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  • Cope Tiger wraps up in Thailand

    Exercise Cope Tiger 2008 came to an end with a closing ceremony here Feb. 5. About 800 U.S. forces participated here and at Udon Royal Thai Air Base in the 13th annual multilateral exercise involving the Royal Thai Air Force, Republic of Singapore Air Force, the U.S. Air Force, and the Marines.

  • Kunsan Airmen teach English to South Korean cadets

    Kunsan Air Base Airmen volunteered to teach English to South Korean army cadets Jan. 31 at the South Korean Army NCO Academy. South Korean army officials added English as part of the cadet' s curriculum and asked 8th Fighter Wing officials if they would volunteer; Team 5/6, a group of staff and

  • AAFES implementing significant 'green' initiatives

    The Department of Defense's oldest and largest retailer, the Army & Air Force Exchange Service, is embarking on a variety of energy-saving initiatives to reduce its impact on the environment and strengthen the exchange benefit military families have come to depend on. From vending machines to gas

  • Active duty, Guard, Reserve: One awesome force

    The Chief of Staff of the Air Force, Gen. T. Michael Moseley, recently said, "You can't look at an Airman and tell if he or she is active, Guard or Reserve. We all wear the same uniform, do the same jobs and help make this Air Force the best in the world." Nowhere is that more appropriate than here,

  • Airman's Roll Call focuses on personal finances

    This week's Airman's Roll Call highlights ways Airman can improve their personal financial management. Supervisors can direct struggling enlisted servicemembers to various organizations on the base to counsel Airmen on how to control spiraling debt.  Every base has beginner financial management

  • Manas NCO donates art to fund surgeries for needy children

    Where most just see trash, Tech. Sgt. Robert Sommers sees possibility. On any given day, the 376th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron operations management NCO in charge can be found sorting through leftover wood scraps in his shop, which he paints on his off-duty time. The artworks he creates

  • Deployed AWACS aircrews overcome unique challenge

    E-3 Sentry aircrews deployed here in support of Exercise Cope Tiger 2008 performed a quick turnaround and still completed a mission on time Feb. 3. A rare challenge, the E-3 was flying a mission during the exercise's large force employment  when a KC-135 Stratotanker from the 909th Air Refueling

  • Media event showcases Air Force airpower

    The 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing hosted four major media outlets, three print and one television, in an unprecedented media event here Jan. 30. The event was the first time major media outlets visited the base for one specific event. NBC news, The Associated Press, New York Times and Los Angeles

  • Airmen mentor Afghan National Police

    Airmen assigned to the Bagram Provincial Reconstruction Team conducted a training class Jan. 25 for Kohistan II district Afghanistan National Police in the Parwan and Kapisa Provinces. "Working with ANP in the different districts is more than part of our mission; it is a great opportunity for all

  • Team trains to improve patient's condition during flight

    Providing medical care while moving very ill patients over long distances in a short period of time, is the skill being practiced by three Air Force Reserve Command Airmen as they take part in Pacific Lifeline. A doctor, a nurse, and a respiratory therapist from the 446th Aeromedical Staging

  • Air Force fiscal 2008 aviator continuation pay approved

    The fiscal 2008 Aviator Continuation Pay program was approved here recently by Craig W. Duehring, the assistant secretary of the Air Force for manpower and Reserve affairs. The 2008 National Defense Authorization Act., which was signed by President George W. Bush Jan. 28, provided authorization. The

  • Servicemembers spend special time with orphans

    Airmen assigned to the Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa, along with fellow servicemembers and coalition forces, are known for supporting projects that include military-to-military training, civil military operations and senior leader engagements. Missions are also in place to protect

  • Scientist demonstrates bendable electronics

    Air Force Office of Scientific Research officials here recently have provided research funding for fast, bendable electronics to attach to unevenly shaped objects like airplane bodies or engines. A research team led by Dr. Zhenqiang Ma of the University of Wisconsin-Madison has developed

  • CENTAF commander meets with key officials in Egypt

    The U.S. Central Command Air Forces commander visited Cairo, Egypt, Jan. 29 to meet with Egyptian military leaders and other key U.S. government officials as part of USCENTCOM's theater security cooperation events and component commander's bilateral engagements with U.S. allies. Lt. Gen. Gary L.

