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  • Secretary Roche visits Manas Air Base

    Airmen of the 376th Air Expeditionary Wing welcomed Secretary of the Air Force Dr. James G. Roche for his inaugural visit here April 14 to 16. Manas is the primary strategic airlift hub for operations in and around Afghanistan and provides tactical-airlift and aerial-refueling support for Operation

  • ASVAB changes will not mean lower standards

    The Air Force will adjust the cutoff score used to gauge new recruits taking the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery in July.The change -- from 40 to 36 -- does not mean the Air Force is lowering its standards, said Tina Strickland, chief of Air Force testing policy and research integration.

  • Air Force honors Marquez award winners

    Air Force officials announced the winners of the 2003 Lt. Gen. Leo Marquez Maintenance Awards.Winners for aircraft maintenance are:-- Field Grade Manager: Lt. Col. James Weber from Grand Forks Air Force Base, N.D.-- Company Grade Manager: Capt. Earl Williams III from Travis AFB, Calif.--

  • Online system reduces trips to education office

    Four features now available under the Air Force's virtual education system give Airmen more control of their academic pursuits.The Air Force Virtual Education Center is a Web-based system available to the total force that allows Airmen to do many of the things online that once required a trip to a

  • Airmen complete ‘Books for Baghdad’ drive

    The company grade officer's council at the Air Force Research Laboratory's Rome research site here is sending a text message to Baghdad University.Nearly 5,000 books, predominantly textbooks and university-level literature, have been collected from laboratory people and others in the community since

  • Air Force restarts job reservation system May 1

    As part of force-shaping efforts, the Air Force will restart the career job reservation system May 1.The CJR system will reduce career field shortages and overages, and balance the career force within each skill, according to officials. The CJR system allows Air Force officials to limit the number

  • NASA selects Air Force pilot for astronaut training

    An Air Force pilot was recently selected by NASA to be an astronaut candidate for the space shuttle program.Maj. James P. Dutton of Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., is the only Airman among 11 military and civilians to be accepted by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration this year."Two

  • Sheppard sergeant becomes 250,000th CCAF grad

    An aircraft maintenance instructor from the 362nd Training Squadron here will leave a footnote in the history books of the world's largest community college when he graduates April 23.When Staff Sgt. Kalaeone Needham gets his associate degree, he will be the Community College of the Air Force's

  • Firefighters douse blaze, protect base facilities

    Firefighters assigned to the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing at a forward-deployed location were just getting ready to eat lunch when their portable radios broadcast the one word that starts the adrenaline pumping -- “Fire!”“All I heard was fire, and then everyone started running,” said Airman 1st

  • Roche visits Bagram

    Damp, drizzly weather greeted Secretary of the Air Force Dr. James G. Roche when he visited Camp Cunningham and men and women of the 455th Expeditionary Operations Group here April 16. But the conditions did not dampen the spirits of the hundreds of Airmen and civilians who enthusiastically turned

  • Yokota Airmen teach music to Japanese students

    The sweet sound of harmony reverberated throughout the cavernous city hall here April 15 as Air Force musicians shared their knowledge and experience with more than 100 Japanese high-school students during a music clinic.Airmen from the U.S. Air Force Band of the Pacific-Asia at Yokota Air Base,

  • CES plays role in Honduras exercise, Airmen recount experiences

    It was a trip that two sergeants said they will not soon forget. They were among 48 Airmen from the 934th Civil Engineer Squadron who deployed here recently to participate in New Horizons 2004 as part of Joint Command Task Force Orengo.The main focus of the exercise was to build local schools,

  • Immigrant brings music to military service

    From the capital of Peru to Wichita, Kan., the only zampoña player here is sharing his gift of music with the Air Force.Airman Fredy Pasco works on the commander’s support staff of the 22nd Maintenance Operations Squadron, but spends his off-duty time filling the air with the sound of an Inca

  • Nurses keep up heartbeat of 379th AEW

    In stark contrast to the white sheets of the hospital bed and a patient in a light blue paper gown, a nurse in a brown and tan desert camouflage uniform checks the patient’s vital signs on the nurse’s ward.In lieu of the clinically white uniform, the seven-person nursing team wears combat boots and

