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  • Officials expand existing whistleblower protections

    Blowing the whistle on waste, fraud and abuse at work seems like the last thing workers would do if they wanted to keep their jobs and advance their careers.But that is exactly what servicemembers and federal civilian employees are required by executive order to do, and officials at the Office of

  • PT still mandatory for those on profile

    Many Airmen believe being on profile is an escape route from participating in unit physical training, but officials here said it is not.“Just because a (person) has a profile that says ‘no running, jumping, crunches, push-ups, and no cycle ergo’ does not mean that the (Airman) cannot go to the

  • Allegations surface, faith in promotion tests remains high

    A number of Airmen at several bases have been implicated recently in the possible compromise of Weighted Airmen Promotion System testing material. Despite this finding, Air Force officials expressed confidence in the integrity of the system and testing continues across the Air Force."For more than

  • Health officials recommend changes to fitness program

    Air Force health officials recommended seven changes to the fitness program during the program’s first annual review.This first annual assessment consists of reviews by three panels: functional, external and leadership, said Lt. Col. Sherry Sasser, chief of health promotions for the Air Force

  • Fitness instructor loses nearly half of herself

    Keyra Donaldson was sitting on the bathroom floor while her children were taking a bath. Her back was in pain, and her patience was growing thin because they were taking too much time in the tub. This was the moment, she said, when she admitted to herself that she was severely overweight.The year

  • Services searching for teens with their eyes on the sky

    Teenagers who share a fascination with flight, both airplanes and spacecraft, can apply for the 2005 Teen Aviation Camp and the 2005 Space Camp, but they need to get their application packages in soon, Air Force Services Agency officials said.“Applications for acceptance into the Teen Aviation Camp

  • Airmen handle transient surge

    More than 1,500 people arrived here Feb. 22 to 26. The problem was, none left. Airmen said they first noticed the lines at the dining facility growing a little longer. Then the gym facilities began to get a little more crowded; and across the way it started becoming more and more difficult to find

  • General Jumper: Air Force will uphold standards

    The Air Force will uphold its standards, and people who break the service’s core values “will pay the price,” the Air Force chief of staff said.Gen. John P. Jumper also told the more than 1,000 attendees at the Air Force Association’s annual Air Warfare Symposium here Feb. 17 the service will not

  • General Jumper charts course for future

    Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper gave a vector for the Air Force’s future during a speech Feb. 17 at the Air Force Association’s 2005 Air Warfare Symposium here.General Jumper followed Peter B. Teets, acting secretary of the Air Force, at the convention in which about 1,000 people

  • Have a healthy Valentine’s Day

    Many Americans plan to celebrate Valentine’s Day on Feb. 14. The holiday originally marked the death of St. Valentine who secretly married couples in defiance of Roman Emperor Claudius II. Today, people are more likely to remember message written on tiny candy hearts than St. Valentine. Almost

  • Cadet collapses, dies after fitness test

    An Air Force Academy cadet died here Jan. 31 after collapsing following a physical-fitness test. The cadet was taken to the academy hospital where he was pronounced dead.Officials are investigating the cause of the cadet’s death.The cadet’s name is being withheld until 24 hours after next of kin

  • Staying in the Reserve after separation can pay off

    Should I stay or should I go? For those in uniform, it is a question they face each time they come to the end of their enlistment. To many, deciding to stay on active duty or switch to the civilian sector seems to be their only options. Air Force Reserve officials beg to differ.Tech. Sgt. Michael

  • 'Andro' supplement off limits in new year

    Airmen who take androstenedione to increase muscle mass will soon have to ditch the supplement and just do extra repetitions at the gym.Under a new law that takes effect Jan. 20, the prohormone androstenedione will be classified as a Schedule III controlled substance. Schedule III substances are

  • Supplements promise results, pose risks

    The path to fitness, weight loss and nutrition requires discipline and hard work, but many are turning to supplements to find a faster route to these goals, health officials said.Easily purchased over the counter, many supplements promise an extra edge. But with their promises come potential long-

  • Studying key to earning next stripe

    Enlisted promotion hopefuls will need to pull out their study materials as the next testing cycle is on the horizon. Testing for promotion to technical sergeant and master sergeant will be held throughout the Air Force Feb. 15 through March 31, and testing for staff sergeant will be held May 1

