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  • New CPR training wants you to switch your ABCs

    Most Airmen who have gone through CPR training remember being taught the ABCs, or airway-breathing-circulation.However, American Heart Association officials are suggesting people change the ABC sequence to CAB, or circulation-airway-breathing."Changing from ABC to CAB will save more lives," said

  • Falcons bring home Commander-in-Chief's Trophy

    President Barack Obama formally presented the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy to seniors from the Air Force Falcons football team April 18 at the White House.The trophy is awarded to the military service academy football team with the best regular season record against the other two teams. The trophy

  • Air National Guard units respond to Texas wildfires

    Air National Guard officials in three states sent four specially equipped C-130 Hercules aircraft to Texas on April 18 to support civil authorities battling 32 wildfires.The C-130s, equipped with the Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System, or MAFFS, were sent under the direction of the Joint Forces

  • CJCS presents Bronze Stars to Nellis pararescuemen

    Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, presented Bronze Stars with valor to three Nellis pararescuemen during a ceremony here April 13.Staff Sgt. Asher Woodhouse, Tech. Sgt. Ryan Manjuck and Tech. Sgt. Jeffrey Hedglin of the 58th Rescue Squadron were individually awarded the

  • DOD launches sexual assault response helpline

    Defense Department officials launched the Pentagon's newest initiative April 15 to support victims of sexual assault.The DOD Safe Helpline allows service members to click, call or text for victim support services for themselves or others.The resource is free, anonymous and confidential. Those who

  • Air Force officials announce civilian strategic leader program assignments

    Air Force officials here April 18 announced the placement of the Air Force's newest senior leaders into command-equivalent positions as part of the civilian strategic leader program.The CSLP creates multi-skilled GS-14, GS-15 or equivalent level civilian leaders who navigate complex environments in

  • Programs help Airmen obtain financial success

    For Airmen wondering if the struggle for total financial success will ever end, there is good news. The Airman and Family Readiness Center's financial advisers help members reach their financial goals. According to James McDaniel, an accredited financial counselor here, financial readiness is a

  • Organization honors service members' children

    Officials with Our Military Kids honored four children and a military family here yesterday in an award ceremony at the Navy Memorial here.During the organization's "Our Military Kids of the Year" event, retired Marine Corps Gen. Peter Pace, the 16th chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and an Our

  • Tops in Blue wraps up 2010 tour

    After touring the world performing for service members home and abroad, Tops in Blue took the stage April 9 at the Trinity University's Laurie Auditorium in San Antonio.Tops in Blue is the premier performance group of the Air Force, made up of 35 active-duty amateur musicians and performers who

  • Teamwork essential to safely recovering aircraft

    Their job is to get planes in the air as quickly as possible, but once a plane is gone, they wait for it to come back.The more than 130 Airmen who work on ground crews here ensure when an aircraft lands after completing a 10-hour mission over the area of responsibility, it receives the best care to

  • Carter outlines military acquisition improvements

    The Defense Department has made much progress toward buying and fielding equipment smarter and faster, the Pentagon's undersecretary for acquisitions, technology and logistics told a congressional panel April 13.At a time when President Barack Obama and Congress look for ways to fix the nation's

  • Medical team saves life with 'cool' procedure

    Members of the Air Force Theater Hospital emergency staff here recently performed an unconventional medical procedure to help save a Soldier's life. The 332nd Expeditionary Medical Group staff used therapeutic hypothermia to ensure the patient, who had suffered cardiac arrest, would fully

  • CDC staff members continue to care for Yokota children

    Child development centers here are pulling together in the aftermath of the earthquake and tsunami to keep their operations as normal as possible.Combined, the Yume and Kibo CDCs here have lost 24 staff members and 75 children to the voluntary departure flights from Japan that began March 19."The

  • Misawa children roll-up their sleeves, pitch-in with volunteer efforts

    Children from here, accompanied by 16 parents, were part of the first Misawa Helps program family mission April 12 to take place since the volunteer organization stood up in the days following the March 11 earthquake and resulting tsunami.With spring break and children out of school this week, this

  • President's plan likely to affect 2013 defense budget

    President Barack Obama's effort to seek additional savings within the Defense Department likely will affect the department's fiscal 2013 budget, Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell said April 13.The president announced that he plans to work with Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and Navy Adm.

