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  • Building a first-rate system

    It is all about building a first-rate personnel system to complement a first-rate military, said David Chu, undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness.In an interview, Chu spoke about the changes that may come about if Congress allows Department of Defense officials to set up the National

  • Investigation leads to indictments

    The Defense Department’s inspector general announced July 18 criminal indictments against two former Boeing Co. managers.Joseph E. Schmitz said that a joint investigation by officials from the Defense Criminal Investigative Service and the Air Force Office of Special Investigations resulted in the

  • Legal professionals become JAG Corps

    Air Force lawyers, paralegals and court reporters are no longer part of the Judge Advocate General’s Department; they are now in the “JAG Corps.”The change is part of two secretary of the Air Force directives designed to eliminate confusion and clarify the duties and responsibilities of the JAG and

  • Airman convicted of drugs, forgery

    An airman received a bad conduct discharge, 20 months confinement and forfeit of all pay and allowances after being convicted of several crimes in a general court-martial here.Airman Basic Joseph J. Loehr, of the 377th Medical Support Squadron, pleaded guilty to willfully disobeying a superior

  • Academy contract workers indicted

    Federal and military law enforcement organizations joined forces to identify 44 people for allegedly using fraudulent identification information to gain access to the U.S. Air Force Academy, Colo.Of the 44 contract employees indicted by a federal grand jury, 27 were arrested July 15, according to a

  • Positive outlook makes any job satisfying

    It is a subject that makes most people uncomfortable. Faces grimace, noses wrinkle and even the strongest of stomachs can easily weaken at its mere suggestion. But to Tech. Sgt. Randall Lovett, it is really nothing new. It is simply another day at the office.With meticulous organization and a

  • Former academy leader to retire

    The former superintendent of the U.S. Air Force Academy will retire from active-duty service effective Sept. 1.The announcement of Lt. Gen. John R. Dallager’s retirement came from Air Force officials at the Pentagon on July 10. It followed a decision by Secretary of the Air Force Dr. James G. Roche

  • Identity theft lands cop in confinement

    An airman was discharged from the Air Force, given 14 months confinement and reduced to airman basic after being convicted of several identity-fraud-related crimes during a recent general court-martial here.Senior Airman David A. Daniel, from the 377th Security Forces Squadron, was charged with

  • 200,000 parents receive pins

    Your Guardians of Freedom, the Air Force’s grass-roots outreach information and recognition program, has touched the lives of more than 200,000 parents of airmen, a Pentagon official has announced.The program began in 2002 as a way for Air Force leaders to personally recognize the employers of

  • Roche will receive ‘Order of the Sword’

    Air Force noncommissioned officers will bestow their highest honor on the secretary of the Air Force as they induct him into the service’s Order of the Sword on Sept. 13 at Andrews Air Force Base, Md.Dr. James G. Roche received word of his induction during the recent Town Hall Meeting at the Air

  • Air Force leaders send Independence Day message

    The following is an Independence Day message from Secretary of the Air Force Dr. James G. Roche and Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper:“For 227 years, Americans have gathered on the Fourth of July to celebrate the virtues of freedom, democracy, and patriotism, and to commemorate the

  • Officials release Reserve, Guard promotions

    Air Reserve Personnel Center officials here announced the fiscal 2004 major and lieutenant colonel promotion selection board results July 1. The results were for Air National Guard line and nonline officers and Air Force Reserve judge advocate general officers and chaplains. The boards selected

  • Cadet referred for court-martial

    A general court-martial has been referred for Cadet 3rd Class Douglas L. Meester for violating the Uniformed Code of Military Justice, according to officials here. Charges were preferred against Meester on May 13, for rape, forcible sodomy, conduct unbecoming for providing alcohol to minors and

  • Rosa confirmed as academy superintendent

    Maj. Gen. John W. Rosa will be the next Air Force Academy superintendent, the Senate confirmed June 23.Rosa will assume command during a mid-July ceremony at the school in Colorado.Rosa is the deputy director for current operations on the Joint Staff. He is directly responsible to the chairman of

