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U.S. Air Force News

  • Getting behavioral health treatment is easy with Tricare

    Tricare officials want non-active duty beneficiaries to know that if they need help, there is no reason to hesitate. Non-active duty beneficiaries may make their first eight outpatient behavioral health care visits per fiscal year -- Oct. 1 to Sept. 30 -- without a referral from a primary care

  • Getting dirty keeps planes flying

    Dirty hands and smudged faces are just the icing on the cake when it comes to maintaining A-10 Thunderbolt IIs and C-130 Hercules. It’s all that and more that make engine and hydraulic maintenance one of the dirtiest jobs here.Every aircraft that launches from the flightline here has been in the

  • Getting fit sets good example

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

  • Getting the word back home has never been easier

    The Joint Hometown News Service launched a new online submission system Feb. 17, making it easier for service members and Department of Defense civilians to publicize achievements such as promotions and decorations, to their local media outlets.

  • Getting to know the 12 OAY

    In August, Air Force officials selected the service's top enlisted members, naming the 12 Outstanding Airmen of the Year for 2016.

  • Ghedi AB accompanied tour now 36 months

    Airmen selected for an assignment to Ghedi Air Base, Italy, who elect to serve the accompanied tour will now be required to serve 36 months rather than 24, Air Force Personnel Center officials announced today."The change does not affect Airmen whose orders were issued before May 31, or those who

  • Ghedi, Italy unaccompanied tour length to increase

    The under secretary of defense approved a increased unaccompanied tour length change for Ghedi, Italy, from 18 months to 24 months effective Jan. 1, 2008. The accompanied tour length will remain at 24 months. Airmen with an assignment to Ghedi with a report-no-later-than-date of Dec. 31, 2007 or

  • Ghost-imaging could have satellite application

    Investigators funded by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research are conducting research under the name of "ghost-imaging," where a visual image of an object is created by means of light that has never interacted with the object. The new technology may result in a more versatile use of field

  • GI Bill education transfer incurs 4 years for all Airmen

    When initially implemented, the Post-9/11 GI Bill education transfer program was phased in to enable Airmen nearing retirement to accept a 1-, 2-, or 3-year active-duty service commitment. That phase-in period expired July 31, 2012 and all active-duty Airmen now incur a 4-year ADSC, said Bruce

  • GI Bill still important 60 years later

    Times were tough. The nation was slowly emerging from the Great Depression when World War II flared up in 1941.Before the war, the unemployment rate hovered at 15 percent, more than 11 million homes did not have running water or electricity, and fewer than 50,000 taxpayers earned more than $2,500 a

  • GI Bill Transfer

    Last year new guidance was announced on transferring GI Bill benefits. The changes go into effect July 12th.

  • GI Bill transferability set to begin

    With the Post-9/11 GI Bill's option to transfer unused educational benefits to eligible family members taking effect Aug. 1, it's no surprise that more than 25,000 servicemembers have pre-applied, a Pentagon official here said July 31. The wave of applicants has far exceeded the Defense and Veterans

  • GI Mail offers safer way to stay in touch

    Global Internet Mail is a personal e-mail program available to all servicemembers that can be used from any computer with Internet access, including government systems. While official government e-mail accounts are the most secure form of e-mail communication, messages sent between GI Mail accounts

  • GI Mail provides secure, reliable e-mail link to loved ones

    With airmen deployed away from home, the opportunity to communicate with loved ones takes on greater importance."To provide a link back home, Air Force Crossroads, the Air Force's official community Web site, offers a secure and reliable e-mail program through Global Internet Mail to help families

  • Giant squids land at Dover AFB

    A Reserve aircrew from the 326th Airlift Squadron landed July 11 at Dover Air Force Base, Del., with two giant squids in their cargo compartment. The two sea creatures were transported in a C-17 Globemaster III from Europe and will be delivered to the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History

  • 'Gifts from the Homefront' routes support to 'Any Servicemember'

    When issuing suggested holiday mailing deadlines for military care packages, the Unites States Postal Service made sure to highlight that "all packages and mail must be addressed to individual service members, as required by U.S. Department of Defense regulations." Since DOD suspended mail addressed

  • 'Gifts from the Homefront' support does 'double time'

