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  • Department of the Air Force WAGGI survey release

    The ‘Where Airmen and Guardians Get Information’ survey provides department leaders and communication professionals with insights on how to provide Airmen and Guardians with relevant information through multiple internal and external sources.

  • Department officials announce July recruiting, retention data

    Three of the four services met or exceeded their active-duty recruiting goals for July, and the one that fell short did so intentionally, Defense Department officials announced today.The Marine Corps intentionally slowed down recruiting efforts by 1 percent last month because the service already is

  • Department officials seek balanced 'cloud' computing solution

    Defense Department officials are looking to balance efficiency, effectiveness and security while moving away from the department's decentralized network of computer servers and data centers and into "cloud" computing, the DOD's deputy chief information officer said Sept. 7."We must balance all

  • Department prepares for 'Don't Ask' repeal

    The Defense Department is preparing for passage of a law that overturns the ban on gays serving openly in the military, a Pentagon spokesman said Dec 17.The U.S. Senate is expected to vote -- possibly as soon as Dec. 18 -- on a bill the House of Representatives passed Dec. 15 that would repeal the

  • Department recognizes environmental stewards

    The Defense Department today recognized its best stewards of the nation's natural and cultural resources at a Pentagon ceremony marking the 2011 Secretary of Defense Environmental Awards."The Defense Department has long made it a priority to protect our natural and cultural resources," said Dorothy

  • Department seeks former POWs

    Department of Veterans Affairs officials want former prisoners of war who are not using VA benefits to contact the department to find out if they may be eligible for disability compensation and other services.More than 23,000 former prisoners of war already receive compensation from the VA. This

  • Department takes steps to reduce casualties

    Defense Department officials here have taken steps to stem mounting casualties in Afghanistan, Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell said here Oct. 29. October has become the deadliest month for American servicemembers in Afghanistan, with 56 killed, and Mr. Morrell said Defense Secretary Robert M.

  • Departments cooperate on electronic health records

    The nation may never become entirely "paperless" in the way it documents patient medical records, but the military and veterans health care communities are on the right path and have the technologies in place to one day be very close, officials said last week."There was a time that we didn't have

  • Departure efforts through Incirlik continue

    More than 1,600 American citizens displaced from Lebanon continued to process through Incirlik Air Base today. The Americans boarded the USS Trenton in Beirut Sunday at 5:10 p.m., and headed for the port city of Mersin in Turkey. After arriving in Turkey, they traveled by bus to Incirlik. "Many of

  • Dependent wins Air Force writing contest

    The daughter of an Andersen Air Force Base senior NCO won the Year of the Air Force Family short story under 18 category contest sponsored by MyAirForceLife.com Feb. 22 here.Ashley Nelson, daughter of Master Sgt. Dennis Nelson of the 36th Civil Engineer Squadron, won a laptop computer and gift

  • DePLAYment tags coming soon

    Air Force Services Agency officials will be offering DePLAYment tags to families of deployed members starting Dec. 21 through July 31, 2010, as part of the Year of the Air Force Family.Eligible members can log on to http://www.myairforcelife.com to see if their installation is participating and find

  • Deployable civilians provide expertise

    When their units are called to deploy, they line up for their smallpox and anthrax shots, they pack camouflage uniforms and dog tags, they get weapons training, and brush up on their self-aid and buddy-care skills. But these warriors are not airmen -- at least not in the traditional sense.They are

  • Deployed aeromedical evac team adds critical role

    There is nothing typical about an aeromedical evacuation mission. Recently one crew of aeromedical technicians was notified prior to take-off that, aside from six patients, their aircraft, a C-17, would also be needed to transport three aircraft engines and two pallets of cargo. "That for us is the

  • Deployed Air Force Marathon mirrors annual stateside race

    Nearly 300 coalition forces and civilians ran in the deployed Air Force Marathon here Sept. 11.With a full 26.2-mile marathon starting at 4 a.m. and a half-marathon starting at 4:30 a.m., runners started the race before their biggest opponent would be in full force: the heat. With temperatures

  • Deployed air refuelers surpass 350 million pounds of fuel delivered in 2011

    In the first four months of 2011, air refueling aircraft supporting the air mission on the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility have off-loaded more than 357 million pounds of fuel to more than 26,500 receiver aircraft.The 357 million pounds of fuel figure, which is calculated and tracked by

