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  • Air Force officials activate rescue squadron at Camp Bastion

    The 79th Expeditionary Rescue Squadron was officially activated during a ceremony April 22 at Camp Bastion, Afghanistan.Lt. Col. Mike Hinsch assumed command of the unit from Col. John Cherrey, 451st Expeditionary Operations Group commander, who officiated the ceremony. The search and rescue mission

  • Avatar project seeks to help military amputees

    In the movie "Avatar," Jake Sully, a former Marine who lost the use of both legs in combat, climbs into a vessel that magically restores his body when he assumes a new, 10-foot-tall avatar identity.A new project being funded through the Advanced Army Medical Technology Initiative promises to bring

  • Combat photographer to compete in Warrior Games

    Not once, but twice. Twice, in 2004 and 2007, a combat photographer who was assigned to the 1st Combat Camera Squadron, Charleston Air Force Base, S.C., was wounded in Iraq.It was her combat wounds in 2007 that caused retired Staff Sgt. Stacy Pearsall to give up her dream as a combat photographer

  • New Air Force cyberspace badge guidelines released

    Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton A. Schwartz has approved the new cyberspace badge and associated wear criteria.In his Apr. 21 memorandum, General Schwartz set forth guidelines and addressed standard eligibility requirements for officers working in the cyberspace domain. Eligibility criteria for

  • Exercise enhances training, partnerships for U.S., Bulgarian military

    Airmen, Soldiers and Sailors teamed with Bulgarian armed forces members to conduct Exercise Thracian Spring 2010 April 22 thorugh 28 here.Eighty-one Airmen from Ramstein Air Base, Germany, joined Soldiers from the 5th Quartermaster Company at Rhine Ordnance Barracks, Germany and Sailors from the

  • Deployed Airmen memorialize air mobility legend through mural

    Retired Master Sgt. Roy Hooe died April 18, 1973, but in a way he came back to life some 37 years later to the day in the form of art.Airmen deployed to the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing put the finishing touches on a mural April 18 highlighting Sergeant Hooe's legacy, in Roy's Flight Kitchen,

  • Air Guard civil engineers benefit from improvements

    Frequent mobilizations are still challenging the Air National Guard's civil engineers, but the planning, training and support for them has improved dramatically, Guard officials said April 26 here.About 400 Air Guard civil engineers joined with security forces Airmen at a conference here to discuss

  • Falcons' Garland signs with Denver Broncos

    Air Force senior defensive lineman Ben Garland has signed a professional contract with the Denver Broncos, according to an announcement April 26 from the National Football League team.Garland is required by Department of Defense policy to serve at least 24 months active duty before applying for an

  • Airmen build facilities for warfighters

    As 30,000 servicemembers continue to pour into the region as part of the troop surge in Afghanistan, a 15-man team of Airmen with the 1st Expeditionary RED HORSE Group here is building structures for warfighters."Our mission here is to construct the facilities that directly support the

  • B-1 adapts, remains effective after 25 years

    The non-nuclear B-1 Lancer has adapted from a strategic mission to a close-air support role, and will continue to play an effective part in today's fight in Afghanistan and Iraq, according to leaders here. While the remaining bombers in the Air Force inventory transferred to Air Force Global Strike

  • F-16 drawdown begins at Spangdahlem

    Six F-16 Fighting Falcons are scheduled to depart here April 27 as the first step for the 52nd Fighter Wing staff in the Combat Air Force Restructuring plan expected to save the Air Force approximately $355 million in fiscal 2010 and $3.5 billion during the next five fiscal years.An additional six

  • Air Guard security forces at the top of their game

    Air National Guard security forces are at the top of their game, their top officer said here April 21. "We're better equipped, better trained, better (tasked) than we have ever been," said Col. John Wakefield at a conference of nearly 400 ANG security forces personnel.Thousands of them have deployed

  • Airmen train Japanese customs agency members to detect threats

    Air Force Office of Special Investigations agents from Det. 623 here and Airmen from the 35th Civil Engineer Squadron Explosive Ordnance Unit here trained Hakodate customs inspectors with the Japan Ministry of Finance April 23 on counterterrorism measures to deter potential threats that may pass

