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  • Suspect in base killings in custody

    An Airman here suspected of killing two people and injuring another in base housing July 5 is in pretrial confinement at a local jail.The suspect was apprehended here July 5 by Air Force Office of Special Investigations agents. Base officials said he has not yet been formally charged, and they did

  • Now showing: July 5 edition of Air Force Television News

    What is fast becoming the Air Force hub for its operations in Iraq is spotlighted in the latest edition of Air Force Television News.Tech. Sgt. Pachari Lutke reports from Balad Air Base, Iraq, on how Airmen there are supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. Master Sgt. Jim Lawson reports on another

  • Teamwork, determination avert crash landing

    A C-130 Hercules from the 710th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron, with 65 people on board, came within minutes of making a crash landing June 29.What started out to be a 90-minute flight turned into three and a half hours of nonstop effort to get the aircraft safely on the ground.Leaving Balad Air

  • Registration drive for overseas voters under way

    With the November general elections coming up, Defense Department officials have designated July 4 to 10 as Overseas Citizens Voters Week to get eligible DOD people stationed abroad registered to vote.The objective is to get overseas voters involved in the electoral process and to stress the

  • Vietnamese boy finds success in AF blue

    Maj. Phuong Tran holds a deep appreciation for America.In 1975, at age 11, Major Tran, his family, and hundreds of other Vietnamese families fled Saigon, Vietnam, to escape communism.Although he knew nothing of the language or culture of the United States when he left his war-torn country, Major

  • NCO rescues two people from river

    When a staff sergeant from the systems programs office at the Air Force Personnel Center here went to a local river for a relaxing tubing trip recently, he was not expecting to save the lives of two people from the rain-swollen waterway.Floating down the usually calm river on an innertube is a

  • Class of 2008 arrives at academy

    More than 1,300 cadet appointees said goodbye to their families July 1 and entered the academy to begin their careers in the Air Force. Inprocessing was a long one-day event filled with medical and dental evaluations, haircuts, clothing and equipment issue, and squadron and dormitory room

  • AEF Battlelab tests universal aircraft jacks

    Any Airman who has ever worked on the flightline during a rotation in the desert knows that the aerospace ground equipment he or she uses is often specific to a particular airframe. Heavy aircraft jacks, in particular, are not one-size-fits-all equipment. After all, people cannot use the same set

  • ‘Military One Source' helps with family problems

    The Defense Department has established a "one-stop" place to go whenever servicemembers or family members need assistance with any kind of problem.It is called "Military One Source," and is available anytime, worldwide, said John M. Molino, deputy undersecretary of defense for military community and

  • Team keeps aircraft fueled

    Talk to a group of petroleum, oil and lubrication technicians and you will meet people who know their impact on the mission.With phrases like “without POL, pilots are pedestrians” and “we fuel the fight,” the team here knows how important its job is. In June alone, the Airmen fueled missions over

  • Expeditionary mindset provides stability, predictability for Airmen

    Nothing much stands out at the Air and Space Expeditionary Force Center at Langley Air Force Base, Va.The rooms upon rooms of cubicles are standard for a work center. A snack room provides lunch for those too busy to leave, and a larger parking lot would make people happier.Everything appears

  • Crew chiefs care for, feed Warthogs daily

    A-10 Thunderbolt IIs, affectionately known as Warthogs, fly over Afghanistan around the clock. While in the air, the pilot is responsible for taking care of the aircraft; but once it parks, the responsibility belongs to its crew chief.The crew chiefs “prepare the aircraft for takeoff, recover it

  • Air Force bids farewell to a legend

    The Air Force's last Vietnam-era former prisoner of war still serving retired here June 30, ending more than four decades of active-duty, Guard and Reserve Service.Reserve Maj. Gen. Ed Mechenbier, mobilization assistant to Gen. Gregory S. Martin who is commander of Air Force Materiel Command, hung

  • Uniform board releases results

    Air Force officials recently released the results of the 96th Air Force Uniform Board held June 18 and 19.The chief of staff approved a number of changes, affecting everything from cell phones to scarves. Among the changes are:-- Establish a standardized Air Force physical training uniform.--

