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U.S. Air Force News

  • Air Force news subscriptions top 100,000

    For the first time since Air Force Link, the Air Force’s official Web site, was introduced nearly 10 years ago, the number of subscribers to its electronic news and information products has exceeded 100,000.The growth is attributed to the Web site’s continuing popularity, combined with an

  • Reserve troops urged to keep employers informed

    Behind nearly every deployed National Guardsman or reservist, there is a civilian employer who is waiting for that employee to return.Most civilian employers support their servicemembers by holding positions for them, while some even maintain insurance benefits. The better the relationship these

  • Operation Dear Abby uses e-mail

    In 1967, a servicemember wrote advice columnist "Dear Abby" requesting "just a letter from home" for deployed troops serving during the Vietnam War.The famous columnist, known by her pseudonym, Abigail Van Buren, responded, and the Operation Dear Abby mail program was born. Through the ensuing

  • Alaska Air Guard rescuers pick-up missing pilot

    A civilian pilot is now home and safe after surviving six days in the Alaskan wilderness. Michael Holman had been missing since Nov. 22 and was picked up Nov. 28 by an Air National Guard rescue crew. He had been spotted the day before by a passing U.S. Coast Guard C-130 Hercules crew.Mr. Holman,

  • 'Brat' follows in family footsteps

    "It may sound funny, but a big part of my desire to join was a sense of patriotic duty that I felt and still feel to this day," said Master Sgt. Layne Berryhill.The military brat, whose mother and father also served in the Air Force, calls himself a "junkie" who is "addicted" to the feeling he gets

  • Deployed Airmen record storybook videos for children

    Airmen and Soldiers assigned to Camp Sather here are making storybook videos for their children back home. The “read to your child/video greeting program” is operated by the 447th Air Expeditionary Group services flight.The program, which began Nov 19, lets troops record a video of them reading a

  • Bagram Airmen build bombs

    Building up flares and guided bombs is all in a day’s work for ammunitions troops here, as it is for conventional munitions technicians throughout the region. Being assigned to the 455th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron ammunitions unit is about keeping the munitions supply lines flowing,

  • 'Defend America' helps Americans support troops

    One often-repeated question from forward-deployed Airmen is some form of: "Does America support what we're doing over here?"Judging by the number of Web sites devoted to that support, the answer is a resounding, "Yes!"But as times have changed, so have the ways to support the troops. Just because

  • F-35 ‘flies’ above central New York

    Perched atop a pedestal overlooking a rural valley in central New York sits the nation's air warrior of the future.Sophisticated antenna testing is under way on the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter at the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Newport antenna research and measurement facility.The full-scale F-35

  • DOD launches 'America Supports You' to showcase support

    Department of Defense officials launched a new program Nov. 19 to showcase America's support for the men and women of the armed forces and the myriad ways people are expressing that support."America Supports You" is designed to gather information about the many activities and programs Americans have

  • Air Force band performs at Clinton library opening

    Rain, and a lot of it, could not dampen the spirits of Airmen assigned here to help make the William J. Clinton Presidential Library opening ceremonies Nov. 18 a success.Active-duty Airmen from the Air Force Band of Mid-America assigned to Scott Air Force Base, Ill., kicked off the official grand

  • Jumper: AEF has been successful

    Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper told House Armed Services Committee members that while reconstitution of air expeditionary forces is not moving as quickly as expected, the concept is battle-proven.The Air Force's highest-ranking uniformed member testified before the House of

  • Airman prescribes dose of ‘fun,’ boosts morale

    Tech. Sgt. Daniel Vargas is not certified to practice medicine. Nonetheless, he admits it feels good whenever he can prescribe a good dose of “fun” to boost the morale of injured servicemembers recovering at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio.Sergeant Vargas is an information manager

  • Children experience military 'deployment'

    Children here recently got a taste of what their military parents go through when deploying during Operation Kids Investigating Deployment Services.Tech. Sgt. Senya Zeitvogel, noncommissioned officer in charge of family readiness at the 82nd Mission Support Squadron here, said she planned this event

  • Abizaid asks Congress to help stop unsolicited mail

    The commander of U.S. Central Command is asking Congress for help in eliminating unsolicited mail to servicemembers.Army Gen. John P. Abizaid said the military mail service is running at capacity, and he noted the propensity of America to be especially generous during the holidays."I would greatly

