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U.S. Air Force News

  • SG: Lessons learned in OEF help in Iraq

    Lessons learned in Operation Enduring Freedom have resulted in better patient care and better interoperability with other services during Operation Iraqi Freedom, said the Air Force surgeon general. He recently completed a 10-day tour visit to the OEF and OIF theaters.“We learned a large number of

  • Students welcome back 'Baghdad Buddy'

    Fourth-grade students Allison Foster and Rebeca Reyes, both 9, said they were sad to see the military go off to war in Iraq. Reyes said she really did not know much about the war, other than what her mother told her: "That my grandpapa was in the last one."However, on Nov. 21 any sadness the two

  • Airman found guilty of indecent acts

    An airman here received 24 months confinement and a bad conduct discharge from the Air Force on Nov. 20 after being found guilty of indecent sexual acts involving minors.Airman James Hinton Jr., an entry controller with the 78th Security Forces Squadron, pleaded guilty of committing indecent acts

  • Gunship crew earns MacKay trophy

    An AC-130H Spectre gunship crew from the 16th Special Operations Squadron here was awarded the Clarence MacKay Trophy recently for most meritorious flight of the year.The 14 airmen of “Grim 31” received the Air Force-level award for saving the lives of 82 U.S. soldiers and two HH-60 Pave Hawk

  • Implant restores instructor’s hearing

    After serving 22 years on active duty, retired Maj. Robert Graves was stricken with sudden hearing loss in 1990."I woke up, and everyone sounded like they were a block away in a tunnel even though they were in the same room with me," he said.Stationed at Kelly Air Force Base, Texas, at the time, he

  • Civilians earn their 'stripes'

    The noncommissioned officers academy here is one of two Air Force test sites allowing civilians to learn the ropes of leadership by working side-by-side with enlisted airmen.Robins and Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M., are part of a yearlong trial phase that could change the way professional military

  • SecDef addresses military at Osan

    Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld spoke with nearly 1,000 airmen, soldiers, sailors, Marines and family members here Nov. 18 during a town hall meeting.“It’s a real privilege for me to be with those who are doing so much to keep the peace in such an important part of the world,” Rumsfeld

  • Twins help save girl's life

    Teamwork and the immediate actions of two 7-year old boys here helped save a girl's life recently. The twin brothers, Mark and Matthew Jordan, are second-graders at Cummings Elementary School and were playing at a playground when they noticed something out of the ordinary. A 7-year-old girl was

  • Air Force band musical goes Hollywood

    The U.S. Air Force Band from Bolling Air Force Base, D.C., performed its musical “Born of a Dream” before full houses Nov. 18 to 20 at the Kodak Theatre here.All of the 2,500 free seats were reserved before the start of the first performance. The band’s final performance Nov. 20 was a private show

  • Test pilot school wins international award

    The U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School here received the 2003 Richard G. Cross Award on Nov. 19 in Lihue, Hawaii.Presented by the International Test and Evaluation Association, the award recognized the contributions the school’s short courses made to the training and education of test and evaluation

  • Cope North trains airmen in Guam

    Air Force fighter aircraft mechanics and Japanese air self-defense force members are participating in exercise Cope North 04-1 here, to enhance the execution of air operations defending Japan. This year, more than 100 airmen from Kadena Air Base, Japan, have been sharing techniques and experiences

  • Air Force announces OTS selections

    Air Force officials are giving 22 enlisted airmen the chance to trade in their stripes for gold bars by choosing them to attend Officer Training School, officials announced Nov. 20.Air Force Recruiting Service officials considered 299 applications and selected more than 165 as part of Officer

  • Foreign gifts need reporting

    Airmen who receive gifts from foreign governments valued at more than $285 must report them.Failure to report the gifts can result in a U.S. District Court penalty equal to the fair market value of the gift plus $5,000, said Frank Posey of the judge advocate's office at the Air Force Personnel

