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  • 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

  • Senator praises Air Force secretary

    A leading member of Congress praised Secretary of the Air Force Dr. James G. Roche on the floor of the U.S. Senate on Nov. 19, just days after the secretary announced his resignation.Sen. James Inhofe paid tribute Secretary Roche’s service, specifically pointing to his efforts at revitalizing

  • NASA X-43A rockets to Mach 9.8 at Edwards

    After postponing the mission because of a problem with the X-43A hypersonic research aircraft, NASA officials said they could not have hoped for a better flight than the one they had here Nov. 16."It was a great mission," said Joel Sitz, X-43A project manager. "It was 90 seconds of terror, but once

  • Security forces work as customs inspectors

    For years, security forces Airmen have been the first line of defense for air bases and Airmen, securing them both from attack. Since March, security forces Airmen of the 886th Expeditionary Security Forces Group have been protecting America in a new mission -- that of customs and agriculture

  • Speckled Trout takes detour to aid deployed Airman

    “Airmen helping Airmen” is a statement that is made often in the ranks of the Air Force.High-ranking Air Force leaders and a C-135C Speckled Trout crew from here demonstrated it Nov. 11.The crew was preparing to leave Incirlik Air Base, Turkey, with Secretary of the Air Force Dr. James G. Roche and

  • Duck hunting William Tell style

    “It’s just like duck hunting ...” Well, maybe not just like duck hunting. The “duck” is a 40-by-8 foot target being hauled 2,000 feet behind a Learjet flying about 20,000 feet over the Gulf of Mexico. Otherwise, it is really similar to duck hunting.During William Tell, F-15 Eagle pilots compete

  • Maintainers mind William Tell

    Several maintainers are crowded inside a snack bar like a pack of sardines. Inside the small room, the Airmen watch live footage of a two-ship vs. four-ship mission featuring their team’s F-15 Eagles. Watching their aircraft perform is a rare occurrence for the Airmen, who usually send their jets

  • Boy wishes to be Thunderbird for a day

    Matthew "Buddy" LaFontaine has wanted to be a Thunderbird since he was 3 years old. Now, at the grand old age of 9, thanks to the Make-A-Wish Foundation and the Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron Airmen, his wish has come true. Buddy was a Thunderbird for a day Nov. 12.Buddy experienced the

  • Children experience military 'deployment'

    Children here recently got a taste of what their military parents go through when deploying during Operation Kids Investigating Deployment Services.Tech. Sgt. Senya Zeitvogel, noncommissioned officer in charge of family readiness at the 82nd Mission Support Squadron here, said she planned this event

  • U.S., Japanese forces conduct weapons familiarization

    U.S. Air Force weapons crews and Japan’s air self-defense forces conducted a turn-around familiarization exercise inside an aircraft hangar here Nov. 15. during Keen Sword 2005. Keen Sword is designed to increase the defensive readiness of Japanese and American forces though training in air,

  • Weapons directors provide situational awareness

    They came to William Tell to play a video game. But they are not playing Donkey Kong or the latest version of Halo. Instead, they are monitoring radar screens to make sure their pilots stay on track during the competition.William Tell is a competition which tests an aircrew's ability to perform

  • AF participates in Veterans Day tribute at Redskins' game

    Thousands of sports fans and patriots were entertained here Nov. 14 by the Washington Redskins and Cincinnati Bengals football teams and the U.S. Air Force. The day's main attraction was the Redskins' battle against the Bengals, but as part of a tribute to American military veterans, the Air Force

  • New AMC delivery process speeds shipments to troops

    A new Air Mobility Command program, dubbed "Pure Pallet,” is simplifying and speeding up airlift shipments into the U.S. Central Command’s area of responsibility.The program involves building and shipping individual aircraft pallets with cargo for a single customer, AMC officials said.Lt. Col. Steve

  • Air Force’s future ‘invented’ at research lab

    It still may be a little too soon for Star Trek’s “beam me up, Scotty” technology, but Air Force scientists and engineers are trying to narrow the gap between science fiction and science fact.The Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, recently published the results

  • Reservists arrive in Uruguay for exercise

    A team of Air Force reservists from the 5th Special Operations Squadron at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., arrived here Nov. 9 for Unitas 2004, the largest and longest naval exercise in the Americas. Arriving aboard an MC-130P Combat Shadow, they are the Air Force’s first unit to participate in the

