NATO Air Policing operations

U.S. Air Force News

  • Air Force allergy doctors win FIT competition

    A 59th Medical Wing allergy team won the 15th Annual American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology Fellows-in-Training Bowl held Nov. 6 in Philadelphia. Allergy specialists Maj. (Dr.) Stephen Scranton and Capt. (Dr.) Chris Calabria, with the 759th Medical Operations Squadron at Wilford Hall

  • Andersen community makes a wish come true

    The overcast, rainy afternoon did not dampen the spirits of Andersen Airmen and civilians as they rallied together to make a little boy's wish come true Dec. 5. Andersen AFB officials teamed up to help the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Guam make one of Natsuki Takeda's wishes come true. Five-year-old

  • Gates to take office Dec. 18

    Robert M. Gates will take over as defense secretary Dec. 18, and the department will wish current Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld farewell at a Pentagon ceremony Dec. 15, a Defense Department spokesman announced today. Mr. Gates and Secretary Rumsfeld have met a couple of times to handle

  • Incirlik welcomes Air Force secretary

    Incirlik AB members welcomed the secretary of the Air Force and his wife at approximately noon local time Dec. 7 as the service's leader met with base officials and witnessed the unique missions and capabilities conducted daily in support of full-spectrum operations. Secretary of the Air Force

  • Airlift wing carries legacy into the future

    While much Air Force history can be found in volumes of books at the local library, its living heritage is not so easy to find. Or so most people think. In reality, Air Force heritage and history is easy to find in its Airmen and the units in which they serve. The 15th Airlift Wing at Hickam Air

  • Safety committee promotes holiday hazard awareness

    Increased alcohol consumption and dangerous road conditions are two of many holiday hazards a Defense Department safety committee is working to remind servicemembers about this season. The Defense Safety Oversight Council is using a series of holiday messages from top DOD and service safety center

  • CENTAF releases airpower summary for Dec. 7

    U.S. Central Command Air Forces officials have released the airpower summary for Dec. 7. In Afghanistan Dec. 6, Navy F/A-18 Hornets and Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt IIs provided close-air support for International Security Assistance Force, or ISAF, troops in contact with Taliban extremists near

  • 4 Airmen vie for GEICO awards

    Four Airmen have been chosen to represent the Air Force to compete for the 2006 Government Employee Insurance Company Military Service Awards. Their records will compete against those of other members of the armed forces in four categories. Master Sgt. Shawn Ricchuito of Robins AFB, Ga., will

  • Japanese surprise attack on Hawaii

    At 7:55 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 7, 1941, an Imperial Japanese Naval Task Force under the command of Admiral Chuichi Nagumo, launched the biggest surprise attack in history. Japanese aircraft struck military installations on Oahu and in less then two hours inflicted the worst destruction the Army Air

  • Former Airman returns to Hickam

    Retired Chief Master Sgt. Ralph Barnett returned here for the 65th Anniversary of the attack on Oahu and to show his family where he was on that fateful Sunday morning. At the time of the attack he was a 24-year-old sergeant assigned as assistant armament chief with the 23rd Bombardment Squadron

  • Dec. 7 marks 65th Anniversary of Pearl Harbor

    Sixty-five years ago the Japanese raid on Pearl Harbor killed more than 2,400 Americans. The surprise raid, which took place on the morning of Dec. 7, 1941, led America into what would become the deadliest conflict in human history. Before the Pearl Harbor attack, World War II was being fought in

  • Senate Armed Services Committee Approves Gates

    The Senate Armed Services Committee unanimously recommended Robert M. Gates to be the next U.S. defense secretary. Virginia Sen. John Warner, committee chairman, expressed confidence in Gates' ability to do the job. "He's going to be a very strong adviser to the president of the United States and to

  • Pearl Harbor attack presents parallels, lessons for terror war

    Sixty-five years ago, the United States endured an attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, that for the next 60 years -- until Sept. 11, 2001 -- stood as the most devastating enemy attack on U.S. soil. Like the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, the Japanese raid on Pearl Harbor has been called a defining

