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  • Outreach program helps critically ill infants

    Many nurses and physicians have limited experience in helping sick newborns. It can be a challenge for hospital staff to maintain skills in this area.Nurses at Wilford Hall Medical Center attended a new course March 13 designed to train them to care for critically ill infants who must be

  • Friendly fire hearing officer recommends against courts-martial

    The two Illinois Air National Guard F-16 Fighting Falcon pilots implicated in a deadly "friendly fire" incident last year should not face courts-martial, the investigating officer's report said.Majs. Harry Schmidt and William Umbach, of the 170th Fighter Squadron, face a variety of charges stemming

  • Airmen kept after school to launch rockets

    Five! Four! Three! Two! One! Blast off!This was the scream from students at Woodmen Hills Elementary on March 14 as airmen from the 1st Space Operations Squadron here helped 24 students see the rockets' red glare.For five weeks in February and March, 25 volunteers from 1st SOPS helped students

  • Power of the press

    Senior Airman Kirbie Delmo adjusts a radial drill press to align holes on manufacturing plates for an F-16 Fighting Falcon flap. Delmo is an aircraft metal technologies specialist with the 388th Equipment Maintenance Squadron. Workers in the aircraft metal technologies section manufacture, rework

  • Falcons in flight

    Between patrols of the no-fly zone in northern Iraq, F-16C Fighting Falcon aircraft fly in formation while waiting to refuel. The jets are part of Operation Northern Watch here. The F-16 in the foreground is from the Michigan Air National Guard and is flown by a pilot from the 113th Expeditionary

  • Total force showing its muscle

    The total force muscle is showing its strength throughout U.S. Air Forces in Europe as Air Force reservists and Air National Guardsmen answer the call of duty alongside their active-duty counterparts.Although the number varies daily, the Air National Guard has about 1,800 airmen and more than 60

  • Weather forecasters aid mission planning

    Asking about the weather is not a casual question in the Combined Air Operations Center at a desert airbase. In fact, it is one of the key questions asked during every phase of the air tasking order, or ATO, cycle."Most systems we have are weather sensitive, so weather predictions must be

  • Space command cancels Guardian Challenge

    Air Force Space Command officials have canceled this year's Guardian Challenge, the annual space warfighter competition held at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif.The competition, slated for May 5 to 9, was canceled because the command needs its resources focused on day-to-day operations. The

  • Razor's edge

    Staff Sgts. Ralph Oliver (left) and Bruce Cook set up concertina wire along the perimeter here for increased force protection. They are assigned to the 424th Air Base Squadron Civil Engineer Flight. RAF Fairford is home of the 457th Expeditionary Operations Group. Troops deployed here support the

  • Good relations key to deployment success

    A contingent of deployed airmen from the 409th Air Expeditionary Group here visited a local primary school March 17 at the request of school officials.The group of visitors was made up of a flight surgeon, aircrew members, two security forces dog handlers and their canine Waldo, and others, all led

  • Airman keeps sight of American dream

    Airman 1st Class George Okorodudu admits with a wide smile that he has nothing.For the better part of two years, the Nigerian-born Okorodudu has been building his American dream with a foundation that includes an Air Force enlistment.Okorodudu is a supply airman currently deployed here from Minot

  • Post office delivers piece of home

    In a three-word phrase, Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks summarized what could make or break a good day for airmen deployed to the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing -- "You've got mail."Postal clerks of the 386th Expeditionary Communications Squadron ensure everyone assigned to the wing and its tenant units are

  • Korean exercises kick off

    Forces from all U.S. services started arriving here March 11 for the peninsula's largest exercises.Soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines gathered in Korea to work with their South Korean counterparts in the two major exercises to show how U.S. forces will help defend the country. The exercises will

  • Pilots safe after midair collision

    The pilots of two Air Force F-15 Eagles are safe following a midair collision of their aircraft March 17 about 65 miles northeast of here.One aircraft returned safely to the base while the other crashed on the Nevada Test and Training Range complex. The pilot of the second aircraft ejected and was