    Military advocates across America are making their support work twice as hard with Army and Air Force Exchange Service "Gifts from the Homefront" gift certificates. While assistance sent through this troop-support initiative provides for the immediate needs of troops throughout operations Enduring

  • Gingerbread King builds sweet memories

    For more than 35 years, Tommie Jones has been making gingerbread structures. This year, he has added 13 pieces to his repertoire. Seven are displayed at the enlisted dining area at the Milazzo Club; six can be seen at Mitchell Hall here.Jones said that many other organizations have gingerbread

  • Girl fulfills dream to experience Iditarod

    Mush. To an average kid, the concept of the word is probably “icky” porridge. But to one 10-year-old named Katie Powell, it takes on a whole different definition when she uses “Mush!” to command a team of sled dogs to go faster. Katie has Ewing’s Sarcoma, a rare bone cancer. The daughter of Senior

  • Girl Scouts give thanks, cookies to deployed servicemembers

    Girl Scouts near Spokane, Wash., finished their third year of collecting cookies for deployed troops through Operation Troop to Troop April 23 and will be sending approximately 9,600 boxes of cookies to servicemembers fighting the war on terrorism. More than 2,200 Scouts canvassed more than 52,000

  • Girls' school opens in Panjshir

    Local Afghans, Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Greg Mortenson, an author, and members of the Panjshir Provincial Reconstruction Team, attended the grand opening ceremony of the province's newest girls' school, July 15. Mr. Mortenson, who wrote the book "Three Cups

  • Give and take, teach and learn -- building an Iraqi Air Force

    Reality is often at odds with expectations when Airmen deploy. This difference can be extreme when the mission is to provide military training to a recent enemy. But several Airmen near the end of six-month deployments as advisory support team instructors say they would rather stay here than go home

  • Give 'em a brake!

    Senior Airmen Jason Byrd (left) and Steven Christensen adjust a brake assembly on the gear of a RQ-1 Predator unmanned aerial vehicle at a forward-deployed location Feb. 28. Byrd and Christensen are Predator maintenance technicians with the 11th Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron deployed from

  • Give me a brake

    Airman First Class Derek Smith, an engine mechanic with the 776th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron, operates the hand pump controlling the brake pressure on a C-130 Hercules. The aircraft was being towed to clear the parking ramp for incoming aircraft at a forward-deployed location supporting

  • Give thanks

    Chief Master Sgt. Lloyd Hollen (left), 379th Air Expeditionary Wing command chief, and Brig. Gen. Charlie Lyon, 379th AEW commander, serve Thanksgiving dinner to Senior Airman Carlos Solorzano, 379th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron, at a Southwest Asia air base dining facility Nov. 22. Airman

  • Giving Airmen time back

    Improvements in technology, review of manpower solutions and additional duty workload, and refining ancillary training topped the recommendations presented to Lt. Gen. Richard Newton III, deputy chief of staff for manpower, personnel and services, by a team he chartered to find what impacts Airmen's

  • Giving thanks

    -- Holloman Intermediate School's fourth-graders presented 10 members of the 49th Civil Engineer Squadron with a handmade flag during a small assembly at the school. The students had sent thank-you cards to the airmen while they were deployed to Kyrgyzstan. (Photo by Airman 1st Class Vanessa

  • Global Air Chiefs Conference hosts second air chiefs forum

    Air chiefs from three countries offered presentations at the second air chiefs forum held Sept. 25 as part of the Global Air Chiefs Conference in Washington. Air Chief Marshal Sir Glenn Torpy, Maj. Gen. Ng Chee Khern and Gen. Ricardo Ortego Perrier presented their observations and concerns for air

  • Global air chiefs gather for conference

    Top leaders from air forces around the globe gathered Sept. 24 to discuss airpower issues during the Global Air Chiefs Conference Forum held at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in Washington.Keynote speaker retired Gen. Joseph W. Ralston asked audience members, "Why is it that Airmen do not have a

  • Global chiefs discuss air power

    More than 90 air power leaders from around the world convened here to interact with each other, members of Congress, national dignitaries, industry leaders and diplomats.The last Global Air Chiefs Conference, held in Las Vegas in 1997, was during the Air Force's 50th anniversary. This year's

  • Global cyberspace center delivers 'Warfighter's Edge'

