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  • Internal training key to Iraqi air force independence

    As the Iraqi parliament works out the details of the new status of forces agreement that calls for American forces to withdraw from the country in 2011, Iraqi air force emergency responders from New al Muthana Air Base took the lead for the first time in a mass casualty response exercise Nov. 21 as

  • Andersen Airmen hear Dragon Thunder

    Andersen Air Force Base Airmen sharpened their expeditionary skills during Exercise Dragon Thunder Nov. 17 through 21 here.Members of the from the 644th Combat Communications Squadron set up camp under a sea of camouflage netting in tents filled with towers of electronic equipment for the field

  • DOD officials navigate language roadmap

    Defense Department officials here completed more than 90 percent of the tasks they set out to accomplish in a language plan that launched four years ago. Known as the Defense Language Transformation Roadmap, this broad strategy aims to address national shortfalls in foreign language skills in the

  • Football: TCU thrashes Falcons

    Air Force concluded the 2008 regular season on a sour note in Fort Worth, Texas, Nov. 22 with a 44-10 loss at the hands of Texas Christian University. The Horned Frogs dominated both sides of the ball and kept the Falcons' high-powered offense from getting on track on a cool afternoon in

  • Secretary Donley: U.S. can retain space leadership role

    Solid leadership and the coordination of resources will enable the United States to retain its leadership in space, Secretary of the Air Force Michael B. Donley said Nov. 21 during the Air Force Association's Global War Symposium in Los Angeles. Strong government and collaboration among leaders also

  • SECAF visits base to discuss future of space power

    Secretary of the Air Force Michael B. Donley visited Vandenberg Nov. 22 to meet with 14th Air Force leaders and tour the Joint Space Operations Center here. Secretary Donley visited with Brig. Gen. Jay Santee, 14th Air Force vice commander, and Col. Richard Boltz, the 614th Air and Space Operations

  • Gen. Hoffman assumes leadership of AF Materiel Command

    Gen. Donald J. Hoffman assumed command of the organization responsible for the technology, acquisition, test and sustainment of the service's current and future weapon systems during a ceremony here Nov. 21. General Hoffman took the reins of Air Force Materiel Command from Gen. Bruce Carlson during

  • Kirtland officials accelerate space-based program testing

    Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center officials here successfully tested the Space-Based Infrared System Highly Elliptical Orbit payload and operations center and accelerated operational acceptance by six weeks. SBIRS is a consolidated system intended to meet United States infrared space

  • Registration for AETC Symposium still open

    Airmen and Air Force civilians can still register for the 2009 Air Education and Training Command Symposium being held Jan. 15 and 16 at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio.Members of all commands who attend the interactive technology expose will see demonstrations of the next

  • Vandenberg receives California Space Authority award

    Vandenberg Air Force Base received the National Security Space Award from the California Space Authority Nov. 19 at the SpotBeam Awards ceremony here. The award was presented in commemoration of the base's 50th anniversary of operation as an Air Force base. Both Vandenberg AFB and the Air Force have

  • Reserve Affairs chief explains new DOD directive

    Recent changes on how the Guard and Reserves are recognized are larger than any in recent history, a senior Defense Department official said here Nov. 19. Thomas F. Hall, the assistant secretary of defense for Reserve Affairs, told the Air National Guard's top officers and command chief master

  • Manas officials host Vendor's Day in Kyrgyzstan

    Representatives from more than 70 Kyrgyz businesses attended a Vendor Day to learn more about how to do business at Manas Air Base held Nov. 13 at the Bishkek Hyatt Regency in Kyrgyzstan.Airmen from the 376th Expeditionary Contracting Squadron coordinated and hosted the event as a way to help local

  • Grand Forks communicators start 2 major base projects

    The 130-person 319th Communications Squadron here is busy preparing Grand Forks Air Force Base for two critical information technology projects for the base and the entire Air Force.One project is for the High Frequency Global Communications System is a highly-automated communications system that

  • 'Spread the Word' team addresses workforce concerns

    The commander of the Air Force Personnel Center brought her Spread the Word briefing team here Nov. 12 to 14 to communicate personnel changes with diverse groups of customers. Maj. Gen. K. C. McClain is traveling with the team initially to each Air Force base with a major command headquarters

