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  • Dyess aircrews poised for bomb runs over Iraq

    While the United States prepares for a possible war with Iraq, aircrews at this B-1B Lancer base have not changed their training routine.The airmen are not yet part of the huge U.S. military buildup that has taken thousands of troops to bases in the Middle East, but they know they will play a key

  • ACC begins F/A-22 operations

    Air Combat Command entered a new era Jan. 14 as America's newest fighter-attack aircraft touched down here.Raptor 00-012, the first F/A-22 to be delivered directly to the command, was flown from Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., to Nellis by Lt. Col. David Rose, chief of Nellis' F/A-22 integration

  • Need for blood donations grows

    With a smaller pool of eligible military donors and a recently decreased stock of frozen blood, the Air Force assistant vice chief of staff is calling on servicemembers and their families to donate blood.In a recent memo to the field, Lt. Gen. Joseph Wehrle asked airmen worldwide to support the

  • Explosive business

    Senior Airman Douglas Frey uses a mine detector to locate buried ordnance here Jan. 9. Frey is assigned to the 39th Civil Engineer Squadron. (Photo by Staff Sgt. Dennis J. Henry Jr.)

  • 'Primetime Thursday' featuring Alaska Air Guard

    ABC News program "Primetime Thursday" features airmen of the Alaska Air National Guard's 210th Air Rescue Squadron and their part in the rescue of two climbers on Mount St. Elias. The climbers witnessed two other climbers in their party die on the mountain. The show is scheduled to air Jan. 16.The

  • Quarterly assignment listing available

    The Enlisted Quarterly Assignment Listing for people returning from overseas May through July will be available Jan. 13.Individuals need to work through their military personnel flights to update their preferences since the update process is not yet totally automated, according to Air Force

  • Keeping mail flowing while deployed

    On a daily basis, the morale of people deployed to the 320th Air Expeditionary Wing weighs on the minds of the base postal flight, and they want nothing more than to deliver."We're big-time morale boosters," said Airman 1st Class Jonathan Morgan, an information manager by trade. "That's our main

  • Pope combat controller awarded Air Force Cross

    Senior Air Force leaders awarded the Air Force Cross to Tech. Sgt. John Chapman here Jan. 10.Chapman, a combat controller killed in Afghanistan while saving the lives of his entire team, was posthumously awarded the Air Force Cross, which is second only to the Medal of Honor as an award for

  • Team erects B-2 shelters at deployed location

    Twenty members of the 49th Materiel Maintenance Squadron here spent more than 70 days at a deployed location working 12-hour shifts to erect portable shelters for B-2 Spirit bombers.The Air Force now has two transportable hangar systems that will allow the B-2 to deploy overseas. Moving the B-2s to

  • Air Force survival instructor shows Marines the ropes

    Huddled with a group of shivering students on a recent cold morning, an Air Force survival instructor from the 374th Operations Support Squadron at Yokota Air Base, Japan, demonstrates the proper way to rappel from a 70-foot tower. The group watches carefully as he attaches a rope to his harness

  • Let it snow!

    As the first major snowfall of the season covers Aviano Air Base, Italy, on Jan. 9, Airman 1st Class Brian Hirsch of the 31st Security Forces Squadron maintains security at the base's gate. (Photo by Master Sgt. Dave Ahlschwede)

  • Operation Gray Eagle unites military people with retirees

    Veterans and new recruits seldom move in the same circles. But that has changed here.The base has started a trial program, Operation Gray Eagle, which unites veterans living in the Denver area with students in the base's airmen leadership school for a session that seeks to pass experience and

  • Air Force begins smallpox vaccines

    The Air Force chief of staff has directed the immediate implementation of the smallpox vaccination program.In a Jan. 6 policy memorandum to major command commanders, Gen. John P. Jumper outlined details of the commanders' force protection program against the deadly biological warfare agent.The first

  • January issue of Airman's 'The Book' now available online

    Demographics, statistics, and a wide range of compiled information about the Air Force highlight the first issue of Airman magazine in 2003, available now on the World Wide Web."Centennial of Flight" is the theme for Airman's January 2003 issue, traditionally called "The Book." The issue focuses on

