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  • Rescue personnel fly first flights from Randolph

    Three HH-60 Pave Hawks and aircrews belonging to the 331st Air Expeditionary Group took off from here earlier the afternoon of Sept. 13 carrying search and rescue personnel to the Galveston, Texas, area in the wake of Hurricane Ike. The flight marks the first of many that may leave from Randolph Air

  • Moving the money behind the mission

    Moving the mission requires moving the money and a small unit here controls the purse strings to this key base in the area of responsibility. About 13 people in the 379th Comptroller Squadron manage the budget for the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing and handle financial matters for those assigned here.

  • Summer research program benefits Academy cadets

    When officials at the Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center here and the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo., launched a new and powerful mentoring program in March, it energized the center's involvement in the Academy's Cadet Summer Research Program. Six months later, seven

  • Servicemembers participate in Honduras Children's Day

    Servicemembers from Joint Task Force-Bravo helped celebrate Children's Day Sept. 10 with more than 400 children in two nearby towns of Guajiquiro and Siguatepeque. The annual celebration recognizes the importance of children in Honduras. To support the holiday JTF-Bravo sent a Blackhawk helicopter

  • Airmen stand ready to provide hurricane relief at Randolph

    Airmen with the 331st Air Expeditionary Group are staged at Randolph Air Force Base ready to respond with aid Sept. 12 as Hurricane Ike bears down on the Texas coast. The group, made up of nearly 600 people, brings with it units and capabilities from across the Air Force. Among them are search and

  • MacDill AFB medical team supports hurricane relief efforts

    A mobile aeromedical staging facility team from the 6th Air Mobility Wing, MacDill Air Force Base, Fla., arrived here Sept. 9 in support of Hurricane Ike evacuation efforts. Along with the MASF team, more than 200 state and federal assets and volunteers converged on Corpus Christi ahead of Ike in

  • Pentagon Memorial opens to public

    The Pentagon Memorial was dedicated and opened to the public in a solemn ceremony before thousands of servicemembers and civilians Sept. 11 here. The memorial honors the 184 people who lost their lives in the terrorist attacks here seven years ago when Flight 77 was flown into the south side of the

  • Annual unit, organizational award winners announced

    The Secretary of the Air Force Personnel Council here recently recognized the following organizations for 2007 and 2008 Air Force unit awards for the periods indicated below: The Meritorious Unit Award to:-- The 3rd Expeditionary Air Support Operations Group for Dec. 13, 2006 through Nov. 25, 2007.

  • Future Airmen show commitment in record-making ceremony

    Members of the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds and the 364th Recruiting Squadron partnered recently at the Travis Air Expo 2008 to conduct the largest Delayed Entry Program swearing-in ceremony to date. Lt. Col. Greg Thomas, the commander of the Air Force Thunderbirds, administered the oath of

  • Operational "Integrity" - lessons from the AFSO 21 Frontlines

    The U.S. Air Force faces intense operational demands and resource challenges that sit at the heart of the role that Air Force Smart Operations, or AFSO, plays in improving mission performance. We all understand the need to strengthen fighting capability, recapitalize, increase financial efficiency

  • B-52s roar over Guam during bomber surge

    Members of the 20th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron flew surge missions and launched six of its B-52 Stratofortresses on a large scale training flights Sept. 4 and 5 from here. The training mission allowed crewmembers to practice more than the standard two-ship deconfliction plan while maintaining

  • When calamities arise, AFPC stands ready to reply

    When natural disasters, emergencies or crisis situations overwhelm an Air Force base's communications capabilities, members of the Air Force Personnel Center here provide Airmen and their families instant toll-free accountability. Once activated, AFPC Operation Center-Personnel Readiness Cell

  • Airman's father honored at Pentagon Memorial

    In the morning hours of Sept. 11, 2001, Master Sgt. Jennifer Yamnicky's father, John, boarded American Airlines Flight 77 out of Dulles International Airport. At 9:43 a.m., his plane was flown into the side of the Pentagon. This Sept. 11 will be the dedication of the Pentagon Memorial for the 184

  • Readiness centers: 1-stop, career shops for spouses

    When Trish Kuettel and her husband, Tech. Sgt. Michael Kuettel, arrived at Grand Forks Air Force Base, N.D., last summer, her "to do" list was long and daunting. One thing the mother of two didn't have to worry about was where to look for career and employment assistance. "Since I was unfamiliar

