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  • Propulsion team doubles capacitor capabilities

    The viability of powerful directed-energy weapons on future Air Force aircraft just got a shot in the arm with a greater than two-fold improvement to key electrical components that are needed to make the lasers work.Air Force Research Laboratory propulsion directorate researchers involved in the

  • Secretary Rumsfeld visits base in Italy

    Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld told servicemembers during a town hall meeting here Feb. 7 that they "stand between fear and freedom, and America is counting on its military."Rumsfeld visited the Air Force's only fighter wing south of the Alps for a few hours as part of a trip to gain European

  • Ladies' night over Afghanistan

    In one of her songs, country singer Shania Twain croons about all the things women do these days -- they are judges, politicians, doctors and soldiers, to name a few.Not mentioned in the song, but occurring more frequently as the global war on terrorism continues, is something else: female fliers

  • Flag Day in February

    Christa Wolfe, wife of 1st Lt. Marc Wolfe from the 741st Missile Squadron here, hangs a two-star service flag on her door. Christa's service flag honors her husband and her father, Lt. Col. Dennis McCarty, a chaplain at Little Rock Air Force Base, Ark. Service flags are hung during any period of

  • Blood drive breaks record -- again!

    First Lt. Scott Cassano of the 82nd Communications Squadron here donates blood Jan. 27 during a blood drive. The base collected 653 units, breaking the Texas state record set by Plano East High School, which collected 457 units recently. Sheppard had set the record previously before being unseated

  • Servicemembers visit African orphanage

    A group of primarily female servicemembers from Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa recently spent some time with the youngsters of an all-female orphanage here.The troops, including a few former Girl Scouts, handed out candy which was donated by Girl Scouts from Lebanon, Conn., sang songs and

  • Two Scott heroes rescue strangers in need

    A house fire and an apparent heart attack while driving could have been fatal had it not been for the heroic acts of two Scott airmen.Tech. Sgt. Tim Schodorf of the 375 Maintenance Squadron and 1st Lt. J'Wana Fletcher of the 375th Medical Group helped rescue strangers recently.In the first rescue,

  • 'Miracle baby' born at Wilford Hall

    Jessica Decker delivered a perfectly healthy girl at Wilford Hall Medical Center here Jan. 30. Although it does not sound like a miracle, to Jessica's doctors it was. None of the doctor's thought the baby would live long enough to be born.Jessica told her husband, Army Capt. Brent Decker, a

  • First sergeant changes benefit entire AF

    Air Force officials are touting recent changes made to first sergeant assignments and hope that more senior noncommissioned officers take advantage of what some are calling "the best job I've ever had in the Air Force."The Air Force converted the career field into a special-duty assignment in

  • Airmen test medical decontamination shelter

    A 19-person team comprised of several Air Force specialties from the 51st Medical Group here are doing their part to improve chemical and biological defense capability within the Air Force and Department of Defense.The team operated a small shelter patient decontamination system, also known as a

  • Air National Guard supports shuttle efforts

    Air National Guard airmen joined the grim and painstaking search for debris from Space Shuttle Columbia soon after it disintegrated over Texas.Two F-15 Eagles from the Louisiana Air Guard's 159th Fighter Wing began an aerial search for wreckage over the vast region of eastern Texas and southwestern

  • Two Robins units receive deployment orders

    The 5th Combat Communications Group and 116th Air Control Wing here received orders to deploy to the U.S. Central Command theater of operations.The orders are a part of a larger action by the United States to reposition some of its military forces to support the global war on terrorism and to

  • Four defenders work like dogs

    Working like a dog. This simile relates to someone who works tirelessly throughout a busy day. For four exclusive members at the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing, "working like a dog" is more than a simile. It is their daily life.Arkie, Tasja, Athos and Dutchy are part of the military working dog

  • Secretary, chief send Columbia message

    The following is a joint message from Secretary of the Air Force Dr. James G. Roche and Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper:"On Saturday, 1 February 2003, our nation and the world lost seven courageous, talented individuals when the Space Shuttle Columbia Orbiter (STS-107) experienced

