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  • Small Kadena unit, big Air Force job

    When it comes to supporting the 18th Wing's flight training mission, one small Kadena unit has a big job. With only 30 members, mostly weapons directors and radar technicians, the 623rd Air Control Flight is headquartered on Kadena under the 18th Operations Group, but conducts its business from Naha

  • New York Air Guard supports far-reaching science missions

    The gray and orange LC-130 Hercules, one of the world's largest cargo aircraft with skis, touched down 10,600 feet above sea level onto the frozen ice sheet here July 24, contining an airlift mission that serves as the only supply line for some of the world's leading scientists studying our

  • Range keepers help pilots stay combat ready

    Few jobs in the Air Force call for a person to drive a road grader, put out fires, build Soviet T-72 tanks, run a lawn mower and, on the ground, be the eyes and ears for combat aircraft. But that's all in a day's work for the Air National Guardsmen of the Missouri Air National Guard's Det. 1 of the

  • Loadmasters: night life of C-130 mission hackers

    "Some people go their whole career without (air) dropping (cargo or people) in combat. Missions like this are few, far between, and very coveted," said Master Sgt. Larry Lambert, 746th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron senior loadmaster. Excitement gripped one aircrew from the 746th EAS recently when

  • Air Force chaplain shares faith in Afghanistan

    From sitting down to lunch with Afghan mullahs or Islamic leaders, to performing Catholic Mass for international servicemembers, one Air Force chaplain is experiencing a deployment here in Kabul that is very different than others he's served. "I've been deployed to Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Turkey,

  • Expeditionary Airmen build bombs and bring on the heat

    From an isolated compound eight miles from the main part of the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing's base of operation, in 125 degree heat, munitions systems specialists have been churning out bombs to the tune of nearly 400 in two weeks. "The minute we hit the ground we started building bombs for combat

  • Airmen with nose for danger

    As a Blackhawk helicopter lowers itself to the ground, voices are drowned out by the turning rotors. Some of the soon-to-be passengers are muzzled. Waiting patiently, they are in a staggered formation to board the helicopter that will take them on a training flight over Fort Dix, N.J. No ordinary

  • From the depths: Airmen, spouses act quickly in water rescue

    "Breathe, baby! Breathe, baby!" Claire Darnell tried again to give the little girl mouth-to-mouth at the edge of the pool. The child lay there, pale, eyes partly open but unmoving, pupils dilated. The rescue breathing didn't seem to be working. "Breathe, baby!" The fifth of August started out like

  • Thunderbird sees the forest for the trees

    On any given day, pilots usually prefer to steer clear of trees. One fighter pilot came face to face with an entire forest Aug. 4. Maj. Nicole Malachowski, the first female pilot for the U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron, visited the International Forest of Friendship in Atchison, Kan., to

  • Father serves last combat tour with son in Iraq

    One thing about deployment is that it makes people miss their family and friends. Not many people get a chance to travel to a deployed location with a family member. But an Airman here had good cause to smile when he deployed knowing his father would be with him throughout his deployment. Tech. Sgt.

  • Humanitarian mission impacts team, residents

    A team of 10 Army, Navy and Air Force medical servicemembers returned July 28 from a medical humanitarian assistance mission to the Pacific island nation of Vanuatu. In addition to training medical staff, the joint team on Vanuatu also performed train-the-trainer classes in combat life support,

  • Life of the line: Crew chiefs keep up planes above

    As one of the busiest flightlines in the Air Force, the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing is home to more than 100 Air Force aircraft. Crew chiefs are responsible for all of an aircraft's day-to-day maintenance, including refueling, defueling, launch, recovery, hydraulics, brakes and tires. Each aircraft

  • Airmen keep planes at Baghdad airport moving

    Sather Air Base may not have aircraft assigned to it, but more than 100 fixed and rotary wing aircraft pass through its airfield every day as transients. The 20 maintainers of the 447th Expeditionary Operations Support Squadron transient alert shop work around the clock to control the air traffic on