  • CMSAF becomes honorary master chief

    At the U.S. Coast Guard Chief Petty Officer Academy graduation here April 14, Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Gerald R. Murray became an honorary master chief petty officer.Chief Murray spoke at the ceremony to salute four Airmen who were graduates.“What a great honor to be recognized by this

  • SECAF outlines top priorities, future Air Force goals

    The Air Force’s top civilian focused on Air Force priorities, the war on terrorism and future goals during a visit here April 14. “People, of course, are the No. 1 priority,” said Dr. James G. Roche, secretary of the Air Force. “Any organization is only as effective as the people in it. We do a

  • Traffic-safety courses target vehicle fatalities

    Air Force safety officials are unveiling four new traffic-safety programs in the coming months to battle the steady increase of traffic fatalities in the last four years.“While no age, gender or rank group is immune to vehicle crashes, statistically speaking, our most at-risk population is young

  • Airmen respond to motorcycle accident

    A busload of Airmen from here were on their way to an observance honoring prisoners of war and servicemembers missing in action. They had no idea they would be the first people on the scene at a motorcycle crash April 9.The bus was en route to nearby North Little Rock but stopped along the highway

  • Pope families welcome loved ones home

    Balloons, hand-painted "welcome home" signs, ear-to-ear smiles and a few tears greeted Airmen and a small group of Soldiers who returned here April 14 following deployments in Southwest Asia."It's great to have them back," said Lt. Gen. William Welser III, commander of 18th Air Force at Scott Air

  • Colonel reflects on 40 years of service

    When Dave Thurston joined the Air Force as an airman basic in 1964, there had been no moon landing, the SR-71 Blackbird was about to fly for the first time, the Vietnam War was just beginning, and postage stamps cost a nickel. Now a colonel, he is deployed as the director of public affairs for

  • Air Force band performs in Hiroshima

    Aiko Hayashi smiled, cheered and laughed as she listened to a U.S. Air Force band perform here April 14.“They’re very good,” she said. “They really play great music. I’m glad they came here.”Almost 60 years ago, the thought of a U.S. military presence here was unthinkable. Ms. Hayashi knows of

  • Enlisted aviators put 'chevrons' in the sky

    Between 1912 and 1942, nearly 3,000 enlisted men of the Signal Corps, Air Service and the Army Air Forces became enlisted pilots. In fact, enlisted men piloted many of the aircraft flown in the Allied invasion of North Africa in 1942.Although the Flight Officer Act in 1942 ended the enlisted pilot

  • Vice president thanks servicemembers in Alaska

    Amid a sea of nearly 3,000 flag-waving Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen, Vice President Dick Cheney thanked servicemembers stationed in Alaska for their efforts in the war on terrorism.“I stand here today to say ‘thank you’ from a grateful nation -- and not just to the military

  • Librarians encourage people to turn off TVs, pick up book

    As National Library Week kicks off April 18, Air Force librarians are encouraging people to visit their base library for a refreshing change from another night of channel surfing. Libraries throughout the Air Force offer many programs for active-duty Airmen, retirees, spouses and children. Some

  • Reservist earns Pitsenbarger award

    A reservist from Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., has been named the 2004 Pitsenbarger award winner.Senior Master Sgt. Dale Berryhill, an airborne communications systems operator, was selected for his heroism while supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.Sergeant Berryhill was a crewmember aboard an MC-130E

  • Rescue team integral to contingency operations

    Imagine riding along outside the safety of a base and suddenly a rocket-propelled grenade blows a hole in the ground next to a Humvee in your convoy. The blast causes the vehicle to crash and flip upside down. One of your drivers is stuck under the wreckage; you have no equipment to help get him

  • Foundation seeking inputs for Air Force memorial

    Air Force Memorial Foundation officials are seeking ideas for inscriptions to be placed at the new memorial site.The official groundbreaking will take place Sept. 15 at the memorial site, just southwest of the Pentagon. The focal point of the Air Force memorial will be a 270-foot monument featuring

  • Readiness system saves time, money

    Robins is the test site for a new Web-based readiness system estimated to save the Air Force $79 million over the next five years. The system, called the deployment readiness service, will improve tracking and reduce the time and effort to keep people ready for deployments. It gives people access to

