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  • Quest for perfection: Airman strives for flawless execution

    It’s a sport in which a fraction of an inch could mean the difference between a first place finish or dropping 30 spots. Competitive rifle shooting requires patience, accuracy and control. Lt. Col. Mark Gould started the sport more than 23 years ago and he has been pulling the trigger ever since.

  • CHIEFchat: Cody addresses new EPR form, Course 15

    Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James A. Cody addressed several topics during his latest CHIEFchat, including the new enlisted performance report and Course 15, at the Defense Media Activity on Fort George G. Meade, Maryland.

  • Betty Welsh: 'We are family, we are different'

    Speaking to a group of key spouses from the 501st Combat Support Wing at Royal Air Force Croughton July 16, Betty Welsh smiled, and explained how she grew from a girl who lived with her family until she was 22, into an Air Force spouse and wife of Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Welsh III.

  • Optimism helped Vietnam vet survive as POW

    When 2nd Lt. John "Spike" Nasmyth climbed into his F-4 Phantom II on Sept. 4, 1966, to fly a combat mission over Vietnam, he never foresaw that he'd be blown out of the sky by a surface-to-air missile.The last words he heard before his jet was transformed into a lump of crumpled, metal wreckage were

  • Seymour Johnson Airman shines at inter-nation championship

    Her journey was full of unknowns. She was thousands of miles from home and in a very unfamiliar land. As foreign as she felt, there was one 7-foot wide circle that made her feel right at home.For Airman 1st Class Jessica Johnson, a 4th Aerospace Medicine Squadron public health technician, it was the

  • Snipers hone skills during Royal Air Force training

    As his mind wandered to his hunger and lack of sleep, the sniper turned his thoughts back to the mission at hand. Staff Sgt. Joseph Crotty, the 822d Base Defense Squadron NCO in charge of standards and evaluations, would have to stay focused to get through this training.

  • Mental health: To go or not to go

    The clinic buildings themselves aren't scary, but add the words ‘mental health,’ and most people will avoid them like they contain tigers on the loose. That's why the 432nd Wing Human Performance Team was stood up -- to alleviate that stigma, provide help and have easily accessible trained mental

  • AF generals testify for their future positions

    Two Air Force generals testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee during their nomination hearing as the next U.S. Transportation Command commander and new vice chairman to the Joint Chiefs of Staff July 14.

  • Comprehensive Airman Fitness on the go

    The Wingman Toolkit, an outreach and communication tool designed to ensure Airmen have quick and easy access to the latest Comprehensive Airman Fitness programs and resources, now has a mobile app available to download.

  • GPS IIF-10 successfully launched from Cape Canaveral

    The Air Force and its mission partners successfully launched the tenth Boeing-built Global Positioning System IIF satellite aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V launch vehicle from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, at 11:36 a.m. EDT.

  • Airmen save millions by making repairs

    Deep inside one of the 20th Maintenance Group hangars is a windowless room, where Airmen peer into microscopes and solder electronics as they work to save the 20th Fighter Wing millions of dollars.

  • OPM acts to protect federal workers, others from cyber threats

    U.S. Office of Personnel Management officials announced July 9, the results of the interagency forensics investigation into a recent cyber incident involving federal background investigation data and the steps OPM is taking to protect those affected.

  • Drilling activity for Honduras water well underway

    The 823rd Expeditionary RED HORSE Squadron continued drilling activity for a water well July 7 in Honduras. The well is one of multiple projects taking place here as part of New Horizons, an annual humanitarian assistance exercise.

  • Dr. Chief inspires Airmen toward higher education

    For Chief Master Sgt. Marvin Parker, being a leader meant more than simply checking the minimum requirements. Since 2014, the 36th Mission Support Group superintendent has held a doctorate in business administration, summa cum laude, specializing in global operations of supply chain management --

  • Airman keeps San Antonio, Laughlin safe

    Last year in San Antonio, just a couple of hours down the road from Laughlin Air Force Base, more than 1,600 arrests were made. Of those arrests, more than 580 were gang related and more than 200 firearms were taken off the streets. The credit for pushing gangs off of "military city's" streets goes

  • Flag creates deep bond between grandfather and grandson

    The U.S. military has a rich history, beginning with the Continental Army and extending to present day operations around the world, but for Senior Airman Steven Adkins, his own military history can be found in his backpack.