  • Spare jet scores for PACAF team during William Tell event

    The Pacific Air Forces team put big points on the William Tell scoreboard after a touch-and-go start in their first event Nov. 9 at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla.The Operation Noble Eagle event simulates the launch of quick-response fighters that must react to an enemy aircraft crossing the border

  • Airmen run fire department at forward operating base

    With safety at the forefront in everyone’s minds, having firefighters ready and standing by is important when an emergency happens on base.The fire department here is run by four Airmen from Manas Air Base, Kyrgyz Republic, who respond to emergencies. The types of emergencies the team is prepared to

  • Airman takes co-pilot's stick during in-flight emergency

    Like most passengers on a commercial airlines flight, Lt. Col. Scott Neumann probably expected a long, uneventful flight from Dulles International Airport in Washington to Los Angeles.Boy, was he wrong.The deputy commander for the 412th Operations Group at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., had just

  • Air Force aims for ‘weapons-grade’ vision

    In June, the Air Force vice chief of staff and surgeon general approved wavefront-guided LASIK surgery for aviators in aircraft flying at altitudes of less than 14,000 feet. WFG-LASIK is a new generation of laser eye surgery that maps subtle irregularities in the cornea before the procedure,

  • Reservists bring wounded home

    When more than 10,000 U.S. and multinational troops entered Fallujah on Nov. 8 to root out insurgents, two reservists from here prepared to move the wounded from Iraq.Maj. Greg Koewler and Master Sgt. Greg Thompson of the 445th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron are deployed to Balad Air Base, 50 miles

  • Experience, fresh eyes ensure airfield security

    Airman Michael Roomsburg stopped the Humvee as Staff Sgt. Chad Marten called to notify the security forces command post that the Delta-5 external security response team was set to patrol outer perimeter road.“I’ll man the turret,” said Airman Roomsburg, an active-duty Airman deployed from Pope Air

  • Unmanned aircraft gain starring role in terror war

    Unmanned aerial vehicles are earning star status in the war on terrorism. They are becoming the most-requested capability among combatant commanders in Southwest Asia and use has increased fourfold in that theater during the last year alone, said the deputy director of the Pentagon's UAV planning

  • McChord civilian cashes in on IDEA

    A civilian employee here was presented a $10,000 check for a suggestion he submitted through the Air Force Innovative Development through Employee Awareness program.Kevin Shupe, an aircraft environmental systems specialist, worked with the manufacturer of aircrew oxygen tanks who agreed to recertify

  • PACAF’s team uses advantage during William Tell

    A pilot checks his radar and looks over his shoulder to see an enemy fighter at his 3 o’clock position. The infrared seeker on the air-to-air missile rotates to the right as the pilot moves his head. He lines up the enemy fighter with the crosshairs on his helmet-visor display and shoots. The

  • Team deploys to recover damaged C-130 Hercules

    When an aircraft breaks while away from home station, emergency care is just a call away. In the case of a C-130 Hercules that was hit by enemy fire recently, that help came from maintenance recovery team Airmen at a forward-deployed location.“Anytime an aircraft breaks off-station, anywhere in the

  • Senior leaders discuss Air Force future

    The Air Force’s top three leaders stopped at this forward-deployed location Nov. 8 while on their tour through Southwest Asia. Secretary of the Air Force Dr. James G. Roche, Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper and Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Gerald R. Murray met with Airmen of the 386th Air

  • Now showing: Nov. 8 edition of AFTV News

    Air Force operation of the large medical facility at Balad Air Base, Iraq, spotlights the Nov. 8 edition of Air Force Television News. Tech. Sgt. Joy Josephson spent a week at the hospital, chronicling the treatment of wounded servicemembers by Air Force medics. Tech. Sgt. Bill Scherer also

  • Stratotanker crew comes to aid of F-16 pilot

    The Yogi Berra saying that “it ain't over ‘till it’s over” seems to be the most appropriate way to describe one particular flight over Iraq in October, when a KC-135 Stratotanker crew thought they had completed their mission and were returning to their forward-deployed base.“We had already secured

  • Hercules crew, passengers survive enemy fire

    It was a bright, clear day when an Air Force C-130 Hercules with 57 Soldiers aboard took off from an airfield in northern Iraq bound for a forward-deployed location. The flight seemed to be routine until the pilot thought he heard a “thud.” Then, according to the aircrew, the flight became

