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  • TRANSCOM provides nation's greatest advantage, commander says

    The greatest advantage the U.S. has over any potential enemy is the ability to project and sustain forces anywhere in the world, the commander of U.S. Transportation Command said here today."No other nation can do what we do," said Air Force Gen. Duncan J. McNabb.A decade of war has meant TRANSCOM

  • First MC-130J training program takes flight

    As the first MC-130J Combat Shadow II rolled off the Lockheed Martin factory line, a training flight class recently conducted sorties in preparation for transition to the new airframe.The Air Force Special Operations Training Center's first MC-130J training program flight class practiced air drops,

  • General Schwartz: Austerity, strategic challenges call for true total force

    Austerity and the strategic environment make communicating and collaborating as a total force paramount for the Air Force, Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve, the Air Force chief of staff said here Feb. 28.Efficiency and zero tolerance of fraud, waste and abuse are also critical priorities,

  • First female CV-22 pilot completes training

    After nearly three years of flight training with the Air Force, she recently became the first qualified female pilot of the CV-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft. It started with pictures of aircraft in her grandfather's home. Then it was on to starting lessons to earn her private pilot's license as a

  • AFNIC engineers assist in Global Hawk beddown

    When Grand Forks Air Force Base, N.D., officials needed to establish a more robust communications infrastructure to support a new tenant unit's Global Hawk remotely piloted aircraft mission, they knew just who to call."Pat Katzer is the best network engineer in the business ... we needed the best,"

  • Kuwait celebrates 50/20 anniversary with coalition forces

    Members of U.S. Central Command, and several coalition countries, helped commemorate Kuwait's 50/20 celebration with an airshow and parade Feb. 26.The event celebrated Kuwait's 20th year of liberation from invading forces from Iraq and its 50th year of independence from Great Britain.Some of the

  • First class graduates from aviation school at former George Air Force Base

    Forty-three student aircraft mechanics attending the Southern California Logistics Airport School of Aviation Technology, located at the former George Air Force Base, recently graduated with full certification in general aviation, powerplant and airframe maintenance. And their diplomas are paying

  • Loadmasters hone skills during training, humanitarian mission

    When one C-17 Globemaster III left here Feb. 25, there were a few more loadmasters aboard than usual. A training mission was in the works, but the extra hands were put to use for a humanitarian mission that coincided with the training.The aircrew made stops at Langley Air Force Base, Va., MacDill

  • Airmen demonstrate massive airdrop, teamwork in joint exercise

    Nine Little Rock Air Force Base C-130 Hercules and twice as many aircrews, along with maintainers and planners from the base, participated in Joint Operation Access Exercise Feb. 9 through 12 here and at Fort Bragg, N.C.JOAX is a two-week exercise to prepare Airmen and Soliers to respond to

  • CONR team supports successful shuttle launch

    Officials with the Continental U.S. North American Aerospace Defense Command Region, or CONR, and Air Forces Northern provided crucial airspace control and manning support to the successful launch of Space Shuttle Discovery Feb. 24.CONR representatives ensured airspace sovereignty by enforcing the

  • Landing zone safety officers trained at austere location

    At an austere airstrip here, air mobility liaison officers are conducting landing zone safety officer certification training to U.S. and coalition forces throughout Afghanistan. Twenty-six students from the U.S. Air Force and Army and the Romanian army attended a two-day class that featured

  • Future initiatives discussed during fuel efficiency summit

    Air Mobility Command members set the course for cultural change during a fuel efficiency summit here Feb. 16 and 17 that included participation by representatives from 11 Air Force major commands. AMC leaders hosted the summit to share and collaborate on ideas and initiatives that will help promote

  • Air Force announces next tanker aircraft

    Air Force and Defense Department officials announced the award of an engineering and manufacturing development contract valued at more than $3.5 billion for the KC-46A aerial refueler to The Boeing Company Feb. 24.Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley said in the briefing that many factors were

  • Three Academy graduates to fly STS-133 shuttle mission

    Three Air Force Academy graduates are leading Space Shuttle Discovery on the STS-133 mission, which is scheduled to lift off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., Feb. 24. Retired Col. Steven Lindsey, Class of 1982, is mission commander, while 1987 graduate Col. Eric Boe is the pilot and

