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  • Air Force reaches privatization milestone

    The Air Force recently surpassed the 10,000-home milestone in its military family housing privatization program. In February, Air Force officials closed a deal privatizing more than 1,300 homes at Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii. This means the Air Force now has more than 10,900 privatized homes.

  • Kandahar pararescuemen poised to save lives

    Rescue specialists in southern Afghanistan say their primary reason for living is to prevent others from dying.Based out of Kandahar Air Field, the 59th Expeditionary Rescue Squadron is ultimately tasked with rescuing downed aircrew and others in isolated areas.“Luckily, that doesn’t happen too

  • Airmen ready to snag an Eagle

    The Airmen of the 386th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron power production flight ensure there is plenty of electricity to power facilities here. However, another crucial aspect of their job is maintaining and operating the mechanical system that stops problem aircraft on the runway. During

  • Langley Airmen test Kevlar shorts

    Airmen here are testing Kevlar shorts designed to complement their current vests and helmets.Base officials here are the first in the Air Force to purchase the Kevlar Tactical Outer Protective Shorts. The shorts minimize fragment damage from the waistline to the knees and provide vital protection

  • PERSCO Airmen count ‘boots on the ground’

    In any combat environment, having “boots on the ground” can be the deciding factor in an operation. The mission for counting those boots at deployed locations falls on the Personnel Support for Contingency Operations Airmen.The four-person PERSCO team here, composed of servicemembers from Randolph

  • Exercises test mobilization process

    Air Force officials will kick off a "push-pull" mobilization test March 10."Push-pull" is the process used to quickly access and return reservists, categorized as Pretrained Individual Manpower Airmen, back into the active-duty force to meet wartime and contingency needs. They are Individual Ready

  • AF maintains contact with missing servicemembers’ families

    Wearing a nametag with the name of his brother, Raymond Kelly, a 74-year-old veteran, personifies the families of missing servicemembers and their continued efforts to find closure for the loss of their loved ones. In 1951, Airman 1st Class James Kelly’s aircraft crashed in North Korea during the

  • Integrated training smoothes future joint operations

    As the face of battle has changed with more and more multiservice operations, interservice training for all ranks is becoming an increasing necessity to win the fight on global battlegrounds, officials said.Command and staff war colleges have been holding integrated training for decades, ensuring

  • Physical, occupational therapy fixes strains and sprains

    People flock to the physical and occupational therapy clinic here from far and wide to make their strains, sprains and breaks feel better. “Were conserving the fighting strength,” said Maj. Joel Robb, 332nd Expeditionary Medical Operations Squadron’s physical therapist and flight commander, whose

  • Medics celebrate safety awareness week

    Health-care workers around the country mark the beginning of National Patient Safety Awareness Week on March 6.Air Force medics are using the week, which runs through March 12, to let the patients know how much is being done to make sure they are safe and what they can do to become more involved in

  • Airmen track terrorists off base

    To keep Balad Air Base, Iraq safe and secure, the Airmen of Task Force 1041 venture off base daily to take the fight to the enemy.“This is a war against insurgents, and the battlefield is asymmetric,” said Lt. Col. Chris Bargery, task force commander. “The vast majority of attacks against air bases

  • Guardian Challenge 2005 canceled

    Guardian Challenge, the Air Force’s annual space and missile competition, has been canceled for 2005 to allow Airmen to focus on real-world deployments and ease budget constraints, Air Force Space Command officials said.“It takes a lot of manpower and resources to support an event like Guardian

  • AMC stands up first contingency response wing

    Air Mobility Command stood up the Air Force’s first contingency response wing here March 1.The wing, which replaced the 621st Air Mobility Operations Group, expands the group's current mission and embeds all necessary capabilities, such as security forces, finance, intelligence and civil

  • First B-2s deploy to Andersen

    B-2 Spirit bombers have deployed here for the first time to support Pacific Command’s security efforts in the Western Pacific. More than 270 Airmen of the 393rd Expeditionary Bomb Squadron deployed from the 509th Bomb Wing at Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo., currently the only B-2 unit in the Air

  • General Jumper commends CENTAF Airmen

    Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper made time to visit two forward-deployed locations recently during a trip to the region for the Middle Eastern Air Symposium. He received an operations update at U.S. Central Command Air Forces-Forward headquarters at one location, before visiting top

