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  • Life on the other side of the litter

    During the 1991 Gulf War, Marine Sgt. Brian Ackerman was a member of Task Force Grizzly, the American force that swept through the desert into Kuwait to liberate it from Iraqi forces.After Sergeant Ackerman’s unit made it into Kuwait City and began busting down doors looking for resistance, an Iraqi

  • Air Force shooting team takes silver, bronze at trap match

    The Air Force International Trap Shooting Team recently competed in the 2005 Interservice Trap Championships and won two medals.The five-day competition here brought Air Force and Army marksmen together to compete in international trap and double-trap events.Capt. Mike Herman from Schriever Air

  • Volunteers fly 'greatest generation' to see their memorial

    Thousands of visitors have come to the National World War II Memorial here since it opened last year. But the miles between the memorial and the ever-dwindling, increasingly frail ranks of World War II veterans make it difficult for many members of "The Greatest Generation" to make the pilgrimage

  • Total force combats explosive devices

    On a normal day, operations at the 451st Air Expeditionary Group here can be typical of any deployed unit. Civil engineer Airmen work tirelessly to keep the long-neglected runway open so that thousands of Soldiers can remain supplied. Aerial port Airmen load and unload a seemingly endless stream of

  • Severely injured troops relearn living skills

    "It smells good in here already," a visitor to "Fort Independence" said as she walked into the kitchen where amputees sharpen their culinary skills at Walter Reed Army Medical Center here.Fort Independence is a mock apartment set up in the hospital's occupational-therapy department to train newly

  • Understanding one another crucial during war on terrorism

    During dangerous situations, people's understanding of each other is more crucial than ever, a senior Defense Department official said here May 24.Speaking to the nearly 400 attendees gathered for the four-day National Guard Bureau’s equal opportunity workshop, John Molino, acting deputy

  • Pilots give new C-130J aircraft rave reviews

    Here at the "Home of the Herk" -- the affectionate nickname for the C-130 Hercules aircraft -- there is no ambivalence about the new "J" model.The C-130J is the latest addition to the C-130 fleet, bringing state-of-the-art technology to the tactical cargo- and troop-transport aircraft that has been

  • Pallet pursuit nets plentiful return

    It is “mission accomplished” for the Airmen of the 455th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron’s pallet and net team. They have returned more than $3.7 million in pallets, nets and other airlift assets to the transportation system in three months.While these assets are supposed to be returned

  • Airmen make most of temporary situation

    In many deployed locations, temporary quarters are commonplace. Taking that to a whole new level, air traffic controllers with the 332nd Expeditionary Airfield Operations Squadron here have set up shop in a plywood tower nicknamed the “tree house.”“When we arrived … a renovation project on the

  • Airmen use ‘germ warfare’ to ensure force readiness

    Most people see the war on terrorism as a global engagement where bombs and bullets are the biggest threat against Soldiers, Airmen, Sailors and Marines. However, there is a strike force here made up of two Airmen who are fighting the battle against another serious threat -- a microscopic

  • Civil engineers train for chemical attacks

    Civil engineers here replaced their shovels, hammers and power tools with gas masks, gloves and chemical warfare ensemble gear during ability to survive and operate training here May 18.“This training is very important,” said Capt. Jeremy Milliman, 374th Civil Engineer Squadron’s readiness flight

  • A father remembered

    Five numbers painted on the tail of a local parade’s float will pass by thousands of people, and they may not see what is between them.A string of numbers can represent anything from how much money someone has in his or her bank account, to phone numbers or even ZIP codes.71424 represents the life

  • Air Force launches 'AF eMail'

    The Air Force began the first phase of a new e-mail system May 6 that will enhance communication of Airmen worldwide.AF eMail (aka eMail-for-Life) is a single, static e-mail address that will not change during the career of an Airman or Air Force civilian employee.The current e-mail system, rapid

  • Air Force officials announce selections to major

    Air Force Personnel Center officials announced the 2005 Major Line of the Air Force Central Selection Boards’ results May 17. The board selected 2,242 captains for promotion to major.AFPC officials said the full list of officers selected will be available online by May 18 at

  • Air Force aviator strengthens U.S.-Japan friendship, ties

    An Air Force exchange pilot is strengthening bilateral ties and friendship between U.S. and Japanese military forces here. Capt. Justin Fletcher, an F-15 Eagle pilot, said that being assigned at the picturesque Japanese base located south of Tokyo is one of the most interesting and challenging jobs