  • Gas 'n go

    An airman from the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, refuels a KC-10 Extender aircraft recently. The fuels section maintains about 1 million gallons of fuel to support the base and the KC-10 and KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. (Photo by

  • Servicemembers heading toward gulf

    Thousands of American servicemembers are deploying to the U.S. Central Command area of operations.The largest deployment is that of the Army's 16,500-man 3rd Infantry Division to Kuwait.The division's 2nd Brigade is already in Kuwait. The 3rd Brigade, based at Fort Benning, Ga., flies out this week

  • Officer assignments move beyond 'seven-day option'

    Following secretary of the Air Force guidance, Air Force Personnel Center officials reviewed and improved what was called the "seven-day option" policy for officer assignments.Those officers who would be eligible to separate or retire instead of taking an assignment will now get more than seven days

  • Guardsman's soup provides Sunday retreat

    It is Sunday in Afghanistan's Air Force Village, and a huge 15-gallon metal cooking pot is providing a little taste of home.Folks are lining up for another Sunday helping of home cooking by Senior Master Sgt. Timothy Treaster.Treaster, an Air National Guardsman from McEntire Air National Guard Base,

  • Air Force prepares for major deployment

    Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld directed the deployment of additional forces to support operations Enduring Freedom, Desert Spring and possible future contingencies Dec. 24.The additional active-duty forces in Air and Space Expeditionary Forces 7 and 8 as well as selected forces from AEFs 9

  • Innovation pays in more ways than one

    Innovation has paid off, not once, but four times for one 552nd Air Control Wing airman.Since his arrival at the 552nd ACW four years ago, Staff Sgt. Daniel McSwain has continually looked for ways to improve processes in his shop. He is an avionics test station and aircraft component specialist in

  • Avoiding 'Trash-ganistan'

    Senior Airman Courtney Swales (left) holds on as Senior Master Sgt. Dave Dickinson drives a four-wheel all-terrain vehicle with a load full of trash from Air Force Village at Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan. Hauling trash to the dump is one of many additional duties airmen frequently pull at the base.

  • Leaders stress winter safety

    With the winter season firmly in place and bitter weather gripping the nation, the service's senior leaders urge Air Force members to be safety-conscious."The mission, travel, weather and distractions caused by family separations all factor into increased risk," said Secretary of the Air Force Dr.

  • Now showing: Dec. 23 edition of Air Force Television News

    The Dec. 23 edition of Air Force Television News is the first of four special productions of the program to be seen in December, January and February. This first of the four is the annual "Year in Review" edition, and is dedicated to the men and women of the Air Force and the job they do both on

  • A couple's first Christmas

    Airmen 1st Class Christopher and Heather Otis exchange gifts Christmas morning at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar. This is their first Christmas as husband and wife. Both are crew chiefs deployed to the 379th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron from McGuire Air Force Base, N.J. (Photo by Master Sgt.

  • Forces delivering wheelchairs to Afghanistan

    The first 50 of 1,000 donated wheelchairs bound for disabled people in Afghanistan were delivered to Ganci Air Base, Kyrgyzstan, as part of an ongoing humanitarian project.Baisal Limited, a wheelchair manufacturer in nearby Bishkek, assembled the wheelchairs and then delivered them to coalition

  • Dropping in for Christmas

    Retired Col. Gail Halvorsen and his wife, Lorraine, inspect a stuffed bear before it was dropped Dec. 21 during the 50th anniversary flights of Christmas Drop. For 50 years people at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, have gathered Christmas gifts and supplies to be airdropped to Pacific islanders. A

  • Air Force leaders send holiday message

    The following is a holiday message from Gen. John P. Jumper, Air Force chief of staff, and Dr. James. G. Roche, secretary of the Air Force:"In this season of thanksgiving and reverent celebration, we send our warmest wishes to our entire Air Force team of active, Guard, Reserve, civilian and retired

  • Lending a helping hand

    Staff Sgt. Brian Seeley of the 653rd Combat Logistics Support Squadron here sorts through gifts for families in the area. Squadron airmen helped transport food from area collection points and boxed items for the Salvation Army's holiday program. (Photo by Sue Sapp)

  • Water on its way

    Airman 1st Class Randy Bennett drives a 13k all-terrain forklift carrying a pallet of water to a C-130 Hercules aircraft headed for Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan, Dec. 18. Water is shipped weekly to deployed troops in Afghanistan. Bennett is assigned to the 320th Expeditionary Aerial Port Squadron

