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  • Alaskan team thaws in Honduras

    Imagine you’re a penguin, living happily in minus 40-degree temperatures. Suddenly you’re thrust into the tropical climate of a parrot, where anything below 80 degrees is considered cool. That shock to the system is essentially what happened to 17 Airmen from the 354th Civil Engineer Squadron at

  • Deployed Airmen move troops in, out of theater

    When traveling throughout the area of responsibility, accountability is key. Ensuring that servicemembers get where they need to go safely is the responsibility of Airmen here. As one of the main staging points for servicemembers traveling in and out of theater, It’s not unusual to see more than a

  • Deployed emergency responders show off skills, equipment

    Explosive ordnance disposal, medical emergency responders and firefighters combine their skills to respond to several emergencies or the same emergency within a matter of minutes. Their Kyrgyzstan counterparts were invited to the base to see the equipment vital to the Americans’ success and learn

  • Chief chaplain discusses role of service

    There are 2,200 chaplains and enlisted support people from the active and Air Reserve components serving a unique mission in today's Air Force. Chaplain (Maj. Gen.) Charles C. Baldwin, Air Force Chaplain Service chief, visited Edwards on March 16 as part of a tour of five base in five days. He took

  • Air chiefs discuss Middle East challenges

    Air chiefs from 13 nations gathered here March 25 to 27 for the fifth Middle East Air Symposium to discuss issues and challenges facing the region. The focus of the talks was the unconventional roles of air forces in the changing security environment. King Abdullah II of the Hashemite Kingdom of

  • Secretary Wynne considers Airmen as diplomats

    Warfighting is about relationship building as the Air Force moves forward in the 21st century, especially in the Pacific where bilateral exercises are taking on increasing importance. That was one of the messages from the secretary of the Air Force as he addressed a crowd of about a thousand Airmen

  • Seminar brings hope, help to abused, neglected children

    More than 16,000 cases of suspected child maltreatment are reported annually in the military, according to the Armed Forces Center for Child Protection Web site. The AFCCP is helping to protect children throughout the DOD through education and awareness training such as that held here at Wilford

  • Manas Air Base volunteers restore children’s home, hope

    A children’s home near Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, damaged by a fire, is being put back together, piece by piece, by volunteers from nearby Manas Air Base. Everywhere in the house there are sounds of progress … floorboards ripped up, window sills sanded down, nails hammered into the new floor. A more

  • Food for thought: Dining facility continues to break records

    Thirty-five tons of apples, oranges, bananas and plums, 1,600 gallons of milk, 16 tons of grilled chicken breasts and 39,040 candy bars. The list of food consumed here in one month goes on and on. “It’s an amazing operation,” said Lt. Col. Kevin Schields, 379th Expeditionary Services Squadron

  • Hypervelocity wind tunnel reaches 3,000-run milestone

    The Arnold Engineering Development Center's Hypervelocity Wind Tunnel 9, located near Silver Spring, Md., recently completed its 3,000th test-run as the facility approaches 30 years of operation. The first test, ironically in support of an Air Force system, occurred in 1976 when the facility was

  • Targeting pods enhance battlefield awareness

    An armed F-16 Fighting Falcon is “watching” the road below for the convoys rolling through a dangerous land. The concept of using fighter aircraft equipped with targeting pods to monitor the battlespace is known as non-traditional intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, or NTISR. Air Force

  • Kingpins use blend of old, new technology to counter threats

    In the sky over Iraq, technology developed in the 1940s helps fight a 21st century war. From their unique vantage point, the Kirkuk long-range radar surveillance site searches the sky. It’s almost as if the slow cyclonic pace hypnotizes everything in the airspace to spill their deep dark secrets --

  • Humanitarian relief remains constant priority

    In a turbulent world, with natural disasters striking at random and conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan surging with a tide of violence, one thing has remained constant – U.S. Air Force humanitarian relief operations. These operations, planned out of the Combined Air Operations Center, or CAOC,

  • McConnell employee donates marrow

    An Air Force civilian employee traveled to Washington, D.C., on March 23 to give the gift of life to a 10-year-old boy with severe aplastic anemia, a condition where the bone marrow does not produce enough -- or any -- new cells to replenish the blood cells. James Speanburg donated 5.5 cups of

