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  • F-16 crashes at Nellis

    An Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon crashed short of the runway here at about 8:30 a.m. on March 18. The pilot ejected safely and was taken to the base hospital for evaluation, officials said.The aircraft was assigned to the U.S. Air Force Weapons School’s 16th Weapons Squadron. A board of officers

  • Airmen ready to rapidly repair runways

    Whether from a natural disaster or an enemy attack, when a runway is damaged, a dedicated team of civil engineers rapidly spring into action to make that landing strip usable.Known as a rapid runway repair team, the group comprises a crater team, a mat team, an airfield lighting team and a mobile

  • Air Force 2005 design and construction award winners named

    Air Force officials announced the winners of the 2005 Air Force Design Awards, Air Force Agent Awards and Air Force Design Excellence Awards.Recipients of an honor award in the design competition:-- Concept Design: indoor community pool at Osan Air Base, South Korea.-- Interior Design: bowling

  • Kadena children get deployment experience

    With a mobility bag slung heavily over one shoulder, the petite “Tech. Sgt.” Natasha Dumpert stands in a deployment line waiting for her immunizations before setting off for a deployment to Iraq.Oh, by the way, Natasha is 8-years-old and her immunizations are jellybeans.Natasha, along with more than

  • TMO Airmen keep people, cargo flowing

    The 2,000-pound, $100,000 aircraft part sitting in the maintenance hangar did not get here by a commercial carrier; it was packaged, shipped, tracked and delivered by Airmen of the Traffic Management Office.The Airmen in the 376th Logistics Readiness Squadron’s TMO section have seen an influx of

  • Air terminal operators keep OEF freight, passengers moving

    It could be a C-130 Hercules loaded with Airmen and Soldiers heading down range, a civilian cargo plane loaded to the hilt with mail for deployed troops or a C-17 Globemaster III carrying humanitarian supplies for some remote village in Afghanistan.Any time an aircraft lands with material for

  • Airmen keep Iraqi airways clear

    As 1st Lt. Damian Wanliss enters his cold, dark office, dimly lit by the green glare of the screen ahead, he takes a deep breath and anticipates another day of directing traffic in the chaotic Iraqi sky.The lieutenant, a 727th Expeditionary Air Control Squadron weapons control officer, is just one

  • BRAC turned out to be good news for Texas capital

    Though the fear of losing jobs and revenue grips nearby cities and towns when the Defense Department decides to close a military installation, the bad news can be made good.Such was the case when Bergstrom Air Force Base here closed in 1993, its fate sealed by the 1991 Base Realignment and Closure

  • Civil engineers prepare to ‘close the gaps’ at Bagram

    Bagram’s 9,800-foot runway will undergo major repairs beginning at the end of March to maintain operations in and out of the busiest airfield in Afghanistan. Airmen of the 455th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron said they plan to spend 16 weeks replacing 28 shattered slabs of concrete using a

  • Guard Airmen help drive transformation

    A C-5 Galaxy and a prototype of the Army’s new general-purpose cargo vehicle arrived here March 12.The vehicle is for use with both the C-5 and the C-130 Hercules, and has the ability to go for 72 hours without stopping to refuel. The ability to transfer cargo directly from the aircraft and carry

  • Two deployed KC-135s get rare engine swaps

    If a consumer rating service reviewed Air Force aircraft, the KC-135 Stratotanker would most certainly earn a “Best Buy” rating. After all, it is one of the most dependable aircraft in the Air Force inventory and would definitely get high marks for reliability.But, even the best can have the

  • C-130 crew delivers cargo, morale to remote locations

    When Soldiers, Sailors or Marines need something moved, C-130 Hercules crews here answer the call, and recently, that request took one 746th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron crew to Africa and beyond.Their cargo ranged from helicopter rotors to medical supplies to personal mail. Their mission was to

  • Science, technology help Airmen fight the war on terror

    Science and technology are helping Airmen win the war on terror, a senior Air Force official told lawmakers March 10."The United States Air Force is committed to defending America by unleashing the power of science and technology," said James B. Engle, deputy assistant secretary of the Air Force for

  • Teets tells Congress lasers-based communications coming

    The military's senior adviser on space testified before Congress on March 8.Peter B. Teets, who serves as both the acting secretary of the Air Force and the Department of Defense's executive agent for space, spoke to the House Armed Services Committee subcommittee on strategic forces about the