  • History project tells story of veterans

    The letters, memoirs, audio interviews and photographs are "everything that you could imagine," said Ellen McCulloch-Lovell, director of the Veterans History Project. The project is an effort which began two years ago by Congress to preserve the stories and memories of America's war veterans.The

  • Fitness program showing results

    Airmen have been filling fitness centers and burning up running tracks in preparation for the new, tougher fitness-testing standard set to begin Jan. 1.Direct, immediate and overwhelming feedback from the field says that airmen are taking the new fitness challenge seriously, said Air Force Chief of

  • Student invents new math process

    Killie Rick found a new solution to subtraction problems involving whole numbers and fractions. She used the concept of negative numbers in a way that has never been done before, as far as her seventh-grade teacher has been able to ascertain. The 12-year-old girl is the daughter of Terri Rick, a

  • Air Force board game debuts Dec. 1

    A new game is scheduled to hit the shelves of base exchanges Dec. 1 when the Army and Air Force Exchange Service introduces Air Force Edition Monopoly.“This is a one-of-a-kind board game dedicated to the men and women of the United States Air Force,” said Chris Burton, of the exchange

  • Coalition health care a combined effort

    The mission of the 376th Air Expeditionary Wing here is to project combat airpower in the U.S. Central Command area of operations. But that mission is not possible without a fit, healthy team of international coalition members operating as a cohesive team. Medics from the 376th Expeditionary

  • Deployed airmen help Kyrgyz children

    A small group of security forces airmen here made a large impact on the lives of a group of ailing, special needs and underprivileged children from a local orphanage Nov. 8 as part of an ongoing humanitarian effort.The group of 10 airmen, predominantly from Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., used

  • AF sponsors Busch Series race car

    The next generation of the Wood Brothers racing team dynasty is “Crossing into the Blue” driving a specially painted Ford Taurus prominently featuring the Air Force logo and colors. Coming on the heels of his recent NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series win at Martinsville, Va., Jon Wood is making his 2003

  • Tae Bo creator helps open fitness center

    Pounding music, NBA-style introductions and cheers of more than 500 people accompanied the base’s 18-person fitness team as they ran onto the new basketball court Nov. 7 to workout with Billy Blanks, the creator of Tae Bo.The mix of military and civilians, spouses, children and friends turned out

  • Work on 'LANs' proves airworthy

    A C-135C Speckled Trout crew recently tested an airborne local-area-network system designed to provide global broadband communications via satellite.A year in the making, the flight test launched a six-month initiative to prove this commercial off-the-shelf system can provide high-speed Internet,

  • Retired CMSAF shares lessons with airmen

    The fifth chief master sergeant of the Air Force, Robert Gaylor, retired from the Air Force 24 years ago, but he is still on a mission for bluesuiters.He said he spoke to about 500 people here recently with one goal in mind -- that the audience left feeling it was time well spent.“I think most of

  • First C-5 arrives at Balad

    The first C-5 Galaxy arrived here Nov. 12, from Dover Air Force Base, Del., increasing the Air Force presence at the Army's Logistical Support Area. A 14-person crew and about 21 truckloads of war materiel were on board the aircraft."This event is a significant milestone in support of the global

  • Elmendorf first to field new AIM-9X

    The 12th and 19th fighter squadrons here are the first operational units within the Department of Defense to field and train with the new AIM-9X Sidewinder.A ceremony celebrating the achievement was held here Nov. 13. “We’re thrilled the 3rd Wing has the opportunity to be on the cutting edge of

  • Plant saves money, resources

    The Air Force's first power plant to use methane gas piped in from a nearby landfill should be completed here by August, saving the base $600,000 per year in energy costs.Funded by the private sector, the plant will use methane gas from a nearby landfill, allowing power recipients to keep from

  • Fairchild captain receives 'world' award

    A Fairchild airman received the Junior Chamber International's Outstanding Young Persons of the World for 2003 award in Copenhagen, Denmark, on Nov. 7.Capt. Alan Adams, 96th Air Refueling Squadron readiness flight commander, was selected as one of the Ten Outstanding Young Americans in 2002 and was

