NATO Air Policing operations

U.S. Air Force News

  • Air Force communications vital to Army effort in Iraq

    Even though Capt. Alycia Vrosh is afraid of heights, she climbs up a ladder to check on communication equipment atop the Al Faw Palace here. While ensuring the comm lines are good to go, two Blackhawk helicopters circle overhead, and she waves to them.“I love (the crew) and always wave to them when

  • Balad first sergeants bare veins for IV training

    People assigned to the 332nd Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron received life-saving medical training July 15 on the arms of first sergeants here.More than six Balad first sergeants rolled up their sleeves and "took one for the team" to give a few patrolmen intravenous therapy training for

  • New privacy rules intended to reduce suicide risks

    The Air Force has revised Air Force Instruction 41-210, “Patient Administration Functions,” to better protect privacy rights and ensure an appropriate flow of information between commanders and support agencies.Air Force officials believe this will reduce suicide risks among its

  • Special team searches for aircraft cracks

    All combat aircraft go through extreme stresses when completing their missions. Those stresses can cause metal fatigue -- tiny cracks in the joints and welds of the frame or invisible fractures in the metal.The sooner these invisible cracks are found, the safer the aircraft will be.Finding those

  • Airman earns spot on Olympic track, field team

    First Lt. James Parker, an Air Force world-class athlete from Malmstrom Air Force Base, Mont., earned a spot on the U.S. Olympic track and field team July 12 with a hammer throw of 254 feet, 6 inches.“I came into the Air Force to serve my country,” said Lieutenant Parker, who has been throwing the

  • Air Force names 12 Outstanding Airmen of the Year

    Air Force officials released the names of the 12 Outstanding Airmen of the Year for 2004.An Air Force selection board considered 45 nominees who represented major commands, direct reporting units and air staff agencies. The board convened at the Air Force Personnel Center here in May and selected

  • Safe, adequate housing gets highest priority

    Caring for Air Force families is the highest priority and one way to reinforce that commitment is to provide safe, adequate and affordable housing, said the Air Force’s senior military leader.Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper released a Site Picture on July 6, detailing his and Air Force

  • Airmen making a difference in South Africa

    MedFlag participants are focusing on bringing medical and civic assistance to six clinics surrounding nearby Hoedspruit Air Base. “We keep busy,” said Capt. Molly O’Brien, a 48th Medical Group dentist from Royal Air Force Lakenheath, England. “We’re seeing (about) 60 patients a day, mostly for

  • Airman dies in Iraq

    An Airman assigned to the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing and attached to the U.S. Army’s 494th Truck Company at Balad Air Base, Iraq, was killed in action July 11.Staff Sgt. Dustin W. Peters, 25, died when the convoy he was riding in encountered an improvised explosive device.Sergeant Peters served as

  • AAFES goes where troops are

    When orders come down for troops to move to forward-deployed locations worldwide, they quickly pack their bags and go. After that, it is only a matter of time before a small contingent of civilians pack their bags as well.They are Army and Air Force Exchange Service workers.Mr. Allan Heasty is the

  • Airman beats odds, wins major contest prize

    Airman 1st Class Robert Lewis is one in 11 million. Actually, he is one in 11,161,492. Those were the odds he overcame to win one of the major prizes in Burger King’s Spider-Man 2 contest. It was at the Burger King here that Airman Lewis found out he had won a trip for four to Universal Studios in

  • Officials announce services award winners

    Air Force Services Agency officials announced the winners of the 2003 services awards recently.Ramstein Air Base, Germany, won the Gen. Curtis E. Lemay Trophy for best overall services unit at a large base. Minot Air Force Base, N.D., won the Maj. Gen. Eugene L. Eubank Trophy for best services at a

  • Airmen help South Africans by providing donations

    The road to nearby Kgautswane was dusty and disheartening July 10 for 50 Airmen deployed to South Africa and participating in exercise MedFlag 2004. As they rode down the remote rural road, they were forced to cover their noses and mouths with their hats to breathe as a brownish cloud filled the

  • Mildenhall Airmen recognized for heroic efforts

    Two Airmen of the 321st Special Tactics Squadron here were lauded recently for their quick action and rescue efforts after a vehicle accident in September 2003. Senior Airmen Ivan Ruiz and Jared Pietras, a pararescueman and combat controller, respectively, were involved in a tragic accident on a

