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  • Chairman of Joint Chiefs sends Armed Forces Day message

    Today, American citizens will pause to honor those of you who accept the grave and honorable responsibility of defending our country.  It is right we do so. The world remains a dangerous place. The hundreds of thousands of you who have deployed since September 11th -- many of you more than once --

  • Kunsan hosts peninsula-wide weapons load competition

    Officials from the 8th Fighter Wing hosted a peninsula-wide weapons load competition May 10 at Kunsan Air Base. A South Korean air force team and American teams competed in the event as members of the 35th Fighter Squadron from Kunsan AB swept the competition. Other teams competing were from the

  • Iraqi air force performs medical evacuation

    May 14 marked another significant event when members of the Iraqi air force flew its first medical evacuation mission since the beginning of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The crew consisted of an Iraqi pilot, flight medic and aerial gunner -- each with a U.S. military counterpart -- as they transported

  • Officials extend spouse career advancement initiative

    Career and training opportunities for military spouses just got better, as the Defense and Labor departments' career advancement demonstration project has been expanded to include all active-duty military spouses, along with four additional career fields. "In the first days of the demonstration

  • Airmen airdrop messages to Iraqi citizens

    A nine-member 737th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron C-130 Hercules aircrew took off from a Southwest Asian air base and airdropped several hundred thousand leaflets to Iraqi citizens on the ground recently.  Dropping leaflets with information for the local citizens is aimed at improving interactions

  • SECAF discusses 'culture shift' toward continuous process improvement

    Speaking to more than 500 military members and civilians representing all services, as well as interagency and international partners, during the Department of Defense Continuous Process Improvement Symposium May 13, Secretary of the Air Force Michael Wynne emphasized Department of Defense officials

  • Air Force officials award strategic partner contract

    Air Force officials here recently announced the award of the Personnel Services Delivery Transformation - Strategic Partner contract to Lockheed Martin Services, Inc. The PSDT-SP includes strategic planning, business process re-engineering, change management and total force service center

  • Deployed environmental stewardship pays off

    In the middle of the desert, Airmen have gone 'green'. These green Airmen, deployed to the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing, are participating in a recycling program designed to reduce the waste produced at an air base in Southwest Asia. Items such as wooden pallets, metals, cardboard, plastic bottles

  • Area Processing Center consolidates mail, file sharing

    A new Area Processing Center that enables the Air Force to consolidate e-mail, Web, file-sharing and other information services for more than 160,000 active-duty Air Force, contractors, civilians and Air National Guardsmen into one location opened May 1 at Andrews Air Force Base, Md. This is a

  • Judge advocate general announces award winners

    Maj. Gen. Jack L. Rives, the Air Force judge advocate general, has announced the 2007 Judge Advocate General Award winners. The award recipients will be formally recognized at an awards banquet during KEYSTONE 2008, the JAG Corps' leadership summit, to be held the first week of November in

  • Aircrews stand by to continue Burma relief mission

    For Capt. Trevor Hall, flying a C-130 Hercules to deliver humanitarian relief is largely what his mission is all about. Captain Hall and his aircrew were one of a handful of C-130s allowed to deliver relief supplies to the people of Burma in the wake of Tropical Cyclone Nagris that swept through the

  • AEF Evolution; Implementing a tempo-based construct

    An improved Global Air and Space Expeditionary Force construct will soon use a tempo-based rule set, building on the current 20-month cycle of five 120-day AEF pairs. Air Force chief of staff Gen. T. Michael Moseley recently approved the implementation of this tempo-based Global AEF force-generation

  • Board seeks nominations for in-residence schools

    The annual Air Force Reserve Development Education Designation Board will convene at the Air Reserve Personnel Center here in November to select Reserve officers for in-residence developmental education schools for the 2009-2010 academic year. The board will select qualified Airmen to attend

  • NORAD, USNORTHCOM open integrated command center

    North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Northern Command unveiled their new integrated command center in a ceremony May 13 attended by dignitaries from both Canada and the U.S. The command center opening coincided with NORAD's 50-year anniversary of the partnership between Canada and the

  • Air Force hosts 36th annual National Image Conference

    Air Force officials recently hosted the National Image Conference in Las Vegas.  The theme was "From Heritage to New Horizons." National Image Inc. was founded in 1972 to address the needs of Hispanic employees in the federal government and later was expanded to increase its impact on employment,

