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  • Hub-and-spoke missions provide tactical airlift in Iraq

    Whether it's operating from rough dirt strips or dropping off troops and equipment into hostile areas, C-130 Hercules keep convoys off the road in Iraq through airpower. Members of the 777th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron deployed from Little Rock Air Force Base, Ark., fly C-130 hub-and-spoke

  • HUD allocates $58 million to help homeless veterans

    A program announced last week by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development will provide $58.6 million to get homeless veterans off the streets this year. Vouchers will be provided to some 8,000 displaced veterans and their families across the country through the department's Veterans

  • 'Huffing,' using 'Spice' is dangerous, officials say

    While they may be legal in some states, "designer drugs," often marketed as herbal remedies, are banned under military law and policies by the Defense Department and all of the services. Military officials, having seen a spike in servicemembers' use of otherwise legal substances, including

  • Huge crowd turns out for Night at the Air Force Museum

    More than 10,000 visitors came face-to-face with aviation history May 15 during a Night at the Air Force Museum at the National Museum of the United States Air Force here. The sizeable crowd had the opportunity to look into the cockpits of aircraft such as the B-24D Liberator and SR-71A Blackbird

  • Huge wreath honors all servicemembers

    A Maine man is looking for photos of servicemembers from across the country who are engaged in homeland defense and the war against terrorism. He said he wants to attach the photos to a giant Christmas wreath that will be illuminated with 10,000 lights in Maine’s capital city every night through

  • Human factor is primary cause of aviation mishaps

    The "human factor" is the primary cause of military aircraft mishaps.That testimony by Air Force Chief of Safety Maj. Gen. Kenneth W. Hess came as part of a congressional hearing on military aviation safety, Feb. 11, where safety directors from all four service branches testified before the House

  • Human performance team helps RPA Airmen combat stress

    As the persistent demand for remotely piloted aircraft support increases, the burden on the Airmen who fly, maintain and support these operations also increases, often leaving some people to question their abilities to continue in this stressful job.

  • Human performance training optimizes Airmen

    As the Air Force continues to scale down its numbers, it's more important than ever to have Airmen performing their missions at the highest levels. This means working smarter, not harder, and doing it safely. Helping to optimize the performance of members here is the goal for the 18th Aerospace

  • Human Resources Develop Council reaches out to community at LULAC

    With more than 70 U.S. Air Force reservists present, attendees didn't have to look far to find a blue suiter at the League of United Latin American Citizens convention and exposition July 17 in the San Juan Convention Center here. But reservists were quickly outnumbered when more than 1,000 local

  • Human trafficking equals modern-day slavery

    Although slavery was abolished in the U.S. nearly 150 years ago, modern-day slavery continues to thrive, making it vital for people to know the signs and avoid becoming facilitators of what is known as human trafficking.Human trafficking is the use of another human being for illegal purposes such as

  • Humanitarian aid delivered to Haiti through Denton Program

    Members from the 701st Airlift Squadron delivered humanitarian aid to Port-au-Prince on April 21 as part of ongoing Denton Program efforts. Two C-17 Globemaster IIIs were filled with 32 combined pallets as they transported more than 170,000 pounds of humanitarian aid to Haiti.

  • Humanitarian aid provided to more than 1,600 Salvadorans

    An 18-person medical team made up of Airmen and Soldiers spent two days operating a makeshift clinic at an elementary school near Comasagua, El Salvador, May 7 and 8 during Fuerzas Aliadas Humanitarias 2008. The team, part of the Joint Task Force-Bravo Medical Element at Soto Cano Air Base,

  • Humanitarian airlift brings $15 million in aid to base

    The largest amount of humanitarian aid to enter the Kyrgyz Republic since it became its own country in 1991 came by way of C-17 Globemaster IIIs from McChord Air Force Base, Wash., on Sept. 23.About $15 million worth of medicines and medical supplies were unloaded at the Bishkek International

  • Humanitarian assignments considered for Airmen in time of need

    The Humanitarian Reassignment and Deferment Program, run by the Air Force Personnel Center, assists active-duty Airmen in resolving severe, short-term problems involving a family member while Airmen continue to meet the needs of the Air Force.