  • Pilot awarded Kolligian Trophy for combat mission

    Despite wounds and a helicopter crippled by enemy fire, an Air Force pilot safely flew his aircraft and crew home from Iraq.For his efforts, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper presented the Kolligian Trophy to Capt. Steven Edwards during a May 6 ceremony at the Pentagon. Captain Edwards,

  • Air Force medics treat patients at Abu Ghraib

    It takes confidence to stare into the face of one’s enemy and offer him an aspirin, but that is what Air Force medics deployed to Abu Ghraib prison must do every day.As a forward-deployed element of the 447th Expeditionary Medical Squadron, the small team provides medical screening to detainees with

  • Eye in the sky protects ground forces

    Soaring through the air looking for prey, the MQ-1 Predator unmanned aerial vehicle is an aircraft ground forces do not want to be without. With its large infrared eye, it surveys the land and relays intelligence to servicemembers in the field.“The Predator is the greatest reconnaissance tool the

  • Cope Thunder wraps in Alaska

    Cope Thunder participants used Eielson’s 62,000 square miles of training airspace and met their objective: to fly, fight and win during Pacific Air Force’s premier combat airpower exercise that ends May 6.The two-week exercise took place here and Elmendorf AFB, Alaska.“All Cope Thunder units had one

  • U.S. pilots train Iraqi counterparts to fly C-130 Hercules

    U.S. pilots are training their Iraqi counterparts to fly three C-130 Hercules the Iraqi air force received from the Department of Defense.Pilots and enlisted Airmen from the 777th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron at Little Rock Air Force Base, Ark., are here working hand-in-hand with pilots and

  • Airman inspired by father’s service

    In her homeland, Airman 1st Class Duong Ngo looked over countless rows of rice crops while growing up on the south Vietnamese countryside in rural Ben Tre. Today, she looks over rows of deployment equipment at the 509th Logistics Readiness Squadron mobility warehouse here. The mobility flight

  • JSTARS reaches 10,000 combat hours in Southwest Asia

    The E-8 Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System reached 10,000 combat hours in Southwest Asia.The aircraft and its operators, maintainers and support people have had a continuous presence in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility since July 2003 as part of the 379th Air Expeditionary

  • Airman convicted for defrauding government

    An Airman here was convicted recently in a special court-martial for defrauding the U.S. government.Staff Sgt. Louise Smith, of the 71st Medical Support Squadron, was found guilty of violating the Uniform Code of Military Justice’s Article 132, Fraud Against the United States.The military judge

  • Wounded troops, families receive free airline tickets

    Through the good will and generosity of thousands of people with unused frequent flier miles and U.S. airlines, the Fisher House Foundation has given out nearly 3,000 free airline tickets to war-wounded servicemembers and their families since the giveaway program started in January 2004.About 1,000

  • Spangdahlem Airmen train with new high-tech weapon

    The sound of gunfire ricocheting off concrete walls is an everyday occurrence for Airmen at the combat arms training and maintenance unit here. At one of the few indoor Air Force firing ranges, the range features a target retrieval system and a hard gel backstop that will soon be replaced by a steel

  • McConnell holds wingwide fitness test

    More than 1,200 Airmen from the 22nd Air Refueling Wing took their physical fitness test here April 22.All 1,200-plus Airmen completed their run and received a series of “wingman” briefings within a four-hour span, but working out the logistics of the wingwide test took months of planning.To

  • Kosovo children relish playtime with American troops

    As the last note of music ended, screams and laughter suddenly interrupted the brief moment of silence. Maj. Brian Benson quickly sat down, but slid off the edge of his seat in favor of a young girl eager to remain in the game of musical chairs.Major Benson, of Kosovo Force headquarters at NATO

  • Weather Airmen protect shuttle

    Airmen of the 45th Weather Squadron here methodically calculate and determine if weather will threaten a future shuttle launch. Rain, lightning, wind and cloud coverage can instantly delay or “scrub” any shuttle, mission or rocket launch.“We have temperature, wind and rain constraints (because of)

