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U.S. Air Force News

  • Drill team faces ‘tip of the spear’

    Standing shoulder to shoulder, the drill team members twirled, tossed and caught their 35-inch-long, 19-ounce sabers. Often coming perilously close to their teammates, the well-practiced team flawlessly executed the routines.The Sabre Drill Team, the only active-duty enlisted group of its kind in

  • Officials set promotion release dates

    The Air Force plans to release its list of new technical and master sergeant promotions June 26 (June 27 for those units across the international date line). The list of new staff sergeant promotions will be released Aug. 13 (Aug. 14 for those units across the international date line).The lists of

  • SSG will head technology council

    Standard Systems Group experts here will now develop Air Force-wide strategies for buying and managing information technology products as they assume their role as head of the new Air Force Information Technology Commodity Council. The council will stand up in mid-June.John Gilligan, Air Force

  • Air Force countersnipers go offensive

    Two Air Force security forces airmen deployed to Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan, got what they called, “the chance of a lifetime,” June 1 when they embarked on a combat patrol in eastern Afghanistan with the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division. Senior Airmen Luke Allen and Rusty Youngblood, both 820th

  • Civilian-personnel system ‘not cutting it’

    The civilian-personnel system in the Defense Department "is not cutting it," said Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld on June 3.Rumsfeld, who spoke at the National Press Club, said that the department is handcuffed by its reliance on an antiquated personnel system. He called today's

  • June issue of Airman available

    Learn about some of the famous firsts in military aviation, read about the continuing mission in Afghanistan and take a look at the “Warriors of the North” at Grand Forks Air Force Base, N.D. These features and more highlight the June issue of Airman magazine, now available in print and online at

  • C-17 weapons instructor course set for July

    This summer, a very select group of C-17 instructor pilots will head back to school in an effort to earn their Globemaster III doctorate.Starting July 3, the four students will become the first class at the new five-and-a-half-month C-17 Weapons Instructor Course at McGuire Air Force Base, N.J.“The

  • Phoenix Readiness training ends

    Air Mobility Command’s Phoenix Readiness combat training has ended and will be replaced in October by the Air Force's expeditionary combat-support training program, Eagle Flag. The training cadre at the Air Mobility Warfare Center here are excited about Eagle Flag.“It's exciting for us to be

  • Air Force helps Iraqi dog immigrate

    A German shepherd of Iraqi descent arrived here May 30 aboard a C-17 Globemaster III after putting his life on the line to guard U.S. special forces.Fluffy, a dog from northern Iraq with visible scars, will retire at Fort Bragg, N.C., as an honorary military working dog.When Fluffy first joined Sgt.

  • AF simplifies travel-payment processing

    The Air Force has automated the process of filing travel-accrual payment requests for military travelers, making it available on the Virtual Military Personnel Flight Web page.“This should simplify the process not only for the traveler but also deployed and home-station financial services offices,”

  • Air Force workers awarded patent

    Two modeling and fabrication shop workers from the Air Force Research Laboratory’s information directorate here have been awarded a patent for developing an advanced aircraft ground power unit for Army Comanche helicopters.Michael Iselo, shop supervisor, and production controller Timothy Hurley

  • Artist inspired by America’s veterans

    Some see a leather jacket as something to wear, an airplane as a machine that flies and a motorcycle gas tank as a mere container.R.T. Foster looks at them and sees blank canvases.The illustrator, who marks 34 years of federal service in August, has made a name for himself as an artist painting

  • Lab techs ensure precision engagement

    Air Force precision munitions, used with great success during Operation Iraqi Freedom, could only achieve those results through expertly calibrated weapon systems, said the service’s metrology and calibration program manager at the Pentagon.That job, said Senior Master Sgt. Maurice Hubbard, is the

  • Reserve unit takes ‘active’ role at Ramstein

    An air and space expeditionary force rotation to Ramstein Air Base, Germany, turned into a mission to move people and pallets of cargo to numerous airfields around the world, including battle-damaged runways in Iraq.In January, more than 200 activated reservists and six C-130 Hercules aircraft from

