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  • Air Force officials launch language program for Airmen

    Officials at the Air Force Culture and Language Center here recently launched a program designed to identify Airmen with foreign language abilities and foster those skills throughout their careers. The Language Enabled Airman Program is the first career-long program designed to offer

  • President Obama, President Medvedev sign new START treaty

    President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitriy Medvedev signed a new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty in Prague April 8, with both countries pledging to reduce their deployed, strategic nuclear weapons stockpiles. The so-called "New START" sets new limits on ready-to-use, long-range nuclear

  • Air Force officials honor top Public Affairs communicators

    Air Force Public Affairs Agency officials here announced the results of the 2009 Air Force Media Contest in writing, photography and broadcasting April 7.Winners in writing and broadcast categories advance to represent the Air Force in the annual Department of Defense Thomas Jefferson Awards

  • Vice chairman expresses comfort with nuke production freeze

    The nation's second-ranking military officer said April 6 he's comfortable with a new U.S. policy that halts future production of nuclear weapons. The freeze on developing new nuclear platforms, save for extraordinary cases requiring presidential approval, is an element of the Nuclear Posture

  • Veterans Affairs officials tackle root causes of homelessness

    No one who has ever served the United States in uniform should ever end up living on the street, Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric K. Shinseki insisted. So he and VA officials are committed to ending homelessness among America's veterans within the next five years, and said he's already seeing signs

  • U.S. military officials contribute to Kyrgyz deworming conference

    Three U.S. military medical experts including two colonels from the Transit Center at Manas, Kyrgyzstan, attended a conference here on mass deworming April 2 to contribute American health care concepts to the health program this country's medical representatives have successfully started and plan to

  • Shinseki vows to reduce VA's claims backlog

    Prioritizing the work ahead shortly after his first anniversary on the job, Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric K. Shinseki said his focus for the year ahead is on reducing the disability claims backlog. "We are going to break the back of the backlog this year," Secretary Shinseki said during an

  • Nuke review takes comprehensive look at strategy

    The Nuclear Posture Review, released April 6, is the first overarching look at U.S. nuclear strategy since the end of the Cold War, a senior defense official briefing reporters on background said April 5. The review builds on President Barack Obama's promise to take concrete steps toward the goal of

  • Defense secretary urges Air Force cadets to demonstrate leadership

    As the United States and Russia prepare to sign a historic nuclear arms reduction treaty, the Defense secretary related to U.S. Air Force Academy cadets some lessons he has learned from a government career that has taken him from the shadows of the Cold War into a much-altered security landscape as

  • Marine squadron stands up at Eglin

    The first-ever Marine Corps F-35B Lightning II joint strike fighter training squadron, the Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron 501, stood up April 2 here.The significance of the occasion was not just for the new F-35 unit, but also it marked the first time a Marine Corps squadron was embedded in

  • Exercise key to Hawaiian air support center upgrade

    The Hawaii Air Support Operations Center staff here achieved initial operational capability after proving its ability to deploy and perform its mission during Exercise Balikatan 2010 in March.The unit, under the under the 25th Air Support Operations Squadron based at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam,

  • Iraqi business leaders gather at Balad

    Iraqi banks and business leaders met at Joint Base Balad at the Banking on Iraqi Business Conference March 31. The conference began building the relationships that are so important to doing business in Iraq."Only 9 percent of Iraqis have a bank account," said Army Capt. Shaun Miller, an Army Central

  • Air Force, Army officials partner to improve interoperability

    Officials from the Army's I-Corps Air and Missile Defense Detachment moved into 5th Air Support Operations Squadron facilities here in late March and now Soldiers and Airmen will work side-by-side strengthening the joint teamwork that will be critical in combat.This is the first time a Corps-level

  • Brothers in arms reunited for the first time

    Retired Staff Sgt. Brian Isenhour and retired Airman 1st Class Brandon Gauvreau had never met each other before, but the two had more in common than they knew.Both incurred traumatic brain injuries while on active duty and both attended the National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic in

  • Barksdale Airmen build homes for needy families

    More than a dozen Barksdale Air Force Base Airmen came together to help give a deserving family the gift of a lifetime March 20 in downtown Shreveport, La. The volunteers met up at the building site with Habitat for Humanity volunteers, family members and workers from the Military Entrance

