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  • Airman convicted for defrauding government

    An Airman here was convicted recently in a special court-martial for defrauding the U.S. government.Staff Sgt. Louise Smith, of the 71st Medical Support Squadron, was found guilty of violating the Uniform Code of Military Justice’s Article 132, Fraud Against the United States.The military judge

  • Deadline set to apply for developmental education

    Mission-support and certain nonrated operations officers considering basic developmental education programs in 2006 have until June 15 to apply.Officers in logistics, civil engineering, program management, developmental engineering, communications and information, services, public affairs, manpower

  • Three accidents; two Nellis Airmen; one chance to get it right

    Imagine being responsible for the lives of some of the world’s best fighter pilots. Now imagine being only 21 and 22 years old. For many Airmen, this is not a reality, but for two in particular, it is all in a day’s work.Airmen 1st Class John Schmidt and Brandon Pirmann are assigned to the 57th

  • Technology unites Airmen in matrimony

    Nearly 7,000 miles of desert and ocean could not keep two Airmen from tying the knot. Maj. Heather Villasenor, who is at a forward-deployed location in Southwest Asia, married Lt. Col. Michael Bryant on April 26. The wedding was held in Southwest Asia -- and Virginia. Colonel Bryant, the Joint

  • Air Force garners 18 Presidential Rank Awards

    White House officials recently released the names of the 2004 Presidential Rank Award recipients. The awards program was established to recognize career senior executive service and senior professional people who exemplify the highest level of integrity, leadership and personal conduct and who have

  • Wounded troops, families receive free airline tickets

    Through the good will and generosity of thousands of people with unused frequent flier miles and U.S. airlines, the Fisher House Foundation has given out nearly 3,000 free airline tickets to war-wounded servicemembers and their families since the giveaway program started in January 2004.About 1,000

  • Overseas quarterly assignment listing available May 3

    The Enlisted Quarterly Assignment Listing for the January to March 2006 cycle overseas requirements will be available May 3.Airmen need to work through their military personnel flights to update their preferences by May 20. Deployed Airmen can work with their personnel representative to update

  • Space, air warfare centers integrate capabilities

    The Air Force is integrating some forces to better manage air, space and information operations combat capabilities to support missions worldwide, Air Force officials announced April 26. Elements of Air Force Space Command’s Space Warfare Center at Schriever Air Force Base, Colo., will integrate

  • America remembers Desert One heroes

    America honored eight American servicemen April 25 who died attempting to rescue American hostages in Iran 25 years ago.A ceremony here brought together the families of those killed, their comrades and those servicemembers who carry on the special operations mission.In November 1979, Iranian

  • Space command takes youth fitness to new level

    Airmen have been plugging away at the new fitness test for more than a year now, but they are not alone in the quest to increase their activity level on a regular basis.Air Force Space Command children are increasing their fitness levels as well as part of an Air Force initiative, “Fitness in Time,”

  • Academy sports recap: Cadet wins powerlifting collegiate nationals

    Michael Tuchscherer bench pressed more than twice his body weight during the USA Powerlifting Collegiate Nationals this month, earning him first place.He is the first cadet to earn this honor in 17 years.Tuchscherer, from Corydon, Ind., made a national record with a 551-pound bench press. The

  • Airman’s actions save neighbor’s home

    An Airman here recently extinguished a house fire that threatened to destroy a nearby Panama City home.Master Sgt. Dave Delmar, 82nd Aerial Targets Squadron’s noncommissioned officer in charge of plans and programs, used garden hoses to extinguish the fire, saving his neighbors’ home and most of

  • C-17s get state-of-the-art home

    When the 452nd Air Mobility Wing here welcomes eight C-17 Globemaster IIIs later this year, the aircraft will be maintained in an environmentally friendly hangar that is larger than a football field and incorporates advanced construction technology.“We wanted it to appear it belonged here -- have it

  • Airmen receive panoramic night-vision goggles

    Nighttime missions are about to get a whole lot clearer, and that is only the beginning of a much-anticipated acquisition program here.Air Force special operations aircrews received their first shipment of 20 panoramic night-vision goggles April 25.The current contract calls for 400 goggles, and