  • DOD, Armed Services YMCA sign support agreement

    An organization that began supporting the military during the American Civil War will continue to do so under an agreement signed Dec. 7 at the Pentagon.Armed Services YMCA officials began serving servicemembers and their families in 1861. Now, for the first time, the relationship between the

  • CMSAF shares insight on fitness

    Almost a year into the Air Force’s new fitness program, the service’s senior enlisted Airman said he is happy with some things, but said the program is “not where it needs to be yet.”“(Air Force chief of staff Gen. John P. Jumper and I) are pleased, but we’re not so naïve to think you can change a

  • Travis firefighters win world championship

    Competing against the best of the best, a team of Travis firefighters captured top honors during the World Firefighter Combat Challenge Nov. 9 to 13 in Las Vegas.It is the first Department of Defense team to win the international title and only the second American team to win the award since

  • ROTC cadets use marathon to reinforce core values

    Nine Air Force ROTC cadets used the Marine Corps Marathon to help them become better leaders.The University of Notre Dame cadets from Air Force ROTC Detachment 225 traveled from Indiana to Arlington Va., recently to compete in the 29th Marine Corps Marathon.The detachment’s athletic goals are to

  • AAFES worker trains daily despite prosthetic leg

    Terry Mallon broke his back, both legs and both ankles showing off a stunt. The 60-foot fall off an amusement park ride pushed his shin bones past his knees.Twenty-four years and 11 surgeries later, which included the loss of his right leg, the Army and Air Force Exchange Service security

  • Airmen providing civil engineering support to Soldiers

    About 50 Airmen from the 52nd Civil Engineer Squadron here, along with four from Ramstein Air Base, Germany, low crawled and convoyed their way to becoming an “Army of One.” This prepared them to deploy downrange to provide civil engineering support for the Army.The team is the first from U.S. Air

  • Ex-smoker encourages ‘smokeout’

    A 46-year-old health assistant technician decided to get a jump on the Nov. 18 Great American Smokeout when she took part in a tobacco cessation program. She said she went into the program expecting a challenge.A 30-year veteran of smoking, Debra Wolfe said she was watching a family tradition of

  • Air Force senior leaders visit Tallil Air Base

    According to the Air Force’s senior leaders, the Airmen serving in Southwest Asia today are exceeding expectations as they press forward in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.“We expect you to be great, but with all that we’ve seen firsthand, you’re even better than we expected,” said Chief Master

  • Now showing: Nov. 8 edition of AFTV News

    Air Force operation of the large medical facility at Balad Air Base, Iraq, spotlights the Nov. 8 edition of Air Force Television News. Tech. Sgt. Joy Josephson spent a week at the hospital, chronicling the treatment of wounded servicemembers by Air Force medics. Tech. Sgt. Bill Scherer also

  • Air Force’s top leaders visit Southwest Asia

    The Air Force’s top civilian, officer and enlisted leaders visited more than 5,000 Airmen at this forward-deployed location Nov. 4 as they kicked off their swing through Southwest Asia.Sporting the Air Force’s new proposed utility uniform, Secretary of the Air Force Dr. James G. Roche, Chief of

  • Deployed Airmen getting new physical training uniform first

    When the Air Force chief of staff announced a new fitness standard in July 2003, he promised Airmen a new physical training uniform in which to prepare. That new uniform is now ready, and Airmen serving in Southwest Asia will be the first to get them, said Senior Master Sgt. Jacqueline Dean, the Air

  • For Armed Services YMCA, November all about family

    Military Family Week began about two decades ago as part of The Great American Family project.Then in 1996, the Armed Services YMCA expanded the week, which occurred around Thanksgiving, into Military Family Month, which began Nov. 1.Just as the week grew into a month-long celebration, military

  • Hurlburt Airmen can dine ‘n’ dash

    Airmen here can literally dine and dash -- to the gym, that is -- after the opening of a combined dining facility and fitness center. “Customers love it because it just makes sense,” said Nate Harris, Riptide fitness center manager here. “They like to work out upstairs, then go downstairs to

