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U.S. Air Force News

  • Tricare officials launch beneficiary bulletin podcast

    As part of a continuing effort to keep beneficiaries informed, Tricare officials have added a news podcast to the Tricare Web site. The Tricare Beneficiary Bulletin brings listeners the latest news about their benefits every week in a quick, easy-to-digest format. The debut podcast contains updates

  • Tricare reps reach out to providers during National Conference on Autism

    Officials from Tricare's regional offices and managed care contractors were among the exhibitors at the 2009 Autism Conference Feb. 6 to 8 in Jacksonville, Fla. Their mission was to educate attendees about the Tricare Autism Demonstration Project. Representatives from Tricare's managed care support

  • Air Force Space Command puts AFSO 21 to work

    Air Force Smart Operations for the 21st Century is an Air Force initiative that challenges Airmen to look at all ways to accomplish the Air Force mission more effectively and efficiently without sacrificing quality.In order to alleviate challenges from new and evolving mission requirements,

  • AFMC commander visits Southwest Asia

    Gen. Donald Hoffman, Air Force Materiel Command commander, visited the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing Feb. 9 as part of a multi-base tour of bases in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility. The trip is the general's first to the AOR since taking command of AFMC in November. "I'm here to

  • Airmen train firefighter managers, Iraqis graduate

    The Iraqi air force took another step toward becoming more independent Feb. 4, this time in the form of firefighting capability, thanks to the joint training effort from the U.S. Air Force, the Iraqi air force and the Army National Guard. Seventeen civilian defense and Iraqi air force members

  • Gen. Schwartz addresses top ROTC cadets

    The top Air Force ROTC cadets from around the country gathered in the nation's capitol and met the top uniformed Air Force officer as guests of the George C. Marshall Foundation while attending a leadership and networking seminar Jan. 30 through Feb. 1. The cadets each were the recipient of the

  • Constructing an air corps from the ground up

    Airmen from the U.S. Air Force and the Afghan National Army Air Corps are working side-by-side to provide an airpower capability to the nation of Afghanistan. The Afghan Army was created six years ago with the air corps element subsequently created four years later. The training mission to grow

  • Joint basing efforts under way at 3 AMC bases

    Three Air Mobility Command bases are in the process of merging with two Army posts and a Naval Air Station as a result of the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure Commission which identified that these military facilities could be combined to streamline operational efficiency and save taxpayers' money.

  • 'Military Saves' campaign battles debt

    Servicemembers have been lulled into a false sense of financial security by marketing campaigns that encourage them to overspend. It's a real David vs. Goliath battle that Chaplain (Maj.) Sarah Shirley is all too familiar with. "We're this little guy with a slingshot up against this big giant and

  • Deployment history to be removed from promotion briefs

    Air Force officials here recently announced that deployment history data will be deleted from duty qualification briefs for officer selection and preselection and from senior noncommissioned officer evaluation briefs. This total-force initiative will apply to all active-duty members, Reserve and

  • Potential closure of Manas Air Base won't disrupt operations

    Senior U.S. officials hope to continue operations at Manas Air Base in Kyrgyzstan, but would use other means to support troops in Afghanistan if the Kyrgyz government goes through with plans to close it, Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said Feb. 4. Neither the State Department nor the Defense

  • Air Force to save millions by prepositioning weapons

    A new U.S. Air Forces Central logistics program is set to save the Air Force about $1.2 million every four months. More than 3,000 Airmen who departed Iraq, Afghanistan and other U.S. Central Command-area nations in January or will depart in February were directed not to bring their M-16s or M-9s

  • Personnel officials to test new civilian recruitment toolkit

    Often, finding the right person for the right job isn't an easy task. With a significant increase in new Air Force civilian hiring due to contractor conversions, joint basing and end strength growth, the need to market job opportunities also increases. To help bases better market civilian job

  • Blue Coach improves security forces Airmen tactics, training

    Airmen from the 5th Security Forces Squadron are participating in a series of training classes, which began Jan. 5, in an Air Force-wide initiative to improve the tactics, awareness, vigilance and survivability of security forces here. "This training better prepares us for any situation we may come

