NATO Air Policing operations

U.S. Air Force News

  • Fuels Airmen keep more than planes operational

    For 19 years now, Master Sgt. David Chandler’s mother proudly tells everyone she meets that her son “passes gas for a living” in the U.S. Air Force.The fuels manager with the 407th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron fuels management flight here is not fazed. He is heard them all and is ready

  • Critical days continue to take Airmen

    The fatal auto accident that claimed the lives of two Airmen in Germany recently raised the Air Force’s death toll to 24 during this year’s “101 Critical Days of Summer.”While that number is fairly typical for summer fatalities, it is still too high, said Tom Pazell, deputy chief of Air Force Ground

  • Rumsfeld lauds AF progress in adapting to fight terrorists

    Airmen worldwide have been filling nontraditional roles to contribute to the fight against a multifaceted, adaptive insurgency, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said here Aug. 2.Addressing a meeting of the Air Force Sergeants Association, Secretary Rumsfeld highlighted the different jobs Airmen

  • Air Force seeks applicants for IAS program

    Air Force officials are looking to develop a cadre of Air Force officers with international insight, foreign language proficiency and cultural understanding to work in today's security and expeditionary operations environment.The Air Force will select officers at the midcareer point, normally seven

  • Airmen 'build bridge' for new mission at Spangdahlem

    About a dozen Airmen with the 817th Contingency Response Group from McGuire Air Force Base, N.J., arrived here July 28 to support the Rhein-Main Transition Program.The five-year Rhein-Main Transition Program, scheduled for completion in December, calls for closing down Rhein-Main Air Base,

  • Air Force Intern Program develops future leaders

    The Air Force Intern Program Central Selection Board will convene at the Air Force Personnel Center here following the fall 2005 Developmental Team Review Process.The board will choose 30 junior and midlevel captains to study the application of air and space power and observe senior Defense

  • Long-term care insurance small price to pay

    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 can help federal employees defray the costs of in-home care, nursing-home care, or assisted-living facilities

  • Staging facility takes over where hospital leaves off

    It is 10:30 p.m., and the 332nd Expeditionary Medical Group’s contingency aeromedical staging facility here is a flurry of activity. The doctors, nurses and technicians are making their rounds while other Airmen are checking in new arrivals, processing movement paperwork, palletizing bags and making

  • Team effort brings America’s wounded troops home

    Moving wounded American servicemembers from the frontlines in Southwest Asia to hospitals in the United States is no easy task. The effort requires everything from treating patients in forward-deployed locations to airlifting and caring for them as they move from overseas to stateside locations.One

  • Spangdahlem pilots fly missions in Romania

    About 160 Airmen from the 81st Fighter Squadron at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, recently conducted the first Air Force fighter training mission in Constanta, Romania.The two-week exercise that ended July 31 aligned with Romanian-American Training Exercise 2005, a joint and combined effort with the

  • Officials announce services award winners

    Air Force Services Agency officials announced the winners of the 2005 services awards recently.Kadena Air Base, Japan, won the Gen. Curtis E. LeMay Trophy for best overall services unit at a large base. Spangdahlem AB, Germany, won the Maj. Gen. Eugene L. Eubank Trophy for best services at a small

  • Guard, Reserve integrate seamlessly into Nellis organization

    Organizations at the Air Warfare Center here are taking the concept, “One Team, One Fight,” literally and are combining active duty, Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve Command personnel in all mission areas.“This is a smarter, better way of doing business, because we’re able to capitalize on

  • Airmen medevac two wounded Afghans

    A combat search and rescue crew evacuated two Afghan nationals who had been wounded by stray shrapnel from an anti-coalition militia mortar attack against a forward-operating base in a village northeast of Kandahar, Afghanistan, on July 28.After the attack, the two -- an adult and a 12-year-old boy

  • Soldiers, Airmen care for Iraqi patients

    Only a few hours earlier, surgeons were working diligently to save his life and repair the damage a bullet caused when it entered his abdomen and ricocheted throughout his body. Now, the 11-year-old Iraqi boy sleeps peacefully with his favorite stuffed animal clutched in his hand. His father, next

