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  • 55 years of the U-2 Dragon Lady: the evolution of training

    For the past 55 years U-2 Dragon Lady crews have soared high above the earth collecting intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance information to aid in the fight against enemy forces. Throughout the years, even with the advances in technology, the mission remained the same. Over time, several

  • The making of an A-10C pilot: "Graduation"

    It was a celebration here Aug. 20 as 1st Lt. Dan Griffin and his 11 classmates became the Air Force's newest A-10C Thunderbolt II attack pilots. Their afternoon graduation ceremony was held at the base theater in front of family, friends, their instructor pilots and teachers and base leaders. It

  • Broncos add 'air power' to defensive lineup

    The Denver Broncos have added a little airpower to their defense during their 2010 training camp in the form of an Air Force Academy second lieutenant.Lieutenant Ben Garland, a 2010 graduate of the Air Force Academy, has been spending his leave and days off as a Denver Broncos defensive lineman,

  • 380th AEW Airmen deliver helium to AOR

    While growing up in Columbus, Ga., Senior Airman Russell Chamblee worked for a construction company driving a 50-ton truck and trailer. Little did he know that the skills he learned then would be an important part of a program vital to warfighters on the ground.Airman Chamblee, who is deployed from

  • Falconer sweeps airspace clean

    Tailspotters may come to Spangdahlem Air Base with an eye out for the F-16 Fighting Falcons or other aircraft, but If they stop at the right time and place, actual falcons can be seen on the prowl.To the surprise of some, these birds and the base falconer serve an important role in pest and

  • World War II's 'Last Mission' started, ended on Guam

    Guam's history is one of bloodshed and celebration, hardship and prosperity. It's also one of significant events that would later alter the course of history.Sixty-five years ago, on August 14, 1945, servicemembers at Northwest Field Guam, saw the launch of 143 B-29 Superfortress aircraft assigned

  • 633rd MDG keeps an 'eye' on cataracts

    August is Cataract Awareness Month, and the 633rd Medical Group here is striving to ensure Airmen and their families know the scoop on cataracts.A cataract is a clouding of the lens, the part of the eye that focuses light and produces clear images. Inside the eye, the lens is contained in a capsule.

  • Airmen enhance F-15E capabilities with helmet-mounted cueing system

    The concept is like something out of a movie -- the ability to find a target from a jet cockpit with the naked eye and lock onto it simply by fixing your gaze upon it. This science fiction concept has become a reality at the 336th Fighter Squadron. The 4th Operations Support Squadron aircrew flight

  • Sergeant rides to cure

    When Tech. Sgt. Kory Lindsey rides his bicycle, it takes on more meaning than simply getting a workout. He plans to use his love of cycling August 28 through 29 to raise money to help develop a cure for multiple sclerosis. Approximately 400,000 Americans suffer from MS. The disease attacks the

  • Maintainers keep heart of Air Force pumping

    For the Airmen of the 451st Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron here, keeping the aircraft fine-tuned and serviced is serious business. So when an operator reports a problem, the crew chiefs and other maintainers treat it like an emergency room technician would."When someone visits the

  • Air National Guard aircrews fuel polar research

    Standing on the crunchy snow at this remote camp 11 degrees latitude north of the Arctic Circle, all that crosses the horizon in every direction is only more snow.A brilliant blue sky meets the blinding white at the curve of the Earth, halting the view of the barren ice sheet that stretches for

  • Ground, air crews keep goods moving in polar mission

    It takes more than a skilled pilot, experienced in flying in polar conditions, to deliver millions of tons of fuel, food, people and cargo to the remote science outposts both here and in Antarctica.The Airmen of the New York Air National Guard's 109th Airlift Wing deliver that annually as they

  • The making of an A-10C pilot: 'The Final Exam'

    It was final exam time for 1st Lt. Dan Griffin and his 11 classmates, who are days away from graduating from the 358th Fighter Squadron's six-month long A-10C Pilot Initial Qualification Course. The final exam is a capstone exercise known as a TAC-32. It encompassed everything the students needed to

