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  • Deployments keep air operations squadron on the go

    Directing airstrikes in Afghanistan and Iraq might be easier for the 4th Air Support Operations Squadron than finding enough Airmen to meet deployment commitments.With a workload that rivals any in the Air Force, a third to a half of the unit’s Airmen “are gone all the time,” said Maj. Mike Abair,

  • Rabbi uses Iraq trip to help shape AF vision, values

    Iraq was one of the first places the new adviser on Air Force values and vision went to see how Airmen apply their guiding principles in a wartime environment.Rabbi Arnold E. Resnicoff, special assistant for values and visions to the secretary of the Air Force and the chief of staff, traveled to

  • FTF set to leave lasting impression in Pacific theater

    The Air Force broke ground last August for the first Pacific Air Forces C-17 Globemaster III squadron based outside the continental United States. One year later, using the Future Total Force initiative with an eye toward the future, Hickam Air Force Base is building a strong foundation for a new

  • New technologies, teaching boost language training

    New technologies and teaching approaches are improving the quality of instruction here as the Defense Language Institute supports the Defense Department's effort to boost foreign-language capability within the ranks.The school experienced "explosive growth" this year and expects the trend to

  • 60 years later, V-J Day, end of World War II remembered

    Sixty years ago Aug. 15, Japanese Emperor Hirohito surrendered to the Allied forces, bringing an end to the War in the Pacific and World War II.The Japanese government sent President Harry S. Truman a cable, delivered through the Swiss diplomatic mission here, to advise the Allies of Japan's

  • Kadena medics gain knowledge while deployed

    Aeromedical nurses and technicians here are helping save hundreds of servicemembers’ who are supporting Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. Aside from tending to the sick and wounded, these Airmen are gaining invaluable experience working in a multiservice operation, and treating injuries

  • Deployed firefighters modern day dragon slayers

    Throughout Iraq, sleeping dragons lie in slumber, ready to wreak havoc, death and destruction if disturbed.Air Force firefighters here remain vigilant serving as modern day dragon slayers who stand ready to bring down any dragon that threatens innocent civilians or coalition forces.Iraq’s dragons

  • There's always a better way

    The Airman had $600 left until payday, which was fine -- until her car broke down, and with it, a $1,000 repair bill.Two "friends" offered to help her out. The first offered an interest-free loan of $500. The second offered a $500 loan for a $75 fee, and said if the Airman could not pay the money

  • Rhein-Main still ticking as closure looms nears

    Though this base’s mission ends Oct. 1, its people are still doing what made it the Air Force’s premier airlift hub in Europe -- airlift support.The base, which shares runways with Frankfurt International Airport, has been drawing down since 1999 for its December closure. Its landmass has already

  • Airmen test new small diameter bomb system

    Gunfighters with the 366th Maintenance Group here put their skills to use when they tested a new small diameter bomb system Aug. 3 to 5.The GBU-39 Small Diameter Bomb system is a low-cost, precision-strike weapon system that will soon be used by fighters, bombers and unmanned combat air vehicles.

  • Airmen partner with Soldiers to explode excess ordnance

    Anyone traversing the passenger terminal area at this forward-deployed location, regardless of length of stay, has a passing acquaintance with the amnesty box. Its sole objective is to serve as a “get into country free” card. Airmen are briefed on exactly what items are forbidden: alcohol,

  • Firefighters prepared when disaster strikes

    When there is an emergency, they are on the scene protecting Airmen and resources. But firefighters here do more than just battle flames; their inspections and training programs are tools they use to prevent emergencies that pose risks to fellow Airmen.“We provide aircraft crash rescue and

  • BRAC focus on right-sizing total force

    The co-chairman of the Air Force's base closure executive group recently discussed the views the Air Force took when considering the Base Realignment and Closure recommendations."We have to base our future Air Force on a smaller but more capable force, and organize that force in the most effective

  • Vandenberg aids in Discovery landing

    The Space Shuttle Discovery landed safely Aug. 9 at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., partly because of the efforts of Airmen at the 30th Space Wing here.Airmen in Western Range operations and the 76th Helicopter Flight supported the re-entry and landing of the shuttle at Edwards after it was unable

  • Security forces guard gates, protect Air Force resources

    They stand beneath the blistering sun, ever-vigilant against the threat of someone trying to break through their barriers. They are Airmen deployed with the 332nd Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron, and they are the gatekeepers protecting Air Force assets here. Their task of securing entry

