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U.S. Air Force News

  • Air Force implements Stop-Loss

    The assistant secretary of the Air Force for manpower and reserve affairs has authorized the use of Stop-Loss to retain specific skills needed to meet national security objectives. Effective May 2, 43 officer and 56 enlisted specialties will be affected by Stop-Loss."We do not take this action

  • Incirlik supports 'unexpected guests'

    People from the 39th Services Squadron here recently transformed an old fitness center into contingency lodging now bedding down nearly 400 deployed troops. But "Motel 39" is just one small piece of the bed-down and feeding operations puzzle."I'm impressed by how quickly (civil engineers) and

  • Load 'em up, move 'em out

    Tech. Sgt. Benjamin Blackstone secures a vehicle onto a C-17 Globemaster III aircraft March 7. Over the last week, approximately 550 airmen and several B-52 Stratofortresses from here deployed to support of the war on terrorism. The base also sent more than 270 short tons of support equipment and

  • Air Force leaders explain effect of encroachment

    Two Air Force leaders testified before Congress on March 13 about the effects of environmental encroachment on the service's mission.In separate testimonies, Air Force Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Robert H. Foglesong and Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Installations, Environment and Logistics

  • Air Force offers free tax preparation, filing

    Filling out and filing income tax forms is an annual burden Americans must bear, but Air Force legal officials say servicemembers need not pay extra for the privilege.According to a legal services official at the Pentagon, more and more airmen are being tempted by the promise of quick refunds to

  • Eberhart briefs Congress on U.S. Northern Command

    The commander of America's newest combatant command briefed members of Congress on March 13 about the progress his unit has made since its inception less than six months ago.Gen. Ralph E. Eberhart, who took control of U.S. Northern Command when it was established Oct. 1, told members of the House

  • Guard, Reserve Tricare policy announced

    Defense Department officials announced March 12 policy changes to Tricare Prime and Tricare Prime Remote programs for members of the National Guard and Reserve and their families.Starting March 10, family members of Guardsmen and reservists on federal active-duty orders for more than 30 days are

  • Man's ingenuity earns $20K

    A senior noncommissioned officer here was recently awarded two $10,000 checks for aircraft maintenance improvements through the Air Force's Innovative Development through Employee Awareness program.Master Sgt. Warren Gould of the 33rd Fighter Wing's quality assurance office suggested cutting the

  • Combined security keeps Ganci safe

    Keeping people out of harm's way and protecting resources at Ganci Air Base, Kyrgyzstan, is the job of an elite group of professionals who tote radios, weapons and ride in vehicles equipped for rugged terrain.Americans from the 376th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron and their security forces

  • Keeping a watchful eye

    Airman 1st Class Brandon White scans the horizon for potential adversaries atop a wall in the city of Qal'eh-ye Musa Pa-in, Afghanistan, on March 12 during a special delivery to the village. White, who is deployed from Moody Air Force Base, Ga., was on the wall as part of a security detail as 20

  • Program offers electronic deployment information

    A Web-based, user-friendly software program Air Force Materiel Command experts here are testing promises warfighters instant access to deployment information. Plus, it will save the Air Force nearly $79 million during a five-year period.The Deployment Qualification System works through the Air

  • Packing a punch for combat power

    Laser and global positioning systems-guided munitions have taken a lot of the guesswork out of bombing so the accuracy and precision of putting bombs on target gets better and better.At the root of that process are weapons loaders. Since the beginning, when someone first strapped a bomb under the

  • Leaders discuss cultural renewal at Air Force Academy

    A special report by the Air Force general counsel on the recent rise in sexual assault allegations at the U.S. Air Force Academy is scheduled for release at the end of MarchBut, the service's top leaders said March 10 that they will not wait that long to initiate needed changes.Secretary of the Air

