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  • Air Force Reserve Band spreads goodwill

    The Band of the U.S. Air Force Reserve performed a concert May 18 for the Community Partnership for Homeless, a non-profit agency of the Miami-Dade County Homeless Trust. The Homeless Assistance Center, located on property once belonging to Homestead Air Force Base, now assists the neediest of the

  • IT modernization: Leveraging the power of information

    Since January, the Air Force has been busy modernizing itself through the Secretary of the Air Force initiatives embodied in Air Force Smart Operations 21. The Air Force's communications and information community is part of that modernization effort. Their focus is on restructuring information

  • Runway repair reduces FOD at Balad

    The Air Force, along with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and civilian contractors, is repairing a section of runway here that is showing signs of decay. The runway was not designed to accommodate heavy aircraft such as the C-5 Galaxy and the C-17 Globemaster III. The aircraft have taken a toll on

  • Technology improvements keep information flowing to warfighter

    During the recent Joint Expeditionary Force Experiment at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., the Air Force demonstrated new technology that provides warfighters with greater connectivity and more timely information. During the exercise, the Air Force tested the Battlefield Airborne Communications Node.

  • New extended range cruise missile takes first flight test

    When the Air Force successfully launched its newest cruise missile for the first time on May 18, it marked a significant step toward making the job of the pilots who deliver the weapon a lot less risky. A B-1B Lancer released the Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile -- Extended Range over the White

  • New Air Staff badge recognizes Pentagon assignment

    Members assigned to Headquarters Air Force staff here will soon have the option to wear a new badge. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. T. Michael Moseley approved the design and development of the badge in September. The basis for the Headquarters Air Force badge is Air Force heritage and the design

  • Airmen learn to deal with enemy misinformation

    “Loose lips sink ships.” The phrase spearheaded a campaign to keep military members from revealing sensitive information during World War II. In fact, it was so effective the phrase still means something to many Americans 65 years later. Keeping operational secrets from the enemy is still vital

  • Pushing freight: ATOC moves cargo in, out of Ali quickly

    In a combat environment, speed and accuracy are key -- even more so when it comes to an aircraft.  And though most cargo aircraft are relatively agile when in the air, they are not while groundbound.One team’s mission here is to make sure those aircraft stay on the ground for as short a time as

  • Mannequins help improve casualty care

    As an independent duty medical technician with Air Force Special Operations Command, Tech. Sgt. Jared Schultz has done casualty evacuations in Iraq and Afghanistan with troops who have lost legs, as well as those who have been shot in just about any body part you can name. He says nothing came close

  • Chief McKinley looking forward to new job

    Command Chief Master Sgt. Rod McKinley admits he is a bit nervous about becoming the 15th chief master sergeant of the Air Force. But it is not because the job will be too tough or that becoming the Air Force’s top enlisted leader intimidates him, he said. It is the fact he will be the next chief in

  • National Capital Region first responders train for Pentagon disaster

    First responders from around the nation's capital gathered at the Pentagon May 17 to practice their disaster response capabilities during the Gallant Fox 06 exercise. This year, as part of Gallant Fox, volunteers from the American Red Cross donned battle dress uniforms and played the part of victims

  • Command Post awards announced

    Air Force officials announced the winners of the 2005 command post annual awards. They are: - Unit Level Command Post Airman of the Year: Senior Airman Tina M. Loos, 18th Wing, Kadena Air Base, Japan - Unit Level Command Post Noncommissioned Officer of the Year: Tech. Sgt. Chastity M. Degroat, 701st

  • Transient alert provides Bagram its staying power

    Imagine parking hundreds of cars and trucks in a convenience store parking lot. Now imagine parking those cars if they were the size of C-17 Globemaster IIIs. That image makes the task facing the transient alert team at the 455th Air Expeditionary Wing here a little clearer. “It’s kind of like a

  • Airmen call in 'air strikes' on Louisiana communities

    Fighter jets and bombers fly overhead making multiple passes to intercept and destroy enemy targets called in by Air Force joint terminal air controllers. One pass is to destroy a building with enemy snipers. Another pass is to track a man riding a motorcycle suspected of carrying a bomb in his

