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  • Airmen train Afghan officers on command, control

    American Airmen graduated 16 senior Afghan air corps officers following a four-week-long course on command and control operations Jan. 24 at the Kabul International Airport. Air Force advisers from the 438th Air Expeditionary Wing and the 438th Air Expeditionary Advisory Group taught the Afghan

  • Bagram Airmen recover crippled aircraft

    More than 120 Airmen, Defense Department civilians and contractors removed a crippled C-17 Globemaster III from the runway Feb. 2 at Bagram Airfield after receiving damage while landing Jan. 30.Emergency response crews sprang into action shortly after the aircraft screeched to a stop and base

  • Education activity asks parents, students for feedback

    Defense Department Education Activity officials are asking parents and students to share their thoughts about what works and what doesn't in its schools through a customer-satisfaction survey. "DODEA is firmly committed to continuous improvement and highest student achievement," said Sandra D.

  • New Air Guard director promoted in Pentagon ceremony

    Lt. Gen. Harry M. Wyatt III became director of the Air National Guard and was promoted to the rank of lieutenant general in a ceremony held Feb. 2 at the Pentagon. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz and Gen. Craig R. McKinley, chief of the National Guard Bureau, pinned General Wyatt's

  • Airmen aid in Iraqi election ballot transport

    Members from the 321st Air Expeditionary Airlift Squadron here did their part in assisting Iraq in the election process Feb. 2. Maj. Scott Volk and Capt. Chris Dickens, both C-130 Hercules evaluation pilots and aviation advisers for the Iraqi air force, and Master Sgt. Louis Carter, a 321st AEAS

  • Officials work on Pentagon's need for space capabilities

    Adapting new capabilities within the rapidly changing military space environment is increasingly important to national security, and Defense Department officials in the Operationally Responsive Space office are working to meet the Pentagon's needs for space capabilities rapidly. ORS requires current

  • Academy superintendent to retire

    Air Force officials announced Feb. 2 that Lt. Gen. John F. Regni, the Academy's 17th superintendent, will retire from active duty later this year. The general entered the Air Force in June 1969 as a cadet at the Academy. No retirement date has been announced, however, General Regni will preside over

  • Country band entertains Airmen, Soldiers in Iraq

    Country music group Lonestar rocked a crowd of hundreds of Soldiers, Airmen and civilians Jan. 24 at Contingency Operating Base Adder, Iraq. Comedian Greg Vaccariello led the night's entertainment with his one-man stage act featuring impersonations of Robert Di Niro and colorful humor about

  • President to meet with senior enlisted advisers

    President Barack Obama is scheduled to meet Jan. 30 with the U.S. military's senior enlisted advisers at the White House, a senior Defense Department official said. The armed services' enlisted advisers are the senior noncommissioned officers for the Air Force, Army, Navy and Marine Corps. The

  • Osan Airmen train to fight

    Osan Air Base Airmen train throughout the year to survive and operate in war, and members of the 51st Security Forces Squadron here ensure the base is properly defended. Upon arrival to Osan AB, officer and enlisted security forces members go through a six-day combat readiness course to get Airmen

  • A venerable C-130 makes its final run

    After 47 years of service without a single hit, a C-130 with the 386th Expeditionary Operations Group here has flown its last combat mission and will be retired to the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz. Airmen in the 386th EOG and 386th

  • Airmen support Iraqi elections, see history in making

    Joint Base Balad Airmen are engaged in the Iraqi sky as Iraqis get ready to participate in their country's electoral process Jan. 31, the first time since 2005. "U.S. and coalition airpower is uniquely qualified to provide non-intrusive security support to the government of Iraq as it conducts this

  • Kadena Airmen visit orphanage in Philippines

    Kadena Air Base Airmen visited an orphanage in Angeles City, Pampanga in the Philippines Jan. 19 before returning home from an overnight mission supporting U.S. Army forces deployed for Operation Enduring Freedom-Philippines. Members of the 353rd Special Operations Group, 17th Special Operations

  • Chief of staff keynoter at Vance pilot graduation

    Student pilot Class 09-04 here had a special visitor at their graduation ceremony Jan. 23.  Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz attended the ceremony and presented the keynote address."The American people place a very special trust in those of us who wear the uniform," the general told the

  • Tricare grants extension for overseas claims filing

    Tricare Management Activity officials have extended the "timely filing waiver" for dates of service before Dec. 31, 2007, to allow providers, beneficiaries and others living overseas additional time to submit overdue claims for reimbursement. The original deadline was Dec. 31, 2008, for services

  • NFL, military continue Super Bowl traditions

    From fighter jet flyovers to military performances at halftime shows, the National Football League and U.S. military have shared more than 40 years of Super Bowl history. The tradition continues Feb. 1 in Tampa, Fla., during Super Bowl XLIII, with Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, commander of U.S.