  • Air Force aircraft join Fallujah offensive

    U.S. Air Force aircraft launched precision munitions to destroy preplanned targets here Nov. 4.As part of Multinational Force-Iraq, the Airmen joined coalition partners and U.S. Marines in the offensive.Shortly after midnight, an Air Force aircraft supported a Marine element and struck a preplanned

  • Officials investigate training incident

    Air Force officials are investigating a weapons incident that took place during a nighttime training mission in the Warren Grove Range airspace in New Jersey on Nov. 3.An Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon expended an undetermined number of 20 mm ammunition rounds, officials said.The aircraft is

  • Multinational exercise begins in South Atlantic

    The Atlantic phase of Unitas, the largest and longest-held naval exercise in the Americas, began here Nov. 3. This two-week exercise incorporates for the first time a U.S. Air Force unit that joins ships, aircraft and submarines from Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Spain and the United States.The 5th

  • General Jumper discusses transformation

    Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper addressed thousands of troops as the final keynote speaker at the Airlift/Tanker Association Symposium here Oct. 30.The general spoke on how far the Air Force has evolved in recent years and what he sees for the future.“We, as Airmen, face what can only

  • Task forces enhance global mobility support

    Air Mobility Command’s expeditionary mobility task forces, now a year old, were highlighted during the 2004 Airlift/Tanker Association Convention here Oct. 29.Brig. Gen. Bobby J. Wilkes, commander of the 21st Expeditionary Mobility Task Force at McGuire Air Force Base, N.J., described the units as

  • Scientists identify remains of six Air Force MIAs

    The remains of six Airmen missing in action from the Vietnam War have been identified and are being buried at Arlington National Cemetery on Nov. 5 with full military honors.They are: Cols. Theodore Kryszak of Buffalo, N.Y., and Harding Smith of Los Gatos, Calif.; Lt. Col. Russell Martin of

  • Act equips tomorrow’s force

    The fiscal 2005 National Defense Authorization Act provides the equipment the American military needs to fight the war on terror.The act, signed by President George W. Bush on Oct. 28, provides both equipment the military needs today and the seed money to design and build equipment the military will

  • AFIT honors 2004 distinguished alumni

    The Air Force Institute of Technology honored two 2004 distinguished alumni here Oct. 29. Retired Maj. Gen. Robert R. Rankine and Dr. Edward T. Curran were selected for their pioneering roles in science, engineering and education.“The title of ‘distinguished alumnus’ is the highest honor that AFIT

  • Guardsmen making K-2 connections

    The C-130 Hercules aircrew from Saint Joseph, Mo., was told the night before that its mission tasking, called a frag (fragmentary order), was to fly supplies from Karshi-Khanabad Air Base, Uzbekistan, known as K-2, to Fire Base Salerno, Afghanistan.It was going to be a quick offload for the Missouri

  • Picture-perfect painting

    Aircraft leaving the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center here make one final stop to complete the cycle of programmed depot maintenance.That stop is the paint hangar. What comes in are aircraft fresh from their test flights. What rolls out are planes freshly primed, painted and stenciled.The

  • 2004 Airlift/Tanker Association convention convenes

    Signifying the tremendous role that reserve forces play in the air mobility mission, the leaders of the Air National Guard and the Air Force Reserve kicked off the 2004 Airlift/Tanker Association Convention here Oct. 29. Lt. Gen. Daniel James III, ANG director, and his reserve component colleague,

  • Airmen begin airlift mission to Sudan

    An Air Force C-130 Hercules left Abuja, Nigeria, on Oct. 28 with about 40 Nigerian troops and 3,000 pounds of equipment bound for El-Fashir airstrip in Sudan’s Darfur region.This marked the beginning of the airlift mission of African Union protection forces to the troubled area, they said.More than

  • Airmen prepare for humanitarian relief efforts

    More than 120 active-duty and Reserve Airmen from the 322nd Air Expeditionary Group arrived here Oct. 23 and 24 to set up airlift operations for the African Union. Within 48 hours, the Airmen established lodging, food service, communications, transportation, maintenance and public affairs. They

  • Sibling reunion ‘sweet’ for Air Force reservist

    Family reunions may seem sappy to some, but for maple syrup farming siblings deployed to Afghanistan, such meetings are truly sweet.Tech. Sgt. Rebecca Jo Allen, a reservist deployed to nearby Bagram Air Base from Pope Air Force Base, N.C., and U.S. Army Reserve Chief Warrant Officer Tim Gaby,

