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U.S. Air Force News

  • New Horizons Airmen spend day at Panamanian school

    More than a dozen Airmen and Marines from Task Force New Horizons spent a day with local children building rubber-band airplanes and playing games July 12 at the elementary school in Sansonsito, Panama.The servicemembers were a welcome addition to the day, said Lisbeth Acosta Corella, the school's

  • 'New Horizons' breaks ground for Belize school buildings

    The opening ceremony for New Horizons Belize was held here March 8 with a groundbreaking for a new school building for the village. Airmen and Soldiers from both active and National Guard units will build four more new school buildings in different villages during their deployment to Belize. "This

  • New Horizons closes out with ceremony

    New Horizons - Nicaragua 2007, a $7.5 million humanitarian and training exercise, officially ended April 27 with a closing ceremony, but the strengthened friendship between the United States and Nicaragua has not. "We will cherish the friendships we've made here in Nicaragua," Lt. Col. Aaron Young,

  • New Horizons Embedded Health Engagement provides unparalleled training

    As with most tasks, hands-on education remains one of the most effective training methods for both learning and maintaining skills. For some medical professionals participating in Exercise New Horizons 2018, hands-on training comes in the form of fully submerging into local clinics.

  • New Horizons Guyana 2009 comes to a close

    Air Force, Army, Marine and Navy servicemembers here completed New Horizons Guyana 2009 Sept. 12.New Horizons Guyana is a U.S. Southern Command-sponsored humanitarian event for the benefit of thousands of Guyanese in Georgetown and the outlying areas. Since late May, a rotating task force of

  • New Horizons kicks off in Nicaragua

    More than 500 Nicaraguans along with deployed members of the United States military celebrated the official start of the New Horizons 2007 humanitarian exercise Feb. 15. New Horizons is a U.S. Southern Command-sponsored readiness training exercise designed to help Nicaraguan people in Santa Teresa

  • New Horizons leaves behind quality-of-life projects, goodwill with Peruvians

    After three months of construction, medical missions and bonding with the people of Peru, U.S. servicemembers here completed their mission of providing humanitarian aid to the people there. Since June 1, a rotating task force of 950 active duty, reservists and Guardsmen from the Air Force, Marines,

  • 'New Horizons' mission improves Nicaraguans' lives

    The sun pounds the ground as Airman 1st Class Jean Colas wipes his forehead clean of sweat and Nicaraguan soil. He stands, eyes squinted, surveying the fresh concrete he just helped pour -- the foundation for a five-room medical clinic here. He and about 16 other 820th Expeditionary Red Horse

  • New Horizons opening ceremony echoes spirit of friendship, cooperation

    New Horizons Panama 2010 officially opened at Santa Librada Elementary School June 29 with a ceremony featuring senior leaders from the Panamanian government as well as the United States.The motto for this year's New Horizons exercise, an annual U.S. Southern Command humanitarian assistance mission,

  • New Horizons provides training, spreads goodwill

    Nearly 600 U.S. servicemembers from every branch of the military are working together with Salvadoran military and civilian counterparts to improve communities with humanitarian-assistance projects.The lead unit for the U.S. Southern Command-sponsored readiness training exercise, New Horizons 2005

  • New hospital provides wealth of services to base

    The 386th Expeditionary Medical Group, also known as "Med Rock," is now open for business.Before the hospital opening, many patients were sent off-base for various aspects of their medical care."We can provide much of this basic care here on base, saving time in treatment and allowing our deployed

  • New housing allowance guidelines won't result in pay cut

    Defense officials are eliminating the "geographic rate protection" clause that ensures servicemembers moving to a new area receive the same housing allowance as those already living there.Geographic rate protection is expiring in January because basic allowance for housing rates have reached a level

  • New housing on the way for Spangdahlem

    Airmen of the 52nd Fighter Wing at Spangdahlem AB are witnessing the base grow and improve as the Air Force is spending $83 million to rip up the old housing units and building new ones in their place. The 139 new homes will be completed by 2010 as demolition of old stairwell housing has been going

