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  • Mullen accepts award on behalf of armed forces

    Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Navy Adm. Mike Mullen accepted the Dwight D. Eisenhower Award from the Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress March 24 on behalf of all members of the U.S. armed forces."Tonight, there are thousands upon thousands of young men and women answering our

  • NATO officials assume responsibility for no-fly zone over Libya

    NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen announced the alliance will assume command and control of coalition operations enforcing the no-fly zone over Libya authorized by U.N. Security Council Resolution 1973."We are taking action as part of the broad international effort to protect civilians

  • First Iraqi air force instructor pilot begins training students

    The first Iraqi air force instructor pilot to be certified since American forces ousted Saddam Hussein took a major step forward for the Iraqi air force March 19 here. Lt. Col. Hussein Hamid, Iraqi air force Squadron 203 commander, flew a training mission with an Iraqi student pilot in a T-6 Texan,

  • Air National Guard supports coalition operations over Libya

    The Air National Guard is contributing to Operation Odyssey Dawn with Airmen from 11 air refueling wings supporting the international coalition enforcement of a United Nations authorized no-fly zone, National Guard officials said March 22 here.Aircraft and crews from Alaska, Arizona, Illinois, Iowa,

  • Study makes suicide-prevention program recommendations

    A new study commissioned by the Defense Department affirms many of the suicide-prevention efforts being made within DOD and the military services and recommends ways to strengthen them.In preparing "The War Within: Suicide Prevention in the U.S. Military," the Rand National Defense Research

  • New coalition member flies first sortie enforcing no-fly zone over Libya

    Airmen from Qatar, the newest member to the coalition supporting the enforcement of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973, flew their first operational sortie March 25 in support of Operation Odyssey Dawn.A Qatari Emiri Air Force Mirage 2000-5 flew alongside a French Mirage 2000-5 as part

  • 2011 Environment, Safety, Occupational Health Symposium wraps up

    The 2011 Environmental, Safety and Occupational Health Symposium at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel here wrapped up after five days of training sessions.  The symposium ran from March 21 through 25.Airmen from all Air Force commands attended sessions on topics ranging from environmental chemistry to risk

  • Air Force offers additional undergraduate flying training board opportunity

    Air Force leaders expanded an opportunity for active duty junior and mid-grade officers to cross-flow into one of many rated AFSCs with the announcement of an additional undergraduate flying training board. The board is scheduled to be held in July at Randolph Air Force Base, Texas. Greater

  • Disabled veterans sports clinic opens in Colorado

    Deputy Veterans Affairs Secretary W. Scott Gould called on more than 350 disabled veterans March 27 to strive for new heights as they participate here this week in the 25th National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic.Speaking during opening ceremonies alongside Vice President Joe Biden and

  • AAF officials graduate first weapons safety NCO

    The Afghan air force recently saw an improvement in its safety program with the graduation of the first weapon safety airman in the entire force.AAF Sgt. Yosufzai Hamayattullah completed the two-month basic explosives hazards course on a AAF base here, establishing with him the foundation of a

  • Total-force team supports Operation Tomodachi

    While supporting combat operations in both Iraq and Afghanistan, a total integrated force of active, Guard and Reserve Airmen are supporting humanitarian relief efforts in Japan following the earthquake and subsequent tsunami that ravaged parts of Japan March 11.Air Force officials are increasingly

  • Yokota AB Airmen play vital role in cooling Fukushima power plant

    A team of Airmen from here labored nonstop March 25 through 27 to design and create essential components for water pumps to be used at a nuclear power plant in northern Japan. The power plant, located roughly 130 miles north of here in Fukushima Prefecture, incurred catastrophic damage to its

  • Disabled veterans inspire all Americans, Biden says

    Vice President Joe Biden made a surprise appearance last night at the opening ceremonies of the 25th National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic, thanking the participants for their service and sacrifices and for the inspiration they give their fellow Americans."You are a remarkable group of

  • Forces accomplish no-fly zone mission, Gates says

    U.S. and coalition forces have accomplished the no-fly zone aspect of the United Nations mission in Libya, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said during a television interview aired March 28.Gates and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton appeared on NBC's "Meet the Press" and discussed what