  • 'Aggressive' training helps pilots outmaneuver enemy

    Members of the 18th Aggressor Squadron are playing an important role in Northern Edge 2008, an annual joint-training exercise currently taking place here. "We are the bad guys. We are the 'aggressors,'" said Tech. Sgt. Gary Pursley, an F-16 Fighting Falcon flightline expeditor for the 18th Aircraft

  • Camp Eggers staff visit Afghan girls' school

    Nearly 70 members of Combined Security Transition Command-Afghanistan delivered backpacks, toys and school supplies to the Zabuli Education Center for Girls and Women May 8 outside of Kabul. American servicemembers from Camp Eggers visited the school as part of the volunteer community relations

  • First wave of ROTC field training gets underway

    More than 360 ROTC cadets, mostly upcoming juniors from 144 colleges nationwide, kicked off the first wave of summer field training May 8 at Maxwell Air Force Base. In the next three months, Air Force ROTC officials forecast more than 2,300 cadets will participate in the annual training that serves

  • Prepositioning weapons at Balad to save $1.3 million

    Balad Air Base has been chosen by Air Force leaders to be the test base for a weapons prepositioning initiative expected to save the Air Force approximately $1.3 million per year in transportation costs. This initiative involves the prepositioning of M-9s and M-16s that will allow certain Airmen to

  • Individual deployment information now visible on vMPF

    Air Force Personnel Center officials here have taken another step to support Airmen and ensure all members know their air expeditionary force deployment status. Airmen can now access this information through the center's virtual military personnel flight, or vMPF. This capability provides real-time

  • Alaska ANG KC-135s provide 'edge' anytime, anywhere

    Between eight and 12 KC-135 Stratotankers from Eielson Air Force Base depart each day, providing fuel to as many as 18 aircraft in one mission for Northern Edge 2008.The missions, flown by the Alaska Air National Guard's 168th Air Refueling Wing, deliver the fuel aircraft need to remain engaged in

  • FOL Manta helps give away 6,500 backpacks

    Members of Forward Operating Location Manta helped give away 6,500 backpacks that were purchased recently by U.S. Embassy officials in Quito, Ecuador, for underprivileged children. Embassy officials selected 23 schools with underprivileged children in Manabí province in areas affected by flooding:

  • Airmen participate in Ultimate Caduceus 08

    When an improvised explosive device "detonated" along Seattle's Alaskan Way Viaduct on May 1st, the ensuing blast and chemical truck explosion sent deadly methyl isocyanate into the air, causing hundreds of deaths and thousands more injured and sick. At least on paper. Ultimate Caduceus 08, part of

  • Airmen ready to render aid to Burma

    About 45 members of the 36th Contingency Response Group took a seven-hour flight to Utapao Air Base, Thailand, to provide humanitarian aid to the people of Burma. Published reports indicate more than 100,000 people were killed after a cyclone caused massive flooding in southern Burma May 3.

  • 'Today's Air Force' features AF Personnel Center

    This week's edition of "Today's Air Force" highlights a 21st-century administration facility. With the advancement in technology; the Air Force Personnel Center has facilitated the move of many administrative issues making it easier for Airmen to access important information. While Air Force people

  • AF Marathon officials spread word about upcoming event

    Officials from the U.S. Air Force Marathon office made a stop at the Pentagon May 6 and 7 to increase awareness for the Sept. 20 event held at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio. This is the twelfth year for the annual marathon, and officials hope to make it the biggest year yet. "Our

  • Robins NCO Academy prepares to close

    The Robins Air Force Base Noncommissioned Officers Academy officially closes May 20, one of several academies that have closed or are closing soon. The school started decreasing its staff a few months ago when the staff learned about the pending inactivation, said Chief Master Sgt. Roy Lapioli, the

  • Portable electronic power initiative energizes possibilities

    An Air Mobility Battlelab initiative could "energize" new possibilities for aeromedical evacuations in the future. Termed the Portable Electronic Power Supply for Aeromedical Evacuations, or PEPSAE, initiative, it addresses a problem of heavy and cumbersome avionic frequency converters used to power

  • 2007 Chaplain Service Award winners announced

    The chief of Air Force chaplains has announced the winners of the annual Air Force Chaplain Service Awards program for 2007. Winners were recognized in individual categories for both active and Reserve components, and Airmen at three chapels earned recognition as the Chaplain Service's most

