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  • Four Falcons claim championship titles

    Four members of the Air Force Academy’s track and field program claimed conference titles May 14 and 15 at the 2004 Mountain West Conference Outdoor Championships in Las Vegas. For the third consecutive year, the men earned a third-place finish with 161.5 points, while the women finished seventh

  • Major accident response tested at Air Force station

    A little known Air Force station in New Hampshire was the focal point for hundreds of emergency workers May 15 as they responded to a simulated terrorist attack involving a weapon of mass destruction.The exercise, named Granite Thunder 2004, encompassed more than 20 local, state and federal agencies

  • Airman sentenced to life in prison for murder

    An Airman from Cannon Air Force Base, N.M., was sentenced to life in a federal prison May 17 for murdering an Airman based here.Col. Mary Boone, chief circuit trial judge for the central circuit, convicted Staff Sgt. Jason Arindain, a fuels technician, of unpremeditated murder May 15. The

  • Medics provide multifaceted care

    Medical technicians here are perfecting the art of multitasking.Although they receive initial training in a variety of jobs, at a home base the technicians are usually only assigned one job at a time, said Master Sgt. Bill Wnek, the 447th Expeditionary Medical Squadron’s nursing services

  • Falcons swept at New Mexico with 16-6 defeat

    Joe Salas and Daniel Stovall hit two back-to-back home runs to lead the University of New Mexico to 10-run rule shortened 16-6 seven inning win and series sweep over Air Force Academy in Mountain West Conference baseball here May 16. The Lobos improve to 22-25-1 overall and 18-9 in the conference,

  • New commands in Iraq replacing combined joint task force

    Two new military commands will stand up in Iraq on May 15, replacing the current coalition military organization. Multinational Corps Iraq and Multinational Force Iraq will replace Combined Joint Task Force 7.Coalition military spokesman Army Brig. Gen. Mark Kimmitt, at a Baghdad news conference

  • DOD officials expand Pentagon Channel

    The Pentagon Channel, the Defense Department's news and information television source, officially expanded its service May 14 with a live broadcast from Andrews Air Force Base, Md. The Pentagon Channel, which previously existed as an information channel within the Pentagon, is now distributed 24

  • Airman struggles to save her family

    Soon, Airman 1st Class Ayaan Nduli hopes to sleep well at night.It would mean 15 years of worrying and waiting were over.It would mean her family is safe.The story of Airman Nduli, an honor guard member here, begins in Somalia in 1981, when her mother, Sahra Cali Sherwac, was pregnant with her, the

  • Battlelab improves in-flight patient care

    Specialists at the Air Mobility Battlelab here have resolved a significant lighting deficiency aboard aeromedical evacuation aircraft by developing a portable lighting kit prototype.Because of insufficient lighting, several care providers reported having difficulty assessing patients, observing

  • Recalled officer retires -- again

    An Airman who began his military career as a Marine Corps rifleman in 1962 is retiring for the second time.Lt. Col. Theron Sims, who is on terminal leave, rejoined the Air Force on May 15, 2002, as part of the Rated Officer Recall Program. Colonel Sims was the service’s senior lieutenant colonel,

  • Robins employee sheds 150 pounds

    An employee here replaced her size 28 pants and more than 150 extra pounds with a size 16 and a new lease on life. Irish Frederick, 35, of Byron, Ga., said she is slimmer, fitter and “lookin’ good.”The classroom program assistant at Robins’ Child Development Center said she lost weight by changing

  • Personnel Center changes phone systems

    Offices at the Air Force Personnel Center here will convert to a new telephone system starting May 17. Although the switch to the new telephone system should be transparent, customers encountering problems can call the Air Force Contact Center at (800) 616-3775, DSN 665-5000 or commercially at (210)

  • Investigation determines cause of T-1A accident

    Air Force officials completed their investigation of an accident where a T-1A Jayhawk ran off the runway Aug. 16 after landing at Keesler Air Force Base, Miss. The accident caused an estimated $2.5 million in structural damage to the aircraft.Accident investigation board officials determined the

