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  • Airman convicted of sex crimes

    An airman here was convicted of carnal knowledge, sodomy and disobeying a lawful order. He received 30 months confinement, a bad conduct discharge, demotion to airman basic and forfeited all pay and allowances.Senior Airman Donny R. Stafford, of the 58th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, was convicted

  • Advisory board seeks reservists’ input

    When reservists on the Air Force Reserve Advisory Board meet at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas, Jan. 23 and 24, they can add another success story to their list of accomplishments.President George W. Bush signed the fiscal 2004 National Defense Authorization Act on Nov. 24,

  • Now showing: Dec. 8 edition of AFTV News

    The journey from wanting to be a pilot in the Air Force to becoming one is the subject of the latest edition of Air Force Television News. “The Making of a Pilot” is the first program in a series of four special productions to be aired during the holiday season.Produced by Staff Sgt. Marty Rush at

  • OSI team dedicated to safety, security

    From improving the quality of life to taking off and landing on the runway here, each and every unit assigned here has an important mission. The Air Force Office of Special Investigation Forward Operating Location 19 is no exception.The special agents here are dedicated to making the base a more

  • PFE changes with feedback

    Master sergeants and senior master sergeants studying for promotion in 2005 will have a combined study reference because of feedback to the Air Force Occupational Measurement Squadron here.The consolidation of the Promotion Fitness Examination Study Guide and Supervisory Examination Study Guide into

  • IDEA recovers more than $2 million

    A discovery by an Air Force Research Laboratory employee here has led to the recovery by the Air Force of more than $2 million in hidden funds. Susan Hluska, a procurement analyst at AFRL's information directorate, has earned a $10,000 award from the Air Force Innovative Development through

  • Airmen help improve C-130 night missions

    Air Force survival equipment technicians are helping make Pacific Air Force nighttime airlift operations safer by replacing the interior insulation on C-130 Hercules aircraft during an ongoing refurbishment program here. During night training, C-130 aircrews use Night Vision Imaging System

  • Deployed airmen plead guilty to thefts

    Two airmen pleaded guilty and were sentenced recently to bad conduct discharges, reductions in rank and confinement for a series of thefts that occurred here during a two-week period in October.Airman 1st Class Victor Adams Jr. and Airman Jamie Smith pleaded guilty to multiple counts of larceny and

  • Officials release F-16 accident report

    Air Force investigators have determined trapped external fuel because of an aircraft malfunction and the pilot’s failure to properly monitor his fuel status were the causes of an F-16 Fighting Falcon crash in Iraq on June 12.The aircraft was assigned to the 421st Expeditionary Fighter Squadron and

  • Crash victims honored

    A ceremony here Dec. 3 honored four airmen who were killed when their MH-53 Pave Low helicopter crashed in Afghanistan on Nov. 23.About 2,000 people attended the ceremony.An enormous American Flag displayed behind the stage set the tone for the patriotic ceremony that remembered the lives of the

  • Civilian makes sculptures from recyclables

    Turning discarded aluminum soda cans, fabric, cardboard, plastic, glass, newspaper and wood into environmental art is a labor of love for Helen Walker.“Environmental art sculptures are very effective because they tell a story,” said the quality assurance evaluator for the 89th Civil Engineer

  • December issue of Airman available

    Learn where the Air Force is heading with the future of flight, take a look at airmen supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom, and learn about a unique program creating elite canine airmen. These features and more highlight the December issue of Airman magazine, now available in print and online at

  • EOD ensures runway safety

    Remnants from the 1991 Gulf War still reside here, and the 332nd Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron’s explosive ordnance disposal team is ensuring those remnants are not able to put people in harm’s way.The EOD team is working to remove ordnance found in the vicinity of the runway that was

  • Simulator improves command post training

    A state-of-the-art simulator in the 334th Training Squadron here is giving command post apprentice course students vivid training, making them more mission-ready upon graduation.The new $500,000 simulator replaced a 20-year-old system that was losing its upgrade capability, said squadron

  • Putting the pieces together

    It is like putting together a puzzle; where does each piece fit? In the case of aircraft maintenance here, how can aircraft best fit on the ramp?"With limited space, it's almost like playing Tetris," said Maj. Stella Smith, Detachment 1 Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron commander. "With

