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  • Predators provide eyes in the sky over Afghanistan

    What has a 50-foot wingspan, buzzes like a giant insect and can put an AGM-114 Hellfire missile through a window from 8,000 miles away?It is the Air Force’s MQ-1 Predator unmanned aerial vehicle, and it’s arguably one of the most requested assets in Operation Enduring Freedom, said Capt. Jonathan

  • Space command creates one focal point for networks

    On June 1, Air Force Space Command stood up a major command coordination center, or MCCC, creating a single focal point for all network systems across the command. All major commands are required by headquarters Air Force to consolidate their network operations and systems under an MCCC. Air Force

  • Air Force family members participate in national spelling bee

    Four Air Force families from around the world gathered here to support their children who were participating in the Scripps-Howard National Spelling Bee May 31 to June 1. These four families formed an unofficial team of support that came from their military connection and shared pride in their

  • Movie project transforms Holloman

    What do the Air Force’s first stealth fighter, a toy that has been around since the 1980s, and a director who loves big-budget, special effects-driven movies all have in common? The answer is the DreamWorks/Paramount Pictures project, "Transformers," being filmed here. On May 19, Col. David Moore,

  • Command and control a 24/7 operation

    The Combined Air Operations Center here, also known as the CAOC, is the command and control hub for all air operations within the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility. Staffed and monitored around-the-clock, the coalition professionals working in the CAOC can seamlessly perform command and

  • SPORT provides eyes for Edwards mission

    The room is dark. The only light comes from computer screens and monitors along with blinking lights on various machines. Seven people sit in front of monitors that project green dots and lines. It may look like this group is playing games in an arcade, but in reality they are playing a crucial role

  • Secretary Wynne expects Airmen to continue to excel

    While visiting various installations in the San Antonio area May 31 to June 2, Secretary of the Air Force Michael W. Wynne talked about the importance of core values, technology and training facing today’s Airmen and the Air Force. The secretary focused on what the Air Force expects from its Airmen

  • Reserve offers released lieutenants chance to serve

    Air Force lieutenants involuntarily separated as a result of force reductions have until Aug. 1 to join the Air Force Reserve to continue their military careers without a break in service. On May 10, the Air Force released the names of 884 lieutenants who are to be involuntarily separated because of

  • AFSO 21 crucial to achieving new vision

    Air Force Smart Operations for the 21st century will be crucial to achieving the 50th Space Wing’s new vision, said Col. John Hyten, wing commander. “If someone asks you how we can do things smarter, tell them AFSO 21 gives us free rein to cut through red tape,” Colonel Hyten said. “With AFSO 21, we

  • Launch of weather-tracking satellite successful

    The 45th Space Wing supported the successful launch of the NASA GOES-N, a weather satellite launched on a Delta IV booster May 24 from Space Launch Complex 37B here. The wing provided Eastern Range and launch base support to Boeing Launch Services, which provided the satellite and booster vehicle

  • Kenney Headquarters maximizes support to joint warfighters

    The Gen. George C. Kenney Headquarters reaches its one-year anniversary June 1. Known as KHQ, the headquarters staff commands air, space and information operations for joint forces throughout the Asia-Pacific region, excluding Korea. Consisting of three elements -- the Pacific Air Operations Center,

  • Air Force Services announces LeMay, Eubank winners

    Each year, the Air Force recognizes the best Services units by presenting the Gen. Curtis E. LeMay and the Maj. Gen. Eugene L. Eubank awards. The LeMay trophy recognizes the best unit in the large base category, bases with 6,000 or more military and civilians assigned. The Eubank trophy recognizes

  • Class of 2007 cadets learn their future Air Force jobs

    Some 1,000 junior class cadets learned May 19 what their future Air Force jobs will be, a full year ahead of their graduation date.Until recent changes to the personnel system, cadets waited until the fall semester of their senior year to learn their career assignments. Undergraduate pilot training

  • IT modernization: Leveraging the power of information

    Since January, the Air Force has been busy modernizing itself through the Secretary of the Air Force initiatives embodied in Air Force Smart Operations 21. The Air Force's communications and information community is part of that modernization effort. Their focus is on restructuring information

  • Technology improvements keep information flowing to warfighter

    During the recent Joint Expeditionary Force Experiment at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., the Air Force demonstrated new technology that provides warfighters with greater connectivity and more timely information. During the exercise, the Air Force tested the Battlefield Airborne Communications Node.

