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U.S. Air Force News

  • Recalled officer retires -- again

    An Airman who began his military career as a Marine Corps rifleman in 1962 is retiring for the second time.Lt. Col. Theron Sims, who is on terminal leave, rejoined the Air Force on May 15, 2002, as part of the Rated Officer Recall Program. Colonel Sims was the service’s senior lieutenant colonel,

  • NASA selects servicemembers to explore space

    Four servicemembers were among 11 candidates NASA has chosen to be the next generation of space explorers, officials announced May 6.Maj. James Dutton, 35, and Marine Corps Maj. Randolph Bresnik, 36, were chosen to be space shuttle pilots. Navy Lt. Cmdr. Christopher Cassidy, 34, and Army Maj. Shane

  • Now showing: May 10 edition of AFTV News

    Man’s thirst for flight highlights the latest edition of Air Force Television News. Stories from Staff Sgts. Melissa Allan and Leigh Bellinger illustrate two different ways flying has occupied and enriched two people’s lives.Sergeant Allen profiles Maj. Andrew Lurake. Despite having his leg

  • Guardian Challenge champions announced

    The scores are in. Teams from 21st Space Wing, 91st SW and 45th SW garnered top honors at Air Force Space Command's Guardian Challenge 2004.Trophies were presented to AFSPC's top space and missile warriors during a ceremony here May 6.The 21st SW at Peterson Air Force Base, Colo., earned the

  • May issue of Airman available

    Read about how Airmen at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., and other locations protect America’s interior; take a look at the new Air Force basic training; and learn about Airmen who maintain lesser-known bases throughout South Korea. These features and more highlight the May issue of Airman magazine,

  • U.S. participates in multinational air combat exercise

    U.S. Air Force and Navy units are here participating in Maple Flag 37, an international air-combat exercise held May 3 to 14 by the Canadian air force.About 20 aircraft and 600 people from the United States are practicing combined air operations with air forces from Canada, Germany, France, New

  • Secretary of defense announces environmental awards

    Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld announced the winners of the 2003 Secretary of Defense Annual Environmental Awards on May 3. Air Force winners are:-- Natural resources conservation, small installations: Columbus Air Force Base, Miss.-- Natural resources conservation, individual: Gregory

  • Presence policy helps define expeditionary force

    The secretary of the Air Force recently signed a policy clearly defining the structure and role of the air and space expeditionary force within the joint warfare environment. The Air and Space Expeditionary Force Presence Policy, among other things, defines AEF, outlines its command structure and

  • Astronautics offers cadets unique opportunity

    Not every college lets students build and launch monster rockets and earn undergraduate credit at the same time. Odds are they are more likely to be placed on a list at the Homeland Security Department unless they are going to the academy.Astronautical Engineering 452/453 Rocket Engineering is the

  • Officials name manpower, organization winners

    Officials have named the winners of the 2003 Air Force Manpower and Organization awards. They are:-- Headquarters-Level Field Grade Officer of the Year: Lt. Col. Timothy Clary from the Air Force manpower requirements determination squadron here.-- Headquarters-Level Company Grade Officer of the

  • AF Climate Survey results reveal progress in most areas

    The 2003 Air Force Climate Survey results have been analyzed, and final reports have been released to unit-level leaders for action. The survey ran Oct. 1 to Nov. 23.“As the leaders of the world’s greatest air and space force, we share a commitment to continually seek improvement. The survey

  • Idaho Air Guard helps test new stackable cargo pallets

    As part of an ongoing Air Expeditionary Force Battlelab initiative, a team tested a new bilevel aircraft loading system aboard an Idaho Air National Guard C-130 Hercules here April 22.People from the battlelab, a think tank for new and innovative ideas based at Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho,

  • Space, missile competition set to launch

    The 30th Space Wing here will hold Guardian Challenge 2004, the largest test of space and missile warfighting skills outside of real-world operations, May 2 to 7.Nearly 200 competitors from around Air Force Space Command will test their mettle here in the Air Force’s only space and missile

  • JEFX 04 Spiral 2 showcases future of air battle management

    Responding quickly to lessons learned in operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom, the Joint Expeditionary Force Experiment 04 showcased the future of air battle management command and control. The experiment, the Air Force’s primary venue for innovative command and control technology and

