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  • Demobilized reservists receive time to out-process

    Air Force reservists who are not being extended into a second year or have not been identified for early demobilization should begin demobilizing at least 45 days before their call-up anniversary date, said officials.These days give reservists time to complete mandatory medical evaluations and

  • Program helps prevent, deal with domestic violence

    The Department of Defense considers all forms of family violence as unacceptable and provides extensive resources that focus on prevention, intervention and treatment.The Air Force's Family Advocacy Program, charged with the prevention and treatment of family maltreatment, has the shared goal of

  • Fifth Air Force Marathon a success

    More than 3,200 runners from 48 states and eight foreign countries ran in the fifth Air Force Marathon here Sept. 21.Wheelchair competitors began the 26.2-mile race at 7 a.m., followed by individual runners at 7:05 a.m., and relay teams at 7:30 a.m.Patrick Doak of Alpharetta, Ga., was the first male

  • USAFE gains two units under realignment plan

    A major command, U.S. Air Forces in Europe, is gaining two new units with the implementation of the Unified Command Plan on Oct. 1.The 65th Air Base Wing at Lajes Air Base, Azores, and the 85th Group at Naval Air Station Keflavik, Iceland, will transition from Air Combat Command to USAFE as part of

  • Customs agents looking closely at military mail

    Nearly all of the military mail arriving from overseas is now being checked by U.S. Customs agents because of recent increases in contraband.The Air Force's chief of postal policy said all packages coming from overseas locations are subject to inspections by customs agents, but recent discoveries

  • Basic training opens chemical warfare facility

    Times are changing, and Air Force basic military training is evolving with them.The Air Force unveiled its latest addition to BMT on Sept. 16 at Lackland's Warrior Week encampment site: a nuclear, biological, chemical and conventional warfare training facility."The addition of this new facility

  • Experts investigate 18-year-old crash site

    Experts here visited an 18-year-old crash site recently to make sure no human remains, unexploded munitions or environmental hazards remained.On May 2, national and state environmental specialists were performing wildlife checks when they came across what looked like a military crash site 5,000 feet

  • Chief scientist advises senior leaders

    Dr. Alexander H. Levis describes his job as the Air Force's chief scientist as "the best in the world." He even has the scientific data to back it up.As chief scientist, Levis advises the Air Force secretary and chief of staff on scientific and technological issues, and works in coordination with

  • AAFES employee deploys instead of her spouse

    Oddly, a temporary assignment half way around the world in Southwest Asia is bringing Cathy Talley, an Army and Air Force Exchange Service manager, closer to her husband stationed at Minot Air Force Base, N.D.She is one of the more than 70 AAFES employees who volunteer to spend six months abroad to

  • Vigilance remains key to preventing terrorist activity

    Air Force members and their families are vital assets to law enforcement authorities who identify and assess potential threats in the area to help safeguard people and other resources."Vigilance at home is a phrase that's been used time and again since Sept. 11," said Special Agent Robert Hicks,

  • Our town

    The military base at Bagram, Afghanistan, is home to U.S. airmen, soldiers, sailors and Marines supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. Bagram Air Base is about 25 miles north of the Afghan capital of Kabul. Residents have turned the former Soviet fighter base full of mined areas into a functional

  • Airmen may be able to carry over 'use or lose' leave

    Active-duty airmen who were unable to take annual leave this past year because they were supporting contingency operations will be allowed to accumulate more than the normal 60 days after the fiscal year ends.Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve members who performed full-time training or other

  • Officials announce OTS selections

    The Air Force is giving 42 enlisted members the chance to trade in their stripes for gold bars after being chosen to attend Officer Training School at Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.Officials from Air Force Recruiting Service headquarters conducted OTS Selection Board 0208, which met here Aug. 6 to 9.

  • Sergeant returns home after lengthy surgery ordeal

    Early assessments indicate he is the only person in medical history to survive the removal of a large brain-stem tumor and have few side effects afterward. The tumor was the size and density of a baseball.Tech. Sgt. Michael Newell, 47th Mission Support Squadron group training manager here,

  • Phoenix Readiness to become 'graduate-level' training

    Expeditionary combat support personnel throughout the Air Force will soon have more opportunities to get "graduate-level training" in the art of building and operating an air base from scratch.Phoenix Readiness, the Air Mobility Command-run training program operated by the Air Mobility Warfare

  • Teleconferencing IDEA earns employee $10,000

    A suggestion to change the way in which video teleconferencing is provided has earned an Air Force Research Laboratory employee here a $10,000 award from the Air Force Innovative Development through Employee Awareness program.Gregory J. Howe, a telecommunications specialist in the AFRL information

  • 10 years later, ALS continues to evolve

    A little more than a decade old, airman leadership school has evolved in much the same way the rest of the Air Force has. Although the school and curriculum have changed with the times, one thing has not, said Tech. Sgt. Pamela Jones, an instructor and director of education at the Senior Master Sgt.

