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  • Electronic performance report routing now standardized

    An Air Force Enterprise Information Management initiative to process officer and enlisted performance reports electronically became reality Oct. 1 when Air Force Personnel Center officials endorsed the first of three phases of AF Electronic Workflow Processing, or AF e-WP, thanks to a partnership

  • Air Force officials begin extended Basic Military Training

    The first group of Air Force recruits to experience expanded Basic Military Training arrived Nov. 4 to Lackland Air Force Base. These new recruits are the first to face the challenge of an additional 14 days of training from 6.5 to 8.5 weeks. The added time will be used to enhance and reinforce

  • November is Warrior Care Month

    Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates recently announced that November is Warrior Care Month. Warrior Care Month is a DOD-wide effort aimed at increasing awareness of programs and resources available to wounded, ill and injured service members, their families and those who care about them. "I am

  • New AAFES chief dresses down uniform issues

    As the Army and Air Force Exchange Service enlisted advisor to the commanding general of AAFES, Chief Master Sgt. Jeffry Helm now has the distinct opportunity to impact not only the service he loves, but all branches of service about uniform issues. He plans to carry out his mission through

  • American servicemembers continue to provide promise

    The poverty-stricken neighborhoods of this bustling port capital of Trinidad and Tobago where crime, drug abuse and murder are facts of everyday life is not a place likely to attract American visitors. But for 15 engineers from the 5th Civil Engineer Squadron's Prime BEEF, along with a handful of

  • Inaugural committee prepares to welcome new president

    Members of the Armed Forces Inaugural Committee are preparing to welcome President-elect Barack Obama when the nation's 44th chief executive takes the oath of office Jan. 20 here. AFIC is a joint-service organization that coordinates all military ceremonial support for presidential inaugurals,

  • Airmen hone contingency skills at Silver Flag

    A handful of Airmen scan their checklists to make sure their mobility bags and other essentials are in order, while others thumb through their Airman's Manuals to bone up on proper chemical warfare procedures. The Airmen are in a wooded 1,200 acre site at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., and this is

  • 2009 aviator continuation pay details released

    Air Force officials here released Nov. 4 the details for aviator continuation pay for this fiscal year. For active duty Airmen, the program gives various rated aviators -- namely some pilots, combat systems officers and air battle managers -- the opportunity to sign an active duty service commitment

  • Handbook consolidates warrior care information

    Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said a new handbook is another step in improving the care and support wounded, ill or injured troops and their families deserve. The handbook compiles the myriad information they need in one succinct, easy-to-read publication. In his foreword to the Compensation and

  • Officials identify Airman missing in action

    Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office officials here announced Nov. 3 that the remains of a U.S. Airman missing in action from World War II have been identified and will be returned to his family for burial with full military honors. He is Staff Sgt. Martin F. Troy of the Army Air

  • Technical issues, more tests delay satellite's liftoff

    The Tactical Satellite-3 scheduled to launch in October from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility at Wallops Island, Va., is now scheduled for liftoff in January 2009 after the project team discovered and then fixed problems with the spacecraft's Star Tracker apparatus. The team subsequently required

  • Team seeks Airmen ready for 'something different'

    Air Education and Training Command officials here encourage Airmen seeking to do "something different" during their Air Force career to apply for special duty assignments. To spread the word, members of the Air Force Recruiting Service Recruiter Screening Team visit Air Force bases across the nation

  • Officials announce 2009 retired, annuitant pay adjustments

    Based on the increase in the U.S. Consumer Price Index, there will be a cost-of-living adjustment increase for retired pay and Survivor Benefit Plan annuities effective Dec. 1, according to Pentagon officials. Retirees being paid on an account where the retiree first became a member of the uniformed

  • Commissaries to promote Warrior Care in November

    The Defense Commissary Agency will join other Defense Department organizations in observing November as Warrior Care Month.The observance is designed to inform military members and their families about the many programs that are, and will be, available to assist wounded warriors. In a memorandum

  • CAC login gives users access to Reserve personnel site

    Air Reserve Personnel Center officials launched a new enhancement Oct. 30 allowing Airmen to log into the virtual Personnel Center-Guard and Reserve using their Common Access Card.This enhancement gives Airmen the option to associate their vPC-GR account with their CAC, eliminating the need to

  • Tricare officials encourage beneficiaries to get flu shot

    Tricare officials urge uniformed service families to be prepared for this year's flu season, and an important step to do so is receive a flu vaccine shot. In the United States more than 220,000 people are hospitalized and 36,000 die every year as a result of the flu and flu-related complications.

