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U.S. Air Force News

  • May issue of Airman available

    Read about how Airmen at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., and other locations protect America’s interior; take a look at the new Air Force basic training; and learn about Airmen who maintain lesser-known bases throughout South Korea. These features and more highlight the May issue of Airman magazine,

  • Active-duty Airmen will test for HIV every two years

    Beginning June 1, all active-duty Airmen will be required to complete routine human immunodeficiency virus testing every two years. This is a Defense Department policy change geared toward standardizing testing across the services, officials said. The policy, recommended by members of the Armed

  • Maintainers target wiring problems

    Maintainers from the 4th Component Maintenance Squadron here have created a process that could potentially change the way the Air Force troubleshoots electronic systems.They combined one-of-a-kind commercial hardware with locally written software programs to locate wiring problems within three

  • World War II ‘evaders’ congregate at memorial

    Their shoulders may be stooped, and their pace a little slow. Hearing aids are a common “fashion statement,” and their hair, what’s left of it, is a tad gray. But one look into their eyes is enough to know the old spirit of adventure is still there.About 80 members of the Air Forces Escape and

  • History Channel features Predator on ‘Mail Call’

    The History Channel show “Mail Call” will feature a segment on the MQ-1 Predator Unmanned Aerial Vehicle on May 9.“Mail Call” is a weekly series that answers viewer’s questions about technology, weapons and equipment used throughout history by the armed forces. A production crew visited nearby

  • Airmen help warriors get home safely

    At an hour when most people are fast asleep, 59th Medical Wing medics from Wilford Hall Medical Center here were wide-awake anticipating the return of 14 servicemembers injured in Iraq.Standing sentinel, a row of 14 ambulances lined the San Antonio International Airport flightline awaiting the

  • Maintainers keep refuelers in air

    Temperatures can climb above 100 degrees in the desert daily. On the flightline, it is about 10 to 30 degrees higher. In the avionics compartment of a jet, it is hot enough to “fry an egg,” said aircraft maintainers. Yet they work around the clock to launch KC-135 Stratotanker and KC-10 Extender

  • Officials: Risks low from depleted uranium

    Depleted uranium poses very low health risks to U.S. servicemembers, senior Defense Department officials said here April 29.Dr. William Winkenwerder Jr., assistant secretary of defense for health affairs, said a 10-year, joint DOD-Veterans Affairs study shows "that low levels of depleted uranium

  • Presence policy helps define expeditionary force

    The secretary of the Air Force recently signed a policy clearly defining the structure and role of the air and space expeditionary force within the joint warfare environment. The Air and Space Expeditionary Force Presence Policy, among other things, defines AEF, outlines its command structure and

  • Air Force begins Raptor operational tests

    Operational testing on the F/A-22 Raptor began April 29 when the first two-ship sortie was flown and tested by members of the F/A-22 Combined Test Force here.After the operational testing is complete, a report will provide senior leaders with the information needed to approve the Raptor for

  • Airmen keep water flowing

    Keeping an air base hydrated in the desert is challenging, but Airmen here perform aquatic feats daily to guarantee the pipes do not run dry.The Airmen of the 447th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron utilities shop supply water to more than 27 locations at military complexes around Baghdad

  • Officials announce OTS selections

    Air Force officials here announced April 29 that 187 enlisted Airmen have been chosen to attend Officer Training School, and trade in their stripes for gold bars.Air Force Recruiting Service officials conducted OTS Selection Board 0404, which met here March 29 to April 2. The board considered 324

  • Understanding Tricare benefits while traveling

    It is easy for a person to access his or her health benefits at home, but it can get complicated when they going on vacation across America or overseas.Emergencies, including injuries threatening someone’s life, limb or eyesight, are covered by Tricare Prime; but, the beneficiary still has some

  • Officials name manpower, organization winners

    Officials have named the winners of the 2003 Air Force Manpower and Organization awards. They are:-- Headquarters-Level Field Grade Officer of the Year: Lt. Col. Timothy Clary from the Air Force manpower requirements determination squadron here.-- Headquarters-Level Company Grade Officer of the

  • ‘The Rocket’ lands at Offutt

    The all-time strikeout leader in American League history, Roger Clemens, visited here April 26 as part of a United Service Organizations tour.Mr. Clemens, known in baseball circles as “The Rocket,” also participated in a USO tour to Qatar, Kuwait, Afghanistan and the Arabian Sea about a