  • Test Pilot School updates admission requirements

    Pilots, engineers and navigators applying for slots at the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School here are finding some of the school's requirements have changed recently.The biggest difference for applicants comes in the easing of experience requirements for pilots and navigators.Beginning with this

  • 'Light Bulb' brightens the flightline

    He is been called 'Light Bulb' for so long that only a handful of people know his real name. When asked, he tells them he is sure 'Light Bulb' is his real name.Randy Westervelt, a high voltage electrician with the 437th Civil Engineer Squadron's exterior electric shop here, works day and night to

  • Academy closes to public

    In response to heightened national security conditions, the U.S. Air Force Academy closed its gates to the public Sept. 10 until further notice.Access to the academy is limited to personnel holding a valid Department of Defense identification card. This includes military and dependent, civilian

  • Technology symposium highlights turbine engine successes

    Nearly 100 years after the Wright brothers changed the future with their first powered flight at Kitty Hawk, N.C., a new generation of American scientists and engineers gathered here to tackle the challenges of powering flight for the next century.Nearly 700 Defense Department, NASA and aerospace

  • School children send patriotic support to 'home team'

    Handmade posters and drawings depicting the American flag have made the journey from Dothan, Ala., to special operations troops forward-deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.Children from Dothan's Girard Elementary School wanted to show their support for the military, especially the men

  • Casualty services keep families first

    The war on terrorism has not changed the priorities of Air Force casualty services people at the Air Force Personnel Center here; families of hurt or killed airmen come first.Operation Enduring Freedom has only made the always-open casualty office staff's work more important to the promise that the

  • Part-time civilian jobs available for students

    Two Air Force civilian educational employment programs offer high school, college and professional school students the opportunity to earn money and gain valuable work experience while still in school."The Air Force has always looked to educational institutions to find people who have the skills

  • Inspectors keep an eye on Raptor production

    Master Sgt. Richard Bailey and Staff Sgt. Mike Bedtelyon are administratively assigned to Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., but they are playing key roles in another state to ensure the base's future F-22 Raptors are delivered with the right stuff.Bailey and Bedtelyon, both from the 325th Operations

  • Blood donor restrictions also apply to retirees

    Some military retirees have been surprised to find that they are no longer eligible to give blood, according to officials at the Armed Forces Blood Program Office here. A substantial number of active-duty and retired military personnel cannot donate blood because of past duty assignments in the

  • Air Force striving to get airmen paid right

    More than a year after a new personnel data system began to trigger an "unacceptable" number of pay problems, Air Force leaders have appointed a "pay czar" and mobilized personnel and finance people to fix and prevent pay problems.A recent success: ensuring more than 150 new retirees -- some just

  • Officials release supplemental board results

    Fourteen airmen, out of 243 considered, were selected for promotion during the latest senior enlisted supplemental board.This was the largest pool of candidates in years, said officials at the Air Force Personnel Center here.The large number reflects an unusual year. The pace of current operations,

  • Improving quality of life one of AF's top challenges

    Acknowledging that the current operations tempo has placed a severe strain on airmen, the secretary of the Air Force told the service's first sergeants that supporting quality of life issues is one of his top priorities. "I view this as one of the Air Force's most critical challenges," said Dr.

  • Coalition forces strike Iraqi air defense site

    Operation Southern Watch aircrews responded Sept. 4 to recent Iraqi hostile acts against coalition aircraft monitoring the southern no-fly zone. They used precision-guided weapons to strike an air defense command and control facility at a military airfield 240 miles west and slightly south of

  • Aircraft storage center refurbishes German F-4s

    The Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Center here is in the business of aircraft storage and regeneration plus aircraft parts reclamation for various agencies, including the U.S. military and its allies.Recently, AMARC technicians have assumed a slightly different role by taking on the

  • Walking the beat, 10,000 km from home

    Ask most cops why they went into law enforcement, and they will say it is about people -- helping people, meeting people, even just talking with people.For a people-focused cop, Staff Sgt. Travis Hartzell has a dream job. As patrolmaster for the 376th Air Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron, he

