NATO Air Policing operations

U.S. Air Force News

  • Air Force poised for Expeditionary Combat Support System

    Touted as the largest change in Air Force logistics history, the Expeditionary Combat Support System will establish the service's first capability to globally view, standardize and manage logistics resources, officials said here during the program's kick off Oct. 22.Designed to close process gaps

  • New medical forms will streamline veterans claims process

    The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has released three new disability benefits questionnaires for physicians of Veterans applying for VA disability compensation benefits. This initiative marks the beginning of a major reform of the physicians' guides and automated routines that will streamline

  • Chief Roy issues call for action in latest 'Perspective'

    In his latest "Enlisted Perspective," the Air Force's top enlisted Airman wants everyone's help to stem the alarming increase in the number of suicides among the total force Airmen,  active duty, guard, reserve and civilians. "We've had a drastic increase this year in the number of suicides among

  • Airmen finish 860-mile trek for fallen comrades

    Hundreds of people gathered here Oct. 21 to welcome the marchers from the Tim Davis Special Tactics Memorial March. They had just completed an 860-mile march across five states that started Oct. 9 at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas. Each of the marching Airmen carried one or more wooden batons, each

  • Expeditionary Center Airmen honor Air Force's first female chief

    Every Airman should know the name Grace A. Peterson. She is the first woman to ever hold the rank of chief master sergeant.For the 200 people in attendance at the Expeditionary Center here Oct. 18, the first woman to be promoted to chief master sergeant 50 years ago sat in the front row of the hall

  • Langley AFB nurse earns national honor

    A nurse from the 633rd Medical Group here was recently recognized with a national award during the Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses Armed Forces Section's 2010 annual conference in Las Vegas.Capt. Marion Collins, a women's health clinic nurse manager with the group, was

  • American air forces participate in Exercise Cooperacion 1

    The air forces of 12 countries of the Americas participated in an exercise aimed at using multinational air assets from SICOFAA member nations (Sistema de cooperacion de las Fuerzas Aerias de las Americas) in support of humanitarian civic assistance missions, Oct. 4 to 14 in Chile.The Cooperation 1

  • Eglin completes second alternate fuel test

    Specialists at Eglin Air Force Base conducted their second aircraft performance evaluation using an environmentally-friendly, biomass-derived fuel, this time with an F-15E Strike Eagle.The jet flew at a variety of flight conditions, achieved supersonic speeds, and landed with no issues, though it

  • US, Bulgarian medics forge successful partnerships

    Airmen from the 86th Airlift Wing and 435th Air Ground Operations Wing at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, as well as other U.S. Air Forces in Europe Airmen, participated in Exercise Thracian Fall 2010 Oct. 18 in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. The three-week, combined exercise was designed to provide both U.S. and

  • Geothermal plant to save Aviano $35,000 per year

    Airmen here anticipate saving about $35,000 per year with the completion of an energy saving project at the base fitness center. Now fully operational and the first of its kind in the U.S. Air Forces in Europe, the $470,000 geothermal project was part of a commitment by base officials to reduce

  • Warfighters plan for 'future fight' at weapons, tactics conference

    Airmen in the ranks of sergeant through lieutenant colonel, warfighters serving abroad and defending the homeland, gathered here Oct. 18 through Oct. 22 to tell Guard and Reserve senior leaders what they need to improve capability in the air reserve component, or ARC.Their focus was on "Legacy

  • Command, control wing adds joint digital integration mission

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

  • General Eichhorn assumes command of AFOTEC

    Officials at the Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center held a change of command ceremony here Oct. 22 as Maj. Gen. David J. Eichhorn assumed command of the center from Maj. Gen. Stephen T. Sargeant.  Lt. Gen. William L. Shelton, the assistant vice chief of staff of the Air Force, presided

  • Officials seek nominees for Pitsenbarger Award

    Officials at the Air Force Sergeants Association are seeking nominations for the 2011 Pitsenbarger Award.The AFSA Pitsenbarger Award is presented annually to an Air Force enlisted servicemember who has performed a heroic act, on or off duty, that resulted in saving a life or preventing serious

