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  • Sustainability of installations, environment key to readiness

    The best way to ensure that today’s warfighters have what they need to fight and win in the post-Sept. 11 world is to sustain the viability of both military installations and their surrounding environments, a defense official said here April 12.That idea of sustainability -- of the military

  • Grone: BRAC 2005 important for many reasons

    Base Realignment and Closure 2005 is in full swing and this round is important for many reasons, said Philip Grone, deputy undersecretary of defense for installations and environment.To support ongoing force transformation, to improve the joint use of Department of Defense assets and to convert

  • Two generations of air traffic controllers keep Nellis sky safe

    A sixth-grade student chose to write a school report about her dad, who is an air traffic controller in the Air Force. The student said she admired her father and his career, and watched him dress in uniform every day preparing to protect the sky for the military.That was 14 years ago. The

  • Service demographics offer snapshot of force

    Air Force Personnel Center officials here recently published the quarterly demographics report offering a snapshot of the service's active-duty and civilian force, as of March 31.More information can be found online at www.afpc.randolph.af.mil/demographics/. New U.S. government rules now provide

  • Little Rock receives second C-130J

    The Air Force's second active-duty J-model C-130 Hercules joined the other in the 314th Airlift Wing fleet here April 5.Flown by Lt. Gen. John Baker, Air Mobility Command vice commander, the aircraft is assigned to the 48th Airlift Squadron, which has been training aircrews to fly it since February

  • F.E. Warren 0-0-1-3 program teaches responsible drinking

    The 0-0-1-3 program here began one year ago as a reaction to a national health crisis. Binge drinking, underage drinking and driving under the influence had become all too common. “(Alcohol) has affected every community every campus (and) pretty much every place that touches lives across the

  • International affairs cadre to build global relations

    Air Force officials will begin training more than 100 officers this spring to become international affairs specialists in a managed secondary career path.Ultimately, as many as 3,000 officers will form a pool of experts in regional, political and military affairs who will advise combatant commanders

  • Keesler cop encounters fugitive

    A security forces Airman and his canine partner escaped severe injuries recently when a sport utility vehicle driven by a fugitive rolled over the Airman’s patrol car near here.Staff Sgt. Daniel Short, an 81st Security Forces Squadron patrolman, and Bobby, a 5-year-old German shepherd narcotics

  • Tyndall Airman convicted of possessing child porn

    An Airman was convicted of possessing child pornography during a recent court-martial here.A military judge sentenced Airman 1st Class Axel Acevedo, a 325th Operations Support Squadron air traffic controller, to five months confinement, reduction to airman basic and a bad conduct discharge.Airman

  • Officials announce Air Force comptroller awards

    Air Force financial management officials announced the winners of the 2004 financial management and comptroller awards.They are:Financial Management and Comptroller: -- Organization, 347th Comptroller Squadron at Moody Air Force Base, Ga. -- Individual, Lt. Col. Trent Edwards of the 92nd Air

  • 'Faces of Fallen' exhibit open at Arlington

    The faces remind us of what we have lost.“Faces of the Fallen,” an exhibition at the Women in Military Service to America Memorial here, features more than 1,300 portraits of servicemembers who have died in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.Hundreds of family members came to see portraits of their

  • New course prepares NCOs for joint ops in Southwest Asia

    A new training course for senior enlisted leaders is giving them skills that are proving invaluable for those deployed here, officials said.The Command Senior Enlisted Leader Capstone Joint Operations Module course is giving warfighters the tools they need to operate in an environment in which they

  • College tests offered for Airmen manning internment camp

    Armored Humvees roll in and out of here several times a day escorting supply convoys. But they brought a unique passenger and cargo to this remote outpost March 17.The passenger was Staff Sgt. Alan Smith, 386th Air Expeditionary Wing test control officer. His cargo was a box full of College Level

  • Officials announce Air Force safety awards

    Air Force safety officials announced the winners of the 2004 safety awards.They are:-- Secretary of the Air Force Safety Award: Category I, U.S. Air Forces in Europe at Ramstein Air Base, Germany; Category II, Air Force Academy, Colo. -- Maj. Gen. Benjamin D. Foulois Memorial Award: Air Combat

