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U.S. Air Force News

  • Korean exercises kick off

    Forces from all U.S. services started arriving here March 11 for the peninsula's largest exercises.Soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines gathered in Korea to work with their South Korean counterparts in the two major exercises to show how U.S. forces will help defend the country. The exercises will

  • Live from New York

    Secretary of the Air Force Dr. James G. Roche (right) and Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper (center) answer questions posed to them by MSNBC News anchor Lester Holt while appearing on "Lester Holt Live" on March 17. Roche and Jumper are in New York for two days of television and radio

  • E-8 promotion rates up; critical skills even higher

    The 1,612 master sergeants picked for promotion this year were selected using the chronic critical skills program for the first time.The selectees will be named March 19.The program applies higher selection rates to certain career fields. This year is the first it is being applied to the E-8 and E-9

  • Airman keeps sight of American dream

    Airman 1st Class George Okorodudu admits with a wide smile that he has nothing.For the better part of two years, the Nigerian-born Okorodudu has been building his American dream with a foundation that includes an Air Force enlistment.Okorodudu is a supply airman currently deployed here from Minot

  • Post office delivers piece of home

    In a three-word phrase, Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks summarized what could make or break a good day for airmen deployed to the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing -- "You've got mail."Postal clerks of the 386th Expeditionary Communications Squadron ensure everyone assigned to the wing and its tenant units are

  • Good relations key to deployment success

    A contingent of deployed airmen from the 409th Air Expeditionary Group here visited a local primary school March 17 at the request of school officials.The group of visitors was made up of a flight surgeon, aircrew members, two security forces dog handlers and their canine Waldo, and others, all led

  • Launching Lancers

    Airman 1st Class Lieckyra Jones takes a break from loading bombs onto a B-1 Lancer on March 16. Jones is part of a three-person bomb-preparation team with the 405th Air Expeditionary Wing at a forward-deployed location in Southwest Asia. (Photo by Staff Sgt. Cherie A. Thurlby)

  • I'm all eyes

    Master Sgt. Gary Easterwood (right) talks with a pilot about the proper procedures for using chemical warfare equipment in the F-16 Fighting Falcon. Easterwood is an aircrew life support assistant superintendent. The equipment pilots wear is called the aircrew eye and respiratory protection

  • New National Guard museum opens

    Information about the National Guard, the oldest military organization in the country, can be found in a new museum that opened here March 17.The National Guard Memorial Museum is located at One Massachusetts Ave., N.W., one block west of Union Station. The museum occupies 5,600 square feet of the

  • Officials establish sexual assault hot line

    Air Force officials have established a phone line for U.S. Air Force Academy cadets to report sexual assault to the inspector general.Current and former cadets can contact the IG by calling (703) 588-1541 Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. EST.The IG began an investigation March 10 of individual

  • Prepared in Bulgaria

    Senior Airman Karl Ferre marks lumber which will be used to construct a cross for chapel services held here. Ferre is deployed from the 100th Civil Engineer Squadron at Royal Air Force Mildenhall, England. The 409th Air Expeditionary Group here runs air refueling operations with KC-10 Extender

  • Survey will help servicemembers, families

    A survey designed to gauge the Air Force's success in building communities is set for distribution in early April.The 2003 Community Assessment Survey will be sent out servicewide, said the Air Force's director of family advocacy research and the project officer for the survey. He added that the

  • Women aviators highlight flight progress

    In 1944, when the B-29 hit the flightline, Army Air Corps pilots were hesitant to fly the new bomber. It was bigger and more complicated than its predecessor, the B-17, and had a reputation for engine fires.Then-Lt. Col. Paul W. Tibbets, who was in charge of training the Army Air Forces' pilots,

  • Roche, Jumper address incoming cadets' parents

    The service's senior leaders recently penned a letter to parents of incoming Air Force Academy cadets, promising to protect their children as "we would our own."Secretary of the Air Force Dr. James G. Roche and Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper sent letters March 13 to the parents of

