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U.S. Air Force News

  • Security forces members begin march to Ground Zero

    Members of the Joint Base San Antonio security forces community began the kickoff leg of a 2,181-mile ruck march here July 12. Participants from installations across the nation will continue the daily "Ruck March to Remember," which is scheduled to end Sept. 11 at Ground Zero in New York, on the

  • Officials name productivity award winners

    Air Force selected four winners for the Air Force's productivity and excellence awards recently. The awards recognize individuals or groups that provide resource-saving improvements to the Air Force. The Air Force Productivity Excellence Award recognizes individuals and small groups of military and

  • Shindand Air Base triples in size

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

  • Global Hawk postured for success

    With a solid record in combat and humanitarian missions, the RQ-4 Global Hawk program remains a critical component to national security and the Air Force will increase cost-saving efficiencies to ensure the unmanned aerial system's sustainment, officials said here July 12.Rigorous reviews over the

  • Airman receives General O'Malley Distinguished Space Leadership Award

    The General Jerome F. O'Malley Distinguished Space Leadership Award was awarded to an Air Force Space Command Airman during the sixth annual Space and Cyberspace Symposium June 15 in Keystone, Colo.Brig. Gen. David D. Thompson, the director of air, space and cyberspace operations for Air Force Space

  • Airmen prepare for a ruck march to remember

    Airmen in the 4th Security Forces Squadron here are gearing up to host participants of a 2,181-mile ruck march that begins at the Air Force Security Forces Center in San Antonio July 12 and ends at ground zero in New York Sept. 11 in recognition of the 10th anniversary of the 2001 terrorist

  • CONR supports final space shuttle launch

    Spectators looked on as Space Shuttle Atlantis roared to life for the final time, as the orbiter and crew launched into space from here July 8.Members of the Continental U.S. North American Aerospace Defense Command Region, or Continental NORAD Region, and Air Forces Northern provided airspace

  • Lynn to step down as deputy defense secretary

    Deputy Defense Secretary William J. Lynn III will step down later this year to return to private life, Pentagon officials announced July 7.Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta asked Lynn to remain in office until a successor is nominated and confirmed, officials said, and that's expected to happen by

  • Security forces members march to remember

    As a memorial to the 10th anniversary of 9/11, Air Force security forces members will participate in the Ruck March to Remember from July 12 to Sept. 11.Security forces members from 23 units will march 2,181 miles from the Air Force Security Forces Center in San Antonio to Ground Zero in New York

  • Nominees sought for O'Malley award

    Air Force officials are seeking nominations for the 2012 General and Mrs. Jerome F. O'Malley Award. The O'Malley Award annually recognizes the wing commander and spouse team whose contributions to the nation, the Air Force, and the local community best exemplify the highest ideals and positive

  • California guardsmen rescue lost hiker

    Airmen from the California Air National Guard's 129th Rescue Wing conducted a successful mission, rescuing a missing hiker near Pioneer, Calif., on the Fourth of July. Officials from the Air Guard unit were contacted the evening of July 3 by members of the California Emergency Management Agency

  • JTACs guide air strikes, turn tide during major battle

    Airmen from the Washington Air National Guard directed multiple airstrikes May 25 helping a significantly outnumbered U.S. Army and Afghan National Security Force unit fight through an ambush and free a district center from insurgents.Joint terminal attack controllers from the 116th Air Support

  • Air Force weather leaders meet to appraise career field

     Leaders from across the Air Force weather career field met up at Camp Blanding Joint Training Center here recently to discuss present operations and the future of the weather career field. "We need to make sure we're supporting the Airmen that are downrange and giving them the right training and

  • Air Force chief of staff announces 2011 'Vector'

    The Air Force's senior military officer released his vision for the future in the CSAF Vector 2011, which highlights the service's unique contributions to national security and also provides updates and the way ahead on the Air Force's priorities."A year ago I presented a vision for our Air Force,"

  • 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

  • AEF conference prepares experts for upcoming deployment

    Air and Space Expeditionary Force and Personnel Operations representatives from the Air Force Personnel Center here held their latest execution conference June 15 and 16 to help prepare more than 300 unit deployment managers, installation deployment officers and functional experts for the upcoming

  • Air Force civilian honored with Zuckert Award

    Retired Maj. Gen. Charles Henderson, the deputy assistant chief of staff for strategic deterrence and nuclear integration at Headquarters U.S. Air Force in Washington D.C., was presented the 2010 Eugene M. Zuckert Management Award by Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley during a ceremony at the