  • Cope Thunder exercise now Red Flag - Alaska

    The Air Force chief of staff has announced the Cope Thunder exercise held in Alaska will be renamed and enhanced so it provides complementary training on the same level as the current Red Flag exercise held at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. Red Flag - Alaska coupled with Red Flag - Nellis will provide

  • Crew chiefs ‘dedicate’ to aircraft maintenance

    The 347th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron held a dedicated crew chief ceremony March 24 to officially resume the historic flightline program. The program has been in existence here since 1997, but had fallen by the wayside. Airmen pushed to re-energize and reactivate the program. The ceremony formally

  • Treating Airmen outside the wire

    Most medical teams deployed to Iraq treat their patients from the forward operating base, but three Airmen in Kirkuk are taking their knowledge to the streets by providing medical care to security forces troops outside the wire. The 506th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron boasts a medical cell

  • Smart Ops 21: Improving the Air Force one process at a time

    “What have I improved today?” That’s a question Secretary of the Air Force Michael W. Wynne urged Airmen to ask themselves in his March 8 Letter to Airmen titled Air Force Smart Operations 21. Airmen in Air Force Space Command will soon drive improvements through the Smart Ops 21 program, which

  • Maintainers repair Iraqi police station radio

    For four members of the 407th Expeditionary Communications Squadron, their latest job was not a usual one. Three ground radio maintainers and their flight commander responded to a request to fix a high frequency radio belonging to an Iraqi police station. The HF radio is important because of its

  • Japanese Airmen intern with Kadena NCOs

    Could something as simple as tying engine wires by hand instead of by tool bring two allies closer together? For Staff Sgt. Aiko Koba and Senior Airman Airica Velazquez, it means gaining a greater appreciation for what they do for their respective air force. Sergeant Koba is one of seven Japan Air

  • Controllers bring airpower directly to fight

    Airmen working side-by-side with the Army has become common place these days. But long before Airmen began performing convoy duties and other jobs historically done by their Army counterparts, Tactical Air Control Parties were assigned to Army combat maneuver units around the world. TACPs live,

  • Manas AB and local Kyrgyz communities forge bonds of friendship

    With warm and milder weather, spring has brought opportunities for the base and local community to strengthen friendly relations. Emergency responders on base pulled out all the stops to host officials and staff from the Kyrgyz Ministry of Emergency for an annual tour and barbeque March 18. The two

  • Spangdahlem mechanics fix jet engines on ‘the line’

    Mechanics at this base fix F-16 Fighting Falcon engines on a production line that makes the process of getting engines back in service more predictable. The 52nd Component Maintenance Squadron’s propulsion flight switched to the new maintenance method less than a month ago as part of a lean

  • Three Air Force trailblazers among Hall of Fame inductees

    Three Air Force trailblazers were among the five women inducted into the Women in Aviation, International, Pioneer Hall of Fame here March 25. An audience of more than 2,000 witnessed the induction of retired officers -- Maj. Gen. Jeanne Holm, Maj. Gen. Betty Mullis and Lt. Col. Betty Jane Williams.

  • Squadron keeps deployed Airmen in touch with their families

    During World War II and the Korean and Vietnam Wars, deployed troops looked forward to mail call. This was their primary mode of communication with family and friends. However, letters could take weeks or even months to arrive. Today’s warriors still receive mail, but now they have instantaneous

  • Medics use Smart Ops 21 to decrease patient notification time by half

    For the past year, the 436th Medical Group here has applied a continual improvement process many people often associate with maintenance personnel and programs. LEAN, Six Sigma and Continual Process Improvement are all programs the Air Force has introduced into the maintenance career fields over the

  • Loyal four-legged friends protect Aviano, deter crime

    With their powerful jaws, strong sense of smell and unwavering loyalty, they are not only man’s best friend, but also an incredible asset to the 31st Security Forces Squadron. Aviano’s seven explosive and two narcotic working dogs are always training and patrolling the base as part of their mission

  • Deployed Airmen teach English to Kyrgyzstan teenagers

    With the help of volunteers from the American military base just a few miles away, teenagers in Kyrgyzstan are learning the English language. During hectic deployment hours and long work weeks, Airmen from U.S. Central Command Air Force’s Manas Air Base in Kyrgyzstan still find time to help out the

