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  • Services searching for teens with their eyes on the sky

    Teenagers who share a fascination with flight, both airplanes and spacecraft, can apply for the 2005 Teen Aviation Camp and the 2005 Space Camp, but they need to get their application packages in soon, Air Force Services Agency officials said.“Applications for acceptance into the Teen Aviation Camp

  • Air Force receives third Osprey

    Officials at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., received their third CV-22 Osprey test aircraft Feb. 26 to join their Integrated Test Team.“The delivery of (the new Osprey) is essential because it helps us to do the necessary testing before operational testing begins in the summer of 2006,” Colonel

  • Predator reaches initial operating capacity

    One of the most heavily used and valued weapons systems of operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom has reached initial operating capability, Air Combat Command officials here announced March 1.The MQ-1 Predator unmanned aerial vehicle was officially declared IOC March 1 by Lt. Gen. William

  • Cadet research helping NASA return shuttles to space

    Academy research here is helping NASA shuttles return to space.The shuttle program has been landlocked since the Feb. 1, 2003, loss of the Space Shuttle Columbia.This academic year, the academy is assisting NASA’s return-to-flight program by using the skills of instructors and cadets to put a model

  • AMC continues to meet warfighters’ needs

    Air Mobility Command officials said they remain confident they will continue to meet their worldwide airlift and training requirements despite the AMC-directed grounding and restrictions of a portion of the Air Force’s C-130 Hercules fleet.Gen. John W. Handy, commander of AMC and U.S. Transportation

  • Special operations ‘uniquely suited’ to fight terrorists

    Special operations forces are deployed worldwide “in the right place at the right time” in the fight against global terrorism, the Defense Department’s top special operations officer told a Senate panel March 1.And whether they are performing civil affairs, reconnaissance, unconventional warfare or

  • Bagram mail team delivers

    Delivering messages from home to more than 700 deployed Airmen is a “mission of morale” being carried out on a daily basis by the mail team here.Anywhere from seven to 20 pallets of mail arrive here daily -- anywhere between 15,000 to 50,000 pounds of mail.“We have a core team of seven Airmen --

  • DFAS Web site moves

    The Defense Finance and Accounting Service public Web site moved to a new location on the Internet, officials announced March 2.The old site, www.dfas.mil, will remain available through March 31. Then, users will be redirected to the new site, www.dod.mil/dfas, and links to pages on the previous

  • Airborne network to link sensors, shooters, decision makers

    Electronic Systems Center officials here are working on a new airborne network that will revolutionize airborne communications and bring network-centric warfare to the air."The intent ... is to translate information superiority into combat power by linking sensors, decision makers and shooters to

  • Air Force officials require myPay for civilians

    Civilian employees of the Air Force will be required to use the myPay system to access their leave and earning statements beginning March 31.The change brings Air Force civilians in line with active duty-and reserve-component Airmen who are already required to access their pay data online, officials

  • Air Force announces OTS selections

    More than 120 people were selected for an Air Force commission, Air Force Recruiting Service officials here announced March 2. The officials considered 266 applications as part of Officer Training School Selection Board 0503, which selected 128 people for a 48 percent selection rate. Of those, 17

  • Vet centers offer grief counseling to military families

    In an unprecedented expansion of its traditional client base, Department of Veterans Affairs officials are offering grief counseling to families of servicemembers who die while on active duty.VA’s readjustment counseling office offers the counseling services at its 206 community-based vet centers

  • Hanscom children honored with medal

    Base officials have a new medal in their arsenal to recognize family sacrifices made during the war on terrorism.The Children's Home Front Hero Medal, which features a replica of the American flag, is for children of deployed servicemembers.Dawn Andreucci, a community readiness consultant for

  • Adopt-a-plane program preserves history

    George Jones is a man with a plan: to restore the static aircraft displays at the Air Force Armament Museum here.The aircraft are “dying a slow death” because of adverse weather conditions that are taking a toll on the 25 displays that surround the museum, said Mr. Jones, an aerospace museum

