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  • 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

  • AAF officials graduate first weapons safety NCO

    The Afghan air force recently saw an improvement in its safety program with the graduation of the first weapon safety airman in the entire force.AAF Sgt. Yosufzai Hamayattullah completed the two-month basic explosives hazards course on a AAF base here, establishing with him the foundation of a

  • 2011 Environment, Safety, Occupational Health Symposium wraps up

    The 2011 Environmental, Safety and Occupational Health Symposium at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel here wrapped up after five days of training sessions.  The symposium ran from March 21 through 25.Airmen from all Air Force commands attended sessions on topics ranging from environmental chemistry to risk

  • New coalition member flies first sortie enforcing no-fly zone over Libya

    Airmen from Qatar, the newest member to the coalition supporting the enforcement of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973, flew their first operational sortie March 25 in support of Operation Odyssey Dawn.A Qatari Emiri Air Force Mirage 2000-5 flew alongside a French Mirage 2000-5 as part

  • Air National Guard supports coalition operations over Libya

    The Air National Guard is contributing to Operation Odyssey Dawn with Airmen from 11 air refueling wings supporting the international coalition enforcement of a United Nations authorized no-fly zone, National Guard officials said March 22 here.Aircraft and crews from Alaska, Arizona, Illinois, Iowa,

  • Airman's money-saving solution rewarded by IDEA program

    The Innovative Development Employee Awareness program awarded an inventive Airman a $10,000 check March 17 here.Airman 1st Class Shawn W. Smith, a 755th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron instrument flight control system journeyman, was rewarded for his submission that suggested a change in the

  • McConnell AFB Airmen take flight to support Libya operation

    Airmen packed and loaded pallets into deploying KC-135 Stratotankers March 19, 2011, here to support Joint Task Force Odyssey Dawn members. The U.S. Africa Command task force was established to provide operational and tactical command and control of U.S. military forces supporting the international

  • Just another 'dog day afternoon' for Airmen, Sailors

    It was a 'dog day afternoon' March 23 for Staff Sgt. Chris Sawhill and Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Aaron Green as they volunteered their time to help welcome transiting pets from Japan to the Joint Reception Coordination Center here.As family members made their way across the Pacific from various

  • U.S., British forces test contingency operations during Desert Eagle 2011

    For 54 hours straight, more than 250 U.S. and British airmen worked in unison here March 14 through 16, against a series of simulated hostile threats.Through suicide bombers and insurgent attacks, members shared tactics, techniques and procedures to repel enemy forces.Though these simulated events

  • Air Force leaders issue sexual assault prevention, response message

    Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz and Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James Roy issued the following message to the men and women of the United States Air Force:We must commit to eliminating sexual assault from our Air Force.Air Force leaders

  • Air Force community assessment ends soon

    There is still time to participate in the 2011 Air Force Community Assessment.Officials are extending the opportunity to participate in the 2011 Air Force Community Assessment through April 3, and are encouraging members who were selected to take the anonymous survey to complete it prior to the end

  • Yokota AB airlifters deliver fuel to power Sendai Airport

    Airmen from the 36th Airlift Squadron here delivered more than 2,300 gallons of diesel fuel to Sendai Airport, Japan, aboard a C-130H Hercules in support of Operation Tomodachi March 24. The Airmen delivered the fuel to Sendai where it will be used to fuel generators and provide power. Until

  • 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.

  • AFCESA wins SAME's 2010 Public Agency Award

    The Society of American Military Engineers has recognized the Air Force Civil Engineer Support Agency and AFCESA's Master Sgt. Edward Quinn, for their outstanding service and contributions to the Society and the community. A member of the SAME Panama City Post since December 2002 and an integral

  • Air Force aerial layer networking concept to enhance warfighter connectivity

    By 2024, the Air Force's fleet of aircraft, space and surface systems will contribute to and use various aerial layer networking functions to support joint capability areas, officials said here March 23.Following the publication of the October 2009 Joint Aerial Layer Network Initial Capabilities

  • 766th AES deactivates, marks change for JET Airmen

    With the deactivation of the 766th Air Expeditionary Squadron here March 23, the administrative and operational control of joint expeditionary tasked and individual augmentee Airmen in Afghanistan will consolidate under the 966th Air Expeditionary Squadron. The 766th AES formerly based at Sharana