  • Now showing: Oct. 25 edition of AFTV News

    The continuing cleanup and relief support given victims of four Florida hurricanes highlights the latest edition of Air Force Television News. Staff Sgt. Kevin Nichols reports from Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala., the staging point for tons of supplies and materials on their way to Florida and

  • AWACS tests new identification system

    Years of preparation paid off for the Airborne Warning and Control Systems Program Office during the test of a capability which will reduce the possibility of friendly-fire accidents.The test, held recently at the Navy test range at Patuxent River, Md., examined a new AWACS Identification Friend or

  • Officials announce 2004 awards for air mobility excellence

    Airlift/Tanker Association officials recently announced the 2004 award winners for excellence within the air mobility community.The association recognized 27 people in five categories. These Airmen will be honored at its annual convention in Dallas on Oct. 29.The Young Leadership Award is presented

  • Airmen recall Swiss internment

    Confinement did not stop some servicemembers from doing their duty during World War II, and now a little distance did not keep them from rekindling old memories.Thirty one former Army Air Force servicemembers, here for the Swiss Internees Association reunion Oct. 14, all have a different story. But

  • Air Force team deploys to prepare for Sudan airlift mission

    About 30 Airmen from U.S. European Command arrived in Kigali, Rwanda, on Oct. 21 to begin preparations to support a two-week airlift mission of Rwandan peacekeepers. The mission is part of an African Union expanded mission in the Darfur region of Sudan.Two C-130 Hercules aircraft and about 120

  • AMC exercise kicks off in Michigan

    Nearly 500 people from McChord Air Force Base, Wash., Grand Forks AFB, N.D., and Travis AFB, Calif., traveled to an Air National Guard base here for exercise Crisis Outlook 2004, a weeklong exercise designed to practice “ability to survive and operate” scenarios.Col. Chris Coley, 62nd Operations

  • General Jumper visits Pacific Coast Air Museum

    Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper visited here Oct. 16 for a dedication ceremony at the Pacific Coast Air Museum.At the event, a restored F-106A Delta Dart was dedicated in honor and remembrance of General Jumper’s father, Maj. Gen. Jimmy Jumper, and the 48th Fighter Interceptor Squadron,

  • POL Airmen help turn C-130 into flying gas station

    For Staff Sgt. Chris Cooper and Senior Airman Pete Kaplan, being fuels specialists is what they joined the Air Force to do. But the two petroleum, oil and lubricant experts had no idea they would be donning body armor and flying a 3,000-gallon fuel bladder around the desert, refueling much-needed

  • Reserve unit begins deactivating

    Already hard-pressed aircrews at this active airlift hub will be even busier starting in December when two Reserve squadrons begin deactivating after two years on active duty.The 97th and 728th Airlift Squadrons, of the Air Force Reserve’s 446th Airlift Wing here, mobilized in February 2003. Both

  • Airfield team stays busy at deployed location

    Airfield management at one forward-deployed air base in Southwest Asia involves doing more than just filing flight plans and telling pilots where to park.Master Sgt. Carlos Marrero, the chief of airfield management, and his staff also ensure the smooth and efficient movement of aircraft in the area

  • C-141 schoolhouse closes at Wright-Pat

    Air Force Reserve Command officials shut down the C-141 Starlifter schoolhouse here Oct. 14.A ceremony marked the closing of the school, officially called the C-141 Formal Training Unit. It was managed by the 445th Airlift Wing. Use of the facility, the only one of its kind in the Air Force, ended

  • Name change heralds new era at AF museum

    A dramatic era of change and growth continues to unfold at the Air Force's national museum with the institution launching a formal name change.Officials announced the name change from the U.S. Air Force Museum to the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force during a ceremony Oct. 14. "The Air Force

  • Student Civil Air Patrol program takes flight

    While some middle-school students spend their free time playing video games or watching television, a recently chartered organization here is giving future Airmen the opportunity to experience crossing into the blue as Civil Air Patrol cadets.Unlike ROTC, the cadets’ involvement is not graded as a

  • Postal agency sets overseas holiday mailing dates, policies

    The dates for mailing items to and from overseas locations in time for the holidays are fast approaching, and officials at the Military Postal Service Agency here have suggestions for ensuring packages and letters arrive on time. "If packages are mailed earlier, it may be possible to use