  • Five Airmen -- brothers in fight for freedom

    The remains of five Airmen, brothers in arms to bring freedom to the nation of Iraq, were buried here Aug. 11 with full military honors.They were Maj. William Downs of the 6th Special Operations Squadron at Hurlburt Field, Fla.; Capt. Jeremy Fresques of the 23rd Special Tactics Squadron at Hurlburt

  • Personal sacrifices by enlisted force not overlooked

    At one point or another in every servicemember’s career, he or she will make a personal sacrifice for the accomplishment of the mission.Chief Master Sgt. John Foran, 9th Air Force and U.S. Central Command Air Forces command chief, wants the enlisted force to know their sacrifices, particularly from

  • AMC 'total force’ rushes to aid of trapped Russian sailors

    It was a total force effort by Air Mobility Command active-duty, Reserve and Air National Guard units in a long-distance rescue effort Aug. 5 to free seven Russian sailors trapped in a submarine 625 feet beneath the sea. The Russian sub became tangled in a fishing net Aug. 4 during a military

  • Airmen join Sailors, Marines for JASEX 05

    Airmen from Kadena and Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho, sharpened their joint warfighting skills during a third annual multiservice exercise designed to bring together U.S. air and naval power in the Pacific.The Joint Air and Sea Exercise 2005 also lured in about 30 Navy and Marine Corps

  • Keeping cool requires hard work

    Maslow’s hierarchy of needs states that basic human needs include food and shelter. For Airmen here, one more thing can be added to the list -- air conditioning.With temperatures soaring above 120 degrees during summer here, Airmen, Soldiers and their equipment all need the cool breeze created by

  • March receives AFRC’s first C-17

    The 452nd Air Mobility Wing here received Air Force Reserve Command’s first C-17 Globemaster III Aug. 9. Maj. Gen. Robert E. Duignan, 4th Air Force commander, and an aircrew from the 452nd AMW made the flight from the Boeing’s Long Beach, Calif., facility to the base.“We’re extremely proud and

  • Learning the tools to manage chronic pain

    Like many motivated Airmen, Staff Sgt. Robin Morrow is determined to make the most of her career.Chronic back pain after an automobile accident and spinal surgery almost shortened the career of the noncommissioned officer in charge of point-of-care testing for the 859th Diagnostics and Therapeutics

  • Graduate program offers advanced tools for terror war

    A one-of-a-kind curriculum offered here at the Naval Postgraduate School is helping shape future leaders for the challenges they will confront in the war on terrorism.Unlike some academic programs with seemingly little real-life application, the Defense Analysis program focuses on issues commanders

  • Aeromedical evacuation improvements saving lives

    Better training, more advanced equipment and aeromedical evacuation procedures that are constantly being improved are helping save the lives of thousands of wounded servicemembers in Iraq and Afghanistan, Air Force medical officers said.Lt. Col. (Dr.) Warren Dorlac, chief of critical care and trauma

  • Video raises suicide awareness

    Creators of a video filmed here are hoping it will educate, prevent and lower the risk of suicides across Air Combat Command as well as the rest of the Air Force.“Air Combat Command Off-Duty Survivor Stories: Suicide Choices; Terminal Consequences,” is the second in a series of videos by the 436th

  • Historic Cape Canaveral tower toppled

    What took years to build required only seconds to knock down Aug. 6 when 171 pounds of strategically placed explosives toppled a historic 179-foot mobile service tower here.The 1,300-ton structure was used to launch 51 Atlas/Agena space vehicles in the 1960s and 1970s. The most famous of those

  • Rhein-Main transition on track

    The more than $465-million project to return Rhein-Main Air Base to Germany by Dec. 31 is “on track,” the Rhein-Main Transition Program chief said.Col. Tom Schnee, of U.S. Air Forces in Europe here, also said by Oct. 31 the command will finish shifting Rhein-Main’s key airlift mission to Ramstein

  • Report: Stabilator failure caused F-15 crash

    The failure of one of an F-15 Eagle's horizontal stabilators caused its pilot to lose control of his aircraft and crash during a training mission March 25, an Air Combat Command Investigation Board report on Aug. 9.The crash occurred during defensive basic fighter maneuver training with another

