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  • Airmen help honor vets at country music awards show

    Backstage, the anticipation of the curtains rising was surreal as 40 Airmen and eight veterans waited to make their national television debut during the 41st Academy of Country Music awards program May 23. With a quick nod and a smile from the band to calm their nerves, the director yelled, “We’re

  • Chaplain team here to serve

    Being deployed doesn’t mean an Airman’s spiritual involvement or fellowship with other members of his or her faith has to be neglected. The 380th Air Expeditionary Wing’s base chapel is a source of continued spiritual support of worship opportunities and counseling services for deployed

  • DOD officials defining roles for disaster response

    With hurricane season nearing, the Defense Department has tremendous assets to offer a civilian-led response to a major disaster, said a top DOD official involved in the process. "Those assets are ready for deployment, and ... we are better prepared than at any point in our nation's history to move

  • Commission maintains U.S. military cemeteries overseas

    Recognizing the need for a federal agency to take the lead in honoring U.S. servicemembers who died on foreign soil, Congress enacted legislation in 1923 to create the American Battle Monuments Commission. "The American Battle Monuments Commission maintains and oversees American cemeteries and

  • General urges Asian-Pacific Americans to pursue opportunities

    Brig. Gen. (Dr.) Robert “Lance” Chu would like to see more Asian-Pacific Americans take advantage of the opportunities provided by the Air Force and Air Force Reserve. “But not just Asian-Pacific people,” said Dr. Chu, the mobilization assistant to the assistant surgeon general for healthcare

  • Air Force Services announces LeMay, Eubank winners

    Each year, the Air Force recognizes the best Services units by presenting the Gen. Curtis E. LeMay and the Maj. Gen. Eugene L. Eubank awards. The LeMay trophy recognizes the best unit in the large base category, bases with 6,000 or more military and civilians assigned. The Eubank trophy recognizes

  • Airmen will appear on Academy of Country Music award show

    Forty Airmen from Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., will appear on the 41st Academy of Country Music Awards program at the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas on May 23. CBS will air the live awards show starting at 8 p.m. EDT. The Airmen will be part of the performance by duo Big & Rich of their song, 8th of

  • Test parachutists jump to conclusions

    It has been said there is no good reason to jump out of a perfectly good airplane.  But a small cadre of Airmen here have a very good reason to do so -- saving lives. They don’t wear the maroon beret of the Air Force pararescue troops.  They are members of the 418th Flight Test Squadron’s test

  • Air Force women first, men second in armed forces volleyball

    The Air Force women’s team took top honors and the men's team came in second at the 2006 Armed Forces Volleyball Championship here May 11 to 18.The Air Force women faced the host Army team in their first match, beating them three straight games -- 25-13, 25-16 and 25-13.Kristin Huitt (a 2nd

  • Robotic vehicle helps clear minefields

    Building roads and airfields in Afghanistan presents a unique challenge that stateside heavy equipment operators don’t encounter … minefields. That is why members of the 823rd Red Horse -- or Rapid Engineer Deployable Heavy Operational Repair Squadron Engineers -- here joined the Air Force Research

  • Security forces begin transfer of mission to Iraqis

    The 506th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron has begun the transfer of its mission to the Iraqi government. Following the transfer of authority to the Iraqi Army by the U.S. Army in April, security forces Airmen here are now shifting their combat patrol mission of the base defense zone to the

  • Nonchargeable leave authorized for adoptions

    Airmen adopting children now may be authorized up to 21 days of nonchargeable leave per calendar year. A qualifying adoption is defined as the member being eligible for adoption reimbursement of qualified adoption expenses such as adoption, placement, legal and medical fees under Section 1052, Title

  • Center saves millions, improves warfighting abilities

    Airmen deploying in support of operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom can travel a little lighter now, thanks to the new Expeditionary Theater Distribution Center. The center here is one of three consolidated mobility bag distribution hubs that went fully operational this rotation, saving

  • Redeployment survey shows most Airmen return healthy

    The Air Force has reassessed about 12,500 Airmen since December after they returned from deployment and found most of those Airmen to be healthy. At the close of 2005, the Air Force began asking Airmen who returned from deployment to places like Afghanistan and Iraq to complete a post-deployment

