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  • Air Force cyclist overcomes injuries

    On July 20, 2002, Capt. Matt Stanley was hit by a vehicle while cycling down highway near Del Rio, Texas. One year later, Stanley will celebrate recovering from serious injuries by cycling 500 miles across Iowa.Stanley, a T-6 Texan II instructor pilot here, is taking part in the Register’s Annual

  • Process strips paint off B-1s

    Layer by layer, a B-1 Lancer here sheds paint under a pressurized assault by tiny bits of plastic.It is the first aircraft at the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center to be stripped by the dry-media process in the high-tech facility used to remove paint.The medium is a mix of plastics, each with

  • PACAF names first responders

    Military commanders used to look at a deployment location and ask, “Who’s going in first?” Gen. William J. Begert, Pacific Air Forces commander, answered that question for PACAF by creating the 613th Contingency Response Group here. “We were developed to provide a short-notice, light and lean,

  • CMSAF: Airmen want good leaders

    Leadership, quality-of-life issues, retention and Stop-Loss were subjects discussed by the chief master sergeant of the Air Force during a visit here recently.Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Gerald Murray asked airmen to tell him what they saw as positive and negative aspects of service today.

  • Now showing: July 21 edition of AFTV News

    The Air Force supply line for troops fighting the war in Iraq is spotlighted in the latest edition of Air Force Television News. Staff Sgt. Marty Rush accompanies a C-5 Galaxy crew from California to Baghdad to illustrate the continuing role the Air Force is playing in keeping the ground troops

  • Medical boards not always career-enders

    Airmen may think that being medically "boarded" means an end to a military career, but that is not always the case, according to medical officials at the Air Force Personnel Center here.While the goal of the medical-review system is to maintain a fit and vital force, officials say the Air Force does

  • Guardsmen detail close-air support

    Three days into Operation Iraqi Freedom, Lt. Col. Dave Kennedy got a new mission: Go to Tallil Air Base in Iraq and ready it for A-10 Thunderbolt II missions.Kennedy, the commander of the Michigan Air National Guard's 110th Operations Group, knew the mission could be an enormous asset in the war

  • Pilot describes Baghdad crash

    Maj. Jim Ewald had just finished a close-air support mission over Baghdad when his A-10 Thunderbolt II was hit by an Iraqi surface-to-air missile April 8. It physically moved the plane "like the hand of God," Ewald said during a Pentagon interview July 16.Ewald is a pilot with the 110th Fighter

  • Langley tests new traffic safety vests

    Gate guards here are testing a new, light-emitting, traffic safety garment called the integrated tactical traffic vest that could make directing traffic in the dark safer. The new vest uses fiber-optic light rope woven through the vest's mesh along with traditional reflective material and

  • Mars rovers using AFRL batteries

    As the Mars exploration rovers "Spirit" and "Opportunity" race toward the Red Planet, part of the Air Force Research Laboratory is soaring with them.The two rovers, expected to touch down and explore opposite sides of Mars in early 2004, are powered by rechargeable lithium-ion batteries researched

  • Benefits may change for ex-POWs

    President George W. Bush has proposed legislation to Congress that would improve benefits for former prisoners of war, responding to the needs of Operation Iraqi Freedom POWs."What we're proposing is to eliminate the current requirement in federal law that a former POW must be detained for at least

  • Civilian career brief now online

    Air Force civilians now have the ability to view their own career information online from any Internet-connected computer, according to Air Force Personnel Center officials here.The virtual Civilian Career Brief offers information that might help in career planning like current position data, pay

  • Airmen can carry over more leave

    Some active-duty airmen will be allowed to accumulate more than 60 days of annual leave after the fiscal year ends, according to Air Force Personnel Center officials here. The airmen must have been unable to take leave because they were supporting contingency operations.Air National Guard and Air

  • Long-term care enrollment continues

    Initial enrollment for long-term-care insurance has ended, but, people can still apply for care, according to Air Force Personnel Center officials here. People eligible include Air Force active-duty, selected Reserve, appropriated-fund civilian employees, retirees and qualified family members.The