  • Communication techs ensure message gets through

    Technicians from the 374th Communications Squadron’s systems control and facility control offices here help Pacific Air Forces leaders plan, direct, coordinate and execute operations worldwide. The vast majority of command and control, voice conferencing and combat support communications traffic

  • Supply Airmen keep materials rolling in

    When people think of supply support, the first item that comes to mind may not be water.And yet, a weighty part of the supply Airmen’s job in the arid environment here is to process 15 pallets of the liquid each week. More than 25,000 bottles of water are used each week by 600-plus Airmen deployed

  • Course trains Airmen to drive convoys for Army in Iraq

    Riding in a truck through Iraq, manning a weapon and facing armed adversaries is not a scenario many Air Force vehicle operators thought they would see.But that is exactly what more than 500 of these Airmen are doing -- driving convoys for the Army supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.Chief Master

  • Army recruiting departing Airmen

    After they "Cross Into the Blue" Army officials said they hope Airmen leaving the Air Force will join the "Army of One."A new program, Operation Blue to Green, seeks to recruit into the Army Airmen and Sailors leaving their service because of force reductions. The Army is temporarily increasing its

  • Rewritten Airman’s Manual coming

    An Airman’s most important deployment tool just got better.The original Air Force Manual 10-100, the “Airman’s Manual,” published in 1999, has been revised and updated and hits the streets July 19. “Within four weeks, we will distribute more than 675,000 copies to every active-duty member,

  • It's a jungle out there

    Many Airmen may describe their lives at the office as wild, but for those deployed to nearby South African Air Base Hoedspruit for exercise MedFlag 2004, it really is a jungle out there. “We actually enjoy telling people about our environment,” said Lt. Col. Philip Oosthuizen, South African

  • Airman warns of employment scam

    Posting his resumé online seemed like a savvy move for one Airman here who plans to separate in August, move to Dallas and start college.However, instead of leads to gainful employment, the experience took Senior Airman Christopher Kissell dangerously close to the unwanted role of scam victim. Now

  • Honor guard Airmen save three from car fire

    An Independence Day tragedy was averted July 4 by three Air Reserve Personnel Center Honor Guard members who were returning here from a ceremony July 3 in South Dakota.As Staff Sgts. Shelly Dapp, Louis Deanda and Juan Williams were entering the outskirts of Denver around 4 p.m., they noticed a sport

  • Airman charged with double murder

    An Airman here was formally charged July 8 with killing two people. Senior Airman Andrew Paul Witt, an avionics technician with the 116th Air Control Wing, is charged with two counts of premeditated murder, covered under Article 118 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice. Senior Airman Andrew

  • Airmen help bring wounded home

    Forty-eight wounded Airmen, Soldiers, Sailors and Marines were brought home for Independence Day, and six medical workers from the 43rd Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron here were there to help get them back safely.This is the second time 43rd AES Airmen have been able to participate in the routine

  • MedFlag 2004 kicks off

    About 250 U.S Airmen from bases in Europe and the United States joined their South African defense force partners here July 2 to begin Exercise MedFlag 2004.The annual two-week joint-combined medical training and civil assistance exercise in Africa includes units under U.S. European Command. It

  • Airmen among White House Fellows

    Two Airmen are among 12 people from across the country selected to serve as White House Fellows.Majs. Wesley Hallman and Daniel Orcutt will participate in the White House Fellows Program from Sept. 1 to Aug. 31, 2005.Major Hallman, 37, is a student at the School of Advanced Air and Space Studies at

  • Ammo: Giving Warthog its lethal bite

    As coalition soldiers conduct operations throughout Afghanistan, A-10 Thunderbolt IIs, or Warthogs as they are commonly known, are a frequent sight in the sky.When a Warthog must strike, one team here “sharpens its tusks,” making sure that the aircraft’s “bite” is effective and lethal.The Airmen of

  • July issue of Airman available

    Read about an amputee pilot helping other amputees returning from war, learn about how Air and Space Expeditionary Force Center officials handle deployments and take a look at the harmony between man and beast at Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska. These features and more highlight the July issue of

  • Air Force amputee returns to flight status

    An Airman here who had his leg amputated above the knee will soon fly an Air Force aircraft again.Lt. Col. Andrew Lourake, the Commander’s Action Group chief, has been medically cleared to return to flight status.The Air Force surgeon general, Lt. Gen. George Peach Taylor, medically cleared Colonel