  • Tuskegee Airmen address Air Force captains

    Riding the crest of the historic opening of the Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site Oct. 10, four of the original Airmen spoke to hundreds of Air Force officers at Squadron Officer School at Maxwell Air Force Base recently. In their speeches and subsequent panel discussions, the former fighter

  • Materiel Command's top civilian outlines goals

    Air Force Materiel Command's top civilian here after just one month on the job is already working with the Pentagon and other agencies on establishing a clear civilian development model. It is one of several priorities for Dr. Steve Butler, the AFMC executive director, and creating the model is tied

  • Charleston officials ship vehicles to support warfighters

    Charleston Air Force Base officials began shipping M1117 armored security vehicles for the Army on board C-17 Globemaster IIIs Oct. 24 here. Charleston AFB members received 82 ASVs in October and will continue shipping the vehicle as part of a surge to supply the increased manpower of the Army

  • Veterinary care helps build relations with nomadic tribe

    Airmen and Soldiers from the Zabul Provincial Reconstruction Team vaccinated hundreds of animals in preparation for the long, hard Afghan winter in October here. In a region where the average income is less than a dollar a day, the PRT's veterinary civil assistance patrol not only strengthened the

  • Enhanced VA mortgages possible for vets in distress

    Veterans with conventional home loans now have new options for refinancing to a Department of Veterans Affairs guaranteed home loan. These new options are available as a result of the Veterans' Benefits Improvement Act of 2008, which President Bush signed into law Oct. 10."These changes will allow

  • Airman missing in action from World War II identified

    Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office officials announced Oct. 21 that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, missing in action from World War II, have been identified and returned to his family for burial. 2nd Lt. Ray D. Packard of the Army Air Forces from Atwood, Calif., was buried Oct. 22

  • Student pilot gets first UAS assignment at Vance

    As part of an Air Force initiative to meet increased demands for its airborne intelligence, reconnaissance, surveillance, force protection and strike capabilities, student pilots in the Air Education and Training Command have a new potential assignment among the array of Air Force aircraft: unmanned

  • 2nd Air Force transformation driven by warfighter's needs

    Transformation is underway at 2nd Air Force here beginning with construction on a 2,000-square foot operations floor designed to support the new technical training operations center. The new center will serve as the operational command and control hub for technical training operations across 2nd Air

  • Officers, civilians selected for developmental education

    More than 960 officers and 68 civilians were selected recently to attend intermediate, senior and civilian developmental education programs during the academic 2009-2010 year, Air Force Personnel Center officials announced. The Developmental Education Designation Board, or DEDB, met Oct. 15 to

  • Arts festival gives wounded warriors therapeutic outlet

    Veterans of operations in Iraq and Afghanistan are among more than 120 disabled veterans from across the country attending the National Veterans Creative Arts Festival in October in Riverside, Calif. The week-long festival kicked off Oct. 20, bringing together medal winners in national creative

  • Launch complex now available for civil, commercial launches

    Officials with the Air Force and Space Florida made history during a dedication ceremony held here Oct. 22 when Space Launch Complex 36 officially was made available for operational use by the State of Florida, subject to completion of the environmental impact analysis. Attending the historic

  • Tricare, Medicare work together for eligible beneficiaries

    Tricare officials want beneficiaries who receive a disability check to ensure they are getting the Tricare coverage they are entitled to receive. In general, most beneficiaries become eligible for Medicare at age 65; however, many beneficiaries younger than 65 also qualify for Medicare and there is

  • Service demographics offer snapshot of force

    Air Force Personnel Center officials here recently published a demographics report offering a snapshot of the service's active-duty and civilian force. This data is current as of Sept. 30 and can also be found at Air Force demographics. Statistics are rounded to the nearest tenth. Active-duty

