NATO Air Policing operations

U.S. Air Force News

  • IMAX film crew wraps session at Nellis

    Filming wrapped for the summer here Aug. 22 on an IMAX film based on the Air Force and the mission of Red Flag.The 45-minute, multimillion-dollar film is scheduled to be released in 2004, according to officials.“IMAX is a spectacular venue in which to showcase the Air Force,” said Maj. Gen. Steve

  • 'Airport in a suitcase' thwarts poor visibility

    Airmen from Robins Air Force Base, Ga., are providing essential airfield systems here for forces fighting in Operation Iraqi Freedom.The 5th Combat Communications Group airmen are using an air traffic and control landing system they call their "airport in a suitcase" to help aircraft land safely

  • Academy seeks new slogan

    The U.S. Air Force Academy's Association of Graduates is seeking a new slogan to affix to the ramp leading into the cadet area here."Bring Me Men" was the previous slogan. It was based on an 1894 poem by Sam Walter Foss, which reads in part, "Bring me men to match my mountains, Bring me men to

  • Now showing: Aug. 18 edition of AFTV News

    The work of Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard in three northeastern states to keep people and supplies moving to and from Southwest Asia is spotlighted in the latest edition of Air Force Television News. Staff Sgt. Bill Scherer visits Pease Air National Guard Base, N.H., an ANG unit at

  • Rumsfeld: Terror war drives transformation

    The ongoing global war against terrorism makes U.S. military transformation efforts an imperative goal, Department of Defense’s top civilian and uniformed officer said here Aug. 14.Gen. Richard B. Myers, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, accompanied Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld to a

  • Rocket-propellant leak cleaned

    Officials completed cleanup efforts Aug. 14 after rocket propellant leaked Aug. 12 as it was being loaded onto a Titan IV rocket.Base officials said no one was injured, and there was no damage to the launch vehicle. Preliminary findings indicate that during the load of the propellant, an oxidizer

  • AF works to demobilize Guard, Reserve

    The Air Force is working to return the nearly 28,000 mobilized Guard and Reserve airmen to their families and civilian jobs as quickly as possible, according to the service’s senior manpower official.“There are a full range of initiatives that we’re undertaking to accomplish the mission without

  • AF students bound for space camp

    Last year, the Military Child Education Coalition had only enough money to send one student of military parents to the U.S. Space Camp in Huntsville, Ala. But this year, two Air Force children are among five youngsters to experience the camp thanks to a $5,000 corporate donation.London H. Durand,

  • Marathon registration deadline approaches

    With the Sept. 5 registration deadline approaching for the seventh annual Air Force Marathon, more than 1,800 people have registered to compete. The event will take place here Sept. 20.According to marathon officials, 1,832 people had registered to compete as of Aug. 12, including 1,758 in the

  • AF offers short-term enlistments

    Beginning in October, 1 percent of new fiscal 2004 Air Force enlisted accessions, or about 370 recruits, will be able to sign up for a 15-month enlistment, as part of the National Call to Service program.The congressionally mandated program is designed to let people serve their country who might

  • Celebration in NY recalls 100 years of flight

    Thousands of people are celebrating the Centennial of Flight during events through Aug. 18 in Rockefeller Center here.Among the crowds are parents being dragged by their children who are eager to see the full-scale replicas of the F-16 Fighting Falcon or RQ-1 Predator unmanned aerial vehicle.

  • Deployed airmen getting small-town living

    Airmen deployed here will soon be saying farewell to their tents and hello to small-town living.This welcome change for airmen is just part of the transformation of this expeditionary base into a permanent air base with most of the amenities found at home.“We’re in the process of building a small

  • AF announces staff sergeant promotions

    The Air Force has selected 13,651 of 27,416 eligible senior airmen for promotion to staff sergeant, a 49.79-percent selection rate.The Air Force will release the promotion list the first duty hour Aug. 13 (Aug. 14 for Western Pacific bases). The complete list of selectees will be posted Aug. 15 to

  • Feedback vital to uniform test

    Feedback will be key for Air Force leaders making their decision on the newly proposed utility uniform, said the Air Force’s top enlisted airman. “We want airmen’s feedback,” said Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Gerald R. Murray during his visit here Aug. 6 to 10. “We don’t want

  • Report lauds suicide prevention program

    The Air Force’s Suicide Prevention Program has been hailed as a “model program” in a landmark report released by the president's New Freedom Commission on Mental Health.The 113-page report, titled “Achieving the Promise: Transforming Mental Health Care in America,” cites an “urgent need for action

