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  • Escorts serve as base’s second line of defense

    They come from different career fields, but while deployed, they come together to serve as a critical line of defense for the base.Deployed Airmen throughout U.S. Central Command’s area of responsibility serve as escorts to foreign workers daily. The program falls under each base’s expeditionary

  • Two deployed KC-135s get rare engine swaps

    If a consumer rating service reviewed Air Force aircraft, the KC-135 Stratotanker would most certainly earn a “Best Buy” rating. After all, it is one of the most dependable aircraft in the Air Force inventory and would definitely get high marks for reliability.But, even the best can have the

  • Myers: Work toward jointness, but take pride in services

    Jointness is the way ahead, but that does not mean Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines are going to merge into some national joint force, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said here March 13.Gen. Richard B. Myers spoke to U.S. servicemembers at the embassy here and complimented them on

  • AETC names new command chief

    Air Education and Training Command officials recently named Chief Master Sgt. Rodney Ellison as the command’s new command chief master sergeant.As the command’s top enlisted Airman, Chief Ellison succeeds Chief Master Sgt. Karl Meyers who retired March 11.The command chief master sergeant advises

  • Air Force officials project budget shortfall

    Supporting the war on terrorism and ongoing operations around the world have created a projected budget shortfall forcing the Air Force to tighten its belt.Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper has directed all major commands to cut back on low priority spending in an attempt to stave off a

  • Teets tells Congress lasers-based communications coming

    The military's senior adviser on space testified before Congress on March 8.Peter B. Teets, who serves as both the acting secretary of the Air Force and the Department of Defense's executive agent for space, spoke to the House Armed Services Committee subcommittee on strategic forces about the

  • Airman performs CPR, saves toddler

    Most people don’t remember what they were doing Jan. 23, but for the Clemsic family the date is one they said they will never forget. It was on this day that 23-month old Jason Clemsic nearly drowned in an icy pond behind the family’s off-base home.The boy’s mother, Tech. Sgt. Carmen Clemsic of the

  • Health officials recommend changes to fitness program

    Air Force health officials recommended seven changes to the fitness program during the program’s first annual review.This first annual assessment consists of reviews by three panels: functional, external and leadership, said Lt. Col. Sherry Sasser, chief of health promotions for the Air Force

  • Air Force surgeon general testifies on four health effects

    The Air Force surgeon general spoke before Congress on March 3 on the state of medical care for servicemembers serving in the war on terrorism. Air Force Surgeon General Lt. Gen. (Dr.) George Peach Taylor Jr. told members of the House Armed Services Committee subcommittee on military personnel that

  • Good vibrations, music lends healing hand

    Have you ever found yourself tapping your foot or bobbing your head when listening to upbeat music? It is nearly impossible for most of us to sit perfectly still when we hear a beat we like. Similarly, a softer, slower rhythm can be calming and relaxing. These involuntary motor responses to

  • Fitness instructor loses nearly half of herself

    Keyra Donaldson was sitting on the bathroom floor while her children were taking a bath. Her back was in pain, and her patience was growing thin because they were taking too much time in the tub. This was the moment, she said, when she admitted to herself that she was severely overweight.The year

  • Airmen connect with Uzbeks through donations, volleyball

    Six Airmen from here helped deliver needed medical supplies to a clinic in nearby Khanabad on March 3. Serving to strengthen ties between cultures, the Airmen rounded out their trip to the village with several games of volleyball at a local school with students and community members.The trip was

  • Air Force reaches privatization milestone

    The Air Force recently surpassed the 10,000-home milestone in its military family housing privatization program. In February, Air Force officials closed a deal privatizing more than 1,300 homes at Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii. This means the Air Force now has more than 10,900 privatized homes.

