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  • Air bridge sustains coalition lives, Afghan security

    There's a bridge connecting land-locked Afghanistan to America's East Coast. Metaphorically, the bridge has trusses spanning continents. Literally, it's a lifeline to ground combat units, as without that bridge Soldiers would lack vital life-sustaining supplies. "Life at my combat outpost would be

  • Iraqi officials visit Balad to better understand base transition

    The 321st Air Expeditionary Wing commander and several Iraqi air force senior leaders toured the flightline and facilities here Feb. 1.Brig. Gen. Anthony J. Rock, the commander of the 321st AEW and the director of the Iraq Training and Advisory Mission-Air, toured the base with General Wamid, the

  • Airmen join Soldiers in Joint Dawn

    About two dozen contracting Airmen trained here to get a taste of contracting operations in a contingency environment. The Airmen came from as far away as Japan, Alaska and Hawaii to participate in the U.S. Army Expeditionary Contracting Command Operation Joint Dawn 2011. When they hit the ground

  • Petraeus discusses troop transition options

    As the start of the drawdown of U.S. troops from Afghanistan approaches, Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, the senior commander of U.S. and coalition forces there, said the transition of forces could take a number of forms."Progressively over time, obviously, we do want to reduce our numbers in specific

  • Leaders call operational Reserve 'a new DOD efficiency'

    The new role and future direction of the Department of Defense's reserve components was the focus of the Reserve Officer Association gathering attended by more than 600 people at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel here Jan. 29 through Feb. 2.Senior DOD leaders here discussed how the Reserve programs

  • Directory links wounded warriors, families to resources

    From benefits and compensation, to education and training, an online directory is providing wounded warriors, veterans and their families a direct connection to thousands of state, local and national resources. "There's so much information on the Web right now; it's nice to have one place to access

  • Rubber removal begins at Bagram Airfield

    Since Jan. 30, Airmen who work on the flightline here have seen a new vehicle crossing the runway. The vehicle, a TrackJet TJ-24, is a surface-treatment system with high-capacity vacuum suction capability. It looks like a water tanker with a vacuum attached to the front. Since its arrival, the

  • AOC Weapon System moves toward single computing environment

    Electronic Systems Center officials recently put out a request for proposal to modernize the Air and Space Operations Center Weapon System."We're looking to have a single computing environment for the AOC Weapon System," said Lt. Col. John Barrette, AOC WS 10.2 program manager. "Right now, there are

  • Government officials unite to improve child, youth programs

    The government's new military family-support effort will have a resounding impact on resources and programs for military children and youth in the months and years ahead, a Defense Department official said."It is earth-shattering," said Barbara Thompson, the director of the Pentagon's office of

  • Air Force Medical Service officials launch new Facebook page

    Air Force Medical Service officials announced the launch of a new Facebook page Feb. 2.  This communication tool will provide a venue for service members and their families, retirees and their families, and interested organizations and individuals to receive health-related information and resources

  • Air Force officials announce FY11 additional force management measures

    Air Force leaders announced involuntary force management programs Feb. 2 to reduce personnel as a supplement to the voluntary programs announced in December. These measures are part of the Air Force's multi-year Force Management Program aimed at shaping and sizing the force. With more Airmen

  • Air Force Reserve has opportunities for separating Airmen

    Air Force Reserve officials want separating Airmen to consider opportunities as a reservist.  Becoming a traditional reservist or an individual mobilization augmentee offers them the opportunity to pursue a civilian career and still serve their country.Traditional reservists join a Reserve unit,

  • Global Strike mission continues during winter storm

    While Americans face hazardous road conditions and closures this week with a major winter storm blowing across the heart of the country, it is wintertime business as usual at most Air Force Global Strike Command bases, officials said.The command's responsibility for northern bases, which serve both

  • New website promotes military info sharing

    Whether they're moving into a new contingency operation or upgrading operations for an existing one, U.S. forces have a new weapon at their disposal when setting up or reconfiguring their command-and-control architectures.Thanks to the new "C2 Central" website established by U.S. Joint Forces

