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  • Sheppard innovates Web-based self-inspections

    Innovation in the checklist industry has found its way to the Sheppard Air Force Base Self-Inspection Program through the Management Internal Control Toolset. MICT is a web-based self-inspection software tool used to manage, track and close self-identified work center deficiencies. The days of

  • Sheppard instructors train Chilean air force maintainers

    Thirty-eight Chilean air force enlisted members visited Sheppard Air Force Base, to learn the finer points of maintenance on four specific aircraft systems at the 982nd Training Group January and February here. Instructors taught members of the Chilean air force various maintenance courses for the

  • Sheppard lieutenant wins cross country championship

    A lieutenant assigned to the 80th Operations Support Squadron here finished first at the Armed Forces Cross Country Championship Feb. 13 held in Spokane Valley, Wash. 2nd Lt. Caroline White finished the 8-kilometer course with a time of 29:27, running at a pace of 5:55 miles per minute. The win

  • Sheppard members start new combat fit program

    The staff of the Health and Wellness Center here recently started a new exercise program, titled Combat Fit, to help Sheppard people get physically prepared for the combat environment.Combat Fit is a circuit-training program designed by HAWC fitness professionals to strengthen core muscles and build

  • Sheppard officials begin replacing T-37s with T-6A Texan II

    The T-37 Tweet officially began its march toward full retirement March 31 when 80th Flying Training Wing officials here "took the car keys" to its replacement, the T-6A Texan II. Retired Navy Rear Adm. James Maslowski, the vice president of government business for Hawker Beechcraft in Wichita, Kan.,

  • Sheppard officials launch Nuclear Accountability Course

    Air Force officials took another important step in reinvigorating their nuclear enterprise here Oct. 5 with the launch of the Nuclear Accountability Course providing realistic, hands-on training to Airmen assuming duties making them responsible for nuclear weapons. Delivered by the 82nd Training

  • Sheppard officials test synthetic fuels

    Air Force Petroleum Agency officials are finalizing preparations for field testing of a 50/50 blend of JP-8 and synthetic jet fuel at the 364th Training Squadron fuels training complex here. Alternative Fuels Certification Office officials at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, said synthetic

  • Sheppard security forces disarm Airman

    Airmen from the 82nd Security Forces Squadron here disarmed a man at 9:20 p.m. March 7after they received a report of someone carrying a weapon near a building here.No shots were fired and no one was injured during the incident.The call came in at about 9:08 p.m. that a man with a weapon was walking

  • Sheppard sergeant becomes 250,000th CCAF grad

    An aircraft maintenance instructor from the 362nd Training Squadron here will leave a footnote in the history books of the world's largest community college when he graduates April 23.When Staff Sgt. Kalaeone Needham gets his associate degree, he will be the Community College of the Air Force's

  • Sheppard T-38 veers off runway

    A Sheppard Air Force Base T-38 Talon veered off the runway during takeoff at about 2:10 p.m. CDT May 14 here. The crew of two experienced minor injuries and are receiving treatment. The T-38, assigned to the 80th Flying Training Wing, is a twin-engine, high-altitude, supersonic jet trainer.The

  • Sheppard unit will train ALC maintainers

    The 982nd Training Group, the Air Force's advanced maintenance training unit, joined with Air Force Materiel Command to tackle a critical need in the world of aircraft systems maintenance.The 982nd TRG instructors will teach and certify 19 new civilian instructors who will join existing field

  • Sheppard, AF officials retire workhorse of pilot training

    More than 50 years of dependable service is a lot to ask, especially from a tool used to train thousands of people in a critical and sometimes dangerous business. But as men and women in the U.S. Air Force said farewell to the T-37 Tweet July 31, they did so knowing they got all they asked for and

  • Sherpa scales Mount Everest with Global Strike flag

    With a static B-52 in the background and more than 100 Global Strike Airmen looking on, Chhiring Dorje Sherpa of Nepal, presented a new piece of Air Force Global Strike heritage, June 27, which he'd carried to the top of the world and back.On May 19, Sherpa climbed Mount Everest, the highest point

