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U.S. Air Force News

  • Military, civilian leaders assess, plan relief ops

    Base leaders met with civilian representatives Jan. 17 to assess current operations and plan for further support in response to the 7.0-magnitude earthquake in Haiti Jan. 12.The tri-service installation has been a departure point for military personnel providing in-country support and transport of

  • Puerto Rico ANG evacuates 70 from Haiti

    Airmen from the Puerto Rico Air National Guard's 156th Airlift Wing returned from Haiti with precious cargo Jan. 17 after delivering much needed supplies to a country crippled from a recent earthquake.Shortly after landing at Port-au-Prince International Airport and delivering a Puerto Rican search

  • 'Today's Air Force' features A-10 Thunderbolt II

    In this edition of "Today's Air Force," the A-10 Thunderbolt II is featured getting a new lease on life. Plus, viewers get an inside look at the coordinated effort of providing security for a base in Iraq.  And, F-16 maintainers show how they prevent a small screw from creating a big headache.

  • Air mobility: connecting missions, hearts and lives for Haiti

    At approximately 6 p.m. Jan. 14, a Charleston AFB C-17 and crew departed on the base's first mission to bring the humanitarian relief to Port-au-Prince, Haiti, which was struck Jan. 12 by a devastating 7.0-magnitude earthquake.Charleston AFB began launching relief aircraft to augment the overall

  • JB MDL welcomes evacuees from Haiti

    Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst officials welcomed more than 250 evacuees from Haiti Jan. 15 following a 7.0-magnitude earthquake there. JB McGuire officials are facilitating support efforts with various governmental and civilian organizations to ensure the evacuees are properly cared for. The team

  • Ohio Task Force One ready to depart for Haiti from WPAFB

    An 80-member urban search and rescue team is packed and ready to go here, in case their unit will be the next to fly into earthquake-ravaged Haiti.Ohio Task Force One is composed of volunteer members from throughout Ohio and northern Kentucky, highly trained people anxious to provide search and

  • AMC continues to deliver in support of Haiti earthquake relief operations

    Since relief operations began Jan. 13, Air Mobility Command aircraft have delivered more than 340 passengers and 323 tons of emergency cargo to Haiti. During the past 24 hours, efforts have primarily focused on delivering Federal Emergency Agency teams; deployable joint command and control teams;

  • West Virginia Air Guard Operates Staging Area

    Airmen with the West Virginia Air National Guard's 167th Airlift Wing are working around the clock here in an effort to get critical, life-saving supplies to Haiti's earthquake victims.The air base was transformed yesterday into a staging area for more than 332,000 pounds of supplies bound for the

  • ESC group aids Haitian response efforts with critical imagery

    The 950th Electronic System Group's Eagle Vision imagery collection team here sprang into action within hours of the 7.0 earthquake that shook Haiti to its core Jan. 13.By about 9 p.m. that evening, program officials began working to order commercial satellite imagery of the island nation from a

  • Air Force officials evaluate damaged Haitian airports

    Air Force officials are working with U.S. Southern Command and the Haitian government officials to determine what's needed to bring damaged airports up to par to accept more humanitarian relief supplies, officials said Jan. 15. A massive U.S.-international relief effort is under way to help Haitians

  • Aircrews deliver relief supplies to Haiti

    Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst officials launched the first of several C-17 Globemaster IIIs mid-afternoon Jan. 14 in support of relief operations following a massive earthquake in Haiti.The 21 passengers and six crewmembers represented four wings assigned to JB McGuire signifying the symbiotic

  • Gates, Mullen cite aid streaming into Haiti

    All Defense Department resources in the Western Hemisphere are available for assisting Haiti, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said today. Gates and Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, briefed reporters on the situation in Haiti. Some 1,000 U.S. servicemembers are on the

  • JB McGuire Airmen provide earthquake relief

    Airmen from the Air Mobility Command's 621st Contingency Response Wing here deployed Airmen to Haiti Jan. 14 in the wake of the country's 7.0-magnitude earthquake.Members are deploying to facilitate humanitarian airlift operations and aid in providing ground support to the people of Haiti.More than