  • Military establishing global network

    The U.S. military is working to establish a state-of-the-art global communications network designed to provide real-time information to warfighters.The network will gather massive amounts of information and provide users "the right information at the right time," said Ron Jost, Department of Defense

  • AF-Navy develop joint radio system

    The Air Force and Navy have agreed to merge their two formerly separate programs for the acquisition of improved radio systems.The result will be the development of the Joint Tactical Radio System, a single family of radios designed to replace incompatible units in use across the services.Senior

  • Training starts with aerospace physiology

    While being spun in a chair and parasailing hardly sound like intense pilot training exercises, they are several techniques aerospace physiology experts use to train Air Force pilots.Within the first eight and a half days of pilot training, students become familiar with air and ground survival

  • Medics treat different breed of patient in Iraq

    When members of the 506th Expeditionary Medical Squadron here received word they had an important patient waiting for them, they said they were surprised to see Staff Sgt. Todd Brabender standing there. But actually, the patient was not Brabender, from the 506th Expeditionary Security Forces

  • Insurance helps fire recovery

    When a fire destroyed the home of Airman 1st Class Brandon Voges and his family at Minot Air Force Base, N.D., the flames, smoke and water damaged everything they owned -- furniture, clothes and electronics. Despite this tragedy, the Voges family said they are not worried. An investment of $9 a

  • Roche discusses Air Force future during visit

    Citing the ability to adapt as the greatest change for the Air Force, the secretary of the Air Force thanked airmen for their involvement in operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom during a visit here Nov. 24.Secretary of the Air Force Dr. James G. Roche met with hundreds of wing airmen to

  • Airmen encourage ‘green’ Christmas

    There is a Christmas story told about a little evergreen that wanted to grow up and be a beautiful Christmas tree.Airmen here have flipped the story by starting a program to take decorated holiday trees and replant them so they can be big, strong evergreens.Airmen from the 28th Civil Engineer

  • New schools, centers of excellence created

    Two new centers of excellence and two Air Force schools have been created, Air Mobility Warfare Center officials announced Nov. 25.The warfare center now will be home to the centers for agile-combat support and for air mobility as well as the U.S. Air Force Mobility Operations School and the U.S.

  • Officials name airmen killed in crash

    Department of Defense officials identified four airmen killed in an MH-53M Pave Low helicopter crash in Afghanistan on Nov. 23. The airmen were supporting Operation Mountain Resolve as part of Operation Enduring Freedom, officials announced Nov. 26.The deceased are:-- Tech. Sgt. William J. Kerwood,

  • Military dogs help defend Iraq

    Hiding behind mounds of dirt or anything else his handler could find, Tino sat and waited for an intruder to breach the base’s fence on his random listening and observation post. Suddenly, the military working dog’s ears, eyes and nose zeroed in on two men as they entered the base’s perimeter. As

  • Letters from Santa

    Combat weather flight airmen here will once again help Santa send out thousands of signed, North Pole-postmarked letters to children worldwide.The Santa’s Mailbag program started in 1954 by 58th Weather Reconnaissance Squadron airmen, and has been carried on by those of the 354th Operations Support

  • Babies help parents workout

    Balancing a career, family and fitness program is not always easy.A training routine, created by fitness trainer Mindy Mylrea here, may help new parents get fit and spend quality time with their babies.The routine is designed for mothers and fathers with a 20- to 30-pound baby and should be done

  • Now showing: Nov. 24 edition AFTV news

    The terrorist threat of urban warfare and how the Air Force is preparing for it, is highlighted in the latest edition of Air Force Television News. Tech. Sgt. Pachari Lutke goes to Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., to report on training airmen are getting before deploying to places like Iraq and

  • Act gives commissary, other benefits

    The fiscal 2004 National Defense Authorization Act offers reservists and their families unlimited commissary privileges, better health benefits and an overall average military pay raise of 4.15 percent.President George W. Bush signed the defense bill Nov. 24. It allows reservists in the Selected

  • Online voting offers alternative

    Potentially hundreds of airmen serving worldwide may be eligible to vote online in 2004 based on a major government initiative to simplify the absentee-ballot process.The secure electronic registration and voting experiment program is part of the Federal Voting Assistance Program. Program

  • 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