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  • Readiness center orchestrates contingency support

    David Copperfield made the Statue of Liberty disappear, walked through the Great Wall of China and made audience members vanish, only to reappear somewhere else. But, those were just magic tricks -- grandiose illusions.Try making 3,000 soldiers, more than 200 aircraft and nearly 5,000 tons of

  • Total force team excels at bare base

    A total force team of active-duty, reserve and Guard airmen deployed to this austere deployed location have worked together to provide "amazing" support for Operation Iraqi Freedom, their commander said.The 485th Air Expeditionary Wing here is composed of active-duty F-15 Eagle fighters from Langley

  • Air Force names legal award winners

    Air Force office of the judge advocate general officials have named the winners of their 2002 annual awards. They are:-- Albert M. Kuhfeld Award for judge advocate of the year: Maj. James K. Floyd, Air Force Legal Services Agency, Bolling Air Force Base, D.C.-- Reginald C. Harmon Award for Air

  • Team cleans up unexploded ordnance

    While troops help Iraqis gain independence in the streets of Baghdad, Basra and Kirkuk, people from the 386th Explosive Ordnance Disposal team at one forward-deployed location are cleaning up remnants of the 1991 Gulf War."Unexploded ordnance poses a threat to both military members and the civilian

  • Total force soars over Iraq

    Crewmembers from active duty, Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve joined forces in a KC-135 Stratotanker aerial refueling mission over Iraq on April 19.The crew consisted of the Wisconsin Air National Guard's Maj. Craig Campbell, active-duty pilot 1st Lt. Jacob Thornburg, and reservist Master

  • Air Force clubs offer scholarships

    Air Force Clubs is offering $25,000 in scholarship money to any club member or his or her family members. There will be six scholarships awarded, with the top prize of $6,000 for higher education costs.Scholarships will be awarded based on a 500-word essay written about "Air Force Clubs -- Help Us

  • Officials announce Air Force fuels, supply awards

    Air Force officials recently announced the outstanding supply and fuels individual and unit awards for 2002.The individual supply winners are:-- Col. F. Badger Johnson III Senior Supply Manager of the Year: Lt. Col. Kenneth Hession from the 363rd Expeditionary Supply Squadron at Prince Sultan Air

  • Some 'doctors' still make house calls

    Have mat, will travel.That is the newly adopted creed of the 332nd Expeditionary Medical Group's three-person physical therapy team at a forward-deployed location in Southwest Asia. The 332nd EMDG is from the 10th Medical Group at the U.S. Air Force Academy, Colo.Realizing that many of the pilots

  • Deployed chaplains: Faith on front lines

    Since the onset of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Air Mobility Command chaplains have deployed alongside thousands of Air Force people.They offer spiritual and religious services and help increase the morale of these deployed warfighters, according to Chaplain (Lt. Col.) Gerald McManus, AMC's chaplain

  • Falcon phase crews push envelope

    For every 300 hours an F-16 Fighting Falcon spends in the air, it is required to go through an inspection.The F-16s at a forward-deployed location have been flying almost continuously since the beginning of Operation Iraqi Freedom, making these inspections, called phases, necessary more

  • Promotion study guides arrive in May

    The 2003 promotion fitness exam and supervisory examination study guides are expected at Air Force locations worldwide in May.Air Force Occupational Measurement Squadron officials here said Air Force Pamphlet 36-2241, Volumes 1 and 2, Promotion Fitness Examination and U.S. Air Force Supervisory

  • On the cover

    Airman 1st Class Darnell Sharp provides cover fire during a security forces exercise here April 17. Sharp is assigned to the base's 39th Security Forces Squadron. (U.S. Force photo by Airman Joseph Thompson)

  • U.S. not asking for long-term Iraqi bases

    The United States has neither asked nor considered asking a future Iraqi government for use of four air bases, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said today.Rumsfeld called a New York Times story that suggested such a thing "unhelpful." He said such articles left people in the Middle East with the

  • Bone marrow donor, recipient meet

    Tech. Sgt. Daniel MacDonald and Gregg Smith have shared the same bone marrow for a year and a half, but they did not meet face to face until recently.MacDonald, an instructor with the 366th Training Squadron's Detachment 7 at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., donated his bone marrow to Smith on Oct. 16, 2001.

