NATO Air Policing operations

U.S. Air Force News

  • Space loses one of its stars

    One of the Air Force Space and Missile Pioneers, retired Brig. Gen. Maurice A. Cristadoro Jr., 88, died Nov. 22. His wake and funeral will be held Nov. 28 in Pensacola, Fla. Air Force Space Command officials inducted General Cristadoro to the Space and Missile Pioneers Hall of Fame in 2006 for his

  • DOD officials navigate language roadmap

    Defense Department officials here completed more than 90 percent of the tasks they set out to accomplish in a language plan that launched four years ago. Known as the Defense Language Transformation Roadmap, this broad strategy aims to address national shortfalls in foreign language skills in the

  • PACAF key to stability in diverse theater, general says

    The Pacific theater is large, diverse and complicated, but the Airmen of Pacific Air Forces are up to the challenge, according to a senior PACAF leader speaking in Los Angeles Nov. 20. Lt. Gen. Chip Utterback, 13th Air Force commander, kicked off the Air Force Association Global Warfare Symposium

  • Travel charge cards to switch over Nov. 30

    The government-issued Bank of America official travel charge card that's been used for years by Defense Department military and civilian employees will be deactivated effective Nov. 30, Defense Travel Management Office officials said. Citibank has the new contract, and eligible defense military and

  • Post-combat coping methods vary, troops say

    Methods of coping with combat and its aftereffects vary as greatly as the effects themselves, six warriors participating in a conference panel here said. Officials at the Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury hosted the "Warrior Resilience Conference:

  • Guard members to be honored through Salute Campaign

    Air National Guard officials here announced Nov. 20 they will soon honor what could be more than 70,000 citizen-Airmen who have deployed in contingencies since Sept. 11, 2001, with a Hometown Heroes Salute Campaign.Chief Master Sgt. Richard Smith, command chief of the Air Guard, made the

  • Airmen reach out to children's home in Lithuania

    More than 20 Airmen from Royal Air Force Lakenheath, England, volunteered their time and talents with Lithuanian children Nov. 15 at the District Vijurkai Children's Home in Vijurkai, Lithuania. The Airmen, deployed from the 48th Fighter Wing, are in Lithuania to perform the NATO Baltic air policing

  • Football: TCU thrashes Falcons

    Air Force concluded the 2008 regular season on a sour note in Fort Worth, Texas, Nov. 22 with a 44-10 loss at the hands of Texas Christian University. The Horned Frogs dominated both sides of the ball and kept the Falcons' high-powered offense from getting on track on a cool afternoon in

  • 'Today's Air Force' features Air Force Week Los Angeles

    This edition of "Today's Air Force" highlights the third and final Air Force Week celebration of 2008 which began with a proclamation ceremony at the famous Kodak Theater in Hollywood, Calif. Also featured is a new command. Air Force officials unveiled the colors during the assumption of command

  • Program helps Guard, Reserve members fill active-duty tours

    When his building inspection business slowed, Tech. Sgt. David Marcelli of the District of Columbia Air National Guard needed to find work. He found it by using the Personnel Force Innovation program that matches up organizations that need Guard and Reserve members looking for active duty tours.

  • Lifesaving Airman, patient meet for first time

    A local South Korean woman and the Kunsan Air Base Airman whose blood donation saved her life met for the first time when she visited here Nov. 21. Airman Tamarias Pope of the 8th Security Forces Squadron met up with 22-year-old You Jin Pak, allowing the 19-year-old Airman to put a face to the

  • Iraqi air force pilots conduct aeromedical mission

    Iraqi airmen conducted an aeromedical evacuation mission from here Nov. 21, ferrying an Iraqi servicemember injured in combat from the Air Force Theater Hospital here to Forward Operating Base Gabe in Baqubah, Iraq. "Aeromedical evacuation is crucial to the viability of the Iraqi air force," said

  • Small business specialist recognized with DOD award

    The small business specialist for the 6th Air Mobility Wing at MacDill Air Force Base, Fla., was one of six individuals recognized in the Department of Defense for his efforts in going beyond goals to advance the objectives of the service-disabled veteran-owned small business, or