  • Legends Panel links past, present communications Airmen

    Air Force Network Integration Center Airmen had a unique opportunity to meet with and ask questions of some of the organization's past commanders and members of the Communications and Information Hall of Fame during the AFNIC Legends Panel session here Jan 26.The panel was part of a two-day heritage

  • Air National Guard fighter wing preps for alert missions at Tyndall

    U.S.-based alert pilots train to shoot down enemy aircraft over American soil. They run exercise scenarios on a constant basis, preparing for that call to scramble. But all the dry runs in the world can't prepare a pilot for that moment when a live missile is released from the jet. That's why

  • Mullen: Workplace flexibility focuses on families, children

    Military families, and especially children in those families who have grown up against the backdrop of 10 years of war, are the focus of the military's effort to make workplace flexibility an increased priority, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said here Feb. 1.Navy Adm. Mike Mullen spoke

  • Nonpartisan group teaches vets how to run for office

    Ask most Americans what they they'd like to see in their elected officials, and they're likely to rattle off a laundry list of characteristics: integrity, leadership experience, an ability to work cooperatively to tackle tough challenges, and perhaps most of all, a willingness to put what's best for

  • New VA office to serve as advocate for tribal veterans

    Department of Veterans Affairs officials have announced the creation of a new Office of Tribal Government Relations to ensure the more than 200,000 veterans who are American Indians, Alaska Natives, Hawaiian Natives or are part of the Alaska Native Corporations receive the VA benefits they have

  • Kehler succeeds Chilton as commander of Strategic Command

    Air Force Gen. Kevin P. Chilton passed the flag of U.S. Strategic Command to Air Force Gen. C. Robert Kehler Jan. 28, giving the nation's nuclear deterrent mission a new commander.General Chilton, a pilot who served 10 years with NASA and flew three space shuttle missions, retired after 34 years of

  • STOMP brings together parents, educators of special needs children

    When Tech. Sgt. Emily Smith and Staff Sgt. Todge Smith were blessed with a baby girl nearly six months ago, they immediately recognized signs of Down syndrome and epilepsy in her. With early intervention and physical therapy, their daughter Renee is now meeting all developmental milestones.Sergeant

  • Advisers fight fire with knowledge

    Iraq Training and Advisory Mission-Air advisers provided critical training to Iraqi firefighters at New Al-Muthana Air Base Jan. 24. The class, spearheaded by NAMAB's Base Transition Team - Det. 3, taught 24 Iraqi firefighters how to safely handle a fire aboard an Iraqi C-130 Hercules. The class is

  • Commissaries expand focus on health in 2011

    Customers who want to improve their health will have plenty of help at their local commissary as the new year rolls out a variety of special discounts, coupon booklets and giveaways."Our industry partners have joined together to offer our customers the most nutritious and delicious products for your

  • Air Force officials announce NASCAR sponsorship for 2011

    Air Force recruiting officials announced Jan. 21 that they are renewing the NASCAR partnership with Richard Petty Motorsports and the No. 43 car for the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. "This is our tenth season in NASCAR and we look forward to competing and winning with the Richard Petty team," said

  • Officials to issue new camouflage uniforms to deployers

    Airmen deploying to Afghanistan in 2011 will see a new uniform issued to them as part of their deployment gear beginning in March. While Airmen have been faced with a slew of uniform changes in recent years, this new uniform is not a matter of image or heritage but instead has resulted from a joint

  • Gates: Congress must address 'crisis on my doorstep'

    The failure of Congress so far to pass the fiscal 2011 defense appropriations bill, which creates the possibility of funding the department under a year-long continuing resolution instead, is "the crisis on my doorstep," Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said in an interview Jan. 26.Failure to pass

  • Collaboration is key to family support effort, official says

    Collaboration is at the heart of the government's new military family support directive and is the key to supporting service members and their families in the months and years ahead, a Defense Department official said Jan. 26."We clearly are trying to find in every agency in the government ways to

  • Lynn: Defense budget plans strike 'right balance'

    The Defense Department's plans to cut $78 billion from its budget over five years, and find more than $100 billion in savings for reinvestment, was a collaborative effort and a reasonable balance between military needs and budget constraints, said Deputy Defense Secretary William J. Lynn III Jan.

  • Program helps service retain RPA, rated pilots

    Air Force officials announced their plans Jan. 26 for the fiscal 2011 Aviator Continuation Pay program to help retain active-duty pilots and combat-systems officers who are trained as remotely piloted aircraft pilots.The ACP program allows some active-duty, rated aviators to qualify for a monetary

  • New fitness requirements for deploying Airmen

    Airmen preparing to attend Army-taught Combat Skills Training prior to deploying to a joint expeditionary tasking in direct support of combatant commander or joint task force ground component missions will soon be required to possess a current and passing fitness assessment, according to new Air

  • Iraqi Air Force College trains pilots and ground support officers

    For future pilots and ground support officers, the gateway to Iraqi air power opened Sept. 1, 2010, at the Iraqi Air Force College here.There are 143 cadet pilots studying courses in avionics and aviation theory, along with geography, history, and an extensive core curriculum in the English

  • Rescue Airmen take on 'Titan' training

    An unused rocket-assembly building here is finding new life as a training facility to teach high-altitude, high-angle and confined-space rescue techniques. Air Force Reserve pararescuemen and combat rescue officers from the Air Force Reserve Command's 920th Rescue Wing here, joined their active-duty

  • Airmen demonstrate capabilities during life-like exercise

    Airmen here recently participated in Beverly High 11-02, a local operational readiness exercise that used scenarios to gauge Airmen's ability to react and respond to different situations and base emergencies.In one scenario Jan. 19, firefighters, security-forces and flight-medicine professionals

  • Air Force officials convene court martial for former command chief

    Air Force officials convened its court-martial trial Jan. 25 against Chief Master Sgt. William Gurney, the Air Force Materiel Command former command chief, who is charged with 19 violations of the Uniform Code of Military Justice.Chief Gurney pled guilty to 13 violations of dereliction of duty and

  • F-15E flies with new radar system

    Officials took a step forward in the F-15E Strike Eagle's continuous technological evolution as the Air Force's most versatile combat aircraft here Jan. 18.Officials from the 46th Test Wing launched the fourth generation fighter for the first time with a new and improved radar system, the

  • Afghan air force help desk receives upgrade training

    The Afghan air force and the NATO Air Training Command-Afghanistan advisers recently started a new computer training course here Jan. 17. A+ training provides the basic fundamentals on desktop computers and networking. Upon completion of the course, the AAF technicians or individuals will be able to

  • White House unveils new approach to military family support

    White House officials have released a report that unveils a new, governmentwide approach to military family support and details a sweeping, interagency effort under way to strengthen families and enhance their well-being and quality of life.President Barack Obama announced the results of a nearly

  • CMSAF visits Davis-Monthan AFB

    Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James A. Roy visited Airmen and their families here Jan. 13.During his visit he sat down for an interview and discussed many topics, including the new physical training procedures, the drawdown in Iraq, suicide in the Air Force and other issues and concerns.Fitness

  • 'Today's Air Force' features a look around the service

    In this edition of "Today's Air Force," the Air Force's "Fit to Fight" culture challenges one Airman to change his lifestyle. Plus, you'll get the lowdown on a new online assignment notification system. And, Airmen in Afghanistan help one Afghan family pick up the pieces of their shattered lives.The

  • Assistant Secretary of Air Force visits Baghdad

    Airmen deployed to Iraq in 2011 will play a historic role as U.S. military forces drawdown under the 2008 bilateral security agreement, said a senior Pentagon official."This is a particularly important time in Iraq," said Daniel Ginsberg, the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Manpower and

  • Airmen consolidate flying missions, free space for Afghan unit

    Officials from the 451st Air Expeditionary Wing recently began moving assets here as part of a long-term project to consolidate the wing's missions and to free space for the expanding Afghan unit. The move of the 75th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron marked the first of 10 units and two groups to be

  • KC-10 marks 20 years of deployment, nearly 30 years of operations

    Jan. 17th was a special day for the KC-10 Extender community. It marked the day KC-10s, aircrews and maintainers have been on continuous deployment for 20 years -- 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year -- to Southwest Asia in support of combat operations.Facts show the KC-10 will pass a

  • TRICARE officials improve online communication, access

    Additions to the TRICARE military health plan's website are giving beneficiaries easier access to their personal health data, more convenient appointment scheduling and better communication with their health care providers, the top TRICARE official reported.TRICARE Online, the military health

  • Commander says headquarters' job is to make wings successful

    Air Force Global Strike Command's new top leader addressed his headquarters staff Jan. 12, less than a week after taking command. His message: the headquarters is responsible for ensuring the success of its subordinate units.Lt. Gen. Jim Kowalski visited each of the command's installations Jan. 7

  • TSP contribution limits set for 2011

    Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board members announced the 2011 elective deferral limit for regular Thrift Savings Plan contributions will remain $16,500, and TSP catch-up plan contribution limits will remain at $5,500.TSP is a long-term retirement savings plan that gives investors an

  • Air Force chief of staff releases 2011 reading list

    The Air Force chief of staff announced his latest professional reading list Jan. 21. "Effectively operating within our increasingly dynamic, interconnected and complex world requires steadfast commitment to personal and professional growth," Gen. Norton Schwartz said in a letter to

  • LEAD candidates visit Air Force Academy

    More than 25 Airmen from bases in the United States and Europe visited the Air Force Academy Jan. 13-14 as part of the Leaders Encouraging Airmen Development Diversity Visitation Program. LEAD is a commissioning program that allows up to 85 active-duty Airmen and 85 reservists or Guardsmen to enter

  • Edwards officials developing new parachute system

    Officials here are creating a guardian angel system to help Air Force members who parachute to land safely and softly.Officials are replacing the Air Force's nearly five-decades-old parachute system with a new one, called the Guardian Angel Advance Parachute System, which is designed for safer

  • More nuke treaties remain on agenda, official says

    With one major arms reduction treaty nearly to the enforcement stage, more work lies ahead to advance the nation's nuclear security, a senior State Department official said Jan. 19.Rose Gotemoeller, the State Department's assistant secretary for the Bureau of Arms Control, Verification and

  • Reserve C-130 special mission units learn from each other

    Air Force Reserve aerial spray, aerial firefighting and hurricane hunting units gathered at the command's C-130 Special Missions conference learned that they share common issues, though they perform vastly different missions. That was the focus of the two-day conference that ended here Jan 13."This

  • Department begins project for Vietnam War veterans

    More than three decades after the war's end, Defense Department officials have begun a project to pay tribute to the nation's Vietnam War veterans.The 2008 National Defense Authorization Act led to the 50th Anniversary of the Vietnam War Commemoration, an official said."It was a very important time

  • 'Virtual world' helps with post-traumatic stress

    Defense Department officials are using virtual-world interactivity to educate and help warfighters and others who are reluctant to seek more direct care to deal with post-traumatic stress, said an official at the National Center for Telehealth and Technology, also known as "T2."During a recent

  • CSAF meets with Airmen during Bagram visit

    Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz visited the Airmen of the 455th Air Expeditionary Wing here Jan. 18 through 19 during a trip to the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility.The Air Force's 19th chief of staff also took time to present Purple Hearts to Capt. Gil Wyche and Senior

  • Consumer advocates seek military's input

    Leaders implementing the federal government's new consumer protection agency met with Joint Base San Antonio service members here Jan. 18 to discuss the unique financial issues facing military families.Elizabeth Warren, the assistant to the president and special adviser to the secretary of the

  • No Airman left behind: Pursued by anxiety

    A young man lifts weights in a crowded gym. All of a sudden, a lion appears in the doorway, locks eyes with the young man and bursts into full pursuit. That surge of adrenaline and panic is what one Airman here felt while performing normal everyday tasks."I'm going through this feeling of a lion

