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  • Motorcycle safety leaves no margin for error

    In December, a young airman was visiting his family for the holidays. After dinner and a movie with his mother, he told her he was going for a ride on his motorcycle. That was the last time she saw her son alive.He was 10 minutes from home when he lost control of his bike and was killed instantly.

  • Spitting incident reminds airmen to stay safe

    The wife of a military member here received an unexpected message recently from an anti-war protester.Jessica Resendez, who was wearing a sweatsuit printed with an Air Force emblem, was walking through a shopping center parking lot when a woman grabbed her sleeve and asked her if she was in the

  • Commander recounts historic Iraq C-17 airdrop

    It was by any measure a landmark moment for airlift operations and the C-17 Globemaster III. The nighttime airdrop last month of 1,000 "Sky Soldiers" from the 173rd Airborne Brigade behind enemy lines into northern Iraq was the largest combat airdrop since the invasion of Panama in December 1989

  • Seven Americans recovered alive near Samarra

    Seven U.S. service members listed as missing or prisoners have been returned to American control, U.S. Central Command chief Army Gen. Tommy Franks said today.Franks, speaking on CNN and Fox news networks, said Marines found the seven Americans walking along a road near the city of Samarra.Defense

  • Coalition command post: coordination keeps aircraft, info flowing

    Flexibility is the key to airpower, but a lot of coordination and some planning are the keys to a successful integration of coalition partners in wartime. Such is the case for the 401st Air Expeditionary Wing command post, temporarily located at a Royal Air Force base in the eastern

  • 1st humanitarian flight arrives at Baghdad airport

    Although combat continues in a number of areas in Iraq, coalition efforts to increase humanitarian assistance are becoming more important, according to U.S. Central Command officials."Last night, the first humanitarian-focused flight went into Baghdad International Airport," said Army Brig. Gen.

  • B-52 Litening II pod used in combat

    For the first time in combat history, a B-52 Stratofortress used a Litening II targeting pod to strike targets at an airfield in northern Iraq on April 11, according to officials at the U.S. Central Command's combined air operations center.Using the Litening II system,a crew of reservists from the

  • Bashur airmen toughing it out

    If they did not know before, the more than 200 airmen who run Bashur Airfield in northern Iraq now know what it is like living in austere conditions.Because if it was not for the cargo that transport aircraft drop off day and night, there would not be much here to write home about.The only claim to

  • A-10 fixers log deployed phase maintenance

    Maintainers at Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan, are performing groundbreaking maintenance checks on their aircraft under a unique program they say is an Air Force first.Maintainers deployed with the 104th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron are completing the first-ever "contingency phase maintenance" on

  • Pilot brings battle-damaged A-10 home safely

    An A-10 Thunderbolt II pilot deployed with the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing safely landed her "Warthog" at her forward operating base after it sustained significant damage from enemy fire during a close air support mission over Baghdad on April 7.Capt. Kim, deployed from the 75th Fighter Squadron at

  • Tough, brave troops fight for freedom

    America's men and women in uniform are brave, tough and courageous, President Bush said today after visiting more than 70 wounded service members and their families at two military hospitals."It's an amazing thing when you see a person wounded, sitting there in a wheelchair or bound up in bandages

  • Deck of cards helps troops identify regime's most wanted

    Coalition forces in Iraq are using a specially created deck of 55 playing cards to identify the "most wanted" members of Saddam Hussein's regime.News reports today indicated that Amir Hamudi Hasan Al- Sadi, Saddam's presidential scientific adviser, shown on "7" of diamonds card No. 55, has turned

  • Bush relays stories of oppression, compassion and respect

    Two worlds collided in Baghdad this week. Coalition forces and Western journalists were shocked by emerging evidence of Saddam Hussein's tyranny and inhumanity, and the long-oppressed Iraqi people experienced the compassion and respect of coalition troops.President Bush addressed this week's

  • Standing guard

    Tech. Sgt. Ken Joy stands guard as firefighters pump water from a stream near Bashur Airfield in northern Iraq. Joy and fellow security forces troops assigned to the 86th Expeditionary Contingency Response Group patrol the base perimeter, provide airfield protection and escort all airmen who leave

  • Combat Ops continue in Iraq, humanitarian aid pours in

    U.S. and coalition troops are searching out and eliminating pockets of Saddam-regime diehards, while providing much needed humanitarian relief to the Iraqi people.That's the message Army Brig. Gen. Vince Brooks, U.S. Central Command spokesperson delivered today at a press conference in Qatar.For

  • Air Force combat controller killed in action

    A staff sergeant assigned to the 24th Special Tactics Squadron at Pope Air Force Base, N.C., was killed in action April 8 in Iraq.Staff Sgt. Scott D. Sather, an Air Force combat controller, was 29 years old."I offer my condolences to Sergeant Sather's family, friends and teammates," said Lt. Gen.