  • Rehabilitation specialists team up to support warfighters

    Brooke Army Medical Center hosted a military amputee advance skills training workshop here for Veterans Affairs’ prosthetists and therapists. Nearly 100 VA rehabilitation team members from 15 medical centers attended the workshop May 10 through 12 to learn the patient care methods used at Department

  • Eglin gears up for ‘the next big storm’

    Hurricane Ivan in September 2004 and Hurricane Dennis in July 2005 cost them millions of dollars in damages. Then, like the rest of the world, they witnessed Hurricane Katrina devastate New Orleans and the surrounding area last year. So, why then, would members of this Gulf Coast base welcome

  • New service dress prototypes pique interest

    Based on feedback received during visits with Airmen across the Air Force, the Air Force Uniform Board is reviewing several concepts that Airmen have suggested regarding the appearance of the service dress uniform. Some of the informal feedback about the current service dress includes Airmen wanting

  • Balad remains one busy airfield

    Aircraft pack the flightline here and operations are non-stop and intense. C-130 Hercules, MQ-1 Predators, F-16 Fighting Falcons and HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopters all call this busy base home. The men and women who support the aircraft say Balad has the busiest single-runway airfield in the Department

  • AF official praises Keesler recovery, emphasizes challenges ahead

    Having visited just days after Hurricane Katrina ravaged the base, the Air Force’s point man for installations returned here May 11 to assess Keesler’s overall progress toward full restoration. Lt. Gen. Donald Wetekam, Air Force deputy chief of staff for logistics, installations and mission support,

  • Air Force flexibility on display in Iraq and Afghanistan

    Air Force fighters no longer just swoop down from the sky to drop their deadly weapons in support of ground troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. Fighters equipped with special sensor pods, developed for more precise bombing, also are warning commanders and troops fighting on the ground about enemy

  • Opening another world, one book at a time

    People in the 8th Fighter Wing donated more than 1,270 English-language children’s books to the Kunsan City library May 3 after a book drive that ran from March 8 to April 17. The book drive, the first of its kind here, collected books as a way to help teach English to Korean youth in the local

  • Thunderbirds perform 4,000th show

    The United States Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron, the Thunderbirds, performed their 4,000th air show May 13 at Robins Air Force Base, Ga. The show was the team's 14th of the 2006 season. “We perform about 70 air shows throughout the year, representing the 530,000 men and women in our Air

  • Sergeant’s job is for the dogs

    Staff Sgt. Robert Van Hulle is a dog’s best friend at this busy airlift base. And military working dog Diego, a Belgian Malinois, appreciates that. The security forces sergeant met Diego and his partner, Staff Sgt. Markus Hunt, when they transited Ramstein on their way home after a tour in Southwest

  • Behind-the-scenes work continues as air show set to begin

    One of the world’s premier air shows gets underway May 16, but military organizers have been working behind the scenes for several months to ensure a successful display of U.S. military aviation at the 2006 Berlin Air Show. Initial groundwork began two years ago when the previous Berlin Air Show

  • ICC: Coming soon to a base near you

    When a crisis happens on base, wing leaders and representatives from various support agencies often will huddle in the wing command post. Operating from this nerve center, they direct emergency services, assess situations and come up with solutions during crises. But the days of the traditional

  • Global Hawk operations reach new high

    Battlefield awareness has reached new levels with Global Hawk production-model aircraft flying in the U.S. Central Command Air Forces theater. Reaching a breakthrough point in April, the Global Hawk team has maximized the aircraft’s sorties, collecting more than 96 percent of the target area --

  • 'Your life is our business'

    In the shadows behind every aircrew stands a life support team. These Airmen typically don’t seek the limelight. Instead, they want all “their” aircrews to come home safely. The role of life support is significant for many reasons, said Staff Sgt. Jessica McCormick, a KC-135 Stratotanker life

  • Alternate fuel-powered B-52 to fly in September

    This year, the Air Force will test fly a B-52 Stratofortress that is powered in part by fuel derived from natural gas. The Air Force Research Laboratory's propulsion directorate, a part of Air Force Materiel Command, is providing technical assistance to the test flight scheduled for September

