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  • Cadets to sing at Super Bowl XXXIX

    Air Force Academy cadets will join fellow service academy cadets to sing the national anthem to kick off Super Bowl XXXIX.The 25-voice Cadet Chorale will join with cadets from the U.S. Naval Academy Glee Club, West Point Choir and U.S. Coast Guard Academy Choir to perform in Jacksonville, Fla., on

  • Hawaii Air Guard participates in Cope Tiger

    Eight F-15 Eagles and 70 Airmen from the Hawaii Air National Guard's 199th Fighter Squadron deployed here Jan. 24 for Cope Tiger 2005. They were here to practice their flying-training skills with Thai and Singaporean airmen, and U.S. Navy and U.S. Air Force air and ground support crews.This is the

  • Officials release updated transformation flight plan

    Air Staff officials recently updated the U.S. Air Force Transformation Flight Plan, which spells out the transformation strategy of the Air Force. According to the secretary of defense's transformation planning guidance, officials in the office of force transformation use the flight plan and the

  • Air Force Assistance Fund campaign kicks off Feb. 14

    The Air Force Assistance Fund "Commitment to Caring" campaign runs Feb. 14 to May 6. Program officials invite Airmen to contribute to any of the Air Force’s four official charitable organizations.The charities benefit active-duty, Reserve, Guard, retired servicemembers, surviving spouses and

  • Airmen keep cargo, people moving

    Since Jan. 1, tanker airlift control element Airmen here have been making sure that what comes into the Royal Thai navy airfield gets out.The element in Utapao is composed of Airmen from the 615th Air Mobility Squadron out of Travis Air Force Base, Calif. In one of two buildings they use here, the

  • Deployed fuels technicians keep OEF airlift rolling

    On a busy morning here, fuels technicians in the 416th Expeditionary Mission Support Squadron fuels management flight could have between three and five fuel trucks on the airfield topping off a C-130 Hercules or a C-17 Globemaster III.It does not really matter where the planes are going; all that

  • National Nurse Anesthetist Week kicks off Jan. 23

    Whether administering epidurals for women in labor, giving patients minor sedation in the emergency room, or watching over their patients in the operating room, certified registered nurse anesthetists have been working with surgeons, dentists and podiatrists for nearly 150 years to deliver safe

  • Airmen test new security forces vehicle

    Airmen with the 91st Security Forces Group here are testing a new armored personnel vehicle which may someday replace the ones Minot cops currently use in the missile field.The Lenco Bearcat vehicle has a V-8, diesel turbo engine combined with armored plating, said Tech. Sgt. Kevin McDonald, 91st

  • Bill payment arrives in deployed Airman’s package

    The Elvis Presley song goes, “Return to Sender.” The song came true for a Lott, Texas, woman who attempted to pay a bill which was accidentally delivered to a forward-deployed location here. Like millions of Americans, Mary Morris sent a bill payment via the U.S. Postal Service. Apparently, her

  • Airmen honor president during inaugural parade

    Thousands of people lined Pennsylvania Avenue on Jan. 20, waiting for the passing of the presidential motorcade during the inaugural parade.Two things were immediately apparent to people attending the event. The first was the overwhelming amount of security, and second was the large contingent of

  • Miracle baby joins McGuire family

    A family here witnessed a miracle recently when their baby was born 16 weeks early.Mayra Morales, the wife of Staff Sgt. Freddie Morales Fernandez, gave birth to Ariam Marie Morales at a hospital in nearby Camden.Sergeant Morales Fernandez, a 305th Civil Engineer Squadron electrical systems

  • Edwards Airmen save man from inferno

    Two Airmen, neighbors in a mobile home park near here, sprang out of their homes and saw a mass of wood and plaster being engulfed in flames.The Airmen had settled down from a long day of unpacking and work, respectively."That was my first night in the trailer," said Tech. Sgt. Jerry Rocovits, a

  • Some gifts cannot be wrapped

    An Air Force Space Command headquarters Airman helped save his brother-in-law’s life here.Maj. Dave Holz, a plans and programs officer, gave a Christmas present that did not need wrapping. Rich Borsuk, Major Holz’s brother-in-law, was diagnosed with type-one diabetes 25 years ago as a 6-year-old