  • Pearl Harbor mini-sub mission fails, first prisoner captured

    One hundred miles from Oahu, Hawaii, Kazuo Sakamaki launched his 79-foot submarine -- even though the navigation gyro was broken. His mission: Travel to Pearl Harbor and fire two 18-inch torpedoes at the battleship Pennsylvania.The broken gyro proved his undoing. Thrown off-course before he could

  • Historian revisits Dec. 7, 1941

    On Sunday morning Dec. 7, 1941, the largest airborne attack force ever assembled by the Imperial Japanese Navy struck Oahu's military installations and in the attack's aftermath crippled the U.S .military in the Pacific and plunged the United States into World War II.Six Japanese carriers

  • Luke community rallies to support downed pilot's family

    A Luke AFB pilot killed in action Nov. 27 in Iraq was remembered by Air Force leaders and friends as a warrior-patriot who made a difference in everything he did in a ceremony Dec. 6 here. Maj. Troy L. Gilbert's F-16 Fighting Falcon crashed while flying a combat mission in support of ground forces

  • Officials weigh need for Africa Command

    Defense Department officials continue to examine the idea of establishing a U.S. Africa Command, a top DOD official said here this week. A team of DOD officials is looking at all options in examining the need for a new combatant command, said Theresa Whelan the deputy assistant secretary of defense

  • Commanders lead Airmen in changing times

    From the 15th Pursuit Group to today's 15 Airlift Wing, more than 55 commanders have led the base's Airmen in its 66-year history. Two of the base's commanders during World War II went on to become general officers - Maj. Gen. Kenneth R. Powell and Maj. Gen. Dewitt S. Spain. The airport in Memphis

  • Football: Hennings inducted into college hall of fame

    A former U.S. Air Force Academy football player was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame Dec. 5 in New York City. Chad Hennings, a 1988 academy graduate, was inducted into the 2006 College Football Hall of Fame Division I-A Class at the 49th Annual Awards Dinner. A unanimous first-team

  • Air War College receives joint Phase II certification

    Air War College, the Air Force's senior service school, located at Air University here, received Joint Staff J-7's recommendation for Joint Professional Military Education Phase II certification at the culmination of a visit by a certification assessment team in late November. The recommendation

  • Shield represents past roots, present vision

    The shield of the 15th Airlift Wing symbolizes the unit's mission and reflects its storied past. It was originally approved for the 15th Fighter Group on Oct. 2, 1942.The ultramarine blue and gold represent Air Force colors while the lightning flashes from the base represent the speed of modern

  • Aleutian Islands: World War II secret bases

    When Stuart Faber enlisted in the Army Air Corps shortly after the bombing of Pearl Harbor in December 1941, he wasn't quite sure what he'd be doing. Once assigned to the 404th Bomb Squadron at Elmendorf Field, Alaska, he not only maintained bombers, but was also sent on temporary duty to perform a

  • 3 Air Force installations nominated for excellence

    Air Force officials announced the three Air Force installations that have been named as finalists in the Commander-In-Chief's Annual Award for Installation Excellence Dec. 6. The bases nominated are Columbus AFB, Miss., Hurlburt Field, Fla., and Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho.The bases were

  • Warfighters sharpen skills during Vigilant Shield

    Warfighters assigned to Air Forces Northern and Continental U.S. NORAD Region are honing the skills needed to respond to such threats during Vigilant Shield 07 which began Dec. 4 and runs through Dec. 14 here. The annual homeland defense Vigilant Shield exercise, sponsored by the North American

  • 1st Air Force female pilot in combat reflects on career

    As she attends Air War College here, the first female pilot in the Department of Defense to fly in combat reflected on some of her career experiences so far. An A-10 Thunderbolt II pilot, Lt. Col. Martha McSally is also the first female in the Air Force to serve as the commander of any combat