  • Medics make air evacuation easier on wounded troops

    Wounded U.S. troops leave this base each day on military transports after their release from the contingency air staging facility at the airport waiting area. The staging area is a busy place and has all the staff and equipment needed to treat any patient awaiting air evacuation. Airmen from the

  • DOD, Congress making progress on Tricare changes

    The Defense Department, working hard with Congress for the past several months, has reached some conclusions about how the fee system for military health care should be changed, a top DOD official said here May 11. "It's universally agreed that there is a serious issue, a serious problem, with the

  • C-17 pilot receives Koren Kolligian Jr. Trophy

    The skies over West Texas March 10, 2005 could have come right off a picture postcard:  blue, cloudless and so clear you could see horizon to horizon. It was, as one Air Force pilot put it, a perfect day for flying. Capt. Andreas Ix and his C-17 Globemaster III aircrew were participating in a

  • Strategic maintenance gives Airmen diverse experience

    Maintainers spend thousands of hours keeping transport aircraft flying during the course of a rotation to this desert base. So when Airmen from the 8th Expeditionary Air Mobility Squadron maintenance flight show up for work, they know they will be busy. The flight’s mission is to provide strategic

  • Army, Air Force open communications

    The Army talking to the Air Force from the ground to the air is not a common occurrence here. "We're in the purple (joint) business," said Army Lt. Col. Michael Shillinger, 551st Signal Battalion commander, as Staff Sgt. Robert Pangburn completed radio communications with pilots in an Air Force

  • Civil Air Patrol teen earns Spaatz Award

    A 16-year-old Civil Air Patrol cadet received the highest CAP cadet honor from the Air Force chief of staff during a Pentagon ceremony here May 11. Recognizing Cadet Col. Katrina Litchford with the General Carl. A. Spaatz Award, Gen. T. Michael Moseley said, “I am pleased to be able to present this

  • JCS chairman sends message to servicemembers

    The following message on National Military Appreciation Month is from Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Marine Gen. Peter Pace:"This month we honor the extraordinary contributions of the men and women who serve our country in the armed forces. I am proud to serve alongside 2.4 million Americans

  • Chief Murray reflects on 29-year career

    Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force Gerald R. Murray led his last Worldwide Command Chief’s Conference here April 21-26, meeting with command chiefs from around the Air Force to exchange information and discuss challenges facing today’s Airmen.During the 12th annual conference, the chief took

  • Deputy SG talks about future of Air Force medicine

    Reshaping medical career fields as lean, efficient tools for providing 21st century healthcare is a priority for the Air Force deputy surgeon general.Maj. Gen. (Dr.) James G. Roudebush, who was at Offutt recently for the 2006 NOVA conference, an annual gathering of leaders from Air Force medical

  • Smart Operations 21 office formed at Pentagon

    In February, Air Force leaders created a new program office at the Pentagon that will take the lead in optimizing the way the Air Force conducts its mission. The Air Force Smart Operations 21 office, created in response to an initiative by Secretary of the Air Force Michael W. Wynne, will look at

  • Five selected to comm hall of fame

    Five Air Force communications pioneers are the newest members of the Communications and Information Hall of Fame located in the Air Force Communications Agency’s Ludwig Heritage Hall here. Lt. Gen. Michael Peterson, the Air Force chief of warfighting integration and chief information officer,

  • Air Force Honor Guard performs at 2006 Air and Sea Show

    After the roar of the aircraft was silenced, the steady clicking of heels could be heard marching closer and closer. Suddenly, a group of Airmen, weapons contrasting starkly against their white gloves, formed up to begin their own performance: rhythmic weapon-slapping and heel-clicking mixed with

  • Mechanics keep fleet rolling through dust, mud

    Working on vehicles in the desert presents challenges. Mechanics sometimes have to scrape off layers of dirt and mud just to get to the broken part. Then there’s the parts themselves -- it is not like they can simply call an automotive supply store in Baghdad to deliver a part. “Back home, you could

  • Airmen enable Iraqi police training

    In a small outpost in the Iraqi city of Mosul, about 50 Airmen provide a safe, secure and professional environment at the Mosul Public Service Academy to enable the training of an effective and professional Iraqi police force. The Airmen at the MPSA have the chance to interact with the students who