  • Polar mission pushes crews, planes to limits

    A packed LC-130 Hercules cargo plane lurches forward across the snowy ice sheet here, struggling to gain lift.Its four engines work to overcome the friction building up under the plane's specially designed Teflon-coated skis that weigh a ton apiece. The pilot and crew work in a synchronized effort

  • College student spends summer launching jets at Vance

    There are many ways a college student can spend his or her summer break. Working on the flightline here as a crew chief, launching and recovering T-38 Talon jet trainers, was Aven Sanders' choice.An Oklahoma State University sophomore and Air Force ROTC cadet, Aven is the daughter of Lt. Col.

  • Sergeant sets Georgia mixed martial arts record for quickest knockout

    From the moment Staff Sgt. Clint Williams entered the ring June 19 for his first mixed martial arts fight, his opponent didn't stand a chance. The 185-pound staff sergeant, known as "Flatline," knocked out Steve Davis with a swift, left roundhouse kick to the head, a feat that earned the

  • Combat arms instructors train in peace to prepare for war

    An echo resounds as the magazine is slammed into the weapon. Ear drums ring as the charging handle ricochets back into place. Eyes focus down the barrel through the front sight post, aligning it with the intended target. A breath is held; index finger pulls the trigger. Bam! A jolt to the body.

  • Therapeutic horseback riding helps battle PTSD

    J.B. Barnett was a high school athlete who could have had a bright future in football. Capt. Mike Lawlor was a military personnelist assigned to convoy duties in Afghanistan.Although the two seem different, they both now have something in common. After J.B. suffered brain damage and subsequent

  • The making of an A-10C pilot: 'Night Operations'

    Since I started writing this series a few months ago about 1st Lt. Dan Griffin, one of 12 students nearing completion of the 358th Fighter Squadron's A-10C Pilot Initial Qualification Course, I've not only heard my fair share of pilot stories, I've seen a number of them "told" with hands that have

  • Father, daughter share aircraft heritage

    While many daughters may share similar interests with their fathers, one NCO here relates the challenges of her job with an understanding dad. He's been there and done that. When retired Coast Guard Chief Warrant Officer 3rd Class William Seibt learned that his daughter, Jennifer, was going to be

  • First responders: All secure

    The day started out just like any other day for the security forces patrolman, sitting in his squad car with his radar pointed at the passing vehicles. He routinely does walking patrols and perimeter checks around the base to ensure installation security and the safety of its personnel, but most of

  • Air Force dental team helps patients 'face' the world

    The members of the 59th Dental Training Squadron here have a unique service they provide their patients. They help reconstruct their faces.The Maxillofacial Prosthetics Department at MacKown Dental Clinic here employs a team that deals with the rehabilitation of patients with acquired and congenital

  • Joint team searches for fallen Airmen in local German forest

    Tucked in the dense woods of a typically quiet, remote German logging trail is a flurry of activity. A small bulldozer scoops dirt into a wooden box large enough to be a closet, whereby more dirt is transferred into smaller buckets. These buckets are manually hauled to sifters, where people

  • Fairchild Airman prepares for a mission of a different kind

    Memorial Day is a time for remembrance; it'll certainly be a day one Airman here will never forget:Senior Airman Emerald Ralston spent the day on an aeromedical evacuation flight from Germany to Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C. One of the patients was a combat medic who was

  • Metals technology Airmen provide precision for unique challenges

    When an aircraft comes back from a sortie broken, and the part to repair it doesn't exist in the supply chain, all hope for repair might feel lost. However, in the distance, an Airman wields a glimmering, 35,000 degree Fahrenheit light of hope.The 332nd Expeditionary Maintenance Squadron's metals

  • Body after baby: Getting back into the groove

    Pregnant women are given a lot of information about what changes to expect during the 40 weeks it takes to carry a baby to term. They are told they should maintain a balanced diet, continue to exercise, and that they can expect to gain 25 to 35 pounds.With the ongoing emphasis on physical fitness