  • Workforce cuts drive shift in personnel services delivery

    Personnel Services Delivery and Program Budget Decision 720 are two key programs that continue to push significant transformation in the Air Force. One of the newest changes making its way here is a product of both the streamlined personnel processes and increased manpower cuts resulting from PSD

  • New Joint Staff team evaluates wounded warrior programs

    A joint team formed by the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is looking at the broad range of care and support services for wounded warriors to find any gaps and tap into best practices to share across the force. Navy Adm. Mike Mullen stood up the Joint Staff Wounded Warrior Integration Team in

  • Air Force, military photographers recognized with special exhibit

    Several Air Force photographers recently found themselves in an unfamiliar position: In front of the cameras. The photographers, whose work is featured in a new exhibit,  "On the Other Side of the Lens ... Military Photographers in Action," were special guests at the opening May 1 at the National

  • Medical training exercise supports Partnership for Peace

    Fifteen nations are currently participating in the 2008 Medical Training Exercise in Central and Eastern Europe from May 2 through 14. The MEDCEUR is a Joint Chiefs of Staff regional/multilateral exercise sponsored by U.S. European Command and provides an opportunity for Air Force medical personnel

  • Air Force's only UAV wing marks one year in the fight

    Lt. Gen. Norman Seip, the 12th Air Force (Air Forces Southern) commander, congratulated Airmen at Creech Air Force Base May 6 as the 432nd Wing marked its first year as the Air Force's only MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aerial vehicle wing. "The 432nd Wing has grown exponentially over the

  • Air Force participates in pro cycling event

    The U.S. Air Force Cycling Classic sped off to a start with more than 300 amateur and professional cyclists against a backdrop of the Air Force Memorial and the Washington Monument May 4 here. This was the second year the Air Force hosted the event, formerly the Crystal City Classic, as part of

  • Air University transformation unifies all officer PME

    After several months of reformation planning, Air University Commander Lt. Gen. Stephen R. Lorenz activated the Spaatz Center for Officer Education April 29. The Spaatz Center is now the umbrella organization unifying the continuum of all Air Force officer professional military education, from the

  • First Virtual Uniform Board attracts Airmen response

    The first Air Force Virtual Uniform Board received about 800 uniform change requests via the IDEA Program Database System since its release in March. Airmen were able to submit uniform change requests via the IPDS between March 5 and April 14. The Uniform Enterprise Working Group -- acting as

  • Japanese NCOs visit Kadena

    Sixty-seven Japan Air Self Defense Force airmen participated in a bilateral exchange program April 23 at Kadena Air Base. The Japan Air Self Defense Force airmen visited the Erwin PME Center, Marshall Dining Facility, living quarters for both Airmen and NCOs, the physiological training facility, and

  • Airmen set up communication lines for exercise in Croatia

    Members of the 1st Combat Communications Squadron based out of Ramstein Air Base, Germany, began arriving in late April into Croatia to prepare network and phone systems for participants of the Medical Training Exercise in Central and Eastern Europe 2008 here.The 1st CBCS Airmen linked the more than

  • Engineers save Air Force millions with F100 engine test plan

    Collaboration between the F100 engine program office at Tinker Air Force Base, Okla., and test personnel at the Arnold Engineering Development Center here along with engine manufacturer Pratt and Whitney has led to reduced test costs for component improvement verification testing at AEDC facilities.

  • B-52 simulators receive overhaul

    With 19 years and more than 3,000 flying hours piloting the B-52 Stratofortress, Lt. Col. Tom Silvia is the right person to ensure the bomber' s simulator is realistic as overhauls are completed to bring it up to date.Realism was lacking previously in the simulators, the colonel said. The view of

  • Dashboard takes on AFCENT's coordination battle

    Air Force communicators assigned to U.S. Air Force Central Command communications have taken on a monumental cyber battle and are showing signs of victory with the roll out of Commander's Dashboard recently. The CC's Dashboard is the knowledge management system created by USAFCENT communicators to

  • Thais, Americans join forces for Exercise Teak Torch training

    About 130 Airmen from the 353rd Special Operations Group from Kadena Air Base, Japan, traveled to Udon Thani AB, to join forces with the Royal Thai air force for Exercise Teak Torch. "The joint combined exercise training events are designed to enhance U.S. military training and are conducted in many