  • Kunsan Airmen arm F-16s during Red Flag-Alaska

    Airmen with the 8th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron hone their wartime skills during the 10-day combat exercise known as Red Flag-Alaska at Eielson Air Force Base from April 19 through May 18. "Without weapons on jets, they are just plain aircraft," said Capt. Drew Garcia, officer in charge for the

  • Air Force officials announce criteria and candidate list for basing of C-17

    Air Force officials released the candidate basing locations April 23 and the criteria they used to determine the candidate basing locations for additional C-17 Globemaster III aircraft.The list of candidate bases was approved by the secretary and chief of staff of the Air Force: Eastern West

  • Warrior Games approaching fast

    With fewer than three weeks to go, the Air Force team is making preparations for the Department of Defense's inaugural Warrior Games in Colorado Springs, Colo., May 10th through the 14th.What started as an e-mail from one athlete asking questions about the upcoming event turned into a process of

  • VA officials strive to prevent veteran suicides

    With more than 6,000 veterans committing suicide every year, and 98 veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan taking their own lives during fiscal 2009 alone,  Department of Veterans Affairs officials are redoubling their outreach to veterans and promoting the toll-free suicide-prevention hotline. National

  • Airmen, Soldiers team up to tackle threats

    Air Force and Army members here performed a joint, force-protection patrol April 14 near one of the U.S. Air Force's Central Command's main airbases in Iraq.Members of the Air Force's 532nd Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron and the Army's 1st of the 28th Infantry Battalion  teamed up and armed

  • Dyess offers specialized housing through privatization

    Housing program officials here point to the privatized housing units managed off base as a success story, as the Air Force plans for 22 more bases to go "private" by the end of next year. "We started demolishing 1950s-era homes almost 10 years ago," said Dolores Green, housing program manager with

  • Four Airmen receive Sijan award

    The Air Force's 2009 Capt. Lance P. Sijan Award recipients were honored in a ceremony April 21 in the Pentagon's Hall of Heroes.The Sijan Award annually recognizes four Airmen who demonstrate outstanding leadership abilities. Officer and enlisted honorees are chosen in senior and junior

  • Air Force officials launch Combat Airman initiative

    Properly outfitted and equipped Airmen are essential to mission success, according to Air Force logistics officials who recently unveiled a new program focused on what Airmen wear and carry during training, at home station or deployed.Air Force officials hosted an initial planning conference in

  • Contract award to enhance in-flight operations for top U.S. officials

    Air Force officials here issued a contract award in mid-April that will provide highly reliable, secure and integrated voice, data and video equipment for airborne U.S. senior leaders. The nearly $209 million award to Rockwell Collins will allow Air Force officials to retrofit a fleet of 20 special

  • Mobility officials adapt to volcanic ash plume

    Air Mobility Command members continue to provide airlift capabilities despite the cloud of ash from an Icelandic volcano that has troubled air travel, a senior officer responsible for moving military personnel and equipment around the world said April 21 here."As soon as we saw the potential impact

  • Joint training mission enables reservists to train as they fight

    Reservists from the 815th Airlift Squadron here completed a joint airborne and air transportability training mission with Army special forces Soldiers April 16 in Key West, Fla. The JA/ATT program provides the 815th AS members with unique training opportunities, said Lt. Col. Mark Carter, the 403rd

  • Air Force officials announce AFAF competition winners

    Air Force officials have announced their Group 1 winners of the annual Air Force Assistance Fund "Commitment to Caring" campaign, which provides Airmen the opportunity to contribute to four official Air Force charitable organizations.The campaign, which started Feb. 8 and runs until May 7, features

  • VA officials mark 85 years of 'discovery, innovation and advancement'

    Eighty-five years of enriching the lives of veterans and all Americans through top-notch medical research will be spotlighted April 26 through 30 when members of the Department of Veterans Affairs celebrate National VA Research Week.On April 22, Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs W. Scott Gould

  • Combat arms team supports all operations

    Airmen at the 451st Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron Combat Arms Training and Maintenance team here are directly responsible for ensuring each Air Force member is issued ammunition upon arrival here. In addition, the two-person team of Staff Sgt. Chanson Johnson, and Senior Airman Jacob

