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  • Japanese air defense forces begin U.N. missions

    For the first time in their 52-year history, the Japan Air Self Defense Force began its first United Nations mission over Iraq Sept. 6.The first flight of their new mission landed safely at Baghdad International Airport, Iraq, before returning to its forward-deployed location in Southwest Asia later

  • Freedom Walks to commemorate 9/11, honor veterans

    Tens of thousands of Americans in all 50 states and the District of Columbia are preparing to put on their walking shoes during the next few days as they participate in Freedom Walks to commemorate the fifth anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and to honor veterans, past and

  • Air Force trains to fill Army deployments

    Located about an hour north of Biloxi, Camp Shelby has a reputation for weather that could make the devil sweat. The harsh weather ratchets up the realism of the training that some Air Force people receive before deploying to locations like Iraq and Afghanistan. The camp is one of the

  • Combined forces at leadership school benefit students

    Japanese and U.S. military forces have many training opportunities to interact and learn from each other, and that bilateral relationship is carrying over to the military education classroom. Walk into an Airman Leadership School class here and it resembles a coalition headquarters environment, with

  • Air University offers online language training

    Air University officials here are offering an opportunity to active-duty company grade officers to study a foreign language online at no cost. In an effort to fulfill the Air Force chief of staff's guidance to develop culturally and linguistically competent Airmen, Air University will present the

  • Rising fuel costs tighten Air Force belt

    The growing cost of crude oil combined with increasing fuel demands of the war on terrorism are forcing Air Combat Command officials to brace for a budget crisis while looking for future fuel alternatives. The Air Force paid approximately $4.2 billion for petroleum in fiscal 2005 -- almost $1.4

  • Propulsion shops work together, eliminate waste

    In the name of increased combat capability, the 388th and 419th Fighter Wing propulsion shops are working side by side to take advantage of expertise from active-duty and Reserve technicians, while eliminating redundancy."The move enables us to work leaner, meaner and more concise, as well as

  • Officer promotion board changes take effect Jan. 1

    The secretary of the Air Force has approved changes to the format of the selection brief presented to officer promotion boards to begin Jan. 1. Air Force officials will implement three changes to officer selection briefs, or OSBs; two changes deal with presentation of data related to developmental

  • Retired chief can't say goodbye to KC-135

    Nearly 50 years after retired Chief Master Sgt. Bobby McCasland boarded his first KC-135 Stratotanker, he is still in the KC-135 business. Today, he is a program manager for a team building a Test Tanker 2 KC-135R for the Air Force. Chief McCasland is also honoring his roots and making arrangements

  • AFMx21 defining, creating future of Air Force maintenance

    Maintenance leaders from the Air Staff and major commands met in Dayton, Ohio, to discuss the current state of Air Force maintenance, trends, fiscal realities and vision through the year 2016.Known as "Air Force Maintenance for the 21st Century," or AFMx21, the program is championed by Brig. Gen.

  • F-35 Lightning II JSF testing marks program milestone

    Arnold Engineering Development Center officials just completed aerodynamic testing on two variants of the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter to support flight testing of the plane later this year. With this latest test, the AEDC staff surpassed 8,000 hours of JSF testing in the center's

  • Air Force Reserve tops recruiting goal again

    For the sixth year in a row, Air Force Reserve Command officials have exceeded the command's recruiting goal.AFRC Recruiting Service surpassed its goal for the 2006 recruiting year Aug. 31 when officials accessed its 8,001st recruit as the number of people signing up continues to climb. Col. Francis

  • Plan for cyberspace available in near future

    Air Force leaders soon will define the service's plan for cyberspace. "I would expect, in a matter of weeks, to see us rolling out what I would call a cyberspace campaign plan on where we are going to go next," said Lt. Gen. Michael W. Peterson, chief of warfighting integration and Air Force chief

  • 433rd Airlift Wing Airmen learn from Katrina

    When Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast one year ago, members of the 433rd Airlift Wing at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, quickly joined others from across the country to help in the relief efforts.For some members, it was what they had trained for and they moved with a choreographed precision to

  • Airmen come to aid of Air Force widow

    Airmen here are pitching in to help a 72-year-old Air Force widow rebuild her house following the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. The effort is part of a base humanitarian relief operation partnered with local charitable organizations on 700 cases across the Gulf Coast since the hurricane in