  • 'Night Ops' reduce power costs by millions

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

  • Transition calls for employees to 'brush up' resumes

    Following the success of a seven-month pilot program using a resume-based system to fill vacant positions at 16 locations across the service, current Air Force civilian employees will now apply for vacant position using USAJOBS beginning Nov. 15.To search for Air Force vacancies, employees can visit

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

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

  • Contract extension puts communication system on bombers

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

  • Joint STARS demonstrates key network-enabled weapons capability

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

  • Second SBIRS satellite successfully completes panel integration

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

  • Jordanian, American fighters refuel above Jordan

    Jordanian and American pilots recently met several thousand feet over Jordan where they exchanged knowledge and fuel. An aircrew operating KC-10 Extender from McGuire Air Force Base, N.J. refueled eight F-16 Fighting Falcons over Jordan as part of Falcon Air Meet 2010 -- a two-week exercise bringing

  • Officials tout Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits

    With more than 260,000 students attending about 6,000 colleges and universities this fall under the Post-9/11 GI Bill, officials are continuing an active outreach effort to ensure current military members and veterans don't miss out on the new program's education benefits.Participation is up

  • AFSO21 Rapid Improvement Event streamlines report process

    Officials here are bringing change to the performance reporting process, thanks to a recent week-long Air Force Smart Operations for the 21st Century Rapid Improvement Event.Subject matter experts from the wing gathered with a goal of streamlining the enlisted and officer performance reports

  • NATO partners strengthen bonds with Airmen through discussion

    Senior NCOs met with NATO partners Oct. 13 here for a panel discussion gain insight on other nations' military standards, customs and courtesies, and traditions.In addition to the United States, Canada, Great Britain, Australia and Belgium were represented at the panel. The American SNCOs took turns

  • A different way to take the pain

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

  • AFPC officials conduct retirement webinars for Airmen

    Air Force Personnel Center officials are set to conduct a series of web-based seminars highlighting the retirement process for active-duty Airmen. These webinars are scheduled to be held every quarter to help Airmen successfully navigate through the retirement and separation processes.The

  • CMSAF completes three-country African engagement

     Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James A. Roy met with senior leaders here from the Senegalese air force as the final leg of a three-nation senior leader engagement Oct. 15. The tour, which included stops in Botswana and Djibouti, focused on sharing information on enlisted development. Besides

  • Cyberspace is the new domain of warfare

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

  • 8th Fighter Wing Airmen take on Max Thunder

    Members of the 8th Fighter Wing and Republic of Korea Air Force are participating in the fourth annual Max Thunder exercise, hosted by Kwangju Air Base officials Oct. 15 to 22.Max Thunder is a bilateral training exercise intended to increase interoperability between Republic of Korea and U.S.

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

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

  • Secretary Donley addresses challenges ahead during Kirtland visit

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

  • Top enlisted Airman visits Horn of Africa

    The chief master sergeant of the Air Force spent a day here to see firsthand the role Airmen play in the mission of Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa and throughout the U.S. Africa Command theater.During the Oct. 13 visit, Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James A. Roy visited Airmen in

  • Energy saving program underway at Yokota

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

  • State-of-the-art cardiovascular services available at Travis AFB

    With equipment that can only be found in four other hospitals in the nation, surgeons here recently performed the first operations while using a new state-of-the-art, hybrid cardiovascular operating room. It took a team of medical professionals here three years to bring the cardiovascular services

  • Basic trainees begin cyber training

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

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

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

  • Test center fuses old, new technology for light attack

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

  • US, Bulgarian airmen partner to control the sky

    High above the busy work of crew chiefs, security forces members and ground equipment maintainers stands a familiar piece of landscape for Airmen all over the world -- the tower.The air traffic control tower here is full of U.S. and Bulgarian airmen working together to keep eyes on both Bulgarian

  • Officials publish cyberspace operations doctrine

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

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

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

  • CMSAF visits Botswana, shares view on deliberate development

    Deliberate development is a topic the chief master sergeant of the Air Force discusses throughout the Air Force and in many corners of the world. Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James A. Roy touched down in Botswana Oct. 11 to share his view on deliberate development with senior NCOs from the

  • Base cycling team raises $13K for charity

    Seventeen members of the Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst Cycling Team raised more than $13,000 for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society in the annual two-day MS City to Shore Ride 2010. Another 18 joint-base personnel volunteered with ground support.The ride started Sept. 25 in Cherry Hill,

  • Photo essay: Lakenheath set-piece demonstration

    Members of the 48th Maintenance Group participate in a set-piece demonstration. The demonstration involves five-man teams tasked with regenerating an aircraft within a specified time limit in preparation for the NATO Tactical Evaluation here Oct. 7. View the slideshow.