  • CAP recognized for post-9/11 work

    For its work in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, Civil Air Patrol has been selected to receive the Associations Advance America Summit Award.CAP is one of only six associations chosen for this award, the highest honor bestowed by the American Society of Association Executives

  • BMT sets new fitness standards

    Chief of Staff Gen. John Jumper announced July 30 the Air Force would be raising fitness standards in January. More rigorous basic military training graduation standards will take effect here Oct. 12.Basic military training daily physical fitness regimens are now tougher and more focused on

  • Now showing: Aug. 4 edition of AFTV News

    The changing face of the Air Force overseas is highlighted in the latest edition of Air Force Television News.Tech. Sgt. Matt Lomba visits Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia, once the focal point for Air Force operations in Southwest Asia. Now the base is a mere shadow of its former self as the

  • Promotion study list now available

    Promotion-eligible enlisted people can now find out which materials to study for the 2004 testing cycles.The most current Weighted Airman Promotion System catalog, which lists the materials used by test writers to develop the 2004 promotion tests, is now available on the Air Force Personnel Center

  • Airmen get peek at new uniform

    A prototype of the new Air Force utility uniform was unveiled July 9 in various duty sections at Andrews Air Force Base, Md., and Bolling AFB, D.C.Senior Master Sgt. Jacqueline Dean, from the Air Force uniform board, enlisted the aid of eight airmen to demonstrate both the men’s and women’s version

  • Test Pilot School reaches new heights

    The increasing push for a military space force has led Department of Defense officials to expand the Air Force envelope to include space education, with an emphasis on military applications.The U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School here has followed suit, answering DOD’s call by creating the first

  • AF displays experimental engine

    Using automotive technology and a little bit of “magic,” researchers at the Air Force Research Laboratory’s propulsion directorate demonstrated their latest experiment at the Experimental Aircraft Association’s AirVenture air show here.For years, propulsion researchers around the world have searched

  • OIF veterans discuss lessons

    Even though the air campaign for Operation Iraqi Freedom was successful in bringing down the Iraqi regime in 21 days, leaders met here recently to discuss ways to improve upon that effort.Among the issues they covered was the responses to increased surface-to-air threats to coalition forces

  • Quilting for a cause

    Natalie Veum’s life was progressing at a normal clip. She was young, happily married and working a full-time job she enjoyed.But in the course of one night, her life changed forever.It started when the 24 year old woke with a coldness on her right side, which a series of MRIs, spinal taps and

  • Air Force featured at AirVenture 2003

    The Air Force, a long-time presence at the Experimental Aircraft Association’s AirVenture air show, brings aviation enthusiasts a new look this year. Alongside the largest display at EAA, the Air Force’s newest recruiting tool offer visitors a chance to “cross into the blue.”Located in the Air

  • Team Air Force cycles across Iowa

    The Team Air Force cycling team rode into town here July 27 in military formation, met by cheers, applause and chants of “Air Force, Air Force…” The event marked the end of the seven-day, 450-mile Des Moines Register’s Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa.The team, comprising about 90 cyclists and

  • Air Force seeks female MTIs

    Staff Sgt. Lynn Barron came to Air Force basic military training in 1995 carrying one bag and one mental image of a basic military training instructor: a big, loud, gruff man with a "Smokey the Bear" hat.When Barron first encountered her MTI, the person she met was not quite who she was

  • AF announces Boeing inquiry results

    Air Force officials announced July 24 that the Boeing Company has committed serious violations of federal law. This determination is based on the service’s review into allegations of wrongdoing by Boeing during the 1998 evolved expendable launch vehicle source selection. As a result, the Air Force

  • AMC reorganizing; activating 18th Air Force

    Gen. John W. Handy, commander of U.S. Transportation Command and Air Mobility Command here, announced a major reorganization of AMC. Key to the reorganization is the activation Oct. 1 of a new numbered Air Force with its headquarters here and the re-designation of AMC's two numbered air forces.