  • DFAS begins recouping separation pay soon

    Recouping military retirees' voluntary separation incentive special separation benefit and other separation payments by the Defense Finance and Accounting Service will resume in August. Separation payments and others, such as severance pay, were offered to active-duty servicemembers to reduce

  • Airman gets NASCAR 'Royal' treatment

    It's not every day the morning starts with a phone call from a NASCAR driver, but that's exactly how a 56th Maintenance Group Quality Assurance inspector began work April 8 here.Staff Sgt. Damon Thurman's supervisor handed him the phone and Matt Kenseth, driver of the No. 17 Crown Royal Black car,

  • Virtual world prepares mobility Airmen for real mission

    Airmen preparing for the worldwide mobility mission of the 621st Contingency Response Wing here now have a powerful new training tool. A state-of-the-art virtual firearms training simulator with a 300-degree field of view is now being operated by members of the 819th Global Support Squadron to

  • Air Force observes Earth Day 2010

    Air Force representatives will plant a Valley Forge American Elm tree April 22 in the Pentagon courtyard as part of the Air Force's observances of Earth Day.Debra Tune, principal deputy assistant secretary of the Air Force for installations, environment and logistics, will officiate and make brief

  • Maintenance Airmen ensure rescue missions save lives

    When aircrews and pararescuemen of the 41st Expeditionary Rescue Squadron here get a category-alpha alert call, the HH-60 Pave Hawk they use to conduct their mission has to be off the ground in 10 minutes. Here, where rescue crews average five or six alert calls a day, the 43 Airmen at the 451st

  • Capital-area medical centers set for reorganization

    With a reorganization of units overseeing military medicine in the national capital area under way, interim steps are in place to maintain good care and emergency preparedness during the transition.As part of a Base Realignment and Closure Commission action announced in 2007, Walter Reed Army

  • Airmen moving the mission in Afghanistan

    A team of 28 aerial port and vehicle maintenance Airmen from the 451st Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron Det. 1 here are moving the mission in Afghanistan.The unit's air traffic operations center and ramp operations have uploaded and downloaded more than 40,000 short tons of cargo from

  • Historic 44th Fighter Group activated at Holloman

    The Air Force Reserve Command's 44th Fighter Group officially stood up here April 9 with an activation ceremony and passing of the historic group's guidon.The 44th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron and 301st Fighter Squadron also were activated during the ceremony as part of the fighter group.Maj. Gen.

  • Aircrews kick off Red Flag-Alaska 10-2

    The initial briefings and familiarization flights are complete and now pilots and aircrews are participating in world-class aerial combat training over Alaska until the end of April.  Officials here are hosting Red Flag-Alaska 10-2. Air Force units from Barksdale Air Force Base, La.; Kunsan Air

  • General Schwartz delivers first Super Herc to Dyess

    The Air Force's top military leader flew and delivered a new C-130J Super Hercules here April 16 from Little Rock Air Force Base, Ark. Opening a new era in tactical airlift for Dyess AFB, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz spoke to a crowded hangar of distinguished visitors and

  • Global Strike Challenge load competition kicks off at Minot

    Members of seven bomb wings competed in Air Force Global Strike Command's first-ever load competition April 13 and 14 here.The evaluation was based on hands-on skills and their knowledge of career fields."This brings us back to the old (Strategic Air Command) days and the Giant Sword competitions,"

  • Hurlburt officials remember, honor fallen Airmen

    More than 1,800 servicemembers, families and friends gathered to celebrate the lives of two fallen Airmen in a joint memorial service April 15 here.Maj. Randell Voas, an 8th Special Operations Squadron evaluator pilot, and Senior Master Sgt. James Lackey, an 8th SOS evaluator flight engineer, died

  • Remotely piloted aircraft sensor operators named Air Force Team of the Year

    Air Force officials and Air Force Association representatives have named Air Force remotely piloted aircraft sensor operators as the 2010 Team of the Year.Each year, AFA officials, working with major command-level command chief master sergeants and the Office of the Chief Master Sergeant of the Air

  • Air Combat Command leader visits mobility base

    The commander of Air Combat Command visited Airmen assigned to the 18th Air Support Operations Group March 31, here.Gen. William M. Fraser III discussed ACC's collaboration with Air Mobility Command officials, inquired about Airmen issues and expressed gratitude during the visit to the tenant