  • Kandahar pararescuemen poised to save lives

    Rescue specialists in southern Afghanistan say their primary reason for living is to prevent others from dying.Based out of Kandahar Air Field, the 59th Expeditionary Rescue Squadron is ultimately tasked with rescuing downed aircrew and others in isolated areas.“Luckily, that doesn’t happen too

  • Airmen ready to snag an Eagle

    The Airmen of the 386th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron power production flight ensure there is plenty of electricity to power facilities here. However, another crucial aspect of their job is maintaining and operating the mechanical system that stops problem aircraft on the runway. During

  • Langley Airmen test Kevlar shorts

    Airmen here are testing Kevlar shorts designed to complement their current vests and helmets.Base officials here are the first in the Air Force to purchase the Kevlar Tactical Outer Protective Shorts. The shorts minimize fragment damage from the waistline to the knees and provide vital protection

  • General Moseley testifies on C-130 fleet, readiness

    U.S. Representatives questioned the condition of the C-130 Hercules fleet during a hearing of the House Armed Services Committee subcommittee on readiness March 3.It was just one of the areas Air Force Vice Chief of Staff Gen. T. Michael Moseley discussed as he testified on the readiness of the

  • Program offers subsidized child care to Guard, Reserve

    Department of Defense officials have joined forces with national agencies to help Guard and Reserve families in finding and affording child care while a parent is deployed supporting the war on terrorism.“Child care, as you know, is one of the top (concerns) voiced by families as well as by commands

  • Exercises test mobilization process

    Air Force officials will kick off a "push-pull" mobilization test March 10."Push-pull" is the process used to quickly access and return reservists, categorized as Pretrained Individual Manpower Airmen, back into the active-duty force to meet wartime and contingency needs. They are Individual Ready

  • Elmendorf doctor to lead pack in Iditarod

    Imagine working all day as chief of surgery at the base hospital, and then caring for and running 20 sled dogs before returning home at 3 a.m. to your wife and 5-month-old baby and catching whatever sleep you can.It is all in a day's work for Maj. (Dr.) Thomas Knolmayer, of the 3rd Medical Group

  • Integrated training smoothes future joint operations

    As the face of battle has changed with more and more multiservice operations, interservice training for all ranks is becoming an increasing necessity to win the fight on global battlegrounds, officials said.Command and staff war colleges have been holding integrated training for decades, ensuring

  • Physical, occupational therapy fixes strains and sprains

    People flock to the physical and occupational therapy clinic here from far and wide to make their strains, sprains and breaks feel better. “Were conserving the fighting strength,” said Maj. Joel Robb, 332nd Expeditionary Medical Operations Squadron’s physical therapist and flight commander, whose

  • Airmen track terrorists off base

    To keep Balad Air Base, Iraq safe and secure, the Airmen of Task Force 1041 venture off base daily to take the fight to the enemy.“This is a war against insurgents, and the battlefield is asymmetric,” said Lt. Col. Chris Bargery, task force commander. “The vast majority of attacks against air bases

  • Teets discusses recapitalization, death benefit, core values

    The acting secretary of the Air Force spoke on Capitol Hill March 2 about recapitalizing aging systems, the death gratuity and recent problems within the service.In testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee, Peter B. Teets explained the importance of modernizing the service's fleet of

  • AMC stands up first contingency response wing

    Air Mobility Command stood up the Air Force’s first contingency response wing here March 1.The wing, which replaced the 621st Air Mobility Operations Group, expands the group's current mission and embeds all necessary capabilities, such as security forces, finance, intelligence and civil

  • General Jumper commends CENTAF Airmen

    Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper made time to visit two forward-deployed locations recently during a trip to the region for the Middle Eastern Air Symposium. He received an operations update at U.S. Central Command Air Forces-Forward headquarters at one location, before visiting top

  • New Horizons provides training, spreads goodwill

    Nearly 600 U.S. servicemembers from every branch of the military are working together with Salvadoran military and civilian counterparts to improve communities with humanitarian-assistance projects.The lead unit for the U.S. Southern Command-sponsored readiness training exercise, New Horizons 2005

  • Air Force identifies non-vol candidates for first sergeant duty

    Air Force officials have identified Airmen as candidates for first sergeant duty for the second time in two years through a nonvolunteer process. Historically, first sergeants were chosen from a pool of volunteers. But in recent years, there has not been a sufficient number of volunteers to keep

  • Adopt-a-plane program preserves history

    George Jones is a man with a plan: to restore the static aircraft displays at the Air Force Armament Museum here.The aircraft are “dying a slow death” because of adverse weather conditions that are taking a toll on the 25 displays that surround the museum, said Mr. Jones, an aerospace museum