  • Air Staff Agency uses 'New Media' to talk

    Since the beginning of warfare, the toughest battles for commanders have always been communicating with their own troops, ensuring everyone is hearing the same message. Lt. Gen. Michael W. Peterson, the Warfighting Integration and Chief Information Office director, took a different approach when he

  • Online master's program earns award

    Officials from the Air Command and Staff College's Distance Learning Directorate here developed and launched the Air Force's online master's degree program in 2007 and received the Muir S. Fairchild Award Aug. 29 for their efforts. The entire curriculum was created in-house, and the program, an Air

  • TRANSCOM officials improve military supply chain security

    Officials of the U.S. Transportation Command here recently deployed a container security system that detects tampering and helps protect military container shipments moving from Afghanistan to Pakistan. TRANSCOM officials introduced the CommerceGuard container security system, provided by GE

  • Charleston Airmen welcome home warriors

    More than 125 Airmen from the 14th Airlift Squadron returned to Charleston Air Force Base Sept. 3 after completing more than a 120-day deployment to Southwest Asia in support of operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. The 14th AS Airmen deployed as the 816th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron to

  • Thousands walk for freedom in Washington D.C.

    Thousands of people participated in the Fourth Annual America Supports You Freedom Walk here, one of 330 such events designed to remember the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States. The 1-mile walk began at the Women in Military Service to America Memorial at the entrance to

  • Wet celebration recognizes 100 years of military flight

    Aircraft history buffs descended on Fort Myer, Va., Saturday. So did Tropical Storm Hannah. Heavy rain throughout the day hurt attendance at the Centennial of Military Aviation celebration, which recognized the 100-year anniversary of a series of flights made by Orville Wright in September 1908 at

  • CSAF: Precision, reliability key to Airmen keeping the promise

    Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton A. Schwartz capped off a one-day visit here Sep. 3 with a special Airman's Call for a sample group of Airmen from various squadrons, career fields and ranks. Brig. Gen. Darryl Roberson, 325th Fighter Wing commander, introduced General Schwartz to

  • General McNabb assumes command of USTRANSCOM

    Gen. Duncan J. McNabb assumed command of U.S. Transportation Command here in a ceremony Sept. 5. Secretary of Defense Dr. Robert M. Gates presided at the ceremony in which General McNabb became the ninth USTRANSCOM commander. Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was the first

  • Every Monday now blues day for Airmen

    Beginning Sept. 8, Airmen now will be required to wear a combination of the blues uniform on Mondays. At a recent four-star conference, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton A. Schwartz discussed the issue with other senior leaders. "We all agreed that part of our image, culture and professionalism

  • Logistics readiness returns to basics

    Air Force logistics readiness officials are teaming to end a string of missteps in compliance and accountability by stressing a return to high standards of excellence through an enterprise-wide campaign that draws upon a back-to-basics approach to tasks. "In the past few years, we've witnessed

  • Air Force halts wing reorganization

    Air Force leaders halted plans to perform a global wing restructure which was designed to realign fighter, bomber and rescue airlift maintenance units into flying squadrons. Maintenance and flying squadrons will remain separate and will continue doing business "as they have for the past four or five

  • Rescue squadrons provide support for Hurricane Gustav

    Airmen from rescue helicopter squadrons from across the Air Force came together here to provide personnel recovery support in the event it was needed for Hurricane Gustav that stormed through Louisiana Sept. 1. Active and Guard rescue squadrons from Alaska, Arizona, California and New York combined

  • JCS chairman cites Pentagon Memorial's importance

    With the official opening of the Pentagon Memorial a week away, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff reflected on the events of nearly seven years ago that inspired the memorial's creation. Navy Adm. Michael G. Mullen said his life as an American and as a servicemember changed forever on Sept.

