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  • Spare jet scores for PACAF team during William Tell event

    The Pacific Air Forces team put big points on the William Tell scoreboard after a touch-and-go start in their first event Nov. 9 at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla.The Operation Noble Eagle event simulates the launch of quick-response fighters that must react to an enemy aircraft crossing the border

  • Airman takes co-pilot's stick during in-flight emergency

    Like most passengers on a commercial airlines flight, Lt. Col. Scott Neumann probably expected a long, uneventful flight from Dulles International Airport in Washington to Los Angeles.Boy, was he wrong.The deputy commander for the 412th Operations Group at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., had just

  • Medevac crew devotes time to African orphanage

    Flying regular missions in and around Southwest Asia are normal responsibilities for an expeditionary medical evacuation crew, but it was a special mission undertaken by Capt. Karen Mensen and her crew that made all the difference in the lives of more than 30 children recently in a remote part of

  • Experience, fresh eyes ensure airfield security

    Airman Michael Roomsburg stopped the Humvee as Staff Sgt. Chad Marten called to notify the security forces command post that the Delta-5 external security response team was set to patrol outer perimeter road.“I’ll man the turret,” said Airman Roomsburg, an active-duty Airman deployed from Pope Air

  • PACAF’s team uses advantage during William Tell

    A pilot checks his radar and looks over his shoulder to see an enemy fighter at his 3 o’clock position. The infrared seeker on the air-to-air missile rotates to the right as the pilot moves his head. He lines up the enemy fighter with the crosshairs on his helmet-visor display and shoots. The

  • Stratotanker crew comes to aid of F-16 pilot

    The Yogi Berra saying that “it ain't over ‘till it’s over” seems to be the most appropriate way to describe one particular flight over Iraq in October, when a KC-135 Stratotanker crew thought they had completed their mission and were returning to their forward-deployed base.“We had already secured

  • Air Force selects 32 captains for intern program

    The Air Force Intern Program Central Selection Board selected 32 captains from among 487 candidates nominated by senior raters from across the Air Force. The board was held Sept. 20 to 24 at the Air Force Personnel Center here.The 18- to 24-month program combines hands-on experience as an intern in

  • San Diego State soaks Air Force swimmers, 177-122

    The Air Force Academy women’s swimming team opened a Mountain West Conference dual-meet with a 177-122 loss at San Diego State University here Nov. 3. The Falcons fall to 11-4 on the season and 0-1 in conference meets.San Diego State took first in 11 of the 16 events, led by Emily Schmied, who won

  • Guardsmen making K-2 connections

    The C-130 Hercules aircrew from Saint Joseph, Mo., was told the night before that its mission tasking, called a frag (fragmentary order), was to fly supplies from Karshi-Khanabad Air Base, Uzbekistan, known as K-2, to Fire Base Salerno, Afghanistan.It was going to be a quick offload for the Missouri

  • Four of a kind makes ‘six-pack’ for Edwards family

    As parents prepare to pick costumes for their children this Halloween, the Kearl family here will pick out six -- two for 3-year-olds Tanner and Hunter and four for 1-year-old quadruplets Cassie, Nathan, Jayson and Bryan.The Kearl family was stationed at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, N.C., when

  • AWACS tests new identification system

    Years of preparation paid off for the Airborne Warning and Control Systems Program Office during the test of a capability which will reduce the possibility of friendly-fire accidents.The test, held recently at the Navy test range at Patuxent River, Md., examined a new AWACS Identification Friend or

  • Deployed Airmen build a better life in Kyrgyzstan

    Airmen deployed from the 78th Civil Engineer Group and 778th Civil Engineer Squadron here have their hands full.Nearly 100 Airmen from the two units have been working up to 16 hours a day, maintaining facilities and providing engineering design and construction for more than $35 million in new

  • Active-duty, reservists combine forces in Afghan sky

    In the Afghanistan sky, the 81st Expeditionary Fighter Squadron has a “rainbow” effect. Air Force Reserve and active-duty pilots have teamed together for an air and space expeditionary force deployment here to protect U.S. and coalition people from attackers whose aim is to disrupt the national

  • Hope, awareness keys to suicide prevention

    Problems come unexpectedly, and things like deployments and family troubles can be big stressors for many servicemembers. But one thing care providers want to get across is that suicide is not the right answer.More than 40 Airmen Air Force-wide have committed suicide this year, and though leaders