  • AETC releases vision of future learning

    Air Education and Training Command officials here released a vision for the years between 2008 and 2030 when they unveiled "On Learning: The Future of Air Force Education and Training," a 29-page white paper Jan. 31. The Air Force must transform its training and education system of today into a

  • Edwards Airman flies high as first military F-35 pilot

    A pilot from Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., became the first Air Force and government test pilot to fly the F-35 Lightning II during a test sortie at the Lockheed Martin facility Jan. 30 at Naval Air Station Fort Worth. Lt. Col. James Kromberg, the director of operations for the 461st Flight Test

  • New assistant secretary sworn in

    Secretary of the Air Force Michael W. Wynne swore in the Air Force's new assistant secretary of the Air Force for manpower and reserve affairs in a ceremony at the Pentagon Jan. 24. Craig Duehring, a 28-year Air Force veteran, is a political appointee, heading a four-division department that deals

  • Programs help servicemembers save, manage money

    Defense Department officials want servicemembers and their families to be aware of in-house programs that can help them better manage their money and stay out of debt. For example, the 2-year-old Military Saves program is designed to teach servicemembers and families how to save and invest their

  • Lakenheath weapons sections merge, improve maintenance

    Airmen from two F-15E Strike Eagle weapons sections here recently consolidated as part of an Air Force Smart Operations for the 21st century initiative to become one of the largest weapons section in U.S. Air Forces in Europe. The merger has driven down overdue equipment by 80 percent and reduced

  • CMSAF focuses on Airmen development

    The Air Force's top enlisted leader emphasized the importance of each Airman's contributions, as well as their responsibilities in the development of their Airmen and their own careers during a Jan. 18 enlisted call at Scott Air Force Base, Ill. Echoing the sentiments of the three Air Force

  • 8 fuels Airmen surpass million-gallon mark in 4 months

    Eight Airmen in the 332nd Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron Fuels Management Flight here each pumped more than 1 million gallons of JP-8 jet fuel in just four months. Fuels Airmen fill up aircraft ranging from C-5 Galaxies to the Army's UH-60 Black Hawks and everything in between. "That's a

  • Service demographics offer snapshot of force

    The Air Force Personnel Center here recently published its demographics report offering a snapshot of the service's active-duty and civilian force, as of Dec. 31. More information can be found at the center's analysis branch website: http://wwa.afpc.randolph.af.mil/demographics/. Statistics rounded

  • CENTAF's top enlisted Airman discusses war

    The command chief master sergeant of 9th Air Force and United States Central Command Air Forces kicked off a theater-wide tour Jan. 24 at a Southwest Asia air base. Chief Master Sgt. Todd Small spoke with Airmen at two Enlisted Calls about key accomplishments made by today's Airmen who are filling

  • Commanders forge Air Force's future

    For more than five decades, Air Force Flight Test Center commanders have played major leadership roles in developing and delivering cutting-edge aerospace technologies and war-winning capabilities to the Air Force. Brig. Gen. Albert Boyd, the first commander, is generally regarded as the "father" of

  • Surf the Internet, discover benefits

    Military beneficiaries can find the latest information at their fingertips at the Defense Commissary Agency's new and improved Web site.DeCA has retooled its Internet site to include fresh new graphics that change with each season and a new section that promotes health and wellness. The single

  • General shares successes, challenges of Afghan air corps

    The Afghan army air corps is going through rapid growth, but it will take eight years for the force to be self-sustaining and independent, the commander of the Combined Air Power Transition Force said from his headquarters in the Afghan capital of Kabul Jan. 24. Brig. Gen. Jay H. Lindell told

  • Dover housing to claim award

    The 436th Civil Engineer Squadron housing management team here and the civilian partners of Pinnacle and Hunt Development Group were selected as the 2007 Professional Housing Management Association Outstanding Housing Installation Team Award winners and are scheduled to receive the award Jan. 31 in

  • Defense Department works to eliminate gaps in medical care

    The trauma care that U.S. servicemembers receive is the best in the world, but Defense Department officials must continue to eliminate gaps in the medical process as patients move from DOD facilities to the Department of Veterans Affairs and to private hospitals, a senior Pentagon medical official