  • EOD Airmen rely on high-tech, steady nerves

    Soldiers of the 56th Brigade Combat Team encounter explosive situations daily as they travel along Iraq’s highways during convoy escort missions. But things hit closer to home when the Texas Army National Guardsmen found a suspicious package in a trailer near their headquarters recently. Security

  • Air superiority: 48 years of Falcon football

    Jim Bowman and Falcon football have been attached at the hip pad for 48 of the program’s 50 years. When Air Force kicks off Sept. 3 against the Washington Huskies, it will be the 534th Falcon game played during Mr. Bowman’s tenure.The former freshman and junior varsity coach turned associate

  • Class bell rings for cadets

    Sports has its opening day, Broadway its opening night, and the academy its first day of class.The anticipation of the new school year that begins Aug. 10 brings a book bag full of optimism for cadets and faculty as diverse as themselves.“There’s so much excitement in that first meeting. It’s the

  • Kadena Airmen rescue stranded surfer

    A day of surfing in Okinawa could have turned deadly for a Marine Corps family member the evening of Aug. 5 had it not been for the quick efforts of Airmen here.An HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter crew jumped into action after the Japanese coast guard asked Kadena's 18th Wing for assistance in finding a

  • USO brings Rascal Flatts to Baghdad

    As the morning temperature passed 100 degrees Aug. 5 and even the shade under camouflage netting brought no relief from the heat, country music group Rascal Flatts offered Airmen and Soldiers at Baghdad International Airport a respite of music and calm.Traveling throughout the U.S. Central Command

  • Life support technicians inspect, maintain survival equipment

    The 774th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron's life support section is full of aircrew life support technicians who work hard every day since their work can mean "life or death" for C-130 Hercules aircrews and passengers.Life support equipment always has to be in tip-top condition to be ready whenever a

  • Deployed Airmen reflect bravery, selfless determination

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

  • Security forces Airmen keep contraband off Kirkuk

    During the lunch-hour rush at a dining facility in Mosul, Iraq, a suicide bomber managed to penetrate base security and kill 22 Americans Dec. 21, 2004. Since then, American bases in Iraq have successfully increased security measures.Every day, 506th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron Airmen

  • Tricare seeks nominations to honor vaccination advocates

    In honor of National Immunization Awareness month, Tricare Management Activity officials are seeking to recognize an individual or team that has encouraged people in the community to catch up on vaccinations.This award will be the latest installment of the "Salute to the Heroes of Tricare" program.

  • ‘Magic’ comes to North Carolina

    Magic filled the air and was on the basketball court here July 29 as Earvin “Magic” Johnson paid a visit to Fayetteville, N.C.Mr. Johnson, who led the Los Angeles Lakers to five National Basketball Association championships, spent his weekend with local Airmen and Soldiers.He also spoke with 200

  • Better than aviation education is a really cool patch

    About 43,000 Boy Scouts departed this Army installation Aug. 3 after 10 days of scouting, camping and learning. As part of the 2005 National Scout Jamboree, Boy Scouts nationwide gathered to make new friends, practice their scouting skills and earn "merit badges." Thanks to retired Lt. Col. Tom

  • Edwards, Eglin combine testing on next-generation F-16

    Combining two aircraft missions into one is not an easy feat, but that is exactly what engineers and pilots from here and Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., are testing. In the process, they have also combined operational and developmental into one testing effort.Five F-16 Fighting Falcons and aircrews

  • Contractor has supported every shuttle mission

    One hundred fourteen -- that is the total number of space shuttle missions launched by NASA. It is also the number of space shuttle missions Cliff Gatewood has supported here.Mr. Gatewood, a contractor, has been involved with every space shuttle mission to date beginning with Columbia in 1981. He

  • Space weather forecasts clear communication

    Staff Sgt. Guillermo Ybarra III sits staring intensely at the sun. Unblinking, his furrowed brow wrinkles slightly as his eyes sharpen their gaze. After several more minutes, his piercing glance finds a change in the sun’s surface -- a change he has been anticipating. He purposefully scoops up the

  • Handy inducted into Order of the Sword

    Representatives from the 43,000-strong Air Mobility Command enlisted force honored the commander of U.S. Transportation Command and AMC during an Order of the Sword ceremony here July 29.More than 400 Airmen commandwide along with Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve units attended the ceremony

  • Airmen support Soldiers with airdrop

    To keep yet another convoy off the road, 386th Air Expeditionary Wing aircrews at this forward-deployed location recently gave a textbook example of what agile combat support is all about.Several C-130 Hercules airdropped more than 69,000 pounds of Meals, Ready to Eat to U.S. and Iraqi Soldiers

  • McConnell pilot stabilizes girl after accident

    A KC-135 Stratotanker instructor pilot medically assisted a young girl after she was hit by a car, potentially saving her life.As Capt. Kevin Thomas, of the 349th Air Refueling Squadron, drove home the evening of July 28, he saw a car stopped in the westbound lane of a city road in Wichita, Kan.