  • Original song competition at MyAirForceLife.com

    More than 70 years ago, Capt. Robert MacArthur Crawford, an Airman with the Army Air Corps, won an original song competition with an entry that eventually became the official song for the U.S. Air Force. Captain Crawford wrote the lyrics and music to "Off We Go Into the Wild Blue Yonder."Starting

  • Eight coaches selected for Warrior Games

    Air Force officials recently announced the names of eight Air Force members selected to coach the 2010 Air Force team for Department of Defense's inaugural Warrior Games in Colorado Springs, Colo., May 10 to 14."We received an overwhelming response from hundreds of people interested in coaching

  • VA secretary releases draft Gulf War task force report

    Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki announced March 31 that the department's Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses Task Force has completed the final draft of a comprehensive report that will redefine how VA officials address the concerns of veterans who deployed during the Gulf War in 1990 and

  • Global Hawk wet runway testing yields positive results

    Airmen, civilians and contractors of the 452nd Flight Test Squadron here conducted RQ-4 Global Hawk wet runway testing with positive results throughout March here.The wet runway test required the Global Hawk to demonstrate taxiing and stopping from 6, 12, 30, 50 and 70 knots.The Block 20 Global Hawk

  • New DVD helps children deal with deployment

    Defense and USO officials joined military families at the U.S. Navy Memorial here yesterday to celebrate the launch of a new DVD created to help military children cope with a parent's deployment."With You All the Way" -- a joint effort by the Defense Department, USO and the Trevor Romain Co. --

  • New sexual assault response program created at Sheppard AFB

    A program is now in place that gives Airmen in Training here a bigger role in sexual assault prevention and response.Officials with the 82nd Training Wing Sexual Assault Response Coordinator office recently created the Air Force's first student advocate program. Students against Sexual Assault and

  • Air Force officials conclude 2010 NCO retraining program

    The 2010 NCO Retraining Program has concluded with 966 Air Force NCOs identified to transition to new career fields and the successful introduction of two new procedures. Efforts to rebalance the NCO force are being considered a success this year, officials at the Air Force Personnel Center here

  • First Iraqi weather officers graduate

    The first class of Iraqi air force meteorology officers graduated March 25 from a formal technical training course in Baghdad taught by U.S. Air Force weather forecasters.Iraqi Training and Advisory Mission-Air Force officials have Airmen assigned to teach Iraqi personnel how to create a

  • Social media sites soon will be open on the Air Force Network

    Air Force officials are opening the Air Force network to allow access to Internet-based social-networking sites. Initial access will be available at five Pacific Air Forces bases March 30, and will begin opening sites Air Force-wide later in April.This change in policy is a result of the Department

  • Shaw dormitory earns national environmental award

    Shaw Air Force Base's newest Airmen's dormitory, building 421, has earned the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED, Silver Certification by the U.S. Green Building Council. The award was presented in a ceremony here March 16.The building earned the distinction for a number of

  • Clinic provides disabled vets pathway to paralympics

    Air Force veteran Sean Halsted was a decent skier before he fell 40 feet out of a helicopter while on a fast rope during a search-and-rescue training exercise in 1998. Paralyzed from the waist down, he feared his active days were behind him. Three years after his accident, Mr. Halsted reluctantly

  • Kadena Airmen test readines during exercise

    Kadena Air Base Airmen processed cargo and personnel, donned gas masks, launched aircraft and searched for downed aircrew as part of a base exercise March 22 through 26 here.The local operational readiness exercise, Beverly High 10-02, was designed to prepare Airmen to defend Japan and maintain

  • Elmendorf Airmen complete airdrop using 3-D weather technology

    Airmen from Elmendorf Air Force Base completed the first improved container delivery system drop using new 3-D weather technology March 19 over Tin City, Alaska.The new system allows for better drop precision, factors in the altitude, wind speed, wind direction, terrain and other circumstances that