  • Physician assistants strong support for military medical units

    Every 15 minutes, Maj. James Kahler lifts a medical record from the rack, enters an exam room, and his hunt begins anew.Part medical detective, part complaint department head, part confession-hearing priest, Major Kahler weighs verbal feedback against diagnostic examination to determine a prognosis

  • Helmet upgrades enhance air power

    F-16 Fighting Falcon pilots here can now look, lock and launch on an enemy target in the blink of an eye. Because split seconds can mean the difference between life or death for a pilot in combat, the 52nd Fighter Wing here adopted an advanced approach to high-tech man-machine interaction with the

  • Drum line teaches leadership

    Hearts race as walls pulsate, surrounded by the deafening beat of drums. The audience sits on the edge of its seat as quickening tempos bring the rhythm to new heights.This may be a common scene at any rock ‘n’ roll concert, but there are no paid performers laying down the beat. They are just

  • Reserve pilots not reserved when protecting ground troops

    Ammunitions troops here charged with reloading a wingman’s A-10 Thunderbolt II Gatling gun had a busy night recently, following his return. New Orleans Air Force Reserve pilots proved that they are anything but reserved when it comes to protecting U.S. ground troops in Afghanistan. In defense of a

  • WAF Band still making music

    A military band that was formed when the Air Force was just 4 years old performed four concerts here, more than 40 years after the group’s deactivation.The Women in the Air Force Band, in conjunction with its annual reunion, gave back to the nation in the Lone Star State. After three days of

  • Air Force takes 16th place at NorCal water polo tournament

    The 19th-ranked Air Force Academy water polo team recorded a pair of losses Oct. 3 to end its long weekend at the NorCal Tournament here. The Falcons started with a narrow 8-6 loss to No. 12 California State University-Long Beach before falling to ninth-ranked Pepperdine University, 8-3, in the

  • Air Force announces selections to captain

    The captain promotion process results showed 2,796 lieutenants were promoted to captain. The list is posted on the Air Force Personnel Center's Web site at www.afpc.randolph.af.mil/offprom/.During the selection process, 2,813 officers were considered. The results of the CY04B Quarterly Captain

  • Stress management team helps when it counts

    Life-altering events have different effects on people, and a team of stress management specialists here help people deal with these events.The critical-incident stress management team features specialists trained to help prevent or mitigate stress when a sudden death, tragedy, serious injury or

  • Despite danger, convoy Airmen keep on trucking

    The hours are long, and their jobs are dangerous, but Airmen keeping supply lines running on northern Iraq roads are determined to keep on trucking. That is because they realize the importance of what they do, said Capt. Harley Smith, commander of more than 140 Airmen assigned to Detachment 1 of the

  • Pax terminal gets Airmen where they need to be

    Long hours spent working in temperatures hovering around 100 degrees has made a trip home one of the sweetest ideas for Airmen in Southwest Asia. However, many troops face delays and hang-ups that would frustrate the most patient traveler. Fortunately, the “Mighty 8th” is ready to help.The

  • Airborne network takes 'wireless' to new heights

    Leaders at all levels can soon access information from their home stations regardless of where they are in the world thanks to an airborne local-area network.Engineers at the 412th Flight Test Squadron here and the Air Force systems networking program office at Gunter Annex, Ala., developed and

  • First Hispanic woman grad credits academy for her success

    Not only was Linda Garcia Cubero the first Hispanic woman to graduate the Air Force Academy, she was the only Hispanic woman to graduate from any of the nation's service academies in 1980, when the first classes with women graduated.President Gerald R. Ford signed legislation Oct. 7, 1975, allowing

  • Command, control: Prescription for aeromedical-evacuation success

    A battlefield injury or illness poses a threat to those deployed worldwide. When that threat turns into reality, the Air Force’s extensive aeromedical-evacuation network ensures wounded warriors are moved rapidly to a medical facility to get the care they need. The expansive network includes Airmen

  • AFRL experts supporting C-5A evaluation program

    Scientists and engineers here are literally putting parts of a C-5 Galaxy under a microscope to help Air Mobility Command officials determine the cargo giant's current condition and future needs.Materials integrity experts from the Air Force Research Laboratory's materials and manufacturing