  • Airman’s hobby goes to the dogs

    The barking is deafening, but there is no perpetrator lurking around the property or a violent storm on the way. There is only a woman approaching the dog pen with a fistful of harnesses. The dogs know one thing, they are going to run. Senior Airman Mary Lunde, with the 5th Munitions Squadron, is a

  • Different views of same humanitarian effort

    Maj. Mark Ledbetter briefs his aircrew about the day’s mission and walks with them to their HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter. It is a simple mission, but the enormity of the situation still affects the entire aircrew. Their task it to help feed and supply more than a million people left homeless after

  • The human element of a humanitarian mission

    A.P. Tudor Jayasekera and his wife of 20 years, K. Rupawathi, stand in the ruins of what was once their home. All that remains are bricks, cement pieces and six pieces of wood from their roof, but they said they feel lucky.They were out of their home when a 20-foot tsunami crashed into their

  • Lackland medics support OIF evacuation mission

    The medical mission in Iraq is complex, made up of a variety of Air Force and Army units that provide care for servicemembers and Defense Department civilians and contractors who need help with various ailments -- ranging from minor scorpion stings to serious combat injuries. But patients who need

  • Boom operators provide fuel for warfighters

    Some Airmen spend their work days in office cubicles, but a select group of enlisted fliers work in an “office” 25,000 feet in the air while traveling 500 mph.Boom operators from the 908th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron, do not push papers; instead, they push fuel to combat aircraft engaged in

  • CMSAF: Our airlift is what makes us a global power

    Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Gerald R. Murray highlighted the Air Force’s airlift mission during a three-day visit here Jan. 12.“We could not do what we do in the United States military and as a nation without our great airlifters,” Chief Murray said. “Our airlift is what makes us a global

  • Joint fighting now norm for U.S. military

    Servicemembers joining the military today are not joining just the Army, Navy, Air Force or Marine Corps -- they are joining a truly joint force.The American military has reached unprecedented levels of joint operations in Operation Iraqi Freedom, military officials here said."When I joined the

  • Deployed C-130Js exceeding expectations

    When the C-130J -- the newest variant of the versatile C-130 Hercules -- deployed for the first time in December, Air Mobility Command officials said they were confident of the aircraft’s capabilities.During the first few weeks of the aircraft's deployment, the J model has met and in some cases

  • Airmen help train Iraqi soldiers

    A professional military education instructor had to overcome a language barrier, an unfamiliar curriculum and a trust issue with his students to contribute to the development of a new nation.Master Sgt. Mark Leuquire was one of 28 Air Force instructors deployed to Iraq to train noncommissioned

  • Tikrit Airmen focused on the job at hand

    As danger mounts and the chances of coming into contact with enemy insurgents and explosive devices greatly increases with each passing mile, Airmen protecting critical resupply convoys throughout Iraq are remaining focused on the job at hand.From cold, desolate stretches of highway near the Turkish

  • Air Force continues aid in Sri Lanka

    Three weeks after the most devastating tsunamis on record slammed into this island south of India and killed an estimated 38,000 people, Airmen continue to help people here.More than a million were left homeless. Children without parents, or grandparents. Parents without children. In some cases, a

  • Service demographics offer snapshot of force

    Air Force Personnel Center officials here recently published the quarterly demographics report offering a snapshot of the service's active-duty and civilian force, as of Dec. 31.More information can be found online at www.afpc.randolph.af.mil/demographics/. Statistics rounded to the nearest tenth.

  • Airman returns nearly $5,000 to wallet owner

    Airmen here continue to be good neighbors including one who recently returned a wallet he found in the snow.Airman 1st Class Robert Humphus, of the 28th Civil Engineer Squadron’s explosive ordnance disposal flight, was on his way to his first delivery for the local Meals on Wheels program when he

  • Officials announce OTS selections

    More than 50 people from throughout the United States have earned an opportunity to become Air Force leaders following their selection for a commission, officials here announced Jan. 14.Air Force Recruiting Service officials considered 387 applications as part of Officer Training School Selection

  • OSI -- putting the pieces together

    Many people know the Air Force Office of Special Investigations as the Air Force’s felony-level investigative service that uncovers crimes and fraud.However, there is a side of OSI that most people do not know about, at least until they deploy.“Our primary mission, both at home and deployed, is

  • Gala honors those who serve

    Those who fight America’s wars were entertained by their own and by celebrities at an invitation-only event in the heart of the Nation’s capital.More than 7,500 Airmen, Soldiers, Sailors and Marines gathered at a state-of-the-art sports and entertainment facility here Jan. 18 to be honored for their

  • Civilian pilot killed in midair collision with T-37

    A civilian pilot was killed after a midair collision of his crop-duster with an Air Force T-37 Tweet in southwestern Oklahoma near the town of Frederick on Jan. 18.The two military pilots ejected safely. Base officials identified them as Capt. Christopher Otis, an instructor pilot, and 2nd Lt.

