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  • Tops in Blue seeks talent for 2012 tour

    The Air Force's premier expeditionary entertainment group, Tops in Blue, is seeking the "best of the best" talent in the Air Force for the 2012 team.The Air Force Worldwide Talent Search takes place at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, Jan. 9-16, 2012. Total force Airmen who believe they have the

  • 'Portraits in Courage' Vol. VI: Core values, real time

    Directing heat, jumping into raging waters, triaging under fire, powering relief efforts, or using a camera to alter outcomes; these are the actions taken by some of the 18 Airmen featured in the latest series of Portraits in Courage.Volume VI tells the stories of heroes and game changers; the

  • SECAF delivers address on state of the Air Force

    Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley addressed hundreds of Airmen, sister service members and industry leaders during the Air Force Association's 2011 Air & Space Conference and Technology Exposition here, Sept. 19.Donley spoke about the state of the Air Force in regards to budget concerns,

  • Rescue squadron returns home from concurrent deployments

    Approximately 60 members of the 56th Rescue Squadron returned here Sept. 15, after back-to-back deployments in support of two different operations that had them away from home for more than nine months.Their deployments began with a three-month stretch in Afghanistan where they provided high-risk

  • Air Force team trains Afghans on EOD ops

    Over the past month, an Air Force explosive ordnance disposal team has been training members of an Afghan National Army EOD team on the most current methods to defeat improvised explosive devices.Members of the 466th Air Expeditionary Squadron EOD charlie flight will soon conclude a

  • Air Force Marathon sets attendance record for second year

    The 2011 U.S. Air Force Marathon broke a number of records this year -- first selling out earlier than ever in June and then by lining up 13,000 runners at the starting line on the grounds of Wright State University and the National Museum of the United States Air Force here.This previous record for

  • Enlisted force bestows highest honor on ACC commander

    A gathering of 500 Air Combat Command Airmen assembled in Hampton, Va. Sept. 12, to honor the ACC commander with induction into the Order of the Sword. The Order of the Sword is the highest honor the enlisted corps can bestow on an individual and is steeped in military tradition. Originally begun as

  • Officials seek Pitsenbarger Award nominees

    Air Force Sergeants Association is seeking nominations for the 2012 Pitsenbarger Award.The AFSA Pitsenbarger Award annually recognizes an Air Force enlisted service member who has performed a heroic act, on or off duty, that resulted in saving a life or preventing serious injury to another person or

  • Air Force aerial firefighters continue battling Texas wildfires

    Air Force C-130 Hercules aircraft provided aerial firefighting support to northeast Texas for a second consecutive day Sept. 12, forming fire retardant lines in support of ground fire crews.Aircrews and their four C-130s dropped approximately 12,000 gallons of fire retardant against Fires 262 and

  • Thai air chief visit fosters strategic relationship

    The Royal Thai Air Force commander-in-chief met with his Pacific Air Forces counterpart during a visit here Sept. 7 through 10. Air Chief Marshal Itthaporn Subhawong and Gen. Gary North, the PACAF commander, spent time together strengthening the long-standing relationship and paving the way for

  • Possible F-16 buy highlights Iraq's progress

    Iraq's potential purchase of 18 U.S. F-16 Fighting Falcons is an encouraging development that benefits both nations, the senior U.S. Air Force component commander in Iraq said Sept 14."I do not have any word yet that a letter of offer and acceptance is signed, but as you probably know, we did have a

  • DOD aircraft join firefighting efforts in Texas, Northwest US

    Under the direction of the Joint Forces Air Component Commander for Air Forces Northern here, six Defense Department C-130 Hercules equipped with U.S. Forest Service Modular Airborne Fire Fighting Systems will deploy in support of the National Interagency Fire Center to supplement wildland

  • Continuous bomber presence restructuring saves DOD $12 million

     Air Force Global Strike Command and Pacific Air Forces officials teamed up recently to restructure logistics support and aircraft rotations for the continuous bomber presence in the Pacific.The restructuring is estimated to save the Defense Department more than $12 million annually."The continuous

