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  • A priceless $10.25

    Much has been said recently about our nation’s military and the operations it is involved in. Some people are supportive, while others are not so supportive, and each has his own way of showing it.Three local girls demonstrated their support by raising money to help the deployed people in

  • Space is ‘ultimate high ground’

    Integration of hardware, software and can-do spirit has allowed America to move into an era of space-enabled warfare, a senior Air Force space official said.And given the significant advantages space gives those who use it, that is a very good thing, according to Brig. Gen. C. Robert Kehler, Air

  • NATO chaplain chiefs build relationships

    For the first time in 12 years, the chiefs of NATO nations' air forces' chaplaincies have come to the United States for their annual conference.The weeklong NATO Allied Air Force Chief of Chaplains Consultative Conference, held jointly at both the Pentagon and Andrews Air Force Base, Md., ended June

  • Photographers capture bomb damage in Iraq

    Master Sgt. Michael Best has taken photographs for 28 years. The past 20 years, he has made his living taking photos for the Air Force.But on a sunny, sultry day in mid-June in Iraq’s capital city, he is looking for more than just photos. He is looking for snipers.“I’m sure the force-protection

  • AF considers new uniform

    Air Force officials are considering an Air Force-distinctive uniform to replace the current battle dress uniform, according to service officials.A fit and wear test of the uniform is pending, officials said. The test will determine the best direction to respond to Air Force needs for a 21st century

  • Wartime heirloom returned to family

    Sixty years of history came full circle this week when an airman here returned a Japanese flag to the family of its original owner. The flag was carried into battle by a Japanese soldier during World War II.Col. Donald Weckhorst, commander of the 605th Air Operations Group at 5th Air Force

  • Addition extends weapon’s range

    Workers here have begun work to create greater range and accuracy for wind-corrected munitions dispensers.Area attack systems program office workers are helping design and develop wings for the dispensers as well as adding a global positioning system to aid the weapon’s inertial-guidance system.Both

  • Officials release U-2 accident report

    Air Force investigators have determined that engine failure caused a U-2 Dragon Lady surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft to crash Jan. 26 near Osan Air Base, South Korea.The pilot ejected from the aircraft and sustained only minor injuries. The U-2 was assigned to the 9th Reconnaissance Wing

  • FAST encourages minority students to fly

    The Air Force’s Flight Awareness Summer Training orientation program encourages ROTC cadets in minority-based college and university programs to investigate careers in aviation.Twenty-two cadets enrolled in the three-week program at Delaware State University attended the FAST forum at Dover Air

  • AF won’t court-martial F-16 pilots

    The 8th Air Force commander announced decisions regarding the Tarnak Farms “friendly-fire” cases of Majs. Harry Schmidt and William Umbach on June 19. Neither pilot will be referred to trial by court-martial.The two Illinois Air National Guard F-16 Fighting Falcon pilots from the 170th Fighter

  • Air Force releases academy sexual misconduct study

    Less than 1 percent of male cadets and 5 percent of female cadets at the Air Force Academy have been involved in known sexual assault allegations over the 10-year period examined, according to the report on academy sexual misconduct released June 19.The report acknowledged that sexual assaults are

  • Roadmap outlines tanker fleet changes

    The Air Force released a plan June 18 outlining the retirement of the remaining 133 E-model KC-135 Stratotankers and the proposed integration of the 100 KC-767A tankers it is leasing from Boeing.Through the “tanker roadmap,” the Air Force is laying out the initial stages of tanker recapitalization

  • Nuclear careers combine degrees, PME

    Officers in nuclear-related career fields will be among the first to participate in a program that combines professional military education and advanced-educational degrees, a Pentagon official said.Majors through colonels in nuclear science and engineering career fields will be able to earn both

  • One-stop shopping for U.S. defense

    People lingering in the newly built hallways of the U.S. Northern Command headquarters building here are likely to hear the phrase “one-stop shopping.”America’s newest military command is patterned on a simple retail concept that has been around for years -- everything people need in one convenient

  • Team assessing bombing targets

    On June 15, the Combined Weapons Effectiveness Assessment Team visited a site targeted by coalition aircraft during Operation Iraqi Freedom. A bunker was buried underneath layers of soil and concrete, hiding more than 25 compartments used to shield parts of Saddam Hussein's regime. In the next

