NATO Air Policing operations

U.S. Air Force News

  • Air Force continues aid in Sri Lanka

    Three weeks after the most devastating tsunamis on record slammed into this island south of India and killed an estimated 38,000 people, Airmen continue to help people here.More than a million were left homeless. Children without parents, or grandparents. Parents without children. In some cases, a

  • Service demographics offer snapshot of force

    Air Force Personnel Center officials here recently published the quarterly demographics report offering a snapshot of the service's active-duty and civilian force, as of Dec. 31.More information can be found online at www.afpc.randolph.af.mil/demographics/. Statistics rounded to the nearest tenth.

  • Airman returns nearly $5,000 to wallet owner

    Airmen here continue to be good neighbors including one who recently returned a wallet he found in the snow.Airman 1st Class Robert Humphus, of the 28th Civil Engineer Squadron’s explosive ordnance disposal flight, was on his way to his first delivery for the local Meals on Wheels program when he

  • Officials announce OTS selections

    More than 50 people from throughout the United States have earned an opportunity to become Air Force leaders following their selection for a commission, officials here announced Jan. 14.Air Force Recruiting Service officials considered 387 applications as part of Officer Training School Selection

  • OSI -- putting the pieces together

    Many people know the Air Force Office of Special Investigations as the Air Force’s felony-level investigative service that uncovers crimes and fraud.However, there is a side of OSI that most people do not know about, at least until they deploy.“Our primary mission, both at home and deployed, is

  • Gala honors those who serve

    Those who fight America’s wars were entertained by their own and by celebrities at an invitation-only event in the heart of the Nation’s capital.More than 7,500 Airmen, Soldiers, Sailors and Marines gathered at a state-of-the-art sports and entertainment facility here Jan. 18 to be honored for their

  • Civilian pilot killed in midair collision with T-37

    A civilian pilot was killed after a midair collision of his crop-duster with an Air Force T-37 Tweet in southwestern Oklahoma near the town of Frederick on Jan. 18.The two military pilots ejected safely. Base officials identified them as Capt. Christopher Otis, an instructor pilot, and 2nd Lt.

  • Kadena Airmen help Sri Lanka tsunami victims

    Airman 1st Class Emily Starcher does not have to be reminded how important her mission is here in Sri Lanka -- she sees it everyday.There is nothing but wrecked homes and destroyed buildings along coastal towns here, she said. Town after town was wiped away by the Dec. 26 tsunamis.She is an HH-60

  • Secretary Roche retires

    Airmen, along with servicemembers from more than 14 nations, bid farewell to the 20th Secretary of the Air Force here Jan. 18.Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz presented Air Force Secretary Dr. James G. Roche the Department of Defense award for distinguished public service upon his

  • AFSOC unit wraps up Asian aid mission

    Airmen from the 353rd Special Operations Group at Kadena Air Base, Japan, are going home. Almost a month after a monster earthquake and killer tsunamis claimed untold thousands of lives, the Airmen’s quick-reaction work here is complete as conventional Air Force units have arrived.The MC-130 Combat

  • Kadena Airmen ensure link to the world

    Although they are not in the thick of things handing out food and supplies, Airmen from the 18th Communications Squadron at Kadena Air Base, Japan, said that the parade of huge lumbering aircraft that come and go from here, only validates how their mission affects the success of relief

  • New mobility concept tested at Whiteman

    The third passenger aircraft in two weeks departed here Jan. 13 with more than 400 Airmen traveling under a new mobility concept developed by U.S. Central Command Air Forces.Airmen from several bases met here to catch contract airlift to an intermediate point where intratheater airlift would take

  • Dover Airman pulls mom, boy from burning car

    An Airman here saved the lives of a woman and her 9-year-old son after she lost control of her car near Millsboro recently. The car ran off the road, hit a tree, overturned in a ditch and caught fire.Senior Airman Marcus Hyatt, of the 436th Medical Support Squadron, and his friend NaKisha Collins

  • Four Airmen vie for GEICO awards

    Four Airmen have been chosen to represent the Air Force to compete for the 2004 Government Employee Insurance Company Military Service Awards.Their records will compete against other servicemembers in three categories: drug and alcohol abuse prevention, fire prevention and safety, and traffic safety

