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  • Analyze this

    Senior Airman Joshua Fink takes an engine Spectrometric Oil Analysis Program sample. SOAP samples are an inspection tool for detecting and preventing internal engine component failure. Fink is a crew chief assigned to the 908th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron. (Photo by 2nd Lt. Nancy Kuck)

  • Ready and waiting

    Air Force fighter jets from bases around the world have been assigned to this forward-deployed air base supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. U.S. airpower in the region is larger than it has been since the Gulf War. (Photo by Staff Sgt. Derrick C. Goode)

  • Sheppard unit will train ALC maintainers

    The 982nd Training Group, the Air Force's advanced maintenance training unit, joined with Air Force Materiel Command to tackle a critical need in the world of aircraft systems maintenance.The 982nd TRG instructors will teach and certify 19 new civilian instructors who will join existing field

  • Air Force selects 2003 Tops In Blue team

    The Air Force has selected its 2003 Tops In Blue team. Winners were selected from contestants who participated in the 2003 Air Force Worldwide Talent Contest at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas.The entertainment branch of the Air Force Services Agency conducts the annual event.Judges selected the 24

  • Airmen, bombers deploy to Pacific

    Airmen supporting B-1B Lancers from Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, and B-52 Stratofortresses from Barksdale AFB, La., deployed here with their bombers as other U.S. forces prepare for possible military action elsewhere in the world."These bombers and airmen are the finest in the Air Force and have

  • Joint STARS takes off for second deployment

    Two E-8C Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System aircraft and several dozen airmen here answered the call of duty March 5 as they headed to a forward-operating location to support operations in Southwest Asia.The aircraft and airmen are assigned to the 116th Air Control Wing here.According to

  • Black Knights saddle up for deployment

    Airman 1st Class Saraha Hughes, 21, has no idea where she will lay her head in a few days.She does not know if she packed enough, too much or too little, but that does not quell the excitement of her very first deployment.A jet engine mechanic with the 19th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron here, Hughes

  • Memo serving as officer career guide

    A recent memorandum from the secretary of the Air Force regarding the selection process for general officers could very well serve as a guide to all officers -- regardless of rank -- as they chart out their careers.The memorandum is one of a series of initiatives designed to help explain how

  • Life's a beach

    Senior Airman Agapito Martinez walks the coastline at a forward-deployed location. Martinez is from the 144th Security Forces Squadron at Fresno Air National Guard Base, Calif. Airmen from his unit were recently activated and deployed to provide security for the 409th Air Expeditionary Group.

  • Astronaut laid to rest

    Secretary of the Air Force James G. Roche (left) looks on as Sandra Anderson places a rose on her husband's casket at Arlington National Cemetery on March 7. Lt. Col. Michael P. Anderson, a member of the Space Shuttle Columbia crew, died Feb. 1 when the shuttle exploded. He was buried with full

  • AQ implementing force development

    A milestone was reached when the Air Force's first officer development team met recently at the Pentagon.The teams are a central part of implementing the Air Force's Total Force Development concept. The concept is outlined in the November edition of the Chief's Sight Picture, said Lt. Col. Mark

  • Two Osan airmen receive federal convictions

    Two airmen here received federal convictions during two separate courts-martial recently.Senior Airman Lucinda F. Shaw from the 303rd Intelligence Squadron pleaded not guilty to all charges and specifications against her during a special court-martial. She was charged with disrespecting her section

  • Ash Wednesday

    Chaplain (Capt.) Dominic J. Vitaliano applies ash to the forehead of one of his parishioners during the Ash Wednesday service March 5. Vitaliano provides sacraments and spiritual support to servicemembers at a forward-deployed location supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. He is deployed from the

  • Design for Air Force memorial unveiled

    For the better part of the past century, the men and women of the Air Force and its predecessors have soared high above the clouds in defense of the nation and freedom-loving people everywhere.Those ideals will soon be reflected in a memorial designed to reach high into the skyline of the nation's