  • Secretary, chief send Independence Day message

    The following is an Independence Day message from Secretary of the Air Force Dr. James G. Roche and Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper:"Happy birthday, America! For the last 228 years our nation has been the beacon for peace, freedom and opportunity around the world. America earned that

  • Air Force uniform heads to French army

    When a French army sergeant asked Col. David Adams for his uniform, the colonel did not know what to think. When working at a NATO base with 30 different nations, the real meaning is not always in the message.Sgt. Willy Brunet, a signal noncommissioned officer with the French National Intelligence

  • DOD expands troop anthrax, smallpox vaccination

    More U.S. servicemembers, including those serving in South Korea, will be vaccinated against smallpox and anthrax, the Defense Department's senior medical adviser said June 30.The availability of additional smallpox and anthrax vaccine will allow for vaccinating all servicemembers assigned to U.S.

  • A-10 upgrades double operational lifespan

    The first production A-10 Thunderbolt II was delivered here in October 1975. Fifteen years later, the A-10 was called the most formidable weapon system of its type while flying combat missions during Operation Desert Storm.Today, more than 30 years after beginning service, many of the Air Force’s

  • SECAF approves 'V' device for heroism award

    Secretary of the Air Force Dr. James G. Roche has authorized use of the “V” device, to represent valor, on Distinguished Flying Crosses awarded for heroism.The decision is intended to clearly distinguish and denote a DFC awarded for heroism. It allows any Reserve, Guard or active-duty Airman or Air

  • Firefighters protect people, resources

    Forty-five seconds is all it takes. In the right conditions, it would only take that amount of time for one of the many tents at Camp Sather here to burn to the ground.It is the job of the 33 firefighters assigned to the 447th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron to prevent fires and quickly

  • Air Force, Navy share chess title

    The Air Force and Navy are sharing the Interservice Chess Championship trophy this year, the first tie for the team title in the tournament’s history.The Air Force came to the tournament as a two-time defending champion, but tied with the Navy in points June 25, the last day of the six-day

  • Students get behind-the-scenes look at Air Force

    More than 1,500 of the nation’s top high-school students and 500 adult advisers visited here June 29. Representing all 50 states and Puerto Rico, the students were in Las Vegas from June 26 to 30 for the National Association of Student Councils 68th Annual National Conference.While here, the

  • Reservists, guardsmen may be eligible for FICA refund

    An interpretation of a government rule may mean that mobilized National Guardsmen, reservists and their employers may get a refund on some taxes paid to the federal government.While researching tax rules for deployed National Guardsmen and reservists, retired Army Reserve Lt. Col. Frank Scattene, a

  • ‘American family’ supports NATO, humanitarian effort

    Military convoys are a common site in Kosovo, so when a military convoy set out from Kosovo Force headquarters here headed for Gracanica on June 27, it was not given a second look. However, this convoy was not carrying weapons, military supplies or security forces for post relief. It was carrying

  • Air Force makes big waves at annual surfing invitational

    Under picture-perfect tropical skies, more than 70 surfers from all five branches of the armed services competed for bragging rights in the third annual Military Surfing Invitational at Oahu’s Kewalo Basin on June 26 and 27.The Air Force team took second place in the overall “Best of Branch”

  • Medical center responds to train derailment victims

    An early morning train collision and release of toxic fumes near San Antonio on June 28 sent at least 22 people to Wilford Hall Medical Center here for treatment. At least two people died as a result of the derailment.Workers from the 59th Medical Wing immediately responded, decontaminating people

  • Pilot wins Good Housekeeping award

    An unwavering faith, a good clean life and a sparkling career -- not necessarily a clean house -- earned a 524th Fighter Squadron F-16 Fighting Falcon pilot here a Good Housekeeping award.Capt. Christina Hopper was presented Good Housekeeping magazine’s Woman in Government Award for 2003 recently

  • Officials announce selections to captain

    Air Force officials announced June 29 the results of a 2004 quarterly captain selection process that selected 956 lieutenants for promotion. The entire list is posted on the Air Force Personnel Center's home page at http://www.afpc.randolph.af.mil/offprom/. A total of 962 lieutenants were

  • General revises clothing policy for Airmen deploying to SWA

    All Airmen deploying to the Central Command area of responsibility must now ensure the clothing they pack is in step with a recent dress and appearance policy revision now in effect.The most significant change requires Airmen to wear either desert camouflage uniforms or physical training gear while

