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  • B-52s bring persistent airpower to Exercise Pitch Black 12

    The 69th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron, Minot Air Force Base, N.D., took to the skies of Australia's Northern Territory Aug. 2 to 18 as the lone U.S. Air Force unit flying in Exercise Pitch Black 12.With more than 2,200 personnel and up to 100 participating military aircraft, Exercise Pitch Black 12

  • Building international partners through music

    This week, the U.S. Air Force Band welcomed international guest conductor Capt. Abiodoun Patrick Odjo from the Republic of Benin. Captain Odjo is the commander of the Music Squadron and Mobile Squadron for the National Gendarmerie in Benin. Prior to this position, he served as the commander of the

  • Airman Ranger retires after 41 years

    Forty-one years, 167 temporary duty assignments, 22 base assignments, six deployments and three wars later, Col. George W. Hays, the director of Command, Control, Communications, and Computer Systems, Headquarters Alaskan Command, retired from active duty service July 1 as the longest-serving

  • US, Indonesia air forces strengthen partnership during tactical exercise

     Approximately 80 U.S. and 75 Indonesian airmen will participate in exercise Cope West 2012 here June 25 - 29.Cope West is a bilateral, tactical airlift exercise designed to advance interoperability between the two partner air forces.The exercise will allow U.S. and Indonesian airmen to exchange

  • Officials seek Air Force ROTC instructors

    If you have a knack for teaching, exemplify Air Force standards and want to have a positive impact on the Air Force for years to come, you might be a perfect match for Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps instructor duty, Air Force Personnel Center officials said.Eligible first lieutenants,

  • Air Force male athlete of the year goes for gold

    The sound of thrashing epees and rubber soles squeaking against metal boards ring throughout the fencing gym at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. It is here that fencer Weston Kelsey practices twice a day, five days a week, in preparation for the 2012 Olympic Games in London.

  • Engineer hits way onto All-Air Force team

    First Lt. Kristina Stewart has taken a few weeks off from her duties as the 3rd Space Operations Squadron mission planning and engineering section chief here to play a little volleyball. Actually, Stewart will play more than just a little after earning a spot on the All-Air Force Women's Volleyball

  • Smithsonian celebrates annual 'Become A Pilot Day'

    Officials at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum held the annual "Become a Pilot" family day June 16, in Chantilly, Va.More than 45 aircraft were on display as the museum's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, including two A-10 Thunderbolt IIs and a C-17 Globemaster III, which had its cargo bay

  • Cold War U-2 pilot gets posthumous Silver Star

    More than 50 years after his U-2 aircraft was shot down over the former Soviet Union, Capt. Francis Gary Powers posthumously received one of the military's highest decorations during a ceremony here at the Pentagon June 15.Powers, who died in a helicopter crash in 1977, was awarded the Silver Star

  • Airmen save drowning man

    "Help!" someone faintly calls out. You look out to the ocean and see a man's arms flailing about, half a mile into the surf, struggling to stay afloat as waves crash down on him. What would you do, knowing lifeguards are not close enough to save him?Three 4th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron Airmen

  • Osprey crash leaves five injured

    Five aircrew members were injured when their tilt-rotor aircraft crashed north of Navarre, Fla. on the Eglin Range. At approximately 6:45 p.m. June 13, Hurlburt Field was notified that a 1st Special Operations Wing aircraft had crashed on the Eglin Range during a routine training mission. Emergency

  • Attaché duty applications due in July

    Line of the Air Force active-duty officers interested in opportunities to help build and sustain international relationships have until July 7 to apply for attaché officer duty at locations ranging from Burundi to Russia, Air Force Personnel Center officials announced June 7 here.AFPC and the Office

  • Shaw captain named top AF fighter tactician

    Every year the Air Force spotlights the most outstanding fighter tactician from the combat air forces. The search combs through hundreds of pilots from four major commands, the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve. For 2011, the Air Force's outstanding tactician isn't a general, a colonel, a

  • AFTAC Airman wins national-level award

    A member of the Air Force Technical Applications Center here is the recipient of the 63rd Annual Arthur S. Flemming Award in the field of Applied Science, Engineering and Mathematics.Capt. Joshua A. Burger, a systems engineer with AFTAC, earned the prestigious award that recognizes outstanding

  • Vietnam vet hears call of duty, heads to Afghanistan

    During a commander's call last year, Brig. Gen. Robert C. Nolan II, the Air Force Flight Test Center commander, asked Airmen who have been deployed to stand and be recognized for their service. He then asked those Airmen who have been deployed multiple times to raise their hands. Most of the Airmen

  • AF nominates 111 for astronaut candidate program

    The Air Force has nominated 111 Airmen for the 2012 NASA Astronaut Candidate Program, Air Force Personnel Center officials said.The Air Force candidate selection panel met in April to review 192 applications, selecting 110 officers, ranging from captain to colonel, and one senior master sergeant.