  • U-2 maintainers boast streaking hot record

    In the world of sports, there have been some incredible streaks. Cal Ripken Jr. played in 2,632 consecutive major league baseball games. Lance Armstrong was victorious in seven Tour de France races. Football great Johnny Unitas threw at least one touchdown pass in 47 straight games. But none of

  • Maintainers multi-task to keep C-17s safe

    In a dusty tent in the middle of maintenance town, computers are humming and a lone radio squawks the status of an incoming C-17 Globemaster III. The only sign that anybody works here is a row of desert camouflage blouses hung neatly near the door. A few of them belong to crew chiefs. The rest were

  • Teamwork keeps Bosnia air base safe

    Tuzla Air Base, Bosnia, has an airfield that has been maintained by the Air Force since the mid 90s. But because it was a pre-existing location, many issues of safety, that would be disallowed at a stateside or NATO base, must be covered in a waiver package under United States Air Forces in Europe

  • WWII Airman receives belated Purple Heart

    March 21 was a special day for one Airman. It was the day that he received his Purple Heart Medal. It was a proud day, and a long overdue one at that. Mr. Leo Bach received his medal after suffering injuries to his right leg and back after bailing out of his B-17 Flying Fortress nearly 62 years ago.

  • Stage facility provides aircrews one-stop support

    A management team at this base is helping aircrews spend less time preparing for flying with a streamlined, one-stop approach to en route mission planning. The result is an increase in mission velocity, said Lt. Col. James Kirk, commander of the 726th Air Mobility Squadron. That leads to a more

  • SECAF makes first official tour of Pacific Region bases

    Secretary of the Air Force Michael W. Wynne is currently touring the Pacific Region to introduce his top priorities for the Air Force -- winning the war on terrorism, fostering mutual integrity and respect, and revitalizing for the service’s aging infrastructure and fleet. The 21st secretary of the

  • Refuelers await over Afghanistan

    On any given night over Afghanistan, a KC-135 Stratotanker refueling aircraft may be flying nearby as Soldiers in night-vision goggles move in on an enemy position. If needed, Soldiers call for close-air-support from the Air Force -- an A-10 Thunderbolt II may answer the call for help. No matter how

  • Statistics show command's fitness program needs to improve

    Since the new fitness program began in 2004, Air Force Reserve Command’s performance has stumbled. In 2003, 76 percent of unit reservists took the fitness test. Most of them -- 98.9 percent -- passed their assessments. Now, two years later, 68 percent of the reservists tested. But, this time 7

  • Air Force pilot becomes one of newest astronauts

    A former F-22A Raptor test pilot has now joined the ranks of an even more elite group of pilots. Lt. Col. James Dutton became an astronaut with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration following his graduation in February. “I wanted to be an astronaut when I joined the Air Force so I always

  • Cheney gives Oath of Enlistment to servicemembers at Scott

    Nine servicemembers and one enlistee had the privileged opportunity to raise their right hand and receive the Oath of Office from the vice president of the United States. During a recent visit to Scott Air Force Base, Ill., Vice President Richard Cheney assisted 375th Airlift Wing commander Col.

  • Civil Air Patrol volunteers affected by hurricanes

    During Hurricane Katrina relief efforts, hundreds of aircraft flew missions to evacuate the stranded residents of New Orleans. But, it wasn't just military aircraft running rescue missions in the congested skies above the hurricane-stricken region. Members of America's Civil Air Patrol also provided

  • Reservists' mission keeps 'boots on the ground'

    It’s hot, dry, windy and dangerous on the air base. Sand blows in your face and stings like it would at the beach. But this is no beach. This is where people from Charleston Air Force Base, S.C., are playing a vital role in the war on terrorism, thousands of miles from home. Chief Master Sgt. Tim

  • New customer support centers make life simpler

    New Air Force combat and mobility logistics support centers, opening in early April, will make ordering, tracking and shipping supplies to troops worldwide a simpler, more customer-friendly process, said officials here. The centers will open at Langley Air Force Base, Va., and Scott AFB, Ill. “The

  • Fighter aircraft help apprehend insurgents

    Air Force fighter aircraft pilots helped apprehend three suspected insurgents accused of mortaring Balad Air Base, Iraq, March 16. The pilots, who flew two F-15E Strike Eagles with the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing, were on a close-air-support mission near Balad when mortars were detected by the

  • Joint Strike Fighter program crucial to future air dominance

    Keeping the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program on track is important because the Air Force needs to replace aging aircraft and it is an important complement to the F-22A Raptor aircraft. That Capitol Hill testimony came March 16 from Lt. Gen. Carrol H. "Howie" Chandler, deputy chief of staff for Air

  • Chief of staff releases 'Letter to Airmen'

    In his latest “Letter to Airmen,” Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. T. Michael Moseley remembered the third anniversary of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The March 19 anniversary marked the removal of an oppressive and dangerous regime, and the culmination of a joint and coalition intense effort on land, air

  • Fuels Airmen train members of Iraqi Air Force

    Fuels Airmen take pride in knowing they provide fuel to the fight by supplying aircraft with the juice that keeps them flying. One more thing they can be proud of is their role in getting the Iraqi Air Force off the ground. Members of the 506th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron fuels flight

  • Nuclear Weapons Center set to open at Kirtland

    Kirtland will become the home of Air Force Materiel Command's newest organization, the Nuclear Weapons Center, on March 31. "The base has been at the heart of nuclear activities for over 60 years, so it is no surprise that the NWC would find a home here," said Col. Greg Foraker, director of the

  • Airmen train Afghan Soldiers for first long-haul mission

    U.S. Airmen recently trained Soldiers from the Afghan National Army’s Central Movement Agency for their first long-haul convoy mission. The mission March 12 covered hundreds of miles from Kabul to Kandahar and involved two trucks, each carrying 6,000 liters of fuel. The Airmen and ANA soldiers rose

  • Single C-17 breaks airdrop record

    A single Air Force C-17 Globemaster III airdropped 32,400 pounds of humanitarian aid within 40 minutes to four locations in central and eastern Afghanistan March 16. This feat marked the most cargo airdropped to this many drop-zones in the shortest amount of time from a single aircraft in the

  • Osprey simulator up, running

    The CV-22 Osprey simulator was officially welcomed at the 19th Special Operations Squadron with a ceremony earlier this month. The $21 million simulator is intended to provide refresher and proficiency training to pilots, said Lt. Col. Jonathan Jay, CV-22 simulator program manager. “We are not

  • AAFES, MWR officials testify to congressional committee

    Air Force officials overseeing morale, welfare and recreation, or MWR, for Airmen testified before the House Armed Services Committee military personnel subcommittee March 15. Maj. Gen. Paul Essex, commander of the Army and Air Force Exchange Service, or AAFES, and Arthur Myers, director of Air

  • JDAM continues to be warfighter's weapon of choice

    To call yourself the Airman warfighter's weapon of choice is one thing, but it's quite another to go out and back it up. Since its debut in 1999, the Joint Direct Attack Munition, or JDAM, has been called upon more than 15,000 times and continues to be used in the global war on terror. JDAM is a

  • Airfield managers keep runways ready

    The 379th Expeditionary Operational Support Squadron is tasked with the demanding job of managing an entire airfield. An airfield manager’s job encompasses almost anything that deals with the airfield, said Tech. Sgt. Michael Adams, 379th EOSS airfield manager and reservist deployed from Dobbins Air

  • Missouri Guard unit first ever selected for B-2 mission

    Air Force officials announced March 16 that the 131st Fighter Wing at Lambert International Airport in St. Louis will join the elite B-2 mission at Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo. The announcement means the 131st Fighter Wing's Airmen will team up with the world's only B-2 long-range stealth bomber

  • Commander shares vision for future force

    Lt. Gen. Gary L. North, 9th Air Force and U.S. Central Command Air Forces commander, shared his insight and vision for the future at the Combined Air Operations Center March 10. During his first visit as CENTAF commander, General North discussed the CENTAF mission and challenges facing Airmen and

  • Airman Battle Uniform finalized, ready for production

    The new Airman Battle Uniform is ready for production and will be available in fiscal 2007, said the Air Force deputy chief of staff of personnel. Many factors were considered in developing the final uniform selection, with the concern for Airmen being at the top of the list, said Brig. Gen Robert

  • Command tasking process gets "quick win"

    The way Air Force Materiel Command delegates and tracks suspenses just received an upgrade thanks to people from across the command who met here during an efficiency event March 6 to 10. When Air Force Smart Operations for the 21st Century kicked off in AFMC, the tasking process was immediately