  • Air Force, Navy weather forecasters form one front

    Air Force weather forecasters from the 21st Operational Weather Squadron welcomed Navy weather forecasters into their unit here Aug. 31. With a Navy drawdown and reach-back initiatives, the number of maritime weather forecasters in Europe was reduced by more than half. "Based on the cuts in theater,

  • AFSO 21 team learns 'Lean' lessons from Dover Airmen

    An Air Force Smart Operations 21 team from the office of the secretary of the Air Force gained valuable insight into how to "Lean" a work process during a visit to Dover Air Force Base, Del., Aug. 21 to 25. The AFSO 21 team from the Pentagon is comprised of 72 master process officers going through a

  • Military members transition into life after deployment

    Fourteen military couples from across the U.S. left their homes Aug. 24 for a different kind of mission at Lantana Lodge, a lakeside resort at Jordan State Park in northern Denton County, Texas. The couples, who had been separated for months due to deployments in combat areas around the

  • Charleston closed, airlift still going strong

    Charleston Air Force Base, S.C., closed Aug. 31 because of severe weather conditions from Tropical Storm Ernesto, but the base's global airlift mission is still enduring. The base's fleet of C-17 Globemaster III aircraft evacuated Aug. 30 to Whiteman AFB, Mo., and Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, to

  • After Katrina: ACC's intel team applies lessons learned

    The men and women of Air Combat Command's intelligence directorate haven't been stocking up on distilled water and plywood, but they are prepared for the busy part of the 2006 hurricane season or any natural disaster that might affect the United States. "We're light-years ahead of where we were this

  • Electronic travel system streamlines business process

    The Air Force has completed deployment of a new computerized travel system at all its major installations. The Defense Travel System was installed Aug. 10 at Los Angeles Air Force Base, Calif., marking the end of a nearly three-year deployment of the system to bases in both the United States and

  • CAP proves worth during Katrina relief

    When Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast a year ago, the nation went into immediate humanitarian mission mode. Along with the efforts of countless organizations came help from a 57,000-strong force often overlooked. While the debris settled and devastation became evident under clear skies, the

  • Fairchild combines wing functions to streamline operations

    Members of the 92nd Air Refueling Wing opened the doors Aug. 29 to a facility responsible for three key functions for Fairchild Air Force Base's expeditionary success.The Expeditionary Airmen's Center of Excellence will synergize the 92nd ARW's Air Expeditionary Force, Air Force Smart Operations for

  • Enlisted assignment preference added to virtual MPF

    Enlisted Airmen will soon be able to change their assignment preferences online through the virtual Military Personnel Flight, as the Air Force continues Personnel Services Delivery Transformation. Beginning Sept. 5, enlisted Airmen will become responsible for updating their own assignment

  • Keesler hospital takes big step forward

    Officials here celebrated a milestone Aug. 29 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the base's medical center, marking the transformation of the facility from an outpatient clinic to a fully functional hospital. Hurricane Katrina struck only two months after Brig. Gen. (Dr.) James J. Dougherty took the

  • Airmen return to big family welcome

    Family, friends and squadron members welcomed home 13 Airmen with fresh grilled food, cold drinks and cheerful faces Aug. 29. After their nine-month deployment supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom, serving side-by-side with Army Soldiers to jointly handle security at Camp Bucca, the Airmen were met by

  • New intel squadron turns aerial eye on terrorists

    Terrorists and their supporters around the world soon will be under the gaze of a powerful "unblinking eye" providing information on their whereabouts to a "brain" here. The reactivation of the 11th Intelligence Squadron here marks a milestone for Air Force Special Operations Command, which gains

  • Keesler Medical Center rebounds from Katrina

    Keesler Medical Center, the second largest Air Force medical center, has made great strides in rebounding from the damage inflicted by Hurricane Katrina one year ago. The facility is rapidly returning to its pre-Katrina status, both from the standpoint of the physical plant and services. Full

  • Leadership development program assists GS-15 advancement

    A new leadership development program called GS-15 LD provides a total force development vision for Air Force civilians in the GS-15 grade, preparing them for senior roles in the Department of Defense. "We're working hard to prepare these people to successfully lead at the Senior Executive Service

