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  • Airmen save Soldier from gas fire

    Two Airmen from the 466th Air Expeditionary Wing flightline security office saved a Solider from a gasoline fire May 26 here.Two members of the flightline security team had driven to a base gas station to refuel their truck. Staff Sgt. Alicia Estes was pumping the gas when Senior Airman Kourtlyn

  • Pentagon acquisition chief talks 'better buying power'

    The undersecretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics spoke to the electronic systems center workforce May 25 regarding Defense Department budget challenges, efficiency initiatives and their impact. Dr. Ashton B. Carter said the defense budget for the next decade will not be

  • JAG corps announces law school programs

    Applications for the Funded Legal Education Program and Excess Leave Program are being accepted from January through March 2012. The number of FLEP and ELP applicants selected in any academic year is determined based on the needs of the Air Force."Our Air Force missions are constantly changing, and

  • U.S., Chinese leaders note progress on military ties

    U.S. and Chinese defense leaders said they are pleased with the progress the countries are making in re-establishing good military-to-military relations. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and Chinese Defense Minister Gen. Liang Guanglie held bilateral talks during the Shangri-La Dialogue here June

  • Team building drove president's choices, Gates says

    Building a team was the most important consideration as President Barack Obama made his choices for top national security positions, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said June 2.While he wouldn't give specifics about his advice to the president, Secretary Gates told reporters traveling with him to

  • Guard, Reserve employers earn top Defense Department honor

    Fifteen employers have been chosen to receive the 2011 Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award in recognition of the support they provide to their employees who serve in the National Guard and Reserve.Officials at Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve, a Defense Department agency,

  • Air Force officials to hold selective early retirement boards

    As part of the FY11 Force Management programs announced in early February, Air Force officials are preparing for the selective early retirement boards for lieutenant colonels and colonels to further size and balance the force within congressionally authorized end-strength levels. The lieutenant

  • Commissary Agency officials honor best stores for recycling

    Helping the environment has become a habit for a number of stores in the Defense Commissary Agency. Agency officials formally acknowledged these commissaries for their excellence in recycling May 25 as part of DeCA's Solid Waste Management Awards.The awards were developed to recognize store

  • AFSO21 saves Kadena millions in parts, energy bills

    In the past, Airmen at the heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration shop here have had to replace large, outdoor, energy-wasting chiller units for buildings' AC systems on military installations across the island nearly every three years.However, because of the tropical climate of

  • Gates: Defense cuts must be prioritized, strategic

    Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said he is determined that the department not fall victim to the mistakes of the past, "where the budget targets were met mostly by taking a percentage off the top of everything, the simplest and most politically expedient approach both inside the Pentagon and

  • Program offers free museum visits

    Service members and their families can visit a wide array of museums for free from Memorial Day through Labor Day, courtesy of the second annual Blue Star Museums program.Kathy Roth-Douquet, the Blue Star Families chairman, and Rocco Landesman, the chairman of the National Endowment for the

  • Medical, physical evaluation board processes improving

    From the moment an Airman is injured or becomes ill, one of his or her biggest questions becomes: Can I stay on active-duty? Thus begins the wait. But, thanks to new processes, officials said, answers are coming much faster.Since Sept. 11, 2001, the number of service members processing through the

  • Secretary urges careful thought in spending reductions

    Finding $400 billion in additional defense spending reductions over the next 12 years will require careful thought that considers the risks the reductions create, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said here May 19.In a question-and-answer session with students at the U.S. Army Engineer School here,

  • Conaton speaks on AF biomass fuel use at open house

    Undersecretary of the Air Force Erin Conaton spoke to media about the milestone of the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds flight demonstration team's first use of a biomass fuel blend in two of their jets here during the 2011 Joint Service Open House May 20.The Air Force has a vested interest in the use of