  • Shield has historic past

    The 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing and the 332nd Expeditionary Operations Group share the same emblem. The only difference between the two is the designation in the scroll.The blue and yellow colors represent the Air Force. Blue alludes to the sky, the primary theater of Air Force operations. Yellow

  • Shield represents past roots, present vision

    The shield of the 552nd Air Control Wing symbolizes the unit's mission and reflects its more than 50-year past. It was originally approved for the 552nd Airborne Early Warning and Control Wing on Feb. 6, 1956. The ultramarine blue and gold represent Air Force colors.  The emblem' s elements portray

  • Shield represents past roots, present vision

    The shield of the 15th Airlift Wing symbolizes the unit's mission and reflects its storied past. It was originally approved for the 15th Fighter Group on Oct. 2, 1942.The ultramarine blue and gold represent Air Force colors while the lightning flashes from the base represent the speed of modern

  • Shield represents past, future mission

    The shield of the Air Force Flight Test Center concisely defines its past, present and future. The center was established in 1951, and its shield was approved May 14, 1953. The ultramarine blue and yellow represent Air Force colors. Blue alludes to the sky, the primary theater of Air Force

  • Shield's history dates back to 1924

    The emblem of the 1st Pursuit Group, designed with the unit's history in mind, was approved on Jan. 21, 1924, by the Adjutant General.The green and black colors represented the colors of the Army Air Service. The five stripes signified the original five flying squadrons, and the five crosses

  • Shindand AB dedicates area to fallen air advisor

    Advisers at Shindand Air Base, Afghanistan, honored one of their fallen brothers during a dedication ceremony Feb. 27.Air Force Maj. Raymond Estelle II lost his life April 27, 2011, during a shooting incident at the Afghan Command and Control Center in the Afghanistan air force headquarters at the

  • Shindand Air Base triples in size

    By expanding to nearly three times its original size, Shindand Air Base recently became the second largest airfield throughout Afghanistan. Colonel Larry Bowers, the 838th Air Expeditionary Advisory Group commander, opened the new expansion area upon completion of construction of approximately eight

  • Shindand defenders take aim

    Security forces advisers from the 838th Air Expeditionary Advisory Wing and Italian air force conducted 9 mm pistol training for 20 Afghan airmen here recently.The classroom training, aimed to provide senior AAF officers formal instruction on safety, engaging a target and nomenclature of the weapon.

  • Shingles vaccine available to beneficiaries age 60, older

    Following a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendation issued Oct. 19 Tricare now covers Zostavax, the vaccine designed to prevent shingles for beneficiaries age 60 and older. Shingles is a painful viral disease that affects more than one million Americans every year. More than half

  • Shinseki cites collaboration in mental health care

    Psychological war wounds are nothing new to servicemembers, but the support of the nation to care for their injuries, until recent years, was somewhat uncharted territory. The departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs are committed to advancing that care because it's the right thing to do as a

  • Shinseki says VA's home loan program continues to stay strong

    Mortgage loans guaranteed by the Department of Veterans Affairs continue to have the lowest rate for serious delinquency and foreclosures in the industry. "The continued high performance of VA loans is due to the dedication of VA's loan professionals, the support of our partners in the mortgage

  • Shinseki urges disabled vets to conquer mountain, doubts

    Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric K. Shinseki opened the 24th Annual National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic here March 28, encouraging participants to conquer the mountain and prove to themselves what they're able to achieve.Secretary Shinseki challenged more than 400 disabled veterans

  • Shinseki vows to reduce VA's claims backlog

    Prioritizing the work ahead shortly after his first anniversary on the job, Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric K. Shinseki said his focus for the year ahead is on reducing the disability claims backlog. "We are going to break the back of the backlog this year," Secretary Shinseki said during an

  • Shinseki: Evidence led to new Agent Orange presumptions

    Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric K. Shinseki defended his decision to add heart disease, Parkinson's disease and leukemia to the conditions VA officials can presume in Vietnam War veterans to be caused by Agent Orange exposure.Speaking before the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs Sept. 23,

  • Shinseki: VA honors 'exceptional Americans'

    The Airmen of today's United States Air Force display the same guts, determination and skill as their forebears in the wars of earlier eras, Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric K. Shinseki said today at the Air Force Association's annual meeting.Service members stepped forward to repel the surprise

  • Shinseki: VA task force improves care of women vets

    The newly formed VA Task Force on Women Veterans will go a long way in addressing key benefits gaps to female veterans, according to Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric K. Shinseki. While support for women veterans has improved, "it has not been enough," Shinseki said during the 2011

  • Ship named in honor of Air Force captain

    Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James and Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus conducted the official naming ceremony of Motor Vessel Capt. David I. Lyon Jan. 14, at the Pentagon.

