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  • Airmen of Note's 2011 Spring Tour comes to an end

    The Airmen of Note, the premier jazz ensemble of the Air Force, finished their 2011 Spring Tour through Virginia, Tennessee, Mississippi and Arkansas March 30."Touring the U.S. gives the Airmen of Note the opportunity to influence communities by demonstrating the excellence and passion with which

  • Total force 'calico' wing supports world-wide operations

    Airmen serving in the 313th Air Expeditionary Wing at an air base here are from myriad places, but they are "one team."Those Airmen, and the planes they use for air refueling and airlift during Operation Unified Protector, are not only active duty, but also Air National Guard and Air Force

  • Programs help Airmen obtain financial success

    For Airmen wondering if the struggle for total financial success will ever end, there is good news. The Airman and Family Readiness Center's financial advisers help members reach their financial goals. According to James McDaniel, an accredited financial counselor here, financial readiness is a

  • Tops in Blue wraps up 2010 tour

    After touring the world performing for service members home and abroad, Tops in Blue took the stage April 9 at the Trinity University's Laurie Auditorium in San Antonio.Tops in Blue is the premier performance group of the Air Force, made up of 35 active-duty amateur musicians and performers who

  • Teamwork essential to safely recovering aircraft

    Their job is to get planes in the air as quickly as possible, but once a plane is gone, they wait for it to come back.The more than 130 Airmen who work on ground crews here ensure when an aircraft lands after completing a 10-hour mission over the area of responsibility, it receives the best care to

  • Air Force Week in Photos

    This week's photo highlights feature Airmen around the globe involved in activities supporting expeditionary operations and defending America. This weekly feature showcases the men and women of the Air Force.View the slideshow.

  • 'Today's Air Force' features a look around the service

    In this edition of "Today's Air Force," Exercise Eagle Flag prepares Airmen to respond to a major humanitarian crisis. Plus, you'll see how F-15 Eagle pilots are making a difference downrange.  And, watch as DOD high schoolers build robots to do battle.The 30-minute, weekly news show can be seen

  • Medical team saves life with 'cool' procedure

    Members of the Air Force Theater Hospital emergency staff here recently performed an unconventional medical procedure to help save a Soldier's life. The 332nd Expeditionary Medical Group staff used therapeutic hypothermia to ensure the patient, who had suffered cardiac arrest, would fully

  • CMSAF discusses quality-of-life, personnel issues on Capitol Hill

    The Air Force's top enlisted leader testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee here April 13 about personnel and quality-of-life issues impacting the enlisted force.Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James A. Roy, alongside his sister-service counterparts, highlighted the importance of

  • CDC staff members continue to care for Yokota children

    Child development centers here are pulling together in the aftermath of the earthquake and tsunami to keep their operations as normal as possible.Combined, the Yume and Kibo CDCs here have lost 24 staff members and 75 children to the voluntary departure flights from Japan that began March 19."The

  • Photo essay: Langley Airmen participate in operational readiness inspection

    Members of the 149th Fighter Squadron prepare F-22 Raptors during an operational readiness inspection here April 10. The inspection evaluates an installation's ability to efficiently deploy military members, cargo and equipment while adjusting to rapidly changing security conditions.View the

  • Security forces train Iraqi air force security forces

    Members of the 447th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron spent several weeks in March and April training 12 Iraqi security forces airmen from New Al Muthana Air Base on force protection techniques. Fourteen security forces members trained the Iraqis on procedures and techniques used every day by

  • Charity run raises money for American Cancer Society

    Six weeks after Staff Sgt. Tyler McInturff deployed here in January, he received news that his aunt had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer."Being my godmother, she's been very close to me my whole life," said Sergeant McInturff, the 321st Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron fuels

  • Readiness exercise paves way for Operation Tomodachi success

    For six days in March, Airmen here focused on an operational readiness exercise, working long hours every day to prove that the base's warfighting plan was sound. The 374th Airlift Wing surged demands across the base, ensuring that individuals would be ready to support contingency operations if they

  • High school senior assignment deferment program automated

    In an effort to better serve military families, Air Force personnel officials have automated the High School Senior Assignment Deferment program application.  The program increases stability for military family members entering their senior year of high school. Active-duty officers lieutenant

  • Loadmaster crashworthy seat intended to increase safety

    In an effort to provide loadmasters with a safer and more structurally sound seat in cargo aircraft, engineers here recently installed a prototype of a new loadmaster crashworthy seat in an HC-130P Combat King. "The goal is to provide loadmasters with a more secure seat," said Senior Master Sgt.