  • Paving the way for a new travel reimbursement process

    Air Force finance officials are implementing ways to improve customer service to Airmen with process changes, said the director of the Secretary of the Air Force Financial Management Process Improvement and Integrations Office. "This has been a rocky road for some Air Force travelers," said

  • Air Force chief of staff visits Arnold

    The chief of staff of the Air Force made his first visit to middle Tennessee and to Arnold Engineering Development Center here Nov. 17 to see and learn about developmental testing of current and future weapons systems. Gen. Norton Schwartz's inaugural tour of AEDC started off with a bang, literally,

  • Lights, camera, Air Force Week

    The Air Force got ready for its "Hollywood close up" at 25,000 feet in the clouds during a Nov. 12 air-refueling mission near the Grand Canyon as media and entertainment professionals got a rare, extreme close-up look at the airlift and tanker missions. For most of the 25 entertainment

  • Airmen clear away the 'debris of war,' improve airport safety

    Today, airlift operations are an integral part of Iraq's military and economic future, and the men and women of the 447th Air Expeditionary Group, working along-side the Iraqi military and civilian contractors, are developing Baghdad International Airport into a modern aerial hub that will be a

  • Space Shuttle Endeavour carries camera to help farmers

    Among the 32,000 pounds of cargo in NASA's Space Shuttle Endeavour, which is set to launch Nov. 14, there is a camera that will help U.S. farmers and provide unique educational opportunities for students. Students and faculty at the University of North Dakota-Grand Forks built the Agricultural

  • Council addresses Airmen issues

    Officials of the Force Management and Development Council recently met under its revitalized structure and is now better organized to address issues facing all Airmen -- enlisted, officer and civilian. The 27 senior leaders who make up the council have met biannually since 2004, and in the most

  • Air Force Week showcases people, missions

    Aerial flyovers, military band concerts and Air Force-themed film festivals are planned for Air Force Week 2008 in Southern California from Nov. 14 through 21.The week-long extravaganza will showcase the Air Force, its people and the mission  throughout the region. All events, except for sports

  • General shares game plan for success

    Sharing the words of automotive tycoon Henry Ford, "Whether you think you can or you think you can't, you're right," Brig. Gen. Alfred J. Stewart challenged the Air Force Junior ROTC students of his high school alma mater Nov. 7 to push themselves to achieve more than they currently think possible.

  • Civilians graduate with lessons in military culture

    The first class of the Civilian Acculturation and Leadership Training program graduated recently here giving the 25 attendees a better understanding of what the active-duty Air Force does. The course, designed to acquaint civilian employees with military culture, included lessons on Air Force core

  • Warrior Care: Air Force doctors return patient's sight

    Air Force doctors at San Antonio Military Medical Center-South, or Wilford Hall Medical Center, returned a patient's eyesight with an artificial corneal transplant Oct. 20. Lt. Col. (Dr.) Charles Reilly and Maj. (Dr.) Vasudha Panday, ophthalmologists in the 59th Surgical Specialties

  • Operation Southern Partner ends

    Operation Southern Partner ended after two weeks in South America as 70 Airmen aboard a C-17 Globemaster III touched down at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base at about 10 p.m Nov. 7 here. Airmen representing more than 25 career fields exchanged information and ideas with counterparts in the air forces of

  • American servicemembers take reconstruction to new level

    American military members helped with about $8 million worth of construction projects in the Nangarhar Province in the last two years here to improve security and to help rebuild the region in Afghanistan. Almost $40 million worth of U.S. military-funded construction is ongoing in the province as

  • Strategic planners give glimpse of tomorrow's mobility force

    Air Mobility Command strategic planners gave an insider's view into the future of air mobility  at the 40th annual Airlift/Tanker Association Conference Nov. 10 here. The air mobility future contains airlifters able to takeoff and land on extremely short and unprepared airfields, aircraft

  • First students graduate Raptor Basic Course

    Four student pilots at Tyndall AFB became the first graduates of the Air Force's F-22 Raptor Basic Course Nov. 1, setting another milestone in the fielding of the Air Force's most advanced fighter aircraft. These pilots are the first in the Air Force to have the F-22 as their first operational