  • Myers: Work toward jointness, but take pride in services

    Jointness is the way ahead, but that does not mean Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines are going to merge into some national joint force, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said here March 13.Gen. Richard B. Myers spoke to U.S. servicemembers at the embassy here and complimented them on

  • AETC names new command chief

    Air Education and Training Command officials recently named Chief Master Sgt. Rodney Ellison as the command’s new command chief master sergeant.As the command’s top enlisted Airman, Chief Ellison succeeds Chief Master Sgt. Karl Meyers who retired March 11.The command chief master sergeant advises

  • Task force aims to prevent sexual assault

    Everyone has a role in preventing and responding to sexual assault, said the commander of the Joint Task Force on Sexual Assault Prevention and Response during her remarks at a women’s history luncheon here.Brig. Gen. K.C. McClain assumed command in October 2004. The task force is establishing

  • Technicians use aircraft wreckage for testing

    After 11 years of service as a flight trainer, a T-1A Jayhawk aircraft is joining the Aeronautical Systems Center here.The aircraft, although damaged past the point of repair, still has its avionics and other subsystems intact, along with most of its fuselage. Technicians in the center’s training

  • Airmen help local school rebuild greenhouse

    Hurricane Ivan destroyed a nearby elementary school’s greenhouse in September, and the school has been without one ever since. So, the school’s principal Dr. Van Crigger, asked Airmen here for help. About 15 Airmen from here and nearby Duke Field volunteered to help. The school’s “Mustang

  • Health officials recommend changes to fitness program

    Air Force health officials recommended seven changes to the fitness program during the program’s first annual review.This first annual assessment consists of reviews by three panels: functional, external and leadership, said Lt. Col. Sherry Sasser, chief of health promotions for the Air Force

  • Good vibrations, music lends healing hand

    Have you ever found yourself tapping your foot or bobbing your head when listening to upbeat music? It is nearly impossible for most of us to sit perfectly still when we hear a beat we like. Similarly, a softer, slower rhythm can be calming and relaxing. These involuntary motor responses to

  • Fitness instructor loses nearly half of herself

    Keyra Donaldson was sitting on the bathroom floor while her children were taking a bath. Her back was in pain, and her patience was growing thin because they were taking too much time in the tub. This was the moment, she said, when she admitted to herself that she was severely overweight.The year

  • Filipino Airman sets his sights high

    He left a career, his home country and some members of his family to become part of the bite behind America's bark.Airman 1st Class Michael Dizon is an Airman-in-training at the 381st Training Squadron here, studying to become a dental technician. But he was much more than that before enlisting in

  • President nominates General Looney to head AETC

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

  • Air Force announces OTS selections

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

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

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

  • Officials spread word about DOD civilian jobs

    Human resources specialist Linda K. Stouffer said when she visits college campuses, she tells students the Defense Department is "the 'employer of choice,' and our job is to support America's defense around the world."Ms. Stouffer, who works for the DOD civilian personnel management services defense

  • Court-martial finds Airman guilty of rape

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

  • College grants offered to Airmen's families

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

  • C-130s grounded

    Thirty E-model C-130 Hercules were grounded Feb. 10, and 60 other models including some E, H, H1 and HC-130P/N were placed on restricted flight status.Gen. John W. Handy, commander of Air Mobility Command, directed the grounding and restricted flight status to minimize wing stress and increase the

  • Jumper talks force development with career field managers

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

  • Environmental symposium trains thousands

    The Air Force 2005 Environmental Training Symposium, an event that combines the efforts of five major commands and focuses on nine major base organizations, began here Feb. 7.More than 1,500 students from across the Air Force, other government agencies and national academia are participating in more

  • Program allows full-time study while on active duty

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

  • Chaplain explains suicide prevention efforts

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

  • DOD seeks people with language skills, regional expertise

    If you speak a foreign language or have the desire and aptitude to learn one, Uncle Sam wants you.Defense Department officials are looking for people with language skills to support not only current operations, but future ones as well, said Gail McGinn, deputy undersecretary of defense for plans.And

