NATO Air Policing operations

U.S. Air Force News

  • Command, control wing adds joint digital integration mission

    A new mission was added to the 505th Command and Control Wing here Oct. 15.The 505th Operations Group at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., took over Joint Digital Integration for Combat Engagement, or JDICE, from the Air Force Command and Control Integration Center. The JDICE capability complements the

  • LEAP program grows with second selection board

    Air Force Language and Culture Center officials added 260 participants from more than 400 active duty officer and cadet applicants to the Language Enabled Airman Program during their selection board in September, they said here Oct. 15.The Air Force program has grown since its first board, when 192

  • 'Night Ops' reduce power costs by millions

    Arnold Engineering Development Center officials averted a $4.86 million energy bill for its customers with an energy conservation program called "Night Ops." As part of "Night Ops", tests that require the most energy consumption are done during the evening and into the morning of the next day when

  • Yokota Airmen participate in low-cost, low-altitude training drops

    Airmen here used low-cost, low-altitude training to practice new airdrop techniques Oct. 7 at the Fuji Drop Zone.Yokota Air Base Airmen were supported by Soldiers from the Product Manager Force Sustainment Systems from Natick, Mass. PM FSS provided the training equipment and technical assistance as

  • Contract extension puts communication system on bombers

    Electronic Systems Center officials here awarded a contract Sept. 29 that will enable continued integration of an airborne communication system aboard two key Air Force platforms.The $14 million award to Northrop Grumman Corp. extends a previous contract to develop and test the Common Link

  • Joint STARS demonstrates key network-enabled weapons capability

    An Electronic Systems Center team is wrapping up work on a demonstration here aimed to greatly improve network-enabled weapons capabilities for joint forces. The Battle Management Directorate's E-8 Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System Modernization Branch has been participating in the Joint

  • Second SBIRS satellite successfully completes panel integration

    The U.S. Air Force's second geosynchronous Space-Based Infrared Systems satellite successfully completed the integration of its two equipment panels onto the spacecraft core module on Oct. 6 at the development site in Sunnyvale, Calif. This is a major milestone in the GEO-2 program and represents

  • LC-130 takes off for Operation Deep Freeze

    A New York Air National Guard LC-130 Hercules, equipped with retractable ski-wheels, departed here Oct. 18 to support the U.S. Antarctic Program and the National Science Foundation's research at international sites throughout the Antarctic continent. The uniquely-equipped aircraft is necessary for

  • Warfighters meet in second coalition virtual battle

    The United States rarely goes to war on its own now. More than ever U.S. servicemembers work with coalition partners to win on the battlefield. In order to train for this, the 705th Combat Training Squadron at Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M. spent the last year preparing to host the second Coalition

  • Hurlburt Field intelligence flight earns AF level award

    The 1st Special Operations Support Squadron received the 2009 Outstanding Operations Group Intelligence/Operations Support Flight Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Unit of the Year award Oct. 14 here for their tremendous accomplishments at Hurlburt Field. Brig. Gen. Robert "Bob" P. Otto,

  • Proper nutrition, exercise is essential to mission success

    Like an aircraft needs jet fuel, a person's body needs proper nutrition to replenish itself and function at peak performance. In today's military environment, with increased deployments and new physical testing requirements, it's even more imperative that Airmen know the importance nutrition can

  • EOD team trains with new response vehicle

    Technicians from the 23rd Civil Engineer Squadron Explosive Ordnance Disposal Flight here displayed the effectiveness of a new, four-wheeled weapon that helps improve their response time and capabilities during a training scenario Oct. 13.Known as the BSERV, the 36-foot long bomb squad emergency

  • AF starts migration of information, services to new total-force website

    Air Force personnel specialists are in the process of migrating personnel information and services to the new Air Force Personnel Services website.The transfer aims to move the Air Force toward its goal of establishing a single, online knowledge base for active duty, Air National Guard, Air Force

  • A different way to take the pain

    Acupuncture has long been a form of medical care, originating in ancient China and moving west through the world. It has only recently started to gain momentum during the last few decades in the U.S.Recently, military medical officials have begun investigating a type of acupuncture and its benefits

