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  • 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,

  • SECAF, CSAF stress 'back to basics'

    The acting secretary and new chief of staff of the Air Force emphasized a "back-to-basics" approach to get the Air Force back on track in areas ranging from the nuclear enterprise to acquisition in an Aug. 12 press conference at the Pentagon. Secretary Michael Donley introduced Gen. Norton Schwartz,

  • Air Force museum receives highest national recognition

    The National Museum of the United States Air Force has again achieved accreditation by American Association of Museums officials. It is the highest national recognition a museum can receive.  Accreditation signifies excellence to the museum community, to governments, funders, outside agencies and to

  • Air Force officials announce staff sergeant selections

    Air Force officials selected 12,209 of 28,098 eligible senior airmen for promotion to staff sergeant for a selection rate of 43.45 percent. The average score for those selected was 268.39, with an average time in grade and time in service of 2.25 and 4.85 years respectively. The average score was

  • General Schwartz to Airmen: Be proud

    On his first day after being sworn in as the Air Force chief of staff, Gen. Norton Schwartz wasted no time in getting his message out to Airmen. "The key thing we need to do is achieve stability," General Schwartz said. "At the same time, we need to focus on those things that are most important,

  • General Schwartz in as 19th chief of staff

    The Air Force's 19th chief of staff spoke of mending fences and earning trust in his speech after taking charge of the service during a ceremony here Aug. 12. "Without trust, we are nothing," Gen. Norton A. Schwartz said to the crowd of about 600 people on the base's ceremonial lawn. "Trust must be

  • Test satellite to provide warfighters eye in the sky

    Fans of the television show "24" often watch fictional counter-terrorist agent Jack Bauer wipe out adversary cells even though he is often severely outnumbered. In his favor, he usually has real-time satellite locations of his enemies sent to his personal digital assistant so that he is always one

  • Airmen feedback essential to additional duty study

    Airmen may now take advantage of a free-form text questionnaire, readily identifying additional duties they believe are non-value added or need redesigning. The Air Force Manpower Agency here will use this feedback to assist in the Air Force's drive to reduce additional duty demands in order to free

  • Airman helps injured warriors 'face' the world

    The characteristics of a person's face are unmistakable. They are the uniqueness that makes you recognize a family member, a friend, a co-worker. Now imagine suddenly being stripped of those defining characteristics. Many Soldiers, Sailors, Airman, and Marines have experienced this debilitating

  • Air Force secretary meets veterans, addresses issues

    The acting secretary of the Air Force talked to Airmen, military veterans and Nebraska civic leaders during Air Force Week in the Heartland Aug. 11 in Omaha and at Offutt Air Force Base, Neb. Secretary Michael B. Donley had breakfast with Airmen assigned to Offutt AFB, visited the Veterans

  • $1 headset fix improves Predator mission

    MQ-1 Predator unmanned aerial system pilots here can now talk over a secure Internet phone line using their headsets thanks to one Airman's ingenuity and one dollar. Staff Sgt. Ray Stetler, the NCO in charge of base information and infrastructure for the 407th Expeditionary Communications Squadron

  • Raptor crews practice drive-through refueling

    Now that the F-22 Raptor arrival ceremonies are over and the anticipation of the arrival has subsided, Airmen here are on an aggressive training schedule to prepare them for combat operations. As part of that training, members of the 49th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron and 49th Logistics Readiness

  • Pilots provide emergency close air support

    For F-15E Strike Eagle and A-10 Thunderbolt pilots deployed here, joint terminal attack controllers, or JTACs,  play a vital role in the close air support mission. However, there's not always a JTAC on the ground when close air support, or CAS,  is needed. In these rare situations, pilots step

  • Conference highlights force support transformation efforts

    In June, signifying A1 Force Support transformation efforts, more than 350 manpower, personnel and services commanders, directors of personnel, major command, field operating agency and Air Staff leaders gathered in Keystone, Colo., for the first combined worldwide conference. With the integration

