NATO Air Policing operations

U.S. Air Force News

  • Sijan awards presented at Pentagon

    The four Airmen selected to receive the 2005 Lance P. Sijan Air Force Leadership Award were presented their awards at the Pentagon June 13.Lt. Gen. Arthur J. Lichte, Air Force assistant vice chief of staff and director of staff, presented the awards to:-- Lt. Col. Gerald Ven Dange, Defense Contract

  • Technology offers high-tech patient monitoring

    Wilford Hall Medical Center Critical Care Air Transport Team, or CCATT, members are testing technology designed to improve patient care in the air. The latest advancement in remote monitoring capability, the medical heads-up display, or MHUD, was brought here by technicians from the Air Warfare

  • Joint Prowler team jams at Northern Edge 2006

    The sight of four crewmembers climbing out of a Navy EA-6B Prowler here on the flightline during Northern Edge 2006 is not unusual. However, when one of those four crewmembers is carrying the blue flight cap of an Air Force officer instead of Navy khaki, something might be amiss. But that is not the

  • Keesler newcomers face family housing hurdles

    As this base struggles with housing shortages from Hurricane Katrina's wake, Airmen being assigned here accompanied by family members need to have a plan before they leave their current assignment. Due to Katrina, permission for servicemembers to bring their family members to Keesler has become much

  • Maintainers keep B-2s soaring during deployment

    Maintaining the world’s most advanced multi-role bomber isn’t an easy job. It requires Airmen work long hours to ensure every inch of airframe is ready to launch at a moment’s notice. Anything less would jeopardize the safety of the aircrew, or in the case of this unique aircraft, compromise the

  • Virtual 'heavies' key to Northern Edge simulations

    The days of deploying an E-3 Sentry and other command and control aircraft to military exercises may soon be a rarity. With a large crew and an aging airframe, airborne warning and control systems, or AWACS, are expensive to deploy for a two-week training opportunity. But thanks to powerful computer

  • Training exchange strengthens ties between U.S., Argentina

    A delegation from the Argentinean air force completed a weeklong visit on June 9 to the 479th Flying Training Group here as part of an international exchange program. Capt. Gustavo Pollastrelli, Capt. Juan Sabalua and 1st Lt. Roberto Montaldo, all Argentinean instructor pilots from Mendoza Air Force

  • Proper precautions can prevent skin cancer

    Air Force health officials are reminding Airmen that simple precautions during the summer can help lower the risk of skin cancer. According to the American Cancer Society, more than 1 million cases of non-melanoma skin cancers diagnosed yearly are considered to be sun-related. While short-term

  • Medics humbled by humanitarian experience

    Thirty-three active duty military, civilian and reserve medical professionals have returned home from the Sahara desert after taking part in African Lion 2006, a medical humanitarian exercise in Morocco in late May. Doctors, nurses and technicians representing obstetrics and gynecology, optometry,

  • Predators provide eyes in the sky over Afghanistan

    What has a 50-foot wingspan, buzzes like a giant insect and can put an AGM-114 Hellfire missile through a window from 8,000 miles away?It is the Air Force’s MQ-1 Predator unmanned aerial vehicle, and it’s arguably one of the most requested assets in Operation Enduring Freedom, said Capt. Jonathan

  • Small aircraft take on some of the biggest missions

    Patrolling the sky over Iraq for more than 2,250 hours in May, the 46th Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron here leads the largest unmanned aerial vehicle operation in the world with one of the Air Force’s smallest aircraft -- the MQ-1 Predator. Providing “real-time eyes-in-the-sky,” the squadron

  • Medical wing stands ready for hurricane response

    Commanders at Wilford Hall Medical Center have approved a plan slated to improve medical responses to hurricane emergencies throughout the continental United States. The 59th Medical Wing’s Critical Care Air Transport Team Rapid Hurricane Response Plan was approved and adopted May 26. Hurricane

  • 24/7 personnel services are here

    The Air Force is changing in shape and size, and military personnel flights, or MPFs, are part of this change. Their transformation is called personnel services delivery. Phase One of the transformation has seven groups of changes projected to be in place by December 2007. Two recent changes allow

  • AFSO 21 initiative leads to safer flying at Lakenheath

    As Air Force Smart Operations 21 went Air Force-wide this year, the 48th Fighter Wing here jump-started its program with weekly AFSO 21 initiatives briefed at wing stand-up. “I want every Airman, civilian and (Ministry of Defense) employee on this base to understand, first of all, what AFSO 21 is,

