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  • Military working dog aerovaced after operation, hospitalization

    Staff Sgt. Tim Cox and military working dog, Ronny, have been partners for more than two years, so when the canine cop fell ill on the job recently, Sergeant Cox instantly recognized a problem.“He just had a complete change of attitude,” Sergeant Cox said. “He got very lethargic and wasn’t himself

  • Cope Thunder trains warfighters

    With more than 62,000 square miles of integrated training ranges, Alaska provides the perfect backdrop for Cope Thunder 04-02, a total-force exercise which runs through Aug. 27 The two-and-a-half week exercise is held here and at nearby Elmendorf Air Force Base. “My main objective for this

  • Civilian leaders shown U.S. space capabilities

    A trip inside the Cheyenne Mountain operations center highlighted an intensive look by civic leaders from throughout the United States into how the U.S. military is using the sky and space to protect the homeland against terrorism.The civilians, all alumni of the Defense Department's joint civilian

  • School lunch prices increase for first time since 1995

    The price of a "full-priced meal" served in the Army and Air Force Exchange Service overseas school meal program will increase by 10 cents for the 2004 to 2005 school year -- the first increase in nine years. This year's price adjustment is necessary to cover recent increases in food, labor and

  • Airman named outstanding young American

    An Airman stationed at Sembach Annex, Germany, was named one of the 2004 Ten Outstanding Young Americans by U.S. Junior Chamber officials here.Maj. Eric Axelbank, 38, commands the 435th Materiel Maintenance Squadron. He will receive the award during a ceremony in New Orleans on Sept. 18.Annually

  • Don't get caught in crook's 'phishing' net

    Fishing is an activity enjoyed by many people, but “phishing” is angling of another sort.“Phishing” is an Internet e-mail scam that tricks individuals into revealing personal information, including Social Security numbers, bank account numbers and passwords.Typically, the e-mails involve Web sites

  • TMO packs it, tracks it in Afghanistan

    In a combat zone, being able to track the exact location of critical outbound equipment is extremely important.That is why Airmen at the traffic management office here are the first in the service to test the Air Force’s latest version of cargo tracking software.The Airmen are responsible for

  • A-10s rescue ambushed ground forces

    When Army Staff Sgt. Jamie Osmon met Capt. Scott, whose last name is withheld for security reasons, for the second time Aug. 16, the reunion was much less hectic than the first.The first time, July 29, Sergeant Osmon and a group of ground forces were trapped in a canyon ambush, and Captain Scott was

  • Revised 'Tongue and Quill' now available online

    What started as a research paper here nearly 30 years ago has become the Air Force’s leading reference on writing and speaking.In 1975, then-Air Command and Staff College student Maj. Hank Staley submitted as his research paper the first version of what is now “The Tongue and Quill.”The latest

  • Web page emphasizes importance of 'Airmen Votes'

    With less than 80 days to the presidential election, Air Force officials have added another tool to their voting effort to ensure all Airmen can participate. “Airmen Votes” is the name of a Web page designed to give Airmen, their family members and Air Force civilians all the information they need

  • Tinker Airman greets motorists with a smile

    A smile and a cheerful word are good ways to start the day, and that is how one Airman here greets his customers.His attitude at work is finding fans and the news has spread up through his chain of command.Airman 1st Class Ragan Crossland said he wonders what the fuss is all about. He is only

  • Ops center maintains smooth info flow

    When an A-10 Thunderbolt II lands after a mission protecting ground forces, it is critical to know what needs to be fixed before it is ready to take off again.Making sure the right people know what needs to be fixed and coordinating that maintenance is one of three jobs facing 354th Expeditionary

  • Holloman maintainers training at Kunsan

    Wearing chemical warfare gear is nothing new for F-117 Nighthawk maintainers from the 49th Fighter Wing at Holloman Air Force Base, N.M. Wing Airmen have been to almost every “hot spot” in the world supporting Air Force global missions.About 300 Airmen and their stealth aircraft from Holloman are

  • Expeditionary fuels flight fighting gas spills

    When a 50,000-gallon capacity fuel bladder reaches the end of its lifespan, there is little anyone can do to stop the massive rupture and potential tidal wave in the fuel pits.But that is what the Airmen of the 380th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron try to foresee and head off every

