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  • Air Force officials publish energy program policy

    The secretary of the Air Force recently signed the Air Force Energy Program Policy. This document will serve as the blueprint for Air Force officials as they continue their goal to keep energy initiatives in the forefront. "The Air Force energy strategy furthers an energy future that is secure,

  • Study reveals hazards of severe space weather

    A NASA-funded study describes how extreme solar eruptions could have severe consequences for communications, power grids and other technology on Earth. The National Academy of Sciences in Washington conducted the study. The resulting report provides some of the first clear economic data that

  • 'Today's Air Force' features Air Force support to Iraqis

    This edition of "Today's Air Force" highlights some of the events Air Force members were involved with throughout the year. While all events engaging Airmen are crucial, these are but a few that led to the success of the Air Force mission. One of the events featured focuses on the efforts in Iraq

  • Armed Forces Bowl puts military might on display

    The sixth annual Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl football game featured the Houston Cougars (7-5) taking on the U.S. Air Force Academy Falcons (8-4) on Dec. 31 at the Amon G. Carter Stadium here. Kickoff for the Armed Forces Bowl was noon Eastern, but the event started more than 24-hours prior to

  • Air Force falls to Houston at Armed Forces Bowl, 34-28

    A record-setting ground game couldn't help the Air Force Academy Falcons overcome early mistakes, as the University of Houston Cougars downed the Air Force 34-28 in the Armed Forces Bowl on Dec. 31. The Falcons fumbled the ball on the opening kickoff, and Houston's Brandon Brinkley recovered the

  • B-2 radar modernization program contract awarded

    Air Force officials awarded a production contract to the Northrop Grumman Corporation Dec. 29 for the B-2 stealth bomber radar modernization program. The production contract, with a target price of approximately $468 million, will provide advanced state-of-the-art radar components to ensure

  • Officials initiate surgical specialty training in Iraq

    Optimally managing the unique head and neck injury patterns seen in Iraq and Afghanistan has led to a successful initiative out of Wilford Hall Medical Center here: sending the first surgical fellow to a war zone for a surgical rotation. In the past, medical and surgical residents and fellows were

  • Luke pilot reaches F-16 milestone

    In January 1979, the first operational F-16 Fighting Falcon was delivered to Hill Air Force Base, Utah.  Nearly 30 years later to the day, a pilot from here has amassed 4,000 hours flying this workhorse of the air. Col. David Lujan, 56th Operations Group deputy commander, became the 17th pilot,

  • Agreement keeps aircraft defensive system at Robins

    Maintenance personnel here will begin to work on an advanced weapons system that protects large cargo aircraft from attacks from shoulder-fired missiles in a Dec. 11 contract agreement between Air Force and Northrop Grumman officials. Brig. Gen. Mark A. Atkinson, the 402nd Maintenance Wing

  • Iraqi aeromedical evacuation capability continues to develop

    Iraqi medical airmen took a step in the evolution of the air force as an effective fighting force Dec. 20 as they conducted an aeromedical evacuation mission from the Air Force Theater Hospital here to the 86th Combat Support Hospital in Baghdad. Three wounded patients, an Iraqi police officer and

  • Future Airman gains confidence, loses 160 pounds

    Leo Knight-Inglesby is more determined than ever, and for the past 15 months has pushed himself beyond the limits he, and his loved ones, ever thought possible. The 22-year-old Silver Spring, Md., native is so set to "Do Something Amazing" in the Air Force that he shed more than 160 pounds to meet

  • Admiral Mullen sends best wishes for the holiday

    Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, sends the following holiday message: Throughout our history, when faced with war at this special time of the year, American servicemen and women have risen with crisis and fought with valor while providing their fellow citizens precious

  • Active duty, Reserve units consolidate command posts

    Signaling a move toward greater teamwork between active duty and Reserve forces here, Peterson AFB officials unveiled their newly-consolidated command post Dec. 16.The integrated Peterson Installation Control Center will serve as the command post for both the 21st Space Wing and the 302nd Airlift

  • First security guardsmen dispatched into missile fields

    Officials at the Minot-based 219th Security Forces Squadron of the North Dakota Air National Guard's 119th Wing have dispatched security Airmen into the missile fields at Minot Air Force Base for the first time. "Putting guardsmen into the field to work side by side with the active duty is a

  • ACC leaders discuss current, future challenges

    The commander of Air Combat Command and members of his A-staff spoke to 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing Airmen about current and upcoming events surrounding Air Force combat operations during an Airman's Call here earlier this month. Gen. John Corley discussed the impact of current economic trends on

  • Trainees slew the BEAST in new basic training program

    The first group of Airman Basic trainees in the newly extended 8.5-week Basic Military Training program conquered the BEAST Dec. 15 at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas. The BEAST, which stands for Basic Expeditionary Airman Skills and Training, is the centerpiece of the new two-week expansion that

  • Integrated process team addresses logistics issues

    The consolidation of supply chain activities into the Air Force Global Logistics Support Center presented a fresh opportunity to address some systemic issues in how the Defense Logistics Agency supports the Air Force. Leaders representing both organizations received an update on these issues along

  • UAS beta program underway; officials seek more applicants

    Air Force officials selected 10 Air Force officers to begin the first-ever unmanned aircraft systems beta test program to produce operators of the MQ-1 Predator. The 10 selectees will begin training Jan. 5 at Pueblo, Colo. "We were encouraged by the extremely strong interest in this program," said

  • Exercise Angel Thunder provides lifesaving training

    About 900 Air Force, joint, coalition, interagency and international players participated in a personnel recovery exercise that ran Dec. 1 through Dec. 12 at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base.Exercise Angel Thunder 2008 included people from the active duty Air Force and Army, Guard and Reserve, National