  • Air Force identifies non-vol candidates for first sergeant duty

    Air Force officials have identified Airmen as candidates for first sergeant duty for the second time in two years through a nonvolunteer process. Historically, first sergeants were chosen from a pool of volunteers. But in recent years, there has not been a sufficient number of volunteers to keep

  • New Horizons provides training, spreads goodwill

    Nearly 600 U.S. servicemembers from every branch of the military are working together with Salvadoran military and civilian counterparts to improve communities with humanitarian-assistance projects.The lead unit for the U.S. Southern Command-sponsored readiness training exercise, New Horizons 2005

  • President nominates General Looney to head AETC

    President Bush has nominated Lt. Gen. William R. Looney III to be the next commander of Air Education and Training Command, Air Force officials announced Feb. 28.General Looney, who also is nominated for his fourth star, is the commander of the Aeronautical Systems Center here. Both nominations

  • Basketball tourney open to all services

    Servicemembers and their families will have an opportunity to compete in a 3-on-3 single-elimination basketball tournament at military bases coast to coast.The tour begins March 5 at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas. It moves to Fort Bragg, N.C. on March 19 and then goes to Fort Knox, Ky., on March

  • General Jumper commends CENTAF Airmen

    Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper made time to visit two forward-deployed locations recently during a trip to the region for the Middle Eastern Air Symposium. He received an operations update at U.S. Central Command Air Forces-Forward headquarters at one location, before visiting top

  • Proper hygiene keeps coalition fit to fight

    Proper hygiene is critical to remaining combat-ready.To ensure servicemembers stay healthy, most forward-deployed locations throughout Afghanistan offer plenty of opportunities for good hygiene, like running water for showers and hand-washing stations next to the chow line.However, the situation

  • Officials working to retain seasoned special operators

    A new incentive package is expected to help the military better compete against other federal agencies and the private sector for skills possessed by special operations forces, said the Defense Department’s top official on special operations and low-intensity conflict.Assistant Secretary of Defense

  • First B-2s deploy to Andersen

    B-2 Spirit bombers have deployed here for the first time to support Pacific Command’s security efforts in the Western Pacific. More than 270 Airmen of the 393rd Expeditionary Bomb Squadron deployed from the 509th Bomb Wing at Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo., currently the only B-2 unit in the Air

  • AMC stands up first contingency response wing

    Air Mobility Command stood up the Air Force’s first contingency response wing here March 1.The wing, which replaced the 621st Air Mobility Operations Group, expands the group's current mission and embeds all necessary capabilities, such as security forces, finance, intelligence and civil

  • Teets discusses recapitalization, death benefit, core values

    The acting secretary of the Air Force spoke on Capitol Hill March 2 about recapitalizing aging systems, the death gratuity and recent problems within the service.In testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee, Peter B. Teets explained the importance of modernizing the service's fleet of

  • Guardian Challenge 2005 canceled

    Guardian Challenge, the Air Force’s annual space and missile competition, has been canceled for 2005 to allow Airmen to focus on real-world deployments and ease budget constraints, Air Force Space Command officials said.“It takes a lot of manpower and resources to support an event like Guardian

  • Air Force lifts Boeing suspension

    Air Force officials removed the suspension of three Boeing Co. units associated with its rocket business March 4. The company’s Launch Systems, Boeing Launch Services and Delta Program business units were suspended July 24, 2003, for serious violations of federal law, officials said. The 20-month

  • Airmen track terrorists off base

    To keep Balad Air Base, Iraq safe and secure, the Airmen of Task Force 1041 venture off base daily to take the fight to the enemy.“This is a war against insurgents, and the battlefield is asymmetric,” said Lt. Col. Chris Bargery, task force commander. “The vast majority of attacks against air bases

  • Medics celebrate safety awareness week

    Health-care workers around the country mark the beginning of National Patient Safety Awareness Week on March 6.Air Force medics are using the week, which runs through March 12, to let the patients know how much is being done to make sure they are safe and what they can do to become more involved in

