HomeNews

NATO Air Policing operations

U.S. Air Force News

  • Experiment testing new data system

    The Data Link Automated Reporting System is set to be one of the revolutionary initiatives tested here during the Joint Expeditionary Force Experiment 2004.JEFX 2004 is an Air Force-sponsored experiment that assesses new and emerging technologies that can be quickly fielded.“With this system we’ve

  • Heavy equipment operators gets down, dirty

    Although their primary mission is to maintain the runway here, the heavy-equipment Airmen find much of their work involves dirt -- moving it, smoothing it and grading it.It is a dirty job, but someone has got to do it.“We’re here to make sure the runway stays open,” said Staff Sgt. John Wininger,

  • Guardsmen rescue pilot, dog after plane crash

    Pararescuemen from the Alaska Air National Guard’s 210th Rescue Squadron rescued a pilot and his dog following a crash July 21 in a steep canyon near Knik Glacier, 40 miles north of Anchorage.The Piper Cub pilot, in his late 60s, encountered a sudden downdraft and crashed his plane in the valley

  • Secretary Rumsfeld sends message to troops

    The following is a message to the troops from Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld on why the United States is fighting in Iraq:“More than 15 months ago, a global coalition ended the brutal regime of Saddam Hussein and liberated the people of Iraq.“As in all conflicts, this has come at a cost in

  • Deputy secretary of defense visits McChord

    An audience of more than 800 Airmen and Soldiers took part in a unique question-and-answer session with one of the nation’s top military leaders here July 23.Dr. Paul Wolfowitz, deputy secretary of defense, held a town hall meeting with Airmen from here, Soldiers from neighboring Fort Lewis, and

  • Airmen serving at Army refueling point

    With rotors spinning at 1,600 revolutions per minute above his head, the Airman grips the fuel hose draped over his shoulder and pushes forward through the dust and sand. Time is everything in this environment and he knows it.The mission he has been tasked to do is not something he had ever dreamed

  • Edwards Airmen return from 'explosive' deployment

    During a recent deployment to Southwest Asia, two Airmen here put their lives on the line disposing of improvised explosive devices.For Staff Sgt. Neil Gertiser and Senior Airman Stephen Szczurek the danger never took over their thoughts, and they saw it as an opportunity to put their years of

  • Air Force ‘founding fathers’ exhibit opens at Pentagon

    Considered to be the “founding fathers” of the Air Force, Gens. Henry “Hap” Arnold, William “Billy” Mitchell and Frank M. Andrews were memorialized July 21 in a new exhibit at the Pentagon. Descendants of the three aviation visionaries were among about 100 people who gathered in the Arnold Corridor,

  • Local citizens receiving Air Force leadership training

    Airmen are not the only ones reaping the benefits of formal Air Force leadership training here. Two citizens from the local community completed five weeks of leadership classes July 23.The training they received on base coincided with the education Airmen receive at the Senior Master Sgt. David B.

  • JEFX 2004 execution phase is under way

    The Joint Expeditionary Force Experiment 2004 execution phase is under way here. This is the fifth in a series of large-scale experiments that explore and assess new and emerging air power capabilities.The executing phase began July 19 and ends Aug. 5.Previous meetings, or spirals, focused on

  • Ramstein NCO captures first sergeant award

    A senior noncommissioned officer assigned to U.S. Air Forces in Europe headquarters at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, has earned the 2004 Air Force First Sergeant of the Year Award.Senior Master Sgt. Ricky Price, who works in construction and training, is being recognized for building then teaching the

  • Airmen shatter blood donation record

    Airmen here shattered their own record July 19 by donating 1,341 units of blood in a single day.Last year, base donors set the state's single-day, single-site blood donation record when they donated 1,151 units, earning the national "most first-time donors" award from the American Red

  • House hears space cadre testimony

    Air Force leaders provided key testimony July 22 to the House Armed Services Committee’s strategic force subcommittee about efforts to develop the professional space cadre.The undersecretary of the Air Force, Peter B. Teets, and the commander of Air Force Space Command, Gen. Lance W. Lord, explained