  • Air Force women repeat as soccer champions

    The Air Force repeated as the armed forces women's soccer champions at the 2006 championship tournament hosted by Naval Station Mayport, Fla., May 2 to 8.The first game of the tournament pitted the Air Force against the Army.  Army came out aggressively against the defending champs. In the first

  • Agency works to bring all Americans home alive

    Every day, officials at the Joint Personnel Recovery Agency track the status of efforts to find 20 Americans believed to still be alive but "isolated" outside the United States. In recovery terminology, isolated personnel are U.S. servicemembers, Defense Department civilians or contractors separated

  • Air Force plans for cleaner, greener future

    In the 1980s, firefighter training was straightforward: light a fire and see how quickly and safely it can be extinguished. So in fire-training pits at Air Force bases around the world, jet fuel was regularly sprayed onto old aircraft carcasses and the surrounding ground. The fuel was ignited and

  • Security forces at Bagram practice urban warfare

    Deployed Airmen, distributing humanitarian supplies, are taken hostage by enemy forces while visiting an Afghan village. It’s now up to the accompanying squad of security forces to rescue the Airmen and eliminate the bad guys. This is the scenario members of the 455th Expeditionary Security Forces

  • Connecting the world one wire at a time

    They maintain miles of cable and wire so everyone can communicate here and to the world. The job has them working above and below ground, while fighting all the elements of being in a desert climate. This responsibility lies with the 407th Expeditionary Communications Squadron’s base information

  • Air Force notifies force shaping lieutenants

    Today, 2,084 lieutenants in the 2002 and 2003 accession year groups will learn if they were selected for retention by the Force Shaping Board. Each officer is being notified personally of their status by their senior rater. Officers deployed will be notified by either the deployed commander or their

  • Defense secretary endorses Hayden nomination to CIA

    The defense secretary and vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said May 9 they endorse President George W. Bush's nomination of Gen. Michael V. Hayden as CIA director. President Bush nominated General Hayden to the post May 8 to replace Peter Goss. "In my view, Mike Hayden is a true

  • PJs help rescue skier off glacier

    Exactly two weeks after participating in a joint search-and-rescue training exercise with other local rescue organizations, reservists from the 304th Rescue Squadron were back on top of Mount Hood, Ore., on May 6 for the longest-hauling, glacier-rescue mission ever accomplished on Mount Hood. Five

  • McGuire Airman makes lucky catch

    Sports history landed in the lap of a McGuire Airman May 8 while he sat in the right field bleachers of Citizens Bank Park, as the Philadelphia Phillies played the San Francisco Giants. Airman 1st Class Carlos Oliveras of the 305th Aerial Port Squadron caught Barry Bonds' 713th home run ball, which

  • Friendship means the world to adopted babushkas

    Olga finished school 70 years ago. After graduating, she became a teacher of Russian, German and finally mathematics for more than 30 years. She has so much to share about that time, but today, she has fewer and fewer people to hear her stories. Brothers and sisters, husbands and children have

  • French forces rejoin Operation Enduring Freedom

    The French Navy Carrier Air Wing returned to the coalition fight May 2, flying their first missions in support of Operation Enduring Freedom since November. "Our main mission while we are here is to support troops on the ground and contribute to reconnaissance efforts as well," said Lt. Col. Gerard

  • Services squadron shows 'BEST' hospitality

    Since January, hundreds of prizes have been passed out at bingo games, dozens of entertainers have passed through and personal trainers have spent more than 1,000 hours helping people meet their fitness goals here. “But what I wish I knew more than anything,” said 1st Lt. Tyson Edwards, “is the

  • Security forces demonstrate skills during Kyrgyzstan deployment

    Warfighters deploying in support of Operation Enduring Freedom can rest easy knowing their safety rests in the hands of security forces Airmen from here. Members of the 71st Security Forces Squadron from Vance deployed to Manas Air Base, Kyrgyzstan, in February to protect Airmen and cargo from

  • Psychologist receives Harold Brown Award

    A research psychologist received the 2005 Harold Brown Award May 4 during a Pentagon ceremony here. Secretary of the Air Force Michael W. Wynne presented the award to Dr. John Caldwell for his work in the biosciences and protection division, human effectiveness directorate, at the Air Force Research

