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  • Five Airmen killed in Iraqi crash

    Four U.S. Airmen and one Iraqi airman were killed May 30 when an Iraqi air force Comp Air 7SL aircraft crashed in eastern Diyala province during an operational mission.The aircraft belonged to Iraqi’s 3rd Squadron and is a single engine high-winged aircraft used for surveillance and movement of

  • Promotion takes to airwaves

    Separation proved no obstacle for a couple here May 26 as they were promoted to first lieutenant together via computer-based video conference while geographically separated by more than 7,000 miles.First Lts. Eric Johnston, who is deployed to Balad Air Base, Iraq, and Sheila Johnston, of the 47th

  • Airmen work with Soldiers to help Iraqi communities

    The public works directorate here, comprising Air Force and Army civil engineers, work on everything from constructing new facilities to designing waste-water treatment facilities to installing electric power nodes. “In short, if you need a construction project done, we do it all,” said Maj. Thomas

  • Honoring fallen heroes full-time job

    Click, click, click. People can hear the crisp, unmistakable sound of heels tapping together simultaneously.With precision movements, Homestead Air Reserve Base Honor Guard Airmen march in unison to take their spot in the funeral procession. They are dressed in pristine Air Force dress uniforms

  • Airmen provide support during Operation Alaskan Road

    A group of Airmen at Camp Wy-Wuh, Alaska, is supporting the troops of Joint Task Force Alaskan Road by making sure their camp has at least some of the comforts of home. Operation Alaskan Road entails the construction of a 14.5-mile road on an island that is Alaska’s only federally recognized Indian

  • DOD study ongoing to investigate Airmen’s health

    An ongoing Department of Defense health study will ultimately examine health surveys submitted by servicemembers throughout 20 years.The joint-service Millennium Cohort Study will evaluate the health risks of military deployments, occupations and general military service, said Navy Cmdr. (Dr.)

  • Sister, brother meet up in Southwest Asia

    An Airman here got quite a surprise when she got off the plane in a forward-deployed location in Southwest Asia in transit to her final destination here.It was the smiling face of her brother, Staff Sgt. Matthew Hochstein, an aerospace ground equipment technician with the 379th Expeditionary

  • Airmen provide close-air support for patrol in Afghanistan

    Air Force air and ground combat support elements accompanied infantrymen from the 508th Infantry Regiment during a presence patrol in the mountainous region here recently.Air Force joint terminal attack controllers, who are attached to an Army unit to coordinate close-air support for ground

  • Taking second step: BRAC commissioner visits Pope AFB

    A Base Realignment and Closure commissioner met with base leaders here May 24 to discuss the base’s inclusion on the 2005 BRAC list, the units that could potentially be affected and the land that comprises the base.“My visit is not to announce Pope will be closed. Rather I am here to get a personal

  • Severely injured troops relearn living skills

    "It smells good in here already," a visitor to "Fort Independence" said as she walked into the kitchen where amputees sharpen their culinary skills at Walter Reed Army Medical Center here.Fort Independence is a mock apartment set up in the hospital's occupational-therapy department to train newly

  • Convoy Airmen protect supply lines

    He wipes the sweat from his palms, getting a better grasp on the warm steel handles of the .50-caliber gun. Darkness stretches around him for miles, with the exception of the headlights from his convoy illuminating the road ahead. The Airman remains vigilant as he keeps a watchful eye. At this

  • Volunteers give to community at Marian House

    Downtown Colorado Springs was quiet on a recent morning. Traffic, normally a dull roar during the week, was a whisper as cars zipped along a nearly empty Interstate 25 and local roads. A dozen cars sat parked behind a yellow house on a road about a quarter of a mile from the highway.As other

  • Civil support teams provide WMD expertise to communities

    Guardsmen with the 61st Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Support Team here like to think of themselves as firefighters."We're ready to go, but we don't go until the bell goes off," said Lt. Col. Keith Bauder, commander of the unit since it activated five years ago.The "bell" sounds in the event of

  • Air Force leaders send Memorial Day message

    The following is a Memorial Day message from Michael L. Dominguez, acting secretary of the Air Force, and Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper:“This Memorial Day, our thoughts and prayers are with those whose family members have died in service to our great nation. This day also reminds us