  • Air Force JAGs make History Channel

    With the exception of several law degrees and a handful of gavels, the office of Brig. Gen. Jarisse J. Sanborn could be mistaken for any senior leader's workspace.Recently, however, her office was transformed into a miniature production studio, complete with audio and video cables, a 1,000-watt

  • Hardships affect mobilization length

    Mobilized reservists may request to remain on or get off active duty because of personal or financial hardship caused by mobilization, early deactivation or demobilization."We look at each situation, whether it's a request to remain mobilized or a request to demobilize early," said Col. Mike

  • Band sends July 4 greetings worldwide

    The U.S. Air Force Band and Air Force Reserve Command officials will present an Independence Day radio broadcast July 4, according to officials here.The show’s host will be radio personalities Crook and Chase. It features the U.S. Air Force concert band and Singing Sergeants. Guest artists include

  • Pilot demands trial by court-martial

    Maj. Harry Schmidt has demanded a trial by court-martial in lieu of accepting nonjudicial punishment under Article 15 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, according to officials here. Schmidt was offered nonjudicial punishment for his involvement in the April 17, 2002, bombing incident which

  • General receives management award

    Lt. Gen. Brian A. Arnold is the winner of the 2002 Eugene M. Zuckert Management Award. Secretary of the Air Force Dr. James G. Roche presented him with the award during a ceremony in the Pentagon on June 24.This award is named after Eugene M. Zuckert, who served as secretary of the Air Force from

  • Now showing: June 23 edition of AFTV News

    The latest edition of Air Force Television News is the first of a two-part presentation of a historic town hall meeting held at the Air Force Museum in Dayton, Ohio. The program features the secretary, chief of staff and chief master sergeant of the Air Force fielding questions from moderator

  • Myers nominated for second term

    President George W. Bush has nominated Gen. Richard Myers for a second two-year term as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.Myers has served in the position since Oct. 1, 2001. The Senate must confirm the nomination.He was the vice chairman before becoming chairman.He was nominated as chairman

  • Space is ‘ultimate high ground’

    Integration of hardware, software and can-do spirit has allowed America to move into an era of space-enabled warfare, a senior Air Force space official said.And given the significant advantages space gives those who use it, that is a very good thing, according to Brig. Gen. C. Robert Kehler, Air

  • AF won’t court-martial F-16 pilots

    The 8th Air Force commander announced decisions regarding the Tarnak Farms “friendly-fire” cases of Majs. Harry Schmidt and William Umbach on June 19. Neither pilot will be referred to trial by court-martial.The two Illinois Air National Guard F-16 Fighting Falcon pilots from the 170th Fighter

  • Air Force releases academy sexual misconduct study

    Less than 1 percent of male cadets and 5 percent of female cadets at the Air Force Academy have been involved in known sexual assault allegations over the 10-year period examined, according to the report on academy sexual misconduct released June 19.The report acknowledged that sexual assaults are

  • Nuclear careers combine degrees, PME

    Officers in nuclear-related career fields will be among the first to participate in a program that combines professional military education and advanced-educational degrees, a Pentagon official said.Majors through colonels in nuclear science and engineering career fields will be able to earn both

  • One-stop shopping for U.S. defense

    People lingering in the newly built hallways of the U.S. Northern Command headquarters building here are likely to hear the phrase “one-stop shopping.”America’s newest military command is patterned on a simple retail concept that has been around for years -- everything people need in one convenient

  • Officer dismissed for drug use

    An officer here has been dismissed from the Air Force and will serve four months confinement after being convicted of several drug-related crimes in a general court-martial.Second Lt. Bryce Terpstra of the Air Force Safety Center pleaded guilty to using and possessing methamphetamine and possession

  • IG announces annual award winners

    The Air Force Inspector General announced the winners of the 2002 Howard W. Leaf Inspector General Awards on June 12.The award recognizes the outstanding enlisted and officer inspectors in the Air Force assigned to a major command inspector-general team.This year’s winners include:-- Enlisted

  • Plan in motion to bring support troops home

    When the Air Force deployed its fighting forces for Operation Iraqi Freedom, a substantial portion of that contingent, about 65 percent, came from the installations and logistics community. This included civil engineers, services, supply, transportation and maintenance troops and airmen from the