  • 'Spirit of Berlin' a hit with Berlin Air Show spectators

    The “Spirit of Berlin” proved a big hit at the 2006 Berlin Air Show. When spectators entered the C-17 Globemaster III through the crew entry door, the typical reaction was to stop, stare in awe and exclaim in wonder at the cavernous interior. “You got that all day, every day,” said Tech. Sgt. Don

  • Airmen help rebuild a nation

    After a six-day killing frenzy of local Afghans, the Taliban seized control of this city in 1998. In November 2001, with U.S. assistance, the Afghan Northern Alliance recaptured the city of 180,000 residents. Today, Airmen continue to assist Afghanistan in its war against extremists by mentoring the

  • IT modernization: Leveraging the power of information

    Since January, the Air Force has been busy modernizing itself through the Secretary of the Air Force initiatives embodied in Air Force Smart Operations 21. The Air Force's communications and information community is part of that modernization effort. Their focus is on restructuring information

  • Moody prepares for hurricane season

    Airmen here buckled up the base, battled heavy winds and provided support for off-base recovery efforts during a hurricane evacuation exercise held May 15 to 18. Responding to “Hurricane Timothy” provided a realistic evaluation of the 347th Rescue Wing’s capability to plan and take the proper

  • Runway repair reduces FOD at Balad

    The Air Force, along with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and civilian contractors, is repairing a section of runway here that is showing signs of decay. The runway was not designed to accommodate heavy aircraft such as the C-5 Galaxy and the C-17 Globemaster III. The aircraft have taken a toll on

  • Technology improvements keep information flowing to warfighter

    During the recent Joint Expeditionary Force Experiment at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., the Air Force demonstrated new technology that provides warfighters with greater connectivity and more timely information. During the exercise, the Air Force tested the Battlefield Airborne Communications Node.

  • Air Force announces OTS selection board results

    One hundred seventy-seven men and women have been selected for the opportunity to become Air Force officers, officials here announced May 19.Of those, 37 enlisted members earned the chance to attend Officer Training School and trade their stripes for gold bars as second lieutenants.   The Air Force

  • New engine repair shop saves time, money

    Maintainers from the 386th Expeditionary Maintenance Group now have the capability to repair C-130 Hercules engines and propellers in Southwest Asia. This new capability has cut down repair time and is key to getting the aircraft back in the air performing the mission. In the past, if a propeller or

  • Realism of movies, TV shows can stir emotions

    Sometimes the realism of today’s movies and television programs can stir up emotions some people have a hard time dealing with. Such might be the case with the new HBO documentary, “Baghdad ER,” which airs Sunday, May 21 at 8 p.m. The film documents the lives of the doctors, nurses and medics at the

  • Civil engineers deploy to help Washoe Nation

    "We will help each other to protect and preserve the land, water and air for our generations to come” is a Washoe American-Indian tribal creed. Through the Civil-Military Innovative Readiness Training program several Air Force Reserve Command civil engineer units are keeping this Washoe creed alive

  • New extended range cruise missile takes first flight test

    When the Air Force successfully launched its newest cruise missile for the first time on May 18, it marked a significant step toward making the job of the pilots who deliver the weapon a lot less risky. A B-1B Lancer released the Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile -- Extended Range over the White

  • Nearly 50 Air Force, Army teams compete in adventure race

    While the morning sun swiftly ascended the West Texas sky, 360 Airmen, Soldiers, civilians and spouses psyched themselves up for a grueling, intense endeavor as the start of the second annual Laughlin Air Force Base Adventure Race drew near May 13. The race would take 49 teams from two branches of

  • New Air Staff badge recognizes Pentagon assignment

    Members assigned to Headquarters Air Force staff here will soon have the option to wear a new badge. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. T. Michael Moseley approved the design and development of the badge in September. The basis for the Headquarters Air Force badge is Air Force heritage and the design

  • Airmen learn to deal with enemy misinformation

    “Loose lips sink ships.” The phrase spearheaded a campaign to keep military members from revealing sensitive information during World War II. In fact, it was so effective the phrase still means something to many Americans 65 years later. Keeping operational secrets from the enemy is still vital

