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  • Remembering Pearl Harbor: A ‘body blow’ to America

    When the first bombs exploded on a nearby airfield, marking the start of the Japanese sneak attack on the morning of Dec. 7, 1941, Edward Davis and others scrambled from a chow hall. The 94-year-old Army veteran said he and other Soldiers were having breakfast at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, when

  • Allies in a new era

    Two captains stationed at Kadena Air Base, Japan, discovered that their military roots go deeper than they had anticipated. Both Airmen are descendants of sailors who fought in the Battle of Midway in World War II, although fighting on opposite sides.

  • A widow’s story: Living by faith

    Just before sunset on Veterans Day, she sat next to her husband’s headstone at Arlington National Cemetery, reminding her three children how their father was with God in heaven and what it means to have faith. Faith has kept Heather Gray moving forward. It’s what has gotten her through the grief and

  • NORAD celebrates 60 years tracking Santa

    The North American Aerospace Defense Command is celebrating the 60th anniversary of tracking Santa’s Yuletide journey. The NORAD Tracks Santa website launched Dec. 1. It features Santa’s North Pole Village, which includes a holiday countdown, games, activities and more.

  • Avoid paying more for prescription drugs

    This December, TRICARE beneficiaries can take action to avoid paying more for some prescription drugs. Beneficiaries filling a prescription for a select brand name maintenance drug at a retail pharmacy may need to move their prescription to either a military pharmacy or TRICARE Pharmacy Home

  • Food safety tips for the holiday season

    Colder weather is settling in and it's time for warm cider, pumpkin spice lattes, deep-fried turkeys and visits from the relatives this holiday season. With an overindulgence of foods like turkey, ham and potato salad, folks should be mindful of ways to keep food safe.

  • Healing through music

    Former Maj. Frank Vassar pulled out his cellphone and played a song that he wrote and recorded as other wounded Airmen listened closely. Vassar, 46, explained to about a dozen Airmen at a music therapy session Nov. 19 on Joint Base Andrews that the song, “Evil,” described his post-traumatic stress

  • 2016 FEHB open season effective through Dec. 14

    The 2016 open season for the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program, the Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program, and the Federal Flexible Spending Accounts Program will run through Dec. 14.

  • Art therapy helps close the wounds of Air Force vets

    As a mortuary affairs Airman, retired Master Sgt. Justin Jordan handled dozens of bodies of service members, many of whom were killed downrange. But one mission at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona, finally made him crack.

  • AF veterans reveal what Veterans Day means to them

    The day when nearly 70 bullets riddled his HH-3E Jolly Green Giant rescue helicopter as his crew tried to save two Airmen during the Vietnam War remains vivid for retired Chief Master Sgt. Dennis Richardson. It was March 14, 1968, and Richardson, a flight engineer at the time, and others were called

  • Buddies for life: Airmen maintain friendship throughout AF careers

    Seventeen years ago, a young Darko Desancic got on a school bus for his first day of sixth grade. While on his way, it didn't take long for one boy to make fun of his foreign accent. Little did they know that the friendly banter would be the start of a lasting friendship. Fast forward to 2015, Tech

  • November is Warrior Care Month

    TRICARE is a health care program for uniformed service members, National Guard and Reserve members, retirees, survivors and their families around the world. We ensure our beneficiaries receive care that is proven both safe and effective. This month, make time to learn about all the health care

  • A family affair: Gen. Warner Robins' grandchildren visit base, museum

    The namesake of the city of Warner Robins and Robins Air Force Base had three daughters. Brig. Gen. Augustine Warner Robins and his wife, Dorothy Gretchen, were the parents of Dorothy Robins Gray, Elizabeth "Betty" Warner Robins, and Helen Robins Guilfoyle. On Oct. 26, the three children of the

  • MiCARE provides faster care

    Capt. Jennifer Varney likes to come to work early. As a family nurse practitioner and family health flight commander at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama, she arrives at the base’s Family Health Clinic around 5 a.m. and checks the MiCARE site for any overnight patient emails.

  • Military kids learn life lessons from NBA pros

    Seventy-five Defense Department youth from various military installations here learned life lessons and basketball skills from NBA legend Bruce Bowen and San Antonio Spurs guard Patty Mills during a Junior NBA clinic at Cole High School on Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston Oct. 19.