  • Chief Roy reflects on first two years in office, way ahead for Airmen

    Despite an increased operations tempo and fiscal challenges, Airmen continue to develop and remain an integral part of the joint and coalition team, the service's top enlisted Airman said here June 30 on his second anniversary in office.Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James A. Roy discussed

  • 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

  • Nellis F-16 crash site found

    Air Force officials here announced June 30 that search and rescue teams have found conclusive evidence the pilot of an F-16 Fighting Falcon, which crashed at approximately 5:30 p.m. June 28, did not survive. At the time of the accident, the single-seat F-16, based at Nellis Air Force Base, was

  • Nominations open for Flemming awards

    Air Force officials are accepting nominations for the 63rd Annual Arthur S. Flemming Awards.The Flemming awards recognize outstanding federal employees who made significant and extraordinary contributions to the federal government.The three award categories are: managerial or legal achievement;

  • Top Pentagon doctor lauds overseas labs

    The Defense Department's overseas medical research laboratories will play a key role in ensuring the readiness of deployed U.S. military forces well into the future, while also contributing to global health and U.S. partnership building around the world, the Pentagon's senior health affairs adviser

  • U.S., Indonesian airmen complete annual air mobility exercise

    The annual week-long combined exercise between Indonesian and U.S. Air Force personnel, known as Exercise Cope West, came to a close here June 24.More than 70 Airmen from Yokota Air Base, Japan, and three C-130 Hercules aircraft with Yokota's 36th Airlift Squadron, as well as one Indonesian Air

  • Air Force issues guidance to streamline environmental reviews

    In order to get "back to basics" and the original intent of National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, the Air Force recently issued new program guidance entitled "Planning Requirements for the Environmental Impact Analysis Process." The program will help Air Force installations, major commands,

  • Thunderbirds add Finland performance to storied history

    On both sides of every U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds F-16 Fighting Falcon, there's a colorful, square panel that displays the flags of all the countries in the world where the team has performed. The Thunderbirds had the privilege of adding a new flag to the panel June 18. For the first time in its

  • Airmen respond, help recover crashed Afghan Mi-17

    Thirteen members of the 438th Air Expeditionary Wing responded to the crash site of an Afghan air force Mi-17 at Forward Operating Base Fiaz in Asadabad in Kunar province.Six members were on board the aircraft and received minor injuries when the Afghan air force helicopter went down during a

  • Sendai students meet Airmen who provided relief during Operation Tomodachi

    Twenty-four students from Sendai Ikuei Gakuen High School visited here June 24, while in Hawaii studying at I-Lion Hawaii School. The students are continuing their education and learning English while their homes and schools are being rebuilt in the wake of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami in

  • Northern Edge participants complete successful exercise

    After two weeks of learning to communicate and work in a joint environment, service members from every branch of service packed their bags and headed home at the conclusion of Exercise Northern Edge 2011.The U.S. Pacific Command joint exercise, held June 13-24, hosted active duty, Reserve and

  • Air Force to enhance travel orders for deployment

    In an effort to improve customer support and expedite travel voucher payments, Air Force financial management leaders will mandate standardized use of the Defense Travel System for contingency, exercise and deployment travel, officials said here June 28. The change will be mostly transparent to the

  • 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

  • First Moroccan F-16 pilots to complete training in Arizona

    In July, the Kingdom of Morocco, a strategic partner for U.S. forces in North Africa, will become the 25th country to own and operate F-16s. The pilots tapped to fly them are scheduled to finish training here in time to bring them home, July 30.Four Royal Moroccan Air Force officers, former F-5

  • Dillons named 2011 O'Malley recipients

    Air Force officials have announced their selection for the 2011 General and Mrs. Jerome F. O'Malley Award. Brig. Gen. Mark Dillon, the 86th Airlift Wing commander, and his wife Sara were selected as this year's winners.The annual award recognizes the wing commander and spouse team who have best

  • Officials stop moves to Minot Air Force Base

    Air Force officials have temporarily halted most permanent change of station moves and temporary duty assignments to Minot Air Force Base, N.D.Flooding has forced many to evacuate the city of Minot, N.D., prompting the commanders of the 5th Bomb Wing and 91st Missile Wing to request a partial stop

  • Airmen, Soldiers train to maintain skills

    In the culmination of weeks of training, Airmen from the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing and Soldiers from the 3rd Battalion, 4th Air Defense Artillery Regiment conducted a joint emergency response exercise June 23 here."When we got here we wanted to make sure we are ready to react to any situation,"

