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U.S. Air Force News

  • Airman donates hair to charity

    Senior Airman Terry Ide, from the Electronic Systems Center public affairs office here, has two choices when it comes to wearing her hair in uniform: either cut it or wear it up. For the past four years, Ide has worn her hair, more than a foot long, in a tight bun.This changed recently when she had

  • U.S. Northern Command setup becomes clearer

    When U.S. Northern Command stands up Oct. 1, the new organization in charge of homeland defense will have "combatant command" of a small number of specialized units.Combatant command, or COCOM, gives combatant commanders the authority to organize, train and operate units. It is different from

  • AMC sends pet shipping reminders

    It is the middle of the moving season, and it is important that people follow a few simple guidelines to have their cat or dog travel smoothly with them. Air Mobility Command has arranged a very liberal pet policy with the air carriers that fly the Patriot Express missions, said Master Sgt. Nikki

  • Help desk 'makes bits flow' to support war on terrorism

    They call it "making bits flow." That is how members of the 379th Expeditionary Communications Squadron help desk refer to assisting customers at this forward deployed location.The help desk is responsible for troubleshooting and repairing computer problems for about 2,000 warfighters here.The

  • Remembering close air support's humble beginnings

    Even the most complex of systems often begin with a simple idea.Case in point: close air support.While today's soldier can expect aerial support from fighter aircraft, specially designed gunships and helicopters -- even heavy bombers dropping laser guided munitions from several miles away -- the

  • Cable guy

    Staff Sgt. Lonnie Gonzales, from the 363rd Expeditionary Communications Squadron, works with limited space while laying fiber and copper cable for the new base theater here. Gonzales is deployed from Hill Air Force Base, Utah. (Photo by Senior Airman Shannon Kluge)

  • Detachment activated to support V-22 testing

    A new detachment was activated here recently to support V-22 Osprey testing.Detachment 2 was created to operationally test the MV-22 from the special operations perspective to assess its value as a baseline for the special operations variant, the CV-22."I'm proud to be part of the outstanding team

  • Resume requirements clarified for Air Force civilian employment

    Palace Compass officials here recently clarified whether or not applicants need a resume when applying for civilian employment."Applicants for job vacancies filled by the Air Force Personnel Center may not need a resume," said Lee McGehee, technical director. "But all applicants must self-nominate

  • CCAF offers FAA certification for engine maintainers

    After four years in development, a new certification program offered by the Community College of the Air Force could replace the title"aircraft mechanic" with "Federal Aviation Administration-certified aviation maintenance technician" in for airmen working on military aircraft.The Joint Service

  • Air Force announces OTS selections

    The Air Force is giving 92 enlisted members the chance to trade in their stripes for gold bars after being chosen to attend Officer Training School.Headquarters Air Force Recruiting Service conducted OTS Selection Board 0207, which met here June 25 to 28. The board considered 654 total applications,

  • B-1 consolidation begins

    A year after the B-1 Lancer consolidation plan was first announced, people here are seeing the first steps take shape.The plan, announced last year, calls for the B-1 fleet to be consolidated here and at Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D. The other three bases where B-1s were assigned have already

  • 'Be safe' is course guideline

    Master Sgt. William Miller, 379th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, maneuvers an all-terrain vehicle through the base's new safety course. The course is required before operating an ATV on Al Udeid and is taught by a certified Special Vehicles Institute of America

  • Timm-berr!

    A relic of the Cold War came down here July 30 with the help of five giant earthmovers. The old air traffic control tower was completed in June 1962 at a cost of $177,000. Today, a new 10-story, $4.1 million tower takes its place.