  • Academy medics save life of Peterson NCO in Iraq

    Staff Sgt. Jamie Dana, a dog handler assigned to the 21st Security Forces Squadron at Peterson Air Force Base, Colo., was seriously injured a month into her six-month deployment when an improvised explosive device hit her convoy during a patrol near Kirkuk Air Base, Iraq. Airmen here who are

  • EQUAL available Aug. 2

    The Enlisted Quarterly Assignment Listing for Airmen returning from overseas April to June 2006 will be available Aug. 2.Airmen can contact their military personnel flights or their commander's support staff to update their preferences by Aug. 18. Deployed Airmen should contact their personnel

  • Officials announce anti-terrorism awards

    Air Force units and people won three of the five categories in the 2005 Department of Defense Anti-terrorism Awards.The top-level awards program was established in 1993 to recognize deserving individuals and units in the anti-terrorism field.The 2005 Air Force winners are:-- Best Anti-terrorism

  • Airman crafts digital artwork for computer log-in scripts

    Staff Sgt. Chris Borslien does not consider himself much of an artist; however, his customers might disagree with him.Instead of using brushes and paint, the network control center technician creates digital art with alphanumeric characters known as American standard code for information

  • Air Force fighting fires at home

    Guardsmen and reservists are used to international situations that call for them to put out fires. Now, they are doing it here at home -- literally.More than 60 guardsmen and four specially equipped C-130 Hercules from North Carolina and Wyoming Air National Guard units are battling blazes in the

  • Dental flight keeps Airmen on track to fight war on terrorism

    Flossing, brushing, eating healthy and leaving with a sparkling white smile are not the only things the 20th Aeromedical-Dental Squadron’s dental flight wants Airmen here to have gained after leaving the dentist's chair."Our goal is to have everyone leave here medically qualified for a deployment,"

  • Aeromedical mission has healing touch

    On any given day, Airmen with the 386th Contingency Aeromedical Staging Facility at a forward-deployed location provide support and medical care for patient movement and serve as an integral link in the global aeromedical evacuation system.“A (staging facility) is a modular and expeditionary concept

  • ESGR gives support to reservists, guardsmen, employers

    A viable Guard and reserve force -- a critical weapon in the struggle against violent extremism -- depends on having viable employer support, said Gary Walston, newly appointed program specialist for the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve in Texas.Mr. Walston, a retired Air National

  • Predator operators see whole picture

    Each MQ-1 Predator unmanned aerial vehicle mission flown in the Iraqi sky begins and ends here.Predator operators deployed here put the aircraft in the air and make sure it lands safely. Sitting side by side in the “cockpit,” enlisted Airmen and officers work as a team providing top cover to

  • Deployed leaders take ‘vest-ed’ interest in being cool

    The first test was in an outhouse.Saddled in the middle of Baghdad -- where temperatures are reaching at least 120 degrees -- that outhouse had all the qualities Capt. James Ross needed to test his idea to cool off flightline logistics workers from the stifling heat.His idea -- a “cool vest.” The

  • Sword Order falls into hands of AFC2ISR Center Commander

    The commander of the Air Force Command and Control, and Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Center became the first inductee into the Air Force District of Washington’s Order of the Sword during a ceremony here July 22.Maj. Gen. Tommy F. Crawford received the highest honor and tribute

  • Airmen donate soccer balls, supplies to African school

    Up and down a dusty grass and dirt soccer field, children chased a well-worn semblance of a ball. The ball more closely resembled a plastic bag wrapped in twine. The players stopped only to wave hello to the U.S. Airmen entering the airfield of Kigali International Airport.The students are from

  • Airman keeps sight of dream despite obstacles

    In 1971, 20-year-old Victor Folarin set off on a journey to achieve his dream of becoming a doctor. During that journey, he immigrated to another country, earned five college degrees and joined the U.S. military.Col. (Dr.) Victor Folarin, outgoing 7th Aeromedical/Dental Squadron commander here, was

  • Rumsfeld holds town hall meeting with troops in Iraq

    Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld visited with troops here and at Logistics Support Area Anaconda July 27, addressing Airmen and Soldiers in a town hall forum.He began with a thank you to the Airmen and Soldiers present. The air base and LSA Anaconda share the same installation“I’m profoundly

  • First Future Total Force wing proves successful

    The first Future Total Force wing, the 116th Air Control Wing, is nearing its third birthday since merging active-duty Air Force, Army and Air National Guard units to form a “blended wing.”In October 2002, America’s first total force wing took flight as the 116th ACW and made history by combining

