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U.S. Air Force News

  • Some prior service officers eligible to retire early

    Air Force officials announced plans recently to allow some prior service officers the opportunity to retire earlier than expected.As a result of the Fiscal 2011 National Defense Authorization Act, eligible officers with prior enlisted service who have completed 20 years of total active federal

  • Red Flag cyber operations: Isn't Red Flag a flyer's exercise?

    As Airmen from Air Force Space Command participate Red Flag from Feb. 21 through March 11 at the Nevada Test and Training Range complex, Nev.Red Flag is a realistic, combat-training exercise involving the air forces of the U.S. and its allies in simulated air combat."Red Flag continues to adapt and

  • Airmen improve capability of Iraqi medical clinic

    With only three people working in a building no larger than most American apartments, the Iraqi medical clinic here is constantly operating at maximum capacity to provide care for more than 700 Iraqi airmen."Healthy airmen are essential for the Iraqi air force to successfully complete its missions

  • Guard's Youth ChalleNGe program celebrates 100,000th graduate during gala

    Military leaders, members of Congress and celebrities gathered for the National Guard Youth Foundation's 2011 ChalleNGe Champions Gala March 1 here.This year, the gala celebrated the program's 100,000th graduate."I am proud to be representing 100,000 other cadets, each of us with our own story of

  • Graham, Leahy: National Guard an irreplaceable treasure

    The National Guard is a treasure that brings irreplaceable skills to domestic support, to civil authorities and to overseas operations, South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham told fellow senators and senior Guard leaders here March 3."A Guard unit can do more in Afghanistan and Iraq than almost anyone,

  • C-5s provide 'muscle' for helicopter swap-out missions to Afghanistan

    The Air Force's biggest airlifter -- the C-5 Galaxy -- and the Airmen who maintain and fly them are part of a U.S. Transportation Command "multi-modal" effort to move Army helicopters to Afghanistan.The operation under way in Western Europe features two C-5B and two C-5M Super Galaxies and crew and

  • U.S. military aircraft to aid Egyptians leaving Libya

    President Barack Obama announced March 3 that he has approved the use of U.S. military aircraft to help Egyptians who have fled to the Tunisian border get back home to Egypt.Speaking from the White House, President Obama said the United States and the world continue "to be outraged by the appalling

  • DOD improves troops' access to quality education

    Defense Department officials are taking extensive measures -- from education reviews to agency partnerships -- to ensure service members have access to quality education and learning opportunities in their off-duty hours, a Defense Department official said.Robert L. Gordon III, the deputy assistant

  • Intermediate network warfare training up and running

    In February, 17 students began the first intermediate network warfare training at the 39th Information Operations Squadron at Hurlburt Field, Fla.The 42-day course began Feb. 2 and features a syllabus geared to the needs of cyberoperators in the field, said 1st Lt. Michelle Buchholtz, the influence

  • COMUSAFE statement on shooting at Frankfurt Airport

    Gen. Mark A. Welsh III, U.S. Air Forces in Europe Commander, statement on shooting at Frankfurt Airport March 2:"Chief (David W.) Williamson and I are deeply saddened by the senseless attack at the Frankfurt International Airport that took the lives of two USAFE Airmen and left two others fighting

  • A break from therapy

    Airmen and Sailors took time to visit a children's hospital here March 1, as part of a community outreach event during the Avalon 2011 Australia International Airshow and Aerospace and Defence Exposition.Five Airmen from the 909th Air Refueling Squadron at Kadena Air Base, Japan, and eight Sailors

  • CSAF talks cooperation, efficiency at defense conference

    The Air Force and the private sector must focus their collective efforts to ensure America's defense needs are met in the face of declining purchasing power, according to the Air Force chief of staff.Gen. Norton Schwartz made the remarks during a speech to defense industry leaders, service members

  • Civilian employees should start education applications early

    Hundreds of professional development opportunities are available annually for civilian employees. Many of those slots go unfilled, in part because eligible candidates wait until the last minute to prepare and staff their application packages.For example, annually, 280 Civilian Acculturation and