  • Operating room makes medical developments

    The operating room at the Craig Joint Theater Hospital here rivals operating rooms found in the U.S., officials said.The CJTH is a place where advancements are made in medicine every day, said Tech. Sgt. Robert Wick, a CJTH operating room orthopedic technician."We are learning new methods, such as

  • New Security+ certification course offered at Keesler AFB

    A new course to provide Security+ certification to cyberspace support Airmen prior to air expeditionary force deployments began March 21 here.The course is currently programmed to train 1,297 students annually in Keesler AFB's 336th Training Squadron.Last December, during a training advisory meeting

  • CE continues work to restore Misawa

    Operations appear to be returning to normal around Misawa Air Base. During the past 1.5 weeks, the men and women assigned to the 35th Civil Engineer Squadron have worked to get the base to where it is now, but they still have work ahead of them. When an earthquake struck Northern Japan March 11 and

  • Carpathian Spring comes to a close

    After a week of training for more than 70 Airmen and Soldiers and their Romanian counterparts, Carpathian Spring officially came to a close March 18 in Romania.Members of the 37th Airlift Squadron, the 435th Contingency Response Group, the 86th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, the 86th Aeromedical

  • Service members reminded of courage, valor during building dedication

    The new William A. Jones III Building officially opened its doors here March 22 during a ribbon-cutting and dedication ceremony attended by several senior Air Force, civic and community leaders and approximately 400 base personnel. Air Force leaders who took part in the ceremony included Secretary

  • Medical group decontamination team freshens up skills

    The set-up outside of the 95th Medical Clinic here March 17 looked like a scene from a disaster movie. Medics dressed in plastic suits worked to decontaminate patients while acting as a barrier between the infected and the clean.Fortunately, the scene outside of the medical clinic was simulated. The

  • Photo essay: Establishing a forward area refueling point in Japan

    Airmen assigned to the 353rd Special Operations Group offload fuel from an MC-130P Combat Shadow while establishing a forward area refueling point here March 17. A forward area refueling point provides the capability to offload fuel to storage devices or other aircraft, increasing an aircraft's

  • Air Force officials announce 2011 Design Awards

    The Air Force deputy chief of staff for Logistics, Installations and Mission Support announced the winners of the 2011 Air Force Design Awards March 17."Each winner clearly demonstrated the highest level of design excellence, and I offer my most sincere congratulations on winning these prestigious

  • Special operations Airmen continue relief efforts at Sendai

    Members of the 353rd Special Operations Group at Kadena Air Base, Japan, are continuing to provide support to further relief efforts here. After helping re-open the runway March 16, Airmen from the group also assisted Japanese emergency management and Japan Ground Self-Defense Force officials in

  • Task force commander provides Libya update

    The two-man crew of a U.S. fighter jet that crashed in Libya is safe, while the coalition has established a no-fly zone and grounded Moammar Gadhafi's forces, the commander of Joint Task Force Odyssey Dawn said March 22.Two Airmen ejected from their F-15E Strike Eagle warplane late March 21 after

  • Air Force special operations Airman supports Marine units

    Airmen from the 353rd Special Operations Group are providing support for relief operations in Japan in a variety of ways. For one communications specialist from the group, that means being one of only three Airman forward deployed with a team of Marines. Senior Airman Adam Colby, a special

  • Members voluntarily leave Japan in support of Operation Pacific Passage

    More than 500 service members, dependants and civil service employees, who voluntarily departed Japan, arrived at Travis Air Force Base March 22 aboard charted military flights in support of Operation Pacific Passage.U.S. Army North officials along with Travis AFB members activated the Joint

  • Air Force officials continue to consolidate personnel processes, actions

    Air Force personnel officials here will be assuming some personnel actions from Air Education and Training Command bases over the next four months to help reduce workloads on base military personnel sections.Master Sgt. Joseph Smith, the Air Force Personnel Center's sustainment superintendent, said

  • Advisers aid weapons delivery to Iraqi partners

    Iraqi and U.S. weapons crews and pilots completed a $250,000 weapons-delivery mission from Sather Air Base, Iraq to here March 14.A half dozen Airmen assigned to the 721st Air Expeditionary Advisory Squadron here accompanied their Iraqi army aviation command partners to accept delivery of nearly

  • U.S., Thai airmen donate supplies to school children

    Service members presented more than $1,300 in supplies to help students at a community outreach event here March 18, during Cope Tiger, a multilateral joint and combined field training exercise.The school staff welcomed U.S. and Royal Thai Air Force airmen with a donation ceremony to express their