  • 'Golden hour' initiative pays off in Afghanistan

    Two years ago, Defense Secretary Robert Gates traveled throughout Afghanistan, promising deployed troops he would make sure they had everything they needed to accomplish their mission -- including more forward-deployed medical capabilities in the event they were wounded.The goal, Secretary Gates

  • K-9s honored at memorial ceremony

    Military and civilian law enforcement dogs were honored and remembered during a ceremony May 17 at the Military Working Dog, or MWD, memorial at the Air Armament Museum here.The ceremony, hosted by members of the 96th Security Forces Squadron, was just one of the events taking place during National

  • Thunderbirds to perform first demo with alternative fuel

    The Thunderbirds will use alternative fuel, unprecedented for any Department of Defense aerial team, at the Joint Services Open House here May 20 and 21, officials said May 18. The team will fly with Camelina-based hydrotreated renewable jet fuel as part of the nation's overall strategy to reduce

  • Gates budget review to 'force discussion' of risk analysis

    Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates announced May 18 the framework for a comprehensive review of military spending designed to put national security needs ahead of arbitrary budget cuts."We must reject the traditional approach of applying across-the-board cuts -- the simplest and most politically

  • DOD makes progress in civilian hiring reform

    Until recently, applying for a civilian job at the Defense Department was an exercise in navigating through a byzantine federal hiring process and amassing thick application packets, with applicants sometimes waiting up to a year for any word on their applications.Pasquale M. Tamburrino Jr., the

  • Gates: 'Perfect fusion' made bin Laden raid succeed

    The May 1 raid that killed al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden was "a perfect fusion of intelligence collection, intelligence analysis and military operations," Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said in an interview aired May 15 on the CBS program "60 Minutes."But the secretary acknowledged some anxious

  • Alumni to take Academy experiment into space on Endeavour

    An Air Force Academy graduate piloted the space shuttle Endeavour from Cape Canaveral, Fla., for NASA's STS-134 mission May 16. Retired Col. Gregory H. Johnson, a 1984 graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy, piloted the STS-134 crew while carrying an Air Force Academy physics experiment into

  • Two Air Force officers inducted into U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame

    Two Air Force officers who served as astronauts with NASA were inducted into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame at Kennedy Space Center, Fla., May 14.Lt. Gen. Susan Helms, the 14th Air Force commander, and retired Col. Karol Bobko were inducted in a ceremony at KSC a little less than an hour after an

  • Air Force officials announce civilian hiring controls

    Air Force leaders announced that hiring controls were instituted May 12 to reduce projected growth of the civilian workforce.The Air Force-wide efforts to stem the civilian personnel growth are a result of Secretary of Defense Robert Gate's efficiency initiatives to maintain civilian manning at

  • Odierno: Services must partner to weather lean times

    Defense Department officials must expand joint service, interagency and allied partnerships during tight fiscal times, and avoid the pitfalls of "doing more with less," Army Gen. Raymond T. Odierno said May 11. "We must avoid the trap of doing more with less, which is a recipe for creating a hollow

  • First lady invites Guard, Reserve kids to fitness event

    Alongside about 80 children of National Guardsmen and reservists, first lady Michelle Obama showed off her dance moves and football-handling prowess yesterday during a "Let's Move" fitness and nutrition event for military families on the White House's South Lawn.The first lady invited the kids to

  • Air Force officials urge motorcycle safety

    As the summer brings warmer temperatures, Airmen should remain vigilant in taking safety precautions in all activities, and particularly on motorcycles, officials said here May 6. In a 2011 Year of Motorcycle Safety dual-signature memorandum to Airmen, the assistant secretary for installations,

  • One unit's PT boot camp gets results

    What started less than two years ago as an innovative way to stay in shape, has evolved into a physical fitness tool for Airmen at the headquarters of the Air Force Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Agency here. The agency's physical training boot camp recently capped its three-phased

  • Aeromedical evacuation saves lives in Afghanistan

    An aeromedical evacuation capacity unrivaled anywhere in the world is saving the lives of wounded warriors in Afghanistan, said the officer here who oversees the effort at the combat theater's busiest aeromedical evacuation point.Equipment and procedures are being improved continually to move