  • PSAB equipment gets 2nd chance

    As the 363rd Air Expeditionary Wing here draws down and inactivates this summer, there is a large amount of equipment that must be accounted for, organized and disposed of.That job falls to four airmen from the base’s 363rd Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron who oversee the defense

  • AF Marathon offers new race options

    Air Force Marathon officials will add two new options to this year’s Sept. 20 race. Besides the full-marathon and marathon-team races, this year’s event features a 13.1-mile half marathon and a 5km (3.1 mile) race. The half-marathon race will be on a loop-back course that will share the start and

  • AF sends tanker report to Congress

    Air Force officials July 14 took the next step in replacing its 43-year-old KC-135 Stratotanker fleet by sending Congress a report outlining the proposed lease of Boeing KC-767A tankers.Under the lease, 100 aircraft would be delivered five years sooner than under a traditional procurement plan,

  • AWACS techs get paperless link

    The E-3 Sentry Airborne Warning and Control System became the first weapon system to provide technicians with a paperless link between an aircraft parts manual and the base supply system.Technicians from the 552nd Equipment Maintenance Squadron here have been participating in a test program for a

  • Positive outlook makes any job satisfying

    It is a subject that makes most people uncomfortable. Faces grimace, noses wrinkle and even the strongest of stomachs can easily weaken at its mere suggestion. But to Tech. Sgt. Randall Lovett, it is really nothing new. It is simply another day at the office.With meticulous organization and a

  • Officials report SARS symptoms

    Several airmen and non-military people who had potential contact with Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome victims have been isolated at home here. They exhibited mild to moderate respiratory illness symptoms, according to 7th Medical Group physicians here.The symptoms meet the medical criteria to be

  • Family recovering after fire

    A Tinker airman deployed to Iraq is home helping nurse his family to health after a fire recently destroyed their home.The 2-year-old daughter of Staff Sgt. Steven Mitchell, a power production chief with the 34th Combat Communications Squadron, was the most seriously injured. She had first- and

  • Risk management can improve safety

    With the first half of the 101 Critical Days of Summer almost finished, 14 airmen were killed in private motor vehicle accidents. Eight of those killed were involved in motorcycle mishaps, including one during the Fourth of July weekend. Air Force leaders are emphasizing operational risk

  • Planning helps financial future

    For young airmen, the future can seem too far away to deal with now; however, many have learned that their decisions today have a great effect on their lives ahead. This is true especially when it comes to finances, according to the personal financial manager here.Dottie Blesse talks to young

  • News subscription service available

    Air Force Link, the Air Force’s premier Web site, has launched a new subscriptions management page. From this Web page, people can manage their subscriptions to a variety of news and information services delivered via e-mail.The Air Force News Agency offers free subscriptions, delivered directly to

  • 200,000 parents receive pins

    Your Guardians of Freedom, the Air Force’s grass-roots outreach information and recognition program, has touched the lives of more than 200,000 parents of airmen, a Pentagon official has announced.The program began in 2002 as a way for Air Force leaders to personally recognize the employers of

  • Roche will receive ‘Order of the Sword’

    Air Force noncommissioned officers will bestow their highest honor on the secretary of the Air Force as they induct him into the service’s Order of the Sword on Sept. 13 at Andrews Air Force Base, Md.Dr. James G. Roche received word of his induction during the recent Town Hall Meeting at the Air

  • Lancer drops joint standoff weapons

    A B-1B Lancer test crew here recently dropped the Joint Standoff Weapon for the first time from the long-range bomber, according to Air Force Flight Test Center officials here.The four-person test team from the 419th Flight Test Squadron released two standoff weapons as part of ongoing separation

  • Combat training goes rangeless

    The P5 Combat Training System introduced recently promises to revolutionize training by allowing warfighting pilots to test their skills anywhere, versus in limited air space, according to Air Armament Center officials here.The system uses pods that communicate with each other. The pods enable