  • Cold steel warms Airmen’s hearts

    The 446th Airlift Wing's aircraft maintenance crews are known for expertise on the job, but it is the tight, family like structure that helps keep them bonded together. Once again, they have come up with their own unique way to maintain that close-knit atmosphere, even while thousands of miles

  • Fuels Airmen keep more than planes operational

    For 19 years now, Master Sgt. David Chandler’s mother proudly tells everyone she meets that her son “passes gas for a living” in the U.S. Air Force.The fuels manager with the 407th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron fuels management flight here is not fazed. He is heard them all and is ready

  • Critical days continue to take Airmen

    The fatal auto accident that claimed the lives of two Airmen in Germany recently raised the Air Force’s death toll to 24 during this year’s “101 Critical Days of Summer.”While that number is fairly typical for summer fatalities, it is still too high, said Tom Pazell, deputy chief of Air Force Ground

  • Tomorrow’s leaders get first-hand look at life after academy

    While most college students enjoy the summer out of school, U.S. Air Force Academy cadets use their break for a look into the future.Operation Air Force sends cadets to Air Force bases worldwide to give them a taste of what life will be like when they become commissioned officers.For the past two

  • Crew chiefs turn bombers like fighters

    Postmen have nothing on these guys, particularly Tech. Sgt. Shannon Reynolds, a crew chief with the 40th Expeditionary Maintenance Squadron at this forward-deployed location.He is one of 37 crew chiefs from Minot Air Force Base, N.D., who not only contend with bitterly cold winters and mountains of

  • Senate confirms Corley as new vice chief of staff

    The Senate confirmed Lt. Gen. John D. W. Corley on Aug. 1 as the next Air Force vice chief of staff. He will be promoted to the rank of general.General Corley, who is currently the principal deputy for the assistant secretary of the Air Force for acquisition, will replace Gen. T. Michael Moseley.

  • Airmen 'build bridge' for new mission at Spangdahlem

    About a dozen Airmen with the 817th Contingency Response Group from McGuire Air Force Base, N.J., arrived here July 28 to support the Rhein-Main Transition Program.The five-year Rhein-Main Transition Program, scheduled for completion in December, calls for closing down Rhein-Main Air Base,

  • Air Force Intern Program develops future leaders

    The Air Force Intern Program Central Selection Board will convene at the Air Force Personnel Center here following the fall 2005 Developmental Team Review Process.The board will choose 30 junior and midlevel captains to study the application of air and space power and observe senior Defense

  • Staging facility takes over where hospital leaves off

    It is 10:30 p.m., and the 332nd Expeditionary Medical Group’s contingency aeromedical staging facility here is a flurry of activity. The doctors, nurses and technicians are making their rounds while other Airmen are checking in new arrivals, processing movement paperwork, palletizing bags and making

  • Team effort brings America’s wounded troops home

    Moving wounded American servicemembers from the frontlines in Southwest Asia to hospitals in the United States is no easy task. The effort requires everything from treating patients in forward-deployed locations to airlifting and caring for them as they move from overseas to stateside locations.One

  • Spangdahlem pilots fly missions in Romania

    About 160 Airmen from the 81st Fighter Squadron at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, recently conducted the first Air Force fighter training mission in Constanta, Romania.The two-week exercise that ended July 31 aligned with Romanian-American Training Exercise 2005, a joint and combined effort with the

  • Officials announce services award winners

    Air Force Services Agency officials announced the winners of the 2005 services awards recently.Kadena Air Base, Japan, won the Gen. Curtis E. LeMay Trophy for best overall services unit at a large base. Spangdahlem AB, Germany, won the Maj. Gen. Eugene L. Eubank Trophy for best services at a small