  • Airmen set sail aboard USNS Mercy for humanitarian mission

    Three Airmen from the 374th Medical Group here are deployed to the U.S. Navy hospital ship, USNS Mercy, as it travels through Southeast Asia on a humanitarian mission.The mission is an opportunity for a U.S. team consisting of medical professionals from the Air Force, Army and Navy to work with

  • Air Force women first, men second in armed forces volleyball

    The Air Force women’s team took top honors and the men's team came in second at the 2006 Armed Forces Volleyball Championship here May 11 to 18.The Air Force women faced the host Army team in their first match, beating them three straight games -- 25-13, 25-16 and 25-13.Kristin Huitt (a 2nd

  • Security forces begin transfer of mission to Iraqis

    The 506th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron has begun the transfer of its mission to the Iraqi government. Following the transfer of authority to the Iraqi Army by the U.S. Army in April, security forces Airmen here are now shifting their combat patrol mission of the base defense zone to the

  • Center saves millions, improves warfighting abilities

    Airmen deploying in support of operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom can travel a little lighter now, thanks to the new Expeditionary Theater Distribution Center. The center here is one of three consolidated mobility bag distribution hubs that went fully operational this rotation, saving

  • Nearly 50 Air Force, Army teams compete in adventure race

    While the morning sun swiftly ascended the West Texas sky, 360 Airmen, Soldiers, civilians and spouses psyched themselves up for a grueling, intense endeavor as the start of the second annual Laughlin Air Force Base Adventure Race drew near May 13. The race would take 49 teams from two branches of

  • Airmen learn to deal with enemy misinformation

    “Loose lips sink ships.” The phrase spearheaded a campaign to keep military members from revealing sensitive information during World War II. In fact, it was so effective the phrase still means something to many Americans 65 years later. Keeping operational secrets from the enemy is still vital

  • AFIT team wins national case study competition

    A select panel of distinguished senior U.S. Department of State diplomats and executives yesterday chose four students from the Air Force Institute of Technology as the winners of its national case study competition. The team, consisting of Majs. Timothy Kirk, Ita Udoaka and Carolyn Wood

  • Airmen call in 'air strikes' on Louisiana communities

    Fighter jets and bombers fly overhead making multiple passes to intercept and destroy enemy targets called in by Air Force joint terminal air controllers. One pass is to destroy a building with enemy snipers. Another pass is to track a man riding a motorcycle suspected of carrying a bomb in his

  • Balad remains one busy airfield

    Aircraft pack the flightline here and operations are non-stop and intense. C-130 Hercules, MQ-1 Predators, F-16 Fighting Falcons and HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopters all call this busy base home. The men and women who support the aircraft say Balad has the busiest single-runway airfield in the Department

  • PJs train to keep U.S. waters safe

    The Air Force Reserve Command's 304th Rescue Squadron here hosted a Homeland Defense-sponsored underwater hazardous devices search course at the Portland Air National Guard base May 8 to 12 to help pararescuemen and local public safety divers keep Oregon and Washington’s ports safe from

  • Radar upgrade key to future B-1 combat capability

    The Air Force recently awarded a $180-million contract to the Boeing Company to upgrade the fire-control radar on the service's fleet of 67 B-1B Lancer long-range bomber aircraft. The nine-year Reliability and Maintainability Improvement Program, or RMIP, will replace two units that make up the

  • Global Hawk operations reach new high

    Battlefield awareness has reached new levels with Global Hawk production-model aircraft flying in the U.S. Central Command Air Forces theater. Reaching a breakthrough point in April, the Global Hawk team has maximized the aircraft’s sorties, collecting more than 96 percent of the target area --

  • C-17 pilot receives Koren Kolligian Jr. Trophy

    The skies over West Texas March 10, 2005 could have come right off a picture postcard:  blue, cloudless and so clear you could see horizon to horizon. It was, as one Air Force pilot put it, a perfect day for flying. Capt. Andreas Ix and his C-17 Globemaster III aircrew were participating in a

  • Agency works to bring all Americans home alive

    Every day, officials at the Joint Personnel Recovery Agency track the status of efforts to find 20 Americans believed to still be alive but "isolated" outside the United States. In recovery terminology, isolated personnel are U.S. servicemembers, Defense Department civilians or contractors separated