  • Charleston members aid injured Airman

    A Charleston Air Force Base senior NCO will be welcomed home soon after spending more than nine months in the hospital after a serious motorcycle accident with a gift from the hearts and hands of base members.Master Sgt. Don Eagle of the 17th Airlift Squadron was struck by another motorist while

  • President Obama thanks troops, pledges support

    President Barack Obama thanked U.S. troops and pledged to provide the resources they need to accomplish their missions Jan. 28 in his first visit to the Pentagon as commander in chief.President Obama spoke to reporters here after meeting with the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Defense Secretary Robert M.

  • 13 Airmen take Worldwide Talent Search honors

    The best 13 Airmen were selected from 77 bluesuiters gathered for the Air Force Worldwide Talent Search Jan. 11 through 19 at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas.The Air Force's "top talent" were chosen after 10 days of auditions, rehearsals and interviews, which culminated in three nights of

  • Hurricane Hunters take on winter storms

    Air Force reservists here deployed with two WC-130J Hurricane Hunter aircraft to Anchorage, Alaska, Jan. 17 for a month-long mission in support of the 2009 Winter Storm Reconnaissance Program. The Air Force Reserve Command's 403rd Wing team includes aircrews, operations, maintenance, aerial porters

  • Airman sheds 115 pounds to work on F-22s in Alaska

    Eleven months ago, Derrick Bell took the first step in a journey that would change his life in more ways than one. The 38-year-old husband and father of two shed more than 115 pounds to meet the Air Force Reserve physical standards of enlistment, astounding his recruiter, family and friends as he

  • President to meet with defense secretary, joint chiefs

    Iraq and Afghanistan likely will be among the discussion topics when President Barack Obama makes his first visit to the Pentagon this afternoon to meet with Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and the Joint Chiefs of Staff, a senior Defense Department official said here Jan. 28. "This meeting is part

  • American, British forces hone warfighting skills together

    American Airmen and British joint terminal attack controllers and U.S. Army joint fires observers improved their warfighting skills here in preparation for an upcoming deployment. The U.S. Army's 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division from Fort Carson, Colo., currently is conducting their

  • Little Rock Airman convicted, sentenced in court-martial

    A Little Rock Air Force Base Airman was found guilty of participating in a gang initiation that resulted in the 2005 death of a Soldier stationed at a military base in Germany in a court-martial Jan. 23 here. Staff Sgt. Jerome A. Jones Jr., assigned to the 314th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, was

  • 'Perspective' highlights military training instructors

    In the latest "Enlisted Perspective, the Air Force's top enlisted Airman focuses on the importance of military training instructors, how they mold future Airmen for their entire career and the shortage the career field is anticipating during the next few months.    "I still remember the military

  • Officials continue to build diversity with workforce program

    The headquarters staff with the Air Force Equal Opportunity Office at the Pentagon is boosting efforts to build Air Force participation in the Workforce Recruitment Program for College Students with Disabilities as part of an Air Force goal to increase the representation of people with disabilities

  • Air Force officials to use prop planes as ISR platforms

    To better fill combatant commanders' needs for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, Air Force officials will begin using C-12 Huron turboprop planes as ISR platforms. The program, called Project Liberty, involves Airmen operating a fleet of 37 C-12 aircraft providing ISR full-motion video

  • Dining facility feeds leaders of tomorrow

    For most dining facilities, the thought of feeding an entire wing at one time is not a pleasant one. For the staff at Mitchell Hall, the cadet dining facility at the United States Air Force Academy, this is simply business as usual. The dining facility, named after military aviation pioneer Brig.