  • Humanitarian assistance continues in Iraq

    The United States and Britain have flown 14 humanitarian airdrops since Aug. 7 to Yezidi refugees in the Sinjar Mountains in Iraq, a Defense Department official said Aug. 12.

  • Humanitarian assistance efforts bring relief all over Kyrgyzstan

    From TokMok to Belovodosky, Kyrgyzstan, civil engineers from the Transit Center at Manas here are making a difference. With more than 40 humanitarian assistance projects completed at more than 18 locations and 60 more projects in the works across the northern part of the nation, this team is going

  • Humanitarian assistance team completes evaluation at Andersen

    After three days of simulations and exercises, the Humanitarian Assistance Rapid Response Team, or HARRT, successfully completed its first operational utility evaluation here July 13 through 17. Combining the capabilities of the people in the 36th Contingency Response Group and the 36th Medical

  • Humanitarian award nominees sought

    Air Force officials are seeking nominations for the 2013 Zachary and Elizabeth Fisher Distinguished Civilian Humanitarian Award.The Fisher Award is presented annually to an individual or organization outside the Department of Defense that has demonstrated exceptional patriotism, generosity and

  • Humanitarian award presented to Florida businessman

    The military services chose a longtime Air Force volunteer from Florida as this year's recipient of the Zachary and Elizabeth Fisher Distinguished Civilian Humanitarian Award. Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley presented the award to Chris Sehman, a local businessman from Okaloosa County,

  • Humanitarian relief remains constant priority

    In a turbulent world, with natural disasters striking at random and conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan surging with a tide of violence, one thing has remained constant – U.S. Air Force humanitarian relief operations. These operations, planned out of the Combined Air Operations Center, or CAOC,

  • Humanitarian team returns from Pacific mission

    A team of approximately 50 medical, dental and civil engineer servicemembers returned to Hickam Air Force Base July 28 after completing a mission to provide civil assistance and training to local residents of three Pacific islands. The team of Airmen, Sailors and Soldiers departed Hickam AFB for the

  • Humanitarian-relief mission supports tsunami victims

    The largest humanitarian relief effort since the Berlin Airlift in 1947 is providing desperately needed water, food and medical supplies to victims of the tsunamis in the Indian Ocean, the general coordinating air support for the operation said Jan. 9.Brig. Gen. Jan-Marc Jouas, director of the

  • Humble chief gains national attention

    All of the attention embarrasses him, but as this chief master sergeant learned recently, a lifetime of caring and good deeds is bound to catch up with you eventually. Chief Master Sgt. John Gebhardt, superintendent of the 22nd Wing Medical Group here, recently gained worldwide attention for a photo

  • Humble 'Guardian angel' saves woman after fiery crash

    One moment can change someone's life. One such decisive moment came for Staff Sgt. Mitchell Corbin and Nancy Decker June 1, when Corbin pulled Decker from her fiery, wrecked vehicle.That morning, Corbin, an aerospace ground equipment technician with the Texas Air National Guard 147th Reconnaissance

  • Humble hero visits RAF Lakenheath

    "I don't have anything really profound to say," said Col. Leo Thorsness, retired Air Force fighter pilot and Medal of Honor recipient. The colonel, who visited RAF Lakenheath Aug. 7 to speak to Airmen about the importance of teamwork and families as part of a successful military, received the Medal

  • 'Hump' pilots mark 65th reunion

    During World War II, they flew C-47 Skytrains and B-24 Liberators, providing supplies to Chinese soldiers fighting the Japanese after the Burma Road was shut down. Their aircraft were often loaded with 10,000 pounds of gasoline, food, ammunition and bombs. And they did all this flying across the