  • Rumsfeld: Cut safety mishap rates in half

    Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld challenged the military services to cut the number of mishaps by 50 percent in the next two years.“World-class organizations do not tolerate preventable accidents,” Rumsfeld wrote in a May 19 memorandum to the heads of military departments and defense

  • Machinist full of money-saving ideas

    Findings ways for the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center to save money is turning into a lucrative sideline for one maintenance directorate machinist here.Timothy Case has earned two $10,000 awards from the IDEA program since December for submissions that amount to annual savings of more than

  • Being a reservist requires ‘juggling act’

    Recognizing that Air Force reservists must balance military obligations with family and civilian-employment requirements, the service’s senior reservist pledged to reduce unnecessary pressures.“I want to say ‘thank you’ to families and employers -- they make great sacrifices in order for Reserve

  • Iraqi forecasters back in business

    For the first time since 1980, members of Iraq’s meteorological organization are back in a Baghdad tower sending weather observations after going through training with Air Force weather forecasters. Airmen taught the Iraqis how to operate and maintain the new meteorological measuring set that was

  • War teaches major about Air Force

    Maj. Ken Sersun said he learned more about the Air Force mission during his first deployment as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom than at any point in his 16-year career.As chief of staff for the Air Support Operations Center at Camp Virginia, Kuwait, Sersun was one of nearly 150 airmen among 10,000

  • Airman convicted in arson case

    Senior Airman Jeffrey Beagle has been sentenced to five years confinement, reduction to airman basic, total forfeiture of all pay and allowances, and a dishonorable discharge for destroying a $1.77 million vehicle maintenance building here March 16.Beagle was also convicted and sentenced for

  • Two convicted of financial crimes

    Two airmen have been convicted of various financial crimes during separate general courts-martial here.Master Sgt. Clarence Lott pleaded guilty to, and was convicted of, submitting a false official document, larceny of housing allowances in excess of $500 and obstruction of justice. The sergeant,

  • Quality-of-life survey results are in

    The results of the 2002 Chief of Staff Quality-of-Life Survey have been compiled and show an increase in satisfaction with the Air Force as a job and way of life, survey officials said.The survey, sent to more than 100,000 active-duty airmen and civilian employees in September, included questions

  • Merger creates new health organization

    Two organizations here merged recently to form the Air Force Institute for Operational Health to enhance public health, improve disease surveillance and detection, and make sure America's warfighters are fit and healthy.The institute merges the Air Force Institute for Environment, Safety and

  • Academy graduates 45th class

    As parade caps flew and the Thunderbirds soared overhead, the Air Force Academy Class of 2003 added 974 names to the 45th list of academy alumni at graduation ceremonies here May 28.Guest speakers were Secretary of the Air Force Dr. James G. Roche and Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper.The

  • Coalition crew helps injured K-9

    The 376th Air Expeditionary Wing showed its true coalition colors May 25 as a medical team composed of Army, Air Force and Korean people prepared to perform surgery on Clinton, a Danish military working dog.Clinton broke one of his upper canines May 22 while chewing on his cage.“I guess he was

  • Guardsmen open Baghdad facility

    The 379th Expeditionary Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron has opened a 10-bed mobile medical staging facility near the military flightline at Baghdad International Airport. Facility workers there conduct joint service, coalition and civilian air evacuation missions.In the field, after self-aid and

  • Rumsfeld says Iraqi problems real but workable

    Iraq, with the help of the Coalition Provisional Authority, will work past its current problems, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said to the Council on Foreign Relations in New York May 27.Rumsfeld said Iraq's problems are real, but shouldn't be blown out of proportion. Every country making a

  • Retired CMSAF travels world for bluesuiters

    Logging more temporary duty hours per year than many deployed airman, retired Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Robert Gaylor travels to the far corners of the world.Some people might call him crazy, but the fifth chief master sergeant of the Air Force said he has been to the ends of the world and

  • June issue of Citizen Airman available

    Thousands of mobilized reservists, along with hundreds of volunteers, performed critical roles supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. Since the beginning of the effort to liberate the Iraqi people, Air Force Reserve Command airmen have been involved in a variety of areas, including aeromedical