  • New engine repair shop saves time, money

    Maintainers from the 386th Expeditionary Maintenance Group now have the capability to repair C-130 Hercules engines and propellers in Southwest Asia. This new capability has cut down repair time and is key to getting the aircraft back in the air performing the mission. In the past, if a propeller or

  • Pushing freight: ATOC moves cargo in, out of Ali quickly

    In a combat environment, speed and accuracy are key -- even more so when it comes to an aircraft.  And though most cargo aircraft are relatively agile when in the air, they are not while groundbound.One team’s mission here is to make sure those aircraft stay on the ground for as short a time as

  • AFIT team wins national case study competition

    A select panel of distinguished senior U.S. Department of State diplomats and executives yesterday chose four students from the Air Force Institute of Technology as the winners of its national case study competition. The team, consisting of Majs. Timothy Kirk, Ita Udoaka and Carolyn Wood

  • Transient alert provides Bagram its staying power

    Imagine parking hundreds of cars and trucks in a convenience store parking lot. Now imagine parking those cars if they were the size of C-17 Globemaster IIIs. That image makes the task facing the transient alert team at the 455th Air Expeditionary Wing here a little clearer. “It’s kind of like a

  • Air Force flexibility on display in Iraq and Afghanistan

    Air Force fighters no longer just swoop down from the sky to drop their deadly weapons in support of ground troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. Fighters equipped with special sensor pods, developed for more precise bombing, also are warning commanders and troops fighting on the ground about enemy

  • Thunderbirds perform 4,000th show

    The United States Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron, the Thunderbirds, performed their 4,000th air show May 13 at Robins Air Force Base, Ga. The show was the team's 14th of the 2006 season. “We perform about 70 air shows throughout the year, representing the 530,000 men and women in our Air

  • Next-generation radar to undergo testing aboard Proteus

    A smaller, next-generation radar that will improve the Global Hawk’s surveillance capacity will soon undergo testing aboard a Proteus aircraft here. The 851st Electronic Systems Group is preparing for a year-long test of the smaller version of the Multi-Platform Radar Technology Insertion Program,

  • Services squadron shows 'BEST' hospitality

    Since January, hundreds of prizes have been passed out at bingo games, dozens of entertainers have passed through and personal trainers have spent more than 1,000 hours helping people meet their fitness goals here. “But what I wish I knew more than anything,” said 1st Lt. Tyson Edwards, “is the

  • Red Flag-Alaska wraps up

    More than 84 aircraft and 1,500 Air Force active duty, Reserve, and National Guard Airmen here and at Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska, wrapped up the first Red Flag-Alaska, held April 24 through May 5. Until this year, the exercise had been known as Cope Thunder.Pilots, maintainers, weapons

  • Training programs welcome international interest

    Air Force officer and NCO training programs were showcased earlier this week when the commander of South Korea’s Education and Training Command visited schools here May 1 to 2. Lt. Gen. Youngha Lee of the Republic of South Korea Headquarters for Air Force Education and Training Command in Jinju met

  • Air Force names 2005 Mission Support Award winners

    The winners of the 2005 Mission Support Awards were announced May 2.The results are: PersonnelGen. Robert J. Dixon Personnel Award: Senior Master Sgt. Jimmy Jones, Randolph Air Force Base, Texas. Gen. Horace M. Wade Innovation Award: Tech. Sgt. Wendy Davis, Tyndall AFB, Fla. Gerrit D. Foster Jr.

  • International affairs career field opens for civilians

    The success of Air Force expeditionary air and space forces conducting global operations and fighting the war on terrorism relies heavily on international relationships. Building these critical relationships requires skilled, knowledgeable and experienced international affairs professionals. Air

  • Trackers watch for dangerous 'space junk'

    Roughly 15,000 miles above the Earth’s surface a communications satellite provides vital information to all branches of the U.S. military. It joins more than 9,000 other items in space that are tracked by the Ground-Based Electro-Optical Deep Space Surveillance System, known as GEODSS. There are

  • Collaborative tools assist initiatives during JEFX '06

    The Air Force Command and Control Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Center sponsored a new collaborative tool that was part of the Joint Expeditionary Force Experiment 2006 here. The Integrated Battlespace Collaborative Communications tool, known as IBC2, was tested over the new Tactical