  • 100-percent accountability paramount in deployed operations

    Imagine showing up to work one day only to discover everyone is new. Well, that has been the case at this and many other forward-deployed locations worldwide. Most of the Airmen in the air and space expeditionary force’s current rotation arrived within the past month, and that means Airmen at the

  • Deploying does not mean classroom is closed

    Wearing desert battle dress uniforms and living in a tent city do not necessarily mean people need to put their educational goals on hold, said the chief of the learning resource center at a forward-deployed location.Tech. Sgt. James Norton Jr. recently arrived from the 480th Intelligence Wing at

  • Honor guard, ceremonial guardsmen award winners named

    Air Force officials recently announced the winners of the 2004 Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force Base Honor Guard and U.S. Air Force Ceremonial Guardsmen Awards. The winners are: -- Honor Guard Program Manager of the Year: Master Sgt. Angela Valentine from Little Rock Air Force Base, Ark.

  • Eglin uses controlled burns to protect pine forests

    Conserving the longleaf pine ecosystem here has always been a top priority for base officials, and the base’s natural resources section does its part to help.A large part of the environmental mission here is the prescribed burn program. The primary reason for burning is to help manage the ecosystem

  • Airman sentenced in contraband court martial

    A former 728th Air Control Squadron Airman here was sentenced to confinement for one year and dismissal from active duty in a general court martial May 20.Maj. Gregory McMillion was found guilty on three of four charges: violating a lawful general order; failure to give notice and turn over to

  • Academy sports recap: Falcons name new basketball head coach

    Former Denver Nuggets coach Jeff Bzdelik has been named the new head coach for the Falcon men's basketball team. He replaces Chris Mooney, who left the academy May 5 to accept the head coaching job at the University of Richmond.“We’re very excited about having Jeff lead the men’s basketball team

  • Air National Guard leaders focus on BRAC

    Air National Guard leaders are urging citizen Airmen nationwide to remain focused on their missions while they and others consider the organization's future during this year's Base Realignment and Closure process. Lt. Gen. Daniel James III, ANG director, and Chief Master Sgt. Richard Smith, ANG

  • Officials unveil new generation command and control system

    A new generation command and control system was unveiled recently when Air Mobility Command officials began fielding a new system that provides unit-level and force-level mission planning, scheduling and tracking of all mobility airlift and air refueling missions.The global decision support system

  • Lajes sergeant 100-percent fit to fight

    People may spend hours studying to get a 100 percent on a test, but a sergeant here spent hours in the gym and at fitness sessions to achieve a perfect score on the Air Force fitness test -- twice.Senior Master Sgt. Robin McMullen, chief controller of the 65th Operations Support Squadron’s air

  • Joint Space Operations Center opens at Vandenberg

    Joint warfighters worldwide will soon reap the benefits from the Joint Space Operations Center, which opened here May 18.“This (center) really is the culmination of a number of years of evolutionary thinking about space power and its applications,” said Maj. Gen. Michael A. Hamel, 14th Air Force

  • Pilots give new C-130J aircraft rave reviews

    Here at the "Home of the Herk" -- the affectionate nickname for the C-130 Hercules aircraft -- there is no ambivalence about the new "J" model.The C-130J is the latest addition to the C-130 fleet, bringing state-of-the-art technology to the tactical cargo- and troop-transport aircraft that has been

  • Airmen discover illegal aliens aboard aircraft

    Attention to detail and great military-civilian cooperation helped local and state officials nab six illegal aliens here May 16.Air traffic controllers received an emergency call from a civilian pilot who said he was in danger of running out of fuel. The military controllers offered the pilot a

  • Vehicle operators named 'team of the year'

    The Army has traditionally provided protection for supply and munitions convoys in Iraq and Afghanistan, but when manning shortages made it tough for Soldiers to fulfill that role, the Air Force provided help. As many as 25 percent of Airmen in the vehicle operations career field were specially

  • Hurricane Hunters fly first operation WC-130J mission

    The first storm of the 2005 hurricane season came a little early this year appearing in the Pacific off the coast of Central America. Hurricane Adrian also marked the beginning of a new era in weather reconnaissance for the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron’s “Hurricane Hunters” here.When

