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U.S. Air Force News

  • Deployed Airmen give tours to Iraqi historical landmark

    Most 407th Expeditionary Services Squadron Airmen here are used to interacting with customers over a counter. However, two services Airmen here are expanding the customer service concept by leaving the confines of the base three times a week. The Airmen act as both tour guide and body guard,

  • 'Families First' to transform personal moves

    The process of servicemembers moving their household goods -- virtually unchanged for many years -- is about to transform.The Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command here is developing a new process called “Families First,” scheduled to launch Feb. 1, 2006."We are extremely proud to

  • Guard chief vows to minimize personal impact of BRAC

    The National Guard Bureau chief has vowed to work closely with Air Force leaders to ensure that proposed base closures and realignments do not adversely affect the Air National Guard or its guardsmen.Army Lt. Gen. H Steven Blum said the Defense Department's recommendations, announced in May, could

  • Red Horse Airmen keep Afghan supply lanes open

    The sight of a C-17 Globemaster III coming in for a landing here can be awe-inspiring. The 174-foot-long transport drops from the sky in an instant. Its thrust-reversing engines create a thunderous sound that lets all around know it has landed.More importantly, with a payload of up to 170,900

  • Brothers reunite in Iraq, share security patrol mission

    When many Americans think about the Army, they envision gunslinging Soldiers securing a tactical area.When they think about the Air Force, many visualize pilots or mechanics preparing to launch an aircraft.Two brothers deployed to Iraq, however, dispel those stereotypes.Staff Sgt. Brian Czerniak, a

  • New test to better assess language proficiency within DOD

    A new language test scheduled to roll out in October will better measure language fluency in real-world situations, the Defense Department's senior language official said July 13.The new test is the fifth generation of the Defense Language Proficiency Test, a battery of tests used to assess native

  • Recruiters test new hometown shipping program

    Air Force Recruiting Service officials here recently began a test program to ship recruits to basic military training at Lackland Air Force Base from their hometowns. The program, called hometown shipping, aims to eliminate the need for applicants to visit a military entrance processing station a

  • AMC uses alternate dispute resolution to solve conflicts

    Air Mobility Command officials here have taken significant steps to promote greater use of a program that has proven to be effective at resolving conflict, especially workplace disputes.The program, known as alternate dispute resolution, significantly reduces the dollars and hours expended annually

  • Stop movement ends for Hurlburt, 366th TRS detachment

    Officials at Hurlburt Field, Fla., and the 366th Training Squadron’s Detachment 6 in Gulfport, Miss., have reinstated all permanent change of station and temporary duty travel to their respective locations.For more information, Airmen and Department of Defense civilians and their family members can

  • Misawa receives Installation Excellence Award

    Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld has announced the winners of the 2005 Commander-in-Chief’s Annual Award for Installation Excellence. Misawa Air Base, Japan, was selected as the Air Force winner.“This award validates the hard work, commitment and pride of Airmen, Sailors, Soldiers, Marines

  • Group helps educators reach out to ‘suddenly military' children

    Because of the high number of National Guardsmen and reservists fighting the war on terrorism, the Military Child Education Coalition has created a program to teach educators and others how to help "suddenly military" children of deployed citizen Soldiers.The coalition established a workshop called

  • Military astronauts prepare for Discovery mission

    The Defense Department will be well-represented when Space Shuttle Discovery launches into space July 13, with three of the seven crewmembers from the military, including the commander, retired Col. Eileen Collins.As the clock ticks toward the scheduled 3:51 p.m. EDT liftoff, crews are making final

  • Officials complete investigation into cadet’s death

    Air Force officials have completed their investigation into the death of Cadet 4th Class Edward Schmeltz earlier this year.Cadet Schmeltz collapsed Jan. 31, following a 600-yard run as part of a physical fitness test, and could not be resuscitated. He received immediate medical treatment on the

  • Force Shaping Phase II evolves for fiscal 2006

    The Air Force achieved its congressionally mandated active-duty end strength of 359,700 Airmen for fiscal 2005. The Air Force had exceeded that ceiling until now.Force Shaping Phase II initiatives successfully reduced the overall size of the force; however, the Air Force still has more officers