  • Travis puts new face on blood program

    A $1 million upgrade in frozen-blood processing and thawing here is expected to help level the inventory in the "feast-or-famine" business of blood collection in the Department of Defense.The Armed Services Whole Blood Processing Lab-West, a tenant unit at Travis, is one of two tri-service storage

  • Officer sets sights on silver oak leaves

    His personal data sheet is a blow-by-blow inventory of educational achievements, professional successes and impressive assignments that span a career of more than 16 years.When he went before the lieutenant colonel promotion board in November 2001, his chances for promotion looked promising.However,

  • August issue of Citizen Airman available

    The August edition of Citizen Airman highlights how F-16 Fighting Falcon instructors in Arizona are going above and beyond in their efforts to provide the Air Force with top-notch combat fighter pilots.The magazine tells how airmen from the 944th Fighter Wing at Luke Air Force Base are kicking the

  • Airman signs humanitarian contracts in Mali

    With thousands, sometimes millions of dollars at stake, contracting officers take their jobs seriously. They visit work sites, meet the employees and get a feel for the job at hand.Tech. Sgt. Brad Smith, of the 39th Contracting Squadron here, is no exception. But his most recent work site was not

  • Officials announce OTS selections

    Air Force officials selected 11 enlisted airmen to trade in their stripes for gold bars after being chosen to attend Officer Training School, officials here announced July 23.Air Force Recruiting Service officials conducted OTS Selection Board 0306, which met here May 13 to 16. The board considered

  • AF releases 2004 realignments

    The Air Force will lose 2,260 military and 2,839 civilian manpower positions, and 1,055 reserve drill authorizations next year, according to the 2004 force-structure announcement released July 23.Many bases, both active duty and reserve component, are affected by the realignment. In many cases,

  • Coalition kills Saddam's sons in 'fierce gun battle'

    Saddam Hussein's sons Qusay and Uday were killed today in a "fierce gun battle," U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez, announced at a news briefing in Baghdad.The commander of U.S. forces in Iraq said that based on a "walk-in tip," elements of the 101st Airborne Division, Special Forces and Air Force

  • AF announces major selections

    More than 2,200 Air Force officers were selected for major by the 2003A promotion board, officials announced July 22. The board was held at the Air Force Personnel Center here May 5. Board officials considered 3,036 captains for promotion in the line, judge advocate general, chaplain, medical

  • Airman wounded in ambush

    Getting ambushed and shot will not stop a Tactical Air Control Party airman from going back to war.Tech. Sgt. Kevin Whalen was one three people wounded when their convoy was ambushed July 19 about 30 miles north of here.Whalen's job is to call in close-air support for soldiers on the ground. He is

  • IT conference set for August

    Military and industry information technology leaders will convene in Montgomery, Ala., Aug. 24 to 28 for the 2003 Air Force Information Technology Conference. Organizers estimate that 3,500 military and government employees and 1,500 vendors will attend. “This is a power-packed week of superb

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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,

  • AF names 12 outstanding airmen

    Air Force officials announced the 12 Outstanding Airmen of the Year for 2003 on July 10. The top airmen were chosen from a field of 46 members representing organizations at all levels of command throughout the Air Force.The winners are:-- Staff Sgt. Omar Ali Abed, from the 37th Security Forces

  • Now showing: July 7 edition of AFTV News

    The latest edition of Air Force Television News is the finale of a two-part presentation featuring a historic town hall meeting held at the Air Force Museum in Dayton, Ohio. The program features the secretary, chief of staff and chief master sergeant of the Air Force fielding questions from

  • Officials announce AF services awards

    Air Force Services Agency officials announced the winners of the 2003 services awards July 7.Misawa Air Base, Japan, won the Gen. Curtis E. Lemay Trophy for best overall services unit at a large base. Incirlik AB, Turkey, won the Maj. Gen. Eugene L. Eubank Trophy for best services at a small base.

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • EOD experts keep assessors safe

    Finding a bomb that accurately struck an Iraqi target but did not go “bang” is not a good thing, according to combined weapons effectiveness assessment team officials. They said unexploded ordnance is not good because it is a weapon that did not perform as intended. It is also a danger for both

  • 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

  • Team testing hazardous-waste detection

    Three organizations here are testing and demonstrating what could be the future of buried hazardous-waste detection, ultimately improving the Air Force's compliance with Department of Defense and Environmental Protection Agency regulations.Officials from the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center are

  • 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

  • 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

  • Hyperbaric laboratory earns accreditation

    Global health and safety received a much-needed shot in the arm recently when a U.S. Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine organization here became the first nationally accredited Department of Defense hyperbaric facility, according to officials.The school’s hyperbaric medicine division, also known

  • AFAF donations up $800,000

    Airmen are giving more than $5.9 million to this year's Air Force Assistance Fund campaign -- $800,000 more than last year, according to Air Force Personnel Center officials here.The fund raises money for four Air Force-related charities that benefit active-duty, Reserve, Guard and retired Air Force