  • Reservists support air bridge

    More than half of Air Force Reserve Command's 10,000 mobilized reservists are helping to move troops, equipment and cargo to the Middle East as America prepares for possible war with Iraq.But every aspect of the Reserves is being used to support Operation Enduring Freedom, according to Lt. Col. John

  • Big bird

    A Russian AN-124 is refueled here Feb. 27. The aircraft and crew are under contract to help ship equipment. The aircraft, which has the NATO reporting name Condor, is the world's largest and highest-flying cargo capacity aircraft in production. It is designed for long-range delivery and air

  • Milling around

    Airman 1st Class Marshall Dixon manually mills a KC-135 Stratotanker brake component here March 3. This procedure is an integral part of the base's regional brake repair mission, which enhances the availability of brake assemblies within the European theater. Dixon is assigned to the 100th

  • Packing up to go

    Staff Sgt. Phillip Roosen (left) and Senior Airman Jason Elsner move a radar unit after it was removed from the tower here Feb. 28. The airmen are assigned to the 728th Air Control Squadron, which received a deployment order to report to Southwest Asia in the next few weeks. The 728th ACS is one of

  • Mardi Gras desert style

    The Mardi Gras parade goes through a forward-deployed location in Southwest Asia on March 2. In true New Orleans style, participants threw coins, beads and masks out to parade watchers from the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing. (Courtesy photo)

  • Strike Eagle pilots destroy targets

    Capt. Jonathon Breingan, an F-15E Strike Eagle pilot with the 336th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, is proud that his airframe relies on two people sitting in its seats."We take the enemy head-on," he said. "We go out and destroy targets. It's what we do best, and we're the best in the Air Force

  • Air Force discusses infrastructure budget with Senate

    Congressional testimony by the assistant secretary of the Air Force for installations, environment and logistics March 4 included plans for sustaining overseas facilities and support of new missions and weapons systems.But, Nelson F. Gibbs' presentation to a Senate Appropriations Committee

  • Enforcing the zone

    Senior Airman Marshall Gaskins performs the last check on AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles before an F-16 Fighting Falcon takes off for a mission March 2. Marshall is deployed to Incirlik Air Base, Turkey, with the 113th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron from the Indiana Air National Guard at Terre Haute.

  • Base in England gets 'Buff'

    More than a dozen B-52 Stratofortress bomber aircraft arrived here March 3 and 4 from Minot Air Force Base, N.D., to support the war on terrorism and possible contingency operations.The Stratofortress, affectionately called the "Buff" by the bomber community, is a long-range and large capacity

  • Learning through patience, hard work

    What do kicking, joint-lock techniques, falling, push-ups and frog-jumps all have in common?Staff Sgt. Keith Morris teaches them to his students in the kuk sool won class held several times a week at the recreation center in a forward-deployed location.Morris, a member of the 819th/219th Red Horse

  • Air Force announces E-8 promotions March 19

    Air Force officials plan to announce the service's newest senior master sergeants March 19.The list of those promoted at each installation is releasable the first duty hour on the release date. The entire list will be posted on the Air Force Personnel Center's Web site at

  • North Korea intercepts Air Force aircraft

    Four North Korean fighter jets intercepted a U.S. Air Force plane in international airspace over the Sea of Japan early March 2, Defense Department officials said.Two North Korean MiG-29 fighters and two other North Korean aircraft believed to be MiG-23s engaged an American RC-135S Cobra Ball

  • Yokota students continue orphanage bond

    Students from Yokota East Elementary School here experienced the joys of giving, sharing and making friends when they visited an orphanage in suburban Tokyo on March 1.During the visit, the sounds of American and Japanese children playing and laughing filled the cramped two-story Aiji-no-ie (House

  • Red Horse dedicates work to building base

    Heavy equipment, red hard hats and the shout of 'Ready, go!' break the early morning silence as members of the Red Horse unit start another grueling workday at a forward-deployed location in the Arabian Gulf region.People from the 819th/219th Red Horse Squadron were deployed to help build up

  • Very carefully

    Three airmen from the 386th Expeditionary Air Control Squadron carefully fold the American flag during the retreat ceremony at a forward-deployed location in the Arabian Gulf region. (Photo by Staff Sgt. Karen J. Tomasik)