  • Air Force officials announce OTS selections

    More than 130 people were selected for an Air Force commission, Air Force Recruiting Service officials here announced April 26.The officials considered 231 applications as part of Officer Training School Selection Board 0504, which selected 138 people for a 60-percent selection rate. Of those, 29

  • Spangdahlem Airmen train with new high-tech weapon

    The sound of gunfire ricocheting off concrete walls is an everyday occurrence for Airmen at the combat arms training and maintenance unit here. At one of the few indoor Air Force firing ranges, the range features a target retrieval system and a hard gel backstop that will soon be replaced by a steel

  • McConnell holds wingwide fitness test

    More than 1,200 Airmen from the 22nd Air Refueling Wing took their physical fitness test here April 22.All 1,200-plus Airmen completed their run and received a series of “wingman” briefings within a four-hour span, but working out the logistics of the wingwide test took months of planning.To

  • U.S., Japanese Airmen train together during air refueling

    American fighter pilots are helping Japanese airmen expand their F-15 Eagle combat capabilities during hands-on air-to-air bilateral refueling training here.The Japanese F-15 aircraft mechanical refueling capability is identical to U.S. Air Force F-15s. However, it was not until Japanese officials

  • Distance learning courses require good time management

    For servicemembers deployed or on crew shift, distance learning and online correspondence classes are a good way to continue their college education; however, they should just make sure they know what they are getting into, said Don Dooly. He is the education services officer at the education

  • Base agencies keep rotations moving in right direction

    A question is asked of everyone on a rotator flight that has just landed at a forward-deployed location, “Are you staying here or going downrange?” It is an easy question for new arrivals to answer, but few people, whether inbound or outbound, are aware of the process used to funnel servicemembers

  • Center receives DOD’s most powerful supercomputer

    Aeronautical Systems Center’s major shared resource center officials here announced April 25 the installation of the newest and most powerful supercomputer in the Department of Defense.The 2,048-processor supercomputer will aid weapon systems design of innovative materials, advance design concepts,

  • Air Force family opens arms to autism

    The walls in the Dallas’ home are not festooned with art, but with boards. There are boards with schedules, charts and pictures to guide 4-year-old Liam, and establish routines for everyday tasks such as washing his hands or using the potty. The charts are part of structured, routine life they must

  • Military struggling with rising health-care costs

    Rising medical costs and the expansion of health benefits for retirees, guardsmen and reservists, and their families, are putting a strain on the military health-care system, Defense Department health and personnel officials told members of Congress on April 21.“Rising health-care costs are not

  • Quadrennial Defense Review focuses on future

    The four capabilities the Air Force brings to the joint warfighting environment will be the focus of the service's contribution to the 2005 Quadrennial Defense Review.Officials in the office of the secretary of defense produce the Quadrennial Defense Review every four years with input from the

  • Army general: Air Force helped logistics success in Iraq

    The U.S. military’s task to supply troops serving in Iraq during the past year “was one of the most complex and challenging missions in our history,” a senior Army general said April 20.Yet, logisticians “proved successful in supporting a force of (about) 165,000 Soldiers, Airmen, Marines, and

  • Senior intelligence officer selected for promotion

    The Department of Defense’s senior uniformed intelligence officer was selected for promotion and reassignment April 22.Lt. Gen. Michael V. Hayden was selected for promotion to general along with a reassignment as principal deputy director of National Intelligence in Washington. He is currently the

  • Kosovo children relish playtime with American troops

    As the last note of music ended, screams and laughter suddenly interrupted the brief moment of silence. Maj. Brian Benson quickly sat down, but slid off the edge of his seat in favor of a young girl eager to remain in the game of musical chairs.Major Benson, of Kosovo Force headquarters at NATO

  • Air Force leads in purchase of reusable energy

    The Air Force topped the list of purchasers of renewable energy in 2004, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.The service bought nearly 321,000 megawatt-hours for use on bases nationwide. In fact, the Air Force was responsible for more than 40 percent of the renewable power purchased by

  • Newly designed chamber increases aircraft safety

    Technicians in the Tank and Cooler Unit at the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center here push the limits of weapons systems to ensure their safety in the field, sometimes with explosive results.“One of our prime tasks is doing proof pressure testing … before sending them to the field,” said Steven