  • Chairman thanks USO for service to military

    For 70 years, the USO and its thousands of volunteers have stood as a compass for the nation and adapted to the needs of every war Americans have fought, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said April 12 at the organization's 29th annual awards dinner."To the thousands and thousands of

  • Security forces train Iraqi air force security forces

    Members of the 447th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron spent several weeks in March and April training 12 Iraqi security forces airmen from New Al Muthana Air Base on force protection techniques. Fourteen security forces members trained the Iraqis on procedures and techniques used every day by

  • AFCENT band entertains Kyrgyzstan youth

    The Air Forces Central band, Wild Blue Country, arrived here April 3, ready to take the sound of American country music to the people of Kyrgyzstan. "One of the most important missions of the AFCENT band is to bring joy and goodwill to international partnering communities," said Senior Master Sgt.

  • Charity run raises money for American Cancer Society

    Six weeks after Staff Sgt. Tyler McInturff deployed here in January, he received news that his aunt had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer."Being my godmother, she's been very close to me my whole life," said Sergeant McInturff, the 321st Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron fuels

  • Readiness exercise paves way for Operation Tomodachi success

    For six days in March, Airmen here focused on an operational readiness exercise, working long hours every day to prove that the base's warfighting plan was sound. The 374th Airlift Wing surged demands across the base, ensuring that individuals would be ready to support contingency operations if they

  • Baristas donate tips to Japan relief efforts

    Watching the aftermath of the earthquake and tsunami that ripped through Japan March 11, cafe workers here have decided to give back."When you're here (in Japan) and you see the damage done, it hits home," said Amy Turner, a barista here. "We have a lot of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force and

  • Military family support a 'national priority,' Obama says

    President Barack Obama today made caring for military families a national priority, calling to action his entire administration and communities across the U.S. on their behalf."The strength and the readiness of America's military depend on the strength and readiness of our military families," the

  • Firefighters retire memorial plaque

    More than 60 Airmen and Soldiers attended the retirement ceremony of an Airman's memorial April 6 at the fire station here.Staff Sgt. Ray Rangel, a 332nd Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron firefighter, died Feb. 13, 2006, while trying to rescue two Soldiers trapped in a Humvee that had overturned

  • Army has new chief of staff

    Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates wanted an Army chief of staff willing to challenge the status quo, and he believes he has one in Gen. Martin E. Dempsey.General Dempsey succeeded Gen. George W. Casey Jr. as the Army chief of staff during a ceremony at Fort Myer, Va., April 11."Whatever challenges

  • Yokota celebrates cherry blossoms, hope with community

    Officials here invited the community to come on base April 9 and view the base's collection of the flowering pink and white cherry blossom trees. More than 1,300 local nationals came to the open house.The event comes on the heels of Operation Tomodachi, the relief efforts supported by Team Yokota in

  • Senior leader letter to men and women of the Air Force

    Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz and Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James Roy issued the following message to the men and women of the United States Air Force:We remain hopeful that a government shutdown will be averted. However, prudent

  • Army drill sergeant pushes BMT flight

    When Army Staff Sgt. David Peters marched Air Force Basic Military Training Flight 258 past reviewing officials during a parade here April 8, it completed one half of a basic training instructor exchange between services.The drill sergeant-military training instructor exchange has given the Air

  • Enlisted medics honored at Armed Services YMCA gala

    Air Force active-duty, Reserve and Guard enlisted medics were among those from all service components honored at the Armed Services YMCA's 5th Annual Angels of the Battlefield Gala at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center here March 31. Army Gen. Raymond Odierno, the commander of