  • AF changes, removes info given to officer promotion boards

    Air Force officials are making changes to what information will be kept in selection briefs for officers facing promotion boards this year.Starting with active-duty promotion boards through the rank of colonel in 2005, all self-initiated academic education information, including bachelor's degrees,

  • Pentagon, Senate seek doubling of G.I. survivors' benefit

    Pentagon leaders and Capitol Hill legislators want to increase the current available combined government death benefit for families of fallen servicemembers by about $250,000.If enacted, the proposed change essentially would double the $262,000 now available to families of servicemembers killed in

  • Jumper presents Purple Hearts to Baghdad bombing victims

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

  • Staying in the Reserve after separation can pay off

    Should I stay or should I go? For those in uniform, it is a question they face each time they come to the end of their enlistment. To many, deciding to stay on active duty or switch to the civilian sector seems to be their only options. Air Force Reserve officials beg to differ.Tech. Sgt. Michael

  • Officials redesign recruiting Web site

    Finding information on the Air Force’s official recruiting Web site is easier since Air Force Recruiting Service officials recently redesigned the site.The site also features a new “See What It’s Like” section in which visitors can see what active-duty Airmen do on and off duty.The Web site,

  • Officials reschedule OTS boards

    Because of fiscal 2005 Air Force force-shaping efforts, the nonrated (both non-technical and technical) portions of the March 28 and May 10 Officer Training School selection boards will now meet in August, Air Force Recruiting Service officials announced Jan. 27.The rated panels for these boards

  • Air Force Assistance Fund campaign kicks off Feb. 14

    The Air Force Assistance Fund "Commitment to Caring" campaign runs Feb. 14 to May 6. Program officials invite Airmen to contribute to any of the Air Force’s four official charitable organizations.The charities benefit active-duty, Reserve, Guard, retired servicemembers, surviving spouses and

  • National Nurse Anesthetist Week kicks off Jan. 23

    Whether administering epidurals for women in labor, giving patients minor sedation in the emergency room, or watching over their patients in the operating room, certified registered nurse anesthetists have been working with surgeons, dentists and podiatrists for nearly 150 years to deliver safe

  • Airmen help train Iraqi soldiers

    A professional military education instructor had to overcome a language barrier, an unfamiliar curriculum and a trust issue with his students to contribute to the development of a new nation.Master Sgt. Mark Leuquire was one of 28 Air Force instructors deployed to Iraq to train noncommissioned

  • Service demographics offer snapshot of force

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

  • Officials announce OTS selections

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

  • Secretary Roche retires

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

  • Four Airmen vie for GEICO awards

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

  • Fate reunites key players in 33-year education odyssey

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

  • General Jumper qualifies in F/A-22 Raptor

    Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper ended two weeks of training here Jan. 12, flying his qualification flight in the F/A-22 Raptor, the Air Force’s newest fighter aircraft.“I’ve been involved with the Raptor program for years, in one way or another,” General Jumper said. “Now, to be able

  • Airman moonlights as CAP officer

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

  • Commissioning program available for active-duty Airmen

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

  • Twins celebrate a half century of service

    Many things have changed at Robins in the past 50 years. There have been runway extensions, new buildings, new units and a string of commanders. But there has been one constant: the presence of Billy and Bobby Edwards, who are logistics management specialists. The 69-year-old identical twins

  • 'Air and Space Power Journal' launches Arabic edition

    The professional flagship publication of the Air Force, the “Air and Space Power Journal,” is adding an Arabic version to its list of international editions in January.The journal has been produced by the College of Aerospace Doctrine, Research and Education here since 1949. The Arabic version will

  • Air Force officials select ROTC detachment commanders

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

  • AF’s former top military lawyer to retire in reduced rank

    Air Force Secretary Dr. James G. Roche has directed that Maj. Gen. Thomas J. Fiscus, the former Judge Advocate General of the Air Force, be retired in the permanent grade of colonel effective Feb. 1. Retirement in the grade of colonel instead of major general will result in a future retired pay