  • Navigator takes on training challenge

    A C-130 Hercules navigator said helping train the Airmen of the Iraqi Air Force's first operational transport unit was no easy task. Capt. Jeremy Smith of the 37th Airlift Squadron here served a tour with the 777th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron’s advisory committee at Balad Air Base, Iraq, helping

  • Red Flag-Alaska wraps up

    More than 84 aircraft and 1,500 Air Force active duty, Reserve, and National Guard Airmen here and at Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska, wrapped up the first Red Flag-Alaska, held April 24 through May 5. Until this year, the exercise had been known as Cope Thunder.Pilots, maintainers, weapons

  • Airborne Airmen, Soldiers train together

    The Air Force lost a shade of blue last week when more than 30 airborne-qualified Airmen and their counterparts from the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division jumped into a simulated unusable airfield during a Joint Forced Entry Exercise here. The exercise tested the teams’ abilities to “jump out of a

  • A world away, Airmen enjoy hometown tradition

    About 50 Airmen deployed here participated in Bloomsday Away on May 7, bringing an annual tradition from Spokane, Wash., to military members half a world away. The city’s annual Bloomsday 12K is a popular race with more than 50,000 participants annually. Airmen deployed here from Fairchild Air Force

  • Air Force names 2005 Mission Support Award winners

    The winners of the 2005 Mission Support Awards were announced May 2.The results are: PersonnelGen. Robert J. Dixon Personnel Award: Senior Master Sgt. Jimmy Jones, Randolph Air Force Base, Texas. Gen. Horace M. Wade Innovation Award: Tech. Sgt. Wendy Davis, Tyndall AFB, Fla. Gerrit D. Foster Jr.

  • Joint exercise tests Reservists' skills

    Two climbers were missing for more than two days on Mount Hood -- that was the scenario when Reservists from the 304th Rescue Squadron in Portland, Ore., partnered with five civilian rescue organizations in a search and rescue exercise. Approximately 50 search and rescue professionals from the

  • Airmen help Iraqi pilots fly again

    Pilots from the Iraqi Air Force are waiting patiently for a team of Airmen to arrive from Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. It’s this team that can get them up in the air and flying again. The mission of the Iraqi 3rd Squadron hinges on the work of the Air Force Flight Test Center. The center sent a

  • Cadet named to wrestling coaches' All-Academic Team

    Air Force Academy senior Beau Tresemer of Norman, Okla., was one of 68 wrestlers named to the National Wrestling Coaches Association's 2005-06 All-Academic Team.A 2006 NCAA qualifier at 165 pounds, Tresemer has compiled a 3.210 cumulative grade point average while majoring in legal studies at the

  • Long hours the norm for deployed Globemaster crews

    It is contrary to what common sense dictates. A series of short C-17 Globemaster III flights demand intense aircrew energy and stamina. But longer sorties remain more physically manageable. “Either way you look at it, our C-17 crews put in long hours that place physical and mental demands on the

  • Andrews radio operators assist crewmembers worldwide

    As an Air Force aircraft approaches Yokota Air Base, Japan, the pilot sets his radio to a specified frequency and says, “Main Sail, Main Sail” -- the call sign for any global radio station. Within seconds, the pilot hears, “This is the Yokota operator.” That operator is actually with the 789th

  • Collaborative tools assist initiatives during JEFX '06

    The Air Force Command and Control Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Center sponsored a new collaborative tool that was part of the Joint Expeditionary Force Experiment 2006 here. The Integrated Battlespace Collaborative Communications tool, known as IBC2, was tested over the new Tactical

  • Tyndall receives F-22 maintenance trainer

    An F-22A Raptor touched down at Tyndall April 19 on its final flight. The aircraft will now be the new ground instructional trainer, solely dedicated as the airframe for aircraft maintenance technical school students. "Previously, the 43rd Aircraft Maintenance Unit was required to provide an

  • Luke sees big rewards from marketing environment

    The environmental flight at any one Air Force base is like any other across the Air Force. They are always looking for new ways to protect the environment while improving the Air Force’s quality of life. That is why education and awareness programs are their bread and butter. “I love to educate,”

  • Travis cyclists pedal with the president

    When the person on the other end of the telephone line told Capt. James Weinstein to choose four of his mountain biking club’s best riders to join the president of the United States for a ride, he thought it was a joke. “I was like, 'Yeah right, who is this really?'” he said. However, after the

