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  • Possible SARS cases at Hill; patients recovered

    Test results April 21 identified two probable cases of severe acute respiratory syndrome here, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Two retired Air Force officers, who recently returned to Utah from a trip to Asia, have now recovered from the symptoms.However, officials from

  • Possible SARS cases at Hill; patients recovered

    Test results April 21 identified two probable cases of severe acute respiratory syndrome here, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Two retired Air Force officers, who recently returned to Utah from a trip to Asia, have now recovered from the symptoms. However, officials from

  • Iraqis need work, paychecks, U.S. administrator says

    American officials are working to reconstitute Iraqi government ministries and get employees back to work and receiving paychecks, the man charged with getting Iraq running again said today.Jay Garner, director of the Pentagon's Office of Reconstruction and Humanitarian Assistance, said in a Baghdad

  • Murderer killed in coalition raid in Kandahar province

    Coalition forces in Afghanistan believe they killed the man who murdered a Salvadoran Red Cross worker March 27, officials at Combined Joint Task Force 180 said today.The action occurred April 21 in Kandahar province in the southern part of the country. Coalition forces worked with officials of the

  • Air Force pilots help Japanese go the distance

    When your car runs low on gas during a long trip, it is easy to pull up to the pump like you have done a hundred times before. It involves a lot more planning if you are at 25,000 feet, traveling several times your average freeway speed and practicing a foreign language. When your vehicle is one

  • Tanker pilots fly with a little more in common

    Flying missions in Operation Iraqi Freedom has truly been an experience for Capt. Joel Higley and 1st Lt. Matt Mierek, 28th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron pilots deployed here from Fairchild Air Force Base, Wash.When they initially met back at their home station, they found they had a little

  • U.S., U.K. medical forces work together

    Wounded British forces may speak the same language as some of their new medics, but they definitely have a different accent.Air Force medical teams have joined British forces to receive and care for British soldiers evacuated to a deployed Operation Iraqi Freedom location. While United Kingdom

  • Airborne Red Horse teams joins the mix

    The Air Force has a new capability thanks to the members of three new Airborne Red Horse teams. Red Horse teams provide the Air Force with a mobile, rapid-response civil engineer force to support contingency and special operations in remote, high-threat environments worldwide. In wartime, the

  • Nuclear forces transform to meet requirements

    The Air Force is modernizing its strategic systems even as the nation reduces its nuclear stockpile, the director of Air Force nuclear operations said April 8.Brig. Gen. Robert L. Smolen, director of nuclear and counterproliferation at the Pentagon, testified before the Senate Armed Services

  • IRS provides combat zone tax assistance

    Servicemembers serving in a combat zone can learn about the tax benefits available to them by logging onto a new section of the Internal Revenue Service's Web site.The information is available on the front page of www.irs.gov by clicking on "Armed Forces Tax Benefits."The new Web section provides

  • Bomber surge: 103 sorties in less than three days

    Although B-52 Stratofortresses and B-1B Lancers have become a common sight in the skies here their presence has been more visible the past few days.Bombers from the 7th Air Expeditionary Wing here, successfully completed 103 sorties in less than three days as part of a surge in operations March 30

  • Reserve taps 776 for promotion to major

    Air Reserve Personnel Center officials here selected 776 captains for promotion to major, they announced March 25.The officers were selected from the 2004 Air Force Reserve line and health professions major promotion selection boards held at the center Feb. 3 to 7.Board members reviewed the records

  • Navy, Air Force sink Iraqi patrol boat

    U.S. Navy and Air Force assets teamed together to target and sink a fast-attack Iraqi patrol boat in the Arabian Gulf on March 21 using precision-guided ordnance.A Navy P-3C Orion long-range patrol aircraft located and tracked the patrol boat and then relayed the information to an Air Force AC-130

  • DOD identifies Marines killed in action

    The Department of Defense announced today the identities of two Marines killed in action March 23 in the vicinity of An Nasiriyah, Iraq. Killed were:Lance Corporal Brian Rory Buesing, 20, Cedar Key, FL. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade,