  • Exchange to continue Ops despite potential government shutdown

    The Army and Air Force Exchange Service is planning to continue operations even if the U.S. Government shuts down.On April 9, the current budget authorization will expire. At that point, the federal government will potentially institute a mandatory shutdown for "non-essential" personnel. While this

  • Safety Investigation Board convenes for A-10 crash

    A Safety Investigation Board tasked with investigating the A-10 Thunderbolt II crash that occurred April 1 in a field outside Laufeld, Germany, a town north of Wittlich convened here April 5. The team, led by Col. Michael Winters, the 100th Air Refueling Wing vice commander and SIB president, will

  • Former COMUSAFE awarded highest Latvian honor

    A former commander of U.S. Air Forces in Europe was presented the highest Latvian honor April 1 in a ceremony in Washington D.C. Retired Gen. William Tom Hobbins, the USAFE commander from 2005 to 2008, was awarded the Order of Viesturs, First Grade, by Latvian President Valdis Zatlers in recognition

  • Critical self-assessment puts Global Strike Command on the right path

    With the Air Force conducting operations on multiple fronts across the globe and facing shrinking resources, Air Force Global Strike Command Airmen are focusing on finding smarter ways to accomplish the mission."(The Analyses, Assessments and Lessons Learned Directorate) is the entity that is aimed

  • MC-130J rollout accelerates AFSOC recapitalization

    Air Force Special Operations Command officials welcomed the latest variant of the MC-130 at a rollout ceremony held at Lockheed Martin's Marietta, Ga., factory recently.The rollout accelerates AFSOC commander Lt. Gen. Donald C. Wurster's priority to recapitalize the fleet by acquiring MC-130J Combat

  • Program develops senior civilian leaders

    The Civilian Strategic Leader Program director assignment offers a structured strategic path for developing future Air Force senior civilian leaders.The program serves as a process for identifying civilian employees at the GS-14 and 15 or equivalent levels who will be the most competitive for

  • Gates, Shinseki agree to joint electronic medical records

    Two years after they joined President Barack Obama in announcing plans to create a joint virtual lifetime electronic record, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric K. Shinseki have agreed to create a joint common platform for their departments' electronic medical

  • Airmen keep Yokota AB safe, healthy for relief efforts

    A group of Airmen here are working to keep the people at Yokota AB safe.Members of the 374th Aerospace Medicine Squadron ensure that Airmen around base are safe during operations by ensuring prudent safety precautions are implemented.To do this, technicians visit worksites where harmful elements are

  • DJC2 system provides communications support for JSF, USFJ

    Personnel assigned to the Joint Communications Support Element at MacDill Air Force Base, Fla., were recently deployed here to provide joint-support-force command and control operations for Operation Tomodachi. The primary support responsibility for the JCSE members sent here is to operate the

  • Dover Airmen support Operation Odyssey Dawn

    Three C-5M Super Galaxy aircrews from here delivered cargo March 23 to 27 in support of Operation Odyssey Dawn.The Air Force Reserve's 709th Airlift Squadron and the active-duty 9th AS here worked together to deliver 387,000 pounds of cargo. On March 18, the secretary of defense approved and ordered

  • DOD celebrates Month of the Military Child

    Children of U.S. service members around the world will be honored throughout the month of April for their contributions to their families' well-being and sacrifices on behalf of the nation, a Defense Department official said.Each April, Americans pause to recognize the nation's 1.8 million military

  • Service members assist Japan relief efforts

    Following the March 11 disasters in Japan, service members from here have pitched in to help.Master Sgt. Augustine Circello III, from the 773rd Logistics Readiness Squadron, said initial support was difficult due to communication problems."Trying to coordinate with all the different internal

  • 8th ASOS hosts first joint coalition jump week

    Airmen from the 8th Air Support Operations Squadron hosted the U.S. Army 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team and Italian Army paratroopers during a joint coalition training exercise here March 21 through 25.More than 1,400 Italian and American soldiers came from the U.S. Army Garrison in Vicenza,

