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  • AMC Airmen deploying 'a little lighter'

    Air Mobility Command Airmen who deploy are traveling a little lighter -- nearly 90 pounds lighter -- thanks to the mobility bag pre-positioning initiative. The program, now in its second phase, will allow 5,000 Airmen -- about 1,000 from AMC -- to deploy without carrying the typical three mobility

  • CENTAF releases daily airpower summary

    U.S. Central Command Air Forces officials released today's airpower summary. Coalition aircraft flew 34 close-air-support missions Jan. 25 for Operation Iraqi Freedom. They included support to coalition troops, infrastructure protection, reconstruction activities and operations to deter and disrupt

  • Security forces work side by side with Soldiers in Iraq

    Imagine searching door to door with Soldiers, looking for insurgents, high-value targets and weapons caches in Iraq. Envision the nerve it takes to do the job after having another Airman in the area critically injured by an improvised explosive device, or IED, only two weeks after being assigned to

  • Air Guardsman soars into Super Bowl XL

    Bryce Fisher the “Guardsman” can earn a medal or a ribbon or receive a commander’s coin for a job well done. Now, Bryce Fisher the “football player” has a shot at a Super Bowl ring and a title his hometown has been waiting 30 years for. The Seahawks, the newly crowned National Football Conference

  • CENTAF releases daily airpower summary

    U.S. Central Command Air Forces officials released today's airpower summary. Coalition aircraft flew 28 close-air-support missions Jan. 24 for Operation Iraqi Freedom. They included support to coalition troops, infrastructure protection, reconstruction activities and operations to deter and disrupt

  • Little Rock Airmen provide “beans and bullets” downrange, again

    A trip to the desert is nothing new for the 463rd Airlift Group here. On Jan. 20, 24 Airmen and two C-130 Hercules stepped up to deliver "beans and bullets" to the warfighter for more than 120 days. The experienced crew understands that airlift is important for reducing convoy operations in

  • AFRL breakthrough furthers space optics

    Positioning three delicate, circular mirrors to one one-thousandth of the width of a human hair challenged scientists at the Air Force Research Laboratory’s space vehicles directorate here. But, not anymore. For five years they studied the deployable optical telescope, or DOT. The telescope

  • 'Smart' cable helps protect aircraft

    In December 2003 and January 2004, several Air Force aircraft took fire near Baghdad, Iraq, but the missile warning systems failed to indicate the attacks. Air Force officials looked to the Warner Robins Air Logistics Center to fix this problem. An airlift defensive systems “tiger team” was formed

  • Nine Airmen to represent AF at boxing championship

    After two weeks of intense training and one tournament, nine Airmen have been selected to represent the Air Force at the Armed Forces Boxing Championship at Ventura Naval Base, Calif., Feb. 6 to 11. The boxers are: -- 1st Lt. Rodney Ellison, F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyo.; -- Senior Airman Celsa

  • CENTAF releases daily airpower summary

    U.S. Central Command Air Forces officials released today's airpower summary. Coalition aircraft flew 32 close-air-support missions Jan. 23 for Operation Iraqi Freedom. They included support to coalition troops, infrastructure protection, reconstruction activities and operations to deter and disrupt

  • EOD working to protect others

    It takes a special person to deal with the stress of working with explosives. That pressure motivates the 34 Airmen assigned to the 332nd Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron’s explosive ordnance disposal flight here and at five forward-operating bases. Staff Sgt. Micah Jobe, EOD team leader, is

  • Raptor completes operational refueling flight first

    Airmen from the 18th Air Refueling Squadron here took part in the first operational aerial refueling mission for the F-22A Raptor Jan. 21 in support of Operation Noble Eagle. The F-22A Raptor was declared operational by the Air Force Dec. 15. It is the newest fighter aircraft for the Air Force,

  • Firefighters do more than name implies

    The 332nd Expeditionary Civil Engineering Squadron Fire Prevention Flight does more than fight fires. "In addition to fire and medical calls we respond to hazardous materials, confined space and high angle rescue calls," said Chief Master Sgt. Daniel Raymond, 332nd ECES fire chief. The flight also

  • Airmen survive on island showcased in 'Survivor'

    Capt. Kristen Bakotic first learned about Palau while watching the two-hour finale of the reality television show “Survivor.” When she found out the Air Force was looking for enlisted people to volunteer for a six-month tour here, she checked to see if they needed an officer. The Air Force had in