  • First C-5 Galaxy aircraft retires

    The first C-5 Galaxy to be retired from the Air Force inventory was delivered Nov. 4 to the Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Center at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz.Maintainers here prepared the Lackland AFB, Texas-based aircraft for long-term storage. The gigantic C-5 is an outsized

  • Rumsfeld: 'Success' is exit strategy

    With "success" as the exit strategy, the numbers of U.S. and coalition forces in Iraq in the meantime "will depend on the security situation on the ground," the Defense Department's top civilian said here Nov. 10.Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld added that American troop strength in Iraq also

  • Injured Iraqi child flown to America

    A C-130 Hercules crew from here flew a critically wounded Iraqi child on the first leg of an aeromedical evacuation mission to the United States on Nov. 8.The 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing crew’s mission was to help save the child’s life, officials said.Nine-year-old Saleh Kahlaf was critically

  • Global Hawk returns from Germany

    The Air Force’s Global Hawk Unmanned Aerial Vehicle has returned home from a successful three-week deployment to Germany, according to program officials.Landing at the Air Force Flight Test Center at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., Nov. 7, after a 21.6 hour transatlantic flight, the vehicle

  • Survey helps turn things around

    Great deeds can be built on small gestures. And with a good plan, it is possible to turn a unit around on a dime.When Vicki Preacher came here in July 2001 to fill the top post in the environmental management directorate, she found problems with morale spilled onto the mission.“There was

  • Airmen say ‘I do’ in Black Hawk

    Two airmen said "I do" above Iraqi soil in an Army UH-60A Black Hawk helicopter here Nov. 6.Airmen 1st Class Vernon Millican and Toni Chapman, both of the deployed security forces contingent here, pledged to spend the rest of their lives together before God and four of their friends during the

  • Now showing: Nov. 10 edition of AFTV News

    The Air Force contribution to firefighting efforts in California headlines the latest edition of Air Force Television News. Tech. Sgt. Pachari Lutke and Staff Sgt. Melissa Allan report from the fire lines in two separate parts of the state, focusing on active-duty, Reserve and Air National Guard

  • Multiple factors cause T-1 accident

    Air Force officials completed their investigation of the Aug. 16 incident involving a T-1A Jayhawk. The aircraft from Laughlin Air Force Base, Texas, departed the runway during a landing rollout at Keesler AFB, Miss., and sustained an estimated $2.5 million in structural damage.Accident

  • Team helps get news to America

    Senior coalition leaders in Iraq are about to increase their ability to keep America informed.Two state-of-the-art ultracompact satellite terminals -- along with a two-person team to set them up and get them working -- are on their way to Iraq. Starting in late November, the satellites will beam

  • AF translator faces court-martial

    A Travis Air Force Base, Calif., airman who was deployed as a translator for the detainees at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, will be court-martialed. Maj. Gen. Paul W. Essex, 18th Air Force commander, referred formal charges Nov. 6 against Senior Airman Ahmad I. Al Halabi, of the 60th Logistics Readiness

  • New bird radar tracks patterns

    A bird-radar system here is a step toward the future of being able to advise air-traffic controllers and pilots of bird activity in the base’s airspace. “The bird-radar program could go amazing places,” said Herman Griese, 3rd Civil Engineer Squadron wildlife biologist. The system will be able to

  • Airman sentenced in bank-theft scheme

    An airman here was sentenced by a military judge during a special court-martial Nov. 5 for his involvement in a bank-theft scheme. He was sentenced to a bad conduct discharge, confinement for eight months and a demotion to airman basic.Senior Airman David Leaven, of the 48th Aircraft Maintenance

  • New equipment improves cancer treatment

    Wilford Hall Medical Center’s radiation oncology department recently purchased a new linear accelerator that is significantly improving patient care.Wilford Hall officials said they began performing radiation therapy more than 30 years ago, using a cobalt unit with an active radiation source, a