  • US takes partnerships to new heights

    U.S. Air Force and Army counterparts joined together with service members from nine allied countries to participate in International Jump Week at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, July 6-10.

  • Tech Report: The Global Hawk

    It seems the coolest new toys out there involve drones. Check out this week's Tech Report, which highlights one of the most prestigious of them all: the RQ-4 Global Hawk.

  • CMSAF visits Kadena

    Airmen were not short on questions during Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James A. Cody's visit to Kadena Air Base July 5-8.

  • Latest issue of Airman magazine now available

    In this issue of Airman magazine, you’ll meet Airmen who are assigned to Creech Air Force Base, Nevada, who have a vastly different deployment experience than most others in the Air Force, where they operate from Creech AFB and come home to their families at the end of their shift. They’re

  • SecAF visits key operating locations in European theater

    Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James completed a multination visit throughout Europe June 13-24. The secretary met with Airmen, civilians, host nation community leaders, and allied and partner nation military leaders in countries including Germany, Belgium and Poland during her second visit

  • Western Hemisphere air chiefs work together at annual conference

    United-Allied -- this is the motto of the System of Cooperation Among the American Air Forces, an organization comprised of more than 20 air force leaders from across the Western Hemisphere, who met June 22-26 in Mexico City for a summit known as the Conference of American Air Chiefs.

  • 5,000 days of war

    It’s been 5,000 days of struggle, rugged landscapes, blood and sweat. It’s been 5,000 days of exhaustion, injuries, and long separations from family, friends and home. On June 27, the 17th Special Tactics Squadron marked 5,000 days of unremitting war.

  • Upgraded AWACS platform tested at Northern Edge

    Calmly soaring at 30,000 feet in the midst of nearly 100 fighters, bombers and refueling tankers executing a battle scenario, an E-3G Sentry (AWACS) surveys every aircraft in a 300-mile radius, calling out commands, verifying target hits and sending aircraft back home safely.

  • Gen. Larry O. Spencer Innovation Award unveiled

    Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James, along with Air Force Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Larry O. Spencer, unveiled the "Innovation Award" named in honor of Spencer during a ceremony in the Airman’s Hall at the Pentagon June 29.

  • Fairchild engineers save AF nearly $8 million

    Balancing today's readiness with tomorrow's modernization isn't an easy task, but the 92nd Civil Engineer Squadron at Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington, figured out a way to do it and saved $8 million along the way.

  • Air Force intel pros use Web-based remotely piloted aircraft application

    Using existing technology, a team of Air Force intelligence experts have developed a new Web-based program that saves lives and money. These innovators will receive the U.S. Geospatial Intelligence Foundation Achievement Award for developing the Surveillance Intelligence Reconnaissance Information

  • Airman beats brain tumor, grateful for Warrior Games

    Retired Air Force Master Sgt. Craig Zaleski didn’t earn a medal in the 2015 Department of Defense Warrior Games here this week, but he said the adaptive sports competition was an emotional and rewarding experience.

  • Cody reaches out to USAFE-AFAFRICA Airmen

    Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force James A. Cody wrapped up his second visit to U.S. Air Forces in Europe-U.S. Air Forces Africa this year, tackling Airmen's questions surrounding changes to the new enlisted evaluation system, promotions, formal training and retirements.

  • CAC change aids visually color impaired security officers

    The Defense Department’s Common Access Card is undergoing modification to make it easier for visually color-impaired security officials to identify bearers who are military, government or contractor civilians, or foreign nationals, a Defense Human Resources Activity official said recently.

  • GPS: A generation of service to the world

    Nearly 40 years ago, the Air Force launched the first GPS satellite, dubbed Navstar. But even the most visionary of those people involved with the first launch probably couldn’t have guessed how much GPS would eventually impact the world.