  • Academy water polo falls thrice at So-Cal Tournament

    Despite some gutsy performances, the 18th-ranked Air Force Academy water polo team was unable to record a victory in the So-Cal Tournament, held by the University of Southern California. The Air Force Falcons fell 12-1 in the first game to the USC Trojans on Sept. 18, before dropping a

  • Latest AFIT graduates earn degrees

    More than 70 scientists and engineers are the recipients of graduate and doctoral degrees from the Air Force Institute of Technology.AFIT’s Graduate School of Engineering and Management held its graduation ceremony Sept. 14. The graduating class earned 67 master’s degrees and four doctorates.Air

  • Officers enhance professional development through Project Connect

    Expertise, knowledge and mentorship is just a click or phone call away for officers here through one U.S. Air Forces in Europe program.Project Connect is designed to provide a forum for field-grade and general officers to counsel and enhance the individual professional development of junior officers

  • Airmen make an F-16 ‘Thunder-ready’

    It takes less than 72 hours to convert a red, white and blue Thunderbird F-16 back to combat status. But what about taking a combat-ready Fighting Falcon and making it "Thunder-ready?"That is exactly what the people of the U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron, the Thunderbirds, demonstrated

  • Air Force finishes in 8th place at Falcon invitational

    The Air Force Academy golf team saved its best round for last, shooting a 289 on the final day of the Gene Miranda Falcon Invitational held at the par-71 Eisenhower Blue Golf Course here Sept. 11.The Falcons finished in a tie for eighth-place with Weber State University at 887. Southern Utah State

  • ‘We’ve Been Waiting for You’ campaign returns to television

    The secretary of the Air Force unveiled a new Air Force television advertising campaign Sept. 13 at the Air Force Association’s 2004 Air and Space Conference and Technology Exposition here.The four 30-second ads are a continuation of the “We’ve Been Waiting for You” theme, showing how young people

  • Pilot recalls Sept. 11 medical flight mission

    Three years after terrorist attacks killed more than 3,000 people, Capt. Kenneth Langert is deployed fighting the war on terrorism.The terror war is a direct result of those attacks -- taking the fight to the enemy in an effort to prevent any future “9-11s.” For Captain Langert, this effort has

  • American Eagle flies in Swiss sky

    The F-15 Eagle West Coast Demonstration Team from the 33rd Fighter Wing at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., thrilled nearly 400,000 people at the Air 04 air show here Sept. 4 and 5.This is the first time in more than 12 years there has been an air show in Switzerland, and air show officials said this is

  • Student pilots find new meaning to phrase 'taking the bus'

    What has a wing, four tires, steer horns, tan couch cushions and makes animal noises?The answer is a bus for students attending a specialized undergraduate pilot training class here.“(We) came up with the idea for the bus when we met the night before pilot training started,” said Capt. Andy Builta,

  • For two Airmen, being good Soldiers kept them alive

    More and more Airmen are finding themselves training for convoy duty, deploying to Iraq and making mad dashes from Point A to Point B while under the watchful eye of the enemy. It is dangerous duty. During a convoy, Staff Sgt. Amelia Grahn, a transportation dispatcher from Royal Air Force

  • Reservists visit Nigerien school

    A group of eager children gathered inside a local school, just outside the gates of the base, to hear their American visitors talk about health care.Maj. (Dr.) Joe Alvarez and Capt. Andrew Gibson paid a visit to the school while taking a short break from working at the clinic. The two were part of

  • Vehicle mechanics strive to maintain perfect record

    Athens, Greece, is not the only place where records are being set. At this base, located north of Afghanistan, a team of five mechanics are making history in their own little corner of the world.Vehicle mechanics from the 416th Air Expeditionary Group’s logistics readiness flight replaced a

  • Grueling adventure race challenges all participants

    Tears of sweat, pain and joy ran down the faces of 45 hard-chargers who participated in the Special Operations Enduro Challenge VI on Aug. 21. Two-person teams were faced with a five-mile run, seven-mile canoe course, 300 push-ups and sit-ups, a canoe portage, a one-mile swim, a 12-mile off-road

  • Bad checks, AWOL net Airman confinement

    Writing $18,000 in bad checks and being absent without leave for six days netted a 377th Security Forces Squadron Airman here a bad-conduct discharge, six months confinement and demotion to airman basic.Airman 1st Class Jessica Morris was convicted by a general court-martial. Military judge, Lt.