  • Gates, Mullen urge swift action on budget

    Congress needs to take steps now to ensure troops in harm's way in Afghanistan get the gear and capabilities they need to face the Taliban, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and  Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Navy Adm. Mike Mullen told a congressional panel March 2 here.Secretary Gates told

  • Officials announce team bound for 2011 Warrior Games

    Twenty-five Air Force athletes are one step closer to gold after being chosen to represent the service at the 2011 Warrior Games.Warrior Games is an Olympic-style event open to all wounded, ill and injured military members and veterans. This year's event takes place May 16 through 21 in Colorado

  • TRANSCOM provides nation's greatest advantage, commander says

    The greatest advantage the U.S. has over any potential enemy is the ability to project and sustain forces anywhere in the world, the commander of U.S. Transportation Command said here today."No other nation can do what we do," said Air Force Gen. Duncan J. McNabb.A decade of war has meant TRANSCOM

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

    In this edition of "Today's Air Force," Air Force officials implement some cost-cutting measures in the wake of federal budget constraints. Plus, Airmen train with their host nation counterparts to make sure that when lives are on line, everyone's on the same page. And, get a look at some

  • Supreme Court decisions affect service members, vets

    The U.S. Supreme Court has issued three decisions with military connections recently.In what may be the most contentious of the cases, the court ruled that members of a Westboro, Kan., church have the right to picket at funerals for service members killed in action.The court reversed a lower court

  • Airmen harness radiation to search vehicles

    With a little bit of training and the power of gamma-rays, 447th Expeditionary Security Forces Airmen are developing their vehicle-search skills using the relocatable Vehicle and Cargo Inspection System.Eight Airmen were hand-selected to train on the VACIS, a gamma-ray imaging system made by Science

  • General Schwartz: Austerity, strategic challenges call for true total force

    Austerity and the strategic environment make communicating and collaborating as a total force paramount for the Air Force, Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve, the Air Force chief of staff said here Feb. 28.Efficiency and zero tolerance of fraud, waste and abuse are also critical priorities,

  • Officials release new environmental restoration policy

    Changes to the Air Force's environmental cleanup program will focus on cleaning up more sites more quickly, officials said here Feb. 25. The intention is to shift emphasis from partial cleanup solutions that often require decades of expensive follow-up to complete cleanups that free up property more

  • Program cuts sustain health care, maintain quality

    Defense Department officials have recommended a number of ways to cut costs in the military health system, while still providing high-quality care and protecting the wallets of active duty service members and their families, a senior defense official said Feb. 28."We're trying to create a balanced

  • AFNIC engineers assist in Global Hawk beddown

    When Grand Forks Air Force Base, N.D., officials needed to establish a more robust communications infrastructure to support a new tenant unit's Global Hawk remotely piloted aircraft mission, they knew just who to call."Pat Katzer is the best network engineer in the business ... we needed the best,"

  • Government shutdown could affect commissaries

    In the event of a government shutdown, commissary customers are asked to check their local military installation news outlets before, during and after the event to determine if stores serving their area are open."As a matter of course, the Defense Commissary Agency plans for any event that could

  • Kuwait celebrates 50/20 anniversary with coalition forces

    Members of U.S. Central Command, and several coalition countries, helped commemorate Kuwait's 50/20 celebration with an airshow and parade Feb. 26.The event celebrated Kuwait's 20th year of liberation from invading forces from Iraq and its 50th year of independence from Great Britain.Some of the

  • Lynn: Continuing budget resolution puts security at risk

    The Defense Department is losing billions of dollars by Congress' failure to pass the department's fiscal 2011 budget, putting readiness, modernization and efficiency initiatives at risk, the deputy defense secretary said March 1.The department has gone five months into the fiscal year under a

  • Army to assume responsibility for Pope Air Force Base

    Pope Air Force Base became Pope Field March 1 as it transitioned to be an Army operated facility supporting Air Force operations.Several Air Force units were redesignated or inactivated, marking a significant moment in Air Force history.The signing of a proclamation marked the handover of

  • VA's caregiver support program expanding

    Department of Veterans Affairs officials are expanding support nationally to caregivers of veterans with Alzheimer's disease.A pilot program of the Resources for Enhancing Alzheimer's Caregiver Health in VA program, or REACH VA, showed great success in reducing stress on caregivers while improving