  • Officers must complete online education application

    Officers who want to compete for a developmental education opportunity in the 2005 to 2006 school year must now complete the required preference application online. The 2004 Developmental Education Designation Board meets here Oct. 4 to 8.The senior and intermediate developmental education

  • Air Force honors units for maintenance effectiveness

    The Air Force honored the winners of the 2003 Maintenance Effectiveness Awards at a banquet here.The 2003 Maintenance Effectiveness Award winners include:-- Munitions/Missile Category: 509th Munitions Squadron at Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo.-- Maintenance/Component Repair/Equipment Maintenance

  • NASA selects Air Force pilot for astronaut training

    An Air Force pilot was recently selected by NASA to be an astronaut candidate for the space shuttle program.Maj. James P. Dutton of Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., is the only Airman among 11 military and civilians to be accepted by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration this year."Two

  • Roche visits Bagram

    Damp, drizzly weather greeted Secretary of the Air Force Dr. James G. Roche when he visited Camp Cunningham and men and women of the 455th Expeditionary Operations Group here April 16. But the conditions did not dampen the spirits of the hundreds of Airmen and civilians who enthusiastically turned

  • SECAF outlines top priorities, future Air Force goals

    The Air Force’s top civilian focused on Air Force priorities, the war on terrorism and future goals during a visit here April 14. “People, of course, are the No. 1 priority,” said Dr. James G. Roche, secretary of the Air Force. “Any organization is only as effective as the people in it. We do a

  • Officials: Radium poses no risk at Air Force facilities

    Official test results from six Air Force facilities indicate building occupants and visitors are not at risk from radioactive material left over from luminous paints used at the bases 60 years ago.Air Force Institute for Operational Health experts from Brooks City-Base, Texas, examined facilities at

  • Foundation seeking inputs for Air Force memorial

    Air Force Memorial Foundation officials are seeking ideas for inscriptions to be placed at the new memorial site.The official groundbreaking will take place Sept. 15 at the memorial site, just southwest of the Pentagon. The focal point of the Air Force memorial will be a 270-foot monument featuring

  • Guard, Reserve leaders address Senate subcommittee

    Reserve component leaders from the Air Force, Army and Marine Corps met before a Senate subcommittee reviewing the fiscal 2005 military budget here April 7.The leaders discussed transformation goals and spending requirements. They also touched on issues such as deployments, stress on the force and

  • Leaders approve combat device for expeditionary ribbon

    Secretary of the Air Force Dr. James G. Roche and Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper have approved the addition of a gold border to the Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon to signify satisfactory participation in combat operations. "This gold border, signifying participation in combat

  • Congress congratulates U.S. Air Force Academy

    An academy graduate, who is now a U.S. congresswoman from New Mexico, took time March 30 on the House floor to honor the school’s 50th anniversary.Rep. Heather Wilson, a 1982 distinguished graduate, submitted a resolution congratulating the academy on its 50th anniversary and recognizing the

  • Cold War space approach must change

    Transformation across the armed forces is happening much faster than expected when the concept was announced two years ago, the Defense Department's director of force transformation told the Senate subcommittee on strategic forces."It's happening due in large part to the information and power

  • Flying ‘bug’ bites WASP early, pilot recounts service

    It was not Charles Lindbergh, but “a fella before him” whose name escapes her now. She remembers he came through Charleston, W.Va., when she was very young, and she said he inspired her to learn to fly.“I was about 7 or 8 years old when this famous flier came to town. Everyone turned out to see

  • Minot B-52 aircrews refine, polish skills in Guam

    Capt. Jeremiah Baldwin, a B-52 Stratofortress pilot, said he could not wait to get out of the cockpit. He was tired, exhausted and just wanted to lie down and sleep after flying a 20-hour mission. “It’s one of the longest flights I’ve ever flown. It was great training, but it’s not something I

  • Air Force seeks to eliminate inadequate housing

    Air Force senior leaders spoke with members of Congress on March 30 about the service’s requests for military construction funding in the fiscal 2005 budget. In testimony before the Senate Appropriations Committee subcommittee on military construction, the Air Force civil engineer, Maj. Gen. L.