  • Air attacks lead to cease fire in northern Iraq

    Iraq's regular army may have never measured up to the prestigious Republican Guard in terms of battlefield effectiveness, but it seems they have a leg up when it comes to common sense, according to U.S. Central Command officials.Following a brief period of bombing and close-air-support missions near

  • Airlift into Iraq shows no sign of slowing

    The airlift armada flying into Bashur Airfield in northern Iraq for the past two weeks has dropped off more than 10 million pounds of cargo bound for coalition forces.More than 170 C-17 Globemaster III and C-130 Hercules flights have brought in the cargo. The planes land day and night and the

  • Officials advise SARS precautions

    Department of Defense officials are advising military members and civilians to take precautions against the potentially deadly Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome. The advisory is especially for those traveling in the Far East, where the flu-like virus is believed to have originated.SARS has killed

  • Iraqi regime disintegration continues

    Signs of the disintegration of Saddam Hussein's regime abound in Iraq, U.S. Central Command officials said in a briefing in Qatar today.Pockets of regime resistance remain, but CENTCOM intelligence reports regime leadership and control systems have been broken, said Army Brig. Gen. Vincent Brooks.

  • Reservists rescue troops during combat operations

    By the time U.S. forces rolled into downtown Baghdad, Iraq, deployed Air Force reservists from the 920th Rescue Wing had saved the lives of at least 10 American troops.According to Col. Tim Tarchick, 920th RQW commander, members of the wing were involved in at least four combat search and rescue

  • Former CMSAFs continue serving airmen

    Eight former chief master sergeants of the Air Force met with the man who currently holds the position and other senior leaders during a conference at the Pentagon on April 8 and 9.Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Gerald R. Murray said the two days provided many opportunities for the group to

  • Female fighter pilots take on challenges full throttle

    Female fighter pilots are a special breed. They are willing to crack into a male-dominated field, take a $30 million aircraft, fly at mind-numbing speeds and head straight into the face of danger, all the while knowing they may not be coming back.But most will say they are happy to do just that,

  • Improved 'Dragon Lady' still seeks, finds today's prey

    The 48-year-old U-2 "Dragon Lady" still reigns supreme as the leader among manned intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance systems.Even with newer, unmanned aerial vehicles like Global Hawk and Predator -- welcomed by increasing numbers of warfighters, and now joining the U-2 in ISR missions

  • Coalition dealing with Iraqi civil disturbances

    The most important mission for U.S. service members in Iraq is to win the war, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said during a Pentagon press conference.They will also deal with civil disturbances and create conditions for peace and stability, but it isn't going to happen immediately, he

  • New Milstar launches from Cape

    "Milstar," a military communications satellite, launched from here on a Titan IV-B rocket April 8.The satellite was placed into its proper orbit and should be fully operational in May.Milstar is a joint service communications satellite system that provides secure, jam-resistant, worldwide

  • Airborne Red Horse teams joins the mix

    The Air Force has a new capability thanks to the members of three new Airborne Red Horse teams. Red Horse teams provide the Air Force with a mobile, rapid-response civil engineer force to support contingency and special operations in remote, high-threat environments worldwide. In wartime, the

  • 484th AEW brings airpower to battlefield

    It is the largest and most diverse Air Force unit supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom, yet few people know it exists, according to 484th Air Expeditionary Wing officials.Behind the scenes, the 484 AEW works quietly, providing combat enabling, contingency response, terminal attack and combat weather

  • Officials cancel 2003 sports, training camps

    In view of world events, ops tempo, and Stop-Loss measures, Air Force officials are canceling the 2003 Air Force sports and training camps program.Officials will re-evaluate this decision in 90 days, depending on world events.This difficult decision was made by the Air Force fitness and sports staff

