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U.S. Air Force News

  • Safety NCO named national 'rising star'

    Less than a decade ago, Joshua Franklin found himself cross-training from the aircraft maintenance field into the safety arena. Now, nine years later, the senior master sergeant has been thrust into the national spotlight as one of the "rising stars" of the National Safety Council.

  • Safety officers offer cold-weather tips

    Despite an unseasonably mild winter for much of the U.S., military safety officials offer a reminder that Old Man Winter still has two months to go as they underscore the importance of winter safety for service members and their families."The month of February often packs a big winter punch, and

  • Safety officials help curb motorcycle fatalities

    After four more motorcycle deaths in the Air Force were added to the “101 Critical Days of Summer” fatality toll recently, safety office officials here have taken steps to make sure everyone complies with the requirement to wear safety gear.People from the 375th Airlift Wing’s safety office, along

  • Safety officials offer advice to remedy vehicle risks

    Vehicle rollovers comprised 3 percent of nearly 11 million reported traffic accidents in 2002, yet accounted for 33 percent of highway fatalities that year, according to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration. The danger of rollover accidents is well known here. Since January

  • Safety officials urge Airmen to celebrate Independence Day safely

    While Fourth of July celebrations and special outings to enjoy the holiday are traditional early-summer pastimes, experts at the Air Force Safety Center here caution all Airmen to practice basic safety precautions."Everyone is anxious to enjoy summertime activities, and participating in Fourth of

  • Safety paramount as F-22 investigation continues

    The pilot of a F-22 Raptor, assigned to the 43rd Fighter Squadron, safely ejected as the jet crashed Nov. 15 around 3:30 p.m. on Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., one-quarter mile east of the drone runway.Despite initial media speculation, there are no indications that point to the life support system

  • Safety perspective has allowed Human Systems Integration program to thrive

    When Maj. Shawnee Williams arrived at the Human Systems Integration Directorate, part of the Air Force Research Laboratory’s 711th Human Performance Wing here, she found herself in unfamiliar territory and facing an operationally misunderstood program. So she looked at the programmatics of her

  • Safety professionals recognized at 2019 NSC Congress and Expo

    The National Safety Council developed the Rising Stars of Safety to help highlight up-and-coming safety professionals. Winners show leadership in safety and bring new ideas to existing problems at their organizations. The Air Force is the only organization, federal or industry, which has had a

  • Safety video promotes driving, recreation safety

    The top Air Force safety officer appears in a video for the service's annual "101 Critical Days of Summer" safety campaign, which started May 23 and ends Sept. 2. In the production, Maj. Gen. Wendell Griffin, the Air Force chief of safety and commander of the Air Force Safety Center at Kirtland AFB,

  • Safety video promotes driving, recreation safety

    The Air Force's top safety officer appears in a video for the service's annual "101 Critical Days of Summer" safety campaign, which began May 23 and ends Sept. 2. In the production, Maj. Gen. Wendell Griffin, the Air Force chief of safety and commander of the Air Force Safety Center, addresses

  • Safety: A key component in any good holiday celebration

    Throughout the past decade, 35 Airmen lost their lives to on- and off-duty preventable accidents during the holidays. Last winter alone, Airmen suffered 251 accidents that took them out of work at least one day, with a cost to readiness of nearly 11 work years.

  • Safety: More than just 101 critical days

    Just because you "fly a desk" in an administrative work area, doesn't mean you don't have to worry about safety. In fact, according to 86th Airlift Wing safety officials here, one of the more extreme mishaps that happened this year took place in an administrative environment. One unlucky person

  • SAIGE award winners named

    An Air Force NCO and civilian were selected as the Air Force's 2012 Society of American Indian Government Employees Meritorious Service Award winners, Air Force Personnel Center officials announced April 27.Tech. Sgt. Dana J. Timpany, with Air Force Special Operations Command, and Gayle C.

  • Sailors, Airmen can 'go green'

    "Go Green" is not just the slogan of environmentalists anymore.The Army is increasing its end strength, and Operation Blue to Green is one method being used to assist in reaching the desired end strength, said Lt. Col. Roy Steed, recruiting policy branch chief at the Army's personnel

  • Salvaged flight deck from C-5 mishap becomes tool

    The crew compartment belonging to the C-5 Galaxy aircraft that fell less than a mile short of Dover Air Force Base's runway April 3 has been salvaged for use in C-5 aircraft crew training. The compartment, commonly referred to as the aircraft's flight deck, was loaded onto a C-5 and airlifted to its