  • Rocket journeys to edge of solar system

    The 45th Space Wing helped successfully launch the NASA Pluto New Horizons spacecraft on an Atlas V rocket here Jan. 19. The wing provided launch base support to Lockheed Martin and International Launch Services, who serve as the commercial spacecraft and booster vehicle provider to the National

  • CMSAF Murray visits Southern Command units

    Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Gerald R. Murray toured units throughout U.S. Southern Command Jan. 16 to 19 to express Air Force leaders’ appreciation for what Airmen, Soldiers, Sailors, Marines and civilians within the command do every day. Chief Murray visited Airmen in Honduras, Ecuador,

  • F-22A Raptor flies first operational missions

    The F-22A Raptor showed another of its capabilities when it flew its first two operational sorties over the United States in support of Operation Noble Eagle Jan. 21 and 22. The Raptor mission came one week after the 27th Fighter Squadron -- the first unit to fly the jet -- converted to the Air

  • CENTAF releases combined airpower summary

    U.S. Central Command Air Forces officials released the airpower summary for Jan. 21 to 23. Coalition aircraft flew 32 close-air support missions Jan. 22 for Operation Iraqi Freedom. These missions included support to coalition troops, infrastructure protection, reconstruction activities and

  • Two Airmen killed in IED explosion

    Two Airmen from the 586th Expeditionary Mission Support Group were killed, and one Airman was injured, by an improvised explosive device while on convoy escort duties near Taji, Iraq, Jan. 22. The names of the Airmen are being withheld pending next of kin notification.

  • Mountain Home maintainers keep Eagles, Falcons flying

    Behind every good jet is a good maintainer –- actually, make that several maintainers. More than 850 Airmen with the 366th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron here serve as the first line of defense for maintenance on 73 jets, ensuring they’re safe, reliable and ready to fly when pilots need them. The

  • Vehicle management flight keeps Barksdale moving

    The responsibility for all government vehicles here falls to the 2nd Logistics Readiness Squadron’s vehicle management flight. That accountability includes buying 25 vehicles a year and managing 894 vehicles, with an annual repair budget of $1.6 million. Master Sgt. Michael Boyles, vehicle

  • A-10 pilots, support personnel head to OEF

    More than 400 Airmen with the 355th Fighter Squadron and the 354th Maintenance Group and their A-10 Thunderbolt IIs recently left for a 120-day deployment. “I’m excited to go on this deployment,” said Capt. Darrell Walton, a pilot with the 355th. “With so much training space here in Alaska, I

  • Security forces squadron leads combat path

    In a vast wasteland of Third World countries paved with improvised explosive devices and teenagers armed with rocket-propelled grenades, you’ll find Airmen defending freedom. Airmen with the 366th Fighter Wing here are no strangers to combat operations, but one group shares this load more often. The

  • ACC chief visits with deployed Airmen

    The top Air Combat Command chief master sergeant recently toured units here to ensure Airmen were properly trained and equipped before deploying. Command Chief Master Sgt. David Popp said the No. 1 reason for his visit was ensuring that the Airmen deploying from ACC units are trained, equipped and

  • Total force meets at Fort Dix for conference

    More than 20 senior officers from the air mobility total force met to improve practices during a director of mobility forces conference at the Air Mobility Warfare Center here Jan. 18 to 19. The conference was an opportunity for leaders in the mobility world to enhance practices in current

  • Leasing option increases Air Force land value

    Underutilized Air Force land does not need to sit idle any longer. The Air Force Real Property Agency converts underutilized land and infrastructure into real value for the Air Force, installations and communities through the enhanced use leasing option, officials said. "Enhanced use leasing is a

  • Security forces transformation to affect total force

    As the Air Force continues to adapt for the future, changes to the security forces career field will affect the total force. Brig. Gen. Robert Holmes, director of security forces and force protection, calls these transformations a “refocus” on how his people train and fight. “We’re not in the Cold

  • Team provides free clinic care to Palau islanders

    A physician assistant recently arrived here to provide free health care to islanders who cannot afford local hospital fees. Being the only health care provider on the largest Palau island, is a challenge that Capt. Dan Calderon is excited to undertake. “When I first heard about this (three-month