  • Parts of Baghdad still dangerous for coalition troops

    Following yesterday's scenes of jubilation, there was still fighting overnight in parts of Baghdad, U.S. Central Command officials in Qatar said today."Baghdad's still an ugly place," Air Force Maj. Gen. Victor Renuart said. Many parts of the city have not been secured by U.S. forces, he said, and

  • Free Iraqi forces: 'Members of the team' liberating Iraq

    They're intimately familiar with Iraqi language and culture, they wear distinctive uniforms, they serve with U.S. civil affairs troops in Iraq -- and they don't like Saddam Hussein.Who are these guys?They're members of the Free Iraqi Forces working with U.S. Army and Marine Corps civil affairs units

  • Coalition addressing Iraqi humanitarian needs

    Coalition forces are addressing concerns about Iraqi humanitarian needs, Pentagon spokeswoman Torie Clarke said today.She said the Iraqi people have real needs, but that these needs pre- date the war. Clarke observed that the regime of Saddam Hussein spent billions on palaces and weapons of mass

  • Coalition continues fight in Baghdad, northern Iraq

    The deaths of two American service members since Iraqis toppled a statue of Saddam Hussein in Baghdad yesterday emphasized that combat in Iraq is not over."The enemy is surrendering and scattering, but not everyone, and not yet," Pentagon spokeswoman Torie Clarke said during a press conference

  • New office consolidates FM workforce development

    The Air Force financial management community recently consolidated all its various workforce-development efforts into a single centralized office.The financial workforce management directorate at the Pentagon is now the single point of contact for providing the FM community with professional

  • Coalition air forces continue busy pace

    As dramatic scenes of liberation dominate media coverage of Operation Iraqi Freedom, coalition air forces continue to contribute significant behind-the-scenes efforts in the three-week-old war.Among them is the reported delivery of the massive ordnance air-blast bomb to an undisclosed site in

  • Airmen help injured soldier

    Airmen recently helped a seriously injured soldier who was wounded in an ambush in southern Afghanistan.The same ambush killed two servicemembers. Army Sgt. Orlando Morales, 33, a native of Manati, Puerto Rico, and Air National Guard Staff Sgt. Jacob L. Frazier, 24, of St. Charles, Ill., were the

  • Earthquake shakes Izmir military community

    An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.6 centered near Urla, Turkey, was felt about 35 miles away by members of the Izmir military community early April 10.Squadron officials said that there were no injuries to U.S. military people and damage to air station facilities was light.Local

  • Airfield management providing clear runway

    An increased operations tempo means busier traffic on the runways used by the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing at a forward-deployed location. But thanks to the 380th Operations Support Squadron's airfield management team, the airfield environment remains clear and safe for base people.Only two months

  • Readiness, reconstitution concerns loom large

    Military readiness may crumble if Congress does not approve additional funding soon, the Joint Staff director of operations told senators April 9."Our previous wartime experiences have proven that readiness is a fragile commodity," Lt. Gen. Norman A. Schwartz told members of the Senate Armed

  • SGLI premiums going down in July

    The Department of Veterans Affairs has announced that premiums for the Servicemembers Group Life Insurance will be reduced, handing military members a few extra dollars in their pockets each month.Beginning in July, the cost for a $250,000 policy -- the maximum coverage -- will drop from $20 to

  • SECAF: Mobility key to war effort

    The secretary of the Air Force praised Air Mobility Command for quietly building up resources in Southwest Asia before the opening days of the war in Iraq. He also lauded the continued "spectacular" air support during the campaign to remove the Iraqi regime from power."Under the direction of

  • Airman participates in 'Jocks-to-GIs' program

    A personnel specialist deployed to the 444th Air Expeditionary Group at a forward-deployed location is one of the nation's first servicemembers to participate in ESPN's "Jock-to-GIs Direct" e-mail pen pal program.Staff Sgt. Marty Markos, from Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, was selected by

  • Combat search, rescue team saves two soldiers

    A U.S. Air Force combat search and rescue team saved the lives of two critically wounded U.S. Army special operations soldiers despite severe weather conditions April 7 about five miles south of Baghdad.The soldiers were transferred to a hospital in Kuwait, where it was determined that they have a