  • Physician assistant makes difference in Afghan lives

    Servicemembers of the Provincial Reconstruction Team Paktya in Gardez, Afghanistan, are helping to develop the infrastructure necessary for the Afghan people to succeed in a post-conflict environment.One member of the Paktya PRT is Capt. James Parris.The physician assistant from the 96th Medical

  • Air Force works aggressively to reduce bird strikes

    As an ongoing investigation continues on a bird strike that caused a passenger jet's engines to fail last week after takeoff from New York's LaGuardia Airport, Air Force safety officials said they're well-versed on the dangers of bird strikes and aggressively are working to prevent them. National

  • Military secretaries stay on, help ensure smooth transition

    Each U.S. military service secretary has agreed to Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates' request to stay in office for at least several weeks to help ensure the Defense Department's smooth transition under the President Barack Obama administration, Pentagon officials here said recently. "They have been

  • New Air Force chief of safety takes charge

    Kirtland Air Force Base officials welcomed the service's new top safety officer in a Jan. 13 change-of-command ceremony here.Maj. Gen. Frederick F. Roggero became the Air Force chief of safety and commander of the Air Force Safety Center at Kirtland AFB, replacing Maj. Gen. Wendell L. Griffin, who

  • Academy researcher develops satellite imaging technology

    A research associate at the U.S. Air Force Academy's Laser and Optics Research Center here is developing a new capability that will allow satellites to be seen and see clearer. Dr. Geoff Andersen developed the process, called holographic adaptic optics, that uses sensors and lenses that can correct

  • Major's medal, artifacts on display at Air Force museum

    One of the first Airmen to earn an Air Force Combat Action Medal donated his award, alongside others, to the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. Maj. Steve Raspet, the 12th Operations Group T-6A Texan II standards and evaluation branch chief and an

  • Personnel Center officials Spread the Word

    A team from the Air Force Personnel Center here successfully wrapped up phase one of the educational Spread the Word briefings Jan. 14 as officials educated Airmen at major commands and combatant commands. AFPC officials paved the way for the next round of experts to begin phase two of Spread the

  • Administration sets agenda for veteran care

    President Barack Obama has promised to deliver the care and benefits the nation's military veterans deserve while transforming the Department of Veterans Affairs into a 21st century organization, according to an administration agenda posted on the White House Web site. "Keeping faith with those who

  • Obama directs military to plan 'responsible' Iraq drawdown

    President Barack Obama directed key defense and military officials he met with Jan. 21 to come up with plans for "a responsible military drawdown in Iraq." President Obama declared Jan. 21's meeting on Iraq productive and valuable. Participants in the late-afternoon session during his first day in

  • Hawthorn House earns license to expand nursing services

    Officials at Hawthorn House, the Air Force Enlisted Village's assisted living facility, have announced that the state of Florida has granted Limited Nursing Services licensure through the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration. The AHCA is one of the agencies that regulate the quality of

  • Air Force officials release proposed Global Strike Command candidate bases

    Air Force officials here announced Jan. 21 the possible locations for the eventual permanent home for the headquarters for Air Force Global Strike Command. Earlier this month, Air Force officials had announced the formal stand up of the Air Force Global Strike Command (Provisional). The provisional

  • National Guard members support inaugural mission

    About 9,300 National Guard Soldiers and Airmen joined thousands of active-duty and Reserve military members from all services to support President Barack Obama's inauguration Jan. 20 here. "We've always depended on the National Guard," Al Roker, the weather anchor for NBC's "Today Show" said from

  • Academy football coach agrees to new 5-year contract

    Officials of the U.S. Air Force Academy Athletic Association and Academy head football coach Troy Calhoun agreed on a new five-year contract that runs through the 2013 season, Academy officials said Jan. 21 here.Director of Athletics Dr. Hans Mueh said the AFAAA has also agreed to new contracts for

  • Shaq shares hoops clinic with Buckley children

    More than 265 children from Buckley Air Force Base had more than just a basketball clinic in common with a 7-foot-1-inch, 325-pound four-time National Basketball Association champion Jan. 14 here. Just like Shaquille O'Neal was, the hopeful hoopsters are military family members. Children ages 6 to

  • Airmen witness history from Southwest Asia

    Thousands of miles from home, members of the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing at this air base in Southwest Asia were still able to witness history being made as they watched the inauguration of President Barack Obama live Jan. 20 here. The inauguration was not scheduled to start until 7 p.m., but by

  • USAREUR driver's license -- success in your hands

    Stress during a permanent change of station move is inevitable, but proper planning before leaving a current station is one way to mitigate some of the pressure and anxiety that can occur after arriving at a new duty location. For members and dependents PCSing to Germany, one big stressor is passing

