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  • Airmen haul Operation Secure Tomorrow cargo

    The instant a C-141 Starlifter stops taxiing at its designated spot on the runway here, 84th Aerial Port Squadron reservists rapidly unload its cargo and immediately load material for the return flight. In a matter of minutes, without ever shutting down its engines, the cargo plane is airborne

  • Battlelab improves in-flight patient care

    Specialists at the Air Mobility Battlelab here have resolved a significant lighting deficiency aboard aeromedical evacuation aircraft by developing a portable lighting kit prototype.Because of insufficient lighting, several care providers reported having difficulty assessing patients, observing

  • Large Package Week puts the ‘air’ in airborne

    A U.S. Air Force C-130 Hercules passed overhead and green parachutes dotted the evening sky above nearby Fort Bragg on May 11. Eight seconds later, the first Soldiers from the Army’s 18th Airborne Corps charged across the ground launching a simulated airfield assault.The Large Package Week

  • Investigation determines cause of T-1A accident

    Air Force officials completed their investigation of an accident where a T-1A Jayhawk ran off the runway Aug. 16 after landing at Keesler Air Force Base, Miss. The accident caused an estimated $2.5 million in structural damage to the aircraft.Accident investigation board officials determined the

  • T-6A belly lands at Lackland

    A training aircraft landed with its gear up at Kelly Field Annex here May 10. The pilot declared an in-flight emergency because of a landing-gear malfunction. The T-6A Texan II is assigned to the 12th Flying Training Wing at nearby Randolph Air Force Base.The two-man crew of the aircraft was

  • Now showing: May 10 edition of AFTV News

    Man’s thirst for flight highlights the latest edition of Air Force Television News. Stories from Staff Sgts. Melissa Allan and Leigh Bellinger illustrate two different ways flying has occupied and enriched two people’s lives.Sergeant Allen profiles Maj. Andrew Lurake. Despite having his leg

  • Command post controllers key to information flow

    There is an organization that many people think is the place to go for information. In part they are; however, the unit is a lot more than that. Airmen in the command post do much more than just pass along information, especially in a combat zone. The 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing’s command post

  • Deployed reservists help charities in Kyrgyzstan

    Air Force reservists from here deployed to Manas Air Base, Kyrgyzstan, are supporting combat operations in Afghanistan. They also are helping to make life better for people near there.Airmen of Air Force Reserve Command’s 908th Airlift Wing arrived at the old Soviet airfield in early December to

  • Incirlik supports OEF servicemember transitions

    While the spotlight has been focused lately on Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom’s war on terrorism still quietly continues in Afghanistan.Besides supporting troop movements of Soldiers from Iraq, thousands of Airmen and Soldiers supporting OEF are also passing through here, either

  • Air Guard firefighters stand down

    The Air National Guard's 146th Airlift Wing was released from aerial firefighting duty May 5. Improving weather conditions aided forestry and fire protection agencies in making strong gains against Southern California wildfires.Two C-130 Hercules aircraft equipped for aerial firefighting helped

  • International Airman of maintenance

    Tech. Sgt. Robert Damron wears nothing on his blue flightsuit to indicate his nation or rank. He motions to a group to follow him up the stairs to the hatch of the E-3A Airborne Warning and Control System aircraft, a modified Boeing 707 most notable for the big radar disc mounted on the

  • Security forces provide protection on, off Bagram

    Besides their more traditional role of providing installation security, security forces Airmen here have taken on two other important combat-related responsibilities supporting the war on terrorism.Airmen assigned to the 455th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron are providing security for convoys

  • European memorials honor those who fought for freedom

    An American bomber was shot out of the sky by German fighter aircraft 60 years ago, and on April 29, Airmen from U.S. Air Forces in Europe honored the fallen aircrew in a ceremony in Dinklage, Germany.The B-24 Liberator bomber, named “El Lobo,” was returning from a bombing mission to Berlin during

  • 1st Air Force looks inward to keep America safe

    It was the day the screens went black. Sept. 11, 2001, was the day that breathed life into what some considered a “sunset mission.” It was the day when everything changed. In the hours before the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington, 1st Air Force and the Continental United States North

  • Air National Guard unit fights wildfires

    California Air National Guardsmen from the 146th Airlift Wing launched aircraft outfitted for aerial firefighting May 5 to aid in the fight against Southern California wildfires.The wing's first missions of the day were flown against Santa Barbara County's Cachuma fire.The Ventura County-based