  • Arnold AFB linked to space shuttle return-to-flight program

    The Arnold Engineering Development Center here played an important role in supporting NASA’s space shuttle return-to-flight program that will culminate with the July 13 scheduled launch of Space Shuttle Discovery.Following the February 2003 breakup of Space Shuttle Columbia during re-entry into the

  • FTF initiatives make progress

    The Air Force director of plans and programs provided an update of the six Future Total Force initiatives being tested in the United States during a roundtable discussion July 7.Part of the FTF plan is to increase the number of bases where active-duty Airmen are assigned to Guard and Reserve units

  • Flexibility, working together key to Air Force FTF

    Leaders from the active-duty Air Force, Air Reserve Command and National Guard Bureau spoke recently about the direction of the Air Force’s Future Total Force. The future of the Air Force will be determined not only by the Future Total Force plan, but also the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure

  • Altus aircrew showcases dual-row airdrop

    An aircrew from the 58th Airlift Squadron here has made the first dual-row airdrop from a C-17 Globemaster III July 5."Dual row airdrops allow for twice as much cargo and heavy equipment to be delivered into a combat environment as compared to the conventional single row drop," said Lt. Col. Tal

  • 50th anniversary marks future cadets taking oath at academy

    Fifty years ago, 306 civilians took the oath July 11 at Lowry Air Force Base in Denver to become the first Air Force Academy cadets.Lt. Gen. Hubert R. Harmon was recalled from retirement to become the academy’s first superintendent. General Harmon, along with Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Nathan F.

  • Program helps students cope with transitions

    It is a daunting and scary experience when school-age children wake up one morning realizing that they are in a strange new place, and, except for their family, they do not know anyone at all.They have no friends or peers to talk with and know nothing about the school they are about to enter, the

  • Military taking precautions as Hurricane Dennis approaches

    Hurricane Dennis is bearing down on the United States, and servicemembers -- like others in the path of this Category 4 storm -- are taking precautions. The storm, which is moving toward the Florida Keys, has sustained winds of more than 140 miles per hour and could strengthen, said officials at the

  • Airman fights his way back to Iraq after serious injury

    Although a rocket attack cut his time short on his first deployment, an Airman with the 64th Helicopter Maintenance Unit here pledged to himself that he would endure whatever pain was necessary to get back in the fight.Following a year-and-a-half recovery from serious injuries to his hand which

  • ACC flying hours restored

    Air Combat Command officials restored an estimated $201 million to its flying hour program July 1 after receiving additional funds from Air Force headquarters.Air Force officials approved the restoration which will help alleviate the loss of readiness resulting from the $272 million, 31,349-hour cut

  • Airmen teach C-130 ops to Iraqis, learn about sacrifice

    When a crew of instructors deployed here to teach Iraqi airmen the finer points of flying and maintaining C-130 Hercules, they knew they had a monumental task in front of them. But what they found was something unexpected. Slowly over several months, Iraqi and U.S. Airmen have developed lifelong

  • New housing allowance guidelines won't result in pay cut

    Defense officials are eliminating the "geographic rate protection" clause that ensures servicemembers moving to a new area receive the same housing allowance as those already living there.Geographic rate protection is expiring in January because basic allowance for housing rates have reached a level

  • CDPs provide civilian employees a voice in their career

    As part of civilian force development efforts, development teams are now using career development plans to provide employees at the GS-13 to -15 levels with development recommendations on their careers.The plans are forms that allow civilians to list their short- and long-term development goals.

  • Survey seeks input in shaping civilian personnel system

    Civil service employees who soon will come under the new National Security Personnel System have an opportunity to help shape the program.The new National Security Personnel System Factor Survey gives general schedule employees the chance to register their views about several performance factors

  • Air Force changes fitness test criteria

    Air Force officials are making a few changes to the physical fitness test used to assess the fitness of Airmen.In January 2004, the Air Force underwent a major change in the way it looked at fitness. As part of the Fit to Fight program, the service adopted a more stringent physical fitness