  • Military family support a 'national priority,' Obama says

    President Barack Obama today made caring for military families a national priority, calling to action his entire administration and communities across the U.S. on their behalf."The strength and the readiness of America's military depend on the strength and readiness of our military families," the

  • Dover colonels perform sacred duty

    Each colonel assigned to Dover Air Force Base has a unique mission in addition to his or her primary duties as a wing, vice or group commander. There are nine O-6s assigned here who serve as dignified transfer hosts for fallen heroes returning to American soil. The title DTH is given to the colonel

  • Cyber 1.1 kicks off National Space Symposium

    Air Force Space Command Airmen kicked off the weeklong National Space Symposium April 11 here with a day devoted entirely to cyber discussion, the second annual Cyber 1.1 event.Gen. William Shelton, the AFSPC commander, recognized the event as a chance to think about where the Air Force is going in

  • Firefighters retire memorial plaque

    More than 60 Airmen and Soldiers attended the retirement ceremony of an Airman's memorial April 6 at the fire station here.Staff Sgt. Ray Rangel, a 332nd Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron firefighter, died Feb. 13, 2006, while trying to rescue two Soldiers trapped in a Humvee that had overturned

  • Initial cyber INWT class graduates

    Sixteen Airmen graduated from the first Intermediate Network Warfare Training class here March 31.Members of the 39th Information Operations Squadron developed the nine-week course to serve as initial-qualification training for cyber defense operators. The Airmen created the course in six months,

  • Airmen participate in humanitarian exercise in Trinidad and Tobago

    More than 150 U.S. military personnel and military and civilian officials from Trinidad and Tobago, United Kingdom, Canada, the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, and the Republic of Suriname gathered here April 8 to participate in the annual Fuerzas Alidas Humanitarias, or FA HUM 2011. It is also

  • Yokota AB, Misawa AB commanders lift stop-movement order

    The orders issued March 12 and 14 that stopped active duty Air Force permanent-change-of-station moves to Yokota and Misawa air bases has been lifted, and active duty members are being directed to meet their report no later than dates. However, command-sponsored family members are not yet authorized

  • North to south: U.S. defenders train Iraqi partners

    More than a dozen Iraqi air force security forces students took a step closer toward autonomous base security after graduating from a training course taught by Iraq Training and Advisory Mission-Air advisers April 7. The two-week course aimed to prepare the initial cadre of Iraqi airmen planning to

  • Airmen, base communities in Japan raise nearly $110,000 for relief efforts

    To date, Airmen and community members from Kadena, Misawa and Yokota air bases in Japan have donated nearly $110,000 and volunteered more than 19,000 community-service hours to assist with relief efforts after the earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan March 11. "The Airmen and base communities have

  • B-1B Lancer upgrade will triple payload

    Airmen from the 337th Test and Evaluation Squadron began their first phase of demonstrations of a multiple ejector rack on a B-1B Lancer here March 22.If fielded, 16-carry modified rotary launchers will increase the number of 500-pound joint direct attack munitions and laser-guided JDAMs carried by

  • Changes to Air Force leave program take effect

    The changes to Air Force Instruction 36-3003 on Military Leave include revised rules for determining the first and last day of chargeable leave, emergency leave requests, permissive temporary duty and educational leave of absence, officials said here April 8.The leave rule for determining the first

  • Army drill sergeant pushes BMT flight

    When Army Staff Sgt. David Peters marched Air Force Basic Military Training Flight 258 past reviewing officials during a parade here April 8, it completed one half of a basic training instructor exchange between services.The drill sergeant-military training instructor exchange has given the Air