  • Cannon Airmen help police catch murder suspect

    Like a scene out of the TV series “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,” two multimedia flight Airmen here helped local law enforcement officials solve a grisly murder recently.Senior Airman Michael Garza and Airman 1st Class Tiffany Curbeam, both of the 27th Communications Squadron, answered their

  • Parts storage on the ‘rise’ in electronics

    What do you do when you run out of floor space for storage? If you work in the 402nd Electronics Maintenance Group here, you look up.Jim Bon and Kevin Shanahan, facilities and production engineers supporting the F-15 Eagle avionics squadron here, are overseeing the installation of shuttle storage

  • C-130J testers accomplish first five-bundle sequential airdrop

    Developmental test and evaluation on the J-model C-130 Hercules came to a head when testers successfully completed the first five-bundle sequential low velocity airdrop here recently.As part of the test program, 418th Flight Test Squadron Airmen tested software upgrades by rigging five bundles

  • Nothing inside hidden from radiology flight

    A flight of Airmen working in the Air Force Theater Hospital here take up-close and personal pictures all day.The radiology flight Airmen take pictures of people’s insides so doctors can better heal their patients.“In this deployed environment the conditions aren’t as good as what we’re use to, but

  • 'Lifecycle Funds' aim to maximize retirement savings

    Recent surveys show most people contributing to Department of Defense-sponsored thrift savings accounts shun riskier investment options and are not getting maximum returns to build bigger retirement nest eggs, a DOD thrift savings plan specialist said here April 20.“The vast majority of participants

  • Officials announce Air Force chaplain service award winners

    Officials recently announced the Air Force chaplain service award winners for 2004.Established last year, the award program recognizes outstanding individual and organizational performance within the chaplain service. The 2004 winners are:-- Outstanding Chaplain Assistant Airman of the Year:

  • OSI exhibit opens at Air Force museum

    An exhibit highlighting the Air Force's criminal investigative service is open to the public at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force here."Eyes of the Eagle: The Air Force Office of Special Investigations" exhibit joins the museum's permanent displays in the Cold War Gallery.The exhibit

  • New program helps smokers kick habit

    For smokers looking to kick the habit, nothing could be more useful than a little guardian angel sitting on their shoulder, keeping track each time they reach for a smoke, taking notes and reviewing the results with them each week.Although not angels, health and wellness center officials here said

  • Shuttle exercise tests NASA, Edwards response teams

    Support crews from NASA Dryden Flight Research Center, Kennedy Space Center and the base teamed up in a mock shuttle recovery exercise on the flightline here April 16.The day began around 9 a.m. as a vehicle convoy snaked its way down the flightline to the main runway."We always come out for these

  • Officials announce environmental award winners

    Officials recently announced the Air Force, Department of Defense and White House environmental award winners.The winners of the 2004 Air Force General Thomas D. White Environmental Award are:-- Environmental Quality Award (Industrial): Tinker Air Force Base, Okla.-- Environmental Quality Award

  • Guard, Reserve leaders testify on Capitol Hill

    The directors of the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve testified April 20 on readiness and management support before the Senate Armed Services Committee subcommittee.Lt. Gen. Daniel James III, Air National Guard director, told senators he sees positive benefits to the community basing

  • Officials announce visual-information winners

    Defense Information School officials at Fort Meade, Md., recently announced the winners of the 2004 visual information awards. The awards recognize, reward and promote excellence among servicemembers for their achievements in military photography, videography and graphic arts, officials said. Air

  • 5-year-old cancer survivor plays pilot for a day

    The newest member of the 334th Fighter Squadron here cannot even reach the rudder pedals in an F-15E Strike Eagle, but that does not keep Evan “Big E” Moriarty from being one of the squadron’s Fightin’ Eagles.The 5-year-old Fayetteville, N.C., native recently had a cancerous tumor the size of a

  • Airman remembers day she lost four friends

    In the blink of an eye, lives were lost, children became motherless and fatherless, and others were forever scarred when a drunk driver ended four people’s lives and critically injured another in a head-on collision eight years ago.Four Airmen and another Airman’s spouse were returning from a

  • Child-abuse prevention begins at home

    More than 900,000 children were victims of abuse or neglect in 2003 with many suffering from neglect, followed by physical and sexual abuse, and emotional or psychological maltreatment, according to a National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System report.Eighty percent of the perpetrators were

