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  • Air Force ROTC unit established at Yale

    The secretary of the Air Force and the president of Yale University signed an agreement here Sept. 12 establishing an Air Force ROTC detachment on the campus, which marks a renewed presence at Yale for the Air Force.Yale's commitment to service, intellectual excellence and diversity make it the

  • Officials announce enlisted supplemental promotions

    More than 850 Airmen have been selected for promotion to the next higher rank as part of the September enlisted supplemental promotion process. The enlisted supplemental promotion release announces those Airmen selected for promotion who tested outside of their required cycle due to an extended

  • Sather AB remembers 9/11

    More than 100 Airmen, Soldiers, Sailors and civilians participated in a two-mile sunrise ruck march Sept. 11 here.The purpose of the event, which included a flag-folding ceremony, was to honor those who were killed on 9/11. The attacks were perpetrated by hijackers who intentionally crashed two

  • Mullen: world changed forever as jet hit Pentagon

    Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Navy Adm. Mike Mullen was on the fourth floor of the Pentagon on the "spectacularly clear" morning of Sept. 11, 2001, when hijackers flew a Boeing 757 into the side of the building, changing the world forever, he said."I remember it literally as if it were

  • CSAF visits 70th ISR Wing Airmen

    Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz attended a chaplain-sponsored dormitory dinner with Airmen from the 70th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Wing Aug. 31 here.During his visit, Schwartz was given a tour of the wing's dormitory, where he was shown recently-made improvements

  • 5 basic trainees become US citizens

    Five trainees became U.S. citizens during a naturalization ceremony Aug. 25 here, making them the first to earn their citizenship during basic military training.A cooperative agreement between the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and the Army, Navy, and now the Air Force, created a faster

  • 440th Airlift Wing helps 'Move that bus!'

    Airmen from the 440th Airlift Wing got a taste of Hollywood recently as ABC's reality television show "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" was here to film scenes for an upcoming episode.Extreme Makeover: Home Edition renovates homes for families facing recent or ongoing hardships. Show host Ty

  • Academy officials to hold memorial ceremonies Sept. 9

    U.S. Air Force Academy officials have scheduled a memorial and dedication ceremony here Sept. 9 to honor past and present heroes who have defended the United States' national interests.The first is the Academy's annual Homecoming Memorial Ceremony to honor graduates who have died in the past year.

  • Pentagon raises force protection level for US bases

    Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta has authorized raising the force protection level for military installations mainly in the United States, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said Sept. 7.Army Gen. Charles H. Jacoby Jr., the U.S. Northern Command commander, requested the action in recent days in

  • Department officials seek balanced 'cloud' computing solution

    Defense Department officials are looking to balance efficiency, effectiveness and security while moving away from the department's decentralized network of computer servers and data centers and into "cloud" computing, the DOD's deputy chief information officer said Sept. 7."We must balance all

  • DTC provides comfort, eases transition for US service members

    The Ramstein Deployment Transition Center here recently opened its doors to service members from other branches of the U.S. military, 2,100 so far, allowing those teammates who are consistently in harm's way a method to ease into the transition of going home. Since July 2010, the DTC has been the

  • Survivor supports families in wake of 9/11

    It's been a decade since American Airlines Flight 77 struck the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001, but Bonnie Carroll vividly recalls the aftermath.As a family support volunteer, she spent hours "listening and sharing" with families who were waiting to be notified about a missing loved one.Carroll, the

  • SECAF visits Airmen, coalition partners in Afghanistan

    Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley visited with coalition members here.During his visit, Donley addressed questions about retirement benefits, current manning levels and counterinsurgency operations. The secretary also spoke with Maj. Gen. Abdul Wahab Wardak, the Afghanistan air force

  • Airmen reopen base to support Iraq transition

    As U.S. Forces-Iraq members continue to return from Iraq, Airmen here have recently reopened an air base that was closed in 2004.With U.S. service members and multiple flying squadrons expected to pull fully out of Iraq by late December, the U.S. Air Force has created a home for some of these units.

