NATO Air Policing operations

U.S. Air Force News

  • 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.

  • New MH-53M helicopter exhibit opens at AF museum

    Several high ranking officials from Air Force Special Operations Command, industry and the community recently joined personnel from the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force for the official opening of the museum's new MH-53M Pave Low IV helicopter exhibit. Air Force special operations forces used

  • New Military Health System site makes information accessible

    Military Health System officials have launched a new Web site that provides a single point of entry to military health news, information and resources. The site, Health.mil, is part of the Defense Department's continued commitment to make health information available and easy to find, officials

  • New military retirement home debuts in Gulfport

    More than 100 residents at the Armed Forces Retirement Home here are packing up to move into a brand new complex in Gulfport, Miss., that replaces the facility that was destroyed five years ago by Hurricane Katrina.Emotions are running high as the 135 residents prepare to leave AFRH-Washington Oct.

  • New military working dog facility built to highest "green" standard

    In an effort to be environmentally friendly, members of the 56th Security Forces Squadron military working dog section are currently undergoing green construction, which began in January with an estimated completion date at the end of July. While the project did not cost enough to be required to be

  • New military working dog facility built to highest 'green' standard

    The 56th Security Forces Squadron military working dog section here officially opened the first "green" kennel in the Defense Department May 20. The $1.6 million project included artificial turf, green construction techniques, a rain water collector and solar panels. "The artificial turf won't need

  • New 'milk stool' design may save dollars, backs

    A C-130 Hercules ramp support platform designed by four cadets here in May could save not only Air Force dollars but also the backs of the loadmasters who currently drag around 75-pound monstrosities, officials said.The newly designed "milk stool," as the ramp support platform is called, would weigh

  • New Milstar launches from Cape

    "Milstar," a military communications satellite, launched from here on a Titan IV-B rocket April 8.The satellite was placed into its proper orbit and should be fully operational in May.Milstar is a joint service communications satellite system that provides secure, jam-resistant, worldwide

  • New mission arrives at Incirlik

    A new mission kicked off here recently with the arrival and departure of C-17 Globemaster IIIs carrying cargo to Iraq supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.The new mission, which works on a “hub and spoke” concept, calls for cargo to come into the base from Charleston Air Force Base, S. C., and be

  • New mission control room ready for F-35 flight tests

    The newest range mission control room built to test the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter was officially commissioned here April 11. Combined with equipment installation and recent room certification, the range control room now provides the F-35 test team with the resources necessary to monitor the

  • New mobility commander to continue raising the bar

    Air Mobility Command's new commander said he will strive to deliver what America and the command's Airmen deserve: a continued pursuit of excellence in global air mobility. "We're going to keep raising the bar -- we'll keep going farther and farther with this command," said Gen. Arthur J. Lichte

  • New mobility concept tested at Whiteman

    The third passenger aircraft in two weeks departed here Jan. 13 with more than 400 Airmen traveling under a new mobility concept developed by U.S. Central Command Air Forces.Airmen from several bases met here to catch contract airlift to an intermediate point where intratheater airlift would take

  • New MRE entrees coming soon

    Servicemembers in the field about to grab a Meal, Ready to Eat combat ration might want to choose the Jamaican pork chop, the pasta with alfredo sauce or the beef with mushrooms.These entrees will soon be gone from the MRE inventory, and replaced by new dishes that food technologists at the U.S.

  • New MRI system installed at Keesler Medical Center

    Crews are currently completing installation of Keesler Medical Center's new magnetic resonance imaging equipment and look to have it complete in January at Keesler AFB.It replaces the MRI destroyed by Hurricane Katrina's devastating storm surge Aug. 29, 2005. A 13-ton magnet, the heart of the

  • New munitions units advance nuclear weapons center role

    With the activation and assumption of command for the 798th Munitions Maintenance Group at Minot Air Force Base, N.D., Aug. 18, Air Force officials significantly advanced one of their top goals: reinvigorating the service's nuclear enterprise. The maintenance group was the last of four similar

  • New museum to inspire Airmen

    Two Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland museums, the Airman Heritage Museum and the Security Forces Museum, will consolidate into the Enlisted Heritage and Character Development Center by October 2014 and will serve as a stepping stone for a larger $50 million, privately-funded museum set to open in

  • New names enshrined at annual EOD memorial event

    Dressed in the bright whites, deep blues and dense blacks of their service uniforms, Airmen, Marines, Sailors, and Soldiers came together once again May 7 to honor their fallen explosive ordnance disposal brethren during an annual memorial ceremony at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida.

