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  • City-base concept still progressing

    What used to be Brooks Air Force Base here is through its first year of morphing into a technology and business park via a unique partnership between the Air Force and San Antonio.Now known as Brooks City-Base, the technology park has sparked interest from numerous companies and organizations

  • Airmen bring fallen firefighter home

    Two of the pallbearers who carried the casket bearing the body of California firefighter Steven Rucker had fought alongside him as he defended a house from the Cedar Fire. Another two had served as his captains in the Novato Calif. Fire Protection District where he worked. The pallbearers brought

  • Automatic continuation rules change

    Regular and Air Force Reserve captains on the active-duty list who are not selected for promotion to major two or more times should not count on automatic continuation said personnel officials.The new policy will affect captains meeting the Dec. 8 major promotion board.Only a limited number of

  • Troops deliver child in Tallil tent city

    The cluster of tents in the corner of tent city here that make up the 332nd Expeditionary Medical Group was bustling with unusual activity recently. In facilities designed to support the needs of a deployed combat unit, 332nd Expeditionary Medical Support troops gathered together to deliver a

  • Quality of life improving at Kirkuk

    Airmen supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom here will leave their dusty tents for the last time when new modular dormitories open.The dorms, scheduled to open Dec. 1, will house up to 1,664 airmen in 13 buildings with six to eight people to a room.The construction project is moving rapidly, said Lt.

  • Airmen keep theater mail flowing

    Eighteen airmen, most wearing two or three stripes, spend several hours a day in a sun-baked warehouse just off the tarmac here. They are touching the lives of each deployed servicemember and civilian in Iraq.“We’re responsible for all mail, in and out,” said Tech. Sgt. Darrin Robertson, mail

  • Airman sentenced for drugs

    An airman assigned to the 552nd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron here will spend the next 16 months in a military prison, receive a bad conduct discharge, and forfeit all pay and allowances for illegal drug use and distribution.Airman Basic Raymond Reibel told a military judge Oct. 21 he smoked

  • Cleanup process gets DOD support

    The Air Force gained Department of Defense support in October for an environmental-cleanup approach that may accelerate progress at as many as 24 Air Force sites.The new method involves merging land-use control actions into records of decision, said Maureen Koetz, deputy assistant secretary of the

  • Airman gets hard labor, discharge

    An academy airman was sentenced to a bad-conduct discharge in a special court-martial Oct. 15.Airman Brent Mann of the 10th Communications Squadron pleaded guilty to providing alcohol to a minor and failing to obey a lawful order to register his vehicle or remove it from the base. Mann also pleaded

  • NORAD monitors U.S. sky to protect homeland

    On the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, the staff at the North American Aerospace Defense Command was poised to identify a missile test or space launch anywhere in the world, or to tell exactly how many items of "space junk" were circling the globe.What they did not know was that four commercial

  • IDEA will save Air Force $5.7 million

    A Tinker man’s idea to have depot-level maintenance on air traffic control radars performed on-site will save the Air Force more than $5 million and earned him $10,000 through the Innovative Development through Employee Awareness program.Instead of having the vital airport surveillance radar systems

  • Bagram airmen boost village morale

    It is austere here. The rules are strict, the environment is harsh, and the enemy is near. Everyday is a workday. Alcoholic beverages and civilian clothes are prohibited. People cannot go anywhere unarmed. They eat and sleep with their weapons.Maintaining high morale in an environment like this

  • Eberhart: U.S. better prepared against terror

    The United States is now better prepared to face terrorist threats and the U.S. Northern Command will continue to improve U.S. capabilities, according to its commander, Gen. Ralph Eberhart.Eberhart said Northern Command brings a focus on planning and training to the homeland-defense mission that was

  • Rumsfeld thanks Reserve, Guard employers

    In an open letter to employers, Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld thanked them for their continued support of their National Guard and Reserve employees called to support the global war on terrorism.“(The ongoing war) would not have been possible without the strong backing of America's

  • Holiday print greeting service begins Oct. 1

    The Army and Air Force Hometown News Service is offering its free print holiday greeting program to servicemembers worldwide. The program, now in its fourth year, will be open for submissions Oct. 1 through Nov. 25.An important change for this year’s program is open access to the program by

  • JAG duty goes beyond portrayals

    People who base their perception of military lawyers on the television show "JAG" most likely think those in the judge advocate general profession are pilots, traveling from courtroom to courtroom in high performance military aircraft. They may also believe military legal professionals have the

