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U.S. Air Force News

  • Female fighter pilots take on challenges full throttle

    Female fighter pilots are a special breed. They are willing to crack into a male-dominated field, take a $30 million aircraft, fly at mind-numbing speeds and head straight into the face of danger, all the while knowing they may not be coming back.But most will say they are happy to do just that,

  • Improved 'Dragon Lady' still seeks, finds today's prey

    The 48-year-old U-2 "Dragon Lady" still reigns supreme as the leader among manned intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance systems.Even with newer, unmanned aerial vehicles like Global Hawk and Predator -- welcomed by increasing numbers of warfighters, and now joining the U-2 in ISR missions

  • New Milstar launches from Cape

    "Milstar," a military communications satellite, launched from here on a Titan IV-B rocket April 8.The satellite was placed into its proper orbit and should be fully operational in May.Milstar is a joint service communications satellite system that provides secure, jam-resistant, worldwide

  • Readiness, reconstitution concerns loom large

    Military readiness may crumble if Congress does not approve additional funding soon, the Joint Staff director of operations told senators April 9."Our previous wartime experiences have proven that readiness is a fragile commodity," Lt. Gen. Norman A. Schwartz told members of the Senate Armed

  • SECAF: Mobility key to war effort

    The secretary of the Air Force praised Air Mobility Command for quietly building up resources in Southwest Asia before the opening days of the war in Iraq. He also lauded the continued "spectacular" air support during the campaign to remove the Iraqi regime from power."Under the direction of

  • Air Force announces logistics plans awards

    Air Force officials recently announced the winners of the 2002 U.S. Air Force Logistics Plans Awards.Award winners include:-- Command senior manager: Maj. Christopher D. Long, 609th Air Support Squadron, Shaw Air Force Base, S.C.-- Command manager: Capt. Gail Sledge, 8th Air Force, Barksdale

  • CENTAF command chief addresses issues

    As Air Force operations continue in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, the service's senior enlisted member in Southwest Asia says the exact future of operations has yet to be determined."The war isn't over," said Chief Master Sgt. Mack Williams, U.S. Central Command Air Forces command chief master

  • ONW fighters say final goodbye to Incirlik

    The last Operation Northern Watch mission flew March 17, but the end of the operation was not obvious until the last fighter aircraft roared out of here April 7.The last fighter planes, eight F-16CJ Fighting Falcons from the 55th Fighter Squadron at Shaw Air Force Base, S.C., left for home and did

  • Transient-alert team keeps flightline running

    The flightline is a busy place and no one knows that better than the people who keep it all running smoothly at one forward-deployed location.The 386th Air Expeditionary Wing's transient alert team has aircraft crew chiefs who ensure all the transient aircraft -- aircraft that do not belong to the

  • Air Force discusses information technology with Congress

    Department of Defense leaders met with the House Armed Services Committee subcommittee on terrorism, unconventional threats and capabilities April 3 to discuss the role of information technology on mission capability."The Air Force is undergoing the most significant transformation in its relatively

  • Tower a pinnacle of support for fliers

    As B-52 Stratofortresses lift off from a deployed location, the last person to wish them well is not the commander or maintainers. It is Airman 1st Class Jeremy Beecher, an air traffic controller with the 457th Air Expeditionary Group.Air traffic controllers direct all air and runway traffic. They

  • Coalition land forces approaching Baghdad

    A Navy F/A-18 Hornet fighter jet went missing and an Army UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter crashed in central Iraq April 2, U.S. Central Command officials said this morning.According to military officials in the region, the Hornet "went down" at about 3:45 p.m. Eastern time. No further details were given

  • KC-135 Stratotankers keep allied forces flying

    As the Air Force's operating tempo climbs to unprecedented heights in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, the efforts of refueling tankers are keeping the air war on track.With the average daily number of air sorties going from 1,000 to 1,800 in the past two days, according to a defense official,

  • Scientists, engineers vital to Air Force mission

    The Air Force is having difficulty recruiting and retaining its civilian and military scientist and engineering workforce, Gen. Lester L. Lyles, commander of Air Force Materiel Command, told senators March 31.If the service wants to retain its position as the world's premier air and space force, it