  • Khobar Towers victims remembered on 15th anniversary

    Airmen, Marines, Sailors and family members gathered here to remember 19 brave warriors and 12 valiant 33rd Fighter Wing Airmen on the 15th anniversary of the Khobar Towers bombing June 24."I'm humbled to be a part of this ceremony," said Col. Andrew Toth, the 33rd FW commander. "It reminds us, as a

  • Aircraft stage from Kirtland to fight fires

    Two C-130J Hercules equipped with Modular Airborne Firefighting Systems arrived here June 15, 2011, to conduct firefighting missions in support of wildfire suppression efforts in the Southwestern United States.The aircraft are from the 115th Air Expeditionary Airlift Squadron, commanded by Lt. Col.

  • Allied Strike 2011 kicks off in Germany

    Allied Strike 2011, the largest joint terminal attack controller and close-air-support exercise in Europe, kicked off here this morning with an opening ceremony which included three airmen jumping out of a C-130J Super Hercules and a welcome address by the commander of the 4th Air Support Operations

  • New vehicle affects future of Air Force firefighting

    Soon Air Force firefighters will have a new weapon in their arsenal. The P-34 Rapid Intervention Vehicle will be in production by late September 2011. The Air Force Civil Engineer Support Agency here has been the driving force behind this initiative."This will be the first firefighting vehicle in

  • 2011 AFA Outstanding Air Force Civilians of the Year announced

    Air Force officials have announced the winners of the 2011 Air Force Association Outstanding Air Force Civilian of the Year awards.Each year, the AFA recognizes four Air Force civilian employees for outstanding achievement in any career field. This year's recipients were:Civilian wage employee of

  • Nominations open for GEICO Public Service Awards

    Air Force officials are seeking nominations for the 2011 Government Employees Insurance Company's Public Service Awards. The GEICO Public Service Awards were established in 1980 to recognize the contributions of hard-working and talented government employees.This award is open to both civilian and

  • CAPEX tests Kunsan's bomb-building abilities

    The Combat Ammunition Production Exercise is underway here June 6 to 10, to test the 8th Fighter Wing Airmen's capabilities to build munitions to support combat sorties. Inspectors from across the Air Force, including instructors from the Air Force Combat Ammunition Center at Beale Air Force Base,

  • Airman solves fuel-flow transmitter problem, saves Air Force thousands

    An Airman here was recently awarded a check worth $10,000 through the Innovative Development Employee Awareness program.Tech. Sgt. Tremaine Smith, the 51st Maintenance Group technical order distribution office manager, was recognized for an idea that fixed a fuel-flow transmitter problem, saving the

  • Chief Roy visits 438th AEW Airmen

    The chief master sergeant of the Air Force, on a tour throughout the area of responsibility, visited and spoke with members of the 438th Air Expeditionary Wing here recently. While visiting the wing, Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James A. Roy had lunch with wing enlisted leaders, visited the

  • Mobility teams gearing up for Air Mobility Rodeo 2011

    Air Mobility Rodeo 2011, sponsored by Air Mobility Command officials, is set to take place July 24 to 29 at McChord Field on Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash. Rodeo is a readiness competition that "focuses on improving our worldwide air mobility forces' professional core abilities," AMC officials

  • SecAF visits, thanks Airmen in Western Europe

    Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley visited Airmen serving with the 313th Air Expeditionary Wing and the 496th Air Base Squadron here June 17 to thank them for their service and meet with unit commanders.Upon Secretary Donley's arrival, he was greeted by Brig. Gen. Roy E. Uptegraff, the 313th

  • SecAF visits Airmen at Aviano AB

    Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley visited here June 16 and 17 to meet with Airmen and tour the installation.During his visit, the secretary received briefings on the wing's mission and operations, dined with junior enlisted Airmen, conducted an Airmen's call and participated in an Airmen

  • Online unit deployment manager course launches

    As part of the U.S. Air Force Expeditionary Center's continuing goal of leveraging technology to assist in training, members of the Expeditionary Center's Mobility Operations School celebrated the launch of the online unit deployment manager, or UDM, course this month.The eight-hour online course

  • French citizens hold exhibition honoring 48th Fighter Bomber Wing

    Today, the 48th Fighter Wing is located in England, but that wasn't always the case.From 1952 to 1967, the 48th Fighter Bomber Wing, predecessor to the 48th FW, operated out of Chaumont Air Base, in northeastern France, with 75 jets and 2,500 American Airmen at its peak.Recently, a group of French