  • Air Force seeks navigators

    Air Force officials are providing more opportunities to active-duty officers who want to become navigators.Officers who meet basic qualifications must submit their application package by Dec. 29 to be considered by the Feb. 8 to 10 undergraduate flying training selection board at the Air Force

  • VIDOC: Worth a thousand words

    Pushy paparazzi, nosy TV reporters and supermodel photographers have nothing on a team of Airmen here. They take your picture, and they videotape you at work. They announce what you are doing to the masses, and they plaster you onto posters -- and most people do not even know they are there.They

  • Columbus goes ‘batty’

    The new neighbors here never come outside during the day. Rumors say they nibble on people’s necks and suck their blood, but some people know better.“It’s important for the base community to become educated about bats,” said Charlie Burgess, 17, the Boy Scout responsible for spearheading a project

  • Developmental teams get voice in officer PME selection

    More than 1,100 officers will get the chance to attend intermediate or senior developmental education schools thanks to the Developmental Education Designation Board held at the Air Force Personnel Center here in October.The board combined inputs from the central selection promotion boards and

  • Air Force officials announce OTS selections

    More than 180 men and women from throughout America have earned an opportunity to become Air Force leaders following their selection for a commission, officials here announced Nov. 12.Air Force Recruiting Service officials considered 205 applications as part of Officer Training School Selection

  • Airmen run fire department at forward operating base

    With safety at the forefront in everyone’s minds, having firefighters ready and standing by is important when an emergency happens on base.The fire department here is run by four Airmen from Manas Air Base, Kyrgyz Republic, who respond to emergencies. The types of emergencies the team is prepared to

  • Veterans send gifts to deployed Airmen

    Servicemembers and DOD civilians serving here began receiving military assistance communication kit packages Nov. 4.The MACK Packs were donated through a Veterans of Foreign Wars and Ladies Auxiliary VFW program called Operation Uplink. The packs contained a writing tablet, holiday cards with

  • Reserve volunteers to see longer overseas tour lengths

    The leader of Air Force Reserve Command said Airmen volunteering for duty are leading his command’s ability to support the war effort; however, changes to the amount of time people will be asked to be overseas are on the horizon.Lt. Gen. John A. Bradley, chief of the Air Force Reserve and AFRC

  • Air Force honors spouses with pin

    Air Force officials have expanded the pin program to recognize and thank those who support the efforts of Airmen around the world by introducing the Air Force spouse pin. This pin joins the Air Force employer pin and parent pin as one of the service’s most visible public outreach programs.Peter B.

  • Paper LES program shredded to make way for digital delivery

    Airmen will get one less piece of mail now that the Defense Finance and Accounting Service stopped sending paper leave and earnings statements this month. Airmen will not go without the critical information the LES provides because it is now available via the service’s myPay Web site, said Colonel

  • Air Force’s top leaders visit Southwest Asia

    The Air Force’s top civilian, officer and enlisted leaders visited more than 5,000 Airmen at this forward-deployed location Nov. 4 as they kicked off their swing through Southwest Asia.Sporting the Air Force’s new proposed utility uniform, Secretary of the Air Force Dr. James G. Roche, Chief of

  • Air Force leaders premiere new uniform

    When Air Force leaders arrived at this forward-deployed location Nov. 4, they wore the latest proposed replacement for the battle dress uniform.“I was surprised to see them wearing the newer version of the uniform,” said Master Sgt. Sharon Kegler, a first sergeant deployed from McGuire Air Force

  • Camp Zama Airmen provide vital communications link

    A small group of Airmen at this Army installation provides vital worldwide communications links for the Department of Defense and its allies in the Pacific region. The technicians assigned to Operating Location C of the 374th Communications Squadron at Yokota Air Base, Japan, handle area, regional,

  • Military family support professionals gather

    Directors of family support centers from across the Air Force gathered nearby in Landsdowne, Va., to discuss how to better serve Airmen and their loved ones. The weeklong conference, Strengthening the Home Front, focused on two areas: integrating the Air Force One Source program into base