    A two-year effort for the Air Force Global Cyberspace Integration Center and the U.S. Air Force Academy's Institute for Information Technology Applications culminated Oct. 31 when the Warfighter's Edge, or WEdge, was initially released to the field. WEdge, a base-level command and control tool

  • Global Cyberspace Integration Center hot bench active

    The Global Cyberspace Integration Center here houses an operations center that serves as a test bed or "hot bench" that assesses various software and information systems to detect potential problems before they are delivered to the field. A team guides innovation, experimentation and sustainment

  • Global Cyberspace Integration Center mission formalized

    The Air Force Global Cyberspace Integration Center here took a step forward in the Air Force's effort to "Fly and Fight in Cyberspace" following the signature of a new mission directive. The directive, signed by Lt. Gen. Michael W. Peterson, Air Force Warfighting Integration and chief information

  • Global Eagle combines AF, British forces

    The historical partnership between U.S. and British forces was evident yet again through a combined exercise between U.S. Air Force and Royal Air Force Regiment Feb. 26 through March 2. Defenders from the 820th Base Defense Group and tactical air control parties from the 3rd and 18th Air Support

  • Global Engagement readies Academy cadets for future

    Thirty subject matter experts from all over the United States are leading approximately 1,200 U.S. Air Force Academy cadets through intensive training with the Global Engagement course this summer here.The advantage to future Academy graduates in completing the course is that it gives cadets a

  • Global Hawk arrives in Germany

    The Air Force’s Global Hawk Unmanned Aerial Vehicle landed in Germany for the first time Oct. 15 from Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. It touched down at 4:05 a.m. at the German navy’s Nordholz Air Base near Cuxhaven.Its arrival marked the beginning of a three-week system deployment running through

  • Global Hawk arrives in Guam

    Airmen here celebrated the arrival of the RQ-4 Global Hawk to Guam during a ceremony Sept. 20.The Global Hawk brings significant capabilities to the Pacific theater, which will benefit the 36th Wing, Pacific Air Forces, U.S. Pacific Command, and regional partners, said Gen. Gary North, the

  • Global Hawk collects reconnaissance data during Haiti relief efforts

    An RQ-4 Global Hawk is providing imagery to determine the extent of damage to earthquake-stricken Haiti and usability of its infrastructure, an Air Force official said during a Department of Defense Bloggers Roundtable Jan. 15."A lot of images of destroyed buildings," said Col. Bradley G. Butz, the

  • Global Hawk completes test flight

    The U.S. Air Force’s Global Hawk Unmanned Aerial Vehicle completed the first of five planned technical flight tests here Oct. 21. The three weeks of tests are scheduled to demonstrate interoperability between U.S. Air Force and German Ministry of Defense unmanned aerial vehicle systems. The Global

  • Global Hawk flies first Beale ACC sortie

    A newly-arrived RQ-4 Global Hawk Unmanned Aerial Vehicle made its first operational Air Combat Command flight from here Nov. 21. The first Global Hawk flight from Beale signifies the end of the base's and communities' five-year wait for the aircraft, and the beginning of local training flights as

  • Global Hawk flies first operational mission over Canada

    An RQ-4 Global Hawk remotely piloted vehicle flew its first operational mission over Canadian airspace.  The aircraft was flown April 8 by pilots and sensor operators from the 12th Reconnaissance Squadron here.According to Capt. Kyle Blaikie with the 12th RS, this was first time a Global Hawk flew

  • Global Hawk flying mapping missions south of border

    The RQ-4 Global Hawk unmanned aircraft is currently using its sensors for non-military environmental mapping missions over South, Central America and the Caribbean at the request of partner nations in the region. The flights, dubbed "eco-missions" by the Air Forces Southern team, provide vital

  • Global Hawk gets innovative ISR payload adapter

    Using a cooperative research and development agreement, the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, partnering with Northrop Grumman and Air Combat Command, has developed an innovative solution to the tricky problem of how to connect existing and future information gathering sensor capabilities, not

  • Global Hawk maintainers deliver ISR capability to warfighters

    The maintainers, assigned to the 380th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, are responsible for maintaining and ensuring the RQ-4 Global Hawk is able to deliver round-the-clock intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance and communication support to ground forces and aerial platforms