  • Air component commander updates troops on Operation Iraqi Freedom

    Lt. Gen. T. Michael Moseley, the Operation Iraqi Freedom Combined Forces Air Component commander, visited this deployed location recently to update the troops on Operation Iraqi Freedom and to award a B-1B Lancer flight crew from the 405th Air Expeditionary Wing Distinguished Flying Crosses for

  • Pilots receive Distinguished Flying Crosses for first strike of OIF

    Two F-117A Nighthawk pilots from the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing at a forward-deployed desert air base in were awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross recently for extraordinary achievement while flying in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.On the opening day of the air campaign Lt. Col. David

  • Another regime leader captured; Coalition forces transition

    Iraqi Kurds handed over the Ba'ath Party regional command chairman for East Baghdad to coalition special operations forces yesterday, U.S. Central Command officials said this morning.Samir abd al-Aziz al-Najim was the "4" of clubs in the deck of cards issued to coalition troops to identify the 55

  • Hunters becomes gatherers for hungry families

    A sergeant here has found a way for base hunters to feed the hungry.Staff Sgt. Damion McElroy, the 30th Security Forces Squadron game warden, has begun Hunters Against Hunger, a program that gives hunters the opportunity to donate their excess game to feed homeless adults and children in Lompoc,

  • Predator is headache for enemy

    One of the most formidable aircraft in the Operation Iraqi Freedom arsenal does not even carry a pilot. Appearing almost toy-like at a mere 27 feet long, the RQ-1/MQ-1 Predator is an unmanned aerial vehicle that remains a huge headache for enemy forces.Operated remotely by a pilot and sensor

  • Flight starts flag-disposal program

    The 21st Civil Engineer Squadron's fire protection flight here burned 50 U.S. flags recently. It was not done in protest but to pay homage.The flight's color guard conducted its first ceremony to give unserviceable U.S. flags a proper disposal."We had been asked on several occasions about proper

  • DOD's leaders thank military for heroism, courage, talent

    Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld thanked the men and women of the department for their service in the campaign in Iraq, but said much still remains to be done.Rumsfeld and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Air Force Gen. Richard Myers spoke to Pentagon employees during a Town Hall meeting

  • Airman killed in Iraq

    Department of Defense officials announced April 18 that Capt. Eric B. Das, 30, of Amarillo, Texas, was killed in action April 7 while supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. Das was assigned to the 333rd Fighter Squadron from Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, N.C.Das was the pilot of an F-15E Strike

  • U.S. airfield troops sustain operations, assist Iraqi populace

    U.S. Army and Air Force troops at an airfield in southern Iraq are providing military air and logistical support -- and much-needed medical and other assistance to local Iraqis."Now that we've transitioned to the post-hostility phase, we're really getting our medical people out into the local

  • Surgeon's skills stay sharp helping base

    The doctor and nurses, shrouded in gowns, gloves and facemasks, lay stainless-steel scalpels and clamps neatly on the plastic-covered tray next to the patient.One of the nurses squeezes around the operating stretcher to adjust the overhead lamps while the doctor picks up his tools and prepares to

  • Time-sensitive targeting adds combat flexibility

    An infusion of human decision making and 21st century technology has resulted in a system that has helped U.S. forces and their coalition partners dominate the battlefield in Iraq.Known as time-sensitive targeting -- TST for short -- this rapid response system is building a new level of flexibility

  • Nighthawks return home

    Five F-117 Nighthawks touched down here April 16 after supporting operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom.The tremendous support of the base and Alamogordo community provided the returning airmen with an outstanding homecoming, said Lt. Col. J.L. Briggs, an F-117 pilot returning from his

  • Coalition releases Iraqi noncombatants

    Coalition forces have released 887 Iraqi prisoners being held in the Theater Internment Facility near Umm Qasr.Pentagon officials said most were released because it was obvious they were not enemy combatants. The U.S. military did hold a tribunal under the Geneva Conventions Article V to determine

  • Boy Scout shows appreciation for deployed troops

    Patriotism and support for service members can even come from some of the country's youngest citizens.Corey Shoop, a member of the Boy Scouts of America Troop 43 in Carpentersville, Ill., recently made some members of the 40th Air Expeditionary Wing here, people whom he has never met before, part of