  • Red Flag-Alaska wraps up

    More than 84 aircraft and 1,500 Air Force active duty, Reserve, and National Guard Airmen here and at Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska, wrapped up the first Red Flag-Alaska, held April 24 through May 5. Until this year, the exercise had been known as Cope Thunder.Pilots, maintainers, weapons

  • Airborne Airmen, Soldiers train together

    The Air Force lost a shade of blue last week when more than 30 airborne-qualified Airmen and their counterparts from the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division jumped into a simulated unusable airfield during a Joint Forced Entry Exercise here. The exercise tested the teams’ abilities to “jump out of a

  • A world away, Airmen enjoy hometown tradition

    About 50 Airmen deployed here participated in Bloomsday Away on May 7, bringing an annual tradition from Spokane, Wash., to military members half a world away. The city’s annual Bloomsday 12K is a popular race with more than 50,000 participants annually. Airmen deployed here from Fairchild Air Force

  • Training programs welcome international interest

    Air Force officer and NCO training programs were showcased earlier this week when the commander of South Korea’s Education and Training Command visited schools here May 1 to 2. Lt. Gen. Youngha Lee of the Republic of South Korea Headquarters for Air Force Education and Training Command in Jinju met

  • McChord, Madigan medics aid wounded at Balad

    To say the staff at Balad’s Air Force Theater Hospital has seen everything may be an understatement. The doctors, nurses and medics here, some from McChord Air Force Base and Madigan Army Medical Center in the state of Washington, save the lives of servicemembers who are wounded while supporting

  • Air Force earns three DOD environmental awards

    Three Air Force installations received awards for their environmental stewardship at a Pentagon ceremony May 3. Dyess Air Force Base, Texas; Tinker AFB, Okla.; and Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, earned 2005 Secretary of Defense Environmental awards. Representatives from each base were at the ceremony

  • Palace HART helps injured Airmen

    A common trait exists among the injured Airmen recuperating at hospitals in the capital region, said the Air Force chief of staff. “Every Airman I’ve met wants to return to active duty and (his or her) unit,” said Gen. T. Michael Moseley in recent testimony on Capitol Hill. “I am proud of them and

  • C-5 recovery efforts continue at Dover

    One month after a C-5 Galaxy crash-landed less than a mile short of the runway here, recovery operations are proceeding on schedule, officials said. All 17 people on board survived the April 3 crash.“We started the recovery effort the same day of the mishap and have been working every day since,”

  • Blood platelet collection begins at Balad

    When coalition forces are wounded on the battlefield, sometimes it takes more than a skilled medical team to save their lives. It takes blood, and lots of it.With the help of apheresis, a new capability at the Air Force Theater Hospital here, doctors now have a ready supply of platelets, one of the

  • Guam reservists support cargo hub at Incirlik

    Twelve reservists temporarily assigned to the 728th Air Mobility Squadron had to travel a long, long way from home to get here. The Airmen, who are with the Air Force Reserve Command's 44th Aerial Port Squadron at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, traveled more than 72 hours to participate in a

  • Air Force names 2005 Mission Support Award winners

    The winners of the 2005 Mission Support Awards were announced May 2.The results are: PersonnelGen. Robert J. Dixon Personnel Award: Senior Master Sgt. Jimmy Jones, Randolph Air Force Base, Texas. Gen. Horace M. Wade Innovation Award: Tech. Sgt. Wendy Davis, Tyndall AFB, Fla. Gerrit D. Foster Jr.

  • Fewer Airmen delinquent on government travel card payments

    More Airmen are paying their government travel card bills on time, allowing the Air Force to reach what many believed was an unattainable goal set by the Department of Defense, an Air Force official said. “We met our goal by lowering our delinquency rate below 2 percent for two consecutive months,”

  • Joint Forces Command focuses on seamless operations

    Ensuring military services are able to work seamlessly with each other, coalition partners, government agencies and nongovernmental organizations is no small feat. But U.S. Joint Forces Command's top officer said work on the challenge is progressing well.Gen. Lance L. Smith said the top focus for

