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  • Pegasus Wings its way to 97th AMW

    The 97th Air Mobility Wing welcomed its newest weapon system, the KC-46A Pegasus, to the official training unit of the Air Force’s state-of-the-art tanker aircraft at Altus Air Force Base, Feb. 8.

  • Pencils and scalpels: Artists help providers illustrate the cure

    For many communicators, success is measured by how accurate they are in providing information to help get bombs on target or assist with enemy kills. Yet, there is one group of communication specialists who measure success by lives saved through their ability to illustrate medical procedures.For

  • Peninsula warriors contribute to Haiti relief efforts

    Airmen from the 633rd Logistics Readiness Squadron at Langley AFB and Soldiers from Fort Eustis, Va., and Fort Lee, N.J., loaded vehicles, equipment and aid supplies aboard a C-17 Globemaster III bound for Haiti Jan. 19 as part of Operation Unified Response.U.S. Transportation Command officials

  • Pennies, POGs -- dollars, cents of setting up shop in war zone

    While Army and Air Force Exchange Service officials have responded to the needs of deployed troops in operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom, there has been some confusion about where the metal currency goes once servicemembers hit the ground."In contingency operations, AAFES must rely on

  • Pennsylvania extends absentee-voter deadline

    Military and civilian residents of Pennsylvania living overseas received an eight-day extension on the deadline to get their absentee ballots counted.The extension came about when a federal judge settled a lawsuit Oct. 29 between the governor of Pennsylvania and the parents of two servicemembers,

  • Pentagon acquisition chief talks 'better buying power'

    The undersecretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics spoke to the electronic systems center workforce May 25 regarding Defense Department budget challenges, efficiency initiatives and their impact. Dr. Ashton B. Carter said the defense budget for the next decade will not be

  • Pentagon Airman collects valentines for patients

    Where is the love? That is a question often asked, especially on Valentine’s Day. This year, one answer may be found in a small office in the Pentagon.Air Force Pentagon Enlisted Council officials began what they thought would be a small attempt to brighten the holiday for wounded servicemembers

  • Pentagon center courtyard icon, Cold War legend, to be torn down

    The hot dog stand in the Pentagon's center courtyard, which long has been a source of Cold War intrigue, will be torn down in the coming months and replaced with a new eating facility."Rumor has it that during the Cold War the Russians never had any less than two missiles aimed at this hot dog

  • Pentagon ceremony honors top teachers

    The top teachers in the Defense Department's worldwide school system were recognized Nov. 17 by the U.S. military's senior officer at a Pentagon ceremony.Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, greeted and thanked the Department of Defense Education Activity's Teacher of the Year

  • Pentagon ceremony salutes former POWs, missing in action

    A group of senior U.S. officials paid homage to servicemembers who have been prisoners of war or are listed as missing in action during an observance ceremony Sept. 18 on the Pentagon's River Terrace parade field. Proclaiming Sept. 18 as National POW/MIA Recognition Day, President Barack Obama

  • Pentagon Channel Adds Podcasting to Product Line

    The Pentagon Channel will add podcasting as a means of distributing the channel's military news and information targeted to servicemembers beginning Nov. 7."We are excited about leveraging technology that allows for more programming choices for our men and women in uniform," said Allison Barber,

  • Pentagon Channel available to all Airmen

    The Pentagon Channel is available to practically every active-duty, Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve Airman and his or her family thanks to a recent expansion of services.Officials from the office of the secretary of defense for public affairs made the Pentagon Channel free to all cable

  • Pentagon Channel celebrates one-year anniversary

    The Pentagon Channel marked its one-year anniversary by broadcasting live from the Joint Service Open House at Andrews Air Force Base, Md., on May 20.The Pentagon Channel broadcasts military news and information for, and about, 2.6 million U.S. servicemembers. Broadcast 24/7, the Pentagon Channel

  • Pentagon Channel documentary focuses on storied 'Old Guard'

