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  • Gala honors those who serve

    Those who fight America’s wars were entertained by their own and by celebrities at an invitation-only event in the heart of the Nation’s capital.More than 7,500 Airmen, Soldiers, Sailors and Marines gathered at a state-of-the-art sports and entertainment facility here Jan. 18 to be honored for their

  • Kadena Airmen help Sri Lanka tsunami victims

    Airman 1st Class Emily Starcher does not have to be reminded how important her mission is here in Sri Lanka -- she sees it everyday.There is nothing but wrecked homes and destroyed buildings along coastal towns here, she said. Town after town was wiped away by the Dec. 26 tsunamis.She is an HH-60

  • AFSOC unit wraps up Asian aid mission

    Airmen from the 353rd Special Operations Group at Kadena Air Base, Japan, are going home. Almost a month after a monster earthquake and killer tsunamis claimed untold thousands of lives, the Airmen’s quick-reaction work here is complete as conventional Air Force units have arrived.The MC-130 Combat

  • Tsunami preparedness part of Civil Air Patrol training

    The idea of tsunami preparedness is nothing new for Civil Air Patrol members in Hawaii. In the aftermath of the recent tsunamis in South Asia, CAP's Hawaii Wing has scheduled additional exercises to supplement its usual tsunami preparedness training, officials said. "Our wing works extensively with

  • Kadena Airmen ensure link to the world

    Although they are not in the thick of things handing out food and supplies, Airmen from the 18th Communications Squadron at Kadena Air Base, Japan, said that the parade of huge lumbering aircraft that come and go from here, only validates how their mission affects the success of relief

  • New mobility concept tested at Whiteman

    The third passenger aircraft in two weeks departed here Jan. 13 with more than 400 Airmen traveling under a new mobility concept developed by U.S. Central Command Air Forces.Airmen from several bases met here to catch contract airlift to an intermediate point where intratheater airlift would take

  • Contracting makes it happen

    From beans to bullets, cradle to grave, one agency at a forward-deployed location makes it all happen. Whether it is bottled water to get Airmen through the heat of summer or vital supplies to keep the aircraft flying, the 386th Expeditionary Contracting Squadron is there to make sure the mission

  • AF nominates combined test force for Collier Trophy

    Air Force officials nominated the Global Reach Combined Test Force here for the National Aeronautic Association’s 2004 Robert J. Collier Trophy.Task force workers were cited for accomplishing test projects that increased aircraft performance, safety and efficiency, said Lt. Col. Kelly Latimer,

  • Combat weather forecasters fight ‘fog of war’

    It rolls in when it wants to, covers everything in its path and makes visibility so poor you can barely see your hand in front of your face. It is what some here call “the fog of war.”This fog, however, is the real thing. It is a fog so thick it makes missions for Operation Enduring Freedom here

  • Airmen bring relief to tsunami-devastated region

    Airmen of the 8th Airlift Squadron from McChord Air Force Base, Wash., continued their vital role in the disaster relief effort Jan. 12. Equipment, supplies and people were loaded onto one of the squadron's huge C-17 Globemaster III cargo jets headed to Banda Aceh, Indonesia.Indonesia was one of

  • General Jumper qualifies in F/A-22 Raptor

    Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper ended two weeks of training here Jan. 12, flying his qualification flight in the F/A-22 Raptor, the Air Force’s newest fighter aircraft.“I’ve been involved with the Raptor program for years, in one way or another,” General Jumper said. “Now, to be able

  • Airmen aid Nevada flood relief effort

    Airmen here provided assistance to flood victims in southern Nevada on Jan 11.Four Air Force HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters from Nellis’ 66th Rescue Squadron flew to Caliente, Nev., to evacuate 118 students and 19 staff members from a youth center in Caliente to a school about 15 miles from the

  • F-15E crew uses new targeting pod

    An F-15E Strike Eagle aircrew from the 494th Fighter Squadron took part in a flight that marked an evolution in weapons technology when it used a Sniper Advanced Targeting Pod on the aircraft Jan. 7.An F-15E weapons system officer can now independently launch satellite-guided weapons on targets.