  • 2 airmen missing after F-15E goes down in Iraq

    Two coalition airmen are missing after their F-15E Strike Eagle went down in Iraq, officials announced April 8.The aircraft went down on April 7 at approximately 7:30 p.m. EDT, but the announcement was withheld for security reasons, according to U.S. Central Command officials.The pilot, weapon

  • Hercules in Iraq

    A C-130 Hercules delivers cargo to an airfield in northern Iraq on April 8. The aircraft and crew from the 37th Airlift Squadron at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, delivered more than 14,000 pounds of supplies to support Operation Iraqi Freedom. (U.S. Air Force photo by 1st Lt. Phillip Ulmer)

  • Injured arrive at Wilford Hall

    Forty-seven servicemembers injured during Operation Iraqi Freedom arrived here April 9 while waiting for flights to medical centers near their home stations.The patients arrived aboard a C-17 Globemaster III aircraft after an 11-hour, non-stop flight from Ramstein Air Base, Germany. Once here, they

  • SGLI provides war-related coverage

    Military members covered by the Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance are covered in the event of death in a military conflict. But surviving family members of those who choose commercial life-insurance policies instead of SGLI coverage may not be so lucky.Many commercial life-insurance policies

  • Air Force team adopts local school

    It was the unimaginable plight of children in Bagram, Afghanistan, that spawned the latest in a long line of humanitarian visits to local villages, according to an Air Force captain.Capt. Michael Friebel, a critical care nurse deployed from Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, his family and the Shino

  • Nuclear forces transform to meet requirements

    The Air Force is modernizing its strategic systems even as the nation reduces its nuclear stockpile, the director of Air Force nuclear operations said April 8.Brig. Gen. Robert L. Smolen, director of nuclear and counterproliferation at the Pentagon, testified before the Senate Armed Services

  • Initial enlistment bonus program on track

    New recruits are now getting signing bonuses within days instead of months thanks to a completely revamped process, according to Air Force Personnel Center officials here."It's a tremendous success story," said Master Sgt. Robert Tullgren, superintendent of the center's enlisted accessions and

  • Munitions tool passes wartime test

    A new munitions-tracking program has passed the wartime test at a forward-deployed location supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.The command and control concept of operations software allows real-time tracking of the number and status of munitions worldwide.The program was developed for wartime, but

  • B-52 dons new upgrade

    Aircrews flying the Air Force's oldest aircraft can now better verify targets and pick them themselves thanks to experts integrating a targeting pod on the B-52 Stratofortress.Maj. Keith Colmer, one of the original operational test pilots here for the Litening II targeting pod that was developed for

  • Airman pulls man from burning building

    When fire roared through an off-base house here, the actions of a 1st Special Operations Squadron pilot saved a 94-year-old man's life.Capt. Tom Geiser was on a cordless phone late April 2 outside his house about three kilometers from Kadena Air Base."I saw smoke rising from a house about 50 yards

  • Cops on the beat

    Tech. Sgt. Frank Brown takes a break from the heat while performing perimeter security April 4. Brown is a security forces craftsman with the 363rd Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron at a forward-deployed location. He is deployed from the 12th Security Forces Squadron at Randolph Air Force

  • IRS provides combat zone tax assistance

    Servicemembers serving in a combat zone can learn about the tax benefits available to them by logging onto a new section of the Internal Revenue Service's Web site.The information is available on the front page of www.irs.gov by clicking on "Armed Forces Tax Benefits."The new Web section provides

  • A-10 crashes in Baghdad

    An A-10 Thunderbolt II pilot ejected safely before the aircraft crashed in Baghdad, Iraq, on April 8. The pilot was rescued by coalition ground forces, according to a U.S. Central Command official.During a press briefing from Qatar, Army Brig. Gen. Vincent Brooks said, "The aircraft is believed to

  • Lancer hits regime leadership target

    An Air Force B-1B Lancer struck a building in a residential area in Baghdad, Iraq, on April 7 where a high-level Iraqi leadership meeting was believed to be ongoing.Officials at U.S. Central Command confirmed the attack during the daily press briefing at their forward headquarters in Qatar on April

  • Officials name manpower, organization winners

    Officials from the Air Force's directorate of manpower and organization have named the winners of the 2002 Air Force Manpower and Organization Awards. They are:Field Grade Officer of the Year -- Maj. Troy L. Hawk, 18th Wing, Kadena Air Base, Japan.Company Grade Officer of the Year -- Capt.