    They are the very public face of ultimate military discipline. They wow stadiums packed with football fans with their complex rifle drills. They honor fallen comrades with solemn processions. They guard the Tomb of the Unknowns around the clock at Arlington National Cemetery. And on Dec. 15, they

  • Pentagon Channel launches service on military charter flights

    The Pentagon Channel has launched "Pentagon Channel In Flight," a military news and information service that will be aired on military charter flights worldwide. "Pentagon Channel In Flight is another way in which we can introduce servicemembers to the Pentagon Channel and provide them with the

  • Pentagon Channel 'Recon' program focuses on military children

    "I send him off with a kiss goodbye, although I understand that he may die." Those are words from a poem written by a third-grader named Gloria who lives with her family at Ramstein Air Base in Germany. She concludes her poem this way: "I serve too." That child's sentiment is the subject and title

  • Pentagon crash-site memorial inspires gratitude, emotions

    They were young and old, college students and retirees, rural visitors and city natives, government employees and private-sector workers, uniformed military personnel and civilians, black and white, Asian and Hispanic; but they all shared a common sense of purpose. They all wanted to see the

  • Pentagon cuts furlough days from 11 to 6

    Hundreds of thousands of Defense Department civilian employees who have had to take a weekly unpaid day off from work since July 8 are getting some relief, as the total number of furlough days has been reduced from 11 to six, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel announced Aug.6.

  • Pentagon delays sending furlough notices to civilian workforce

    Pentagon officials have put off sending furlough notices to civilian employees until they've had a chance to analyze how pending legislation that would fund the federal government for the rest of the fiscal year will affect the Defense Department.Officials now estimate that furlough notices will go

  • Pentagon exhibit showcases Reserve leaders

    The Office of the Air Force Reserve unveiled 13 portraits of Air Force Reserve leaders during the Profiles in Leadership display ceremony here Dec. 7. The display celebrates and honors citizen Airmen’s contributions in serving the nation.

  • Pentagon Force Protection Agency braces for tourists

    The Pentagon is the most obvious symbol of the world's most powerful military. The building is the home of the National Military Command Center. And soon it will be a tourist destination. While there are already tours of the building, the Pentagon will become a major destination for visitors to

  • Pentagon hosts 'Air Force STEM 2020 Challenge' essay winners

    Eighteen "Air Force STEM 2020 Challenge" essay contest winners from Virginia, Maryland and District of Columbia schools were invited to the Pentagon on April 20 for a day of learning about innovation in the Department of Defense.The 317th Recruiting Squadron's Air Force STEM 2020 Challenge was an

  • Pentagon is scene of major exercise

    Fire trucks, ambulances and police cars from Arlington, Va., and nearby Fort Meyer sped into the Pentagon’s south parking lot early July 23.There was no emergency, however. These agencies were there to participate in the Pentagon's chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear exercise called

  • Pentagon issues draft request for proposals for new tanker contract

    The Defense Department has issued a draft request for proposals to the competitors in the Air Force's $35 billion program to acquire new aerial refueling tanker aircraft. The request went to Northrop-Grumman and Boeing, and addresses concerns the Government Accountability Office raised about the

  • Pentagon launches 'Operation Blue to Green'

    Sailors and Airmen may soon be able to "Go Army" under a new Defense Department program intended to rebalance the size of the military. The program is generating new opportunities for continued service and career advancement for those willing to transfer into the Army from other services.Under

  • Pentagon leaders recognize best installations

    Representatives from five military bases deemed the "best of the best" were awarded the highest award for excellence among installations at a Pentagon ceremony May 5 here. Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska; the Army's Fort Bragg in North Carolina; Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine

  • Pentagon lifts F-35 grounding following inspections

    The Defense Department lifted its grounding of the F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighter after analysis concluded that a cracked turbine blade in an engine on a single plane resulted from overuse in test operations, according to an official with the F-35 Joint Program Office.In an email statement,

  • Pentagon makes plans in case of shutdown

    Defense officials believe that a government shutdown can be avoided, but they are making prudent plans in the event one does occur, Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell said April 5 here.Deputy Defense Secretary William J. Lynn III is formulating guidance for the military services and defense

  • Pentagon Memorial Fund seeks donations

    The Pentagon Memorial Fund campaign was officially launched here April 22 during a ceremony on Capitol Hill.Almost $30 million is being solicited, according to a news release from the Washington public relations firm that is handling fund raising for the memorial.About $17.5 million of collected

  • Pentagon Memorial opens to public

    The Pentagon Memorial was dedicated and opened to the public in a solemn ceremony before thousands of servicemembers and civilians Sept. 11 here. The memorial honors the 184 people who lost their lives in the terrorist attacks here seven years ago when Flight 77 was flown into the south side of the

  • 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

  • Pentagon must handle spending slowdown responsibly, Lynn says

    Managing a slowdown in defense spending responsibly will take more than being more efficient, Deputy Defense Secretary William J. Lynn III said.As the keynote speaker May 11 for the Royal Bank of Canada Defense and Aerospace Conference here, Mr. Lynn told an audience at the Intrepid Sea, Air and

  • Pentagon official addresses WikiLeaks, social media

    The WikiLeaks episode underscores the need for laws and policies that address the unintended consequences of "technology at the intersection of national security," the Pentagon's lead communicator said April 17.Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs Douglas B. Wilson told interviewer Vago

  • Pentagon official: Iraqi troops ready for added responsibility

    The withdrawal of U.S. combat troops from all Iraqi cities and towns was completed over the weekend and ahead of the June 30 deadline, a Pentagon spokesman said on a cable TV news show June 29. "Overall, the security situation is stable enough for Iraqi security forces to take on this added

  • Pentagon officials change 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' enforcement

    The Defense secretary announced changes to the Pentagon's regulation on homosexuals serving in the military that he said make the Defense Department's enforcement of the so-called "Don't ask, don't tell" law "fairer and more appropriate" March 25 here. Secretary Robert M. Gates announced Feb. 2 he'd

  • Pentagon officials look to 'phase in' missile defense

    Based on the Pentagon's September 2009 review of U.S. ballistic missile defenses, military officials want to harness technology for a more flexible and adaptive defense architecture, the principal deputy Defense undersecretary for policy said. James N. Miller spoke to an audience of more than 200

  • Pentagon officials may extend tanker bid deadline

    Defense Department officials here March 31 informed companies interested in bidding on the KC-X aerial refueling tanker contract that if the European Aeronautics Defense and Space Co. formally expresses an intention to compete, the bidding deadline would be extended 60 days, the Pentagon press

  • Pentagon officials reopen bidding on tanker contract

    Defense Department officials have reopened the bidding process for a multibillion-dollar midair refueling tanker contract, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said today. The announcement comes after Government Accountability Office officials last month found improper practices related to the $35

  • Pentagon officials retrieving mail during anthrax alert

    Pentagon officials are working to collect an estimated 8,000 pieces of mail that passed through the building’s mail-processing facility between March 10 and 14.A test done March 14 on a sample of mail collected March 10 from the Pentagon’s remote delivery facility indicated a preliminary positive

  • Pentagon officials send H1N1 vaccine to Southwest Asia

    U.S. Central Command has received half of the vaccine needed to inoculate its forces against the H1N1 virus, Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell said Nov. 4. The vaccines arrived in Qatar overnight and should be pushed out to troops serving in Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait and other parts of the

  • Pentagon officials stress cybersecurity

    Pentagon officials stress that no matter what computer you use, you need to take cybersecurity into account. With growing dependence on information technology and increasing threats against it, President Barack Obama declared October to be National Cybersecurity Month. The Defense Department is one

  • Pentagon officials weigh social networking benefits, vulnerabilities

    Defense Department officials here are weighing the benefits of social networking and other Web 2.0 platforms against potential security vulnerabilities they create. In a memo issued in late July, Deputy Defense Secretary William J. Lynn III directed a study of social media sites like Twitter,

  • Pentagon plans sexual assault prevention campaign

    Just as the armed forces paved the way for integration more than 60 years ago, Defense Department officials are working to prevent sexual assault not only in the military, but also throughout the nation, the department's top prevention expert said here March 6. "It is our goal to develop a sexual

  • Pentagon raises force protection level for US bases

    Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta has authorized raising the force protection level for military installations mainly in the United States, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said Sept. 7.Army Gen. Charles H. Jacoby Jr., the U.S. Northern Command commander, requested the action in recent days in

  • Pentagon raises record $17 million for CFC campaign

    Leading all other U.S. federal agencies, the Defense Department Feb. 4, announced it collected $17.2 million in last year's annual federal fundraising campaign, a record-breaking sum of charitable donations to groups operating in Haiti and other areas where needs exist. The total is $3 million more

  • Pentagon renovations continue

    Reflective arrows sit at crawl-level, about a foot up from the floor, hugging the lightly colored walls. Sparkling floors lead to escalators, elevators and well-lit hallways. Renovations, completed nearly a year ago, still give the Pentagon's Wedge 1 a fresh look. Yet, for all its newness, this

  • Pentagon revises smallpox vaccination policy

    Department of Defense officials are taking a watchful approach to the department's smallpox vaccination program after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta reported investigating whether a sequence of cardiac deaths was associated with the vaccine.Government officials have

  • Pentagon seeks to fund research in national security

    Defense Department officials here are developing a proposal to finance university research on national security-related issues, a senior Pentagon official said May 7. The Minerva Consortia, as it's called, would have the academic and intellectual communities focus on certain physical and social

  • Pentagon spokesman addresses strategy review, budget

    The U.S. Afghanistan-Pakistan strategy is yielding results that are "trending in the right direction," Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell said Dec. 17.During an MSNBC television interview, Mr. Morrell responded to questions on Pakistan's role in establishing regional security, the purpose of the

  • Pentagon spokesman: Up to 250 more U.S. forces to deploy to Syria

    Up to 250 additional U.S. personnel are being deployed to Syria to support local forces on the ground and build on successes of U.S. forces already deployed there in the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, the Pentagon's press secretary said April 25.

  • Pentagon strategy addresses energy challenges

    Reducing demand, finding alternative energy sources and improving the energy security of military operations are among the goals of the Defense Department's operational energy strategy, a senior Pentagon official said here July 19.Sharon Burke, the assistant secretary of defense for operational

  • Pentagon streamlines approval for energy projects

    A Defense Department clearinghouse for renewable energy projects has approved 229 of 249 projects proposed in 35 states and Puerto Rico, Deputy Defense Secretary William J. Lynn III said recently."These projects represent 10 gigawatts of renewable energy generation capacity in wind energy alone,"

  • Pentagon to hold 9/11 memorial tour, walk

    The Defense Department will open the site of the planned Pentagon Memorial and the existing America's Heroes Memorial to the public for the first time Sept. 10, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.Military honor guard tour guides will lead tours and answer questions, and a model of the future Pentagon Memorial

  • Pentagon to lift rule excluding women from combat

    Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta and Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, are expected to announce the lifting of the direct combat exclusion rule for women in the military, a senior defense official said today.The policy change will begin a process in which the

  • Pentagon urges employees to 'leap' into fitness

    Uniformed and civilian Air Force members are encouraged to represent the Defense Department in the presidential fitness challenge this fall as our country continues to focus on health and wellness.The DOD's civilian personnel policy office is sponsoring "Leap Into Fall," a fitness challenge for all

  • Pentagon, eight bases test new civilian personnel system

    Defense Department officials announced Dec. 15 that elements of the Air Force headquarters and eight bases will be in the initial implementation of the National Security Personnel System. The eight bases are: Eglin Air Force Base, Fla.; Ellsworth AFB, S.D.; Lackland AFB, Texas; March Air Reserve

  • Pentagon, Homeland Security collaborate on cybersecurity

    In line with an agreement between the department secretaries last fall and a recently released White House proposal, the Defense Department is sharing cybersecurity information, capabilities and expertise with the Homeland Security Department, a Pentagon official said May 23.Robert J. Butler, the

  • Pentagon, Senate seek doubling of G.I. survivors' benefit

    Pentagon leaders and Capitol Hill legislators want to increase the current available combined government death benefit for families of fallen servicemembers by about $250,000.If enacted, the proposed change essentially would double the $262,000 now available to families of servicemembers killed in

  • Pentagon, VA officials expand disability claims test

    Defense and Veterans Affairs officials today announced another step in their efforts to streamline the process of determining veterans' disability ratings. Beginning in January, the Disability Evaluation System pilot program will expand to six medical facilities at Fort Benning, Ga.; Fort Bragg,

  • Pentagon: No enemy involvement in U-28 crash in Djibouti

    Four Air Force special operators were killed Feb. 18 when their single-engine U-28 aircraft crashed in Djibouti on the Horn of Africa, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said Feb. 21."This is obviously a tragic incident," Little said about the accident, which occurred at the Djibouti-Ambouli

  • PEO Digital will change global AF software acquisition

    Dr. Will Roper, the Air Force's senior civilian acquisition leader, redesignated Program Executive Office Battle Management as PEO Digital, to be headquartered at Hanscom Air Force Base, Massachusetts, Sept. 17.

  • People are the key to air power, CSAF says

    The men and women of the Air Force are the basis of America’s air and space power, according to the Air Force chief of staff.“It’s all about smart people and the tools they’ve used in new and different ways,” Gen. John P. Jumper told an audience April 24 at the National Air and Space Museum

  • People remember World War II nurses

    Many Americans commemorated the 60th anniversary of D-Day on June 6, watching and remembering those World War II veterans who stormed the beaches of Normandy. Often forgotten are the flight nurses who served behind the scenes ensuring the men who fought that day lived to talk about it.Flight nurses

  • People should get annual flu shots, DOD official says

    All people, particularly very young and older citizens, should obtain an annual flu shot, a top Department of Defense health official said here Nov. 21. The influenza virus is a contagious respiratory illness that annually kills about 36,000 Americans and hospitalizes 200,000, Dr. David N. Tornberg,

  • People venture outside Keesler shelters

    For the first time since Hurricane Katrina forced them into shelters, 6,000 people at Keesler Air Force Base, Miss., ventured outside for a breath of fresh air.That was late in the day on Aug. 30, just after eating their first hot meal since the devastating hurricane nearly blew the base and that

  • Pep rally heightens excitement for Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl

    Team spirit was evident throughout the streets of the downtown area here known as Sundance Square. Whether it was the wearing of school colors of two teams ready to take each other on in a gridiron challenge or the uniform pride of armed force members, there was no doubt this was an all-American

  • Perfecting human weapon system with healthy fueling

    The Air Force Services Activity, through its comprehensive healthy food initiative continues zeroing in on the human weapons system – our nation’s Airmen – and providing them “with the right nutrition to increase lethality; ensuring a more ready force to meet mission requirements,” said Bill

  • Performance wing team researches human-machine trust

    A research team in the 711th Human Performance Wing’s Airman Systems Directorate at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, focuses on how humans make reliance decisions with technology or, in other words, how humans develop, maintain and lose trust.