  • Top Air Force chaplain retires after 40-year career

    Air Force Chief of Chaplains Maj. Gen. Cecil R. Richardson concluded a nearly 41-year career with his retirement ceremony April 30 here.Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz recounted how retired Marine Gen. Anthony Zinni at U.S. Central Command once told him that "Richardson has the

  • Air Force dominates SOCOM 41-14

    The Air Force mopped the court with the U.S. Special Operations Command wheelchair basketball team in a 41 - 14 victory May 1 here during the 2012 Warrior Games. Air Force beat SOCOM in their first game of a round-robin series that includes the Army, Navy, Marines and the British Armed

  • Space operator, KC-135 crew team for 'science project'

    More and more people are realizing the game-changing force space capabilities provide in today's operations, as was the case more than 60 years ago when the air domain added a new dimension to land and sea operations. The power of that integration was recently seen first-hand by crews of the KC-135

  • AF captain lauded for innovative sexual assault awareness training

    An Air Force Captain was recognized at the Pentagon's Hall of Heroes April18 for her actions as sexual assault response coordinator while at the 8th Fighter Wing, Kunsan Air Base, Republic of Korea Feb. 16 through Dec. 31, 2011.Captain Terri Zuber, Air Mobility Command Headquarters officer

  • Officials explain new sexual assault policies

    Senior Defense Department officials today said they hope more service members who are victims of sexual assault report the crimes as a result of a policy change Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta announced last week.Panetta issued guidance April 20 withholding "initial disposition authority" from any

  • 'Battle of survival:' Special tactics officer awarded Air Force Cross

    In a harrowing 10-hour battle amidst more than 100 insurgents, a special tactics officer kept the enemy at bay with a little help from above. Capt. Barry F. Crawford Jr. was awarded the Air Force Cross during a Pentagon ceremony April 12 for his heroic actions controlling the air space and calling

  • Mission to McMurdo: Helping science in Antarctica

    A recent mission for U.S. Transportation Command proves its service members can get just about anything, anywhere.Members of the command stepped to the fore by building a pier in the southernmost harbor in the world: McMurdo Sound, Antarctica. This enabled the National Science Foundation staff to

  • AF officials release captain promotion list

    More than a hundred first lieutenants were selected for promotion to captain during the 2011E Chaplains, Line of the Air Force Judge Advocate General Corps, Nurse Corps, Medical Service Corps and Biomedical Sciences Corps Quarterly Captain Selection Process, Air Force Personnel Center officials

  • Kadena Airman dies during commercial flight

    An Airman assigned to Kadena Air Base died Sunday during a commercial flight from Tokyo to Dallas-Fort Worth.Capt. Tomas C. Hernandez of the 18th Aerospace Medicine Squadron was found unresponsive during the flight and pronounced dead by medical authorities after the aircraft landed at Dallas-Fort

  • U.S., Thai airmen and soldiers partner, jump for freedom

    More than 240 Thai and U.S. airmen and soldiers took part in a personnel drop over Lop Buri, Thailand to close out this year's Cope Tiger 2012 multilateral air exercise between the U.S., Thailand and Singapore which was held here March 12 through 23.Coined by combined exercise leadership as the

  • U.S., Thai service members conclude Cope Tiger

    More than 240 Thai and U.S. airmen and soldiers took part in a personnel drop over Lop Buri, Thailand, to close out this year's Cope Tiger 2012 multilateral air exercise, which was held here March 12-23.The mission between the U.S., Thailand and Singapore aimed to improve U.S. and Royal Thai Air

  • AF selects 2,450 for colonel, lieutenant colonel, major

    More than 2,450 officers were selected for promotion to colonel, lieutenant colonel and major, Air Force Personnel Center officials announced March 28.The announcement was part of the 2011C Colonel Medical Service Corps and Lieutenant Colonel Nurse Corps and the 2011D Major Line of the Air Force