  • Helmet upgrades enhance air power

    F-16 Fighting Falcon pilots here can now look, lock and launch on an enemy target in the blink of an eye. Because split seconds can mean the difference between life or death for a pilot in combat, the 52nd Fighter Wing here adopted an advanced approach to high-tech man-machine interaction with the

  • Roche, Jumper ‘wear test’ Osprey

    The Air Force's top two leaders got up close and personal Oct. 8 with what may become the service's latest special operations asset. Secretary of the Air Force Dr. James G. Roche and Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper flew in a Marine Corps MV-22 Osprey. General Jumper served as pilot of

  • Tankers fuel war on terror

    The 380th Air Expeditionary Wing’s tanker squadron plays an essential role in the war on terror. KC-10 Extenders are a key part of the wings’ mission to provide coalition aircraft greater range and endurance for missions over Iraq and Afghanistan.Pilots of the 908th Expeditionary Aerial Refueling

  • Blowing stuff up for safety’s sake

    Most people use tools to fix things, but the 455th Civil Engineer Flight’s explosive ordnance disposal team here uses its tools to blow up stuff. To these Airmen, blowing something up is the best way to eliminate hazards and with an average of three suspected unexploded ordnance calls here daily,

  • Now showing: Oct. 11 edition of AFTV News

    The continuing Air Force role in Operation Enduring Freedom highlights the latest edition of Air Force Television News. Tech. Sgt. Joy Josephson explains the resupply mission by Air National Guard C-130 Hercules units operating from Uzbekistan. Another aspect of the service’s contribution to peace

  • POL Airmen fuel the wing

    “Without fuel, pilots are pedestrians.” This is a phrase uttered by many fuels specialists over the years. At a forward-deployed location, it is no different; except the phrase should be expanded to people who drive vehicles and use air conditioners, generators and anything else not

  • William Tell competition resumes after eight-year break

    The Air Force’s first William Tell air-to-air competition in eight years takes flight at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., Nov. 8 to 19.William Tell 2004 will test aircrew performance in the air dominance and air sovereignty missions, while evaluating weapons use and the tactics used. The meet also

  • Edwards system monitors SpaceShipOne during flights

    As SpaceShipOne rocketed over the Mojave Desert on Oct. 4 to claim the famed Ansari X Prize, a team of engineers here collected data about the spacecraft’s trajectory thanks to the spaceport arrival and departure safety system.In a partnership between the California Space Authority and the Air Force

  • General Martin withdraws PACOM nomination

    Gen. Gregory S. Martin requested his nomination to be commander of U.S. Pacific Command be withdrawn hours after his Senate Armed Services Committee confirmation hearing Oct. 6.A Pentagon statement said General Martin “has requested that his nomination by the Bush administration to be the new U.S.

  • Airmen train with NATO allies during exercise

    Airmen from Aviano Air Base, Italy, joined forces with NATO’s newest member Oct. 4 to 7 to improve the way they rescue downed pilots.The training was part of Adriatic Rescue 04, a U.S.-Slovenian combat search-and-rescue exercise.While Slovenia conducted similar training with the United States

  • Myers: Changing military culture key to transformation

    The most important area for transformation is the space "between our warfighters' ears," said the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.During an interview, Gen. Richard B. Myers addressed the need for servicemembers and Department of Defense civilians to transform the way they think. He said DOD

  • B-52 aircraft to use AFRL hydraulic fluids

    A fire-resistant hydraulic fluid Air Force Research Laboratory experts here developed will now be used in more than 90 percent of B-52 Stratofortress bomber components, increasing the aircraft's survivability and operational safety.In the past, B-52s used a flammable, petroleum-based hydraulic

  • Nondestructive inspection technicians ensure aviation safety

    Aircraft maintainers rely on nondestructive inspection technicians here to ensure military aviation safety in the Pacific region.As aircraft age, the need to inspect, repair or replace parts increases.“Our primary threats are aircraft fatigue damage and corrosion,” said Master Sgt. Bobby Fruge, the

  • Memphis Belle to find new home at AF Museum

    Air Force officials announced plans Oct. 4 to relocate the World War II B-17 "Memphis Belle" to the Air Force museum near Dayton, Ohio.No date has been set, but officials said they expect the move to occur before the end of the year in conjunction with activities planned to observe the 60th

  • Efforts speed up cargo shipments to warfighters

    America’s warfighters are receiving necessary equipment and supplies more quickly and predictably, thanks to Defense Logistics Agency and Air Mobility Command officials’ efforts to improve their processes for packaging and moving military cargo.Beginning this summer, all Department of Defense