  • New housing website prepares Airmen for moving

    With the summer moving season just around the corner thousands of Airmen and their families can now use a new housing website to help prepare for their move. The website,www.housing.af.mil, provides dormitory information for unaccompanied Airmen while detailing housing options and support services

  • New hydraulic lift aims to boost contingency capabilities

    Contingency response wings throughout the Air Force rely on their ability to move people and cargo quickly for fast deployment. An Air Mobility Battlelab initiative is looking to make that process even easier. Battlelab members, located in the U.S. Air Force Expeditionary Center here, have been

  • New I.D. cards more secure than earlier versions

    New identification cards now being issued to some Defense Department employees will help standardize federal work force identification and enhance security, a senior Department of Defense official said here today. The new common access card is part of departmental transformation efforts that harness

  • New IAAFA airfield facility consolidates aviation training

    Senior Air Force and Inter-American Air Forces Academy leaders, along with representatives from six Latin America partner nations, opened the new IAAFA Airfield Training Complex here in a ceremony Feb. 9.The new $19-million training complex combines all IAAFA aviation maintenance courses in one

  • New ID cards are secure, ready

    The high-tech identification common access card currently replacing the familiar green ID card worldwide is secure and proven in combat, despite some rumors to the contrary."Worries are unfounded" that the new ID cards are easily accessible to identity thieves or even hostile forces, said Chief

  • New IDs put personal info at the Exchange on a 'need to know' basis

    Social Security numbers are enjoying the top-secret clearance they have always deserved as the Department of Defense officials have removed the nine digit number from identification cards issued after June 1. Authorized Exchange shoppers who receive the new ID will notice some changes when writing a

  • New IMAX film a first for the Air Force

    If you have never been part of a Red Flag exercise, you can at least watch the movie. The IMAX film "Fighter Pilot: Operation Red Flag" premiers Dec. 2 at the Smithsonian Museum, Udvar-Hazy Center, near here. The movie is the first large format film to showcase the U.S. Air Force. The film is

  • New incentive for Air Force marathon runners

    The Air Force Marathon will feature an incentive for participants in the Sept. 17 event. Pace teams will be available to help marathon runners in the 26.2-mile race.Pace team members are athletes who help make sure runners do not burn out, go out too fast or run sporadically over the length. They

  • New Information Management Tool software now available

    A new software tool designed to improve the efficiency of the Air Force information system is now available across the service.The new Information Management Tool viewer software from PureEdge Solutions Inc. is a replacement to the long-used FormFlow form filler software and is available from local

  • New initiative offers education, training funds for military spouses

    Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates joined Labor Secretary Elaine L. Chao Nov. 14 in supporting a new initiative to help military spouses get the education and other credentials needed to pursue careers in high-demand, high-growth occupations.Secretary Gates praised the new Military Spouse Career

  • New inpatient medical records system enhances patient care

    A new electronic medical record system to enhance patient care is coming to Wilford Hall Medical Center here.Essentris is an electronic healthcare record management system which is specifically designed for inpatient care and will allow health care providers instant access to inpatient records

  • New inspection system taking form at Nellis

    The publication of Air Force Instruction 90-201, Air Force Inspection System, brought fundamental changes to the way the base conducts inspections. Under the new system, units will no longer be spending weeks and months preparing for a one-week inspection from the Air Combat Command Inspector

  • New inspection tool saves time, money, environment

    Air Force officials here are implementing a new inspection device to be used on aging aircraft that will speed repair, return them to operations for improved mission readiness and save $18 million in the process.The new system, called multiaxis X-ray, or MAX, uses noninvasive technology to detect

  • New installation titles reflect joint use

    This summer, nine Air Force Reserve Command installations will be re-designated joint bases or stations to reflect the multiservice use of the facilities.Lt. Gen. James E. Sherrard III, AFRC commander, initiated the change. At his suggestion, the civil engineer at AFRC headquarters here completed a