  • Guam Guard works side-by-side with active-duty counterparts

    Maria Ronquillo is known as one of the nicest and most caring teachers on Guam. As a teacher consultant for a high school here, she frequently visits students to make sure they have good grades and make progress in their classes. But you don’t want to see this friendly islander make a “house call”

  • CENTAF releases airpower summary

    U.S. Central Command Air Forces released today's airpower summary. Coalition aircraft flew 50 close-air support missions Jan. 19 for Operation Iraqi Freedom. These missions included support to coalition troops, infrastructure protection, reconstruction activities and operations to deter and disrupt

  • Tips offered for tax season

    Tax season has once again arrived, and military personnel should know several things to make their returns easier and more beneficial, a military official said here yesterday. One of the most notable changes to the tax code this year is the addition of provisions for victims of hurricanes Katrina,

  • Air Force takes delivery of first production Global Hawks

    The first of two production Global Hawk unmanned aerial vehicles began flying missions in support of the global war on terrorism within hours of arriving in theater earlier this month. The aircraft -- managed by the Aeronautical Systems Center's Global Hawk Systems Group here -- are part of the 12th

  • JSTARS adds blue force tracking capability

    The ability to distinguish between friend and foe, a concept known as blue force tracking, is critical to conducting effective network-focused military operations. The Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar Systems Group made its first steps toward that goal by installing a system called Force XXI

  • ROBE upgrade sets KC-135 on forefront of battle communications

    A KC-135 Stratotanker here was fitted with upgraded communications equipment recently which will revolutionize battle space and the way the United States and its allies fight wars. After 18 months on the drawing board, the Roll-On Beyond Line-of-Sight Enhancement Spiral 2 program, ROBE, has been

  • Airmen teach islanders construction skills

    Members of the all-Air Force civic action team working here are not content with just building construction projects -- they want to teach Palauan how to do it. Eleven islanders are employed under the team’s apprenticeship-training program. Each works with a team member for training in the Airman’s

  • Reservists attend first safeguard training exercise

    While many Airmen were glued to the tube watching the NFL playoffs, the 939th Air Refueling Wing went to training camp to learn how to better survive and operate in a war, contingency or emergency. The 43 Reservists went to the Volk Field Combat Readiness Training Center at Camp Douglas, Wis., to

  • CENTAF releases daily airpower summary

    U.S. Central Command Air Forces officials released its daily airpower summary. Coalition aircraft flew 50 close-air-support missions Jan. 18 for Operation Iraqi Freedom. They included support to coalition troops, infrastructure protection, reconstruction activities and operations to deter and

  • Infrastructure team makes the 'POInT'

    A group of Air Force civil engineers huddle in front of a large wall map at the back of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), 1st Brigade Combat Team’s headquarters here. The red and green lines that meander from dot to dot across the large white map command their attention. They are the Power

  • Balad add-on armor shop comes to a close

    After the start of Operation Iraqi Freedom, a need for extra armor on convoy vehicles arose. Insurgents were killing Airmen and Soldiers through roadside improvised explosive devices. Airmen here have been protecting convoys and the people who ride in them since then by installing extra armor to

  • Last WC-130H departs Keesler

    The last of a generation of aircraft lifted gently off the runway here Jan. 12. “This is the end of an era. For years the H model performed magnificently meeting the needs of the weather mission; however, it is time to move on,” said Brig. Gen. Rich Moss, commander of the 403rd Wing. “The increased

  • F-15 painters using new environmentally safer fluids

    Aircraft painters can breathe a little easier thanks to the development of a new material used for stripping and painting F-15 Eagles. The Air Force is continuing its path toward environmentally friendly mission execution. A partnership with the University of Missouri-Rolla; Air Force Research Lab,

  • Air Force to replace combat search and rescue helicopters

    Air Force combat search and rescue teams will use a new helicopter -- the now under development CSAR-X -- to help recover downed pilots around 2012. The new helicopter will replace 101 HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters Air Force combat search and rescue teams now use. The Air Force expects to begin

  • Alaska Airmen operate out of Guam

    The 168th Air Refueling Wing was the first Air National Guard tanker unit deployed to Guam after Sept. 11, 2001. Five years later, the Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, Airmen are back on the island with their KC-135 Stratotankers as part of a theatre support package for U.S. Pacific Command flying

