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  • Air Force secretary confirms commitment to religious respect

    The Air Force remains “deeply involved” in its commitment to ensure spiritual values of all people are respected at the U.S. Air Force Academy and throughout the Air Force, said Acting Secretary of the Air Force Michael L. Dominguez May 24.Air Force leaders are focused on religious-respect issues at

  • Airman sentenced in contraband court martial

    A former 728th Air Control Squadron Airman here was sentenced to confinement for one year and dismissal from active duty in a general court martial May 20.Maj. Gregory McMillion was found guilty on three of four charges: violating a lawful general order; failure to give notice and turn over to

  • Academy sports recap: Falcons name new basketball head coach

    Former Denver Nuggets coach Jeff Bzdelik has been named the new head coach for the Falcon men's basketball team. He replaces Chris Mooney, who left the academy May 5 to accept the head coaching job at the University of Richmond.“We’re very excited about having Jeff lead the men’s basketball team

  • Lajes sergeant 100-percent fit to fight

    People may spend hours studying to get a 100 percent on a test, but a sergeant here spent hours in the gym and at fitness sessions to achieve a perfect score on the Air Force fitness test -- twice.Senior Master Sgt. Robin McMullen, chief controller of the 65th Operations Support Squadron’s air

  • Joint Space Operations Center opens at Vandenberg

    Joint warfighters worldwide will soon reap the benefits from the Joint Space Operations Center, which opened here May 18.“This (center) really is the culmination of a number of years of evolutionary thinking about space power and its applications,” said Maj. Gen. Michael A. Hamel, 14th Air Force

  • Vehicle operators named 'team of the year'

    The Army has traditionally provided protection for supply and munitions convoys in Iraq and Afghanistan, but when manning shortages made it tough for Soldiers to fulfill that role, the Air Force provided help. As many as 25 percent of Airmen in the vehicle operations career field were specially

  • Critically manned career fields given edge to fill NCO slots

    Airmen in 17 Air Force specialties will be given a leg up for promotion this year in an attempt to fill manning shortfalls in their career fields. As part of the chronic critical shortage skills program, Airmen testing for staff, technical or master sergeants during the 2005 promotion cycle, and

  • Airmen use ‘germ warfare’ to ensure force readiness

    Most people see the war on terrorism as a global engagement where bombs and bullets are the biggest threat against Soldiers, Airmen, Sailors and Marines. However, there is a strike force here made up of two Airmen who are fighting the battle against another serious threat -- a microscopic

  • Officials announce airfield operations awards

    Air Force officials recently announced the winners of the 2004 Air Force Airfield Operation Awards.Airfield operations, a flight within the operations support squadron, is responsible for airfield operations and control, specifically airfield management and air traffic control.The 2004 winners

  • BRAC recommendations present beneficial results

    Air Force Base Realignment and Closure recommendations provide an opportunity for the Air Force to effectively organize its total force into a more capable and efficient warfighting organization, transforming the Air Force to better meet future threats.The co-chairman of the Air Force's Base Closure

  • Civil engineers train for chemical attacks

    Civil engineers here replaced their shovels, hammers and power tools with gas masks, gloves and chemical warfare ensemble gear during ability to survive and operate training here May 18.“This training is very important,” said Capt. Jeremy Milliman, 374th Civil Engineer Squadron’s readiness flight

  • A father remembered

    Five numbers painted on the tail of a local parade’s float will pass by thousands of people, and they may not see what is between them.A string of numbers can represent anything from how much money someone has in his or her bank account, to phone numbers or even ZIP codes.71424 represents the life

  • Mobile dental bus helps drive away plaque

    Being assigned to a geographically separated unit can sometimes create difficulties and lost man-hours when it comes to annual appointments like dental checkups. That is not the case for GSUs aligned with Spangdahlem.The 52nd Dental Squadron’s dental bus is a 40-foot long, fully functioning dental

  • Officials announce 2004 security forces awards

    Air Force officials recently announced the 2004 Air Force Outstanding Security Forces Individual Award winners.These annual awards recognize the top security forces Airmen in each category.The career field-wide award winner is:Colonel Billy Jack Carter Award: Senior Master Sgt. Richard Graves from