  • Acquisitions improvements need permanence, Carter says

    With spring coming in Afghanistan, the Defense Department is set to perform the same "remarkable" work it conducted in last year's troop surge to get warfighters everything they need while working to institutionalize those procedures, the department's undersecretary for acquisitions, technology and

  • Photo essay: Guardsmen deploy in support of Operation Odyssey Dawn

    Members of the Illinois Air National Guard's 126th Air Refueling Wing here prepare a KC-135 Stratotanker for deployment March 25, in support Operation Odyssey Dawn. The KC-135s will provide air-refueling support to coalition aircraft enforcing a no-fly zone over Libya.View the slideshow.

  • Summit seeks to improve nonmedical care

    A summit to improve the coordination of nonmedical care for wounded warriors and their families will draw leaders and experts from several federal agencies, the services and the private sector to Leesburg, Va., March 29 through 31.The Wounded Warrior Care Coordination Summit is hosted by the Defense

  • Yokota AB Airmen tackle Herculean airlift missions into Sendai

    Over the past two weeks, Sendai Airport has served as a critical relay point for relief efforts throughout northeastern Japan, and the Airmen of the 36th Airlift Squadron are working to ensure that the airport stays open for business.Since the incapacitated airport reopened to air traffic, 36th

  • Commander discusses Yokota's role in Operation Tomodachi

    Yokota Air Base's role as the sole airlift hub of the western Pacific increased in significance following the March 11 earthquake and tsunami in northern Japan.Col. Otto Feather, the 374th Air Wing commander here, discussed the importance of the wing's partnership with Japan to ongoing relief

  • Maintainers build mount for Fukushima sensors

    Since March 11, Airmen all over Yokota Air Base have performed key tasks in support of Japanese relief efforts, but for two Airmen the work took a greater personal significance March 28. The two Airmen, aircraft structural maintainers with the 374th Maintenance Squadron, worked overtime building a

  • Partners from Down Under

    Airmen station in Japan have received a rare opportunity recently to work hand-in-hand with the Royal Australian Air Force.Airmen from Yokota and Kadena air bases have been working together to perform sorties with the RAAF's 36th Squadron, in a unified attempt to aid the people of Japan after the

  • Altus C-17s take training to Fort Sill

    Airmen are transforming the fort into a busy airfield with frequent evening arrivals and departures as C-17 Globemaster III aircrews from Altus Air Force Base, Okla., are training here.Maj. Michele Lobianco, the 97th Operations Support Squadron assistant director of operations, said the runway at

  • TRICARE extends Web-based counseling program

    The TRICARE Assistance Program has been extended through March 20, 2012. This demonstration program lets active-duty service members and their families' beneficiaries use the Internet and a webcam to speak face-to-face with mental health counselors 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year

  • Training for repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell ongoing for Airmen

    Air Force officials began training Airmen March 1 in anticipation of the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell with a goal of having all Airmen trained on or about June 30.Commanders throughout the Air Force will schedule commander's calls or other such events to ensure face-to-face training is available

  • Photo essay: Kadena's rescue team on a mission

    Members of the 33rd Rescue Squadron and the 320th Special Tactics Squadron from Kadena Air Base here conduct search operations March 25 in support of Operation Tomodachi.View the slideshow.

  • America must not be afraid to lead, Obama says

    The lesson of Libya is that America should not be afraid to lead, President Barack Obama said during a speech at the National Defense University March 29 here.The action to set up a no-fly zone and protect the Libyan people from Moammar Gadhafi says much about "the use of America's military power,

  • Officers share cross-flow experiences, skills

    Cross-flowing into one career field from another isn't a new concept for Airmen. Most officers, at one time or another throughout their career, have served in a position or job outside of their original or primary Air Force Specialty Code. Take, for example, Lt. Col. Ginger Wallace, a former

  • Clinton urges aid to Libya, pressure on Gadhafi

    The international community must work toward three goals in Libya, America's senior diplomat said March 29: delivering humanitarian assistance, pressuring and isolating Moammar Gadhafi's regime, and supporting Libyans' efforts for political change.Speaking in London, at the International Conference