  • Physical, occupational therapy fixes strains and sprains

    People flock to the physical and occupational therapy clinic here from far and wide to make their strains, sprains and breaks feel better. “Were conserving the fighting strength,” said Maj. Joel Robb, 332nd Expeditionary Medical Operations Squadron’s physical therapist and flight commander, whose

  • Integrated training smoothes future joint operations

    As the face of battle has changed with more and more multiservice operations, interservice training for all ranks is becoming an increasing necessity to win the fight on global battlegrounds, officials said.Command and staff war colleges have been holding integrated training for decades, ensuring

  • AF maintains contact with missing servicemembers’ families

    Wearing a nametag with the name of his brother, Raymond Kelly, a 74-year-old veteran, personifies the families of missing servicemembers and their continued efforts to find closure for the loss of their loved ones. In 1951, Airman 1st Class James Kelly’s aircraft crashed in North Korea during the

  • Elmendorf doctor to lead pack in Iditarod

    Imagine working all day as chief of surgery at the base hospital, and then caring for and running 20 sled dogs before returning home at 3 a.m. to your wife and 5-month-old baby and catching whatever sleep you can.It is all in a day's work for Maj. (Dr.) Thomas Knolmayer, of the 3rd Medical Group

  • Exercises test mobilization process

    Air Force officials will kick off a "push-pull" mobilization test March 10."Push-pull" is the process used to quickly access and return reservists, categorized as Pretrained Individual Manpower Airmen, back into the active-duty force to meet wartime and contingency needs. They are Individual Ready

  • Air Force announces selections to senior master sergeant

    Air Force officials selected 1,535 master sergeants for promotion to senior master sergeant. The promotion list will be publicly released March 9 at 9 a.m. CST, and the complete list should be available by 5 p.m. CST on the Air Force Personnel Center Web site at www.afpc.randolph.af.mil/eprom/. The

  • Academy teams have up-down weekend

    It was a "mixed bag" for Air Force Academy sports teams over the weekend, but the men's basketball and tennis teams led the action with victories.In men's basketball, the Falcons finished the regular season with a 61-56 victory over the University of Wyoming Cowboys. They ended the season with an

  • Program offers subsidized child care to Guard, Reserve

    Department of Defense officials have joined forces with national agencies to help Guard and Reserve families in finding and affording child care while a parent is deployed supporting the war on terrorism.“Child care, as you know, is one of the top (concerns) voiced by families as well as by commands

  • General Moseley testifies on C-130 fleet, readiness

    U.S. Representatives questioned the condition of the C-130 Hercules fleet during a hearing of the House Armed Services Committee subcommittee on readiness March 3.It was just one of the areas Air Force Vice Chief of Staff Gen. T. Michael Moseley discussed as he testified on the readiness of the

  • PERSCO Airmen count ‘boots on the ground’

    In any combat environment, having “boots on the ground” can be the deciding factor in an operation. The mission for counting those boots at deployed locations falls on the Personnel Support for Contingency Operations Airmen.The four-person PERSCO team here, composed of servicemembers from Randolph

  • Langley Airmen test Kevlar shorts

    Airmen here are testing Kevlar shorts designed to complement their current vests and helmets.Base officials here are the first in the Air Force to purchase the Kevlar Tactical Outer Protective Shorts. The shorts minimize fragment damage from the waistline to the knees and provide vital protection

  • Airmen ready to snag an Eagle

    The Airmen of the 386th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron power production flight ensure there is plenty of electricity to power facilities here. However, another crucial aspect of their job is maintaining and operating the mechanical system that stops problem aircraft on the runway. During

  • Kandahar pararescuemen poised to save lives

    Rescue specialists in southern Afghanistan say their primary reason for living is to prevent others from dying.Based out of Kandahar Air Field, the 59th Expeditionary Rescue Squadron is ultimately tasked with rescuing downed aircrew and others in isolated areas.“Luckily, that doesn’t happen too

  • Air Force reaches privatization milestone

    The Air Force recently surpassed the 10,000-home milestone in its military family housing privatization program. In February, Air Force officials closed a deal privatizing more than 1,300 homes at Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii. This means the Air Force now has more than 10,900 privatized homes.

  • Battlelab demonstrates new propeller balancing system

    The Air Mobility Battlelab recently demonstrated a new in-flight propeller balancing system that can greatly reduce propeller vibration levels and ground maintenance requirements.Currently C-130 Hercules propeller balancing procedures are similar to spin balancing the wheel of an automobile,

  • Wing warping could change shape of future aircraft

    An experimental flexible-wing jet has embarked on a final phase of flights over Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., to demonstrate wing warping performance advantages for future aircraft.During the final phase, which began in December and is expected to be completed in April, a modified Navy F/A-18A

  • Filipino Airman sets his sights high

    He left a career, his home country and some members of his family to become part of the bite behind America's bark.Airman 1st Class Michael Dizon is an Airman-in-training at the 381st Training Squadron here, studying to become a dental technician. But he was much more than that before enlisting in

  • Skeptical blood donor wins new SUV

    Ron Bagby was a hard sell, even as the voice on the phone tried to convince him to come to an Oklahoma City car dealership and pick up the new vehicle he had won.Mr. Bagby, a mechanic at the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center here, laughs about it now. But he was so skeptical about what he was

  • Air Force doctors perform alternative back surgery

    Doctors at Wilford Hall Medical Center here performed a total-disc arthroplasty procedure March 7. The procedure was the first of its kind to be performed at any Air Force medical center.Maj. (Dr.) Steven Cyr, chief of orthopedic spine surgery, successfully removed and replaced a spinal disc from

  • Airmen connect with Uzbeks through donations, volleyball

    Six Airmen from here helped deliver needed medical supplies to a clinic in nearby Khanabad on March 3. Serving to strengthen ties between cultures, the Airmen rounded out their trip to the village with several games of volleyball at a local school with students and community members.The trip was

  • Bracelet draws Airman, family together

    When Senior Master Sgt. Cheryl Wells chose a “prisoner of war and missing in action bracelet,” she did so for many reasons, none of which included being a part of the Airman's family.That selection happened three years ago when Sergeant Wells began her work as the program manager here at the Air

  • Fitness instructor loses nearly half of herself

    Keyra Donaldson was sitting on the bathroom floor while her children were taking a bath. Her back was in pain, and her patience was growing thin because they were taking too much time in the tub. This was the moment, she said, when she admitted to herself that she was severely overweight.The year

  • GPS satellites help outdoor hobbyists link up

    The coordinates N 47 degrees 12.595 W 110 degrees 55.990 mean very little to most people, but to a group of hunters know as “geocachers,” it is the beginning of an adventure that starts on a nearby mountainside and ends with a hidden treasure in the belly of a state park.Geocaching is a sport where

  • Good vibrations, music lends healing hand

    Have you ever found yourself tapping your foot or bobbing your head when listening to upbeat music? It is nearly impossible for most of us to sit perfectly still when we hear a beat we like. Similarly, a softer, slower rhythm can be calming and relaxing. These involuntary motor responses to

  • Airman, Marine help Iraqi commandos to communicate

    Instead of being surrounded by electronic equipment in an office, an Airman and Marine found themselves setting up communications during an active combat mission as part of an operation for the Iraqi ministry of the interior.Tech. Sgt. Billie Lowell and Marine Capt. Steve Monsour are spending

  • Air Force surgeon general testifies on four health effects

    The Air Force surgeon general spoke before Congress on March 3 on the state of medical care for servicemembers serving in the war on terrorism. Air Force Surgeon General Lt. Gen. (Dr.) George Peach Taylor Jr. told members of the House Armed Services Committee subcommittee on military personnel that

  • Deleted computer files never truly gone

    What you don’t know can hurt you, especially when it comes to deleting computer files. A recent court-martial here involved an Airman who was convicted for possessing child pornography on his home computer. The Airman thought he was covering his tracks by deleting the incriminating computer files

  • Pilots make long commute to Global Hawk University

    For Global Hawk pilots, training is a little like going to a university with a large main campus and an extension campus a few miles away -- make that half a world away.While that is one heck of a commute, it is necessary because the Global Hawk, an unmanned aerial vehicle used to provide real-time

  • Air Force center takes Public Agency Award

    The Air Force Center for Environmental Excellence here has won the first Public Agency Award presented by the Society of American Military Engineers.Based in Alexandria, Va., the society is a professional organization that includes members from all the military branches as well as the public and

  • States let taxpayers donate refunds to military families

    Illinois led the charge last year when it began letting taxpayers check a box on their state tax returns to donate their tax refunds to families of deployed guardsmen and reservists.Illinois’ example -- which has paid out $2.7 million so far to more than 5,000 military families -- is quickly

  • Health officials recommend changes to fitness program

    Air Force health officials recommended seven changes to the fitness program during the program’s first annual review.This first annual assessment consists of reviews by three panels: functional, external and leadership, said Lt. Col. Sherry Sasser, chief of health promotions for the Air Force

  • Airmen help local school rebuild greenhouse

    Hurricane Ivan destroyed a nearby elementary school’s greenhouse in September, and the school has been without one ever since. So, the school’s principal Dr. Van Crigger, asked Airmen here for help. About 15 Airmen from here and nearby Duke Field volunteered to help. The school’s “Mustang

  • Airman performs CPR, saves toddler

    Most people don’t remember what they were doing Jan. 23, but for the Clemsic family the date is one they said they will never forget. It was on this day that 23-month old Jason Clemsic nearly drowned in an icy pond behind the family’s off-base home.The boy’s mother, Tech. Sgt. Carmen Clemsic of the

  • Albuquerque high school student wins ‘Perfect Prom’

    An Albuquerque, N.M., student from Del Norte High School is the grand prizewinner of the U.S. Air Force-sponsored “2005 Win the Perfect Prom Sweepstakes.”Erin Whitaker, a junior, was selected at random from more than 70,000 entries. She won $1,500 for her prom expenses and use of an SUV limousine

  • Technicians use aircraft wreckage for testing

    After 11 years of service as a flight trainer, a T-1A Jayhawk aircraft is joining the Aeronautical Systems Center here.The aircraft, although damaged past the point of repair, still has its avionics and other subsystems intact, along with most of its fuselage. Technicians in the center’s training

  • Virtual reality prepares students for parachuting

    When you are plunging toward earth at speeds as fast as 20 feet per second there is not a lot of time to think about your next course of action. Dave Dawson makes sure his students don’t have to.As the 19th Air Refueling Group’s aircrew continuation training specialist, he uses a device called the

  • Creating power behind airpower

    If aircraft are the power behind the Air Force, then Hill supplies the power behind the power.When a generator, which supplies all electrical power to an aircraft, needs to be repaired, it will most likely end up in the 309th Electronics Generator Squadron's airborne flight here."We support the

  • Communities affected by BRAC have transition partner

    As the next round of base realignment and closure looms on the horizon, officials at the office of economic adjustment stand ready to assist affected communities.The office’s role is to help communities affected by Defense Department program changes, said Patrick O’Brien, the office’s director. That

  • Teets tells Congress lasers-based communications coming

    The military's senior adviser on space testified before Congress on March 8.Peter B. Teets, who serves as both the acting secretary of the Air Force and the Department of Defense's executive agent for space, spoke to the House Armed Services Committee subcommittee on strategic forces about the

  • Troops become U.S. citizens during Bush library ceremony

    It’s been a long time coming, but U.S. Army Spc. Arafat Khaskheli, who was born in Saudi Arabia but whose nationality is Pakistani, can finally say that he is truly an American.“The feeling is really great, I’ve waited for this a long time,” Specialist Khaskheli, 28, of Fort Hood, Texas, said March

  • Task force aims to prevent sexual assault

    Everyone has a role in preventing and responding to sexual assault, said the commander of the Joint Task Force on Sexual Assault Prevention and Response during her remarks at a women’s history luncheon here.Brig. Gen. K.C. McClain assumed command in October 2004. The task force is establishing

  • Science, technology help Airmen fight the war on terror

    Science and technology are helping Airmen win the war on terror, a senior Air Force official told lawmakers March 10."The United States Air Force is committed to defending America by unleashing the power of science and technology," said James B. Engle, deputy assistant secretary of the Air Force for

  • Air Force officials project budget shortfall

    Supporting the war on terrorism and ongoing operations around the world have created a projected budget shortfall forcing the Air Force to tighten its belt.Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper has directed all major commands to cut back on low priority spending in an attempt to stave off a

  • AETC names new command chief

    Air Education and Training Command officials recently named Chief Master Sgt. Rodney Ellison as the command’s new command chief master sergeant.As the command’s top enlisted Airman, Chief Ellison succeeds Chief Master Sgt. Karl Meyers who retired March 11.The command chief master sergeant advises

  • Academy 2005 football schedule announced

    The Falcon football team will play five home games, including one against the Army Black Knights on Nov. 5, to highlight the 2005 football schedule. The schedule was released March 8 by Mountain West Conference officials.The Falcons open the 2005 season Sept. 3 against the University of Washington

  • 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

  • Afghan generals praise contributions of Robins Airman

    Several Afghan officers visited here March 10 to recognize an Airman for helping establish a computer network system for the Afghan military.Senior Airman Jason Lindgren, a 78th Communications Squadron computer networking specialist, forged a close-working relationship with Afghan Brig. Gens. Mehrab

  • Myers: Work toward jointness, but take pride in services

    Jointness is the way ahead, but that does not mean Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines are going to merge into some national joint force, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said here March 13.Gen. Richard B. Myers spoke to U.S. servicemembers at the embassy here and complimented them on

  • C-130 crew delivers cargo, morale to remote locations

    When Soldiers, Sailors or Marines need something moved, C-130 Hercules crews here answer the call, and recently, that request took one 746th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron crew to Africa and beyond.Their cargo ranged from helicopter rotors to medical supplies to personal mail. Their mission was to

  • Two deployed KC-135s get rare engine swaps

    If a consumer rating service reviewed Air Force aircraft, the KC-135 Stratotanker would most certainly earn a “Best Buy” rating. After all, it is one of the most dependable aircraft in the Air Force inventory and would definitely get high marks for reliability.But, even the best can have the

  • Escorts serve as base’s second line of defense

    They come from different career fields, but while deployed, they come together to serve as a critical line of defense for the base.Deployed Airmen throughout U.S. Central Command’s area of responsibility serve as escorts to foreign workers daily. The program falls under each base’s expeditionary

  • Guard Airmen help drive transformation

    A C-5 Galaxy and a prototype of the Army’s new general-purpose cargo vehicle arrived here March 12.The vehicle is for use with both the C-5 and the C-130 Hercules, and has the ability to go for 72 hours without stopping to refuel. The ability to transfer cargo directly from the aircraft and carry

  • Officials announce interim acquisition executive

    Peter B. Teets, acting secretary of the Air Force, has named a new interim member to the Air Force acquisition and management community's leadership team.Timothy A. Beyland has been assigned, on an interim basis, as the principal deputy assistant secretary of the Air Force for acquisition and

  • Civil engineers prepare to ‘close the gaps’ at Bagram

    Bagram’s 9,800-foot runway will undergo major repairs beginning at the end of March to maintain operations in and out of the busiest airfield in Afghanistan. Airmen of the 455th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron said they plan to spend 16 weeks replacing 28 shattered slabs of concrete using a

  • Benefits offset exchange rates at overseas military banks

    Servicemembers overseas will not suffer from higher currency exchange rates at military banks, officials said, because allowances increase to offset the higher rate.Defense Finance and Accounting Service officials said that overseas servicemembers and other customers of the Community Bank have asked

  • Eglin Airmen go to war with stumps, trees

    When Hurricane Ivan hit the coastal area here Sept. 16, destructive winds as high as 130 mph knocked down power lines and countless trees. It left a devastating mark on the landscape of Northwest Florida, including nearby Bob Hope Village, one of two Air Force Enlisted Village locations.Six months

  • Air Force Portal provides reduced sign-on to myPay

    Airmen have one less password to remember thanks to a new link between the Air Force Portal and the Defense Finance and Accounting Service myPay Web site. With much of the Air Force transitioning from face-to-face customer service to online self-help Web sites, many Airmen are left with several

  • DFAS and myPay officials assure personal-data security

    With “phishing” scams occurring more frequently, Defense Finance and Accounting Service officials said they want to assure customers that every precaution is taken to secure data.Customers should be aware that the agency and its Web-based system, myPay, will not ask for personal or financial

  • BRAC turned out to be good news for Texas capital

    Though the fear of losing jobs and revenue grips nearby cities and towns when the Defense Department decides to close a military installation, the bad news can be made good.Such was the case when Bergstrom Air Force Base here closed in 1993, its fate sealed by the 1991 Base Realignment and Closure

  • Deployed Airmen, Soldiers reach out to Bedouin children

    A convoy of Army and Air Force vehicles assembled recently at the 407th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron’s armory here, but this was not a standard convoy. These trucks were not carrying materials for troops; they were loaded with toys, shoes, clothes and other items donated to an outreach

  • Pentagon officials retrieving mail during anthrax alert

    Pentagon officials are working to collect an estimated 8,000 pieces of mail that passed through the building’s mail-processing facility between March 10 and 14.A test done March 14 on a sample of mail collected March 10 from the Pentagon’s remote delivery facility indicated a preliminary positive

  • Voting assistance program kicks off slogan contest

    Federal Voting Assistance Program officials are accepting entries until July 10 for the program’s latest slogan contest.The winning slogan will be featured in the program’s 2006-2007 media campaign, which will focus on increasing voter awareness among U.S. citizens worldwide and encouraging them to

  • Airmen keep Iraqi airways clear

    As 1st Lt. Damian Wanliss enters his cold, dark office, dimly lit by the green glare of the screen ahead, he takes a deep breath and anticipates another day of directing traffic in the chaotic Iraqi sky.The lieutenant, a 727th Expeditionary Air Control Squadron weapons control officer, is just one

  • Air terminal operators keep OEF freight, passengers moving

    It could be a C-130 Hercules loaded with Airmen and Soldiers heading down range, a civilian cargo plane loaded to the hilt with mail for deployed troops or a C-17 Globemaster III carrying humanitarian supplies for some remote village in Afghanistan.Any time an aircraft lands with material for

  • Personnel records to stay at AFPC

    Airmen who retire or separate don't have to wait several months to receive requested copies of certain records because of a recent change in how the Air Force maintains personnel records.The 49-year-old practice of sending nearly 5,500 personnel records each month to the National Personnel Records

  • Sustainable security needs risk-based approach

    Risk management must guide decisions on preventing, responding to and recovering from terrorist attacks, the new homeland security secretary said here March 16.Michael Chertoff spoke at George Washington University in his first major address since taking office Feb. 15.“A nation as vital and

  • TMO Airmen keep people, cargo flowing

    The 2,000-pound, $100,000 aircraft part sitting in the maintenance hangar did not get here by a commercial carrier; it was packaged, shipped, tracked and delivered by Airmen of the Traffic Management Office.The Airmen in the 376th Logistics Readiness Squadron’s TMO section have seen an influx of

  • 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,

  • Airman convicted of possessing child pornography

    An Airman was found guilty of possessing child pornography during a court-martial held here March 10.Airman Ryan Stephens, of the 18th Security Forces Squadron, was sentenced to eight years confinement after being found guilty at a general court-martial of two charges of possessing child

  • Allegations surface, faith in promotion tests remains high

    A number of Airmen at several bases have been implicated recently in the possible compromise of Weighted Airmen Promotion System testing material. Despite this finding, Air Force officials expressed confidence in the integrity of the system and testing continues across the Air Force."For more than

  • Airman gets 35 years for forcible sodomy conviction

    An Airman here was found guilty of forcible sodomy in a court-martial and sentenced to 35 years confinement. After three days of testimony and deliberation, a panel of officers found Staff Sgt. Michael Rangel, of the 97th Communications Squadron, guilty of forcible sodomy on diverse occasions and