  • AF Office of Special Investigations named team of the year

    Air Force and Air Force Association officials have named Air Force Office of Special Investigations as the 2008 Team of the Year. Each year, the AFA, working with major command level command chief master sergeants and the Office of the Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force, selects a specific Air

  • Multinational medical exercise begins in Croatia

    Croatians are welcoming exercise participants and support personnel from 15 nations who began arriving at Divulje Training Base, Croatia, April 21 for the Medical Training Exercise in Central and Eastern Europe 2008. The exercise, scheduled for May 2 through 15, is a U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff

  • Officials announce 2007 Thomas Jefferson Award winners

    Officials at the American Forces Information Service and the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs recently announced the winners of the 2007 Thomas Jefferson Awards. The Thomas Jefferson Awards program, named after the nation's third president and author of the Declaration

  • Vice chief honors World War II Airmen, heroes

    The Air Force vice chief of staff paid tribute to members of the Air Forces Escape and Evasion Society April 26 during the society's 44th annual reunion near Savannah, Ga. The AFEES primarily comprises Air Force World War II veterans who were forced down behind enemy lines and avoided or escaped

  • Airmen add color to deployed environment

    When the Taliban took power in 1996, they imposed a new way of life and removed basic freedoms for the people of Afghanistan. Among those freedoms was the banishment of art. For more than a decade, art has been missing from this society. So a group of 39 artists from Task Force MED wanted people to

  • AF officials select 37 Airmen for physician assistant training

    The Air Force officials selected 37 Airmen to attend the Tri-Service (Phase I) Physician Assistant training at Fort Sam Houston, Texas. The April 2008 Physician Assistant Board met at the Air Force Personnel Center in San Antonio to consider 61 applicants. In addition to those selected to attend

  • Air Force receives last GPS IIR satellite

    The Air Force received the last in a series of GPS IIR(M) satellites from Lockheed Martin during an recent fly-out ceremony at the Lockheed Martin facility in Valley Forge, Penn. "The IIR satellites have been great," said Lt. Col. Doug Schiess, operations officer for the 2nd Space Operations

  • Airmen help restore Berlin Airlift memorial

    Approximately 30 Airmen from Ramstein Air Base volunteered approximately 260 total man-hours to help restore the Berlin Airlift Memorial site at the former Rhein Main AB near Frankfurt International Airport in Germany April 22-24. Airmen teamed up with volunteer employees from Luftansa Technik, the

  • Smithsonian puts UAVs on display

    Officials at the Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum unveiled a new exhibit April 24 of military unmanned aerial vehicles representing each branch of service. Of the six UAVs on display, three artifacts came from the U.S. Air Force: - MQ-1L Predator A - RQ-3A Darkstar - X-45A

  • Air Force training records go digital

    Air Force officials are fielding two systems currently available through the Air Force Portal that make it easier to keep on-the-job training records up-to-date, saving time and money. Each Airman's Air Force Specialty Code will determine if their records will be maintained in one of these two

  • Academy football coach shares playbook for success

    Luke AFB Airmen received advice from the head football coach of the U.S. Air Force Academy during a visit to Luke AFB April 18. Troy Calhoun returned to the Academy as the head coach in December 2006, after a 10-year absence from the Falcon coaching staff. He replaced Fisher DeBerry, who was the

  • The contributions of America's Airmen

    Secretary of the Air Force Michael W. Wynne and Chief of Staff of the Air Force Gen. T. Michael Moseley have issued the following letter highlighting the contributions of America's Airmen:Airmen, This past Monday, the Secretary of Defense delivered an address at Maxwell AFB to the students of our

  • Distributed learning initiative delivers training anywhere, any time

    Every seven seconds, someone within the Defense Department completes an online training course through a program that's become the gold standard for delivering education and training anywhere, any time.The Advanced Distributed Learning Initiative, ADL for short, has grown by leaps and bounds since

  • Security forces fire with precision

    When Air Force battle requirements call for Airmen to observe, report and engage a target from close proximity, without being seen, they call for their sharpshooters. A sharpshooter's job is to deliver discriminatory, highly accurate rifle fire against enemy targets that otherwise could not be

  • Air Force family helps Purple Heart recipient, wife

    Staff Sgt. Matthew Slaydon lay motionless on a dusty road in Iraq, his body riddled with shrapnel after an improvised explosive device exploded about 2 feet from his face. His left arm hung by a couple of tendons and his face was unrecognizable. His friends worked frantically to save him from an

