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  • Air Force continues aid to Pakistan

    Oct. 12 marked the fourth straight day the Air Force airlifted aid into the devastated region of Pakistan. Four U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III and two C-130 Hercules aircraft transported more than 408,000 pounds, including more than 60 pallets loaded with supplies like tents, cots and

  • Moseley: We are moving towards interdependence with sister services

    The Air Force’s future path requires more jointness and interdependence between the total force, sister services and coalition partners. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. T. Michael Moseley spoke Oct. 11 about this vision for the future of the Air Force, but began with a vision of its recent past. The

  • Maintainers keep Cope Thunder going

    Tucked away in an office on the far corner of the Thunder Dome, two men ensure Airmen and Sailors get Cope Thunder 06-1 missions off the ground -- on time and on target. Without the oversight of Col. Mark Fluke and Chief Master Sgt. Darrin Dwyer, exercise Cope Thunder would, theoretically, only be a

  • Eglin Airmen train Iraqi police

    The introduction of democracy and the reconstruction of Iraq hinges on its police force’s ability to handle those fighting against the transition. So two Airmen from Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., and one from Offutt AFB, Neb., are in the country to make sure the Iraqi police force gets the training it

  • Globemasters deliver more relief aid

    A huge C-17 Globemaster III delivered more relief supplies here Oct. 11 that will go help victims in this country’s earthquake-devastated region. The C-17 and its crew of five, from the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing in Southwest Asia, flew in approximately 50 tons of food and shelter equipment.

  • Keesler Airmen back in school at Sheppard

    Sheppard has a new electronic principles course to train Airmen from Keesler Air Force Base, Miss., displaced by Hurricane Katrina. It took Sheppard two weeks to have the course ready for instruction, said Master Sgt. Rosa Marlin, 365th Training Squadron avionics test equipment flight chief. It

  • Academy sports recap

    This week the U.S. Air Force Academy challenged itself and the nation during five collegiate sporting events. Men’s Soccer: Air Force toppled the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, 1-0, at the cadet soccer stadium. Academy senior David Schill scored the game’s only goal in the early part of the second

  • AFMC air logistics centers garner Shingo Prize

    Industry leaders recognized Air Force Materiel Command's three air logistics centers for their practical implementation of Lean Transformation practices, ensuring America's warfighters success on the job. Lean is a methodology designed to create value, eliminate waste and allow an organization to

  • 'Gateway to Europe' ends 60-year airlift legacy

    Although 60 years of airlift legacy came to a close, the “spirit” of this base will endure. The long-time airlift hub closed during an Oct. 10 ceremony attended by U.S. and German dignitaries. A C-17 Globemaster III bearing the name “Spirit of Rhein-Main” was unveiled by Lt. Gen. Christopher Kelly,

  • Wright-Patterson celebrates an essential step in aviation

    One-hundred years of practical flight were celebrated Oct. 5 on the grounds Orville and Wilbur Wright used to test their legendary Wright Flyer -- launching an aviation era. Mark Dusenberry, pilot and creator of the world's only exact replica of the 1905 Wright Flyer, re-visited the historic moment,

  • Midshipmen cage Falcons, 27-24

    For 59 minutes and 59 seconds Air Force was back. Its three-game losing streak appeared over. Its quest to regain the coveted Commander-In-Chief’s Trophy, symbolic of interservice football supremacy, was on track and its bowl chances were rekindled. But, before the final tick expired, those

  • ETDC supplies gear downrange so deployed troops don’t have to

    The 376th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron’s expeditionary theater distribution center here is leading the way in expeditionary mobility gear processing to make life easier for thousands of deploying Airmen. The center is part of an Air Force test where Airmen can deploy from their home

  • Airmen deliver first relief supplies to Pakistan

    The first relief supplies from the United States arrived here on a C-17 Globemaster III less that 48 hours after the devastating earthquake that left thousands dead and injured. The C-17 and its crew, from the 7th Airlift Squadron, McChord Air Force Base, Wash., delivered 12 pallets -- almost 90,000

