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U.S. Air Force News

  • Military children win scholarships to space camp

    The Military Child Education Coalition is sending 15 children from military families to the U.S. Space Camp in Huntsville, Ala., this year.When the education coalition started the Bernard Curtis Brown II Memorial Space Camp scholarship award four years ago, there was only enough money to send one

  • ACC flying hours restored

    Air Combat Command officials restored an estimated $201 million to its flying hour program July 1 after receiving additional funds from Air Force headquarters.Air Force officials approved the restoration which will help alleviate the loss of readiness resulting from the $272 million, 31,349-hour cut

  • IG investigation prompts Air Force official's reassignment

    Michael L. Dominguez, acting secretary of the Air Force, and Gen. John P. Jumper, Air Force chief of staff, have directed that Brig. Gen. Richard S. Hassan be reassigned as a result of an Air Force Inspector General investigation. General Hassan has been reassigned from director of Air Force Senior

  • Expeditionary Airmen form unique personnel team

    More than 85 Airmen have begun serving 365-day deployments supporting the war on terrorism here, and about 200 positions are expected to be in place by December.For many people, the extended tour offers a unique opportunity to help freedom and democracy grow in Iraq; however, with that opportunity

  • Air Force recognizes historical name of Iraqi air base

    What’s in a name? In the case of Ali Base, years of history. Ali Base, situated near the city of An Nasiriyah, in south central Iraq, is the main airfield in southern Iraq from which Iraqi, coalition and U.S. Airmen operate. Until January, coalition forces called the base Tallil. Now, all use the

  • Airman finds freedom in United States

    Most 12-year-olds are trading baseball cards and feeling hesitant about entering middle school. By the time young Duc Tien Luu was 12, he had been a Vietnamese refugee, attempted to smuggle himself into Thailand more than 10 times, was tortured in prison and sent back to his home country on strict

  • NASA gives go for space shuttle return to flight

    NASA officials cleared the space shuttle to return to flight. After a two-day flight readiness review meeting here, June 30th senior managers approved a July 13 launch date for the Space Shuttle Discovery.Retired Col. Eileen Collins, mission commander, and her crew are scheduled to lift off at 3:51

  • Air Force takes part in joint training transformation

    Linking aircraft simulators with live forces and simulators of other services have been the Air Force’s most visible contributions to the Department of Defense's joint training transformation effort. DOD has been working to make training for war a team effort, pushing the four services -- who often

  • 50th anniversary of B-52 delivery

    Even though it recently turned 50, the B-52 Stratofortress is still capable of dropping or launching the widest array of weapons in the U.S. inventory. And its lifespan has been calculated to extend beyond the year 2040. June 29 marked the 50th anniversary for the B-52, also known as the “Big Ugly

  • Airmen get ACCES to better communication

    The most important word in a maintenance operation is “stop!” To help spread the work, the attenuating customized communications earpiece system was developed by Air Force Research Laboratory scientists and local F/A-22 Raptor specialists. The earpiece makes it easier for pilots and maintainers to

  • Dominguez talks about present course in Iraq, future for Airmen

    During the acting secretary of the Air Force’s visit here June 29, he said part of the reason he came was to pass on a message. “I want to let you know how deeply appreciated your service is by the men and women of the United States,” Michael L. Dominguez said. “There is a debate in our country

  • Official: DOD committed to veterans' health care

    The Defense Department will work with the Veterans Affairs Department to help cover a shortfall in VA funds because of increased dental benefits claimed by returning veterans of the war on terrorism, a top DOD health official told Congress on June 28."The Department of Defense is firmly committed to

  • Band member selected for ‘Hope’ award

    Air Force Personnel Center officials recently announced the U.S. Air Force Band’s superintendent here as the recipient of the 2005 U.S. Armed Forces Spirit of Hope Award for the Air Force.Senior Master Sgt. Ann Hinote has been a band member for 17 years.The Spirit of Hope Award is presented annually

  • Airmen, Soldiers open lines of communication

    Since the beginning of Operation Iraqi Freedom, the area surrounding Baghdad International Airport has developed into a series of bases, each with its own unique role in fighting the war on terrorism.Now, a small group of Airmen and Soldiers are working together to link each of those bases together