  • Commander praises Gustav preparations, response

    In the wake of Hurricane Gustav, residents of Louisiana are slowly heading to their homes and beginning to pick up the pieces left by the storm. Nearly half the state is without power, many people are running out of money and more than 70,000 Louisianans are still living in shelters. Yet, though

  • Multinational exercise sustains international readiness

    The 2008 Northern Viking exercise, which began with a ceremony here Sept. 1, aims to reinforce the resolve of the U.S. and its NATO partners in assisting in the defense of Iceland. Approximately 150 Airmen from U.S. Air Forces in Europe have joined forces with more than 300 U.S. Navy Seamen, as well

  • General Schwartz sends out first 'Vector'

    In his first CSAF Vector, the Air Force chief of staff directs his attention to the mission of the Air Force for all Airmen, and outlines a plan for tomorrow's Air Force."The enduring responsibility of the United States Air Force is to provide strategic deterrence for the nation, and fly, fight and

  • Air Force Chief of Staff defines standard of excellence

    Gen. Norton Schwartz, Air Force Chief of Staff, came to Air Force Space Command for a series of briefings and then visited with Peterson AFB personnel at an open forum at the base theater. His comments included what he called "vital things," the foremost of which is the need for the Air Force to go

  • Maxwell officials provide shelter for Gustav evacuees

    When Hurricane Gustav made landfall early Sept. 1 along the Louisiana coast, 658 individuals from the Gulf Coast region were safely out of harm's way in temporary facilities here. Maxwell Air Force Base is a designated National Logistical Support Area for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and

  • Airman's Roll Call: Air Force uniform issues

    This week's Airman's Roll Call focuses on Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton A. Schwartz's decision last week to defer a decision on the heritage service coat until summer 2009. Air Force leaders said they owe it to Airmen to do the research, development and quality assurance necessary to

  • Medical professionals focus on traumatic brain injuries

    One of the results from the war on terrorism is an increase in traumatic brain injuries among deployed personnel. As of July 23, the Department of Defense requires that every deploying member be tested with the Automated Neuropsychological Assessment Metrics within 12 months prior to deployment. A

  • Milestone reached in aircraft named for 9/11

    Airmen in a unit here recently reached 40,000 flight hours in support of the war on terrorism fittingly in an aircraft named for the attacks which began the war. The 7th Expeditionary Air Command and Control Squadron Airmen reached the milestone Sept. 2 in E-8C Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar

  • Air Force Reserve eclipses recruiting goal again

    For the eighth consecutive year, the Air Force Reserve met and eclipsed its annual recruiting goal. Reserve recruiters across the country and around the world tallied the 8,000 mark at 12:38 p.m. EDT, Aug. 28. The recruiting cycle coincides with the Department of Defense fiscal year, which runs from

  • EagleCash: Don't deploy without it!

    The commander of U.S. Air Forces Central and the U.S. Central Command Combined Forces Air Component recently reminded commanders in the AOR that all Airmen in the USCENTCOM area of responsibility are required to have an EagleCash Stored Value Card. "The EagleCash Stored Value Card promotes deployed

  • AFPC commander discusses support for deployed Airmen

    The commander of the Air Force Personnel Center discussed how her agency continues to improve its support of deployed Airmen during a visit here Aug. 27. AFPC is streamlining how it tracks deployments and re-examining how it balances deployments with assignments and training, said Maj. Gen. K. C.

  • Air Force IT Conference highlights education

    The professional education of thousands of Airmen and Air Force civilians is on the fast track to change, according to officials at the Air Force Information Technology Conference Aug. 26. "Air Education and Training Command's vision is to deliver unrivaled air, space and cyberspace education and

  • Chertoff: Air Force, Guard vital to hurricane relief efforts

    As Hurricane Gustav made landfall on the Gulf Coast, the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security praised the men and women of the Air Force and the National Guard for their efforts during preparations for the storm. Secretary Michael Chertoff said the services were especially useful to help

  • Military ready to support Hurricane Gustav relief effort

    American military forces are prepositioned and ready to provide any relief necessary if called upon Sept. 1 at England Air Park in Alexandria as Hurricane Gustav batters the Gulf Coast. A joint force team of approximately 100 Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Defense Department civilians has set up camp

  • McChord aircrew delivers response team, supplies to New Orleans

    A C-17 Globemaster III from the 62nd Airlift Wing, McChord Air Force Base, Wash., provided rapid deployment of a four-man contingency response team and 15,500 pounds of cargo from the 615th Contingency Response Wing at Travis Air Force Base, Calif., to the Louis Armstrong International Airport in

  • Mississippi Guard unit helps with Hurricane Gustav preparations

    When Jamie Jobe heard the knock on her door, she thought nothing of it. Having lived in Gulfport, Miss. most of her life, she was used to her neighbors coming over for a chat or the occasional youngster asking if her lawn needed mowing. This time it was neither. Instead, two soldiers in uniform told

  • McChord aircrew deploys for hurricane response efforts

    Airmen here put the words "Any time, any place" into action in the early hours Aug. 30 as a C-17 Globemaster III headed to Travis Air Force Base, Calif., for Hurricane Gustav preparation efforts. Without knowing what or who they were picking up, Airmen from the 10th Airlift Squadron headed to

  • Hurricane relief efforts underway

    An Air National Guard C-130 Hercules flew in to San Antonio Aug. 30 carrying 23 evacuees from Beaumont, Texas. The aircrew was from the 181st Airlift Squadron at the Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas. The members on the aircraft were activated for evacuation relief efforts due

  • Air Force participates in major league game

    It was not unusual for the players, coaches or umpires at Nationals Park, home of the Washington Nationals Major League Baseball team. It was nothing new for the Honor Guard Airmen who carried the Colors behind home plate -- they've done it several times before. But it was a first for the ten

  • New Horizons leaves behind quality-of-life projects, goodwill with Peruvians

    After three months of construction, medical missions and bonding with the people of Peru, U.S. servicemembers here completed their mission of providing humanitarian aid to the people there. Since June 1, a rotating task force of 950 active duty, reservists and Guardsmen from the Air Force, Marines,

  • Aircrews take wounded warriors home

    Almost three years have passed since aircrews in the 440th Airlift Wing here started flying special missions known as Integrated CONUS Medical Operations Plan missions. These ICMOP missions are designed to get injured servicemembers home as quickly as possible after arriving in the United States

  • Technologist a four-time Scientific Research of the Year Award winner

    Mr. David McGlasson, a medical technologist in the 59th Clinical Research Division at Wilford Hall Medical Center here, was notified Aug. 7 he won the American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science peer-reviewed poster contest for his poster "Comparison of a Chromgenic Factor X Assay to the

  • CSAF defers heritage coat decision, focuses on current uniform issues

    Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton A. Schwartz decided on Aug. 28 to defer a decision on the Air Force heritage coat until the summer of 2009 to address current uniform issues, according to a senior Air Force official. "We are going to fix, improve and upgrade uniforms in our current inventory,"

  • Airmen continue to bring relief supplies to Georgia

    Airmen from bases throughout Air Mobility Command and the Air Force have been delivering needed supplies since Aug. 13 to individuals displaced by recent fighting in the Republic of Georgia. Since the start of the Russia-Republic of Georgia conflict Aug. 8, Airmen have delivered more than 428 tons

  • Football team to wear AF symbol to honor Airmen

    The Air Force Academy football team is honoring the men and women of the Air Force by wearing the Air Force symbol on its uniform this season. The U.S. Air Force symbol honors the heritage of the past and represents the promise of the future. It retains the core elements of the Air Corps heritage --

  • Air Force leaders discuss AFSO 21's future

    The Air Force's senior leaders met Aug. 26 to discuss the future role of Air Force Smart Operations for the 21st century during a quarterly AFSO 21 Process Council meeting on Bolling Air Force Base. Brig. Gen. John Posner, AFSO 21 director, presented to the council a draft proposal to formally

  • General Schwartz featured on NPR's All Things Considered

    Tom Bowman, National Public Radio Pentagon correspondent featured Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz during the Aug. 26 edition of NPR's All Things Considered. The 4:32-minute segment provides not only General Schwartz's plans for moving the Air Force forward in areas like intelligence,

  • Senior leaders meet to discuss, decide way ahead for force

    Senior Air Force leaders gathered for a strategic summit Aug. 27 at Bolling Air Force Base to discuss the way ahead for the Air Force as a part of the August emphasis on strategic planning. "The summit allows us to identify issues that need senior leader review and decide on matters affecting the

  • Academy NCO found guilty, sentenced in court-martial

    An NCO assigned to the U.S. Air Force Academy was found guilty by a military judge of two violations of the Uniform Code of Military Justice during a special court-martial Aug. 26 here. The violations for Staff Sgt. Angeline Bakkila, who is not a cadet and assigned to the 10th Aerospace Medicine

  • Servicemembers strive to brighten future for Afghan youths

    Airmen and Soldiers of the Zabul Provincial Reconstruction Team are overhauling a local boy's middle and high school campus to help provide a brighter future for youths in Qalat.The team worked directly with Afghan community leaders recently to discover sustainable projects that directly improve

  • State Department learns customer service from AFPC

    Seven members of the U.S. State Department's Bureau of Human Resources visited the Air Force Personnel Center to learn the many technological initiatives the center members have undertaken to deliver personnel services to its customers Aug. 25 and 26 here. "We want to continue to enhance our human

  • Southern Command transformation promotes new approach to regional challenges

    Along with U.S. Africa Command going fully operational Oct. 1, the Defense Department will reach another milestone as U.S. Southern Command officials complete a major reorganization that also promotes joint, interagency and even private- and public-sector cooperation. The concept supports universal

  • Air Force IT Conference kicks off

    The Air Force Information Technology Conference kicked off Aug. 25 in Montgomery as members of the 754th Electronics System Group host the week-long seminar for approximately 5,600 government and civilian attendees. Lt. Gen. Robert J. "Bob" Elder Jr., the 8th Air Force commander, and Robert H.

  • AFPC commander visits deployed air bases

    The commander of the Air Force Personnel Center  visited Airmen and Soldiers here Aug. 25 during a tour to examine some of the personnel issues facing personnelists and servicemembers in the deployed environment. Maj. Gen. K.C. McClain is responsible for ensuring the personnel life cycle of military

  • Airmen enhance Army medical evacuation mission

    Airmen of the 305th Expeditionary Rescue Squadron here have flown more than 300 medical evacuations for coalition forces and Afghan nationals since March as they carry out their mission of saving lives.Members of the 305th ERQS and their HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopters are deployed to Kandahar Air Base

  • AFPC expertise raises manning for 31 critical skills career fields

    Thirty-one critical skills career fields received a boost in manning recently when 1,888 volunteers were accepted for retraining. This number included 315 exception-to-policy Airmen who were contacted for the first time and approved by personnel experts at the Air Force Personnel Center here.

  • Iraq, Afghanistan airdrops reach all-time high

    Resupplying U.S. and coalition forces on the ground is a critical logistical component of combat operations. Seven months into 2008, the Air Force has already supplied forces in Iraq and Afghanistan with more than 8.5 million pounds of goods. This surpasses the 2007 total and reaches an all-time

  • Air Force chief of staff discusses leadership goals

    The Air Force chief of staff shared his vision concerning Air Force leadership and discussed his goals for the direction of the Air Force during the Air Force Sergeants Association's Professional Airmen's Conference Aug. 25 in San Antonio. Gen. Norton A. Schwartz began his speech discussing the

  • Student set for medical college with Air Force scholarship

    As most 18-year-old students in the U.S. brush up on their grammar skills for college English 101 in the fall, Maria Kravchenko reviews advanced chemistry for medical school with help from the Air Force Medical Corps Health Professions Scholarship Program. Following graduation from the University of

  • Top leaders stress importance of excellence

    Keeping the Air Force's promise to America, to the joint team and to Airmen and their families was the focus of Gen. Norton A. Schwartz, the Air Force chief of staff, during an Aug. 22 visit to Malmstrom Air Force Base. Acting Secretary of the Air Force Michael B. Donley and General Schwartz

  • Iraqis sign container contract with Joint Base Balad

    An Iraqi businessman, a local tribal leader and the commander of Joint Contracting Command-Iraq/Afghanistan gathered here Aug. 21 for a ribbon-cutting ceremony of the latest contract for the Iraqi First program between Joint Base Balad and the Miran Co. Hashim Abd Al-Amir Mahdi of the Miran Co. won

  • Wright-Patterson unit wins Defense secretary logistics award

    Defense Department officials here announced Aug. 6 the 478th Aeronautical Systems Wing was named the winner of the Secretary of Defense System Level Performance-Based Logistics Award. The wing staff directs all acquisition and sustainment activities for the F-22 Raptor and is part of the

  • General, spouse recognized for AF contributions

     A former Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, wing commander and his wife recently received the 2008 General and Mrs. Jerome O'Malley award. Brig. Gen. Darrell D. Jones and Mrs. Holly Jones were recognized for their contributions to the nation, the Air Force and the local community as a

  • Task force visits Kunsan to study how Airmen use their time

    An Airmen's Time Task Force visited Kunsan Air Base Aug. 20 and 10 Air Force bases across several different major commands and continents to study how much time Airmen spend away from their primary duties. Made up of members from the Air Staff, the Air Force Personnel Center and the Air Force