  • Two units redesignate to test, integrate air, space, cyber C2 domains

    To effectively test and integrate operational air, space and cyber command and control, or C2, domains, two units redesignated as test organizations here April 5.The 505th Operations Group and 505th Operations Squadron became the 505th Test and Evaluation Group and 505th Test Squadron. The units are

  • Enlisted medics honored at Armed Services YMCA gala

    Air Force active-duty, Reserve and Guard enlisted medics were among those from all service components honored at the Armed Services YMCA's 5th Annual Angels of the Battlefield Gala at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center here March 31. Army Gen. Raymond Odierno, the commander of

  • Bagram Airmen provide humanitarian assistance after landslide

    Airmen from the 774th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron here delivered more than 17,000 pounds of supplies to Afghanistan's Balkh province April 7. The emergency drop, which included food, water and blankets, was part of the Air Force and Army's aid effort for the residents of the northern province,

  • Safety Investigation Board convenes for A-10 crash

    A Safety Investigation Board tasked with investigating the A-10 Thunderbolt II crash that occurred April 1 in a field outside Laufeld, Germany, a town north of Wittlich convened here April 5. The team, led by Col. Michael Winters, the 100th Air Refueling Wing vice commander and SIB president, will

  • Air Force Week in Photos

    This week's photo highlights feature Airmen around the globe involved in activities supporting expeditionary operations and defending America. This weekly feature showcases the men and women of the Air Force.View the slideshow.

  • Iraqi, American firefighters team up for joint exercise

    A dozen Iraqi Air Force and U.S.-contracted firefighters conducted a joint coordination exercise for a simulated C-130 Hercules crash here April 3. The exercise, led by the U.S. Air Force's base transition team, marked the initial steps in preparing Iraqi partners for increasing responsibilities as

  • Air Force officials announce enlisted supplemental promotions

    More than 50 Airmen have been selected for promotion to the next higher rank as part of the April enlisted supplemental promotion process. The enlisted supplemental promotion release announces those Airmen selected for promotion who tested outside of their required cycle due to an extended temporary

  • T-38 arrives to supplement F-22 training

    Following a successful test run in March 2010 and approval by Air Combat Command officials, the first of several T-38 Talons from Holloman Air Force Base, N.M., arrived here April 1 for the beginning of the 1st Operations Group's T-38 Adversary Air Program.Col. Matt Molloy, the 1st Fighter Wing's

  • 'Today's Air Force' features a look around the service

    In this edition of "Today's Air Force," Airmen at Royal Air Force Lakenheath, England, welcome home two downed F-15E Strike Eagle crewmembers who ejected over Libya. Plus, a short deployment that promises to have a lasting impact, as F-15 Eagles from Idaho arrive in Afghanistan. And, it's Hollywood,

  • Air Force leaders discuss future of Airmen in joint operations across Iraq

    Air force leaders from the U.S., Iraq and other locations across Southwest Asia gathered on Victory Base Complex, Iraq, recently.During the conference, leaders reviewed the future manpower support of U.S. forces by joint expeditionary tasking and individual augmentee Airmen as Operation New Dawn

  • Symposium sets standards for efficient, total force training

    Air Force officials recently concluded the annual Environment, Safety and Occupational Health Training Symposium in Nashville, Tenn., where more than 1,200 active duty, Guard and Reserve Airmen met for intensive training. By gathering in a single venue, and maintaining a busy class schedule

  • Airman named 'Junior Chef of the Year'

    The Air Force left its mark in the military culinary world when an Airman was named the Junior Chef of the Year at the 36th Annual Culinary Arts Competition awards ceremony here March 11.Senior Airman Ghil Medina's win marked the first time an Airman has earned the traditionally Army-held title. The

  • Air Force officials issue guidelines for green fleece

    Additional new guidance has just been released from the office of Manpower, Personnel and Services, or AF/A1, at the Pentagon regarding wear of the authorized sage-green fleece outer garment.According to a message issued by AF/A1, "The sage-green fleece jacket, commonly known as Generation III or

  • Critical self-assessment puts Global Strike Command on the right path

    With the Air Force conducting operations on multiple fronts across the globe and facing shrinking resources, Air Force Global Strike Command Airmen are focusing on finding smarter ways to accomplish the mission."(The Analyses, Assessments and Lessons Learned Directorate) is the entity that is aimed