  • Now showing: March 17 edition of Air Force Television News

    The growing scandal of current and former female Air Force Academy cadets accusing their male counterparts of rape or sexual assault headlines the latest edition of Air Force Television News.Staff Sgt. Kevin Dennison reports on the charges by the female cadets and what Air Force senior leaders and

  • Pilots safe after midair collision

    The pilots of two Air Force F-15 Eagles are safe following a midair collision of their aircraft March 17 about 65 miles northeast of here.One aircraft returned safely to the base while the other crashed on the Nevada Test and Training Range complex. The pilot of the second aircraft ejected and was

  • At home on the range

    Combat controllers practice firing movements on the range at a forward-deployed location supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. Air Force combat controller teams are trained to conduct and support special operations under clandestine, covert or low-visibility conditions. (Photo by Staff Sgt.

  • Air Force daughter wins art contest

    Sixth-grader Karen Nicholson drew her family surrounding the head of a bald eagle in an entry that won her first place in the 2003 Armed Services YMCA Art Contest. She beat out a record 3,000-plus entries to win this year's contest.Karen is the daughter of Lt. Col. Philip and Dori Nicholson of

  • Air Force implements Stop-Loss

    The assistant secretary of the Air Force for manpower and reserve affairs has authorized the use of Stop-Loss to retain specific skills needed to meet national security objectives. Effective May 2, 43 officer and 56 enlisted specialties will be affected by Stop-Loss."We do not take this action

  • Incirlik supports 'unexpected guests'

    People from the 39th Services Squadron here recently transformed an old fitness center into contingency lodging now bedding down nearly 400 deployed troops. But "Motel 39" is just one small piece of the bed-down and feeding operations puzzle."I'm impressed by how quickly (civil engineers) and

  • Air Force leaders explain effect of encroachment

    Two Air Force leaders testified before Congress on March 13 about the effects of environmental encroachment on the service's mission.In separate testimonies, Air Force Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Robert H. Foglesong and Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Installations, Environment and Logistics

  • Seal the deal

    Senior Airman Michael Campbell checks for a seal on his oxygen mask before a live-fire joint rescue exercise with a foreign national air force firefighting team March 10. Campbell is assigned to the 320th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron at a forward-deployed location. The exercise was

  • Vandenberg prepares for last Atlas II launch

    The last Atlas IIAS rocket scheduled to be launched arrived here March 12. A C-5 Galaxy ferried the historic booster and its Centaur upper stage from Denver, landing at the airfield here around 10:30 a.m.Lt. Col. Clinton Crosier, 2nd Space Launch Squadron commander, said the booster and upper stage

  • Load 'em up, move 'em out

    Tech. Sgt. Benjamin Blackstone secures a vehicle onto a C-17 Globemaster III aircraft March 7. Over the last week, approximately 550 airmen and several B-52 Stratofortresses from here deployed to support of the war on terrorism. The base also sent more than 270 short tons of support equipment and

  • Man's ingenuity earns $20K

    A senior noncommissioned officer here was recently awarded two $10,000 checks for aircraft maintenance improvements through the Air Force's Innovative Development through Employee Awareness program.Master Sgt. Warren Gould of the 33rd Fighter Wing's quality assurance office suggested cutting the

  • WASP make weather history

    Women's roles in the military may not have started at Offutt, but the Air Force Weather Agency was here when women stepped forward to serve their country.The Air Weather Service was one of the first military agencies to use military women as pilots during World War II.In early 1943, the first

  • Program offers electronic deployment information

    A Web-based, user-friendly software program Air Force Materiel Command experts here are testing promises warfighters instant access to deployment information. Plus, it will save the Air Force nearly $79 million during a five-year period.The Deployment Qualification System works through the Air

  • Leaders discuss cultural renewal at Air Force Academy

    A special report by the Air Force general counsel on the recent rise in sexual assault allegations at the U.S. Air Force Academy is scheduled for release at the end of MarchBut, the service's top leaders said March 10 that they will not wait that long to initiate needed changes.Secretary of the Air

