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  • Academy academics rank among best in nation

    The Air Force Academy was named the best baccalaureate college in the west, and received top rankings in several engineering programs, according to the U.S. News & World Report's America's Best Colleges 2008 rankings, released Aug. 17. U.S. News & World Report evaluated the 320 universities in the

  • Manas medics perform expeditionary appendectomy

    A Manas Air Base Airman got a dose of expeditionary medicine recently when he reported to the 376th Expeditionary Medical Group.Tech. Sgt. Charles Bean of the 376th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron Fuels Management wasn't a victim of the gastrointestinal ailment that sometimes plagues

  • U.S. military women reach out to Djiboutian women

    U.S. military women attached to Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa visited the girls' orphanage Aug. 15 in Djibouti City. During the visit, the servicemembers taught the female students the "Alphabet Song," how to count to 10, how to say and spell certain words and how to introduce

  • Air Force doctrine gets new home at Air University

    The Air Force Doctrine Development and Education Center here stood up in August with the leaders of Air University, the 42nd Air Base Wing and local business and government agencies in attendance. The new center is the result of a merger between the Air Force Doctrine Center, which was stood up 10

  • Malmstrom Airmen rescue injured hiker on mountain peak

    A UH-1N "Huey" helicopter crew assigned to the 40th Helicopter Squadron here, rescued an injured hiker Aug. 10 near Cook City, Mont., just north of the Montana-Wyoming border. The rescue, executed at approximately 9,000 feet, raises the unit's total number of "saves" to 369 and marks its fourth

  • CSAF's Scope highlights force structure changes

    The CSAF's Scope focuses on current topics the Air Force chief of staff feels are of special importance to today's Airmen. Among Gen. T. Michael Moseley's top issues this month is the Air Force's force structure changes and "The High Ground." To facilitate effectively success of the future force

  • 'Perspective' focuses on feedback, evaluation

    In his latest "Enlisted Perspective," the Air Force's top enlisted Airman discusses the the new feedback forms and the importance of honest assessment of Airmen by supervisors and rating officials. "These evaluation forms are a great improvement," said Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Rodney J.

  • No mountain too high, no bridge too far for Afghan PRT

    Whether crawling over dirt mounds to inspect a school, hiking mountains 9,000 feet above sea level or handing out stuffed animals, members of the Panjshir Provincial Reconstruction Team are pushing progress in Afghanistan. "It's a very unique job," said Lt. Col. Christopher Luedtke, PRT commander

  • Homestead Airmen return from Iraq

    More than 260 Airmen from Homestead Air Reserve Base were welcomed home Aug. 13 as they returned from supporting the war on terrorism at Balad Air Base, Iraq. The Airmen were bused from the flightline to the reception area where hundreds of family members, friends, elected officials and local media

  • Gen. Pace visits servicemembers in Djibouti

    The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff answered questions and addressed concerns from a large audience of servicemembers during a "Town Hall meeting" Aug.14 at the Thunder Dome at Camp Lemonier, Djibouti. Marine Gen. Peter Pace, the highest-ranking officer in the U.S. military, went to Camp

  • Exercise Valiant Shield wraps up

    Exercise Valiant Shield 2007, the largest exercise of its kind in the Pacific, wrapped up eight days of flying operations Aug.13. During the field training exercise, more than 2,900 sorties were flown, with KC-135 Stratotankers and KC-10 Extenders offloading 2.29 million pounds of fuel to airborne

  • Training builds foundation for deploying medics

    The acrid, hazy smoke hangs over a scene that is straight out of a nightmare. A red substance that looks like blood is smeared all over the two vehicles, and one of the vehicles is tipped over on its side. Fake body parts and debris are scattered everywhere like a petulant child's unappreciated

  • Hickam Airmen conduct 4-ship airdrop training

    Four C-17 Globemaster III aircrews from the 535th Airlift squadron conducted multi-element airdrop training over the Kahuku training range Aug. 13 here allowing aircrew members to maintain currency while increasing proficiency and capability. Strategic airlift for the eight C-17s at Hickam AFB is in

  • Airman's Roll Call highlights streamlined services

    This week's Airman's Roll Call highlights the merging of services and mission support squadrons at six Air Force test bases to streamline processes, increase efficiencies, maximize customer service and cut costs associated with maintaining two separate organizations. The new combined organizations