  • President proclaims military spouse appreciation day

    President Barack Obama has declared May 6 Military Spouse Appreciation Day. In his proclamation issued May 5, the president said: "Military spouses serve as steady and supportive partners to the heroes in uniform who protect and defend our great Nation every day. Across America and around the world,

  • Proposal would save $3.2 billion in health care costs

    The Defense Department's proposal to reform the TRICARE health plan and the military health system would save at least $3.2 billion between 2012 and 2016, the Pentagon's chief financial officer told Congress yesterday. In testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee's personnel subcommittee,

  • The Million Veteran Program: VA's genomics game-changer launches nationwide

    An unprecedented Veterans Affairs research program that promises to advance the sophisticated science of genomics goes national May 5, according to the VA's top official. "It is my honor," said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki, "to join with so many fellow veterans in keeping VA at the

  • Five military installations receive top honors

    Teams from five military installations around the world received top awards today for excelling at their mission despite the demands of war and recent natural disasters.At a Pentagon ceremony, Ashton B. Carter, undersecretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics, lauded the

  • Mrs. Mullen spotlights family issues in new blog

    Building resilience and providing long-term support are keys to strengthening military families and better equipping them to weather the frequent, multiple deployments so prevalent in this decade of war, the wife of the nation's top military officer said."We've never asked a generation of families

  • Food transformation continues to see positive results

    The Air Force Food Transformation Initiative was launched Oct. 1, 2010, at six installations, with a goal of better serving the dining needs of today's Airmen. Air Force officials said they are pleased with the pilot program's initial results, which are aligned with the Department of Defense's

  • Commissaries continue efficient reporting of taxpayer funds

    When it comes to accounting for taxpayer funds, the Defense Commissary Agency has proven that every dollar counts. For the ninth consecutive year, independent auditors have rated DeCA's financial statements as excellent. In the accounting world, an excellent rating on the review of a corporate

  • Grad to take Academy experiment into space

    An Air Force Academy graduate will pilot the Space Shuttle Endeavour and carry an Air Force Academy physics experiment into space. Endeavour is scheduled to launch April 29 at 3:47 p.m. EDT from Cape Canaveral for NASA's STS-134 mission. Piloting the crew of STS-134 is retired Col. Gregory H.

  • Conference to spotlight military family issues

    Nearly 2,000 helping professionals from around the world are gathering in Chicago April 27 to share the latest family-related information and research and to hear from some of the nation's most renowned military family experts.The 2011 Family Resilience Conference will offer participants access to

  • Semifinalists selected for employer support awards

    Defense Department officials announced April 25 that 148 employers have been selected as semifinalists for the 2011 Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award.The Freedom Award is DOD's highest recognition given to employers for exceptional support of their employees serving in the National

  • Honor guard provides unique opportunity

    The hurried commotion of people chatting and finding their seats overwhelms the room. A group of five people stand in the background; not one Airman says a word and all stand tall and unwavering. These five Airmen are silent for a purpose. They are the color guard detail for the retirement ceremony

  • Vendors attend Industry Day for Manas Transit Center

    To learn how to do business with the Transit Center at Manas, Kyrgyzstan, 244 vendors attended Industry Day here April 22. The 376th Expeditionary Contracting Squadron holds Industry Day twice each year to inform businesspeople on the procedures required to qualify as a vendor with the center."We

  • Network would link defense functions, people

    To optimize U.S. cybersecurity using a new information-sharing enterprise network in a reduced-budget era, a top Defense Department official gave industry leaders a challenge: "We need your innovation."Robert J. Carey, the deputy assistant secretary of defense for information management integration

  • First lady aims to improve military families' lives

    First lady Michelle Obama stood behind a podium in the White House's East Room, her husband close at hand, as she addressed an audience of high-ranking military and government officials.Although it was a high-powered crowd, the first lady wasn't there for the officials or for the star-studded brass.