  • SECAF looks ahead at Airlift/Tanker Association convention

    The Air Force's senior civilian leader stressed the importance of the air mobility mission, specifying that air refueling capability is fundamental to the United States' power projection across the spectrum of conflict.Secretary of the Air Force Michael B. Donley told the audience of more than 1,000

  • 2009 Scholarships for Military Children Program is under way

    If you're a high school or college student and the child of a military family looking for ways to found your education, you might want to checkout the 2009 Scholarships for Military Children Program that began Nov. 3. Scholarship applications are available in commissaries worldwide and online

  • Air Force officials begin extended Basic Military Training

    The first group of Air Force recruits to experience expanded Basic Military Training arrived Nov. 4 to Lackland Air Force Base. These new recruits are the first to face the challenge of an additional 14 days of training from 6.5 to 8.5 weeks. The added time will be used to enhance and reinforce

  • Wounded warrior receives new ears

    Looking in the mirror, Marine Capt. Ryan Voltin couldn't get past his ears. Not that they were strange looking, but that they were there at all. He just wasn't used to seeing them. The AH-1 Cobra pilot lost his when the helicopter he was flying erupted in flames during a training accident last year.

  • 'Perspective' focuses on reconstruction teams

    In his latest "Enlisted Perspective," the Air Force's top enlisted Airman discusses how Airmen have taken on new roles in today's fight against terrorism working with NATO International Security Assistance Force Provincial Reconstruction teams. "These combined teams of joint military and civilian

  • Airmen continue building South American partnerships

    More than 70 Airmen are spread across four South American countries learning and sharing with their partner nations' military members and performing community outreach events. Operation Southern Partner, a Twelfth Air Force (Air Forces Southern) led event aimed at providing intensive, periodic

  • Red Horse Airmen renovate Chilean school's library

    Two Airmen completed renovations of a dilapidated library at a Chilean culinary and hotel service high school here Oct. 31 giving 80 students a comfortable and usable library the students and faculty can use for years to come. The renovation, the result of Operation Southern Partner - a two-week

  • HQ-level office created for nuclear mission

    Air Force leaders have created a new Air Staff directorate that began operations Nov. 1 to strengthen the focus on the nuclear enterprise. The new office, aligned as A10 on the staff, is officially called the Strategic Deterrence and Nuclear Integration Office and will be led by Maj. Gen. C. Donald

  • Naval unit jack of all trades at air base

    A unit here has become a jack of all trades for the war on terrorism while remaining a master in its primary mission. Patrol Squadron 46's core mission is to provide anti-submarine coverage, but the squadron has spent the past four months here providing assistance in other ways. "We are very much a

  • Africa Command headquarters to remain in Stuttgart

    U.S. Africa Command's headquarters will remain in its current location in Stuttgart, Germany, for the foreseeable future, a Pentagon spokesman said Oct. 30. The decision by Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates allows the newest unified command to gain greater operational experience and develop and

  • Joint Chiefs chairman highlights keys to defense

    The nation's top military adviser completed a whirlwind tour of several Baltic States earlier in the month and addressed an array of topics to Air Force leaders Oct. 28 here.From cooperation with allied countries to the care of fallen military members' families, Navy Adm. Michael G. Mullen, the

  • Admiral Mullen cites culture of change during address

    Change is the cornerstone and is at the heart of every aspect of today's military, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff told more than 800 Air War College students Oct. 28 at Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala. "I see it in technology. I see it in people. I see it in missions. I see it in the joint

  • CAC login gives users access to Reserve personnel site

    Air Reserve Personnel Center officials launched a new enhancement Oct. 30 allowing Airmen to log into the virtual Personnel Center-Guard and Reserve using their Common Access Card.This enhancement gives Airmen the option to associate their vPC-GR account with their CAC, eliminating the need to

  • Airmen, Chilean school 'partner' to teach children aviation

    More than 10 community outreach projects were started Oct. 27 as part of the Twelfth Air Force (Air Forces Southern)'s Operation Southern Partner. Maj. Jason Couisine, the Air Force section chief at the U.S. Military Group here, acted as a schoolteacher during a guest science class at the Complejo

  • Tuskegee Airmen address Air Force captains

    Riding the crest of the historic opening of the Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site Oct. 10, four of the original Airmen spoke to hundreds of Air Force officers at Squadron Officer School at Maxwell Air Force Base recently. In their speeches and subsequent panel discussions, the former fighter