  • Edwards, DARPA explore new C-17 capability

    Soaring 6,000 feet above the sun-baked California desert, a pair of Edwards aircraft -- a C-17 Globemaster III shadowed by a C-12 Huron observer aircraft -- carried out an unusual mission with an even more unusual cargo recently. The rear of the aircraft yawned open, and at the prompt of "five,

  • Moseley: C-17 'worth weight in gold' in Pacific

    Basing C-17 Globemaster IIIs in Hawaii will boost Pacific Air Force’s airlift capabilities in the region, the Air Force chief of staff said Oct. 6. Gen. T. Michael Moseley said with the huge transports flying out of Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii, U.S. Transportation Command and Air Mobility Command

  • Cope Thunder exercise begins

    Cope Thunder 06-1 participants are using the 62,000 square miles of airspace at this remote base to “fly, fight and win” during Pacific Air Force’s premier combat airpower exercise. The two-week exercise, which will run through Oct. 21, is the command’s largest air combat training exercise,

  • Fall 2005 quarterly issue of Airman available online

    Read about the Air Force’s explosive ordnance disposal team in Baghdad disarming the enemy, get inside the Air Force’s response to Hurricane Katrina, follow a little boy named Eddy as he undergoes surgery in Ecuador, and discover the ins and outs of the F/A-22 Raptor. These features and more

  • Reserve wing welcomes change to flying mission

    The 445th Airlift Wing received its first of 11 C-5 Galaxy aircraft Oct. 3. Air Force Reserve Command wings do not change aircraft very often, and the 445th AW is no exception, having flown C-141 Starlifters since the wing’s activation Oct. 1, 1994. All that will soon be history. The C-141s are

  • A-10 phase dock keeps OEF frequent flyers flying

    A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft here flew 500 sorties in September over Afghanistan supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. Direct close-air support missions accounted for 380 of those sorties. Whether supporting ground troops in the war or conducting a training mission at their home station, A-10

  • Barksdale joins Bright Star 2005

    Airmen here recently engaged in a unique international exercise -- Bright Star 2005. The Bright Star exercise takes place every two years in Egypt and includes coalition forces from the United States, Egypt and 12 other countries. Airmen faced several challenges during the exercise which ran Sept.

  • Air Warfare Center changes names to USAF Warfare Center

    The Air Warfare Center here officially changed its name Oct. 1 to the U.S. Air Force Warfare Center. The new name more accurately reflects the center's expanding responsibility to integrate space and information operations with traditional air warfare, officials said. The expansion was previously

  • Servicemembers pay respect to fallen Airman

    More than 225 Airmen, Soldiers, Sailors and multinational partners crowded the new base chapel Oct. 6 to pay their final respects to their comrade in arms, Airman 1st Class Elizabeth Jacobson. Airman Jacobson was killed on a convoy near Camp Bucca, Iraq, on Sept. 28 when her vehicle was hit by an

  • Intel officer assumes command of Air Intelligence Agency

    A career intelligence officer assumed command Oct. 6 of the Air Force organization charged with providing information warfare capabilities to air component and joint force commanders around the world. Maj. Gen. John C. Koziol became the 28th commander of the Air Intelligence Agency and Joint

  • Dawgs put PERSCO back online

    It was 5 p.m. on Oct. 2 and the 407th Personnel Support for Contingency Operations section here was winding down the day shift. The cable dawgs of the 407th Expeditionary Communications Squadron were doing the same. But things changed rapidly 10 minutes later when 1st Lt. Adam Pudenz walked into the

  • General Yeager speaks at Smithsonian

    One of the most famous test pilots of all time, retired Brig. Gen. Charles E. “Chuck” Yeager, spoke to 500 aviation enthusiasts at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum on Oct. 4. It was the 25th time in the past 26 years General Yeager has held the lecture. Those in attendance watched a