  • Kadena athlete trains for Ironman

    Stealing a page out of contemporary military doctrine, Shawn Hnatko trains like he will fight. His war will be Oct. 18 on Hawaii’s Big Island and will last more than 10 hours. His enemy is also his only ally -- himself.“Ten hours is a long time to battle the demons,” he said of his date with the

  • July issue of Airman available

    Learn about the first group of airmen to fly around the world, take a look at the opening strike of Operation Iraqi Freedom and read about Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Gerald Murray and his journey to represent the enlisted force. These features and more highlight the July issue of Airman

  • Wilford Hall plays part in cancer study

    Wilford Hall Medical Center researchers were involved in the recent study on the drug finasteride’s ability to prevent prostate cancer. Wilford Hall was the largest study site, providing roughly 10 percent of the participant population, for the seven-year, nationwide study named the Prostate Cancer

  • Events to highlight nation's support

    More than 4,000 military troops and Department of Defense civilians will take part in Independence Day events across the United States. The events are part of Operation Tribute to Freedom, the DOD initiative encouraging Americans to thank and support U.S. troops.The servicemembers and civilians

  • Ganci airmen rebuild children's playground

    About 40 children from the nearby Kyrgyzstan Tuberculosis Research Institute are smiling more broadly since airmen from here completed a playground.More than 68 airmen here put the finishing touches on the playground and dedicated it to the children June 30.The initial idea for the project started

  • OSI finds more than ‘bad guys’

    They are commonly perceived as undercover agents in black hats and trench coats, but the agents of the Air Force Office of Special Investigations Detachment 410 here are capable of much more than investigating the “bad guys” on base. Special agents also maintain close liaisons with local authorities

  • Predator team prowls Iraq

    It hunts alone, flying quietly for more than 20 hours at a time, carefully scouring the Earth for the most minute evidence of ground activity and discretely relaying intelligence information to analysts half a world away. But on a moment's notice, the Predator unmanned aerial vehicle can transform

  • Nation will not forsake missing

    The quest to account for missing servicemen from the Vietnam, Korean and Cold Wars and World War II "is unwavering, untiring and will not fail." That is what Jerry D. Jennings said during the 34th annual National League of Families conclave here June 27. The war against terrorism, including

  • ‘Red Horse’ rides in to Tallil

    Part of the 1st Expeditionary Red Horse Group stepped off a plane here June 26 on the very runway they came to repair. The 11-person heavy operational repair team will fix more than 40 surface chips in both base runways, according to officials.Onced repaired, the runways will be able to withstand

  • Upgrade halts service temporarily

    An upgrade to the Defense Civilian Personnel Data System will shut down its services July 18 to 31, according to Air Force Personnel Center officials here.The improvement, which affects the servicing of more than 130,000 Air Force civilian employees, will allow all Department of Defense civilians to

  • cVIP speeds job-application process

    New and current civilian employees inprocessing or being assigned to new positions in the Air Force can now fill out many of the employment forms online, according to Air Force Personnel Center officials here.Applicants who have been contacted with a tentative job offer can use the Web-based

  • Software streamlines travel process

    A new software program being tested by defense travel system officials will make arranging, paying and reimbursing official government travel a speedy, seamless and almost paperless process, according to officials.A software program, called the "Enhanced Jefferson," is transforming the way the

  • Linguists speak for team

    Targeteers and engineers are obvious choices for a weapons-assessment team. However, often Arab linguists are the first to speak to the Iraqis about what happened, according to officials.Linguists have been integral as the Combined Weapons Effectiveness Assessment Team travels to different impact

  • Hardships affect mobilization length

    Mobilized reservists may request to remain on or get off active duty because of personal or financial hardship caused by mobilization, early deactivation or demobilization."We look at each situation, whether it's a request to remain mobilized or a request to demobilize early," said Col. Mike

  • ‘Captured’ Iraqi fuel tested for use

    As the mission in Iraq shifts daily toward stabilization, finding ways to reorganize and power the country’s infrastructure become more important, according to officials.The capture of large stores of Iraqi fuel at Baghdad International Airport and Kirkuk and Tallil air bases will aid in the