  • Gates, Mullen protect family programs from budget cuts

    Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates told the service chiefs to "fence" two areas in the budget options the military is contemplating: training and family programs."I don't want any money taken out of those," he told the Senate Appropriations Committee June 15.Secretary Gates and Navy Adm. Mike Mullen,

  • Deadline near for National Public Service Award

    The deadline for submitting nominations for the 2012 National Public Service Award to the Air Force Personnel Center is Aug. 1.The National Public Service Award recognizes individuals with agency-wide responsibility who exhibit the highest standards of excellence, dedication and accomplishment over

  • Mullen discusses Afghanistan, Iraq, on Letterman

    America's top military officer explained what members of the U.S. military have gone through during 10 years of war to the audience of the "Late Show with David Letterman" June 13.Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told David Letterman that the American people need to

  • Investigation nabs 30 Air Force spice users

    In April,  the Air Force Office of Special Investigations Det. 114 here completed a two-month Spice-use investigation that resulted in the identification of 30 Airmen. The Airmen, who are assigned to six units within Air Force Materiel Command, Air Combat Command and Air Force Space Command, have

  • Air Force inspector general focus group realizes efficiencies

    In an effort to further minimize the effects of inspections on missions throughout the Air Force, the Air Force inspector general held an Inspection System Efficiencies Conference May 23 through May 26 in Lansdowne, Va., officials said here June 2.Conference participants included approximately 170

  • Global Strike Command tests nuclear readiness without skipping a beat

    Airmen with Global Strike Command recently completed the first command-wide nuclear operational readiness exercise, called Constant Vigilance, without taking a break from scheduled wing-level activities, exercises and training."This operation energized every part of the command," said Maj. Scott

  • Iraqi airmen learn to protect leaders

    Prompted by assassinations of Iraqi military leaders, Iraqi airmen are receiving personal security operations training from members of the Air Force Office of Special Investigations here.According to the April 2011 Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction quarterly report, between January

  • Pope C-130 crew chiefs achieve discrepancy-free checklists

     At some bases, a discrepancy-free checklist inspection has never occurred. At others it happens maybe once every 10 to 15 years, but two crew chiefs from the 440th Airlift Wing both achieved perfect checklist inspections for their aircraft.Tech. Sgts. Abner Berrios and Alan Hunter earned a "black

  • DOD seeks Input from employers of Guardsmen, Reservists

    Defense Department officials want to hear by July 6 from the civilian employers of reservists and National Guardsmen in a survey intended to measure the impact of service members on the civilian workplace.Announced in March, the Department of Defense National Survey of Employers will indicate how

  • Airlines officials revise policies for troops' checked baggage

    Military members traveling on orders on several major U.S. air carriers can check four, and in some cases, five bags without charge based on new policies the airlines instituted in recent days. Officials from Delta Air Lines, American Airlines, United Airlines and Continental Airlines announced the

  • Edwards team tests new brake system for C-130

    Members of the 418th Flight Test Squadron C-130 Hercules Wheel Brake System Improvement program here are testing the performance of carbon brakes and the new Mark IV Digital Antiskid Control Unit for the aircraft to replace the C-130's legacy brake system.Members of this test group said they know

  • Historians write their own chapter with Air Force awards

    Air Force officials recently named the Air Force Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Agency history office the recipient of the 2010 Brig. Gen. Brian S. Gunderson Award for overall history program management excellence and the Air Force Heritage Award for its heritage center and

  • Reservists complete combat aviation advisor training

    Training with their active-duty counterparts, five 919th Special Operations Wing reservists completed the baseline certification course May 27 that will lead to their recognition as combat aviation advisors.This was the first time Air Force reservists have taken this elite special operations course.

  • Air Force spouse, children recall evacuation following Japan earthquake

    The date, March 11, 2011, will never be forgotten by many people. It was the day that a 8.9-magnitude earthquake hit Japan and a day that started the motions for an Air Force family to make a decision to evacuate to Spokane, Wash., or stay and risk their newborn baby's health.The choice for them was

  • Air Force's Premier Honor Guard, Band invited to Macy's Parade

    The Air Force's Premier Honor Guard and Band received an invitation to participate for a national audience in an American tradition. Air Force District of Washington Commander Maj. Gen. Darren W. McDew, along with Col. A. Philip Waite, the Air Force Band commander, and Lt. Col. Raymond Powell,