  • President nominates General Looney to head AETC

    President Bush has nominated Lt. Gen. William R. Looney III to be the next commander of Air Education and Training Command, Air Force officials announced Feb. 28.General Looney, who also is nominated for his fourth star, is the commander of the Aeronautical Systems Center here. Both nominations

  • Air Force identifies non-vol candidates for first sergeant duty

    Air Force officials have identified Airmen as candidates for first sergeant duty for the second time in two years through a nonvolunteer process. Historically, first sergeants were chosen from a pool of volunteers. But in recent years, there has not been a sufficient number of volunteers to keep

  • Adopt-a-plane program preserves history

    George Jones is a man with a plan: to restore the static aircraft displays at the Air Force Armament Museum here.The aircraft are “dying a slow death” because of adverse weather conditions that are taking a toll on the 25 displays that surround the museum, said Mr. Jones, an aerospace museum

  • Air Force announces OTS selections

    More than 120 people were selected for an Air Force commission, Air Force Recruiting Service officials here announced March 2. The officials considered 266 applications as part of Officer Training School Selection Board 0503, which selected 128 people for a 48 percent selection rate. Of those, 17

  • Air Force officials require myPay for civilians

    Civilian employees of the Air Force will be required to use the myPay system to access their leave and earning statements beginning March 31.The change brings Air Force civilians in line with active duty-and reserve-component Airmen who are already required to access their pay data online, officials

  • Bagram mail team delivers

    Delivering messages from home to more than 700 deployed Airmen is a “mission of morale” being carried out on a daily basis by the mail team here.Anywhere from seven to 20 pallets of mail arrive here daily -- anywhere between 15,000 to 50,000 pounds of mail.“We have a core team of seven Airmen --

  • AMC continues to meet warfighters’ needs

    Air Mobility Command officials said they remain confident they will continue to meet their worldwide airlift and training requirements despite the AMC-directed grounding and restrictions of a portion of the Air Force’s C-130 Hercules fleet.Gen. John W. Handy, commander of AMC and U.S. Transportation

  • Survivors offer advice straight from the heart

    It began as a good day for Kim Manning. On March 29, 2004, her alarm clock’s snooze button, which usually works overtime, got the day off, while a warm shower and a hot cup of coffee propelled her out the door and off to work. Less than half an hour later her good day went bad, real bad.Just miles

  • Officials break ground for F/A-22 maintenance training center

    Sheppard is set to become the premier training center for F/A-22 Raptor maintenance professionals, officials said Feb. 18 during the ground breaking ceremony here for a $19.7-million training facility. Students new to aircraft maintenance will become maintainers of the Air Force's newest fighter in

  • Airmen handle transient surge

    More than 1,500 people arrived here Feb. 22 to 26. The problem was, none left. Airmen said they first noticed the lines at the dining facility growing a little longer. Then the gym facilities began to get a little more crowded; and across the way it started becoming more and more difficult to find

  • Family finally gets official word on Korean War vet's fate

    More than a half-century after North Korean fighter jets shot down Capt. Troy Cope's F-86 Sabre over Dandong, China, his family finally has official word of what happened to him and is preparing to bury him this May.Chris Cope, who was born too late to ever know his uncle, calls this homecoming an

  • B-1 software, munition tests completed

    A B-1B Lancer test program that combined testing of software upgrades along with integrating the 500-pound Joint Direct Attack Munition, or GBU-38, wrapped up here Feb. 24.Airmen of the 419th Flight Test Squadron completed the last software test sortie Feb. 22 in a flight to the Utah Test and

  • Airmen add armor to Army vehicles

    Fifty Airmen and more than 150 civilians worldwide are doing a very important job, but not for the Air Force. Vehicle maintainers from the 732nd Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron add armor to Army vehicles that venture off the base. “It’s kind of historic (and) ground breaking because we

  • Tuskegee Airman visits Cannon

    Retired Lt. Col. Herbert Carter is the embodiment of walking history. He was part of the 99th Pursuit Squadron, the famous “Red Tails,” made up of a group of black pilots known as the Tuskegee Airmen.Colonel Carter visited here recently to speak at Cannon’s Black History Month dinner.“I actually