  • Afghan air force develops loadmasters as C-27 fleet expands

    As the Afghan air force C-27A Spartan fleet grows -- now half way to its goal of twenty of the cargo/transport aircraft seen as the centerpiece of the AAF -- so does the need for qualified loadmasters. Responsible for the cargo, personnel and safety of the aircraft, the loadmaster backs up the pilot

  • Eielson Airmen support Army deployments

    Airmen with the 354th Maintenance Squadron aerospace ground equipment flight assisted in processing nearly 500 deploying Soldiers through the Joint Mobility Complex Feb. 3 here to help fulfill the wing's mission of enabling military forces.AGE Airmen supported the deployment effort by de-icing

  • Officers visit Kuwait college, brief students

    Four officers visited Kuwait's Mubarak Al Abdullah Joint Command and Staff College to lecture to 92 students from 19 countries within the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf on various joint military topics. The school is similar to the Air Force's Air Command and Staff College and

  • Air traffic advisers aim high for Iraq's future

    As U.S. forces continue to draw down to meet the Dec. 31 deadline, Air Force air traffic control advisers have their eyes fixed on the sky above Iraq.Maj. Rudolf Kuehne and Capt. Maureen Trujillo, senior ATC advisers for Iraq Training and Advisory Mission-Air, are tasked with ensuring their Iraqi

  • Afghan air force C-27 fleet halfway to goal

    The Afghan air force received an addition to its forces with the arrival of the 10th C-27A Spartan at the Afghan Air Force Base in Kabul Feb. 20, marking the half-way point in the AAF's C-27 fleet as it continues to build to 20.Not only valuable for Afghanistan's burgeoning cargo capabilities, the

  • Officials announce military service awards nominees

    Air Force officials recently announced its four nominees for the 2010 Government Employees Insurance Company Military Service Awards.The annual GEICO Military Service Awards recognize enlisted service members from all military service branches, active duty, National Guard and Reserve, for their

  • Vice CSAF: Air Force must prepare for more complex, varied ops

    The Air Force is working to balance today's needs and tomorrow's challenges while operating under intense fiscal pressures, the service's vice chief of staff said here Feb. 17.During remarks at the Air Force Association's 2011 Air Warfare Symposium and Technology Exposition, Gen. Philip M. Breedlove

  • New deployable air traffic control system program taking shape

    Electronic Systems Center officials intend to call for proposals within the next few months for development and production of a new deployable air traffic control system. Referred to as the Deployable Radar Approach Control the system could be used at forward operating locations, however austere,

  • SecAF, CSAF provide FY12 budget details

    Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley and Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz provided details on the service's fiscal 2012 national defense authorization budget request during a House Armed Services Committee hearing here Feb. 17.Air Force officials are requesting $150 billion in the

  • Space-A travel: Did you know?

    Every day hundreds of military and military-contracted commercial aircraft travel the world delivering troops and cargo. These missions allow hundreds of thousands of military personnel, retirees, family members and other Department of Defense-eligible travelers to fly at almost no cost, courtesy of

  • Adjustments put F-35 on track, program director says

    The Defense Department's joint strike fighter program is on track to field the F-35 Lightning II in fiscal 2016, the program's director said here Feb. 15.In remarks to the National Aeronautics Association, Navy Vice Adm. David Venlet said that although changes made to the program in January extended

  • U.S., Polish military enhance partnerships through training

    Airmen from Ramstein Air Base traveled to the 33rd Air Base in Powidz, Poland, Feb. 4 to 12 for a joint training mission with Polish military forces.More than 60 Airmen from the 86th Airlift Wing and 435th Air Ground Operations Wing participated in the week-long, off-site training aimed at sharing

  • Airmen assist in Air Force-wide missile modification

    Members of the 86th Munitions Squadron here recently assisted a joint air to surface standoff missile team in a weeklong project of modifying several missiles as part of an Air Force-wide initiative.Officials from Lockheed Martin Corporation, the developer of the missiles, dispatched a team to work

  • New fuel savings concept evaluated at JB McGuire

    As the Air Force's largest consumer of aviation fuel, Air Mobility Command officials are taking a leadership role in efforts to reduce fuel consumption across all mobility Air Force missions. Members of AMC's Test and Evaluation Squadron here recently completed an operational evaluation of a new

  • Fuel savings officials plan to broaden impact with AF-wide summit

    Members of the Air Force's Fuel Efficiency Office plan to host their first service-wide Aviation Operations Energy Steering Group summit here Feb. 16 and 17.Representatives from all Air Force major commands were invited to attend the summit. The event will be the first major meeting across the