  • Airmen maintain national defense in weapons storage area

    Separated from the rest of the base by miles of fence topped with razor wire and high-tech surveillance equipment, certain Airmen here see few people during the duty day other than their military counterparts. For that, their daily efforts go largely unnoticed.They are Airmen assigned to the 5th

  • Airmen, Soldiers donate goods to Uzbek baby orphanage

    Seven Airmen, four Soldiers and five civilian interpreters recently delivered handmade baby quilts, baby formula, diapers, clothes, toys and other humanitarian goods to a baby orphanage in nearby Qitab.“Seeing the children smile and laugh as we played with them was the highlight of my visit there,”

  • Air Force officials postpone technology conference

    The 2005 Air Force Information Technology Conference scheduled for Aug. 28 to Sept. 1 in Montgomery, Ala., has been postponed until after January 2006.The move follows an announcement by Air Force officials to redirect as much funding as possible to support the war on terrorism, said Frank Weber,

  • Fuels specialist is ‘for the birds’

    Nicknamed “Nature Boy” by his colleagues, Master Sgt. William Burke spends much of his free time in the more pristine parts of the base.Amidst a green, tree-filled landscape, he tends to his true passion -- nature, and more specifically, the Eastern Bluebird.“Although Eastern Bluebirds aren’t

  • Reserve, active-duty pilots battle for air superiority

    In the animal world, a 500-pound gorilla would pose relatively no threat to a 1,200-pound Mako shark swimming at 65 mph. However, when these two creatures take on the form of fighter pilots and step into an F-15 Eagle or F-16 Fighting Falcon to face off in the sky, anything is possible. For two

  • Reservists travel to Badlands to do good

    A disaster does not have to strike for Americans to help other Americans in need.Twelve reservists from the 445th Aeromedical Staging Squadron provided medical care to an American Indian reservation hospital April 2 to 16 in South Dakota.The reservation, home to 30,000 Lakota Sioux, is located 35

  • Services presents marketing excellence awards

    Air Force Services officials here recently announced the winners of the Achievement in Marketing Excellence Awards. This is the premier for this awards program, modeled after the American Advertising Federation’s “Addy Awards.” “Air Force Services marketing developed this recognition program to

  • Base honors Airmen killed in Oklahoma City bombing

    More than 50 family members of an Airman killed in the Oklahoma City bombing visited Tinker Air Force Base, Okla., on April 18 to see the base's bombing memorial and attend a service at the base chapel before the 10th anniversary of the April 19 bombing.Airman 1st Class Lakesha Levy was killed when

  • Airmen disciplined for AFIM misuse

    Air Force officials are taking a hard look at the misuse of the Air Force Instant Messenger service on Air Force Portal.Airmen were found violating standards of conduct prompting officials to clarify responsible communication over the service.“Air Force Portal users took offense to the inappropriate

  • Shaw F-16 crashes, Airmen eject safely

    An F-16D Fighting Falcon from here crashed April 18 near Charleston, S.C. At the time of the accident, the pilots, Maj. Steve Granger and Lt. Col. Maurice Salcedo, had just begun a training mission. They ejected safely into a river near Charleston and were taken to a local hospital where they were

  • Comm squadron makes mission possible

    Miles of wires weaving information through walls and underground pathways connect each facility together to form a network so Airmen can make a phone call or log onto a computer and accomplish their mission here.Communication is what most people take for granted. Having a working phone or computer

  • Contingency response team prepares airfield for Italians

    In fewer than 45 days, tanker airlift control element Airmen will achieve what some may deem impossible.This 47-person team, primarily deployed from the 621st Contingency Response Wing at McGuire Air Force Base, N.J., is preparing nearby Herat for more than 300 Italian troops as they lead the

  • Airmen guard diverse flying mission

    With fighter, tanker, cargo, transport, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft at the largest wing in the area, the flightline at a forward-deployed location is nothing short of active.Such diversity of aircraft and missions requires a level of uniformity that keeps maintenance

  • Dad travels world with 'Mini Alyssa'