  • Air Force wrestling team wins national title

    The Air Force wrestling team won its second consecutive national team title, took home two Greco-Roman division medals and added an unexpected name to the 2004 Olympic trials roster during the U.S. National Wrestling Championships here April 9 and 10.Greco-Roman wrestlers Steve Woods took the silver

  • Travel cardholders have online-payment option

    Airmen with government travel cards can now make payments to their accounts online. The “MyEasyPayment” system allows Airmen with government travel cards to pay off residual or unexpected charges not covered by split disbursement payments, said Josephine Davis, the Air Force banking liaison

  • Sergeant's nightly movies benefit deployed Airmen

    When the sun sets on Camp Cunningham, the outdoor break area and meeting place known as the “Pradotorium” begins to buzz with a little more activity than it does during the day.This wooden deck area, similar to one that might be built in someone’s backyard, sits adjacent to the 455th Expeditionary

  • Enlisted Heritage Hall honors fallen Airman

    A fallen hero was honored recently when the Enlisted Heritage Hall on Gunter Annex dedicated the Tech. Sgt. John Chapman exhibit.Members of Sergeant Chapman's family and colleagues from the 24th Special Tactics Squadron were among more than 200 people attending the dedication ceremony. A combat

  • Airman dies in mortar attack

    Department of Defense officials have announced the name of an Airman who died following a mortar attack here April 10.Airman 1st Class Antoine J. Holt, 20, of Kennesaw, Ga., died as a result of injuries sustained when his tent was hit by a mortar round. He was assigned to the 603rd Air Control

  • Airman recalls West Nile Virus infection

    Officials here are wasting no time getting the word out about this year’s West Nile Virus threat.The national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had 9,389 cases of the virus reported in 2003.One of those cases was 1st Lt. Chip Hollinger, 21st Mission Support Group executive officer at nearby

  • Guard, Reserve leaders address Senate subcommittee

    Reserve component leaders from the Air Force, Army and Marine Corps met before a Senate subcommittee reviewing the fiscal 2005 military budget here April 7.The leaders discussed transformation goals and spending requirements. They also touched on issues such as deployments, stress on the force and

  • Software helps Airmen track fitness progress

    The Air Force recently released a tool to help Airmen keep track of their fitness efforts. The Air Force Fitness Management System is available to all Airmen through the Air Force Portal. The system provides a history of their fitness scores and allows unit fitness managers to enter new scores.

  • Leaders approve combat device for expeditionary ribbon

    Secretary of the Air Force Dr. James G. Roche and Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper have approved the addition of a gold border to the Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon to signify satisfactory participation in combat operations. "This gold border, signifying participation in combat

  • Simulator prepares Airmen for combat

    Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to infiltrate enemy territory in the cover of darkness. Sentries will be posted at various checkpoints throughout your path to offer additional assistance. Armed with night-vision goggles, weapons and wits, your mission will be trying and perilous.

  • Air Force Museum receives WWII stone roller from China

    A stone roller Chinese workers used during World War II to construct airfield runways as long as 8,500 feet in Kunming, China, will make a permanent stop at the Air Force Museum here this summer.Hundreds of Chinese workers pulled the roller, made of solid stone and weighing nearly 11,000 pounds, to

  • New special-duty assignment process under way

    Enlisted assignments division officials at the Air Force Personnel Center here unveiled a new assignment process to account for many special-duty jobs now being coded as maximum tour assignments in the continental United States.The new process, starting in mid-April, is called the CONUS Mandatory

  • Overseas returnee assignment listing available soon

    The Enlisted Quarterly Assignment Listing for people returning from overseas August to October will be available April 13.Airmen need to work through their military personnel flights or their commander's support staff to update their preferences by April 30. Airmen will be notified of their

  • Airmen train in Italy

    Twenty-six Airmen from the 37th Airlift Squadron at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, participated in Exercise Leaning Tower here from March 29 to April 3. They trained on formation low-level flights, evasive maneuvers and airdrops using night-vision goggles. “This whole exercise was made possible

  • Jumper urges Airmen to 'stay encouraged'

    The war on terrorism, force shaping and the new fitness program are all major priorities in today's Air Force, said the service's senior leader during a visit here April 5. With the recent gruesome murders of four U.S. contractors and the almost daily loss of American servicemembers’ lives, the Air

