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  • New flag-folding script focuses on history, AF significance

    Air Force leaders recently approved a new script that can be read during flag-folding ceremonies. Though there are no official ceremonies in the Air Force that require a script to be read when a flag is folded, unofficial ceremonies such as retirements often do, said Lt. Col. Samuel Hudspath, Air

  • Airmen support PACAF operations while deployed

    About 300 Airmen from Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho, are perfecting their F-15E Strike Eagle skills during an air and space expeditionary force deployment here. “Our deployment here has been excellent,” said Capt. Joe Ryther, an F-15E pilot with the 391st Expeditionary Fighter Squadron.

  • Firefighters: more than fighting blazes

    While many children may have dreamed about being firefighters when they grew up, only a small handful of people actually chased down those dreams.For the more than 80 people with the 366th Civil Engineer Squadron’s fire protection flight here, being the ones who rush into a burning building is more

  • Total force shares capabilities

    The assistant secretary of the Air Force for Manpower and Reserve Affairs told a panel of Base Realignment and Closure commissioners the Air Force would change its size and modify its missions.The Air Force will become smaller in terms of the number of aircraft the service keeps. If the Air Force's

  • Training keeping Spangdahlem ‘Warthogs’ ready to deploy

    A-10 Thunderbolt II pilots at this hilltop base are busy flying and training for their next deployment, which could be to Afghanistan -- again.That is not a certainty, but deploying to Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan, is almost routine for the 81st Fighter Squadron. As the only A-10 unit stationed in

  • Air Force seeks stories from ‘9/11 Generation’

    The face of the world changed when terrorists intentionally crashed commercial aircraft into the Twin Towers in New York and into the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001. A global audience watched the attacks live on television, and the repeated images haunted many for weeks, months or even years.These

  • Mechanics keep war effort rolling

    High-mobility multipurpose-wheeled vehicles began serving America’s Soldiers, Airmen and Marines worldwide in 1983. For 22 years the vehicle has been an icon for troops supporting the full spectrum of operations from humanitarian and disaster relief to major theater war.The Humvee has proven its

  • Spangdahlem’s new airlift mission has room for expansion

    The 726th Airlift Support Squadron has not finished moving here from Rhein-Main Air Base, but its new home might have already earned it a bigger airlift mission.On Oct. 1, the squadron starts operations from its state-of-the art facility at this longtime fighter base in Germany’s Eifel region. It

  • Only sky proves limit for ‘mountain men’

    For some people, reaching the top is enough. For two 352nd Special Operations Group pilots here, reaching the top of the world was not enough.Capt. Rob Marshall of the 67th Special Operations Squadron, and 1st Lt. Mark Uberuaga of the 21st Special Operations Squadron, recently returned from

  • U.S., Russia strengthening ties through Moscow air show

    When it comes to forging bonds and strengthening relationships, it seems that the U.S. and Russia have gotten the hang of it. About 100 U.S. servicemembers and eight U.S. aircraft are playing an active part in the Moscow International Aviation and Space Salon from Aug. 16 to 21 at Ramenskoye

  • Kirkuk’s tower controls sky

    “Kirkuk tower; snake one one. Flight of two checking in eight miles out established on final.”“Snake one one; Kirkuk tower. Check wheels down wind, estimated zero one zero at five, cleared to land.”Like a scene from a movie, this real-world scenario features the official “talk” of air traffic

  • C-130 maintainers sustain mission readiness

    A combined team of active-duty and Guard C-130 Hercules maintainers with the 774th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron are keeping mission-capable rates for the base’s fleet in the high 90s.The squadron, comprising active-duty Airmen and guardsmen working together as part of the air mobility team,

  • First Air Force Stryker unit deploys to Iraq

    The first Air Force Stryker unit marked its first deployment with the high-tech Army vehicle when it departed here Aug. 14 for Iraq.About 20 Airmen from the 3rd Air Support Operations Squadron deployed with the Army’s 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, both stationed at nearby Fort Wainwright.“Our

  • Museum of Aviation earns national accreditation

    The Museum of Aviation here has been awarded national accreditation by the American Association of Museums.The recognition places the museum in a group of only nine aviation museums in the nation that have met the AAM standards of achievement. Accreditation signifies excellence within the museum

  • What's in a name?