  • Seymour Johnson crew carries Reserve torch at Rodeo

    Aircraft at Rodeo 2005 come in many shapes and sizes, but one thing they have in common is their need for a steady supply of fuel.The 916th Air Refueling Wing at Seymour Johnson AFB, N.C., is one of nine refueling wings, and the only Reserve refueling wing, competing here. The wing flies the KC-135

  • Bangladeshi airmen observe Cooperative Cope Thunder

    Observers from the Bangladesh air force are attending this year’s Cooperative Cope Thunder to help prepare for their first participation in 2007. Their observation included a facilities tour such as the flightline, hangar bays and ramp space. “While here, we’ve had many questions about Cope Thunder

  • Architect of Air Force space and missile programs dies

    Retired Gen. Bernard Adolph Schriever, widely regarded as the father and architect of the Air Force space and ballistic missile programs, died of natural causes at home in Washington on June 20.Under General Schriever’s leadership, the Air Force developed programs such as the Thor, Atlas, Titan and

  • General Looney takes command of AETC

    Gen. William R. Looney III became the commander of Air Education and Training Command here June 17 taking the helm of the Air Force’s “first command.”Gen. John P. Jumper, Air Force chief of staff, presided at the flightline ceremony, which more than 1,200 people attended.General Looney came to AETC

  • Predator provides close-air support to embattled Marines in Iraq

    An MQ-1 Predator unmanned aerial vehicle destroyed an anti-Iraqi forces mortar launch site near Al Qaim on June 18 while assisting Marines under enemy fire.The air strike occurred during Operation Spear in which U.S. and Iraqi security forces in Iraq’s Anbar province called in air strikes on

  • Granite Thunder 2005 rocks New Boston

    A van lies on its side at the edge of a road where two men sprint from the scene into the nearby woods. As a figure lies motionless in the grass beside the van, an ear-piercing explosion suddenly rocks the vehicle, shrouding it and the unknown figure in smoke. Debris arcs high into the air before

  • New majors selected for IDE

    The P0404A Major Central Selection Board recently held at the Air Force Personnel Center here selected officers for promotion and identified those selected for intermediate developmental education.Officers selected will join a resource pool of officers who will be considered for future attendance at

  • Air Force releases findings of Wassaw Sound survey

    Air Force officials completed their evaluation of radiation levels in the Wassaw Sound where an incomplete nuclear weapon was lost off the coast of Georgia in 1958.During a June 17 press conference in Savannah, Ga., Air Force officials released results of a data collection survey conducted Sept.

  • Cadets learn it’s a BEAR out there

    For some people going to college, the summer months mean returning home for a break from school or finding a summer job. But that is not what is in store for more than 1,200 U.S. Air Force Academy cadets.Cadets are receiving a crash course in setting up BEAR, or basic expeditionary airfield

  • U-2, early Cold War reconnaissance exhibit opens at museum

    An exhibit highlighting the Air Force's early Cold War reconnaissance opened to the public at the National Museum of the United States Air Force here June 15."Dragon Lady: The U-2 and Early Cold War Reconnaissance" exhibit joins the museum's permanent displays in the Cold War Gallery.The U-2 has

  • Airman saves life while TDY

    Air Command and Staff College student Maj. Michael Jansen cannot explain his actions while on temporary duty to Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., for specialized study of air and space power. “Something like that may happen once in your lifetime, but hopefully never,” he said. “You can’t plan how you

  • U.S. military showcases mission, aircraft at Paris Air Show

    U.S. servicemembers were on hand to offer tours of eight U.S. military aircraft at the 46th Annual Paris Air Show’s official opening June 13.French president Jacques Chirac attended the ribbon cutting ceremony at the Le Bourget Exposition Park biannual event that allows traders, exhibitors and

  • STRATCOM Airman on target for world title

    For three years, a space operations officer assigned at U.S. Strategic Command here has prepared for a chance to fulfill his dream of representing the red, white and blue at the world championship of practical shooting. His dream will become a reality Aug. 21 in Guayaquil, Ecuador.Maj. Roger

