NATO Air Policing operations

U.S. Air Force News

  • Sept. 11 airpower summary: A-10s keep vigilant watch

    Coalition airpower integrated with coalition ground forces in Iraq and International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan during operations Sept. 11, according to Combined Air and Space Operations Center officials here. In Afghanistan, an Air Force MQ-1 Predator used Hellfire missiles against

  • California Air National Guard assists Texas for Hurricane Ike

    California Air National Guardsmen from the 129th Rescue Wing here, already deployed to Ellington Field in Houston for Hurricane Ike search and rescue support operations, relocated Sept. 11 to Kelly Field in San Antonio because of Hurricane Ike's projected path. Assigned to Joint Task Force 129, the

  • Sept. 10 airpower summary: C-130s provide airlift support

    Coalition airpower integrated with coalition ground forces in Iraq and International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan during operations Sept. 10, according to Combined Air and Space Operations Center officials here. In Afghanistan, Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt IIs dropped guided bomb unit-12s

  • Annual unit, organizational award winners announced

    The Secretary of the Air Force Personnel Council here recently recognized the following organizations for 2007 and 2008 Air Force unit awards for the periods indicated below: The Meritorious Unit Award to:-- The 3rd Expeditionary Air Support Operations Group for Dec. 13, 2006 through Nov. 25, 2007.

  • Secretary Gates cancels air-refueling solicitation

    Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates has cancelled the competition for the $35 billion Air Force tanker contract. Secretary Gates told the House Armed Services Committee Sept. 10 that he decided the contract cannot be awarded by January, and that rather than award a contract that will be contested, the

  • Sept. 9 airpower summary: Predator fires missiles, disarm enemy

    Coalition airpower integrated with coalition ground forces in Iraq and International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan during operations Sept. 9, according to Combined Air and Space Operations Center officials here. In Afghanistan, Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt IIs dropped general purpose

  • Sensors researcher receives DOD honor

    Air Force officials here announced in a Sept. 3 message that the Air Force nominee assigned to the Air Force Research Laboratory is the winner of the 53rd annual Department of Defense Distinguished Civilian Service Award. Edmund Zelnio from Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, was selected for the

  • When calamities arise, AFPC stands ready to reply

    When natural disasters, emergencies or crisis situations overwhelm an Air Force base's communications capabilities, members of the Air Force Personnel Center here provide Airmen and their families instant toll-free accountability. Once activated, AFPC Operation Center-Personnel Readiness Cell

  • AFOTEC launches student intern program

    The Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center is partnering with the University of New Mexico here for a student intern program. The program is aimed at recruiting and training candidates for potential employment opportunities either within AFOTEC, the Air Force or other government

  • Sept. 8 airpower summary: A-10s bomb anti-Afghan forces

    Coalition airpower integrated with coalition ground forces in Iraq and International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan during operations Sept. 8, according to Combined Air and Space Operations Center officials here. In Afghanistan, Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt IIs dropped general purpose

  • Engineer's energy research may cut costs, increase efficiency

    An Air Force Office of Scientific Research-funded mechanical engineer here has developed an inexpensive, efficient material that will enable electronic devices to quietly and motionlessly self-regulate temperature and convert excess heat into a power source. This new development could impact the

  • Air Staff Agency uses 'New Media' to talk

    Since the beginning of warfare, the toughest battles for commanders have always been communicating with their own troops, ensuring everyone is hearing the same message. Lt. Gen. Michael W. Peterson, the Warfighting Integration and Chief Information Office director, took a different approach when he

  • Online master's program earns award

    Officials from the Air Command and Staff College's Distance Learning Directorate here developed and launched the Air Force's online master's degree program in 2007 and received the Muir S. Fairchild Award Aug. 29 for their efforts. The entire curriculum was created in-house, and the program, an Air

  • RED HORSE Airmen give Iraqis reason for hope

    Six months ago, the town of Hawr Rajab was a mere shell of its former self. Local shops were closed, their windows boarded up. The streets were abandoned. Homes were badly damaged. The town was once an al-Qaida in Iraq stronghold where violence and intimidation forced residents to flee their homes.