    When researching what to call their children, parents often turn to a book of popular names. Or, they may select one they have heard simply because they like it.The process is not so simple when naming a military aerospace vehicle. For the Air Force and its sister services, the process begins

  • U.S. Air Force lands at Moscow air show

    U.S. Air Force maintainers chocked and secured six aircraft at Ramenskoye Airfield here Aug. 14, as they prepared to participate in the Moscow International Aviation and Space Salon.About 100 U.S. serviceembers are playing an active part in the Moscow air show Aug. 16 to 21, where visitors can get a

  • FTF set to leave lasting impression in Pacific theater

    The Air Force broke ground last August for the first Pacific Air Forces C-17 Globemaster III squadron based outside the continental United States. One year later, using the Future Total Force initiative with an eye toward the future, Hickam Air Force Base is building a strong foundation for a new

  • Kadena medics gain knowledge while deployed

    Aeromedical nurses and technicians here are helping save hundreds of servicemembers’ who are supporting Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. Aside from tending to the sick and wounded, these Airmen are gaining invaluable experience working in a multiservice operation, and treating injuries

  • U.S. military set to take part in Moscow air show

    Eight U.S. Air Force aircraft and 100 people will participate in the Moscow International Air Show 2005 at Ramenskoye Airfield, Russia, from Aug. 16 to 21.Aircraft will include two F-15E Strike Eagles, two F-16 Fighting Falcons, a KC-10 Extender, a KC-135 Stratotanker and two B-1B Lancers.The B-1B

  • Rhein-Main still ticking as closure looms nears

    Though this base’s mission ends Oct. 1, its people are still doing what made it the Air Force’s premier airlift hub in Europe -- airlift support.The base, which shares runways with Frankfurt International Airport, has been drawing down since 1999 for its December closure. Its landmass has already

  • Airmen test new small diameter bomb system

    Gunfighters with the 366th Maintenance Group here put their skills to use when they tested a new small diameter bomb system Aug. 3 to 5.The GBU-39 Small Diameter Bomb system is a low-cost, precision-strike weapon system that will soon be used by fighters, bombers and unmanned combat air vehicles.

  • Firefighters prepared when disaster strikes

    When there is an emergency, they are on the scene protecting Airmen and resources. But firefighters here do more than just battle flames; their inspections and training programs are tools they use to prevent emergencies that pose risks to fellow Airmen.“We provide aircraft crash rescue and

  • BRAC focus on right-sizing total force

    The co-chairman of the Air Force's base closure executive group recently discussed the views the Air Force took when considering the Base Realignment and Closure recommendations."We have to base our future Air Force on a smaller but more capable force, and organize that force in the most effective

  • Vandenberg aids in Discovery landing

    The Space Shuttle Discovery landed safely Aug. 9 at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., partly because of the efforts of Airmen at the 30th Space Wing here.Airmen in Western Range operations and the 76th Helicopter Flight supported the re-entry and landing of the shuttle at Edwards after it was unable

  • Five Airmen -- brothers in fight for freedom

    The remains of five Airmen, brothers in arms to bring freedom to the nation of Iraq, were buried here Aug. 11 with full military honors.They were Maj. William Downs of the 6th Special Operations Squadron at Hurlburt Field, Fla.; Capt. Jeremy Fresques of the 23rd Special Tactics Squadron at Hurlburt

  • AMC 'total force’ rushes to aid of trapped Russian sailors

    It was a total force effort by Air Mobility Command active-duty, Reserve and Air National Guard units in a long-distance rescue effort Aug. 5 to free seven Russian sailors trapped in a submarine 625 feet beneath the sea. The Russian sub became tangled in a fishing net Aug. 4 during a military

  • Airmen join Sailors, Marines for JASEX 05

    Airmen from Kadena and Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho, sharpened their joint warfighting skills during a third annual multiservice exercise designed to bring together U.S. air and naval power in the Pacific.The Joint Air and Sea Exercise 2005 also lured in about 30 Navy and Marine Corps

  • March receives AFRC’s first C-17

    The 452nd Air Mobility Wing here received Air Force Reserve Command’s first C-17 Globemaster III Aug. 9. Maj. Gen. Robert E. Duignan, 4th Air Force commander, and an aircrew from the 452nd AMW made the flight from the Boeing’s Long Beach, Calif., facility to the base.“We’re extremely proud and

  • Aeromedical evacuation improvements saving lives

    Better training, more advanced equipment and aeromedical evacuation procedures that are constantly being improved are helping save the lives of thousands of wounded servicemembers in Iraq and Afghanistan, Air Force medical officers said.Lt. Col. (Dr.) Warren Dorlac, chief of critical care and trauma

