NATO Air Policing operations

U.S. Air Force News

  • First C-130J arrives for active duty

    The first C-130J Hercules assigned to an active-duty unit arrived here March 19.“We are proud to call Little Rock Air Force Base and central Arkansas home -- home of the United States Air Force’s first active-duty C-130J,” said Col. Joseph Reheiser, 314th Airlift Wing commander. “We look forward to

  • Luke expands forward air-control program

    Unconventional warfare can be defined as the absence of a clearly defined enemy and lacking classic lines of battle.Combining this definition with the rugged terrain of Afghanistan and Iraq, it is easy to see why commanders throughout the combat air forces are clamoring for forward air control

  • Getting fit sets good example

    When the Air Force unveiled its new exercise program many Airmen did not think much of it, but for some it was an eye-opener and more of an incentive to get in shape.That is what Master Sgt. Michael Moss of the 33rd Maintenance Squadron’s aerospace ground equipment flight thought. Six months ago,

  • Air Force productivity excellence awards announced

    Eight Air Force teams and one individual recently received top honors for their resource-saving improvements to the Air Force.The Air Force Productivity Excellence Award recognizes Airmen, Air Force civilians and small groups (four or less) who have made substantial improvements in productivity.

  • Airman serves in mobility division for war ops effort

    Working in the heart of air mobility operations for operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom, and for Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa, Lt. Col. Bruce Hendrickson oversees a lot of movement, action and effort in the war on terrorism.From his position as the air mobility division night chief in

  • Assistance fund takes care of Air Force family

    Capt. Glenda Whitfield is committed to supporting the Air Force Assistance Fund; however, 17 years ago, it was the AFAF that was committed to supporting her. “Back then I was an Airman,” said Captain Whitfield, an obstetrics clinical nurse with the 96th Surgical Operations Squadron here. “I was

  • AWACS voice recognition may enhance accuracy

    The Airborne Warning and Control System program office is developing software that could make the mouse an endangered species on the E-3 Sentry. Voice-recognition software allows an air battle manager to control his or her radar screen by speaking to it, instead of using a traditional trackball or

  • Mentors program gives officers someone to look up to

    Every officer or officer candidate needs someone to look up to, someone he or she can talk with about career development and being a professional and becoming a leader. For more than 20 years, Air Force Cadet/Officer Mentor Action Program volunteers have provided officers with that someone. The

  • Leaders discuss future of unmanned aircraft

    With 10 different unmanned aerial vehicle systems flying over Iraq and Afghanistan, military leaders met with members of Congress to discuss the rapidly changing role of UAVs in military operations.Lt. Gen. Walter Buchanan III testified before the House Armed Services Committee subcommittee on

  • Air Force names top public affairs performers

    The secretary of the Air Force and the Air Force chief of staff have announced the following 2003 Air Force public affairs achievement award recipients.Winners of the Secretary of the Air Force Office of Public Affairs director’s excellence awards are:Major Command Category: The "Brig. Gen. Harry

  • Officer’s school changes recognition program

    The Air Force leadership school for company grade officers has changed the way it recognizes its graduates who excel in all facets of the curriculum.Squadron Officer School, which has been educating company grade officers for more than 50 years, has implemented a new Top Third Graduate Award.

  • Air Force announces media contest winners

    A panel of civilian journalists, teachers and public relations professionals selected the best in Air Force print and broadcast journalism for the 48th annual Air Force Media Contest. The winners were announced March 17. Master Sgt. Deborah Smith, from the Colorado National Guard headquarters

  • Savings program assists deployed servicemembers

    Deployed servicemembers have the chance to earn a guaranteed 10-percent interest on their savings annually.Defense Finance and Accounting Service officials implemented the Savings Deposit Program in August 1990 for servicemembers who were serving in the Persian Gulf conflict. The program

  • Keeping OEF mission airborne

    Back home, when a thirsty Air Force aircraft needs to be gassed up, fuels management flights have a 30-minutes-or-less response time to provide the fuel. At Bagram Air Base, the fuels flight has put its own stamp on the POL -- for petroleum, oils and lubricants -- tradition of timely fuels service.