  • Ship takes heroic legacy to the fight

    A fallen Air Force hero from Pope Air Force Base, N.C., was honored April 8 at the Military Ocean Terminal here. A Navy cargo ship was named for Air Force Cross recipient Tech. Sgt. John Chapman.The combat controller’s legacy will live on as the Motor Vessel Tech. Sgt. John A. Chapman carries

  • Shipping blood, saving lives

    The Blood Transshipment Center (BTC) at Al Udeid Air Base provides blood to more than 30 forward operating locations in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility. In 2015, the center shipped nearly 23,000 units of blood to nine countries, including Iraq and Afghanistan. The blood was used in

  • Shipping it out

    Tech. Sgt. Loren Hare signals Staff Sgt. Sapira Walker on the placement of a Navy P-3 Orion propeller that is being readied for shipment May 30 at Ali Base, Iraq. Airmen in the traffic management office are responsible for preparing, packaging, shipping and receiving all outbound cargo here.

  • Shipping traffic delays X-51A launch

    The scheduled May 25 launch of the X-51A Waverider hypersonic flight test vehicle has been postponed 24 hours. The delay was due to the presence of a freighter transiting in a section of the Point Mugu Naval Air Warfare Center Sea Range several hundred miles off the California coast.A U.S. Navy P-3

  • 'Shock air forces' hit Iraq

    Coalition "shock air forces" aircraft flew nearly 1,000 strike sorties March 21, hitting targets intended to end the regime of Saddam Hussein. The strikes marked the beginning of the air campaign portion of Operation Iraqi Freedom.During his first press conference since combat operations began, Gen.

  • ShOC-N battle lab hosts distributed command and control event

    The 805th Combat Training Squadron’s Shadow Operations Center - Nellis is the U.S. Air Force’s premier battle lab supporting the development, advancement, and maturation of key technologies and capabilities designed to compress the kill-chain for joint and coalition warfighters.

  • ShOC-N: Bringing ABMS future faster

    As the Air Force and Department of Defense continually refine intra- and inter-service communication capabilities to retain strategic advantage in future conflict, Nellis Air Force Base’s Shadow Operations Center-Nellis, or ShOC-N, is leading the way as the test bed for emerging technologies that

  • Shooter, sirens prep Minot Airmen

    Minot Air Force Base Airmen responded to a mock attack during a massive accident response exercise at the McAdoo Sports and Fitness Center March 26 here.More than 50 evaluators and exercise planners, including officials from local and state emergency management staffs, the FBI, Minot Police

  • Shop reorganizes, reduces maintenance-flow days

    Maintainers here are promising to cut nearly two months off Common Configuration Improvement Program efforts on Air Force fighter aircraft by rearranging work spaces and making the flow smoother.Program modifications are being done here to enhance the cockpit, avionics and combat capability of about

  • Shoplifting -- not worth it

    Shoplifting is a crime that could cost a servicemember his or her career and a whole lot of money, too."Whatever excuses people come up with to justify their actions, the fact remains that none of them are good enough reasons to risk a career over," said Steve Bass, Army and Air Force Exchange

  • Shoplifting, and resulting costs to military community, down in '08

    High-tech electronic article surveillance systems, eagle-eyed closed circuit television cameras and an aggressive youth shoplifting awareness campaign helped take "a bite out of crime" at Army & Air Force Exchange Service facilities last year as shoplifting cases dropped 15.7 percent, from 7,635 in