  • AF realigns 13k military, civilian positions

    The Air Force will realign more than 13,000 active-duty and civilian manpower authorizations now through the end of the decade to better support the service's highest-priority mission requirements, personnel officials said Dec. 19."This restructuring of manpower positions isn't an attempt to reduce

  • AF, Navy form alliance to better meet education needs

    The Air Force and Navy formed an agreement Dec. 18 to meet the advanced education requirements of both services and the Department of Defense.This educational alliance will leverage the capabilities of the Air Force Institute of Technology at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, and the Naval

  • Anniversary aircraft

    B-2 Spirit crew chiefs Staff Sgt. Jay Pirnie (left) and Senior Airman Heath Traugh watch their jet, the "Spirit of Indiana," run up its engines here Dec. 17. The two airmen, assigned to the 509th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, were readying the aircraft for takeoff on the ninth anniversary of the

  • Enlisted members hit the books at AFIT

    The secretary of the Air Force's initiative to mold a technically educated force is paying off for the eight senior noncommissioned officers selected to pursue master's degrees at the Air Force's premier graduate school.The enrollment of enlisted members into the Air Force Institute of Technology,

  • Giving thanks

    -- Holloman Intermediate School's fourth-graders presented 10 members of the 49th Civil Engineer Squadron with a handmade flag during a small assembly at the school. The students had sent thank-you cards to the airmen while they were deployed to Kyrgyzstan. (Photo by Airman 1st Class Vanessa

  • Nutrition helps achieve fitness goals

    To achieve overall fitness, health and wellness, people need to consider their nutritional requirements as well as their physical needs."Good nutrition goes hand in hand with exercise to help a person live a healthier lifestyle," said Tech. Sgt. Ronald Cochran, the noncommissioned officer in charge

  • Osan heats up for 'Cookie Crunch'

    Pam Piekarczyk, a member of the base's spouses club, was one of more than 50 base volunteers who recently helped to mix 60 dozen eggs, 260 pounds of brown sugar, nearly 200 pounds of butter, more than 80 bags of chocolate chips and a few other sweet ingredients to bake 3,000 dozen cookies. The

  • Deployed airmen get connected

    To help deployed Air Force people stay in touch with their families, family support center workers here recently mailed off more than 40,000 AT&T Corp. phone calling cards as part of an annual Veterans of Foreign Wars Foundation program.The 60-minute calling cards have also been sent to military

  • Strike up the band!

    Country and soul recording artist Lari White, gospel and soul recording artist BeBe Winans, and Tech. Sgt. Darden Safely, a featured vocalist with the U.S. Air Force Band's Airmen of Note, sing "America the Beautiful" Dec. 16 for members of the 320th Air Expeditionary Wing at a deployed location.

  • Centennial of Flight kicks off year of festivities

    A yearlong recognition of aviation began here Dec. 17 with the U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission's national kickoff.Among those in attendance were a retired member of the Tuskegee Airmen and a former Air Force pilot who flew with the Flying Tigers during World War II.Wilbur and Orville Wright

  • Fox News to broadcast from Whiteman

    Airman 1st Class Corie Hudson of the 509th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron operates a munitions lift truck Dec. 17 as Fox News Channel photographer Svein Schwab films the action for a future broadcast. The Fox News Channel will feature the base and the 509th Bomb Wing every hour throughout the day

  • A rad reading

    Senior Airman Pamela Wiggins from the 810th Medical Operations Squadron here tests a 21st Security Forces Squadron member for radiation contamination during a weapons-of-mass-destruction exercise Dec. 11. The 21st Space Wing inspector general and a team of experts from Texas A&M University put the

  • Air Force kicks off Centennial of Flight celebration

    The Air Force joins the yearlong Centennial of Flight celebration on Dec. 17 that commemorates the 100th anniversary of the Wright brothers' first powered flight.The Air Force will participate in centennial events honoring a century of aviation heroes and communicate its contributions to airpower,

  • New system speeds up overseas check cashing

    Many of the Air Force's overseas cashier cages will soon use a new paperless check cashing system.The Military Paper Check Conversion system, developed by the U.S. Treasury, instantly converts paper checks presented to the cashier into an electronic image to be processed by the financial