  • Vet centers offer grief counseling to military families

    In an unprecedented expansion of its traditional client base, Department of Veterans Affairs officials are offering grief counseling to families of servicemembers who die while on active duty.VA’s readjustment counseling office offers the counseling services at its 206 community-based vet centers

  • Bagram mail team delivers

    Delivering messages from home to more than 700 deployed Airmen is a “mission of morale” being carried out on a daily basis by the mail team here.Anywhere from seven to 20 pallets of mail arrive here daily -- anywhere between 15,000 to 50,000 pounds of mail.“We have a core team of seven Airmen --

  • General Myers addresses academy cadets

    Two incompatible visions locked in a struggle for hearts and minds pose a special challenge to present and future military leaders, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff told cadets here Feb. 24.Gen. Richard B. Myers spoke to about 2,000 cadets about today's leadership environment during the

  • Airmen handle transient surge

    More than 1,500 people arrived here Feb. 22 to 26. The problem was, none left. Airmen said they first noticed the lines at the dining facility growing a little longer. Then the gym facilities began to get a little more crowded; and across the way it started becoming more and more difficult to find

  • Family finally gets official word on Korean War vet's fate

    More than a half-century after North Korean fighter jets shot down Capt. Troy Cope's F-86 Sabre over Dandong, China, his family finally has official word of what happened to him and is preparing to bury him this May.Chris Cope, who was born too late to ever know his uncle, calls this homecoming an

  • Americans reach out, help Afghans

    With the generosity of people in the United States, coalition troops here were able to make the lives of 30 Afghan families a little bit better Feb. 22.Beginning in November, Soldiers of the 105th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment, deployed from Kansas and Oklahoma, received donations from their

  • Officials spread word about DOD civilian jobs

    Human resources specialist Linda K. Stouffer said when she visits college campuses, she tells students the Defense Department is "the 'employer of choice,' and our job is to support America's defense around the world."Ms. Stouffer, who works for the DOD civilian personnel management services defense

  • Holloman NCO steps up, helps to control in-flight emergency

    “There’s a bomb on the plane, I know it!”Staff Sgt. Jeremiah Drew was on a commercial flight while returning from leave recently when he heard an unruly woman scream this suspicion.“She went on yelling this a few times,” said Sergeant Drew, who is assigned to the 49th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron

  • Internet-based joint training system debuts

    Imagine a teacher who travels across the ether to students located around the world and you would be describing the Department of Defense’s new Internet-based training and information system called the Joint Knowledge Development and Distribution Capability.The state-of-the-art system personifies

  • Troops deal with stress of working 'inside the wire'

    Working "inside the wire" of the enemy combatant detention facility can lead to stress for the U.S. troops working here. But experts and leaders are working hard to help servicemembers deal with the unique conditions of working on this isolated island base.Stress-control issues are something the

  • Extended deployments affect only 200

    Air Force officials are designating some positions in U.S. Central Command’s area of responsibility as 365-day extended deployments in an effort to provide stability and allow for long-term relationship building with host governmentsThe new tour lengths will affect only about 200 key and critical

  • Final alarm sounds worldwide for fallen Air Force firefighter

    Air Force firefighters worldwide participated in a one-minute "final alarm" ceremony Feb. 16 honoring Staff Sgt. Ray Rangel who died while attempting to rescue two Soldiers after their Humvee overturned in a canal in Iraq.Officials estimate that more than 3,900 active-duty firefighters, countless

  • Air Force chaplains serve to keep Airmen fit to fight

    For those who think chaplains deploy with the sole responsibility of running church services on Sunday, think again. Their purpose stretches beyond the confines of a chapel.Whether it is a worship service, choir practice, counseling sessions, Bible study, or just a visitation to a work center on

  • Interdependence more than just joint warfighting

    The Air Force must balance its capabilities and capacities to reach the joint interdependence with its sister services it needs to win in today’s battlespace.That is the message Lt. Gen. Ronald E. Keys, Air Force deputy chief of staff for air and space operations, delivered here Feb. 18 to about