  • Guard, Reserve integrate seamlessly into Nellis organization

    Organizations at the Air Warfare Center here are taking the concept, “One Team, One Fight,” literally and are combining active duty, Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve Command personnel in all mission areas.“This is a smarter, better way of doing business, because we’re able to capitalize on

  • Soldiers, Airmen care for Iraqi patients

    Only a few hours earlier, surgeons were working diligently to save his life and repair the damage a bullet caused when it entered his abdomen and ricocheted throughout his body. Now, the 11-year-old Iraqi boy sleeps peacefully with his favorite stuffed animal clutched in his hand. His father, next

  • Academy medics save life of Peterson NCO in Iraq

    Staff Sgt. Jamie Dana, a dog handler assigned to the 21st Security Forces Squadron at Peterson Air Force Base, Colo., was seriously injured a month into her six-month deployment when an improvised explosive device hit her convoy during a patrol near Kirkuk Air Base, Iraq. Airmen here who are

  • Officials announce anti-terrorism awards

    Air Force units and people won three of the five categories in the 2005 Department of Defense Anti-terrorism Awards.The top-level awards program was established in 1993 to recognize deserving individuals and units in the anti-terrorism field.The 2005 Air Force winners are:-- Best Anti-terrorism

  • Airman crafts digital artwork for computer log-in scripts

    Staff Sgt. Chris Borslien does not consider himself much of an artist; however, his customers might disagree with him.Instead of using brushes and paint, the network control center technician creates digital art with alphanumeric characters known as American standard code for information

  • Air Force fighting fires at home

    Guardsmen and reservists are used to international situations that call for them to put out fires. Now, they are doing it here at home -- literally.More than 60 guardsmen and four specially equipped C-130 Hercules from North Carolina and Wyoming Air National Guard units are battling blazes in the

  • Dental flight keeps Airmen on track to fight war on terrorism

    Flossing, brushing, eating healthy and leaving with a sparkling white smile are not the only things the 20th Aeromedical-Dental Squadron’s dental flight wants Airmen here to have gained after leaving the dentist's chair."Our goal is to have everyone leave here medically qualified for a deployment,"

  • Aeromedical mission has healing touch

    On any given day, Airmen with the 386th Contingency Aeromedical Staging Facility at a forward-deployed location provide support and medical care for patient movement and serve as an integral link in the global aeromedical evacuation system.“A (staging facility) is a modular and expeditionary concept

  • Battlelab develops C-5 aircrew night vision system

    C-5 Galaxy aircrews must tape over some white lights in the cockpit of their huge aircraft before missions into a “blacked out” environment when they must use night vision goggles.Sometimes crews use flashlights or even pull circuit breakers and light bulbs for other light systems to minimize the

  • ESGR gives support to reservists, guardsmen, employers

    A viable Guard and reserve force -- a critical weapon in the struggle against violent extremism -- depends on having viable employer support, said Gary Walston, newly appointed program specialist for the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve in Texas.Mr. Walston, a retired Air National

  • Predator operators see whole picture

    Each MQ-1 Predator unmanned aerial vehicle mission flown in the Iraqi sky begins and ends here.Predator operators deployed here put the aircraft in the air and make sure it lands safely. Sitting side by side in the “cockpit,” enlisted Airmen and officers work as a team providing top cover to

  • Aeromedical evacuation process key to saving lives in Iraq

    In battle, one of the hardest challenges is saving the wounded. Medical professionals encounter injuries not normally seen in peacetime, and many times see multiple life-threatening injures requiring immediate treatment on the battlefield.Another problem is moving patients across hot desert sands on

  • Deployed leaders take ‘vest-ed’ interest in being cool

    The first test was in an outhouse.Saddled in the middle of Baghdad -- where temperatures are reaching at least 120 degrees -- that outhouse had all the qualities Capt. James Ross needed to test his idea to cool off flightline logistics workers from the stifling heat.His idea -- a “cool vest.” The

  • Servicemembers’ children fly high at Space Camp

    This summer, 15 military children took a giant leap for “kidkind.”It was 36 years ago on July 20, 1969, when astronaut Neil Armstrong announced he was taking "one small step for man, one giant step for mankind" on the moon.The students were selected from nearly 200 applicants who applied for the

  • Sword Order falls into hands of AFC2ISR Center Commander

    The commander of the Air Force Command and Control, and Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Center became the first inductee into the Air Force District of Washington’s Order of the Sword during a ceremony here July 22.Maj. Gen. Tommy F. Crawford received the highest honor and tribute