  • AF Space and Missile Pioneers Hall of Fame inducts 6

    Six trailblazers were inducted here Aug. 24 into the Air Force Space and Missile Pioneers Hall of Fame for their significant accomplishments in the advancement of space and missile programs in the Air Force. The inductees, whose work formed the basis upon which Air Force Space Command now operates,

  • President Bush visits Keesler

    Airmen at Keesler Air Force Base got a surprise Aug. 28 when President George W. Bush passed through on his way to visit the Gulf Coast region. Base officials first learned about the visit Aug. 25 and rushed to make preparations for him to land in the area. "This isn't the first time the president

  • AFSO 21 a success at McChord

    The banner hanging above the shop floor of the 62nd Maintenance Squadron wheel and tire shop is a sign of the success here for Air Force Smart Operations for the 21st century. The 2005 Chief of Staff Team Excellence Award banner recognizes outstanding team performance and promotion of systematic

  • Bases work with FEMA to provide aid

    In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the Air Force provided support in many ways -- some of that from a distance. Numerous bases worked closely with the Federal Emergency Management Agency by providing locations for use as staging points to accelerate the delivery of supplies to hurricane victims.

  • Whiteman B-2s complete successful Andersen deployment

    After more than 140 sorties and 330 released weapons, B-2 Spirit aircraft, pilots, maintainers and support staff from the 509th Bomb Wing are returning home having completed another successful deployment here.Aircraft and Airmen from the 393rd and 13th Bomb Squadrons and 509th Maintenance Group at

  • Hurricane hunter deals with aftermath of Katrina

    When asked how he wishes he could spend his weekends, the man gets a wistful look in his eyes and says he would love to sit down and watch television. Unfortunately, this is a luxury that Master Sgt. Dan Peters, an Air Reserve Technician with Air Force Reserve Command's 403rd Wing here, is not able

  • JTF Lebanon establishes air-land and sea task forces

    The commander of Joint Task Force Lebanon has assigned two task force commanders to lead critical elements of the newly formed organization as part of assuming authority for U.S. military operations here Aug. 23, officials announced.Air Force Col. Brad Webb will command Task Force "Alpha,"

  • Defense Department set to kick off 'Why We Serve' tour

    In an effort to help the American people understand why U.S. servicemembers choose to serve their country and what the experience entails, the Defense Department has launched a program it calls "Why We Serve." "Essentially, Why We Serve is an armed forces-style grassroots movement to reconnect with

  • Unique mission: Guarding a space wing missile complex

    The rolling prairie hills here are blanketed with wind-driven swaying fields of golden grain. With an average of nine people per square mile in this state, the farm lands here seem to be a postcard setting for tranquil, peaceful living. Appearances can be deceiving. One hundred and fifty Minuteman

  • Tenacious trainers triumph in Katrina's wake

    One of Keesler's most remarkable Hurricane Katrina success stories is the resurgence of the 81st Training Group. Training, Keesler's primary mission, has not only rebounded, but has flourished in the past year, said Col. Deborah Van De Ven, who took command of the 81st TRG a month after Katrina's

  • Keesler Air Force Base: One year after Katrina

    Bent but not broken by the worst natural disaster in the nation's history, Keesler's recovery continues to exceed expectations. "The damage to the base by Hurricane Katrina was a staggering $950 million. With that in mind, no one imagined in the days immediately after Aug. 29, 2005, we'd be where we

  • Joint dermatology program receives maximum accreditation

    Accreditation was awarded to the Brooke Army Medical Center and Wilford Hall Medical Center Dermatology Residency Program Aug. 16. The accreditation signifies that the integrated Army and Air Force dermatology program meets or exceeds the standards set by the Accreditation Council for Graduate

  • Air Force leaders attend Blue Summit

    More than 600 senior Air Force leaders gathered here Aug. 24 at the invitation of their top uniformed leader to discuss issues of importance to that service. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. T. Michael Moseley invited all general officers from the ranks of active duty, Air National Guard and Air Force

  • Letter to Airmen recognizes Air Force transformation

    In his latest "Letter to Airmen," Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. T. Michael Moseley discusses measures that will shape and transform the Air Force.  General Moseley said Airmen today are engaged in a vast array of missions from operating satellites in deep space to applying air power to the surface