  • Creating power behind airpower

    If aircraft are the power behind the Air Force, then Hill supplies the power behind the power.When a generator, which supplies all electrical power to an aircraft, needs to be repaired, it will most likely end up in the 309th Electronics Generator Squadron's airborne flight here."We support the

  • Virtual reality prepares students for parachuting

    When you are plunging toward earth at speeds as fast as 20 feet per second there is not a lot of time to think about your next course of action. Dave Dawson makes sure his students don’t have to.As the 19th Air Refueling Group’s aircrew continuation training specialist, he uses a device called the

  • Technicians use aircraft wreckage for testing

    After 11 years of service as a flight trainer, a T-1A Jayhawk aircraft is joining the Aeronautical Systems Center here.The aircraft, although damaged past the point of repair, still has its avionics and other subsystems intact, along with most of its fuselage. Technicians in the center’s training

  • Pilots make long commute to Global Hawk University

    For Global Hawk pilots, training is a little like going to a university with a large main campus and an extension campus a few miles away -- make that half a world away.While that is one heck of a commute, it is necessary because the Global Hawk, an unmanned aerial vehicle used to provide real-time

  • Air Force doctors perform alternative back surgery

    Doctors at Wilford Hall Medical Center here performed a total-disc arthroplasty procedure March 7. The procedure was the first of its kind to be performed at any Air Force medical center.Maj. (Dr.) Steven Cyr, chief of orthopedic spine surgery, successfully removed and replaced a spinal disc from

  • Wing warping could change shape of future aircraft

    An experimental flexible-wing jet has embarked on a final phase of flights over Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., to demonstrate wing warping performance advantages for future aircraft.During the final phase, which began in December and is expected to be completed in April, a modified Navy F/A-18A

  • Battlelab demonstrates new propeller balancing system

    The Air Mobility Battlelab recently demonstrated a new in-flight propeller balancing system that can greatly reduce propeller vibration levels and ground maintenance requirements.Currently C-130 Hercules propeller balancing procedures are similar to spin balancing the wheel of an automobile,

  • Airmen ready to snag an Eagle

    The Airmen of the 386th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron power production flight ensure there is plenty of electricity to power facilities here. However, another crucial aspect of their job is maintaining and operating the mechanical system that stops problem aircraft on the runway. During

  • General Moseley testifies on C-130 fleet, readiness

    U.S. Representatives questioned the condition of the C-130 Hercules fleet during a hearing of the House Armed Services Committee subcommittee on readiness March 3.It was just one of the areas Air Force Vice Chief of Staff Gen. T. Michael Moseley discussed as he testified on the readiness of the

  • AF maintains contact with missing servicemembers’ families

    Wearing a nametag with the name of his brother, Raymond Kelly, a 74-year-old veteran, personifies the families of missing servicemembers and their continued efforts to find closure for the loss of their loved ones. In 1951, Airman 1st Class James Kelly’s aircraft crashed in North Korea during the

  • Teets discusses recapitalization, death benefit, core values

    The acting secretary of the Air Force spoke on Capitol Hill March 2 about recapitalizing aging systems, the death gratuity and recent problems within the service.In testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee, Peter B. Teets explained the importance of modernizing the service's fleet of

  • First B-2s deploy to Andersen

    B-2 Spirit bombers have deployed here for the first time to support Pacific Command’s security efforts in the Western Pacific. More than 270 Airmen of the 393rd Expeditionary Bomb Squadron deployed from the 509th Bomb Wing at Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo., currently the only B-2 unit in the Air

  • General Jumper commends CENTAF Airmen

    Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper made time to visit two forward-deployed locations recently during a trip to the region for the Middle Eastern Air Symposium. He received an operations update at U.S. Central Command Air Forces-Forward headquarters at one location, before visiting top

  • Adopt-a-plane program preserves history

    George Jones is a man with a plan: to restore the static aircraft displays at the Air Force Armament Museum here.The aircraft are “dying a slow death” because of adverse weather conditions that are taking a toll on the 25 displays that surround the museum, said Mr. Jones, an aerospace museum