  • Deployed air refueling unit helps fuel the Afghanistan surge

    On Dec. 1, 2009, President Barack Obama announced that an additional 30,000 troops would be sent to Afghanistan to help stabilize the country. Whether in support of airlift missions or combat operations, aircraft fuel delivered by members of the 908th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron here is

  • Deployed aircraft given ISO inspection

    Maintainers recently completed a comprehensive inspection of a deployed aircraft here for the first time when a Kentucky Air National Guard C-130 Hercules underwent a complete isochronal inspection.Isochronal inspections examine numerous essential aircraft systems like propulsion and hydraulics,

  • Deployed aircrew brings relief to flood-torn Pakistan

    As Air Force operations in support of flood relief operations in Pakistan resumed, aircrew and support personnel from the 746th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron at an undisclosed location in Southwest Asia prepared to forward deploy to Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, to ease the workload of the local

  • Deployed airman attacks educational dreams

    Most airmen serving overseas supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom use their spare time catching up on sleep or writing to loved ones back home. But one sergeant kept education as a priority in his busy schedule.Master Sgt. Craig Pate is the first student to complete an Air Force Institute of

  • Deployed Airman breaks Air Force refueling record

    Gas, gas, gas ... Nope, this isn't a chemical warfare drill; this is what's been on Airman 1st Class Zechariah Coe's mind the entire month. Airman Coe, deployed here from Moody Air Force Base, Ga., as a fuels distribution operator with the 380th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron, broke the

  • Deployed Airman embodies resiliency through fitness

    Capt. Ezekiel Duran, a physiologist with the 380th Expeditionary Medical Group here, is not only determined to be physically fit, working out two times each day while preparing to run a marathon, but also be the best possible wingman to his fellow deployed Airmen.

  • Deployed Airman gets family surprise

    For Master Sgt. Shanda Moon it was another uneventful lunch at her deployed location in Southwest Asia where she serves as the executive assistant to the command chief for U.S. Air Force Central Command. She saw a young Soldier approaching, but didn't think much about it. But as he got closer, he

  • Deployed airman grows desert crop

    One look around this forward-deployed location shows most people there is nothing green to be had in the country.It is said that when airmen here return home, everything with color will be infinitely more brilliant. Grass will be much greener, and flowers will be far more colorful and

  • Deployed Airman handcrafts hockey rink

    A resourceful Airman’s idea has resulted in the first outdoor hockey rink in this theater of operations.Airman 1st Class Joshua Hanson of the 386th Expeditionary Communications Squadron, developed a proposal to build a nearly arena-size hockey rink at his deployed location here.

  • Deployed Airman helps others face the music

    Like a typical family, most Air Force members celebrate birthdays, promotions and other occasions with cake. But, when Lt. Col. Brian Reno gets involved with a celebration, he adds to the fun by belting out a fitting tune on his trumpet. "It's always fun to play, and it is very rewarding when others

  • Deployed Airman keeps aircraft aloft

    Looking out a window high in the sky, he calls the shots. As aircraft approach, he talks to them, setting the stage for a smooth connection. The lineup has to be near-perfect -- too much to the left or right and the mission could fail. As the communication link to aircraft needing fuel, he knows

  • Deployed Airman receives call from president

    An Airman here received an unexpected early Christmas surprise when she received a call from the commander-in-chief Christmas Eve. Staff Sgt. Melina Russell, a security forces fire team leader, received that call at 4 p.m., when the White House switchboard put the president through to her. She had

  • Deployed Airman receives call from president

    While most people were waiting to make an important call on Thanksgiving, an Airman here was awaiting a call from an important person. Airman 1st Class Sarah Sullivan, an airfield management operations supervisor, received that call at 5:30 p.m. on Nov. 24, when the White House switchboard put the

  • Deployed Airman receives Christmas phone call from President Obama

    "Hello, President Obama? ... I'm great, how are you?" So began the most memorable phone call of a six-month deployment for Senior Airman Keshia Shutts with the 451st Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron here, who received a Christmas morning phone call from President Barack Obama.The