  • Quadrennial Defense Review process revs up

    The Quadrennial Defense Review looks to make sure the Defense Department is "arranged in the way that makes the most sense for the current situation," a senior Pentagon spokesman said July 5.The QDR is a congressionally mandated study used to analyze the full range of DOD activities. DOD officials

  • Becoming Thunderbird is dream come true for Nevada native

    She was only 5 years old when she saw an F-4 Phantom fighter jet soar and maneuver through the clouds during an air show. It was then she knew she would someday do the same.Now, 26 years later, Capt. Nicole Malachowski is getting her chance to do just that and enter the history book at the same

  • F-16 maintainers make sure curtain gets raised

    Like a Broadway show, the stars get all the attention. But behind the scenes, key roles must be performed for the show to go on.The theater that the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing performs under features fast, agile fighter planes providing air support for troops on the ground. But without the hard

  • Moseley lauds education group's focus on military children

    The general nominated to be the next Air Force chief of staff praised the work of the military child education coalition here June 29 during the group's annual conference.Gen. T. Michael Moseley, currently the Air Force vice chief of staff, said the coalition not only is in the forefront of leveling

  • Medical Airmen save infant's life

    Medics here recently saved the life of a local 3-month-old infant suffering from severe infection.The child’s father brought him to a forward-operating base where officials arranged for the baby to be brought here for care.Though the 506th Expeditionary Medical Squadron’s Airmen do not routinely

  • Initial success or total failure; no in between for EOD

    One job for civil engineers does not allow for mistakes. It is either initial success or total failure.Explosive ordnance disposal units are made up of people of doubtful reliability and questionable mentality, according to a mission briefing put together by Tech. Sgt. Thomas Cowern, 40th

  • Air Force recognizes historical name of Iraqi air base

    What’s in a name? In the case of Ali Base, years of history. Ali Base, situated near the city of An Nasiriyah, in south central Iraq, is the main airfield in southern Iraq from which Iraqi, coalition and U.S. Airmen operate. Until January, coalition forces called the base Tallil. Now, all use the

  • C-130J conducts first-ever combat airdrop

    Air Force history was made June 30 when the newest addition to the cargo fleet proved its capabilities during the first-ever C-130J Hercules combat airdrop. The new J-model aircraft has been put to the test on various missions both at home and abroad on numerous occasions to ensure it meets all

  • Airman finds freedom in United States

    Most 12-year-olds are trading baseball cards and feeling hesitant about entering middle school. By the time young Duc Tien Luu was 12, he had been a Vietnamese refugee, attempted to smuggle himself into Thailand more than 10 times, was tortured in prison and sent back to his home country on strict

  • NASA gives go for space shuttle return to flight

    NASA officials cleared the space shuttle to return to flight. After a two-day flight readiness review meeting here, June 30th senior managers approved a July 13 launch date for the Space Shuttle Discovery.Retired Col. Eileen Collins, mission commander, and her crew are scheduled to lift off at 3:51

  • Air Force takes part in joint training transformation

    Linking aircraft simulators with live forces and simulators of other services have been the Air Force’s most visible contributions to the Department of Defense's joint training transformation effort. DOD has been working to make training for war a team effort, pushing the four services -- who often

  • Liberty, freedom: An Airman’s journey

    Imagine living in a society where the length of a man’s hair or a woman’s skirt is determined by the government; where liberty and freedom are nonexistent to the majority. Sound far-fetched? Not for one Airman here; it is how he grew up.Chaplain (Capt.) Jin Choi, 5th Bomb Wing chaplain, was born

  • Airmen share culture with South Koreans

    Airmen here got to see what it is like on the “other side of the fence” recently when they spent the night learning and sharing experiences with more than 20 South Korean families from nearby Jeonju City.Airmen from several base squadrons volunteered for the Korean Red Cross Cultural Awareness

  • Reservists, guardsmen bring skills to special missions

    Maj. Eduardo Alzona speaks eight languages -- nine, if you count "legalese."As an undergraduate, Major Alzona studied languages and later attended law school. So when Defense Department officials asked the reservist to teach Spanish to police officers in South Florida, it seemed like a natural

  • Airmen get ACCES to better communication

    The most important word in a maintenance operation is “stop!” To help spread the work, the attenuating customized communications earpiece system was developed by Air Force Research Laboratory scientists and local F/A-22 Raptor specialists. The earpiece makes it easier for pilots and maintainers to

