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  • Retired NCO credits blood donations for saving his life

    Blood drives are almost as common as commander's calls here because Air Force leaders stress the importance of donating blood.Retired Tech. Sgt. Derrick Duncan, a former jet-engine mechanic instructor here, knows better than most the significance of those lifesaving donations.Sergeant Duncan packed

  • Retired officer describes personal impact of King's ideals

    A retired officer who blazed trails in her Air Force career told the audience at the Pentagon's 28th annual observance of the holiday honoring Martin Luther King Jr. Jan. 24 that she drew inspiration from the slain civil rights leader.Retired Maj. Gen. Marcelite J. Harris, who left the service in

  • Retired professor convicted

    A federal jury convicted retired University of Tennessee professor Dr. J. Reece Roth Sept. 3 of illegally exporting military technical information related to plasma technology designed to be deployed on the wings of drones operating as weapons or surveillance systems. Contribution to the verdict

  • Retired, separated wounded warriors can still pursue CCAF degrees

    Air Force combat-related wounded warriors wishing to continue their Community College of the Air Force education can now do so after separating or retiring thanks to provisions in the 2012 National Defense Authorization Act. This legislative change supports the secretary of the Air Force's priority

  • Retiree dental coverage available for purchase

    Good oral health is an important part of maintaining overall health and a military retiree's access to dental coverage doesn't end when they hang up their uniform. With the Tricare Retiree Dental Program, retired servicemembers can purchase affordable dental coverage for themselves and their

  • Retiree ID cards now have expiration dates

    Blue retiree identification cards issued prior to December 2012 had the word "indef" instead of an expiration date. Since December, retiree cards issued have an expiration date effective the day before the retiree's 65th birthday. Although benefits will not automatically expire, some changes will

  • Retirees can give to Air Force Assistance Fund

    Even if retired, Airmen still can give to the Air Force Assistance Fund. This year's annual campaign, the 36th, began Feb. 9 and runs through May 1; however, installation commanders will decide on a specific six-week period for their base's campaign. Retirees can contribute through a one-time gift

  • Retirees, annuitants urged to update pay information

    Defense Finance and Accounting Service’s Retired and Annuitant Pay office is working closely with national and regional banking and credit union organizations as well as the military services to make certain people affected by Hurricane Katrina have timely and ready access to their pay.Military

  • Retirement answers live with new AFPC Webinar series

    Air Force Personnel Center officials here launched a series of Web conferences, called Webinars, designed to provide retirement-eligible Airmen the information they need to submit their retirement applications."We designed these Webinars to better serve our customers and enable more direct

  • Retirement home earns prestigious accreditation

    The Armed Forces Retirement Home has received accreditation from the prestigious Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities-Continuing Care Accreditation Commission.The accreditation, which will extend through August 2013, results from the findings of an on-site survey of the AFRH

  • Retirement home residents recall Katrina's wrath

    It was hot, muggy and scary. Temperatures hovered above 95 degrees in the 11-story high-rise home built for more than 600 military retirees, and there was no power or water as the aging veterans peered through windows watching the total devastation Hurricane Katrina left behind, including cars

  • Retirements application process centralized for reservists

    Beginning July 31, all eligible members of the Air Force Reserve will submit retirement applications electronically via the virtual Personnel Center Guard and Reserve, a 24-hour, seven-days-a-week customer service Web portal operated by the Air Reserve Personnel Center here. "The ultimate goal is to

  • Retiring chief honors father: Bronze Star Medal presented after 40 years

    Following 27 years of service, an Air Force Space Command chief master sergeant used the occasion of her retirement ceremony to take care of one last troop. The troop was the chief's father, who was finally presented the Bronze Star Medal he earned more than 40 years earlier.At her retirement

  • Retiring chiefs leave wisdom for mil-to-mil couples

    After a combined 52 years of service, this couple of chief master sergeants retired from the U.S. Air Force Oct. 25, 2019. Their 14 years as military-to-military spouses were full of challenges, victories and lessons to pass on.