  • Weather Agency provides edge to warfighters

    Today's warfighters are constantly looking for any combat advantage that they can gain on their enemies. One factor that can be the difference between a failed mission and a successful one is the weather. Bad weather can disable a Global Positioning System unit or cause low visibility for an

  • Sergeant improves process, saves time

    An Airman with the 437th Maintenance Squadron wheel and tire shop has helped save man-hours with a better way of cleaning C-17 Globemaster III nose-wheel bolts that need to be inspected. Tech. Sgt. Eddie Melendez, an aircraft maintenance craftsman in the 437 MXS wheel and tire shop aircraft

  • Plans under way for net-centric operations conference

    Officials from the Electronic Systems Center and the Patriot Roost Chapter of the Association of Old Crows are teaming again to host a net-centric operations conference Sept. 22 at the Wentworth by the Sea Hotel in New Castle, N.H. "This year we are exploring the needs of not only the defense

  • Base members improve processes to increase efficiency

    Members of the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing here have refined and streamlined processes in order to increase productivity and the level of support provided to the warfighter in theater.Supporting an average of 70 missions per day couldn't be accomplished without the combined logistical support of

  • New training structure benefits Iraqi firefighters

    Iraqi firefighters can now sharpen their abilities to operate effectively inside burning structures with the aid of a new training facility here. Seven Iraqi firefighters learned search and rescue tactics at the new facility July 30 alongside firefighters from the 506th Expeditionary Civil Engineer

  • Servicemembers treat 8,100 patients, livestock in Mali

    American servicemembers completed the largest annual humanitarian medical exercise in Africa July 26 after two-weeks of intense training and humanitarian assistance in villages throughout Mali. Airmen from Aviano Air Base, Italy, were among more than 90 servicemembers who deployed for the

  • Wilford Hall doctor voted top volunteer teacher

    The director of the Medical Intensive Care Unit at Wilford Hall Medical Center here has been recognized as the top volunteer clinical teacher by students at the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences School of Medicine. Maj. (Dr.) David Rice was selected by the USU Class of 2008 as this

  • Airman's Roll Call: Opportunities for Airmen to LEAD

    This week's Airman's Roll Call highlights opportunities for enlisted Airmen to attend the U.S. Air Force Academy through the Leaders Encouraging Airman Development program. Initiated in 1995 by former Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Ronald R. Fogleman, the LEAD program delegates authority to unit and

  • Airman takes top songwriting prize

    An Airman crafts an autobiographical pop song.  A Marine pens a song about standing watch. A sailor scribbles a lullaby for his son.  A soldier raps into a tape recorder to entertain his unit. Songwriters like these servicemembers were among the many who submitted their original songs to this year's

  • Senior NCO Academy class dedicates memorial

    Time stood still at the Air Force Senior Non-commissioned Officer Academy July 23 as more than 400 people remembered one of the most definitive moments in recent American history. Airmen in Class 08-Delta unveiled four glass and steel panels on a clock tower in the courtyard of Maxwell-Gunter's

  • Sister service siblings serve side-by-side

    They grew up with stories about his heroism and bravery as a 19-year-old Soldier. They knew of his sacrifice to leave his new bride and his dedication to serve his nation. They were told he suffered a great loss and was never the same after he watched his best friend die on D-Day. They admired his

  • Air Force veterans participate in national wheelchair games

    The eyes of the man in the wheelchair narrow as he focuses on the opponent holding the ball. Delvin McMillan wants the ball and he is determined to get it at any cost. He reaches down and spins the battered metal wheels of his modified chair that looks like it came straight from the set of the

  • Pope command posts combine to increase efficiency

    Members of the 440th Airlift Wing Command Post here recently merged with the 43rd Airlift Wing Command Post as part of the Air Force's continuing initiative to operate more efficiently. Since April 1, both Reserve and active-duty controllers have been operating from the same schedule and sharing the