  • Group helps military families take flight

    While on patrol in northern Iraq last year, Army Spc. Kevin Hardin of Jupiter, Fla., was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade. He suffered injuries to his hands and arms. As a result, some of his fingers were amputated. Shrapnel penetrated his skull, leaving inoperable injuries. Twenty surgeries later,

  • National Veterans Creative Arts Festival begins

    More than 120 veterans from across the country who are medal winners in national creative writing, music, dance, drama or visual arts competitions are preparing to attend the National Veterans Creative Arts Festival in Riverside, Calif., from Oct. 20 to 26. "Creative expression is an important

  • F-35 environmental impact statement released

    Air Force officials have announced that the final environmental impact statement addressing the beddown of the Joint Strike Fighter and 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne) is available for public review. The publication of the notice of availability in the Federal Register begins a 30-day public

  • Historic homecoming for Tuskegee Airmen as site opens

    Hundreds of aviators, mechanics and support personnel who once worked at the Tuskegee Army Airfield and Moton Field, Ala., during the 1930s and '40s gathered here once again Oct. 10 when the National Park Service memorialized the efforts of the first black pilots, the famed Tuskegee Airmen, in the

  • One of the top personnel officers 'Spreads the Word'

    Air Force Personnel Center officials sent a team of experts here Oct. 8, launching a global "Spread the Word" campaign to educate Airmen about new and changing personnel and deployment programs. As part of the two-day Spread the Word visit, Maj. Gen. K.C. McClain, AFPC commander, visited with U.S.

  • Airman's Roll Call: MyEDP sets stage for success

    This week's Airman's Roll Call focuses on a valuable online tool available through the Air Force Portal Web site that guides Airmen through their careers and those they supervise or mentor. MyEDP, which stands for My Enlisted Development Plan, is a Web site where Airmen can find information on

  • KC-135 featured on NPR's Morning Edition

    JJ Sutherland, a Pentagon correspondent for National Public Radio, climbed aboard a KC-135 Stratotanker at McConnell Air Force Base, Kan., recently to produce a report on the aging aircraft for NPR's Morning Edition. Titled "The Stratotanker: A flying piece of history endures," the nearly

  • Negotiations to exchange Tyndall property announced

    Air Force officials and Florida Congressman Allen Boyd announced Oct. 14 the selection of Tyndall Development Partners, LLC, as the highest ranked offeror for negotiating a transfer of the Lynn Haven Fuel Depot property in Lynn Haven, Fla., in exchange for performing military construction at Tyndall

  • Deadline extended for health system questionnaire

    The deadline for participating in the Military Health System questionnaires has been extended due to overwhelming response.  Wounded, ill or injured servicemembers and their families now have until Nov. 28 to help MHS leaders better understand the needs and expectations of warriors in their care.

  • Recruiters meet, exceed goals for ninth year in a row

    Air Force recruiters met their active-duty enlisted recruiting goal for the ninth year in a row and met their chaplain and Officer Training School accession goals for fiscal year 2008. "I'm proud of our highly professional recruiting force, who continues to exemplify the Air Force core values of

  • Band to team with music legends for TV special

    Air Force Band members from here will be in the national spotlight in a Veterans Day extravaganza when the symphony orchestra and Singing Sergeants join celebrities and recording artists Nov. 10 on public television.Band members collaborate with two-time Grammy winner Patti LaBelle, country western

  • AFMC captures AF Marathon major command trophy

    Air Force Materiel Command, headquartered here, is the sophomore winner of the U.S. Air Force Marathon Major Command Challenge Commander's Trophy. The announcement was made Oct. 3 at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo., by Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton A. Schwartz. General

  • Program works to ensure absentee voting opportunities

    It's still not too late to register to cast an absentee ballot in the Nov. 4 general election in many states, a Defense Department official said Oct. 9."We want to make sure everyone has the opportunity to vote, and that the vote is counted," said Polli Brunelli, director of the Federal Voting

  • Rescue Airmen undergo confined-space training

    Fifteen pararescuemen from the 31st Rescue Squadron and 320th Special Tactics Squadron here recently took part in training to help them execute rescue missions in confined spaces and collapsed structures. According to Maj. Jason Pifer, the 31st Rescue Squadron commander, the training came about as a