  • Course changes enhance enlisted professionals

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

  • Airman rescues woman, baby from icy river

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

  • DOD implements new sexual-assault prevention policy

    Defense Department officials here Jan. 4 announced sweeping changes in how the military handles sexual assaults, with uniform policies and procedures that apply to all servicemembers, wherever they are at home station or deployed.Dr. David S.C. Chu, undersecretary of defense for personnel and

  • AF issues Article 15 to top military lawyer

    The commander of Air Education and Training Command completed nonjudicial punishment action against the Air Force’s former top military lawyer Dec. 21.Following a review of an Air Force inspector general investigation into allegations of wrongdoing, Gen. Donald G. Cook, AETC commander, punished Maj.

  • JAG Corps offers accessions programs

    The Air Force's Judge Advocate General Corps gives company-grade officers two opportunities during January through March to join their ranks. The programs, the Funded Legal Education Program and the Excess Leave Program, allow active-duty officers to pursue law degrees without leaving the Air Force

  • Ugandans get air power lesson

    The U.S. Air Forces in Europe commander addressed the first class of Ugandan Senior Command and Staff College attendees here Dec. 2 during the course’s air power week. As the guest lecturer, Gen. Robert H. “Doc” Foglesong talked about issues ranging from air and space power to leadership and how the

  • Airmen teach English to South Korean children

    Airmen from here are traveling to Suwon City to help teach English to students at an elementary school.Since August, 25 Airmen assigned to the 51st Medical Group have taught English at the school the first Saturday of every month.The volunteer work got the attention of the city’s mayor, Kim Young

  • Financial impact of force shaping lessened

    Airmen transitioning to the Air Force Reserve through Palace Chase or to the Army through Blue to Green force-shaping initiatives now face a lighter economic impact.Airmen will no longer have to pay education costs or unearned portions of enlistment bonuses if they applied for separation after Dec.

  • Officials announce F-16 accident investigation findings

    Air Force officials announced investigation findings of a May 19 F-16 Fighting Falcon crash on the Tohono O’odham Nation in Arizona. The pilot, Singaporean air force 2nd Lt. Kwang Han Loo, was killed in the crash. He was assigned to the 425th Fighter Squadron, a foreign military training squadron,

  • Air Force 'e-exams' provide instant results

    Whether at home or in the field, the answer will come sooner when it comes to taking an Air Force examination.By January, Air Force Institute for Advanced Distributed Learning officials at nearby Gunter Annex will have fully implemented the e-exam computer-based testing program which will provide a

  • PACAF earns ‘Top’ honors at William Tell

    The very last flight of the 2004 William Tell air-to-air weapons meet was flown by the Pacific Air Forces team from Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska, on Nov. 18, and it was that mission that put them on top.“We never expected a team to walk away with it, and nobody did walk away with it,” said Lt.

  • Air Force civilians among top 50 Hispanics

    Hispanic Engineer and Information Technology magazine has included two Air Force civilians among this year’s Top 50 Hispanics in Business and Technology.Michael L. Dominguez and Michael Montelongo were selected from among hundreds of workers in government, academia and corporate America for their

  • Aggressors add realism to William Tell

    Russian on your tail, Russian on your wingman, and you have got only one missile remaining. What should you do?You should be thankful they are just flying out of Nevada to give you a taste of worldwide flying tactics, that is what.Pilots of the 64th Aggressor Squadron out of Nellis Air Force Base,

  • Airman achieves dream to fly 'into the wild blue yonder'

    The anticipation shines in his eyes. The smile on his face is genuine and easy. His demeanor exudes an infectious energy.Capt. Terry Tyree Jr. gets to fly today.It has taken him 14 years, three technical schools and a positive attitude to achieve his dream of becoming an Air Force pilot.He

  • Roche submits resignation

    Secretary of the Air Force Dr. James G. Roche announced his resignation Nov. 16."I'm honored to have served the president, the secretary of defense and the terrific Airmen I've come to know and love in the past few years as the secretary of the Air Force,” he said. “I've served with talented