  • National Guard, U.S. Southern Command members build partnership capacity

    The National Guard State Partnership Program is a key element to building relationships within the U.S. Southern Command region, the combatant commander said recently during the 27th annual Air Force Association Air Warfare Symposium and Technology Exposition here."(SOUTHCOM has) 28 different state

  • CMSAF strengthens ties with Colombian partners

    Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James A. Roy visited Colombian military sites here Feb. 1 to 4.He said the purpose of the visit was to reaffirm U.S. Southern Command officials' commitment to a strong nation-to-nation partnership and to explore professional military education exchange

  • First lady, Dr. Biden to launch military family awareness campaign

    Dr. Jill Biden and first lady Michelle Obama will campaign to raise awareness of military families, the vice president's wife told spouses of National Guard adjutants general Feb. 28."In the coming weeks, we are going to be launching a formal campaign," said Dr. Biden, who hosted the spouses for

  • Airmen, German army team up for training

    Members of the 435th Contingency Response Group were invited by their German army counterparts from the 31st German ABN Brigade to join them on the Schϋtzenschnur range for two days of weapons and military familiarization training recently in Oldenburg, Germany. The 31st German Airborne Brigade

  • Airmen test contingency postal operations

    Airmen from the Yokota Post Office set up a contingency post office to test the agency's warfighting capabilities by using their mail contingency kit at the Yujo Community Center here Feb. 22.Master Sgt. Victor Negron, the 374th Communications Squadron postmaster, said the purpose of the CPO is to

  • Air Force personnel services migration under way

    Air Force technicians migrated the first component of the Air Force Personnel Services website to the Defense Information Systems Agency's Enterprise Computing Center Feb. 23 to 27.This is the first phase in centralizing all total-force personnel services and creating a single access platform for

  • Mullen: Anniversary reaffirms U.S.-Kuwaiti bonds

    The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff joined in festivities Feb. 26 celebrating the 20th anniversary of Kuwait's liberation during Operation Desert Storm and the 50th anniversary of its independence."I am very proud to represent the United States here in Kuwait, as Kuwaitis celebrate their

  • Loadmasters hone skills during training, humanitarian mission

    When one C-17 Globemaster III left here Feb. 25, there were a few more loadmasters aboard than usual. A training mission was in the works, but the extra hands were put to use for a humanitarian mission that coincided with the training.The aircrew made stops at Langley Air Force Base, Va., MacDill

  • Frank Buckles, last known U.S. Doughboy, dies

    Frank Woodruff Buckles, who lied about his age to enlist in the Army in 1917 and became the last known U.S. veteran of World War I, died Feb. 27 at the age of 110. Burial with full military honors will be held at Arlington National Cemetery."We have lost a living link to an important era in our

  • Developmental education deadline set for officers, civilians

    Officers considering intermediate or senior developmental education in 2011 have until March 31 to submit their applications for consideration by the selection board, officials announced. Civilians have until May 1 to submit applications.Officers apply using a Web-based application, while civilians

  • Airmen demonstrate massive airdrop, teamwork in joint exercise

    Nine Little Rock Air Force Base C-130 Hercules and twice as many aircrews, along with maintainers and planners from the base, participated in Joint Operation Access Exercise Feb. 9 through 12 here and at Fort Bragg, N.C.JOAX is a two-week exercise to prepare Airmen and Soliers to respond to

  • Emergency exercise brings U.S., Japanese responders together

    Airmen from the 35th Fighter Wing teamed with their host nation's emergency responders for an accident exercise here Feb. 23. The exercise scenario was a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter accident in which two Airmen and one Japanese bystander are injured."This was a great experience," said Staff Sgt. Tye

  • Japanese, American NCOs work together to gain insight

    Kadena Air Base officials began a NCO exchange program Feb. 18, giving eight Japanese Air Self Defense Force airmen the chance to see how their U.S. Air Force counterparts operate."The JASDF airmen did an ice-breaker with the chiefs, flew the KC-135 (Stratotanker) flight simulator and worked with