  • Nighthawk unit maintains the flock

    The F-117 Nighthawk may be a mystery to some, but its maintainers take pride in knowing the airframe's secret inner workings.In the 379th Expeditionary Maintenance Squadron's 8th Aircraft Maintenance Unit, a close-knit group of specialists work to keep the aircrews "putting bombs on target, on

  • Teets, Lord tell Senate the nation needs 'space cadre'

    The Air Force's top two space officials told lawmakers March 12 that development of a "space cadre" was one of their top agenda items for national security space programs in 2004.Undersecretary of the Air Force Peter B. Teets and Gen. Lance W. Lord, commander of Air Force Space Command, also told

  • Air Force launches first EELV payload

    The Air Force launched its first military satellite payload on an Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle from here March 10.The military payload, a Defense Satellite Communications System satellite, was lifted into orbit by a Boeing Delta IV rocket.The Delta IV and Lockheed Martin's Atlas V are the two

  • All hooked up

    Airman 1st Class Robert Walstead hooks up a Hobart power unit to the underside of a B-1B Lancer on March 7. Walstead is a maintainer assigned to the 7th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Unit here. (Photo by Airman 1st Class Joshua Strang)

  • Support from States plays big role in morale

    Support from people in the United States helps make serving in a hostile environment a bit easier for military troops deployed to the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility.Letters from school children, free phone cards, care packages from family and office mates and banners signed by hundreds

  • Child-care test program provides peace of mind

    Airmen who use base child-care facilities no longer need to take a day off of work when their children are too sick to stay with others.A test program began recently at 25 Air Force installations designating a special-care provider for children who are mildly ill -- children who would, under Air

  • 'Flying Sergeants' helped forge Air Force legacy

    They were not paid much, their opportunities for promotion were limited, and they were treated harshly in training, but that did not stop three generations of enlisted aviators from becoming pilots in the Army Air Corps.Beginning in 1912, enlisted pilots played an important role in writing the

  • Rivet Joint joins fight

    Airman 1st Class Keith Keitel marshals out the first of two RC-135 Rivet Joint aircraft when airmen from the 38th and 343rd reconnaissance squadrons deployed overseas recently. The Rivet Joint reconnaissance aircraft provides near real-time on-scene intelligence collection, analysis and

  • Who goes there?

    Airmen 1st Class Michael Pendleton and Sarah Harwood scan outside the base during a patrol of the perimeter on March 7. Both airmen are assigned to 379th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron at a deployed location in Southwest Asia. (Photo by Master Sgt. Terry L. Blevins)

  • Leaner Northern Edge exercise under way at Eielson

    Approximately 1,600 airmen, soldiers, sailors, Marines and Coast Guardsmen are participating in a scaled-down version of Northern Edge, a joint-service training exercise here and at other Alaska military installations, as well as the port of Valdez. The exercise, which began March 3, ends March

  • Analyze this

    Senior Airman Joshua Fink takes an engine Spectrometric Oil Analysis Program sample. SOAP samples are an inspection tool for detecting and preventing internal engine component failure. Fink is a crew chief assigned to the 908th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron. (Photo by 2nd Lt. Nancy Kuck)

  • Ahhh...

    Staff Sgt. Waddell Reese (left) and Lt. Col. James C. Vechery practice drinking from a canteen while wearing chemical warfare gear March 8. This type of training helps keep the airmen prepared for the potential threats at this forward-deployed location. Both airmen are assigned to the 340th

  • From biscuits to gravy

    Barry has retired from the 90th Space Wing Security Forces here after 11 years of battling crime. He was obedient, loyal, vigilant and protective.Barry was an ideal military working dog.The Air Force purchased Barry in 1991 for $3,500 from a Belgium breeder. He was one of only three Belgium

  • GI Mail provides secure, reliable e-mail link to loved ones

    With airmen deployed away from home, the opportunity to communicate with loved ones takes on greater importance."To provide a link back home, Air Force Crossroads, the Air Force's official community Web site, offers a secure and reliable e-mail program through Global Internet Mail to help families

  • Roche: Academy problems are a 'corporate responsibility'