  • DOD defers F-22 funding decision to next administration

    To avoid unnecessary taxpayer spending, Defense Department officials here are only partially funding the expansion of F-22 Raptor aircraft production, leaving the decision for further expansion to the incoming presidential administration. John J. Young Jr., the undersecretary of Defense for

  • Kirtland officials accelerate space-based program testing

    Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center officials here successfully tested the Space-Based Infrared System Highly Elliptical Orbit payload and operations center and accelerated operational acceptance by six weeks. SBIRS is a consolidated system intended to meet United States infrared space

  • Coalition force Reaper unit deploys to Joint Base Balad

    A coalition force comprising experts from the U.S. Air Force and Royal Air Force deployed here recently to sustain operations for the world's most lethal unmanned aircraft system. An MQ-9 Reaper aircraft maintenance unit, attached to the 46th Expeditionary Reconnaissance and Attack Squadron, melds

  • Open season ongoing for 3 civilian benefit programs

    Air Force officials here announced the open season for three civilian benefit programs continues until Dec. 8. The three programs are the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program, or FEHB; the Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program, or FEDVIP; and the Federal Flexible Spending

  • Stars visible at, from LA observatory

    Senior Air Force leaders rubbed elbows with entertainment industry figures Nov. 18 during an Air Force Week reception at the Griffith Observatory here. Hosted by the Friends of the Observatory, a nonprofit organization which supports the world's most visited public observatory, the event honored

  • Reserve Affairs chief explains new DOD directive

    Recent changes on how the Guard and Reserves are recognized are larger than any in recent history, a senior Defense Department official said here Nov. 19. Thomas F. Hall, the assistant secretary of defense for Reserve Affairs, told the Air National Guard's top officers and command chief master

  • Program addresses wounded, ill servicemembers' needs

    More than 1,900 wounded servicemembers have benefited from their enrollment in a specialized health program to meet their unique needs during their rehabilitative process. "As we began seeing more wounded servicemembers returning to our region, we identified some unique needs that they faced as they

  • Research into flies' hearing could aid UAS program

    A professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Maryland is researching miniature acoustic sensors and sound localization techniques using the hearing mechanisms of flies as a model. Such research could benefit the Air Force by leading to the development of an artificial fly unmanned

  • Grand Forks communicators start 2 major base projects

    The 130-person 319th Communications Squadron here is busy preparing Grand Forks Air Force Base for two critical information technology projects for the base and the entire Air Force.One project is for the High Frequency Global Communications System is a highly-automated communications system that

  • 'Spread the Word' team addresses workforce concerns

    The commander of the Air Force Personnel Center brought her Spread the Word briefing team here Nov. 12 to 14 to communicate personnel changes with diverse groups of customers. Maj. Gen. K. C. McClain is traveling with the team initially to each Air Force base with a major command headquarters

  • Paving the way for a new travel reimbursement process

    Air Force finance officials are implementing ways to improve customer service to Airmen with process changes, said the director of the Secretary of the Air Force Financial Management Process Improvement and Integrations Office. "This has been a rocky road for some Air Force travelers," said

  • New program for DOD moves rolls out

    Officials from U.S. Transportation Command here and the Army's Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command announced that Phase II of the Defense Personal Property System will begin live operations Nov. 19. DPS is the automated, end-to-end management system for movement of household goods

  • Air Force chief of staff visits Arnold

    The chief of staff of the Air Force made his first visit to middle Tennessee and to Arnold Engineering Development Center here Nov. 17 to see and learn about developmental testing of current and future weapons systems. Gen. Norton Schwartz's inaugural tour of AEDC started off with a bang, literally,

  • E-9 board president emphasizes record verification

    The president of the 2008 chief master sergeant evaluation board convened Oct. 20 at the Air Force Personnel Center here emphasized the importance of record verification by each eligible individual prior to the evaluation board convening. Brig. Gen. Frederick H. "Rick" Martin, the U.S. Africa

  • DOD officials recognize dedication to veterans

    No one has to tell Dawn Halfaker the value of hiring veterans, especially those disabled in combat. She is one. A U.S. Military Academy at West Point graduate and former Army military police officer, Ms. Halfaker was serving in Iraq in 2004 when a rocket-propelled grenade struck her convoy.