  • Contracting makes it happen

    From beans to bullets, cradle to grave, one agency at a forward-deployed location makes it all happen. Whether it is bottled water to get Airmen through the heat of summer or vital supplies to keep the aircraft flying, the 386th Expeditionary Contracting Squadron is there to make sure the mission

  • Fate reunites key players in 33-year education odyssey

    Don Jenrette was an Air Force one-striper working on the back of a mail truck here in the pre-e-mail days of 1971. He said he suspected that his life, while interesting, held more promise than running eight to 10 daily mail routes peppered with stacks of “Holey Joes.”His suspicions were confirmed

  • Guam tour lengths change

    The assistant secretary of defense has approved a tour length change to Guam.Beginning Jan. 1, 2006, accompanied tours will change from 24 to 36 months, and unaccompanied tours will go from 15 to 24 months. This makes an assignment to the island a long tour versus a short tour.Airmen who report to

  • Combat weather forecasters fight ‘fog of war’

    It rolls in when it wants to, covers everything in its path and makes visibility so poor you can barely see your hand in front of your face. It is what some here call “the fog of war.”This fog, however, is the real thing. It is a fog so thick it makes missions for Operation Enduring Freedom here

  • Air Force charity ball set for March 12

    The Air Force’s official charity ball returns in 2005 after the 2004 event raised more than $240,000 for the Air Force Aid Society.The ball is set for March 12 at Bolling Air Force Base, D.C. The committee stops taking reservations Feb. 4.“We’re well on our way to doing even better than last year,”

  • Airmen bring relief to tsunami-devastated region

    Airmen of the 8th Airlift Squadron from McChord Air Force Base, Wash., continued their vital role in the disaster relief effort Jan. 12. Equipment, supplies and people were loaded onto one of the squadron's huge C-17 Globemaster III cargo jets headed to Banda Aceh, Indonesia.Indonesia was one of

  • Relief effort making progress

    Servicemembers deployed across Southeast Asia remain busy "providing literally tons of relief" supplies to impoverished victims of the Dec. 26 tsunamis, a U.S. officer reported Jan. 13 from Utapao, Thailand.U.S. Sailors, Marines and Airmen continued the massive airlift and sealift of food, medicine

  • Changing the way deployments flow

    Airmen deploying to the U.S. Central Command theater in the past knew where they were going to land when boarding Air Mobility Command rotator flights in the United States, but what most of them did not know was exactly how they were going to be routed to their final destination.Recently, AMC

  • Airmen aid Nevada flood relief effort

    Airmen here provided assistance to flood victims in southern Nevada on Jan 11.Four Air Force HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters from Nellis’ 66th Rescue Squadron flew to Caliente, Nev., to evacuate 118 students and 19 staff members from a youth center in Caliente to a school about 15 miles from the

  • Military support group prepares for presidential inauguration

    A little-known group of Sailors, Soldiers, Airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen is preparing to provide behind-the-scenes military support for presidential inaugural activities, the organization's deputy commander said here Jan. 11.The Joint Task Force - Armed Forces Inaugural Committee provides all

  • F-15E crew uses new targeting pod

    An F-15E Strike Eagle aircrew from the 494th Fighter Squadron took part in a flight that marked an evolution in weapons technology when it used a Sniper Advanced Targeting Pod on the aircraft Jan. 7.An F-15E weapons system officer can now independently launch satellite-guided weapons on targets.

  • Charges against Airman referred to general court-martial

    Maj. Gen. Robert W. Chedister referred charges against Maj. Gregory McMillion to a general court-martial which is scheduled for April 5.Major McMillion is charged with failing to obey a lawful general order and failing to report and turn over captured or abandoned property. He was also charged with

  • Operation Hero 'deploys' Airmen's children

    Today’s servicemember has a good understanding of what a deployment is, how it goes and what to do. But sometimes family members, especially the children, do not understand what is happening or why their mom or dad has to go.Children of 33rd Fighter Wing Airmen recently got a taste of what their

  • Airborne security flight reaches across ‘high frontier’

    It was enough to make a person nauseous. The UH-1N Huey tested the limits of both the aircraft and the defenders it carried as it turned nearly on its side circling the missile launch facility.With their cast-iron stomachs, the security forces Airmen glared out the aircraft’s windows to conduct an