  • Americans reach out, help Afghans

    With the generosity of people in the United States, coalition troops here were able to make the lives of 30 Afghan families a little bit better Feb. 22.Beginning in November, Soldiers of the 105th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment, deployed from Kansas and Oklahoma, received donations from their

  • Missing Korean War Airman identified

    Department of Defense officials announced Feb. 25 that the remains of an Air Force pilot, missing in action from the Korean War, have been identified and will soon be returned to his family for burial with full military honors.Capt. Troy Cope of Norfolk, Ark., will be buried in Plano, Texas, on May

  • Security forces provide fly-away protection

    In many forward-operating locations for Operation Enduring Freedom, C-130 Hercules planes from here make landings on dirt airstrips.Many times, riding along with the C-130 aircrews are highly trained and skilled Air Force security forces Airmen from the 416th Expeditionary Mission Support Squadron's

  • Holloman NCO steps up, helps to control in-flight emergency

    “There’s a bomb on the plane, I know it!”Staff Sgt. Jeremiah Drew was on a commercial flight while returning from leave recently when he heard an unruly woman scream this suspicion.“She went on yelling this a few times,” said Sergeant Drew, who is assigned to the 49th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron

  • Airmen swear to defend brothers, sisters in arms

    “I am my brothers’ and sisters’ keeper” are words the 455th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron Airmen here live by and, if need be, swear to die by.“We focus on mission, safety and the welfare of our Airmen,” said Master Sgt. Adam Barber, 455th ESFS operations superintendent. “It’s a 24-hour

  • IDT policy change gives augmentees flexibility

    A recent policy change modifies the inactive duty training policy for individual mobilization augmentees, and gives the reservists more flexibility to schedule training requirements.“While it is expected our IMAs will participate on a quarterly basis to maintain viability and visibility within their

  • Judge advocates ensure people are protected, disciplined

    Truth, justice and a speedy trial within the military judicial system may not be concerns weighing on a servicemember’s mind on a daily basis, but as a victim of a crime or as an Airman being accused of a crime, these concerns are things you not only think about, they are things you expect.The U.S.

  • First lady praises troops, families in Germany

    For U.S. troops fighting the war on terror, "heroism with a human touch is part of the mission," first lady Laura Bush told troops and their families at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, during a visit Feb. 22.Mrs. Bush traveled to Kaiserslautern, the largest American military community outside the United

  • Troops deal with stress of working 'inside the wire'

    Working "inside the wire" of the enemy combatant detention facility can lead to stress for the U.S. troops working here. But experts and leaders are working hard to help servicemembers deal with the unique conditions of working on this isolated island base.Stress-control issues are something the

  • Extended deployments affect only 200

    Air Force officials are designating some positions in U.S. Central Command’s area of responsibility as 365-day extended deployments in an effort to provide stability and allow for long-term relationship building with host governmentsThe new tour lengths will affect only about 200 key and critical

  • Villages receive emergency relief from Soldiers, Airmen

    In a 40-person, 16-vehicle convoy of Soldiers and Airmen from here traveled more than 30 miles southwest into the Afghan mountains, delivering humanitarian aid to two snowbound villages.Enough blankets, clothes, food and medicine were provided for 2,700 households, officials said. “Our mission was

  • Air Force chaplains serve to keep Airmen fit to fight

    For those who think chaplains deploy with the sole responsibility of running church services on Sunday, think again. Their purpose stretches beyond the confines of a chapel.Whether it is a worship service, choir practice, counseling sessions, Bible study, or just a visitation to a work center on

  • Interdependence more than just joint warfighting

    The Air Force must balance its capabilities and capacities to reach the joint interdependence with its sister services it needs to win in today’s battlespace.That is the message Lt. Gen. Ronald E. Keys, Air Force deputy chief of staff for air and space operations, delivered here Feb. 18 to about

  • 'Near space' enhances joint warfighting

    "Near space" can be the Air Force’s focus, said the commander of Air Force Space Command during his speech Feb. 17 at the Air Force Association’s 2005 Air Warfare Symposium here.“It can be our legacy if we work hard to integrate the effects of the medium of space in a way that supports the joint