    Citing policies that were "clearly not smart," the Air Force's senior official acknowledged March 6 the service has a corporate responsibility for the barrage of sexual assault charges filed at the U.S. Air Force Academy.Secretary of the Air Force Dr. James G. Roche told members of the Senate Armed

  • Air Force selects 2003 Tops In Blue team

    The Air Force has selected its 2003 Tops In Blue team. Winners were selected from contestants who participated in the 2003 Air Force Worldwide Talent Contest at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas.The entertainment branch of the Air Force Services Agency conducts the annual event.Judges selected the 24

  • Airmen, bombers deploy to Pacific

    Airmen supporting B-1B Lancers from Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, and B-52 Stratofortresses from Barksdale AFB, La., deployed here with their bombers as other U.S. forces prepare for possible military action elsewhere in the world."These bombers and airmen are the finest in the Air Force and have

  • Joint STARS takes off for second deployment

    Two E-8C Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System aircraft and several dozen airmen here answered the call of duty March 5 as they headed to a forward-operating location to support operations in Southwest Asia.The aircraft and airmen are assigned to the 116th Air Control Wing here.According to

  • Black Knights saddle up for deployment

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

  • Life's a beach

    Senior Airman Agapito Martinez walks the coastline at a forward-deployed location. Martinez is from the 144th Security Forces Squadron at Fresno Air National Guard Base, Calif. Airmen from his unit were recently activated and deployed to provide security for the 409th Air Expeditionary Group.

  • Sheppard unit will train ALC maintainers

    The 982nd Training Group, the Air Force's advanced maintenance training unit, joined with Air Force Materiel Command to tackle a critical need in the world of aircraft systems maintenance.The 982nd TRG instructors will teach and certify 19 new civilian instructors who will join existing field

  • Two Osan airmen receive federal convictions

    Two airmen here received federal convictions during two separate courts-martial recently.Senior Airman Lucinda F. Shaw from the 303rd Intelligence Squadron pleaded not guilty to all charges and specifications against her during a special court-martial. She was charged with disrespecting her section

  • Design for Air Force memorial unveiled

    For the better part of the past century, the men and women of the Air Force and its predecessors have soared high above the clouds in defense of the nation and freedom-loving people everywhere.Those ideals will soon be reflected in a memorial designed to reach high into the skyline of the nation's

  • Big bird

    A Russian AN-124 is refueled here Feb. 27. The aircraft and crew are under contract to help ship equipment. The aircraft, which has the NATO reporting name Condor, is the world's largest and highest-flying cargo capacity aircraft in production. It is designed for long-range delivery and air

  • Milling around

    Airman 1st Class Marshall Dixon manually mills a KC-135 Stratotanker brake component here March 3. This procedure is an integral part of the base's regional brake repair mission, which enhances the availability of brake assemblies within the European theater. Dixon is assigned to the 100th

  • Packing up to go

    Staff Sgt. Phillip Roosen (left) and Senior Airman Jason Elsner move a radar unit after it was removed from the tower here Feb. 28. The airmen are assigned to the 728th Air Control Squadron, which received a deployment order to report to Southwest Asia in the next few weeks. The 728th ACS is one of

  • Mardi Gras desert style

    The Mardi Gras parade goes through a forward-deployed location in Southwest Asia on March 2. In true New Orleans style, participants threw coins, beads and masks out to parade watchers from the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing. (Courtesy photo)

  • Air Force discusses infrastructure budget with Senate

    Congressional testimony by the assistant secretary of the Air Force for installations, environment and logistics March 4 included plans for sustaining overseas facilities and support of new missions and weapons systems.But, Nelson F. Gibbs' presentation to a Senate Appropriations Committee

  • Enforcing the zone

    Senior Airman Marshall Gaskins performs the last check on AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles before an F-16 Fighting Falcon takes off for a mission March 2. Marshall is deployed to Incirlik Air Base, Turkey, with the 113th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron from the Indiana Air National Guard at Terre Haute.