  • Shoppers welcome Operation Holiday Surprise

    Spirits are high during the holiday season, but checking accounts do not always follow suit. So when Sheilah Franklin was preparing to pay for a shopping cart full of groceries at the Ramstein Commissary, she was shocked and pleased by a last-second intervention by Operation Holiday Surprise. Under

  • Short tour credit for Naples, Latina ending

    The Air Force will discontinue the temporary exception to award short tour credit to Airmen serving long tour assignments at Naples and Latina, Italy, effective Jan. 1. Airmen assigned to either location between March 1, 1996 and Dec. 31, 2005 will continue to receive the short tour credit. The Air

  • Short-notice: A new way to exercise

    When 1st Lt. Matt Lavigne's phone rang late Dec. 10, he knew it was time to scramble into action. As a fighter pilot, preparedness is engraved into his DNA, but this was the first time he'd experienced something like this. In only a few hours, he'd be flying side by side with other F-16 Fighting

  • Short-tour credit authorized for contingency deployments overseas

    A temporary exception to policy will award permanent change-of-station short-tour credit to many airmen deployed overseas for recent contingency operations, according to Air Force Personnel officials here.Eligible airmen must have been on temporary duty starting on or after Sept. 11, 2001, for at

  • Should we really “pin them where they win them”

    Active duty Air Force members who have changed stations in the recent past (approximately the last ten years or so) are likely to have experienced a push to get their PCS decoration written and awarded before PCSing so that their shop, or even their commander, can present the medal prior to the

  • Show features academy skydivers

    The U.S. Air Force Academy’s skydiving program will be featured on the History Channel’s new series, “Guts and Bolts.” The new series, which premiered Sept. 13, gives viewers a behind-the-scenes glimpse at the history and inner-workings of today’s most fascinating technologies.Members of the 98th

  • 'Show Me State' shows greatest support for troops

    When it comes to showing support for America's troops, Missouri is living up to its nickname as the "Show Me State" by sending nearly 4,000 Base and Post Exchange gift certificates to Soldiers, Airmen, Sailors and Marines. Since the beginning of the year, supporters from 45 states and the District

  • Show seeks military families for home makeover

    The producers of ABC's "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" are seeking people involved in the military whose home deserves an extreme makeover. The producers are looking for people with "amazing strength of character and who put their own needs aside to help others," a press release said. "Whether it's

  • Showcasing America's Airmen in New York City

    Air Force Week returns to New York City this Sunday, Aug. 19, providing flyovers, concerts and opportunities to meet Airmen serving in the U.S. Air Force.The purpose of Air Force Week is to build relationships outside the local base community, reach out to those who are unfamiliar with the Air Force

  • Showing how family strengthens service

    Col. David Mineau, director of Joint and National Security Council Matters, Headquarters Air Force, and his wife, Amy, received the 2017 General and Mrs. Jerome F. O'Malley Award from Chief of Staff of the Air Force Gen. David L. Goldfein during a ceremony at the Pentagon, Sept. 26, 2018.

  • Shutdown could affect young troops most, Gates says

    While emphasizing that service members eventually will receive the pay they would earn during a government shutdown, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates acknowledged here April 7 that if the government shuts down for a week starting April 8, their mid-month paychecks would include only the pay they

  • Shutdown effects continue on Defense Department, Hagel says

    The government shutdown is over, but it will take a while for the effects to fade, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said at a press conference Oct 17. At the shutdown's height, more than 400,000 Defense Department civilian employees were furloughed because of the lapse of appropriations for the new

  • Shutdown endangers reserve component readiness

    Reserve component personnel continue to be affected by the government shutdown, and officials are concerned about readiness. Within DOD, the reserve components are the Army National Guard, the Air National Guard, the Army Reserve, the Air Force Reserve, the Navy Reserve and the Marine Corps Reserve.

  • Shutterbugs capture ‘wonderful world’ in photo contest

    This year’s theme for the 2021 Air Force Photo Contest was “What a Wonderful World.” Participants could enter up to two images for one of the categories. A panel judged each photo on impact, creativity and technical excellence. Entries were accepted July 1 - Aug. 13.