  • Air Force firefighter receive honors

    Air Force firefighters recognized their top performers Aug. 16 to 20 at the annual Department of Defense and Federal Fire and Emergency Services Training Conference in New Orleans. A California man who displayed an extraordinary feat of heroism and an Air Combat Command fire department received top

  • Water rescue team saves two lives

    The fire department water rescue team here rescued two swimmers at a local beach Aug. 21. When the rescue team arrived on scene just after midnight, security forces were already there, said Master Sgt. Gregory Chesser, 36th Civil Engineer Squadron assistant fire chief for training. The victim had

  • Airmen provide tactical support from ground up

    Coalition ground troops are engaged in a firefight with insurgents. The unit's tactical air controller calls for air support and soon an F-16 Fighting Falcon is screaming overhead providing cover.Scenarios similar to this play out nearly every day in the desert of Iraq. Getting tactical aircraft

  • A-10s rescue ambushed ground forces

    When Army Staff Sgt. Jamie Osmon met Capt. Scott, whose last name is withheld for security reasons, for the second time Aug. 16, the reunion was much less hectic than the first.The first time, July 29, Sergeant Osmon and a group of ground forces were trapped in a canyon ambush, and Captain Scott was

  • JEFX 04 execution phase ends in success

    Two years, three spirals and three weeks of simulated combat in a fictional area of operations culminated in the completion of the Joint Expeditionary Force Experiment 2004 execution phase here Aug. 5. JEFX 04 assessed 15 new initiatives in technology and processes designed to increase command and

  • New system leading way for safer military flights

    Thanks to a new software-based program being implemented here, terminal instrument procedures specialists will soon be able to support flying missions within U.S. Air Forces in Europe’s area of operations more efficiently and with increased safety.The new system, called the Global Procedure

  • Motorcycle safety can save Airmen

    For anyone on two wheels, the asphalt offers no pardon for its hunger, and guardrails, lamp posts and four-wheeled vehicles do not forgive an impact.Motorcycle accidents continue to rob the Air Force of its most precious resource – people.“I saw an Airman with little riding experience snap his back

  • JEFX breaks new ground in expeditionary info collection

    The Air Force is breaking new ground at the Joint Expeditionary Force Exercise 2004, with the Visualization of Expeditionary Sites Tool.VEST is an initiative designed for planners to prepare for all phases of air and space expeditionary operations. It is the only support initiative being tested at

  • Guard unit provides medical assistance in Peru

    Thirty people from the Kansas Air National Guard's 184th Medical Group at McConnell Air Force Base, Kan., returned home July 30 after providing humanitarian medical assistance to a needy portion of the civilian population here.In nine days, seven medical doctors, one physician assistant and an

  • Professional wrestler visits former base school, home

    Walking into the center of the high school gymnasium, the illuminated stage grabs the professional wrestler's attention. "This is the very spot (my friend) Kenny and I did that skit -- my first wrestling match!" he says, pointing to the stage.It was during this performance for the 1982 Randolph High

  • Air Force chief of staff presents Kolligian Trophy

    Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper presented the Kolligian Trophy to Capt. Michael Matesick during a ceremony July 30 in the Pentagon. Captain Matesick, currently assigned to Luke Air Force Base, Ariz., earned the air safety award for saving his damaged aircraft in the sky over Iraq in

  • Captain finds fitness, less stress with yoga

    Breathing instructions are repeated in minute-long counts while people hold an asana, or posture, that resembles a row boat. Piano music plays while the noon sun bounces around the room’s mirrors, making the atmosphere almost heavenly during the class.This is all part of Capt. William Uhl’s

  • Raptor continuing Air Force's air superiority record

    With air dominance training under way here, the Air Force's newest asset, the F/A-22 Raptor, is proving its worth every day as it nears initial operational capability.The Raptor will eventually replace the F-15 Eagle, an aircraft with an undefeated 104-0 combat record, according to Brig. Gen. Larry

  • Liaison officers provide link to Naval airpower during JEFX

    For Sailors, it is not the typical tour of duty – witnessing rows of Airmen dimly outlined against the faint glow of computer screens requesting Naval airpower for a coordinated strike against enemy assets.The setting is the Combined Air and Space Operations Center and the tour of duty is the Naval

  • Mother Nature battles Father Time during JEFX

    Mother Nature is a force to be reckoned with, and warfighters know weather can be more dangerous than the enemy itself.This is the logic behind the Joint Expeditionary Force Experiment 2004 machine-to-machine weather innovation initiative that provides automatic weather information to the Combined