  • Airborne security flight reaches across ‘high frontier’

    It was enough to make a person nauseous. The UH-1N Huey tested the limits of both the aircraft and the defenders it carried as it turned nearly on its side circling the missile launch facility.With their cast-iron stomachs, the security forces Airmen glared out the aircraft’s windows to conduct an

  • Airman moonlights as CAP officer

    During the week Jillian Smith is called “airman first class”; on the weekends it is “lieutenant.” Why the change? The 27th Intelligence Support Squadron communications troop splits her time between the Air Force and the Virginia Wing of the U.S. Air Force Auxiliary Civil Air Patrol. A nonprofit

  • Relief effort switches gears

    The tsunami relief effort has switched gears and moved out of the crisis-response stage, the commander of the Air Force expeditionary airlift wing at Utapao, Thailand, said.Sixteen days after tsunamis hit 12 countries in Southeast Asia, the flow of aid into the region has moved into a more

  • Yokota C-130s continue to fly aid to tsunami victims

    C-130 Hercules crews from the 36th Airlift Squadron at Yokota Air Base, Japan, continue to fly vital supplies and equipment to tsunami-stricken areas in Southeast Asia.“It feels great to help. It makes you feel good to be an American when we are able to share with those who are in need,” said Maj.

  • Air Force, partners deliver aid to Indonesia

    Unfamiliar partners from disparate lands have tuned the tools of their humanitarian outreach trade and are working in unison in the wake of one of the world’s worst natural disasters.Airmen of the 353rd Special Operations Group, based in Langkawi, Malaysia, said the 16-hour days typically begin,

  • Airmen bring aid where needed

    The children of Banda Aceh, Indonesia, a province in the northern tip of Sumatra hit hard by the Dec. 26 tsunamis, returned to school Jan. 10. It is not the same school they remember, and the class lists have been revised downward, too often halved. But it is a small step toward recovery -- a path

  • Humanitarian-relief mission supports tsunami victims

    The largest humanitarian relief effort since the Berlin Airlift in 1947 is providing desperately needed water, food and medical supplies to victims of the tsunamis in the Indian Ocean, the general coordinating air support for the operation said Jan. 9.Brig. Gen. Jan-Marc Jouas, director of the

  • Deployed Airmen support Operation Unified Assistance

    The mission was simple: bring a forklift here only to be moved by another unit to Banda Aceh, Indonesia, the next day. Airmen of the 374th Air Expeditionary Wing at Utapao, Thailand, support Combined Support Force 536, which is playing an integral role to the international support effort called

  • 374th Air Expeditionary Wing stands up in Thailand

    Air Force officials stood up the 374th Air Expeditionary Wing here Jan. 6 to help fly humanitarian supplies to people affected by tsunamis in December that resulted in wide-scale destruction in South Asia. The 374th AEW supports and is collocated with Combined Support Force 536 and provides airlift

  • Airstrike hits wrong target in Iraq

    An investigation is under way after a coalition F-16 aircraft mistakenly conducted an airstrike against the wrong target south of Mosul on Jan. 8, Multinational Force Iraq officials announced.Officials said five Iraqis were killed after the Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon dropped a 500-pound Global

  • Helicopter crew starts new year with rescue

    A UH-1N Huey search and rescue crew from the 40th Helicopter Flight and 341st Medical Group here recorded their 355th save on a mission in southwest Montana Jan. 3.Following several failed rescue attempts by civilians using a helicopter and a snowmobile, Malmstrom’s crew received a request Jan. 2 to

  • Combat weather team forecasts mission success

    Cloud reading may seem an ethereal art, but predicting the effects of alto cumulus clouds blowing over the southwest mountain range here is a pure science to aviators and ground troops traveling there.Leaders here rely on the technical know-how of the 455th Air Expeditionary Wing’s Combat weather