  • U.S. forces return to Philippines

    Nearly 400 U.S. soldiers and airmen of Special Operations Command-Pacific have assembled here for a monthlong joint combined exchange training program. Called "Balance Piston 03-05," the exercise is geared toward improving the interoperability of the two nations' armed forces and enhancing tactical

  • Runway's end home for 'Warthog' launchers

    The end of the runway is one of the worst places to work at windswept Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan, which is located at the foot of the Hindu Kush mountains.It is cold and wind gusts kick up clouds of choking dust, said Staff Sgt. Chris Bolt. But the weapons loader spends 12 hours a day, seven days

  • The iceman 'teach-eth'

    Capt. Damian Schlussel instructs Senior Airman Chris Hucks on ice axe self-arrest techniques at the peak here Jan. 26. Schlussel is the officer in charge of the security forces training flight for the 31st Security Forces Squadron at Aviano Air Base, Italy. Hucks is a communications project

  • Happy New Year!

    South Korean air force's 38th Tactical Fighter Group commander, Col. Kwong O Sung, and Col. Timothy Byers, 8th Support Group commander, present offerings to their ancestors as part of the Korean Lunar New Year celebration here. Offerings often include fruits and liquors. The Koreans assigned here

  • February's Citizen Airman magazine now available

    At Moody Air Force Base, Ga., airmen of the 39th Flying Training Squadron are using their civilian corporate knowledge to help teach fighter fundamentals to new Air Force pilots. Read about the direct impact these reservists have on the future of the Air Force as well as the nation's security in

  • Convicted airman considers himself lucky

    With tears in his eyes, he spoke of his two sons -- how he is missing them grow up, and how they are growing up so fast. His voice quivered as he mentioned his youngest son's visit, and how his boy did not even recognize him. He will miss his youngest son's first birthday this month.Airman Basic

  • 'Bob' marks mission milestone

    A C-130 Hercules assigned to the 778th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron marked a milestone Jan. 26 when it reached 30,000 flying hours while performing a combat mission in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.The aircraft, from Little Rock Air Force Base, Ark., and now serving at a forward-deployed

  • Foam dome

    A new fire suppression system is tested in the main hangar belonging to the 174th Fighter Wing here. The wing, part of the New York Air National Guard, flies F-16 Fighting Falcons. (Photo by Senior Airman Michael Dickson)

  • One of a kind work

    Staff Sgt. Harold DeYoung levels one of four bolts that will anchor the legs of a glide slope antenna tower here. DeYoung is with the 738th Engineering Installation Squadron from Keesler Air Force Base, Miss., and part of a team installing an instrument landing system at Altus. The squadron is the

  • Medical team saves baby during mission

    Members of a U. S. military medical team in Honduras performing eye surgeries and exams found themselves taking on another role Jan. 19 when they saved the life of a newborn.The San Antonio-based team, composed of people from Lackland Air Force Base's Wilford Hall Medical Center and Fort Sam

  • Pilot survives U-2 crash, recovery continues

    An Air Force U-2 Dragon Lady pilot ejected safely before his aircraft crashed Jan. 26 near Hwa Song city, south of Seoul.The pilot was taken to the base hospital here where his was listed in stable condition. He is being treated for a back injury and is expected to recover fully. The pilot is

  • Bagram duty has its hazards

    Talk of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' win in the Super Bowl stopped abruptly Jan. 27 when a work crew uncovered an unexploded bomb at Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan.A team working in an area behind the base's control tower unearthed an unexploded Russian-made anti-personnel bomblet. The Air Force

  • Score!

    Tech. Sgt. Gary Walden raises his arms in celebration of a score during Super Bowl XXXVII as co-workers Tech. Sgts. Van Hess (middle) and Roy Mumey stew over the play. Airmen at Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan, had to rise at 3:50 a.m. to catch the live event in a recreation center at Air Force

  • Rhein-Main maintains air bridge to Afghanistan

    Airman 1st Class Nate Hill had one thing in mind: getting his C-17 Globemaster III cargo plane airborne so it could get on with its mission.That is "Job 1" at this once-again busy airlift base outside Frankfurt, and if to do that means standing in a steady, cold drizzle most of the day, so be it,

  • Force modules give commanders 'playbook'