  • Keesler Airmen send aid to Afghanistan

    Thanks to Airmen here, cargo earmarked for needy families is on its way to Afghanistan aboard an Air Force Reserve C-130 Hercules.The 403rd Wing here flew five pallets to Dover Air Force Base, Del., on July 21. Three more pallets are scheduled to leave July 29."I don't think we've done this type of

  • CSAF: Air Force key in Pacific operations

    The Air Force will become more active in the Pacific theater in the future in response to emerging hot spots, said the Air Force chief of staff after a recent tour of the Pacific Air Operations Center here.Gen. John P. Jumper discussed the importance of the Pacific area.“As we’ve seen over the past

  • Police laud lieutenant for rescuing child

    A lieutenant from the 91st Operations Support Squadron here earned praise from Ohio police officials recently for helping save the life of a 2-year-old boy who was drowning in a pond.First Lt. David Cathell was on vacation in eastern Ohio when he and his two cousins saved the boy.The lieutenant and

  • PME incorporates Fit-to-Fight program

    Professional Military Education students will exercise under a more formal structure beginning in August as part of the Fit-to-Fight initiative. Students will perform physical conditioning three days a week to reinforce the school’s new focus, said Chief Master Sgt. Sharon R. Turk, vice commandant

  • Iraqi, American fighter pilots band together at Balad

    Two former enemies came together for lunch in the spirit of friendship July 20. Six Iraqi air force pilots and 10 American pilots shared stories over lunch at a dining facility and then took pictures together in front of an F-16 Fighting Falcon here. Despite speaking two vastly different languages,

  • Service demographics available online

    Air Force Personnel Center officials here recently published the quarterly demographics report offering a snapshot of the service's active-duty and civilian force as of June 30.The report outlines information regarding the Air Force’s 376,926 active-duty Airmen and 143,886 civilian employees, such

  • Bases earn awards for energy, environmental management

    Several Air Force bases were among the winners of top awards for leadership in federal energy and environmental management during a presidential ceremony held July 15 at the State Department headquarters here.The Leadership in Federal Energy Management Awards honor teams of federal employees who

  • Two of four quads experiencing life in Iraq

    One is the older, “more mature” sister, freely giving advice and guiding her younger sibling -- even if she is only senior by about two minutes.The sisters, two of a set of quadruplets born to Joanne and Reginald L. Brown Sr., are deployed here together from their home units at Kadena Air Base,

  • Senior NCO promotion video 'demystifies' board process

    Officials from the Air Force selection board secretariat and the enlisted promotions branch at the Air Force Personnel Center here have a new video to help shed light on the inner workings of the selection board process.The video is an effort to educate all Airmen about senior enlisted promotion

  • ‘American family’ makes memories for local children

    Gifts, pizza, candy, laughs, smiles and basketball. This could be a typical weekend at most people’s homes; however, this was a special day for the children of the Pristina Mother and Child Center here. As the children anxiously waited, the Kosovo Force vehicle pulled to the gate. Some 20 little

  • Air Force bids farewell to World War II hero

    The Air Force family bid farewell to a World War II hero July 20.Retired Maj. Gen. Charles W. Sweeney, the man who flew the historic B-29 Superfortress flight that dropped the second atomic bomb on Japan during World War II, died July 16 in Boston. He was 84. “He was the best patriot, best father

  • FormFlow deleted from publishing site

    After replacing FormFlow software with the Information Management Tool viewer, officials at the Air Force’s departmental publishing office recently sealed the deal by officially taking down all FormFlow forms from its online Web site repository.Established at www.e-publishing.af.mil, users will no

  • Teets discusses national security space strategy

    Peter B. Teets, the undersecretary of the Air Force for space, spoke about the future of space during the National Defense Industrial Association symposium on space policy and architecture.Representatives from the secretary of defense’s office, unified combatant commands and service space components

  • AF pharmacies implement new formulary guidelines

    Air Force pharmacies will no longer distribute some high-use, but expensive medications. This was outlined in a memorandum recently sent out to all Air Force pharmacies by Maj. Gen. (Dr.) Joseph E. Kelley, assistant surgeon general for health-care operations.“It’s no secret that (fiscal 2004) has

  • Atomic bomb returns to Air Force Museum

    A poignant symbol of World War II history returned to the Air Force Museum here July 15 after a yearlong restoration project. The museum received its “Little Boy” atomic bomb following restoration at the Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, N.M. It is the same type as the one the dropped

