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  • Buffing it up

    Staff Sgts. John Beldin (left) and Landon Favors, B-52 Stratofortress weapons loaders, prepare an air-launched cruise missile for loading on a B-52 March 20. Aircraft and people from the 2nd Bomb Wing at Barksdale Air Force Base, La., are deployed here as part of the 7th Air Expeditionary Wing.

  • Roche urges civilians to register contact data

    Air Force civilian employees can benefit from the same next-of-kin notification process provided to the families of injured or killed uniformed airmen by providing their emergency contact information in a secure electronic file."So far very few of our civilians have registered. This is a great

  • Artist sketches lighter side of life

    A satellite sticking out of a mobile home and an alien wrangler riding an orbiting satellite. These are two examples of images people might see weekly when they pick up the base newspaper, The Satellite Flyer, thanks to cartoonist Staff Sgt. Mike Dodge from the 50th Space Wing's plans and programs

  • Leaders tell Congress about new aircraft, missions

    The Air Force's senior leaders presented their vision of the service's next-generation fighter and a new mission for an old warhorse to members of Congress on March 19.Secretary of the Air Force Dr. James G. Roche and Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper briefed members of the House

  • Security forces remain undaunted in England

    Through shifts of 13-plus hours, endless walks across the tarmac, cold wind and demonstrators lurking on the fence line, security forces here are undaunted.RAF Fairford is home to a deployed force topping more than 1,000 military members and a number of B-52 Stratofortress bombers. They are

  • Yokota airmen experience life at sea

    Three Yokota airmen chosen recently to experience life at sea, have returned to dry land.The trip, offered by U.S. Navy's 7th Fleet command was a program designed to give junior servicemembers in the Army and Air Force a chance to interact with sailors in similar career fields on board a Navy

  • Officials outline importance of space systems

    Space systems today are more important than ever to the military's ability to fight and win conflicts, the undersecretary of the Air Force said in congressional testimony March 19."Therefore, it's appropriate that we join together (with the other services) in a way that allows us to understand (each

  • Families moved out of Turkey

    Family members of 39th Wing airmen go through a processing line March 19 as part of Incirlik's voluntary family-member relocation. Representatives from various base agencies helped about 320 of them leave the base. The move was driven by increased security concerns in Turkey. The first aircraft

  • Outreach program helps critically ill infants

    Many nurses and physicians have limited experience in helping sick newborns. It can be a challenge for hospital staff to maintain skills in this area.Nurses at Wilford Hall Medical Center attended a new course March 13 designed to train them to care for critically ill infants who must be

  • Airmen kept after school to launch rockets

    Five! Four! Three! Two! One! Blast off!This was the scream from students at Woodmen Hills Elementary on March 14 as airmen from the 1st Space Operations Squadron here helped 24 students see the rockets' red glare.For five weeks in February and March, 25 volunteers from 1st SOPS helped students

  • Power of the press

    Senior Airman Kirbie Delmo adjusts a radial drill press to align holes on manufacturing plates for an F-16 Fighting Falcon flap. Delmo is an aircraft metal technologies specialist with the 388th Equipment Maintenance Squadron. Workers in the aircraft metal technologies section manufacture, rework

  • Vice chief airs readiness concerns to Congress

    Today's high operational tempo is affecting the Air Force's ability to conduct necessary training, which may affect readiness, the service's vice chief of staff told lawmakers March 18.Gen. Robert H. Foglesong also told members of the House Armed Services Committee subcommittee on readiness he was

  • A day at the market

    Secretary of the Air Force Dr. James G. Roche rings the closing bell at the New York Stock Exchange on March 18. Roche and Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper spent two days in New York for television and radio interviews to answer questions on Air Force involvement in a potential war with

  • Total force showing its muscle

    The total force muscle is showing its strength throughout U.S. Air Forces in Europe as Air Force reservists and Air National Guardsmen answer the call of duty alongside their active-duty counterparts.Although the number varies daily, the Air National Guard has about 1,800 airmen and more than 60

  • Medical care for airmen affected by Stop-Loss

    A previously overlooked provision of law allows up to four months of Tricare transitional health care benefits for airmen separating from the service after having been retained under Stop-Loss.The benefits will apply to any airman separating after the current and any future Stop-Loss actions,

  • Contact Center moves to 24-hour ops

    Airmen everywhere can now talk with customer service agents about personnel issues 24 hours a day thanks to the recently expanded hours of the Air Force Contact Center here.People with questions about assignments, benefits, pay and more can speak to a customer service representative toll-free at

  • Space command cancels Guardian Challenge

    Air Force Space Command officials have canceled this year's Guardian Challenge, the annual space warfighter competition held at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif.The competition, slated for May 5 to 9, was canceled because the command needs its resources focused on day-to-day operations. The

