HomeNews

NATO Air Policing operations

U.S. Air Force News

  • 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.

  • Airman dies in Iraq

    An Airman assigned to the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing and attached to the U.S. Army’s 494th Truck Company at Balad Air Base, Iraq, was killed in action July 11.Staff Sgt. Dustin W. Peters, 25, died when the convoy he was riding in encountered an improvised explosive device.Sergeant Peters served as

  • AAFES goes where troops are

    When orders come down for troops to move to forward-deployed locations worldwide, they quickly pack their bags and go. After that, it is only a matter of time before a small contingent of civilians pack their bags as well.They are Army and Air Force Exchange Service workers.Mr. Allan Heasty is the

  • Officials announce services award winners

    Air Force Services Agency officials announced the winners of the 2003 services awards recently.Ramstein Air Base, Germany, won the Gen. Curtis E. Lemay Trophy for best overall services unit at a large base. Minot Air Force Base, N.D., won the Maj. Gen. Eugene L. Eubank Trophy for best services at a

  • Airmen help South Africans by providing donations

    The road to nearby Kgautswane was dusty and disheartening July 10 for 50 Airmen deployed to South Africa and participating in exercise MedFlag 2004. As they rode down the remote rural road, they were forced to cover their noses and mouths with their hats to breathe as a brownish cloud filled the

  • Twin sisters assume command of AMC squadrons

    Twin sisters, Majs. Shawna O'Brien and Dawn Keasley, assumed command of two Air Mobility Command mission support squadrons on the same day recently.Major O'Brien took command of the 319th Mission Support Squadron at Grand Forks AFB, N.D., and her sister, Major Keasley, took command of the 375th MSS

  • Supply Airmen keep materials rolling in

    When people think of supply support, the first item that comes to mind may not be water.And yet, a weighty part of the supply Airmen’s job in the arid environment here is to process 15 pallets of the liquid each week. More than 25,000 bottles of water are used each week by 600-plus Airmen deployed

  • Course trains Airmen to drive convoys for Army in Iraq

    Riding in a truck through Iraq, manning a weapon and facing armed adversaries is not a scenario many Air Force vehicle operators thought they would see.But that is exactly what more than 500 of these Airmen are doing -- driving convoys for the Army supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.Chief Master

  • It's a jungle out there

    Many Airmen may describe their lives at the office as wild, but for those deployed to nearby South African Air Base Hoedspruit for exercise MedFlag 2004, it really is a jungle out there. “We actually enjoy telling people about our environment,” said Lt. Col. Philip Oosthuizen, South African

  • Honor guard Airmen save three from car fire

    An Independence Day tragedy was averted July 4 by three Air Reserve Personnel Center Honor Guard members who were returning here from a ceremony July 3 in South Dakota.As Staff Sgts. Shelly Dapp, Louis Deanda and Juan Williams were entering the outskirts of Denver around 4 p.m., they noticed a sport

  • Airmen help bring wounded home

    Forty-eight wounded Airmen, Soldiers, Sailors and Marines were brought home for Independence Day, and six medical workers from the 43rd Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron here were there to help get them back safely.This is the second time 43rd AES Airmen have been able to participate in the routine

  • MedFlag 2004 kicks off

    About 250 U.S Airmen from bases in Europe and the United States joined their South African defense force partners here July 2 to begin Exercise MedFlag 2004.The annual two-week joint-combined medical training and civil assistance exercise in Africa includes units under U.S. European Command. It

  • Airmen among White House Fellows

    Two Airmen are among 12 people from across the country selected to serve as White House Fellows.Majs. Wesley Hallman and Daniel Orcutt will participate in the White House Fellows Program from Sept. 1 to Aug. 31, 2005.Major Hallman, 37, is a student at the School of Advanced Air and Space Studies at

  • Team rescues kitten from palace wall

    In the sprawling Al Faw Palace at Camp Victory where leaders are tough and business is serious, a group of concerned officers led a team in a kitten rescue July 8.The public affairs staff had heard a family of kittens meowing in the ceiling for a couple of days, but said they were surprised to hear

  • Air Force amputee returns to flight status

    An Airman here who had his leg amputated above the knee will soon fly an Air Force aircraft again.Lt. Col. Andrew Lourake, the Commander’s Action Group chief, has been medically cleared to return to flight status.The Air Force surgeon general, Lt. Gen. George Peach Taylor, medically cleared Colonel