  • Desert Hawk gives security forces an eye in sky

    Airmen at one forward-deployed location who routinely work, eat, run errands and sleep may not think to look up in the sky. But if they did, they would see something looking right back at them. Flying at about 300 feet above the ground is a small foam aircraft with a built-in video camera. It is

  • Yokota pharmacy ensures a mission-ready force

    Airmen from the 374th Medical Group’s pharmacy here ensure Pacific Air Force’s most important weapon system -- its people -- are fit, healthy and mission-ready.Pharmacists and pharmacy technicians play a key role in reducing medication errors and improving pharmacy practices. The nine-person team

  • Pilot discovers he’s not an ‘American’ after all

    In a perfect world free of glitches, one 380th Air Expeditionary Wing pilot would have arrived at his deployed location hassle-free. But as glitches go, the one this officer ran into was one of the biggest. It all started when Maj. Donald Temple, a 10-year veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps and

  • Nellis Airmen move into first quad dorm

    More than 120 Airmen here received a quality-of-life improvement July 17 when they moved into the Air Force’s first quad-style dormitory.The dormitory provides a quad that will be shared by four Airmen, said Tech. Sgt. Mike Merlo, 57th Equipment Maintenance Squadron dorm manager. “It’s the new

  • Airman helps save boy’s life

    When Master Sgt. James Gunderson volunteered to chaperon his youth group’s field trip to a local lake July 17, he thought his biggest worry would be making sure the children did not get sunburned. But before the day was over, the Air Force Weather Agency sergeant helped save the life of a

  • U.S. now training Arab air forces

    The United States, working with United Arab Emirates, is now training future Arab air force leaders. Iron Falcon, a monthlong exercise held at the Emirate Air Defense Air Warfare Center in the United Arab Emirates, is upgrade training for mission commanders. Plans are set for all members of the

  • Next group of Airman-Soldiers set to move into Iraq

    More than 150 Airmen completed the final stages of live-fire convoy training here July 16 before deploying north to Mosul as part of the 494th Air Expeditionary Force Truck Company. “You will be on the frontlines. You will be facing the enemy everyday in some of the most dangerous areas in Iraq,”

  • Airman dies in maintenance accident

    Tech. Sgt. Joseph Gardner III died early July 18 while performing an inspection on a C-17 Globemaster III.An investigation is currently under way to determine how he became pinned under the spoiler on the aircraft’s wing.Sergeant Gardner, 37, was an integrated avionics technician with the 437th

  • Air Force communications vital to Army effort in Iraq

    Even though Capt. Alycia Vrosh is afraid of heights, she climbs up a ladder to check on communication equipment atop the Al Faw Palace here. While ensuring the comm lines are good to go, two Blackhawk helicopters circle overhead, and she waves to them.“I love (the crew) and always wave to them when

  • Balad first sergeants bare veins for IV training

    People assigned to the 332nd Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron received life-saving medical training July 15 on the arms of first sergeants here.More than six Balad first sergeants rolled up their sleeves and "took one for the team" to give a few patrolmen intravenous therapy training for

  • DOD developing training to help potential captives

    Defense Department officials are taking a hard look at the way they train servicemembers to avoid capture and, if they do fall into enemy hands, how to handle themselves.A new "core captivity curriculum," expected to be completed this summer, is designed to update training currently being provided

  • New privacy rules intended to reduce suicide risks

    The Air Force has revised Air Force Instruction 41-210, “Patient Administration Functions,” to better protect privacy rights and ensure an appropriate flow of information between commanders and support agencies.Air Force officials believe this will reduce suicide risks among its

  • Special team searches for aircraft cracks

    All combat aircraft go through extreme stresses when completing their missions. Those stresses can cause metal fatigue -- tiny cracks in the joints and welds of the frame or invisible fractures in the metal.The sooner these invisible cracks are found, the safer the aircraft will be.Finding those

  • Force development includes civilians

    Career civilian employees will soon have more focused career guidance and expanded opportunities because of a new initiative taking place at the Air Force Personnel Center here this summer.Civilian career field management is a part of force development that will align civilian and military career