  • Air Force Medical Service officials announce 2010 award winners

    Air Force Medical Service officials have announced individual, team and military treatment facility awards for 2010. According to the award message, the Air Force Recognition Ribbon is authorized for individual award winners only. Winners of individual awards may take a copy of the attached message

  • Historic firsts for AFNORTH sergeants lead to distinguished honors

    It had all the markings of a historic event with firsts on several fronts.  As well it should; it was a historic event.At a ceremony held Jan. 28, two Air Forces Northern technical sergeants were the first U.S. Airmen to graduate from the Canadian Intermediate Leadership Program at the Canadian

  • Air Force announces next tanker aircraft

    Air Force and Defense Department officials announced the award of an engineering and manufacturing development contract valued at more than $3.5 billion for the KC-46A aerial refueler to The Boeing Company Feb. 24.Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley said in the briefing that many factors were

  • USAFWS takes new approach to generating leaders

    U.S. Air Force Weapons School officials recently modified their syllabus to reflect that it is not only the Air Force's most challenging tactical training, but also a program designed to produce the Air Force's next generation of great leaders.The USAFWS has commonly been thought of as a leadership

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

    In this edition of "Today's Air Force," Air Force officials tighten their belts as they find ways to save $33 billion dollars.  And, motivational speaker Andy Christiansen gives Airmen a lesson in mentorship. Plus, an Airman and his canine companion team up to keep their base safe from

  • 'Military Saves Week' spotlights importance of saving

    Service members and their families should "start small and think big" when kick-starting a savings plan, a financial expert said Feb. 23."It's not what you make, it's what you keep," said Pam McClelland, a senior program analyst in the Pentagon's office of family policy and children and youth. "A

  • ROTC bonuses 'beef up' services' language capacity

    A Defense Department pilot program to add foreign language proficiency to its officer corps is growing dramatically, the department's head of foreign languages said.The department began the ROTC Skill Proficiency Bonus in 2008, at the request of Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, to encourage the

  • Agency chief outlines threat reduction strategy

    Defense Threat Reduction Agency people are at work around the clock to protect American forces and citizens from nuclear, chemical and biological threats, the agency's director said Feb. 23.Speaking to the Defense Writers Group, Kenneth A. Myers III, who also is director of the U.S. Strategic

  • Air Force Network Integration Center officials launch IA education tools

    Air Force Network Integration Center officials recently introduced new information assurance education tools to help Airmen stay up to speed in the constantly evolving cyberspace environment. The initiatives, which include a robust community of practice, webinars and computer-based training, are

  • Afghan air force develops loadmasters as C-27 fleet expands

    As the Afghan air force C-27A Spartan fleet grows -- now half way to its goal of twenty of the cargo/transport aircraft seen as the centerpiece of the AAF -- so does the need for qualified loadmasters. Responsible for the cargo, personnel and safety of the aircraft, the loadmaster backs up the pilot

  • Eielson Airmen support Army deployments

    Airmen with the 354th Maintenance Squadron aerospace ground equipment flight assisted in processing nearly 500 deploying Soldiers through the Joint Mobility Complex Feb. 3 here to help fulfill the wing's mission of enabling military forces.AGE Airmen supported the deployment effort by de-icing

  • Online personnel services limited during migration

    Air Force customers will have limited access to online personnel information and applications from Feb. 23 to 27 while officials here migrate the Air Force Personnel Services website and knowledge management platform to the Defense Information Systems Agency's Enterprise Computing Center. During

  • Air Force has new weapon in fight against Spice

    Air Force officials began drug testing Airmen Feb. 22 to determine whether they are using Spice -- the street term for a range of designer synthetic-cannabinoid products. With the implementation of testing, officials intend to send a very clear message: use Spice, and you may lose your career, end

  • Members at Laughlin AFB mourn loss of Airman

    Members from here are in mourning, base officials said Feb. 22, after Department of Defense officials announced the death of an Airman stationed here.Airman 1st Class Corey Owens, a 26-year-old installation patrolman assigned to the 47th SFS, was pronounced dead due to non-combat related injuries

