HomeNews

NATO Air Policing operations

U.S. Air Force News

  • Base readies for influx of tankers

    In March, hundreds of people will descend upon a small, picturesque base in England’s Cotswolds region.This influx of people, caused by the relocation of aircraft for three months while the runway here is resurfaced, will more than quadruple the number of active-duty airmen at Royal Air Force

  • C-5 team achieves '23 in '03'

    Maintainers here cut four months off individual C-5 Galaxy programmed depot maintenance times in fiscal 2003 which allowed them to deliver a center-record 23rd cargo giant back to the warfighter Sept. 24.The 23rd aircraft represented the most C-5s center workers have ever taken through PDM in a

  • Travis team treats battlefield wounded

    The aeromedical staging facility at David Grant Medical Center here cares for some of the most precious cargo in the Air Force: its people."Since the beginning of hostilities in Iraq … earlier this year, Travis' ASF has seen more than 200 patients come through (its) staging facility and departure

  • C-130 maintainers finish Herculean effort

    For two years, maintenance crews from Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, have kept the 317th Airlift Group’s C-130 Hercules aircraft flying over lands far removed from the Lone Star State.This week, the unit ends 24 consecutive months of deployment and is heading home.Hercules aircrews with the 777th

  • Elmendorf opens multiplatform center

    On Sept. 24, the 3rd Wing officially opened the Air Force’s first multiplatform mission training center that uses advanced technology to maximize operational effectiveness and combat capability. The center will house multiple weapon systems simulators -- built and operated by multiple contractors

  • Sensor shop ensures successful U-2 missions

    For most people, taking a photo is as simple as pointing and shooting. However, for a U-2 pilot flying at more than 70,000 feet, taking a picture requires a high-tech camera and a dedicated organization to ensure it works properly.It is the primary job of the 9th Maintenance Squadron avionics

  • JAG duty goes beyond portrayals

    People who base their perception of military lawyers on the television show "JAG" most likely think those in the judge advocate general profession are pilots, traveling from courtroom to courtroom in high performance military aircraft. They may also believe military legal professionals have the

  • Fabrication flight ensuring mission success

    “Find it, fix it, paint it, make it, repack it.”This is the motto of the 48th Equipment Maintenance Squadron’s fabrication flight as they work around the clock at their four facilities to keep the F-15C Eagles and F-15E Strike Eagles here mission-ready.“Basically, our flight touches virtually all

  • Air Force names best commander, spouse team

    The Air Force’s best wing commander and spouse team was recently named by Air Force Personnel Center officials at Randolph Air Force Base, Texas.The 2003 recipients of the General and Mrs. Jerome F. O’Malley award are Col. William A. Chambers, 11th Wing commander here, and his spouse, Bonnie.“My

  • Bird strike likely cause of crash

    Air Force investigators determined an F-16 Fighting Falcon crashed after at least one spot-billed duck was ingested into the engine, resulting in catastrophic engine failure, according to a report released Sept. 18. The May 29 crash happened off the end of the runway at Osan Air Base, South

  • Lab earns DOD modeling, simulation award

    Showcasing better and more effective ways to train, warfighter training research division experts here captured top honors in the Defense Department's 2003 Modeling and Simulation Award training category.The training systems technology team earned the award that recognizes units, organizational

  • Bases provide hurricane refuge

    Nearly 180 aircraft worth billions of dollars have safely taken refuge at four Air Force Materiel Command installations, moving away from Hurricane Isabel's wrath.The aircraft moved as part of previously-agreed-to contingency plans between the impacted base and the evacuation point, according to

  • B-2 exercises 'spirit' through deployment

    B-2 Spirit bomber crews and support teams are in Guam to participate in Coronet Dragon 49, an exercise to test their deployment capabilities and the ability to fly and fight from a forward location. The exercise sent airmen from the 325th Bomb Squadron and 509th Bomb Wing at Whiteman Air Force Base,

  • CAP helps Air Force face Isabel

    As Hurricane Isabel makes landfall on the Eastern seaboard, Civil Air Patrol officials are helping the Air Force manage storm-related operations.The CAP is the all-volunteer U.S. Air Force auxiliary. The Air Force Rescue Coordination Center, located at Langley Air Force Base, Va., has moved its