  • Iraqi airmen train on tool calibration system

    Iraqi airmen expanded their maintenance capabilities at New Al-Muthana Air Base, Iraq, after wrapping up a three-week U.S. Air Force training session on a new torque-wrench calibration system.Iraqi air force officials recently purchased the calibration system so maintainers here could become

  • Afghan C-27 maintenance cadre begins building towards the future

    The initial cadre of Afghan air force C-27 maintenance trainers recently began teaching a second group of C-27 maintainers Feb. 9 at the Afghan Air Force Base in Kabul. The development of Afghan C-27 maintenance instructors further propels the "year of the Afghan trainer" initiative being

  • AFSO21 event helps plan fuel conservation initiatives

    Members from the 100th Operations Group, the 100th Maintenance Group and the 100th Logistics Readiness Squadron recently used the Air Force Smart Operations for the 21st century process to help design fuel conservation initiatives here.The goal of these initiatives is to help achieve the secretary

  • Airmen conduct coalition training with Slovenian soldiers

    Airmen from Aviano Air Base, Italy, partnered with members of the Slovenian army  to conduct a NATO coalition combat-capability training exercise Jan. 31 to Feb. 4 at Pocek A-G Range here. The exercise consisted of close-air-support training between nine 8th Air Support Operations Squadron Airmen

  • Officials certify first aircraft for biofuel usage

    The C-17 Globemaster III was recently certified for unlimited usage of hydroprocessed blended biofuels known as hydrotreated renewable jet fuels, officials said here Feb. 9. "This certification marks the Air Force's first platform to be fully certified using an HRJ blend," said Dr. Kevin Geiss, the

  • Hornets nest in 'Draggins'' lair

    Members of the 25th Fighter Squadron, known as the "Assam Draggins", hosted members of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 225 from Marine Corps Air Station Miramar.The squadron members visited Osan Air Base as part of a six-month deployment to bases across the Pacific, which provided a unique training

  • Saving lives: Afghan air force medic team learns 'critical' skills

    The Afghan soldier was in trouble. With his eyes sitting heavy and glazed-over in their sockets, the soldier's condition had worsened. He now had to be removed from the C-27A Spartan aircraft that had been flown to Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan, to transport him and other Afghan National Security

  • Edwards flight engineers perform first X-47B flight

    Testers from Northrop Grumman and the Navy successfully conducted the first flight of the X-47B Unmanned Combat Air System Demonstration aircraft here Feb. 4.The fighter-size unmanned aircraft took off and successfully flew for the 29 minutes planned for its first test flight. This event marks a

  • TRANSCOM provides America's greatest advantage, commander says

    The greatest advantage the U.S. has over any potential enemy is the ability to project and sustain forces anywhere in the world, the commander of U.S. Transportation Command said here Feb. 7."No other nation can do what we do," Gen. Duncan J. McNabb said at the Center for Strategic and International

  • Business is hot at McClellan-based Aero Union

    Aero Union, a corporation that specializes in aerial firefighting, now flies and maintains P-3 Orions at the former McClellan Air Force Base here. Although P-3s are used by the military in many countries, Aero Union is the only commercial operator of P-3 Orion aircraft in the world, according to

  • Air bridge sustains coalition lives, Afghan security

    There's a bridge connecting land-locked Afghanistan to America's East Coast. Metaphorically, the bridge has trusses spanning continents. Literally, it's a lifeline to ground combat units, as without that bridge Soldiers would lack vital life-sustaining supplies. "Life at my combat outpost would be

  • Iraqi officials visit Balad to better understand base transition

    The 321st Air Expeditionary Wing commander and several Iraqi air force senior leaders toured the flightline and facilities here Feb. 1.Brig. Gen. Anthony J. Rock, the commander of the 321st AEW and the director of the Iraq Training and Advisory Mission-Air, toured the base with General Wamid, the

  • Air Mobility key to outpost sustainability

    For service members assigned to small military outposts strategically placed throughout Afghanistan's most rugged landscape, air mobility is the key to mission success."We have outposts all over the place here," said Army Lt. Col. David Preston, a member of a support battalion for Task Force

  • Rubber removal begins at Bagram Airfield

    Since Jan. 30, Airmen who work on the flightline here have seen a new vehicle crossing the runway. The vehicle, a TrackJet TJ-24, is a surface-treatment system with high-capacity vacuum suction capability. It looks like a water tanker with a vacuum attached to the front. Since its arrival, the

