NATO Air Policing operations

U.S. Air Force News

  • Airmen keep Baghdad online

    Their jobs may not be highly visible, such as flying or launching aircraft, or get them media attention by standing guard under the blazing Iraqi sun.They do, however, have an important job within the 447th Air Expeditionary Group.“They” are members of the 447th Expeditionary Communication

  • DOE dominates Defender Challenger

    Air Force and British security forces teams already have their targets picked out for next year’s Defender Challenge competition: The men in black from the Department of Energy. The DOE federal agents may be a tough target to hit, based on the dominance of their 10-man team at Defender Challenge

  • Ellsworth K-9 team finishes fourth in nation

    The top military working dog team in the nation has been marking its territory atop the national rankings since the Ellsworth team formed more than two years ago. The team finished in fourth place at the U.S. Police Canine National Field Trials in Atlantic City, N.J., on Oct. 5 to10 For the second

  • Eagle Flag's importance stressed

    The Air Force’s top two leaders got a first-hand look Oct. 15 at the service’s newest flag-level exercise, Eagle Flag. They also talked about what they want every airman to know about the exercise.Secretary of the Air Force Dr. James G. Roche and Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper

  • Airman honors Army friend

    Tech. Sgt. Robert Moore wanted to do something for the friend he had made and lost while serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom. So he got permission to name an airport fuel storage facility after Army Sgt. Roger Rowe, an Army transportation specialist killed by a sniper July 9.Moore, a fuels

  • Critical-care teams quick to respond

    Critical care air transport teams, charged with moving the seriously wounded or ill, have a job similar to firefighters.“Our gear is packed, ready and positioned near aircraft loading points. We can be airborne in minutes and fly anywhere in the area needed,” said Maj. William H. Cody. He is a

  • AF bands appear on ‘Warehouse Warriors’

    Bandsmen from Air Mobility Command bases will take center stage Oct. 21, when their “Battle of the Bands” episode of “Warehouse Warriors” airs on the DIY Network.The U.S. Air Force Band of Mid-America here, and the U.S. Air Force Band of the Golden West, from Travis Air Force Base, Calif., each sent

  • Falconer will control Red Flag sky

    America’s ability to dominate air and space during war is being tested Oct. 19 to 31. About 90 airmen from U.S. Air Forces in Europe’s 32nd Air Operations Group will descend on Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., to participate in Red Flag 2003.The airmen comprise what is called a Falconer Air Operations

  • Airman boosts host-nation relations

    During the pre-dawn hours of Oct. 11, Jackal Two, a 380th Air Expeditionary Wing security forces patrol, noticed a vibratory roller -- better known as a steamroller -- with its headlights on, parked outside the perimeter of the base fence. The night-shift patrol feared the worst at this undisclosed

  • Airman gets hard labor, discharge

    An academy airman was sentenced to a bad-conduct discharge in a special court-martial Oct. 15.Airman Brent Mann of the 10th Communications Squadron pleaded guilty to providing alcohol to a minor and failing to obey a lawful order to register his vehicle or remove it from the base. Mann also pleaded

  • Tops in Blue entertains Bagram troops

    The Air Force’s Tops in Blue team contributed to the war on terrorism when they performed for more than 800 soldiers, airmen and coalition partners here Oct. 11. This year’s tour celebrates 50 years of performances around the world.Known as the Air Force’s “expeditionary entertainers,” Tops in Blue

  • TSP open season begins

    Civilian and military employees can sign up for, or change, their Thrift Savings Plan contribution amounts during the "open season" Oct. 15 to Dec. 31."TSP is an easy, long-term retirement savings plan, that everyone should consider," said Senior Master Sgt. Felipe Ortiz, superintendent of the Air

  • Dyess B-1s surge to 114 flights in 68 hours

    During a "surge" in flying here that ended Oct. 9, 7th Bomb Wing crews pushed their B-1 Lancers to a record-breaking 114 flights in 68 hours resulting in 321 simulated bombing runs on targets. The crews began Operation Iron Thunder on Oct. 7, flying sorties around the clock until late in the night

  • HVAC/R -- Al Udeid’s thermostat

    How fast can your day go from good to bad, from comfortable to hot?Give up? Fifty-nine minutes. That is how long it would take.Without air conditioning inside a tent, the temperature can increase by more than 35 degrees in less than an hour. Without the Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and