  • Guard F-16 crashes in Louisiana

    A Texas Air National Guard F-16 Fighting Falcon crashed during a routine training mission Sept. 22. The crash occurred in a wooded area approximately 200 miles northeast of Houston, near Rosepine, La. The pilot ejected safely and no one was injured on the ground.A search and rescue team from Fort

  • KC-135 brakes changing to carbon

    Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker brake systems will go from metal to lighter, longer-lasting carbon now that service officials approved an initiative proposed here, that will save millions in tax payer dollars.Dubbed the “largest improved item replacement program in Air Force history,” the new

  • Retired colonel reflects on 9-11

    Col. Diana Fleek sat alone on the Pentagon parade field among hundreds of gray metal chairs left empty by people who had just attended the Oct. 11, 2001, one-month anniversary of the terrorist attack on the nation.At the time, Fleek said she was pondering the evil of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks

  • BRAC e-mail story deemed a hoax

    An e-mail hoax has been circulating through inboxes. The e-mail contains a spoofed Air Force Print News story about proposed base realignment and closure actions allegedly affecting all services.Air Force public affairs officials were alerted to the hoax by a military officers’ association in

  • Deployed airmen get break on loans

    Servicemembers who have been deployed or mobilized are not required to make student loan payments during their absences.Federal regulations require lenders to postpone the student loan program payments of active-duty servicemembers. This applies to people of the National Guard and Ready Reserves

  • Committee debates tanker lease plan

    Members of the Senate Armed Services Committee do not question the Air Force’s need for new tankers, only how the service plans to get them.Air Force Secretary Dr. James G. Roche met with the committee Sept. 4. He outlined the importance of immediately upgrading the service’s aging aerial refueling

  • Airmen patrol enemy’s side of wire

    In a hot and dusty Afghani valley, there is land scarred with land mines and tied down with concertina wire fences separating American heroes from terrorists. The environment alone is hostile, featuring sweltering summers and bone-chilling winters. The habitat is a haven for venomous creatures and

  • Tarnished sword in cadet wing

    In the wake of the latest incident of cadet infractions involving alcohol, Brig. Gen. John Weida, the academy commandant of cadets, addressed the recurring alcohol and sexual harassment problems within the cadet wing Aug. 28.Three cadets were cited for underage drinking Aug. 23 at a hotel party.

  • AF announces space, missile pioneer awards

    Four visionaries were selected to receive the 2003 Air Force Space and Missile Pioneers Award. They will be honored in an award ceremony and hall of fame induction luncheon here Aug. 28.John Herther, retired Brig. Gen. Martin Menter, retired Navy Capt. Robert Truax, and retired Col. Albert Wetzel

  • Legal readiness important before deployment

    American servicemembers have deployed across the globe for months at a time since the beginning of the war against global terrorism.Therefore, it is important military members vigilantly ensure a constant state of legal readiness, according to Capt. Brian K. Keller, a Marine Corps lawyer. He is the

  • Vietnam veteran serves in Iraq

    Master Sgt. Terry Upchurch has a unique perspective serving in Iraq. He can compare his experiences here with those he had 35 years ago as an 18-year-old airman in Vietnam."I had been married only three months," said Upchurch, who is with the 506th Operations Support Squadron. "I was an air

  • Airmen recognized for dispute resolution

    Air Force legal teams have earned a unique award for excellence in alternate-dispute resolution.The American Bar Association presented the Lawyers as Problem Solvers Award to the Air Force at a conference in San Francisco on Aug. 8. In the past, the award was given only to individuals. This year

  • Airmen support operations in Liberia

    Far from the forests and castles of Germany, a handful of security forces airmen from the 52nd Security Forces Squadron at Spangdahlem Air Base are deployed to the palm trees and jungle canopy of Africa supporting operations in Liberia. The airmen deployed to Dakar, Senegal, on July 13 and set up

  • Chief facing court-martial found dead

    A chief master sergeant facing a court-martial was found dead here Aug 7. Winfred B. Harrison, from the 374th Civil Engineer Squadron, failed to appear for court-martial proceedings, prompting a search by base and law enforcement officials. A squadron member found the chief's body in one of the

  • Myers convinced of coalition progress in Iraq, Afghanistan

    The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff came away from his just-concluded Iraq and Afghanistan visit pleased with the progress the coalition is making in both countries.Air Force Gen. Richard B. Myers visited both countries and consulted with allies in Qatar, India, Pakistan and Oman. He left July