  • AF Climate Survey results reveal progress in most areas

    The 2003 Air Force Climate Survey results have been analyzed, and final reports have been released to unit-level leaders for action. The survey ran Oct. 1 to Nov. 23.“As the leaders of the world’s greatest air and space force, we share a commitment to continually seek improvement. The survey

  • Airman prepares others for worst-case scenario

    Senior Airman Aaron Sanders spends his days teaching students information he hopes they never need to use. But he said he wants them to learn the material well, just in case.As a survival specialist deployed to the Combined Air Operations Center here, Airman Sanders travels to bases throughout the

  • Prevention, screening allow Airmen to come home healthy

    Surgeons general from the Army, Navy and Air Force testified before Congress on April 28 on the status of health care in the services. Air Force Surgeon General Lt. Gen. (Dr.) George Peach Taylor Jr. spoke to members of the Senate Appropriations Committee defense subcommittee. He said the Air

  • Communications director prepares to leave Air Force

    When William C. Bodie leaves his job as director of communications to begin work for the private sector, he will do so with an elevated appreciation for the Air Force and the challenges it faces daily.In return, the Air Force comes away with a level of strategic communications capability that many

  • Team brings medical aid to Sri Lanka

    A decades-long war has claimed tens of thousands of Sri Lankan lives, and land mines continue to maim an untold number of civilians caught up in the aftermath of the war. A team of 20 military medical specialists began a weeklong humanitarian surgical training mission here known as blast,

  • Airmen earn FAA certification through CCAF

    Two aircraft maintainers are the first to earn Federal Aviation Administration certification under a Community College of the Air Force program launched in 2002.Tech. Sgt. Jeffrey Gunson of the California Air National Guard and Tech. Sgt. Mark Faught from Ramstein Air Base, Germany, earned the

  • ARC liaisons bring Guard, Reserve into circle

    Many Airmen are deployed to fight the war on terrorism; however, Col. Bill Simpson and Lt. Col. Mike Mounts are deployed to fight for Airmen.The colonels serve as air reserve component liaisons for more than 3,100 deployed Air National Guardsmen and Air Force reservists -- almost a quarter of the

  • Brothers by blood, siblings by stealth

    Capts. Brian and Brad Cochran took different roads to reach their dreams of flight, but those paths led to the same destination. The captains are the first brothers to qualify as B-2 Spirit pilots.“As kids we always imagined we’d be pilots,” said Brian of the 393rd Bomb Squadron here. “I don’t

  • Chief rescues woman from burning car

    An Air Force Reserve chief master sergeant assigned to Air Education and Training Command's security forces directorate here received the Airman’s Medal on April 27 for saving a woman’s life.Chief Master Sgt. Joseph P. Salvaggio, also a lieutenant with the San Antonio Police Department, saved the

  • Pope C-130s supply beans, bullets to war on terror

    They like to think of themselves as the "18-wheeler trucks" that supply the front lines in the war on terrorism. C-130 Hercules aircraft crews from the 2nd and 41st Airlift Squadrons at Pope Air Force Base, N.C., deliver food, ammunition and servicemembers throughout Southwest Asia. Unlike larger

  • First Air Force provides top cover for America

    While much of the Air Force is engaged overseas, one organization has remained behind to fulfill a mission equally important -- Operation Noble Eagle, the air-defense mission aimed at preventing terrorist attacks in the United States.The organization comprises Air Force active-duty and reserve

  • Medevac squadron proves it’s 'always ready'

    The 86th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron lived up to its motto, “always ready,” April 19 as a routine C-130 Hercules channel mission to Pristina, Kosovo, turned into a life-saving assignment. An hour before takeoff, Maj. Chuck Wheeler, 86th AES training flight commander, learned there would be a

  • Mother risks life for son

    Maria Reyes had a choice back in May 1995: Risk her life or get an abortion.A doctor at Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M., told her that keeping her baby would put her life at risk.Now-Staff Sgt. Reyes-Witak is assigned to the 72nd Test and Evaluation Squadron here. Then a single senior airman, she