  • Air Force officials send Armed Forces Day message

    The following is an Armed Forces Day message from Michael L. Dominguez, acting secretary of the Air Force, and Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper:In the first presidential proclamation for Armed Forces Day in 1950, President Truman said the day ‘marks the first combined demonstration by

  • New law to affect SGLI payments, premiums

    Defense Department and Veterans Affairs officials are ironing out details of programs that will expand benefits provided through Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance.The $82 billion supplemental legislation signed into law by President Bush on May 11 increases maximum SGLI coverage to $400,000 and

  • Officials announce aircrew life support award winners

    Air Force officials recently announced the 2004 Outstanding Air Force Aircrew Life Support of the Year award winners.These awards recognize the accomplishments of aircrew life support people and programs.The 2004 winners are:-- Outstanding Aircrew Life Support Headquarters Staff Member of the Year:

  • USO brings taste of America to troops

    The day began with business as usual for hundreds of Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines deployed here to wage the war on terrorism.Airmen responded to a rocket attack on the airfield while Soldiers set off on operations outside the wire, hunting insurgents who threaten peace and freedom in

  • Airmen open heart, home to children in need

    More than 523,000 children nationwide are in foster care because their families are in crisis and unable to provide for their essential needs, according to child welfare agency officials. May is National Foster Care Month.One family here has opened its heart and home to some of those children the

  • Rumsfeld, Myers state their case to commission

    As the military confronts the "new demands of the war against extremism and other evolving challenges in the world," the Defense Department's recommendations for base realignments and closures are necessary, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld told the commission considering DOD's proposals May

  • Recommendations 'will reshape Air Force'

    Air Force recommendations provided to the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure Commission will reorganize that service, making it more capable to address threats to national security, the Air Force's top civilian told commissioners here May 17."We have presented to you a bold program that will reshape

  • Desert lifestyle results in big weight loss

    Most of the people assigned at this forward-deployed location as part of Air and Space Expeditionary Force 3/4 have rotated home, but they left behind a lot of excess baggage – unwanted pounds.Airmen hit the gym in heavy numbers, sometimes filling the two facilities here, and many left in much

  • PMEL Airmen ensure equipment is ready for fight

    When you do not feel well, the solution is simple. Aches or ailments of unknown origin are taken to medical practitioners for treatment.But what if it is test, measurement, and diagnostic equipment that is not up to speed?Airmen with the precision measurement equipment laboratory ensure the

  • Deployed Airmen honor fallen police officers

    Security Forces Airmen gathered near the flightline at the International Airport here May 13 to honor and remember fellow police officers who died in the line of duty, including military police officers who gave their lives defending freedom in military operations worldwide.The ceremony was part of

  • General Moseley nominated for CSAF

    The president announced May 16 his nomination of Gen. T. Michael Moseley as chief of staff of the Air Force to succeed Gen. John P. Jumper who has served in the position since September 2001."I am deeply honored and humbled to have been nominated to serve as the next Air Force chief of staff,” said

  • New directorate merges information technology

    Air Force leaders marked the standup of an organization designed to be the single focal point for information technology policy formulation and execution to best integrate current technologies.This helps meet the Air Force chief of staff’s vision of "shortening the kill chain," which refers to the

  • Six selected for Air Force chess team

    Seventeen Airmen recently battled head to head here on one of the oldest battlefields in history -- the chessboard.The 2005 Air Force Chess Tournament determined the 2005 Air Force chess team. The top six players were named to the team that will compete in the interservice tournament in June at

  • Airmen allowed to show service colors while traveling

    A new Air Force policy gives Airmen the choice to show their colors when traveling to and from deployment locations.Airmen traveling to and from the U.S. Central Command Air Forces' area of responsibility have been, until recently, required to wear civilian clothing on flights in and out of the

  • Donation provides mobility, honors Jumper

    In honor of Chief of Staff of the Air Force Gen. John P. Jumper and his wife, Ellen, the Ford Motor company donated two wheelchair accessible vans to Walter Reed Army Medical Center during a ceremony May 12 at the Pentagon.Edsel B. Ford II, of the company’s board of directors, said they donated the