  • A-10 pilot wows Smithsonian crowd

    The Iraqi republican guard may have had luck on their side that miserable Baghdad day, but they did not know who was flying the A-10 Thunderbolt II they had just hit with a rocket.It was April 7, 2003, and an elite unit of Iraqis had U.S. forces pinned down along the Tigris River, firing

  • Officials announce Air Force comptroller awards

    Air Force officials announced the 2003 financial management and comptroller awards.Award winners will be recognized at a ceremony June 2 at the American Society of Military Comptrollers Professional Development Institute in Cleveland.Michael Montelongo, the assistant secretary of the Air Force for

  • AF officials testify regarding importance of space

    Air Force officials joined those from the U.S. Navy in congressional testimony March 25, speaking before a Senate Armed Services Committee’s subcommittee on strategic forces, about future plans for using space.Peter B. Teets, undersecretary of the Air Force and director of the National

  • C-17 crew wins Mackay Trophy

    One year after they led the biggest combat airdrop since Operation Just Cause in Panama in December 1989, five Airmen from McChord Air Force Base, Wash., are the winners of the National Aeronautic Association's Clarence Mackay Trophy for 2003.Lt. Col. Shane Hershman, from the 7th Airlift Squadron;

  • ‘Dirt Boyz’ digging in

    Airmen of the 28th Civil Engineer Squadron woke up to a South Dakota blizzard which closed sections of Interstate 90 and the Rapid City airport. Within a week, some of the same Airmen began waking up in the snow-covered foothills of the Ala Too Mountains in Kyrgyzstan as part of the 376th

  • Joint Strike Fighter under attack on Capitol Hill

    A senior Air Force official told lawmakers March 25 that the service would not be interested in the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter if a technical glitch could not be overcome or if program funds were cut off.Lt. Gen. Ronald E. Keys, deputy chief of staff for air and space operations, bluntly told members

  • AFIT class includes first enlisted graduates

    Eight enlisted Airmen graduated from the Air Force Institute of Technology on March 23, marking one of the more historic achievements in the history of the service's enlisted force.Secretary of the Air Force Dr. James G. Roche, in delivering the graduation address to a crowd of more than 1,000

  • ICBM security forces deploy every four days

    Security forces Airmen here and at F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyo., and Malmstrom AFB, Mont., constantly deploy but not overseas. Their deployments are to the nation's IBM fields. These Airmen provide security for the U.S. ICBM arsenal around the clock, 365 days a year.The missiles they guard are

  • Missile support teams deploy, but closer to home

    Those assigned to care for missile alert facilities and launch facilities containing Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles do not deploy to forward areas overseas. Instead, they deploy to areas in the central and north central United States."We don't deploy to foreign theaters of operations," said

  • CMSAF talks fitness, force shaping

    During a visit here March 15, the top enlisted Airman talked about fitness and force shaping. Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Gerald Murray explained there was no plan to use the new fitness assessment as a part of the Weighted Airmen Promotion System.“(Leaders have) talked about a possible

  • Officials extend stateside space-A travel test

    The one-year test to expand space-available travel privileges to family members of active-duty and retired servicemembers traveling within the continental United States was extended until further notice, according to Air Mobility Command's air transportation division officials.The extension will

  • Air Force names top public affairs performers

    The secretary of the Air Force and the Air Force chief of staff have announced the following 2003 Air Force public affairs achievement award recipients.Winners of the Secretary of the Air Force Office of Public Affairs director’s excellence awards are:Major Command Category: The "Brig. Gen. Harry

  • Air Force announces 2003 contracting award winners

    Air Force officials will honor recipients of 2003 contracting awards in an April 22 ceremony at the Pentagon.The winners are:-- Secretary of the Air Force Professionalism in Contracting, Supervisory: Suzanne Snyder from the 21st Contracting Squadron at Peterson Air Force Base, Colo.-- Secretary of

  • MH-60S helicopter load validated on C-17

    Officials here performed a load validation on a C-17 Globemaster III for the MH-60S Knight Hawk helicopter recently with the help of Navy specialists.This is the seventh helicopter model validated on a C-17. Airmen from Altus' 58th Airlift Squadron along with 21 people from the Navy loaded the Navy