  • Air Force scientists test, develop bio jet fuels

    While the world searches for more efficient ways to fuel automobiles and create usable energy, Air Force scientists are looking for cleaner, more efficient ways to fuel the military's aircraft. An A-10 Thunderbolt II flew March 25 solely on a blend of biomass-derived fuel and conventional JP-8 jet

  • New Reserve group stands up at Seymour Johnson

    To keep up with the increasing demand for F-15E Strike Eagle pilots and weapon systems officers, a new group is standing up here.The Air Force Reserve Command's 414th Fighter Group may have only a handful of assigned personnel now, but about 340 people will fall under the group, the 307th Fighter

  • Elmendorf Airmen complete million push-up challenge

    In about 3.5 months, 425 Elmendorf Air Force Base Airmen accumulated more than 1 million push-ups to reach a unit goal.In an effort to improve physical training scores and build camaraderie, 3rd Medical Group leaders posed the 100-day million push-up challenge and unit medics began logging their

  • General Holm remembered in ceremony at Arlington

    The first female two-star general in both the Air Force and Department of Defense was laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery March 29. Retired Maj. Gen. Jeanne M. Holm is credited as the single driving force in achieving equality for military women and making them a viable part of the

  • Airmen train Afghan C-27 loadmaster

    Airmen from the 538th Air Expeditionary Advisory Squadron and Afghan soldiers with the Afghanistan National Army Air Corps completed a successful check ride for the nation's first qualified C-27 Spartan loadmaster March 28 here.During an almost two-hour International Security Assistance Force

  • Shinseki urges disabled vets to conquer mountain, doubts

    Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric K. Shinseki opened the 24th Annual National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic here March 28, encouraging participants to conquer the mountain and prove to themselves what they're able to achieve.Secretary Shinseki challenged more than 400 disabled veterans

  • Reporters reflect on '30 Days Through Afghanistan'

    Two Air Force journalists behind an ambitious NATO International Security Assistance Force project to traverse Afghanistan in one month and file daily reports in words, photos and video recapped their experiences in a March 25 "DOD Live" bloggers roundtable. The Web-based project, titled "30 Days

  • President Obama pays surprise visit to troops in Afghanistan

    President Barack Obama paid a surprise visit to troops in Afghanistan March 28, delivering a message of praise to American servicemembers on behalf of the United States. Speaking at Bagram Airfield to an audience of Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines, President Obama said support for deployed

  • Flight tests set course for improved airborne communication

    A series of early March flight tests has validated a two-and-a-half year effort and set the course for significantly enhanced airborne communications capability.A team of specialists from the Electronic Systems Center, MITRE Corporation and MIT Lincoln Laboratory used a 707 test bed aircraft to

  • Kirkuk Airmen use small aircraft with huge capabilities

    Airmen here use the RQ-11B Raven, a small unmanned aircraft equipped with cameras, sensors and communications tools, to give coalition warfighters an advantage of eyes in the sky.There are many different types of unmanned aircraft, ranging in size and capability, but Kirkuk Regional Air Base Airmen

  • Air Force officials team up with Kenny Bernstein Racing team

    Air Force recruiting officials announced March 26 that the Air Force will begin a new partnership with Kenny Bernstein Racing as a sponsor of the Coparts/Lucas Oil top fuel dragster for the remaining 20 races in the 2010 Full Throttle Drag Racing Series. "It is with a great deal of patriotic pride

  • VA officials propose change to aid veterans exposed to Agent Orange

    More than 100,000 veterans exposed to herbicides while serving in Vietnam and other areas will have an easier path to qualify for disability pay under a proposed regulation published by Department of Veterans Affairs officials that adds three new illnesses to the list of health problems found to be

  • CSAF: Air Force Global Strike Command mission requires constant vigilance

    The Air Force chief of staff opened the first-ever Air Force Global Strike Command commander's conference Mar. 24 via video teleconference, telling wing commanders, spouses, command chiefs and civic leaders from across the command that they have a critical mission that requires constant

  • Pentagon officials change 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' enforcement

    The Defense secretary announced changes to the Pentagon's regulation on homosexuals serving in the military that he said make the Defense Department's enforcement of the so-called "Don't ask, don't tell" law "fairer and more appropriate" March 25 here. Secretary Robert M. Gates announced Feb. 2 he'd