  • Treatment available to troops suffering from combat stress

    The servicemember who goes to combat and the one who comes back are never the same person, the Defense Department's director of mental-health policy said July 14."No one comes back unchanged," said Army Col. (Dr.) Tom Burke.Dr. Burke and other DOD health officials try to reach out to those returning

  • Airman earns spot on Olympic track, field team

    First Lt. James Parker, an Air Force world-class athlete from Malmstrom Air Force Base, Mont., earned a spot on the U.S. Olympic track and field team July 12 with a hammer throw of 254 feet, 6 inches.“I came into the Air Force to serve my country,” said Lieutenant Parker, who has been throwing the

  • Air Force names 12 Outstanding Airmen of the Year

    Air Force officials released the names of the 12 Outstanding Airmen of the Year for 2004.An Air Force selection board considered 45 nominees who represented major commands, direct reporting units and air staff agencies. The board convened at the Air Force Personnel Center here in May and selected

  • Safe, adequate housing gets highest priority

    Caring for Air Force families is the highest priority and one way to reinforce that commitment is to provide safe, adequate and affordable housing, said the Air Force’s senior military leader.Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper released a Site Picture on July 6, detailing his and Air Force

  • Airmen making a difference in South Africa

    MedFlag participants are focusing on bringing medical and civic assistance to six clinics surrounding nearby Hoedspruit Air Base. “We keep busy,” said Capt. Molly O’Brien, a 48th Medical Group dentist from Royal Air Force Lakenheath, England. “We’re seeing (about) 60 patients a day, mostly for

  • Air Force Fleet Viability Board releases C-5A assessment

    With some qualifications, the first Air Force Fleet Viability Board assessment shows the C-5A Galaxy has at least 25 years of service life remaining.While the aircraft is among the oldest in the Air Force inventory, officials reported there are no major structural life issues. In the board’s

  • Loggies keep aircraft, parts flowing to field

    In the war on terrorism, Air Force fighter, tanker and cargo aircraft are flying 200 to 250 sorties per day average, which is tasking mechanical functions to the extreme. Crew chiefs and unit-level maintainers know certain maintenance procedures, which are beyond their scope, are needed to keep the

  • Services officials want a lot of happy campers

    Services officials want to see a lot of happy campers this summer.More than 500 Air Force teenagers are rock climbing, orienteering, camping, getting leadership training and even visiting the Supreme Court in a series of camps offered by the Air Force Services Agency.“For the past several summers,

  • Airman dies in Iraq

    An Airman assigned to the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing and attached to the U.S. Army’s 494th Truck Company at Balad Air Base, Iraq, was killed in action July 11.Staff Sgt. Dustin W. Peters, 25, died when the convoy he was riding in encountered an improvised explosive device.Sergeant Peters served as

  • AFMC leads Air Force in alternative dispute resolutions

    Air Force Materiel Command is the "Air Force's most dominant major command" regarding workplace disputes and resolving them via alternative-dispute-resolution techniques, according to a recent Air Force general counsel report.Coming from general counsel's dispute resolution division, the report

  • AAFES goes where troops are

    When orders come down for troops to move to forward-deployed locations worldwide, they quickly pack their bags and go. After that, it is only a matter of time before a small contingent of civilians pack their bags as well.They are Army and Air Force Exchange Service workers.Mr. Allan Heasty is the

  • Center receives patent on paint-removal process

    Warner Robins Air Logistics Center experts here received a patent on a barrier coating and selective coating-removal process used to fight corrosion on aircraft and weapons systems, a feat experts said is rare for maintenance facilities.Officials said the patented process is good for the

  • Airman beats odds, wins major contest prize

    Airman 1st Class Robert Lewis is one in 11 million. Actually, he is one in 11,161,492. Those were the odds he overcame to win one of the major prizes in Burger King’s Spider-Man 2 contest. It was at the Burger King here that Airman Lewis found out he had won a trip for four to Universal Studios in

  • Officials announce services award winners

    Air Force Services Agency officials announced the winners of the 2003 services awards recently.Ramstein Air Base, Germany, won the Gen. Curtis E. Lemay Trophy for best overall services unit at a large base. Minot Air Force Base, N.D., won the Maj. Gen. Eugene L. Eubank Trophy for best services at a

