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  • IA program provides political-military, cultural experts

    Air Force officers can expect to gain international insight, foreign language proficiency and cultural understanding by becoming international affairs specialists, said an Air Force executive here. "Under the old foreign area officer program, international skills were self-obtained," said Bruce

  • IAAFA continues to expand security cooperation initiatives

    The Air Force has implemented education and training institutions such as the Defense Language Institute English Language Center and the Inter-American Air Forces Academy to meet the demand for security cooperation initiatives, officials said here June 20. "Graduates of IAAFA build relationships

  • IAAFA wins 2019 EPME Center of the Year Award

    The award recognizes the outstanding performance and exceptional contributions made by the community of civilian and military instructors serving the Air and Space Force during the 2019 calendar year.

  • IAMS, Mighty Dog products targets of pet food recall

    Commissaries worldwide have been directed to remove from their shelves certain cat and dog food products listed in a recall by Menu Foods Inc., based on a Food and Drug Administration warning issued March 17. The recall resulted from consumer complaints received by the manufacturer and from tasting

  • ICBM Country: Hill AFB workers play key role in future of strategic defense

    The Air Force is responsible for two legs of the U.S. strategic nuclear triad, intercontinental ballistic missiles and bombers. Airmen, civilian employees and contractors at Hill AFB are working hard to provide that strategic ICBM need by overseeing the Ground Based Strategic Deterrent program, the

  • ICBM security forces deploy every four days

    Security forces Airmen here and at F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyo., and Malmstrom AFB, Mont., constantly deploy but not overseas. Their deployments are to the nation's IBM fields. These Airmen provide security for the U.S. ICBM arsenal around the clock, 365 days a year.The missiles they guard are

  • ICBM test launches showcase Global Strike capabilities

    Two Global Strike Command missile crews launched Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile test vehicles June 16 and 30, respectively, at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif.Missile maintenance and operational task forces from F.E. Warren AFB, Wyo., and Malmstrom AFB, Mont., combined with the

  • ICC: Coming soon to a base near you

    When a crisis happens on base, wing leaders and representatives from various support agencies often will huddle in the wing command post. Operating from this nerve center, they direct emergency services, assess situations and come up with solutions during crises. But the days of the traditional

  • Ice blaster saves money, manpower

    To remove sealant from the wings of F-16 Fighting Falcons, Airmen here are replacing elbow grease and plastic scrapers with dry ice.The new process, which uses a machine to blast material with dry ice pellets, saves time, money and manpower, and is easy to clean up, said officials from the 574th

  • Ice bridge closes gap to range complex

    From the first day the Tanana River in Alaska is frozen enough to walk on, Airmen from the Eielson Air Force Base’s 354th Civil Engineer Squadron’s range maintenance shop drill holes, pump water and let it freeze, layer after layer.

  • Ice cream craving leads to emergency situation

    For two Airmen here, what started out as an ordinary day ended with them risking their lives and becoming heroes.Airman 1st Class Jason Brandos and Airman 1st Class Scot Richardson went to get ice cream with their wives at about 9 p.m. The Brandoses were in the first vehicle, and the Richardsons

  • Iceland hosts Northern Challenge for EOD community

    Airmen from the 52nd Civil Engineer Squadron Explosive Ordnance Disposal Flight at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, participated in exercise Northern Challenge 2016, which began in Keflavik, Iceland, Sept. 12.

  • Iceland radar mission comes to close

    Radar stations operated by Airmen from the 932nd Air Control Squadron at the four corners of Iceland are no longer active following a ceremony bringing the unit's mission to a close. After more than 54 years as Iceland's first line of defense, Air Force and host nation officials determined to

  • Icelandic defense exercise kicks off

    Leaders from the United States and Iceland joined NATO partners Aug. 13 to kick off an exercise to demonstrate U.S. commitment to the 1951 bilateral U.S.-Iceland defense agreement and reinvigorate air defense command and control capabilities of joint and coalition forces in Iceland. Exercise

  • Iceman born abroad

    (This feature is part of the "Through Airmen's Eyes" series on AF.mil. These stories focus on a single Airman, highlighting their Air Force story.)Driving in the dead of night, 5-year-old Ivan Alandzak remembers seeing soldiers laying in ditches, random check points and tanks everywhere.