  • TRICARE official: Early flu shots key to prevention

    With flu season already under way, the top TRICARE military health plan official encourages the system's almost 9.7 million beneficiaries to get their flu shots as early as possible at a military medical facility or network provider, or at any participating pharmacy.Military hospitals and clinics

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

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

  • 2010 proves banner year for recruiting

    The military services had a banner year for recruiting and retention in fiscal 2010, Defense Department officials said here Oct. 12.The services met their overall numbers and exceeded qualitative goals, said Clifford Stanley, the undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness.The Air Force

  • USO Gala honors servicemembers, families

    Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Mike Mullen was among the military, government and community leaders and celebrities who gathered to salute servicemembers and their families at the annual USO Gala here Oct. 7.The event featured entertainment, award presentations to five servicemembers and

  • ISR leader passes torch to new generation

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

  • Expeditionary center takes UDM training on the road

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

  • Randolph Airmen urge students to make the right choices

    If experience is the best teacher, some 200 students from a San Antonio middle school learned invaluable lessons last week from a group of Randolph Airmen with personal stories to tell and messages to impart.Dwight Middle School students visited here for the new school year's first session of the

  • Officials launch two advanced cyberspace courses

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

  • Airman heats up fitness challenge

    A 22nd Civil Engineer Squadron heating ventilation and cooling craftsman transformed his body, passed his fitness test and found the strength and motivation to maintain a healthy lifestyle, all within the span of two months. Staff Sgt. Christopher Jeffcoat, a nine-year Air Force veteran, scored 57

  • Rescue crews answer the call in Afghanistan

    By signing in to their shift, they know the first mission is theirs. Ready to leave in moments with barely a second to spare, the crew is notified at the last minute to stand down, prolonging the suspense as they attempt to relax. However, relaxation is hardly an option when a simple beep of the

  • Officials announce new initial enlistment bonuses

    Pentagon officials recently released the fiscal 2011 initial enlistment bonus program list. Three Air Force specialty codes had bonuses decrease, but only for those enlisting for six years. Those AFSCs seeing decreases were airborne linguist, crypto linguist and tactical air control party. No AFSCs

  • Strategic leadership courses available for civilians

    Civilian leadership development officials here are seeking nominations for an out-of-cycle selection board to identify senior-level civilians for strategic leadership development opportunities in the 2011 academic year.Strategic Leadership Education Level I is open to Air Force civil service

  • Air Force officials announce enlisted supplemental promotions

    More than 630 Airmen have been selected for promotion as part of the October enlisted supplemental promotion board.The promotion list can be found on the Air Force Personnel Center's public website. Airmen also can access their score notices at the same time on the Virtual Military Personnel Flight

  • Service demographics offer snapshot of force

    Air Force Personnel Center officials here recently published a demographics report offering a snapshot of the service's active-duty and civilian force. This data is current as of Sept. 30 and can also be found on the Air Force personnel statistics Web page.Statistics are rounded to the nearest

  • Busy Afghan mission leads to recognition

    A 919th Special Operations Wing aircrew recently was selected for the Air Force Association's Brig. Gen. Ross Hoyt Award for their efforts on a mission over Afghanistan in 2009.At that time, the 10-man MC-130E Combat Talon aircrew led by pilot Maj. Michael Black, then with the 711th Special

  • Top chief discusses training, wingmanship during Academy visit

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

  • Davis-Monthan hosts self-defense instructor course

    Security forces Airmen and civilian law enforcement officials participated in a three-day Rape Aggression Defense Systems instructor certification class Sept. 13  through 15 here.RADS is a program designed to teach physical, defensive tactics that can be used when faced with aggression.The