  • Airman moonlights as CAP officer

    During the week Jillian Smith is called “airman first class”; on the weekends it is “lieutenant.” Why the change? The 27th Intelligence Support Squadron communications troop splits her time between the Air Force and the Virginia Wing of the U.S. Air Force Auxiliary Civil Air Patrol. A nonprofit

  • Commissioning program available for active-duty Airmen

    In 2001, Second Lt. Christiane Makela was one step away from leaving the Air Force. At the time, she was a staff sergeant assigned to the 56th Civil Engineer Squadron at Luke Air Force Base, Ariz.She changed her mind and traded her stripes for gold lieutenant bars via the Airman Education and

  • Guardsmen help with tsunami relief

    Alaska and Hawaii, the two closest states, are supporting American relief efforts by sending Air National Guardsmen and resources to the region devastated by the Dec. 26 earthquake and tsunamis, Guard spokesmen said.Guardsmen are supporting the unprecedented relief effort for Indonesia, India, Sri

  • Relief effort switches gears

    The tsunami relief effort has switched gears and moved out of the crisis-response stage, the commander of the Air Force expeditionary airlift wing at Utapao, Thailand, said.Sixteen days after tsunamis hit 12 countries in Southeast Asia, the flow of aid into the region has moved into a more

  • Airman recovers from cancer, rejoins Air Force Band

    At U.S. Air Force Band headquarters here, his locker remained just the way he left it three years ago. Inside the locker were performance uniforms starched and pressed, ready for what could very well have been another gig at the private residence of the vice president, laundry that would have been

  • Air Force officials select ROTC detachment commanders

    Air Education and Training Command officials recently announced the Air Force ROTC detachment commanders for 2005.The Airmen were selected by a board that convened here Nov. 8. They will assume command in July.The complete list is available online at

  • Airman rescues sister-in-law during home explosion

    An Airman and his wife were getting ready to leave their mobile home in nearby Wichita, to spend the afternoon shopping when, in an instant, a big explosion changed their plans.A neighboring mobile home 25 feet away from their own had exploded and both sides collapsed.Staff Sgt. Scott Seagraves, a

  • Yokota C-130s continue to fly aid to tsunami victims

    C-130 Hercules crews from the 36th Airlift Squadron at Yokota Air Base, Japan, continue to fly vital supplies and equipment to tsunami-stricken areas in Southeast Asia.“It feels great to help. It makes you feel good to be an American when we are able to share with those who are in need,” said Maj.

  • Air Force, partners deliver aid to Indonesia

    Unfamiliar partners from disparate lands have tuned the tools of their humanitarian outreach trade and are working in unison in the wake of one of the world’s worst natural disasters.Airmen of the 353rd Special Operations Group, based in Langkawi, Malaysia, said the 16-hour days typically begin,

  • Deployed troops send relief to Southeast Asia survivors

    Deployed troops at a forward-deployed location here combined forces to send relief items to victims of the tsunamis that swept through Southeast Asia on Dec. 26. Several base agencies worked hand-in-hand with host-nation organizations to provide much-needed clothes, sanitation items and food to Sri

  • On-Ground reality drives combined support force

    The global effort based here to help pick up the pieces in the tsunami-devastated region of Southeast Asia continues to respond to ever-pressing needs.Initially the responsibility of a U.S. joint-service task force, the job of picking up the pieces was turned over to a combined support force

  • Instruction clarifies enlisted Airmen’s roles, responsibilities

    Air Force officials further clarified and standardized the roles, responsibilities and duty titles of its enlisted Airmen with the latest version of Air Force Instruction 36-2618, The Enlisted Force Structure.The 19-page document, certified by Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Gerald R. Murray,

  • Airmen bring aid where needed

    The children of Banda Aceh, Indonesia, a province in the northern tip of Sumatra hit hard by the Dec. 26 tsunamis, returned to school Jan. 10. It is not the same school they remember, and the class lists have been revised downward, too often halved. But it is a small step toward recovery -- a path

  • New year brings new missions for Air Force Reserve

    This year, citizen Airmen will see some new missions headed their way as they continue their efforts to fight and support the war against terrorism.Responding to the active-duty needs, reservists will take part in Future Total Force initiatives that will test new organizational constructs to

  • Deployed Airmen support Operation Unified Assistance

    The mission was simple: bring a forklift here only to be moved by another unit to Banda Aceh, Indonesia, the next day. Airmen of the 374th Air Expeditionary Wing at Utapao, Thailand, support Combined Support Force 536, which is playing an integral role to the international support effort called