  • Air Force announces 2003 contracting award winners

    Air Force officials will honor recipients of 2003 contracting awards in an April 22 ceremony at the Pentagon.The winners are:-- Secretary of the Air Force Professionalism in Contracting, Supervisory: Suzanne Snyder from the 21st Contracting Squadron at Peterson Air Force Base, Colo.-- Secretary of

  • MH-60S helicopter load validated on C-17

    Officials here performed a load validation on a C-17 Globemaster III for the MH-60S Knight Hawk helicopter recently with the help of Navy specialists.This is the seventh helicopter model validated on a C-17. Airmen from Altus' 58th Airlift Squadron along with 21 people from the Navy loaded the Navy

  • Air Force's newest wing activates at Hurlburt

    The Air Force activated its newest wing during a ceremony here March 12.The former Air Force Command and Control Training and Innovation Group is now officially the 505th Command and Control Wing.Gen. Hal M. Hornburg, Air Combat Command commander, presided over the ceremony."This is a good deal,"

  • New machine makes materiel storage, retrieval easier

    A new mechanized cargo-handling machine here will make materiel storage and retrieval easier.The 60-ton Elevated Transfer Vehicle is a part of the Department of Defense Mechanized Materiel Handling System. The $11 million system, the largest in DOD, is being installed at the new air freight

  • Officials release Predator accident report

    Operator error caused an RQ-1L Predator remotely piloted aircraft to crash Dec. 11 in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, according to Air Force officials.Based on an Accident Investigation Board report released March 17 by Air Combat Command, the pilot over-controlled the aircraft's

  • Leaders getting tool to help people in distress

    Leaders throughout the Air Force are receiving a new tool this spring they can use to recognize and respond to people in distressing situations.Every squadron commander and first sergeant will get a CD copy of the “Leader's Guide to Managing Personnel in Distress,” an interactive product that

  • U.S. Airmen deliver aid to Chad

    Answering an urgent request for assistance, units from Ramstein Air Base, Germany, responded with two C-130 Hercules aircraft in support of a European Command mission to deliver more than 19 tons of aid March 13 to Chad. The call for aid came after the Chadian army engaged in a heavy battle with a

  • Joint-range extension linking global network

    An Electronic Systems Center-developed product, now deployed in operational theaters worldwide, is linking information cells together into a global network to give warfighters broader communication ability.Joint-Range Extension is a hardware and software system that receives information transmitted

  • Four Airmen help save Baltimore water-taxi victims

    Four members of the Puerto Rico Air National Guard were saluted as heroes at the National Guard Bureau’s joint headquarters here March 15. The salute came nine days after they helped save the lives of other water taxi passengers who were thrown into the frigid waters near Baltimore.Staff Sgts.

  • Basic training creates mission-ready Airmen

    Air Force leaders expect basic military training squadrons to deliver a tough program, professionally. Trainees want it tough as well, officials here said.This is great because training officials said they deliver. Graduates complete a rigorous indoctrination program and leave here as highly

  • NCO charged in alleged murder-for-hire plot

    Air Force officials preferred charges March 12 against a recruiter assigned to the 341st Recruiting Squadron here for allegedly being involved in a murder-for-hire plot and other criminal activity.Tech. Sgt. Rodney E. Wells is charged in separate incidents of conspiracy to commit murder,

  • Air Force announces E-8 promotion statistics

    Air Force officials recently selected 1,566 master sergeants for promotion to senior master sergeant.The promotion list will be released the first duty hour March 17 (March 18 for those units across the international date line). The complete list of selectees will be posted to the Air Force

  • Now showing: March 15 edition of AFTV News

    The shifting focus of the Air Force mission to meet new world threats is in the spotlight in the latest edition of Air Force Television News. In a two-part report, Tech. Sgt. Rusty Barfield and Staff Sgt. April Lawrence report from Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, and Minot AFB, N.D., on the

  • Murray talks rotations, uniforms, quality of life

    Retro was all the rage March 10 here as Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Gerald Murray met with enlisted Airmen here.Chief Murray, the Pacific Air Forces command chief before assuming his current job, addressed a standing-room-only crowd about several issues concerning the base, Pacific Air Forces

  • Grand challenge showcases unmanned vehicle technology

    Enthusiasm is building at California Motor Speedway in Fontana, Calif., as more than 20 unmanned ground vehicles prepare to face off against the clock March 13, while navigating 200 miles of rugged terrain.The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency Grand Challenge will pit an array of innovative