    Nine-year-old Alyssa DeGreef has seen quite a bit of Central Asia from her cozy seat in her dad’s pocket.Lt. Col. Mike DeGreef, 22nd Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron commander at Manas Air Base, Kyrgyzstan, has carried a small copy of a picture his daughter, Alyssa, drew of herself since he was

  • Weather Airmen protect shuttle

    Airmen of the 45th Weather Squadron here methodically calculate and determine if weather will threaten a future shuttle launch. Rain, lightning, wind and cloud coverage can instantly delay or “scrub” any shuttle, mission or rocket launch.“We have temperature, wind and rain constraints (because of)

  • General explains what space brings to fight

    The commander of Air Force Space Command expressed the importance of space superiority, leadership development and integrating space with military operations during an April 16 visit here.Space superiority is an important part of what is done in the U.S. Air Force and in the rest of the military,

  • Officials announce 2004 organizational excellence award winners

    The Secretary of the Air Force Personnel Council recognized the following units as 2004 Air Force Organizational Excellence Award winners during the specified periods of time:-- Air Education and Training Command headquarters: Oct. 1, 2002, to Sept. 30, 2004.-- Air Force Special Operations Command

  • Officials expand existing whistleblower protections

    Blowing the whistle on waste, fraud and abuse at work seems like the last thing workers would do if they wanted to keep their jobs and advance their careers.But that is exactly what servicemembers and federal civilian employees are required by executive order to do, and officials at the Office of

  • Airman spends free time living only way he knows -- fast

    While other 16-year-olds were satisfied driving around the neighborhood, Warren Howard was not happy unless he was driving at least 85 mph around an oval track.Now a master sergeant and the environmental coordinator with the 4th Equipment Maintenance Squadron here, began stock car racing in 1977

  • Language latest weapon in America's 21st century arsenal

    Despite the tremendous advances in military hardware and technology on display in the war on terrorism, there are still some capabilities only humans can provide.That was the thinking behind a new initiative to improve foreign language and cultural expertise at the Defense Department, said a top DOD

  • Academy sports recap: gymnastics coach honored

    Air Force Academy men’s gymnastics head coach Lou Burkel was named West Region Coach of the Year by the Collegiate Gymnastics Association April 6. He also was awarded the Richard M. Aronson Special Service Awards, which honors individuals who have provided exceptional service to the

  • Aircraft lighter ban also applies to servicemembers

    Anyone -- including servicemembers -- carrying lighters will be required to surrender them at U.S. airport security checkpoints before boarding aircraft under a new federal law that became effective April 14, Transportation Security Administration officials said.The new law also applies to military

  • Air Force Academy selected as ‘Best Value College’

    The U.S. Air Force Academy is one of the nation’s "best value" undergraduate institutions, according to a Princeton Review report.The New York-based education services company announced April 18 that it chose the academy as one of 81 schools it recommends in the new 2006 edition of its book,

  • New course helps Airmen get combat ready

    Airmen graduating from the fuels apprentice course are now two to three months closer to combat-ready status after arriving at their first base, said course instructors here.Students are learning how to set up a mobile gas station and other duties during a new seven-day contingency course, said

  • Cool job keeps Airmen fed

    They have the coolest job in the desert -- literally. The two Airmen who put together flight meals work in a large walk-in cooler where the temperature is kept at a chilly 40 degrees to preserve the food for the thousands who sit down for a meal at a forward-deployed location.However, there are many

  • Commanders get sexual-assault prevention, response help

    The new sexual assault response coordinator at Air Force bases will help commanders improve response to sexual assault. As part of an effort to curtail sexual assaults within the ranks, DOD officials directed the services to appoint a coordinator at all appropriate levels of command. The

  • Frequent deployments require emphasis on vaccinations

    Frequent, short-notice deployments worldwide demand the military step up its emphasis on keeping the force vaccinated for contingencies it may face, said the Defense Department’s deputy director for the Military Vaccine Agency.The expeditionary nature of the force requires that DOD officials plan

  • Policy offers confidentiality to sexual-assault victims

    A new Department of Defense policy allows sexual-assault victims to confidentially report crimes against them. In a March memorandum to service secretaries, DOD officials directed all military branches implement restricted (confidential) reporting withing 90 days.The policy allows victims of sexual