  • Northeast icy blast fails to chill air bridge pace

    Subzero temperatures and a dusting of 4.2 inches of snow March 7 failed to slow the Patriot Wing's support of U.S. military deployments to Southwest Asia.Between March 7 and March 11, Westover's 42nd Aerial Port Squadron handled 69 aircraft, processing 641 passengers and more than 1.1 million pounds

  • Air Force offers free tax preparation, filing

    Filling out and filing income tax forms is an annual burden Americans must bear, but Air Force legal officials say servicemembers need not pay extra for the privilege.According to a legal services official at the Pentagon, more and more airmen are being tempted by the promise of quick refunds to

  • Combined security keeps Ganci safe

    Keeping people out of harm's way and protecting resources at Ganci Air Base, Kyrgyzstan, is the job of an elite group of professionals who tote radios, weapons and ride in vehicles equipped for rugged terrain.Americans from the 376th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron and their security forces

  • Keeping a watchful eye

    Airman 1st Class Brandon White scans the horizon for potential adversaries atop a wall in the city of Qal'eh-ye Musa Pa-in, Afghanistan, on March 12 during a special delivery to the village. White, who is deployed from Moody Air Force Base, Ga., was on the wall as part of a security detail as 20

  • Packing a punch for combat power

    Laser and global positioning systems-guided munitions have taken a lot of the guesswork out of bombing so the accuracy and precision of putting bombs on target gets better and better.At the root of that process are weapons loaders. Since the beginning, when someone first strapped a bomb under the

  • Eberhart briefs Congress on U.S. Northern Command

    The commander of America's newest combatant command briefed members of Congress on March 13 about the progress his unit has made since its inception less than six months ago.Gen. Ralph E. Eberhart, who took control of U.S. Northern Command when it was established Oct. 1, told members of the House

  • Three Air Force commissaries among five best

    Air Force commissaries were named "best" in three of the four categories in the Defense Commissary Agency's 2003 Best Commissary awards. Two other commissaries tied for "best" in the fourth category.Top commissaries are at:-- Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., winner of the Bill Nichols Award for the

  • Red Flag cancelled again

    For the second time this year, Air Combat Command officials here cancelled a Red Flag exercise because of emerging Air Force deployment requirements.The exercise was originally scheduled to be held later this month at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev.Red Flag, a realistic combat-training exercise

  • Peacekeeper launches from Vandenberg

    An unarmed Peacekeeper intercontinental ballistic missile was successfully launched at 1:29 a.m. March 12.The missile carried eight unarmed re-entry vehicles approximately 4,800 miles across the Pacific Ocean to a predetermined target at the Kwajalien Atoll. This test was a part of the force

  • Teets, Lord tell Senate the nation needs 'space cadre'

    The Air Force's top two space officials told lawmakers March 12 that development of a "space cadre" was one of their top agenda items for national security space programs in 2004.Undersecretary of the Air Force Peter B. Teets and Gen. Lance W. Lord, commander of Air Force Space Command, also told

  • Bombs away

    Air Force officials tested a Massive Ordnance Air Blast weapon here March 11. The MOAB is a precision-guided munition weighing 21,500 pounds and was dropped from a C-130 Hercules aircraft for the test. It is the largest non-nuclear weapon in existence. (DOD photo)

  • An ounce of prevention

    Staff Sgt. Brian S. Wells demonstrates how to use a fire extinguisher to servicemembers deployed to Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan. Wells is assigned to the 455th Expeditionary Operations Group fire department here. (Photo by Army Pvt. 2nd Class Terri Rorke)

  • Officials investigate possible mortar launch near Yokota

    U.S. Air Force officials and local Japanese authorities are investigating a possible improvised mortar launch toward Yokota Air Base.Japanese civilian guards and base residents reported two arcs of light, noise and plumes of smoke headed toward the base around 10 p.m. March 12.Two improvised mortar

  • Nighthawk unit maintains the flock

    The F-117 Nighthawk may be a mystery to some, but its maintainers take pride in knowing the airframe's secret inner workings.In the 379th Expeditionary Maintenance Squadron's 8th Aircraft Maintenance Unit, a close-knit group of specialists work to keep the aircrews "putting bombs on target, on

  • Air Force launches first EELV payload

    The Air Force launched its first military satellite payload on an Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle from here March 10.The military payload, a Defense Satellite Communications System satellite, was lifted into orbit by a Boeing Delta IV rocket.The Delta IV and Lockheed Martin's Atlas V are the two

  • Who goes there?