  • AF senior leaders address Hill Airmen

    The acting secretary of the Air Force and the Air Force chief of staff spoke to top leaders and several thousand airmen here Aug. 22. Michael Donley and Gen. Norton Schwartz brought a tone mixed with both optimism and practicality in their speeches to Airmen. "It's been two months and one day since

  • Airmen provide care to 1,500 Guatemalans

    California Air National Guard members provided care to more than 1,500 Guatemalans over a three-day period from Aug. 18 to 20 living in Aldea Estanzuelas near Santa Rosa.Members of the 163rd Medical Group are in Guatemala as part of a two-week medical readiness training exercise as the Airmen

  • Memorial designer reflects on work as opening nears

    Being chosen to design the Pentagon Memorial that will be dedicated here Sept. 11 is an achievement that may never be topped in an architect's career, one of the Pentagon Memorial's lead designers said. Keith Kaseman and Julie Beckman, his wife and business partner, were selected in March 2003 out

  • Officials stand up HUMINT detachment

    Air Force officials re-established human intelligence Aug. 14 as a core intelligence discipline to focus on critical Air Force HUMINT requirements. It was marked by the formal establishment of a HUMINT detachment, collocated with the Air Force Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Agency's

  • Airmen receive Sijan leadership award

    The Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force Gen. Duncan J. McNabb presented the Lance P. Sijan Air Force Leadership Award to four Airmen during a ceremony Aug. 20 at the Pentagon. The award, named after the first U.S. Air Force Academy graduate to receive the Medal of Honor, recognizes Airmen who

  • NATO AWACS conducts Strike Eagle dogfights

    A NATO E-3A Sentinel and its crew arrived here Aug. 8 to conduct training missions with 4th Fighter Wing aircrews. The Sentinel, which is an Airborne Early Warning and Control System aircraft from Geilenkirchen, Germany, will conduct mock dogfights between the wing's fighter aircraft. Using its

  • Air and Space Basic Course celebrates 10 years

    Air University's Air and Space Basic Course here marks its 10-year anniversary in August as course and local officials are celebrating. In a surprise announcement Aug. 19, Montgomery, Ala., Mayor Bobby Bright proclaimed that Aug. 23 would be known as Air and Space Basic Course Day in Montgomery. "We

  • Early lessons shaped Air Force chief of staff's perspective

    The Air Force chief of staff recently shared some insight on the experiences that shaped his career and perspective he carries with him in his new position. The general spoke as part of Air Force Week in the Heartland Aug. 15 at the Criss Auditorium of the Bellevue University here. Gen. Norton A.

  • Team puts travel voucher process under microscope

    Air Force Reserve Command officials here hosted a total force team of financial experts from around the Air Force Aug. 11 through 14 to improve delays in processing travel vouchers. The team, under the direction of Richard P. "Gus" Gustafson, the deputy assistant secretary for financial operations

  • Reaper drops bomb on anti-Iraqi forces

    An MQ-9 Reaper dropped a 500-pound bomb against an anti-Iraqi target Aug. 16 in one of the first weapons engagements for the unmanned aircraft system.The Reaper began flying combat sorties in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom July 18 and joined the MQ-1 Predator as another UAS patrolling the sky to

  • Reestablished council reaches milestones

    The Air Force's reestablished Force Management and Development Council has reached two milestones, securing the vice chief of staff's endorsement of the Air Force Learning Committee and the Officer Force Development Panel. The council, chaired by Gen. Duncan J. McNabb, reestablished its charter

  • Village resident receives volunteer award

    When people make it to 81 years, they may be tempted to take it easy. But for one resident of the Air Force Enlisted Village here, kicking back is the last thing she wants. Instead, Dian Haynes has made volunteerism her call to duty, and she recently was recognized by the Florida Association of

  • Airmen gather for professional development conferences

    Airmen from around the globe will assemble in San Antonio for the Air Force Sergeants Association Professional Airmen's Conference Aug. 23 to 27. "This conference is a tremendous opportunity for those serving in and supporting our Air Force to meet and share their knowledge and ideas," said Chief

  • University course teaches principles of information operations

    In the midst of the Korean War in the 1950s an American fighter pilot came up with a revolutionary concept that changed tactical, operational and strategic war planning. Based on his tactical dogfighting experience with North Korean MiGs, Col. John Boyd coined the term - OODA (observe, orient,

  • PRT proving ingenuity is all it takes to make a difference

    In a country where the reality is that parents will have to bury one of their children before the age of 5, members of a coalition provincial reconstruction team at Zabul, Afghanistan, are working to reverse this staggering trend. After two Air Force medical professionals spent some time on the