  • Davis-Monthan woman recognized for helping environment

    An environmental engineer here won $2,500 from “Good Housekeeping” magazine as a runner-up for the magazine’s Women in Government award.Karen Oden is assigned to the 355th Civil Engineer Squadron.The women selected for the award worked endless hours overcoming huge hurdles to make big changes,

  • Shaw F-16s intercept shuttle airspace violator

    Two F-16 Fighting Falcons, enforcing a temporary no-fly zone around the Space Shuttle Discovery launch site at Cape Canaveral, Fla., intercepted and escorted a small civilian aircraft from the area July 26.It was during the nine-minute hold in the countdown when the pilots recieved the call from

  • Cope North bilateral exercise wraps up in Guam

    The thunder in the Guam sky has subsided with the conclusion of Cope North, a bilateral exercise between Airmen from the U.S. Air Force and the Japan air self-defense force.The exercise, which ended July 21, was designed to enhance U.S. and Japanese air operations by training in air combat tactics,

  • Airmen missing from Vietnam War identified

    Officials with the Department of Defense Prisoner of War/Missing Personnel Office announced July 26 that the remains of two Airmen, missing in action from the Vietnam War, have been identified and are being returned to their families for burial with full military honors.They are Col. James Lewis of

  • Predictability added to deployed travel

    Most deployed Airmen know how far along they are in their rotation and when they expect to return home.Until recently, that date was mostly speculation, but, thanks to aggregation, Airmen will know exactly when their replacement is coming and when they will leave.U.S. Central Command Air Forces

  • U.S. still welcome at Manas, Kyrgyzstan minister says

    The United States is welcome to continue using Manas Air Base, Kyrgyzstan's defense minister said here July 26.Gen.Maj. Ismail Isakov also said that any future movement of U.S. troops out of Kyrgyzstan "fully depends upon the situation in Afghanistan." After Afghanistan is stabilized there would be

  • Major works hard at preparing warriors

    Sport and business have long had a strong working relationship.Maj. Michael Ternus, 377th Logistics Readiness Squadron operations officer, exemplifies this relationship -- albeit as an unconventional businessman in an unconventional sport.The major is the current national master's super heavyweight

  • Airman develops antidote to injection confusion

    Knowing how to administer an antidote to a fellow Airman who falls victim to chemical exposure in the field will not be as difficult as before.A new sticker on the antidote kit designed here, with specific instructions on when and how to administer the antidote for nerve agent poisoning, is helping

  • Airmen maintain airlift operations in Africa

    The early morning roar of eight engines from two C-130 Hercules here is music to the ears of the aircraft maintainers watching over them. To Airmen with the 86th Air Expeditionary Group’s maintenance team from Ramstein Air Base, Germany, it means the mission which began July 16 to bring Rwandan

  • Tankers take care of deployed aircrews

    Airman 1st Class Robert Willis celebrated his 21st birthday in a rather unusual manner July 22 -- offloading 85,200 pounds of jet fuel at 27,500 feet to a B-52 Stratofortress bound for Afghanistan.It was merely another day at the “office” for the boom operator on the KC-135 Stratotanker air

  • Reservists protect Airmen at Baghdad base

    Two reservists at Baghdad International Airport are shaping force protection for more than 700 people, meshing the future total force with the reality of what is currently around them.Capt. Lisa Maloney and Master Sgt. Mary Webb run the anti-terrorism/force protection office here. Working daily with

  • Future Total Force arrives for duty in Vermont

    Airman 1st Class Kirshell LaCroix had not even graduated from technical school when she decided to jump into the Future Total Force. She landed in South Burlington, Vt., about a month ago, and the 20-year-old electrical and environmental aircraft maintenance apprentice said it looks like she made

  • Teamwork moves Rwandan troops

    It takes a lot more than Hercules to move Rwandan Defense Force members to the Darfur region of the Sudan. The C-130 Hercules needs a team working together to make sure things go right. In fact, there were 10 crewmembers on each of the flights working together to ensure the 13-hour, round-trip

  • Rhein-Main changes billeting, long-term parking procedures

    As Rhein-Main Air Base draws closer to its Dec. 31 close date, travelers who frequent the base will begin to notice changes in services provided. A change in the long-term parking policy gives priority to people traveling on Air Mobility Command missions, and space-available lodging is no longer