  • DOD releases annual sexual assault report

    The Department of Defense released the results of the second annual report on the Sexual Assault Prevention and Response program. The report addresses data on alleged sexual assaults that were reported during 2005 in which members of the armed forces are victims or offenders. The Air Force received

  • Family Matters introduces updated AF Crossroads Web site

    The Air Force A1 office of family matters will soon unveil its updated Air Force Crossroads Web site for Airmen and families to gather facts about installations, military moves, education and more. Though the current site contains a lot of information, its many layers made the site difficult to

  • EOD Airmen reflect on six-month tour in Iraq

    Improvised Explosive Devices’ prevalence in Iraq has placed increased demands on Air Force Explosive Ordnance Disposal specialists, and the members of the 332nd Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron EOD flight are on the leading edge of the effort to combat these IEDs. Explosive ordnance disposal

  • CMSAF speaks about future changes

    As threats against the United States evolve, Airmen can expect the Air Force to evolve as well said the Air Force’s senior enlisted member during his visit here, Friday, March 10. Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Gerald R. Murray talked about the Air Force’s evolution and the initiatives

  • Joint rescue saves stranded scuba divers

    Thanks to the combined efforts of Airmen from Kadena Air Base and local Japanese responders here, two scuba divers were rescued early Monday morning following a five-hour search and rescue operation. The two scuba divers -- a local Okinawan and a U.S. Marine -- were found clinging to the bottom of

  • Air Force gets aggressive about combat training

    To become the best Airmen in the world, the Air Force trains against the best Airmen in the world. Aggressors, as they’re known, scrimmage against their fellow Airmen, much like football teams preparing for a game. Traditionally, aggressors have focused on aircrews, but in the near future, the Air

  • New checklist helps expedite hiring process

    The Air Force Personnel Center has created a Request for Personnel Action checklist to help managers during the hiring process. The RPA checklist is a valuable tool used to assist managers and hiring officials in managing their civilian positions in a more efficient and timely manner. It was

  • Gen. Renuart: U.S. strategy built for new threats

    The U.S. military has sculpted its strategy to account for the different threats, cultures and circumstances posed by the global war on terror, said the Joint Staff's chief of strategic plans and policy. While the Defense Department does focus a great deal of effort on Iraq and Afghanistan, the war

  • Airman saves co-worker

    A security forces noncommissioned officer lost consciousness and was saved by a fellow Airman at a Las Vegas restaurant March 5. Members of the security team for Joint Expeditionary Force Experiment '06 were at dinner when Master Sgt. Jeff Jones noticed that Staff Sgt. Dionne Bennett, an Air

  • Engineers support the fight

    Air Force engineers from the 557th Expeditionary Red Horse Squadron are supporting Bastogne Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry near Hawijah, Iraq, by increasing the quality of living on forward operating base McHenry. “It’s a mission worth supporting,” said 2nd Lt. Tim Brodman, the officer

  • What’s in a name?

    The Space Warfare Center here became the Space Innovation and Development Center in a formal ceremony March 8. The name has changed, but the organization’s mission remains the same, the commander said. “One of the things I want people to understand is that there’s no change in our mission,” Col.

  • Dental residency program fills experience gap

    A dental residency program here teaches dentists career field specialties and how to serve in a deployed location. The advanced education in general dentistry resident program is the only dentistry program in the Air Force that accepts dentists who have already served in the military for a few

  • The nose knows -- military working dogs complete security forces mission

    “Get 'em!” With one swift movement, military working dog Breston is off like a flash, covering the distance between his handler and his target in just a few fluid strides. The reward for his speed and agility is a nice juicy bite. Of course the juicy bite was just the “bite suit” but Breston, a

  • Analysis of tanker fleet alternatives released

    The RAND Corp. released an executive summary March 7 detailing its findings from an analysis of alternatives study to replace the Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker fleet. The report states, "A fleet of medium to large (300,000 to 1,000,000 pounds maximum gross takeoff weight) commercial derivatives is

  • Warfare center creates mobility warriors

    Every day more than 550 Airmen pick up a proverbial sword and shield and step onto the battlefield. Their sword is knowledge honed to a razor’s edge by experience and technology; their shield, the Air Mobility Warfare Center; their battlefield, deployed locations around the world. “We are