  • Kadena Airmen help Sri Lanka tsunami victims

    Airman 1st Class Emily Starcher does not have to be reminded how important her mission is here in Sri Lanka -- she sees it everyday.There is nothing but wrecked homes and destroyed buildings along coastal towns here, she said. Town after town was wiped away by the Dec. 26 tsunamis.She is an HH-60

  • Secretary Roche retires

    Airmen, along with servicemembers from more than 14 nations, bid farewell to the 20th Secretary of the Air Force here Jan. 18.Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz presented Air Force Secretary Dr. James G. Roche the Department of Defense award for distinguished public service upon his

  • AFSOC unit wraps up Asian aid mission

    Airmen from the 353rd Special Operations Group at Kadena Air Base, Japan, are going home. Almost a month after a monster earthquake and killer tsunamis claimed untold thousands of lives, the Airmen’s quick-reaction work here is complete as conventional Air Force units have arrived.The MC-130 Combat

  • Kadena Airmen ensure link to the world

    Although they are not in the thick of things handing out food and supplies, Airmen from the 18th Communications Squadron at Kadena Air Base, Japan, said that the parade of huge lumbering aircraft that come and go from here, only validates how their mission affects the success of relief

  • New mobility concept tested at Whiteman

    The third passenger aircraft in two weeks departed here Jan. 13 with more than 400 Airmen traveling under a new mobility concept developed by U.S. Central Command Air Forces.Airmen from several bases met here to catch contract airlift to an intermediate point where intratheater airlift would take

  • Dover Airman pulls mom, boy from burning car

    An Airman here saved the lives of a woman and her 9-year-old son after she lost control of her car near Millsboro recently. The car ran off the road, hit a tree, overturned in a ditch and caught fire.Senior Airman Marcus Hyatt, of the 436th Medical Support Squadron, and his friend NaKisha Collins

  • Four Airmen vie for GEICO awards

    Four Airmen have been chosen to represent the Air Force to compete for the 2004 Government Employee Insurance Company Military Service Awards.Their records will compete against other servicemembers in three categories: drug and alcohol abuse prevention, fire prevention and safety, and traffic safety

  • Contracting makes it happen

    From beans to bullets, cradle to grave, one agency at a forward-deployed location makes it all happen. Whether it is bottled water to get Airmen through the heat of summer or vital supplies to keep the aircraft flying, the 386th Expeditionary Contracting Squadron is there to make sure the mission

  • Fate reunites key players in 33-year education odyssey

    Don Jenrette was an Air Force one-striper working on the back of a mail truck here in the pre-e-mail days of 1971. He said he suspected that his life, while interesting, held more promise than running eight to 10 daily mail routes peppered with stacks of “Holey Joes.”His suspicions were confirmed

  • Guam tour lengths change

    The assistant secretary of defense has approved a tour length change to Guam.Beginning Jan. 1, 2006, accompanied tours will change from 24 to 36 months, and unaccompanied tours will go from 15 to 24 months. This makes an assignment to the island a long tour versus a short tour.Airmen who report to

  • Combat weather forecasters fight ‘fog of war’

    It rolls in when it wants to, covers everything in its path and makes visibility so poor you can barely see your hand in front of your face. It is what some here call “the fog of war.”This fog, however, is the real thing. It is a fog so thick it makes missions for Operation Enduring Freedom here

  • Air Force charity ball set for March 12

    The Air Force’s official charity ball returns in 2005 after the 2004 event raised more than $240,000 for the Air Force Aid Society.The ball is set for March 12 at Bolling Air Force Base, D.C. The committee stops taking reservations Feb. 4.“We’re well on our way to doing even better than last year,”

  • Airmen bring relief to tsunami-devastated region

    Airmen of the 8th Airlift Squadron from McChord Air Force Base, Wash., continued their vital role in the disaster relief effort Jan. 12. Equipment, supplies and people were loaded onto one of the squadron's huge C-17 Globemaster III cargo jets headed to Banda Aceh, Indonesia.Indonesia was one of