  • Airmen help Afghans fly C-27 mission

    A joint aircrew of U.S. Airmen from the 538th Air Expeditionary Advisory Squadron and Afghan soldiers in the Afghanistan National Army Air Corps completed an operational C-27 Spartan mission here March 24.Taking off from Kabul International Airport, the four-man aircrew flew Southwest to Kandahar

  • Bases get new names in realignment

    Some military installations are consolidating and getting new names as joint basing becomes a reality. The 2005 Base Realignment and Closure Commission's directive to consolidate 26 stateside military installations into 12 joint bases has brought names such as Lewis-McChord, Langley-Eustis, and even

  • Ellsworth Airmen give children taste of deployment process

    Members of the 28th Force Support Squadron Airman and Family Readiness Center here taught base children, spouses of military members and local teachers about the deployment process March 13 here.The event, called Kids, Spouses and Teachers Understanding Deployment Operations, or KUDOS, SUDOS and

  • Air Force officials continue plans to modernize GPS

    Through the years, the Global Positioning System has become one of the most widely-used Air Force applications.Today GPS is used in everything from farming and aviation to public safety, disaster relief and recreation, not to mention its military purpose of providing precision navigation and timing

  • Afghanistan troop level to eclipse Iraq by midyear

    This summer will mark the first time since 2003 that the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan will overshadow the American presence in Iraq, the top U.S. military officer told Congress March 24 here. Driving the eclipse is the 30,000-troop surge President Barack Obama announced for Afghanistan in

  • Yokota maintainers use AFSO21 to improve C-130 inspection process

    Twenty-one Airmen held a weeklong training scenario focusing on improving the C-130 Hercules isochronal inspection process in mid-March here.The inspection is a requirement that has recently changed from a 365-day requirement to a to a 450-day interval and one that requires cooperation from numerous

  • Theater hospital wall preserves memory, sacrifice

    The 20-by 30-foot flag thousands of patients have passed under on their way to the Air Force Theater Hospital at Joint Base Balad often is photographed in military circles. But lesser known, though no less poignant, are the walls of the Contingency Aeromedical Staging Facility's recreation room.

  • Dates, locations announced for 2010 Air Force Weeks

    Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz has announced the dates and locations for the two Air Force Weeks to be held in 2010. The first Air Force Week will be held in New York City from Aug. 25th through the 29th, culminating with the two-day Coney Island Air Show that will feature the U.S.

  • MC-12 aircrews complete 2,000th combat sortie

    MC-12 Liberty aircrews assigned to the 362nd Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron completed their 2,000th combat sortie recently from Joint Base Balad.The MC-12 program took off in the fall as Airmen flew the first combat mission in the intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft that

  • Air Combat Command leader discusses priorities during visit to Nellis

    The commander of Air Combat Command discussed priorities and focus areas for the command with Airmen here during a visit March 10 through 12.Topping Gen. William M. Fraser III's list of the command's priorities is taking care of Airmen."It's not the hardware or platforms making the mission happen --

  • Former chief of staff laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery

    The 10th chief of staff of the Air Force was laid to rest in a full-honors ceremony March 22 at Arlington National Cemetery, but his legacy lives with today's Airmen through his emphasis on developing camaraderie, pursuing history and recognizing excellence.Gen. Lew Allen Jr. passed away Jan. 4 in

  • Joint team leads Afghan crew chief academy

    A team of Airmen from the 440th Air Expeditionary Advisory Squadron and Soldiers from the 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade, Task Force Falcon, led the first class of Afghan National Army Air Corp soldiers through the Afghan National Security Forces Crew Chief Academy March 6 here.The joint team of

  • Missile Defense Review confirms capability's necessity

    Ballistic missile defense has come out of the world of the controversial and improbable and now is in the realm of the accepted and possible, the deputy Defense secretary said March 22 here.Deputy Secretary William J. Lynn III spoke to the 8th Annual U.S. Missile Defense Conference held at the

  • DOD, airline officials sign alternative fuels pact

    A new agreement between the Defense Logistics Agency's Defense Energy Support Center and the Air Transport Association of America will help to promote widespread commercialization of environmentally friendly aviation fuels with less reliance on fossil fuels. Representatives of the Defense Logistics