  • Sept. 7 airpower summary: F-15Es provide armed overwatch

    Coalition airpower integrated with coalition ground forces in Iraq and International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan during operations Sept. 6, according to Combined Air and Space Operations Center officials here. In Afghanistan, an Air Force B-1B Lancer dropped a guided bomb unit-31 onto a

  • 90-day records review starts for IMAs

    Airmen who are Individual Mobilization Augmentees or are in the Participating Individual Ready Reserve category have 90 days to review their electronic personnel records, Air Reserve Personnel Center officials announced Sept. 4. Paper versions of the field records, technically called the Unit

  • Logistics readiness returns to basics

    Air Force logistics readiness officials are teaming to end a string of missteps in compliance and accountability by stressing a return to high standards of excellence through an enterprise-wide campaign that draws upon a back-to-basics approach to tasks. "In the past few years, we've witnessed

  • National Guard in four states prepare for Hanna

    Officials in four states along the East Coast are employing their National Guard units as Tropical Storm Hanna nears. Officials in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina have almost 40,000 Army and Air National Guard members available to their governors, if needed. This includes almost

  • Citizen Airmen return to Keesler, chase Hanna, Ike

    Aircraft and people assigned to the Air Force Reserve's 403rd Wing began returning here Sept. 3 from forward operating locations where aircrews continued their missions of airlift and hurricane reconnaissance. While deployed, the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, known as the Hurricane Hunters,

  • Air Force halts wing reorganization

    Air Force leaders halted plans to perform a global wing restructure which was designed to realign fighter, bomber and rescue airlift maintenance units into flying squadrons. Maintenance and flying squadrons will remain separate and will continue doing business "as they have for the past four or five

  • Rescue squadrons provide support for Hurricane Gustav

    Airmen from rescue helicopter squadrons from across the Air Force came together here to provide personnel recovery support in the event it was needed for Hurricane Gustav that stormed through Louisiana Sept. 1. Active and Guard rescue squadrons from Alaska, Arizona, California and New York combined

  • JCS chairman cites Pentagon Memorial's importance

    With the official opening of the Pentagon Memorial a week away, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff reflected on the events of nearly seven years ago that inspired the memorial's creation. Navy Adm. Michael G. Mullen said his life as an American and as a servicemember changed forever on Sept.

  • E-9 accident report released

    Pilot error caused the May 1 crash of an E-9 Widget at the Tallahassee Regional Airport in Tallahassee, Fla., according to an Air Combat Command accident investigation board report released today. The aircraft's landing gear was not lowered for a touch-and-go maneuver during the routine training

  • Air Force Reserve to test force support squadron concept

    Starting in October, the Air Force Reserve Command will test a new force support structure by merging mission support squadrons and services squadrons at seven locations throughout the United States. In the test, which will run for one year, the affected units will merge manpower and personnel

  • Commander praises Gustav preparations, response

    In the wake of Hurricane Gustav, residents of Louisiana are slowly heading to their homes and beginning to pick up the pieces left by the storm. Nearly half the state is without power, many people are running out of money and more than 70,000 Louisianans are still living in shelters. Yet, though

  • Edwards F-22 Raptor refuels using synthetic fuel

    The F-22 Combined Test Force reached another milestone as an Edwards F-22 Raptor performed aerial refueling using a synthetic fuel.  It is the first time an Air Force aircraft refueled mid-air using an alternative jet engine fuel. The test was the culmination of Edwards test points in certifying the

  • Milestone reached in aircraft named for 9/11

    Airmen in a unit here recently reached 40,000 flight hours in support of the war on terrorism fittingly in an aircraft named for the attacks which began the war. The 7th Expeditionary Air Command and Control Squadron Airmen reached the milestone Sept. 2 in E-8C Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar

  • Tinker unit earns Shingo Prize

    The B-1B Programmed Depot Maintenance team here is the recipient of the Shingo Bronze Medallion in the public sector category. The Shingo Prize is often referred to as the "Nobel Prize of manufacturing."It was established in 1988, and promotes Lean manufacturing concept awareness and recognizes

  • Air Force Reserve eclipses recruiting goal again

    For the eighth consecutive year, the Air Force Reserve met and eclipsed its annual recruiting goal. Reserve recruiters across the country and around the world tallied the 8,000 mark at 12:38 p.m. EDT, Aug. 28. The recruiting cycle coincides with the Department of Defense fiscal year, which runs from