  • Air Force blue shines at baseball opener

    For one Airman, opening day for the 2004 Major League Baseball season was “pretty incredible,” especially in St. Louis, where fans are passionate about their professional sports teams.For Staff Sgt. Kelly Grant-Ramstack, a vocalist with the U.S. Air Force Band of Mid-America, her incredible day

  • Top chief discusses Air Force issues

    Force shaping, housing plans, the proposed uniform and fitness proved hot topics for the Air Force's top enlisted leader as he talked with Airmen during a visit here.Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Gerald R. Murray said the retention rate for first-term Airmen is the highest the Air Force has

  • Survival equipment: Taking fear out of flying

    Almost everyone has seen movie heroes parachuting out of planes and helicopters into dangers unknown. However, not many people think about how they are able to do that, or who ensures their parachutes are packed safely and carefully. Ten Airmen, assigned to the 100th Maintenance Squadron’s survival

  • Airman burned as child, volunteers at burn camp

    More than 15 years ago he spent 10 weeks in the hospital, as burns that covered more than one-third of his body healed. Today, the Airman volunteers as a burn camp counselor and shares stories about his ordeal with children who are recovering as he did.Airman 1st Class Brandon Lee, an aircraft

  • Charity ball benefits Airmen in big way

    The Air Force Aid Society was the benefactor as Airmen of all ranks and top Air Force civilian leaders came out in full force at the first Air Force charity ball April 3 at the officers club here.The event raised more than $270,000 for the AFAS from individual and corporate contributions, said Gen.

  • Air Force announces Thrift Savings Plan open season

    Civilian and military employees can sign up for, or change, their Thrift Savings Plan contribution amounts during the open season April 15 to June 30."TSP is a long-term retirement savings plan which everyone should consider," said Senior Master Sgt. Felipe Ortiz, superintendent of the Air Force

  • Airman receives 48 months confinement

    A 33rd Maintenance Squadron Airman here pleaded guilty and was convicted recently of illegal drug use and distribution involving Ecstasy, cocaine and marijuana. Airman Basic Brian M. Baird also pleaded guilty to four additional charges: disobeying his commander’s orders, using Ecstasy and

  • ‘The Simpsons’ deploy to Southwest Asia

    At first glance, these two Airmen share only a name: Simpson. One is a senior officer, the other is junior enlisted; one is a reservist, the other active duty; one works in an office, the other on a flightline.But a closer look reveals Col. Bill Simpson and Airman 1st Class Doug Simpson share more

  • F/A-22 important to all Airmen

    To Air Force people who do not fly or maintain aircraft, the oft-repeated characteristics of the F/A-22 Raptor, “stealth, supercruise, agility, integrated avionics, and supportability” probably mean about as much as “independent front suspension” and “aluminum alloy heads” mean to someone who is not

  • Communications Airmen help Iraqis connect

    Airmen worked for two days rebuilding and improving the communications infrastructure at Baghdad International Airport.A team of 447th Air Expeditionary Group cable maintenance shop and telephone systems Airmen started a job April 3. “Basically we were asked to come out here and establish high-speed

  • JTAC Airman vital in war on terrorism

    “Dad, you’re still at work?” are the words of Staff Sgt. Jason Cry’s 5-year-old son. When Sergeant Cry talks with his son on the phone, he helps the boy understand why Dad was not there for Christmas, or why he cannot be there at night to read him a bedtime story, kiss him on the head and tuck him

  • USAFE members hone search, rescue skills

    A CH-47 Chinook helicopter is shot down and four survivors are stranded in a hostile location awaiting rescue. The scenario was part of a joint combat search and rescue exercise held here March 20 to April 2.Led by the 56th Rescue Squadron at Naval Air Station Keflavik, Iceland, the exercise

  • Flightline upgrades boost mission

    New upgrades to the flightline are boosting operational capabilities, helping Airmen accomplish the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing’s expanding role to provide intra-theatre airlift for deployed forces.The latest upgrades completed March 31 include a new 320,000-square-foot C-130 Hercules parking ramp.