  • Center serves as hub for air mobility operations

    There is more to flying a mission than just hopping on the aircraft and cranking the engines. Air Mobility Command's 618th Tanker Airlift Control Center at Scott AFB is the nexus for the global air mission for the U.S. military. "We plan missions, resource the crews and the aircraft, task the

  • Defense secretary: Nuke capability critical to deterrence

    Calling nuclear weapons one of the world's "messy realities," Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said here Oct. 28 that as long as others who could potentially threaten the United States possess or seek them, it's critical that the United States does as well, and that they be kept safe, secure and

  • Veterinary care helps build relations with nomadic tribe

    Airmen and Soldiers from the Zabul Provincial Reconstruction Team vaccinated hundreds of animals in preparation for the long, hard Afghan winter in October here. In a region where the average income is less than a dollar a day, the PRT's veterinary civil assistance patrol not only strengthened the

  • Commander discusses 'jewel in crown' of America's military

    The United States military is the best-manned, best-equipped and best-trained force in the world, but that doesn't mean a thing if it can't get to the fight, said the commander of U.S. Transportation Command. The 138,000 military and civilian men and women of the U.S. Transportation Command and its

  • Chief of staff wraps up Middle East tour at Joint Base Balad

    The Air Force chief of staff finished a visit to the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility with a last stop to the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing Oct. 25 here. Gen. Norton Schwartz and Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Rodney J. McKinley learned about Airmen's accomplishments in theater,

  • Guard, Reserve warfighters chart tactics course

    Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve officials prepared the roadmap for weapons and tactics needs for their near- and long-term during a conference Oct. 20 through 24 in Tucson.The annual Weapons and Tactic Conference began at the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., with opening remarks by Lt.

  • Top leaders bring praise, vision of future to Airmen in Iraq

    The Air Force chief of staff and chief master sergeant of the Air Force praised Airmen for their role in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and discussed the "way ahead" during their on-going visit to meet face-to-face with Airmen deployed to the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility Oct. 24

  • Lasers may aid missile defense, engine crack detection

    Air Force Office of Scientific Research-funded work at the University of Colorado at Boulder could lead to possible future technologies that use the high energy densities of lasers. Studies by university officials explore how atoms and molecules respond to light pulses, which could show cracks in

  • Keesler officials launch new force support officer course

    The first group of force support officers in a new Air Force Specialty Code began classes Oct. 6 at Keesler Air Force Base. The new 38F AFSC, which becomes official Oct. 31, is a combination of what used to be three separate career fields: personnel, manpower and services. Training previously was

  • Top military leaders visit Airmen in Southwest Asia

    The Air Force chief of staff and chief master sergeant of the Air Force visited Airmen of the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing Oct. 22 during their visit to the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility. "I'm pleased to be back in the AOR to see the many changes and steps the Air Force is taking to

  • Servicemembers help malnourished Afghan children

    Members of the Zabul Provincial Reconstruction Team medical staff used "strong food" to help hundreds of malnourished Afghan children back to health in October. The PRT members began a four-week regiment of their "strong food," known locally as Qavi Ghiza, to the Shajoy hospital two months

  • Inaugural Air Force Enlisted Force Development Panel meets

    Members of the Air Force Enlisted Force Development Panel, chartered to guide future enlisted force development efforts, recently held their inaugural meeting in Arlington, Va. At the first meeting, panel members discussed ways to use enlisted professional military education as a tool to

  • Launch complex now available for civil, commercial launches

    Officials with the Air Force and Space Florida made history during a dedication ceremony held here Oct. 22 when Space Launch Complex 36 officially was made available for operational use by the State of Florida, subject to completion of the environmental impact analysis. Attending the historic

  • Agility, flexibility, teamwork: Key components of airpower

    Examine most successful business or sports teams, and you may find their foundation is based on flexibility, agility and teamwork. The success of airpower in Iraq and Afghanistan incorporates these three traits on a daily basis, through the interaction with coalition forces and U.S. sister services.