  • Retraining gives NCOs opportunity to shape their careers

    Air Force officials are seeking volunteers to accept jobs in more than 1,077 shortage career field and special duty positions during the 2009 Noncommissioned Officer Retraining Program which began Aug. 1. Officials especially need NCOs to choose opportunities to conduct investigative work in the

  • Retraining program achieves 95 percent success

    The NCO Retraining Program, designed to balance the enlisted force by moving NCOs from career fields with overages to those with shortages, has reached an unprecedented 95 percent of the Air Staff goal for the fiscal 2006 program. This is the most successful NCORP to date, said officials from the

  • Retraining program seeks to fill more than 1,100 positions

    The 2007 NCO Retraining Program begins today as the Air Force seeks to fill more than 1,100 shortage career field and special duty positions. NCOs notified of their vulnerability to retrain must submit their shortage career field choices they would most like to retrain into or apply for a special

  • Re-tread pilot completes 100th combat sortie

    A 22nd Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron pilot deployed to Transit Center at Manas, Kyrgyzstan, recently flew his 100th combat sortie during an air refueling mission in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

  • Retreat held in Antarctica as LC-130s depart

    As part of Operation Deep Freeze, Airmen at McMurdo Station, Antarctica, held a retreat ceremony Feb. 16 after the last LC-130 Hercules left the continent. The 2009-2010 season of ODF, the Department of Defense's logistical support to the National Science Foundation and U.S. Antarctic Program in

  • Retreat reconnects couples before, after deployments

    On the banks of the Guadalupe River, a veterans group hosts a retreat that helps couples reconnect so they can better cope with life after deployments. Six couples attended the retreat hosted by the Military, Veteran and Family Assistance Foundation at the Heart of the Hills Camp here from April 20

  • Retroactive coverage closing for TRICARE Young Adult program

    The opportunity to purchase retroactive TRICARE Young Adult, or TYA, coverage expires on Sept. 30.  Retroactive TYA provides coverage for young adults back to Jan. 1, or the day they became eligible if that was after Jan. 1.TYA allows eligible adult children to purchase TRICARE coverage after their

  • Retroactive reimbursement available for R&R leave

    Servicemembers who traveled on rest and recuperation leave while deployed supporting operations Enduring Freedom or Iraqi Freedom between Sept. 25 and Dec. 18, may be eligible for reimbursement of airline costs. Reimbursement for airline costs is retroactive for those people who paid for commercial

  • Retroactive Stop Loss application deadline nears

    Airmen eligible for the Retroactive Stop Loss Special Pay Program have until Oct. 21 to apply, Air Force Personnel Center officials said.The program benefits retired and former Air Force members who were involuntarily held on active duty beyond their enlistment period or their approved retirement or

  • Retrograde in full gear

    As the retrograde mission of transporting equipment and personnel out of Afghanistan continues, Dover AFB personnel are hard at work ensuring the job is done safely, on time and as efficiently as possible.

  • Returning crews brave thunderstorms, land safely

    It is the stuff movies are made from: A thunderstorm wall as high as 45,000 feet and two aircraft -- one with limited radar coverage -- 100 miles from their intended course. After unloading 70 passengers and their cargo at El-Fashir airstrip in Darfur on Sept. 30 as part of the African Union

  • Reutilization program saves millions of dollars

    Master Sgt. Bryan ONeill, a range section chief at the 177th Fighter Wing’s Detachment 1, Warren Grove Bombing Range in Burlington County, New Jersey, determined that he could utilize the Defense Logistic Agency’s Reutilization Transfer Donation database of equipment to acquire pieces of

  • Revamped Airman online now available

    Airman online has a new look -- and will feature Airmen at war. The magazine's new Web page went online May 1, along with the special May-June issue of the magazine dedicated to profiling some of America's Airmen at war. The Web page change brings the magazine in line with the rest of the Air

  • Revamped portal better information gateway

    Users who sign on to the Air Force Portal will find an improved system that not only looks better, but is more user-friendly and effective. The redesign is the first in two years. The portal is meant to be the one place Airmen go to accomplish anything they do online. That is whether it’s part of