    Airmen 1st Class Michael Pendleton and Sarah Harwood scan outside the base during a patrol of the perimeter on March 7. Both airmen are assigned to 379th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron at a deployed location in Southwest Asia. (Photo by Master Sgt. Terry L. Blevins)

  • Leaner Northern Edge exercise under way at Eielson

    Approximately 1,600 airmen, soldiers, sailors, Marines and Coast Guardsmen are participating in a scaled-down version of Northern Edge, a joint-service training exercise here and at other Alaska military installations, as well as the port of Valdez. The exercise, which began March 3, ends March

  • Keep on trackin'

    Staff Sgt. Chanel Higgins reviews decorations being processed at Camp Stronghold Freedom at Karshi-Khanabad, Uzbekistan, on March 8. Higgins tracks about 200 awards and decorations a month. She is assigned to the 416th Air Expeditionary Group and deployed from the 27th Operations Group at Cannon

  • 'Flying Sergeants' helped forge Air Force legacy

    They were not paid much, their opportunities for promotion were limited, and they were treated harshly in training, but that did not stop three generations of enlisted aviators from becoming pilots in the Army Air Corps.Beginning in 1912, enlisted pilots played an important role in writing the

  • Support from States plays big role in morale

    Support from people in the United States helps make serving in a hostile environment a bit easier for military troops deployed to the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility.Letters from school children, free phone cards, care packages from family and office mates and banners signed by hundreds

  • Fitness workouts OK after smallpox shot

    Air Force fitness center patrons who receive the smallpox vaccination got a welcome shot in the arm concerning their fitness routines thanks to some common sense rules.Vaccinated gym-goers can go about their workouts by simply following the precautions prominently posted in the various fitness

  • Rivet Joint joins fight

    Airman 1st Class Keith Keitel marshals out the first of two RC-135 Rivet Joint aircraft when airmen from the 38th and 343rd reconnaissance squadrons deployed overseas recently. The Rivet Joint reconnaissance aircraft provides near real-time on-scene intelligence collection, analysis and

  • All hooked up

    Airman 1st Class Robert Walstead hooks up a Hobart power unit to the underside of a B-1B Lancer on March 7. Walstead is a maintainer assigned to the 7th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Unit here. (Photo by Airman 1st Class Joshua Strang)

  • Child-care test program provides peace of mind

    Airmen who use base child-care facilities no longer need to take a day off of work when their children are too sick to stay with others.A test program began recently at 25 Air Force installations designating a special-care provider for children who are mildly ill -- children who would, under Air

  • Coalition drops leaflets in northern Iraq

    Coalition aircraft enforcing the no-fly zone over northern Iraq dropped informational leaflets near Iraqi anti-aircraft-artillery batteries for only the second time in 12 years.Aircraft supporting Operation Northern Watch dropped 240,000 leaflets on two locations south of Tall Afar and southwest of

  • Ahhh...

    Staff Sgt. Waddell Reese (left) and Lt. Col. James C. Vechery practice drinking from a canteen while wearing chemical warfare gear March 8. This type of training helps keep the airmen prepared for the potential threats at this forward-deployed location. Both airmen are assigned to the 340th

  • Ready and waiting

    Air Force fighter jets from bases around the world have been assigned to this forward-deployed air base supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. U.S. airpower in the region is larger than it has been since the Gulf War. (Photo by Staff Sgt. Derrick C. Goode)

  • Roche: Academy problems are a 'corporate responsibility'

    Citing policies that were "clearly not smart," the Air Force's senior official acknowledged March 6 the service has a corporate responsibility for the barrage of sexual assault charges filed at the U.S. Air Force Academy.Secretary of the Air Force Dr. James G. Roche told members of the Senate Armed