  • Travis AFB volunteers aid Operation Pacific Passage

    Nearly 1,000 service members from the Air Force, Army, Navy and Marines along with family members, civil service workers and community leaders volunteered March 22 through March 28 in support of Operation Pacific Passage here.Travis AFB members, in conjunction with the Airman and family readiness

  • Eglin efforts help reclassify endangered local fish

    A small fish, whose habitat is almost exclusively on the ranges here, became the first-ever fish on Defense Department land to be reclassified on the endangered species list.The Okaloosa darter remains on the endangered species list, but due to major erosion control efforts by 96th Civil Engineer

  • Yokota Airmen central to supporting Operation Tomodachi

    Airmen working in the Emergency Operations Center here have been central to processing and coordinating disaster relief efforts in support of Operation Tomodachi. Emergency Operations Center members work on a strategic level to coordinate emergency preparedness, emergency management and disaster

  • Disabled vets discover 'miracle on mountain'

    Sheila James threw her arms up in joy, flashing a smile that stretched from ear to ear as she celebrated a personal victory during the 25th National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic here March 29.A motor vehicle rollover in 2009 turned the former senior airman's life upside-down, landing her

  • VA officials work to break disability claims backlog

    Former Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Tyrone Allen is part of a growing legion within the Veterans Affairs Department striving to make good on VA Secretary Eric K. Shinseki's pledge to "break the back of the claims backlog."Allen understands firsthand the frustrations many veterans feel as they wait

  • Realignments add to busy summer moving season

    With a busier-than-usual military moving season about to kick into high gear, officials are asking service members to book their moving dates early and keep flexibility in mind when doing so.The military moved more than 230,000 shipments last summer alone, and this year officials are expecting an

  • Budget slows defense growth, comptroller says

    Cost savings reflected in the fiscal 2012 Defense Department budget do not represent a cut from current funding levels, but rather a slower rate of growth than has been seen in recent years, the Pentagon's comptroller and chief financial officer told a Senate committee here March 29.Defense

  • VA officials extend post-incarceration health care

    Department of Veterans Affairs officials will extend health care to eligible veterans in halfway houses and other temporary, post-incarceration housing under a new program aimed at cutting back on repeat offenses."There's hard evidence that lack of access to health care, including mental health

  • Final Operation Pacific Passage mission arrives at Travis

    The last flight transporting military family members who voluntarily departed Japan as part of Operation Pacific Passage arrived March 28 here.Operation Pacific Passage is the U.S. Northern Command-led voluntary return of military family members from Japan in the aftermath of the deadly earthquake

  • Project Crossbow enhances capabilities

    A collaborative U.S. Air Force and United Kingdom Royal Air Force program is making it easier for the two services to share information collected via intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance systems.The program, dubbed Project Crossbow and modeled on the U.S. Air Force's Distributed Common

  • Air Force officials outline efficiencies processes

    In compliance with Department of Defense efficiency guidance, Air Force officials confirmed plans here March 29 to implement fiscal 2012 budget proposals that shift dollars and people from overhead and support functions to modernization and warfighting areas.During testimony to members of the

  • Rollout approaches for Young Adult TRICARE enrollment

    TRICARE will soon allow qualified young adults, up to age 26, to purchase military health plan coverage on a month-to-month basis.TRICARE officials announced plans to roll out the new Young Adult Program, including an option to make coverage retroactive to Jan. 1, in the near future.This will ensure

  • Euro Hawk undergoes testing at Edwards AFB

    Engineers with the 772nd Test Squadron facilitated electromagnetic interference testing on a Euro Hawk unmanned aircraft at the Benefield Anechoic Facility here March 10 and 11.They teamed with representatives of Northrop Grumman Corporation and the German government to complete the testing.The Euro

  • Air Force jets perform first flyover using alternative fuel

    Three F-15E Strike Eagle fighter aircraft performed the Air Force's first flyover using "green" biofuel over Citizen's Bank Park for the Philadelphia Phillies Opening Day activities April 1. The jets, from Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, N.C., flew using a 50 percent blend of traditional jet fuel

  • Incirlik AB Airmen fuel Operation Odyssey Dawn

    When four Qatari Mirage F-1s and a C-17 Globemaster III landed March 25 here, Airmen from the petroleum, oil and lubricants flight sprung into action to help get the aircraft to their final destination.The 39th Logistics Readiness Squadron POL flight here refueled the Qatari aircraft in support of