  • British team shoots to top at Defender Challenge 2004

    An eight-person British team took home the top award at the worldwide security forces competition Defender Challenge 2004 held here Oct. 22 to 28.The Royal Air Force Regiment took first in the grueling fitness challenge event and third in the Sadler Cup tactical exercise. These wins earned them the

  • CMSAF addresses fitness, training

    Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force Gerald R. Murray spoke to a crowd of nearly 400 Airmen at an enlisted seminar here Oct. 22.He discussed issues facing the Air Force, and fielded questions and concerns from those in attendance. He started by asking how many in the audience had heard of Airman

  • Kirkuk kicks into shape with Tae Bo

    The inventor of the Tae Bo fitness system, Billy Blanks, and his daughter, Shellie Blanks-Cimarosti, visited here Sept. 28 to conduct three Tae Bo classes with the troops during their Spirit and Body Tour.Mr. Blanks said he was excited to visit with the people deployed here supporting Operation

  • Tyndall's youth sports program earns award

    The youth center staff here will receive one of five 2004 Excellence in Youth Sports Awards from the National Alliance for Youth Sports and Athletic Business magazine. Baseball all-star Cal Ripkin Jr. will present the award Nov. 12 in Orlando, Fla.The award recognizes organizations worldwide that

  • Fitness first piece of puzzle to healthier lifestyle

    “It makes you feel better.” “It reduces stress.” “It lowers blood pressure.”“Pick up any fitness magazine, and it’ll give you a bunch of boring definitions of what fitness will do for you,” said John Gahagan, 92nd Services Squadron fitness center director here.But to him, fitness means something a

  • Overall health more than fitness, nutrition

    What do a pack of cigarettes and a clenched fist have in common? They are both signs of bigger problems.The first, a pack of cigarettes, has many detrimental effects on the body. Not only can it cause cancer, but it also increases the chance of emphysema, asthma, bronchitis, pneumonia and many

  • Airmen brace for new fitness test

    The Air Force chief of staff fired a shot across the bow in July 2003 that got the attention of Airmen everywhere.Gen. John P. Jumper forewarned that a new fit-to-fight program would replace the cycle ergometry test and encouraged everyone to get ready. Staff Sgt. Kurt Hartmann did not, and he paid

  • CMSAF speaks to Nellis Airmen

    Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Gerald R. Murray visited here Aug. 11 and 12 and during his stay stressed that Airmen are the Air Force’s most important assets.“The strength of the Air Force is no longer the aircraft flying over the targets; it’s our Airmen in supply, vehicle maintenance, finance

  • Air Force officials announce E-5 promotion rates

    The Air Force has selected 13,625 of 33,306 eligible senior airmen for promotion to staff sergeant, a 40.91 percent selection rate.The Air Force will release the promotion list Aug. 11. The complete list of selectees will be posted to the Air Force Personnel Center's Web page,

  • Captain finds fitness, less stress with yoga

    Breathing instructions are repeated in minute-long counts while people hold an asana, or posture, that resembles a row boat. Piano music plays while the noon sun bounces around the room’s mirrors, making the atmosphere almost heavenly during the class.This is all part of Capt. William Uhl’s

  • Airmen helping researchers by living in the clouds

    A handful of Air Force Academy Airmen are living in the clouds on the 14,110-foot Pikes Peak summit this summer as part of an Army/Air Force acclimatization research study.The U.S. Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine, based in Natick, Mass., and the academy’s Human Performance

  • Trainees march out for field portion of basic cadet training

    The Air Force Academy’s Class of 2008 marched 7.8 miles from the school’s Terrazzo to their Jacks Valley tent city July 23 to begin the field portion of basic cadet training.Nine squadrons consisting of almost 1,300 trainees, along with their cadre and academy leaders, formed up on the Terrazzo in

  • ROTC cadets pass field-training test at Lackland

    “Uncle Sam” requires all Air Force cadets to go through field training before they can think about receiving their commission and sporting the gold second lieutenant bar on their shoulders. Field training is a fierce mental and physical regimen that can make or break the spirits of aspiring Air

  • PME incorporates Fit-to-Fight program

    Professional Military Education students will exercise under a more formal structure beginning in August as part of the Fit-to-Fight initiative. Students will perform physical conditioning three days a week to reinforce the school’s new focus, said Chief Master Sgt. Sharon R. Turk, vice commandant