    The Air Force is developing a "playbook" that will allow combatant commanders to better manage their air assets, particularly in the area of opening and establishing forward bases.According to Maj. Gen. Timothy A. Peppe, special assistant for air and space expeditionary forces at the Pentagon, the

  • Artists document Air Force history with art

    First-time visitors to the Pentagon might expect to see star-studded generals and high-tech "war rooms." What they might not expect is that the walls of this 60-year-old building not only frame its famous catacomb hallways, but also double as an art gallery.The Air Force Art Program is responsible

  • B-52 sees biggest improvement in 15 years

    After three years of planning, Air Force flight test experts here introduced a new offensive avionics system for the B-52 Stratofortress.Flight testing of the B-52 Avionics Midlife Improvement, known as AMI, began in mid-December and is scheduled to continue through March 2004, with 80 sorties

  • Fighter squadron deactivating after deployment

    "Mission complete" are familiar words of relief to military people who have completed their duty and relinquished their post.However, these words carry more meaning for 55th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron airmen as they complete their Operation Northern Watch mission here and prepare to deactivate

  • Footprints in the sand

    Tech. Sgt. Brian Welch tracks elevation measurements using a global positioning system on the flightline at a forward-deployed location as part of an ongoing fuel-farm expansion project. Welch is an engineering assistant with the 380th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron. (Photo by 2nd Lt. Nancy

  • Lights of Dover

    Dennis Major inspects new lights on the taxiway here. Dover is one of two Air Force installations using new diode lights that use less electricity than older models and are brighter. By design, an aircraft can hit a light and the tube will snap off the base, but the lighting unit itself will not

  • Keeping fuel flowing

    Senior Airman Johnathan Seifert inspects a gauge that indicates the operational status of the fuel system. Seifert is assigned to the 100th Logistics Readiness Squadron's fuels management flight here. The flight provides nearly 33 million gallons of fuel annually to the 100th Air Refueling Wing's

  • Tweaking tankers

    Tech. Sgt. Michael Mickens works on a KC-135 Stratotanker after an air refueling mission over Afghanistan on Jan 20. Mickens is assigned to the 376th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron at Ganci Air Base, Kyrgyzstan, supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. The base is home to forces from

  • Air commandos perform mission of mercy

    Quick actions of three airmen helped save a Japanese woman's life following an auto accident outside the base gate here Jan. 15.While returning to Kadena from another military installation about 4 p.m., three members of the 353rd Special Operations Group were stopped at a traffic light about a mile

  • Idea earns sergeant $10,000

    A noncommissioned officer here recently earned $10,000 from the Air Force's Innovative Development through Employee Awareness program. He received the money for writing an inspection and maintenance manual for the Department of Defense and the Air Force concerning metal shipping containers.Tech.

  • Travis shows 'true colors' during NFL game

    Bay area football fans showed their patriotism and appreciation for the Air Force on Jan. 19 as the Oakland Raiders beat the Tennessee Titans during the league championship game at Network Associates Coliseum in Oakland, Calif.As part of pregame festivities, more than 200 people from Travis Air

  • Pilot follows in father's footsteps

    The weather on Jan. 10, 1973, was overcast as Navy Lt. Michael McCormick, an A-6 Intruder pilot, and Lt. j.g. Robert Clark, a bombardier navigator, stepped out to their plane and prepared for a mission over North Vietnam. It would be their last one - forever.It was the last mission Attack Squadron

  • Team provides airborne intensive care

    Moving critically injured and sick troops from the front lines to larger and better-equipped military medical facilities is the job of the Air Force Critical Care Air Transport Team based at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan.The team works with Air Force aerial medical evacuation specialists to provide

  • Committee focuses on servicewomen

    Here is bad news for folks who argue that women do not belong in the military: Recruitment and retention rates are up; their roles in the military continue to grow; and they are just as good as men at their jobs -- or better."Naysayers" may find the above facts discouraging, but they are good news

  • Leader of the packing

    Airman 1st Class Brian Crawford packs up a reverse osmosis water purification unit at a forward-deployed location supporting of Operation Enduring Freedom. The unit is being sent for repairs. Crawford is currently a utilities systems journeyman assigned to the 321st Expeditionary Civil Engineer