  • Help on the way for parents of military-connected children

    Help is on the way for parents who want to be advocates for their military-connected schoolchildren but do not know where to go when they move from place to place around the world.The Military Child Education Coalition heard parents' pleas and created a Parent Workshop program to help them. The

  • Roche reviews first year of war on terrorism

    "Looking back at what we've achieved over the past 11 months, we can all be proud to call ourselves airmen."That was the bottom line of Secretary of the Air Force Dr. James G. Roche's speech at the Tuskegee Airmen's 31st Annual National Convention recently in Atlanta."Often, our legacy is driven by

  • Greater access to pay information through E/MSS

    The Defense Finance and Accounting Service Employee/Member Self-Service system has been expanded to allow greater access to pay information and more changes to pay records.The new enhancements provide more options to employees, are user-friendly, and help give employees more control over their pay

  • Intern program develops future AF scientists, engineers

    While their friends were flipping burgers at fast food joints or hanging out at the mall this summer, a group of young scientists were experimenting with their futures in the Air Force Research Laboratory here.Working as research assistants, 27 "Wright Scholars" joined a team of scientist and

  • Reservists must report extension to keep benefits

    Mobilized reservists who are extended into a second year must report the extension to their servicing military personnel unit to ensure they receive continuous health care and other benefits.If deployed overseas, reservists can go to their personnel support for contingency operations team to update

  • Transitional health care hinges on updating records

    Demobilizing reservists who wish to receive transitional health-care benefits need to update their records and obtain transitional medical care cards for their family members when they outprocess. Reservists called to active duty for more than 30 days to support a contingency operation are eligible

  • Exercising their right

    (Left to right) Airmen 1st Class Matt Martinez and Alvin Gutierrez, Airmen Stephen Tarouilly and Ruben Martinez, and Airman 1st Class Drew Mueller, all members of the 568th Security Forces Squadron here, register to vote for the first time. Federal Voting Assistance Program officials are

  • Pay information available at your fingertips

    Anything you ever wanted to know about your military pay but didn't know who to ask is now available with a couple of mouse clicks. The Office of the Secretary of Defense has a military compensation Web site.The site explains the differences between pay and allowances and describes the intended

  • Air Force officials to cancel 100,000 travel cards

    More than 100,000 of the Air Force's government travel cards will be canceled in early October for lack of use, according to the service's travel card program manager.The move, said Michael Weber, is part of a servicewide effort to "clean up the books" and will affect those people who have not used

  • First test of 'Net Decoy' system shows promise

    The airmen of the 100th Communications Squadron here hosted the first-ever demonstration of the pioneering "Net Decoy" system, combining two defensive information systems that detect, track and potentially identify cyberspace intruders.During the latter part of August the Air Force Information

  • Student pilots learn basics of aerospace physiology

    While most people think of parasailing as a vacation sport, it is just another part of training for specialized undergraduate pilot training students here.Experts from the 14th Medical Operations Squadron spend eight and a half days with students during their first phase of training. The

  • Raptor redefines maneuverability

    "Turning on a dime" brings to mind images of a split-second change of direction. Imagine doing that in a jet hurtling through the sky. That is the F-22 Raptor.The F-22 design, with its stealth, supercruise and integrated avionics, provides a high degree of assurance that a "dogfight" will not be

  • Research lab applies robotic technology to mission

    On June 25, 1996, the military community was devastated when several American military members were killed and many more injured, including some local civilians, when the Khobar Towers in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, were bombed.Following this tragic event, Air Force officials identified a need to safely

  • Dentist keeps airmen in fight against terrorism

    Capt. Zindell Richardson is "all smiles" because he has the corner on the dental market at this forward-deployed location.As the only military dentist in this country, the Campbellsville, Ky., native is responsible for providing dental care to thousands of U.S. and coalition warfighters."The concept

  • Hill experts renovate F-16s for Thailand's air force

    The first five F-16 Fighting Falcons of 16 being renovated by aircraft experts here left for Thailand recently. The remainder of the modified fighters are scheduled to join the Royal Thai air force by January.The F-16s, which will be used as air defense fighters, were brought here from

  • Supply flight keeps parts moving at OEF base

    The 379th Air Expeditionary Wing is one of the largest units in the Persian Gulf region to support Operation Enduring Freedom. Its primary aircraft are KC-10 Extenders and KC-135 Stratotankers. The wing has delivered almost 300 million pounds of fuel to U.S. and coalition aircraft in the war on