  • Weather officers provide key launch data

    A great deal of preparation goes into launching a missile or rocket here. Logistics, maintenance and operations are just a few essential aspects.One critical piece of a launch mission is determining and evaluating weather conditions up to the very second the vehicle lifts off from a pad or blasts

  • Engineers by day, snipers by night

    Everyone has heard the old idiom, “like shooting fish in a barrel.” Two engineers here have revised it to, “like shooting a dime at 164 feet.”Capts. Mark Gould and Robin Orth, assigned to the Space and Missile Systems Center, are on the Air Force International Rifle Team. The team competes against

  • Reservists provide humanitarian aid in Chad

    Armed with sufficient medications, medical equipment and a surplus of enthusiasm and care, a team of Air Force Reserve Command medical professionals provided aid to the central African nation of Chad as part of a humanitarian effort July 1 to 15. The 13-person medical team deployed with a Marine

  • U.S. now training Arab air forces

    The United States, working with United Arab Emirates, is now training future Arab air force leaders. Iron Falcon, a monthlong exercise held at the Emirate Air Defense Air Warfare Center in the United Arab Emirates, is upgrade training for mission commanders. Plans are set for all members of the

  • Air Force communications vital to Army effort in Iraq

    Even though Capt. Alycia Vrosh is afraid of heights, she climbs up a ladder to check on communication equipment atop the Al Faw Palace here. While ensuring the comm lines are good to go, two Blackhawk helicopters circle overhead, and she waves to them.“I love (the crew) and always wave to them when

  • A-10 pilots guard ground forces

    As ground forces travel throughout Afghanistan, they can rest assured there is somebody available to watch over their shoulders.Actually, two somebodies: a flight of two A-10 Thunderbolt IIs, often known as Warthogs, regularly keep watch over the countryside and ground troops.While deployed to

  • Engineers develop improved robotic tractor

    Engineers here are designing, building and testing a more advanced, robotic trenching tractor so combat engineers can perform cable trenching and excavation missions in dangerous locations. An early version of the tractor was developed last year and used in Iraq.Air Force Research Laboratory’s

  • Air Force Intern Program develops future leaders

    The Air Force Intern Program Central Selection Board will convene here Sept. 20 to 24. The program lets 30 junior captains study the application of air and space power and observe senior Defense Department leaders in critical decision-making processes. The fast-paced 18- to 24-month program is

  • Taking care of patients in air

    Most military aircraft are not well known for passenger comfort.But when passengers are seriously ill or injured, a team of medical experts is always on hand to ensure as comfortable a ride as possible.“We are responsible for moving casualties in-theater as well as between theaters,” said Capt. Karl

  • Expeditionary mindset provides stability, predictability for Airmen

    Nothing much stands out at the Air and Space Expeditionary Force Center at Langley Air Force Base, Va.The rooms upon rooms of cubicles are standard for a work center. A snack room provides lunch for those too busy to leave, and a larger parking lot would make people happier.Everything appears

  • Pilot wins Good Housekeeping award

    An unwavering faith, a good clean life and a sparkling career -- not necessarily a clean house -- earned a 524th Fighter Squadron F-16 Fighting Falcon pilot here a Good Housekeeping award.Capt. Christina Hopper was presented Good Housekeeping magazine’s Woman in Government Award for 2003 recently

  • Officials announce selections to captain

    Air Force officials announced June 29 the results of a 2004 quarterly captain selection process that selected 956 lieutenants for promotion. The entire list is posted on the Air Force Personnel Center's home page at http://www.afpc.randolph.af.mil/offprom/. A total of 962 lieutenants were

  • Air Force honors Youth of the Year

    A ceremony at the Pentagon on June 23 honored Air Force youth representing bases worldwide.This year’s master of ceremonies was both the Air Force Materiel Command Youth of the Year and the Oklahoma State Youth of the Year. Michael Goodman, son of retired Master Sgt. Randall and Donna Goodman from

  • Robotic warriors display capabilities

    Pentagon officials and guests were treated to a demonstration of the remote detection challenge and response, or REDCAR, initiative June 23.REDCAR uses unmanned robotic platforms to provide perimeter defense of Air Force bases and forward-deployed units.“With REDCAR we can integrate a family of