  • The birdmen of Baghdad

    Some airmen who routinely go into harm’s way to assist others, have taken another injured creature of the air under their wings.The New York Air National Guard’s 101st Expeditionary Rescue Squadron has adopted a pigeon that was injured during the Operation Iraqi Freedom conflict.According to Staff

  • First Eagle Flag exercise begins

    More than 150 expeditionary combat-support leaders from around the Air Force arrived here Oct. 13 for the inaugural Eagle Flag, the Air Force’s newest flag-level exercise. The goal of the exercise is to test the ability of the participants to open and establish an air base to an initial operating

  • Airmen keep warfighters connected

    In a country that seems to be stuck in the first century, the world’s most powerful and advanced air force operates every day among the blowing dust and dried mud huts of Afghanistan. The average family here lacks a computer, phone, electricity and even running water. But inside the wire here, a

  • Airman reacts to vehicle accident

    While some Air Force reservists were just hitting the snooze alarm at 5:30 a.m., Senior Airman Stacey Miller was hopping fences and wading through mud to get to an accident victim recently.Miller, an aerial porter with Air Force Reserve Command's 49th Aerial Port Flight here, left her Indianapolis

  • ‘Bird balls’ preventing aircraft strikes

    The base here is the first Air Force installation to use "bird balls" as part of a new program to prevent airfield bird strikes.The new tool, part of the 92nd Air Refueling Wing bird-aircraft strike hazard program, uses small, environmentally safe, black balls to cover the surface of the water on

  • LASIK available for airmen

    The Air Force’s “warfighter” corneal refractive surgery program expanded its services to include Laser-Assisted In Situ Keratomileusis, or LASIK, for qualified people at its centers.Gen. T. Michael Moseley, Air Force vice chief of staff, approved a memorandum written by Lt. Gen. George “Peach”

  • Airmen complete 25,000-foot jump

    An icy blast fills the cabin as the C-17 Globemaster III crew opens the rear hatch in midair. The C-17 provided the platform recently for nine survival, escape, resistance and evasion specialists and one combat controller to perform a high-altitude, low-opening parachute jump training over the

  • AF unveils force development plan

    Air Force leaders are launching a spread-the-word tour in November to explain force development, a new system that transforms how the service will train, educate and assign people to meet mission challenges.Teams led by major command general officers will visit every base to explain the details of

  • Airman tells of grandfather's Flying Tiger days

    What do you do when your grandfather was played by John Wayne in a movie, a general at age 31 and a bona fide American war hero? If you are Maj. Reagan Schaupp, you write a book about him.Schaupp, of the 50th Space Support Squadron here, has spent the last five years working with his 88-year-old

  • Fighting a different kind of enemy

    “What do you call a spider with no legs? “An octo-plegic,” joked Tech. Sgt. Charles Latshaw, a pest management technician with the 380th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron’s entomology division.But the job is not always fun and games for Latshaw and his counterpart, Tech. Sgt. Frank Flodin, also

  • Reserve working on force development

    At the 2002 Corona Top conference in Colorado Springs, Colo., the Air Force adopted a new vision for how best to develop its airmen and continue its evolution as an air and space force.The Air Force designed this new force development construct to ensure the right technical and leadership skills are

  • Preparing for Titan's final flight

    The last Titan IVB rocket to be launched here arrived from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., Oct. 5 while another Titan IVB was moved to Space Launch Complex 40 to launch an early warning satellite under the Defense Support Program. There are just three Titan IVB launches remaining before the

  • Airmen restore piece of history

    As civilian and military aviation enthusiasts throughout the world celebrate the “Centennial of Flight,” airmen from U.S. Air Forces in Europe’s 85th Group here completed a meticulous project to preserve and showcase a piece of Air Force history in Iceland.Recently, more than 60 airmen, sailors and

  • Airmen help fliers breathe easier

    Fuels specialists in the 78th Logistics Readiness Squadron’s liquid oxygen station here have the coolest job on base. It is so cool in fact it is boiling hot.Tasked with the job of storing liquid oxygen, which in its normal state is 297 degrees below zero, the airmen must stay on their toes, or