  • Airmen donate soccer balls, supplies to African school

    Up and down a dusty grass and dirt soccer field, children chased a well-worn semblance of a ball. The ball more closely resembled a plastic bag wrapped in twine. The players stopped only to wave hello to the U.S. Airmen entering the airfield of Kigali International Airport.The students are from

  • Airman keeps sight of dream despite obstacles

    In 1971, 20-year-old Victor Folarin set off on a journey to achieve his dream of becoming a doctor. During that journey, he immigrated to another country, earned five college degrees and joined the U.S. military.Col. (Dr.) Victor Folarin, outgoing 7th Aeromedical/Dental Squadron commander here, was

  • Friendship stands strong when duty calls

    Two families here will share a life-changing event in August.Robin Lawley, McConnell Base Exchange barber shop manager, will receive a liver transplant in August.To her surprise, the donor is a longtime customer and friend, Charles Smith, 22nd Security Forces Squadron information and industrial

  • First Future Total Force wing proves successful

    The first Future Total Force wing, the 116th Air Control Wing, is nearing its third birthday since merging active-duty Air Force, Army and Air National Guard units to form a “blended wing.”In October 2002, America’s first total force wing took flight as the 116th ACW and made history by combining

  • Davis-Monthan woman recognized for helping environment

    An environmental engineer here won $2,500 from “Good Housekeeping” magazine as a runner-up for the magazine’s Women in Government award.Karen Oden is assigned to the 355th Civil Engineer Squadron.The women selected for the award worked endless hours overcoming huge hurdles to make big changes,

  • Medics overcome shortage through aeromedical evacuation

    U.S. Air Force aeromedical evacuation teams coordinated the first airlift for the transfusion of blood platelets for two patients in Iraq and Afghanistan recently. Medics saved a Soldier diagnosed with a rare and rapidly growing cancer and ensured a Jordanian servicemember survived a flight home,

  • Reservist gives ‘gift of life’ 100 times

    Seventeen years ago, Senior Master Sgt. Carl Donophan donated blood for the first time. He is now among an elite group of people who have reached the rare milestone of making his 100th apheresis donation.Apheresis is a type of donation where the donor gives only a certain part of the blood,

  • Shaw F-16s intercept shuttle airspace violator

    Two F-16 Fighting Falcons, enforcing a temporary no-fly zone around the Space Shuttle Discovery launch site at Cape Canaveral, Fla., intercepted and escorted a small civilian aircraft from the area July 26.It was during the nine-minute hold in the countdown when the pilots recieved the call from

  • Predictability added to deployed travel

    Most deployed Airmen know how far along they are in their rotation and when they expect to return home.Until recently, that date was mostly speculation, but, thanks to aggregation, Airmen will know exactly when their replacement is coming and when they will leave.U.S. Central Command Air Forces

  • Major works hard at preparing warriors

    Sport and business have long had a strong working relationship.Maj. Michael Ternus, 377th Logistics Readiness Squadron operations officer, exemplifies this relationship -- albeit as an unconventional businessman in an unconventional sport.The major is the current national master's super heavyweight

  • Battlelab technicians develop solutions for warfighters

    With sand whipping across your face and sweat dripping down your forehead, you squint through the scope at the enemy target."The third building on the left," you shout into the radio. A garbled transmission is returned. Closing your eyes, you take a deep breath and hope the pilot heard you. The

  • Airmen maintain airlift operations in Africa

    The early morning roar of eight engines from two C-130 Hercules here is music to the ears of the aircraft maintainers watching over them. To Airmen with the 86th Air Expeditionary Group’s maintenance team from Ramstein Air Base, Germany, it means the mission which began July 16 to bring Rwandan

  • QDR will reflect tomorrow’s, not today’s, challenges

    Military leaders will resist any temptation to assume the force needed for the future will be a cookie-cutter version of today's needs, Gen. Richard B. Myers said here July 25.The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff was talking about how the military will examine its forces, resources and programs

  • Tankers take care of deployed aircrews

    Airman 1st Class Robert Willis celebrated his 21st birthday in a rather unusual manner July 22 -- offloading 85,200 pounds of jet fuel at 27,500 feet to a B-52 Stratofortress bound for Afghanistan.It was merely another day at the “office” for the boom operator on the KC-135 Stratotanker air