  • Relief effort making progress

    Servicemembers deployed across Southeast Asia remain busy "providing literally tons of relief" supplies to impoverished victims of the Dec. 26 tsunamis, a U.S. officer reported Jan. 13 from Utapao, Thailand.U.S. Sailors, Marines and Airmen continued the massive airlift and sealift of food, medicine

  • Changing the way deployments flow

    Airmen deploying to the U.S. Central Command theater in the past knew where they were going to land when boarding Air Mobility Command rotator flights in the United States, but what most of them did not know was exactly how they were going to be routed to their final destination.Recently, AMC

  • Airmen aid Nevada flood relief effort

    Airmen here provided assistance to flood victims in southern Nevada on Jan 11.Four Air Force HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters from Nellis’ 66th Rescue Squadron flew to Caliente, Nev., to evacuate 118 students and 19 staff members from a youth center in Caliente to a school about 15 miles from the

  • Military support group prepares for presidential inauguration

    A little-known group of Sailors, Soldiers, Airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen is preparing to provide behind-the-scenes military support for presidential inaugural activities, the organization's deputy commander said here Jan. 11.The Joint Task Force - Armed Forces Inaugural Committee provides all

  • F-15E crew uses new targeting pod

    An F-15E Strike Eagle aircrew from the 494th Fighter Squadron took part in a flight that marked an evolution in weapons technology when it used a Sniper Advanced Targeting Pod on the aircraft Jan. 7.An F-15E weapons system officer can now independently launch satellite-guided weapons on targets.

  • Charges against Airman referred to general court-martial

    Maj. Gen. Robert W. Chedister referred charges against Maj. Gregory McMillion to a general court-martial which is scheduled for April 5.Major McMillion is charged with failing to obey a lawful general order and failing to report and turn over captured or abandoned property. He was also charged with

  • Operation Hero 'deploys' Airmen's children

    Today’s servicemember has a good understanding of what a deployment is, how it goes and what to do. But sometimes family members, especially the children, do not understand what is happening or why their mom or dad has to go.Children of 33rd Fighter Wing Airmen recently got a taste of what their

  • Airborne security flight reaches across ‘high frontier’

    It was enough to make a person nauseous. The UH-1N Huey tested the limits of both the aircraft and the defenders it carried as it turned nearly on its side circling the missile launch facility.With their cast-iron stomachs, the security forces Airmen glared out the aircraft’s windows to conduct an

  • Airman moonlights as CAP officer

    During the week Jillian Smith is called “airman first class”; on the weekends it is “lieutenant.” Why the change? The 27th Intelligence Support Squadron communications troop splits her time between the Air Force and the Virginia Wing of the U.S. Air Force Auxiliary Civil Air Patrol. A nonprofit

  • Commissioning program available for active-duty Airmen

    In 2001, Second Lt. Christiane Makela was one step away from leaving the Air Force. At the time, she was a staff sergeant assigned to the 56th Civil Engineer Squadron at Luke Air Force Base, Ariz.She changed her mind and traded her stripes for gold lieutenant bars via the Airman Education and

  • Guardsmen help with tsunami relief

    Alaska and Hawaii, the two closest states, are supporting American relief efforts by sending Air National Guardsmen and resources to the region devastated by the Dec. 26 earthquake and tsunamis, Guard spokesmen said.Guardsmen are supporting the unprecedented relief effort for Indonesia, India, Sri

  • Relief effort switches gears

    The tsunami relief effort has switched gears and moved out of the crisis-response stage, the commander of the Air Force expeditionary airlift wing at Utapao, Thailand, said.Sixteen days after tsunamis hit 12 countries in Southeast Asia, the flow of aid into the region has moved into a more

  • Airman recovers from cancer, rejoins Air Force Band

    At U.S. Air Force Band headquarters here, his locker remained just the way he left it three years ago. Inside the locker were performance uniforms starched and pressed, ready for what could very well have been another gig at the private residence of the vice president, laundry that would have been

  • Air Force officials select ROTC detachment commanders

    Air Education and Training Command officials recently announced the Air Force ROTC detachment commanders for 2005.The Airmen were selected by a board that convened here Nov. 8. They will assume command in July.The complete list is available online at