  • C-130J software upgrades get final adjustment

    October through December was a critical time for the C-130J Hercules' Block 5.4 upgrade, as testers here determined the final adjustments needed to bring this software improvement to the operational fleet.Currently, the C-130J has certain operational limitations, but the upgrade was designed to

  • Contract controllers vital link between airport, deployed base

    Civilian contractors play a vital role in keeping the sky safe here. The Air Force Contingency Augmentation Program Air Traffic Control liaison contractors serve as a link between the Manas International Airport and the base.“We are a conduit between the base and the airport authorities for

  • Air terminal operations center keeps wing rotating

    Transportation for people and cargo in and out of theater is made possible by a team of transportation specialists at a forward-deployed location here. This is especially apparent during the changeover from one rotation of Airmen to another.The air terminal operations center comprises several

  • AMC aircraft, people support tsunami-relief operations

    In the days following the Dec. 26 tsunami disaster around the Indian Ocean, Air Mobility Command aircraft and people have delivered tons of relief equipment and hundreds of servicemembers into the affected region.As of Jan. 6, AMC aircraft and aircrews had delivered more than 1.66 million pounds of

  • Raptors cleared to fly again

    Air Force officials cleared the F/A-22 Raptor to resume flight operations Jan. 6 following a comprehensive review of procedural and engineering data.One of the aircraft crashed Dec. 20 at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., which caused a temporary halt to flying the most technologically advanced fighter

  • DOD ready to bolster medical, health support

    Defense Department officials are ready, willing and prepared to provide medical assistance as needed to aid tsunami victims and help stem widespread disease, the Pentagon's top doctor said Jan. 4. Dr. William Winkenwerder Jr., assistant secretary defense for health affairs, said DOD officials are

  • Red Horse Airmen deploy to Thailand

    Airmen from here packed up and are heading to Utapao, Thailand, to assist in the region devastated by tsunamis Dec. 26.The 24 Airmen of the 554th Red Horse Squadron will conduct airfield assessments for the Department of Defense’s combined joint task force to determine the usability of runways for

  • B-1 fleet grounded after landing gear collapses

    B-1 Lancers Air Force-wide were grounded after one aircraft’s nose-gear collapsed at a forward-deployed location supporting operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom, Air Combat Command officials said Jan. 4.The 67 aircraft fleet will be grounded until each aircraft goes through a one-time

  • Yokota Airmen keep steady pace in providing relief

    About 170 Airmen from here have arrived in Thailand to assist in relief efforts for the countries in southeast Asia struck by tsunamis after a devastating 9.0 magnitude earthquake occurred in the Indian Ocean Dec. 26.The Airmen from the 374th Airlift Wing have deployed to Utapao, Thailand, to

  • Airmen fly aid to disaster-torn Thai communities

    When Lt. Col. David Mobley arrived here as the 353rd Special Operations Group’s point-man for disaster relief, he said he envisioned a steady flow of aid from the kingdom’s sprawling capital to devastated provinces in the south.He said he never imagined that in 48 hours the modest pile of assorted

  • Airmen continue to deliver relief supplies in devastated Thailand

    As the calendar turned a new year, the aid delivered by Airmen of the 353rd Special Operations Group to communities on Thailand’s southwest coast approached 100 tons.Four MC-130s and 100 Airmen from the group continue to pump vital relief supplies into strategic cities located along the devastated

  • Predators help TACP Airmen with mission

    If mentioned at all, tactical air control party Airmen are usually linked with a group of special forces on the front lines.Normally these Airmen find themselves out in the field directing combat aircraft against insurgents or coordinating artillery fire with air strikes, but most certainly not