  • Communications flight Airmen link base with outside world

    Without people like Staff Sgt. Karisa Szczygiel and Senior Airman Keith Hopson life at this forward-deployed location would be lonely and quiet. Morale and mission accomplishment certainly would be severely degraded if not downright nonexistent. The two Airmen are part of a 12-person shop within

  • Gallant Fox III brings first responders to Pentagon

    A dozen bodies lay strewn on a patch of grass near the bus stop outside the Pentagon on June 8. Some of them cried out for help.Nearby, that help was quickly arriving. Firetrucks, ambulances and other first responders arrived on the scene from local municipalities, including Arlington, Fairfax and

  • Tricare benefits enhanced for certain active-duty survivors

    Citing the debt of gratitude owed to those who have served the country and made the ultimate sacrifice, a top defense health official recently revised the Tricare policy for transitional survivors. The change allows active-duty families who live overseas, and who are on accompanied orders at the

  • Air Force Research Lab gives new meaning to ‘battlebots’

    An unidentified man walks toward a security forces vehicle. A loud, firm voice warns the man to “halt and be identified.” The man does not comply and continues to advance. The vehicle backs up cautiously flashing its red and blue lights to make sure the man knows he is dealing with security

  • BRAC focuses on environmental system

    Transformational Air Force environmental programs focus on an a system that identifies an installation's natural infrastructure, places value on the compatible use of shared assets, and prevents airfield encroachment through an informed planning and decision process. The Operational Asset Management

  • Space launch program moves ahead after successful test

    A successful test of the Falcon I launch vehicle here recently put the Air Force one step closer toward acquiring a less expensive means for lifting payloads into space.On its maiden flight, Falcon I will carry a Defense Department satellite. This flight follows the launch of the last Titan IV here

  • BRAC changes to medicine focus on care, training, research

    Airmen bound for a career in the Air Force Medical Service will start off by training in a joint environment if all Base Realignment and Closure recommendations are approved.The changes will not completely homogenize training for enlisted medical specialists, but they will allow all the services to

  • Vice president addresses academy Class of 2005

    Vice President Richard B. Cheney told 922 graduating cadets here that they are taking their places as commissioned officers of the most powerful air and space force in the history of mankind.“Responsibility comes to you in a period of unprecedented challenge for your country and extraordinary change

  • PACAF officials establish warfighting headquarters

    Pacific Air Forces headquarters officials established the George C. Kenney Headquarters (Provisional) here June 1. The newly formed warfighting headquarters will focus exclusively on planning and executing military operations throughout the Pacific theater, excluding the Korean Peninsula. It is

  • Arlington National Cemetery gains 70 acres of land

    In 1998, burial space at the country's most prestigious resting place for servicemembers and their spouses was becoming scarce, and officials worried they would run out of room at Arlington National Cemetery in about 25 years.After years of searching for more space, Defense Department officials have

  • Officials announce manpower, organization winners

    Air Force officials have announced the winners of the 2004 Air Force Manpower and Organization awards.The annual awards recognize the top manpower and organization professionals in each category.The 2004 winners are:-- Headquarters-Level Field Grade Officer of the Year: Lt. Col. Gregory Parsons

  • General Keys confirmed as ACC commander

    Ronald E. Keys was confirmed by the Senate on May 26 for promotion to the rank of general and assignment here as the commander of Air Combat Command.Gen. John P. Jumper, Air Force chief of staff and a former ACC commander, pinned on ACC’s newest commander’s four-star rank following the Senate’s

  • Air Force rabbi speaks at Memorial Day observance

    An Air Force rabbi spoke to more than 1,000 people at a Memorial Day observance here May 30. Chaplain (Capt.) Sarah Schechter was the keynote speaker for the program that also included a presidential proclamation and individual observances for each of the United States' major conflicts since the

  • Deadline for submitting writings fast approaching

    The National Endowment for the Arts has created a venue to collect and preserve the stories and reflections of servicemembers on the front lines of Iraq and Afghanistan and stateside defending the homeland.“Operation Homecoming: Writing the Wartime Experience” is a literary anthology scheduled for