  • Tanker pilots fly with a little more in common

    Flying missions in Operation Iraqi Freedom has truly been an experience for Capt. Joel Higley and 1st Lt. Matt Mierek, 28th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron pilots deployed here from Fairchild Air Force Base, Wash.When they initially met back at their home station, they found they had a little

  • Situation in Iraq brightening; troops still in danger

    The situation on the ground "continues to brighten in Iraq," the Pentagon's chief spokeswoman said in the Pentagon today. "But our troops are still putting their lives on the line, and the work is still dangerous."American and other coalition forces are working with local Iraqi leaders, clerics and

  • Aerial-refueling team awarded Distinguished Flying Crosses

    While conducting air-refueling operations above Iraq on April 7, a four-person crew took their KC-135 further into harm's way to help airmen in trouble.They were recognized for their actions by Lt. Gen. T. Michael Moseley, Combined Forces Air Component commander, who flew in to Camp Oasis on April

  • B-1 crew members receive Distinguished Flying Crosses

    Four Ellsworth B-1 Lancer crew members, who on April 7 struck a "target of opportunity" believed to be the site of a high-level Iraqi leadership meeting, have received Distinguished Flying Crosses.Capt. Chris Wachter, aircraft commander; Capt. Sloan Hollis, pilot; and weapon systems officers 1st Lt.

  • U-2 reconnaissance plane helps bring POWs home

    The Seven U.S. Army soldiers who were formerly prisoners of war in Iraq are safe at a U.S. medical facility in Germany and are preparing to reunite with families. The reunion was possible not only because of the rescue operation by Marines but also because of assistance from an Air Force

  • Airman sent home to donate bone marrow

    While the war is waged and aircraft launch in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, another kind of mission is taking place ... a potentially life saving mission.Col. Erik Hearon, the regional air movement and control center director, jumped aboard an Air Mobility Command aircraft recently in hopes of

  • JSTARS team always training for battle

    As military action continues in Iraq, coalition ground troops are in many ways counting on their guardian angels to guide the way.Those guardians, crewmembers from the 116th Air Control Wing here, are always ready. They are armed with the E-8C Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System.Tech Sgt.

  • Officials announce 2002 operations awards

    Air Force officials announced the winners of the 2002 Air Force Airfield Operations Awards on April 14.The unit award winners are:-- Airfield Operations Flight Complex of the Year -- 51st Operations Support Squadron, Osan Air Base, South Korea.-- D. Ray Hardin Air Traffic Control Facility of the

  • 2002 contracting award winners announced

    Air Force officials will honor recipients of 2002 contracting awards in an April 22 ceremony at the Pentagon.The recipients of this year's awards are:-- Supervisory category: Lt. Col. Vincent J. Feck, 31st Contracting Squadron, Aviano Air Base, Italy.-- Non-supervisory category: Master Sgt.

  • Coalition forces still conducting operations

    While major combat action is certainly winding down in Iraq, coalition forces are still conducting operations in the country, said U.S. Central Command officials in Qatar today.In Al Ramadi April 15, a commander with the 3rd Infantry Division accepted the capitulation of the Iraqi regular army 12th

  • Theater frequency management organizes airwaves

    Along with the thousands of planes filling the sky over Iraq are more than 5,000 different electronic frequencies used for critical communications between the systems and people who make those flights possible.With numbers like these, there are plenty of chances for something to become a problem.

  • Kirtland Guard, active duty work together in Bulgaria

    Supporting air-refueling operations for aircraft striking targets in Iraq has found Kirtland active-duty and Air National Guard airmen working together at Camp Sarafovo, Bulgaria.Security forces airmen from the New Mexico Air National Guard's 150th Fighter Wing and support people from the 377th

  • Plotting the course

    Senior Airman Michael D. Vuyancih plots traffic-control points on a base map during a security forces exercise here. Vuyancih is with the 39th Security Forces Squadron. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman Joseph Thompson)

  • C-130 crews keep the supplies coming

    When coalition air forces erupted in battle full force, it was business as usual for Master Sgt. John Spillane and fellow aircrew members of the 320th Air Expeditionary Squadron.As a C-130 Hercules loadmaster for the 320th AES, he and fellow cargo aircrews were busy setting the stage before the