  • Airborne network to link sensors, shooters, decision makers

    Electronic Systems Center officials here are working on a new airborne network that will revolutionize airborne communications and bring network-centric warfare to the air."The intent ... is to translate information superiority into combat power by linking sensors, decision makers and shooters to

  • AMC continues to meet warfighters’ needs

    Air Mobility Command officials said they remain confident they will continue to meet their worldwide airlift and training requirements despite the AMC-directed grounding and restrictions of a portion of the Air Force’s C-130 Hercules fleet.Gen. John W. Handy, commander of AMC and U.S. Transportation

  • Predator reaches initial operating capacity

    One of the most heavily used and valued weapons systems of operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom has reached initial operating capability, Air Combat Command officials here announced March 1.The MQ-1 Predator unmanned aerial vehicle was officially declared IOC March 1 by Lt. Gen. William

  • Air Force receives third Osprey

    Officials at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., received their third CV-22 Osprey test aircraft Feb. 26 to join their Integrated Test Team.“The delivery of (the new Osprey) is essential because it helps us to do the necessary testing before operational testing begins in the summer of 2006,” Colonel

  • Officials break ground for F/A-22 maintenance training center

    Sheppard is set to become the premier training center for F/A-22 Raptor maintenance professionals, officials said Feb. 18 during the ground breaking ceremony here for a $19.7-million training facility. Students new to aircraft maintenance will become maintainers of the Air Force's newest fighter in

  • Airmen handle transient surge

    More than 1,500 people arrived here Feb. 22 to 26. The problem was, none left. Airmen said they first noticed the lines at the dining facility growing a little longer. Then the gym facilities began to get a little more crowded; and across the way it started becoming more and more difficult to find

  • Family finally gets official word on Korean War vet's fate

    More than a half-century after North Korean fighter jets shot down Capt. Troy Cope's F-86 Sabre over Dandong, China, his family finally has official word of what happened to him and is preparing to bury him this May.Chris Cope, who was born too late to ever know his uncle, calls this homecoming an

  • Tuskegee Airman visits Cannon

    Retired Lt. Col. Herbert Carter is the embodiment of walking history. He was part of the 99th Pursuit Squadron, the famous “Red Tails,” made up of a group of black pilots known as the Tuskegee Airmen.Colonel Carter visited here recently to speak at Cannon’s Black History Month dinner.“I actually

  • Missing Korean War Airman identified

    Department of Defense officials announced Feb. 25 that the remains of an Air Force pilot, missing in action from the Korean War, have been identified and will soon be returned to his family for burial with full military honors.Capt. Troy Cope of Norfolk, Ark., will be buried in Plano, Texas, on May

  • C-130J circumnavigates globe

    Crossing 33 time zones, and stopping in nine locations and seven countries, a Reserve crew from the 403rd Wing here circumnavigated the planet in a C-130J Hercules. This was a first for the new airlifter.The global trek was the culmination of a series of events that included the Aero India

  • Frigid chapter closes for C-141

    Another chapter closed in the storied aviation history of the venerable C-141 Starlifter as a 452nd Air Mobility Wing-based crew from here flew aircraft number 152 from the South Pole for the last time.For 39 years, crews have flown C-141s loaded with people and equipment to Antarctica for the

  • Security forces provide fly-away protection

    In many forward-operating locations for Operation Enduring Freedom, C-130 Hercules planes from here make landings on dirt airstrips.Many times, riding along with the C-130 aircrews are highly trained and skilled Air Force security forces Airmen from the 416th Expeditionary Mission Support Squadron's

  • Holloman NCO steps up, helps to control in-flight emergency

    “There’s a bomb on the plane, I know it!”Staff Sgt. Jeremiah Drew was on a commercial flight while returning from leave recently when he heard an unruly woman scream this suspicion.“She went on yelling this a few times,” said Sergeant Drew, who is assigned to the 49th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron

  • Airmen swear to defend brothers, sisters in arms

    “I am my brothers’ and sisters’ keeper” are words the 455th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron Airmen here live by and, if need be, swear to die by.“We focus on mission, safety and the welfare of our Airmen,” said Master Sgt. Adam Barber, 455th ESFS operations superintendent. “It’s a 24-hour

  • Chasing a Dragon Lady

    The great thing about a sports car is that it goes really fast. The bad thing about a sports car is that it goes really fast and someday you are bound to get a ticket, unless you are wide open on the flightline at a forward-deployed location here as a chase vehicle for the U-2 Dragon Lady.The U-2