  • Security forces Airmen complete 9/11 ruck march

    After more than two months and 2,100 miles of marching, a flight of security forces Airmen completed the Security Forces 9/11 Ruck March to Remember here Sept. 11. The last leg of their march began at the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum and ended at Battery Park, where 2,796 flags covered the

  • Air Force ROTC unit established at Yale

    The secretary of the Air Force and the president of Yale University signed an agreement here Sept. 12 establishing an Air Force ROTC detachment on the campus, which marks a renewed presence at Yale for the Air Force.Yale's commitment to service, intellectual excellence and diversity make it the

  • Civil engineers start construction project on Wake Island

    Three 611th Civil Engineering Squadron members arrived here recently from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson to begin building the second of three Sprung Instant Structure buildings. After their arrival on the atoll in the Pacific Ocean about 3,000 miles southwest of Anchorage known as Wake Island,

  • Reserve streamlining plans adjusts manpower in 3 states

    Air Force Reserve officials announced plans to streamline unit structures and adjust manpower in California, Georgia and Texas by fiscal 2012.The biggest changes will affect the Air Force Reserve's three numbered air forces: 4th Air Force, March Air Reserve Base, Calif.; 10th Air Force, Naval Air

  • Memories of 9/11 resonate with Dover Port Mortuary staff

    A decade ago, less than a dozen people worked in a modest building that sat on a few acres of land behind the fence at the end of Atlantic Avenue.That's how William Zwicharowski described the facility where the solemn duty of honoring the fallen was performed. Zwicharowski, an embalmer at the time,

  • CSA card personal use unauthorized

    Policy changes concerning the use of the Air Force's new Controlled Spend Account cards were spelled out in a policy letter from Headquarters Air Force Aug. 26. Effective immediately, personal use of the CSA is not authorized. The CSA is the program the Air Force implemented this year to replace the

  • 5 basic trainees become US citizens

    Five trainees became U.S. citizens during a naturalization ceremony Aug. 25 here, making them the first to earn their citizenship during basic military training.A cooperative agreement between the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and the Army, Navy, and now the Air Force, created a faster

  • DTC provides comfort, eases transition for US service members

    The Ramstein Deployment Transition Center here recently opened its doors to service members from other branches of the U.S. military, 2,100 so far, allowing those teammates who are consistently in harm's way a method to ease into the transition of going home. Since July 2010, the DTC has been the

  • Airmen reopen base to support Iraq transition

    As U.S. Forces-Iraq members continue to return from Iraq, Airmen here have recently reopened an air base that was closed in 2004.With U.S. service members and multiple flying squadrons expected to pull fully out of Iraq by late December, the U.S. Air Force has created a home for some of these units.

  • Last baby born at Wilford Hall, labor and delivery moves to BAMC

    Baby Laurel Perez made history on Aug. 28.She was the last baby born at Wilford Hall Medical Center and is now an important part of the 60-year history of labor and delivery here.The Hauth Birthing Center, located on the fifth floor of the nine-story hospital, closed Aug. 29 and will re-open at

  • Panetta to visit 9/11 attack sites

    Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta will spend Sept. 6 honoring those killed during the Sept. 11, terrorist attacks on the United States, as he travels to New York and Pennsylvania.The secretary will visit ground zero in lower Manhattan, where hijackers crashed American Airlines Flight 11 and United

  • Kunsan Airman wins Air Force IDEA cash

    An Airmen here was awarded an Air Force Innovative Development Through Employee Awareness Program cash award of $1,875 Aug. 30.Senior Airman Jason Devore's idea to add a tire rotation plan to the scheduled maintenance of vehicles saved the Air Force money and increased the mission-capable rates for

  • Local becomes interpreter during medical training exercise

    A 12-year-old girl from a small Nicaraguan community acted as an interpreter for the English-speaking medical team here during their medical readiness training exercise.Antonella Espinoza visited the Sébaco MEDRETE site with her mother to find relief from her allergies Aug. 8. During her treatment,

  • Nominations open for public administration award

    Air Force officials are accepting nominations for the 8th Annual Department of Defense David O. Cooke Excellence in Public Administration Award. This award recognizes nonmanagerial career civilian employees who demonstrate great leadership potential as future federal executives.This award was