  • Last baby born at Wilford Hall, labor and delivery moves to BAMC

    Baby Laurel Perez made history on Aug. 28.She was the last baby born at Wilford Hall Medical Center and is now an important part of the 60-year history of labor and delivery here.The Hauth Birthing Center, located on the fifth floor of the nine-story hospital, closed Aug. 29 and will re-open at

  • Air Force pilot missing from Vietnam War identified

    Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office officials announced Sept. 6 that the remains of an Airman, missing in action from the Vietnam War, have been identified and returned to his family for burial with full military honors.Maj. Thomas E. Reitmann, of Red Wing, Minn., will be buried Sept.

  • Panetta to visit 9/11 attack sites

    Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta will spend Sept. 6 honoring those killed during the Sept. 11, terrorist attacks on the United States, as he travels to New York and Pennsylvania.The secretary will visit ground zero in lower Manhattan, where hijackers crashed American Airlines Flight 11 and United

  • Nominations open for public administration award

    Air Force officials are accepting nominations for the 8th Annual Department of Defense David O. Cooke Excellence in Public Administration Award. This award recognizes nonmanagerial career civilian employees who demonstrate great leadership potential as future federal executives.This award was

  • Air Force leaders issue Sept. 11 message

    Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz and Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James Roy issued the following message to the Airmen of the U.S. Air Force:September 11, 2011, marks the tenth anniversary of the terrorist attacks that claimed the lives

  • Brooks' last Air Force unit completes inactivation ceremony

    The Air Force ended nearly 95 years of service, research and training here Aug. 31, 2011, when the last unit inactivated in a ceremony. The commander of the Air Force Materiel Command and commander of the 311th Air Base Group at Brooks led the ceremony in front of more than 200 civic leaders,

  • TRICARE portability reduces moving stress

    With a single phone call, TRICARE's "Moving Made Easy" option will take some of the stress out of moving, a top TRICARE official said Aug. 26. Using this option, service member and family beneficiaries under TRICARE Prime can ensure that when they arrive at a new duty station, their medical records

  • Supplies increased at military clothing stores

     Current inventory of the green fleece has caught up with demand, officials announced Sept. 2.The sources for purchase of the fleece are Army Air Force Exchange Service military clothing stores in person and online.Airmen have raised issues concerning availability, where to buy the green fleece

  • South Pole airdrop delivers critical medical supplies in total darkness

    Airmen with the 304th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron here airdropped urgently needed medical supplies Sept. 1 at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station in Antarctica. The supplies will augment a South Pole medical team's treatment of an ailing civilian wintering there with the U.S. Antarctic

  • Airman magazine moves to digital home

    Airman magazine entered a new era Sept. 1 with the release of its final hardcopy edition and the unveiling of its new digital home.Airman is being re-launched as a new website and, while the Web address remains www.airmanonline.af.mil, the site has a fresh format and improved functions, officials

  • COMPACAF presented Order of the Sword

    Enlisted Pacific Air Forces Airmen gathered here Aug. 26 to induct the PACAF commander into the command's Order of the Sword.Gen. Gary North distinguished himself by dedicating nearly $150 million to improve PACAF Airmen's quality of life while cultivating and fostering command-wide, total-force

  • 'Nothing of significance' found at Scott AFB mail center

    Scott Air Force Base bioenvironmental specialists and explosive ordnance disposal technicians have found nothing of significance at the official mail center here, base officials said.At approximately 9:30 a.m. Aug. 31, two U.S. postal workers and a military mail specialist were sent to a local

  • Mid-grade civilian career development webcasts begin

    Webcasts developed to help GS-7 through GS-11 civilian Airmen plan and manage their careers will be held at various dates and times through Oct. 6.  Originally slated for June, the GS-7 through GS-11 webcasts were rescheduled to help prevent login problems "This is our largest civilian Airmen

  • Job initiatives focus on vets, family members

    President Barack Obama called on Congress Aug. 30 to move quickly on an initiative to offer tax credits to employers who hire unemployed veterans, including those with disabilities.Speaking at the American Legion National Convention in Minneapolis, the president emphasized the nation's