  • Shuttle Endeavour crew visits Kyrgyzstan village school

    Six astronauts from the Space Shuttle Endeavour STS-126 mission made a special visit to a Kyrgyzstan village's school Jan. 29 near Manas Air Base. Even though the Jany-Pakhta village school was closed for the season because there was no electricity or heat, about 30 children aged 6 to 18 gathered in

  • Shuttle exercise tests NASA, Edwards response teams

    Support crews from NASA Dryden Flight Research Center, Kennedy Space Center and the base teamed up in a mock shuttle recovery exercise on the flightline here April 16.The day began around 9 a.m. as a vehicle convoy snaked its way down the flightline to the main runway."We always come out for these

  • Shuttle investigation gives airmen knowledge

    Following the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster in February, NASA officials activated a 13-member board to determine the cause of the accident.Three of those board members are bluesuiters. They said they believe some of the lessons learned while working with NASA can be brought back with them to the

  • Shuttle lands, departs under Edwards watchful eye

    From its Aug. 9 landing to its Aug. 19 departure here on the back of a modified Boeing 747, civilians and Airmen here remained heavily engaged in supporting Space Shuttle Discovery.While the shuttle and its mission were primarily NASA's responsibility, Edwards played a major role in bringing the

  • Shuttle return to flight includes local efforts

    Almost two weeks after its original launch date, NASA’s Discovery Shuttle is scheduled for its return to flight July 26, but they are not doing it alone.“NASA could not launch the space shuttle without range and space surveillance support from Air Force Space Command,” said Jeffrey Ashby, former

  • Sibling reunion ‘sweet’ for Air Force reservist

    Family reunions may seem sappy to some, but for maple syrup farming siblings deployed to Afghanistan, such meetings are truly sweet.Tech. Sgt. Rebecca Jo Allen, a reservist deployed to nearby Bagram Air Base from Pope Air Force Base, N.C., and U.S. Army Reserve Chief Warrant Officer Tim Gaby,

  • Sibling tanker pilots connect 7,700 miles from home

    Being in different services, they never thought their military paths would cross, but two Kaysville, Utah, brothers are sharing a once-in-a-lifetime experience. The Torbensen family learned Marine Corps Capt. Jason Torbensen and Air Force 1st Lt. Dustin Torbensen would serve together at a

  • Siblings honor brother's sacrifice

    At a small rural church 10 miles from here, friends and family members gathered to honor 1st Lt. Bruce Sweney, an Air Force reconnaissance pilot who was shot down over North Korea Oct. 2, 1951. By all accounts the day was perfect for a memorial service -- bright sunny skies for the flyover, an Air

  • Siblings reunite at Joint Base Balad

    For many families, deployments mean being apart from loved ones. For siblings Staff Sgt. Alissa Taylor and Senior Airman Robert Laxton a deployment to Joint Balad Base is a family reunion. "Back home, it's difficult to schedule time to see each other," said Sergeant Taylor, a 64th Expeditionary

  • Siblings reunite for brother's retirement

    Being part of a large family is not that unusual, but the Maldonado siblings take being part of a larger family -- the Air Force family -- to new heights.That family got a chance to travel from around the world for Senior Master Sgt. David Maldonado's retirement from Det. 1, 552nd Air Control

  • Sign me up

    Maj. Gen. Mike McMahan, Air Force Personnel Center commander, approves the first bonus applications Nov. 1 under the expanded aviator continuation pay program. For the first time, some air battle managers and navigators are eligible for up to $15,000 per year if they sign an agreement to continue

  • Signal training for Afghan airmen

    NATO Air Training Command-Afghanistan advisors and AAF Life Support members conducted a field training class on survival signaling Nov 3. After an aircraft crash, the first line of defense for survival is knowing how to use signaling devices during the aircrew's time on the ground. "Today is the

  • Significance behind memorial's three spires

    The most visibly prominent section of the soon-to-be dedicated Air Force Memorial is its three stainless steel spires.Their combined weight is roughly 2,300 tons, and the tallest of the three reaches 270 feet into the sky. They rest upon a 40-foot thick concrete foundation and have a three-quarter