  • Razor's edge

    Staff Sgts. Ralph Oliver (left) and Bruce Cook set up concertina wire along the perimeter here for increased force protection. They are assigned to the 424th Air Base Squadron Civil Engineer Flight. RAF Fairford is home of the 457th Expeditionary Operations Group. Troops deployed here support the

  • Launching Lancers

    Airman 1st Class Lieckyra Jones takes a break from loading bombs onto a B-1 Lancer on March 16. Jones is part of a three-person bomb-preparation team with the 405th Air Expeditionary Wing at a forward-deployed location in Southwest Asia. (Photo by Staff Sgt. Cherie A. Thurlby)

  • Korean exercises kick off

    Forces from all U.S. services started arriving here March 11 for the peninsula's largest exercises.Soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines gathered in Korea to work with their South Korean counterparts in the two major exercises to show how U.S. forces will help defend the country. The exercises will

  • Good relations key to deployment success

    A contingent of deployed airmen from the 409th Air Expeditionary Group here visited a local primary school March 17 at the request of school officials.The group of visitors was made up of a flight surgeon, aircrew members, two security forces dog handlers and their canine Waldo, and others, all led

  • Live from New York

    Secretary of the Air Force Dr. James G. Roche (right) and Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper (center) answer questions posed to them by MSNBC News anchor Lester Holt while appearing on "Lester Holt Live" on March 17. Roche and Jumper are in New York for two days of television and radio

  • Airman keeps sight of American dream

    Airman 1st Class George Okorodudu admits with a wide smile that he has nothing.For the better part of two years, the Nigerian-born Okorodudu has been building his American dream with a foundation that includes an Air Force enlistment.Okorodudu is a supply airman currently deployed here from Minot

  • 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

  • I'm all eyes

    Master Sgt. Gary Easterwood (right) talks with a pilot about the proper procedures for using chemical warfare equipment in the F-16 Fighting Falcon. Easterwood is an aircrew life support assistant superintendent. The equipment pilots wear is called the aircrew eye and respiratory protection

  • Post office delivers piece of home

    In a three-word phrase, Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks summarized what could make or break a good day for airmen deployed to the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing -- "You've got mail."Postal clerks of the 386th Expeditionary Communications Squadron ensure everyone assigned to the wing and its tenant units are

  • Now showing: March 17 edition of Air Force Television News

    The growing scandal of current and former female Air Force Academy cadets accusing their male counterparts of rape or sexual assault headlines the latest edition of Air Force Television News.Staff Sgt. Kevin Dennison reports on the charges by the female cadets and what Air Force senior leaders and

  • Women aviators highlight flight progress

    In 1944, when the B-29 hit the flightline, Army Air Corps pilots were hesitant to fly the new bomber. It was bigger and more complicated than its predecessor, the B-17, and had a reputation for engine fires.Then-Lt. Col. Paul W. Tibbets, who was in charge of training the Army Air Forces' pilots,

  • Roche, Jumper address incoming cadets' parents

    The service's senior leaders recently penned a letter to parents of incoming Air Force Academy cadets, promising to protect their children as "we would our own."Secretary of the Air Force Dr. James G. Roche and Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper sent letters March 13 to the parents of

  • Prepared in Bulgaria

    Senior Airman Karl Ferre marks lumber which will be used to construct a cross for chapel services held here. Ferre is deployed from the 100th Civil Engineer Squadron at Royal Air Force Mildenhall, England. The 409th Air Expeditionary Group here runs air refueling operations with KC-10 Extender

  • Big 'bird' is watching

    Staff Sgt. Andrew Johnson (left) and Senior Airman Nicholas Guthmiller review a maintenance checklist on a B-1 Lancer at a forwarded-deployed location in Southwest Asia. Both airmen are crew chiefs with the 28th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron. (Photo by Senior Airman Tia C. Schroeder)

  • Getting adjusted

    Airman 1st Class Kenneth Maldonado adjusts the internal parts of an external fuel tank being built to support Operation Enduring Freedom. Maldonado is assigned to the 379th Expeditionary Maintenance Squadron at a forward-deployed location. (Photo by Master Sgt. Terry L. Blevins)

  • Survey will help servicemembers, families

    A survey designed to gauge the Air Force's success in building communities is set for distribution in early April.The 2003 Community Assessment Survey will be sent out servicewide, said the Air Force's director of family advocacy research and the project officer for the survey. He added that the

  • Seal the deal

    Senior Airman Michael Campbell checks for a seal on his oxygen mask before a live-fire joint rescue exercise with a foreign national air force firefighting team March 10. Campbell is assigned to the 320th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron at a forward-deployed location. The exercise was

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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)

  • 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

  • '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

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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)

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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)

  • 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.

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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.

  • 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

  • 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)

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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)

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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.

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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,