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  • System increases B-52 target precision

    Along with successfully developing a new targeting capability for the B-52 Stratofortress, 53rd Wing test managers and aircrews also demonstrated a new $8.6 million avionics system capability for the aircraft June 14.A B-52 from Barksdale Air Force Base, La., was launched with Boeing’s prototype

  • Report: Misaligned rollers caused B-1B accident

    Misaligned rollers on the crew entry ladder assembly created an abort condition that was the primary cause of a B-1B Lancer mishap during a mission qualification and currency training mission Nov. 23 at Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D., according to Air Force investigators.They determined the aborted

  • KC-10 air refueling sorties vital to combat missions

    KC-10 Extender crews know how important every mission is; however, success is even sweeter when major barriers are overcome to launch just one mission.This was especially true as maintainers and operators at a forward-deployed location overcame one obstacle after another to launch a KC-10, allowing

  • Coalition airpower supports Marines near Karabilah

    Coalition aircraft dropped seven precision-guided bombs while providing close-air support to coalition troops in the western Al Anbar province of Iraq on June 11. Anti-Iraqi forces had taken refuge in buildings in an attempt to shield themselves from coalition attack. An estimated 40 insurgents

  • Cooperative Cope Thunder kicks off

    The sky above Alaska is brimming with activity as Pacific Air Force’s premier composite force exercise kicked off here June 9.Cooperative Cope Thunder runs through June 24 with operations here and at nearby Elmendorf Air Force Base.The exercise highlights multinational operations combined with

  • Report: Pilot error caused Predator crash

    Pilot error caused the Nov. 24, 2004 crash of an MQ-1 Predator unmanned aerial vehicle at an undisclosed military installation in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, according to an accident investigation board report released June 10.During a functional check-flight, the Predator had a

  • Being smart with money while deployed

    While deployed, Airmen receive many entitlements. They receive combat zone tax exclusion, $225 hostile fire pay per month, $3.50 per diem and for those with families, $250 family separation allowance per month. Airmen who live in dormitories at their home station also receive basic allowance for

  • Airmen keep base safe in austere conditions

    Not many Airmen here would volunteer to stand, dressed in their body armor, in the summer desert heat for 13 hours a day watching the perimeter. However, that is exactly what security forces Airmen do every day to keep people and assets here safe.“We secure the base and ensure nobody breaks the

  • Volunteers collect supplies for local Iraqi schools

    Most adults remember the joy of receiving a new box of crayons or coloring book as a child. In the U.S., this moment of joy is easy to achieve, but in Iraq, it is nearly impossible for some schoolchildren.Airmen and Soldiers here are trying to change that -- one school packet at a time.As

  • Report: Flight control system problem caused F/A-22 crash

    A flight control system problem caused an F/A-22 Raptor to crash on the runway at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., on Dec. 20, according to an Air Force report released June 8.The pilot ejected and sustained minor injuries. The $133.3-million aircraft, assigned to the 422nd Test and Evaluation Squadron

  • Total force combats explosive devices

    On a normal day, operations at the 451st Air Expeditionary Group here can be typical of any deployed unit. Civil engineer Airmen work tirelessly to keep the long-neglected runway open so that thousands of Soldiers can remain supplied. Aerial port Airmen load and unload a seemingly endless stream of

  • VA chief: Opportunity ensures care for all servicemembers

    The secretary of Veterans Affairs said June 3 that where some might see challenges for the department, he sees opportunities."One of the big opportunities we have, and it's a priority of ours, is to make sure that our servicemembers coming out of the combat theater are well taken care of," R. James

  • Airmen guard camp, detainees in Iraq

    Airmen here are performing jobs normally reserved for deployed Soldiers. They are escorting patrols and convoys, helping provide force protection for an Army camp and guarding detainees. More than 6,000 detainees are housed in the temporary internment facility here while awaiting legal proceedings

  • Air Force improving force protection

    Protecting military people or equipment is not a new thing in the Air Force, but the way it is being done is. More and more emphasis is being placed on how the Air Force does force protection business and the effects are being seen at home bases servicewide and the U.S. Central Command’s area of

  • Chaplains do good works for Iraqi neighbors

    While Air Force chaplains deployed here are called to serve their fellow Airmen, a higher calling compels them to serve everyone, on or off the base.Humanitarian missions provide chaplains with an avenue to enrich the lives of Iraqis as well as the Airmen here, said Chaplain (Capt.) Charles Seligman

  • World War II women warriors pass on history, heritage

    After pooling her quarters with her cousin to pay the whopping, 1920s fee of $1.50, Caro Bayley climbed into a Tri-motor Ford airplane at Springfield Airfield, Ohio. She was about to make a historic flight -- the first in her life.Soaring over the clouds, the young girl looked down at the ground.

