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U.S. Air Force News

  • Airmen, Chilean school 'partner' to teach children aviation

    More than 10 community outreach projects were started Oct. 27 as part of the Twelfth Air Force (Air Forces Southern)'s Operation Southern Partner. Maj. Jason Couisine, the Air Force section chief at the U.S. Military Group here, acted as a schoolteacher during a guest science class at the Complejo

  • Work continues to replace T-38 aileron levers

    To meet the challenge of building more than 1,000 aileron actuator levers for T-38 Talon aircraft, workers in the 532nd Commodities Maintenance Squadron's New Manufacturing and Repair Division literally had to start from scratch. The levers, which control moveable flaps on the T-38's wings, are

  • WWII veterans attend museum D-Day exhibit opening

    More than 40 World War II veterans gathered Oct. 17 here to help open an exhibit recounting their wartime experiences on June 6, 1944. The veterans, mostly paratroopers of the 507th Parachute Infantry Regiment that trained at Fort Benning, near Columbus, Ga., jumped from C-47 troop carriers into

  • U.S. forces participate in Hong Kong exercise

    American, Hong Kong and Chinese forces joined together for the Search and Rescue Exercise 2008 in mid-October off the coast of Hong Kong.Search and rescue units from the Alaska Air National Guard's 210th and 212th Rescue Squadrons in Anchorage, Alaska, and the Coast Guard District 14 in Honolulu,

  • Small town donates $5 million for joint ed center

    The City of Jacksonville's 31,000 residents in Arkansas will soon donate $5 million to help construct a new education center for Little Rock Air Force Base and the local community. The citizens of Jacksonville raised $5 million through a 2003 sales tax to help the Air Force build a joint education

  • Defense secretary: Nuke capability critical to deterrence

    Calling nuclear weapons one of the world's "messy realities," Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said here Oct. 28 that as long as others who could potentially threaten the United States possess or seek them, it's critical that the United States does as well, and that they be kept safe, secure and

  • Hanscom team works to lower person-borne IED threat

    Members of an Electronic Systems Center office are working to minimize the threat of suicide bombings at the entry points of controlled-access zones in Iraq and Afghanistan. The team has been working since late September to rapidly evaluate technologies designed to detect what are known as

  • Group surpasses $2 million in grants for military children

    "Our Military Kids," a nonprofit support group, recently reached a new milestone: $2 million in grants awarded for sports, fine arts and tutoring programs. "The Our Military Kids grant program has been a wonderful way for Americans to thank our men and women serving our country overseas by providing

  • Lackland-based institute teaches English to partner nations

    Communication is key to maintaining healthy relationships. The same is true of interactions between the United States and members of its allied militaries: strong, clear communication opens the door to a better, stronger relationship. And being able to speak the same language helps this process

  • Guard, Reserve warfighters chart tactics course

    Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve officials prepared the roadmap for weapons and tactics needs for their near- and long-term during a conference Oct. 20 through 24 in Tucson.The annual Weapons and Tactic Conference began at the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., with opening remarks by Lt.

  • Nellis Airmen begin 'War on Waste'

    The "War on Waste", a new Air Force Smart Operations for the 21st Century initiative, began at Nellis AFB, following an Enterprise Value Stream Analysis held here Oct. 6 to 8. The Enterprise Value Stream Analysis, conducted by the 99th Air Base Wing Executive Council, aligned the wing commander's

  • Air Force officials to establish new nuclear major command

    The Air Force will stand up a new major command specifically to manage its nuclear assets, the service's top official announced Oct. 24. Air Force Secretary Michael B. Donley said the new command will fold into its ranks thousands of Airmen and all of the Air Force's domestic nuclear capabilities in

  • 'Today's Air Force' features Air Force secretary

    This edition of "Today's Air Force" highlights Michael Donley, the 22nd secretary of the Air Force.  Also featured is his visit to Southwest Asia where he discusses the mission and involvement in the war on terrorism. Another highlight is the training Airmen go through to prepare for every mission.