  • Air Force surgeon general: 'We are ready'

    Improvements in the deployment process since the 1991 Gulf War have resulted in a more fit and healthy fighting force, the Air Force surgeon general told a House committee March 27."Our military now finds itself engaged in war on multiple fronts -- in fact, a greater percentage of our troops are

  • April issue of Airman available

    Take a look at how the Air Force entered space, learn about the A-10 Thunderbolt II mission over Afghanistan, and read about the silent wings of history. These features and more highlight the April issue of Airman magazine, now available in print and online.In the early 1950s, America slowly began

  • Most airlines change luggage weight limits

    Most major airlines have changed their checked baggage policy concerning weight limits and excess charges for luggage on domestic flights, according to Air Mobility Command transportation officials. These changes will affect military travelers."The carriers will continue to accept luggage up to 100

  • Base is no place for owls

    As sprawling neighborhoods take over wide-open spaces and devour wildlife habitats, some animals are forced to move to new homes. Sometimes those homes are on military installations.Most animals pose no threat, but others -- like a pair of barn owls that made their home in a hangar here -- can

  • Science, technology investment determines future

    Warfighting effects and what is needed to achieve them drive the Air Force's science and technology program, the deputy assistant secretary of the Air Force for science, technology and engineering told members of Congress on March 27."We're committed to a robust science and technology program that

  • Female astronaut pioneers last frontier

    Whether they sailed across the oceans, climbed mountains, or rolled across the Great Plains, pioneers were first to explore new frontiers. Col. Susan Helms is not rambling across the prairie in a covered wagon, but she is a pioneer. She is an astronaut. Her frontier: space.Helms was the first

  • UAV 'roadmap' helps warfighter

    The Department of Defense's Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Roadmap provides a defensewide vision for UAVs and related technology, said the deputy of the UAV Planning Task Force in congressional testimony here March 26.The goal of the plan is to ensure UAV programs proceed in a coordinated and efficient

  • Remote returnees get a breather

    Airmen returning from overseas remote "short" tours will receive six-month exemptions from deploying with their new units on scheduled air and space expeditionary force deployments.The policy change is the result of input from airmen in the field, according to Maj. Gen. Timothy A. Peppe, special

  • Warren missileer crowned as DOD 'Kingpin'

    To win a local sporting event is an achievement, to compete and win at Air Force level is a heralded milestone, and to take home the gold at a Department of Defense event is worthy of gladiator recognition.Second Lt. Rickie Banister, a 319th Missile Squadron missileer, bowled over the competition

  • Diversity stressed for civilians

    As the Air Force takes the first steps toward transforming the way it develops its civilian employees, its leaders are stressing the importance of diversity in the workplace.Secretary of the Air Force Dr. James G. Roche said ensuring diversity in the work force is much more than a legal obligation

  • K-9 partners operate on vigilance, trust

    At base gates, military working dogs and handlers are doing their part in the war with Iraq while guarding against the threat of terrorism.These threats mean there are more reasons than ever to suspect that America's enemies will target its most valuable resources with explosives or hazardous

  • Officials urge against unsolicited troop mail

    To bolster force protection, the general public is urged not to send unsolicited mail, care packages or donations to forward-deployed servicemembers unless they are a family member, loved one or personal friend, said Department of Defense officials.On Oct. 30, DOD suspended the "Operation Dear Abby"

  • Protesters offer training for security

    Security forces here responded to nearly 50 protesters at a base gate March 22 and arrested three.Another group of military supporters gathered at the gate to lend their encouragement to the base and its people.During the weeks leading up to the protest, groups informed the base they would exercise

  • Tons of knowledge resides in Air Force Web site

    Just about anything worth knowing about the Air Force, especially on the maintenance and acquisition side, can be found through a collaborative Web system called Knowledge Now.Knowledge Now is almost too big to describe, according to Randy Adkins, Air Force Materiel Command Knowledge Now project