  • Rhein-Main transition on track

    The more than $465-million project to return Rhein-Main Air Base to Germany by Dec. 31 is “on track,” the Rhein-Main Transition Program chief said.Col. Tom Schnee, of U.S. Air Forces in Europe here, also said by Oct. 31 the command will finish shifting Rhein-Main’s key airlift mission to Ramstein

  • Bagram runway reopens after C-17 incident

    A C-17 Globemaster III rolled off the runway while landing here Aug. 6, damaging its nose and right main landing gears.As a result, the runway was closed, but quick action and creative thinking by Air Force and Army engineers had the runway fully active again in less than 30 hours.There were no

  • Report: Stabilator failure caused F-15 crash

    The failure of one of an F-15 Eagle's horizontal stabilators caused its pilot to lose control of his aircraft and crash during a training mission March 25, an Air Combat Command Investigation Board report on Aug. 9.The crash occurred during defensive basic fighter maneuver training with another

  • Kadena Airmen rescue stranded surfer

    A day of surfing in Okinawa could have turned deadly for a Marine Corps family member the evening of Aug. 5 had it not been for the quick efforts of Airmen here.An HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter crew jumped into action after the Japanese coast guard asked Kadena's 18th Wing for assistance in finding a

  • Future Total Force in step with PACAF mission

    As the Future Total Force initiative integrates with Air Force operations in the Pacific, the transition is looking good, said the Pacific Air Forces commander.“The transformational pieces of our capabilities are clearly in the form of long-range bombers, the C-17 (Globemaster III), F/A-22 (Raptor)

  • Life support technicians inspect, maintain survival equipment

    The 774th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron's life support section is full of aircrew life support technicians who work hard every day since their work can mean "life or death" for C-130 Hercules aircrews and passengers.Life support equipment always has to be in tip-top condition to be ready whenever a

  • Deployed Airmen reflect bravery, selfless determination

    Security forces Airmen here have demonstrated their bravery in the face of the enemy as they work side by side with Soldiers in detainee operations.Col. Jim Brown, 18th Military Police Brigade commander, praised the Airmen with the 447th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron for their noble

  • ‘Dragon Lady’ celebrates 50th anniversary

    As people stood by eagerly awaiting its arrival, the U-2 "Dragon Lady," queen of the aerial surveillance and reconnaissance kingdom, glided onto the runway here Aug. 2 proclaiming the beginning of a celebration. Based at Beale Air Force Base, Calif., the U-2 was here as a static display in

  • AMC answers call to help rescue Russian sailors

    Air Mobility Command was called upon Aug. 5 to assist in the rescue effort to save seven Russian sailors stranded aboard a submarine off Russia's Pacific coast.The minisubmarine, an AS-28, became tangled in a fishing net Aug. 4 during a military exercise near the Kamchatka peninsula in Siberia.AMC

  • Report: Failed pilot bearing caused Predator crash

    A failed pilot bearing caused an MQ-1 Predator unmanned aerial vehicle to crash in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility March 30, according to an Air Force report released Aug. 4.The Predator, assigned to the 57th Wing at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., was performing an intelligence,

  • Better than aviation education is a really cool patch

    About 43,000 Boy Scouts departed this Army installation Aug. 3 after 10 days of scouting, camping and learning. As part of the 2005 National Scout Jamboree, Boy Scouts nationwide gathered to make new friends, practice their scouting skills and earn "merit badges." Thanks to retired Lt. Col. Tom

  • Edwards, Eglin combine testing on next-generation F-16

    Combining two aircraft missions into one is not an easy feat, but that is exactly what engineers and pilots from here and Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., are testing. In the process, they have also combined operational and developmental into one testing effort.Five F-16 Fighting Falcons and aircrews

  • Airmen support Soldiers with airdrop

    To keep yet another convoy off the road, 386th Air Expeditionary Wing aircrews at this forward-deployed location recently gave a textbook example of what agile combat support is all about.Several C-130 Hercules airdropped more than 69,000 pounds of Meals, Ready to Eat to U.S. and Iraqi Soldiers

  • Cold steel warms Airmen’s hearts

    The 446th Airlift Wing's aircraft maintenance crews are known for expertise on the job, but it is the tight, family like structure that helps keep them bonded together. Once again, they have come up with their own unique way to maintain that close-knit atmosphere, even while thousands of miles