  • Pearl Harbor survivor remembers

    On Dec. 7, 1941, Richard Fiske started his day aboard the USS West Virginia, much like any other. But just before 8 a.m., the 19-year-old Marine bugler looked up from his watch post on the ship's quarterdeck to see Japanese planes overhead."At first I thought they were our planes, then the first

  • A Superior Private, a historian remembers

    It was a rather typical workday for 20-year-old Joe Muratsuchi. After rising, he swept the shop where he worked as a bookkeeper. It was a good job, and he liked the work, mostly because he was good at numbers. At certain hours of the day, he and a young co-worker would turn on the radio for the

  • CENTAF releases airpower summary for Dec. 6

    U.S. Central Command Air Forces officials have released the airpower summary for Dec. 6.In Afghanistan Dec. 5, an Air Force MQ-1 Predator conducted a strike against Taliban extremists near Kandahar. The aircraft expended a Hellfire missile on the enemy target. An Air Force B-1B Lancer, Air Force

  • Cadets earn all-conference football honors

    Seven U.S. Air Force Academy football players were chosen for all-conference honors Dec. 5 by Mountain West Conference officials.Leading the way was Air Force junior linebacker Drew Fowler who was named first-team all-Mountain West Conference. Senior offensive lineman Robert Kraay and junior

  • IMAs, units to share Reserve personnel reductions

    Faced with eliminating 7,700 personnel authorizations, Air Force Reserve Command officials have decided to divide those cuts between individual mobilization augmentees and unit reservists. "To do our part in the Air Force's recapitalization and modernization efforts, as well as participate in

  • Air Force launches new television program

    A long-format, weekly news show titled "Today's Air Force" is now available. The new program, which first aired Oct. 30, was introduced to help tell Air Force stories in a more in-depth manner. "We have daily news programs, but they don't provide enough time to get deep into a subject and provide

  • TCU grounds Air Force in season finale

    Texas Christian University played keep away from the Air Force for the better part of the first half Dec. 2 on its way to a 24-0 intermission lead, then tacked on two more scores after the break thanks to Falcon turnovers, en route to a 38-14 Mountain West Conference rout before 30,767 fans at the

  • Secretary Wynne visits Aviano

    Secretary of the Air Force Michael Wynne visited Aviano AB Dec. 5 and spoke to base members about issues affecting today's Airmen. Some of the things Secretary Wynne discussed were Air Force Smart Operations for the 21st century, deployments and the new cyber command. "I am capitalizing on the

  • An Air Force legend returns

    During World War II, a special wartime publication, limited to 5,000 copies, brought some welcome light in the allies' darkest days. But this "rarest of the rare" books appealed to more than just yesterday's Airmen -- it charmed their children.Now, after 63 years, and the hard-fought efforts of one

  • Chief McKinley visits Airmen in San Antonio

    Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Rodney J. McKinley learned about the Air Force News Agency's capabilities during a visit Dec. 5 here. Agency Airmen showed the chief how their media products help tell the global Air Force story. He also learned how agency products help support the strategic

  • Wing changes missions over time

    The 15th Airlift Wing, originally established as the 15th Pursuit Group (Fighter) on Nov. 22, 1940, activated at Wheeler Field , Hawaii, on Dec. 1, 1940. A little more than a year later, on Dec. 7, 1941, it engaged in combat action during the Japanese attack on military installations in Hawaii.