  • Museum receives 11,000-pound stone roller from China

    A stone roller used to build airfield runways in Kunming, China, during World War II made its American debut June 25 during a ceremony at the U.S. Air Force Museum here.Donated to the museum by Yunnan Province officials in China, the stone roller is the only one of its kind in the United States.The

  • Airmen deliver 35,000 helmets to Afghanistan

    Airmen flew more than 35,000 Romanian military helmets to Afghanistan from here June 24 in a U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III. The helmets are for the Afghan army.Donated by the Romanian government, the helmets were packed and loaded by a team of Romanian servicemembers and a three-person U.S.

  • U.S. occupation officially ends

    Sovereignty in Iraq passed from the Coalition Provisional Authority to the interim Iraqi government June 28, two days ahead of schedule.In a 10-minute ceremony inside the heavily fortified "Green Zone" where coalition headquarters is located in Baghdad, CPA administrator L. Paul Bremer III read a

  • Officials announce Air Force chaplain service award winners

    Officials announced the Air Force chaplain service award winners on June 25.Established this year, the award program recognizes outstanding individual and organizational performance within the chaplain service. The 2003 winners are:-- Richard C. Schneider Award (chaplain’s assistant, Airman):

  • Commander leads troops through transition

    Leading more than 160,000 troops through a transition of authority from coalition forces to the interim Iraqi government is more of an art than a science says the commanding general for Multinational Corps-Iraq.Army Lt. Gen. Thomas F. Metz said that art comes in the delicate balance of reassigning

  • Reservists rescue injured firefighters in Arizona

    Reservists from the 305th Rescue Squadron here rescued two injured firefighters struck by lightning while fighting fires on Arizona’s Mount Graham on June 24. Squadron officials received the rescue request at 3 p.m. from the Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service. After Rescue Coordination

  • Iraqi delegation visits Balad, applauds U.S. military efforts

    Hoshyar Zebari, Iraqi minister of foreign affairs, and other members of the Iraqi governing council, including Iraqi defense minister Hazim al-Shaalan, visited here June 27 on their way to Istanbul, Turkey, to the NATO summit. While here, Mr. Zebari thanked the United States for its assistance in

  • F/A-22 goes ‘On the Record’

    Fox News Channel is scheduled to broadcast a special edition of "On the Record with Greta Van Susteren” from here June 28.The one-hour live broadcast from Nellis' F/A-22 Raptor hangar includes footage from a June 27 chase mission Ms. Van Susteren participated in. The program also will include an

  • Air Force honors Youth of the Year

    A ceremony at the Pentagon on June 23 honored Air Force youth representing bases worldwide.This year’s master of ceremonies was both the Air Force Materiel Command Youth of the Year and the Oklahoma State Youth of the Year. Michael Goodman, son of retired Master Sgt. Randall and Donna Goodman from

  • Thrift Savings Plan toll-free service begins July 1

    A toll-free telephone service for Thrift Savings Plan participants and beneficiaries begins July 1.Callers will be able to receive TSP account or transaction information via the service daily around the clock. They will also be able to speak to a participant service representative at one of two call

  • Yokota aircraft parts store never closes

    Airmen assigned to the 374th Logistics Readiness Squadron is aircraft parts store element here work around the clock supporting the Air Force airlift mission in the Pacific region.The group of inventory management technicians receive, store and issue needed parts worth $46 million for C-130 Hercules

  • General Bradley will command Air Force Reserve

    On June 24, the Senate confirmed Maj. Gen. John A. Bradley as chief of Air Force Reserve and commander of Air Force Reserve Command, and appointed him to the rank of lieutenant general. General Bradley is the former assistant to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff for reserve matters at the

  • Children’s yoga class offers more than quiet poses

    “Breathe in” and “breathe out” are typically what someone may expect to hear in a yoga class. What is unexpected are children ages 2 to 14 posing like cobras, monkeys and airplanes, and making noises like them.This is exactly what happens during a children’s summer yoga class the youth center here.