  • Airmen cross 100-mission milestone

    Somewhere out there is an old Air Force veteran who has been around and has seen practically everything. Impressing him will not be easy, but you try. First, you tell him you just logged 100 combat missions in a tanker. Impressive, but he does not flinch. Then you tell him you did it in just

  • F-16 crew chiefs combat odds to keep jets in flight

    As the sun beats down upon him, an Airman wipes the sweat from his brow, spreading the layer of grease and oil from his hands onto his forehead. Consumed by the task at hand, he remains focused knowing his jet needs to be ready to take off within the hour.Suddenly, his work is put on hold.“This is

  • Unethical behavior an affront to all hardworking Airmen

    Unethical behavior by any person on the Air Force team is an affront to all Airmen and a breech of trust with the American people, said the service's senior leader. Michael L. Dominguez, acting secretary of the Air Force discussed Air Force acquisition programs and the ethics of spending taxpayers’

  • C-130 maintainers keep mission-capable rates high

    C-130 Hercules maintainers with the 774th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron here are keeping mission-capable rates for C-130s as high as 15 percent above the Air Mobility Command standard.“Mission-capability rates are a measure of the percentage of time an aircraft is capable of performing its designed

  • Family learns life lessons through autistic son

    Having a child is what some would refer to as a life-changing experience, but for a couple here it was more of a change than they expected.Seven years ago, Rich Quick, a logistics analyst for the 542nd Combat Sustainment Wing, and his wife, Nubia, learned that their 1-year-old son Matthew was

  • Officials announce recipients of 2004 PA achievement awards

    Air Force officials have announced the 2004 Air Force public affairs achievement award recipients.They are:Winners of the Secretary of the Air Force Office of Public Affairs director’s excellence awards are:-- Major command category: The Brig. Gen. Harry J. Dalton Jr. Award goes to U.S. Air Forces

  • England briefs Senate on new civilian personnel system

    The Civil Service system began in the 1880s to foster a professional federal work force, and the National Security Personnel System continues that spirit, said Navy Secretary Gordon R. England here April 14.Secretary England is the Defense Department’s senior executive for the system, which will

  • Tyndall Airman becomes U.S. citizen

    A revolt, a family separated and a little girl who grew up to become a defender of freedom in a foreign land.It may sound like a big-budget Hollywood flick, but for one Airman, this is real life.Airman 1st Class Celene Delice, a relocations technician with the 325th Mission Support Squadron here,

  • Female Airman tosses hat in boxing ring

    Besides the issued M-9 or M-16, an installation entry controller here packs additional weapons like a left hook, upper cut and jab that would make even the boldest intruders stop in their tracks.Senior Airman Celsa Reyes, with the boxing team here, is an up-and-coming boxer who, when not pulling

  • Upgrades retrofit T-38 with latest technology

    Airmen from the 416th Flight Test Squadron wrapped up flight tests on software upgrades in an ongoing T-38 Talon avionics upgrade here recently.The latest set of upgrades is the third in a series. During this series, testers performed about 18 sorties October through April, validating the new

  • Contingency response wing activates at Travis

    When the 615th Contingency Response Wing stood up here April 11, the mobility mission of 15th Expeditionary Mobility Task Force’s expanded along with it.“The activation of CRWs and associated groups at Travis and McGuire (Air Force Base, N.J.) is not only historic, but clearly signals our resolve to

  • Tallil joint security force upholds law, order

    Airmen of the 407th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron have joined forces with military policemen of the Texas Army National Guard’s 36th Infantry Division to uphold law and order here.The base is an air hub and ground logistical supply point that has a growing population of coalition military

  • Guardsmen charged with smuggling Ecstasy on C-5

    Two Airmen from the New York Air National Guard’s 105th Airlift Wing have been charged with importing narcotics from Germany to the United States after being arrested April 12 on federal narcotics charges, according to a release from the U.S. Attorney’s office for the southern district of New

  • Brain Injury Center treats new affliction for war on terrorism

    Land mines, rocket-propelled grenades and improvised explosive devices are taking their toll on deployed U.S. troops’ bodies. What is not as easily recognizable is the damage these weapons are doing to servicemembers’ brains.Traumatic brain injury, or TBI, is becoming an increasingly common