  • Redistribution team facilitates drawdown order

    In less than a year, the United States military is scheduled to execute the responsible drawdown of nearly 150,000 troops from Iraq. The troop exodus requires the consignment of cargo, vehicles, supplies and other war fighting equipment used in deployed locations.Joint Base Balad's redistribution

  • Beale officials send Global Hawk to aid in Haiti earthquake relief efforts

    Officials from the 12th Reconnaissance Squadron here launched an RQ-4 Global Hawk unmanned aircraft from Beale Air Force Base Jan. 13 to assist with the humanitarian aid mission in Haiti after the country suffered a 7.0 magnitude earthquake Jan. 12. The squadron received the short-notice mission

  • Ohio Air Guard unit assists Haiti relief efforts

    As many stand poised around the country ready to answer the call, officials with the Ohio Air National Guard's 179th Airlift Wing in Mansfield already have two C-130 Hercules cargo aircraft providing assistance to Haiti.Airmen from the 179th AW had deployed to Puerto Rico Jan. 9 during a planned

  • Photo essay: Airmen hone skills in Africa

    Air Force pararescuemen perform combat insertion and extraction exercises from a Marine CH-53 Sea Stallion helicopter here Jan. 5. The two units are deployed to Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa.View slideshow.

  • Special operations C-130s, Airmen provide disaster relief in Haiti

    Airmen and C-130 Hercules aircraft from the Air Force Special Operations Command here landed in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, the evening of Jan. 13 and are continuing to provide disaster relief to area ravaged by a 7.0 earthquake.MC-130H Combat Talon IIs and a C-130 from the 1st Special Operations Wing

  • Families dealing with loss, injury of TACPs

    The Air Force suffered a loss Jan. 3 with news of an attack on a joint tactical air control party team embedded with an Army infantry company in Kandahar, Afghanistan. The team was ambushed by numerous improvised explosive devices that mortally wounded Senior Airman Bradley Smith and injured Senior

  • Military preps for broader Haiti relief mission

    The aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson is headed toward earthquake-devastated Haiti and is scheduled to arrive tomorrow to provide airlift support for the disaster-response mission, the commander of U.S. Southern Command reported Jan. 13.Meanwhile, Gen. Douglas Fraser said, SOUTHCOM officials are

  • Air Force seeking athletes for warrior games

    The deadline for submitting applications to compete in the inaugural Warrior Games at Colorado Springs, Colo. is Jan. 15.Approximately 200 wounded active duty members and military veterans will compete in the Warrior Games May 10 to 14. Air Force officials are seeking approximately 25 wounded

  • Military officials to deploy assessment team to Haiti

    U.S. Southern Command officials here will deploy a team of 30 people to Haiti to support U.S. relief efforts in the aftermath of the Jan. 12 earthquake. The team, which includes U.S. military engineers, operational planners, and a command and control group and communication specialists, will arrive

  • Academy chosen 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 2010 by The Princeton Review Jan. 12.The Best Values College List features 50 public and 50 private colleges, and The Princeton Review selected these institutions as its "best value" choices for 2010 based on

  • Airmen make a difference one gallon at a time

    Pumping more than 188 million gallons of fuel to more than 9,500 aircraft would take a while, and probably would be one long line for the fuel pump. Airmen of the 380th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron fuels management flight here distributed that much fuel in 2009 for aircraft in the

  • Photo essay: Misawa EOD unit marches on

    Airmen of the 35th Civil Engineer Squadron Explosive Ordnance Disposal flight perform a ruck march and perform various drills Jan. 8 here. The unit completes a four-mile ruck march bi-monthly with each member carrying more than 100 pounds of gear.View the slideshow.

