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  • College grants available for children of deceased combat vets

    Maj. Kevin Wilkins died of an illness that resulted from his military service in Operation Iraqi Freedom.This left his wife, Jill, wondering how she was going to handle being a single parent and how she was going to pay for her son and daughter's college education. Then she found out about the "Iraq

  • F-35 production on track, program chief says

    The F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighter program is a different program than it was four years ago, the F-35 program executive officer said here March 12.In a speech at the McAleese/Credit Suisse Defense Programs Conference at the Newseum, Lt. Gen. Christopher C. Bogdan told attendees that he and

  • Defense secretary orders review of UCMJ, AF courts-martial outcome

    Defense officials announced March 12 that Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has directed two separate reviews to ensure that the U.S. military justice system is appropriately protecting victims of sexual assault as well as dispensing justice to the accused, said Pentagon Press Secretary George Little

  • AF to retain additional intratheater airlift aircraft through fiscal 2014

    The Air Force announced it will retain additional airlift aircraft through fiscal 2014 in response to a congressional mandate to retain an inventory of 358 intratheater airlift aircraft.The Fiscal Year 2013 National Defense Authorization Act signed into law Jan. 3, 2013, included language directing

  • U.S, Japan refine integrated air and missile defense during exercise

    Members of the U.S. military and Japan Self Defense Forces teamed up here recently to conduct a week-long exercise focused on operational issues relating to missile defense in the Pacific theater.Japan Air Self Defense Force Maj. Gen. Masashi Yamada, the director of the Defense Plans and Operations

  • Oldest U.S. military flying unit celebrates centennial

    The 1st Reconnaissance Squadron at Beale Air Force Base, Calif., celebrated its 100th anniversary March 7-9 as the oldest flying unit in U.S. military aviation.The squadron opened its doors to the base populace and special guests for tours, and two days of historical symposiums were held featuring

  • Medical Airmen move wounded warriors, provide closure

    Usually when a wounded Airman, Soldier, Sailor or Marine or Airman leaves the combat theater, they leave on a stretcher, surrounded by the beeps and hum of machines reading and reporting vital signs. Sometimes they are conscious, but all too often they are not -- suddenly waking in a hospital

  • US, Philippine service members work together during PACANGEL

    A joint team of U.S. service members traveled to the Philippines to participate in Operation Pacific Angel March 4 through 11.Operation Pacific Angel is a U.S. Pacific Command humanitarian mission that sends primary care, dental, optometry and civil engineer experts to different countries each year

  • Andersen AFB saves $25 million with contamination cleanup concept

    Members of the 36th Civil Engineer Squadron Environmental Flight are working on containing contamination to protect the environment at Site 14 here.The site, located in the southeastern corner of the base, was contaminated with harmful substances such as polychlorinated biphenyl and asbestos since

  • Military substance abuse research progresses, doctor says

    Defense Department officials are developing research-based methods to curb substance abuse among service members, their families and veterans, a senior DOD medical official said here March 11.Dr. Michael E. Kilpatrick -- the deputy director for force health protection and readiness programs in the

  • Okinawan native earns AF-level award

    An Okinawan native was recently recognized with the Air Force Information Dominance Outstanding Civilian Assistant award for his meritorious service October 2011-September 2012.The Air Force Information Dominance Outstanding Civilian Assistant award is an Air Force-level award that recognizes Air

  • 44th FS named Air Force's top air superiority squadron

    The 44th Fighter Squadron "was recently named as the winner of the Raytheon Trophy for 2012.Awarded annually since 1953, the Raytheon trophy is awarded to the top air superiority or air defense squadron in the Air Force. Units are not only evaluated on operational mission performance, training and

  • Cope Tiger 13 commences in Thailand

    Combined forces from the U.S. Air Force, Royal Thai air force and Republic of Singapore air force joined forces today to execute Cope Tiger 13 here March 10.The annual field training exercise, comprised of aviation and ground units, is designed to enhance interoperability and relations amongst each

  • Furloughs can begin April 26, DOD comptroller says

    Unless Congress acts to end sequestration, furloughs for Defense Department civilian employees can begin April 26, the department's comptroller said here March 11.Robert F. Hale discussed the furlough planning process with a Pentagon audience. The comptroller also took questions sent in via Facebook