  • Travis firefighters dominate El Paso challenge

    Firefighter combat challenge teams take note: The Travis team is the real deal. At the regional Scott Firefighter Combat Challenge competition here Oct. 4 and 5, the firefighter team from Travis Air Force Base, Calif., dominated every aspect of the tournament, taking first place in four out of five

  • Warfighters reach back to Langley

    Each day during Operation Iraqi Freedom, Airman 1st Class Jamie O'Connell would drive home from Langley Air Force Base after fighting the war in Iraq, and with traffic, it took her about 15 minutes.She is an imagery analyst in the 30th Intelligence Squadron, working at Distributed Ground System 1

  • Airmen participate in Malaysian exhibition

    Rain did not dampen the spirits of Pacific Air Forces airmen showcasing their aircraft at the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace 2003 exhibition here Sept. 30 to Oct. 5. LIMA is one of the biggest defense trade shows in the world and this year more than 800 companies from about 40 nations

  • Software helps put bombs on target

    Since March 19, warfighters have dropped 21,300 munitions in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Tens of thousands more have been dropped or launched during Operation Enduring Freedom and that many more stand ready if and when the call comes.To account for all the munitions the Air Force owns, ammunition

  • October issue of Airman available

    Learn about what it took to make the air war over Iraq a success, read about the end of an era in Saudi Arabia, and take a look into a drag-racing teen’s lifelong obstacles. These features and more highlight the October issue of Airman magazine, now available in print and online at

  • Bagram airmen boost village morale

    It is austere here. The rules are strict, the environment is harsh, and the enemy is near. Everyday is a workday. Alcoholic beverages and civilian clothes are prohibited. People cannot go anywhere unarmed. They eat and sleep with their weapons.Maintaining high morale in an environment like this

  • Young Iraqis arrive at Ramstein

    Eighteen Iraqi children are now receiving long-awaited medical care from the state of Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany, thanks to the help of the U. S. Air Force.The children, ages 6 months to 16 years, arrived here Oct. 6 on a C-141 Starlifter from McGuire Air Force Base, N.J., out of Baghdad International

  • Helmet saves airman's life

    Airman 1st Class Michael Lashbrooks made a critical decision this summer. The veteran motorcycle rider decided to spend nearly $500 on a top-quality helmet to wear while riding his 2003 Kawasaki Ninja 636. Call it personal risk management or plain common sense -- it saved his life.The scars on

  • Boot Hill finds new home at Al Udeid

    The Boot Hill “cemetery” at Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia, has gotten the boot.For the second time in 11 years, the military’s tongue-in-cheek version of Tombstone, Arizona’s famous cemetery, has been exhumed, this time from the closed PSAB to its new resting place here.Cemetery builders

  • New citizen pursues dreams in AF uniform

    Ivelina Konstantinova started working in a San Antonio cafeteria three days after arriving from Bulgaria, and it terrified her. “I was afraid to speak or answer phones,” she said. “Customers would get frustrated because I couldn’t speak English well. I would have preferred they just correct my

  • USO comedians bring laughter to Kirkuk

    A group of comedians from the United States visited here Oct. 2 to entertain the troops and film segments for an upcoming DVD.The comedians were part of the Laugh Factory team, which belongs to the United Services Organization tour traveling through Southwest Asia.Ralphie May, the headliner for the

  • Airmen can review records online

    The Air Force has started a new program allowing airmen to complete record reviews online through the virtual military personnel flight.Airmen will soon begin receiving e-mail notifications around their birthday each year advising them to review their electronic personnel records maintained in the

  • Airmen use funds to help rebuild Iraq

    As Iraq struggles to establish a solid foundation for self-government, airmen here are lending a hand to local Iraqis.Since July, the 506th Air Expeditionary Group has reinvested more than $300,000 of captured Iraqi money back into the local community through the commander’s emergency response

  • Air Force will test Eagle Flag

    The Air Force will begin its newest flag-level exercise Oct. 13, targeting expeditionary combat-support skills and testing them to the maximum extent. Eagle Flag is to the expeditionary combat-support community what Red Flag is to the fighter community, said Maj. Gen. Christopher A. Kelly, Air

  • Airman faces court-martial

    An airman here faces a special court-martial on several charges of violating the Uniform Code of Military Justice.Airman Brent Mann, of the 10th Communications Squadron, was charged Oct. 2 with two counts of violating Article 92 of the UCMJ for failure to obey a lawful order or regulation. The