  • Joint basing at Charleston moves forward with activation of 628th ABW

    Eighteenth Air Force officials activated the 628th Air Base Wing during an assumption-of-command ceremony Jan. 8 at Charleston AFB.The activation of the 628th ABW is the latest step toward the stand up of Joint Base Charleston Jan. 31. The joint base stand up in late January will begin the next

  • Mobility commander visits Georgia, Florida wings

    The commander of Air Mobility Command visited the 165th Airlift Wing, the 6th Air Mobility Wing and the 927th Air Refueling Wing to continue his efforts to view the air mobility mission "through the eyes of the Airmen."Gen. Raymond E. Johns Jr., who took the seat as AMC commander in late November,

  • Ohio Air Guard officials expand solar energy field

    Officials from the 180th Fighter Wing Air National Guard Base at the Toledo Express Airport in Ohio celebrated the fourth phase expansion of their solar field Jan. 5 here.The expansion is expected to increase the solar power produced to a total of about 1.2 megawatts, or 37 percent of the base's

  • 'Today's Air Force' features a look back at 2009

    In this edition of "Today's Air Force," a look back is taken at the top stories of 2009. Stories covered range from the creation and stand-up of the Air Force's newest major command, to a heartfelt story about the Year of the Air Force Family.   Also featured are changes in the Post 9/11 GI Bill in

  • Jan. 6 airpower summary

    Coalition airpower integrated with ground forces in Iraq and the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan during operations Jan. 6, according to Combined Air and Space Operations Center officials here.Air Operations in Afghanistan: Lashkar GahA Navy F/A-18F Super Hornet aircraft

  • Air Force officer becomes namesake for prestigious award

    The U.S. Merchant Marine Academy recently named an award after an Air Force officer who commanded the 732nd Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron and provided leadership for the first Air Force detachments conducting convoy escort missions at Joint Base Balad, Iraq.Established in 2009, the Lt.

  • Airmen leave a footprint in Afghanistan

    Twenty-one Airmen from the 621st Contingency Response Wing here recently returned from a 60-day deployment to Afghanistan where they augmented port operations at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan.Lt. Col. Daniel Krall, the commander of the 455th Expeditionary Aerial Port Squadron, requested help from

  • Airman earns Male Athlete of the Year title

    Becoming the Air Force Male Athlete of the Year is no easy feat.  It takes a lot of determination and dedication to achieve this status. This year's Air Force male athlete of the year is Capt. Ian Holt, a squadron command post missile combat crew commander for the 319th Missile Squadron.Captain Holt

  • Managed airborne intel system hits field

    The 950th Electronic Systems Group here recently delivered the 500th unit of an airborne intelligence system that enables aircrews to send and receive the most timely situational awareness and threat data.The Combat Track II system, has been in production since 2004. Over time it's become a real

  • Airman killed, another injured Jan. 3 in Afghanistan

    An Airman assigned to the 10th Air Support Operations Squadron, Fort Riley, Kan., was killed and another injured while supporting combat operations in southern Afghanistan Jan. 3. Senior Airman Bradley R. Smith, 24, of Troy, Ill., died of wounds sustained from the explosion of an improvised

  • Wounded vets to participate in first warrior games

    Approximately 200 wounded active duty members and military veterans will compete in the inaugural Warrior Games May 10 to 14 in Colorado Springs, Colo., Defense Department officials announced Jan. 7. The U.S. Olympic Committee will host the games, and events will include shooting, swimming, archery,

  • New era begins for Joint Base Langley-Eustis

    Ninth Air Force officials activated the 633rd Air Base Wing during a change-of-command ceremony Jan. 7 here.The 633rd ABW officials assumed host unit duties from the 1st Fighter Wing officials, which served in that capacity since 1975. Maj. Gen. William L. Holland, the 9th Air Force commander,

  • Chief of staff dedicates Center for Families of the Fallen

    The Air Force chief of staff dedicated the new Center for Families of the Fallen at the Air Force Mortuary Affairs Operations Center here Jan. 6."For many of us, this dedication is a bittersweet event," said Gen. Norton Schwartz, the Air Force chief of staff. "This center is emblematic of our

  • New facility fulfills needs for families of the fallen

    The staff of the Air Force Mortuary Affairs Operations Center has been providing dignity, honor and respect for fallen warriors, and care, service and support for their families since the unit was activated on Jan. 6, 2009. So it was only appropriate that a new facility that will carry that family

  • Airmen teach Afghans the art of maintaining

    Airmen of the 738th Air Expeditionary Advisory Group's aircraft maintenance section here, use their new knowledge and Air Force job skills to mentor Afghan National Army Air Corps soldiers.The Airmen took a three-week course to learn how to maintain Russian MI-17 helicopters and incorporate it with