  • Civilian ensures Fourth of July celebration goes off with bang

    For Bob Howett, the Fourth of July is his time to shine, and he has the scar to prove it. During his final Air Force assignment here 25 years ago, the former jet mechanic discovered his love of fireworks. It is that love of explosives that has kept him pleasing crowds worldwide.Mr. Howett started

  • Dominguez talks about present course in Iraq, future for Airmen

    During the acting secretary of the Air Force’s visit here June 29, he said part of the reason he came was to pass on a message. “I want to let you know how deeply appreciated your service is by the men and women of the United States,” Michael L. Dominguez said. “There is a debate in our country

  • Airman missing from Vietnam War identified

    The Department of Defense POW/MIA Personnel Office announced June 29 that the remains of an Airman, missing in action from the Vietnam War, have been identified and are being returned to his family for burial.Lt. Col. Darel Leetun of Hettinger, N.D., will be buried with full military honors July 8

  • B-1 commemorates its 20th at Dyess

    It has more than 20 years of service, has more than 100 world records for speed, payload, range and time to climb and has become the bomber of choice for warfighters in all theaters -- but the B-1B Lancer is just getting started. The multimission bomber commemorates its 20th anniversary since its

  • Last TSP 'open season' ends June 30

    The restrictions of having only two open seasons each year for civilian and military members to sign up for, stop, resume or change their Thrift Savings Plan contributions has ended.Public Law 108-469 goes into effect July 1, eliminating restrictions on contribution elections that have always been

  • Airman tests new body armor

    Carried into the Air Force theater hospital, wounded badly in the shoulder and thigh, a servicemember is lucky to be alive. The body armor he was wearing protected his vital organs but could not stop the bullets from tearing into his unprotected body parts.It was not all just luck though. The

  • AMC competition wraps up: 6th AMW takes Rodeo crown

    The 6th Air Mobility Wing at MacDill Air Force Base, Fla., was named Best Air Mobility Wing on June 24 following Rodeo 2005 at McChord AFB, Wash.Rodeo 2005, Air Mobility Command’s international competition that focuses on improving the skills of air mobility professionals, ended June 24. The

  • New Air Force adviser chosen for values, vision

    Air Force officials have created a new adviser position to help ensure the Air Force's core values are integrated into all aspects of the service's operating concepts, policies and vision.Rabbi Arnold E. Resnicoff, former national director of the Interreligious Affairs for the American Jewish

  • Airmen, Soldiers open lines of communication

    Since the beginning of Operation Iraqi Freedom, the area surrounding Baghdad International Airport has developed into a series of bases, each with its own unique role in fighting the war on terrorism.Now, a small group of Airmen and Soldiers are working together to link each of those bases together

  • West Nile Virus remains threat in U.S.

    Most people remember Sept. 11, 2001, as the day terrorists attacked America. But for one family here, it marks the day their 2-year-old son died from West Nile Virus.Summer is here in full force, and people are thinking about the 101 Critical Days of Summer -- vehicle accidents, sports injuries,

  • Potential recruits list critical to 'all-recruited' force

    The term "all-volunteer force" is a misnomer, a senior Defense Department personnel official said here June 23.In truth, the U.S. military is an "all-recruited force," and its success depends on recruiters having access to potential recruits, said Dr. David S. C. Chu, undersecretary for personnel

  • Exercise trains U.S. forces for combat missions

    Airmen, Sailors and Marines got a taste of realistic combat during Pacific Air Force’s premier combat-air power exercise, Cooperative Cope Thunder, which ended here June 24.About 400 U.S. forces and their 30 aircraft conducted operations together during two weeks of large-force employment training.