  • Pushing freight: ATOC moves cargo in, out of Ali quickly

    In a combat environment, speed and accuracy are key -- even more so when it comes to an aircraft.  And though most cargo aircraft are relatively agile when in the air, they are not while groundbound.One team’s mission here is to make sure those aircraft stay on the ground for as short a time as

  • B-1B strikes Taliban stronghold

    A B-1B Lancer struck a Taliban-associated compound May 17 near Kandahar, Afghanistan, in support of coalition ground forces conducting operations to detain individuals suspected of terrorist activities. The bomber responded to an immediate air support request with a GBU-38 Joint Direct Attack

  • Mannequins help improve casualty care

    As an independent duty medical technician with Air Force Special Operations Command, Tech. Sgt. Jared Schultz has done casualty evacuations in Iraq and Afghanistan with troops who have lost legs, as well as those who have been shot in just about any body part you can name. He says nothing came close

  • Chief McKinley looking forward to new job

    Command Chief Master Sgt. Rod McKinley admits he is a bit nervous about becoming the 15th chief master sergeant of the Air Force. But it is not because the job will be too tough or that becoming the Air Force’s top enlisted leader intimidates him, he said. It is the fact he will be the next chief in

  • AFIT team wins national case study competition

    A select panel of distinguished senior U.S. Department of State diplomats and executives yesterday chose four students from the Air Force Institute of Technology as the winners of its national case study competition. The team, consisting of Majs. Timothy Kirk, Ita Udoaka and Carolyn Wood

  • Signing event signifies environmental milestone

    Air Mobility Command, state and federal officials signed a record of decision May 12 for the last two of the base's contaminant release sites, reaching a major milestone in the environmental program here. The base's 59 contaminant sites put Dover on the Environmental Protection Agency’s Superfund

  • Command Post awards announced

    Air Force officials announced the winners of the 2005 command post annual awards. They are: - Unit Level Command Post Airman of the Year: Senior Airman Tina M. Loos, 18th Wing, Kadena Air Base, Japan - Unit Level Command Post Noncommissioned Officer of the Year: Tech. Sgt. Chastity M. Degroat, 701st

  • Forensic experts identify keys to crimes

    For forensic science consultants at the Air Force Office of Special Investigations' 33rd Field Investigations Squadron, criminal investigations in the Air Force begin at the crime scene.The work of Air Force forensic science consultants is similar to that of criminal investigators in the television

  • Transient alert provides Bagram its staying power

    Imagine parking hundreds of cars and trucks in a convenience store parking lot. Now imagine parking those cars if they were the size of C-17 Globemaster IIIs. That image makes the task facing the transient alert team at the 455th Air Expeditionary Wing here a little clearer. “It’s kind of like a

  • Airmen call in 'air strikes' on Louisiana communities

    Fighter jets and bombers fly overhead making multiple passes to intercept and destroy enemy targets called in by Air Force joint terminal air controllers. One pass is to destroy a building with enemy snipers. Another pass is to track a man riding a motorcycle suspected of carrying a bomb in his

  • Whatever you do this summer, stay safe

    Each year, the Air Force stresses the importance of zero mishaps during the 101 Critical Days of Summer through PowerPoint slides, commander’s calls and safety briefings. For the most part, Airmen do their part to put safety at the forefront. But what about those safety issues that tend to fall

  • Airmen can now update their duty history online

    Airmen will be responsible for reviewing their duty history and requesting changes, additions or deletions online through the virtual Military Personnel Flight beginning May 30. Airmen can enter the vMPF by logging onto the Air Force Personnel Center's secure Web site where they can access their

  • Active-duty retirement applications centralized online

    The active-duty retirement program is going virtual and applications will be processed at the Air Force Contact Center effective May 22 as part of the first phase of the Personnel Services Delivery Transformation. Airmen eligible to retire will initiate the process online via the virtual Military

  • C-130J Hercules displays interoperability at Berlin Air Show

    It was interoperability in action at the Berlin Air Show on May 17 when a medium extended air defense system was loaded onto a C-130J Hercules. The system is designed as a lightweight launcher capable of shooting down aircraft, ballistic missiles and cruise missiles. It was a new missile system on a