  • Salvaged flight deck from C-5 mishap becomes tool

    The crew compartment belonging to the C-5 Galaxy aircraft that fell less than a mile short of Dover Air Force Base's runway April 3 has been salvaged for use in C-5 aircraft crew training. The compartment, commonly referred to as the aircraft's flight deck, was loaded onto a C-5 and airlifted to its

  • B-52 Stratofortress ages like wine

    First deployed in 1955, the B-52 Stratofortress is already twice the age of many Airmen who maintain it. Despite its age, Airmen assigned to the 5th Bomb Wing here have an affinity for flying and maintaining this Air Force legacy aircraft and recognize its relevance today. "She gets finer with age

  • Air Force legal leaders meet with Afghan counterparts

    Two Air Force legal leaders visited Southwest Asia in August, stopping in Kabul, Afghanistan, for a two-day seminar with Afghan military legal leaders on the rule of law.Maj. Gen. Jack Rives, Air Force judge advocate general, and Col. Lindsey Graham, appellate military judge, met leaders from the

  • Academy ranks top in professor availability for 2nd year

    The U.S. Air Force Academy's professors are the most accessible in the nation for the second year in a row, according to The Best 361 Colleges text, released today by the Princeton Review. Faculty availability is an expectation at the academy, where the student-faculty ratio is 8:1, average class

  • AF automates Korean medal process

    Officials from the Air Force Personnel Center have recently added the Korean Defense Service Medal to its list of personnel processes automatically updated in the Military Personnel Data System. The new process automatically updates an Airman's record in the data system for those who served in Korea

  • Americans, Hondurans team to fix broken bones

    A medical team of eight people from Wilford Hall Medical Center at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, and Joint Task Force-Bravo at Soto Cano Air Base, Honduras, treated more than 200 Hondurans during a two-week training exercise Aug. 5 to 19.The team of eight medical professionals, led by Lt. Col.

  • AFPC names O'Malley Award winner

    The former Keesler Air Force Base commander and his wife who led the base's recovery efforts following Hurricane Katrina recently won the 2006 Gen. and Mrs. Jerome F. O'Malley Award. Maj. Gen. William Lord and his wife, Cynthia, received the award that recognizes the wing commander-and-spouse team

  • 340th maintainers keep pace with optempo

    At one of the busiest refueling hubs in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, Airmen from the 340th Aircraft Maintenance Unit are in constant motion. They support fighters, bombers, cargo and attack aircraft fighting in the war on terrorism. The fact the unit is blended from five bases --

  • Phoenix Warrior prepares security forces

    More than 100 security forces Airmen participated in Phoenix Warrior 06-1, a program run by the Air Mobility Warfare Center's 421st Combat Training Squadron, Aug. 5 to 17. The 13-day predeployment course prepares security forces in areas such as weapons and live fire training, convoy operations,

  • AEF Center reassigned to Air Force Personnel Center

    The Air and Space Expeditionary Force Center will be assigned under the Air Force Personnel Center at Randolph Air Force Base, Texas, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. T. Michael Moseley announced today. The reassignment, which becomes effective Aug. 29, will synergize operations between the two centers

  • Airman pleads guilty in deployed base's first court-martial

    An Airman here pled guilty to larceny and was convicted in a court-martial Aug. 12 to 13. Airman 1st Class Joshua Borth, 376th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron, admitted he stole a fellow Airman's laptop and backpack and some government electronic equipment. This court-martial is the first

  • Senior leaders eye robust intelligence capabilities, people

    Several active duty and retired senior leaders from the Air Force intelligence community gathered with Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. T. Michael Moseley at the Pentagon recently as part of an intelligence summit and strategy session. The leaders are reviewing how and when the Air Force uses

  • Tampa Bay Buccaneers hold pre-game practice at MacDill AFB

    The Tampa Bay Buccaneers broke training camp Thursday and in an unprecedented move for the team, held its day-before-game walk-through at MacDill AFB, Fla. The Buccaneers, who play their second pre-season game against the Miami Dolphins Saturday, have a long-standing relationship and community

  • Malmstrom, Patrick, Peterson tops at Guardian Challenge

    Inside Hangar 140 here, the air was thick with anticipation as teams from across Air Force Space Command maintained nervous conversation over dinner Aug. 17, awaiting the announcement of the Guardian Challenge 2006 winners. Gen. Kevin P. Chilton, AFSPC commander, reminded a highly motivated crowd