  • 374th Air Expeditionary Wing stands up in Thailand

    Air Force officials stood up the 374th Air Expeditionary Wing here Jan. 6 to help fly humanitarian supplies to people affected by tsunamis in December that resulted in wide-scale destruction in South Asia. The 374th AEW supports and is collocated with Combined Support Force 536 and provides airlift

  • Combat weather team forecasts mission success

    Cloud reading may seem an ethereal art, but predicting the effects of alto cumulus clouds blowing over the southwest mountain range here is a pure science to aviators and ground troops traveling there.Leaders here rely on the technical know-how of the 455th Air Expeditionary Wing’s Combat weather

  • Helicopter crew starts new year with rescue

    A UH-1N Huey search and rescue crew from the 40th Helicopter Flight and 341st Medical Group here recorded their 355th save on a mission in southwest Montana Jan. 3.Following several failed rescue attempts by civilians using a helicopter and a snowmobile, Malmstrom’s crew received a request Jan. 2 to

  • Campaign brings hope to Airmen

    A new initiative by the Air Force chaplain’s office aims to bring to Airmen something that cannot be issued -- hope.Air Force chaplain service officials kicked off a year-long and service-wide "Campaign of Hope" Jan. 3, said Chaplain (Col.) Bob Page, of the chaplain’s office. The campaign started

  • Course changes enhance enlisted professionals

    Air Force officials recently standardized enlisted professional enhancement courses and changed the supervisory structure for career assistance advisers and First Term Airman’s Center course managers. These changes enhance enlisted professionals by linking formal training, education and on-the-job

  • Airman rescues woman, baby from icy river

    An Airman here plunged into an icy river recently to save a woman and her baby from a sinking car just minutes after proposing to his girlfriend.While home on leave in Kellyville, Okla., Airman Basic Joshua Johnson went to Tulsa to propose marriage to Brittany Campbell on a pedestrian bridge over

  • Airman making ‘inaugural’ performance

    When Tech. Sgt. Bradley Bennett sings the national anthem Jan. 20 at the presidential inauguration here, it will be a first for both him and the Air Force. "This will be the first time in history that the Air Force has had such a performing role at the inauguration," said Sen. Trent Lott, Joint

  • Air terminal operations center keeps wing rotating

    Transportation for people and cargo in and out of theater is made possible by a team of transportation specialists at a forward-deployed location here. This is especially apparent during the changeover from one rotation of Airmen to another.The air terminal operations center comprises several

  • Airman’s role brings career full circle

    In September 1972, Donald Klinko stepped through the gates of Malmstrom Air Force Base, Mont., primed and ready for his new duties as a security police officer. In a time when Vietnam and the Cold War were at their height, then Lieutenant Klinko would eventually become a missile security section

  • AMC aircraft, people support tsunami-relief operations

    In the days following the Dec. 26 tsunami disaster around the Indian Ocean, Air Mobility Command aircraft and people have delivered tons of relief equipment and hundreds of servicemembers into the affected region.As of Jan. 6, AMC aircraft and aircrews had delivered more than 1.66 million pounds of

  • Deployed Airmen volunteer for honor guard

    Airmen at forward-deployed locations often spend most of their day at work. Downtime is something to be cherished; however, some Airmen deployed with the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing are using some of their personal time to serve the community.Be it at a promotion, award ceremony or weekly retreat,

  • Assignment listing available

    The Enlisted Quarterly Assignment Listing for Airmen returning from overseas and those listed as “mandatory movers” within the continental United States from May through July will be available Jan. 11.Individuals need to work through their military personnel flights or their commander's support

  • Red Horse Airmen deploy to Thailand

    Airmen from here packed up and are heading to Utapao, Thailand, to assist in the region devastated by tsunamis Dec. 26.The 24 Airmen of the 554th Red Horse Squadron will conduct airfield assessments for the Department of Defense’s combined joint task force to determine the usability of runways for

  • 'Andro' supplement off limits in new year

    Airmen who take androstenedione to increase muscle mass will soon have to ditch the supplement and just do extra repetitions at the gym.Under a new law that takes effect Jan. 20, the prohormone androstenedione will be classified as a Schedule III controlled substance. Schedule III substances are