  • Guard, Reserve family readiness groups honored at Pentagon

    Unit family readiness group members, representing all of the military reserve components, were recognized for their outstanding family support programs Feb. 18 during a ceremony in the Pentagon.Dennis M. McCarthy, the assistant secretary of defense for reserve affairs, hosted the 2011 Department of

  • Officers visit Kuwait college, brief students

    Four officers visited Kuwait's Mubarak Al Abdullah Joint Command and Staff College to lecture to 92 students from 19 countries within the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf on various joint military topics. The school is similar to the Air Force's Air Command and Staff College and

  • Air traffic advisers aim high for Iraq's future

    As U.S. forces continue to draw down to meet the Dec. 31 deadline, Air Force air traffic control advisers have their eyes fixed on the sky above Iraq.Maj. Rudolf Kuehne and Capt. Maureen Trujillo, senior ATC advisers for Iraq Training and Advisory Mission-Air, are tasked with ensuring their Iraqi

  • Officials announce military service awards nominees

    Air Force officials recently announced its four nominees for the 2010 Government Employees Insurance Company Military Service Awards.The annual GEICO Military Service Awards recognize enlisted service members from all military service branches, active duty, National Guard and Reserve, for their

  • SecAF takes stock of progress, future challenges

    During remarks to the Air Force Association's 27th Annual Air Warfare Symposium and Technology Exposition here Feb. 18, the Air Force's senior ranking official reviewed the service' s priorities and underscored Air Force commitment to making the most of available resources in a challenging fiscal

  • DOD officials honor top Guard, Reserve family programs

    Defense Department officials lauded the top National Guard and Reserve family programs here Feb. 18 calling family support a vital component of mission readiness."Whether it is the basics of building military communities or taking care of military children or supporting military spouses, all of

  • DOD leaders outline health care, family services improvements

    The Defense Department has taken a number of recent steps to improve health care and family support services for military members and their families, the department's two top leaders told a Senate panel Feb. 17.Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs

  • TRICARE autism demonstration proving positive

    During the recent 2011 Military Health System Conference, Michael O'Bar, deputy director for TRICARE policy and operations, reported on the Department of Defense Enhanced Access to Autism Services Demonstration. "We have begun the process to determine how best to make the board-certified behavior

  • World War II hero receives medals after 65 years

    A safety NCO here helped a veteran receive recognition for his service during World War II.Tech. Sgt. Wayne Herold, a 22nd Air Refueling Wing ground safety technician, helped Gordon Ballagh, a 90-year-old veteran and prisoner of war during World War II receive four medals: the Prisoner of War Medal,

  • Vice CSAF: Air Force must prepare for more complex, varied ops

    The Air Force is working to balance today's needs and tomorrow's challenges while operating under intense fiscal pressures, the service's vice chief of staff said here Feb. 17.During remarks at the Air Force Association's 2011 Air Warfare Symposium and Technology Exposition, Gen. Philip M. Breedlove

  • Luke AFB medical group named best in Air Force

    The 56th Medical Group clinic from here was named the Air Force's best clinic for Fiscal 10 during the Military Healthcare Symposium in Washington Jan. 24 through Jan. 27.The award was presented to Col. Mark Holland, the 56th MDG commander, and Chief Master Sgt. Monica Hill, the 56th MDG

  • DOD officials strive to strengthen, empower military families

    From educational opportunities to spouse employment, Defense Department officials are expanding military family support programs to better meet families' current needs, as well as to empower them for the challenges that lie ahead, the DOD official who oversees military family programs said Feb.

  • New deployable air traffic control system program taking shape

    Electronic Systems Center officials intend to call for proposals within the next few months for development and production of a new deployable air traffic control system. Referred to as the Deployable Radar Approach Control the system could be used at forward operating locations, however austere,

  • Space-A travel: Did you know?