  • Airmen help South Africans by providing donations

    The road to nearby Kgautswane was dusty and disheartening July 10 for 50 Airmen deployed to South Africa and participating in exercise MedFlag 2004. As they rode down the remote rural road, they were forced to cover their noses and mouths with their hats to breathe as a brownish cloud filled the

  • Mildenhall Airmen recognized for heroic efforts

    Two Airmen of the 321st Special Tactics Squadron here were lauded recently for their quick action and rescue efforts after a vehicle accident in September 2003. Senior Airmen Ivan Ruiz and Jared Pietras, a pararescueman and combat controller, respectively, were involved in a tragic accident on a

  • Communication techs ensure message gets through

    Technicians from the 374th Communications Squadron’s systems control and facility control offices here help Pacific Air Forces leaders plan, direct, coordinate and execute operations worldwide. The vast majority of command and control, voice conferencing and combat support communications traffic

  • Supply Airmen keep materials rolling in

    When people think of supply support, the first item that comes to mind may not be water.And yet, a weighty part of the supply Airmen’s job in the arid environment here is to process 15 pallets of the liquid each week. More than 25,000 bottles of water are used each week by 600-plus Airmen deployed

  • Course trains Airmen to drive convoys for Army in Iraq

    Riding in a truck through Iraq, manning a weapon and facing armed adversaries is not a scenario many Air Force vehicle operators thought they would see.But that is exactly what more than 500 of these Airmen are doing -- driving convoys for the Army supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.Chief Master

  • Army recruiting departing Airmen

    After they "Cross Into the Blue" Army officials said they hope Airmen leaving the Air Force will join the "Army of One."A new program, Operation Blue to Green, seeks to recruit into the Army Airmen and Sailors leaving their service because of force reductions. The Army is temporarily increasing its

  • Rewritten Airman’s Manual coming

    An Airman’s most important deployment tool just got better.The original Air Force Manual 10-100, the “Airman’s Manual,” published in 1999, has been revised and updated and hits the streets July 19. “Within four weeks, we will distribute more than 675,000 copies to every active-duty member,

  • It's a jungle out there

    Many Airmen may describe their lives at the office as wild, but for those deployed to nearby South African Air Base Hoedspruit for exercise MedFlag 2004, it really is a jungle out there. “We actually enjoy telling people about our environment,” said Lt. Col. Philip Oosthuizen, South African

  • Airman warns of employment scam

    Posting his resumé online seemed like a savvy move for one Airman here who plans to separate in August, move to Dallas and start college.However, instead of leads to gainful employment, the experience took Senior Airman Christopher Kissell dangerously close to the unwanted role of scam victim. Now

  • Honor guard Airmen save three from car fire

    An Independence Day tragedy was averted July 4 by three Air Reserve Personnel Center Honor Guard members who were returning here from a ceremony July 3 in South Dakota.As Staff Sgts. Shelly Dapp, Louis Deanda and Juan Williams were entering the outskirts of Denver around 4 p.m., they noticed a sport

  • Airman charged with double murder

    An Airman here was formally charged July 8 with killing two people. Senior Airman Andrew Paul Witt, an avionics technician with the 116th Air Control Wing, is charged with two counts of premeditated murder, covered under Article 118 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice. Senior Airman Andrew

  • Airmen help bring wounded home

    Forty-eight wounded Airmen, Soldiers, Sailors and Marines were brought home for Independence Day, and six medical workers from the 43rd Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron here were there to help get them back safely.This is the second time 43rd AES Airmen have been able to participate in the routine

  • MedFlag 2004 kicks off

    About 250 U.S Airmen from bases in Europe and the United States joined their South African defense force partners here July 2 to begin Exercise MedFlag 2004.The annual two-week joint-combined medical training and civil assistance exercise in Africa includes units under U.S. European Command. It

  • Airmen among White House Fellows

    Two Airmen are among 12 people from across the country selected to serve as White House Fellows.Majs. Wesley Hallman and Daniel Orcutt will participate in the White House Fellows Program from Sept. 1 to Aug. 31, 2005.Major Hallman, 37, is a student at the School of Advanced Air and Space Studies at

  • New civilian personnel system to add efficiency, satisfaction

    The new National Security Personnel System will improve the working environment within the Defense Department while creating a more satisfied, more productive work force, Navy Secretary Gordon England said July 7."That's what this is about: great job satisfaction," Secretary England said. "We want