  • Air Force's newest wing activates at Hurlburt

    The Air Force activated its newest wing during a ceremony here March 12.The former Air Force Command and Control Training and Innovation Group is now officially the 505th Command and Control Wing.Gen. Hal M. Hornburg, Air Combat Command commander, presided over the ceremony."This is a good deal,"

  • Four Airmen help save Baltimore water-taxi victims

    Four members of the Puerto Rico Air National Guard were saluted as heroes at the National Guard Bureau’s joint headquarters here March 15. The salute came nine days after they helped save the lives of other water taxi passengers who were thrown into the frigid waters near Baltimore.Staff Sgts.

  • Basic training creates mission-ready Airmen

    Air Force leaders expect basic military training squadrons to deliver a tough program, professionally. Trainees want it tough as well, officials here said.This is great because training officials said they deliver. Graduates complete a rigorous indoctrination program and leave here as highly

  • AMC central to historic troop rotation

    Department of Defense officials have challenged those from Air Mobility Command to play a central role in the Southwest Asia troop rotation by moving 250,000 people in 60 days. That roughly equates to the number of passengers who can sit in 720 wide-body commercial aircraft or the entire population

  • Murray talks rotations, uniforms, quality of life

    Retro was all the rage March 10 here as Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Gerald Murray met with enlisted Airmen here.Chief Murray, the Pacific Air Forces command chief before assuming his current job, addressed a standing-room-only crowd about several issues concerning the base, Pacific Air Forces

  • ‘Win the Peace’ coalition delivers hope for future

    More than 200 students at a school outside Nasiriya, Iraq, received a surprise delivery of school supplies donated by “Win the Peace.” WTP is an unofficial, organization made up of Airmen with the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing at a forward-deployed location. The group raised funds for the shipment

  • Moseley: Airmen doing tremendous work

    During operations in Iraq, the Air Force experienced some of the highest mission-capable rates in recent history, said the service’s vice chief of staff.Gen. T. Michael Moseley spoke before a Senate Armed Service Committee subcommittee on readiness and management support March 9, directly crediting

  • AMC commander explains Patriot Express cutbacks

    Air Mobility Command officials announced in February that the Patriot Express, a transit system for official travelers mainly in the Pacific and Europe, would be dramatically scaled down during the next few years.During a visit here, Gen. John W. Handy, AMC commander, explained why the program will

  • Predators move to Balad

    The unit came packed and ready to position themselves autonomously, so they could pursue their prey quietly, unseen for hours.Arriving ready to set up one of the most impressive unmanned aerial aircraft in the U.S. inventory, the Nevada unit was ready for business within days of their arrival here.

  • Airmen answer National Call to Service

    Since its inception in October, more than 240 trainees who enlisted under the National Call to Service Program have attended basic military training here.Under the terms set by the 2003 National Defense Authorization Act, the new airmen can serve a 15-month enlistment, followed by a possible

  • Modeling, simulation agency names best performers

    The Air Force Agency for Modeling and Simulation recognized its best performers for 2003 during its yearly conference here Feb. 24 to 26. Best performers were recognized in four categories as either teams or individuals. Winners included: -- Acquisition Category: The Simulation and Analysis

  • Officers selected for development

    More than 170 company grade officers from five career fields were recently selected by the Development Team Special Selection Board to attend developmental education programs.They will be sent to attend the Air Force Institute of Technology; education with industry; space lift education and

  • Officials introduce war on terrorism medals

    Servicemembers serving at home and abroad in the war on terrorism will now be recognized for that service. Department of Defense officials announced Feb. 26 the final approval of two new medals and their criteria.Individuals who have deployed for operations Enduring Freedom or Iraqi Freedom will be

  • Air Force leader discusses U.S. space program

    The executive agent for space testified before the House Armed Services Committee subcommittee on strategic forces Feb. 25 on the status of America's space program.Undersecretary of the Air Force Peter B. Teets, who is also the director of the National Reconnaissance Office, told committee members