  • Forces rotate for Operation Northern Watch

    More than 1,000 airmen are replacing Operation Northern Watch veterans as the Air and Space Expeditionary Force system performs its regular three-month rotation from late November through the first part of December.Based at Incirlik Air Base, Turkey, the new airmen join Turkish and British coalition

  • Maintainers brave elements to keep tankers flying

    Teeth chatter, hands shake, even bones ache through cold-weather gloves.While almost all North Dakota wildlife is in hiding, and most people here are sheltered indoors from the sub-zero temperatures and brutal 40 mph winds, 319th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron workers are fighting the elements while

  • Guard, Reserve play vital roles in desert mission

    Guard and Reserve troops at Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia, are a vital part of the total force supporting the Operation Southern Watch mission of enforcing U.N. sanctions on Iraq and monitoring the southern no-fly zone.Not only are Air Reserve Component forces providing essential experience,

  • Airmen apprehended for drug use

    Nine airmen here were apprehended early Dec. 8 for illegal drug use as part of the Air Force's on-going zero-tolerance drug program.The airmen, from the 354th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron and the 354th Maintenance Squadron, were identified as possible drug users through investigations conducted by

  • Keeping C-130 Hercules strong, mission ready

    The 320th Air Expeditionary Wing's motto is "Combat Airlift After Dark." Pilots and crews complete this mission with a fleet of aging C-130 Hercules, night out and night in.But, just like a winning driver in auto racing, pilots cannot get to the finish line without the maintainers providing the

  • Airman sentenced for drug use

    A 48th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron airman was sentenced to a bad conduct discharge, reduction to the lowest enlisted rank and 10 months confinement during a court-martial here Dec. 11.Airman 1st Class James Rotunda pleaded guilty to five specifications of violating of Article 112a of the Uniform

  • 'Spirit of Strom Thurmond' honors senator's 100 years

    The Air Force commemorated the 100th birthday of one of the longest-serving U.S. senators by naming its newest aircraft in his honor Dec. 12.The 100th C-17 Globemaster III to roll off the assembly line was christened the "Spirit of Strom Thurmond" in a ceremony here seven days after the senator's

  • Andersen slowly digs out after typhoon

    Residents here felt the full force from one of nature's most destructive forces Dec. 8 as Typhoon Pongsona released its fury.Pongsona's eye passed over Andersen in the late afternoon and took more than two hours to completely pass before the full force of the typhoon ripped through the

  • Extreme cold hitting deployed airmen

    The weather is extreme at Ganci Air Base, Kyrgyzstan, just 120 miles east of the Chinese border. It is early December and snow and ice consume the landscape, and people face four-degree temperatures outside. For those airmen without the gear to keep warm, it is time to head to supply."We're trying

  • Team heats things up while deployed

    They work around the clock, seven days a week, in subzero temperatures, with hundreds of people's lives in their hands. Members of the 376th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron heating, ventilation and air conditioning team at Ganci Air Base, Kyrgyzstan, will call this life for at least the next

  • December issue of Airman available

    The Centennial of Flight celebration begins, learning to defend the KC-135 Stratotanker in a war zone, and the future of treating trauma victims on the battlefield highlight the December issue of Airman magazine, now available in print and online.In this month's issue:Nearly a hundred years ago, the

  • Now showing: Dec. 9 edition of Air Force Television News

    The potential problem of recruiting members of the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve because of lengthy mobilization and operations tempo is featured in the latest edition of Air Force Television News. Both Assistant Defense Secretary Thomas Hall and Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz

  • Missing airman found dead

    An airman, missing since Nov. 27, was found dead Dec. 8 near Trier, Germany.German police found the body of Master Sgt. Randall D. Callison near his vehicle on Autobahn 1 at around 2 p.m.Callison, from Walcott, Iowa, was assigned to U.S. Air Forces in Europe headquarters here and worked in the

  • Assignment system upgrades in progress

    The nearly 30,000 officers and enlisted members who access the online Assignment Management System each day are experiencing technology's classic "good news, bad news" story.An upgrade will improve access speed and allow AMS to support the total force development concept, but until it is complete,