  • Hurricane Hunters patrol Gustav

    Airmen from the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron "Hurricane Hunters" are flying daily weather reconnaissance missions into Hurricane Gustav from Homestead Air Reserve Base to aid the National Weather Service in providing the storm's projected path to the American public. The squadron, a

  • AMC poised to support post-hurricane operations

    Air Mobility Command planners and operators held a collective breath as Hurricane Gustav made landfall Sept. 1. Although most AMC aircraft and personnel were pulled back from the U.S. Gulf Coast area Aug. 31 -- hours before the hurricane's projected landfall -- the command was still fully engage in

  • Maxwell officials prepare for Hurricane Gustav

    As Hurricane Gustav bears down on the Gulf Coast, Maxwell Air Force Base officials are bedding down federal and state emergency management units and evacuees from military bases in the storm's path.Maxwell is a designated National Logistical Support Area for the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

  • AFPC commander discusses support for deployed Airmen

    The commander of the Air Force Personnel Center discussed how her agency continues to improve its support of deployed Airmen during a visit here Aug. 27. AFPC is streamlining how it tracks deployments and re-examining how it balances deployments with assignments and training, said Maj. Gen. K. C.

  • Chertoff: Air Force, Guard vital to hurricane relief efforts

    As Hurricane Gustav made landfall on the Gulf Coast, the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security praised the men and women of the Air Force and the National Guard for their efforts during preparations for the storm. Secretary Michael Chertoff said the services were especially useful to help

  • Hurricane Hunters tracking Gustav on Katrina anniversary

    Hurricane Hunters from the Air Force Reserve's 403rd Wing here spent the third anniversary of Hurricane Katrina flying into yet another tempest, Hurricane Gustav, which made landfall just west of Grand island, La., Sept 1. Three years ago, the Hurricane Hunters evacuated aircraft and personnel from

  • Mississippi Guard unit helps with Hurricane Gustav preparations

    When Jamie Jobe heard the knock on her door, she thought nothing of it. Having lived in Gulfport, Miss. most of her life, she was used to her neighbors coming over for a chat or the occasional youngster asking if her lawn needed mowing. This time it was neither. Instead, two soldiers in uniform told

  • Hurricane relief efforts underway

    An Air National Guard C-130 Hercules flew in to San Antonio Aug. 30 carrying 23 evacuees from Beaumont, Texas. The aircrew was from the 181st Airlift Squadron at the Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas. The members on the aircraft were activated for evacuation relief efforts due

  • New Horizons leaves behind quality-of-life projects, goodwill with Peruvians

    After three months of construction, medical missions and bonding with the people of Peru, U.S. servicemembers here completed their mission of providing humanitarian aid to the people there. Since June 1, a rotating task force of 950 active duty, reservists and Guardsmen from the Air Force, Marines,

  • Aircrews take wounded warriors home

    Almost three years have passed since aircrews in the 440th Airlift Wing here started flying special missions known as Integrated CONUS Medical Operations Plan missions. These ICMOP missions are designed to get injured servicemembers home as quickly as possible after arriving in the United States

  • Technologist a four-time Scientific Research of the Year Award winner

    Mr. David McGlasson, a medical technologist in the 59th Clinical Research Division at Wilford Hall Medical Center here, was notified Aug. 7 he won the American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science peer-reviewed poster contest for his poster "Comparison of a Chromgenic Factor X Assay to the

  • Medical association honors Wilford Hall doctor

    Dr. Harvey Schwertner, a medical technologist in the 59th Clinical Research Division at Wilford Hall Medical Center here, was notified on Aug. 8 that his research poster "Association between Plasma Lipid and Lipoprotein Concentrations and Plasma Cortisol and Estradial Concentrations During Pregnancy

  • CMSAF highlights warrior Airmen, Air Force focus areas

    Airmen are fighting today's fight on fronts around the world for a more secure America and peace for future generations, the chief master sergeant of the Air Force told attendees at the Air Force Sergeant's Association Professional Airmen's Conference Aug. 26 in San Antonio. The No. 1 enlisted

  • Keesler's first energy, environmental-friendly home certified

    Keesler Air Force Base officials received their first certified Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design home Aug. 28 here. This new green two-unit home at 244 and 246 Fairchild Dr., Biloxi, Miss., the first of more than 700 to be built at Keesler AFB, incorporates smart design, technology,