  • Airman rescues sister-in-law during home explosion

    An Airman and his wife were getting ready to leave their mobile home in nearby Wichita, to spend the afternoon shopping when, in an instant, a big explosion changed their plans.A neighboring mobile home 25 feet away from their own had exploded and both sides collapsed.Staff Sgt. Scott Seagraves, a

  • Yokota C-130s continue to fly aid to tsunami victims

    C-130 Hercules crews from the 36th Airlift Squadron at Yokota Air Base, Japan, continue to fly vital supplies and equipment to tsunami-stricken areas in Southeast Asia.“It feels great to help. It makes you feel good to be an American when we are able to share with those who are in need,” said Maj.

  • Air Force, partners deliver aid to Indonesia

    Unfamiliar partners from disparate lands have tuned the tools of their humanitarian outreach trade and are working in unison in the wake of one of the world’s worst natural disasters.Airmen of the 353rd Special Operations Group, based in Langkawi, Malaysia, said the 16-hour days typically begin,

  • Deployed troops send relief to Southeast Asia survivors

    Deployed troops at a forward-deployed location here combined forces to send relief items to victims of the tsunamis that swept through Southeast Asia on Dec. 26. Several base agencies worked hand-in-hand with host-nation organizations to provide much-needed clothes, sanitation items and food to Sri

  • On-Ground reality drives combined support force

    The global effort based here to help pick up the pieces in the tsunami-devastated region of Southeast Asia continues to respond to ever-pressing needs.Initially the responsibility of a U.S. joint-service task force, the job of picking up the pieces was turned over to a combined support force

  • Instruction clarifies enlisted Airmen’s roles, responsibilities

    Air Force officials further clarified and standardized the roles, responsibilities and duty titles of its enlisted Airmen with the latest version of Air Force Instruction 36-2618, The Enlisted Force Structure.The 19-page document, certified by Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Gerald R. Murray,

  • Airmen bring aid where needed

    The children of Banda Aceh, Indonesia, a province in the northern tip of Sumatra hit hard by the Dec. 26 tsunamis, returned to school Jan. 10. It is not the same school they remember, and the class lists have been revised downward, too often halved. But it is a small step toward recovery -- a path

  • New year brings new missions for Air Force Reserve

    This year, citizen Airmen will see some new missions headed their way as they continue their efforts to fight and support the war against terrorism.Responding to the active-duty needs, reservists will take part in Future Total Force initiatives that will test new organizational constructs to

  • Deployed Airmen support Operation Unified Assistance

    The mission was simple: bring a forklift here only to be moved by another unit to Banda Aceh, Indonesia, the next day. Airmen of the 374th Air Expeditionary Wing at Utapao, Thailand, support Combined Support Force 536, which is playing an integral role to the international support effort called

  • 374th Air Expeditionary Wing stands up in Thailand

    Air Force officials stood up the 374th Air Expeditionary Wing here Jan. 6 to help fly humanitarian supplies to people affected by tsunamis in December that resulted in wide-scale destruction in South Asia. The 374th AEW supports and is collocated with Combined Support Force 536 and provides airlift

  • Combat weather team forecasts mission success

    Cloud reading may seem an ethereal art, but predicting the effects of alto cumulus clouds blowing over the southwest mountain range here is a pure science to aviators and ground troops traveling there.Leaders here rely on the technical know-how of the 455th Air Expeditionary Wing’s Combat weather

  • Helicopter crew starts new year with rescue

    A UH-1N Huey search and rescue crew from the 40th Helicopter Flight and 341st Medical Group here recorded their 355th save on a mission in southwest Montana Jan. 3.Following several failed rescue attempts by civilians using a helicopter and a snowmobile, Malmstrom’s crew received a request Jan. 2 to

  • Campaign brings hope to Airmen

    A new initiative by the Air Force chaplain’s office aims to bring to Airmen something that cannot be issued -- hope.Air Force chaplain service officials kicked off a year-long and service-wide "Campaign of Hope" Jan. 3, said Chaplain (Col.) Bob Page, of the chaplain’s office. The campaign started

  • Course changes enhance enlisted professionals

    Air Force officials recently standardized enlisted professional enhancement courses and changed the supervisory structure for career assistance advisers and First Term Airman’s Center course managers. These changes enhance enlisted professionals by linking formal training, education and on-the-job