  • Warfare flight works behind the scenes

    The hum of computer fans, the tapping of fingers on keyboards and the occasional ring of a telephone are all that are normally heard in this office. But don't let the quiet fool you -- the office staff is working to ensure that technological advances aren’t being used against the Air Force. The 8th

  • Luke Airmen share environmental innovation

    A small group of Airmen here have spent the past several days sharing an Air Force environmental innovation and educating some leaders of tomorrow. These environmentally conscious Airmen are volunteers in the base’s environmental quality program. The innovation is a new environment-friendly

  • Missions begin with air tasking order

    Though Red Flag-Alaska 06-2 is an enhanced training opportunity for the U.S. military, the game is still the same: war. Air Force active duty, National Guard and Reserve units from across the United States are participating in the two-week joint training exercise that started April 24.Since

  • DUIs carry all sorts of consequences

    A conviction for driving under the influence can be deadly to an Air Force career.Four Moody Airmen have been arrested in the last six weeks for DUIs; these convictions will likely follow the Airmen for the rest of their careers. Both civilian and military DUI convictions can bring sobering effects

  • Histopathology provides rapid diagnosis

    Physicians often determine the presence and cause of diseases in patients through histopathology, the study of human tissue under the microscope.“Histopathology has evolved with pathology as a science,” said Capt. (Dr.) Jonathan McClain, chief of the 89th Medical Support Squadron histopathology

  • Analysis brings information faster to warfighters

    Fusion for the Air and Space Operations Center is one of many important initiatives currently being tested here during Joint Expeditionary Force Experiment 2006.Intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance analysts are testing the Predictive Awareness and Network-Centric Analysis for Collaborative

  • Marathon runners conquer Boston, Heartbreak Hill

    Runners from around the world hit the streets of Boston and its suburbs April 17 on a winding, 26.2-mile course that is the Boston Marathon -- a Patriot's Day tradition here in "The Hub." Mixed in with the world's elite sneakers pounding the pavement, were runners from the Air Force and the military

  • Airmen missing in action from WWII identified

    The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office has announced that the remains of 11 U.S. Airmen, missing in action from World War II, have been identified and are being returned to their families for burial with full military honors. They are Capt. Thomas Paschal, El Monte, Calif.; 1st Lt.

  • Air Force wrestlers compete in Las Vegas tournament

    The Air Force wrestling team competed April 12 through 15 in the USA National Senior Men’s and Women’s Wrestling Championships at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Of the approximately 30 Air Force members who competed, one was able to advance to the USA Wrestling World Team Trials. Capt. Anthony

  • Air Force Academy wins NSA Cyber Defense Exercise

    The National Security Agency announced today that the Air Force Academy is the winner of the agency’s 6th Annual Cyber Defense Exercise. The exercise was conducted April 10 to 14 here, at the NSA’s Maryland headquarters and the nation’s other military service academies. During the exercise,

  • Red Flag-Alaska readies Airmen for deployment

    Red Flag-Alaska 06-2 participants have arrived and set up shop at this interior Alaska base to prepare for the annual exercise previously called Cope Thunder. More than 1,500 active duty, Reserve and Air National Guard Airmen, 84 aircraft and an Army and Navy unit will train for two weeks in the Air

  • Base defense mission goes beyond perimeter

    Most security forces Airmen patrol the base looking for anything out of the ordinary and pull 12-hour shifts in towers along the fenceline.But, for Airmen assigned to the 506th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron, their mission is different. They take the base defense mission beyond the wire and

  • New radio technology keeps troops in touch

    Riding as part of a convoy escort team outside the wire, the Airman feels alone. Feeling nervous, he keys his radio mic to check in with his base -- and hears nothing but dead air. To ensure scenarios like this don’t occur, the Air Force is leading a joint implementation of a new “Radio over

  • Boston Marathon comes to Iraq

    Not everyone can run in the Boston Marathon -- especially if he or she is deployed. But, for U.S. and coalition forces here, the marathon came to them.For the second year, the Boston Athletic Association has brought this sanctioned event to Iraq. More than 250 men and women ran either individually

  • C-130s keep convoys out of Sunni Triangle

    It’s not as fast as the latest-model cargo jets. It can’t carry as much cargo as its sister transports and its ride can be a bit bumpy. But the C-130 Hercules -- a 50-year-old transport -- is dependable. It can carry anything from Airmen to office supplies. “We’re like the (pickup truck) of the Air

