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  • Academy grad named 2006 MWC male student-athlete

    U.S. Air Force Academy 2006 graduate Matt Karmondy was honored as the Mountain West Conference Male Student-Athlete of the Year. Established by the Mountain West Conference Joint Council in 1999, the award is the highest honor presented to a student-athlete by the league. The award is bestowed

  • Logistics sleuths solve mysteries of disappearing parts

    By finding aircraft parts that are missing, misrouted or stranded in transit, a multi-organizational team led by Air Force Materiel Command's warfighter sustainment division is returning more of the capability to warfighters when they need it. AFMC members helped recover parts worth $4.5 million in

  • AFSO 21 streamlines logistics processes

    Airmen with the 39th Logistics Readiness Squadron Material Management Flight are implementing a new way of thinking by streamlining their process of asset distribution at Incirlik and collocating people into one building. "We are wringing out the water and giving time back to our Airmen," said Capt.

  • Falcons ready to recapture Commander-in-Chief's Trophy

    For Air Force Academy football players, last season was one to be remembered, but not so much for the things athletes normally enjoy reminiscing. As players walked victoriously from the field after blowing out New Mexico with a strong 42-24 win in the 2005 season finale, it felt good to finish

  • SGLI premium rate changes July 1

    The monthly premium rate for basic Servicemember's Group Life Insurance increases by 5 cents per month for each $10,000 of coverage, from 65 cents per month per $10,000 to 70 cents per month per $10,000, effective July 1. On the same date, family SGLI premiums will decrease across the board. The

  • Laughlin students keep air traffic controllers busy

    Just outside this small border town, with its low-key appearance and down-home lifestyle, Airmen control the Air Force's sixth busiest runway. Airmen of the 47th Operations Support Squadron's air traffic control complex at Laughlin Air Force Base, Texas, operate in a unique training environment.

  • Spouses overseas get funding to pursue degrees

    Diane Rhinehart is ready to compete in the job market once she and her active-duty husband return to the United States next summer. During her stay here, the mother of four has completed her master's degree in education from the University of Phoenix with the help of the Air Force. Mrs. Rhinehart is

  • Direct hire authority offers flexible civilian recruitment

    Direct hire authority provides Air Force managers the capability to hire employees when the Office of Personnel Management determines a severe candidate shortage or critical hiring need exists. Working with civilian personnel flight specialists, the program allows managers to recruit and hire

  • Chief of staff presents sergeant with Purple Heart Medal

    A sergeant severely wounded in action in Afghanistan received the Purple Heart Medal today, pinned on his chest by the Air Force chief of staff. Staff Sgt. Israel del Toro Jr. accepted the medal from Gen. T. Michael Moseley at a ceremony at Brooke Army Medical Center at Fort Sam Houston in San

  • Electronic claims enhance Tricare pharmacy benefit

    Tricare beneficiaries with other health insurance no longer have to file paper claims for prescriptions filled at most retail pharmacies. Retail pharmacists can immediately submit electronic claims to Tricare when beneficiaries purchase medications. "It is a great example of how collaboration with

  • 'Lean tools' hammer waste, improve processes

    Many people within Air Force Materiel Command associate toolboxes with maintenance-oriented jobs. However, with the renewed emphasis on continuous improvement, more people are turning to their "Lean" toolbox. This toolbox contains various Lean improvement tools that are part of Air Force Smart

  • Retraining program achieves 95 percent success

    The NCO Retraining Program, designed to balance the enlisted force by moving NCOs from career fields with overages to those with shortages, has reached an unprecedented 95 percent of the Air Staff goal for the fiscal 2006 program. This is the most successful NCORP to date, said officials from the

  • Air Force announces aviation resource management awards

    Air Force officials have announced the 2005 Outstanding Air Force Aviation Resource Management of the Year award winners.The winners are: -- Airman of the Year: Senior Airman April Derrick, 384th Air Refueling Squadron, McConnell Air Force Base, Kan. -- NCO of the Year: Tech. Sgt. Clayton Raub, 48th

  • Balancing capability portfolios key to Air Force success

    Every day, news headlines tout successes of the U.S. military in Iraq and Afghanistan, but seldom make mention of Air Force contributions. Air Force Vice Chief of Staff Gen. John D. W. Corley told lawmakers and defense industry insiders on Capitol Hill June 14 that that lack of coverage doesn't mean

  • Mosquitoes in the desert?