  • Four earn Sijan award

    Four Airmen are being recognized with the service’s Lance P. Sijan Air Force Leadership Award:The Sijan award annually recognizes a senior and junior officer and a senior and junior enlisted person who demonstrates outstanding leadership abilities while assigned to organizations at the wing level or

  • U.S. military team arrives to assess disaster relief efforts

    About 30 members of the U.S. military arrived here Dec. 30 to help assess disaster relief assistance in the wake of tsunamis that struck south Asian countries.Airmen from the 613th Contingency Response Group at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, and Marines from the III Marine Expeditionary Force in

  • Airmen keep air flow moving at Balad

    Whether it involves a strategic airlifter filled to capacity or an F-15E Strike Eagle transiting the area, maintainers here are working hard to keep the myriad aircraft supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom thundering high above.As cargo, people and operations here flow at a breakneck pace, and

  • Ops support center Airmen coordinate AF relief efforts

    Pacific Air Forces officials here activated the 24-hour PACAF Operations Support Center to coordinate Air Force-related relief efforts for the devastation caused by tsunamis that struck 12 countries following an earthquake Dec. 26. Center officials, who are working with Department of Defense and

  • Report: Fire caused Predator crash

    A fire caused an MQ-1 Predator Unmanned Aerial Vehicle to crash while supporting operations near Balad Air Base, Iraq, on Aug. 17, according to an Air Force report released Dec. 29.A misrouted oil line failed and leaked oil into the engine bay causing a fire, which spread and ultimately made the

  • Officials release F-15 accident report

    A loss of fuel to both engines resulted in a dual-engine flameout causing an F-15 Eagle to crash June 18 about 60 miles north of Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., according to an Air Force report released Dec. 29.The pilot ejected and sustained minor injuries. The aircraft, valued at $31.9 million, was

  • Airmen bringing tsunami-relief supplies to Thailand

    Airmen from Yokota Air Base, Japan, are among those bringing the first wave of relief for people on the coastlines of Southeast Asia and Eastern Africa. The area was devastated by a massive 9.0 magnitude earthquake and equally powerful tsunamis.The Airmen and six C-130 Hercules aircraft are

  • ‘Silver Lobos’ fly into retirement

    The Air Force’s last operational F-4 Phantom II squadron held its inactivation ceremony here Dec. 20.The inactivation of the 20th Fighter Squadron, known as the Silver Lobos, also signifies the end of a 33-year German-American joint fighter training program in the decades-old F-4E and F aircraft.

  • Crash leads to investigation, Raptor safety stand down

    Commanders of units flying the F/A-22 Raptor called for a safety stand down of the fleet following a crash Dec. 20 at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev.The pilot ejected safely and suffered no serious injuries.The aircraft, assigned to the 422nd Test and Evaluation Squadron at Nellis, crashed on takeoff

  • Officials close unit in France

    The 774th Expeditionary Air Base Group officially closed its doors here during a ceremony Dec. 17, ending more than a decade of U.S. and French cooperation.Because the peacekeeping presence in the Balkans is scaling down, the group of more than 100 active-duty, Guard and Reserve Airmen will begin

  • Raptor crashes at Nellis

    An Air Force F/A-22 Raptor crashed on takeoff here Dec. 20. The pilot ejected successfully and was taken to the base hospital for evaluation.The pilot and aircraft are assigned to the 422nd Test and Evaluation Squadron here.

  • ‘Mothership’ retires

    NASA's B-52B Stratofortress "mothership" air-launch aircraft has retired after nearly 50 years of dropping advanced research vehicles.Officials at the Air Force Flight Test Center and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s Dryden Flight Research Center here held a retirement ceremony

  • Now showing: Dec. 20 edition of AFTV News

    This edition of Air Force Television News is a special program examining the past, present and future of unmanned aerial vehicles in the Air Force. The first of two holiday specials offered by Air Force Electronic News, the program is produced by Staff Sgt. Michael Noel.In the first segment of the