  • Automated test helps maintainers solve F-15 problems

    Maintainers from bases around the world are focusing their eyes on Robins Air Force Base, the 566th Combat Sustainment Squadron's test equipment office, and a new test set that officials developed as a solution to F-15 Eagle maintenance dilemmas. A new automated flight control system test set has

  • Virtualized servers saving time, money and power

    'The server is down' are four words you never want to hear at work, especially in Iraq. Global Cyberspace Integration Center Airmen have teamed with Multi-National Corps-Iraq communications people to evaluate server usage and provide methods of improvement to eliminate this problem, specifically

  • USO takes to the road in new mobile canteens

    One of three United Service Organizations' mobile canteens spent Aug. 11 here during drill week as part of an effort to reach out to servicemembers who are not often exposed to the USO. The USO, famous for taking the show on the road, is using the new set of wheels to help the agency travel to

  • Icelandic defense exercise kicks off

    Leaders from the United States and Iceland joined NATO partners Aug. 13 to kick off an exercise to demonstrate U.S. commitment to the 1951 bilateral U.S.-Iceland defense agreement and reinvigorate air defense command and control capabilities of joint and coalition forces in Iceland. Exercise

  • Hurricane Hunters fly into Flossie

    As Hurricane Flossie made its way across the Pacific, a few Airmen were doing the unthinkable -- making trips directly into the eye of the Category 4 storm. Airmen of the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron's Hurricane Hunters out of Keesler Air Force Base, Miss., flew missions into the storm from

  • Afghan police seize weapons cache with Airmen support

    Members of the Afghan National Police recently took control of a weapons cache discovered by the Panjshir Provincial Reconstruction Team during a construction site inspection here recently. It's a perfect example of the teamwork occurring between the Afghans and the Americans working in this region

  • Cargo flight keeps warfighters moving

    The Airmen with the 379th Logistics Readiness Squadron Cargo Movement Flight here serve as force multipliers by ensuring anything warfighters need gets to the proper place at the proper time. Members of the flight receive and ship supplies in and out of the base to and from anywhere in the world,

  • Airmen trek over mountains to deliver aid in Afghanistan

    Trekking more than four hours over mountain ridges and valleys, 19 members of the Panjshir Provincial Reconstruction Team delivered medical and humanitarian aid Aug. 7 to people living in Roydara, a village set deep in a valley in Afghanistan. The group, made mostly of Airmen, as well as Soldiers,

  • Airmen, Soldiers compete during boxing tourney

    Fighters from the U.S. Army and Air Force settled their interservice "differences" in the ring during the 2007 summer Smoker Boxing Tournament Aug. 11 here. The competition, sponsored by Army Morale, Welfare and Recreation, pitted 36 Airmen from Osan, Kunsan and Suwon air bases against Soldiers from

  • Misawa mayor tours base first time in 67 years

    After 67 years of living next door, the newest mayor of Misawa set foot on the base for the first time July 26. Kazumasa Taneichi, the new Misawa City mayor, received a tour of the flightline, fire station, new dorms and dining facility. He was even treated to a seat in the cockpit of the 35th

  • 'Today's Air Force' highlights mission in Ecuador

    This week's edition of "Today's Air Force" highlights the Manta Air Base mission in Ecuador -- the fight against drug trafficking. It also features the Air Mobility Command Rodeo. See how more than 40 teams and 2,500 people from the Air Force, Air Force Reserve and allied nations took part in the

  • Crew chief awarded Purple Heart after 39-year wait

    Wayne Sufficool vividly remembers what happened to him Feb. 19, 1968, when he was a crew chief on the RF-4C aircraft at Tan Son Nhut Air Base, South Vietnam. It was the day the flightline area he was working on was hit with more than 40 rounds of 122 mm mortar rounds. Now Mr. Sufficool has another

  • Rock band reaches out to Djiboutian villages

    The U. S. Central Command Air Forces Expeditionary band "Thunder Roll" entertained audiences in local villages around Djibouti City during their summer concert series in Africa Aug. 8 to 10. Their stops included the villages of Hol Hol and Danerjog. The CENTAF band deployed to the area of operations

  • Airmen go hand-to-hand with Afghan National Police

    Airmen from the Panjshir Provincial Reconstruction Team and Afghan National Police recently roughed each other up here with a little hand-to-hand combat, but all for the sake of training. Teaching pressure point control tactics to the Afghan police in the Anaba district helps increase the local