  • CMSAF speaks to Nellis Airmen

    Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Gerald R. Murray visited here Aug. 11 and 12 and during his stay stressed that Airmen are the Air Force’s most important assets.“The strength of the Air Force is no longer the aircraft flying over the targets; it’s our Airmen in supply, vehicle maintenance, finance

  • Now showing: Aug. 16 edition of AFTV News

    The expanded role of North American Aerospace Defense Command headlines the latest edition of Air Force Television News. In a special “Eye on the Air Force,” Tech. Sgt. Bill Scherer goes to Rome, N.Y., to spotlight the Airmen who make up the Northeast sector of NORAD. He shows how their role has

  • Helicopter pilots earn Cheney Award

    For the second straight year, Airmen from the 21st Special Operations Squadron at Royal Air Force Mildenhall, England, have earned the Cheney Award for aerial achievement.Capts. (then 1st Lts.) Randell Voas and Craig Prather earned the award for their role in the March 26, 2003, airdrop mission of

  • Air Force agent killed in Iraq

    A special agent assigned to the 33rd Field Investigation Squadron here and deployed to Kirkuk Air Base, Iraq, was killed in action Aug. 8.Special Agent Rick A. Ulbright, 49, died as a result of injuries sustained during a rocket attack at Kirkuk AB.Agent Ulbright served as a psychophysiological

  • Sergeant witnesses birth of son 10,000 miles away

    Tech. Sgt. Troy Goodman did not sit by his wife's hospital bed when she gave birth to their second son. Instead, he sat more than 10,000 miles away in tent city watching the delivery via Webcam.“I was woken up at 2 a.m., and got in touch with my wife at 3 a.m. By 4 a.m., I was logged into the IP

  • USAFE team supports nations contributing troops

    The most recent mission rotating Polish, Latvian, Lithuanian and Ukrainian combat forces to and from the Polish-led sector in Iraq landed at Strachowice Air Base here Aug. 12.A seven-person team from U.S. Air Forces in Europe converged in June to embark on a two-month mission supporting the rotation

  • Hurricane chasers gear up for Charley

    Mother Nature is poised to unleash hurricane-force winds and torrential downpours here in the wee hours of Aug. 13 from Hurricane Charley. While most people at MacDill have battened down the hatches and headed away from danger, the pilots and meteorologists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric

  • Airman steps in when patrons have enough to drink

    Staff Sgt. Brian Miller, a bartender at the sports bar J.R. Rockers here, will not hesitate to take keys from patrons he thinks have had too much to drink.Sergeant Miller is assigned to the 2nd Airlift Squadron and has been bartending for six years.In Sergeant Miller’s bartending tenure, he said

  • Deployed team helping Airmen communicate

    Deployed units rely on a steady flow of communication to accomplish the mission, so computers and phones provide a vital link between organizations around the Air Force.Equally important is making sure that those computers and phones work well, especially in an environment that is not very conducive

  • Airman’s actions come to light after a recent accident

    Staff Sgt. John Wright had just come off a night shift here when his quick-thinking and immediate response to an accident made him a hero in some people’s eyes.Sergeant Wright, an avionics specialist with the 116th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, was driving home when he came across a car accident

  • ‘Beer goggles’ give Airmen view of alcohol’s effects

    If you think it is OK to drive after having a few beers, fatal-vision goggles may change your view.Tanya Paul, an intern at the health and wellness center here, developed a program called BE AWARE (Basic Education of Alcohol: What to drink, Ability to drive, Risk and Effects). It is designed to

  • Center helps when disasters strike

    As the busiest time of the 2004 hurricane season begins; Air Force Personnel Center officials here are reminding Airmen that the personnel readiness center can assist them when natural disasters strike. When people evacuate or communication is impaired, the readiness center staff acts as a central

  • JEFX 04 execution phase ends in success

    Two years, three spirals and three weeks of simulated combat in a fictional area of operations culminated in the completion of the Joint Expeditionary Force Experiment 2004 execution phase here Aug. 5. JEFX 04 assessed 15 new initiatives in technology and processes designed to increase command and

  • Sergeant sees dollar signs with his idea

    Reading the fine print really paid off for one sergeant here. Staff Sgt. Neal Dion, a 364th Training Squadron aircraft systems instructor, received $10,000 for his submission to the Air Force IDEA program.Sergeant Dion was a liaison for The Boeing Company in the KC-10 Extender program at Travis Air