  • Indiana teen wins ‘perfect prom’

    Surrounded by friends, family and school officials March 10, Jessica Karshner held onto the jumbo-sized check. With a smile almost as big as the symbolic piece of cardboard, she looked into the crowd and said “thank you!”Picked randomly from 97,000 entries, this Seymour High School senior was the

  • U.S. forces get tax break for combat-zone service

    American forces serving in designated combat zones supporting the war against terrorism continue to get a tax break from Uncle Sam.Depending upon rank, eligible servicemembers can exclude from federal income tax either all or some of their active-duty pay, and certain other pays, earned in any month

  • AFSOC familiarization, recruiting seminar focuses on weather

    Air Force Special Operations Command weather directorate officials held their first special operations and airborne weather familiarization and recruiting seminar here March 3 to 5.Combat weather recruiting efforts have not produced enough volunteers to fill enlisted vacancies, said Lt. Col. Michael

  • Officials release Pave Low accident report

    An accident investigation board determined that failure of the No. 2 engine because of compressor stall, failure of the auxiliary fuel tanks to jettison and the uneven terrain of the landing area caused an MH-53 Pave Low helicopter to crash Nov. 23. The board released its findings March 10.The

  • Air Force avoiding Draconian measures while shaping force

    The Air Force will try to avoid "adverse consequences" while reducing its end strength during the next few years. During testimony before the House Armed Services Committee subcommittee on total force, the Air Force's deputy chief of staff for personnel discussed the service's plans for force

  • Airmen win two gold medals at wrestling championship

    Staff Sgt. Steven Woods, of the 10th Services Squadron at the U.S. Air Force Academy, Colo., won the 74-kilogram (163-pound) weight class in Greco-Roman wrestling at the 2004 Armed Forces Wrestling Championships. Second Lt. Kevin Hoy, of the 10th SVS, won the 120-kilogram (264.5-pound) weight class

  • Air Force surgical team ready for duty

    It may seem like a small medical team to some, but people here need not worry about their emergency surgical needs. The five-person U.S. Air Force surgical team, an operational surgical component of the 376th Expeditionary Medical Group, is ready for duty.The team is equipped to treat emergencies

  • Airlifters haul forces to Haiti

    On Feb. 29, President George W. Bush ordered U.S. Marines into the Republic of Haiti as the leading element of a multinational peacekeeping force sanctioned by the United Nations.Air Mobility Command aircraft were tapped to bring up to 2,000 Marines into Haiti's capital of Port-au-Prince, with 18th

  • Airmen return from deep freeze

    The last C-141 Starlifter from the 445th Airlift Wing returned March 4 from Christchurch, New Zealand, after completing its role in Operation Deep Freeze.Operation Deep Freeze flights support the National Science Foundation, which operates scientific stations in Antarctica to explore the origins of

  • Small unit takes on big test

    The responsibility for testing the airworthiness of modified KC-135 Stratotankers rests with a small unit here.The 23-person 313th Flight Test Flight, an Air Force Reserve Command unit, is certifying the Stratotankers, following programmed depot maintenance and a new avionics upgrade.“We accomplish

  • Moseley: Airmen doing tremendous work

    During operations in Iraq, the Air Force experienced some of the highest mission-capable rates in recent history, said the service’s vice chief of staff.Gen. T. Michael Moseley spoke before a Senate Armed Service Committee subcommittee on readiness and management support March 9, directly crediting

  • Pilots land safely after midair collision

    Two F-16 Fighting Falcons landed here safely after a midair collision over the Atlantic Ocean on March 9. Neither pilot was injured.At the time of the accident, the 79th Fighter Squadron aircraft were on a scheduled air-to-air training mission. A damage assessment is ongoing, and other aircraft

  • Airmen deliver radio communications to servicemembers

    What do you get when you take the rim of an old tire, bolt wood into the lug nut openings, and secure an 11-foot fence pole to it? After attaching an 8-foot rod to the top of the pole, the answer is a ground-radio antenna that makes the communication needs of security detail Soldiers here.And what

  • Kirstie Alley ‘cheers’ for McConnell

    Golden Globe-winning actress Kirstie Alley crossed into the blue March 8 during her “wild ride” here.She returned to her hometown of Wichita to raise money for the 1922 Orpheum Theatre with her show “Kirstie Alley’s Wild Ride” and wanted to visit one of the first places she worked -- McConnell.

