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U.S. Air Force News

  • Web site delivers high-tech, hands-on health education

    Making the transition to a healthier lifestyle can make the difference between life and death for patients with cardiovascular disease.Through detailed illustrations, testimonials from other patients and other cutting-edge technologies, the CardioConnection Web site takes patient education well

  • Moseley lauds education group's focus on military children

    The general nominated to be the next Air Force chief of staff praised the work of the military child education coalition here June 29 during the group's annual conference.Gen. T. Michael Moseley, currently the Air Force vice chief of staff, said the coalition not only is in the forefront of leveling

  • Expeditionary Airmen form unique personnel team

    More than 85 Airmen have begun serving 365-day deployments supporting the war on terrorism here, and about 200 positions are expected to be in place by December.For many people, the extended tour offers a unique opportunity to help freedom and democracy grow in Iraq; however, with that opportunity

  • Medical Airmen save infant's life

    Medics here recently saved the life of a local 3-month-old infant suffering from severe infection.The child’s father brought him to a forward-operating base where officials arranged for the baby to be brought here for care.Though the 506th Expeditionary Medical Squadron’s Airmen do not routinely

  • Air Force recognizes historical name of Iraqi air base

    What’s in a name? In the case of Ali Base, years of history. Ali Base, situated near the city of An Nasiriyah, in south central Iraq, is the main airfield in southern Iraq from which Iraqi, coalition and U.S. Airmen operate. Until January, coalition forces called the base Tallil. Now, all use the

  • Senate confirms Moseley as next CSAF

    The Senate has confirmed Gen. T. Michael Moseley as the next chief of staff of the Air Force. He is the current Air Force vice chief of staff.General Moseley met with members of the Senate Armed Services Committee June 29 during his confirmation hearing. Following the approval of the committee,

  • 60th Anniversary of World War II celebrated

    In honor of World War II veterans marking their 60th Anniversary, the World War II Airpower Committee hosted a commemoration ceremony at Arlington Cemetery June 30.The Air Force chief of staff honored airpower contributions to World War II during the ceremony by placing a wreath at the Tomb of the

  • C-130J conducts first-ever combat airdrop

    Air Force history was made June 30 when the newest addition to the cargo fleet proved its capabilities during the first-ever C-130J Hercules combat airdrop. The new J-model aircraft has been put to the test on various missions both at home and abroad on numerous occasions to ensure it meets all

  • Leaders need guidance on religious discussions

    Bluesuiters in leadership positions need more guidance and education about when and where it is appropriate to discuss their faith. That testimony from Lt. Gen. Roger A. Brady, Air Force deputy chief of staff for personnel, came June 28 before the House Armed Service Committee military personnel

  • EQUAL listing available July 12

    The Enlisted Quarterly Assignment Listing for Airmen returning from overseas and continental United States mandatory movers from November through January 2006 will be available July 12.Airmen need to work through their military personnel flights or their commander's support staff to update their

  • Air Force takes part in joint training transformation

    Linking aircraft simulators with live forces and simulators of other services have been the Air Force’s most visible contributions to the Department of Defense's joint training transformation effort. DOD has been working to make training for war a team effort, pushing the four services -- who often

  • Air Force leaders send Independence Day message

    The following is an Independence Day message from Michael L. Dominguez, acting secretary of the Air Force, and Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper:“This July 4th, we celebrate our nation’s 229th year of independence. In those 229 years, the United States has embodied the principles of

  • Resnicoff: Taking oath involves personal change

    When individuals take an oath to enter military service, a change happens in who they are and what their obligations are. For Airmen, that change must involve a shift from the personal goals of a civilian to the greater goals of the Air Force, with an emphasis on the core values, said Rabbi Arnold

  • Airmen defend inside the wire

    One group of Airmen here enables local and third-country nationals to work here, which helps Kirkuk officials reduce military manpower needed and provide security to thousands of residents.Airmen escorts came from bases and various career fields throughout the Air Force and brought here to “defend

  • Moseley confirmation hearing held

    The Air Force chief of staff nominee testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee here June 29."I am deeply humbled and honored to be here," Gen. T. Michael Moseley said. "I truly appreciate the enormity and responsibility of the office of chief of staff of the Air Force."General Moseley,