  • Pilot missing in action from the Vietnam War is identified

    The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office announced Oct. 8 that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, missing in action from the Vietnam War, have been identified and will be returned to his family for burial with full military honors. He is Capt. Lorenza Conner, U.S. Air Force, from

  • Alaskan long range radar station goes green

    In an effort to reduce high operating costs at the Tin City Long Range Radar Station, engineers with the 611th Civil Engineer Squadron here have completed the construction of a wind turbine generator there.  It is the first such generator to be installed on an Alaskan Air Force installation and

  • 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

  • Public can give AAFES gift cards

    By simply logging on to a Web site or calling a toll-free number, any American can now give Army and Air Force Exchange Service gift cards to military families worldwide."We're not even charging to ship these cards," said Chief Master Sgt. Jeffry Helm, AAFES' senior enlisted adviser. "Whether the

  • Air Force training facility underway at NAS Pensacola

    Officials at the Naval Facilities Engineering Command-Southeast, in partnership with representatives from Air Education and Training Command and a construction conglomerate known as NTF, L.L.C., broke ground Oct. 2 for a new training instruction facility at Naval Air Station Pensacola.NAVFAC

  • Threat Reduction Agency marks 10 years of operations

    It is an agency that seems tailor-made to combat the threats the United States faces today: nuclear proliferation, chemical weapons and the possibility of genetically modified diseases. But the Defense Threat Reduction Agency was formed when Americans still thought there was such a thing as a "peace

  • Special duty assignment pay now available for EOD Airmen

    Air Force officials recently approved special duty assignment pay for most Airmen in the explosive ordnance disposal career field. Since 2002, the overall retention rates for EOD Airmen has declined by 30 percent because of high operations tempo and the inherent dangers involved in this demanding

  • USAFE Airmen exchange ideas with Romanian counterparts

    The United States Air Forces in Europe command chief and three other Ramstein senior noncommissioned officers visited Romanian air force senior enlisted leaders at the Boboc Training Center, Romania, Sept. 22-27 as part of an ongoing USAFE theater security cooperation engagement. Chief Master Sgt.

  • Officer volunteers sought to operate unmanned aircraft

    Air Force officers are being sought as volunteers to operate unmanned aircraft systems. Applications are due to the Air Force Personnel Center no later than Nov. 3. The first ten officers selected will start UAS operator training in January 2009, and another ten will begin training in April 2009.

  • Program strengthens U.S., host-nation relationships

    More than 1,000 Manas Air Base servicemembers have a unique opportunity through the base International Tours and Travel office to get out of the base from time to time. Each week, the ITT office puts together off-base request trips to more than 40 locations ranging from hiking and dining trips to

  • Tricare takes aim at childhood obesity

    October is Children's Health Month and Tricare has launched a new Web page at http://www.tricare.mil/getfit to promote a healthy lifestyle partnership aimed at military families. The new page serves as campaign "headquarters." The target? Childhood obesity. Tricare is partnering with the Defense

  • A revolution in the classroom

    In an era where computers and the Internet have changed almost every aspect of daily life, from shopping to working to entertainment, is it time for technology to change the way Airmen learn? For younger Airmen, it seems, the answer is yes. Air Education and Training Command officials recently

  • Tricare offers respite for caregivers

    Tricare now offers primary caregivers of active duty servicemembers much needed rest, relief and reprieve thanks to section 1633 of the 2008 National Defense Authorization Act. The respite benefit specifically helps homebound servicemembers who need frequent help from their primary caregiver. It is

  • Feedback sought from servicemembers, their families

    The Military Health System invites wounded, ill or injured servicemembers and their families to respond to a new pair of questionnaires designed to help MHS leaders better understand the needs and expectations of the warriors in their care. The questionnaires -- one for wounded, ill or injured

  • Air Force launches 'BlueTube' site for online videos

    When you get an interesting or funny Air Force video in your e-mail, do you ever send it out to family, friends and co-workers? Now the Air Force has its own channel, called AirForceBlueTube, for those videos on the popular video-sharing site YouTube.com. "We wanted to have a one-stop shop to host