  • Walking with the Reapers

    With the sun rising over the mountains, Reaper Team 5 pointed their vehicles north and shifted gears mentally as they moved on to their next mission.The team left Bagram Airfield in the dark of night, and wouldn't return until midday. "At night our objective is primarily (to counter improvised

  • First shirts find value in ANG 'warrior network'

    When Chief Master Sgt. Michael Kennedy wanted to communicate to more than 800 first sergeants across the Air National Guard as their functional manager this week he turned to the I.G. Brown Training and Education Center.The Center told him, no problem.Its Media Engagement Division and "Warrior

  • Exercise brings joint team together for 'demanding' mission

    Hundreds of total-force Airmen and nearly 20 aircraft participated in a Joint Operation Access Exercise alongside U.S. Army Soldiers and Canadian Forces service members at Pope Air Field, N.C., Feb. 22 through March 1.The JOAX prepared air mobility forces along with Army and Canadian paratroopers,

  • Airmen improve Global Strike Command one click at a time

    Airmen across Air Force Global Strike Command can now submit their innovative ideas to a recently upgraded 'Strike Now' website."The revised website gives Airmen the ability to participate from any electronic device," said Pete Ellis, the director of AFGSC Smart Operations Division. "Airmen can

  • Airman saves life, earns city's recognition

    In the early morning, you're driving through the city when you see two men pushing a stalled vehicle. You stop to see if they need help, and another vehicle strikes the two men against their car, fracturing one man's leg and severing the other's below the knee. The victim with the severed leg is

  • Airmen mentor cadets 8,000 miles a second

    The image was small, but the smiles were big as four deployed service members connected to a classroom full of Air Force Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps cadets in North Carolina, more than 8,000 miles away.The cadets of Piedmont High School AFJROTC NC-955 in Monroe, N.C., video conferenced

  • 700-plus captains, majors, lieutenant colonels selected for promotion

    More than 700 captains, majors and lieutenant colonels have been selected for promotion, Air Force Personnel Center officials announced today.Promotion-selects were considered during the November CY12B Colonel Line of the Air Force and Nurse Corps, CY12C Lieutenant Colonel Nurse Corps, and CY12B

  • Dempsey: Education provides foundation of democracy

    Describing himself as both a student and a teacher, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff stressed the importance of education in remarks March 7, at the World Affairs Council of Washington, D.C.-hosted annual education gala.There's nothing more important in democracy than education," Army Gen.

  • Nellis pilots take first step toward F-35 operational testing

    Two officers from the operational test community are among the six pilots in the first F-35 Lightning II pilot training course after an Air Education and Training Command decision to start training here in January.Lt. Col. Benjamin Bishop, the 422nd Test and Evaluation Squadron director of

  • F-35 Lightning IIs arrive at Nellis AFB

    The F-35 Lightning II is one of the newest aircraft about to enter the Air Force inventory. The F-35 is designed to be an affordable strike option that will be used throughout the Defense Department and by its allies.The jet is currently still being flight tested at Edwards Air Force Base,

  • 12 Outstanding Airmen of the Year nominations due

    Nominations for the 12 Outstanding Airmen of the Year are due to the Air Force Personnel Center by April 2, AFPC officials said today.The three categories for award are Airman, Noncommissioned Officer and Senior NCO. Major commands and the Air Force District of Washington may each nominate one

  • Afghan air force conducts air assault with Afghan special ops

    The Afghan air force's 379th Rotary Wing Squadron, which is advised by NATO Air Training Command-Afghanistan, coordinated its first air assault mission with the Afghan National Army Special Operations Command Feb. 20.During the operation, 60 special operations commandos were inserted into a location

  • Air Commandos remember STRAY 59

    No matter how painful it is to remember or how easy it is to forget, one special operations squadron makes it a priority each year to remember its heritage and to honor those before its members now who paid the ultimate sacrifice. As an annual salute to their fallen comrades, a crew from the 1st