  • Planes soar thanks to Baghdad's ‘tower of power’

    Except for a thick dusty haze squatting on the city from day to day, Baghdad and the surrounding Iraqi countryside would be completely visible from here. Being 180 feet taller than almost any other vantage point in the city, Baghdad International Airport's control tower has certain advantages.The

  • Airmen provide exams before, after interrogations

    Iraqi detainees at the prison here receive medical examinations before and after interrogation thanks to an independent group of Air Force medics.The detainee health care team monitors and maintains the health of about 2,000 detainees who are “actively undergoing interrogation,” said Major Carol,

  • On target: Ammo Airmen do bang up job

    Tucked away behind tall bunkers and old engine parts lays a unique greenhouse with a special crop.Inside a crop of bullets, bombs and explosives receive care and attention fro a group of unique Airmen.From inspections and maintenance to overall accountability, the Airmen of the 332nd Expeditionary

  • Shuttle return to flight includes local efforts

    Almost two weeks after its original launch date, NASA’s Discovery Shuttle is scheduled for its return to flight July 26, but they are not doing it alone.“NASA could not launch the space shuttle without range and space surveillance support from Air Force Space Command,” said Jeffrey Ashby, former

  • Blue Flag starts with bang at Nellis, Hurlburt Field

    Joint forces from around the United States, along with 11 coalition partners, converged here and at the Combined Air Operations Center at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., for the start of Blue Flag 05-02 on July 24.About 2,000 joint troops, led by 9th Air Force, are participating at the two locations

  • Test pilot school selection board date set

    Air Force officials plan to hold the next test pilot school selection board at the Air Force Personnel Center here Nov. 28 to Dec. 2 for classes beginning in July 2006 and January 2007.The U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School trains pilots and navigators as well as civilian and military engineers to

  • Pam Tillis rocks Holloman during ‘Spirit of America Tour’

    Country music singer Pam Tillis entertained more than 800 Airmen and their families with a free two-hour concert here July 18.“There’s a lot of feelings and emotions that come from getting to rub shoulders with you guys,” said Miss Tillis, who gave the concert as a part of the Spirit of America

  • Future Total Force outlined on Capitol Hill

    There will be no "gap" between the end of assigned missions for Air National Guard units and the beginning of their replacement missions.In testimony before the House Armed Services Committee on July 20, the director of Air Force plans and programs told legislators the service is working hard to

  • Red Horse engineers build Iraqi future

    In the military community, the Red Horse name invokes images of rough and ready Airmen who can deploy at a moment’s notice into austere and hostile environments and build an operational airfield, seemingly overnight.In today’s war on terrorism, a group of Red Horse engineers from the Ohio and

  • Airmen make two saves in one day

    Lying on the ground, he leaned his head and saw the small bird that filled the air with the sounds of a warm summer afternoon. The sun had woken him earlier and lit the mountaintops, which burst into an array of color.As the summer breeze cooled him, Alexander Ryan thought of the events that placed

  • Vandenberg launches Minuteman III

    An unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile was successfully launched from here July 21.The mission was to demonstrate the ability to integrate new products into the weapon system. Tracking, telemetry and command destruct systems were installed on the missile to collect data and

  • Airmen deliver fuel in flight

    Staff Sgt. Jonny Gomez is not the type of guy to take something lying down, but he is extremely proficient at giving it out that way.Giving fuel, that is, and when he is belly down in the boom pod of a KC-135 Stratotanker, the responsibility of aerial refueling aircraft supporting the war on

  • Airmen keep ground equipment working, mission flying

    Even though they are maintainers, they do not turn a single wrench on a jet. But without them neither does anyone else.Bomber aerospace ground equipment Airmen work around-the-clock to maintain a 95.9-percent in-commission rate on the 121 pieces of equipment maintainers, back shops, weapons loaders

  • Airmen support Soldiers, Marines with up-armor kits

    Soldiers and Marines can thank a team of blue-suited warriors at this forward-deployed location for helping put new armor on vehicles they use to battle insurgents.Airmen of the 8th Expeditionary Air Mobility Squadron are on a 24-hour treadmill, racing to provide life-saving and force-protection