  • Air Force begins full-scale assault assessment

    Allegations of sexual misconduct at the Air Force Academy and Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas, have prompted the Air Staff to direct an Air Force-wide review of its policies, procedures and victim programs.Officials at each Air Force major command have formed sexual-assault integrated-process teams

  • Security forces get more boots on the ground

    Security forces Airmen will see 495 new civilians added to their ranks between July and October. Secretary of the Air Force Dr. James Roche directed the positions be added at the squadron level to free more Airmen for duties at home station and on deployments.Officials expect many of the new

  • Medicine man trains for sled-dog race

    A total of 16 barking dogs strain against their harnesses. The sled behind them is anchored into the snow to prevent the Alaskan huskies, each between 40 and 70 pounds, from pulling it across the starting line too soon. Volunteer dog handlers are busy adjusting harnesses, untangling lines and

  • Tyndall operates newest engine test controller

    Revving an engine and tweaking a motor until it purrs is an art the “hush-house” team here has perfected and taken to the next level with the arrival of the F/A-22 Raptor.A process once involving intense troubleshooting can now be accomplished more efficiently thanks to a new engine-test controller

  • Korea vets recognized with medal

    A new defense medal will be issued to servicemembers who served in South Korea, or adjacent waters, after July 28, 1954. This includes those serving there today, and those serving up to a not-yet-determined future date. The Korea Defense Service Medal will be awarded to those assigned, attached or

  • Test uniforms soon arriving at Elmendorf

    In early 2002, the Air Force chief of staff and the U.S. Air Force Uniform Board put together a uniform that met distinct criteria. It had to be better fitting, less expensive and easier to maintain, and specific to the Air Force.Elmendorf is one of the nine testing sites for this proposed utility

  • Tuskegee Airmen opened doors for black aviators

    The modern Air Force is a diverse force made up of many races and cultures. But this was not always the case.More than 60 years ago, the U.S. Army Air Corps created an experimental black pilot-training program to test their abilities. With determination and persistence, the first black pilots, the

  • Proposed budget boosts DOD housing program

    The Defense Department is set to replace all of its substandard military family housing units by 2009, a senior DOD official told a congressional committee March 3.The proposed fiscal 2005 DOD budget "allows the department to stay on track to eliminate nearly all of its inadequate military family

  • Walking Shield helps American Indians

    For 10 years now, the Air Force has helped house and provide assistance to American Indians living on reservations in the United States through its participation in Operation Walking Shield. The Air Force deputy assistant secretary for installations, Fred Kuhn, co-chaired the OWS Management

  • F/A-22 required for deep strike against enemy threats

    Maintaining deep-strike capability is critical to future warfighting operations. In a March 3 testimony before the House Armed Services Committee subcommittee on projection forces, Air Force Vice Chief of Staff Gen. T. Michael Moseley said the Air Force must continue to maintain its deep-strike

  • Red Cross offers food, friendship to returning Soldiers

    As they enter Incirlik’s temporary terminal, hundreds of U.S. Soldiers coming from Iraq stop by the shoppette and souvenir booths, but ultimately end up at a makeshift American Red Cross stand.Red Cross volunteers are helping out at the terminal by providing hot beverages and baked goods to

  • Posthumous citizenships include family benefits

    The U.S. government historically has granted posthumous citizenship to non-U.S. citizen servicemembers killed in the line of duty during wartime.Thanks to a close working relationship between officials at the Defense Department and the Department of Homeland Security, this process is now on the fast

  • Flowerbeds: Root cause of tree stress

    Trees dying for attention here will soon receive some much-needed care from 796th Civil Engineer Squadron people.“Last summer, we noticed that several trees appeared to be dying,” said Lt. Col. Craig Campbell, 796th CES commander. After an analysis performed by the 796th CES workers and a

  • Academy graduate named ‘Cadet of the Year’

    Second Lt. Christopher D. Ayoub was named the British Air Squadron’s 2003 Cadet of the Year on March 4.Lieutenant Ayoub is the first Air Force Academy graduate to win the award, which recognizes the most outstanding cadet from all Air Force accession programs. The previous winners have been from