  • William Tell still anybody’s game

    “Not in our house” may have been the slogan chanted by the New York Yankees fans during game seven of the league championship series against the Boston Red Sox, but they obviously did not mean it as the Red Sox went on to become the World Champions of baseball.The Airmen from here, however, seem to

  • Weapons troops are not cowboys during Loadeo

    Despite what people may think, the Loadeo event does not feature an Airman wearing a cowboy hat, straddling an AIM-120 missile, ready for the ride of his life.Loadeo is the weapons-loading competition taking place here during the 2004 William Tell air-to-air weapons meet.“Loadeo is a competition

  • Developmental teams get voice in officer PME selection

    More than 1,100 officers will get the chance to attend intermediate or senior developmental education schools thanks to the Developmental Education Designation Board held at the Air Force Personnel Center here in October.The board combined inputs from the central selection promotion boards and

  • Air Force officials announce OTS selections

    More than 180 men and women from throughout America have earned an opportunity to become Air Force leaders following their selection for a commission, officials here announced Nov. 12.Air Force Recruiting Service officials considered 205 applications as part of Officer Training School Selection

  • PACAF’s team uses advantage during William Tell

    A pilot checks his radar and looks over his shoulder to see an enemy fighter at his 3 o’clock position. The infrared seeker on the air-to-air missile rotates to the right as the pilot moves his head. He lines up the enemy fighter with the crosshairs on his helmet-visor display and shoots. The

  • 50th anniversary of William Tell kicks off at Tyndall

    The U.S. Air Forces in Europe team jumped off to an early lead after officials kicked off William Tell 2004 here Nov. 8. The start marked the 50th anniversary of the Air Force air-to-air weapons meet.This year's meet has put to rest the longest gap in its history after an eight year hiatus because

  • Act increases bonuses, education benefits for reserve

    Increased education benefits and more flexibility in awarding bonuses are among the quality-of-life improvements targeting National Guard and Reserve servicemembers in the 2005 National Defense Authorization Act.The act also provides for changes in how guardsmen and reservists are mobilized and

  • Air Force’s top leaders visit Southwest Asia

    The Air Force’s top civilian, officer and enlisted leaders visited more than 5,000 Airmen at this forward-deployed location Nov. 4 as they kicked off their swing through Southwest Asia.Sporting the Air Force’s new proposed utility uniform, Secretary of the Air Force Dr. James G. Roche, Chief of

  • DOD schools launch customer-satisfaction survey

    Department of Defense Education Activity officials want to hear the opinions of students, parents and teachers. They launched the 2004 customer-satisfaction survey Nov. 1.The survey is open to all 4th- to 12th-grade education activity students, their parents or sponsors, and teachers. The survey

  • Officials select officers for developmental education

    Boards here selected more than 300 company-grade officers from 14 career fields to attend developmental education programs beginning in the summer, Air Force Personnel Center officials announced Nov. 1.The development team special program selection and Air Force Institute of Technology boards

  • CMSAF addresses top issues

    Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Gerald R. Murray addressed hundreds of troops attending the 2004 Airlift/Tanker Association Symposium on Oct. 29, an event he has been unable to attend in years past.Chief Murray gave his insight on three main topics he said he feels are the backbone of the

  • AFIT honors 2004 distinguished alumni

    The Air Force Institute of Technology honored two 2004 distinguished alumni here Oct. 29. Retired Maj. Gen. Robert R. Rankine and Dr. Edward T. Curran were selected for their pioneering roles in science, engineering and education.“The title of ‘distinguished alumnus’ is the highest honor that AFIT

  • Pennsylvania extends absentee-voter deadline

    Military and civilian residents of Pennsylvania living overseas received an eight-day extension on the deadline to get their absentee ballots counted.The extension came about when a federal judge settled a lawsuit Oct. 29 between the governor of Pennsylvania and the parents of two servicemembers,

  • British team shoots to top at Defender Challenge 2004

    An eight-person British team took home the top award at the worldwide security forces competition Defender Challenge 2004 held here Oct. 22 to 28.The Royal Air Force Regiment took first in the grueling fitness challenge event and third in the Sadler Cup tactical exercise. These wins earned them the