  • Interdependence more than just joint warfighting

    The Air Force must balance its capabilities and capacities to reach the joint interdependence with its sister services it needs to win in today’s battlespace.That is the message Lt. Gen. Ronald E. Keys, Air Force deputy chief of staff for air and space operations, delivered here Feb. 18 to about

  • Tinker employees share ‘positively presidential’ names

    Tinker has been visited by many men who have been presidents of the United States, but a quick look at the personnel directory might cause people to wonder if some of America’s past chief executives are part of the Tinker family.Georgia Washington, operations director in the propulsion product

  • Sheppard Airmen check out Raptor simulator

    It has been called an F-15 Eagle on steroids because of its advanced technologies. The F/A-22 Raptor, the Air Force's newest aircraft, has gained recognition as the first stealth supersonic fighter in the world.The $1.5 million cockpit simulator brought here Feb. 16 to 18 gave Airmen a chance to

  • General Jumper charts course for future

    Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper gave a vector for the Air Force’s future during a speech Feb. 17 at the Air Force Association’s 2005 Air Warfare Symposium here.General Jumper followed Peter B. Teets, acting secretary of the Air Force, at the convention in which about 1,000 people

  • Teets: Air Force confident, strong, ready

    The acting secretary of the Air Force assured the Air Force Association here Feb. 17 the service is confident, strong and ready to face any threat.“And I know it will remain that way,” Peter B. Teets told about 1,000 attendees of the association’s annual Air Warfare Symposium. The association

  • FAST mission for security forces

    Their job is simple: Cockpit denial and ground security. The training is intense, and only the best will get the assignment.The two-man teams are called fly-away security teams and are an offshoot of Air Mobility Command’s Phoenix Raven program. Due to a high volume of intratheater airlift

  • Deployed Airman keeps aircraft aloft

    Looking out a window high in the sky, he calls the shots. As aircraft approach, he talks to them, setting the stage for a smooth connection. The lineup has to be near-perfect -- too much to the left or right and the mission could fail. As the communication link to aircraft needing fuel, he knows

  • Expeditionary logistics team carries the load

    They “move the mission,” keeping the busiest airfield in Afghanistan operational.They are the 455th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron Airmen, and their job is to support all aircraft coming in and out of here, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.“Last month, we pushed more than 10,000

  • Officials release F-16 accident report

    A left brake anti-skid malfunction during landing and the pilot's failure to follow an emergency checklist caused an F-16 Fighting Falcon to leave the runway while deployed July 10, according to an accident investigation board report released Feb. 15.The aircraft came to rest on its targeting pod

  • Airman keeps Air Force structures intact

    It is midnight as Senior Airman Sheri Wilson begins her day. When she arrives at the shop, she is bombarded with a load of jobs to accomplish and gets hit with a major problem to tackle.She goes out to the flightline and inspects the cracked “skin” of an aircraft. Applying a repair technique she

  • AGE Airmen keep ground mission running

    The 332nd Expeditionary Maintenance Squadron’s aerospace ground equipment flight Airmen are a vital part of the mission here.“If it wasn’t for us, specialists and crew chiefs couldn’t do their job,” said Tech. Sgt. Michael Gosik, the flight’s chief. “Our purpose is to provide the aircraft with power

  • Ellsworth Airmen reinvent the ladder

    Airmen here saw a problem and found a way to fix it, making the B-1B Lancer a more reliable warfighting machine.The problem involved the crew entry ladder being removed from the aircraft for repairs during the refurbishment process. This made the aircraft “not mission capable” for about seven

  • Reservists shine at Aero India

    Pacific Air Force, Air Force Reserve and Naval aircraft and people were well received at the 2005 Aero India International Air Show at nearby Yelahanka Air Station here.Gleaming under sunny Indian sky and surrounded by Indian air force and other international aircraft, C-130 Hercules, Navy P-3C

  • Officials clear C-130J container delivery system

    Eight back-to-back flights flown in eight days on a stretch C-130J Hercules tested it for the container delivery system’s ability to carry about 40,000 pounds of bundled equipment.The stretch C-130J is 15 feet longer than the C-130J and can drop more equipment.The system is used in combat to deliver