  • Life support ensures pilot comfort, survival

    When a pilot must eject from his aircraft and parachute to the ground, he builds a fire, drinks water and signals for rescue using the survival kit provided by the life-support unit at home base.The life-support unit here ensures all aircrews receive the best life-support equipment for flights and

  • World War II Ironman's remains return home

    In the hallway of the 71st Fighter Squadron here hangs a large wooden board adorned with framed names of "Ironmen" pilots from World War II and Operation Desert Storm. One of those names is 1st Lt. Carl Hoenshell. Three Maltese crosses under his name indicate the number of enemy aircraft he shot

  • 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

  • Air Force opens hospital in Iraq

    The "medical torch" passed from the Army to the Air Force at Tallil Air Base in southern Iraq with the grand opening of the Expeditionary Medical Support hospital. After nearly six years of development, EMEDS is the latest in expeditionary medical care. The Army's 86th Combat Support Hospital is

  • Space is ultimate high ground

    Space is the ultimate high ground and gives American forces a tremendous advantage on the battlefield, according to the Air Force’s director of space operations and integration at the Pentagon.“We must dominate space,” said Maj. Gen. Judd Blaisdell, “because it would be very difficult to conduct a

  • Deployed airmen help Iraqi school

    Reaching out across miles of desert, a group of airmen helped Iraqi schoolchildren May 25 when it delivered the results of a “Win the Peace” program drive.Nine men and women representing the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing traveled Baghdad from their forward-deployed location to deliver more than

  • Wolfowitz defends coalition's plans for Iraqi recovery

    Pundits criticizing the coalition Iraq reconstruction effort are demonstrating "an incomplete understanding" of pre-conflict in-country conditions and "an unreasonable expectation" of the progress level, Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz said to the Senate May 22. "Much of what I read on this

  • Split disbursement now mandatory for all military travelers

    All military travelers must now select the split disbursement option on their travel voucher claims to directly pay their government travel card expenses, according to finance officials.Split disbursement requires travelers to tally up their GTC expenses and authorize enough funds to be sent

  • Country music star shows appreciation for military

    One of country music’s biggest stars visited Colorado Springs to thank the troops with a free concert May 21.Tim McGraw and the Dance Hall Doctors played to more than 20,000 area military members at Pershing Field on Fort Carson.“The band and crew were completely enthused at the chance to come

  • Ridge outlines how, why terror threat level was raised

    Federal law enforcement organizations -- and some state and local authorities -- ramped up vigilance when the Department of Homeland Security's color-coded national terror alert level was raised May 20 from "elevated," or yellow, to "high," or orange, the top domestic anti-terrorism official said

  • Dover's 'first airman' visits base

    As he flew over the area on approach to the dirt "runway," he saw the farmhouse that would double as his office.There were no dorms, no paved runway lined with C-5 Galaxies, and certainly no Super Port.The year was 1941, and that was the first view of what Dover Air Force Base had to offer Drexel

  • Now Showing: May 26 edition of Air Force Television News

    The end of an era in Turkey and Air Force ground support in the wake of the war against Iraq spotlight the latest edition of Air Force Television News. Senior Airman Israel Aviles reports on the end of Operation Northern Watch, a decade-old operation that enforced the northern no-fly zone over

  • Air boss conference discusses war plan

    Leaders from around the world came together here May 22 to discuss deterrence and change the war plan regarding the North Korean threat.The annual event provided an opportunity for coalition members, who would fight together if deterrence were to fail, to hear from the U.S. Forces Korea commander

  • Former CMSAFs offer advice

    Two key members of Air Force enlisted history and former chief master sergeants of the Air Force are visiting with U.S. Air Forces in Europe airmen. Retired Chief Master Sgts. of the Air Force Paul Airey, the first person to hold the title, and Sam Parish, the 8th CMSAF, are here as guest speakers

  • Hill prepares F-16s for Italian air force

    Italian defense officials accepted the first of 34 modified and refurbished F-16 Fighting Falcon A and B models from experts here May 16.Maj. Gen. Tommaso Ferro, air defense and defense cooperation attaché for the Italian air force, lead a delegation of military and diplomatic dignitaries in