  • Air Force Fleet Viability Board releases C-5A assessment

    With some qualifications, the first Air Force Fleet Viability Board assessment shows the C-5A Galaxy has at least 25 years of service life remaining.While the aircraft is among the oldest in the Air Force inventory, officials reported there are no major structural life issues. In the board’s

  • 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

  • Pilot wins Good Housekeeping award

    An unwavering faith, a good clean life and a sparkling career -- not necessarily a clean house -- earned a 524th Fighter Squadron F-16 Fighting Falcon pilot here a Good Housekeeping award.Capt. Christina Hopper was presented Good Housekeeping magazine’s Woman in Government Award for 2003 recently

  • 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,

  • 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:

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • Major proves age, injury no obstacles to fitness

    Maj. Jeanne Frazier could not run, and she was dreading the mandatory physical training and fitness tests.Three months later, the 50-year-old major assigned to the 552nd Operations Support Squadron here was not only running, but she finished the required run in 16 minutes and 46 seconds. All

  • Weapons, tactics course improves skills

    About 30 security forces Airmen from around Air Education and Training Command were here recently to improve their skills.Some of the skills the students learned at the AETC Combat Weapons and Tactics Course included tactical pistol skills, long-gun skills, low-light movements and missions, physical

  • Guard officials stress physical fitness

    Qatar is not as hot in November and December as it is in July and August; but the 80- to 90-degree days and the 40-degree nights in that small desert land between Saudi Arabia and the Persian Gulf can raise havoc with people who are not physically fit.That is a lesson some Airmen of the New York Air

  • Senior citizens punch, kick their way to health

    While some people may retire to a rocking chair, Nancy Newell is spending her retirement punching and kicking her way to a healthier lifestyle.And she is not alone.Seventeen senior citizens put up a “fight” at the fitness center here for a senior Tae Bo class May 10 -- a special feature to the

  • Robins employee sheds 150 pounds

    An employee here replaced her size 28 pants and more than 150 extra pounds with a size 16 and a new lease on life. Irish Frederick, 35, of Byron, Ga., said she is slimmer, fitter and “lookin’ good.”The classroom program assistant at Robins’ Child Development Center said she lost weight by changing

  • Idaho Air Guard helps test new stackable cargo pallets

    As part of an ongoing Air Expeditionary Force Battlelab initiative, a team tested a new bilevel aircraft loading system aboard an Idaho Air National Guard C-130 Hercules here April 22.People from the battlelab, a think tank for new and innovative ideas based at Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho,

  • Combat controllers play key role in war on terror

    The largest class of future combat controllers is training at Pope Air Force Base, N.C., to provide critical skills required in the war on terrorism. The current class of 32 students will help bolster the cadre of 360 combat controllers -- special-operations forces who deploy quickly into

  • Air Force announces design awards

    Air Force officials recently announced the winners of the 2004 Air Force Design Awards Program and the 2004 Air Force Agent Awards. Awards will be presented to winners at a July 29 luncheon here. Winners for the 2004 Air Force Design Awards are: -- Honor Award, Planning Studies and Design Guides:

  • Hospital develops pregnancy wellness program

    A new program at Wilford Hall Medical Center here teaches expectant mothers about the effects of stress on the mind and body during and after pregnancy. The pregnancy wellness program is a joint project between specialists in the clinical-health psychology and the obstetrics and gynecology

  • 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.

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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,

  • 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

  • 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

  • Getting fit sets good example

    When the Air Force unveiled its new exercise program many Airmen did not think much of it, but for some it was an eye-opener and more of an incentive to get in shape.That is what Master Sgt. Michael Moss of the 33rd Maintenance Squadron’s aerospace ground equipment flight thought. Six months ago,

  • CMSAF talks fitness, force shaping

    During a visit here March 15, the top enlisted Airman talked about fitness and force shaping. Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Gerald Murray explained there was no plan to use the new fitness assessment as a part of the Weighted Airmen Promotion System.“(Leaders have) talked about a possible

  • Leaders getting tool to help people in distress

    Leaders throughout the Air Force are receiving a new tool this spring they can use to recognize and respond to people in distressing situations.Every squadron commander and first sergeant will get a CD copy of the “Leader's Guide to Managing Personnel in Distress,” an interactive product that

  • CMSAF addresses quality of life

    The service’s ranking enlisted member addressed quality-of-life issues to the House subcommittee on military construction Feb. 25.Overall, quality of life in the Air Force has greatly improved, contributing to increased morale and retention, said Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Gerald R. Murray.