  • Eglin firemen keep NASCAR teams safe

    When a multicar crash happens at Talladega Superspeedway or when crewmembers get hurt along pit road, there is a group of professionals always ready to put their lives on the line to save another -- firemen. Four firefighters from Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., John Piccuito, J.R. Suddarth, Jimmy Reed

  • Officials: Catastrophic events caused U-2 crash

    A catastrophic, cascading sequence of events, beginning with the inflight failure of the power takeoff shaft, caused a U-2S surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft to crash June 22 in Southwest Asia, killing the pilot, according to Air Force investigators. The aircraft was returning to a

  • USAFE, Rwandan security forces protect airlift mission

    A joint U.S. and Rwandan security forces team is keeping the people and aircraft supporting humanitarian operations here safe. Sixteen Airmen with the 786th Security Forces Squadron from Sembach Air Base, Germany, and six Airmen with the 435th SFS at Ramstein AB, Germany, are working with Rwandan

  • Enlisted Village opens assisted living doors

    After two years, a reneged $8-million donation and several major hurricanes, the Air Force Enlisted Village finally opened the doors to Hawthorn House, the latest addition to the community that “provides a home” for widows of retired enlisted Airmen. Hawthorn House, a 64-apartment assisted living

  • Capability assessment helps AF prepare for future

    Air Force leaders use a future capabilities assessment to assist in planning for 2025 and beyond. More than 100 participants from the Air Force's planning, operations, research and development communities gathered Oct. 4 in Herndon, Va., to play out scenarios that may threaten the United States in

  • Air Force named executive agent for Katrina-related funds

    In a recent memorandum, defense officials named the Air Force as the executive agent for Hurricane Katrina funding. As the executive agent, Air Force officials will ensure services within the Department of Defense are reimbursed for expenses incurred while providing Hurricane Katrina relief support,

  • Texas National Guard relief mission begins drawing down

    With power coming on throughout the area, Texas National Guardsmen with Task Force-Seguin transferred food and water distribution duties to other task forces and local authorities Oct. 4. The team returned to their home units and families Oct. 5. “There are still a few rural areas requiring

  • Officials name vice chair of Scientific Advisory Board

    Dr. Ann R. Karagozian assumed her duties Oct. 5 as vice chair of the U.S. Air Force Scientific Advisory Board, an independent group that provides technical advice to Air Force leaders. Dr. Karagozian, a professor with the University of California-Los Angeles’ aerospace and mechanical engineering

  • Academy sports recap: Falcons finish third in track and field tourney

    Backed by a second-place finish from Nick Wilson and a 10th-place finish from Nicole Graham, the Air Force men’s and women’s cross country team finished third at the Willamette Invitational in Salem, Ore., on Oct. 1. Other top finishers were Mark Walter with an 11th-place finish behind a time of 24

  • Security escorts eyes, ears for base security

    They are “not your average babysitter.” In fact, the 376th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron’s security escorts are referred to as the frontline of defense and the eyes and ears of security forces here. “They provide the base with the ability to support multiple contracts without impacting the

  • Loyal partners sniff out trouble in Iraq

    After a couple of years apart, Ori and Tyreese are partners again. And the security forces duo is deployed and back on the job sniffing out trouble at an entry control point here. Staff Sgt. Tyreese McAllister was the first handler Ori was assigned to after the German shepherd graduated from the

  • U.S. delivering F-15s to South Korea Air Force

    The two newest F-15 Eagles off the Boeing production line in St. Louis are on their way to South Korea. South Korea Air Force officials purchased 40 fighters from Boeing for $4.2 billion, and the first two stopped here Oct. 2 on their way to Seoul. “We have been coordinating with Pacific Air Forces

  • Family support center helps inmates prepare for freedom

    Sue O’Neal believes a repentant Airman who has committed a crime and is serving time in a military confinement facility here deserves a second chance. “We all make mistakes in life,” Ms. O’Neal said. “Some people end up paying for those mistakes -- some don’t. But in my view, no one is a throwaway.”

  • Airmen control, contain, communicate at Ali Base

    It is not easy getting on base, and that is the way it should be. Around-the-clock missions supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom are spearheaded here thanks to the multiple layers of protection provided by the 407th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron. Visitors to Ali Base arriving by road quickly

  • 407th ECES brings boxes together, expands clinic

    The magazine selection has not changed, but everything else about the 777th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron medical clinic here has. Fifteen Airmen from several occupational specialties came together recently to double the clinic’s work space. Patients now have more privacy during screenings and

  • Bioenvironmental engineers keep people healthy

    Staff Sgt. Terrence Jaimungal dips a vial into the Back River and comes back up with water, dirt, grass and other visible objects. But it is the things that cannot be seen by the naked eye that Sergeant Jaimungal is concerned with -- things most Airmen will not notice but can do them harm, such as

  • USAFE returns African Union troops to Rwanda

    Two U.S. Air Forces in Europe C-130 Hercules returned about 80 African Union peacekeepers from the Darfur region of the Sudan on Oct. 2. The AU troops are the first of 200 scheduled to be redeployed by the 86th Air Expeditionary Group from Sudan to Rwanda , following about six months providing

  • Cutting-edge communications essential in emergency response

    Communication is like water, heat or air conditioning -- it is virtually invisible when the system is operating smoothly. No one notices it unless it stops. While most military communications technicians understand that attitude and generally stay out of the spotlight, the Incident Commanders,

  • Returning crews brave thunderstorms, land safely

    It is the stuff movies are made from: A thunderstorm wall as high as 45,000 feet and two aircraft -- one with limited radar coverage -- 100 miles from their intended course. After unloading 70 passengers and their cargo at El-Fashir airstrip in Darfur on Sept. 30 as part of the African Union

  • Academy family rewarded for ‘extreme’ caring

    They lined Highway 24 in rural Peyton, Colo., about 30 miles east of here, straining to get a better glimpse of this real life “Field of Dreams.” A stretched limousine carrying an eager academy family pulled carefully alongside a huge bus so they could not see the miraculous transformation their

  • Bagram upgrade taken on by Red Horse engineers

    Aircraft parking space is getting a boost from the ground up here as a team of Red Horse engineers remove and replace 60,000-square meters of ramp space. Once complete, the $4.4-million airfield construction project will provide U.S. and coalition aircraft supporting Operation Enduring Freedom a

  • Texas National Guard relief efforts move to rural areas

    As power is restored to smaller cities, Texas National Guardsmen are moving further into rural areas of Texas to assist Federal Emergency Management Agent officials with distribution of food, water and ice to Hurricane Rita victims. Task Force-Seguin, which comprises 300 Army and Air National

  • Air Force posthumously awards Bronze Star

    An Air Force chaplain’s assistant was posthumously recognized in a Brewer, Maine, ceremony Sept. 27 for his participation in a Korean War airlift that saved nearly 1,000 orphans. Staff Sgt. Merle Y. Strang played a key part in evacuating orphans from war-torn Seoul, South Korea, to the safer

  • Colorado State rams Falcons, 41-23

    The only pretty thing about the academy playing Colorado State University Sept. 29 that many Falcon fans saw was the scenery lining the 110-mile drive along I-25 from Colorado Springs, Colo., to here. Falcon fans who made the trek north to join the crowd of 26,711 fans at Sonny Lubick Field at

  • Rhein-Main mission ends, but not its legacy

    Bob Keffer is looking for work again. But at age 70, he knows it won’t be easy.But he has no choice. There is no future for him at Rhein-Main Air Base, Germany -- outside Frankfurt -- where he worked for the past 31 years. The base closes this year.Still, he’s optimistic. If he can just find a

  • Air Force hospital saves lives of Iraqi terrorist attack victims

    Shortly after terrorists set off a string of car bombs in the nearby town of Balad on Sept. 29, medical professionals at the Air Force Theater Hospital here prepared for an influx of severely injured patients."When we started unloading the first Army helicopter, I realized that everyone who came in

  • Marines turn up the heat for Airmen on Okinawa

    Firefighters have a common enemy, regardless of the color of their uniforms. And Marines here recently assisted Airmen to maximize training against this dangerous foe.Aircraft Rescue Firefighting Marines with Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron here conducted simulated aircraft fire training

  • Environmental cleanup ahead of schedule

    The Air Force has given its air logistics centers until the year 2014 to clean up sites contaminated from past industrial operations. And, Robins Air Force Base is ahead of schedule with 13 systems now in place to clean up remaining sites. To date, more than half of the total 79 environmental sites

  • Seymour Johnson Airman shot to death on post-deployment leave

    A security forces Airmen from here was shot to death while on post-deployment leave in Galveston, Texas.The death of Airman 1st Class Phillip Ovalle has been ruled a homicide by the Houston Police Department, and an active-duty Marine has been charged with the murder, according to a base spokesman

  • Services Airmen ensure people get ‘comforts of home’

    Airmen with the 147th Fighter Wing services flight at Ellington Field, Texas, are ensuring everyone supporting Hurricane Rita relief efforts have a hot meal to eat and a comfortable bed to sleep in.While some servicemembers deployed there from various parts of the country are sleeping and working in

  • Air Commandos build bonds with African country

    A select team of combat aviation advisors from the 6th Special Operations Squadron here recently deployed to the edge of the Sahara desert to train with the fledgling Niger Air Force.Because the 6th SOS has been to Niger numerous times, the air commandos understand how to adapt to living and working

  • Small Diameter Bomb certified for operational test, evaluation

    19! 23! 35! 37! 20!No, that's not a football audible at the line of scrimmage, but the accomplishments of the Small Diameter Bomb Program: the number of months, 19, from the system design and development contract award to the first production contract award; the number of months, 23, from

  • Airman killed in Iraq

    An improvised explosive device killed a female Airman during a convoy mission supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.Airman 1st Class Elizabeth Jacobson, 21, was providing convoy security Sept. 28 near Camp Bucca, Iraq, when the vehicle she was riding in was hit by an improvised explosive device. The

  • Air Force Climate Survey helps shape future force

    Airmen will have the power to shape the Air Force of the future through the 2005 Air Force Climate Survey that begins Oct. 1. “This survey will help us ensure we are taking care of our most important asset -- our people,” said Chief of Staff of the Air Force, Gen. T. Michael Moseley. “We have used

  • Noise research may open thousands more airports in nation

    Commercial airlines may soon be able to land at 8,000 more U.S. airports because of research involving Air Force test pilots.If the research is applied, no longer will aircraft be restricted from landing at smaller airports because of the excessive noise aircraft make upon landing, according to

  • Reservists reducing hurricane-born insects

    Hurricane Katrina did more than claim lives and destroy property. The deadliest storm in U.S. history flooded acres of land with standing water, providing a prime breeding ground for mosquitoes and filth flies.To counter a mass increase in mosquitoes in the Gulf Coast region, Air Force reservists

  • Captain one of 10 outstanding young Americans

    A captain with the 116th Air Control Wing here is one of the 10 Outstanding Young Americans for 2005 chosen by the U.S. Junior Chamber of Commerce.Capt. Paul Maykish received the award during the Jaycees’ 67th annual black-tie awards ceremony held at the Boston World Trade Center Sept. 17.The

  • Negotiation Center of Excellence established

    Air Force officials announced the creation of a Negotiation Center of Excellence at the Air University at Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala. The center will spearhead the development and application of negotiation, collaboration and problem-solving skills throughout the Air Force.“More and more,

  • Air Force chapel programs donate thousands

    In recent weeks, Air Force chapels raised thousands of dollars to provide comfort for those affected by Hurricane Katrina.Chapel communities contributed more than $376,000 for Hurricane Katrina survivors since the storm hit three weeks ago, according to the Air Force Chief of Chaplains Office

  • C-141 approaches historical conclusion as last flight nears

    Since its first flight Dec. 17, 1963, the C-141 Starlifter has enjoyed a prestigious history.The last chapter of that history will be written in October when the Air Force's last C-141 unit, the 445th Airlift Wing at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, starts replacing its Starlifters with the

  • Eglin fighters shine at Bright Star

    The 33rd Fighter Wing here was the Air Force’s lone fighter unit in Egypt to participate in the joint-combined training exercise Bright Star 05/06.The exercise, which began Sept. 10 and ends Oct. 3, is U.S. Central Command’s largest coalition exercise. It tests theater engagement activity and boosts

  • Medics transform ‘Toy Land’ into medical treatment facility

    The Texas Air National Guard stood up Task Force Compassion here to provide Hurricane Rita evacuees medical support and to evacuate non-critical patients from overburdened local hospitals.Task force Airmen and Soldiers began setting up a 10-bed medical treatment facility overnight in Ellington’s

  • C-141 flies last mission from combat zone

    For the last time in its long career, a C-141 Starlifter aircraft will fly military patients out of a war zone Sept. 30.The flight from Iraq will end a five-day mission to the Middle East for the airlift plane from the 445th Airlift Wing here. The aircraft first started airlifting the sick and

  • Check the oil please

    It’s a long flight over “the pond” from the United States to Africa and Europe. Sometimes that flight is twice as long for those deploying to Southwest Asia.Moron Air Base is bout halfway to those locations -- and the key bases from where the U.S. military runs Operations Iraqi and Enduring

  • Relief supplies, people continue arriving at Ellington Field

    More than 100 tons of relief supplies have left this airfield for hurricane-affected Gulf Coast areas via CH-47 Chinook helicopters since Sept. 24. The airfield, which is the central hub for Texas relief operations, is home to the 147th Fighter Wing and its fleet of F-16 Fighting Falcon jets. Wing

  • Air Force national museum adds ‘Wild Weasel’ exhibit

    An exhibit commemorating the accomplishments of the "Wild Weasels" during the Vietnam War was unveiled recently at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force.The exhibit contains an F-105G "Thunderchief" aircraft; an SA-2 surface-to-air missile and launcher; items such as maps, flight gear, helmets,

  • Predators fly first four-ship sorties

    The latest upgrade to the MQ-1 Predator, known as the Multi-Aircraft Control, or MAC system, entered operational testing with the first two-ship and four-ship Predator sorties being flown over a four-day period.Testers performed two-ship sorties Sept. 12 and 13 and progressed to four-ship sorties

  • Rescue teams switch to stand-by mode

    Search-and-rescue aircrews here will fly as needed, but are no longer launching on pre-planned missions to find victims of Hurricane Rita, officials said Sept. 26.The changes come as four HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopters moved from here to Ellington Field, near Houston. They also will be on stand-by

  • All-female combat crew takes it in stride

    A crew of six Airmen at a forward deployed location climbed aboard a C-130 Hercules together recently for the first time in their careers. But something distinguished this mission from others they had flown --it was the first time an all-female C-130 crew flew a combat mission. Capt. Carol

  • Air Force successfully launches GPS satellite

    The Air Force’s 45th Space Wing, its mission partners and Boeing successfully launched a Global Positioning System satellite into orbit on a Delta II space launch vehicle at 11:37 p.m. Sept. 25. The GPS constellation provides continuous, precise three-dimensional location information -- including

  • Airmen stand ready in wake of Hurricane Rita

    Approximately 800 Air Force people, 91 aircraft and 31 equipment packages with a variety of capabilities have actively supported Hurricane Rita response efforts, or continue to stand ready to do so.Pararescue teams with the Air Force Reserve's 920th Rescue Wing at Patrick Air Force Base, Fla., and

  • Guard unit supports hurricane relief operations at Ellington

    Hurricane Katrina relief operations had just slowed down when Airmen with the 136th Tanker Airlift Control Element had to quickly pack their bags to support another hurricane relief operation -- this time in their home state.The 10-person TALCE team and 26 Airmen from the 136th Aerial Port Squadron

  • U.S. Northern Command continues Hurricane Rita support

    U.S. Northern Command continues its support to assist the Federal Emergency Management Agency in the wake of Hurricane Rita.USNORTHCOM’s joint operations center continues 24-hour operations in Colorado Springs, Colo., to monitor the relief effort. In response to Hurricane Rita, the military has

  • Rita doesn’t prevent happy homecoming

    Senior Airman Leah Saldivar waited with excitement for her father, Master Sgt. Florencio Saldivar, to depart the plane that brought him home from Balad Air Base, Iraq. It had only been a few days since she had last seen him. Airman Saldivar had returned from the same deployment only a few days

  • Guard Airmen create solution, refuel evacuation efforts

    Two Texas Air National Guard Airmen created a custom-made fuel truck nozzle allowing 100 stranded buses to return to evacuation support efforts in Beaumont, Texas, Sept. 23. Master Sgt. Lynn Bailey, 147th Fighter Wing fuels shop superintendent, and Staff Sgt. Vic Taylor, 147th FW refueling mechanic,

  • President monitors Hurricane Rita operations at Randolph

    President George W. Bush concluded an overnight visit here Sept. 25 where he received a briefing about the military’s role in the aftermath of Hurricane Rita.The president also attended chapel services with members of the Randolph congregation before leaving San Antonio for Baton Rouge, La., where

  • Rescue crews make five saves in Texas, Louisiana

    Air Force search-and-rescue crews made five saves and assisted in six others Sept. 24 during post-storm operations over areas of Louisiana and Texas affected by Hurricane Rita.The saves were made by Airmen flying HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopters and HC-130 Hercules refueling aircraft. The aircrews and

  • Civil Air Patrol plays key role in hurricane disaster relief

    With Hurricane Rita having passed through Texas and Louisiana, Civil Air Patrol units from the two states are working to provide aerial damage assessments, transporting officials and supplies, and conducting search and rescue missions. The CAP has flown approximately 40 missions the past few days,

  • Air Force continues Hurricane Rita support

    In response to Hurricane Rita, the Air Force has flown 82 missions supporting evacuation, relief and recovery operations. Additionally, Air Force search and rescue crews began combing the Gulf Coast Sept. 24, and the Air Force's auxiliary volunteer force continues to assist in aerial damage

  • McGuire unit returns from Hurricane Rita mission

    Twenty members of McGuire Air Force Base’s 621st Contingency Response Wing deployed to Beaumont, Texas, Sept. 22 to assist hurricane evacuation efforts for more than 1,900 people at the Southeast Texas Regional Airport.During the vital few hours the Airmen were on the ground, they helped move about

  • Ellington Field ramps up for relief operations

    Airmen who rode out Hurricane Rita at Ellington Field -- near Galveston -- left shelters there to set up an airlift hub to help storm relief efforts.The 147th Fighter Wing cleaned up storm debris Sept. 24 hours after the storm passed through. And by the time the weather cleared enough for flight

  • Search and rescue missions underway

    A combined search-and-rescue team with helicopters and HC-130 Hercules aircraft flew its first mission Sept. 24, combing the Texas Gulf Coast for Hurricane Rita victims.Active duty and Air Force Reserve aircrews from the 347th Rescue Wing, Moody Air Force Base, Ga., and the 920th Rescue Wing,

  • Falcon’s fourth-quarter comeback falls short in 38-35 loss

    Two touchdown drives engineered by backup quarterback Adam Fitch late in the fourth quarter were not enough in the Falcons’ 38-35 loss to the University of Utah in front of 41,935 spectators here Sept. 22.“We could’a, should’a won, it’s the same thing I said last week,” Falcons head coach Fisher