  • Offutt Airmen join locals to help protect museum items from flood waters

    A call for help started a chain of events that culminated with members of Offutt Air Force Base, Neb.,  joining forces with three Boy Scout groups, more than 20 Omaha park personnel, retired submariners and members of the U.S. Coast Guard responding to rising flood waters at Freedom Park June

  • First Doolittle Award presented to 4th Fighter Wing

    The 4th Fighter Wing received the inaugural Air Force Historical Foundation Doolittle Award during a ceremony at the Air Force Memorial here June 2.The Doolittle Award promotes the history and heritage of a unit as opposed to an individual. The award is named after Lt. Gen. Jimmy Doolittle, a Medal

  • Thunderbirds set to kick off 2011 European tour in Turkey

    The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds are practiced and ready to perform the first official demonstration of their 2011 European Tour. The team brought 78 of its nearly 120 Airmen on the six-week, transcontinental trip, arriving earlier this week at Cigli AB, just outside of the western coastal city of

  • Officials suggest new role for more capable Reserve force

    Capabilities gained from a decade of combat have transformed military reserve components into a full-spectrum operational force that should be integrated into the active fighting force, a defense official said June 3.Paul Patrick, the deputy assistant secretary of defense for reserve affairs for

  • Prime BEEF improves living conditions in Afghanistan

    Recently, a small team from the 577th Expeditionary Prime BEEF Squadron traveled to forward-operating bases to improve the quality of life for service members at combat outposts in Southeastern Afghanistan. Prime BEEF stands for Base Engineer Emergency Force, and these teams of laborers, made up of

  • 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

  • Grand Forks AFB Airmen welcome Global Hawk

    Airmen celebrated the arrival of the RQ-4 Global Hawk during a ceremony here June 1.The ceremony highlighted the beginning of a new era of remotely piloted aircraft here."It is an honor to be here; what a great day for Grand Forks (Air Force Base) and North Dakota -- this is cutting edge

  • Team building drove president's choices, Gates says

    Building a team was the most important consideration as President Barack Obama made his choices for top national security positions, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said June 2.While he wouldn't give specifics about his advice to the president, Secretary Gates told reporters traveling with him to

  • Officials announce Flemming Award winners

    Air Force officials selected the winners of the 62nd Annual Arthur S. Flemming Award.Dr. Timothy Bunning and Maj. Gabriel Hiley of the Air Force Materiel Command were named the winners in the basic science and managerial or legal achievement categories.The Flemming award annually recognizes

  • Training at MacDill provides skills to survive

    In the military, training can teach most things, but it can't teach the will to survive. That is something contained deep inside, said Staff Sgt. Patrick Ray, the NCO in charge of survival, evasion, resistance and escape training here.SERE training is essential for military members who fly, or

  • Guard, Reserve employers earn top Defense Department honor

    Fifteen employers have been chosen to receive the 2011 Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award in recognition of the support they provide to their employees who serve in the National Guard and Reserve.Officials at Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve, a Defense Department agency,

  • DOD officials identify two Air Force casualties

    Department of Defense officials announced the deaths of two Airmen May 27 who were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.The Airmen died May 26 in the Shorabak district of Kandahar province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked their unit with an improvised explosive

  • Commissary Agency officials honor best stores for recycling

    Helping the environment has become a habit for a number of stores in the Defense Commissary Agency. Agency officials formally acknowledged these commissaries for their excellence in recycling May 25 as part of DeCA's Solid Waste Management Awards.The awards were developed to recognize store

  • Reserve Airmen begin work on Boy Scout Jamboree site

    Reserve Airmen recently arrived here to begin work on a 10,600 acre National Scout Jamboree site as part of Joint Task Force Summit.More than 20 civil engineers from the 477th Civil Engineer Squadron at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, began clearing trees and installing silt fences on the

  • Sather Airmen take Iraqi security training to next level

    The Iraqi air force will be a step closer to providing personal security for high-ranking officials after completing advanced security forces training with 447th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron instructors later this week.The advanced course, which is a precursor to personal security detail

  • New firing range 'shoots down' time, costs

    The newly refurbished combat arms firing range here is now loaded and ready.After the completion of a series of renovations to the base's old range, Airmen will no longer have to transfer from the 18th Security Force Squadron's classroom here to the Marine Corps range on Camp Hansen, saving the

  • The backbeat of the band

    Have you ever been to a concert? Have you ever sat in the audience before the band took the stage and marveled at the lights, stage and speakers that pepper the venue and wonder how it all came together? Long before the first note comes barreling through the sound system of a concert hall, hundreds