  • Researchers focused on satellite energy storage

    An eight-person team at the Air Force Research Laboratory's Space Vehicles Directorate here believes their experiment will demonstrate the innovative technology of combined attitude control and energy storage on a satellite by the summer of 2007.The experiment consists of  three flywheels spinning

  • Delta II launch successful

    A Delta II rocket was launched from here today at 3:02 a.m. The rocket took off from Space Launch Complex 2 carrying NASA’s Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations, or CALIPSO, and CloudSat satellites. The rocket carries the CloudSat and CALIPSO satellites into a 438-mile

  • Los Angeles AFB dedicates new Schriever Space Complex

    The Space and Missile Systems Center here officially dedicated its Schriever Space Complex April 24.“Welcome to our new home,” said Lt. Gen. Michael Hamel, SMC commander. “Today marks the beginning of a new chapter in the history of military space.” Originally called SAMS -- Systems Acquisition

  • Senior mentors advise JEFX leaders

    As Joint Expeditionary Force Experiment 2006 tests warfighting capabilities designed to fill capability gaps, three retired officers help senior leaders keep the experiment on track. Retired Lt. Gens. Joe Hurd, Mike Short and Chuck Heflebower are part of the Air Force chief of staff’s Operational

  • Combat balloon to improve communications

    Warfighters who depend on ground communications for mission success will soon have improved technology, thanks to a system currently under examination here at the 2006 Joint Expeditionary Force Experiment. Combat Skysat uses balloons to take advantage of untapped airspace and improve line-of-sight

  • Coalition forces integral part of JEFX 2006

    As military members continue to test future warfighting capabilities during Joint Expeditionary Force Experiment 2006, they do so in a multiservice, multinational environment. Because United States forces often fight wars with troops from other services and other countries, such is the case for JEFX

  • Experiment delivers battlespace awareness

    The Combined Air and Space Operations Center, or CAOC, houses the systems that provide the U.S. and its allies with critical warfighting information. Air Force Materiel Command's Electronic Systems Center, at Hanscom Air Force Base, Mass., delivers and manages those systems inside the CAOC, thus

  • Warfare flight works behind the scenes

    The hum of computer fans, the tapping of fingers on keyboards and the occasional ring of a telephone are all that are normally heard in this office. But don't let the quiet fool you -- the office staff is working to ensure that technological advances aren’t being used against the Air Force. The 8th

  • JEFX focuses on battle operations, communications

    The Theater Battle Operation Net-centric Environment and the Battlefield Airborne Communications Node -- known as TBONE and BACN -- are two of the initiatives being tested during the Joint Expeditionary Force Experiment 2006. The combined air operations center, or CAOC, is the experiment’s

  • NCO mentors through martial arts

    Once a gang member himself, an information manager with Detachment 2 of the 17th Test Squadron now uses kicks and punches to keep teenagers out of trouble. To his co-workers at Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Station, Colo., he is Staff Sgt. Dave Armstrong. To his students at the Hillside Community

  • Analysis brings information faster to warfighters

    Fusion for the Air and Space Operations Center is one of many important initiatives currently being tested here during Joint Expeditionary Force Experiment 2006.Intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance analysts are testing the Predictive Awareness and Network-Centric Analysis for Collaborative

  • Atlas V rocket successfully launches satellite

    The 45th Space Wing supported the successful launch of the Astra European telecommunications satellite on an Atlas V rocket from Space Launch Complex 41 here at 4:27 p.m. April 20. The wing provided Eastern Range and launch base support to Lockheed Martin and International Launch Services, who

  • CENTCOM’s command chief postures Airmen for long haul

    The command chief master sergeant of U.S. Central Command expressed the importance of deployed Airmen postured for a long war. Chief Master Sgt. Curt Brownhill said becoming a joint force, understanding the uniqueness of the enemy we’re fighting and working toward stability in CENTCOM’s area of

  • Main experiment under way for JEFX ’06

    After three spirals spanning five months, the main experiment for the Joint Expeditionary Force Experiment 2006 is finally under way here. JEFX combines live-fly, live-play ground and naval forces, simulation and technology insertions into a warfighting environment. This year, JEFX is assessing