  • From cosmetics to test jets

    In the tumultuous times of 1930s America, Pensacola, Fla., native Jacqueline “Jackie” Cochran was a successful entrepreneur in the world of women’s cosmetics. But not many who saw her marketing powders and colored creams in those days would imagine that she would soon set records in the upstart

  • Team tests for weapons of mass destruction

    To date, no nuclear, biological or chemical agents have been found here, but a team of Airmen stands ready around the clock to check for potential NBC agents, and it now has a controlled facility to perform the tests.The team, seven Airmen assigned to the 407th Expeditionary Civil Engineer

  • Camp Cunningham honors Air Force hero

    A true American hero was remembered March 4 during a ceremony that officially dedicated the Air Force compound here to the memory of Senior Airman Jason D. Cunningham. Airman Cunningham gave his life supporting Operation Enduring Freedom while saving the lives of 10 others March 4, 2002.The

  • Robins man has electric passion for catching perfect storm

    Some folks might say that Edward Aspera Jr. does not have the common sense to come in from the rain.But he will tell you, he does not mind. When you are a storm chaser and your passion for photographing Mother Nature's fury takes you around the country with camera equipment, a portable weather

  • Secretary briefs lawmakers in ‘posture’ hearing

    The F/A-22 Raptor, sexual harassment, force blending and the tanker lease program were all topics of discussion as the service’s senior executive testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee on March 2.Secretary of the Air Force Dr. James G. Roche, along with the other service secretaries,

  • Brothers in arms

    In the womb they were so close, according to doctors, that their heartbeats were synchronized.Not much has changed for Ivan and Evan Godwin since their birth at Beale Air Force Base, Calif., in 1962. Their lives have been full of the normal pushing, pulling and competing associated with twins.

  • Americans, Turks find common ground through conversation

    Divided by cultural beliefs and thousands of miles, the gap between U.S. and Turkish people may appear, at first, somewhat insurmountable.Tech. Sgt. Norvel Brown, however, recently found a surprisingly simple connection -- conversation.As a volunteer at the English Language Training Center here,

  • Wolfowitz addresses Guard, Reserve deployment concerns

    Though reserve-component forces are going through a stressful time, the Defense Department is working hard to improve the situation, Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz told Guard and Reserve leaders here.Secretary Wolfowitz, speaking at the Adjutants General Association of the United States

  • March issue of Airman available

    Read about recent changes at the Air Force Academy and take a look at airmen serving in Southwest Asia -- from the airmen fresh out of training to the medical staff who save lives in Baghdad. These features and more highlight the March issue of Airman magazine, now available in print and online at

  • Predators move to Balad

    The unit came packed and ready to position themselves autonomously, so they could pursue their prey quietly, unseen for hours.Arriving ready to set up one of the most impressive unmanned aerial aircraft in the U.S. inventory, the Nevada unit was ready for business within days of their arrival here.

  • Students 'deploy' for Operation Combat Care

    Students at Lakenheath Middle School received “orders” to deploy for Operation Combat Care from Feb. 23 to 25, but before the students could deploy, they first had to go through a processing line.More than 240 students moved through mock deployment-processing lines at the middle school on Royal Air

  • Officials release A-10 accident report

    Mechanical failure caused the pilot of an A-10 Thunderbolt II to crash in a military training range near Las Vegas on Nov. 18, according to a report Air Force officials released March 2.The pilot ejected safely in the Nevada Test and Training Range about 45 miles northwest of Nellis Air Force Base,

  • Officials work on balancing Guard force

    Governors will be able to call on at least 50 percent of their National Guard forces for homeland-defense missions and other state emergencies because of a plan to realign Army and Air Guard units during the next few years, the chief of the National Guard Bureau said."We will balance our forces,

  • Five generations keep proud tradition alive

    His life was spent fighting for freedom; his own freedom and the freedom of a country not yet born.Not only did he give his life in prelude to revolution from a tyrannical king, he left a legacy that continues to serve this country's continuous fight to preserve freedom at home and abroad. And one

  • Force-protection airmen keep alert

    With service and delivery contracts totaling more than $1.2 million and about 160 local nationals or third-country nationals on base at any one time, someone has to keep an eye on the workers.That duty falls to a team of about 50 airmen assigned to the force-protection section of the 407th Civil