  • Rumsfeld, Myers call on Americans to support troops

    In anticipation of upcoming Independence Day celebrations, the secretary of defense and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff asked for support of the troops and expressed confidence in the American people's spirit during a Pentagon town hall meeting June 29. This was the first time the town

  • Reservists, guardsmen bring skills to special missions

    Maj. Eduardo Alzona speaks eight languages -- nine, if you count "legalese."As an undergraduate, Major Alzona studied languages and later attended law school. So when Defense Department officials asked the reservist to teach Spanish to police officers in South Florida, it seemed like a natural

  • Airmen get ACCES to better communication

    The most important word in a maintenance operation is “stop!” To help spread the work, the attenuating customized communications earpiece system was developed by Air Force Research Laboratory scientists and local F/A-22 Raptor specialists. The earpiece makes it easier for pilots and maintainers to

  • Jumper stresses core values, spiritual strength

    As part of service in the Air Force, Airmen are expected to embrace its core values, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper said in a Chief’s Sight Picture released June 28. These values -- integrity first, service before self and excellence in all we do -- are a guide that binds Airmen

  • 60th Fighter Squadron wins air-superiority trophy

    For the second time in less than 10 years, the 60th Fighter Squadron is the winner of the Raytheon Trophy.Started in 1953 by Hughes Aircraft Company, the trophy is given annually to the top air-superiority or air-defense squadron in the Air Force.“It’s quite an honor -- bottom line it’s the highest

  • Official: DOD committed to veterans' health care

    The Defense Department will work with the Veterans Affairs Department to help cover a shortfall in VA funds because of increased dental benefits claimed by returning veterans of the war on terrorism, a top DOD health official told Congress on June 28."The Department of Defense is firmly committed to

  • Mobility bags must be packed, ready

    When most people plan to travel, they take time to make sure they have packed everything they will need for their trip. Sometimes, forgetting a toothbrush can put a damper on a vacation. However, in the military, troops must be ready to go at a moment’s notice. On a deployment to a hazardous duty

  • National group honors General, Mrs. Myers

    The National Military Family Association honored Gen. Richard B. and Mary Jo Myers during the group's annual luncheon June 27.The group honored the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and his wife for their leadership and dedication to improving the lives of military families.Mary Jo Myers thanked

  • Air Force approves Afghanistan, Iraqi campaign medals

    Air Force officials have authorized Airmen to wear the Afghanistan Campaign Medal and the Iraqi Campaign Medal.The Department of Defense campaign medals apply to active-duty Airmen, reservists and guardsmen deployed on or after Oct. 24, 2001, for Operation Enduring Freedom and March 19, 2003, for

  • New Air Force adviser chosen for values, vision

    Air Force officials have created a new adviser position to help ensure the Air Force's core values are integrated into all aspects of the service's operating concepts, policies and vision.Rabbi Arnold E. Resnicoff, former national director of the Interreligious Affairs for the American Jewish

  • Airmen, Soldiers open lines of communication

    Since the beginning of Operation Iraqi Freedom, the area surrounding Baghdad International Airport has developed into a series of bases, each with its own unique role in fighting the war on terrorism.Now, a small group of Airmen and Soldiers are working together to link each of those bases together

  • Officials urge Airmen to be wary of scams

    “Congratulations! You’re the winner of $6 million. All we need you to do is contact our agent to begin the claim process.”At one time or another, most people have received this type of offer in the mail or by e-mail. This “to-good-to-be-true” offer is in fact a scam to entice people to give up

  • Total force Samaritans in the sand help friend, foe

    As the story goes, a good Samaritan helped an injured stranger along a well-traveled road in the Middle East more than 2,000 years ago.Today, hundreds of miles farther east, reservists of the 433rd Medical Squadron are working with about 140 Airmen of the 59th Medical Wing at Wilford Hall Medical

  • Leaders say timetable for troops’ return would be mistake

    Setting a timetable for U.S. troop withdrawal in Iraq would be a mistake, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld told the Senate Armed Services Committee here June 23."Some in Congress have suggested that deadlines be set," Secretary Rumsfeld said. "That would be a mistake; it would throw a lifeline

  • Airdrop, refueling events take flight at Rodeo 2005

    The airdrop and air refueling event at Rodeo 2005 included 33 international and U.S. aircraft on a mission to become the best of the best.“These crewmembers were sent by their wings and their nations to represent them, having gone through intense training to hone their skills to be the best

  • Teams flex muscle during Rodeo fitness event

    The 715th Air Mobility Operations Group team from Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii, finished first in the fit-to-fight competition at Rodeo 2005 here June 19 with a score of 297 points.The competition, worth a possible 300 points, was the first in Rodeo history, stemming from the desire of Gen. John P.