  • Consolidated distribution saves dollars

    Millions of hardcopy forms and information products distributed by the Air Force will be delivered to customers at half the cost beginning fiscal 2012.Air Force officials are contracting with Army officials to move all of the service's warehoused printed material from the Air Force Publishing

  • Obama: Unite in spirit of service on Sept. 11

    President Barack Obama called on the American people Aug. 29 to come together in the spirit of service and remembrance as the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks approaches."In just two weeks, we'll come together as a nation to mark the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks," the president

  • Langley, Dover lift stop movement orders

    Commanders at Langley Air Force Base, Va., and Dover AFB, Del., have lifted the stop-movement orders initiated last week in anticipation of Hurricane Irene.All personnel with permanent change of station and temporary-duty orders are authorized to continue to Langley AFB or Dover AFB, as appropriate.

  • Services officials 'refresh' dining menus

    Airmen will soon have more variety and availability of nutritious meals thanks to a new initiative to 'refresh' dining facility menus.Air Force Services Agency officials here partnered with industry chefs to implement a new program called "Operation Refresh." The program infuses new items into

  • Air Force Iraq mission likely to increase before it ends

    As the American presence in Iraq draws down, the Air Force mission in the nation likely will increase, said Maj. Gen. Russell J. Handy.Handy, the commander of the 9th Air and Space Expeditionary Task Force and director of the Air Component Coordination Element in Iraq, discussed the Air Force

  • Air Force celebrates JSF arrival, rolls out nation's airpower future

    Air Force officials said the unveiling of the F-35A Lightning II joint strike fighter was a "historic occasion" during a rollout ceremony here Aug. 26.The F-35A, on display during the ceremony, was delivered here in July by Lt. Col. Eric Smith, the Air Force's first F-35 pilot."This is indeed a new

  • Printing delay for enlisted guide won't delay promotion testing

    Distribution of the printed version of the 2011 Air Force Pamphlet 36-2241, Professional Development Guide, will be delayed until late December. Promotion cycles, including the upcoming 12E8 senior master sergeant promotion cycle Dec. 5-16, will not be affected by the distribution delay. The delay

  • Pacific Unity concludes in Vietnam

    In an effort to foster friendship and improved relationships between the U.S. and Vietnam, more than 60 military civil engineers, construction workers and volunteers from both countries came together Aug. 9-29 to renovate three medical clinics in Ha Tinh Province.The 624th Civil Engineer Squadron

  • New efforts enhance Irene response

    Approximately 7,675 National Guard Airmen and Soldiers from 18 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico responded Aug. 28 to support Hurricane Irene relief efforts.According to Guard officials, three capabilities are enhancing the National Guard's contribution to the joint state and federal

  • JTAC shot, keeps calling in critical close air support

    American heroes have shone time and time again during the war in Afghanistan, earning accolades from their branches of service and even the president of the United States, but most recently a joint terminal attack controller from the 817th Expeditionary Air Support Operations Squadron proved it yet

  • Financial services return to local centers

    The processing of military pay transactions will move from the Air Force Financial Service Center at Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D., to base-level financial services offices beginning in August.The return of military pay transactions to local level is a part of the Secretary of Defense Leon

  • Joint Base MDL survives Hurricane Irene

    Hurricane Irene moved out of the area here Aug. 28, but not without leaving its mark.Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst experienced damaging winds and excessive rain, which caused flooding, base officials said.When the storm began to move out of the area, damage assessment teams spread out across the

  • Dual-status commanders to support Irene relief efforts

    Defense Department officials announced the appointment of four dual-status commanders to support Hurricane Irene relief efforts Aug. 27, marking the first time the dual-commander concept has been implemented for a natural disaster.While others may be appointed in the coming days, the initial list of