  • Airmen build key Africa partnerships

    Eight U.S. Air Force members of the 818th Mobility Support Advisory Squadron recently deployed to Cameroon to take part in Central Accord 13, February 20 - March 1. The mission of the 621st Contingency Response Wing, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J.-based air advisors took them to the

  • AF officer named tops in her field

    A Lajes Field officer was recently awarded the 2012 Armed Forces Optometric Society Junior Officer of the Year.Maj. Tara Jayne, 65th Medical Operations Squadron optometrist, was surprised with the news when Col. Lorn Heyne, 65th Medical Group commander, and his wife visited her home Feb. 17 with a

  • Women conquer heights and fights

    With women now allowed to pursue combat related career fields, the first notion is that women have not participated in combat related duties whatsoever. But in reality this isn't the first time women have been put in the line of fire. During an airborne training exercise at Fort Bragg, N.C., female

  • Service chiefs ask congress for fiscal help

    The senior officers from the Air Force, Army, Navy and Marine Corps asked Congress March 5 for more spending flexibility so they can maintain military readiness as the sequester's across-the-board budget cuts take effect.Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Welsh III, Army Chief of Staff Gen.

  • New issue of Airman magazine hits newsstand

    The March issue of Airman magazine is now available to download. In this issue, our cover story, titled "100 Years of Flying," tells the story of the Air Force's oldest flying unit, the 1st Reconnaissance Squadron, and follows the unit from its early days of Pancho Villa and the Wright brothers to a

  • USO brings Peyton Manning to Airmen

    Super Bowl champion and current Denver Broncos' quarterback, Peyton Manning, along with other professional athletes and performers visited 380th Expeditionary Airmen here Feb. 28 as part of United Service Organizations-hosted tour. Navy Admiral James A. Winnefeld, Jr., the vice chairman of the Joint

  • Airmen adapt aerial port procedures to be more effective, efficient

    The 451st Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron members recently re-evaluated their processes and procedures and decided it was time to fine tune the way they operate and move cargo here.Maj. Philip Shields, the former 451st ELRS Aerial Port Flight commander and Senior Master Sgt. Daniel Spain,

  • Task force established to close gaps between active, Guard, Reserve

    Air Force senior leaders recently constructed a task force to develop the best ways to bring the active, Reserve, and Guard closer together to achieve the most capable force possible. To meet the challenges of the future, the secretary and chief of staff of the Air Force directed the stand-up of the

  • Pentagon lifts F-35 grounding following inspections

    The Defense Department lifted its grounding of the F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighter after analysis concluded that a cracked turbine blade in an engine on a single plane resulted from overuse in test operations, according to an official with the F-35 Joint Program Office.In an email statement,

  • AF leaders warn of sequester impacts on replacing an aging fleet

    Two senior Air Force leaders here this week warned of the impacts sequestration and a continuing resolution will have on the service's acquisitions and programs. Lt. Gens. Michael Moeller, the deputy chief of staff for strategic plans and programs, and Charles Davis, the military deputy, office of

  • Pacific Air Forces wins highest AF safety award

    Pacific Air Forces earned the Secretary of the Air Force Safety Award, Feb. 12, recognizing the most effective safety program in the Air Force for fiscal 2012. "Receiving this top safety award is a testament to our professional Airmen, both on and off duty," said Lt. Gen. Stanley Kresge, the PACAF

  • Like Airman, like son: the Harper family legacy

    It's often said families fight, laugh and cry together, but it's not too often they deploy together.Father and son, Chief Master Sgt. Michael E. Harper and Capt. Michael J. Harper, are serving their third deployment together, or fourth depending on a person's definition of deploying together.In

  • Vasilievskoe villagers take pride in newly renovated school

    Following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1990, the Vasilievskoe Kindergarten School sat empty for more than a decade. Since it reopened in 2003, the school house has been in need of extensive repairs. The Transit Center at Manas and the U.S. Embassy in Bishkek partnered with the Kyrgyz Republic

  • Heroism award nominees sought

    The Air Force is accepting nominations for the 2013 USO Service Member of the Year Award, Air Force Personnel Center officials announced today.This award recognizes specific acts of heroism by enlisted members from each branch of the military who are E-5 or below. The award period is Jan. 1- Dec.