  • Combat controller recognized for leadership on, off battlefield

    A combat controller with the 24th Special Tactics Squadron recently received Air Force recognition for his leadership in his personal and professional life. Technical Sgt. Nathaniel Hoag was awarded the Lance P. Sijan Junior Enlisted of the Year Award for 2011. "I was honored to be nominated," Hoag

  • Olmsted scholars named

    Six Air Force captains will spend their next tour of duty in Russia, the Ukraine, Brazil, China or India pursuing an academic mission as Olmsted Foundation Scholarship winners, Air Force Personnel Center officials announced.The Olmsted Scholar Program, sponsored by the George and Carol Olmsted

  • Falcons fall to Eagles in another tournament heartbreaker

    "I feel like Bill Murray in 'Groundhog Day': Here we are again."Those were the words of a frustrated Coach Frank Serratore, whose Air Force Academy Falcons came up short in another close game against another top-ranked hockey team in the first round of the NCAA Hockey Tournament, losing to the

  • U.S.-Thailand-Singapore Airmen strengthen ties during Cope Tiger 12

    Airmen from the U.S., Thailand, and Singapore are stepping away from flight operations to strengthen relationships here with local Thai communities this week.The combined Airmen from the U.S. Air Force, Royal Thai Air Force and Republic of Singapore Air Force are participating in exercise Cope

  • Deployed officer comes to aid of coalition partner

    An Air Force officer came to the aid of a Coalition partner who suffered a seizure after falling at Kabul International Airport, Feb. 18.Air Force Capt. William Boland, force support adviser with the 439th Air Expeditionary Advisory Squadron, said he was on his lunch break when he noticed a runner

  • Loftis remembered: 'Afghanistan lost its best friend'

    A funeral service was held here Monday for Lt. Col. John Darin Loftis, who died Feb. 25 from wounds received during an attack at the Interior Ministry, Kabul, Afghanistan.The solemn service was attended by approximately 250 of Loftis's family, friends and Airmen from across the Air Force. Among his

  • Airman lives his American dream

    (This feature is part of the "Through Airmen's Eyes" series on AF.mil. These stories and commentaries focus on a single Airman, highlighting their Air Force story.)The 60th Logistics Readiness Squadron fuels flight commander here is in the process of accomplishing his own definition of "the American

  • Tuskegee nurse first African-American in Army Nurse Corps

    An operating room nurse in North Carolina during the early days of World War II would become the first African-American nurse commissioned as a lieutenant in the Army Nurse Corps and the first nurse to become part of the famed Tuskegee Airmen.Della H. Rainey was born in Suffolk, Virginia, on January

  • Four Hurlburt Field Airmen die in U-28A crash in Djibouti

    Capt Ryan P. Hall from the 319th Special Operations Squadron, Capt Nicholas S. Whitlock and 1st Lt Justin J. Wilkens from the 34th Special Operations Squadron and Senior Airman Julian S. Scholten from the 25th Intelligence Squadron died Feb. 18 when their U-28A was involved in an accident near Camp

  • AF officials announce Lance P. Sijan Award winners

    Air Force officials recently announced the winners of the 2011 Lance P. Sijan Air Force Leadership Award.The Lance P. Sijan Air Force Leadership Award recognizes Airmen who have demonstrated outstanding leadership abilities.The senior officer category winner is Maj. Laura Dejong, who is assigned to

  • Air Force announces selections to colonel, major

    The 2011B Colonel Line of Air Force and Nurses Corps Central Selection Boards selected 539 lieutenant colonels and 112 captains for promotion.The entire list for each category can be found at the below locations. CY11B Major -- http://www.afpc.af.mil/shared/media/document/AFD-120124-044.pdf 

  • Physical fitness motivates, bonds Afghan and American women

    Over the last few years, physical fitness has become a focal point for Airmen readiness across the U.S. Air Force. Here, at the Afghan air force compound, nine female AAF members and one American advisor are also making it a point of emphasis in their military training and daily lives.What began as

  • Do the spice, pay the price

    Spice use is on the rise, and Air Force officials are using methods such as drug testing, education and the Uniformed Code of Military Justice to put a stop to substance abuse. While the Air Force has always had a zero-tolerance policy, as of Jan. 4, Guam officials have banned the substance as well