  • Base in England gets 'Buff'

    More than a dozen B-52 Stratofortress bomber aircraft arrived here March 3 and 4 from Minot Air Force Base, N.D., to support the war on terrorism and possible contingency operations.The Stratofortress, affectionately called the "Buff" by the bomber community, is a long-range and large capacity

  • Learning through patience, hard work

    What do kicking, joint-lock techniques, falling, push-ups and frog-jumps all have in common?Staff Sgt. Keith Morris teaches them to his students in the kuk sool won class held several times a week at the recreation center in a forward-deployed location.Morris, a member of the 819th/219th Red Horse

  • North Korea intercepts Air Force aircraft

    Four North Korean fighter jets intercepted a U.S. Air Force plane in international airspace over the Sea of Japan early March 2, Defense Department officials said.Two North Korean MiG-29 fighters and two other North Korean aircraft believed to be MiG-23s engaged an American RC-135S Cobra Ball

  • Proper protection can negate bioterror weapons

    The Air Force Medical Service's biggest challenge in saving lives and sustaining combat capability after a bioterror attack hinges on rapidly translating complex biological systems data into "operationally significant information," according to the Air Force surgeon general."It can take from days to

  • Yokota students continue orphanage bond

    Students from Yokota East Elementary School here experienced the joys of giving, sharing and making friends when they visited an orphanage in suburban Tokyo on March 1.During the visit, the sounds of American and Japanese children playing and laughing filled the cramped two-story Aiji-no-ie (House

  • Red Horse dedicates work to building base

    Heavy equipment, red hard hats and the shout of 'Ready, go!' break the early morning silence as members of the Red Horse unit start another grueling workday at a forward-deployed location in the Arabian Gulf region.People from the 819th/219th Red Horse Squadron were deployed to help build up

  • Very carefully

    Three airmen from the 386th Expeditionary Air Control Squadron carefully fold the American flag during the retreat ceremony at a forward-deployed location in the Arabian Gulf region. (Photo by Staff Sgt. Karen J. Tomasik)

  • 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

  • Give 'em a brake!

    Senior Airmen Jason Byrd (left) and Steven Christensen adjust a brake assembly on the gear of a RQ-1 Predator unmanned aerial vehicle at a forward-deployed location Feb. 28. Byrd and Christensen are Predator maintenance technicians with the 11th Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron deployed from

  • Now showing: March 3 edition of Air Force Television News

    Training for two different types of wars is highlighted in the latest edition of Air Force Television News.Staff Sgt. Leigh Bellinger goes along with a B-1 Lancer crew practicing bomb runs over west Texas using new computer technology that makes them more efficient.Meanwhile, Tech. Sgt. Pachari

  • SGLI cost reduced; coverage remains same

    The amount airmen pay for Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance and Family Member SGLI will be automatically reduced starting July 1.Decreased mortality rates allow for the reductions of 1.5 cents per $1,000 of coverage for military people and as much as a 42 percent decrease for spouse coverage.

  • Promotion test change impacts deploying airmen

    Commanders of technical and master sergeants facing short-notice deployments now have greater flexibility as to when their airmen test for promotion.New overseas manning requirements and the freezing of the air and space expeditionary force cycle prompted officials at the Air Force Personnel Center

  • March issue of Airman available

    Take a look at Air Force technological changes through the years, learn about economical space launches, and read about how Office or Special Investigations forensic sciences consultants help track down the bad guys. These features and more highlight the March issue of Airman magazine, now

  • Deployed teams purchase supplies, services

    If you twist it, turn it, light it, drive it, read it, wear it, drink or eat it, chances are they got it for you. Two organizations in Kyrgyzstan have one mission -- to provide the goods and services people need to get the job done.The men and women from two organizations -- the 376th Expeditionary

  • Air Force opens 14th NCO academy

    With a growing population of technical sergeants in need of professional military education, the Air Force opened a 14th noncommissioned officer academy at Gunter Annex here.The first class at Gunter NCO Academy is 189 students strong and consists of 14 flights. Class 03-3 began its course of 28

  • Air traffic team keeps sky safe

    Most people can see the daily air traffic at any air base, but they do not see the driving forces that keep the aircraft from having midair collisions.At one forward-deployed location, that behind-the-scenes action is a dual effort by the 321st Operations Group's radar approach control and air

  • Engineer follows path to education, success

    More than 25 years ago he set off on the path of opportunity he imagined lay before him in the Air Force's scientific and engineering communities. Today, with doctorate, master's and bachelor's degrees hanging on his wall, five patents to his credit and four more patents pending, Dr. Nelson Forster

  • Flight keeps base fueled up

    Keeping tent fuel drums filled and aircraft gassed up is vital at Ganci Air Base, Kyrgyzstan. Without fuel, the mission stops and living spaces inside tents feel like a freezer.That is why airmen from the 376th Logistics Readiness Squadron's petroleum, oil and lubricants flight tirelessly work to

  • Air Force reaches 75 percent deployment-capable rate

    In just more than a year, the number of "deployable" airmen has increased to nearly 75 percent of all Air Force members.That increase reflects a growth of nearly 100,000 in just the past year.The increase in deployment rolls is not because more people joined the service. According to Maj. Gen.

  • Protocol, aide de camp special duties move

    By May, the special-duty positions of protocol officer and aide de camp will become regular duty as part of the Air Force services career field.Those officers holding these positions will gain a new Air Force specialty code -- 34M -- services April 30. The change is part of an Air Force move to

  • Air Force rethinks air operations centers

    The Air Force needs to start thinking of its air operations centers as weapon systems if the service wants to remain the best in the world, the deputy chief of staff for air and space operations said."The AOC is fundamental to what makes us great as an Air Force," Lt. Gen. Ronald E. Keys said. "If

  • 'Blizzard' of cargo crashes on Charleston

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

  • Allied forces at their best

    Three countries "battling it out" during Cope Tiger '03 are doing more than just honing their combat skills -- they are improving the lives of Thai school children.Servicemembers from the U.S. Air Force, Marine Corps, the royal Thai air force and the Republic of Singapore air force are taking part

  • Deployed chaplains minister to warfighters

    It was the summer of '69, the height of the Vietnam War. Young men were bleeding and dying daily all around war-torn Southeast Asia.But on one particular day, things were different for the Americans at a base near the village of Buon Me Thuot, in the central highlands.For a few hours that day,

  • Exchange reopens days after destructive fire

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

  • Exercise under way in Thailand

    More than 400 U.S. airmen and Marines and 600 servicemembers from Thailand and Singapore are flying air-to-air and air-to-ground missions as part of the annual multi-lateral exercise Cope Tiger 2003.The two-week exercise flown from here gives servicemembers from eight different U.S. bases and the

  • Zero tolerance for sexual assault

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

  • Medics take patient care sky high

    Tucked away at this forward-located base is a tiny but tight knit medical team few troops ever notice. But should any one of them fall critically ill or injured, these airmen quickly will become their best friends. They will closely tend to their patient's urgent medical needs while flying

  • Art signals jammer's role in OEF

    A Southwest Asia afternoon sun provided warm light as Staff Sgt. John Alsvig painted a cartoon likeness of one of his unit's EC-130H Compass Call aircraft.The art was featured in the middle of a concrete wall used to deflect propeller wash from tactical and special operations aircraft flying in and

  • Group investigates Air Force sexual assault policies

    Several members of a working group created by the secretary of the Air Force to review the service's sexual assault policies began gathering information here Feb. 19.Dr. James G. Roche recently directed the Air Force's general counsel to lead the group looking at how the service deals with sexual

  • Army National Guard begins air base security mission

    Look closely as you drive through base entry gates and you may notice a different style rank insignia on the security guard -- that of the Army National Guard.The organization is deploying up to 10,000 soldiers to help secure Air Force installations worldwide. This is in response to a Defense

  • Donations bring joy to children

    The left-handed nine-iron was a little tattered around the edges, showed a few scars and had been discarded by someone who had no more use for it. Remarkably, it had a lot in common with the 10-year-old boy who was delighted to be its new owner.It did not matter that Jerome Espinoza had never

  • Ground pounders

    Air Force heavy equipment operators from the 823rd Red Horse Squadron compact gravel while building a taxiway at a forward-deployed location. Squadron airmen are working around-the-clock to build a taxiway and support ramps more than a mile long to increase capacity for heavy aircraft. (Photo by

  • Strategy school changes name, expands

    To reflect the growing importance of space capabilities to the warfighter and the need for air and space strategists, Air University's School of Advanced Airpower Studies is changing its name and expanding.For the newly named School of Advanced Air and Space Studies here, the student body will

  • AF revises body modification, mutilation guidance

    The Air Force has revised personal appearance guidelines in response to a trend involving extreme body modification and mutilation that is becoming common among a small, yet growing segment of the population, according to personnel officials.This change is in Air Force Instruction 36-2903, Dress and

  • Future threats envisioned during technology game

    Warfighters, leading scientists and engineers from across the United States met Feb.11 to 13 in McLean, Va., to contemplate what the battlefield will be like in 25 years.The futurists gathered to take part in the Air Force Technology Seminar Game II, sponsored by the Air Force Research Laboratory

  • Air Force receives newest Global Hawk

    The seventh Global Hawk unmanned aerial vehicle touched down here Feb. 14 after its flight from Air Force Plant 42 in nearby Palmdale, Calif., where it was built by lead government contractor Northrop Grumman.This latest Global Hawk is the program's final advanced concept technology platform and is

  • Now showing: Feb. 17 edition of Air Force Television News

    The loss of two Air Force officers in the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster highlights the latest edition of Air Force Television News.Tech. Sgt. David Pullen profiles Col. Rick Husband, the mission commander, and Lt. Col. Michael Anderson, the payload commander, who were members of the seven-person

  • Unit commanders get more control of leave program

    A recent policy change returns the authority to unit commanders to approve permissive temporary duty and terminal leave of more than 90 days.The Air Force's current instruction on military leave requires members wanting a combination of permissive TDY and terminal leave of more than 90 days to seek

  • Use common sense when posting to Internet, officials say

    Recent advances in technology have Air Force officials urging airmen to use common sense and remember operations security when posting on the Internet.An item of special concern is the placement of photos of forward operating bases on personal Web sites. What has officials worried is the

  • Air bases in Germany getting change of guard

    German troops will start providing some security at three Air Force bases in Germany this month to help ease the workload on security forces there.An historic memorandum of understanding signed Feb. 13 by U.S. and German military officials cleared the way for the unprecedented assistance, said Maj.

  • Enlisted aviator careers open

    Opportunities for enlisted aviators have never been better. With possible nine enlisted aviator careers, the dream of flying can quickly become a reality for Air Force people.According to Master Sgt. Jack Baker, from Air Mobility Command's aircrew training office, an urgent need for enlisted fliers

  • Family donates historic revolver to museum

    A .38-caliber Smith and Wesson service revolver used by a World War II hero to shoot down a German attack plane will soon be on display at the Air Force Museum at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.The family of retired Air Force Tech. Sgt. Paul Posti Sr., who died in December at age 89, donated

  • Transition help vital, chief tells Congress

    For airmen who plan to hang up their uniforms and say goodbye to the military, whether after four years or a career, the future can be filled with uncertainty.A changing economy coupled with a competitive job market makes the idea of finding a good job a bit scary, Chief Master Sgt. Elizabeth S.

  • AFIT stands up systems engineering center

    Air Force Institute of Technology officials have established a center for systems engineering.The center will help focus efforts to revitalize systems engineering within the Air Force."Many of our current system-acquisition programs are suffering from a lack of attention to or inconsistent

  • Pentagon monitoring deployment health care

    Defense Department officials have changed the way they will track and assess the health care given military people before, during and after deployments, a senior Pentagon health official said Feb. 11.DOD's new strategy emphasizes health care surveillance of deployed people, said Dr. Michael

  • Teets: Space access vital to warfighting efforts

    America needs to redouble its efforts to make sure the nation has a vigorous and successful national security space program, the Defense Department's executive agent for space said.According to Peter B. Teets, undersecretary of the Air Force and director of the National Reconnaissance Office, access

  • Air Force identifies new race categories

    Airmen are now able to identify more than one race in their official personnel files because of a change in how the Air Force records racial information.Some race designations will automatically change to fit the new categories as part of the data conversion. The new categories are part of a

  • AF, Navy weather shops join forces

    The 40th Expeditionary Operational Support Squadron combat weather team completed its merger with the Naval Central Meteorology and Oceanography Detachment recently.At the beginning of the Air and Space Expeditionary Force 7/8 rotation, officers in charge of the Air Force and Navy weather shops

  • Base tests cargo decontamination

    After shutting down the engines following a two-and-a-half-hour flight, the C-130 Hercules crew opened the hatch to offload the cargo and passengers here.Kaboom! The base had just been hit by a simulated scud-missile attack, possibly contaminating the passengers and cargo that just arrived.Airmen

  • Starbase teaches children how to fly

    On her 11th birthday, Catherine Newcome gripped the yoke of a Cessna airplane and learned a lot about flying. She crashed the first time she tried to land, but quickly regained her composure, paid attention to her coach from the West Virginia Air National Guard, and took off and landed safely on

  • C-17 test team conducts airdrop tests

    An Air Force test team set out from here Feb. 2 on a C-17 Globemaster III to conduct egress and airdrop tests with help from soldiers at Fort Bragg, N.C.Each of the tests supports a combat mission needs statement from Air Mobility Command. The egress testing will evaluate the emergency procedures

  • Secretary Rumsfeld visits base in Italy

    Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld told servicemembers during a town hall meeting here Feb. 7 that they "stand between fear and freedom, and America is counting on its military."Rumsfeld visited the Air Force's only fighter wing south of the Alps for a few hours as part of a trip to gain European

  • Priest tackles life at Tinker

    He is new at cooking, new at cleaning and relatively new at English, but the new chaplain here still counts his blessings.In his Midwest City apartment, the Chaplain (Capt.) Gildardo Garcia could not be happier."Here, I live like a king," he said.Hundreds of miles from his family in Colombia, Garcia

  • Two Scott heroes rescue strangers in need

    A house fire and an apparent heart attack while driving could have been fatal had it not been for the heroic acts of two Scott airmen.Tech. Sgt. Tim Schodorf of the 375 Maintenance Squadron and 1st Lt. J'Wana Fletcher of the 375th Medical Group helped rescue strangers recently.In the first rescue,

  • Servicemembers visit African orphanage

    A group of primarily female servicemembers from Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa recently spent some time with the youngsters of an all-female orphanage here.The troops, including a few former Girl Scouts, handed out candy which was donated by Girl Scouts from Lebanon, Conn., sang songs and

  • Flag Day in February

    Christa Wolfe, wife of 1st Lt. Marc Wolfe from the 741st Missile Squadron here, hangs a two-star service flag on her door. Christa's service flag honors her husband and her father, Lt. Col. Dennis McCarty, a chaplain at Little Rock Air Force Base, Ark. Service flags are hung during any period of

  • Ladies' night over Afghanistan

    In one of her songs, country singer Shania Twain croons about all the things women do these days -- they are judges, politicians, doctors and soldiers, to name a few.Not mentioned in the song, but occurring more frequently as the global war on terrorism continues, is something else: female fliers