  • Park it

    A crew chief from the 392nd Air Expeditionary Wing marshals an A-10 Thunderbolt II to its parking spot April 3. The 392nd AEW is at a forward-deployed location in southern Iraq supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Shane A. Cuomo)

  • 3 armed forces vacation spots closing

    The war in Iraq, increased force protection and a declining dollar value overseas has forced Army officials to close three of its armed forces recreation centers in Europe a year earlier than planned.The Von Steuben Hotel in Garmisch will close April 15, while the Chiemsee Lake and Park hotels will

  • B-1 crew describes taking out 'The Big One'

    An Air Force B-1 Lancer crew rode an "adrenaline rush" as they prepared to strike a recently discovered target of opportunity believed to be the site of a high-level Iraqi leadership meeting April 7."There wasn't a lot of time for reflection," Lt. Col. Fred Swan told Pentagon reporters via telephone

  • Air Force announces transportation awards

    Air Force officials recently announced the winners of the 2002 U.S. Air Force Transportation Awards.Unit winners include:-- Vehicle maintenance unit: 52nd Logistics Readiness Squadron, Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany.-- Vehicle operations unit: 86th LRS, Ramstein AB, Germany.-- Combat readiness

  • Air Force announces logistics plans awards

    Air Force officials recently announced the winners of the 2002 U.S. Air Force Logistics Plans Awards.Award winners include:-- Command senior manager: Maj. Christopher D. Long, 609th Air Support Squadron, Shaw Air Force Base, S.C.-- Command manager: Capt. Gail Sledge, 8th Air Force, Barksdale

  • Scrubbing pads join cluster bombs in crucial fight

    To the arsenal of Air Force cluster bombs, joint direct-attack munitions and Maverick missiles, add scrubbing pads, towels and pressure washers.Without them, B-52 Stratofortress maintainers could not keep the forward-deployed location's hulking, aged aircraft clean and flying coalition bombing

  • Congress interested in reserve issues

    Congress has increased its focus on helping the reserve components since more than 200,000 members of the National Guard and Reserve have been mobilized for the war on terrorism.With newly introduced bills to enhance reservists' benefits, along with the existing House Guard and Reserve Caucus plus

  • CENTAF command chief addresses issues

    As Air Force operations continue in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, the service's senior enlisted member in Southwest Asia says the exact future of operations has yet to be determined."The war isn't over," said Chief Master Sgt. Mack Williams, U.S. Central Command Air Forces command chief master

  • Reservist testifies about mobilization

    Television viewers who tuned into C-SPAN on April 3 may have seen an Air Force reservist from here testifying before a House Armed Services subcommittee.Master Sgt. Kevin Smith, logistics plans technician, joined six other National Guard and Reserve members to address the committee and answer

  • Thrift Savings Plan open season begins April 15

    Civilian and military employees can sign up for or change Thrift Savings Plan accounts during "open season" from April 15 to June 30."TSP is an easy, long-term retirement savings plan that everyone should consider," said Maj. Alessandra Stokstad, chief of the Air Force Personnel Center's contact

  • Pit stop

    Staff Sgt. Randy Simmons and Senior Airmen Benjamin David, Steven Campos and Matthew Easton push a new B-52 Stratofortress tire toward its mount April 7 at a forward-deployed location. Two or three of the 500-pound tires get changed each day at this base. The process takes about 20 minutes for

  • ONW fighters say final goodbye to Incirlik

    The last Operation Northern Watch mission flew March 17, but the end of the operation was not obvious until the last fighter aircraft roared out of here April 7.The last fighter planes, eight F-16CJ Fighting Falcons from the 55th Fighter Squadron at Shaw Air Force Base, S.C., left for home and did

  • Pilots work to eliminate collateral damage

    Pilots who specialize in close-air-support missions do "exhaustive work" to prevent hitting the wrong targets, an A-10 Thunderbolt II pilot told reporters April 7.Lt. Col. Mike Webb, operations officer with the 190th Fighter Squadron of the Idaho Air National Guard, explained the process of target