  • Reservists demobilize to prepare for new 'steady state'

    In response to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the Air Force mobilized more than 30,000 Air National Guardsmen and Air Force Reservists.Nearly a year later, a large portion of them are being released as the Air Force embraces a new steady state, according to Michael L. Dominguez, assistant secretary

  • Servicemembers help children in Philippines

    In a desolate portion of the Philippines, at a place not easily found, U.S. servicemembers are working together to make a difference.A group of Florida National Guardsmen, Army reservists, active-duty servicemen, and Philippine soldiers have begun to work together recently to provide civic outreach

  • F-16 simulator goes high energy

    F-16 Fighting Falcon pilots here are honing their laser firing skills against airborne targets while flying their aircraft -- without ever leaving the ground.Pilots are using the high energy laser fighter simulator, an F-16 simulator modified to integrate a high energy laser weapon model into an

  • OEF missions 'challenging, fulfilling' for KC-135 crew

    A steady stream of warm sweat drips from Capt. Matt Bowers' face as he preflights the KC-135 Stratotanker for a mid-day mission that will take him to the skies over Afghanistan.Temperatures in the sauna-like cockpit reach 130 degrees during the 90-minute process and won't cool off until the tanker

  • Spangdahlem tests virtual out-processing initiative

    In an effort to improve quality of life by streamlining base processes, Spangdahlem Air Base is one of four bases worldwide to test the Air Force's new virtual out-processing initiative.Throughout August, select families moving back to the United States will test a customized database system online.

  • Edwards hosts Industry Outlook Conference

    Experts from an array of aerospace businesses together with Air Force senior project managers will gather here October 24 to 25 to learn how they can best support future flight-test and evaluation programs.The Industry Outlook Conference will provide an opportunity for engineers, acquisition

  • Lyles delivers newest C-17 to Air Force

    A critical piece of the Air Force puzzle was put in place Aug. 1 as Air Force Materiel Command's top officer delivered the newest C-17 Globemaster III cargo aircraft to Charleston Air Force Base, S.C.Gen. Lester Lyles, AFMC commander, delivered the aircraft, the 42nd C-17 to be delivered to

  • Air Force releases all specialties from Stop-Loss

    The last officer and enlisted specialties on Stop-Loss will be released beginning Sept. 1.In making the announcement, Secretary of the Air Force Dr. James G. Roche said the release will be phased in during a one-month period to allow both the Air Force and affected personnel time for transition."We

  • PERSCO team is mini personnel office

    First impressions can leave lasting effects and at a deployed location, the Personnel Support for Contingency Operations team, or PERSCO team, makes it their business to provide a positive experience and help deployed newcomers.At this location in the Arabian Gulf region, for example, the PERSCO

  • Sergeant creates dragons in Japan

    Staff Sgt. Eric Suan often wears a white uniform, but he is not a medic and he does not work in a snowy climate. If you think he sells ice cream, think again -- or you might get kicked in the teeth.Six nights a week, this 34-year-old aviation resource manager with the 17th Special Operations

  • Base uses worms to destroy waste

    The environmental management office is started a new program here that has upped the base population by 250,000. But these new base inhabitants are unlike any other. They have no eyes or ears, and can eat about 250 pounds of food a day.People from the environmental office have acquired a worm farm

  • Lowest bidder wins this auction

    It is similar to any other auction, but with a twist. In the Air Force Center for Environmental Excellence's version, the lowest bidder wins, not the highest.The environmental center is trying out a "reverse auction" procedure that allows contractors to bid on some center work via the Internet.It

  • Idea earns employee $10,000, saves millions

    A telephone call that rudely interrupted Joseph Heinig's hour-and-a-half rest recently ended up with him getting a $10,000 check for a good idea.The telephone call came from Lt. Gen. Dick Reynolds, Aeronautical Systems Center commander here, asking Heinig to be at a recent F-22 systems program

  • Air Force chaplains ensure religious freedom

    One of the main reasons for the settlement of the 13 colonies that eventually grew into the United States of America was religious freedom. The challenge of religious diversity is the ultimate test of whether people believe in that right, according to the Air Force's top chaplain."This is why I'm a

  • Family tradition inspires deployed NCO

    The word "family" speaks to the hearts of everyone.When some think of family, they think of an old home, a childhood memory or a relative. When Staff Sgt. Ernesto E. Diaz thinks of family, he thinks of the U.S. military.A food service specialist with the 379th Expeditionary Services Squadron at Al

  • Transition assistance programs good for troops

    Transition assistance programs do a lot more than help servicemembers make a successful departure from the military. A top Department of Defense personnel expert called such programs good for recruiting and retention and for U.S. economic well-being.Charles Abell, assistant secretary of defense for