  • Air Force fighters prep for Super Bowl XLV

    Continental U.S. North American Aerospace Defense Command Region fighters will be busy well before Super Bowl Sunday preparing to protect the sky around Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.Exercise Amalgam Virgo 11-05A, a NORAD air defense exercise, was held Feb. 2 in the greater Arlington area to

  • Researchers harness wave energy in research simulations

    Researchers here recently harnessed more than 99 percent of the energy in a simulated ocean wave and are preparing to take their emerging technology to the next level.The energy research is part of a National Science Foundation-funded project to create the world's first free-floating, fully

  • Hickam C-17 drops a Navy boat over Pacific

    It was 'zero-dark-thirty' and only the blue line of runway lights met the joint Air Force and Navy crew under the wings of a C-17 Globemaster III.A 535th Airlift Squadron aircrew from Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, and the U.S. Navy Special Warfare Unit One from Guam teamed up to drop a

  • C-17s deliver largest OEF fuel resupply

    Three C-17 Globemaster IIIs carrying 120 bundles dropped the largest resupply of fuel ever to a remote military outpost in Afghanistan.Throughout the span of two days, Jan. 29 through 30, Soldiers hustled to collect the pallets, store them and then prepare for the next C-17 pass."When these drops

  • Air National Guard fighter wing preps for alert missions at Tyndall

    U.S.-based alert pilots train to shoot down enemy aircraft over American soil. They run exercise scenarios on a constant basis, preparing for that call to scramble. But all the dry runs in the world can't prepare a pilot for that moment when a live missile is released from the jet. That's why

  • Rescue Airmen respond to helicopter crash

    Air Force reservists from the 943rd Rescue Group here responded to a Department of Public Safety helicopter crash in a rugged valley northwest of Tucson Jan. 31.Around noon, 943rd RQG Airmen were conducting two rescue helicopter training missions in the local area when they heard radio chatter

  • Kehler succeeds Chilton as commander of Strategic Command

    Air Force Gen. Kevin P. Chilton passed the flag of U.S. Strategic Command to Air Force Gen. C. Robert Kehler Jan. 28, giving the nation's nuclear deterrent mission a new commander.General Chilton, a pilot who served 10 years with NASA and flew three space shuttle missions, retired after 34 years of

  • F-15E pilot selected to receive Jabara Award

    An F-15E Strike Eagle pilot and 2004 graduate of the Air Force Academy was selected Jan. 25 to receive the 2011 Col. James Jabara Award for Airmanship.Capt. Michael Polidor, a member of Air Force Global Strike Command, distinguished himself through heroic actions in an Operation Enduring Freedom

  • AFNORTH officials give Civil Air Patrol a technology boost

    When Air Forces Northern officials need an aircrew to fly a search and rescue mission, run counterdrug support or play the bad guy, they frequently call on the members of the Civil Air Patrol, who are always more than eager to lend a helping hand. In an effort to make the job easier and more

  • High-tempo training prepares maintainers for war

    Aircraft maintainers are working day and night during Red Flag 11-2, so pilots can fly the missions needed to prepare for aerial combat, but not only aircrew members benefit from the Red Flag experience.The high-tempo mission requirements of Red Flag provide maintainers an environment that

  • MacDill officials use multi-pronged approach to save aircraft fuel

    Drivers who stay aware of their right foot, keep their engine tuned and adjust their car's tire pressure can save a few cents a day in gas costs. When the professionals who plan the flying missions at here get frugal, it can save thousands of dollars a day. That's why the 6th Air Mobility and 927th

  • Advisers fight fire with knowledge

    Iraq Training and Advisory Mission-Air advisers provided critical training to Iraqi firefighters at New Al-Muthana Air Base Jan. 24. The class, spearheaded by NAMAB's Base Transition Team - Det. 3, taught 24 Iraqi firefighters how to safely handle a fire aboard an Iraqi C-130 Hercules. The class is

  • Airmen, Soldiers participate in medical evacuation training

    Approximately 40 Airmen from the 8th Medical Group participated in medical evacuation training here Jan. 19. The Airmen also trained with Army medics and pilots from the 2nd Combat Aviation Brigade at Camp Humphreys, South Korea.The 8th MDG Airmen, who were mainly flight surgeons, doctors, nurses

  • First U.S.-trained Afghan helicopter pilots begin Mi-17 qualification course

    The first two Afghan air force helicopter pilots to complete basic pilot training in the U.S. recently began the initial Mi-17 qualification course meant to convert them into Mi-17 helicopter pilots at the Afghan air force base in Kabul. A hybrid of Croatian and U.S. helicopter training syllabi, the

  • Lynn: Defense budget plans strike 'right balance'

    The Defense Department's plans to cut $78 billion from its budget over five years, and find more than $100 billion in savings for reinvestment, was a collaborative effort and a reasonable balance between military needs and budget constraints, said Deputy Defense Secretary William J. Lynn III Jan.