    There are mosquitoes, along with spiders, snakes, wild dogs and a variety of other animals and plants, at Kirkuk and other deployed locations that can cause Airmen problems. But there are two units here fighting against these lesser-known enemies to the Air Force mission: the 506th Expeditionary

  • AFMC introduces 'Community of Practice' Web site

    The Air Force Materiel Command Inspector General is making business easier with a new Community of Practice, or CoP, Web site. The CoP allows IG team members to collaborate with each other at the home station and on the road, said Col. Henry Andrews Jr., inspector general.“It’s a better way

  • Northern Edge 2006 takes joint operations to next level

    Exercise Northern Edge 2006, Alaska's largest joint training exercise, concluded June 16.Nearly 5,000 Soldiers, Sailors, Marines and Airmen worked together against a simulated enemy for two weeks, destroying targets on land and in the sea, gaining control of the Alaskan sky and performing

  • Air Force names 12 Outstanding Airmen of the Year

    Air Force officials have selected the service's top enlisted members, naming the 12 Outstanding Airmen of the Year for 2006. An Air Force selection board at the Air Force Personnel Center here considered 33 nominees who represented major commands, direct reporting units, field operating agencies and

  • Lackland honors nine enlisted heroes

    Nine enlisted heroes earned honors for their service and sacrifice to the Air Force and the nation during the Basic Military Training Memorialization Ceremony at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas. At the June 14 ceremony, the base renamed and dedicated basic military training facilities to nine Airmen

  • Air Force announces integration, information award winners

    The winners of the Air Force’s annual Warfighting Integration and Chief Information Officer Awards for 2005 have been announced. “Each year, the quality of the nominations we receive shows we have troops at every level of command who continue to excel in conducting warfighter missions around the

  • Letter to Airmen focuses on personal financial management

    In the latest Letter to Airmen, Secretary of the Air Force Michael W. Wynne and Chief of Staff of the Air Force T. Michael Moseley discuss personal financial management. “Although we often see our professional life in a very disciplined way, we sometimes don't realize how our personal well-being

  • Sijan awards presented at Pentagon

    The four Airmen selected to receive the 2005 Lance P. Sijan Air Force Leadership Award were presented their awards at the Pentagon June 13.Lt. Gen. Arthur J. Lichte, Air Force assistant vice chief of staff and director of staff, presented the awards to:-- Lt. Col. Gerald Ven Dange, Defense Contract

  • Quarterly assignment listing available in July

    The Enlisted Quarterly Assignment Listing, or EQUAL, will be available July 11 for Airmen returning from overseas and for continental United States mandatory movers from November through January 2007. Airmen need to work through their military personnel flight or their commander's support staff to

  • Keesler newcomers face family housing hurdles

    As this base struggles with housing shortages from Hurricane Katrina's wake, Airmen being assigned here accompanied by family members need to have a plan before they leave their current assignment. Due to Katrina, permission for servicemembers to bring their family members to Keesler has become much

  • Selective re-enlistment bonus changes for 14 specialties

    Air Force officials have announced changes to the selective re-enlistment bonus program. A message from Headquarters Air Force, dated May 24, 2006, indicated changes to the program for 14 Air Force Specialty Codes. Those changes follow a thorough review of the SRB program, and are part of the Air

  • Air Force recognizes judge advocates for excellence

    The office of the Judge Advocate General of the Air Force has announced the winners of the Judge Advocate General 2005 Annual Awards. Winners of the 2005 awards include: -- Kuhfeld Award for Outstanding Young Judge Advocate: Maj. Charles Plummer, staff judge advocate, 501st Combat Support Wing,

  • Bracing for the storm

    It’s hurricane season again, and Air Force bases along the Southern coastline are bracing for what many experts are predicting could be another busy summer. In 2005, four major hurricanes -- Dennis, Katrina, Rita and Wilma -- combined to produce more than $1 billion in damage to Air Force

  • AFMC delivers capability that helps take out al-Zarqawi

    The Air Force’s latest contribution to the ongoing war on terrorism took center stage June 7 when an air strike against an identified, isolated safe house north of Baghdad killed terrorist leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, head of al-Qaida in Iraq. Air Force Materiel Command developed, acquired, tested