  • Senior leaders meet to discuss, decide way ahead for force

    Senior Air Force leaders gathered for a strategic summit Aug. 27 at Bolling Air Force Base to discuss the way ahead for the Air Force as a part of the August emphasis on strategic planning. "The summit allows us to identify issues that need senior leader review and decide on matters affecting the

  • Servicemembers strive to brighten future for Afghan youths

    Airmen and Soldiers of the Zabul Provincial Reconstruction Team are overhauling a local boy's middle and high school campus to help provide a brighter future for youths in Qalat.The team worked directly with Afghan community leaders recently to discover sustainable projects that directly improve

  • Technical review improves Minuteman III nozzle builds

    A team of scientists and engineers at the Air Force Research Laboratory Materials and Manufacturing Directorate, in collaboration with Ogden Air Logistics Center, Hill AFB, Utah, and industry, have resolved a challenging technical issue confronting the nation's land-based Minuteman III

  • Airmen employ laser joint direct attack munition in Iraq

    Airmen employed a guided bomb unit-54 laser joint directed attack munition Aug. 12 against a moving enemy vehicle in the Diyala province to support a combined Iraqi army and U.S. Marine operation. The GBU-54 is the Air Force's newest 500-pound precision weapon, equipped with a special targeting

  • 36th OSS weathermen look beyond the clouds

    When ominous clouds form overhead, it's a safe bet that the forecasters of the 36th Operations Support Squadron's weather flight here have the inside scoop on sky-high happenings. A group of 10 Andersen Airmen are responsible for taking hourly weather observations which are used to inform the local

  • State Department learns customer service from AFPC

    Seven members of the U.S. State Department's Bureau of Human Resources visited the Air Force Personnel Center to learn the many technological initiatives the center members have undertaken to deliver personnel services to its customers Aug. 25 and 26 here. "We want to continue to enhance our human

  • AFPC commander visits deployed air bases

    The commander of the Air Force Personnel Center  visited Airmen and Soldiers here Aug. 25 during a tour to examine some of the personnel issues facing personnelists and servicemembers in the deployed environment. Maj. Gen. K.C. McClain is responsible for ensuring the personnel life cycle of military

  • Reservists oversee Dover C-5 modernization program

    Bought a C-5 lately? Chief Master Sgt. Donald Cunningham has. He technically hasn't purchased anything but "buying" C-5s is part of the 512th Acceptance Check Flight superintendant's job. It's the term the 512th ACF uses for the C-5 Galaxys they've inspected and accepted back into the Air Force

  • Student set for medical college with Air Force scholarship

    As most 18-year-old students in the U.S. brush up on their grammar skills for college English 101 in the fall, Maria Kravchenko reviews advanced chemistry for medical school with help from the Air Force Medical Corps Health Professions Scholarship Program. Following graduation from the University of

  • Wright-Patterson unit wins Defense secretary logistics award

    Defense Department officials here announced Aug. 6 the 478th Aeronautical Systems Wing was named the winner of the Secretary of Defense System Level Performance-Based Logistics Award. The wing staff directs all acquisition and sustainment activities for the F-22 Raptor and is part of the

  • General, spouse recognized for AF contributions

     A former Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, wing commander and his wife recently received the 2008 General and Mrs. Jerome O'Malley award. Brig. Gen. Darrell D. Jones and Mrs. Holly Jones were recognized for their contributions to the nation, the Air Force and the local community as a

  • Memorial designer reflects on work as opening nears

    Being chosen to design the Pentagon Memorial that will be dedicated here Sept. 11 is an achievement that may never be topped in an architect's career, one of the Pentagon Memorial's lead designers said. Keith Kaseman and Julie Beckman, his wife and business partner, were selected in March 2003 out

  • Officials stand up HUMINT detachment

    Air Force officials re-established human intelligence Aug. 14 as a core intelligence discipline to focus on critical Air Force HUMINT requirements. It was marked by the formal establishment of a HUMINT detachment, collocated with the Air Force Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Agency's

  • Airmen receive Sijan leadership award

    The Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force Gen. Duncan J. McNabb presented the Lance P. Sijan Air Force Leadership Award to four Airmen during a ceremony Aug. 20 at the Pentagon. The award, named after the first U.S. Air Force Academy graduate to receive the Medal of Honor, recognizes Airmen who