  • Charleston officials begin transporting new Army vehicles

    Charleston Air Force Base officials began receiving and immediately shipping six new Army High Mobility Engineer Excavator vehicles to warfighters in Southwest Asia Sept. 29 here. Charleston AFB is the first Air Force base to receive and ship the HMEE, which is a newly developed military

  • Reserve contact center announces new weekend schedule

    The Reserve Personnel Contact Center support schedule is changing, Air Reserve Personnel Center officials here said. Starting Oct. 4, customer service counselors will be available the first three Saturdays of each month from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. mountain time to support Air National Guard and Air Force

  • Air Force Reserve exceeds recruiting goal

    Air Force Reserve recruiters signed up 8,390 people in fiscal year 2008, exceeding the goal by almost 5 percent.  The additional recruits followed as the command met its annual goal of 8,000 on Aug. 28, some 33 days ahead of schedule. Col. Francis M. Mungavin, Air Force Reserve Command Recruiting

  • Officials identify pilot missing from Vietnam War

    Officials with the Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office announced Sept. 30 that the remains of a U.S. Airman, missing in action from the Vietnam War, have been identified and will be returned to his family for burial with full military honors. He is Col. David H. Zook Jr., of West

  • Executive order eases employment for military spouses

    President Bush has signed an executive order that will make it easier for spouses of servicemembers to get federal jobs. The order authorizes noncompetitive hiring of spouses and should make the hiring process easier and faster for those in this category, said Patricia Bradshaw, deputy

  • Airman immerses into language for deployment

    An Airman deploying soon to Afghanistan as part of a Provincial Reconstruction Team will be able to use a hobby of his to help make his deployment easier for himself and his team. Senior Airman George Williams joined the Air Force almost four years ago in hopes of being a linguist specializing in

  • Village of Hope training center graduates final class

    A program designed to help "Sons of Iraq" citizen security group members learn skills that will enable them to help Iraq move forward graduated its final class of 60 students here Sept. 25. "The Village of Hope was part of a civil service corps program that took Sons of Iraq members from checkpoints

  • More documentation necessary to replace, renew ID cards

    Homeland Security Directive 12 now requires retirees and family members seeking to renew or replace a military identification card to provide two types of ID. Retirees and family members needing identification cards must have two of the following types of current identification, one of which must

  • Tricare retiree dental benefit available overseas

    Retired Tricare beneficiaries living overseas may enroll in the Tricare Retiree Dental Program beginning Oct. 1.The Enhanced-Overseas TRDP is available for all eligible uniformed service retirees and their families. "For many years, military retirees and their families have requested a dental

  • Recruiting group closes its doors

    Air Force Recruiting Service officials are deactivating the 367th Recruiting Group here Oct. 1 as recruiting units are realigned from four groups into three and reducing recruiting squadrons from 27 to 24. AFRS officials are reorganizing health professions recruiting into 24 regional hubs throughout

  • New organization changes how to get info, entertainment

    The Oct. 1 establishment of the Defense Media Activity will change the way Defense Department members get news, entertainment and information to servicemembers and their families. Servicemembers will not immediately notice a change: the Armed Forces Network will still broadcast football games and

  • U.S. troops help build Afghan air corps

    A team of 170 U.S. Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines have been tasked with recruiting, training and equipping the Afghan National Army Air Corps. "Our goal is to develop this Air Corps to be fully independent and fully operational, capable to meet (the) security requirements of Afghanistan," Air

  • Airpower integral to Kajaki Dam turbine delivery

    Coalition airpower focused on a critical part of southern Afghanistan from Aug. 28 to Sept. 2 to protect more than 4,000 ground forces and to support the delivery of an electric turbine for the 30-year-old hydroelectric Kajaki Dam in the Helmand Province. The new turbine, part of a U.S.-funded

  • Bystander intervention vital in preventing sexual assault

    Air Force officials here are developing a bystander intervention training program for the annually-required Sexual Assault Prevention and Response training to enhance the annual training Airmen receive. The new training, geared for small groups and interactive skills development, helps train Airmen

  • Civilian leaders learn strength of U.S. airpower in Europe

    Civilian business and community leaders got firsthand and sometimes hands-on exposure Sept. 23 to U.S. Air Forces in Europe's multiple missions of supporting warfighters, building partnerships and strengthening its historic NATO ties. U.S. Air Forces, Europe, or USAFE, is as critical to U.S.