  • New technology helps cardiac patient

    A cardiac patient from Kerrville Veteran's Administration Hospital in Texas is alive today because of new technology available at the Wilford Hall Medical Center here. The patient suffered a cardiac arrest recently and the VA hospital did not have the capability to provide the advanced care needed,

  • Inauguration brings Tuskegee Airmen to Bolling

     One-hundred and eighty-eight Tuskegee Airmen arrived at the Bolling Club here Jan. 20 for breakfast, music and conversation before attending the Presidential Inauguration. "The event here was very humbling," said Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force Rodney J. McKinley. "It presented us a

  • Airmen kick off inauguration day preparing for parade

    Maj. Geraldine Holmes-Barnett said she remembers boarding a bus in Ohio when she was just 9 years old to hear Dr. Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream Speech" during the 1963 March on Washington. That memory came full circle this morning as the 54-year-old African-American nurse with the 779th

  • Airmen provide power to the people

    Twenty members of the 379th Civil Engineer Squadron electrical systems shop at this air base in Southwest Asia give power to the people while giving them the energy they need to get through every day.Responsible for repairing and maintaining all lighting fixtures, street lights, power outlets and

  • Andrews officials launch tactical fitness center

    Base leaders here took a groundbreaking new stride in combat fitness training capability Jan. 15 with the ribbon-cutting of the Andrews Tactical Fitness Center. The center supports the 316th Wing's goal of "Airmen fit and ready to fight and win across the whole spectrum" with a new policy and

  • Disability board accepting applications for records review

    Department of Defense officials here are now accepting applications from certain medically-separated veterans to have their records reviewed, potentially increasing their disability rating. "To be eligible for a review, veterans must have been medically separated between Sept. 11, 2001, and Dec. 31,

  • Airmen transport, care for wounded warriors

    Airmen of the 379th Expeditionary Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron airlift warriors on military aircraft out of locations throughout the war zone and to military medical treatment facilities.Consistent and readily available airlift is usually the difference between life and death for servicemembers

  • WASP served for love of flight

    When Betty Jo Reed was introduced to flying, it was love at first sight. She was 6 years old and her father paid $1 for her to take a ride in a Ford tri-motor airplane at a local fair in 1929. Once airborne, Ms. Reed was hooked. "I remember feeling free and happy, and loving the whole experience,"

  • Airmen keep eyes on the sky to protect warfighters

    Airmen of the 71st Expeditionary Air Control Squadron keep vigilant eyes on the sky over the Gulf region to keep American and coalition forces safe and secure.The members of the squadron provide a constant and extensive radar presence over the entire Arabian Gulf region, and can identify anyone and

  • Airmen, Soldiers team up to keep working dog in the fight

    Dental Airmen teamed up with Army veterinarians to give an Air Force working dog a root canal and get her back into the fight Jan. 15 at an air base in Southwest Asia. Airmen of the 386th Expeditionary Medical Group and Soldiers from the 218th Medical Detachment to work on 5-year-old Belgian

  • Lajes Field Airmen help disabled French aircraft

    Airmen at Lajes Field were ready to lend a helping hand as a disabled Air France 777 passenger aircraft was diverted here Jan. 4 then assisted with getting the jet airborne again. At 6 p.m. Jan. 4, the Lajes Field command post staff was notified of an in-flight emergency on the Air France jet over

  • Airmen dedicate memorial to 1988 C-130 crew

    A lone C-130 Hercules propeller blade stands erect, chipped, worn and scratched, telling a silent story of an end to six lives on June 8, 1988. The blade -- obtained from the C-130 Hercules that crashed -- is a poignant symbol of the tragic loss of life that occurred that summer day. The memory of

  • Clubs gain 10,000 new members, name prize winners

    The Air Force Clubs Division recently gained more than 10,000 new members during their annual membership campaign. This year's campaign featured a first-ever "card choice" option, where members chose the type of club membership card they want -- either the full use MasterCard or a limited use

  • Kirkuk servicemembers host vice president-elect

    Vice president-elect Joe Biden visited Airmen and Soldiers stationed here and met local Iraqi officials Jan. 13. Vice president-elect Biden of Delaware was accompanied by South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. The senators met and thanked Airmen and

  • Chief of staff visits Hurlburt Field Airmen

    The Air Force's top officer met Airmen of Hurlburt Field and discussed the importance of command and control to the joint team Jan. 9 here.General Schwartz spent time with the Airmen of the 505th Command and Control Wing, a unit charged with improving and standardizing tactics, training, testing,

  • Academy officials announce second hall of fame class

    Air Force Academy officials have announced the second class for induction into the Air Force Academy Athletic Hall of Fame. The six inductees -- Jim Bowman, Callie Calhoun Molloy, Dee Dowis, Terry Isaacson, Ernie Jennings and Ben Martin -- will be inducted May 8 at the Air Force Academy Falcon

  • Museum opens exhibit dedicated to 'Warrior Airmen'

    A new exhibit at the National Museum of the United States Air Force now gives visitors a chance to see not only the service's past, but also its present and future.Called "Warrior Airmen," the new exhibit highlights how today's Airmen are contributing to the war on terrorism, both in the air and on

  • Vice president-elect meets Airmen in Southwest Asia

    Vice President-elect Joe Biden met Airmen from the 387th Air Expeditionary Group here as part of his tour of American bases in the Southwest Asia region.  Vice President-elect Biden is scheduled to visit Iraq after meeting with officials in Pakistan and Afghanistan. He takes office Jan. 20 along

  • Airman dies following training exercise

    A 30-year old male Airman assigned to the 342nd Training Squadron as a combat control apprentice died Jan. 12 at Wilford Hall Medical Center here. Staff Sergeant Kenneth J. Wilburn lost consciousness while participating in an above-water treading exercise at the Lackland training pool Jan. 9.

  • DOD suicide prevention conference under way

    An Army staff sergeant who had lost Soldiers in the war zone was called a coward, a wimp and a wuss from a leader when he mentioned he might need psychological help. It is this type of stigma from toxic leadership that can kill, and that is being examined by scientists, clinicians and specialists in

  • McChord Airmen earn top marks in nuclear inspection

    Air Force inspectors gave members of the 62nd Airlift Wing here the highest-possible grade Jan. 12 following a weeklong inspection of the wing's role as the nation's primary nuclear airlift force. Airmen evaluated in the final phase of a Defense Nuclear Surety Inspection here Jan. 7 through 12

  • Academy track coach inducted into hall of fame

    Air Force track and field head coach Ralph Lindeman was inducted into the Arizona Track and Cross Country Coaches Hall of Fame Jan. 9 at a banquet in Glendale, Ariz. Mr. Lindeman, who is entering his 20th season at the helm of the Falcons' track and field program, is one of four members of the Class

  • Pilot program helps streamline disability evaluation process

    Department of Defense officials here are working with the Department of Veterans Affairs staff to expand a pilot program that simplifies the current disability evaluation process for wounded, injured and ill servicemembers. The Disability Evaluation System pilot program is aimed at assisting wounded

  • Air Force activates provisional Global Strike Command

    Air Force officials officially stood up a provisional Global Strike Command Jan. 12 at Bolling Air Force Base, D.C. The provisional command will be temporarily located at the Washington, D.C., base with supporting detachments at Air Combat Command and Air Force Space Command. Its charter is to lead

  • Airmen in sky give warriors on ground situational awareness

    Airmen of the 7th Expeditionary Air Command and Control Squadron from this air base in Southwest Asia provide constant situational ground assessment from the air to coalition forces supporting operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom.Inside the E-8C Joint STARS, the aircrew give airborne battle

  • 17th Air Force members plan support for Darfur operation

    Airmen will soon begin airlifting special equipment for Rwandan peacekeepers in the Darfur region of Sudan to mark the kickoff of the first major operation engineered by officials of U.S. Africa Command's air component, 17th Air Force.Members of 17th Air Force, also known as U.S. Air Forces

  • Airman receives Purple Heart from chief of staff

    On Christmas Eve, Master Sgt. David Webber wasn't thinking about Santa or sugarplums. He wasn't wrapping presents for his two boys or his wife. He was in a guard tower. In Afghanistan. Helping scan for snipers. But that was before being hit with chunks of shrapnel that had him losing a pint of blood

  • Agreement expands beneficiaries' access to bariatric surgery

    A resource sharing agreement between the Nix Health Care System in San Antonio and Wilford Hall Medical Center doctors here will provide increased services to bariatric patients. The agreement allows Wilford Hall providers to perform surgeries at the Nix Hospital using Nix equipment and support

  • Nuclear Weapons Management panel recommends changes

    Pentagon officials here need to bolster internal management systems that address nuclear weapons issues, said the leader of a special task force appointed by the Defense secretary here Jan. 8. Since the Cold War ended, the nuclear deterrence force "has sometimes been neglected within the Department

  • Hickam aircrew delivers vehicles to warfighters

    A Hickam Air Force Base C-17 Globemaster III aircrew completed a four-day trip halfway around the world to deliver two mine-resistant ambush-protected vehicles to warfighters in Afghanistan. The crew stopped at Andersen AFB, Guam; Kadena Air Base, Japan; Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan; Manas AB,

  • Afghan media learn about close-air support

    Members of the 455th Air Expeditionary Wing and Bagram Airfield Media Operations Center hosted an Afghan media day Jan. 5 here. Fourteen journalists and cameramen from various Afghan news agencies received an up-close look at close air support in Afghanistan, complete with tours of the F-15E Strike

  • Disney, Army resort offer affordable vacations for troops

    A Disney vacation just got more affordable for military members and their families. With the "Disney's Armed Forces Salute" offer, active and retired military personnel, including active members of the Coast Guard and activated members of the National Guard or Reserve, can enjoy complimentary,

  • Make 2009 healthier

    The holidays are over and a new year has begun. And with that, many look to live healthier lives in 2009. The Air Force Materiel Command Wellness Support Center is one available tool to make that goal a reality. "AFMC's Wellness and Safety Program encompasses all facets of wellness: physical,

  • Eielson Airmen research alternative energy resources

    Air Force Technical Applications Center Airmen operating at 12 remote locations throughout Alaska are pursuing alternate means for energy.The Airmen of Det. 460, a tenant unit at Eielson Air Force Base, operate in units powered by propane, but now solar power may become a reality even though there

  • 21 Air Force civilians receive 2008 Presidential Rank Award

    Twenty-one Air Force senior executives and senior professionals received the 2008 Presidential Rank Award for sustained achievement in government service. President George W. Bush announced the recipients at the Pentagon Sep. 30, 2008, and Air Force officials will honor the award recipients at a

  • Force protection Airmen learn to use another tool

    Force protection augmentees with the 407th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron here have added an intermediate item to their tool belt when they began training on how to use a collapsible baton here recently. The batons allow Airmen to engage an opponent using nondeadly force in accordance with

  • Radio program enables speedy personnel recovery

    Officials of the Electronic Systems Center delivered the 20,000th Combat Survivor Evader Locator radio to operators in the fall of 2008, and now are on track to deliver an additional 20,000 to warfighters. Credited with saving many lives, CSELs have been in use in Iraq and in Afghanistan for several

  • Charleston Airmen return from war

    More than 130 Charleston Air Force Base Airmen returned here Jan. 3 from their 120-day deployment in Southwest Asia supporting the war on terrorism. While deployed, the Airmen of the 15th Airlift Squadron served under the 816th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron and supported operations Enduring

  • Air Force ISR Agency continues transformation

    As part of the Air Force's intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance transition, Air Force officials announced Jan. 1 the renaming of the 480th Intelligence Wing at Langley Air Force Base, Va., and the 70th IW at Fort George G. Meade, Md., as the 480th Intelligence, Surveillance and

  • New badge part of historic change in force support

    A new career badge made its debut when 57 officers graduated from the inaugural force support officer training course last month at Keesler Air Force Base, Miss. After nine weeks of initial skills training, the officers are the first to showcase the badge of the new 38F Force Support Air Force

  • Armed Forces Bowl puts military might on display

    The sixth annual Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl football game featured the Houston Cougars (7-5) taking on the U.S. Air Force Academy Falcons (8-4) on Dec. 31 at the Amon G. Carter Stadium here. Kickoff for the Armed Forces Bowl was noon Eastern, but the event started more than 24-hours prior to

  • DOD inaugural committee moves into high gear

    Exactly three weeks before inauguration day, the buzz of activity at the Armed Forces Inaugural Committee here is a notable exception to the traditional holiday lull that settles over the nation's capital between Christmas and New Year's Day. More than 400 Airmen, Soldiers, Sailors, Marines and