  • Performers bring some holiday cheer to Incirlik

    Music, singing, cheering and laughter rang from Hangar 4 on Nov. 22 as more than 1,000 people from around the Incirlik community gathered to enjoy the Operation Season's Greetings traveling troupe. The OSG group performers included a combination of the best performers of the Air Force Reserve Band

  • Periodic inspection: Just what the ‘tanker doc’ ordered

    For more than 40 years, KC-135 Stratotankers have been flying over the sunflower state, and just like any other crew member, they need their "check-ups" too. Keeping the 60-year-old planes up-to-date and safe to fly takes more than a simple check-up; it takes a team of tanker "docs" ensuring each

  • Permanent Global Logistics Support Centers stands up

    A new, permanent headquarters overseeing Air Force global logistics support is now in operation at Scott Air Force Base, Ill. General Bruce Carlson, commander of Air Force Materiel Command, formally stood up the Air Force Global Logistics Support Center in ceremonies March 28 at Scott AFB. He also

  • PERSCO Airmen count ‘boots on the ground’

    In any combat environment, having “boots on the ground” can be the deciding factor in an operation. The mission for counting those boots at deployed locations falls on the Personnel Support for Contingency Operations Airmen.The four-person PERSCO team here, composed of servicemembers from Randolph

  • PERSCO keeps the base accountable

    Before you arrive to a deployment at Al Dhafra Air Base, United Arab Emirates, there is a team already tracking and processing your movement into the Area of Responsibility. This is the Personnel Support for Contingency Operations team whose mission is total force accountability, casualty reporting

  • PERSCO matches faces with spaces

    Before an air and space expeditionary force is deployed, AEF Center officials first source out requirements to major commands, which assign them to individual wings that fill them with Airmen.When that system has a hiccup, personnel support for contingency operations office Airmen at

  • PERSCO team is mini personnel office

    First impressions can leave lasting effects and at a deployed location, the Personnel Support for Contingency Operations team, or PERSCO team, makes it their business to provide a positive experience and help deployed newcomers.At this location in the Arabian Gulf region, for example, the PERSCO

  • PERSCO teams do more than track 'boots on the ground'

    Every commander needs to know who is in the field and how those numbers affect Air Force readiness -- in short, how many "boots are on the ground." Each Personnel Support for Contingency Operations team's mission is to maintain deployed accountability and casualty reporting for all deployed Airman

  • PERSCO: Keeping tabs on the ins and outs of troop movement

    The shuffling of duffle bags and backpacks belonging to more than 70 Airmen and civilian contractors echoes through the patio as the morning sun's rays start to push back the night's cover. While some are nearing the end of their deployment to Southwest Asia and others are just beginning, one thing

  • Persian Gulf War POW shares her story at Mildenhall

    Retired Army Brig. Gen. Rhonda Cornum visited Royal Air Force Mildenhall, England, March 2, 2017, to share her story of resiliency when she was a prisoner of war during the Persian Gulf War in 1991.

  • Persistent surveillance gives squadron its global purpose

    Deep within the walls of a four story structure along Florida’s Space Coast sits a squadron of Airmen whose number one mission is to detect, identify and locate nuclear explosions anywhere in the world.The Technical Surveillance Squadron (TESS), a subordinate unit to the Air Force Technical

  • Personal beacon used in first rescue

    A Cleveland man was rescued Nov. 14 through the help of a personal locator beacon and efforts of Air Force Rescue Coordination Center officials here. The rescue marks the first such use of personal locator beacons in the contiguous United States.Carl Skalak was in the Adirondack Mountains of

  • Personal sacrifices by enlisted force not overlooked

    At one point or another in every servicemember’s career, he or she will make a personal sacrifice for the accomplishment of the mission.Chief Master Sgt. John Foran, 9th Air Force and U.S. Central Command Air Forces command chief, wants the enlisted force to know their sacrifices, particularly from

  • Personal travel card information lost, no evidence of misuse

    About 900,000 Defense Department employees may be affected by Bank of America's loss and the possible compromise of government travel card information, Pentagon officials said Feb. 25.The General Services Administration and Bank of America notified DOD officials that "SmartPay" travel cards are

  • Personnel accountability key during emergencies

    A new Air Force Instruction places more responsibility for personnel accountability on the shoulders of individual Airmen. Air Force Instruction 10-218, Personnel Accountability in Conjunction With Natural Disasters or National Emergencies, published Oct. 31, 2006, details how an Airman should go