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  • For you, my friend

    Staff Sgt. Ken Ahrens, a 363rd Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron explosive ordnance disposal craftsman, accepts a rock as a gift from the remote ordnance neutralization system during training on using the robot's arm. Ahrens is part of a 10-member EOD flight responsible for protecting aircraft

  • Mass casualty exercise focuses on readiness, teamwork

    The 363rd Expeditionary Medical Group got an edge on readiness and teamwork during a mass casualty exercise recently."Exercises like this keep us prepared for anything," said Lt. Col. Les Folio, 363rd EMDG chief of aerospace medicine and exercise coordinator from Travis Air Force Base, Calif. "We

  • Nighthawks visit Germany

    An F-117A Nighthawk from the 49th Fighter Wing at Holloman Air Force Base, N.M., taxis down the runway here Oct. 13. The 49th FW is at Spangdahlem AB for a training exercise. (Photo by Staff Sgt. Timothy Cook)

  • Good morning, Incirlik!

    Actor and comedian Robin Williams is greeted by Staff Sgt. Kerry Warren and his partner, Xasco, during a visit here Oct. 14. Williams viewed a working dog demonstration by the 39th Security Forces Squadron and met with wing people, family members and deployed airmen supporting operations Northern

  • Unprotected nevermore

    An Air Force security forces Phoenix Raven stands guard as a C-130 Hercules from the 320th Air Expeditionary Wing taxis at an austere landing zone in Afghanistan. Ravens are groups of specially trained security forces people who provide force protection for aircrews and resources that transit high

  • Deployed life support shop vital to OEF missions

    The people in the 777th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron life support shop work hard to maintain their equipment, but they will be content if customers never have the chance to use most of it.That is because most of the equipment they maintain, including body armor, global positioning system

  • Overseas returnee assignment listing available soon

    The Enlisted Quarterly Assignment Listing for people returning from overseas February to April will be available Oct. 14.Individuals need to work through their military personnel flight or commander's support staff to update assignment preferences by Oct. 31. Airmen will be notified of their

  • Out on a limb

    Senior Airman Jeff Risko, from the 86th Maintenance Squadron here, replaces a bleed-air manifold duct on a C-130 Hercules aircraft Oct. 3. (Photo by Staff Sgt. Justin D. Pyle)

  • Operation Goodie Bag

    Tech. Sgt. Michael Sullo (left) and Staff Sgt. Steven Brettler, both from the 81st Services Division here, load candy, snacks, toiletries and other items donated by base exchange and commissary shoppers for deployed servicemembers. Keesler's 81st Support Group and the American Red Cross sponsored

  • Scott crews evacuate patients away from Lili's path

    The crews of two C-9 Nightingale aircraft, loaded with medical specialists and gear, evacuated 41 elderly critical care patients early Oct. 3 from Lake Charles, La., to Shreveport, La.As Hurricane Lili took aim for the Louisiana coast, Governor Mike Foster determined many medical patients could be

  • Guard, Reserve forces cope with active-duty extension

    For Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard troops, the jab "weekend warrior" lost relevance long ago.As many as 14,000 such troops, more than 60 percent of them in the security forces career field, have been on active duty for more than a year now as a result of the war on terrorism. Recently,

  • Airmen brave hazards inside fuel tanks

    Keeping fuel flowing to an aircraft engine is an essential part of flight. Fuel systems specialists from the 374th Maintenance Squadron here operate around the clock ensuring Air Force aircraft fuel systems are safe and in peak operating condition.The 14-person team is responsible for diagnosing

  • ROTC offers airmen education, commissioning opportunities

    Enlisted people interested in becoming commissioned officers may want to consider Air Force ROTC.Airmen have four Air Force ROTC commissioning programs from which to choose. If selected, they will enroll and will receive a commission when they complete the program.The programs are the Airman

  • 'Oh say can you see...'