  • Competitors battle ants and obstacles on Rodeo course

    One hundred million ants, 800 possible points, 150 pounds to carry, 13 umpires, eight obstacles, five teams, two visiting generals, and one endurance course … priceless.Participants in the aeromedical evacuation endurance course event may be new to Rodeo, but they took the challenge head-on and made

  • Report: Academy grapples with religion in the public forum

    A team looking at the religious climate of the Air Force Academy found an institution grappling with a challenge that is the subject of significant debate in the public arena.Part of the problem appears to be a lack of operational guidance as to what is and is not acceptable in the area of religious

  • Communications Airmen complete Rodeo ‘puzzle’

    Months of preparation have allowed base officials to assemble the puzzle pieces necessary to run Rodeo 2005. Perhaps one of the most essential, and busiest, pieces of the puzzle has been the Airmen of the 62nd Communications Squadron here.With more than 1,000 people coming here for the one-week air

  • Maintainers keep 'Thunder' rolling

    With more than 47 aircraft from the United States, Japan and the United Kingdom converging on the flightline here for Cooperative Cope Thunder, the "Thunder Dome" is serving as the nerve center of maintenance activities vital to deployed units.The Thunder Dome is nothing like the gladiator-style

  • Rodeo umpires offer critical eye

    There is a room in a hangar here where only a select few are admitted, but every competitor at Rodeo 2005 wants access. It is the room where scores are recorded and winners are identified for every event this year.Providing the raw data for the score keepers in that room will be 250 umpires -- men

  • General Looney takes command of AETC

    Gen. William R. Looney III became the commander of Air Education and Training Command here June 17 taking the helm of the Air Force’s “first command.”Gen. John P. Jumper, Air Force chief of staff, presided at the flightline ceremony, which more than 1,200 people attended.General Looney came to AETC

  • Indian Springs renamed Creech Air Force Base

    Nearby Indian Springs Air Force Auxiliary Air Field officially changed its name to Creech Air Force Base on June 20 in honor of Gen. Wilbur L. “Bill” Creech.As the commander of Tactical Air Command from 1978 to 1984, General Creech shaped the Air Force of today with a call for new weapons and

  • Airman saves children from drowning

    An Airman here was expecting to have some fun in the sun on a weekend trip to the beach during a recent trip. He was not expecting to save children from drowning.Staff Sgt. Jozsef Nagy, an Internet services technician with the Air Force Weather Agency, was attending a network management training

  • Weather forecasters provide support in Kosovo

    When some people want to start a conversation with a stranger or someone they have not seen for a while, they may ask the long-standing question, “What do you think of the weather?”As weather forecasters, a small group of Airmen deployed to Camp Bondsteel in Kosovo take the question one step

  • Schwartz nominated to command TRANSCOM

    President Bush has nominated Lt. Gen. Norton A. Schwartz for the rank of general and to command U.S. Transportation Command here.General Schwartz is currently serving as the Joint Staff director in Washington. Before that assignment he was the Joint Staff’s director for operations.A 1973 graduate

  • Deployed dads get ‘live’ visits from families

    Six deployed dads got a special Father’s Day present from their families here June 15 when they were linked up via video teleconference.The six Airmen, all deployed to Balad Air Base, Iraq, were told they would be doing television interviews with local reporters about being deployed on Father’s Day.