  • SMSgt-select list released

    The Air Force released the list of 1,367 master sergeants selected for promotion to senior master sergeant today.To see the list, go to http://www.afpc.af.mil/shared/media/document/AFD-130228-007.pdf. Those selected represent 10.65 percent of the 12,834 eligible, Air Force Personnel Center officials

  • Maintainers turn packing into profession

    Regardless of where you go throughout your military career, your equipment will follow.An elite group of Airmen are charged with ensuring that same equipment reaches its destination safely."Packing aircraft and vehicles safely and sensibly is extremely important and sometimes a bit time consuming,"

  • DOD Implements Secure Program for Mobile Devices

    The Defense Department is rolling out a program that will allow users of a range of mobile devices -- working anywhere from remote battlefields to the Pentagon to rapidly share classified and protected data across all components.More than 600,000 DOD employees, from soldiers on the front lines to

  • SecAF visits 45th Space Wing

    Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley visited with 45th Space Wing Airmen here Feb. 21 as part of a weeklong visit to Florida. The secretary visited Patrick to not only thank Airmen, civilian and military alike, for their outstanding service, but also to discuss the potential impacts the service

  • Academy glider instructor named most active in nation

    For Mark Matticola, a civilian soaring instructor pilot assigned to the 94th Flying Training Squadron, being recognized as the most active glider instructor in the nation by the Soaring Society of America was easy. "I get paid to do my hobby every day," said Matticola, who was recognized earlier

  • PTSD and TBI: One Airman's road to recovery

    Traumatic Brain Injury and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder have been two topics of great discussion recently, thanks to the debate going on in the National Football League and the recovery of veterans as they return home from the war in Afghanistan.One person who has experienced both and is on the

  • Academy cadet's research could save AF $4.9 billion

    An Air Force Academy cadet's research into how the Air Force buys missiles could save the service as much as $4.9 billion over five years while increasing the Air Force's inventory.Cadet 1st Class Chris Kirk found that the Air Force can buy some of the missiles regularly used in combat operations

  • Transit Center maintainers keep C-17s mission-ready

    When two out of four of the Transit Center at Manas' mission pillars rely on the C-17 Globemaster III, it's important those aircraft are ready to fly. The Airmen assigned to the 728th Air Mobility Squadron Operating Location-Alpha are responsible for maintenance of the C-17, ensuring the aircraft

  • F-35s grounded as precaution after crack found in engine blade

    All F-35s have been grounded as a precaution after a routine engine inspection revealed a crack on an engine blade, Defense Department officials said Feb. 22 here.Officials call this a "cautionary suspension of flight." The Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps fly F-35s.Inspectors found the crack in an

  • TFSC-SA, AFPC Web applications unavailable for system maintenance

    The Total Force Service Center-San Antonio, A1 Service Desk and Air Force Personnel Center Web applications will be unavailable from 6 p.m. Feb. 23 to 8 a.m. Feb. 24 CDT for system maintenance. The major personnel applications and systems affected by this maintenance event include all of AFPC's

  • Simulator prepares medical staff for obstetric emergencies

    Child birth, although a natural process, can sometimes pose certain emergency risks.Advances in technology however, have been able to significantly decrease these maternal and prenatal risks associated with child birth. Most notably, the 366th Medical Group Obstetric service boasts such technology

  • Photo Essay: Can you dig it?

    A joke that's often heard in communications squadrons throughout the Air Force is, "You can talk about us, but you can't talk without us!" Although it's meant it jest, there is some truth to it.Airmen in the Air Force's communications squadrons ensure we have the capability to communicate through

  • Air Force unit to improve airfield security in Slovenia

    Airmen from the 435th Contingency Response Group here traveled to Cerklje Air Base, Slovenia, to conduct a security familiarization event Jan. 21 - 25.The 435th CRG is a uniquely suited organization for the mission of building partnership. With 42 different career fields, the unit members can engage

  • If sequestration triggers, furloughs begin in late April

    If sequestration is triggered next week, unpaid furloughs for civilian Defense Department employees will start in late April, Pentagon officials said here today.Sequestration is a provision in budget law that will trigger major across-the-board spending cuts March 1 unless Congress agrees on an