  • Program helps service retain RPA, rated pilots

    Air Force officials announced their plans Jan. 26 for the fiscal 2011 Aviator Continuation Pay program to help retain active-duty pilots and combat-systems officers who are trained as remotely piloted aircraft pilots.The ACP program allows some active-duty, rated aviators to qualify for a monetary

  • Red Flag 11-2 provides combat experience

    The first pilots flew into a simulated combat environment designed to give them the skills needed to survive in war during Red Flag 11-2 here Jan. 24. "The mission of every Red Flag is to expose our combat aircrew to realistic training," said Col. S. Clinton Hinote, the Red Flag 11-2 Air

  • Iraqi Air Force College trains pilots and ground support officers

    For future pilots and ground support officers, the gateway to Iraqi air power opened Sept. 1, 2010, at the Iraqi Air Force College here.There are 143 cadet pilots studying courses in avionics and aviation theory, along with geography, history, and an extensive core curriculum in the English

  • Airmen demonstrate capabilities during life-like exercise

    Airmen here recently participated in Beverly High 11-02, a local operational readiness exercise that used scenarios to gauge Airmen's ability to react and respond to different situations and base emergencies.In one scenario Jan. 19, firefighters, security-forces and flight-medicine professionals

  • Airmen, Soldiers join to put out fires at Ramstein AB

    Five Army firefighters from the Army Garrison Grafenwoehr, Germany joined some of their Air Force counterparts for joint training here Jan. 18.The Soldiers, assigned to the 18th Combat Support Sustainment Regiment's 23rd Ordnance Company, are working side-by-side with Airmen from with the 886th

  • F-15E flies with new radar system

    Officials took a step forward in the F-15E Strike Eagle's continuous technological evolution as the Air Force's most versatile combat aircraft here Jan. 18.Officials from the 46th Test Wing launched the fourth generation fighter for the first time with a new and improved radar system, the

  • Assistant Secretary of Air Force visits Baghdad

    Airmen deployed to Iraq in 2011 will play a historic role as U.S. military forces drawdown under the 2008 bilateral security agreement, said a senior Pentagon official."This is a particularly important time in Iraq," said Daniel Ginsberg, the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Manpower and

  • Airmen consolidate flying missions, free space for Afghan unit

    Officials from the 451st Air Expeditionary Wing recently began moving assets here as part of a long-term project to consolidate the wing's missions and to free space for the expanding Afghan unit. The move of the 75th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron marked the first of 10 units and two groups to be

  • KC-10 marks 20 years of deployment, nearly 30 years of operations

    Jan. 17th was a special day for the KC-10 Extender community. It marked the day KC-10s, aircrews and maintainers have been on continuous deployment for 20 years -- 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year -- to Southwest Asia in support of combat operations.Facts show the KC-10 will pass a

  • Air Force chief of staff visits Thunder Lab

    Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz spent time with members of the Afghan air force and NATO Air Training Command-Afghanistan members during his visit here Jan. 18.General Schwartz visited the Thunder Lab, an innovative English immersion project located on the base, where he was briefed by

  • CSAF presents two Purple Hearts at Bagram Airfield

    Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz presented two Airmen with Purple Hearts during a ceremony here Jan. 19. Capt. Gil Wyche, a security forces officer assigned to the 966th Air Expeditionary Squadron, and Senior Airman Brandon Cullen Towle, a joint terminal attack controller assigned to

  • McChord crew chiefs 'get the job done'

    Maintainers here say no airlift wing can provide global airlift for America without ready and available aircraft. No aircraft can deliver global airlift without proper maintenance. The 62nd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron crew chiefs here ensure the 62nd Airlift Wing's C-17 Globemaster IIIs are safe,

  • Hickam aircrew maximizes training in Guam

    It took 23 passes over designated drops zones and a 12-hour tactical duty day of training to finish a single day of airdrop training in Guam.An aircrew from the 535th Airlift Squadron from Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, dropped four training pallets, five container delivery system bundles,