  • Airmen lend a hand to world leaders

    Fifty aerial porters from Air Mobility Command bases throughout the United States were tasked to augment porters supporting the Nuclear Security Summit April 12 through 13 in Washington, D.C.Aerial porters executed a normal operations load of 98 missions throughout the summit in addition to 58

  • Air Force officials name Flemming Award nominees

    Air Force officials have announced the nominees for the 61st Annual Arthur S. Flemming Award April 15. The award honors outstanding men and women in federal government each year who performed outstanding and meritorious work to encourage high standards of performance; enhance appreciation of our

  • Joint service drill competition held at Lincoln Memorial

    Members of the United States Air Force Honor Guard, along with ceremonial guard unit members from the four other services, performed before thousands of spectators during the 3rd Annual Joint Service Drill Team Exhibition April 10 on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. Drill team members from the Air

  • Lynn details Defense Department's space strategy

    From the commander in chief in the White House to an Airman manning an observation tower on Afghanistan's border with Pakistan, space is the domain that ties them together.Space provides critical capabilities for the Defense Department and the organization must change its space strategy as the

  • Air Force officials reduce Palace Chase obligation

    Air Force officials here recently reduced the Reserve commitment for officers and enlisted members participating in Palace Chase temporarily as part of Air Force management measures to balance the force while meeting a congressionally mandated end strength. The three-to-one officer and two-for-one

  • Luke Airmen train for combat

    Twelve Airmen from various career fields began a three-week military combative training course taught by Marine Corps instructors April 1 here. The training is designed to teach Airmen skills used in combat, for self defense and work on physical training. Some of the training includes learning

  • Offutt community honors fallen Airman with road dedication

    Offutt community officials hosted a ceremony April 6 to dedicate and name a new road on base in honor of a fallen Airman. Lt. Col. Harrison "Harry" Tull served in the Air Force for 27 years, his career encompassing his time in World War II as a member of the famous Tuskegee Airmen, the Korean War

  • Cancer survivor to compete in Warrior Games

    It's been two years and three months since Senior Master Sgt. Michael Sanders overcame an aggressive form of cancer. Despite undergoing extensive treatment and recovery efforts, Sergeant Sanders has made sure to keep fitness a part of his lifestyle, achieving perfect scores on physical training

  • Elmendorf Airmen validate air-to-air gunnery capability

    Airmen from the 3rd Operations Group validated their air-to-air gunnery capability April 7 by performing their first live fire gunnery mission over a range in Alaska. The radar reflective target is launched by dragging it behind the plane until it lifts off the runway. Once the mission is over, the

  • Air Force officials announce annual comm-info awards

    The chief of Air Force Warfighting Integration and Chief Information Officer has announced the 2009 Air Force Gen. John P. Jumper Awards for Excellence in Warfighting Integration and the 2009 Air Force Communications and Information Awards. "The superb quality of the nominations we received confirm

  • Little Rock Air Force Base Community Council wins Abilene Trophy

    Little Rock Air Force Base members and their community council won the 2009 Abilene Trophy announced March 31 here. The Abilene Trophy is the Air Mobility Command's community support award and is presented annually to a civilian community for outstanding support to an AMC base. The winner is

  • Air Forces Africa officials take part in cultural training

    Air Forces Africa's personnel directorate staff has been working with Air Force Culture and Language Center members at Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala., in recent months to tailor a training program for people charged with building and maintaining relationships in Africa. AFCLC officials had the

  • Cadets take 1st, 3rd at international LOAC competitions

    Six U.S. Air Force Academy cadets ventured to Quebec, Canada, and San Remo, Italy, in March, during spring break to compete in Law of Armed Conflict competitions against international contestants. Cadet 1st Class Charlton Coats from Cadet Squadron 08 won the top individual honor out of 70

  • 2 Hurlburt Field Airmen die in CV-22 crash

    Department of Defense officials announced April 11 the deaths of two Airmen who were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom when they died in a crash of a CV-22 Osprey April 8 near Kandahar, Afghanistan. Killed were: -- Maj. Randell D. Voas, 43, of Lakeville, Minn. -- Senior Master Sgt. James B.