  • VA beefs up data security procedures

    The Department of Veterans Affairs is revamping its data security procedures following last month's theft of a VA laptop computer that contained personal information of veterans and military personnel still in uniform, the secretary of the VA told a congressional committee. "We will stay focused on

  • Force shaping necessary for AF budgetary management

    As Air Force officials continue to implement 2006 force shaping initiatives, they prepare for the majority of personnel reductions set for fiscal 2007. They plan to reduce the service's current size by 40,000 full time equivalent positions by 2011. This amounts to roughly 35,000 active duty

  • First group of Air Force civilians now part of NSPS

    Although there have been only two pay periods since the Department of Defense’s new civilian pay system began, the transition to the National Security Personnel System has been smooth, said an NSPS official here. “The system conversion to NSPS went very well,” said Deborah Carlton, NSPS deputy chief

  • Stolen VA records: Airmen urged to be vigilant

    Air Force officials are asking Airmen to stay extra vigilant in protecting their credit and themselves from identity theft in light of the recent theft of 26.5 million veteran’s records from the home of a Department of Veterans Affairs employee in May. The VA announced over the weekend that the

  • Assignment opportunities expand for Code-C Airmen

    Some previously restricted Airmen now may be assigned permanently or on temporary duty to any stateside base with a medical facility or to certain overseas bases with a medical facility because of recent changes to Air Force Instruction 41-210, “Patient Administration Functions,” and the initiation

  • No flight plan, no Northern Edge

    The echoes of jet engines roaring over the snow-capped Chugach Mountains are a thrilling byproduct of many moving parts comprised of U.S. servicemembers on the ground. The 3rd Operations Support Squadron Airfield Management Office here creates flight plans for more than 70 aircraft a day and

  • AETC housing privatization on track

    Despite delays caused by Hurricane Katrina, Air Education and Training Command is still on track to meet its goal of privatizing 100 percent of military family housing. The Housing Privatization Initiative was approved by the Department of Defense in 1996 as a more timely and cost-effective way to

  • Housing privatization embraces Smart Operations 21

    The Air Force housing privatization process is taking a leaner, more efficient approach to getting the job done by developing one central management center, Air Force officials said recently. “The secretary of the Air Force challenged us to find a better way to manage and broker deals and successful

  • New fuels system saving Air Force time, money

    Airmen here are refueling aircraft faster than ever before and doing it with fewer people, thanks to the next generation of fuels mobility support equipment. The new system is called Fuels Operational Readiness Capability Equipment, or FORCE. This equipment is making life easier for Airmen and

  • Reserve offers released lieutenants chance to serve

    Air Force lieutenants involuntarily separated as a result of force reductions have until Aug. 1 to join the Air Force Reserve to continue their military careers without a break in service. On May 10, the Air Force released the names of 884 lieutenants who are to be involuntarily separated because of

  • Leaders hold key to AFSO 21 success

    A cornerstone of the secretary of the Air Force’s tenure is Air Force Smart Operations 21. He recently said that Air Force leaders hold the key to success for the initiative. "I have told our leaders that we cannot allow AFSO 21 to escape the wing leadership, whether that is the wing commander,

  • AFSO 21 initiative leads to safer flying at Lakenheath

    As Air Force Smart Operations 21 went Air Force-wide this year, the 48th Fighter Wing here jump-started its program with weekly AFSO 21 initiatives briefed at wing stand-up. “I want every Airman, civilian and (Ministry of Defense) employee on this base to understand, first of all, what AFSO 21 is,

  • Airmen set sail aboard USNS Mercy for humanitarian mission

    Three Airmen from the 374th Medical Group here are deployed to the U.S. Navy hospital ship, USNS Mercy, as it travels through Southeast Asia on a humanitarian mission.The mission is an opportunity for a U.S. team consisting of medical professionals from the Air Force, Army and Navy to work with

  • Airmen expand horizons through education

    The commandant and the superintendent of the Community College of the Air Force recently visited here and shared their views on the importance of pursuing higher education.Col. Thomas Klincar, the commandant, spoke of the bond he felt with the base.“I am especially excited to be here for the (CCAF)