  • Icemen elves answering Santa's mail

    Children around the world can get a signed letter from Santa Claus, thanks to elves from the 354th Operations Support Squadron's combat weather flight here.For nearly 50 years, people at Eielson AFB have helped Santa answer the mail. Each year, the flight answers thousands of letters, sending

  • ID card process at Beale undergoes rapid improvement

    In an effort to shorten customer wait time at the 9th Mission Support Group common access card/identification card section, Beale personnelists conducted a Rapid Improvement Event May 18-21. With the help of Air Force Smart Operations for the 21st Century specialists from Air Combat Command, the

  • ID cards prepare airmen for deployment

    An airman's projected deployment information can fit inside his or her wallet thanks to the new air and space expeditionary force identification card available online.Officials at the AEF Center here recently introduced the cards as a way to help airmen understand the details of their

  • Idaho Air Guard helps test new stackable cargo pallets

    As part of an ongoing Air Expeditionary Force Battlelab initiative, a team tested a new bilevel aircraft loading system aboard an Idaho Air National Guard C-130 Hercules here April 22.People from the battlelab, a think tank for new and innovative ideas based at Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho,

  • Idaho Air Guard unit wins Hawgsmoke team award

    The Idaho Air National Guard's 190th Fighter Squadron was named the top team at Hawgsmoke 2008 in Salina, Kan., Oct. 17. An awards banquet capped off four days of competition among 14 A-10 Thunderbolt II squadrons from across the Air Force. The 190th, part of the 124th Wing, based at Boise

  • Idaho Guard helps train B-52 crews

    There’s a “war” going on. Every day deployed Airmen from the 266th Range Squadron at Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho, are shooting, eluding and attempting to destroy B-52 Stratofortresses flying here.However, no one gets hurt and no aircraft actually go down because the battle is done using

  • Idaho Guard supports Special Olympics

    About 200 Airmen and Soldiers from the Idaho National Guard are on duty Feb. 4  to prepare for the 2009 Special Olympics Winter World Games being held here from Feb. 7-13. More than 2,500 athletes and delegates from more than 100 countries will converge on the state to participate in athletic events

  • Idea brings $10,000 for McConnell AFB civilian

    A civilian member of the 22nd Operations Group was presented a check for $10,000 from the Air Force at the 22nd Air Refueling Wing staff meeting Aug. 27, here.James Shores, the 22nd OG short range scheduling chief, received the money as part of the Innovative Development through Employee Awareness

  • IDEA brings Davis-Monthan man $10,000

    A suggestion that saves labor and material costs on F-4 Phantom actuator assembly repairs here earned an aircraft pneudraulic systems mechanic $10,000, courtesy of the Innovative Development through Employee Awareness program.Steven Herman, who works in the Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration

  • Idea earns employee $10,000, saves millions

    A telephone call that rudely interrupted Joseph Heinig's hour-and-a-half rest recently ended up with him getting a $10,000 check for a good idea.The telephone call came from Lt. Gen. Dick Reynolds, Aeronautical Systems Center commander here, asking Heinig to be at a recent F-22 systems program

  • Idea earns maintainer big money

    A simple suggestion earned one Misawa maintainer $10,000 and saved the Air Force thousands more. Staff Sgt. Jerome Latham, an engine craftsman with the 35th Maintenance Squadron, suggested a technical order change to the Innovative Development through Employee Awareness, or IDEA, program. His idea

  • Idea earns sergeant $10,000

    An noncommissioned officer assigned to the 4th Component Maintenance Squadron here earned $10,000 through the Innovative Development through Employee Awareness program.Tech Sgt. Scott Weimann used the IDEA program to propose a new method for replacing damaged electrical connectors on the F-15E

  • Idea earns sergeant $10,000

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

  • Idea nets maintenance Airman $10,000

    An Air Force maintainer from McChord Air Force Base recently earned big bucks by making good use of a part that was going to be turned into scrap metal. Master Sgt. Barry Buchmiller of the 62nd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron received a $10,000 check from the Air Force's Innovative Development through

  • Idea paves way for retirement

    One month from retirement, a 49th Civil Engineer Squadron airman received two $10,000 awards for his money-saving ideas.Master Sgt. Marshall Carroll, horizontal-construction superintendent, received the awards for buying a paving machine and an asphalt zipper. He submitted his ideas using the Air

  • IDEA program awards technical order savvy

    Two equipment specialists here are saving the Air Force more than $140,000 through a suggestion to stop digitizing certain technical orders for an aircraft system that is headed for retirement.Michael Simmons and Calvin Haugen submitted the suggestion using the Innovative Development through

  • IDEA recovers more than $2 million

    A discovery by an Air Force Research Laboratory employee here has led to the recovery by the Air Force of more than $2 million in hidden funds. Susan Hluska, a procurement analyst at AFRL's information directorate, has earned a $10,000 award from the Air Force Innovative Development through