  • B-2 drops 80 test JDAMs

    A B-2 Spirit bomber here released 80 inert joint direct attack munitions Sept. 10 for the first time, clearing the way for warfighters to attack that many individual targets on a single bomb run.After an 11-sortie buildup toward qualifying the B-2 for the maximum munitions load, B-2 global power

  • Fuels branch airmen repair tanks, increase storage

    With a little bit of ingenuity and hard work, airmen in the 506th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron fuels branch here were able to salvage enemy assets and use them to their advantage.The airmen recently repaired eight underground fuel tanks to increase the branch's capability to store JP-8

  • KC-135 brakes changing to carbon

    Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker brake systems will go from metal to lighter, longer-lasting carbon now that service officials approved an initiative proposed here, that will save millions in tax payer dollars.Dubbed the “largest improved item replacement program in Air Force history,” the new

  • Aircraft go through decon demo

    The final phase of a two-year long test to discover solutions to aircraft chemical and biological contamination is being conducted by the Defense Threat Reduction Agency here Sept. 8 to 24. The Large Frame Aircraft Decontamination Demonstration examined the return of once-contaminated aircraft to a

  • Outstanding airmen honored

    The Air Force’s 12 Outstanding Airmen of the Year for 2003 received a ceremonial tribute Sept. 15 at the Air Force Association convention here.Each year, the AFA honors the 12 airmen at its annual convention in Washington, D.C. The program was initiated at the organization’s 10th annual national

  • Aircraft evacuate East Coast bases

    Officials at Air Force bases in the projected path of Hurricane Isabel started ordering aircraft inland Sept. 16, away from the expected strong winds.The following bases are moving aircraft and support people inland: -- Dover AFB, Del., to MacDill AFB, Fla., and Fort Campbell, Ky.-- Langley AFB,

  • Squadron wins DOD maintenance award

    The 74th Fighter Squadron here has been named winner of the 2003 Secretary of Defense Maintenance Award in the small category.The A-10 Thunderbolt II unit was the only Air Force winner out of six units in the small, medium and large categories.The selection panel looked at mission accomplishments,

  • U.S., Dutch pilots train together

    Boom operator Airman Charles Converse noted something different about the Dutch F-16 that slowly moved into place for a quick gas-and-go high above Afghanistan on Sept. 11. The pilot was proudly displaying the Stars and Stripes above the windscreen in his cockpit. The Dutch had not only put a flag

  • AWACS airmen get noise-reduction headsets

    Interior aircraft noise has been a longtime problem when it comes to aircrews communicating with each other and protecting themselves from hearing loss. This is certainly true for aircrews who work aboard the E-3 Sentry Airborne Warning and Control System aircraft. The persistent noise the aircrews

  • Maintenance shop mends broken wings

    Experts in the A-10 Thunderbolt II "Hog Up" program here are extending the aircraft's lifespan by taking old wings and rejuvenating them.Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Center experts are reinforcing the aircraft's wings, repairing corrosion in fuel tanks and beefing up areas prone to cracks,

  • Dawn patrol flies in for rendezvous

    A trio of Fokker Dr. I triplanes approached the field from the north, emerging over a tree line as they began a measured descent. Their engines punctuated the air with a reverberating roar as the warbirds passed over the field and climbed to a higher altitude once again.For thousands of observers

  • Thunderbird crashes at air show

    An Air Force Thunderbird demonstration team aircraft crashed during an air show here Sept. 14. The pilot, Capt. Chris Stricklin, ejected safely from his F-16 Fighting Falcon. He was treated and released by military medics. The Thunderbirds are based at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. At the time of

  • KC-135s stay perfect during 17-day hot streak

    Really good or just lucky – which describes the 376th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron?From Aug. 25 to Sept. 10, all of the KC-135 Stratotankers here were ready, willing and able to get the job done in the sky over Afghanistan.The mission-capable rate target for Air Mobility Command

  • Pilot flies third consecutive 9-11 sortie

    Where were you on 9-11? This is a question almost every American has asked or been asked since that tragic day. Lt. Col. Murf Clark, 22nd Expeditionary Aerial Refueling Squadron commander, has given the same answer to that question for three consecutive years – flying.Clark, a KC-135 Stratotanker

  • Airman rings ‘Bell of Remembrance’

    One of the Air Force’s 12 Outstanding Airmen of the Year helped the U.S. Senate pay tribute to the victims of the 9-11 terrorist attacks on America.Senior Master Sgt. Thomas McConnell represented the Air Force in a ceremony Sept. 11 to introduce the Senate Resolution of Remembrance. McConnell is an

  • Airmen remember pain of Sept. 11

    Time is said to heal all wounds, but how much time heals emptiness left behind when more than 3,000 lives are instantaneously and mercilessly cut short? Two years have passed since Sept. 11, yet servicemembers here, like all Americans, continue to sort through the pain of personal and symbolic

  • Airmen set up staging facility in Bulgaria

    Airmen from the 86th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron set up an active mobile aeromedical staging facility here for Exercise Cooperative Key 2003.The squadron is one of four in the Air Force capable of the task.“Some of us have prior real-world (staging facility) experience in (operations) Enduring

  • Artwork supports Pentagon Memorial Fund

    Lt. Col. Pam Hodge remembers the immediate sense of calm she felt when she heard the roar of the first armed F-16 Fighting Falcon arrive at the Pentagon after the Sept. 11 attacks."I felt like a little kid hearing his mother's voice," said Hodge, who is assigned to the secretary of the Air Force’s

  • Kunsan F-16 crashes; pilot safe

    An F-16 Fighting Falcon pilot ejected safely before his aircraft crashed into the Yellow Sea about 56 miles southwest of here at 10:05 a.m. Sept. 9. The pilot, Capt. Kevin Dydyk, was rescued by South Korean airmen in an HH-47 helicopter. Dydyk arrived here at noon and was reported in good condition

  • Deployed aircraft given ISO inspection

    Maintainers recently completed a comprehensive inspection of a deployed aircraft here for the first time when a Kentucky Air National Guard C-130 Hercules underwent a complete isochronal inspection.Isochronal inspections examine numerous essential aircraft systems like propulsion and hydraulics,

  • Airmen arrive in Poland for air meet

    U.S. pilots and maintainers arrived here Sept. 4 for an operation placing them with, and pitting them against, the world’s foremost fighter aircraft. NATO Air Meet 2003, a major recurring exercise, kicked off live-flying exercises Sept. 5 and runs through Sept. 19 here and at Powidz Air Base,

  • Committee debates tanker lease plan

    Members of the Senate Armed Services Committee do not question the Air Force’s need for new tankers, only how the service plans to get them.Air Force Secretary Dr. James G. Roche met with the committee Sept. 4. He outlined the importance of immediately upgrading the service’s aging aerial refueling

  • Airmen join nations in exercise

    More than 70 airmen from U.S. Air Forces in Europe bases arrived here Sept. 1 for Exercise Cooperative Key 2003. They joined servicemembers from eight NATO nations and 12 partner nations.According to officials here, the goal of the exercise is to enhance the interoperability of NATO and partner

  • Airmen donate items to Bulgarian children

    Airmen of the 86th Contingency Response Group at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, donated van-loads of clothing, toys, games and books to school children here Sept 2.They brought the donated goods with them as they deployed to participate in the NATO Partnership for Peace exercise, Cooperative Key

  • Space-A changes affect Europe

    Regular space-available travel from Lajes to Italy and Spain will end Oct. 1, while a new stop finds its way onto the weekly channel route. Although the weekly "Patriot Express" L-1011 will no longer stop at Aviano Air Base, Italy, the aircraft will land at Rhein Main AB, Germany, beginning with the

  • Airmen train with soldiers in Hawaii

    The Texas Air National Guard’s 149th Fighter Wing added close-air support to its annual combat training here this summer with help from the Army’s 25th Infantry Division.A week of training, called Sentry Strike, was held with the Army’s forward-air controllers. Each year, the wing’s airmen deploy

  • Roche testifies on tanker lease

    Air Force Secretary Dr. James G. Roche testified before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation on Sept. 3 to answer questions about the 2004 Air Force Tanker Lease Proposal.The final defense committee hearing will be held Sept. 4, in the Senate Armed Services Committee.

  • F-15E crew buried in Arlington

    Two F-15E Strike Eagle crewmembers killed in action during Operation Iraqi Freedom were buried in Arlington National Cemetery with full honors Aug. 29.Capt. Eric B. Das, aircraft commander, and Lt. Col. William R. Watkins III, weapon systems officer, were killed April 7 when their aircraft went down

  • Malfunction caused F-15E accident

    A major flight-control malfunction caused the pilot to lose control of an F-15E Strike Eagle, forcing the crew to eject during a training mission June 4, according to officials. The accident occurred about 25 miles west of Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, N.C. The pilot and instructor pilot ejected

  • Now showing: Sept. 1 edition of AFTV News

    How the transformation of the Air Force will affect Air Mobility Command is spotlighted in the latest edition of Air Force Television News. In a special Eye on the Air Force, Staff Sgt. Joe Wallace goes to Scott Air Force Base, Ill., to examine what role AMC will play in the transformation

  • 'Hunters' fly with hurricanes

    As the midway point of hurricane season approaches, the 53rd Reconnaissance Squadron "Hurricane Hunters" here remain vigilant about tropical-weather threats.The Hurricane Hunters are part of Air Force Reserve Command’s 403rd Wing here. They are the only Department of Defense organization still

  • Jumper talks uniforms, ops, tankers

    Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John Jumper talked to airmen here about upcoming changes in the Air Force during a visit to the base Aug. 22.He shared his thoughts on the new fitness program, the new uniform, deployment issues and the acquisition of new tankers.All of these changes were brought on by

  • Air Force office studies aging aircraft

    The Air Force has created an office within the installations and logistics directorate to assess the future of its aging aircraft fleet.Air Force Secretary Dr. James G. Roche asked Lt. Gen. Michael E. Zettler, Air Force deputy chief of staff for installations and logistics, to come up with a process

  • Airmen keep Bagram protected

    Firemen always have had a lot of responsibility resting on their shoulders, from the proverbial rescue of a kitten stuck in a tree to selflessly entering towering infernos to rescue those inside. The Air Force firefighters of the 455th Expeditionary Operations Group here say they are aware of this

  • Officials release accident reports

    Air Combat Command Accident officials released the results of investigations Aug. 27 for two incidents which happened in May.The first incident involved engine damage on an F-15E Strike Eagle on May 29. Air Force investigators determined incorrect installation of compressor blade locks in the

  • Americans officially end era at PSAB

    U.S. officials transferred control of portions of Prince Sultan Air Base to Saudi officials at a ceremony Aug. 26. The ceremony also marked the inactivation of the 363rd Air Expeditionary Wing."We came here under difficult circumstances following the Khobar Towers bombing (at Dhahran Air Base),”

  • Former TAC commander dead at 76

    The general who led Tactical Air Command for more than six years died Aug. 26 in Las Vegas at the age of 76.Retired Gen. Wilbur L. “Bill” Creech, TAC commander from May 1, 1978, to Dec. 31, 1984, is survived by his wife Caroline A. Creech.Creech was a command pilot who flew more than 40 fighter,

  • Coalition repels attack

    Coalition special operations forces and Afghan militia forces repelled an attack Aug. 25, with no coalition casualties and leaving more than 14 enemy dead.The attack occurred in the vicinity of Tarin Kowt in the Kandahar Province with enemy forces using small arms and rocket-propelled

  • Kit redesign prevents parts damage

    Spare parts onboard E-3 Sentry airborne warning and control system aircraft will no longer be bubble-wrapped parcels rattling around inside unpadded containers.Instead, each critical part of a spares package will be nestled into customized niches cut into polyethelene foam, said Airman 1st Class

  • Air Force reaches recruiting goal

    The Air Force reached its enlisted-contract goal Aug. 22 with the signing of its 37,000th enlistment contract. More than 32,000 people entered basic military training since Sept. 30. The Air Force now has enough contracts to meet its goal for the fiscal year and has for the past four years,

  • Officials release accident report

    Air Force investigators determined that two rivets failed on an improperly loaded B-1B Lancer bomber. The aircraft sustained almost $1.3 million in damage during a March 31 bombing mission.The four-member crew landed the aircraft safely at its forward-deployed location. A ground crew discovered

  • Air Force reorganizes acquisitions team

    Air Force officials announced a major reorganization of the acquisition management structure Aug. 20.Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper and Air Force Secretary Dr. James G. Roche approved the reorganization of the service’s aircraft, weapons, and command, control and combat support

  • Airmen forging ties with Russians

    Since studying Russian culture during her college years in the early 1990s, Capt. Jessica Rhyne dreamed of seeing Russia and visiting Moscow.Her dream came true Aug. 18. Not from a tour bus, but from the cockpit of her F-16 Fighting Falcon, flying high over the city and landing at this once secret

  • FAA authorizes Global Hawk flights

    Federal Aviation Administration officials granted the Air Force's Global Hawk unmanned aerial vehicle a national Certificate of Authorization on Aug. 21.By doing this, the FAA helped the high-altitude, long-endurance reconnaissance aircraft take a major step toward routine flight in U.S.

  • Osan airmen keep engines ready

    There are at least five fluids required to keep the A-10 Thunderbolt II attack aircraft’s TF-34 turbofan engines running: fuel, lubricant, blood, sweat and tears.The 51st Maintenance Squadron’s propulsion flight airmen here have all 11 of their spare A-10 engines ready and waiting in case one is

  • B-52 lands at Moscow air show

    One of the most famous Cold War icons, the B-52 Stratofortress strategic bomber, landed here Aug. 20 to participate in the 6th Moscow Space and Aviation Show. This is the first public display in Russia for the B-52, an aircraft designed to deliver nuclear bombs into the former Soviet Union during

  • F-15 canopies buffed to visual perfection

    Even the slightest scratch in an F-15 Eagle windscreen can keep a pilot from seeing the enemy, according to F-15 test pilot Maj. Fritz Heck.That is why technicians in the F-15 canopy shop here work diligently to overhaul the acrylic bubbles in canopies and give fighter pilots a clear

  • B-2 drops enhanced bombs during test

    A B-2 Spirit released two newly-upgraded 5,000-pound live weapons Aug. 14 in a test by the B-2 Global Power Bomber Combined Test Force here.The weapons were released over the Utah Testing and Training Range at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, marking the first successful drop of live GBU-28 B/B series

  • 'Airport in a suitcase' thwarts poor visibility

    Airmen from Robins Air Force Base, Ga., are providing essential airfield systems here for forces fighting in Operation Iraqi Freedom.The 5th Combat Communications Group airmen are using an air traffic and control landing system they call their "airport in a suitcase" to help aircraft land safely

  • C-9 completes last U.S. mission

    Airmen prepared for Air Evac 696's Aug. 18 mission as they would for any other. But this was not like any other mission.The aircraft, a C-9A Nightingale, was embarking on the 375th Airlift Wing's last scheduled C-9 aeromedical evacuation flight. In fact, it was the last operational C-9 AE flight

  • U.S. aircraft return to Incirlik

    U.S. officials are sending four KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft and six aircrews here to provide air-refueling support for operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. Aircraft and people began arriving Aug. 19 and should be in place by Aug. 23.The first aircraft and aircrew are from the Air

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

    U.S. Air Force aircraft landed at Zhukovsky airfield just south of Moscow Aug. 18 to participate in the Moscow Aviation and Space Show, a first for the U.S. military.Visitors will get a close-up look at five U.S. Air Force aircraft and see a daily F-15C Eagle aerial-demonstration flight along with

  • T-1 rolls off Keesler runway

    A T-1A Jayhawk rolled off the runway here Aug. 16. The crew was treated and released at the Keesler Medical Center. They are assigned to the 47th Flying Training Wing at Laughlin Air Force Base, Texas.The accident happened during a routine cross-country navigation-proficiency training mission.The

  • Helicopter flight makes 350th save

    A crew from the 40th Helicopter Flight rescued an injured horseback rider who was thrown and dragged by his horse Aug. 11 in the mountains south of Livingston, Mont. This was the 350th save by the airmen of the 40th HF.The rescue of Gary Ellis took place Aug. 12 along the shore of an alpine lake at

  • Twins celebrate 21st in Afghanistan

    The 455th Expeditionary Operations Group air traffic control flight celebrated the birthday of two of its airmen here Aug. 13. Senior Airmen Jason and Miles Herder, who are identical twins, turned 21 while deployed from the Air National Guard’s 243rd Air Traffic Control Squadron in Cheyenne, Wyo.

  • Sortie changes green pilot blue

    An A-10 Thunderbolt II pilot deployed here with the 81st Expeditionary Fighter Squadron was required to fire at an enemy target on his first combat sortie Aug. 11.First Lt. Erik Axt deployed here Aug. 9 from Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, less than two months after becoming combat-ready, said Lt.

  • Speedy analyzer ensures safe fuel

    Air Force Research Laboratory Fuels Branch workers developed a new tool that analyzes jet fuel within five minutes and estimates important properties in a mobile laboratory setting.The fast gas chromatograph is an instrument that examines different types of fuels to determine whether or not they are

  • Celebration in NY recalls 100 years of flight

    Thousands of people are celebrating the Centennial of Flight during events through Aug. 18 in Rockefeller Center here.Among the crowds are parents being dragged by their children who are eager to see the full-scale replicas of the F-16 Fighting Falcon or RQ-1 Predator unmanned aerial vehicle.

  • Pilots test collision-avoidance system

    The Air Force's Automatic Air Collision Avoidance System successfully put two F-16 Fighting Falcons into automated maneuvers Aug. 7 to avoid collision during tests at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. Maj. James Less and Swedish air force Maj. Richard Ljungberg flew a specially equipped research

  • Robots display force-protection prowess

    A demonstration of the latest in robotics and sensor technology gave security forces directors from Air Force commands worldwide some new ideas in how to protect bases and people without endangering personnel.Robotics experts put 12 robots through some amazing paces during the Aug. 6 demonstration

  • DOD is transforming training

    A Marine unit facing combat runs into opposition. The call goes out for fire support. In the past, the call would likely have gone to a Marine artillery unit or air asset.Today, that call could go to an Army helicopter unit or an Air Force precision- strike aircraft. It could go to a Navy

  • Shuttle investigation gives airmen knowledge

    Following the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster in February, NASA officials activated a 13-member board to determine the cause of the accident.Three of those board members are bluesuiters. They said they believe some of the lessons learned while working with NASA can be brought back with them to the

  • Feedback vital to uniform test

    Feedback will be key for Air Force leaders making their decision on the newly proposed utility uniform, said the Air Force’s top enlisted airman. “We want airmen’s feedback,” said Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Gerald R. Murray during his visit here Aug. 6 to 10. “We don’t want

  • Vietnam veteran serves in Iraq

    Master Sgt. Terry Upchurch has a unique perspective serving in Iraq. He can compare his experiences here with those he had 35 years ago as an 18-year-old airman in Vietnam."I had been married only three months," said Upchurch, who is with the 506th Operations Support Squadron. "I was an air

  • Airmen recognized for dispute resolution

    Air Force legal teams have earned a unique award for excellence in alternate-dispute resolution.The American Bar Association presented the Lawyers as Problem Solvers Award to the Air Force at a conference in San Francisco on Aug. 8. In the past, the award was given only to individuals. This year

  • B-2 drops 80 test bombs

    In an effort to increase the B-2 Spirit's operational capability, a test force here conducted an airborne release of 80 Joint Direct Attack Munitions separation test vehicles. The separation test vehicles are inert weapons used to collect data.The Aug. 6 test was one of more than nine sorties flown

  • Combat Shadows helping with Liberia

    Airmen from the 398th Air Expeditionary Group embarked on a refueling flight Aug. 6 in an MC-130P Combat Shadow, originally from Royal Air Force Mildenhall, England, now supporting operations in Liberia. The mission was to refuel three HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters, also part of the 398th AEG, from

  • Airmen keep planes, spirits flying high

    Eglin airmen working at Baghdad International Airport, Iraq, are wearing various hats to keep the airplanes in the air and airmen on the ground safe.Airmen from the 728th Air Control Squadron deployed more than three months ago and have had to learn to deal with the danger and boredom that accompany

  • Air Force leads EUCOM transformation

    U.S. European Command’s deputy commander wants the command to become a more flexible, expeditionary-based fighting force for the 21st century.Key issues within the plan that will affect airmen include securing better training areas, airspace for fighter training and new forward locations for

  • Airmen support operations in Liberia

    Far from the forests and castles of Germany, a handful of security forces airmen from the 52nd Security Forces Squadron at Spangdahlem Air Base are deployed to the palm trees and jungle canopy of Africa supporting operations in Liberia. The airmen deployed to Dakar, Senegal, on July 13 and set up

  • Now showing: Aug. 4 edition of AFTV News

    The changing face of the Air Force overseas is highlighted in the latest edition of Air Force Television News.Tech. Sgt. Matt Lomba visits Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia, once the focal point for Air Force operations in Southwest Asia. Now the base is a mere shadow of its former self as the

  • Ganci AB supports flood of soldiers

    A flash flood of fully armed, desert-camouflaged warriors swept through the flightline here this week, leaving the base’s passenger and cargo moving experts wiped out.The huge influx of Army troops stopped here briefly before heading to Afghanistan to relieve troops already in place. At times, the

  • Lightning strikes tanker -- twice

    Twenty minutes before landing, all systems were normal, the mission had gone flawlessly and the crew of “Shell 02” was ready to complete another successful refueling flight supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. But 10 minutes and two lightning strikes later, the only thing resembling “normal”

  • American forces unearth hidden aircraft in Iraq

    American forces have found Russian fighter jets buried in the Iraqi desert, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said in an Aug. 5 press briefing. "We'd heard a great many things had been buried, but we had not known where they were, and we'd been operating in that immediate vicinity for weeks and

  • Vandenberg air tower goes civilian

    The airfield tower here has become the first active-duty Air Force tower to be manned by contract civilian air traffic controllers. The switch took place Aug. 1.The bottom line for the change boils down to manning and bucks."Switching to civilian air traffic controllers frees slots in a critical

  • August Airman now available

    The August issue of Airman features “aces,” snipers at Bashur Airfield, the upcoming Air Force Academy football season and road maintenance airmen in a Washington national forest. These stories and more can be found in this month’s magazine, now available in print and online.Ace in the Sky -- World

  • Combat communicators keep airmen in touch

    As the fourth aircraft touched down after the Army seized the airfield here, the base gained one of its mission essential teams -- combat communicators.The team’s sole purpose is to deploy into a bare-base environment and set up expeditionary communications. For them it is not a challenge. It was

  • Americans bring peace, stability to Afghanistan

    For the first time in more than 30 years the people of Afghanistan are beginning to see signs of peace and stability.Elders and leaders from local villages in the Bagram area of Afghanistan said the U.S. military and coalition partners have enabled them to begin living without the fear that comes

  • Test Pilot School reaches new heights

    The increasing push for a military space force has led Department of Defense officials to expand the Air Force envelope to include space education, with an emphasis on military applications.The U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School here has followed suit, answering DOD’s call by creating the first

  • AF displays experimental engine

    Using automotive technology and a little bit of “magic,” researchers at the Air Force Research Laboratory’s propulsion directorate demonstrated their latest experiment at the Experimental Aircraft Association’s AirVenture air show here.For years, propulsion researchers around the world have searched

  • Maintainers keep helos ready

    Maintainers from the 85th Maintenance Squadron here have a huge responsibility to keep mission-critical helicopters ready to fly at a moment’s notice. The 31 maintainers deployed from Naval Air Station Keflavik, Iceland, are part of the 398th Air Expeditionary Group providing support for operations

  • Pilot values liaison work with Army

    It takes more than a pilot in a plane to put bombs on target.Air Force pilots, acting as air liaison officers and assigned to Army units, paint a roadmap in the sky for pilots overhead so they can drop bombs on the enemy without harming nearby friendly forces.Capt. Danny Stout, a liaison officer and

  • OIF veterans discuss lessons

    Even though the air campaign for Operation Iraqi Freedom was successful in bringing down the Iraqi regime in 21 days, leaders met here recently to discuss ways to improve upon that effort.Among the issues they covered was the responses to increased surface-to-air threats to coalition forces

  • Desert Hawk enhances security

    It launches with a bungee cord and looks like it is made of plastic foam.But three deployed airmen from the 72nd Security Forces Squadron swear by their “Desert Hawk” and the technology behind it.The portable unmanned aerial vehicle is an “eye in the sky,” seeing all and transmitting real-time

  • Air Force featured at AirVenture 2003

    The Air Force, a long-time presence at the Experimental Aircraft Association’s AirVenture air show, brings aviation enthusiasts a new look this year. Alongside the largest display at EAA, the Air Force’s newest recruiting tool offer visitors a chance to “cross into the blue.”Located in the Air

  • 'First shirts' use tough love, care for troops

    It is 2 a.m. and pitch black outside when suddenly the phone rings and the voice on the other end says an airman needs help.The first sergeant gets up and prepares for an early day. This is not new; it is part of the job, and could mean anything from a car accident to domestic violence or other