  • Nominations open for public service award for federal employees

    Awards and decorations officials at the Air Force Personnel Center here are seeking nominations for the 61st Annual William A. Jump Memorial Award.The annual award recognizes a federal employee for his or her outstanding service in administration and notable contributions to the efficiency and

  • Little Rock Airman has $10,000 idea

    A Little Rock Air Force Base Airman received $10,000 by submitting his idea to save the base more than $230,000 through the Innovation Development through Employee Awareness program.Staff Sgt. William Hoessler, a 314th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron communication navigation system craftsman,

  • Gen. Lew Allen dies

    Gen. Lew Allen Jr., the 10th chief of staff of the Air Force, passed away Jan. 4 in Potomac Falls, Va. Funeral arrangements have not yet been made but burial will be in Arlington Cemetery."General Allen was a visionary leader for our Air Force, a devoted husband and father, and a respected

  • Stop-loss payments continue, but some no longer eligible

    The fiscal 2010 defense budget extends payments to servicemembers involuntarily extended on active duty under the so-called "Stop Loss" program, but those who received a bonus for voluntarily re-enlisting or extending their service no longer qualify for retroactive stop-loss pay. Defense Department

  • Air Force officials activate newest expeditionary unit

    The Air Force's newest expeditionary unit, the 586th Expeditionary Support Squadron, was activated in a special ceremony Jan. 2 at an air base in Southwest Asia.Col. John Williams, 586th Air Expeditionary Group commander, passed command of the newly formed support unit to Maj. Gregory

  • Military academy bowl victories shine light on armed forces

    The Air Force and Naval academy football teams triumphed in their respective bowl games Jan. 2, shining a spotlight on the servicemember-athletes comprising the rosters and the armed forces they represent.Military honors were replete here at the 5th annual Armed Forces Bowl, which pitted the

  • U.S. Forces-Iraq stands up in Baghdad

    A New Year's Day ceremony here marked another evolution of Operation Iraqi Freedom, as several major command groups merged into a single headquarters command, U.S. Forces-Iraq."This ceremony marks another significant transition here in Iraq," said Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, commander of U.S.

  • Bastion Airmen have small paw print, large mission

    A team of Airmen handles thousands of passengers, pallets and vehicles flying into Camp Bastion, Afghanistan.The 'Port Dawgs,' as they liked to be called, proudly proclaim that they move as much cargo here as their unit does back home.But they have approximately 15 people instead of 200 handling the

  • Dec. 28 airpower summary

    Coalition airpower integrated with ground forces in Iraq and International Security Assistance Force troops in Afghanistan during operations Dec. 28 according to Combined Air and Space Operations Center officials here.Air Operations in Afghanistan:AsadabadAir Force F-16 Fighting Falcons provided

  • Dec. 27 airpower summary

    Coalition airpower integrated with ground forces in Iraq and International Security Assistance Force troops in Afghanistan during operations Dec. 27 according to Combined Air and Space Operations Center officials here.Air Operations in Afghanistan:QalatAir Force A-10 Thunderbolt IIs provided armed

  • Officials encourage Guard, Reserve to honor employers

    Providing pay and benefits during deployments, sending care packages to deployed employees, allowing time off, and celebrating military service with send-off and homecoming ceremonies are just a few commitments that the Guard and Reserve's top employers are honored for each year. Officials here are

  • Tyndall Airman named Female Athlete of the Year

    When she was just 5 years old, she was already learning to hit softballs in her family's Fort Lauderdale, Fla., backyard. The balls were pitched patiently, one after the other, by an encouraging father who saw something special in his little girl's extraordinary ability to connect a bat with a ball.