  • Fuels Airmen keep more than planes operational

    For 19 years now, Master Sgt. David Chandler’s mother proudly tells everyone she meets that her son “passes gas for a living” in the U.S. Air Force.The fuels manager with the 407th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron fuels management flight here is not fazed. He is heard them all and is ready

  • Critical days continue to take Airmen

    The fatal auto accident that claimed the lives of two Airmen in Germany recently raised the Air Force’s death toll to 24 during this year’s “101 Critical Days of Summer.”While that number is fairly typical for summer fatalities, it is still too high, said Tom Pazell, deputy chief of Air Force Ground

  • Tomorrow’s leaders get first-hand look at life after academy

    While most college students enjoy the summer out of school, U.S. Air Force Academy cadets use their break for a look into the future.Operation Air Force sends cadets to Air Force bases worldwide to give them a taste of what life will be like when they become commissioned officers.For the past two

  • Crew chiefs turn bombers like fighters

    Postmen have nothing on these guys, particularly Tech. Sgt. Shannon Reynolds, a crew chief with the 40th Expeditionary Maintenance Squadron at this forward-deployed location.He is one of 37 crew chiefs from Minot Air Force Base, N.D., who not only contend with bitterly cold winters and mountains of

  • Staging facility takes over where hospital leaves off

    It is 10:30 p.m., and the 332nd Expeditionary Medical Group’s contingency aeromedical staging facility here is a flurry of activity. The doctors, nurses and technicians are making their rounds while other Airmen are checking in new arrivals, processing movement paperwork, palletizing bags and making

  • Team effort brings America’s wounded troops home

    Moving wounded American servicemembers from the frontlines in Southwest Asia to hospitals in the United States is no easy task. The effort requires everything from treating patients in forward-deployed locations to airlifting and caring for them as they move from overseas to stateside locations.One

  • Spangdahlem pilots fly missions in Romania

    About 160 Airmen from the 81st Fighter Squadron at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, recently conducted the first Air Force fighter training mission in Constanta, Romania.The two-week exercise that ended July 31 aligned with Romanian-American Training Exercise 2005, a joint and combined effort with the

  • Uzbeks ask U.S. to leave Karshi-Khanabad

    Uzbekistan has exercised its rights under an October 2001 bilateral agreement to end coalition use of Karshi-Khanabad airfield.The Uzbek government delivered a note July 29 to the U.S. embassy in Tashkent giving the United States 180 days to withdraw its forces from the strategic field. About 800

  • Guard, Reserve integrate seamlessly into Nellis organization

    Organizations at the Air Warfare Center here are taking the concept, “One Team, One Fight,” literally and are combining active duty, Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve Command personnel in all mission areas.“This is a smarter, better way of doing business, because we’re able to capitalize on

  • Air Force fighting fires at home

    Guardsmen and reservists are used to international situations that call for them to put out fires. Now, they are doing it here at home -- literally.More than 60 guardsmen and four specially equipped C-130 Hercules from North Carolina and Wyoming Air National Guard units are battling blazes in the

  • Battlelab develops C-5 aircrew night vision system

    C-5 Galaxy aircrews must tape over some white lights in the cockpit of their huge aircraft before missions into a “blacked out” environment when they must use night vision goggles.Sometimes crews use flashlights or even pull circuit breakers and light bulbs for other light systems to minimize the

  • Predator operators see whole picture

    Each MQ-1 Predator unmanned aerial vehicle mission flown in the Iraqi sky begins and ends here.Predator operators deployed here put the aircraft in the air and make sure it lands safely. Sitting side by side in the “cockpit,” enlisted Airmen and officers work as a team providing top cover to

  • Aeromedical evacuation process key to saving lives in Iraq

    In battle, one of the hardest challenges is saving the wounded. Medical professionals encounter injuries not normally seen in peacetime, and many times see multiple life-threatening injures requiring immediate treatment on the battlefield.Another problem is moving patients across hot desert sands on

  • Deployed leaders take ‘vest-ed’ interest in being cool

    The first test was in an outhouse.Saddled in the middle of Baghdad -- where temperatures are reaching at least 120 degrees -- that outhouse had all the qualities Capt. James Ross needed to test his idea to cool off flightline logistics workers from the stifling heat.His idea -- a “cool vest.” The