  • National Guard program helps at-risk teens

    The Hawaii National Guard Youth Challenge Academy is a 22-week program designed to help troubled or at-risk teens. It gives the 16- to 18-year-olds a second chance to focus, get a high school diploma and acquire the skills they will need to lead a productive life. Although the academy uses a

  • VA working to prevent future information loss

    The Department of Veterans Affairs has begun a thorough examination of policies and procedures after the loss of 26.5 million veterans' personal information, the VA's leader told the House Armed Services Committee May 25. "I've formed a task force ... to examine comprehensively all of our

  • Senate confirms General Hayden as CIA director

    By a 78-15 vote, the Senate today confirmed Air Force Gen. Michael V. Hayden as CIA director. General Hayden, who has served under John D. Negroponte as principal deputy director of national intelligence since April 2005, succeeds Porter Goss. "I commend the Senate for confirming Michael Hayden as

  • Air Force reconsiders retention for 192 lieutenants

    The Air Force recently notified 844 lieutenants that they would not be retained as a result of the April 2006 Force Shaping Board. An anomaly with some records during the board process means 192 of the lieutenants not selected for retention will have their records reconsidered by a special board

  • Chaplain team here to serve

    Being deployed doesn’t mean an Airman’s spiritual involvement or fellowship with other members of his or her faith has to be neglected. The 380th Air Expeditionary Wing’s base chapel is a source of continued spiritual support of worship opportunities and counseling services for deployed

  • DOD officials defining roles for disaster response

    With hurricane season nearing, the Defense Department has tremendous assets to offer a civilian-led response to a major disaster, said a top DOD official involved in the process. "Those assets are ready for deployment, and ... we are better prepared than at any point in our nation's history to move

  • DOD works to further reduce military suicides

    Suicide rates within the military are about half those in the civilian military-aged population, but the Defense Department is reaching out to its members to help further reduce the incidence of suicide within the ranks, a top military doctor said. The suicide rate for military members during 2005

  • Air Force Services announces LeMay, Eubank winners

    Each year, the Air Force recognizes the best Services units by presenting the Gen. Curtis E. LeMay and the Maj. Gen. Eugene L. Eubank awards. The LeMay trophy recognizes the best unit in the large base category, bases with 6,000 or more military and civilians assigned. The Eubank trophy recognizes

  • VA urges caution after theft of personal information

    Veterans Affairs officials announced May 22 the theft of personal information on up to 26.5 million veterans. However, VA Secretary R. James Nicholson stressed there's no indication the information is being used for purposes of fraud. "We at the VA have recently learned that an employee here, a data

  • BASH program teamwork protects Travis jets from bird strikes

    Bird strikes are a major concern for Air Force bases. They cost the Air Force more than $53 million in fiscal 2004 and $21 million in 2005. Even though the total cost showed a decrease in 2005, the total number of bird strikes reported by aircrew and aircraft maintenance members continues to rise

  • Runway repair reduces FOD at Balad

    The Air Force, along with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and civilian contractors, is repairing a section of runway here that is showing signs of decay. The runway was not designed to accommodate heavy aircraft such as the C-5 Galaxy and the C-17 Globemaster III. The aircraft have taken a toll on

  • Air Force announces OTS selection board results

    One hundred seventy-seven men and women have been selected for the opportunity to become Air Force officers, officials here announced May 19.Of those, 37 enlisted members earned the chance to attend Officer Training School and trade their stripes for gold bars as second lieutenants.   The Air Force

  • New engine repair shop saves time, money

    Maintainers from the 386th Expeditionary Maintenance Group now have the capability to repair C-130 Hercules engines and propellers in Southwest Asia. This new capability has cut down repair time and is key to getting the aircraft back in the air performing the mission. In the past, if a propeller or

  • AFIT team wins national case study competition

    A select panel of distinguished senior U.S. Department of State diplomats and executives yesterday chose four students from the Air Force Institute of Technology as the winners of its national case study competition. The team, consisting of Majs. Timothy Kirk, Ita Udoaka and Carolyn Wood

  • Geospatial-Intelligence Agency provides more than just maps

    It might not be a household name like, say, the CIA, but the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency is an integral part of the U.S. intelligence community. Geospatial intelligence is the collecting and analysis of satellite imagery of the earth's surface. The mission of the agency, headquartered