  • ANG, Reserve Airmen contribute to Operation Odyssey Dawn

    In response to the recent conflict in Libya, approximately 50 Air National Guardsmen and Air Forces reservists joined forces with their active duty counterparts and coalition partners to run the 603rd Air and Space Operations Center here.Members of the 603rd AOC, in partnership with the 617th AOC,

  • Classes aim to spark interest in science, technology

    From robotics engineering to gaming technology, Defense Department school officials are hoping their new, cutting-edge courses will spark a lifelong passion for science and technology in their students.Under a new science, technology, engineering and math initiative, Department of Defense Education

  • U.S., Iraqi air force officials discuss T-6's future in Iraq

    Iraq air force officials took a step closer to self-sustainment after hosting their first T-6 Texan trainer aircraft program management review at New Al Muthana Air Base just days before a historic instructor pilot flight. The conference held March 17 brought together more than 30 representatives

  • Ellsworth Airmen join Operation Odyssey Dawn

    B-1B Lancers from the 28th Bomb Wing were launched early March 27 from their home station here to strike targets in Libya in support of Operation Odyssey Dawn. "Nearly 700 Ellsworth Airmen are currently deployed around the world supporting existing overseas contingency operations," said Col. Jeffrey

  • Air Force Week in Photos

    This week's photo highlights feature Airmen around the globe involved in activities supporting expeditionary operations and defending America. This weekly feature showcases the men and women of the Air Force.View the slideshow.

  • VA makes progress to end veteran homelessness

    They served their country in uniform -- many on the front lines in Iraq and Afghanistan. And now that they've returned home and rejoined civilian life, an alarming number of veterans have found themselves on the streets and living under bridges.Veterans Affairs Department officials are making

  • Top enlisted leaders share views with Congress

    Improving housing and child care, giving better access to health care and education, and intervening earlier in high-risk behavior are areas the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps are focused on to maintain a high quality of life for service members and their families, the services' most-senior

  • Gates Outlines U.S. Role as NATO Takes Libya Mission

    As NATO officials assumed command of coalition operations in Libya this morning, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates told the House Armed Services Committee that U.S. forces will "significantly ramp down" their commitment in the operation.Gates said U.S. efforts in Libya will provide the capabilities

  • Air Force officials present budget to appropriations committees

    Air Force leaders discussed the service's fiscal 2012 budget request and their concerns about operating under a continuing resolution with members of the Senate and House Appropriations Committees during hearings here March 30 and 31.In the March 30 hearing before the Senate Appropriations

  • Visit commemorates communications pioneer

    Air Force Network Integration Center officials welcomed the family and friends of Lt. Gen. Harold W. Grant here March 28 to learn more about the late general's legacy and see firsthand the building named in his honor. Grant is recognized as a communications pioneer who avidly worked to ensure Air

  • Flexibility, teamwork key to smooth transition for DOD families from Japan

    As family members of service members stationed in northern Japan made their way across the Pacific Ocean bound for the United States, scores of representatives from various agencies awaited them at the Joint Reception Coordination Center here, led by members of U.S. Army North.A network of experts

  • Memorial marathon eternalizes Bataan Death March

    People from around the U.S. and several foreign countries gathered March 27 at White Sands Missile Range for the 22nd Annual Bataan Memorial Death March to honor and recognize a special group of World War II veterans.The Bataan Memorial Death March honors the 75,000 U.S. and Filipino troops who

  • 'Today's Air Force' features a look around the service

    In this edition of "Today's Air Force," Airmen continue to provide support for Operation Odyssey Dawn in the Middle East. Plus, you'll see how Airmen learn to survive a crash landing in stormy seas.  And, join Airmen as they venture off base for a little rest and relaxation.The 30-minute, weekly

  • UAV crashes at Edwards AFB

    A Global Observer unmanned aircraft crashed at approximately 2:30 a.m., April 1, near the southwest corner of Rogers Dry Lakebed. There were no injuries or damage to property on the ground.Global Observer is a Joint Capability Technology Demonstration program.The cause of the crash is under