  • Stretching program loosens up work force

    Robins workers will soon be loose and ready for whatever may come along thanks to a new stretch and flex program. The program provides a five- to six-minute series of stretching exercises before beginning work shifts and throughout the day as needed.The program's activities focus on musculoskeletal

  • Test uniforms hit the streets

    Airmen at two bases will get a first-hand look at the proposed new utility uniform Feb. 9 when the tiger-striped blue-, green- and gray-patterned ensemble begins its wear-test phase.Officials will deliver the distinctive uniforms to testers at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, and Langley AFB,

  • Leaders do first official PT test

    The Air Force’s most senior leaders, both officer and enlisted, completed their fitness evaluations Jan. 7 at the Bolling Air Force Base Wellness Center. The group was among the first in the Air Force to have their physical fitness evaluated using the service’s new fitness standard. Under the

  • SVS helps airmen stay fit, fed, entertained

    Adopting the slogan “Not without us,” airmen of the 506th Expeditionary Services Squadron routinely take on the daily challenge of keeping the people assigned here fed, fit and entertained. “You can’t sustain a long-term forward presence and world-class combat capability … without bringing services

  • FDA issues ephedra alert

    Following an FDA alert, Air Force Medical Service officials are once again "strongly advising" airmen to contact their physicians or health-care providers before taking dietary supplements containing ma huang, ephedra or ephedra alkaloids.Food and Drug Administration officials have issued a consumer

  • Prior-service airmen receive SKT exemptions

    Prior-service airmen who do not possess the minimum required primary Air Force specialty skill level commensurate with their grade will now automatically receive a two-year exemption from taking the Specialty Knowledge Test during promotion fitness exams.The change will become effective with the

  • AF leaders visit Bagram airmen

    Air Force senior leaders praised the dedication and sacrifice of airmen here during a visit Dec. 19.Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper and Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Gerald R. Murray were welcomed to Afghanistan by 455th Expeditionary Operations Group airmen who are supporting

  • Airmen ongoing an ‘Amazing Race’

    Many organizations here have active group fitness programs. Some airmen head to the fitness center to play volleyball, while others go there and do timed push-ups and sit-ups.Each month, Space and Missile Systems Center Detachment 11 and Electronic Systems Center Detachment 5 airmen come together

  • AF releasing new fitness instruction

    One of the most noticeable changes to the Air Force’s new fitness program is that it will be defined by an operational rather than a medical instruction. The change shows that senior leaders consider fitness an important part of operational readiness, said Maj. Lisa Schmidt, the Air Force chief of

  • PFE changes with feedback

    Master sergeants and senior master sergeants studying for promotion in 2005 will have a combined study reference because of feedback to the Air Force Occupational Measurement Squadron here.The consolidation of the Promotion Fitness Examination Study Guide and Supervisory Examination Study Guide into

  • Academy applications on the rise

    The number of applicants to the Air Force Academy so far this year is 301 students more than all of last year, the academy’s admissions department officials said.“As of Dec. 2, the total number of applicants to the academy is 11,081,” said Rollie Stoneman, admissions associate director. “By the end

  • Babies help parents workout

    Balancing a career, family and fitness program is not always easy.A training routine, created by fitness trainer Mindy Mylrea here, may help new parents get fit and spend quality time with their babies.The routine is designed for mothers and fathers with a 20- to 30-pound baby and should be done

  • Civilians earn their 'stripes'

    The noncommissioned officers academy here is one of two Air Force test sites allowing civilians to learn the ropes of leadership by working side-by-side with enlisted airmen.Robins and Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M., are part of a yearlong trial phase that could change the way professional military

  • Fitness program showing results

    Airmen have been filling fitness centers and burning up running tracks in preparation for the new, tougher fitness-testing standard set to begin Jan. 1.Direct, immediate and overwhelming feedback from the field says that airmen are taking the new fitness challenge seriously, said Air Force Chief of