  • Revamped program aids separating service members

    Major changes announced today to the Transition Assistance Program will revolutionize the way the military prepares people leaving the services, with mandatory participation in programs throughout their military careers to help set them up for a successful transition.The redesigned program, called

  • Review aims to rebalance forces, puts people first

    The Quadrennial Defense Review, released Feb. 1, seeks to rebalance the military to better fight today's wars and to institutionalize department reforms, the undersecretary of Defense for policy said. The report to Congress provides a strategy-driven framework used for determining the department's

  • Review aims to streamline ART hiring process

    Personnel officials from the Air Force Reserve Command and the Air Force Personnel Center met here Oct. 26 through 28 to begin steps in reducing the timeline of the hiring process for air reserve technicians, or ARTs.Leaders from AFRC and AFPC met with civilian force integration officials to

  • Review Boards Agency director retires after 58 years of federal service

    The longest-serving director of the Air Force Review Boards Agency retired Jan. 31, after serving more than 31 years in that position and more than 58 years total in federal service.Joe Lineberger, a senior executive service civilian, was retired during a ceremony at Joint Base Andrews, Md.,

  • Review panel praises BMT program improvements

    The 22nd Basic Military Training Triennial Review Committee validated the positive effect expanded training has had on BMT graduates during its evaluation May 12 through 14 here.The committee observed program improvements achieved by expanding BMT to 8.5 weeks and adding a week-long Basic

  • Review provides update on Global Logistics Support Center

    More than 80 supply chain customers and practitioners from across the Department of Defense and the Air Force came together here recently to participate in the second program management review for the Global Logistics Support Center. The sessions allowed Col. Joan Cornuet, Mobility Air Forces

  • Review upgrades personnel status; budget confirms it

    The Fiscal 2011 Defense Budget Request and the Quadrennial Defense Review look at personnel as a strategic asset, the Joint Staff's director for force structure, resources and assessments said Feb. 1.Navy Vice Adm. Stephen Stanley spoke during a Pentagon news conference explaining both documents.

  • Revised 'Little Brown Book' now available

    Air Force officials here recently revised Air Force instruction 36-2618, The Enlisted Force Structure, also known as "The Little Brown Book," and the electronic version is available now with hardcopies expected to be available in May. The guide has long been a staple of establishing expectations and

  • Revised security question helps sexual assault victims

    Director of National Intelligence James R. Clapper today issued new guidance for a question that deals with mental health treatment on the questionnaire that must be completed by those seeking national security positions and security clearances.In a statement issued to announce the change, Clapper

  • Revised 'Tongue and Quill' now available online

    What started as a research paper here nearly 30 years ago has become the Air Force’s leading reference on writing and speaking.In 1975, then-Air Command and Staff College student Maj. Hank Staley submitted as his research paper the first version of what is now “The Tongue and Quill.”The latest

  • Revisions made to operational doctrine

    The doctrine publication that describes the Air Force's role in countering the threat or use of chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear weapons at the operational level of war was revised recently.Maj. Gen. Allen Peck, commander of the Air Force Doctrine Center, approved the revision and

  • Revisiting the country of a forgotten war

    Time has changed Seoul. The first time retired Lt. Gen. Charles G. Cleveland saw this city, it was in ruins. "Fifty-four years ago, it looked like Berlin (Germany) after it was bombed. There was nothing left," said the former F-86 Sabre pilot who fought in the Korean War, fought between 1950 and

  • Revitalizing squadrons efforts cross borders

    The Air Force’s Revitalizing Squadrons team recently joined together with their Royal Canadian Air Force, or RCAF, counterparts in Ottawa, Canada to collaborate and share best practices in their respective missions to strengthen squadrons across both Air Forces.

  • Revitalizing squadrons, Air Force outlines progress

    The task force conducted an Air Force-wide review, driven by Airmen in the field, to promote best practices and identify improvements. Consisting of Total Force Airmen from diverse backgrounds, they reviewed survey data and gathered inputs from across the Air Force through on-line crowd sourcing and

  • Revitalizing squadrons: A commander's perspective

    Over the course of a 20 year career, I have experienced some challenges at the squadron level due to decisions made by higher headquarters staff personnel that have negatively impacted squadrons or go against what a commander might think is best for their squadron.