  • Ammo: Giving Warthog its lethal bite

    As coalition soldiers conduct operations throughout Afghanistan, A-10 Thunderbolt IIs, or Warthogs as they are commonly known, are a frequent sight in the sky.When a Warthog must strike, one team here “sharpens its tusks,” making sure that the aircraft’s “bite” is effective and lethal.The Airmen of

  • July issue of Airman available

    Read about an amputee pilot helping other amputees returning from war, learn about how Air and Space Expeditionary Force Center officials handle deployments and take a look at the harmony between man and beast at Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska. These features and more highlight the July issue of

  • Team rescues kitten from palace wall

    In the sprawling Al Faw Palace at Camp Victory where leaders are tough and business is serious, a group of concerned officers led a team in a kitten rescue July 8.The public affairs staff had heard a family of kittens meowing in the ceiling for a couple of days, but said they were surprised to hear

  • Air Force amputee returns to flight status

    An Airman here who had his leg amputated above the knee will soon fly an Air Force aircraft again.Lt. Col. Andrew Lourake, the Commander’s Action Group chief, has been medically cleared to return to flight status.The Air Force surgeon general, Lt. Gen. George Peach Taylor, medically cleared Colonel

  • Finance agency opens new reserve pay center

    The Defense Department's new Reserve Pay Center of Excellence has officially opened for business.The operation, part of Defense Finance and Accounting Service, will further improve service "to the men and women who defend America," according to a DFAS news release. It will offer "better

  • NCOs teaching at ROTC detachments

    Air Force ROTC cadets at 10 universities will soon see stripes in their classrooms.In a new program, noncommissioned officers will begin serving as instructors at Air Force ROTC detachments, positions normally held by commissioned officers.The three-year program will incorporate enlisted

  • Overseas returnee assignment listing available July 13

    The Enlisted Quarterly Assignment Listing for November to January requirements will be available July 13 to overseas returnees and continental United States mandatory movers, Airmen facing mandatory reassignment.Airmen can work through their military personnel flights to update their preferences by

  • AFSOC, PACAF welcome new commanders

    Airmen from two Air Force major commands welcomed new commanders July 1 and 2.Maj. Gen. Michael W. Wooley assumed command of Air Force Special Operations Command during a ceremony at Hurlburt Field, Fla., on July 1, and Lt. Gen. Paul V. Hester assumed command of Pacific Air Forces during a ceremony

  • New booklet helps families of deployed reservists, guardsmen

    Separations can be tough on any child whose parent is deployed overseas, but particularly for the estimated 500,000 sons and daughters of deployed National Guardsmen and reservists, said an expert on issues involving military families.Many Guard and Reserve families lack the tight-knit support

  • Air Force symbol now official

    The Air Force symbol is now official, four years after the service first applied for trademark protection.“I'm proud our symbol is now an official part of our heritage," said Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper. "It represents our storied past and links our 21st Century Air Force to our

  • Taking care of their own, Airmen donate $6.7 million

    Airmen have given more than $6.7 million to this year's Air Force Assistance Fund campaign, $800,000 more than last year.The fund raises money for four Air Force-related charities that benefit active-duty, Reserve, Guard, retired Airmen, surviving spouses and families. "The 2004 campaign raised

  • Taking care of patients in air

    Most military aircraft are not well known for passenger comfort.But when passengers are seriously ill or injured, a team of medical experts is always on hand to ensure as comfortable a ride as possible.“We are responsible for moving casualties in-theater as well as between theaters,” said Capt. Karl

  • Suspect in base killings in custody

    An Airman here suspected of killing two people and injuring another in base housing July 5 is in pretrial confinement at a local jail.The suspect was apprehended here July 5 by Air Force Office of Special Investigations agents. Base officials said he has not yet been formally charged, and they did

  • Now showing: July 5 edition of Air Force Television News

    What is fast becoming the Air Force hub for its operations in Iraq is spotlighted in the latest edition of Air Force Television News.Tech. Sgt. Pachari Lutke reports from Balad Air Base, Iraq, on how Airmen there are supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. Master Sgt. Jim Lawson reports on another