  • Now showing: April 26 edition of AFTV News

    In the latest edition of Air Force Television News, Tech. Sgt. Pachari Lutke visits Florida to report on the counterdrug program run by both the Air and Army National Guard. The program focuses on educating older children on the dangers of drug use and teaches them how to pass the message on to

  • Combat controllers play key role in war on terror

    The largest class of future combat controllers is training at Pope Air Force Base, N.C., to provide critical skills required in the war on terrorism. The current class of 32 students will help bolster the cadre of 360 combat controllers -- special-operations forces who deploy quickly into

  • Senior-enlisted course improves joint education

    U.S. Joint Forces Command officials will take a first step in kicking off the Command Senior-Enlisted Leader Capstone Joint Operations Module course at the Joint Warfighting Center here April 27 to 28.The course provides command senior enlisted Airmen, Soldiers, Marines, Sailors and Coast Guardsmen

  • Service demographics available

    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 March 31.The report outlines information regarding the Air Force’s 375,093 active-duty Airmen and 139,373 civilian employees, such

  • Base motorcycle clubs will promote rider safety

    The formation of motorcycle clubs on Air Force bases worldwide may increase mentoring, an important element for promoting safe riding, said the Air Force’s senior safety official.Air Force leaders are alarmed at the rate that the Air Force is losing its Airmen, not only in four-wheeled vehicle

  • Airmen make good use of old uniforms

    An Airman here came up with a way to use unserviceable battle dress uniforms: Sewing them into blankets for local homeless people. “I got the idea from a blanket that my sister had sewn for me out of scrap pieces of cloth,” said Senior Airman Dennis Fry, a 48th Component Maintenance Squadron jet

  • Overseas quarterly assignment listing available May 4

    The Enlisted Quarterly Assignment Listing for overseas assignments for the January to March cycle will be available May 4.Airmen should work through their military personnel flights to update their preferences by May 20. They will be notified of their selection by mid-June.EQUAL advertises upcoming

  • Tanker aircraft delivers 1 billionth pound of fuel

    If you were to count from one to 1 billion it would take about 95 years. It took a little over a year for U.S. Central Command’s Combined Force Air Component Command-controlled tanker airlift to deliver 1 billion pounds of jet fuel. A KC-135 Stratotanker delivered 84,000 pounds of fuel to three

  • Officials explain CJR 'waiting list'

    To help meet end-strength goals under force shaping, Air Force officials will limit re-enlistments of Airmen in constrained specialties by establishing quotas, a waiting list and career job reservation application windows."All first-term Airmen must have an approved career job reservation prior to

  • Airman receives Purple Heart

    Airman 1st Class Scott Palomino received the Purple Heart and an Air Force Commendation Medal from Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper at Walter Reed Army Medical Center on April 20.Airman Palomino is a surveillance technician from the 603rd Air Control Squadron based at Aviano Air Base,

  • Wearable computers move to flightline

    Maintenance is about to change because of new tools maintainers will have at their disposal.Through a pilot program at the 116th Air Control Wing here, 116th Maintenance Group workers are beginning to integrate a new wearable computer, which can be used across the maintenance spectrum.The small

  • Bagram Airmen receive taste of America

    With hand-written messages like, “We support you 100 percent,” and “Thanks for protecting our country,” on every package, reinforcements recently arrived here from the United States.More specifically, about 150 boxes of Girl Scout cookies sent by Brownie Troop 2859 from Marlboro, Mass., showed up at

  • Organ donation gives woman life, hope

    The gift of life through organ donations took on a new meaning five years ago for a senior noncommissioned officer here.Master Sgt. Jan Cutrona, a 56th Fighter Wing information manager, was prepared for the worst after her sister’s heart was attacked by a virus in February 1999.Sergeant Cutrona’s

  • Secretary Roche visits Manas Air Base

    Airmen of the 376th Air Expeditionary Wing welcomed Secretary of the Air Force Dr. James G. Roche for his inaugural visit here April 14 to 16. Manas is the primary strategic airlift hub for operations in and around Afghanistan and provides tactical-airlift and aerial-refueling support for Operation

  • ASVAB changes will not mean lower standards

    The Air Force will adjust the cutoff score used to gauge new recruits taking the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery in July.The change -- from 40 to 36 -- does not mean the Air Force is lowering its standards, said Tina Strickland, chief of Air Force testing policy and research integration.