  • AFPC officials to stand up operating location at Robins

    As part of a continuing Air Force initiative to provide on-site civilian personnel recruitment support, Air Force Personnel Center officials will stand up an operating location at Robins Air Force Base, Ga., May 1. This is the fourth of five AFPC OLs to support commanders and missions at Air Force

  • Wounded warrior returns to serve Air Force

    Gunar Moschner knows the pain and anxiety that follows a work-related injury, but he also knows help is available through the Air Force Wounded Warrior Program.Thanks to the program, and his own perseverance, Mr. Moschner is once again serving with the Air Force.His life today is a long way from

  • Steering group leads Reserve Command to energy cost-cutting

    As energy prices continue to increase, Air Force Reserve Command officials maintain their resolve to lead cost-cutting efforts in energy consumption through existing and new initiatives. The Energy Management Steering Group serves as the focal point providing strategic direction for the command's

  • AFPC officials deploy team to improve deployed personnel support

    Air Force Personnel Center officials here are deploying a team to Southwest Asia at the end of April to examine personnel services and support for deployed Air Force members.The six-person Total Force Service Center-Forward team will continue to conduct customer need assessments and provide direct

  • Eielson recycling project kicks off

    People here soon will have the opportunity to reduce waste by recycling paper, plastic, tin, aluminum and glass products on base when a new recycling program kicks off in the weeks following Earth Day April 22.Officials in the 354th Civil Engineer Squadron Environmental Flight have been working

  • Gates will present president with cost-cutting options

    Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates is "a leader when it comes to fiscal responsibility" and will provide President Barack Obama with options, along with the pros and cons of each, to make additional defense cuts, the assistant secretary of defense for public affairs said yesterday.Secretary Gates

  • DOD launches sexual assault response helpline

    Defense Department officials launched the Pentagon's newest initiative April 15 to support victims of sexual assault.The DOD Safe Helpline allows service members to click, call or text for victim support services for themselves or others.The resource is free, anonymous and confidential. Those who

  • Total force 'calico' wing supports world-wide operations

    Airmen serving in the 313th Air Expeditionary Wing at an air base here are from myriad places, but they are "one team."Those Airmen, and the planes they use for air refueling and airlift during Operation Unified Protector, are not only active duty, but also Air National Guard and Air Force

  • Programs help Airmen obtain financial success

    For Airmen wondering if the struggle for total financial success will ever end, there is good news. The Airman and Family Readiness Center's financial advisers help members reach their financial goals. According to James McDaniel, an accredited financial counselor here, financial readiness is a

  • First lady, Dr. Biden kick off Sesame, USO tour

    Calling out over thousands of screaming fans, Elmo introduced a few new friends to Sesame Street here April 14.First lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden, the wife of Vice President Joe Biden, stepped onto the auditorium stage and into the arms of Elmo and friends as a crowd of local military and

  • Carter outlines military acquisition improvements

    The Defense Department has made much progress toward buying and fielding equipment smarter and faster, the Pentagon's undersecretary for acquisitions, technology and logistics told a congressional panel April 13.At a time when President Barack Obama and Congress look for ways to fix the nation's

  • High school senior assignment deferment program automated

    In an effort to better serve military families, Air Force personnel officials have automated the High School Senior Assignment Deferment program application.  The program increases stability for military family members entering their senior year of high school. Active-duty officers lieutenant

  • Military family support a 'national priority,' Obama says

    President Barack Obama today made caring for military families a national priority, calling to action his entire administration and communities across the U.S. on their behalf."The strength and the readiness of America's military depend on the strength and readiness of our military families," the

  • First lady, Dr. Biden urge support of military families

    First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden, the wife of Vice President Joe Biden, launched an "unprecedented" national initiative April 12 that calls on all sectors of society to join forces to support and honor service members and their families. Flanked by their husbands, the first and second