  • Directory for wounded warriors, families, caregivers launched

    Department of Defense officials here Nov. 17 launched the National Resource Directory, a collaborative effort between the departments of Defense, Labor and Veterans Affairs. The directory is a Web-based network of care coordinators, providers and support partners with resources for wounded, ill and

  • International Space Station turns 10 years old

    Nations around the world will join together Nov. 20 here to mark a milestone in space exploration to celebrate the 10th birthday of a unique research laboratory, the International Space Station. Now the largest spacecraft ever built, the orbital assembly of the space station began with the launch

  • Eagle Vision lands at Peterson

    A Department of Defense Eagle Vision team demonstrated its capability Nov. 9 through 14 at Peterson Air Force Base. Eagle Vision is a family of deployable, commercial satellite ground stations that down link unclassified commercial imagery data from Earth-orbiting satellites. Eagle Vision ground

  • Wounded warriors look for second chances

    In less than five seconds, the security forces Airman went from being able to shout out commands that could save lives to not being able to speak above a whisper. When an explosive force projectile struck Staff Sgt. Scott Lilley's Humvee April 15, 2007, shrapnel smaller than the size of a BB pellet

  • Guard's first 4-star general ready to take Minutemen forward

    A crowd of more than 300 people from all ranks and services watched as the secretary of Defense swore in and promoted the first four-star general to lead the National Guard in its 372-year history Nov. 17 in the Pentagon. Gen. Craig R. McKinley became the chief of the National Guard Bureau and

  • Total In-Flight Simulator makes final flight to museum

    A piece of aviation history was retired and transferred to the National Museum of the United States Air Force at Wright-Patterson AFB Nov. 7. The 1955 Convair C-131, known as the Total-In-Flight Simulator (TIFS) made its final flight to the museum, ending a lifetime of more than 2,500 research

  • Lights, camera, Air Force Week

    The Air Force got ready for its "Hollywood close up" at 25,000 feet in the clouds during a Nov. 12 air-refueling mission near the Grand Canyon as media and entertainment professionals got a rare, extreme close-up look at the airlift and tanker missions. For most of the 25 entertainment

  • WASP exhibit opens in Arlington

    The Fly Girls of World War II traveling exhibit began its national tour at the Women in Military Service for America Memorial Nov. 14 here. The exhibit, which is dedicated to the history of the Women Airforce Service Pilots, features a history of the WASP.The exhibit includes the "WASP Film Strip,"

  • 'Today's Air Force' features Airmen building partnerships

    This edition of "Today's Air Force" highlights how the Air Force is improving relations by building a strong partnership between the Iraqis and the coalition forces. In addition, medical teams in Afghanistan are making life easier for the locals by providing medical care. Air Force officials are

  • Air Force Week showcases people, missions

    Aerial flyovers, military band concerts and Air Force-themed film festivals are planned for Air Force Week 2008 in Southern California from Nov. 14 through 21.The week-long extravaganza will showcase the Air Force, its people and the mission  throughout the region. All events, except for sports

  • Tops In Blue talent search underway

    Tops In Blue, the Air Force's premiere entertainment showcase, is accepting applications until Dec. 2 for its 2009 talent search. The 2009 talent call encourages vocalists, instrumentalists, dancers, and nonmusical talent such as comedians, dramatists, and magicians to submit an application and

  • Civilians graduate with lessons in military culture

    The first class of the Civilian Acculturation and Leadership Training program graduated recently here giving the 25 attendees a better understanding of what the active-duty Air Force does. The course, designed to acquaint civilian employees with military culture, included lessons on Air Force core

  • 17th Air Force Airmen support Africa Command

    Airmen from 17th Air Force here received initial operational capability Oct. 1 and are already supporting missions for the U.S. Africa Command. In the first 30 days since declaring initial operational capability, aerial missions on the continent have coincided with continuing administration and

  • Air Force announces NASCAR sponsorship for fiscal 2009

    Air Force officials announced Nov. 12 that it will begin a new NASCAR partnership with Gillett Evernham Motorsports when it sponsors the No. 10 car driven by Reed Sorenson for the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup season. The Air Force's advertising agency, GSD&M Idea City, organized the sponsorship and will