  • Milestone for Afghan air force means better trained pilots

    The Afghan air force reached a new milestone with the opening of the pilot training program recently here. The first Afghan pilots began their eight-week instruction course early in January with a four-day academic schedule before beginning flight instruction on the Mi-17 Hip H. "We are helping the

  • RAT helps 493rd EFS get home

    After completing their NATO Baltic air policing mission rotation, Airmen from the 493rd Expeditionary Fighter Squadron only have one thing left to do: get home.According to Senior Airman Scott Knight, an air transportation journeyman with the 493rd EFS Redeployment Action Team, that is where the

  • F-16s' arrival brings 'battle rhythm' to joint strike fighter wing

    After 17 months of silence, the 33rd Fighter Wing flightline here finally roared back to life Jan. 13. The 33rd FW received four F-16 Fighting Falcons from the 56th FW at Luke AFB, Ariz. The jets will help establish a "battle rhythm," as the wing stands up the first joint training center for the

  • Global Observer makes first hydrogen-powered flight

    The Global Observer unmanned aircraft system successfully completed its first flight powered by the aircraft's hydrogen-fueled propulsion system here Jan. 6.This milestone marks the beginning of high-altitude, long-endurance flight testing for the demonstration and operational utility phase of this

  • F-4 continues long-time service to Air Force with new mission

    The 82nd Aerial Target Squadron officials here are replacing the use of Lear jets for their banner tow missions with the F-4 Phantom, creating an air-to-air target that aircrews in training can safely evaluate, develop and test their weapons systems. "We developed the idea to use the F-4 for the

  • Holloman Airmen provide 5th generation fighter support

    Two T-38 Talons were delivered in December here with the help of NASA officials.NASA officials used an Aero Spacelines Super Guppy to deliver the first two of an eventual 15 T-38s that will be regenerated here and flown to operating locations at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va., and Tyndall AFB, Fla.

  • Fielding success enables pilot-to-pilot link

    A team of former fighter pilots from the Electronic Systems Center here is continuing to make sure current fighter pilots -- both U.S. and Allied forces -- can operate the sophisticated communication network known as Link 16.Link 16 takes data from multiple platforms, including Airborne Warning and

  • Baltic air policing mission complete

    The 493rd Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, United Kingdom, relinquished command of the NATO Baltic air policing mission to the German air force at Lithuania Air Force Air Base here Jan. 5.The 493rd EFS, deployed from Royal Air Force Lakenheath, assumed responsibility for Lithuanian, Latvian and

  • Iraqi airmen fly record number of aircraft

    Iraqi air force pilots flew a record number of aircraft during the annual Iraqi Army Day Parade Jan. 6 at the International Zone here. Iraqi crews piloted 20 aircraft in 12 fly-overs and aerial demonstrations over a parade field filled with government officials from allied nations and Iraqi

  • Embassy applauds Airmen for founding Iraqi Women in Aviation chapter

    The U.S. Embassy Baghdad and U.S. Department of Transportation hosted a reception to honor and recognize the efforts of Horizon East Jan. 7 here.Horizon East, the Iraq chapter of the non-profit organization Women in Aviation, was started by female pilots deployed to Joint Base Balad, Iraq. The

  • Airmen, Soldiers redeploy aircraft

     A CH-47 Chinook helicopter was returned home to Fort Wainwright, Alaska, by the joint efforts of Soldiers and Airmen working here Dec. 15.Soldiers from the 16th Combat Aviation Brigade worked alongside Airmen here to complete the final stages of their redeployment. The brigade was a vital part of

  • New Afghan facilities key for Kandahar Air Wing

    Afghan air force's Kandahar Air Wing officials invited coalition forces, tribal elders and school children here Jan. 1 to the open house for their newly constructed facilities and aircraft inventory.With assistance from the international community, the $60 million facility improvement project now

  • Gates reveals budget efficiencies, reinvestment possibilities

    Defense Department officials have found $154 billion in budget efficiencies over the next five years and will be able to invest $70 billion of that saved money in more-deserving accounts, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said Jan. 6.The secretary announced the savings and reinvesting of the

  • Passenger terminal becomes pet hotel for a night

    Often when people think of the Air Mobility Command Passenger Terminal here, they think of people coming and going, not a place for housing pets.But a "pet hotel" is exactly what the terminal became Dec. 30 when a snow storm in South Korea grounded a Yokota AB-bound Patriot Express, keeping the