  • New hospital provides wealth of services to base

    The 386th Expeditionary Medical Group, also known as "Med Rock," is now open for business.Before the hospital opening, many patients were sent off-base for various aspects of their medical care."We can provide much of this basic care here on base, saving time in treatment and allowing our deployed

  • Replica tests its 'Wright' stuff

    An authentic reproduction of the Wright brothers' powered flying machine is undergoing aerodynamic testing in a wind tunnel here. The tunnel is owned by NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Va., and operated by Old Dominion University in Norfolk. A team of pilots will attempt to fly the

  • Proper protection can negate bioterror weapons

    The Air Force Medical Service's biggest challenge in saving lives and sustaining combat capability after a bioterror attack hinges on rapidly translating complex biological systems data into "operationally significant information," according to the Air Force surgeon general."It can take from days to

  • For the birds

    A B-2 Spirit sits in the background here as U.S. Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services employees Todd Stewart and David Borrowman inspect a propane cannon on the airfield. The cannon is a nonlethal way to remove wildlife, especially geese and birds of prey, from the airfield. Wildlife found

  • Leaders address sexual assault at academy

    The Air Force's senior leaders vowed March 3 to work closely with Congress to uncover the facts behind recent sexual assault cases and to address the broader climate at the U.S. Air Force Academy in a comprehensive manner."There is no place in our Air Force for anyone who would assault a woman,

  • UAVs may play increasing operational role

    The Air Force's deputy chief of staff for air and space operations is cautiously optimistic about the growing role of unmanned aerial vehicles and remotely piloted vehicles in future conflicts."We're in a position where technology and miniaturization can now begin to give us things we haven't been

  • Air Force names top chaplains

    Air Force officials named the service's top chaplains of the year.Each year chaplain service officials name four "Chaplain of the Year" award winners, in memory of four World War II chaplains who sacrificed themselves by giving their lifejackets to others after the USS Dorchester was torpedoed by a

  • Registration open for 2003 USAF marathon

    Registration is under way for the 2003 U.S. Air Force Marathon scheduled here for Sept. 20.Runner categories have changed slightly from past years. A 5K fun run and a 1/2 marathon have been added. There will no longer be a marathon team category. The marathon, four-person Ekiden-style relay team

  • Future leader wags his way into sector's hearts

    He wears a green cape, but he cannot leap tall buildings with a single bound nor can he drive a super-charged car. He does not live in familiar places like Metropolis or Gotham City.However, this four-legged, soon-to-be hero can be seen running around the hallways of the Western Air Defense Sector

  • March issue of Airman available

    Take a look at Air Force technological changes through the years, learn about economical space launches, and read about how Office or Special Investigations forensic sciences consultants help track down the bad guys. These features and more highlight the March issue of Airman magazine, now

  • Promotion test change impacts deploying airmen

    Commanders of technical and master sergeants facing short-notice deployments now have greater flexibility as to when their airmen test for promotion.New overseas manning requirements and the freezing of the air and space expeditionary force cycle prompted officials at the Air Force Personnel Center

  • Robins C-130 team reaching accelerated goals

    Air Force Special Operations Command warfighters are getting back to work quicker thanks to aircraft maintainers shaving 30 days off programmed depot maintenance on four AFSOC aircraft.Workers here recently released one Combat Talon II aircraft to the AFSOC customers 34 days ahead of schedule. It

  • SGLI cost reduced; coverage remains same

    The amount airmen pay for Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance and Family Member SGLI will be automatically reduced starting July 1.Decreased mortality rates allow for the reductions of 1.5 cents per $1,000 of coverage for military people and as much as a 42 percent decrease for spouse coverage.

  • Now showing: March 3 edition of Air Force Television News

    Training for two different types of wars is highlighted in the latest edition of Air Force Television News.Staff Sgt. Leigh Bellinger goes along with a B-1 Lancer crew practicing bomb runs over west Texas using new computer technology that makes them more efficient.Meanwhile, Tech. Sgt. Pachari

  • Give 'em a brake!