  • Chief receives newspaper's Airman of the Year award

    When Staff Sgt. Christopher Slaydon awoke from his combat injuries three weeks after arriving at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, the command chief for the 12th Flying Training Wing at nearby Randolph Air Force Base was at his bedside."As soon as I awoke, Chief Master Sgt. Stephen Page

  • Ali Airmen mourn loss of K-9 team member

    Airmen with the 407th Provost Marshal Office here Aug. 1 held a memorial service for a K-9 member after his unexpected death from natural causes July 28. Goro, an 8-year-old German shepherd, was one month into his sixth deployment. Staff Sgt. Sean Neisen, deployed from the 435th Security Forces

  • Coast Guard celebrates 218th birthday

    The following birthday message is sent to the men and women of the U.S. Coast Guard from Adm. Michael G. Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff:On this, the 218th birthday of the United States Coast Guard, our nation pauses to say thanks to you, our guardians of the sea. For more than two

  • General McNabb confirmed by Senate

    Gen. Duncan McNabb soon will assume command of the United States Transportation Command. With the Senate confirmation vote Aug. 1, the 34-year Air Force veteran will become the ninth USTRANSCOM commander. General McNabb provided testimony to the Senate Armed Services Committee on July 22 prior

  • Chairman praises military Olympians

    As more than a dozen military athletes head to Beijing for the Summer Olympics, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff lauded their accomplishments and sent his best wishes. "Wherever I travel around the world, whether it's Iraq, Afghanistan or even the Far East, I see so many spectacular young

  • Senate confirms General Schwartz as next chief of staff

    Gen. Norton A. Schwartz, a 35-year veteran in special operations, will be the 19th Air Force chief of staff, according to a Senate confirmation vote which occurred Aug. 1. General Schwartz provided testimony to the Senate Armed Services Committee on July 22, before the full Senate voted on his

  • Elmendorf community mourns fallen commander

    Airmen and members of the local community paid tribute to the 3rd Wing commander during a memorial service July 31 at Hangar 1 here.Brig. Gen. Thomas L. Tinsley passed away July 27 at his on-base residence. "General Tinsley was a true leader and Airmen warrior and his untimely death is a loss to the

  • 20th EBS honors fallen by taking flight, continuing mission

    A memorial service was held here July 25 to honor the men of "Raider 21" who lost their lives when the B-52H Stratofortress they were flying crashed off the coast of Guam July 21. Nearly 2,000 Airmen, friends and family gathered to honor the 20th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron crew and Col. George

  • Study to focus on Airmen's time

    A team, chartered by Lt. Gen. Richard Newton III, deputy chief of staff for manpower and personnel, will visit 10 Air Force bases to study the numerous strains on Airmen's time in today's resource-constrained environment. "We are at war and (operations) tempo is very high," General Newton said.

  • Fire task force mission becomes 'wait and see'

    With the latest California wildfires mostly under control, Army and Air National Guard aircrews supporting the firefighting effort can finally begin to breathe, as many aircraft are pulled from active support to a stand-by role. Since the California fires began June 21, Army and Air National Guard

  • Jointness key to command afloat during JTFEX 08-4

    Airmen, Soldiers, Sailors, Marines and Coast Guardsmen exercised jointness aboard a Navy ship along the eastern U.S. coast from Virginia to Florida July 21-31 for Joint Task Force Exercise 08-4 "Operation Brimstone." Aboard the USS Bataan, U.S. servicemembers and some coalition forces are working

  • No cargo too large for Sather aerial port Airmen

    Sometimes good things come in big packages, and occasionally they come in very big packages. For the aerial port Airman assigned to the 447th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron, there is no package that's too big or cargo that they can't handle. With only a day's notice, these Airmen

  • Chaplain delivers House invocation

    When Speaker Pro Tem Ellen Tauscher dropped the gavel July 10, the chamber of the U.S. House of Representatives grew quiet and an Air Force officer stood behind the podium. Chaplain (Maj.) Matt Franke, an Air Force legislative fellow in the office of Rep. Bob Inglis of South Carolina, delivered an

  • Happy birthday, NASA!