  • Post-deployment assessment improves health care

    The Air Force surgeon general is meeting the health challenges of airmen returning from Operation Iraqi Freedom with a more vigorous, face-to-face approach.Health-care providers have expanded and improved existing procedures by combining a larger database of existing health information about airmen,

  • Time to modernize civilian personnel

    The "time is here and now" to modernize Defense Department personnel practices with changes to the civil service system, said David S. C. Chu, undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness, during a Pentagon briefing June 10.In a step that will transform the way the DOD does business, Chu

  • Air Force surveying reservists

    This year, for the first time, the Air Force Climate Survey will include all Air Force reservists.Feedback from last year’s study, formerly the Air Force Chief of Staff Survey, prompted the Air Force to involve a larger audience in the new survey, which will gauge factors affecting the day-to-day

  • Air Medal awarded 59 years later

    After nearly six decades of waiting, a retired Air Force master sergeant and former Air Force Research Laboratory employee received his Air Medal at a June 2 ceremony here.Trinidad Castinado received the Air Medal, second oak leaf cluster, from Col. Mark Stephen, acting director of the

  • Leaders hold town-hall meeting

    Battle lessons learned, professional military education and air and space expeditionary force issues headlined discussions between Air Force leaders and 300 military and civilian people here during a first Air Force Town Hall meeting June 5.Secretary of the Air Force Dr. James G. Roche; Gen. John P.

  • U-2 pilot receiving Kolligian trophy

    Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper will present Maj. Jeffrey Olesen, a U-2 Dragon Lady pilot, with the 2002 Koren Kolligian Jr. Trophy during a June 13 ceremony at the Pentagon.Olesen, assistant director of operations for the 1st Reconnaissance Squadron here, will receive the award for

  • Being a reservist requires ‘juggling act’

    Recognizing that Air Force reservists must balance military obligations with family and civilian-employment requirements, the service’s senior reservist pledged to reduce unnecessary pressures.“I want to say ‘thank you’ to families and employers -- they make great sacrifices in order for Reserve

  • Iraqi forecasters back in business

    For the first time since 1980, members of Iraq’s meteorological organization are back in a Baghdad tower sending weather observations after going through training with Air Force weather forecasters. Airmen taught the Iraqis how to operate and maintain the new meteorological measuring set that was

  • Two convicted of financial crimes

    Two airmen have been convicted of various financial crimes during separate general courts-martial here.Master Sgt. Clarence Lott pleaded guilty to, and was convicted of, submitting a false official document, larceny of housing allowances in excess of $500 and obstruction of justice. The sergeant,

  • Merger creates new health organization

    Two organizations here merged recently to form the Air Force Institute for Operational Health to enhance public health, improve disease surveillance and detection, and make sure America's warfighters are fit and healthy.The institute merges the Air Force Institute for Environment, Safety and

  • Academy graduates 45th class

    As parade caps flew and the Thunderbirds soared overhead, the Air Force Academy Class of 2003 added 974 names to the 45th list of academy alumni at graduation ceremonies here May 28.Guest speakers were Secretary of the Air Force Dr. James G. Roche and Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper.The

  • Space is ultimate high ground

    Space is the ultimate high ground and gives American forces a tremendous advantage on the battlefield, according to the Air Force’s director of space operations and integration at the Pentagon.“We must dominate space,” said Maj. Gen. Judd Blaisdell, “because it would be very difficult to conduct a

  • United Nations lift sanctions against Iraq

    The United Nations this morning lifted sanctions against Iraq following a 14-0 vote in the Security Council.The vote on U.N. Security Council Resolution 1483 lifts sanctions imposed on Saddam Hussein's regime following the Persian Gulf War. The resolution also gives the United States and the United

  • Ridge outlines how, why terror threat level was raised

    Federal law enforcement organizations -- and some state and local authorities -- ramped up vigilance when the Department of Homeland Security's color-coded national terror alert level was raised May 20 from "elevated," or yellow, to "high," or orange, the top domestic anti-terrorism official said

  • Dover's 'first airman' visits base

    As he flew over the area on approach to the dirt "runway," he saw the farmhouse that would double as his office.There were no dorms, no paved runway lined with C-5 Galaxies, and certainly no Super Port.The year was 1941, and that was the first view of what Dover Air Force Base had to offer Drexel