  • Elmendorf officials prepare for possible volcano eruption

    With the threat of an eruption at Mount Redoubt located 106 miles southwest of Anchorage, people throughout Elmendorf Air Force Base are preparing for the possibility of volcanic ash fall. Preparations began after officials from the Alaska Volcano Observatory and the U.S. Geologic Survey issued a

  • Airmen train Afghan officers on command, control

    American Airmen graduated 16 senior Afghan air corps officers following a four-week-long course on command and control operations Jan. 24 at the Kabul International Airport. Air Force advisers from the 438th Air Expeditionary Wing and the 438th Air Expeditionary Advisory Group taught the Afghan

  • Academy officials explain National Letter of Intent signings

    Due to the U.S. Air Force Academy appointment process, names of recruited student-athletes will not be released until they arrive on campus this summer. Many high school student-athletes will participate in signing days and appear to sign a National Letter of Intent with the Academy, but they are

  • Bagram Airmen recover crippled aircraft

    More than 120 Airmen, Defense Department civilians and contractors removed a crippled C-17 Globemaster III from the runway Feb. 2 at Bagram Airfield after receiving damage while landing Jan. 30.Emergency response crews sprang into action shortly after the aircraft screeched to a stop and base

  • Alaska-based aircraft fly south as precaution to volcano

    Airmen at McChord Air Force Base are receiving a precautionary redeployment of Air Force aircraft from Elmendorf AFB, Alaska. The aircraft and approximately 200 Airmen who operate and maintain them are being temporarily relocated due to increased activity associated with Mount Redoubt, a volcano

  • Tricare grants extension for overseas claims filing

    Tricare Management Activity officials have extended the "timely filing waiver" for dates of service before Dec. 31, 2007, to allow providers, beneficiaries and others living overseas additional time to submit overdue claims for reimbursement. The original deadline was Dec. 31, 2008, for services

  • 'Perspective' highlights military training instructors

    In the latest "Enlisted Perspective, the Air Force's top enlisted Airman focuses on the importance of military training instructors, how they mold future Airmen for their entire career and the shortage the career field is anticipating during the next few months.    "I still remember the military

  • Officials continue to build diversity with workforce program

    The headquarters staff with the Air Force Equal Opportunity Office at the Pentagon is boosting efforts to build Air Force participation in the Workforce Recruitment Program for College Students with Disabilities as part of an Air Force goal to increase the representation of people with disabilities

  • American servicemembers aid Iraqi communications

    Multinational Security Transition Command-Iraq directorate of communications officials in Baghdad currently are using Air Tasking Order concepts to shape the cyber battlefield for the Iraqi government. "We are trying to help people build a nation and create national self-sufficiency," said Col.

  • President's defense budget submission delayed

    President Barack Obama's 2010 defense budget request will be delayed, possibly until April, White House and Defense Department officials said. The president's annual budget request usually is submitted to Congress the first Monday in February. However, with only a week in office, the new

  • Air Force works aggressively to reduce bird strikes

    As an ongoing investigation continues on a bird strike that caused a passenger jet's engines to fail last week after takeoff from New York's LaGuardia Airport, Air Force safety officials said they're well-versed on the dangers of bird strikes and aggressively are working to prevent them. National

  • Transformation team scores F100 engine savings

    In July 2008, Mr. Brian deFonteny, Black Belt Center Transformation Office project facilitation, enlisted Michelle Waggoner, 547th Propulsion Maintenance Squadron industrial engineering technician, and her team -- Joseph Auzenne, Holly Vernon, Mitch Salvo, Shawna Price, Tracy Kudrna and John Manning

  • Military secretaries stay on, help ensure smooth transition

    Each U.S. military service secretary has agreed to Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates' request to stay in office for at least several weeks to help ensure the Defense Department's smooth transition under the President Barack Obama administration, Pentagon officials here said recently. "They have been

  • New Air Force chief of safety takes charge

    Kirtland Air Force Base officials welcomed the service's new top safety officer in a Jan. 13 change-of-command ceremony here.Maj. Gen. Frederick F. Roggero became the Air Force chief of safety and commander of the Air Force Safety Center at Kirtland AFB, replacing Maj. Gen. Wendell L. Griffin, who