  • Deployed Airman watches wife's commissioning 8,000+ miles away

    One Air Force couple put modern technology to work to help keep military tradition alive during a ceremony earlier this month.Shortly after being commissioned as a second lieutenant on Feb. 2, Donna Tluczek received her first salute from her husband, Tech. Sgt. Pawel Tluczek.But because he's

  • Deployed Airman wins design contest

    Air Force Services Agency officials here announced the winner of the MyAirForceLife.com T-shirt contest recently here.Staff Sgt. Nathan Cruz, a radio frequency transmission technician from Robins Air Force Base, Ga., won the contest out of 174 submissions in the adult category. The award was

  • Deployed Airman witnesses daughter's birth via Internet

    For Airman 1st Class Roger Prokes, a patrolman with the 95th Security Forces Squadron here, being deployed didn't mean he would miss the birth of his daughter. Modern technology would see to that. "Just in case my husband wasn't back, I had spoken with the director of labor and delivery at my

  • Deployed Airmen achieve maintenance milestone

    For aircraft maintainers deployed to the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing, the month of April was one for the record books.Air Force leaders track metrics in eight categories each month that reflect the overall readiness of flying units. It's an accomplishment for an aircraft maintenance unit to surpass

  • Deployed Airmen bridge cultures with words

    Airmen and Soldiers give lessons in conversational English to Afghan students at the Korean Vocational Training Center here, as part of the effort to create a better future for coalition partners.Master Sgt. Dean Regazzi, 455th Expeditionary Medical Group first sergeant, coordinated the 51 American

  • Deployed Airmen build a better life in Kyrgyzstan

    Airmen deployed from the 78th Civil Engineer Group and 778th Civil Engineer Squadron here have their hands full.Nearly 100 Airmen from the two units have been working up to 16 hours a day, maintaining facilities and providing engineering design and construction for more than $35 million in new

  • Deployed Airmen build Azerbaijan partnership through mutual respect

    A traveling contact team consisting of 10 435th Contingency Response Group Airmen and the U.S. Air Force Europe Country Desk Officer journeyed to Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 2-8. The team led an exchange event focusing on airfield management, airspace management and base communication architecture to

  • Deployed Airmen choreograph vital F-16 maintenance

    After 400 flight hours, the F-16s of the 157th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron are due for a thorough inspection - and the Airmen working in the phase dock here are the ones keeping the jets in the fight. When an F-16 is towed off the line and into the hangar, the choreographed dance of maintenance

  • Deployed Airmen continue filling Army's 'in-lieu-of' taskings'

    Deployments are a part of life for all people serving in the United States military. Each service deploys a certain number of troops to different parts of the world with rotations to evenly divide the workload. In the past few years Airmen have undergone changes in their wartime mission, from

  • Deployed Airmen deliver coats, blankets to Kyrgyzstan school

    Whether it's the annual Bloomsday Run, Fourth of July Celebration or the Lilac Festival, Airmen at Fairchild Air Force Base, Wash., are no strangers to community outreach in the Spokane, Wash., area. While deployed to the Manas Transit Center, Kyrgyzstan, they brought that same spirit of service and

  • Deployed Airmen dish up a helping of gratitude

    To show their appreciation for other's efforts and hard work, Airmen from the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing have been volunteering to serve food to the operations personnel at the base's containerized deployable kitchen. Chaplain (Capt.) Kevin Humphrey, 380th AEW chaplain has volunteered to serve

  • Deployed Airmen drop supplies into Iraq

    A C-17 Globemaster III and two C-130s from undisclosed locations throughout the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility dropped 72 bundles of supplies, including food and water, to thousands of Iraqis threatened by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant near Sinjar, Iraq, Aug. 7.