  • Academy sports recap: gymnastics coach honored

    Air Force Academy men’s gymnastics head coach Lou Burkel was named West Region Coach of the Year by the Collegiate Gymnastics Association April 6. He also was awarded the Richard M. Aronson Special Service Awards, which honors individuals who have provided exceptional service to the

  • Tyndall Airman becomes U.S. citizen

    A revolt, a family separated and a little girl who grew up to become a defender of freedom in a foreign land.It may sound like a big-budget Hollywood flick, but for one Airman, this is real life.Airman 1st Class Celene Delice, a relocations technician with the 325th Mission Support Squadron here,

  • Ship takes heroic legacy to the fight

    A fallen Air Force hero from Pope Air Force Base, N.C., was honored April 8 at the Military Ocean Terminal here. A Navy cargo ship was named for Air Force Cross recipient Tech. Sgt. John Chapman.The combat controller’s legacy will live on as the Motor Vessel Tech. Sgt. John A. Chapman carries

  • Contact lens wear discouraged on deployments

    Blowing sand, smoke and fine dust particles are an eyeball’s worst nightmare. Now imagine holding up your unit because you have “something in your eye.” This type of scenario is exactly what optometrists said they fear most when Airmen wear contact lenses instead of their glasses while working in a

  • Airmen help improve B-2 aircraft maintenance in Guam

    Airmen from the 509th Bomb Wing at Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo., are helping improve aircraft maintenance for future rotations of B-2 Spirit bombers worldwide during a deployment here. “Our deployment is going fairly well, but there have been some unique maintenance challenges for us here,” said

  • Hurlburt Airmen bring space power to Joint Red Flag

    U.S. space forces are using their knowledge of joint and interagency operations to adapt to an ever-changing battlefield during Joint Red Flag 2005, an exercise aimed at improving joint training and experimentation capabilities among U.S. and coalition forces.Air Force space capabilities have long

  • Bagram Airmen recover hundreds of pallets

    The numbers 88- by -108 by -2.25 inches and 290 pounds represent lifeblood for the Air Force’s logistics readiness officers and air transporters.They are the measurements of a pallet type used to carry combat supplies in and out of war zones … and they are “wanted.”A critical shortage of these

  • Officials announce selections to captain

    The captain promotion process selected 848 lieutenants out of 856 for promotion to captain. The results of the CY04D Quarterly Captain Selection Process are as follows:In-the-promotion zone:-- 733 line officers were selected from 737 considered for a 99.5 percent selection rate.-- 10 chaplains were

  • Airman convicted of possessing child pornography

    An Airman was found guilty of possessing child pornography during a court-martial held here March 10.Airman Ryan Stephens, of the 18th Security Forces Squadron, was sentenced to eight years confinement after being found guilty at a general court-martial of two charges of possessing child

  • Airman, Marine help Iraqi commandos to communicate

    Instead of being surrounded by electronic equipment in an office, an Airman and Marine found themselves setting up communications during an active combat mission as part of an operation for the Iraqi ministry of the interior.Tech. Sgt. Billie Lowell and Marine Capt. Steve Monsour are spending

  • AF maintains contact with missing servicemembers’ families

    Wearing a nametag with the name of his brother, Raymond Kelly, a 74-year-old veteran, personifies the families of missing servicemembers and their continued efforts to find closure for the loss of their loved ones. In 1951, Airman 1st Class James Kelly’s aircraft crashed in North Korea during the

  • Physical, occupational therapy fixes strains and sprains

    People flock to the physical and occupational therapy clinic here from far and wide to make their strains, sprains and breaks feel better. “Were conserving the fighting strength,” said Maj. Joel Robb, 332nd Expeditionary Medical Operations Squadron’s physical therapist and flight commander, whose

  • Airmen track terrorists off base

    To keep Balad Air Base, Iraq safe and secure, the Airmen of Task Force 1041 venture off base daily to take the fight to the enemy.“This is a war against insurgents, and the battlefield is asymmetric,” said Lt. Col. Chris Bargery, task force commander. “The vast majority of attacks against air bases

  • Proper hygiene keeps coalition fit to fight

    Proper hygiene is critical to remaining combat-ready.To ensure servicemembers stay healthy, most forward-deployed locations throughout Afghanistan offer plenty of opportunities for good hygiene, like running water for showers and hand-washing stations next to the chow line.However, the situation