  • Getting adjusted

    Airman 1st Class Kenneth Maldonado adjusts the internal parts of an external fuel tank being built to support Operation Enduring Freedom. Maldonado is assigned to the 379th Expeditionary Maintenance Squadron at a forward-deployed location. (Photo by Master Sgt. Terry L. Blevins)

  • Big 'bird' is watching

    Staff Sgt. Andrew Johnson (left) and Senior Airman Nicholas Guthmiller review a maintenance checklist on a B-1 Lancer at a forwarded-deployed location in Southwest Asia. Both airmen are crew chiefs with the 28th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron. (Photo by Senior Airman Tia C. Schroeder)

  • Prepared in Bulgaria

    Senior Airman Karl Ferre marks lumber which will be used to construct a cross for chapel services held here. Ferre is deployed from the 100th Civil Engineer Squadron at Royal Air Force Mildenhall, England. The 409th Air Expeditionary Group here runs air refueling operations with KC-10 Extender

  • Air Force leaders explain effect of encroachment

    Two Air Force leaders testified before Congress on March 13 about the effects of environmental encroachment on the service's mission.In separate testimonies, Air Force Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Robert H. Foglesong and Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Installations, Environment and Logistics

  • Load 'em up, move 'em out

    Tech. Sgt. Benjamin Blackstone secures a vehicle onto a C-17 Globemaster III aircraft March 7. Over the last week, approximately 550 airmen and several B-52 Stratofortresses from here deployed to support of the war on terrorism. The base also sent more than 270 short tons of support equipment and

  • Vandenberg prepares for last Atlas II launch

    The last Atlas IIAS rocket scheduled to be launched arrived here March 12. A C-5 Galaxy ferried the historic booster and its Centaur upper stage from Denver, landing at the airfield here around 10:30 a.m.Lt. Col. Clinton Crosier, 2nd Space Launch Squadron commander, said the booster and upper stage

  • Incirlik supports 'unexpected guests'

    People from the 39th Services Squadron here recently transformed an old fitness center into contingency lodging now bedding down nearly 400 deployed troops. But "Motel 39" is just one small piece of the bed-down and feeding operations puzzle."I'm impressed by how quickly (civil engineers) and

  • Seal the deal

    Senior Airman Michael Campbell checks for a seal on his oxygen mask before a live-fire joint rescue exercise with a foreign national air force firefighting team March 10. Campbell is assigned to the 320th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron at a forward-deployed location. The exercise was

  • WASP make weather history

    Women's roles in the military may not have started at Offutt, but the Air Force Weather Agency was here when women stepped forward to serve their country.The Air Weather Service was one of the first military agencies to use military women as pilots during World War II.In early 1943, the first

  • Eberhart briefs Congress on U.S. Northern Command

    The commander of America's newest combatant command briefed members of Congress on March 13 about the progress his unit has made since its inception less than six months ago.Gen. Ralph E. Eberhart, who took control of U.S. Northern Command when it was established Oct. 1, told members of the House

  • Man's ingenuity earns $20K

    A senior noncommissioned officer here was recently awarded two $10,000 checks for aircraft maintenance improvements through the Air Force's Innovative Development through Employee Awareness program.Master Sgt. Warren Gould of the 33rd Fighter Wing's quality assurance office suggested cutting the

  • Combined security keeps Ganci safe

    Keeping people out of harm's way and protecting resources at Ganci Air Base, Kyrgyzstan, is the job of an elite group of professionals who tote radios, weapons and ride in vehicles equipped for rugged terrain.Americans from the 376th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron and their security forces

  • Northeast icy blast fails to chill air bridge pace

    Subzero temperatures and a dusting of 4.2 inches of snow March 7 failed to slow the Patriot Wing's support of U.S. military deployments to Southwest Asia.Between March 7 and March 11, Westover's 42nd Aerial Port Squadron handled 69 aircraft, processing 641 passengers and more than 1.1 million pounds

  • Keeping a watchful eye

    Airman 1st Class Brandon White scans the horizon for potential adversaries atop a wall in the city of Qal'eh-ye Musa Pa-in, Afghanistan, on March 12 during a special delivery to the village. White, who is deployed from Moody Air Force Base, Ga., was on the wall as part of a security detail as 20