  • Airman rescues woman, baby from icy river

    An Airman here plunged into an icy river recently to save a woman and her baby from a sinking car just minutes after proposing to his girlfriend.While home on leave in Kellyville, Okla., Airman Basic Joshua Johnson went to Tulsa to propose marriage to Brittany Campbell on a pedestrian bridge over

  • Airman making ‘inaugural’ performance

    When Tech. Sgt. Bradley Bennett sings the national anthem Jan. 20 at the presidential inauguration here, it will be a first for both him and the Air Force. "This will be the first time in history that the Air Force has had such a performing role at the inauguration," said Sen. Trent Lott, Joint

  • Air terminal operations center keeps wing rotating

    Transportation for people and cargo in and out of theater is made possible by a team of transportation specialists at a forward-deployed location here. This is especially apparent during the changeover from one rotation of Airmen to another.The air terminal operations center comprises several

  • Airman’s role brings career full circle

    In September 1972, Donald Klinko stepped through the gates of Malmstrom Air Force Base, Mont., primed and ready for his new duties as a security police officer. In a time when Vietnam and the Cold War were at their height, then Lieutenant Klinko would eventually become a missile security section

  • AMC aircraft, people support tsunami-relief operations

    In the days following the Dec. 26 tsunami disaster around the Indian Ocean, Air Mobility Command aircraft and people have delivered tons of relief equipment and hundreds of servicemembers into the affected region.As of Jan. 6, AMC aircraft and aircrews had delivered more than 1.66 million pounds of

  • Deployed Airmen volunteer for honor guard

    Airmen at forward-deployed locations often spend most of their day at work. Downtime is something to be cherished; however, some Airmen deployed with the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing are using some of their personal time to serve the community.Be it at a promotion, award ceremony or weekly retreat,

  • Assignment listing available

    The Enlisted Quarterly Assignment Listing for Airmen returning from overseas and those listed as “mandatory movers” within the continental United States from May through July will be available Jan. 11.Individuals need to work through their military personnel flights or their commander's support

  • Red Horse Airmen deploy to Thailand

    Airmen from here packed up and are heading to Utapao, Thailand, to assist in the region devastated by tsunamis Dec. 26.The 24 Airmen of the 554th Red Horse Squadron will conduct airfield assessments for the Department of Defense’s combined joint task force to determine the usability of runways for

  • 'Andro' supplement off limits in new year

    Airmen who take androstenedione to increase muscle mass will soon have to ditch the supplement and just do extra repetitions at the gym.Under a new law that takes effect Jan. 20, the prohormone androstenedione will be classified as a Schedule III controlled substance. Schedule III substances are

  • Commander: Airmen in for long haul at Bagram

    Where gravel was once the material of choice, concrete now sets in preparation for new buildings and storage areas at the Air Force sector here.The 455th Air Expeditionary Wing is growing to match the organizational structure more common to other Air Force wings, said Brig. Gen. James P. Hunt, the

  • Yokota Airmen keep steady pace in providing relief

    About 170 Airmen from here have arrived in Thailand to assist in relief efforts for the countries in southeast Asia struck by tsunamis after a devastating 9.0 magnitude earthquake occurred in the Indian Ocean Dec. 26.The Airmen from the 374th Airlift Wing have deployed to Utapao, Thailand, to

  • Airmen fly aid to disaster-torn Thai communities

    When Lt. Col. David Mobley arrived here as the 353rd Special Operations Group’s point-man for disaster relief, he said he envisioned a steady flow of aid from the kingdom’s sprawling capital to devastated provinces in the south.He said he never imagined that in 48 hours the modest pile of assorted

  • Airmen continue to deliver relief supplies in devastated Thailand

    As the calendar turned a new year, the aid delivered by Airmen of the 353rd Special Operations Group to communities on Thailand’s southwest coast approached 100 tons.Four MC-130s and 100 Airmen from the group continue to pump vital relief supplies into strategic cities located along the devastated

  • Now showing: Jan. 3 edition of AFTV News

    The Jan. 3 edition of Air Force Television News is a special production of the program dedicated to the Airmen involved in Operation Enduring Freedom. Produced and coanchored by Tech. Sgts. Pachari Lutke and Joy Josephson, the program examines the continuing role of the Air Force in that