  • Critically manned career fields given edge to fill NCO slots

    Airmen in 17 Air Force specialties will be given a leg up for promotion this year in an attempt to fill manning shortfalls in their career fields. As part of the chronic critical shortage skills program, Airmen testing for staff, technical or master sergeants during the 2005 promotion cycle, and

  • Lab uses vibration testing to solve aircraft problems

    For every test Bill Fleenor conducts in the vibration test facility here, there is one overriding intention.“If an item is going to fail, I want it to fail on my table and not with the warfighter,” said Mr. Fleenor, a mechanical engineer.Mr. Fleenor, whose degree is in physics for industrial

  • Pallet pursuit nets plentiful return

    It is “mission accomplished” for the Airmen of the 455th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron’s pallet and net team. They have returned more than $3.7 million in pallets, nets and other airlift assets to the transportation system in three months.While these assets are supposed to be returned

  • Air Force men take armed forces volleyball crown

    The Air Force men’s volleyball team won the 2005 Men’s Armed Forces Volleyball Championship here May 16.The Airmen began their run to the title by defeating the Navy 25-23, 25-17, 22-25 and 25-22. After the Army defeated the Marines -- 12-25, 22-25, 25-21, 25-19 and 25-17 – they were in a position

  • Vietnam War missing in action Airman identified

    The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office announced May 20 that the remains of a U.S. Airman, missing in action from the Vietnam War, have been identified and returned to his family for burial with full military honors.On Oct. 15, 1965, Maj. Robert Harry Schuler Jr., of Wellsburg, N.Y.,

  • Airmen make most of temporary situation

    In many deployed locations, temporary quarters are commonplace. Taking that to a whole new level, air traffic controllers with the 332nd Expeditionary Airfield Operations Squadron here have set up shop in a plywood tower nicknamed the “tree house.”“When we arrived … a renovation project on the

  • Airmen use ‘germ warfare’ to ensure force readiness

    Most people see the war on terrorism as a global engagement where bombs and bullets are the biggest threat against Soldiers, Airmen, Sailors and Marines. However, there is a strike force here made up of two Airmen who are fighting the battle against another serious threat -- a microscopic

  • Sending charitable donations via MPS prohibited

    Each year, the Department of Defense plays a huge role in delivering relief supplies and assisting in relief operations worldwide. For people overseas who want to contribute, the problem is getting the package where it needs to be.However, the military postal service is not an option, said U.S. Air

  • Officials announce airfield operations awards

    Air Force officials recently announced the winners of the 2004 Air Force Airfield Operation Awards.Airfield operations, a flight within the operations support squadron, is responsible for airfield operations and control, specifically airfield management and air traffic control.The 2004 winners

  • BRAC recommendations present beneficial results

    Air Force Base Realignment and Closure recommendations provide an opportunity for the Air Force to effectively organize its total force into a more capable and efficient warfighting organization, transforming the Air Force to better meet future threats.The co-chairman of the Air Force's Base Closure

  • Civil engineers train for chemical attacks

    Civil engineers here replaced their shovels, hammers and power tools with gas masks, gloves and chemical warfare ensemble gear during ability to survive and operate training here May 18.“This training is very important,” said Capt. Jeremy Milliman, 374th Civil Engineer Squadron’s readiness flight

  • A father remembered

    Five numbers painted on the tail of a local parade’s float will pass by thousands of people, and they may not see what is between them.A string of numbers can represent anything from how much money someone has in his or her bank account, to phone numbers or even ZIP codes.71424 represents the life

  • Civil Air Patrol helps test D.C. warning system

    Civil Air Patrol’s national capital wing is helping the Air Force test its new visual warning system for pilots, a security measure set to become operational over the Washington, D.C., area on May 21, officials said. The system signals pilots who fly into the D.C. area’s air defense identification

  • Mobile dental bus helps drive away plaque

    Being assigned to a geographically separated unit can sometimes create difficulties and lost man-hours when it comes to annual appointments like dental checkups. That is not the case for GSUs aligned with Spangdahlem.The 52nd Dental Squadron’s dental bus is a 40-foot long, fully functioning dental