  • NCOs teaching at ROTC detachments

    Air Force ROTC cadets at 10 universities will soon see stripes in their classrooms.In a new program, noncommissioned officers will begin serving as instructors at Air Force ROTC detachments, positions normally held by commissioned officers.The three-year program will incorporate enlisted

  • Overseas returnee assignment listing available July 13

    The Enlisted Quarterly Assignment Listing for November to January requirements will be available July 13 to overseas returnees and continental United States mandatory movers, Airmen facing mandatory reassignment.Airmen can work through their military personnel flights to update their preferences by

  • AFSOC, PACAF welcome new commanders

    Airmen from two Air Force major commands welcomed new commanders July 1 and 2.Maj. Gen. Michael W. Wooley assumed command of Air Force Special Operations Command during a ceremony at Hurlburt Field, Fla., on July 1, and Lt. Gen. Paul V. Hester assumed command of Pacific Air Forces during a ceremony

  • Air Force symbol now official

    The Air Force symbol is now official, four years after the service first applied for trademark protection.“I'm proud our symbol is now an official part of our heritage," said Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper. "It represents our storied past and links our 21st Century Air Force to our

  • Taking care of their own, Airmen donate $6.7 million

    Airmen have given more than $6.7 million to this year's Air Force Assistance Fund campaign, $800,000 more than last year.The fund raises money for four Air Force-related charities that benefit active-duty, Reserve, Guard, retired Airmen, surviving spouses and families. "The 2004 campaign raised

  • Taking care of patients in air

    Most military aircraft are not well known for passenger comfort.But when passengers are seriously ill or injured, a team of medical experts is always on hand to ensure as comfortable a ride as possible.“We are responsible for moving casualties in-theater as well as between theaters,” said Capt. Karl

  • Suspect in base killings in custody

    An Airman here suspected of killing two people and injuring another in base housing July 5 is in pretrial confinement at a local jail.The suspect was apprehended here July 5 by Air Force Office of Special Investigations agents. Base officials said he has not yet been formally charged, and they did

  • Now showing: July 5 edition of Air Force Television News

    What is fast becoming the Air Force hub for its operations in Iraq is spotlighted in the latest edition of Air Force Television News.Tech. Sgt. Pachari Lutke reports from Balad Air Base, Iraq, on how Airmen there are supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. Master Sgt. Jim Lawson reports on another

  • AEF Battlelab tests universal aircraft jacks

    Any Airman who has ever worked on the flightline during a rotation in the desert knows that the aerospace ground equipment he or she uses is often specific to a particular airframe. Heavy aircraft jacks, in particular, are not one-size-fits-all equipment. After all, people cannot use the same set

  • Team keeps aircraft fueled

    Talk to a group of petroleum, oil and lubrication technicians and you will meet people who know their impact on the mission.With phrases like “without POL, pilots are pedestrians” and “we fuel the fight,” the team here knows how important its job is. In June alone, the Airmen fueled missions over

  • Expeditionary mindset provides stability, predictability for Airmen

    Nothing much stands out at the Air and Space Expeditionary Force Center at Langley Air Force Base, Va.The rooms upon rooms of cubicles are standard for a work center. A snack room provides lunch for those too busy to leave, and a larger parking lot would make people happier.Everything appears

  • Air Force bids farewell to a legend

    The Air Force's last Vietnam-era former prisoner of war still serving retired here June 30, ending more than four decades of active-duty, Guard and Reserve Service.Reserve Maj. Gen. Ed Mechenbier, mobilization assistant to Gen. Gregory S. Martin who is commander of Air Force Materiel Command, hung

  • Secretary, chief send Independence Day message

    The following is an Independence Day message from Secretary of the Air Force Dr. James G. Roche and Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper:"Happy birthday, America! For the last 228 years our nation has been the beacon for peace, freedom and opportunity around the world. America earned that

  • Air Force uniform heads to French army

    When a French army sergeant asked Col. David Adams for his uniform, the colonel did not know what to think. When working at a NATO base with 30 different nations, the real meaning is not always in the message.Sgt. Willy Brunet, a signal noncommissioned officer with the French National Intelligence