  • Air Force honors Marquez award winners

    Air Force officials announced the winners of the 2003 Lt. Gen. Leo Marquez Maintenance Awards.Winners for aircraft maintenance are:-- Field Grade Manager: Lt. Col. James Weber from Grand Forks Air Force Base, N.D.-- Company Grade Manager: Capt. Earl Williams III from Travis AFB, Calif.--

  • Online system reduces trips to education office

    Four features now available under the Air Force's virtual education system give Airmen more control of their academic pursuits.The Air Force Virtual Education Center is a Web-based system available to the total force that allows Airmen to do many of the things online that once required a trip to a

  • Airmen complete ‘Books for Baghdad’ drive

    The company grade officer's council at the Air Force Research Laboratory's Rome research site here is sending a text message to Baghdad University.Nearly 5,000 books, predominantly textbooks and university-level literature, have been collected from laboratory people and others in the community since

  • Air Force restarts job reservation system May 1

    As part of force-shaping efforts, the Air Force will restart the career job reservation system May 1.The CJR system will reduce career field shortages and overages, and balance the career force within each skill, according to officials. The CJR system allows Air Force officials to limit the number

  • NASA selects Air Force pilot for astronaut training

    An Air Force pilot was recently selected by NASA to be an astronaut candidate for the space shuttle program.Maj. James P. Dutton of Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., is the only Airman among 11 military and civilians to be accepted by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration this year."Two

  • Sheppard sergeant becomes 250,000th CCAF grad

    An aircraft maintenance instructor from the 362nd Training Squadron here will leave a footnote in the history books of the world's largest community college when he graduates April 23.When Staff Sgt. Kalaeone Needham gets his associate degree, he will be the Community College of the Air Force's

  • Firefighters douse blaze, protect base facilities

    Firefighters assigned to the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing at a forward-deployed location were just getting ready to eat lunch when their portable radios broadcast the one word that starts the adrenaline pumping -- “Fire!”“All I heard was fire, and then everyone started running,” said Airman 1st

  • Roche visits Bagram

    Damp, drizzly weather greeted Secretary of the Air Force Dr. James G. Roche when he visited Camp Cunningham and men and women of the 455th Expeditionary Operations Group here April 16. But the conditions did not dampen the spirits of the hundreds of Airmen and civilians who enthusiastically turned

  • Yokota Airmen teach music to Japanese students

    The sweet sound of harmony reverberated throughout the cavernous city hall here April 15 as Air Force musicians shared their knowledge and experience with more than 100 Japanese high-school students during a music clinic.Airmen from the U.S. Air Force Band of the Pacific-Asia at Yokota Air Base,

  • CES plays role in Honduras exercise, Airmen recount experiences

    It was a trip that two sergeants said they will not soon forget. They were among 48 Airmen from the 934th Civil Engineer Squadron who deployed here recently to participate in New Horizons 2004 as part of Joint Command Task Force Orengo.The main focus of the exercise was to build local schools,

  • Immigrant brings music to military service

    From the capital of Peru to Wichita, Kan., the only zampoña player here is sharing his gift of music with the Air Force.Airman Fredy Pasco works on the commander’s support staff of the 22nd Maintenance Operations Squadron, but spends his off-duty time filling the air with the sound of an Inca

  • Nurses keep up heartbeat of 379th AEW

    In stark contrast to the white sheets of the hospital bed and a patient in a light blue paper gown, a nurse in a brown and tan desert camouflage uniform checks the patient’s vital signs on the nurse’s ward.In lieu of the clinically white uniform, the seven-person nursing team wears combat boots and

  • CMSAF becomes honorary master chief

    At the U.S. Coast Guard Chief Petty Officer Academy graduation here April 14, Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Gerald R. Murray became an honorary master chief petty officer.Chief Murray spoke at the ceremony to salute four Airmen who were graduates.“What a great honor to be recognized by this

  • SECAF outlines top priorities, future Air Force goals

    The Air Force’s top civilian focused on Air Force priorities, the war on terrorism and future goals during a visit here April 14. “People, of course, are the No. 1 priority,” said Dr. James G. Roche, secretary of the Air Force. “Any organization is only as effective as the people in it. We do a