  • Mobile readiness team gets pallets back into the system

    The Airmen assigned to Task Force 586 here recently took on an additional tasking to redistribute equipment and supplies for the Army. Mobile redistribution teams go to forward-operating bases throughout Iraq to collect excess supplies, and the Airmen searched for pallets crucial for the air

  • Contingency Wartime Planning Course prepares Airmen for duty

    As the supreme allied commander of allied forces in Europe during the Normandy invasion in World War II, Dwight D. Eisenhower explained the importance of military planning when he said, "In preparing for battle, I have always found that plans are useless but planning is indispensable." A course

  • Policy changes to delay some Reserve field grade officer promotions

    Starting this year, policy changes will result in some Air Force Reserve officers having to wait longer before becoming eligible for promotion. One major change will require lieutenant colonels to serve four or more years' time in grade before meeting the colonel board. Air Force Reserve officials

  • Communications agency looks to protect data

    Air Force Communications Agency members here are aggressively developing a solution to protect personal and other sensitive information from being stolen and misused. Several government agencies have been victims of compromised data stored on stolen or lost computers during the past few years,

  • Squadron deployment tests Kunsan's readiness

    A South Carolina-based unit began arriving here Jan. 15 as part of an air and space expeditionary force deployment as a measure to maintain a credible deterrent posture and presence in the Pacific region. The 79th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, one of three flying squadrons of the 20th Fighter Wing

  • Airman takes top honors among Marines

    An Airman became an "honorary gunnery sergeant" after graduating at the top of her class at the Marine Corps Staff Noncommissioned Officer Academy Advance Course graduation Dec. 12 at Quantico, Va. "My peers were surprised, but mostly impressed at how well I did without any Marine Corps

  • DOD officials select new government travel charge card

    Department of Defense officials announced the selection of Citibank to provide travel charge card services for its members under the General Services Administration's umbrella SmartPay® 2 master contract Jan. 16. The new official travel cards will activate on Nov. 30, 2008. DOD currently has 1.2

  • New financial manager-comptroller sworn in

    Secretary of the Air Force Michael Wynne swore in the Air Force's new assistant secretary of the Air Force for Financial Management and Comptroller in a ceremony at the Pentagon Jan. 15. John H. Gibson is now the Air Force's trusted advisor on all matters financial. His mission is to provide

  • Personnel center leadership changes hands

    Air Force Personnel Center officials welcomed their 23rd commander during a change-of-command ceremony here Jan. 16. Maj. Gen. K.C. McClain, a 30-year career Airman, succeeds Maj. Gen. Anthony F. Przybyslawski, who was selected for reassignment as director of operations for Air Education and

  • Air Force announces top recruiters for 2007

    Fourteen Air Force recruiters were named tops in their field for fiscal 2007 by Air Force Recruiting Service officials here Jan. 14. The Air Force Blue Suit recruiters for 2007 are: -- Master Sgt. Russell Benigno of the 337th Recruiting Squadron at Fayetteville, N.C., -- Master Sgt. Brian Clark of

  • Airman's Roll Call highlights professional associations

    This week's Airman's Roll Call focuses on the benefits of professional military association membership. Professional military associations play an important role in the development of Airmen and the Air Force mission. Many private organizations provide Airmen with oppourtunities for mentoring and

  • Air Force center receives recycling award

    In recognition of significant waste diversions achieved from October 2006 through September 2007, the Arnold Engineering Development Center will receive the Government Recycler of the Year award Jan. 18 from the Tennessee Recycling Coalition. In her award notification to AEDC, Gail Randolph, chair

  • Air Force receives 4 Presidential Rank Awards for intelligence

    White House officials here recently chose four career intelligence senior executives for 2007 Presidential Rank Awards for their exceptional long-term accomplishments. Winners of this prestigious award are strong leaders and professionals who achieve results and consistently demonstrate strength,

  • Fellowship offers spouses portable skills

    Frequent military relocations can take a toll on spouses' careers unless they have a portable skill, which is exactly what one foundation has set out to provide them. The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority Investor Education Foundation has partnered with the Association for Financial Counseling

  • New ALS curriculum creates new challenges

    Airmen attending Airman Leadership School here and at all Air Force bases come into the new year with many changes to its core curriculum that may create a more challenging course for students ready to become NCOs. ALS institutions Air Force-wide are required to have a "historic, total rewrite" of