  • Airmen drop vital supplies to village in Afghan mountains

    Packed with more than 13,000 pounds of food, medicine and other humanitarian supplies, an Ohio Air National Guard C-130 Hercules crew deployed here flew over the Afghan mountainous region Feb. 10, successfully dropping critically needed cargo to the remote area.“Our basic mission was to airdrop

  • C-130s grounded

    Thirty E-model C-130 Hercules were grounded Feb. 10, and 60 other models including some E, H, H1 and HC-130P/N were placed on restricted flight status.Gen. John W. Handy, commander of Air Mobility Command, directed the grounding and restricted flight status to minimize wing stress and increase the

  • New trauma registry captures valuable wartime data

    A new registry being established here is helping track casualty information from Iraq and Afghanistan to give senior leaders information needed to make decisions ranging from troops’ protective gear to combat casualty care.The Joint Theater Trauma Registry is ensuring that decision makers have more

  • Jumper talks force development with career field managers

    Nearly one hundred active-duty, Guard and Reserve officer and civilian career field managers gathered at the Air Force Personnel Center here recently to discuss the future of force development.The three-day conference included a visit from Gen. John P. Jumper, Air Force chief of staff, who thanked

  • Predators protect troops

    The loud roars of F-16 Fighting Falcons here are familiar reminders of close-air support, but unmanned Predators silently swarm the sky protecting troops by different means.The RQ/MQ-1 Predator unmanned aerial vehicle is a lightweight, low-horsepower aircraft capable of taking daylight and infrared

  • Moseley speaks at defense strategy, transformation seminar

    Gen. T. Michael Moseley, Air Force vice chief of Staff spoke to more than 90 congressional staff members, defense industry leaders and think-tank experts Feb. 9 at the 2005 Air Force Defense Strategy and Transformation Seminar.The Air Force directorate of plans and programs officials organized the

  • More teamwork, technology drive Air Force transformation

    Air Force officials will use more teamwork and technology in transforming the service into a more agile and efficient force for the 21st century, a senior Air National Guard officer said here Feb. 7.The Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard will stay very much a part of current and future Air

  • Airmen must adhere to war trophy mailing restrictions

    Throughout history, Soldiers have come home with souvenirs from battle. Many of these war-related items end up on display in museums and showcases. Although it is tempting to bring back reminders of service in a military campaign, with few exceptions, taking or retaining individual souvenirs or

  • Officials announce Air Force budget proposal

    The Air Force piece of the 2006 defense budget is designed to make the joint team better, officials said.Announced Feb. 7, the budget grows from $96 billion that Congress enacted for fiscal 2005, to $102.9 billion in 2006, a senior Air Force budget official said. After covering the growing costs of

  • B-1 debuts at South Dakota museum

    Ellsworth has been home to the B-1B Lancer for more than 18 years, and for the first time, visitors to the South Dakota Air and Space Museum can view the aircraft up close.The B-1 static display is the newest exhibit at the museum and was placed into its permanent position in front of the museum

  • Reserve Airmen test C-130J in Southwest Asia

    Faster, farther, higher, safer. Aircrews and maintainers from the Air Force Reserve Command’s 403rd Wing here are changing attitudes and proving the effectiveness of their bird the J-model C-130 Hercules.As the first unit to take delivery of the aircraft in 1999, Airmen in the wing’s 815th Airlift

  • Desert Hawk UAV patrols Tallil

    Not every unmanned aerial vehicle in the sky is a Predator.Airmen of the 407th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron here are using a miniature UAV called a “Desert Hawk” that provides an extra set of eyes in the sky, gathering information and identifying threats. The small, 7-pound remote

  • Air Logistics Centers add wings, squadrons

    As part of its ongoing goal to better support operational commands and warfighters in the field, Air Force Materiel Command officials will reorganize the command’s three air logistics centers over the coming weeks. The reorganization, which will incorporate a specialized mission wing structure

  • Drone returns to Holloman

    Airmen from the 49th Logistics Readiness Squadron's air transportation flight returned a 1,000-pound piece of Air Force history to the base here Jan. 28.The piece of history, a Q-2 Firebee drone, had been loaned to the New Mexico Museum of Space History from the Air Force museum at Wright-Patterson