  • Presidential award recognizes best installations

    Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates announced Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska, as one of the five winners of the 2010 Commander in Chief's Annual Award for Installation Excellence April 9 here. The Commander in Chief's Annual Award for Installation Excellence recognizes the outstanding and

  • Wright-Patterson unit earns Dr. James G. Roche Sustainment Excellence Award

    Air Force and contract organizations teamed up to garner an Air Staff-level award recognizing the Air Force Materiel Command program office with the most improved aircraft maintenance and logistics readiness performance.Members of the 702nd Aeronautical Systems Group at Wright-Patterson Air Force

  • Balad medical team turns tragedy into triumph

    Sajad Hany Shaker Mahmud was involved in an improvised explosive device attack Jan. 24 in Iraq. He had just climbed into a vehicle for a short trip when an IED detonated. Sajad has no known enemies, disputes, business conflicts or political aspirations. He is only 6-years-old. Sajad is still

  • Air Force officials honor top Public Affairs communicators

    Air Force Public Affairs Agency officials here announced the results of the 2009 Air Force Media Contest in writing, photography and broadcasting April 7.Winners in writing and broadcast categories advance to represent the Air Force in the annual Department of Defense Thomas Jefferson Awards

  • MC-12 begins mission in southern Afghanistan

    Airmen from the 451st Air Expeditionary Wing here welcomed one of the newest members of the Air Force's intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance weapons systems to Kandahar Airfield March 29.The MC-12 Liberty aircraft is a manned special-mission turboprop aircraft designed for ISR and brings a

  • Cadet of the year receives honor from Air Force chief of staff

    An Air Force ROTC cadet at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology received the 2009 Air Force Cadet of the Year Award from the Air Force chief of staff during a ceremony at the Pentagon April 5.Sponsored by the Air Squadron of the United Kingdom, the cadet-of-the-year award goes to the

  • Airmen keep servicemembers healthy through preventative measures

    Every day thousands of Airmen, Sailors, Soldiers and contractors walk through the doors of Dining Facility Two here to eat breakfast, lunch and dinner. They can do this without worrying if the food they are consuming is safe to eat, because of the efforts of the 332nd Expeditionary Aerospace Medical

  • Airmen complete month-long training in Pacific region

    Airmen from the 19th Fighter Squadron from Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska, recently completed two back-to-back training exercises in Thailand and Hawaii. The squadron interacted with Thai and Singaporean air forces at Cope Tiger in Korat, Thailand, while also training here with the 199th Fighter

  • Cadets get a taste of Moody's mission, active-duty life

    Air Force ROTC cadets experienced active-duty life and the mission at Moody Air Force Base during a visit here March 23 and 24.For many cadets from the University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras Det. 755, this was the first time they were able to leave their home country and visit an Air Force

  • Marine squadron stands up at Eglin

    The first-ever Marine Corps F-35B Lightning II joint strike fighter training squadron, the Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron 501, stood up April 2 here.The significance of the occasion was not just for the new F-35 unit, but also it marked the first time a Marine Corps squadron was embedded in

  • Exercise key to Hawaiian air support center upgrade

    The Hawaii Air Support Operations Center staff here achieved initial operational capability after proving its ability to deploy and perform its mission during Exercise Balikatan 2010 in March.The unit, under the under the 25th Air Support Operations Squadron based at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam,

  • Manas Airmen move troops into Afghanistan

    Airmen from the 376th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron here moved approximately 50,000 multinational, U.S. and coalition troops, and the petroleum, oil and lubricants flight Airmen issued 12,500,102 gallons of jet fuel in March. The previous record number of passengers processed in a month

  • Air Force, Army officials partner to improve interoperability

    Officials from the Army's I-Corps Air and Missile Defense Detachment moved into 5th Air Support Operations Squadron facilities here in late March and now Soldiers and Airmen will work side-by-side strengthening the joint teamwork that will be critical in combat.This is the first time a Corps-level

  • Multinational wing feeds Afghanistan surge

    The Heavy Airlift Wing, comprising 12 nations, recently moved 2.1 million pounds of equipment essential to surge operations supporting the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan.The international wing has been part of the operation to move more than 6 million pounds of basic