  • NASA names MacDill landing site for space shuttle

    National Aeronautics and Space Administration officials have named this base an alternate landing site for space shuttle missions.Alternate sites are typically selected based on weather conditions or the power level of the shuttle during re-entry.Software updates to the shuttles’ landing programs

  • All-weather friends vital to CAOC mission

    It really does all depend on the weather when it comes to planning air operations.This holds true at the Combined Air Operations Center here, the central hub for air and space operations dealing with operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom and in the Horn of Africa region.The CAOC weather cell

  • Raptor program still flies

    Air Force officials said they will continue with the F/A-22 Raptor program. Fervor over the Army's cancellation of the $6.9 billion Comanche helicopter program Feb. 23 raised questions about the future of the Air Force's F/A-22, said the director of Air Force combat force capability requirements.

  • Leaders call for re-energized suicide-prevention efforts

    After 11 active-duty suicides since Jan. 1 and 14 during the final quarter of 2003, Air Force senior leaders are asking commanders and leaders across the service to assess and re-energize suicide prevention efforts at all levels. The 2003 calendar year suicide rate of 10.5 per 100,000 people was

  • Myers stresses transformation in war on terror

    The United States is doing "pretty well" in the war on terror, but more needs to be done and more progress is necessary to transform American military capabilities, Gen. Richard B. Myers said Feb. 18.The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff spoke at a "Space at the Crossroads" conference

  • Air Force Safety Center announces annual awards

    Air Force Safety Center officials recently named the Air Force Safety Award recipients for fiscal 2003.They are:-- Secretary of the Air Force Safety Award: Category I, U.S. Air Forces in Europe; Category II, U.S. Air Force Academy.-- Maj. Gen. Benjamin D. Foulois Memorial Award: Air Mobility

  • Group turning crumbling symbol into a military airfield

    Airmen from the 455th Expeditionary Operations Group civil engineers are turning what was once a crumbling symbol of oppression into a military airfield that supports operations aimed at eliminating terrorists.In 1955, the Soviet Union promised $100 million to Afghanistan. Part of that money was to

  • Deployed airmen represent honor, dignity

    The American flag waves in a light breeze, its bright colors standing out in stark contrast over the gray, cracked concrete of hardened, Soviet aircraft shelters that once represented a communist state. Below the flag, airmen wearing perfectly pressed desert camouflage uniforms stand at attention.

  • Malmstrom helicopter crew rescues father, son

    A four-person crew from the 40th Helicopter Flight here hoisted a man and his son to safety near Dome-Shaped Mountain in western Montana on Feb. 15 after the two were reported missing since Feb. 14. The two survivors, a 45-year-old man and his 16-year-old son, were flown to a hospital in Missoula

  • Space integrates air forces to win wars

    Integrating space into all operations -- air, land and sea –- is the future of Air Force Space Command, said Gen. Lance Lord during a symposium Feb. 12.“We feel good about how things have gone, and we want to talk about the future,” said General Lord, speaking at the 2004 Air Force Association

  • AFMC correcting capability shortfalls

    The commander of Air Force Materiel Command outlined the findings of the latest Capabilities Review and Risk Assessment at the 2004 Air Force Association Warfare Symposium in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., on Feb. 12.Gen. Gregory Martin explained how Air Force leaders meet to take a look at capabilities

  • CSAF seeks improvements in warfighting

    Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper outlined new ways to make 21st century airmen faster, more efficient warfighters.General Jumper spoke at the Air Force Association’s 2004 Air Warfare Symposium in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., on Feb. 12.The general’s key point in addressing future capabilities

  • Air Force NASCAR revs up for new season

    The Air Force will be represented in NASCAR’s biggest event when the 2004 Nextel Cup season kicks off at the Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway on Feb. 15. With some of the fastest 2004 preseason track test speeds, the Air Force-sponsored Wood Brothers Racing No. 21 NASCAR team is focused on

  • Squadron cleans bomb dump, makes area safe

    Munitions airmen are generally proud to tell people they work in the “bomb dump,” the endearing term often used to describe a base’s munitions storage area. An exception, however, might be when the dump is, well, a dump.Upon surveying the weapons storage area upon their arrival here in November,

