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  • Memo serving as officer career guide

    A recent memorandum from the secretary of the Air Force regarding the selection process for general officers could very well serve as a guide to all officers -- regardless of rank -- as they chart out their careers.The memorandum is one of a series of initiatives designed to help explain how

  • AQ implementing force development

    A milestone was reached when the Air Force's first officer development team met recently at the Pentagon.The teams are a central part of implementing the Air Force's Total Force Development concept. The concept is outlined in the November edition of the Chief's Sight Picture, said Lt. Col. Mark

  • Design for Air Force memorial unveiled

    For the better part of the past century, the men and women of the Air Force and its predecessors have soared high above the clouds in defense of the nation and freedom-loving people everywhere.Those ideals will soon be reflected in a memorial designed to reach high into the skyline of the nation's

  • Two Osan airmen receive federal convictions

    Two airmen here received federal convictions during two separate courts-martial recently.Senior Airman Lucinda F. Shaw from the 303rd Intelligence Squadron pleaded not guilty to all charges and specifications against her during a special court-martial. She was charged with disrespecting her section

  • Proper protection can negate bioterror weapons

    The Air Force Medical Service's biggest challenge in saving lives and sustaining combat capability after a bioterror attack hinges on rapidly translating complex biological systems data into "operationally significant information," according to the Air Force surgeon general."It can take from days to

  • Leaders address sexual assault at academy

    The Air Force's senior leaders vowed March 3 to work closely with Congress to uncover the facts behind recent sexual assault cases and to address the broader climate at the U.S. Air Force Academy in a comprehensive manner."There is no place in our Air Force for anyone who would assault a woman,

  • UAVs may play increasing operational role

    The Air Force's deputy chief of staff for air and space operations is cautiously optimistic about the growing role of unmanned aerial vehicles and remotely piloted vehicles in future conflicts."We're in a position where technology and miniaturization can now begin to give us things we haven't been

  • Roche: 'We must not commission any criminal'

    The Air Force is committed to rid the Air Force Academy of anyone who would sexually assault another, the service's secretary told members of the House Armed Services Committee on Feb. 27."We have a very simple proposition," Air Force Secretary Dr. James G. Roche told committee chairman Rep. Duncan

  • Defense acquisition system due for change

    America produces the world's best military aerospace hardware but other nations are pulling ahead, the Air Force senior executive told lawmakers Feb. 27.Secretary of the Air Force Dr. James G. Roche told members of the House Armed Services Committee that apparent contradiction is the result of a

  • Air Force reaches 75 percent deployment-capable rate

    In just more than a year, the number of "deployable" airmen has increased to nearly 75 percent of all Air Force members.That increase reflects a growth of nearly 100,000 in just the past year.The increase in deployment rolls is not because more people joined the service. According to Maj. Gen.

  • Protocol, aide de camp special duties move

    By May, the special-duty positions of protocol officer and aide de camp will become regular duty as part of the Air Force services career field.Those officers holding these positions will gain a new Air Force specialty code -- 34M -- services April 30. The change is part of an Air Force move to

  • Air Force rethinks air operations centers

    The Air Force needs to start thinking of its air operations centers as weapon systems if the service wants to remain the best in the world, the deputy chief of staff for air and space operations said."The AOC is fundamental to what makes us great as an Air Force," Lt. Gen. Ronald E. Keys said. "If

  • Donations bring joy to children

    The left-handed nine-iron was a little tattered around the edges, showed a few scars and had been discarded by someone who had no more use for it. Remarkably, it had a lot in common with the 10-year-old boy who was delighted to be its new owner.It did not matter that Jerome Espinoza had never

  • Group investigates Air Force sexual assault policies

    Several members of a working group created by the secretary of the Air Force to review the service's sexual assault policies began gathering information here Feb. 19.Dr. James G. Roche recently directed the Air Force's general counsel to lead the group looking at how the service deals with sexual

  • Strategy school changes name, expands

    To reflect the growing importance of space capabilities to the warfighter and the need for air and space strategists, Air University's School of Advanced Airpower Studies is changing its name and expanding.For the newly named School of Advanced Air and Space Studies here, the student body will