  • Retiree spouse pays it forward

    After seeing her daughter off to junior prom, her daughter's friend expressed how much she would like to go, but didn't because her single father couldn't afford to buy her a dress. That memory inspires Myrna Smith, the owner of Myrna's Tailor Shop in Colorado Springs, to help as many women as she

  • Fairchild couple makes refueling a family affair

    For two boom operators here in-air refueling isn't just the wing mission, it's the family business.Staff Sgts. Aaron and Leighann Ray are assigned to the 92nd Air Refueling Wing. Aboard Fairchild's KC-135 Stratotankers, their job is to refuel planes while in flight, keeping Air Force, Navy, Marine

  • Elliptical marathon: Airman achieves fitness best, earns award

    His peers and his wife said he was crazy, but that didn't stop Col. Joseph Mastrianna from achieving a personal workout best and earning a top fitness award.Colonel Mastrianna, the U.S. Air Forces in Europe Manpower, Personnel, and Services deputy director, completed 37.5 miles in five hours on an

  • Eyes of the storm

    The line of low, dark clouds along the western horizon transformed what had been a still, humid, summer day into torrents of rain, small hail and damaging winds.The forecasters at the 509th Operations Support Squadron Weather Operations Center here had anticipated the action. As the local atmosphere

  • Afghan falconers, safety office Airmen keep airfield safe for aircraft

    Foreign objects can be an aircraft's worst enemy. As pilots taxi down runways, the air intake of an F-16 Fighting Falcon or the rotary propeller of an MC-12W Liberty can incur serious damage when they come into contact with debris from the airfield.One of the main concerns at any airfield is the

  • Plumbers keep the flow at Pope AFB

    While most people don't think about how they get their water, it is the mission of every civil engineer plumber to make sure clean water is received, and all water delivery systems are in working order.Plumbers routinely install, repair and maintain piping, fittings and fixtures involved in the

  • Winning ways follow '08 Academy grad

    Everywhere Tim Anderson has laced up a pair of basketball sneakers, he's been a winner. As a senior guard at Franklin High School in El Paso, Texas, he led his team to a 26-7 record while averaging 23 points per game, on his way to earning Most Valuable Player honors for the city and district of El

  • Blast radius: An EOD Airman's experience

    When alarms blare and servicemembers bunker-down from an enemy attack, explosive ordnance disposal technicians are on scene, probing the risky remnants left behind. Plunging into harm's way, no matter how tense each situation is, they clear blast zones and disarm potential explosives. After living

  • Daughter of legendary fighter pilot visits Air Force museum

    Telling her father's story has become the top mission for Christina Olds. Ms. Olds, the daughter of the late triple ace and Air Force Cross recipient Brig. Gen. Robin Olds, visited the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force July 14 to see her father's F-4C Phantom, which is on display in the museum's

  • Academy Class of '14 rolls out to Jacks Valley

    A journey of 4½ miles begins with two words: "Forward, HARCH!"With those words, spoken July 11 at 6:45 a.m., the Class of 2014 began its transition from the first phase of Basic Cadet Training to "Second Beast," which entails about three weeks of military training and team-building. Basic cadets,

  • Three generations of excellence

    A young Airman stands at attention while his father and grandfather pin a career badge on his chest during a ceremony here July 1. The badge signifies the Airman's graduation from technical school and tells the world he is a firefighter. Airman 1st Class Laurence Micale is a third generation Airman.

  • Egress Airmen ensure 'last chance for life'

    If something goes wrong in a fighter jet flying at 30,000 feet, the pilot needs a reliable way to escape danger, and fast. When all else fails, the pilot relies on the ejection system to exit the jet and return safely to earth. Some say this system is the pilots' "last chance for life."The 1st

  • Airman captures bodybuilding medals

    For some people, simply saying they tried is enough. For a 4th Security Forces Squadron military working dog handler, however, perfection is the goal.Hours of training and years of commitment paid off for Staff Sgt. Franklin Walton when he recently earned first place in a regional bodybuilding