  • Interns provide capabilities to the Air Force

    This summer, officials with the Global Cyberspace Integration Center and the National Institute of Aerospace successfully completed a cyberspace innovation and integration initiative, or CI3, for undergraduate and graduate students interested in technology projects. CI3 allows upper-class college

  • Iraqi doctors study AF aeromedical evacuation program

    Two doctors from Iraq's Ministry of Defense visited the Air Force Theater Hospital and Contingency Aeromedical Staging Facility here Nov. 5-8 to study Air Force aeromedical evacuation procedures. The visit will help the doctors, Maj. (Dr.) Abdul-Razaq and Capt. (Dr.) Mohammed, establish an

  • Are you ready for the Great American Smokeout?

    Officials in both the Department of Defense and Tricare encourage military service members and their families to take part in the annual Great American Smokeout on Nov. 20. Participation in the Smokeout is an important component of the DOD-sponsored educational campaign, Quit Tobacco--Make Everyone

  • Kyrgyz war heroes, Manas Airmen enjoy Veterans Day

    In honor of Veterans Day, the 376th Air Expeditionary Wing hosted ten Kyrgyz  World War II veterans for a tour of the base, dinner and a ceremony to announce the start of a program to help supplement their living expenses and continue to further strengthen the friendship between the Kyrgyz veterans

  • Warrior Care: Program ensures support for Reserve members

    Pentagon officials developed the Military Personnel Appropriation Medical Continuation to ensure Reserve and Guard members supporting the war on terrorism are taken care of. Military Personnel Appropriation Medical Continuation ensures Air Reserve Component members injured or become ill receive the

  • Strategic planners give glimpse of tomorrow's mobility force

    Air Mobility Command strategic planners gave an insider's view into the future of air mobility  at the 40th annual Airlift/Tanker Association Conference Nov. 10 here. The air mobility future contains airlifters able to takeoff and land on extremely short and unprepared airfields, aircraft

  • Yellow Ribbon program focuses on reservists, families

    Air Force reservists in the 507th Air Refueling Wing at Tinker AFB, who return from long deployments, are finding the welcome mat waiting for them. A congressional directive in the 2007 Defense Appropriations Act mandated that Reserve components provide reservists and their families with additional

  • Navy pilots learning to fly Global Hawk

    In what could prove to be the first step toward creating a joint RQ-4 Unmanned Aircraft System training unit here, pilots of the 1st Reconnaissance Squadron are teaching a class of Navy pilots the Global Hawk system. The class, consisting of three active-duty P-3 Orion pilots and one civilian

  • Chairman cites history in Veterans Day message

    Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has issued a Veterans Day message to those who now serve or have served in the armed forces. Here is the text of the chairman's message: "When Armistice was declared on Nov. 11, 1918, effectively ending World War I, over sixty-five

  • New UAS program at Randolph simulates air battle space

    A first-of-its-kind combat familiarization program for pilots slated to fly unmanned aircraft systems soon will launch at the 563rd Flying Training Squadron here. The four-week-long Unmanned Aircraft Systems Fundamentals Course will begin Nov. 21. It is designed to give 10 newly-winged graduates of

  • 'Today's Air Force' features warrior care

    This edition of "Today's Air Force" highlights the month of November as Warrior Care month. The military has designated millions of dollars for wounded, ill and injured servicemembers with plans to establish a center for excellence that will specialize in research and development. And see how some

  • SECAF looks ahead at Airlift/Tanker Association convention

    The Air Force's senior civilian leader stressed the importance of the air mobility mission, specifying that air refueling capability is fundamental to the United States' power projection across the spectrum of conflict.Secretary of the Air Force Michael B. Donley told the audience of more than 1,000

  • 2009 Scholarships for Military Children Program is under way

    If you're a high school or college student and the child of a military family looking for ways to found your education, you might want to checkout the 2009 Scholarships for Military Children Program that began Nov. 3. Scholarship applications are available in commissaries worldwide and online