  • AF official praises Keesler recovery, emphasizes challenges ahead

    Having visited just days after Hurricane Katrina ravaged the base, the Air Force’s point man for installations returned here May 11 to assess Keesler’s overall progress toward full restoration. Lt. Gen. Donald Wetekam, Air Force deputy chief of staff for logistics, installations and mission support,

  • ICC: Coming soon to a base near you

    When a crisis happens on base, wing leaders and representatives from various support agencies often will huddle in the wing command post. Operating from this nerve center, they direct emergency services, assess situations and come up with solutions during crises. But the days of the traditional

  • C-17 pilot receives Koren Kolligian Jr. Trophy

    The skies over West Texas March 10, 2005 could have come right off a picture postcard:  blue, cloudless and so clear you could see horizon to horizon. It was, as one Air Force pilot put it, a perfect day for flying. Capt. Andreas Ix and his C-17 Globemaster III aircrew were participating in a

  • Civil Air Patrol teen earns Spaatz Award

    A 16-year-old Civil Air Patrol cadet received the highest CAP cadet honor from the Air Force chief of staff during a Pentagon ceremony here May 11. Recognizing Cadet Col. Katrina Litchford with the General Carl. A. Spaatz Award, Gen. T. Michael Moseley said, “I am pleased to be able to present this

  • 'Air Force Report' special focuses on suicide prevention

    Suicide prevention is a major priority for the Air Force. Stress, as a result of deployments and relationship and financial problems, affects everyone, and unfortunately, some believe suicide is the only way out.There is, however, help. Early intervention, whether from a co-worker, a chaplain or a

  • Chief Murray reflects on 29-year career

    Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force Gerald R. Murray led his last Worldwide Command Chief’s Conference here April 21-26, meeting with command chiefs from around the Air Force to exchange information and discuss challenges facing today’s Airmen.During the 12th annual conference, the chief took

  • Smart Operations 21 office formed at Pentagon

    In February, Air Force leaders created a new program office at the Pentagon that will take the lead in optimizing the way the Air Force conducts its mission. The Air Force Smart Operations 21 office, created in response to an initiative by Secretary of the Air Force Michael W. Wynne, will look at

  • Air Force inspires Army motorcycle mentorship program

    The U.S. Army recently began testing its motorcycle mentorship program at selected installations since being inspired by the success of the Air Force's program. Air Force officials claim about a 50-percent reduction in motorcycle accidents since introducing the program in 2004. Fiscal 2006

  • Advanced trauma life support training returns to Wilford Hall

    Trauma training designed to prepare physicians for war has returned to the 59th Medical Wing at Wilford Hall Medical Center for the first time since 2001. The Advanced Trauma Life Support, or ATLS, course, held May 4 and 5, is the standard on which all immediate trauma care is based, according to

  • Air Force plans for cleaner, greener future

    In the 1980s, firefighter training was straightforward: light a fire and see how quickly and safely it can be extinguished. So in fire-training pits at Air Force bases around the world, jet fuel was regularly sprayed onto old aircraft carcasses and the surrounding ground. The fuel was ignited and

  • Air Force notifies force shaping lieutenants

    Today, 2,084 lieutenants in the 2002 and 2003 accession year groups will learn if they were selected for retention by the Force Shaping Board. Each officer is being notified personally of their status by their senior rater. Officers deployed will be notified by either the deployed commander or their

  • Desktop configuration coming for ACC network users

    Air Combat Command is taking steps to standardize its 68,000 Windows-based computers by Dec. 31 -- a change that will affect every Airman and Air Force civilian who uses a computer on the network. This project, called the Standard Desktop Configuration, or SDC, is a first-time initiative that will

  • Florida National Guard ready to respond to wildfires

    More than 8,000 citizen Airmen and Soldiers are ready to assist the state of Florida in fighting wildfires that have plagued the state for several weeks, Florida National Guard officials announced May 9. Guard officials said that more than 8,000 acres have burned in Florida, particularly in Volusia,

  • Friendship means the world to adopted babushkas

    Olga finished school 70 years ago. After graduating, she became a teacher of Russian, German and finally mathematics for more than 30 years. She has so much to share about that time, but today, she has fewer and fewer people to hear her stories. Brothers and sisters, husbands and children have