  • Aircrew thinks fast during combat-zone emergency

    C-17 Globemaster III aircrews on departure from Iraqi airfields are accustomed to being on the lookout for threats to the aircraft. One crew from the 16th Airlift Squadron here had to wrestle with a threat from within the aircraft on a recent flight out of northern Iraq.The Globemaster III was

  • Reserve maintainer cashes in on award-winning idea

    A reservist here is $10,000 richer thanks to a suggestion that will save the Air Force millions of dollars each year.Master Sgt. Andrew Calvello, an aircraft engine mechanic supervisor with the 512th Component Maintenance Squadron, submitted the idea through the Innovative Development through

  • Airmen answer National Call to Service

    Since its inception in October, more than 240 trainees who enlisted under the National Call to Service Program have attended basic military training here.Under the terms set by the 2003 National Defense Authorization Act, the new airmen can serve a 15-month enlistment, followed by a possible

  • Airmen rescue civilian pilot in Alaska

    A pilot is out of the woods, literally, after being rescued by the Alaska Air National Guard’s 210th Rescue Squadron on March 1.Ted Greene, an Anchorage resident in his mid-70s, called in a mayday report after his plane crashed and was hung up in some trees in the Skwenta area, about 60 miles

  • Air Force brings aid, experts to Morocco

    In the early hours of Feb. 24, a 6.4-magnitude earthquake struck the Al Hoceima Province in northern Morocco. Within the next few hours, two smaller aftershocks measuring 4.3 and 4.1 shook the remote region. Initial reports indicated more than 570 people were killed and 405 injured. On Feb. 28,

  • Battle-damaged C-5 repaired, ready for duty

    Workers in the C-5 Galaxy production branch here feel closer to the warfighter now that they have completed battle-damage repair on the C-5 hit by a missile shortly after takeoff in Iraq on Jan. 8.The aircraft left the Warner Robins Air Logistics Center on Feb. 23 -- two days ahead of schedule.The

  • Aircrew error cited in investigation

    An investigation here found aircrew error led to the unintentional release of an inert training munition Jan. 8 in Yorkshire.Officials from the 48th Fighter Wing said the aircrew involved in this mishap was on non-flying status while investigation took place. Subsequent to the determination of

  • Desert Storm veterans return after 13 years

    When Saddam Hussein ordered his forces to march south through Kuwait on Aug. 2, 1990, little did he know of the resolve of the young airmen who would rise to the occasion to repulse the attack.From November 1990 to May 1991, Senior Airmen Darrell Wiedenbeck, Elbert Bembry and Edward Timberman, and

  • Airpower highlighted in joint exercise

    Airpower was put on display as a part of a show of force demonstration here during a joint capabilities exercise Feb. 24.Operation All-American Lightning, a joint Army-Air Force operation, was designed to demonstrate joint U.S. capabilities for rapid deployment and employment of forces worldwide to

  • Officials introduce war on terrorism medals

    Servicemembers serving at home and abroad in the war on terrorism will now be recognized for that service. Department of Defense officials announced Feb. 26 the final approval of two new medals and their criteria.Individuals who have deployed for operations Enduring Freedom or Iraqi Freedom will be

  • General briefs senators on sexual harassment in Air Force

    Sexual harassment is a problem in the Air Force, but the service’s second-highest ranking officer assured members of the U.S. Senate that it has the full attention of senior leaders.Air Force Vice Chief of Staff Gen. T. Michael Moseley testified Feb. 25 before the Senate Armed Services Committee

  • Pilot dies after A-10 crash

    An A-10 Thunderbolt II pilot died Feb. 25 after his aircraft crashed at about 8:30 p.m. The aircraft crashed shortly after takeoff near the Chena Flood Plain area, southeast of Fairbanks, Alaska. Capt. Jonathan Scheer is officially assigned to the 354th Operations Support Squadron and he is an

  • Drop-zone experts ensure success during Balikatan 2004

    “Winds are calm. Clear to drop.” With these words Capt. Laura Curvey, an air mobility liaison officer from the 36th Airlift Squadron at Yokota Air Base, Japan, officially signaled the start of bilateral airdrop operations during exercise Balikatan 2004 here. The term Balikatan is a Tagalog word