    Senior Airman Marcie Mascaro and Airman 1st Class LaTanza Meabon, both touring performers with Tops In Blue, invite an airman to help sing the "Star Spangled Banner" during the opening of their performance at a forward-deployed location supporting Operation Enduring Freedom recently. Tops In Blue,

  • Hollywood animation enhancing survival training

    Instructors at the U.S. Air Force Survival School here are incorporating Hollywood-style animation techniques into programs used to train students in such skills as navigation and surviving underwater aircraft accidents.Six years in development, this newest training technology will allow students to

  • Veterans giving free phone cards to airmen

    Servicemembers who have served overseas in the past are once again giving assistance to those currently serving overseas.The Veterans of Foreign Wars Foundation, through the Air Force Aid Society, is providing phone cards and other items to overseas Air Force members and to their families at

  • Maintenance group focusing on core competencies

    Wings around the Air Force are creating maintenance groups as part of a move toward the new combat wing organization structure.The changes are in accordance with a recent directive by Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper that maintenance groups be stood up and have attained initial

  • Putting a chokehold on mold

    Staff Sgt. Richard P. Zolnowski III, a heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration technician, checks the inside of an air conditioning duct for mold and excessive wear. The technician and his co-workers are replacing the worn plenums in airmen's sleeping quarters to sustain good air

  • 'Virtual Schoolhouse' becoming wave of future

    Using information technology to provide formal, long-term training is allowing military members and civilian employees to further their education with the click of a mouse while saving the Air Force money in the process.Air Force Institute of Technology's Virtual Schoolhouse provides people an

  • Dog days of summer

    With his eyes on the action, Carlo, a military working dog, watches his handler, Staff Sgt. Carinae Samsel (right), check a "suspect" for any concealed weapons. Samsel is a military working dog handler with the 31st Security Forces Squadron here. The suspect in the training is Samsel's husband,

  • A little help from a friend

    Airman Jimmy Garibaldi (right), from the 52nd Civil Engineer Squadron here, hoses down Staff Sgt. Matthew McQuaig to start the decontamination process during the 52nd Fighter Wing's operational readiness inspection Sept. 20. (Photo by Staff Sgt. Timothy Cook)

  • Air Force, NASCAR teams compete in 'reverse pit stop'

    Elite teams of highly skilled professionals from NASCAR and the Air Force faced off on the flightline here Sept. 19 in a unique competition dubbed the "reverse pit stop." The purpose of the three-hour event was to demonstrate the many similarities and contrasts between the two organizations and to

  • Program helps prevent, deal with domestic violence

    The Department of Defense considers all forms of family violence as unacceptable and provides extensive resources that focus on prevention, intervention and treatment.The Air Force's Family Advocacy Program, charged with the prevention and treatment of family maltreatment, has the shared goal of

  • Customs agents looking closely at military mail

    Nearly all of the military mail arriving from overseas is now being checked by U.S. Customs agents because of recent increases in contraband.The Air Force's chief of postal policy said all packages coming from overseas locations are subject to inspections by customs agents, but recent discoveries

  • Mass re-enlistment honors birthday

    Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper recites the oath of enlistment at a mass re-enlistment ceremony honoring the service's 55th birthday Sept. 19. Participating in the ceremony were 55 airmen from the surrounding National Capitol Region. (Photo by Staff Sgt. Michael R. Holzworth)

  • Chief scientist advises senior leaders

    Dr. Alexander H. Levis describes his job as the Air Force's chief scientist as "the best in the world." He even has the scientific data to back it up.As chief scientist, Levis advises the Air Force secretary and chief of staff on scientific and technological issues, and works in coordination with

  • AAFES employee deploys instead of her spouse

    Oddly, a temporary assignment half way around the world in Southwest Asia is bringing Cathy Talley, an Army and Air Force Exchange Service manager, closer to her husband stationed at Minot Air Force Base, N.D.She is one of the more than 70 AAFES employees who volunteer to spend six months abroad to

  • Vigilance remains key to preventing terrorist activity

    Air Force members and their families are vital assets to law enforcement authorities who identify and assess potential threats in the area to help safeguard people and other resources."Vigilance at home is a phrase that's been used time and again since Sept. 11," said Special Agent Robert Hicks,

  • Our town

    The military base at Bagram, Afghanistan, is home to U.S. airmen, soldiers, sailors and Marines supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. Bagram Air Base is about 25 miles north of the Afghan capital of Kabul. Residents have turned the former Soviet fighter base full of mined areas into a functional

  • Happy birthday to us

    Airman 1st Class Conner Maher (left) and Col. Gregory Ihde cut cakes at Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan, in celebration of the Air Force's 55th birthday Sept. 18. Maher, 20, is deployed with the 822nd Expeditionary Security Forces Group from Moody Air Force Base, Ga. Traditionally, as the most junior