  • State-of-the-art battlefield system to integrate controllers

    Construction is scheduled to begin this month on a facility to house a state-of-the-art battlefield command and control system that will integrate air traffic management throughout Iraq. The $30 million Battlefield Command and Control CENTAF, or BC3, will house air traffic controllers from the

  • Active duty, retired Air Force leaders gather

    Air Force leaders met with retired senior Air Force leaders at Bolling Air Force Base, D.C., this past week to discuss important issues facing the Air Force. "The Air Force is at a critical moment in history," Secretary of the Air Force Michael W. Wynne said. "Our nation needs to be proud of our

  • Winter: Time for sunscreen and sweaters

    Winter is here and that means it is time to pull out the sunscreen and sweaters! Yes, sunscreen. Outdoor fun activities such as skiing, ice skating and sledding can be fun, but it is important to protect your skin from the bitter cold, heavy winds and winter sun. When any of us think about winter we

  • Team set to improve Latin American airspace management

    The U.S. Southern Command officials could begin conducting site selection surveys as early as next month for a regional coordination center that would help synchronize airspace management among Latin American nations. Airspace management includes both civil air traffic control services and military

  • Air Force maintainers help improve future for Afghans

    The efforts of a trio of Airmen here are helping ensure success for a mission bringing self-governance, security and economic growth to the people of Afghanistan's Paktya and Logar provinces. Vehicle maintainers Tech. Sgt. Kendrick Ouzts, Staff Sgt. Andrew Hawley and Staff Sgt. Russell Achee enable

  • Air Combat Command clears selected F-15s for flight

    Air Combat Command officials cleared a portion of the F-15 Eagle A through D model aircraft Jan. 9 for flying status and recommended a limited return to flight for Air Force units worldwide following engineering risk assessments and data received from multiple fleet-wide inspections. The return to

  • Civilian personnel system offers workers opportunities, officials say

    In its second year of implementation, the Defense Department's new civilian personnel system is meeting its goal of shifting the department to a performance-based pay system while giving employees the power to boost their own careers, two officials with the program said here Jan. 7. The National

  • Air Force funds fiber laser research, considers applications

    The Air Force Office of Scientific Research officials have recently funded a project that creates fiber-lasers as thin as a human hair. The ultra-fast fiber laser development will provide compact and cost effective solutions across a number of technologies of direct relevance to the Air Force.

  • Wind tunnel helps determine impact of hypersonic speeds

    Funding provided by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research has resulted in the world's only quiet hypersonic wind tunnel, which researchers are now using to test the performance of vehicles traveling at hypersonic speeds, or approximately 4,000 mph. A team of researchers at Purdue University,

  • Air Force officals announce OTS selections

    One hundred seventy one 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 Jan. 3. Air Force Recruiting Service officials considered 328 applications as part of Officer Training

  • Air Force cartoonist publishes book while deployed

    It's hard being only a figment of someone's imagination. Just ask 1st Lt. Kenneth Dahl, an F-15 Eagle fighter pilot with the imaginary 809th Fighter Squadron. Lieutenant Dahl, call sign "Barbie," is the star of the online Web comic Air Force Blues, and a hero, of sorts, to his Internet following.

  • Air Force officials recognize top cadet

    Air Force officials honored the 2007 Cadet of the Year in a ceremony Jan. 3 at the Pentagon. The Cadet of the Year Award recognizes the most outstanding cadet in an Air Force commissioning program. Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force Gen. Duncan McNabb presented the award to U.S. Air Force Academy

  • U.S., Afghan partnership to bring prosperity to region

    "I make promises and my job is to fulfill these promises," Laghman Provincial Governor Gulab Mangal told more than 200 tribal elders during a shura, or tribal council, held here recently. Six weeks later, that declaration came true with the Dec. 31signing of an $8 million contract between the

  • AFMC team wins 'hazardous' Air Force competition

    An Air Force Materiel Command team of bioenvironmental engineering and emergency management professionals won the Air Force's 2nd annual Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Challenge held Dec. 10 through the 14 at Brooks City-Base, Texas.Considered to be the olympics for the two career