  • Analyze this

    Senior Airman Joshua Fink takes an engine Spectrometric Oil Analysis Program sample. SOAP samples are an inspection tool for detecting and preventing internal engine component failure. Fink is a crew chief assigned to the 908th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron. (Photo by 2nd Lt. Nancy Kuck)

  • From biscuits to gravy

    Barry has retired from the 90th Space Wing Security Forces here after 11 years of battling crime. He was obedient, loyal, vigilant and protective.Barry was an ideal military working dog.The Air Force purchased Barry in 1991 for $3,500 from a Belgium breeder. He was one of only three Belgium

  • Peek-a-boo

    Tech. Sgt. Nick Shore takes a breather on an E-3 Sentry airborne warning and control system between Operation Southern Watch missions. Shore is a crew chief on the aircraft and is deployed from the 18th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, Kadena Air Base, Japan. (Photo by Tech. Sgt. Christopher Ball)

  • GI Mail provides secure, reliable e-mail link to loved ones

    With airmen deployed away from home, the opportunity to communicate with loved ones takes on greater importance."To provide a link back home, Air Force Crossroads, the Air Force's official community Web site, offers a secure and reliable e-mail program through Global Internet Mail to help families

  • Pilot survives jet crash

    An Air Force T-38 Talon aircraft crashed into two houses in nearby Valparaiso on March 8. The pilot ejected safely, and no one was injured on the ground.The pilot was on a training mission from Holloman Air Force Base, N.M., when the accident occurred.An interim safety board has been established to

  • 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

  • Black Knights saddle up for deployment

    Airman 1st Class Saraha Hughes, 21, has no idea where she will lay her head in a few days.She does not know if she packed enough, too much or too little, but that does not quell the excitement of her very first deployment.A jet engine mechanic with the 19th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron here, Hughes

  • Airmen, bombers deploy to Pacific

    Airmen supporting B-1B Lancers from Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, and B-52 Stratofortresses from Barksdale AFB, La., deployed here with their bombers as other U.S. forces prepare for possible military action elsewhere in the world."These bombers and airmen are the finest in the Air Force and have

  • Joint STARS takes off for second deployment

    Two E-8C Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System aircraft and several dozen airmen here answered the call of duty March 5 as they headed to a forward-operating location to support operations in Southwest Asia.The aircraft and airmen are assigned to the 116th Air Control Wing here.According to

  • Memo serving as officer career guide

    A recent memorandum from the secretary of the Air Force regarding the selection process for general officers could very well serve as a guide to all officers -- regardless of rank -- as they chart out their careers.The memorandum is one of a series of initiatives designed to help explain how

  • Life's a beach

    Senior Airman Agapito Martinez walks the coastline at a forward-deployed location. Martinez is from the 144th Security Forces Squadron at Fresno Air National Guard Base, Calif. Airmen from his unit were recently activated and deployed to provide security for the 409th Air Expeditionary Group.

  • Air Force selects 2003 Tops In Blue team

    The Air Force has selected its 2003 Tops In Blue team. Winners were selected from contestants who participated in the 2003 Air Force Worldwide Talent Contest at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas.The entertainment branch of the Air Force Services Agency conducts the annual event.Judges selected the 24

  • Astronaut laid to rest

    Secretary of the Air Force James G. Roche (left) looks on as Sandra Anderson places a rose on her husband's casket at Arlington National Cemetery on March 7. Lt. Col. Michael P. Anderson, a member of the Space Shuttle Columbia crew, died Feb. 1 when the shuttle exploded. He was buried with full

  • Ash Wednesday

    Chaplain (Capt.) Dominic J. Vitaliano applies ash to the forehead of one of his parishioners during the Ash Wednesday service March 5. Vitaliano provides sacraments and spiritual support to servicemembers at a forward-deployed location supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. He is deployed from the

  • Big bird

    A Russian AN-124 is refueled here Feb. 27. The aircraft and crew are under contract to help ship equipment. The aircraft, which has the NATO reporting name Condor, is the world's largest and highest-flying cargo capacity aircraft in production. It is designed for long-range delivery and air

  • Two Osan airmen receive federal convictions

    Two airmen here received federal convictions during two separate courts-martial recently.Senior Airman Lucinda F. Shaw from the 303rd Intelligence Squadron pleaded not guilty to all charges and specifications against her during a special court-martial. She was charged with disrespecting her section

  • Packing up to go

    Staff Sgt. Phillip Roosen (left) and Senior Airman Jason Elsner move a radar unit after it was removed from the tower here Feb. 28. The airmen are assigned to the 728th Air Control Squadron, which received a deployment order to report to Southwest Asia in the next few weeks. The 728th ACS is one of

  • Design for Air Force memorial unveiled

    For the better part of the past century, the men and women of the Air Force and its predecessors have soared high above the clouds in defense of the nation and freedom-loving people everywhere.Those ideals will soon be reflected in a memorial designed to reach high into the skyline of the nation's

  • Reservists support air bridge

    More than half of Air Force Reserve Command's 10,000 mobilized reservists are helping to move troops, equipment and cargo to the Middle East as America prepares for possible war with Iraq.But every aspect of the Reserves is being used to support Operation Enduring Freedom, according to Lt. Col. John

  • AQ implementing force development

    A milestone was reached when the Air Force's first officer development team met recently at the Pentagon.The teams are a central part of implementing the Air Force's Total Force Development concept. The concept is outlined in the November edition of the Chief's Sight Picture, said Lt. Col. Mark

  • Milling around

    Airman 1st Class Marshall Dixon manually mills a KC-135 Stratotanker brake component here March 3. This procedure is an integral part of the base's regional brake repair mission, which enhances the availability of brake assemblies within the European theater. Dixon is assigned to the 100th

  • Base in England gets 'Buff'

    More than a dozen B-52 Stratofortress bomber aircraft arrived here March 3 and 4 from Minot Air Force Base, N.D., to support the war on terrorism and possible contingency operations.The Stratofortress, affectionately called the "Buff" by the bomber community, is a long-range and large capacity

  • Air Force discusses infrastructure budget with Senate

    Congressional testimony by the assistant secretary of the Air Force for installations, environment and logistics March 4 included plans for sustaining overseas facilities and support of new missions and weapons systems.But, Nelson F. Gibbs' presentation to a Senate Appropriations Committee

  • Mardi Gras desert style

    The Mardi Gras parade goes through a forward-deployed location in Southwest Asia on March 2. In true New Orleans style, participants threw coins, beads and masks out to parade watchers from the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing. (Courtesy photo)

  • Strike Eagle pilots destroy targets

    Capt. Jonathon Breingan, an F-15E Strike Eagle pilot with the 336th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, is proud that his airframe relies on two people sitting in its seats."We take the enemy head-on," he said. "We go out and destroy targets. It's what we do best, and we're the best in the Air Force

  • Enforcing the zone

    Senior Airman Marshall Gaskins performs the last check on AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles before an F-16 Fighting Falcon takes off for a mission March 2. Marshall is deployed to Incirlik Air Base, Turkey, with the 113th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron from the Indiana Air National Guard at Terre Haute.

  • Yokota students continue orphanage bond

    Students from Yokota East Elementary School here experienced the joys of giving, sharing and making friends when they visited an orphanage in suburban Tokyo on March 1.During the visit, the sounds of American and Japanese children playing and laughing filled the cramped two-story Aiji-no-ie (House

  • Air Force announces E-8 promotions March 19

    Air Force officials plan to announce the service's newest senior master sergeants March 19.The list of those promoted at each installation is releasable the first duty hour on the release date. The entire list will be posted on the Air Force Personnel Center's Web site at

  • Replica tests its 'Wright' stuff

    An authentic reproduction of the Wright brothers' powered flying machine is undergoing aerodynamic testing in a wind tunnel here. The tunnel is owned by NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Va., and operated by Old Dominion University in Norfolk. A team of pilots will attempt to fly the

  • North Korea intercepts Air Force aircraft

    Four North Korean fighter jets intercepted a U.S. Air Force plane in international airspace over the Sea of Japan early March 2, Defense Department officials said.Two North Korean MiG-29 fighters and two other North Korean aircraft believed to be MiG-23s engaged an American RC-135S Cobra Ball