  • Air Force Academy wins NSA Cyber Defense Exercise

    The National Security Agency announced today that the Air Force Academy is the winner of the agency’s 6th Annual Cyber Defense Exercise. The exercise was conducted April 10 to 14 here, at the NSA’s Maryland headquarters and the nation’s other military service academies. During the exercise,

  • All together now: Civil engineers team up for project

    Almost nothing changed on the outside of the 376th Air Expeditionary Wing headquarters here until the final week of the renovation. There was always something indicating work -- trenches, heavy machinery, dusty workers taking a quick break at the gazebo. But the metal exterior itself didn’t give any

  • Pods help warfighters improve air combat maneuvers

    Knowledge is power and power is influence. In the case of fighter pilots, this knowledge enables them to control adversaries in the air and on the ground. At the Ogden Air Logistics Center, the collection of information leading to air superiority begins with maintaining Air Combat Training System

  • Undersecretary visits STARBASE Louisiana

    It was an out-of-this-world experience for 25 local school children when they were visited by two former astronauts with Air Force ties. The visit was arranged by officials of STARBASE Louisiana, part of a national program designed to raise the interest and improve the knowledge and skills of youth

  • Americans in Horn of Africa using new weapon in terror war

    American forces are using an unconventional approach to fight terrorism in the Horn of Africa, said the senior enlisted adviser at U.S. Central Command. "The weapon systems down there are well-drilling equipment and shovels, and building schools and hospitals, and training border patrols and

  • Atlas V Astra launch planned

    The Air Force’s 45th Space Wing will support the launch of an ASTRA European telecommunications satellite on an Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral, Fla., April 20. The 45th Space Wing will provide range and launch base support to Lockheed Martin and International Launch Services, the commercial

  • Program slashes maintenance time for the B-2 fleet

    A critical material scale-up problem that directly affected the operational maintainability of the Air Force’s B-2 Spirit fleet has been solved, thanks to engineers from the Materials and Manufacturing Directorate, working with the B-2 Systems Group and material processing experts.Through this

  • Officials announce 2006 Hennessy Trophy winners

    Air Force Services Agency officials have announced the winners of the 2006 Hennessy Trophy awards. The Hennessy Trophy is an annual award presented to Air Force installations with the best food-service programs. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the single- and multiple-facility category

  • Minotaur launch successful

    A Minotaur rocket was successfully launched at 6:40 p.m. April 14 from Space Launch Complex-8 on south Vandenberg.The rocket launched the COSMIC spacecraft, which consists of six low-earth orbiting, micro-satellites. COSMIC stands for Constellation Observing System for Meteorology, Ionosphere and

  • 'Foam test' e-mail overflows with perception problems

    A B-1 hangar is filled with more bubbles than a dinosaur-sized hot tub. There are people standing around with suds up to their eyeballs. People are standing on top of the rafters in the building as foam and bubbles continue to rise. Did a glacier melt? Did some kind of ultra-secret government

  • Air Force committed to unmanned aerial vehicle development

    Unmanned aerial vehicles are successfully transforming the way the Air Force does business, and the service is committed to supporting and developing more of them. Innovative UAV tactics have transformed the battle space as witnessed in Iraq and Afghanistan, said Maj. Gen. Stanley Gorenc, Air Force

  • Manhattan club offers cheap lodging for 'Those Who Serve'

    A vacation to New York City is just plain expensive. After taking a three-hour no-frills flight, then shelling out $45 for a taxi ride from the airport into the city, the last thing you want to do is to pay $200 to $300 each night for a room. For servicemembers and their families, there is a way

  • It's official: Andersen host unit now 36th Wing

    Formations and a ceremony April 12 marked the public designation of Andersen’s host unit as the 36th Wing. The re-designation was officiated by Maj. Gen. Edward Rice, 13th Air Force commander. “Andersen is increasing in importance,” General Rice said. “This location gives us great flexibility to

  • Missile defense site named after President Reagan

    The missile defense site here took on a new name April 10. The Ronald W. Reagan Missile Defense Site honors the 40th president of the United States who was a champion of the need for missile defense.Attendees at the ceremony included former First Lady Nancy Reagan; Deputy Secretary of Defense Gordon