  • Air Force Intern Program develops future leaders

    The Air Force Intern Program Central Selection Board will convene here Sept. 20 to 24. The program lets 30 junior captains study the application of air and space power and observe senior Defense Department leaders in critical decision-making processes. The fast-paced 18- to 24-month program is

  • AFSOC, PACAF welcome new commanders

    Airmen from two Air Force major commands welcomed new commanders July 1 and 2.Maj. Gen. Michael W. Wooley assumed command of Air Force Special Operations Command during a ceremony at Hurlburt Field, Fla., on July 1, and Lt. Gen. Paul V. Hester assumed command of Pacific Air Forces during a ceremony

  • Air Force symbol now official

    The Air Force symbol is now official, four years after the service first applied for trademark protection.“I'm proud our symbol is now an official part of our heritage," said Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper. "It represents our storied past and links our 21st Century Air Force to our

  • Taking care of patients in air

    Most military aircraft are not well known for passenger comfort.But when passengers are seriously ill or injured, a team of medical experts is always on hand to ensure as comfortable a ride as possible.“We are responsible for moving casualties in-theater as well as between theaters,” said Capt. Karl

  • Now showing: July 5 edition of Air Force Television News

    What is fast becoming the Air Force hub for its operations in Iraq is spotlighted in the latest edition of Air Force Television News.Tech. Sgt. Pachari Lutke reports from Balad Air Base, Iraq, on how Airmen there are supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. Master Sgt. Jim Lawson reports on another

  • Teamwork, determination avert crash landing

    A C-130 Hercules from the 710th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron, with 65 people on board, came within minutes of making a crash landing June 29.What started out to be a 90-minute flight turned into three and a half hours of nonstop effort to get the aircraft safely on the ground.Leaving Balad Air

  • NCO rescues two people from river

    When a staff sergeant from the systems programs office at the Air Force Personnel Center here went to a local river for a relaxing tubing trip recently, he was not expecting to save the lives of two people from the rain-swollen waterway.Floating down the usually calm river on an innertube is a

  • AEF Battlelab tests universal aircraft jacks

    Any Airman who has ever worked on the flightline during a rotation in the desert knows that the aerospace ground equipment he or she uses is often specific to a particular airframe. Heavy aircraft jacks, in particular, are not one-size-fits-all equipment. After all, people cannot use the same set

  • Team keeps aircraft fueled

    Talk to a group of petroleum, oil and lubrication technicians and you will meet people who know their impact on the mission.With phrases like “without POL, pilots are pedestrians” and “we fuel the fight,” the team here knows how important its job is. In June alone, the Airmen fueled missions over

  • Expeditionary mindset provides stability, predictability for Airmen

    Nothing much stands out at the Air and Space Expeditionary Force Center at Langley Air Force Base, Va.The rooms upon rooms of cubicles are standard for a work center. A snack room provides lunch for those too busy to leave, and a larger parking lot would make people happier.Everything appears

  • Crew chiefs care for, feed Warthogs daily

    A-10 Thunderbolt IIs, affectionately known as Warthogs, fly over Afghanistan around the clock. While in the air, the pilot is responsible for taking care of the aircraft; but once it parks, the responsibility belongs to its crew chief.The crew chiefs “prepare the aircraft for takeoff, recover it

  • Air Force bids farewell to a legend

    The Air Force's last Vietnam-era former prisoner of war still serving retired here June 30, ending more than four decades of active-duty, Guard and Reserve Service.Reserve Maj. Gen. Ed Mechenbier, mobilization assistant to Gen. Gregory S. Martin who is commander of Air Force Materiel Command, hung

  • Uniform board releases results

    Air Force officials recently released the results of the 96th Air Force Uniform Board held June 18 and 19.The chief of staff approved a number of changes, affecting everything from cell phones to scarves. Among the changes are:-- Establish a standardized Air Force physical training uniform.--

  • Secretary, chief send Independence Day message

    The following is an Independence Day message from Secretary of the Air Force Dr. James G. Roche and Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper:"Happy birthday, America! For the last 228 years our nation has been the beacon for peace, freedom and opportunity around the world. America earned that

  • Air Force uniform heads to French army

    When a French army sergeant asked Col. David Adams for his uniform, the colonel did not know what to think. When working at a NATO base with 30 different nations, the real meaning is not always in the message.Sgt. Willy Brunet, a signal noncommissioned officer with the French National Intelligence

  • Firefighters protect people, resources

    Forty-five seconds is all it takes. In the right conditions, it would only take that amount of time for one of the many tents at Camp Sather here to burn to the ground.It is the job of the 33 firefighters assigned to the 447th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron to prevent fires and quickly