  • Sambur announces resignation

    Dr. Marvin R. Sambur announced his resignation Nov. 17 as assistant secretary of the Air Force for acquisition. Dr. Sambur came to the Air Force in 2001 from private industry."Marv Sambur is a highly accomplished professional and a patriot who gave up a lucrative career to serve his country in a

  • Same mission, new name for E-11A unit at Kandahar Airfield

    The 451st Tactical Airborne Gateway, the unit here that flies the E-11A, was designated as a squadron during a ceremony on March 13. It is now the 430th Expeditionary Electronic Combat Squadron. The mission of the E-11A is to serve as a Battlefield Airborne Communications Node, a communications

  • Same-sex spouses can get ID cards Sept. 3

    Same-sex spouses of Air Force military members, eligible civilian employees and military retirees may be enrolled in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System by their sponsors and get their dependent identification card beginning Sept. 3, Air Force Personnel Center officials said today.

  • Same-sex spouses eligible for FMLA benefits

    Federal employees with same-sex spouses are now provided the same Family and Medical Leave Act coverage as those with opposite-sex spouses, according to an Oct. 21 Office of Personnel Management memorandum.

  • Same-sex spouses eligible for join spouse, accompanied assignments

    Air Force military members with same-sex active duty spouses are now eligible for join spouse assignment consideration and those with a civilian same-sex spouse are now eligible for command sponsorship consideration, Air Force Personnel Center officials said.

  • SAMMC construction project breaks ground

    Military leaders, construction officials and wounded warriors joined up Dec. 8 to break ground on the start of construction on the San Antonio Military Medical Center, a $724 million construction and renovation project at Wilford Hall Medical Center and Brooke Army Medical Center. The construction,

  • Samoa relief winds down; efforts continue elsewhere

    As the U.S. military continues to provide assistance to victims of storms and earthquakes in the Philippines and Indonesia, tsunami relief operations in American Samoa are tapering off, a Defense Department spokesman said here Oct. 5. The humanitarian-relief operation in American Samoa "is

  • Samurai surge at Yokota

    Seven C-130 Hercules aircraft took off as part of a Samurai Surge exercise here Nov. 4.Launching the fleet is an operation that occurs when Airmen launch as many aircraft available on the ramp simultaneously, known locally as Samurai Surge."The C-130s here at Yokota Air Base are the only tactical

  • San Antonio area Air Force, Army medical centers to merge

    Medical care for military families in the San Antonio area is changing. Not in what it offers, but where, officals said. Wilford Hall and Brooke Army Medical Centers are set to merge by 2011 as part of the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure Commission recommendations. Combined, the two medical

  • San Antonio families can share Thanksgiving with trainees

    For the 33rd year, San Antonio-area families can brighten the holidays for Air Force basic trainees through Operation Homecooking. The program offers local families the opportunity to share their traditional Thanksgiving Day with basic trainees. Through the years, families have opened their homes to

  • San Antonio health system among best in wounded warrior, trauma care

    During the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure commission hearings, it was suggested that the military should consolidate all health facilities in San Antonio to create the San Antonio Military Health System. The SAMHS was established after both the Air Force and Army chiefs of staff signed a

  • San Antonio hospitals team for military PTSD study

    A proposed pilot investigation linking three of San Antonio's military research hubs is slated to treat and study servicemembers with symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. The Prolonged Exposure for Combat-Related Stress Disorders study links Wilford Hall Medical Center, Brooke Army Medical

  • San Antonio Innovation Summit open for registration

    The event – a partnership between the Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center, Air Force Civil Engineer Center, Air Force Security Forces Center, Air Force Services Center, Air Force Personnel Center, Air Education and Training Command, and AFWERX – will bring innovation collaboration

  • San Diego State soaks Air Force swimmers, 177-122

    The Air Force Academy women’s swimming team opened a Mountain West Conference dual-meet with a 177-122 loss at San Diego State University here Nov. 3. The Falcons fall to 11-4 on the season and 0-1 in conference meets.San Diego State took first in 11 of the 16 events, led by Emily Schmied, who won

  • Sandblast

    Airmen struggle to walk through a heavy sand storm at a forward-deployed air base March 26. Troops supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom are battling sand storms throughout Southwest Asia. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Derrick C. Goode)

  • Sands of time

    Senior Airman Lisa Jones loads air-to-ground missiles for an F-16 Fighting Falcon on the flightline at a forward-deployed location March 25. Jones is a precision-guided munitions crew member with the 363rd Expeditionary Equipment Maintenance Squadron. She is deployed from the 18th Fighter Squadron

  • SANDS students visit Europe, gain new perspectives

    Students from Air University’s School of Advanced Nuclear Deterrence Studies met with European allies last month to gain new perspectives and alternative views on how different parts of the world define nuclear deterrence.