  • Maintainers unleash wave of B-52s

    More than 70 aircraft maintainers worked earnestly through the early morning March 21 to unleash the first wave of B-52 bombers on the Iraqi regime from this forward-deployed location.Later in the day they watched with the rest of the world as their "Buffs" delivered what would come to be regarded

  • Artist sketches lighter side of life

    A satellite sticking out of a mobile home and an alien wrangler riding an orbiting satellite. These are two examples of images people might see weekly when they pick up the base newspaper, The Satellite Flyer, thanks to cartoonist Staff Sgt. Mike Dodge from the 50th Space Wing's plans and programs

  • Officials outline importance of space systems

    Space systems today are more important than ever to the military's ability to fight and win conflicts, the undersecretary of the Air Force said in congressional testimony March 19."Therefore, it's appropriate that we join together (with the other services) in a way that allows us to understand (each

  • Airmen kept after school to launch rockets

    Five! Four! Three! Two! One! Blast off!This was the scream from students at Woodmen Hills Elementary on March 14 as airmen from the 1st Space Operations Squadron here helped 24 students see the rockets' red glare.For five weeks in February and March, 25 volunteers from 1st SOPS helped students

  • Soccer player is top female Air Force athlete

    Competition and esprit de corps drive soccer player Kristy Kuhlman.Now it has driven her to the top. Kuhlman, a second lieutenant contract specialist with the Space and Missile Systems Center's satellite and launch control system program office here, has been named the Air Force's 2002 Female

  • Space command cancels Guardian Challenge

    Air Force Space Command officials have canceled this year's Guardian Challenge, the annual space warfighter competition held at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif.The competition, slated for May 5 to 9, was canceled because the command needs its resources focused on day-to-day operations. The

  • Post office delivers piece of home

    In a three-word phrase, Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks summarized what could make or break a good day for airmen deployed to the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing -- "You've got mail."Postal clerks of the 386th Expeditionary Communications Squadron ensure everyone assigned to the wing and its tenant units are

  • Vandenberg prepares for last Atlas II launch

    The last Atlas IIAS rocket scheduled to be launched arrived here March 12. A C-5 Galaxy ferried the historic booster and its Centaur upper stage from Denver, landing at the airfield here around 10:30 a.m.Lt. Col. Clinton Crosier, 2nd Space Launch Squadron commander, said the booster and upper stage

  • Air Force leaders explain effect of encroachment

    Two Air Force leaders testified before Congress on March 13 about the effects of environmental encroachment on the service's mission.In separate testimonies, Air Force Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Robert H. Foglesong and Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Installations, Environment and Logistics

  • Program offers electronic deployment information

    A Web-based, user-friendly software program Air Force Materiel Command experts here are testing promises warfighters instant access to deployment information. Plus, it will save the Air Force nearly $79 million during a five-year period.The Deployment Qualification System works through the Air

  • Eberhart briefs Congress on U.S. Northern Command

    The commander of America's newest combatant command briefed members of Congress on March 13 about the progress his unit has made since its inception less than six months ago.Gen. Ralph E. Eberhart, who took control of U.S. Northern Command when it was established Oct. 1, told members of the House

  • Teets, Lord tell Senate the nation needs 'space cadre'

    The Air Force's top two space officials told lawmakers March 12 that development of a "space cadre" was one of their top agenda items for national security space programs in 2004.Undersecretary of the Air Force Peter B. Teets and Gen. Lance W. Lord, commander of Air Force Space Command, also told

  • Air Force launches first EELV payload

    The Air Force launched its first military satellite payload on an Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle from here March 10.The military payload, a Defense Satellite Communications System satellite, was lifted into orbit by a Boeing Delta IV rocket.The Delta IV and Lockheed Martin's Atlas V are the two

  • From biscuits to gravy

    Barry has retired from the 90th Space Wing Security Forces here after 11 years of battling crime. He was obedient, loyal, vigilant and protective.Barry was an ideal military working dog.The Air Force purchased Barry in 1991 for $3,500 from a Belgium breeder. He was one of only three Belgium