  • Family isn't always blood

    People like routines, schedules and structure, especially in the military. Change can sometimes be unwelcome and overwhelming, particularly if it's a sudden, drastic change due to an illness. For Tech. Sgt. Thomas Echelmeyer, of the 21st Aerospace Medicine Squadron, that's exactly what happened. His

  • Moody honors fallen comrade

    Airmen, family and friends gathered at the Moody Air Force Base chapel to say their final goodbyes and honor the life of Tech. Sgt. Marissa Hartford during a memorial service Oct. 16.

  • ‘A blood transfusion saved my life’

    "I do understand that it is a scary process for a lot of people to actually sit in that chair, have a needle put in and feel like a part of you is draining out, but you have to understand that it just takes a small part of you to make a whole of someone else," said 1st Lt. Fanita Schmidt, who

  • Operation Homefront seeks Military Child of the Year nominations

    Operation Homefront, a national nonprofit organization, is accepting nominations for the 2016 Military Child of the Year awards. Operation Homefront leads more than 2,500 volunteers nationwide who provide emergency and other financial assistance to the families of service members and wounded

  • Cyberbullying: What can parents do?

    According to the Pew Research Center, in 2000, about half of adults in the U.S. were online and only 3 percent of American households were using broadband for internet access at home. That number increased and in 2014, Pew reported that 87 percent of American adults use the Internet.

  • Women’s health: Take time to get checked

    Each October during Breast Cancer Awareness Month, women are reminded to put themselves first and make time for their health. Making health a priority helps people stay in optimum shape and keeps illnesses and disease at bay.

  • German village honors fallen US Airman

    Second Lt. Priesley Cooper Jr. was shot down during a mission 70 years ago near the village of Dietingen, Germany, during World War II. Cooper remained buried at the village's local cemetery until 1950 when he was moved to an American cemetery in Belgium. But the village felt they could still do

  • New Autism Care Demonstration updates

    In an effort to continually improve benefits, the Comprehensive Autism Care Demonstration (ACD) was recently updated to reduce the potential financial burden of applied behavior analysis (ABA) services for non-active-duty families.

  • Airmen, families celebrate Worldwide Day of Play

    Approximately 350 families from Peterson and Schriever Air Force bases got off the couch and went outside to play during Nickelodeon's Worldwide Day of Play event held in Patriot Park Sept. 26.

  • Families mark 20 years since tragic loss of AWACS crew

    On Sept. 22, 2015 -- 20 years after Yukla 27's final flight -- more than 150 friends and family members gathered in a frigid Alaska morning, having flown in from all over the world to honor the 24 crew members lost that day.

  • AF family: Like mother, like daughter

    When Senior Airman Kara Watts was a college student and searching for inspiration, she said she only had to look as far as her mother's military service.

  • Things to know about voluntary dependent departure from Turkey

    On Sept. 2 Col. John Walker, the 39th Air Base Wing commander, announced the secretary of Defense's decision to authorize voluntary departure for family members of U.S. personnel in Adana, Turkey, to include Incirlik Air Base. Details of the voluntary departure are still evolving. Below is a list of

  • Family programs highlighted at AFA conference

    Programs geared toward assisting caregivers and helping children of military families with resiliency skills were highlighted during the Air Force Association’s Air and Space Conference and Technology Exposition Sept. 15 in Washington, D.C.

  • AF leaders, spouses talk improvements in family programs, voice concerns

    Air Force senior leaders and their spouses discussed the improvements in family programs and opportunities, their concerns cutting basic allowance for housing for a member of dual-service couples, as well as other topics of interest during the Air Force Association’s Air and Space Conference and

  • Scott AFB nurses save boy's life

    A 9-year-old boy would not be alive today if not for the quick action and skills of two Scott Air Force Base nurses.Capts. Michelle Trujillo and Linda Clarkson, both with the 375th Medical Group, spent the Labor Day weekend camping at Lost Valley Lake Resort in Owensville, Missouri, when they

  • Turkey: Dependent departure authorized, accompanied PCS suspended

    Effective Sept. 2, Department of Defense-funded travel to Adana, Turkey (including Incirlik Air Base), for dependents has been suspended, and military and civilian dependents in the region are authorized to depart Turkey, announced Department of State and DOD officials.

  • Going the distance

    Chief Master Sgt. Geoff Weimer, the 5th Bomb Wing command chief, ran 52 miles on the McAdoo Sports and Fitness Center outdoor track at Minot Air Force Base, July 24, to support the Air Force Enlisted Village and Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force Scholarship Fund.