  • Moody pilots killed in crash

    Two pilots died when an Air Force T-6 Texan II crashed April 3 at the airport in Savannah, Ga. The aircraft was assigned to the 479th Flying Training Group here.The reservists were identified as Capt. Judson Brinson of Thomasville, Ga., and Capt. Lee Moore of Valdosta, Ga. At the time of the

  • Electronic recorder adds realism to bugle playing

    The Tinker Air Force Base Honor Guard recently received three ceremonial bugles which play a high-quality recording of “Taps,” helping to show the nation’s deepest gratitude at the funerals of those who have served their country.The Department of Defense worked with a private company to create the

  • Airmen save life using defibrillator

    Four Airmen saved an Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center employee’s life after he recently suffered a heart attack at the Tinker Annex gym.Mario Martinez, a quality-assurance specialist at the center, went into cardiac arrest while playing racquetball with Tech. Sgt. Douglas Keller, a radar

  • Airman dies during training

    An Airman collapsed while participating in aerospace physiology training at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., and was pronounced dead by Bay Medical Center officials near the base April 1.Tech. Sgt. David Gressett is an AC-130H Spectre gunner assigned to the 16th Special Operations Squadron here. He

  • Air Force Reserve begins fitness testing

    Air Force reservists across the country are under the new Air Force fitness-testing standards as of April 1.Previously, fitness was measured by height-based weight restrictions, and reservists were tested on aerobic health through a 3-mile walk. The new standards include a waist measurement,

  • Band brings harmony to U.S., Russian relations

    U.S. Air Forces in Europe Band’s Check Six ensemble was music to Russian ears March 31 as they entertained and fostered relations between the United States and Russia.The command’s premier band served as musical ambassadors helping the U.S. Consulate General celebrate its 10-year anniversary

  • Iraqi children benefit from donations

    American forces at Balad Air Base, Iraq, are separated from the Iraqi people by a shallow ocean of sand and concertina wire. The edges of the razor wire mirror the sharp lifestyle contrasts between the poverty-stricken locals and the Americans.Airmen at Balad are joining hands with people here to

  • Idaho Guard helps train B-52 crews

    There’s a “war” going on. Every day deployed Airmen from the 266th Range Squadron at Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho, are shooting, eluding and attempting to destroy B-52 Stratofortresses flying here.However, no one gets hurt and no aircraft actually go down because the battle is done using

  • April issue of Airman available

    Read about how operations are going at the Air Force’s only blended wing, take a look at two locations where Airmen serve in Italy and learn how a retired first sergeant is getting her life back after a package bomb took her hands. These features and more highlight the April issue of Airman

  • Compass Call crew details mission, OIF success stories

    At the onset of Operation Iraqi Freedom, dozens of Iraqi soldiers waited patiently near the al Faw Peninsula for instructions being transmitted from higher headquarters to blow up key oil fields there.The message never came.In its place, courtesy of the U.S. Air Force’s EC-130H “Compass Call”

  • Awareness can prevent sexual assaults

    In line with April’s Sexual Assault Awareness Month, Air Force leaders encourage all Airmen to be knowledgeable about sexual assault risks, consequences and prevention. “Sexual assault in an organization that depends on each individual in life and death situations is simply intolerable,” said Gen.

  • Airmen reach out to help Iraqis

    The bright yellow ball bounced boldly out of the box as Iraqi children eagerly clamored to snatch the sphere from an Air Force chaplain’s hands.One young Iraqi boy emerged victorious, waving the soccer ball wildly over his head before tossing it back and forth to a friend in the crowd gathered

  • Troop rotation to Iraq continues

    The largest rotation of U.S. forces since World War II continues in Iraq, Defense Department officials said March 31.In all, more than 250,000 U.S. servicemembers are affected.Planning for the rotation began months ago. New units worked with units already in Iraq to learn their mission and plan the

  • Air Force announces 2004 Tops in Blue team

    Air Force officials selected the 2004 Tops in Blue team. Winners were selected from contestants who participated in the 2004 Air Force Worldwide Talent Contest at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas.The entertainment branch of the Air Force Services Agency conducts the annual event.Judges selected 27

  • Airmen recruit Iraqi military

    Two Air Force recruiters are using their training and skills to recruit a distinct group of people into an organization far different from the U.S. Air Force.Capt. Pete Ellum and Master Sgt. Greg Elmore are in Iraq recruiting that country’s new military. They are recruiting for the armed forces,