  • Airmen keep Yokota AB safe, healthy for relief efforts

    A group of Airmen here are working to keep the people at Yokota AB safe.Members of the 374th Aerospace Medicine Squadron ensure that Airmen around base are safe during operations by ensuring prudent safety precautions are implemented.To do this, technicians visit worksites where harmful elements are

  • DJC2 system provides communications support for JSF, USFJ

    Personnel assigned to the Joint Communications Support Element at MacDill Air Force Base, Fla., were recently deployed here to provide joint-support-force command and control operations for Operation Tomodachi. The primary support responsibility for the JCSE members sent here is to operate the

  • Total-force Airmen simultaneously support worldwide operations

    Mobility Airmen are playing significant roles supporting the NATO no-fly zone over Libya, as well as humanitarian relief efforts in Japan, all while continuing to support U.S. operations around the world, including in Iraq and Afghanistan.Since the March 11 natural disasters in Japan, AMC-controlled

  • Qatari air force officers visit Shaw

    Six Qatar Emiri air force officers visited here March 28 to tour the base and witness how the installation performs its various missions.The Qatar air force is undergoing a transition from operating out of an airport to operating at another base in their country that will host several different

  • AFNIC engineers prepare Air Force for IPv6 transition

    The Air Force is preparing to undergo a major transition of its non-secure internet protocol router network, or NIPRNet, and if it goes as planned, you'll never notice.Air Force Network Integration Center engineers are leading the Air Force's transition from the current Internet Protocol addressing

  • Airmen contribute to training, operational missions in Italy

    Eleven Airmen from here traveled to Italy aboard a C-17 Globemaster III recently to help three U.S. and Italian army and air force units fulfill airborne training. During their week-long stint, they executed 1,480 paratrooper jumps. "We do joint airborne air transportability training, a way for the

  • Contracting Airmen play crucial role in Operation Tomodachi

    A C-17 Globemaster III carrying a series of pipes, hoses and related equipment that the U.S. Government purchased to help the people of Japan cool the reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi Power Plant arrived here March 29.At 2.7 kilometers in length and a weight of more than 20,000 pounds, the

  • Dover Airmen support Operation Odyssey Dawn

    Three C-5M Super Galaxy aircrews from here delivered cargo March 23 to 27 in support of Operation Odyssey Dawn.The Air Force Reserve's 709th Airlift Squadron and the active-duty 9th AS here worked together to deliver 387,000 pounds of cargo. On March 18, the secretary of defense approved and ordered

  • Photo essay: Airmen help clean up tsunami-struck area

    Airmen assigned to Misawa Air Base, Japan, are among nearly 40 service members and civilians who left the base to assist in tsunami cleanup and relief efforts here March 29 as part of Operation Tomodachi. View the slideshow.

  • Fairchild AFB Airmen support Odyssey Dawn at different operating locations

    Airmen from the 92nd and 141st Air Refueling Wings have recently stood alert for missions supporting Japan, sent KC-135s forward to support Operation Odyssey Dawn, and continue to be the lead wing supporting the Transit Center at Manas, Kyrgyzstan."And we're doing this from three different

  • EBIS launches online retirement tool

    The Employee Benefits Information System launched a web tool March 31 that will allow Air Force appropriated fund civilian employees to accomplish additional benefits-related actions online, such retirement planning.The eRetirement tool is the latest of many tools implemented by the Air Force

  • Policy aims to better identify, treat concussions

    A memorandum that took effect throughout the Defense Department in June is expected to have a major impact on efforts to identify and treat traumatic brain injuries in the combat theater faster and more systematically, medical officials reported at the recent Armed Forces Public Health Conference in

  • Tyndall teenager selected as Air Force Military Child of the Year

    Tyndall teenager Nicole Goetz, 17, recently selected as the Air Force Military Child of the Year, was awarded a flight in air show performer Greg Poe's aerobatic airplane March 23.This year's 2011 Gulf Coast Salute Open House and Air Show, hosted by Tyndall officials March 26 and 27, featured