  • CENTAF releases daily airpower summary

    U.S. Central Command Air Forces officials released its daily airpower summary. Coalition aircraft flew 52 close-air-support missions Jan. 17 for Operation Iraqi Freedom. They included support to coalition troops, infrastructure protection, reconstruction activities and operations to deter and

  • Flight showcases future Weapon Data Link Network

    Two-way communications with a weapon after it's released from an aircraft is at the forefront of all new weapons technology, and standards for it has become a priority. Such standards were successfully implemented and demonstrated during a recent series of flight demonstrations here for the Weapon

  • Trainees learn attention to detail through 'warrior' mindset

    You won't find today's basic trainees hunched over brown T-shirts, tugging at them with tweezers to make perfect 6-inch squares. Instead, you will soon find Airmen who have mastered the M-16 rifle, can identify its components, field-strip and clean it, and reassemble it without the slightest

  • Air Force bowls over competition

    The Air Force swept the individual and team efforts in the Armed Forces Bowling Championships at the National Bowling Stadium here Jan. 11. Kristen Elmore of Geilenkirchen Air Base, Germany, and Martin Bedford of Hill Air Force Base, Utah, won the women's and men's divisions, respectively. Elmore

  • Guam-based conservation helps save endangered species

    Conservation efforts here are protecting endangered species and allowing for the re-introduction of two bird types. Andersen Air Force Base has a national wildlife refuge covered by a limestone forest, a sensitive island ecosystem that supports native fauna and flora, including threatened and

  • Airmen extend knowledge and manpower to island of Palau

    For only the second time since the mid-1970s, the civic action team program in Palau is composed entirely of Airmen from around the world. Thirteen Airmen are living and working on the island made famous a year and a half ago on the reality television series “Survivor.” But the Airmen aren’t here

  • Andersen AFB: growing to meet its mission

    The eyes of U.S. military leaders are once again focused here to provide peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region. “The strategic importance of Andersen is rejuvenating,” said Col. Michael Boera, the 36th Expeditionary Air Wing commander. “No longer is Andersen the sleepy hollow it’s been

  • Civil engineers plan for the future

    Expansion plans here have civil engineers drawing up blueprints for construction projects for next year, the next five years, even the next decade. “We’re planning for the future so that 50 years from now people will be glad we designed everything right the first time,” said Lt. Col. Marvin Smith,

  • Kadena pilot in good condition

    An F-15 Eagle from the 44th Fighter Squadron here crashed at approximately 10 a.m. today during an air-to-air training mission. The location of the crash site was at an area known as W-173, an over-water training zone about 65 miles (55 nautical miles) northeast of here. The fighter jet was part of

  • CENTAF releases combined airpower summary

    U.S. Central Command Air Forces officials released the combined airpower summary report for Jan. 13 to 17. Coalition aircraft flew 50 close-air support missions Jan. 16 for Operation Iraqi Freedom. These missions included support to coalition troops, infrastructure protection, reconstruction

  • New C-17 Globemaster III honors President Reagan

    Former first lady Nancy Reagan today helped dedicate the Air Force’s newest C-17 Globemaster III to honor her late husband, former President Ronald Reagan. The Spirit of Ronald Reagan is assigned to Air Force Reserve Command’s 452nd Air Mobility Wing here. It is the first Reserve unit to fly its own

  • Rex the Dog finds new home

    A 21st Security Forces Squadron Airman is the first military working dog handler allowed to adopt her K-9 partner from active duty. Tech. Sgt. Jamie Dana, a military working dog handler, has been waiting since August for the official word after she requested to adopt her K-9, Rex. The two were

  • Langley celebrates Raptor's initial operational capability

    The 1st Fighter Wing held a ceremony here today to celebrate the F-22A Raptor's initial operational capability. The event comes after the 27th Fighter Squadron was officially declared IOC on Dec. 15 by Gen. Ronald E. Keys, commander of Air Combat Command. The IOC declaration proves the F-22A is

  • Medevac flight keeps warfighters in the fight

    Moving the wounded, sick or injured to where they can receive the right level of care is the focus of a group of medical specialists deployed here supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. From coordinating airlift to providing medical care while in flight, Airmen from the 455th Expeditionary