    Every day hundreds of military and military-contracted commercial aircraft travel the world delivering troops and cargo. These missions allow hundreds of thousands of military personnel, retirees, family members and other Department of Defense-eligible travelers to fly at almost no cost, courtesy of

  • Results of command, control training study show roadmap ahead

    Standardizing command and control, or C2, training across air, space and cyber domains and consolidating training here were the main recommendations of a recent independent study completed for Air Combat Command.Results and proposed priorities of the study examining Air Force operational-level C2

  • Airmen, Soldiers team up to train Iraqi airmen

    Nearly a dozen Iraqi airmen graduated from a week-long security forces training session Feb. 12, organized by Airmen from the 321st Expeditionary Mission Support Advisory Group's base transition team and Army military policemen stationed at Kirkuk Air Base, Iraq. The training session, spearheaded

  • DOD surgeons general visit Bagram Airfield medics

    The Department of Defense surgeons general visited the Craig Joint Theater Hospital here Feb. 13.During their brief visit to Afghanistan's most advanced military medical center, Lt. Gen. (Dr.) Charles B. Green, Army Lt. Gen. (Dr.) Eric B. Schoomaker and Navy Vice Adm. (Dr.) Adam M. Robinson Jr.,

  • U.S., Polish military enhance partnerships through training

    Airmen from Ramstein Air Base traveled to the 33rd Air Base in Powidz, Poland, Feb. 4 to 12 for a joint training mission with Polish military forces.More than 60 Airmen from the 86th Airlift Wing and 435th Air Ground Operations Wing participated in the week-long, off-site training aimed at sharing

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

    In this edition of "Today's Air Force," meet a tech. sergeant who's teaching future officers at the Air Force Academy. Plus, it's Military Saves Week, and you'll get a few helpful hints on how to get your finances on track. And, Airmen in Japan get the PT session of a lifetime with the creator of

  • DOD program offers leadership development opportunities

    Department of Defense officials seek active-duty officers to participate in the 2012 Executive Leadership Development Program beginning in September.This DOD program is designed for officers who have demonstrated strong leadership, commitment to public service, integrity and who have an interest in

  • Programs will suffer without adequate funding, Mullen says

    Military programs will suffer if the Defense Department's budget for fiscal 2011 isn't passed immediately, the nation's top military officer told the House Armed Services Committee here Feb. 16.Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, echoed the warning issued by Defense

  • Lynn gains IT industry's cybersecurity perspective

    Deputy Defense Secretary William J. Lynn III returned Feb. 15 from a two-day cybersecurity-focused trip here that included a keynote speech and meetings with industry leaders.Throughout his visit, Mr. Lynn focused on communicating with information technology professionals, whom he terms critical to

  • Deployed firefighters induct fallen teammate into "Department of Heroes"

    The overhead radio crackled to life. "Firefighter Kozorosky, fire dispatch." Five seconds of silence passed, and the radio again sounded the call, "Firefighter Kozorosky, fire dispatch." Again, there was no answer. After the third, unsuccessful attempt, mayday tones sounded in the fire station at

  • Top gloves to meet in interservice bouts

    With national champions, world military champions and 2012 Olympic Team hopefuls stacking the upcoming 2011 Armed Forces Boxing Championships at Lackland Air Force Base Feb. 15 to 18, the interservice event is truly an elite competition.Foremost among the military teams, the Army team enters as the

  • Defense communities cope with uncertain times

    Representatives from around the country have gathered here Feb. 14 through 16 for a three-day Winter Forum sponsored by the Association of Defense Communities to discuss the challenges faced by U.S. military installations, both those which are active and those which were closed over the years during

  • Fuel savings officials plan to broaden impact with AF-wide summit

    Members of the Air Force's Fuel Efficiency Office plan to host their first service-wide Aviation Operations Energy Steering Group summit here Feb. 16 and 17.Representatives from all Air Force major commands were invited to attend the summit. The event will be the first major meeting across the

  • DOD officials ask service members to kiss the spit goodbye

    When the Department of Defense weighs in on kissing and spitting, it's with good reason - two good reasons, in fact: love and health. Using smokeless tobacco - spit, dip, chew, snus, etc. - can pose a stinky, unsavory obstacle to sharing a kiss with a loved one, parent, child or sweetheart. It also

  • New element assists special forces trainees

    Trainees in two Air Force Basic Military Training squadrons now have a "BATTLE" plan in place.Battlefield Airmen Technical Training Liaison Element was recently incorporated for trainees in the 320th and 331st Training Squadrons in the tactical air control party, combat controller and pararescuemen