  • Pest management is serious business at any base

    Keeping pests under control at an Air Force base is a serious business no matter where that base may be.Senior Master Sgt. Burhl Hartin, a pest management specialist from the 332nd Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron, recalls an incident at his home unit, the 125th Fighter Wing in Jacksonville,

  • Motorcycle safety can save Airmen

    For anyone on two wheels, the asphalt offers no pardon for its hunger, and guardrails, lamp posts and four-wheeled vehicles do not forgive an impact.Motorcycle accidents continue to rob the Air Force of its most precious resource – people.“I saw an Airman with little riding experience snap his back

  • 2005 NCO retraining program under way

    Air Force officials want more than 1,000 noncommissioned officers to pick a new job during the voluntary phase of the fiscal 2005 NCO retraining program that began Aug. 3.Eligible NCOs have until Sept. 30 to apply. If the Air Force does not meet its goal of placing 1,098 Airmen from overage career

  • Center professionals helping fight terrorism

    A well-trained terrorist looks for ways to exploit his target's vulnerabilities; however, through training and vigilance, the malicious deeds of America's enemies can be foiled.That is the message people from the U.S. Air Force Counterproliferation Center here want to spread.With the motto, "We

  • Air Force officials announce E-5 promotion rates

    The Air Force has selected 13,625 of 33,306 eligible senior airmen for promotion to staff sergeant, a 40.91 percent selection rate.The Air Force will release the promotion list Aug. 11. The complete list of selectees will be posted to the Air Force Personnel Center's Web page,

  • Team in desert decides when bombs go ‘Boom!’

    In a country still struggling to overcome the devastations of war and terror, U.S. servicemembers are helping rebuild Afghanistan's infrastructure and weed out the terrorist trail left behind.Five explosive ordnance disposal flight people from here are taking part in this process at Khandahar Air

  • Mission focus combats complacency

    Two narrow wire fences -- one of looped concertina wire, one of interlaced metal strands a quarter inch thick -- are all that appear to stand between coalition forces and potential enemies.Appearances, however, can be deceiving, as integrated layers of defense provide protection for forces here.

  • JEFX breaks new ground in expeditionary info collection

    The Air Force is breaking new ground at the Joint Expeditionary Force Exercise 2004, with the Visualization of Expeditionary Sites Tool.VEST is an initiative designed for planners to prepare for all phases of air and space expeditionary operations. It is the only support initiative being tested at

  • Recruiting school marks 50 years at Lackland

    More than 4.3 million people have joined the Air Force in the past 50 years through the efforts of enthusiastic recruiters trained at the Air Force Recruiting School here.“Every recruiter has to come through this school first,” said Tech. Sgt. Lynn Bryan, one of 14 active-duty recruiting instructors

  • Professional wrestler visits former base school, home

    Walking into the center of the high school gymnasium, the illuminated stage grabs the professional wrestler's attention. "This is the very spot (my friend) Kenny and I did that skit -- my first wrestling match!" he says, pointing to the stage.It was during this performance for the 1982 Randolph High

  • Execution team orchestrates experimentation

    The operators are running through the trenches of the war scenario on the floor of the Combined Air and Space Operations Center. Meanwhile, the chief of the execution phase and his team for Joint Expeditionary Force Experiment 2004 are directing the play and stimulating the operations.They are

  • Assessment team answering JEFX questions

    What distinguishes the Joint Expeditionary Force Experiment 2004 here from an exercise is not just the addition of new innovations, but the work of more than 200 people on the experiment’s assessment team.These analysts are responsible for collecting and compiling the experiment findings for

  • Lynch visits reservists who brought her to U.S.

