Combat Command B-1B Lancers.The tankers from the 203rd Air Refueling Squadron met and refueled the bombers over the Pacific

  • NCO owns vintage aircraft, drops bombs

    For six months out of the year, Tech. Sgt. David Brown drops bombs on Bealeton, Va.Using his newly-acquired 1941 PT-17 aircraft, he can narrow in on a moving target, usually a person running around below, and release his ammunition -- bags filled with baking flour nicknamed "flour bombs."The comedy

  • Propulsion team doubles capacitor capabilities

    The viability of powerful directed-energy weapons on future Air Force aircraft just got a shot in the arm with a greater than two-fold improvement to key electrical components that are needed to make the lasers work.Air Force Research Laboratory propulsion directorate researchers involved in the

  • Priest tackles life at Tinker

    He is new at cooking, new at cleaning and relatively new at English, but the new chaplain here still counts his blessings.In his Midwest City apartment, the Chaplain (Capt.) Gildardo Garcia could not be happier."Here, I live like a king," he said.Hundreds of miles from his family in Colombia, Garcia

  • Two Scott heroes rescue strangers in need

    A house fire and an apparent heart attack while driving could have been fatal had it not been for the heroic acts of two Scott airmen.Tech. Sgt. Tim Schodorf of the 375 Maintenance Squadron and 1st Lt. J'Wana Fletcher of the 375th Medical Group helped rescue strangers recently.In the first rescue,

  • Two Robins units receive deployment orders

    The 5th Combat Communications Group and 116th Air Control Wing here received orders to deploy to the U.S. Central Command theater of operations.The orders are a part of a larger action by the United States to reposition some of its military forces to support the global war on terrorism and to

  • Office responds to Columbia disaster

    Within seconds of NASA's announcement that it had lost contact with Space Shuttle Columbia on Feb. 1, the Department of Defense's manned space flight support office here initiated its catastrophic incident checklists.The DDMS mission is to coordinate NASA requests for Defense Department-unique

  • February issue of Airman available

    Take a look at Air Force risk takers through the years, learn the inside scoop on preparing for a deployment, and read about how combat controllers are prepared for war through advanced skills training. These features and more highlight the February issue of Airman magazine, now available in print

  • Airmen test medical decontamination shelter

    A 19-person team comprised of several Air Force specialties from the 51st Medical Group here are doing their part to improve chemical and biological defense capability within the Air Force and Department of Defense.The team operated a small shelter patient decontamination system, also known as a

  • Captain nearly loses identity

    The mysterious $644 debit could easily have gone unnoticed last November. The identity thieves preferred it that way. But, Capt. Greg Wood, 90th Space Wing executive officer, noticed the out-of-place debit and quickly investigated its appearance."I asked my wife if she got me something extra

  • Four defenders work like dogs

    Working like a dog. This simile relates to someone who works tirelessly throughout a busy day. For four exclusive members at the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing, "working like a dog" is more than a simile. It is their daily life.Arkie, Tasja, Athos and Dutchy are part of the military working dog

  • U.S. forces return to Philippines

    Nearly 400 U.S. soldiers and airmen of Special Operations Command-Pacific have assembled here for a monthlong joint combined exchange training program. Called "Balance Piston 03-05," the exercise is geared toward improving the interoperability of the two nations' armed forces and enhancing tactical

  • Sergeant gets six years confinement

    An Air Force staff sergeant will spend six years in confinement, be demoted to airman basic and be dishonorably discharged for stealing four laptop computers and two personal data assistant devices from U.S. Central Command last year.A military judge sentenced Staff Sgt. Sheridan Ferrell II on Jan.

  • The iceman 'teach-eth'

    Capt. Damian Schlussel instructs Senior Airman Chris Hucks on ice axe self-arrest techniques at the peak here Jan. 26. Schlussel is the officer in charge of the security forces training flight for the 31st Security Forces Squadron at Aviano Air Base, Italy. Hucks is a communications project

  • February's Citizen Airman magazine now available

    At Moody Air Force Base, Ga., airmen of the 39th Flying Training Squadron are using their civilian corporate knowledge to help teach fighter fundamentals to new Air Force pilots. Read about the direct impact these reservists have on the future of the Air Force as well as the nation's security in

  • Wilford Hall doctors place third in nation

    The internal medicine residents at Wilford Hall Medical Center here know their stuff.The National Board of Medical Examiners recently notified officials at the Air Force's medical flagship that their residents placed third out of 398 programs nationwide on their Medical Resident in Training

  • Convicted airman considers himself lucky

    With tears in his eyes, he spoke of his two sons -- how he is missing them grow up, and how they are growing up so fast. His voice quivered as he mentioned his youngest son's visit, and how his boy did not even recognize him. He will miss his youngest son's first birthday this month.Airman Basic