  • AAFES supports America's wounded warriors

    As part of November's Warrior Care Month, the men and women of the Army & Air Force Exchange Service are doing their part to recognize and support those who have sacrificed for their country."With barber shops, fast food restaurants and stores with items to help pass the time at military hospitals

  • Airman volunteers as boy's 'instructor pilot'

    A little boy from Flagstaff, Ariz., touched the lives of guardsmen at the 162nd Fighter Wing here last year when he visited the wing to be a fighter pilot for a day, and he continues to inspire unit members to this day. At the age of 6, Dominic Magne underwent aggressive chemotherapy in his battle

  • eSeminars offer civilians retirement, benefit information

    Air Force officials here now offer eSeminars on retirement, benefits and financial literacy to civilian appropriated fund employees. These eSeminars offer civilian employees the ease of accessing information at any stage in their career or as needs arise. A new law designed to ensure civilian

  • Air Force officials seek recruiters, instructors, MTIs

    Air Education and Training Command officials here are seeking hundreds of members for immediate assignment as recruiters, technical school and Basic Military Training instructors. The need for instructors is in response to the Air Force end-strength increase of roughly 4,000 members and the Basic

  • New treatments for warriors' psychological care examined

    Defense Department officials here are investigating new treatments as part of a focused, sustained campaign to assist wounded warriors suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury, a senior U.S. military official said. The effort is being launched in conjunction with the

  • Defense Media Activity breaks down barriers

    The Defense Media Activity is all about breaking down barriers between reporting disciplines, the new organization's chief of staff said in an interview Nov. 5. The activity, which stood up Oct. 1, combines the internal information portions of the services' and Defense Department's public affairs

  • McChord Airmen help controllers train for new runway

    McChord Air Force Base Airmen shared their training simulator here with Seattle-Tacoma International Airport tower controllers to ensure they are certified and ready for operations when the civilian airport's third runway officially opens Nov. 20. Since September, members of the 62nd Operations

  • San Antonio families can share Thanksgiving with trainees

    For the 33rd year, San Antonio-area families can brighten the holidays for Air Force basic trainees through Operation Homecooking. The program offers local families the opportunity to share their traditional Thanksgiving Day with basic trainees. Through the years, families have opened their homes to

  • Electronic performance report routing now standardized

    An Air Force Enterprise Information Management initiative to process officer and enlisted performance reports electronically became reality Oct. 1 when Air Force Personnel Center officials endorsed the first of three phases of AF Electronic Workflow Processing, or AF e-WP, thanks to a partnership

  • Air Force officials begin extended Basic Military Training

    The first group of Air Force recruits to experience expanded Basic Military Training arrived Nov. 4 to Lackland Air Force Base. These new recruits are the first to face the challenge of an additional 14 days of training from 6.5 to 8.5 weeks. The added time will be used to enhance and reinforce

  • November is Warrior Care Month

    Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates recently announced that November is Warrior Care Month. Warrior Care Month is a DOD-wide effort aimed at increasing awareness of programs and resources available to wounded, ill and injured service members, their families and those who care about them. "I am

  • New AAFES chief dresses down uniform issues

    As the Army and Air Force Exchange Service enlisted advisor to the commanding general of AAFES, Chief Master Sgt. Jeffry Helm now has the distinct opportunity to impact not only the service he loves, but all branches of service about uniform issues. He plans to carry out his mission through

  • DOD, VA share records to benefit wounded warriors, veterans

    Department of Defense and Veterans Affairs officials are making good progress in sharing information to the benefit of wounded warriors and veterans, a senior DOD official said Oct. 30 here. One of the chief goals of DOD-VA interoperability efforts is to supply computerized health data so providers

  • Warrior Care: Giving wounded what they need, deserve

    Navy Adm. Michael G. Mullen didn't like the way wounded Vietnam veterans were treated when he first entered the service in 1968, and he is working to ensure that America's wounded from Iraq and Afghanistan get the care and help they need and deserve. The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said

  • Inaugural committee prepares to welcome new president

    Members of the Armed Forces Inaugural Committee are preparing to welcome President-elect Barack Obama when the nation's 44th chief executive takes the oath of office Jan. 20 here. AFIC is a joint-service organization that coordinates all military ceremonial support for presidential inaugurals,