  • NCO guilty of possessing child porn

    A 607th Air and Space Communications Squadron noncommissioned officer was found guilty of taking indecent liberties with a minor and possession of child pornography by a military judge during a general court-martial here Feb. 10.Staff Sgt. Gery B. Cook pleaded not guilty to the charge of attempted

  • Use common sense when posting to Internet, officials say

    Recent advances in technology have Air Force officials urging airmen to use common sense and remember operations security when posting on the Internet.An item of special concern is the placement of photos of forward operating bases on personal Web sites. What has officials worried is the

  • Air bases in Germany getting change of guard

    German troops will start providing some security at three Air Force bases in Germany this month to help ease the workload on security forces there.An historic memorandum of understanding signed Feb. 13 by U.S. and German military officials cleared the way for the unprecedented assistance, said Maj.

  • GPS jamming no 'silver bullet' for potential adversaries

    Iraq and other potential adversaries may have the ability to jam global positioning system signals, but Air Force war planners are not too worried about the effect of jamming on precision munitions.In fact, it is a challenge they have been anticipating for a long time, and they are confident in

  • C-17 test team conducts airdrop tests

    An Air Force test team set out from here Feb. 2 on a C-17 Globemaster III to conduct egress and airdrop tests with help from soldiers at Fort Bragg, N.C.Each of the tests supports a combat mission needs statement from Air Mobility Command. The egress testing will evaluate the emergency procedures

  • Secretary, chief send Columbia message

    The following is a joint message from Secretary of the Air Force Dr. James G. Roche and Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper:"On Saturday, 1 February 2003, our nation and the world lost seven courageous, talented individuals when the Space Shuttle Columbia Orbiter (STS-107) experienced

  • Helping a hand

    Staff Sgt. Raymond Escorido (left), Lt. Col. (Dr). John Baldauf and Capt. (Dr.) Jim Lau prepare for surgery on the hand of a patient at a forward-deployed location supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. Escorido is an operating room scrub technician, Baldauf is an orthopedic surgeon, and Lau is a

  • Force modules give commanders 'playbook'

    The Air Force is developing a "playbook" that will allow combatant commanders to better manage their air assets, particularly in the area of opening and establishing forward bases.According to Maj. Gen. Timothy A. Peppe, special assistant for air and space expeditionary forces at the Pentagon, the

  • Artists document Air Force history with art

    First-time visitors to the Pentagon might expect to see star-studded generals and high-tech "war rooms." What they might not expect is that the walls of this 60-year-old building not only frame its famous catacomb hallways, but also double as an art gallery.The Air Force Art Program is responsible

  • AF cancels B-1 defensive upgrade

    Air Force officials recently announced that the service was canceling the B-1B Lancer's Defensive System Upgrade Program because of cost overruns and schedule slips, but remains committed to improving the aircraft's combat capability.The DSUP was intended to replace the B-1's current defensive suite

  • Team provides airborne intensive care

    Moving critically injured and sick troops from the front lines to larger and better-equipped military medical facilities is the job of the Air Force Critical Care Air Transport Team based at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan.The team works with Air Force aerial medical evacuation specialists to provide

  • Committee focuses on servicewomen

    Here is bad news for folks who argue that women do not belong in the military: Recruitment and retention rates are up; their roles in the military continue to grow; and they are just as good as men at their jobs -- or better."Naysayers" may find the above facts discouraging, but they are good news

  • Air Force moves to institutionalize enterprise architecture

    Leaders of the Air Force's information technology, warfighting integration and operations communities took a major step recently to further the service's transformation efforts by creating the Air Force enterprise architecture council structure.Enterprise architecture is a formal process designed to

  • Leaders announce new core competencies

    The Air Force's senior leaders debuted the service's new approach to describing its core competencies this week.Secretary of the Air Force Dr. James G. Roche and Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper made this announcement in two separate messages to all airmen. Roche released his first "The

  • Officials say draft not necessary

    The all-volunteer force took nearly a generation to come to fruition, but has since proved its worth in combat.Thirty years after then-Defense Secretary Melvin R. Laird established the all- volunteer force, some politicians are again calling for resumption of a military draft. Defense leaders are