  • Sheppard Airmen check out Raptor simulator

    It has been called an F-15 Eagle on steroids because of its advanced technologies. The F/A-22 Raptor, the Air Force's newest aircraft, has gained recognition as the first stealth supersonic fighter in the world.The $1.5 million cockpit simulator brought here Feb. 16 to 18 gave Airmen a chance to

  • Airman spins the wheel to ‘Big Money’

    Personality and perseverance, mixed with a little luck, made an Airman here a big winner on the "Wheel of Fortune" game show which aired Feb. 17.The "Wheel Mobile" visited the base in November to screen potential contestants for future tapings. Applicants played a mock version of the game with a

  • Medals updated in personnel system

    Air Force officials have completed a batch update to currently reflect award of the Korean Defense Service Medal and Global War on Terrorism-Expeditionary Medal in the military personnel data system.Air Force Personnel Center officials here recently completed a mass decorations update for more than

  • General Jumper: Air Force will uphold standards

    The Air Force will uphold its standards, and people who break the service’s core values “will pay the price,” the Air Force chief of staff said.Gen. John P. Jumper also told the more than 1,000 attendees at the Air Force Association’s annual Air Warfare Symposium here Feb. 17 the service will not

  • General Jumper charts course for future

    Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper gave a vector for the Air Force’s future during a speech Feb. 17 at the Air Force Association’s 2005 Air Warfare Symposium here.General Jumper followed Peter B. Teets, acting secretary of the Air Force, at the convention in which about 1,000 people

  • Teets: Air Force confident, strong, ready

    The acting secretary of the Air Force assured the Air Force Association here Feb. 17 the service is confident, strong and ready to face any threat.“And I know it will remain that way,” Peter B. Teets told about 1,000 attendees of the association’s annual Air Warfare Symposium. The association

  • Soldiers, Airman boost morale during ‘off time’

    The sound of a live, acoustic version of the Guns ’n’ Roses classic “Sweet Child O’ Mine” filtered through the base dining facility where Soldiers stationed here were gathered.The entertainment was not provided by a headliner on a United Service Organizations tour, but by servicemembers desiring to

  • Murray testifies at new quality of life committee

    The Air Force’s most senior enlisted Airman joined his counterparts and testified Feb. 16 before the new House Appropriations Committee subcommittee on military quality of life and veterans’ affairs.Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Gerald R. Murray discussed quality of life issues, including

  • FAST mission for security forces

    Their job is simple: Cockpit denial and ground security. The training is intense, and only the best will get the assignment.The two-man teams are called fly-away security teams and are an offshoot of Air Mobility Command’s Phoenix Raven program. Due to a high volume of intratheater airlift

  • Deployed Airman keeps aircraft aloft

    Looking out a window high in the sky, he calls the shots. As aircraft approach, he talks to them, setting the stage for a smooth connection. The lineup has to be near-perfect -- too much to the left or right and the mission could fail. As the communication link to aircraft needing fuel, he knows

  • Court-martial finds Airman guilty of rape

    A court-martial found an Airman of the 97th Security Forces Squadron here guilty of rape, dereliction of duty and falsifying an official statement recently. After seven days of testimony and deliberation, a panel of officer and enlisted Airmen found Senior Airman Justin Howard guilty of one charge

  • Finance begins transformation

    The Air Force financial management community formally kicked off the operational phase of its transformation effort Feb. 2 at a conference in San Antonio.The conference highlighted the "six lanes" of financial transformation planned for the service in the next decade, which emphasize customer

  • Expeditionary logistics team carries the load

    They “move the mission,” keeping the busiest airfield in Afghanistan operational.They are the 455th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron Airmen, and their job is to support all aircraft coming in and out of here, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.“Last month, we pushed more than 10,000

  • Airman keeps Air Force structures intact

    It is midnight as Senior Airman Sheri Wilson begins her day. When she arrives at the shop, she is bombarded with a load of jobs to accomplish and gets hit with a major problem to tackle.She goes out to the flightline and inspects the cracked “skin” of an aircraft. Applying a repair technique she

  • Symposium students complete 32,000 hours of instruction

    Students and instructors said they developed a new appreciation for the word “training” during the 2005 Environmental Training Symposium, which ended here Feb. 11.About 153 instructors taught 111 courses to more than 1,250 students throughout the week-long event.More than 32,100 hours of instruction