  • Munitions Airmen make bombs built to order

    Hitting a two-meter target with 2,000 pounds of high explosives while traveling hundreds of miles an hour takes sophisticated weapons aboard aircraft flown by talented pilots. But, before these munitions can be used they must be inspected, tested, built, loaded and delivered to the aircraft. That is

  • COMUSAFE concludes Russian visit

    Improved relations and future operational cooperation between U.S. and Russian air forces was the goal of a four-day visit to Russia by the commander of U.S. Air Forces in Europe.Gen. Tom Hobbins, who visited Moscow and Lipetsk Air Base Aug. 14 to 17, said the military-to-military relationship

  • Maintainers keep jets healthy, safe during Viper Lance

    While most participants involved in Exercise Viper Lance 2006 here call it a day at sunset, the workday is just beginning for maintainers on the night shift.Of the more than 250 Airmen here for the air-to-air and air-to-ground training exercise, roughly 170 support the maintenance mission. Viper

  • 'Natural Fire' provides assistance to African nations

    Three East African nations and the United States are participating in Natural Fire 2006, a multilateral training exercise that is providing medical, veterinary and engineering civil assistance.The exercise includes approximately 1,000 servicemembers from the United States, Tanzania, Uganda and

  • Convoy Airmen face challenging duties

    For more than two years Airmen have been driving convoys for the Army on some of the most dangerous roads in the world. From their Army camp to the border of southern Iraq and to the most northern reaches of a country roughly the size of California, members of the 586th Expeditionary Logistics

  • California Air National Guard embraces new mission

    The sun heats a Nevada desert landscape as a small group of warriors focus on computer terminals. These men and women know their actions directly support others facing the heat of another desert half a world away. Members of the California Air National Guard's 163rd Air Refueling Wing have spent the

  • New platforms provide patients comfort

    In an effort to improve safety and comfort for patients being transported on high-deck aircraft, Air Mobility Command officials plan to soon acquire several high-deck patient loading platform, or HDPLP, vehicles. The HDPLP is a vehicle with a series of hoists that allows the cab and patient seating

  • Raptor meets new challenges, expands capabilities

    For the men and women taking care of the Air Force's newest and most lethal fighter aircraft, the F-22A Raptor, firsts seem to be a common occurrence. Along with milestones by the 27th and 94th Fighter Squadrons have come new challenges in places such as Alaska, Utah and Florida that have left

  • Deployed Airmen register for marrow program

    The faces on posters that call attention to a number of worthwhile volunteer causes are often lost in the hustle of accomplishing the daily mission. However, the association of one poster to a deployed Airman at a recent drive in Southwest Asia put a face on the critical need for all to register as

  • B-2 Spirit exceeds mission standard

    The B-2 Spirit exceeded Air Combat Command's fully mission capable rate standard of 51 percent in June, a feat not achieved since September 2004. Keeping the B-2 ready for war is an effort that requires the hard work and support of everyone who works on base, said Col. Bob Dulong, 509th Maintenance

  • Challenge continues for security forces

    Guardian Challenge security forces showed off their tactics and marksmanship skills at Jacks Valley here Aug. 14 and 15. The tactics portion was planned out by a team of 19 Airmen and headed by Capt. Kathy Jordan, Air Force Space Command. She said the team started planning the scenario in May.

  • COMUSAFE boosts U.S.-Russian relations with visit

    The commander of U.S. Air Forces in Europe is in Russia to bolster relationships and security cooperation between U.S. and Russian Air Forces during a visit Aug. 14 to 17. Gen. Tom Hobbins' visit is reciprocal for one taken by Gen. Col. Aleksandr Zelin, deputy commander in chief of the Russian

  • AFSO21 Leans out uniform development

    In January, a limited number of the new Air Force utility uniforms will roll off production lines. Their arrival will mark the end of a nearly five-year development cycle. Lessons learned from development of the Airman Battle Uniform will be applied to the Air Force's next uniform project, the

  • Justice Department Web site explains military rights

    The Department of Justice has launched a Web site to protect servicemembers' rights, said the attorney general. Alberto R. Gonzalez, speaking to the Disabled American Veterans annual convention in Chicago, said the Justice Department has made it a priority to enforce civil rights laws for American

  • Global missions all in a day's work

    Many people say they joined the Air Force to have exciting adventures and see the world. For a C-17 Globemaster III aircrew from Detachment 1 of the 817th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron, those perks are part of their average day. "An average mission can range anywhere from a 12-hour day to a 72-hour