  • French pilots, families integrate into base, community

    Two French air force pilots are currently calling Moody Air Force Base, Ga., home. Commandant Yann Malard and Capitaine Sebastian Alvarez are currently integrated with a fighter squadron and rescue squadron, respectively, as they become proficient on their particular airframes. "The units here and

  • AFSO21 saves Kadena millions in parts, energy bills

    In the past, Airmen at the heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration shop here have had to replace large, outdoor, energy-wasting chiller units for buildings' AC systems on military installations across the island nearly every three years.However, because of the tropical climate of

  • Secretary Donley congratulates new officers at Academy commencement

    The secretary of the Air Force spoke at the commencement address for the Air Force Academy's Class of 2011 at Falcon Stadium here May 25.Michael Donley congratulated the 1,021 graduates and challenged them to be lifelong learners, team players and doers after they have received their diplomas and

  • Commissary Agency officials announce Best Commissary Award winners

    Every day at each of the Defense Commissary Agency's 249 stores, employees do their best to deliver an efficient and effective benefit to the millions of customers authorized to receive it, according to DeCA officials. The finest of those endeavors were recognized May 24 as the top commissaries were

  • 'Small but critical' unit moving to F.E. Warren

    The commander of Air Force Global Strike Command has announced plans to relocate the command's 24-person Missile Engineer Squadron from Peterson Air Force Base, Colo., to F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyo. "The unit is small but critical, with unique deeply technical capabilities that can best be

  • Tops in Blue set to kick off 'Rhythm Nation' tour

    Tops in Blue, the Air Force's expeditionary entertainment unit, kicks off their 2011 'Rhythm Nation' tour with a performance at Barksdale Air Force Base, La., May 25.Tops in Blue is a group of Airmen comprised of 35 vocalists, dancers, musicians and technicians who perform for deployed service

  • Photo essay: Refueling the fight

    Airmen from the 340th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron participate in multiple air refueling missions here May 8, in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.View the slideshow.

  • Gates: Defense cuts must be prioritized, strategic

    Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said he is determined that the department not fall victim to the mistakes of the past, "where the budget targets were met mostly by taking a percentage off the top of everything, the simplest and most politically expedient approach both inside the Pentagon and

  • Advisers from 3 bases converge for evacuation training

    Air Force and Army medical advisers from bases throughout Iraq converged here to conduct aeromedical evacuation training with their Iraqi counterparts May 18 to 19.Medical advisers and helicopter pilots with the 171st General Support Aviation Battalion at Camp Taji, medics from Joint Base Balad's

  • Air Force doctor to appear on 'The Oprah Winfrey Show'

    Air Force Maj. (Dr.) Van Adamson never imagined he would appear on a national syndicated TV talk show, standing next to Hollywood's biggest celebrities as a result of a college scholarship he received 13 years ago. In her second-to-last episode on Tuesday, May 24, popular day-time talk show host

  • Officials seek nominations for 2011 GEICO Military Service Awards

    Air Force officials are accepting nominations for the 2011 Government Employees Insurance Company's Military Service Awards.The annual GEICO Military Service Awards recognize enlisted service members from all military service branches, active duty, Guard and Reserve, for their contributions to

  • Law enforcement members honored during Police Week

    Security forces members, the Air Force Office of Special Investigations and the South Korean air force honored two law enforcement Airmen by ceremonially retiring them and removing them from duty here May 19.The ceremony was part of National Police Week, which ran from May 15 to 21 and honored law

  • 7th Intel Squadron named best in Air Force

    The 7th Intelligence Squadron was named the Outstanding Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Unit of the Year for 2010 as part of the annual Air Force ISR awards program and the National Military Intelligence Association Maj. Gen. Jack E. Thomas awards program. The 7th IS selection was made

  • 'Golden hour' initiative pays off in Afghanistan

    Two years ago, Defense Secretary Robert Gates traveled throughout Afghanistan, promising deployed troops he would make sure they had everything they needed to accomplish their mission -- including more forward-deployed medical capabilities in the event they were wounded.The goal, Secretary Gates

  • Air Guard Airmen establish air hub for earthquake-relief exercise

    More than 40 members of a contingency response element from the Kentucky Air National Guard's 123rd Airlift Wing operated a key patient-movement hub here as part of National Level Exercise 2011.The exercise is designed to test the local, state and national response to a simulated earthquake along