  • Air Force Week locations selected for 2007

    Air Force officials announced Dec. 5 the six locations to host "Air Force Week" in 2007. They are Phoenix from March 19 to 25; Sacramento from June 4 to 10; St. Louis from July 2 to 8; New England from Aug.18 to 26; Honolulu from Sept. 10 to 16; and Atlanta from Oct. 8 to 14. The inaugural Air Force

  • Thunderbirds release 2007 show schedule

    The U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron, "Thunderbirds," has announced its 2007 air show schedule. The team is scheduled to perform more than 68 shows in 21 states and nine European countries.The 2007 schedule is as follows: March 24-25 Luke Air Force Base, Ariz. 31 Point Mugu Naval Base

  • Airman dies in CH-46 helicopter crash

    Capt. Kermit Evans, an Air Force civil engineer explosive ordnance flight commander, was killed as a result of a U.S. Marine helicopter emergency water landing Dec. 3. Captain Evans was one of 16 people aboard the Marine CH-46 helicopter when it made an emergency water landing near the shore of Lake

  • Fighter pilot balanced tactics, safety, effectiveness

    I'd hate to see an epitaph on a fighter pilot's tombstone that says, "I told you I needed training"... How do you train for the most dangerous game in the world by being as safe as possible? When you don't let a guy train because it's dangerous, you're saying, "Go fight those lions with your bare

  • CENTAF releases airpower summary for Dec. 5

    U.S. Central Command Air Forces officials have released the airpower summary for Dec. 5.In Afghanistan Dec. 4, U.S. Navy F/A-18 Hornets and Royal Air Force GR-7 Harriers provided close-air support for International Security Assistance Force, or ISAF, troops in contact with Taliban extremists near

  • Reconstruction team holds first vendor fair

    More than 40 contractors from the Zabul Province attended the first vendor fair Nov. 26 held by the Qalat Provincial Reconstruction Team here in an effort to promote the availability of services and opportunities to both new and established contractors in the region. Hosted by PRT officials and the

  • Hockey: Air Force, Sacred Heart skate to tie

    For the second straight night, Air Force and Sacred Heart skated to an overtime tie, this time the score was 1-1, in an Atlantic Hockey Association game Dec. 2 at the academy's Cadet Ice Arena. The teams skated to a 3-3 overtime tie Dec. 1. Sacred Heart remained in first place in the AHA with 18

  • Fairchild, Grand Forks crews support NATO summit

    KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft along with aircrews, crew chiefs and maintainers from Fairchild Air Force Base, Wash., and Grand Forks AFB, N.D., are augmenting the refueling mission here in support of a NATO Summit mission.The weeklong deployment by the two stateside units allowed the RAF Mildenhall

  • Orientation program highlights best practices

    Air Mobility Command mission support group commanders recently traveled to five AMC bases to learn about and evaluate best practices as part of the annual Excellent Installation Orientation Program. Commanders visited MacDill Air Force Base, Fla.; McGuire AFB, N.J.; Grand Forks AFB, N.D.; Fairchild

  • Families receive $178 million in retroactive benefits

    Base-level casualty assistance representatives around the Air Force have been instrumental in identifying eligible families to receive more than $178 million in retroactive death benefits. The payments, made by the Defense Finance and Accounting Service, come from recent changes enacted by Congress

  • Air Force assists Japanese senior enlisted development

    Fifth Air Force and U.S. Forces Japan Nov. 29 served as host to a 17-member delegation of senior enlisted leaders from the Japanese Ground Self Defense Force interested in learning best practices and improving its enlisted force development. Chief Master Sgt. James Roy, the command chief for U.S.

  • Leaders stress holiday safety

    In a joint Letter to Airmen, Air Force Secretary Michael W. Wynne and Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. T. Michael Moseley stressed the importance of safety during the holiday season. The two leaders want Airmen to watch out for each other. And they said though the service puts emphasis on safety, the

  • Military health care professionals join to combat global AIDS

    Military health care professionals from 30 countries gathered here Dec. 4 for the sixth annual international HIV/AIDS Strategic Planning and Policy Development course. The week-long course, which is hosted by the Defense Institute for Medical Operations, aims to help senior military and civilian

  • Kentucky Airmen lead way for ANG contingency response

    The Kentucky Air National Guard is now the home of the first and only contingency response group in the Air National Guard. The 123rd Contingency Response Group -- an "airbase in a box" -- will now provide a continual capability to provide everything necessary to open a runway, load and unload