  • IDEA will save Air Force $5.7 million

    A Tinker man’s idea to have depot-level maintenance on air traffic control radars performed on-site will save the Air Force more than $5 million and earned him $10,000 through the Innovative Development through Employee Awareness program.Instead of having the vital airport surveillance radar systems

  • IDEA winner saves Air Force millions

    A member of Air Force Global Strike Command from here received the maximum payout of $10,000 for his submission of the Launch Control Center NetLink System to the Innovated Development through Employees Awareness program.Douglas Angell, a technical engineer from the 526th Intercontinental Ballistic

  • Identifying friendly forces to become easier for AWACS

    Engineers with the Electronic Systems Center here have achieved the next step in bringing an improved Identification Friend or Foe, or IFF, system capability to E-3 Sentry Airborne Warning and Control System aircraft.Currently, AWACS provides situational awareness of friendly, neutral and hostile

  • Identity of fallen pilot released

    An Air Force student pilot, 2nd Lt. David J. Mitchell, 26, from Amherst, Ohio, and assigned to the 62nd Fighter Squadron here, was killed March 14 when his F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft crashed in a remote area three miles south of Alamo Lake, Ariz. Lieutenant Mitchell was on a two-ship student

  • Identity theft criminals can steal lives

    Air Force members need to be cautious with personal information, said agents from the Air Force Office of Special Investigations headquarters at Andrews Air Force Base, Md.Information, including Social Security number, bank account and credit card numbers, account passwords, telephone numbers and

  • Identity theft lands cop in confinement

    An airman was discharged from the Air Force, given 14 months confinement and reduced to airman basic after being convicted of several identity-fraud-related crimes during a recent general court-martial here.Senior Airman David A. Daniel, from the 377th Security Forces Squadron, was charged with

  • IDS agencies team up to teach life skills to new Airmen

    The opportunity for approximately 150 Airmen to learn more about personal finance, team building, stress management and relationships was made possible by a new pilot program aimed at providing Airmen with tools to enhance their overall life-skills knowledge base.Through collaboration between the

  • IDT policy change gives augmentees flexibility

    A recent policy change modifies the inactive duty training policy for individual mobilization augmentees, and gives the reservists more flexibility to schedule training requirements.“While it is expected our IMAs will participate on a quarterly basis to maintain viability and visibility within their

  • If sequestration triggers, furloughs begin in late April

    If sequestration is triggered next week, unpaid furloughs for civilian Defense Department employees will start in late April, Pentagon officials said here today.Sequestration is a provision in budget law that will trigger major across-the-board spending cuts March 1 unless Congress agrees on an

  • If you break it, they will come

    Outside, there is a simple, painted sign: “If you break it, we can make it.” Inside, there is an array of equipment, somewhat reminiscent of a high-school machine shop.On either side, the fabrication branch Airmen here have a vital mission: To fix or make the parts and tools needed to keep the

  • IFF: Where fighter pilots begin their careers

    Before pilots step into fighter aircraft, they must go through Introduction to Fighter Fundamentals.IFF is an eight-week course designed to transform newly graduated pilots selected to fly fighters into fighter wingmen. The 49th Fighter Training Squadron teaches pilots the discipline, attitude and

  • IG announces annual award winners

    The Air Force Inspector General announced the winners of the 2002 Howard W. Leaf Inspector General Awards on June 12.The award recognizes the outstanding enlisted and officer inspectors in the Air Force assigned to a major command inspector-general team.This year’s winners include:-- Enlisted

  • IG investigation prompts Air Force official's reassignment

    Michael L. Dominguez, acting secretary of the Air Force, and Gen. John P. Jumper, Air Force chief of staff, have directed that Brig. Gen. Richard S. Hassan be reassigned as a result of an Air Force Inspector General investigation. General Hassan has been reassigned from director of Air Force Senior

  • IG office earns Air Force award

    This Air Force-level award recognizes an outstanding Commander’s Inspection Program that goes above and beyond the day-to-day mission requirements. NASIC’s CCIP was chosen as the best of any direct reporting unit or field operating agency.

  • IHA tool goes live in the cloud

    The Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center first launched the IHA in 2017 as a first-of-its-kind, metrics-based framework to integrate information from authoritative databases across the I&MS enterprise.

  • Illinois Air Guard C-130s join the fight against COVID-19

    Two aircrews assigned to the 182nd Airlift Wing departed Peoria Air National Guard Base, Illinois, April 7, to pick up and transport 250 medical isolation pods from the Oregon manufacturer to Chicago Midway International Airport the next day.