  • New medal to retain place in order of precedence

    The new Distinguished Warfare Medal will retain its place in the order of precedence among military decorations, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said here Feb. 19.Much of the public discussion of the new medal has centered on its precedence. It ranks below the Distinguished Flying Cross and

  • Air Force units help recover diverted Navy aircraft

    Airmen from units deployed in support of Cope North 13 transported an R-11 refueling truck on a C-130 Hercules aircraft from here to Rota Island Feb. 13, to recover a Navy F/A-18 Hornet that diverted there due to weather a day prior.With the combined effort of Airmen from the 374th Aircraft

  • Medical wing, San Antonio hospital collaborate to hone AF nursing skills

    The Air Force partnered with a community hospital to develop highly-skilled nurses who are trained for humanitarian and peacetime missions. These medical Airmen's skills are proven to increase patient survival rates in theater hospitals.Building the partnership was instrumental in meeting an

  • Airman, executive mobility take flight

    The Air Force Space Command commander announced implementation steps in the Air Force's efforts to heighten the Air Force's mobile operational potential of its Airmen and the real-time functionality of its executives. The first stage of distribution of mobile devices is focused on delivering

  • AF airlift support to Mali hits 2 million-pound mark

    The Air Force reached a major milestone Feb. 12 when the service hit the 2 million pounds of cargo transported mark during airlift operations from Istres, France to Bamako, Mali and other partner nations in support of French military operations in Northern Africa. At the request of the French

  • Nellis prepares for F-35 arrival

    The 57th Wing is preparing for the arrival of four F-35 Lighting IIs Feb. 28.Arrival of the F-35s to Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., will mark the first time in the aircraft's history operational tests will be performed on the aircraft."It's the largest [Department of Defense] acquisition project in

  • CSAF and CMSAF visit the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing

    Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Welsh III and Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James Cody visited the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing Feb. 7 and 8 to meet Airmen and talk about service issues with them.Welsh and Cody toured work centers, giving service member's the opportunity to interact with

  • Bagram Airmen move Marmal

    Airmen forward deployed from the 455th Expeditionary Aerial Port Squadron at Bagram Airfield are helping to provide a vital role in moving personnel and supplies in northern Afghanistan. Members of the 455th EAPS Detachment 3 are tasked with loading and unloading every U.S. aircraft that that comes

  • Mentoring tomorrow's STEM professionals more important than ever

    For many years, various organizations and reports have sounded the alarm when it comes to the United States and its educational standing among other nations in the areas of science, technology, engineering and math, known as STEM. As each year passes, it seems American students fall lower and lower

  • East Coast joint training goes international

    "Under Air-Sea Battle, we will take 'jointness' to a new level, working together to establish more integrated exercises against more realistic threats." Following those words from former Chief of Staff of the Air Force, retired Gen. Norton Schwartz and Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Jonathan

  • Photo essay: Eglin AFB active shooter exercise

    When Airmen enlist in the Air Force, they take an oath to defend the Constitution "against all enemies, foreign and domestic."To uphold that vow, Airmen must remain vigilant and train to be prepared in the worst-case scenario. Airmen at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., participated an active shooter

  • DISA highlights increase in use of collaboration tool

    Use of a Web-based application designed to offer an information exchange environment for Defense Department users has grown markedly as defense spending cuts loom, Defense Information Systems Agency officials said.Since 2007, Defense Connect Online has been the "go-to" mechanism among several new

  • Airmen march 450 miles to honor fallen

    Sixteen Airmen from Hurlburt Field, Fla., took part in a 450-mile, six day ruck-march, in honor of five fallen Air Commandos.Of the sixteen, were four teams which included members from the 319th Special Operations Squadron, the 34th SOS, the 18th Flight Test Squadron and the 25th Intelligence

  • Airmen and Afghans join forces to repair local wells

    Airmen and local Afghan elders gathered around a broken water well in a small nearby village here and traded ideas about how to fix a pump and bring fresh groundwater back to the village.Members of the 777th Expeditionary Prime Base Engineer Emergency Force Squadron took on the task of