  • Program offers electronic deployment information

    A Web-based, user-friendly software program Air Force Materiel Command experts here are testing promises warfighters instant access to deployment information. Plus, it will save the Air Force nearly $79 million during a five-year period.The Deployment Qualification System works through the Air

  • Packing a punch for combat power

    Laser and global positioning systems-guided munitions have taken a lot of the guesswork out of bombing so the accuracy and precision of putting bombs on target gets better and better.At the root of that process are weapons loaders. Since the beginning, when someone first strapped a bomb under the

  • Leaders discuss cultural renewal at Air Force Academy

    A special report by the Air Force general counsel on the recent rise in sexual assault allegations at the U.S. Air Force Academy is scheduled for release at the end of MarchBut, the service's top leaders said March 10 that they will not wait that long to initiate needed changes.Secretary of the Air

  • Three Air Force commissaries among five best

    Air Force commissaries were named "best" in three of the four categories in the Defense Commissary Agency's 2003 Best Commissary awards. Two other commissaries tied for "best" in the fourth category.Top commissaries are at:-- Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., winner of the Bill Nichols Award for the

  • Nighthawk unit maintains the flock

    The F-117 Nighthawk may be a mystery to some, but its maintainers take pride in knowing the airframe's secret inner workings.In the 379th Expeditionary Maintenance Squadron's 8th Aircraft Maintenance Unit, a close-knit group of specialists work to keep the aircrews "putting bombs on target, on

  • All hooked up

    Airman 1st Class Robert Walstead hooks up a Hobart power unit to the underside of a B-1B Lancer on March 7. Walstead is a maintainer assigned to the 7th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Unit here. (Photo by Airman 1st Class Joshua Strang)

  • Support from States plays big role in morale

    Support from people in the United States helps make serving in a hostile environment a bit easier for military troops deployed to the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility.Letters from school children, free phone cards, care packages from family and office mates and banners signed by hundreds

  • 'Flying Sergeants' helped forge Air Force legacy

    They were not paid much, their opportunities for promotion were limited, and they were treated harshly in training, but that did not stop three generations of enlisted aviators from becoming pilots in the Army Air Corps.Beginning in 1912, enlisted pilots played an important role in writing the

  • Rivet Joint joins fight

    Airman 1st Class Keith Keitel marshals out the first of two RC-135 Rivet Joint aircraft when airmen from the 38th and 343rd reconnaissance squadrons deployed overseas recently. The Rivet Joint reconnaissance aircraft provides near real-time on-scene intelligence collection, analysis and

  • Who goes there?

    Airmen 1st Class Michael Pendleton and Sarah Harwood scan outside the base during a patrol of the perimeter on March 7. Both airmen are assigned to 379th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron at a deployed location in Southwest Asia. (Photo by Master Sgt. Terry L. Blevins)

  • Fine fuel for fighters

    Tech. Sgt. Mark Hoover tests fuel for contaminants before it is delivered to aircraft and support equipment at a forward-deployed location. Hoover is assigned to the 379th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. (Photo by Master Sgt. Terry L. Blevins)

  • Leaner Northern Edge exercise under way at Eielson

    Approximately 1,600 airmen, soldiers, sailors, Marines and Coast Guardsmen are participating in a scaled-down version of Northern Edge, a joint-service training exercise here and at other Alaska military installations, as well as the port of Valdez. The exercise, which began March 3, ends March

  • Keep on trackin'

    Staff Sgt. Chanel Higgins reviews decorations being processed at Camp Stronghold Freedom at Karshi-Khanabad, Uzbekistan, on March 8. Higgins tracks about 200 awards and decorations a month. She is assigned to the 416th Air Expeditionary Group and deployed from the 27th Operations Group at Cannon

  • From biscuits to gravy

    Barry has retired from the 90th Space Wing Security Forces here after 11 years of battling crime. He was obedient, loyal, vigilant and protective.Barry was an ideal military working dog.The Air Force purchased Barry in 1991 for $3,500 from a Belgium breeder. He was one of only three Belgium

  • Peek-a-boo

    Tech. Sgt. Nick Shore takes a breather on an E-3 Sentry airborne warning and control system between Operation Southern Watch missions. Shore is a crew chief on the aircraft and is deployed from the 18th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, Kadena Air Base, Japan. (Photo by Tech. Sgt. Christopher Ball)

  • Ahhh...