  • AFPC officials begin health records transfer mission to VA

    Air Force Personnel Center officials here will begin to transfer health treatment records of retired and separated active, Guard and Reserve Airmen to the Department of Veterans Affairs Feb. 1.AFPC will become the central transfer gateway to improve the flow of Air Force health treatment

  • Obama directs military to plan 'responsible' Iraq drawdown

    President Barack Obama directed key defense and military officials he met with Jan. 21 to come up with plans for "a responsible military drawdown in Iraq." President Obama declared Jan. 21's meeting on Iraq productive and valuable. Participants in the late-afternoon session during his first day in

  • Decisions loom for Joint Strike Fighter Program

    Decisions about the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter and F-22 Raptor aircraft programs are expected early in President Barack Obama's administration. The F-35 program manager said Jan. 15 he sees strong support for the F-35 from the services, allied partners and, so far, on Capitol Hill. Based on initial

  • High-tech loss prevention safeguards base exchange benefit

    With a mission of providing quality merchandise and services at competitively low prices while generating earnings to support Morale, Welfare and Recreation programs, the Army and Air Force Exchange Service is enlisting the support of the latest in loss prevention technology to protect military

  • Airmen kick off inauguration day preparing for parade

    Maj. Geraldine Holmes-Barnett said she remembers boarding a bus in Ohio when she was just 9 years old to hear Dr. Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream Speech" during the 1963 March on Washington. That memory came full circle this morning as the 54-year-old African-American nurse with the 779th

  • Disability board accepting applications for records review

    Department of Defense officials here are now accepting applications from certain medically-separated veterans to have their records reviewed, potentially increasing their disability rating. "To be eligible for a review, veterans must have been medically separated between Sept. 11, 2001, and Dec. 31,

  • NASA debuts Global Hawk autonomous aircraft for Earth science

    NASA and the Northrop Grumman Corp. of Los Angeles have unveiled the first Global Hawk aircraft system to be used for environmental science research, heralding a new application for the world's first fully autonomous high-altitude, long-endurance aircraft. The debut took place Jan. 15 at NASA's

  • Kirkuk servicemembers host vice president-elect

    Vice president-elect Joe Biden visited Airmen and Soldiers stationed here and met local Iraqi officials Jan. 13. Vice president-elect Biden of Delaware was accompanied by South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. The senators met and thanked Airmen and

  • DOD suicide prevention conference under way

    An Army staff sergeant who had lost Soldiers in the war zone was called a coward, a wimp and a wuss from a leader when he mentioned he might need psychological help. It is this type of stigma from toxic leadership that can kill, and that is being examined by scientists, clinicians and specialists in

  • McChord Airmen earn top marks in nuclear inspection

    Air Force inspectors gave members of the 62nd Airlift Wing here the highest-possible grade Jan. 12 following a weeklong inspection of the wing's role as the nation's primary nuclear airlift force. Airmen evaluated in the final phase of a Defense Nuclear Surety Inspection here Jan. 7 through 12

  • American Airman teaches Iraqi air force cadets

    Teaching leadership in a foreign land was never part of his career plan, but that's exactly what Capt. Tom Fiordelisi has been doing for the last 12 months at a forward operating base near Baghdad. Captain Fiordelisi served as commandant of cadets for ROTC Det. 630 at Kent State University in Ohio

  • Manas Airmen host Kyrgyz Congress of Women

    Manas Air Base Airmen hosted 24 members of the Kyrgyz Congress of Women for a Jan. 8 tour and luncheon here. The group, composed of female Kyrgyz civic and business leaders, met Manas AB leaders, learned about the base's mission and observed the contributions of female coalition members. For most of

  • Airmen in sky give warriors on ground situational awareness

    Airmen of the 7th Expeditionary Air Command and Control Squadron from this air base in Southwest Asia provide constant situational ground assessment from the air to coalition forces supporting operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom.Inside the E-8C Joint STARS, the aircrew give airborne battle

  • 17th Air Force members plan support for Darfur operation

    Airmen will soon begin airlifting special equipment for Rwandan peacekeepers in the Darfur region of Sudan to mark the kickoff of the first major operation engineered by officials of U.S. Africa Command's air component, 17th Air Force.Members of 17th Air Force, also known as U.S. Air Forces