  • Volunteers give to community at Marian House

    Downtown Colorado Springs was quiet on a recent morning. Traffic, normally a dull roar during the week, was a whisper as cars zipped along a nearly empty Interstate 25 and local roads. A dozen cars sat parked behind a yellow house on a road about a quarter of a mile from the highway.As other

  • Civil support teams provide WMD expertise to communities

    Guardsmen with the 61st Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Support Team here like to think of themselves as firefighters."We're ready to go, but we don't go until the bell goes off," said Lt. Col. Keith Bauder, commander of the unit since it activated five years ago.The "bell" sounds in the event of

  • 100-percent accountability paramount in deployed operations

    Imagine showing up to work one day only to discover everyone is new. Well, that has been the case at this and many other forward-deployed locations worldwide. Most of the Airmen in the air and space expeditionary force’s current rotation arrived within the past month, and that means Airmen at the

  • Air National Guard leaders focus on BRAC

    Air National Guard leaders are urging citizen Airmen nationwide to remain focused on their missions while they and others consider the organization's future during this year's Base Realignment and Closure process. Lt. Gen. Daniel James III, ANG director, and Chief Master Sgt. Richard Smith, ANG

  • Joint Space Operations Center opens at Vandenberg

    Joint warfighters worldwide will soon reap the benefits from the Joint Space Operations Center, which opened here May 18.“This (center) really is the culmination of a number of years of evolutionary thinking about space power and its applications,” said Maj. Gen. Michael A. Hamel, 14th Air Force

  • Critically manned career fields given edge to fill NCO slots

    Airmen in 17 Air Force specialties will be given a leg up for promotion this year in an attempt to fill manning shortfalls in their career fields. As part of the chronic critical shortage skills program, Airmen testing for staff, technical or master sergeants during the 2005 promotion cycle, and

  • Civil engineers train for chemical attacks

    Civil engineers here replaced their shovels, hammers and power tools with gas masks, gloves and chemical warfare ensemble gear during ability to survive and operate training here May 18.“This training is very important,” said Capt. Jeremy Milliman, 374th Civil Engineer Squadron’s readiness flight

  • Officials announce 2004 security forces awards

    Air Force officials recently announced the 2004 Air Force Outstanding Security Forces Individual Award winners.These annual awards recognize the top security forces Airmen in each category.The career field-wide award winner is:Colonel Billy Jack Carter Award: Senior Master Sgt. Richard Graves from

  • Air Force officials send Armed Forces Day message

    The following is an Armed Forces Day message from Michael L. Dominguez, acting secretary of the Air Force, and Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper:In the first presidential proclamation for Armed Forces Day in 1950, President Truman said the day ‘marks the first combined demonstration by

  • Recommendations 'will reshape Air Force'

    Air Force recommendations provided to the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure Commission will reorganize that service, making it more capable to address threats to national security, the Air Force's top civilian told commissioners here May 17."We have presented to you a bold program that will reshape

  • Desert lifestyle results in big weight loss

    Most of the people assigned at this forward-deployed location as part of Air and Space Expeditionary Force 3/4 have rotated home, but they left behind a lot of excess baggage – unwanted pounds.Airmen hit the gym in heavy numbers, sometimes filling the two facilities here, and many left in much

  • Cadets get jump on jobs

    Junior class cadets here learned what their future Air Force jobs will be a full year ahead of their graduation date.Normally, cadets learn this during the fall semester of their senior year.“The date has been moved forward for current and future classes to maintain a parallel classification process

  • Closings, realignments to reshape infrastructure

    Defense Department officials have recommended closing 33 major bases and realigning 29 others as part of a comprehensive reshaping of the military infrastructure through the Base Realignment and Closure process.Michael Wynne, defense undersecretary for acquisition, technology and logistics,

  • Rumsfeld recommends 5 to 11 percent cut in infrastructure

    Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld's recommendations to the Base Realignment and Closure Commission would cut excess military infrastructure between 5 and 11 percent, he said during a Pentagon news conference May 12."The department is recommending fewer major base closures than had earlier been