  • SECAF approves 'V' device for heroism award

    Secretary of the Air Force Dr. James G. Roche has authorized use of the “V” device, to represent valor, on Distinguished Flying Crosses awarded for heroism.The decision is intended to clearly distinguish and denote a DFC awarded for heroism. It allows any Reserve, Guard or active-duty Airman or Air

  • Firefighters protect people, resources

    Forty-five seconds is all it takes. In the right conditions, it would only take that amount of time for one of the many tents at Camp Sather here to burn to the ground.It is the job of the 33 firefighters assigned to the 447th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron to prevent fires and quickly

  • Air Force, Navy share chess title

    The Air Force and Navy are sharing the Interservice Chess Championship trophy this year, the first tie for the team title in the tournament’s history.The Air Force came to the tournament as a two-time defending champion, but tied with the Navy in points June 25, the last day of the six-day

  • ‘American family’ supports NATO, humanitarian effort

    Military convoys are a common site in Kosovo, so when a military convoy set out from Kosovo Force headquarters here headed for Gracanica on June 27, it was not given a second look. However, this convoy was not carrying weapons, military supplies or security forces for post relief. It was carrying

  • General revises clothing policy for Airmen deploying to SWA

    All Airmen deploying to the Central Command area of responsibility must now ensure the clothing they pack is in step with a recent dress and appearance policy revision now in effect.The most significant change requires Airmen to wear either desert camouflage uniforms or physical training gear while

  • Museum receives 11,000-pound stone roller from China

    A stone roller used to build airfield runways in Kunming, China, during World War II made its American debut June 25 during a ceremony at the U.S. Air Force Museum here.Donated to the museum by Yunnan Province officials in China, the stone roller is the only one of its kind in the United States.The

  • Airmen deliver 35,000 helmets to Afghanistan

    Airmen flew more than 35,000 Romanian military helmets to Afghanistan from here June 24 in a U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III. The helmets are for the Afghan army.Donated by the Romanian government, the helmets were packed and loaded by a team of Romanian servicemembers and a three-person U.S.

  • Officials announce Air Force chaplain service award winners

    Officials announced the Air Force chaplain service award winners on June 25.Established this year, the award program recognizes outstanding individual and organizational performance within the chaplain service. The 2003 winners are:-- Richard C. Schneider Award (chaplain’s assistant, Airman):

  • Yokota aircraft parts store never closes

    Airmen assigned to the 374th Logistics Readiness Squadron is aircraft parts store element here work around the clock supporting the Air Force airlift mission in the Pacific region.The group of inventory management technicians receive, store and issue needed parts worth $46 million for C-130 Hercules

  • Children’s yoga class offers more than quiet poses

    “Breathe in” and “breathe out” are typically what someone may expect to hear in a yoga class. What is unexpected are children ages 2 to 14 posing like cobras, monkeys and airplanes, and making noises like them.This is exactly what happens during a children’s summer yoga class the youth center here.

  • Airman loses 100 pounds

    It took a missile maintainer here nine months to fix one of the Air Force's most important weapon systems, and he did it out of uniform, without technical orders and after duty hours.Senior Airman Norman Barore, assigned to the 341st Missile Maintenance Squadron here, lost 100 pounds in nine months,

  • NCO earns American Legion Spirit of Service Award

    Her father picked up a soldier carrying his life in a duffel bag on his way home from Vietnam in 1971. He gave the man a little money and took him to his house to finish his journey home. This act of kindness influenced Staff Sgt. Catherin Lammon and motivated her to do community service.The

  • Painting honors Tuskegee Airmen

    A painting honoring the famed 332nd Fighter Group of Tuskegee Airmen was unveiled during a ceremony in the Pentagon on June 24.In the painting, artist Mickey Harris depicts then-Lieutenant Luke Weathers at the controls of his P-51 Mustang escorting a damaged B-24 Liberator back to England following

  • Congress recognizes four Air Force people

    Four members of the Air Force family received Congressional Award Gold Medals along with 171 other young men and women during a ceremony on June 23 at the Russell Senate Office Building.The program recognizes outstanding achievement in people ages 14 to 23 and involves setting goals in four areas:

  • Airman becomes 'Met for a Day'