  • U.S., Australian team conducts evacuation in Antarctica

    A combined U.S. and Australian team successfully evacuated an Australian civilian in Antarctica to a hospital in Hobart, Australia, Nov. 5. The seriously injured patient was part of an Australian Antarctic Division contingent conducting scientific research at Davis Station, Antarctica. He is

  • Air Force disabled employees vital to mission

    Raymond Jenks is a busy man. He is the flight chief of instructional technology for the 37th Training Support Squadron, Lackland Air Force Base, Texas. His office is responsible for designing and developing computer based training, programs, and technology solutions for the 37th Training Group and

  • Housing privatization projects sold to private company

    The sale of privatized military housing projects at four Air Force bases including Hanscom Air Force Base, Mass.; Little Rock AFB, Ark.; Moody AFB, Ga.; and Patrick AFB, Fla., and assumption of operations and management of the projects was announced Nov. 4 by the new owners, HP Communities LLC. The

  • Wounded warrior receives new ears

    Looking in the mirror, Marine Capt. Ryan Voltin couldn't get past his ears. Not that they were strange looking, but that they were there at all. He just wasn't used to seeing them. The AH-1 Cobra pilot lost his when the helicopter he was flying erupted in flames during a training accident last year.

  • 2009 aviator continuation pay details released

    Air Force officials here released Nov. 4 the details for aviator continuation pay for this fiscal year. For active duty Airmen, the program gives various rated aviators -- namely some pilots, combat systems officers and air battle managers -- the opportunity to sign an active duty service commitment

  • Warrior Care: Injured servicemembers go fishing

    Anglers from all over the state of Texas converged on Choke Canyon Reservoir Oct. 25 to participate in Fishing for Freedom V. Fishing for Freedom gives injured servicemembers the opportunity to team up with professional and semi-professional bass fisherman and enjoy a day on the water. Thirty-three

  • Airmen spend day with Chilean children

    Airmen in Chile as part of an exchange with Latin American air forces spent Oct. 30 to brighten the outlook for neglected Chilean children in a suburb of Santiago.Fourteen Airmen and one Army National Guard member drove to a home for abused or neglected children where the servicemembers gave the

  • Handbook consolidates warrior care information

    Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said a new handbook is another step in improving the care and support wounded, ill or injured troops and their families deserve. The handbook compiles the myriad information they need in one succinct, easy-to-read publication. In his foreword to the Compensation and

  • Change puts more $ in injured servicemembers' pockets

    A military compensation policy change provides more money for servicemembers injured during service in the war on terrorism, a senior Defense Department official said Nov. 4 here. The Pay and Allowance Continuation program, known by the acronym PAC, is authorized by the 2008 National Defense

  • DOD plans for smooth transition to new administration

    Defense Department officials here have made extensive plans for a smooth transition from the present administration to that of the president-elect, Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said Nov. 4 here. Pentagon officials are ready to begin briefing a new president-elect's transition team as soon as

  • Civilians begin leadership training program at Air University

    Twenty-five Air Force civilians began the first Civilian Acculturation and Leadership Training Program at Air University's Officer Training School Oct. 27 here.The program leads the 25-member group through a two-week course adapted from the OTS curriculum indoctrinated with Air Force leadership and

  • Assault victims find empowerment in restricted reporting

    Many sexual assault victims in the military are using an option that allows them to disclose the details of the assault confidentially and receive medical treatment and counseling without triggering the official investigative process, a senior official in the military's fight against sexual assault

  • Warrior Care Month highlights high-quality treatment

    In a campaign to highlight the medical and personal care available to wounded servicemembers, Department of Defense officials have designated November as Warrior Care Month. "This is a great opportunity for the Air Force family to understand that our care for our wounded warriors and their families

  • Information center to ease transition to AF management

    Base residents seeking support services can receive assistance from an information center at the 332nd Expeditionary Mission Support Group here once a joint-service initiative, called Base Operating Support-Integration, takes effect Nov. 6.BOS-I is a changeover of base support functions that