  • Special-duty recruiting teams combine forces

    Two Air Force recruiting teams have combined forces to make it easier for airmen to sign up for special-duty assignments, particularly as recruiters or military training instructors.The dual recruiter and MTI recruiting team provides servicemembers one briefing to learn about these and other

  • Bone-marrow donation saves life

    A 388th Maintenance Group airman here got a special phone call recently -- from a woman whose life he helped save with a bone marrow donation.“When I was in school four years ago, they were having a bone marrow drive,” said Staff Sgt. Jeffrey Dorman. “I just thought, ‘what the heck,’ and gave them

  • Changes limit quarterly IDTs for reservists

    Changes went into effect Oct. 1 limiting the number of inactive-duty-for-training periods a reservist may perform during a three-month quarter.The changes provide a training schedule policy for all Air Force Reserve Command airmen. They provide senior managers better management of training

  • AF Climate Survey kicks off

    People have the power to change the future when they complete the 2003 Air Force Climate Survey. It launched Oct. 1.“'Speak Today, Shape Tomorrow' is a great message for all of us,” said Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Gerald Murray. “I strongly encourage you to participate in this survey. I

  • Vietnam War MIAs identified

    The remains of four servicemen missing in action from the Vietnam War have been identified and are being returned to their families for burial with full military honors, defense officials announced Sept. 29.Three are airmen, and one is a Coast Guardsman. They are Staff Sgt. Elmer L. Holden from

  • Cop becomes crew chief for a day

    On a typical day at work, Airman 1st Class Andrew Cox is an entry controller with the 380th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron here, directing hundreds of cars through the entry control point. Recently, he spent his day directing a KC-135 Stratotanker into the air.The opportunity to launch a

  • Elmendorf rescue team delivers baby at home

    Cheryl Trinklein was at home taking a bath, trying to relax. She also was 39 weeks, 6 days along in her pregnancy. Suddenly, things were not so relaxed. Apparently, the baby decided it was time to make his grand entrance into the world.“The contractions just kept getting stronger and stronger and

  • Airmen bring air power to ‘most evil place’

    The sound of an incoming rocket is an everyday occurrence here. It is where being shot at before sunset is a typical expectation, and soldiers are always busy defending their ground from the enemy behind four mud walls. The Americans serving here are familiar with the loss of fallen comrades, and

  • Airmen nearly sweep DOD fire awards

    The Air Force nearly swept the Department of Defense Fire and Emergency Services awards program, winning five out of six award categories for the second year in a row. Air Force firefighters won the top awards for military firefighter, military fire officer, civilian fire officer and fire department

  • Assignment listing available soon

    The Enlisted Quarterly Assignment Listing for airmen returning from overseas February to April will be available Oct. 14.Individuals need to work through their military personnel flight or their commander's support staff to update their preferences by Oct. 30, said officials at the Air Force

  • Base readies for influx of tankers

    In March, hundreds of people will descend upon a small, picturesque base in England’s Cotswolds region.This influx of people, caused by the relocation of aircraft for three months while the runway here is resurfaced, will more than quadruple the number of active-duty airmen at Royal Air Force

  • AFPC offers enlisted promotion tips

    Officials at the Air Force Personnel Center have released a list of things airmen should focus on to give themselves the best possible chance for promotion.Officials advise airmen to start preparing for promotion early, not get lax in study habits, and ensure study materials are current.To learn

  • Now showing: Sept. 29 edition of AFTV News

    Hurricane Isabel’s effects on Air Force bases along the eastern seaboard highlight the Sept. 29 edition of Air Force Television News. Master Sgt. Jim Lawson and Staff Sgt. Kevin Dennison report on how people at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, N.C.; Dover AFB, Del.; Langley AFB, Va.; and Andrews

  • Travis team treats battlefield wounded

    The aeromedical staging facility at David Grant Medical Center here cares for some of the most precious cargo in the Air Force: its people."Since the beginning of hostilities in Iraq … earlier this year, Travis' ASF has seen more than 200 patients come through (its) staging facility and departure

  • New ribbon recognizes deployed airmen

    Secretary of the Air Force Dr. James G. Roche has approved award of the Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon to recognize servicemembers’ support of air expeditionary force deployments.The ribbon will be awarded to Air Force active-duty, Reserve and Guard members who completed a contingency