  • Airmen help Iraqi pilots fly again

    Pilots from the Iraqi Air Force are waiting patiently for a team of Airmen to arrive from Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. It’s this team that can get them up in the air and flying again. The mission of the Iraqi 3rd Squadron hinges on the work of the Air Force Flight Test Center. The center sent a

  • Medical officer testifies before defense subcommittee

    The Air Force’s medical Airmen are performing “magnificently,” said the Air Force surgeon general during testimony before the Senate Committee on Appropriations subcommittee on defense here May 3. “We take care of the nation’s heroes, past and present,” said Lt. Gen. (Dr.) George Peach Taylor Jr.,

  • Managing ‘million’ means mission might

    Some people just can’t seem to manage their back yards. But the small team of experts at the 56th Range Management Office here can’t afford not to, despite the fact that their back yard is 1.05 million acres of land known as the Barry M. Goldwater Range. This range supports more than 45,000 flying

  • Airmen make history in Iraq

    Five Airmen have joined aviation pioneers Gen. Henry H. “Hap” Arnold, Gen. James H. "Jimmy" Doolittle and Brig. Gen. Charles “Chuck” Yeager in a select group -- all are recipients of the Clarence Mackay Trophy. To the five-person crew, the flight over northern Iraq that put them in the record books

  • Andrews radio operators assist crewmembers worldwide

    As an Air Force aircraft approaches Yokota Air Base, Japan, the pilot sets his radio to a specified frequency and says, “Main Sail, Main Sail” -- the call sign for any global radio station. Within seconds, the pilot hears, “This is the Yokota operator.” That operator is actually with the 789th

  • Aggressors enhance Red Flag-Alaska 06-2

    The presence of the 64th Aggressor Squadron, based out of Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., enhances Red Flag-Alaska 06-2, the annual Pacific Air Forces exercise formerly known as Cope Thunder.Renaming and restructuring the exercise, which began April 24, is part of the Air Force chief of staff’s vision.

  • Incirlik controllers vital link in communications process

    When the red light flashes, command post controllers react quickly because any delay could impact the mission of this base. The alarm could be a call about inclement weather. Or it could be a call for a first sergeant about a Red Cross notification. It could signal force protection changes or

  • Air Force sergeants MIA from Vietnam War identified

    The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office, or DPMO, announced May 2 that the remains of two Airmen, missing in action from the Vietnam War, have been identified. They were crewmembers on a C-130 Hercules that was shot down in 1972.The Airmen are Tech. Sgt. Donald Hoskins of Madison,

  • Retreat reconnects couples before, after deployments

    On the banks of the Guadalupe River, a veterans group hosts a retreat that helps couples reconnect so they can better cope with life after deployments. Six couples attended the retreat hosted by the Military, Veteran and Family Assistance Foundation at the Heart of the Hills Camp here from April 20

  • Air Force leaders highlight contribution to warfighters

    Participants in the Joint Civilian Orientation Course touring the U.S. Central Command area of operations April 29 learned about the mission the Air Force carries out in support of troops on the ground. Lt. Gen. Gary North, commander of U.S. Central Command Air Forces, described the magnitude of the

  • Air Force flight bring smiles to Iraqi children

    As they stepped into the large, gray military cargo plane, their eyes widened and their expressions were equal parts wonder and bewilderment. This was the first time many of the Iraqi children and their parents had ever flown in an airplane, and none had ever been in an aircraft as large as the Air

  • ‘Paintbarn’ Airmen improve mission, preserve environment

    Airmen at the paintbarn here not only are working more efficiently, they also are doing their part to help preserve the environment. Thanks to a paint gun and equipment-cleaning system, the Airmen have reduced the amount of paint thinner contaminant waste they create by 99.991 percent. The base,

  • Chief McKinley selected as 15th CMSAF

    Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. T. Michael Moseley has named Chief Master Sgt. Rodney J. McKinley to serve as the 15th chief master sergeant of the Air Force. Chief McKinley will assume his new position July 1, following the June 30 retirement of Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Gerald R. Murray.