  • Air Force debuts pilot enlisted developmental team

    The Air Force's top enlisted leader addressed the service's first pilot enlisted development team March 31 for senior noncommissioned officers in the nuclear weapons career field. Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James A. Roy met with Air Force Personnel Center assignments representatives and EDT

  • Sexual Assault Awareness Month encourages bystander intervention

    The Air Force is observing Sexual Assault Awareness Month, starting April 1.The Defense Department theme for the month is "Hurts one. Affects all," which is designed to point out how sexual assault affects not only the victim, but the department as well. The Air Force's slogan supporting the DDD

  • CMSAF highlights Airman resiliency during hearing

    The Air Force's top enlisted Airman testified before the House Subcommittee for Military Construction, Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies here March 30, about quality of life in the military.Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James A. Roy, alongside his sister-service counterparts, spoke about

  • 8th ASOS hosts first joint coalition jump week

    Airmen from the 8th Air Support Operations Squadron hosted the U.S. Army 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team and Italian Army paratroopers during a joint coalition training exercise here March 21 through 25.More than 1,400 Italian and American soldiers came from the U.S. Army Garrison in Vicenza,

  • Total force Airmen support Odyssey Dawn

    Aircraft and Airmen from more than 10 bases across the Air Force have united to form the 313th Air Expeditionary Wing here.The wing formed in 72 hours after the start of Operation Odyssey Dawn, a mission to enforce a no-fly zone put in place to protect the civilian population of Libya.The first unit

  • 'Today's Air Force' features a look around the service

    In this edition of "Today's Air Force," Airmen continue to provide support for Operation Odyssey Dawn in the Middle East. Plus, you'll see how Airmen learn to survive a crash landing in stormy seas.  And, join Airmen as they venture off base for a little rest and relaxation.The 30-minute, weekly

  • Memorial marathon eternalizes Bataan Death March

    People from around the U.S. and several foreign countries gathered March 27 at White Sands Missile Range for the 22nd Annual Bataan Memorial Death March to honor and recognize a special group of World War II veterans.The Bataan Memorial Death March honors the 75,000 U.S. and Filipino troops who

  • Visit commemorates communications pioneer

    Air Force Network Integration Center officials welcomed the family and friends of Lt. Gen. Harold W. Grant here March 28 to learn more about the late general's legacy and see firsthand the building named in his honor. Grant is recognized as a communications pioneer who avidly worked to ensure Air

  • Air Force officials present budget to appropriations committees

    Air Force leaders discussed the service's fiscal 2012 budget request and their concerns about operating under a continuing resolution with members of the Senate and House Appropriations Committees during hearings here March 30 and 31.In the March 30 hearing before the Senate Appropriations

  • Top enlisted leaders share views with Congress

    Improving housing and child care, giving better access to health care and education, and intervening earlier in high-risk behavior are areas the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps are focused on to maintain a high quality of life for service members and their families, the services' most-senior

  • Air Force Week in Photos

    This week's photo highlights feature Airmen around the globe involved in activities supporting expeditionary operations and defending America. This weekly feature showcases the men and women of the Air Force.View the slideshow.

  • Ellsworth Airmen join Operation Odyssey Dawn

    B-1B Lancers from the 28th Bomb Wing were launched early March 27 from their home station here to strike targets in Libya in support of Operation Odyssey Dawn. "Nearly 700 Ellsworth Airmen are currently deployed around the world supporting existing overseas contingency operations," said Col. Jeffrey

  • ANG, Reserve Airmen contribute to Operation Odyssey Dawn

    In response to the recent conflict in Libya, approximately 50 Air National Guardsmen and Air Forces reservists joined forces with their active duty counterparts and coalition partners to run the 603rd Air and Space Operations Center here.Members of the 603rd AOC, in partnership with the 617th AOC,

  • Incirlik AB Airmen fuel Operation Odyssey Dawn

    When four Qatari Mirage F-1s and a C-17 Globemaster III landed March 25 here, Airmen from the petroleum, oil and lubricants flight sprung into action to help get the aircraft to their final destination.The 39th Logistics Readiness Squadron POL flight here refueled the Qatari aircraft in support of