  • AGE Airmen keep ground mission running

    The 332nd Expeditionary Maintenance Squadron’s aerospace ground equipment flight Airmen are a vital part of the mission here.“If it wasn’t for us, specialists and crew chiefs couldn’t do their job,” said Tech. Sgt. Michael Gosik, the flight’s chief. “Our purpose is to provide the aircraft with power

  • Pentagon Airman collects valentines for patients

    Where is the love? That is a question often asked, especially on Valentine’s Day. This year, one answer may be found in a small office in the Pentagon.Air Force Pentagon Enlisted Council officials began what they thought would be a small attempt to brighten the holiday for wounded servicemembers

  • Ellsworth Airmen reinvent the ladder

    Airmen here saw a problem and found a way to fix it, making the B-1B Lancer a more reliable warfighting machine.The problem involved the crew entry ladder being removed from the aircraft for repairs during the refurbishment process. This made the aircraft “not mission capable” for about seven

  • New system to streamline Guard orders process

    Beginning Oct. 1, Air National Guard officials will implement a new system for issuing orders.The Air National Guard Reserve Order Writing Systems will consolidate systems used throughout the 54 states and territories for temporary duty travel, permanent change of station, and all administrative

  • Airmen drop vital supplies to village in Afghan mountains

    Packed with more than 13,000 pounds of food, medicine and other humanitarian supplies, an Ohio Air National Guard C-130 Hercules crew deployed here flew over the Afghan mountainous region Feb. 10, successfully dropping critically needed cargo to the remote area.“Our basic mission was to airdrop

  • General Jumper testifies on 2006 Air Force posture, budget

    Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper testified Feb. 10 before the Senate Committee on Armed Services on the defense authorization request for fiscal 2006.The four service chiefs provided posture statements and answered questions about how each branch developed their portion of next year’s

  • College grants offered to Airmen's families

    Air Force Aid Society officials said they are offering as many as 4,500 college education grants to Air Force family members through the Gen. Henry H. Arnold Education Grant Program.Applications for the $1,500 need-based grants must be received by March 11.The program is open to dependent children

  • Jumper talks force development with career field managers

    Nearly one hundred active-duty, Guard and Reserve officer and civilian career field managers gathered at the Air Force Personnel Center here recently to discuss the future of force development.The three-day conference included a visit from Gen. John P. Jumper, Air Force chief of staff, who thanked

  • Air Force NASCAR team revs up for 2005

    The Air Force begins its fifth year as a NASCAR sponsor when the 2005 Nextel Cup season kicks off with the Daytona 500 on Feb. 20.After recruiting one of the most accomplished crew chiefs in the sport and making numerous off-season changes, the Air Force-sponsored Wood Brothers Racing No. 21 NASCAR

  • Predators protect troops

    The loud roars of F-16 Fighting Falcons here are familiar reminders of close-air support, but unmanned Predators silently swarm the sky protecting troops by different means.The RQ/MQ-1 Predator unmanned aerial vehicle is a lightweight, low-horsepower aircraft capable of taking daylight and infrared

  • Moseley speaks at defense strategy, transformation seminar

    Gen. T. Michael Moseley, Air Force vice chief of Staff spoke to more than 90 congressional staff members, defense industry leaders and think-tank experts Feb. 9 at the 2005 Air Force Defense Strategy and Transformation Seminar.The Air Force directorate of plans and programs officials organized the

  • More teamwork, technology drive Air Force transformation

    Air Force officials will use more teamwork and technology in transforming the service into a more agile and efficient force for the 21st century, a senior Air National Guard officer said here Feb. 7.The Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard will stay very much a part of current and future Air

  • Airmen provide convoy security for Soldiers, Marines in Iraq

    When Master Sgt. William Chapman joined the Air Force transportation field 20 years ago, he never dreamed he would use his skills far beyond the flightline.Recently returned from Iraq, Sergeant Chapman is teaching his fellow Airmen critical skills needed to conduct convoy-security missions there.It

  • Aviation conference offers opportunity to network

    For the 16th time in as many years, women involved in aviation will gather to network and discuss issues surrounding their chosen industry.The 16th Annual International Women in Aviation Conference runs March 10 to 12 in Dallas.The event is a great opportunity for both women and men involved in