  • Total force Airmen support Odyssey Dawn

    Aircraft and Airmen from more than 10 bases across the Air Force have united to form the 313th Air Expeditionary Wing here.The wing formed in 72 hours after the start of Operation Odyssey Dawn, a mission to enforce a no-fly zone put in place to protect the civilian population of Libya.The first unit

  • Air Force officials present budget to appropriations committees

    Air Force leaders discussed the service's fiscal 2012 budget request and their concerns about operating under a continuing resolution with members of the Senate and House Appropriations Committees during hearings here March 30 and 31.In the March 30 hearing before the Senate Appropriations

  • VA makes progress to end veteran homelessness

    They served their country in uniform -- many on the front lines in Iraq and Afghanistan. And now that they've returned home and rejoined civilian life, an alarming number of veterans have found themselves on the streets and living under bridges.Veterans Affairs Department officials are making

  • Project Crossbow enhances capabilities

    A collaborative U.S. Air Force and United Kingdom Royal Air Force program is making it easier for the two services to share information collected via intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance systems.The program, dubbed Project Crossbow and modeled on the U.S. Air Force's Distributed Common

  • Budget slows defense growth, comptroller says

    Cost savings reflected in the fiscal 2012 Defense Department budget do not represent a cut from current funding levels, but rather a slower rate of growth than has been seen in recent years, the Pentagon's comptroller and chief financial officer told a Senate committee here March 29.Defense

  • Disabled vets discover 'miracle on mountain'

    Sheila James threw her arms up in joy, flashing a smile that stretched from ear to ear as she celebrated a personal victory during the 25th National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic here March 29.A motor vehicle rollover in 2009 turned the former senior airman's life upside-down, landing her

  • Yokota Airmen central to supporting Operation Tomodachi

    Airmen working in the Emergency Operations Center here have been central to processing and coordinating disaster relief efforts in support of Operation Tomodachi. Emergency Operations Center members work on a strategic level to coordinate emergency preparedness, emergency management and disaster

  • Officers share cross-flow experiences, skills

    Cross-flowing into one career field from another isn't a new concept for Airmen. Most officers, at one time or another throughout their career, have served in a position or job outside of their original or primary Air Force Specialty Code. Take, for example, Lt. Col. Ginger Wallace, a former

  • Training for repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell ongoing for Airmen

    Air Force officials began training Airmen March 1 in anticipation of the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell with a goal of having all Airmen trained on or about June 30.Commanders throughout the Air Force will schedule commander's calls or other such events to ensure face-to-face training is available

  • Commander discusses Yokota's role in Operation Tomodachi

    Yokota Air Base's role as the sole airlift hub of the western Pacific increased in significance following the March 11 earthquake and tsunami in northern Japan.Col. Otto Feather, the 374th Air Wing commander here, discussed the importance of the wing's partnership with Japan to ongoing relief

  • Yokota AB Airmen tackle Herculean airlift missions into Sendai

    Over the past two weeks, Sendai Airport has served as a critical relay point for relief efforts throughout northeastern Japan, and the Airmen of the 36th Airlift Squadron are working to ensure that the airport stays open for business.Since the incapacitated airport reopened to air traffic, 36th

  • Photo essay: Guardsmen deploy in support of Operation Odyssey Dawn

    Members of the Illinois Air National Guard's 126th Air Refueling Wing here prepare a KC-135 Stratotanker for deployment March 25, in support Operation Odyssey Dawn. The KC-135s will provide air-refueling support to coalition aircraft enforcing a no-fly zone over Libya.View the slideshow.

