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  • Creative Airmen shape tomorrow’s Air Force today

    The initiative and innovations of Airmen today will shape the Air Force of tomorrow, said Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper on Sept. 15 at the Air Force Association’s 2004 Air and Space Conference and Technology Exposition here.“The theme of this symposium is people, and throughout the

  • Space mission critical to Air Force success

    The commander of Air Force Space Command made his point perfectly clear to those whose focus remains firmly on the ground -- wars cannot be won without space supremacy.“We’ve introduced, in 50 short years, the asymmetric advantages provided by space power,” said Gen. Lance W. Lord on Sept. 14 at the

  • Thirteen years later, Air Force dedicates its memorial

    Soaring 270 feet into the sky over America’s capital, three stainless-steel spires forming an equilateral triangle will memorialize the U.S. Air Force.The groundbreaking ceremony and site dedication for the Air Force Memorial was Sept. 15, in Arlington, Va. The ceremony included speeches by Chief

  • Officers enhance professional development through Project Connect

    Expertise, knowledge and mentorship is just a click or phone call away for officers here through one U.S. Air Forces in Europe program.Project Connect is designed to provide a forum for field-grade and general officers to counsel and enhance the individual professional development of junior officers

  • Special ops Airmen up to task of war on terror

    The war on terrorism has changed the way leaders think about managing conflict, but the commander of Air Force Special Operations Command said he is sure of one thing: His Airmen are right for the job.“(Sept. 11) redefined some key concepts,” said Lt. Gen. Michael W. Wooley, AFSOC commander. “It

  • Chief of staff hosts four-star forum at AFA

    The top generals in the Air Force addressed the Air Force Association’s 2004 Air and Space Conference and Technology Exposition here Sept. 14, taking time to share their views and answer questions from the audience.“It is a privilege to sit here in a leadership position in the greatest Air Force on

  • Americans, Czechs honor those lost in World War II battle

    While people worldwide paused to remember the events of Sept. 11, 2001, a few hundred residents and visitors here gathered to remember a different air disaster -- one that occurred the early afternoon of Sept. 11, 1944. That was when a particularly fierce and bloody World War II air battle took

  • AMC vice commander addresses mobility in 21st century

    Lessons learned during the war on terror are reshaping the way Air Mobility Command wages war, said Lt. Gen. John R. Baker, AMC vice commander, during the Air Force Association’s 2004 Air and Space Conference and Technology Exposition here Sept. 13.“(We need) the ability to go into an austere place,

  • Survey will measure personnel services delivery

    Airmen can help make their personnel services delivery system better through survey feedback beginning Sept. 20.Air Force officials said they are transforming the way personnel services are delivered to make them more effective, efficient and timely. This PSD transformation uses technology to place

  • Pilot recalls Sept. 11 medical flight mission

    Three years after terrorist attacks killed more than 3,000 people, Capt. Kenneth Langert is deployed fighting the war on terrorism.The terror war is a direct result of those attacks -- taking the fight to the enemy in an effort to prevent any future “9-11s.” For Captain Langert, this effort has

  • New training program for navigators, EWOs begins soon

    A new combat systems officer training program for Air Force navigators and electronic warfare officers begins here Sept. 30 with the 562nd and 563rd Flying Training Squadrons.The new program responds to Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper’s request to redesign the current training to

  • Electronic Systems Center tests Internet capability on Joint STARS

    Every day people use computers to send and receive e-mails and attachments to and from almost anywhere in the world. What if our deployed airborne intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance assets were able to take advantage of these same capabilities? What if they could e-mail and send

  • Center's 'chicken gun' helps shuttle return to flight

    Experts here are launching rectangular pieces of foam, traveling up to 1,500 mph, at the space shuttle's solid rocket booster to help NASA officials make sure the vehicle is ready to return to flight.Arnold Engineering Development Center engineers and test operators in the ballistic impact range,

  • Posturing plan to produce more capable Air Force

    The major worldwide troop movement unveiled Aug. 16 by the president will result in a service that is better able to meet the needs of warfighting commanders, Air Force planning officials at the Pentagon said.While most of the 70,000 servicemembers who return from overseas to the United States will

  • Academy welcomes space leader

    The Air Force executive agent for space brought messages of the past, present and future during a visit to the nearby U.S. Air Force Academy on Aug. 27.“Space assets are more important to national security than anytime in the past,” said Undersecretary of the Air Force Peter B. Teets during a

  • Annual program honors pioneers

    Air Force Space Command officials here will welcome six more pioneers into the Air Force Space and Missile Program Hall of Fame on Sept. 1.The program recognizes individuals who played a significant role in the early history of Air Force space and missile programs. “In keeping with our celebration

  • One dies, one injured in work-related accident

    One senior airman was killed and another seriously injured in a work-related accident here Aug. 23.Senior Airman Jesse Williamson Jr. died, and Senior Airman Ryan Robinson was injured while using a hydraulic lift to replace light fixtures inside an aircraft hangar, said Col. Greg Patterson, 78th Air

  • Airmen deserve recognition for national security operations

    Air Force leaders want to ensure Airmen get the recognition they deserve for fighting the war on terrorism at home and abroad, and for many more operations critical to national security.That is why Air Force personnel officials are looking at better ways to apply modern air and space mission

  • Civil engineer celebrates 63 years of service

    With admiration, he glides his hand across a huge trapezoid-shaped conference table made of solid oak. Bending down, he points out with a steady hand how he built the base precisely and securely to fit the top without nails or screws, just wooden dowels. His pride in his work and his steady hand

  • Program launches help for returning combatants, families

    A team of experts in military medicine and health communication at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences here launched a new health education campaign Aug. 24 -- "Courage to Care."In particular, Courage to Care is aimed at helping combatants reintegrate back into their families

  • Program aims to help military spouses interested in teaching

    Spouses to Teachers, the Defense Department's latest endeavor to help military spouses interested in teaching, is serving a similar purpose as the popular Troops to Teachers program, an official said.DOD officials established Troops to Teachers in 1994, and responsibility for the program was

  • Boy discovers rare arrowhead in base housing

    What started out as a souvenir for the Lilley family living on Arrowhead Court in base housing here has turned out to be a very significant discovery of American Indian culture.Six-year-old John David Lilley and his 10-year-old sister, Nancy, were playing in a sandy area of the cul-de-sac when they

  • New manual gives mobility crews ‘go-to-war’ guidance

    For years, Air Force fighter and bomber crews have been guided into combat by a manual on tactics, techniques and procedures. Now, mobility aircrews will have similar guidance on how to go to war.Because Air Mobility Command aircrews and weapons systems were pushing closer to the threat envelope,

  • Revised 'Tongue and Quill' now available online

    What started as a research paper here nearly 30 years ago has become the Air Force’s leading reference on writing and speaking.In 1975, then-Air Command and Staff College student Maj. Hank Staley submitted as his research paper the first version of what is now “The Tongue and Quill.”The latest

  • Crew chief follows, sets example

    "I want everyone I meet to know how proud I am to be part of the best air force in the world," said Tech. Sgt. Scott Stout, an F-15 Eagle maintenance trainer assigned to the 372nd Training Squadron’s Detachment 12 here."I like seeing the reflection of my ribbons and medals in people's eyes,”

  • New leadership course for chiefs in final development

    Although the transition to chief master sergeant may not be seamless, a new course will aim at eliminating some of the obstacles newly promoted chiefs may encounter.The Chief Master Sergeant Leadership Course, developed at the Air Force Senior NCO Academy at nearby Gunter Annex, becomes the fourth

  • Airman steps in when patrons have enough to drink

    Staff Sgt. Brian Miller, a bartender at the sports bar J.R. Rockers here, will not hesitate to take keys from patrons he thinks have had too much to drink.Sergeant Miller is assigned to the 2nd Airlift Squadron and has been bartending for six years.In Sergeant Miller’s bartending tenure, he said

  • JEFX 04 execution phase ends in success

    Two years, three spirals and three weeks of simulated combat in a fictional area of operations culminated in the completion of the Joint Expeditionary Force Experiment 2004 execution phase here Aug. 5. JEFX 04 assessed 15 new initiatives in technology and processes designed to increase command and

  • Veteran recalls historic World War II bombings

    The beginning of the end of fighting in the Pacific during World War II began 59 years ago with a thunderous roar.Some people thought there was another way to get Japan to the peace table. Others thought the drastic measures taken by the United States saved more lives despite the cost.Whatever the

  • Center professionals helping fight terrorism

    A well-trained terrorist looks for ways to exploit his target's vulnerabilities; however, through training and vigilance, the malicious deeds of America's enemies can be foiled.That is the message people from the U.S. Air Force Counterproliferation Center here want to spread.With the motto, "We

  • Mission focus combats complacency

    Two narrow wire fences -- one of looped concertina wire, one of interlaced metal strands a quarter inch thick -- are all that appear to stand between coalition forces and potential enemies.Appearances, however, can be deceiving, as integrated layers of defense provide protection for forces here.

  • Project helps people ‘de-stress’ through training

    One unavoidable fact about military action is that servicemembers will have to deal with traumatic stress. Defense Department officials are working to find the best way to help troops deal with the harmful effects of the stress people face in combat. One part of that effort is a treatment trial

  • Warfighters get ‘sneak peak’ at JEFX

    Battle management in the Air Force is changing, and 58 Airmen and two Soldiers from 14 different home bases are helping to shape its future.The Battle Control Center-Experimental, currently being tested and evaluated at the Joint Expeditionary Force Experiment 2004, is a bridge between the Air

  • Synchronization system brings awareness to warfighters

    A new set of synchronization capabilities are being tested and experimented with here at Joint Expeditionary Force Experiment 2004, the fifth in a series of major chief of staff of the Air Force-sponsored experiments that test new and emerging technologies.Global Concept-of-operations

  • Cycling team finishes weeklong, nearly 500-mile ride

    More than 100 Air Force cyclists wheeled into Clinton, Iowa, at high noon July 31. It was the end of a week and almost 500 miles on the road for the riders participating in the Des Moines Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa.Team Air Force arrived in Clinton in a two-column formation

  • Army, Air Force sharing battle information

    Parked under camouflaged netting in the heat of the Nevada sun is an extended cab Humvee equipped with all the modern comforts of home: vinyl seats, air conditioning, tinted windows and four 23-inch plasma displays.It is not the Army’s version of a stretch limousine, but an element of the Army’s

  • Raptor continuing Air Force's air superiority record

    With air dominance training under way here, the Air Force's newest asset, the F/A-22 Raptor, is proving its worth every day as it nears initial operational capability.The Raptor will eventually replace the F-15 Eagle, an aircraft with an undefeated 104-0 combat record, according to Brig. Gen. Larry

  • Deployed senior NCOs offered course in leadership

    Future senior noncommissioned officers at one forward-deployed location were recently given an opportunity that until now might have been available only to those at their home stations.Twenty-six master sergeant selectees attended the first Senior Noncommissioned Officer Symposium held in the U.S.

  • Academy planetarium closing to public

    Officials here are here closing the planetarium doors to the public after 45 years of providing programs about astronomy, flight and navigation to thousands of visitors.The planetarium is one of the academy’s oldest buildings, having been constructed in the late 1950s.It will remain open for use by

  • Gridlock technology brings coordinates to warfighters

    Gridlock, or precision Geo-registration of Imagery from Airborne Platforms, provides a machine-to-machine capability for military imagery interpreters that can do in one minute what a targeteer, or target designator, would take between 20 minutes to never to accomplish.This technology for tomorrow’s

  • Plans on table to sustain Minuteman III

    The officer in charge of America's intercontinental ballistic missile force said plans are well under way to sustain the life of the Minuteman III missile until the year 2020.Maj. Gen. Frank Klotz, 20th Air Force commander, visited here recently and spoke about the future of America's ICBM force.

  • Air Force ROTC closing detachments next summer

    Air Force ROTC officials are closing detachments at the University of Akron in Ohio, and Grambling State University in Louisiana next summer.In the summer 2007, officials will close AFROTC detachments at the University of Memphis in Tennessee; University of Cincinnati in Ohio; Wilkes University in

  • Airmen begin structural analysis of C-5A

    Rolling up their sleeves, people from the 653rd Combat Logistics Support Squadron set about cutting through the skin and muscle of a C-5A Galaxy this week to remove the giant wings and lend a hand to those evaluating the aircraft’s viability for the future.Inspections began last year on a Galaxy,

  • Board meets at academy to discuss issues

    The U.S. Air Force Academy's Board of Visitors met here July 24 and 25 to discuss a variety of issues affecting the institution. The board is required to meet at least annually to review morale, discipline, curriculum, instruction, physical education, fiscal affairs, academic methods and other

  • Weather forecasters helping coalition forces

    No matter what the season, weather changes quickly in the Afghanistan mountains. Within 30 minutes, sky can go from clear blue to dark and stormy, or the wind can pick up drastically, whipping up dust and reducing visibility to nearly zero.With air and ground forces conducting operations around the

  • Engineers by day, snipers by night

    Everyone has heard the old idiom, “like shooting fish in a barrel.” Two engineers here have revised it to, “like shooting a dime at 164 feet.”Capts. Mark Gould and Robin Orth, assigned to the Space and Missile Systems Center, are on the Air Force International Rifle Team. The team competes against

  • Experiment testing new data system

    The Data Link Automated Reporting System is set to be one of the revolutionary initiatives tested here during the Joint Expeditionary Force Experiment 2004.JEFX 2004 is an Air Force-sponsored experiment that assesses new and emerging technologies that can be quickly fielded.“With this system we’ve

  • Officials reach agreement for moving U.S. forces

    Department of Defense officials announced July 23 that South Korean and U.S. representatives finalized agreements to remove all U.S. forces from the Seoul metropolitan areaNearly 8,000 U.S. servicemembers will move about 43 miles south to the Pyongtaek area near Osan Air Base.The decision was

  • Secretary Rumsfeld sends message to troops

    The following is a message to the troops from Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld on why the United States is fighting in Iraq:“More than 15 months ago, a global coalition ended the brutal regime of Saddam Hussein and liberated the people of Iraq.“As in all conflicts, this has come at a cost in

  • Deputy secretary of defense visits McChord

    An audience of more than 800 Airmen and Soldiers took part in a unique question-and-answer session with one of the nation’s top military leaders here July 23.Dr. Paul Wolfowitz, deputy secretary of defense, held a town hall meeting with Airmen from here, Soldiers from neighboring Fort Lewis, and

  • Air Force ‘founding fathers’ exhibit opens at Pentagon

    Considered to be the “founding fathers” of the Air Force, Gens. Henry “Hap” Arnold, William “Billy” Mitchell and Frank M. Andrews were memorialized July 21 in a new exhibit at the Pentagon. Descendants of the three aviation visionaries were among about 100 people who gathered in the Arnold Corridor,

  • Airmen shatter blood donation record

    Airmen here shattered their own record July 19 by donating 1,341 units of blood in a single day.Last year, base donors set the state's single-day, single-site blood donation record when they donated 1,151 units, earning the national "most first-time donors" award from the American Red

  • House hears space cadre testimony

    Air Force leaders provided key testimony July 22 to the House Armed Services Committee’s strategic force subcommittee about efforts to develop the professional space cadre.The undersecretary of the Air Force, Peter B. Teets, and the commander of Air Force Space Command, Gen. Lance W. Lord, explained

  • 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

  • CSAF: Air Force key in Pacific operations

    The Air Force will become more active in the Pacific theater in the future in response to emerging hot spots, said the Air Force chief of staff after a recent tour of the Pacific Air Operations Center here.Gen. John P. Jumper discussed the importance of the Pacific area.“As we’ve seen over the past

  • ‘American family’ makes memories for local children

    Gifts, pizza, candy, laughs, smiles and basketball. This could be a typical weekend at most people’s homes; however, this was a special day for the children of the Pristina Mother and Child Center here. As the children anxiously waited, the Kosovo Force vehicle pulled to the gate. Some 20 little

  • Air Force bids farewell to World War II hero

    The Air Force family bid farewell to a World War II hero July 20.Retired Maj. Gen. Charles W. Sweeney, the man who flew the historic B-29 Superfortress flight that dropped the second atomic bomb on Japan during World War II, died July 16 in Boston. He was 84. “He was the best patriot, best father

  • Teets discusses national security space strategy

    Peter B. Teets, the undersecretary of the Air Force for space, spoke about the future of space during the National Defense Industrial Association symposium on space policy and architecture.Representatives from the secretary of defense’s office, unified combatant commands and service space components

  • Advisers warn Congress about special operations retention

    Retaining special operations people is crucial to the war on terrorism, special operations senior enlisted advisers told Congress on July 20.Special operations troops are deployed around the world in greater numbers than at any time in history, officials said. These senior advisers -- responsible

  • Atomic bomb returns to Air Force Museum

    A poignant symbol of World War II history returned to the Air Force Museum here July 15 after a yearlong restoration project. The museum received its “Little Boy” atomic bomb following restoration at the Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, N.M. It is the same type as the one the dropped