  • Family finally gets official word on Korean War vet's fate

    More than a half-century after North Korean fighter jets shot down Capt. Troy Cope's F-86 Sabre over Dandong, China, his family finally has official word of what happened to him and is preparing to bury him this May.Chris Cope, who was born too late to ever know his uncle, calls this homecoming an

  • B-1 software, munition tests completed

    A B-1B Lancer test program that combined testing of software upgrades along with integrating the 500-pound Joint Direct Attack Munition, or GBU-38, wrapped up here Feb. 24.Airmen of the 419th Flight Test Squadron completed the last software test sortie Feb. 22 in a flight to the Utah Test and

  • Missing Korean War Airman identified

    Department of Defense officials announced Feb. 25 that the remains of an Air Force pilot, missing in action from the Korean War, have been identified and will soon be returned to his family for burial with full military honors.Capt. Troy Cope of Norfolk, Ark., will be buried in Plano, Texas, on May

  • Security forces provide fly-away protection

    In many forward-operating locations for Operation Enduring Freedom, C-130 Hercules planes from here make landings on dirt airstrips.Many times, riding along with the C-130 aircrews are highly trained and skilled Air Force security forces Airmen from the 416th Expeditionary Mission Support Squadron's

  • Airmen swear to defend brothers, sisters in arms

    “I am my brothers’ and sisters’ keeper” are words the 455th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron Airmen here live by and, if need be, swear to die by.“We focus on mission, safety and the welfare of our Airmen,” said Master Sgt. Adam Barber, 455th ESFS operations superintendent. “It’s a 24-hour

  • FAST mission for security forces

    Their job is simple: Cockpit denial and ground security. The training is intense, and only the best will get the assignment.The two-man teams are called fly-away security teams and are an offshoot of Air Mobility Command’s Phoenix Raven program. Due to a high volume of intratheater airlift

  • Deployed Airman keeps aircraft aloft

    Looking out a window high in the sky, he calls the shots. As aircraft approach, he talks to them, setting the stage for a smooth connection. The lineup has to be near-perfect -- too much to the left or right and the mission could fail. As the communication link to aircraft needing fuel, he knows

  • Tee time brings military, NFL together

    Ten servicemembers got a chance to share a tee time Feb. 5 with National Football League Hall of Fame members in their annual golf tournament in Jacksonville, Fla.The servicemembers took to the greens with more than 26 hall-of-famers, including Ed “Too Tall” Jones, Lynn Swann, Bobby Mitchell and

  • B-1 debuts at South Dakota museum

    Ellsworth has been home to the B-1B Lancer for more than 18 years, and for the first time, visitors to the South Dakota Air and Space Museum can view the aircraft up close.The B-1 static display is the newest exhibit at the museum and was placed into its permanent position in front of the museum

  • Reserve Airmen test C-130J in Southwest Asia

    Faster, farther, higher, safer. Aircrews and maintainers from the Air Force Reserve Command’s 403rd Wing here are changing attitudes and proving the effectiveness of their bird the J-model C-130 Hercules.As the first unit to take delivery of the aircraft in 1999, Airmen in the wing’s 815th Airlift

  • Airmen help bring donations to Uzbek orphanages

    Airmen, Soldiers and civilians supporting Operation Enduring Freedom from here brought donated toys, clothing, shoes, food and a variety of other products to local Uzbek orphanages Jan 17 and 22. The Jan. 17 visit went to a baby orphanage in Qitab, and the Jan. 22 visit was to an orphanage in

  • Officials announce promotion selections

    The Medical and Dental Central Selection Board selected 67 lieutenant colonels, 144 majors and 400 captains for promotion. The board considered 1,331 officers. The results and selection statistics are as follows: In-the-promotion zone for colonel:-- 15 dental corps officers were selected from 19

  • Officials announce selections to major

    Air Force officials selected 117 judge advocate general and medical service corps captains for promotion to major.Officials said 139 officers were considered.Because of different competitive categories, officials' project promotion results are to be released for line officers in about May and for

  • Bill payment arrives in deployed Airman’s package

    The Elvis Presley song goes, “Return to Sender.” The song came true for a Lott, Texas, woman who attempted to pay a bill which was accidentally delivered to a forward-deployed location here. Like millions of Americans, Mary Morris sent a bill payment via the U.S. Postal Service. Apparently, her