  • Officials release Air National Guard F-16 accident report

    Pilot error, a poorly designed pilot-vehicle interface, and the lack of a published safety procedure were found as causes for 27 ammunition rounds being accidentally expended during a training mission at the Warren Grove Range, N.J., on Nov. 3 according to an accident report released Dec. 17. Some

  • Santa on the Radar

    Preparations are under way at the North Pole for Santa’s annual launch, and North American Aerospace Defense Command controllers will be tracking him across the globe from Christmas Eve until he’s finished making his drops to all children of all ages.After Santa enters the air space over

  • New hangars establish bomber deployment option

    The B-2 Spirit now has a new home away from home.Officials at Royal Air Force Fairford, England, recently unveiled two climate-controlled permanent hangars specifically designed for the B-2. The new 50,000-square-foot facilities allow specialized low-observable-surface maintenance to be

  • Airmen move crucial cargo for warfighters

    Airmen of the 437th Aerial Port Squadron here are packaging and delivering critical supplies, including vehicle armor, to American warfighters in Iraq.Charleston Air Force Base, the hub for shipping supplies supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom has seen a 71 percent increase in operations.Since Dec.

  • U.S. Air Force deploys C-130Js for first time

    The U.S. Air Force's C-130J Hercules -- the newest variant of the versatile C-130 aircraft -- deployed for the first time this month.The deployed force includes maintainers, operators and support Airmen from Rhode Island Air National Guard’s 143rd Airlift Squadron, Maryland ANG’s 135th AS, Air Force

  • Increased C-130, C-17 flights relieve Army ground convoys

    Airmen are moving more cargo, including armored vehicles, repair parts and ammunition, to assist Soldiers in getting needed materiel to troops in the Iraq theater. “The Air Force is clearly focusing its efforts, helping the Army give the ground forces the opportunity to reduce the traffic on the

  • Balad Airmen welcome USO tour

    Troops from here and Logistics Support Area Anaconda were treated to an early Christmas present Dec. 14.The United Service Organizations brought the servicemembers the Chairman’s Holiday Tour. Gen. Richard B. Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and tour host, greeted more than 2,000 troops

  • Kadena Airmen aid Philippine typhoon victims

    Airmen from Kadena Air Base, Japan, are helping the Philippines recover from the devastating effects of a series of typhoons that have left 1,400 dead or missing and displaced about 170,000 people.Several “super” typhoons hit the island nation in the past few weeks, devastating areas of Luzon, the

  • Resultant Fury successful thanks to ‘test’ Airmen

    Brig. Gen. Billy Mitchell would be proud.Airmen from the 53rd Wing here recently showcased airpower over the Pacific Ocean when Air Force and Navy aircraft targeted and destroyed moving maritime targets.More than 300 people participated in the demonstration, called Resultant Fury, including about 35

  • Stratotankers provide more than refueling capabilities

    The KC-135 Stratotankers of the 351st Air Refueling Squadron here have recently added aeromedical evacuation and airlift missions to their “been there, done that” list. Including medevac and airlift missions to the KC-135’s responsibilities helps leaders meet two of the Air Force’s primary missions:

  • Pests no match for ‘Bug Girl’

    Being a “Bug Girl” does not bother Senior Airman Amy Arriola, the lone pest controller at Camp Sather here.Even though she is far from both her tropical island home of Guam and her civilian job as a flight attendant, Airman Arriola said she is happy to lend a helping hand to her fellow Airmen and

  • Airborne Laser conducts extended flight test

    YAL-1A, the Airborne Laser aircraft, flew for 2 hours and 31 minutes here Dec. 9. The flight was part of a continuing series to re-establish airworthiness, a requirement since the aircraft has been out of service for almost two years for modifications and installation of the laser’s complex beam

  • Maintainers make ‘maintenance magic’