  • Air Force meeting nurse recruiting and retaining challenges

    The nurse shortage is a growing national and international problem, but Air Force officials are taking several measures to sustain its 3,608 person active-duty nurse corps, the Air Force’s assistant surgeon general for nursing services told a Senate panel May 10.“The nurse shortage continues to pose

  • BRAC process revamps medical system

    Defense Department officials have used the Base Realignment and Closure process to transform the way military medicine operates.Officials said medical facilities will become more joint, will consolidate where patients reside and will become state-of-the-art."We want to rival Johns Hopkins or the

  • Closings, realignments to reshape infrastructure

    Defense Department officials have recommended closing 33 major bases and realigning 29 others as part of a comprehensive reshaping of the military infrastructure through the Base Realignment and Closure process.Michael Wynne, defense undersecretary for acquisition, technology and logistics,

  • Rumsfeld recommends 5 to 11 percent cut in infrastructure

    Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld's recommendations to the Base Realignment and Closure Commission would cut excess military infrastructure between 5 and 11 percent, he said during a Pentagon news conference May 12."The department is recommending fewer major base closures than had earlier been

  • Census helps define future joint officer

    More than 7,000 Air Force officers in all ranks soon will be asked to complete a census that will be used to help decide what defines “joint.” The secretary of defense is working on a Congressionally mandated review of joint management and tasked each service to identify officer positions that

  • USAFE activates new wing at Mildenhall

    U.S. Air Forces in Europe activated a new wing here May 12 enhancing the command’s ability to provide support to its geographically separated units in the United Kingdom.The Airmen of the 501st Combat Support Wing will focus on units that, by their nature, are separated from main operating bases of

  • Innovation, education benefit ongoing PEB mission

    Facing an increased caseload since Sept. 11, 2001, innovation and education have improved the Air Force Physical Disability Division's service to the Air Force and boarded Airmen, those who enter the disability evaluation system to determine their fitness. Some are returned to duty, while others may

  • Mobility bag test case begins

    Airmen will be returning from their deployment a little lighter because of a test to pre-position mobility bags in theater, potentially saving millions of dollars. The test began May 9.To make the deployable Air Force more agile and address concerns of people hand-carrying too many bags into the

  • Myers recognizes 'Operation Smile' stalwart

    A retired major general received the Chairman's Distinguished Public Service Award on May 10 in part for a smile -- Operation Smile.Retired Maj. Gen. William Lyon received the award from Gen. Richard B. Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, at a Pentagon ceremony. General Lyon served as the

  • Air Force wins national library awards

    The Air Force won three out of four national Library of Congress awards, Federal Library and Information Center Committee officials announced in Washington recently.The 2004 National Awards for Federal Librarianship recognized two Air Force civilians one base for fulfilling the information demands

  • Pilot awarded Kolligian Trophy for combat mission

    Despite wounds and a helicopter crippled by enemy fire, an Air Force pilot safely flew his aircraft and crew home from Iraq.For his efforts, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper presented the Kolligian Trophy to Capt. Steven Edwards during a May 6 ceremony at the Pentagon. Captain Edwards,

  • Services director inducted into Boys, Girls Clubs Hall of Fame

    The director of Air Force Services was recently inducted into the Boys and Girls Clubs of America Hall of Fame.Arthur J. Myers, a Boys Club member in his native state of New Jersey, was nominated and selected for his public service and excellence in Air Force Services. The hall of fame induction

  • Air Force medics treat patients at Abu Ghraib

    It takes confidence to stare into the face of one’s enemy and offer him an aspirin, but that is what Air Force medics deployed to Abu Ghraib prison must do every day.As a forward-deployed element of the 447th Expeditionary Medical Squadron, the small team provides medical screening to detainees with

  • C-130 maintainers accomplish ‘in-field’ depot maintenance

    It took about a month for C-130 Hercules maintainers here to repair significant structural damage normally requiring a stateside depot team with full access to back shop structural support.A C-130 with the 774th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron received significant structural damage when its right

  • Myer’s wife featured as Mother's Day 'Power Player'

    Military spouses and servicemembers' mothers commit their lives as their servicemembers do, and they love them because they love their country, said the wife of the nation's top military officer on a Mother's Day nationwide television appearance May 8.Mary Jo Myers, wife of Gen. Richard B. Myers,

  • Airmen keep wheels turning

    Aircraft loaders, Humvees and forklifts are just a few examples of the nearly 120 vehicles cared for here by maintainers with the 416th Expeditionary Mission Support Squadron’s vehicle maintenance flight. Keeping the fleet in constant motion is a challenge for the flight’s five vehicle maintainers,

  • Force structure, military value at heart of BRAC

    The U.S. military fighting the war on terrorism is far different from the military forces developed to confront the Soviet Union.Today's military is smaller than the Cold War force but is already more agile and more flexible. And experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan show that joint operations allow

  • Deployed security forces take on military police mission

    Because of a shortage of Air Force security forces in recent years, the Army has helped out by providing Soldiers at bases worldwide. The 732nd Expeditionary Mission Support Group’s Detachment 1, an Air Force detachment from Balad Air Base, Iraq, is repaying the security debt by filling the role of

  • Woman reclaims her life after sexual assault

    Tricia Van Prooyen is an Air Force spouse, a mom, a college student -- and a rape survivor.Sharing such a personal story is not easy, she said, but it is a valuable part of the healing process for the 33-year-old wife of Staff Sgt. Tim Van Prooyen, who is assigned to the 81st Training Support

  • Eighteen Airmen selected for medical training

    Air Force officials selected 18 enlisted Airmen to take part in the Tri-Service Physician Assistant Training Program at Fort Sam Houston, Texas.The board met at the Air Force Personnel Center here in March, selecting them from 48 applicants. The average selectee was 28 years old with eight years

  • Air Force wrestlers take two medals at nationals

    Air Force wrestlers left the U.S. National Wrestling Championships on April 30 in nearby Las Vegas with a silver and bronze medal and qualified five wrestlers to attend the World Team Trials. “We came into this competition understanding we are rebuilding our team,” said Richard Estrella, Air Force

  • Transient alert Airmen handle diverse airfield operations role

    On any given day, at any hour, the eight Airmen with the 416th Air Expeditionary Group transient alert flight here might be parking or caring for a transient C-17 Globemaster III or a Russian-built AN-12 cargo plane.Many of the transient aircraft that stop at the airfield are only here a short time,

  • U.S. Strategic Command transforming, decentralizing

    The U.S. Strategic Command is transforming by incorporating old missions, adding new ones and making the command more flexible and agile for the 21st century, officials said.STRATCOM, at Offutt Air Force Base, Neb., still maintains the U.S. nuclear deterrent, but gained a number of new missions as a

  • Air Force announces aviation resource management awards

    Air Force officials recently announced the winners of the 2004 Outstanding Air Force Aviation Resource Management of the Year Awards.The 2004 winners are:-- Airman of the Year: Airman 1st Class Dusty S. Stofan, 17th Special Operations Squadron, Kadena Air Base, Japan.-- Noncommissioned Officer of

  • Airman inspired by father’s service

    In her homeland, Airman 1st Class Duong Ngo looked over countless rows of rice crops while growing up on the south Vietnamese countryside in rural Ben Tre. Today, she looks over rows of deployment equipment at the 509th Logistics Readiness Squadron mobility warehouse here. The mobility flight

  • Airmen hunt down problems before having chance to fester

    When a general practitioner performs a routine examination, the doctor thoroughly examines the patient for overall health. With the same loving care physicians provide patients, the Airmen of the 92nd Maintenance Squadron work day and night caring for their KC-135 Stratotankers.Just as specialists

  • Digital advances produce improved unmanned aerial vehicles

    One day on a gray-painted aircraft carrier tossed by turbulent seas, a grizzled Navy commander awaits the arrival of a new pilot.A teeny knock pings from the outside of the officer's watertight steel door."Come in," the commander growls. The door swings open and a squat, cylindrical object

  • Moving tents eases with ingenuity

    Airmen with the 386th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron used their ingenuity when they were asked to move a neighborhood of tents more than a mile.“We did a similar job when we got here in January, and we got the job done, but it wasn’t very efficient,” said Senior Master Sgt. Kerry Roberts,