  • Pope NCO receives Purple Heart

    A tactical air control party Airman from Pope AFB's 17th Air Support Operations Squadron was awarded the Purple Heart in a presentation ceremony Nov. 30 here. Tech. Sgt. Juan Valentin was awarded the Purple Heart for his wounds received in action Oct. 28 while supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

  • Active C-130 unit unites with Wyoming ANG

    The U.S. Air Force has proven active duty and citizen Airmen can successfully operate together daily with the right amount of communication and the right amount of heart - just ask the Airmen of the 30th and 187th Airlift Squadrons at the Wyoming Air National Guard's 153rd Airlift Wing. The

  • Afghan reconstruction team brings supplies to orphans

    The Mehtar Lam Provincial Reconstruction Team paid an unexpected visit to a girl's orphan school Nov. 27 to donate three trailers full of supplies, including items to help with the approaching winter. The staff of Rosantoon Orphan Girl's School in Mehtar Lam City welcomed the team and helped

  • CENTAF releases airpower summary for Dec. 4

    U.S. Central Command Air Forces officials have released the airpower summary for Dec. 4.In Afghanistan Dec. 3, Navy F/A-18 Hornets and French Air Force M-2000Ds provided close-air support for International Security Assistance Force, or ISAF, troops in contact with Taliban extremists near Kandahar.

  • Andersen Airmen treat, transport injured Sailors

    Airmen from the 36th Medical Group and 734th Air Mobility Squadron here played an integral role in treating and transporting six critically injured Sailors Dec. 2 to Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii.The Sailors were transported via a C-17 Globemaster III to Hickam AFB, then on to the Army's Burn Center

  • Record-setting fuels flight keeps gas flowing at Manas

    Airmen from the 376th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron Petroleum, Oils and Lubricants Flight help complete the 376th Air Expeditionary Wing's mission of delivering fuel, people and cargo to Afghanistan by keeping the fuel flowing. The men and women of POL, commonly known as the fuels

  • Basketball: Falcons fall to Western Michigan, 71-54

    Despite the third double-double of the season for junior Alecia Steele, native of Oklahoma City, Okla., the Air Force women's basketball team dropped a 71-54 contest to Western Michigan Dec. 2 in the championship game of the Air Force Classic. The Falcons fall to 3-4 on the season, while the Broncos

  • Wrestling: Falcons wrap up competition at open

    Five Falcons notched two victories each to lead the Air Force wrestling team Dec. 2 at the FHSU-Bob Smith Open, hosted by Fort Hays State. Senior Andrew Teigeler, native of Yorktown, Va., wrestling at 149 pounds, dropped his first round match-up to PCC's Lorenzo Mundy, 14-4, but picked up a 9-6

  • CENTAF releases airpower summary for Dec. 3

    U.S. Central Command Air Forces officials release the airpower summary for Dec. 3.In Afghanistan Dec. 2, Air Force B-1B Lancers provided close-air support for International Security Assistance Force, or ISAF, troops in contact with Taliban extremists near Now Zad. The B-1Bs expended guided bomb

  • F-16 pilot status confirmed

    Maj. Troy L. Gilbert, the pilot of the Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon engaged in support of coalition ground combat operations that crashed approximately 20 miles northwest of Baghdad Nov. 27, was officially listed as killed in action.Positive identification was made through DNA analysis by the

  • CENTAF releases airpower summary for Dec. 2

    U.S. Central Command Air Forces officials have released the airpower summary for Dec. 2. In Afghanistan Dec. 1, U.S. Navy F/A-18 Hornets and Royal Air Force GR-7 Harriers provided close-air support for International Security Assistance Force, or ISAF, troops in contact with Taliban extremists near

  • Air Force transporting injured Sailors

    The Air Force is currently responding to transport injured Sailors from Guam back to the United States to receive medical attention. Eight sailors were injured, six critically, as a result of an accident aboard a U.S. Navy submarine tender. The Guam Pacific Daily News reports the sailors were