  • Innovative techniques help Air Force meet manning goals

    The Air Force deputy chief of staff for personnel told lawmakers July 19 the service would meet its end-strength requirement by the end of the fiscal year. In March, Lt. Gen. Roger A. Brady told lawmakers the service would meet its end-strength goal by end of the fiscal year."End strength" is the

  • Air Force accepting physician assistant applications

    The Air Force is taking applications for physician assistant Phase I training classes in beginning January, April and August 2007.Only active-duty enlisted Airmen are eligible to apply.The selection board is scheduled to convene at the Air Force Personnel Center here March 21, 2006. Completed

  • Air Force accepting physical therapy applications

    The Air Force is taking applications for the Doctor of Physical Therapy Program which begins Dec. 17, 2006, at the Health Science Center at Fort Sam Houston, Texas.Only active-duty Airmen who possess a baccalaureate degree or those who are in the final semester before receiving a degree that

  • USAFE helps Rwandan troops deploy to Darfur

    A C-17 Globemaster III departed here July 18 carrying 95 Rwandan troops deploying to help ease the humanitarian crisis in the Darfur region of Sudan. The airlift started the 86th Aerospace Expeditionary Group’s involvement in NATO’s support to the African Union expanded mission in the region. The

  • Chief returns POW/MIA bracelet, brings closure to family

    Every evening before he went to bed and every morning when he woke up, he read Army Staff Sgt. Manuel Moreida’s name inscribed on his bracelet. He did this daily for more than 12 years.Chief Master Sgt. Marc Rodriguez’s personal routine for remembering Sergeant Moreida and the others like him acted

  • USAFE supports Royal International Air Tattoo

    More than 150,000 people attended the 2005 Royal International Air Tattoo here July 16 and 17, air show officials said. The air show has been officially named by the “Guinness Book of Records” as the world’s largest military air show with participation of more than 300 aircraft from more than 30

  • Airmen keep mission rolling

    Every day, dozens of C-130 Hercules aircraft at this forward-deployed location fly to Iraq with their bellies full of critical supplies and people to support the war on terrorism.But the cargo does not just magically appear in the aircraft. Airmen of the 386th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness

  • Safety course teaches risk management for two-wheelers

    Many motorcyclists say there is nothing like the feeling of flying down the highway on two wheels with a sunset stretched out ahead.But before hitting the open road, Airmen and civilians here, and many throughout the Air Force, must complete an approved motorcycle safety course and pass a

  • Airman named one of 10 Outstanding Young Americans

    An Airman with the Air Force Communications Agency here is one of the U.S. Junior Chamber of Commerce’s 2005 10 Outstanding Young Americans of 2005.Master Sgt. Karen Petitt, managing editor of the Air Force warfighting integration community’s Intercom magazine, will receive the award Sept. 17 in

  • Leaders address Air Force in BRAC process

    Defense Department leaders told the Base Realignment and Closure Commission July 18 why certain military facilities are not included in Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld's May 13 recommendations.Commissioners were here to continue their deliberations after visiting military bases nationwide in

  • Ramstein planes, Airmen depart for Darfur mission

    Three C-130 Hercules from the 86th Airlift Wing and about 40 Airmen here left July 16 for Kigali, Rwanda, to begin a monthlong airlift mission to the Darfur region of Sudan. The mission is part of NATO’s response to support the African Union’s expanded peacekeeping mission in Darfur with logistics

  • Deployed Airmen give tours to Iraqi historical landmark

    Most 407th Expeditionary Services Squadron Airmen here are used to interacting with customers over a counter. However, two services Airmen here are expanding the customer service concept by leaving the confines of the base three times a week. The Airmen act as both tour guide and body guard,

  • Airman receives support -- lots of it -- through letters

    Servicemembers with the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing at a forward-deployed location here are not strangers to receiving letters, mementos and care packages from families, friends and loved ones.However, one sergeant assigned to the 386th Expeditionary Medical Group receives enough mail to keep a

  • PACAF receives national award for legal assistance

    A Pacific Air Forces committee designed to increase the legal readiness of PACAF Airmen was recently awarded the Legal Assistance for Military Personnel 2004 Distinguished Service Award.The award recognizes those who display exceptional achievements and service in support of military legal