  • Officials announce 2004 security forces awards

    Air Force officials recently announced the 2004 Air Force Outstanding Security Forces Individual Award winners.These annual awards recognize the top security forces Airmen in each category.The career field-wide award winner is:Colonel Billy Jack Carter Award: Senior Master Sgt. Richard Graves from

  • DOD tests ‘revolutionary’ biological warfare detection device

    Department of Defense specialists are testing a cutting-edge technology so revolutionary military scientists said it will change the face of biological warfare.The joint biological agent identification and diagnostic system, a 40-pound device small enough to slip into a rucksack, is designed to

  • Air Force officials send Armed Forces Day message

    The following is an Armed Forces Day message from Michael L. Dominguez, acting secretary of the Air Force, and Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper:In the first presidential proclamation for Armed Forces Day in 1950, President Truman said the day ‘marks the first combined demonstration by

  • BRAC Commission chairman describes panel's role

    The Defense Department's base realignment and closure recommendations are now in the hands of the nine-member commission that will make the final decisions.The Base Realignment and Closure Commission takes its independent role very seriously, said the BRAC chairman, and he vowed an "open and

  • New law to affect SGLI payments, premiums

    Defense Department and Veterans Affairs officials are ironing out details of programs that will expand benefits provided through Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance.The $82 billion supplemental legislation signed into law by President Bush on May 11 increases maximum SGLI coverage to $400,000 and

  • ‘Metal mayhem’ returns to Kunsan

    Metal mayhem returned here as heavy metal giants Quiet Riot and Skid Row rocked a packed house during their final concert on the Korean peninsula May 17.During the previous week, Quiet Riot and Skid Row toured Army and Air Force installations to bring their in-your-face style of hard rock, said

  • Officials announce aircrew life support award winners

    Air Force officials recently announced the 2004 Outstanding Air Force Aircrew Life Support of the Year award winners.These awards recognize the accomplishments of aircrew life support people and programs.The 2004 winners are:-- Outstanding Aircrew Life Support Headquarters Staff Member of the Year:

  • Officials announce Air Force communications, information awards

    The following people, teams and units are winners of the 2004 Air Force Communications and Information awards.Air Force communications and information individual award winners are:-- Outstanding Field Grade Officer: Maj. Kevin Payne from Ramstein Air Base, Germany.-- Outstanding Company Grade

  • Air Force launches 'AF eMail'

    The Air Force began the first phase of a new e-mail system May 6 that will enhance communication of Airmen worldwide.AF eMail (aka eMail-for-Life) is a single, static e-mail address that will not change during the career of an Airman or Air Force civilian employee.The current e-mail system, rapid

  • USO brings taste of America to troops

    The day began with business as usual for hundreds of Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines deployed here to wage the war on terrorism.Airmen responded to a rocket attack on the airfield while Soldiers set off on operations outside the wire, hunting insurgents who threaten peace and freedom in

  • Airmen open heart, home to children in need

    More than 523,000 children nationwide are in foster care because their families are in crisis and unable to provide for their essential needs, according to child welfare agency officials. May is National Foster Care Month.One family here has opened its heart and home to some of those children the

  • Rumsfeld, Myers state their case to commission

    As the military confronts the "new demands of the war against extremism and other evolving challenges in the world," the Defense Department's recommendations for base realignments and closures are necessary, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld told the commission considering DOD's proposals May

  • Recommendations 'will reshape Air Force'

    Air Force recommendations provided to the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure Commission will reorganize that service, making it more capable to address threats to national security, the Air Force's top civilian told commissioners here May 17."We have presented to you a bold program that will reshape

  • DOD prepares biometric ID system for U.S. bases in Iraq

    The Defense Department is fine-tuning a $75 million biometric identification system designed to improve force protection at U.S. military bases in Iraq, said officials involved with the project.At a recent demonstration, DOD officials said the state-of-the-art system will use biographical data,

  • Desert lifestyle results in big weight loss

    Most of the people assigned at this forward-deployed location as part of Air and Space Expeditionary Force 3/4 have rotated home, but they left behind a lot of excess baggage – unwanted pounds.Airmen hit the gym in heavy numbers, sometimes filling the two facilities here, and many left in much

  • PMEL Airmen ensure equipment is ready for fight

    When you do not feel well, the solution is simple. Aches or ailments of unknown origin are taken to medical practitioners for treatment.But what if it is test, measurement, and diagnostic equipment that is not up to speed?Airmen with the precision measurement equipment laboratory ensure the

  • Deployed Airmen honor fallen police officers

    Security Forces Airmen gathered near the flightline at the International Airport here May 13 to honor and remember fellow police officers who died in the line of duty, including military police officers who gave their lives defending freedom in military operations worldwide.The ceremony was part of

  • General Moseley nominated for CSAF

    The president announced May 16 his nomination of Gen. T. Michael Moseley as chief of staff of the Air Force to succeed Gen. John P. Jumper who has served in the position since September 2001."I am deeply honored and humbled to have been nominated to serve as the next Air Force chief of staff,” said

  • Careless recycling causes identity theft concerns

    Postal officials in Europe are asking people to read before they recycle to reduce the threat of identity theft.During the past few years, U.S. Air Forces in Europe postmasters have had great success combating litter problems with post office recycling bins; however, now there is a concern that

  • Academy sports recap: Lacrosse coach selected to hall of fame

    Fred Acee, head coach of the academy lacrosse team was selected for induction into the National Junior College Athletic Association Hall of Fame. Before coming to the academy in 1998, he spent 30 years as head coach of the Farmingdale State University of New York team, building them into a national

  • New directorate merges information technology

    Air Force leaders marked the standup of an organization designed to be the single focal point for information technology policy formulation and execution to best integrate current technologies.This helps meet the Air Force chief of staff’s vision of "shortening the kill chain," which refers to the

  • Six selected for Air Force chess team

    Seventeen Airmen recently battled head to head here on one of the oldest battlefields in history -- the chessboard.The 2005 Air Force Chess Tournament determined the 2005 Air Force chess team. The top six players were named to the team that will compete in the interservice tournament in June at

  • Airmen allowed to show service colors while traveling

    A new Air Force policy gives Airmen the choice to show their colors when traveling to and from deployment locations.Airmen traveling to and from the U.S. Central Command Air Forces' area of responsibility have been, until recently, required to wear civilian clothing on flights in and out of the

  • Donation provides mobility, honors Jumper

    In honor of Chief of Staff of the Air Force Gen. John P. Jumper and his wife, Ellen, the Ford Motor company donated two wheelchair accessible vans to Walter Reed Army Medical Center during a ceremony May 12 at the Pentagon.Edsel B. Ford II, of the company’s board of directors, said they donated the

  • Air Force meeting nurse recruiting and retaining challenges

    The nurse shortage is a growing national and international problem, but Air Force officials are taking several measures to sustain its 3,608 person active-duty nurse corps, the Air Force’s assistant surgeon general for nursing services told a Senate panel May 10.“The nurse shortage continues to pose

  • BRAC process revamps medical system

    Defense Department officials have used the Base Realignment and Closure process to transform the way military medicine operates.Officials said medical facilities will become more joint, will consolidate where patients reside and will become state-of-the-art."We want to rival Johns Hopkins or the

  • Rumsfeld recommends 5 to 11 percent cut in infrastructure

    Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld's recommendations to the Base Realignment and Closure Commission would cut excess military infrastructure between 5 and 11 percent, he said during a Pentagon news conference May 12."The department is recommending fewer major base closures than had earlier been

  • Reservist receives academy airmanship award

    U.S. Air Force Academy officials named an Air Force Reserve Command pilot the winner of the 2005 Colonel James Jabara Award for Airmanship for his contributions to air power during Operation Iraqi Freedom.Lt. Col. Keith Schultz, a 1979 academy graduate, is the operations group deputy commander for

  • Airmen prepare Romanian base for exercise

    It is springtime in Romania where dishes and antennae are sprouting up at an airfield here that is developing into a multinational web of communication in preparation for exercise Combined Endeavor 2005.Activity at the airfield, which is the forward-deployed location for the exercise, is gaining

  • Census helps define future joint officer

    More than 7,000 Air Force officers in all ranks soon will be asked to complete a census that will be used to help decide what defines “joint.” The secretary of defense is working on a Congressionally mandated review of joint management and tasked each service to identify officer positions that