  • Chaplain’s craft lifts him above the clouds

    Moving checklist: Pack the boxes, stop the newspaper, arrange transportation and fuel the airplane. For a Lackland Air Force Base chaplain, getting to his next base will require a flight plan of his own.Taking Chaplain (Maj.) Weston Walker to his next assignment at Hill AFB, Utah, will be his own

  • Robotic warriors display capabilities

    Pentagon officials and guests were treated to a demonstration of the remote detection challenge and response, or REDCAR, initiative June 23.REDCAR uses unmanned robotic platforms to provide perimeter defense of Air Force bases and forward-deployed units.“With REDCAR we can integrate a family of

  • Airman loses 100 pounds

    It took a missile maintainer here nine months to fix one of the Air Force's most important weapon systems, and he did it out of uniform, without technical orders and after duty hours.Senior Airman Norman Barore, assigned to the 341st Missile Maintenance Squadron here, lost 100 pounds in nine months,

  • NCO earns American Legion Spirit of Service Award

    Her father picked up a soldier carrying his life in a duffel bag on his way home from Vietnam in 1971. He gave the man a little money and took him to his house to finish his journey home. This act of kindness influenced Staff Sgt. Catherin Lammon and motivated her to do community service.The

  • Major getting Article 15 for friendly fire incident

    Air Force officials will proceed with nonjudicial punishment in the 2002 Canadian friendly fire incident.This decision, made by Lt. Gen. Bruce Carlson, 8th Air Force commander, grants Maj. Harry Schmidt’s petition to withdraw his request for trial by court-martial.General Carlson offered Major

  • Painting honors Tuskegee Airmen

    A painting honoring the famed 332nd Fighter Group of Tuskegee Airmen was unveiled during a ceremony in the Pentagon on June 24.In the painting, artist Mickey Harris depicts then-Lieutenant Luke Weathers at the controls of his P-51 Mustang escorting a damaged B-24 Liberator back to England following

  • Hearing highlights Air Force contracting expertise

    Air Force contracting expertise, deployed worldwide as part of air and space expeditionary force packages, significantly contributes to overall success of the Defense Department missions, the service’s top acquisition official said.Dr. Marvin R. Sambur, assistant secretary of the Air Force for

  • Congress recognizes four Air Force people

    Four members of the Air Force family received Congressional Award Gold Medals along with 171 other young men and women during a ceremony on June 23 at the Russell Senate Office Building.The program recognizes outstanding achievement in people ages 14 to 23 and involves setting goals in four areas:

  • New UAV innovations could change face of war

    Unmanned aerial vehicles could start playing a more active role in missions to suppress and destroy enemy air defenses if a UAV Battlelab initiative proves successful.Testing of the new Joint Multiplatform Weapons Carriage System took place at Indian Springs Air Force Auxiliary Field, Nev., on June

  • Airman becomes 'Met for a Day'

    One McGuire airman traded his flight suit for a baseball uniform June 22 and became an honorary member of the New York Mets for a day.Senior Airman Chardo Richardson, a boom operator with the 32nd Air Refueling Squadron here, shadowed Mets left-handed pitcher Al Leiter in the second part of a job

  • Murray talks deployments, force shaping

    Combat needs, not current manpower standards, are what Air Force officials are using to determine how many people are filling the ranks, Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Gerald Murray said. This, he said, is the first time in Air Force history that combat needs have been the determining

  • Command chiefs meet for annual conference

    More than 250 command chiefs from Reserve, Guard and active-duty Air Force bases worldwide met here June 19 to 23 for the 10th Annual Worldwide Command Chief Master Sergeants' Conference.Command chiefs tackled issues facing the enlisted force.The conference gives Air Force senior leaders an

  • Officials detail global posture realignment process

    The realignment of U.S. forces in the world will mirror the changing threats and be a result of a fundamental shift in national security, the DOD undersecretary for policy told the House Armed Services Committee on June 23.Douglas Feith said that the effort now under way thinks through how U.S.

  • House hears military construction testimony

    Justification for the Air Force’s annual construction budget request can usually be summed up in a couple of words, the service’s top uniformed official said.Mission accomplishment.That message was the central theme during testimony on Capitol Hill on June 22, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P.