  • 'First shirts' use tough love, care for troops

    It is 2 a.m. and pitch black outside when suddenly the phone rings and the voice on the other end says an airman needs help.The first sergeant gets up and prepares for an early day. This is not new; it is part of the job, and could mean anything from a car accident to domestic violence or other

  • 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

  • Building a first-rate system

    It is all about building a first-rate personnel system to complement a first-rate military, said David Chu, undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness.In an interview, Chu spoke about the changes that may come about if Congress allows Department of Defense officials to set up the National

  • Process strips paint off B-1s

    Layer by layer, a B-1 Lancer here sheds paint under a pressurized assault by tiny bits of plastic.It is the first aircraft at the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center to be stripped by the dry-media process in the high-tech facility used to remove paint.The medium is a mix of plastics, each with

  • Benefits may change for ex-POWs

    President George W. Bush has proposed legislation to Congress that would improve benefits for former prisoners of war, responding to the needs of Operation Iraqi Freedom POWs."What we're proposing is to eliminate the current requirement in federal law that a former POW must be detained for at least

  • Academy contract workers indicted

    Federal and military law enforcement organizations joined forces to identify 44 people for allegedly using fraudulent identification information to gain access to the U.S. Air Force Academy, Colo.Of the 44 contract employees indicted by a federal grand jury, 27 were arrested July 15, according to a

  • Unsafe choice kills two airmen

    People may think “it’s not going to happen to me.” But they need to think again. No one is immune; preventable vehicle crashes happen all the time, according to safety officials here. Automobile crashes do not mean just cuts, bruises and broken bones. They can mean permanent disfigurement or

  • Air Force JAGs make History Channel

    With the exception of several law degrees and a handful of gavels, the office of Brig. Gen. Jarisse J. Sanborn could be mistaken for any senior leader's workspace.Recently, however, her office was transformed into a miniature production studio, complete with audio and video cables, a 1,000-watt

  • General receives management award

    Lt. Gen. Brian A. Arnold is the winner of the 2002 Eugene M. Zuckert Management Award. Secretary of the Air Force Dr. James G. Roche presented him with the award during a ceremony in the Pentagon on June 24.This award is named after Eugene M. Zuckert, who served as secretary of the Air Force from

  • 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

  • Fireworks safety keeps people from getting burned

    While they may not be powerful enough to take out enemy aircraft, fireworks need to be treated with the same amount of respect as military weapons, according to Air Mobility Command safety officials here."Fireworks aren't designed to be as powerful as military flares and weapons," said Harold

  • One-stop shopping for U.S. defense

    People lingering in the newly built hallways of the U.S. Northern Command headquarters building here are likely to hear the phrase “one-stop shopping.”America’s newest military command is patterned on a simple retail concept that has been around for years -- everything people need in one convenient

  • Rumsfeld calls Belgium suits ‘absurd’

    Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said June 12 that American officials may stop attending NATO meetings in Belgium because of a law that allows "spurious" suits accusing American leaders of war crimes.Rumsfeld said the United States will withhold any further funding for a new NATO headquarters

  • Judge advocates play many roles in legal process

    Contrary to what is portrayed on television, military attorneys do more than prosecute cases.Many staff judge advocates and assistants spend less than 5 percent of their time in court, said Capt. Ron Spencer, 56th Fighter Wing assistant staff judge advocate here. Most of their casework is done

  • 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

  • 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

  • Reserve unit takes ‘active’ role at Ramstein

    An air and space expeditionary force rotation to Ramstein Air Base, Germany, turned into a mission to move people and pallets of cargo to numerous airfields around the world, including battle-damaged runways in Iraq.In January, more than 200 activated reservists and six C-130 Hercules aircraft from

  • Machinist full of money-saving ideas

    Findings ways for the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center to save money is turning into a lucrative sideline for one maintenance directorate machinist here.Timothy Case has earned two $10,000 awards from the IDEA program since December for submissions that amount to annual savings of more than

  • 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

  • Rumsfeld says Iraqi problems real but workable

    Iraq, with the help of the Coalition Provisional Authority, will work past its current problems, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said to the Council on Foreign Relations in New York May 27.Rumsfeld said Iraq's problems are real, but shouldn't be blown out of proportion. Every country making a

  • Ridge outlines how, why terror threat level was raised

    Federal law enforcement organizations -- and some state and local authorities -- ramped up vigilance when the Department of Homeland Security's color-coded national terror alert level was raised May 20 from "elevated," or yellow, to "high," or orange, the top domestic anti-terrorism official said

  • Dover's 'first airman' visits base

    As he flew over the area on approach to the dirt "runway," he saw the farmhouse that would double as his office.There were no dorms, no paved runway lined with C-5 Galaxies, and certainly no Super Port.The year was 1941, and that was the first view of what Dover Air Force Base had to offer Drexel

  • ‘101 critical days’ begin on Memorial Day

    If statistics hold true, 21 airmen will die this summer while “having fun.”The period between Memorial Day and Labor Day is a period of increased off-duty injuries caused by increased activity and risk taking, according to officials from the Air Force Safety Center at Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M.