    At the time, it was a matter of doing their job. In retrospect, it was a brush with history.Airmen from Air Force Reserve Command’s 445th Airlift Wing here helped transport then-Army Pfc. Jessica Lynch along with other injured servicemembers from Germany back to the United States in April 2003. It

  • ‘SOLE power’ present during experiment

    When most people think of special operations forces the image that comes to mind is a dusty, gritty warrior with a rifle in one hand and a land-mobile radio in the other.Within the Combined Air and Space Operations Center these warriors have traded their stealth and rifles for a computer and a

  • Rome engineer receive Harold Brown Award

    H. John Mucks, an electronics engineer for the Air Force Research Laboratory’s information directorate here, is the recipient of the 2004 Harold Brown Award, the Air Force's highest honor for research and development.The award, named for the former secretary of the Air Force and later secretary of

  • Fallen friend’s memory drives Vermont father, son

    While growing up in the lush Green Mountains near South Burlington, Vt., he was considered part of the family. Ultimately, the childhood playmate and best friend became a hero when he gave his life as a Marine in battle. The memory of Marine Cpl. Mark Evnin is what puts the fire in the fight of

  • Air Force chief of staff presents Kolligian Trophy

    Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper presented the Kolligian Trophy to Capt. Michael Matesick during a ceremony July 30 in the Pentagon. Captain Matesick, currently assigned to Luke Air Force Base, Ariz., earned the air safety award for saving his damaged aircraft in the sky over Iraq in

  • Feeding program will assist warriors with new rations

    The Defense Department's combat feeding program at the U.S. Army Soldier System Center in Natick, Mass., is a "one-stop shop for all combat-rations development, field food-service equipment and total combat feeding systems," according to the Defense Department's combat-feeding director.Gerald Darsch

  • Organizations team up to protect range from lead pollution

    A steel-bullet trap will collect several hundred thousand rounds of lead annually at the 78th Security Forces Squadron’s small-arms range here, thanks to two agencies on base.A cooperative-funding venture between Warner Robins Air Logistics Center’s environmental management directorate and the 78th

  • JEFX analyzes battlespace chain reactions

    Sun Tzu once said, “If you know the enemy and know yourself, the victory is not at risk.”The strategy division of the Combined Air and Space Operations Center here is giving Sun Tzu’s strategy a whole new meaning with a new operational assessment tool being used as part of the Effects-based

  • Warfighters get ‘sneak peak’ at JEFX

    Battle management in the Air Force is changing, and 58 Airmen and two Soldiers from 14 different home bases are helping to shape its future.The Battle Control Center-Experimental, currently being tested and evaluated at the Joint Expeditionary Force Experiment 2004, is a bridge between the Air

  • Contact Center keeping customers No. 1

    A customer satisfaction survey shows a favorable response to the Air Force Contact Center here. Open 24 hours a day, seven days a week (except for Independence Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day), the contact center staff answers questions from hundreds of people a day from around the

  • Synchronization system brings awareness to warfighters

    A new set of synchronization capabilities are being tested and experimented with here at Joint Expeditionary Force Experiment 2004, the fifth in a series of major chief of staff of the Air Force-sponsored experiments that test new and emerging technologies.Global Concept-of-operations

  • Explosive disposal team aids warfighters one threat at a time

    Explosive ordnance disposal is a dangerous business under normal circumstances, but add the challenges of a deployed environment and a constant threat of attack and it truly becomes hazardous duty.The Airmen with 332nd Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron’s explosive ordnance disposal flight here

  • Airmen help repair runway lights

    Usually when the lights go out in an office, it is an inconvenience; a work stoppage at worst. When the lights go out on the runway, as they did here July 30, the entire mission threatens to come to a screeching halt, creating a domino effect all over the area.It was shortly before lunchtime when

  • Flight docs keep deployed force healthy

    In a deployed environment, keeping assigned people healthy is extremely important because each deployed Airman is needed to accomplish the mission.If one of those people gets sick or injured, his or her absence can significantly impact the mission.Making sure the deployed Airmen here stay healthy is

  • Army, Air Force sharing battle information

    Parked under camouflaged netting in the heat of the Nevada sun is an extended cab Humvee equipped with all the modern comforts of home: vinyl seats, air conditioning, tinted windows and four 23-inch plasma displays.It is not the Army’s version of a stretch limousine, but an element of the Army’s

  • Paul Revere takes flight during JEFX

    Paul Revere is no longer a lone rider on horse. Here it is the name given to a task force of Air Force, Department of Defense workers and government contractors flying in a contracted government Boeing 707, allowing warfighters to experiment with and test the latest communication technology.Time is

  • Promotion study list now available

    Promotion-eligible enlisted Airmen can now find which materials to study for the 2005 testing cycles.The most current Weighted Airman Promotion System catalog, which lists the materials used by test writers to develop the 2005 promotion tests, is now available on the Air Force Personnel Center Web

  • Service names top enlisted aircrew members

    The Air Force has selected its top enlisted aircrew members for 2003.The following Airmen are winners of the Staff Sgt. Henry E. “Red” Erwin Outstanding Enlisted Aircrew Member of the Year award:Senior Noncommissioned Officer of the Year: Master Sgt. Clive C. Bond, 964th Airborne Air Control

  • Now showing: Aug. 2 edition of Air Force Television News

    The Air Force’s contribution to treating the wounded in Iraq is featured in the latest edition of Air Force Television News.Tech. Sgt. Pachari Lutke visits Balad Air Base, Iraq, where Air Force and Army doctors, nurses and medical technicians work side by side to deal with battle casualties. For

  • Liaison officers provide link to Naval airpower during JEFX

    For Sailors, it is not the typical tour of duty – witnessing rows of Airmen dimly outlined against the faint glow of computer screens requesting Naval airpower for a coordinated strike against enemy assets.The setting is the Combined Air and Space Operations Center and the tour of duty is the Naval

  • Security forces say farewell to four-legged partner

    Staff Sgt. Pablo Martinez's best friend retired from active duty July 27. Instead of bringing him a plaque or other token, Sergeant Martinez threw him a rubber ball attached to a nylon rope. It was the perfect gift.Dolfy, a military working dog for the 82nd Security Forces Squadron here, received

  • Avoid summer heat hazards for pet safety

    Some people treat their pets like more than just an animal companion. They exercise with them, and take them to run errands and along on family trips. During summer, it may be necessary to curtail certain activities to keep pets safe from extreme heat.Extremely high temperatures are dangerous for

  • Deployed senior NCOs offered course in leadership

    Future senior noncommissioned officers at one forward-deployed location were recently given an opportunity that until now might have been available only to those at their home stations.Twenty-six master sergeant selectees attended the first Senior Noncommissioned Officer Symposium held in the U.S.

  • Days are long for B-1 aircrews

    The sound is instantly recognizable as the walls of the tents start fluttering. Airmen slowly awaken to hear a light rumbling in their eardrums. Five seconds later they begin to think their tent is sitting on the tarmac of Cape Canaveral during a space shuttle launch. It takes a lot more than just

  • Incirlik Airman found guilty of black marketing

    An Airman here was found guilty of black marketing during a summary court-martial recently.The Airman received a reduction in rank from staff sergeant to senior airman, restriction to base for 60 days and a verbal reprimand.“The Airman needed to accomplish paperwork for personal business, and a few

  • Major commands highlight support, sustainment issues

    Air Force acquisition and management officials met with Air Mobility Command leaders here July 27 to review programs, discuss sustainment issues and look for ways to better support air mobility warriors.Dr. Marvin R. Sambur, assistant secretary of the Air Force for acquisition; Gen. John W. Handy,

  • Airmen helping researchers by living in the clouds

    A handful of Air Force Academy Airmen are living in the clouds on the 14,110-foot Pikes Peak summit this summer as part of an Army/Air Force acclimatization research study.The U.S. Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine, based in Natick, Mass., and the academy’s Human Performance

  • Academy planetarium closing to public

    Officials here are here closing the planetarium doors to the public after 45 years of providing programs about astronomy, flight and navigation to thousands of visitors.The planetarium is one of the academy’s oldest buildings, having been constructed in the late 1950s.It will remain open for use by

  • Army Guardsmen help save Air Force baby

    Army National Guardsmen here did more than just pull gate security duty late July 27 -- they helped save the life of the 8-month-old daughter of an Air Force sergeant.The infant stopped breathing as the family was passing through a gate on the way to the hospital“It was probably the most frightening

  • Pentagon Channel available to all Airmen

    The Pentagon Channel is available to practically every active-duty, Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve Airman and his or her family thanks to a recent expansion of services.Officials from the office of the secretary of defense for public affairs made the Pentagon Channel free to all cable

  • Air Force ROTC closing detachments next summer

    Air Force ROTC officials are closing detachments at the University of Akron in Ohio, and Grambling State University in Louisiana next summer.In the summer 2007, officials will close AFROTC detachments at the University of Memphis in Tennessee; University of Cincinnati in Ohio; Wilkes University in