  • Kadena Airmen ensure link to the world

    Although they are not in the thick of things handing out food and supplies, Airmen from the 18th Communications Squadron at Kadena Air Base, Japan, said that the parade of huge lumbering aircraft that come and go from here, only validates how their mission affects the success of relief

  • New mobility concept tested at Whiteman

    The third passenger aircraft in two weeks departed here Jan. 13 with more than 400 Airmen traveling under a new mobility concept developed by U.S. Central Command Air Forces.Airmen from several bases met here to catch contract airlift to an intermediate point where intratheater airlift would take

  • Contracting makes it happen

    From beans to bullets, cradle to grave, one agency at a forward-deployed location makes it all happen. Whether it is bottled water to get Airmen through the heat of summer or vital supplies to keep the aircraft flying, the 386th Expeditionary Contracting Squadron is there to make sure the mission

  • Officials announce selections to captain

    Air Force officials announced Jan. 14 the results of a 2004 captain promotion process that selected 931 lieutenants for promotion to captain. The entire list is posted online at www.afpc.randolph.af.mil/offprom/. A total of 949 lieutenants were considered. The results are: Selection statistics

  • Combat weather forecasters fight ‘fog of war’

    It rolls in when it wants to, covers everything in its path and makes visibility so poor you can barely see your hand in front of your face. It is what some here call “the fog of war.”This fog, however, is the real thing. It is a fog so thick it makes missions for Operation Enduring Freedom here

  • Airmen bring relief to tsunami-devastated region

    Airmen of the 8th Airlift Squadron from McChord Air Force Base, Wash., continued their vital role in the disaster relief effort Jan. 12. Equipment, supplies and people were loaded onto one of the squadron's huge C-17 Globemaster III cargo jets headed to Banda Aceh, Indonesia.Indonesia was one of

  • F-15E crew uses new targeting pod

    An F-15E Strike Eagle aircrew from the 494th Fighter Squadron took part in a flight that marked an evolution in weapons technology when it used a Sniper Advanced Targeting Pod on the aircraft Jan. 7.An F-15E weapons system officer can now independently launch satellite-guided weapons on targets.

  • Helicopter crew starts new year with rescue

    A UH-1N Huey search and rescue crew from the 40th Helicopter Flight and 341st Medical Group here recorded their 355th save on a mission in southwest Montana Jan. 3.Following several failed rescue attempts by civilians using a helicopter and a snowmobile, Malmstrom’s crew received a request Jan. 2 to

  • Red Horse Airmen deploy to Thailand

    Airmen from here packed up and are heading to Utapao, Thailand, to assist in the region devastated by tsunamis Dec. 26.The 24 Airmen of the 554th Red Horse Squadron will conduct airfield assessments for the Department of Defense’s combined joint task force to determine the usability of runways for

  • Commander: Airmen in for long haul at Bagram

    Where gravel was once the material of choice, concrete now sets in preparation for new buildings and storage areas at the Air Force sector here.The 455th Air Expeditionary Wing is growing to match the organizational structure more common to other Air Force wings, said Brig. Gen. James P. Hunt, the

  • Four earn Sijan award

    Four Airmen are being recognized with the service’s Lance P. Sijan Air Force Leadership Award:The Sijan award annually recognizes a senior and junior officer and a senior and junior enlisted person who demonstrates outstanding leadership abilities while assigned to organizations at the wing level or

  • PERSCO matches faces with spaces

    Before an air and space expeditionary force is deployed, AEF Center officials first source out requirements to major commands, which assign them to individual wings that fill them with Airmen.When that system has a hiccup, personnel support for contingency operations office Airmen at

  • ‘Good thing’ when nothing happens

    When nothing happens, it is a good thing, said Capt. Mark Martin, 386th Expeditionary Security Forces chief of anti-terrorism and force protection at a forward-deployed location.Captain Martin is not referring to the day-to-day activities. Or rather, he is, in regards to base security.With more

  • Blood transfer center essential to mission

    Six Airmen deployed to an air base here are the lifeline of Operation Iraqi Freedom -- literally and figuratively. For them, receiving, monitoring and shipping blood products is a sobering, but motivating responsibility.“People’s lives depend on the accuracy of our job performance,” said Staff Sgt.