  • Students, deployed reservists share experiences

    Students at Hopewell Memorial Junior High School in nearby Aliquippa are learning about Iraq and the Middle East, but not from a textbook or the television.They are getting an insightful perspective of the region from local Air Force reservists deployed overseas. The reservists are getting a bit of

  • Airman teaches English to Afghan pilots

    Sometimes a language barrier can be more than an inconvenience. It can be dangerous. Consider, for example, the dialogue between an Afghan aircraft pilot and a German air-traffic controller at the local airfield during an in-flight emergency.Maj. Susan Washington said she is well aware of the

  • Vital ‘phase’ of maintenance

    “Phase maintenance” are two words that may not mean a lot to someone who does not work on the aircraft maintenance or operations side of the Air Force.But spend a few minutes talking with the supervisor of the A-10 Thunderbolt II phase maintenance team that is deployed here from Davis-Monthan Air

  • 86th CRG pulls Soldiers out of Africa

    Twenty-seven Airmen and one Soldier traveled down to Africa on March 23 to remove special forces Soldiers from the countries of Mali and Mauritania.The Airmen were from the 86th Contingency Response Group at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, and the Soldier was from the 1st Battalion, 10th Special Forces

  • Air Force seeks to eliminate inadequate housing

    Air Force senior leaders spoke with members of Congress on March 30 about the service’s requests for military construction funding in the fiscal 2005 budget. In testimony before the Senate Appropriations Committee subcommittee on military construction, the Air Force civil engineer, Maj. Gen. L.

  • ROTC instructor duty now includes NCOs

    Air Force ROTC officials have just expanded instructor duty opportunities to include enlisted Airmen from diverse career fields.The secretary of the Air Force has approved a test program designed to incorporate enlisted perspectives into the curriculum. The addition of enlisted instructional staff,

  • Air Force announces new SRB list

    Bluesuiters will see significant changes in the newly released selective re-enlistment bonus list resulting from solid retention rates, Pentagon officials said.Following the selective re-enlistment review board, the Air Force has published the latest SRB list which contains 62 Air Force

  • Airmen make sure A-10s keep flying

    When many people were passing out candy to trick-or-treaters last October, 26 crew chiefs left their home at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., and arrived here, ready to do their part in the war on terrorism.Through the holidays, this group of Airmen has not missed a beat in keeping the A-10

  • Families of high-school seniors may get to stay in place

    Some Air Force families with a child entering his or her senior year of high school may get to stay longer at their current duty stations thanks to a new policy announced in March."In today's environment of deployments and high operations tempo, it's important that we alleviate stress on families

  • Airmen assist convoy attack

    During an Iraqi insurgent attack on an American convoy north of here March 24, time seemed to stand still, said Tech. Sgt. George B. Stewart.“It seemed like forever,” said the Airman from the 447th Air Expeditionary Security Force Squadron. Squadron Airmen credit Sergeant Stewart, their

  • Now showing: March 29 edition of AFTV News

    Air Combat Command’s “Canadian connection” highlights the latest edition of Air Force Television News. In a special “Eye on the Air Force,” Tech. Sgt. Bill Scherer goes to North Bay, Ontario, to examine the close relationship between ACC and the Canadian air force. Before Sept. 11, the Canadian

  • Officials announce Air Force comptroller awards

    Air Force officials announced the 2003 financial management and comptroller awards.Award winners will be recognized at a ceremony June 2 at the American Society of Military Comptrollers Professional Development Institute in Cleveland.Michael Montelongo, the assistant secretary of the Air Force for

  • AFPC works to keep people connected

    For those having problems with computer connections, technicians at the Air Force Personnel Center here have some words of advice.Instead of assuming what is tripping up the computer connection, report it."We've had cases where customers trying to take care of personnel business on the Web assume

  • Vice president visits base in Ohio

    Vice President Dick Cheney expressed his appreciation for the Airmen and community here during a visit March 26. A throng of enthusiastic people from the base community waved flags and cheered loudly for the vice president during a ceremony. Gen. Greg Martin, commander of Air Force Materiel

  • AF officials testify regarding importance of space

    Air Force officials joined those from the U.S. Navy in congressional testimony March 25, speaking before a Senate Armed Services Committee’s subcommittee on strategic forces, about future plans for using space.Peter B. Teets, undersecretary of the Air Force and director of the National