  • New instruction puts spotlight on standards, culture

    When referencing fundamental standards, Airmen now have a single source: Air Force Instruction 1-1, Air Force Standards.As one of the capstone acts of his 39-year career, Gen. Norton Schwartz, Air Force chief of staff, put his signature on the brand new instruction, which communicates in one

  • New integrated defense tool offers heightened security

    Airmen in the 23rd Security Forces Squadron recently hosted a team of specialists here who introduced base personnel to a new tool aimed at improving security at military installations around the world.The ForcePRO software, created by a civilian company, is designed to help security planners

  • New intel squadron turns aerial eye on terrorists

    Terrorists and their supporters around the world soon will be under the gaze of a powerful "unblinking eye" providing information on their whereabouts to a "brain" here. The reactivation of the 11th Intelligence Squadron here marks a milestone for Air Force Special Operations Command, which gains

  • New interrogation system installed on AWACS, more in pipeline

    The E-3 Sentry AWACS Next Generation Identification Friend or Foe (NGIFF) program office from Hanscom Air Force Base, Massachusetts, recently completed the first installation of the new AN/UPX-40 system, which also brings new enhancements onto an operational AWACS at Tinker AFB, Oklahoma.

  • New IO course expands technology knowledge

    Recent studies indicate more than one billion people worldwide digest information through the Internet alone. The Air Force Doctrine Development and Education Center brought together 12 flag officers from across the defense department and governmental agencies Nov. 6 through 9 to learn how to

  • New Iraqi air force continues to grow

    The Coalition Air Force Transition Team, 370th Expeditionary Training Squadron, is continuing its efforts to populate the new Iraqi air force. A combined graduation was held Oct. 10 for four Iraqi air force maintenance officers, five maintenance supervisors, eight fuels supervisors and 54 enlisted

  • New Iraqi recruits get a leg up

    More than 330 Iraqi air force recruits marched in a parade before beginning their initial basic military course Dec. 28, at Camp Taji, Iraq.Normally recruits attend the 12-week BMT course at the Iraqi Army Regional Training Center prior to reporting to the air force training school on Camp Taji for

  • New ISR group supports cyber operations

    The 659th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group was activated Sept. 8 during a ceremony here.The mission of the 659th ISR Group, commanded by Col. Peter Lambert, is to provide direct ISR support to the 24th Air Force, which contributes to U.S. Cyber Command's mission. Members of the

  • New issue of Airman magazine hits newsstand

    The March issue of Airman magazine is now available to download. In this issue, our cover story, titled "100 Years of Flying," tells the story of the Air Force's oldest flying unit, the 1st Reconnaissance Squadron, and follows the unit from its early days of Pancho Villa and the Wright brothers to a

  • New JCS chairman visits Bagram

    The military's top servicemember visited here Oct. 7 to check on operations in Afghanistan and hear the concerns of military members. Adm. Michael G. Mullen, the new chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, thanked servicemembers for their sacrifices during an All-Hands Call for E-6s and below. The

  • New Jersey base gets evacuees from Haiti on road home

    A flight carrying 44 evacuees arrived here late Jan. 16 in a continuing effort to assist U.S. citizens in Haiti after the country was devastated by a 7.0-magnitude earthquake Jan. 12.Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst personnel, along with individual volunteers and representatives from civilian

  • New Jersey base realizes joint benefits

    With two months left for Defense Department officials to comply with the 2005 base realignment and closure plan, a related initiative -- joint basing -- already is paying off through closer interservice collaboration and the promise of future cost savings, officials here reported.Joint Base

  • New Jersey F-16 accident report released

    Air Force officials here July 26 determined that the cause of the forest fire on the Warren Grove Training Range in New Jersey May 15 was pilot error, committed when a F-16 Fighting Falcon pilot deployed countermeasure flares at an altitude that allowed the flares to land on the range while they

  • New JKO Portal to offer joint online training

    A new system unveiled April 27 is designed to better prepare servicemembers to operate with other services, government agencies, foreign militaries and non-governmental organizations while reducing the time they spend away from home or their units for military classes. David S.C. Chu, undersecretary