  • Air Force aviator strengthens U.S.-Japan friendship, ties

    An Air Force exchange pilot is strengthening bilateral ties and friendship between U.S. and Japanese military forces here. Capt. Justin Fletcher, an F-15 Eagle pilot, said that being assigned at the picturesque Japanese base located south of Tokyo is one of the most interesting and challenging jobs

  • Mobility bag test case begins

    Airmen will be returning from their deployment a little lighter because of a test to pre-position mobility bags in theater, potentially saving millions of dollars. The test began May 9.To make the deployable Air Force more agile and address concerns of people hand-carrying too many bags into the

  • Officials release fire investigation results

    Investigators determined a worker’s torch caused a Jan. 31 fire that destroyed the officers club at Patrick Air Force Base, Fla., Air Force Space Command officials announced May 11.The torch ignited flammable material on the roof that smoldered unnoticed and caused the roof to ignite. The workers

  • Surge capability examined as part of BRAC process

    Defense planners have looked at surge capability across the services and industrial processes as they have gone through the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure process.Defense Department officials said Congress specifically added the surge capability to the basic legislation authorizing the BRAC

  • Joint search and rescue center coordinates search efforts

    The sole purpose of 28 people in the joint search and rescue center at the Combined Air Operations Center is to step in when operations go awry and people in U.S. Central Command area of responsibility need help.Besides coordinating the efforts of seven main rescue coordination centers, the joint

  • Army hands over Strykers to Air Force

    With a handshake and the roar of a jet engine at Fort Polk, La., an Eielson unit became the first in the Air Force to own the latest addition to the service’s inventory – the Stryker armored vehicle.In a May 5 ceremony at Fort Polk, 3rd Air Support Operations Squadron officials obtained five of the

  • Cope Thunder wraps in Alaska

    Cope Thunder participants used Eielson’s 62,000 square miles of training airspace and met their objective: to fly, fight and win during Pacific Air Force’s premier combat airpower exercise that ends May 6.The two-week exercise took place here and Elmendorf AFB, Alaska.“All Cope Thunder units had one

  • AEF Airmen ensure mission continues at Soto Cano

    For more than 20 years, Airmen have been rotating in and out of this Central American base filling short-tour requirements. Now, Airmen can deploy here.“Soto Cano is one of our permanent party bases in which Airmen are also going to fill (Air and Space Expeditionary) requirements,” said Brig. Gen.

  • U.S. Strategic Command transforming, decentralizing

    The U.S. Strategic Command is transforming by incorporating old missions, adding new ones and making the command more flexible and agile for the 21st century, officials said.STRATCOM, at Offutt Air Force Base, Neb., still maintains the U.S. nuclear deterrent, but gained a number of new missions as a

  • Rocket-powered final exam launches

    Two semesters of work boiled down to a 10-second countdown before a cadet-built rocket blasted off here April 30.The rocket-powered final exam reached a 13,400 feet altitude in 20 seconds.The launch was part of this year’s academy FalconLaunch program, an astronautical engineering course here. The

  • Training ensures reservists ready to go

    Air Force Space Command reservists tested a common training assembly concept here April 22 and 23 to ensure nearly 350 individual mobilization augmentees were trained and ready for mobilization.Reservists need to be trained at the same level as their active-duty counterparts. While active-duty

  • Deadline set to apply for developmental education

    Mission-support and certain nonrated operations officers considering basic developmental education programs in 2006 have until June 15 to apply.Officers in logistics, civil engineering, program management, developmental engineering, communications and information, services, public affairs, manpower

  • Air Force garners 18 Presidential Rank Awards

    White House officials recently released the names of the 2004 Presidential Rank Award recipients. The awards program was established to recognize career senior executive service and senior professional people who exemplify the highest level of integrity, leadership and personal conduct and who have

  • Space, air warfare centers integrate capabilities

    The Air Force is integrating some forces to better manage air, space and information operations combat capabilities to support missions worldwide, Air Force officials announced April 26. Elements of Air Force Space Command’s Space Warfare Center at Schriever Air Force Base, Colo., will integrate

  • Space command takes youth fitness to new level

    Airmen have been plugging away at the new fitness test for more than a year now, but they are not alone in the quest to increase their activity level on a regular basis.Air Force Space Command children are increasing their fitness levels as well as part of an Air Force initiative, “Fitness in Time,”