  • Brooks' last Air Force unit completes inactivation ceremony

    The Air Force ended nearly 95 years of service, research and training here Aug. 31, 2011, when the last unit inactivated in a ceremony. The commander of the Air Force Materiel Command and commander of the 311th Air Base Group at Brooks led the ceremony in front of more than 200 civic leaders,

  • Supplies increased at military clothing stores

     Current inventory of the green fleece has caught up with demand, officials announced Sept. 2.The sources for purchase of the fleece are Army Air Force Exchange Service military clothing stores in person and online.Airmen have raised issues concerning availability, where to buy the green fleece

  • Mid-grade civilian career development webcasts begin

    Webcasts developed to help GS-7 through GS-11 civilian Airmen plan and manage their careers will be held at various dates and times through Oct. 6.  Originally slated for June, the GS-7 through GS-11 webcasts were rescheduled to help prevent login problems "This is our largest civilian Airmen

  • National Guard TACPs develop upgrade training program

    Airmen from the National Guard tactical air control party specialists have pooled their resources to implement a standardized training program to streamline upgrade training.Project 275, whose name is a throwback to the career field's old specialty code to remind Airmen of the need to get back to

  • Air Force Iraq mission likely to increase before it ends

    As the American presence in Iraq draws down, the Air Force mission in the nation likely will increase, said Maj. Gen. Russell J. Handy.Handy, the commander of the 9th Air and Space Expeditionary Task Force and director of the Air Component Coordination Element in Iraq, discussed the Air Force

  • Air Force celebrates JSF arrival, rolls out nation's airpower future

    Air Force officials said the unveiling of the F-35A Lightning II joint strike fighter was a "historic occasion" during a rollout ceremony here Aug. 26.The F-35A, on display during the ceremony, was delivered here in July by Lt. Col. Eric Smith, the Air Force's first F-35 pilot."This is indeed a new

  • Ceremony kicks off NCR leg of 9/11 Ruck March to Remember

    Security forces Airmen from across the national capital region joined for a wreath laying ceremony Aug. 29 at the Pentagon. The ceremony marked the beginning of their participation in the Security Forces 9/11 Ruck March to Remember. "Our enemies will never win while America's Airmen stand ready to

  • JTAC shot, keeps calling in critical close air support

    American heroes have shone time and time again during the war in Afghanistan, earning accolades from their branches of service and even the president of the United States, but most recently a joint terminal attack controller from the 817th Expeditionary Air Support Operations Squadron proved it yet

  • Joint Base MDL survives Hurricane Irene

    Hurricane Irene moved out of the area here Aug. 28, but not without leaving its mark.Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst experienced damaging winds and excessive rain, which caused flooding, base officials said.When the storm began to move out of the area, damage assessment teams spread out across the

  • Panetta puts troops on standby for hurricane assistance

    Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta has issued a prepare-to-deploy order for 6,500 active-duty service members from all of the services to support hurricane relief efforts if ordered, Pentagon spokesman George Little said Aug. 27.On requests from states for the department to provide hurricane relief

  • JB MDL prepares for Hurricane Irene

    Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst is actively preparing for Hurricane Irene, officials here said.The base entered Hurricane Condition III on Aug. 25, which is declared when the weather forecast predicts the arrival of 58 mph or greater winds within 48 hours."Hurricane Irene is expected to be a

  • 20th EBS Airmen assume continuous bomber presence in Guam

    More than 300 Airmen assigned to the 20th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron at Barksdale Air Force Base, La., arrived here recently to replace the 96th EBS in support of U.S. Pacific Command's continuous bomber presence.The rotation of bomber aircraft is specifically designed to enhance regional security

  • CMSAF visits 11th OG

    Members of the 11th Operations Group here provided a special tour Aug. 16 for the Air Force's highest-ranking enlisted member to take a candid look Airmen here do every day.Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James A. Roy spoke with members of the U.S. Air Force Band, Air Force Honor Guard and the

  • ACC Airmen prepare for Hurricane Irene

    National Hurricane Center officials issued a number of advisories for the East Coast Aug. 25 in preparation for Hurricane Irene.Airmen, civilian personnel and their families at Air Combat Command units and installations near the projected path of a hurricane should take steps to adequately prepare,