  • University assists Air Force programmers

    Airmen are improving their programming skills with help from experts called in from Auburn University at Montgomery by Standard Systems Group officials here.Standard Systems Group manages information technology contracts and standard information system programs commonly used at all active and

  • Air Force punishes cross burners

    A cross-burning incident in Albuquerque, N.M., in March has resulted in discharges for three airmen from here. An investigation revealed three Air Force personnel actively participated in the burning of a wooden cross in the fenced-in backyard of one of the member’s apartment. While the

  • Deployed airman grows desert crop

    One look around this forward-deployed location shows most people there is nothing green to be had in the country.It is said that when airmen here return home, everything with color will be infinitely more brilliant. Grass will be much greener, and flowers will be far more colorful and

  • Team performs sacred act at mortuary

    Sixteen airmen with the 459th Services Flight here returned home after deploying to the Dover Air Force Base, Del., mortuary in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.For these airmen, returning home had a special meaning. While deployed, they made sure those who paid the ultimate price during the war

  • Air Force Reserve support continuing

    As Operation Iraqi Freedom shifts from combat to reconstruction, hundreds of mobilized Air Force reservists are returning home to family and civilian life. Thousands more, however, remain on active duty, and Air Force Reserve Command officials here say they have no clear picture as of May 21 as to

  • Blue, silver AEFs get rotations back on track

    The Air Force is establishing two transitional air and space expeditionary forces, blue and silver, to put the deployment schedule back on track by March 2004 and to bring home deployed airmen as quickly as possible.“We envision these two 120-day rotations filling the requirements of combatant

  • Coalition progresses in Iraq, challenges remain on the path

    Each day the conditions in Iraq are improving and the life for the Iraqi population is starting to return to the "normal pre-war standard," said Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld.In his briefing to the Pentagon press, the secretary also said the department has no objection to officials from the

  • ‘101 critical days’ begin on Memorial Day

    If statistics hold true, 21 airmen will die this summer while “having fun.”The period between Memorial Day and Labor Day is a period of increased off-duty injuries caused by increased activity and risk taking, according to officials from the Air Force Safety Center at Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M.

  • New bearing system could cut costs

    Advances in bearing systems for engines powering target drones and cruise missiles could cut costs by 20 percent and increase fuel efficiency.Scientists and engineers in the Air Force Research Laboratory's Propulsion Directorate are testing a bearing using a compliant foil -- a thin, flexible sheet

  • CMSAF sends Memorial Day message

    The following is a Memorial Day message from Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Gerald R. Murray:“America remembers. We remember the names and faces of fallen heroes of past and current wars, and we honor them by setting aside a day to memorialize their sacrifice. This sacred tradition binds us

  • Deployed airmen send love with music

    Leaving loved ones behind is one of the most difficult aspects of deployment, but now deployed airmen can send their love back home in a unique way.For several years, the U.S. Air Force Heritage of America Band here has produced compact discs for troops and their families. Now the band has expanded

  • Med tech follows dream of becoming doctor

    Reserve 2nd Lt. Cynthia Reed, formerly an active-duty senior airman, is pursuing her goal of becoming a primary-care doctor through the Air Force Health Professions Scholarship Program.Reed is attending the Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine, a satellite school of Midwestern University in

  • Bandwidth increasing for some bases

    The Department of Defense is planning to beef up Internet access at 92 military installations by the end of fiscal 2004 as part of the global information grid bandwidth expansion project.A little over a third of those installations will be Air Force bases, said John Gilligan, the service's chief

  • B-52 undergoes worldwide testing

    The B-52H Avionics Midlife Improvement project recently completed two missions to test new hardware and software upgrades in extreme conditions around the world.The missions were part of the research and developmental test for the project before it moves to operational test and evaluation, allowing

  • State National Guards to combine headquarters

    Each state National Guard will combine its top three headquarters into one "joint force headquarters," said Army Lt. Gen. H. Steven Blum, the head of the National Guard Bureau.There are 162 headquarters units in the 54 state and territory National Guard entities and by Oct. 1, 108 of these will no