  • New joint command stands ready to defend capital

    A new headquarters here will concentrate the military mission to help defend the nation's capital.The Joint Force Headquarters-National Capital Region will guard America's "center of gravity," said Army Maj. Gen. Galen Jackman, the new organization's commander.The command unites all Defense

  • New Joint Staff team evaluates wounded warrior programs

    A joint team formed by the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is looking at the broad range of care and support services for wounded warriors to find any gaps and tap into best practices to share across the force. Navy Adm. Mike Mullen stood up the Joint Staff Wounded Warrior Integration Team in

  • New joint training enables Airmen, Soldiers to respond to emergencies

    Airmen from the fire department and Soldiers from a quick reaction force at the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing conducted a joint training exercise July 15 to learn how to work together effectively during an emergency situation.This is the first time the Army's QRF and the Air Force-operated fire

  • New Kandahar unit prepares for troop increase

    Kandahar Airfield officials activated the 772nd Expeditionary Airlift Squadron March 15 here as the NATO base prepares for the build-up of forces to support Operation Enduring Freedom.The newest airlift squadron in the Air Force will be flying the C-130J Hercules, and serve under the 451st Air

  • New Kyrgyzstan medical facility offers high-quality care

    376th Expeditionary Medical Group officials cut the ribbon on a new hospital building here July 17. After nearly seven years operating out of a tent facility, the new building includes updated inpatient area, an operating room, emergency room, a new laboratory, a dental office and three individual

  • New language program Web site aids deploying troops

    Officials who oversee a Defense Department program that provides cultural and linguistic training to soon-to-deploy military personnel have activated a new Web site. Launched this month, the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center's new online resource offers deploying servicemembers

  • New launch date projected for new civilian personnel system

    The first phase of the Defense Department's new National Security Personnel System has been adjusted slightly, to later in the fiscal year, NSPS officials said June 7.The Defense Department will work with the Office of Personnel Management to adjust the proposed NSPS regulation based on public

  • New law allows salutes in civvies during anthem

    Veterans and servicemembers not in uniform can now render the military-style hand salute during the playing of the national anthem, thanks to changes in federal law that took effect in October. "The military salute is a unique gesture of respect that marks those who have served in our nation's armed

  • New law changes handling procedures for troops' remains

    A new law that took effect Jan. 1 changes the way the remains of servicemembers killed in combat are transported and handled. The 2007 National Defense Authorization Act states that the primary mode of transportation for remains of servicemembers being returned to the U.S. is military aircraft or

  • New law eases airport screening for troops, families

    President Barack Obama signed a bill into law Jan. 3 to streamline airport screening procedures for service members and their families traveling on official orders.The Risk-based Security Screening for Members of the Armed Forces Act gives the Transportation Security Administration six months to

  • New law protects servicemembers

    A new law replacing the Soldiers' and Sailors' Civil Relief Act of 1940 provides servicemembers greater protections to handle personal financial and legal obligations, officials said.President Bush signed the Service Members' Civil Relief Act into law Dec. 19."The focus of the (new act) is the same

  • New law sinks 'check floating' practice

    The practice of “floating” a check until payday will become a thing of the past Oct. 28 when the new federal Check Clearing for the 21st Century Act, also known as Check 21, goes into effect.“Check floating” occurs when people write checks a few days before payday, figuring that by the time their

  • 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

  • New leader of Air Force Materiel Command named

    Department of Defense officials announced April 18 Lt. Gen. Donald J. Hoffman, currently the military deputy in the Office of the Assistant Air Force Secretary for Acquisition at the Pentagon, was selected to become the sixth commander of Air Force Materiel Command. President George

  • New leaders equipped for command at AFMC Squadron Leader Orientation

    More than 50 first-time AFMC commanders and materiel civilian leaders attended the intense five-day training, which included briefings, panel discussions, mentorship sessions and workshops on topics ranging from AFMC mission expectations to information on legal, financial and support programs and

