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  • Special tactics Airmen march to honor fallen comrades

    A team of 18 special tactics Airmen have one objective in mind: honor the fallen.The team recently began an 812-mile march from Medina Annex, Lackland Air Force Base, Texas to Hurlburt Field, Fla., to commemorate 17 fallen comrades.As they marched out at 5 a.m, carrying 50-pound rucksacks and a

  • Special Tactics Airmen survey airfields to gain an operational advantage

    Special Tactics Airmen from Air Force Special Operations Command conducted multiple airfield surveys with their Afghan Air Force counterparts in Faryab province this week. Airfield surveys are executed prior to the arrival of special operations and conventional aircraft to traditional airfields and

  • Special tactics Airmen train on submarine

    A U.S. fighter pilot has been shot down. He is injured and behind enemy lines. But he has established communications and is evading the enemy. Time is a critical factor. He needs to be rescued, and he needs to be rescued now. Submerged off the coast lies 19,000 tons of stealth in the form of a

  • Special tactics Airmen walk for fallen comrades

    Fifteen special tactics Airmen carrying 50-pound rucksacks departed from here Oct. 9 on a mission to honor the memories of their fallen comrades.The 860-mile trek, known as the Tim Davis Special Tactics Memorial March, will stretch across five states and will consist of six teams walking 24 hours a

  • Special tactics officer saves N.C. woman

    In the midst of smoke and blood, the special tactics officer's training kicked in, and he set to work.This time he was not operating in the deserts of Afghanistan. He was administering lifesaving care in Fayetteville, N.C.Maj. Francis Damon Friedman, the director of operations at the 21st Special

  • Special tactics recruiting takes flight

    The Air Force's ongoing need to fill critically manned special tactics positions -- particularly combat controllers and pararescuemen -- has brought about a unique initiative between officials from Air Force Recruiting Service and Air Force Special Operations Command. A recent agreement between AFRS

  • Special Tactics saves lives in Hurricane Harvey aftermath

    To assist in rescue efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, 38 Special Tactics Airmen deployed to Southeast Texas to provide critical disaster relief.Special Tactics Airmen with the 123rd and 125th Special Tactics Squadrons exercised their personnel rescue and global access capabilities to

  • Special tactics squadron double amputee makes historic jump

    Air Force history was made June 15, when a wounded warrior from the 22nd Special Tactics Squadron became the first active-duty double amputee to successfully participate in a personnel drop.Staff Sgt. Shaun Meadows, along with 39 of his co-workers, conducted a practice parachute jump from a C-17

  • Special tactics training complex dedicated to fallen STO

    To honor a fallen special tactics officer’s actions and courageous leadership, the 24th Special Operations Wing along with friends and family hosted a dedication ceremony in Capt. Matthew Roland’s honor, May 6 at Hurlburt Field, Florida.

  • Special tactics unit arrives in Houston to aid Ike relief

    Members of the Oregon Air National Guard's 125th Special Tactics Squadron arrived at the Reliant Center in Houston Sept. 12 to assist with Hurricane Ike relief efforts. The team's primary focus is to provide command and control where needed and work with other federal agencies to establish

  • Special Tactics unit surpasses 6,900 days combating war in Middle East

    For the men and women of the 17th Special Tactics Squadron, since their initial response to the GWOT in October 2001, there have been no breaks in deployments and combat operations for more than 6,900 days in support of operations Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom, Freedom’s Sentinel and Resolute

  • Special team searches for aircraft cracks

    All combat aircraft go through extreme stresses when completing their missions. Those stresses can cause metal fatigue -- tiny cracks in the joints and welds of the frame or invisible fractures in the metal.The sooner these invisible cracks are found, the safer the aircraft will be.Finding those

  • Special unit provides airfield operations in New Orleans

    Without the quick deployment of an Air Mobility Command special unit, the air evacuation plan here would not have happened.The 818th Contingency Response Group from McGuire Air Force Base, N.J., arrived Aug. 31, a day after Hurricane Katrina demolished the area. They instantly provided relief to

  • Special Victims’ Counsel is here to help survivors

    She was an officer with nearly nine years of service, who had been selected for promotion. She joined some colleagues on a weekend camping trip to take advantage of the summer weather. After enjoying a bonfire and games, they all settled in for the night, but one man, a fellow officer, didn’t.