  • Distance learning courses require good time management

    For servicemembers deployed or on crew shift, distance learning and online correspondence classes are a good way to continue their college education; however, they should just make sure they know what they are getting into, said Don Dooly. He is the education services officer at the education

  • Base agencies keep rotations moving in right direction

    A question is asked of everyone on a rotator flight that has just landed at a forward-deployed location, “Are you staying here or going downrange?” It is an easy question for new arrivals to answer, but few people, whether inbound or outbound, are aware of the process used to funnel servicemembers

  • Quadrennial Defense Review focuses on future

    The four capabilities the Air Force brings to the joint warfighting environment will be the focus of the service's contribution to the 2005 Quadrennial Defense Review.Officials in the office of the secretary of defense produce the Quadrennial Defense Review every four years with input from the

  • Parts storage on the ‘rise’ in electronics

    What do you do when you run out of floor space for storage? If you work in the 402nd Electronics Maintenance Group here, you look up.Jim Bon and Kevin Shanahan, facilities and production engineers supporting the F-15 Eagle avionics squadron here, are overseeing the installation of shuttle storage

  • Shuttle exercise tests NASA, Edwards response teams

    Support crews from NASA Dryden Flight Research Center, Kennedy Space Center and the base teamed up in a mock shuttle recovery exercise on the flightline here April 16.The day began around 9 a.m. as a vehicle convoy snaked its way down the flightline to the main runway."We always come out for these

  • Airmen maintain national defense in weapons storage area

    Separated from the rest of the base by miles of fence topped with razor wire and high-tech surveillance equipment, certain Airmen here see few people during the duty day other than their military counterparts. For that, their daily efforts go largely unnoticed.They are Airmen assigned to the 5th

  • Fuels specialist is ‘for the birds’

    Nicknamed “Nature Boy” by his colleagues, Master Sgt. William Burke spends much of his free time in the more pristine parts of the base.Amidst a green, tree-filled landscape, he tends to his true passion -- nature, and more specifically, the Eastern Bluebird.“Although Eastern Bluebirds aren’t

  • Weather Airmen protect shuttle

    Airmen of the 45th Weather Squadron here methodically calculate and determine if weather will threaten a future shuttle launch. Rain, lightning, wind and cloud coverage can instantly delay or “scrub” any shuttle, mission or rocket launch.“We have temperature, wind and rain constraints (because of)

  • General explains what space brings to fight

    The commander of Air Force Space Command expressed the importance of space superiority, leadership development and integrating space with military operations during an April 16 visit here.Space superiority is an important part of what is done in the U.S. Air Force and in the rest of the military,

  • Officials announce recipients of 2004 PA achievement awards

    Air Force officials have announced the 2004 Air Force public affairs achievement award recipients.They are:Winners of the Secretary of the Air Force Office of Public Affairs director’s excellence awards are:-- Major command category: The Brig. Gen. Harry J. Dalton Jr. Award goes to U.S. Air Forces

  • Female Airman tosses hat in boxing ring

    Besides the issued M-9 or M-16, an installation entry controller here packs additional weapons like a left hook, upper cut and jab that would make even the boldest intruders stop in their tracks.Senior Airman Celsa Reyes, with the boxing team here, is an up-and-coming boxer who, when not pulling

  • 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

  • Vandenberg launches micro-satellite

    Airmen of the 1st Air and Space Test Squadron launched XSS-11, a self-maneuvering, micro-satellite, into polar orbit from here April 11.An Orbital Suborbital Program Space Launch Vehicle carried the 220-pound satellite designed to further explore, demonstrate and flight-qualify micro-satellite

  • Lieutenants help nab purse snatchers

    Two lieutenants stationed in northwest Florida came to the rescue after they witnessed a purse snatching in a local parking lot.Second Lts. Justin Herman, from here, and Nick Garvey, from nearby Tyndall Air Force Base, chased two suspects they saw snatch a purse April 8.After shopping at a local