  • Airmen continue building South American partnerships

    More than 70 Airmen are spread across four South American countries learning and sharing with their partner nations' military members and performing community outreach events. Operation Southern Partner, a Twelfth Air Force (Air Forces Southern) led event aimed at providing intensive, periodic

  • Technical issues, more tests delay satellite's liftoff

    The Tactical Satellite-3 scheduled to launch in October from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility at Wallops Island, Va., is now scheduled for liftoff in January 2009 after the project team discovered and then fixed problems with the spacecraft's Star Tracker apparatus. The team subsequently required

  • Airmen train Afghan cops

    Three Airmen trained and graduated 900 Afghan national police in Nangarhar, Nuristan, Kunar and Lagman provinces during a nine-month deployment as part of a Department of State program.The program provides a secondary-level of professional police officer education at the Jalalabad Regional Training

  • 'Today's Air Force' features the importance of training

    This edition of "Today's Air Force" highlights how Airmen train for the unexpected, how Air Force pilots stay on the cutting edge and how a new program is honoring our service members. In the field or in the classroom, training is of utmost importance to keep Airmen at their best on the battlefield.

  • Hurlburt Field maintainers receive DOD award

    Maintainers from Hurlburt Field, Fla., were named the winners of the Department of Defense Phoenix Award, the highest field-level maintenance award within DOD, Oct. 29 in Denver. Representatives from the 1st Special Operations Maintenance group were on hand at the award ceremony during the 2008 DOD

  • Maintainers partner to exchange new practices

    Nearly 30 Argentinean air force aircraft maintenance mechanics, students and instructors came together at Palomar Air Base here Oct. 31 to exchange new ideas and techniques on preserving and evaluating aircraft as part of Twelfth Air Force (Air Forces Southern)'s Operation Southern Partner. U.S. Air

  • Africa Command headquarters to remain in Stuttgart

    U.S. Africa Command's headquarters will remain in its current location in Stuttgart, Germany, for the foreseeable future, a Pentagon spokesman said Oct. 30. The decision by Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates allows the newest unified command to gain greater operational experience and develop and

  • Servicemembers saluted on 'The Price is Right'

    "Master Sgt. Robin Brooks, come on down! You're the next contestant on 'The Price is Right!'" "Having my named called was music to my ears," said Sergeant Brooks, the first sergeant for the Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron, the Thunderbirds, from Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. Although she had an

  • Joint Chiefs chairman highlights keys to defense

    The nation's top military adviser completed a whirlwind tour of several Baltic States earlier in the month and addressed an array of topics to Air Force leaders Oct. 28 here.From cooperation with allied countries to the care of fallen military members' families, Navy Adm. Michael G. Mullen, the

  • New Zealand aircrew assists U.S. Airmen during mission

    A Royal New Zealand Air Force aircrew assisted Airmen from the U.S. Pacific Command's Joint Task Force Support Forces Antarctica by delivering a mission essential part Oct. 27 to a disabled aircraft at Pegasus White Ice Runway, Antarctica. An electronic engine controller and three Air Force aircraft

  • Chilean, U.S. Air Forces share perimeter defense methods

    Force Protection Airmen and a Canadian officer participating in Operation Southern Partner demonstrated the Small Unmanned Aircraft System to the Chilean air force's anti-aircraft artillery regiment Oct 29. Operation Southern Partner is an all-new, in-depth subject matter exchange emphasizing

  • School supplies light up Afghan student's eyes

    "Mister, mister pen. I need pen," echoes repeatedly from the mouths of young Afghan boys and girls reaching out with their hands whenever they see American servicemembers. When members of the Zabul Provincial Reconstruction Team walked onto a local boy's school campus recently, the students received

  • Commissaries to promote Warrior Care in November

    The Defense Commissary Agency will join other Defense Department organizations in observing November as Warrior Care Month.The observance is designed to inform military members and their families about the many programs that are, and will be, available to assist wounded warriors. In a memorandum

  • Air Force 'moving in right direction' on nuclear program, Gates says

    Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates pointed to broad initiatives within the Air Force he said are helping to return its nuclear mission to "the standards of excellence for which it was known throughout the entire Cold War." Speaking at the Carnegie Institute for International Peace Oct. 28, Secretary