  • USAFE activates new wing at Mildenhall

    U.S. Air Forces in Europe activated a new wing here May 12 enhancing the command’s ability to provide support to its geographically separated units in the United Kingdom.The Airmen of the 501st Combat Support Wing will focus on units that, by their nature, are separated from main operating bases of

  • Air Force postpones Officer Training School board

    The rated portion of the Air Force Officer Training School board originally scheduled for August has been postponed until January, Air Force Recruiting Service officials announced May 12.Because of fiscal 2005 and 2006 Air Force force-shaping efforts, the rated portion of the Aug. 2 OTS selection

  • Military leaders applaud Congress for advancing health care

    Military surgeons general thanked members of the Senate Appropriations Committee’s defense subcommittee for their role in advancing military medicine.The surgeons general testified May 10 before the subcommittee on the defense health program. At $18.9 billion, the program's fiscal 2006 budget is an

  • Committee reviewing military pay package

    A new committee is studying the military compensation system to come up with ways to bring it more in line with what servicemembers want and operational needs demand.The defense advisory committee on military compensation held its first public meeting May 11 to explain how Defense Secretary Donald

  • Helicopter crash kills one, injures two

    One Airman was killed and two others injured in an HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter crash May 11 about 100 miles northeast of Santa Fe.The helicopter was assigned to the 58th Special Operations Wing’s 512th Rescue Squadron. It was on a training mission when it crashed at about 1:30 p.m. The names of the

  • Air National Guard fighter jets respond quickly to stray aircraft

    The military's actions when a small private plane strayed into the no-fly zone over the nation’s capital area May 11 were "just a normal response" that demonstrates the Air National Guard continues to be "ready to respond at a moment's notice," a member of the unit involved said.Airmen from the

  • Airmen travel to Guatemala to train, treat patients

    Outside a primitive five-room elementary school, hundreds of villagers lined up to receive medical, dental and optometry care.Airmen from Offutt Air Force Base, Neb., provided the care. The 33-person team had recently arrived to provide medical care for 10 days at three schools in villages in the

  • Air Force aviator strengthens U.S.-Japan friendship, ties

    An Air Force exchange pilot is strengthening bilateral ties and friendship between U.S. and Japanese military forces here. Capt. Justin Fletcher, an F-15 Eagle pilot, said that being assigned at the picturesque Japanese base located south of Tokyo is one of the most interesting and challenging jobs

  • Innovation, education benefit ongoing PEB mission

    Facing an increased caseload since Sept. 11, 2001, innovation and education have improved the Air Force Physical Disability Division's service to the Air Force and boarded Airmen, those who enter the disability evaluation system to determine their fitness. Some are returned to duty, while others may

  • AMC commander delivers C-130J

    The commander of Air Mobility Command delivered the Air Force’s third active-duty C-130J Hercules here May 5.Gen. John W. Handy and a crew from the 48th Airlift Squadron here flew the aircraft from the Lockheed Martin plant in Marietta, Ga., where it was built."I have had more fun today than anybody

  • Mobility bag test case begins

    Airmen will be returning from their deployment a little lighter because of a test to pre-position mobility bags in theater, potentially saving millions of dollars. The test began May 9.To make the deployable Air Force more agile and address concerns of people hand-carrying too many bags into the

  • Overseas realignment proceeding in 'deliberate, thoughtful' manner

    The Defense Department is moving forward with plans to reshape its force structure overseas through close coordination with Congress, other government agencies and U.S. allies and partners, defense officials said May 9.The global defense posture review is being undertaken as a "deliberate,

  • Officials brief commissioners on BRAC strategy concerns

    Base Realignment and Closure commissioners heard about the strategic underpinnings of the Defense Department's approach during May 4 testimony.Ryan Henry, principal deputy undersecretary of defense for policy, spoke to the panel about the national defense strategy, the upcoming Quadrennial Defense

  • Services director inducted into Boys, Girls Clubs Hall of Fame

    The director of Air Force Services was recently inducted into the Boys and Girls Clubs of America Hall of Fame.Arthur J. Myers, a Boys Club member in his native state of New Jersey, was nominated and selected for his public service and excellence in Air Force Services. The hall of fame induction