  • AEF Center improves ‘online’ site

    The Air and Space Expeditionary Force Center here recently launched an improved version of their Web site, “AEF Online,” to help airmen learn more about the AEF and provide information about deployments.“We’ve made the site more user-friendly and more pleasing to the eye. Our goal was to organize

  • Air Force wins DOD value engineering awards

    The Air Force is the recipient of three Department of Defense Value Engineering Achievement Awards.Dr. Glenn F. Lamartin, defense systems director for the office of the undersecretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics, presented the awards during a June 18 ceremony at the

  • Spending accounts open for enrollment

    Enrollments in the federal Flexible Spending Accounts program are now being accepted by the contractor. The deadline for Air Force civilians to enroll in the program has been extended to June 27, according to Air Force Personnel Center officials here.FSA is a new employment benefit that allows

  • Morale center keeps troops in touch

    Experts from the 5th Combat Communications Group here are providing more than just communications at Tallil Air Base, Iraq. They are boosting morale by providing phones and computers to American and coalition forces there.Word has gotten around about the 5th CCG's efforts to bridge the distance

  • Officer dismissed for drug use

    An officer here has been dismissed from the Air Force and will serve four months confinement after being convicted of several drug-related crimes in a general court-martial.Second Lt. Bryce Terpstra of the Air Force Safety Center pleaded guilty to using and possessing methamphetamine and possession

  • Operation Desert Scorpion continues throughout Iraq

    Operation Desert Scorpion continues throughout Iraq, said Army 5th Corps officials.Officials said Combined Joint Task Force 7 commanders are using all available assets in the hunt for former Saddam Hussein regime officials and forces. This includes air power and special operations forces as needed,

  • IG announces annual award winners

    The Air Force Inspector General announced the winners of the 2002 Howard W. Leaf Inspector General Awards on June 12.The award recognizes the outstanding enlisted and officer inspectors in the Air Force assigned to a major command inspector-general team.This year’s winners include:-- Enlisted

  • Airman’s daughter opens for Lee Greenwood

    Six-year-old Jordyn Tabury opened a concert for country-music artist Lee Greenwood during a military appreciation day concert at Six Flags in Agawam, Mass., on June 14.Jordyn sang “God Bless the USA” to more than 1,000 people at the concert. She is the daughter of Staff Sgt. Peter and Bernadette

  • Airmen reminded to update vRED

    In the five months since the official launch of the virtual record of emergency data, more than 383,000 airmen have updated their contact information. While this number is impressive, there is more work to be done, according to Air Force Personnel Center officials here."It's imperative we have

  • BEST newsletter keeps civilians current

    Less than 10 percent of Air Force civilians are taking advantage of a way to get information about their benefits, and Air Force Personnel Center officials here are encouraging more people to participate.By subscribing online to the Benefits and Entitlements Service Team newsletter, Air Force

  • Short-tour credit authorized for contingency deployments overseas

    A temporary exception to policy will award permanent change-of-station short-tour credit to many airmen deployed overseas for recent contingency operations, according to Air Force Personnel officials here.Eligible airmen must have been on temporary duty starting on or after Sept. 11, 2001, for at

  • Plan in motion to bring support troops home

    When the Air Force deployed its fighting forces for Operation Iraqi Freedom, a substantial portion of that contingent, about 65 percent, came from the installations and logistics community. This included civil engineers, services, supply, transportation and maintenance troops and airmen from the

  • Miniature decoy development begins

    Experts here are helping develop a miniature air-launched decoy that Air Force officials hope will entice enemy forces to prematurely disclose their air defense locations, keeping friendly pilots further out of harms way.Precision strike system program office experts awarded an $88 million,

  • ‘Young Eagles' take flight

    An "experience to remember" is how 12-year-old Danielle Orcutt described her recent flight here in a World War II-era aircraft piloted by retired Brig. Gen. Chuck Yeager.Danielle and 39 other "Young Eagles" were given the privilege of flying with aviation legends after winning an essay contest

  • Exercise gives warfighters’ perspective

    Thirty-eight Air Force Research Laboratory scientists and engineers traveled to Fort Drum, N.Y., May 31 to June 13 for Phoenix Warrior 2003.This annual exercise is tailored to show new technologies to the warfighting community and expose laboratory scientists and engineers to an operational

  • Air Force's first female boxer debuts

    An airman here is not worried about the odds of her winning her first national bout in Augusta, Ga., June 18 to 21 -- she has already beat the odds to become the first female on the Air Force boxing team.Staff Sgt. Charmaine Carrington, a 33rd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron weapons-load crew chief,

  • Online registration, voting expands

    A Department of Defense voting experiment in the 2000 presidential elections that allowed military and overseas voters to cast their ballots through the Internet will expand in 2004.Beginning this fall, Federal Voting Assistance Program officials hope to get as many as 100,000 military members --

  • Team assessing OIF air component effectiveness

    A team of nearly 100 experts in a variety of fields began traveling in Iraq on June 8 to visit up to 500 impact points targeted by coalition air component forces during Operation Iraqi Freedom.A portion of the Combined Weapons Effectiveness Assessment Team, or CWEAT, visited sites in Iraq earlier in

  • Base welcomes first commercial aircraft

    At 9:55 a.m. June 12, a small turbo-prop aircraft made history here as it became the first commercial cargo plane to land at the southern Iraqi base.The small, 10-passenger Raytheon Beechcraft 1900, operated by Falcon Express Cargo Airlines from Dubai, United Arab Emirates, made the first of future

  • Second F-16 crashes in Arizona this week

    An F-16 Fighting Falcon based here crashed June 13 at about 9:30 a.m. on the Barry M. Goldwater Range about five miles south of Gila Bend.Capt. Scott Arbogast, an instructor pilot assigned to the 61st Fighter Squadron here, safely ejected from the aircraft.The mishap marks the second Luke F-16 crash

  • Team will address total-force issues

    The Air Force is standing up a “tiger team” to address three major Air Reserve Component issues considered vital to the future success of the total force.The team, led by Brig. Gen. Jose M. Portela, will initially focus on income protection, medical care and changes to the implicit contract with

  • Post-deployment assessment improves health care

    The Air Force surgeon general is meeting the health challenges of airmen returning from Operation Iraqi Freedom with a more vigorous, face-to-face approach.Health-care providers have expanded and improved existing procedures by combining a larger database of existing health information about airmen,

  • Rumsfeld calls Belgium suits ‘absurd’

    Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said June 12 that American officials may stop attending NATO meetings in Belgium because of a law that allows "spurious" suits accusing American leaders of war crimes.Rumsfeld said the United States will withhold any further funding for a new NATO headquarters

  • Exercise challenges air traffic controllers

    Rising more than 14 stories above the runway, air traffic controllers scan a five-mile area including 3,000 feet above the base here. They are playing a key role in the movement of air traffic during Cooperative Cope Thunder, an exercise bringing pilots and ground personnel from around the world to

  • Technical orders a mouse-click away

    Well-thumbed-through volumes of technical orders are going the way of quill pens and ink pots here as a growing number of workers are using a browser-based TO library.Two years in the making, the library puts the latest technical orders a mouse-click away from each of the 10,000 or so mechanics at

  • Reserve air fleet call-up ending

    Gen. John W. Handy, commander of U.S. Transportation Command and Air Mobility Command, has determined that continuing the Civil Reserve Air Fleet call-up is not required. Fleet carriers have been notified that passenger aircraft called up to support Operation Iraqi Freedom will be released June

  • 44 civilian leaders witness airpower

    Forty-four U.S. civic, business and industry leaders witnessed military life June 9 when the Defense Secretary’s 2003 Joint Civilian Orientation Course stopped here for a firsthand look at what the U.S. Air Forces in Europe has to offer. Hand-picked from more than 6,000 applicants all vying for a

  • A-10s ready for OEF action

    About 150 people and eight A-10 Thunderbolt IIs deployed to Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan, from Spangdahlem AB, Germany, to stand guard and support Operation Enduring Freedom and the war on terrorism.Spangdahlem’s people are taking over combat operations from the Maryland Air National Guard’s 104th

  • June 14 dedicated to 'Old Glory'

    Old Glory. Stars and Stripes. The Star-Spangled Banner.Most people know the names of the flag of the United States and that June 14 is Flag Day, but there is much more to one of the nation's most cherished symbols than its many monikers."It is important for us to commemorate our flag because it

  • Judge advocates play many roles in legal process

    Contrary to what is portrayed on television, military attorneys do more than prosecute cases.Many staff judge advocates and assistants spend less than 5 percent of their time in court, said Capt. Ron Spencer, 56th Fighter Wing assistant staff judge advocate here. Most of their casework is done

  • Time to modernize civilian personnel

    The "time is here and now" to modernize Defense Department personnel practices with changes to the civil service system, said David S. C. Chu, undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness, during a Pentagon briefing June 10.In a step that will transform the way the DOD does business, Chu

  • Dyess sets record mission-capable rates

    When the 7th Bomb Wing’s B-1 Lancer maintainers and operators here surpassed Air Combat Command's monthly mission-capable rate two months in a row last June and July, officials called it "a huge success." It was the first time the wing had accomplished the feat.But that accomplishment was just the

  • On-site trainers saving time, money

    Seven Air Education and Training Command instructors will bring a Robins initiative to life soon that not only saves the government thousands of dollars, it allows 3,000 additional depot technicians to be trained annually.The program, also being implemented at Air Force Materiel Command air

  • International students build more than language skills

    In today’s world of international relations, building coalitions is important. For a group of international military students here, the term “building” recently took on a much different meaning. Rather than building a geopolitical relationship with their fellow students from other countries, these

  • Air Force releases F-15 accident report

    An Air Force Accident Investigation Board determined the cause of fatal F-15 Eagle accident was a breakdown in terrain avoidance responsibilities between the pilots and air traffic controllers on the ground.This breakdown led to a descent below safety altitudes without the pilots having positive

  • Airmen capture Iraqi republican guardsman

    Three air traffic control radar controllers were surprised June 9 when they found a member of Saddam Hussein’s republican guard hiding in an abandoned building by their radar site at the international airport here.While patrolling their site, Airman 1st Class Richard Mansure, deployed from the 305th

  • Security meets diplomacy

    Although the main objective of the 376th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron is to protect people and resources at Ganci Air Base, Kyrgyzstan, some of the squadron airmen have also a diplomatic role in their security duties.Tech. Sgt. Lex Goan regularly works one of the special posts patrolling a

  • F-16 crashes in Arizona

    An Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon jet assigned here crashed about 5:15 p.m. June 10 on the Barry M. Goldwater Range approximately 15 miles south of Gila Bend.Capt. David O’Malley, an instructor pilot with the 310th Fighter Squadron, safely ejected from the aircraft while on an air-to-ground training

  • Americans can join support team

    "Uncle Sam Wants You" is a familiar recruiting slogan to generations of Americans. But in this case, it is an invitation for all Americans to sign up for a different kind of military operation.Operation Tribute to Freedom, a Defense Department initiative, is a way for Americans to show their

  • Air Force surveying reservists

    This year, for the first time, the Air Force Climate Survey will include all Air Force reservists.Feedback from last year’s study, formerly the Air Force Chief of Staff Survey, prompted the Air Force to involve a larger audience in the new survey, which will gauge factors affecting the day-to-day

  • Air Medal awarded 59 years later

    After nearly six decades of waiting, a retired Air Force master sergeant and former Air Force Research Laboratory employee received his Air Medal at a June 2 ceremony here.Trinidad Castinado received the Air Medal, second oak leaf cluster, from Col. Mark Stephen, acting director of the

  • McGuire Starlifters thrive

    The 6th Airlift Squadron here may be the last active-duty squadron in the Air Force still flying C-141B Starlifters; however, the aircraft is far from being retired.Though the squadron is being drawn down to make way for the C-17 Globemaster III, its operations tempo has been on the rise. The

  • Modifications give F-16s new life

    America's premier multirole fighter is “slipping” into some tougher armor that promises to extend the aircraft's life by about eight years.The F-16 Service Life Improvement Program modifications, better known as SLIP, are "all about extending these aircraft -- putting them back up to get more life

  • F-16 crashes over Iraq, pilot rescued

    A U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft crashed early June 12 southwest of Baghdad. The aircraft was flying from a forward-deployed air base in Southwest Asia supporting operations in Iraq.The pilot ejected safely from the single-seat aircraft and was rescued an hour later. He was

  • Vendor payments go electronic

    The Air Force will be one step closer to its goal of seamless electronic commerce with the implementation of Wide Area Workflow, finance officials said.The program, a Department of Defense-developed initiative, simplifies the way military services pay vendors and contractors by eliminating the

  • Readiness center prepared for disasters

    With the 2003 hurricane season in full swing, Air Force Personnel Center officials remind airmen that the Personnel Readiness Center here can assist them when natural disasters strike. In the event airmen are evacuated or communications are impaired, the PRC acts as a central point of contact to

  • Re-enlistment bonuses adjusted

    Air Force officials recently revised re-enlistment bonuses, adding or increasing 40 career field zones and decreasing or removing 100, according to Air Force Personnel Center officials here.The revision to the selective re-enlistment bonus program includes additions of zones in two career fields

  • Ramstein continues Algerian relief

    More humanitarian relief supplies were in the sky June 5 as three C-130 Hercules aircraft flew from Ramstein to earthquake-stricken Algeria. This is the second humanitarian mission bringing eight pallets containing more than 6 tons of much-needed supplies to the people in the areas surrounding

  • Idea paves way for retirement

    One month from retirement, a 49th Civil Engineer Squadron airman received two $10,000 awards for his money-saving ideas.Master Sgt. Marshall Carroll, horizontal-construction superintendent, received the awards for buying a paving machine and an asphalt zipper. He submitted his ideas using the Air

  • U.S. forces moving in South Korea

    U.S. and South Korean officials have agreed to a plan to realign American forces stationed in "The Land of the Morning Calm."In meetings held June 4 and 5 in Seoul, according to a joint U.S.-South Korean statement, the operation will consist of two phases:Phase 1 -- U.S. forces at installations

  • Leaders hold town-hall meeting

    Battle lessons learned, professional military education and air and space expeditionary force issues headlined discussions between Air Force leaders and 300 military and civilian people here during a first Air Force Town Hall meeting June 5.Secretary of the Air Force Dr. James G. Roche; Gen. John P.

  • Interaction helps 'calibrate' military culture

    Military interaction with the public it serves helps "calibrate" military culture, said the Air Force secretary in an interview here May 30.Dr. James G. Roche was here to serve as the capstone speaker during the 50th National Security Forum held May 26 to 30 at Air University. The annual symposium

  • Flights resume at Tuzla airport

    The first civilian flight into Tuzla International Airport here since late 2001 landed June 4. The French corporate flight was 15 minutes late, but it hardly seemed like a long delay, comparatively speaking. Air traffic in Tuzla has been restricted to military aircraft since the airport shut down

  • ANG is a family tradition

    For the McCann family of Minneapolis, serving in the Minnesota Air National Guard has become a family tradition, one that has been carried on for three generations.Jack McCann laid the groundwork by serving 30 years as a flight engineer, retiring as a chief master sergeant in 1983.Growing up with a

  • Student earns $128,000 for college

    An Osan American High School student here won a $128,000 scholarship for college and a guaranteed job with the Defense Intelligence Agency.Jason Pederson, an 18-year-old senior, applied for the scholarship at the prodding of his junior ROTC sergeant and will now receive an $18,000-a-year stipend.A

  • Osan officer helps maintain the alliance

    He speaks Chinese, Japanese and Korean with fluency and teaches northeast Asia international relations, U.S. military doctrine, English and North Korean politics to the future leaders of the South Korean air force.Maj. Brian S. Hobbs, is a U.S. Air Force exchange professor at the Korean air force

  • Nephew to honor WWII ace uncle

    By simply doing his job, an F-15 Eagle pilot here finally has the opportunity to honor his hero and uncle, World War II ace Maj. Richard "Dick" Bong. Maj. James Bong, of the 33rd Operations Group, will lead a four-ship flyover at the Richard I. Bong World War II Heritage Center museum in Superior,

  • U-2 pilot receiving Kolligian trophy

    Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper will present Maj. Jeffrey Olesen, a U-2 Dragon Lady pilot, with the 2002 Koren Kolligian Jr. Trophy during a June 13 ceremony at the Pentagon.Olesen, assistant director of operations for the 1st Reconnaissance Squadron here, will receive the award for

  • Air Force teams win acquisition awards

    Two Air Force teams received the 2003 David Packard Excellence in Acquisition Award during a ceremony June 4 at Fort Belvoir, Va.The Air Force winners of the Department of Defense’s most prestigious team award for acquisition excellence are the Joint Direct Attack Munition’s joint program office and

  • Two airmen honored for public service

    Two airmen were among 12 federal employees who were honored as recipients of the 2002 Arthur S. Flemming Awards in a ceremony June 5 at George Washington University, D.C.Flemming Awards honor people with three to 15 years of government experience for their extraordinary contributions in three

  • Complete vouchers ensure speedy pay

    Department of Defense travelers can help ensure their travel vouchers are paid promptly by preventing common mistakes, according to the Defense Finance and Accounting Service officials here.Some of the biggest sources of delay in the travel-pay process are incorrect or incomplete information on

  • Cooperative Cope Thunder kicks off

    Pacific Air Force's premier simulated combat-airpower employment exercise kicked off June 5, bringing allied nations to two bases in Alaska for training.Cooperative Cope Thunder runs through June 20 with operations here and at Eielson Air Force Base.The exercise showcases multinational airlift

  • Crew chief circles Earth 104 times

    Tech. Sgt. Rodger Folkerts is the first person to reach the 5,000-hour mark in a C-17 Globemaster III.It has been an “amazing” journey, said the aircraft pneudraulics specialist and flying crew chief.Folkerts reached the 5,000-hour mark during a recent Operation Enduring Freedom mission, according

  • Rumsfeld clarifies civilian-workforce proposal

    Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld cleared up some misconceptions about the proposed Department of Defense civilian personnel system during testimony before the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee on June 4.Rumsfeld said that the current system is not flexible and agile enough to confront the

  • OIF aircrews donate to museum

    Operation Iraqi Freedom veterans started the OIF page in the Air Force Museum's history book here June 4 by donating items they used on combat missions.Aircrews presented the items during a ceremony at the museum. The items will be displayed to show one of many Air Force undertakings that are being

  • War and Peace -- a look at Operation Iraqi Freedom

    As Operation Iraqi Freedom transitioned from war- fighting to peacekeeping, the speed of the campaign came as a surprise to some deployed airmen, but was a welcome relief to all.At the 40th Air Expeditionary Wing, Chief Master Sgt. Daniel Mingo said his troops were braced for the long haul, but

  • Officials improve speed of Iraq mail

    Even in the era of e-mail, getting a letter from loved ones is important.The Military Postal Service Agency has received a number of complaints about the speed of mail deliveries to and from Iraq. Officials are aware of the problems and expect changes to ease some stumbling blocks.The main problem,

  • F-15E crashes, aircrew ejects safely

    An Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle crashed at approximately 4:50 p.m. June 4 near Newton Grove, N.C., about 35 miles southeast of Raleigh.The pilot and weapons system officer parachuted to safety and are reportedly in good condition. They are assigned to the 4th Fighter Wing here.A board of officers

  • Airman gets wounded brother-in-law home

    Capt. Mike Lentz has always taken pride in his work. As a special-assignment airlift-missions planner at Air Mobility Command's Tanker Airlift Control Center here, Lentz coordinates airlift for dignitaries such as the president, secretary of defense and other high-profile individuals.The importance

  • Drill team faces ‘tip of the spear’

    Standing shoulder to shoulder, the drill team members twirled, tossed and caught their 35-inch-long, 19-ounce sabers. Often coming perilously close to their teammates, the well-practiced team flawlessly executed the routines.The Sabre Drill Team, the only active-duty enlisted group of its kind in

  • Officials set promotion release dates

    The Air Force plans to release its list of new technical and master sergeant promotions June 26 (June 27 for those units across the international date line). The list of new staff sergeant promotions will be released Aug. 13 (Aug. 14 for those units across the international date line).The lists of

  • SSG will head technology council

    Standard Systems Group experts here will now develop Air Force-wide strategies for buying and managing information technology products as they assume their role as head of the new Air Force Information Technology Commodity Council. The council will stand up in mid-June.John Gilligan, Air Force

  • Air Force countersnipers go offensive

    Two Air Force security forces airmen deployed to Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan, got what they called, “the chance of a lifetime,” June 1 when they embarked on a combat patrol in eastern Afghanistan with the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division. Senior Airmen Luke Allen and Rusty Youngblood, both 820th

  • Civilian-personnel system ‘not cutting it’

    The civilian-personnel system in the Defense Department "is not cutting it," said Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld on June 3.Rumsfeld, who spoke at the National Press Club, said that the department is handcuffed by its reliance on an antiquated personnel system. He called today's

  • June issue of Airman available

    Learn about some of the famous firsts in military aviation, read about the continuing mission in Afghanistan and take a look at the “Warriors of the North” at Grand Forks Air Force Base, N.D. These features and more highlight the June issue of Airman magazine, now available in print and online at

  • C-17 weapons instructor course set for July

    This summer, a very select group of C-17 instructor pilots will head back to school in an effort to earn their Globemaster III doctorate.Starting July 3, the four students will become the first class at the new five-and-a-half-month C-17 Weapons Instructor Course at McGuire Air Force Base, N.J.“The

  • Phoenix Readiness training ends

    Air Mobility Command’s Phoenix Readiness combat training has ended and will be replaced in October by the Air Force's expeditionary combat-support training program, Eagle Flag. The training cadre at the Air Mobility Warfare Center here are excited about Eagle Flag.“It's exciting for us to be

  • Air Force helps Iraqi dog immigrate

    A German shepherd of Iraqi descent arrived here May 30 aboard a C-17 Globemaster III after putting his life on the line to guard U.S. special forces.Fluffy, a dog from northern Iraq with visible scars, will retire at Fort Bragg, N.C., as an honorary military working dog.When Fluffy first joined Sgt.

  • Wife turned over to U.S. marshals

    An Air Force wife has been turned over to U.S. marshals and returned to the United States following the death of her husband.Latasha Lorraine Arnt was turned over to the custody of two U.S. marshals here June 1. She had been detained on base since May 27 in connection with the death of her husband,

  • AF simplifies travel-payment processing

    The Air Force has automated the process of filing travel-accrual payment requests for military travelers, making it available on the Virtual Military Personnel Flight Web page.“This should simplify the process not only for the traveler but also deployed and home-station financial services offices,”

  • Air Force workers awarded patent

    Two modeling and fabrication shop workers from the Air Force Research Laboratory’s information directorate here have been awarded a patent for developing an advanced aircraft ground power unit for Army Comanche helicopters.Michael Iselo, shop supervisor, and production controller Timothy Hurley

  • Reservists deliver earthquake relief

    Answering the need for help after a devastating earthquake, Air Force crews delivered more than seven and a half tons of relief supplies May 30 to the rattled city of Algiers, Algeria.A 6.8-magnitude earthquake shook the coastal capital city of more than 2.3 million at 7:44 p.m. May 21. More than

  • Artist inspired by America’s veterans

    Some see a leather jacket as something to wear, an airplane as a machine that flies and a motorcycle gas tank as a mere container.R.T. Foster looks at them and sees blank canvases.The illustrator, who marks 34 years of federal service in August, has made a name for himself as an artist painting

  • Lab techs ensure precision engagement

    Air Force precision munitions, used with great success during Operation Iraqi Freedom, could only achieve those results through expertly calibrated weapon systems, said the service’s metrology and calibration program manager at the Pentagon.That job, said Senior Master Sgt. Maurice Hubbard, is the

  • Reserve unit takes ‘active’ role at Ramstein

    An air and space expeditionary force rotation to Ramstein Air Base, Germany, turned into a mission to move people and pallets of cargo to numerous airfields around the world, including battle-damaged runways in Iraq.In January, more than 200 activated reservists and six C-130 Hercules aircraft from