  • Manas Airmen give from their hearts to fix 'broken' ones

    Some Airmen deployed here recently demonstrated the gift of compassion through a donation that will help mend the hearts of Kyrgyz children in need of life saving operations. In response to a challenge from the 376th Air Expeditionary Wing vice commander, Col. Robert Athan, to match his $1,000

  • Expeditionary Center students save a life

    Two Air Force Expeditionary Center's Contingency Response Mission Orientation Course students attending class here saved a man from drowning on their off-duty time July 30 in Bordentown, N.J.Staff Sgt. Milton Cobo and Senior Airman Nestor Rivas went to the do some studying with their classmates and

  • Career enlisted aviator positions open for retraining

    The Air Force still has openings for first term Airmen to retrain into the flight engineer and flight attendant specialties and other career enlisted aviator positions. In addition to the FTA openings, staff and technical sergeants required to retrain under the Noncommissioned Officer Retraining

  • Predator passes 400,000 flight hours

    The MQ-1 Predator unmanned aircraft system surpassed 400,000 flight hours during a mission in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility Aug. 18. Members of the 15th Reconnaissance Squadron, part of the 432nd Air Expeditionary Wing at Creech Air Force Base, Nev., flew the milestone mission in

  • Chief McKinley talks about Air Force focus areas

    "Hold your heads up high," said Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force Rodney J. McKinley during his enlisted call in the Louis F. Garland Department of Defense Fire Academy high bay here Aug. 13. The chief opened his talk by telling Airmen that despite the bumps and bruises the Air Force has taken

  • Future Predator/Reaper formal training unit announced

    Gen. John D.W. Corley, Air Combat Command commander, with concurrence from the Chief of Staff of the Air Force, announced today that Holloman AFB, N.M., is the preferred potential location for an additional unmanned aircraft system formal Training unit. This is the first step in a series of actions

  • Iraqi soldiers taught 'strength through truth' in PA course

    Iraqi Special Operations Forces have learned the value of "strength through truth" through a public affairs and photojournalism course conducted in Baghdad, Iraq, recently. Ten ISOF soldiers who graduated the 15-day course can now effectively combat anti-Iraqi forces' misinformation campaigns. As

  • Airmen help Iraqi pilot earn his wings

    Dressed in a tan flight suit adorned with the Iraqi flag, an L.A. Dodgers hat and aviator sunglasses, one pilot is helping his country take a step closer to having an independent air force. With help from U.S. Airmen, Iraqi air force Maj. Thagel took his last training flight prior to being certified

  • Travis, California firefighters extinguish blaze

    Travis Air Force Base emergency responders and members from several fire departments from the local area battled through the night and into the morning to prevent an eight-alarm blaze from potentially spreading through base housing Aug 16. The fire initially started off base at approximately 3 p.m.

  • Offutt Airmen hold airshow for special needs families

    Airmen here pulled out all the stops to make several hundred people smile a little more during the Aug. 15 Air Force Week in the Heartland Special Needs Airshow. Offutt Air Force Base Airmen brought community members who would have difficulties attending the official airshow schedule because of

  • Georgian humanitarian mission builds

    The humanitarian mission under way in Georgia is intended to alleviate suffering for now and will move into longer-range help in the future, officials said at a Pentagon news conference Aug. 15. The Air Force has sent two supply-filled C-17 Globemaster III transports into Georgia's capital of

  • AF Marathon offers more than 26.2 mile race

    People can become a part of history by registering for the 12th annual United States Air Force Marathon. The event will take place Sept. 20 at here at Wright-Patterson AFB, near Dayton, Ohio. Races include the full marathon, including wheeled division; a half-marathon; and individual and four-member

  • Air Force surgeon general returns to Heartland

    The surgeon general of the Air Force and native Nebraskan returned to his home state during Air Force Week in the Heartland Aug. 13 in Omaha. Lt. Gen. (Dr.) James G. Roudebush, originally from Gering, Neb., retraced his roots and visited the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Medicine

  • Air Force Week mixes past, present, future at museum

    Airmen brought current and future operations to the historic Strategic Air and Space Museum here Aug. 13 as part of Air Force Week in the Heartland. At a venue famous for Gen. Curtis LeMay exhibits, numerous aircraft and the home base for looking back at the Air Force's former Strategic Air Command,