  • Cyber 1.1 kicks off National Space Symposium

    Air Force Space Command Airmen kicked off the weeklong National Space Symposium April 11 here with a day devoted entirely to cyber discussion, the second annual Cyber 1.1 event.Gen. William Shelton, the AFSPC commander, recognized the event as a chance to think about where the Air Force is going in

  • Changed South Korea duty tours aid readiness

    Normalizing U.S. military duty tours in South Korea will increase combat readiness and greatly reduce stress for service members and their families, the top U.S. military commander in the region told the Senate Armed Services Committee here April 12."A force multiplier, tour normalization keeps

  • Firefighters retire memorial plaque

    More than 60 Airmen and Soldiers attended the retirement ceremony of an Airman's memorial April 6 at the fire station here.Staff Sgt. Ray Rangel, a 332nd Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron firefighter, died Feb. 13, 2006, while trying to rescue two Soldiers trapped in a Humvee that had overturned

  • Army has new chief of staff

    Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates wanted an Army chief of staff willing to challenge the status quo, and he believes he has one in Gen. Martin E. Dempsey.General Dempsey succeeded Gen. George W. Casey Jr. as the Army chief of staff during a ceremony at Fort Myer, Va., April 11."Whatever challenges

  • First lady, Dr. Biden to launch family-support initiative

    First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden, the wife of Vice President Joe Biden, will launch a national initiative tomorrow that will call on all sectors of society to support and honor America's service members and their families.The initiative is intended to educate, challenge and spark action

  • Gates, Shinseki agree to joint electronic medical records

    Two years after they joined President Barack Obama in announcing plans to create a joint virtual lifetime electronic record, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric K. Shinseki have agreed to create a joint common platform for their departments' electronic medical

  • General discusses Reserve efficiencies, budget on Capitol Hill

    As Congress continues to debate and find ways to fund the fiscal 2011 budget, Reserve leaders were on Capitol Hill to testify and answer questions about the president's fiscal 2012 budget that was introduced in February.The House Armed Services Committee's subcommittee on Tactical Air and Land

  • VA budget request signals commitment to vets

    President Barack Obama's $132 billion 2012 budget request for the Veterans Affairs Department demonstrates that despite a tight fiscal environment, the U.S. officials stand by their commitment to men and women who have served in uniform, Deputy VA Secretary W. Scott Gould told American Forces Press

  • Defense Commissary Agency named 'Role Model' in promoting fruits, vegetables

    Promoting the benefits of eating more fruits and vegetables to its customers has placed the Defense Commissary Agency in select company. DeCA was one of seven retailers to earn top recognition as a "Role Model" by the Produce for Better Health Foundation.DeCA joined Ahold USA Inc., Food Lion Stores

  • EBIS launches online retirement tool

    The Employee Benefits Information System launched a web tool March 31 that will allow Air Force appropriated fund civilian employees to accomplish additional benefits-related actions online, such retirement planning.The eRetirement tool is the latest of many tools implemented by the Air Force

  • Air Force debuts pilot enlisted developmental team

    The Air Force's top enlisted leader addressed the service's first pilot enlisted development team March 31 for senior noncommissioned officers in the nuclear weapons career field. Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James A. Roy met with Air Force Personnel Center assignments representatives and EDT

  • VA officials begin process to create open source electronic health record

    Department of Veterans Affairs officials released a draft Request for Proposal April 1 aimed at forming an open source community around its ground-breaking Veterans Integrated System Technology Architecture, or VistA, electronic health record, or EHR, system. When award is made under a planned RFP

  • Classes aim to spark interest in science, technology

    From robotics engineering to gaming technology, Defense Department school officials are hoping their new, cutting-edge courses will spark a lifelong passion for science and technology in their students.Under a new science, technology, engineering and math initiative, Department of Defense Education