  • A Minuteman moment

    An unarmed Minuteman III ICBM launched from here at 1:32 a.m. PDT on June 23. The missile’s unarmed re-entry vehicle traveled nearly 4,200 miles in about 30 minutes, hitting a predetermined target on Kwajalein Atoll in the western chain of the Marshall Islands. The mission was part of the Force

  • UAV Battlelab stands up at Indian Springs

    Indian Springs Air Force Auxiliary Field near here is entering a new era in providing unmanned aerial vehicle support to the combat air force.Currently the only installation with a fleet of operational remotely piloted aircraft, Indian Springs is now also the home of the Air Force’s Unmanned Aerial

  • EOD is making Afghanistan safe for future

    Today, there are literally tons of explosive materials hidden throughout Afghanistan. Some, like land mines the former Soviet Union liberally scattered around the countryside, lie deceptively under a thin veneer of dirt. Others lie hidden away in caches of weapons carefully horded and

  • Manpower, personnel functions merging

    Manpower, personnel, and education and training functions will merge and realign under mission support squadrons at installations throughout the Air Force beginning July 1."Manpower and personnel have been separate disciplines throughout the Air Force's history," said Col. Douglas V. Bell, Air

  • Officials release A-10 accident report

    Air Force investigators determined spatial disorientation was the likely cause of an A-10 Thunderbolt II crash 3.5 miles north of Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, on Feb. 25.The pilot, Capt. Jonathan P. Scheer, was killed and the aircraft was destroyed.Based on evidence obtained during the accident

  • GI Bill still important 60 years later

    Times were tough. The nation was slowly emerging from the Great Depression when World War II flared up in 1941.Before the war, the unemployment rate hovered at 15 percent, more than 11 million homes did not have running water or electricity, and fewer than 50,000 taxpayers earned more than $2,500 a

  • Airmen work to open own club

    A dozen Airmen here sacrificed a couple rare sunny days off to help renovate a facility geared toward young enlisted Airmen.The volunteers are working on a self-help project at the old community center, which will be the home of the new airmen’s club. The Airmen spent several hours June 19 and 20

  • Nature center brings children joy, education

    Sharon Batchelder said some days she feels like she works in a zoo.But she has a good reason. As a recreation aid at the Spalding Nature Center here, she spends her time working in the only Air Force facility that is home to snakes, rabbits, turtles, a variety of birds and even a couple of

  • NCOs help with air cover

    More than 200 noncommissioned officers are helping the Army by providing air cover for patrols protecting convoys, performing raids, responding to mortar and road attacks, and training Iraqis to provide their own security.They are part of a tactical air control party, which is a self-supporting team

  • Contractors on runway before accidental landing

    Three contracted painters were working on the runway here just before the landing of Northwest Airlines Flight 1152 on June 19.The runway was closed when the Northwest pilots mistook the base airfield for the Rapid City Regional Airport runway located six nautical miles south of the base.“The

  • ARPC call center improves customer service

    Beginning June 28, all toll-free calls to the Air Reserve Personnel Center here will be channeled through the customer call center, officials announced June 21.ARPC officials said the new step continues efforts to provide one-stop shopping to the more than 950,000 customers that they

  • Shop reorganizes, reduces maintenance-flow days

    Maintainers here are promising to cut nearly two months off Common Configuration Improvement Program efforts on Air Force fighter aircraft by rearranging work spaces and making the flow smoother.Program modifications are being done here to enhance the cockpit, avionics and combat capability of about

  • IMAX returns to Nellis for final shoot

    A production crew filming an IMAX movie on the Air Force returned here June 14 to 18 to continue work on the 43-minute action documentary about Red Flag exercises.Filming for the production began here in June 2003, and this is scheduled to be the crew’s last visit. Besides their initial visit,

  • Airmen attend Coast Guard academy

    For a few select senior noncommissioned officers, attending the U.S. Coast Guard Chief Petty Officer Academy in Petaluma, Calif., is an opportunity to embody the school’s motto, “Altus Tendo -- I Reach High.” It is also a chance to teach their classmates about the mission and expeditionary nature

  • American C-17 airlifts Iraqi child to Hungarian hospital

    Medics from the 379th Expeditionary Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron helped airlift a 13-year-old Iraqi to Budapest, Hungary, recently.A dozen crewmembers aboard a C-17 Globemaster III helped transport Abbas Jabbar, who was injured last month when he ran in front of a Hungarian convoy patrolling near