  • Leaders say timetable for troops’ return would be mistake

    Setting a timetable for U.S. troop withdrawal in Iraq would be a mistake, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld told the Senate Armed Services Committee here June 23."Some in Congress have suggested that deadlines be set," Secretary Rumsfeld said. "That would be a mistake; it would throw a lifeline

  • Reserve Tricare enrollment requires contact center support

    The Air Force Reserve Contact Center here is the sole point of contact for Air Force reservists to enroll in Tricare Reserve Select, officials announced June 17.This is the first time Air Reserve Personnel Center officials have provided a service to all reservists under a centralized personnel

  • Air Force teams compete in pit-stop challenge

    Millions of NASCAR fans each year watch as professional pit-stop crews speedily change out tires and refill gas, but eight Air Force teams got to experience this rush for themselves. The Air Force’s car, No. 21, visited here June 23 to conduct a pit-stop demonstration and competition. The Air Force

  • Air Force transformation in Europe aiding terror war

    The transformation taking place throughout the Defense Department started early for U.S. Air Forces in Europe, which began reshaping and repositioning its assets 15 years ago and is now better prepared to support the war on terrorism, the command's top officer said June 23.Gen. Robert H. "Doc"

  • Airmen add armor to convoy vehicles

    Airmen here are adding life-saving armor to large trucks to protect troops on convoy missions throughout Iraq. While these monsters of the road may look menacing now, it was not always this way, officials said. In many cases, their complete transformation can be traced back to the Airmen of the

  • Airdrop, refueling events take flight at Rodeo 2005

    The airdrop and air refueling event at Rodeo 2005 included 33 international and U.S. aircraft on a mission to become the best of the best.“These crewmembers were sent by their wings and their nations to represent them, having gone through intense training to hone their skills to be the best

  • C-17s cross globe to assist international exercise

    Six C-17 Globemaster IIIs flew from Alaska to Australia June 18 to 21 to help launch the Talisman Saber 2005 international exercise. The exercise involved more than 6,000 Australian and 10,000 U.S. servicemembers from the Air Force, Army, Marines and Navy.The C-17s were from here and Charleston AFB,

  • New system improves KC-135 performance, saves money

    After years of development, the wheel and brake system improvement program for the KC-135 Stratotanker is ready for implementation by workers at the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center here.The steel brakes currently used on the KC-135 are being replaced with carbon brakes which allow the aircraft to

  • Life support takes new meaning for deployed Airmen

    Two small shops with more than double the workload as at home station pray their efforts supporting Operation Enduring Freedom are all for naught.That is because lives depend upon flawless work on the life support equipment in their care. If the equipment is never used, life support Airmen say that

  • Competitors battle ants and obstacles on Rodeo course

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

  • Missing pilot from Vietnam War identified

    The remains of an Air Force pilot missing in action from the Vietnam War have been identified and returned to his family in Savannah Ga., according to the Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office. A burial service is scheduled for July 3.Capt. David Phillips Jr. of Miami Beach, Fla., was

  • Report: Academy grapples with religion in the public forum

    A team looking at the religious climate of the Air Force Academy found an institution grappling with a challenge that is the subject of significant debate in the public arena.Part of the problem appears to be a lack of operational guidance as to what is and is not acceptable in the area of religious

  • Lowry redevelopment assists Denver's renaissance

    When Lowry Air Force Base, Colo., was selected to be shuttered as part of the 1991 Base Realignment and Closure Act, many recession-battered Denver residents thought the end had come to the "Mile High" city.Lowry, a military training installation with a 50-year history, was providing 7,000

  • Communications Airmen complete Rodeo ‘puzzle’

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

  • Maintainers keep 'Thunder' rolling

    With more than 47 aircraft from the United States, Japan and the United Kingdom converging on the flightline here for Cooperative Cope Thunder, the "Thunder Dome" is serving as the nerve center of maintenance activities vital to deployed units.The Thunder Dome is nothing like the gladiator-style

  • Rodeo umpires offer critical eye

    There is a room in a hangar here where only a select few are admitted, but every competitor at Rodeo 2005 wants access. It is the room where scores are recorded and winners are identified for every event this year.Providing the raw data for the score keepers in that room will be 250 umpires -- men

  • Architect of Air Force space and missile programs dies

    Retired Gen. Bernard Adolph Schriever, widely regarded as the father and architect of the Air Force space and ballistic missile programs, died of natural causes at home in Washington on June 20.Under General Schriever’s leadership, the Air Force developed programs such as the Thor, Atlas, Titan and