  • Special visitors spread cheer to Airmen in Afghanistan

    The U.S. Air Forces in Europe commander visited Airmen deployed to Afghanistan to thank them for what they do. He also brought along the USAFE popular music band Direct Hit to spread holiday cheer. The high-quality blend of rock, pop, and rhythm and blues delivered right on target, but Gen. Tom

  • Special-duty recruiting teams combine forces

    Two Air Force recruiting teams have combined forces to make it easier for airmen to sign up for special-duty assignments, particularly as recruiters or military training instructors.The dual recruiter and MTI recruiting team provides servicemembers one briefing to learn about these and other

  • Specialized reservist team supports Naval burn victims

    It's like a page from a script right out of a Hollywood movie. A McChord C-17 Globemaster III was diverted Dec. 1 to fly a nine-member Army Burn Center Flight Team from Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, to Hickam AFB, Hawaii, to care for six Navy Sailors burned when a steam line ruptured onboard the

  • Specially trained officers support Haitian relief efforts

    Responding to and supporting post-earthquake relief efforts in Haiti is expected to be the one of the most challenging humanitarian operations in the history of the National Security Preparedness directorate, according to Col. Michael Hare, NSEP director.Colonel Hare, who oversees Air Forces

  • Special-ops Airmen open strategic runways for relief operations

    Airmen and aircraft from the 353rd Special Operations Group assisted Japanese officials in opening two key runways to support relief operations in northern Japan March 16.Facilities and airfields at Matsushima Air Base and Sendai Airport were damaged by the 8.9-magnitude earthquake and resulting

  • Special-order uniforms provide accommodations

    The special-order process provides service members with unique proportions or medical needs an avenue to comply with military standards and maintain a professional appearance without incurring additional costs.

  • Speckled Trout reeled in to new home

    A Boeing KC-135, "Speckled Trout ," which served as the personal aircraft of every Air Force Chief of Staff since 1975, was moved from Kelly Field Annex, Texas, to its new home at the Lackland Training Annex here Feb. 15. The move culminated a process that began after the historic aircraft arrived

  • Speckled Trout takes detour to aid deployed Airman

    “Airmen helping Airmen” is a statement that is made often in the ranks of the Air Force.High-ranking Air Force leaders and a C-135C Speckled Trout crew from here demonstrated it Nov. 11.The crew was preparing to leave Incirlik Air Base, Turkey, with Secretary of the Air Force Dr. James G. Roche and

  • Spectrum Summit focuses on warfighters' communication needs

    Servicemembers on patrols and convoy missions in Iraq and Afghanistan sometimes have to choose between having access to radios to call in close-air support if they need it or to call for jammers to disable improvised explosive devices they encounter along the route. That is a decision troops

  • Speed drives Air Force, DoD innovation, improvements

    Speed is the crux of innovation and improvements the Defense Department will make to ensure the force is ready for any contingency, Air Force Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Stephen W. Wilson said at the Defense One Summit Nov. 9, 2017, in Washington, D.C.