  • Dover Airmen stabilize C-5 crash site

    When the 436th Civil Engineer Squadron fire chief responded to an emergency notification here April 3, he wasn’t sure what to expect. “Anytime you see an aircraft not sitting on its wheels, it is worse than you expected,” said Senior Master Sgt. Dwight Davis.More than 20 firefighters arrived to find

  • Airmen can reduce combat stress when deployed

    Many things can cause stress when deployed. The experience can be as serious as coming under attack during convoy operations, or as simple as having to deal with a new boss. Missing family and friends back home can also strike a nerve. Even if servicemembers realize they might need help, the thought

  • Physical therapy program confers first doctoral degrees

    Two Air Force officers received diplomas and were conferred doctoral degrees in physical therapy during a graduation ceremony here April 7.Capt. Linda Currier and 1st Lt. Elissa Ballas graduated along with 10 Army officers after 27 months of study in the highly ranked U.S. Army-Baylor University

  • Pilot in F-16 crash treated and released

    The F-16 Fighting Falcon student pilot whose plane crashed April 11 was treated and released from a local medical center after safely ejecting from the aircraft. Capt. Jason Attaway, assigned to the 62nd Fighter Squadron, was on a two-ship student training mission heading toward an air-to-air

  • DOD attacks rising pharmacy costs

    In the first year since the Department of Defense began using the uniform formulary process to review and classify prescription drugs, $500 million has been saved.In addition, the Pharmacy Data Transaction Service, or PDTS, has avoided more than 171,000 potentially life-threatening drug interactions

  • Space superiority a priority for Air Force authority

    They almost scrapped the mission. An Air Force weather officer and the satellites at his disposal talked them out of it. It was a cold night in March 2003. With rain and low visibility, more than 1,000 Soldiers aboard 16 C-17 Globemaster IIIs waited to either go on their parachute mission into

  • U.S., Australian forces team up in realistic training

    Three Air Force B-1 Lancers recently flew more than 7,000 miles and 16 hours to participate in the Royal Australian Air Force’s Aces South exercise, providing realistic training for the coalition partners. “It was a tremendous success for all parties,” said Lt. Col. Thomas Curran, commander of the

  • Fighting Falcon pilot earns Jabara Award

    Capt. John Vargas, a 1996 graduate of the Air Force Academy, has won the 2006 Colonel James Jabara Award, presented annually by the Air Force for excellence in airmanship. Captain Vargas, an F-16 Fighting Falcon pilot, completed 45 combat missions totaling more than 200 hours in operations Iraqi

  • ESC Rapid Improvement Event speeds up hiring process

    Electronic Systems Center's first Rapid Improvement Event cut the fat out of the civilian hiring process here, identifying a potential 58-percent reduction in the total time it takes to process a Request for Personnel Action, or RPA, and submit it to the Air Force Personnel Center. In only three

  • Shaw pilot located after crash

    The pilot of the F-16 Fighting Falcon assigned here that crashed April 5 at around 5:40 p.m. was found by the U.S. Coast Guard about two hours later and taken to a nearby U.S. Navy ship for stabilization. Capt. Ted Shultz, assigned to the 55th Fighter Squadron here, was then transported via Coast

  • Air Force Reserve goes Hollywood

    Hundreds of cast, crew and extras from a proposed WB Network series converged here for a marathon day of filming March 27. They came here to work on the pilot episode of “Mercy Reef,” a science-fiction themed program that could appear on the network as early as this fall, according to Lisa Lewis,

  • Engineers juggle needs, wants with reality

    The wing headquarters building here and the security forces buildings on either side of it are the kind of structures that make an engineer tip his head and rub his chin. With oddly sloping roofs and walls, these buildings seem to waste space. A peek inside a renovated building proves that the

  • Memorial held for Airman killed in Operation Iraqi Freedom

    More than 300 people attended a memorial ceremony April 1 for the first Airman from Sather Air Base killed in combat while supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. Tech. Sgt. Walter Moss, 447th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron explosive ordnance disposal flight technician, was killed in an explosion

  • Ramstein airlift mission at full speed

    This airlift hub is now the main “pit stop” on the United States-to-Iraq supply route because of its high-tech facilities and ability to fix aircraft. That makes Ramstein not only the “gateway to Europe,” but also the “gateway to U.S. Central Command,” said Col. Jeff Derrick, commander of the 723rd