  • Reserve forces management reviewed

    Recruiting and retention has "held up nicely despite stress on the force as a whole," said David Chu to members of the House Armed Services Committee here Nov. 5. He is the undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness. A survey of active and reserve forces, which is done every four months,

  • Airmen arrive for AEF Silver

    About 20 airmen from Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., arrived here on a C-130 Hercules as part of Air and Space Expeditionary Force Silver. They are assigned to the 354th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron. The 354th EFS will replace the 81st EFS from Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, as AEF Silver

  • Top soldier advocates AF relationship

    The relationship of the Army to the airlift and tanker community is one of the “most important relationships that we have,” said the Army chief of staff during the 35th Airlift/Tanker Association convention here.In the convention’s closing address Nov. 1, Army Gen. Peter J. Schoomaker discussed

  • 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

  • More than 500 selected for chief

    The Air Force 2003 chief master sergeant promotion board has selected 526 senior master sergeants for promotion to the service's highest enlisted rank.The promotion list will be released the first duty hour Nov. 5. For units across the international date line, the list will be released Nov. 6. The

  • CSAF: The time for air mobility is now

    In a major speech to the Airlift/Tanker Association convention here Oct. 31, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper said air mobility is coming into its own.“The time for air mobility is now,” Jumper said. “It’s here, and it’s time to take it to the next level.”Jumper was one of the main

  • Reservist gives life-saving breath

    A craving for bacon and eggs one recent Saturday morning put a 919th Special Operations Wing reservist in the right place at the right time to save the life of a man in the parking lot where she went to shop for breakfast. Senior Airman Sonya Brownhill, a resource manager for 5th Special Operations

  • U.S., Australian airmen defend base

    They come from different countries, wear different uniforms and have different accents, but they do have similarities -- they work relentlessly day and night on the same team defending the air base here.Airmen of the 447th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron and the Royal Australian Air Force

  • Scholarship program kicks off Nov. 4

    The application period for the children of active-duty, retired, Guard and Reserve members to apply for $1,500 academic scholarships kicks off Nov. 4. The application window for the 2004 Scholarships for Military Children program extends through Feb. 18.In four years, the Defense Commissary Agency

  • November issue of Airman available

    Take a look at aerial gunners from World War I to Operation Iraqi Freedom; read about the intelligence school at Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas; and learn about the honor and privilege of being an American Indian serving in war. These features and more highlight the November issue of Airman

  • Fly Away teams provide remote security

    A C-130 Hercules crew landing at a classified location does not find many, if any, familiar faces when they step off their aircraft. Airfield officials seem polite and perhaps even friendly, but the ring of local security workers outside the airplane is more interested in the Hercules and its crew

  • Airman witnesses deadly attack

    A scheduling mistake that stranded an Air Force photographer overnight in the Al Rasheed Hotel lobby in Baghdad made him an eyewitness to the rocket attack that killed one soldier and injured 15 others Oct. 26.Airman 1st Class Brian Ferguson, from the 447th Expeditionary Communications Squadron, was

  • Roche opens airlift, tanker convention

    Secretary of the Air Force Dr. James G. Roche opened this year’s Airlift/Tanker Association national convention here with one main purpose in mind.“I especially wanted to attend to say thank you to the air mobility team … for your contributions to our war on terrorism and for the vital mission you

  • Turbine blade caused June F-16 crash

    Air Force officials determined a manufacturing defect of a turbine blade caused an F-16 Fighting Falcon to crash June 10 at Luke Air Force Base, Ariz.In the recently released accident-investigation report, the board determined the crash was caused by a manufacturing defect in Blade 1 of the 4th

  • 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

  • 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

  • Air Force role in Basra is different

    For anyone flying into Basra International Airport, the feeling certainly must be different than flying into Baghdad International.First of all, anyone stepping off the plane is immediately greeted by British Royal Air Force airmen, which is certainly different than Baghdad. Additionally, the area