  • Chilean, Air Force medics share knowledge, experience

    Air Force and Chilean medics are transitioning duties while sharing knowledge at the expeditionary hospital here March 22.Since the hospital opened March 13, Chilean and Air Force medics worked side-by-side to treat more than 130 patients and perform 16 surgeries. For many of the Airmen here,

  • Holloman Airmen train for worst in active shooter exercise

    Holloman Air Force Base members tested their preparedness during a simulated active gunman situation March 11 at the Domenici Fitness and Sports Center here.As 49th Security Forces Squadron patrolmen cleared the building in search of the suspects, a quick reaction force stood up and was en route to

  • Air Combat Command leader visits Mountain Home Airmen

    The commander of Air Combat Command visited the 366th Fighter Wing Airmen here March 7 and 8 to see them firsthand, thank them for their sacrifices and gain a better understanding of their mission, capabilities and challenges.Gen. William M. Fraser III's visit included a dinner with Idaho Gov. C. L.

  • Construction begins on new fuel pipeline at Southwest Asia base

    Construction on a new 2.7-mile pipeline to bolster ground refueling operations for the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing began March 17 at a non-disclosed base here.The $5.7 million project calls for the construction of an above-ground 8-inch carbon steel pipeline from the existing tanker truck offload

  • Civil engagement program helps prepare Iraq for future

    As U.S. officials prepare to draw down troops in Iraq, efforts are being made to ensure the effect on the country's infrastructure is minimal. Joint Base Balad's civil engagement program maximizes the base's resources and abilities and helps more than 800,000 Iraqis in the Salah ad Din Province. The

  • USAFE officials visit command's newest wing

    Gen. Roger Brady, commander of U.S. Air Forces in Europe, and Chief Master Sgt. Pamela Derrow, USAFE command chief master sergeant, visited the Airmen of the 435th Air Ground Operations Wing March 16 to see the unique blend of capabilities the unit brings to USAFE.The visit allowed General Brady and

  • 'Today's Air Force' features taking care of Airmen

    In this edition of "Today's Air Force," the Air Force takes care of Airmen, while encouraging them to take care of themselves. Plus, with troops from more than 40 nations fighting alongside U.S. Airmen in Afghanistan, bilateral training is as important as ever. Find out how Airmen are teaming up

  • 505th Command and Control Wing welcomes new Royal Air Force exchange officer

    Royal Air Force Wing Commander Allan Goodison recently took the reins as 505th Training Group deputy commander of development, here. Wing Commander Goodison will work with the 505th TRG commander integrating command and control or C2, operations with joint and coalition forces.Group members develop

  • Steering committee wraps up discussions

    Officials from 13 international air forces welcomed a new chairman after completing week-long discussions at the 59th Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training Steering Committee March 12. The discussions, hosted by members of the 80th Flying Training Wing, covered the current syllabus, funding for the

  • Lajes officials take step toward solar power

    As part of the Air Force officials' renewable energy initiative, members of the 65th Civil Engineer Squadron have taken a step toward saving taxpayers money after installing and testing their first solar energy-producing panels in a military family housing unit Feb. 22 here. The panel unit costs

  • Predator passes 700,000 hours

    Airmen of the 432nd Air Expeditionary Wing reached a new flight milestone March 12 when they surpassed 700,000 flight hours in the MQ-1B Predator remotely piloted aircraft.The last 200,000 Predator hours were flown in just over 12 months compared to 19 months to fly the previous 250,000 hours and

  • U.S., Philippine servicemembers visit school children

    Philippine and U.S. servicemembers joined together to provide much-needed clothing and other every day items to local school children March 15 here.The community relations project took place during Balikatan 2010, an annual bilateral exercise involving the Philippine military, Philippine civil

  • Joint STARS resumes re-engining program with two major contract actions

    The 751st Electronic Systems Group has successfully resumed the system design and development phase of the E-8C Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System re-engining program with the award of two large contract actions. The E-8C Joint STARS is an airborne battle management command and control