  • Cyberspace is the new domain of warfare

    With the creation of the U.S. Cyber Command in May and last week's cybersecurity agreement between the departments of Defense and Homeland Security, DOD officials are ready to add cyberspace to sea, land, air and space as the latest domain of warfare, Deputy Defense Secretary William J. Lynn III

  • Senior Pentagon official: Military must reduce use of fossil fuels

    The Defense Department's current reliance on expensive, difficult-to-transport and finite fossil fuels affects cost-reduction efforts as well as war-fighting operations, a senior Pentagon official said."Certainly, for current operations and for the future, one of the things we're really focused on

  • ESC to deliver 40,000th advanced search, rescue radio

    Officials from the Electronic Systems Center are on schedule to deliver the 40,000th Combat Survivor Evader Locator radio to U.S. operators by the end of October 2010.Because the likelihood of rescue decreases significantly with time, CSEL's advanced technology is credited with saving many lives by

  • Firefighter Combat Challenge returns to Ramstein after 5-year hiatus

    For the first time in five years, firefighters and emergency responders from throughout U.S. Air Forces in Europe came together here Oct. 9 for the 2010 Firefighter Combat Challenge. The return of the event, previously put on hold due to real-world demands, also marked the end of the Kaiserslautern

  • LEAP program grows with second selection board

    The Air Force Language and Culture Center added 260 participants from more than 400 active-duty officer and cadet applicants to the Language Enabled Airman Program during its selection board in September, officials said here Oct. 15.The Air Force program has grown since its first board, when 192

  • Secretary Donley addresses challenges ahead during Kirtland visit

    Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley visited Kirtland Air Force Base Oct. 13 and 14 to meet with base leaders, speak with Airmen serving here and address members of the Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce.During his visit, Secretary Donley visited numerous base organizations, including the

  • Immersive training builds small-unit decision-making skills

    Marines at Camp Pendleton, Calif., got a glimpse recently into what's likely to be the training environment of the future: one that injects live actors, animatronics, projected avatars and other sensory enhancements to replicate the sights, sounds, smells and stresses of combat, and demands the same

  • Energy saving program underway at Yokota

    Airmen around the world are acknowledging energy efficiency and conservation during October's Energy Awareness Month and Airmen at here are setting the example. With the arrival of cooler fall weather, members of the 374th Civil Engineer Squadron flipped the switch Oct. 12, shutting off Yokota Air

  • One step at a time: Airman recovering after crash

    Staff Sgt. Chris Curtis wanted nothing more than to walk through the doors to the 8th Special Operations Squadron building.His friends and colleagues cheered him on as he accomplished that goal Oct. 8; a feat that just a few months ago seemed nearly impossible.Sergeant Curtis was a flight engineer

  • Basic trainees begin cyber training

    The importance of defending cyberspace was taken to a new level when cyber training became a permanent fixture of the Air Force basic military training curriculum.The first trainees attended a four-hour course devoted to defending the Air Force networks and operations in cyberspace Oct. 4. The

  • DOD, VA healthcare officials combine specialties to provide 'one-stop shop'

    Through a joint venture between Defense Department and Veterans Affairs officials, medical professionals here are offering DOD and VA patients a combined clinic for heart, lung and vascular care.The Heart, Lung and Vascular Center at David Grant USAF Medical Center, which opened Oct. 13, is the

  • Don't 'bank' on COLA

    A cost-of-living allowance is designed to help offset expenses incurred from living in a local economy. However, officials stress that Airmen should not view COLA as a reliable source of income, and they encourage them to save it where possible for times of spikes in the exchange rate or for

  • Test center fuses old, new technology for light attack

    Test pilots and engineers here are learning what happens when high-tech systems are combined with low-tech airframes for a new, cost effective, light-attack aircraft.Light attack, a revitalized concept in the Air Force, addresses the need for an airplane that offers surveillance as well as strike

  • C2 conference addresses future structure, training

    The 505th Command and Control Wing hosted its semi-annual Commander's Conference here Oct. 12 through 14.Thirty-one commanders, deputy commanders and superintendents from seven locations across the U.S. converged on Hulburt to discuss command and control, or C2, issues affecting operational-level