  • Deployed Airmen earn cavalry gold spurs

    Three Airmen from the 455th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron displayed the true spirit of joint service partnership when they completed an Army tradition called a Spur Ride and successfully joined the Order of the Spur at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, February 21, 2012.The Order of the Spur is

  • Deployed Airmen experience local tradition

    Airmen deployed to the 3rd Air Expeditionary Group here experienced a South Korean tradition Sept. 28 that is more than 2,000 years old.Every year during the harvest season when the moon is full, South Koreans celebrate a holiday similar to the American Thanksgiving called Chu Sok or Harvest Moon

  • Deployed Airmen find ancient artifacts at Iraqi air base

    An Airman and his team discovered fragments of pottery, possibly dating back as far back as 2,000 years during a recent job at Kirkuk Air Base. Tech. Sgt. Kelly Wayment, a heavy equipment operator with the 506th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron here, was carrying out a routine operation near a

  • Deployed Airmen fuel combat outpost security

    Airmen from the 455th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron Fuels Management Flight are assisting in the safety and security of thousands of U.S., Afghan and coalition troops at various forward operating bases and combat outpost throughout Afghanistan.Above these remote locations, aerostats

  • Deployed airmen get break on loans

    Servicemembers who have been deployed or mobilized are not required to make student loan payments during their absences.Federal regulations require lenders to postpone the student loan program payments of active-duty servicemembers. This applies to people of the National Guard and Ready Reserves

  • Deployed airmen get connected

    To help deployed Air Force people stay in touch with their families, family support center workers here recently mailed off more than 40,000 AT&T Corp. phone calling cards as part of an annual Veterans of Foreign Wars Foundation program.The 60-minute calling cards have also been sent to military

  • Deployed Airmen get online holiday voice greetings

    Deployed Airmen can now receive holiday-season voice greetings from family and friends via the Internet.Offered through the Air Force Crossroads Web site and the Air Force’s GIMail service, the program allows friends and family members of deployed Airmen to pick up a telephone, dial a toll-free

  • Deployed airmen getting ATM access

    An officer deployed to a forward location here has developed a template for an automated teller machine agreement that will place ATMs at selected locations in the region. The first two ATMs are due to be installed in mid-February.“Major [Scott] Lettney created the first operating agreement for the

  • Deployed Airmen getting new physical training uniform first

    When the Air Force chief of staff announced a new fitness standard in July 2003, he promised Airmen a new physical training uniform in which to prepare. That new uniform is now ready, and Airmen serving in Southwest Asia will be the first to get them, said Senior Master Sgt. Jacqueline Dean, the Air

  • Deployed airmen getting small-town living

    Airmen deployed here will soon be saying farewell to their tents and hello to small-town living.This welcome change for airmen is just part of the transformation of this expeditionary base into a permanent air base with most of the amenities found at home.“We’re in the process of building a small

  • 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,

  • Deployed Airmen help Afghan police with security checkpoint

    At a busy intersection in Parwan Province near Bagram Airfield, adults and children alike stopped to watch as a crane lofted what looked like a shipping container above the heads of Afghan and American servicemembers Jan. 7.The container was actually the top of an old guard tower from Bagram

  • Deployed airmen help Iraqi school

    Reaching out across miles of desert, a group of airmen helped Iraqi schoolchildren May 25 when it delivered the results of a “Win the Peace” program drive.Nine men and women representing the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing traveled Baghdad from their forward-deployed location to deliver more than

  • Deployed airmen help Kyrgyz children

    A small group of security forces airmen here made a large impact on the lives of a group of ailing, special needs and underprivileged children from a local orphanage Nov. 8 as part of an ongoing humanitarian effort.The group of 10 airmen, predominantly from Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., used

  • Deployed Airmen honor 9/11 with Kyrgyz president

    Airmen of the 376th Air Expeditionary Wing were joined by the Kyrgyz president during a Sept. 11 ceremony to honor the memory of those who died in the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks held at the Transit Center at Manas. Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev was the guest speaker for the 9/11 ceremony held in

  • Deployed Airmen honor fallen police officers

    Security Forces Airmen gathered near the flightline at the International Airport here May 13 to honor and remember fellow police officers who died in the line of duty, including military police officers who gave their lives defending freedom in military operations worldwide.The ceremony was part of

  • Deployed Airmen honor Tuskegee great with nose art

    A member of the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing created a nose art display on an RQ-4 Global Hawk recently in honor of Lt. Col. Lee Archer, a World War II fighter pilot with the Tuskegee Airmen.But it all started with Tech. Sgt. Jason Aucoin, 380th Air Expeditionary Wing ground safety manager at an air