    Working behind the scenes, a small group of Airmen here toil around the clock to ensure that the base’s flying mission is accomplished.They are the maintainers of the 774th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron maintenance flight. “We know what we are here to do -- maintain our aircraft,” said Capt. Chuck

  • Test acceleration expedites fielding warning system

    Engineers here cut the test time for a crucial missile warning system from months to weeks, speeding the operational debut of the system on C-17 Globemaster IIIs.Changes to the system, which warns of an approaching missile and automatically fires flares to confuse the missile’s guidance system, were

  • Weapon systems video vital to wartime mission

    Amid the hustle and bustle of people walking to and from intelligence briefings in the fighter operations building at a forward-deployed location, Airman 1st Class Michael Edwards sits quietly behind a computer monitor and watches videos, and nobody minds.Airman Edwards’ deployed duties have taken

  • Five Airmen receive Silver Stars

    Air Force Secretary Dr. James G. Roche presented five Airmen here Silver Stars on Dec. 9 for their handling of close-air support missions during operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom.“(We) are extremely proud of all of you and of all the battle-fit Airmen in the 18th Air Support Operations

  • Deployed Marine teaches Airmen martial arts

    Physically, Marine Sgt. Luis Mercado stands a modest 5-feet-7-inches tall and weighs only 150 pounds. But he barks orders and works his students as though he were King Kong himself.“I want to share my knowledge,” the martial arts instructor said. “There’s no point in keeping it to myself.”Sergeant

  • Yokota isochronal Airmen keep Pacific fleet healthy

    Mechanics here are essential to sustaining the health and safety of Pacific Air Force’s fleet of C-130 Hercules cargo aircraft.“Aircraft periodic inspection and replacement of worn parts are important in keeping minor problems from becoming critical safety issues,” said Senior Master Sgt. Earl

  • Airmen add ‘information armor’ to Iraq convoys

    When a convoy heads out on the roads of Iraq, it can be a life or death mission. Faced with violent threats from insurgents, the troops are armed and ready. But in this hostile environment, a “protective posture” requires more than mere Kevlar. Airmen of the 90th Information Operations Squadron

  • Hornets swarm Osan

    A nest of Hornets has invaded the sky here and local aircrews say they could not be more excited.A joint training mission is under way. Sailors are flying F/A-18 Hornets and EA-6B Prowlers with the Airmen in A-10 Thunderbolt IIs from the 25th Fighter Squadron and F-16 Fighting Falcons from the 36th

  • Controllers use "giant voice" to keep Airmen informed

    Packed into a small, windowless container like sardines in a can, the Airmen who run the command post at Camp Sather here are always in the know, and they do not mind letting everyone know it in a very loud voice. The eight controllers make their point by transmitting crucial safety and security

  • Officials announce F-16 accident investigation findings

    Air Force officials announced investigation findings of a May 19 F-16 Fighting Falcon crash on the Tohono O’odham Nation in Arizona. The pilot, Singaporean air force 2nd Lt. Kwang Han Loo, was killed in the crash. He was assigned to the 425th Fighter Squadron, a foreign military training squadron,

  • Amputee pilot back in the cockpit

    Most people would have thought Lt. Col. Andrew Lourake would never see the inside of an Air Force cockpit again, at least not as a pilot.The colonel was injured in a motorcycle accident in the fall of 1998. Infection following surgery to repair a broken bone left him with few choices but to have

  • Soldiers, Airmen train together for urban warfare

    Combat in urban environments, such as that recently conducted in Fallujah, Iraq, is becoming more commonplace, said defense officials. Providing protection to ground forces in such close quarters is a challenge for Soldiers and Airmen alike.During an exercise here, Soldiers from the 172nd Stryker

  • Reservist returns POW/MIA bracelet worn in remembrance

    A reservist here who pledged to keep the memory of a fallen Airman alive for almost 20 years has returned the Vietnam warrior’s POW/MIA bracelet to his family after he was finally laid to rest.Master Sgt. Sheila Couzins, an intelligence analyst in the 445th Operations Support Squadron, purchased a

  • Now showing: Dec. 6 edition of AFTV News

    Two inspirational stories headline the latest edition of Air Force Television News. In the first, Staff Sgt. John Anderson profiles the story of Lt. Col. Andrew Lourake, a pilot whose flying career seemed doomed after his leg was amputated. Instead, through hard work and rehabilitation, Colonel

  • Fighter pilot film about teamwork, thrill of flight

    Civilians and Airmen alike can get breathtaking insight into parts of the Air Force they may not have seen before. The IMAX film "Fighter Pilot: Operation Red Flag," premiered Dec. 2 at the National Air and Space Museum here. Filmgoers got an inside look at one of the Air Force's largest training

  • Aerial porters firing on all cylinders in Iraq

    The airlift mission that moves cargo in and out of Iraq is complicated, like a machine with many moving parts. When all of the airlift parts are working together, America's warfighters are supplied with everything from beans to bullets.One of the most important parts of the airlift machine is the

  • Medics, aircrews work together to save lives

    The cold, metal interior of a loud, rumbling C-130 Hercules, accompanied by the smell of jet fuel and the sight of red tracer rounds in the distance, may not seem like the ideal environment to treat patients. However, for those providing medical care to those who need it quickly, there is really no

  • Ammo Airmen help put steel on target

    Listen closely around the desert flightline at this deployed location and you will eventually hear the scream of an eagle or falcon flying overhead. These birds of prey are Air Force F-15E Strike Eagles and F-16 Fighting Falcons racing off to support the war on terrorism. Helping ground forces

  • New satellite terminal provides real-time intelligence

    A new satellite communications system is now operational that will help provide warfighters timely intelligence from U-2 Dragon Lady reconnaissance flights.Officials with the 480th Intelligence Wing here brought the Transportable Medium Earth Terminal II satellite communications system online Nov.

  • Yokota fuels specialists support global missions

    Fuels specialists from the 374th Logistics Readiness Squadron here provide a vital service for Air Force defense and humanitarian missions worldwide. “Providing fuel, oil and lubricants is one of the most important logistic factors that influence strategic and tactical planning in today’s military,”

  • Officials announce Future Total Force initiatives

    Air Force officials plan to tap into the inherent strength and experience of all three Air Force components to increase overall combat capability.They announced six test initiatives Dec. 1 that fall under the Future Total Force plan that puts Airmen from active-duty, Air National Guard and Air Force

  • Tower dedication honors two Airmen killed in combat

    It was predicted there would not be a dry eye in the house. As the guests gathered to honor two fallen heroes, that prediction came true.Family members and tactical air control party Airmen honored fellow tactical controllers Staff Sgt. Jacob Frazier and Airman 1st Class Raymond Losano during a

  • Strike Eagles support ‘guys on the ground’

    While originally designed as a fighter-bomber, the F-15E Strike Eagle took on a new mission during the past three years. Today, it is almost strictly used for close-air support, giving troops on the ground added air protection and precise target elimination, officials said.“Three years ago no one

  • Airmen fly Iraqi baby home

    A 14-month-old Iraqi girl left for Iraq on a C-141 Starlifter recently after receiving about six months of medical treatment at Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. Fatemah Khalil Hassan and her mother, Beyda’a Amir Abdul Jabar, were flown to Ramstein Air Base, Germany, before heading back to

  • ‘Lean’ team lauded for manufacturing-technology advances

    The sixth annual Defense Manufacturing Technology Achievement Award was presented Nov. 30 at the Defense Manufacturing Conference in Las Vegas.John B. Todaro, director of the Department of Defense's technology transition office, presented the award to the Air Force's lean depot repair initiative.