  • Tae Bo creator helps open fitness center

    Pounding music, NBA-style introductions and cheers of more than 500 people accompanied the base’s 18-person fitness team as they ran onto the new basketball court Nov. 7 to workout with Billy Blanks, the creator of Tae Bo.The mix of military and civilians, spouses, children and friends turned out

  • Fly Away teams provide remote security

    A C-130 Hercules crew landing at a classified location does not find many, if any, familiar faces when they step off their aircraft. Airfield officials seem polite and perhaps even friendly, but the ring of local security workers outside the airplane is more interested in the Hercules and its crew

  • Waist size reflects whole health

    The waist-measurement portion of the Air Force's new fitness standard serves as a gauge for total health, said the Air Force chief of health promotion operations.“The waist measurement is used to determine visceral or intra-abdominal fat,” said Maj. Lisa Schmidt. Air Force officials chose this

  • Airmen keep theater mail flowing

    Eighteen airmen, most wearing two or three stripes, spend several hours a day in a sun-baked warehouse just off the tarmac here. They are touching the lives of each deployed servicemember and civilian in Iraq.“We’re responsible for all mail, in and out,” said Tech. Sgt. Darrin Robertson, mail

  • AF releases fitness standards

    Air Force leaders released the fitness-scoring charts that will be used beginning Jan. 1.“The amount of energy we devote to our fitness programs is not consistent with the growing demands of our warrior culture. It's time to change that,” said Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper in a Sight

  • Travis firefighters dominate El Paso challenge

    Firefighter combat challenge teams take note: The Travis team is the real deal. At the regional Scott Firefighter Combat Challenge competition here Oct. 4 and 5, the firefighter team from Travis Air Force Base, Calif., dominated every aspect of the tournament, taking first place in four out of five

  • Bagram airmen boost village morale

    It is austere here. The rules are strict, the environment is harsh, and the enemy is near. Everyday is a workday. Alcoholic beverages and civilian clothes are prohibited. People cannot go anywhere unarmed. They eat and sleep with their weapons.Maintaining high morale in an environment like this

  • Base readies for influx of tankers

    In March, hundreds of people will descend upon a small, picturesque base in England’s Cotswolds region.This influx of people, caused by the relocation of aircraft for three months while the runway here is resurfaced, will more than quadruple the number of active-duty airmen at Royal Air Force

  • Good eating habits key to keeping fit

    Exercising is only one of several elements needed to live a healthy lifestyle, according to Staff Sgt. Cristina Saguin. She is the noncommissioned officer in charge of nutrition programs at the health and wellness center here."Exercise alone cannot improve a person's health," Saguin said.

  • Murray discusses issues at Minot

    Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Gerald Murray discussed current issues with airmen here during a visit Aug. 28 to 30.Topics included the test utility uniform, the Dorms-4-Airmen Program, the new fitness standards, air and space expeditionary force rotations, and retention and recruiting

  • Jumper talks uniforms, ops, tankers

    Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John Jumper talked to airmen here about upcoming changes in the Air Force during a visit to the base Aug. 22.He shared his thoughts on the new fitness program, the new uniform, deployment issues and the acquisition of new tankers.All of these changes were brought on by

  • Fitness experts: Start training now

    Air Force fitness experts say airmen must begin preparations now if they want to pass the new fitness evaluations in January. "They need to start training today for year-round fitness to meet mission readiness. They must include running, push-ups and crunches into their program," said Sylvia Goff,

  • Airman’s lifestyle change reaps benefits

    With preparation for the new Air Force fitness standards underway, some servicemembers are already getting in shape.A simple challenge from his leaders was all it took for one airman here to do just that, and lose 35 pounds.Col. Jack Gundrum, 731st Air Mobility Squadron commander, made a New Year’s

  • Officials release fitness-test details

    Beginning next year, Air Force officials will implement a new fitness test completely different than what airmen today are familiar with.The more functional test will include a 1.5-mile timed run, a muscular-fitness test of push-ups and crunches and a body composition test. It is designed to

  • CSAF talks changes in Air Force

    New demands on today’s airmen are driving changes to the Air Force physical fitness program and a possible new uniform, said the service’s senior leader during a visit here Aug. 13.As the Air Force’s needs and demands change, so should airmen, said Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper. “I