  • Here comes the sun

    Airmen from the 363rd Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron at Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia, move an F-15 Eagle into place for display during the live broadcast of NBC's "Today" show Jan. 14. The show, aired live on the East Coast and tape-delay broadcast on the West Coast, featured

  • Spangdahlem gets deployment order

    More than 500 airmen and numerous F-16CJ Fighting Falcons left here Jan. 12 and 16 for a forward-deployed locations to support the unified command as part of a secretary of defense-issued order.The 52nd Fighter Wing was part of the Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld's Dec. 24 deployment order,

  • Sink or swim

    Senior Airman Robert Cordell swims across the pool while wearing his anti-exposure suit during water survival training here. The swimming pool training provides students a realistic environment for using life support equipment in water. Cordell is a C-130 Hercules loadmaster from the base's 36th

  • Need for blood donations grows

    With a smaller pool of eligible military donors and a recently decreased stock of frozen blood, the Air Force assistant vice chief of staff is calling on servicemembers and their families to donate blood.In a recent memo to the field, Lt. Gen. Joseph Wehrle asked airmen worldwide to support the

  • ACC begins F/A-22 operations

    Air Combat Command entered a new era Jan. 14 as America's newest fighter-attack aircraft touched down here.Raptor 00-012, the first F/A-22 to be delivered directly to the command, was flown from Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., to Nellis by Lt. Col. David Rose, chief of Nellis' F/A-22 integration

  • Officials announce civil engineer awards

    Air Force officials and three civil engineer civilian organizations announced the Air Force's annual civil engineer awards Jan. 8.The Air Force civil engineer community partners with the Society of American Military Engineers, the National Society of Professional Engineers, and the Northeast Chapter

  • Dyess aircrews poised for bomb runs over Iraq

    While the United States prepares for a possible war with Iraq, aircrews at this B-1B Lancer base have not changed their training routine.The airmen are not yet part of the huge U.S. military buildup that has taken thousands of troops to bases in the Middle East, but they know they will play a key

  • Top cop in DC sniper case says communication was vital

    Communication and persistence were keys to solving the District of Columbia-area sniper case in October, the investigation's top lawman said.Montgomery (Md.) County Police Chief Charles Moose told members of the Air Force Security Forces Executive Council on Jan. 14 that, in today's environment,

  • Ruff job

    Staff Sgt. Samuel Pruett keeps a close eye on his partner, Dasty, as he runs through the tunnel during training at the military working dog obstacle course here Jan. 10. Both man and dog are assigned to the base's 4th Security Forces Squadron. (Photo by Staff Sgt. James W. Arrowood)

  • Helping hand

    Capt. Nathan Schalles poses with children in Bakhshkeyl, Afghanistan, after handing out school supplies Jan. 11. People at Bagram Air Base's Air Force Village delivered clothes, food and school supplies to the village under an "Adopt-A-Village" civil affairs program. Schalles is commander of the

  • Air Force risks air dominance without F/A-22

    Without the F/A-22 Raptor, the Air Force could face losing its lead in fighter aviation to other nations, said Maj. Gen. John D. W. Corley, director of Air Force Global Power Programs at the Pentagon."We need this aircraft," Corley said. "It's the only new U.S. aircraft that will be able to put

  • Program keeps pilots awake, alert

    Fatigue kills.In the high-speed, high-stress environment of the combat aviator, it is a fact of life, and Air Force officials are doing what they can to ensure aircrew members are armed with the ability to fight an internal enemy that is potentially as deadly as a surface-to-air missile.Those

  • Officials cancel Red Flag exercise

    Air Combat Command officials have cancelled the Red Flag exercise scheduled later this month at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., because of real-world taskings.Red Flag, a realistic combat-training exercise involving U.S. and allied forces, is conducted on the bombing and gunnery ranges at Nellis and is

  • 'Primetime Thursday' featuring Alaska Air Guard

    ABC News program "Primetime Thursday" features airmen of the Alaska Air National Guard's 210th Air Rescue Squadron and their part in the rescue of two climbers on Mount St. Elias. The climbers witnessed two other climbers in their party die on the mountain. The show is scheduled to air Jan. 16.The

  • Explosive business

    Senior Airman Douglas Frey uses a mine detector to locate buried ordnance here Jan. 9. Frey is assigned to the 39th Civil Engineer Squadron. (Photo by Staff Sgt. Dennis J. Henry Jr.)