  • Selective continuation: information officers should know

    Captains and majors twice deferred for promotion to the next higher rank who have less than 18 years of service may face a selective continuation board. Selective continuation boards allow the Air Force to retain twice-deferred officers for a length of time determined by the Secretary of the Air

  • Coalition aviators train Afghans to perform critical supply run

    The pilot's eyes squint as he tries to locate his landing zone located in the terrain covered by a rolling and twisting blanket of dust. The trip to the Kunar Valley in northern Afghanistan is treacherous with numerous towering mountains as tall as 12,000 feet, providing an obstacle course of a

  • Former WWII medical officer receives long overdue medals

    Eugene M. Narsete, M.D., was presented the Army Good Conduct Medal, American Campaign Medal and the World War II Victory Medal by Col. Sean Murphy, Deputy Assistant Surgeon General for Healthcare Operations, during a dinner celebrating Narsete's 90th birthday here, Jan 7, 2012. Narsete performed

  • SecDef calls deployed Air Force NCO to ring in new year

    The NCO picked up the phone in his office at Kabul International Airport and on the other end was the Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta who called Jan. 1, 2012, to wish him a happy New Year.Air Force Tech. Sgt. Charles Heathman, a rotary wing maintenance adviser with the 438th Air Expeditionary

  • Air Force announces captain promotions

    Air Force officials announced Dec. 28, the 2011D Chaplains, Line of the Air Force Judge Advocate General Corps, Nurse Corps, Medical Services Corps and Biomedical Sciences Corps Quarterly Captain Selection Process selected 133 first lieutenants for promotion.The entire list of promotees for each

  • Air Force officials announce additional force management measures

    In on-going efforts to continue to size and shape the force to current and future requirements, Air Force officials announced additional force management programs. The Air Force ended fiscal year 2011 about 1,200 Airmen over endstrength.For enlisted Airmen, voluntary programs from last year will

  • Air Force announces colonel, lieutenant colonel and major promotions

    Air Force officials announced Dec. 21, the 2011A Colonel, Lieutenant Colonel and Major Medical Corps and Dental Corps Central Selection Boards selected 87 lieutenant colonels, 151 majors and 311 captains for promotion to the next higher rank.The entire list of promotees for each rank can be found by

  • Air Force pararescue exercise receives national accreditation

    The Angel Thunder exercise received Joint National Training Capability accreditation and certifications Nov. 30.Angel Thunder is an Air Combat Command-sponsored personnel recovery exercise held annually at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz. Rescue units from all over the world send pararescueman

  • Air Force names prestigious Ph.D. program participants

    Two Air Force captains have been selected to participate in the Chief of Staff Prestigious Ph.D. Program, Air Force Personnel Center officials announced Nov 7.Captains Miriam Krieger, from the Air Combat Command, and Daniel Magruder, from Air Forces Central Command, will begin their program in the

  • Recycling saves Keesler hospital $62,000

    The Keesler Hospital's operating room is once again "going green."In 2004, Capt. Wendy Wilkins, an 81st Surgical Operations Squadron operating room nurse, began reprocessing the Flowtron compression hoses used in the operating rooms. Unfortunately, the reprocessing program wasn't re-established

  • Mildenhall combat controller earns Grateful Nation Award

    'First There,' a motto combat controllers bellow during their two-year training pipeline, and later affirm in blood, sweat and sacrifice on the most forward-deployed and dangerous battlefields as they pave the way for other forces to follow.As a member of the most highly trained special operations

  • Total force medical team provides care for Native Americans

    A medical team of 18 reservists and an active duty Airman from here recently spent two weeks providing medical care for about 400 members of the Crowe Creek Indian Reservation in Fort Thompson, S.D.The team, which included ophthalmologists, optometrists, nurses, flight surgeons, dentists, medical

  • Online tools help Airmen manage their careers

    There are a host of online tools available to help Airmen manage and grow their careers. Significant career development tools include My Development Plan, the Airman Development Plan and the Career Path Tool."If you don't use the tools, you may miss a lot of opportunities for education, development

  • Air Force releases major, captain reduction-in-force board results

    Commanders Air Force-wide were notified Oct. 24 of the results of the Calendar Year 2011 Reduction-in-Force Board held at the Air Force Personnel Center here in September.The CY11 RIF board, which considered captains and majors in the Line of the Air Force competitive category, is part of the Air