    One McGuire airman traded his flight suit for a baseball uniform June 22 and became an honorary member of the New York Mets for a day.Senior Airman Chardo Richardson, a boom operator with the 32nd Air Refueling Squadron here, shadowed Mets left-handed pitcher Al Leiter in the second part of a job

  • Murray talks deployments, force shaping

    Combat needs, not current manpower standards, are what Air Force officials are using to determine how many people are filling the ranks, Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Gerald Murray said. This, he said, is the first time in Air Force history that combat needs have been the determining

  • Command chiefs meet for annual conference

    More than 250 command chiefs from Reserve, Guard and active-duty Air Force bases worldwide met here June 19 to 23 for the 10th Annual Worldwide Command Chief Master Sergeants' Conference.Command chiefs tackled issues facing the enlisted force.The conference gives Air Force senior leaders an

  • Airmen work to open own club

    A dozen Airmen here sacrificed a couple rare sunny days off to help renovate a facility geared toward young enlisted Airmen.The volunteers are working on a self-help project at the old community center, which will be the home of the new airmen’s club. The Airmen spent several hours June 19 and 20

  • Contractors on runway before accidental landing

    Three contracted painters were working on the runway here just before the landing of Northwest Airlines Flight 1152 on June 19.The runway was closed when the Northwest pilots mistook the base airfield for the Rapid City Regional Airport runway located six nautical miles south of the base.“The

  • ARPC call center improves customer service

    Beginning June 28, all toll-free calls to the Air Reserve Personnel Center here will be channeled through the customer call center, officials announced June 21.ARPC officials said the new step continues efforts to provide one-stop shopping to the more than 950,000 customers that they

  • IMAX returns to Nellis for final shoot

    A production crew filming an IMAX movie on the Air Force returned here June 14 to 18 to continue work on the 43-minute action documentary about Red Flag exercises.Filming for the production began here in June 2003, and this is scheduled to be the crew’s last visit. Besides their initial visit,

  • Airmen attend Coast Guard academy

    For a few select senior noncommissioned officers, attending the U.S. Coast Guard Chief Petty Officer Academy in Petaluma, Calif., is an opportunity to embody the school’s motto, “Altus Tendo -- I Reach High.” It is also a chance to teach their classmates about the mission and expeditionary nature

  • American C-17 airlifts Iraqi child to Hungarian hospital

    Medics from the 379th Expeditionary Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron helped airlift a 13-year-old Iraqi to Budapest, Hungary, recently.A dozen crewmembers aboard a C-17 Globemaster III helped transport Abbas Jabbar, who was injured last month when he ran in front of a Hungarian convoy patrolling near

  • Sembach security forces practice aerial rescues

    Eleven Airmen of the 786th Security Forces Squadron at nearby Sembach Air Base practiced their search and rescue skills here June 14 to 18 during NATO Operation Clean Hunter.They were joined by people from the 56th Rescue Squadron at Naval Air Station Keflavik, Iceland, and rescue teams from the

  • ‘Air and Space Power Journal’ available in Spanish

    A Spanish-language version of “Air and Space Power Journal” is now available online and through a free electronic subscription service.Just like its English-language sister, the Spanish version provides a forum for professional discussion on air and space power, and its role in national

  • Now showing: June 21 edition of AFTV News

    The last active-duty Airman who was a prisoner of war in Vietnam, and his trip back to the country of his captivity highlights the June 21 edition of Air Force Television News. Tech. Sgt. Bill Scherer went along as Maj. Gen. Ed Mechenbier flew the famed “Hanoi Taxi” to the Vietnamese capital. The

  • Doctor reports from field

    Keeping in touch with family and friends at home is a high priority for many deployed Airmen, but Lt. Col. (Dr.) John Torres, or "Dr. John" as he is known back home in Colorado, goes a step further.Besides being an emergency room doctor, Dr. Torres records a medical segment three times a week for

  • Tobacco use terminated in technical training

    Tobacco use and possession are no longer allowed for nonprior-service technical training students at any time while on base or in uniform. The change is included in Air Education and Training Command Instruction 36-2216, "Administration of Military Standards and Discipline Training," published June

  • Officials announce OTS selections

    Air Force officials here announced June 18 that 17 enlisted Airmen have been chosen to attend Officer Training School and trade their stripes for gold bars. Air Force Recruiting Service officials conducted OTS Selection Board 0405, which met here May 11 to 14. The board considered 392 applications,