  • Air Staff move recognizes CAP security role

    One of the newest names in homeland defense is actually more than 60 years old.The Air Force Auxiliary, also known as the Civil Air Patrol, has been in the defense business since Dec. 1, 1941, when it was chartered to support national defense by providing submarine reconnaissance.In recognition of

  • Official: Ranges important to success

    Training ranges are vital to the Air Force’s success on the battlefield, Air Combat Command’s chief of ranges, airfields and airspace operations told a congressional committee May 6.Col. Frank DiGiovanni's testimony was part of a fact gathering effort by the House Resources Committee as it considers

  • Civil engineers repair runway in Afghanistan

    Tech. Sgt. John Foster sits in a truck on an active runway at Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan, and simply covers his ears as a C-130 Hercules races by just yards away and takes off into the blue.Foster is not lost. As the cargo plane heads over Afghanistan’s Hindu Kush mountain range, Foster climbs

  • C-17 modification marks partnership

    A ceremony May 1 celebrated the first C-17 Globemaster III to go through the Global Reach Improvement Program here.Lt. Gen. Charles Coolidge, Air Force Materiel Command vice commander, received the symbolic hand off of the Air Force Form 981, returning the aircraft to Air Mobility Command at the

  • 'It's just heartbreaking' what Saddam did to Iraq, Rumsfeld says

    The neglect and damage deposed dictator Saddam Hussein inflicted on Iraq and its people "is just heartbreaking," U.S. Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld told reporters here today.Back after his one-week, whirlwind trip to the Gulf region -- which included visits to Iraq and Afghanistan -- Rumsfeld

  • Former Robins employee sentenced for fraud

    A former Robins employee was recently sentenced to five months imprisonment, five months house arrest with electronic monitoring and three years supervised probation after being convicted of Federal Employees' Compensation Act fraud.A U.S. district judge also ordered the former aircraft electrician

  • Tinker employees awarded $10K for ideas

    Collectively saving the Air Force more than $700,000 in the next year recently made two employees here $10,000 richer thanks to suggestions submitted to the Innovative Development through Employee Awareness program.Karen Goss, a publications systems specialist earned her $10,000 by discovering a

  • Air Force, Central Command set war trophy policy

    Servicemembers deployed supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom may be tempted to bring home souvenirs of their war experience, but Air Force legal officials are urging them to think twice. Depending on the item, bringing home a "war trophy" could lead to court-martial, said Lt. Col. Karen L. Manos,

  • Nighthawks return home

    Five F-117 Nighthawks touched down here April 16 after supporting operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom.The tremendous support of the base and Alamogordo community provided the returning airmen with an outstanding homecoming, said Lt. Col. J.L. Briggs, an F-117 pilot returning from his

  • Joint effort stands up Iraqi air base

    The Army said it was "austere." The Air Force called it "downright primitive."Regardless of the description, commanders on both sides agree the effort to turn an Iraqi air base into a coalition operations hub has been one of the finest examples of teamwork seem so far during Operation Iraqi

  • President OKs independent panel to review academy

    President George W. Bush signed into law April 16 legislation establishing a panel to review allegations of sexual misconduct at the Air Force Academy.The independent panel's creation was part of the fiscal 2003 Supplemental Appropriations Act to Support Department of Defense Operations in Iraq,

  • Spouses make flags to honor ultimate sacrifice

    Two Air Force spouses are helping revive an old tradition to honor the families of servicemembers killed in battle.Julie Gindhart and Claudia Schmucker, both wives of Air Force majors, have joined with other members of the Military and Civilian Spouses Club here to make "gold star service flags."