  • Deployed Airmen killed Nov. 1

    Three Airmen were killed Nov. 1 while performing federal law enforcement functions near Balad Air Base, Iraq. All three were assigned to the Air Force Office of Special Investigations at Balad AB. The names of the Airmen are being withheld pending next-of-kin notification and release by the

  • Deployed Airmen may qualify for assignments, deferments

    Some deployed Airmen who have served uncharacteristically long tours of duty will become qualified for a special advance assignment/deferment program, according to Air Force Personnel Center officials here. "This program recognizes that some of our Airmen, enlisted and officer, who have served a

  • Deployed Airmen memorialize air mobility legend through mural

    Retired Master Sgt. Roy Hooe died April 18, 1973, but in a way he came back to life some 37 years later to the day in the form of art.Airmen deployed to the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing put the finishing touches on a mural April 18 highlighting Sergeant Hooe's legacy, in Roy's Flight Kitchen,

  • Deployed Airmen move troops in, out of theater

    When traveling throughout the area of responsibility, accountability is key. Ensuring that servicemembers get where they need to go safely is the responsibility of Airmen here. As one of the main staging points for servicemembers traveling in and out of theater, It’s not unusual to see more than a

  • Deployed airmen plead guilty to thefts

    Two airmen pleaded guilty and were sentenced recently to bad conduct discharges, reductions in rank and confinement for a series of thefts that occurred here during a two-week period in October.Airman 1st Class Victor Adams Jr. and Airman Jamie Smith pleaded guilty to multiple counts of larceny and

  • Deployed Airmen prepare for holiday feast

    At the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing here, the 379th Expeditionary Force Support Squadron food services team works to bring holiday food and cheer to service members and civilians away from home for the holiday season.

  • Deployed Airmen prepare for life at Keesler after Katrina

    In most cases, when a loved one deploys it is the families back home who are worried, but for some the tables have turned here after the destruction Hurricane Katrina caused.A group of Airmen here who are deployed from Keesler Air Force Base, Miss., experienced the frustration of being away from

  • Deployed Airmen record storybook videos for children

    Airmen and Soldiers assigned to Camp Sather here are making storybook videos for their children back home. The “read to your child/video greeting program” is operated by the 447th Air Expeditionary Group services flight.The program, which began Nov 19, lets troops record a video of them reading a

  • Deployed Airmen reflect bravery, selfless determination

    Security forces Airmen here have demonstrated their bravery in the face of the enemy as they work side by side with Soldiers in detainee operations.Col. Jim Brown, 18th Military Police Brigade commander, praised the Airmen with the 447th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron for their noble

  • Deployed Airmen register for marrow program

    The faces on posters that call attention to a number of worthwhile volunteer causes are often lost in the hustle of accomplishing the daily mission. However, the association of one poster to a deployed Airman at a recent drive in Southwest Asia put a face on the critical need for all to register as

  • Deployed Airmen remember Dominguez, serve on 9/11 anniversary

    Sept. 11 is never too far from the hearts and minds of the 105th Security Forces Squadron deployed here from Stewart Air National Guard Base in Newburgh, New York. Through mementos and each other, they remember one unit member who was killed during the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.Nearly 3,000 people

  • Deployed Airmen remember Pearl Harbor

    More than 200 U.S. forces at an air base in Southwest Asia attended a memorial retreat in honor of the 2,340 killed and 1,143 wounded in the Dec. 7, 1941 attacks on U.S. military installations on Oahu, Territory of Hawaii. "We have come here today to pay honor and homage to our nations' heroes, the

  • Deployed Airmen replace money stolen from little girls in Georgia

    Airmen from the 455th Expeditionary Aerial Port Squadron here collected $160 April 14 to replace money stolen from three girls in Warner Robins, Ga. Capt. Charles Marquez, the 455th EAPS Air Terminal Operation Center officer in charge, read an article about how the girls setup a lemonade stand to

  • Deployed airmen represent honor, dignity

    The American flag waves in a light breeze, its bright colors standing out in stark contrast over the gray, cracked concrete of hardened, Soviet aircraft shelters that once represented a communist state. Below the flag, airmen wearing perfectly pressed desert camouflage uniforms stand at attention.