  • Humvee egress training increases survival in combat

    Airmen from the 379th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron are receiving Humvee egress assistance training to increase their survival in combat.  More than 260 Airmen were trained recently over a four-day period. "The purpose of the training is to teach combat Airmen the proper procedures to

  • Hundreds of NCOs face retraining into new specialties

    More than 3,000 staff, technical and master sergeants have been identified to receive retraining vulnerability notices under the initial phase of the Air Force's fiscal 2006 Noncommissioned Officer Retraining Program.The retraining program is designed to help balance the enlisted force by moving

  • Hundreds on first 2013 supplemental promotion list

    Several hundred Air Force enlisted members were selected for promotion in the January supplemental promotion process, Air Force Personnel Center officials announced today. To see the list, go to http://www.afpc.af.mil/shared/media/document/AFD-130110-004.pdf.  Airmen on the supplemental list tested

  • Hundreds on October supplemental promotion list

    More than 500 Airmen were selected for promotion as part of the October enlisted supplemental promotion process, Air Force Personnel Center officials announced today.To see the list, go to http://www.afpc.af.mil/shared/media/document/AFD-121011-002.pdf.Airmen on the supplemental list tested outside

  • Hundreds show for fallen Marine's return home

    About a thousand people lined Harmon Drive from the 12th Flying Training Wing headquarters to the main gate here the morning of July 26 to honor fallen Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Brandon Lara as a motorcade bringing his body home passed. The 20-year-old from New Braunfels, Texas, was on his second tour

  • Hungarian air force leaders visit Ramstein

    Third Air Force officials hosted a delegate of Hungarian air force leaders at Ramstein Air Base Feb. 5 and 6 and shared C-17 Globemaster III interoperability procedures with its European neighbor. During the two-day visit, Lt. Gen. Robert D. "Rod" Bishop Jr., the 3rd Air Force commander, gave

  • Hungary-based Airmen write new chapter in mulitinational operations

    At this small, bare-bones, communist-era airfield located in the Hungarian countryside, midpoint between Budapest and Vienna, American Airmen are writing a dynamic new chapter in multinational cooperation and flight operations. Airmen assigned to the Heavy Airlift Wing at Papa Air Base,

  • Hunt continues in 'their' back yard

    Two years after America took a sucker punch from terrorists at the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, the U.S. military is still actively hunting down al-Qaida and Taliban forces in their own back yard. Col. James Whitmore, 455th Air Expeditionary Wing commander here, reminds those back home this

  • Hunter swears in as Air Force acquisition lead

    Hunter, a former senior executive in the Department of Defense, was most recently a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies focused on emerging technologies, defense trade, the defense acquisition system and industrial policy.

  • Hunters becomes gatherers for hungry families

    A sergeant here has found a way for base hunters to feed the hungry.Staff Sgt. Damion McElroy, the 30th Security Forces Squadron game warden, has begun Hunters Against Hunger, a program that gives hunters the opportunity to donate their excess game to feed homeless adults and children in Lompoc,

  • 'Hunters' fly with hurricanes

    As the midway point of hurricane season approaches, the 53rd Reconnaissance Squadron "Hurricane Hunters" here remain vigilant about tropical-weather threats.The Hurricane Hunters are part of Air Force Reserve Command’s 403rd Wing here. They are the only Department of Defense organization still

  • Hurlburt Airman found dead after boating mishap identified

    An active-duty Hurlburt Airman who was found dead Oct. 21 after a boating mishap has been identified. Rescue workers recovered the body of Airman 1st Class Colby Siegel, 1st Special Operations Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, in Mary Esther, Fla., at 7:44 a.m. that day, according to the Okaloosa

  • Hurlburt Airmen assist in motorcycle accident

    Senior Airman Laura Kinglocke witnessed and responded to a motorcycle crash while on her way into work at Hurlburt Field, Florida several weeks ago when motorcyclist Donald Dancer was thrown from his bike and onto the side of the road, potentially into traffic, on U.S. Highway 98.