  • Medals updated in personnel system

    Air Force officials have completed a batch update to currently reflect award of the Korean Defense Service Medal and Global War on Terrorism-Expeditionary Medal in the military personnel data system.Air Force Personnel Center officials here recently completed a mass decorations update for more than

  • General Jumper: Air Force will uphold standards

    The Air Force will uphold its standards, and people who break the service’s core values “will pay the price,” the Air Force chief of staff said.Gen. John P. Jumper also told the more than 1,000 attendees at the Air Force Association’s annual Air Warfare Symposium here Feb. 17 the service will not

  • General Jumper charts course for future

    Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper gave a vector for the Air Force’s future during a speech Feb. 17 at the Air Force Association’s 2005 Air Warfare Symposium here.General Jumper followed Peter B. Teets, acting secretary of the Air Force, at the convention in which about 1,000 people

  • Soldiers, Airman boost morale during ‘off time’

    The sound of a live, acoustic version of the Guns ’n’ Roses classic “Sweet Child O’ Mine” filtered through the base dining facility where Soldiers stationed here were gathered.The entertainment was not provided by a headliner on a United Service Organizations tour, but by servicemembers desiring to

  • Murray testifies at new quality of life committee

    The Air Force’s most senior enlisted Airman joined his counterparts and testified Feb. 16 before the new House Appropriations Committee subcommittee on military quality of life and veterans’ affairs.Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Gerald R. Murray discussed quality of life issues, including

  • Myers: Military stressed, but able to execute strategy

    Despite stresses and strains on the force, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff told members of the House Armed Services Committee on Feb. 16 that the American military remains able to execute America's national military strategy."We are now in our fourth year of sustained combat operations,"

  • Court-martial finds Airman guilty of rape

    A court-martial found an Airman of the 97th Security Forces Squadron here guilty of rape, dereliction of duty and falsifying an official statement recently. After seven days of testimony and deliberation, a panel of officer and enlisted Airmen found Senior Airman Justin Howard guilty of one charge

  • Inspector General investigates eight Air Force contracts

    Eight Air Force defense contracts not previously identified for in-depth review have been referred to the Department of Defense inspector general for investigation.The referral resulted from a review by Defense Contract Management Agency officials of 407 contracts under the control of or influenced

  • Finance begins transformation

    The Air Force financial management community formally kicked off the operational phase of its transformation effort Feb. 2 at a conference in San Antonio.The conference highlighted the "six lanes" of financial transformation planned for the service in the next decade, which emphasize customer

  • Airman keeps Air Force structures intact

    It is midnight as Senior Airman Sheri Wilson begins her day. When she arrives at the shop, she is bombarded with a load of jobs to accomplish and gets hit with a major problem to tackle.She goes out to the flightline and inspects the cracked “skin” of an aircraft. Applying a repair technique she

  • Symposium students complete 32,000 hours of instruction

    Students and instructors said they developed a new appreciation for the word “training” during the 2005 Environmental Training Symposium, which ended here Feb. 11.About 153 instructors taught 111 courses to more than 1,250 students throughout the week-long event.More than 32,100 hours of instruction

  • Firefighter dies during rescue attempt in Iraq

    A firefighter from here was killed Feb. 13 while on a rescue mission in Iraq.Staff Sgt. Ray Rangel, 29, died while attempting to rescue two Soldiers trapped in a Humvee that overturned in a canal. He was deployed to an Air Force unit operating out of Balad Air Base, Iraq. He was permanently

  • Airmen drop vital supplies to village in Afghan mountains

    Packed with more than 13,000 pounds of food, medicine and other humanitarian supplies, an Ohio Air National Guard C-130 Hercules crew deployed here flew over the Afghan mountainous region Feb. 10, successfully dropping critically needed cargo to the remote area.“Our basic mission was to airdrop

  • General Jumper testifies on 2006 Air Force posture, budget

    Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper testified Feb. 10 before the Senate Committee on Armed Services on the defense authorization request for fiscal 2006.The four service chiefs provided posture statements and answered questions about how each branch developed their portion of next year’s

  • Jumper talks force development with career field managers

    Nearly one hundred active-duty, Guard and Reserve officer and civilian career field managers gathered at the Air Force Personnel Center here recently to discuss the future of force development.The three-day conference included a visit from Gen. John P. Jumper, Air Force chief of staff, who thanked