  • Bioenvironmental techs test for toxins near Tokyo

    Among the typical crews for disaster relief in mainland Japan is an atypical crew. Amid concerns for the environment, two Airman from the 18th Aerospace Medicine Squadron's Bioenvironmental Engineering Flight has responded to the disasters there. While other crews from here perform search-and-rescue

  • Air Force officials launch accountability system for personnel in Japan

    Air Force officials have activated the Air Force Personnel Accountability and Assessment System, or AFPAAS, to monitor the status and location of all personnel and dependents residing on the island of Honshu, Japan.Officials are asking commanders and their commander representatives, or CORs, to

  • Lithuanian armed forces members observe Ramstein Silver Flag course

    Eight members of the Lithuanian armed forces traveled here to observe a Silver Flag training course here March 9 through 16.Silver Flag is a seven-day training exercise where Airmen practice their contingency skill sets, to include setting up and maintaining a bare base, conducting post-attack

  • Combined rescue crew delivers relief supplies

    A combined crew of rescue Airmen from the 320th Special Tactics Squadron, 33rd Rescue Squadron and 31st Rescue Squadron delivered food, water and medical supplies to Kessenuma City from here March 20 in support of Operation Tomodachi.Kessenuma City experienced massive destruction from the earthquake

  • Annual Air Force symposium embraces critical training environment

    Air Force officials launched their annual Environmental, Safety and Occupational Health Training Symposium here March 21, hosting more than 1,800 participants and 120 exhibitors.Assistant Secretary of the Air Force Terry Yonkers, Air Force Civil Engineer Maj. Gen. Tim Byers and Brig. Gen. Dave Howe,

  • McChord Airmen support first voluntary departure flight from Japan

    Members here helped welcome 233 Department of Defense personnel and family members who voluntarily departed Japan after the earthquake and subsequent tsunami struck the island March 11."This is a tremendous team effort from the entire joint base community aimed at easing a difficult time for DOD

  • First C-17 touches down in Sendai

    A C-17 Globemaster III from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, landed in Sendai March 20 to part in the relief support mission here. Members of the 517th Airlift Squadron delivered an all-terrain forklift to download supplies, including four pallets of water and six pallets of blankets and

  • AFGSC Airmen support Operation Odyssey Dawn

    Airmen piloting three B-2 Spirits returned to Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo., after striking targets in Libya in support of Operation Odyssey Dawn.The B-2s returned after a more than 25-hour mission in support of the international response to enforce a no-fly zone over Libya.The B-2s employed 45

  • Mobility Airmen supporting Japan relief effort on multiple fronts

    Every day since March 11 when the earthquake and a tsunami struck Japan, mobility Airmen have been on a busy pace.Reports show Airmen flying C-17 Globemaster III and C-130 Hercules aircraft moving cargo and personnel to support Operation Tomodachi, the operation designation for the Japan relief

  • Misawa Airmen coordinate volunteer efforts in local community

    It wasn't long after the ground stopped shaking in Japan that people began asking, "What can I do to help?"Hundreds of volunteers, military members, families and civilians, came forward at Misawa Air Base in the days following the March 11, 9.0-magnitude earthquake. It soon became clear that a

  • Coalition launches 'Operation Odyssey Dawn'

    Coalition forces launched "Operation Odyssey Dawn" March 19 to enforce U.N. Security Council Resolution 1973 to protect the Libyan people from the country's ruler.The goal of the military coalition is to prevent further attacks by regime forces on Libyan citizens, officials said, adding that the

  • CMSAF Roy visits sunny Soto Cano Air Base

    It was 25 degrees at Joint Base Andrews, Md., when Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James Roy boarded a plane and headed to Honduras where when he joined Airmen, Soldiers, Sailors and Marines at sunny Soto Cano Air Base Jan. 30 and 31.The visit was packed with tours and meet-and-greets, but the

  • Photo essay: 353rd Special Operations Group Airmen deliver supplies

    A crew from the 353rd Special Operations Group at Kadena Air Base here delivered supplies to Sendai Airport March 16. The crew brought water, food, fuel and other general supplies to the members of the 353rd Special Operations Group at Sendai Airport, who are establishing a usable runway to help

  • Special ops Airmen deploy additional humanitarian support

    An additional 15 Airmen from the 353rd Special Operations Group departed here March 14 with support equipment and relief supplies on a MC-130H Combat Talon II to support humanitarian relief operations being staged out of Yokota Air Base, Japan. The Airmen are highly-trained medical, communication