  • Signing event signifies environmental milestone

    Air Mobility Command, state and federal officials signed a record of decision May 12 for the last two of the base's contaminant release sites, reaching a major milestone in the environmental program here. The base's 59 contaminant sites put Dover on the Environmental Protection Agency’s Superfund

  • Sijan awards presented at Pentagon

    The four Airmen selected to receive the 2005 Lance P. Sijan Air Force Leadership Award were presented their awards at the Pentagon June 13.Lt. Gen. Arthur J. Lichte, Air Force assistant vice chief of staff and director of staff, presented the awards to:-- Lt. Col. Gerald Ven Dange, Defense Contract

  • Silent protectors support Operation Enduring Freedom

    A silent protector continues to support the war on terrorism, often accomplishing its mission without the beneficiaries of the protection it offers even knowing a sortie is being flown.The EC-130H Compass Call is an airborne tactical system that disrupts enemy command and control communications, as

  • 'Silent Sentry' gives deployed Airmen upper hand in space superiority

    With the advancement of technology, satellite communication has been a key factor in maintaining space superiority throughout the entire area of responsibility.Airmen assigned to the 379th Expeditionary Operations Support Squadron operate the Rapid Attack Identification Detection Reporting System,

  • Silent Sentry meets a decade of interstellar combat support

    Operation Silent Sentry was part of a proof of concept system in 2005. Back then, several Airmen were deployed to Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, for 120 days. The mission was to test the capabilities of a new defensive counter-space system in support of joint warfighters in the area of responsibility and

  • Silent Sentry: Defending the final frontier

    Air, space and cyberspace - these are the three domains that the United States Air Force strives to defend. Of these domains, space has become one of the most crowded and competitive. At any given time, there are innumerable signals being transmitted to and from satellites, with each signal taking

  • Silently surveying surroundings

    At first glance, it appears to be an airplane model a child might pull off a local toy-store shelf. But unlike the recreational remote aircraft, this force-protection asset is no toy. The 7-pound aircraft allows security forces to see beyond what the human eye can see and silently survey the

  • Silicon Valley rescue C-130s go digital

    Nestled in the center of the world's technology epicenter is the California Air National Guard's 129th Rescue Wing.  Search and rescue is the wing's primary mission, which often involves low-tech but courageous life-saving actions. The mission is about to get a high-tech boost from an innovative

  • Silver Flag performs first exercise since Hurricane Michael

    Hurricane Michael altered the landscape where many Airmen worked, trained and lived. With the flood of changes, a return normalcy is a priority for the base. Tyndall Air Force Base's first step to normal operations was to reestablish its mission sets. The 823rd REDHORSE Squadron Detachment 1

  • Silver Flag prepares Airmen to deploy

    Airmen throughout U.S. Air Forces in Europe recently learned skills and received training across the spectrum of predeployment, deployment and post-deployment in a bare-base environment during Exercise Silver Flag. Silver Flag prepares USAFE’s combat support troops for real-world deployments through

  • Silver Flag provides contingency training for USAFE Airmen

    U.S. Air Forces in Europe Airmen participated in a week-long contingency operations training exercise here July 27 through 31. Silver Flag consisted of five days of classroom training and two days of field training. Airmen from various Air Force specialty codes had to work together to set up and

  • Silver Star awarded to combat controller

    The commander of Air Force Special Operations Command presented the Silver Star medal to a combat controller and more than 30 other medals to special tactics Airmen during a ceremony at Hurlburt Field, Fla., Jan. 18.Lt. Gen. Eric Fiel presented Tech. Sgt. Clint Campbell the Silver Star for his

  • Silver Star mission a lesson in teamwork

    Retired Lt. Col. Gregory Thornton was presented the Silver Star Medal - the third highest medal for valor in the military - in a private ceremony held at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force June 30, 2017.

  • Silver Star presented for fallen Airman's 'gallantry in action'

    Dressed in a silver and black dress, 3-year-old Chloe Smith stood beside her mother, Tiffany, as they accepted a Silver Star award today in honor of Senior Airman Bradley R. Smith who was killed in action at the age of 24 in Afghanistan Jan. 3, 2010.Maj. Gen. Lawrence Wells, 9th Air Force commander,