  • Illinois Air National Guard gathers to help save town

    More than 300 Air National Guard members from across Illinois gathered June 19 to help save a small farming community from the swelling Mississippi River here. A collective group from the 126th Air Refueling Squadron at Scott Air Force Base, Ill., the 183rd Fighter Squadron at Springfield, Ill., and

  • Illinois ANG provides communications in Puerto Rico

    The Illinois ANG arrived on the island on Sept. 23, 2017. Within the day following, the eight-member team from the 126th Communications Flight set up a Joint Incident Site Communications Capability adjacent to the Puerto Rico ANG’s 156th Wing operations building at Muniz Air National Guard Base,

  • Illinois ANG soars skies over Poland

    Airmen from the U.S. and Polish air forces started training together Oct. 15, at Powidz Air Base, Poland, for the start of Aviation Detachment rotation 15-1.

  • Illinois ANG supports Bears, Operation Enduring Freedom

    Senior Airman Kimberly Letherman will be watching her favorite team, the Chicago Bears, on Super Bowl Monday. That's right -- Super Bowl Monday. With a nine-and-a-half-hour-time difference with the United States, Airmen in Afghanistan will watch the Super Bowl in the early hours of Monday morning.

  • Illinois base prepares for possible war casualties

    As coalition forces zero in on Baghdad, there is a possibility of mass military casualties. If that happens, Scott AFB in America's heartland may serve as a central medical "hub" for getting wounded warriors to the care they need."If the number of casualties is great, we need to be prepared," said

  • Illinois grounds Air Force season, 78-69

    Bombs did not materialize in San Diego -- off the court or on it. Two hours before the start of the first round of games March 16 in the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament there, bomb-sniffing dogs found a suspicious package in Cox Arena, necessitating an evacuation of the building and a subsequent

  • Illinois town dedicates park to local war hero

    A warrior of three American wars who exemplified Air Force core values before they were written received a hero's tribute at the dedication of the Kasler-Momence Veterans Park Sept. 15 here. More than 300 local residents, city and state representatives, and servicemembers came to honor retired Col.

  • Illustrators draw on real-life experiences

    In this digital era, a group of distinguished illustrators still volunteer their time and talent to capturing the Air Force mission on canvas. "When you look at an oil painting, you are looking at the (artist's) original thinking," said Keith Ferris. "Digital images can be altered countless times

  • I'm all eyes

    Master Sgt. Gary Easterwood (right) talks with a pilot about the proper procedures for using chemical warfare equipment in the F-16 Fighting Falcon. Easterwood is an aircrew life support assistant superintendent. The equipment pilots wear is called the aircrew eye and respiratory protection

  • Imagery and Web cast for Rodeo '07 available on Web

    During Air Mobility Command's Rodeo 2007, going on now through July 27, digital photos along with photo credits are available at the Rodeo image Web site.  To see to see all the available images, type keyword "Rodeo". The images taken by members of the Air Force Combat Camera team cover aerial and

  • IMAs, units to share Reserve personnel reductions

    Faced with eliminating 7,700 personnel authorizations, Air Force Reserve Command officials have decided to divide those cuts between individual mobilization augmentees and unit reservists. "To do our part in the Air Force's recapitalization and modernization efforts, as well as participate in

  • IMAX film crew wraps session at Nellis

    Filming wrapped for the summer here Aug. 22 on an IMAX film based on the Air Force and the mission of Red Flag.The 45-minute, multimillion-dollar film is scheduled to be released in 2004, according to officials.“IMAX is a spectacular venue in which to showcase the Air Force,” said Maj. Gen. Steve

  • 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,

  • Immersion turning out culturally savvy officers

    Traveling to a foreign country, speaking the native tongue and understanding the culture are dreams to some people. But thanks to an Air Force program, line officers have the opportunity to turn those dreams into reality. Language and Area Studies Immersion is a program designed to build a force of

  • Immersive training builds small-unit decision-making skills

    Marines at Camp Pendleton, Calif., got a glimpse recently into what's likely to be the training environment of the future: one that injects live actors, animatronics, projected avatars and other sensory enhancements to replicate the sights, sounds, smells and stresses of combat, and demands the same

  • Immigrant Airmen bring diversity to force

    As a nation founded by immigrants, the U.S. has long drawn its strength through the diversity of its citizens. The complexity of global challenges the U.S. faces today can only be overcome by capitalizing on all the resources at its disposal, including leveraging its greatest strength – its people.