  • Astronaut laid to rest

    Secretary of the Air Force James G. Roche (left) looks on as Sandra Anderson places a rose on her husband's casket at Arlington National Cemetery on March 7. Lt. Col. Michael P. Anderson, a member of the Space Shuttle Columbia crew, died Feb. 1 when the shuttle exploded. He was buried with full

  • Sheppard unit will train ALC maintainers

    The 982nd Training Group, the Air Force's advanced maintenance training unit, joined with Air Force Materiel Command to tackle a critical need in the world of aircraft systems maintenance.The 982nd TRG instructors will teach and certify 19 new civilian instructors who will join existing field

  • Memo serving as officer career guide

    A recent memorandum from the secretary of the Air Force regarding the selection process for general officers could very well serve as a guide to all officers -- regardless of rank -- as they chart out their careers.The memorandum is one of a series of initiatives designed to help explain how

  • Design for Air Force memorial unveiled

    For the better part of the past century, the men and women of the Air Force and its predecessors have soared high above the clouds in defense of the nation and freedom-loving people everywhere.Those ideals will soon be reflected in a memorial designed to reach high into the skyline of the nation's

  • New hospital provides wealth of services to base

    The 386th Expeditionary Medical Group, also known as "Med Rock," is now open for business.Before the hospital opening, many patients were sent off-base for various aspects of their medical care."We can provide much of this basic care here on base, saving time in treatment and allowing our deployed

  • Promotion test change impacts deploying airmen

    Commanders of technical and master sergeants facing short-notice deployments now have greater flexibility as to when their airmen test for promotion.New overseas manning requirements and the freezing of the air and space expeditionary force cycle prompted officials at the Air Force Personnel Center

  • March issue of Airman available

    Take a look at Air Force technological changes through the years, learn about economical space launches, and read about how Office or Special Investigations forensic sciences consultants help track down the bad guys. These features and more highlight the March issue of Airman magazine, now

  • UAVs may play increasing operational role

    The Air Force's deputy chief of staff for air and space operations is cautiously optimistic about the growing role of unmanned aerial vehicles and remotely piloted vehicles in future conflicts."We're in a position where technology and miniaturization can now begin to give us things we haven't been

  • Air Force reaches 75 percent deployment-capable rate

    In just more than a year, the number of "deployable" airmen has increased to nearly 75 percent of all Air Force members.That increase reflects a growth of nearly 100,000 in just the past year.The increase in deployment rolls is not because more people joined the service. According to Maj. Gen.

  • Flight keeps base fueled up

    Keeping tent fuel drums filled and aircraft gassed up is vital at Ganci Air Base, Kyrgyzstan. Without fuel, the mission stops and living spaces inside tents feel like a freezer.That is why airmen from the 376th Logistics Readiness Squadron's petroleum, oil and lubricants flight tirelessly work to

  • Westover bridges airlift effort to Southwest Asia

    Westover's Air Force Reserve Command assets again stand at the critical junction of an air bridge across the Atlantic.The base has become a hive of troops in desert camouflage, C-5 Galaxys filled with equipment and "controlled chaos" in the aerial port and passenger terminal operations hub.A long

  • 'Blizzard' of cargo crashes on Charleston

    The workload of the 437th Aerial Port Squadron here increased an estimated 250 percent after two APS buildings at Dover Air Force Base, Del., collapsed under snow from a blizzard.Air Mobility Command officials sent a portion of Dover's cargo here, increasing the average of five to seven trucks

  • Air Force rethinks air operations centers

    The Air Force needs to start thinking of its air operations centers as weapon systems if the service wants to remain the best in the world, the deputy chief of staff for air and space operations said."The AOC is fundamental to what makes us great as an Air Force," Lt. Gen. Ronald E. Keys said. "If

  • Exchange reopens days after destructive fire

    Air Force firefighters battled a blaze here Feb. 21 that destroyed the exchange, barbershop, gift and coffee shop plus the personal living quarters of 25 Army and Air Force Exchange Service employees at Kandahar, Afghanistan.Also damaged was the morale, welfare and recreation computer, movie and

  • Art signals jammer's role in OEF

    A Southwest Asia afternoon sun provided warm light as Staff Sgt. John Alsvig painted a cartoon likeness of one of his unit's EC-130H Compass Call aircraft.The art was featured in the middle of a concrete wall used to deflect propeller wash from tactical and special operations aircraft flying in and

  • Strategy school changes name, expands

    To reflect the growing importance of space capabilities to the warfighter and the need for air and space strategists, Air University's School of Advanced Airpower Studies is changing its name and expanding.For the newly named School of Advanced Air and Space Studies here, the student body will

  • Now showing: Feb. 17 edition of Air Force Television News

    The loss of two Air Force officers in the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster highlights the latest edition of Air Force Television News.Tech. Sgt. David Pullen profiles Col. Rick Husband, the mission commander, and Lt. Col. Michael Anderson, the payload commander, who were members of the seven-person

  • NCO guilty of possessing child porn

    A 607th Air and Space Communications Squadron noncommissioned officer was found guilty of taking indecent liberties with a minor and possession of child pornography by a military judge during a general court-martial here Feb. 10.Staff Sgt. Gery B. Cook pleaded not guilty to the charge of attempted

  • DOD space chief outlines priorities

    Things are going well for the national security space program, but America needs a roadmap to ensure future success, the Defense Department's executive agent for space said Feb. 12.Peter B. Teets, undersecretary of the Air Force and director of the National Reconnaissance Office, discussed the

  • NASA seeks help from sky watchers

    NASA is still seeking help from the American public to supply video and still images of Space Shuttle Columbia on its return flight to Earth. There has been a great public response, officials said, but more material will help the investigation of the Columbia accident.Columbia glided across the

  • DOD's top space official committed to space discovery

    Just days after Space Shuttle Columbia broke apart in the skies over Texas, the Department of Defense's executive agent for space said the nation's program would go on."I think we're all (still) reeling and will be for some time," said Peter B. Teets, undersecretary of the Air Force and the chief of

  • AFIT stands up systems engineering center

    Air Force Institute of Technology officials have established a center for systems engineering.The center will help focus efforts to revitalize systems engineering within the Air Force."Many of our current system-acquisition programs are suffering from a lack of attention to or inconsistent

  • Teets: Space access vital to warfighting efforts

    America needs to redouble its efforts to make sure the nation has a vigorous and successful national security space program, the Defense Department's executive agent for space said.According to Peter B. Teets, undersecretary of the Air Force and director of the National Reconnaissance Office, access

  • GPS jamming no 'silver bullet' for potential adversaries

    Iraq and other potential adversaries may have the ability to jam global positioning system signals, but Air Force war planners are not too worried about the effect of jamming on precision munitions.In fact, it is a challenge they have been anticipating for a long time, and they are confident in

  • Group honors Air Force engineers

    Thirteen Air Force members will be honored for their achievements during the 17th Annual Black Engineer of the Year Awards Conference Feb. 13 to 15 in Baltimore.The conference is sponsored by Career Communications Group, which was founded to promote significant minority achievement in engineering,

  • AF testers recognized for achievements

    Three Air Force people will receive the National Defense Industrial Association's Air Force Tester of the Year award in a ceremony Feb. 26 in Victoria, British Columbia.The award recognizes government civilian, military and contract testers who made significant contributions in the field of testing

  • Space-age coating protecting against terrorism

    With the threat of global terrorist action growing daily, the Department of Defense's vital work force and assets must be adequately protected.In response to this threat, engineers at the Air Force Research Laboratory Materials and Manufacturing Directorate developed a method for providing crucial

  • AF, Navy weather shops join forces

    The 40th Expeditionary Operational Support Squadron combat weather team completed its merger with the Naval Central Meteorology and Oceanography Detachment recently.At the beginning of the Air and Space Expeditionary Force 7/8 rotation, officers in charge of the Air Force and Navy weather shops

  • Secretary Rumsfeld visits base in Italy

    Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld told servicemembers during a town hall meeting here Feb. 7 that they "stand between fear and freedom, and America is counting on its military."Rumsfeld visited the Air Force's only fighter wing south of the Alps for a few hours as part of a trip to gain European