  • USO, NFL honor fallen Soldier

    The stars came out in the afternoon here Dec. 16 to honor a fallen Soldier. The groundbreaking ceremony for the Pat Tillman United Service Organizations Center featured military, sports and Hollywood icons. Gen. Richard B. Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; John Elway, National Football

  • Medical outprocessing goes digital

    A new computer-based health assessment system will help Airmen returning from deployments get back to their families more quickly. The U.S. Central Command Air Forces surgeon general recently started using the computer based post-deployment health assessments theaterwide.The assessment is now a

  • JAG Corps offers accessions programs

    The Air Force's Judge Advocate General Corps gives company-grade officers two opportunities during January through March to join their ranks. The programs, the Funded Legal Education Program and the Excess Leave Program, allow active-duty officers to pursue law degrees without leaving the Air Force

  • Maintainers make ‘maintenance magic’

    Working behind the scenes, a small group of Airmen here toil around the clock to ensure that the base’s flying mission is accomplished.They are the maintainers of the 774th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron maintenance flight. “We know what we are here to do -- maintain our aircraft,” said Capt. Chuck

  • Third generation aviator continues the tradition

    “These things we do, that others may live” is the motto of the 36th Rescue Flight here and the inspiration for one Airman’s pride.Capt. Sean Boldt’s passion for helicopters and their mission started at a young age through the work of his father, an Army helicopter pilot. He said some of his

  • Weapon systems video vital to wartime mission

    Amid the hustle and bustle of people walking to and from intelligence briefings in the fighter operations building at a forward-deployed location, Airman 1st Class Michael Edwards sits quietly behind a computer monitor and watches videos, and nobody minds.Airman Edwards’ deployed duties have taken

  • Fighter pilot film about teamwork, thrill of flight

    Civilians and Airmen alike can get breathtaking insight into parts of the Air Force they may not have seen before. The IMAX film "Fighter Pilot: Operation Red Flag," premiered Dec. 2 at the National Air and Space Museum here. Filmgoers got an inside look at one of the Air Force's largest training

  • Aerial porters firing on all cylinders in Iraq

    The airlift mission that moves cargo in and out of Iraq is complicated, like a machine with many moving parts. When all of the airlift parts are working together, America's warfighters are supplied with everything from beans to bullets.One of the most important parts of the airlift machine is the

  • New satellite terminal provides real-time intelligence

    A new satellite communications system is now operational that will help provide warfighters timely intelligence from U-2 Dragon Lady reconnaissance flights.Officials with the 480th Intelligence Wing here brought the Transportable Medium Earth Terminal II satellite communications system online Nov.

  • Strike Eagles support ‘guys on the ground’

    While originally designed as a fighter-bomber, the F-15E Strike Eagle took on a new mission during the past three years. Today, it is almost strictly used for close-air support, giving troops on the ground added air protection and precise target elimination, officials said.“Three years ago no one

  • Air Guard retraces first flight to South Pole

    Their route was the same, but the crew of Skier 94 did not expect any of the hat tossing and hurrahs that greeted Navy Rear Adm. Richard E. Byrd and his flight crew 75 years ago.That is the difference between being the first plane ever to reach the South Pole and the fourth plane of the day.The

  • Airman, dog provide security for Afghanistan

    In August, Staff Sgt. David Yepsen had to do everything all Airmen do when they deploy, from updating training to getting medically cleared. He also had one more thing to worry about -- his military working dog deploying alongside him.Sergeant Yepsen and his dog, Dax, from the 43rd Security Forces

  • Air Force women lose in basketball to Albany, 86-65

    Unable to regroup from a 19-point halftime deficit, the Air Force Academy women’s basketball team fell to the State University of New York at Albany team, 86-65, on Nov. 27 in the consolation game of the Northern Arizona Thanksgiving Tournament here.A day after going 0-15 from beyond the arc, the

  • Deployed Airmen record storybook videos for children

    Airmen and Soldiers assigned to Camp Sather here are making storybook videos for their children back home. The “read to your child/video greeting program” is operated by the 447th Air Expeditionary Group services flight.The program, which began Nov 19, lets troops record a video of them reading a

  • F-35 ‘flies’ above central New York

    Perched atop a pedestal overlooking a rural valley in central New York sits the nation's air warrior of the future.Sophisticated antenna testing is under way on the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter at the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Newport antenna research and measurement facility.The full-scale F-35