  • Officials announce 2004 mission support awards

    Officials recently announced the winners of the 2004 Air Force Mission Support Awards. The awards recognize Airmen and their units for outstanding performance in the areas of personnel, military equal opportunity, professional military education and training. Winners for 2004 are: -- General

  • JSTARS reaches 10,000 combat hours in Southwest Asia

    The E-8 Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System reached 10,000 combat hours in Southwest Asia.The aircraft and its operators, maintainers and support people have had a continuous presence in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility since July 2003 as part of the 379th Air Expeditionary

  • Two Airmen among recipients of military service award

    Two Airmen were among the six recipients of the annual Government Employees Insurance Company Military Service Awards. For 17 years, GEICO has recognized servicemembers from all branches of the service -- including the Guard and Reserve -- for work in drug and alcohol abuse prevention, fire and

  • Air Force journalists win DOD awards

    Air Force print and broadcast journalists won 10 categories in the 2004 Thomas Jefferson Awards for excellence in military media.The awards recognize military and civilian employee print and broadcast journalists for outstanding achievements in furthering the Department of Defense internal

  • Air Force focuses on religious respect

    One’s religious beliefs, or the absence of beliefs in an established religion, should never be grounds for unlawful discrimination, the chief of the Air Force Chaplain Service said.Chaplain (Maj. Gen.) Charles C. Baldwin recently explained the role of chaplains and respect for others’ beliefs

  • Academy launches religious respect training program

    Air Force Academy officials have launched a religious respect training program called Respecting the Spiritual Values of all People. The training focuses on educating cadets, faculty members and base employees on the importance of respecting the spiritual beliefs of a diverse force.Officials are

  • Former Thunderbird searches for Phantoms

    From the roar of the jet engines to the rumble of a motorcycle, one former Thunderbird cannot get enough of life on the road.Retired Col. Gary Younglove, retired administrative officer for the U.S. Air Force Aerial Demonstration Squadron, made his first stop here recently on a nationwide journey to

  • Promotion study guides hit streets in May

    The latest edition of enlisted promotion study guides will hit the streets by the end of May, Air Education and Training Command officials here said.Both the Promotion Fitness Examination and the U.S. Air Force Supervisory Examination, officially known as Volumes 1 and 2 of Air Force Pamphlet

  • Vehicle operations named 'Team of the Year'

    Five enlisted vehicle operations Airmen were selected to represent the career field which the Air Force Association has named 2005 Team of the Year.Airmen selected to represent the vehicle operations career field are Master Sgt. Dennis Ross, from Bolling Air Force Base, D.C.; Tech. Sgt. Jason

  • Wilford Hall team flies to Alaska to evacuate infant

    A 10-month-old girl battling a severe case of pneumonia was flown 4,000 miles by Airmen from Wilford Hall Medical Center here April 28.Carle David was hospitalized in Anchorage when officials requested help. The neonatal critical-care air transport medical team, which stays prepared to launch on

  • Tour group gets feel for Air Force

    Graduating students from the Tennessee School for the Blind received a “hands on” tour April 26 of an F-15 Eagle, pilot’s life-support equipment and the tools used to maintain the aircraft during a class trip here.The tour started when 1st Lt. Tim Monroe, an F-15 pilot, gave a quick briefing on the

  • Expeditionary supply technicians order up success

    Ensuring continuous supplies are available to support military operations here falls in part to a group of six Airmen from the 416th Expeditionary Mission Support Squadron’s supply section.If vital aircraft spare parts for the C-130 Hercules are needed, it is their responsibility to order and

  • Airman convicted for defrauding government

    An Airman here was convicted recently in a special court-martial for defrauding the U.S. government.Staff Sgt. Louise Smith, of the 71st Medical Support Squadron, was found guilty of violating the Uniform Code of Military Justice’s Article 132, Fraud Against the United States.The military judge

  • Three accidents; two Nellis Airmen; one chance to get it right

    Imagine being responsible for the lives of some of the world’s best fighter pilots. Now imagine being only 21 and 22 years old. For many Airmen, this is not a reality, but for two in particular, it is all in a day’s work.Airmen 1st Class John Schmidt and Brandon Pirmann are assigned to the 57th