  • Immigrant brings music to military service

    From the capital of Peru to Wichita, Kan., the only zampoña player here is sharing his gift of music with the Air Force.Airman Fredy Pasco works on the commander’s support staff of the 22nd Maintenance Operations Squadron, but spends his off-duty time filling the air with the sound of an Inca

  • Immigrant joins Air Force to give back

    Staff Sgt. Fadi Chreim, a 386th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron vehicle operations dispatch chief, joined the military to give back to the country that brought him in as an immigrant a decade ago.

  • Immobility, injury place thousands at risk

    A difficult-to-detect ailment kills 200,000 people in the U.S. each year -- more than AIDS and breast cancer combined, according to Tricare officials.Yet few have heard of Deep Vein Thrombosis. DVT has been dubbed the "economy class syndrome" because of its association with long flights in cramped

  • Immunizations key for healthy servicemembers, families

    Obtaining proper immunizations against disease is a key factor in sustaining the health of servicemembers, military retirees and their families, senior defense health officials say. "As an infectious disease doctor, I've always felt that a vaccine is that ultimate victory in our war against bugs,"

  • Immunology laboratory named Center of Excellence

    The newest Center of Excellence for radioallergosorbent, or RAST, testing in the Air Force Medical Service lies within the Diagnostic Immunology laboratory at Wilford Hall Medical Center here. RAST testing is the process of using a patient's extracted blood to detect the antibodies associated with

  • Imperative innovation in austere times

    Chief Scientist of the Air Force and other senior leaders conducted a panel discussion about the importance of innovation in a time of austerity during the 2015 Air Force Association Air and Space Conference and Technology Exposition Sept. 14.

  • Implant restores instructor’s hearing

    After serving 22 years on active duty, retired Maj. Robert Graves was stricken with sudden hearing loss in 1990."I woke up, and everyone sounded like they were a block away in a tunnel even though they were in the same room with me," he said.Stationed at Kelly Air Force Base, Texas, at the time, he

  • Implementation of BRAC begins this year

    Now that the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure commission has approved, modified or disapproved the Office of the Secretary of Defense's recommendations for the 2005 round of base realignment and closure, the individual services must plan the implementation of those recommendations. The Air Force

  • Importance of enlisted force stressed

    Several events focusing on the needs and future the Air Force enlisted force proved that the 35th Airlift Tanker Association convention here was as important to enlisted members as it was for the officer corps, civilians and contractors.The convention, which ran Oct. 30 through Nov. 2, featured

  • Important updates in life require update in DEERS

    Important life events like moving or a child going off to college are milestones in military families' lives. No matter where their journeys take them, it's important for families to keep their Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System records up to date. For Tricare beneficiaries, keeping

  • 'Impossible' comeback for retired Airman

    The fire had gone out for the retired technical sergeant, but one television celebrity helped bring it back.After 21 years in the Air Force, Ken Lee followed his lifelong dream of opening a restaurant. Working with another retired Airman, he opened Mama Lee's Soul Food in San Antonio in 2007. It was

  • Improved AF-WIN tool helps eligible Airmen meet retraining goals

    Officials at the Air Force’s Personnel Center recently updated and improved the Air Force Work Interest Navigator, or AF-WIN, tool which helps Airmen who are interested in re-training to identify which Air Force Specialty Codes best fit their strengths and interests.

  • 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

  • Improved C-5 promises more faithful years of service

    At a roll-out ceremony May 16 at Lockheed Martin’s plant in Marietta, Ga., the Air Force accepted delivery of the first C-5M Galaxy, the first of 111 that will undergo modernization at the facility, extending the fleet’s life by more than 25 years. The Aeronautical Systems Center’s C-5 Systems Group

  • Improved 'Dragon Lady' still seeks, finds today's prey

    The 48-year-old U-2 "Dragon Lady" still reigns supreme as the leader among manned intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance systems.Even with newer, unmanned aerial vehicles like Global Hawk and Predator -- welcomed by increasing numbers of warfighters, and now joining the U-2 in ISR missions

  • Improved drilling process is safer, saves money

    In another example of a Lean initiative, an improved process for drilling a duct-liner is proving to be safer, faster and on course to save the Air Force $47,000 a year. For seven years, mechanic Jerry Heiskill dealt with the frustration and discomfort of using a hand-held drill to re-drill holes

  • 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

  • Improved health care plan for reservists starts in October

    Reservists can begin signing up Aug. 11 for more affordable Tricare Select Reserve health care that starts Oct. 1. For some, it means they will pay a third of what they are paying today. "All drilling reservists, including individual mobilization augmentees, will have access to the health-care