  • AFSOUTH paves way to increase capabilities in Honduras

    A five-member assessment team from 12th Air Force (Air Forces Southern) at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona, and the 571st Mobility Support Advisory Squadron at Travis AFB, California, traveled to Honduras June 15-19 to perform a three-day capabilities assessment at several Honduran air bases

  • AF begins enlisted professional military education enrollment notifications

    Last week, the Air Force Personnel Center initiated a phased approach to notify approximately 83,000 Airmen of the requirement to enroll in the applicable enlisted professional military education distance learning course. AFPC will notify 20,000 Airmen at the beginning of each month until all

  • Carter opens 2015 Warrior Games

    The 2015 Department of Defense Warrior Games opened June 19, with about 250 athletes from the U.S. and U.K. gathering at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia, to compete for a different victory: celebrating their new lives and their enduring abilities.

  • Airman improves intelligence career field through innovations

    Tech. Sgt. Kevin from Creech Air Force Base, Neveda, has been an innovator for the intelligence career field with for the past decade. One of his creations, called the Squadron Intelligence Reconnaissance Interface, codenamed SIRI, is an application used by remotely piloted aircraft crew members to

  • Service star authorized on GWOT Expeditionary Medal

    Active-duty, Guard and Reserve Airmen who earned the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal for more than one of the five Defense Department approved Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal operations may now wear a service star device on the medal and service ribbon for the second and

  • New acquisition process awards contracts in weeks

    A new government open architecture acquisition process that can award contracts in weeks instead of years was tested at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia, June 8-11. The process, called PlugFest, is an interactive industry event where companies get to “plug-in” to a given open system architecture

  • Elmendorf fuels flight named best in AF

    The Air Force recently recognized the 673rd Logistics Readiness Squadron's Fuels Management Flight as the best in the Air Force after being named the winner of the 2014 American Petroleum Institute Award.

  • Cody visits Ramstein, addresses Airmen's concerns

    Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James A. Cody met with Airmen and addressed their concerns regarding the future of the Air Force during an all at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, here June 15.

  • Living the American Dream

    Senior Airman Vadim Poleanschi, a 386th Expeditionary Logistic Readiness Squadron logistics specialist, felt the burden, whether he understood it or not. Poleanschi was born after the Soviet Union fell apart in a country called the Republic of Moldova, an Eastern European country landlocked between

  • TSgt Timothy McDonough

    Timothy McDonoughTechnical Sergeant RetiredHometown: Queens, NYSport(s): Shooting and archeryInjury: Post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, right arm and cervical spine damage and seizures How has military health services helped you overcome your injury/disability?It gave me a new

  • MSgt Gerald Shoemaker

    Gerald ShoemakerMaster Sergeant RetiredHometown: Boise, IDSport(s): Shooting and archeryInjury: Post-traumatic stress disorderHow has military health services helped you overcome your injury/disability?The AFW2 has been instrumental in getting me back to my new normal. The adaptive sports program

  • SSgt Benjamin Seekell

    Benjamin SeekellStaff Sergeant Active DutyHometown: Charlestown, RISport(s): Cycling, shooting, track and field, and basketballInjury: Below-knee left leg amputationHow has military health services helped you overcome your injury/disability?It has given me a new set of goals and provided me with a

  • SSgt Seth Pena

    Seth PenaStaff Sergeant Active DutyHometown: N/ASport(s): Shooting and archeryInjury: Left leg injury, traumatic brain injury and torn aortaHow has military health services helped you overcome your injury/disability?New bionic prosthetics and helping me to be active with fun events.Download

  • CMSgt T. Scott Addington

    Terry AddingtonChief Master Sergeant (Retired)Hometown : Amory, MSSport(s) : ShootingInjury : Cancer SurvivorHow has military health services helped you overcome your injury/disability?It has allowed me to focus and concentrate to a whole new level. AFW2 has increased my mental and physical

  • Weapons safety ensures ICBM effectiveness

    The 90th Missile Wing's mission is to defend America with the world's premier combat ready intercontinental ballistic missile force, and ensuring the safe execution of the mission is the prime focus of the 90th MW Safety Office.