  • Lakenheath Airman lauded for 'cutting edge' efforts

    The AIM-9X Sidewinder is an air-to-air missile used by the F-15 Eagle at the 493rd Fighter Squadron here. It is a short-range, heat-seeking weapon used in both offensive and defensive counterair operations.Sergeant Guerrero was involved in every aspect of field introduction of the AIM-9X and

  • Airmen rescue Icelandic fisherman

    Airmen of the 56th Rescue Squadron here completed their second rescue in a month when they evacuated an injured Icelandic fisherman April 10.They flew a fisherman suffering from multiple injuries and having difficulty breathing after receiving a blunt trauma caused by a broken cable about 200 miles

  • Hurlburt Field rescuers help crash victims, save lives

    There were people staggering and people screaming. It was total chaos.That was the scene Tech. Sgt. Mike Gray, a pararescueman assigned to the 720th Special Tactics Group here said he saw as he and his wife turned the corner from their home in nearby Fort Walton Beach early April 9.Eight bicycle

  • Bowsers make draining KC-135s more efficient

    A new piece of equipment is making things cleaner and easier for 92nd Maintenance Squadron Airmen here.While the two fuel bowsers are still new, Airmen have found the machines greatly improve the process of draining fuel from KC-135 Stratotankers, said Staff Sgt. David Shurley, a fuels systems

  • Gunner missing from World War II buried at Arlington

    Department of Defense Prisoner of War/Missing Personnel Office officials announced April 12 that the remains of an Army Air Forces crewman have been identified and were buried with military honors April 12.Staff Sgt. Robert McKee, of Garvey, Calif., was buried in Arlington National Cemetery.On Dec.

  • C-17 makes first polar airdrop

    Aircrews from here airdropped life-sustaining cargo to National Science Foundation scientists at the North Pole in the C-17 Globemaster III’s first polar airdrop April 12.The last polar airdrop was flown in 2001 by the C-141 Starlifter which is being taken out of the Air Force inventory. This time,

  • Life-support techs keep OEF airlifters rescue ready

    For C-130 Hercules aircrews flying a combat airlift mission, there are various forms of lifesaving equipment on the plane and on the Airmen every time they fly.Whether it is a parachute or a helmet, aircrews here are fitted with the best equipment available from the 774th Expeditionary Airlift

  • AFRC streamlines augmentee program

    Air Force Reserve Command officials here are working with other major commands to streamline management of individual mobilization augmentees.In the past, the Air Force's 12,900 IMAs in the Selected Reserve reported administratively to the various active-duty units where most of them are assigned.

  • Sustainability of installations, environment key to readiness

    The best way to ensure that today’s warfighters have what they need to fight and win in the post-Sept. 11 world is to sustain the viability of both military installations and their surrounding environments, a defense official said here April 12.That idea of sustainability -- of the military

  • Grone: BRAC 2005 important for many reasons

    Base Realignment and Closure 2005 is in full swing and this round is important for many reasons, said Philip Grone, deputy undersecretary of defense for installations and environment.To support ongoing force transformation, to improve the joint use of Department of Defense assets and to convert

  • Two chiefs, one marriage, love for Air Force

    In a small farming town near what was then Loring Air Force Base, Maine, 18-year-old Roger Sirois made a decision. What he did not know was it would lead him and his high-school sweetheart on a 25-year personal and professional journey. In 1980, Roger asked his girlfriend, Lisa Warrington, to

  • Airmen keep B-2 Spirits safe

    The B-2 Spirit bomber’s capabilities to penetrate an enemy's most sophisticated defenses and threaten its most heavily defended targets depend on Airmen who help maintain the aircraft’s stealth characteristic. Mechanics deployed from the 509th Maintenance Squadron’s low observable section apply

  • Vandenberg launches micro-satellite

    Airmen of the 1st Air and Space Test Squadron launched XSS-11, a self-maneuvering, micro-satellite, into polar orbit from here April 11.An Orbital Suborbital Program Space Launch Vehicle carried the 220-pound satellite designed to further explore, demonstrate and flight-qualify micro-satellite

  • Airman finds, destroys UXO

    An Airman assigned to watch over foreign workers working at a construction site near the flightline at a forward-deployed location spied something peculiar poking out of the ground recently.What Airman 1st Class Juan Jordan saw was an unexploded ordnance, probably left behind by Iraqi forces more