  • Sembach security forces practice aerial rescues

    Eleven Airmen of the 786th Security Forces Squadron at nearby Sembach Air Base practiced their search and rescue skills here June 14 to 18 during NATO Operation Clean Hunter.They were joined by people from the 56th Rescue Squadron at Naval Air Station Keflavik, Iceland, and rescue teams from the

  • C-5 workers take to sky

    A group of C-5 Galaxy production workers recently took to the sky to become more familiar with the huge aircraft they work on every day.The flight was the first of a series of familiarization flights maintenance officials have scheduled to show workers how important their jobs are.“The organization

  • Symposium highlights changing times

    Future Air Force budgets with fewer modernization dollars are requiring Air Force people to change processes to make current aircraft last longer.This is one topic Dr. Marvin Sambur, assistant secretary of the Air Force for acquisition, discussed here at the 25th Annual Air Force Association Focus

  • ‘Air and Space Power Journal’ available in Spanish

    A Spanish-language version of “Air and Space Power Journal” is now available online and through a free electronic subscription service.Just like its English-language sister, the Spanish version provides a forum for professional discussion on air and space power, and its role in national

  • Now showing: June 21 edition of AFTV News

    The last active-duty Airman who was a prisoner of war in Vietnam, and his trip back to the country of his captivity highlights the June 21 edition of Air Force Television News. Tech. Sgt. Bill Scherer went along as Maj. Gen. Ed Mechenbier flew the famed “Hanoi Taxi” to the Vietnamese capital. The

  • Cadets get ‘constructive’ engineering experience

    Cadets exchange computers, backpacks and books for hard hats, lumber and a bulldozer when they sign up for a summer civil engineering course.The entry-level course takes place in the academy’s Jacks Valley at the field engineering and readiness laboratory. The five-week program acquaints 60 cadets

  • Doctor reports from field

    Keeping in touch with family and friends at home is a high priority for many deployed Airmen, but Lt. Col. (Dr.) John Torres, or "Dr. John" as he is known back home in Colorado, goes a step further.Besides being an emergency room doctor, Dr. Torres records a medical segment three times a week for

  • Tobacco use terminated in technical training

    Tobacco use and possession are no longer allowed for nonprior-service technical training students at any time while on base or in uniform. The change is included in Air Education and Training Command Instruction 36-2216, "Administration of Military Standards and Discipline Training," published June

  • Mechanics finish six-year F-15 engine upgrades

    Jet engine mechanics have turned the final wrenches on a unique F-15 Eagle engine upgrade program here, saving the Air Force more than $100 million, officials said. For the last six years, more than 100 jet engine mechanics with the 18th Maintenance Group have been converting F-15 engines. They

  • Officials announce OTS selections

    Air Force officials here announced June 18 that 17 enlisted Airmen have been chosen to attend Officer Training School and trade their stripes for gold bars. Air Force Recruiting Service officials conducted OTS Selection Board 0405, which met here May 11 to 14. The board considered 392 applications,

  • Myers named ‘father of the year’

    Gen. Richard B. Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has been named the 2004 National “Father of the Year” by the National Father’s Day Council.The award was presented in New York City on June 17.

  • Airmen survive terrorist attack by being fit to fight

    In the early morning hours of May 30, an Airman lay in a dusty maintenance room of a building in Khobar, Saudi Arabia, with a tourniquet around his arm, struggling to stay alive.The morning before, Lt. Col. James Broome III and a colleague, Lt. Col. Ed O’Neal, both assigned to the U.S. Military

  • F-15 crashes in Nevada

    An Air Force F-15 Eagle crashed at about 11 a.m. June 18 on the nearby Nevada Test and Training Range during a training mission. The aircraft was assigned to the Weapons School here. The pilot successfully ejected, and he was taken to the hospital here for evaluation.An interim safety board of

  • TACC commander receives management award

    The commander of the Tanker Airlift Control Center has received the 2003 Eugene M. Zuckert Management Award.Secretary of the Air Force Dr. James G. Roche presented Brig. Gen. Paul J. Selva with the award during a ceremony at the Pentagon on June 16.“I have the coolest job on the planet, because I

  • T-ballers make a hit on White House lawn

    What could be better than playing Little League baseball on a pleasant Sunday afternoon where no score is kept, everyone on the team gets to bat and a good time is had by all? Playing at the White House in the company of the president and first lady, that's what. Representing the Air Force, 14