  • Air Force officials outline efficiencies processes

    In compliance with Department of Defense efficiency guidance, Air Force officials confirmed plans here March 29 to implement fiscal 2012 budget proposals that shift dollars and people from overhead and support functions to modernization and warfighting areas.During testimony to members of the

  • Disabled vets discover 'miracle on mountain'

    Sheila James threw her arms up in joy, flashing a smile that stretched from ear to ear as she celebrated a personal victory during the 25th National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic here March 29.A motor vehicle rollover in 2009 turned the former senior airman's life upside-down, landing her

  • Yokota Airmen central to supporting Operation Tomodachi

    Airmen working in the Emergency Operations Center here have been central to processing and coordinating disaster relief efforts in support of Operation Tomodachi. Emergency Operations Center members work on a strategic level to coordinate emergency preparedness, emergency management and disaster

  • Travis AFB volunteers aid Operation Pacific Passage

    Nearly 1,000 service members from the Air Force, Army, Navy and Marines along with family members, civil service workers and community leaders volunteered March 22 through March 28 in support of Operation Pacific Passage here.Travis AFB members, in conjunction with the Airman and family readiness

  • Officers share cross-flow experiences, skills

    Cross-flowing into one career field from another isn't a new concept for Airmen. Most officers, at one time or another throughout their career, have served in a position or job outside of their original or primary Air Force Specialty Code. Take, for example, Lt. Col. Ginger Wallace, a former

  • Training for repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell ongoing for Airmen

    Air Force officials began training Airmen March 1 in anticipation of the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell with a goal of having all Airmen trained on or about June 30.Commanders throughout the Air Force will schedule commander's calls or other such events to ensure face-to-face training is available

  • Altus C-17s take training to Fort Sill

    Airmen are transforming the fort into a busy airfield with frequent evening arrivals and departures as C-17 Globemaster III aircrews from Altus Air Force Base, Okla., are training here.Maj. Michele Lobianco, the 97th Operations Support Squadron assistant director of operations, said the runway at

  • Partners from Down Under

    Airmen station in Japan have received a rare opportunity recently to work hand-in-hand with the Royal Australian Air Force.Airmen from Yokota and Kadena air bases have been working together to perform sorties with the RAAF's 36th Squadron, in a unified attempt to aid the people of Japan after the

  • Maintainers build mount for Fukushima sensors

    Since March 11, Airmen all over Yokota Air Base have performed key tasks in support of Japanese relief efforts, but for two Airmen the work took a greater personal significance March 28. The two Airmen, aircraft structural maintainers with the 374th Maintenance Squadron, worked overtime building a

  • Commander discusses Yokota's role in Operation Tomodachi

    Yokota Air Base's role as the sole airlift hub of the western Pacific increased in significance following the March 11 earthquake and tsunami in northern Japan.Col. Otto Feather, the 374th Air Wing commander here, discussed the importance of the wing's partnership with Japan to ongoing relief

  • Yokota AB Airmen tackle Herculean airlift missions into Sendai

    Over the past two weeks, Sendai Airport has served as a critical relay point for relief efforts throughout northeastern Japan, and the Airmen of the 36th Airlift Squadron are working to ensure that the airport stays open for business.Since the incapacitated airport reopened to air traffic, 36th

  • Disabled veterans inspire all Americans, Biden says

    Vice President Joe Biden made a surprise appearance last night at the opening ceremonies of the 25th National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic, thanking the participants for their service and sacrifices and for the inspiration they give their fellow Americans."You are a remarkable group of

  • Yokota AB Airmen play vital role in cooling Fukushima power plant

    A team of Airmen from here labored nonstop March 25 through 27 to design and create essential components for water pumps to be used at a nuclear power plant in northern Japan. The power plant, located roughly 130 miles north of here in Fukushima Prefecture, incurred catastrophic damage to its

  • Total-force team supports Operation Tomodachi

    While supporting combat operations in both Iraq and Afghanistan, a total integrated force of active, Guard and Reserve Airmen are supporting humanitarian relief efforts in Japan following the earthquake and subsequent tsunami that ravaged parts of Japan March 11.Air Force officials are increasingly