  • Airlift takes toll on Bashur Airfield

    The landing of many heavy cargo aircraft at Bashur Airfield in northern Iraq, has forced the closure of 2,000 feet of runway that cracked under the constant strain.That still leaves a 5,000-foot runway, more than enough for C-17 Globemaster III and C-130 Hercules aircraft to continue the airlift

  • Airmen stay busy despite end of major hostilities in Iraq

    Even though hostilities in Iraq appear to be winding down, airmen who fly combat missions over that war-torn nation say their job is not finished yet."We still have pockets of resistance in various areas, and until we have complete control we need to have air power up there supporting the ground

  • Heading home

    An F-117 Nighthawk and F-15E Strike Eagles prepare to launch April 14 from a forward-deployed location supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. The 8th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron and its F-117s are returning home to Holloman Air Force Base, N.M., after supporting the war in Iraq. The F-15Es are

  • In coordination

    Staff Sgt. Marissa Richard and Tech. Sgt. Jeffrey Morris coordinate an aircraft's arrival at Bashur Airfield in northern Iraq. Richard is a tanker airlift control element manager and Morris works command and control. Both are assigned to the 86th Expeditionary Air Mobility Squadron. The squadron

  • Air Force announces productivity excellence awards

    Five Air Force teams and three people recently received top honors for their money-saving improvements to the Air Force.The Air Force Productivity Excellence Award recognizes Air Force airmen, civilians and small groups who have made substantial improvements in productivity. The winners' efforts

  • 12 AF civilians receive presidential rank awards

    Secretary of the Air Force Dr. James G. Roche honored 12 Air Force recipients of the 2002 Presidential Rank Awards in a ceremony here April 7."It's my great privilege to recognize the tremendous contributions these people have made to our Air Force and to congratulate them on their achievement,"

  • U.S. troops to be in Iraq 'not one day longer' than necessary, Myers says

    American troops will be in Iraq "as long as required and not one day longer," the U.S. military's senior officer said here today.Saddam Hussein's regime is history and "the process of returning Iraq to the Iraqi people has begun," Air Force Gen. Richard B. Myers, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of

  • Trip changes airman's view of Iraq

    For a combat cameraman from upstate New York, a six-hour ride from Kirkuk to Bashur Airfield in northern Iraq, was an eye-opening experience he will not forget.Trained to look for and document with his camera those moments that tell a story, Tech. Sgt. Steve Faulisi said he put away his camera and

  • My Hero

    Staff Sgt. Chad Reemtsma, a military working dog handler, and Hero spend quality time together while waiting for more vehicles to search during a mobile security patrol April 8. Both are deployed to the 363rd Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron from the 18th Security Forces Squadron at Kadena

  • F/A-22 provides technological leap forward

    One cannot view the F/A-22 Raptor as only a replacement for current Air Force fighters, the service's top acquisition official told lawmakers April 11."(The F/A-22) is basically a technological leap forward to counter the threats we perceive (we will face) in the future," said Dr. Marvin R. Sambur,

  • Bashur Airfield on roll; future still not set

    After two weeks of living on the edge of the noisy flightline, the airmen at Bashur Airfield in northern Iraq, moved their camp to higher ground.But the move -- 100 yards farther away from the airstrip - does not mean the 86th Expeditionary Contingency Response Group is planting roots at this

  • War sharpens air traffic control mission's focus

    Operation Iraqi Freedom is providing students attending the Air Force's only air traffic control school real-world examples of how their training will be used after graduation.The air traffic control school here trains about 1,000 airmen and international students each year, including new airmen,

  • Support network available for families of deployed airmen

    For many years, families of active and reserve component airmen, along with Air Force civilian employees, have had to deal with the stresses associated with deployments and remote tours.However, families no longer have to endure these separations alone, according to Tech. Sgt. Rebecca Tester,

  • Moody AFB attorneys support 'Operation I Do'

    Dressed to the nines in his best desert camouflage uniform and surrounded by his security forces family, a nervous but calm deployed senior airman took part in "Operation I Do."Even though they were separated physically, Senior Airman James Evans and his fiance, Andrea, were reunited via fax and

  • Reservists provide medical care on POW's return flight

    Seven Air Force reservists provided medical care aboard the C-17 Globemaster III flight that brought Army Pfc. Jessica Lynch and 45 other patients to the United States on April 12.The crew consisted of five airmen from Wright-Patterson's 445th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron, one from McChord AFB,

  • Air Force begins re-deploying some forces

    The Air Force has started re-deploying some its assets supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom, according to defense officials.The return of B-2 Spirit, F-117 Nighthawk and some F-15 Eagle aircraft has already begun, the officials said. It is all part of a process to re-deploy forces no longer required

  • Coalition command post: coordination keeps aircraft, info flowing

    Flexibility is the key to airpower, but a lot of coordination and some planning are the keys to a successful integration of coalition partners in wartime. Such is the case for the 401st Air Expeditionary Wing command post, temporarily located at a Royal Air Force base in the eastern

  • Commander recounts historic Iraq C-17 airdrop

    It was by any measure a landmark moment for airlift operations and the C-17 Globemaster III. The nighttime airdrop last month of 1,000 "Sky Soldiers" from the 173rd Airborne Brigade behind enemy lines into northern Iraq was the largest combat airdrop since the invasion of Panama in December 1989

  • Motorcycle safety leaves no margin for error

    In December, a young airman was visiting his family for the holidays. After dinner and a movie with his mother, he told her he was going for a ride on his motorcycle. That was the last time she saw her son alive.He was 10 minutes from home when he lost control of his bike and was killed instantly.

  • Dust, noise, heat not beating down Bashur airmen

    As airmen continue to unload cargo around the clock in the blazing sun, dust and noise at Bashur Airfield in northern Iraq, others ensure they stay healthy.A team of bioenvironmental engineers and public health troops look out for their welfare, preventing the things that could make them sick or

  • Air Force band members become 'warehouse warriors'

    Six Air Force band members traded their musical instruments for power tools recently as they competed in an episode of "Warehouse Warriors."Warehouse Warriors is a DIY (Do It Yourself) network television show that pits two teams against one another in a race against the clock to see who can complete

  • Spitting incident reminds airmen to stay safe

    The wife of a military member here received an unexpected message recently from an anti-war protester.Jessica Resendez, who was wearing a sweatsuit printed with an Air Force emblem, was walking through a shopping center parking lot when a woman grabbed her sleeve and asked her if she was in the

  • Tough, brave troops fight for freedom

    America's men and women in uniform are brave, tough and courageous, President Bush said today after visiting more than 70 wounded service members and their families at two military hospitals."It's an amazing thing when you see a person wounded, sitting there in a wheelchair or bound up in bandages

  • Pilot brings battle-damaged A-10 home safely

    An A-10 Thunderbolt II pilot deployed with the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing safely landed her "Warthog" at her forward operating base after it sustained significant damage from enemy fire during a close air support mission over Baghdad on April 7.Capt. Kim, deployed from the 75th Fighter Squadron at

  • B-52 Litening II pod used in combat

    For the first time in combat history, a B-52 Stratofortress used a Litening II targeting pod to strike targets at an airfield in northern Iraq on April 11, according to officials at the U.S. Central Command's combined air operations center.Using the Litening II system,a crew of reservists from the

  • Bashur airmen toughing it out

    If they did not know before, the more than 200 airmen who run Bashur Airfield in northern Iraq now know what it is like living in austere conditions.Because if it was not for the cargo that transport aircraft drop off day and night, there would not be much here to write home about.The only claim to

  • A-10 fixers log deployed phase maintenance

    Maintainers at Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan, are performing groundbreaking maintenance checks on their aircraft under a unique program they say is an Air Force first.Maintainers deployed with the 104th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron are completing the first-ever "contingency phase maintenance" on

  • 484th AEW brings airpower to battlefield

    It is the largest and most diverse Air Force unit supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom, yet few people know it exists, according to 484th Air Expeditionary Wing officials.Behind the scenes, the 484 AEW works quietly, providing combat enabling, contingency response, terminal attack and combat weather

  • Airborne Red Horse teams joins the mix

    The Air Force has a new capability thanks to the members of three new Airborne Red Horse teams. Red Horse teams provide the Air Force with a mobile, rapid-response civil engineer force to support contingency and special operations in remote, high-threat environments worldwide. In wartime, the

  • New Milstar launches from Cape

    "Milstar," a military communications satellite, launched from here on a Titan IV-B rocket April 8.The satellite was placed into its proper orbit and should be fully operational in May.Milstar is a joint service communications satellite system that provides secure, jam-resistant, worldwide

  • Improved 'Dragon Lady' still seeks, finds today's prey

    The 48-year-old U-2 "Dragon Lady" still reigns supreme as the leader among manned intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance systems.Even with newer, unmanned aerial vehicles like Global Hawk and Predator -- welcomed by increasing numbers of warfighters, and now joining the U-2 in ISR missions

  • Female fighter pilots take on challenges full throttle

    Female fighter pilots are a special breed. They are willing to crack into a male-dominated field, take a $30 million aircraft, fly at mind-numbing speeds and head straight into the face of danger, all the while knowing they may not be coming back.But most will say they are happy to do just that,

  • Airlift into Iraq shows no sign of slowing

    The airlift armada flying into Bashur Airfield in northern Iraq for the past two weeks has dropped off more than 10 million pounds of cargo bound for coalition forces.More than 170 C-17 Globemaster III and C-130 Hercules flights have brought in the cargo. The planes land day and night and the

  • Air Force combat controller killed in action

    A staff sergeant assigned to the 24th Special Tactics Squadron at Pope Air Force Base, N.C., was killed in action April 8 in Iraq.Staff Sgt. Scott D. Sather, an Air Force combat controller, was 29 years old."I offer my condolences to Sergeant Sather's family, friends and teammates," said Lt. Gen.

  • Airfield management providing clear runway

    An increased operations tempo means busier traffic on the runways used by the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing at a forward-deployed location. But thanks to the 380th Operations Support Squadron's airfield management team, the airfield environment remains clear and safe for base people.Only two months

  • Earthquake shakes Izmir military community

    An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.6 centered near Urla, Turkey, was felt about 35 miles away by members of the Izmir military community early April 10.Squadron officials said that there were no injuries to U.S. military people and damage to air station facilities was light.Local

  • Coalition air forces continue busy pace

    As dramatic scenes of liberation dominate media coverage of Operation Iraqi Freedom, coalition air forces continue to contribute significant behind-the-scenes efforts in the three-week-old war.Among them is the reported delivery of the massive ordnance air-blast bomb to an undisclosed site in

  • Coalition continues fight in Baghdad, northern Iraq

    The deaths of two American service members since Iraqis toppled a statue of Saddam Hussein in Baghdad yesterday emphasized that combat in Iraq is not over."The enemy is surrendering and scattering, but not everyone, and not yet," Pentagon spokeswoman Torie Clarke said during a press conference

  • Free Iraqi forces: 'Members of the team' liberating Iraq

    They're intimately familiar with Iraqi language and culture, they wear distinctive uniforms, they serve with U.S. civil affairs troops in Iraq -- and they don't like Saddam Hussein.Who are these guys?They're members of the Free Iraqi Forces working with U.S. Army and Marine Corps civil affairs units

  • Parts of Baghdad still dangerous for coalition troops

    Following yesterday's scenes of jubilation, there was still fighting overnight in parts of Baghdad, U.S. Central Command officials in Qatar said today."Baghdad's still an ugly place," Air Force Maj. Gen. Victor Renuart said. Many parts of the city have not been secured by U.S. forces, he said, and

  • Cops on the beat

    Tech. Sgt. Frank Brown takes a break from the heat while performing perimeter security April 4. Brown is a security forces craftsman with the 363rd Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron at a forward-deployed location. He is deployed from the 12th Security Forces Squadron at Randolph Air Force

  • Airman pulls man from burning building

    When fire roared through an off-base house here, the actions of a 1st Special Operations Squadron pilot saved a 94-year-old man's life.Capt. Tom Geiser was on a cordless phone late April 2 outside his house about three kilometers from Kadena Air Base."I saw smoke rising from a house about 50 yards

  • B-52 dons new upgrade

    Aircrews flying the Air Force's oldest aircraft can now better verify targets and pick them themselves thanks to experts integrating a targeting pod on the B-52 Stratofortress.Maj. Keith Colmer, one of the original operational test pilots here for the Litening II targeting pod that was developed for

  • Munitions tool passes wartime test

    A new munitions-tracking program has passed the wartime test at a forward-deployed location supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.The command and control concept of operations software allows real-time tracking of the number and status of munitions worldwide.The program was developed for wartime, but