  • Officials stress keeping faith on military retirement

    The Defense Department has no proposals or recommendations on revamping military retirement at this time, but any future proposal must not break faith with those in the military today, senior Pentagon officials told Congress Oct. 25.Jo Ann Rooney, the principal deputy undersecretary of defense for

  • Chief of staff to select two captains for PhD program

    Two Air Force captains will begin Air Force sponsored strategic studies next fall at top tier academic institutions in pursuit of doctorate degrees, Air Force Personnel Center officials announced.The personnel center is accepting applications for the 2012 Chief of Staff of the Air Force Captains

  • Air Force announces captain promotions

    Air Force officials announced Oct. 19 the 2011C Captain Line of Air Force Central Selection Board selected 3,009 first lieutenants for promotion to the next higher rank.The entire list of promotees can be found by here.The board considered 3,184 first lieutenants for promotion. The results of the

  • Andersen AFB preps for Operation Christmas Drop 2011

    Airmen here are shifting into high gear in preparation for the 60th iteration of the Air Force's longest-running, humanitarian-airlift mission -- Operation Christmas Drop. Since 1951, Operation Christmas Drop has been spreading the holiday spirit in the form of needed supplies to residents in some

  • Air Force set to release captain central selection board results

    The results of the captain central selection board for active-duty line of the Air Force first lieutenants who competed for promotion to captain is scheduled be released Oct. 19. More than 3,000 first lieutenants were selected by the board for promotion to captain. Promotion opportunities for first

  • AF officials announce colonel, lieutenant colonel, major promotions

    Air Force officials announced Oct. 13 the 2011A Colonel Judge Advocate General Corps, Chaplains Corps and Biomedical Service Corps, 2011B Lieutenant Colonel and Major central selection boards selected 35 lieutenant colonels, 80 majors and 213 captains for promotion to the next higher rank.The entire

  • Captain wins national Women in Aerospace Achievement Award

    A program manager here has been named a co-winner of the national-level Women in Aerospace Achievement Award.Capt. Amanda Zuber, a Space-Based Infrared System field program manager assigned to the 45th Launch Support Squadron here, will receive her award in Nov. 1 in Washington D.C."This is a big

  • Air Force officials announce selections to captain

    Air Force officials selected 126 first lieutenants for promotion during the 2011B Line of the Air Force judge advocate general corps, nurse corps, medical services corps and biomedical sciences corps quarterly captain selection process.The entire list can be found on the Air Force Personnel Center

  • Awareness months highlight wellness

    As Suicide Awareness Month in September comes to a close, Domestic Violence Awareness Month follows in October.Awareness months are tools to educate and inform people about things going on that could affect them or someone they know. Suicide and Domestic Violence Awareness Months give agencies the

  • Department officials seek balanced 'cloud' computing solution

    Defense Department officials are looking to balance efficiency, effectiveness and security while moving away from the department's decentralized network of computer servers and data centers and into "cloud" computing, the DOD's deputy chief information officer said Sept. 7."We must balance all

  • Family, friends say goodbye to a 'hero'

    An Air Force Special Operations Command pararescueman was laid to rest here Aug. 23.Tech. Sgt. Daniel Zerbe, 28, died Aug. 6 in the Wardak province of eastern Afghanistan when the Chinook helicopter in which he was traveling crashed. Zerbe was one of 25 U.S. Special Operations Command operators who

  • Chiefs show hard work pays off during sporting event

     A group of senior NCOs competing in a combined sporting event, known as the Ramadan Games, at the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing, proved hard work and being fit to fight pays off at any age, and helped showcase teamwork and mutual respect at the same time.When the chiefs' group at the 380th AEW

  • Altus Captain embarks on 'Journey of Freedom' to honor fallen heroes

    An Air Force captain is planning to bike from Arlington National Cemetery, Va., for approximately 150 miles and then run another 100 miles to Ground Zero in New York City, N.Y., Sept. 10-11 without stopping to rest. Capt. Chris Pace, a 58th Airlift Squadron instructor pilot, is calling his athletic

  • Joint basing strengthens 673rd Security Forces Squadron

    More than 10 months after the former Elmendorf Air Force Base and Fort Richardson merged to form Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson; the 673d Security Forces Squadron is running on all cylinders, officials here said.Capt. Melissa Hull, the 673rd Security Forces operations officer, said it was a