  • Officials publish cyberspace operations doctrine

    The LeMay Center for Doctrine Development and Education approved and published the newly developed Air Force Doctrine Document 3-12, Cyberspace Operations.Maj. Gen. David S. Fadok, the LeMay Center's commander, said cyberspace operations are critical to effective operations across the range of

  • Crew completes RQ-4 inaugural flight

    Airmen here made their mark on history Oct. 7 as an RQ-4 Global Hawk successfully took off and landed on the runway for the first time.The RQ-4 is the only permanently stationed aircraft here and is the first of three RQ-4s to be delivered. The other two are scheduled for delivery by early

  • Record year on deployed mobility airdrops continued to build in September

    Mobility Airmen completing airdrops for Operation Enduring Freedom during September surpassed the 40 million pounds-delivered mark for 2010, building on what is a new record year for airdrops for OEF.Numbers tracked by air-mobility planners at the Combined Air and Space Operations Center in

  • Air Force officials announce C-27J aircraft basing proposal

    Air Force officials announced Oct. 13 that Great Falls International Airport, Mont., is the preferred alternative to be the seventh operational location for bedding down four C-27J Spartan aircraft. Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley and Chief of Staff of the Air Force Gen. Norton Schwartz

  • Memorial held for fallen special forces Airman

    A memorial service for an Airman who was recently killed in action was held here Oct. 8. Senior Airman Mark Forester, 29, of Tuscaloosa, Ala., was killed Sept. 29 while conducting combat operations with his special forces team in Uruzgan province, Afghanistan. "Mark believed with all his heart in

  • Center helps DOD build international bonds

    A graduation ceremony at the Defense Language Institute English Language Center here is not what one would consider typical. As the students' names are read, they approach the stage wearing the uniforms of their respective countries. From privates through generals, across all the services, these men

  • General Schwartz discusses change in the U.S. Air Force

    The world has changed and the United States Air Force must change too, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz said Oct. 12 at the National Press Club here.General Schwartz made the point that political leaders have been dealing with the effects of globalization since the 1970s, but that the

  • C-17s vital to aeromedical community in Pacific

    Each C-17 Globemaster III flight out of here in which tons of cargo are loaded, delivered and off loaded to a customer in some corner of the Pacific, deserves the crew's undivided attention to detail. However, when the cargo is a servicemember clinging to life, the crew's awareness can become even

  • Secretary Gates seeks expansion of U.S.-Vietnamese cooperation

    Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates noted the level of cooperation in the military relationship between the U.S. and Vietnam and said he sees potential for that relationship to expand even further Oct. 11 during a speech at Vietnam National University. Secretary Gates said collaborative efforts

  • Postal Service sets holiday mail deadline

    The recommended mailing deadline for sending economy-priced holiday packages to servicemembers in Afghanistan, Iraq and other places around the world is Nov. 12, officials at the U.S. Postal Service said."Shipping holiday packages early helps ensure that they arrive in time for the holidays," said

  • ISR leader passes torch to new generation

    The morning of Sept. 30 saw 20 officers receive intelligence specialty badges upon graduating from the Air Force intelligence officer course here. There are multiple classes held each year, but the Sept. 30 graduation had a special twist: it was the first time the Air Force deputy chief of staff for

  • Expeditionary center takes UDM training on the road

    Officials are expanding the capability of the U.S. Air Force Expeditionary Center here for training unit deployment managers by deploying mobile training teams across the Air Force.These mobile training teams will consist of pairs of UDM instructors who will travel to major Air Force installations

  • Officials launch two advanced cyberspace courses

    Officials at the Air Force Cyberspace Technical Center of Excellence here are conducting the first official Cyber 200 and 300 courses beginning Oct.12. On Oct. 28, more than 100 students will graduate from the Air Force Institute of Technology's newest educational courses designed to develop the Air

  • Airmen enhance NATO partners' night vision capability

    Establishing and maintaining solid working relationships with partner nations is a major mission element in the special operations community. This sometimes takes the form of providing training opportunities in order to level the 'playing field' and ensure better interoperability and capability with