  • Yokota radar techs keep Pacific aircraft safe

    Every day, technicians here ensure air traffic control radars correctly and safely track incoming and outgoing Department of Defense military and contracted civilian aircraft. Radar is air traffic control’s primary surveillance system, said Tech. Sgt. Michael Smith, ground radar systems supervisor

  • New majors selected for IDE

    The P0404A Major Central Selection Board recently held at the Air Force Personnel Center here selected officers for promotion and identified those selected for intermediate developmental education.Officers selected will join a resource pool of officers who will be considered for future attendance at

  • Online purchase turns into historical find

    The online purchase of one person here will soon be displayed in an Air Force historical museum. Jeffery Hughes, a 305th Mission Support Squadron human resource assistant, recently donated a rare set of 1955 Airman test stripes to the Air Mobility Command Museum at Dover Air Force Base, Del.Mr.

  • DOD issues guidance for medics dealing with detainees

    Department of Defense officials recently issued new guidelines for military medics dealing with detainees.The new rules deal with patient care, interrogations and medical-record confidentiality, among other issues, the department’s top doctor said June 17.Dr. William Winkenwerder Jr., assistant

  • 379th AMU fighter maintenance family affair

    Like many father and son teams, Senior Master Sgt. Joe Franco and Staff Sgt. Joe Franco plan on spending Father’s Day getting out the toolbox and tinkering around with a vehicle.Only the wrenches will not be spread out under a carport or at a base auto hobby shop. Not this year.The elder Franco, of

  • Face-to-face counseling available to Airmen, families

    Sometimes an Airman needs someone to talk to, and although his or her supervisor or friends are available, they are not always the right ones to listen.The Air Force, as part of a larger effort within the Department of Defense, offers Airmen a professional, private, face-to-face counseling as part

  • Reservists required to register civilian employment info

    Time is running out for about 15,000 Air Force reservists in the Selected Reserve to comply with a Department of Defense directive. Oct. 31 is the deadline for reservists who are paid for training to register information about their civilian place of employment. About 60,000 of these Airmen,

  • Cadets learn it’s a BEAR out there

    For some people going to college, the summer months mean returning home for a break from school or finding a summer job. But that is not what is in store for more than 1,200 U.S. Air Force Academy cadets.Cadets are receiving a crash course in setting up BEAR, or basic expeditionary airfield

  • Technicians ensure safe, clean, serviceable fuel

    The availability of safe and reliable petroleum is vital in safeguarding the lives of military forces.“Sediments in fuel are dangerous,” said Staff Sgt. Carmarius Johnson, a fuels laboratory technician with the 374th Logistics Readiness Squadron here. “It causes fuel filters and injectors to clog.

  • Guardsmen familiarize Polish airmen with F-16

    Once adversaries, American F-16 Fighting Falcons and Soviet-era MiG-29s sit side by side on the flightline here during exercise Sentry White Falcon 2005.Warm emotions can be felt as the Polish and American pilots share each other’s planes; sometimes the fighter pilots cannot fight away the

  • Air Force shooting team takes silver, bronze at trap match

    The Air Force International Trap Shooting Team recently competed in the 2005 Interservice Trap Championships and won two medals.The five-day competition here brought Air Force and Army marksmen together to compete in international trap and double-trap events.Capt. Mike Herman from Schriever Air

  • Airman saves life while TDY

    Air Command and Staff College student Maj. Michael Jansen cannot explain his actions while on temporary duty to Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., for specialized study of air and space power. “Something like that may happen once in your lifetime, but hopefully never,” he said. “You can’t plan how you

  • Former professional athletes visit Airmen in Southwest Asia

    Airmen from the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing at a forward-deployed location received a special visit June 12 and 13, courtesy of the United Services Organization. And they went big, very big, with the celebrity guest list.National Basketball Association player and current hoops talking head, Charles

  • Volunteers fly 'greatest generation' to see their memorial

    Thousands of visitors have come to the National World War II Memorial here since it opened last year. But the miles between the memorial and the ever-dwindling, increasingly frail ranks of World War II veterans make it difficult for many members of "The Greatest Generation" to make the pilgrimage

  • Radio shop keeps deployed Airmen in tune

    A small shop has a big job here. The two-person shop within the 40th Air Expeditionary Group’s communications flight is responsible for programming, maintaining and tracking more than 360 hand-held radios, 299 pagers, a public address system, giant voice, about 15 television services and 200 phones

  • Communications flight Airmen link base with outside world

    Without people like Staff Sgt. Karisa Szczygiel and Senior Airman Keith Hopson life at this forward-deployed location would be lonely and quiet. Morale and mission accomplishment certainly would be severely degraded if not downright nonexistent. The two Airmen are part of a 12-person shop within