  • Smallpox vaccine side effects ‘rare’

    Mass smallpox vaccinations can be conducted safely with "very low" rates of serious adverse effects, the Defense Department's senior medical official said June 25.The military will continue with its vaccination program because the smallpox bioterror threat remains, said Dr. William Winkenwerder,

  • 900 face involuntary retraining

    More than 900 airmen may be involuntarily moved to shortage career skills starting July 7, according to Air Force Personnel Center officials here.Although 450 airmen volunteered to change career fields during the initial phase of this year’s noncommissioned officer retraining program, it was not

  • Invention makes moving patients safer

    Air Force and civilian engineers have developed a non-sparking electrical outlet for a frequency converter making aeromedical evacuations safer and easier.Engineers from the 311th Human Systems Program Office’s aeromedical test branch here began working on the new converter because of potential

  • General receives management award

    Lt. Gen. Brian A. Arnold is the winner of the 2002 Eugene M. Zuckert Management Award. Secretary of the Air Force Dr. James G. Roche presented him with the award during a ceremony in the Pentagon on June 24.This award is named after Eugene M. Zuckert, who served as secretary of the Air Force from

  • Base accessed by hand scanner

    Air Force officials kicked off a 90-day test period June 23 for the first large-scale use of hand-scan technology that could allow thousands of people to enter the base with just a wave of their hand.People wanting to access the base from the new Shiloh-Scott MetroLink station now use a

  • C-141 crew guides aircraft to safety

    A C-141 Starlifter aircrew from here led three people on a civilian cargo aircraft to safety after an apparent navigational-equipment malfunction caused them to become disoriented in bad weather off the coast of New Zealand.“They appeared to have no reliable navigational fix,” navigator Maj. Jeff

  • AF tries reducing deployment discrepancies

    Today’s Air Force is expeditionary, and all airmen should be prepared to deploy to support military operations worldwide, according to Maj. Gen. Timothy A. Peppe.The majority of airmen arriving in an area of responsibility are ready to accomplish their mission, however, nearly 10 percent report for

  • LULAC honors airman, service

    A weeklong League of United Latin American Citizens 2003 Convention ended here June 20 with a tribute to a fallen airman and the presentation of a community outreach award to the Air Force.The organization honored Airman 1st Class Raymond Losano, 24, who was killed in a firefight in Afghanistan on

  • Unpowered gliders resume flight

    The 94th Flying Training Squadron here resumed unpowered glider flights June 23.The flights were suspended in mid-May to “address glider operations guidance shortcomings, and leadership and cultural issues in the squadron,” said Brig. Gen. John Weida, the academy’s acting superintendent.Officer

  • Myers nominated for second term

    President George W. Bush has nominated Gen. Richard Myers for a second two-year term as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.Myers has served in the position since Oct. 1, 2001. The Senate must confirm the nomination.He was the vice chairman before becoming chairman.He was nominated as chairman

  • Air Force ends Stop-Loss

    The last of the airmen whose retirement or separation was delayed by Stop-Loss for Operation Iraqi Freedom were released June 23 and will be eligible to leave the service July 31.Air Force officials authorized Stop-Loss for 43 officer and 56 enlisted specialties in early March to meet national

  • NATO chaplain chiefs build relationships

    For the first time in 12 years, the chiefs of NATO nations' air forces' chaplaincies have come to the United States for their annual conference.The weeklong NATO Allied Air Force Chief of Chaplains Consultative Conference, held jointly at both the Pentagon and Andrews Air Force Base, Md., ended June

  • Photographers capture bomb damage in Iraq

    Master Sgt. Michael Best has taken photographs for 28 years. The past 20 years, he has made his living taking photos for the Air Force.But on a sunny, sultry day in mid-June in Iraq’s capital city, he is looking for more than just photos. He is looking for snipers.“I’m sure the force-protection

  • AF considers new uniform

    Air Force officials are considering an Air Force-distinctive uniform to replace the current battle dress uniform, according to service officials.A fit and wear test of the uniform is pending, officials said. The test will determine the best direction to respond to Air Force needs for a 21st century