  • Congressional team evaluates Airmen's living quarters

    A two-person House Appropriations Committee Studies and Investigations team spoke to Airmen and inspected dormitories on Ramstein Air Base and Kapaun Air Station in Germany in October. The inspection, conducted by Keith Baker and Adam Johnson are House Appropriations Committee staff

  • Iraqi air force pilots take flight into history

    The first three pilots graduated from Iraq's only fixed-wing flight training school at Kirkuk Regional Air Base Oct. 13. With cooperation from the Coalition Air Force Training Team and the 52nd Expeditionary Flying Training Squadron at Kirkuk Regional AB, the Iraqi training wing presented the new

  • Servicemembers provide dental training for Afghans

    Members of the Zabul Provincial Reconstruction Team united with U.S. Public Health Service officials to offer an emergency dental care certification course to Afghan dental professionals from the province in October. In Zabul, Afghanistan's poorest province, many people are forced to either provide

  • Air Force officials invest $12 million in research program

    Air Force Office of Scientific Research officials here announced Oct. 17 they will award approximately $12.1 million in grants to 39 scientists and engineers who submitted winning research proposals through the Air Force's Young Investigator Research Program. The program is open to scientists and

  • Security forces employ tough, agile vehicle

    When the Airmen of the 332nd Expeditionary Security Forces Group took sole responsibility for base defense here in October, they did so with one of the Defense Department's newest armored vehicles. The Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle, or MRAP, already is used by Air Force security forces,

  • Officials outline challenges, needs at logistics conference

    About 1,200 logisticians gathered at the National Logistics Officer Association Conference Oct. 13 through 16 to learn Air Force priorities, urgent warfighter needs and sustainment initiatives that will affect their profession. Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition Sue Payton and Gen.

  • AFRICOM officials note milestones, challenges ahead

    Army Gen. William E. "Kip" Ward brought the celebration of U.S. Africa Command's activation home to Germany Oct. 17 as he praised those who came together to stand the command up so quickly and urged them to continue working together so it can reach its potential. Speaking at the AfriCom's

  • Berlin Airlift vets recognized by German government

    Veterans of the Berlin Airlift were recognized by the German government for their bravery and sacrifice at an Oct. 15 ceremony here.The ceremony celebrated the 60th anniversary of the operation and marked the opening of a six-week exhibit on the Berlin Airlift at the air museum at Travis Air Force

  • F-35 environmental impact statement released

    Air Force officials have announced that the final environmental impact statement addressing the beddown of the Joint Strike Fighter and 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne) is available for public review. The publication of the notice of availability in the Federal Register begins a 30-day public

  • Secretary Donley visits Bagram Airmen

    Secretary of the Air Force Michael B. Donley visited with Airmen from Bagram Airfield Oct. 15 during his first visit to the country since being confirmed by Congress earlier this month. During his visit, Secretary Donley held an Airman's call for approximately 400 Airmen stationed here. "Since I

  • SECAF discusses vision with Airmen in AOR

    After gaining insight into the diverse mission capabilities of the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing, Secretary of the Air Force Michael B. Donley discussed the Air Force vision with Airmen from the wing Oct. 14 at an air base in Southwest Asia. The secretary toured the base for much of the day, delving

  • Training bomb strikes vehicle near Nellis

    A training weapon fell from an Air Force aircraft on a training mission and struck a vehicle traveling on a road adjacent to the base Oct. 15, said Nellis Air Force Base officials. The weapon, a 25-pound bomb dummy unit-33, landed near a mobility warehouse on the base before bouncing into the road

  • Guard unit provides 'one-stop' Predator training

    As the Air Force's and Air National Guard's unmanned aircraft system mission continues to grow, Airmen with the 163rd Maintenance Group here are stepping up their training program to ensure availability of enough highly-skilled personnel to support these systems, especially the MQ-1 Predator.