  • Commissary scholarship program enters fifth year

    Applications are now available at commissaries and online for $1,500 academic scholarships for children of active-duty, Guard and Reserve servicemembers and retirees. The application window for the 2005 Scholarships for Military Children program closes Feb. 16.In five years, the Defense Commissary

  • Officials stress troop support mail policy

    Department of Defense officials announced the continued suspension of the “Any Servicemember” mail program Nov. 2. Accordingly, the general public is urged not to send unsolicited mail, care packages or donations to servicemembers during the holiday season.During this time of the year, the number

  • Scientists identify remains of six Air Force MIAs

    The remains of six Airmen missing in action from the Vietnam War have been identified and are being buried at Arlington National Cemetery on Nov. 5 with full military honors.They are: Cols. Theodore Kryszak of Buffalo, N.Y., and Harding Smith of Los Gatos, Calif.; Lt. Col. Russell Martin of

  • Officials select officers for developmental education

    Boards here selected more than 300 company-grade officers from 14 career fields to attend developmental education programs beginning in the summer, Air Force Personnel Center officials announced Nov. 1.The development team special program selection and Air Force Institute of Technology boards

  • Law allows write-in ballot for U.S.-based troops, families

    The fiscal 2005 National Defense Authorization Act has made two changes available for some stateside voters, effective, where applicable, for the Nov. 2 election. Changes are: -- Servicemembers on active duty, in the Merchant Marine or a family member living in the United States but not at their

  • 'Newslink' provides news from across Iraq

    Airmen deployed to Iraq, and their family and friends back home, now have an updated resource to help them stay current on Air Force news throughout the country.Iraq Newslink is a Web site built specifically to tell stories of deployed Airmen.The site, located at www.afnews.af.mil/iraq/index.htm, is

  • Tricare benefits improved significantly for reservists

    The National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal 2005 significantly improves the overall health benefits available to guardsmen, reservists and their families. It also makes permanent several of the Tricare benefits authorized “temporarily” under defense legislation, while extending secretarial

  • Civilian health-care ‘open season’ offers 18 new plans

    Office of Personnel Management officials announced new health-care options that may provide better financial opportunities for employees.Eighteen new high-deductible health plans will be offered by the federal employees’ health benefits program for 2005. The new health plans, when used with a health

  • 2004 Airlift/Tanker Association convention convenes

    Signifying the tremendous role that reserve forces play in the air mobility mission, the leaders of the Air National Guard and the Air Force Reserve kicked off the 2004 Airlift/Tanker Association Convention here Oct. 29. Lt. Gen. Daniel James III, ANG director, and his reserve component colleague,

  • AEF Center commander explains longer cycle

    The effect of the expanded air and space expeditionary force tour lengths on troop morale was addressed here by the general in charge of the deployment schedule.Brig. Gen. Steven Hoog, AEF Center commander, explained how the recent extension to four-month deployments is working out.“Airmen have

  • New civilian personnel system brings sweeping changes

    The new human resource system known as the National Security Personnel System is scheduled to start for an initial 100,000 Department of Defense employees in the summer of 2005, Roger M. Blanchard said here Oct 25. He is the Air Force assistant deputy chief of staff for personnel Air Force

  • Airmen take part in Operation Pencil Box

    About 20 Airmen from the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing were greeted with smiles, cheers and the classic thumbs-up sign as they delivered school supplies and toys to a nearby elementary school Oct. 23 as part of Operation Pencil Box.More than 150 Iraqi children welcomed the group as they went from

  • Online write-in absentee ballot offered for overseas voters

    Deployed or stationed overseas and still waiting for your state absentee ballot to arrive in the mail? There's no need to sweat it out any more.The online federal write-in absentee ballot gives U.S. citizens overseas who haven't yet received the absentee ballots they applied for the chance to vote

  • DOD program provides technology for disabled workers

    A Department of Defense program that provides the technology and services disabled workers need to use computers and other basic office equipment evens the employment playing field for the disabled. It also makes it easier for managers to hire them, said Dinah Cohen, the DOD official who has run

  • DOD launching anti-flu health campaign

    Department of Defense officials are launching a vigorous public health campaign aimed at preventing the flu in those who will not qualify to get their shots this season."To borrow a phrase from Franklin Roosevelt from many years ago, and I think itapplies: The greatest thing we have to fear 'is