  • Female cadets no longer face short haircut

    Female academy appointees no longer have to experience the most “hairifying” part of inprocessing. Rules regarding hair length have been changed allowing women to avoid the traditional extreme haircut, so long as they are able to remain within Air Force standards.Starting July 1, the longstanding

  • NASA selects servicemembers to explore space

    Four servicemembers were among 11 candidates NASA has chosen to be the next generation of space explorers, officials announced May 6.Maj. James Dutton, 35, and Marine Corps Maj. Randolph Bresnik, 36, were chosen to be space shuttle pilots. Navy Lt. Cmdr. Christopher Cassidy, 34, and Army Maj. Shane

  • Blood donors necessary in war, peace

    It may seem like blood centers are always asking for more. The fact is, there is a constant need for blood.Technological advances have a lot to do with this continuous need for blood, said Capt. Christine Murphy, the 48th Medical Group executive officer here. More and more, there have been

  • News anchor, base cook swap jobs

    A grill cook here saw what the view was like on the other side of the camera in the newsroom May 7 when she co-anchored the local news’ “Midday Edition” with host Rachel Wheat.Kimbra Lyons, a grill cook at the 360th Training Squadron's dining facility, earned her minute and a half on the air through

  • Air Force reservist pitches for San Diego Padres

    When he is not wearing the blue and gray uniform of the San Diego Padres, relief pitcher Jason Szuminski switches to Air Force blue as a first lieutenant in the Air Force Reserve. The 6-foot, 4-inch, 220-pound right-hander is the only Air Force reservist in Major League Baseball. He is assigned to

  • Command post controllers key to information flow

    There is an organization that many people think is the place to go for information. In part they are; however, the unit is a lot more than that. Airmen in the command post do much more than just pass along information, especially in a combat zone. The 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing’s command post

  • Deployed reservists help charities in Kyrgyzstan

    Air Force reservists from here deployed to Manas Air Base, Kyrgyzstan, are supporting combat operations in Afghanistan. They also are helping to make life better for people near there.Airmen of Air Force Reserve Command’s 908th Airlift Wing arrived at the old Soviet airfield in early December to

  • Falcons swept at Utah with 17-3 loss

    Scoring in all but one inning, Utah swept a five-game series with Air Force with its 17-4 seven-inning win in Mountain West Conference baseball action May 9. The Utes improve to 20-27 overall, 10-13 in the conference while the Falcons fall to 5-38 and 0-19.Utah had 17 hits in the game, with Jay

  • Desert ice just as nice for deployed Airman

    For the average Airman, the last thing on his or her mind when deploying to the desert is ice hockey. Not so for Senior Master Sgt. Daniel Morin. As soon as he heard he was being sent to a forward-deployed location as the 380th Expeditionary Maintenance Operations Squadron’s quality assurance

  • New system simplifies vehicle management

    A new program in production aims to revolutionize the way the Air Force’s fleet of vehicles is managed.The Logistics Integrated Asset Management System replaces five systems with one consolidated Web-based application, said Senior Master Sgt. Rex Curry, Air Force Vehicle Policy team member.“This

  • Mother reunites with daughter after 15 years

    It was a mother’s nightmare. Juanita Heismann’s daughter, April Turner, was gone without a trace. It was June 1988. Mrs. Heismann, estranged from April’s father, dropped off the first-grader for a scheduled visit with him in Lawton, Okla. When it came time for April to return a few days later,

  • Official: AF nurses provide key support in OEF, OIF

    Air Force nurses have provided tremendous support in operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom, treating more than 200,000 patients throughout Southwest Asia, Maj. Gen. Barbara C. Brannon told the Senate Appropriations Committee's subcommittee on defense April 28.General Brannon, the Air Force’s

  • Brother escorts brother in sister-service convoy

    When Lt. Col. Greg Harbin landed at the airport in Mosul, Iraq, he knew he had to travel to the operational headquarters on the other side of town. He also knew an Army convoy would be escorting him. What he did not know was that his brother would be the convoy commander.Colonel Harbin was there

