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  • AF trumpeter giving Jay Leno 'double performance'

    Tech. Sgt. Kenneth Trimmins will showcase his talents for playing two trumpets simultaneously on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" airing Nov. 28. Trimmins is the superintendent of musical resources for the Band of the U.S. Air Force Reserve and the noncommissioned officer in charge of the

  • Typical day for 517th anything but ordinary

    It was another typical day for aircrew members of the 517th Airlift Squadron. But a typical day for a 517th "Firebird" is anything but ordinary.The day started in darkness as the aircrew entered their double doors. Patches of light on the flightline ramp surrounded the shadowy figures of parked

  • Public Health keeps airmen out of 'Danger Zone'

    Each week, Tech. Sgt. Marlon Muthuveeran puts the food service operation at the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing dining facility through a rigorous series of tests. He evaluates down to the minutest detail, everything from food storage temperatures to the concentration of the cleaning solution used to

  • 17 receive high honors for heroism

    Seventeen members of the 66th and 58th Rescue Squadrons here were honored recently for their heroic actions and bravery in aerial flight while supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.The Distinguished Flying Cross, one of the military's highest combat decorations, was awarded to: Maj. John Galik;

  • Essay, art contests open to military children

    The Armed Services YMCA seeks both artists and readers for two annual contests.Art Contest 2003, in its eighth year, seeks original artwork from children of military members in kindergarten through sixth grade depicting their active-duty, Reserve or Guard families. Top prizes are $500 U.S. Savings

  • Contact center adds new online service

    People can now get real-time help with personnel issues online, from anywhere in the world, thanks to new Web features offered by the Air Force Contact Center here.The online features let users view a database of frequently asked questions, chat live online with a customer service representative or

  • New history section debuts on Air Force Link

    Air Force Link, the official Web site of the U.S. Air Force, launched a new history and heritage section Nov. 8 to coincide with Veterans Day and the upcoming 100th anniversary of powered flight.The new section documents the achievements of airpower, starting from the early days of wooden-wing

  • Virtual Wall allows public to reach out to Vietnam dead

    Each year, visitors to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial here leave thousands of mementos at the base of the Wall. Since 1997, visitors to a non-profit Internet site have been doing the same, virtually.The Virtual Wall, at www.virtualwall.org, is run by volunteers whose only purpose is to provide an

  • Making a difference through Habitat for Humanity

    People from the base chapel here are helping to make one part of the American dream a reality for a local family through lots of labor and a $37,000 donation to a Habitat for Humanity project.These non-profit construction projects put low-income families into quality family housing."Contributing

  • Alaskan civil engineers build super structure

    A team from the 611th Civil Engineer Squadron here deployed recently to the Indian Mountain Long Range Radar Station to construct a 2,500 square foot Super K-Span storage facility.Indian Mountain is one of 18 remote Alaskan radar sites and is located several hundred miles west and slightly north of

  • Civilian health benefits program open season starting soon

    Air Force civilian employees will have the opportunity to review and update their health care plan during the Federal Employees Health Benefits program open season Nov. 11 to Dec. 9.Program changes could affect more than 7,000 employees since 11 health plan carriers are dropping out of the FEHB and

  • Quarterly overseas assignment listing available

    The Enlisted Quarterly Assignment Listing for overseas assignments for the July to September 2003 cycle will be available Nov. 4.Individuals need to work through their military personnel flights to update their preferences by Nov. 21. Airmen will be notified of their selection by Dec. 9, said

  • Warren airman earns $10K for idea

    A little bit of epoxy sealed Tech. Sgt. Toby Taylor's chances for $10,000.Taylor, training noncommissioned officer in charge of the 90th Maintenance Operations Squadron electrical-mechanical technician team, was recently presented with a $10,000 check from the Air Force Innovative Development

  • Coalition strikes back at Iraq

    Coalition aircraft struck at an Iraqi integrated air defense site in the northern no-fly zone Oct. 22, said Air Force Maj. Scott Covode, a spokesman for the combined task force.Both U.S. and British aircraft took part in the attack. While Covode would not specify the planes used, he did say the

  • Service demographics offer snapshot of force

    Air Force Personnel Center officials recently published a report on the active-duty and civilian populace.This statistical analysis offers a snapshot of the service's 364,041 active-duty and 139,182 civilian employees, providing a descriptive look at Air Force.The latest version is current as of

  • 'myPay' provides online pay resources

    A program designed to help Air Force people manage their pay more easily went online Oct. 15.Formerly named the Employee/Member Self-Service program, myPay offers improved online services for active-duty, Guard and Reserve airmen, civilian employees, retirees and beneficiaries, said Bruce S. Lemkin,