  • Next generation Web portal testing begins

    The next generation of the Air Force Portal will debut at Langley Air Force Base, Va., on Dec 6.Air Force people assigned to Air Combat Command headquarters and several other units at Langley will participate in the first command- and base-level test of the redesigned portal.Air Force Materiel

  • Students take giant steps using new technology

    Airman David Golas is a lot more confident working with the KC-10 Extender aircraft because he has observed, close up, the systems that make the aircraft work.With the education he received here at the 373rd Training Squadron's Detachment 1, he can trace electronic circuits, track fuel flow and

  • Doctrine outreach improves airmen performance

    In an ongoing effort to increase awareness and understanding of doctrine, the Air Force Doctrine Center here has taken on a more missionary type of role. If feedback and firsthand reports from the field are an indication, it appears AFDC's efforts to share the doctrine "gospel" have had an

  • ACC conducts flight leadership focus day

    To focus on the importance of flight leadership, Air Combat Command aircraft will not be flying Dec. 6.With increases in operations tempo and aircraft mishaps, Gen. Hal M. Hornburg, ACC commander, directed a flight leadership focus day.Commanders across ACC will conduct mandatory training focusing

  • Buddy system, the Falcon way

    Two F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft take off here Dec. 3 for a training mission. Many base airmen and aircraft recently returned from a 90-day deployment supporting Operation Southern Watch and a two-month deployment to Decimomannu Air Base, Sardinia, while Aviano's runway was renovated. (Photo by

  • Airman shares Afghanistan experience

    Staff Sgt. Matt never expected to live in a mud hut in the middle of Afghanistan, but that is exactly what he did for nearly 140 daysMatt is a terminal attack controller with the 25th Air Support Operations Squadron at Wheeler Army Airfield, Hawaii. When he deployed to Afghanistan in support of

  • A clean delivery

    Senior Airman Nathan Setser, a fuels operator at a forward-deployed location, checks the purity and odor of a liquid oxygen sample to ensure it is operational. Setser is assigned to the 321st Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron's fuels management flight. The flight's mission is to provide

  • Eyes on target

    Staff Sgt. Cary Gibson (top) explains aiming procedures for the .50-caliber sniper rifle to 1st Lt. Hong Kim during an explosive ordnance disposal demonstration held at a deployed location in Southwest Asia on Nov. 27. Both airmen are from the 320th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron. Gibson is

  • Civil engineers keep Bagram's airfield in shape

    Before the runway gets potholes large enough to swallow an airplane, the members of the 455th Expeditionary Civil Engineering Element ensure the pilots have a smooth ride when they land.The CE element, a Prime Base Engineer Emergency Force made up of nearly 20 people from four different CE units

  • Jumper emphasizes total force development during visit

    Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper met recently with airmen here who support operations Northern Watch and Enduring Freedom.The stop was one of many Jumper and Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Gerald Murray are making to observe overseas operations and visit troops during the holiday

  • Troops celebrate Thanksgiving in Afghanistan

    While millions of Americans gathered around tables Thanksgiving day for a traditional holiday feast, so too did the thousands of servicemembers supporting Operation Enduring Freedom at military bases across Afghanistan and Uzbekistan.But instead of finding family and friends seated at the table, the

  • Gravy train

    Col. Steve Cameron, commander of the 412th Test Wing here, pours gravy for a diner at the wing's annual Turkey Day festivities. Hundreds of volunteers took time out to bake and serve the traditional Thanksgiving meal to more than 1,000 airmen and base people. (Photo by Phil Kocurek)

  • Contact center expands hours

    Airmen stationed overseas can now get real-time help with personnel issues without having to wake up at 3 a.m. thanks to the expanded hours of the contact center at the Air Force Personnel Center here.Beginning Dec. 2, the new hours, 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. CST, will give people overseas a chance to talk

  • Top chief sends Thanksgiving message

    The following is a Thanksgiving Day message to all airmen from Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Gerald R. Murray:"My wife, Sherry, and I are thankful for many blessings this season -- our children, our faith, our health -- but as we bow our heads to give thanks, it is you who often comes to our