  • Space war game improves joint warfighting capability

    The Schriever III space war game is under way here, where a 350-person team of space professionals battle in a global environment scenario set in the year 2020. The simulation was designed to verify space capabilities and tactics and techniques used by the 21st century joint warfighter, officials

  • Have a healthy Valentine’s Day

    Many Americans plan to celebrate Valentine’s Day on Feb. 14. The holiday originally marked the death of St. Valentine who secretly married couples in defiance of Roman Emperor Claudius II. Today, people are more likely to remember message written on tiny candy hearts than St. Valentine. Almost

  • Moseley speaks at defense strategy, transformation seminar

    Gen. T. Michael Moseley, Air Force vice chief of Staff spoke to more than 90 congressional staff members, defense industry leaders and think-tank experts Feb. 9 at the 2005 Air Force Defense Strategy and Transformation Seminar.The Air Force directorate of plans and programs officials organized the

  • Airmen provide convoy security for Soldiers, Marines in Iraq

    When Master Sgt. William Chapman joined the Air Force transportation field 20 years ago, he never dreamed he would use his skills far beyond the flightline.Recently returned from Iraq, Sergeant Chapman is teaching his fellow Airmen critical skills needed to conduct convoy-security missions there.It

  • Aviation conference offers opportunity to network

    For the 16th time in as many years, women involved in aviation will gather to network and discuss issues surrounding their chosen industry.The 16th Annual International Women in Aviation Conference runs March 10 to 12 in Dallas.The event is a great opportunity for both women and men involved in

  • Program allows full-time study while on active duty

    A program allowing active-duty enlisted Airmen to attend college full time without loss of pay or benefits, and graduate with both a degree and a commission might just be the best kept secret in the Air Force, officials said.“It’s easily one of the best programs in the Air Force, and not a lot of

  • Instructor sentenced for unprofessional relationship

    An instructor here was sentenced after she pleaded guilty to two violations of Article 92 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice during a special court-martial Feb. 7.Staff Sgt. Jennifer Jones, an aerospace medical service apprentice course instructor in the 383rd Training Squadron, was arraigned

  • Chaplain explains suicide prevention efforts

    The Air Force’s top chaplain explained what the Air Force Chaplain Service is doing to help prevent suicides during a recent visit here.Chaplain (Maj. Gen.) Charles Baldwin, chaplain service chief, advises the Air Force chief of staff on all matters pertaining to the religious and moral welfare of

  • Desert Hawk UAV patrols Tallil

    Not every unmanned aerial vehicle in the sky is a Predator.Airmen of the 407th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron here are using a miniature UAV called a “Desert Hawk” that provides an extra set of eyes in the sky, gathering information and identifying threats. The small, 7-pound remote

  • Battlelabs help identify problems facing warfighters

    Airmen from seven Air Force battlelabs visited Air Force Special Operations Command headquarters here recently in an effort to identify the top 10 issues on the minds of warfighters.The battlelabs’ Warrior Outreach program provides an opportunity for battlelab staffs to meet face-to-face with the

  • Stuck in the mud

    Airmen from the 506th Expeditionary Operations Support Squadron here worked with their counterparts from the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing to remove a mail cargo plane that taxied off the Kirkuk taxiway and sank almost three feet into the mud. The plane was stuck between two taxiways for almost four

  • Re-enlistment marks milestone for accident victim

    It was a red-letter day for Tech. Sgt. Hector Barrios when he re-enlisted in the Air Force recently.While a re-enlistment itself is not an unusual event, getting there was for the 96th Security Forces Squadron dog handler.On July 15, 2003, Sergeant Barrios was deployed supporting Operation Iraqi

  • Air Force names EEO winners

    The winners of the 2004 Air Force Distinguished Equal Employment Opportunity Awards were announced recently by the Air Force deputy chief of staff for personnel.The awards recognize individuals for outstanding support and contributions to the objectives of the Air Force civilian EEO and affirmative

  • Military organizations work together to form 'CSI' teams

    Television today is inundated with shows on forensic science. Programs like “CSI” and “Dr. G., Medical Examiner” have piqued the public’s interest in how forensic experts find answers to questions surrounding a death.But what happens if that death takes place on an Air Force base? Who has