  • Flight engineer earns Pitsenbarger award for heroism

    For his display of heroism in the face of hostile enemy fire, a helicopter flight engineer from Hurlburt Field, Fla., has been named the 2005 Pitsenbarger award winner.Master Sgt. Robert Colannino Jr. was a flight engineer aboard an MH-53M Pave Low during a night resupply mission when his helicopter

  • BRAC information available for affected bases

    The secretary of defense is expected to announce the proposed Base Realignment and Closure list during a press conference May 13.Air Force officials said they understand the effect BRAC can have on servicemembers, retirees, employees and their families.To assist people with vital BRAC information,

  • Air Force medics treat patients at Abu Ghraib

    It takes confidence to stare into the face of one’s enemy and offer him an aspirin, but that is what Air Force medics deployed to Abu Ghraib prison must do every day.As a forward-deployed element of the 447th Expeditionary Medical Squadron, the small team provides medical screening to detainees with

  • C-130 maintainers accomplish ‘in-field’ depot maintenance

    It took about a month for C-130 Hercules maintainers here to repair significant structural damage normally requiring a stateside depot team with full access to back shop structural support.A C-130 with the 774th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron received significant structural damage when its right

  • Internet-based health care can degrade mission readiness

    The Internet can be used to do research, download music and even shop for cars. However, Airmen should use caution before using the Internet as a means for receiving medical treatment, officials said.Many Airmen are taking advantage of the increasing number of Internet physician and pharmaceutical

  • Logistics Airman excels in passenger travel

    While most of her co-workers are helping servicemembers deployed here return home, one traffic management specialist is moving in another direction.With the deployment rotation in full swing, Senior Airman Latasha Ireland, with the 379th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron, has work to do.

  • Special Olympics brings joy to Yokota volunteers

    More than 700 American and Japanese volunteers helped make the 26th Annual Kanto Plain Special Olympics a rousing success, officials said.But for some of the volunteers, seeing the May 7 and 8 event succeed is not the only reason they came.“I’m so happy to see the joy on the athlete’s faces,” said

  • Young Airmen protect base, people

    Cops. They are everywhere -- on the flightline, on the roadways, at the entry control points, in the search pits. They work the beat on base and beyond -- and take their role supporting the war on terrorism seriously.“The most important thing we must (do) is to remain focused,” said Master Sgt.

  • Airmen keep wheels turning

    Aircraft loaders, Humvees and forklifts are just a few examples of the nearly 120 vehicles cared for here by maintainers with the 416th Expeditionary Mission Support Squadron’s vehicle maintenance flight. Keeping the fleet in constant motion is a challenge for the flight’s five vehicle maintainers,

  • Incirlik employee nominated for public service award

    An employee from Incirlik Air Base, Turkey, is the Air Force nominee for the 56th annual William A. Jump Memorial Foundation Award, Air Force Personnel Center officials here announced May 6.He is Jude Sorg.The award is presented to a civilian career employee of the federal government, who is 37

  • Eye in the sky protects ground forces

    Soaring through the air looking for prey, the MQ-1 Predator unmanned aerial vehicle is an aircraft ground forces do not want to be without. With its large infrared eye, it surveys the land and relays intelligence to servicemembers in the field.“The Predator is the greatest reconnaissance tool the

  • Official: DOD committed to meeting military child-care needs

    Defense Department officials are actively engaged in improving child-care services for military parents, a top Pentagon official said here May 6.John M. Molino, deputy undersecretary of defense for military community and family policy, said the days of mostly single, barracks-dwelling servicemembers

  • Expeditionary command post Airmen eyes, ears

    They might receive an incoming declaration by an aircrew for an in-flight emergency, or they could be calling a first sergeant about a Red Cross notification -- or even both at the same time. Whatever the message, command post controllers of the 416th Air Expeditionary Group are there to pass the

  • Force structure, military value at heart of BRAC

    The U.S. military fighting the war on terrorism is far different from the military forces developed to confront the Soviet Union.Today's military is smaller than the Cold War force but is already more agile and more flexible. And experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan show that joint operations allow