  • Crews prove mettle as mother gives birth at home

    As the Anaheim Angels and San Francisco Giants battled during the third game of the World Series recently, an Eglin couple brought their own little angel into the world -- in the hallway of their on-base home.While Staff Sgt. Jim and Crystal Taylor were watching the game, Riley Dale, 8 pounds, 6

  • Incirlik adopts the "Alley"

    More than 110 airmen here "adopted the Alley" Nov. 23 by volunteering to pick up trash along a stretch of road off base most frequented by people here.The project, sponsored by Incirlik's Air Force Sergeants Association Chapter 1660, was organized to thank Incirlik village merchants for the support

  • Medical offical issues notice on ephedra risks

    The Air Force's surgeon general has issued a notice to airmen on the potential risks associated with dietary supplements that contain ephedra, following the death of a young Air Force member in early November.Medical notices are released by clinical quality management division officials from the Air

  • Enter the dragon

    Senior Airman David O'Connor, from the 9th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron here, inspects the inside of a U-2 Dragon Lady air intake. Intake inspections are just one of the safety inspections O'Connor and his fellow crew chiefs complete to keep the U-2 flying. (Photo by 2nd Lt. Tawny Halvorson)

  • Rescue coordination center answers calls for help

    A private aircraft crashes and the pilot is injured. Unable to call for help, the pilot is still found and rescued. The rescue may be largely credited to members of the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center here.The AFRCC belongs to Air Combat Command's Air Operations Squadron."(The mission) is to

  • Keeping the 'Hercs' humming

    Airman 1st Class Lyle Sentman from the 374th Maintenance Squadron engine regional repair center, runs up a pair of C-130 Hercules engines during an operational check here. Sentman is looking for air, fuel and oil leaks during the inspection. The repair center handles all C-130 cargo aircraft

  • Typical day for 517th anything but ordinary

    It was another typical day for aircrew members of the 517th Airlift Squadron. But a typical day for a 517th "Firebird" is anything but ordinary.The day started in darkness as the aircrew entered their double doors. Patches of light on the flightline ramp surrounded the shadowy figures of parked

  • Airmen put a new roof over their heads

    Twenty-five "Project Orphanage" volunteers replaced a dilapidated ceramic tile roof with sheet metal recently on a covered outside play area for children at the Adana Orphanage here.The roof gives the 150 children at the orphanage a place to play during Turkey's upcoming rainy season and shade

  • Caring airmen help at 'Camp Collie'

    People at Malmstrom Air Force Base, Mont., are sharing humane instincts by helping abused dogs and cats following a horrid discovery Halloween night.That night on the U.S.-Canadian border, customs agents stopped a 40-foot semi-trailer coming into Montana from Alaska. The smell from the interior was

  • Medics demonstrate new decon system

    Staff Sgt. Denise Brown (from left), Senior Airman Jennifer Miranda and Senior Airman Kari England, members of the 325th Medical Group here, wash down a manikin to demonstrate the new in-place patient decontamination capability. The system is designed to rapidly decontaminate victims in the

  • Public Health keeps airmen out of 'Danger Zone'

    Each week, Tech. Sgt. Marlon Muthuveeran puts the food service operation at the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing dining facility through a rigorous series of tests. He evaluates down to the minutest detail, everything from food storage temperatures to the concentration of the cleaning solution used to

  • That new car smell

    The 48th Fighter Wing here received the first two of 10 new F-15E Strike Eagles bought under contract from the Boeing Co. They are the first new F-15s the wing has received since 1996. The E-model has two Pratt and Whitney F100-P&W-229 engines, each generating 29,000 pounds of thrust. The

  • Americans participate in Keen Sword 03 exercise

    U.S. Air Force, Japanese air self-defense force and maritime defense force helicopters rescued several downed airmen Nov. 14 as part of joint exercise Keen Sword 03. The 33rd Rescue Squadron at Kadena Air Base, Japan, deployed two HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopters along with 39 airmen to participate in

  • Officials may change Air Force fitness program

    Air Force health officials are proposing a change to the service's fitness program to help airmen place a greater emphasis on their overall health and well-being.Many airmen incorrectly think that the Air Force fitness program is cycle ergometry, according to Maj. Lisa Schmidt, chief of health