  • Medics, volunteers meet Iraqis' medical needs

    Several times a week, medics from the 447th Expeditionary Medical Squadron take a break from their normal “hustle and bustle” work schedule at the clinic to help local Iraqis who feel under the weather. The medics head out close to the wire to see these patients at the Radhwaniya Medical Clinic

  • Heritage to horizons: Advice from former chiefs spans generations

    There is one distinct common observation most former chief master sergeants of the Air Force have about today’s Airmen, and that’s the level of education and sophistication coming out of today’s society. “[When] you talk about our Airmen of today, you also have to talk about the young citizens of

  • Air Force introduces next generation cruise missile

    Since the late 1970s the Department of Defense has tried and failed numerous times to give the warfighter an affordable standoff cruise missile capable of taking out the enemy's air defenses early on in a conflict. Fast forward to 2006 and that warfighter need has finally been met by the Air Force's

  • Weather info delivered to warfighter faster with integration

    Net-centric weather integration is one of the many important initiatives being tested during the Joint Expeditionary Force Experiment 2006 at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. This integration, sponsored by the Air Force Weather Agency, demonstrates the capability to provide critical, time-sensitive

  • Electronic initiative gets critical information to commanders

    An initiative designed to electronically transmit intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance information to commanders is currently being tested here at Joint Expeditionary Force Experiment 2006. With non-traditional ISR services, information will flow directly from aircraft to the Air and Space

  • OPSEC tool pulverizes paper

    She’s called the “shredder queen.” Staff Sgt. Cassandra Ali, 379th Expeditionary Communications Squadron base records manager, keeps track of Airmen who sign up to shred paper. In the last two weeks, she’s moved 57 20-pound bags of pulverized paper from the base’s newest operational security tool, a

  • Learning early: First-term Airmen learn security forces skills

    Airmen fresh out of basic training and technical school are now receiving a security forces introduction here in line with new Air Force security forces training initiatives. The 347th Security Forces Squadron recently introduced a five-day augmentee course for recent graduates of the Moody’s First

  • Integration builds on fighter wings' strengths

    The ongoing association between the 419th and 388th Fighter Wings here will make both organizations stronger by capitalizing on the strengths of each, said Lt. Gen. John A. Bradley, commander of Air Force Reserve Command. General Bradley welcomed reservists from the 419th FW home in late January

  • KC-135 operations -- the flow behind the mission

    They have their hands in virtually every aspect of the KC-135 Stratotanker mission here -- they are the flow, the operational heartbeat. It starts at the top with their commander, runs through the operations officer, to a KC-135 mission planning cell, then to the aircrews. Then there is a support

  • Officials announce Air Force safety awards

    Air Force safety officials announced the winners of the 2005 safety awards. They are: -- Secretary of the Air Force Safety Award: Category 1, U.S. Air Forces in Europe at Ramstein Air Base, Germany; Category II, Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center at Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M. --

  • Eagle Flag launches humanitarian relief missions for exercise

    More than 350 Airmen are testing their humanitarian mission support skills during the Air Mobility Warfare Center’s Eagle Flag exercise. This is the first time the flag-level exercise has specifically provided a humanitarian relief mission scenario. “Basically, we are trying to create the most

  • Command's High Flight program opens door to civilians

    Air Mobility Command added a new twist to the High Flight program here when Air Force civilians were added to the professional development and orientation course. Forty-seven captains from across the Air Force and six civilians from the command recently participated in the twice-a-year program.

  • Air Force Judge Advocate Corps streamlines operations

    The Air Force's Judge Advocate General’s Corps has a plan to optimize their operations for the 21st century, and move out on Air Force Smart Operations 21. In a recent interview, Maj. Gen. Jack L. Rives, the Air Force's new judge advocate general, said the service's JAG Corps will begin transforming

  • Airmen reach out to local Afghan village

    More than 40 Airmen here recently visited a local village and gave basic necessities, donated by people throughout the world, to about 500 Afghans. Members of the 455th Air Expeditionary Wing drove seven kilometers to the village of Gadia to hand out materials including clothes, shoes, hygiene

  • Spanish detachment helps with troop movement from Manas

    The Spanish detachment here safely moved about a dozen U.S. Air Force officers to Kabul, Afghanistan, March 3. Manas is known as the “Gateway to Operation Enduring Freedom” because all troops moving in and out of Afghanistan stop here first to transfer to civilian or military aircraft. The Spanish