  • Speed of Iraq battle tested U.S. logistics efforts

    The speed of the battle in Iraq strained the logistics effort, but the service men and women were up to the task, said Army logistics officials in Iraq and the United States.Speaking via a teleconference call from Iraq, Brig. Gen. Jack C. Stultz Jr. said the unprecedented speed of the coalition

  • Speed wins: MacDill AFB contracting awards 100k in swift fashion

    With the success of its first Pitch Day, MacDill AFB showcased how partnerships with local businesses are an integral part of advancing innovation to improve warfighting capabilities. Even further, Pitch Day was a testament to the base’s efforts to open their doors even more to small businesses in

  • Speedy analyzer ensures safe fuel

    Air Force Research Laboratory Fuels Branch workers developed a new tool that analyzes jet fuel within five minutes and estimates important properties in a mobile laboratory setting.The fast gas chromatograph is an instrument that examines different types of fuels to determine whether or not they are

  • Spencer pins on 4th star, named next vice chief

    Lt. Gen. Larry Spencer pinned on his fourth star and was named the next Air Force vice chief of staff during a ceremony officiated by Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley and Chief of Staff of the Air Force Gen. Norton Schwartz at the Pentagon on July 27.Spencer had been assigned as the

  • Spencer reflects on 44-year career

    In the early 1970s, America was at a crossroads. The Vietnam War raged on, seemingly with no end in sight, and many Americans felt forced to choose to either support the administration or protest the conflict, which left many families across the nation bitterly divided.

  • Spending accounts open for enrollment

    Enrollments in the federal Flexible Spending Accounts program are now being accepted by the contractor. The deadline for Air Force civilians to enroll in the program has been extended to June 27, according to Air Force Personnel Center officials here.FSA is a new employment benefit that allows

  • Spending reforms top Defense priorities

    Pentagon officials should start seeing results from major spending reforms launched by Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates in the summer of 2010, Deputy Defense Secretary William J. Lynn III said Oct. 14.The entire Defense Department is working to change the way it does business to become more

  • Spice illegal for Airmen, produces dangerous side effects

    Although it is banned from use by Airmen and scheduled to soon become illegal for all U.S. citizens, not much is known about the drug known as "spice."Spice, considered by some to be a marijuana alternative because it has the same effects, is a mixture of potentially dangerous herbs coated with

  • Spinning electrons research could enhance AF computers

    Scientists funded by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research have used a single photon technique to observe the evolution of individual electron spins in semiconductor nanostructures. Their work has already contributed to the new field of semiconductor spintronics - an emerging technology which

  • Spiral 3 underway for JEFX ’06

    Spiral 3 of the Joint Expeditionary Force Experiment ‘06 kicked off March 2 at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. JEFX is an Air Force chief of staff-sponsored, major command-executed series of experiments that combine live-fly, live-play ground and naval forces, simulation and technology insertions into a

  • Spirit in the sky

    The "Spirit of Kitty Hawk," a B-2 Spirit from Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo., flies over the base here. Three B-2s will be here for a week while aircrews participate in war games in Alaska. (Photo by Senior Airman Christina M. Rumsey)

  • Spirit in the sky

    As part of an initiative to provide more effective spiritual care to members of the Offutt Air Force Base’s flying community, 55th Wing chaplains are now becoming aerial qualified to go where aircrews go.

  • 'Spirit of Berlin' a hit with Berlin Air Show spectators

    The “Spirit of Berlin” proved a big hit at the 2006 Berlin Air Show. When spectators entered the C-17 Globemaster III through the crew entry door, the typical reaction was to stop, stare in awe and exclaim in wonder at the cavernous interior. “You got that all day, every day,” said Tech. Sgt. Don

  • Spirit of Global Reach lands at Dover

    The Spirit of Global Reach arrived at Dover Air Force Base Feb. 9, putting itself in the history books as Team Dover's first C-5M Super Galaxy. The Spirit of Global Reach is the first of three C-5Ms Dover will receive for operational testing and evaluation. "Today we see the fruits of a long-term

  • Spirit of Hope Award nominations due in January

    Nominations for the 2014 Spirit of Hope Award are due to the Air Force Personnel Center by Jan. 24. The award, named for comedian and actor Bob Hope, recognizes a military member, former military member, civilian or organization that epitomizes duty, honor, courage, loyalty, commitment, integrity

  • 'Spirit of McChord' gives Canadians a lift

    Normally they move people, humanitarian supplies, troop rations and equipment, but Airmen with the 817th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron's Detachment 1 here were tasked Oct. 7 to move different equipment -- several 30-foot, 100,000 pound Canadian tanks.The C-17 Globemaster III "Spirit of McChord" and

  • 'Spirit of Solano' arrives at Travis

    The much anticipated C-17 Globemaster III, the "Spirit of Solano," arrived home at Travis Air Force Base, Calif., on Aug. 8. Festivities began with a flyover of all three major airframes now based at Travis: the C-5 Galaxy, KC-10 Extender and C-17. The crowd of approximately 2,000 applauded as Maj.