  • Specialized reservist team supports Naval burn victims

    It's like a page from a script right out of a Hollywood movie. A McChord C-17 Globemaster III was diverted Dec. 1 to fly a nine-member Army Burn Center Flight Team from Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, to Hickam AFB, Hawaii, to care for six Navy Sailors burned when a steam line ruptured onboard the

  • Elementary school sends cards to deployed troops

    Staff Sgt. Saara Mustapha, a 455th Air Expeditionary Wing aide from Holloman Air Force Base, N.M., hands a Christmas card to Master Sgt. Mark Means, a production superintendent from Pope Air Force Base, N.C. The cards were written, decorated and sent to the troops from Perdue Elementary School

  • Basketball: Falcons defeat Yale to open Air Force Classic

    Led by a career-high 20 points by junior Pamela Findlay, the Air Force women's basketball team defeated Yale 67-55 Dec. 1 in the opening round of the Air Force Classic. The Falcons, who move onto Saturday's championship game, improve to 3-3 on the season, while the Bulldogs fall to 1-5. The contest

  • Teams return from Laos, Cambodia recovery missions

    Five Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command recovery teams and one investigation team returned to Hawaii last week after conducting missions in Laos and Cambodia. Three recovery teams excavated sites in Savannakhet Province, Lao Peoples' Democratic Republic, connected to three cases involving missing

  • Andersen firefighters respond to base housing fire

    The 36th Civil Engineer Squadron's fire emergency service responded to a house fire in base housing Wednesday, which resulted in serious property damage. No one was home at the time of the fire nor was anyone injured in the blaze. The fire was initially reported by a neighbor at 3:11 p.m. "On behalf

  • Children tune in Air Force Band holiday concert

    The Air Force Band kicked off its holiday season here today with a downtown concert tailored for young concert-goers at the Daughters of the American Republic Constitution Hall. With performances from four of the band's eight ensembles -the hip-hop/pop band Max Impact, the Singing Sergeants choir,

  • USAFE officials reactivate 3rd Air Force

    The 3rd Air Force was reactivated today during a ceremony here. Lt. Gen. Robert D. Bishop Jr. took command. General Bishop has been vice commander of U.S. Air Forces in Europe."My last three job titles have begun with deputy, assistant or vice. I am personally delighted and humbled to be here this

  • Florida teaching certification to benefit CCAF instructors

    Qualified instructors from the Community College of the Air Force can now take a state-issued subject-knowledge exam to meet requirements for K-12 teaching certification in Florida, negating the need of additional schooling, after Florida legislators recently amended their educator certification

  • Moody pharmacy team makes AFSO 21 improvements

    The 23rd Medical Group's pharmacy is currently implementing a series of changes to improve customer service and satisfaction. The changes are a direct result of the group's first Air Force Smart Operations for the 21st century Rapid Improvement Event. The first change revises the pharmacy hours from

  • SERB-eligible officers must apply for retirement by Dec. 15

    To preclude Selective Early Retirement Board consideration, SERB-eligible officers must submit a retirement application by Dec. 15. The 2007A SERB is scheduled to convene Jan. 8 at the Air Force Personnel Center, and officers must submit their applications by Dec. 15 to ensure approval by the Jan. 1

  • Airmen help restore sullied cemetery

    The Golden Rule is "do unto others as you would have them do unto to you." A group of Airmen assigned to the 732nd Regional Support Unit at Camp Habbaniyah, Iraq, have taken that rule to heart. Volunteers here have put in close to 200 hours cleaning up and maintaining of a British cemetery located

  • NORAD to patrol space shuttle operations

    The Air Force is stepping up its air patrols in the Cape Canaveral, Fla., area to increase security for upcoming space shuttle operations. The patrols are a smart, efficient way to protect American lives and resources in the region, said Maj. Gen. Henry C. Morrow, the 1st Air Force commander."NORAD