  • Gates: Defense needs $540 billion for fiscal 2011

    Congress must provide $540 billion to the Defense Department for fiscal 2011 or the department will be in danger of not being able to perform its mission, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said here Feb. 14. Secretary Gates also said he will look at "all legal options" to shut down the extra engine

  • Officials issue first report on homeless veterans

    For the first time, officials with the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Housing and Urban Development published the most authoritative analysis of the extent and nature of homelessness among veterans. According to HUD and VA's assessment, nearly 76,000 veterans were homeless on a

  • Air National Guard director: Equitable treatment of all a 'moral imperative'

    Equitable treatment of all people is a moral imperative, the director of the Air National Guard told new equal opportunity advisers at a graduation ceremony here Feb. 4."Our service members in the National Guard and Reserve are indeed our most valuable asset," Lt. Gen. Harry Wyatt told 87 National

  • New, enhanced VA benefits provided to caregivers of veterans

    Department of Veterans Affairs officials are launching the first of a series of new and enhanced services supporting family caregivers of seriously ill and injured veterans. In May 2010, President Obama signed the Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act of 2010 legislation authorizing VA

  • Sports programs for disabled veterans expanding

    Department of Veterans Affairs officials are awarding two grants totaling $7.5 million to the U.S. Olympic Committee to enhance recreation and sporting activities for disabled veterans and disabled members of the armed forces. "Many of our veterans have experienced traumatic injuries while at the

  • Efficiencies, balance main focuses of FY12 budget

    Air Force officials said despite a reduction in the top line request, combat capabilities and balance will remain focal points in the Air Force's portion of the president's fiscal 2012 budget presented here Feb 14.The total Air Force budget request for FY12 is $166.3 billion, down from $170.8

  • Leaders explain Air Force manning impacts on Academy

    Air Force officials are implementing a strategy for force management, and the Air Force Academy is included in those efforts.Under the plan, the size of the cadet wing will be reduced from roughly 4,500 to 4,000 cadets by Oct. 1, 2012. Enrollment for each incoming freshman class will be shrunk

  • Multinational officials plan for Cobra Gold 2012

    Military planners from more than 24 nations are in Thailand making a plan to deal with aggressive Arcadian military forces that took over a portion of neighboring Khuistan and Free Mojave on the subcontinent of Pacifica. The countries, timeline and scenario of the Arcadia situation are make-believe,

  • Deadline Feb. 22 for scholarship applications

    Applications for the 2011 Scholarships for Military Children program must arrive at a commissary by close of business Feb. 22. Eligible students must complete and deliver their application materials by that date. Scholarship applications are available in commissaries and online at

  • Athletes vie for spot on Air Force Warrior Games team

    More than 25 wounded, ill and injured athletes participated in the 2011 Air Force Team training camp here Feb. 7 through 11. In January, Air Force Services Agency officials invited 32 athletes to the training camp. Twenty-five athletes will be chosen to be part of the Air Force team in the 2011

  • Air Force 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' repeal training detailed

    Air Force officials will soon begin training Airmen in anticipation of the repeal of the law and policy commonly known as "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." This training will help Airmen understand what is expected in a post-repeal environment, said Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz."I know our

  • Opportunities available in financial management

    Air Force line officers interested in applying for the Financial Management Leadership Program must submit their nominations to the Air Force Personnel Center by March 3.The four-year program specializes in Air Force leadership development by providing an opportunity for line officers outside of the

  • Chairman asks communities to help veterans reach their dreams

    The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said today that he is proud and privileged to lead a military that is the best he has seen in more than 40 years.Speaking during a town hall meeting at Capitol Theatre in Chambersburg, Pa., Navy Adm. Mike Mullen said, "I'll state the case up front: I believe

  • Nuclear policy official visits Malmstrom

    The Assistant Secretary of Defense for Nuclear, Chemical and Biological Defense Programs obtained a close-up view of the Air Force's nuclear deterrence mission while visiting with Airmen and local civic leaders Feb. 6 through 8 here.Andrew C. Weber highlighted the Defense Department's responsibility