  • Teamwork, determination avert crash landing

    A C-130 Hercules from the 710th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron, with 65 people on board, came within minutes of making a crash landing June 29.What started out to be a 90-minute flight turned into three and a half hours of nonstop effort to get the aircraft safely on the ground.Leaving Balad Air

  • NCO rescues two people from river

    When a staff sergeant from the systems programs office at the Air Force Personnel Center here went to a local river for a relaxing tubing trip recently, he was not expecting to save the lives of two people from the rain-swollen waterway.Floating down the usually calm river on an innertube is a

  • Class of 2008 arrives at academy

    More than 1,300 cadet appointees said goodbye to their families July 1 and entered the academy to begin their careers in the Air Force. Inprocessing was a long one-day event filled with medical and dental evaluations, haircuts, clothing and equipment issue, and squadron and dormitory room

  • AEF Battlelab tests universal aircraft jacks

    Any Airman who has ever worked on the flightline during a rotation in the desert knows that the aerospace ground equipment he or she uses is often specific to a particular airframe. Heavy aircraft jacks, in particular, are not one-size-fits-all equipment. After all, people cannot use the same set

  • ‘Military One Source' helps with family problems

    The Defense Department has established a "one-stop" place to go whenever servicemembers or family members need assistance with any kind of problem.It is called "Military One Source," and is available anytime, worldwide, said John M. Molino, deputy undersecretary of defense for military community and

  • Team keeps aircraft fueled

    Talk to a group of petroleum, oil and lubrication technicians and you will meet people who know their impact on the mission.With phrases like “without POL, pilots are pedestrians” and “we fuel the fight,” the team here knows how important its job is. In June alone, the Airmen fueled missions over

  • Expeditionary mindset provides stability, predictability for Airmen

    Nothing much stands out at the Air and Space Expeditionary Force Center at Langley Air Force Base, Va.The rooms upon rooms of cubicles are standard for a work center. A snack room provides lunch for those too busy to leave, and a larger parking lot would make people happier.Everything appears

  • Air Force bids farewell to a legend

    The Air Force's last Vietnam-era former prisoner of war still serving retired here June 30, ending more than four decades of active-duty, Guard and Reserve Service.Reserve Maj. Gen. Ed Mechenbier, mobilization assistant to Gen. Gregory S. Martin who is commander of Air Force Materiel Command, hung

  • Secretary, chief send Independence Day message

    The following is an Independence Day message from Secretary of the Air Force Dr. James G. Roche and Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper:"Happy birthday, America! For the last 228 years our nation has been the beacon for peace, freedom and opportunity around the world. America earned that

  • Air Force uniform heads to French army

    When a French army sergeant asked Col. David Adams for his uniform, the colonel did not know what to think. When working at a NATO base with 30 different nations, the real meaning is not always in the message.Sgt. Willy Brunet, a signal noncommissioned officer with the French National Intelligence

  • A-10 upgrades double operational lifespan

    The first production A-10 Thunderbolt II was delivered here in October 1975. Fifteen years later, the A-10 was called the most formidable weapon system of its type while flying combat missions during Operation Desert Storm.Today, more than 30 years after beginning service, many of the Air Force’s

  • SECAF approves 'V' device for heroism award

    Secretary of the Air Force Dr. James G. Roche has authorized use of the “V” device, to represent valor, on Distinguished Flying Crosses awarded for heroism.The decision is intended to clearly distinguish and denote a DFC awarded for heroism. It allows any Reserve, Guard or active-duty Airman or Air

  • Firefighters protect people, resources

    Forty-five seconds is all it takes. In the right conditions, it would only take that amount of time for one of the many tents at Camp Sather here to burn to the ground.It is the job of the 33 firefighters assigned to the 447th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron to prevent fires and quickly

  • Air Force, Navy share chess title

    The Air Force and Navy are sharing the Interservice Chess Championship trophy this year, the first tie for the team title in the tournament’s history.The Air Force came to the tournament as a two-time defending champion, but tied with the Navy in points June 25, the last day of the six-day

  • ‘American family’ supports NATO, humanitarian effort

    Military convoys are a common site in Kosovo, so when a military convoy set out from Kosovo Force headquarters here headed for Gracanica on June 27, it was not given a second look. However, this convoy was not carrying weapons, military supplies or security forces for post relief. It was carrying