  • Airmen survive terrorist attack by being fit to fight

    In the early morning hours of May 30, an Airman lay in a dusty maintenance room of a building in Khobar, Saudi Arabia, with a tourniquet around his arm, struggling to stay alive.The morning before, Lt. Col. James Broome III and a colleague, Lt. Col. Ed O’Neal, both assigned to the U.S. Military

  • TACC commander receives management award

    The commander of the Tanker Airlift Control Center has received the 2003 Eugene M. Zuckert Management Award.Secretary of the Air Force Dr. James G. Roche presented Brig. Gen. Paul J. Selva with the award during a ceremony at the Pentagon on June 16.“I have the coolest job on the planet, because I

  • Project upgrades quality of life at Bagram

    Innovation and initiative by 455th Expeditionary Operations Group Airmen upgraded a temporary living area into a cheery, hospitable cyber café.“Our new café projects a welcoming feeling,” said Staff Sgt. Tina Ross, a services representative with the 455th Expeditionary Mission Support Squadron and

  • Laughlin Airmen get fit during 'adventures'

    “Are you fit to fight?” That is the question Air Force officials are asking Airmen these days, and it is the catch phrase for the new fitness focus.One squadron here upped the ante among its Airmen recently asking, “Are you fit to race?”More than 100 Airmen from the 86th Flying Training Squadron

  • NFL player scores big points at Incirlik

    As a Pittsburgh Steeler wide receiver, Hines Ward is accustomed to whipping past the opposition and scoring touchdowns on the football field. But during a visit here June 17, Mr. Ward scored big points -- not with his team, but with base people.Fans turned out in droves to meet Mr. Ward, who spent

  • Restoring vintage planes preserves AF history

    Craftsmen who restore Lackland’s 40 historical aircraft displayed around the base often are greeted and thanked by old warriors who visit the base to watch their grandsons and granddaughters graduate from training.“It’s real interesting, because they’ll tell you all kinds of war stories from their

  • Tech., master promotion rates nearly same as last year

    Air Force officials have selected 6,217 of 23,956 eligible technical sergeants for promotion to master sergeant, a 25.95-percent selection rate; and 9,114 of 42,248 eligible staff sergeants for promotion to technical sergeant, a 21.57-percent selection rate.The final tally will increase as Air Force

  • Utility uniform feedback survey, PT gear coming

    The Air Force’s first physical training uniform will hit the street later this year, and a Web site for Airmen to provide feedback on the proposed utility uniform will be online July 1.Feedback on the proposed utility uniform has been excellent so far, but an Internet survey will give all Airmen a

  • Long-term care insurance still available

    Active-duty Airmen, some reservists, appropriated-fund civilian employees, retirees and qualified family members can still apply for the Federal Long-Term Care Insurance Program.The program is a benefit authorized by Congress to help federal employees defray the costs of in-home care, nursing-home

  • Reserve volunteers needed for force-protection duties

    Reserve component enlisted Airmen in any career field are eligible for a unique program allowing them to help protect Air Force bases nationwide. The air reserve component force protection volunteer program gives individual mobilization augmentee, Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard members

  • Air Force family fights fire with generosity

    A first-term Airman from the 3rd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron here, her husband, and their two small children were left homeless when an unexplained fire destroyed everything in their base housing unit recently.Out of the ashes of this tragedy, however, rose an unexpected phoenix. The Vazquez's

  • Airmen keep deployed Soldiers healthy

    Being responsible for the healthy living environment of 60,000 Soldiers at eight different camps is no small job, but that is exactly what Airmen of the 2nd Preventive Medicine Team Air Force have been doing since mid-March.This team of nine enlisted and two officers has conducted more than 2,000

  • Airman charged with murder

    A staff sergeant at Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala., is being held in the nearby Montgomery County Jail after being charged with murder. Staff Sgt. Russell Booth, of the 42nd Security Forces Squadron, allegedly shot and killed his wife, Wyndelyn Scogin Booth, during a domestic dispute in their home

  • Officials take second look at ‘code-C’ limitations

    Following a review of the new force-shaping policy, Air Force officials rescinded the enlisted date-of-separation rollback for Airmen with an assignment limitation code “C.”“The secretary and chief of staff of the Air Force decided we should take a harder look at code-C limitations, and the medical

  • New focus puts future training over the 'edge'