  • Air Force wins two modeling, simulation awards

    The Air Force has won two of the five awards presented by the Department of Defense in modeling and simulation.Air Force winners are: Analysis: Weapon Effects Analysis and Probability System Team, Air Force Materiel Command. The team was awarded for developing and maintaining a world-class software

  • Space superiority a priority for Air Force authority

    They almost scrapped the mission. An Air Force weather officer and the satellites at his disposal talked them out of it. It was a cold night in March 2003. With rain and low visibility, more than 1,000 Soldiers aboard 16 C-17 Globemaster IIIs waited to either go on their parachute mission into

  • DOD plans to boost access to military childcare

    The availability of child-care services for military families will receive a boost from a multi-faceted approach by the Defense Department, a senior official said recently. "We project the (child-care) needs as greater than what we're offering at this point," said Jan Witte, director of DOD's office

  • Spring 2006 quarterly issue of Airman available

    Read about how space-based capabilities are helping fight the war on terrorism, travel with a joint convoy mission through Iraq, follow the struggles of the Air Force family’s tiniest members as they receive life-saving care at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Wilford Hall Medical Center. These

  • Officers selected for intermediate developmental education

    The recent major central selection board at the Air Force Personnel Center announced intermediate developmental education "selects." Officers identified as selects join a resource pool of officers who will be considered for future attendance at in-residence IDE. A complete list of selects is

  • Air Force improves Web site

    To meet the needs of an ever-changing environment, starting April 10, Airmen can expect Air Force Link to have a slightly different look. Maintained at Headquarters Air Force News Agency here, the site will give visitors more control over the content they wish to view. New category links, found on

  • Top Air Force print and broadcast journalists announced

    A panel of civilian journalists, teachers and public relations professionals have selected the best in Air Force print and broadcast journalism for the 50th annual Air Force Media Contest. Senior Airman Joe Lacdan, from the 509th Bomb Wing at Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo., is the Air Force Print

  • Vandenberg launches Minuteman III

    An unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile was launched from Vandenberg today at 6 a.m. The launch was part of a developmental test to demonstrate the weapon system’s effectiveness in a stressed environment on extended range. The missile's single unarmed re-entry vehicle traveled

  • Ionospheric forecasts improve warfighter communication efficiency

    During specific times of the year over the Earth's equatorial region, turbulence in the ionosphere, known as scintillation, causes extended degradation for Department of Defense navigation and communication satellites.  But a sensor package installed at each of 14 locations worldwide has helped

  • AF launches cyberspace task force

    Cyberspace. The word generally conjures up images of computers, wires, connections and hardware. But, for the Air Force, cyberspace is far more than that. “Cyberspace is a domain where the Air Force conducts operations," said Dr. Lani Kass, director of the Air Force Cyberspace Task Force. It is the

  • Air defense, flight restrictions discussed at conference

    More effective, more efficient ADIZ and TFRs. That’s the message from Air Force pilots, battle commanders and air space controllers this week as Continental U.S. NORAD Region representatives reach out to the general aviation community attending the 2006 Sun ‘n Fun Fly-in here. Of specific interest

  • Space A allows dependent travel

    U.S. European Command and U.S. Air Forces in Europe policy now allows permanent party and their family members -- regardless of command sponsorship -- to fly Space-Available travel.  For everyone stationed in Turkey, eligible family members can now come visit at a much lower cost by using

  • GPS signal enhances navigation, timing

    Warfighters now have a new way to receive Global Positioning System location and timing data -- online. The 2nd Space Operations Squadron here is delivering Zero Age of Data Navigation Message Replacements, or ZAOD NMR, on the Secure Internet Protocol Router Network. The first end user of this new

  • Wings-level landing might have saved C-5 crash survivors

    A veteran C-5 Galaxy pilot said all 17 people survived the April 3 plane crash at Dover Air Force Base, Del., mainly because the pilot did his job. Col. Udo McGregor said the “100 percent reason” everyone aboard survived the crash was because the pilot did a wings-level landing. “The survivors are

  • Air Force releases 2006 posture statement

    The Air Force released its “posture statement” detailing the service’s missions and priorities over the next year. The 52-page document’s introduction asks Airmen to look from their heritage to the horizon, taking lessons from the past and adapting them for the future. It also opens with a letter