  • Hurlburt Airmen assist with freighter rescue

    Airmen of the 1st Special Operations Wing here launched two CV-22 Ospreys, an MC-130P Combat Shadow and an MH-53 Pave Low helicopter Sept. 12 to prepare for a possible rescue of 22 people aboard the Cyprus-flagged freighter Antalina adrift in the Gulf of Mexico south of Louisiana caught in Hurricane

  • Hurlburt Airmen bring space power to Joint Red Flag

    U.S. space forces are using their knowledge of joint and interagency operations to adapt to an ever-changing battlefield during Joint Red Flag 2005, an exercise aimed at improving joint training and experimentation capabilities among U.S. and coalition forces.Air Force space capabilities have long

  • Hurlburt Airmen can dine ‘n’ dash

    Airmen here can literally dine and dash -- to the gym, that is -- after the opening of a combined dining facility and fitness center. “Customers love it because it just makes sense,” said Nate Harris, Riptide fitness center manager here. “They like to work out upstairs, then go downstairs to

  • Hurlburt Airmen grant Honduran Christmas wish

    A group of Airmen here are taking a break from their holiday hustle and bustle to make a special trip and grant Christmas wishes for others. More than a dozen Airmen from the 6th Special Operations Squadron, 15th SOS and 73rd SOS travel Dec. 11 to La Ceiba, Honduras, to carry out Operation Christmas

  • Hurlburt Airmen work together to save life

    Two Air Force Special Operations Command Airmen here have been credited with helping save the life of a local man recently at an area YMCA after the man suffered a heart attack. Spending a hot, muggy afternoon watching children play tee ball, a man and his wife were walking with their grandchildren

  • Hurlburt combat engineers rush to aid of Keesler Airmen

    Combat engineers capable of rapid deployment into war zones are proving to be effective first responders in bringing aid to areas devastated by Hurricane Katrina. Airmen with the 823rd Red Horse Squadron here left early Aug. 30 bound for Keesler Air Force Base, Miss., one of the worst-hit areas in

  • Hurlburt combats Zika with knowledge

    Following the World Health Organization declaring an international emergency and Florida Gov. Rick Scott calling a state health emergency, Hurlburt Field, Florida, is taking action to protect Airmen and their families from the Zika virus.

  • Hurlburt dental team aids, trains west African countries

    Two Airmen from Hurlburt Field recently returned to work after a one-month temporary duty assignment to west Africa in support of Exercise Flintlock, an annual exercise that focuses on improving interoperability between the militaries of the United States, Europe and northern and western African

  • Hurlburt Field aircraft, workers return

    More than 30 aircraft safely returned here Sept. 19 after evacuating to Fort Campbell, Ky., on Sept 13 to escape the path of Hurricane Ivan. Meanwhile, recovery team members continued their efforts to bring the base back up to operational status.“We’re working hard to rapidly return the base to

  • Hurlburt Field assesses Ivan damage

    Officials here are assessing the damage to the base following Hurricane Ivan. Following an initial assessment, base recovery team people will be dispatched throughout the base to begin recovery efforts and bring the base back up to operational status. As of Sept. 16, the base is without water or

  • Hurlburt Field gains 711 SOS, 919 SOMXG

    The Department of the Air Force selected Hurlburt Field, Florida, as the preferred and final location to host the 711 Special Operations Squadron and 919 Special Operations Maintenance Group.