  • MQ-9 sustains damage during landing

    A remotely piloted MQ-9 Reaper assigned to the 29th Attack Squadron sustained damage during landing here Aug. 24.The accident occurred at the end of a local training mission, officials said. The 29th AS is a remotely piloted aircraft flying training unit. No one was injured, and no private property

  • Airman inducted into Space Camp Hall of Fame

    An Air Force officer recently became the first U.S. Air Force space and missile operator inducted into the Space Camp Hall of Fame.Lt. Col. William Burke Hare III, the chief of operations for the Flight Test Execution Directorate at the Missile Defense Agency at Redstone Arsenal, Ala., was selected

  • CMSAF visits Offutt, speaks about tough decisions on horizon

    During a visit here Aug. 18 and 19, Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James Roy met with the enlisted members of Air Combat Command's largest wing and Offutt's tenant units. Roy took time to dispel some rumors and explain to Air Force members what's on the horizon. Understandably, one of the

  • 16th SPCS breaks ground for new global capability

    In a combined effort, the 16th Space Control Squadron and its Reserve associate unit, the 380th Space Control Squadron, broke ground July 28 for a Rapid Attack, Identification, Detection and Reporting System site in Hawaii.Lt. Col. Roger Sherman, the 16th SPCS commander, Lt. Col. Bob Claude, the

  • Seymour Johnson defenders begin 9/11 Ruck March to Remember

    Eight months ago, the 4th Security Forces Squadron commander and his training NCO sat down here and mapped out an idea to organize a ruck march from Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, to Ground Zero in New York in remembrance of defenders who were killed or injured in the 10 years since the terrorist

  • Air Force youth of the year recognized in Pentagon ceremony

    Fifty teens were honored at the 2011 Air Force Youth of the Year Award ceremony Aug. 3 in the Pentagon auditorium here.The annual ceremony, held in conjunction with the Boys and Girls Clubs of America Youth of the Year Program, recognizes Air Force youth for contributions to their installation youth

  • Base makes room for more rotary wing aircraft in Afghanistan

    Shindand Air Base, Afghanistan, increased its capacity recently when officials opened a new rotary wing apron with a goal of increasing capability to stage rotary wing aircraft.Approximately 112,000 meters in size, the apron has the ability to park 18 UH-60 Blackhawks, 14 CH-47 Chinooks and 10 AH-64

  • Air Force awarded for energy savings

    The Air Force was announced as the recipient of almost half of the U.S. Department of Energy Federal Energy Management Program's 2011 Federal Energy and Water Management Awards earned by Department of Defense entities, and a quarter of awards overall. The awards are scheduled to be presented during

  • ESC awards contract for lightened instrument landing system

    Officials at the Electronic Systems Center here issued an $8.8 million contract award to Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Network Systems Division Aug. 12 to provide the Air Force a deployable precision approach landing capability to support contingency operations or humanitarian missions across the

  • 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

  • Fairchild's 36th Rescue Flight rescues mountain biker in Idaho

    Airmen from Fairchild Air Force Base, Wash., rescued a 52-year-old female mountain biker Aug. 17 near Thompson Pass, Idaho, after she flipped over her handlebars and injured her ribs and back.The victim, Paulette Kirby, was on a single-track mountain bike trail participating in the six-day Idaho

  • DOD schools engage students with technology

    When children walk into a Defense Department school this year, they may be handed a laptop or electronic reader, or perhaps they'll be asked to build a robot or try out a simulator on the school lawn. Technology has long since changed the nation; it's now time to use these advances to transform its

  • Exercise Eagle Flag focuses on joint task force-port opening

    The U.S. Air Force Expeditionary Center launched its Eagle Flag Exercise Aug. 13, at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst.The first week of the two-week exercise is designed to simulate unloading and the transportation of cargo received in a deployed environment. A joint task force-port opening, or

  • Recent grad's astro feats regarded as research crown 'joule'

    Look out, Richard Dean Anderson. There's a new MacGyver in town.His name is 2nd Lt. Michael Trubilla, and a prestigious award is in the 2011 Air Force Academy grad's very near future: Trubilla is scheduled to receive the Air Force Science and Technology Cadet Research Award Aug. 25 at