  • Total force Airmen support Odyssey Dawn

    Aircraft and Airmen from more than 10 bases across the Air Force have united to form the 313th Air Expeditionary Wing here.The wing formed in 72 hours after the start of Operation Odyssey Dawn, a mission to enforce a no-fly zone put in place to protect the civilian population of Libya.The first unit

  • UPDATE: Spangdahlem A-10 crashes

    An Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt II crashed about 3:57 p.m. local time April 1 north of the city of Wittlich, Germany. The aircraft was from Spangdahlem Air Base. At the time of the accident, it was on a routine local training mission. The pilot is at a local hospital and is reported to be in good

  • Some troops qualify for extended tax filing deadline

    Service members serving outside of the United States -- including those supporting operations in Libya and Japan -- will receive an automatic two-month tax filing extension this year, officials said. This extension is in addition to the nation's already extended deadline. Due to Emancipation Day, a

  • 8th ASOS hosts first joint coalition jump week

    Airmen from the 8th Air Support Operations Squadron hosted the U.S. Army 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team and Italian Army paratroopers during a joint coalition training exercise here March 21 through 25.More than 1,400 Italian and American soldiers came from the U.S. Army Garrison in Vicenza,

  • CMSAF highlights Airman resiliency during hearing

    The Air Force's top enlisted Airman testified before the House Subcommittee for Military Construction, Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies here March 30, about quality of life in the military.Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James A. Roy, alongside his sister-service counterparts, spoke about

  • Service members assist Japan relief efforts

    Following the March 11 disasters in Japan, service members from here have pitched in to help.Master Sgt. Augustine Circello III, from the 773rd Logistics Readiness Squadron, said initial support was difficult due to communication problems."Trying to coordinate with all the different internal

  • VA officials begin process to create open source electronic health record

    Department of Veterans Affairs officials released a draft Request for Proposal April 1 aimed at forming an open source community around its ground-breaking Veterans Integrated System Technology Architecture, or VistA, electronic health record, or EHR, system. When award is made under a planned RFP

  • Sexual Assault Awareness Month encourages bystander intervention

    The Air Force is observing Sexual Assault Awareness Month, starting April 1.The Defense Department theme for the month is "Hurts one. Affects all," which is designed to point out how sexual assault affects not only the victim, but the department as well. The Air Force's slogan supporting the DDD

  • NATO troops deliver supplies to Afghan refugee camp

    Several troops from NATO Training Mission-Afghanistan, in conjunction with members of Sozo International, a non-governmental organization, delivered supplies to a refugee camp here March 31 as part of a volunteer community relations program.The supplies included beans, rice, sugar, blankets, cooking

  • Air Force summer job opportunities now available

    Now is the time for those interested in temporary summer employment to apply for an Air Force job. Many Air Force summer vacancies are already being posted for such positions as office automation and computer clerk, laborer, lifeguard, recreation aide, and food service worker.To be considered for a

  • Air Force debuts pilot enlisted developmental team

    The Air Force's top enlisted leader addressed the service's first pilot enlisted development team March 31 for senior noncommissioned officers in the nuclear weapons career field. Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James A. Roy met with Air Force Personnel Center assignments representatives and EDT

  • DOD to drop Social Security numbers from ID cards

    Beginning June 1, Social Security numbers on military identification cards will begin to disappear, said Maj. Monica M. Matoush, a Pentagon spokeswoman. The effort is part of a larger plan to protect service members and other DOD identification card holders from identity theft, officials said.

  • Tyndall teenager selected as Air Force Military Child of the Year

    Tyndall teenager Nicole Goetz, 17, recently selected as the Air Force Military Child of the Year, was awarded a flight in air show performer Greg Poe's aerobatic airplane March 23.This year's 2011 Gulf Coast Salute Open House and Air Show, hosted by Tyndall officials March 26 and 27, featured

  • Policy aims to better identify, treat concussions

    A memorandum that took effect throughout the Defense Department in June is expected to have a major impact on efforts to identify and treat traumatic brain injuries in the combat theater faster and more systematically, medical officials reported at the recent Armed Forces Public Health Conference in