  • New DOD mortuary opens at Dover

    Military officials opened a new $30 million mortuary at Dover Air Force Base, Del., on Oct. 27. The Charles C. Carson Center for Mortuary Affairs, which replaced a 48-year-old facility, is the Defense Department's only stateside mortuary.Since 1955, the remains of more than 50,000 servicemembers

  • Pilot’s final flight a ‘family affair’

    After flying more than 8,700 hours in Air Force planes, an Arkansas Air National Guard C-130 Hercules pilot flew the most memorable two hours of his entire 34-year career Oct. 28.Lt. Col. Larry Hill, a 154th Training Squadron pilot, said his last two hours of flying were the best because he was

  • Airmen dispose of enemy ordnance

    Crawling over more than a ton of explosives the way a child would go over a jungle gym requires a little something special, but it is just another day for explosive ordnance disposal airmen here.The 506th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron’s EOD flight airmen have recovered and blown up about 1.5

  • American forces join Qatari basketball league

    Varsity basketball and history are in the making here, and the host nation’s king may be the reason why.The newly formed American Forces basketball team, made up of servicemembers in the area, will play a Qatari army team in the nation’s capital city, Doha on Nov. 9. The game will mark the first

  • 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.

  • Latest enlisted AFIT nominations due

    Air Force Institute of Technology officials are again offering noncommissioned officers the opportunity to pursue an advanced science, engineering or management degree at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.Eight NCOs from around the Air Force will be selected in early 2004 to attend the

  • Airmen mentor Kyrgyz NCOs

    Airmen here had a chance to shape the development of the Kyrgyzstan’s noncommissioned officer corps when 20 local NCOs attended a daylong seminar here Oct. 24.The visit by Kyrgyz NCOs followed a tour taken by 19 host-nation officers in August. The combined visits exposed all the active components

  • Deployable civilians provide expertise

    When their units are called to deploy, they line up for their smallpox and anthrax shots, they pack camouflage uniforms and dog tags, they get weapons training, and brush up on their self-aid and buddy-care skills. But these warriors are not airmen -- at least not in the traditional sense.They are

  • Edwards program wins DOD award

    The Drug Demand Reduction program here received the 2002 Secretary of Defense Community Drug Awareness Award on Oct. 27 at the Pentagon.The Secretary of Defense Community Drug Awareness Award is an annual award presented to one base within each branch of the armed forces."The award is given to the

  • Falconer major player in Red Flag

    The airmen from U.S. Air Forces in Europe’s Falconer Air Operations Center are here integrating their craft with pilots and controllers who fly the missions over the “enemy” during Red Flag.The center is comprised of 100 airmen, mostly from the 32nd Air Operations Group at Ramstein Air Base,

  • 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

  • Welch receives Fubini award

    Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul D. Wolfowitz presented the 2003 Eugene G. Fubini Award to retired Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Larry D. Welch on Oct. 23.The Fubini Award is given annually to individuals from the private sector who have made significant contributions to the Department of Defense in

  • Military works on all-digital targeting system

    The U.S. military is developing an advanced communications capability for tactical fighters that will tightly connect the sensors and cockpits of many aircraft.The 2-year-old Tactical Targeting Network Technologies program links tactical jet fighters' sophisticated sensors and avionics with

  • Desert Hawk helps protect Tallil

    Not every unmanned aerial vehicle in the sky here is a Predator.The 332nd Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron is using its “Desert Hawk” UAV here, providing an extra set of eyes in the sky for looking for potential terrorists and criminals.“Desert Hawk allows us to interdict our adversaries

  • EOD eliminates ‘explosive’ problems

    Some might call a bomb squad living in a bunker ironic; the 332nd Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron’s explosive ordnance disposal flight airmen here call it practical.The EOD airmen are on alert 24-hours a day, seven days a week, and respond to an average of 25 to 30 calls each week.“By living

  • Airmen complete Bagram runway

    With help from the Army and coalition nations, airmen poured the final load of concrete for the new $2.3 million runway here Oct. 24 after nearly six months of construction. During this period, civil engineer airmen and soldiers worked on one 90-foot-wide strip, while aircraft landed and took off on