  • Improved armored vests reflect changing enemy tactics

    U.S. military members serving in Iraq, Afghanistan and other dangerous areas will soon receive revamped armored vests that provide more side protection, senior officials said here today. The vest changes are designed to prove effective in protecting servicemembers from shrapnel fragments, especially

  • SERE instructor takes training to a new level

    As nightfall approaches, the temperature drops to single digits. The layers of clothing that seemed more than adequate earlier, now offer little protection from the bone-chilling breeze and icy ground. But, that is the least of the survivors’ concerns. “They’re not just surviving,” Tech Sgt. Micheal

  • F-16 pylons receive upgrade

    Wiring for pylons on F-16 Fighting Falcons are being upgraded by the 309th Commodities Maintenance Squadron at Ogden Air Logistics Center here, enabling the jets to handle 21st century smart munitions. The cables that deliver the pilot's commands to the munitions must be more complex as weapon

  • B-1B Lancers rotate into Andersen

    B-1B Lancers from the 34th Bomb Squadron at Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D, have deployed here. The rotation was seamless for the 34th BS because they traded the rotation with another Ellsworth squadron, which left its bombers behind for them to use. “The support we’ve received from Andersen has been

  • CENTAF commander visits deployed Airmen, Sailors on last trip to Afghanistan

    As part of his final trip to Afghanistan, the commander of U.S. Central Command Air Forces visited deployed Airmen and Sailors here Jan. 10 to 11. During a troop call, Lt. Gen. Walter E. Buchanan III addressed Airmen and Sailors who are deployed to Bagram as part of Air and Space Expeditionary Force

  • Post-Katrina relief operations bolster community recovery

    Keesler is at the forefront of the battle to restore the Mississippi Gulf Coast of Hurricane Katrina’s wake. After the storm devastated the base and surrounding communities Aug. 29, Keesler’s training mission temporarily stopped as it recovered and began humanitarian relief operations, or HUMRO. The

  • Accident report: B-1B fire caused by brake

    Leaking hydraulic fluid and sparks from its wheel being gouged caused a fire in a B-1B Lancer's right main landing gear as it touched down on Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, after a mission Sept. 15, said Air Force investigators. The aircraft, assigned to the 28th Bomb Wing at Ellsworth Air Force

  • CENTAF releases airpower summary

    U.S. Central Command Air Forces released today’s airpower summary. Coalition aircraft flew 52 close-air support missions Jan. 11 for Operation Iraqi Freedom. These missions included support to coalition troops, infrastructure protection, reconstruction activities and operations to deter and disrupt

  • Give and take, teach and learn -- building an Iraqi Air Force

    Reality is often at odds with expectations when Airmen deploy. This difference can be extreme when the mission is to provide military training to a recent enemy. But several Airmen near the end of six-month deployments as advisory support team instructors say they would rather stay here than go home

  • Battlestar Galactica docks for sneak-peek at Columbus

    The Sci-Fi Channel’s mantra -- “Fuel the Imagination” -- was the theme of the night as Battlestar Galactica television series fans invaded the Columbus Club for a celebrity-style sneak preview. The Season 2 premiere episode of Battlestar Galactica was shown a day early -- Jan. 5 --to approximately

  • CENTAF releases daily airpower summary

    U.S. Central Command Air Forces officials released today's daily airpower summary. Coalition aircraft flew 56 close-air-support missions Jan. 10 for Operation Iraqi Freedom. They included support to coalition troops, infrastructure protection, reconstruction activities and operations to deter and

  • Improved earpieces reaching Falcon pilots

    F-16 Fighting Falcon pilots here will soon start using an earpiece that will afford better hearing protection and an improved mission focus. The 4th Fighter Squadron's "Fighting Fuujins" will receive the new attenuating custom communication earpiece system this month. The earpiece was developed at

  • Billing date changes for government travel card

    Air Force government travel card billing cycles for individually billed accounts will begin closing out on the 22nd of each month beginning in March. The current cycle ends the third day of every month, so cardholders will experience a long cycle running Feb. 3 through March 22. Bank of America will

  • Wynne: AF needs to recapitalize

    With the combination of aging and heavily used equipment, the Air Force needs recapitalization across the board, Secretary of the Air Force Michael W. Wynne said. In past discussions about Air Force recapitalization, aircraft usually took center stage. Although aircraft still need to be