  • Partnership with New Zealand emphasized at air conference

    Partnership between the United States and New Zealand militaries is vital to meeting the security challenges of the Pacific region, said the 13th Air Force commander at the Royal New Zealand Air Force Chief of Air Force Conference Sept. 23. Lt. Gen. Loyd S. "Chip" Utterback provided a U.S.

  • Disabilities don't stop marathoners

    A paralyzing injury from a motorcycle crash at age 20 took away Andy Houghton's ability to use his legs, but he still finished his first marathon Sept. 20. Mr. Houghton from Hollywood, Fla., completed the 26.2 mile 12th annual Air Force Marathon piloting a sleek handcycle equipped with a derailleur

  • Leaders pledge support to bring missing servicemembers home

    On a small parade field at the steps of the Pentagon and across the river from the skyline of the nation's capital, top military and political leaders today pledged to continue looking for missing servicemembers no matter the cost. "Over the past 230-plus years, a promise has been made to the men

  • Baylor University ROTC unit celebrates 60th birthday

    Already recognized as one of the nation's oldest Air Force ROTC units, Baylor University's Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps Detachment 810 marked another milestone recently. The unit celebrated its 60th anniversary on the Baylor campus, commissioning 1,301 second lieutenants though the

  • Policy changes benefit Airmen deploying for 365 days

    Effective Oct. 1, Air Force officials here will implement policy changes to improve sourcing efficiency of 365-day deployments and ensure Airmen receive adequate notification prior to deployment. The new policy sets the deployment "accept or decline" option at three calendar days, streamlines the

  • Air Force enters 'funny car' racing

    The Air Force has begun its venture into funny car racing by teaming up with Kenny Bernstein Racing for the O'Reilly National Hot Rod Association Fall Nationals Sept. 19-21 at the Texas Motorplex in Dallas. This is the first of four races in which the Air Force serves as an associate sponsor of

  • JPAC teams serve on front lines of recoveries

    Tech. Sgt. Valda Wilson is an Air Force photographer. But last month in a harvested wheat field in the village of Strass near Germany's Hurtgen Forest, she spent most of her days with her hands full of dirt. Sergeant Wilson is one of about 10 members of a Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command team who

  • Base officials to save $800,000 by changing light bulbs

    Dover officials expect to save more than $800,000 a year with a new energy-saving initiative called Operation Change Out. The voluntary U.S. Department of Energy program suggests military facilities, like base residential areas, exchange incandescent light bulbs for compact fluorescent ones. "We're

  • General discusses role of Reserve

    The Air Force Reserve Command's vice commander addressed a gathering of service members and civilians Sept. 16 during a presentation at the 24th Annual Air Force Association Air & Space Conference and Technology Exposition here. Maj. Gen. Allan R. Poulin discussed the command's role in the war on

  • Servicemembers to follow long absentee voting tradition

    A pen-and-ink drawing in the Oct. 29, 1864, issue of Harper's Weekly portrayed a long line of Pennsylvania Soldiers outside their A-framed tents, each awaiting his turn to vote in the 1864 presidential election. Artist William Waud's rendering captured the high interest in the high-stakes election

  • Air Force officials launch new community Web site

    Beginning Oct. 1, Air Force officials here will introduce a new Web site for Airmen and their families that provides a 24/7 resource for information on topics like relocation, military child education and finances. The new site phases out the "AF Crossroads" Web site while assuring most of the same

  • Storm can't stop Air Force Marathon

    Wright-Patterson Air Force Base officials are ready for the 12th annual Air Force Marathon and related activities Sept. 18 through 20 despite widespread power outages and massive amounts of debris from the remnants of Hurricane Ike Sept. 14. Base officials said participants should be aware they may

  • Willow Grove unit completes last A-10 deployment

    The Pennsylvania Air National Guard unit stationed at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Willow Grove, Pa., will be transitioning to a joint interagency installation as a result of the Department of Defense's 2005 Base Realignment and Closure recommendations. With the new mission coming onboard,