  • Precision airdrop training coming to Altus AFB

    A new training course will be soon implemented into the syllabus for all C-17 Globemaster III aircrew members attending technical training here.Air Force officials are relocating the improved container delivery system and joint precision airdrop system training to Altus Air Force Base in the coming

  • Medical professionals save millions with common-sense concept

    Officials from the 86th Medical Special Operations Clinic have developed a way to maximize time spent by people traveling to Ramstein Air Base for a conference, saving the Department of Defense millions of dollars along the way.They use a simple yet, inspired concept called conference medicine most

  • Altus training operations begin to recover from ice storm

    Looking at Altus Air Force Base, the only signs of this year's ice storm are limbless trees that had to be trimmed down after the storm covered the base in a thick sheet of ice. However, members of the 97th Training Squadron are just now recovering from its lingering effects.The ice storm hit Altus

  • Air Force Uniform Office planning for the future

    Officials in the Air Force Uniform Office here are developing a seven-year strategic plan, which will be used to provide Air Force Uniform Board members vital uniform technology information to assist in making decisions on allocating limited resources to pursue the board's priorities.Priorities for

  • New members appointed to VA Advisory Committee on Women Veterans

    Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki has appointed six new members to the Advisory Committee on Women Veterans, an expert panel that advises Department of Veterans Affairs officials on a wide array of issues affecting women veterans."VA remains committed to providing quality, timely care

  • SOUTHCOM provides support to relief operations in Chile

    U.S. military officials are providing support to the ongoing relief efforts in Chile following the 8.8- magnitude earthquake that struck the country in late February. "U.S. military personnel have been working with local and international responders to provide relief to the hard-hit areas," said

  • U.S. Cyber Command preparations under way, general says

    Preparations for the formal establishment of U.S. Cyber Command are under way, a senior military officer here reported to Congress March 16. The formal launch of the new organization is awaiting congressional approval of its commander, according to Gen. Kevin P. Chilton, the commander of U.S.

  • 'Home of the Blue' campaign showcases privatized military family housing

    With an average of more than 500 new or renovated homes entering the privatized housing inventory each month, the Air Force goal of creating quality homes and thriving communities for Airmen and their families is well under way. Now officials at the Air Force Center for Engineering and the

  • Airmen train Iraqi EOD squad

    The eight Iraqi men drove up to the Ali Base main gate in two sparkling clean, white Ford F-350 trucks, replete with police badges emblazoned on the doors and light bars on the roofs . Waiting to meet them were three Airmen in a joint explosive ordanace disposal rapid response vehicle.The Iraqis

  • New protocol to provide early brain injury detection

    Defense Department officials are rolling out a new set of guidelines for the treatment of mild traumatic brain injury among servicemembers in combat areas. "We're morphing from a symptom-based approach in theater to an incident-based approach," a senior official said March 15 during a "DoDLive"

  • New ATC tower opens for business

    A newly constructed air traffic control tower opened for operation March 12, here."This is a monumental day for the U.S. Air Force, the Army Corps of Engineers and for the future of the Iraqi air force," said Lt. Col. Michael Richardson, the commander of the 407th Expeditionary Operations Support

  • Female pilots share stories at National Air and Space Museum

    The staff at the National Air and Space Museum's Udvar-Hazy Center hosted their annual Women in Aviation and Space Family Day March 13 where Airmen had to chance to talk to young girls about being a female pilot.For Lt. Col. Merryl Tengesdal, it was "an opportunity to show the young ladies that

  • Care plan to encompass more military families

    The Defense Department's family care plan policy will be expanded in the coming months to encompass a wider population of military parents, a defense legal expert said. The new policy will require military parents with custody of children from a previous relationship to file a family care plan, said

  • More customers using MyPay for faster, safer service

    When the Defense Finance and Accounting Service first launched the myPay Web-based pay account system in 2000, less than 500,000 military members, military retirees, annuitants and federal civilian employees were listed as online users. Today that number includes 3.7 million users with access to pay

  • Airmen, Chileans treat patients at new expeditionary hospital

    Just five days after their arrival in Chile, Airmen from an Air Force Expeditionary Medical Support team along with Chilean medics are treating patients at the newly built mobile hospital March 15 here. Chilean surgeons and anesthesiologists worked side-by-side with their Air Force counterparts to