  • Air Force, Navy share chess title

    The Air Force and Navy are sharing the Interservice Chess Championship trophy this year, the first tie for the team title in the tournament’s history.The Air Force came to the tournament as a two-time defending champion, but tied with the Navy in points June 25, the last day of the six-day

  • Medical center responds to train derailment victims

    An early morning train collision and release of toxic fumes near San Antonio on June 28 sent at least 22 people to Wilford Hall Medical Center here for treatment. At least two people died as a result of the derailment.Workers from the 59th Medical Wing immediately responded, decontaminating people

  • General revises clothing policy for Airmen deploying to SWA

    All Airmen deploying to the Central Command area of responsibility must now ensure the clothing they pack is in step with a recent dress and appearance policy revision now in effect.The most significant change requires Airmen to wear either desert camouflage uniforms or physical training gear while

  • Airmen deliver 35,000 helmets to Afghanistan

    Airmen flew more than 35,000 Romanian military helmets to Afghanistan from here June 24 in a U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III. The helmets are for the Afghan army.Donated by the Romanian government, the helmets were packed and loaded by a team of Romanian servicemembers and a three-person U.S.

  • Iraqi delegation visits Balad, applauds U.S. military efforts

    Hoshyar Zebari, Iraqi minister of foreign affairs, and other members of the Iraqi governing council, including Iraqi defense minister Hazim al-Shaalan, visited here June 27 on their way to Istanbul, Turkey, to the NATO summit. While here, Mr. Zebari thanked the United States for its assistance in

  • F/A-22 goes ‘On the Record’

    Fox News Channel is scheduled to broadcast a special edition of "On the Record with Greta Van Susteren” from here June 28.The one-hour live broadcast from Nellis' F/A-22 Raptor hangar includes footage from a June 27 chase mission Ms. Van Susteren participated in. The program also will include an

  • Air Force honors Youth of the Year

    A ceremony at the Pentagon on June 23 honored Air Force youth representing bases worldwide.This year’s master of ceremonies was both the Air Force Materiel Command Youth of the Year and the Oklahoma State Youth of the Year. Michael Goodman, son of retired Master Sgt. Randall and Donna Goodman from

  • General Bradley will command Air Force Reserve

    On June 24, the Senate confirmed Maj. Gen. John A. Bradley as chief of Air Force Reserve and commander of Air Force Reserve Command, and appointed him to the rank of lieutenant general. General Bradley is the former assistant to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff for reserve matters at the

  • Robotic warriors display capabilities

    Pentagon officials and guests were treated to a demonstration of the remote detection challenge and response, or REDCAR, initiative June 23.REDCAR uses unmanned robotic platforms to provide perimeter defense of Air Force bases and forward-deployed units.“With REDCAR we can integrate a family of

  • NCO earns American Legion Spirit of Service Award

    Her father picked up a soldier carrying his life in a duffel bag on his way home from Vietnam in 1971. He gave the man a little money and took him to his house to finish his journey home. This act of kindness influenced Staff Sgt. Catherin Lammon and motivated her to do community service.The

  • Painting honors Tuskegee Airmen

    A painting honoring the famed 332nd Fighter Group of Tuskegee Airmen was unveiled during a ceremony in the Pentagon on June 24.In the painting, artist Mickey Harris depicts then-Lieutenant Luke Weathers at the controls of his P-51 Mustang escorting a damaged B-24 Liberator back to England following

  • Congress recognizes four Air Force people

    Four members of the Air Force family received Congressional Award Gold Medals along with 171 other young men and women during a ceremony on June 23 at the Russell Senate Office Building.The program recognizes outstanding achievement in people ages 14 to 23 and involves setting goals in four areas:

  • New UAV innovations could change face of war

    Unmanned aerial vehicles could start playing a more active role in missions to suppress and destroy enemy air defenses if a UAV Battlelab initiative proves successful.Testing of the new Joint Multiplatform Weapons Carriage System took place at Indian Springs Air Force Auxiliary Field, Nev., on June

  • Murray talks deployments, force shaping

    Combat needs, not current manpower standards, are what Air Force officials are using to determine how many people are filling the ranks, Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Gerald Murray said. This, he said, is the first time in Air Force history that combat needs have been the determining

  • Command chiefs meet for annual conference

    More than 250 command chiefs from Reserve, Guard and active-duty Air Force bases worldwide met here June 19 to 23 for the 10th Annual Worldwide Command Chief Master Sergeants' Conference.Command chiefs tackled issues facing the enlisted force.The conference gives Air Force senior leaders an

  • House hears military construction testimony

    Justification for the Air Force’s annual construction budget request can usually be summed up in a couple of words, the service’s top uniformed official said.Mission accomplishment.That message was the central theme during testimony on Capitol Hill on June 22, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P.