  • Three deployed airmen featured on MTV

    Three airmen supporting war operations at a forward-deployed location have been featured on "MTV Diaries," a reality series that airs weekly on the international music TV channel.Senior Airman Tia Schroeder, a still photographer with the 405th Expeditionary Communications Squadron, and Airman 1st

  • Hurry and wait

    More than 250 soldiers from the 720th Military Police Battalion based at Fort Hood, Texas, relax at the tent city here during a stop on their way to support contingency operations. In all, more than 1,300 troops gathered here March 21 to 22, filling the tent city, contingency billeting and fitness

  • Coalition leaflets provide safety instructions to civilians

    Coalition aircrews dropped more than 1 million informational leaflets into Iraq on March 23 providing a variety of messages, including instructions to Iraqi civilians and military troops about how to stay safe during coalition military activities.The leaflets are part of an ongoing effort to inform

  • Ammo airmen build munitions for war

    After two weeks of waiting, munitions airmen at a forward-deployed location began working day and night building M-117 and 85 GBU-31 Joint Direct Attack Munitions for the "shock and awe" phase of the war in Iraq.Arriving at this location March 6, members of the 5th Expeditionary Maintenance Squadron

  • Bombers away

    B-2 Spirit bombers take off from a forward-deployed location March 21 to fly to an Operation Iraqi Freedom mission. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Janice Cannon)

  • Some Incirlik people return to United States

    The first of several flights contracted to bring more than 1,300 Air Force family members and nonmission-essential civilian employees from Incirlik Air Base, Turkey, arrived at Charleston International Airport, S.C., on March 21.Armed with teddy bears, cell phones and dog biscuits, more than 100

  • B-52s strike Iraqi targets

    Bomber aircraft from this deployed location participated in their first strike operations March 21 and continue to pound targets in the U.S. Central Command theater of operations in a coalition effort to disarm the Iraqi regime.All of the bombers deployed for the mission returned without incident.

  • Maintainers unleash wave of B-52s

    More than 70 aircraft maintainers worked earnestly through the early morning March 21 to unleash the first wave of B-52 bombers on the Iraqi regime from this forward-deployed location.Later in the day they watched with the rest of the world as their "Buffs" delivered what would come to be regarded

  • 'Shock air forces' hit Iraq

    Coalition "shock air forces" aircraft flew nearly 1,000 strike sorties March 21, hitting targets intended to end the regime of Saddam Hussein. The strikes marked the beginning of the air campaign portion of Operation Iraqi Freedom.During his first press conference since combat operations began, Gen.

  • Stealth fighters use new munitions to hit Baghdad

    U.S. Air Force F-117 stealth fighters struck five strategic targets in Baghdad on March 21 using a new precision-guided munition, the EGBU-27, as coalition forces shifted the Operation Iraqi Freedom air campaign into high gear.Using the low-observable, stealth technology of the F-117 to penetrate

  • 700-plus coalition aircraft pound Iraq

    About 700 coalition aircraft flew missions against more than 100 targets in Iraq on March 20, said defense officials.The strikes flew even as planners in the area attempted to determine the results of the strikes against the Iraqi leadership the day before. Targets included command and control

  • Missile on its way

    Ammunition specialists from the 379th Expeditionary Maintenance Squadron roll out an AGM-130 missile headed toward the flightline at this forward-deployed location supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom on March 21. The squadron has built more than 5,000 weapons in the past four weeks. (U.S. Air Force

  • 'Gray Eagle' awards presented to longest-serving pilots

    Just minutes after airmen deployed for Operation Iraqi Freedom began the highly anticipated "shock and awe" attack on Baghdad on March 21, Air Force leaders paused to pay tribute to two of the service's longest-serving pilots.Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Richard B. Myers and Maj. Gen.