  • Maxwell trainers develop Iraqi air force officers

    Four Officer Training School instructors returned here recently after spending the past several months in Iraq building the country's air force officer training program from the ground up. Maj. Scott Bergren and Capt. Michael Powell worked at Taji Air Base, Iraq, to establish a stand-alone officer

  • Comm team prepares Kadena for cyber war

    "Intruders" from cyberspace are trying to hack into the Kadena Air Base network and steal information from unsuspecting e-mail users. The intruders are not hackers, though they pretend to be to gain access to information they would need if they wanted to cripple the mission here. Fortunately, they

  • Getting behavioral health treatment easier with Tricare

    Tricare officials want its non-active duty beneficiaries to know that if they need help, there is no reason to hesitate. Non-active duty beneficiaries may make their first eight outpatient behavioral health care visits per fiscal year without a referral from a primary care manager or prior

  • Getting behavioral health treatment is easy with Tricare

    Tricare officials want non-active duty beneficiaries to know that if they need help, there is no reason to hesitate. Non-active duty beneficiaries may make their first eight outpatient behavioral health care visits per fiscal year -- Oct. 1 to Sept. 30 -- without a referral from a primary care

  • AF officials set new course in future support operations

    When it comes to people programs, community support and quality of life, there will soon be one organization on base that will handle it all -- the Force Support Squadron. The new organization is the result of an ongoing Air Force-wide merger of Mission Support and Services Squadrons and is expected

  • Red Cross to deliver holiday cards to wounded

    This holiday season, American Red Cross volunteers will make sure holiday greetings generically addressed to wounded servicemembers at military medical facilities around the country will find a home. With help from Pitney Bowes Government Solutions, and the support of Defense Department and Walter

  • Langley Winds spread holiday cheer

    Wearing battle dress uniforms with red Santa hats on, the Langley Winds from the Heritage of America Band spread holiday cheer Dec. 13 to Pope Air Force Base members. The band from Langley AFB, Va., toured around the base and sang songs such as "Jingles Bells," "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer,"

  • Immunology laboratory named Center of Excellence

    The newest Center of Excellence for radioallergosorbent, or RAST, testing in the Air Force Medical Service lies within the Diagnostic Immunology laboratory at Wilford Hall Medical Center here. RAST testing is the process of using a patient's extracted blood to detect the antibodies associated with

  • C-17 uses synthetic fuel blend on transcontinental flight

    The Air Force marked the 104th anniversary of powered flight Dec. 17 by completing the first transcontinental flight of an aircraft using a blend of regular aviation and synthetic fuel. A C-17 Globemaster III using the synthetic fuel blend lifted off shortly before dawn at McChord Air Force Base,

  • AFPC retools personnel services delivery

    Immediate access and ease of use form the foundation of the Air Force Personnel Center's ongoing efforts here to refine its personnel products available for Air Force customers. In the wake of significant cutbacks to the personnel career field, the center has leveraged technology to improve customer

  • Air Force names 2007 Sijan award recipients

    Air Force leaders recognized four Airmen with the service's 2007 Lance P. Sijan Air Force Leadership Award. The Sijan award annually recognizes Airmen who demonstrate outstanding leadership abilities. The Senior officer category winner is Lt. Col. Laura A. Soule, who is assigned to Lackland Air

  • Review provides update on Global Logistics Support Center

    More than 80 supply chain customers and practitioners from across the Department of Defense and the Air Force came together here recently to participate in the second program management review for the Global Logistics Support Center. The sessions allowed Col. Joan Cornuet, Mobility Air Forces

  • AAFES to host online video contest

    The Army & Air Force Exchange Service is giving military shoppers a chance to show off their video making skills (and maybe even win one of three possible shopping sprees) with the "It's My Benefit" video contest. From Dec. 15 through Feb. 15, 2008, authorized AAFES shoppers are invited to produce a

  • Basic training instructors help mold Iraq's future leaders

    The bark of the military training instructor's command voice, when heard by many current and former Airmen, may bring back memories of one of the most stressful periods of their lives, basic training. However, for the Iraqi air force warrant officer candidates in training here, it is the sound of a

  • Leaders get 'lean' with green belt training

    The commander for Air Force Materiel Command, Gen. Bruce Carlson, has said that Air Force Smart Operations for the 21st Century is a mindset and a change in behavior. Within the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center here, senior leaders are changing their behavior and the center's culture one green