  • Air Force leaders support C-130J program

    Air Force officials are standing by the C-130J Hercules as the aircraft prepares to join the fight, despite a recent Department of Defense inspector general report criticizing the program.The Air Force fully endorses the C-130J, senior Air Force acquisitions officials said. The program is one of

  • Board meets at academy to discuss issues

    The U.S. Air Force Academy's Board of Visitors met here July 24 and 25 to discuss a variety of issues affecting the institution. The board is required to meet at least annually to review morale, discipline, curriculum, instruction, physical education, fiscal affairs, academic methods and other

  • Weather forecasters helping coalition forces

    No matter what the season, weather changes quickly in the Afghanistan mountains. Within 30 minutes, sky can go from clear blue to dark and stormy, or the wind can pick up drastically, whipping up dust and reducing visibility to nearly zero.With air and ground forces conducting operations around the

  • Experiment testing new data system

    The Data Link Automated Reporting System is set to be one of the revolutionary initiatives tested here during the Joint Expeditionary Force Experiment 2004.JEFX 2004 is an Air Force-sponsored experiment that assesses new and emerging technologies that can be quickly fielded.“With this system we’ve

  • Heavy equipment operators gets down, dirty

    Although their primary mission is to maintain the runway here, the heavy-equipment Airmen find much of their work involves dirt -- moving it, smoothing it and grading it.It is a dirty job, but someone has got to do it.“We’re here to make sure the runway stays open,” said Staff Sgt. John Wininger,

  • Deputy secretary of defense visits McChord

    An audience of more than 800 Airmen and Soldiers took part in a unique question-and-answer session with one of the nation’s top military leaders here July 23.Dr. Paul Wolfowitz, deputy secretary of defense, held a town hall meeting with Airmen from here, Soldiers from neighboring Fort Lewis, and

  • Commodity council makes $10 million impact on spending

    The Air Force’s first commodity council stretched Air Force buying power for laptop and desktop computers by $10 million throughout the last year.The Information Technology Commodity Council was established after a review of acquisition data from across the Air Force by a procurement transformation

  • Airmen serving at Army refueling point

    With rotors spinning at 1,600 revolutions per minute above his head, the Airman grips the fuel hose draped over his shoulder and pushes forward through the dust and sand. Time is everything in this environment and he knows it.The mission he has been tasked to do is not something he had ever dreamed

  • Edwards Airmen return from 'explosive' deployment

    During a recent deployment to Southwest Asia, two Airmen here put their lives on the line disposing of improvised explosive devices.For Staff Sgt. Neil Gertiser and Senior Airman Stephen Szczurek the danger never took over their thoughts, and they saw it as an opportunity to put their years of

  • Air Force ‘founding fathers’ exhibit opens at Pentagon

    Considered to be the “founding fathers” of the Air Force, Gens. Henry “Hap” Arnold, William “Billy” Mitchell and Frank M. Andrews were memorialized July 21 in a new exhibit at the Pentagon. Descendants of the three aviation visionaries were among about 100 people who gathered in the Arnold Corridor,

  • Local citizens receiving Air Force leadership training

    Airmen are not the only ones reaping the benefits of formal Air Force leadership training here. Two citizens from the local community completed five weeks of leadership classes July 23.The training they received on base coincided with the education Airmen receive at the Senior Master Sgt. David B.

  • JEFX 2004 execution phase is under way

    The Joint Expeditionary Force Experiment 2004 execution phase is under way here. This is the fifth in a series of large-scale experiments that explore and assess new and emerging air power capabilities.The executing phase began July 19 and ends Aug. 5.Previous meetings, or spirals, focused on

  • CSAF: Air Force key in Pacific operations

    The Air Force will become more active in the Pacific theater in the future in response to emerging hot spots, said the Air Force chief of staff after a recent tour of the Pacific Air Operations Center here.Gen. John P. Jumper discussed the importance of the Pacific area.“As we’ve seen over the past

  • Iraqi, American fighter pilots band together at Balad

    Two former enemies came together for lunch in the spirit of friendship July 20. Six Iraqi air force pilots and 10 American pilots shared stories over lunch at a dining facility and then took pictures together in front of an F-16 Fighting Falcon here. Despite speaking two vastly different languages,