    Senior Airmen Jason Byrd (left) and Steven Christensen adjust a brake assembly on the gear of a RQ-1 Predator unmanned aerial vehicle at a forward-deployed location Feb. 28. Byrd and Christensen are Predator maintenance technicians with the 11th Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron deployed from

  • Air Force opens 14th NCO academy

    With a growing population of technical sergeants in need of professional military education, the Air Force opened a 14th noncommissioned officer academy at Gunter Annex here.The first class at Gunter NCO Academy is 189 students strong and consists of 14 flights. Class 03-3 began its course of 28

  • Roche: 'We must not commission any criminal'

    The Air Force is committed to rid the Air Force Academy of anyone who would sexually assault another, the service's secretary told members of the House Armed Services Committee on Feb. 27."We have a very simple proposition," Air Force Secretary Dr. James G. Roche told committee chairman Rep. Duncan

  • Defense acquisition system due for change

    America produces the world's best military aerospace hardware but other nations are pulling ahead, the Air Force senior executive told lawmakers Feb. 27.Secretary of the Air Force Dr. James G. Roche told members of the House Armed Services Committee that apparent contradiction is the result of a

  • Air Force helps Army with airdrops

    Two aircrews from the 772nd Expeditionary Airlift Squadron and two from the 774th EAS conducted a heavy equipment combat airdrop in south central Afghanistan Feb. 17, and a container delivery system airdrop Feb. 23.The crews, both assigned to the 320th Air Expeditionary Wing at a forward-deployed

  • Deployed teams purchase supplies, services

    If you twist it, turn it, light it, drive it, read it, wear it, drink or eat it, chances are they got it for you. Two organizations in Kyrgyzstan have one mission -- to provide the goods and services people need to get the job done.The men and women from two organizations -- the 376th Expeditionary

  • Flight keeps base fueled up

    Keeping tent fuel drums filled and aircraft gassed up is vital at Ganci Air Base, Kyrgyzstan. Without fuel, the mission stops and living spaces inside tents feel like a freezer.That is why airmen from the 376th Logistics Readiness Squadron's petroleum, oil and lubricants flight tirelessly work to

  • Engineer follows path to education, success

    More than 25 years ago he set off on the path of opportunity he imagined lay before him in the Air Force's scientific and engineering communities. Today, with doctorate, master's and bachelor's degrees hanging on his wall, five patents to his credit and four more patents pending, Dr. Nelson Forster

  • Air traffic team keeps sky safe

    Most people can see the daily air traffic at any air base, but they do not see the driving forces that keep the aircraft from having midair collisions.At one forward-deployed location, that behind-the-scenes action is a dual effort by the 321st Operations Group's radar approach control and air

  • Air Force reaches 75 percent deployment-capable rate

    In just more than a year, the number of "deployable" airmen has increased to nearly 75 percent of all Air Force members.That increase reflects a growth of nearly 100,000 in just the past year.The increase in deployment rolls is not because more people joined the service. According to Maj. Gen.

  • Protocol, aide de camp special duties move

    By May, the special-duty positions of protocol officer and aide de camp will become regular duty as part of the Air Force services career field.Those officers holding these positions will gain a new Air Force specialty code -- 34M -- services April 30. The change is part of an Air Force move to

  • Air Force rethinks air operations centers

    The Air Force needs to start thinking of its air operations centers as weapon systems if the service wants to remain the best in the world, the deputy chief of staff for air and space operations said."The AOC is fundamental to what makes us great as an Air Force," Lt. Gen. Ronald E. Keys said. "If

  • 'Blizzard' of cargo crashes on Charleston

    The workload of the 437th Aerial Port Squadron here increased an estimated 250 percent after two APS buildings at Dover Air Force Base, Del., collapsed under snow from a blizzard.Air Mobility Command officials sent a portion of Dover's cargo here, increasing the average of five to seven trucks

  • Allied forces at their best

    Three countries "battling it out" during Cope Tiger '03 are doing more than just honing their combat skills -- they are improving the lives of Thai school children.Servicemembers from the U.S. Air Force, Marine Corps, the royal Thai air force and the Republic of Singapore air force are taking part