  • Web site honors Air Force heroes

    A nonprofit organization's Web site is letting people pay tribute to Air Force heroes. A section in the Air Force Memorial Foundation's Web site, titled Air Force Heroes, allows people to honor an Airman with a paragraph about what makes them extraordinary. With the Air Force memorial scheduled to

  • 'Bats' shield Airmen from harm

    Their mission is simple: save the lives of troops on the ground in Iraq by providing an electronic shield around them. That is the job of the 43rd Expeditionary Electronic Combat Squadron. Known as the Bats, they take to the air every day of the week to actively support coalition warfighters in

  • Decorated Vietnam vet back at war

    It may be surprising to hear that the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing has a Vietnam era Purple Heart recipient working at the wing. It is even more surprising to hear that the combat veteran is actually a C-130 Hercules deployed from Ramstein Air Base, Germany. On the flight deck of aircraft 63-7865 is

  • Two Alamo City Airmen vie for 'American Idol' spot

    A former "Tops in Blue" performer and an Air Force chaplain's assistant turned Batman are a step closer to stardom. Staff Sgts. Keith Loudermill and James Warren, both from Randolph Air Force Base, Texas, each earned a "golden ticket" Aug. 11 at the Alamodome here for a shot at becoming the next

  • Air Force sweeps armed forces golf tournament

    The Air Force capitalized on its home-course advantage to capture the 2006 Armed Forces Golf Championship on Aug. 11 at the Marshallia Ranch Golf Course here. Air Force golfers took top honors at the conclusion of the four-round tournament, winning the men's and women's team competitions, as well as

  • Air Force Week concludes in St. Louis

    In a testament to the U.S. Air Force vision of "Lasting Heritage ... Limitless Horizons," the inaugural Air Force Week brought together Airmen of the past, present and future to celebrate the service's history and future.With the St. Louis Gateway Arch as a backdrop, Air Force Week 2006 events

  • Comm team keeps Viper Lance participants connected

    One mile of cable, six pallets of equipment and three days to set up fully functioning communications for a forward base is standard work for members of the 1st Combat Communications Squadron. Thirteen members of the 1st CBCS, headquartered at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, are here to support Exercise

  • Dental corps aims to stem shortage

    It may be a tooth and nail struggle for the Air Force to keep its dentists, but its dental service is dedicated to providing expert care to Airmen worldwide, said the director of the Air Force Dental Corps here recently. "I think Airmen need to know that we are committed to providing them the dental

  • Air Force still hiring

    Despite rumors to the contrary, the Air Force is still hiring. People interested in joining are always encouraged to apply, even in light of the Air Force's recently released force-shaping initiatives. To match the Air Force's new strength numbers, next year's recruiting goals have reduced by nine

  • Sather medics treat detainees

    Airmen here supported an Army forward surgical team in providing medical treatment to detainees as they transitioned from the Abu Ghraib Theater Internment Facility to a new facility on Camp Cropper near Baghdad.Multi-National Force-Iraq officials established the new facility July 30 to replace Abu

  • New Web portal to help enlisted career development

    Enlisted Airmen will soon have a new development Web site portal designed to meet all of their career development needs, allowing them to navigate different aspects of their time in service from their desktop computers, Air Force officials here said. My Enlisted Development Plan, or MyEDP, is

  • AMC Airmen take part in Tuskegee Airmen convention

    Nearly 90 Air Mobility Command Airmen participated in the 35th Annual Tuskegee Airmen National Convention here July 31 to Aug. 4, celebrating the history of the nation's first black combat pilots. The event was particularly memorable for one participant attending his first convention."I found out

  • Officials announce clarification of EPR criteria, policy

    The Air Force has released a policy to clarify senior rater endorsement and stratification procedures for enlisted performance reports. While many supervisors and senior NCOs looked to completion of the Senior NCO Academy and a Community College of the Air Force degree as criteria for consideration

  • KC-135s take on aeromedical evacuation role

    While the KC-135 Stratotanker was originally designed to extend the length of other aircrafts' flight times, aircrews at Fairchild are also using the airplane for a completely different mission: to extend medical care to critically injured patients. Tanker aircraft began augmenting the Air Force's