  • Cooperative Cope Thunder kicks off

    The sky above Alaska is brimming with activity as Pacific Air Force’s premier composite force exercise kicked off here June 9.Cooperative Cope Thunder runs through June 24 with operations here and at nearby Elmendorf Air Force Base.The exercise highlights multinational operations combined with

  • Supply Airmen keep deployed essentials on shelf

    Continuously keeping supplies on the shelf to support military operations here falls on the shoulders of a group of Airmen from the 416th Expeditionary Mission Support Squadron’s supply section.They ensure warfighters have the necessary gear and parts to effectively fight the war on terrorism. They

  • Latest C-130J evolution arrives on desert ramp

    The faster more powerful C-130 Hercules J-models and the stretch version arrived in Southwest Asia on June 7 and 8, bringing state-of-the-art technology to the war on terrorism.Airmen with the Rhode Island Air National Guard’s 143rd Airlift Squadron, the California ANG’s 146th AS and the Maryland

  • Airmen keep base safe in austere conditions

    Not many Airmen here would volunteer to stand, dressed in their body armor, in the summer desert heat for 13 hours a day watching the perimeter. However, that is exactly what security forces Airmen do every day to keep people and assets here safe.“We secure the base and ensure nobody breaks the

  • Yokota couple wins O’Malley award

    Sources have it that behind every good man stands a good woman.Col. Mark Schissler, a former 374th Airlift Wing commander here, said he has to agree.His wife, Marcia, and himself led the wing and its tenant units through two years of relief efforts, community relations events, inspections and

  • Tech, master promotion rates announced

    Air Force officials have selected 6,630 of 25,454 eligible technical sergeants for promotion to master sergeant; and 9,116 of 43,379 eligible staff sergeants for promotion to technical sergeant.The master sergeant selection rate rose 0.10 percent from last year to 26.05 percent, while this year's

  • Gallant Fox III brings first responders to Pentagon

    A dozen bodies lay strewn on a patch of grass near the bus stop outside the Pentagon on June 8. Some of them cried out for help.Nearby, that help was quickly arriving. Firetrucks, ambulances and other first responders arrived on the scene from local municipalities, including Arlington, Fairfax and

  • Air Force leaders testify on IG tanker lease report

    The Air Force's two most senior leaders testified June 7 on Capitol Hill about the Service's efforts to recapitalize its fleet of refueler aircraft. Michael L. Dominguez, acting secretary of the Air Force, and Gen. John P. Jumper, Air Force chief of staff, both answered questions for the Senate

  • Grand Forks, Eielson key to Air Force Future Total Force

    If the Base Realignment and Closure recommendations released in May are approved, Grand Forks Air Force Base, N.D., and Eielson AFB, Alaska, will see some changes. Both bases will play a strategic role in the Air Force's Future Total Force plan.Grand Forks received the highest BRAC score for

  • There’s no quitting in the Air Force

    An Airman candidate stood up and said, “I quit.”Almost before he could finish speaking, three staff sergeants were in his face barking like trained attack dogs.“You can’t quit!” they yelled. “We decide who’s quitting, and you’re not quitting! Ain’t no such thing as quitting.”The confrontation took

  • Total force combats explosive devices

    On a normal day, operations at the 451st Air Expeditionary Group here can be typical of any deployed unit. Civil engineer Airmen work tirelessly to keep the long-neglected runway open so that thousands of Soldiers can remain supplied. Aerial port Airmen load and unload a seemingly endless stream of

  • USAFE civilian personnel servicing moves to AFPC

    U.S. Air Forces in Europe family members looking for employment will soon have a centralized site for handling civilian personnel servicing when civilian personnel operations move July 10.The move is part of the Air Force’s long-term plan to streamline operations by having the Air Force Personnel

  • BRAC changes to medicine focus on care, training, research

    Airmen bound for a career in the Air Force Medical Service will start off by training in a joint environment if all Base Realignment and Closure recommendations are approved.The changes will not completely homogenize training for enlisted medical specialists, but they will allow all the services to

  • Deployed plumbers keep water flowing

    Water. It is one of life’s most basic necessities. Without it, battles have been lost and entire armies have fallen.It can mean the difference between success and failure -- and even life and death.The Airmen of the 447th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron utilities team know that getting clean