  • DOD launches Integrated Lodging Program Pilot

    The Defense Department will launch an Integrated Lodging Program Pilot June 15, which will provide quality government and commercial lodging, with greater safety and security and better services at reduced rates.

  • PACANGEL efforts end in Papua New Guinea

    Pacific Angel 15-4 officially ended June 8 after seven days of civic assistance projects that provided medical care for 3,859 patients, refurbished three schools for 3,000 students and helped two local hospitals overhaul their ability to respond to emergencies.

  • SBIRS awards technical refresh modification

    The Space and Missile Systems Center (SMC) recently completed negotiations on the Lockheed Martin Space Systems’ Space Based Infrared System (SBIRS) Technical Refresh proposal and awarded the contract modification June 9.

  • Pawlikowski assumes leadership of AF Materiel Command

    Gen. Ellen Pawlikowski assumed the top position of the major command responsible for installation support and the technology, acquisition, test and sustainment of the Air Force's current and future weapon systems during ceremonies at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, June 8.

  • AF welcomes new surgeon general

    Lt. Gen. (Dr.) Mark A. Ediger was promoted by Air Force Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Larry O. Spencer, as the 22nd Air Force surgeon general, in a ceremony June 8, at the Defense Health Headquarters in Falls Church, Virginia.

  • Chief EPRs to be accomplished on new Form 912

    Regular Air Force, Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard chief master sergeant enlisted performance reports, which close out annually on May 31, are now accomplished on the new Air Force Form 912, Enlisted Performance Report (CMSgt).

  • Gaming research laboratory debuts new website

    The Gaming Research Integration for Learning Laboratory (GRILL) team recently relaunched an updated version of their website with more information on the program. The site has information about GRILL research projects along with information regarding opportunities for high school, undergraduate, and

  • Silent Sentry meets a decade of interstellar combat support

    Operation Silent Sentry was part of a proof of concept system in 2005. Back then, several Airmen were deployed to Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, for 120 days. The mission was to test the capabilities of a new defensive counter-space system in support of joint warfighters in the area of responsibility and

  • Olympic hopeful takes 1st at top US 10K

    In the crisp air and with a stunning view of Colorado’s Front Range, Maj. Benjamin Payne was first to cross the finish line at this year’s Bolder Boulder 10K race. It was just one of many wins he hopes to achieve on his road to the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in February 2016 in Los Angeles, but it

  • Djibouti, Kentucky National Guard sign partnership agreement

    In a historic first for East Africa, representatives from the Kentucky National Guard (KNG) and the Djiboutian Armed Forces (FAD) ratified a state partnership agreement in a signing ceremony held at the Kempinski Hotel in Djibouti City, June 2.

  • Countries converge for PACANGEL Papua New Guinea

    A six-nation Pacific Angel 15-4 team arrived June 1 in the Eastern Highlands province of Papua New Guinea. The PACANGEL team – made up of doctors, dentists, plumbers and planners from Papua New Guinea, the U.S., Australia, New Zealand, the Philippines and Indonesia -- tumbled out of trucks in

  • New program prepares Airmen, families to bounce back after deployments

    Air Force services recently added a new tool to encourage service members and their families who are affected by deployments to participate in morale, welfare, and recreation programs and activities. The “Recharge for Resiliency” (R4R) initiative was designed to help Airmen readjust to life at home

  • Airman, wife help people in Philippine villages

    Every January for the past five years, Master Sgt. Cesar Jurilla, of the California Air National Guard’s 163rd Reconnaissance Wing, travels to these remote locations with his wife, Cora, as part of a team of doctors, nurses and nonmedical assistants who volunteer with the Filipino ministry of

  • Creech Airman resurrects AGE equipment, saves AF thousands

    With the phrase "do more with less" in the forefront of the minds of today's Airmen, the obligation to save money is still a top priority.For Tech. Sgt. Kasey Hollinger, a 432nd Maintenance Squadron aerospace ground equipment craftsman, it was this priority that inspired him to try and complete the