  • 'Spirit of Strom Thurmond' honors senator's 100 years

    The Air Force commemorated the 100th birthday of one of the longest-serving U.S. senators by naming its newest aircraft in his honor Dec. 12.The 100th C-17 Globemaster III to roll off the assembly line was christened the "Spirit of Strom Thurmond" in a ceremony here seven days after the senator's

  • Spirited remembrance: B-2 marks Pearl Harbor event

    Two members of the 393rd Expeditionary Bomb Squadron piloted their B-2 Spirit stealth bomber over Pearl Harbor Dec. 7 in honor of Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day. This flight was part of a stealth bomber global power sortie, where the aircrews practice their global reach capability by flying more than

  • Spirits set to soar over Pacific

    B-2 Spirits recently deployed here from Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo., are scheduled to fly their first missions over Guam in mid October as part of a continued bomber presence in the Pacific region. The B-2s are at Andersen AFB to enhance regional security, demonstrate the nation's commitment to the

  • Spiritual resilience fuels the heart, soul

    Similar to a sine wave, everyone has ups and downs, but it's their spirituality that gets them to the next day. No matter the faith background, where a person is from or who their family is, everyone has some sort of spirituality to lean on during both the hard times and the fun ones.

  • Spirituality holds Airman up

    "It puts things into perspective," said Master Sgt. Wendell Barnes, the 35th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron commander support staff superintendent. "I love what I do in the military, but it is temporary and my faith is forever."

  • Spitting incident reminds airmen to stay safe

    The wife of a military member here received an unexpected message recently from an anti-war protester.Jessica Resendez, who was wearing a sweatsuit printed with an Air Force emblem, was walking through a shopping center parking lot when a woman grabbed her sleeve and asked her if she was in the

  • Split disbursement now mandatory for all military travelers

    All military travelers must now select the split disbursement option on their travel voucher claims to directly pay their government travel card expenses, according to finance officials.Split disbursement requires travelers to tally up their GTC expenses and authorize enough funds to be sent

  • Spokane boy lives dream as 'Airman for a day'

    A 10-year-old boy, who has been fighting a cancerous tumor on his optic nerve and endured 1.5 years of chemotherapy, had the opportunity to become an "Airman for a day" here May 4.Sam, from Spokane, Wash., was the first youth to participate in this program, which was started by the Fairchild AFB

  • Spokesman: Probe will determine Chinook crash facts

    An investigation will determine the facts surrounding the deaths of 30 U.S. service members and eight Afghan commandos when their CH-47 Chinook helicopter went down in Afghanistan's Wardak province Aug. 6, a Pentagon spokesman said.Marine Corps Col. Dave Lapan warned against jumping to conclusions

  • Sponsors help form newcomers’ first impressions

    Bad first impressions last a long time. That is what William Robinson tries to instill in every person assigned as a sponsor here. Sponsors provide those impressions of the base and the arriving member’s unit, said Mr. Robinson, 39th Mission Support Squadron family support center community readiness

  • Spooky gunship armed with new cannons

    Spooky is about to get a little scarier. Crews at Hurlburt Field have put the finishing touches on the first AC-130U Spooky gunship armed with the 30 mm Bushmaster cannon. The rearmed Spooky retains its 105 mm cannon but replaces the 25 mm and 40 mm guns with Bushmasters. The project is a "win-win,"