  • General Schwartz sees full spectrum of fly, fight, win

    Gen. Norton Schwartz and his wife Suzie visited Creech and Nellis Air Force Bases, Dec. 13, to meet with Airmen and get a first-hand look at operations. This was General Schwartz's first visit to both bases since becoming the 19th chief of staff. He said it was important for him to visit Creech and

  • Kyrgyzstan mayors visit Manas

    Mayors and deputy mayors of the six largest villages that surround Manas Air Base met the Airmen and learned the mission of the base during a Dec. 10 tour here. Base and village leaders meet one another, discussed issues that affect both and developed stronger ties through which to resolve issues of

  • 'Today's Air Force' features Airmen training Iraqis

    This edition of "Today's Air Force" highlights how Air Force officers are sharing valuable leadership skills in an effort to train the Iraqi military on the proper tools to maintain security throughout their country. And while the use of technology facilitates our daily missions from

  • Officials request NCO feedback for future assessments

    Staff sergeants through chief master sergeants throughout the Air Force are encouraged to share feedback with officials from the Air Force Occupational Measurement Squadron here right now. This feedback will help NCOs have a voice their own career advancements. Input from the Military Knowledge and

  • Airman helps shape future Afghan firefighters

    Afghan firefighters at the Kabul International Airport stand ready to answer a call to save lives and resources here thanks to the dedicated efforts of their American counterpart. Master Sgt. Mike Marascia, Afghan fire protection mentor, has spent the last 11 months establishing the Afghan Joint

  • RED HORSE Airmen close chapter with Iraqis

    Airmen with the 557th Expeditionary RED HORSE Squadron witnessed the ribbon-cutting ceremony for a community center Dec. 5 in Hawr Rajab. Through a program called Village of Hope, RED HORSE Airmen taught Iraqi citizens the basics of construction over a 10-month period that yielded four remodeled

  • Southern Command, AF South leaders visit deployed troops

    Senior leaders from Southern Command and Air Forces Southern kicked off a week-long tour Dec. 8 to visit forward-deployed personnel and assist nearby communities in seven Latin American countries during the holiday season. A C-21 from Andrews Air Force Base, Md., carried the group to Forward

  • General addresses Reserve issues on Web cast

    The 4th Air Force commander took part in a worldwide Web cast panel discussion Dec. 4 here to provide an update on the Guard and Reserve. Major Gen. Robert E. Duignan was part of a three-person expert panel brought together for an appearance on "Front and Center," a monthly public affairs forum on

  • Air Force officials announce OTS selection results

    A total of 223 men and women from across America have earned an opportunity to become Air Force leaders following their selection for an officer's commission, officials here announced Dec. 9. Air Force Recruiting Service officials considered 474 applications as part of Officer Training School

  • CJCS salutes servicemembers' success at awards dinner

    U.S. troops engaged in the global war on terrorism are doing "an exceptionally hard job exceptionally well," the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said at the Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs' annual awards dinner held here Dec. 8. "I believe our future is tied, as it always must

  • AMC unveils new mission statement and focus areas

    This past June, I issued a call for all AMC personnel to "return to basics," and I thank you for the renewed attention you've given to our core values and our mobility mission while restoring the Air Force's good name with your daily, outstanding mission accomplishment. Today, we build on that

  • Army unit augments Air Force to boost troop support

    As U.S. forces prepare to ramp up the operations tempo in Operation Enduring Freedom, a new unit here is helping prepare cargo to airdrop to the troops on the ground. The Army's 824th Riggers unit, a reserve unit based out of Ft. Bragg, N.C., began operations to support Air Force airdrops Dec. 3.

  • Sather Airmen work late to feed the force

    Sather Air Base is the busiest aerial port in Iraq, moving hundreds of American military members, civilian contractors, distinguished visitors and coalition forces every day as they travel in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. For many of these travelers, the layover at this small military base on

  • Deterrence is not a fading concept, CSAF says

    Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz reminded community members and North Dakota's senior elected representatives at a luncheon here Dec. 1 that "deterrence is not a fading concept." As part of his visit to the base, the general discussed the concept for the new Global Strike Command. He

  • Climate survey deadline extended to Dec. 14

    If you want to play a part in shaping the future of the Air Force, an effective and proven tool may be sitting in your inbox and you have until Dec. 14 to be heard. Since Oct. 1, an initial e-mail invitation and several follow-on reminders were sent out Air Force-wide, which included a link to the

  • Lean initiatives in the Portuguese air force

    There have been many articles touting the benefits to the Air Force of Lean initiatives and Air Force Smart Operations for the 21st Century, or AFSO 21. It's not only the Air Force that is benefiting from Lean initiatives, however.  Other air forces have benefited from the Lean initiatives supported

  • Military financial road show heads to Washington state

    As headlines scream news of an economic recession, a Defense Department team is heading to the Pacific Northwest Dec. 4 to help drive home the point that financial readiness is a big part of mission readiness. Fort Lewis, McChord Air Force Base and Naval Air Station Bremerton in Washington state

  • CV-22s complete first operational deployment

    Four CV-22 Ospreys from the 8th Special Operations Squadron here returned after completing their first operational deployment supporting Exercise Flintlock 2009 in November in Bamako, Mali.The aircraft supported the training exercise in the Trans-Saharan region designed to build relationships and

  • AETC opens virtual doors to MyBase

    Air Education and Training Command officals here launched a virtual world Dec. 2 targeting avatars, or people, interested in learning more about the Air Force. Second Life is a three-dimensional virtual world where users can socialize, connect and explore the digital universe using virtual

  • 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,