  • Premier air mobility competition kicks off

    “Ladies and gentlemen, let the fight begin -- Rodeo’s on!”Brig. Gen. David S. “Scott” Gray kicked off the Rodeo 2005 competition with those words June 19 when Rodeo participants and observers gathered on the flightline here for the opening ceremony. He is the Rodeo commander and the commander of

  • Indian Springs renamed Creech Air Force Base

    Nearby Indian Springs Air Force Auxiliary Air Field officially changed its name to Creech Air Force Base on June 20 in honor of Gen. Wilbur L. “Bill” Creech.As the commander of Tactical Air Command from 1978 to 1984, General Creech shaped the Air Force of today with a call for new weapons and

  • Predator provides close-air support to embattled Marines in Iraq

    An MQ-1 Predator unmanned aerial vehicle destroyed an anti-Iraqi forces mortar launch site near Al Qaim on June 18 while assisting Marines under enemy fire.The air strike occurred during Operation Spear in which U.S. and Iraqi security forces in Iraq’s Anbar province called in air strikes on

  • Granite Thunder 2005 rocks New Boston

    A van lies on its side at the edge of a road where two men sprint from the scene into the nearby woods. As a figure lies motionless in the grass beside the van, an ear-piercing explosion suddenly rocks the vehicle, shrouding it and the unknown figure in smoke. Debris arcs high into the air before

  • DOD cautions servicemembers against 'loan-shark' lenders

    The Defense Department has launched a new effort to educate servicemembers about the dangers of borrowing from "loan-shark" lending companies and to teach them how to avoid ending up in a spiral of compounding debt, a DOD official said here June 17.The most prevalent type of loan-shark lending

  • DOD launches sexual assault prevention Web site

    Servicemembers who are victims of sexual assault or who need information on the Defense Department policy on preventing sexual assaults can find the information at a new Web site.The site, launched by Joint Task Force Sexual Assault Prevention and Response, is basically a place to go to for

  • Schwartz nominated to command TRANSCOM

    President Bush has nominated Lt. Gen. Norton A. Schwartz for the rank of general and to command U.S. Transportation Command here.General Schwartz is currently serving as the Joint Staff director in Washington. Before that assignment he was the Joint Staff’s director for operations.A 1973 graduate

  • New one-star joins two-star brother

    As Maj. Gen. Stanley Gorenc watched his younger brother, Brig. Gen. Frank Gorenc, pin on his first star, they became two of 271 general officers in the active-duty Air Force out of its more than 350,000 AirmenThe younger brother was promoted during a frocking ceremony June 15 as he relinquished

  • New majors selected for IDE

    The P0404A Major Central Selection Board recently held at the Air Force Personnel Center here selected officers for promotion and identified those selected for intermediate developmental education.Officers selected will join a resource pool of officers who will be considered for future attendance at

  • Online purchase turns into historical find

    The online purchase of one person here will soon be displayed in an Air Force historical museum. Jeffery Hughes, a 305th Mission Support Squadron human resource assistant, recently donated a rare set of 1955 Airman test stripes to the Air Mobility Command Museum at Dover Air Force Base, Del.Mr.

  • Life on the other side of the litter

    During the 1991 Gulf War, Marine Sgt. Brian Ackerman was a member of Task Force Grizzly, the American force that swept through the desert into Kuwait to liberate it from Iraqi forces.After Sergeant Ackerman’s unit made it into Kuwait City and began busting down doors looking for resistance, an Iraqi

  • Airmen establish early warning network with locals

    Instead of relying solely on patrolmen and sensors to analyze the ever-evolving installation defense puzzle, security forces specialists here are using the help of a previously underused weapon system -- word of mouth. Security forces patrol teams responsible for securing Tallil’s perimeter are

  • DOD issues guidance for medics dealing with detainees

    Department of Defense officials recently issued new guidelines for military medics dealing with detainees.The new rules deal with patient care, interrogations and medical-record confidentiality, among other issues, the department’s top doctor said June 17.Dr. William Winkenwerder Jr., assistant

  • Air Force releases findings of Wassaw Sound survey

    Air Force officials completed their evaluation of radiation levels in the Wassaw Sound where an incomplete nuclear weapon was lost off the coast of Georgia in 1958.During a June 17 press conference in Savannah, Ga., Air Force officials released results of a data collection survey conducted Sept.