  • Commander: Airmen in for long haul at Bagram

    Where gravel was once the material of choice, concrete now sets in preparation for new buildings and storage areas at the Air Force sector here.The 455th Air Expeditionary Wing is growing to match the organizational structure more common to other Air Force wings, said Brig. Gen. James P. Hunt, the

  • Yokota Airmen keep steady pace in providing relief

    About 170 Airmen from here have arrived in Thailand to assist in relief efforts for the countries in southeast Asia struck by tsunamis after a devastating 9.0 magnitude earthquake occurred in the Indian Ocean Dec. 26.The Airmen from the 374th Airlift Wing have deployed to Utapao, Thailand, to

  • Airmen fly aid to disaster-torn Thai communities

    When Lt. Col. David Mobley arrived here as the 353rd Special Operations Group’s point-man for disaster relief, he said he envisioned a steady flow of aid from the kingdom’s sprawling capital to devastated provinces in the south.He said he never imagined that in 48 hours the modest pile of assorted

  • Airmen continue to deliver relief supplies in devastated Thailand

    As the calendar turned a new year, the aid delivered by Airmen of the 353rd Special Operations Group to communities on Thailand’s southwest coast approached 100 tons.Four MC-130s and 100 Airmen from the group continue to pump vital relief supplies into strategic cities located along the devastated

  • Now showing: Jan. 3 edition of AFTV News

    The Jan. 3 edition of Air Force Television News is a special production of the program dedicated to the Airmen involved in Operation Enduring Freedom. Produced and coanchored by Tech. Sgts. Pachari Lutke and Joy Josephson, the program examines the continuing role of the Air Force in that

  • Predators help TACP Airmen with mission

    If mentioned at all, tactical air control party Airmen are usually linked with a group of special forces on the front lines.Normally these Airmen find themselves out in the field directing combat aircraft against insurgents or coordinating artillery fire with air strikes, but most certainly not

  • Four earn Sijan award

    Four Airmen are being recognized with the service’s Lance P. Sijan Air Force Leadership Award:The Sijan award annually recognizes a senior and junior officer and a senior and junior enlisted person who demonstrates outstanding leadership abilities while assigned to organizations at the wing level or

  • More Airmen eligible for Air Force Recognition Ribbon

    More Airmen can wear the Air Force Recognition Ribbon for winning service-level competitions and awards.A recent change to an Air Force instruction allows members of small teams participating in events such as security forces' Defender Challenge, Air Mobility Command Rodeo or the William Tell

  • U.S. military team arrives to assess disaster relief efforts

    About 30 members of the U.S. military arrived here Dec. 30 to help assess disaster relief assistance in the wake of tsunamis that struck south Asian countries.Airmen from the 613th Contingency Response Group at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, and Marines from the III Marine Expeditionary Force in

  • Airmen keep air flow moving at Balad

    Whether it involves a strategic airlifter filled to capacity or an F-15E Strike Eagle transiting the area, maintainers here are working hard to keep the myriad aircraft supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom thundering high above.As cargo, people and operations here flow at a breakneck pace, and

  • Ops support center Airmen coordinate AF relief efforts

    Pacific Air Forces officials here activated the 24-hour PACAF Operations Support Center to coordinate Air Force-related relief efforts for the devastation caused by tsunamis that struck 12 countries following an earthquake Dec. 26. Center officials, who are working with Department of Defense and

  • Airmen bringing tsunami-relief supplies to Thailand

    Airmen from Yokota Air Base, Japan, are among those bringing the first wave of relief for people on the coastlines of Southeast Asia and Eastern Africa. The area was devastated by a massive 9.0 magnitude earthquake and equally powerful tsunamis.The Airmen and six C-130 Hercules aircraft are

  • Treasure Island opens at Minot

    The winds can howl up to 50 mph and temperatures can drop to negative digits outside, but people here can find an island oasis inside now that the Treasure Island indoor fun park opened here Dec. 23.The indoor retreat includes two softball and one fast-pitch batting cages and a nine-hole miniature

  • Warming things up around Manas

    Everyone know that the song says, “Oh, the weather outside is frightful and the fire is so delightful,” but fires are not allowed in tents here; thankfully heaters are. The 10 Airmen assigned to the 376th Civil Engineer Squadron’s heating, ventilation and air conditioning shop work to keep that