  • Spangdahlem Airmen ready to save lives, defend the base

    The day began with a bang, or, to be more precise, a mortar attack, kicking off Operation Saber Crown 08-06 at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, April 22. The exercise tests Airmen's ability to carry out operations and accomplish missions while in a war environment . "We are trying to refresh the minds

  • Top AF trainer receives feedback from ILO Airmen

    The commander of 2nd Air Force, responsible for the development, oversight and direction of all operational aspects of basic military training and technical schools for enlisted and support officers, kicked off a theater-wide tour April 22 at an air base in Southwest Asia. Maj. Gen. Michael Gould's

  • AFPC, AFMC temporarily collaborate to staff AFMC vacancies

    Air Force Personnel Center and Air Force Materiel Command officials are partnering to reduce the number of Air Force civilian personnel actions currently in the system. Four AFMC bases temporarily will assume responsibility for all AFMC civilian fill actions. The large civilian centers at Hill,

  • Honor Guard officials seeking experienced NCOs

    The Air Force Honor Guard, located on Bolling Air Force Base, Washington, D.C., is a small, selectively manned unit of just over 200 people, most of whom are young Airmen straight from basic training. Its primary mission is to render final military honors to Airmen and their family members in

  • Iron Flow program concludes at Kadena

    With the departure of the final three F-15C Eagles from Kadena Air Base April 23 to Air National Guard units in the United States, the 18th Wing concluded Kadena AB's role in the Pacific Air Forces Iron Flow program. Begun in 2005, the Iron Flow program was a process to exchange Kadena's aging F-15

  • AF, DOD leaders on tap for June Cyber Symposium

    The secretary of the Air Force and the vice chief of the Joint Chiefs of Staff will headline a list of high-level speakers scheduled to address the Air Force Cyberspace Symposium II set for June 17 to 19 at the Best Western Royal Plaza Hotel and Trade Center in Marlborough, Mass. Air Force Secretary

  • AMC team assesses VPP implementation

    An Air Mobility Command team traveled to Charleston AFB April 14 to conduct a week-long assessment to start the implementation of the Voluntary Protection Program. "The VPP is an Occupational Safety and Health Administration program that recognizes organizations with superior performance in safety

  • Aircraft maintainers key to sorties milestone

    If there was ever a question as to what the Air Force has contributed to the war on terrorism, it was answered this week. The Air Force just marked a historic milestone -- 1 million sorties, operational military flying missions, flown in support of the war on terrorism. Airmen at Balad Air Base,

  • Pitsenbarger rehonored at Moody after 42 years

    A fallen pararescueman was recognized for his heroic actions more than 42 years earlier during a Medal of Honor rededication ceremony April 18 at the Prisoner of War/Missing in Action Monument Park at Moody Air Force Base, Ga. Airman 1st Class William Pitsenbarger, known as "Pits" to his friends,

  • 2008 Hennessy Trophy winners announced

    Air Force Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Duncan J. McNabb has announced the winners of the 2008 Hennessy Trophy awards. The Hennessy Trophy is an annual award presented to Air Force installations with the best food-service programs. This year marks the 52th anniversary of the single- and multiple-facility

  • Doctors break ground with new voice recognition medical capabilities in Iraq

    The average professional types 50 to 70 words per minute. Lt. Col. (Dr.) John Mansfield, a urologist at the Air Force Theater Hospital here, claims he falls within that range. "Not bad, but I can talk at about 120 words per minute," Doctor Mansfield said, wearing a headset that he carries with him

  • Housing Web site fully functioning

    A free Department of Defense-sponsored housing referral Web site is fully operational for Air Force members and civilian employees looking for homes in the continental U.S. The Automated Housing Referral Network at www.ahrn.com contains listings for: · Off-base rentals · On-base military housing ·

  • Funding concerns remain for morale, welfare programs

    The director of Air Force Services testified before a house subcommittee April 17 about child care and other morale, welfare and recreation issues. "We've had significant budget cuts, and we've seen our programs reduced across the board," Arthur Myers said to members of the House Armed Services

  • American servicemembers visit Honduran military academy

    A group of U.S. Airmen and Soldiers from here gained insight into the Honduran military training academy and saw firsthand how the institution prepares candidates for service in the Honduran army April 16 in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. Academy staff and instructors welcomed the servicemembers from Soto