  • Upgraded armored vehicles aid Moody's war training

    Warfighters preparing for combat deployments are now using the same highly armored combat vehicles during stateside training missions as they will use in theater. The 820th Security Forces Group recently received 18 Humvees outfitted with the safest and thickest armor modifications, known as Frag 5,

  • Command celebrates Air Force's 60th Anniversary

    Airmen, family and friends from throughout the Kaiserslautern Military Community celebrated the 60th Anniversary of the United States Air Force here Aug. 11 with band performances, demonstrations and special guest speakers. "In addition to celebrating our historical anniversary, this year marks the

  • Recent ops eval challenges Lakenheath Airmen

    While most Airmen either have participated in or are familiar with an operational readiness inspection -- both the Phase 1 and Phase II portions--some are scratching their heads over a recent evaluation exercise held here.  The operations evaluation, more commonly known as an "ops eval," looks and

  • Afghan cadet selected for Air Force pilot training

    An Afghan translator soon will attend Air Force pilot training in the United States as part of the service's Aviation Leadership Program, becoming the first such trained pilot in the Afghan National Army Air Corps. Cadet Faiz Mohd Ramaki said he is the luckiest person in Afghanistan because of the

  • Air National Guard recognizes top Airmen

    The Air National Guard's top six enlisted Airmen of the year were recognized for their achievements when the Air Guard's command chief master sergeant hosted Airmen of the Year Week here Aug. 4 to 11. The Airmen are: -- Airman of the Year: Staff Sgt. Jesse Permenter, 116th Air Support Operations

  • Retired Airmen don uniforms once again to teach JROTC cadets

    More than 1,900 Junior ROTC instructors, who teach at 869 school units throughout the world, finished their initial instructor training here last week. Jo Alice Talley, chief of JROTC instructor management at Air Force Officer Accession and Training Schools, said the newly hired instructors were

  • Recovery agency teams complete 100th Laos mission

    Four recovery teams from the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command recently completed JPAC's 100th recovery mission in Laos."The JPAC mission is as important in our effort to account for each missing American here as it is in Vietnam, Cambodia, China, Korea and everywhere else where we have unresolved

  • SERE training to be required for all Airmen

    Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. T. Michael Moseley met Aug. 10 at the Pentagon with several Air Force leaders to discuss the road ahead for survival, evasion, resistance and escape training. Air Force leaders plan to broaden the focus of SERE training for all Airmen due to the threat of isolation and

  • Balad's medics move into new facility

    Approximately 150 base volunteers and 380 Airmen with the 332nd Expeditionary Medical Group moved patients and equipment as they closed the doors on the old Air Force Theater Hospital and opened the doors to their pre-engineered facility here Aug. 3. Starting at 4 a.m., Airmen in each tent tunnel

  • Staff sergeant promotion rates announced

    Air Force officials selected 15,130 of 36,608 eligible senior airmen for promotion to staff sergeant for a selection rate of 41.33 percent, up 5.46 percent from last year. The staff sergeant promotion list will be released at 9 a.m. Central Daylight Time Aug. 15, and score notices will be posted on

  • Leaders consider returning maintainers to flying squadrons

    Air Force leaders are considering realigning aircraft maintenance units directly into flying squadrons. "It's important for Air Force units to be structured by mission and not by function," said Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. T. Michael Moseley. "Aircraft maintenance is an important element of a

  • Air National Guard assists with Utah mining rescue

    Air National Guard members airlifted a critical piece of equipment Aug. 9 in Salt Lake City to assist with rescue operations for six Utah miners, who have been trapped deep inside the earth since the Crandall Canyon Coal Mine collapsed Aug. 6.Within hours of receiving the request for help from Utah

  • Humble hero visits RAF Lakenheath

    "I don't have anything really profound to say," said Col. Leo Thorsness, retired Air Force fighter pilot and Medal of Honor recipient. The colonel, who visited RAF Lakenheath Aug. 7 to speak to Airmen about the importance of teamwork and families as part of a successful military, received the Medal

  • Ops center commands sky during Exercise Valiant Shield

    Airmen, Sailors, Soldiers and Marines are working together in the 613th Air and Space Operations Center here and within the airspace around Guam to enhance joint combat skills and interoperability during Exercise Valiant Shield 2007 held Aug. 6 to 13. The week-long exercise tests the military's

  • General shares Tuskegee heritage with Balad Airmen

    Airmen serving with the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing here got a chance to meet with a man who shared some heritage with them July 31. On his sixth visit to Balad Air Base in recent years, Maj. Gen. Darryl A. Scott, the son of a Tuskegee Airman, arrived with a number of purposes. As the commander of

  • Airman's fight-back bravery earns him Bronze Star

    Whenever Senior Airman Phillip King looks at his medal, he is reminded of Aug. 8, 2006. That was the day Airman King, through his brave actions, earned the Bronze Star Medal with Valor. Col. Bryan Gallagher, 95th Air Base Wing commander, presented the medal to him during a ceremony here July 30.

  • Blood center supports U.S., coalition warfighters

    Airmen of the 379th Expeditionary Medical Group's blood transshipment center here have a tendency to make people's blood run cold -- literally. Blood transshipment center members are responsible for receiving blood from donors stateside, processing it, accounting for it, repacking it and shipping it

  • NCO's training proves worth for accident victims

    An NCO attending a deployment training course at Fort Eustis, Va., became a hero recently when she used her self-aid and buddy care experience to tend to several people injured in an automobile accident. Staff Sgt. Brenda Johnson, the 8th Air Force manpower and personnel readiness NCO in charge

  • Predator soars to record numbers of sorties

    When terrorists tried shooting mortar rounds at Balad Air Base in July, they didn't count on the tireless, unblinking eye of an MQ-1 Predator unmanned aerial vehicle overhead, transmitting their every move to Airmen on the ground here. Airmen assigned to the 46th Expeditionary Reconnaissance

  • Elmendorf welcomes F-22 Raptor

    It was a historic day for Elmendorf as the base officially welcomed the first of its F-22 Raptor fleet during a ceremony here Aug. 8.Elmendorf became the second operational base and the first Pacific Air Forces installation to receive the Air Force's new superiority fighter. "These incredible

  • SECAF certifies synthetic fuel blends for B-52H

    Secretary of the Air Force Michael W. Wynne announced the completion of the Air Force's certification of the Fischer-Tropsch fuel blend in the B-52H Stratofortress during a signing ceremony here Aug. 8. The signing ceremony certified that the blended FT and JP-8 fuel is safe for operational use in

  • Rules change to require technicians to wear uniforms fulltime

    When people visit an Air Force Reserve Command unit during a normal work week in the coming months, they are likely to see more people in military uniforms. Air Force officials changed three instructions Aug. 7 to require all air reserve technicians to wear military uniforms rather than civilian

  • Letter to Airmen focuses on stress and prevention

    In the latest Letter to Airmen, the secretary of the Air Force focuses on how Air Force people can stem the rising number of suicides in the Air Force by taking care of each other. "In stressful times such as these, with so many Airmen deployed and with so many others pushed to the breaking point,

  • Valiant Shield exercise brings services together

    Kadena-based units departed Okinawa Aug. 5 on their way to Guam to join fellow Airmen and sister services in the joint Exercise Valiant Shield which runs through Aug. 14. The 44th Fighter Squadron, with elements of the 67th FS, and the 961st Airborne Air Control Squadron and 909th Air Refueling

  • Enlisted aviator career fields open for retrainees

    Opportunities for Airmen to retrain into one of eight career enlisted aviator career fields have just been released by Air Force officials here. The Air Force has openings for first-term Airmen to retrain into the flight engineer, flight attendant, and aerial gunner specialties. In addition, the

  • Airman's Roll Call highlights Airmen's education benefits

    This week's Airman's Roll Call highlights the importance of education for the professional and personal development of all Airmen. Through base education centers and the Air Force Virtual Education Center, Airmen have countless educational benefits right at their fingertips. The Air Force Tuition

  • Air Force technology helps put out fires faster

    Scientists at Tyndall AFB, Fla., have developed ultra high pressure water firefighting technology that has resulted in a smaller, leaner air transportable fire truck. Starting in fiscal 2008, these new trucks can be deployed in sets of two on a C-130 Hercules, whereas the former fire trucks could

  • Ramstein Airmen support joint airdrop exercise

    Airmen flying a C-130 Hercules from the 37th Airlift Squadron here supported high altitude-low opening airdrop training exercise Aug. 2 near Banja Luka, Bosnia.  Using the HALO technique, a jumper leaves an aircraft at a high altitude and free-falls to a much lower altitude before opening his or her

  • Deployed Airmen dish up a helping of gratitude

    To show their appreciation for other's efforts and hard work, Airmen from the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing have been volunteering to serve food to the operations personnel at the base's containerized deployable kitchen. Chaplain (Capt.) Kevin Humphrey, 380th AEW chaplain has volunteered to serve

  • 3-D models of urban environments to aid military efforts

    An Air Force Office of Scientific Research-funded team at the University of California, Berkeley, has built 3-D models of urban environments for the first time in a fast, scalable and automated way. Dr. Avideh Zakhor, a professor of electrical engineering at the university, leads a team that has

  • Center delivers new accounting, management system

    A state-of-the-art financial management system that serves the Air Force and U.S. Transportation Command came to fruition last month when the Defense Enterprise Accounting and Management System Increment 1, Spiral 1 was successfully fielded at Scott Air Force Base, Ill. The DEAMS program, a vision

  • To Stem the Tide - A Korean War Perspective

    Warnings had sounded as early as March 10, 1950. The U. S. Korean Military Advisory Group had relayed a report through channels to Washington, D.C., that North Korea would likely cross the 38th Parallel and invade its neighbor to the south--possibly as early as June. But there were plenty of

  • NCO retraining program seeks to fill some 900 positions

    The 2008 NCO Retraining Program began Aug. 7 as the Air Force seeks to fill approximately 900 shortage career field and special duty positions. NCOs notified of their vulnerability to retrain must submit the shortage career field choices they would most like to retrain into or apply for a special

  • Improved health care plan for reservists starts in October

    Reservists can begin signing up Aug. 11 for more affordable Tricare Select Reserve health care that starts Oct. 1. For some, it means they will pay a third of what they are paying today. "All drilling reservists, including individual mobilization augmentees, will have access to the health-care

  • Services, mission support merger complete at test bases

    The merger of services and mission support squadrons at six Air Force bases is now complete. The new combined organizations, called "force support squadrons," are paying huge dividends through improved service to customers, better synergy between organizations and increased efficiency in processes

  • Security forces Airmen step outside the wire

    Security forces Airmen here work outside the wire almost daily in an effort to help Iraqis establish a functioning, independent police force. Assigned to the 732nd Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron Det. 6, these Airmen perform missions traditionally reserved for the Army, including convoying

  • Info sharing allows realistic coalition training

    Simulated air campaigns practiced during aircrew training scenarios gained an increased level of realism as members of the Distributed Mission Operations Center here implemented a complex, new electronic filter designed to bring more "reality" to virtual reality simulations. Exercise Northern

  • Airpower key to Exercise Valiant Shield

    Members of the 613th Air and Space Operations Center at Hickam Air Force Base will provide command and control of flying operations above and around Guam during Exercise Valiant Shield Aug. 6 to 13.The 13th Air Force's 613th AOC staff delivers full spectrum capability for planning, directing and

  • Falcons have everything to prove this football season

    Unlike previous seasons, the 2007 Air Force football team has no catchy slogan it will use as a rallying cry or the media can use as a sound bite or a headline. Instead, first-year head coach and 1989 Academy grad, Troy Calhoun, told the annual media day gathering of local and regional reporters on

  • 'Today's Air Force' highlights Afghan operations

    The first segment of this week's edition of "Today's Air Force" features the Craig Joint Theater Hospital, a state-of-the-art facility at Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan, that provides top-notch healthcare for deployed Airmen.This new facility was constructed by a provincial reconstruction team, or

  • Air Force casualty identified

    Department of Defense officials Aug. 5 announced the death of an Airman supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom from the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing in Southwest Asia. Tech. Sgt. Joey D. Link, 29, of Portland, Tenn., died Aug. 5 of natural causes at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany. He was

  • General testifies on Air Force in-lieu-of strategies

    An Air Force General spoke before the House Armed Service Committee Subcommittee on Readiness July 31 about the state of in-lieu-of taskings Airmen fill for the Army.  Brig. Gen. Marke Gibson, the Air Force director of operations, answered questions for the subcommittee, reaffirming the service's

  • Former secretary of the Air Force dies

    Former Secretary of the Air Force John C. Stetson died Aug. 2 at his home in Lake Forest, Ill. Mr. Stetson was the 12th secretary of the Air Force, serving from June 1978 to May 1979. He was born in Chicago in 1920. He received a bachelor of science degree in aeronautical engineering from

  • Cadets get firsthand knowledge of deployments

    Members of the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing here hosted a rotation of U.S. Air Force Academy cadets who visited Southwest Asia to experience a deployment firsthand. The cadets toured the Combined Air and Space Operations Center, security forces and the fire department to give them a better working

  • Chief of staff approves latest command, control doctrine

    The Air Force chief of staff has approved the latest revision to Air Force Doctrine Document 2-8, Command and Control. Gen. T. Michael Moseley endorsed AFDD 2-8 as one of 10 Air Force keystone documents. AFDD 2-8 provides guidance on command and control, or C2, operations to support national

  • Airmen, Sailors join up in convoy relay

    Sailors of Task Force 124 here fly and operate the E-6B Mercury in support of Soldiers, Sailors, Marines and Airmen on the ground in and around Baghdad, mainly relaying communications for convoy operations. Navy officials realized with the installation of a few extra radios and the removal of some

  • Airmen, drug runners play game of cat and mouse

    Airmen play a constant game of cat and mouse with the drug runners they search for who try sneaking their cargo into the United States. Sometimes the Airmen win and sometimes they lose. But they always try to find ways to beat the odds using a combination of sophisticated E-3 Sentry and other

  • 379th Air Expeditionary Wing Airman dies

    An Airman assigned to the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing died Aug. 5. The cause of the death is being investigated.More details will be released as they become available. The 379th AEW supports more than 8,000 Airmen from active duty, National Guard, Reserves and coalition forces and is responsible

  • B-1 crews excel at shows of presence

    Airmen and B-1B Lancers from Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, have taken the reins from the 34th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron here. Since arriving in July, the 9th EBS has logged about 25 missions, dropping bombs on enemies throughout Iraq and Afghanistan.To help ease the transition, the 9th EBS deployed

  • Manta Airmen continue their counterdrug war

    American forces flying from here to hunt down drug runners could soon have to pack up their whole operation and move elsewhere. That is because Ecuadorian President Raphael Correa wants American forces out of the Andean country. He vows not to renew a 1999 agreement with the United States that

  • Airmen missing in action from Vietnam War identified

    Officials from the Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office here Aug. 3 announced the remains of two U.S. servicemen, missing in action from the Vietnam War, have been identified and will be returned to their families for burial with full military honors. They are Lt. Col. James H. Ayres,

  • Air Force integrates space operations into A-staff

    Air Force officials here completed the final phase in integrating space functions into key Air Staff processes for operations, plans and requirements, or A3/5. As of Aug. 1, space functions previously found within the Directorate of Strategic Security, or A3S, have been reorganized to better

  • DOD, VA pass information sharing milestone

    Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs officials here Aug. 3 announced the departments have successfully tested and deployed an interface that was developed to extend the reach and capabilities of the Bidirectional Health Information Exchange.With BHIE, the DOD and VA can share

  • Airmen play key role in developing Iraqi police

    Airmen roll out of the gates from here in armored Humvees and drive dangerous roads into Tikrit and the surrounding areas five days a week to do their part in helping Iraq transition to a peaceful democracy. For the Airmen assigned to the 732nd Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron Det. 6, arming

  • CENTAF Band performs for Kandahar servicemembers

    The U.S. Central Command Air Forces Band performed two concerts for deployed servicemembers at the Kandahar Airfield "Boardwalk" July 29 and 30. Soldiers, Sailors, Marines and Airmen were entertained by a variety of music including Latin, rhythm and blues, rock, jazz, disco and country. Audiences

  • U.S., South Korean Airmen train on base defense plan

    Airmen from the Republic of Korea's 38th Fighter Group and the U.S. Air Force's 8th Fighter Wing here joined forces with a common goal of training July 25."Since the 38th FG and 8th FW have their own ways of training members and defending Kunsan Air Base, it's very important for both sides to

  • Air Force takes Gold, Silver at 2007 Armed Forces Triathlon Championship

    The Air Force women's triathlon team took first and the men's team second at the 2007 Armed Forces Triathlon Championship held July 25 to 29 at Point Mugu, Calif.  The results are based on the raw scoring times of the men's top eight and women's top four competitors. The Armed Forces Championship is

  • Raptor maintenance training 'ramps' up at Sheppard

    The world of F-22 Raptor maintenance is becoming as high-tech as the sophisticated fighter itself. Because of new equipment called Portable Maintenance Aids,  or PMAs, maintainers here have vastly improved capabilities over past procedures and the initial skills training will reflect this advanced

  • Life support, survival equipment career fields merging

    Aircrew life support and survival equipment Airmen always have had jobs that mirrored each other somewhat. Under a new directive, the two Air Force specialty codes are merging, and Airmen here are far into the merger process. More than 60 Kadena Airmen are undergoing cross-utilization training to

  • Airmen, Soldiers form relationships with Iraqi children

    With little care for surrounding hostilities, a small Iraqi boy stomped his sandaled foot on Baghdad's dusty ground, and chanted an Arabic nursery rhyme. He clapped his hands to the beat and sung with several other children. All were gathered to watch a tall, muscled Airman dance to their song.

  • Airmen cross cultures, generations with babushka visit

    They are from different continents and generations but, if only for a few hours, Manas Airmen brought joy and smiles to six babushkas during lunch July 27 at a restaurant in nearby Bishkek, Kyrgystan.These six "grandmothers" are part of the Babushka Adoption Foundation in Bishkek, one of the groups

  • A-10 pilot awarded Distinguished Flying Cross

    An Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt II pilot has received the Distinguished Flying Cross in a ceremony here July 27 for a nighttime rescue mission in Afghanistan in 2005.Maj. Keith Wolak, with the 74th Fighter Squadron here, received the honor for a combat search and rescue mission he coordinated July 2,

  • Airmen receive Sijan Air Force leadership award

    The 2006 Lance P. Sijan Air Force Leadership Award was presented to four Airmen by Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force Gen. John D.W. Corley in a ceremony Aug. 1 at the Pentagon. The award, named for the first U.S. Air Force Academy graduate to receive the Medal of Honor, is given annually to

  • Airmen support historic change of command in Afghanistan

    Airmen provided support for a historic change-of-command ceremony that brought the International Security and Assistance Force's largest operating base here under NATO control July 31. The U.S. Central Command Air Forces expeditionary band performed a series of military marches and hymns during the

  • July 31 airpower summary: F-16s provide effective overwatch

    Coalition airpower supported coalition ground forces in Iraq and International Security Assistance Force troops in Afghanistan during operations July 31, according to Combined Air and Space Operations Center officials here. In Afghanistan, Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt IIs dropped guided bomb unit-12s

  • Airman's Roll Call highlights Senior Enlisted Leader Summit

    This week's Airman's Roll Call highlights the first-ever Senior Enlisted Leader Summit which was held at Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala., Gunter Annex. More than 360 senior enlisted leaders met July 22 to 27 to discuss the challenges and opportunities facing Airmen today. Attendees discussed training

  • Air Force medics take medical mission to Bolivia

    U.S. Southern Command officials recently deployed more than 30 Air Force medics to Bolivia to participate in a two-week long Medical Readiness Training Exercise. Air Force medics, working with Bolivian health officials, provided free, medical treatment to underserved populations in Bolivia while

  • New active-duty competition to debut at Air Force Marathon

    Which Air Force major command comprises the fastest, fittest flock of fine physiques? The answer may become clear Sept. 15 at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base when a new type of competition for active-duty Air Force servicemembers debuts at this year's Air Force Marathon. The Major Command, or

  • Aerial porters help demonstrate new transportation concepts

    Airmen from the 305th Aerial Port Squadron here recently played a major role in helping U.S. Transportation Command officials assess joint modular intermodal distribution, or JMIDS, concepts. Through JMIDS, USTRANSCOM officials seek greater efficiency in delivering cargo to the warfighter while

  • Airmen teach Afghan police forces tactics, training

    Members of the Police Technical Advisory Team here have trained more than 200 Afghan national police and Afghan national auxiliary police since April to help improve the security of Afghanistan.Team members train 10 to 20 Afghan national police and Afghan national auxiliary police every week and

  • Air Force funds research on self-healing materials

    A research team at the University of Illinois, funded by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, is creating new, cutting-edge structural microvascular materials which will have repetitive, self-healing capabilities as well as self-cooling behavior.Professor Scott White and his colleagues are

  • Contractors help equip warfighters

    The local base magazine, sports drinks, construction projects ... many servicemembers pass by these things everyday not knowing where they came from, how they got here or how they're maintained. That's where the 379th Expeditionary Contracting Squadron comes in. The 379th ECONS procures the