  • Ready or not, here we come

    Staff Sgt. Kyle Truelsen marshals a U-2 Dragon Lady out of a hangar here. Upgraded U-2s with sensors and data links that improve the aircraft's data-collecting capability are deploying from Beale to support Operation Enduring Freedom and other reconnaissance operations overseas. Truelsen is a crew

  • Mounted security forces patrol Little Rock

    Base security got a boost recently with the addition of three horses to form the 314th Security Forces Squadron mounted patrol.The horse patrol covers a designated area of Little Rock Air Force Base every day and focuses on remote areas of the perimeter, wooded areas behind housing and hunting areas

  • Keeping mail flowing while deployed

    On a daily basis, the morale of people deployed to the 320th Air Expeditionary Wing weighs on the minds of the base postal flight, and they want nothing more than to deliver."We're big-time morale boosters," said Airman 1st Class Jonathan Morgan, an information manager by trade. "That's our main

  • Pope combat controller awarded Air Force Cross

    Senior Air Force leaders awarded the Air Force Cross to Tech. Sgt. John Chapman here Jan. 10.Chapman, a combat controller killed in Afghanistan while saving the lives of his entire team, was posthumously awarded the Air Force Cross, which is second only to the Medal of Honor as an award for

  • Team erects B-2 shelters at deployed location

    Twenty members of the 49th Materiel Maintenance Squadron here spent more than 70 days at a deployed location working 12-hour shifts to erect portable shelters for B-2 Spirit bombers.The Air Force now has two transportable hangar systems that will allow the B-2 to deploy overseas. Moving the B-2s to

  • Let it snow!

    As the first major snowfall of the season covers Aviano Air Base, Italy, on Jan. 9, Airman 1st Class Brian Hirsch of the 31st Security Forces Squadron maintains security at the base's gate. (Photo by Master Sgt. Dave Ahlschwede)

  • Art contest deadline approaches

    Elementary school artists of military families have until Jan. 27 to enter the 2003 Armed Services YMCA Art Contest and earn a chance to win a $500 U.S. Savings Bond.The annual talent hunt is open to kindergartners through sixth graders of active and reserve-component military families in all the

  • Air Force survival instructor shows Marines the ropes

    Huddled with a group of shivering students on a recent cold morning, an Air Force survival instructor from the 374th Operations Support Squadron at Yokota Air Base, Japan, demonstrates the proper way to rappel from a 70-foot tower. The group watches carefully as he attaches a rope to his harness

  • January issue of Airman's 'The Book' now available online

    Demographics, statistics, and a wide range of compiled information about the Air Force highlight the first issue of Airman magazine in 2003, available now on the World Wide Web."Centennial of Flight" is the theme for Airman's January 2003 issue, traditionally called "The Book." The issue focuses on

  • Operation Gray Eagle unites military people with retirees

    Veterans and new recruits seldom move in the same circles. But that has changed here.The base has started a trial program, Operation Gray Eagle, which unites veterans living in the Denver area with students in the base's airmen leadership school for a session that seeks to pass experience and

  • Wings of Blue strike gold

    The U.S. Air Force Academy Wings of Blue parachute competition team won gold medals in each skydiving event and received 31 out of 44 total medals at the National Collegiate Parachute Championship in Eloy, Ariz., recently.The team competed in three events: style, accuracy and four-way. The style

  • The paint is flying

    A member of the Turkish air force security forces squadron here surrenders after being hit with a paintball. U.S. and Turkish security forces team up once a quarter for paintball training to practice combat tactics, fire-control measures and cover and concealment procedures. (Photo by Staff Sgt.