  • Overseas returnee assignment listing available soon

    The Enlisted Quarterly Assignment Listing for people returning from overseas February to April will be available Oct. 14.Individuals need to work through their military personnel flight or commander's support staff to update assignment preferences by Oct. 31. Airmen will be notified of their

  • Retired combat controller returns to duty

    Retirement for Master Sgt. Jay was five years of adventure in Alaska as a king crab fisherman, a state law enforcement officer and a Trans-Alaskan Pipeline security officer. But the former airman missed the adventure of being an Air Force combat controller and has returned to active duty to add

  • ROTC offers airmen education, commissioning opportunities

    Enlisted people interested in becoming commissioned officers may want to consider Air Force ROTC.Airmen have four Air Force ROTC commissioning programs from which to choose. If selected, they will enroll and will receive a commission when they complete the program.The programs are the Airman

  • Latest issue of Citizen Airman magazine now available

    A little more than a year into the nation's war on terrorism, Air Force leaders are in the midst of a transition from a "crisis-response" mode, with heavy reliance on mobilized Guard and Reserve members, to a new steady state, which relies mainly on volunteer reservists and guardsmen to help meet

  • Tuition assistance increases for undergraduate program

    For the second year in a row, Air Force Reserve Command is boosting the amount of help offered through its Tuition Assistance Program for undergraduate work.Starting Oct. 1, the Reserve will increase a student's maximum assistance per semester from $187.50 to $250 for undergraduate work, reimbursing

  • New site compiles military-specific consumer complaints

    Officials from the Department of Defense and Federal Trade Commission have teamed up to provide DOD military and civilian employees an outlet for consumer complaints."Military personnel, DOD civilians and their families face unique challenges every day trying to deal with consumer-protection

  • 'Virtual Schoolhouse' becoming wave of future

    Using information technology to provide formal, long-term training is allowing military members and civilian employees to further their education with the click of a mouse while saving the Air Force money in the process.Air Force Institute of Technology's Virtual Schoolhouse provides people an

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • Air Force participates in South Africa exercise

    Air Force people arrived here Sept. 17 to participate in the first bilateral exercise between the air forces of South Africa and the United States.More than 200 airmen from Royal Air Force Mildenhall and RAF Lakenheath in England, Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D., and the Oklahoma Air National Guard

  • 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.

  • ID cards prepare airmen for deployment

    An airman's projected deployment information can fit inside his or her wallet thanks to the new air and space expeditionary force identification card available online.Officials at the AEF Center here recently introduced the cards as a way to help airmen understand the details of their

  • 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

  • Deployed servicemembers complete playground for local children

    Volunteers at a forward-deployed location in the Arabian Gulf region completed hours of hard work in the blazing sun recently to build a playground for children in a neighboring town.More than 100 volunteers participated in the project, which included removing jagged rocks and shattered glass from

  • 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

  • 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

  • ARPC selects 1,877 for promotion

    Air Reserve Personnel Center officials here announced Sept. 12 the results of the fiscal 2003 Air Force Reserve Line and Health Professions Captain and Lieutenant Colonel Promotion Selection Board. Board members selected 1,877 officers for promotion.A selection board convened at ARPC from June 24

  • 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

  • Promotion study list now available

    Promotion-eligible enlisted people can now find out which materials to study for the 2003 testing cycles.The most current Weighted Airman Promotion System catalog, which lists the materials used by test writers to develop the 2003 promotion tests, is now available on the Air Force Personnel Center

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • Guardsman avoids traffic by rowing to work

    Living and working in the nation's capital for most people means having to battle some of the worst road congestion anywhere in the United States.However, one ingenious Air National Guard member, who lives on Bolling Air Force Base in southeast Washington, D.C., and works in Arlington, Va., uses the

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • Peterson airman stars in AF commercial

    The moment Airman 1st Class Jessica Sanchez stepped onto the Hollywood sound stage recently, she was "crossing into the blue" at the same time.The missile warning intelligence analyst with the 21st Operations Support Squadron at Peterson Air Force Base, Colo., won the role of a young Hispanic woman

  • Airman donates hair to charity

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

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

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

  • Resume requirements clarified for Air Force civilian employment

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

  • 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,

  • Dyess NCO nets $10,000 for idea

    A Dyess senior noncommissioned officer is $10,000 richer thanks to his suggestion which will save the Air Force more than a quarter of a million dollars annually.Master Sgt. Stephen Schwartz, NCO in charge of the 7th Component Repair Squadron's engine shop here, submitted his suggestion through the

  • 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

  • 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

  • Lowest bidder wins this auction

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

  • 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