  • Air Guard officials prepare for new medical mission

    Air National Guard members will begin flying a newly assigned critical care air transport team mission from Ramstein Air Base, Germany, Jan. 10, the air surgeon said in an interview here Jan. 4.The CCATTs, which consist of a physician specializing in critical care, pulmonology, anesthesiology or

  • AMC Fuel Efficiency Office shows how 'efficiency promotes effectiveness'

    Officials with Air Mobility Command's Fuel Efficiency Office here are putting forth an initiative called precision loading. By refining the ability to maximize available space on mobility aircraft, fewer missions are required and fuel and resources are saved, and Air Force officials find another way

  • Royal Air Force aircrews to train at Offutt

    Whether it's performing strategic bombing missions in World War II, defending Europe during the Cold War, monitoring Iraqi no-fly zones, or battling the Taliban in Afghanistan, the U.S. Air Force and the U.K. Royal Air Force have been close allies for many years.Recently, this partnership was

  • Maintainers earn awards for sortie generation

    Two Airmen were honored for excellence in aircraft sortie generation during an award ceremony at the Pentagon Jan. 4.Maj. Scott Hall, an F-16 Fighting Falcon and E-8C Joint Stars requirements action officer for the National Guard Bureau here, and Senior Master Sgt. Anthony Smith, the 57th Aircraft

  • Nellis Airmen, joint partners prep Marines for Afghanistan

    U.S. Joint Forces Command joint fires experts joined Marine Corps Tactics and Operations Group and other joint enablers during a mission rehearsal exercise here to prepare Marine Corps Regimental Combat Team-8 for its upcoming deployment to Afghanistan.Exercise Spartan Resolve, led by MCTOG

  • C-17 marks 2 millionth flight hour during airdrop

    This month, the C-17 Globemaster III celebrated its two millionth flight hour. As a testament to the C-17 mission tempo, the aircraft passed its two millionth flight hour just four years after passing its first million-hour mark, and the first million hours took 16 years to reach. Although Air

  • Air Force rescuers pull female hiker to safety

    Senior Master Sgt. Mike Flake, an HH-60G Pave Hawk flight engineer with the 305th Rescue Squadron here, had been flying a training mission Dec. 22 around Tucson, Ariz., where his unit trains regularly. Upon clocking out, he was home by 9:30 p.m., enjoying family time, when he received a call from a

  • Crash recovery team demonstrates innovation through unique lift operation

    Airmen from the 51st Maintenance Squadron's Transient Alert Crash Recovery team performed a unique operation in response to a real-world situation Dec. 11, which proved valuable training for the entire shop. What started out earlier that week as a routine aircraft maintenance operation took an

  • Airmen work side-by-side with Iraqi AAC members

    As part of efforts by U.S. officials in Iraq to continue strengthening a long-term partnership, Airmen assigned to the 721st Air Expeditionary Advisory Squadron train, advise and assist members of the Iraqi Army Aviation Command with all helicopter operations here."The air advisers are applying

  • Academy grad killed in plane crash

    Air Force officials confirmed Dec. 23 the identity of an officer who died Dec. 22 as a result of a civilian aircraft accident near Colorado Springs Airport, Colo.First Lt. Martin Anthony Riggan, 25, of Little Rock, Ark. and his wife died after their Mooney's M20E aircraft crashed east of the runway.

  • Runway repair team keeps airlift moving

    Senior Airman Jacob Cleer wrestles his 30-pound jackhammer into place and begins pounding the pavement on one of two landing strips at an air base here.Chunks of concrete fly into the air as the steel-tipped chisel digs into the tarmac, demolishing a patch of runway that had begun to crumble a few

  • New fuel system enhances Bagram's refueling capabilities

    Airmen from the 455th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron Fuel Management Flight used a new fuel delivery system Dec. 21 that will change the way large aircraft are refueled here. The $130 million type III constant pressure system, owned by the 101st Sustainment Brigade, consists of two 1.1

  • C-17 serves as a bridge, navigates unpredictable weather in Antarctica

    An Air Force Reserve C-17 Globemaster III from the 728th Airlift Squadron out of McChord Air Force Base, Wash., is supporting Operation Deep Freeze by serving as a bridge for cargo and personnel moving between Christchurch, New Zealand, and McMurdo Air Station, Antarctica. The C-17 and its aircrew