  • Servicemembers heading toward gulf

    Thousands of American servicemembers are deploying to the U.S. Central Command area of operations.The largest deployment is that of the Army's 16,500-man 3rd Infantry Division to Kuwait.The division's 2nd Brigade is already in Kuwait. The 3rd Brigade, based at Fort Benning, Ga., flies out this week

  • Congress funds more than $2 billion in construction projects

    Congress approved more than $2 billion to fund Air Force construction projects over the next year.The fiscal 2003 National Defense Authorization Act includes $1.3 billion in funding for Air Force military construction, including dormitories, fitness centers, force protection projects and operational

  • Guardsman's soup provides Sunday retreat

    It is Sunday in Afghanistan's Air Force Village, and a huge 15-gallon metal cooking pot is providing a little taste of home.Folks are lining up for another Sunday helping of home cooking by Senior Master Sgt. Timothy Treaster.Treaster, an Air National Guardsman from McEntire Air National Guard Base,

  • Building a boomtown

    Tech. Sgt. John Deyo guides a panel through a machine being used to construct a new transportation building at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar. Devo is a structural craftsman with the 819th/219th Expeditionary Red Horse Squadron. Squadron people are working 12-hours a day, six days a week to build

  • Air Force prepares for major deployment

    Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld directed the deployment of additional forces to support operations Enduring Freedom, Desert Spring and possible future contingencies Dec. 24.The additional active-duty forces in Air and Space Expeditionary Forces 7 and 8 as well as selected forces from AEFs 9

  • Flying high

    Aircraft commander Captain "Allison" looks out at the horizon as she pilots her KC-10A Extender aircraft. The captain and her crew stay airborne over Afghanistan providing fuel to coalition aircraft supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. The crew is assigned to the 44th Expeditionary Air Refueling

  • Military researchers receive awards

    Four military researchers were recently honored by the Institute for National Security Studies during its annual research results conference here.Majs. Steve Kiser and Troy Thomas received the Maj. Gen. Robert E. Linhard Award for their paper "Lords of the Silk Route: Violent Non-State Actors in

  • Innovation pays in more ways than one

    Innovation has paid off, not once, but four times for one 552nd Air Control Wing airman.Since his arrival at the 552nd ACW four years ago, Staff Sgt. Daniel McSwain has continually looked for ways to improve processes in his shop. He is an avionics test station and aircraft component specialist in

  • Total Force Band stars in parade

    The Air Force showed its true colors Jan. 1 here when members of the Total Force Band performed in the 114th Tournament of Roses Parade.The band, comprised of men and women from active-duty, Reserve and Guard components, marched for the second year in a row."Now more than ever, it's important to

  • Directorate cleans up with new water-based solution

    Maintainers here recently replaced their chemical-based cleaning solvent with a water-based product that is proving safer for workers. The new solvent will also saves thousands of dollars each year in environmental disposal and compliance costs, said officials.The water-based cleaning fluid,

  • Prototype saves fuel, money, environment

    It is economical, environmentally friendly, and definitely fuel-efficient. And so far, only the 149th Fighter Wing of the Texas Air National Guard is using it.It is the PH1000EL Self-Contained Fuel Transfer Unit, better known as the "fuel buggy." Members of the 149th Maintenance Squadron are using

  • Leaders stress winter safety

    With the winter season firmly in place and bitter weather gripping the nation, the service's senior leaders urge Air Force members to be safety-conscious."The mission, travel, weather and distractions caused by family separations all factor into increased risk," said Secretary of the Air Force Dr.

  • Now showing: Dec. 23 edition of Air Force Television News

    The Dec. 23 edition of Air Force Television News is the first of four special productions of the program to be seen in December, January and February. This first of the four is the annual "Year in Review" edition, and is dedicated to the men and women of the Air Force and the job they do both on

  • A couple's first Christmas

    Airmen 1st Class Christopher and Heather Otis exchange gifts Christmas morning at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar. This is their first Christmas as husband and wife. Both are crew chiefs deployed to the 379th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron from McGuire Air Force Base, N.J. (Photo by Master Sgt.