  • Officials release A-10 accident report

    Air Force investigators determined spatial disorientation was the likely cause of an A-10 Thunderbolt II crash 3.5 miles north of Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, on Feb. 25.The pilot, Capt. Jonathan P. Scheer, was killed and the aircraft was destroyed.Based on evidence obtained during the accident

  • IMAX returns to Nellis for final shoot

    A production crew filming an IMAX movie on the Air Force returned here June 14 to 18 to continue work on the 43-minute action documentary about Red Flag exercises.Filming for the production began here in June 2003, and this is scheduled to be the crew’s last visit. Besides their initial visit,

  • Laughlin Airmen get fit during 'adventures'

    “Are you fit to fight?” That is the question Air Force officials are asking Airmen these days, and it is the catch phrase for the new fitness focus.One squadron here upped the ante among its Airmen recently asking, “Are you fit to race?”More than 100 Airmen from the 86th Flying Training Squadron

  • Academy graduate named to academic all-American team

    A 2004 academy graduate was named to the Academic All-American At-Large Team by the College Sports Information Directors of America on June 15. Second Lt. Mike Polidor is the third hockey player from here to earn the honor in the past five years.Lieutenant Polidor, a goaltender from Imperial,

  • People remember World War II nurses

    Many Americans commemorated the 60th anniversary of D-Day on June 6, watching and remembering those World War II veterans who stormed the beaches of Normandy. Often forgotten are the flight nurses who served behind the scenes ensuring the men who fought that day lived to talk about it.Flight nurses

  • A-10 pods help track bad guys, protect friendly forces

    When lightning strikes, it affects the surrounding area. The same could be said of an A-10 Thunderbolt II strike, especially when complemented by the advanced capabilities provided by the Litening precision targeting pod system.The navigation pod provides A-10 pilots with more than improved attack

  • Moody Airmen rescue stranded boater

    Airmen here were credited with saving a civilian’s life recently when they rescued a boater from his stranded vessel in the Atlantic Ocean.Airmen of the 41st, 71st and 38th Rescue Squadrons, along with the 347th Maintenance Group, flew the rescue mission after a request from Coast Guard Rescue

  • Technology connects sisters for promotion

    Ver and Josie Param were in for a surprise May 27 when they arrived at 3rd Air Force headquarters here to witness their youngest daughter’s promotion to captain. Moments before the ceremony began, 1st Lt. Joy Param, a 3rd Air Force intelligence officer, escorted her parents and brother, Vince, into

  • Airmen give Nepalese disaster-response training

    A small country nestled between China and India, Nepal may be best known for Mount Everest.The Himalayas cover more than 80 percent of Nepal, presenting a challenge to mountain climbers and to the Nepalese in the event of a natural disaster.Nepal is predisposed to monsoons, earthquakes and

  • American, Korean engineers ‘cement’ friendship

    Two old friends got together on the flightline here recently, and the result is an expanded strategic airlift ramp that will significantly enhance current operations. It will also serve as a key enabler for a major airfield military construction, refurbishment and replacement project that will

  • Program seeks foreign language, area experts

    People with international skills are becoming more valuable to many organizations, and the Air Force is no exception.The foreign area officer program develops line officers with certain skills used by the Air Force and Department of Defense in positions where they are needed, said Lt. Col. Mike

  • Yokota C-130 helps rescue six lost at sea

    A C-130 Hercules aircrew from the 36th Airlift Squadron here helped a search-and-rescue mission May 21 when they spotted a missing 20-foot Micronesian sailing vessel about 120 miles off of the coast of Guam. Six people, including a 10-year-old boy, were brought to safety after being lost at sea for

  • Airman carries on female family tradition

    Throughout history, men in the same families have served side by side and generation after generation.Grandfathers, fathers and sons fought together in the Revolutionary War. Brothers clashed with brothers during the Civil War. It was not unusual to find brothers, uncles and in-laws serving

  • AF commercials begin filming

    Air Force officials want potential recruits to know “we’ve been waiting for you.”That is the message of four new commercials under production at various locations in California.In filming May 19, three Airmen from Los Angeles Air Force Base, Calif., floated for seven hours with the aid of cable

  • Center ensures blood ships safely

    No matter who you are, they have your type.“They” are the six-person staff at the blood transshipment center here. The team, part of the 379th Expeditionary Medical Group, is the first rotation here since the one-of-a-kind center was relocated in March. The Airmen ship blood supplies everywhere in