  • Air boss conference discusses war plan

    Leaders from around the world came together here May 22 to discuss deterrence and change the war plan regarding the North Korean threat.The annual event provided an opportunity for coalition members, who would fight together if deterrence were to fail, to hear from the U.S. Forces Korea commander

  • Hill prepares F-16s for Italian air force

    Italian defense officials accepted the first of 34 modified and refurbished F-16 Fighting Falcon A and B models from experts here May 16.Maj. Gen. Tommaso Ferro, air defense and defense cooperation attaché for the Italian air force, lead a delegation of military and diplomatic dignitaries in

  • Air Force Reserve support continuing

    As Operation Iraqi Freedom shifts from combat to reconstruction, hundreds of mobilized Air Force reservists are returning home to family and civilian life. Thousands more, however, remain on active duty, and Air Force Reserve Command officials here say they have no clear picture as of May 21 as to

  • Blue, silver AEFs get rotations back on track

    The Air Force is establishing two transitional air and space expeditionary forces, blue and silver, to put the deployment schedule back on track by March 2004 and to bring home deployed airmen as quickly as possible.“We envision these two 120-day rotations filling the requirements of combatant

  • KC-135 receiving communications relay ability

    The KC-135 Stratotanker will soon add a communications capability to its mission.The installation of Roll-on Beyond Line of Sight Enhancement equipment, will help the flow of information on KC-135s while the aircraft conduct their primary mission of air refueling.Used primarily as a "flying gas

  • Med tech follows dream of becoming doctor

    Reserve 2nd Lt. Cynthia Reed, formerly an active-duty senior airman, is pursuing her goal of becoming a primary-care doctor through the Air Force Health Professions Scholarship Program.Reed is attending the Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine, a satellite school of Midwestern University in

  • Leaders send Memorial Day message

    The following is a joint Memorial Day message from Secretary of the Air Force Dr. James G. Roche and Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper:“As the flag soars gracefully to the top of the flagpole and then lowers solemnly to half-staff, the loss of great Americans who have fallen in our

  • State National Guards to combine headquarters

    Each state National Guard will combine its top three headquarters into one "joint force headquarters," said Army Lt. Gen. H. Steven Blum, the head of the National Guard Bureau.There are 162 headquarters units in the 54 state and territory National Guard entities and by Oct. 1, 108 of these will no

  • Airman sentenced in first OIF court-martial

    An airman first class from the 405th Expeditionary Munitions Squadron at a forward-deployed location in Southwest Asia pleaded and was found guilty May 18 of larceny and violation of a general lawful order. This was the first Air Force court-martial held at an Operation Iraqi Freedom deployed

  • Enlisted aide upgraded to special duty

    They have been part of the Air Force enlisted force since its beginning, but they have never had a formalized position description or job qualification standard -- until now. The enlisted aide program, now an official Air Force special duty, was authorized the new Air Force Specialty Code of 8A200

  • Love of flight unites Cochran, Yeager

    On the face of it, the long friendship between Jackie Cochran (Odlum) and Chuck Yeager seems a little improbable. Mixing two strong-willed overachievers, both of them whom were known public figures, is more like a formula for conflict.Yet the fighter pilot and the wealthy businesswoman had genuine

  • Zettler: People first in reconstituting force

    As the dust of Operation Iraqi Freedom settles, the Air Force installations and logistics community is turning its attention to the challenge that lies ahead: readying the service for the next big contingency.Replenishing the materiel and equipment reserved for wartime use, rebuilding the munitions

  • Myers praises 64th AEW during visit

    America’s top general stopped briefly at a forward-deployed location May 11 to thank the people of the 64th Air Expeditionary Wing for their contributions to Operation Iraqi Freedom.Gen. Richard B. Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, addressed a crowd of active-duty, Guard and Reserve

  • Air Force eases Stop-Loss restrictions

    Air Force personnel officials announced May 14 the release of more than half of the Air Force specialty codes restricted from retirement or separation May 2 under the Stop-Loss program.Following a review of operational requirements, 31 officer and 20 enlisted career fields were released from

  • Now showing: May 12 edition of AFTVNews

    A list of symptoms and simple precautions to protect airmen against Sudden Acute Respiratory Syndrome are spotlighted in the latest edition of Air Force Television News.Staff Sgt. Joe Wallace’s story on SARS emphasizes the Air Force has not been affected by the virus, thus far, but as a member of

  • Scams target military families, e-mail users

    Although the federal tax filing season ended April 15, the Internal Revenue Service continues to see isolated instances of new tax scams.Two new schemes target families of those serving in the armed forces and e-mail users. In both schemes, people represent themselves as being from the IRS.The IRS

  • Plan will get AEF back on track, fix ‘disparity’

    While many deployed airmen are returning from Operation Iraqi Freedom to hero's welcomes, others deployed for as much as three times longer are still waiting to hear when they will go home.What appears to some as an obvious disparity is actually a case of differing mission objectives, said the

  • CENTCOM's Gen. Franks: 'Iraq's best days are yet to come'

    Fifty-two days after President Bush gave the go-ahead for military action in Iraq, the Army general who led the campaign stood in the Pentagon today and spoke of the mission's successes. "Today, the Iraqi people no longer live in fear of a regime of Saddam Hussein," Gen. Tommy Franks, commander of

  • Guard, Reserve leaders address retention

    The top generals of the Air Force’s reserve components told members of the Senate they are concerned about retention in the coming years.Lt. Gen. Daniel James III, director of the Air National Guard, and Lt. Gen. James E. Sherrard III, chief of Air Force Reserve, met with members of the Senate

  • Airmen blend science of healing with art of caring

    Air Force medical troops are playing an instrumental role in restoring the quality of life of individuals experiencing problems from physical trauma or general “wear and tear.”The seven-person physical therapy team from the 374th Medical Group here provides services that help restore function,

  • CSAF adds books to reading list

    Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper announced May 5 the addition of three books to his recommended reading list.In a Chief’s Sight Picture, Jumper said the new books will help provide a broad understanding of where the service is as an air force, the challenges and demands it faces, and a

  • Robins spouse wins Joan Orr Award

    When her phone rang on an otherwise routine afternoon last week, Tammie Bocook was surprised at what she heard: "Please hold for General Wetekam."In seconds, Maj. Gen. Donald Wetekam, Warner Robins Air Logistics Center commander, was congratulating Bocook on being named winner of the 2003 Joan Orr

  • Pin honors parents, bolsters support

    A new program will help airmen honor those who are often their biggest supporters -- their parents.All uniformed airmen can now sign their parents up to receive a new lapel pin. The pins are about three-fourths inch square and feature a silver letter "P" cradled within the Air Force symbol. A

  • Air Force nursing corps meeting challenges

    The Air Force assistant surgeon general for nursing services met with the Senate Appropriations Committee subcommittee on defense April 30 to discuss the current state of the nursing corps."As we vigorously execute our mission at home and abroad, Air Force nurses and enlisted nursing personnel are

  • Ceremony ends Operation Northern Watch

    The Combined Task Force Operation Northern Watch guidon was encased May 1, in a ceremony signifying the successful end to its mission of enforcing U.N. Security Council Resolutions north of the 36th parallel. Gen. Charles F. Wald, U.S. European Command deputy commander, officiated the ceremony -- an

  • Air Force preparing for next contingency

    Even as deployed airmen return home from Operation Iraqi Freedom, Air Force officials are focusing on what they need to do to reload the service for the next contingency.According to Lt. Gen. Ronald E. Keys, deputy chief of staff for air and space operations, the three priorities in reconstituting

  • Success in Iraq result of lessons learned

    The reason the Air Force performed so well during Operation Iraqi Freedom can be traced back to lessons learned from earlier conflicts, according to the deputy chief of staff for air and space operations at the Pentagon.“We were better trained, better organized and better equipped than we have ever

  • CSAF: Instructor duty vital to future

    The Air Force’s top uniformed leader is stressing the importance and value of instructor duty to all officers.In a Chief’s Sight Picture released in April, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper encouraged officers to invest in the future force by considering instructor opportunities an