  • Army clinic's lone Airman manages pharmacy

    Staff Sgt. Guanina Palermo works in what is, to her, another world -- one colored in Army green. The sergeant from Liverpool, N.Y., is a certified pharmacy technician working at the health clinic at this U.S. Army camp just outside Kaiserslautern, Germany. The camp isn’t exactly another world.  It’s

  • Air Force selects 28 Airmen for medical training

    The Air Force selected 28 enlisted members to take part in the Tri-Service Physician Assistant Training Program at Fort Sam Houston, Texas. The board met here in March, selecting 28 people from 57 applicants. The average selectee was 28 years old with 7.1 years time in service and had a 3.5 grade

  • Wildlife monitors help protect endangered species

    As night turns into dawn, a man's shadow rises on a rugged desert butte. His gaze slices through the morning light looking for his target. It is hard to hunt down the fastest land animal in North America, but he is good at stalking this elusive ghost of the Arizona desert. But, Erik Stenehjem is not

  • Air Force engineers take a jump

    Joint operations are not a new concept here. It’s a way of life for many units on base. But for a new breed of Air Force joint operators, this week’s Joint Forced Entry Exercise was a chance to get off the ground -- literally. The Airmen are part of Rapid Engineer Deployable Heavy Operational Repair

  • Battlelab brings force protection to the fight

    Running through a dust-filled Baghdad street with bullets flying, a field medic reaches two injured soldiers. One with a chest wound is barely breathing. The other is losing blood fast from a gunshot wound to his leg. There isn’t time to save both. So who dies and who gets to go home? This medic’s

  • Orphanage favorite off-duty destination for Manas Airmen

    Children at an orphanage here have become accustomed to a weekly ritual. Teachers wake them from naps or gather them from activities into a common area, the door opens, and people with boxes, bags and armfuls of treats walk in. The kids run for hugs and in a moment they’re scattered like it’s

  • HVAC: Keeping you cool

    Most people either love them or hate them. Maybe it isn’t that melodramatic, but when people are sweating at their office or while trying to sleep they don’t have many good things to say about the heating, ventilation and air conditioning, or HVAC, shop. The HVAC shop here is responsible for more

  • CMSAF Murray enjoys day at work with his children

    Not many children can say they have shaken hands with a former astronaut or wandered the halls of the prestigious E-ring at the Pentagon as their parent conducts business with some of the Air Force's top leaders. But not every child has the highest-ranking enlisted Airman for a father, either. That

  • Air refueling squadron takes flight to fuel the fight

    Fighters are in the air 24 hours a day, providing constant support to ground forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. Without midair refueling, that coverage would be lost. The 340th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron provides fuel to those thirsty fighters as they keep troops on the ground safe, said Lt.

  • Family support center eases résumé worries

    The average employer will view a résumé for 15 to 20 seconds before moving on to another, according to family support center officials here. For this reason, they said it is vital for job seekers to have a résumé that represents their skills and abilities in the best manner. "The résumé is your

  • CROWS gets Airmen out of the turret

    A new weapon system in the Air Force arsenal takes Airmen out of the gun turret and into the safety of a fully up-armored Humvee. The 506th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron operates the only Common Remote Operated Weapon Station, or CROWS, in the Air Force inventory. As one of three security

  • Senior mentors advise JEFX leaders

    As Joint Expeditionary Force Experiment 2006 tests warfighting capabilities designed to fill capability gaps, three retired officers help senior leaders keep the experiment on track. Retired Lt. Gens. Joe Hurd, Mike Short and Chuck Heflebower are part of the Air Force chief of staff’s Operational

  • Luke sees big rewards from marketing environment

    The environmental flight at any one Air Force base is like any other across the Air Force. They are always looking for new ways to protect the environment while improving the Air Force’s quality of life. That is why education and awareness programs are their bread and butter. “I love to educate,”

  • Combat balloon to improve communications

    Warfighters who depend on ground communications for mission success will soon have improved technology, thanks to a system currently under examination here at the 2006 Joint Expeditionary Force Experiment. Combat Skysat uses balloons to take advantage of untapped airspace and improve line-of-sight

  • Medical team shares invisible bond

    “After what I saw last night, I understand why American Soldiers love their country. America values human life. Last night, no matter what the soldier’s injuries or the soldier’s rank, there were 10 medical specialists working on each Iraqi soldier. We are proud to have American Soldiers as our