  • History project looking for basic-training photos

    It is not often when someone has a chance to peer into the past, present and future at the same time. Fortunately, the vision of an Air Force historian has done just that with the creation of an online repository of Air Force basic training flight graduation photos.Tech. Sgt. Tracy English, a 37th

  • Cope Tiger roars over Thailand

    The sky here has been alive with the sounds of military aircraft from Thailand, Singapore and the United States supporting exercise Cope Tiger 05.“Every year there are challenges that you deal with,” said Col. George Daniels, exercise director from Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala. “The exercise players

  • Policy change may affect promotion board release dates

    A recent policy change may result in officers waiting an additional two to six months for promotion board results.The policy will not, however, affect actual promotion pin-on dates.The Senate Armed Services Committee previously confirmed promotion lists within three months of the board, regardless

  • AF changes, removes info given to officer promotion boards

    Air Force officials are making changes to what information will be kept in selection briefs for officers facing promotion boards this year.Starting with active-duty promotion boards through the rank of colonel in 2005, all self-initiated academic education information, including bachelor's degrees,

  • General Moseley testifies for raising death benefit

    The Senate Armed Services Committee heard testimony Feb. 1 from senior service leaders about a proposed boost in payments to survivors of military people killed in combat.Vice Chief of Staff Gen. T. Michael Moseley testified on behalf of the Air Force.Under the Pentagon's plan released Jan. 31, a

  • F/A-22 passes initial operational test, evaluation

    The results of a recently released Air Force study bode well for the future of the F/A-22 Raptor, officials said.The Raptor demonstrated “overwhelmingly effective” warfighting capability according to the initial operational test and evaluation report released by Air Force Operational Test and

  • Airmen train firefighters to saw through aircraft parts

    A call for assistance rang out from the fire department here recently, but it was not to battle a raging fire.Firefighters asked 653rd Combat Logistics Support Squadron Airmen for some hands-on training on a K-12 cut-saw, a piece of equipment both agencies use in their lines of work.The training

  • Murray launches inaugural edition of Airman handbook

    If Airman Basic Rachel Redel ever forgets who presented her with one of the first two copies of Airman, Air Force Handbook 1, she can find the answer under “Chief Master Sergeants of the Air Force," on Page 15, "Gerald R. Murray.”If the 23-year-old basic trainee is curious about what her

  • Jumper presents Purple Hearts to Baghdad bombing victims

    Two Air Force Office of Special Investigations agents were presented Purple Hearts on Jan. 31 in a ceremony at the Brooke Army Medical Center at nearby Fort Sam Houston.Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper presented the medals to Special Agents Therese Frentz and Todd King, who are still

  • A mission of compassion

    The large bus weaved through the twisting roads of the countryside here, eventually, finding the end of the pavement and dashing off onto a small dirt road leading to a countryside grade school. In front of the school, hundreds of people gathered, many taking advantage of free haircuts being given

  • Officials redesign recruiting Web site

    Finding information on the Air Force’s official recruiting Web site is easier since Air Force Recruiting Service officials recently redesigned the site.The site also features a new “See What It’s Like” section in which visitors can see what active-duty Airmen do on and off duty.The Web site,

  • EOD Airmen destroy explosives

    Heat, shock and friction were key ingredients in the controlled detonation of more than 1,000 pounds of explosives Jan. 23.The 455th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron’s explosive ordnance disposal Airmen spent close to six hours, three miles off base, preparing for a less-than-one-second blast,

  • Air Force box-offs showcase lean, mean card

    The 2005 U.S. Air Force Boxing Championship, known as the box-offs, was on the ropes before the first punch was thrown here Jan. 22.Global operations reduced this year’s boxing trial camp to just 10 available fighters, down two-thirds from 2004. Seven bouts were on the card, which was unofficially

  • Chu urges renewed focus to reduce preventable accidents

    The Defense Department wants servicemembers and civilians to concentrate on safety whether they are on or off duty, the department's top personnel official said Jan. 24.Each year scores of Sailors, Soldiers, Marines, Airmen and Coast Guardsmen, as well as DOD civilians, are killed or injured by