  • CENTAF releases daily airpower summary

    U.S. Central Command Air Forces released today's airpower summary. Coalition aircraft flew 40 close-air-support missions Jan. 9 for Operation Iraqi Freedom. They included support to coalition troops, infrastructure protection, reconstruction activities and operations to deter and disrupt terrorist

  • Privatized housing now available at Scott

    The Air Force closed a housing privatization deal recently at an Illinois base, bringing the total of privatized homes across the service to more than 16,000, said housing officials here. Scott Air Force Base, Ill., will benefit from $250 million in total development of 1,593 homes within the first

  • Mission is out of this world

    Its material is found nowhere else on Earth but here, while its mission is out of this world. Detachment 5, 22nd Space Operations Squadron has an antenna that uses a durable Kevlar mix as its cover, the first of its kind in the world. They use it because the material must withstand 195-mph typhoon

  • Airman saves career through yoga

    If a picture can say a thousand words, Staff Sgt. Bonnie McKinley’s picture of herself would tell you of a time when she, at 5-foot-4-inches and 25 years old, weighed 215 pounds, putting her at risk of a heart attack or stroke. Not to mention, her Air Force career was in jeopardy. She did something

  • Cannon visitor explores BRAC options

    As directed by the final 2005 Base Realignment and Closure Commission recommendations, the Air Force is exploring new mission options here. Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Installations, Environment and Logistics William C. Anderson visited here Jan. 4-5 to gather information in an attempt

  • Leaner processes working at Kirtland

    The Air Force is becoming leaner without the help of fad diets or abs-crunching exercise regiments. Logistics and maintenance programs imported from the private business sector, like Lean, are turning once-bloated processes into models of streamlined efficiency. The payoff is less cost, improved

  • Air Force improving production with Smart Operations 21

    The Air Force used the best parts of several civilian efficiency programs to develop an Air Force-unique process-improvement program called "Smart Operations 21," Secretary of the Air Force Michael W. Wynne said. The program will take the Air Force forward in a journey of self-improvement, the

  • CENTAF releases combined daily air power summary

    U.S. Central Command Air Forces officials have released today’s combined air power summary. Coalition aircraft flew 28 close-air-support missions Jan. 8 for Operation Iraqi Freedom. They included support to coalition troops, infrastructure protection, reconstruction activities and operations to

  • Group chops away at space system’s weaknesses

    Several times a year, a group of junior U.S. military officers and federal government employees use open source databases -- such as the Internet and libraries -- in an attempt to reveal potential weaknesses in the Department of Defense's space systems. More often than not, participants in the Space

  • Patrick auto hobby shop achieves Air Force first

    The 45th Services Squadron auto hobby shop earned the highest honor any automobile repair facility can earn -- the National Institute for Automotive Excellence Blue Seal of Excellence. After 10 years of automotive knowledge tests, equipment inspections and certifications, the auto hobby shop earned

  • U.S. forces airdrop cold weather supplies in Afghanistan

    U.S. forces dropped eight bundles of humanitarian assistance supplies near Bamyan in central Afghanistan to help hundreds of families survive the harsh winter, military officials here said. The bundles contained winter clothing, as well as beans, rice, cooking oil, tarps, health kits, tool kits and

  • Ellsworth Airmen provide security in Iraq

    Security forces from Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D., are serving in southern Iraq this winter. Twenty-four of the more than 300 Airmen who make up the 586th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron are from the 28th Security Forces Squadron at Ellsworth. They provide base, convoy and area security

  • Security forces assist Korean community

    The “Wolf Pack” worked side-by-side with the Korean Army and Kunsan City firefighters to help a local farmer. Nineteen security forces members, along with approximately 50 Korean soldiers and firefighters helped clear a farmer’s greenhouses. The building collapsed under the weight of record-breaking

  • Long convoy duty is no easy task

    By dawn, Airmen of the 424th Medium Truck Detachment had finished preparing for their mission -- move Army 4th Infantry Division supplies and material from Kuwait into Iraq. These Airmen do not fly their cargo, and it’s quite possible they may go their entire deployment without even seeing a

  • CENTAF releases airpower summary report

    U.S. Central Command Air Forces officials released today's airpower summary. In Iraq, coalition aircraft flew 44 close-air-support missions Jan. 5 for Operation Iraqi Freedom. They included support to coalition troops, infrastructure protection, reconstruction activities and operations to deter and