  • Technology unites Airmen in matrimony

    Nearly 7,000 miles of desert and ocean could not keep two Airmen from tying the knot. Maj. Heather Villasenor, who is at a forward-deployed location in Southwest Asia, married Lt. Col. Michael Bryant on April 26. The wedding was held in Southwest Asia -- and Virginia. Colonel Bryant, the Joint

  • Air Force garners 18 Presidential Rank Awards

    White House officials recently released the names of the 2004 Presidential Rank Award recipients. The awards program was established to recognize career senior executive service and senior professional people who exemplify the highest level of integrity, leadership and personal conduct and who have

  • Wounded troops, families receive free airline tickets

    Through the good will and generosity of thousands of people with unused frequent flier miles and U.S. airlines, the Fisher House Foundation has given out nearly 3,000 free airline tickets to war-wounded servicemembers and their families since the giveaway program started in January 2004.About 1,000

  • America remembers Desert One heroes

    America honored eight American servicemen April 25 who died attempting to rescue American hostages in Iran 25 years ago.A ceremony here brought together the families of those killed, their comrades and those servicemembers who carry on the special operations mission.In November 1979, Iranian

  • Space command takes youth fitness to new level

    Airmen have been plugging away at the new fitness test for more than a year now, but they are not alone in the quest to increase their activity level on a regular basis.Air Force Space Command children are increasing their fitness levels as well as part of an Air Force initiative, “Fitness in Time,”

  • McConnell holds wingwide fitness test

    More than 1,200 Airmen from the 22nd Air Refueling Wing took their physical fitness test here April 22.All 1,200-plus Airmen completed their run and received a series of “wingman” briefings within a four-hour span, but working out the logistics of the wingwide test took months of planning.To

  • Distance learning courses require good time management

    For servicemembers deployed or on crew shift, distance learning and online correspondence classes are a good way to continue their college education; however, they should just make sure they know what they are getting into, said Don Dooly. He is the education services officer at the education

  • Quadrennial Defense Review focuses on future

    The four capabilities the Air Force brings to the joint warfighting environment will be the focus of the service's contribution to the 2005 Quadrennial Defense Review.Officials in the office of the secretary of defense produce the Quadrennial Defense Review every four years with input from the

  • Officials announce Air Force chaplain service award winners

    Officials recently announced the Air Force chaplain service award winners for 2004.Established last year, the award program recognizes outstanding individual and organizational performance within the chaplain service. The 2004 winners are:-- Outstanding Chaplain Assistant Airman of the Year:

  • New program helps smokers kick habit

    For smokers looking to kick the habit, nothing could be more useful than a little guardian angel sitting on their shoulder, keeping track each time they reach for a smoke, taking notes and reviewing the results with them each week.Although not angels, health and wellness center officials here said

  • Guard, Reserve leaders testify on Capitol Hill

    The directors of the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve testified April 20 on readiness and management support before the Senate Armed Services Committee subcommittee.Lt. Gen. Daniel James III, Air National Guard director, told senators he sees positive benefits to the community basing

  • Officials announce visual-information winners

    Defense Information School officials at Fort Meade, Md., recently announced the winners of the 2004 visual information awards. The awards recognize, reward and promote excellence among servicemembers for their achievements in military photography, videography and graphic arts, officials said. Air

  • 5-year-old cancer survivor plays pilot for a day

    The newest member of the 334th Fighter Squadron here cannot even reach the rudder pedals in an F-15E Strike Eagle, but that does not keep Evan “Big E” Moriarty from being one of the squadron’s Fightin’ Eagles.The 5-year-old Fayetteville, N.C., native recently had a cancerous tumor the size of a

  • Airman remembers day she lost four friends

    In the blink of an eye, lives were lost, children became motherless and fatherless, and others were forever scarred when a drunk driver ended four people’s lives and critically injured another in a head-on collision eight years ago.Four Airmen and another Airman’s spouse were returning from a