  • Air National Guard supports shuttle efforts

    Air National Guard airmen joined the grim and painstaking search for debris from Space Shuttle Columbia soon after it disintegrated over Texas.Two F-15 Eagles from the Louisiana Air Guard's 159th Fighter Wing began an aerial search for wreckage over the vast region of eastern Texas and southwestern

  • Office responds to Columbia disaster

    Within seconds of NASA's announcement that it had lost contact with Space Shuttle Columbia on Feb. 1, the Department of Defense's manned space flight support office here initiated its catastrophic incident checklists.The DDMS mission is to coordinate NASA requests for Defense Department-unique

  • Captain nearly loses identity

    The mysterious $644 debit could easily have gone unnoticed last November. The identity thieves preferred it that way. But, Capt. Greg Wood, 90th Space Wing executive officer, noticed the out-of-place debit and quickly investigated its appearance."I asked my wife if she got me something extra

  • Eglin engineers test bombs with brains

    Determining if warheads can penetrate underground targets and detonate after counting floor levels or measuring depth was the focus of recent sled testing on a Hard Target Smart Fuze here.HTSF engineering team members placed the fuze in an inert warhead on a 2,000-foot test track and sent it through

  • Secretary, chief send Columbia 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:"On Saturday, 1 February 2003, our nation and the world lost seven courageous, talented individuals when the Space Shuttle Columbia Orbiter (STS-107) experienced

  • Two airmen among seven lost in shuttle disaster

    Two Air Force officers were among the seven astronauts lost when the Space Shuttle Columbia apparently broke apart at 9 a.m. EST Feb.1 in the area over north central Texas. Col. Rick Husband was the mission commander and Lt. Col. Michael Anderson was the payload commander.The shuttle was preparing

  • DOD supporting shuttle search effort

    The Department of Defense assets currently involved in search, security and transportation operations related to the loss of Space Shuttle Columbia include:-- Air Force: C-141 aircraft from McGuire Air Force Base, N.J., will be used to transport NASA's rapid response team from Kennedy Space Center,

  • Force modules give commanders 'playbook'

    The Air Force is developing a "playbook" that will allow combatant commanders to better manage their air assets, particularly in the area of opening and establishing forward bases.According to Maj. Gen. Timothy A. Peppe, special assistant for air and space expeditionary forces at the Pentagon, the

  • Fighter squadron deactivating after deployment

    "Mission complete" are familiar words of relief to military people who have completed their duty and relinquished their post.However, these words carry more meaning for 55th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron airmen as they complete their Operation Northern Watch mission here and prepare to deactivate

  • AF cancels B-1 defensive upgrade

    Air Force officials recently announced that the service was canceling the B-1B Lancer's Defensive System Upgrade Program because of cost overruns and schedule slips, but remains committed to improving the aircraft's combat capability.The DSUP was intended to replace the B-1's current defensive suite

  • Leaders announce new core competencies

    The Air Force's senior leaders debuted the service's new approach to describing its core competencies this week.Secretary of the Air Force Dr. James G. Roche and Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper made this announcement in two separate messages to all airmen. Roche released his first "The

  • Air Force moves to institutionalize enterprise architecture

    Leaders of the Air Force's information technology, warfighting integration and operations communities took a major step recently to further the service's transformation efforts by creating the Air Force enterprise architecture council structure.Enterprise architecture is a formal process designed to

  • Program keeps pilots awake, alert

    Fatigue kills.In the high-speed, high-stress environment of the combat aviator, it is a fact of life, and Air Force officials are doing what they can to ensure aircrew members are armed with the ability to fight an internal enemy that is potentially as deadly as a surface-to-air missile.Those

  • Operation Gray Eagle unites military people with retirees

    Veterans and new recruits seldom move in the same circles. But that has changed here.The base has started a trial program, Operation Gray Eagle, which unites veterans living in the Denver area with students in the base's airmen leadership school for a session that seeks to pass experience and

  • Now showing: Jan. 6 edition of Air Force Television News

    The Jan. 6 edition of Air Force Television News is the second of four special editions of the program; an extended interview with Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Gerald Murray. Interviewed by Staff Sgt. Pachari Lutke, Murray discusses a wide range of topics, including retention and recruiting