  • 737th EAS reaches 10,000th mission milestone

    Considered by some to be an old-timer in a modern-day aircraft fleet, the C-130H Hercules proved its worth once again, successfully completing its 10,000th mission of the year for the 737th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron here Dec. 23.C-130H, tail number was 74-2065, based at Dyess Air Force Base,

  • New Iraqi recruits get a leg up

    More than 330 Iraqi air force recruits marched in a parade before beginning their initial basic military course Dec. 28, at Camp Taji, Iraq.Normally recruits attend the 12-week BMT course at the Iraqi Army Regional Training Center prior to reporting to the air force training school on Camp Taji for

  • Dec. 25 airpower summary

    Coalition airpower integrated with ground forces in Iraq and the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan during operations Dec. 25 according to Combined Air and Space Operations Center officials here.Air operations in Afghanistan:AsmarAir Force F-16C Fighting Falcon aircraft provided

  • USAFE Airmen retool to enhance tradition of Building Partnerships

    The Airmen of U.S. Air Forces in Europe are charting new territory in tackling one of the Air Force's newest core functions: Building Partnerships.The lesson that international partnerships are essential to success in war and peace is not new. The Office of the Secretary of Defense directed U.S.

  • Georgia Air Guard teams with Army unit in Afghanistan

    Georgia Air National Guardsmen assigned to the 165th Air Support Operations Squadron have teamed up with 48th Infantry Brigade Soldiers in eastern Afghanistan. The Airmen are assigned to several joint terminal attack controller units that will call in combat-air support for the 48th's fighters, said

  • Dec. 22 airpower summary

    Coalition airpower integrated with ground forces in Iraq and the International Security Assistance Force troops in Afghanistan during operations Dec. 22 according to Combined Air and Space Operations Center officials here.Air Operations in Afghanistan:KandaharAir Force A-10 Thunderbolt IIs provided

  • SECAF outlines future, thanks Airmen during Kadena visit

    Outlining the Air Force's future was the focus of Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley's Airmen's Call during his visit here Dec. 22, part of a six-base Pacific tour in which the secretary is reconnecting with the region and thanking Airmen serving overseas during this holiday season. The

  • Air Force senior leaders pay holiday visit to Global Strike Command Airmen

    The Air Force's top uniformed officer and top enlisted leader each visited Air Force Global Strike Command wings for Christmas, spending the holiday with Airmen charged with the nuclear strategic deterrence mission and global strike operations.Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz visited

  • 8th Fighter Squadron flagship arrives

    The 8th Fighter Squadron received its first of 20 F-22 Raptors Dec. 21 here.The arrival of 8th FS flagship, a Langley Air Force Base Raptor, which came from maintenance in Palmdale, Calif., starts the next chapter of the "Black Sheep's" storied history that started in 1941 when the squadron was

  • Ellsworth members support Angel Tree program

    Rows of excited children watched and waited for Santa and Mrs. Claus' arrival on a B-1B Lancer float at the Youth and Family Services child care center in Rapid City, S.D.The float was sponsored by the 28th Operations Support Squadron staff as part of the Angel Tree gift program, and after arriving

  • Rocket-motor test supports NASA, DOD and commercial missions

    A high-visibility test on a second-stage developmental rocket motor set a new record in the Arnold Engineering Development Center's J-6 large-rocket motor-testing facility Dec. 9.Joe Migliaccio, the Aerospace Testing Alliance engineer who conducted the test, said the team fired an Alliant

  • Thunderbolts receive wing modification

    The A-10 Thunderbolt II will continue flying close-ground-support missions for the next two decades because of a reinforcement process wing replacement specialists call "Hog Up."The phrase originated about a decade ago during an upgrade of the aircraft's avionics system, partially because of the

  • Officials seek 10 enlisted for AFIT degree program

    Air Force Institute of Technology officials are offering 10 NCOs the opportunity to pursue an advanced science, engineering or management degree at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, and nominations are due to the Air Force Personnel Center here by Jan. 29, 2010. Ten NCOs from around the Air

  • Air Force facility energy program celebrates successes, plans for future

    Do motion detectors control the lights in your building? Does the air conditioner seem to work better these days? Perhaps you can now look out the window and see a large wind turbine generating power for your base. In 2009, the Air Force reduced the amount of energy used per square foot (i.e.,

  • Joint STARS engineers work sensor integration project

    Members of an Electronic Systems Center team here are using an aircraft identified for parts reclamation, or re-use, to reduce cost, save time and minimize risk during a process to integrate a sensor system on an E-8C Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System, or Joint STARS, aircraft. In 2008,