  • Guard couple juggles military life, share command

    On July 16 an Air National Guard officer took command of the Air Force Officer Training School's Detachment 12 from another guardsman. While that may not seem strange, what is unusual is that the former and new commanders have 23 years of history together.Lt. Col. Loralie Rasmussen assumed command

  • Betty Welsh: 'We are family, we are different'

    Speaking to a group of key spouses from the 501st Combat Support Wing at Royal Air Force Croughton July 16, Betty Welsh smiled, and explained how she grew from a girl who lived with her family until she was 22, into an Air Force spouse and wife of Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Welsh III.

  • Airmen bonded together by family, service

    Each month, the Defense Department and installations across the world celebrate the diversity that service members bring to the armed forces. For two Airmen here, not only did they celebrate their Hawaiian-Filipino heritage during Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month in May, but they

  • Brothers in arms fly together

    Members of the U.S. military oftentimes have relatives that serve alongside them, and this is the case for the Allen brothers, they were recently reunited at exercise Max Thunder 15-1 in South Korea.

  • Military child to AF leader

    From his cradle in a small village in western Germany to the position of the 81st Training Wing commander, Brig. Gen. Patrick Higby has learned the value of being a military child and the resources available to others who have grown up in the military life.

  • Assistance program provides GS employees counseling, more

    Personal and family problems can diminish a person's happiness, health and ability to be their best at home or at work. With help from the Employee Assistance Program, employees of authorized federal agencies can resolve these matters and become happier, healthier and more effective.

  • From Colorado to South Korea, 3 generations serving on the peninsula

    Most Airmen arrive at Kunsan Air Base, South Korea, with the expectation of seeing new faces and forming new relationships at the start of their yearlong unaccompanied tour. But for a father and son of the Colorado Air National Guard, when they stepped onto the Korean Peninsula, they continued a

  • Husband, wife tackle first deployment together, support bomber presence

    B-52H Stratofortress teams have been rotating to Andersen Air Force Base for the last 11 years to maintain the U.S. Pacific Command's continuous bomber presence (CBP). Hundreds of Airmen deploy every six months to support this mission that strengthens regional security and stability of the

  • `Swoosh’ welcomed as 334th FS pilot for a day

    He's nine years old, loves basketball, and has a heart as big as his smile.Jeremiah Seaberry, also known by his call sign "Swoosh," was made an honorary member of the 334th Fighter Squadron during a 4th Fighter Wing Pilot for a Day (PFAD) event, April 3.

  • Sacrifices of the military child recognized during April

    Established by then-Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger in 1986, the Month of the Military Child recognizes some 1.9 million U.S. military children ranging in age from infants to 18 years old, who have one or both parents serving in the armed forces.

  • AF mental health services helps a family recover

    Two Colorado Springs area-NCOs have been on a journey of recovery since losing their son to leukemia nearly nine years ago, a journey they said couldn't have happened without the mental health services available to Airmen and their families.

  • Air Force agents prevent online exploitation of children

    Child sex crimes are not unique to any particular base but are a perpetual problem across the Air Force and society. Online exploitation of children continues to be a problem and is routinely investigated by the Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI). As part of this effort, AFOSI field

  • Brothers in arms

    Brothers in arms is a common expression among military members, but rarely do actual siblings directly complement each other's contributions to the mission. At the 388th Fighter Wing on Hill Air Force Base, Utah, 1st Lt. Sean Rush and Staff Sgt. Brandon Rush are doing exactly that.

  • Academy Airman helps Afghan interpreter start new life in US

    Master Sgt. Michael Simon, now an Academy Military Trainer for Cadet Squadron 16, began a year-long deployment in June 2011 at Shindand Air Base, Afghanistan as a Mi-17 crew chief air adviser, where he relied heavily on Afghan interpreters to stay alive and accomplish the mission of training Afghan

  • Son flies in father's footsteps

    Some sons walk in their father's footsteps, while others fly in them. This was recently the case for Capt. Taylor Wight, an F-15E Strike Eagle pilot, flew a Weapons Systems Evaluation Program mission with his father, Col. Al Wimmer,an F-16 Fighting Falcon pilot.

  • Airman helps homeless get a fresh start

    Putting the needs of others first in his life, Smart went to downtown Wichita, Kansas, during Thanksgiving and invited an elderly, homeless man, named Jeff, over for a holiday feast.