  • Ardent Sentry 2006 tests AFNORTH, NORAD capabilities

    Air Forces Northern and the Continental United States NORAD Region will hone civil support and homeland defense skills May 8 to 18 in Exercise Ardent Sentry 2006. Ardent Sentry is a bi-national, multi-level exercise involving military and civilian agencies in Canada and the U.S. to test both

  • Training programs welcome international interest

    Air Force officer and NCO training programs were showcased earlier this week when the commander of South Korea’s Education and Training Command visited schools here May 1 to 2. Lt. Gen. Youngha Lee of the Republic of South Korea Headquarters for Air Force Education and Training Command in Jinju met

  • Enlisted military leaders plan for hurricane season

    Nearly 30 senior enlisted leaders from the uniformed services joined forces here to plan and prepare for the upcoming hurricane season. Air Forces Northern, the air component of U.S. Northern Command, hosted a Senior Enlisted Leadership Conference here May 3 to focus on disaster response and

  • Streamlined operations merit award for Warner Robins

    The Warner Robins Air Logistics Center received an award for its efforts to streamline its C-5 Galaxy aircraft repair and overhaul processes. The Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences announced May 1 that the center won the 2006 Franz Edelman Award for Achievement in

  • Air Force earns three DOD environmental awards

    Three Air Force installations received awards for their environmental stewardship at a Pentagon ceremony May 3. Dyess Air Force Base, Texas; Tinker AFB, Okla.; and Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, earned 2005 Secretary of Defense Environmental awards. Representatives from each base were at the ceremony

  • AFPC creates single focal point for civilian personnel

    The Air Force Personnel Center is centralizing civilian personnel management into a single operation to better develop the civilian work force. The missions of the directorates of civilian employment and civilian force management and the civilian field operations branch will be combined to form the

  • Korean nurses visit Hickam to exchange ideas

    Seven South Korean Air Force nurses spent a week on the island of Oahu learning how American civilian and military agencies respond to natural disaster contingencies. The nurses, from the Korean Armed Forces Nursing Academy in Seoul, met with Hawaiian civilian and military civil defense and medical

  • AFMC wellness, safety campaign debuts May 8

    "Wellness is an attitude!" If Air Force Materiel Command leaders have their way, those words will become more than just a slogan for the command's new wellness and safety campaign. They will become a way of life. AFMC Commander Gen. Bruce Carlson identified wellness and safety of the command's

  • Force shaping board results to be released May 10

    Lieutenants eligible for the 2006 Force Shaping Board will be notified personally of their retention status by their senior rater on May 10. The force shaping board, which convened at the Air Force Personnel Center here April 10, selected 1,240 out of 2,083 officers in the 2002 and 2003 accession

  • Air Force names 2005 Mission Support Award winners

    The winners of the 2005 Mission Support Awards were announced May 2.The results are: PersonnelGen. Robert J. Dixon Personnel Award: Senior Master Sgt. Jimmy Jones, Randolph Air Force Base, Texas. Gen. Horace M. Wade Innovation Award: Tech. Sgt. Wendy Davis, Tyndall AFB, Fla. Gerrit D. Foster Jr.

  • BRAC conference focuses on both downsizing, growth

    With the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure process shutting down 25 major installations and radically realigning 24 others over the next six years, a BRAC conference under way here is focusing on growth as well as downsizing, a defense official said. "Traditionally when we've done these events,

  • Fewer Airmen delinquent on government travel card payments

    More Airmen are paying their government travel card bills on time, allowing the Air Force to reach what many believed was an unattainable goal set by the Department of Defense, an Air Force official said. “We met our goal by lowering our delinquency rate below 2 percent for two consecutive months,”

  • Medical officer testifies before defense subcommittee

    The Air Force’s medical Airmen are performing “magnificently,” said the Air Force surgeon general during testimony before the Senate Committee on Appropriations subcommittee on defense here May 3. “We take care of the nation’s heroes, past and present,” said Lt. Gen. (Dr.) George Peach Taylor Jr.,

  • International affairs career field opens for civilians

    The success of Air Force expeditionary air and space forces conducting global operations and fighting the war on terrorism relies heavily on international relationships. Building these critical relationships requires skilled, knowledgeable and experienced international affairs professionals. Air