  • Westover bridges airlift effort to Southwest Asia

    Westover's Air Force Reserve Command assets again stand at the critical junction of an air bridge across the Atlantic.The base has become a hive of troops in desert camouflage, C-5 Galaxys filled with equipment and "controlled chaos" in the aerial port and passenger terminal operations hub.A long

  • Deployed chaplains minister to warfighters

    It was the summer of '69, the height of the Vietnam War. Young men were bleeding and dying daily all around war-torn Southeast Asia.But on one particular day, things were different for the Americans at a base near the village of Buon Me Thuot, in the central highlands.For a few hours that day,

  • Exchange reopens days after destructive fire

    Air Force firefighters battled a blaze here Feb. 21 that destroyed the exchange, barbershop, gift and coffee shop plus the personal living quarters of 25 Army and Air Force Exchange Service employees at Kandahar, Afghanistan.Also damaged was the morale, welfare and recreation computer, movie and

  • Exercise under way in Thailand

    More than 400 U.S. airmen and Marines and 600 servicemembers from Thailand and Singapore are flying air-to-air and air-to-ground missions as part of the annual multi-lateral exercise Cope Tiger 2003.The two-week exercise flown from here gives servicemembers from eight different U.S. bases and the

  • Zero tolerance for sexual assault

    The Air Force Academy superintendent restated Feb. 21 that there is "zero tolerance" for sexual assault at the academy and in the Air Force at large."Any and all perpetrators will be brought to justice and disciplined appropriately," said Lt. Gen. John Dallager. "Such reprehensible action is

  • Art signals jammer's role in OEF

    A Southwest Asia afternoon sun provided warm light as Staff Sgt. John Alsvig painted a cartoon likeness of one of his unit's EC-130H Compass Call aircraft.The art was featured in the middle of a concrete wall used to deflect propeller wash from tactical and special operations aircraft flying in and

  • Medics take patient care sky high

    Tucked away at this forward-located base is a tiny but tight knit medical team few troops ever notice. But should any one of them fall critically ill or injured, these airmen quickly will become their best friends. They will closely tend to their patient's urgent medical needs while flying

  • Donations bring joy to children

    The left-handed nine-iron was a little tattered around the edges, showed a few scars and had been discarded by someone who had no more use for it. Remarkably, it had a lot in common with the 10-year-old boy who was delighted to be its new owner.It did not matter that Jerome Espinoza had never

  • Army National Guard begins air base security mission

    Look closely as you drive through base entry gates and you may notice a different style rank insignia on the security guard -- that of the Army National Guard.The organization is deploying up to 10,000 soldiers to help secure Air Force installations worldwide. This is in response to a Defense

  • Group investigates Air Force sexual assault policies

    Several members of a working group created by the secretary of the Air Force to review the service's sexual assault policies began gathering information here Feb. 19.Dr. James G. Roche recently directed the Air Force's general counsel to lead the group looking at how the service deals with sexual

  • AF revises body modification, mutilation guidance

    The Air Force has revised personal appearance guidelines in response to a trend involving extreme body modification and mutilation that is becoming common among a small, yet growing segment of the population, according to personnel officials.This change is in Air Force Instruction 36-2903, Dress and

  • Strategy school changes name, expands

    To reflect the growing importance of space capabilities to the warfighter and the need for air and space strategists, Air University's School of Advanced Airpower Studies is changing its name and expanding.For the newly named School of Advanced Air and Space Studies here, the student body will

  • Ground pounders

    Air Force heavy equipment operators from the 823rd Red Horse Squadron compact gravel while building a taxiway at a forward-deployed location. Squadron airmen are working around-the-clock to build a taxiway and support ramps more than a mile long to increase capacity for heavy aircraft. (Photo by

  • NCOs given advanced degree opportunities

    The Air Force Institute of Technology is once again offering eight noncommissioned officers the opportunity to pursue an advanced science, engineering or management degree in-residence at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.The goal of the Enlisted-to-AFIT Program is to provide commanders with a