  • Airmen keep things moving in Manas

    A few hundred kilometers north of Afghanistan, in the small country of Kyrgyzstan, is Manas Air Base. Here, airmen are doing their part to ensure coalition servicemembers can maintain the fight on the frontlines of the war on terrorism.Airmen of the 376th Expeditionary Air Wing work 24-hour

  • 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

  • Malmstrom remembers Cuban missile crisis

    Forty-one years ago, people here played a role in one of the most dangerous events of the Cold War. For 14 days during October 1962, the world held its breath as President John F. Kennedy and Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev tried to reach a compromise and avoid nuclear war. In May 1962, Khrushchev,

  • Langley names first Raptor squadron

    The 27th Fighter Squadron will be the first of three squadrons here to transition to the F/A-22 Raptor. The Air Force’s newest fighter begins arriving in late 2004, said Col. Frank Gorenc, 1st Fighter Wing commander.“A major factor in this decision is heritage,” Gorenc said. “The (27th FS) is the

  • Inaugural Eagle Flag concludes

    In 10 days, Air Force expeditionary combat-support people opened and established a new air base here during the Air Force's newest flag-level exercise, Eagle Flag. The inaugural exercise ended Oct. 22. Eagle Flag challenged airmen to open and establish a bare base for any mission or aircraft type,

  • Moseley discusses reconstitution

    Department of Defense leaders met with the House Armed Services Committee subcommittee on readiness Oct. 21 to discuss force reconstitution. Air Force Vice Chief of Staff Gen. T. Michael Moseley told committee members that reconstitution is one of the Air Force's top concerns."Our No. 1 task is to

  • Airmen move from tents to huts

    Airmen here are now in the process of transitioning from living in temper tents to wooden structures called B-huts.“These semi-permanent timber structures are replacing our tents which have exceeded their life expectancy in this harsh environment,” said Capt. Trey Sledge, 455th Expeditionary Support

  • Cadre makes Eagle Flag come alive

    Eagle Flag brings together expeditionary combat-support people, role players, observers and exercise controllers to create one of the most dynamic exercises in the Air Force, officials said. Eagle Flag, which ran for the first time Oct. 13 to 22, is the Air Force’s newest flag-level exercise. It is

  • Two airmen extend their desert duty

    Two airmen at an undisclosed location did not mind raising their hands when asked to pull an additional 30 days for Air and Space Expeditionary Force Blue. They said they knew they were going to be working in 120-degree heat, scurrying into tents during dust storms that turn the noon-day sun into

  • Airmen deploy for fuel-spill-response exercise

    Airmen from the 611th Civil Engineer Squadron deployed recently to a remote radar site 250 miles northwest of here for an annual three-day fuel-spill-response exercise.The airmen tested their skills at the Tatalina Long Range Radar Site, one of the 18 remote radar sites that make up the Alaska Radar

  • AF plans to fill first sergeant slots

    Before the end of the year, Air Force officials will have taken the first step toward eliminating a 10-percent manning shortfall in first sergeant billets. In November, as part of the new First Sergeant Selection Process, Air Force officials expect to release a list of master sergeants selected as

  • Red Tail Express makes final delivery

    Trucks. Lots of trucks. Trucks with aircraft parts, refrigerators, wall lockers, office desks, computer equipment, construction vehicles -- some even hauling other trucks, along with hundreds of other odds and ends. All these items are loaded and strapped onto 18-wheelers and flatbed trailers,

  • Medics enter long-term partnership

    Helping get a medical clinic off the ground in this war-torn country is one thing, but three medics from the 447th Expeditionary Rescue Squadron are taking their relationship with this village to an unexpected level.Capt. (Dr.) Jeff Skinner, Senior Master Sgt. Tommie Tracey and Senior Airman Matt

  • Airmen ‘connect’ with Iraqi villagers

    Most airmen deployed to nearby Baghdad International Airport live and work there, but a few have managed to mingle among the local residents.Besides doing their jobs, they said they feel they are building a bridge in American-Iraqi relations.“The Iraqis I’ve met are great,” said Senior Airman Matt