  • Personnel recovery division stands up at ACC

    In December 2010, Air Combat Command's Personnel Recovery Division, designated A3J and headquartered at Langley Air Force Base, Va., officially stood up and was created to ensure that the Air Force is prepared for the challenge of rescuing Airmen from hostile deployed environments. The division is

  • McKinley: Relationships vital to National Guard domestic operations

    The National Guard's ability to respond to a domestic response depends largely on relationships established prior to an incident, the chief of the National Guard Bureau said Jan. 19 at the 2011 National Guard Bureau Domestic Operations Workshop here. "You establish these relationships in your

  • Daughter of MacDill chaplain makes harrowing journey

    Most people pedal a bike for fun and recreation, but it was the very serious business of combating the sex slave trade that motivated the daughter of one of MacDill Air Force Base's own to make a harrowing, cross-country winter bike journey.Janna Buttrick, a college student and daughter of Chaplain

  • General Chandler honored during retirement ceremony

    Gen. Carrol H. "Howie" Chandler, the 37th vice chief of staff of the Air Force, marked the conclusion of his Air Force career among family, friends and colleagues during his retirement ceremony here Jan. 14.The ceremony honored the many accomplishments of General Chandler during his 36-year career

  • Officials launch Air Force Teen Council

    Officials with the Air Force Services Agency here have created an outlet for Air Force teens worldwide to voice their concerns to Air Force leadership. The Air Force Teen Council Program allows teens to brainstorm solutions and initiate change at the installation, major-command and Air Force levels.

  • Hickam aircrew maximizes training in Guam

    It took 23 passes over designated drops zones and a 12-hour tactical duty day of training to finish a single day of airdrop training in Guam.An aircrew from the 535th Airlift Squadron from Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, dropped four training pallets, five container delivery system bundles,

  • Milestone for Afghan air force means better trained pilots

    The Afghan air force reached a new milestone with the opening of the pilot training program recently here. The first Afghan pilots began their eight-week instruction course early in January with a four-day academic schedule before beginning flight instruction on the Mi-17 Hip H. "We are helping the

  • Falcons have strong showing at 2011 All-Comers Meet

    The Air Force track and field team kicked off the 2011 season with a strong showing at the annual Air Force All-Comers Meet Jan. 14 at the U.S. Air Force Academy's Cadet Field House. Several Falcons added new entries to the women's record books, while the combined squad accounted for 11 top finishes

  • New vice chief of staff takes office

    Gen. Philip M. Breedlove took over as vice chief of staff of the Air Force Jan. 14, succeeding Gen. Carrol H. "Howie" Chandler who held the position since August 2009.General Breedlove most recently served as the Air Force deputy chief of staff for operations, plans and requirements, a position he

  • Air Force officials automate active-duty assignment notifications

    Air Force officials are automating active-duty assignment notifications for Airmen in the ranks of lieutenant colonel and below beginning Jan. 21. Airmen will receive an e-mail notification about their new assignments and have seven days to acknowledge their assignments through the Virtual Military

  • TRICARE officials announce Young Adult program

    The Department of Defense announced Jan. 13 its introduction of the premium-based TRICARE Young Adult Program which extends medical coverage to eligible military family members to age 26. Expected to be in place later this spring, TYAP implements the National Defense Authorization Act of fiscal

  • Vice president thanks Airmen and service members in Iraq

    A crowd of more than 200 service members, many of them Airmen, and civilians deployed in support of Operation New Dawn listened to Vice President Joe Biden during his recent stop at Al Faw Palace here."It makes me feel like we have the support of the people back home," said Staff Sgt. Pearl Alomar,

  • Crucial training prepares flag officers for deployment

    Experts here are preparing flag officers for deployments by familiarizing them with the language and culture they may encounter.The Air Force Culture and Language Center's General Officer Pre-Deployment Acculturation Course is tailored to the general officers' needs and takes into consideration

  • SOUTHCOM chief praises Haiti quake response

    A year after his headquarters staff jumped into action to coordinate the military response to a devastating earthquake in Haiti, Gen. Douglas Fraser, the commander of U.S. Southern Command, offered high praise Jan. 12 for the hard work and dedication they demonstrated. General Fraser, during his