  • American surgical team making a difference in southern Philippines

    Five Airmen are operating a fully-equipped trauma center, providing emergency care, basic medical care and educational services to hundreds of Filipino and U.S. troops on the southern island of Jolo, Philippines. The Air Force members are part of the forward surgical team assigned to Joint Special

  • Aviano Air Base hospital receives ENERGY STAR rating

    The Aviano Air Base hospital has received the Environmental Protection Agency's ENERGY STAR rating, the national symbol for superior energy efficiency and environmental protection. The base hospital is the first U.S. facility overseas to receive this distinction, and joins 96 other hospitals in the

  • Doctors perform groundbreaking surgery at Walter Reed

    Doctors from Walter Reed Army Medical Center here and the University of Miami collaborated to perform the first pancreas islet cell transplant Thanksgiving Day on an Airman whose pancreas was injured so severely in Afghanistan that it had to be removed.While serving with an Army unit in Afghanistan,

  • Airmen participate in 32nd Annual Bastogne Historic Walk

    Cold ears, foggy breath and muscle fatigue that 52nd Fighter Wing and geographically-separated units experienced in Bastogne, Belgium, may have been the only things they had in common with the Axis and Allies who walked through that same location more than 60 years ago.According to Ed Lapotsky,

  • Homeless find hope at closed California bases

    In California, as the temperature drops and the number of homeless people climbs, former Air Force bases around the state offer warm relief. Transitional housing is one of the many ways communities are using property on closed military bases for local benefit. These villages of hope offer the

  • Weapons school grad marks a first

    An Air National Guard MQ-1 Predator pilot marked the beginning of a new era Dec. 12 as the first unmanned aircraft pilot from a reserve component to graduate from the Air Force Weapons Instructor Course at the U.S. Air Force Weapons School here.Maj. Tammy Barlette, from the Arizona Air National

  • Football: Falcons' Chris Thomas selected to play in East-West Shrine game

    Air Force senior safety Chris Thomas has been selected to play in the 85th annual East-West Shrine Game at the Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Fla., Jan. 23.Thomas was an honorable mention all-Mountain West Conference selection. He is the Falcon's active career leader in tackles with 287. This season, he

  • Law allows spouses to keep residency while under orders

    A new law protects military spouses from being taxed for work performed in states where they're living outside their home states as a result of military orders. President Barack Obama signed the Military Spouses Residency Relief Act, an amendment to the 2003 Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, on Nov.

  • Weather warriors endure 'turbulent climb'

    Airmen from Det. 1, 607th Weather Squadron participated in a tactical training scenario dubbed Operation Turbulent Climb here Dec. 5.The weather warriors at Camp Red Cloud are stationed 15 miles from the Korean Demilitarized Zone and would likely be one of the first to see action if hostilities were

  • Multinational wing completes first mission into Iraq

    A recent flight into Iraq marks another unit milestone for the multinational Heavy Airlift Wing based at Pápa Air Base, Hungary.The airlift mission into Iraq by the wing, which comprises 12 member nations, facilitated the deployment for members of the NATO Training Mission-Iraq."Each time we fly a

  • Airmen perform operations with Kyrgyz surgeons

    Air Force surgeons at the Transit Center at Manas and Kyrgyz doctors worked together to performed surgical operations Dec. 11 in a local hospital here.The team of medical Airmen led by Col. (Dr.) Jerrold Flyer, 376the Expeditionary Medical Group commander, assisted with two separate operations,

  • NASA WISE Delta II launch successful

    Mission planners are celebrating Vandenberg's final launch of the year following the successful launch of a Delta II rocket from Space Launch Complex-2 Dec. 14 at 6:09 a.m.The rocket carried NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer satellite.With confirmation of the payload's delivery into orbit

  • Squadron highlights capabilities during Afghan rescue mission

    A soldier is wounded during a joint British and Afghanistan National Army patrol in Helmand Province. Shot through both legs, his condition worsens while being cared for by the medics. It is time to call in the professionals to get him off the battlefield and to the hospital. The radios erupt with

  • AFGSC missile wings conduct limited inspections

    Each of Air Force Global Strike Command's three missile wings successfully passed a no-notice limited nuclear surety inspection Dec. 8, the first such inspections launched by the new command.Inspection teams of nine to 10 members, including observers from U.S. Strategic Command and oversight from