  • Elmendorf 'charged' by new technology

    Firefighters here may not look like modern-day energy pioneers, but they are, because of an innovative fuel cell project that is being tested in a fire station here. The project sounds a lot like a chemistry experiment."The fuel cell uses electrochemical energy conversion that combines oxygen and

  • Air Force receiving OIF artwork

    About 150 artists from around the country will donate more than 200 paintings to the Air Force during a ceremony Oct. 29 at Andrews Air Force Base, Md.The artwork features works by artists who traveled to Iraq and Afghanistan to cover the Air Force mission during operations Enduring Freedom and

  • Air Force launches user-friendly news product

    Air Force officials announced a new e-mail service Oct. 20 that gives subscribers a user-friendly news summary with links to extensive news and information, as well as audio and video news reports.Those wishing to receive the free e-mail news summary, called "AF Today," can subscribe by going to Air

  • Thrift Savings Plan kicks off open season

    The federal government's Thrift Savings Plan kicked off its 2004 "open season" Oct. 15 with slogans to remind servicemembers and civilian government employees that they can increase their retirement coffers substantially by investing in TSP, a 401K-type savings program.Open season -- the period when

  • Internet coupons stretch commissary customers' savings

    Commissary shoppers are among the top coupon clippers in the world, but the "clipping" part may someday be history. The Defense Commissary Agency is helping customers increase their savings by making Internet coupon links available on the agency's Web site."Although we sell groceries at cost, we

  • Family support centers target programs

    Family support centers around the Air Force are changing the way they do business to better serve the needs of communities.“Traditionally, we served customers who came into the center,” said Linda Olivia Smith, chief of Air Force family matters. “Now we’re doing more outreach -- going to the

  • New law sinks 'check floating' practice

    The practice of “floating” a check until payday will become a thing of the past Oct. 28 when the new federal Check Clearing for the 21st Century Act, also known as Check 21, goes into effect.“Check floating” occurs when people write checks a few days before payday, figuring that by the time their

  • New government Web site offers one-stop financial education

    The Defense Department is part of a multiagency effort that resulted in the debut of a federal government Web site devoted to financial education Oct. 12.The mymoney.gov site has been in the works since March, with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission taking the lead role in its development, DOD

  • Rescue flight makes second save in nine days

    The 36th Rescue Flight made its second save in nine days with the rescue of an injured survival student Oct. 11.The student, a lieutenant, was doing night navigation training in the Colville National Forest when he tripped, fell and lost consciousness. The instructors immediately called the Tacoma

  • Postal agency sets overseas holiday mailing dates, policies

    The dates for mailing items to and from overseas locations in time for the holidays are fast approaching, and officials at the Military Postal Service Agency here have suggestions for ensuring packages and letters arrive on time. "If packages are mailed earlier, it may be possible to use

  • Physician assistants strong support for military medical units

    Every 15 minutes, Maj. James Kahler lifts a medical record from the rack, enters an exam room, and his hunt begins anew.Part medical detective, part complaint department head, part confession-hearing priest, Major Kahler weighs verbal feedback against diagnostic examination to determine a prognosis

  • Secure personnel Web site going down for maintenance

    The Air Force Personnel Center’s secure Web site (https://www.afpc.randolph.af.mil/afpcsecure) will be down for scheduled maintenance 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. CDT on Oct. 17.The following Web site sections will be available via the Air Force Portal (https://my.af.mil) only: -- Employee Benefits Information

  • Blowing stuff up for safety’s sake

    Most people use tools to fix things, but the 455th Civil Engineer Flight’s explosive ordnance disposal team here uses its tools to blow up stuff. To these Airmen, blowing something up is the best way to eliminate hazards and with an average of three suspected unexploded ordnance calls here daily,

  • Absentee Voting Week kicks off Oct. 11

    Oct. 11 to 15 has been designated Absentee Voting Week by the Federal Voting Assistance Program.Overseas voters should mark and return their state absentee ballots or the Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot during this week, federal voting officials said.It is imperative to mark and mail ballots as

  • Escorts keep watch over foreign workers

    Help wanted: Critical job working outside in sandy, arid 110-degree heat. Must leave comforts of home, family and friends for four months. Will provide perimeter security during increased threat levels and escort third-country and local nationals to job sites. Free travel!If someone read that ad

  • Thrift Savings Plan open season begins Oct. 15

    Civilian and military employees can sign up for, or change, their Thrift Savings Plan contribution amounts during the "open season" Oct. 15 to Dec. 31."TSP is a long-term retirement savings plan, which everyone should consider," said Senior Master Sgt. Felipe Ortiz, superintendent of the Air Force

  • Junior ROTC expands, seeks retirees to teach at new units

    Airmen planning to retire within the next couple of years and Airmen who have retired within the past five years may want to look to Junior ROTC before storing their uniforms, said Jo Alice Talley. She is the Air Force Junior ROTC instructor management chief.Air Force Junior ROTC will add 201 units

  • Rescue flight saves fallen rock climber

    The 36th Rescue Flight here made its 596th save, after rescuing a fallen rock climber Oct. 2.The man, 26, was out with two friends when he got separated and disappeared over a cliff face near Spur Lake in Libby, Mont.The friends found the man the next morning and began to stabilize him, then climbed

  • Air Force still needs health professionals

    The Air Force exceeded its enlisted recruiting goal by sending 34,362 people to basic military training in fiscal 2004, but the service was unsuccessful in finding enough physicians, dentists and nurses to meet its health professions goal.The Air Force had an enlisted recruiting goal of 34,080.

  • Official: New adenovirus vaccine 'top priority'

    Defense Department officials are working to field a new vaccine designed to combat a virus that has plagued military basic training since World War II, DOD's senior medical official said Oct. 5.The development of a new adenovirus vaccine is a "top priority," Dr. William Winkenwerder Jr. said. The

  • Force shaping opportunities expand in 2005

    Air Force personnel officials encourage more Airmen to seek opportunities to exit the service under an expanded force-shaping program in fiscal 2005.Planners have opened more career fields for force-shaping eligibility by dropping from a 100-percent sustainment level to 95 percent. This increases

  • Officials unveil employment initiative for wounded vets

    Injured servicemembers returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan will get individualized job training, counseling and re-employment services, Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao said Oct. 4.During a signing ceremony at Walter Reed Army Medical Center here, Ms. Chao joined Army Maj. Gen. Kenneth Farmer

  • Memphis Belle to find new home at AF Museum

    Air Force officials announced plans Oct. 4 to relocate the World War II B-17 "Memphis Belle" to the Air Force museum near Dayton, Ohio.No date has been set, but officials said they expect the move to occur before the end of the year in conjunction with activities planned to observe the 60th

  • Interagency team checking for H-Bomb lost in 1958

    A team of experts is looking into whether a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel may have located a hydrogen bomb missing off the coast of Georgia since 1958. Air Force officials said there has never been a danger of a nuclear explosion from the weapon because the bomb has no arming capsule. The

  • Air Force revises CJR 'wait list'

    The Air Force has revised the career job reservation list to meet end-strength goals under force shaping.While five new Air Force specialties have been identified as constrained, another six have been released from the list. All constrained Air Force specialties receive quotas and have a ranked

  • DOD expands anthrax, smallpox vaccination programs

    Department of Defense is expanding its anthrax and smallpox immunization programs following an evaluation conducted by the Military Health System. Air Force officials released service-specific guidance recently.Dr. William Winkenwerder Jr., assistant secretary of defense for health affairs,

  • WAF Band still making music

    A military band that was formed when the Air Force was just 4 years old performed four concerts here, more than 40 years after the group’s deactivation.The Women in the Air Force Band, in conjunction with its annual reunion, gave back to the nation in the Lone Star State. After three days of

  • Air Force ROTC detachments remain open

    Five Air Force ROTC detachments previously identified for closure will remain open on a two-year period of evaluation, as recently approved by Secretary of the Air Force Dr. James G. Roche.The detachments are at the University of Memphis in Tennessee; University of Cincinnati in Ohio; Wilkes

  • October issue of Airman available

    Read about how Airmen are becoming “fit to fight,” learn how two Air Force recruiters survived an explosion in Iraq, and discover how one correctional-custody program keeps Airmen from crossing out of the blue. These features and more highlight the October issue of Airman magazine, now available in

  • Air Force announces selections to captain

    The captain promotion process results showed 2,796 lieutenants were promoted to captain. The list is posted on the Air Force Personnel Center's Web site at www.afpc.randolph.af.mil/offprom/.During the selection process, 2,813 officers were considered. The results of the CY04B Quarterly Captain

  • Airmen pull underground alert

    Officers from the 742nd Missile Squadron and others like them continue to carry on a 40-year legacy by pulling alert at a seemingly plain-looking wooden building on the North Dakota prairie. Located 60 feet below is the most important part of the facility -- a steel-reinforced capsule no larger

  • Deployed Airmen experience local tradition

    Airmen deployed to the 3rd Air Expeditionary Group here experienced a South Korean tradition Sept. 28 that is more than 2,000 years old.Every year during the harvest season when the moon is full, South Koreans celebrate a holiday similar to the American Thanksgiving called Chu Sok or Harvest Moon

  • Air Force announces selections to lieutenant colonel

    Line and biomedical science corps board members selected 1,482 majors for promotion to lieutenant colonel.The entire list will be posted on the Air Force Personnel Center's Web site Oct. 1 at www.afpc.randolph.af.mil/offprom/ by 2 p.m. CDT.The board considered 7,331 officers.Results of the line

  • Academy town hall meeting reaches worldwide audience

    The Air Force’s three top leaders opened a town hall meeting here Sept. 27 by speaking about the service’s force size and its future in space.Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper explained the current force management is “not a cut” but designed to reshape the force. “It is getting us down to where

  • Tennessee Guard moves, prepares for C-5s

    Air Force officials signed a land-exchange agreement with the Memphis-Shelby County Airport Authority on Sept. 20 allowing the Tennessee Air National Guard’s 164th Airlift Wing more space to convert from C-141B Starlifters to C-5 Galaxys.Fred Kuhn, deputy assistant secretary of the Air Force for

  • Airmen help save lives following UH-60 crash at Tallil

    Just after 9:20 p.m. Sept. 21, two Army UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters took off from the flightline here.Two minutes later, something went horribly wrong with one of them.“The first thing I heard was a loud, dull thud, kind of like a fist hitting a wooden wall,” said Senior Airman John Byrum, a

  • Academy site of town hall meeting Sept. 27

    Arnold Hall here is the setting for a town hall meeting Sept. 27 featuring Secretary of the Air Force Dr. James Roche, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John Jumper and Chief Master Sgt. Of the Air Force Gerald Murray.The meeting begins at 1 p.m. EDT and will be broadcast live on The Pentagon Channel

  • Airborne network takes 'wireless' to new heights

    Leaders at all levels can soon access information from their home stations regardless of where they are in the world thanks to an airborne local-area network.Engineers at the 412th Flight Test Squadron here and the Air Force systems networking program office at Gunter Annex, Ala., developed and

  • Airmen remain in control of their futures

    In spite of the Air Force’s force-shaping measures, Airmen are learning they remain in control of their futures, even in over-manned career fields.There are choices for those whose re-enlistments are coming up soon: retrain, join the Guard or Reserve, join the Army with “Operation Blue to Green” or

  • AF officials announce marathon results

    Helped by cool temperatures and a sunny sky, more than 3,800 runners from 48 states and 10 foreign countries ran in the eighth annual U.S. Air Force Marathon here Sept. 17, with about 2,000 spectators and more than 1,800 volunteers assisting.Wheelchair competitors began the 26.2-mile race at 7 a.m.,

  • Air Force announces team-excellence awards

    Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper announced the five teams selected for 2004 Chief of Staff Team Excellence Awards during a ceremony Sept 14.Fifteen teams were nominated for the awards, which recognize outstanding team performance and promote systematic process improvement. The awards

  • AETC commander gives education update

    Right number, right skills, right training and right quality.That is the bottom line, said Gen. Donald G. Cook, commander of Air Education and Training Command, when he gave his stakeholders’ report at the Air Force Association’s 2004 Air and Space Conference and Technology Exposition on Sept.

  • Leaders, compelling mission keep AF strength high

    Air Force leaders are struggling with a problem. The service has 20,000 more people than it is authorized. And as its leaders work to pare the numbers by 16,000 by the end of fiscal 2005, Airmen and would-be Airmen are standing in line to enlist or re-enlist."It's a fascinating problem for us,"

  • Thirteen years later, Air Force dedicates its memorial

    Soaring 270 feet into the sky over America’s capital, three stainless-steel spires forming an equilateral triangle will memorialize the U.S. Air Force.The groundbreaking ceremony and site dedication for the Air Force Memorial was Sept. 15, in Arlington, Va. The ceremony included speeches by Chief

  • Evacuation decision easily made

    It was a toss of the coin -- move thousands of people out of harms way early or wait until the path of Hurricane Ivan was defined.It was a decision that Col. Ed Keith, 96th Air Base Wing commander, did not hesitate to make. More than 20,000 base employees and their families faced mandatory

  • CSI: On the battlefield

    Some of today's most popular television shows feature crime scene investigations, but those pale in comparison to the real-life battlefield investigations an Air Force Research Laboratory scientist here carries out.In his role in the Air Force Reserve, Maj. Greg Moster, whose civilian job is with

  • Sailors, Airmen can 'go green'

    "Go Green" is not just the slogan of environmentalists anymore.The Army is increasing its end strength, and Operation Blue to Green is one method being used to assist in reaching the desired end strength, said Lt. Col. Roy Steed, recruiting policy branch chief at the Army's personnel

  • POW/MIA day provides time to reflect, thank

    “However long it takes, wherever it takes us, whatever the cost.”Those words reflect the pledge of the more than 600 people who work every day to locate and identify 88,000 American servicemembers still missing from World War II through today.They are also apt words to describe the theme of the

  • Personnel chief gives force development update at AFA

    The Air Force deputy chief of staff for personnel told Airmen at the 2004 Air Force Association’s 2004 Air and Space Conference and Technology Exposition on Sept. 14 about three key programs that will shape their service.Adhering to the theme of this year’s AFA conference -- professional development

  • Command chiefs address Airmen’s concerns

    The chief master sergeant of the Air Force joined command chief master sergeants from Air Force major commands at a forum during the Air Force Association’s 2004 Air and Space Conference and Technology Exposition here Sept. 13.“As I travel around the Air Force, I (stress) that one of the most

  • NYC art society continues 52-year partnership with Air Force

    Civilian artists unveiled a bit of recent military history at an Upper East Side event Sept. 10, carrying on an American tradition that dates back to the Revolution.The artists, members of the New York City-based Society of Illustrators, have been embedded in Air Force operations to create original

  • Now showing: Sept. 13 edition of AFTV News

    The Cold War and Vietnam legacies of the B-52 Stratofortress highlight the latest edition of Air Force Television News. Staff Sgt. Leigh Bellinger traces the history of the bomber during its half century of service in the Air Force, including its significant role in both wars against Iraq, and its

  • Employee celebrates half century of service

    You might say the Air Force and Steve Espinosa grew up together.For a fact, the two have shared more than five decades together. In uniform and as a civilian, Mr. Espinosa has served the Air Force for 54 years, nearly as long as the service has existed.A small-parts sheet-metal worker at the

  • Airman tells of medical response to Pentagon attack

    When terrorists attacked the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001, the ops tempo at nearby Andrews Air Force Base, Md., hit a feverish pitch, said an Airman who was there.At that time, Senior Airman Andrea Taylor, a 319th Aeromedical-Dental Squadron bioenvironmental engineering journeyman, was working with a

  • Reserve recruiters exceed goal for 4th straight year

    For the fourth year in a row, Air Force Reserve Command recruiters exceeded the command goal.They brought in 9,636 new recruits by the end of August. Their goal was 9,600 by Sept. 30.Besides making its goal early, the command had its highest percentage of successful recruiters. Of the 284

  • Civil Air Patrol volunteers help assess hurricane damage

    Civil Air Patrol members are at work in Florida, helping assess damage from Hurricane Frances. More CAP aircraft and people are on standby to move into affected areas as soon as weather permits.Seven CAP ground teams are working with the Florida National Guard and Florida Department of