  • Iraqi Air Force Training School graduates firefighters, officers

    American Airmen helped the first 10 Iraqi firefighters graduate Dec. 11 and 28 more Iraqi officer candidates receive their diplomas and commissions as second lieutenants Dec. 10 at the Iraqi Air Force Training School here. The firefighter graduation marked another first in the milestones of

  • Fairchild Airmen rescue stranded hiker

    A four-member crew from the 36th Rescue Flight here rescued a stranded, injured hiker Dec. 4 after an avalanche that killed two others hit in the Snoqualmie Pass area in Washington. The crew took off Dec. 4 and arrived at McChord Air Force Base, Wash., where they were tasked by the Washington State

  • FM chiefs attain bottom line at conference

    Financial management and comptroller chief master sergeants from across the globe gathered at Gunter Annex's Senior NCO Academy Dec. 3 to 7 to discuss the state of the Air Force financial management transformation.While attending the Financial Management Chief's Conference, 38 chiefs focused on the

  • Assistant secretary: FM is enabler for programs

    In providing security for warfighters and protecting national interests, the Air Force is often the first on scene and the last to leave and that requires enormous funding, said one of the Air Force's top financial officials Dec. 3 here. John G. Vonglis the principal deputy assistant secretary of

  • Air Force leaders: Make a difference this holiday season

    The following is a holiday message from Secretary of the Air Force Michael W. Wynne and Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. T. Michael Moseley. "Thank you for the difference you make every day, defending the United States of America and promoting our interests and ideals around the world. As the holiday

  • AFPC announces civilian personnel services transformation

    Civilian personnel services are transforming at the Air Force Personnel Center to ensure speed of personnel actions and enhanced self-service capabilities. "Overall the transformation is designed to improve the efficiency of delivering personnel services," said Charles Huerta, the AFPC Personnel

  • Keesler couple earns 2007 O'Malley award

    The former Keesler Air Force Base, Miss., commander and his wife, who led the base's recovery efforts the two years following Hurricane Katrina, recently won the 2007 Gen. and Mrs. Jerome F. O'Malley Award. Brig. Gen. Paul Capasso and his wife, Laura, received the award that recognizes the wing

  • Astronaut applications available for May board

    Active duty Air Force Airmen have the opportunity to compete for pilot and mission specialist crew positions with the nation's space program through the Air Force Astronaut nomination program. Air Force nominees will compete with representatives from the other services for the chance to become an

  • Key maintenance, logistics functions realign

    The alignment of fighter and combat search and rescue aircraft maintenance units under flying squadrons was announced by the Air Force chief of the staff  Dec. 7 here. Between July and November 2008, AMUs supporting fighter and CSAR flying squadrons will realign within those squadrons, Gen. T.

  • Combat leadership course takes PME to next level

    What does an Air Force supply noncommissioned officer and an Army infantry NCO have in common? What can someone who spends their days troubleshooting computers learn from someone who spends their days on convoys? The answer to these questions is leadership. Regardless of the branch of service or

  • AFMC Airmen honor commander with Order of the Sword

    Air Force Materiel Command's enlisted corps honored its leader with the Order of the Sword Dec. 6 at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force here. Gen. Bruce Carlson, the AFMC commander, received the AFMC Order of the Sword, the highest honor Air Force noncommissioned officers can give to an

  • PME classrooms open for sister service

    Some students attending the Elmendorf Professional Military Education center wear a different shade of blue ... U.S. Coast Guard blue. Two Coast Guard members are enrolled in the Elmendorf NCO Academy while three other guardsmen are in Airman Leadership School. They are set to graduate Dec. 13 with

  • Air Force receives 2 DOD disability awards

    Defense officials here lauded an Air Force civilian and 15 everyday heroes for overcoming disabilities, as well as named the Air Force an outstanding organization for hiring people with disabilities Dec. 4 in Bethesda, Md. Among the award recipients was Ronald Greenfield, the chief of staff for the

  • Lackland AFB earns environmental award

    A Texas Air Force base recently earned a 2007 Water Efficiency Leader award for its efforts in reducing, reusing and recycling water. A panel of national water experts chose Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio based on three criteria: leadership, innovation and water saved. Base officials use