  • NATO air chiefs discuss common challenges, solutions

    Nineteen NATO air chiefs gathered to discuss how to meet the security demands of a changing world at the chief of staff of the Air Force-hosted 2008 NATO Air Chiefs Conference Oct. 5 through 12 here. The theme for this year's conference was "The Community of Airmen: Solutions to Common Challenges,"

  • Multi-skill crew delivers first C-17 ahead of schedule

    The C-17 Globemaster III cargo plane that sat in front of a maintenance hangar here looked no different than any other C-17, but the maintenance crew around it was unique. The crew, part of the 562nd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, is the first to be trained under a new "multi-skill" initiative. The

  • Secretary tours Joint Base Balad, shares Air Force vision

    The secretary of the Air Force visited Joint Base Balad Oct. 13 to learn about the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing's contributions to the war on terrorism and to share his vision for the future of the Air Force. Secretary Michael B. Donley toured the Air Force Theater Hospital, the 46th Expeditionary

  • Negotiations to exchange Tyndall property announced

    Air Force officials and Florida Congressman Allen Boyd announced Oct. 14 the selection of Tyndall Development Partners, LLC, as the highest ranked offeror for negotiating a transfer of the Lynn Haven Fuel Depot property in Lynn Haven, Fla., in exchange for performing military construction at Tyndall

  • Secretary visits Airmen in Southwest Asia

    The secretary of the Air Force met and spoke to 450 Airmen during an Oct. 11 visit to an air base in Southwest Asia. Secretary Michael B. Donley toured the base and the U.S. Air Forces Central Combined Air and Space Operations Center, and told Airmen that the Air Force is very involved in the war on

  • SECAF visits Ramstein, discusses leadership priorities

    Secretary of the Air Force Michael B. Donley visited with Airmen from U.S. Air Forces in Europe and toured the base here today as part of his first overseas trip since being confirmed secretary of the Air Force earlier this month. Secretary Donley, the 22nd Air Force secretary, visited with Airmen

  • Ceremony recognizes disabled employees' contributions

    Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England praised the work and contributions provided by disabled Defense Department contract employees at a Pentagon award ceremony Oct. 9."I'm here to say thank you for your great, great work," Secretary England, the event's host, told a group of disabled employees

  • MIT research enhances high-speed computers

    Air Force-sponsored research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology is accelerating the development of quantum, or high-speed, computers which help Air Force specialists with cryptoanalysis, or 'code-breaking,' microwave electronics and materials science. Chief researcher Dr. William Oliver of

  • Solar energy research could reduce energy needs

    Solar energy could be a powerful solution to the energy needs of the future for military and commercial entities. However, scientists point out the constant need for power, not just when the sun is shining. Funding support from the Air Force Office of Scientific Research is enabling a Massachusetts

  • Threat Reduction Agency marks 10 years of operations

    It is an agency that seems tailor-made to combat the threats the United States faces today: nuclear proliferation, chemical weapons and the possibility of genetically modified diseases. But the Defense Threat Reduction Agency was formed when Americans still thought there was such a thing as a "peace

  • Special duty assignment pay now available for EOD Airmen

    Air Force officials recently approved special duty assignment pay for most Airmen in the explosive ordnance disposal career field. Since 2002, the overall retention rates for EOD Airmen has declined by 30 percent because of high operations tempo and the inherent dangers involved in this demanding

  • USAFE Airmen exchange ideas with Romanian counterparts

    The United States Air Forces in Europe command chief and three other Ramstein senior noncommissioned officers visited Romanian air force senior enlisted leaders at the Boboc Training Center, Romania, Sept. 22-27 as part of an ongoing USAFE theater security cooperation engagement. Chief Master Sgt.

  • Officer volunteers sought to operate unmanned aircraft

    Air Force officers are being sought as volunteers to operate unmanned aircraft systems. Applications are due to the Air Force Personnel Center no later than Nov. 3. The first ten officers selected will start UAS operator training in January 2009, and another ten will begin training in April 2009.

  • Tricare takes aim at childhood obesity

    October is Children's Health Month and Tricare has launched a new Web page at http://www.tricare.mil/getfit to promote a healthy lifestyle partnership aimed at military families. The new page serves as campaign "headquarters." The target? Childhood obesity. Tricare is partnering with the Defense

  • Inspections ordered for A-10 Thunderbolt IIs

    Air Force officials have issued a time compliance technical order requiring immediate inspection and repair of wing cracks for a portion of the A-10 Thunderbolt II fleet. This action impacts approximately 130 A-10 aircraft with thin-skin wings installed during original manufacture and is being taken

  • A revolution in the classroom

    In an era where computers and the Internet have changed almost every aspect of daily life, from shopping to working to entertainment, is it time for technology to change the way Airmen learn? For younger Airmen, it seems, the answer is yes. Air Education and Training Command officials recently