  • Captain deployed with German helicopter unit in Kosovo

    Since Vietnam, helicopters have proven how invaluable they are in day-to-day operations in a combat zone because of their flexibility. Today’s helicopter crews must be “jacks of all trades,” ready to fly whatever mission they are assigned.One Airman assigned to the German contingent supporting

  • Flying force-multiplier provides eyes forward

    A small, lightweight airborne surveillance system is paying big dividends in helping the 379th Security Forces Squadron accomplish its mission while safeguarding the Air Force’s most valuable asset -- Airmen.The system serves as eyes forward for security forces Airmen and provides a visual of

  • F-16 pilots provide support for troops on the battlefield

    In an instant they are gone, but the 510th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron’s F-16 Fighting Falcons can be found in the Iraqi sky providing air support for servicemembers fighting against insurgents on the ground. The 510th EFS provides support for ground commanders countrywide. These tasks include

  • Red Horse Airmen keep Afghan supply lanes open

    The sight of a C-17 Globemaster III coming in for a landing here can be awe-inspiring. The 174-foot-long transport drops from the sky in an instant. Its thrust-reversing engines create a thunderous sound that lets all around know it has landed.More importantly, with a payload of up to 170,900

  • Master sergeant sentenced in WAPS case

    A master sergeant was sentenced to a dishonorable discharge, a demotion to E-1 and 42 months confinement July 15 for charges involving the distribution of controlled weighted airman promotion system testing materials.Master Sgt. J. Abdur Rahim Saafir, of the 469th Air Base Group at Rhein-Main Air

  • Airmen may reduce risks at home by applying ORM

    In most Air Force jobs, training is given to Airmen to teach them how to accomplish the mission, recognize a threat and, in the event a threat does arise, how to execute and prevent a greater threat from happening.In everyday lives, it is important to take the knowledge gained from work and share it

  • U.S. servicemembers join tribute to terrorist victims

    Americans in the U.S. military community living and working in Europe paid tribute July 14 to the victims of the terrorist bombings in London on July 7.Marine Gen. James Jones, commander of U.S. European Command, issued a message to the American forces in Europe encouraging participation in the

  • AMC uses alternate dispute resolution to solve conflicts

    Air Mobility Command officials here have taken significant steps to promote greater use of a program that has proven to be effective at resolving conflict, especially workplace disputes.The program, known as alternate dispute resolution, significantly reduces the dollars and hours expended annually

  • Service demographics available online

    Air Force Personnel Center officials here recently published the quarterly demographics report which offers a snapshot of the service's active-duty and civilian force as of June 30.The report outlines information regarding the Air Force’s 354,229 active-duty Airmen and 145,271 civilian employees,

  • AFMC responds to Hurricane Dennis

    While this base in southwestern Ohio is not known for taking direct hits from sustained triple-digit winds during the Gulf Coast hurricane season, Air Force Materiel Command leaders here pay particular attention when Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is in a hurricane's path.When it is forecasted that a

  • Stop movement ends for Hurlburt, 366th TRS detachment

    Officials at Hurlburt Field, Fla., and the 366th Training Squadron’s Detachment 6 in Gulfport, Miss., have reinstated all permanent change of station and temporary duty travel to their respective locations.For more information, Airmen and Department of Defense civilians and their family members can

  • Misawa receives Installation Excellence Award

    Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld has announced the winners of the 2005 Commander-in-Chief’s Annual Award for Installation Excellence. Misawa Air Base, Japan, was selected as the Air Force winner.“This award validates the hard work, commitment and pride of Airmen, Sailors, Soldiers, Marines

  • June recruiting, retention stats up for Air Force

    Recruiting and retention rates were up in June for all services in both the active and reserve components, Defense Department officials announced July 11.The Air Force exceeded its June goal, recruiting more than 2,400 Airmen, defense officials said.In addition, all services met or exceeded their

  • General sees ‘seamless’ force in Southwest Asia

    Everyone is on the same team, wears the same uniform and performs the same mission. As a result, people cannot tell the difference between active-duty Airmen, reservists and guardsmen.That is the impression Lt. Gen. John A. Bradley received on his recent visit to Iraq and Afghanistan. General

  • Military working dogs: More than man’s best friend

    Dogs are known as man’s best friend, but to Airmen and Soldiers here, military working dogs are considered a four-legged partner in the war against terrorism.Security forces Airmen and Soldiers, along with their military working dogs, have partnered together to provide force protection on this