  • RED HORSE team rides in for Ulchi Freedom Guardian

    Ulchi Freedom Guardian 2011 augmentees from across the globe arrived here recently to find a tent city already set up by 254th RED HORSE members.Ulchi Freedom Guardian is an annual computer-assisted simulation command post exercise that focuses on training service members while exercising senior

  • Hawaii joint base trains for emergency preparedness

    Twenty-eight members of the emergency operations center here participated in incident management team training, including earthquake and flood drill scenarios, Aug. 9 to 12. This training, the first since the installation joint based, will ensure the IMT members know exactly what to do in case of

  • Motorcycle ride kicks off 9/11 memorial observances

    One of the first of many tenth-anniversary commemorations of the 9/11 terror attacks will begin Aug. 18 as almost 2,500 motorcyclists launch the 11th America's 9/11 Ride that begins in Shanksville, Pa., and continues over the next three days to the Pentagon and World Trade Center crash sites.The

  • Space Command retires workhorse satellite

    Members of the 3rd Space Operations Squadron, along with their counterparts from the 53rd Signal Battalion, waved a fond farewell to a trusted old friend Aug. 12. Lt. Col. Kevin Mortensen, 3rd SOPS commander and Lt. Col. Benjamin Jones, 53rd SB commander, took the honors, shutting down the final

  • Spouses can honor employers with award

    Civilian spouses of Reserve and National Guard members often must rely on the flexibility and support of their employers, particularly during deployments. While most employers will grant a time-off request and, in some cases, a shift change for their spouse employees, others go above and beyond in

  • Communications upgrades keep warfighters connected

    The Theater Deployable Communications Team at the Electronic Systems Center here is continuing to ensure warfighters have the key communications infrastructure they need while deployed."We are looking for capability modernization and to update the equipment modules that make up TDC as they get to

  • Boots on the ground: Moody Airmen march to ground zero

    Most people can recall exactly where they were when they heard the tragic news of the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. From the service members who acted as first responders to the middle and high school students who are now defenders of freedom, that day symbolizes a painful time in history.Now 10 years

  • Upcoming show to display military land, sea, ground robots

    More than 6,000 experts from 30 countries will be gathering here Aug. 16-19 for this year's largest robot and unmanned systems show.Hosted by the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International, called AUVSI, Unmanned Systems North America 2011 will feature workshops, panels and

  • Officials announce civilian workforce hiring freeze

    Air Force officials announced the implementation of a 90-day hiring freeze effective immediately.A firm commitment to keep spending within requested levels led to implement the hiring freeze across the civilian workforce, officials said.In addition to a 90-day hiring freeze, the officials plan to

  • Kadena Airmen clean up after 60-hour typhoon

    Cabin fever, lock down and boredom.These are just a few of the words that were being used to describe their time during Typhoon Muifa, but not for all Airmen here. More than 125 Airmen from the 18th Civil Engineer Group were on duty during and after the slow-moving yet destructive typhoon."During

  • ACC aviator garners federal recognition

    Lt. Col. Shelly Black, the deputy chief of Headquarters Air Combat Command's Personnel Recovery Division, received the 2011 Federally Employed Women Military Meritorious Service Award July 18 at the 42nd National Training Program in Philadelphia, Penn., for her significant contributions in

  • DOD releases names of Airmen killed in Afghanistan helicopter crash

    Three Air Force Special Operations Command Airmen died Saturday morning when their aircraft, a coalition CH-47 Chinook, crashed in the Maiden Wardak Province in eastern Afghanistan. They were among 25 U.S. Special Operations Command operators who died in the crash, which also took the lives of five

  • Aviano maintenance group earns top DOD award

    The 31st Maintenance Group here was announced as a Secretary of Defense Field-level Maintenance Award recipient Aug. 9. The award is one of six presented annually to recognize outstanding achievements in weapon system and military equipment maintenance. The 31st MXG competed against 'large' category

  • 2011 Department of Defense Maintenance Awards Winners Announced

    Department of Defense officials announced the 2011 winners of the Secretary of Defense Maintenance Awards for depot and field-level units Aug. 10. These awards are presented annually to recognize outstanding achievements in weapon system and military equipment maintenance. The 2011 Robert T. Mason