  • Moody maintainers take initiative with AFSO 21

    A handful of Moody AFB maintenance professionals brought Air Force Smart Operations for the 21st century to the forefront during a meeting Nov. 20 and 21 that reflected on improving inspections for the HC-130P. Sixteen Airmen from the 723rd Maintenance Squadron, Aircraft Maintenance Squadron and

  • Cold weather warning: Silent killer lurks

    Air Force medical officials warn personnel to be aware of the dangers that can accompany the use of home heating systems during cold weather. The greatest danger comes from carbon monoxide poisoning. "CO is a silent killer," said Lt. Col. (Dr.) Shawn Varney the 59th Medical Wing Emergency Department

  • CENTAF releases airpower summary for Dec. 1

    U.S. Central Command Air Forces officials have released the airpower summary for Dec. 1. In Afghanistan Nov. 30, U.S. Navy F/A-18 Hornets provided close-air support for International Security Assistance Force, or ISAF, troops in contact with Taliban extremists near Kabul. The F/A-18s expended guided

  • Academy senior qualifies for Olympic trials

    A U.S. Air Force Academy senior qualified for the Olympic trials with a 17th-place finish in the 200 meter individual medley preliminaries Nov. 30 at the 2006 U.S. Open here. Paul Parmenter swam a time of 2:07.39, which was the exact time needed to qualify. The Falcons had two more seniors

  • Report cites mechanical error in Predator accident

    An MQ-1L Predator crash during a training mission June 22 at Creech Air Force Base, Nev., was the result of mechanical error, according to an aircraft accident investigation report released Nov. 30.There were no injuries or fatalities from the accident; and other than the loss of the aircraft, no

  • Thrift investment board ups '07 TSP contribution limits

    The Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board has announced a $500 increase in regular Thrift Savings Plan contributions to $15,500 for 2007 elective deferral maximum contributions. "TSP is a long-term retirement savings plan, which everyone should consider," said Janet Thomas, a human resources

  • Patrolmen lauded for life-saving response

    A base Airman who attempted suicide is alive today because of the fast reaction of four patrolmen from the 366th Security Forces Squadron here. This month, 366th Fighter Wing officials showed its gratitude by selecting Tech. Sgt. Rich Richardson, Tech. Sgt. Galen Dickerson, Staff Sgt. Tom French and

  • Next generation: A-10C arrives at Davis-Monthan

    The A-10C Thunderbolt II made its official roll-out debut here Nov. 29, revealing its transformation and its enhanced capabilities under the Precision Engagement program.The Precision Engagement program will offer the A-10 the most significant modifications it has ever received in its 30-year

  • U.S. forces to stay in Iraq 'until job complete'

    U.S. leaders will consider all options on moving forward in Iraq, but three tenets of U.S. Iraq policy "remain firm and they're fixed," President George W. Bush said after a meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki Nov. 30 in Amman, Jordan.He also reiterated that U.S. forces would remain in

  • NCO completes in-theater advocate training

    An NCO here completed 40 hours of training to become the first victim advocate trained in Southwest Asia, according to the local Sexual Assault Response Coordinator. Dr. Mario Mercado said Staff Sgt. Kino Simmons of the 380th Expeditionary Communications Squadron completed the training before any

  • Area defense artillery battalion stands up at Kadena

    The 1-1 Air Defense Artillery Battalion (PAC-3) stood up during a ceremony Nov. 29 at the 18th Wing Headquarters here. "Today is an important day for our soldiers and our people -- it is a commemoration and an honoring of our personnel and the beginning of a new and exciting chapter in our unit's

  • Sibling tanker pilots connect 7,700 miles from home

    Being in different services, they never thought their military paths would cross, but two Kaysville, Utah, brothers are sharing a once-in-a-lifetime experience. The Torbensen family learned Marine Corps Capt. Jason Torbensen and Air Force 1st Lt. Dustin Torbensen would serve together at a