  • U.S. Airmen provide Iraq’s new air force a place to call home

    Iraq’s new air force flying operations have received much publicity recently. But a military must have a base to call home. A team of U.S. Airmen spent more than a year helping the Iraqi air force establish its “only” base with a support unit. About a year ago, the New Al Muthana Air Base was just a

  • Contingency response wing takes baby steps around the world

    Helping the relief victims of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, and Pakistan’s earthquake disaster were its baby steps. The infant is the 621st Contingency Response Wing, which celebrated its first birthday on Monday, March 6, 2006 at a ceremony in its contingency response warehouse. “Each person here is

  • Airmen keep traveling birds clean

    What is left on an aircraft when the cargo, passengers and crew are gone? Trash, filled lavatories and a lot of cleaning to be done. It’s a dirty job, but somebody has to do it. Those brave people are the fleet service representatives. Dressed in blue “frog togs” and equipped with latex gloves, face

  • Saber patrols extend force protection outside gates

    Jostling down the roads outside this base at 30 miles an hour in a Humvee gives an intriguingly candid snapshot of the host nation. As the vehicle rolls through, men and women on bicycles nod, children on horses wave, cattle and sheep stare before ambling out of the way toward field after field of

  • Vehicle managers keep things rolling at Manas

    The supply tent in the vehicle management section of maintenance town here is a good illustration of just how busy the flight is right now. Packed from floor to ceiling and wall to wall with spare parts, it doesn’t hold everything needed to keep the base’s fleet of nearly 300 vehicles running.

  • Forces team up to provide security at Manas

    After five months of negotiations between the 376th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron and Manas International Airport security leaders, two security forces Airmen took their place beside their Kyrgyz counterparts at the airport entrance gate March 1. The gate, located just north of the

  • Remote weather system online again at Minot

    Maintenance was recently completed on five Remote Automated Weather Stations, or RAWS, located at missile alert facilities throughout North Dakota. The maintenance, which began in fall 2005, was completed Feb. 17 and made the RAWS fully operational after a four-year hiatus. The RAWS have sensors

  • Internet chat leads to confinement, discharge

    An Airman here was sentenced to three years confinement, reduction to airman basic and a dishonorable discharge in court-martial proceedings here Feb. 23. Staff Sgt. Brian Malone, a 3rd Operations Support Squadron weather forecaster, pleaded guilty to 21 specifications of violating two articles of

  • Operation Deep Freeze finishes

    Joint Task Force Support Forces Antarctica, Operation Deep Freeze, an annual Antarctic airlift mission in support of the National Science Foundation, completed its final sortie Feb. 28, closing a record-filled season. Flight operations were supported by LC-130s from the New York Air National Guard's

  • Class selected for cyber security boot camp

    Forty men and women from across the country will focus on a futuristic "cybercraft" as they participate in the 2006 Class of the Advanced Course in Engineering Cyber Security Boot Camp. A joint selection committee of Syracuse University and Air Force Research Laboratory officials reviewed the

  • General Lord retires from Air Force Space Command helm

    After a 37-year career, Gen. Lance W. Lord, commander of Air Force Space Command, retired in a ceremony here today. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. T. Michael Moseley presided over the event. There were more than 700 current and former defense leaders, active and retired military members and civic

  • Iraqi Air Force takes giant step forward

    A fully certified aircrew takes flight and a single air base opens its gates. To Iraqi Airmen training alongside U.S. Airmen these feats represent giant steps toward independence and national security. Since November, the Air Force has taken on the mission of standing up the Iraqi Air Force,

  • Langley unit receive its first Raptors

    After two-and-a-half months of waiting, an aircraft with a 94th Fighter Squadron emblem has once again landed at Langley Air Force Base. But this time, the emblems were painted on the sides of two F-22A Raptors. Lt. Col. Dirk Smith, 94th Fighter Squadron commander, and Maj. Kevin Dolata, 94th FS,

  • Spiral 3 underway for JEFX ’06

    Spiral 3 of the Joint Expeditionary Force Experiment ‘06 kicked off March 2 at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. JEFX is an Air Force chief of staff-sponsored, major command-executed series of experiments that combine live-fly, live-play ground and naval forces, simulation and technology insertions into a