  • Dominguez: Recapitalization No. 1 priority

    Modernizing the Air Force’s aging systems is the No. 1 priority for the service’s acting secretary.Michael L. Dominguez recently gained the responsibility as acting secretary of the Air Force, besides his other duty as assistant secretary of the Air Force for manpower and reserve affairs. "The

  • Air Force standardizing warfighting command, control

    Air Force officials have integrated lessons learned from past conflicts to develop and implement a new concept for command and control of the service’s fighting forces.The result is the establishment of regionally or functionally aligned Air Force warfighting headquarters worldwide designed to

  • Airmen help improve B-2 aircraft maintenance in Guam

    Airmen from the 509th Bomb Wing at Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo., are helping improve aircraft maintenance for future rotations of B-2 Spirit bombers worldwide during a deployment here. “Our deployment is going fairly well, but there have been some unique maintenance challenges for us here,” said

  • New campaign medals recognize Iraq, Afghanistan service

    Two new campaign medals announced April 7 recognize servicemembers for their contributions in Iraq and Afghanistan.Defense Department officials announced the Afghanistan Campaign Medal and Iraq Campaign Medal for servicemembers who directly supported Operation Enduring Freedom between Oct. 24, 2001,

  • Air Force aggressively meeting challenges

    The two senior leaders of the Air Force spoke April 6 on Capitol Hill about budget cuts, the service's commitment to meeting end-strength requirements, total-force integration and fleet recapitalization. During testimony before the Senate Appropriations Committee subcommittee on defense, Michael L.

  • U.S. must work to maintain lead in space

    Space industry leaders applauded a speech on maintaining the United States’ lead in space presented by the commander of Air Force Space Command during the National Space Symposium here April 5. Gen. Lance W. Lord addressed more than 900 people consisting primarily of corporate officers from the

  • Civil engineers improving Uzbek base

    From digging to designing, Airmen with the 416th Expeditionary Mission Support Squadron’s civil engineer flight have been busy making improvements here.CE Airmen here are involved in a majority of the construction projects that support the Air Force mission, said Maj. Frederick Cade, the flight’s

  • 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

  • Joint Red Flag concludes

    The first U.S. forces and coalition Joint Red Flag exercise concluded April 2. The two week joint exercise is considered one of the largest distributive exercise in the history of the U.S. military with more than 10,000 participants in 44 different sites nationwide.Participants were stationed

  • Support for wounded warriors reaches across America

    Americans watching news coverage of the war in Iraq are asking, “How can I show my support for our brave servicemembers?”To show their support, many have donated phone cards, frequent flier miles or sent letters and messages.A group of San Antonio area quilters are doing their part to support

  • Hurlburt Airmen bring space power to Joint Red Flag

    U.S. space forces are using their knowledge of joint and interagency operations to adapt to an ever-changing battlefield during Joint Red Flag 2005, an exercise aimed at improving joint training and experimentation capabilities among U.S. and coalition forces.Air Force space capabilities have long

  • Balad medics perform critical mission

    Evacuation team members brace themselves against the rotor wash of a Blackhawk helicopter as it lands, stirring up swirling clouds of dust. They immediately make their way to the chopper and hurriedly bring patients into the trauma center. Within seconds, the emergency room is buzzing with activity

  • Communications essential part of Joint Red Flag operations

    Airmen of the Air Force Forces Communications and Control Center in the Combined Air and Space Operations Center here are meeting the challenges presented at Joint Red Flag, a U.S. Joint Forces Command exercise.To allow the thousands of people at 44 sites across the county to come together during

  • Airman designs new EOD vehicle

    An Airman here designed an explosive ordnance disposal vehicle that will serve as an Air Force benchmark.The original design was drawn on the back of a napkin by Staff Sgt. Phillip Hauser with the 22nd Civil Engineer Squadron here and Air Force officials have purchased more than 30 of the $274,000

  • Pilots give feedback on F-16 upgrade

    F-16 Fighting Falcon pilots from Shaw Air Force Base, S.C., were here recently to give feedback to members of the F-16 Systems Group on upgrades made to the aircraft.Lt. Col. John Montgomery, 55th Fighter Squadron commander, and Capt. Jim Govin, a 55th FS pilot, flew two of the newly modified F-16s