  • Squadron inactivating after 34 years

    Airman 1st Class Travis Reid checks an EC-130 Hercules for potential post-flight fuel and hydraulic leaks. Reid is a member of the 42nd Airborne Command and Control Squadron here which was born during the Vietnam War and is being inactivated Sept. 30. Air Force officials determined the unit's

  • Combat weather: More than just forecasting highs

    Monday, hot, 109. Tuesday, hot, 110. The rest of the week, extremely hot.Some people may think a deployment to a desert in Southwest Asia would be a weather forecaster's dream -- same forecast, different day. However, the 363rd Expeditionary Operations Support Squadron combat weather team does

  • Maintenance backshop takes center stage

    It is a little known fact that if you connected the KC-135R Stratotanker's nearly 5,000 electrical wires end to end, the result would stretch to more than 14.5 miles in length.Combine those numbers with the amount of electronics on the aircraft, its generator, battery, pressurization equipment,

  • Deployed servicemembers complete playground for local children

    Volunteers at a forward-deployed location in the Arabian Gulf region completed hours of hard work in the blazing sun recently to build a playground for children in a neighboring town.More than 100 volunteers participated in the project, which included removing jagged rocks and shattered glass from

  • Sergeant returns home after lengthy surgery ordeal

    Early assessments indicate he is the only person in medical history to survive the removal of a large brain-stem tumor and have few side effects afterward. The tumor was the size and density of a baseball.Tech. Sgt. Michael Newell, 47th Mission Support Squadron group training manager here,

  • Phoenix Readiness to become 'graduate-level' training

    Expeditionary combat support personnel throughout the Air Force will soon have more opportunities to get "graduate-level training" in the art of building and operating an air base from scratch.Phoenix Readiness, the Air Mobility Command-run training program operated by the Air Mobility Warfare

  • 10 years later, ALS continues to evolve

    A little more than a decade old, airman leadership school has evolved in much the same way the rest of the Air Force has. Although the school and curriculum have changed with the times, one thing has not, said Tech. Sgt. Pamela Jones, an instructor and director of education at the Senior Master Sgt.

  • Test Pilot School updates admission requirements

    Pilots, engineers and navigators applying for slots at the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School here are finding some of the school's requirements have changed recently.The biggest difference for applicants comes in the easing of experience requirements for pilots and navigators.Beginning with this

  • Academy closes to public

    In response to heightened national security conditions, the U.S. Air Force Academy closed its gates to the public Sept. 10 until further notice.Access to the academy is limited to personnel holding a valid Department of Defense identification card. This includes military and dependent, civilian

  • B-1B finds home at Air Force Museum

    One of a fleet of aircraft commonly identified as the backbone of America's long-range bomber force and a vital enabler of U.S. global power projection found a new home at the U.S. Air Force Museum Sept 10 when a B-1B Lancer landed on a runway behind the museum here.Flown in directly from the 7th

  • ARPC selects 1,877 for promotion

    Air Reserve Personnel Center officials here announced Sept. 12 the results of the fiscal 2003 Air Force Reserve Line and Health Professions Captain and Lieutenant Colonel Promotion Selection Board. Board members selected 1,877 officers for promotion.A selection board convened at ARPC from June 24

  • School children send patriotic support to 'home team'

    Handmade posters and drawings depicting the American flag have made the journey from Dothan, Ala., to special operations troops forward-deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.Children from Dothan's Girard Elementary School wanted to show their support for the military, especially the men

  • Casualty services keep families first

    The war on terrorism has not changed the priorities of Air Force casualty services people at the Air Force Personnel Center here; families of hurt or killed airmen come first.Operation Enduring Freedom has only made the always-open casualty office staff's work more important to the promise that the

  • Give me a brake

    Airman First Class Derek Smith, an engine mechanic with the 776th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron, operates the hand pump controlling the brake pressure on a C-130 Hercules. The aircraft was being towed to clear the parking ramp for incoming aircraft at a forward-deployed location supporting

  • Medevac provides vital service

    Maj. Janet P. Broome (left) attends to the medical needs of Army Spc. Serena L. Scott during transport from a forward-deployed location supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. Servicemembers with major illnesses and injuries are evacuated from forward locations for specialized medical care