  • Hurry up and wait

    Staff Sgt. James Foster waits for an A-10 Thunderbolt II to taxi to its parking spot April 3 at a forward-deployed location in southern Iraq. Foster is a weapons loader currently assigned to the 392nd Air Expeditionary Wing. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Shane A. Cuomo)

  • Academy programs rank among nation's best

    The U.S. Air Force Academy has one of the nation's top undergraduate engineering programs, according to U.S. News & World Report.The national news magazine just released its America's Best Colleges 2003 edition, which rated universities in a number of general areas. In terms of specific academic

  • Youth claim 'Bowl by Mail' trophies

    Air Force Services Agency officials here recently announced the winners of the annual Bowl by Mail tournament.Bowl by Mail is a worldwide youth-bowling competition that allows children ages 5 through 18 to compete against others their age, but with a slight twist -- it is done via e-mail or postal

  • Personnel data system upgrade smooth, uneventful

    One week before the end of March, in the middle of a war, the military personnel data system underwent a major database upgrade -- and nobody noticed."After some of the things we've gone through that made MilPDS almost a four-letter word throughout the Air Force, this is an important

  • U.S. forces drub Baghdad defenders, WMD search continues

    U.S. military combat action in Baghdad yesterday may have inflicted thousands of casualties on the enemy, a senior U.S. Central Command spokesperson said today."It certainly demonstrated our ability to operate within Baghdad at a time and place of our choosing and to inflict severe damage on anyone

  • St. Elmo's visit

    Capt. Rachel Tukey of the 28th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron watches a natural phenomenon known as St. Elmo's Fire on the windshield of her KC-135 Stratotanker aerial refueler. The KC-135 crew had just refueled a B-52 Stratofortress bomber April 2. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt.

  • Night check

    Capt. Steven, a B-52 Stratofortress pilot from Minot Air Force Base, N.D., checks his night-vision equipment at a forward-deployed location supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. He is deployed with the 457th Air Expeditionary Group. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Stacia M. Willis)

  • By the setting sun

    Staff Sgt. George Gardner builds a storage facility April 5 at a desert air base supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. He is with the 379th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron's structures shop. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Terry L. Blevins)

  • Abu is coming

    An F-16CJ Fighting Falcon pilot who goes by the call sign "Abu" prepares to taxi out for an April 5 combat sortie in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. He is deployed with the 157th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Terry L. Blevins)

  • Wash day

    Staff Sgt. Michael Mariner washes down an F-15E Strike Eagle on April 5 to reduce the dust and dirt on the aircraft. Mariner is a crew chief with the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing at a forward-deployed location supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Terry L.

  • Assignment keeps recruiter, recruitee together

    When Airman 1st Class Natasha Butler reported for duty to the 463rd Airlift Group at Little Rock Air Force Base, Ark., in September 2000, she felt like she was coming home again.Not only was she from Little Rock, but her recruiter, Master Sgt. Lorenzo, was assigned to the same unit and she had

  • Coalition air effort runs gamut of missions

    With their dazzling accuracy played out frequently for worldwide television audiences, precision-guided weapons have made media favorites out of strategic and tactical bombing missions.But there is a wide variety of other air operations going on around the clock that are just as important to the war

  • Friendly fire incidents will be investigated

    It is unfortunate when coalition forces and equipment are lost in combat, but it is particularly tragic when those losses come as a result of friendly fire, the combined forces air component commander of Operation Iraqi Freedom said April 5.Lt. Gen. T. Michael Moseley said during a Pentagon

  • Transient-alert team keeps flightline running

    The flightline is a busy place and no one knows that better than the people who keep it all running smoothly at one forward-deployed location.The 386th Air Expeditionary Wing's transient alert team has aircraft crew chiefs who ensure all the transient aircraft -- aircraft that do not belong to the

  • Team helps troops travel on stomachs

    Underscoring the value of a well-fed force, Napoleon once asserted, "An army travels on its stomach."Despite a rapid and massive buildup for Operation Iraqi Freedom, the 386th Expeditionary Services Squadron's food services team didn't flinch at the task of feeding thousands of coalition bellies for