  • ACC takes combat search, rescue assets under wing

    Air Combat Command took administrative control of select Air Force combat search and rescue assets from Air Force Special Operations Command April 3 as part of a realignment announced in February. The transfer ensures the Air Force core competency of combat search and rescue, or CSAR, is directly

  • Engineers juggle needs, wants with reality

    The wing headquarters building here and the security forces buildings on either side of it are the kind of structures that make an engineer tip his head and rub his chin. With oddly sloping roofs and walls, these buildings seem to waste space. A peek inside a renovated building proves that the

  • Air Force innovators unite at "Knowledge Area" website

    Innovation communities within the Air Force now have an online forum to learn, collaborate and collect ideas relative to their daily needs. The new "Innovation and Technology Knowledge Management" site will be available April 15 via the Air Force Portal and is part of the "Air Force Knowledge Now"

  • AFMC civilian course gains other commands' interest

    Representatives from three commands plan to meet with Headquarters Air Force Materiel Command professional development staff here in May to discuss adapting the AFMC Orientation Course for their commands. Leadership from the three commands, Air Mobility Command, Air Education and Training Command

  • Exchanging with pilots from 'down under'

    The mission of U.S. Air Force’s refueling aircraft is to carry out global air refueling, airlift and humanitarian assignments. That mission is not only accomplished by U.S. pilots. Foreign exchange pilots from Australia assigned to Fairchild help their U.S. counterparts achieve that mission. The

  • Wake up and smell the coffee at Rickenbacker’s

    Guests at the Westward Inn at Travis Air Force Base, Calif., now wake up to the aroma of freshly brewed coffee and the smells of bacon, egg and cheese breakfast burritos -- because of Rickenbacker’s in the lobby of the new lodging facility. Rickenbacker’s, a contemporary espresso coffee quick

  • Alaskan team thaws in Honduras

    Imagine you’re a penguin, living happily in minus 40-degree temperatures. Suddenly you’re thrust into the tropical climate of a parrot, where anything below 80 degrees is considered cool. That shock to the system is essentially what happened to 17 Airmen from the 354th Civil Engineer Squadron at

  • USAFE reaching out to establish security ties

    Airmen and their counterparts from other countries meeting to discuss ways to fix runways may not impact the war on terror like an airstrike against al Qaeda forces. But these face-to-face meetings could one day lead to a security accord that could help combat terrorism, said Mike McMullan, chief of

  • Collaboration improves solar storm forecasting

    A new partnership between the Air Force Research Laboratory and the Air Force Weather Agency seeks to reduce the impact of space environmental effects on Department of Defense assets through better forecasting of violent solar storms. Space-based communications, navigation and surveillance systems

  • Space mission supports Operation Iraqi Freedom

    An Army ground patrol in Iraq is ambushed. Pinned down by sniper fire, the commander calls for air support with his satellite phone. Within moments an F-16 Fighting Falcon is overhead. The jet drops a 500-pound precision-guided bomb on a two-story building housing the enemy, causing only minimal

  • Hypervelocity wind tunnel reaches 3,000-run milestone

    The Arnold Engineering Development Center's Hypervelocity Wind Tunnel 9, located near Silver Spring, Md., recently completed its 3,000th test-run as the facility approaches 30 years of operation. The first test, ironically in support of an Air Force system, occurred in 1976 when the facility was

  • Cope Thunder exercise now Red Flag - Alaska

    The Air Force chief of staff has announced the Cope Thunder exercise held in Alaska will be renamed and enhanced so it provides complementary training on the same level as the current Red Flag exercise held at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. Red Flag - Alaska coupled with Red Flag - Nellis will provide

  • Flying, fighting in space important to Air Force

    Space is an integral part of the Air Force mission. Whether someone is flying an airlifter, sending an e-mail or surveying a new runway, chances are space-based weather forecasting, navigation or communications systems helped make it possible. In fact, the Air Force is boldly developing new systems

  • Predators deliver data, firepower in Iraq

    “I never thought I’d be doing anything like this,” said Airman 1st Class Kyle Bridges from his seat at an RQ-1 Predator Unmanned Aerial Vehicle ground control station. “I signed up to be an imagery analyst, which I thought was going to be a cool job. Instead I was offered the chance to be a sensor