  • Band builds partnerships through music

    The U.S. Air Forces in Europe Band joined bands from seven other nations here at the Musikschau Der Nationen (Music Show of the Nations) Jan. 23 - 27 to remember veterans of all nations that fought in World War I and World War II. The five-day festival, which was attended by 22,000 people, displayed

  • CSAF and CMSAF visit Bagram Airmen

    On their first visit to the 455th Air Expeditionary Wing, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Welsh III and Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James Cody had many words for the Airmen here.The two they said most often were "thank you."Throughout their visit, which included the 455th Expeditionary

  • AF EOD techs train Afghan border police

    Afghan Border Police explosive ordinance disposal technicians are one step closer to being qualified after a joint training validation event with U.S. Air Force EOD technicians, Feb. 5.Being validated will allow the ABP to receive more equipment to train more technicians, and respond safely to

  • Ramstein Airmen train with Israeli air force

    The 86th Airlift Wing and 435th Contingency Response Group conducted a Flying Training Deployment with the Israeli air force's 103rd Squadron Jan. 27 to Feb. 8 here. The FTD advanced the ability of both American and Israeli air and ground crews to perform in combat operations, as well as

  • Cannon debuts latest in moving target technology

    Explosions shook the air as the white truck, almost invisible through the dust and smoke, weaved its way across a training range towing a target being shot at by 40mm rounds from aircraft patrolling the sky. Special operations Airmen from here tested the remote-controlled truck, the latest in

  • Officers eligible for promotion should review records before MilPDS upgrade

    The data feed from the Military Personnel Data System to the Air Force promotions data systems will not be available during the March MilPDS upgrade. Some officers eligible for promotion consideration may be affected, including those eligible for the calendar year 2013A colonel line of the Air

  • Reservist enjoys dual careers

     For one airman assigned to the 386th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron, being a reservist allows her time to pursue other passions while also serving her country."It's like living two completely different lives," Senior Airman Denice Luke said. "That's why I like it so much." Luke is an

  • Fueling the high flyers - U-2 tube food calms cravings in the cockpit

    Pureed peach cobbler, chicken-a-la-king, key lime pie, or even the classic sloppy joe in a metallic tube don't compare to a home cooked meal, but U-2 pilots say the food they eat while flying long missions is delicious.While wearing a fully pressurized suit, pilots aren't able to open the visors on

  • Vance AFB air traffic controller selected for direct appointment to Academy

    Approximately 2 percent of enlisted Airmen who apply to the U.S. Air Force Academy are selected each year for direct appointment. This year, one of the air traffic controllers here is among them.Airman 1st Class Sage Keltee, from the 71st Operations Support Squadron, will be leaving for the Academy

  • Medic awarded Purple Heart for deployed actions

    An Air Force medic assigned to dangerous duty with an Army logistics convoy unit when deployed to Afghanistan two years ago was awarded the Purple Heart during a ceremony at Barksdale Air Force Base, La.Staff Sgt. Jasmine Russell, 2nd Aerospace Medicine Squadron, Personnel Reliability Program

  • Leadership roundtable demonstrates solidified partnership

    While nearly 2,000 Airmen from three countries began two weeks of intense training at exercise Cope North 2013 Feb. 4, leaders from the U.S. Air Force, Japan Air Self-Defense Force and Royal Australian Air Force discussed the invaluable impact the exercise has on the readiness of their forces. Gen.

  • Reserve RED HORSE Squadron to be activated at Beale

    The Air Force has formally announced the activation of the 583rd RED HORSE Squadron here.The mobile heavy construction civil engineering unit will be the sixth such squadron in the Air Force Reserve Command and the first on the West Coast. The squadron will stand-up in March, according to a memo

  • 1,000 supporters pay respects during memorial service for fallen pilot

    Airmen, civilians, family and friends honored the life and memory of U.S. Air Force Academy graduate and combat veteran  during a memorial service today at Aviano Air Base.Maj. Lucas "Gaza" Gruenther, a pilot assigned 31st Fighter Wing, went missing during a nighttime training mission over the

  • First F-35A four-ship flies over Eglin

     Increasing capability is becoming routine for the F-35 Lightning II team.The 58th Aircraft Maintenance Unit produced a four-turn-four for the 58th Fighter Squadron flying Jan 31. "The pilots flew four F-35As in the morning and the maintainers performed routine maintenance for airworthiness after