  • Air Force's new undersecretary sworn in

    The Senate confirmed the nomination of Erin C. Conaton to become the next undersecretary of the Air Force March 4 and she began her transition into the office after being sworn in March 15."This is a great day for the Air Force," said Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley. "Erin will be a

  • Official announces plans to curb fighter program's cost

    Defense Department officials will require a shift to a fixed-price contract in their negotiations with Lockheed Martin for the initial production phase of the F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighter, a defense official said here March 15 in a briefing at the Pentagon. Department officials also will

  • Kirkuk Airmen build desks for Iraqi children

    Several Airmen from the 506th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron here volunteered to refurbish desks for school children in March.The idea for refurbishing the school desks sprang from a conversation Chief Master Sgt. Tom Pizzi, the 506th ECES chief enlisted manager, deployed from McChord Air

  • NSPS Web site adds features to track transition

    New features on the redesigned NSPS Web site give employees the opportunity to follow the progress as Air Force officials prepare to transition more than 44,000 current Air Force National Security Personnel System employees into non-NSPS personnel systems.To enhance transparency in operations, the

  • Airey House, Court dedicated to first chief master sergeant of the Air Force

    The first chief master sergeant of the Air Force was remembered and honored March 10 at a dedication here of the house and street where CMSAFs reside."(We are here to) honor our first chief master sergeant of the Air Force, Paul Airey," said Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James Roy, number 16 of

  • New process available for selecting retirement option

    Officers and enlisted Airmen reaching 15 years of active-duty service will have new procedures in place beginning April 1 to accept enrollment in the Redux retirement plan. Airmen will receive an electronic notification of their eligibility for the High-3 Choice retirement plan that allows members

  • Defense secretary discusses Iraq, Afghanistan with deployed troops

    Servicemembers quizzed Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates about Afghanistan, the elections in Iraq and the Iran situation during a question-and-answer period March 11 here. Secretary Gates spoke to members of the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing, which has been deployed here since January 2002 in

  • First Sergeant Academy curriculum, organization mirrors total force

    The life of an Air Force first sergeant is truly a tale of two experiences. There exists the joy of watching Airmen receive well-deserved promotions and recognition, and there is the disappointment and sadness at receiving a 3 a.m. phone call from a law enforcement desk or casualty affairs. These

  • Employment program to resume for enrolled spouses

    The Military Spouse Career Advancement Accounts program, commonly known as MyCAA, will resume March 13 for the more than 136,000 spouses who already have established an account, the Defense Department official who heads up the program announced March 11 here. Officials announced a temporary halt in

  • VA targets $39 million for homeless veterans

    The Department of Veterans Affairs is allocating $39 million to fund about 2,200 new transitional housing beds through grants to local providers."VA is committed to ending the cycle of homelessness among Veterans,"said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki. "We will use every tool at our

  • Policy to mandate head injury evaluations

    Defense Department officials said they expect to launch a new policy in the coming months that will make head-injury evaluations mandatory for all servicemembers who may have concussions. The current guidelines for treating servicemembers with such injuries allows for them to come forward on their

  • 'Legends of Aerospace' visit Airmen in Southwest Asia

    The first and last men to walk on the moon, the commander of Apollo 13, the last Air Force pilot "Ace" and the SR-71 chief test pilot, all "Legends of Aerospace,"  were the honored guests of the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing March 8 at an air base in Southwest Asia.Hundreds of servicemembers flocked

  • American, Afghan docs begin surgical process for young burn victim

    An American facial thoracic surgeon and an Afghan medical team from Kandahar Regional Medical Hospital partnered March 1, here to help heal a young man who had severe burn injuries for six months.Thirteen-year-old Abdul Rahman was severely burned in a cooking incident in his home. His father managed

  • Cyber Control System launch under way

    Electronic Systems Center program managers are in Virginia the week of March 8 for a contract kick-off meeting on Increment One of the Cyber Control System, after awarding the critical $8.9 million contract to Electronic Data Systems, a Hewlett Packard company, two weeks ago.CCS Increment-1 will