  • Pilot receives ball, honor from NFL football player

    Though they wear different uniforms and fight different battles, for a brief moment, an NFL football player and an Air Force pilot met eye to eye. Capt. Ryan Silver, a pilot with the 89th Flying Training Squadron at Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas, stood on the sidelines in Tampa, Fla., on Nov. 21 as

  • Academy men finish 14th at cross country championships

    The Air Force Academy men’s cross country team concluded the 2004 season with a 14th-place finish at the NCAA championships here Nov. 22. With 382 points, the Falcons matched their second-best team finish since 1967.Co-captain Brian Dumm was the top Falcon finisher coming in 81st out of 242 runners

  • PACAF earns ‘Top’ honors at William Tell

    The very last flight of the 2004 William Tell air-to-air weapons meet was flown by the Pacific Air Forces team from Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska, on Nov. 18, and it was that mission that put them on top.“We never expected a team to walk away with it, and nobody did walk away with it,” said Lt.

  • Falcon water polo team finishes seventh at tournament

    On the strength of a spectacular first-half showing, the ninth-seeded Air Force Academy water polo team defeated sixth-seed Santa Clara University on Nov. 20 in the seventh-place game of the Western Water Polo Association Tournament here. With the victory, the Falcons finish the season at

  • Falcon swimming teams rank 4th, 9th at Speedo Cup

    The Air Force Academy men’s and women’s swimming teams are at fourth and ninth, respectively, after the first day of competition at the 2004 University of California-Irvine Speedo Cup here.Led by Chris Knaute’s performance in the 500-yard freestyle, the men’s team sits in fourth place with 221

  • Falcons win first game at water polo tournament

    With two goals in the final 1 minute and 32 seconds of regulation play, the ninth-seeded Air Force water polo team grabbed a 6-4 victory over eighth-seed University of California-Santa Cruz in the first round of the Western Water Polo Association Tournament here Nov. 18.Air Force (7-20), which

  • Travis firefighters win world championship

    Competing against the best of the best, a team of Travis firefighters captured top honors during the World Firefighter Combat Challenge Nov. 9 to 13 in Las Vegas.It is the first Department of Defense team to win the international title and only the second American team to win the award since

  • Holiday season can be difficult, stressful

    The holiday season is supposed to be a time of fun, family and good food.“Holidays should be happy and joyful,” said Capt. Kimberly Newsom, chief of life skills support center at the 92nd Medical Group. “It should be a celebration of time spent with loved ones.”Unfortunately, with all of the

  • Airman achieves dream to fly 'into the wild blue yonder'

    The anticipation shines in his eyes. The smile on his face is genuine and easy. His demeanor exudes an infectious energy.Capt. Terry Tyree Jr. gets to fly today.It has taken him 14 years, three technical schools and a positive attitude to achieve his dream of becoming an Air Force pilot.He

  • Roche submits resignation

    Secretary of the Air Force Dr. James G. Roche announced his resignation Nov. 16."I'm honored to have served the president, the secretary of defense and the terrific Airmen I've come to know and love in the past few years as the secretary of the Air Force,” he said. “I've served with talented

  • Weapons directors provide situational awareness

    They came to William Tell to play a video game. But they are not playing Donkey Kong or the latest version of Halo. Instead, they are monitoring radar screens to make sure their pilots stay on track during the competition.William Tell is a competition which tests an aircrew's ability to perform

  • William Tell still anybody’s game

    “Not in our house” may have been the slogan chanted by the New York Yankees fans during game seven of the league championship series against the Boston Red Sox, but they obviously did not mean it as the Red Sox went on to become the World Champions of baseball.The Airmen from here, however, seem to

  • Academy cross country men take third

    The Air Force Academy men’s cross country team secured a spot at the 2004 NCAA Championships with a third-place finish at the NCAA Mountain Region Championships here Nov. 13. Three Falcons earned all-region honors backed by Top 25 finishes. On the women’s side, Air Force took 11th.Mark Walter was

  • Air Force offers ACP program in fiscal 2005

    Certain rated officers can request an aviator continuation pay bonus option under fiscal 2005 program guidelines.A five-year, fixed-length agreement option is available to eligible pilots, navigators and air battle managers.Other options have been offered in recent years, but were curtailed this