  • Air Force prepares for major deployment

    Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld directed the deployment of additional forces to support operations Enduring Freedom, Desert Spring and possible future contingencies Dec. 24.The additional active-duty forces in Air and Space Expeditionary Forces 7 and 8 as well as selected forces from AEFs 9

  • Total Force Band stars in parade

    The Air Force showed its true colors Jan. 1 here when members of the Total Force Band performed in the 114th Tournament of Roses Parade.The band, comprised of men and women from active-duty, Reserve and Guard components, marched for the second year in a row."Now more than ever, it's important to

  • Former Soviet officer joins Air Force

    When stories about job changes come up in conversation, it is hard to top 2nd Lt. Chris Sverkounov.The recent Air and Space Basic Course student here went from being a lieutenant in the Soviet army to a commission in the U.S. Air Force."I'm extremely excited about being an officer again," said

  • Enlisted members hit the books at AFIT

    The secretary of the Air Force's initiative to mold a technically educated force is paying off for the eight senior noncommissioned officers selected to pursue master's degrees at the Air Force's premier graduate school.The enrollment of enlisted members into the Air Force Institute of Technology,

  • AF, Navy form alliance to better meet education needs

    The Air Force and Navy formed an agreement Dec. 18 to meet the advanced education requirements of both services and the Department of Defense.This educational alliance will leverage the capabilities of the Air Force Institute of Technology at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, and the Naval

  • Air Force supports relief mission in Guam

    Air Force C-5 Galaxy aircrews have flown more than 58 missions to deliver 1,200 tons of Federal Emergency Management Agency equipment and supplies to Guam after Typhoon Pongsona hit the island on Dec. 8.The aircraft also ferried more than 45 people, mostly family members, from Andersen Air Force

  • Centennial of Flight kicks off year of festivities

    A yearlong recognition of aviation began here Dec. 17 with the U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission's national kickoff.Among those in attendance were a retired member of the Tuskegee Airmen and a former Air Force pilot who flew with the Flying Tigers during World War II.Wilbur and Orville Wright

  • A rad reading

    Senior Airman Pamela Wiggins from the 810th Medical Operations Squadron here tests a 21st Security Forces Squadron member for radiation contamination during a weapons-of-mass-destruction exercise Dec. 11. The 21st Space Wing inspector general and a team of experts from Texas A&M University put the

  • Air Force kicks off Centennial of Flight celebration

    The Air Force joins the yearlong Centennial of Flight celebration on Dec. 17 that commemorates the 100th anniversary of the Wright brothers' first powered flight.The Air Force will participate in centennial events honoring a century of aviation heroes and communicate its contributions to airpower,

  • Forces rotate for Operation Northern Watch

    More than 1,000 airmen are replacing Operation Northern Watch veterans as the Air and Space Expeditionary Force system performs its regular three-month rotation from late November through the first part of December.Based at Incirlik Air Base, Turkey, the new airmen join Turkish and British coalition

  • Combat weather teams key in mission planning

    When reporters describe the successes of the air war on terrorism, they frequently speak of special operations forces using global positioning system receivers and radios to direct laser-guided bombs to their targets.These stories are accurate and make for good video, but they only touch the surface

  • Group rescues man at sea

    A medical emergency at sea turned into a dramatic humanitarian mission for the 920th Rescue Group here Dec. 8. The emergency also provided the unit its first chance to use a new satellite-based tracking and communications system during a rescue.Crews from Air Force Reserve Command's 920th RQG was

  • Now showing: Dec. 9 edition of Air Force Television News

    The potential problem of recruiting members of the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve because of lengthy mobilization and operations tempo is featured in the latest edition of Air Force Television News. Both Assistant Defense Secretary Thomas Hall and Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz

  • Doctrine outreach improves airmen performance

    In an ongoing effort to increase awareness and understanding of doctrine, the Air Force Doctrine Center here has taken on a more missionary type of role. If feedback and firsthand reports from the field are an indication, it appears AFDC's efforts to share the doctrine "gospel" have had an