  • SecAF to cadets: ‘Lead Us Into The Future’

    Cadets graduating from the U.S. Air Force Academy as second lieutenants are entering the profession of arms at a time of unprecedented change and challenges, said Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James to the Class of 2015 May 28, in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

  • Kazakhstan native selected for officer training

    Senior Airman Aigerim Akhmetova, a C-17 Globemaster III supply clerk from the 8th Expeditionary Air Mobility Squadron at Al Udied Air Base, Qatar, said she remembers waking up early to stand in line with her mother for loaves of bread while growing up in Kazakhstan when it was a Soviet republic.

  • Frankenphone: Creech Airman improves RPA communications

    n a crowded room of remotely piloted aircraft sensor operators, it would be easy to overlook him, yet his accomplishments scream for attention. His peers have labeled him a 'jack-of-all-trades' and after getting past his quiet first impression, it's easy to see why.

  • AF assigns new chief scientist

    The Air Force announced the service’s new chief scientist to serve as a science and technology advisor to the secretary of the Air Force and the chief of staff of the Air Force, May 21. Dr. Greg Zacharias will be the 35th chief scientist and is ready to “dive in” to his new role.

  • Deli-bakery contract awarded for 44 commissaries

    A new contractor will start taking over deli-bakery operations next month at 44 Midwest commissaries that were impacted when a contractor-provided service ceased at the end of February, due to performance issues.

  • Luke's 56th Fighter Wing has new mission

    Luke Air Force Base's 56th Fighter Wing conducted a change of mission ceremony May 21, formally including the F-35 Lightning II as part of the wing's new mission statement.

  • DOD helps protect beneficiaries from deceptive pharmacy practices

    In the face of recent aggressive and deceptive marketing practices of some compounding pharmacies targeting TRICARE, the Defense Health Agency is taking aggressive action to help TRICARE beneficiaries, DHA's chief of pharmacy operations said in a recent interview.

  • Air Force moves to bring about RPA mission relief

    The Air Force is pursuing a range of options that will, in combination with a reset in the number of sustainable combat air patrols, help alleviate long-term stress on Remotely Piloted Aircraft crews.

  • Remembering Capt. William H. Dubois

    Capt. William H. Dubois, age 30, died Dec. 1, 2014, when his F-16 Fighting Falcon crashed near a coalition air base in the Middle East while serving during Operation Inherent Resolve.Dubois, a native of New Castle, Colorado, was assigned to the 77th Fighter Squadron at Shaw Air Force Base, South

  • Remembering Master Sgt. David L. Poirier

    Master Sgt. David L. Poirier, age 52, died Feb. 28, 2014, from a noncombat related incident at an undisclosed location in Southwest Asia while serving during Operation Enduring Freedom.Poirier, a native of North Smithfield, Rhode Island, was assigned to the 157th Operations Support Squadron at Pease

  • Remembering Staff Sgt. Todd J. Lobraico Jr.

    Staff Sgt. Todd J. Lobraico Jr., age 22, died Sept. 5, 2013, from wounds caused by small-arms fire near Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, while serving during Operation Enduring Freedom.Lobraico, a native of New Fairfield, Connecticut, was assigned to the 105th Security Forces Squadron at Stewart Air

  • Increased mission requirements open doors for continued service

    The Air Force is introducing several personnel and manpower initiatives to meet increased mission requirements outlined in the fiscal year 2016 President’s Budget. The Air Force is undergoing a concerted effort to stabilize and grow the force by fiscal 2017, to include addressing key gaps in the

  • Initiatives to improve Air Force acquisition

    Addressing an audience of industry and government employees in Lexington, Massachusetts, May 13, the Air Force’s Service Acquisition Executive spoke about acquisition priorities, challenges and initiatives.

  • Equipment specialist saves AF money by building simulator

    Just a few months into his work as equipment specialist with Air Force engineering and technical services for the 732nd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, Tangog, a retired master sergeant noticed his leadership was looking for ways to save money on training.