  • Rehabilitation specialists team up to support warfighters

    Brooke Army Medical Center hosted a military amputee advance skills training workshop here for Veterans Affairs’ prosthetists and therapists. Nearly 100 VA rehabilitation team members from 15 medical centers attended the workshop May 10 through 12 to learn the patient care methods used at Department

  • Improved C-5 promises more faithful years of service

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

  • Eglin gears up for ‘the next big storm’

    Hurricane Ivan in September 2004 and Hurricane Dennis in July 2005 cost them millions of dollars in damages. Then, like the rest of the world, they witnessed Hurricane Katrina devastate New Orleans and the surrounding area last year. So, why then, would members of this Gulf Coast base welcome

  • New service dress prototypes pique interest

    Based on feedback received during visits with Airmen across the Air Force, the Air Force Uniform Board is reviewing several concepts that Airmen have suggested regarding the appearance of the service dress uniform. Some of the informal feedback about the current service dress includes Airmen wanting

  • Balad remains one busy airfield

    Aircraft pack the flightline here and operations are non-stop and intense. C-130 Hercules, MQ-1 Predators, F-16 Fighting Falcons and HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopters all call this busy base home. The men and women who support the aircraft say Balad has the busiest single-runway airfield in the Department

  • AF official praises Keesler recovery, emphasizes challenges ahead

    Having visited just days after Hurricane Katrina ravaged the base, the Air Force’s point man for installations returned here May 11 to assess Keesler’s overall progress toward full restoration. Lt. Gen. Donald Wetekam, Air Force deputy chief of staff for logistics, installations and mission support,

  • Suggestions garner rewards for three Airmen

    Three NCOs here recently were approved to receive $10,000 each for coming up with new ideas that saved the Air Force money. Master Sgt. Mark Gauthier and Tech. Sgt. Matthew Wilson of Air Force Special Operations Command, and Tech. Sgt. Arnoldo Cuevas, 16th Civil Engineer Squadron,  are expected to

  • Medics return to Lackland from Iraq deployment

    Air Force medics returned today to Wilford Hall Medical Center at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, after a deployment to Iraq. Many of the 60 Airmen served at the Air Force theater hospital at Balad Air Base. For the complete story on their return, see the Web report on “Medical Warriors” in the

  • Air Force flexibility on display in Iraq and Afghanistan

    Air Force fighters no longer just swoop down from the sky to drop their deadly weapons in support of ground troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. Fighters equipped with special sensor pods, developed for more precise bombing, also are warning commanders and troops fighting on the ground about enemy

  • Radar upgrade key to future B-1 combat capability

    The Air Force recently awarded a $180-million contract to the Boeing Company to upgrade the fire-control radar on the service's fleet of 67 B-1B Lancer long-range bomber aircraft. The nine-year Reliability and Maintainability Improvement Program, or RMIP, will replace two units that make up the

  • Program educates military spouses, builds confidence

    Signing up to join the military can be an intimidating ordeal for military members, but they're not the only ones who experience anxiety when the dotted line is signed. Before 2002, military spouses here were on their own to learn about Air Force services, customs and courtesies.  Now, coordinators

  • U.S. opens Berlin Air Show with ‘Spirit’

    A C-17 Globemaster III from Charleston Air Force Base, S.C., named the “Spirit of Berlin” helped kick off the Berlin Air Show when it flew today before opening day spectators. The C-17 crew, assigned to the 315th Airlift Wing, is part of a U.S. contingent joining more than 1,000 exhibitors from 42

  • Center-contractor partnership benefits warfighter

    In an ongoing effort to generate cost-effective support for the warfighter, Ogden Air Logistics Center officials signed a partnering agreement with BAE Systems on May 11.The agreement, established to make maximum use of the center's industrial and technical foundation while incorporating BAE

  • Hennings elected to College Football Hall of Fame

    Former Air Force great Chad Hennings received one of the highest honors a college football player can earn May 16.  He was elected into the College Football Hall of Fame. Hennings is one of 13 players and two coaches to be selected to the hall of fame from a ballot of 77 candidates and a pool of

  • Task Force members visit African orphanages

    Since 2003, Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa servicemembers have visited local orphanages with the hopes of learning new cultures, establishing friendships and building better futures. Currently, about 200 CJTF-HOA servicemembers visit three different orphanages each week volunteering an