  • Security forces provide protection on, off Bagram

    Besides their more traditional role of providing installation security, security forces Airmen here have taken on two other important combat-related responsibilities supporting the war on terrorism.Airmen assigned to the 455th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron are providing security for convoys

  • European memorials honor those who fought for freedom

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

  • 1st Air Force looks inward to keep America safe

    It was the day the screens went black. Sept. 11, 2001, was the day that breathed life into what some considered a “sunset mission.” It was the day when everything changed. In the hours before the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington, 1st Air Force and the Continental United States North

  • May issue of Airman available

    Read about how Airmen at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., and other locations protect America’s interior; take a look at the new Air Force basic training; and learn about Airmen who maintain lesser-known bases throughout South Korea. These features and more highlight the May issue of Airman magazine,

  • World War II ‘evaders’ congregate at memorial

    Their shoulders may be stooped, and their pace a little slow. Hearing aids are a common “fashion statement,” and their hair, what’s left of it, is a tad gray. But one look into their eyes is enough to know the old spirit of adventure is still there.About 80 members of the Air Forces Escape and

  • Exhibit illustrates French, American cooperation

    The Air Force's vice chief of staff participated in the dedication of an exhibit here May 1 that honored some of the first Americans to fly aerial-combat missions.The exhibit, at the New England Air Museum at Bradley International Airport, commemorates the heroism of American aviators who flew for

  • U.S. participates in multinational air combat exercise

    U.S. Air Force and Navy units are here participating in Maple Flag 37, an international air-combat exercise held May 3 to 14 by the Canadian air force.About 20 aircraft and 600 people from the United States are practicing combined air operations with air forces from Canada, Germany, France, New

  • Academy golfers finish 8th in conference

    The Air Force Academy men's golf team finished in eighth place here at the Mountain West Conference Championships Crosswater Course. The Falcons improved their score each day of the event, carding a three-day total of 320-306-303. The tournament was the team's final event of the season.Air Force

  • Air Force baseball swept by UNLV with 22-12 loss

    University of Nevada-Las Vegas broke open a 12-12 baseball game by scoring eight runs in the eighth inning to complete a weekend sweep of the Air Force Academy with a 22-12 win here May 2. The Rebels tied a Mountain West Conference record -- set two weekends ago by New Mexico vs. Air Force -- by

  • Water polo team wins five games in tournament

    The Air Force Academy water polo team won five games in the Rocky Mountain Water Polo Tournament, including a four-overtime victory over the alumni/seniors team. Teams traveled from Florida and New Mexico to participate in the spring tournament, held here May 1 and 2. In the highlighted game of the

  • Air Force scientists battle aviator fatigue

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

  • Long-awaited World War II Memorial opens

    Almost 50 years after the “Greatest Generation” saved the world, a grateful nation paid its respects to the 16 million Americans who served freedom’s cause with the opening of the World War II Memorial here April 29.While the official dedication ceremony for the landmark will not occur until May 29,

  • Air Force cadets thrive at West Point’s Sandhurst competition

    Eleven cadets conquered nine field events and maneuvered through about five miles of New York terrain to capture fourth place out of 45 teams at West Point’s annual Sandhurst competition April 24.“They did awesome!” said Brig. Gen. Johnny A. Weida, academy commandant of cadets. “This is exactly

  • Officials announce OTS selections

    Air Force officials here announced April 29 that 187 enlisted Airmen have been chosen to attend Officer Training School, and trade in their stripes for gold bars.Air Force Recruiting Service officials conducted OTS Selection Board 0404, which met here March 29 to April 2. The board considered 324

  • Academy trains with new incident response system

    Emergency responders here were introduced to the new national incident management system that was signed into federal law March 1.The new program outlines the National Response Plan all federal, state and local emergency responders must adhere to by end of 2004 when responding to an incident

  • Understanding Tricare benefits while traveling

    It is easy for a person to access his or her health benefits at home, but it can get complicated when they going on vacation across America or overseas.Emergencies, including injuries threatening someone’s life, limb or eyesight, are covered by Tricare Prime; but, the beneficiary still has some