  • Crash victims identified

    Department of Defense officials identified the four Airmen who died May 30 in the crash of an Iraqi air force aircraft.The Airmen, deployed from Hurlburt Field, Fla., were on a training mission in eastern Diyala province when the Iraqi Comp Air 7SL aircraft they were in crashed. An Iraqi pilot was

  • Coalition aircraft deliver humanitarian aid in Afghanistan

    U.S. Air Force C-130 Hercules based in Southwest Asia delivered more than 50,000 pounds of civil assistance cargo to Afghans during four airlift missions May 18 to 30 supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.Coalition aircraft airdropped more than 6,000 pounds of humanitarian aid bundles near Kandahar,

  • Arlington National Cemetery gains 70 acres of land

    In 1998, burial space at the country's most prestigious resting place for servicemembers and their spouses was becoming scarce, and officials worried they would run out of room at Arlington National Cemetery in about 25 years.After years of searching for more space, Defense Department officials have

  • Officials announce manpower, organization winners

    Air Force officials have announced the winners of the 2004 Air Force Manpower and Organization awards.The annual awards recognize the top manpower and organization professionals in each category.The 2004 winners are:-- Headquarters-Level Field Grade Officer of the Year: Lt. Col. Gregory Parsons

  • General Keys confirmed as ACC commander

    Ronald E. Keys was confirmed by the Senate on May 26 for promotion to the rank of general and assignment here as the commander of Air Combat Command.Gen. John P. Jumper, Air Force chief of staff and a former ACC commander, pinned on ACC’s newest commander’s four-star rank following the Senate’s

  • Airmen work with Soldiers to help Iraqi communities

    The public works directorate here, comprising Air Force and Army civil engineers, work on everything from constructing new facilities to designing waste-water treatment facilities to installing electric power nodes. “In short, if you need a construction project done, we do it all,” said Maj. Thomas

  • Deadline for submitting writings fast approaching

    The National Endowment for the Arts has created a venue to collect and preserve the stories and reflections of servicemembers on the front lines of Iraq and Afghanistan and stateside defending the homeland.“Operation Homecoming: Writing the Wartime Experience” is a literary anthology scheduled for

  • Airmen provide close-air support for patrol in Afghanistan

    Air Force air and ground combat support elements accompanied infantrymen from the 508th Infantry Regiment during a presence patrol in the mountainous region here recently.Air Force joint terminal attack controllers, who are attached to an Army unit to coordinate close-air support for ground

  • Air Force officials announce AT award winners

    Air Force officials recently announced the 2005 Air Force Anti-terrorism award winners.The awards program recognizes anti-terrorism accomplishments and provides public recognition and praise for those who work behind the scenes to combat terrorism on behalf of Department of Defense servicemembers,

  • Convoy Airmen protect supply lines

    He wipes the sweat from his palms, getting a better grasp on the warm steel handles of the .50-caliber gun. Darkness stretches around him for miles, with the exception of the headlights from his convoy illuminating the road ahead. The Airman remains vigilant as he keeps a watchful eye. At this

  • Understanding one another crucial during war on terrorism

    During dangerous situations, people's understanding of each other is more crucial than ever, a senior Defense Department official said here May 24.Speaking to the nearly 400 attendees gathered for the four-day National Guard Bureau’s equal opportunity workshop, John Molino, acting deputy

  • Air National Guard leaders focus on BRAC

    Air National Guard leaders are urging citizen Airmen nationwide to remain focused on their missions while they and others consider the organization's future during this year's Base Realignment and Closure process. Lt. Gen. Daniel James III, ANG director, and Chief Master Sgt. Richard Smith, ANG