  • Friendship stands strong when duty calls

    Two families here will share a life-changing event in August.Robin Lawley, McConnell Base Exchange barber shop manager, will receive a liver transplant in August.To her surprise, the donor is a longtime customer and friend, Charles Smith, 22nd Security Forces Squadron information and industrial

  • First Future Total Force wing proves successful

    The first Future Total Force wing, the 116th Air Control Wing, is nearing its third birthday since merging active-duty Air Force, Army and Air National Guard units to form a “blended wing.”In October 2002, America’s first total force wing took flight as the 116th ACW and made history by combining

  • Davis-Monthan woman recognized for helping environment

    An environmental engineer here won $2,500 from “Good Housekeeping” magazine as a runner-up for the magazine’s Women in Government award.Karen Oden is assigned to the 355th Civil Engineer Squadron.The women selected for the award worked endless hours overcoming huge hurdles to make big changes,

  • Shaw F-16s intercept shuttle airspace violator

    Two F-16 Fighting Falcons, enforcing a temporary no-fly zone around the Space Shuttle Discovery launch site at Cape Canaveral, Fla., intercepted and escorted a small civilian aircraft from the area July 26.It was during the nine-minute hold in the countdown when the pilots recieved the call from

  • Cope North bilateral exercise wraps up in Guam

    The thunder in the Guam sky has subsided with the conclusion of Cope North, a bilateral exercise between Airmen from the U.S. Air Force and the Japan air self-defense force.The exercise, which ended July 21, was designed to enhance U.S. and Japanese air operations by training in air combat tactics,

  • Airmen missing from Vietnam War identified

    Officials with the Department of Defense Prisoner of War/Missing Personnel Office announced July 26 that the remains of two Airmen, missing in action from the Vietnam War, have been identified and are being returned to their families for burial with full military honors.They are Col. James Lewis of

  • Predictability added to deployed travel

    Most deployed Airmen know how far along they are in their rotation and when they expect to return home.Until recently, that date was mostly speculation, but, thanks to aggregation, Airmen will know exactly when their replacement is coming and when they will leave.U.S. Central Command Air Forces

  • U.S. still welcome at Manas, Kyrgyzstan minister says

    The United States is welcome to continue using Manas Air Base, Kyrgyzstan's defense minister said here July 26.Gen.Maj. Ismail Isakov also said that any future movement of U.S. troops out of Kyrgyzstan "fully depends upon the situation in Afghanistan." After Afghanistan is stabilized there would be

  • Airmen maintain airlift operations in Africa

    The early morning roar of eight engines from two C-130 Hercules here is music to the ears of the aircraft maintainers watching over them. To Airmen with the 86th Air Expeditionary Group’s maintenance team from Ramstein Air Base, Germany, it means the mission which began July 16 to bring Rwandan

  • Tankers take care of deployed aircrews

    Airman 1st Class Robert Willis celebrated his 21st birthday in a rather unusual manner July 22 -- offloading 85,200 pounds of jet fuel at 27,500 feet to a B-52 Stratofortress bound for Afghanistan.It was merely another day at the “office” for the boom operator on the KC-135 Stratotanker air

  • Future Total Force arrives for duty in Vermont

    Airman 1st Class Kirshell LaCroix had not even graduated from technical school when she decided to jump into the Future Total Force. She landed in South Burlington, Vt., about a month ago, and the 20-year-old electrical and environmental aircraft maintenance apprentice said it looks like she made

  • Teamwork moves Rwandan troops

    It takes a lot more than Hercules to move Rwandan Defense Force members to the Darfur region of the Sudan. The C-130 Hercules needs a team working together to make sure things go right. In fact, there were 10 crewmembers on each of the flights working together to ensure the 13-hour, round-trip

  • Planes soar thanks to Baghdad's ‘tower of power’

    Except for a thick dusty haze squatting on the city from day to day, Baghdad and the surrounding Iraqi countryside would be completely visible from here. Being 180 feet taller than almost any other vantage point in the city, Baghdad International Airport's control tower has certain advantages.The

  • Reserve improves safety, floor space on rescue helicopters

    Air Force Reserve Command’s 15 combat search and rescue helicopters will get improved crew seats and more cabin space to care for rescued people when modifications are complete this year. The HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters will feature safer, more ergonomic cabin crew seats, and new auxiliary fuel