  • Walter Reed closes, legacy lives on, commander says

    An ambulance carrying the last inpatient from Walter Reed Army Medical Center here slowly made its way out of the Georgia Avenue gate Aug. 27, pausing briefly for the crowd of flag-waving troop supporters and shouts of "Thank you for your service! We love you!"As the ambulance turned north on

  • Obama, Panetta urge caution, preparedness for coming storm

    Millions of people along the eastern seaboard should prepare to face what may be a historic hurricane, President Barack Obama said Aug. 26."All indications point to this being a historic hurricane," he said, speaking to the nation from Martha's Vineyard, Mass."Although we can't predict with perfect

  • JB MDL prepares for Hurricane Irene

    Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst is actively preparing for Hurricane Irene, officials here said.The base entered Hurricane Condition III on Aug. 25, which is declared when the weather forecast predicts the arrival of 58 mph or greater winds within 48 hours."Hurricane Irene is expected to be a

  • Photo Essay: Basic Military Training -- where it all begins

    Military training instructors at Lackland Air Force Base, known as "The Gateway to the Air Force", conduct the Air Force's only enlisted recruit training program, ensuring orderly transition from civilian to military life. Recruits are trained and educated in the fundamental skills necessary to be

  • Hurricane Irene stops moves to Langley, Dover

    Travel to Langley Air Force Base, Va., and Dover AFB, Del., is prohibited until further notice as the installations prepare for the arrival of Hurricane Irene, officials announced Aug. 26. In addition, Airmen with travel orders to other installations along the eastern seaboard are advised to keep an

  • Panetta urges troops, families to prepare for 'Irene'

    Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta today encouraged service members, Defense Department civilians and families who may be affected by Hurricane Irene to take all necessary precautions against the storm that's currently moving northward along the eastern U.S. seaboard.In a message issued today to

  • Hospital consolidation going smoothly, commander says

    A large-scale realignment of military health care facilities is nearing culmination, and officials recently said they are pleased with the progress.Joint Task Force National Capital Region Medical was created in 2007 to oversee a base realignment and closure law mandate to close Walter Reed Army

  • Operation Deep Freeze 2011-2012 begins

    Late winter flights, known as WINFLY, for Operation Deep Freeze 2011-2012 began August 20.Deep Freeze is a joint service, interagency activity that supports the National Science Foundation, which manages the U.S. Antarctic Program.Lt. Gen. Stanley T. Kresge, the commander of 13th Air Force, is

  • CMSAF visits 11th OG

    Members of the 11th Operations Group here provided a special tour Aug. 16 for the Air Force's highest-ranking enlisted member to take a candid look Airmen here do every day.Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James A. Roy spoke with members of the U.S. Air Force Band, Air Force Honor Guard and the

  • American families tour Transit Center

    New U.S. Embassy employees and their families traveled from Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, to tour the Transit Center Aug. 20 to learn more about the installation's missions and capabilities.More than a dozen children excitedly took turns lying in a KC-135 Stratotanker boom, sitting in a C-17 Globemaster III

  • ACC Airmen prepare for Hurricane Irene

    National Hurricane Center officials issued a number of advisories for the East Coast Aug. 25 in preparation for Hurricane Irene.Airmen, civilian personnel and their families at Air Combat Command units and installations near the projected path of a hurricane should take steps to adequately prepare,

  • 9/11 responders tell their stories at media event

    A Texas Air National Guard pilot who flew an escort mission for Air Force One on Sept. 11, 2001, was at the Pentagon to tell his story to the media Aug. 23.Lt. Col. Rolando Aguilar, the RC-26 Metroliner program manager at the 147th Reconnaissance Wing in Houston, was one of several people who were

  • Military bases prepare for Hurricane Irene

    Military bases along the eastern seaboard are securing for the Category 3 winds and rain of Hurricane Irene, defense officials said Aug. 25.The Defense Department is working closely with the Federal Emergency Management Agency as part of the U.S. government response, the officials added.The Defense

  • Family, friends say goodbye to a 'hero'