  • Air Force team adopts local school

    It was the unimaginable plight of children in Bagram, Afghanistan, that spawned the latest in a long line of humanitarian visits to local villages, according to an Air Force captain.Capt. Michael Friebel, a critical care nurse deployed from Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, his family and the Shino

  • Injured arrive at Wilford Hall

    Forty-seven servicemembers injured during Operation Iraqi Freedom arrived here April 9 while waiting for flights to medical centers near their home stations.The patients arrived aboard a C-17 Globemaster III aircraft after an 11-hour, non-stop flight from Ramstein Air Base, Germany. Once here, they

  • Hercules in Iraq

    A C-130 Hercules delivers cargo to an airfield in northern Iraq on April 8. The aircraft and crew from the 37th Airlift Squadron at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, delivered more than 14,000 pounds of supplies to support Operation Iraqi Freedom. (U.S. Air Force photo by 1st Lt. Phillip Ulmer)

  • 2 airmen missing after F-15E goes down in Iraq

    Two coalition airmen are missing after their F-15E Strike Eagle went down in Iraq, officials announced April 8.The aircraft went down on April 7 at approximately 7:30 p.m. EDT, but the announcement was withheld for security reasons, according to U.S. Central Command officials.The pilot, weapon

  • SECAF: Mobility key to war effort

    The secretary of the Air Force praised Air Mobility Command for quietly building up resources in Southwest Asia before the opening days of the war in Iraq. He also lauded the continued "spectacular" air support during the campaign to remove the Iraqi regime from power."Under the direction of

  • IRS provides combat zone tax assistance

    Servicemembers serving in a combat zone can learn about the tax benefits available to them by logging onto a new section of the Internal Revenue Service's Web site.The information is available on the front page of www.irs.gov by clicking on "Armed Forces Tax Benefits."The new Web section provides

  • Officials name manpower, organization winners

    Officials from the Air Force's directorate of manpower and organization have named the winners of the 2002 Air Force Manpower and Organization Awards. They are:Field Grade Officer of the Year -- Maj. Troy L. Hawk, 18th Wing, Kadena Air Base, Japan.Company Grade Officer of the Year -- Capt.

  • Air Force announces transportation awards

    Air Force officials recently announced the winners of the 2002 U.S. Air Force Transportation Awards.Unit winners include:-- Vehicle maintenance unit: 52nd Logistics Readiness Squadron, Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany.-- Vehicle operations unit: 86th LRS, Ramstein AB, Germany.-- Combat readiness

  • Air Force announces logistics plans awards

    Air Force officials recently announced the winners of the 2002 U.S. Air Force Logistics Plans Awards.Award winners include:-- Command senior manager: Maj. Christopher D. Long, 609th Air Support Squadron, Shaw Air Force Base, S.C.-- Command manager: Capt. Gail Sledge, 8th Air Force, Barksdale

  • Reservist testifies about mobilization

    Television viewers who tuned into C-SPAN on April 3 may have seen an Air Force reservist from here testifying before a House Armed Services subcommittee.Master Sgt. Kevin Smith, logistics plans technician, joined six other National Guard and Reserve members to address the committee and answer

  • Pilots work to eliminate collateral damage

    Pilots who specialize in close-air-support missions do "exhaustive work" to prevent hitting the wrong targets, an A-10 Thunderbolt II pilot told reporters April 7.Lt. Col. Mike Webb, operations officer with the 190th Fighter Squadron of the Idaho Air National Guard, explained the process of target

  • ONW fighters say final goodbye to Incirlik

    The last Operation Northern Watch mission flew March 17, but the end of the operation was not obvious until the last fighter aircraft roared out of here April 7.The last fighter planes, eight F-16CJ Fighting Falcons from the 55th Fighter Squadron at Shaw Air Force Base, S.C., left for home and did

  • Team helps troops travel on stomachs

    Underscoring the value of a well-fed force, Napoleon once asserted, "An army travels on its stomach."Despite a rapid and massive buildup for Operation Iraqi Freedom, the 386th Expeditionary Services Squadron's food services team didn't flinch at the task of feeding thousands of coalition bellies for

  • Transient-alert team keeps flightline running

    The flightline is a busy place and no one knows that better than the people who keep it all running smoothly at one forward-deployed location.The 386th Air Expeditionary Wing's transient alert team has aircraft crew chiefs who ensure all the transient aircraft -- aircraft that do not belong to the