  • Reservists support Operation Deep Freeze

    Reservists from the 445th Airlift Wing here headed to Antarctica on Sept. 26 in a C-141 Starlifter supporting Operation Deep Freeze.Aircrew members will move passengers and cargo for the National Science Foundation's research facilities in Antarctica. This mission is the second of three phases to

  • Elmendorf opens multiplatform center

    On Sept. 24, the 3rd Wing officially opened the Air Force’s first multiplatform mission training center that uses advanced technology to maximize operational effectiveness and combat capability. The center will house multiple weapon systems simulators -- built and operated by multiple contractors

  • Sensor shop ensures successful U-2 missions

    For most people, taking a photo is as simple as pointing and shooting. However, for a U-2 pilot flying at more than 70,000 feet, taking a picture requires a high-tech camera and a dedicated organization to ensure it works properly.It is the primary job of the 9th Maintenance Squadron avionics

  • DOD investigating Air Force translator

    The Defense Department is continuing its investigations into two cases associated with the confinement facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, in which an Air Force translator is charged with espionage and an Army chaplain is being held pending charges.Raul Duany, spokesman for U.S. Southern Command, said

  • DUI offenders relate experiences

    A Tyndall senior airman was leaving a Panama City restaurant parking lot when the tires of his sport utility vehicle squealed, gaining the attention of a city police officer nearby.As far as the airman was concerned, he had only consumed what he felt was a minimal amount of beer. He was startled to

  • Recruiting service names Blue Suit winners

    The Air Force Recruiting Service recently recognized the fiscal 2003 winners of Operation Blue Suite XXV. The program recognizes the Air Force's top recruiters worldwide."This is the first time I've received a Blue Suit award," said Tech. Sgt. Scott J. Wealton, from the 368th Recruiting Squadron in

  • October issue of Citizen Airman available

    Although thousands of Air Force reservists are still actively involved in supporting operations worldwide, Air Force Reserve Command officials are busy gathering lessons learned from current and recent operations.Read about the command’s effort to examine its performance in the October issue of

  • Parents have power over what children eat

    Health and wellness center officials here are offering nutrition tips for parents in response to studies that show a growing number of overweight children in America.According to a study by the American Dietetic Association Foundation, parents have more potential to influence their children's

  • Fabrication flight ensuring mission success

    “Find it, fix it, paint it, make it, repack it.”This is the motto of the 48th Equipment Maintenance Squadron’s fabrication flight as they work around the clock at their four facilities to keep the F-15C Eagles and F-15E Strike Eagles here mission-ready.“Basically, our flight touches virtually all

  • Air Force names best commander, spouse team

    The Air Force’s best wing commander and spouse team was recently named by Air Force Personnel Center officials at Randolph Air Force Base, Texas.The 2003 recipients of the General and Mrs. Jerome F. O’Malley award are Col. William A. Chambers, 11th Wing commander here, and his spouse, Bonnie.“My

  • Secretary lauds resourceful approach

    Secretary of the Air Force Dr. James G. Roche used the Air Force Association’s technology symposium Sept. 17 as a forum to praise Air Force ingenuity.Roche compared today’s leaders with those of the Army Air Corps, saying that integrating people and systems in new and innovative ways guarantees a

  • Generals visit reservists in Iraq

    To learn firsthand the issues facing deployed members of Air Force Reserve Command, three Air Force Reserve generals traveled to several overseas locations Sept. 9 to 19.Making the trip were Maj. Gen. John J. Batbie Jr., AFRC vice commander; Maj. Gen. James Bankers, 22nd Air Force commander; and

  • Junior ROTC seeks teachers

    The Air Force needs more military retirees to take on teaching roles in high-school classrooms as the service expands its Junior ROTC program. The 744 units in high schools worldwide offer many opportunities for qualified, eligible applicants, said Jo Alice Talley, Junior ROTC instructor management

  • Airman convicted at Osan

    An airman here was found guilty during a court-martial recently.Staff Sgt. Sasanna Galitzen, of the 51st Comptroller Squadron, was sentenced to 11 months confinement, forfeiture of all pay and allowances, reduction to airman basic and a bad conduct discharge.Galitzen was convicted of making false