  • Enhanced VA mortgages possible for vets in distress

    Veterans with conventional home loans now have new options for refinancing to a Department of Veterans Affairs guaranteed home loan. These new options are available as a result of the Veterans' Benefits Improvement Act of 2008, which President Bush signed into law Oct. 10."These changes will allow

  • Air Force leaders work to develop cyberspace roadmap

    Air Force leaders here continue to create a roadmap of the service's cyberspace mission while adjusting to a new organizational construct outlined by Air Force officials in October. Officials from the Air Force Cyber Command (Provisional) team here and Air Force Space Command are moving forward

  • Cannon officials use AFSO 21 to improve inprocessing

    Cannon Air Force Base officials recently revamped its inprocessing program using Air Force Smart Operations for the 21st century to take a three week process into a four hour program. Beginning in July, base officials worked to improve and consolidate inprocessing for new base members and their

  • F-35 completes air-start test at Edwards

    The prototype F-35 Joint Strike Fighter AA-1 completed an air-start test validating the aircraft's ability to shut down and restart its engine in flight Oct. 23 here. This ensures the aircraft, which is called the F-35 Lightning II for the Air Force, can regain power and fly safely in the event of

  • ACC team effort vital to nuclear evaluation mission

    A three-month process, planned a year in advance, involving hundreds of man-hours of detailed coordination with people at more than four Air Force bases funnels down to one aircraft, one missile, one sortie and the push of a button. The aircraft is a B-52 Stratofortress flown by an aircrew from the

  • Servicemembers help malnourished Afghan children

    Members of the Zabul Provincial Reconstruction Team medical staff used "strong food" to help hundreds of malnourished Afghan children back to health in October. The PRT members began a four-week regiment of their "strong food," known locally as Qavi Ghiza, to the Shajoy hospital two months

  • Officers, civilians selected for developmental education

    More than 960 officers and 68 civilians were selected recently to attend intermediate, senior and civilian developmental education programs during the academic 2009-2010 year, Air Force Personnel Center officials announced. The Developmental Education Designation Board, or DEDB, met Oct. 15 to

  • Arts festival gives wounded warriors therapeutic outlet

    Veterans of operations in Iraq and Afghanistan are among more than 120 disabled veterans from across the country attending the National Veterans Creative Arts Festival in October in Riverside, Calif. The week-long festival kicked off Oct. 20, bringing together medal winners in national creative

  • Defense secretary lauds wounded warrior care improvements

    The military has made "some significant steps forward" in caring for wounded warriors, the Defense secretary said during a Pentagon Channel interview broadcast Oct. 22. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said inpatient care provided to wounded warriors always has been world-class. "We've never had a

  • AF officials agree to ship 18 cargo planes to Afghanistan

    The deal is done for the Air Force officials to ship 18 G-222 cargo planes to the Afghan National Air Corps. Officials signed the $287 million contract at Robins AFB Sept. 29. The Italian-built planes are being purchased from Alenia North America and will be refurbished, with 16 to serve as medium

  • Tricare, Medicare work together for eligible beneficiaries

    Tricare officials want beneficiaries who receive a disability check to ensure they are getting the Tricare coverage they are entitled to receive. In general, most beneficiaries become eligible for Medicare at age 65; however, many beneficiaries younger than 65 also qualify for Medicare and there is

  • UAS volunteers sought for Air Force test program; deadline approaching

    Air Force officials are seeking up to 20 captains with four to six years of experience to volunteer for the unmanned aircraft systems beta test program. "This first run of the test-run program is open to captains who have no previous military pilot-training experience," said Col. Curt Sheldon,

  • Airman, medical response save Korean leukemia patient

    It took less than 24 hours for one Kunsan Airman and several base medical providers to respond to the needs of a 24-year-old Korean leukemia patient; ultimately saving her life. After finishing a 14-hour shift defending the base, Airman Tamarias Pope, 8th Security Forces Squadron, was alerted that

  • Servicemembers provide dental training for Afghans

    Members of the Zabul Provincial Reconstruction Team united with U.S. Public Health Service officials to offer an emergency dental care certification course to Afghan dental professionals from the province in October. In Zabul, Afghanistan's poorest province, many people are forced to either provide

  • Air Force officials invest $12 million in research program

    Air Force Office of Scientific Research officials here announced Oct. 17 they will award approximately $12.1 million in grants to 39 scientists and engineers who submitted winning research proposals through the Air Force's Young Investigator Research Program. The program is open to scientists and