  • Yokota AB Airmen play vital role in cooling Fukushima power plant

    A team of Airmen from here labored nonstop March 25 through 27 to design and create essential components for water pumps to be used at a nuclear power plant in northern Japan. The power plant, located roughly 130 miles north of here in Fukushima Prefecture, incurred catastrophic damage to its

  • Total-force team supports Operation Tomodachi

    While supporting combat operations in both Iraq and Afghanistan, a total integrated force of active, Guard and Reserve Airmen are supporting humanitarian relief efforts in Japan following the earthquake and subsequent tsunami that ravaged parts of Japan March 11.Air Force officials are increasingly

  • AAF officials graduate first weapons safety NCO

    The Afghan air force recently saw an improvement in its safety program with the graduation of the first weapon safety airman in the entire force.AAF Sgt. Yosufzai Hamayattullah completed the two-month basic explosives hazards course on a AAF base here, establishing with him the foundation of a

  • Disabled veterans sports clinic opens in Colorado

    Deputy Veterans Affairs Secretary W. Scott Gould called on more than 350 disabled veterans March 27 to strive for new heights as they participate here this week in the 25th National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic.Speaking during opening ceremonies alongside Vice President Joe Biden and

  • Mullen accepts award on behalf of armed forces

    Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Navy Adm. Mike Mullen accepted the Dwight D. Eisenhower Award from the Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress March 24 on behalf of all members of the U.S. armed forces."Tonight, there are thousands upon thousands of young men and women answering our

  • Yokota maintainer video chats with son's class about Operation Tomodachi

    An Alabama school teacher had been discussing with his sixth-grade class the recent natural disasters in Japan. When the students wanted to know how the U.S. is helping the recovery efforts, Jeff Rhodus was at a loss."We could ask my dad," offered one student, 12-year-old Miland Myers. "He's

  • Coalition continues to defend Libyan civilians

    Coalition forces continue to enforce the no-fly zone over Libya, striking air defense capabilities and regime forces that threaten Libyan civilians, Navy Vice Adm. William E. Gortney said here March 24.The director of the Joint Staff said during a Pentagon news conference that the coalition

  • Just another 'dog day afternoon' for Airmen, Sailors

    It was a 'dog day afternoon' March 23 for Staff Sgt. Chris Sawhill and Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Aaron Green as they volunteered their time to help welcome transiting pets from Japan to the Joint Reception Coordination Center here.As family members made their way across the Pacific from various

  • Air Force leaders issue sexual assault prevention, response message

    Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz and Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James Roy issued the following message to the men and women of the United States Air Force:We must commit to eliminating sexual assault from our Air Force.Air Force leaders

  • Air Force aerial layer networking concept to enhance warfighter connectivity

    By 2024, the Air Force's fleet of aircraft, space and surface systems will contribute to and use various aerial layer networking functions to support joint capability areas, officials said here March 23.Following the publication of the October 2009 Joint Aerial Layer Network Initial Capabilities

  • Military children need nation's support

    Military children need the support not just of the Defense Department, but the "whole of nation" to ensure they're ready for the future, a DOD official said here March 23."Military children are resilient, but they need a lot of help," said Robert L. Gordon III, the deputy assistant secretary of

  • Operating room makes medical developments

    The operating room at the Craig Joint Theater Hospital here rivals operating rooms found in the U.S., officials said.The CJTH is a place where advancements are made in medicine every day, said Tech. Sgt. Robert Wick, a CJTH operating room orthopedic technician."We are learning new methods, such as

  • CE continues work to restore Misawa

    Operations appear to be returning to normal around Misawa Air Base. During the past 1.5 weeks, the men and women assigned to the 35th Civil Engineer Squadron have worked to get the base to where it is now, but they still have work ahead of them. When an earthquake struck Northern Japan March 11 and

  • Air Force officials announce 2011 Design Awards

    The Air Force deputy chief of staff for Logistics, Installations and Mission Support announced the winners of the 2011 Air Force Design Awards March 17."Each winner clearly demonstrated the highest level of design excellence, and I offer my most sincere congratulations on winning these prestigious

  • PACOM officials direct distribution of potassium iodide tablets

    As a precautionary measure, U.S. Pacific Command officials directed distribution of potassium iodide tablets March 22 here. Base officials, however, are stressing there is no indication of increased exposure here. "We want everyone who may need the pills to be prepared, whether it's because of