  • Vehicle operators named 'team of the year'

    The Army has traditionally provided protection for supply and munitions convoys in Iraq and Afghanistan, but when manning shortages made it tough for Soldiers to fulfill that role, the Air Force provided help. As many as 25 percent of Airmen in the vehicle operations career field were specially

  • Critically manned career fields given edge to fill NCO slots

    Airmen in 17 Air Force specialties will be given a leg up for promotion this year in an attempt to fill manning shortfalls in their career fields. As part of the chronic critical shortage skills program, Airmen testing for staff, technical or master sergeants during the 2005 promotion cycle, and

  • Airmen make most of temporary situation

    In many deployed locations, temporary quarters are commonplace. Taking that to a whole new level, air traffic controllers with the 332nd Expeditionary Airfield Operations Squadron here have set up shop in a plywood tower nicknamed the “tree house.”“When we arrived … a renovation project on the

  • DOD examines high operational tempo's effect on equipment

    Equipment that servicemembers are using in Iraq and Afghanistan is getting years worth of use in just one year on the ground, and the Defense Department is taking steps to ensure the tanks, Bradleys, Strykers, Humvees, helicopters, and unmanned aerial vehicles stay in a high state of readiness.No

  • BRAC recommendations present beneficial results

    Air Force Base Realignment and Closure recommendations provide an opportunity for the Air Force to effectively organize its total force into a more capable and efficient warfighting organization, transforming the Air Force to better meet future threats.The co-chairman of the Air Force's Base Closure

  • A father remembered

    Five numbers painted on the tail of a local parade’s float will pass by thousands of people, and they may not see what is between them.A string of numbers can represent anything from how much money someone has in his or her bank account, to phone numbers or even ZIP codes.71424 represents the life

  • DOD tests ‘revolutionary’ biological warfare detection device

    Department of Defense specialists are testing a cutting-edge technology so revolutionary military scientists said it will change the face of biological warfare.The joint biological agent identification and diagnostic system, a 40-pound device small enough to slip into a rucksack, is designed to

  • Air Force officials send Armed Forces Day message

    The following is an Armed Forces Day message from Michael L. Dominguez, acting secretary of the Air Force, and Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper:In the first presidential proclamation for Armed Forces Day in 1950, President Truman said the day ‘marks the first combined demonstration by

  • IRS, DOD officials encourage improved tax compliance

    Internal Revenue Service officials have asked the Defense Department to help ensure that DOD federal civilians receiving pay or retirement checks from Uncle Sam also pay him his due in federal income taxes.A great percentage of federal employees and retirees pay their federal taxes than the general

  • Officials announce aircrew life support award winners

    Air Force officials recently announced the 2004 Outstanding Air Force Aircrew Life Support of the Year award winners.These awards recognize the accomplishments of aircrew life support people and programs.The 2004 winners are:-- Outstanding Aircrew Life Support Headquarters Staff Member of the Year:

  • Officials announce Air Force communications, information awards

    The following people, teams and units are winners of the 2004 Air Force Communications and Information awards.Air Force communications and information individual award winners are:-- Outstanding Field Grade Officer: Maj. Kevin Payne from Ramstein Air Base, Germany.-- Outstanding Company Grade

  • USO brings taste of America to troops

    The day began with business as usual for hundreds of Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines deployed here to wage the war on terrorism.Airmen responded to a rocket attack on the airfield while Soldiers set off on operations outside the wire, hunting insurgents who threaten peace and freedom in

  • Recommendations 'will reshape Air Force'

    Air Force recommendations provided to the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure Commission will reorganize that service, making it more capable to address threats to national security, the Air Force's top civilian told commissioners here May 17."We have presented to you a bold program that will reshape

  • General Moseley nominated for CSAF

    The president announced May 16 his nomination of Gen. T. Michael Moseley as chief of staff of the Air Force to succeed Gen. John P. Jumper who has served in the position since September 2001."I am deeply honored and humbled to have been nominated to serve as the next Air Force chief of staff,” said

  • Careless recycling causes identity theft concerns

    Postal officials in Europe are asking people to read before they recycle to reduce the threat of identity theft.During the past few years, U.S. Air Forces in Europe postmasters have had great success combating litter problems with post office recycling bins; however, now there is a concern that

  • Airmen allowed to show service colors while traveling

    A new Air Force policy gives Airmen the choice to show their colors when traveling to and from deployment locations.Airmen traveling to and from the U.S. Central Command Air Forces' area of responsibility have been, until recently, required to wear civilian clothing on flights in and out of the

  • Rumsfeld announces BRAC recommendations

    The secretary of defense released the Department of Defense’s Base Realignment and Closure recommendations during a press conference May 13.The recommendations, if fully implemented, will generate an estimated net savings of nearly $50 billion for DOD over the next two decades, officials said. The

  • BRAC commission seeking inputs

    Air Force officials said the secretary of defense’s Base Realignment and Closure commission recommendations are not final. “The president’s BRAC commission will review the list for conformity with the Defense Department’s force structure plan and published selection criteria,” said Gerald F. “Fred”

  • Rumsfeld recommends 5 to 11 percent cut in infrastructure

    Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld's recommendations to the Base Realignment and Closure Commission would cut excess military infrastructure between 5 and 11 percent, he said during a Pentagon news conference May 12."The department is recommending fewer major base closures than had earlier been

  • Reservist receives academy airmanship award

    U.S. Air Force Academy officials named an Air Force Reserve Command pilot the winner of the 2005 Colonel James Jabara Award for Airmanship for his contributions to air power during Operation Iraqi Freedom.Lt. Col. Keith Schultz, a 1979 academy graduate, is the operations group deputy commander for

  • Airmen prepare Romanian base for exercise

    It is springtime in Romania where dishes and antennae are sprouting up at an airfield here that is developing into a multinational web of communication in preparation for exercise Combined Endeavor 2005.Activity at the airfield, which is the forward-deployed location for the exercise, is gaining

  • Officials focus on needs with BRAC recommendations

    Comprehensive and impartial is the assessment of Air Force officials on the process used in determining the secretary of defense’s recommendations of installations sent to the independent Defense Base Realignment and Closure commission. The recommendations, which are scheduled to be released May 13,

  • USAFE activates new wing at Mildenhall

    U.S. Air Forces in Europe activated a new wing here May 12 enhancing the command’s ability to provide support to its geographically separated units in the United Kingdom.The Airmen of the 501st Combat Support Wing will focus on units that, by their nature, are separated from main operating bases of

  • Military leaders applaud Congress for advancing health care

    Military surgeons general thanked members of the Senate Appropriations Committee’s defense subcommittee for their role in advancing military medicine.The surgeons general testified May 10 before the subcommittee on the defense health program. At $18.9 billion, the program's fiscal 2006 budget is an

  • Innovation, education benefit ongoing PEB mission

    Facing an increased caseload since Sept. 11, 2001, innovation and education have improved the Air Force Physical Disability Division's service to the Air Force and boarded Airmen, those who enter the disability evaluation system to determine their fitness. Some are returned to duty, while others may

  • AMC commander delivers C-130J

    The commander of Air Mobility Command delivered the Air Force’s third active-duty C-130J Hercules here May 5.Gen. John W. Handy and a crew from the 48th Airlift Squadron here flew the aircraft from the Lockheed Martin plant in Marietta, Ga., where it was built."I have had more fun today than anybody

  • Mobility bag test case begins

    Airmen will be returning from their deployment a little lighter because of a test to pre-position mobility bags in theater, potentially saving millions of dollars. The test began May 9.To make the deployable Air Force more agile and address concerns of people hand-carrying too many bags into the

  • Overseas realignment proceeding in 'deliberate, thoughtful' manner

    The Defense Department is moving forward with plans to reshape its force structure overseas through close coordination with Congress, other government agencies and U.S. allies and partners, defense officials said May 9.The global defense posture review is being undertaken as a "deliberate,

  • Pilot awarded Kolligian Trophy for combat mission

    Despite wounds and a helicopter crippled by enemy fire, an Air Force pilot safely flew his aircraft and crew home from Iraq.For his efforts, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper presented the Kolligian Trophy to Capt. Steven Edwards during a May 6 ceremony at the Pentagon. Captain Edwards,

  • Flight engineer earns Pitsenbarger award for heroism

    For his display of heroism in the face of hostile enemy fire, a helicopter flight engineer from Hurlburt Field, Fla., has been named the 2005 Pitsenbarger award winner.Master Sgt. Robert Colannino Jr. was a flight engineer aboard an MH-53M Pave Low during a night resupply mission when his helicopter

  • Air Force medics treat patients at Abu Ghraib

    It takes confidence to stare into the face of one’s enemy and offer him an aspirin, but that is what Air Force medics deployed to Abu Ghraib prison must do every day.As a forward-deployed element of the 447th Expeditionary Medical Squadron, the small team provides medical screening to detainees with

  • Joint search and rescue center coordinates search efforts

    The sole purpose of 28 people in the joint search and rescue center at the Combined Air Operations Center is to step in when operations go awry and people in U.S. Central Command area of responsibility need help.Besides coordinating the efforts of seven main rescue coordination centers, the joint

  • Myer’s wife featured as Mother's Day 'Power Player'

    Military spouses and servicemembers' mothers commit their lives as their servicemembers do, and they love them because they love their country, said the wife of the nation's top military officer on a Mother's Day nationwide television appearance May 8.Mary Jo Myers, wife of Gen. Richard B. Myers,

  • Special Olympics brings joy to Yokota volunteers

    More than 700 American and Japanese volunteers helped make the 26th Annual Kanto Plain Special Olympics a rousing success, officials said.But for some of the volunteers, seeing the May 7 and 8 event succeed is not the only reason they came.“I’m so happy to see the joy on the athlete’s faces,” said

  • Army hands over Strykers to Air Force

    With a handshake and the roar of a jet engine at Fort Polk, La., an Eielson unit became the first in the Air Force to own the latest addition to the service’s inventory – the Stryker armored vehicle.In a May 5 ceremony at Fort Polk, 3rd Air Support Operations Squadron officials obtained five of the

  • Cope Thunder wraps in Alaska

    Cope Thunder participants used Eielson’s 62,000 square miles of training airspace and met their objective: to fly, fight and win during Pacific Air Force’s premier combat airpower exercise that ends May 6.The two-week exercise took place here and Elmendorf AFB, Alaska.“All Cope Thunder units had one

  • Officials warn about insurance, investment rip-offs

    Defense Department officials said they are working to thwart insurance and investment marketing practices that exploit servicemembers."You really have to be a little bit skeptical if somebody says if you invest a little bit of money with us today you'll have a great deal of money tomorrow," said

  • Munitions tracking going wireless

    Officials at the Operations and Sustainment Systems Group headquarters here said they soon will release a software update that will take the guesswork out of ordering munitions online. They also are testing technology that will keep tabs on Air Force munitions.The revised Combat Ammunitions System

  • Air Force wrestlers take two medals at nationals

    Air Force wrestlers left the U.S. National Wrestling Championships on April 30 in nearby Las Vegas with a silver and bronze medal and qualified five wrestlers to attend the World Team Trials. “We came into this competition understanding we are rebuilding our team,” said Richard Estrella, Air Force

  • U.S. Strategic Command transforming, decentralizing

    The U.S. Strategic Command is transforming by incorporating old missions, adding new ones and making the command more flexible and agile for the 21st century, officials said.STRATCOM, at Offutt Air Force Base, Neb., still maintains the U.S. nuclear deterrent, but gained a number of new missions as a

  • Earn more money while deployed

    Do you remember when you were young being told "nothing good is ever free," and "if it sounds too good to be true then it probably is"?The U.S. government offers any servicemember serving in a designated combat zone, qualified hazardous duty area, or directly supporting of a combat zone, an

  • Officials announce 2004 mission support awards

    Officials recently announced the winners of the 2004 Air Force Mission Support Awards. The awards recognize Airmen and their units for outstanding performance in the areas of personnel, military equal opportunity, professional military education and training. Winners for 2004 are: -- General

  • JSTARS reaches 10,000 combat hours in Southwest Asia

    The E-8 Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System reached 10,000 combat hours in Southwest Asia.The aircraft and its operators, maintainers and support people have had a continuous presence in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility since July 2003 as part of the 379th Air Expeditionary

  • AFRL robots work to counter bomb threats

    After a civil engineer was injured by a submunition while clearing a beddown area during the early days of Operation Iraqi Freedom at Tallil Air Base, Iraq, it was time to find a solution to the problemRobotics research group officials are investigating the next generation of robotic devices to

  • Two Airmen among recipients of military service award

    Two Airmen were among the six recipients of the annual Government Employees Insurance Company Military Service Awards. For 17 years, GEICO has recognized servicemembers from all branches of the service -- including the Guard and Reserve -- for work in drug and alcohol abuse prevention, fire and

  • Winners save Air Force millions

    Eight Air Force teams and three people recently received top honors for their money-saving improvements to the Air Force.The Air Force Productivity Excellence Award recognizes Airmen, Air Force civilians and small groups who have made substantial improvements in productivity. The winners' efforts

  • Airmen strut their stuff for civilian leaders

    As part of the Joint Civilian Orientation Conference, a weeklong tour of military installations for top civic and community leaders nationwide, the 347th Rescue Wing pulled out all stops April 26 for the visiting group of civic leaders.The tour highlights the latest U.S. military equipment and

  • Wounded troops, families receive free airline tickets

    Through the good will and generosity of thousands of people with unused frequent flier miles and U.S. airlines, the Fisher House Foundation has given out nearly 3,000 free airline tickets to war-wounded servicemembers and their families since the giveaway program started in January 2004.About 1,000

  • Space, air warfare centers integrate capabilities

    The Air Force is integrating some forces to better manage air, space and information operations combat capabilities to support missions worldwide, Air Force officials announced April 26. Elements of Air Force Space Command’s Space Warfare Center at Schriever Air Force Base, Colo., will integrate

  • America remembers Desert One heroes

    America honored eight American servicemen April 25 who died attempting to rescue American hostages in Iran 25 years ago.A ceremony here brought together the families of those killed, their comrades and those servicemembers who carry on the special operations mission.In November 1979, Iranian

  • Airmen receive panoramic night-vision goggles

    Nighttime missions are about to get a whole lot clearer, and that is only the beginning of a much-anticipated acquisition program here.Air Force special operations aircrews received their first shipment of 20 panoramic night-vision goggles April 25.The current contract calls for 400 goggles, and

  • Spangdahlem Airmen train with new high-tech weapon

    The sound of gunfire ricocheting off concrete walls is an everyday occurrence for Airmen at the combat arms training and maintenance unit here. At one of the few indoor Air Force firing ranges, the range features a target retrieval system and a hard gel backstop that will soon be replaced by a steel

  • U.S., Japanese Airmen train together during air refueling

    American fighter pilots are helping Japanese airmen expand their F-15 Eagle combat capabilities during hands-on air-to-air bilateral refueling training here.The Japanese F-15 aircraft mechanical refueling capability is identical to U.S. Air Force F-15s. However, it was not until Japanese officials

  • Senior intelligence officer selected for promotion

    The Department of Defense’s senior uniformed intelligence officer was selected for promotion and reassignment April 22.Lt. Gen. Michael V. Hayden was selected for promotion to general along with a reassignment as principal deputy director of National Intelligence in Washington. He is currently the

  • OSI exhibit opens at Air Force museum

    An exhibit highlighting the Air Force's criminal investigative service is open to the public at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force here."Eyes of the Eagle: The Air Force Office of Special Investigations" exhibit joins the museum's permanent displays in the Cold War Gallery.The exhibit

  • Guard, Reserve leaders testify on Capitol Hill

    The directors of the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve testified April 20 on readiness and management support before the Senate Armed Services Committee subcommittee.Lt. Gen. Daniel James III, Air National Guard director, told senators he sees positive benefits to the community basing

  • Officials announce visual-information winners

    Defense Information School officials at Fort Meade, Md., recently announced the winners of the 2004 visual information awards. The awards recognize, reward and promote excellence among servicemembers for their achievements in military photography, videography and graphic arts, officials said. Air

  • Reserve, active-duty pilots battle for air superiority

    In the animal world, a 500-pound gorilla would pose relatively no threat to a 1,200-pound Mako shark swimming at 65 mph. However, when these two creatures take on the form of fighter pilots and step into an F-15 Eagle or F-16 Fighting Falcon to face off in the sky, anything is possible. For two

  • Contingency response team prepares airfield for Italians

    In fewer than 45 days, tanker airlift control element Airmen will achieve what some may deem impossible.This 47-person team, primarily deployed from the 621st Contingency Response Wing at McGuire Air Force Base, N.J., is preparing nearby Herat for more than 300 Italian troops as they lead the

  • New course helps Airmen get combat ready

    Airmen graduating from the fuels apprentice course are now two to three months closer to combat-ready status after arriving at their first base, said course instructors here.Students are learning how to set up a mobile gas station and other duties during a new seven-day contingency course, said

  • Airmen cross 100-mission milestone

    Somewhere out there is an old Air Force veteran who has been around and has seen practically everything. Impressing him will not be easy, but you try. First, you tell him you just logged 100 combat missions in a tanker. Impressive, but he does not flinch. Then you tell him you did it in just

  • F-16 crew chiefs combat odds to keep jets in flight

    As the sun beats down upon him, an Airman wipes the sweat from his brow, spreading the layer of grease and oil from his hands onto his forehead. Consumed by the task at hand, he remains focused knowing his jet needs to be ready to take off within the hour.Suddenly, his work is put on hold.“This is

  • Family learns life lessons through autistic son

    Having a child is what some would refer to as a life-changing experience, but for a couple here it was more of a change than they expected.Seven years ago, Rich Quick, a logistics analyst for the 542nd Combat Sustainment Wing, and his wife, Nubia, learned that their 1-year-old son Matthew was

  • Upgrades retrofit T-38 with latest technology

    Airmen from the 416th Flight Test Squadron wrapped up flight tests on software upgrades in an ongoing T-38 Talon avionics upgrade here recently.The latest set of upgrades is the third in a series. During this series, testers performed about 18 sorties October through April, validating the new

  • Contingency response wing activates at Travis

    When the 615th Contingency Response Wing stood up here April 11, the mobility mission of 15th Expeditionary Mobility Task Force’s expanded along with it.“The activation of CRWs and associated groups at Travis and McGuire (Air Force Base, N.J.) is not only historic, but clearly signals our resolve to

  • Tallil joint security force upholds law, order

    Airmen of the 407th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron have joined forces with military policemen of the Texas Army National Guard’s 36th Infantry Division to uphold law and order here.The base is an air hub and ground logistical supply point that has a growing population of coalition military

  • Hurlburt Field rescuers help crash victims, save lives

    There were people staggering and people screaming. It was total chaos.That was the scene Tech. Sgt. Mike Gray, a pararescueman assigned to the 720th Special Tactics Group here said he saw as he and his wife turned the corner from their home in nearby Fort Walton Beach early April 9.Eight bicycle

  • Life-support techs keep OEF airlifters rescue ready

    For C-130 Hercules aircrews flying a combat airlift mission, there are various forms of lifesaving equipment on the plane and on the Airmen every time they fly.Whether it is a parachute or a helmet, aircrews here are fitted with the best equipment available from the 774th Expeditionary Airlift

  • Sustainability of installations, environment key to readiness

    The best way to ensure that today’s warfighters have what they need to fight and win in the post-Sept. 11 world is to sustain the viability of both military installations and their surrounding environments, a defense official said here April 12.That idea of sustainability -- of the military

  • Airmen keep B-2 Spirits safe

    The B-2 Spirit bomber’s capabilities to penetrate an enemy's most sophisticated defenses and threaten its most heavily defended targets depend on Airmen who help maintain the aircraft’s stealth characteristic. Mechanics deployed from the 509th Maintenance Squadron’s low observable section apply

  • Separate services make distinct contributions to joint force

    The trend toward “jointness” does not mean Defense Department officials expect all the services to become cookie-cutter copies of each other, a senior official said.Military operations increasingly call for close collaboration among all the services as they pursue a common mission, a trend that is

  • Officials announce Thrift Savings Plan open season

    Civilian and military employees can sign up for, or change, their Thrift Savings Plan contribution amounts during the "open season" April 15 to June 30."TSP is a long-term retirement savings plan, which everyone should consider," said Jackie Holland, task manager at the Air Force Personnel Contact