  • Inspectors keep an eye on Raptor production

    Master Sgt. Richard Bailey and Staff Sgt. Mike Bedtelyon are administratively assigned to Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., but they are playing key roles in another state to ensure the base's future F-22 Raptors are delivered with the right stuff.Bailey and Bedtelyon, both from the 325th Operations

  • Packing to go

    Staff Sgt. Rob Thompson, a radar maintenance technician from the 31st Communications Squadron here, prepares an antenna mast for an upcoming deployment to Sardinia. More than 550 people, 27 aircraft and 569 short tons of cargo will temporarily relocate to Decimomannu Air Base, Sardinia, while

  • Air Force striving to get airmen paid right

    More than a year after a new personnel data system began to trigger an "unacceptable" number of pay problems, Air Force leaders have appointed a "pay czar" and mobilized personnel and finance people to fix and prevent pay problems.A recent success: ensuring more than 150 new retirees -- some just

  • Promotion study list now available

    Promotion-eligible enlisted people can now find out which materials to study for the 2003 testing cycles.The most current Weighted Airman Promotion System catalog, which lists the materials used by test writers to develop the 2003 promotion tests, is now available on the Air Force Personnel Center

  • Improving quality of life one of AF's top challenges

    Acknowledging that the current operations tempo has placed a severe strain on airmen, the secretary of the Air Force told the service's first sergeants that supporting quality of life issues is one of his top priorities. "I view this as one of the Air Force's most critical challenges," said Dr.

  • Keep 'em flying

    Airman 1st Class Robert Parson, a 777th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron crew chief, inspects the rear turbine of a C-130 Hercules before the aircraft departs on a mission supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. Parson and other members of the 777th EAS are from the 317th Airlift Group at Dyess Air

  • Walking the beat, 10,000 km from home

    Ask most cops why they went into law enforcement, and they will say it is about people -- helping people, meeting people, even just talking with people.For a people-focused cop, Staff Sgt. Travis Hartzell has a dream job. As patrolmaster for the 376th Air Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron, he

  • Heavy metal

    A four-man crew, from the Air Force Reserve Command's 622nd Combat Logistics Support Squadron, replaces a piece of sheet metal on the tail of C-141 Starlifter during depot-level repair at the Warner Robins Air Logistics Center here. (Photo by Staff Sgt. Sean P. Houlihan)

  • E-tools tested for maintenance use

    Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., hosted a rodeo recently, but instead of bulls, broncos and clowns, participants corralled laptop and handheld computers, personal digital devices and tablet personal computers.Arranged by the Standard Systems Group here, the E-Tools Rodeo was designed to test the

  • First test of 'Net Decoy' system shows promise

    The airmen of the 100th Communications Squadron here hosted the first-ever demonstration of the pioneering "Net Decoy" system, combining two defensive information systems that detect, track and potentially identify cyberspace intruders.During the latter part of August the Air Force Information

  • Air Force officials to cancel 100,000 travel cards

    More than 100,000 of the Air Force's government travel cards will be canceled in early October for lack of use, according to the service's travel card program manager.The move, said Michael Weber, is part of a servicewide effort to "clean up the books" and will affect those people who have not used

  • Keep out!

    Staff Sgt. James L. Walters, from the 405th Air Expeditionary Wing's security forces squadron, installs concertina wire on top of a barrier at a forward-deployed location supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. Walters is an Air National Guard member deployed from the 129th Security Forces Squadron

  • Dentist keeps airmen in fight against terrorism

    Capt. Zindell Richardson is "all smiles" because he has the corner on the dental market at this forward-deployed location.As the only military dentist in this country, the Campbellsville, Ky., native is responsible for providing dental care to thousands of U.S. and coalition warfighters."The concept

  • Haute cuisine desert style

    (Left to right) Senior Airman Garth K. Courtney, Tech. Sgt. Ken A. Pronti, Staff Sgt. James L. Hallmark and Tech. Sgt. John A. Barone, assigned to the 407th Expeditionary Aerial Refueling Squadron, look for "customers" on the deck they constructed at a forward-deployed location supporting Operation

  • Launch marks new era of space vehicles

    A new era of space launch vehicles began when the first Lockheed-Martin Atlas V lifted off the pad at Cape Canaveral Aug. 21.This launch begins the operational start of the Air Force's Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle program, the latest in technology for launching critical payloads into space.EELV

  • Mr. Sandman

    Staff Sgt. Jon Slingerland, from the 379th Expeditionary Comptroller Squadron at a forward deployed location, sands wood on a hole his unit is building for the base's new miniature golf course. Once complete, the course will be added to a growing list of activities offered by the 379th

  • Let there be light!