  • Civilians eligible for spending accounts

    Most Air Force civilian employees are now eligible to contribute to a flexible spending account which allows money to be set aside tax-free for certain health-care and eligible family member-care expenses.Flexible spending accounts are a new benefit that allows federal employees to set aside

  • Airman sentenced in first OIF court-martial

    An airman first class from the 405th Expeditionary Munitions Squadron at a forward-deployed location in Southwest Asia pleaded and was found guilty May 18 of larceny and violation of a general lawful order. This was the first Air Force court-martial held at an Operation Iraqi Freedom deployed

  • Gate guards help civilians trapped in tornado’s path

    With low-traffic volume, Marauder Gate here is usually a quiet posting for the 72nd Security Forces Squadron, but swing shift May 8 changed all that.Airman 1st Class Amanda DeBoer and Oklahoma Army National Guard Spec. Theea Stephens were not long into the shift when civilian workers arriving at the

  • Enlisted aide upgraded to special duty

    They have been part of the Air Force enlisted force since its beginning, but they have never had a formalized position description or job qualification standard -- until now. The enlisted aide program, now an official Air Force special duty, was authorized the new Air Force Specialty Code of 8A200

  • Tanker lease vital to global operations

    To quickly begin the recapitalization of its tanker fleet, the Air Force is pursuing a deal to lease 100 Boeing 767s converted into tankers.The proposal awaiting Department of Defense approval is vital to sustaining the Air Force’s tanker fleet, said Dr. Marvin R. Sambur, assistant secretary of the

  • U.S. 'committed to winning the peace' in Iraq, Feith says

    While there's much to do to assist the Iraqi people in the establishment of a free, democratic government of their choosing, the United States remains committed to achieving that goal, a senior DoD official told U.S. legislators today.In testimony on Capitol Hill today, Under Secretary of Defense

  • Hollywood entertainers play ball at Edwards

    Hollywood entertainers “traveled” here May 10 for the second annual National Basketball Association Entertainment League game.Zane Stoddard, NBA director of entertainment marketing, said he was happy he could bring the entertainers out, show base people a good time and support the

  • Love of flight unites Cochran, Yeager

    On the face of it, the long friendship between Jackie Cochran (Odlum) and Chuck Yeager seems a little improbable. Mixing two strong-willed overachievers, both of them whom were known public figures, is more like a formula for conflict.Yet the fighter pilot and the wealthy businesswoman had genuine

  • Airman killed, 2nd injured in ambush

    Staff Sgt. Patrick Lee Griffin Jr., 31, of Elgin, S.C., was killed in action May 13 near Diwaniyah, Iraq. Griffin was killed when his convoy was ambushed en route to Baghdad. Master Sgt. Jeffery Gore suffered a leg wound in the ambush and is in stable condition. He is the weapons and tactics

  • Air Force negotiates extra Raptor

    Air Force officials have negotiated the procurement of one additional F/A-22 Raptor as part of a recent purchase, raising the total to 21 aircraft, according to service acquisition officials.The F/A-22 acquisition has a “buy-to-budget” philosophy, said Dr. Marvin R. Sambur, assistant secretary of

  • Zettler: People first in reconstituting force

    As the dust of Operation Iraqi Freedom settles, the Air Force installations and logistics community is turning its attention to the challenge that lies ahead: readying the service for the next big contingency.Replenishing the materiel and equipment reserved for wartime use, rebuilding the munitions

  • Myers praises 64th AEW during visit

    America’s top general stopped briefly at a forward-deployed location May 11 to thank the people of the 64th Air Expeditionary Wing for their contributions to Operation Iraqi Freedom.Gen. Richard B. Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, addressed a crowd of active-duty, Guard and Reserve

  • Veterans thank those who led them to freedom

    A Belgian woman risks her safety to help more than 130 airmen avoid capture by Germans. A bombardier survives a crash landing with his crew behind enemy lines and escapes with help from members of the French Underground. A tail gunner bails out of his badly damaged B-17 Flying Fortress and