  • Hawaii's Air Guard feeds underpriviledged

    Amidst the thunder, lightning and an island wide power outage, the Hawaii Air National Guard and the 15th Airlift Wing prepared a meal for Honolulu's less fortunate here Dec. 27. On the day before, Team Hickam's 15th Services Squadron began cooking 40 turkeys and 140 hams that were needed for a

  • Guard's counterdrug warriors endeavor to test one and all

    Finding a single drug abuser among thousands of servicemembers can compare to a shell game, but National Guard officials are placing all odds in their favor. Officials are striving to keep the Guard's Citizen-Airmen and -Soldiers drug free through an increase in drug tests and the integration of new

  • Officials initiate surgical specialty training in Iraq

    Optimally managing the unique head and neck injury patterns seen in Iraq and Afghanistan has led to a successful initiative out of Wilford Hall Medical Center here: sending the first surgical fellow to a war zone for a surgical rotation. In the past, medical and surgical residents and fellows were

  • TACPs provide vital link between pilots, ground troops

    Although they make up one of the Air Force's smallest career fields, their mission leaves a huge impact on the battlefield and can mean life or death for troops on the ground. Tactical air control party Airmen serve as liaisons between ground commanders and pilots in the sky to eliminate the enemy's

  • General, Mrs. Schwartz spend Christmas at Creech

    Creech Airmen received a surprise Christmas day when Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz and his wife Suzie visited the base. It was the second time in as many weeks that the Schwartz family visited the northern Nevada base. General and Mrs. Schwartz returned to Creech on the holiday to

  • USAFCENT commander visits deployed Airmen on Christmas Eve

    Much like Santa Claus pays a visit to boys and girls around the world on Christmas Eve, U.S. Air Forces Central leaders visited deployed Airmen here Dec. 24. Instead of presents, Lt. Gen. Gary North, USAFCENT commander, and Chief Master Sgt. Scott Dearduff, USAFCENT command chief, handed out words

  • Air Force engineers answer the call from Soldiers in Iraq

    "Answering the call" is a motto 732nd Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron Airmen believe in, and it's something Soldiers can attest to. This team of combat-trained engineers, assigned to the 732nd ECES Det. 6, will build anything, anywhere to help Soldiers in Iraq accomplish their mission or to

  • Airman saves lives in Afghanistan

    An Air Force Special Operations Command Airman saved lives in Afghanistan April 6 during a lengthy battle by calling in airstrikes to protect his team. Staff Sgt. Zachary Rhyner, a special tactics combat controller assigned to the 21st Special Tactics Squadron at Pope Air Force Base, N.C., was

  • Airman helps troops connect with families during holidays

    An Airman here came up with two specials ways to help deployed Airmen connect with their families during the holiday season. Senior Airman Marco Palacios, a services technician deployed from Beale Air Force Base, Calif., offered to videotape holiday greetings and readings of "A Night Before

  • Santa Claus is coming to town

    Santa Claus visited the men and women of the North American Aerospace Defense Command Tracks Santa Battle Cab in preparation for his Christmas Eve journey Dec. 23 at Peterson Air Force Base. Santa received a Federal Aviation Administration, weather and air mission brief from Maj. Gen. John H.

  • Iraqi aeromedical evacuation capability continues to develop

    Iraqi medical airmen took a step in the evolution of the air force as an effective fighting force Dec. 20 as they conducted an aeromedical evacuation mission from the Air Force Theater Hospital here to the 86th Combat Support Hospital in Baghdad. Three wounded patients, an Iraqi police officer and

  • Sather Airmen destroy weapons cache

    Sather Air Base Airmen destroyed one of the larger enemy weapons caches to be collected at one time in the Iraq theater of operations. Four three-person 447th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron's Explosive Ordnance Disposal Flight teams destroyed the 13,000-pound weapons cache discovered by Iraqi

  • Future Airman gains confidence, loses 160 pounds

    Leo Knight-Inglesby is more determined than ever, and for the past 15 months has pushed himself beyond the limits he, and his loved ones, ever thought possible. The 22-year-old Silver Spring, Md., native is so set to "Do Something Amazing" in the Air Force that he shed more than 160 pounds to meet

  • JABS knock out communication problems for warfighters

    Joint Airborne Battle Staff members here are similar to 911 operators in the air as they ensure convoys operating throughout Iraq are never without communications. JABS crews flying on board C-130 Hercules aircraft fill in the gap wherever ground communication is limited in the war zone, which is