  • Keeping a promise to POW, MIA families

    The day before five soldiers became prisoners of war in Operation Iraqi Freedom, a meeting for relatives of some still lost from past wars demonstrated the eternal promise that everyone comes home.A "Family Member Update" brought experts working on POW and MIA cases together to share information

  • Lynch to rescuers: 'I'm an American soldier, too'

    The special operations mission to rescue Army Pfc. Jessica D. Lynch from Iraqi captivity was a triumph of joint planning and execution, said Air Force Maj. Gen. Victor Renuart.Renuart, operations chief at U.S. Central Command, gave more information about the Lynch rescue during a press conference in

  • Bomber surge: 103 sorties in less than three days

    Although B-52 Stratofortresses and B-1B Lancers have become a common sight in the skies here their presence has been more visible the past few days.Bombers from the 7th Air Expeditionary Wing here, successfully completed 103 sorties in less than three days as part of a surge in operations March 30

  • Pentagon revises smallpox vaccination policy

    Department of Defense officials are taking a watchful approach to the department's smallpox vaccination program after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta reported investigating whether a sequence of cardiac deaths was associated with the vaccine.Government officials have

  • Coalition aircraft strike home of 'Chemical Ali'

    Coalition aircraft struck the residence of Ali Hassan al-Majid, Iraqi President Saddam Hussein's cousin, April 4.Two coalition aircraft using laser-guided munitions struck the home, located in Al Basrah, approximately 250 miles southeast of Baghdad.The strike was part of an ongoing effort to end

  • Moseley: 'Softening' not accurate description

    "Softening" Iraqi Republican Guard forces in and around Baghdad is not the way Lt. Gen. T. Michael Moseley would describe the effect of coalition air strikes."We are not softening them up. We are killing them," Moseley said April 5 in a teleconference with Pentagon reporters from his headquarters

  • Bomber over ballpark

    An Air Force B-1B Lancer flies over the Texas Rangers first season home game at the Ballpark here April 4. The aircraft is assigned to the 28th Bomb Squadron at Dyess Air Force Base, Texas. This is the third year a Dyess B-1 has flown over the team's first home game. (U.S. Air Force photo by

  • Maintainers get results despite tough conditions

    Approximately 1,900 coalition aircraft have launched almost 24,000 round-the-clock sorties since March 19 supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.That means 24,000 opportunities for something to go wrong mechanically."No problem," say maintainers like Senior Master Sgt. Ricky Abbott and Staff Sgt. Robert

  • Dover team serves to honor fallen heroes

    With the arrival of remains from Operation Iraqi Freedom, the honor guard is performing more than its usual duties.Besides providing military funeral honors, honor guard airmen, working with the 3rd U.S. Infantry (The Old Guard), bring the remains to the Charles C. Carson Center for Mortuary Affairs

  • Former POW celebrates 30 years of freedom

    As U.S. prisoners of war in Iraq await their freedom, Col. Charles Brown, 439th Maintenance Group commander here recalled the end of his own POW experience 30 years earlier.On April 1, 1973, a young, Captain Brown walked off a C-9 Nightingale onto the tarmac here after spending 101 days as a

  • On the lookout

    Master Sgt. Eric Draper scans the desert for threats as his HC-130 flies into a U.S.-controlled airfield in southern Iraq on April 3. Draper is a loadmaster with the 39th Rescue Squadron from Patrick Air Force Base, Fla., and is deployed to support Operation Iraqi Freedom. (U.S. Air Force photo by

  • JAG discusses rules of combat

    When Americans go to war, they are armed with more than the best weapons and training the nation has to offer -- they are equipped with the "rule of law."According to the Air Force's senior lawyer, the United States fights wars differently from other nations."The Constitution governs everything we

  • Guard, Reserve airmen testify about effects of mobilization

    Members of Congress turned to a panel of noncommissioned officers April 3 to determine the price military reservists are paying to help defend the nation.Two members of the Air National Guard and an Air Force reservist were on the multi-service panel that told members of the House Armed Services

  • Agreement establishes Fighter Associate Program

    Air Force Reserve Command and Air Combat Command have joined forces to begin the Fighter Associate Program.Gen. Hal M. Hornburg, ACC commander, and Lt. Gen. James E. Sherrard III, AFRC commander, signed a memorandum of agreement that took effect April 2.The Fighter Associate Program is designed to