  • New National Guard museum opens

    Information about the National Guard, the oldest military organization in the country, can be found in a new museum that opened here March 17.The National Guard Memorial Museum is located at One Massachusetts Ave., N.W., one block west of Union Station. The museum occupies 5,600 square feet of the

  • New Noncommissioned Officer Academy to open at Sheppard AFB

    Air Force officials announced plans May 7 to open an Air Force Noncommissioned Officer Academy at Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas.The academy is scheduled to open its doors to technical sergeants in early 2011, with an initial expected graduation rate of about 1,300 annually. With the addition of

  • New NSPS transition office announced

    The Department of Defense announced Jan. 21 the establishment of the National Security Personnel System Transition Office and the selection of John H. James Jr. as the director.Mr. James will report to the deputy under secretary of defense for civilian personnel policy and lead the NSPSTO in

  • New office aims to strengthen families financially

    A government office dedicated to protecting service members and their families from financial predators and pitfalls officially opened for business recently.As the military arm of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the Office of Servicemember Affairs is intended to strengthen military

  • New office consolidates FM workforce development

    The Air Force financial management community recently consolidated all its various workforce-development efforts into a single centralized office.The financial workforce management directorate at the Pentagon is now the single point of contact for providing the FM community with professional

  • New office focusing on improving joint operations

    While U.S. military forces deployed to the Middle East continue operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, leaders at home are applying lessons learned from the campaigns to improve joint operations between the Air Force and Army.The first of nearly 20 Air Force and Army initiatives toward improving joint

  • New office looks to shape future force

    The Air Force of the future is taking greater focus as the new Air Force Strategic Development Planning and Execution Office is actively pursuing its mission and the experimentation campaigns that it has been chartered to execute. The office will be responsible for supporting Air Force development

  • New officer course boosts cyberspace transformation

    A new undergraduate cyber training course for officers launched here June 15.Air Force officials allocated $11.7 million to establish the course, and about $7.6 million has already been spent to upgrade facilities and purchase the computer infrastructure, simulators and laboratory networks to

  • New one-star joins two-star brother

    As Maj. Gen. Stanley Gorenc watched his younger brother, Brig. Gen. Frank Gorenc, pin on his first star, they became two of 271 general officers in the active-duty Air Force out of its more than 350,000 AirmenThe younger brother was promoted during a frocking ceremony June 15 as he relinquished

  • New online application added to voluntary assignments

    Air Force officials recently introduced a new Web-based application that allows Airmen to withdraw or cancel a voluntary assignment from their desks at their convenience. Voluntary assignments are assignments that are self-initiated and that Airmen can apply for on their own. They differ from normal

  • New online housing support available to USAFE Airmen

    Airmen moving into or out of the United States Air Forces in Europe command now have a access to a new online housing support program. USAFE housing offices are implementing the new Internet-based Automated Housing Referral Network, AHRN.com, to facilitate the long-distance house-hunting process

  • New online master's program for AF civilians now available

    Eligible Air Force civilians have until March 14 to apply for a new online master's degree program offered this June by Air University's Air Command and Staff College. The two-year program, for civilians GS-11 and above and pay band-02 and above who don't already have their master's degree, consists

  • New options arise for many military homeowners

    The Federal Housing Finance Agency recently announced changes to its short-sale policies that should make it easier for military homeowners with Fannie Mae- or Freddie Mac-backed mortgage loans to honor their financial commitments when they are required to move as part of their duty.Under the new

  • New options available for accompanied Korea tours

    Air Force members headed to certain locations in Korea now can request an accompanied tour and serve with their families for two or three years. Current base facilities, such as housing, schools and support activities, will limit the number of Airmen authorized to serve the accompanied,

  • New organization changes how to get info, entertainment

    The Oct. 1 establishment of the Defense Media Activity will change the way Defense Department members get news, entertainment and information to servicemembers and their families. Servicemembers will not immediately notice a change: the Armed Forces Network will still broadcast football games and

  • New Orleans A-10s arrive at Whiteman

    This base continues to absorb people and planes from hurricane-ravaged Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base, La., accepting the second to last A-10 Thunderbolt II March 16. Falling in line with Base Realignment and Closure committee recommendations, the original plan had the naval base delivering

  • New Orleans to be first AF Reserve BRAC closure

    Air Force Reserve Command's 926th Fighter Wing at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base New Orleans will be the command's first wing affected by the most recent Base Realignment and Closure. Moved up a year, resources from the 926th will realign to four bases: Buckley Air Force Base, Colo.; Nellis

  • New OTS selection board results announced

    A total of 211 men and women from across America have earned an opportunity to become Air Force leaders following their selection for an officer's commission, officials here announced today.

  • New paint design for ‘Next Air Force One’

    President of the United States Joe Biden has selected the livery design for the "Next Air Force One," VC-25B, a design that will closely resemble the livery of the current Air Force One, VC-25A, while also modernizing for the 21st century.

  • New pamphlet explains transformation

    Transformation is on the mind of every Air Force leader, but for many airmen, understanding the Air Force's plan for transformation proves difficult.The Air Force hopes a new 20-page booklet called "The Edge" will explain the concept of transformation to the service's uniformed airmen and civilian

  • New parts can cost less than old ones

    C-5 Galaxy mechanics here recently found that making new aircraft floorboards rather than repairing used ones saves nearly $5.5 million per year and reduces work-flow days from 42 to nine.When a C-5 floorboard team started rethinking their work process, 923 floorboards were on backorder, and C-5s

  • 'New' patients make training more realistic

    The use of advanced, more lifelike simulated patients at the aerospace medical service apprentice course is enhancing medical training for Airmen here attending technical school with the 882nd Training Group."The purpose of these patient simulators is to have the most advanced equipment that