  • Thule Airmen bring Julemand to children

    Airmen from here shared some Christmas cheer during a gift exchange with about 260 children in Qaanaaq, a city roughly 75 miles from here.The Airmen raised almost $15,000 for Operation Julemand, an annual base fundraiser named after the Danish word for Santa Claus.“We’re proud to be partners with

  • EOD Airmen play key role in Balad mission

    When the command post announces “Attention on the net, this is Panther, alarm red is in effect,” Airmen here don their protective gear and take cover. The base is under attack.Airmen of the 332nd Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron explosive ordnance disposal flight work to quickly get the

  • PERSCO matches faces with spaces

    Before an air and space expeditionary force is deployed, AEF Center officials first source out requirements to major commands, which assign them to individual wings that fill them with Airmen.When that system has a hiccup, personnel support for contingency operations office Airmen at

  • Malmstrom Airman gives gift of life

    Although separated by thousands of miles, an Airman here and a special little girl have a common bond.First Lt. Janelle Rust, a 12th Missile Squadron missile officer, signed up for the Department of Defense Bone Marrow Donor Program while at Officer Training School at Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.

  • ‘Good thing’ when nothing happens

    When nothing happens, it is a good thing, said Capt. Mark Martin, 386th Expeditionary Security Forces chief of anti-terrorism and force protection at a forward-deployed location.Captain Martin is not referring to the day-to-day activities. Or rather, he is, in regards to base security.With more

  • ‘Silver Lobos’ fly into retirement

    The Air Force’s last operational F-4 Phantom II squadron held its inactivation ceremony here Dec. 20.The inactivation of the 20th Fighter Squadron, known as the Silver Lobos, also signifies the end of a 33-year German-American joint fighter training program in the decades-old F-4E and F aircraft.

  • Manpower creates spaces for faces

    As part of the air and space expeditionary force structure, nearly everyone will one day deploy, but who determines what deployment positions are needed?Deployed manpower specialists fill that vital need at bases worldwide. They help commanders determine what positions are needed, which can be

  • Officials close unit in France

    The 774th Expeditionary Air Base Group officially closed its doors here during a ceremony Dec. 17, ending more than a decade of U.S. and French cooperation.Because the peacekeeping presence in the Balkans is scaling down, the group of more than 100 active-duty, Guard and Reserve Airmen will begin

  • Blood transfer center essential to mission

    Six Airmen deployed to an air base here are the lifeline of Operation Iraqi Freedom -- literally and figuratively. For them, receiving, monitoring and shipping blood products is a sobering, but motivating responsibility.“People’s lives depend on the accuracy of our job performance,” said Staff Sgt.

  • Kunsan Airmen destroy Korean War bazooka round

    During base exercises, Airmen are faced with scud attacks, casualties and property destruction, but none of it is actually real. However, during an exercise Dec. 16, a 50-year-old Korean War bazooka round that was found and turned in was real.A group of Korean explosive ordnance disposal troops told

  • Portal allows Airmen to chat with friends, family

    Airmen at home station or a deployed location can now send instant messages to their friends or loved ones whenever they have access to the Internet. The Air Force recently implemented the "Friends and Family Instant Messenger" program, available through the Air Force Portal. Now, besides using

  • Now showing: Dec. 20 edition of AFTV News

    This edition of Air Force Television News is a special program examining the past, present and future of unmanned aerial vehicles in the Air Force. The first of two holiday specials offered by Air Force Electronic News, the program is produced by Staff Sgt. Michael Noel.In the first segment of the

  • Vipers on the prowl

    Viper Flight -- the group is as tough as the name suggests. Whether it is scoping out threats or chasing down the enemy, this security forces’ flight is the first line of defense protecting the base’s outer perimeter.The flight's 30 Airmen are a small, handpicked section of the 386th Expeditionary

  • Stadium dedicated to fallen Airman

    More than 150 servicemembers from Balad Air Base and Logistics Support Area Anaconda gathered at the base stadium Dec. 15 to remember a fallen comrade.Base leaders officially renamed the stadium Holt Memorial Stadium, in honor of Airman 1st Class Antoine J. Holt. Airman Holt was killed during a

  • Airmen move crucial cargo for warfighters

    Airmen of the 437th Aerial Port Squadron here are packaging and delivering critical supplies, including vehicle armor, to American warfighters in Iraq.Charleston Air Force Base, the hub for shipping supplies supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom has seen a 71 percent increase in operations.Since Dec.