  • Opening another world, one book at a time

    People in the 8th Fighter Wing donated more than 1,270 English-language children’s books to the Kunsan City library May 3 after a book drive that ran from March 8 to April 17. The book drive, the first of its kind here, collected books as a way to help teach English to Korean youth in the local

  • Thunderbirds perform 4,000th show

    The United States Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron, the Thunderbirds, performed their 4,000th air show May 13 at Robins Air Force Base, Ga. The show was the team's 14th of the 2006 season. “We perform about 70 air shows throughout the year, representing the 530,000 men and women in our Air

  • Behind-the-scenes work continues as air show set to begin

    One of the world’s premier air shows gets underway May 16, but military organizers have been working behind the scenes for several months to ensure a successful display of U.S. military aviation at the 2006 Berlin Air Show. Initial groundwork began two years ago when the previous Berlin Air Show

  • ICC: Coming soon to a base near you

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

  • Global Hawk operations reach new high

    Battlefield awareness has reached new levels with Global Hawk production-model aircraft flying in the U.S. Central Command Air Forces theater. Reaching a breakthrough point in April, the Global Hawk team has maximized the aircraft’s sorties, collecting more than 96 percent of the target area --

  • 'Your life is our business'

    In the shadows behind every aircrew stands a life support team. These Airmen typically don’t seek the limelight. Instead, they want all “their” aircrews to come home safely. The role of life support is significant for many reasons, said Staff Sgt. Jessica McCormick, a KC-135 Stratotanker life

  • Alternate fuel-powered B-52 to fly in September

    This year, the Air Force will test fly a B-52 Stratofortress that is powered in part by fuel derived from natural gas. The Air Force Research Laboratory's propulsion directorate, a part of Air Force Materiel Command, is providing technical assistance to the test flight scheduled for September

  • Medics make air evacuation easier on wounded troops

    Wounded U.S. troops leave this base each day on military transports after their release from the contingency air staging facility at the airport waiting area. The staging area is a busy place and has all the staff and equipment needed to treat any patient awaiting air evacuation. Airmen from the

  • C-17 pilot receives Koren Kolligian Jr. Trophy

    The skies over West Texas March 10, 2005 could have come right off a picture postcard:  blue, cloudless and so clear you could see horizon to horizon. It was, as one Air Force pilot put it, a perfect day for flying. Capt. Andreas Ix and his C-17 Globemaster III aircrew were participating in a

  • Strategic maintenance gives Airmen diverse experience

    Maintainers spend thousands of hours keeping transport aircraft flying during the course of a rotation to this desert base. So when Airmen from the 8th Expeditionary Air Mobility Squadron maintenance flight show up for work, they know they will be busy. The flight’s mission is to provide strategic

  • Army, Air Force open communications

    The Army talking to the Air Force from the ground to the air is not a common occurrence here. "We're in the purple (joint) business," said Army Lt. Col. Michael Shillinger, 551st Signal Battalion commander, as Staff Sgt. Robert Pangburn completed radio communications with pilots in an Air Force

  • 'Air Force Report' special focuses on suicide prevention

    Suicide prevention is a major priority for the Air Force. Stress, as a result of deployments and relationship and financial problems, affects everyone, and unfortunately, some believe suicide is the only way out.There is, however, help. Early intervention, whether from a co-worker, a chaplain or a

  • JCS chairman sends message to servicemembers

    The following message on National Military Appreciation Month is from Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Marine Gen. Peter Pace:"This month we honor the extraordinary contributions of the men and women who serve our country in the armed forces. I am proud to serve alongside 2.4 million Americans

  • Chief Murray reflects on 29-year career

    Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force Gerald R. Murray led his last Worldwide Command Chief’s Conference here April 21-26, meeting with command chiefs from around the Air Force to exchange information and discuss challenges facing today’s Airmen.During the 12th annual conference, the chief took

  • Deputy SG talks about future of Air Force medicine

    Reshaping medical career fields as lean, efficient tools for providing 21st century healthcare is a priority for the Air Force deputy surgeon general.Maj. Gen. (Dr.) James G. Roudebush, who was at Offutt recently for the 2006 NOVA conference, an annual gathering of leaders from Air Force medical