  • Gates vows continued commitment to wounded warrior care

    Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates assured participants in the first Wounded Warriors Family Summit here Oct. 20 he will "continue to press forward with a sense of urgency" to provide top-level care and support for wounded warriors in a way that lays groundwork for the next administration's leaders

  • AF officials, Ohio hospital to ready nurses for deployment

    University Hospital Cincinnati and the Air Force officials inaugurated a new program in October to provide newly graduated registered nurses the advanced clinical training and experience needed to become Air Force Nurse Corps officers and to prepare them for deployment. University Hospital is the

  • Service demographics offer snapshot of force

    Air Force Personnel Center officials here recently published a demographics report offering a snapshot of the service's active-duty and civilian force. This data is current as of Sept. 30 and can also be found at Air Force demographics. Statistics are rounded to the nearest tenth. Active-duty

  • Group helps military families take flight

    While on patrol in northern Iraq last year, Army Spc. Kevin Hardin of Jupiter, Fla., was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade. He suffered injuries to his hands and arms. As a result, some of his fingers were amputated. Shrapnel penetrated his skull, leaving inoperable injuries. Twenty surgeries later,

  • Defense Media Activity officially stands up

    The Defense Media Activity gives public affairs within the Defense Department a new structure to move forward as a consolidated and integrated team, Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England said during the organization's activation ceremony at the Pentagon Oct. 20. "This is where jointness really

  • Security forces employ tough, agile vehicle

    When the Airmen of the 332nd Expeditionary Security Forces Group took sole responsibility for base defense here in October, they did so with one of the Defense Department's newest armored vehicles. The Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle, or MRAP, already is used by Air Force security forces,

  • Programs promoted for people with disabilities

    October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month, and Air Force officials want to ensure every Airman is aware of the ongoing efforts to support people with disabilities. "The Air Force hopes to increase awareness, promote opportunities for employment candidates with disabilities and become

  • 'Today's Air Force' features Airmen training Iraqi's military

    This edition of "Today's Air Force" highlights a challenging assignment of mentoring another country's airmen. See how American Airmen train Iraqi air force pilots to fly, fight and win. Also featured is a new combat vehicle: the high mobility engineer excavator. These new vehicles are built strong,

  • Officials outline challenges, needs at logistics conference

    About 1,200 logisticians gathered at the National Logistics Officer Association Conference Oct. 13 through 16 to learn Air Force priorities, urgent warfighter needs and sustainment initiatives that will affect their profession. Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition Sue Payton and Gen.

  • New first-aid products could save lives, officials say

    Two new first-aid products being sent into the combat theater could save more servicemembers' lives, medical officials said at a Pentagon news conference Oct. 15. Test results from the U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command's Institute of Surgical Research, or ISR, showed Combat Gauze field

  • AFRICOM officials note milestones, challenges ahead

    Army Gen. William E. "Kip" Ward brought the celebration of U.S. Africa Command's activation home to Germany Oct. 17 as he praised those who came together to stand the command up so quickly and urged them to continue working together so it can reach its potential. Speaking at the AfriCom's

  • F-35 environmental impact statement released

    Air Force officials have announced that the final environmental impact statement addressing the beddown of the Joint Strike Fighter and 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne) is available for public review. The publication of the notice of availability in the Federal Register begins a 30-day public

  • SECAF discusses vision with Airmen in AOR

    After gaining insight into the diverse mission capabilities of the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing, Secretary of the Air Force Michael B. Donley discussed the Air Force vision with Airmen from the wing Oct. 14 at an air base in Southwest Asia. The secretary toured the base for much of the day, delving

  • Historic homecoming for Tuskegee Airmen as site opens

    Hundreds of aviators, mechanics and support personnel who once worked at the Tuskegee Army Airfield and Moton Field, Ala., during the 1930s and '40s gathered here once again Oct. 10 when the National Park Service memorialized the efforts of the first black pilots, the famed Tuskegee Airmen, in the

  • Dover Airman donates kidney to fiance

    A Dover Air Force Base NCO gave her heart to her fiance in 2005, and almost four years later she gave him the gift of life Sept. 22. Master Sgt. Laura Perry, an air Reserve technician with the 512th Civil Engineer Squadron, donated her kidney to her fiance and fellow squadron member, Staff Sgt. Mark

  • Guard unit provides 'one-stop' Predator training

    As the Air Force's and Air National Guard's unmanned aircraft system mission continues to grow, Airmen with the 163rd Maintenance Group here are stepping up their training program to ensure availability of enough highly-skilled personnel to support these systems, especially the MQ-1 Predator.