  • Leaders discuss future test pilot school curriculum

    Representatives from around the Air Force met here recently to help U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School experts modify the institution's current curriculum to fit future test and evaluation demands.Test pilot school graduates and nongraduates representing organizations from Air Force Materiel Command

  • U.S. now training Arab air forces

    The United States, working with United Arab Emirates, is now training future Arab air force leaders. Iron Falcon, a monthlong exercise held at the Emirate Air Defense Air Warfare Center in the United Arab Emirates, is upgrade training for mission commanders. Plans are set for all members of the

  • Force development includes civilians

    Career civilian employees will soon have more focused career guidance and expanded opportunities because of a new initiative taking place at the Air Force Personnel Center here this summer.Civilian career field management is a part of force development that will align civilian and military career

  • 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

  • Course trains Airmen to drive convoys for Army in Iraq

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

  • July issue of Airman available

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

  • NCOs teaching at ROTC detachments

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

  • Air Force Intern Program develops future leaders

    The Air Force Intern Program Central Selection Board will convene here Sept. 20 to 24. The program lets 30 junior captains study the application of air and space power and observe senior Defense Department leaders in critical decision-making processes. The fast-paced 18- to 24-month program is

  • Air Force symbol now official

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

  • Vietnamese boy finds success in AF blue

    Maj. Phuong Tran holds a deep appreciation for America.In 1975, at age 11, Major Tran, his family, and hundreds of other Vietnamese families fled Saigon, Vietnam, to escape communism.Although he knew nothing of the language or culture of the United States when he left his war-torn country, Major

  • Expeditionary mindset provides stability, predictability for Airmen

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

  • Students get behind-the-scenes look at Air Force

    More than 1,500 of the nation’s top high-school students and 500 adult advisers visited here June 29. Representing all 50 states and Puerto Rico, the students were in Las Vegas from June 26 to 30 for the National Association of Student Councils 68th Annual National Conference.While here, the

  • Airmen deliver 35,000 helmets to Afghanistan

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

  • U.S. occupation officially ends

    Sovereignty in Iraq passed from the Coalition Provisional Authority to the interim Iraqi government June 28, two days ahead of schedule.In a 10-minute ceremony inside the heavily fortified "Green Zone" where coalition headquarters is located in Baghdad, CPA administrator L. Paul Bremer III read a

  • Robotic warriors display capabilities

    Pentagon officials and guests were treated to a demonstration of the remote detection challenge and response, or REDCAR, initiative June 23.REDCAR uses unmanned robotic platforms to provide perimeter defense of Air Force bases and forward-deployed units.“With REDCAR we can integrate a family of

  • Command chiefs meet for annual conference

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

  • UAV Battlelab stands up at Indian Springs

    Indian Springs Air Force Auxiliary Field near here is entering a new era in providing unmanned aerial vehicle support to the combat air force.Currently the only installation with a fleet of operational remotely piloted aircraft, Indian Springs is now also the home of the Air Force’s Unmanned Aerial

  • EOD is making Afghanistan safe for future

    Today, there are literally tons of explosive materials hidden throughout Afghanistan. Some, like land mines the former Soviet Union liberally scattered around the countryside, lie deceptively under a thin veneer of dirt. Others lie hidden away in caches of weapons carefully horded and

  • NCOs help with air cover

    More than 200 noncommissioned officers are helping the Army by providing air cover for patrols protecting convoys, performing raids, responding to mortar and road attacks, and training Iraqis to provide their own security.They are part of a tactical air control party, which is a self-supporting team

  • Sembach security forces practice aerial rescues

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

  • C-5 workers take to sky

    A group of C-5 Galaxy production workers recently took to the sky to become more familiar with the huge aircraft they work on every day.The flight was the first of a series of familiarization flights maintenance officials have scheduled to show workers how important their jobs are.“The organization

  • Symposium highlights changing times

    Future Air Force budgets with fewer modernization dollars are requiring Air Force people to change processes to make current aircraft last longer.This is one topic Dr. Marvin Sambur, assistant secretary of the Air Force for acquisition, discussed here at the 25th Annual Air Force Association Focus

  • Cadets get ‘constructive’ engineering experience

    Cadets exchange computers, backpacks and books for hard hats, lumber and a bulldozer when they sign up for a summer civil engineering course.The entry-level course takes place in the academy’s Jacks Valley at the field engineering and readiness laboratory. The five-week program acquaints 60 cadets

  • Officials announce OTS selections

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

  • DOD wasn't geared to internal threats Sept. 11, panel told

    National policy that geared the Defense Department toward external threats was part of the reason DOD officials could not do more to prevent some of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff told the 9-11 commission here today. "Our military posture on 9-11, by law,

  • Bush speaks from MacDill

    With the transfer of sovereignty two weeks away, the future of a free Iraq is coming into view, President Bush told a worldwide military audience and servicemembers assembled at MacDill Air Force Base, Fla., on June 16.U.S. Central Command and U.S. Special Operations Command have their headquarters

  • New focus puts future training over the 'edge'

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

  • If you break it, they will come

    Outside, there is a simple, painted sign: “If you break it, we can make it.” Inside, there is an array of equipment, somewhat reminiscent of a high-school machine shop.On either side, the fabrication branch Airmen here have a vital mission: To fix or make the parts and tools needed to keep the

  • Jumper shares view on AEF cycle length extension

    The Air Force chief of staff announced the extension of the baseline for deployments from 90 to 120 days and the change of the air and space expeditionary force cycle from 15 months to 20 months. The changes will take place beginning with AEF Cycle 5 in September, said Gen. John P. Jumper in his

  • Now showing: June 7 edition of AFTV News

    The continued increase in an Air Force presence in the Pacific region spotlights the latest edition of Air Force Television News. Tech. Sgt. Rusty Barfield reports on the planned addition of a C-17 Globemaster III unit at Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii, that will complement a buildup of air and

  • June issue of Airman available

    Read about Airmen chasing Olympic dreams, learn about the Army Air Forces involvement in D-Day and take a look at how one base is working to create happy trails for tiny lizards. These features and more highlight the June issue of Airman magazine, now available in print and online at

  • Standard AEF deployment length stretches to 120 days

    Most Airmen scheduled to deploy in upcoming air and space expeditionary force packages will see their orders expand from 90 to 120 days. The change in deployment length will begin with AEF cycle 5 in September. Those who deploy as part of AEF 1 and 2 should prepare for a 120-day deployment. Air

  • ‘Integration’ theme of JEFX 04 Spiral 3

    With the successful conclusion of Joint Expeditionary Force Experiment Spiral 3 recently, the stage is now set for the largest battle management command and control experiment ever.JEFX ‘04, the Air Force’s premier experimental venue for groundbreaking command and control technology and processes,

  • Absentee voter registration under way

    In just five months, voters nationwide will be taking advantage of their Constitutional rights as they help decide who will win the 2004 general election. With many servicemembers and civilian employees deployed overseas, voting by absentee ballot is just as important to the election as the votes

  • New inspection tool saves time, money, environment

    Air Force officials here are implementing a new inspection device to be used on aging aircraft that will speed repair, return them to operations for improved mission readiness and save $18 million in the process.The new system, called multiaxis X-ray, or MAX, uses noninvasive technology to detect

  • Bush: 'We will take the fight to the enemy'

    President Bush refused to back down to terrorists, despite continued violence in Iraq just 28 days before the handover of power to an interim government. The United States and its allies would continue to "take the fight to the enemy," President Bush said in his commencement address to the U.S. Air

  • Americans asked to remember heroes

    White House officials are asking Americans worldwide to pause for 60 seconds at 3 p.m. local time May 31 -- Memorial Day -- to honor America's fallen heroes and to recognize veterans and today's servicemembers, particularly those serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.This does not mean coming to a

  • Future total-force concept aims to increase combat capability

    Active-duty Airmen, guardsmen and reservists working together to support the Air Force mission in a war zone such as Iraq or Afghanistan is not unusual. However, in a concept being studied at the Air Warfare Center, Airmen from all components will work together supporting the Air Force's RQ/MQ-1

  • F-16 technology links allied nations' aircraft

    Warriors in future conflicts will see United States and coalition nations sharing more of the battlefield load thanks to U.S. and allied countries' F-16 Fighting Falcons getting an upgraded software program.The U.S. version of the software underwent large-force operational testing during a recent

  • Rumsfeld defers tanker lease decision

    Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld has deferred a decision on the tanker recapitalization program until additional studies now under way can be completed. Officials said the decision was based in part on recommendations made by the Defense Science Board’s aerial refueling task force.The data