  • Armament Symposium brings DOD, industry together

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

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

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

  • House resolution honors aeromedical evacuation Airmen

    Members of the U.S. House of Representatives unanimously passed a resolution Sept. 28 honoring the Airmen who support and perform aeromedical evacuation.House Resolution 1605 recognizes "the service of the medical and aircrews in helping our wounded warriors make the expeditious and safe trip home

  • Exchange ID check goes hi-tech

    Implementation of an updated point-of-sale system that leverages the technological advances available through "smart" Common Access Cards is streamlining the identification process for age-restricted items at Army and Air Force Exchanges.AAFES new point-of-sale system, which rolled out to

  • Air Force officials conducting personnel accountability exercise

    Officials are conducting an Air Force-wide exercise Oct. 6 through 8 to test the Air Force Personnel Accountability and Assessment System.An exercise execution order will identify the geographic area of interest in which all personnel assigned to, living in, TDY to or on leave in that area, must be

  • Innovative parts washer improves environment and health

    An environmentally-friendly parts washer here is getting attention for using oil-eating microbes, which means workers are no longer exposed to the solvents previously used. The system uses bioremediation to avoid the waste streams of liquid found in traditional parts cleaning systems. Bioremediation

  • Tests to compare CCAF, civilian degrees

    Education offices at 60 Air Force and Air National Guard bases around the world will test Community College of the Air Force graduates to determine how they compare to counterparts in civilian institutions.The testing begins Oct. 14 and runs through Nov. 15.First-time CCAF degree recipients who have

  • Airmen make impact with first GBU-54 combat drop in Afghanistan

    Airmen from the 510th Fighter Squadron here employed a guided bomb unit-54 laser joint directed attack munition for the first time in the Afghan area of operations recently.The GBU-54 is the Air Force's newest 500-pound precision weapon, equipped with a special targeting system that uses a

  • President Obama proclaims Cybersecurity Awareness Month

    Americans everywhere prosper because of the nation's digital infrastructure, and therefore all citizens must defend it, President Barack Obama said Oct. 4.October is National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, and in a proclamation released, President Obama said all Americans must understand they have a

  • Lieutenants complete inaugural language training

    Twenty-five of the Air Force's newest second lieutenants recently completed the inaugural class of focused language training at Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala., as part of the Language Enabled Airmen Program.The Language Intensive Training Event, or LITE, was held at the Air Force Culture and Language

  • Wilford Hall hosts graduate medical education course

    A course for medical educators provided by the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences was held Sept. 24 to Oct. 2 at Wilford Hall Medical Center here. The course, designed to train military medical education program directors, was chaired by retired Army Col. (Dr.) Louis Pangaro, who

  • Exercise aims to change game

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

  • 'Huffing,' using 'Spice' is dangerous, officials say

    While they may be legal in some states, "designer drugs," often marketed as herbal remedies, are banned under military law and policies by the Defense Department and all of the services. Military officials, having seen a spike in servicemembers' use of otherwise legal substances, including

  • Clues in cyberspace catch criminals in the real world

    For many, cyberspace is a vast and intangible place. A land of green ones and zeros floating on a sea of black, where an e-mail originated in Switzerland can travel to a server in Mozambique within a matter of seconds. In the ever-changing landscape of cyberspace, information can be hidden anywhere

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

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

  • National Guard launches mobile education lab

    As part of the president's "Educate to Innovate" initiative, National Guard officials debuted The Energy Lab -- a mobile classroom featuring interactive learning tools focusing on the science and technology behind alternative energy sources.Unveiled Oct. 1 at the Ronald Reagan Building and

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

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

  • McConnell AFB officials host AFSO 21 event

    Officials here hosted their first Air Force Smart Operations for the 21st Century event Sept. 13 through 17 to further streamline and sustain the KC-135 Stratotanker fleet.The event, called the "KC-135 Points of Use Parts Enterprise Event," involved 16 different units Air Force-wide, and affects the

  • DOD provides continued support for military children

    Department of Defense Education Activity officials are keeping on the cutting-edge of sharing resources and training tools with public schools supporting military families, a Washington education official said."Our goal is to reach military children who attend public schools," said Kathy Facon, the