  • National Chemistry Olympiad Study Camp at academy

    Twenty high-school chemistry students from across the nation are here competing in the two-week U.S. National Chemistry Olympiad Study Camp.The top four students in the competition will represent the United States at the 36th International Chemistry Olympiad in Kiel, Germany, from July 18 to 27.The

  • Project upgrades quality of life at Bagram

    Innovation and initiative by 455th Expeditionary Operations Group Airmen upgraded a temporary living area into a cheery, hospitable cyber café.“Our new café projects a welcoming feeling,” said Staff Sgt. Tina Ross, a services representative with the 455th Expeditionary Mission Support Squadron and

  • Laughlin Airmen get fit during 'adventures'

    “Are you fit to fight?” That is the question Air Force officials are asking Airmen these days, and it is the catch phrase for the new fitness focus.One squadron here upped the ante among its Airmen recently asking, “Are you fit to race?”More than 100 Airmen from the 86th Flying Training Squadron

  • NFL player scores big points at Incirlik

    As a Pittsburgh Steeler wide receiver, Hines Ward is accustomed to whipping past the opposition and scoring touchdowns on the football field. But during a visit here June 17, Mr. Ward scored big points -- not with his team, but with base people.Fans turned out in droves to meet Mr. Ward, who spent

  • Restoring vintage planes preserves AF history

    Craftsmen who restore Lackland’s 40 historical aircraft displayed around the base often are greeted and thanked by old warriors who visit the base to watch their grandsons and granddaughters graduate from training.“It’s real interesting, because they’ll tell you all kinds of war stories from their

  • Tech., master promotion rates nearly same as last year

    Air Force officials have selected 6,217 of 23,956 eligible technical sergeants for promotion to master sergeant, a 25.95-percent selection rate; and 9,114 of 42,248 eligible staff sergeants for promotion to technical sergeant, a 21.57-percent selection rate.The final tally will increase as Air Force

  • Utility uniform feedback survey, PT gear coming

    The Air Force’s first physical training uniform will hit the street later this year, and a Web site for Airmen to provide feedback on the proposed utility uniform will be online July 1.Feedback on the proposed utility uniform has been excellent so far, but an Internet survey will give all Airmen a

  • Long-term care insurance still available

    Active-duty Airmen, some reservists, appropriated-fund civilian employees, retirees and qualified family members can still apply for the Federal Long-Term Care Insurance Program.The program is a benefit authorized by Congress to help federal employees defray the costs of in-home care, nursing-home

  • Reserve volunteers needed for force-protection duties

    Reserve component enlisted Airmen in any career field are eligible for a unique program allowing them to help protect Air Force bases nationwide. The air reserve component force protection volunteer program gives individual mobilization augmentee, Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard members

  • Air Force family fights fire with generosity

    A first-term Airman from the 3rd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron here, her husband, and their two small children were left homeless when an unexplained fire destroyed everything in their base housing unit recently.Out of the ashes of this tragedy, however, rose an unexpected phoenix. The Vazquez's

  • DOD wasn't geared to internal threats Sept. 11, panel told

    National policy that geared the Defense Department toward external threats was part of the reason DOD officials could not do more to prevent some of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff told the 9-11 commission here today. "Our military posture on 9-11, by law,

  • Airmen keep deployed Soldiers healthy

    Being responsible for the healthy living environment of 60,000 Soldiers at eight different camps is no small job, but that is exactly what Airmen of the 2nd Preventive Medicine Team Air Force have been doing since mid-March.This team of nine enlisted and two officers has conducted more than 2,000

  • Airman charged with murder

    A staff sergeant at Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala., is being held in the nearby Montgomery County Jail after being charged with murder. Staff Sgt. Russell Booth, of the 42nd Security Forces Squadron, allegedly shot and killed his wife, Wyndelyn Scogin Booth, during a domestic dispute in their home

  • Officials release B-1B accident report

    Standing water on the runway led to a B-1B Lancer aircraft accident Feb. 27 at a forward-deployed location supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom, according to a report Air Force officials released June 16.Upon landing, the aircraft hydroplaned off the runway, damaging all four engines and other