  • Airmen shadow local workers

    Although shadows under a desert sun may be rare, whenever a local contractor works on an air base in Iraq one or two are always found.At nearby Camp Sather those shadows are Airmen from the 447th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron's force protection escort element who accompany all foreign

  • May issue of Airman available

    Read about how Airmen at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., and other locations protect America’s interior; take a look at the new Air Force basic training; and learn about Airmen who maintain lesser-known bases throughout South Korea. These features and more highlight the May issue of Airman magazine,

  • Maintainers target wiring problems

    Maintainers from the 4th Component Maintenance Squadron here have created a process that could potentially change the way the Air Force troubleshoots electronic systems.They combined one-of-a-kind commercial hardware with locally written software programs to locate wiring problems within three

  • World War II ‘evaders’ congregate at memorial

    Their shoulders may be stooped, and their pace a little slow. Hearing aids are a common “fashion statement,” and their hair, what’s left of it, is a tad gray. But one look into their eyes is enough to know the old spirit of adventure is still there.About 80 members of the Air Forces Escape and

  • U.S. participates in multinational air combat exercise

    U.S. Air Force and Navy units are here participating in Maple Flag 37, an international air-combat exercise held May 3 to 14 by the Canadian air force.About 20 aircraft and 600 people from the United States are practicing combined air operations with air forces from Canada, Germany, France, New

  • Maintainers keep refuelers in air

    Temperatures can climb above 100 degrees in the desert daily. On the flightline, it is about 10 to 30 degrees higher. In the avionics compartment of a jet, it is hot enough to “fry an egg,” said aircraft maintainers. Yet they work around the clock to launch KC-135 Stratotanker and KC-10 Extender

  • Mechanics save Condor from extinction

    Three mechanics from the 376th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron here saved a Condor from extinction or at least the scrap heap.The Condor is a de-icing vehicle for C-5 Galaxy and C-17 Globemaster III cargo aircraft passing through here. A combination of glitches had grounded the Condor

  • Presence policy helps define expeditionary force

    The secretary of the Air Force recently signed a policy clearly defining the structure and role of the air and space expeditionary force within the joint warfare environment. The Air and Space Expeditionary Force Presence Policy, among other things, defines AEF, outlines its command structure and

  • Air Force begins Raptor operational tests

    Operational testing on the F/A-22 Raptor began April 29 when the first two-ship sortie was flown and tested by members of the F/A-22 Combined Test Force here.After the operational testing is complete, a report will provide senior leaders with the information needed to approve the Raptor for

  • Airman prepares others for worst-case scenario

    Senior Airman Aaron Sanders spends his days teaching students information he hopes they never need to use. But he said he wants them to learn the material well, just in case.As a survival specialist deployed to the Combined Air Operations Center here, Airman Sanders travels to bases throughout the

  • Airmen earn FAA certification through CCAF

    Two aircraft maintainers are the first to earn Federal Aviation Administration certification under a Community College of the Air Force program launched in 2002.Tech. Sgt. Jeffrey Gunson of the California Air National Guard and Tech. Sgt. Mark Faught from Ramstein Air Base, Germany, earned the

  • Jabara award honors aviator’s contributions

    Academy officials named an Air Force pilot the winner of the 2004 Colonel James Jabara Award for Airmanship for his contributions to airpower during operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom.Maj. Jason Hanover, a 1992 academy graduate, is assigned to the 352nd Operations Support Squadron at

  • Brothers by blood, siblings by stealth

    Capts. Brian and Brad Cochran took different roads to reach their dreams of flight, but those paths led to the same destination. The captains are the first brothers to qualify as B-2 Spirit pilots.“As kids we always imagined we’d be pilots,” said Brian of the 393rd Bomb Squadron here. “I don’t

  • Idaho Air Guard helps test new stackable cargo pallets

    As part of an ongoing Air Expeditionary Force Battlelab initiative, a team tested a new bilevel aircraft loading system aboard an Idaho Air National Guard C-130 Hercules here April 22.People from the battlelab, a think tank for new and innovative ideas based at Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho,

  • Pope C-130s supply beans, bullets to war on terror

    They like to think of themselves as the "18-wheeler trucks" that supply the front lines in the war on terrorism. C-130 Hercules aircraft crews from the 2nd and 41st Airlift Squadrons at Pope Air Force Base, N.C., deliver food, ammunition and servicemembers throughout Southwest Asia. Unlike larger

  • First Air Force provides top cover for America

    While much of the Air Force is engaged overseas, one organization has remained behind to fulfill a mission equally important -- Operation Noble Eagle, the air-defense mission aimed at preventing terrorist attacks in the United States.The organization comprises Air Force active-duty and reserve

  • Medevac squadron proves it’s 'always ready'

    The 86th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron lived up to its motto, “always ready,” April 19 as a routine C-130 Hercules channel mission to Pristina, Kosovo, turned into a life-saving assignment. An hour before takeoff, Maj. Chuck Wheeler, 86th AES training flight commander, learned there would be a

  • Combat controllers play key role in war on terror

    The largest class of future combat controllers is training at Pope Air Force Base, N.C., to provide critical skills required in the war on terrorism. The current class of 32 students will help bolster the cadre of 360 combat controllers -- special-operations forces who deploy quickly into

  • Yokota provides typhoon relief to island of Yap

    The island of Yap in Micronesia was devastated by Typhoon Sudal on April 10. The typhoon had wind speeds up to 125 mph for six to 10 hours, knocking out the island’s power, communications and infrastructure.Two C-130 Hercules aircraft, four aircrews and six crew chiefs returned here April 16 after

  • XC-99 begins piece-by-piece trip to Air Force Museum

    Several parts of a historic XC-99 aircraft located at the Kelly Annex to Lackland were hauled to the Air Force Museum near Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, recently. A C-5 Galaxy from the 433rd Airlift Wing here hauled the initial load of the three-phase dismantling project.Disassembling began

  • Tanker aircraft delivers 1 billionth pound of fuel

    If you were to count from one to 1 billion it would take about 95 years. It took a little over a year for U.S. Central Command’s Combined Force Air Component Command-controlled tanker airlift to deliver 1 billion pounds of jet fuel. A KC-135 Stratotanker delivered 84,000 pounds of fuel to three

  • Wearable computers move to flightline

    Maintenance is about to change because of new tools maintainers will have at their disposal.Through a pilot program at the 116th Air Control Wing here, 116th Maintenance Group workers are beginning to integrate a new wearable computer, which can be used across the maintenance spectrum.The small

  • Reserve C-130 crews critical to front-line fighters

    While many people here are at the end of their average workday, eagerly anticipating working out, eating dinner or catching a movie before turning in for the night, Maj. James Hayes’ duty day is just beginning.At 4:30 p.m., the telephone rings, alerting the 777th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron pilot

  • Colonel reflects on attempted rescue mission

    It was Thanksgiving weekend in 1979 when then-Capt. Michael Sumida received an unusual call on a day off summoning him to the squadron from the comfort of his home.Captain Sumida was a C-130 Hercules navigator with the 1st Special Operations Squadron at Kadena Air Base, Japan. He said he had not

  • Secretary Roche visits Manas Air Base

    Airmen of the 376th Air Expeditionary Wing welcomed Secretary of the Air Force Dr. James G. Roche for his inaugural visit here April 14 to 16. Manas is the primary strategic airlift hub for operations in and around Afghanistan and provides tactical-airlift and aerial-refueling support for Operation

  • Air Force honors Marquez award winners

    Air Force officials announced the winners of the 2003 Lt. Gen. Leo Marquez Maintenance Awards.Winners for aircraft maintenance are:-- Field Grade Manager: Lt. Col. James Weber from Grand Forks Air Force Base, N.D.-- Company Grade Manager: Capt. Earl Williams III from Travis AFB, Calif.--

  • Air Force honors units for maintenance effectiveness

    The Air Force honored the winners of the 2003 Maintenance Effectiveness Awards at a banquet here.The 2003 Maintenance Effectiveness Award winners include:-- Munitions/Missile Category: 509th Munitions Squadron at Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo.-- Maintenance/Component Repair/Equipment Maintenance

  • Organizations adopt Wings Across America, WASP museum

    The Arnold Air Society and Silver Wings organizations adopted Wings Across America and the National Women’s Airforce Service Pilots World War II Museum as their joint national projects for 2004. The announcement came as more than 1,800 delegates from every Air Force ROTC detachment in America

  • Sheppard sergeant becomes 250,000th CCAF grad

    An aircraft maintenance instructor from the 362nd Training Squadron here will leave a footnote in the history books of the world's largest community college when he graduates April 23.When Staff Sgt. Kalaeone Needham gets his associate degree, he will be the Community College of the Air Force's

  • AAFES necessity becomes collectible craze

    Since the inception of online Internet auction sites, collectors worldwide have been able to find exactly what they are looking for from the comfort of their own home.Historically, Americans have been collectors of countless types of things, from stamps and coins to military memorabilia and baseball

  • Roche visits Bagram

    Damp, drizzly weather greeted Secretary of the Air Force Dr. James G. Roche when he visited Camp Cunningham and men and women of the 455th Expeditionary Operations Group here April 16. But the conditions did not dampen the spirits of the hundreds of Airmen and civilians who enthusiastically turned

  • Edwards test team fires F-16's first AIM-9X Sidewinder

    A test team from the Global Power Fighters Combined Test Force fired the newest variant of the AIM-9 Sidewinder, the X variant, for the first time from an F-16 Fighting Falcon here April 9.The Sidewinder is a supersonic, heat-seeking, air-to-air missile carried by fighter aircraft. Before this, the

  • Officials: Radium poses no risk at Air Force facilities

    Official test results from six Air Force facilities indicate building occupants and visitors are not at risk from radioactive material left over from luminous paints used at the bases 60 years ago.Air Force Institute for Operational Health experts from Brooks City-Base, Texas, examined facilities at

  • Pope families welcome loved ones home

    Balloons, hand-painted "welcome home" signs, ear-to-ear smiles and a few tears greeted Airmen and a small group of Soldiers who returned here April 14 following deployments in Southwest Asia."It's great to have them back," said Lt. Gen. William Welser III, commander of 18th Air Force at Scott Air

  • Enlisted aviators put 'chevrons' in the sky

    Between 1912 and 1942, nearly 3,000 enlisted men of the Signal Corps, Air Service and the Army Air Forces became enlisted pilots. In fact, enlisted men piloted many of the aircraft flown in the Allied invasion of North Africa in 1942.Although the Flight Officer Act in 1942 ended the enlisted pilot

  • Reservist earns Pitsenbarger award

    A reservist from Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., has been named the 2004 Pitsenbarger award winner.Senior Master Sgt. Dale Berryhill, an airborne communications systems operator, was selected for his heroism while supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.Sergeant Berryhill was a crewmember aboard an MC-130E

  • Rescue team integral to contingency operations

    Imagine riding along outside the safety of a base and suddenly a rocket-propelled grenade blows a hole in the ground next to a Humvee in your convoy. The blast causes the vehicle to crash and flip upside down. One of your drivers is stuck under the wreckage; you have no equipment to help get him

  • Reserve rescue crews win Jolly Green mission award

    A daring, nighttime combat rescue last year in Iraq earned three aircrews from the 920th Rescue Wing here an award for heroism.The Jolly Green Association will present its 2003 Rescue Mission of the Year Award to HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopter crews Jolly 23 and Jolly 24, and HC-130 tanker crew King 50

  • Enlisted Heritage Hall honors fallen Airman

    A fallen hero was honored recently when the Enlisted Heritage Hall on Gunter Annex dedicated the Tech. Sgt. John Chapman exhibit.Members of Sergeant Chapman's family and colleagues from the 24th Special Tactics Squadron were among more than 200 people attending the dedication ceremony. A combat

  • Now showing: April 12 edition of AFTV News

    This edition of Air Force Television News focuses on Andersen Air Force Base, Guam. Tech. Sgt. Rusty Barfield went to the Pacific island to report on Andersen’s growing importance for the Air Force mission.Sergeant Barfield examines the role of Andersen since the Korean War, the deployment of B-52

  • Guard, Reserve leaders address Senate subcommittee

    Reserve component leaders from the Air Force, Army and Marine Corps met before a Senate subcommittee reviewing the fiscal 2005 military budget here April 7.The leaders discussed transformation goals and spending requirements. They also touched on issues such as deployments, stress on the force and

  • Air Force Museum receives WWII stone roller from China

    A stone roller Chinese workers used during World War II to construct airfield runways as long as 8,500 feet in Kunming, China, will make a permanent stop at the Air Force Museum here this summer.Hundreds of Chinese workers pulled the roller, made of solid stone and weighing nearly 11,000 pounds, to