    Department of Defense servicemembers participating in Northern Edge '04 have a new focus this year, joint warfighter training, as well as a different focus in 2005, homeland defense.Pacific Command and Northern Command officials have agreed to share Alaska Command's premier joint exercise.In

  • Secretary celebrates 227th anniversary of Old Glory

    Secretary of the Air Force Dr. James G. Roche joined those gathered at the base flagpole here June 14 to celebrate the history of the nation’s flag.The U.S. Air Force Ceremonial Brass, Andrews base honor guard, veterans and guests joined in commemorating Flag Day.“This is a special day, the

  • E-8 promotion testing cycle window changes

    All master sergeants competing for promotion to senior master sergeant will now take the U.S. Air Force Supervisory Examination test between Dec. 6 and 17. The testing cycle will no longer be in January. Air Force officials said ongoing air and space expeditionary force deployments supporting the

  • Suspect arrested in sergeant’s murder

    Officials arrested a suspect in the murder of Master Sgt. Gloria Ponder on June 12. Sergeant Ponder was found dead in her on-base home June 8. She was assigned to Air Combat Command’s chapel at Langley Air Force Base, Va.The suspect was apprehended by security forces Airmen at the base exchange on

  • Morón keeps aircraft moving, projects expeditionary air power

    About halfway between the United States and the Middle East, the runway here was recently labeled by Secretary of the Air Force Dr. James G. Roche as “the irreplaceable gateway” for aircraft, cargo and troops headed for central and Southwest Asia . U.S. Air Forces in Europe leaders visited here

  • Weapons accident leaves one injured

    A weapons accident here June 10 caused one injury. Staff Sgt. Brent Russell, a 917th Maintenance Squadron aircraft armament systems mechanic, was injured when a Gatling gun inadvertently discharged a 30 mm training round during repairs. The round penetrated a steel door causing shrapnel to strike

  • Secretary, three others receive NAACP awards

    The Air Force secretary and three other Airmen received NAACP awards for outstanding and noteworthy efforts in implementing policies and programs which promote equal opportunity in the military.Secretary of the Air Force Dr. James G. Roche garnered the National Association for the Advancement of

  • Convoy course prepares Airmen for duty in Iraq

    Air Education and Training Command leaders saw the need for the Basic Combat Convoy Course for Airmen during a visit to Iraq in March, and 37th Training Wing experts here assembled the course in record time.The first platoon of Airmen began the course June 7, training to relieve transportation

  • Gas pump in the sky

    When an F-16 Fighting Falcon pilot runs low on fuel, he has two choices: Radio in to the closest air base control tower for landing and refueling permission, or stay airborne and fill up from a gas station in the sky -- the KC-135 Stratotanker. You can imagine which gets him back into the fight

  • Airmen play ‘bad guys’ in Alaska

    Almost every military exercise needs "bad guys," and Airmen from the 390th Fighter Squadron are playing that role for Alaska Command's premiere joint training event, Northern Edge '04.More than 160 Department of Defense aircraft are involved in the exercise, including F-15 Eagles from the 390th FS

  • Airman, Scouts save lives

    Local Boy Scouts embarked on a whitewater canoe and kayak trip recently on nearby Chattooga River. Little did they know their recreational adventure was about to turn into a lifesaving rescue.At the end of their five-and-a-half-hour river ride, the Scouts were in the process of docking and packing

  • AMC musicians among those honoring President Reagan

    Four Airmen of the U.S. Air Force Band of Mid-America here will perform during a ceremony honoring former President Ronald Reagan at his presidential library and museum in Simi Valley, Calif., on June 11.President Reagan, 93, died June 5 from pneumonia after a long battle with Alzheimer's disease.

  • Airman carries his American flag everywhere

    When some people say they carry the American flag close to their heart, it is usually just a figure of speech.However, when one 455th Expeditionary Operations Group Airmen here said that, he meant it -- and he has the flag to prove it.“My grandfather gave me a 3-foot by 5-foot flag when I was 12,”

  • Airmen honor fallen commander in chief

    Airmen nationwide will pay tribute this week to former President Ronald Reagan who died at his home June 5 from pneumonia as a complication of Alzheimers. President Reagan, who was 93, served as the 40th commander in chief from 1981 to 1989.Air Force participation in the state funeral includes