  • Efficiencies will keep military strong in tight economy

    Deputy Defense Secretary William J. Lynn III reiterated the need for efficiencies as a way to keep the military strong during tight economic times during a briefing with the World Affairs Council Oct. 6 here.Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates announced his efficiency initiative during a speech in

  • RED HORSE meets NASCAR

    Members of the 820th RED HORSE Squadron met with team members from a NASCAR truck racing team as part of an orientation between the Red Horse Racing team and the RED HORSE squadron Sept. 24 here. The Red Horse Racing team currently races Toyota Tundras in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and

  • Top chief discusses training, wingmanship during Academy visit

    The chief master sergeant of the Air Force visited with the Air Force Academy's enlisted cadre Oct. 1 and talked about the way ahead for the Air Force, professional military education and taking care of Airmen and families.Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James A. Roy was in Colorado

  • Armament Symposium brings DOD, industry together

    For the 36th year, the Air Armament Center partnered with the National Defense Industrial Association to host its annual Air Armament Symposium here Oct. 5 and 6.The symposium, a two-day forum for both industry and government personnel, was an opportunity to exchange information, recognize

  • Mission complete for C-130, C-17 aircrews supporting flood relief

    As flood waters recede and Pakistan's aid delivery shifts focus from air to ground transportation, the Pakistan government informed the U.S. recently that U.S. military aircraft and other international cargo plane airlift support was no longer required. At Pakistan's request, the U.S. military has

  • Afghan air force members attend fly-away security team training

    Nine Afghan air force security forces members received flyaway security team training here from Sept. 27 through Oct. 4. They are assigned to the quick reaction force and have received previous basic military police and air base defense training. The training provides the Afghan air force an added

  • Airmen, Misawa residents prep for disaster

    Airmen from the 35th Medical Operations Squadron and 35th Civil Engineer Squadron Fire Department provided first-responder support during a natural disaster preparedness exercise Oct. 3 at Misawa City Sea Port. The exercise tested civilian and military coordination and response."The scenario was an

  • Air Force, Navy reach full operational capability on Joint Base Charleston

    Joint Base Charleston officially achieved its full operational capability Oct. 1.The path to operational capability began in January with the stand up of the 628th Air Base Wing. Joint Base Charleston combines two historic bases into a single, joint installation to support both Air Force and Navy

  • Exercise aims to change game

    A training exercise held at Joint Base Lewis-McChord recently might change how Air Force and Army units conduct close air support.Pacific Strike 2010 demonstrated capabilities that could vastly improve close-air-support operations for deployed units as well as in garrison, said Army I Corps' Chief

  • Air Force officials field advanced radar pod

    Air Force officials are fielding a radar pod designated the AN/ASQ-236. The new pod was fielded on the F-15E Strike Eagle this summer. The release of this new sensor will enhance all-weather precision geo-location and provide greater surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities supporting current

  • Website is one-stop shop for deployment-related issues

    Airmen can access information about their upcoming deployment at the Air and Space Expeditionary Force Online website. The AEF Online website, located at https://aef.afpc.randolph.af.mil/, provides a single access point for all AEF-related issues to include reporting instructions, tempo banding,

  • Photo essay: Afghanistan unit shows capabilities

    Pararescuemen from the 33rd Expeditionary Rescue Squadron participate with Airmen from the 455th Air Expeditionary Wing in a training mission here Sept. 24. The training mission provided a glimpse of what the 33rd ERQS brings to the fight and the capabilities it provides to combat commanders.View

  • NJ-based CRG assumes alert rotation for global mobility mission

    Airmen from the 621st Contingency Wing here will assume responsibility for a four-month rotation of Joint Task Force, Port-Opening alert Oct. 1.Approximately120 mobility Airmen assigned to the CRW's 817th Contingency Response Group will join 55 Soldiers from an Army Rapid Port Opening Element based

  • 24th Air Force achieves full operational capability

    The commander of Air Force Space Command declared full operational capability for 24th Air Force Oct. 1.The criteria to reach FOC, established in Air Force Program Action Directive PAD 07-08, required 24th Air Force, headquartered at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, to be able to perform all

  • Global Strike command reaches full operational capability

    Officials declared Air Force Global Strike Command to be at full operational capability Sept. 30, on schedule, and less than 14 months after its initial activation as a command.To reach that milestone, the command accomplished more than 700 action items identified by the secretary and chief of staff

  • Air refueling pioneers honored in ceremony at Scott

    The air refueling pioneers responsible for the United States' first air-refueling flights in 1923 and 1929 were honored in a ceremony Sept. 23 at Scott AFB's "Walk of Fame" as part of a presentation by the Airlift-Tanker Association Hall of Fame officials.Gen. Raymond E. Johns Jr., commander of Air

  • Officials implement new training model

    Given the complexities of today's combat missions and the inherent, life-threatening dangers faced by Airmen today, it is critical that Airmen receive effective training before engaging in battle. To provide Airmen with the most realistic training environment away from the battle space, Air Force

  • Sitka 43 Airmen remembered in memorial unveiling

    Air Force officials along with actor Gary Sinise unveiled the Sitka 43 Memorial during a ceremony Sept. 16 here to honor four Airmen who died in an aircraft accident July 28.Mr. Sinise unveiled a scale C-17 Globemaster III, the centerpiece of the memorial, in memory of Maj. Aaron Malone, Maj.

  • Online development plan improving total force career roadmaps

    The web-based career tool for total force Airmen, known as My Development Plan, is undergoing changes aimed at positively affecting the Air Force and its members' futures, officials said Sept. 28.With a total force focus, MyDP is geared to help users make informed decisions about their career with

  • Medical staff celebrates advances in ECMO

    The year 2010 marks the 25th anniversary of the 59th Medical wing staff conducting extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation missions.ECMO is a machine that provides cardiac and respiratory support primarily to infants and children whose hearts and lungs are so severely diseased or damaged that they can

  • Leaders praise mobility team for successful Afghanistan surge

    When President Barack Obama announced the surge of an additional 30,000 servicemembers to Afghanistan, mobility Airmen didn't waste a second getting the surge in motion.Within days, units designated to go to Afghanistan were notified and began preparations. Likewise, the DOD's mobility team, which

  • PECI Program funds can increase unit productivity

    In times when budget constraints and cutbacks are prevalent, Air Force members can improve unit productivity by using the Productivity Enhancing Capital Investment program. This program provides units with a resource for purchasing productivity-enhancing equipment, which results in savings that

  • Physician earns AFA top award for health care

    A doctor here has been honored for making the most significant contribution to the continued good health of the men and women of the Air Force last year.Lt. Col. (Dr.) Christopher P. Paulson, from the 96th Medical Operations Squadron, was presented the Air Force Association's Paul W. Myers Award

  • Vandenberg officials launch Minotaur IV

    Officials here launched a Minotaur IV rocket Sept. 25. The Minotaur IV launched the Space-Based Space Surveillance satellite, a first-of-its-kind satellite that can detect and track orbiting space objects from space. Col. Richard Boltz, the 30th Space Wing commander, was the launch decision

  • Airmen wrap up bilateral training exercise in Bangladesh

    Airmen from Yokota Air Base, Japan, wrapped up four days of training with their Bangladesh air force counterparts as exercise Cope South 10 came to an end Sept. 23.More than 40 U.S. Airmen and two C-130 Hercules aircraft traveled to the Asian nation to train with the Bangladesh air force to better

  • Joint team restores precision airdrop capability

    Warfighters at forward operating bases have recently begun receiving supplies via a critical variant of the Joint Precision Airdrop System again, due to the combined efforts of an Air Force, Army and contract team.JPADS is a family of equipment consisting of parachutes, mission-planning systems,

  • Rescue Airmen exchange knowledge, build partnerships with Colombian airmen

    Airmen from the rescue community at Moody Air Force Base, Ga., recently visited South America to share their knowledge in a week-long, subject-matter expert exchange with Colombian air force C-130 Hercules crews here. Under Southern Command's Traditional Commander's Activity Program, the four

  • Airmen participate in Operation Market Garden anniversary

    Nineteen Airmen along with three C-130J Super Hercules assigned to the 37th Airlift Squadron traveled to Holland Sept. 16 to 19 to participate in the reenactment of the largest airborne assault in history to date. More than 1,000 Dutch, German, British, Polish and American servicemembers

  • Net-centricity transcends the network, experts say

    Several high-level Air Force, joint service and industry speakers discussed the powers and perils of operating in a net-centric environment at this year's Net-Centric Operations Conference at the Wentworth Hotel and Conference Center here Sept. 20.Sponsored by the Patriots Roost Chapter of the

  • Filling civilian vacancies easier with advanced recruiting, online resources

    As Air Force officials work to streamline and expedite the hiring process for the civilian workforce, they are encouraging hiring managers to initiate the recruitment process prior to an incumbent's departure.If the position being vacated is already funded, properly classified and serviced by the

  • Yokota, Kadena leaders join for smart operations course

    Airmen from both Yokota and Kadena air bases came together as part of an Air Force Smart Operations for the 21st Century senior leader's course Sept. 20 and 21AFSO21 is a standardized approach by which Airmen break down a day-to-day process into individual steps to determine more efficient ways of

  • Air Force officials select 2010 team excellence award winners

    Air Force officials recently selected five teams to receive 2010 Chief of Staff Team Excellence awards for finding creative ways to enhance mission capabilities, improve operational performance and create sustained results. The innovations and business solutions the competing Air Force teams

  • Photo essay: Rapid loading for the fight

    Loadmasters and aircrew from the 730th Air Mobility Squadron load pallets Sept. 15, onto a C-5 Galaxy at Yokota Air Base, Japan. The Airmen performed a two-hour quick turn on the C-5, preparing and loading a large amount of equipment and supplies. View the slideshow:

  • German partnership enhances mission, saves JTACs money

    From energy conservation practices to Air Force Smart Operations for the 21st Century initiatives, Airmen are looking for more efficient ways of conducting business. One task that has Air Force leaders here thinking outside the box is continued support for joint terminal attack controller training

  • Technology improving veterans' access to health, benefits information

    Department of Veterans Affairs officials are launching a multi-year initiative called Veterans Relationship Management, or VRM, that will greatly improve veterans' access to health care and benefits information. "VRM will transform veterans' interactions with VA by using innovative 21st century

  • Reservists win first place in international medical competition

    A team of Reserve officers earned first place in the Combat Casualty Care competition during the Interallied Allied Confederation of Reserve Officers annual Congress and Military Competition here.USA Team 3 pulled top scores based on their ability to react quickly and assess and treat wounded

  • New York National Guard members participate in South African air show

    More than 70 members of the New York Army and Air National Guard are participating in the Africa Aerospace and Defense Exposition 2010 from Sept. 21 through 25 in Cape Town, South Africa.The event is held at Air Force Base Ysterplaat and features aircraft from 35 countries and 135 manufacturers.The

  • Servicemembers escort veterans to local fair

    Airmen, Soldiers and Sailors assigned to Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash., escorted residents of the Washington State Soldiers Home to the Puyallup Fair Sept. 15, giving the active duty members a chance to connect with veterans."It is truly amazing to see the connection formed between the veterans

  • New computer chip cuts costs, adds efficiency to space systems

    Air Force Research Laboratory's Space Vehicles Directorate officials partnered with Xilinx, Inc. five years ago to design new field programmable gate arrays that would reduce costs, increase effectiveness of their satellite circuitry and withstand the damaging effects of radiation in the

  • U.S., Bangladesh airmen team up for Cope South 2010

    More than 40 Yokota Air Base Airmen and two C-130 Hercules deployed to participate in Exercise Cope South 2010 with the Bangladeshi airmen at Kurmitola Air Base, Bangladesh.During the exercise, the nations' airmen will exchange airlift, airland and airdrop delivery techniques that will deepen

  • Vandenberg Airmen conduct Minuteman III flight test

    Technicians here test launched an unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile Sept. 17 from Launch Facility-09 . The missile's single reentry test vehicle traveled approximately 5,300 miles to a pre-determined target about 200 miles southwest of Guam. ICBM analysts, including officials

  • Global Hawk arrives in Guam

    Airmen here celebrated the arrival of the RQ-4 Global Hawk to Guam during a ceremony Sept. 20.The Global Hawk brings significant capabilities to the Pacific theater, which will benefit the 36th Wing, Pacific Air Forces, U.S. Pacific Command, and regional partners, said Gen. Gary North, the

  • Combat Air Force Airmen integrate into new plan

    Combat Air Force officials released the 2010 CAF Strategic Plan Sept. 15, a document that focuses on the development, planning and employment of integrated combat capabilities."The Combat Air Force is a group of eight major commands and the Airmen that work in those commands across our Air Force;

  • Former POW inspires audience with experiences, wisdom

    Members of Ramstein Air Base honored prisoners of war and those missing in action at a luncheon Sept. 17 here. Members of the 435th Air Ground Operations Wing hosted the event in remembrance of National POW/MIA Recognition Day, featuring guest speaker retired Navy Capt. David Hoffman. "Thank you for

  • Combat Air Force leaders sign new strategic plan

    Top Air Force leaders from the eight commands representing the Combat Air Force released "Securing the High Ground: Agile Combat Airpower," Sept. 15. This strategic plan provides a construct for developing, planning and employing integrated combat capabilities for the nation."The CAF is America's

  • JCS chairman says 'Happy birthday, Air Force!'

    Gen. Billy Mitchell believed that "in the development of airpower, one needs to look ahead" -- a fitting charge as we celebrate the United States Air Force's 63rd birthday tomorrow.Born in an era of incredible innovation and change following World War II, the United States Air Force has lived up to

  • Improved weather technology on the way to warfighters

    Officials at the Electronic Systems Center's Aerospace Management Systems Division Weather Systems Branch here are working to provide Air Force decision makers improved weather sensing and viewing capabilities. Officials within the branch are working to bring the Portable Doppler Radar system to Air

  • Air Force leaders discuss challenges, achievements

    Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz hosted a multi-command panel of generals to address issues from the audience at the Air Force Association's Air and Space Conference and Technology Exposition at National Harbor, in Oxon Hill, Md., Sept. 15.The panel discussion, which also featured Chief

  • Record-setting airdrops sustain troops at forward operating bases

    Airlifters continue to set records for airdrops sustaining ground forces in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility with more than 3,800 container delivery system supply bundles delivered in August. Airdropped supplies are packaged in CDS bundles, which allow safe delivery by parachute. The

  • New facility supports C-5 Galaxy software testing

    Robins officials cut the ribbon Sept. 10 to signify the opening of a small but unique facility which promises to make a significant contribution to keeping the C-5 Galaxy flying for many years to come.The C-5 Integrated Aircraft Test Environment is a 2,200-square foot, two-story building that

  • Air Guard a more cost-effective, operational force

    For the Air National Guard to continue as an operational force, it should be fielded concurrently with the same equipment as its active-duty counterparts, the director of the Air Guard said Sept. 13."Now that costs money, but it doesn't cost nearly as much money as trying to maintain an operational

  • AMC commander relates importance of global reach to AFA attendees

    The commander of Air Mobility Command emphasized the national, joint and coalition importance of the support AMC provides to combat and humanitarian operations during the Air Force Association Air & Space Conference and Technology Exposition at Oxon Hill, Md., Sept. 14.Gen. Raymond E. Johns Jr. said

  • AFSPC command chief advocates for space Airmen at AFA forum

    The merits and issues affecting the men and women of Air Force Space Command were brought to the forefront during a Command Chief Master Sergeant Forum at the Air Force Association Air and Space Conference and Technology Exposition Sept. 14 here. More than 150 conference attendees were on hand as

  • Nuclear enterprise individual recognized during Air and Space Conference

    The Airman with the most significant achievement within the Air Force nuclear enterprise was honored with the newly established Gen. Larry D. Welch award during the 2010 Air Force Association Air & Space Conference and Technology Exposition at the National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Md. on Sept

  • AFSPC commander focuses on leverage in space community

    The commander of Air Force Space Command detailed challenges of the space community during the Air Force Association Air and Space Conference and Technology Exposition here Sept. 14. Gen. C. Robert Kehler outlined how leverage, integration and innovative thinking can all bring the space community