  • Airmen participate in Combined Endeavor 2004

    Airmen from the 735th Communications Squadron and the 1st Combat Communications Squadron arrived here for exercise Combined Endeavor 2004. In roughly a day, a group of 26 communications experts from Ramstein Air Base, Germany, provided access to phones, the Internet and e-mail for more than 200

  • Blood donors necessary in war, peace

    It may seem like blood centers are always asking for more. The fact is, there is a constant need for blood.Technological advances have a lot to do with this continuous need for blood, said Capt. Christine Murphy, the 48th Medical Group executive officer here. More and more, there have been

  • Command post controllers key to information flow

    There is an organization that many people think is the place to go for information. In part they are; however, the unit is a lot more than that. Airmen in the command post do much more than just pass along information, especially in a combat zone. The 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing’s command post

  • Water polo team wins five games in tournament

    The Air Force Academy water polo team won five games in the Rocky Mountain Water Polo Tournament, including a four-overtime victory over the alumni/seniors team. Teams traveled from Florida and New Mexico to participate in the spring tournament, held here May 1 and 2. In the highlighted game of the

  • Brothers by blood, siblings by stealth

    Capts. Brian and Brad Cochran took different roads to reach their dreams of flight, but those paths led to the same destination. The captains are the first brothers to qualify as B-2 Spirit pilots.“As kids we always imagined we’d be pilots,” said Brian of the 393rd Bomb Squadron here. “I don’t

  • Pope C-130s supply beans, bullets to war on terror

    They like to think of themselves as the "18-wheeler trucks" that supply the front lines in the war on terrorism. C-130 Hercules aircraft crews from the 2nd and 41st Airlift Squadrons at Pope Air Force Base, N.C., deliver food, ammunition and servicemembers throughout Southwest Asia. Unlike larger

  • Child-abuse prevention: Break cycle of pain

    “Rose’s” earliest memories are not of family trips to the zoo or picnics at the park; they are of three-hour-long beatings and endless pain. She said she remembers nothing but terror and abuse. “There was always food in my house, but also an ever-present sense of fear,” said Rose, whose name was

  • Colonel reflects on attempted rescue mission

    It was Thanksgiving weekend in 1979 when then-Capt. Michael Sumida received an unusual call on a day off summoning him to the squadron from the comfort of his home.Captain Sumida was a C-130 Hercules navigator with the 1st Special Operations Squadron at Kadena Air Base, Japan. He said he had not

  • Reserve officials select 756 captains for promotion

    Air Reserve Personnel Center officials announced April 15 that 756 captains have been selected for promotion to major. The officers were selected from the fiscal 2005 Air Force Reserve line and health professions major promotion section boards held at the center Feb. 9 to 14.Board members considered

  • Nurses keep up heartbeat of 379th AEW

    In stark contrast to the white sheets of the hospital bed and a patient in a light blue paper gown, a nurse in a brown and tan desert camouflage uniform checks the patient’s vital signs on the nurse’s ward.In lieu of the clinically white uniform, the seven-person nursing team wears combat boots and

  • Captain saves local man’s life

    After Easter dinner April 11, Capt. Steve Thompson took a walk around Little Neck peninsula in Ipswich, Mass., not expecting anything more than to relax. He is assigned to the Electronic Systems Center’s networks and information integration program office here.Suddenly, what had been the melodic

  • Edwards test team fires F-16's first AIM-9X Sidewinder

    A test team from the Global Power Fighters Combined Test Force fired the newest variant of the AIM-9 Sidewinder, the X variant, for the first time from an F-16 Fighting Falcon here April 9.The Sidewinder is a supersonic, heat-seeking, air-to-air missile carried by fighter aircraft. Before this, the

  • Pope families welcome loved ones home

    Balloons, hand-painted "welcome home" signs, ear-to-ear smiles and a few tears greeted Airmen and a small group of Soldiers who returned here April 14 following deployments in Southwest Asia."It's great to have them back," said Lt. Gen. William Welser III, commander of 18th Air Force at Scott Air

  • Colonel reflects on 40 years of service

    When Dave Thurston joined the Air Force as an airman basic in 1964, there had been no moon landing, the SR-71 Blackbird was about to fly for the first time, the Vietnam War was just beginning, and postage stamps cost a nickel. Now a colonel, he is deployed as the director of public affairs for