  • Airmen must adhere to war trophy mailing restrictions

    Throughout history, Soldiers have come home with souvenirs from battle. Many of these war-related items end up on display in museums and showcases. Although it is tempting to bring back reminders of service in a military campaign, with few exceptions, taking or retaining individual souvenirs or

  • Program allows full-time study while on active duty

    A program allowing active-duty enlisted Airmen to attend college full time without loss of pay or benefits, and graduate with both a degree and a commission might just be the best kept secret in the Air Force, officials said.“It’s easily one of the best programs in the Air Force, and not a lot of

  • Instructor sentenced for unprofessional relationship

    An instructor here was sentenced after she pleaded guilty to two violations of Article 92 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice during a special court-martial Feb. 7.Staff Sgt. Jennifer Jones, an aerospace medical service apprentice course instructor in the 383rd Training Squadron, was arraigned

  • Chaplain explains suicide prevention efforts

    The Air Force’s top chaplain explained what the Air Force Chaplain Service is doing to help prevent suicides during a recent visit here.Chaplain (Maj. Gen.) Charles Baldwin, chaplain service chief, advises the Air Force chief of staff on all matters pertaining to the religious and moral welfare of

  • B-1 debuts at South Dakota museum

    Ellsworth has been home to the B-1B Lancer for more than 18 years, and for the first time, visitors to the South Dakota Air and Space Museum can view the aircraft up close.The B-1 static display is the newest exhibit at the museum and was placed into its permanent position in front of the museum

  • Reserve Airmen test C-130J in Southwest Asia

    Faster, farther, higher, safer. Aircrews and maintainers from the Air Force Reserve Command’s 403rd Wing here are changing attitudes and proving the effectiveness of their bird the J-model C-130 Hercules.As the first unit to take delivery of the aircraft in 1999, Airmen in the wing’s 815th Airlift

  • Desert Hawk UAV patrols Tallil

    Not every unmanned aerial vehicle in the sky is a Predator.Airmen of the 407th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron here are using a miniature UAV called a “Desert Hawk” that provides an extra set of eyes in the sky, gathering information and identifying threats. The small, 7-pound remote

  • Super Bowl commercial spotlights Airman

    A month ago, 1st Lt. Jeff McGowan would have laughed at the very idea that his face would be used to market thanks and gratitude on national television in front of 100 million viewers. But it is amazing what a few weeks and an opportunity of a lifetime can make.The engineer at the Space and Missile

  • Battlelabs help identify problems facing warfighters

    Airmen from seven Air Force battlelabs visited Air Force Special Operations Command headquarters here recently in an effort to identify the top 10 issues on the minds of warfighters.The battlelabs’ Warrior Outreach program provides an opportunity for battlelab staffs to meet face-to-face with the

  • Drone returns to Holloman

    Airmen from the 49th Logistics Readiness Squadron's air transportation flight returned a 1,000-pound piece of Air Force history to the base here Jan. 28.The piece of history, a Q-2 Firebee drone, had been loaned to the New Mexico Museum of Space History from the Air Force museum at Wright-Patterson

  • Stuck in the mud

    Airmen from the 506th Expeditionary Operations Support Squadron here worked with their counterparts from the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing to remove a mail cargo plane that taxied off the Kirkuk taxiway and sank almost three feet into the mud. The plane was stuck between two taxiways for almost four

  • Contracting officer experiences frontline action in Iraq

    First Lt. Ed Ruckwardt was in his office, wrapping up some contracts he had worked on the previous few days.It was typical of the lieutenant's duties. There was nothing extravagant or special about the contracts. He was doing his job.The quietness of the day was interrupted by a loud explosion

  • Re-enlistment marks milestone for accident victim

    It was a red-letter day for Tech. Sgt. Hector Barrios when he re-enlisted in the Air Force recently.While a re-enlistment itself is not an unusual event, getting there was for the 96th Security Forces Squadron dog handler.On July 15, 2003, Sergeant Barrios was deployed supporting Operation Iraqi

  • Tops in Blue seeks musicians

    There are lots of words that spring to mind when you think of Tops in Blue, the Air Force’s premier entertainment group, said Jeri White, Tops in Blue production coordinator at Air Force Services Agency here.“You think of ‘high energy,’ ‘world renown,’ even ‘expeditionary,’” she said. “You think of