  • 2006 Thunderbirds team includes first female pilot

    U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron, “Thunderbirds,” officials announced their new pilots for the 2006 demonstration season which includes the first female demonstration pilot in the 52-year history of the Thunderbirds. Capt. Nicole Malachowski, of the 494th Fighter Squadron at Royal Air Force

  • Guardsmen familiarize Polish airmen with F-16

    Once adversaries, American F-16 Fighting Falcons and Soviet-era MiG-29s sit side by side on the flightline here during exercise Sentry White Falcon 2005.Warm emotions can be felt as the Polish and American pilots share each other’s planes; sometimes the fighter pilots cannot fight away the

  • Vietnam War disc jockey praises families of MIAs

    The man who became famous bellowing "Good morning, Vietnam!" to his military radio audience praised the families of servicemembers who are still listed as missing in action in Southeast Asia.In his opening remarks for the Defense Department's 2005 annual government briefing for Vietnam War-era

  • Airman saves life while TDY

    Air Command and Staff College student Maj. Michael Jansen cannot explain his actions while on temporary duty to Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., for specialized study of air and space power. “Something like that may happen once in your lifetime, but hopefully never,” he said. “You can’t plan how you

  • New mission arrives at Incirlik

    A new mission kicked off here recently with the arrival and departure of C-17 Globemaster IIIs carrying cargo to Iraq supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.The new mission, which works on a “hub and spoke” concept, calls for cargo to come into the base from Charleston Air Force Base, S. C., and be

  • Off-duty travel site opens Australia as vacation destination

    Military travelers can purchase vacations to Australia for about the same cost as a getaway to Europe simply by visiting a military-sponsored Web site.Authorized morale, welfare and recreation patrons can go to the Off-Duty Travel Web site and click on "Joint Services Travel Specials" to begin a

  • 30 years later, Vietnam vets finally get welcome home

    Thirty years after the last U.S. forces left Vietnam, tens of thousands of veterans of that conflict gathered here in the Ozark Mountains June 14 to get the official welcome home and thanks they never received.Secretary of Veterans Affairs R. James Nicholson, a Vietnam veteran himself, thanked his

  • Former professional athletes visit Airmen in Southwest Asia

    Airmen from the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing at a forward-deployed location received a special visit June 12 and 13, courtesy of the United Services Organization. And they went big, very big, with the celebrity guest list.National Basketball Association player and current hoops talking head, Charles

  • STRATCOM Airman on target for world title

    For three years, a space operations officer assigned at U.S. Strategic Command here has prepared for a chance to fulfill his dream of representing the red, white and blue at the world championship of practical shooting. His dream will become a reality Aug. 21 in Guayaquil, Ecuador.Maj. Roger

  • System increases B-52 target precision

    Along with successfully developing a new targeting capability for the B-52 Stratofortress, 53rd Wing test managers and aircrews also demonstrated a new $8.6 million avionics system capability for the aircraft June 14.A B-52 from Barksdale Air Force Base, La., was launched with Boeing’s prototype

  • Communications flight Airmen link base with outside world

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

  • Top runners to participate in Air Force Marathon

    Two of the top distance runners of all time will be part of the ninth annual U.S. Air Force Marathon in September.Bill Rodgers and Alberto Salazar became running legends in the 1970s and 1980s before the cable television explosion brought new exposure to athletes.Both will conduct separate free

  • Cooperative Cope Thunder kicks off

    The sky above Alaska is brimming with activity as Pacific Air Force’s premier composite force exercise kicked off here June 9.Cooperative Cope Thunder runs through June 24 with operations here and at nearby Elmendorf Air Force Base.The exercise highlights multinational operations combined with

  • Supply Airmen keep deployed essentials on shelf

    Continuously keeping supplies on the shelf to support military operations here falls on the shoulders of a group of Airmen from the 416th Expeditionary Mission Support Squadron’s supply section.They ensure warfighters have the necessary gear and parts to effectively fight the war on terrorism. They