  • Stuck in the mud

    Airmen from the 506th Expeditionary Operations Support Squadron here worked with their counterparts from the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing to remove a mail cargo plane that taxied off the Kirkuk taxiway and sank almost three feet into the mud. The plane was stuck between two taxiways for almost four

  • Plan reduces risk for truck drivers in Iraq

    Recently 250 additional U.S. truck drivers per week were removed from the dangerous roads of Iraq because of expanded air operations that deliver cargo directly from the United States to airfields in Iraq. This, combined with existing air operations, now removes about 1,280 convoy drivers per week

  • Military organizations work together to form 'CSI' teams

    Television today is inundated with shows on forensic science. Programs like “CSI” and “Dr. G., Medical Examiner” have piqued the public’s interest in how forensic experts find answers to questions surrounding a death.But what happens if that death takes place on an Air Force base? Who has

  • Cope Tiger roars over Thailand

    The sky here has been alive with the sounds of military aircraft from Thailand, Singapore and the United States supporting exercise Cope Tiger 05.“Every year there are challenges that you deal with,” said Col. George Daniels, exercise director from Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala. “The exercise players

  • AAFES has been in every major conflict since World War I

    With the birthday cake in place and candles lit, Regina Koenig and a few other Army and Air Force Exchange Service employees sang “Happy Birthday” to a 21-year-old colleague at Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan.Halfway through the song, a 127 mm rocket exploded on the other side of the main store. As the

  • F/A-22 on track to go operational

    The F/A-22 Raptor, the Air Force’s next-generation air superiority fighter, performed well in recently completed operational testing and is on track to go operational in December, the director of the program’s combined test force said.Speaking prior to a lecture he delivered at the National Museum

  • F/A-22 passes initial operational test, evaluation

    The results of a recently released Air Force study bode well for the future of the F/A-22 Raptor, officials said.The Raptor demonstrated “overwhelmingly effective” warfighting capability according to the initial operational test and evaluation report released by Air Force Operational Test and

  • Airmen train firefighters to saw through aircraft parts

    A call for assistance rang out from the fire department here recently, but it was not to battle a raging fire.Firefighters asked 653rd Combat Logistics Support Squadron Airmen for some hands-on training on a K-12 cut-saw, a piece of equipment both agencies use in their lines of work.The training

  • Joint STARS duo reaches troops on the ground

    One is active duty straight out of technical training; the other served on active duty and is now in the Air National Guard. One is male, the other is female.Yet despite their differences on the surface, Tech. Sgt. Thomas Bloomberg and Airman 1st Class Emily Leece, could not be any closer.“We

  • ‘Line of Sight’ test brings out tactical side of X-45A

    Joint-unmanned-combat-air-systems test team officials here successfully demonstrated a transfer of command and control using line-of-sight capabilities on two unmanned X-45A aircraft Jan. 27.The test followed the successful Dec. 9 sortie that transferred control of the aircraft to a control station

  • Operation Deep Freeze sees end of C-141 Starlifter era

    The gateway to the highest, driest and coldest continent on earth remains wide open and actively engaged by Airmen deployed supporting Operation Deep Freeze.Since late August, Air Force LC-130 Hercules equipped with skis have flown more than 330 sorties supporting the U.S. Antarctic Program which

  • Air Force works to meet QDR challenges

    Air Force strategic capabilities are already working to meet the challenges outlined in the Quadrennial Defense Review, officials said.Every four years Department of Defense officials conduct a thorough review, as requested by Congress, to ensure that each service has the right mix of people,

  • Fighting Falcons tackle 'DEAD' mission

    The CJ model of the F-16 Fighting Falcon offers cutting-edge war-time fighting capabilities. Three new upgrades have helped the aircraft here transform from suppressing enemy air defenses to destroying enemy air defenses.“With the Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System, the targeting pod and the Link

  • C-model A-10 takes first flight

    The newly designated C-model A-10 Thunderbolt II, modified with precision engagement technology, was flown for the first time here recently by a 40th Flight Test Squadron pilot. Precision-engagement technology allows the Air Force’s premier close-air support aircraft to also use smart weapons such

  • DOD tsunami-relief efforts in transition

    Department of Defense tsunami relief efforts are "transitioning to something different," the assistant secretary of defense for international security affairs told a House subcommittee here Jan. 26."A lot of what the U.S. Department of Defense has provided may not be as necessary as it was, and