  • Leaders call for evaluation of suicide prevention efforts

    Air Force senior leaders are calling for commanders to conduct full reviews of suicide prevention efforts and to ensure that all Airmen are aware of resources such as life skills and other support agencies to address the service’s highest suicide rate in nine years.As of Oct. 27, 46 active-duty

  • Online write-in absentee ballot offered for overseas voters

    Deployed or stationed overseas and still waiting for your state absentee ballot to arrive in the mail? There's no need to sweat it out any more.The online federal write-in absentee ballot gives U.S. citizens overseas who haven't yet received the absentee ballots they applied for the chance to vote

  • 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 Sept. 30.The report outlines information regarding the Air Force’s 372,424 active-duty Airmen and 141,147 civilian employees, such

  • Officials activate National Security Space Institute

    Air Force Space Command officials stood up a space education and training organization here recently that they said will provide the foundation to creating a new generation of space professionals. The National Security Space Institute will be the Department of Defense's single focal point for space

  • Airman’s American journey spans 13 years, two countries

    “My parents told us we were going to Disneyland, but they told me not to bring any clothes or toys because they would buy us new ones.”That was how Senior Airman Jesus Espinoza Ogarcia, now assigned to the 14th Medical Operations Squadron, was persuaded to leave his home in Puebla, Mexico, when he

  • Relationship, money issues face some returning combatants

    Money, intimacy and re-establishing their relationship as a couple and with their children are some of the challenging issues facing families when servicemembers return after months away in Iraq or Afghanistan. A team of mental-health professionals from the Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress,

  • New law sinks 'check floating' practice

    The practice of “floating” a check until payday will become a thing of the past Oct. 28 when the new federal Check Clearing for the 21st Century Act, also known as Check 21, goes into effect.“Check floating” occurs when people write checks a few days before payday, figuring that by the time their

  • New government Web site offers one-stop financial education

    The Defense Department is part of a multiagency effort that resulted in the debut of a federal government Web site devoted to financial education Oct. 12.The mymoney.gov site has been in the works since March, with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission taking the lead role in its development, DOD

  • Name change heralds new era at AF museum

    A dramatic era of change and growth continues to unfold at the Air Force's national museum with the institution launching a formal name change.Officials announced the name change from the U.S. Air Force Museum to the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force during a ceremony Oct. 14. "The Air Force

  • Student Civil Air Patrol program takes flight

    While some middle-school students spend their free time playing video games or watching television, a recently chartered organization here is giving future Airmen the opportunity to experience crossing into the blue as Civil Air Patrol cadets.Unlike ROTC, the cadets’ involvement is not graded as a

  • AETC civilians testing new finance system

    Civilian employees in Air Education and Training Command will soon begin testing a new finance system. It allows employees a chance to get answers to their leave and earnings statement questions without calling or visiting a civilian personnel office.The AETC test will last two pay periods, and

  • William Tell competition resumes after eight-year break

    The Air Force’s first William Tell air-to-air competition in eight years takes flight at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., Nov. 8 to 19.William Tell 2004 will test aircrew performance in the air dominance and air sovereignty missions, while evaluating weapons use and the tactics used. The meet also

  • 'Master problem solver' wins Air Force award

    The challenge of keeping his computer customers connected is what drives Tony Bufford, winner of the Air Force’s Outstanding Employee with a Disability Award for 2004.Mr. Bufford, system administrator for the 81st Supply and Transportation squadrons, was also Keesler’s nominee for the award in 2000

  • Junior ROTC expands, seeks retirees to teach at new units

    Airmen planning to retire within the next couple of years and Airmen who have retired within the past five years may want to look to Junior ROTC before storing their uniforms, said Jo Alice Talley. She is the Air Force Junior ROTC instructor management chief.Air Force Junior ROTC will add 201 units

  • Air Force still needs health professionals

    The Air Force exceeded its enlisted recruiting goal by sending 34,362 people to basic military training in fiscal 2004, but the service was unsuccessful in finding enough physicians, dentists and nurses to meet its health professions goal.The Air Force had an enlisted recruiting goal of 34,080.