  • Sandtrooper

    Airman Matthew Jensen sits atop a Humvee during a sand storm at a forward-deployed location March 26. Jensen is assigned to the 379th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. David Donovan)

  • Santa brings holiday cheer to Arnold party

    Santa took a break from making his list and checking it twice to attend a children's Christmas party Dec. 2 at Arnold Air Force Base, Tenn. Instead of arriving by the power of nine reindeer, Santa made his grand entrance in a 150-horsepower specially-outfitted 1967 Cessna float plane. More than 500

  • Santa Claus is coming to town

    Santa Claus visited the men and women of the North American Aerospace Defense Command Tracks Santa Battle Cab in preparation for his Christmas Eve journey Dec. 23 at Peterson Air Force Base. Santa received a Federal Aviation Administration, weather and air mission brief from Maj. Gen. John H.

  • Santa helps deliver fuel to remote bases in Afghanistan

    Santa Claus paid a surprise visit to the 816th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron here Dec. 23 to assist in an airdrop delivery to remote forward operating bases in Afghanistan."I just wanted to bring a little holiday cheer to the men and women of the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing and help out with a

  • Santa makes early appearance for Cannon family

    Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus, but at the 27th Special Operations Wing here he is not the jolly fat man dressed in red. All one shopper at the base exchange knows is that someone who retired from the military made her family holidays a lot brighter. Charlotte Riojas said she was patiently

  • Santa on the Radar

    Preparations are under way at the North Pole for Santa’s annual launch, and North American Aerospace Defense Command controllers will be tracking him across the globe from Christmas Eve until he’s finished making his drops to all children of all ages.After Santa enters the air space over

  • Santa trades sleigh for F-117 Nighthawk

    Santa talks to an Air Force maintenance crew on the ground before exiting an F-117 Nighthawk to greet more than 150 children and parents gathered at Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale, Calif. Santa made a special trip to Palmdale Dec. 14 for the test force's annual holiday children's party, hosted by

  • Santa, Elves jump for Operation Toy Drop 2018

    Santa Claus and his elves delivered toys to children via military freefall and static-line jumps as part of the 7th annual Operation Toy Drop event on Alzey Drop Zone, Germany Dec. 11-13, 2018.

  • Santa’s workshop receives upgrade

    For the toy delivery mission to less fortunate children Dec. 15, at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, Santa needed a little more help than usual. Knowing this, he enlisted the support of some very special elves at the 86th Logistics Readiness Squadron to help him pack and load his upgraded sleigh, a

  • Santa's new address: No. 1 Santa Claus Lane, North Pole

    The city of North Pole, Alaska, with the assistance of the North Pole Economic Development Corporation, has erected a permanent candy cane marker designating "No. 1 Santa Claus Lane" as the address to which letters to Santa should be addressed.The recent installation of the candy cane marker, along

  • SAPR orientation provides cohesion across Air Force

    The Sexual Assault Prevention and Response coordinators from each Air Force major command attended the first-ever three-day orientation and training here, July 29 -31, to discuss issues and innovations with Air Force SAPR top leaders and subject matter experts.

  • SAPR: Creating a culture shift

    According to officials from the Department of Defense's Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Program, rising reports of sexual assault is not only a good indication of a cultural shift in the force structure, but also on the utilization of SAPR resources.People who experience sexual assault are

  • SAR teams pay close attention to detail

    The military teaches all Airmen to pay close attention to every detail, but for search and recovery teams, attention to detail is not just important, it is a way of life.If an accident were to happen involving Airmen, the team would be called into action. The team, consisting of at least 26 Airmen,

  • SARC helps deployed servicemembers respond to crisis

    Air Force Sexual Assault Response Coordinators will be stressing education and awareness about sexual assault throughout the month of April, which is Sexual Assault Awareness Month.Those deployed, with a three-drink-a-night limit on alcohol and General Order 1 applying to their interactions with

  • SARCs hone skills at annual refresher course

    The Air Force Sexual Assault Prevention and Response office recently concluded a five-day annual refresher course for nearly 130 Air Force sexual assault response coordinators at the National Conference Center in Leesburg, Virginia, Aug. 3-7.