    An Air Force Special Operations Command pararescueman was laid to rest here Aug. 23.Tech. Sgt. Daniel Zerbe, 28, died Aug. 6 in the Wardak province of eastern Afghanistan when the Chinook helicopter in which he was traveling crashed. Zerbe was one of 25 U.S. Special Operations Command operators who

  • Former Air Force Two now part of AMC Museum

    The Air Mobility Command Museum here has long been home to many landmarks of American avionic innovation. The retired military and civilian airframes are restored to historically accurate quality by museum volunteers and displayed for the enjoyment of several generations of patrons.If the planes

  • Reserve pilot spearheads Air Force's efforts to go green

    A historic agreement, introduced by a Reserve pilot from the 317th Airlift Squadron, between the Department of Defense and Federal Aviation Administration establishes procedures for pilots called optimized profile descent, which will reduce noise, fuel costs and emissions effective Aug

  • Airman inducted into Space Camp Hall of Fame

    An Air Force officer recently became the first U.S. Air Force space and missile operator inducted into the Space Camp Hall of Fame.Lt. Col. William Burke Hare III, the chief of operations for the Flight Test Execution Directorate at the Missile Defense Agency at Redstone Arsenal, Ala., was selected

  • CMSAF visits Offutt, speaks about tough decisions on horizon

    During a visit here Aug. 18 and 19, Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James Roy met with the enlisted members of Air Combat Command's largest wing and Offutt's tenant units. Roy took time to dispel some rumors and explain to Air Force members what's on the horizon. Understandably, one of the

  • Magnitude 5.9 earthquake rattles Pentagon

    Operations continued at the Pentagon despite the magnitude 5.9 earthquake centered in Mineral, Va., Aug. 23.The National Military Command Center in the building "maintained the watch, and there was no loss of communications," said Navy Cmdr. Patrick McNally, a spokesman for the Joint Staff.Some

  • Biden: U.S. honored to have helped Japan after tsunami

    Humanitarian aid has flowed both ways between the United States and Japan, and American aid to Japan following the March 11 earthquake and tsunami is just the latest example of two close allies working together, Vice President Joe Biden said in Japan today.Biden visited the Sendai Airport, which was

  • Seymour Johnson defenders begin 9/11 Ruck March to Remember

    Eight months ago, the 4th Security Forces Squadron commander and his training NCO sat down here and mapped out an idea to organize a ruck march from Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, to Ground Zero in New York in remembrance of defenders who were killed or injured in the 10 years since the terrorist

  • Pacific Air Rally starts in Sri Lanka

    More than 300 military members from the U.S. Air Force, Royal Australian Air Force, Sri Lankan Air Force and Royal Malaysian Air Force gathered together for the start of Pacific Airlift Rally 2011 Aug. 22 here.PAR is a Pacific Air Force sponsored, biennial multilateral tactical military airlift

  • Caring for People Survey results provide insight

    More than 100,000 total force Airmen voiced their opinions in the online Caring for People survey conducted from Dec. 1, 2010 to Jan. 3, 2011. After experts performed a comprehensive analysis, officials have released results to force support leadership. The survey allowed active duty, Guard and

  • Air Force youth of the year recognized in Pentagon ceremony

    Fifty teens were honored at the 2011 Air Force Youth of the Year Award ceremony Aug. 3 in the Pentagon auditorium here.The annual ceremony, held in conjunction with the Boys and Girls Clubs of America Youth of the Year Program, recognizes Air Force youth for contributions to their installation youth

  • Air Force awarded for energy savings

    The Air Force was announced as the recipient of almost half of the U.S. Department of Energy Federal Energy Management Program's 2011 Federal Energy and Water Management Awards earned by Department of Defense entities, and a quarter of awards overall. The awards are scheduled to be presented during

  • TRICARE officials expand retail pharmacy vaccine program

    TRICARE officials are expanding the number of preventive vaccines covered at retail network pharmacies. Until now, the majority of vaccines were only covered when obtained through a physician's office."Vaccines are a critical part of every family's preventive health program," said Rear Adm.