  • ‘The Rocket’ lands at Offutt

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

  • Prevention, screening allow Airmen to come home healthy

    Surgeons general from the Army, Navy and Air Force testified before Congress on April 28 on the status of health care in the services. Air Force Surgeon General Lt. Gen. (Dr.) George Peach Taylor Jr. spoke to members of the Senate Appropriations Committee defense subcommittee. He said the Air

  • Communications director prepares to leave Air Force

    When William C. Bodie leaves his job as director of communications to begin work for the private sector, he will do so with an elevated appreciation for the Air Force and the challenges it faces daily.In return, the Air Force comes away with a level of strategic communications capability that many

  • Academy track team breaks school records

    The Air Force Academy’s track and field team set several school records during the annual Drake Relays here April 22 to 24. Competing in nine events, the team broke three school records, and one team member was crowned an event champion.Dana Pounds threw a school record 172 feet 1 inch in the

  • Idaho Air Guard helps test new stackable cargo pallets

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

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

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

  • Medevac squadron proves it’s 'always ready'

    The 86th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron lived up to its motto, “always ready,” April 19 as a routine C-130 Hercules channel mission to Pristina, Kosovo, turned into a life-saving assignment. An hour before takeoff, Maj. Chuck Wheeler, 86th AES training flight commander, learned there would be a

  • Mother risks life for son

    Maria Reyes had a choice back in May 1995: Risk her life or get an abortion.A doctor at Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M., told her that keeping her baby would put her life at risk.Now-Staff Sgt. Reyes-Witak is assigned to the 72nd Test and Evaluation Squadron here. Then a single senior airman, she

  • Now showing: April 26 edition of AFTV News

    In the latest edition of Air Force Television News, Tech. Sgt. Pachari Lutke visits Florida to report on the counterdrug program run by both the Air and Army National Guard. The program focuses on educating older children on the dangers of drug use and teaches them how to pass the message on to

  • Combat controllers play key role in war on terror

    The largest class of future combat controllers is training at Pope Air Force Base, N.C., to provide critical skills required in the war on terrorism. The current class of 32 students will help bolster the cadre of 360 combat controllers -- special-operations forces who deploy quickly into

  • Space, missile competition set to launch

    The 30th Space Wing here will hold Guardian Challenge 2004, the largest test of space and missile warfighting skills outside of real-world operations, May 2 to 7.Nearly 200 competitors from around Air Force Space Command will test their mettle here in the Air Force’s only space and missile

  • Officials: TSP good way to increase wealth

    Defense Department officials urge servicemembers to invest in their future through the Thrift Savings Plan.Now is a good time for servicemembers to start paying themselves, officials said. The current TSP open season started April 15 and runs until June 30. This is the time servicemembers can

  • Senior-enlisted course improves joint education

    U.S. Joint Forces Command officials will take a first step in kicking off the Command Senior-Enlisted Leader Capstone Joint Operations Module course at the Joint Warfighting Center here April 27 to 28.The course provides command senior enlisted Airmen, Soldiers, Marines, Sailors and Coast Guardsmen

  • XC-99 begins piece-by-piece trip to Air Force Museum

    Several parts of a historic XC-99 aircraft located at the Kelly Annex to Lackland were hauled to the Air Force Museum near Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, recently. A C-5 Galaxy from the 433rd Airlift Wing here hauled the initial load of the three-phase dismantling project.Disassembling began

  • Child-abuse prevention: Break cycle of pain

    “Rose’s” earliest memories are not of family trips to the zoo or picnics at the park; they are of three-hour-long beatings and endless pain. She said she remembers nothing but terror and abuse. “There was always food in my house, but also an ever-present sense of fear,” said Rose, whose name was

  • Tanker aircraft delivers 1 billionth pound of fuel

    If you were to count from one to 1 billion it would take about 95 years. It took a little over a year for U.S. Central Command’s Combined Force Air Component Command-controlled tanker airlift to deliver 1 billion pounds of jet fuel. A KC-135 Stratotanker delivered 84,000 pounds of fuel to three

  • Officials explain CJR 'waiting list'

    To help meet end-strength goals under force shaping, Air Force officials will limit re-enlistments of Airmen in constrained specialties by establishing quotas, a waiting list and career job reservation application windows."All first-term Airmen must have an approved career job reservation prior to

  • Air Force announces design awards

    Air Force officials recently announced the winners of the 2004 Air Force Design Awards Program and the 2004 Air Force Agent Awards. Awards will be presented to winners at a July 29 luncheon here. Winners for the 2004 Air Force Design Awards are: -- Honor Award, Planning Studies and Design Guides:

  • Wearable computers move to flightline

    Maintenance is about to change because of new tools maintainers will have at their disposal.Through a pilot program at the 116th Air Control Wing here, 116th Maintenance Group workers are beginning to integrate a new wearable computer, which can be used across the maintenance spectrum.The small

  • Reserve C-130 crews critical to front-line fighters

    While many people here are at the end of their average workday, eagerly anticipating working out, eating dinner or catching a movie before turning in for the night, Maj. James Hayes’ duty day is just beginning.At 4:30 p.m., the telephone rings, alerting the 777th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron pilot

  • Bagram Airmen receive taste of America

    With hand-written messages like, “We support you 100 percent,” and “Thanks for protecting our country,” on every package, reinforcements recently arrived here from the United States.More specifically, about 150 boxes of Girl Scout cookies sent by Brownie Troop 2859 from Marlboro, Mass., showed up at

  • Organ donation gives woman life, hope

    The gift of life through organ donations took on a new meaning five years ago for a senior noncommissioned officer here.Master Sgt. Jan Cutrona, a 56th Fighter Wing information manager, was prepared for the worst after her sister’s heart was attacked by a virus in February 1999.Sergeant Cutrona’s

  • JEFX 04 Spiral 2 showcases future of air battle management

    Responding quickly to lessons learned in operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom, the Joint Expeditionary Force Experiment 04 showcased the future of air battle management command and control. The experiment, the Air Force’s primary venue for innovative command and control technology and

  • Colonel reflects on attempted rescue mission

    It was Thanksgiving weekend in 1979 when then-Capt. Michael Sumida received an unusual call on a day off summoning him to the squadron from the comfort of his home.Captain Sumida was a C-130 Hercules navigator with the 1st Special Operations Squadron at Kadena Air Base, Japan. He said he had not

  • Secretary Roche visits Manas Air Base

    Airmen of the 376th Air Expeditionary Wing welcomed Secretary of the Air Force Dr. James G. Roche for his inaugural visit here April 14 to 16. Manas is the primary strategic airlift hub for operations in and around Afghanistan and provides tactical-airlift and aerial-refueling support for Operation

  • ASVAB changes will not mean lower standards

    The Air Force will adjust the cutoff score used to gauge new recruits taking the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery in July.The change -- from 40 to 36 -- does not mean the Air Force is lowering its standards, said Tina Strickland, chief of Air Force testing policy and research integration.

  • Online system reduces trips to education office

    Four features now available under the Air Force's virtual education system give Airmen more control of their academic pursuits.The Air Force Virtual Education Center is a Web-based system available to the total force that allows Airmen to do many of the things online that once required a trip to a

  • Airmen complete ‘Books for Baghdad’ drive

    The company grade officer's council at the Air Force Research Laboratory's Rome research site here is sending a text message to Baghdad University.Nearly 5,000 books, predominantly textbooks and university-level literature, have been collected from laboratory people and others in the community since

  • Air Force restarts job reservation system May 1

    As part of force-shaping efforts, the Air Force will restart the career job reservation system May 1.The CJR system will reduce career field shortages and overages, and balance the career force within each skill, according to officials. The CJR system allows Air Force officials to limit the number

  • Roche visits Bagram

    Damp, drizzly weather greeted Secretary of the Air Force Dr. James G. Roche when he visited Camp Cunningham and men and women of the 455th Expeditionary Operations Group here April 16. But the conditions did not dampen the spirits of the hundreds of Airmen and civilians who enthusiastically turned

  • Air Force shut out by New Mexico, 7-0, in women's tennis

    The Air Force Academy women's tennis team closed out its 2004 regular season April 18 with a 7-0 loss here to Mountain West Conference champion University of New Mexico. The Falcons finish the season with a 13-12 overall record and a 1-6 mark in the conference. New Mexico ended the season 18-3

  • Air Force baseball swept by New Mexico during weekend play

    New Mexico hit a Mountain West Conference record eight home runs to complete a weekend sweep over the Air Force Academy team with an 18-6 win April 18. The two teams combined for 10 home runs on the day with wind gusts reaching up to 45 mph and blowing straight out to right-center field.The Lobos

  • Falcons lacrosse team falls to Denver, 7-6

    The Air Force Academy lacrosse team suffered its fourth one-goal loss of the season, falling to Denver, 7-6, in league play April 17. Air Force falls to 3-6 overall and 1-2 in league play."We played hard but fell a little short," said head coach Fred Acee. "We made a costly mistake in the fourth

  • Lamb Chop visits Kadena during Month of Military Child

    Children at Kadena Elementary School and Bob Hope Primary School here got a special visit from a hand-size celebrity April 14.The famous sock puppet, Lamb Chop, gave a special performance for the students courtesy of the United Service Organizations’ celebrity-education program.Mallory Lewis,

  • CES plays role in Honduras exercise, Airmen recount experiences

    It was a trip that two sergeants said they will not soon forget. They were among 48 Airmen from the 934th Civil Engineer Squadron who deployed here recently to participate in New Horizons 2004 as part of Joint Command Task Force Orengo.The main focus of the exercise was to build local schools,

  • Immigrant brings music to military service

    From the capital of Peru to Wichita, Kan., the only zampoña player here is sharing his gift of music with the Air Force.Airman Fredy Pasco works on the commander’s support staff of the 22nd Maintenance Operations Squadron, but spends his off-duty time filling the air with the sound of an Inca

  • CMSAF becomes honorary master chief

    At the U.S. Coast Guard Chief Petty Officer Academy graduation here April 14, Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Gerald R. Murray became an honorary master chief petty officer.Chief Murray spoke at the ceremony to salute four Airmen who were graduates.“What a great honor to be recognized by this

  • Edwards test team fires F-16's first AIM-9X Sidewinder

    A test team from the Global Power Fighters Combined Test Force fired the newest variant of the AIM-9 Sidewinder, the X variant, for the first time from an F-16 Fighting Falcon here April 9.The Sidewinder is a supersonic, heat-seeking, air-to-air missile carried by fighter aircraft. Before this, the

  • Traffic-safety courses target vehicle fatalities

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

  • Leaders approve new civilian-personnel plan

    Defense Department senior leaders approved the plans for the new national security personnel system, an official announced here April 14.Secretary of the Navy Gordon R. England, who heads the project, made the announcement.The system, authorized by the fiscal 2004 National Defense Authorization Act,

  • Pope families welcome loved ones home

    Balloons, hand-painted "welcome home" signs, ear-to-ear smiles and a few tears greeted Airmen and a small group of Soldiers who returned here April 14 following deployments in Southwest Asia."It's great to have them back," said Lt. Gen. William Welser III, commander of 18th Air Force at Scott Air

  • Colonel reflects on 40 years of service

    When Dave Thurston joined the Air Force as an airman basic in 1964, there had been no moon landing, the SR-71 Blackbird was about to fly for the first time, the Vietnam War was just beginning, and postage stamps cost a nickel. Now a colonel, he is deployed as the director of public affairs for

  • Enlisted aviators put 'chevrons' in the sky

    Between 1912 and 1942, nearly 3,000 enlisted men of the Signal Corps, Air Service and the Army Air Forces became enlisted pilots. In fact, enlisted men piloted many of the aircraft flown in the Allied invasion of North Africa in 1942.Although the Flight Officer Act in 1942 ended the enlisted pilot

  • Vice president thanks servicemembers in Alaska

    Amid a sea of nearly 3,000 flag-waving Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen, Vice President Dick Cheney thanked servicemembers stationed in Alaska for their efforts in the war on terrorism.“I stand here today to say ‘thank you’ from a grateful nation -- and not just to the military

  • Rescue team integral to contingency operations

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

  • Despite ‘tough' period, U.S. won't waver in Iraq, Bush says

    The United States will continue in its commitment to an independent, free and secure Iraq, and the United States "must not waver" despite "a tough, tough period," President Bush said at a news conference April 13.The president stood before reporters in the East Room of the White House to make his

  • Foundation seeking inputs for Air Force memorial

    Air Force Memorial Foundation officials are seeking ideas for inscriptions to be placed at the new memorial site.The official groundbreaking will take place Sept. 15 at the memorial site, just southwest of the Pentagon. The focal point of the Air Force memorial will be a 270-foot monument featuring

  • Falcons lose 16-2 to Oklahoma

    Eighteenth-ranked University of Oklahoma hit a season-high five home runs to beat the Air Force Academy team here 16-2. The Falcons fall to 5-27 for the season, while the Sooners improve to 22-11.Tyler Gooch (1-0) picked up the win for the Sooners, holding the Falcons scoreless through seven

  • Effort in Iraq ‘going to take time’

    People worldwide have to realize the coalition effort in Iraq is a long-term project, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said here April 13.Gen. Richard B. Myers is here for meetings with Bahraini leaders. During the flight over, he said the problems in Iraq can be solved, but it will take

  • Readiness system saves time, money

    Robins is the test site for a new Web-based readiness system estimated to save the Air Force $79 million over the next five years. The system, called the deployment readiness service, will improve tracking and reduce the time and effort to keep people ready for deployments. It gives people access to

  • Air Force wrestling team wins national title

    The Air Force wrestling team won its second consecutive national team title, took home two Greco-Roman division medals and added an unexpected name to the 2004 Olympic trials roster during the U.S. National Wrestling Championships here April 9 and 10.Greco-Roman wrestlers Steve Woods took the silver

  • Falcon lacrosse team defeats Fairfield, 12-6

    The Air Force Academy lacrosse team defeated conference opponent Fairfield (Conn.) University 12-6 here April 11. The victory snaps a five-game losing streak for the Falcons, who improve to 3-5 overall. Fairfield falls to 5-6 overall."We played very well both offensively and defensively," Falcon

  • Airman recalls West Nile Virus infection

    Officials here are wasting no time getting the word out about this year’s West Nile Virus threat.The national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had 9,389 cases of the virus reported in 2003.One of those cases was 1st Lt. Chip Hollinger, 21st Mission Support Group executive officer at nearby

  • Hospital develops pregnancy wellness program

    A new program at Wilford Hall Medical Center here teaches expectant mothers about the effects of stress on the mind and body during and after pregnancy. The pregnancy wellness program is a joint project between specialists in the clinical-health psychology and the obstetrics and gynecology

  • Two new medals recognize units

    Secretary of the Air Force Dr. James G. Roche approved two new medals recognizing units for outstanding heroism in combat and for achievement or service in direct support of combat operations.The Gallant Unit Citation and the Meritorious Unit Award can be awarded to Air Force active-duty, Reserve

  • Guard, Reserve leaders address Senate subcommittee

    Reserve component leaders from the Air Force, Army and Marine Corps met before a Senate subcommittee reviewing the fiscal 2005 military budget here April 7.The leaders discussed transformation goals and spending requirements. They also touched on issues such as deployments, stress on the force and

  • Deployed servicemembers step up anti-malarial protections

    It is peak mosquito season in Iraq, and U.S. servicemembers deployed supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom are taking steps to protect themselves against malaria.The high-risk season for malaria runs April to November, said Army Col. Fredric Plotkin, preventive medicine and force health protection

  • Software helps Airmen track fitness progress

    The Air Force recently released a tool to help Airmen keep track of their fitness efforts. The Air Force Fitness Management System is available to all Airmen through the Air Force Portal. The system provides a history of their fitness scores and allows unit fitness managers to enter new scores.