  • SARC's Remarks: Common factors in sexual assaults

    Hearing about sexual assault may be the single most upsetting topic that commanders deal with. Currently the Hill Air Force Base community averages two sexual assaults each month and many of these involve two or more Airmen. This is a phenomenon that is hard to understand. How could someone who

  • SARS has minor impact on upcoming exercises

    With major combat operations for Operation Iraqi Freedom wrapping up, airmen are watching the news closely for a potential new enemy -- Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome.Recent intense media coverage may make it seem as though the virus, known as SARS, is spreading uncontrollably. However, the

  • SARS tests are negative so far

    The initial test results of the laboratory samples taken from the first 10 people here who may have been exposed to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome are negative for the virus, according to health professionals with the 7th Medical Group.Of the first samples that were sent to an Air Force lab and

  • SATCOM delivers critical info for war on terrorism

    In today's information age, satellites are a vital link for global communication. Commanders and troops rely on them to ensure information is at least one step ahead of the enemy in the war on terrorism. At this forward deployed location, that job falls to a satellite communications team from the

  • Satellite captures northern lights

    The Defense Meteorological Satellite Program captured images of the northern lights Oct. 30, as they transcended their normal polar location. Geomagnetic storms caused the aurora borealis, or northern lights, to move toward the equator, giving people in the continental United States and Europe a

  • Satellite hacking challenge shifts to fully virtual event

    Despite a transition to an all online event, the Air Force, Space Force, and DDS will continue partnering with DEF CON’s Aerospace Village to virtually showcase the team’s mission: build a diverse community committed to promoting and developing aerospace cybersecurity expertise and knowledge through

  • Satellite launches in Florida

    The last Phase III Defense Satellite Communications System launched on board a Delta IV rocket from here Aug. 29. The satellite system will operate for the next 15 years and replaces another that was launched in 1995, according to 45th Space Wing officials. The Department of Defense satellite

  • Satellite program finds savings while providing critical imagery

    An Air Force program at Hanscom Air Force Base that continually provides critical imagery to warfighters and first responders, is also reducing costs.Eagle Vision consists of five deployable satellite downlink stations that collect, process and distribute commercial satellite imagery in nearly real

  • Satellite supports relief efforts in Japan

    The Wideband Global SATCOM system's unique dual-band and crossbanding capabilities are proving to be critical in the ongoing earthquake and tsunami relief efforts in Japan, officials said. Intended for use with military operations, WGS is now using its capability to communicate across the frequency

  • Satellite's instrumentation providing scintillation forecast data

    Whether it's static interrupting a radio station, or crackling noises interfering with a theater commander's attempt to contact a deployed unit, scintillation can cause communication chaos. Scintillation occasionally occurs when radio waves transiting an unstable ionosphere, located 50 to 360 miles

  • Satellites successfully launched From NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center

    The Air Force’s Operationally Responsive Space Office or ORS and Space Test Program satellites or STPSat were successfully launched at 8:15 p.m. EST, Nov. 19. The satellites were carried aboard an Orbital Space Sciences Minotaur I Vehicle, from NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center’s Wallops Flight

  • Satellite-savvy cadets test out of world experiments

    Launched in March from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., the Academy cadet-engineered Falcon Satellite-3 is now undergoing testing 100,000 feet from Earth. In preparation for experiments involving space weather and spacecraft operations, it is no small milestone for the Academy. "This is a

  • Sather AB remembers 9/11

    More than 100 Airmen, Soldiers, Sailors and civilians participated in a two-mile sunrise ruck march Sept. 11 here.The purpose of the event, which included a flag-folding ceremony, was to honor those who were killed on 9/11. The attacks were perpetrated by hijackers who intentionally crashed two

  • Sather AB renovates runway, paves way for Iraq's future

    Sather's runway recently underwent a major overhaul, improving the quality, capability and safety of the airfield here. Construction on the 10,830-foot runway began Dec. 27 and finished June 16, the day the airstrip re-opened. The renovations included concrete and joint repairs, rubber residue

  • Sather Airmen destroy weapons cache

    Sather Air Base Airmen destroyed one of the larger enemy weapons caches to be collected at one time in the Iraq theater of operations. Four three-person 447th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron's Explosive Ordnance Disposal Flight teams destroyed the 13,000-pound weapons cache discovered by Iraqi

  • Sather Airmen foster relationships with local community

    The sounds of children laughing fill the air as they run across the dusty soccer field. Despite the heat and dirt, parents and friends cheer and join in to play from time to time. Yet, this scene isn't from a typical Saturday afternoon in suburban America. This is Iraq and another example of how

  • Sather Airmen make each shot count

    The scene is a typical firing range, not unlike what one would find built for a gun club or on an Army post or Air Force base. The line safety officers meticulously watch the novice shooters, holding their weapons properly, aiming at a silhouette target further down the range. "Is the line ready,"

  • Sather Airmen take Iraqi security training to next level

    The Iraqi air force will be a step closer to providing personal security for high-ranking officials after completing advanced security forces training with 447th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron instructors later this week.The advanced course, which is a precursor to personal security detail