  • Air Force eases Stop-Loss restrictions

    Air Force personnel officials announced May 14 the release of more than half of the Air Force specialty codes restricted from retirement or separation May 2 under the Stop-Loss program.Following a review of operational requirements, 31 officer and 20 enlisted career fields were released from

  • SECAF Vector addresses possible move

    In the latest edition of “The Secretary’s Vector,” Secretary of the Air Force Dr. James G. Roche discusses the possibility he may soon become secretary of the Army.President George W. Bush announced May 7 his intent to nominate Roche for the Army’s top spot, which became vacant when former Secretary

  • Unit puts the 'deploy' in 'deployment order'

    Television images of jets launching and bombs dropping during Operation Iraqi Freedom showed airmen doing what they are trained to do. What most viewers did not see were the people responsible for getting the jets there to put bombs on targets and patrol the sky.The Air Combat Command Air

  • Pilot tours with his ‘Dream Machine’

    Air Force Reserve Command’s recruiting service has teamed up with a veteran F-16 Fighting Falcon pilot and aerobatic performer to increase command awareness and attract young people interested in aviation.Maj. Ed Hamill is a private contractor in civilian life. He owns and operates the Air Force

  • Helicopters squeeze into modified hangar

    What a difference 4 feet makes -- in this case it was $20,000. Every May, the 76th Helicopter Flight's fleet has to move because its hangar here is used for Guardian Challenge ceremonies. Guardian Challenge is an Air Force Space Command five-day competition of space and missile units. For years,

  • Now showing: May 12 edition of AFTVNews

    A list of symptoms and simple precautions to protect airmen against Sudden Acute Respiratory Syndrome are spotlighted in the latest edition of Air Force Television News.Staff Sgt. Joe Wallace’s story on SARS emphasizes the Air Force has not been affected by the virus, thus far, but as a member of

  • 90-year-old veteran delivers

    A Depression-era work ethic, plus some faith and stubbornness, keeps fueling Martin "Mike" Mikulski who is in his 63rd year of service to his country. Mikulski, 90, has spent most weekdays for the last 24 years volunteering his time."What the hell am I gonna do at home? Watch TV?" Mike says in a

  • Scams target military families, e-mail users

    Although the federal tax filing season ended April 15, the Internal Revenue Service continues to see isolated instances of new tax scams.Two new schemes target families of those serving in the armed forces and e-mail users. In both schemes, people represent themselves as being from the IRS.The IRS

  • Plan will get AEF back on track, fix ‘disparity’

    While many deployed airmen are returning from Operation Iraqi Freedom to hero's welcomes, others deployed for as much as three times longer are still waiting to hear when they will go home.What appears to some as an obvious disparity is actually a case of differing mission objectives, said the

  • Reservists, guardsmen get extended per diem

    Air reserve component officials at the Pentagon are reminding reservists and Air National guardsmen that those called to active duty to support Operation Iraqi Freedom will receive per diem consistent with periods established for other recent conflicts.Reservists and guardsmen ordered to support

  • Bush thanks Amir of Qatar for support

    President Bush May 8 thanked the leader of the tiny Gulf country of Qatar for his nation's steadfast support.In brief remarks at the White House after the two leaders met, Bush said Hamad bin Khalifa al Thani "showed great leadership" in leading his country to join the coalition that took on Saddam

  • Arlington chaplains provide spiritual support

    More than 280,000 people are buried at Arlington National Cemetery. Another 25 are added to those ranks each day.For the organization charged with providing spiritual support to those left behind when a veteran passes away, those numbers can add up to a hectic schedule. But according to the head

  • Official: Ranges important to success

    Training ranges are vital to the Air Force’s success on the battlefield, Air Combat Command’s chief of ranges, airfields and airspace operations told a congressional committee May 6.Col. Frank DiGiovanni's testimony was part of a fact gathering effort by the House Resources Committee as it considers

  • Guard, Reserve leaders address retention

    The top generals of the Air Force’s reserve components told members of the Senate they are concerned about retention in the coming years.Lt. Gen. Daniel James III, director of the Air National Guard, and Lt. Gen. James E. Sherrard III, chief of Air Force Reserve, met with members of the Senate