  • Stop movement order updates for Florida, Mississippi

    Base officials at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., and Keesler AFB, Miss., have reinstated all permanent change of station and temporary duty travel to their respective bases.Officials at Eglin AFB, Fla., will lift their stop movement July 13, officials said.For more information, Airmen and Department

  • Force Shaping Phase II evolves for fiscal 2006

    The Air Force achieved its congressionally mandated active-duty end strength of 359,700 Airmen for fiscal 2005. The Air Force had exceeded that ceiling until now.Force Shaping Phase II initiatives successfully reduced the overall size of the force; however, the Air Force still has more officers

  • Arnold AFB linked to space shuttle return-to-flight program

    The Arnold Engineering Development Center here played an important role in supporting NASA’s space shuttle return-to-flight program that will culminate with the July 13 scheduled launch of Space Shuttle Discovery.Following the February 2003 breakup of Space Shuttle Columbia during re-entry into the

  • Airmen free to travel to London

    In conjunction with the United Kingdom government, U.S. Air Forces in Europe senior military officials now consider the London situation stabilized to the point where unofficial travel to London is acceptable.However, Airmen and their families will be asked to avoid areas where British authorities

  • FTF initiatives make progress

    The Air Force director of plans and programs provided an update of the six Future Total Force initiatives being tested in the United States during a roundtable discussion July 7.Part of the FTF plan is to increase the number of bases where active-duty Airmen are assigned to Guard and Reserve units

  • Flexibility, working together key to Air Force FTF

    Leaders from the active-duty Air Force, Air Reserve Command and National Guard Bureau spoke recently about the direction of the Air Force’s Future Total Force. The future of the Air Force will be determined not only by the Future Total Force plan, but also the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure

  • Air Force names 12 Outstanding Airmen of the Year

    Air Force officials have selected the service's top enlisted Airmen, naming the 12 Outstanding Airmen of the Year for 2005.An Air Force selection board at the Air Force Personnel Center here considered 45 nominees who represented major commands, direct reporting units, field operating agencies and

  • Altus aircrew showcases dual-row airdrop

    An aircrew from the 58th Airlift Squadron here has made the first dual-row airdrop from a C-17 Globemaster III July 5."Dual row airdrops allow for twice as much cargo and heavy equipment to be delivered into a combat environment as compared to the conventional single row drop," said Lt. Col. Tal

  • Ammo, weapons Airmen get job done despite friendly rivalry

    While most, if not all, Airmen of the 40th Air Expeditionary Group take pride in their jobs, two seemingly similar specialties take it to a level where a friendly rivalry exists at this forward-deployed location.Make no mistake about the distinction between munitions and weapons Airmen. Those who

  • Edwards' warriors walk for cancer cure

    A broken arm is serious but will heal completely. The flu can leave one bedridden, but disappear in a week or so. But the effect of a chronic illness like cancer is there to stay -- it changes lives forever.This is how Michele Chebahtah, the 412th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron training manager,

  • Eglin spared as Hurricane Dennis flexes

    Hurricane Dennis approached the Emerald Coast and the base July 8, an area still trying to get back to a sense of normalcy 10 months after Hurricane Ivan ripped through the area.When the maximum sustained winds of Hurricane Dennis peaked at 150 mph on July 8, Dennis made history as the strongest

  • Hurricane Dennis eyes Gulf Coast, packing major winds

    In a flurry of activity, the base is rushing hurricane preparations before the second major hurricane in 10 months makes landfall nearby. According to a hurricane statement released by The National Hurricane Center, Hurricane Dennis was a strong Category 4 hurricane, packing sustained winds of 150

  • Military taking precautions as Hurricane Dennis approaches

    Hurricane Dennis is bearing down on the United States, and servicemembers -- like others in the path of this Category 4 storm -- are taking precautions. The storm, which is moving toward the Florida Keys, has sustained winds of more than 140 miles per hour and could strengthen, said officials at the

  • Officials issue stop movement, Florida bases evacuated

    As people and aircraft evacuate some Florida bases July 8 with the approach of Hurricane Dennis, Air Force officials have placed a ”stop movement” order for people permanently moving to or transiting to some Florida and Missippi installations. Affected installations are Whiting Field, Hurlburt