  • Traffic-safety courses target vehicle fatalities

    Air Force safety officials are unveiling four new traffic-safety programs in the coming months to battle the steady increase of traffic fatalities in the last four years.“While no age, gender or rank group is immune to vehicle crashes, statistically speaking, our most at-risk population is young

  • Airmen respond to motorcycle accident

    A busload of Airmen from here were on their way to an observance honoring prisoners of war and servicemembers missing in action. They had no idea they would be the first people on the scene at a motorcycle crash April 9.The bus was en route to nearby North Little Rock but stopped along the highway

  • Pope families welcome loved ones home

    Balloons, hand-painted "welcome home" signs, ear-to-ear smiles and a few tears greeted Airmen and a small group of Soldiers who returned here April 14 following deployments in Southwest Asia."It's great to have them back," said Lt. Gen. William Welser III, commander of 18th Air Force at Scott Air

  • Colonel reflects on 40 years of service

    When Dave Thurston joined the Air Force as an airman basic in 1964, there had been no moon landing, the SR-71 Blackbird was about to fly for the first time, the Vietnam War was just beginning, and postage stamps cost a nickel. Now a colonel, he is deployed as the director of public affairs for

  • Air Force band performs in Hiroshima

    Aiko Hayashi smiled, cheered and laughed as she listened to a U.S. Air Force band perform here April 14.“They’re very good,” she said. “They really play great music. I’m glad they came here.”Almost 60 years ago, the thought of a U.S. military presence here was unthinkable. Ms. Hayashi knows of

  • Enlisted aviators put 'chevrons' in the sky

    Between 1912 and 1942, nearly 3,000 enlisted men of the Signal Corps, Air Service and the Army Air Forces became enlisted pilots. In fact, enlisted men piloted many of the aircraft flown in the Allied invasion of North Africa in 1942.Although the Flight Officer Act in 1942 ended the enlisted pilot

  • Vice president thanks servicemembers in Alaska

    Amid a sea of nearly 3,000 flag-waving Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen, Vice President Dick Cheney thanked servicemembers stationed in Alaska for their efforts in the war on terrorism.“I stand here today to say ‘thank you’ from a grateful nation -- and not just to the military

  • Librarians encourage people to turn off TVs, pick up book

    As National Library Week kicks off April 18, Air Force librarians are encouraging people to visit their base library for a refreshing change from another night of channel surfing. Libraries throughout the Air Force offer many programs for active-duty Airmen, retirees, spouses and children. Some

  • Reservist earns Pitsenbarger award

    A reservist from Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., has been named the 2004 Pitsenbarger award winner.Senior Master Sgt. Dale Berryhill, an airborne communications systems operator, was selected for his heroism while supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.Sergeant Berryhill was a crewmember aboard an MC-130E

  • Rescue team integral to contingency operations

    Imagine riding along outside the safety of a base and suddenly a rocket-propelled grenade blows a hole in the ground next to a Humvee in your convoy. The blast causes the vehicle to crash and flip upside down. One of your drivers is stuck under the wreckage; you have no equipment to help get him

  • Foundation seeking inputs for Air Force memorial

    Air Force Memorial Foundation officials are seeking ideas for inscriptions to be placed at the new memorial site.The official groundbreaking will take place Sept. 15 at the memorial site, just southwest of the Pentagon. The focal point of the Air Force memorial will be a 270-foot monument featuring

  • Readiness system saves time, money

    Robins is the test site for a new Web-based readiness system estimated to save the Air Force $79 million over the next five years. The system, called the deployment readiness service, will improve tracking and reduce the time and effort to keep people ready for deployments. It gives people access to

  • Air Force wrestling team wins national title

    The Air Force wrestling team won its second consecutive national team title, took home two Greco-Roman division medals and added an unexpected name to the 2004 Olympic trials roster during the U.S. National Wrestling Championships here April 9 and 10.Greco-Roman wrestlers Steve Woods took the silver

  • Travel cardholders have online-payment option

    Airmen with government travel cards can now make payments to their accounts online. The “MyEasyPayment” system allows Airmen with government travel cards to pay off residual or unexpected charges not covered by split disbursement payments, said Josephine Davis, the Air Force banking liaison

  • Sergeant's nightly movies benefit deployed Airmen

    When the sun sets on Camp Cunningham, the outdoor break area and meeting place known as the “Pradotorium” begins to buzz with a little more activity than it does during the day.This wooden deck area, similar to one that might be built in someone’s backyard, sits adjacent to the 455th Expeditionary

  • Enlisted Heritage Hall honors fallen Airman

    A fallen hero was honored recently when the Enlisted Heritage Hall on Gunter Annex dedicated the Tech. Sgt. John Chapman exhibit.Members of Sergeant Chapman's family and colleagues from the 24th Special Tactics Squadron were among more than 200 people attending the dedication ceremony. A combat

  • Airman dies in mortar attack

    Department of Defense officials have announced the name of an Airman who died following a mortar attack here April 10.Airman 1st Class Antoine J. Holt, 20, of Kennesaw, Ga., died as a result of injuries sustained when his tent was hit by a mortar round. He was assigned to the 603rd Air Control

  • Airman recalls West Nile Virus infection

    Officials here are wasting no time getting the word out about this year’s West Nile Virus threat.The national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had 9,389 cases of the virus reported in 2003.One of those cases was 1st Lt. Chip Hollinger, 21st Mission Support Group executive officer at nearby

  • Guard, Reserve leaders address Senate subcommittee

    Reserve component leaders from the Air Force, Army and Marine Corps met before a Senate subcommittee reviewing the fiscal 2005 military budget here April 7.The leaders discussed transformation goals and spending requirements. They also touched on issues such as deployments, stress on the force and

  • Software helps Airmen track fitness progress

    The Air Force recently released a tool to help Airmen keep track of their fitness efforts. The Air Force Fitness Management System is available to all Airmen through the Air Force Portal. The system provides a history of their fitness scores and allows unit fitness managers to enter new scores.

  • Leaders approve combat device for expeditionary ribbon

    Secretary of the Air Force Dr. James G. Roche and Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper have approved the addition of a gold border to the Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon to signify satisfactory participation in combat operations. "This gold border, signifying participation in combat

  • Simulator prepares Airmen for combat

    Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to infiltrate enemy territory in the cover of darkness. Sentries will be posted at various checkpoints throughout your path to offer additional assistance. Armed with night-vision goggles, weapons and wits, your mission will be trying and perilous.

  • Air Force Museum receives WWII stone roller from China

    A stone roller Chinese workers used during World War II to construct airfield runways as long as 8,500 feet in Kunming, China, will make a permanent stop at the Air Force Museum here this summer.Hundreds of Chinese workers pulled the roller, made of solid stone and weighing nearly 11,000 pounds, to

  • New special-duty assignment process under way

    Enlisted assignments division officials at the Air Force Personnel Center here unveiled a new assignment process to account for many special-duty jobs now being coded as maximum tour assignments in the continental United States.The new process, starting in mid-April, is called the CONUS Mandatory

  • Overseas returnee assignment listing available soon

    The Enlisted Quarterly Assignment Listing for people returning from overseas August to October will be available April 13.Airmen need to work through their military personnel flights or their commander's support staff to update their preferences by April 30. Airmen will be notified of their

  • Airmen train in Italy

    Twenty-six Airmen from the 37th Airlift Squadron at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, participated in Exercise Leaning Tower here from March 29 to April 3. They trained on formation low-level flights, evasive maneuvers and airdrops using night-vision goggles. “This whole exercise was made possible

  • Jumper urges Airmen to 'stay encouraged'

    The war on terrorism, force shaping and the new fitness program are all major priorities in today's Air Force, said the service's senior leader during a visit here April 5. With the recent gruesome murders of four U.S. contractors and the almost daily loss of American servicemembers’ lives, the Air

  • Air Force blue shines at baseball opener

    For one Airman, opening day for the 2004 Major League Baseball season was “pretty incredible,” especially in St. Louis, where fans are passionate about their professional sports teams.For Staff Sgt. Kelly Grant-Ramstack, a vocalist with the U.S. Air Force Band of Mid-America, her incredible day

  • Top chief discusses Air Force issues

    Force shaping, housing plans, the proposed uniform and fitness proved hot topics for the Air Force's top enlisted leader as he talked with Airmen during a visit here.Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Gerald R. Murray said the retention rate for first-term Airmen is the highest the Air Force has