  • Thrift investment board sets 2008 TSP contribution limits

    The Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board here recently announced that 2008's elective deferral limit for regular TSP contributions is $15,500, which is the same amount for 2007.In addition, contributions for the catch-up plan will remain at the same $5,000 limit set in 2006 and 2007."TSP is a

  • NCO retraining program involuntary phase begins

    Airmen identified as required to retrain must submit a retraining request by Dec. 17 or separate from the Air Force under Phase II of the Air Force Fiscal 2008 Noncommissioned Officer Retraining Program. After meeting the Dec. 17 deadline, Phase II eligibles next must choose an Air Force specialty

  • USAFE answers call of wounded warriors

    U.S. Air Forces in Europe officials made a recent donation of two, four-story buildings, and the buildings have saved hours on the road for wounded U.S. forces. The former Air Force hotels, transformed by $2.5 million renovations, provide convenient lodging for 190 to 200 wounded warriors on the

  • DOD presents disability awards

    The undersecretary of Defense for personnel and readiness hosted the 27th Defense Department Disability Awards Ceremony and 20th DOD Disability Forum Dec. 4 in Bethesda, Md. Undersecretary David S. C. Chu, on behalf of the secretary of Defense, presented awards to 16 outstanding DOD employees with

  • Airman's Roll Call highlights stress during holidays

    This week's Airman's Roll Call focuses on stress from family responsibilities, expectations, and meeting end-of-the-year deadlines during the holiday season. The Air Force has several resources to help Airmen and their families cope with stress, depression and financial woes. Some of these services

  • Immobility, injury place thousands at risk

    A difficult-to-detect ailment kills 200,000 people in the U.S. each year -- more than AIDS and breast cancer combined, according to Tricare officials.Yet few have heard of Deep Vein Thrombosis. DVT has been dubbed the "economy class syndrome" because of its association with long flights in cramped

  • Technology conference powers down

    More than 500 exhibitors set up various displays to show off their cutting-edge technology to American military members the last week of November at the Interservice Industry Training, Simulation and Education Conference at the Orange County Convention Center here.The latest in simulation and

  • Officials name 2007 Mission Support Award winners

    Air Force officials announced the winners of the 2007 Mission Support Awards Nov. 30. The results are: Personnel Gen. Robert J. Dixon Award:  Brian K. Hunter, Randolph Air Force Base, Texas Roger M. Blanchard Memorial Award:  John Beckett, Headquarters, U.S. Air Force, Pentagon Gen. Horace M. Wade

  • Tricare coverage guaranteed for beneficiaries

    Tricare Management Activity wants to reassure its beneficiaries that none of them are at risk of losing their Tricare coverage, regardless of the cost of their care or other conditions that might affect commercial insurance policies. "I want to remind our beneficiaries that Tricare is an entitlement

  • General focuses on mission, future of AWACS

    The E-3 Sentry airborne early warning and control system aircraft and its crews have led the way into battle many times in the past and are achieving combat excellence today, the commander of the nation's only AWACS flying wing said Nov. 27. The focus now, however, is on the future, Brig. Gen. Lori

  • Military must understand, master change, JCS chief says

    The U.S. military needs to understand change and the pace of change if it will succeed in the future, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff told students at the Army War College recently."Some of the change is happening so quickly we have no idea how (it) will end up," Adm. Michael G. Mullen

  • Testing center opens at Camp Bucca

    Air Force security forces members here will now be able to redeploy home with their career development courses completed as base officials opened a new testing center.With many Airmen arriving for duty in the middle of upgrade training, Air Force leadership at Camp Bucca decided a testing center was

  • DOD, VA begin disability evaluation program

    The Department of Defense and Department of Veterans Affairs recently implemented a test program for disability cases originating at the three major military treatment facilities and the VA hospital in the national capital region. The leadership of DOD and VA will review the program's progress over

  • Tricare beneficiaries save with mail-order pharmacy

    Nearly 20,000 Tricare beneficiaries are saving money on their prescriptions after making the switch to mail order through the new member choice center. After only two months of operation, beneficiaries saved approximately $600,000 on prescriptions by switching from retail to the Tricare Mail Order