  • AF Climate Survey launches Oct. 1

    Air Force leaders at all levels want to know, “How is my organization doing?” The 2003 Air Force Climate Survey begins Oct. 1 to answer this question with the help of Air Force people.Their participation in the survey is critical, said senior leaders.“Leadership must be made aware of what’s really

  • Airman helps 'at risk' children

    While many take a permissive temporary-duty assignment to go house hunting prior to a move, Senior Airman Dan Magas went home to do another kind of hunting. Magas, a security controller with the 65th Security Forces Squadron here, helped about 70 children in the Pennsylvania State Police’s Camp

  • Bases provide hurricane refuge

    Nearly 180 aircraft worth billions of dollars have safely taken refuge at four Air Force Materiel Command installations, moving away from Hurricane Isabel's wrath.The aircraft moved as part of previously-agreed-to contingency plans between the impacted base and the evacuation point, according to

  • B-2 exercises 'spirit' through deployment

    B-2 Spirit bomber crews and support teams are in Guam to participate in Coronet Dragon 49, an exercise to test their deployment capabilities and the ability to fly and fight from a forward location. The exercise sent airmen from the 325th Bomb Squadron and 509th Bomb Wing at Whiteman Air Force Base,

  • CAP helps Air Force face Isabel

    As Hurricane Isabel makes landfall on the Eastern seaboard, Civil Air Patrol officials are helping the Air Force manage storm-related operations.The CAP is the all-volunteer U.S. Air Force auxiliary. The Air Force Rescue Coordination Center, located at Langley Air Force Base, Va., has moved its

  • Deployed medics provide care to locals

    Airmen deployed from the 86th Medical Group at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, are treating villagers in nearby Sartichala and Ponichala who have eye problems.The treatments were part of a humanitarian civic assistance program that the 86th MDG staff conducted at clinics in each village during a

  • Jumper addresses global chiefs

    The Air Force’s top uniformed leader addressed more than 90 air chiefs from around the globe Sept. 16 as part of the Air Force Association's Airpower Symposium. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper's comments covered a broad range of topics, including the making of today's heroes, the

  • Fuels branch airmen repair tanks, increase storage

    With a little bit of ingenuity and hard work, airmen in the 506th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron fuels branch here were able to salvage enemy assets and use them to their advantage.The airmen recently repaired eight underground fuel tanks to increase the branch's capability to store JP-8

  • OTS selection board results released

    Air Force officials are giving 13 enlisted airmen the chance to trade in their stripes for gold bars by choosing them to attend Officer Training School, officials announced Sept. 16.Air Force Recruiting Service officials considered 307 applications as part of OTS Selection Board 0308, which met here

  • Outstanding airmen honored

    The Air Force’s 12 Outstanding Airmen of the Year for 2003 received a ceremonial tribute Sept. 15 at the Air Force Association convention here.Each year, the AFA honors the 12 airmen at its annual convention in Washington, D.C. The program was initiated at the organization’s 10th annual national

  • Squadron wins DOD maintenance award

    The 74th Fighter Squadron here has been named winner of the 2003 Secretary of Defense Maintenance Award in the small category.The A-10 Thunderbolt II unit was the only Air Force winner out of six units in the small, medium and large categories.The selection panel looked at mission accomplishments,

  • U.S., Dutch pilots train together

    Boom operator Airman Charles Converse noted something different about the Dutch F-16 that slowly moved into place for a quick gas-and-go high above Afghanistan on Sept. 11. The pilot was proudly displaying the Stars and Stripes above the windscreen in his cockpit. The Dutch had not only put a flag

  • AWACS airmen get noise-reduction headsets

    Interior aircraft noise has been a longtime problem when it comes to aircrews communicating with each other and protecting themselves from hearing loss. This is certainly true for aircrews who work aboard the E-3 Sentry Airborne Warning and Control System aircraft. The persistent noise the aircrews

  • Some AEF airmen will deploy longer

    Air Force officials have determined that some airmen in Air and Space Expeditionary Force Blue will remain deployed longer than the scheduled 120 days.Blue is the first of two transitional AEFs designed to bring the schedule back to a normal rotation. Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom

  • AF wins softball championship

    The Air Force team won the 2003 Armed Forces Women’s Softball Championship held here Sept. 8 to 10. “Our goal was not to go undefeated; it was to win the gold,” said Air Force head coach Master Sgt. William Hardy, from Keesler Air Force Base, Miss. This is exactly what happened. The Army team

  • Roche receives Order of the Sword

    Secretary of the Air Force Dr. James G. Roche was inducted into the Order of the Sword during a ceremony here Sept. 13.Roche became the eighth Air Force-level inductee into the order, and the second secretary, since the "Royal Order of the Sword" ceremony was revised, updated and adopted by Air

  • Airmen clean up Iraqi weapon stockpile

    Airmen rattle windows for about 12 miles here as they detonate stockpiles of Iraqi weapons twice a week.“Everybody on base and in town knows what that sound is. It’s the death of tyranny and the birth of freedom,” said Col. Jim Callahan, 506th Air Expeditionary Group commander.Coalition explosive

  • 2003 AFA convention opens

    The 2003 Air Force Association convention began Sept. 15 including a gathering of more than 90 global air chiefs from around the world.Honor guardsmen posted flags from each nation represented at the convention, visually reinforcing the global nature of the annual gathering. The Global Air Chiefs

  • Airmen conduct multinational MRE study

    Frog legs versus Pad Thai fried noodles? Country Captain Chicken versus veal parmigiana? There is a culinary war of nutrition being waged in Afghanistan as a flight doctor and a pilot with the 455th Expeditionary Operations Group conduct a study of meals ready to eat from at least 13 different

  • Now showing: Sept. 15 edition of AFTV News

    The contribution airmen make at the detainee center in U.S. Naval Base Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, is chronicled in the latest edition of Air Force Television News. Tech. Sgt. Pachari Lutke has an exclusive look at how airmen are helping guard the hundreds of detainees being held at the center as part of

  • Eielson forces respond to base fire

    Firefighters and security forces here contained a fire in base housing Sept. 7 at around 6 p.m.The heating unit of an empty waterbed in the bedroom ignited the fire, according to officials.“The fire crews did an awesome job. It was a textbook operation,” said Master Sgt. Shawn Ricchuito, 354th

  • KC-135s stay perfect during 17-day hot streak

    Really good or just lucky – which describes the 376th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron?From Aug. 25 to Sept. 10, all of the KC-135 Stratotankers here were ready, willing and able to get the job done in the sky over Afghanistan.The mission-capable rate target for Air Mobility Command

  • No plans to extend Guard, Reserve

    Air Force officials do not plan to extend the involuntary deployment of Reserve and Air National Guard airmen to Iraq.About 4,700 ANG and Reserve airmen are deployed supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. According to a senior Air Force official, about 12,000 deployed Air Reserve Component airmen have

  • AF offers multilingual thank you

    Airmen whose parents speak languages other than English can now order Air Force Parent Pins with accompanying cards translated into one of 100 languages.The new Your Guardians of Freedom initiative is an extension of the Parent-Pin program called “E Pluribus Unum.” The Latin term comes from the

  • Unique treatment helps injured airman

    In an instant, Staff Sgt. Hector Barrios’ life came crashing down like a ton of bricks.Barrios, assigned to the 96th Security Forces working dog section here, deployed to Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia, supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. While on gate-guard duty July 15, he removed a wire

  • Pilot flies third consecutive 9-11 sortie

    Where were you on 9-11? This is a question almost every American has asked or been asked since that tragic day. Lt. Col. Murf Clark, 22nd Expeditionary Aerial Refueling Squadron commander, has given the same answer to that question for three consecutive years – flying.Clark, a KC-135 Stratotanker

  • Airman rings ‘Bell of Remembrance’

    One of the Air Force’s 12 Outstanding Airmen of the Year helped the U.S. Senate pay tribute to the victims of the 9-11 terrorist attacks on America.Senior Master Sgt. Thomas McConnell represented the Air Force in a ceremony Sept. 11 to introduce the Senate Resolution of Remembrance. McConnell is an

  • Leaders recognize 56 years of Air Force

    The U.S. Air Force celebrates its 56th year Sept. 18. In recognition of this, the following is a message from Secretary of the Air Force Dr. James G. Roche and Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper:“In 56 years, the U.S. Air Force has earned its wings as the world’s greatest air and space