  • U.S. Air Force deploys C-130Js for first time

    The U.S. Air Force's C-130J Hercules -- the newest variant of the versatile C-130 aircraft -- deployed for the first time this month.The deployed force includes maintainers, operators and support Airmen from Rhode Island Air National Guard’s 143rd Airlift Squadron, Maryland ANG’s 135th AS, Air Force

  • Airman could face death penalty in double-murder case

    An Airman here charged for the on-base killings of another Airman and his wife could face the death penalty when the case goes to court next year.Senior Airman Andrew Paul Witt is charged with two counts of premeditated murder, covered under Article 118 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice. He

  • Studying key to earning next stripe

    Enlisted promotion hopefuls will need to pull out their study materials as the next testing cycle is on the horizon. Testing for promotion to technical sergeant and master sergeant will be held throughout the Air Force Feb. 15 through March 31, and testing for staff sergeant will be held May 1

  • Increased C-130, C-17 flights relieve Army ground convoys

    Airmen are moving more cargo, including armored vehicles, repair parts and ammunition, to assist Soldiers in getting needed materiel to troops in the Iraq theater. “The Air Force is clearly focusing its efforts, helping the Army give the ground forces the opportunity to reduce the traffic on the

  • Kadena Airmen aid Philippine typhoon victims

    Airmen from Kadena Air Base, Japan, are helping the Philippines recover from the devastating effects of a series of typhoons that have left 1,400 dead or missing and displaced about 170,000 people.Several “super” typhoons hit the island nation in the past few weeks, devastating areas of Luzon, the

  • Balad Airmen welcome USO tour

    Troops from here and Logistics Support Area Anaconda were treated to an early Christmas present Dec. 14.The United Service Organizations brought the servicemembers the Chairman’s Holiday Tour. Gen. Richard B. Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and tour host, greeted more than 2,000 troops

  • New agreement will strengthen network security

    In an initiative to secure computers and networks worldwide, Air Force officials entered into an agreement with Microsoft to purchase software and support for more than a half-million computers. Under the agreement, in partnership with Dell Computer Corp., all existing Air Force software and

  • Medical outprocessing goes digital

    A new computer-based health assessment system will help Airmen returning from deployments get back to their families more quickly. The U.S. Central Command Air Forces surgeon general recently started using the computer based post-deployment health assessments theaterwide.The assessment is now a

  • Officials announce 2005 housing allowance rates

    Department of Defense officials released the 2005 Basic Allowance for Housing rates Dec. 15, continuing to reduce servicemembers’ out-of-pocket housing costs. Three main components are included in computing the allowance: median current market rent, average cost for utilities and average renter's

  • Thunderbirds release 2005 show schedule

    The U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron, known as the Thunderbirds, announced its 2005 air show schedule. The team is scheduled to perform more than 70 public shows in 29 states, Canada and Central America. The 2005 schedule is as follows:March19 and 20 -- Luke Air Force Base, Ariz.April2 and

  • SERE graduates authorized berets

    Students who complete the Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape specialist technical school here are now qualified to wear the new SERE beret.The pewter-green beret is worn with the SERE specialist device, which depicts a bald eagle in front of a compass rose with barbed wire across it.“The beret

  • Resultant Fury successful thanks to ‘test’ Airmen

    Brig. Gen. Billy Mitchell would be proud.Airmen from the 53rd Wing here recently showcased airpower over the Pacific Ocean when Air Force and Navy aircraft targeted and destroyed moving maritime targets.More than 300 people participated in the demonstration, called Resultant Fury, including about 35

  • Recruiting focuses on select career fields

    The Air Force continues to recruit high quality people while using force-shaping efforts to keep people in critical career fields, the Air Force Recruiting Service commander said during a recent visit here. Brig. Gen. Robertus C.N. Remkes said the Air Force is striving to “balance the books” by

  • Stratotankers provide more than refueling capabilities

    The KC-135 Stratotankers of the 351st Air Refueling Squadron here have recently added aeromedical evacuation and airlift missions to their “been there, done that” list. Including medevac and airlift missions to the KC-135’s responsibilities helps leaders meet two of the Air Force’s primary missions: