HomeNews

NATO Air Policing operations

U.S. Air Force News

  • Fighting two wars

    With the war on terrorism in full stride, the chances have increased dramatically that people in the Air Force will serve in a combat zone.About 90 airmen deployed here have directly supported not one but two wars in only a few months.Senior Airman Kelly Wilson, a security forces airman, and Staff

  • Filipino Airman sets his sights high

    He left a career, his home country and some members of his family to become part of the bite behind America's bark.Airman 1st Class Michael Dizon is an Airman-in-training at the 381st Training Squadron here, studying to become a dental technician. But he was much more than that before enlisting in

  • Filipino-American Airmen return home while serving PACAF air contingent

    Asian-Pacific Americans have fought and served with the U.S. military for more than two centuries. The legacy continues for three Filipino-American Airmen deployed with U.S. Pacific Command’s air contingent at Clark Air Base, where they fulfill a number of roles ranging from medical support to

  • Fill ‘er up: POL keeps base, mission running

    Against a constant battle with the elements, the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing’s flying mission depends on one unit to always be ready when called on. The 332nd Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron’s petroleum, oil and lubricant, or POL, flight stands ready to deliver fuel to anyone who needs

  • Filler' up--with 2 million gallons of premium

    Filler' up is a phrase you may have used many times back in the days of full service gas stations but it's not very common terminology in the day and age of high-prices and self-service everything. The 376th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron's Petroleum, Oils and Lubricants Flight, however,

  • Filling civilian vacancies easier with advanced recruiting, online resources

    As Air Force officials work to streamline and expedite the hiring process for the civilian workforce, they are encouraging hiring managers to initiate the recruitment process prior to an incumbent's departure.If the position being vacated is already funded, properly classified and serviced by the

  • Filmmaker honors deployed women's sacrifices

    "I'm coming home, I'm coming home. Tell the world I'm coming home." As the song fades, along with an image of a uniformed woman hugging her young son, JulieHera DeStefano watched as an audience of Airmen silently wiped away tears and took a collective deep breath in. Aviano Airmen were given the

  • Final AC-130U Spooky returns from combat deployment

    While still on alert to respond to contingencies as needed for the next few months, the Spooky is being replaced downrange by the AC-130J Ghostrider, the most lethal and innovative gunship in the world.

  • Final Air Force Delta II launches

    Air Force personnel successfully launched a United Launch Alliance Delta II booster carrying the 21st modernized NAVSTAR Global Positioning System (GPS) satellite into space Aug. 17. The NAVSTAR GPS was launched at 6:35 a.m. (Eastern Daylight Time) from Space Launch Complex 17A here. "With this

  • Final Airman's body recovered

    Just hours after beginning their third day of searching Oct. 8, a combined Japanese-U.S. Air Force rescue team recovered the body of the final Airman who had been swept out to sea Oct. 5.

  • Final alarm sounds worldwide for fallen Air Force firefighter

    Air Force firefighters worldwide participated in a one-minute "final alarm" ceremony Feb. 16 honoring Staff Sgt. Ray Rangel who died while attempting to rescue two Soldiers after their Humvee overturned in a canal in Iraq.Officials estimate that more than 3,900 active-duty firefighters, countless

  • Final B-52G eliminated under New START

    One rescue saw, two qualified technicians and less than 45 minutes later, the final B-52G Stratofortress accountable under the New START Treaty was eliminated Dec. 19 at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group, commonly referred to as "The Boneyard," Davis-Monthan Air Force Base,

  • Final CALCM missile package retired

    The CALCM missile has been employed in combat operations to include Desert Storm, Desert Strike, Desert Fox, Allied Force, Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. Decades later, the final missile package was disassembled to become demilitarized.

  • Final changes to Air Force song announced

    The announcement by Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David L. Goldfein, completes a two-step process in which male-only references were revised to capture the distinguished service, the high standards, and central role that women play in every facet of the modern United States Air Force.

  • Final clause in cadet Honor Oath made optional

    After reviewing the cadet Honor Oath, and in the spirit of determining a way ahead that enables all to be true to their beliefs, the Air Force's Academy has decided to make the final clause optional.

  • Final combat boot test results are in

    The results from the test of a prototype Airman Battle Uniform stain-resistant boot for wear in industrial environments have been released. These results are based on testing that concluded in October 2009. The wear test choice is a full-grain leather boot, that incorporates a rubber toe and heal

  • Final F-15 departs Langley, 71st FS prepares to inactivate

    The last two operational F-15 Eagles left here Sept. 1 for Portland, Ore. The 71st Fighter Squadron is scheduled to be inactivated Sept. 30. The 71st FS, also referred to as the Ironmen, generated more than 4,000 sorties and logged more than 5,400 flight hours annually. "When the last wheels of the

  • 'Final frontier' now complex domain for space safety culture

    Space, long thought to be America’s final frontier, has transformed over the past several decades into a complex domain the Air Force must operate in safely. Recent Hollywood productions depicting dangerous space events - hurtling space debris blowing satellites to bits; disconnected astronauts

  • Final frontier: Closer to home than ever before

    Air University officials here will host an educational symposium on the realm of space, America's dependence on the cosmos, and how military and civilian communities discuss the nation's space vulnerabilities Sept. 25 to 27 in downtown Montgomery, Ala. Headed by the National Space Studies Center at

  • Final GPS IIF satellite moves to next processing phase toward launch

    All of the intricate processing steps from delivery of the satellite to launching into orbit are part of their standard operations at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida. But, it’s a bitter sweet moment when the team reflects on the extensive years of history they have processing GPS systems

  • Final Joint STARS aircraft delivered

    Officials from the Electronic Systems Center at Hanscom Air Force Base, Mass., delivered the 17th and final E-8C Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System aircraft to the 116th Air Control Wing at Robins AFB, Ga., on March 23.The wing is the only unit to fly the aircraft. The Joint STARS

  • Final KC-135E retires at Davis-Monthan

    It was a historical day on the flightline here Sept. 23, as the last KC-135E model touched down after its final flight. The aircraft, which served the Air Force for more than 50 years, will now spend its days basking in the sun in the 'Boneyard' and providing much needed parts to the rest of the

  • Final MC-12 deployed to USCENTCOM AOR

    The 30th MC-12 Liberty was recently deployed to the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility completing the initial deployment plan, an Air Force official announced July 9."We mobilized a significant industry base and every resource at our disposal, and delivered the first Federal Aviation

  • Final Operation Pacific Passage mission arrives at Travis

    The last flight transporting military family members who voluntarily departed Japan as part of Operation Pacific Passage arrived March 28 here.Operation Pacific Passage is the U.S. Northern Command-led voluntary return of military family members from Japan in the aftermath of the deadly earthquake

  • Final phase of C-17 drag reduction testing underway

    When it comes to aviation fuel, the C-17 Globemaster III utilization rate makes it stand out as the largest consumer in the Air Force. This is why a team at the 418th Flight Test Squadron has been working for the past year on the Air Force Research Laboratory’s C-17 Drag Reduction Program.

  • Final record scan moves AFPC closer to total virtual service

    Blanca Rubio, a contract scanning team leader at the Air Force Personnel Center here, performed an electronic scan of the Air Force's last paper unit personnel record June 3.  This was an important digital milestone because it completed the paper conversion to a Web-based, around-the-clock "virtual

  • Final rule puts more teeth Into Military Lending Act

    The Defense Department today closed loopholes to protect U.S. men and women in uniform from predatory lending practices, President Barack Obama said July 21 at the 116th Veterans of Foreign Wars National Convention in Pittsburgh.

  • Final tanker leaves Grand Forks AFB

    The final KC-135 Stratotanker departed from here Dec. 4, signaling the end of the KC-135 air refueling mission here.The plane was piloted to McConnell Air Force Base, Kan., by Lt. Gen. Vern M. Findley, the Air Mobility Command vice-commander, and Col. Don Shaffer, the 319th Air Refueling Wing

  • Final tests begin on C-130J systems

    An electronic warfare test team here began the final phase of testing Oct. 7 of an integrated defensive system installed on a C-130J Hercules. Testing should be complete by Thanksgiving, with publication of the final test report scheduled for February 2004.The C-130J, a medium-range tactical

  • Final Titan II launches

    The Air Force's 13th and final Titan II rocket launched a Defense Meteorological Satellite Program payload from here Oct. 18 at 9:17 a.m. The launch took place following two recent delays. The mission was delayed Oct. 15 when an air-conditioning duct became detached from the booster's payload

  • Final tributes paid to Airmen killed in Iraq

    Two memorial displays, each with a pair of boots, an inverted rifle, a helmet and a set of dog tags, stood side by side reflecting the camaraderie and teamwork and service of Tech. Sgt. Ryan A. Balmer and Staff Sgt. Matthew J. Kuglics, whose ultimate sacrifices were honored in a ceremony here June

  • Finance agency opens new reserve pay center

    The Defense Department's new Reserve Pay Center of Excellence has officially opened for business.The operation, part of Defense Finance and Accounting Service, will further improve service "to the men and women who defend America," according to a DFAS news release. It will offer "better

  • Finance begins transformation

    The Air Force financial management community formally kicked off the operational phase of its transformation effort Feb. 2 at a conference in San Antonio.The conference highlighted the "six lanes" of financial transformation planned for the service in the next decade, which emphasize customer

  • Finance center distributing year-end pay, tax statements

    Servicemembers, military retirees and annuitants and federal civilian employees paid by the Defense Finance and Accounting Service can expect to receive their 2005 tax statements by mail soon, a DFAS official said. In fact, most retirees and annuitants already may have received theirs, with the last

  • Finance officer wins DOD-level award

    An Air Force financial management officer here won the Best in Department of Defense award for Financial Management Initiative May 22. Lt. Col. Robert Bickel, the deputy director of the Air Force's new Financial Management Center of Expertise was named the individual contributor category winner by

  • Finance team brings cash flow back to Iraq

    In August 2010, President Barack Obama announced the end of the combat mission in Iraq. In December 2011, images of the last U.S. service members leaving the country flooded the media. But they weren't the last to leave. A handful of U.S. service members, along with a strong U.S. and international

  • Finances made easy with new online portal

    The Comptroller Services Portal is an automated incident management application that allows customers to request and receive online assistance from their servicing comptroller squadron. CSP has integrated workflows which assist the customer in seeking help with travel pay, military pay and civilian

  • Financial adviser tells Airmen to 'focus on fundamentals'

    What wouldn't most Americans give for solid financial advice in the current uncertain climate? For more than 140 Officer Training School cadets, all they had to do was show up for work. A money expert from the United Services Automobile Association visited Maxwell-Gunter for a briefing at Officer

  • Financial impact of force shaping lessened

    Airmen transitioning to the Air Force Reserve through Palace Chase or to the Army through Blue to Green force-shaping initiatives now face a lighter economic impact.Airmen will no longer have to pay education costs or unearned portions of enlistment bonuses if they applied for separation after Dec.

  • Financial management leadership program open to eligible officers

    Nominations for active-duty line officers interested in the financial management leadership program, or FMLP, are due to the Air Force Personnel Center by Feb. 15, 2014, AFPC officials said Dec. 18. The FMLP is a four-year program that provides non-finance officers the opportunity to gain leadership

  • Financial management, services to Airmen evolving

    The assistant secretary of the Air Force for financial management and comptroller described a bright future for financial services during a visit with Air Mobility Command  financial management officials here April 28. John H. Gibson II said current and pending enhancements allow Airmen to work

  • Financial managers get certification program

    Air Force Financial Managers are joining forces with their sister services to create a more effective training and certification program. The new Department of Defense Financial Manager Certification Program will affect nearly 10,000 Air Force active duty officers, enlisted and civilian financial

  • Financial Operations workshop features innovation

    Tech. Sgt. Samuel Spaethe used to spend hours upon hours completing work as a financial services technician, often working weeknights until 7 p.m. and then on Saturdays just to get the job done.

  • Financial readiness equals mission readiness, official says

    Servicemembers and their families need to learn the importance of financial management and smart saving practices, so the Defense Department is focusing its efforts to make sure troops are prepared for the future, a senior DOD official said here Oct. 17. "One of the most important aspects of our

  • Financial service center opens doors at Ellsworth

    The new Air Force Financial Services Center officially opened its doors Sept. 14 with an assumption of command and ribbon cutting ceremony officiated by Secretary of the Air Force Michael W. Wynne. During the assumption of command ceremony, Col. Judy Perry assumed command of the center. "Opening the

  • Financial Services Center officials work through challenges

    The shift to processing pay and travel transactions at the newly established Air Force Financial Services Center here has caused some customers to see delays in the payments of travel vouchers and other transactions. "We are keenly aware of the impact that long processing time has on our Airmen and

  • Financial services return to local centers

    The processing of military pay transactions will move from the Air Force Financial Service Center at Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D., to base-level financial services offices beginning in August.The return of military pay transactions to local level is a part of the Secretary of Defense Leon

  • Finding a way to win

    It was a temperate day at Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan when Lt. Col. Craig Andrle and his wingman, Capt. Adam Fuhrmann, began walking across the flightline to their soon-to-be airborne F-16CM Fighting Falcons.

  • Finding the way: Special tactics chief awarded Silver Star

    Chief Master Sgt. Michael West, 24th Special Operations Wing special tactics operator, utilized 58 coalition aircraft delivering 24,000 pounds of munitions, turning the tide of battle, and now he’s receiving the Silver Star Medal.

  • Fine fuel for fighters

    Tech. Sgt. Mark Hoover tests fuel for contaminants before it is delivered to aircraft and support equipment at a forward-deployed location. Hoover is assigned to the 379th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. (Photo by Master Sgt. Terry L. Blevins)

  • FIP provides new career path for missileers

    Steps to implement the "3+3" operations tour construct for the missile combat crew officers at Malmstrom Air Force Base, Montana have begun to meet the Nov. 1, 2014, implementation date.

  • Fire annihilates tent, trailer

    Airman 1st Class Darrel Tirpak, a firefighter from the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing, puts out the remains of a tent fire during a live demonstration held for wing people at a forward-deployed location in Southwest Asia. The tent, which is the same type people sleep in, was totally consumed in 3

  • Fire blamed for Altus C-17 mishap

    A fire on a C-17 Globemaster III aircraft at Altus Air Force Base, Okla., caused a flight to be aborted and the plane to be evacuated during a mishap June 25.An Air Force investigation team determined a fire in the vicinity of the No. 1 engine started when a hose burst, allowing hydraulic fluid to

  • Fire burns 100 acres, singes Altus AFB

    Altus Air Force Base and local firefighters worked together to battle a grass fire that consumed about 100 acres here, March 12. Local officials say dry conditions and high winds resulted in several grass fires in the area, including one at the southeast corner of the base. The base suffered minimal

  • Fire chief shares personal story of trauma, perseverance

    Trapped and alone in a smoke-filled room with zero visibility, flames raging outside and the temperature rapidly rising to hundreds of degrees Fahrenheit, Airman 1st Class William Taylor realized that he was alone. His only hope of staying alive was to get himself out of there – and fast.

  • Fire destroys Patrick club

    More than 70 firefighters and public safety officials from here and several surrounding civilian communities responded to a fire that destroyed most of the officers club Jan. 31. Everyone was evacuated safely at about 7 p.m. when workers noticed smoke in the building. First responders from the base

  • Fire experts warn of turkey fryer dangers

    No one was injured when an out-of-control turkey fryer recently caused a base housing fire at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, but the blaze resulted in an estimated $120,000 worth of damage.Patrick Vega, assistant base fire chief at Hill, deemed the housing unit where the fire originated a total loss.

  • Fire hits home for California Air Guard Airmen

    When hot, dry, gusty winds from the east, known as Santa Ana winds, carried the sparks and embers of the Camarillo Springs wildfire dangerously close to homes and neighborhoods late last week, the California National Guard members who responded alongside fire personnel had a unique opportunity: to

  • Fire muster challenges Airmen

    Airmen and Soldiers were put to the test in the air and space expeditionary force rotation 7/8 fire muster March 21 here. A fire muster is a fire department competition consisting of several different events from a dummy drag, putting out a "fire" using a bucket brigade, rolling up a hose, and

  • Fire Prevention Week focuses on smoke alarms

    The nonprofit National Fire Protection Association has developed "Smoke Alarms: A Sound You Can Live With!" as the theme for Fire Prevention Week, Oct. 3 through 9. Newer smoke alarm recommendations and technologies now provide greater levels of home fire protection than ever before. Officials said

  • Fire rescue team supports combat operations

    The role of Air Force firefighters is changing here, with tents replacing fire station, dirt airfields and, at times, rocket attacks. In the last six months, a six-man Air Force fire and crash rescue unit has gone on five missions into some of Afghanistan’s most remote areas. There was enough

  • Fire retardant reload operations moved to Channel Islands

    The 302nd Air Expeditionary Group moved some critical fire retardant reloading equipment to the Channel Islands Air National Guard Station July 8 to increase the efficiency of modular airborne firefighting systems-equipped C-130 Hercules in battling wildfires in California. The purpose for setting

  • Fire task force mission becomes 'wait and see'

    With the latest California wildfires mostly under control, Army and Air National Guard aircrews supporting the firefighting effort can finally begin to breathe, as many aircraft are pulled from active support to a stand-by role. Since the California fires began June 21, Army and Air National Guard

  • Firefighter brotherhood reaches across international borders

    Thirteen could prove to be a lucky number for Iraqi citizens in An Nasiriyah as that is the number of firefighters whose abilities have been enhanced through training with Airmen deployed here. Airmen firefighters from Air Expeditionary Forces 3, 4, 5 and 6 introduced the Iraqis to American

  • Firefighter challenge to air on ESPN

    Air Force and Department of Defense firefighters will get airtime this weekend as ESPN2 broadcasts the 12th annual Firefighter Challenge at 2 p.m. EST on Dec. 21.Twelve military teams participated in the Firefighter Challenge competition, joining almost 200 other fire departments from the United

  • Firefighter Combat Challenge returns to Ramstein after 5-year hiatus

    For the first time in five years, firefighters and emergency responders from throughout U.S. Air Forces in Europe came together here Oct. 9 for the 2010 Firefighter Combat Challenge. The return of the event, previously put on hold due to real-world demands, also marked the end of the Kaiserslautern

  • Firefighter dies during rescue attempt in Iraq

    A firefighter from here was killed Feb. 13 while on a rescue mission in Iraq.Staff Sgt. Ray Rangel, 29, died while attempting to rescue two Soldiers trapped in a Humvee that overturned in a canal. He was deployed to an Air Force unit operating out of Balad Air Base, Iraq. He was permanently

  • Firefighter first U.S. Airman to attend RAF leadership training

    A firefighter here began the Royal Air Force Airmen's Command Squadron, the equivalent of the NCO Academy, Feb. 12 at RAF Halton, England. Tech. Sgt. Josh Trundle, the RAF Mildenhall fire department assistant NCO in charge of training and safety, joined RAF airmen in training topics ranging from

  • Firefighter hopes for quiet day on Air Force birthday

    Senior Airman Jurle Gaver hopes there are no emergencies to keep him from his cake, ice cream and punch on the Air Force's 59th birthday. The firefighter, like other Airmen around the world, will report to work to fight or support the ongoing war on terrorism. This war -- like all the ones before --

  • Firefighter training goes virtual

    Firefighters train weekly to maintain readiness, so when the call comes to put their lives at risk for the people they serve, they are prepared.Whether in training or on a live fire, they are susceptible to various carcinogenic toxins - until now.

  • Firefighters ‘adapt’ to situation

    Necessity is said to be the mother of invention. Two firefighters here have taken this old saying to heart and invented an adapter to increase their capacity to fight fires.Staff Sgt. Clinton Saul, of the 447th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron fire department, and Army Spc. James Michaels, of

  • Firefighters bring 'burning' passion to training mission

    Fighting fires is a dangerous job, especially when working with insufficient equipment and inadequate training. But a pair of Air Force firefighters deployed to Kabul International Airport, Afghanistan, are hoping to change that. Master Sgts. Timothy Rickard, deployed from Anderson Air Force Base,

  • Firefighters' career field streamlines for success

    The Air Force's top civil engineer wants to change the way Air Force firefighters do business. As force-shaping measures decrease the overall numbers of firefighters in the Air Force by more than 900 people, Maj. Gen. Del Eulberg said he has had to find new ways to maintain their mission capabilityy