    NASA is 50 years old. It was established on July 29, 1958, when President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the National Aeronautics and Space Act, providing for research into the problems of flight within Earth's atmosphere and in space. The act inaugurated a new civilian agency designated the National

  • Pope medics train Travis Airmen for deployment

    As the C-130 Hercules makes its final approach on the torn-up runway, the 15 Airmen kneeling on the grass 100 feet away rise as one, making sure the litter they are carrying is stable, and walk toward the flightline. At the back of the aircraft, the litter team is directed where to load their

  • Academy ranks top in professor availability for 4th time

    The Air Force Academy's professors are the most accessible in the nation for the fourth year in a row, according to The Best 368 Colleges text, released July 29 by the Princeton Review. Faculty availability is an expectation at a military service academy. At the U.S. Air Force Academy, the

  • Airmen provide free services, products to Hondurans

    More than 740 people from the village of San Antonio De Canada, Honduras, came to a medical readiness training exercise condcted by the Joint Task Force-Bravo Medical Element here July 25. The exercise was designed to provide U.S. servicemembers with real-world training in austere locations, as well

  • CSTC-A team contributes to development of police force

    More than 200 students were processed into the Regional Training Center here by Afghan National Police and Afghan civilians, with the help of Combined Security Transition Command-Afghanistan mentors. The police students arrived July 19 for Focused District Development training, a program to create a

  • McKinley: Airmen play key roles in joint National Guard

    Airmen are an integral part of fulfilling an increasingly joint National Guard's domestic and overseas missions, the director of the Air National Guard said here July 23. Lt. Gen. Craig McKinley told a record-breaking audience of 1,500 gathered for the National Guard Bureau Joint Family Program

  • Wilford Hall ECMO team helps save baby

    A crew of Air Force and civilian medical specialists flew to Honolulu July 21 to transport a 12-day-old baby girl to Rady Children's Hospital in California for advanced medical care. The 11-member critical care air transport team, which included a neonatal critical care physician, neonatology

  • Airmen maintain force protection through vigilance

    They all have different backgrounds and home stations, but the Airmen who work in the 407th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron Force Protection Section are conditioned and tasked with a critical duty: maintaining the installation's internal safety and security. Though Airmen assigned to 407th

  • Many Airmen, one mission: 'Defend the Base'

    The 332nd Expeditionary Security Forces Group activated here July 24, and while made up of many Airmen, the group's purpose is singular: "Defend the Base." The 332nd ESFG will assume every aspect of base defense, including the Joint Defense Operations Center, the Quick Reaction Force, base perimeter

  • 386th ELRS tests new Humvee modification

    The 386th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron's vehicle maintenance section is testing two new modifications for the M1116 up-armored high mobility multipurpose wheeled vehicles' (Humvee) condenser, hoping the improvement will eventually become standard in all M1116 Humvees throughout the

  • Elmendorf commander dies of gunshot wound

    Brig. Gen. Thomas L. Tinsley, commander of the 3rd Wing here, died of a gunshot wound July 27 at his on-base residence. Elmendorf medical authorities responded and General Tinsley was declared dead at approximately 10:30 pm July 27. The general had served as the wing commander here since May

  • Air Force observes integration's 60th anniversary

    In ceremonies and speeches throughout the week, the Air Force and its sister services observed the 60th anniversary since racial integration was mandated in the military. On July 26, 1948, President Harry S Truman signed Executive Order 9981, which states, "It is hereby declared to be the policy of

  • AF, Army firefighters contain real-world blaze in Iraq

    Air Force and Army firefighters worked in the searing sun July 22 to contain a fire that engulfed six closely situated structures here. A call to the Joint Base Balad Fire Department at 12:30 p.m. set into motion an emergency-management response of firefighters and civilian volunteers. No one was