  • Reservists protect Airmen at Baghdad base

    Two reservists at Baghdad International Airport are shaping force protection for more than 700 people, meshing the future total force with the reality of what is currently around them.Capt. Lisa Maloney and Master Sgt. Mary Webb run the anti-terrorism/force protection office here. Working daily with

  • Future Total Force arrives for duty in Vermont

    Airman 1st Class Kirshell LaCroix had not even graduated from technical school when she decided to jump into the Future Total Force. She landed in South Burlington, Vt., about a month ago, and the 20-year-old electrical and environmental aircraft maintenance apprentice said it looks like she made

  • Teamwork moves Rwandan troops

    It takes a lot more than Hercules to move Rwandan Defense Force members to the Darfur region of the Sudan. The C-130 Hercules needs a team working together to make sure things go right. In fact, there were 10 crewmembers on each of the flights working together to ensure the 13-hour, round-trip

  • Planes soar thanks to Baghdad's ‘tower of power’

    Except for a thick dusty haze squatting on the city from day to day, Baghdad and the surrounding Iraqi countryside would be completely visible from here. Being 180 feet taller than almost any other vantage point in the city, Baghdad International Airport's control tower has certain advantages.The

  • Reserve improves safety, floor space on rescue helicopters

    Air Force Reserve Command’s 15 combat search and rescue helicopters will get improved crew seats and more cabin space to care for rescued people when modifications are complete this year. The HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters will feature safer, more ergonomic cabin crew seats, and new auxiliary fuel

  • Supersonic JDAM drop marks increase in Raptor capability

    As the midafternoon sun blazed on the Mojave Desert and thunderclouds loomed in the distance, a sleek dark gray war bird took to the sky to push the envelope of flight testing.At the controls, Maj. John Teichert, a 411th Flight Test Squadron test pilot, pushed the F/A-22 Raptor past Mach 1, opened

  • On target: Ammo Airmen do bang up job

    Tucked away behind tall bunkers and old engine parts lays a unique greenhouse with a special crop.Inside a crop of bullets, bombs and explosives receive care and attention fro a group of unique Airmen.From inspections and maintenance to overall accountability, the Airmen of the 332nd Expeditionary

  • Shuttle return to flight includes local efforts

    Almost two weeks after its original launch date, NASA’s Discovery Shuttle is scheduled for its return to flight July 26, but they are not doing it alone.“NASA could not launch the space shuttle without range and space surveillance support from Air Force Space Command,” said Jeffrey Ashby, former

  • Blue Flag starts with bang at Nellis, Hurlburt Field

    Joint forces from around the United States, along with 11 coalition partners, converged here and at the Combined Air Operations Center at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., for the start of Blue Flag 05-02 on July 24.About 2,000 joint troops, led by 9th Air Force, are participating at the two locations

  • Pam Tillis rocks Holloman during ‘Spirit of America Tour’

    Country music singer Pam Tillis entertained more than 800 Airmen and their families with a free two-hour concert here July 18.“There’s a lot of feelings and emotions that come from getting to rub shoulders with you guys,” said Miss Tillis, who gave the concert as a part of the Spirit of America

  • AFMC in hot pursuit of manufacturing award

    Air Force Materiel Command units captured four of the five finalist nominations for the Shingo Prize for Excellence in Manufacturing–Public Sector category.The four Air Force finalists are:-- Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center’s KC-135 (Stratotanker) Programmed Depot Maintenance office at Tinker Air

  • Air Force Reserve seeks applicants for full-time duty

    Air Force Reserve officials are looking for officers and enlisted people to fill full-time Active Guard and Reserve positions.In the past 15 years, the number of slots has increased from 400 to more than 1,900 authorizations."We have opportunities in many specialties but a larger concentration in

  • Sergeant runs marathon for his father

    There are many reasons to run a marathon, but for a C-130 Hercules flight engineer at this forward-deployed location, honoring his ailing dad was more than enough reason to slip on his running shoes.Tech. Sgt. Peter Rearick’s father recently suffered a heart attack recently and is scheduled to have

  • Future Total Force outlined on Capitol Hill

    There will be no "gap" between the end of assigned missions for Air National Guard units and the beginning of their replacement missions.In testimony before the House Armed Services Committee on July 20, the director of Air Force plans and programs told legislators the service is working hard to