  • Global Hawk marks 10-year anniversary

    A Global Hawk unmanned aerial vehicle landed after an eight-hour mission Feb. 28 that marked 10 years since base officials witnessed its first flight at Edwards Air Force Base. On that first flight, the aircraft flew for one hour at an altitude of 32,000 feet, and today the Global Hawk has logged

  • Global Hawk operations reach new high

    Battlefield awareness has reached new levels with Global Hawk production-model aircraft flying in the U.S. Central Command Air Forces theater. Reaching a breakthrough point in April, the Global Hawk team has maximized the aircraft’s sorties, collecting more than 96 percent of the target area --

  • Global Hawk passes 10,000 flight hours milestone

    The Global Hawk unmanned aerial system continues to prove its utility and effectiveness in the global war on terror, having flown more than 10,500 flight hours by late July. The Global Hawk achieved 10,000 flight hours in June, with its ratio of combat flying hours to non-combat hours increasing to

  • Global Hawk passes fuel test

    The 452nd Flight Test Squadron pushed the RQ-4 Global Hawk Block 20 to its fuel system limits during a week-long starvation test here. The testing involved tilting the aircraft to a 20-degree angle while running the aircraft out of fuel inside the weight and balance hangar. "The testing is very

  • Global Hawk postured for success

    With a solid record in combat and humanitarian missions, the RQ-4 Global Hawk program remains a critical component to national security and the Air Force will increase cost-saving efficiencies to ensure the unmanned aerial system's sustainment, officials said here July 12.Rigorous reviews over the

  • 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

  • Global Hawk 'sets sail' from Edwards

    A Global Hawk unmanned aerial vehicle known as N-1 took off from Edwards' main runway March 27 on a one-way mission to Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md. The N-1, an RQ-4A Global Hawk -- one of two acquired by the U.S. Navy through the Global Hawk Maritime Demonstration Program -- is the first of

  • Global Hawk takes northern route, improves efficiency

    Staff Sgt. Ryan Conversi's eyes remain focused on a pair of industrial-strength laptop computers as the time approaches for the next launch of an RQ-4 Global Hawk on the Beale Air Force Base flightline. One of the computers is a vehicle test controller and the other contains Sergeant Conversi's

  • Global Hawk testers raise their hand

    At the commander’s call on Edwards Air Force Base, California, Brig. Gen. E. John Teichert stated that “Innovation is an Airmen, at any level, raising their hand to say, ‘I’ve got a better way to do business.’”The 452nd Flight Test Squadron is currently in the process of challenging the way the base

  • Global Hawk UAV returns to America

    The Edwards flightline is the scheduled return landing site for Prototype Global Hawk Air Vehicle No. 3, an unmanned aircraft that has flown 4,245 hours in support of combat operations for Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom and the Combined Task Force-Horn of Africa mission. This

  • Global Hawk UAV welcomed home after three-year deployment

    After supporting the global war on terror for three years, Global Hawk Unmanned Aerial Vehicle No. 3 (UAV-3) received its official homecoming Feb. 20 when its wheels touched down at 11:30 a.m. Pacific Time at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.During its overseas deployment, UAV-3 logged more than 4,800

  • Global Hawk wet runway testing yields positive results

    Airmen, civilians and contractors of the 452nd Flight Test Squadron here conducted RQ-4 Global Hawk wet runway testing with positive results throughout March here.The wet runway test required the Global Hawk to demonstrate taxiing and stopping from 6, 12, 30, 50 and 70 knots.The Block 20 Global Hawk

  • Global Hawk, U-2 capture essential wildfires images

    Throughout the week Air Forces Northern tasked specialized aircraft to provide firefighting commanders and civil authorities with photos and video of Southern California wildfires. Among the aircraft were the RQ-4 Global Hawk Unmanned Aerial Vehicle and U-2 Dragon Lady from Beale Air Force Base,

  • Global health records system goes electronic

    The Department of Defense achieved a major milestone today, when it launched AHLTA, its global electronic health record system. Dr. William Winkenwerder, assistant secretary of defense for health affairs, launched the system at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md. Michael O. Leavitt,

  • Global medical practitioners work to seamlessly integrate

    Instructors from the U.S. Defense Institute for Medical Operations are exchanging ideas and techniques with medical practitioners from the different countries participating in Exercise Shared Resilience 2012 May 28 - June 8 here.The information flow is driven from a class titled "Critical Lifesaving