  • Sather Airmen work late to feed the force

    Sather Air Base is the busiest aerial port in Iraq, moving hundreds of American military members, civilian contractors, distinguished visitors and coalition forces every day as they travel in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. For many of these travelers, the layover at this small military base on

  • Sather medics prepare for worst, provide their best

    "Bag him!" "I need an X-ray in here!" "I've got an abnormal rhythm!" "Somebody get me some vitals!" This could be the sounds of the fast-paced tempo and organized chaos of any emergency room anywhere, but these voices are being heard in a combat zone, where major trauma care can be more complex by

  • Sather medics treat detainees

    Airmen here supported an Army forward surgical team in providing medical treatment to detainees as they transitioned from the Abu Ghraib Theater Internment Facility to a new facility on Camp Cropper near Baghdad.Multi-National Force-Iraq officials established the new facility July 30 to replace Abu

  • Sather Memorial finds rest at JB San Antonio

    A memorial honoring the U.S. Air Force's first combat casualty during Operation Iraqi Freedom was unveiled Jan. 20 at Medina Annex, Lackland Air Force Base, Texas. Staff Sgt. Scott D. Sather, a combat controller, was killed in Iraq on April 8, 2003. Pararescuemen, combat controllers and Pararescue

  • SATURN radio connects U.S. forces to allies

    To improve communication with allies, the Air-to-Ground, Tactical Data Links team, headquartered at Hanscom Air Force Base, has been working to provide the Department of Defense with an anti-jam, hack-proof, and high-frequency radio system.

  • Saudi Arabia to purchase 84 F-15SA, upgrade current F-15 fleet

    Air Force officials announced the next chapter in a partnership with the Royal Saudi Air Force as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia recently signed a $29.4 billion Foreign Military Sales Letter of Offer and Acceptance solidifying their plans to purchase 84 F-15SA fighter aircraft and upgrade their current

  • Save money if you register now for the Air Force Marathon

    Attention all marathoners and half-marathoners: If you've put off early registration for the 11th annual U.S. Air Force Marathon, Sept. 15, your time for procrastinating is running out.If you haven't logged onto www.usafmarathon.com and registered for your race by the time the clock strikes midnight

  • Save-A-Life tour is an eye-opener

    Travis members experienced the dangers of driving under the influence this week when the Save-A-Life tour visited here. The tour uses a drunk-driving simulator that allows people to experience first-hand how alcohol impairs their driving skills. The machine has an instrument panel and three screens,

  • Saving lives: Afghan air force medic team learns 'critical' skills

    The Afghan soldier was in trouble. With his eyes sitting heavy and glazed-over in their sockets, the soldier's condition had worsened. He now had to be removed from the C-27A Spartan aircraft that had been flown to Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan, to transport him and other Afghan National Security

  • Saving servicemembers' lives one flight at a time

    Some might say doctors don't make house calls anymore, but that's exactly what the Airmen of the 455th Expeditionary Aeromedical Evacuation Flight at Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan, do on a daily basis. They bring the hospital to the wounded. A typical aeromedical evacuation, or AE, crew turns

  • Savings bond holding period increases

    Department of Treasury officials have announced that the minimum holding period for Series EE and I bonds increases from six to 12 months beginning Feb. 1.This means people who purchase EE or I bonds on or after Feb. 1 must wait one year before they may redeem those bonds.People who purchase bonds

  • Savings bonds deductions move to direct deposit Sept. 30

    Airmen and Department of Defense civilians will use a new way to purchase savings bonds beginning Sept. 30 as part of the Department of Treasury's cost-effective plan to issue savings bonds electronically.Instead of payroll deductions, savings bonds will be available through a direct-deposit

  • Savings program assists deployed servicemembers

    Deployed servicemembers have the chance to earn a guaranteed 10-percent interest on their savings annually.Defense Finance and Accounting Service officials implemented the Savings Deposit Program in August 1990 for servicemembers who were serving in the Persian Gulf conflict. The program

  • Say ‘hello’ to the bad guy

    Seeing the MiG-21 Fishbed static display in the parking lot, a Soviet flag hanging from a doorway and a picture of a smiling Joseph Stalin on a nearby counter top, might make it difficult for some to believe they are actually on a U.S. Air Force base.Things definitely look and work differently here

  • SBA launches loan initiative for veterans, servicemembers

    The Small Business Administration launched the Patriot Express Pilot Loan as the latest extension to the financial, procurement and technical assistance programs the agency provides to the military community. Patriot Express is a streamlined loan product based on SBA's highly successful SBA Express