  • Partnered again--Russia and NORAD conduct Exercise Vigilant Eagle 2011

    Within minutes after takeoff, the first fighter aircraft are visible off the left wing and Exercise Vigilant Eagle 2011 is well underway. The Russian Federation Air Force and the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) conducted their second Vigilant Eagle cooperative exercise Aug 5-9,

  • Army, AF units take aim during joint training exercise

    Army and Air Force units teamed up for a joint training exercise at Jikdo Island Aug. 5, firing AGM-114 Hellfire missiles, rockets and 30mm munitions at the range. Jikdo is a range facility on two islands off the western coast of Korea, near Kunsan. For this training mission, weapon systems officers

  • Massachusetts Air Guard unit heads north for training

    Aircrews and maintainers from the Massachusetts Air National Guard's 104th Fighter Wing deployed here in early August for training.  It provided a different setting for the aircrews to train and allowed the maintenance Airmen to work in a deployed environment.View the slideshow.

  • Rescue coordination center team assists in mission that saved 60 hikers

    Severe weather on July 29 flooded a hiking path on Mount Whitney near Lone Pine, Calif., leaving 60 hikers stranded. Officials with the California Emergency Management Agency reached out to the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center here for assistance. "Although there was a large number of

  • Air Force employee one of five selected for special award

    Michael Nakai, an information technology specialist at the Air Force Safety Center at Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M., was selected as one of five recipients of the 2011 Judith C. Gilliom Outstanding Workforce Recruitment Program for College Students with Disabilities Award. He was presented the

  • Air Force Medical Service's first 'Sergeant Major' to be honored

    The late Chief Master Sgt. Raymond T. Smith once told a reporter: "The Vietnam conflict has brought the services closer together. We've got to keep it that way."When he made that remark in 1970, he was serving as the first enlisted senior NCO for the entire Air Force Medical Service. So new was his

  • Malicious websites pose threat to Air Force network

    The discovery of spoofed Air Force websites means Air Force network users must maintain vigilant awareness before entering passwords into Air Force sites.The 624th Operations Center, located here, is alerting Airmen across the service about malicious websites posing as official Department of Defense

  • McKinley: America must preserve Tuskegee Airmen's legacy

    As the accomplishments of the World War II-era Tuskegee Airmen fade into U.S. history, a grateful nation must work to keep their legacy alive, the chief of the National Guard Bureau said at the 40th annual Tuskegee Airmen convention."The reality of human behavior is that the further in time we get

  • U.S., Cambodia partner for civil military assistance mission

    U.S. Airmen are partnering with their Royal Cambodian Armed Forces aircrew, engineer, and medical counterparts this week for a combined civil military assistance mission in Koh Kong Province, Cambodia, scheduled to run through Aug. 12. The mission, known as Operation Pacific Angel 11-1, is part of a

  • Wounded warriors, families deserve best care, Chiarelli says

    The military has made great strides in warrior care over the past decade of war, but much work remains to be done, particularly when dealing with the invisible wounds of war, the Army vice chief of staff said Aug. 8.Speaking at the Warrior Transition Command's Warrior Care and Transition Program

  • New airframe, squadron on Kandahar Airfield

    Members of the 451st Expeditionary Operations Group welcomed their newest unit, the 702nd Expeditionary Airlift Squadron, here at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan, recently. The 702 EAS is a tactical transport squadron comprising Army and Air Force Guard members flying C-27J Spartans to provide

  • Rescue reservists support successful rocket launch

    Air Force Reservists from the 920th Rescue Wing here supported the successful United Launch Alliance Atlas V launch Aug. 6. The Atlas carried the Juno spacecraft for NASA.Juno launched from Space Launch Complex 41, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., and is tasked with investigating the

  • Leaders offer condolences in wake of helicopter crash

    Senior U.S. leaders extended condolences Aug. 6 to the families of American and Afghan forces lost in an International Security Assistance Force helicopter crash in eastern Afghanistan Aug. 6.Thirty ISAF service members, a civilian interpreter and seven Afghan commandos were killed when a coalition