  • New leaders take command of redesignated AFCENT, 9th Air Force

    New leaders took command during the 9th Air Force and U.S. Air Forces Central change of command and redesignation ceremony Aug. 5 at Shaw Air Force Base.Lt. Gen. Gary North relinquished command of 9th Air Force/AFCENT, then the two units were redesignated into two separate commands.Army Gen. David

  • New leaders take helm as Air University reorganizes

    Air University officials welcomed their new commander as well as one of the organization's newly minted centers of excellence also installed its new leader in a dual change-of-command ceremony June 23 at Maxwell Air Force Base's Air Park. The ceremony, which involved three successively-higher

  • New leadership course for chiefs in final development

    Although the transition to chief master sergeant may not be seamless, a new course will aim at eliminating some of the obstacles newly promoted chiefs may encounter.The Chief Master Sergeant Leadership Course, developed at the Air Force Senior NCO Academy at nearby Gunter Annex, becomes the fourth

  • New leadership for AF Acquisitions, Logistics

    Today, Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James announced that Darlene Costello, a senior acquisition official in the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense, Acquisition, Technology and Logistics (AT&L), is assuming the duties of the principal deputy assistant secretary of the Air Force for

  • New LED fixtures light the way

    For close to two years, almost half of the street lights and parking lot lights on Peterson AFB have been disabled in an effort to cut energy costs. This past summer, the lights started coming back on in anticipation of new light-emitting diode fixtures being purchased.According to Jim Jacobsen,

  • New legislation affects Tricare supplements

    Many Tricare beneficiaries are getting letters from their employer stating they will no longer offer Tricare supplements as an employer-sponsored medical option effective January 1, 2008. Tricare beneficiaries should look closely at their health care options. A provision of the John Warner National

  • New legislation facilitates Total Force

    When President George W. Bush signed the 2007 National Defense Authorization Act into law Oct. 17, important clarifications were made regarding Title 10 and 32, the laws governing the legal distinctions between the armed forces of the United States and the armed forces of the National Guard and

  • New lieutenant colonels to attend senior developmental education

    The P0505A Lieutenant Colonel Central Selection Board selected officers for promotion and identified senior developmental education "selects." The board met at the Air Force Personnel Center here. Selects join a resource pool of officers who will be considered for future attendance at in-residence

  • New lieutenants give back to Academy Prep School

    Every year, the U.S. Air Force Academy adds to the ever-growing Long Blue Line of graduates. The new second lieutenants, after having spent the last four years together, scatter across the world. Few will return to the Academy in a professional context.

  • New light-weight weapon joins Balad arsenal

    In an effort to keep pace with the ever-changing face of close quarters combat, F-16 Fighting Falcon crews here plan to use a new, lightweight satellite-guided munition soon.The GBU-38 500-pound Joint Direct Attack Munition is designed to reduce collateral damage, limit unintended casualties and

  • New location, same C-130 airlift mission

    Airmen and aircraft have relocated and the name of the squadron has changed. But, the mission of Airmen deployed here from the 463rd Airlift Group at Little Rock Air Force Base, Ark., has not. These Airmen deliver cargo in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility and are now flying their

  • New log-in notice to clarify computer use issues

    Defense Department employees soon will see a new notice on their government computer screens informing them that their e-mails are subject to monitoring and that use of the computer means they recognize and consent to that monitoring. The revised language will appear throughout the department within

  • New machine makes materiel storage, retrieval easier

    A new mechanized cargo-handling machine here will make materiel storage and retrieval easier.The 60-ton Elevated Transfer Vehicle is a part of the Department of Defense Mechanized Materiel Handling System. The $11 million system, the largest in DOD, is being installed at the new air freight

  • New majors selected for IDE

    The P0404A Major Central Selection Board recently held at the Air Force Personnel Center here selected officers for promotion and identified those selected for intermediate developmental education.Officers selected will join a resource pool of officers who will be considered for future attendance at

  • New manual covers mentoring program

    A new Air Force manual that provides detailed information on mentoring within the Air Force, including the definition, program benefits and objectives, has been published.Air Force Manual 36-2643, Air Force Mentoring Program, incorporates information from, and supersedes, AFI 36-3401, Air Force