  • Exchanging with pilots from 'down under'

    The mission of U.S. Air Force’s refueling aircraft is to carry out global air refueling, airlift and humanitarian assignments. That mission is not only accomplished by U.S. pilots. Foreign exchange pilots from Australia assigned to Fairchild help their U.S. counterparts achieve that mission. The

  • Cadet selected to compete at NCAA championships

    Senior Brian Moore will close out an impressive four-year collegiate career by representing the Air Force Academy as an all-around competitor at the 2006 NCAA Men’s National Collegiate Gymnastics Championships, the selection committee announced March 28. The NCAA Championships will be held April 6

  • Kingpins use blend of old, new technology to counter threats

    In the sky over Iraq, technology developed in the 1940s helps fight a 21st century war. From their unique vantage point, the Kirkuk long-range radar surveillance site searches the sky. It’s almost as if the slow cyclonic pace hypnotizes everything in the airspace to spill their deep dark secrets --

  • Treating Airmen outside the wire

    Most medical teams deployed to Iraq treat their patients from the forward operating base, but three Airmen in Kirkuk are taking their knowledge to the streets by providing medical care to security forces troops outside the wire. The 506th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron boasts a medical cell

  • Maintainers repair Iraqi police station radio

    For four members of the 407th Expeditionary Communications Squadron, their latest job was not a usual one. Three ground radio maintainers and their flight commander responded to a request to fix a high frequency radio belonging to an Iraqi police station. The HF radio is important because of its

  • Controllers bring airpower directly to fight

    Airmen working side-by-side with the Army has become common place these days. But long before Airmen began performing convoy duties and other jobs historically done by their Army counterparts, Tactical Air Control Parties were assigned to Army combat maneuver units around the world. TACPs live,

  • Spangdahlem mechanics fix jet engines on ‘the line’

    Mechanics at this base fix F-16 Fighting Falcon engines on a production line that makes the process of getting engines back in service more predictable. The 52nd Component Maintenance Squadron’s propulsion flight switched to the new maintenance method less than a month ago as part of a lean

  • Teamwork keeps Bosnia air base safe

    Tuzla Air Base, Bosnia, has an airfield that has been maintained by the Air Force since the mid 90s. But because it was a pre-existing location, many issues of safety, that would be disallowed at a stateside or NATO base, must be covered in a waiver package under United States Air Forces in Europe

  • Stage facility provides aircrews one-stop support

    A management team at this base is helping aircrews spend less time preparing for flying with a streamlined, one-stop approach to en route mission planning. The result is an increase in mission velocity, said Lt. Col. James Kirk, commander of the 726th Air Mobility Squadron. That leads to a more

  • NCO gets jail for promotion test cheating

    An 18-year master sergeant was sentenced to a bad conduct discharge, demotion to airman basic and two months confinement by a military judge during a special court-martial here March 20 after pleading guilty to cheating on a promotion test in 2004.Master Sgt. Ulysses S. Dotson of the 733rd Air

  • Reservists' mission keeps 'boots on the ground'

    It’s hot, dry, windy and dangerous on the air base. Sand blows in your face and stings like it would at the beach. But this is no beach. This is where people from Charleston Air Force Base, S.C., are playing a vital role in the war on terrorism, thousands of miles from home. Chief Master Sgt. Tim

  • C-17 surpasses its 1 millionth flying hour

    A C-17 Globemaster III on a routine air evacuation mission from Iraq flew the Air Force transport fleet past the 1 millionth flying hour mark on its return to this airlift hub today. There were no bands or dignitaries waiting for the plane -- from the Mississippi Air National Guard’s 172nd Airlift

  • F-16 Fighting Falcon covers multiple missions

    Hundreds of physical and mental training hours go into being a part of one of the most advanced careers in the world -- an F-16 Fighting Falcon pilot. The F-16’s multiple missions, such as air-to-air and air-to-ground combat, make it one of the most versatile aircraft in the Air Force, said Capt.