  • Air University earns accreditation

    After an exhaustive three-year process, Air University has been granted initial accreditation by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools retroactive to Jan. 1.The commission accredits degree-granting higher-education institutions and entities that meet its

  • Desert Hawk gives security forces an eye in sky

    Airmen at one forward-deployed location who routinely work, eat, run errands and sleep may not think to look up in the sky. But if they did, they would see something looking right back at them. Flying at about 300 feet above the ground is a small foam aircraft with a built-in video camera. It is

  • Leaders discuss future test pilot school curriculum

    Representatives from around the Air Force met here recently to help U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School experts modify the institution's current curriculum to fit future test and evaluation demands.Test pilot school graduates and nongraduates representing organizations from Air Force Materiel Command

  • Nellis Airmen move into first quad dorm

    More than 120 Airmen here received a quality-of-life improvement July 17 when they moved into the Air Force’s first quad-style dormitory.The dormitory provides a quad that will be shared by four Airmen, said Tech. Sgt. Mike Merlo, 57th Equipment Maintenance Squadron dorm manager. “It’s the new

  • U.S. now training Arab air forces

    The United States, working with United Arab Emirates, is now training future Arab air force leaders. Iron Falcon, a monthlong exercise held at the Emirate Air Defense Air Warfare Center in the United Arab Emirates, is upgrade training for mission commanders. Plans are set for all members of the

  • Balad first sergeants bare veins for IV training

    People assigned to the 332nd Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron received life-saving medical training July 15 on the arms of first sergeants here.More than six Balad first sergeants rolled up their sleeves and "took one for the team" to give a few patrolmen intravenous therapy training for

  • Now showing: July 19 edition of AFTV News

    The use of what looks like a model airplane to help provide security at Balad Air Base, Iraq, spotlights the latest edition of Air Force Television News. Tech. Sgt. Pachari Lutke reports on a small unmanned aerial vehicle called Desert Hawk that is playing a vital role in monitoring areas around

  • New privacy rules intended to reduce suicide risks

    The Air Force has revised Air Force Instruction 41-210, “Patient Administration Functions,” to better protect privacy rights and ensure an appropriate flow of information between commanders and support agencies.Air Force officials believe this will reduce suicide risks among its

  • Special team searches for aircraft cracks

    All combat aircraft go through extreme stresses when completing their missions. Those stresses can cause metal fatigue -- tiny cracks in the joints and welds of the frame or invisible fractures in the metal.The sooner these invisible cracks are found, the safer the aircraft will be.Finding those

  • Air Force names 12 Outstanding Airmen of the Year

    Air Force officials released the names of the 12 Outstanding Airmen of the Year for 2004.An Air Force selection board considered 45 nominees who represented major commands, direct reporting units and air staff agencies. The board convened at the Air Force Personnel Center here in May and selected

  • Safe, adequate housing gets highest priority

    Caring for Air Force families is the highest priority and one way to reinforce that commitment is to provide safe, adequate and affordable housing, said the Air Force’s senior military leader.Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper released a Site Picture on July 6, detailing his and Air Force

  • Airmen making a difference in South Africa

    MedFlag participants are focusing on bringing medical and civic assistance to six clinics surrounding nearby Hoedspruit Air Base. “We keep busy,” said Capt. Molly O’Brien, a 48th Medical Group dentist from Royal Air Force Lakenheath, England. “We’re seeing (about) 60 patients a day, mostly for

  • Reserve forces taking advantage of VA home loans

    There has been a dramatic increase in the amount of Department of Veterans Affairs home loans to National Guardsmen and reservists in recent years, a top department official said.The amount would increase even more if they knew that being on active duty dramatically reduces the time it takes for

  • Services officials want a lot of happy campers

    Services officials want to see a lot of happy campers this summer.More than 500 Air Force teenagers are rock climbing, orienteering, camping, getting leadership training and even visiting the Supreme Court in a series of camps offered by the Air Force Services Agency.“For the past several summers,

  • Military working dog sniffs out suspicious vehicle in Florida

    A four-legged 45th Security Forces member did his job correctly but caused quite a stir here July 8.While doing his daily sniffing around inbound trucks at the truck inspection area at the base’s south gate, Pancho, a 7-year-old military working dog, alerted his handler to a suspicious vehicle.