  • AF releases fitness standards

    Air Force leaders released the fitness-scoring charts that will be used beginning Jan. 1.“The amount of energy we devote to our fitness programs is not consistent with the growing demands of our warrior culture. It's time to change that,” said Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper in a Sight

  • Air Force medics treat Iraqis

    A three-member medical team from the 101st Expeditionary Rescue Squadron here recently helped treat more than 60 Iraqi citizens during a medical and humanitarian assistance mission.Capt. Jeff Skinner, Senior Master Sgt. Tommie Tracey and Senior Airman Matthew Read provided their assistance when

  • Preventive medicine keeps airmen on the job

    Expeditionary medicine is more than just medics treating trauma and illness at Camp Sather here.It is all about prevention for Staff Sgt. Nigesa Scales, a medical technician with the 447th Expeditionary Medical Squadron.“There is always the possibility of a disease being introduced to the area of

  • Honor Guard recruits airmen

    Air Force Honor Guard officials are always looking for motivated and dedicated airmen and noncommissioned officers for what they call the world's best job.Located here, the 250-person unit seeks airmen E-4 through E-7 for their experience, said Chief Master Sgt. Michael Buckley, the Air Force Honor

  • Airmen keep Baghdad online

    Their jobs may not be highly visible, such as flying or launching aircraft, or get them media attention by standing guard under the blazing Iraqi sun.They do, however, have an important job within the 447th Air Expeditionary Group.“They” are members of the 447th Expeditionary Communication

  • AFIT honors 2003 distinguished alumni

    The Air Force Institute of Technology honored two 2003 distinguished alumni here Oct. 16. Retired Gen. Lawrence A. Skantze and Retired Lt. Gen. Richard K. Saxer were selected for their pioneering roles in science, engineering and education.“The title of ‘distinguished alumnus’ is the highest honor

  • DOE dominates Defender Challenger

    Air Force and British security forces teams already have their targets picked out for next year’s Defender Challenge competition: The men in black from the Department of Energy. The DOE federal agents may be a tough target to hit, based on the dominance of their 10-man team at Defender Challenge

  • Ellsworth K-9 team finishes fourth in nation

    The top military working dog team in the nation has been marking its territory atop the national rankings since the Ellsworth team formed more than two years ago. The team finished in fourth place at the U.S. Police Canine National Field Trials in Atlantic City, N.J., on Oct. 5 to10 For the second

  • Eagle Flag's importance stressed

    The Air Force’s top two leaders got a first-hand look Oct. 15 at the service’s newest flag-level exercise, Eagle Flag. They also talked about what they want every airman to know about the exercise.Secretary of the Air Force Dr. James G. Roche and Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper

  • Airman honors Army friend

    Tech. Sgt. Robert Moore wanted to do something for the friend he had made and lost while serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom. So he got permission to name an airport fuel storage facility after Army Sgt. Roger Rowe, an Army transportation specialist killed by a sniper July 9.Moore, a fuels

  • Critical-care teams quick to respond

    Critical care air transport teams, charged with moving the seriously wounded or ill, have a job similar to firefighters.“Our gear is packed, ready and positioned near aircraft loading points. We can be airborne in minutes and fly anywhere in the area needed,” said Maj. William H. Cody. He is a

  • Falconer will control Red Flag sky

    America’s ability to dominate air and space during war is being tested Oct. 19 to 31. About 90 airmen from U.S. Air Forces in Europe’s 32nd Air Operations Group will descend on Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., to participate in Red Flag 2003.The airmen comprise what is called a Falconer Air Operations

  • Airman boosts host-nation relations

    During the pre-dawn hours of Oct. 11, Jackal Two, a 380th Air Expeditionary Wing security forces patrol, noticed a vibratory roller -- better known as a steamroller -- with its headlights on, parked outside the perimeter of the base fence. The night-shift patrol feared the worst at this undisclosed