  • EOD is making Afghanistan safe for future

    Today, there are literally tons of explosive materials hidden throughout Afghanistan. Some, like land mines the former Soviet Union liberally scattered around the countryside, lie deceptively under a thin veneer of dirt. Others lie hidden away in caches of weapons carefully horded and

  • Manpower, personnel functions merging

    Manpower, personnel, and education and training functions will merge and realign under mission support squadrons at installations throughout the Air Force beginning July 1."Manpower and personnel have been separate disciplines throughout the Air Force's history," said Col. Douglas V. Bell, Air

  • American C-17 airlifts Iraqi child to Hungarian hospital

    Medics from the 379th Expeditionary Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron helped airlift a 13-year-old Iraqi to Budapest, Hungary, recently.A dozen crewmembers aboard a C-17 Globemaster III helped transport Abbas Jabbar, who was injured last month when he ran in front of a Hungarian convoy patrolling near

  • Sembach security forces practice aerial rescues

    Eleven Airmen of the 786th Security Forces Squadron at nearby Sembach Air Base practiced their search and rescue skills here June 14 to 18 during NATO Operation Clean Hunter.They were joined by people from the 56th Rescue Squadron at Naval Air Station Keflavik, Iceland, and rescue teams from the

  • Symposium highlights changing times

    Future Air Force budgets with fewer modernization dollars are requiring Air Force people to change processes to make current aircraft last longer.This is one topic Dr. Marvin Sambur, assistant secretary of the Air Force for acquisition, discussed here at the 25th Annual Air Force Association Focus

  • Now showing: June 21 edition of AFTV News

    The last active-duty Airman who was a prisoner of war in Vietnam, and his trip back to the country of his captivity highlights the June 21 edition of Air Force Television News. Tech. Sgt. Bill Scherer went along as Maj. Gen. Ed Mechenbier flew the famed “Hanoi Taxi” to the Vietnamese capital. The

  • Myers named ‘father of the year’

    Gen. Richard B. Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has been named the 2004 National “Father of the Year” by the National Father’s Day Council.The award was presented in New York City on June 17.

  • Airmen survive terrorist attack by being fit to fight

    In the early morning hours of May 30, an Airman lay in a dusty maintenance room of a building in Khobar, Saudi Arabia, with a tourniquet around his arm, struggling to stay alive.The morning before, Lt. Col. James Broome III and a colleague, Lt. Col. Ed O’Neal, both assigned to the U.S. Military

  • TACC commander receives management award

    The commander of the Tanker Airlift Control Center has received the 2003 Eugene M. Zuckert Management Award.Secretary of the Air Force Dr. James G. Roche presented Brig. Gen. Paul J. Selva with the award during a ceremony at the Pentagon on June 16.“I have the coolest job on the planet, because I

  • T-ballers make a hit on White House lawn

    What could be better than playing Little League baseball on a pleasant Sunday afternoon where no score is kept, everyone on the team gets to bat and a good time is had by all? Playing at the White House in the company of the president and first lady, that's what. Representing the Air Force, 14

  • Project upgrades quality of life at Bagram

    Innovation and initiative by 455th Expeditionary Operations Group Airmen upgraded a temporary living area into a cheery, hospitable cyber café.“Our new café projects a welcoming feeling,” said Staff Sgt. Tina Ross, a services representative with the 455th Expeditionary Mission Support Squadron and

  • NFL player scores big points at Incirlik

    As a Pittsburgh Steeler wide receiver, Hines Ward is accustomed to whipping past the opposition and scoring touchdowns on the football field. But during a visit here June 17, Mr. Ward scored big points -- not with his team, but with base people.Fans turned out in droves to meet Mr. Ward, who spent

  • Tech., master promotion rates nearly same as last year

    Air Force officials have selected 6,217 of 23,956 eligible technical sergeants for promotion to master sergeant, a 25.95-percent selection rate; and 9,114 of 42,248 eligible staff sergeants for promotion to technical sergeant, a 21.57-percent selection rate.The final tally will increase as Air Force