  • Military working dogs help keep base safe, secure 24/7

    When military people are in trouble, they call the cops. When cops need help, they call the K-9 unit.Working dogs here provide explosive detection support and establish a force-protection presence that will halt or deter hostile action against coalition forces.“Our main mission here it to provide

  • Recovered household goods want to come home

    The security forces investigation office here and local German police have been conducting a joint investigation of a moving company in the Kaiserslautern, Germany, area.A substantial amount of suspected stolen household goods has been recovered in this operation. Air Force and local officials are

  • Incirlik airman found guilty of assault

    An airman here was sentenced to five months confinement, forfeiture of $795 of pay per month for five months and a demotion to airman basic after being convicted of several crimes. This was Incirlik's first court martial since 2002.Airman Basic Lionel Young, of the 39th Logistics Readiness

  • Reservists vital for seamless flow of business

    In this time of heightened operations tempo, Air Force units are constantly cycling in and out of different conflict zones worldwide. With a few exceptions, servicemembers in almost every career field in the military have the potential to be sent on a temporary duty assignment for extended periods

  • Airmen experience sights, sounds, tastes of India

    For the 130 airmen working here in February during Cope India ‘04, the job of flying and fixing aircraft has taken on a whole new meaning.Cope India ’04 is a bilateral exercise between the air forces from the Unites States and India involving fighter aircraft -- the first of its kind in more than 40

  • Raptor program still flies

    Air Force officials said they will continue with the F/A-22 Raptor program. Fervor over the Army's cancellation of the $6.9 billion Comanche helicopter program Feb. 23 raised questions about the future of the Air Force's F/A-22, said the director of Air Force combat force capability requirements.

  • Airmen fill joint airlift needs

    When Army and Marine units receive orders to deploy, a small group of airmen is often called upon to turn sister services' air mobility needs into reality. These airmen, known as air mobility liaison officers, are experienced rated officers permanently based with Army and Marine units worldwide.

  • Airmen help community by building homes

    Spending a Saturday morning working on your house may not seem like anything new, but what about spending that Saturday morning working on the house of someone you do not even know? This is what a group of airmen from throughout the base here have been doing with their spare time for Habitat for

  • DUI puts ex-cop on other side of law

    Handcuffed and scared, a 23-year-old senior airman here rode in the back seat of a local Warner Robins Police Department squad car, playing over in his mind the night that abruptly changed his life.It was Veterans' Day 2003 when Airman X, as he will be called at his request, drank, drove and crashed

  • Asian Aerospace 2004 highlights capability, technology

    The flying was fast, loud and very impressive as Asian Aerospace 2004 kicked off Feb. 24. The international air show, held at the Changi Exhibition Center here every two years, provides an opportunity for nearly 800 exhibitors from 33 countries and more than 23,000 trade visitors to promote the

  • Cope India brings out fighter ops

    Residents who live in the nearby city of Gwalior are accustomed to the sounds of fighter-jet operations -- the noise of takeoff, landings and sonic booms. But the roar of U.S. Air Force F-15 Eagle aircraft in the sky above this north central Indian air force station is something completely new.The

  • Strike Eagles make debut in Cope Tiger exercise

    Aircrews battling it out over Thailand during Cope Tiger ’04 are facing an unfamiliar foe. F-15E Strike Eagles are participating for the first time in the exercise’s 10-year history.“We can relate to all of the exercise players by virtue of flying a dual-role fighter with both air-to-air and

  • Leaders call for re-energized suicide-prevention efforts

    After 11 active-duty suicides since Jan. 1 and 14 during the final quarter of 2003, Air Force senior leaders are asking commanders and leaders across the service to assess and re-energize suicide prevention efforts at all levels. The 2003 calendar year suicide rate of 10.5 per 100,000 people was

  • Navs get you from here to there

    With today’s technology, navigators have become an endangered breed. One of a decreasing list of aircraft to use navigators is the C-130 Hercules, an aircraft that is playing an important role in moving people and supplies during Operation Iraqi Freedom. The role played by the navigator has

  • Bombers arrive at Andersen

    The first three B-52 Stratofortress bombers from Minot Air Force Base, N.D., arrived here Feb. 22 under an overcast sky. A total of six bombers from the 5th Bomb Wing will call Andersen home for an undetermined amount of time at the request of U.S. Pacific Command officials.The bombers are the