  • NATO AWACS conducts Strike Eagle dogfights

    A NATO E-3A Sentinel and its crew arrived here Aug. 8 to conduct training missions with 4th Fighter Wing aircrews. The Sentinel, which is an Airborne Early Warning and Control System aircraft from Geilenkirchen, Germany, will conduct mock dogfights between the wing's fighter aircraft. Using its

  • Reaper drops bomb on anti-Iraqi forces

    An MQ-9 Reaper dropped a 500-pound bomb against an anti-Iraqi target Aug. 16 in one of the first weapons engagements for the unmanned aircraft system.The Reaper began flying combat sorties in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom July 18 and joined the MQ-1 Predator as another UAS patrolling the sky to

  • Village resident receives volunteer award

    When people make it to 81 years, they may be tempted to take it easy. But for one resident of the Air Force Enlisted Village here, kicking back is the last thing she wants. Instead, Dian Haynes has made volunteerism her call to duty, and she recently was recognized by the Florida Association of

  • Airmen gather for professional development conferences

    Airmen from around the globe will assemble in San Antonio for the Air Force Sergeants Association Professional Airmen's Conference Aug. 23 to 27. "This conference is a tremendous opportunity for those serving in and supporting our Air Force to meet and share their knowledge and ideas," said Chief

  • University course teaches principles of information operations

    In the midst of the Korean War in the 1950s an American fighter pilot came up with a revolutionary concept that changed tactical, operational and strategic war planning. Based on his tactical dogfighting experience with North Korean MiGs, Col. John Boyd coined the term - OODA (observe, orient,

  • Academy awarded $285,000 for wave energy research

    The next source of alternative energy could come from ocean waves, and Air Force Academy professors have been granted funding to dive into this research. The National Science Foundation has awarded the Academy's Aeronautics Department $285,619 to support a cyclodial propeller wave energy converter

  • Formal training sustains AF readiness, aids Airmen

    Formal training managers at the Air Force Personnel Center here are committed to ensuring Airmen are provided adequate time to prepare for their formal training classes, and that every Airman who needs to attend has the opportunity. Empty seats due to 'no shows' have an impact on the entire Air

  • Acting secretary addresses VFW

    Acting Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley spoke before an audience of Veterans of Foreign Wars members Aug. 18 at their national convention here. He gave a snapshot of today's Air Force and its contributions to the war on terrorism. "Our veterans have answered their country's call to duty,

  • Air Guard Predator pilots increase combat air patrols

    Although they are some of the busiest pilots in the U.S. military, Air National Guard pilots who are now flying unmanned aircraft from the ground said they still climb into the cockpit and get some flight time whenever they can. Lt. Col. Rick Gibney, operations group commander and MQ-1 Predator

  • Future Predator/Reaper formal training unit announced

    Gen. John D.W. Corley, Air Combat Command commander, with concurrence from the Chief of Staff of the Air Force, announced today that Holloman AFB, N.M., is the preferred potential location for an additional unmanned aircraft system formal Training unit. This is the first step in a series of actions

  • Program gives vets advantage in owning a business

    Military veterans interested in being owner-operator truck drivers now can achieve that goal quicker and less expensively, thanks to an agreement between the Department of Veterans Affairs and Schneider National, Inc. Officials from the VA and Schneider signed a memorandum of understanding July 1,

  • Iraqi soldiers taught 'strength through truth' in PA course

    Iraqi Special Operations Forces have learned the value of "strength through truth" through a public affairs and photojournalism course conducted in Baghdad, Iraq, recently. Ten ISOF soldiers who graduated the 15-day course can now effectively combat anti-Iraqi forces' misinformation campaigns. As

  • Travis, California firefighters extinguish blaze

    Travis Air Force Base emergency responders and members from several fire departments from the local area battled through the night and into the morning to prevent an eight-alarm blaze from potentially spreading through base housing Aug 16. The fire initially started off base at approximately 3 p.m.

  • Falcon Hill Enhanced Use Lease agreement announced

    "Falcon Hill has finally gone from a dream to a reality!" Maj. Gen. Kathleen Close, commander of the Hill AFB Ogden Air Logistics Center, proudly stated at the Aug. 13 signing of the Master Lease and Master Development Agreement between the Air Force and Sunset Ridge Development Partners, LLC. The

  • Building capable allies, strong bonds

    Over European castles, Middle Eastern deserts and Pacific islands, F-16 Fighting Falcon pilots are soaring in ever-increasing numbers. Their landscapes, nationalities and cultures are different, but they share several common bonds. They are allies, they are friends and they learned to fly their

  • Despite reduced numbers, New Horizons exercise a success

    With only half their medical team and three less days to see patients, the final medical readiness training exercises for New Horizons-Peru 2008 still provided medical care to more than 2,000 Peruvians. A 19-man team from the 433rd Medical Group out of Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, treated the

  • AF Marathon offers more than 26.2 mile race

    People can become a part of history by registering for the 12th annual United States Air Force Marathon. The event will take place Sept. 20 at here at Wright-Patterson AFB, near Dayton, Ohio. Races include the full marathon, including wheeled division; a half-marathon; and individual and four-member

  • U.S. humanitarian support to Georgia continues

    United States humanitarian efforts continued as another U.S. military aircraft delivered a second shipment of humanitarian supplies on Aug. 13, for the people of Georgia in response to the crisis situation. A C-17 Globemaster III, from the 305th Air Mobility Wing at McGuire Air Force Base, N.J.,

  • Air Force surgeon general returns to Heartland

    The surgeon general of the Air Force and native Nebraskan returned to his home state during Air Force Week in the Heartland Aug. 13 in Omaha. Lt. Gen. (Dr.) James G. Roudebush, originally from Gering, Neb., retraced his roots and visited the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Medicine

  • Air Force Week mixes past, present, future at museum

    Airmen brought current and future operations to the historic Strategic Air and Space Museum here Aug. 13 as part of Air Force Week in the Heartland. At a venue famous for Gen. Curtis LeMay exhibits, numerous aircraft and the home base for looking back at the Air Force's former Strategic Air Command,

  • Air Force museum receives highest national recognition

    The National Museum of the United States Air Force has again achieved accreditation by American Association of Museums officials. It is the highest national recognition a museum can receive.  Accreditation signifies excellence to the museum community, to governments, funders, outside agencies and to

  • Engineer team plans Bagram's future

    The combined talents of 21 servicemembers and civilians compose a facility engineer team, whose task is to prepare plans and specifications, provide inspections on construction, and offer expertise for the steady flow of projects designed to improve and expand Bagram Airfield. In addition to the

  • General Schwartz in as 19th chief of staff

    The Air Force's 19th chief of staff spoke of mending fences and earning trust in his speech after taking charge of the service during a ceremony here Aug. 12. "Without trust, we are nothing," Gen. Norton A. Schwartz said to the crowd of about 600 people on the base's ceremonial lawn. "Trust must be

  • Airman advocates safer skies for civilian, military pilots

    To make the skies safer for general aviation and U.S. military pilots, Air Force officials sent a safety expert here to the world's largest airshow, the Experimental Aircraft Association's Oshkosh Air Venture airshow, to educate pilots on midair collision avoidance and on the need for flight safety

  • Coalition exchange tours enhance vital partnership

    Coalition air forces have proved instrumental in the continued success of airlift missions for Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom. This was exemplified in July as the 386th Expeditionary Maintenance Group conducted C-130 Hercules aircraft exchange tours with the Japanese Air Self Defense Force's

  • Airmen feedback essential to additional duty study

    Airmen may now take advantage of a free-form text questionnaire, readily identifying additional duties they believe are non-value added or need redesigning. The Air Force Manpower Agency here will use this feedback to assist in the Air Force's drive to reduce additional duty demands in order to free

  • Airman helps injured warriors 'face' the world

    The characteristics of a person's face are unmistakable. They are the uniqueness that makes you recognize a family member, a friend, a co-worker. Now imagine suddenly being stripped of those defining characteristics. Many Soldiers, Sailors, Airman, and Marines have experienced this debilitating

  • Air Force secretary meets veterans, addresses issues

    The acting secretary of the Air Force talked to Airmen, military veterans and Nebraska civic leaders during Air Force Week in the Heartland Aug. 11 in Omaha and at Offutt Air Force Base, Neb. Secretary Michael B. Donley had breakfast with Airmen assigned to Offutt AFB, visited the Veterans

  • Sniper ATP-equipped B-1B has combat first

    A Sniper Advanced Targeting Pod-equipped B-1B Lancer had its first weapon employment in combat here Aug. 4 successfully targeting enemy forces on the ground and dropping one guided bomb unit-38 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. The Sniper ATP, a long-range precision targeting system,