  • Addition extends weapon’s range

    Workers here have begun work to create greater range and accuracy for wind-corrected munitions dispensers.Area attack systems program office workers are helping design and develop wings for the dispensers as well as adding a global positioning system to aid the weapon’s inertial-guidance system.Both

  • FAST encourages minority students to fly

    The Air Force’s Flight Awareness Summer Training orientation program encourages ROTC cadets in minority-based college and university programs to investigate careers in aviation.Twenty-two cadets enrolled in the three-week program at Delaware State University attended the FAST forum at Dover Air

  • Roadmap outlines tanker fleet changes

    The Air Force released a plan June 18 outlining the retirement of the remaining 133 E-model KC-135 Stratotankers and the proposed integration of the 100 KC-767A tankers it is leasing from Boeing.Through the “tanker roadmap,” the Air Force is laying out the initial stages of tanker recapitalization

  • Nuclear careers combine degrees, PME

    Officers in nuclear-related career fields will be among the first to participate in a program that combines professional military education and advanced-educational degrees, a Pentagon official said.Majors through colonels in nuclear science and engineering career fields will be able to earn both

  • One-stop shopping for U.S. defense

    People lingering in the newly built hallways of the U.S. Northern Command headquarters building here are likely to hear the phrase “one-stop shopping.”America’s newest military command is patterned on a simple retail concept that has been around for years -- everything people need in one convenient

  • AEF Center improves ‘online’ site

    The Air and Space Expeditionary Force Center here recently launched an improved version of their Web site, “AEF Online,” to help airmen learn more about the AEF and provide information about deployments.“We’ve made the site more user-friendly and more pleasing to the eye. Our goal was to organize

  • Spending accounts open for enrollment

    Enrollments in the federal Flexible Spending Accounts program are now being accepted by the contractor. The deadline for Air Force civilians to enroll in the program has been extended to June 27, according to Air Force Personnel Center officials here.FSA is a new employment benefit that allows

  • Airmen reminded to update vRED

    In the five months since the official launch of the virtual record of emergency data, more than 383,000 airmen have updated their contact information. While this number is impressive, there is more work to be done, according to Air Force Personnel Center officials here."It's imperative we have

  • Plan in motion to bring support troops home

    When the Air Force deployed its fighting forces for Operation Iraqi Freedom, a substantial portion of that contingent, about 65 percent, came from the installations and logistics community. This included civil engineers, services, supply, transportation and maintenance troops and airmen from the

  • ‘Young Eagles' take flight

    An "experience to remember" is how 12-year-old Danielle Orcutt described her recent flight here in a World War II-era aircraft piloted by retired Brig. Gen. Chuck Yeager.Danielle and 39 other "Young Eagles" were given the privilege of flying with aviation legends after winning an essay contest

  • Exercise gives warfighters’ perspective

    Thirty-eight Air Force Research Laboratory scientists and engineers traveled to Fort Drum, N.Y., May 31 to June 13 for Phoenix Warrior 2003.This annual exercise is tailored to show new technologies to the warfighting community and expose laboratory scientists and engineers to an operational

  • Post-deployment assessment improves health care

    The Air Force surgeon general is meeting the health challenges of airmen returning from Operation Iraqi Freedom with a more vigorous, face-to-face approach.Health-care providers have expanded and improved existing procedures by combining a larger database of existing health information about airmen,

  • Rumsfeld calls Belgium suits ‘absurd’

    Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said June 12 that American officials may stop attending NATO meetings in Belgium because of a law that allows "spurious" suits accusing American leaders of war crimes.Rumsfeld said the United States will withhold any further funding for a new NATO headquarters

  • Technical orders a mouse-click away

    Well-thumbed-through volumes of technical orders are going the way of quill pens and ink pots here as a growing number of workers are using a browser-based TO library.Two years in the making, the library puts the latest technical orders a mouse-click away from each of the 10,000 or so mechanics at