  • Members voluntarily leave Japan in support of Operation Pacific Passage

    More than 500 service members, dependants and civil service employees, who voluntarily departed Japan, arrived at Travis Air Force Base March 22 aboard charted military flights in support of Operation Pacific Passage.U.S. Army North officials along with Travis AFB members activated the Joint

  • Air Force officials continue to consolidate personnel processes, actions

    Air Force personnel officials here will be assuming some personnel actions from Air Education and Training Command bases over the next four months to help reduce workloads on base military personnel sections.Master Sgt. Joseph Smith, the Air Force Personnel Center's sustainment superintendent, said

  • Advisers aid weapons delivery to Iraqi partners

    Iraqi and U.S. weapons crews and pilots completed a $250,000 weapons-delivery mission from Sather Air Base, Iraq to here March 14.A half dozen Airmen assigned to the 721st Air Expeditionary Advisory Squadron here accompanied their Iraqi army aviation command partners to accept delivery of nearly

  • U.S., Thai airmen donate supplies to school children

    Service members presented more than $1,300 in supplies to help students at a community outreach event here March 18, during Cope Tiger, a multilateral joint and combined field training exercise.The school staff welcomed U.S. and Royal Thai Air Force airmen with a donation ceremony to express their

  • Senior leaders thank KC-46A source selection team

    Department of Defense and Air Force senior leaders flew here from Washington March 21 to congratulate the team responsible for the source selection of the Air Force's top acquisition priority: the KC-46A tanker. Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley; Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition,

  • Annual Air Force symposium embraces critical training environment

    Air Force officials launched their annual Environmental, Safety and Occupational Health Training Symposium here March 21, hosting more than 1,800 participants and 120 exhibitors.Assistant Secretary of the Air Force Terry Yonkers, Air Force Civil Engineer Maj. Gen. Tim Byers and Brig. Gen. Dave Howe,

  • McChord Airmen support first voluntary departure flight from Japan

    Members here helped welcome 233 Department of Defense personnel and family members who voluntarily departed Japan after the earthquake and subsequent tsunami struck the island March 11."This is a tremendous team effort from the entire joint base community aimed at easing a difficult time for DOD

  • No-fly zone in place, but danger remains, admiral says

    While the attacks on Libya's integrated air and missile defense system have been successful, thousands of anti-aircraft artillery emplacements and portable missile launchers still pose threats to coalition air crews, the director of the Joint Staff said March 21.On the second day of Operation

  • Mobility Airmen supporting Japan relief effort on multiple fronts

    Every day since March 11 when the earthquake and a tsunami struck Japan, mobility Airmen have been on a busy pace.Reports show Airmen flying C-17 Globemaster III and C-130 Hercules aircraft moving cargo and personnel to support Operation Tomodachi, the operation designation for the Japan relief

  • Misawa Airmen coordinate volunteer efforts in local community

    It wasn't long after the ground stopped shaking in Japan that people began asking, "What can I do to help?"Hundreds of volunteers, military members, families and civilians, came forward at Misawa Air Base in the days following the March 11, 9.0-magnitude earthquake. It soon became clear that a

  • Mullen says no-fly zone 'effectively in place'

    Initial operations in Libya have been very effective, with French, British and U.S. air strikes crippling Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi's capabilities, the U.S. military's top-ranking officer said March 20.Speaking on CNN's "State of the Union," Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs

  • CMSAF Roy visits sunny Soto Cano Air Base

    It was 25 degrees at Joint Base Andrews, Md., when Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James Roy boarded a plane and headed to Honduras where when he joined Airmen, Soldiers, Sailors and Marines at sunny Soto Cano Air Base Jan. 30 and 31.The visit was packed with tours and meet-and-greets, but the

  • Photo essay: 353rd Special Operations Group Airmen deliver supplies

    A crew from the 353rd Special Operations Group at Kadena Air Base here delivered supplies to Sendai Airport March 16. The crew brought water, food, fuel and other general supplies to the members of the 353rd Special Operations Group at Sendai Airport, who are establishing a usable runway to help