  • $1 headset fix improves Predator mission

    MQ-1 Predator unmanned aerial system pilots here can now talk over a secure Internet phone line using their headsets thanks to one Airman's ingenuity and one dollar. Staff Sgt. Ray Stetler, the NCO in charge of base information and infrastructure for the 407th Expeditionary Communications Squadron

  • Raptor crews practice drive-through refueling

    Now that the F-22 Raptor arrival ceremonies are over and the anticipation of the arrival has subsided, Airmen here are on an aggressive training schedule to prepare them for combat operations. As part of that training, members of the 49th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron and 49th Logistics Readiness

  • Conference highlights force support transformation efforts

    In June, signifying A1 Force Support transformation efforts, more than 350 manpower, personnel and services commanders, directors of personnel, major command, field operating agency and Air Staff leaders gathered in Keystone, Colo., for the first combined worldwide conference. With the integration

  • Aug. 10 airpower summary: B-1Bs bomb enemy compound

    Coalition airpower integrated with coalition ground forces in Iraq and International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan during operations Aug. 10, according to Combined Air and Space Operations Center officials here. In Afghanistan, an Air Force Reaper MQ-9 dropped a guided bomb unit-12 onto

  • Air Force Week in the Heartland kicks off with a bang

    Fly-bys, music, military precision and fireworks broadcast the beginning of Air Force Week in the Heartland as more than 10,000 witnessed Airmen at their best Aug. 9 at Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha. Airmen from Offutt Air Force Base, Neb., hosted the free event to let the public experience what the

  • Aug. 9 airpower summary: A-10s drop bomb, fire cannon at enemy targets

    Coalition airpower integrated with coalition ground forces in Iraq and International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan during operations Aug. 9, according to Combined Air and Space Operations Center officials here. In Afghanistan, Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt IIs fired cannon rounds and dropped

  • Weather Agency provides edge to warfighters

    Today's warfighters are constantly looking for any combat advantage that they can gain on their enemies. One factor that can be the difference between a failed mission and a successful one is the weather. Bad weather can disable a Global Positioning System unit or cause low visibility for an

  • Aug. 7 airpower summary: F-15Es remain vigilant

    Coalition airpower integrated with coalition ground forces in Iraq and International Security Assistance Force troops in Afghanistan during operations Aug. 7, according to Combined Air and Space Operations Center officials here. In Afghanistan, Air Force F-15E Strike Eagles dropped guided bomb

  • Base members improve processes to increase efficiency

    Members of the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing here have refined and streamlined processes in order to increase productivity and the level of support provided to the warfighter in theater.Supporting an average of 70 missions per day couldn't be accomplished without the combined logistical support of

  • Aug. 6 airpower summary: Reaper bombs insurgents

    Coalition airpower integrated with coalition ground forces in Iraq and International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan during operations Aug. 6, according to Combined Air and Space Operations Center officials here. In Afghanistan, a French 2000 Mirage dropped a guided bomb unit-12 onto

  • Joint Base Balad Airmen's initiatives shorten supply lines

    Members of the 332nd Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron's Material Management Flight here are changing the way logisticians support warfighters. Airmen established prepositioned spare parts packages for deploying aircraft and researched prepositioning small-arms weapons for deploying

  • Pentagon issues draft request for proposals for new tanker contract

    The Defense Department has issued a draft request for proposals to the competitors in the Air Force's $35 billion program to acquire new aerial refueling tanker aircraft. The request went to Northrop-Grumman and Boeing, and addresses concerns the Government Accountability Office raised about the

  • Wilford Hall doctor voted top volunteer teacher

    The director of the Medical Intensive Care Unit at Wilford Hall Medical Center here has been recognized as the top volunteer clinical teacher by students at the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences School of Medicine. Maj. (Dr.) David Rice was selected by the USU Class of 2008 as this

  • Airmen transport helo crash survivors to hospital

    California Air National Guardsmen from the 129th Rescue Wing here rescued two survivors of a civilian helicopter crash Aug. 5 near Junction City, Calif.  The Sikorsky S-61 firefighting helicopter that went down was assigned to the Buckhorn Fire in the Iron Complex.A Moffett-based HH-60G Pave Hawk