  • History project looking for basic-training photos

    It is not often when someone has a chance to peer into the past, present and future at the same time. Fortunately, the vision of an Air Force historian has done just that with the creation of an online repository of Air Force basic training flight graduation photos.Tech. Sgt. Tracy English, a 37th

  • Cope Tiger roars over Thailand

    The sky here has been alive with the sounds of military aircraft from Thailand, Singapore and the United States supporting exercise Cope Tiger 05.“Every year there are challenges that you deal with,” said Col. George Daniels, exercise director from Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala. “The exercise players

  • Policy change may affect promotion board release dates

    A recent policy change may result in officers waiting an additional two to six months for promotion board results.The policy will not, however, affect actual promotion pin-on dates.The Senate Armed Services Committee previously confirmed promotion lists within three months of the board, regardless

  • Flu shots mandatory where available

    Flu shots are mandatory for all active-duty, Reserve and Guard Airmen, where the supply is available, Air Force medical officials said.Because of low supplies, flu shots were previously limited to deployed Airmen, those preparing for deployment and others identified as "at risk." As supplies have

  • Teets to build on core competencies

    Peter B. Teets will focus on core competencies to take the Air Force through a transitional period that includes the fiscal 2006 budget process and the quadrennial defense review.Mr. Teets has served as undersecretary of the Air Force since 2001 and became the acting secretary of the Air Force

  • AAFES has been in every major conflict since World War I

    With the birthday cake in place and candles lit, Regina Koenig and a few other Army and Air Force Exchange Service employees sang “Happy Birthday” to a 21-year-old colleague at Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan.Halfway through the song, a 127 mm rocket exploded on the other side of the main store. As the

  • General Moseley testifies for raising death benefit

    The Senate Armed Services Committee heard testimony Feb. 1 from senior service leaders about a proposed boost in payments to survivors of military people killed in combat.Vice Chief of Staff Gen. T. Michael Moseley testified on behalf of the Air Force.Under the Pentagon's plan released Jan. 31, a

  • Super Bowl goes super blue

    An Air Force F/A-22 Raptor will be a highlight during pre-game festivities at Super Bowl XXXIX where the New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles face each other Feb. 6.The other military services will also take part, but Airmen will play a leading role in one of the nation's premier sport

  • Airmen train firefighters to saw through aircraft parts

    A call for assistance rang out from the fire department here recently, but it was not to battle a raging fire.Firefighters asked 653rd Combat Logistics Support Squadron Airmen for some hands-on training on a K-12 cut-saw, a piece of equipment both agencies use in their lines of work.The training

  • Joint STARS duo reaches troops on the ground

    One is active duty straight out of technical training; the other served on active duty and is now in the Air National Guard. One is male, the other is female.Yet despite their differences on the surface, Tech. Sgt. Thomas Bloomberg and Airman 1st Class Emily Leece, could not be any closer.“We

  • Murray launches inaugural edition of Airman handbook

    If Airman Basic Rachel Redel ever forgets who presented her with one of the first two copies of Airman, Air Force Handbook 1, she can find the answer under “Chief Master Sergeants of the Air Force," on Page 15, "Gerald R. Murray.”If the 23-year-old basic trainee is curious about what her

  • Jumper presents Purple Hearts to Baghdad bombing victims

    Two Air Force Office of Special Investigations agents were presented Purple Hearts on Jan. 31 in a ceremony at the Brooke Army Medical Center at nearby Fort Sam Houston.Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper presented the medals to Special Agents Therese Frentz and Todd King, who are still

  • Operation Deep Freeze sees end of C-141 Starlifter era

    The gateway to the highest, driest and coldest continent on earth remains wide open and actively engaged by Airmen deployed supporting Operation Deep Freeze.Since late August, Air Force LC-130 Hercules equipped with skis have flown more than 330 sorties supporting the U.S. Antarctic Program which

  • Fighting Falcons tackle 'DEAD' mission

    The CJ model of the F-16 Fighting Falcon offers cutting-edge war-time fighting capabilities. Three new upgrades have helped the aircraft here transform from suppressing enemy air defenses to destroying enemy air defenses.“With the Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System, the targeting pod and the Link