  • Predators help TACP Airmen with mission

    If mentioned at all, tactical air control party Airmen are usually linked with a group of special forces on the front lines.Normally these Airmen find themselves out in the field directing combat aircraft against insurgents or coordinating artillery fire with air strikes, but most certainly not

  • Four earn Sijan award

    Four Airmen are being recognized with the service’s Lance P. Sijan Air Force Leadership Award:The Sijan award annually recognizes a senior and junior officer and a senior and junior enlisted person who demonstrates outstanding leadership abilities while assigned to organizations at the wing level or

  • More Airmen eligible for Air Force Recognition Ribbon

    More Airmen can wear the Air Force Recognition Ribbon for winning service-level competitions and awards.A recent change to an Air Force instruction allows members of small teams participating in events such as security forces' Defender Challenge, Air Mobility Command Rodeo or the William Tell

  • U.S. military team arrives to assess disaster relief efforts

    About 30 members of the U.S. military arrived here Dec. 30 to help assess disaster relief assistance in the wake of tsunamis that struck south Asian countries.Airmen from the 613th Contingency Response Group at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, and Marines from the III Marine Expeditionary Force in

  • Airmen keep air flow moving at Balad

    Whether it involves a strategic airlifter filled to capacity or an F-15E Strike Eagle transiting the area, maintainers here are working hard to keep the myriad aircraft supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom thundering high above.As cargo, people and operations here flow at a breakneck pace, and

  • Ops support center Airmen coordinate AF relief efforts

    Pacific Air Forces officials here activated the 24-hour PACAF Operations Support Center to coordinate Air Force-related relief efforts for the devastation caused by tsunamis that struck 12 countries following an earthquake Dec. 26. Center officials, who are working with Department of Defense and

  • Airmen bringing tsunami-relief supplies to Thailand

    Airmen from Yokota Air Base, Japan, are among those bringing the first wave of relief for people on the coastlines of Southeast Asia and Eastern Africa. The area was devastated by a massive 9.0 magnitude earthquake and equally powerful tsunamis.The Airmen and six C-130 Hercules aircraft are

  • Treasure Island opens at Minot

    The winds can howl up to 50 mph and temperatures can drop to negative digits outside, but people here can find an island oasis inside now that the Treasure Island indoor fun park opened here Dec. 23.The indoor retreat includes two softball and one fast-pitch batting cages and a nine-hole miniature

  • Warming things up around Manas

    Everyone know that the song says, “Oh, the weather outside is frightful and the fire is so delightful,” but fires are not allowed in tents here; thankfully heaters are. The 10 Airmen assigned to the 376th Civil Engineer Squadron’s heating, ventilation and air conditioning shop work to keep that

  • Thule Airmen bring Julemand to children

    Airmen from here shared some Christmas cheer during a gift exchange with about 260 children in Qaanaaq, a city roughly 75 miles from here.The Airmen raised almost $15,000 for Operation Julemand, an annual base fundraiser named after the Danish word for Santa Claus.“We’re proud to be partners with

  • EOD Airmen play key role in Balad mission

    When the command post announces “Attention on the net, this is Panther, alarm red is in effect,” Airmen here don their protective gear and take cover. The base is under attack.Airmen of the 332nd Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron explosive ordnance disposal flight work to quickly get the

  • PERSCO matches faces with spaces

    Before an air and space expeditionary force is deployed, AEF Center officials first source out requirements to major commands, which assign them to individual wings that fill them with Airmen.When that system has a hiccup, personnel support for contingency operations office Airmen at

  • Malmstrom Airman gives gift of life

    Although separated by thousands of miles, an Airman here and a special little girl have a common bond.First Lt. Janelle Rust, a 12th Missile Squadron missile officer, signed up for the Department of Defense Bone Marrow Donor Program while at Officer Training School at Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.

  • ‘Good thing’ when nothing happens

    When nothing happens, it is a good thing, said Capt. Mark Martin, 386th Expeditionary Security Forces chief of anti-terrorism and force protection at a forward-deployed location.Captain Martin is not referring to the day-to-day activities. Or rather, he is, in regards to base security.With more

  • ‘Silver Lobos’ fly into retirement

    The Air Force’s last operational F-4 Phantom II squadron held its inactivation ceremony here Dec. 20.The inactivation of the 20th Fighter Squadron, known as the Silver Lobos, also signifies the end of a 33-year German-American joint fighter training program in the decades-old F-4E and F aircraft.