  • Survival equipment: Taking fear out of flying

    Almost everyone has seen movie heroes parachuting out of planes and helicopters into dangers unknown. However, not many people think about how they are able to do that, or who ensures their parachutes are packed safely and carefully. Ten Airmen, assigned to the 100th Maintenance Squadron’s survival

  • Airman burned as child, volunteers at burn camp

    More than 15 years ago he spent 10 weeks in the hospital, as burns that covered more than one-third of his body healed. Today, the Airman volunteers as a burn camp counselor and shares stories about his ordeal with children who are recovering as he did.Airman 1st Class Brandon Lee, an aircraft

  • Charity ball benefits Airmen in big way

    The Air Force Aid Society was the benefactor as Airmen of all ranks and top Air Force civilian leaders came out in full force at the first Air Force charity ball April 3 at the officers club here.The event raised more than $270,000 for the AFAS from individual and corporate contributions, said Gen.

  • Air Force announces Thrift Savings Plan open season

    Civilian and military employees can sign up for, or change, their Thrift Savings Plan contribution amounts during the open season April 15 to June 30."TSP is a long-term retirement savings plan which everyone should consider," said Senior Master Sgt. Felipe Ortiz, superintendent of the Air Force

  • Airman receives 48 months confinement

    A 33rd Maintenance Squadron Airman here pleaded guilty and was convicted recently of illegal drug use and distribution involving Ecstasy, cocaine and marijuana. Airman Basic Brian M. Baird also pleaded guilty to four additional charges: disobeying his commander’s orders, using Ecstasy and

  • ‘The Simpsons’ deploy to Southwest Asia

    At first glance, these two Airmen share only a name: Simpson. One is a senior officer, the other is junior enlisted; one is a reservist, the other active duty; one works in an office, the other on a flightline.But a closer look reveals Col. Bill Simpson and Airman 1st Class Doug Simpson share more

  • F/A-22 important to all Airmen

    To Air Force people who do not fly or maintain aircraft, the oft-repeated characteristics of the F/A-22 Raptor, “stealth, supercruise, agility, integrated avionics, and supportability” probably mean about as much as “independent front suspension” and “aluminum alloy heads” mean to someone who is not

  • Communications Airmen help Iraqis connect

    Airmen worked for two days rebuilding and improving the communications infrastructure at Baghdad International Airport.A team of 447th Air Expeditionary Group cable maintenance shop and telephone systems Airmen started a job April 3. “Basically we were asked to come out here and establish high-speed

  • JTAC Airman vital in war on terrorism

    “Dad, you’re still at work?” are the words of Staff Sgt. Jason Cry’s 5-year-old son. When Sergeant Cry talks with his son on the phone, he helps the boy understand why Dad was not there for Christmas, or why he cannot be there at night to read him a bedtime story, kiss him on the head and tuck him

  • USAFE members hone search, rescue skills

    A CH-47 Chinook helicopter is shot down and four survivors are stranded in a hostile location awaiting rescue. The scenario was part of a joint combat search and rescue exercise held here March 20 to April 2.Led by the 56th Rescue Squadron at Naval Air Station Keflavik, Iceland, the exercise

  • Flightline upgrades boost mission

    New upgrades to the flightline are boosting operational capabilities, helping Airmen accomplish the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing’s expanding role to provide intra-theatre airlift for deployed forces.The latest upgrades completed March 31 include a new 320,000-square-foot C-130 Hercules parking ramp.

  • Moody pilots killed in crash

    Two pilots died when an Air Force T-6 Texan II crashed April 3 at the airport in Savannah, Ga. The aircraft was assigned to the 479th Flying Training Group here.The reservists were identified as Capt. Judson Brinson of Thomasville, Ga., and Capt. Lee Moore of Valdosta, Ga. At the time of the

  • Electronic recorder adds realism to bugle playing

    The Tinker Air Force Base Honor Guard recently received three ceremonial bugles which play a high-quality recording of “Taps,” helping to show the nation’s deepest gratitude at the funerals of those who have served their country.The Department of Defense worked with a private company to create the

  • Airmen save life using defibrillator

    Four Airmen saved an Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center employee’s life after he recently suffered a heart attack at the Tinker Annex gym.Mario Martinez, a quality-assurance specialist at the center, went into cardiac arrest while playing racquetball with Tech. Sgt. Douglas Keller, a radar