  • Nuclear Weapons Management panel recommends changes

    Pentagon officials here need to bolster internal management systems that address nuclear weapons issues, said the leader of a special task force appointed by the Defense secretary here Jan. 8. Since the Cold War ended, the nuclear deterrence force "has sometimes been neglected within the Department

  • Academy among nation's top 100 'best value colleges'

    The U.S. Air Force Academy was named as one of the nation's top 100 best value colleges for 2009 by The Princeton Review Jan. 8. The Best Values College List features 50 public and 50 private colleges. The Princeton Review selected these institutions as its "best value" choices for 2009 based on its

  • VA officials assist veterans with health care costs

    For veterans struggling financially due to a job loss or decreased income, Department of Veterans Affairs officials offer an assortment of programs that can relieve the costs of health care or provide care at no cost. Veterans whose previous income was ruled too high for VA health care may be able

  • Alaska Air Guard members save 167 lives in 2008

    Alaska National Guard members saved 167 lives here in Alaska and around the world in 2008. Officials of the 11th Rescue Coordination Center, the sole Alaska representative responsible for all aeronautical search and rescue cases in Alaska, released their end of year statistics Dec. 31. The Alaska

  • Eielson Airmen research alternative energy resources

    Air Force Technical Applications Center Airmen operating at 12 remote locations throughout Alaska are pursuing alternate means for energy.The Airmen of Det. 460, a tenant unit at Eielson Air Force Base, operate in units powered by propane, but now solar power may become a reality even though there

  • 21 Air Force civilians receive 2008 Presidential Rank Award

    Twenty-one Air Force senior executives and senior professionals received the 2008 Presidential Rank Award for sustained achievement in government service. President George W. Bush announced the recipients at the Pentagon Sep. 30, 2008, and Air Force officials will honor the award recipients at a

  • Air Force officials publish energy program policy

    The secretary of the Air Force recently signed the Air Force Energy Program Policy. This document will serve as the blueprint for Air Force officials as they continue their goal to keep energy initiatives in the forefront. "The Air Force energy strategy furthers an energy future that is secure,

  • New badge part of historic change in force support

    A new career badge made its debut when 57 officers graduated from the inaugural force support officer training course last month at Keesler Air Force Base, Miss. After nine weeks of initial skills training, the officers are the first to showcase the badge of the new 38F Force Support Air Force

  • Airmen build rapport with community

    Airmen of the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing Host Nation Coordination Cell here are liaisons between American forces and host nation officials to keep the wing mission flowing. "The primary mission of HNCC is to facilitate and coordinate all interaction between the U.S. military and the (host nation)

  • Teamwork shown as Airmen respond to helicopter crash

    Six Airmen of the 379th Civil Engineer Squadron here used teamwork to recover a helicopter that crashed Dec. 15  at a forward operating base in Afghanistan. The firefighters rushed to the scene and began command and control measures after being notified of the helicopter crash that landed in a ditch

  • Some veterans see another VA travel increase

    Service-disabled and low-income veterans who are reimbursed for travel expenses while receiving care at Department of Veterans Affairs facilities will see an increase in their payments beginning Jan. 9. A recently passed law allows VA to cut the amount it must withhold from their mileage

  • Officials seek 10 enlisted for AFIT degree program

    Air Force Institute of Technology officials are offering 10 noncommissioned officers the opportunity to pursue an advanced science, engineering or management degree at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. Ten NCOs from around the Air Force will be selected in February to attend the

  • Officials initiate surgical specialty training in Iraq

    Optimally managing the unique head and neck injury patterns seen in Iraq and Afghanistan has led to a successful initiative out of Wilford Hall Medical Center here: sending the first surgical fellow to a war zone for a surgical rotation. In the past, medical and surgical residents and fellows were

  • President Bush calls local loadmaster

    Christmas presents come in all shapes and sizes, but one junior enlisted Airman here received a gift he never expected -- a call from President George W. Bush. Senior Airman Dan Gutowski, 816th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron loadmaster, found out about the surprise Dec. 23 and received the call on

  • Keeping tabs on the airfield

    When many aircraft need space on a limited airfield, a small section steps in to ensure there is room for all. Like a game of musical chairs, Airmen in the 379th Expeditionary Operations Squadron airfield management section here constantly shift assets around to maximize use of the airfield,

  • General, Mrs. Schwartz spend Christmas at Creech

    Creech Airmen received a surprise Christmas day when Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz and his wife Suzie visited the base. It was the second time in as many weeks that the Schwartz family visited the northern Nevada base. General and Mrs. Schwartz returned to Creech on the holiday to

  • Agreement keeps aircraft defensive system at Robins

    Maintenance personnel here will begin to work on an advanced weapons system that protects large cargo aircraft from attacks from shoulder-fired missiles in a Dec. 11 contract agreement between Air Force and Northrop Grumman officials. Brig. Gen. Mark A. Atkinson, the 402nd Maintenance Wing

  • Officials streamline overseas outprocessing guidelines

    Air Force Personnel Center officials here recently introduced a new initiative that will streamline final processing for Airmen retiring or separating from overseas areas. With this change, additional travel to a separation processing base, or SPB, is no longer required. The new procedure is part of

  • Future Airman gains confidence, loses 160 pounds

    Leo Knight-Inglesby is more determined than ever, and for the past 15 months has pushed himself beyond the limits he, and his loved ones, ever thought possible. The 22-year-old Silver Spring, Md., native is so set to "Do Something Amazing" in the Air Force that he shed more than 160 pounds to meet

  • AFPC officials to offer personnel course for commanders

    Air Force Personnel Center officials here are launching a new course designed to provide squadron commanders outside the personnel career field with the latest military and civilian personnel programs and procedures.The course also provides information on the air and space expeditionary force

  • AFSO 21 experts tour Robins

    Military and civilian leaders came to Robins Air Force Base Dec. 16 to see how Air Force Smart Operations for the 21st century efforts have found better ways to get things done here. Nineteen general officers toured parts of the Warner Robins Air Logistics Center then spent an afternoon discussing

  • Active duty, Reserve units consolidate command posts

    Signaling a move toward greater teamwork between active duty and Reserve forces here, Peterson AFB officials unveiled their newly-consolidated command post Dec. 16.The integrated Peterson Installation Control Center will serve as the command post for both the 21st Space Wing and the 302nd Airlift

  • Valiant action saves co-worker from choking

    The life of a 71st Comptroller-Contractor Squadron accounting technician here was saved by an office co-worker Dec. 5 at Vance Air Force Base. Rose Palacios was working at her desk when she began to choke on a piece of candy. "At first I thought I could just cough it up out of my throat. That didn't

  • ACC leaders discuss current, future challenges

    The commander of Air Combat Command and members of his A-staff spoke to 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing Airmen about current and upcoming events surrounding Air Force combat operations during an Airman's Call here earlier this month. Gen. John Corley discussed the impact of current economic trends on

  • Wright-Patterson Airmen earn top safety award

    The Star award, which is the highest level of recognition under the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's Voluntary Protection Program, was presented to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base officials here Dec. 9. Mandated in 2006 by then Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, VPP is a

  • Edwards NCO uses training to help save accident victims

    An Edwards Air Force Base NCO rushed to help save the lives of two strangers after hearing the sound of a crash and seeing a cloud of smoke and debris on Highway 14 Dec. 7 in Lancaster, Calif. When Tech. Sgt. Rondale Alexander, the NCO in charge of the Air Force Flight Test Center command section,

  • General Schwartz sees full spectrum of fly, fight, win

    Gen. Norton Schwartz and his wife Suzie visited Creech and Nellis Air Force Bases, Dec. 13, to meet with Airmen and get a first-hand look at operations. This was General Schwartz's first visit to both bases since becoming the 19th chief of staff. He said it was important for him to visit Creech and

  • Kyrgyzstan mayors visit Manas

    Mayors and deputy mayors of the six largest villages that surround Manas Air Base met the Airmen and learned the mission of the base during a Dec. 10 tour here. Base and village leaders meet one another, discussed issues that affect both and developed stronger ties through which to resolve issues of

  • Air Force officials honor top recruiters for 2008

    Fourteen Air Force recruiters were named tops in their field for fiscal 2008 by Air Force Recruiting Service officials here in December. Operation Blue Suit program recognizes the best recruiters worldwide for their efforts in recruiting a diverse, high-quality volunteer force to fill career fields

  • 'Today's Air Force' features Airmen training Iraqis

    This edition of "Today's Air Force" highlights how Air Force officers are sharing valuable leadership skills in an effort to train the Iraqi military on the proper tools to maintain security throughout their country. And while the use of technology facilitates our daily missions from

  • Public may comment on draft rules for spouse employment

    The public is invited to comment until Jan. 5, 2009, on proposed rules to speed up the hiring process for some military spouses seeking federal jobs. The Office of Personnel Management staff published the rules Dec. 5 in the Federal Register and drafted the regulations to implement an executive

  • Arizona officials aim to end scams, predatory lending

    Financial scams and predatory lending against servicemembers and veterans is so common that the Arizona attorney general has created an advisory board to stop it. "We got so many complaints that were related to either veterans or active-duty military on our consumer line that I felt it was necessary

  • Airman helps shape future Afghan firefighters

    Afghan firefighters at the Kabul International Airport stand ready to answer a call to save lives and resources here thanks to the dedicated efforts of their American counterpart. Master Sgt. Mike Marascia, Afghan fire protection mentor, has spent the last 11 months establishing the Afghan Joint

  • Air Force bands 'in the fight'

    Air Force bands like Air Force Materiel Command's Band of Flight located here perform thousands of concerts each year, with several performances in far away countries as part of a "hearts and minds" campaign being led by military bands. Since 2004, Air Force bands have been deploying to U.S. Central

  • Medics, maintainers test skills at alternative careers

    How many steps does it take to prepare an F-16 Fighting Falcon to launch for a combat sortie? How stomach-turning is it to sit in on a surgery?  Staff Sgt. Ubong Okokon and Master Sgt. Mark Crew are dedicated to answering these questions and more for Airmen serving in the Air Force Theater Hospital

  • Letters, packages to Airmen increases during holiday season

    Postal workers of the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing here doubled their workload for this holiday season and expect to double it yet again in the coming weeks. The holiday season for postal workers begins in the middle of November and generally goes through the middle of December. "We're currently

  • Southern Command, AF South leaders visit deployed troops

    Senior leaders from Southern Command and Air Forces Southern kicked off a week-long tour Dec. 8 to visit forward-deployed personnel and assist nearby communities in seven Latin American countries during the holiday season. A C-21 from Andrews Air Force Base, Md., carried the group to Forward

  • Airmen show Iraqi army leaders base operations

    A handful of American Airmen are helping the Iraqi army turn a run down military base into an operational military hub.Taji Military Base is home to the country's only national-level maintenance and supply depots, and American Soldiers and Airmen advisers are assisting the Iraqis with everything

  • Procurement initiative secures DOD computers, saves money

    Department of Defense officials are among those of dozens of departments and organizations who have improved security for their laptop computers and saved taxpayers more than $92 million by using a new procurement initiative, a senior Defense Department official said here. DOD and the General

  • Air Force officials announce OTS selection results

    A total of 223 men and women from across America have earned an opportunity to become Air Force leaders following their selection for an officer's commission, officials here announced Dec. 9. Air Force Recruiting Service officials considered 474 applications as part of Officer Training School

  • SAMMC construction project breaks ground

    Military leaders, construction officials and wounded warriors joined up Dec. 8 to break ground on the start of construction on the San Antonio Military Medical Center, a $724 million construction and renovation project at Wilford Hall Medical Center and Brooke Army Medical Center. The construction,

  • AMC unveils new mission statement and focus areas

    This past June, I issued a call for all AMC personnel to "return to basics," and I thank you for the renewed attention you've given to our core values and our mobility mission while restoring the Air Force's good name with your daily, outstanding mission accomplishment. Today, we build on that

  • New TSP contribution limits set for 2009

    The Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board recently announced an increase in the 2009 elective deferral limit for regular Thrift Savings Plan contributions. The limit is now $16,500, up from $15,500 for 2008. In addition, contributions for the TSP catch-up plan will increase to $5,500, up from