  • Airmen maintain national defense in weapons storage area

    Separated from the rest of the base by miles of fence topped with razor wire and high-tech surveillance equipment, certain Airmen here see few people during the duty day other than their military counterparts. For that, their daily efforts go largely unnoticed.They are Airmen assigned to the 5th

  • Airmen, Soldiers donate goods to Uzbek baby orphanage

    Seven Airmen, four Soldiers and five civilian interpreters recently delivered handmade baby quilts, baby formula, diapers, clothes, toys and other humanitarian goods to a baby orphanage in nearby Qitab.“Seeing the children smile and laugh as we played with them was the highlight of my visit there,”

  • Reservists travel to Badlands to do good

    A disaster does not have to strike for Americans to help other Americans in need.Twelve reservists from the 445th Aeromedical Staging Squadron provided medical care to an American Indian reservation hospital April 2 to 16 in South Dakota.The reservation, home to 30,000 Lakota Sioux, is located 35

  • Airmen disciplined for AFIM misuse

    Air Force officials are taking a hard look at the misuse of the Air Force Instant Messenger service on Air Force Portal.Airmen were found violating standards of conduct prompting officials to clarify responsible communication over the service.“Air Force Portal users took offense to the inappropriate

  • Officials announce 2004 organizational excellence award winners

    The Secretary of the Air Force Personnel Council recognized the following units as 2004 Air Force Organizational Excellence Award winners during the specified periods of time:-- Air Education and Training Command headquarters: Oct. 1, 2002, to Sept. 30, 2004.-- Air Force Special Operations Command

  • New course helps Airmen get combat ready

    Airmen graduating from the fuels apprentice course are now two to three months closer to combat-ready status after arriving at their first base, said course instructors here.Students are learning how to set up a mobile gas station and other duties during a new seven-day contingency course, said

  • Cool job keeps Airmen fed

    They have the coolest job in the desert -- literally. The two Airmen who put together flight meals work in a large walk-in cooler where the temperature is kept at a chilly 40 degrees to preserve the food for the thousands who sit down for a meal at a forward-deployed location.However, there are many

  • Commanders get sexual-assault prevention, response help

    The new sexual assault response coordinator at Air Force bases will help commanders improve response to sexual assault. As part of an effort to curtail sexual assaults within the ranks, DOD officials directed the services to appoint a coordinator at all appropriate levels of command. The

  • Policy offers confidentiality to sexual-assault victims

    A new Department of Defense policy allows sexual-assault victims to confidentially report crimes against them. In a March memorandum to service secretaries, DOD officials directed all military branches implement restricted (confidential) reporting withing 90 days.The policy allows victims of sexual

  • F-16 crew chiefs combat odds to keep jets in flight

    As the sun beats down upon him, an Airman wipes the sweat from his brow, spreading the layer of grease and oil from his hands onto his forehead. Consumed by the task at hand, he remains focused knowing his jet needs to be ready to take off within the hour.Suddenly, his work is put on hold.“This is

  • Unethical behavior an affront to all hardworking Airmen

    Unethical behavior by any person on the Air Force team is an affront to all Airmen and a breech of trust with the American people, said the service's senior leader. Michael L. Dominguez, acting secretary of the Air Force discussed Air Force acquisition programs and the ethics of spending taxpayers’

  • Family learns life lessons through autistic son

    Having a child is what some would refer to as a life-changing experience, but for a couple here it was more of a change than they expected.Seven years ago, Rich Quick, a logistics analyst for the 542nd Combat Sustainment Wing, and his wife, Nubia, learned that their 1-year-old son Matthew was

  • Officials announce recipients of 2004 PA achievement awards

    Air Force officials have announced the 2004 Air Force public affairs achievement award recipients.They are:Winners of the Secretary of the Air Force Office of Public Affairs director’s excellence awards are:-- Major command category: The Brig. Gen. Harry J. Dalton Jr. Award goes to U.S. Air Forces

  • Tyndall Airman becomes U.S. citizen

    A revolt, a family separated and a little girl who grew up to become a defender of freedom in a foreign land.It may sound like a big-budget Hollywood flick, but for one Airman, this is real life.Airman 1st Class Celene Delice, a relocations technician with the 325th Mission Support Squadron here,