  • New manual gives mobility crews ‘go-to-war’ guidance

    For years, Air Force fighter and bomber crews have been guided into combat by a manual on tactics, techniques and procedures. Now, mobility aircrews will have similar guidance on how to go to war.Because Air Mobility Command aircrews and weapons systems were pushing closer to the threat envelope,

  • New matting system to improve deployment capability

    Engineers at the Air Force Research Laboratory Materials and Manufacturing Directorate here have made recent significant advancements developing a super-strong, lightweight composite airfield matting that speeds up forward aircraft deployments, expands parking space and reduces costs. Working with

  • New MC-12 unit activated at Kandahar Airfield

    Officials activated the Air Force's newest MC-12 Liberty squadron in a ceremony here May 1. The 361st Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron has been reactivated many times in the squadron's fairly unique history, said Col. John A. Cherrey, the commander of the 451st Expeditionary Operations Group

  • New medal to retain place in order of precedence

    The new Distinguished Warfare Medal will retain its place in the order of precedence among military decorations, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said here Feb. 19.Much of the public discussion of the new medal has centered on its precedence. It ranks below the Distinguished Flying Cross and

  • New medallion available for marking veterans' graves in private cemeteries

    Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki announced June 29 that the Department of Veterans Affairs is offering bronze medallions to attach to existing, privately purchased headstones or markers, signifying a deceased's status as a veteran. "For veterans not buried in a national or state veterans

  • New Medical Clinic Opens Doors Strengthening U.S. Kyrgyz Partnership

    Service members from the Transit Center at Manas, Kyrgyzstan, in partnership with representatives from the U.S. Embassy Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic Ministry of Health and residents of the Nizhne-Chuysk Village gathered on Nov. 15, to celebrate the grand opening of the village's new medical clinic. The

  • New medical forms will streamline veterans claims process

    The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has released three new disability benefits questionnaires for physicians of Veterans applying for VA disability compensation benefits. This initiative marks the beginning of a major reform of the physicians' guides and automated routines that will streamline

  • New Medical Provider Trends Dashboard Available for Members

    Airmen and Space Professionals relocating on a permanent change of station with dependents are now able to access a Medical Provider Trends Dashboard that provides historical medical services information at Department of the Air Force installations.“The dashboard provides two years of historical

  • New medical staging facility opened

    The new 332nd Contingency Aeromedical Staging Facility opened Dec. 19 and will serve as a transition point for medical evacuations from Iraq. Construction on the $850,000 building began in September. "With the move into this new semi-hardened facility, we are continuing to improve the care we

  • New members appointed to VA Advisory Committee on Women Veterans

    Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki has appointed six new members to the Advisory Committee on Women Veterans, an expert panel that advises Department of Veterans Affairs officials on a wide array of issues affecting women veterans."VA remains committed to providing quality, timely care

  • New methodology, software to aid security measures

    Researchers at the Air Force Research Laboratory's Airbase Technologies Division here have developed a new security risk-assessment methodology and are developing a supporting software tool that integrates and transforms the traditional vulnerability assessment into a true risk-management process.

  • New Mexico shuts out Air Force, 2-0, in men’s soccer

    Two early second-half goals by Jeff Rowland led the third-ranked University of New Mexico men’s soccer team to a 2-0 victory over the Air Force Academy here Oct. 14. With the victory, New Mexico remains the only unbeaten and untied team in the country at 10-0 overall and 4-0 in Mountain Pacific

  • New Mexico Tech to build on Kirtland

    The Air Force conveyed more than eight acres of base land to the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology during a ceremony here Jan. 6. The agreement is designed to stimulate business efficiencies and technological advancement through the construction of new facilities. The land conveyance, a

  • New MH-139 Grey Wolves will go to Joint Base Andrews

    The 25 new helicopters will replace the base’s 21 aging UH-1N Hueys. The additional four aircraft will allow the base to execute continuation of government operations and distinguished visitor transport mission requirements without augmenting support units.