  • Space program pioneers meet AF leaders

    The father of the Air Force space program and a key leader in the development of weapons systems such as the Minuteman missile assembled former colleagues here April 23 to 27 for the annual meeting of the "Old Timers."Retired Gen. Bernard A. Schriever led the intercontinental ballistic missile

  • Colonel runs 1,000 miles on deployment

    After completing his goal of running 500 miles during a 90-day tour here, Lt. Col. Rod Matte upped his goal to 1,000 miles when his tour was extended to 150 days.Running about the equivalent of a marathon -- 25 miles -- every two days for the last three weeks, Matte has pushed himself hard to

  • CSAF presents Purple Heart to pararescueman

    After being hit by enemy fire April 18 during a mission in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, Staff Sgt. Robert L. Disney Jr. was on the receiving end of the lifesaving steps he knows well as an Air Force pararescueman.At a Pentagon ceremony April 30, he received a Purple Heart presented by Air

  • Force development prepares airmen for success

    Force-development efforts are under way to ensure the Air Force’s enlisted corps remains the best in the world, said the service’s top enlisted leader.According to Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Gerald R. Murray, force development is simply a methodical approach to giving airmen the tools,

  • One doctor makes up deployed dental flight

    The 380th Air Expeditionary Wing has a dental flight. It is a flight of one.Lt. Col. (Dr.) Alan Sutton is the sole source of minor dental treatment for servicemembers at this forward-deployed location. Treatment includes extractions, fillings, root canals, maintaining orthodontic appliances and

  • Aziz brings total of 'Top 55' in custody to 12

    With Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister and sometime-spokesman Tariq Aziz now in American custody, 12 of the 55 most wanted Iraqis are accounted for, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said today. Rumsfeld said during a noon Pentagon press briefing that coalition forces also have "a number" of other

  • People are the key to air power, CSAF says

    The men and women of the Air Force are the basis of America’s air and space power, according to the Air Force chief of staff.“It’s all about smart people and the tools they’ve used in new and different ways,” Gen. John P. Jumper told an audience April 24 at the National Air and Space Museum

  • Roche, Jumper to speak at academy graduation

    Air Force officials announced April 23 that Dr. James Roche, secretary of the Air Force, and Gen. John Jumper, Air Force chief of staff, will speak at this year's Air Force Academy grauation. "Both personally are very much involved in the Air Force Academy and Air Force military education, and

  • Cooperation key for coalition success, Hailston says

    The key to the success of Operation Iraqi Freedom was the outstanding cooperation among all of the services and coalition partners, the top Marine in the command said today.Speaking from his headquarters in Bahrain, Marine Lt. Gen. Earl Hailston said that force planned and executed the operation as

  • Iraqis need work, paychecks, U.S. administrator says

    American officials are working to reconstitute Iraqi government ministries and get employees back to work and receiving paychecks, the man charged with getting Iraq running again said today.Jay Garner, director of the Pentagon's Office of Reconstruction and Humanitarian Assistance, said in a Baghdad

  • Ground commander lauds land troops' success in Iraq

    Coalition forces are nearing the end of combat operations, but the campaign will continue, the chief of coalition land forces said during an interview from Baghdad.In a videoconferenced briefing with Pentagon reporters, Army Lt. Gen. David McKiernan said the ground campaign against the regime of

  • Coalition takes "Queen of Spades," continues security operations

    The coalition has trumped the Queen of Spades in the Iraqi most-wanted deck.Muhammad Hamza Zubaydi, a former prime minister and member of the Revolutionary Command Council in Iraq, is in coalition custody, said U.S. Central Command officials. He is the highest-ranking member of the former regime

  • Air Force names legal award winners

    Air Force office of the judge advocate general officials have named the winners of their 2002 annual awards. They are:-- Albert M. Kuhfeld Award for judge advocate of the year: Maj. James K. Floyd, Air Force Legal Services Agency, Bolling Air Force Base, D.C.-- Reginald C. Harmon Award for Air

  • New ID cards are secure, ready

    The high-tech identification common access card currently replacing the familiar green ID card worldwide is secure and proven in combat, despite some rumors to the contrary."Worries are unfounded" that the new ID cards are easily accessible to identity thieves or even hostile forces, said Chief