  • ACC commander praises role of Airmen

    Endurance will be the key to winning the war on terrorism, and the Air Combat Command commander told Airmen here their long-term commitment is paying off.“This is a long-haul engagement we’re in, and we can’t falter now,” said Gen. Ronald E. Keys. “We’re making some real advances, but we can’t pack

  • ROVERs aid in search and rescue

    In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, local recovery authorities needed helping seeing what was happening on the ground. That is when Airmen brought in ROVER, the Air Force’s cutting edge combat technology to the table, to support combined rescue operations. The Remote Operations Video Enhanced Receiver

  • Lessons learned aid preparation for Hurricane Rita

    With Airmen still working recovery efforts from Hurricane Katrina, the Air Force prepares for the second major hurricane to hit the Gulf Coast in just over three weeks.Lessons were learned from Hurricane Katrina, and the Air Force wasted no time in implementing them.Airlift aircraft and helicopters

  • Lackland Airmen among thousands on pre-Rita duty

    As Hurricane Rita forces millions to evacuate the Texas and Louisiana Gulf Coast, Airmen at many bases are ready to join first-response relief operations.The Air Force joins a massive Department of Defense mobilization that will send thousands of troops into areas affected by the hurricane. Defense

  • Air Force busy before the storm

    Waiting for Hurricane Rita is now a national vigil -- but the Air Force has not been idle, waiting for the storm to hit.Instead, it mobilized.Some Airmen moved to locations nearer to where the hurricane will make landfall -- along the Texas-Louisiana border. They need to be close when the order

  • U-2 provides Hurricane Rita imagery

    A U-2 "Dragon Lady" here completed yet another surveillance and reconnaissance mission Sept. 22, but this mission was a first for the aircraft. It was the first time a U-2 aircraft was tasked to collect images of the Gulf Coast before a hurricane, Hurricane Rita, strikes land. The unique mission

  • Dyess Airmen prepare shelters for evacuees

    Airmen here helped local American Red Cross officials prepare three shelters in Abilene, Texas Sept. 23 for Hurricane Rita evacuees.About 100 Airmen put together cots and hauled water in preparation for more than 450 evacuees seeking shelter from the hurricane.Senior Master Sgt. Deb Norris, 7th

  • Combat convoy course expands to driving 18-wheelers

    The Basic Combat Convoy Course here now includes teaching Airmen to drive tractor-trailer supply trucks and gun trucks as convoy operations in Iraq have evolved into longer, more dangerous missions, course leaders said.All Airmen in the course also are now receiving combat lifesaver training during

  • Power pro creates energy to sustain base operations

    One office here works behind the scenes day and night to harvest an under-appreciated necessity everyone needs to do their job -- electricity. Every time a person here flips a light switch, turns on a computer, gets a cold drink out of the refrigerator or relaxes in air conditioning, he or she can

  • AMC 'chasing the clock' to move Hurricane Rita evacuees

    As a second major hurricane bears down on the Gulf Coast region, Air Mobility Command Airmen are helping evacuate hundreds of people from the path of the storm.Hurricane Rita, a Category 3 storm boasting 125-mph winds, is expected to hit the Texas Gulf Coast in the early morning hours of Sept. 24.On

  • Rebuilding of Hurricane Hunters' home begins

    Reservists from the 403rd Wing at Keesler Air Force Base, Miss., continue flying hurricane tracking missions from their temporary working location at Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Ga., while dealing with personal loss suffered from the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.Although many of their neighborhoods

  • Ravens provide security for Hurricane Rita evacuations

    A four-person security forces Raven team left here Sept. 22 for Travis Air Force Base, Calif., along with four other teams from Air Mobility Command bases to provide security for AMC aircraft traveling to Texas and Louisiana.The Phoenix Raven program, implemented in 1997, consists of teams of