  • Hurlburt Field intelligence flight earns AF level award

    The 1st Special Operations Support Squadron received the 2009 Outstanding Operations Group Intelligence/Operations Support Flight Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Unit of the Year award Oct. 14 here for their tremendous accomplishments at Hurlburt Field. Brig. Gen. Robert "Bob" P. Otto,

  • Hurlburt Field maintainers receive DOD award

    Maintainers from Hurlburt Field, Fla., were named the winners of the Department of Defense Phoenix Award, the highest field-level maintenance award within DOD, Oct. 29 in Denver. Representatives from the 1st Special Operations Maintenance group were on hand at the award ceremony during the 2008 DOD

  • Hurlburt Field medics continue to save lives in Haiti

    Medics from the 1st Special Operations Support Squadron here have performed dozens of surgeries, evacuated scores of citizens and delivered tons of vital supplies as part of the ongoing relief effort in Haiti after the devastating earthquake Jan. 12. The squadron's special operations surgical teams,

  • Hurlburt Field MH-53 crashes

    Two people were injured and five were unhurt when an MH-53 Pave Low helicopter from Hurlburt Field made a hard landing at approximately 11:45 p.m. Sept. 7 near Duke Field, Fla. The Airmen injured in the incident being held at separate hospitals in Pensacola, Fla., are Airman 1st Class Bradley

  • Hurlburt Field preferred for MQ-1 remote split-operation unit

    Air Force officials announced Aug. 4 that Hurlburt Field, Fla., is the preferred alternative for the Air Force Reserve Command MQ-1 remote split-operations squadron. Hurlburt Field will receive a single MQ-1 RSO squadron consisting of 140 personnel and associated equipment. This action does not

  • Hurlburt Field rescuers help crash victims, save lives

    There were people staggering and people screaming. It was total chaos.That was the scene Tech. Sgt. Mike Gray, a pararescueman assigned to the 720th Special Tactics Group here said he saw as he and his wife turned the corner from their home in nearby Fort Walton Beach early April 9.Eight bicycle

  • Hurlburt Field selected for installation excellence

    Hurlburt Field, Fla., was selected as the Air Force winner of the 2003 Commander in Chief's Annual Award for Installation Excellence by the Department of Defense.Hurlburt is one of five installation winners announced April 1 by Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld. The award comes with $1

  • Hurlburt Field unit transfers to Cannon

    Officials from the 16th Special Operations Squadron held a squadron flag-transfer ceremony here June 19 to mark the official transfer of the squadron from Hurlburt Field, Fla., to Cannon Air Force Base. "The mighty (AC-130H) Spectre has arrived," said Lt. Gen. Donald C. Wurster, the Air Force

  • Hurlburt officials remember, honor fallen Airmen

    More than 1,800 servicemembers, families and friends gathered to celebrate the lives of two fallen Airmen in a joint memorial service April 15 here.Maj. Randell Voas, an 8th Special Operations Squadron evaluator pilot, and Senior Master Sgt. James Lackey, an 8th SOS evaluator flight engineer, died

  • Hurricane chasers gear up for Charley

    Mother Nature is poised to unleash hurricane-force winds and torrential downpours here in the wee hours of Aug. 13 from Hurricane Charley. While most people at MacDill have battened down the hatches and headed away from danger, the pilots and meteorologists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric

  • Hurricane Dennis eyes Gulf Coast, packing major winds

    In a flurry of activity, the base is rushing hurricane preparations before the second major hurricane in 10 months makes landfall nearby. According to a hurricane statement released by The National Hurricane Center, Hurricane Dennis was a strong Category 4 hurricane, packing sustained winds of 150

  • Hurricane Gustav -- Airmen ready and helping

    During the Labor Day weekend, Americans have been keeping their eyes on Hurricane Gustav. Active-duty, Guard and Reserve Airmen have been doing their part supporting hurricane evacuation and relief missions along with their civilian and federal agency counterparts. On this third anniversary of

  • Hurricane hunter deals with aftermath of Katrina

    When asked how he wishes he could spend his weekends, the man gets a wistful look in his eyes and says he would love to sit down and watch television. Unfortunately, this is a luxury that Master Sgt. Dan Peters, an Air Reserve Technician with Air Force Reserve Command's 403rd Wing here, is not able

  • 'Hurricane Hunters' busy with missions on both coasts

    It's been a busy two weeks for the Air Force Reserve's Hurricane Hunters. The 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron flew their last of 15 missions into Hurricane Ana in the Pacific Monday while gathering weather data for the Central Pacific Hurricane Center. On the other side of the globe, the

  • Hurricane Hunters close intense 2017 season

    As massive spirals of lightning, wind and rain, hurricanes are some of the most dangerous and destructive forces in nature. And the Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunters fly directly into the center of them.