  • Pope energy initiative saves thousands, lights the way

    A 43rd Civil Engineer Squadron member here received $10,000 for a proposal of a wireless-ramp-lighting initiative. Anton Klein submitted the proposal to the Air Force Innovative Development through Employee Awareness Program, or IDEA, for base members to turn off ramp lights when planes were not

  • One of the top personnel officers 'Spreads the Word'

    Air Force Personnel Center officials sent a team of experts here Oct. 8, launching a global "Spread the Word" campaign to educate Airmen about new and changing personnel and deployment programs. As part of the two-day Spread the Word visit, Maj. Gen. K.C. McClain, AFPC commander, visited with U.S.

  • Bolling officials to display 200 new Air Force paintings

    Air Force officials will display more than 200 new Air Force Art Program paintings from about 150 artists Oct. 21 through 24 at the Officers' Club at Bolling Air Force Base, D.C. The art was given by artists from around the country and donated to the Air Force, bringing the total number of paintings

  • Multi-skill crew delivers first C-17 ahead of schedule

    The C-17 Globemaster III cargo plane that sat in front of a maintenance hangar here looked no different than any other C-17, but the maintenance crew around it was unique. The crew, part of the 562nd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, is the first to be trained under a new "multi-skill" initiative. The

  • Museum to be featured on CMT's 'Top 20 Countdown'

    The National Museum of the U.S. Air Force here will be featured on Country Music Television's "Top 20 Countdown" set to air at 1 p.m. EDT Oct. 17.The show's host, Lance Smith, and other crewmembers filmed parts of the museum during their visit to Dayton in mid-October. They chose the Air Force's

  • Secretary visits Airmen in Southwest Asia

    The secretary of the Air Force met and spoke to 450 Airmen during an Oct. 11 visit to an air base in Southwest Asia. Secretary Michael B. Donley toured the base and the U.S. Air Forces Central Combined Air and Space Operations Center, and told Airmen that the Air Force is very involved in the war on

  • 'Today's Air Force' features unmanned aircraft systems

    This edition of "Today's Air Force" highlights the Air Force's unmanned aircraft systems, or UAS, and how Air Force officials plan to train more UAS operators. And more Airmen are finding themselves in non-traditional roles. At Joint Base Balad in Iraq, a segment shows how the skills Airmen possess

  • SECAF visits Ramstein, discusses leadership priorities

    Secretary of the Air Force Michael B. Donley visited with Airmen from U.S. Air Forces in Europe and toured the base here today as part of his first overseas trip since being confirmed secretary of the Air Force earlier this month. Secretary Donley, the 22nd Air Force secretary, visited with Airmen

  • Band to team with music legends for TV special

    Air Force Band members from here will be in the national spotlight in a Veterans Day extravaganza when the symphony orchestra and Singing Sergeants join celebrities and recording artists Nov. 10 on public television.Band members collaborate with two-time Grammy winner Patti LaBelle, country western

  • Program works to ensure absentee voting opportunities

    It's still not too late to register to cast an absentee ballot in the Nov. 4 general election in many states, a Defense Department official said Oct. 9."We want to make sure everyone has the opportunity to vote, and that the vote is counted," said Polli Brunelli, director of the Federal Voting

  • Giving Airmen time back

    Improvements in technology, review of manpower solutions and additional duty workload, and refining ancillary training topped the recommendations presented to Lt. Gen. Richard Newton III, deputy chief of staff for manpower, personnel and services, by a team he chartered to find what impacts Airmen's

  • Ceremony recognizes disabled employees' contributions

    Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England praised the work and contributions provided by disabled Defense Department contract employees at a Pentagon award ceremony Oct. 9."I'm here to say thank you for your great, great work," Secretary England, the event's host, told a group of disabled employees

  • Weather, chance turn climbing trip into rescue mission

    What started off as a personal challenge for three civilian employees from RAF Mildenhall, climbing three mountains in 24 hours to raise money for charities, ended up as a dramatic rescue mission when the trio helped save a man's life at the top of the final peak Oct. 3. Alan Coldwell, Chris Gould

  • Upgrade makes electronic forms more user friendly

    Air Force officials recently rolled out a new software upgrade that makes it easier for Airmen to view and print electronic forms. Feedback from Airmen revealed problems with blank lines appearing on paper copies of electronic forms that were not visible on digital versions. "The issue was with the

  • MIT research enhances high-speed computers

    Air Force-sponsored research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology is accelerating the development of quantum, or high-speed, computers which help Air Force specialists with cryptoanalysis, or 'code-breaking,' microwave electronics and materials science. Chief researcher Dr. William Oliver of

  • Alaskan long range radar station goes green

    In an effort to reduce high operating costs at the Tin City Long Range Radar Station, engineers with the 611th Civil Engineer Squadron here have completed the construction of a wind turbine generator there.  It is the first such generator to be installed on an Alaskan Air Force installation and

  • Manas Airmen provide aid to earthquake victims

    Airmen from Manas AB sent a humanitarian shipment Oct. 8 to provide aid to those affected by the recent earthquake in southern Kyrgyzstan. The base sent a flatbed truck of supplies that included a pallet of nearly 2,200 food ration packets, ten pallets of bottled water, more than 120 boxes

  • Training instructors build tactical course for Iraqi airmen

    Military training instructors saw an unmet need in the Iraqi air force basic military training program and found a way to fill the need. For Staff Sgt. Matthew Coltrin and Tech. Sgt. Chris Ramsdell, MTIs deployed from the 322nd Training Squadron, Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, no BMT course is

  • Retirement home earns prestigious accreditation

    The Armed Forces Retirement Home has received accreditation from the prestigious Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities-Continuing Care Accreditation Commission.The accreditation, which will extend through August 2013, results from the findings of an on-site survey of the AFRH

  • Air Force training facility underway at NAS Pensacola

    Officials at the Naval Facilities Engineering Command-Southeast, in partnership with representatives from Air Education and Training Command and a construction conglomerate known as NTF, L.L.C., broke ground Oct. 2 for a new training instruction facility at Naval Air Station Pensacola.NAVFAC

  • Air Force senior leaders take up key decisions

    The nuclear enterprise, cyber organization, end strength, force shaping, and command and control of Air Force operations were just some of the topics discussed when Air Force senior leaders met at CORONA on Oct. 1-3 at the U.S. Air Force Academy, Colo. Secretary of the Air Force Michael B. Donley

  • Threat Reduction Agency marks 10 years of operations

    It is an agency that seems tailor-made to combat the threats the United States faces today: nuclear proliferation, chemical weapons and the possibility of genetically modified diseases. But the Defense Threat Reduction Agency was formed when Americans still thought there was such a thing as a "peace

  • Special duty assignment pay now available for EOD Airmen

    Air Force officials recently approved special duty assignment pay for most Airmen in the explosive ordnance disposal career field. Since 2002, the overall retention rates for EOD Airmen has declined by 30 percent because of high operations tempo and the inherent dangers involved in this demanding

  • USAFE Airmen exchange ideas with Romanian counterparts

    The United States Air Forces in Europe command chief and three other Ramstein senior noncommissioned officers visited Romanian air force senior enlisted leaders at the Boboc Training Center, Romania, Sept. 22-27 as part of an ongoing USAFE theater security cooperation engagement. Chief Master Sgt.

  • Officer volunteers sought to operate unmanned aircraft

    Air Force officers are being sought as volunteers to operate unmanned aircraft systems. Applications are due to the Air Force Personnel Center no later than Nov. 3. The first ten officers selected will start UAS operator training in January 2009, and another ten will begin training in April 2009.

  • ACC maintainers expedite A-10 inspection actions

    Air Combat Command maintenance Airmen will begin an immediate inspection of all A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft with thin-skinned wings for cracking following a Time Compliance Technical Order issued to ACC A-10 units on Oct. 3. ACC officials are working closely with those in Air Force Materiel

  • Program strengthens U.S., host-nation relationships

    More than 1,000 Manas Air Base servicemembers have a unique opportunity through the base International Tours and Travel office to get out of the base from time to time. Each week, the ITT office puts together off-base request trips to more than 40 locations ranging from hiking and dining trips to

  • Special Ops weathermen get new specialty code

    Air Force special operations weathermen now have a new specialty code they can call their own. Recruiters can enlist trainees directly into the 1W0X2 special operations weathermen career field since the new Air Force specialty code is now in the enlisted classification directory. Before this new

  • 'Today's Air Force' features Gulf Coast response

    This edition of "Today's Air Force" highlights the impact of and prompt response to the hurricanes that struck the Gulf Coast. Airmen immediately came through, handing out five tons of water, four thousand bags of ice and six hundred meals. Another team effort is demonstrated by the Airmen behind

  • Volunteer program aims to go Air Force-wide

    What started off as a desire to volunteer at a local hospital now has the potential to spread Air Force-wide. Staff Sgt. Jewell Hicks Jr., an executive communications support Airman with the 375th Communications Squadron here, began Airmen for Children in July. The program encourages Scott Air Force

  • A revolution in the classroom

    In an era where computers and the Internet have changed almost every aspect of daily life, from shopping to working to entertainment, is it time for technology to change the way Airmen learn? For younger Airmen, it seems, the answer is yes. Air Education and Training Command officials recently

  • AFPC Spread the Word team launches global tour

    The Air Force Personnel Center Commander, Maj. Gen. K.C. McClain, will kick off an Air Force-wide "Spread the Word" briefing tour at Oct. 7 and 8 at Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii. "AFPC is evolving to provide personnel services in new formats through new programs, and we want to communicate these

  • Gen. McKinley approved to lead Guard Bureau

    Lt. Gen. Craig R. McKinley was confirmed as the 26th chief of the National Guard Bureau by the Senate Oct. 2 in Washington, D.C. He will also become the first four-star general in the nearly 372-year history of the National Guard. The current director of the Air National Guard, General McKinley was

  • Senate confirms Gen. Fraser as next vice chief of staff

    General William M. Fraser III, a command pilot, will be the Air Force's next vice chief of staff, based on a Senate confirmation vote, which occurred Oct. 2. Now the president must offer the official appointment to the general before he can assume his new position. General Fraser, who now serves as

  • Tricare Reserve and Guard family benefit now permanent

    Eligible families of activated National Guard and Reserve members will continue to save up to $300 in annual deductibles now that a Tricare "demonstration" program is a permanent benefit. Eligible family members of Guard and Reserve personnel activated for more than 30 days under federal orders in

  • Africa Command unfurls colors during Pentagon ceremony

    The flag for a new U.S. unified command that seeks to meld civilian expertise with military planning and logistics was unfurled Oct. 1 during a Pentagon ceremony. Army Gen. William E. "Kip" Ward unfurled the colors and told Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

  • Charleston officials begin transporting new Army vehicles

    Charleston Air Force Base officials began receiving and immediately shipping six new Army High Mobility Engineer Excavator vehicles to warfighters in Southwest Asia Sept. 29 here. Charleston AFB is the first Air Force base to receive and ship the HMEE, which is a newly developed military

  • Reserve contact center announces new weekend schedule

    The Reserve Personnel Contact Center support schedule is changing, Air Reserve Personnel Center officials here said. Starting Oct. 4, customer service counselors will be available the first three Saturdays of each month from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. mountain time to support Air National Guard and Air Force

  • Officials enter agreement to create aerospace complex

    Air Force officials announced Sept. 25 that the service has signed a long-term lease agreement with Oklahoma County that will enable the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center to establish the Tinker Aerospace Complex here. The lease, which was signed Sept. 24, covers approximately 407 acres of land

  • Simulation center prepares medics for saving lives

    In this world where hospital staffs hold human lives in their hands, where do they train to function under this ultimate responsibility? When they are put under the stress of doing a job so important that even the military considers them doctors first and military second, where do they learn to

  • Deep Freeze Airman given Christchurch civic award

    Fresh off the successful night-time landing of a C-17 Globemaster III on the cold Antarctica ice, a 12-year veteran of Operation Deep Freeze missions has become the first American to receive the Christchurch Civic Award. Lt. Col. Jim McGann, 304th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron commander, received

  • Defense contributions help NASA's 50-year legacy

    As the men and women of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration celebrate its 50th anniversary this week, Defense Department personnel also can take a bow for the key role they have played in lending technology and expertise to NASA's space exploration and research mission.NASA began

  • Provisional team prepares for cyber mission assurance

    The Air Force Cyber Command (Provisional) staff here has spent a year defining and shaping the future of the service's cyberspace operations. There have been numerous contributions from the team that will assist the Air Force as it decides how it will "fly, fight and win" in the cyberspace domain,

  • Registry tracks effects of embedded metal fragments

    A Defense Department registry is helping officials gather data to be sure the long-accepted practice of leaving embedded metal fragments in wounded warriors' bodies as long as vital organs aren't threatened is valid. Officials at the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology created the Embedded Metal

  • Air Force, Navy officials agree upon F-35 depot workload

    Air Force and Navy officials here signed a memo Sept. 16 identifying a new process for allocating F-35 Lightning II depot repair workloads. The new process takes into account service competency and experience in determining workload allocation. "This was truly a joint effort on the part of the Air

  • World War II women aviators gather for final reunion

    The past and present came together Sept. 25 through 28 here as women aviators from different generations took part in the final reunion for the original Women Airforce Service Pilots of World War II. Women from across the country assembled to honor the courage and dedication of the pilots, and the

  • Iraqi training wing soars to 3,000th hour

    The Iraqi air force Flying Training Wing has reached yet another goal, one that may have seemed impossible a year ago, with the help of Airmen from the 52nd Expeditionary Flying Training Squadron. This partnership enabled Iraqi pilots to reach the 3,000th flying training hour milestone here Sept 23.

  • South Dakota veterans may be eligible for bonuses

    The state of South Dakota is paying a veterans' bonus of up to $500 to certain servicemembers based on monthly service during qualifying dates. Bonuses are available to servicemembers who: -- were legal residents of the state for at least six months immediately preceding entry into the armed forces.

  • 'Today's Air Force' features war-zone support

    This edition of "Today's Air Force" highlights what Air Force men and women are doing to support the war on terrorism in Southwest Asia. See how three hospitals, each run by representatives of a different country, come together to provide the utmost medical training to Afghan medical students. Also

  • Air Force could save millions through recovery program

    A two-year proof of concept project to demanufacture and disassemble condemned jet engine parts for reuse is under way here and Air Force officials are praising initial results. About 200,000 pounds of material from the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center has already been introduced into the

  • Village of Hope training center graduates final class

    A program designed to help "Sons of Iraq" citizen security group members learn skills that will enable them to help Iraq move forward graduated its final class of 60 students here Sept. 25. "The Village of Hope was part of a civil service corps program that took Sons of Iraq members from checkpoints

  • VA secretary establishes ALS as a compensable illness

    Veterans with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as "Lou Gehrig's Disease," soon may receive badly needed support for themselves and their families. The Department of Veterans Affairs secretary announced recently that ALS will become a presumptively compensable illness for all veterans with

  • Tricare retiree dental benefit available overseas

    Retired Tricare beneficiaries living overseas may enroll in the Tricare Retiree Dental Program beginning Oct. 1.The Enhanced-Overseas TRDP is available for all eligible uniformed service retirees and their families. "For many years, military retirees and their families have requested a dental

  • Recruiting group closes its doors

    Air Force Recruiting Service officials are deactivating the 367th Recruiting Group here Oct. 1 as recruiting units are realigned from four groups into three and reducing recruiting squadrons from 27 to 24. AFRS officials are reorganizing health professions recruiting into 24 regional hubs throughout

  • New organization changes how to get info, entertainment

    The Oct. 1 establishment of the Defense Media Activity will change the way Defense Department members get news, entertainment and information to servicemembers and their families. Servicemembers will not immediately notice a change: the Armed Forces Network will still broadcast football games and