  • Officials release F-16 accident report

    Air Force investigators determined there was not sufficient evidence to form an opinion as to the cause of the F-16C Fighting Falcon crash Sept. 9 during a night-training mission near Cannon Air Force Base, N.M.The aircraft was destroyed upon impact in a remote section of a cattle ranch about 60

  • Board releases HH-60 incident report

    A less-than-optimum takeoff technique combined with an attempt to out climb a dust cloud with insufficient power caused the Aug. 12 crash of an HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter, according to Air Force officials who investigated the incident.At the time of the crash, the helicopter was returning to its

  • Students sending supplies to Afghan children

    A handful of Incirlik Elementary School students embraced the spirit of giving this holiday season. Their gifts may not be the toys and games most children wish for, but the students hope their presents will have more lasting value.The 14-member student council worked for months to collect school

  • Former Soviet officer joins Air Force

    When stories about job changes come up in conversation, it is hard to top 2nd Lt. Chris Sverkounov.The recent Air and Space Basic Course student here went from being a lieutenant in the Soviet army to a commission in the U.S. Air Force."I'm extremely excited about being an officer again," said

  • Air Force's top chief sends holiday message

    The following is a holiday message from Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Gerald R. Murray:"To the Air Force men and women protecting our nation at home and abroad: My wife, Sherry, and I want to wish each of you the joy and peace of the season."The demands of the past year have been great, and

  • Dover civilian employee charged with theft

    Delaware State Police arrested a civilian employee from Dover Air Force Base, Del., Dec. 16 on suspicion of stealing nearly $1 million worth of base property over several years.The arrest of Gary Kaiser, of the 436th Civil Engineer Squadron, followed a search of his off-base residence by special

  • Lending a helping hand

    Staff Sgt. Brian Seeley of the 653rd Combat Logistics Support Squadron here sorts through gifts for families in the area. Squadron airmen helped transport food from area collection points and boxed items for the Salvation Army's holiday program. (Photo by Sue Sapp)

  • Elmendorf, Yokota teams secure pummeled base

    Despite the devastation of Typhoon Pongsona, which pummeled the island of Guam Dec. 8, force protection remained a priority here as base officials called for help.Answering that call were teams of security forces members from Yokota Air Base, Japan, and Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska."We heard

  • Water on its way

    Airman 1st Class Randy Bennett drives a 13k all-terrain forklift carrying a pallet of water to a C-130 Hercules aircraft headed for Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan, Dec. 18. Water is shipped weekly to deployed troops in Afghanistan. Bennett is assigned to the 320th Expeditionary Aerial Port Squadron

  • T-37s collide in midair

    Two T-37 Tweet trainer aircraft assigned to the 89th Flying Training Squadron here collided in midair about 9:20 a.m. Dec. 20.The incident took place during a training mission near Lake Waurika, located about 40 miles northeast of Wichita Falls, Texas.Each aircraft had an instructor pilot and a

  • Anniversary aircraft

    B-2 Spirit crew chiefs Staff Sgt. Jay Pirnie (left) and Senior Airman Heath Traugh watch their jet, the "Spirit of Indiana," run up its engines here Dec. 17. The two airmen, assigned to the 509th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, were readying the aircraft for takeoff on the ninth anniversary of the

  • Enlisted members hit the books at AFIT

    The secretary of the Air Force's initiative to mold a technically educated force is paying off for the eight senior noncommissioned officers selected to pursue master's degrees at the Air Force's premier graduate school.The enrollment of enlisted members into the Air Force Institute of Technology,

  • 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

  • Santa trades sleigh for F-117 Nighthawk

    Santa talks to an Air Force maintenance crew on the ground before exiting an F-117 Nighthawk to greet more than 150 children and parents gathered at Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale, Calif. Santa made a special trip to Palmdale Dec. 14 for the test force's annual holiday children's party, hosted by

  • Special forces join combined planning operation

    Members of the 353rd Special Operations Group, Kadena Air Base, Japan, joined with members of South Korea's Special Warfare Command here recently to plan the critical first few days of a potential conflict on the Korean Peninsula.For two weeks, planners, flight crews and intelligence experts

  • Testing, one, two, three

    Tech. Sgt. Alexander Kokovidis, a laboratory technician assigned to the 819/219 Expeditionary Red Horse Squadron's materials testing lab, tests an asphalt sample Dec. 17 at a forward-deployed location in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Kokovidis is conducting a specific gravity test by