  • Sergeant wins Vanguard Award for heroism

    Staff Sgt. Keith Stevens is the Air Force's 2005 recipient of the annual Vanguard Award for heroic action.Sergeant Stevens is a vehicle operator dispatcher currently assigned to Osan Air Base, South Korea.The award, sponsored by the Non-Commissioned Officers Association, recognizes a noncommissioned

  • Air Force improving force protection

    Protecting military people or equipment is not a new thing in the Air Force, but the way it is being done is. More and more emphasis is being placed on how the Air Force does force protection business and the effects are being seen at home bases servicewide and the U.S. Central Command’s area of

  • Military responders geared up for active hurricane season

    With forecasters predicting an active hurricane season this year, military responders are geared up for whatever Mother Nature whirls their way.Hurricane season officially kicked off June 1, and meteorologists expect the decade-long trend toward active hurricane seasons in the Atlantic to continue

  • Robots, Airmen defuse unexploded ordnance

    With the help of new, faster and more agile robots, explosive ordnance disposal Airmen here have an opportunity to keep their distance from bombs set to harm servicemembers off the base.Teaming man and machine is giving Airmen of the EOD unit an upper hand in the seemingly never-ending battle

  • Bio shop provides peace of mind

    It is a hot day, and an Airman has been walking around base for most of it. He is thirsty, so without thinking he grabs a bottle of water, trusting the water is safe to drink, and with good reason. The Airmen with the 332nd Expeditionary Aerospace Medical Squadron’s bioenvironmental engineering

  • Academy sports recap: Falcon lacrosse MVP selected for all-star classic

    Air Force lacrosse player Tim Hade has been selected as an alternate to play for the North squad at the 64th annual STX-GEICO North/South Classic, which will be held June 11 on the campus of State University of New York - Cortland. Recently, Hade, a long-stick midfielder/defender, was honored as

  • Motorcycle safety forum held at Andrews

    The muffled roar of motorcycles filled the air here May 28 as the base held the inaugural Air Force Motorcycle Safety Forum.The main goals of the forum were to save lives by promoting safe riding and to encourage the motorcycle mentoring concept called for by Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P.

  • Crash victims identified

    Department of Defense officials identified the four Airmen who died May 30 in the crash of an Iraqi air force aircraft.The Airmen, deployed from Hurlburt Field, Fla., were on a training mission in eastern Diyala province when the Iraqi Comp Air 7SL aircraft they were in crashed. An Iraqi pilot was

  • PACAF officials establish warfighting headquarters

    Pacific Air Forces headquarters officials established the George C. Kenney Headquarters (Provisional) here June 1. The newly formed warfighting headquarters will focus exclusively on planning and executing military operations throughout the Pacific theater, excluding the Korean Peninsula. It is

  • Airman helps people arrive, depart Kosovo

    An Airman deployed here had a busy flight schedule to deal with, but he was not going anywhere.“I have to meet a passenger, who is going to Greece, at the airport in Pristina. Then I have to meet an arriving plane afterward,” said Tech. Sgt. Tony Schuster, NATO’s channel flight coordinator for

  • Sons of Iraq represent future, freedom

    Iraq just moved closer toward freedom and independence -- 54 steps closer to be exact.Each step is represented by one of 54 elite Iraqi soldiers who have begun explosives ordnance disposal school, the first group to enter the school since the free elections in January. The soldiers will learn how to

  • Airman magazine changes to quarterly publication

    Beginning in July, Airman magazine will be distributed on a quarterly basis versus monthly, to include the January almanac edition.Readers can expect to see enhanced photography and changes in content, layout and design. Because of the transition, the June issue will not be published, but excerpts

  • Guardsmen tackle challenges of keeping their cool

    People wanting to find out just how hot it can get inside their tent only need mess with the environmental control unit, and they will find out soon enough.Instead, it is probably advisable just to take Master Sgt. Alex Gonzalez’s word for it, and leave the things alone.“It can easily get to 120

  • General Keys confirmed as ACC commander

    Ronald E. Keys was confirmed by the Senate on May 26 for promotion to the rank of general and assignment here as the commander of Air Combat Command.Gen. John P. Jumper, Air Force chief of staff and a former ACC commander, pinned on ACC’s newest commander’s four-star rank following the Senate’s