  • New hospital provides wealth of services to base

    The 386th Expeditionary Medical Group, also known as "Med Rock," is now open for business.Before the hospital opening, many patients were sent off-base for various aspects of their medical care."We can provide much of this basic care here on base, saving time in treatment and allowing our deployed

  • Very carefully

    Three airmen from the 386th Expeditionary Air Control Squadron carefully fold the American flag during the retreat ceremony at a forward-deployed location in the Arabian Gulf region. (Photo by Staff Sgt. Karen J. Tomasik)

  • Learning through patience, hard work

    What do kicking, joint-lock techniques, falling, push-ups and frog-jumps all have in common?Staff Sgt. Keith Morris teaches them to his students in the kuk sool won class held several times a week at the recreation center in a forward-deployed location.Morris, a member of the 819th/219th Red Horse

  • Red Horse dedicates work to building base

    Heavy equipment, red hard hats and the shout of 'Ready, go!' break the early morning silence as members of the Red Horse unit start another grueling workday at a forward-deployed location in the Arabian Gulf region.People from the 819th/219th Red Horse Squadron were deployed to help build up

  • Proper protection can negate bioterror weapons

    The Air Force Medical Service's biggest challenge in saving lives and sustaining combat capability after a bioterror attack hinges on rapidly translating complex biological systems data into "operationally significant information," according to the Air Force surgeon general."It can take from days to

  • Leaders address sexual assault at academy

    The Air Force's senior leaders vowed March 3 to work closely with Congress to uncover the facts behind recent sexual assault cases and to address the broader climate at the U.S. Air Force Academy in a comprehensive manner."There is no place in our Air Force for anyone who would assault a woman,

  • Give 'em a brake!

    Senior Airmen Jason Byrd (left) and Steven Christensen adjust a brake assembly on the gear of a RQ-1 Predator unmanned aerial vehicle at a forward-deployed location Feb. 28. Byrd and Christensen are Predator maintenance technicians with the 11th Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron deployed from

  • SGLI cost reduced; coverage remains same

    The amount airmen pay for Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance and Family Member SGLI will be automatically reduced starting July 1.Decreased mortality rates allow for the reductions of 1.5 cents per $1,000 of coverage for military people and as much as a 42 percent decrease for spouse coverage.

  • For the birds

    A B-2 Spirit sits in the background here as U.S. Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services employees Todd Stewart and David Borrowman inspect a propane cannon on the airfield. The cannon is a nonlethal way to remove wildlife, especially geese and birds of prey, from the airfield. Wildlife found

  • Air Force names top chaplains

    Air Force officials named the service's top chaplains of the year.Each year chaplain service officials name four "Chaplain of the Year" award winners, in memory of four World War II chaplains who sacrificed themselves by giving their lifejackets to others after the USS Dorchester was torpedoed by a

  • March issue of Airman available

    Take a look at Air Force technological changes through the years, learn about economical space launches, and read about how Office or Special Investigations forensic sciences consultants help track down the bad guys. These features and more highlight the March issue of Airman magazine, now

  • UAVs may play increasing operational role

    The Air Force's deputy chief of staff for air and space operations is cautiously optimistic about the growing role of unmanned aerial vehicles and remotely piloted vehicles in future conflicts."We're in a position where technology and miniaturization can now begin to give us things we haven't been

  • Now showing: March 3 edition of Air Force Television News

    Training for two different types of wars is highlighted in the latest edition of Air Force Television News.Staff Sgt. Leigh Bellinger goes along with a B-1 Lancer crew practicing bomb runs over west Texas using new computer technology that makes them more efficient.Meanwhile, Tech. Sgt. Pachari

  • Promotion test change impacts deploying airmen

    Commanders of technical and master sergeants facing short-notice deployments now have greater flexibility as to when their airmen test for promotion.New overseas manning requirements and the freezing of the air and space expeditionary force cycle prompted officials at the Air Force Personnel Center