  • 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

  • Now showing: June 23 edition of AFTV News

    The latest edition of Air Force Television News is the first of a two-part presentation of a historic town hall meeting held at the Air Force Museum in Dayton, Ohio. The program features the secretary, chief of staff and chief master sergeant of the Air Force fielding questions from moderator

  • Bush says U.S. facing down remnants of Iraqi regime

    U.S. military personnel are facing down the remnants of the Hussein regime even as coalition personnel continue to search for Iraqi weapons of mass destruction, President Bush said in his weekly radio address June 21. Bush said American military personnel are making life more secure for Iraqis, and

  • Tech, master promotion rates down

    Air Force officials have selected 4,832 of 18,903 eligible technical sergeants for promotion to master sergeant, a 25.56 percent selection rate, and 7,116 of 32,501 eligible staff sergeants for promotion to technical sergeant, a 21.89 percent selection rate.A higher retention rate -- opening fewer

  • 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

  • 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

  • AF won’t court-martial F-16 pilots

    The 8th Air Force commander announced decisions regarding the Tarnak Farms “friendly-fire” cases of Majs. Harry Schmidt and William Umbach on June 19. Neither pilot will be referred to trial by court-martial.The two Illinois Air National Guard F-16 Fighting Falcon pilots from the 170th Fighter

  • Team assessing bombing targets

    On June 15, the Combined Weapons Effectiveness Assessment Team visited a site targeted by coalition aircraft during Operation Iraqi Freedom. A bunker was buried underneath layers of soil and concrete, hiding more than 25 compartments used to shield parts of Saddam Hussein's regime. In the next

  • 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

  • Airman’s daughter opens for Lee Greenwood

    Six-year-old Jordyn Tabury opened a concert for country-music artist Lee Greenwood during a military appreciation day concert at Six Flags in Agawam, Mass., on June 14.Jordyn sang “God Bless the USA” to more than 1,000 people at the concert. She is the daughter of Staff Sgt. Peter and Bernadette

  • 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

  • BEST newsletter keeps civilians current

    Less than 10 percent of Air Force civilians are taking advantage of a way to get information about their benefits, and Air Force Personnel Center officials here are encouraging more people to participate.By subscribing online to the Benefits and Entitlements Service Team newsletter, Air Force

  • 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

  • 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

  • Online registration, voting expands

    A Department of Defense voting experiment in the 2000 presidential elections that allowed military and overseas voters to cast their ballots through the Internet will expand in 2004.Beginning this fall, Federal Voting Assistance Program officials hope to get as many as 100,000 military members --

  • Team assessing OIF air component effectiveness

    A team of nearly 100 experts in a variety of fields began traveling in Iraq on June 8 to visit up to 500 impact points targeted by coalition air component forces during Operation Iraqi Freedom.A portion of the Combined Weapons Effectiveness Assessment Team, or CWEAT, visited sites in Iraq earlier in

  • 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

  • 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

  • Airmen capture Iraqi republican guardsman

    Three air traffic control radar controllers were surprised June 9 when they found a member of Saddam Hussein’s republican guard hiding in an abandoned building by their radar site at the international airport here.While patrolling their site, Airman 1st Class Richard Mansure, deployed from the 305th

  • Americans can join support team

    "Uncle Sam Wants You" is a familiar recruiting slogan to generations of Americans. But in this case, it is an invitation for all Americans to sign up for a different kind of military operation.Operation Tribute to Freedom, a Defense Department initiative, is a way for Americans to show their

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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,”

  • War teaches major about Air Force

    Maj. Ken Sersun said he learned more about the Air Force mission during his first deployment as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom than at any point in his 16-year career.As chief of staff for the Air Support Operations Center at Camp Virginia, Kuwait, Sersun was one of nearly 150 airmen among 10,000

  • Work continues at Osan crash site

    Base workers labored throughout the night surveying debris from the F-16 Fighting Falcon that crashed near a gate at approximately 8 p.m. May 29. A pilot from the 36th Fighter Squadron was taking off on a training mission in the F-16 when the crash occurred. The aircraft was carrying inert bombs

  • Guardsmen open Baghdad facility

    The 379th Expeditionary Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron has opened a 10-bed mobile medical staging facility near the military flightline at Baghdad International Airport. Facility workers there conduct joint service, coalition and civilian air evacuation missions.In the field, after self-aid and

  • June issue of Citizen Airman available

    Thousands of mobilized reservists, along with hundreds of volunteers, performed critical roles supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. Since the beginning of the effort to liberate the Iraqi people, Air Force Reserve Command airmen have been involved in a variety of areas, including aeromedical