  • Africa Command unfurls colors during Pentagon ceremony

    The flag for a new U.S. unified command that seeks to meld civilian expertise with military planning and logistics was unfurled Oct. 1 during a Pentagon ceremony. Army Gen. William E. "Kip" Ward unfurled the colors and told Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

  • Air Force Reserve exceeds recruiting goal

    Air Force Reserve recruiters signed up 8,390 people in fiscal year 2008, exceeding the goal by almost 5 percent.  The additional recruits followed as the command met its annual goal of 8,000 on Aug. 28, some 33 days ahead of schedule. Col. Francis M. Mungavin, Air Force Reserve Command Recruiting

  • DOD officials move toward civilian expeditionary capability

    Defense Department officials are moving forward with setting up a global expeditionary force for civilian employees, a senior Pentagon personnel official said Sept. 30. Patricia Bradshaw, deputy undersecretary of defense for civilian personnel policy, said operations in Iraq and Afghanistan pointed

  • U.S. Northern Command gains dedicated response force

    For the first time in its existence, U.S. Northern Command is gaining a dedicated force to respond to potential chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and high-yield explosive (CBRNE) incidents in the homeland. "We are now building the first of three CBRNE Consequence Management Response

  • Defense contributions help NASA's 50-year legacy

    As the men and women of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration celebrate its 50th anniversary this week, Defense Department personnel also can take a bow for the key role they have played in lending technology and expertise to NASA's space exploration and research mission.NASA began

  • Provisional team prepares for cyber mission assurance

    The Air Force Cyber Command (Provisional) staff here has spent a year defining and shaping the future of the service's cyberspace operations. There have been numerous contributions from the team that will assist the Air Force as it decides how it will "fly, fight and win" in the cyberspace domain,

  • Iraqi training wing soars to 3,000th hour

    The Iraqi air force Flying Training Wing has reached yet another goal, one that may have seemed impossible a year ago, with the help of Airmen from the 52nd Expeditionary Flying Training Squadron. This partnership enabled Iraqi pilots to reach the 3,000th flying training hour milestone here Sept 23.

  • Air Force could save millions through recovery program

    A two-year proof of concept project to demanufacture and disassemble condemned jet engine parts for reuse is under way here and Air Force officials are praising initial results. About 200,000 pounds of material from the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center has already been introduced into the

  • New Air Force chief scientist has AFMC ties

    Dr. Werner J.A. Dahm will begin his assignment as the new Chief Scientist of the Air Force in October, replacing Dr. Mark Lewis. While his post will be at the Pentagon, Dr. Dahm has a connection with Air Force Materiel Command. Dr. Dahm was a research engineer from 1979 to 1981 at the Arnold

  • Village of Hope training center graduates final class

    A program designed to help "Sons of Iraq" citizen security group members learn skills that will enable them to help Iraq move forward graduated its final class of 60 students here Sept. 25. "The Village of Hope was part of a civil service corps program that took Sons of Iraq members from checkpoints

  • New organization changes how to get info, entertainment

    The Oct. 1 establishment of the Defense Media Activity will change the way Defense Department members get news, entertainment and information to servicemembers and their families. Servicemembers will not immediately notice a change: the Armed Forces Network will still broadcast football games and

  • Military leaders discuss National Guard role

    Air and Army Guardsmen from across 54 U.S. states and territories met to discuss current and future plans at the 130th conference of the National Guard Association of the United States Sept. 20 through 22 here. Some 2,000 citizen-Soldiers and citizen-Airmen heard from key military leaders including

  • Gen. Schwartz outlines future role, relationship with Guard

    The Air Force chief of staff reached out to National Guard leaders, inviting collaborative planning and support of the total force as he spoke at the National Guard Association of the United States Conference Sept. 22 here. Gen. Norton A. Schwartz addressed 2,000 citizen-Soldiers and citizen-Airmen

  • Joint unmanned aircraft system mission crosses Atlantic

    An Air Combat Command RQ-4A Global Hawk unmanned aircraft system from the 9th Reconnaissance Wing at Beale Air Force Base, Calif., made a trans-Atlantic flight Sept. 20 with the assistance of Navy officials. The 19-hour flight from Patuxent River Naval Air Station, Md., to Southwest Asia had Air