  • DOD celebrates Month of the Military Child

    Children of U.S. service members around the world will be honored throughout the month of April for their contributions to their families' well-being and sacrifices on behalf of the nation, a Defense Department official said.Each April, Americans pause to recognize the nation's 1.8 million military

  • EBIS launches online retirement tool

    The Employee Benefits Information System launched a web tool March 31 that will allow Air Force appropriated fund civilian employees to accomplish additional benefits-related actions online, such retirement planning.The eRetirement tool is the latest of many tools implemented by the Air Force

  • Fairchild AFB Airmen support Odyssey Dawn at different operating locations

    Airmen from the 92nd and 141st Air Refueling Wings have recently stood alert for missions supporting Japan, sent KC-135s forward to support Operation Odyssey Dawn, and continue to be the lead wing supporting the Transit Center at Manas, Kyrgyzstan."And we're doing this from three different

  • Photo essay: Airmen help clean up tsunami-struck area

    Airmen assigned to Misawa Air Base, Japan, are among nearly 40 service members and civilians who left the base to assist in tsunami cleanup and relief efforts here March 29 as part of Operation Tomodachi. View the slideshow.

  • Dover Airmen support Operation Odyssey Dawn

    Three C-5M Super Galaxy aircrews from here delivered cargo March 23 to 27 in support of Operation Odyssey Dawn.The Air Force Reserve's 709th Airlift Squadron and the active-duty 9th AS here worked together to deliver 387,000 pounds of cargo. On March 18, the secretary of defense approved and ordered

  • Contracting Airmen play crucial role in Operation Tomodachi

    A C-17 Globemaster III carrying a series of pipes, hoses and related equipment that the U.S. Government purchased to help the people of Japan cool the reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi Power Plant arrived here March 29.At 2.7 kilometers in length and a weight of more than 20,000 pounds, the

  • Defense Commissary Agency named 'Role Model' in promoting fruits, vegetables

    Promoting the benefits of eating more fruits and vegetables to its customers has placed the Defense Commissary Agency in select company. DeCA was one of seven retailers to earn top recognition as a "Role Model" by the Produce for Better Health Foundation.DeCA joined Ahold USA Inc., Food Lion Stores

  • Japanese minister thanks U.S. service members

    Japanese Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa April boarded the USS Ronald Reagan to thank U.S. service members for their help since an earthquake and the tsunami it caused struck Japan on March 11.The work of U.S. service members and other Americans is a testament to the half century of tomodachi --

  • Airmen contribute to training, operational missions in Italy

    Eleven Airmen from here traveled to Italy aboard a C-17 Globemaster III recently to help three U.S. and Italian army and air force units fulfill airborne training. During their week-long stint, they executed 1,480 paratrooper jumps. "We do joint airborne air transportability training, a way for the

  • VA budget request signals commitment to vets

    President Barack Obama's $132 billion 2012 budget request for the Veterans Affairs Department demonstrates that despite a tight fiscal environment, the U.S. officials stand by their commitment to men and women who have served in uniform, Deputy VA Secretary W. Scott Gould told American Forces Press

  • AFNIC engineers prepare Air Force for IPv6 transition

    The Air Force is preparing to undergo a major transition of its non-secure internet protocol router network, or NIPRNet, and if it goes as planned, you'll never notice.Air Force Network Integration Center engineers are leading the Air Force's transition from the current Internet Protocol addressing

  • Qatari air force officers visit Shaw

    Six Qatar Emiri air force officers visited here March 28 to tour the base and witness how the installation performs its various missions.The Qatar air force is undergoing a transition from operating out of an airport to operating at another base in their country that will host several different

  • Total-force Airmen simultaneously support worldwide operations

    Mobility Airmen are playing significant roles supporting the NATO no-fly zone over Libya, as well as humanitarian relief efforts in Japan, all while continuing to support U.S. operations around the world, including in Iraq and Afghanistan.Since the March 11 natural disasters in Japan, AMC-controlled

  • DJC2 system provides communications support for JSF, USFJ

    Personnel assigned to the Joint Communications Support Element at MacDill Air Force Base, Fla., were recently deployed here to provide joint-support-force command and control operations for Operation Tomodachi. The primary support responsibility for the JCSE members sent here is to operate the