  • Cap back in new, free comic

    On the heels of its 116th anniversary, the Army & Air Force Exchange Service is once again joining forces with Marvel Comics to distribute free, military-exclusive comic books at its stores around the world.The 11th issue in the Exchange/Marvel series, titled "The First Avenger," revolves around

  • Airmen help prevent disease in Cambodia, one mosquito at a time

    U.S. Air Force medical specialists are partnering with local experts here to hunt and trap some of the world's most dangerous insects, carrying some of the world's deadliest diseases. In an effort to conduct surveillance and encourage Cambodians to expand their technology and health care, the

  • Program helps disabled vets become entrepreneurs

    Retired Army 1st Sgt. Renee Floyd wasn't about to let a disability stop her from realizing her dream of having her own business.Applying 21 years of experience as an Army mechanic, she launched BRF Mobile Lube Service in Phenix City, Ala., in 2009 and began traveling to people's homes and businesses

  • Air Force further reduces officers eligible for RIF

    Sufficient voluntary separations have resulted in the removal of several competitive categories from the September 2011 reduction-in-force board, according to Air Force officials. In April, Air Force officials announced the removal of chaplains and medical service corps officers from the board.

  • Airdrop ideas, techniques shared as part of International Airdrop Symposium

    On the first day of the International Airdrop Symposium here July 19, ideas and the outlook at how several countries and the U.S. perform and utilize airdrops for their missions was shared among 200-plus participants.Numerous speakers addressed their airdrop capabilities to include speakers from

  • First Beta class RPA pilot becomes launch-and-recovery qualified

    Forging the way for officers in his career field, Rob, a captain assigned to the 432nd Wing as a remotely piloted aircraft pilot has established many firsts. He was a graduate of the first Beta class for RPA pilots, first Beta to go to the 15th Reconnaissance Squadron, first Beta to live fire, first

  • Development plan helps officers communicate their preferences

    Officers interested in specific development opportunities should use the Airman Development Plan to communicate their preferences to decision-makers, official said. Although assignments are based on Air Force needs first, and then professional development, officer preferences communicated via the

  • Airman missing in action 45 years to be buried at Academy

    An Airman who went missing in action over North Vietnam in 1966 will be buried at the Air Force Academy on July 15 with full military honors.Col. Leo S. Boston of Canon City, Colo., was a member of the 14th Air Commando Wing at Ubon Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand, in 1966.  Then a captain, he

  • Company grade officer PME undergoes transformation

    Air Force senior leaders recently approved a plan to transform professional military education for company grade officers. The two existing developmental education venues for lieutenants and captains will soon merge into a single in-residence opportunity for CGOs.The air and space basic course at

  • Air Force EWO graduates from Navy Growler training

    An electronic warfare officer became the first Air Force EWO to graduate from the 10-month-long Navy EA-18G Growler training at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Wash., June 28.Capt. Cole Davenport, who is with the 390th Electronic Combat Squadron, completed his first training sortie Sept. 7, 2010.

  • Airmen successfully medevac Antarctic worker

    Using night vision equipment and navigating around volcanic ash hazards, a C-17 Globemaster III and crew from Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash., alongside aeromedical evacuation and critical care air transport team Airmen, successfully evacuated an ailing Antarctic government contractor June 30. The

  • Nellis pilot in F-16C mishap identified

    Air Force officials have identified the pilot involved in an aircraft mishap near Caliente, Nev., June 28 as Capt. Eric Ziegler, 30, an operational test and evaluation instructor pilot with the 422nd Test and Evaluation Squadron here.Brig. Gen. Terrence O'Shaughnessy, commander of the 57th Wing,

  • Strike Eagle pilot honored with Air Force safety award

    A pilot who landed a crippled F-15E Strike Eagle after taking off from Kunsan Air Base, Korea, received the Air Force's most prestigious flight safety award here June 29.Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley presented Capt. Hans Buckwalter, of the 366th Fighter Wing at Mountain Home Air Force

  • Allied Strike 2011 in full swing, capping months of planning

    The execution phase of Allied Strike 2011 is in full swing here, capping months of planning. The exercise has brought together nearly 350 people from the U.S. and 14 NATO partner nations for the largest close-air-support exercise in Europe. "The planning effort was massive," said Capt. Ruven

  • Air Force officials announce selections to lieutenant colonel and major

    The 2011A Lieutenant Colonel Line of Air Force and Medical Services Corps and the Major MSC Central Selection Boards selected 1,171 majors and 75 captains for promotion.The entire list can be found at the below locations.CY11A MAJOR (MSC) CY11A LIEUTENANT COLONEL (LAF/MSC) The boards considered

  • Civil Air Patrol cadets experience pilot training

    Airmen here recently hosted members of the Civil Air Patrol cadet program as they learned about undergraduate pilot training.CAP was by the Department of Defense in 1941 to help the U.S. during World War II. After the war in 1947, Congress declared the mission of CAP to focus on aerospace education,

  • Marines keep an eye on the sky in Alaska

    Marine Air Control Squadron One, from Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Ariz., recently ventured to Alaska for the first time to participate in the U.S. Pacific Command exercise Northern Edge 11. The Marines, who normally train at their home station, plan to take advantage of the unique training

  • Academy cadets get taste of deployed life

    Approximately 60 U.S. Air Force Academy cadets are in Southwest Asia, observing deployed operations first hand and meeting deployed Airmen.Cadets receive leadership training, but it can become limited to what happens in the Academy's training environment. However, the opportunity to experience Air

  • Air Force officials announce selections to lieutenant colonel and major

    The 2011A Lieutenant Colonel Line of Air Force and Medical Services Corps and Major MSC Central Selection Boards selected 1,171 majors and 75 captains for promotion.The entire list can be found at the below locations. CY11A MAJOR (MSC) CY11A LIEUTENANT COLONEL (LAF/MSC) The boards considered

  • Nellis to receive Air Force's first MTC flight simulator

    Delivery is underway for a first-of-a-kind flight simulator here, with completion and operational turnover set for October.The Air Force's first Mission Training Center simulator is being set up here as part of a $109.1 million contract with L-3 Link Simulation and Training.The F-16 MTC includes

  • U.S. service members, Japanese mourn lives lost during World War II

    Members here participated in a memorial ceremony June 11, in Shizuoka City, Japan. U.S. Airmen have been invited to take part in the event each year since 1972, bringing the U.S. and Japanese communities together to mourn a shared loss.The tragedy occurred June 20, 1945, when two B-29 Superfortress

  • Reserve Airmen fuel up NATO forces in Iceland exercise

    Air Force Reserve Airmen and KC-135 Stratotankers from the 459th Air Refueling Wing, Joint Base Andrews, Md., took part in Northern Viking 11, a biennial NATO air-space and maritime protection exercise here June 3-10, 2011.This year approximately 450 NATO military members from the U.S., Norway,

  • Rescue community remembers fallen Airmen

    Airmen from the 66th Rescue Squadron here held a remembrance ceremony June 9 for the crewmembers of an HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopter, call sign Pedro 66, who lost their lives in a crash a year ago on this date.Lt. Col. Daniel Jefferies, the 563rd Rescue Group deputy commander, presided over the

  • Iraqi air force leaders attend conference at Balad

    Three Iraqi air force air staff generals and five representatives from different bases visited June 8 and 9 here to experience a U.S. Air Force base. Joint Base Balad was chosen to host the visit because it is the only base in Iraq that could provide the opportunity for Airmen to work with Iraqi

  • Thunderbirds announce 2012 officer selections

    The commander of Air Combat Command, Gen. William M. Fraser III, has officially selected the officers who will be joining the United States Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron, "Thunderbirds" for the 2012 demonstration season. Maj. Greg Moseley, a lieutenant colonel-select currently assigned to

  • Captain shares Student Flight knowledge to help unit build program

    Capt. Bryan Williams, the Student Flight coordinator for the California Air National Guard's 129th Rescue Wing at Moffett Federal Airfield, Calif., helped establish the new Student Flight training program for the West Virginia ANG's 130th Airlift Wing here.A Student Flight prepares new recruits for

  • Fallen tanker pilot to be honored in building dedication

    Airmen from the 911th Air Refueling Squadron will honor a fallen tanker pilot June 26 here by dedicating a new auditorium in his name. The event comes exactly 43 years to the day that the late Maj. Robert Francis Woods was declared missing in action after his plane crashed over Vietnam, and four