  • Fairchild team supporting Southern Watch

    Senior Airman Brian Long signals Staff Sgt. Brian Porzuchowski in the tug as he prepares to connect the tow bar for the KC-135 Stratotanker to the hitch. Both airmen are deployed from Fairchild Air Force Base, Wash., and currently assigned to the 363rd Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron. The

  • Artist finds inspiration for artwork

    Master Sgt. Robert Marshall sees the world through an artistic lens that allows him to see humor in every situation and then recreate it on paper in cartoons and caricatures.During his off-duty time and an occasional lunch break, he draws a cartoon series called "Seven Deserts" for the base

  • Airmen showing they 'care'

    Learning to live in a deployed environment is a fact of life more and more military members are having to deal with as the United States pursues its global war on terrorism.There is no question that some deployed locations have more to offer than others, and members of the 363rd Air Expeditionary

  • Dirty bird gets a bath

    Staff Sgt. Rick Casto guides a B-52 Stratofortress from Minot Air Force Base, N.D., into the wash rack at a forward-deployed location supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. The wash racks here recently received new foam sprayers that cut the washing time of a B-52 in half. Casto is a crew chief

  • Reserve commander praises troops, mission

    Awareness of, and appreciation for, the sacrifices of airmen and their civilian employers are the keys to success for the Air Force Reserve, its senior leader said."The point is to understand what they're doing for their country and the sacrifices they have to make in their personal lives and with

  • 17 receive high honors for heroism

    Seventeen members of the 66th and 58th Rescue Squadrons here were honored recently for their heroic actions and bravery in aerial flight while supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.The Distinguished Flying Cross, one of the military's highest combat decorations, was awarded to: Maj. John Galik;

  • Air Force's top chief discusses issues

    The most important thing any airman can do is "recognize that what you do is valuable to our nation's very existence and what we stand for," said Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Gerald Murray during his visit here Nov. 8."When I speak to young airmen, I let them know that their service is

  • Attack!

    Staff Sgt. Chris Lumb (left) and Senior Airman Cao Nguyen observe flightline activities during a combat employment readiness inspection here. The flightline came under "enemy attack" during the exercise, causing simulated injuries to some participants. Lumb is assigned to the base's 374th

  • Airman trades pastry chef's hat for boom

    Airman 1st Class Kai Bresser has a knack for collecting unusual job titles. Before he was a boom operator in the Air Force, he was a pastry chef.Boom operators, as they are commonly known, are in-flight refuelers aboard tanker aircraft. Bresser is currently serving with the 380th Air Expeditionary

  • Lessons of war drive Air Force doctrine

    The Air Force uses the lessons "learned from the blood, sweat, tears, and sometimes death of Americans in the skies" to prepare its doctrine, said Maj. Gen. Dave MacGhee, commander of the Air Force Doctrine Center at Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.MacGhee visited here recently to discuss what Air Force

  • Contracting specialists keep mission going

    Does money make the world go around? Maybe the people who spend the money make the world go around. Some of those spenders buy everything the 320th Air Expeditionary Wing uses to carry out its mission."We provide purchasing support for the base, other locations in country and six locations further

  • New history section debuts on Air Force Link

    Air Force Link, the official Web site of the U.S. Air Force, launched a new history and heritage section Nov. 8 to coincide with Veterans Day and the upcoming 100th anniversary of powered flight.The new section documents the achievements of airpower, starting from the early days of wooden-wing

  • Total force, total commitment, total special operators

    A small group of Air Force special operators huddle together in a makeshift tent, miles away from anywhere on a map, planning the intense details of a mission.All the "usual" mission planners are there -- aircrew, intel, weather, special tactics and communications. The team works through the

  • Maintenance troops ensure Falcons are ready to strike

    Weapons loaders swarm beneath an F-16 Fighting Falcon, arming munitions before the fighter takes off on a sortie. The airmen are deployed with 125th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron from the Oklahoma Air National Guard in Tulsa, in support of Operation Northern Watch. ONW has been enforcing the

  • Maintaining the Spirit

    Senior Airman Andrew Neitzert and Airman 1st Class Chad Dietz, both crew chiefs with the 509th Maintenance Squadron here, review aircraft forms during an operational contingency exercise Nov 5. The exercise tests the capabilities of the B-2 Spirit to deploy to an expeditionary airfield. (Photo by