  • Reserve air fleet call-up ending

    Gen. John W. Handy, commander of U.S. Transportation Command and Air Mobility Command, has determined that continuing the Civil Reserve Air Fleet call-up is not required. Fleet carriers have been notified that passenger aircraft called up to support Operation Iraqi Freedom will be released June

  • A-10s ready for OEF action

    About 150 people and eight A-10 Thunderbolt IIs deployed to Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan, from Spangdahlem AB, Germany, to stand guard and support Operation Enduring Freedom and the war on terrorism.Spangdahlem’s people are taking over combat operations from the Maryland Air National Guard’s 104th

  • June 14 dedicated to 'Old Glory'

    Old Glory. Stars and Stripes. The Star-Spangled Banner.Most people know the names of the flag of the United States and that June 14 is Flag Day, but there is much more to one of the nation's most cherished symbols than its many monikers."It is important for us to commemorate our flag because it

  • Time to modernize civilian personnel

    The "time is here and now" to modernize Defense Department personnel practices with changes to the civil service system, said David S. C. Chu, undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness, during a Pentagon briefing June 10.In a step that will transform the way the DOD does business, Chu

  • On-site trainers saving time, money

    Seven Air Education and Training Command instructors will bring a Robins initiative to life soon that not only saves the government thousands of dollars, it allows 3,000 additional depot technicians to be trained annually.The program, also being implemented at Air Force Materiel Command air

  • International students build more than language skills

    In today’s world of international relations, building coalitions is important. For a group of international military students here, the term “building” recently took on a much different meaning. Rather than building a geopolitical relationship with their fellow students from other countries, these

  • Security meets diplomacy

    Although the main objective of the 376th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron is to protect people and resources at Ganci Air Base, Kyrgyzstan, some of the squadron airmen have also a diplomatic role in their security duties.Tech. Sgt. Lex Goan regularly works one of the special posts patrolling a

  • Air Force surveying reservists

    This year, for the first time, the Air Force Climate Survey will include all Air Force reservists.Feedback from last year’s study, formerly the Air Force Chief of Staff Survey, prompted the Air Force to involve a larger audience in the new survey, which will gauge factors affecting the day-to-day

  • Modifications give F-16s new life

    America's premier multirole fighter is “slipping” into some tougher armor that promises to extend the aircraft's life by about eight years.The F-16 Service Life Improvement Program modifications, better known as SLIP, are "all about extending these aircraft -- putting them back up to get more life

  • Re-enlistment bonuses adjusted

    Air Force officials recently revised re-enlistment bonuses, adding or increasing 40 career field zones and decreasing or removing 100, according to Air Force Personnel Center officials here.The revision to the selective re-enlistment bonus program includes additions of zones in two career fields

  • Leaders hold town-hall meeting

    Battle lessons learned, professional military education and air and space expeditionary force issues headlined discussions between Air Force leaders and 300 military and civilian people here during a first Air Force Town Hall meeting June 5.Secretary of the Air Force Dr. James G. Roche; Gen. John P.

  • Student earns $128,000 for college

    An Osan American High School student here won a $128,000 scholarship for college and a guaranteed job with the Defense Intelligence Agency.Jason Pederson, an 18-year-old senior, applied for the scholarship at the prodding of his junior ROTC sergeant and will now receive an $18,000-a-year stipend.A

  • U-2 pilot receiving Kolligian trophy

    Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper will present Maj. Jeffrey Olesen, a U-2 Dragon Lady pilot, with the 2002 Koren Kolligian Jr. Trophy during a June 13 ceremony at the Pentagon.Olesen, assistant director of operations for the 1st Reconnaissance Squadron here, will receive the award for

  • Air Force teams win acquisition awards

    Two Air Force teams received the 2003 David Packard Excellence in Acquisition Award during a ceremony June 4 at Fort Belvoir, Va.The Air Force winners of the Department of Defense’s most prestigious team award for acquisition excellence are the Joint Direct Attack Munition’s joint program office and

  • Rumsfeld clarifies civilian-workforce proposal

    Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld cleared up some misconceptions about the proposed Department of Defense civilian personnel system during testimony before the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee on June 4.Rumsfeld said that the current system is not flexible and agile enough to confront the

  • War and Peace -- a look at Operation Iraqi Freedom

    As Operation Iraqi Freedom transitioned from war- fighting to peacekeeping, the speed of the campaign came as a surprise to some deployed airmen, but was a welcome relief to all.At the 40th Air Expeditionary Wing, Chief Master Sgt. Daniel Mingo said his troops were braced for the long haul, but

  • Officials improve speed of Iraq mail

    Even in the era of e-mail, getting a letter from loved ones is important.The Military Postal Service Agency has received a number of complaints about the speed of mail deliveries to and from Iraq. Officials are aware of the problems and expect changes to ease some stumbling blocks.The main problem,

  • Airman gets wounded brother-in-law home

    Capt. Mike Lentz has always taken pride in his work. As a special-assignment airlift-missions planner at Air Mobility Command's Tanker Airlift Control Center here, Lentz coordinates airlift for dignitaries such as the president, secretary of defense and other high-profile individuals.The importance

  • Officials set promotion release dates

    The Air Force plans to release its list of new technical and master sergeant promotions June 26 (June 27 for those units across the international date line). The list of new staff sergeant promotions will be released Aug. 13 (Aug. 14 for those units across the international date line).The lists of

  • SSG will head technology council

    Standard Systems Group experts here will now develop Air Force-wide strategies for buying and managing information technology products as they assume their role as head of the new Air Force Information Technology Commodity Council. The council will stand up in mid-June.John Gilligan, Air Force

  • Air Force countersnipers go offensive

    Two Air Force security forces airmen deployed to Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan, got what they called, “the chance of a lifetime,” June 1 when they embarked on a combat patrol in eastern Afghanistan with the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division. Senior Airmen Luke Allen and Rusty Youngblood, both 820th

  • Civilian-personnel system ‘not cutting it’

    The civilian-personnel system in the Defense Department "is not cutting it," said Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld on June 3.Rumsfeld, who spoke at the National Press Club, said that the department is handcuffed by its reliance on an antiquated personnel system. He called today's

  • June issue of Airman available

    Learn about some of the famous firsts in military aviation, read about the continuing mission in Afghanistan and take a look at the “Warriors of the North” at Grand Forks Air Force Base, N.D. These features and more highlight the June issue of Airman magazine, now available in print and online at

  • C-17 weapons instructor course set for July

    This summer, a very select group of C-17 instructor pilots will head back to school in an effort to earn their Globemaster III doctorate.Starting July 3, the four students will become the first class at the new five-and-a-half-month C-17 Weapons Instructor Course at McGuire Air Force Base, N.J.“The

  • Phoenix Readiness training ends

    Air Mobility Command’s Phoenix Readiness combat training has ended and will be replaced in October by the Air Force's expeditionary combat-support training program, Eagle Flag. The training cadre at the Air Mobility Warfare Center here are excited about Eagle Flag.“It's exciting for us to be

  • AF simplifies travel-payment processing

    The Air Force has automated the process of filing travel-accrual payment requests for military travelers, making it available on the Virtual Military Personnel Flight Web page.“This should simplify the process not only for the traveler but also deployed and home-station financial services offices,”

  • Air Force workers awarded patent

    Two modeling and fabrication shop workers from the Air Force Research Laboratory’s information directorate here have been awarded a patent for developing an advanced aircraft ground power unit for Army Comanche helicopters.Michael Iselo, shop supervisor, and production controller Timothy Hurley

  • Lab techs ensure precision engagement

    Air Force precision munitions, used with great success during Operation Iraqi Freedom, could only achieve those results through expertly calibrated weapon systems, said the service’s metrology and calibration program manager at the Pentagon.That job, said Senior Master Sgt. Maurice Hubbard, is the

  • Machinist full of money-saving ideas

    Findings ways for the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center to save money is turning into a lucrative sideline for one maintenance directorate machinist here.Timothy Case has earned two $10,000 awards from the IDEA program since December for submissions that amount to annual savings of more than