  • Air Force risks air dominance without F/A-22

    Without the F/A-22 Raptor, the Air Force could face losing its lead in fighter aviation to other nations, said Maj. Gen. John D. W. Corley, director of Air Force Global Power Programs at the Pentagon."We need this aircraft," Corley said. "It's the only new U.S. aircraft that will be able to put

  • Pope combat controller awarded Air Force Cross

    Senior Air Force leaders awarded the Air Force Cross to Tech. Sgt. John Chapman here Jan. 10.Chapman, a combat controller killed in Afghanistan while saving the lives of his entire team, was posthumously awarded the Air Force Cross, which is second only to the Medal of Honor as an award for

  • Wings of Blue strike gold

    The U.S. Air Force Academy Wings of Blue parachute competition team won gold medals in each skydiving event and received 31 out of 44 total medals at the National Collegiate Parachute Championship in Eloy, Ariz., recently.The team competed in three events: style, accuracy and four-way. The style

  • Air Force begins smallpox vaccines

    The Air Force chief of staff has directed the immediate implementation of the smallpox vaccination program.In a Jan. 6 policy memorandum to major command commanders, Gen. John P. Jumper outlined details of the commanders' force protection program against the deadly biological warfare agent.The first

  • ARPC announces colonel promotions

    The Air Reserve Personnel Center here announced Jan. 9 the 2003 Air Force Reserve colonel promotion selection board results that selected 229 officers for promotion.The list of officers selected is available on the ARPC Web site at arpc.afrc.af.mil under "Promotions."A selection board convened at

  • Officer assignments move beyond 'seven-day option'

    Following secretary of the Air Force guidance, Air Force Personnel Center officials reviewed and improved what was called the "seven-day option" policy for officer assignments.Those officers who would be eligible to separate or retire instead of taking an assignment will now get more than seven days

  • Leaders stress winter safety

    With the winter season firmly in place and bitter weather gripping the nation, the service's senior leaders urge Air Force members to be safety-conscious."The mission, travel, weather and distractions caused by family separations all factor into increased risk," said Secretary of the Air Force Dr.

  • Former Soviet officer joins Air Force

    When stories about job changes come up in conversation, it is hard to top 2nd Lt. Chris Sverkounov.The recent Air and Space Basic Course student here went from being a lieutenant in the Soviet army to a commission in the U.S. Air Force."I'm extremely excited about being an officer again," said

  • Air Force leaders send holiday message

    The following is a holiday message from Gen. John P. Jumper, Air Force chief of staff, and Dr. James. G. Roche, secretary of the Air Force:"In this season of thanksgiving and reverent celebration, we send our warmest wishes to our entire Air Force team of active, Guard, Reserve, civilian and retired

  • AF, Navy form alliance to better meet education needs

    The Air Force and Navy formed an agreement Dec. 18 to meet the advanced education requirements of both services and the Department of Defense.This educational alliance will leverage the capabilities of the Air Force Institute of Technology at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, and the Naval

  • Special forces join combined planning operation

    Members of the 353rd Special Operations Group, Kadena Air Base, Japan, joined with members of South Korea's Special Warfare Command here recently to plan the critical first few days of a potential conflict on the Korean Peninsula.For two weeks, planners, flight crews and intelligence experts

  • A rad reading

    Senior Airman Pamela Wiggins from the 810th Medical Operations Squadron here tests a 21st Security Forces Squadron member for radiation contamination during a weapons-of-mass-destruction exercise Dec. 11. The 21st Space Wing inspector general and a team of experts from Texas A&M University put the

  • Air Force kicks off Centennial of Flight celebration

    The Air Force joins the yearlong Centennial of Flight celebration on Dec. 17 that commemorates the 100th anniversary of the Wright brothers' first powered flight.The Air Force will participate in centennial events honoring a century of aviation heroes and communicate its contributions to airpower,

  • Forces rotate for Operation Northern Watch

    More than 1,000 airmen are replacing Operation Northern Watch veterans as the Air and Space Expeditionary Force system performs its regular three-month rotation from late November through the first part of December.Based at Incirlik Air Base, Turkey, the new airmen join Turkish and British coalition

  • Combat weather teams key in mission planning

    When reporters describe the successes of the air war on terrorism, they frequently speak of special operations forces using global positioning system receivers and radios to direct laser-guided bombs to their targets.These stories are accurate and make for good video, but they only touch the surface

  • 'Spirit of Strom Thurmond' honors senator's 100 years

    The Air Force commemorated the 100th birthday of one of the longest-serving U.S. senators by naming its newest aircraft in his honor Dec. 12.The 100th C-17 Globemaster III to roll off the assembly line was christened the "Spirit of Strom Thurmond" in a ceremony here seven days after the senator's

  • Students take giant steps using new technology

    Airman David Golas is a lot more confident working with the KC-10 Extender aircraft because he has observed, close up, the systems that make the aircraft work.With the education he received here at the 373rd Training Squadron's Detachment 1, he can trace electronic circuits, track fuel flow and

  • CAP national commander, vice receive stars

    Civil Air Patrol National Commander Major General Richard L. Bowling addresses the audience following his promotion here Dec. 3. The position was upgraded to major general by the Air Force chief of staff in November because of the organization's planned role in homeland security. The CAP is the

  • Jumper emphasizes total force development during visit

    Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper met recently with airmen here who support operations Northern Watch and Enduring Freedom.The stop was one of many Jumper and Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Gerald Murray are making to observe overseas operations and visit troops during the holiday

  • Medical offical issues notice on ephedra risks

    The Air Force's surgeon general has issued a notice to airmen on the potential risks associated with dietary supplements that contain ephedra, following the death of a young Air Force member in early November.Medical notices are released by clinical quality management division officials from the Air

  • Officials may change Air Force fitness program

    Air Force health officials are proposing a change to the service's fitness program to help airmen place a greater emphasis on their overall health and well-being.Many airmen incorrectly think that the Air Force fitness program is cycle ergometry, according to Maj. Lisa Schmidt, chief of health

  • Lessons of war drive Air Force doctrine

    The Air Force uses the lessons "learned from the blood, sweat, tears, and sometimes death of Americans in the skies" to prepare its doctrine, said Maj. Gen. Dave MacGhee, commander of the Air Force Doctrine Center at Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.MacGhee visited here recently to discuss what Air Force

  • Air Force investigates potential F/A-22 cost overrun

    Air Force officials announced Nov. 7 a potential cost overrun of up to $690 million in the engineering, manufacturing and development phase of the F/A-22 program.The potential overrun appears to be related to achieving cost and schedule in the developmental phase of the program, officials said. It

  • New history section debuts on Air Force Link

    Air Force Link, the official Web site of the U.S. Air Force, launched a new history and heritage section Nov. 8 to coincide with Veterans Day and the upcoming 100th anniversary of powered flight.The new section documents the achievements of airpower, starting from the early days of wooden-wing

  • Maintenance group focusing on core competencies

    Wings around the Air Force are creating maintenance groups as part of a move toward the new combat wing organization structure.The changes are in accordance with a recent directive by Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper that maintenance groups be stood up and have attained initial

  • Program helps prevent, deal with domestic violence

    The Department of Defense considers all forms of family violence as unacceptable and provides extensive resources that focus on prevention, intervention and treatment.The Air Force's Family Advocacy Program, charged with the prevention and treatment of family maltreatment, has the shared goal of

  • Mass re-enlistment honors birthday

    Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper recites the oath of enlistment at a mass re-enlistment ceremony honoring the service's 55th birthday Sept. 19. Participating in the ceremony were 55 airmen from the surrounding National Capitol Region. (Photo by Staff Sgt. Michael R. Holzworth)

  • Phoenix Readiness to become 'graduate-level' training

    Expeditionary combat support personnel throughout the Air Force will soon have more opportunities to get "graduate-level training" in the art of building and operating an air base from scratch.Phoenix Readiness, the Air Mobility Command-run training program operated by the Air Mobility Warfare

  • Improving quality of life one of AF's top challenges

    Acknowledging that the current operations tempo has placed a severe strain on airmen, the secretary of the Air Force told the service's first sergeants that supporting quality of life issues is one of his top priorities. "I view this as one of the Air Force's most critical challenges," said Dr.