  • Air Force journalists win DOD awards

    Air Force print and broadcast journalists won 12 categories in the 2002 Thomas Jefferson Awards for excellence in military media. The results were announced May 6 by Defense Information School officials at Fort Meade, Md.Air Force winners in the print-media category are:-- Print Journalist of the

  • SECAF talks to students

    The Air Force’s top civilian spoke to an eighth-grade history class here May 7 about leadership, his career, the service and the war in Iraq.During the event, Secretary of the Air Force Dr. James G. Roche answered questions from the Northern Bethesda Middle School students on topics ranging from his

  • Airmen blend science of healing with art of caring

    Air Force medical troops are playing an instrumental role in restoring the quality of life of individuals experiencing problems from physical trauma or general “wear and tear.”The seven-person physical therapy team from the 374th Medical Group here provides services that help restore function,

  • CSAF adds books to reading list

    Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper announced May 5 the addition of three books to his recommended reading list.In a Chief’s Sight Picture, Jumper said the new books will help provide a broad understanding of where the service is as an air force, the challenges and demands it faces, and a

  • Robins spouse wins Joan Orr Award

    When her phone rang on an otherwise routine afternoon last week, Tammie Bocook was surprised at what she heard: "Please hold for General Wetekam."In seconds, Maj. Gen. Donald Wetekam, Warner Robins Air Logistics Center commander, was congratulating Bocook on being named winner of the 2003 Joan Orr

  • C-17 modification marks partnership

    A ceremony May 1 celebrated the first C-17 Globemaster III to go through the Global Reach Improvement Program here.Lt. Gen. Charles Coolidge, Air Force Materiel Command vice commander, received the symbolic hand off of the Air Force Form 981, returning the aircraft to Air Mobility Command at the

  • May issue of Airman available

    Learn about stripe-wearing pilots before the days of the Air Force, read about the opening days of Operation Iraqi Freedom and take a behind-the-scenes look at the enlisted Thunderbird members. These features and more highlight the May issue of Airman magazine, now available in print and

  • Waiver ensures per diem beyond 180 days

    Secretary of the Air Force Dr. James G. Roche recently granted a blanket waiver authorizing payment of per diem to servicemembers if they remain on temporary duty beyond 180 days.Normally, an individual waiver must be requested and approved as outlined in the Joint Federal Travel Regulation, said

  • Employee celebrates 50 years with Air Force

    After 50 years of Air Force service, Paul Barber shows no signs of slowing down. “I don’t want to quit unless I absolutely have to,” said Barber, an electrical equipment repairman in the Maintenance Directorate commodities division here. “I am 67 years old, and I’ll be 68 in July. I still feel

  • Pin honors parents, bolsters support

    A new program will help airmen honor those who are often their biggest supporters -- their parents.All uniformed airmen can now sign their parents up to receive a new lapel pin. The pins are about three-fourths inch square and feature a silver letter "P" cradled within the Air Force symbol. A

  • Air Force nursing corps meeting challenges

    The Air Force assistant surgeon general for nursing services met with the Senate Appropriations Committee subcommittee on defense April 30 to discuss the current state of the nursing corps."As we vigorously execute our mission at home and abroad, Air Force nurses and enlisted nursing personnel are

  • Jamming squadron accomplishes mission

    After more than 220 sorties, almost 2,000 combat flying hours and more than 6,000 jammed enemy signals in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, the airmen of the 41st Expeditionary Electronic Combat Squadron can call it a day.As part of the 64th Air Expeditionary Wing deployed to Southwest Asia, the

  • Iraq's future in hands of its own people, U.S. officials say

    Three senior U.S. government officials agreed that humanitarian efforts to renew and restore Iraq have gone well so far, and movement will continue to return Iraq to the Iraqi people.Undersecretary of Defense Dov Zakheim, DoD comptroller and chief financial officer, Undersecretary of State Alan

  • Family members can return to Incirlik

    State Department officials announced May 1 that family members who were part of the authorized departure instituted March 18 are now allowed to return here.Family support centers in the area of departed airmen will be advising them how to coordinate a government travel request and will answer other