  • Academy satellite lost after launch

    An Air Force Academy satellite was lost March 24 shortly after launch. The cadet-built FalconSAT-2 small satellite was the primary payload on the maiden flight of the SpaceX Falcon I rocket, launched from the Ronald Reagan Ballistic Missile Test Site on Kwajalien Atoll in the Marshall Islands. “We

  • Smart Ops 21: Improving the Air Force one process at a time

    “What have I improved today?” That’s a question Secretary of the Air Force Michael W. Wynne urged Airmen to ask themselves in his March 8 Letter to Airmen titled Air Force Smart Operations 21. Airmen in Air Force Space Command will soon drive improvements through the Smart Ops 21 program, which

  • California base wins water recycling award

    Ever think the sign of the times would state, “To conserve water, this building uses reclaimed water to flush toilets and urinals?"The significance of the reclaimed water signs posted in restrooms in new base facilities was apparent March 12, at the WateReuse Association’s awards luncheon in San

  • Spangdahlem mechanics fix jet engines on ‘the line’

    Mechanics at this base fix F-16 Fighting Falcon engines on a production line that makes the process of getting engines back in service more predictable. The 52nd Component Maintenance Squadron’s propulsion flight switched to the new maintenance method less than a month ago as part of a lean

  • Stage facility provides aircrews one-stop support

    A management team at this base is helping aircrews spend less time preparing for flying with a streamlined, one-stop approach to en route mission planning. The result is an increase in mission velocity, said Lt. Col. James Kirk, commander of the 726th Air Mobility Squadron. That leads to a more

  • Air Force releases UAV strategic vision

    The Air Force recently completed a vision document to provide high-level guidance to service development and integration of unmanned aircraft for the next 25 years. While the Air Force has been experimenting with Unmanned Aerial Vehicles since 1962, the technology has only recently evolved to a

  • SECAF makes first official tour of Pacific Region bases

    Secretary of the Air Force Michael W. Wynne is currently touring the Pacific Region to introduce his top priorities for the Air Force -- winning the war on terrorism, fostering mutual integrity and respect, and revitalizing for the service’s aging infrastructure and fleet. The 21st secretary of the

  • Air Force pilot becomes one of newest astronauts

    A former F-22A Raptor test pilot has now joined the ranks of an even more elite group of pilots. Lt. Col. James Dutton became an astronaut with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration following his graduation in February. “I wanted to be an astronaut when I joined the Air Force so I always

  • Program streamlines training for IMAs

    A partnership between Air Force Reserve Command and Air Force Space Command may signal a change in the way individual mobilization augmentees train. A common training assembly at Patrick AFB, Fla., earlier this month allowed more than 200 IMAs to fulfill more than 20 hours of training and readiness

  • Pegasus launches from Vandenberg

    An Orbital Sciences Corporation Pegasus XL rocket was launched today at 6:03 a.m. The rocket took off from an L-1011 aircraft and carried NASA’s Space Technology 5 spacecraft into orbit. Spacelift commander for the mission was Col. Frank Wolf, 30th Space Wing vice commander. The spacelift commander

  • Reservists' mission keeps 'boots on the ground'

    It’s hot, dry, windy and dangerous on the air base. Sand blows in your face and stings like it would at the beach. But this is no beach. This is where people from Charleston Air Force Base, S.C., are playing a vital role in the war on terrorism, thousands of miles from home. Chief Master Sgt. Tim

  • Joint Strike Fighter program crucial to future air dominance

    Keeping the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program on track is important because the Air Force needs to replace aging aircraft and it is an important complement to the F-22A Raptor aircraft. That Capitol Hill testimony came March 16 from Lt. Gen. Carrol H. "Howie" Chandler, deputy chief of staff for Air

  • Responsive, affordable satellite enhances support to warfighter

    In the battle environment, every second counts, and accelerated (within 10 minutes) information downloaded to the joint warfighter, to be demonstrated in the upcoming TacSat-3 mission, could result in victory, but more importantly, in lives saved. Planned to launch in summer 2007, the TacSat-3

  • AAFES, MWR officials testify to congressional committee

    Air Force officials overseeing morale, welfare and recreation, or MWR, for Airmen testified before the House Armed Services Committee military personnel subcommittee March 15. Maj. Gen. Paul Essex, commander of the Army and Air Force Exchange Service, or AAFES, and Arthur Myers, director of Air