  • Airman helps rescue 3 injured warriors during battle in Afghanistan

    An Air National Guard member from the 129th Rescue Squadron here recently returned home from her deployment to Afghanistan after being wounded by enemy forces while rescuing three injured American Soldiers July 29. Capt. Mary Jennings, an HH-60G Pave Hawk co-pilot, launched her rescue helicopter,

  • Joint Chiefs chairman sends birthday message to National Guard

    Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, sends the following birthday message to members of the National Guard: "On the 13th of December each year, we celebrate the creation of one of America's most enduring institutions: our National Guard. The Guard has a proud history of

  • USO officials honor 5 Air Force Medal of Honor recipients

    Officials of the Metropolitan New York USO held their 48th Annual Armed Forces Gala and Gold Medal Dinner and honored the only five living Air Force Medal of Honor recipients Dec. 9 in New York City. The USO's Distinguished Service Award was presented to Col. Bernard F. Fisher, Col. James P.

  • President signs bill, aids military spouses

    The President signed a bill Nov. 11 to help ease the strain on military families who frequently travel from state to state and country to country.President Barack Obama signed the bill, known as the 'Military Spouses Residency Relief Act,' as an amendment to the 2003 Servicemembers Civil Relief

  • Seymour Johnson civilian earns DOD disability award

    A civilian at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, N.C., received the 2009 Outstanding Department of Defense Employee with a Disability Award Dec. 8 at a ceremony in Bethesda, Md.Charles Hare is the in-service work plan programmer for the 4th Civil Engineer Squadron. "I was overwhelmed," Mr. Hare said.

  • Langley officials take first step toward Joint Base Langley-Eustis

    Officials from the 1st Fighter Wing here will release two of its four groups to the soon-to-be-established 633rd Air Base Wing Jan. 7; the first step toward the congressionally directed Joint Base Langley-Eustis that begins initial operational capability next month.The purpose of the 633rd ABW is to

  • Robins officials help fix vital warfighters' equipment issue

    A Robins Air Force Base team is working to resolve a top equipment issue for warfighters in Iraq and Afghanistan. About a dozen people in the 642nd Combat Sustainment Group are involved with developing specifications for a redesign of flightline air conditioners that are critical to the operation of

  • Building on Bold Quest, airborne network moves forward

    A team from the Electronic Systems Center here is now building on some encouraging airborne networking results achieved during Bold Quest 2009, the Joint Forces Command-led exercise conducted in November.Despite some issues that took the main test aircraft off line, officials from the 653rd

  • Entertainers put on a show for troops in Southwest Asia

    A "kid" kept servicemembers entertained for hours here Dec. 6: triple-platinum recording artist Kid Rock.Kid Rock brought his Twisted Brown Trucker Band, along with comedian Carlos Mencia and singer songwriter Jessie James, here as part of Tour for the Troops 2009.The Tour for the Troops 2009 is

  • Thunderbirds officials announce 2010 schedule

    Officials from the U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron, "Thunderbirds," here announced its 2010 airshow schedule. The team's 57th show season is scheduled to take them to more than 65 shows in 27 states and Canada. Lt. Col. Case Cunningham will join the team as commander and leader for the

  • DOD officials host disability awards ceremony, forum

    Defense Department officials highlighted the Pentagon's programs for people with disabilities Dec. 8 and recognized accomplishments of employees with disabilities. Clarence Johnson, acting deputy undersecretary of defense for plans, served as host for the department's disability awards ceremony and

  • Hickam officials pay tribute to Airmen's storied legacy

    Airmen and their families gathered at Hickam Air Force Base's historic flag pole Dec. 7, for the 68th remembrance ceremony to honor those men and women who lost their lives in the Japanese attack of Pearl Harbor. "On a similar morning 68 years ago on these very grounds, our world changed forever,"

  • Nominations open for 2010 DOD Employee with a Disability Award

    Awards and decorations officials at the Air Force Personnel Center here are seeking nominations for the 2010 Outstanding Department of Defense Employee with a Disability Award.This Secretary of Defense award recognizes the contributions and achievements made by physically or mentally disabled