  • Kirtland Guard, active duty work together in Bulgaria

    Supporting air-refueling operations for aircraft striking targets in Iraq has found Kirtland active-duty and Air National Guard airmen working together at Camp Sarafovo, Bulgaria.Security forces airmen from the New Mexico Air National Guard's 150th Fighter Wing and support people from the 377th

  • Female fighter pilots take on challenges full throttle

    Female fighter pilots are a special breed. They are willing to crack into a male-dominated field, take a $30 million aircraft, fly at mind-numbing speeds and head straight into the face of danger, all the while knowing they may not be coming back.But most will say they are happy to do just that,

  • Free Iraqi forces: 'Members of the team' liberating Iraq

    They're intimately familiar with Iraqi language and culture, they wear distinctive uniforms, they serve with U.S. civil affairs troops in Iraq -- and they don't like Saddam Hussein.Who are these guys?They're members of the Free Iraqi Forces working with U.S. Army and Marine Corps civil affairs units

  • Earthquake shakes Izmir military community

    An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.6 centered near Urla, Turkey, was felt about 35 miles away by members of the Izmir military community early April 10.Squadron officials said that there were no injuries to U.S. military people and damage to air station facilities was light.Local

  • Airman pulls man from burning building

    When fire roared through an off-base house here, the actions of a 1st Special Operations Squadron pilot saved a 94-year-old man's life.Capt. Tom Geiser was on a cordless phone late April 2 outside his house about three kilometers from Kadena Air Base."I saw smoke rising from a house about 50 yards

  • IRS provides combat zone tax assistance

    Servicemembers serving in a combat zone can learn about the tax benefits available to them by logging onto a new section of the Internal Revenue Service's Web site.The information is available on the front page of www.irs.gov by clicking on "Armed Forces Tax Benefits."The new Web section provides

  • Team helps troops travel on stomachs

    Underscoring the value of a well-fed force, Napoleon once asserted, "An army travels on its stomach."Despite a rapid and massive buildup for Operation Iraqi Freedom, the 386th Expeditionary Services Squadron's food services team didn't flinch at the task of feeding thousands of coalition bellies for

  • JAG discusses rules of combat

    When Americans go to war, they are armed with more than the best weapons and training the nation has to offer -- they are equipped with the "rule of law."According to the Air Force's senior lawyer, the United States fights wars differently from other nations."The Constitution governs everything we

  • Guard, Reserve airmen testify about effects of mobilization

    Members of Congress turned to a panel of noncommissioned officers April 3 to determine the price military reservists are paying to help defend the nation.Two members of the Air National Guard and an Air Force reservist were on the multi-service panel that told members of the House Armed Services

  • Aviano volunteers make deployment transit experience memorable

    Luke-warm coffee and a plate of stale cookies while waiting to move forward are deployment facts of life, right up there with tent living and a quarter-mile hike to the bathroom.Thanks to a program named Operation Yellow Ribbon, individuals passing through here are treated to something a little out

  • Highlighting cruel nature of Iraqi regime

    Since the beginning of the war in Iraq, defense officials have pointed out the Iraqi regime's policy of consistently ignoring the laws of armed conflict and the Geneva Conventions.From setting death squads on their own people to holing up in mosques and shrines, regime forces have flouted

  • Precision munitions provide 'great capability,' carry 'great responsibility'

    Precision munitions and careful targeting have enabled Operation Iraqi Freedom planners to maximize the effects of missiles and bombs and minimize unintended Iraqi civilian casualties and collateral damage."I believe that we have proven, to date, that we have waged a very precise -- and very focused

  • Illinois base prepares for possible war casualties

    As coalition forces zero in on Baghdad, there is a possibility of mass military casualties. If that happens, Scott AFB in America's heartland may serve as a central medical "hub" for getting wounded warriors to the care they need."If the number of casualties is great, we need to be prepared," said

  • Program offers close-up look at police work

    The last place most people want to find themselves is in a cop car, but that is exactly where one local teenager found his dream.Travis Sheets, a 17-year-old Enid High School student, is focused on an Air Force career thanks to his "Ride-Along Program" experience.The program, managed by 71st

  • Act may protect active-duty reservists

    Guardsmen and reservists called to active duty to fight the global war on terror may seek credit protection under a law passed to aid GIs in an earlier global war. The Soldiers' and Sailors' Civil Relief Act of 1940 protects military members from certain legal obligations while they are actively

  • K-9 partners operate on vigilance, trust

    At base gates, military working dogs and handlers are doing their part in the war with Iraq while guarding against the threat of terrorism.These threats mean there are more reasons than ever to suspect that America's enemies will target its most valuable resources with explosives or hazardous

  • Act may protect active-duty reservists

    Guardsmen and reservists called to active duty to fight the global war on terror may seek credit protection under a law passed to aid GIs in an earlier global war.The Soldiers' and Sailors' Civil Relief Act of 1940 protects military members from certain legal obligations while they are actively