  • Air component commander updates troops on Operation Iraqi Freedom

    Lt. Gen. T. Michael Moseley, the Operation Iraqi Freedom Combined Forces Air Component commander, visited this deployed location recently to update the troops on Operation Iraqi Freedom and to award a B-1B Lancer flight crew from the 405th Air Expeditionary Wing Distinguished Flying Crosses for

  • Air Force, Central Command set war trophy policy

    Servicemembers deployed supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom may be tempted to bring home souvenirs of their war experience, but Air Force legal officials are urging them to think twice. Depending on the item, bringing home a "war trophy" could lead to court-martial, said Lt. Col. Karen L. Manos,

  • SARS has minor impact on upcoming exercises

    With major combat operations for Operation Iraqi Freedom wrapping up, airmen are watching the news closely for a potential new enemy -- Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome.Recent intense media coverage may make it seem as though the virus, known as SARS, is spreading uncontrollably. However, the

  • Another regime leader captured; Coalition forces transition

    Iraqi Kurds handed over the Ba'ath Party regional command chairman for East Baghdad to coalition special operations forces yesterday, U.S. Central Command officials said this morning.Samir abd al-Aziz al-Najim was the "4" of clubs in the deck of cards issued to coalition troops to identify the 55

  • Doolittle Raiders honor fallen comrades

    The Doolittle Raiders held their traditional goblet ceremony April 16 during the group's 61st annual reunion, held here and in the local community this week. During the goblet ceremony, the men toast with cognac and then turn over the goblets of those who have died since the last meeting.Each

  • U.S. airfield troops sustain operations, assist Iraqi populace

    U.S. Army and Air Force troops at an airfield in southern Iraq are providing military air and logistical support -- and much-needed medical and other assistance to local Iraqis."Now that we've transitioned to the post-hostility phase, we're really getting our medical people out into the local

  • Surgeon's skills stay sharp helping base

    The doctor and nurses, shrouded in gowns, gloves and facemasks, lay stainless-steel scalpels and clamps neatly on the plastic-covered tray next to the patient.One of the nurses squeezes around the operating stretcher to adjust the overhead lamps while the doctor picks up his tools and prepares to

  • U.S. war leader visits airmen

    The leader of U.S. Central Command stopped April 18 at a forward-deployed bomber location to show his appreciation for the job the airmen here have done.Army Gen. Tommy Franks gave a hearty "thanks" to more than 1,200 airmen who supported and flew 100-plus B-52 Stratofortress combat missions in

  • Operation Iraqi Freedom marks new way of war fighting

    The successful application of teamwork and technology in Operation Iraqi Freedom marks a turning point in American war fighting, the U.S. military's senior officer said here April 16."What we've done in Iraq has been dramatically different" than how the American military has fought wars since the

  • Joint effort stands up Iraqi air base

    The Army said it was "austere." The Air Force called it "downright primitive."Regardless of the description, commanders on both sides agree the effort to turn an Iraqi air base into a coalition operations hub has been one of the finest examples of teamwork seem so far during Operation Iraqi

  • Schriever navigator makes movie magic

    He has been a Confederate infantryman, a Union surgeon and a prisoner of war killed at the Battle of the Bulge, but his best role is a navigator with the Air Force Space Command Battle Lab here.As a Hollywood extra, Maj. Allen Vickrey enjoys working in historic epics that bring the past to

  • U.S., U.K. medical forces work together

    Wounded British forces may speak the same language as some of their new medics, but they definitely have a different accent.Air Force medical teams have joined British forces to receive and care for British soldiers evacuated to a deployed Operation Iraqi Freedom location. While United Kingdom

  • Coalition forces still conducting operations

    While major combat action is certainly winding down in Iraq, coalition forces are still conducting operations in the country, said U.S. Central Command officials in Qatar today.In Al Ramadi April 15, a commander with the 3rd Infantry Division accepted the capitulation of the Iraqi regular army 12th

  • U.S. troops to be in Iraq 'not one day longer' than necessary, Myers says

    American troops will be in Iraq "as long as required and not one day longer," the U.S. military's senior officer said here today.Saddam Hussein's regime is history and "the process of returning Iraq to the Iraqi people has begun," Air Force Gen. Richard B. Myers, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of