  • Airmen help Soldiers keep OIF supplies rolling

    By moving nearly 1.3 million pounds of cargo in one day recently, Balad-based Airmen assigned to the Arrival/Departure Air Cargo Group are breaking new ground for cargo movement supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.The Airmen are part of Detachment 2632 of the 732nd Expeditionary Logistics Readiness

  • Fuels Airmen ‘top off’ mission

    A key part of the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing’s mission is providing aerial refueling capabilities for the war on terrorism. For tankers, or any other aircraft, to get off the ground, they rely on the Air Force’s expeditionary fuel distribution center at a forward-deployed location.The 380th

  • ‘No place like home’ for McGuire Airmen

    Many servicemembers have reasons for choosing the base or region where they are stationed. For five McGuire Airmen who hail from the same hometown, a base close to home seemed like the right choice.None of them knew they would end up here at the same time and in the same unit.Staff Sgt. Joseph

  • Alaska Air Guard rescuers pick-up missing pilot

    A civilian pilot is now home and safe after surviving six days in the Alaskan wilderness. Michael Holman had been missing since Nov. 22 and was picked up Nov. 28 by an Air National Guard rescue crew. He had been spotted the day before by a passing U.S. Coast Guard C-130 Hercules crew.Mr. Holman,

  • DOD to use 'forward-deployed active-layered defense' to protect country

    The Department of Defense's new strategy for helping protect the nation is to have a "forward-deployed active-layered defense," said the man who helped craft the plan.Paul McHale, assistant secretary of defense for homeland defense, said his agency "firmly believes" the nation's defense begins

  • Ice cream craving leads to emergency situation

    For two Airmen here, what started out as an ordinary day ended with them risking their lives and becoming heroes.Airman 1st Class Jason Brandos and Airman 1st Class Scot Richardson went to get ice cream with their wives at about 9 p.m. The Brandoses were in the first vehicle, and the Richardsons

  • AGE of excellence

    Empty closets and pantries are often considered signs of scarcity and tough times. But when Tech. Sgt. Timothy Haun opens the “hold bin,” a pantry that used to be full of manila envelopes and boxes, he sees mostly empty space, and he is happy about it.The manila envelopes and boxes contained pieces

  • New IMAX film a first for the Air Force

    If you have never been part of a Red Flag exercise, you can at least watch the movie. The IMAX film "Fighter Pilot: Operation Red Flag" premiers Dec. 2 at the Smithsonian Museum, Udvar-Hazy Center, near here. The movie is the first large format film to showcase the U.S. Air Force. The film is

  • MQ-1 Predator crashes in Southwest Asia

    An Air Force MQ-1 Predator Unmanned Aerial Vehicle crashed at 10:20 a.m. Greenwich Mean Time on Nov. 24 at an undisclosed military installation in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility. Combined Air Operations Center officials said the accident was not the result of enemy fire, and the

  • Bagram Airmen build bombs

    Building up flares and guided bombs is all in a day’s work for ammunitions troops here, as it is for conventional munitions technicians throughout the region. Being assigned to the 455th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron ammunitions unit is about keeping the munitions supply lines flowing,

  • ‘Resultant Fury’ pits aircrews against challenging targets

    B-2 Spirit bombers flew a 23-hour roundtrip mission from here Nov. 22 supporting a two-day exercise involving a variety of aircraft striking maritime and ground targets in the Pacific.The highlight of the exercise was the sinking of towed targets by two B-52 Stratofortresses using updated J-series

  • F-35 ‘flies’ above central New York

    Perched atop a pedestal overlooking a rural valley in central New York sits the nation's air warrior of the future.Sophisticated antenna testing is under way on the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter at the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Newport antenna research and measurement facility.The full-scale F-35

  • Airmen, bombers fueling the ‘Fury’

    More than 300 Airmen, Sailors and Marines from around the world began participating in Resultant Fury on Nov. 22. It is a three-day, $10 million demonstration, designed to showcase the first use of satellite guided J-Series weapons to sink multiple moving targets."We're matching up advanced weapons