  • Air Force officials using more green-roof technologies

    If they're not providing top cover on Air Force bases already, chances are they will be soon. With the Air Force's continued emphasis on sustainability, energy conservation and environmental consciousness, green-roof technologies, and other efficiency measures are high on the priority list for new

  • 386th EMDG Airmen boast garden oasis

    In the vast desert, it's hard to believe for many that anything can grow besides tumbleweeds. One provider with the 386th Expeditionary Medical Group has shown that with effort, determination and a little ingenuity, anything can grow anywhere. Lt. Col. Reynold D'Lima, along with other members of the

  • Air Guard, Reserve officials announce 2011 teen leadership summits

    Officials from the Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard announced the 2011 Air Force Reserve and ANG Teen Leadership Summit locations Jan. 5. The Air Force Reserve and ANG Teen Leadership Summit locations this summer are in Dahlonega, Ga.; Estes, Colo.; and Washington. The summits combine

  • 'Medical home' concept improves care, controls costs

    Wouldn't it be fantastic to get the old-fashioned kind of health care, in which the doctor knew you and your family and kept track of your medical condition, but with the additional convenience and access to health care information that modern technology provides?That's exactly what the TRICARE

  • Global Observer makes first hydrogen-powered flight

    The Global Observer unmanned aircraft system successfully completed its first flight powered by the aircraft's hydrogen-fueled propulsion system here Jan. 6.This milestone marks the beginning of high-altitude, long-endurance flight testing for the demonstration and operational utility phase of this

  • Air Force officials report recruiting success

    All four active services met or exceeded their recruiting and retention goals for the fiscal year through December, Defense Department officials announced Jan. 12.Additionally, five of the six reserve components have met or exceeded their recruiting goals so far for the fiscal year that began Oct.

  • Airmen donate school supplies to local Iraqi children

    Airmen assigned to the Echelon Above Division-Advise and Train team at Tallil Air Base, Iraq, recently handed out school supplies and toys to more than 70 children at Ur Elementary School, located in a small village near the base."The local children are the future leaders of this country," said Lt.

  • Airmen build foundation of Iraqi air force

    In an effort to strengthen the strategic partnership between Iraq and U.S., Airmen assigned to the 821st Expeditionary Training Squadron here are helping the Iraqi government and its people develop a stable and self-reliant air force for their nation.Airmen with the 821st ETRS work daily with the

  • Civil engineers restore electricity to village

    For the past three months, inhabitants of Bakir village, Iraq, were without power, but members of the 332nd Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron, contractors and local Iraqi electricians worked together to install new high-voltage cable to restore electricity."This has been a joint effort between

  • Survey will assess Air Force community well-being

    Invitations to take the 2011 Air Force Community Assessment will be sent out Jan. 25. The assessment is designed to assist chaplains and people working in installation-level Airman and family readiness centers, family advocacy programs, health and wellness centers, mental health clinics and child

  • Chairman calls for military self-examination

    As the military enjoys tremendous support from the American people, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said now is the time to step back, assess the impact of 10 years of war and ensure the institution remains on course.Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, opening a leadership conference Jan. 10 at the

  • F-4 continues long-time service to Air Force with new mission

    The 82nd Aerial Target Squadron officials here are replacing the use of Lear jets for their banner tow missions with the F-4 Phantom, creating an air-to-air target that aircrews in training can safely evaluate, develop and test their weapons systems. "We developed the idea to use the F-4 for the

  • 'ONE Suit Pro' IDEA saves Air Force money

    Saving money and improving quality of service and efficiency in the workplace were the motivating factors behind the "ONE Suit Pro" idea that won awards for the members of the 17th Civil Engineer Squadron, Innovative Development through Employee Awareness program team recently.The idea submitted to

  • Gates: Chinese taking strategic dialogue proposal seriously

    The Chinese are taking an American proposal to hold a strategic dialogue between the two countries seriously, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said here Jan. 11.Secretary Gates met with President Hu Jintao at the Great Hall of the people and with Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi Jan. 11. The meetings