  • Group reflects on OIF mission one year later

    March 27 holds special meaning for people of the 86th Contingency Response Group; it marks an accomplishment they made during Operation Iraqi Freedom.Last year on that day, 20 Airmen from the 86th CRG parachuted into northern Iraq along with more than 1,000 Soldiers from the 173rd Airborne Brigade

  • Airmen from European bases support special ops in Africa

    Airmen from bases throughout Europe are supporting special operations forces along the fringes of the Sahara Desert in the continuing war on terrorism.Currently, Soldiers assigned to the 1st Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne) in Stuttgart, Germany, are training African soldiers in Mali

  • April issue of Citizen Airman available online

    For the past 33-plus years, Lt. Gen. James E. Sherrard III has been contributing to the Air Force mission as a reservist, with the last five-plus years as the commander of Air Force Reserve Command and chief of Air Force Reserve. During that time, he has fought for better benefits and entitlements

  • C-17 crew wins Mackay Trophy

    One year after they led the biggest combat airdrop since Operation Just Cause in Panama in December 1989, five Airmen from McChord Air Force Base, Wash., are the winners of the National Aeronautic Association's Clarence Mackay Trophy for 2003.Lt. Col. Shane Hershman, from the 7th Airlift Squadron;

  • ‘Dirt Boyz’ digging in

    Airmen of the 28th Civil Engineer Squadron woke up to a South Dakota blizzard which closed sections of Interstate 90 and the Rapid City airport. Within a week, some of the same Airmen began waking up in the snow-covered foothills of the Ala Too Mountains in Kyrgyzstan as part of the 376th

  • Guam provides excellent training for Minot B-52 ground crews

    Not only is the weather better here than at home, but their deployment is providing them with a great training environment, said Airmen from of the 5th Bomb Wing at Minot Air Force Base, N.D.About 300 people from various specialties arrived here in February to support Minot’s six B-52 Stratofortress

  • Quick action at fitness center saves man's life

    March 9 is a day that will forever be etched in Elmer Bicoy's mind.Not because he was winning a racquetball match like usual, but because the 69-year-old suffered a cardiac arrest and nearly lost his life while playing a game at a fitness center here.Mr. Bicoy was preparing to serve the ball to

  • OSI agents help with historic drug seizure

    With less than one month on the job, a special agent with Detachment 311 of the Air Force Office of Special Investigations here answered a call from a Drug Enforcement Administration detective in Jacksonville, Fla. What he had to tell OSI agents ultimately culminated in the largest single narcotics

  • OSI's Fugitive Recovery Program is bringing 'em in

    It can be a long and laborious process. But ask any one of the special agents who have been part of a fugitive-recovery team, and they will tell you that the complexity in tracking and apprehending an Air Force fugitive is well worth the time, money and effort.OSI agents recently apprehended and

  • ANG welcomes new command chief

    Confident that he still has a lot to give to this country, Chief Master Sgt. Richard Smith is preparing to move from his home in rural Lexington, Ohio, to Washington to become the ninth command chief master sergeant of the Air National Guard."My appetite to serve is still there," said Chief Smith,

  • AFIT class includes first enlisted graduates

    Eight enlisted Airmen graduated from the Air Force Institute of Technology on March 23, marking one of the more historic achievements in the history of the service's enlisted force.Secretary of the Air Force Dr. James G. Roche, in delivering the graduation address to a crowd of more than 1,000

  • Air Force holds worldwide talent search

    In one room, a man held his guitar close to him, while his foot tapped nervously on the ground. Six judges watched him intently as he answered their questions about his instrumental background. Across the hall, a man was given a sombrero and a feather boa to wear, as judges asked him to do his

  • Abizaid focuses on Iraq, career Airmen

    Talented people are the reason why today’s U.S. armed forces are the best they have ever been, said Army Gen. John Abizaid, the commander of U.S. Central Command, during a visit with 380th Air Expeditionary Wing Airmen here. He urged them to “stay with the team” as the United States continues to

  • Airmen provide exercise tips to prevent pain

    Military hospitals have seen more injuries than usual since the Air Force adopted the new physical fitness test.The majority of these injuries could have been prevented with common sense and "listening to your body," said Maj. Chu Soh of the 374th Medical Operations Squadron’s physical therapy