  • Iraq flouting laws of war, Geneva Conventions

    The Iraqi regime is flouting the laws of war and the Geneva Conventions, said Pentagon spokeswoman Victoria Clarke at the news conference today.Clarke said that the deceptions have been so blatant "that some liken it to terrorism.""They are sending forces out carrying white surrender flags or

  • Coalition on track, forces 'flowing' into Iraq

    After five days of ground combat, coalition forces are more than 200 miles into Iraq and poised to take on forces defending Baghdad, DoD leaders said today.Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Air Force Gen. Richard Myers told reporters at a Pentagon press

  • Ammo airmen build munitions for war

    After two weeks of waiting, munitions airmen at a forward-deployed location began working day and night building M-117 and 85 GBU-31 Joint Direct Attack Munitions for the "shock and awe" phase of the war in Iraq.Arriving at this location March 6, members of the 5th Expeditionary Maintenance Squadron

  • Protesters offer training for security

    Security forces here responded to nearly 50 protesters at a base gate March 22 and arrested three.Another group of military supporters gathered at the gate to lend their encouragement to the base and its people.During the weeks leading up to the protest, groups informed the base they would exercise

  • Korean War vets get medals 50 years later

    Airman 2nd Class Harry Woodville, a Korean War veteran, has received a medal he waited 50 years for: the Korean War Service Medal.The Republic of Korea first offered the medal 50 years ago, but a law prevented U.S. troops from accepting medals from foreign countries. In 1999, the law was changed and

  • April's Citizen Airman now available

    Air Force reservists are participating in immunization programs to protect them from the use of deadly biological warfare agents; Air Force Reserve Command is stepping up its efforts to increase awareness of health-care benefits; and legal officials warn reservists about the potential problems

  • Legendary group enhances defense at Fairford

    Security here has taken on a formidable new dimension.After adding layers of concertina wire, K-9s and four contingents of law enforcement, officials at this British installation have added a regiment nothing short of legendary.The Gurkhas, the world-renowned Nepali special forces contingent of the

  • Security forces remain undaunted in England

    Through shifts of 13-plus hours, endless walks across the tarmac, cold wind and demonstrators lurking on the fence line, security forces here are undaunted.RAF Fairford is home to a deployed force topping more than 1,000 military members and a number of B-52 Stratofortress bombers. They are

  • Medical care for airmen affected by Stop-Loss

    A previously overlooked provision of law allows up to four months of Tricare transitional health care benefits for airmen separating from the service after having been retained under Stop-Loss.The benefits will apply to any airman separating after the current and any future Stop-Loss actions,

  • Airman keeps sight of American dream

    Airman 1st Class George Okorodudu admits with a wide smile that he has nothing.For the better part of two years, the Nigerian-born Okorodudu has been building his American dream with a foundation that includes an Air Force enlistment.Okorodudu is a supply airman currently deployed here from Minot

  • Air Force leaders explain effect of encroachment

    Two Air Force leaders testified before Congress on March 13 about the effects of environmental encroachment on the service's mission.In separate testimonies, Air Force Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Robert H. Foglesong and Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Installations, Environment and Logistics

  • Program offers electronic deployment information

    A Web-based, user-friendly software program Air Force Materiel Command experts here are testing promises warfighters instant access to deployment information. Plus, it will save the Air Force nearly $79 million during a five-year period.The Deployment Qualification System works through the Air

  • Combined security keeps Ganci safe

    Keeping people out of harm's way and protecting resources at Ganci Air Base, Kyrgyzstan, is the job of an elite group of professionals who tote radios, weapons and ride in vehicles equipped for rugged terrain.Americans from the 376th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron and their security forces

  • Eberhart briefs Congress on U.S. Northern Command

    The commander of America's newest combatant command briefed members of Congress on March 13 about the progress his unit has made since its inception less than six months ago.Gen. Ralph E. Eberhart, who took control of U.S. Northern Command when it was established Oct. 1, told members of the House

  • 'Flying Sergeants' helped forge Air Force legacy

    They were not paid much, their opportunities for promotion were limited, and they were treated harshly in training, but that did not stop three generations of enlisted aviators from becoming pilots in the Army Air Corps.Beginning in 1912, enlisted pilots played an important role in writing the

  • From biscuits to gravy

    Barry has retired from the 90th Space Wing Security Forces here after 11 years of battling crime. He was obedient, loyal, vigilant and protective.Barry was an ideal military working dog.The Air Force purchased Barry in 1991 for $3,500 from a Belgium breeder. He was one of only three Belgium