  • AFRL technology flies on SpaceShipOne

    Cutting-edge technology developed by experts at Air Force Research Laboratory’s human effectiveness directorate is being used with SpaceShipOne. The privately manned spaceship reached 328,491 feet (62.2 miles) for the second time in five days Oct. 4. The spaceship crew used an attenuating custom

  • AMC officials recognize civil reserve employees

    Air Mobility Command officials have begun awarding hundreds of Aerial Achievement Medals and thousands of certificates of appreciation to the employees of commercial air carriers called to duty during the Civil Reserve Air Fleet activation in 2003.The fleet of commercial passenger and cargo aircraft

  • Former Air Force official gets nine months in prison

    Darleen Druyun, former principal deputy assistant secretary of the Air Force for acquisitions and management, was sentenced Oct. 1, to nine months in federal prison by a U.S. District Court judge.Earlier this year, Ms. Druyun pleaded guilty to conspiracy to violate Title 18, Section 208(a) of the

  • Airmen use GBU-38 in combat

    During one particular night shift recently, a team primarily composed of Air National Guardsmen conducted the first successful drop of a GBU-38 bomb in combat.The majority of the people connected to the effort came from the Alabama Air National Guard and were supplemented by Airmen from Illinois and

  • Patient support pallet used for first time on KC-10

    Air Mobility Command supports more than 24,000 worldwide patient movements on nearly 2,500 aeromedical-evacuation missions annually, yet none had been scheduled on a KC-10 Extender mission until now.In a special request by South Korean officials to the U.S. State Department, a South Korean college

  • Academy Airmanship operations take flight under AETC

    The U.S. Air Force Academy’s airmanship operations realigned under the Air Education and Training Command as the newly named 306th Flying Training Group on Oct. 1.The operations are elective courses at the academy and are aimed at giving cadets firsthand knowledge and understanding of the flight

  • Officials release Predator accident report

    Crew error caused an MQ-1L Predator unmanned aerial vehicle to crash during a training mission June 14 at Indian Springs Air Force Auxiliary Field, Nev., according to an Air Force report released Sept. 30.The instructor pilot allowed the student pilot to continue too far into a landing approach

  • Tornado damages ANG aircraft, buildings in Delaware

    Many people from the Delaware Air National Guard’s 166th Airlift Wing here witnessed C-130 Hercules aircraft “dancing like ballerinas,” as a tornado struck here Sept. 28.The surprise funnel cloud touched down in the late afternoon at New Castle County Airport, damaging several of the wing’s

  • Missile crewmember deploys with refuelers

    Most Air Force missile crewmembers spend the majority of their time in an underground launch control center monitoring intercontinental ballistic missiles. But one missileer experienced deployed life in the flying world.First Lt. Joe Page, a missile combat crew commander from Minot Air Force Base,

  • WC-130J team tracks hurricanes with improved radar system

    Experts here battled 155-mph winds and penetrated two hurricanes 15 times recently to put the WC-130J Hercules’ improved weather-radar system to the test.Together with Air Force Reserve Command's 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron at Keesler Air Force Base, Miss., joint test team experts flew

  • Research lab experts test joined-wing demonstrator

    Researchers here flew a 7 percent scaled Joined-Wing Technology Demonstrator for the first time Sept. 22, putting the future of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft design through its initial paces.Air Force Research Laboratory experts designed and are developing the SensorCraft

  • Guardsmen, aircraft wow South African crowd

    They were daunted by the size of the C-5 Galaxy transport and KC-135 Stratotanker, and mesmerized by the sleek, bold designs of the HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter and F-16 Fighting Falcon.So it was easy for crowds of children and military enthusiasts to swarm to New York Air National Guardsmen

  • Despite predictable weather, specialists still keep busy

    When an area averages an annual temperature of about 100 degrees and less than 1 inch of rain, a person could assume that the weather is fairly predictable. One could also assume that a bunch of weather specialists would not be gainfully employed at such a location. But then again, everyone knows

  • Humanitarian airlift brings $15 million in aid to base

    The largest amount of humanitarian aid to enter the Kyrgyz Republic since it became its own country in 1991 came by way of C-17 Globemaster IIIs from McChord Air Force Base, Wash., on Sept. 23.About $15 million worth of medicines and medical supplies were unloaded at the Bishkek International