  • Santa’s workshop receives upgrade

    For the toy delivery mission to less fortunate children Dec. 15, at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, Santa needed a little more help than usual. Knowing this, he enlisted the support of some very special elves at the 86th Logistics Readiness Squadron to help him pack and load his upgraded sleigh, a

  • PACAF family shares story of adoption, love, duty

    For Majs. Brian and Amanda Evans, life is a constant balancing act with work and a family. At work, Amanda is the commander of the 15th Comptroller Squadron and Brian is a Special Operations Command Pacific air operations planner. At home, they're parents to three energetic kids -- two of whom are

  • Commentary: Airmen Powered by Innovation program launches new site

    In April of this year we launched the Airmen Powered by Innovation program aimed at turning your ideas into real cost savings for our Air Force. Since coming online API has received and reviewed more than 2,400 ideas and that number continues to climb. Thank you and keep the great ideas flowing.

  • Losing the 16 pound burden, Airman makes difficult decision for his family

    At age 28, Tech. Sgt. Jason Caswell was an athlete who was well on his way to becoming an Air Force rugby player. While stationed in England, whenever Caswell wasn’t on the flightline working, he was out on the field playing his sport. From there, his dream was to take the next step of joining the

  • BTZ brothers bring out each other’s best

    Growing up in Athens, Texas, in a single income home didn't leave Juan Antonio and his brother, Antonio Antonio, much to fall back on, but they never dwelled on what they didn't have. They just did the best with what they had, which was each other.

  • VA to expand Fry scholarship to surviving spouses

    The Department of Veterans Affairs announced it will begin accepting applications by mail on Monday, Nov. 3, 2014, for the Fry Scholarship under newly expanded eligibility criteria to include surviving spouses of service members who died on active duty. The expanded criteria for the Fry Scholarship

  • Minot AFB awarded most reading minutes

    Minot Air Force Base was awarded first place for the 2014 Summer Reading Program, for the most minutes read, with more than 1.1 million minutes of reading time.

  • When responding to surveys, check to ensure they're official

    Airmen around the world are asked to respond to many surveys, some of which are official and legitimate. Others, however, are not official and Airmen should not respond to them. According to Renee Tealer, Air Force Survey Office, Air Force Personnel Center, Airmen typically get three types of

  • Former CSAF Fogleman honored for contributions to airpower

    Rainy weather couldn't dampen the spirits of those who attended the unveiling of a bronze bust of former Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Ronald R. Fogleman, who was recognized Oct. 9, at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois for his contributions to the air mobility community.

  • Service, it’s in the family

    Playing in the sandbox with his brother was never a difficult task; a fist full of sand down the shirt and a trail across the kitchen floor leaves mom playing referee, but boys will be boys.

  • Top Airman discusses Air Force future

    Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Welsh III spoke about the importance of embracing change and creating an adaptive Air Force at the 2014 Air Force Association’s Air and Space Conference and Technology Exposition, Sept. 16.

  • Key leader spouses share challenges, lessons learned

    The spouses of senior Air Force leaders shared words of encouragement and emphasized the need for resiliency to an audience of fellow military spouses during the 2014 Air Force Association’s Air & Space Conference and Technology Exposition, Sept. 15, here.

  • TRICARE shines a light on suicide prevention awareness

    Suicide is the tenth leading cause of death for Americans, and military veterans make up 20 percent of suicide deaths each year. TRICARE works with the Defense Suicide Prevention Office, the Department of Defense’s oversight authority to reduce the impact of suicide on Service members and their

  • Airman delivers under pressure

    Most baby delivery stories seem to follow the same storyline. In the early stages of labor, the mother begins her contractions and heads to the hospital, then some odd amount of hours later, the baby is born.

  • Airman's service helps unite his family

    Being away from family is nothing new to Airman 1st Class Nana Sefa, who is currently deployed to Afghanistan on a six-month tour; after all, it's only a quarter of the time he has spent away from his wife.Sefa, a 455th Logistics Readiness Squadron vehicle management analysis craftsman, deployed

  • Suicide prevention takes courage, communication, official says

    The Veterans Affairs Department has named September National Suicide Prevention Month, but the Defense Department continues its year-round, comprehensive, multi-pronged approach to address the issue of suicide in the military, a Pentagon official said Aug. 21.

  • Know your POV shipping entitlements

    Many service members may not know of their entitlements when shipping personal vehicles as they move overseas or return stateside, according to U.S. Transportation Command officials.

  • President pledges support to veterans

    The administration is moving ahead with changes to the VA. Obama signed the Veterans Access Choice and Accountability Act, which provides money to hire staff and allows veterans who live more than 40 miles from VA care to see doctors outside the VA.