  • Global missions all in a day's work

    Many people say they joined the Air Force to have exciting adventures and see the world. For a C-17 Globemaster III aircrew from Detachment 1 of the 817th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron, those perks are part of their average day. "An average mission can range anywhere from a 12-hour day to a 72-hour

  • Global Mobility Wargame explores future of air mobility

    Wartime planners from across the Air Force, Army and coalition nations investigated future concepts in air mobility through Global Mobility Wargame 2008 from June 16 to 20 at the Air Force Expeditionary Center here. First held in 2002, Global Mobility Wargame, or GLOMO, is an annual event bringing

  • Global Observer makes first hydrogen-powered flight

    The Global Observer unmanned aircraft system successfully completed its first flight powered by the aircraft's hydrogen-fueled propulsion system here Jan. 6.This milestone marks the beginning of high-altitude, long-endurance flight testing for the demonstration and operational utility phase of this

  • Global Positioning System continues improvement initiative

    Building on the January 2010 upgrade to the Global Positioning System ground control segment, Air Force Space Command engineers will be installing another software release primarily designed to support the pending mid-2010 launch of the first GPS IIF space vehicle. Engineers at the Global

  • Global posture realignment to take place over time

    "The first message I would pass to troops and their families is that they needn't pack their bags," a senior Department of Defense official said Aug. 17, referring to plans for globally realigning U.S. armed forces.Andrew Hoehn, deputy assistant secretary of defense for strategy, reassured

  • Global Strike ... Any target, any time

    Global strike, a significant portion of America’s deterrence capability, means that the Nation can project military power more rapidly, more flexibly, and with a lighter footprint than other military options. With the expertise of over 26,000 Airmen, the Air Force’s nuclear and conventional

  • Global Strike Airmen save lives by employing the wingman concept

    Two Air Force Global Strike Command Airmen employed the wingman concept recently when they alerted base security forces to the suicidal thoughts of their friend and got him the help he needed."A life was saved in our command that day because immediate action was taken by two wingmen who were paying

  • Global Strike Airmen support largest NATO exercise in 20 years

    Two B-52 Stratofortress aircrews assigned to Air Force Global Strike Command conducted a long-range bomber mission to the U.S. European Command area of operations Nov. 3-4 as part of Trident Juncture 2015 -- the largest NATO exercise in the past 20 years.

  • Global Strike Challenge load competition kicks off at Minot

    Members of seven bomb wings competed in Air Force Global Strike Command's first-ever load competition April 13 and 14 here.The evaluation was based on hands-on skills and their knowledge of career fields."This brings us back to the old (Strategic Air Command) days and the Giant Sword competitions,"

  • Global Strike Command Airmen respond to incident scenario

    Air Force Global Strike Command Airmen conducted their first-ever Response Task Force exercise here June 1 through 4."We are training and preparing for a variety of contingency scenarios to ensure our readiness for any situation that may arise," said Gary Oldham, Air Force Global Strike Command's

  • Global Strike Command director briefs upcoming logistics changes

    The Air Force Global Strike Command's director of installations, logistics and mission support visited here July 21 through 23 to discuss the base's transformation from the current logistical process to the Expeditionary Combat Support System.During her site visit, Ann Mitchell stressed the

  • Global Strike Command earns 2011 maintenance excellence award

    The Air Force Chief of Staff presented the Gen. Wilbur L. Creech Maintenance Excellence Award for 2011 to Air Force Global Strike Command commander Lt. Gen. James Kowalski in a ceremony at the Pentagon April 16.The award is presented to the major command that demonstrates the most improved

  • Global Strike Command leader previews B-52 upgrades

    During a recent visit to Edwards Air force base, Calif., the commander of Air Force Global Strike Command spent time with B-52 Stratofortress combined test force officials to preview the combat capability enhancements made to the B-52H.Modernizing and sustaining the nation's long-range strike

  • Global Strike Command leader updates progress

    Air Force Global Strike Command's top officer provided an update on the command's progress toward full operational capability during a speech at the Capitol Hill Club here Oct. 2. Lt. Gen. Frank G. Klotz, the AFGSC commander, outlined the progress in bringing online the first new major command in