  • Launch marks new era of space vehicles

    A new era of space launch vehicles began when the first Lockheed-Martin Atlas V lifted off the pad at Cape Canaveral Aug. 21.This launch begins the operational start of the Air Force's Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle program, the latest in technology for launching critical payloads into space.EELV

  • Air Force seeks partnerships

    Get Air Force people off the lawn mowers and onto the flightline.That is the essential goal behind the Air Force's public-private partnership initiatives, according to Fred Kuhn, deputy assistant secretary of the Air Force for installations."We've got too much money (being spent) and too many people

  • Thrift Savings Plan offering improvements

    The Thrift Savings Plan's new computerized record-keeping system, now set to kick off in November, will provide more control of accounts for investors and faster processing of transactions, said officials at the Air Force Personnel Center here.During the transition period Aug. 19 to Sept. 16, access

  • Spouse's program takes off

    McConnell graduated its first spouses recently from a new program designed to increase spouses' and caregivers' awareness of the Air Force mission, customs, traditions, protocol, support resources and other services available to them."I thought (Heartlink) was very informative, especially for a

  • Operation Pillowcase softens sting of family separation

    An award-winning program designed to make children feel less anxious is softening the sting while a parent is away from home on military duty.Operation Pillowcase, developed by the 439th Airlift Wing family support center staff here, provides children of activated reservists with a pillowcase

  • 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

  • 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

  • ROTC encampment includes Reserve TIs

    A sea of blue uniforms fills a drill pad while Air Force Reserve military training instructors hover nearby looking for training moments. The young, sweating faces of Air Force ROTC cadets in parade formation are intensely watching their interval and distance, hoping not to draw attention to

  • 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,

  • Identity theft criminals can steal lives

    Air Force members need to be cautious with personal information, said agents from the Air Force Office of Special Investigations headquarters at Andrews Air Force Base, Md.Information, including Social Security number, bank account and credit card numbers, account passwords, telephone numbers and

  • Deployed medics train U.S. embassy employees in Qatar

    A group of medics deployed to Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, provided emergency medical training recently to employees of the U.S. embassy in the country.More than 70 U.S. citizens and foreign-service nationals who work at the U.S. Embassy Doha, Qatar, attended the self aid buddy care training given by

  • Agents recover stolen laptops; suspect in custody

    Agents of the Air Force Office of Special Investigations recovered two missing laptops containing highly sensitive U.S. military information Aug. 9.A week earlier, the laptops had been reported missing from a secure location at U.S. Central Command headquarters at MacDill Air Force Base, Fla.,

  • Licensing, certification info for military jobs available online

    People separating from the military can now get online help earning professional certification or licenses related to their military jobs for the civilian world before they leave the service."There are a lot of people who get out of the military only to find out that they are not prepared, even

  • 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

  • Four selected for Financial Management Leadership Program

    Four Air Force officers were chosen recently to participate in the service's Financial Management Leadership Program, designed to develop aerospace leaders with financial management and command experience.Capts. Jeffrey Dibiasi, 52nd Munitions Support Squadron, Kleine Brogel, Belgium; John Gondol,

  • Power production farm keeps OEF base running

    Just like a body needs food, a forward-deployed unit needs power.Without them, neither will survive.The 379th Expeditionary Civil Engineer power production farm at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, ensures the base's electrical needs are kept well-fed."We produce every bit of power used by the military

  • 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

  • Quarterly overseas enlisted assignment listing available

    The Enlisted Quarterly Assignment Listing for overseas assignments is now available for the April to June 2003 cycle.The deadline for updating assignment preferences is Aug. 22. Airmen will be notified of their selection by Sept. 9.EQUAL advertises upcoming assignment requirements by Air Force

  • Medical team provides care to Honduran children

    More than 130 Honduran children received free medical care in San Pedro Sula recently when an 11-person medical team from Wilford Hall Medical Center at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, came to the city on a medical readiness training exercise, or MEDRETE.This particular exercise focused on problems

  • 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

  • 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

  • F-15 Eagles still flying high at 30

    The F-15 Eagle turned 30 years old July 27, but those who fly it or maintain it say this bird is as spry as ever.Considering the numbers that really count, the aircraft is mission perfect. It currently boasts a combat record of 104 kills without a loss, a score that includes Israeli and Saudi

  • 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