  • SPORT provides eyes for Edwards mission

    The room is dark. The only light comes from computer screens and monitors along with blinking lights on various machines. Seven people sit in front of monitors that project green dots and lines. It may look like this group is playing games in an arcade, but in reality they are playing a crucial role

  • Sports programs for disabled veterans expanding

    Department of Veterans Affairs officials are awarding two grants totaling $7.5 million to the U.S. Olympic Committee to enhance recreation and sporting activities for disabled veterans and disabled members of the armed forces. "Many of our veterans have experienced traumatic injuries while at the

  • Sports recap: Falcon baseballers feel Utah broom

    The Air Force Academy Falcon baseball team had a rough weekend at the hands of the University of Utah Utes. After dropping a close game April 8, losing 8-5, the Falcons lost a pair the following day by somewhat larger margins. In the first game of the April 9 doubleheader, the Utes pounded out 22

  • Sports recap: Falcon pole vaulter named All-American

    Air Force Academy pole vaulter Paul Gensic earned All-American honors following a third-place performance at the 2005 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships on March 11 in Fayetteville, Ark.Gensic cleared a height of 18 feet 1/2 inch and tied with the University of Nebraska’s Ray Scotten and the

  • SportsNation salutes veterans with Academy visit

    ESPN's Charissa Thompson took the SportsNation TV show to the  U.S. Air Force Academy Nov. 8 to broadcast a salute to veterans.The Veterans Day special is SportsNation's third in as many years, with previous years featuring visits to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., and Fort Myer, in

  • Spouse jobs program set to relaunch

    The Military Spouse Career Advancement Program Accounts program is set to resume Oct. 25, but with significant changes.Changes include limiting the availability of financial aid to spouses of active-duty servicemembers in pay grades E-1 to E-5, W1 to W-2 and O-1 to O-2. Financial aid also will be

  • Spouse jobs program to relaunch in October

    The Military Spouse Career Advancement Accounts program will resume Oct. 25, but with some significant changes to the popular spouse employment program, a defense official announced July 20.Changes include a reduction in the amount of financial aid, a change in the population eligible to receive

  • Spouse jobs program to relaunch in October

    The Military Spouse Career Advancement Accounts program will resume Oct. 25, but with some significant changes to the popular spouse employment program, a defense official announced today.Changes include a reduction in the amount of financial aid, a change in the population eligible to receive that

  • Spouse survey to help shape future family programs

    Defense officials want to make sure military spouses know it's important for them to complete the 30-minute online survey they received in the mail last month. The new Defense Department survey asks their views as defense planners shape family programs to meet their needs and interests, a top

  • Spouse’s choir takes the stage on ‘America’s Got Talent’

    Thirty-seven military spouses from across the country are set to perform live on NBC’s hit reality show “America’s Got Talent” at 7 p.m. Aug. 6 in New York City. The American Military Spouse’s Choir auditioned in Chicago for the show’s judges and had a strong enough performance to be put through to

  • Spouses can honor employers with award

    Civilian spouses of Reserve and National Guard members often must rely on the flexibility and support of their employers, particularly during deployments. While most employers will grant a time-off request and, in some cases, a shift change for their spouse employees, others go above and beyond in

  • Spouses get taste of security forces' life

    Airmen of the 18th Security Forces Squadron here held a civilian police academy course for Kadena Air Base spouses to give an inside look at what happens behind the scenes of a security forces patrolman. "This is a course geared toward not only educating the base populace on the range of services we

  • Spouses make flags to honor ultimate sacrifice

    Two Air Force spouses are helping revive an old tradition to honor the families of servicemembers killed in battle.Julie Gindhart and Claudia Schmucker, both wives of Air Force majors, have joined with other members of the Military and Civilian Spouses Club here to make "gold star service flags."