  • Revitalizing the squadron: Support Squadron enables airpower at KAF

    A successful air campaign requires more than just aviators and maintainers—it needs Airmen to support every facet of airpower.Within the 451st Air Expeditionary Group, at Kandahar Airfield, there is a squadron designed to organically provide necessary support to project airpower in the region.

  • Revolutionizing Aircrew training through virtual reality

    The Virtual Reality Procedures Trainer, released during a milestone demonstration of its capabilities on July 7 at StrikeWerx in Bossier City, Louisiana, may even change the entire Air Force bomber community’s approach to training.

  • Reward of dangerous job is saving lives

    One might think explosive ordnance disposal troops are adrenalin junkies. But they are meticulous about their work and don’t take unnecessary risks. However, because they deal with explosives placed by the enemy, the risk is real. “We all know the consequences,” said Tech. Sgt. William Sistler, a

  • Rewritten Airman’s Manual coming

    An Airman’s most important deployment tool just got better.The original Air Force Manual 10-100, the “Airman’s Manual,” published in 1999, has been revised and updated and hits the streets July 19. “Within four weeks, we will distribute more than 675,000 copies to every active-duty member,

  • Rex the Dog finds new home

    A 21st Security Forces Squadron Airman is the first military working dog handler allowed to adopt her K-9 partner from active duty. Tech. Sgt. Jamie Dana, a military working dog handler, has been waiting since August for the official word after she requested to adopt her K-9, Rex. The two were

  • Rex the dog sporting gold canines

    Most dentists here have performed dozens, if not hundreds, of root canals in their career. But none have ever risked losing a limb for sticking their hand between the jaws of a patient. That is, until now. Enter Rex, a 5-year-old military working dog. The dog could have easily removed a few poking

  • Reynolds named academy men's basketball coach

    Jeff Reynolds, an assistant coach for the Air Force Academy men's basketball team the past two years, has been named head coach of the Falcons, athletic director Dr. Hans Mueh announced April 17. Mr. Reynolds, the seventh head coach in program history and the fourth in the last five years, signed a

  • Rhein-Main changes billeting, long-term parking procedures

    As Rhein-Main Air Base draws closer to its Dec. 31 close date, travelers who frequent the base will begin to notice changes in services provided. A change in the long-term parking policy gives priority to people traveling on Air Mobility Command missions, and space-available lodging is no longer

  • Rhein-Main maintains air bridge to Afghanistan

    Airman 1st Class Nate Hill had one thing in mind: getting his C-17 Globemaster III cargo plane airborne so it could get on with its mission.That is "Job 1" at this once-again busy airlift base outside Frankfurt, and if to do that means standing in a steady, cold drizzle most of the day, so be it,

  • Rhein-Main mission ends, but not its legacy

    Bob Keffer is looking for work again. But at age 70, he knows it won’t be easy.But he has no choice. There is no future for him at Rhein-Main Air Base, Germany -- outside Frankfurt -- where he worked for the past 31 years. The base closes this year.Still, he’s optimistic. If he can just find a

  • Rhein-Main still ticking as closure looms nears

    Though this base’s mission ends Oct. 1, its people are still doing what made it the Air Force’s premier airlift hub in Europe -- airlift support.The base, which shares runways with Frankfurt International Airport, has been drawing down since 1999 for its December closure. Its landmass has already

  • Rhein-Main transition on track

    The more than $465-million project to return Rhein-Main Air Base to Germany by Dec. 31 is “on track,” the Rhein-Main Transition Program chief said.Col. Tom Schnee, of U.S. Air Forces in Europe here, also said by Oct. 31 the command will finish shifting Rhein-Main’s key airlift mission to Ramstein

  • Rice nominated to become next Air National Guard director

    Defense Secretary Ash Carter announced April 5 that President Barack Obama has nominated Maj. Gen. L. Scott Rice for appointment to the rank of lieutenant general and for assignment as director of the Air National Guard.