  • Airmen develop Iraqi documentation and media exploitation capacity

    Forty joint expeditionary tasking Airmen, along with other members of the Joint Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Tactical Documentation and Media Exploitation Team in Iraq, are helping Iraqi government officials to establish their own documentation and media exploitation mission. A

  • Aviano becomes first USAFE base to begin using AMT

    Airmen at Aviano Air Base are the first in U.S. Air Forces in Europe to begin using the new, revolutionary asset marking and tracking system being implemented at Air Force installations around the world. Once fully integrated, the new AMT system will provide 100-percent accountability for all Air

  • Fielding success enables pilot-to-pilot link

    A team of former fighter pilots from the Electronic Systems Center here is continuing to make sure current fighter pilots -- both U.S. and Allied forces -- can operate the sophisticated communication network known as Link 16.Link 16 takes data from multiple platforms, including Airborne Warning and

  • Baltic air policing mission complete

    The 493rd Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, United Kingdom, relinquished command of the NATO Baltic air policing mission to the German air force at Lithuania Air Force Air Base here Jan. 5.The 493rd EFS, deployed from Royal Air Force Lakenheath, assumed responsibility for Lithuanian, Latvian and

  • Iraqi airmen fly record number of aircraft

    Iraqi air force pilots flew a record number of aircraft during the annual Iraqi Army Day Parade Jan. 6 at the International Zone here. Iraqi crews piloted 20 aircraft in 12 fly-overs and aerial demonstrations over a parade field filled with government officials from allied nations and Iraqi

  • Health plan to remain free for troops, officials emphasize

    Though Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates seeks modest premium increases for working-age military retirees who use the TRICARE Prime health plan, the benefit will remain free to service members, defense officials emphasized Jan. 7.Secretary Gates unveiled sweeping, cost-cutting initiatives Jan. 6,

  • Another GPS software upgrade completed

    As part of a larger ongoing effort by Air Force officials to improve and maintain the current GPS ground system, Air Force Space Command officials completed another sustainment software release for the GPS operational control segment ground system. Officials from the 2nd Space Operations Squadron at

  • Health plan officials work to improve efficiency, care

    As Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates presses for a modest increase in health plan premiums for working-age military retirees to help offset rising health care costs, the head of the TRICARE Management Activity reported progress already made in improving efficiencies as well as the quality of health

  • Secretary Gates outlines 'Don't Ask' repeal process

    Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates Jan. 6 described the Pentagon's three-step process for preparing to allow gays to serve openly in the military services.At a Pentagon news conference with Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Secretary Gates updated reporters on the

  • Base exchange rewards those who 'Made the Grade'

    Military children, especially those with deployed parents, face unique stresses that often result in higher rates of school absenteeism and failure, according to the American Academy of PediatricsKeeping these unique challenges in mind, the Army and Air Force Exchange Service established an

  • Cadet chorale to perform at BCS championship

    The U.S. Air Force Academy Cadet Chorale is scheduled to perform the National Anthem Jan. 10 at the Bowl Championship Series National Championship game prior to kickoff in Glendale, Ariz. The Cadet Chorale is composed of men and women from all four cadet classes who represent the Academy through

  • Antarctica blog connects students with science

    Connecting scientists to elementary and high school students worldwide was one of many accomplishments during last year's Operation Deep Freeze, the military's support of National Science Foundation research in Antarctica.In 2010, Lt. Col. Ed Vaughan spent 50 days as commander of McMurdo Det. 1 and

  • Airmen, Soldiers redeploy aircraft

     A CH-47 Chinook helicopter was returned home to Fort Wainwright, Alaska, by the joint efforts of Soldiers and Airmen working here Dec. 15.Soldiers from the 16th Combat Aviation Brigade worked alongside Airmen here to complete the final stages of their redeployment. The brigade was a vital part of

  • Air Force Global Strike Command gets new top leader

    Lt. Gen. James Kowalski assumed command of Air Force Global Strike Command here Jan. 6, becoming the second commander of the organization.  As such, he is responsible for all of the nation's ICBMs and nuclear-capable bombers.Presiding over the ceremony, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz