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  • Just passing through

    An MV-22 Osprey stopped here Jan. 17 for fuel on its way from Amarillo, Texas, to Patuxent Naval Air Station, Md. It is the second low-rate initial-production Osprey airframe. Pilots Lt. Col. Tom Currie and Maj. Tom Goodrough, from Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., flew the aircraft. (Photo by 1st

  • Team provides airborne intensive care

    Moving critically injured and sick troops from the front lines to larger and better-equipped military medical facilities is the job of the Air Force Critical Care Air Transport Team based at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan.The team works with Air Force aerial medical evacuation specialists to provide

  • Here comes the sun

    Airmen from the 363rd Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron at Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia, move an F-15 Eagle into place for display during the live broadcast of NBC's "Today" show Jan. 14. The show, aired live on the East Coast and tape-delay broadcast on the West Coast, featured

  • Edwards gets F-16s from 'bone yard'

    Two F-16 Fighting Falcons joined the test operations facility here recently to help support flight test programs. The aircraft are the first of nine F-16s making their way to Edwards this year.The aircraft arrived from the Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Center at Davis-Monthan Air Force

  • ACC begins F/A-22 operations

    Air Combat Command entered a new era Jan. 14 as America's newest fighter-attack aircraft touched down here.Raptor 00-012, the first F/A-22 to be delivered directly to the command, was flown from Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., to Nellis by Lt. Col. David Rose, chief of Nellis' F/A-22 integration

  • Dyess aircrews poised for bomb runs over Iraq

    While the United States prepares for a possible war with Iraq, aircrews at this B-1B Lancer base have not changed their training routine.The airmen are not yet part of the huge U.S. military buildup that has taken thousands of troops to bases in the Middle East, but they know they will play a key

  • Air Force risks air dominance without F/A-22

    Without the F/A-22 Raptor, the Air Force could face losing its lead in fighter aviation to other nations, said Maj. Gen. John D. W. Corley, director of Air Force Global Power Programs at the Pentagon."We need this aircraft," Corley said. "It's the only new U.S. aircraft that will be able to put

  • Program keeps pilots awake, alert

    Fatigue kills.In the high-speed, high-stress environment of the combat aviator, it is a fact of life, and Air Force officials are doing what they can to ensure aircrew members are armed with the ability to fight an internal enemy that is potentially as deadly as a surface-to-air missile.Those

  • Ready or not, here we come

    Staff Sgt. Kyle Truelsen marshals a U-2 Dragon Lady out of a hangar here. Upgraded U-2s with sensors and data links that improve the aircraft's data-collecting capability are deploying from Beale to support Operation Enduring Freedom and other reconnaissance operations overseas. Truelsen is a crew

  • Keeping mail flowing while deployed

    On a daily basis, the morale of people deployed to the 320th Air Expeditionary Wing weighs on the minds of the base postal flight, and they want nothing more than to deliver."We're big-time morale boosters," said Airman 1st Class Jonathan Morgan, an information manager by trade. "That's our main

  • Pope combat controller awarded Air Force Cross

    Senior Air Force leaders awarded the Air Force Cross to Tech. Sgt. John Chapman here Jan. 10.Chapman, a combat controller killed in Afghanistan while saving the lives of his entire team, was posthumously awarded the Air Force Cross, which is second only to the Medal of Honor as an award for

  • Wings of Blue strike gold

    The U.S. Air Force Academy Wings of Blue parachute competition team won gold medals in each skydiving event and received 31 out of 44 total medals at the National Collegiate Parachute Championship in Eloy, Ariz., recently.The team competed in three events: style, accuracy and four-way. The style

  • January issue of Airman's 'The Book' now available online

    Demographics, statistics, and a wide range of compiled information about the Air Force highlight the first issue of Airman magazine in 2003, available now on the World Wide Web."Centennial of Flight" is the theme for Airman's January 2003 issue, traditionally called "The Book." The issue focuses on

  • Gas 'n go

    An airman from the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, refuels a KC-10 Extender aircraft recently. The fuels section maintains about 1 million gallons of fuel to support the base and the KC-10 and KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. (Photo by

  • Servicemembers heading toward gulf

    Thousands of American servicemembers are deploying to the U.S. Central Command area of operations.The largest deployment is that of the Army's 16,500-man 3rd Infantry Division to Kuwait.The division's 2nd Brigade is already in Kuwait. The 3rd Brigade, based at Fort Benning, Ga., flies out this week

  • Congress funds more than $2 billion in construction projects

    Congress approved more than $2 billion to fund Air Force construction projects over the next year.The fiscal 2003 National Defense Authorization Act includes $1.3 billion in funding for Air Force military construction, including dormitories, fitness centers, force protection projects and operational

  • Fueling the fight

    Staff Sgts. Ben Hritz (left) and Dave Follmuth help pull a 900-pound fuel bladder into place at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar. Both are fuels technicians with the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing. Fuels workers currently maintain approximately 1 million gallons of fuel for KC-10 Extender and KC-135

  • Flying high

    Aircraft commander Captain "Allison" looks out at the horizon as she pilots her KC-10A Extender aircraft. The captain and her crew stay airborne over Afghanistan providing fuel to coalition aircraft supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. The crew is assigned to the 44th Expeditionary Air Refueling

  • Air Force prepares for major deployment

    Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld directed the deployment of additional forces to support operations Enduring Freedom, Desert Spring and possible future contingencies Dec. 24.The additional active-duty forces in Air and Space Expeditionary Forces 7 and 8 as well as selected forces from AEFs 9

  • Predator crashes in Pakistan

    An Air Force RQ-1 Predator unmanned aerial vehicle crashed during a test flight in a remote area of southern Pakistan around 11 p.m. on Dec. 31, according to U.S. Central Command officials here.The crash was not the result of enemy fire, and the aircraft is being recovered, officials said.The cause

  • Innovation pays in more ways than one

    Innovation has paid off, not once, but four times for one 552nd Air Control Wing airman.Since his arrival at the 552nd ACW four years ago, Staff Sgt. Daniel McSwain has continually looked for ways to improve processes in his shop. He is an avionics test station and aircraft component specialist in

  • Prototype saves fuel, money, environment

    It is economical, environmentally friendly, and definitely fuel-efficient. And so far, only the 149th Fighter Wing of the Texas Air National Guard is using it.It is the PH1000EL Self-Contained Fuel Transfer Unit, better known as the "fuel buggy." Members of the 149th Maintenance Squadron are using

  • Directorate cleans up with new water-based solution

    Maintainers here recently replaced their chemical-based cleaning solvent with a water-based product that is proving safer for workers. The new solvent will also saves thousands of dollars each year in environmental disposal and compliance costs, said officials.The water-based cleaning fluid,

  • Forces delivering wheelchairs to Afghanistan

    The first 50 of 1,000 donated wheelchairs bound for disabled people in Afghanistan were delivered to Ganci Air Base, Kyrgyzstan, as part of an ongoing humanitarian project.Baisal Limited, a wheelchair manufacturer in nearby Bishkek, assembled the wheelchairs and then delivered them to coalition

  • Officials release F-16 accident report

    Air Force investigators determined there was not sufficient evidence to form an opinion as to the cause of the F-16C Fighting Falcon crash Sept. 9 during a night-training mission near Cannon Air Force Base, N.M.The aircraft was destroyed upon impact in a remote section of a cattle ranch about 60

  • Board releases HH-60 incident report

    A less-than-optimum takeoff technique combined with an attempt to out climb a dust cloud with insufficient power caused the Aug. 12 crash of an HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter, according to Air Force officials who investigated the incident.At the time of the crash, the helicopter was returning to its

  • Elmendorf, Yokota teams secure pummeled base

    Despite the devastation of Typhoon Pongsona, which pummeled the island of Guam Dec. 8, force protection remained a priority here as base officials called for help.Answering that call were teams of security forces members from Yokota Air Base, Japan, and Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska."We heard

  • Water on its way

    Airman 1st Class Randy Bennett drives a 13k all-terrain forklift carrying a pallet of water to a C-130 Hercules aircraft headed for Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan, Dec. 18. Water is shipped weekly to deployed troops in Afghanistan. Bennett is assigned to the 320th Expeditionary Aerial Port Squadron

  • T-37s collide in midair

    Two T-37 Tweet trainer aircraft assigned to the 89th Flying Training Squadron here collided in midair about 9:20 a.m. Dec. 20.The incident took place during a training mission near Lake Waurika, located about 40 miles northeast of Wichita Falls, Texas.Each aircraft had an instructor pilot and a

  • Anniversary aircraft

    B-2 Spirit crew chiefs Staff Sgt. Jay Pirnie (left) and Senior Airman Heath Traugh watch their jet, the "Spirit of Indiana," run up its engines here Dec. 17. The two airmen, assigned to the 509th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, were readying the aircraft for takeoff on the ninth anniversary of the

  • Special forces join combined planning operation

    Members of the 353rd Special Operations Group, Kadena Air Base, Japan, joined with members of South Korea's Special Warfare Command here recently to plan the critical first few days of a potential conflict on the Korean Peninsula.For two weeks, planners, flight crews and intelligence experts

  • Centennial of Flight kicks off year of festivities

    A yearlong recognition of aviation began here Dec. 17 with the U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission's national kickoff.Among those in attendance were a retired member of the Tuskegee Airmen and a former Air Force pilot who flew with the Flying Tigers during World War II.Wilbur and Orville Wright

  • Fox News to broadcast from Whiteman

    Airman 1st Class Corie Hudson of the 509th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron operates a munitions lift truck Dec. 17 as Fox News Channel photographer Svein Schwab films the action for a future broadcast. The Fox News Channel will feature the base and the 509th Bomb Wing every hour throughout the day

  • Air Force supports relief mission in Guam

    Air Force C-5 Galaxy aircrews have flown more than 58 missions to deliver 1,200 tons of Federal Emergency Management Agency equipment and supplies to Guam after Typhoon Pongsona hit the island on Dec. 8.The aircraft also ferried more than 45 people, mostly family members, from Andersen Air Force

  • Officials release F-15E mishap report

    Engine valve failure and the use of an incorrect instrument during a maintenance inspection were the primary causes of an F-15E Strike Eagle mishap at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., July 3, according to a report released by Air Combat Command Dec. 17.The F-15E was on a weapons test mission carrying two

  • Air Force to put CSAR units at Davis-Monthan

    Air Force officials announced Dec. 16 that the 355th Wing at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., would become home to three combat search and rescue squadrons.The announcement follows an environmental assessment that resulted in a finding of no significant impact. The move will allow the Air Force

  • Kadena F-15 accident information released

    Air Force investigators have determined a pilot's loss of situational awareness, spatial disorientation and faulty flight control inputs led to the Aug. 21 crash of an F-15C Eagle into the ocean south of Kadena Air Base, Japan.The pilot, 1st Lt. Chris Northam, ejected safely from the aircraft with

  • Forces rotate for Operation Northern Watch

    More than 1,000 airmen are replacing Operation Northern Watch veterans as the Air and Space Expeditionary Force system performs its regular three-month rotation from late November through the first part of December.Based at Incirlik Air Base, Turkey, the new airmen join Turkish and British coalition

  • Maintainers brave elements to keep tankers flying

    Teeth chatter, hands shake, even bones ache through cold-weather gloves.While almost all North Dakota wildlife is in hiding, and most people here are sheltered indoors from the sub-zero temperatures and brutal 40 mph winds, 319th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron workers are fighting the elements while

  • Combat weather teams key in mission planning

    When reporters describe the successes of the air war on terrorism, they frequently speak of special operations forces using global positioning system receivers and radios to direct laser-guided bombs to their targets.These stories are accurate and make for good video, but they only touch the surface

  • F-16s restored after years in storage

    Pilots here will be flying training, photo-chase and test-support missions, and instructing pilots using brand new old F-16s Fighting Falcons -- four of them resurrected and regenerated from more than a decade of storage.The aircraft were originally part of a deal U.S. officials brokered with the

  • Airmen apprehended for drug use

    Nine airmen here were apprehended early Dec. 8 for illegal drug use as part of the Air Force's on-going zero-tolerance drug program.The airmen, from the 354th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron and the 354th Maintenance Squadron, were identified as possible drug users through investigations conducted by

  • Keeping C-130 Hercules strong, mission ready

    The 320th Air Expeditionary Wing's motto is "Combat Airlift After Dark." Pilots and crews complete this mission with a fleet of aging C-130 Hercules, night out and night in.But, just like a winning driver in auto racing, pilots cannot get to the finish line without the maintainers providing the

  • Officials release U-2 mishap report

    A report released by Air Combat Command officials Dec. 12 cited installation of an incorrect part as the primary cause of an Aug. 15 mishap that damaged a U-2 Dragon Lady aircraft at Beale Air Force Base, Calif.The 9th Reconnaissance Wing aircraft was performing touch-and-go landings when the pilot

  • Airman sentenced for drug use

    A 48th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron airman was sentenced to a bad conduct discharge, reduction to the lowest enlisted rank and 10 months confinement during a court-martial here Dec. 11.Airman 1st Class James Rotunda pleaded guilty to five specifications of violating of Article 112a of the Uniform

  • 'Spirit of Strom Thurmond' honors senator's 100 years

    The Air Force commemorated the 100th birthday of one of the longest-serving U.S. senators by naming its newest aircraft in his honor Dec. 12.The 100th C-17 Globemaster III to roll off the assembly line was christened the "Spirit of Strom Thurmond" in a ceremony here seven days after the senator's

  • December issue of Airman available

    The Centennial of Flight celebration begins, learning to defend the KC-135 Stratotanker in a war zone, and the future of treating trauma victims on the battlefield highlight the December issue of Airman magazine, now available in print and online.In this month's issue:Nearly a hundred years ago, the

  • Group rescues man at sea

    A medical emergency at sea turned into a dramatic humanitarian mission for the 920th Rescue Group here Dec. 8. The emergency also provided the unit its first chance to use a new satellite-based tracking and communications system during a rescue.Crews from Air Force Reserve Command's 920th RQG was

  • Team heats things up while deployed

    They work around the clock, seven days a week, in subzero temperatures, with hundreds of people's lives in their hands. Members of the 376th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron heating, ventilation and air conditioning team at Ganci Air Base, Kyrgyzstan, will call this life for at least the next

  • Team delivers initial report on F/A-22 cost increases

    The team of technical and financial experts sent by the Air Force to investigate a potential cost overrun in the engineering, manufacturing and development phase of the F/A-22 Raptor program recently completed its initial report. The team estimated that the cost increase would be between $700

  • Now showing: Dec. 9 edition of Air Force Television News

    The potential problem of recruiting members of the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve because of lengthy mobilization and operations tempo is featured in the latest edition of Air Force Television News. Both Assistant Defense Secretary Thomas Hall and Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz

  • Officials release Global Hawk accident report

    Air Force investigators have determined mechanical failure caused an Air Force RQ-4A Global Hawk aircraft to crash July 10 during a surveillance mission supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.The Global Hawk, an unmanned reconnaissance aircraft, was destroyed upon impact in an unpopulated area in the

  • Officials issue terrorist threat warning

    The U.S. State Department Dec. 5 warned Americans of a possible terrorist threat in Turkey."The U.S. government has received unconfirmed and fragmentary information that suggests unknown terrorists may be planning to conduct a terrorist incident in southeast Turkey against official U.S. government

  • ACC conducts flight leadership focus day

    To focus on the importance of flight leadership, Air Combat Command aircraft will not be flying Dec. 6.With increases in operations tempo and aircraft mishaps, Gen. Hal M. Hornburg, ACC commander, directed a flight leadership focus day.Commanders across ACC will conduct mandatory training focusing

  • A-10 crash kills pilot

    Capt. Eric Palaro died Dec. 4 in a mid-air collision involving two A-10 Thunderbolt IIs about 100 miles northwest of Las Vegas over the Nevada Test and Training Range.Palaro, from the 81st Fighter Squadron at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, was participating in a training exercise.Maj. Scott Kneip,

  • Doctrine outreach improves airmen performance

    In an ongoing effort to increase awareness and understanding of doctrine, the Air Force Doctrine Center here has taken on a more missionary type of role. If feedback and firsthand reports from the field are an indication, it appears AFDC's efforts to share the doctrine "gospel" have had an

  • Students take giant steps using new technology

    Airman David Golas is a lot more confident working with the KC-10 Extender aircraft because he has observed, close up, the systems that make the aircraft work.With the education he received here at the 373rd Training Squadron's Detachment 1, he can trace electronic circuits, track fuel flow and

  • Next generation Web portal testing begins

    The next generation of the Air Force Portal will debut at Langley Air Force Base, Va., on Dec 6.Air Force people assigned to Air Combat Command headquarters and several other units at Langley will participate in the first command- and base-level test of the redesigned portal.Air Force Materiel

  • Buddy system, the Falcon way

    Two F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft take off here Dec. 3 for a training mission. Many base airmen and aircraft recently returned from a 90-day deployment supporting Operation Southern Watch and a two-month deployment to Decimomannu Air Base, Sardinia, while Aviano's runway was renovated. (Photo by

  • A clean delivery

    Senior Airman Nathan Setser, a fuels operator at a forward-deployed location, checks the purity and odor of a liquid oxygen sample to ensure it is operational. Setser is assigned to the 321st Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron's fuels management flight. The flight's mission is to provide

  • Afghanistan base holds 'Minefield Marathon'

    In a land accustomed to war, it was only fitting that a mine detonating sounded the start of a marathon at Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan, on Nov. 29.Servicemembers from Poland, Germany, South Korea, the United Kingdom, Slovakia and the United States competed in the race.With Humvees on either side of

  • Coalition forces drop leaflets in Iraq

    Operation Southern Watch aircrews dropped 240,000 leaflets Dec. 2 over communication facilities in Iraq. The drops occurred between Al Kut and An Nasiriyah, approximately 100 to 150 miles southeast of Baghdad. These sites were damaged or destroyed by coalition strikes on December 1.Three separate

  • Civil engineers keep Bagram's airfield in shape

    Before the runway gets potholes large enough to swallow an airplane, the members of the 455th Expeditionary Civil Engineering Element ensure the pilots have a smooth ride when they land.The CE element, a Prime Base Engineer Emergency Force made up of nearly 20 people from four different CE units

  • Guarding the skies

    A coalition forces E-3 Airborne Warning and Control System aircraft flies a mission over Afghanistan recently in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. (Photo by Staff Sgt. Jerry Morrison)

  • WW II veteran receives Distinguished Flying Cross

    On Jan. 11, 1944, a young first lieutenant helped land a battle-damaged B-17 Flying Fortress on a small rural airfield near Cambridge, England.Almost 60 years later, Francis Hoad, 80, was recognized for his heroic efforts during a ceremony here Nov. 22 when U.S. Senator Jim Inhofe and U.S.

  • U.K. pet quarantine no longer required

    Starting Dec. 11, military members bringing dogs and cats to the United Kingdom will no longer have to place their animals in a six-month quarantine period upon entering the country if they meet certain criteria.The Pet Travel Scheme, or PETS, is a new system created to help those who are moving to

  • Enter the dragon

    Senior Airman David O'Connor, from the 9th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron here, inspects the inside of a U-2 Dragon Lady air intake. Intake inspections are just one of the safety inspections O'Connor and his fellow crew chiefs complete to keep the U-2 flying. (Photo by 2nd Lt. Tawny Halvorson)

  • Rescue coordination center answers calls for help

    A private aircraft crashes and the pilot is injured. Unable to call for help, the pilot is still found and rescued. The rescue may be largely credited to members of the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center here.The AFRCC belongs to Air Combat Command's Air Operations Squadron."(The mission) is to

  • Keeping the 'Hercs' humming

    Airman 1st Class Lyle Sentman from the 374th Maintenance Squadron engine regional repair center, runs up a pair of C-130 Hercules engines during an operational check here. Sentman is looking for air, fuel and oil leaks during the inspection. The repair center handles all C-130 cargo aircraft

  • Typical day for 517th anything but ordinary

    It was another typical day for aircrew members of the 517th Airlift Squadron. But a typical day for a 517th "Firebird" is anything but ordinary.The day started in darkness as the aircrew entered their double doors. Patches of light on the flightline ramp surrounded the shadowy figures of parked

  • That new car smell

    The 48th Fighter Wing here received the first two of 10 new F-15E Strike Eagles bought under contract from the Boeing Co. They are the first new F-15s the wing has received since 1996. The E-model has two Pratt and Whitney F100-P&W-229 engines, each generating 29,000 pounds of thrust. The

  • The flame game

    Air Force firefighters from the 374th Civil Engineer Squadron here extinguish flames that engulfed an aircraft after it "crashed" here during a combat readiness employment inspection. The firefighters practiced at their live-fire aircraft training facility on base. (Photo by Master Sgt. Val

  • Iraqi forces fire on aircraft

    Iraqi forces fired anti-aircraft artillery Nov. 17 and 18 at coalition airplanes enforcing the northern no-fly zone over Iraq.Both attacks came from positions northeast of Mosul, defense officials said. In both instances, coalition aircraft responded by dropping precision-guided munitions on Iraqi

  • 17 receive high honors for heroism

    Seventeen members of the 66th and 58th Rescue Squadrons here were honored recently for their heroic actions and bravery in aerial flight while supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.The Distinguished Flying Cross, one of the military's highest combat decorations, was awarded to: Maj. John Galik;

  • Air Force releases UH-1N accident report

    The Air Force has determined pilot error caused the Aug. 8 UH-1N Huey accident near Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M.During a hovering maneuver, an imbalance occurred on the throttles for the two engines and the main rotor lost speed. Two hours and 17 minutes after departing from Kirtland, the aircraft

  • Airman trades pastry chef's hat for boom

    Airman 1st Class Kai Bresser has a knack for collecting unusual job titles. Before he was a boom operator in the Air Force, he was a pastry chef.Boom operators, as they are commonly known, are in-flight refuelers aboard tanker aircraft. Bresser is currently serving with the 380th Air Expeditionary

  • Air Force investigates potential F/A-22 cost overrun

    Air Force officials announced Nov. 7 a potential cost overrun of up to $690 million in the engineering, manufacturing and development phase of the F/A-22 program.The potential overrun appears to be related to achieving cost and schedule in the developmental phase of the program, officials said. It

  • New history section debuts on Air Force Link

    Air Force Link, the official Web site of the U.S. Air Force, launched a new history and heritage section Nov. 8 to coincide with Veterans Day and the upcoming 100th anniversary of powered flight.The new section documents the achievements of airpower, starting from the early days of wooden-wing

  • Brothers take to the air in rare dogfight opportunity

    Two brothers, whose looks practically mirror each other as much as their Air Force careers do, got an opportunity to match their respective air-to-air combat skills in a competitive dogfight here Nov. 5.Capt. Gary Beene, a 58th Fighter Squadron pilot here, and his brother, Maj. Lane Beene, a pilot

  • Total force, total commitment, total special operators

    A small group of Air Force special operators huddle together in a makeshift tent, miles away from anywhere on a map, planning the intense details of a mission.All the "usual" mission planners are there -- aircrew, intel, weather, special tactics and communications. The team works through the

  • Maintaining the Spirit

    Senior Airman Andrew Neitzert and Airman 1st Class Chad Dietz, both crew chiefs with the 509th Maintenance Squadron here, review aircraft forms during an operational contingency exercise Nov 5. The exercise tests the capabilities of the B-2 Spirit to deploy to an expeditionary airfield. (Photo by

  • C-5 fleet safer with anti-collision upgrade

    Maintenance people installed a Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System, or TCAS, on final operational C-5 Galaxy transport aircraft Oct. 31, according to program officials here.The system, part of an overall upgrade program designed to keep the transport giant flying until 2040, will reduce the

  • Keen eye leads to safety of 1,200 F-16s

    An astute observation by a noncommissioned officer here has resulted in widespread changes to maintenance requirements affecting more than 1,200 F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft.While performing inspections on an F-16, Tech. Sgt. Jason Anderson, a 56th Equipment Maintenance Squadron nondestructive

  • T-38C fleet undergoes propulsion upgrades

    Air Education and Training Command's first T-38C Talon with modified ejectors, engines and inlets will be delivered to Moody Air Force Base, Ga., the week of Nov. 4th by pilots from the 415th Flight Test Flight here.Following on the heels of the recent avionics upgrade program, these new upgrades,

  • Alaskan civil engineers build super structure

    A team from the 611th Civil Engineer Squadron here deployed recently to the Indian Mountain Long Range Radar Station to construct a 2,500 square foot Super K-Span storage facility.Indian Mountain is one of 18 remote Alaskan radar sites and is located several hundred miles west and slightly north of

  • Hosing 'er down

    Senior Airman Ryan Fletcher, a crew chief with the 31st Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, hoses down an F-16's main landing gear wheel wells as part of routine maintenance. His aircraft is currently flying sorties in support of Operation Northern Watch. (Photo byAirman 1st Class Isaac G. L. Freeman)