  • Supersonic JDAM drop marks increase in Raptor capability

    As the midafternoon sun blazed on the Mojave Desert and thunderclouds loomed in the distance, a sleek dark gray war bird took to the sky to push the envelope of flight testing.At the controls, Maj. John Teichert, a 411th Flight Test Squadron test pilot, pushed the F/A-22 Raptor past Mach 1, opened

  • On target: Ammo Airmen do bang up job

    Tucked away behind tall bunkers and old engine parts lays a unique greenhouse with a special crop.Inside a crop of bullets, bombs and explosives receive care and attention fro a group of unique Airmen.From inspections and maintenance to overall accountability, the Airmen of the 332nd Expeditionary

  • Blue Flag starts with bang at Nellis, Hurlburt Field

    Joint forces from around the United States, along with 11 coalition partners, converged here and at the Combined Air Operations Center at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., for the start of Blue Flag 05-02 on July 24.About 2,000 joint troops, led by 9th Air Force, are participating at the two locations

  • Test pilot school selection board date set

    Air Force officials plan to hold the next test pilot school selection board at the Air Force Personnel Center here Nov. 28 to Dec. 2 for classes beginning in July 2006 and January 2007.The U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School trains pilots and navigators as well as civilian and military engineers to

  • Future Total Force outlined on Capitol Hill

    There will be no "gap" between the end of assigned missions for Air National Guard units and the beginning of their replacement missions.In testimony before the House Armed Services Committee on July 20, the director of Air Force plans and programs told legislators the service is working hard to

  • Airmen make two saves in one day

    Lying on the ground, he leaned his head and saw the small bird that filled the air with the sounds of a warm summer afternoon. The sun had woken him earlier and lit the mountaintops, which burst into an array of color.As the summer breeze cooled him, Alexander Ryan thought of the events that placed

  • Airmen deliver fuel in flight

    Staff Sgt. Jonny Gomez is not the type of guy to take something lying down, but he is extremely proficient at giving it out that way.Giving fuel, that is, and when he is belly down in the boom pod of a KC-135 Stratotanker, the responsibility of aerial refueling aircraft supporting the war on

  • Airmen keep ground equipment working, mission flying

    Even though they are maintainers, they do not turn a single wrench on a jet. But without them neither does anyone else.Bomber aerospace ground equipment Airmen work around-the-clock to maintain a 95.9-percent in-commission rate on the 121 pieces of equipment maintainers, back shops, weapons loaders

  • Airmen support Soldiers, Marines with up-armor kits

    Soldiers and Marines can thank a team of blue-suited warriors at this forward-deployed location for helping put new armor on vehicles they use to battle insurgents.Airmen of the 8th Expeditionary Air Mobility Squadron are on a 24-hour treadmill, racing to provide life-saving and force-protection

  • USAFE helps Rwandan troops deploy to Darfur

    A C-17 Globemaster III departed here July 18 carrying 95 Rwandan troops deploying to help ease the humanitarian crisis in the Darfur region of Sudan. The airlift started the 86th Aerospace Expeditionary Group’s involvement in NATO’s support to the African Union expanded mission in the region. The

  • Milwaukee C-130 crew earns flying award

    Six reservists earned the 2004 Air Force Association Outstanding Reserve Aircrew Award for safely landing their C-130 Hercules after it was damaged by enemy ground fire, officials announced July 13.Maj. Rolf Breen and his crew from Milwaukee's 440th Airlift Wing saved not only themselves and their

  • USAFE supports Royal International Air Tattoo

    More than 150,000 people attended the 2005 Royal International Air Tattoo here July 16 and 17, air show officials said. The air show has been officially named by the “Guinness Book of Records” as the world’s largest military air show with participation of more than 300 aircraft from more than 30

  • Airmen keep mission rolling

    Every day, dozens of C-130 Hercules aircraft at this forward-deployed location fly to Iraq with their bellies full of critical supplies and people to support the war on terrorism.But the cargo does not just magically appear in the aircraft. Airmen of the 386th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness

  • Ramstein planes, Airmen depart for Darfur mission

    Three C-130 Hercules from the 86th Airlift Wing and about 40 Airmen here left July 16 for Kigali, Rwanda, to begin a monthlong airlift mission to the Darfur region of Sudan. The mission is part of NATO’s response to support the African Union’s expanded peacekeeping mission in Darfur with logistics

  • Reservists airlift dolphin to Florida

    No one knows how or why Noah, a rough-toothed dolphin, ended up near death on a Texas beach last August; however his journey home drew national attention July 15 when he was loaded onto a C-130J Hercules for a flight to Florida.A crew from Air Force Reserve Command’s 815th Airlift Squadron here was