  • Airmen train in Italy

    Twenty-six Airmen from the 37th Airlift Squadron at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, participated in Exercise Leaning Tower here from March 29 to April 3. They trained on formation low-level flights, evasive maneuvers and airdrops using night-vision goggles. “This whole exercise was made possible

  • Survival equipment: Taking fear out of flying

    Almost everyone has seen movie heroes parachuting out of planes and helicopters into dangers unknown. However, not many people think about how they are able to do that, or who ensures their parachutes are packed safely and carefully. Ten Airmen, assigned to the 100th Maintenance Squadron’s survival

  • Airman burned as child, volunteers at burn camp

    More than 15 years ago he spent 10 weeks in the hospital, as burns that covered more than one-third of his body healed. Today, the Airman volunteers as a burn camp counselor and shares stories about his ordeal with children who are recovering as he did.Airman 1st Class Brandon Lee, an aircraft

  • F/A-22 important to all Airmen

    To Air Force people who do not fly or maintain aircraft, the oft-repeated characteristics of the F/A-22 Raptor, “stealth, supercruise, agility, integrated avionics, and supportability” probably mean about as much as “independent front suspension” and “aluminum alloy heads” mean to someone who is not

  • JTAC Airman vital in war on terrorism

    “Dad, you’re still at work?” are the words of Staff Sgt. Jason Cry’s 5-year-old son. When Sergeant Cry talks with his son on the phone, he helps the boy understand why Dad was not there for Christmas, or why he cannot be there at night to read him a bedtime story, kiss him on the head and tuck him

  • USAFE members hone search, rescue skills

    A CH-47 Chinook helicopter is shot down and four survivors are stranded in a hostile location awaiting rescue. The scenario was part of a joint combat search and rescue exercise held here March 20 to April 2.Led by the 56th Rescue Squadron at Naval Air Station Keflavik, Iceland, the exercise

  • Flightline upgrades boost mission

    New upgrades to the flightline are boosting operational capabilities, helping Airmen accomplish the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing’s expanding role to provide intra-theatre airlift for deployed forces.The latest upgrades completed March 31 include a new 320,000-square-foot C-130 Hercules parking ramp.

  • Moody pilots killed in crash

    Two pilots died when an Air Force T-6 Texan II crashed April 3 at the airport in Savannah, Ga. The aircraft was assigned to the 479th Flying Training Group here.The reservists were identified as Capt. Judson Brinson of Thomasville, Ga., and Capt. Lee Moore of Valdosta, Ga. At the time of the

  • Academy aircraft operations suspended

    Following a review by an Air Force air logistics center team, Brig. Gen. John Weida, academy commandant, ordered flying operations of 45 aircraft assigned here be suspended because of safety concerns.Affected aircraft include: TG-10B\C\D unpowered gliders and TG-14 motorgliders of the 94th Flying

  • Iraqi children benefit from donations

    American forces at Balad Air Base, Iraq, are separated from the Iraqi people by a shallow ocean of sand and concertina wire. The edges of the razor wire mirror the sharp lifestyle contrasts between the poverty-stricken locals and the Americans.Airmen at Balad are joining hands with people here to

  • Idaho Guard helps train B-52 crews

    There’s a “war” going on. Every day deployed Airmen from the 266th Range Squadron at Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho, are shooting, eluding and attempting to destroy B-52 Stratofortresses flying here.However, no one gets hurt and no aircraft actually go down because the battle is done using

  • Compass Call crew details mission, OIF success stories

    At the onset of Operation Iraqi Freedom, dozens of Iraqi soldiers waited patiently near the al Faw Peninsula for instructions being transmitted from higher headquarters to blow up key oil fields there.The message never came.In its place, courtesy of the U.S. Air Force’s EC-130H “Compass Call”

  • Official urges balanced treatment for reserve components

    With Reserve and National Guard forces now critical elements in the war on terrorism, the Defense Department's senior reserve affairs adviser told a Senate subcommittee here March 31 that the country must do more to care for them and their families. Thomas F. Hall, assistant secretary of defense for

  • Airman teaches English to Afghan pilots

    Sometimes a language barrier can be more than an inconvenience. It can be dangerous. Consider, for example, the dialogue between an Afghan aircraft pilot and a German air-traffic controller at the local airfield during an in-flight emergency.Maj. Susan Washington said she is well aware of the

  • Flying ‘bug’ bites WASP early, pilot recounts service

    It was not Charles Lindbergh, but “a fella before him” whose name escapes her now. She remembers he came through Charleston, W.Va., when she was very young, and she said he inspired her to learn to fly.“I was about 7 or 8 years old when this famous flier came to town. Everyone turned out to see

  • Vital ‘phase’ of maintenance

    “Phase maintenance” are two words that may not mean a lot to someone who does not work on the aircraft maintenance or operations side of the Air Force.But spend a few minutes talking with the supervisor of the A-10 Thunderbolt II phase maintenance team that is deployed here from Davis-Monthan Air

  • Stopping corrosion before it stops mission

    Like cancer, it grows and spreads, risking men, machines and missions.In the docks where E-3 Sentries are sidelined for programmed depot maintenance, workers are as skilled at eliminating corrosion and its risks as surgeons are at cutting out a cancer.The work consists largely of inspections, checks

  • 86th CRG pulls Soldiers out of Africa

    Twenty-seven Airmen and one Soldier traveled down to Africa on March 23 to remove special forces Soldiers from the countries of Mali and Mauritania.The Airmen were from the 86th Contingency Response Group at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, and the Soldier was from the 1st Battalion, 10th Special Forces

  • Airmen make sure A-10s keep flying

    When many people were passing out candy to trick-or-treaters last October, 26 crew chiefs left their home at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., and arrived here, ready to do their part in the war on terrorism.Through the holidays, this group of Airmen has not missed a beat in keeping the A-10

  • A-10 pilot wows Smithsonian crowd

    The Iraqi republican guard may have had luck on their side that miserable Baghdad day, but they did not know who was flying the A-10 Thunderbolt II they had just hit with a rocket.It was April 7, 2003, and an elite unit of Iraqis had U.S. forces pinned down along the Tigris River, firing

  • Group reflects on OIF mission one year later

    March 27 holds special meaning for people of the 86th Contingency Response Group; it marks an accomplishment they made during Operation Iraqi Freedom.Last year on that day, 20 Airmen from the 86th CRG parachuted into northern Iraq along with more than 1,000 Soldiers from the 173rd Airborne Brigade

  • Airmen from European bases support special ops in Africa

    Airmen from bases throughout Europe are supporting special operations forces along the fringes of the Sahara Desert in the continuing war on terrorism.Currently, Soldiers assigned to the 1st Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne) in Stuttgart, Germany, are training African soldiers in Mali

  • April issue of Citizen Airman available online

    For the past 33-plus years, Lt. Gen. James E. Sherrard III has been contributing to the Air Force mission as a reservist, with the last five-plus years as the commander of Air Force Reserve Command and chief of Air Force Reserve. During that time, he has fought for better benefits and entitlements

  • C-17 crew wins Mackay Trophy

    One year after they led the biggest combat airdrop since Operation Just Cause in Panama in December 1989, five Airmen from McChord Air Force Base, Wash., are the winners of the National Aeronautic Association's Clarence Mackay Trophy for 2003.Lt. Col. Shane Hershman, from the 7th Airlift Squadron;

  • Dynamic mission planning allows rapid response

    Technology is helping put today's warfighters at the right fight at the right time with the flexibility to change target identification or redirect aircraft in flight.Rapidly maturing satellite technology supports dynamic planning for fast-changing battlefield environments, and Electronic Systems

  • Guam provides excellent training for Minot B-52 ground crews

    Not only is the weather better here than at home, but their deployment is providing them with a great training environment, said Airmen from of the 5th Bomb Wing at Minot Air Force Base, N.D.About 300 people from various specialties arrived here in February to support Minot’s six B-52 Stratofortress

  • X-45A successfully releases inert weapon

    The Joint-Unmanned Combat Air System X-45A successfully carried out an inert-weapons release here March 20, marking the first weapons release from the internal bay of the high-speed, stealthy unmanned aircraft."All testing leading up to (the) weapon jettison went extremely well," said Maj. Mike

  • Joint Strike Fighter under attack on Capitol Hill

    A senior Air Force official told lawmakers March 25 that the service would not be interested in the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter if a technical glitch could not be overcome or if program funds were cut off.Lt. Gen. Ronald E. Keys, deputy chief of staff for air and space operations, bluntly told members