    Staff Sgt. Waddell Reese (left) and Lt. Col. James C. Vechery practice drinking from a canteen while wearing chemical warfare gear March 8. This type of training helps keep the airmen prepared for the potential threats at this forward-deployed location. Both airmen are assigned to the 340th

  • Analyze this

    Senior Airman Joshua Fink takes an engine Spectrometric Oil Analysis Program sample. SOAP samples are an inspection tool for detecting and preventing internal engine component failure. Fink is a crew chief assigned to the 908th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron. (Photo by 2nd Lt. Nancy Kuck)

  • Ready and waiting

    Air Force fighter jets from bases around the world have been assigned to this forward-deployed air base supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. U.S. airpower in the region is larger than it has been since the Gulf War. (Photo by Staff Sgt. Derrick C. Goode)

  • Life's a beach

    Senior Airman Agapito Martinez walks the coastline at a forward-deployed location. Martinez is from the 144th Security Forces Squadron at Fresno Air National Guard Base, Calif. Airmen from his unit were recently activated and deployed to provide security for the 409th Air Expeditionary Group.

  • Black Knights saddle up for deployment

    Airman 1st Class Saraha Hughes, 21, has no idea where she will lay her head in a few days.She does not know if she packed enough, too much or too little, but that does not quell the excitement of her very first deployment.A jet engine mechanic with the 19th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron here, Hughes

  • Joint STARS takes off for second deployment

    Two E-8C Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System aircraft and several dozen airmen here answered the call of duty March 5 as they headed to a forward-operating location to support operations in Southwest Asia.The aircraft and airmen are assigned to the 116th Air Control Wing here.According to

  • Sheppard unit will train ALC maintainers

    The 982nd Training Group, the Air Force's advanced maintenance training unit, joined with Air Force Materiel Command to tackle a critical need in the world of aircraft systems maintenance.The 982nd TRG instructors will teach and certify 19 new civilian instructors who will join existing field

  • Packing up to go

    Staff Sgt. Phillip Roosen (left) and Senior Airman Jason Elsner move a radar unit after it was removed from the tower here Feb. 28. The airmen are assigned to the 728th Air Control Squadron, which received a deployment order to report to Southwest Asia in the next few weeks. The 728th ACS is one of

  • Milling around

    Airman 1st Class Marshall Dixon manually mills a KC-135 Stratotanker brake component here March 3. This procedure is an integral part of the base's regional brake repair mission, which enhances the availability of brake assemblies within the European theater. Dixon is assigned to the 100th

  • Reservists support air bridge

    More than half of Air Force Reserve Command's 10,000 mobilized reservists are helping to move troops, equipment and cargo to the Middle East as America prepares for possible war with Iraq.But every aspect of the Reserves is being used to support Operation Enduring Freedom, according to Lt. Col. John

  • Two Osan airmen receive federal convictions

    Two airmen here received federal convictions during two separate courts-martial recently.Senior Airman Lucinda F. Shaw from the 303rd Intelligence Squadron pleaded not guilty to all charges and specifications against her during a special court-martial. She was charged with disrespecting her section

  • Enforcing the zone

    Senior Airman Marshall Gaskins performs the last check on AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles before an F-16 Fighting Falcon takes off for a mission March 2. Marshall is deployed to Incirlik Air Base, Turkey, with the 113th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron from the Indiana Air National Guard at Terre Haute.

  • Air Force discusses infrastructure budget with Senate

    Congressional testimony by the assistant secretary of the Air Force for installations, environment and logistics March 4 included plans for sustaining overseas facilities and support of new missions and weapons systems.But, Nelson F. Gibbs' presentation to a Senate Appropriations Committee

  • Strike Eagle pilots destroy targets

    Capt. Jonathon Breingan, an F-15E Strike Eagle pilot with the 336th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, is proud that his airframe relies on two people sitting in its seats."We take the enemy head-on," he said. "We go out and destroy targets. It's what we do best, and we're the best in the Air Force

  • New hospital provides wealth of services to base

    The 386th Expeditionary Medical Group, also known as "Med Rock," is now open for business.Before the hospital opening, many patients were sent off-base for various aspects of their medical care."We can provide much of this basic care here on base, saving time in treatment and allowing our deployed

  • Very carefully

    Three airmen from the 386th Expeditionary Air Control Squadron carefully fold the American flag during the retreat ceremony at a forward-deployed location in the Arabian Gulf region. (Photo by Staff Sgt. Karen J. Tomasik)

  • Red Horse dedicates work to building base

    Heavy equipment, red hard hats and the shout of 'Ready, go!' break the early morning silence as members of the Red Horse unit start another grueling workday at a forward-deployed location in the Arabian Gulf region.People from the 819th/219th Red Horse Squadron were deployed to help build up

  • North Korea intercepts Air Force aircraft

    Four North Korean fighter jets intercepted a U.S. Air Force plane in international airspace over the Sea of Japan early March 2, Defense Department officials said.Two North Korean MiG-29 fighters and two other North Korean aircraft believed to be MiG-23s engaged an American RC-135S Cobra Ball

  • Learning through patience, hard work

    What do kicking, joint-lock techniques, falling, push-ups and frog-jumps all have in common?Staff Sgt. Keith Morris teaches them to his students in the kuk sool won class held several times a week at the recreation center in a forward-deployed location.Morris, a member of the 819th/219th Red Horse

  • Air Force names top chaplains

    Air Force officials named the service's top chaplains of the year.Each year chaplain service officials name four "Chaplain of the Year" award winners, in memory of four World War II chaplains who sacrificed themselves by giving their lifejackets to others after the USS Dorchester was torpedoed by a

  • Future leader wags his way into sector's hearts

    He wears a green cape, but he cannot leap tall buildings with a single bound nor can he drive a super-charged car. He does not live in familiar places like Metropolis or Gotham City.However, this four-legged, soon-to-be hero can be seen running around the hallways of the Western Air Defense Sector

  • March issue of Airman available

    Take a look at Air Force technological changes through the years, learn about economical space launches, and read about how Office or Special Investigations forensic sciences consultants help track down the bad guys. These features and more highlight the March issue of Airman magazine, now

  • 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

  • Deployed teams purchase supplies, services

    If you twist it, turn it, light it, drive it, read it, wear it, drink or eat it, chances are they got it for you. Two organizations in Kyrgyzstan have one mission -- to provide the goods and services people need to get the job done.The men and women from two organizations -- the 376th Expeditionary

  • Air Force helps Army with airdrops

    Two aircrews from the 772nd Expeditionary Airlift Squadron and two from the 774th EAS conducted a heavy equipment combat airdrop in south central Afghanistan Feb. 17, and a container delivery system airdrop Feb. 23.The crews, both assigned to the 320th Air Expeditionary Wing at a forward-deployed

  • Defense acquisition system due for change

    America produces the world's best military aerospace hardware but other nations are pulling ahead, the Air Force senior executive told lawmakers Feb. 27.Secretary of the Air Force Dr. James G. Roche told members of the House Armed Services Committee that apparent contradiction is the result of a

  • Air Force opens 14th NCO academy

    With a growing population of technical sergeants in need of professional military education, the Air Force opened a 14th noncommissioned officer academy at Gunter Annex here.The first class at Gunter NCO Academy is 189 students strong and consists of 14 flights. Class 03-3 began its course of 28

  • Air Force reaches 75 percent deployment-capable rate

    In just more than a year, the number of "deployable" airmen has increased to nearly 75 percent of all Air Force members.That increase reflects a growth of nearly 100,000 in just the past year.The increase in deployment rolls is not because more people joined the service. According to Maj. Gen.

  • Engineer follows path to education, success

    More than 25 years ago he set off on the path of opportunity he imagined lay before him in the Air Force's scientific and engineering communities. Today, with doctorate, master's and bachelor's degrees hanging on his wall, five patents to his credit and four more patents pending, Dr. Nelson Forster

  • Flight keeps base fueled up

    Keeping tent fuel drums filled and aircraft gassed up is vital at Ganci Air Base, Kyrgyzstan. Without fuel, the mission stops and living spaces inside tents feel like a freezer.That is why airmen from the 376th Logistics Readiness Squadron's petroleum, oil and lubricants flight tirelessly work to

  • Westover bridges airlift effort to Southwest Asia

    Westover's Air Force Reserve Command assets again stand at the critical junction of an air bridge across the Atlantic.The base has become a hive of troops in desert camouflage, C-5 Galaxys filled with equipment and "controlled chaos" in the aerial port and passenger terminal operations hub.A long

  • 'Blizzard' of cargo crashes on Charleston

    The workload of the 437th Aerial Port Squadron here increased an estimated 250 percent after two APS buildings at Dover Air Force Base, Del., collapsed under snow from a blizzard.Air Mobility Command officials sent a portion of Dover's cargo here, increasing the average of five to seven trucks

  • Air Force rethinks air operations centers

    The Air Force needs to start thinking of its air operations centers as weapon systems if the service wants to remain the best in the world, the deputy chief of staff for air and space operations said."The AOC is fundamental to what makes us great as an Air Force," Lt. Gen. Ronald E. Keys said. "If

  • Medics take patient care sky high

    Tucked away at this forward-located base is a tiny but tight knit medical team few troops ever notice. But should any one of them fall critically ill or injured, these airmen quickly will become their best friends. They will closely tend to their patient's urgent medical needs while flying

  • Art signals jammer's role in OEF

    A Southwest Asia afternoon sun provided warm light as Staff Sgt. John Alsvig painted a cartoon likeness of one of his unit's EC-130H Compass Call aircraft.The art was featured in the middle of a concrete wall used to deflect propeller wash from tactical and special operations aircraft flying in and

  • Exercise under way in Thailand

    More than 400 U.S. airmen and Marines and 600 servicemembers from Thailand and Singapore are flying air-to-air and air-to-ground missions as part of the annual multi-lateral exercise Cope Tiger 2003.The two-week exercise flown from here gives servicemembers from eight different U.S. bases and the

  • Army National Guard begins air base security mission

    Look closely as you drive through base entry gates and you may notice a different style rank insignia on the security guard -- that of the Army National Guard.The organization is deploying up to 10,000 soldiers to help secure Air Force installations worldwide. This is in response to a Defense

  • Donations bring joy to children

    The left-handed nine-iron was a little tattered around the edges, showed a few scars and had been discarded by someone who had no more use for it. Remarkably, it had a lot in common with the 10-year-old boy who was delighted to be its new owner.It did not matter that Jerome Espinoza had never

  • Ground pounders

    Air Force heavy equipment operators from the 823rd Red Horse Squadron compact gravel while building a taxiway at a forward-deployed location. Squadron airmen are working around-the-clock to build a taxiway and support ramps more than a mile long to increase capacity for heavy aircraft. (Photo by

  • NCOs given advanced degree opportunities

    The Air Force Institute of Technology is once again offering eight noncommissioned officers the opportunity to pursue an advanced science, engineering or management degree in-residence at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.The goal of the Enlisted-to-AFIT Program is to provide commanders with a

  • ACC releases F-16 accident report

    Air Force investigators have determined engine failure caused an F-16C Fighting Falcon aircraft to crash Sept. 11 during a basic surface attack training sortie.The F-16C was destroyed upon impact 1,300 feet short of the runway at the Bobby L. Chain Municipal Airport in Hattiesburg, Miss. The pilot

  • Command releases RQ-1 accident report

    Air Force investigators have determined that human error caused an RQ-1 Predator aircraft to crash Sept. 17 at a classified forward-operating location in Southwest Asia.The Predator, which is an unmanned reconnaissance aircraft, was destroyed upon impact. The loss is estimated at $3.2 million. No

  • Air Force receives newest Global Hawk

    The seventh Global Hawk unmanned aerial vehicle touched down here Feb. 14 after its flight from Air Force Plant 42 in nearby Palmdale, Calif., where it was built by lead government contractor Northrop Grumman.This latest Global Hawk is the program's final advanced concept technology platform and is

  • NCO guilty of possessing child porn

    A 607th Air and Space Communications Squadron noncommissioned officer was found guilty of taking indecent liberties with a minor and possession of child pornography by a military judge during a general court-martial here Feb. 10.Staff Sgt. Gery B. Cook pleaded not guilty to the charge of attempted

  • Unit commanders get more control of leave program

    A recent policy change returns the authority to unit commanders to approve permissive temporary duty and terminal leave of more than 90 days.The Air Force's current instruction on military leave requires members wanting a combination of permissive TDY and terminal leave of more than 90 days to seek

  • Air bases in Germany getting change of guard

    German troops will start providing some security at three Air Force bases in Germany this month to help ease the workload on security forces there.An historic memorandum of understanding signed Feb. 13 by U.S. and German military officials cleared the way for the unprecedented assistance, said Maj.

  • Enlisted aviator careers open

    Opportunities for enlisted aviators have never been better. With possible nine enlisted aviator careers, the dream of flying can quickly become a reality for Air Force people.According to Master Sgt. Jack Baker, from Air Mobility Command's aircrew training office, an urgent need for enlisted fliers

  • Family donates historic revolver to museum

    A .38-caliber Smith and Wesson service revolver used by a World War II hero to shoot down a German attack plane will soon be on display at the Air Force Museum at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.The family of retired Air Force Tech. Sgt. Paul Posti Sr., who died in December at age 89, donated

  • Bunker building

    Members of the 320th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron carry a 10-foot support wall for a protective bunker being constructed at a deployed location supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. (Photo by Staff Sgt. Matthew Hannen)

  • AFIT stands up systems engineering center

    Air Force Institute of Technology officials have established a center for systems engineering.The center will help focus efforts to revitalize systems engineering within the Air Force."Many of our current system-acquisition programs are suffering from a lack of attention to or inconsistent

  • Group honors Air Force engineers

    Thirteen Air Force members will be honored for their achievements during the 17th Annual Black Engineer of the Year Awards Conference Feb. 13 to 15 in Baltimore.The conference is sponsored by Career Communications Group, which was founded to promote significant minority achievement in engineering,

  • AF testers recognized for achievements

    Three Air Force people will receive the National Defense Industrial Association's Air Force Tester of the Year award in a ceremony Feb. 26 in Victoria, British Columbia.The award recognizes government civilian, military and contract testers who made significant contributions in the field of testing

  • Total force strikes the Pacific

    True Air Force airpower was demonstrated at sunset recently over the Hawaiian Islands when two KC-135 Stratotankers from the Hawaii Air National Guard here refueled two Air Combat Command B-1B Lancers.The tankers from the 203rd Air Refueling Squadron met and refueled the bombers over the Pacific

  • NCO owns vintage aircraft, drops bombs

    For six months out of the year, Tech. Sgt. David Brown drops bombs on Bealeton, Va.Using his newly-acquired 1941 PT-17 aircraft, he can narrow in on a moving target, usually a person running around below, and release his ammunition -- bags filled with baking flour nicknamed "flour bombs."The comedy

  • DOD activates commercial airlift reserves

    Commercial airlines have been enlisted by Department of Defense officials to transport troops and equipment as part of the buildup for possible war with Iraq.Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld ordered the activation of Stage 1 of the Civil Reserve Air Fleet. The CRAF, created in 1952, boosts U.S.

  • AF, Navy weather shops join forces

    The 40th Expeditionary Operational Support Squadron combat weather team completed its merger with the Naval Central Meteorology and Oceanography Detachment recently.At the beginning of the Air and Space Expeditionary Force 7/8 rotation, officers in charge of the Air Force and Navy weather shops

  • Base tests cargo decontamination

    After shutting down the engines following a two-and-a-half-hour flight, the C-130 Hercules crew opened the hatch to offload the cargo and passengers here.Kaboom! The base had just been hit by a simulated scud-missile attack, possibly contaminating the passengers and cargo that just arrived.Airmen