  • March 30 airpower summary

    Coalition airpower integrated with ground forces in Iraq and International Security Assistance Force troops in Afghanistan during operations March 30 according to Combined Air and Space Operations Center officials here.Air Operations in AfghanistanClose-Air SupportAsadabadAir Force F-15E Strike

  • Chief of staff: Minot Airmen key to Air Force mission

    The Air Force chief of staff addressed more than 1,500 Airmen gathered here April 1 to discuss teamwork and excellence, key elements in mission accomplishment as well as in maintaining standards in the nuclear business.Gen. Norton Schwartz talked to Airmen from the 5th Bomb Wing and 91st Missile

  • Original song competition at MyAirForceLife.com

    More than 70 years ago, Capt. Robert MacArthur Crawford, an Airman with the Army Air Corps, won an original song competition with an entry that eventually became the official song for the U.S. Air Force. Captain Crawford wrote the lyrics and music to "Off We Go Into the Wild Blue Yonder."Starting

  • Guardsmen assist in Northeast states battling floods

    More than 1,500 National Guard members in three Northeast states are waging a war against rising flood waters after several days of rain combined with melting snow.Massachusetts officials have called up more than 900 Soldiers, including 116 Air Guardsmen, while Rhode Island and Connecticut officials

  • F.E. Warren members help fight brushfire in Wyoming

    F.E. Warren Air Force Base fire and emergency services members responded to a brushfire two miles southwest of the base after a mutual aid request by the Laramie County Fire District March 31.The fire began just before 1 a.m. and took two hours to contain through the combined efforts of the Warren

  • Airmen sustain increased airlift flow to Afghanistan

    Airmen at Camp Bastion in southern Afghanistan increased airfield operations recently in direct support of Marines during the U.S. troop increase called for by President Barack Obama to target the insurgency and secure key population centers.U.S. Transportation Command officials here requested 615th

  • USO officials announce Sesame Workshop tour dates

    The Sesame Street/USO Experience for Military Families, a free traveling USO show based on Sesame Workshop's award winning "Talk, Listen, Connect" initiative and produced in partnership with Vee, is back in the United States after an around-the-world tour. The show, which is exclusively for military

  • Pentagon officials may extend tanker bid deadline

    Defense Department officials here March 31 informed companies interested in bidding on the KC-X aerial refueling tanker contract that if the European Aeronautics Defense and Space Co. formally expresses an intention to compete, the bidding deadline would be extended 60 days, the Pentagon press

  • Eligible officers may apply for VSP April 1

    Air Force Personnel Center officials here begin accepting applications for voluntary separation pay April 1 from eligible officers.Officers in nine Air Force specialties across five year groups who are being considered to meet the 2010 Reduction in Force Board convening Sept. 20 are eligible to

  • TRANSCOM officials to receive 'unsung hero' recognition

    The U.S. military command responsible for moving troops and cargo around the world will receive recognition for its role as one of the Defense Department's unsung heroes, the Pentagon press secretary said March 30 here. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates is slated to travel to U.S. Transportation

  • American servicemembers, helicopters deploy to Haiti

    Joint Task Force-Bravo officials deployed 40 servicemembers, four UH-60 Blackhawks and equipment March 21 and 22 in support of Joint Task Force-Haiti's airlift operations in Haiti.Four C-17 Globemaster IIIs landed and were loaded during a three-day period to airlift more than 180,000 pounds of

  • Shaw dormitory earns national environmental award

    Shaw Air Force Base's newest Airmen's dormitory, building 421, has earned the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED, Silver Certification by the U.S. Green Building Council. The award was presented in a ceremony here March 16.The building earned the distinction for a number of

  • Rescue crews fly into hostile zones to save lives

    Men and women of the 41st Expeditionary Rescue Squadron here provide around-the-clock personnel recovery, commonly known as combat search and rescue, for American and coalition warfighters supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.But unlike past wars where aircraft were lost every week, the mission in

  • Elmendorf Airmen complete airdrop using 3-D weather technology

    Airmen from Elmendorf Air Force Base completed the first improved container delivery system drop using new 3-D weather technology March 19 over Tin City, Alaska.The new system allows for better drop precision, factors in the altitude, wind speed, wind direction, terrain and other circumstances that