  • Managing ‘million’ means mission might

    Some people just can’t seem to manage their back yards. But the small team of experts at the 56th Range Management Office here can’t afford not to, despite the fact that their back yard is 1.05 million acres of land known as the Barry M. Goldwater Range. This range supports more than 45,000 flying

  • Long hours the norm for deployed Globemaster crews

    It is contrary to what common sense dictates. A series of short C-17 Globemaster III flights demand intense aircrew energy and stamina. But longer sorties remain more physically manageable. “Either way you look at it, our C-17 crews put in long hours that place physical and mental demands on the

  • Air Force mandates virtual outprocessing

    All Airmen undergoing permanent change-of-station moves, retirements or separations are now required to use the Virtual Outprocessing application available through the Virtual Military Personnel Flight. Airmen can enter the vMPF by logging onto the Air Force Personnel Center's secure Web site where

  • Incirlik controllers vital link in communications process

    When the red light flashes, command post controllers react quickly because any delay could impact the mission of this base. The alarm could be a call about inclement weather. Or it could be a call for a first sergeant about a Red Cross notification. It could signal force protection changes or

  • Air Force automates training records process

    Airmen in logistics career fields soon will have access to an online tool that takes an Airman's training records out of a desk drawer and makes them available through a desktop computer. The automated training records and management application, called "Training Business Area," or TBA, on the Air

  • Children of deployed parents need consistency

    Consistency is key for children as their military parents deploy, a university psychologist said. Dr. Frederic Medway, psychology professor at the University of South Carolina, has been publishing research on family separation issues since 1987. He said his work has shown that while children of

  • Chief McKinley selected as 15th CMSAF

    Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. T. Michael Moseley has named Chief Master Sgt. Rodney J. McKinley to serve as the 15th chief master sergeant of the Air Force. Chief McKinley will assume his new position July 1, following the June 30 retirement of Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Gerald R. Murray.

  • New personnel system now in effect

    Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England signed a directive to implement the new National Security Personnel System during a roll-out ceremony here April 28. "Today is a milestone event," Secretary England said during the Pentagon ceremony. "After two and a half years of very hard work, the

  • Wildlife monitors help protect endangered species

    As night turns into dawn, a man's shadow rises on a rugged desert butte. His gaze slices through the morning light looking for his target. It is hard to hunt down the fastest land animal in North America, but he is good at stalking this elusive ghost of the Arizona desert. But, Erik Stenehjem is not

  • SECAF discusses current, future personnel issues

    Ensuring the Air Force operates fiscally is akin to anyone budgeting and paying for household and living expenses. The costs involved must be balanced and paid in order to maintain a certain lifestyle. For the Air Force, some of the business costs reside in the targeted reduction of 40,000 full-time

  • Los Angeles AFB dedicates new Schriever Space Complex

    The Space and Missile Systems Center here officially dedicated its Schriever Space Complex April 24.“Welcome to our new home,” said Lt. Gen. Michael Hamel, SMC commander. “Today marks the beginning of a new chapter in the history of military space.” Originally called SAMS -- Systems Acquisition

  • Senior mentors advise JEFX leaders

    As Joint Expeditionary Force Experiment 2006 tests warfighting capabilities designed to fill capability gaps, three retired officers help senior leaders keep the experiment on track. Retired Lt. Gens. Joe Hurd, Mike Short and Chuck Heflebower are part of the Air Force chief of staff’s Operational

  • New civilian personnel system set to kick off April 30

    The first phase of the new National Security Personnel System is ready to launch April 30. Spiral 1.1 includes 11,000 Defense Department civilian employees throughout the United States. "The most important message is that we are ready," said Mary Lacey, NSPS program executive officer. "Employees are

  • Medical team shares invisible bond

    “After what I saw last night, I understand why American Soldiers love their country. America values human life. Last night, no matter what the soldier’s injuries or the soldier’s rank, there were 10 medical specialists working on each Iraqi soldier. We are proud to have American Soldiers as our

  • Experiment delivers battlespace awareness

    The Combined Air and Space Operations Center, or CAOC, houses the systems that provide the U.S. and its allies with critical warfighting information. Air Force Materiel Command's Electronic Systems Center, at Hanscom Air Force Base, Mass., delivers and manages those systems inside the CAOC, thus