  • ACC releases F-16 accident report

    Air Force investigators have determined engine failure caused an F-16C Fighting Falcon aircraft to crash Sept. 11 during a basic surface attack training sortie.The F-16C was destroyed upon impact 1,300 feet short of the runway at the Bobby L. Chain Municipal Airport in Hattiesburg, Miss. The pilot

  • Command releases RQ-1 accident report

    Air Force investigators have determined that human error caused an RQ-1 Predator aircraft to crash Sept. 17 at a classified forward-operating location in Southwest Asia.The Predator, which is an unmanned reconnaissance aircraft, was destroyed upon impact. The loss is estimated at $3.2 million. No

  • Air Force receives newest Global Hawk

    The seventh Global Hawk unmanned aerial vehicle touched down here Feb. 14 after its flight from Air Force Plant 42 in nearby Palmdale, Calif., where it was built by lead government contractor Northrop Grumman.This latest Global Hawk is the program's final advanced concept technology platform and is

  • Future threats envisioned during technology game

    Warfighters, leading scientists and engineers from across the United States met Feb.11 to 13 in McLean, Va., to contemplate what the battlefield will be like in 25 years.The futurists gathered to take part in the Air Force Technology Seminar Game II, sponsored by the Air Force Research Laboratory

  • Garnishment assistance for Guard, Reserve

    The Defense Finance and Accounting Service's directorate of garnishment operations is working with the Federal Office of Child Support to address issues relating to activated reservists and the payment of child support.Rod Winn, director of garnishment operations, identified one scenario that is a

  • NCO guilty of possessing child porn

    A 607th Air and Space Communications Squadron noncommissioned officer was found guilty of taking indecent liberties with a minor and possession of child pornography by a military judge during a general court-martial here Feb. 10.Staff Sgt. Gery B. Cook pleaded not guilty to the charge of attempted

  • Now showing: Feb. 17 edition of Air Force Television News

    The loss of two Air Force officers in the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster highlights the latest edition of Air Force Television News.Tech. Sgt. David Pullen profiles Col. Rick Husband, the mission commander, and Lt. Col. Michael Anderson, the payload commander, who were members of the seven-person

  • Unit commanders get more control of leave program

    A recent policy change returns the authority to unit commanders to approve permissive temporary duty and terminal leave of more than 90 days.The Air Force's current instruction on military leave requires members wanting a combination of permissive TDY and terminal leave of more than 90 days to seek

  • NASA seeks help from sky watchers

    NASA is still seeking help from the American public to supply video and still images of Space Shuttle Columbia on its return flight to Earth. There has been a great public response, officials said, but more material will help the investigation of the Columbia accident.Columbia glided across the

  • Deployment offers tax options; not filing not one of them

    Mobilized Air Force reservists deploying overseas are not automatically excused from filing their federal income tax return, according to Air Force Reserve Command staff judge advocate officials here.Deploying reservists have four options when it comes to filing taxes. They can file before they

  • Use common sense when posting to Internet, officials say

    Recent advances in technology have Air Force officials urging airmen to use common sense and remember operations security when posting on the Internet.An item of special concern is the placement of photos of forward operating bases on personal Web sites. What has officials worried is the

  • DOD space chief outlines priorities

    Things are going well for the national security space program, but America needs a roadmap to ensure future success, the Defense Department's executive agent for space said Feb. 12.Peter B. Teets, undersecretary of the Air Force and director of the National Reconnaissance Office, discussed the

  • Air bases in Germany getting change of guard

    German troops will start providing some security at three Air Force bases in Germany this month to help ease the workload on security forces there.An historic memorandum of understanding signed Feb. 13 by U.S. and German military officials cleared the way for the unprecedented assistance, said Maj.