  • Captain deployed with German helicopter unit in Kosovo

    Since Vietnam, helicopters have proven how invaluable they are in day-to-day operations in a combat zone because of their flexibility. Today’s helicopter crews must be “jacks of all trades,” ready to fly whatever mission they are assigned.One Airman assigned to the German contingent supporting

  • 'Families First' to transform personal moves

    The process of servicemembers moving their household goods -- virtually unchanged for many years -- is about to transform.The Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command here is developing a new process called “Families First,” scheduled to launch Feb. 1, 2006."We are extremely proud to

  • Flying force-multiplier provides eyes forward

    A small, lightweight airborne surveillance system is paying big dividends in helping the 379th Security Forces Squadron accomplish its mission while safeguarding the Air Force’s most valuable asset -- Airmen.The system serves as eyes forward for security forces Airmen and provides a visual of

  • Afghanistan launches regional air control center

    The Kabul Air Control Center officially opened July 12 with a ceremony presided by the second vice president of Afghanistan.“The formal opening of the Kabul Air Control Center symbolizes the success of the people of Afghanistan, the Ministry of Transport and coalition forces,” said Brig. Gen. Allen

  • F-16 pilots provide support for troops on the battlefield

    In an instant they are gone, but the 510th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron’s F-16 Fighting Falcons can be found in the Iraqi sky providing air support for servicemembers fighting against insurgents on the ground. The 510th EFS provides support for ground commanders countrywide. These tasks include

  • Red Horse Airmen keep Afghan supply lanes open

    The sight of a C-17 Globemaster III coming in for a landing here can be awe-inspiring. The 174-foot-long transport drops from the sky in an instant. Its thrust-reversing engines create a thunderous sound that lets all around know it has landed.More importantly, with a payload of up to 170,900

  • Brothers reunite in Iraq, share security patrol mission

    When many Americans think about the Army, they envision gunslinging Soldiers securing a tactical area.When they think about the Air Force, many visualize pilots or mechanics preparing to launch an aircraft.Two brothers deployed to Iraq, however, dispel those stereotypes.Staff Sgt. Brian Czerniak, a

  • McNabb nominated to command AMC

    President Bush has nominated Lt. Gen. Duncan J. McNabb for the rank of general and to command Air Mobility Command at Scott Air Force Base, Ill.General McNabb is currently the director of logistics for the Joint Staff at the Pentagon. Before that assignment he was the Air Force deputy chief of

  • Military astronauts prepare for Discovery mission

    The Defense Department will be well-represented when Space Shuttle Discovery launches into space July 13, with three of the seven crewmembers from the military, including the commander, retired Col. Eileen Collins.As the clock ticks toward the scheduled 3:51 p.m. EDT liftoff, crews are making final

  • Arnold AFB linked to space shuttle return-to-flight program

    The Arnold Engineering Development Center here played an important role in supporting NASA’s space shuttle return-to-flight program that will culminate with the July 13 scheduled launch of Space Shuttle Discovery.Following the February 2003 breakup of Space Shuttle Columbia during re-entry into the

  • Altus aircrew showcases dual-row airdrop

    An aircrew from the 58th Airlift Squadron here has made the first dual-row airdrop from a C-17 Globemaster III July 5."Dual row airdrops allow for twice as much cargo and heavy equipment to be delivered into a combat environment as compared to the conventional single row drop," said Lt. Col. Tal

  • Ammo, weapons Airmen get job done despite friendly rivalry

    While most, if not all, Airmen of the 40th Air Expeditionary Group take pride in their jobs, two seemingly similar specialties take it to a level where a friendly rivalry exists at this forward-deployed location.Make no mistake about the distinction between munitions and weapons Airmen. Those who

  • Edwards' warriors walk for cancer cure

    A broken arm is serious but will heal completely. The flu can leave one bedridden, but disappear in a week or so. But the effect of a chronic illness like cancer is there to stay -- it changes lives forever.This is how Michele Chebahtah, the 412th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron training manager,

  • Military taking precautions as Hurricane Dennis approaches

    Hurricane Dennis is bearing down on the United States, and servicemembers -- like others in the path of this Category 4 storm -- are taking precautions. The storm, which is moving toward the Florida Keys, has sustained winds of more than 140 miles per hour and could strengthen, said officials at the