  • Myers Charts Coalition Military Actions to Date

    American ground forces are 100 miles inside Iraq and driving on Baghdad, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Air Force Gen. Richard Myers said today during a Pentagon news conference.The U.S. air campaign against Saddam Hussein's regime began with a tremendous bombing campaign against military

  • Coalition continues leaflet, radio campaign

    Aircrews dropped more than 2 million leaflets across Iraq on March 21 encouraging the surrender of Iraqi military forces and to minimize risk and harm to Iraqi civilians.The leaflets were dropped as part of ongoing coalition air operations.More than a million of the leaflets were dropped on Iraqi

  • Black Knights saddle up for deployment

    Airman 1st Class Saraha Hughes, 21, has no idea where she will lay her head in a few days.She does not know if she packed enough, too much or too little, but that does not quell the excitement of her very first deployment.A jet engine mechanic with the 19th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron here, Hughes

  • Air Force announces E-8 promotions March 19

    Air Force officials plan to announce the service's newest senior master sergeants March 19.The list of those promoted at each installation is releasable the first duty hour on the release date. The entire list will be posted on the Air Force Personnel Center's Web site at

  • 'Blizzard' of cargo crashes on Charleston

    The workload of the 437th Aerial Port Squadron here increased an estimated 250 percent after two APS buildings at Dover Air Force Base, Del., collapsed under snow from a blizzard.Air Mobility Command officials sent a portion of Dover's cargo here, increasing the average of five to seven trucks

  • Exchange reopens days after destructive fire

    Air Force firefighters battled a blaze here Feb. 21 that destroyed the exchange, barbershop, gift and coffee shop plus the personal living quarters of 25 Army and Air Force Exchange Service employees at Kandahar, Afghanistan.Also damaged was the morale, welfare and recreation computer, movie and

  • Zero tolerance for sexual assault

    The Air Force Academy superintendent restated Feb. 21 that there is "zero tolerance" for sexual assault at the academy and in the Air Force at large."Any and all perpetrators will be brought to justice and disciplined appropriately," said Lt. Gen. John Dallager. "Such reprehensible action is

  • A patient with patience

    An Afghan boy from the Aroki Province of Kapisa in Afghanistan waits to be seen by U.S. military medics Jan. 21. Airmen from the 455th Air Expeditionary Wing, along with soldiers from the 48th Combat Support Hospital and the 924th Korean Medical hospital, visited the province to offer health care

  • Doing shots

    Air Force Reserve Maj. Marty Maddox marks a Pentagon employee's arm before vaccinating her against the smallpox virus in the Pentagon's health care clinic Jan. 21. Maddox is an individual mobilization augmentee nurse who was activated last year. (Photo by Tech. Sgt. Jim Varhegyi)

  • New simulator provides medical training

    Thirty-three students from the Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine here recently simulated caring for sick and injured patients aboard a Boeing 767 without ever leaving the ground.In an effort to provide realistic hands-on training, school officials recently acquired a full-size 767 fuselage that

  • Officials say draft not necessary

    The all-volunteer force took nearly a generation to come to fruition, but has since proved its worth in combat.Thirty years after then-Defense Secretary Melvin R. Laird established the all- volunteer force, some politicians are again calling for resumption of a military draft. Defense leaders are

  • Wings of Blue strike gold

    The U.S. Air Force Academy Wings of Blue parachute competition team won gold medals in each skydiving event and received 31 out of 44 total medals at the National Collegiate Parachute Championship in Eloy, Ariz., recently.The team competed in three events: style, accuracy and four-way. The style

  • ARPC announces colonel promotions

    The Air Reserve Personnel Center here announced Jan. 9 the 2003 Air Force Reserve colonel promotion selection board results that selected 229 officers for promotion.The list of officers selected is available on the ARPC Web site at arpc.afrc.af.mil under "Promotions."A selection board convened at

  • This is a test

    The first Air Force C-5 Galaxy featuring new avionics upgrades takes off from here on its maiden flight Dec. 21. The upgrades include flight displays, a navigation system, and installation of the Terrain Awareness and Warning System and the Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System. The

  • Former Soviet officer joins Air Force

    When stories about job changes come up in conversation, it is hard to top 2nd Lt. Chris Sverkounov.The recent Air and Space Basic Course student here went from being a lieutenant in the Soviet army to a commission in the U.S. Air Force."I'm extremely excited about being an officer again," said

  • Dropping in for Christmas

    Retired Col. Gail Halvorsen and his wife, Lorraine, inspect a stuffed bear before it was dropped Dec. 21 during the 50th anniversary flights of Christmas Drop. For 50 years people at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, have gathered Christmas gifts and supplies to be airdropped to Pacific islanders. A