  • Rice, Rumsfeld agree North Korea nuclear tests must stop

    Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice reaffirmed Oct. 17 the United States' resolve to use "the full range of our commitments, including our deterrent commitments," to defend Japan and South Korea.Secretary Rice spoke to reporters aboard an aircraft taking her to meetings in Asia. She will meet with

  • Richardson takes command of AFMC

    Gen. Duke Z. Richardson assumed leadership of the Air Force Materiel Command during a ceremony at the National Museum of the Air Force, June 13.

  • Richardson: Teamwork, collaboration key to AFMC success

    The AFMC change of command ceremony was more than just an opportunity to welcome Gen. Duke Z. Richardson to the organizational helm; it was also a homecoming for the new commander who has spent nearly half of his career as part of the enterprise.

  • Richmond track officials announce plans for 'Air Guard 400'

    Track President Doug Fritz and Master Sgt. Matt Leas jumped from an airplane and parachuted onto the pit road here at Richmond International Raceway Aug. 4 to announce the name of this year's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race.The Air Guard 400 will be held here on the second day of the "One Last Race to

  • Riders 'revved up' for motorcycle safety day

    Service members, along with Department of Defense employees, retirees and civilians gathered for the Joint Base Andrews Motorcycle Safety Day here July 15.The event, which included a group ride through Maryland's Prince George's County, was designed to inform riders of all skill and experience

  • Ridge outlines how, why terror threat level was raised

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

  • Riding for the future of cycling

    Following a full day of work developing Air Force models, Maj. Ian Holt, mounts his Felt bicycle and starts pedaling on a three-hour training ride. It's all part of the regimen prescribed by his coach leading up to the sixth Conseil International du Sport Militaire - the international military

  • Riding on empty: Coping with rising gas prices

    Master Sgt. Tony Frazier was just doing what anyone else would do when running low on gas -- he went to the gas station, pulled up to the gas pump and filled up his car’s tank. Before he knew it, the price on the pump read $43 and climbing.“I must have looked silly standing there with my mouth open

  • RIMPAC 2006 comes to a close

    The 20th multinational Rim of the Pacific Exercise, or RIMPAC, came to an end July 28. The exercise, a month-long simulation of intense warfare operations off the coast of Hawaii, comprised a coalition force of eight nations employing 35 ships, 160 aircraft and 19,000 sailors. RIMPAC 2006 provided

  • RIMPAC 2006: Perfecting air operations

    Airmen and Sailors working in the Pacific Air Operations Center here are getting unique command and control training during the Rim of the Pacific exercise, known as RIMPAC 2006. Seven Pacific Rim nations and the United Kingdom are participating with the United States in the major maritime exercise,

  • Ring returned to Vietnam POW 44 years after imprisonment

    With the traditional "I do's" and exchange of wedding bands some 54 years ago on Oct. 1, 1955, James and Phyllis Hivner began their life's journey together which, like many young couples, began with not knowing what the future held.That journey was rocked 10 years later, almost to the day, when

  • Rise of the cyber wingman

    Every day, malicious code, worms, botnets and hooks attack Air Force computers hardware, software and the Internet. They infiltrate classified information and compromise national security. In response, Air Force officials are stepping up their mission to defend cyberspace.Mission success is the goal

  • Rising fuel costs tighten Air Force belt

    The growing cost of crude oil combined with increasing fuel demands of the war on terrorism are forcing Air Combat Command officials to brace for a budget crisis while looking for future fuel alternatives. The Air Force paid approximately $4.2 billion for petroleum in fiscal 2005 -- almost $1.4

  • Risk management can improve safety

    With the first half of the 101 Critical Days of Summer almost finished, 14 airmen were killed in private motor vehicle accidents. Eight of those killed were involved in motorcycle mishaps, including one during the Fourth of July weekend. Air Force leaders are emphasizing operational risk

  • Risk management central to Critical Days of Summer

    The 2014 Critical Days of Summer, May 23 - Sept. 2, focuses on risk management for all summer activities -- on and off duty. This year's theme, "Risk: Double checks, not second thoughts," reminds Airmen to be responsible wingmen and to take care of themselves, their families, and their teammates.