  • Officials redesign recruiting Web site

    Finding information on the Air Force’s official recruiting Web site is easier since Air Force Recruiting Service officials recently redesigned the site.The site also features a new “See What It’s Like” section in which visitors can see what active-duty Airmen do on and off duty.The Web site,

  • EOD Airmen destroy explosives

    Heat, shock and friction were key ingredients in the controlled detonation of more than 1,000 pounds of explosives Jan. 23.The 455th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron’s explosive ordnance disposal Airmen spent close to six hours, three miles off base, preparing for a less-than-one-second blast,

  • Parts kit extends service life of F-16 Fighting Falcon

    Defense Supply Center Richmond officials are working on a billion-dollar, multiyear project that will extend the service life of the Air Force’s F-16 Fighting Falcons.The F-16 Structure Augmentation Roadmap, or "Falcon STAR," program uses parts kits to strengthen the aircraft’s structure, officials

  • Air Force gets new lab for testing airborne networking

    The Air Force Communications Agency here has received its first aircraft since its flying mission ended in 1987-- at least most of an aircraft. A DC-9 fuselage, minus wings and tail, arrived on a truck Jan. 25 to be permanently parked behind the agency’s technology and interoperability facility.

  • Airmen provide Rhein-Main blanket of security

    For the last decade, the end has always seemed near for this historic air base. Now, the scheduled handover to Germany is officially within 12 months. As the closure nears, officials said the base is probably more important than it has ever been. Airmen and aircraft here are sustaining a heavy

  • Hawaii Air Guard participates in Cope Tiger

    Eight F-15 Eagles and 70 Airmen from the Hawaii Air National Guard's 199th Fighter Squadron deployed here Jan. 24 for Cope Tiger 2005. They were here to practice their flying-training skills with Thai and Singaporean airmen, and U.S. Navy and U.S. Air Force air and ground support crews.This is the

  • Officials release updated transformation flight plan

    Air Staff officials recently updated the U.S. Air Force Transformation Flight Plan, which spells out the transformation strategy of the Air Force. According to the secretary of defense's transformation planning guidance, officials in the office of force transformation use the flight plan and the

  • Airmen keep cargo, people moving

    Since Jan. 1, tanker airlift control element Airmen here have been making sure that what comes into the Royal Thai navy airfield gets out.The element in Utapao is composed of Airmen from the 615th Air Mobility Squadron out of Travis Air Force Base, Calif. In one of two buildings they use here, the

  • Deployed fuels technicians keep OEF airlift rolling

    On a busy morning here, fuels technicians in the 416th Expeditionary Mission Support Squadron fuels management flight could have between three and five fuel trucks on the airfield topping off a C-130 Hercules or a C-17 Globemaster III.It does not really matter where the planes are going; all that

  • Aircrew error caused F-15 midair collision

    Aircrew error caused a midair collision of two F-15 Eagles off the coast of Okinawa, Japan, according to an accident investigation report released Jan. 20.The aircraft both landed safely and neither pilot was injured. They were temporarily assigned to the 12th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron at

  • Edwards Airmen save man from inferno

    Two Airmen, neighbors in a mobile home park near here, sprang out of their homes and saw a mass of wood and plaster being engulfed in flames.The Airmen had settled down from a long day of unpacking and work, respectively."That was my first night in the trailer," said Tech. Sgt. Jerry Rocovits, a

  • Lackland medics support OIF evacuation mission

    The medical mission in Iraq is complex, made up of a variety of Air Force and Army units that provide care for servicemembers and Defense Department civilians and contractors who need help with various ailments -- ranging from minor scorpion stings to serious combat injuries. But patients who need

  • Boom operators provide fuel for warfighters

    Some Airmen spend their work days in office cubicles, but a select group of enlisted fliers work in an “office” 25,000 feet in the air while traveling 500 mph.Boom operators from the 908th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron, do not push papers; instead, they push fuel to combat aircraft engaged in

  • Deployed C-130Js exceeding expectations

    When the C-130J -- the newest variant of the versatile C-130 Hercules -- deployed for the first time in December, Air Mobility Command officials said they were confident of the aircraft’s capabilities.During the first few weeks of the aircraft's deployment, the J model has met and in some cases