  • Combat-ready for 50 years: B-52s fly past another milestone

    The B-52 Stratofortress reached a milestone March 12 with the 50th anniversary of the first B-52 wing being declared combat-ready. The 93rd Bombardment Wing was declared combat-ready March 12, 1956, after being activated June 29, 1955. Although it had been declared combat-ready for 10 years, the

  • F-15s, MiGs are allies in the sky

    Multinational pilots from the United States and Malaysia have joined forces in the Pacific skies for Cope Taufan ‘06, a three-week air-to-air training exercise designed to sharpen air combat tactic skills and promote closer relations between allies. Cope Taufan, Taufan meaning “big storm” in

  • Eglin team spearheads Honduras medical mission

    A team of 23 medics from Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is leading the way on a two-week, four-site medical readiness training exercise here. The MEDRETE is part of New Horizons 2006-Honduras, a joint training exercise between the U.S. military and Honduran government that ultimately strives to improve

  • Eagle Flag launches humanitarian relief missions for exercise

    More than 350 Airmen are testing their humanitarian mission support skills during the Air Mobility Warfare Center’s Eagle Flag exercise. This is the first time the flag-level exercise has specifically provided a humanitarian relief mission scenario. “Basically, we are trying to create the most

  • Command's High Flight program opens door to civilians

    Air Mobility Command added a new twist to the High Flight program here when Air Force civilians were added to the professional development and orientation course. Forty-seven captains from across the Air Force and six civilians from the command recently participated in the twice-a-year program.

  • U.S. Airmen provide Iraq’s new air force a place to call home

    Iraq’s new air force flying operations have received much publicity recently. But a military must have a base to call home. A team of U.S. Airmen spent more than a year helping the Iraqi air force establish its “only” base with a support unit. About a year ago, the New Al Muthana Air Base was just a

  • Internet chat leads to confinement, discharge

    An Airman here was sentenced to three years confinement, reduction to airman basic and a dishonorable discharge in court-martial proceedings here Feb. 23. Staff Sgt. Brian Malone, a 3rd Operations Support Squadron weather forecaster, pleaded guilty to 21 specifications of violating two articles of

  • General Lord retires from Air Force Space Command helm

    After a 37-year career, Gen. Lance W. Lord, commander of Air Force Space Command, retired in a ceremony here today. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. T. Michael Moseley presided over the event. There were more than 700 current and former defense leaders, active and retired military members and civic

  • Kunsan units deploy to Singapore

    More than 70 Airmen from the 80th Fighter Squadron and 80th Aircraft Maintenance Unit deployed from Kunsan Air Base, South Korea, March 2 for Operation Commando Sling. The month-long deployment, involving joint warfare operations between the U.S. Air Force and its Singapore counterparts, will

  • Airmen learn desert survival from SERE

     What would you do if you got stuck in the desert? Twenty Airmen with the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing found out when the Kuwait Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape team -- better known as SERE -- taught a one-day desert survival class in February. Tech. Sgt. Joshua Anderson and Senior Airman

  • Civil engineers do their part in rebuilding Iraq

    Civil engineers wage the war on terrorism by stepping outside the wire and bringing the fight into the streets. They are the only Air Force unit in Iraq who come with armored dump trucks, excavators and concrete, repairing the many craters pitting the roads in Kirkuk and surrounding area. The

  • GPS helps warfighters track ‘bad guys’

    When U.S. forces get to Iraq and Afghanistan, they’re finding dry, featureless terrain with no real landmarks or points of reference to use when they travel across these wide-open and often dangerous landscapes. In the past, maps and a compass were the decisive tools used by servicemembers to track

  • Air Force announces promotions to major

    Air Force officials selected 2,134 captains for promotion to major in the 2005 line of the Air Force, chaplain, judge advocate general and biomedical sciences corps boards. The list of promotion selects will be posted on the Air Force Personnel Center Web site at www.afpc.randolph.af.mil/offprom by

  • Protein study a real eye opener

    Warfighters will never have the ability to leap tall buildings in a single bound, but a specialized whey protein supplement under study here could enhance mental and physical performance. A double-blind Air Force Research Laboratory study was launched Feb. 3 as part of an operational readiness

  • Hospital lab provides life-saving products, procedures

    The Air Force Theater Hospital here can do amazing things every day and is able to save lives through the hard work and dedication of the entire staff. But many of the life-saving procedures they perform would not be possible without the information and blood products the laboratory provides. “We

  • Ramstein Airmen train Iraqis to fly, fix C-130s

    Ramstein Airmen deployed to Iraq to train Iraqis on the C-130 Hercules aircraft -- standing up the first Iraqi airlift squadron under the country’s new regime. A Ramstein pilot, navigator and enlisted maintainers deployed from August through January to train their Iraqi counterparts to fly and