  • Gates praises service, sacrifice of all-volunteer force

    The American people are losing contact with those who make up its military, and the nation needs to understand the service and sacrifices that U.S. military personnel and their families make, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said at Duke University's Page Auditorium Sept. 29.The secretary spoke to

  • Air refueling pioneers honored in ceremony at Scott

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

  • Officials implement new training model

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

  • Agreement gives green light to ESC efforts in Kyrgyzstan

    A delegation led by Electronic Systems Center Commander Lt. Gen. Ted F. Bowlds reached an agreement with Kyrgyzstan government officials recently on efforts that will benefit the nation of Kyrgyzstan and U.S. operators who rely on the Manas Transit Center there."This agreement marks the formal

  • VA officials extend coverage for Gulf War veterans

    Veterans of the Gulf War as well as current operations in Iraq and Afghanistan now have a smoother path toward receiving health care benefits and disability compensation for nine diseases associated with their military service, Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki announced Sept. 29.A

  • Uniform phaseout dates draw near

    With many phaseout and mandatory wear dates approaching, the look of Air Force uniforms will change slightly over the next year. Here are a few dates to remember for uniform and policy changes.As of the following dates, wear of the listed uniform items will be phased out:Oct. 1, 2010-- 100 percent

  • Online development plan improving total force career roadmaps

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

  • Air Force takes third in annual culinary competition

    An Air Force team took third place in the Military Hospitality Alliance's seventh annual Military Culinary Competition at the Marine Barracks here Sept. 25. The team of four Airmen and one Sailor ranked third out of 13 teams by a panel of military and civilian chefs who acted as judges for the

  • Vandenberg officials launch Minotaur IV

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

  • First responders train to support airport

    Members of the 8th Civil Engineer Squadron fire department here participated in Gunsan airport's G-20 summit on terrorism and civil aviation air incident training at the airport Sept. 17.According to airport officials, the exercise tested the "cooperative and emergency response systems" of the

  • Military chefs to compete in culinary competition

    More than 50 chefs from around the military converged here to compete in the seventh annual Military Culinary Competition, which will take place Sept. 25. The competition, which will take place at the Marine Barracks, is being hosted by the Military Hospitality Alliance and will feature culinary

  • Joint team restores precision airdrop capability

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

  • Shinseki: Evidence led to new Agent Orange presumptions

    Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric K. Shinseki defended his decision to add heart disease, Parkinson's disease and leukemia to the conditions VA officials can presume in Vietnam War veterans to be caused by Agent Orange exposure.Speaking before the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs Sept. 23,

  • Medical leaders cut ribbon on BAMC pediatric ward, ICU

    Air Force and Army medical leaders christened the new Brooke Army Medical Center pediatric ward and intensive care unit during a ribbon-cutting ceremony here Sept. 21. Staffed primarily by Air Force personnel, the majority of Wilford Hall Medical Center inpatient pediatric services moved to BAMC in

  • Net-centricity transcends the network, experts say

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

  • Airman inducted into Pentagon's Hall of Heroes

    Chief Master Sgt. Richard Etchberger was posthumously inducted into the Pentagon's Hall of Heroes in a ceremony Sept. 22 following presentation of the Medal of Honor during a White House ceremony the day before."Today, we bring honor to Chief Etchberger's memory and our nation's highest tribute to

  • 36th LRS Airmen support Valiant Shield

    Airmen from the 36th Logistical Readiness Squadron stepped up their game during Valiant Shield 2010 by acting as master planners for all support, vehicle coordination and aircraft fueling needs.During Valiant Shield, an additional 1,300 personnel were here, and the 36th LRS Airmen ensured

  • President presents posthumous Medal of Honor to hero's sons

    President Barack Obama presented the Medal of Honor for conspicuous gallantry to the family of an Air Force chief master sergeant killed in action 42 years ago in Laos during a ceremony Sept. 21. "Today, we present the Medal of Honor to an American who displayed such gallantry more than four decades

  • DOD supports military children in public schools

    Department of Defense Education Activity officials are sharing resources and training tools with public schools supporting military families, particularly those heavily affected by deployment, an education official said."Our goal is to reach military children who attend public schools," said Kathy

  • Reservists win first place in international medical competition

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

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

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