  • Air Force announces medical promotions

    The Air Force has selected 638 medical and dental corps officers for promotion. The officers were chosen by the colonel, lieutenant colonel and major medical and dental corps selection board that convened at the Air Force Personnel Center here Oct. 28 to Nov. 4.The lists of promoted officers,

  • Firefighters to do battle on ESPN 2

    Firefighting may not be a sport, but it certainly requires athleticism. Add the element of competition and it becomes "the fastest two minutes in sports," also known as the Firefighter Combat Challenge World Championships.Nine Air Force teams participated in the challenge, which was taped by ESPN

  • Kadena F-15 accident information released

    Air Force investigators have determined a pilot's loss of situational awareness, spatial disorientation and faulty flight control inputs led to the Aug. 21 crash of an F-15C Eagle into the ocean south of Kadena Air Base, Japan.The pilot, 1st Lt. Chris Northam, ejected safely from the aircraft with

  • Delta IV roars to successful first launch

    America's newest space launch vehicle got off to a rip-roaring start Nov. 20 with a lift-off that lit up the skies over Central Florida and beyond.The Delta IV blasted off at the top of the launch window at 5:39 p.m. EST. Approximately 37 minutes later, the satellite separated from the rocket and

  • Artist finds inspiration for artwork

    Master Sgt. Robert Marshall sees the world through an artistic lens that allows him to see humor in every situation and then recreate it on paper in cartoons and caricatures.During his off-duty time and an occasional lunch break, he draws a cartoon series called "Seven Deserts" for the base

  • Vice chief of staff extends AEF office charter

    The vice chief of staff of the Air Force extended the charter of the office of the special assistant for air and space expeditionary forces through March 2004.In a Nov. 12 memo to commanders of all major commands, Gen. Robert H. Foglesong said the arrangements made in the secretary of the Air

  • Quarterly overseas assignment listing available

    The Enlisted Quarterly Assignment Listing for overseas assignments for the July to September 2003 cycle will be available Nov. 4.Individuals need to work through their military personnel flights to update their preferences by Nov. 21. Airmen will be notified of their selection by Dec. 9, said

  • Falcons fall to CSU, 31-12

    Two drive-killing fumbles and a stingy Colorado State University defense handed the Air Force Academy its third loss of the football season Oct. 31.This is the third consecutive loss for the Falcons, who started the season with six consecutive and decisive wins before losing to Notre Dame, Wyoming

  • Academy mascot vying for national title

    He doesn't have the pageantry of the Indian on the horse with the flaming spear, the "homeyness" of that dog from Tennessee, or the in-your-face attitude of that "other" bird in South Florida.He lacks the tradition of the guy in the leprechaun suit, the ability to pull a wagon like that Oklahoma

  • Crew chief finds couple in C-130 engine

    Tech. Sgt. J.D. Nix is as country as a split-rail fence along a dirt road. So when the C-130 Hercules crew chief deployed here from Yokota Air Base, Japan, went toe-to-toe with a pair of birds, his animal instinct prevailed.Two bright green parakeets decided the engine intake on Nix's No. 3 engine

  • Nighthawks touring Europe

    An F-117A Nighthawk from Holloman Air Force Base, N.M., lands here Oct. 21. The F-117s are deployed to Europe for Operation Coronet Nighthawk, an exercise to familiarize pilots with air operations in the European theater, practice international flight rules, and allow U.S. Air Forces in Europe

  • Defender Challenge competition under way

    Ten security forces teams from U.S. Air Force major commands worldwide, the Department of Energy and the Royal Air Force Regiment gathered here to participate in the 20th annual Defender Challenge competition Oct. 21 to 24."This is a competition of our all-stars," said Brig. Gen. James Shamess,

  • Falcons fall to Notre Dame, 21-14

    The Air Force Academy Falcons' hopes for a perfect season were dashed Oct. 19 by the Notre Dame defense and running game.Notre Dame held the Falcon rushing offense to just 104 yards on 38 carries, and defeated Air Force 21-14. "We knew coming in that Air Force is a heck of a football team," said