  • CSAF reconfirms service’s commitment to close-air support

    The Air Force is committed to upgrading close-air support for ground troops, the service’s senior officer said.Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper met with the Senate Armed Services Committee on Feb. 10, as part of the 2005 Defense Authorization hearing series.“We are configuring our Air

  • Wrestler's eyes fixed on Athens

    Sitting in a quiet corner of the wrestling room at the Olympic Training Center, Jacob Hey stares into the bright yellow color of the floor mats mentally preparing himself to conquer his next obstacle.A year after successful reconstructive shoulder surgery, the Greco-Roman wrestler is back to 100

  • Next Aerospace Vehicle Test Course launches

    The U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School here is accepting student applications for the Aerospace Vehicle Test Course that begins May 30.The deadline for applying is March 16, and only 15 slots are available, officials said.Designed as a four-week program, the curriculum includes about 80 hours of

  • Special operators recount Iraq missions

    Multiservice special operations troops have led the way to victory in overseas campaigns during the war against terrorism, a senior U.S. military officer said.Special operators' expertise was a factor in driving the Taliban out of Afghanistan as well as in the ouster of former Iraqi dictator Saddam

  • Security forces announces annual award winners

    The deputy chief of staff for air and space operations recently announced the 2003 Air Force Outstanding Security Forces Individual Award winners.These annual awards recognize the top security forces members in each category.The 2003 winners are:Career field-wide award:-- Col. Billy Jack Carter

  • Emulator boosts GPS training

    Gone are the days of using a compass for direction finding.Now, through a constellation of 29 satellites, warfighters, banks, automobile drivers and others benefit from the Air Force's technological advancements with the Global Positioning System.Owned and operated by the Air Force, GPS provides

  • International student training requests increase

    The business of training international students is booming for a small unit here.Requests for globetrotting teams from the Air Force Security Assistance Training Squadron have skyrocketed in recent months with the expansion of the global war on terrorism.Already this year, AFSAT is ahead of pace to

  • Airman shares patriotism with thousands

    The honor guard team members were at attention on the sideline, hearts pounding and adrenaline racing, although the momentous game would not begin for another half hour. The honor and glory was not for the servicemembers themselves, but for their flag, their country and their military.Tech Sgt.

  • Patriot Express restructures

    Fiscal realities and limited use have led U.S. Transportation Command to restructure Patriot Express. Patriot Express is the military's chartered commercial air service for transporting servicemembers on permanent-change-of-station orders and their families to and from overseas locations. Air

  • Proposed budget shows AF path

    The fiscal 2005 Defense Department budget provides the foundation upon which the Air Force will continue the war on terrorism.Maj. Gen. Stephen R. Lorenz, Air Force deputy assistant secretary for budget, discussed how the service’s budget priorities would allow airmen to be a better air and space

  • Squadron part of rovers' success

    The 45th Space Wing can now put two more historical milestones under its belt -- the successful landings of the twin Mars exploration rovers on the red planet. Opportunity touched down on its target, Meridiani Planum, shortly after midnight Jan. 25, joining its twin, Spirit, which landed on the

  • Reservist selected for NASA crew

    A reserve officer assigned to the F-16 Fighting Falcon system program office here is one of four NASA astronauts named to fly on space shuttle mission STS-121. The mission, planned for November, will follow a shuttle mission scheduled for September. Making his first flight into space will be

  • Challenger crew memorialized on Mars

    Late Air Force Lt. Cols. Francis R. (Dick) Scobee and Ellison S. Onizuka are among those now memorialized on the red planet. NASA officials have named the landing site of the Mars rover Opportunity in honor of the Space Shuttle Challenger's final crew. The area in the vast flatland called

  • Exercise tests shuttle rescue capabilities

    Lajes Field's capabilities to save a downed space shuttle crew will be put to the test during a daylong exercise here Jan. 30.The exercise involves American and Portuguese forces and a Defense Department agency for space flight.The combined event joins 65th Air Base Wing and Portuguese Air Base 4

  • Changes in law environmental friendly

    Portions of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal 2004 make it easier for the Air Force to execute its mission while protecting the environment at the same time.The act includes language allowing the National Fish and Wildlife Service to legally consider measures that may already be in