  • Program gives technology access to disabled GIs

    A Defense Department program helps wounded servicemembers and other people with disabilities have equal access to the information environment and opportunities throughout the federal government, a senior DOD official said May 8. Dinah F.B. Cohen, director of the Computer and Electronic Accommodation

  • Smart Operations 21 office formed at Pentagon

    In February, Air Force leaders created a new program office at the Pentagon that will take the lead in optimizing the way the Air Force conducts its mission. The Air Force Smart Operations 21 office, created in response to an initiative by Secretary of the Air Force Michael W. Wynne, will look at

  • Five selected to comm hall of fame

    Five Air Force communications pioneers are the newest members of the Communications and Information Hall of Fame located in the Air Force Communications Agency’s Ludwig Heritage Hall here. Lt. Gen. Michael Peterson, the Air Force chief of warfighting integration and chief information officer,

  • Air Force inspires Army motorcycle mentorship program

    The U.S. Army recently began testing its motorcycle mentorship program at selected installations since being inspired by the success of the Air Force's program. Air Force officials claim about a 50-percent reduction in motorcycle accidents since introducing the program in 2004. Fiscal 2006

  • Air Force Honor Guard performs at 2006 Air and Sea Show

    After the roar of the aircraft was silenced, the steady clicking of heels could be heard marching closer and closer. Suddenly, a group of Airmen, weapons contrasting starkly against their white gloves, formed up to begin their own performance: rhythmic weapon-slapping and heel-clicking mixed with

  • N.Y. lacrosse team dedicates season to Pope Airmen

    When Brianna Maglio scored the first goal of the season for her fourth grade lacrosse team in Garden City, N.Y., she wasn’t just doing it for her team. The Gray Sweeties, Brianna's team, have dedicated this season to her brother, Airman Emilio Lavia, and his unit, the 43rd Logistics Readiness

  • Mechanics keep fleet rolling through dust, mud

    Working on vehicles in the desert presents challenges. Mechanics sometimes have to scrape off layers of dirt and mud just to get to the broken part. Then there’s the parts themselves -- it is not like they can simply call an automotive supply store in Baghdad to deliver a part. “Back home, you could

  • Airmen enable Iraqi police training

    In a small outpost in the Iraqi city of Mosul, about 50 Airmen provide a safe, secure and professional environment at the Mosul Public Service Academy to enable the training of an effective and professional Iraqi police force. The Airmen at the MPSA have the chance to interact with the students who

  • SECAF releases latest 'Letter to Airmen'

    In his "Letter to Airmen" released today, Secretary of the Air Force Michael W. Wynne addresses one of the U.S. Air Forces’ core values -- Service Before Self. “As I visit and work with Airmen around the world, I could not be prouder of the many ways that you sacrifice for service before self,

  • Lt. Gen. James says farewell to Air Guard members

    Lt. Gen. Daniel James III retired as the 11th director of the Air National Guard in a ceremony at Bolling Air Force Base, D.C., on May 10.He earlier bid farewell to members of the Air National Guard in a short speech that focused almost entirely on them and barely on himself.“You’re very special

  • Advanced trauma life support training returns to Wilford Hall

    Trauma training designed to prepare physicians for war has returned to the 59th Medical Wing at Wilford Hall Medical Center for the first time since 2001. The Advanced Trauma Life Support, or ATLS, course, held May 4 and 5, is the standard on which all immediate trauma care is based, according to

  • Navigator takes on training challenge

    A C-130 Hercules navigator said helping train the Airmen of the Iraqi Air Force's first operational transport unit was no easy task. Capt. Jeremy Smith of the 37th Airlift Squadron here served a tour with the 777th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron’s advisory committee at Balad Air Base, Iraq, helping

  • Unique aircraft repair saves millions

    It was a long time in coming, but the repair of an F-16 damaged in an accident here December 2000 will save taxpayers tens of millions of dollars. Originally in for depot modifications to extend the life of the aircraft, the Virginia Air National Guard Fighting Falcon experienced an involuntary gear

  • Fighters 'take down' mountain

    Some people move mountains, others destroy them. On Tuesday, May 2, four 336th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron Airmen did just that. Two F-15E Strike Eagle crews flew out from here on a mission in support of Operation Mountain Lion. Their assignment -- a preplanned attack to destroy caves inside a