  • American, Kyrgyz service members partner to enhance communication

    Airmen from the 376th Air Expeditionary Wing here and Kyrgyz soldiers gather twice a month to practice foreign language skills. For the soldiers, speaking English offers a chance to exercise a skill they learned in school. For Airmen deployed here, it's a chance to learn the language of their host

  • Joint basing strengthens 673rd Security Forces Squadron

    More than 10 months after the former Elmendorf Air Force Base and Fort Richardson merged to form Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson; the 673d Security Forces Squadron is running on all cylinders, officials here said.Capt. Melissa Hull, the 673rd Security Forces operations officer, said it was a

  • New commander, president takes over Air University

    The change of command ceremony Aug. 12 was unique for Air University, as Lt. Gen. David Fadok became the organization's first president and 29th commander."We produce the future and must never forget how important that mission is," Fadok said after assuming command from Lt. Gen. Allen Peck, who

  • Panetta: Any retirement changes won't affect serving military

    In his clearest statement on the subject to date, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta said today that if the military retirement system changes, it will not affect serving service members."I will not break faith," the secretary said during a roundtable meeting with military media representatives in

  • DOD schools engage students with technology

    When children walk into a Defense Department school this year, they may be handed a laptop or electronic reader, or perhaps they'll be asked to build a robot or try out a simulator on the school lawn. Technology has long since changed the nation; it's now time to use these advances to transform its

  • S. Korea, U.S. begin major exercise

    South Korea and U.S. servicemembers began another year of training in a familiar peninsula-wide exercise Aug. 16. U.S. forces and their South Korean allies first gathered here last week to ramp up for the multi-day, defense-oriented command post exercise Operation Ulchi Freedom Guardian. This is one

  • Officials train a resilient family, force

    Officials from Seymour Johnson Air Force base hosted a resiliency training session for Air Combat Command dependents Aug. 12 here."Spouses and teenagers deal with the deployment schedules and battle rhythm that our active-duty forces deal with each and every day," said Col. Patrick Doherty, the 4th

  • Cap back in new, free comic

    On the heels of its 116th anniversary, the Army & Air Force Exchange Service is once again joining forces with Marvel Comics to distribute free, military-exclusive comic books at its stores around the world.The 11th issue in the Exchange/Marvel series, titled "The First Avenger," revolves around

  • Space ops squad calls on reliable spare for active service

    The 2nd Space Operations Squadron here is set to swap out an underperforming satellite with a handy spare this week. During late May, 2nd SOPS analysts began noticing signs that SVN-30, a Global Positioning System IIA vehicle, was no longer maintaining the gold standard of performance. Engineers in

  • Program supports military families with special needs

    About a year ago, Maj. Nicholas Sabula received word of an upcoming assignment following his deployment in Afghanistan.He became concerned, however, when he learned that his new duty station and the local area didn't have adequate services for his son, who was diagnosed with autism in 2006. But

  • Motorcycle ride kicks off 9/11 memorial observances

    One of the first of many tenth-anniversary commemorations of the 9/11 terror attacks will begin Aug. 18 as almost 2,500 motorcyclists launch the 11th America's 9/11 Ride that begins in Shanksville, Pa., and continues over the next three days to the Pentagon and World Trade Center crash sites.The

  • Space Command retires workhorse satellite

    Members of the 3rd Space Operations Squadron, along with their counterparts from the 53rd Signal Battalion, waved a fond farewell to a trusted old friend Aug. 12. Lt. Col. Kevin Mortensen, 3rd SOPS commander and Lt. Col. Benjamin Jones, 53rd SB commander, took the honors, shutting down the final

  • Sharing intelligence helps contractors strengthen cyber defenses

    A new pilot program in which Defense Department officials share classified threat intelligence with defense contractors or their commercial Internet service providers is showing promise in increasing their cyber defenses and preventing enemy intrusions into sensitive government networks, Deputy

  • Resilience study can help DOD officials strengthen programs

    The military has a plethora of programs aimed at building resilience in service members and their families, but needs a better system in place to measure their success, a study has revealed.Commissioned by officials from the Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain

  • Panetta: Congress must look at whole federal budget for cuts

    Budget concerns and the need for the Defense Department to work with the State Department dominated a discussion at the National Defense University here today with the Cabinet members who lead those departments.Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta talked

  • Fellowship provides broad perspective on Air Force mission

    The Air Force Manpower and Personnel office announced the plans for its annual Strategic Policy Fellowship Intermediate Developmental Education rotations for 2011-2012, which is set to begin mid-August. The program's goal is to develop competitively selected, officers' understanding of air, space,

  • No changes to military retirement anytime soon, officials say

    The military retirement system isn't going to change any time soon, a Defense Department official said recently.Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said any changes to military retirement should be studied carefully and should be "grandfathered" so the military doesn't

  • U.S., South Korea forces to begin Ulchi Freedom Guardian exercise

    U.S. and South Korean troops will begin the 10-day Ulchi Freedom Guardian exercise Aug. 16, conducted annually by the Republic of Korea-United States Combined Forces Command to improve combat readiness.Tens of thousands of U.S. and South Korean troops are expected to mobilize in and around the South

  • Boots on the ground: Moody Airmen march to ground zero

    Most people can recall exactly where they were when they heard the tragic news of the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. From the service members who acted as first responders to the middle and high school students who are now defenders of freedom, that day symbolizes a painful time in history.Now 10 years

  • Medical examiners identify deceased in Chinook crash

    All 30 Americans killed in the Aug. 6 crash of a CH-47 Chinook helicopter in eastern Afghanistan have been identified, officials at the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System in Rockville, Md., said Aug. 12.Medical examiners also identified all eight Afghans killed in the incident, said Paul Stone, a

  • Upcoming show to display military land, sea, ground robots

    More than 6,000 experts from 30 countries will be gathering here Aug. 16-19 for this year's largest robot and unmanned systems show.Hosted by the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International, called AUVSI, Unmanned Systems North America 2011 will feature workshops, panels and

  • Smith Hall medical instruction facility dedicated during ceremony

    A new medical instructional facility honoring the United States Air Force's first Sergeant Major for the Air Force Medical Service was dedicated during a ceremony at the Medical Education and Training Campus (METC) at Fort Sam Houston, Texas, Aug.12.Smith Hall was named after the late Air Force

  • Djibouti medical service corps members tour expeditionary medical facility

    Service members from the Djiboutian Military Medical Service Corps were given an opportunity Aug. 9 to tour the Michaud Expeditionary Medical Facility on Camp Lemonnier.The tour of the facility was conducted as part of an ongoing educational partnership between Djiboutian military medics and their

  • 'Military Line' works to boost financial fitness

    A young service member saddled with debt and in need of some quick cash doesn't have to go far. Lenders offering same-day loans sit outside the gate of nearly every military installation in the nation.But the lure of fast and easy cash can lead strapped troops down a path of steep interest rates and

  • Air Force continues emphasis on DADT repeal training

    Air Force leaders want to ensure all Airmen are prepared for the repeal of the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" law Sept. 20.Airmen can access the DADT Repeal training through the Advanced Distributed Learning Service link on the Air Force Portal, said Col. Jeff White, Air Force Directorate of Force

  • Transition assistance vital for those separating Airmen

    With active-duty positions being eliminated through current force-management measures, it's important Airmen identified for separation use a vital tool -- the Air Force Transition Assistance Program -- to help ease themselves and their families into transition from military to civilian life.

  • Air Force announces enlisted supplemental promotions

    More than 800 Airmen have been selected for promotion to the next higher rank as part of the August enlisted supplemental promotion process. The enlisted supplemental promotion release announces those Airmen selected for promotion who tested outside of their required cycle due to an extended

  • NATO countries land successful jump week

    More than 200 paratroopers from six NATO countries participated in airborne jump operations during International Jump Week Aug. 8 through 11.Paratroopers from Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy, Denmark, the Netherlands and the U.S. Air Force, Marine Corps and Army jumped out of aircraft from Papa