  • Falcons devastate BYU, advance to 6-0

    Undefeated Air Force advances to No. 18 in the nation, after holding Brigham Young University to negative 21 yards rushing in a televised 52-9 blowout Oct. 12.There has been no love lost between the two teams, after Brigham Young University devastated Air Force's season last year, with a televised

  • Falcons sink Navy 48-7

    Forty-eight unanswered points let Air Force sink Navy 48-7 and advance in the national rankings following the Oct. 5 game.The Falcons advanced from No. 25 to No. 19 in the USA Today/ESPN college football poll, and cracked the Associated Press Top 25 poll at No. 21.Undaunted by Air Force's previous

  • New system makes tracking supplies easier

    In Afghanistan and other austere locations, U.S. troops are now able to better track their orders of vital supplies. That is because of recent efforts by U.S. Transportation Command officials to improve the "in-transit visibility" of people and cargo moving through the Defense Transportation

  • PJ medical training returns to Kirtland

    Medical instruction for Air Force pararescuemen, or PJs, returns to Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M., on Oct. 2 when 19 students start their training.Air Force PJs will no longer receive medical training at Fort Bragg, N.C. Instead, Detachment 1 of the 342nd Training Squadron, the Air Force pararescue

  • Air Force, NASCAR teams compete in 'reverse pit stop'

    Elite teams of highly skilled professionals from NASCAR and the Air Force faced off on the flightline here Sept. 19 in a unique competition dubbed the "reverse pit stop." The purpose of the three-hour event was to demonstrate the many similarities and contrasts between the two organizations and to

  • Falcons upset California 23-21, advance to 3-0

    Three touchdowns and 124 rushing yards by quarterback Chance Harridge led Air Force to a 23-21 upset over No. 23 California.The Falcons advance to 3-0 on the season, and have the nation's top-ranked rushing offense in Division I for the fourth consecutive week."What you saw today was a very great,

  • Fifth Air Force Marathon a success

    More than 3,200 runners from 48 states and eight foreign countries ran in the fifth Air Force Marathon here Sept. 21.Wheelchair competitors began the 26.2-mile race at 7 a.m., followed by individual runners at 7:05 a.m., and relay teams at 7:30 a.m.Patrick Doak of Alpharetta, Ga., was the first male

  • A cut above the rest

    Master Sgt. Ed Caffrey, superintendent of a heavy equipment section of the 219th Red Horse squadron here, has forged a new identity for himself.He is one of only 92 master bladesmiths in the world.Although he has always been interested in making knives, he did not take it up until after a visit to a

  • Falcons win in overtime

    A tipped pass in the end zone, trick plays and the nation's leading rushing attack sealed a 38-31 overtime win for the Falcons against a determined University of New Mexico team.Air Force pulled out all the stops in Saturday's game, having lost to New Mexico's Lobos the past three years."We brought

  • Officials release supplemental board results

    Fourteen airmen, out of 243 considered, were selected for promotion during the latest senior enlisted supplemental board.This was the largest pool of candidates in years, said officials at the Air Force Personnel Center here.The large number reflects an unusual year. The pace of current operations,

  • Air Force extends per diem entitlement for reservists

    Reservists in Air Force Reserve Command called to active duty in support of operations Noble Eagle and Enduring Freedom may now receive per diem for up to 730 days at one location.Michael L. Dominguez, assistant secretary of the Air Force for manpower and reserve affairs, signed a waiver Aug. 21

  • Launch marks new era of space vehicles

    A new era of space launch vehicles began when the first Lockheed-Martin Atlas V lifted off the pad at Cape Canaveral Aug. 21.This launch begins the operational start of the Air Force's Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle program, the latest in technology for launching critical payloads into space.EELV

  • Mom, son fight war on terrorism together

    The Schnichels family has done a great job of sticking together.Not only are three of them bearing the same last name stationed together at Grand Forks Air Force Base, N.D., but two are fighting the war on terrorism at the same forward-deployed location in the Arabian Gulf region.Master Sgt. Carol

  • Dyess NCO nets $10,000 for idea

    A Dyess senior noncommissioned officer is $10,000 richer thanks to his suggestion which will save the Air Force more than a quarter of a million dollars annually.Master Sgt. Stephen Schwartz, NCO in charge of the 7th Component Repair Squadron's engine shop here, submitted his suggestion through the