  • Supply unit uses 'military working cat' to control critters

    Fighting the war on rodent infestation, 95th Mission Support Group members here use a "military working cat" to help reduce the amount of damage to equipment caused by rodents living in the supply warehouse. Wizzo calls the 95th Mission Support Group's supply warehouse his home, and the feline lives

  • Father and son reunite in Southwest Asia

    When Jon Borseth joined the Air Force in 1979 he had no idea he would be deployed with his son 27 years later. Master Sgt. Jon Borseth and Airman 1st Class Jon Borseth II reunited in Southwest Asia in May when both deployed to the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing to support operations Iraqi Freedom and

  • 'Castle Coombe Mess' cup donated

    In 1943, nine officers stood together with World War II Gen. Ira C. Eaker in England's Castle Coombe, silver cups raised in the audacious hope of a history-making victory, and to the equally optimistic hope that when the war ended they would gather to conduct reunions celebrating that victory. As

  • Airman continues grandfather's Tuskegee legacy at Balad

    The saying that Air Force history is easily found among its Airmen and their units became a reality for an Airman deployed here as she followed in her grandfather's footsteps and joined an elite group called Tuskegee Airmen. Tech. Sgt. Rose Noches, a surgical service craftsman with the 332nd

  • Sergeant keeps human relations in combat zone peaceful

    When Airmen deploy to Iraq, a varied group of people live, work and eat together. The vast majority of the time, the cohabitation is peaceful. But if a human relations incident involving discrimination occurs, it's up to one NCO to assist with the situation. Master Sgt. John Schumann is the 332nd

  • Maintainers seek hidden flaws, help save lives

    There are lots of critical maintenance units where Airmen work tirelessly every day behind the scenes to keep aircraft in the air so they can execute the mission successfully. Among these maintenance units is the non-destructive inspection shop here. When it comes finding and detecting flaws that

  • Maintenance wizards: 'We can fix anything'

    An A-10 Thunderbolt II is made up of thousands of unique components and parts, most of which are essential for the jet to take flight. When one of them breaks, the aircraft is grounded until it gets repaired. For that aircraft, the mission stops. The part often can't be fixed on the spot, which

  • Oregon ROTC cadets go to the extreme

    More than 30 ROTC cadets from the University of Portland and Oregon State University recently rallied to help build the dream home for a family of Lewisburg, Ore.The cadets volunteered to help construction the new house for the Byer family through the ABC show, "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition." Rob

  • Airmen work hard to finish new theater hospital

    Seven biomedical equipment Airmen from six different Air Force bases are combining their skills to help move the Air Force Theater Hospital here from its tent structure to a pre-engineered facility. The final part of the move is scheduled for Aug. 3. These specialists, assigned to the 332nd

  • Band Brothers: Family of musicians rock AOR

    When a band goes on tour, musicians often talk of the familial bonds they form. This couldn't be truer for three deployed Airmen from the Illinois Air National Guard's Band of the Midwest. Meet the Filipeks: Master Sgt. James Filipek, Tech. Sgt. Joe Filipek and Staff Sgt. Scott Filipek. The trio is

  • Retired working dog finds permanent home with former handler

    The old "Airman" nearly lost his life on his last deployment to Iraq, but his partner rescued and brought him home safely, vowing to be there for the rest of his days. Now Ajax, a military working dog assigned to the 820th Security Forces Group, has been retired from active duty and adopted by Staff

  • Don't dog summer marathon training

    Hopefully, the idea of running an entire 26.2 miles doesn't seem as foreign to you now as the weeks and miles have been piling up since you began this marathon odyssey. July and August are the final two months where you can continue to let fly with your workouts, pushing your body to increase

  • Controllers train to put bombs on target, on time

    Joint terminal attack controllers assigned to the 604th Air Support Operations Squadron at Osan Air Base, South Korea, arrived here July 9 to train with 8th Fighter Wing pilots. JTACs, who exist in each service branch under different names, are recognized and qualified to provide close-air support

  • Two sisters from Iran help show how America is a true melting pot

    Majors Elham and Arezoo Barani are identical twins who, after immigrating to America to go to college, joined the Air Force. Both are dentists in the 436th Aeromedical Dental Operations Squadron here and recently were promoted to major in a dual ceremony. "It's natural to want to have the same

  • Global Engagement teaches leadership, base deployment

    Quietly, the military members move through the woods looking for the enemy, scanning for any movement in the trees. Then, shots ring out in the air and they must react as one unit to survive. In that moment, the training they have learned takes over as they capture the enemy and return home safely.