  • Airmen, reconstruction team improve Iraqi living conditions

    Airmen teamed with members of the Kirkuk Air Base Provincial Reconstruction Team during a training session designed to help Iraqis improve waste management practices in the region April 16 here. Members of the 506th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron Vehicle Management Flight trained 11

  • Senior leaders meet at Blue Summit

    On the 66th anniversary of the historic Doolittle Raid on imperial Japan, Secretary of the Air Force Michael W. Wynne and Chief of Staff Gen. T. Michael Moseley gathered every Air Force general officer and senior civilian to chart the future of air, space and cyberspace power at the Blue Summit.

  • Air Force officials observe National Small Business Week

    Small businesses support the full spectrum of Air Force operations that helps Airmen fly and fight in air, space and cyberspace, and Air Force officials are observing National Small Business Week that runs April 21 through 25.Small businesses deliver in a big way in innovation and technology to help

  • Air Force officials announce 2007 weather awards

    Air Force officials have released the 2007 Air Force Weather Awards. Military recipients of individual or team awards are entitled to wear the Air Force Recognition Ribbon, and civilian recipients of individual and team awards are entitled to wear the Air Force Recognition Lapel Pin. The Air Force

  • Kunsan Airman receives scholarship award

    A Kunsan Air Base Airman was awarded a scholarship for her exemplary service April 17 at a banquet in Seoul, South Korea. Airman 1st Class Jannette Meireles, an 8th Security Forces Squadron town patrol member, was recognized by United Service Organizations officials during the annual Six-Star Salute

  • Deep Freeze Airmen warm New Zealand community's heart

    Five-year-old Benjamin Laury talked about elephants, storm troopers and how cool pilots are -- all in a single, convoluted sentence -- as he looked around a C-17 Globemaster III April 17 here. As part of a home-schooling group invited to check out the enormous airplane that just flew into their

  • Bagram Airmen operate new transporter

    The Air Force high deck patient loading platform was designated operational with the transfer of five patients during a KC-135 Stratotanker channel mission from Afghanistan to Germany April 9. The HDPLP is a special-purpose vehicle with an enclosed lighted and climate-controlled cabin designed to

  • Award winners save $14.7 million for Air Force

    Nine individuals who saved the Air Force $14.7 million were recognized April 8 at the Pentagon as seven individuals won Air Force Productivity Excellence Awards and two won Air Force Exceptional Innovator Awards. Lt. Gen. Richard Y. Newton III, the Air Force deputy chief of staff for manpower,

  • Analysts recall pioneering scientist

    Top Air Force analysts are remembering the pioneering work of Dr. Alex Orden, who died five months after they honored him and a co-worker during a 60th anniversary celebration at the Pentagon. Dr. Orden worked from 1947 to 1952 on Project SCOOP, the Scientific Computation of Optimum Programs, which

  • Cyber Command officials define unit's scope

    Ray guns and light sabers may be weapons of science fiction, but using energy as a warfighting tool is one area that members of the Air Force Cyber Command's 450th Electronic Warfare Wing will be charged with exploring. While details of the wing's composition, mission and manning are still being

  • SECAF receives DOD/IG investigation report

    Secretary of the Air Force Michael W. Wynne took administrative action on three members, including a general officer, and referred action for two others to their chain of command, for their roles in the Thunderbird Air Show Production Services contract. The decision follows the completion of a

  • Air Force enhances medical scholarships with $20,000 bonus

    Students selected by Air Force officials for three- or four-year medical school scholarships in fiscal 2008 will get an extra $20,000 in their wallets with the new Critical Skills Accession Bonus. Qualified Medical Corps Health Professions Scholarship Program recipients awarded contracts from Oct.