  • Sheppard innovates Web-based self-inspections

    Innovation in the checklist industry has found its way to the Sheppard Air Force Base Self-Inspection Program through the Management Internal Control Toolset. MICT is a web-based self-inspection software tool used to manage, track and close self-identified work center deficiencies. The days of

  • Hurlburt Field preferred for MQ-1 remote split-operation unit

    Air Force officials announced Aug. 4 that Hurlburt Field, Fla., is the preferred alternative for the Air Force Reserve Command MQ-1 remote split-operations squadron. Hurlburt Field will receive a single MQ-1 RSO squadron consisting of 140 personnel and associated equipment. This action does not

  • Morocco receives first F-16s

    Morocco is the latest U.S. partner nation to receive the F-16 Fighting Falcon, a historic event marked by a ceremony here Aug. 4. The new Block 52 aircraft will supplement the Royal Moroccan Air Force's existing fleet of fighter aircraft and will contribute to the upgrade and modernization of the

  • Nominees sought for 2012 Verne Orr Award

    Air Force officials are seeking nominations for the 2012 Verne Orr Award. The Air Force Association established this award in honor of former Secretary of the Air Force Verne Orr to recognize mission-oriented unit accomplishments and achievements in utilizing personnel to their full potential in

  • Polish, American sister wings celebrate 1-year anniversary

    The 86th Airlift Wing commander visited Poland's 3rd Airlift Wing here Aug. 3, marking the one-year anniversary of the "sister wing" relationship between the two units.The wings began working closely in 2008, when Polish air force officials first entertained the idea of vastly improving their

  • Hero honored at new William A. Jones III Building

    Joint Base Andrews unveiled a new display in the recently-opened William A. Jones III Building on July 28, both of which honor the life and service of Medal of Honor recipient Col. William A. Jones III. The display dedication, presided over by Maj. Gen. Darren McDew, the Air Force District of

  • CBRN Challenge 2011 showcases emergency response capabilities

    CBRN Challenge 2011 wrapped up July 22 with the team from McConnell Air Force Base, Kan., representing Air Mobility Command, taking top honors.Held at the Center for National Response, or CNR, in Gallagher, W.Va., 50 warriors, representing 10 major commands, gathered to showcase their capabilities

  • Secretary of the Air Force talks with Airmen while visiting Vance AFB

    "We're committed to ensuring that the United States continues to have the world's finest Air Force for generations to come," said Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley during his stop here July 27.Donley spent three hours at Vance AFB, accompanied by Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James Roy

  • Panetta praises new leaders following Senate confirmations

    Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta praised six officers Aug. 2 after the Senate confirmed their nominations for key leadership positions, including the military's two top uniformed posts."I would like to congratulate (Army) Gen. Martin Dempsey and (Navy) Adm. James Winnefeld, who the Senate confirmed

  • Senior leaders talk big picture with SMART scholars

    Science, Mathematics and Research for Transformation program scholars have unique opportunities to leave a lasting legacy in the U.S. defense community, Air Force senior leaders said during the SMART scholar summer orientation, which took place July 11-14 in Washington, D.C.Nearly 300 SMART program

  • Nominations open for Spirit of Hope Award

    Air Force officials are seeking nominations for the 2012 Spirit of Hope Award.The award recognizes a military member, civilian or organization that epitomizes the values of Bob Hope -- duty, honor, courage, loyalty, commitment, integrity and selfless dedication.Organizations and base-level personnel

  • Nominations open for Joan Orr Spouse Award

    Air Force officials are seeking nominations for the 2012 Joan Orr Air Force Spouse of the Year Award.The Air Force Association Joan Orr Spouse of the Year Award honors significant contributions made by non-military spouses of Airmen from Jan. 1 through Dec. 31The nominee's spouse must be serving in

  • Combined exercise tests interoperability between coalition partners

    Firefighters from the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing completed a training scenario with the French and host nation firefighters here July 25 to test their interoperability. The exercise helped break through communication barriers and foster relations between the firefighters."The purpose for this

  • Academy ranked among nation's best colleges

    The Air Force Academy received top-10 rankings in most available professors, low drug and alcohol use, and best school administration, according to The Best 376 Colleges book, released today by Princeton Review.The Princeton Review ranks the Air Force Academy's faculty fifth in the nation in "most