  • Beauty and the buff

    Senior Master Sgt. Mark Bernard polishes the C-135E Speckled Trout aircraft before it departs from here Oct. 25 on an executive airlift mission to the Pacific. The white-and-silver Speckled Trout is used primarily for avionics flight testing, but its secondary mission is transporting Air Force

  • Weather flight keeps 'em flying

    There may be rain today and heat tomorrow, or snow today and dusty winds tomorrow. These are some of the conditions the nine-member Air Force weather flight must contend with at Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan.Everyone needs to know what the weather is going to do, from the A-10 Thunderbolt II pilots

  • Officials release Predator accident report

    Air Force investigators have determined that human error caused an Air Force RQ-1 Predator aircraft crash May 17 near a forward-operating location supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.According to an Air Combat Command accident investigation report released Oct. 30, the incorrect assembly of the

  • Coalition aircraft drop munitions on Iraq

    Coalition aircraft enforcing the northern no-fly zone over Iraq dropped precision-guided munitions Oct. 30 on elements of Saddam Hussein's air defense system.The coalition aircraft attacked after Iraqi anti-aircraft artillery fired on them. All coalition aircraft returned to base safely.Combined

  • Artistic expression

    Airman 1st Class Justin Gimbel paints a mural on the outside of his unit's office at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar. Another mural by him is in the foreground. An aerospace ground equipment engineer with the 379th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, Gimbel is deployed to Al Udeid AB from Grand

  • Dog helps keep flightline safe

    The 314th Operations Support Squadron has a new tool to keep the flightline here safe, and he works for mere kibble.Since Oct. 1, military working dog Colin, a 2-year-old border collie, has patrolled the perimeter fence to deter deer, birds and other wildlife from crossing into the runway

  • Crew chief finds couple in C-130 engine

    Tech. Sgt. J.D. Nix is as country as a split-rail fence along a dirt road. So when the C-130 Hercules crew chief deployed here from Yokota Air Base, Japan, went toe-to-toe with a pair of birds, his animal instinct prevailed.Two bright green parakeets decided the engine intake on Nix's No. 3 engine

  • The 'ol plane and chain

    Aeronautical Systems Center Command Chief Master Sgt. Fest Miles (right) and his command staff teammates strain to pull a 60,000-pound fighter jet the farthest in 45 seconds during the U.S. Air Force Museum's 4th Annual Aircraft Pull. Approximately 600 base and community members took part in the

  • Port squadron moves OEF cargo, passengers

    Mission "No.1" for the 320th Air Expeditionary Wing is keeping supply lines moving within the Operation Enduring Freedom corridor. When viewing the action on the flightline at a forward-deployed location, it seems everything just happens according to some master plan.That is where the men and women

  • Alaskan wing deploys to Singapore

    A 3rd Wing contingent here deployed to the Republic of Singapore Oct. 23 to take on that nation's air force in an annual air-to-air combat exercise.About 100 people, mostly from the 12th Fighter Squadron, and six F-15 Eagles are participating in exercise Commando Sling 2003.The exercise allows

  • 'Team Target' keeps Air Force on mark

    The 82nd Aerial Targets Squadron here, known as "Team Target," is a key player in ensuring that air-to-air and surface-to-air weapons systems can meet the needs of the military in an ever-changing threat environment.With technology changing at a blinding pace, systems often become obsolete before

  • Nighthawks touring Europe

    An F-117A Nighthawk from Holloman Air Force Base, N.M., lands here Oct. 21. The F-117s are deployed to Europe for Operation Coronet Nighthawk, an exercise to familiarize pilots with air operations in the European theater, practice international flight rules, and allow U.S. Air Forces in Europe

  • Coalition strikes back at Iraq

    Coalition aircraft struck at an Iraqi integrated air defense site in the northern no-fly zone Oct. 22, said Air Force Maj. Scott Covode, a spokesman for the combined task force.Both U.S. and British aircraft took part in the attack. While Covode would not specify the planes used, he did say the

  • Segway transporters get trial run at Tinker

    Electric scooters resembling a modern-day chariot without the horses are helping people complete day-to-day tasks here as part of a test to determine if the scooters are viable to purchase.Environmental management experts began testing the Segway Human Transporter recently in several organizations.