  • Expeditionary airlifters fly air convoys

    Over the past 12 months, Airmen of the 816th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron have transported the equivalent of Colorado Springs' population, each person carrying a million pounds, back and forth to the Middle East 700 times. The 816th EAS, a tenant unit of the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing, reached

  • Weather team acclimates to mission in southern Baghdad

    Illuminated by the late night moonlight, an Air Force weather forecaster ascended the narrow, rickety staircase leading up to the helipad's plywood control tower at Forward Operating Base Kalsu. Millions of tiny stars spread across the sky above the pitch-black forward operating base, with

  • Service dog aids Fairchild family member

    They say dog is man's best friend, but for a 23-year-old Fairchild Air Force Base woman, a dog is much more than a friend.Kimberly Hawks has always loved animals. From the time she was a child, she has depended on her pets for comfort, support and companionship. Her German shepherd, Zeuss, is no

  • Airman tees it up with the best in the world

    All boys do it. They do it the moment they learn the basics of sports. Boys imagine the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth, seventh game of the World Series, down by one with a 3-2 count and Roger Clemens on the mound. The fireballer unleashes the heat.  Smack, back, back, back, gone. Game

  • Dog attack decoys provide critical training

    Sweaty, gray in color, worn and torn with wear is an arm-mounted bite sleeve used to protect "decoys" from canine attack injuries. These "decoys"  using the protective sleeve provide training so that working dogs understand proper aggression techniques toward assailants.  All is under the watchful

  • Air Force, Army medics provide free care to Iraqis

    Trust in the good faith of people is fragile and bruised for Iraqi civilians in Baghdad according to Staff Sgt. Kelly Jette, 447th Expeditionary Medical Squadron medic. The very city is being fought for by residents, coalition soldiers, as well as insurgents and foreign terrorists.But the Airmen

  • Holloman Airmen return from Ecuador medical visit

    Fourteen doctors and technicians from the 49th Medical Group returned June 16 here from a two-week humanitarian assistance exercise where they saw more than 6,800 patients in Bambil Desecho, Ecuador. "The intent of the Medical Readiness Training Exercise was to provide the Airmen with training in an

  • Fab flight craftsmanship reaches entire base

    With the precision of a surgeon and the skill of a seamstress, Airmen from the 15th Maintenance Squadron's fabrications flight work to ensure the fleet of C-17 Globemaster IIIs at Hickam Air Force Base is structurally sound. Fab flight, as it's commonly referred to, literally has a hand in every

  • Lives depend on effective communication

    From several miles in the sky to a volatile combat engagement on the battlefield, aircrew and ground controllers practice effective communication because lives depend on it. The relationship between air and ground forces is crucial in Iraq and Afghanistan where the majority of combat air operations

  • Airman finds peace in desert playing hockey

    In the rolling sage brush-covered hills,  reminiscent of west Texas, the temperature still hovers above 100 as the sun sets in this dusty, deployed military location. Even after a 12-hour shift, Air Force Tech. Sgt. Wayland J. Baker of the 386th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron is ready to

  • Kadena Airman donates bone marrow

    A Kadena Air Base Airman recently gave someone a second chance at life. Lt. Col. Joseph Coogan, the 18th Wing Safety chief, recently flew to Washington, D.C., to donate his bone marrow to a leukemia patient. His journey to help others began two years ago at Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala. "I gave blood

  • C-130 crews change lives 1 mission at a time

    The C-130 Hercules is just one of many different types of aircraft stationed at Bagram Air Base, but it could easily be called one of the most versatile. The members of the 774th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron put that versatility to the test every day. The three primary missions of the C-130s here