  • Enlisted aviator careers open

    Opportunities for enlisted aviators have never been better. With possible nine enlisted aviator careers, the dream of flying can quickly become a reality for Air Force people.According to Master Sgt. Jack Baker, from Air Mobility Command's aircrew training office, an urgent need for enlisted fliers

  • Family donates historic revolver to museum

    A .38-caliber Smith and Wesson service revolver used by a World War II hero to shoot down a German attack plane will soon be on display at the Air Force Museum at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.The family of retired Air Force Tech. Sgt. Paul Posti Sr., who died in December at age 89, donated

  • Bunker building

    Members of the 320th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron carry a 10-foot support wall for a protective bunker being constructed at a deployed location supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. (Photo by Staff Sgt. Matthew Hannen)

  • Transition help vital, chief tells Congress

    For airmen who plan to hang up their uniforms and say goodbye to the military, whether after four years or a career, the future can be filled with uncertainty.A changing economy coupled with a competitive job market makes the idea of finding a good job a bit scary, Chief Master Sgt. Elizabeth S.

  • DOD's top space official committed to space discovery

    Just days after Space Shuttle Columbia broke apart in the skies over Texas, the Department of Defense's executive agent for space said the nation's program would go on."I think we're all (still) reeling and will be for some time," said Peter B. Teets, undersecretary of the Air Force and the chief of

  • Skeet team to hold training camp

    The Air Force international skeet team will hold a training camp and team selection match April 7 to 12 at Robins Air Force Base, Ga.After four days of training, participants will compete in a two-day match to decide who makes the team, which is part of the Air Force's shooting program.Participants

  • AFIT stands up systems engineering center

    Air Force Institute of Technology officials have established a center for systems engineering.The center will help focus efforts to revitalize systems engineering within the Air Force."Many of our current system-acquisition programs are suffering from a lack of attention to or inconsistent

  • Pentagon monitoring deployment health care

    Defense Department officials have changed the way they will track and assess the health care given military people before, during and after deployments, a senior Pentagon health official said Feb. 11.DOD's new strategy emphasizes health care surveillance of deployed people, said Dr. Michael

  • Teets: Space access vital to warfighting efforts

    America needs to redouble its efforts to make sure the nation has a vigorous and successful national security space program, the Defense Department's executive agent for space said.According to Peter B. Teets, undersecretary of the Air Force and director of the National Reconnaissance Office, access

  • GPS jamming no 'silver bullet' for potential adversaries

    Iraq and other potential adversaries may have the ability to jam global positioning system signals, but Air Force war planners are not too worried about the effect of jamming on precision munitions.In fact, it is a challenge they have been anticipating for a long time, and they are confident in

  • Group honors Air Force engineers

    Thirteen Air Force members will be honored for their achievements during the 17th Annual Black Engineer of the Year Awards Conference Feb. 13 to 15 in Baltimore.The conference is sponsored by Career Communications Group, which was founded to promote significant minority achievement in engineering,

  • AF testers recognized for achievements

    Three Air Force people will receive the National Defense Industrial Association's Air Force Tester of the Year award in a ceremony Feb. 26 in Victoria, British Columbia.The award recognizes government civilian, military and contract testers who made significant contributions in the field of testing

  • Total force strikes the Pacific

    True Air Force airpower was demonstrated at sunset recently over the Hawaiian Islands when two KC-135 Stratotankers from the Hawaii Air National Guard here refueled two Air Combat Command B-1B Lancers.The tankers from the 203rd Air Refueling Squadron met and refueled the bombers over the Pacific

  • NCO owns vintage aircraft, drops bombs

    For six months out of the year, Tech. Sgt. David Brown drops bombs on Bealeton, Va.Using his newly-acquired 1941 PT-17 aircraft, he can narrow in on a moving target, usually a person running around below, and release his ammunition -- bags filled with baking flour nicknamed "flour bombs."The comedy

  • Air Force identifies new race categories

    Airmen are now able to identify more than one race in their official personnel files because of a change in how the Air Force records racial information.Some race designations will automatically change to fit the new categories as part of the data conversion. The new categories are part of a

  • Space-age coating protecting against terrorism

    With the threat of global terrorist action growing daily, the Department of Defense's vital work force and assets must be adequately protected.In response to this threat, engineers at the Air Force Research Laboratory Materials and Manufacturing Directorate developed a method for providing crucial