  • Professional wrestlers thank Dyess Airmen for service

    When Airman 1st Class Fred Stewart was deployed to Manas Air Base, Kyrgyzstan, the services troop improved the morale at the base by asking World Wrestling Entertainment for anything they might like to send to support the troops.“I’ve always been a die-hard wrestling fan,” Airman Stewart said. “A

  • Airmen provide Rhein-Main blanket of security

    For the last decade, the end has always seemed near for this historic air base. Now, the scheduled handover to Germany is officially within 12 months. As the closure nears, officials said the base is probably more important than it has ever been. Airmen and aircraft here are sustaining a heavy

  • Officials release updated transformation flight plan

    Air Staff officials recently updated the U.S. Air Force Transformation Flight Plan, which spells out the transformation strategy of the Air Force. According to the secretary of defense's transformation planning guidance, officials in the office of force transformation use the flight plan and the

  • Air Force Assistance Fund campaign kicks off Feb. 14

    The Air Force Assistance Fund "Commitment to Caring" campaign runs Feb. 14 to May 6. Program officials invite Airmen to contribute to any of the Air Force’s four official charitable organizations.The charities benefit active-duty, Reserve, Guard, retired servicemembers, surviving spouses and

  • President thanks veterans for service during inaugural ball

    President Bush and first lady Laura Bush were greeted with resounding cheers as they made the first stop of their whirlwind tour of inaugural galas here Jan. 20. At the "Salute to Heroes" inaugural ball, hundreds of veterans from across the country, along with their wives and families, greeted the

  • Airmen honor president during inaugural parade

    Thousands of people lined Pennsylvania Avenue on Jan. 20, waiting for the passing of the presidential motorcade during the inaugural parade.Two things were immediately apparent to people attending the event. The first was the overwhelming amount of security, and second was the large contingent of

  • Miracle baby joins McGuire family

    A family here witnessed a miracle recently when their baby was born 16 weeks early.Mayra Morales, the wife of Staff Sgt. Freddie Morales Fernandez, gave birth to Ariam Marie Morales at a hospital in nearby Camden.Sergeant Morales Fernandez, a 305th Civil Engineer Squadron electrical systems

  • Different views of same humanitarian effort

    Maj. Mark Ledbetter briefs his aircrew about the day’s mission and walks with them to their HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter. It is a simple mission, but the enormity of the situation still affects the entire aircrew. Their task it to help feed and supply more than a million people left homeless after

  • Lackland medics support OIF evacuation mission

    The medical mission in Iraq is complex, made up of a variety of Air Force and Army units that provide care for servicemembers and Defense Department civilians and contractors who need help with various ailments -- ranging from minor scorpion stings to serious combat injuries. But patients who need

  • Joint fighting now norm for U.S. military

    Servicemembers joining the military today are not joining just the Army, Navy, Air Force or Marine Corps -- they are joining a truly joint force.The American military has reached unprecedented levels of joint operations in Operation Iraqi Freedom, military officials here said."When I joined the

  • Deployed C-130Js exceeding expectations

    When the C-130J -- the newest variant of the versatile C-130 Hercules -- deployed for the first time in December, Air Mobility Command officials said they were confident of the aircraft’s capabilities.During the first few weeks of the aircraft's deployment, the J model has met and in some cases

  • Tikrit Airmen focused on the job at hand

    As danger mounts and the chances of coming into contact with enemy insurgents and explosive devices greatly increases with each passing mile, Airmen protecting critical resupply convoys throughout Iraq are remaining focused on the job at hand.From cold, desolate stretches of highway near the Turkish

  • Gala honors those who serve

    Those who fight America’s wars were entertained by their own and by celebrities at an invitation-only event in the heart of the Nation’s capital.More than 7,500 Airmen, Soldiers, Sailors and Marines gathered at a state-of-the-art sports and entertainment facility here Jan. 18 to be honored for their

  • Secretary Roche retires

    Airmen, along with servicemembers from more than 14 nations, bid farewell to the 20th Secretary of the Air Force here Jan. 18.Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz presented Air Force Secretary Dr. James G. Roche the Department of Defense award for distinguished public service upon his