  • Air Force officials outline efficiencies processes

    In compliance with Department of Defense efficiency guidance, Air Force officials confirmed plans here March 29 to implement fiscal 2012 budget proposals that shift dollars and people from overhead and support functions to modernization and warfighting areas.During testimony to members of the

  • Budget slows defense growth, comptroller says

    Cost savings reflected in the fiscal 2012 Defense Department budget do not represent a cut from current funding levels, but rather a slower rate of growth than has been seen in recent years, the Pentagon's comptroller and chief financial officer told a Senate committee here March 29.Defense

  • VA officials work to break disability claims backlog

    Former Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Tyrone Allen is part of a growing legion within the Veterans Affairs Department striving to make good on VA Secretary Eric K. Shinseki's pledge to "break the back of the claims backlog."Allen understands firsthand the frustrations many veterans feel as they wait

  • Acquisitions improvements need permanence, Carter says

    With spring coming in Afghanistan, the Defense Department is set to perform the same "remarkable" work it conducted in last year's troop surge to get warfighters everything they need while working to institutionalize those procedures, the department's undersecretary for acquisitions, technology and

  • Study makes suicide-prevention program recommendations

    A new study commissioned by the Defense Department affirms many of the suicide-prevention efforts being made within DOD and the military services and recommends ways to strengthen them.In preparing "The War Within: Suicide Prevention in the U.S. Military," the Rand National Defense Research

  • AFCESA wins SAME's 2010 Public Agency Award

    The Society of American Military Engineers has recognized the Air Force Civil Engineer Support Agency and AFCESA's Master Sgt. Edward Quinn, for their outstanding service and contributions to the Society and the community. A member of the SAME Panama City Post since December 2002 and an integral

  • Air Force officials continue to consolidate personnel processes, actions

    Air Force personnel officials here will be assuming some personnel actions from Air Education and Training Command bases over the next four months to help reduce workloads on base military personnel sections.Master Sgt. Joseph Smith, the Air Force Personnel Center's sustainment superintendent, said

  • Annual Air Force symposium embraces critical training environment

    Air Force officials launched their annual Environmental, Safety and Occupational Health Training Symposium here March 21, hosting more than 1,800 participants and 120 exhibitors.Assistant Secretary of the Air Force Terry Yonkers, Air Force Civil Engineer Maj. Gen. Tim Byers and Brig. Gen. Dave Howe,

  • Modified X-51A Waverider ready for next hypersonic test

    Air Force engineers currently plan to fly the second X-51A Waverider hypersonic flight test demonstrator as early as March 22, program officials said March 15."We are proud of the first flight results, and at the same time we understand the inherent risk in a high-technology demonstrator like the

  • AFPC officials stream developmental team outbriefs online

    Active-duty officers are now able to watch and participate in their career field's developmental team outbriefs online through the Defense Connect Online website. This initiative allows Airmen to view and ask questions to their career field's senior representatives on each DT panel."Streaming live

  • General Schwartz: Taking care of families critical to mission

    The roles and responsibilities that Airman and family readiness professionals perform on a daily basis are critical to the Air Force's ability to help defend the country, the Air Force chief of staff said March 10 here.Gen. Norton Schwartz and his wife Suzie addressed more than 200 Air Force

  • Department makes 'great strides' in brain-injury care

    The Defense Department is making great strides in the field of traumatic brain injury that will benefit not only the department, but also its global and civilian partners, a TBI expert said March 11."The department is committed to fast-tracking promising research and to improving the diagnosis and

  • Jobs website continues to ease application process for employees

    Since its implementation in May 2010, more than 180,000 applications have been posted through www.NAFjobs.org.The Air Force-wide online job board makes it easier for job seekers to find and apply for nonappropriated fund, or NAF, federal job vacancies at Air Force clubs, golf courses, child

  • DOD, State Department officials present budgets to Senate

    Concepts of security are changing, and it is just as important to invest in diplomacy and development as it is to invest in service members and their equipment, Deputy Defense Secretary William J. Lynn III told the Senate Budget Committee March 10.Mr. Lynn and Deputy Secretary of State for