  • Hurricane hunters close out record season

    The "Hurricane Hunters" of Air Force Reserve Command's 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron flew their last mission of the record 2005 Atlantic Hurricane Season in December. Squadron aircrews flew more than 145 missions into 25 storms and logged more than 1,500 flight hours. They did this while

  • Hurricane Hunters deploy to Hawaii to fly Guillermo

    The Air Force Reserve's 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, assigned to the 403rd Wing at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi, deployed to Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam and began flying data-gathering missions into Hurricane Guillermo Aug. 2.

  • Hurricane Hunters deploy to U.S. Virgin Islands

    Hurricane Hunters have deployed from the Air Force Reserve Command's 403rd Wing here to a forward operating location on St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands to be in position for storm flights. After Citizen Airmen of the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron flew missions into Hurricane Bertha

  • 'Hurricane Hunters' end one of calmest seasons on record

    Nov. 30 marked the end of hurricane season, and the 403rd Wing's 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron closed up shop at their forward operating location at the Henry E. Rohlsen Airport in St. Croix, part of the U.S. Virgin Islands.Known as the "Roll Up," 403rd Wing reservists spent Dec. 9 through

  • Hurricane Hunters finish flying Dorian

    Operations began with three WC-130J aircrafts and one C-130J Super Hercules aircraft from the 403rd Wing departing Keesler Air Force Base, Aug. 25, for Curaçao to provide weather reconnaissance support of what was then Tropical Storm Dorian.

  • Hurricane Hunters fly Atlantic winter storm

    Hurricane Hunters from here flew toward an impending winter storm Feb. 13. Forecasters expected more snow for the northeastern seaboard the next day. Better known for pinpointing tropical storms and hurricanes, Air Force Reserve Command's 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron WC-130J aircraft

  • Hurricane Hunters fly Atmospheric Rivers

    In November 2018, California experienced one of its most destructive fires with more than 150,000 acres burned, 18,000 homes destroyed, over 80 deaths, and with the winter rainfall season ahead, heavy rain can bring flooding and mudslides.

  • Hurricane Hunters fly atmospheric rivers

    The Hurricane Hunters are scheduled to perform “AR recon” from January through March. Scientists, led by Scripps Institution of Oceanography at University of California, San Diego, working in partnership with the 53rd WRS, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Weather Service

  • Hurricane Hunters fly Beryl

    The 53rd WRS, a component of the Air Force Reserve’s 403rd Wing at Keesler AFB, has been flying data-gathering missions into Hurricane Beryl, the first major hurricane of the season.

  • Hurricane Hunters fly data-gathering missions through Hurricane Matthew

    The Air Force Reserve’s 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron has been conducting around-the-clock operations flying into Hurricane Matthew to collect critical weather data for the National Hurricane Center in Miami to improve the center’s computer models that forecast movement and intensity.

  • Hurricane Hunters fly first mission of 2020 Atlantic season

    The 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, the only Department of Defense organization that flies weather reconnaissance, is expected to fly into Invest 90L throughout the weekend to provide weather data by satellite communication to the National Hurricane Center in Miami to improve their computer

  • Hurricane Hunters fly first operation WC-130J mission

    The first storm of the 2005 hurricane season came a little early this year appearing in the Pacific off the coast of Central America. Hurricane Adrian also marked the beginning of a new era in weather reconnaissance for the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron’s “Hurricane Hunters” here.When

  • Hurricane Hunters fly first Pacific hurricane

    The Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunter aircrew flew into the first hurricane of the Pacific Ocean season to collect weather data to assist the Central Pacific Hurricane Center with their forecasts.