  • Medical team achieves cutting-edge patient transfer

    Marking a first for military medical care in the United States, an Army and Air Force team successfully transported a critically ill woman using a special form of heart-lung bypass from San Antonio Military Medical Center to New York City in January 2013.This mission marked the military's first

  • Air Force nuclear force anticipates budget constraints

    The Air Force Global Strike Command predicts budget cuts triggered by sequestration will reduce B-52 flying hours by 10 percent and lead to a 20 percent reduction in overall flying hours should the law kick in on March 1, Air Force Lt. Gen. James M. Kowalski said.Kowalski, the commander of Air Force

  • CSAF, CMSAF visit Grand Slam Wing

    Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Welsh III and Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James Cody visited with the Airmen of the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing Feb. 2 and 3.Welsh and Cody held an Airman's Call as part of a multi-base tour to meet with Airmen throughout the U.S. Central Command area of

  • Air Force increases projected KC-46 flying hours, crew ratio

    The Air Force has increased planned life-cycle flying hours and aircrews assigned to the new KC-46A refueling tanker to make optimal use of the commercially-proven aircraft's fuel efficiency, cargo and aeromedical evacuation capabilities. Compared to the Eisenhower-era KC-135 Stratotanker, the KC-46

  • JB Charleston reservists deliver humanitarian aid to Guatemala

    Reservists from the 300th Airlift Squadron at Joint Base Charleston, S.C., traveled more than 2,700 miles to deliver about 77,000 pounds of cargo to a children's hospice facility in Guatemala Feb. 3.The Airmen loaded a C-17 Globemaster III aircraft with a donated school bus and supplies acquired

  • NJ Airmen among first on ground, supporting French operations in Africa

    More than 100 Airmen from the 621st Contingency Response Wing, located here and at Travis Air Force Base, Calif., are currently supporting airlift missions transporting French soldiers and military equipment from Istres, France, to Bamako, Mali.The 621st CRW, often the first on the ground, is

  • Air Force Medical Service announces 2012 Annual Award winners

    The Air Force Surgeon General's Medical Force Development Directorate announced the winners of the Air Force Medical Service Annual Award competition Feb. 5. The competition included individual and team awards, based on criteria outlined in Air Force Instruction 36-2856, "Medical Service Awards."

  • Red Flag 'rocks on'

    Airmen and aircraft from around the world as well as their coalition counterparts descended on Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada for Exercise Red Flag 13-2 Jan. 21 through Feb. 1.Red Flag exercises are designed to help U.S. and international airmen prepare for real-world combat scenarios.Click the

  • Michigan base to test missile counter-measure prototype

    The Air National Guard has begun installing a new prototype missile counter-measure device on aircraft at Selfridge Air National Guard Base. If tests on the prototype conclude favorably, as expected, the device could mean safer travels for KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft and additional job security for

  • Special tactics officer saves N.C. woman

    In the midst of smoke and blood, the special tactics officer's training kicked in, and he set to work.This time he was not operating in the deserts of Afghanistan. He was administering lifesaving care in Fayetteville, N.C.Maj. Francis Damon Friedman, the director of operations at the 21st Special

  • It takes a team: Airmen contribute to Kingpin success

    The Air Force's mission in Southwest Asia has many components, one of which is little known, yet vital to mission success. Airmen with the 727th Expeditionary Air Control Squadron, also known as "Kingpin," provide the information that allows successful completion of the Air Tasking Order, a 24-hour

  • Program officer visits integrated F-35 testing facility

    Members of the F-35 Integrated Test Force showcased their accomplishments in the developmental test program to the F-35 Lightning II Joint Program executive officer during his vist here Jan. 22.This was Lt. Gen. Christopher C. Bogdan's first visit to the ITF since his assumption of the role in

  • On-the-go app makes it easier to 'be ready'

    Whether it's an active shooter or natural disaster, when emergencies occur, it's important to be prepared. Now, thanks to Air Force Emergency Management, there's an app for that!The Air Force Civil Engineer Center's Emergency Management Division here has developed an Air Force "Be Ready" mobile app,