  • Official looks to define best balance of live flight, simulation

    Headquarters Air Force Director of Operations personnel plan to work closely with those in the Air Force Agency for Modeling and Simulation and the MAJCOMs to define the right balance of live flight hours and Distributed Mission Operations-Live, Virtual and Constructive, or DMO-LVC, to train

  • Air Force civil engineer visits Academy

    The Air Force civil engineer visited the U.S. Air Force Academy March 4 to speak to civil engineer officers and cadets about the state of civil engineer operations in Afghanistan and the effects of force management on the civil engineer officer corps.Maj. Gen. Timothy Byers and his staff looked at

  • Officials announce reduction-in-force eligibility criteria

    Air Force officials announced they will convene a quality-based reduction-in-force board Sept. 19 for mid-grade officers as part of their measures to reduce the number of Airmen to meet the service's congressionally authorized military end-strength levels.Officials said retaining the highest quality

  • Stay TRICARE eligible: Keep DEERS up-to-date

    Beneficiaries who have recently experienced a life changing event, such as the birth or adoption of a child, or recent divorce or marriage should immediately record these changes in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System, or DEERS. If they wait, their TRICARE benefit coverage could be

  • Defense Logistics Agency aims high to support Air Force

    Air Force men and women are engaged around the world, flying combat missions in war zones, operating unmanned aircraft, developing and maintaining satellites, operating advanced weapons systems and conducting myriad other missions in support of combat operations, humanitarian assistance and homeland

  • Mullen urges communities to assist returning troops

    As the men and women who serve in today's military leave active duty, communities around the country should tap their potential as employees for the benefit of the nation, the top U.S. military officer said March 7.Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, addressed hundreds

  • Dr. Biden pledges support for Guard families

    Dr. Jill Biden, wife of Vice President Joe Biden, promised National Guard members and their families here that she will support them during every deployment."As family members, we honor and support our (Guard members), but we also know that we will miss them each and every day they're away from us,"

  • Some prior service officers eligible to retire early

    Air Force officials announced plans recently to allow some prior service officers the opportunity to retire earlier than expected.As a result of the Fiscal 2011 National Defense Authorization Act, eligible officers with prior enlisted service who have completed 20 years of total active federal

  • Air Force to launch second orbital test vehicle

    Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office officials announced the launch of the second X-37B March 4 with a back-up launch opportunity March 5. AFRCO is leading the Defense Department's orbital test vehicle initiative, by direction of the undersecretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics

  • Ellsworth B1s get new braking system

    It can generate more than 30,000 pounds of thrust and reach speeds greater than 900 MPH, but can it stop safely after reaching such speeds?Thanks to an ongoing brake modification of the B-1B Lancer, the aircraft has a new, more effective means of coming to a stop.The modification, which costs

  • General Schwartz: Austerity, strategic challenges call for true total force

    Austerity and the strategic environment make communicating and collaborating as a total force paramount for the Air Force, Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve, the Air Force chief of staff said here Feb. 28.Efficiency and zero tolerance of fraud, waste and abuse are also critical priorities,

  • Officials release new environmental restoration policy

    Changes to the Air Force's environmental cleanup program will focus on cleaning up more sites more quickly, officials said here Feb. 25. The intention is to shift emphasis from partial cleanup solutions that often require decades of expensive follow-up to complete cleanups that free up property more

  • Program cuts sustain health care, maintain quality

    Defense Department officials have recommended a number of ways to cut costs in the military health system, while still providing high-quality care and protecting the wallets of active duty service members and their families, a senior defense official said Feb. 28."We're trying to create a balanced

  • Lynn: Continuing budget resolution puts security at risk

    The Defense Department is losing billions of dollars by Congress' failure to pass the department's fiscal 2011 budget, putting readiness, modernization and efficiency initiatives at risk, the deputy defense secretary said March 1.The department has gone five months into the fiscal year under a