  • Risk management, clear thinking key to safe summer

    Losing 66 Air Force people to private motor vehicle and seven to nontraffic-related accidents in 2003 prompted officials to carry out the most aggressive 101 Critical Days of Summer safety campaign in recent history.Air Force commanders are sending the word out to their people: Be safe!In a letter

  • Risk to Tricare beneficiary data met with proactive response

    A limited amount of Tricare beneficiary data may have been placed at risk through a violation of internal computer security practices at Science Applications International Corporation. Analysis shows the chance any data was compromised is low, but action is being taken to ensure that affected

  • Risks for Air Force Riders

    Whether in an automobile or on a motorcycle, the Air Force goal is always zero. Awareness of recurring factors that have contributed to past fatalities is one step we can all take in the prevention of losing our most important asset, our people.

  • RIT sweeps Air Force with 2-1 victory

    Simon Lambert's power-play goal in the third period led the Rochester Institute of Technology to a 2-1 victory over Air Force in an Atlantic Hockey Association game Saturday night, Feb. 10, at the Frank Ritter Arena in Rochester, N.Y. RIT remains in first place in the AHA and improved to 19-9-2

  • Rita doesn’t prevent happy homecoming

    Senior Airman Leah Saldivar waited with excitement for her father, Master Sgt. Florencio Saldivar, to depart the plane that brought him home from Balad Air Base, Iraq. It had only been a few days since she had last seen him. Airman Saldivar had returned from the same deployment only a few days

  • River cresting nears in Minot, N.D., fight continues

    In the mayor's June 25 press conference here, he provided important updates on the flooding situation, which currently is affecting some 11,000 residents and more than 1,100 Airmen and their families.According to a National Weather Service representative, the Souris River is now predicted to crest

  • 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

  • Road to marksmanship

    It's time to deploy and part of out-processing is weapons training. For younger Airmen, this might be the first time they have shot since basic military training. The thought of having to qualify could be nerve racking to some, while others have their eyes set on becoming a marksman. Regardless of

  • Road Warrior exercise tests defenders’ combat capabilities

    Airmen from the 90th Missile Wing at F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming; 91st MW at Minot AFB, North Dakota and the 341st MW at Malmstrom AFB, Montana, participated in the Road Warrior exercise at Camp Guernsey, Wyoming, Sept. 9-28, 2017. The 20th Air Force’s exercise has strategic and tactical

  • Road Warrior III reinforces continuous training

    Road Warrior III trained nearly 90 Airmen from air force bases in Wyoming, Montana and North Dakota in the strategy and tactics of defending the nation’s ICBM resources for three weeks here.The exercise involved more than 120 people from the National Nuclear Security Agency’s office of secure

  • Road warrior: Airmen honor fallen comrade

    One Airman's commitment to a fallen comrade came full circle with the dedication of "Master Sgt. Randy Gillespie Way," here Jan. 1. The road was dedicated in honor of Sergeant Gillespie, a career fuels specialist who died July 9 from wounds sustained during small arms fire near Herat, Afghanistan.

  • Roadmap outlines tanker fleet changes

    The Air Force released a plan June 18 outlining the retirement of the remaining 133 E-model KC-135 Stratotankers and the proposed integration of the 100 KC-767A tankers it is leasing from Boeing.Through the “tanker roadmap,” the Air Force is laying out the initial stages of tanker recapitalization

  • Roadside bombs don't stop NCO from rolling on

    He had pieces of glass in his mouth and ears, six broken teeth, facial lacerations and a badly torn up vehicle."I just looked up and 'Boom!'" said Staff Sgt. Chris Lelm, 319th Logistics Readiness Squadron from Grand Forks AFB who was driving in a convoy while deployed to Iraq. "I don't remember

  • ROBE upgrade sets KC-135 on forefront of battle communications

    A KC-135 Stratotanker here was fitted with upgraded communications equipment recently which will revolutionize battle space and the way the United States and its allies fight wars. After 18 months on the drawing board, the Roll-On Beyond Line-of-Sight Enhancement Spiral 2 program, ROBE, has been