    Senior Airman Jeremy Tripp, an electrical power production journeyman from the 438th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Flight, works on an air compressor Aug. 17 that boosts a telescopic floodlight unit into position to illuminate a new laundry facility at a forward-deployed location. (Photo by Staff

  • New radar keeps skies safe

    A new radar is improving safety for aircraft landing at a forward-operating location supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.The AN/MPN-25 Rapid Deployment Radar System was deployed in January."We brought it here to prove the system and provide a higher level of safety for the aircraft around the

  • 'Go ahead, make my day'

    Staff Sgt. Rich Kelley loads rounds of 7.62 mm bullets into a GAU-2B minigun Aug. 15. Kelley, from the 66th Rescue Squadron at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., is currently serving at a forward-deployed location supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. (Photo by Staff Sgt. Reynaldo Ramon)

  • Operation Pillowcase softens sting of family separation

    An award-winning program designed to make children feel less anxious is softening the sting while a parent is away from home on military duty.Operation Pillowcase, developed by the 439th Airlift Wing family support center staff here, provides children of activated reservists with a pillowcase

  • SATCOM delivers critical info for war on terrorism

    In today's information age, satellites are a vital link for global communication. Commanders and troops rely on them to ensure information is at least one step ahead of the enemy in the war on terrorism. At this forward deployed location, that job falls to a satellite communications team from the

  • Reserve aircrew honored for heroic mission

    When the call for help came the evening of Dec. 7, the MC-130E Combat Talon crew from the 919th Special Operations Wing here, did not hesitate to fly through enemy territory to assist their fellow special operators.The 711th Special Operations Squadron crew's actions earned them one of the Air Force

  • Help desk 'makes bits flow' to support war on terrorism

    They call it "making bits flow." That is how members of the 379th Expeditionary Communications Squadron help desk refer to assisting customers at this forward deployed location.The help desk is responsible for troubleshooting and repairing computer problems for about 2,000 warfighters here.The

  • Cable guy

    Staff Sgt. Lonnie Gonzales, from the 363rd Expeditionary Communications Squadron, works with limited space while laying fiber and copper cable for the new base theater here. Gonzales is deployed from Hill Air Force Base, Utah. (Photo by Senior Airman Shannon Kluge)

  • ROTC encampment includes Reserve TIs

    A sea of blue uniforms fills a drill pad while Air Force Reserve military training instructors hover nearby looking for training moments. The young, sweating faces of Air Force ROTC cadets in parade formation are intensely watching their interval and distance, hoping not to draw attention to

  • Identity theft criminals can steal lives

    Air Force members need to be cautious with personal information, said agents from the Air Force Office of Special Investigations headquarters at Andrews Air Force Base, Md.Information, including Social Security number, bank account and credit card numbers, account passwords, telephone numbers and

  • Deployed medics train U.S. embassy employees in Qatar

    A group of medics deployed to Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, provided emergency medical training recently to employees of the U.S. embassy in the country.More than 70 U.S. citizens and foreign-service nationals who work at the U.S. Embassy Doha, Qatar, attended the self aid buddy care training given by

  • Agents recover stolen laptops; suspect in custody

    Agents of the Air Force Office of Special Investigations recovered two missing laptops containing highly sensitive U.S. military information Aug. 9.A week earlier, the laptops had been reported missing from a secure location at U.S. Central Command headquarters at MacDill Air Force Base, Fla.,

  • 'Be safe' is course guideline

    Master Sgt. William Miller, 379th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, maneuvers an all-terrain vehicle through the base's new safety course. The course is required before operating an ATV on Al Udeid and is taught by a certified Special Vehicles Institute of America

  • Security forces first line of defense for tent city

    It is 112 degrees outside and you feel like your skin is burning off. Sweat runs down your back as you hurry into your tent to grab a nice cold bottle of water from the fridge. However, some deployed personnel do not have that luxury. They stand ever-vigilant, carrying an extra 15 pounds of gear,

  • Four selected for Financial Management Leadership Program

    Four Air Force officers were chosen recently to participate in the service's Financial Management Leadership Program, designed to develop aerospace leaders with financial management and command experience.Capts. Jeffrey Dibiasi, 52nd Munitions Support Squadron, Kleine Brogel, Belgium; John Gondol,

  • Power production farm keeps OEF base running

    Just like a body needs food, a forward-deployed unit needs power.Without them, neither will survive.The 379th Expeditionary Civil Engineer power production farm at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, ensures the base's electrical needs are kept well-fed."We produce every bit of power used by the military

  • Servicemembers help children in Philippines

    In a desolate portion of the Philippines, at a place not easily found, U.S. servicemembers are working together to make a difference.A group of Florida National Guardsmen, Army reservists, active-duty servicemen, and Philippine soldiers have begun to work together recently to provide civic outreach

  • Spangdahlem tests virtual out-processing initiative

    In an effort to improve quality of life by streamlining base processes, Spangdahlem Air Base is one of four bases worldwide to test the Air Force's new virtual out-processing initiative.Throughout August, select families moving back to the United States will test a customized database system online.

  • OEF missions 'challenging, fulfilling' for KC-135 crew

    A steady stream of warm sweat drips from Capt. Matt Bowers' face as he preflights the KC-135 Stratotanker for a mid-day mission that will take him to the skies over Afghanistan.Temperatures in the sauna-like cockpit reach 130 degrees during the 90-minute process and won't cool off until the tanker

  • 'Hey! What's the weather for tomorrow?'

    (From left) Maj. Tim Karmondy, Staff Sgts. Don Ripley and Nick Toren, all from the 363rd Expeditionary Communications Squadron, are silhouetted against the desert sun as they erect a tactical weather antenna. All three are deployed to Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia, in support of Operation

  • Quarterly overseas enlisted assignment listing available

    The Enlisted Quarterly Assignment Listing for overseas assignments is now available for the April to June 2003 cycle.The deadline for updating assignment preferences is Aug. 22. Airmen will be notified of their selection by Sept. 9.EQUAL advertises upcoming assignment requirements by Air Force

  • Medical team provides care to Honduran children

    More than 130 Honduran children received free medical care in San Pedro Sula recently when an 11-person medical team from Wilford Hall Medical Center at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, came to the city on a medical readiness training exercise, or MEDRETE.This particular exercise focused on problems

  • PERSCO team is mini personnel office

    First impressions can leave lasting effects and at a deployed location, the Personnel Support for Contingency Operations team, or PERSCO team, makes it their business to provide a positive experience and help deployed newcomers.At this location in the Arabian Gulf region, for example, the PERSCO

  • Sergeant creates dragons in Japan

    Staff Sgt. Eric Suan often wears a white uniform, but he is not a medic and he does not work in a snowy climate. If you think he sells ice cream, think again -- or you might get kicked in the teeth.Six nights a week, this 34-year-old aviation resource manager with the 17th Special Operations

  • Lowest bidder wins this auction

    It is similar to any other auction, but with a twist. In the Air Force Center for Environmental Excellence's version, the lowest bidder wins, not the highest.The environmental center is trying out a "reverse auction" procedure that allows contractors to bid on some center work via the Internet.It

  • Maintainers keep C-5 Galaxy fit for duty

    The mission almost sounds simple. Put a crew on the plane, fly it into the area of operations, pick up the cargo and head home.Sending the C-5 Galaxy into the international airport in Kandahar, Afghanistan, not only takes the skilled precision of aircrews, it also takes the airmen behind the scenes

  • Family tradition inspires deployed NCO

    The word "family" speaks to the hearts of everyone.When some think of family, they think of an old home, a childhood memory or a relative. When Staff Sgt. Ernesto E. Diaz thinks of family, he thinks of the U.S. military.A food service specialist with the 379th Expeditionary Services Squadron at Al

  • Transition assistance programs good for troops

    Transition assistance programs do a lot more than help servicemembers make a successful departure from the military. A top Department of Defense personnel expert called such programs good for recruiting and retention and for U.S. economic well-being.Charles Abell, assistant secretary of defense for