  • Air Force plans for cleaner, greener future

    In the 1980s, firefighter training was straightforward: light a fire and see how quickly and safely it can be extinguished. So in fire-training pits at Air Force bases around the world, jet fuel was regularly sprayed onto old aircraft carcasses and the surrounding ground. The fuel was ignited and

  • Security forces at Bagram practice urban warfare

    Deployed Airmen, distributing humanitarian supplies, are taken hostage by enemy forces while visiting an Afghan village. It’s now up to the accompanying squad of security forces to rescue the Airmen and eliminate the bad guys. This is the scenario members of the 455th Expeditionary Security Forces

  • Connecting the world one wire at a time

    They maintain miles of cable and wire so everyone can communicate here and to the world. The job has them working above and below ground, while fighting all the elements of being in a desert climate. This responsibility lies with the 407th Expeditionary Communications Squadron’s base information

  • Desktop configuration coming for ACC network users

    Air Combat Command is taking steps to standardize its 68,000 Windows-based computers by Dec. 31 -- a change that will affect every Airman and Air Force civilian who uses a computer on the network. This project, called the Standard Desktop Configuration, or SDC, is a first-time initiative that will

  • Next top enlisted chief focused on Air Force priorities

    Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force-select Rodney J. McKinley said his new job brings with it a great responsibility to the service’s enlisted force. As such, when he assumes his new post as the Air Force’s 15th top enlisted leader July 1, he’s not planning to make immediate changes, he said during

  • McGuire Airman makes lucky catch

    Sports history landed in the lap of a McGuire Airman May 8 while he sat in the right field bleachers of Citizens Bank Park, as the Philadelphia Phillies played the San Francisco Giants. Airman 1st Class Carlos Oliveras of the 305th Aerial Port Squadron caught Barry Bonds' 713th home run ball, which

  • Florida National Guard ready to respond to wildfires

    More than 8,000 citizen Airmen and Soldiers are ready to assist the state of Florida in fighting wildfires that have plagued the state for several weeks, Florida National Guard officials announced May 9. Guard officials said that more than 8,000 acres have burned in Florida, particularly in Volusia,

  • Friendship means the world to adopted babushkas

    Olga finished school 70 years ago. After graduating, she became a teacher of Russian, German and finally mathematics for more than 30 years. She has so much to share about that time, but today, she has fewer and fewer people to hear her stories. Brothers and sisters, husbands and children have

  • Vietnam POW exhibit opens at Air Force museum

    Visitors can get a rare glimpse into the lives of prisoners of war through a dramatic new exhibit at the National Museum of the United States Air Force. The exhibit, titled "Return with Honor: American Prisoners of War in Southeast Asia," located in the museum's Modern Flight Gallery, is now open to

  • Free summer camp sign-up deadline nears

    Even though the registration deadline is only a week away, there's still room for military children to attend an "Operation Purple" summer camp free of charge, according to National Military Family Association officials. Applications are available only online, and officials emphasized they will be

  • Missing World War II Airmen identified

    The Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office, or DPMO, announced today that two members of a four-man Army Air Forces crew missing in action from World War II have been identified. They are being returned to their families for burial with full military honors. The crew is pilot Capt. Douglas Wight of

  • 'Hanoi Taxi' arrives at National Museum of the Air Force

    The first aircraft to return Vietnam prisoners of war to the United States arrived at the National Museum of the United States Air Force at 9:30 a.m. May 6. The C-141 "Hanoi Taxi" was the first aircraft to arrive in Hanoi in February 1973 to pick up POWs returning to the United States. The "Hanoi

  • Services squadron shows 'BEST' hospitality

    Since January, hundreds of prizes have been passed out at bingo games, dozens of entertainers have passed through and personal trainers have spent more than 1,000 hours helping people meet their fitness goals here. “But what I wish I knew more than anything,” said 1st Lt. Tyson Edwards, “is the

  • Ardent Sentry 2006 tests AFNORTH, NORAD capabilities

    Air Forces Northern and the Continental United States NORAD Region will hone civil support and homeland defense skills May 8 to 18 in Exercise Ardent Sentry 2006. Ardent Sentry is a bi-national, multi-level exercise involving military and civilian agencies in Canada and the U.S. to test both