  • Airman becomes citizen in Pentagon ceremony

    Senior Airman Cassandra Obermuller Brandon's grandmother set her straight. For years, the Airman flip-flopped around the idea of becoming an American citizen. Born and raised in Linden, Guyana, the 28-year-old Air Force reservist still felt a connection to the warm, tropical land of her birth. But

  • Joint Chiefs chairman strives for balance in current role

    To keep U.S. forces well resourced, trained and poised for unknown future threats, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff strives for balance, he said April 16. Whether weighing regional versus global threats, military resources against mission needs, or adjusting the amount of deployment time

  • New satellite provides more power, better warfighter support

    The most powerful communications satellite in the Department of Defense inventory is circling the Earth and went operational April 15.The Wideband Global SATCOM, or WGS, satellite is the first of six satellites that will take over long-haul communications from the legacy constellation, the Defense

  • Officials work to improve absentee-voting procedures, boost participation

    The Defense Department has made great strides over the past four years to ensure servicemembers, particularly those stationed and deployed overseas, have greater opportunity to vote, a senior defense official told Congress April 15. Michael L. Dominguez, principal deputy undersecretary of defense

  • International basketball tournament kicks off at Lackland

    A crowd of more than 100 people witnessed the opening ceremony of the 2008 International Military Sports Council Basketball Tournament April 14 at the Lackland Air Force Base parade grounds. The tournament features teams from the United States, Greece, Italy, South Korea, Canada, Latvia and

  • Air Force Assistance Fund campaign ends May 4

    There is still time for Airmen to make a contribution to the Air Force Assistance Fund campaign, which began Feb. 12 and ends May 4. As of April 15, this year's AFAF campaign is $2.2 million short of its $5.7 million goal. Last year, Airmen exceeded the campaign goal of $5.3 million with more than

  • Red Flag-Alaska pilots engage in realistic combat scenarios

    Aerial dog-fights between 10 or more jets and dodging simulated missiles may sound like a boss-level of a video game, but it's really the daunting experience of a combat pilot during the Exercise Red Flag-Alaska 08-2 that runs April 3 through 18 at Eielson Air Force Base. Red Flag-Alaska is a

  • Consultant program begins at ACC family readiness centers

    Eleven Air Combat Command bases will start using a new Military and Family Life Consultant Program by April 28 to meet the emerging needs of active duty Airmen, guardsmen, reservists and their family members. The new program will provide workshops and nonmedical, short-term counseling services to

  • Presidential Rank Awards presented to senior AF civilians

    Air Force officials recognized the career achievements of 20 senior civilians April 14 during the annual Presidential Rank Awards Ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery. "Our distinguished winners are products of a lifetime of dedication to their trade (and) the Air Force," said Secretary of the

  • Coast Guard awards sergeant for heroic actions

    Staff Sgt. John M. Rosenberry, Sr., poses alongside the gravesite of his friend Kevin Mark Emerson in Jetersville, Va., after the Coast Guard presented him a medal for his life-saving actions during a ceremony April 11. Sergeant Rosenberry was awarded the Coast Guard Silver Lifesaving Medal, and Mr.

  • Airmen respond to coalition fire in Iraq

    Airmen from the Ali Base fire department and provost marshal's office responded to a structure fire in the Romanian coalition force camp here April 11 here. The 407th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron firefighters and military police Airmen from the 407th Provost Marshal's office immediately

  • Secretary of state receives honorary Air University degree

    Air University officials presented an honorary doctor of letters degree upon Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice for her academic achievements and contributions to international relations and national security April 14 here. Lt. Gen. Stephen R. Lorenz, the Air University commander, gave Secretary

  • Eielson intelligence flight supports Red Flag-Alaska

    Airmen with the 354th Operations Support Squadron Intelligence Flight here are providing U.S. and allied forces intelligence scenarios and targeting materials to support Exercise Red Flag-Alaska 08-2 running April 3 through 18. Eielson Air Force Base and Elmendorf AFB, Alaska, are the home of Red

  • Honduras, American medics gather to share skills

    More than 35 Honduran doctors, nurses and emergency medical members met with Joint Task Force-Bravo medics to discuss emergency procedures April 6 at Hospital Militar Luis Alonso Discua in Honduras. During the exchange, American medics stationed at Soto Cono Air Base explained emergency protocols

  • Tiny stones cause boulder-sized pain for those deployed

    Battlefield warriors, in peak physical condition, the toughest of the tough, are being brought to their knees, writhing on the floor in tears and pain. The culprit -- kidney stones. Surgeries to remove the small calcium deposits are the most common non-trauma related surgery performed at the Air

  • Deployed Airmen serve on Reserve's 60th anniversary

    More than 1,400 Air Force reservists will celebrate their command's 60th anniversary April 14 while fighting the war on terrorism throughout U.S. Central Command's 27-nation area of responsibility throughout Iraq, Afghanistan and the Horn of Africa. "The real success story is you cannot tell the