  • Program offers ‘Vigilant Look’ at AFSPC

    While the Air Force encourages its personnel to "cross further into the blue" through its new force-development philosophy, Air Force Space Command officials have been using a unique application of that philosophy -- the Vigilant Look program.Nearly four years old, Vigilant Look encapsulates the

  • Civil engineers receive honors

    Three civilian professional associations joined the Air Force in honoring civil engineers Jan 13.Each year, the Society of American Military Engineers, the National Society of Professional Engineers and the Northeast Chapter of the American Association of Airport Executives, partner with the Air

  • Hold off embroidering logo

    Air Force clothing office officials are asking airmen to wait a few weeks before having their lightweight blue jackets embroidered with the Air Force logo.“We’ve had an overwhelmingly positive response in regards to placing the logo on the jacket,” said Libby Glade, Air Force clothing office chief.

  • Rocket test stand gets facelift

    The rocket test stand used more than 30 years ago for Apollo Moon-mission F-1 rocket engine production testing has been modernized and is ready for use.Test Stand 2-A is the only Department of Defense stand capable of performing full-scale rocket thrust chamber development testing in the

  • Network-centric ops is coming

    Within 10 years, U.S. forces around the world will enjoy greater combat effectiveness as a result of network-centric operations. That is a vision John Stenbit has pursued for the past two years, and it is already bad news for America's enemies.Mr. Stenbit is the assistant secretary of defense for

  • Defense institute gets new home

    The new home of the Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute officially opened here Jan. 14.Dr. Davis S. Chu, undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness, cut the ribbon to open the two-story, 92,000-square-foot facility.A new-campus task force was established in the early 1990s,

  • New GPS satellite operational

    Global Positioning System satellite IIR-10, which launched from here Dec. 21, is now fully operational."It is officially 'turned on' for the warfighter as of Jan. 12," said Capt. Thomas R. Ste. Marie, an Air Force launch controller with the 1st Space Launch Squadron here. "IIR-10 will appear on GPS

  • AF committing 2,000 airmen to war

    Airmen vulnerable to deploy as part of the Silver Air and Space Expeditionary Force but not originally asked to go, could end up going after all. In a message sent to the major commands in late December, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper said continuing efforts in the war on terrorism

  • Airman selected for flight attendant program

    It is not every day you get to cook dinner for Vice President Dick Cheney and his wife, but that is what Staff Sgt. Melissa Magyari will soon be doing -- and at 30,000 feet, no less.The 19th Air Refueling Group command section information manager was one of 10 active-duty servicemembers recently

  • AFRL computer guides Mars rovers

    Radiation-resistant computers Air Force Research Laboratory experts here developed helped steer one of NASA's Mars exploration rovers to a safe landing on the red planet Jan. 4.The AFRL's Rad6000 32-bit microprocessors, manufactured for the Air Force by BAE systems, controlled the spacecraft during

  • More airmen may live off base

    A change in how the Air Force figures unaccompanied housing requirements will call for fewer dormitory rooms -- meaning more airmen could move off base in the future.Under the new policy, which took effect Jan. 1, the Air Force must provide dormitory housing for unaccompanied E-1s through E-3s and

  • Kirkuk airmen provide relief supplies

    The words of a Kurdish refugee woman living in a tent on the outskirts of Kirkuk keep ringing in the ears of all who heard it. “This is no life for my children here,” the mother said, pointing to the dirt her young child walked through with no shoes. “This is no life in Iraq,” she cried out as

  • AFMC improves deployment process

    Air Force Materiel Command officials fielded a tool in the summer designed to help people keep better track of their deployment information and they said it is already making a difference.The Deployment Qualification System is a Web-based tool providing units with capabilities they have never had

  • AF leaders send holiday message

    The following is a joint message from Secretary of the Air Force Dr. James G. Roche and Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper:“During this holiday season, Americans have placed their hopes for peace with those who have answered the call to secure freedom: The soldiers, sailors, airmen and

  • Contractors bring relief to radar maintainers

    Supporting flying operations in Iraq and Afghanistan has thinned manning at bases worldwide in many already critically manned career fields. One of which is the radar maintenance career field. Central Air Force officials have brought some relief to the career field by contracting maintenance at