  • Leaders encourage Airmen to apply for Academy

    Young, hard-charging Airmen are sought for entry into the U.S. Air Force Academy and the Air Force Academy Preparatory School with the end goal of earning a commission, but must apply by Jan. 31, 2009. The Academy sets aside up to 85 slots for active-duty Airmen and up to 85 more slots for Guard and

  • Programs aim to strengthen military marriages, curb divorce

    Servicemembers and their spouses are flocking to a broad array of programs to help them strengthen their family relationships as the services step up efforts to curb divorce rates.Military divorce rates rose by .1 percent -- to 3.4 percent -- during fiscal 2008, with 492 more divorces than the

  • Re-invigorating nuclear enterprise a top priority

    Maintaining accountability and improving stewardship of the Air Force's nuclear program is the top priority, said the service's 19th chief of staff recently. Gen. Norton Schwartz said the Air Force has gone through some "rough" air in the realm of nuclear deterrence, but the service is already on

  • Kandahar team provides ammunition to win the fight

    With a munitions stockpile of 560 line items worth more than $11 million, the job of providing weapons to warfighters at Kandahar Airfield falls to a three-man flight. "We maintain and provide munitions to U.S. and coalition forces," said Master Sgt. James Bradley, the munitions accountable systems

  • E-8C's new engine program takes off

    America's eye in the sky, the E-8C Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System,  or Joint STARS, will soon be faster, quieter, more efficient and more operationally effective with a major engine upgrade effort now under way here. Getting new engines on E-8C test aircraft is a major milestone for

  • Academy officials announce 2008 distinguished graduates

    Officials from the U.S. Air Force Academy and the Academy's Association of Graduates have announced the winners of the 2008 Distinguished Graduate Award. Retired Maj. Gen. Donald Shepperd, Class of 1962, and Mr. John Martinson, Class of 1970, earned this prestigious honor for their singular and

  • Lean initiatives in the Portuguese air force

    There have been many articles touting the benefits to the Air Force of Lean initiatives and Air Force Smart Operations for the 21st Century, or AFSO 21. It's not only the Air Force that is benefiting from Lean initiatives, however.  Other air forces have benefited from the Lean initiatives supported

  • Military financial road show heads to Washington state

    As headlines scream news of an economic recession, a Defense Department team is heading to the Pacific Northwest Dec. 4 to help drive home the point that financial readiness is a big part of mission readiness. Fort Lewis, McChord Air Force Base and Naval Air Station Bremerton in Washington state

  • CV-22s complete first operational deployment

    Four CV-22 Ospreys from the 8th Special Operations Squadron here returned after completing their first operational deployment supporting Exercise Flintlock 2009 in November in Bamako, Mali.The aircraft supported the training exercise in the Trans-Saharan region designed to build relationships and

  • Andersen officials to transfer management functions to Navy

    The Joint Region Marianas will stand up in January as Andersen Air Force Base officials will relocate installation management functions to the commander of U.S. Naval Forces, Marianas located on Guam.This was a result of almost four years of planning to implement this change to the law as a result

  • Internal training key to Iraqi air force independence

    As the Iraqi parliament works out the details of the new status of forces agreement that calls for American forces to withdraw from the country in 2011, Iraqi air force emergency responders from New al Muthana Air Base took the lead for the first time in a mass casualty response exercise Nov. 21 as

  • Air Force leaders reinforce zero tolerance for sexual assault

    Leaders from wing level to senior Air Force brass recently gathered for a two-day leader summit on sexual assault prevention and response here. Secretary of the Air Force Michael B. Donley and Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz affirmed their commitment to eliminating sexual assaults in

  • Hiring authority makes it easier to hire disabled employees

    Air Force officials are working to increase manager understanding of how to hire qualified people with disabilities. The Schedule A hiring authority, a noncompetitive government hiring process, allows federal employers to hire qualified people with mental retardation, severe physical disabilities or

  • Gates provides continuity as nation fights two wars, Obama says

    President-elect Barack Obama cited the need for continuity as the United States fights two wars in announcing, Dec. 1, that Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates will remain at the Pentagon when his administration takes over next month."At a time when we face an unprecedented transition amidst two wars,