  • Air power key to many 2005 successes

    More than 75,000 Airmen rotated in and out of the theater to 12 locations during 2005 and helped coalition forces take part in historic events and record-breaking accomplishments. From ensuring millions of people in Iraq and Afghanistan had the opportunity to vote, to providing humanitarian aid

  • Wynne sees pride in Airmen during Southwest Asia visit

    The secretary of the Air Force said he is proud and inspired by the Airmen he visited during his trip to Southwest Asia. "I met fabulous Airmen at each base," Secretary Michael W. Wynne said. "They were very dedicated and persistent in their desire to further the Air Force mission." Secretary Wynne

  • Aggressor squadron stands up at Nellis

    The Air Force will reactivate the 65th Aggressor Squadron at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., Jan. 12. In a letter to Airmen, Gen. T. Michael Moseley, Air Force chief of staff, cited the history of the unit as “legendary” and said the aggressors will “directly contribute to the combat capability of our

  • Airmen participate in Rose Bowl events

    A B-1B Lancer kicked off the national college football title game Jan. 4 with a flyover of the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. Gen. Ronald Keys, commander of Air Combat Command and Lt. Gen. Michael Hamel, commander of the Space and Missile Systems Center here, represented the Air Force at several

  • CENTAF releases daily airpower summary

    U.S. Central Command Air Forces officials have released the daily airpower summary. In Iraq, coalition aircraft flew 52 close-air-support missions Jan. 4 for Operation Iraqi Freedom. They included support to coalition troops, infrastructure protection, reconstruction activities and operations to

  • California Guard to get the Predator

    As part of ongoing Total Force initiatives, the Air Force, the National Guard Bureau and the Adjutant General of California announced today that the California Air National Guard’s 163rd Air Refueling Wing, March Air Reserve Base, Calif., will become the home for a new MQ-1 Predator Unmanned Aerial

  • Nomination season opening for top Guard, Reserve employer awards

    Guard and Reserve members may recommend their employers to be recognized for supporting their military service when the 2006 Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Awards nomination season opens next week. The nomination season last from Jan. 9 to Feb. 28. During last year's open season,

  • Good eats means happy troops

    An army marches on it stomach. Napoleon Bonaparte said, and believed, that in 1812. Truth is he might have been thinking more about the importance of a good supply line. But a visit to a military camp -- then or now -- would reveal that good eats and tasty treats are just as important to the troops.

  • CENTAF releases daily airpower summary

    U.S. Central Command Air Forces officials have released the daily airpower summary report. Coalition aircraft flew 52 close-air-support missions Jan. 3 for Operation Iraqi Freedom. They included support to coalition troops, infrastructure protection, reconstruction activities and operations to deter

  • Keeping Predators flying helps keep Balad safe

    Airmen who maintain the MQ-1 Predator here take great pride in ensuring the unmanned aerial vehicles they look after can keep and eagle eye on what goes on in Iraq. The 61 Airmen of the 46th Aircraft Maintenance Unit -- and three Royal Air Force Airmen -- keep the Predators flying for the pilots who

  • For Reserve aircrew, New Year’s Eve over Iraq is routine

    People around the globe welcomed 2006 with a variety of New Year’s Eve celebrations. High above Iraq, a Reserve C-130 Hercules aircrew headed for Balad Air Base, celebrated in a different way -- flying another mission in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. With the drone of the aircraft’s four

  • Kingpin helps manage airpower over Iraq

    When Soldiers and Marines call in an air strike on an enemy position, the 727th Expeditionary Air Control Squadron tracks the airplanes and allocates the airspace for the mission. The squadron, known as Kingpin, is a radar control and identification agency responsible for identifying all aircraft

  • CENTAF releases combined airpower summary report

    U.S. Central Command Air Forces officials released today’s combined airpower summary for Dec. 30 to Jan. 3. On Dec. 29, Air Force and Royal Air Force tankers flew 30 sorties and off-loaded more than 2.3 million pounds of fuel. Coalition aircraft flew 54 close-air-support missions Dec. 30 for

  • Airmen help with Baby Noor evacuation

    The C-130 Hercules aircraft here have routinely hauled more than one million troops and 76,000 tons of cargo in and out of Iraq. But today the mission was not routine. At about 4 p.m., a C-130 from the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing touched down here carrying Baby Noor, her father and grandmother on