  • Air Force officials honor 12 Outstanding Airmen of the Year

    Air Force officials here recognized the service's 12 Outstanding Airmen of the Year at an awards dinner Sept. 15 during the Air Force Association's 24th Annual Air & Space Conference and Technology Exposition here. The 2008 award recipients were drawn from 33 people representing major commands,

  • Former Joint Chiefs chairman remembers 9/11

    Sept. 11 was a day of remembrance across the country as Americans reflected on the events that occurred that day in 2001. Gen. Richard B. Myers, the now-retired chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, traveled to Maxwell to speak at the Air Force Wargaming Institute. While here he shared his unique

  • Ex-fighter pilot-led team trains flyers on data link network

    A team of former fighter pilots and other experts are making sure F-15 and F-16 squadrons are fully prepared to use a sophisticated communication network critical to operational success across the globe. No U.S. fighter squadron can deploy to Iraq or Afghanistan without the critical data link

  • Airmen, bears coexist on Hurlburt Field

    Security forces members from Hurlburt Field and Eglin Air Force Base, along with local civilian officials, gathered at the weapons range learn bear aversion tactics from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission here recently. The training participants learned various techniques to

  • Airmen share information via new blog

    In an effort to open up online conversations with Airmen, families and the public, officials in the Secretary of the Air Force's Office of Public Affairs are launching a new blog called Air Force Live Sept. 14. "Air Force Live allows us to reach a vast online community who may not necessarily know

  • MacDill AFB medical team supports hurricane relief efforts

    A mobile aeromedical staging facility team from the 6th Air Mobility Wing, MacDill Air Force Base, Fla., arrived here Sept. 9 in support of Hurricane Ike evacuation efforts. Along with the MASF team, more than 200 state and federal assets and volunteers converged on Corpus Christi ahead of Ike in

  • Chief McKinley visits Wright-Patterson AFB

    Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force Rodney J. McKinley held an enlisted call at the base theater here Sept. 9 where he touched on a variety of topics, including the Air Force's near-term priorities. The enlisted call was part of his two-day visit to the base Sept. 8 and 9. During his visit, Chief

  • Skills summit aims to streamline training for Airmen

    The evolving war on terrorism has made Col. Jenny Pickett's personal mission of "keeping Airmen alive" more challenging these days. The commandant of the U.S. Air Force Expeditionary Operations School, which trains Airmen for deployment, says inconsistencies in where and how troops gain war-fighting

  • Marathon pace team helps runners achieve time goals

    Runners targeting a certain time goal or just seeking additional encouragement and motivation in running the Air Force Marathon's full or half marathon course here Sept. 20 can get a boost from the marathon's pace team. The pace team is a group of 17 experienced marathon runners who coach and

  • Year-end recruiting goals within reach, official says

    With less than three weeks left in the fiscal year, all four military services met their active-duty recruiting goals for August and hope to maintain that momentum to reach their year-end goals, Defense Department officials said Sept. 10. The Air Force, Army, Navy and Marine Corps all met or

  • Ceremony inspires members to never forget Sept. 11

    Airmen of the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing gathered with coalition forces and sister servicemembers at sunrise Sept. 11 on the grounds of a newly constructed memorial for a Sept. 11 Remembrance Ceremony here. Col. Cameron Torrens, the 386th AEW commander, presided over the ceremony on the seventh

  • Annual unit, organizational award winners announced

    The Secretary of the Air Force Personnel Council here recently recognized the following organizations for 2007 and 2008 Air Force unit awards for the periods indicated below: The Meritorious Unit Award to:-- The 3rd Expeditionary Air Support Operations Group for Dec. 13, 2006 through Nov. 25, 2007.

  • Future Airmen show commitment in record-making ceremony

    Members of the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds and the 364th Recruiting Squadron partnered recently at the Travis Air Expo 2008 to conduct the largest Delayed Entry Program swearing-in ceremony to date. Lt. Col. Greg Thomas, the commander of the Air Force Thunderbirds, administered the oath of

  • New benefit courses offered online to civilian employees

    Three new online courses for federal civilian employees offer training in the benefits-related areas of retirement, financial planning and new-employee orientation. The training, available beginning Sept. 12 on the Web-based automated Employee Benefits Information System, applies to Air