  • Myers: U.S. military very busy but healthy

    The U.S. armed forces are in good shape, and servicemembers well understand and believe in what they are fighting for overseas, said Gen. Richard B. Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, on May 29."They know what this is all about in terms of this effort against violent extremism," General

  • Air Force finalizes new utility uniform

    Blue and green tiger stripes are out; the digitized pattern with subdued green, tan, blue and gray is in.After reviewing more than 150,000 bits of feedback throughout the initial seven-month wear test of the proposed utility uniform, Air Force leaders recently decided to eliminate the original color

  • Airmen work with Soldiers to help Iraqi communities

    The public works directorate here, comprising Air Force and Army civil engineers, work on everything from constructing new facilities to designing waste-water treatment facilities to installing electric power nodes. “In short, if you need a construction project done, we do it all,” said Maj. Thomas

  • Honoring fallen heroes full-time job

    Click, click, click. People can hear the crisp, unmistakable sound of heels tapping together simultaneously.With precision movements, Homestead Air Reserve Base Honor Guard Airmen march in unison to take their spot in the funeral procession. They are dressed in pristine Air Force dress uniforms

  • Sister, brother meet up in Southwest Asia

    An Airman here got quite a surprise when she got off the plane in a forward-deployed location in Southwest Asia in transit to her final destination here.It was the smiling face of her brother, Staff Sgt. Matthew Hochstein, an aerospace ground equipment technician with the 379th Expeditionary

  • Airmen provide close-air support for patrol in Afghanistan

    Air Force air and ground combat support elements accompanied infantrymen from the 508th Infantry Regiment during a presence patrol in the mountainous region here recently.Air Force joint terminal attack controllers, who are attached to an Army unit to coordinate close-air support for ground

  • Convoy Airmen protect supply lines

    He wipes the sweat from his palms, getting a better grasp on the warm steel handles of the .50-caliber gun. Darkness stretches around him for miles, with the exception of the headlights from his convoy illuminating the road ahead. The Airman remains vigilant as he keeps a watchful eye. At this

  • Volunteers give to community at Marian House

    Downtown Colorado Springs was quiet on a recent morning. Traffic, normally a dull roar during the week, was a whisper as cars zipped along a nearly empty Interstate 25 and local roads. A dozen cars sat parked behind a yellow house on a road about a quarter of a mile from the highway.As other

  • Civil support teams provide WMD expertise to communities

    Guardsmen with the 61st Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Support Team here like to think of themselves as firefighters."We're ready to go, but we don't go until the bell goes off," said Lt. Col. Keith Bauder, commander of the unit since it activated five years ago.The "bell" sounds in the event of

  • Air Force leaders send Memorial Day message

    The following is a Memorial Day message from Michael L. Dominguez, acting secretary of the Air Force, and Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper:“This Memorial Day, our thoughts and prayers are with those whose family members have died in service to our great nation. This day also reminds us

  • 100-percent accountability paramount in deployed operations

    Imagine showing up to work one day only to discover everyone is new. Well, that has been the case at this and many other forward-deployed locations worldwide. Most of the Airmen in the air and space expeditionary force’s current rotation arrived within the past month, and that means Airmen at the

  • Deploying does not mean classroom is closed

    Wearing desert battle dress uniforms and living in a tent city do not necessarily mean people need to put their educational goals on hold, said the chief of the learning resource center at a forward-deployed location.Tech. Sgt. James Norton Jr. recently arrived from the 480th Intelligence Wing at

  • Understanding one another crucial during war on terrorism

    During dangerous situations, people's understanding of each other is more crucial than ever, a senior Defense Department official said here May 24.Speaking to the nearly 400 attendees gathered for the four-day National Guard Bureau’s equal opportunity workshop, John Molino, acting deputy

  • Honor guard, ceremonial guardsmen award winners named

    Air Force officials recently announced the winners of the 2004 Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force Base Honor Guard and U.S. Air Force Ceremonial Guardsmen Awards. The winners are: -- Honor Guard Program Manager of the Year: Master Sgt. Angela Valentine from Little Rock Air Force Base, Ark.