  • Utility uniform feedback survey, PT gear coming

    The Air Force’s first physical training uniform will hit the street later this year, and a Web site for Airmen to provide feedback on the proposed utility uniform will be online July 1.Feedback on the proposed utility uniform has been excellent so far, but an Internet survey will give all Airmen a

  • Reserve volunteers needed for force-protection duties

    Reserve component enlisted Airmen in any career field are eligible for a unique program allowing them to help protect Air Force bases nationwide. The air reserve component force protection volunteer program gives individual mobilization augmentee, Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard members

  • DOD wasn't geared to internal threats Sept. 11, panel told

    National policy that geared the Defense Department toward external threats was part of the reason DOD officials could not do more to prevent some of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff told the 9-11 commission here today. "Our military posture on 9-11, by law,

  • Airmen keep deployed Soldiers healthy

    Being responsible for the healthy living environment of 60,000 Soldiers at eight different camps is no small job, but that is exactly what Airmen of the 2nd Preventive Medicine Team Air Force have been doing since mid-March.This team of nine enlisted and two officers has conducted more than 2,000

  • Airman charged with murder

    A staff sergeant at Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala., is being held in the nearby Montgomery County Jail after being charged with murder. Staff Sgt. Russell Booth, of the 42nd Security Forces Squadron, allegedly shot and killed his wife, Wyndelyn Scogin Booth, during a domestic dispute in their home

  • Officials take second look at ‘code-C’ limitations

    Following a review of the new force-shaping policy, Air Force officials rescinded the enlisted date-of-separation rollback for Airmen with an assignment limitation code “C.”“The secretary and chief of staff of the Air Force decided we should take a harder look at code-C limitations, and the medical

  • Weapons accident leaves one injured

    A weapons accident here June 10 caused one injury. Staff Sgt. Brent Russell, a 917th Maintenance Squadron aircraft armament systems mechanic, was injured when a Gatling gun inadvertently discharged a 30 mm training round during repairs. The round penetrated a steel door causing shrapnel to strike

  • Air Force journalists win DOD awards

    Air Force print and broadcast journalists won nine categories in the 2003 Thomas Jefferson Awards for excellence in military media. The results were announced by Defense Information School officials here.The awards recognize military and civilian employee print and broadcast journalists for

  • Reagan makes first, last flight in jet he ordered

    The blue-and-white presidential jet that brought the flag-draped coffin of former President Ronald Reagan to Andrews Air Force Base, Md., on June 9 is an aircraft he ordered before he left office, but this was his first ride in it.President Reagan ordered two identical Boeing 747s to replace the

  • Major proves age, injury no obstacles to fitness

    Maj. Jeanne Frazier could not run, and she was dreading the mandatory physical training and fitness tests.Three months later, the 50-year-old major assigned to the 552nd Operations Support Squadron here was not only running, but she finished the required run in 16 minutes and 46 seconds. All

  • AMC musicians among those honoring President Reagan

    Four Airmen of the U.S. Air Force Band of Mid-America here will perform during a ceremony honoring former President Ronald Reagan at his presidential library and museum in Simi Valley, Calif., on June 11.President Reagan, 93, died June 5 from pneumonia after a long battle with Alzheimer's disease.

  • Patient safety year-round process

    Although the National Patient Safety Foundation celebrates Patient Safety Awareness week in March, Air Force Medical Service officials take it on as a year-round process.“Delivery of safe and effective patient care hinges on the integration of a continuous process designed to detect, assess,

  • If you break it, they will come

    Outside, there is a simple, painted sign: “If you break it, we can make it.” Inside, there is an array of equipment, somewhat reminiscent of a high-school machine shop.On either side, the fabrication branch Airmen here have a vital mission: To fix or make the parts and tools needed to keep the

  • Combat exercise showcasing proposed uniform

    As the Air Force continues its wear test of the proposed new utility uniform, its sister services are getting a chance to get an up close and personal look at the uniform during exercise Northern Edge '04."There are a total of 90 Airmen on base participating in the wear test of the new blue, green

  • Servicemembers honor former commander in chief

    Servicemembers nationwide are working to honor a former commander in chief this week.The death of former President Ronald Reagan on June 5 set into motion a plan that will end up involving countless servicemembers from all the armed forces.As a past commander in chief, President Reagan is being

  • Jumper shares view on AEF cycle length extension

    The Air Force chief of staff announced the extension of the baseline for deployments from 90 to 120 days and the change of the air and space expeditionary force cycle from 15 months to 20 months. The changes will take place beginning with AEF Cycle 5 in September, said Gen. John P. Jumper in his