  • Spouses of deployed Airmen armed with information

    When Airmen leave for a deployment, their spouses are often left at home, and many times are forced to make decisions they've never made before. For months, Misawa's 35th Operations Group has been training to go downrange. But preparing to deploy is more than what happens on the flightline; it's

  • Spouses overseas get funding to pursue degrees

    Diane Rhinehart is ready to compete in the job market once she and her active-duty husband return to the United States next summer. During her stay here, the mother of four has completed her master's degree in education from the University of Phoenix with the help of the Air Force. Mrs. Rhinehart is

  • Spouse's program takes off

    McConnell graduated its first spouses recently from a new program designed to increase spouses' and caregivers' awareness of the Air Force mission, customs, traditions, protocol, support resources and other services available to them."I thought (Heartlink) was very informative, especially for a

  • 'Spouses to Teachers' program expands to Europe

    Starting Oct. 1, military spouses in Europe interested in teaching can participate in the Department of Defense Spouses to Teachers program, which until now had been only available stateside. The program's services include information on state-specific educational requirements, teaching credentials

  • Spouses to Teachers program expands to Pacific region

    Military spouses living overseas and interested in a professional and portable teaching career now have additional assistance with the Spouses to Teachers program. Effective throughout the U.S. Pacific Command since Feb. 1, Spouses to Teachers offers resources and counseling to military spouses

  • Spouses, families of deployed Airmen go the distance

    Spouses and family members of Moody's deployed Airmen have an opportunity to go the distance through the "Inching Toward Iraq" program. The program is designed to help families cope with the stress of deployments, and it focuses on having families walk the distance it would take them to reunite with

  • 'Spread the Word' team addresses workforce concerns

    The commander of the Air Force Personnel Center brought her Spread the Word briefing team here Nov. 12 to 14 to communicate personnel changes with diverse groups of customers. Maj. Gen. K. C. McClain is traveling with the team initially to each Air Force base with a major command headquarters

  • Spreading the love of language

    An officer here uses a special skill to communicate with local Djiboutians as well as international partners throughout Eastern Africa. Capt. Sylvia Kim speaks fluent French, one of the official languages of Djibouti and a dominant language throughout the African continent. Realizing her skill could

  • Spring 2006 quarterly issue of Airman available

    Read about how space-based capabilities are helping fight the war on terrorism, travel with a joint convoy mission through Iraq, follow the struggles of the Air Force family’s tiniest members as they receive life-saving care at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Wilford Hall Medical Center. These

  • Spring 2007 quarterly issue of Airman now online

    In the spring quarterly issue of Airman magazine, read about how the Air Force is making some tough decisions about the Airmen it keeps in the force, so the Air Force chief of staff is traveling around the globe to tell Airmen about that and the issues that will affect their careers. These are just

  • Spring 'Air and Space Power Journal' available

    The College of Aerospace Doctrine, Research and Education at Air University has published and distributed the Spring 2007 English edition of the Air Force's professional journal, "Air and Space Power Journal." The journal serves as an open forum for the presentation and stimulation of innovative

  • Spring break all about 'service before self'

    “Service Before Self,” one of the Air Force’s core values, is on the minds of 135 U.S. Air Force Academy cadets who are working during their alternative spring break in areas damaged by Hurricane Katrina. The project is part of the Cadet Service Learning program which centers on community

  • Spring forward: Daylight-saving time starts Sunday

    Setting clocks forward an hour early for daylight-saving time is coming up quicker this year. The start of daylight-saving time, or DST, has been moved up from the first Sunday in April to the second Sunday in March. On March 11, those living in areas under DST will set clocks forward one hour, from

  • Spring to mark start of personnel system transition

    Defense Department officials here are on track to transition the majority of its more than 220,000 civilian employees out of the National Security Personnel System by Sept. 30, more than a year ahead of deadline, the official heading up that transition said Feb. 18. The 2010 National Defense

  • Squadron ‘cleans house’ to build new home

    Stepping out of the sweltering heat into the cool shadows of hardened aircraft shelter No. 21, many visitors might notice the new paint on the walls or the freshly swept floors and the spacious room.The former Soviet-era shelter was not always so fresh, clean and inviting. Formerly used as a