  • Gateway Grizzlies honor Airmen

    Hundreds of servicemembers from all branches of the U.S. military and their families packed the GCS Stadium in Sauget, Ill., Tuesday evening for a special Gateway Grizzlies baseball game that paid tribute to Airmen as a part of the inaugural Air Force Week. Lasting from Aug. 6 to Aug. 13, Air Force

  • 'Spirit of Solano' arrives at Travis

    The much anticipated C-17 Globemaster III, the "Spirit of Solano," arrived home at Travis Air Force Base, Calif., on Aug. 8. Festivities began with a flyover of all three major airframes now based at Travis: the C-5 Galaxy, KC-10 Extender and C-17. The crowd of approximately 2,000 applauded as Maj.

  • Top chief elaborates on Airman pride

    The top enlisted Airman shared his thoughts on Airman pride during his visit here. Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Rodney J. McKinley was in San Antonio to check out basic training at Lackland Air Force Base and security forces expeditionary training at nearby Camp Bullis.The chief was impressed

  • C-17 Globemaster III crew doing its part

    A long day of loading and unloading cargo off of the C-17 Globemaster III is nothing new to the 816th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron aircrew. On this day the crew was able to fly in more than 80 aircraft pallets full of supplies to Balad, Iraq, in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. "The deployed

  • Royal Air Force pilot makes history in B-2 Spirit

    At first glance, he looks like any other Air Force pilot: olive-green flight suit, polished boots and a bluish-gray flight cap with rank insignia prominently displayed. On closer inspection, you realize the little differences.His shoulder boards don't feature bars or leaves, but instead a

  • Medic discovers more about himself during PRT mission

    When a suicide bomber slammed and ignited his missile-laden vehicle into the Humvee in front of Staff Sgt. Eric Mathiasen, the Air Force medic exploded into action. He did not think about his wife or two children, or that there was unexploded ordnance lying about. He just grabbed his medical bag and

  • Program assists heroes in reaching next level

    They gave something that they can never get back, and a group here does its best to ensure these heroes smoothly move on to the next phase of their lives. Palace HART -- Helping Airmen Recover Together -- is a program that assists Airmen injured in operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. Many

  • Power pros critical to mission

    Eighteen Airmen ensure there is no peace here, because silence at Balad Air Base would mean chaos.The power production team's work is audible and emitted by the drone of 200 Air Force generators fueled by 7,000 gallons of fuel a day and immeasurable amounts of sweat and work hours. "I'm not going to

  • Air Force Week kicks off in St. Louis

    The first Air Force Week kicked off here Aug. 6 during the St. Louis Cardinals-Milwaukee Brewers game at Busch Stadium with Airmen participating in the toss of the first pitch and a flyover by Missouri National Guard F-15 Eagles. Air Force Gen. Norton Schwartz, commander of U.S. Transportation

  • KC-10 maintainers keep mission flowing

    KC-10 Extender maintainers work long days on the flightline with temperatures reaching nearly 135 degrees on the scorching concrete, and it is even hotter in the KC-10s parked on the ramp. These are the conditions facing the Airmen of the 380th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron. The

  • Vandenberg golfers exploit home course advantage

    In a battle of hometown heroes, one Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., Airman beats out another in the playoff round of the 2006 Air Force Golf Championship Aug. 4 at the Marshallia Ranch Golf Course here. In the end it was Air Force golf veteran Geoffrey Mann, who won the same tournament in 2003,

  • Airpark dedication honors Tuskegee Airmen

    More than 50 Tuskegee Airmen attended an airpark dedication ceremony in their honor Aug. 2 in front of the 944th Fighter Wing headquarters here. The airpark features an F-16 Fighting Falcon static aircraft painted in World War II Tuskegee colors in recognition of the "Red Tail" warriors of the

  • Space brings invisible power to the fight

    When space professionals deploy, they learn how to better provide combat effects, and warfighters learn more about the invisible power space brings to the fight. "It's not good enough to fly satellites from afar," said Lt. Col. John Shaw, the 4th Space Operations Squadron commander. "We need to

  • New Air Force lieutenant colonels selected for SDE

    The lieutenant colonel central selection board held at the Air Force Personnel Center here has identified senior developmental education "selects." Officers identified as selects join a resource pool of officers who will be considered for future attendance at in-residence SDE. SDE enhances the