  • Close-air support variant of Joint Strike Fighter too heavy

    Early reports show that the Air Force’s next generation close-air support aircraft has a weight problem.Secretary of the Air Force Dr. James G. Roche told members of the Senate Committee on Appropriations subcommittee on defense the issue was predictable.“The (F-35 Joint Strike Fighter) has only

  • Base recalls teamwork following ramp horror

    A visit to Building 900 brings back a visual that retired Senior Master Sgt. Eric Truesdale said he has spent the last decade trying to forget.It was there March 23, 1994, that 24 Fort Bragg, N.C., Soldiers were killed, more than 100 were injured and countless other troops’ lives were changed in

  • Women play important role in military

    Throughout history, women have broken barriers to serve in the military, some legitimately and some not. Many women worked as nurses on battlefields, while others disguised themselves as men so they could join. Even though the contributions women made were recognized, Americans would not allow

  • Standardization program announces awards

    Officials from the Defense Standardization Program Office recognized Air Force people and teams with awards for outstanding contributions to the Department of Defense in fiscal 2003. The awards were presented March 16 during a ceremony in Lansdowne, Va.The following received awards:Individuals--

  • Surgeon general testifies on servicemembers’ health

    Pre- and post-deployment health care coupled with the in-theater deployment surveillance health program have resulted in the healthiest servicemembers in history, the Air Force surgeon general told a congressional panel March 18.Lt. Gen. (Dr.) George Peach Taylor Jr. told the House Armed Services

  • New parts can cost less than old ones

    C-5 Galaxy mechanics here recently found that making new aircraft floorboards rather than repairing used ones saves nearly $5.5 million per year and reduces work-flow days from 42 to nine.When a C-5 floorboard team started rethinking their work process, 923 floorboards were on backorder, and C-5s

  • A-10 pilot takes aim on terrorism

    Talk to almost anyone in the 455th Expeditionary Operations Group, and a recurring theme is the desire to provide the best support possible for friendly forces on the ground.The way to do that is by making sure A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft here are always ready to fly at a moment’s notice, so that

  • Armament summit examines joint weapons communication

    A global grid where information can be passed from weapons to aircraft to command and control facilities highlighted discussions at the sixth annual air armament summit here March 16 to 17.The theme of the summit that brought leaders from government, industry and academia together was, "Joining the

  • First C-130J arrives for active duty

    The first C-130J Hercules assigned to an active-duty unit arrived here March 19.“We are proud to call Little Rock Air Force Base and central Arkansas home -- home of the United States Air Force’s first active-duty C-130J,” said Col. Joseph Reheiser, 314th Airlift Wing commander. “We look forward to

  • Luke expands forward air-control program

    Unconventional warfare can be defined as the absence of a clearly defined enemy and lacking classic lines of battle.Combining this definition with the rugged terrain of Afghanistan and Iraq, it is easy to see why commanders throughout the combat air forces are clamoring for forward air control

  • Leaders discuss future of unmanned aircraft

    With 10 different unmanned aerial vehicle systems flying over Iraq and Afghanistan, military leaders met with members of Congress to discuss the rapidly changing role of UAVs in military operations.Lt. Gen. Walter Buchanan III testified before the House Armed Services Committee subcommittee on

  • Keeping OEF mission airborne

    Back home, when a thirsty Air Force aircraft needs to be gassed up, fuels management flights have a 30-minutes-or-less response time to provide the fuel. At Bagram Air Base, the fuels flight has put its own stamp on the POL -- for petroleum, oils and lubricants -- tradition of timely fuels service.

  • MH-60S helicopter load validated on C-17

    Officials here performed a load validation on a C-17 Globemaster III for the MH-60S Knight Hawk helicopter recently with the help of Navy specialists.This is the seventh helicopter model validated on a C-17. Airmen from Altus' 58th Airlift Squadron along with 21 people from the Navy loaded the Navy

  • Five killed in Nevada crash

    Five people were killed when the Air Force aircraft they were traveling in crashed in the Nevada desert about 125 miles northwest of Nellis Air Force Base on March 16.The Air Force civilian pilot of the Beechcraft KA 1900 and four civilian contractors died in the crash. The aircraft was on a

  • Officials release Predator accident report

    Operator error caused an RQ-1L Predator remotely piloted aircraft to crash Dec. 11 in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, according to Air Force officials.Based on an Accident Investigation Board report released March 17 by Air Combat Command, the pilot over-controlled the aircraft's