  • New Reserve group stands up at Seymour Johnson

    To keep up with the increasing demand for F-15E Strike Eagle pilots and weapon systems officers, a new group is standing up here.The Air Force Reserve Command's 414th Fighter Group may have only a handful of assigned personnel now, but about 340 people will fall under the group, the 307th Fighter

  • Elmendorf Airmen complete million push-up challenge

    In about 3.5 months, 425 Elmendorf Air Force Base Airmen accumulated more than 1 million push-ups to reach a unit goal.In an effort to improve physical training scores and build camaraderie, 3rd Medical Group leaders posed the 100-day million push-up challenge and unit medics began logging their

  • Circus entertains, honors military families

    The military and the circus have a lot in common.  They both have people from around the nation and assets from around the world. Both are highly trained units that perform sometimes unimaginable feats and handle unspeakable logistical details in carrying out their mission. And, most importantly,

  • Airmen train Afghan C-27 loadmaster

    Airmen from the 538th Air Expeditionary Advisory Squadron and Afghan soldiers with the Afghanistan National Army Air Corps completed a successful check ride for the nation's first qualified C-27 Spartan loadmaster March 28 here.During an almost two-hour International Security Assistance Force

  • Shinseki urges disabled vets to conquer mountain, doubts

    Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric K. Shinseki opened the 24th Annual National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic here March 28, encouraging participants to conquer the mountain and prove to themselves what they're able to achieve.Secretary Shinseki challenged more than 400 disabled veterans

  • Hawaii officials honor fallen war heroes

    The Hawaii State Senate and House of Representatives convened an afternoon joint session March 23 here to award the Hawaii Medal of Honor to recognize military servicemembers who have made "the ultimate sacrifice." Among the 28 servicemembers posthumously awarded the medal was 1st Lt. Roslyn

  • Bagram Airmen keep F-16s in the fight

    As their F-16 Fighting Falcon pulled into its parking spot on the airfield March 23, the maintainers from the 34th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Unit had something to be proud of: tail number 2119 had returned from its 30th code 1 sortie over Afghanistan.Lt. Col. Brad Lyons, 34th Expeditionary

  • Kirkuk Airmen use small aircraft with huge capabilities

    Airmen here use the RQ-11B Raven, a small unmanned aircraft equipped with cameras, sensors and communications tools, to give coalition warfighters an advantage of eyes in the sky.There are many different types of unmanned aircraft, ranging in size and capability, but Kirkuk Regional Air Base Airmen

  • Airmen help Afghans fly C-27 mission

    A joint aircrew of U.S. Airmen from the 538th Air Expeditionary Advisory Squadron and Afghan soldiers in the Afghanistan National Army Air Corps completed an operational C-27 Spartan mission here March 24.Taking off from Kabul International Airport, the four-man aircrew flew Southwest to Kandahar

  • Air Force officials continue plans to modernize GPS

    Through the years, the Global Positioning System has become one of the most widely-used Air Force applications.Today GPS is used in everything from farming and aviation to public safety, disaster relief and recreation, not to mention its military purpose of providing precision navigation and timing

  • Afghanistan troop level to eclipse Iraq by midyear

    This summer will mark the first time since 2003 that the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan will overshadow the American presence in Iraq, the top U.S. military officer told Congress March 24 here. Driving the eclipse is the 30,000-troop surge President Barack Obama announced for Afghanistan in

  • Robins officials welcome returning members from Haiti mission

    Six members of the 53rd Combat Communications Squadron deployable initial communications element team returned here March 16 from a six-week deployment to Haiti where the team supported Operation Unified Response.The team consisting of Capt. Joel Nelson, Tech. Sgt. Turvon Casey, Staff Sgts. Jon

  • Former chief of staff laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery

    The 10th chief of staff of the Air Force was laid to rest in a full-honors ceremony March 22 at Arlington National Cemetery, but his legacy lives with today's Airmen through his emphasis on developing camaraderie, pursuing history and recognizing excellence.Gen. Lew Allen Jr. passed away Jan. 4 in