HomeNews

NATO Air Policing operations

U.S. Air Force News

  • Pay incentives help military avoid nursing shortage

    Army, Navy and Air Force nurse corps members are highly trained, capable and critical to the wartime mission of each service, the corps' leaders told a congressional committee this week here. The Senate Appropriations Committee's defense subcommittee heard testimony March 18 from the services'

  • Manas KC-135s revolutionize combat operations

    The 376th Air Expeditionary Wing's fleet of KC-135 Stratotankers here delivers more than fuel to the fight in Afghanistan these days as it is revolutionizing the way war is fought by serving as a data network relay high above the battlefield. At first glance, the cluster of cases mounted in the back

  • Navy-led Arctic Care team returns to Western Alaska

    Personnel here were part of a team that participated in a joint Air Force, Army and Navy medical and dental exercise in 11 of Western Alaska's most remote villages March 6 through 15.The purpose of  the exercise, the 15th annual Operation Arctic Care, was to enable medical personnel to operate in a

  • Patriot 7 course combines ISR with mission

    Troops on the frontlines are armed with pistols, rifles and grenades, but their most potent weapons might actually be flying overhead. A course called Patriot 7 trains people to use intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance tools at the tactical level to be successful at their mission.

  • Osan exercise optimizes communication between forces

    More than 2,000 Airmen, Soldiers, Marines and Sailors participating jointly with South Korean air force members in Exercise Key Resolve/Foal Eagle in mid-March here have learned the key to success is communication.Despite some language barriers, the key players smoothly conduct the air and space

  • B-2 aircrew participates in exercise in Pacific

    Airmen aboard a B-2 Spirit tested their endurance in a 24-hour, 8,000-mile mission to Alaska and back to Guam March 12 in an exercise showcasing U.S. commitment to peace and stability throughout the Pacific region. Four B-2s and 270 Airmen from the 13th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron are deployed to

  • Top doctor: Medical infrastructure affects readiness

    The more than 1,000 major facilities that make up the Defense Department's medical infrastructure are key strategic national assets, the department's top medical official told Congress March 18 here. Dr. S. Ward Casscells, the assistant Defense secretary for health affairs, told the House Armed

  • Luke Airmen advise Moroccan air force on F-16 operations

    Members of the Royal Moroccan air force traveled 6,000 miles to speak with Luke Air Force Base Airmen and tour the installation for an insider's perspective on how an F-16 Fighting Falcon base operates in mid-March. Royal Moroccan air force officials are in the process of building an F-16 base in

  • Crew navigates tanker out of trouble

    "Any aircraft, any station, this is Shell 73. Emergency. We've lost complete navigational capability. Request assistance." This was the mayday call from Capt. Matthew Jaeger as he and the crew of Shell 73, a KC-135 Stratotanker from Manas Air Base, Kyrgyzstan, flew somewhere over the border of

  • AF Raven B operators maintain 'eyes-on' for ground forces

    "There it is," said Staff Sgt. Jeff Tomkiewicz, 887th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron, as he pointed at a little, buzzing white dot in the sky. As the Raven B operator approached the small strip of sand of Camp Bucca's Burge Field, the tiny Raven B unmanned aircraft system hovered above the

  • Japan, U.S. forces come together to Guard, Protect

    U.S. and Japanese forces practiced defending the Misawa Air Base during Exercise Guard and Protect Exercise March 11 through 13 here. The annual exercise was expanded to last for 24 hours and included a fully integrated Base Defense Operations Center. A company-sized group of soldiers from the Japan

  • AF personnel leaders focus on Airmen, modernization

    As mission requirements continue to grow, Air Force personnel leaders said before the House Appropriations Defense Subcommittee in Washington March 17 that the service will refine priorities to win today's fight and prepare for tomorrow's challenges. The Honorable Craig Duehring, assistant Secretary

  • U.S., Japan forces conduct bilateral training

    Japan Air Self Defense Force pilots are practicing defensive missions with U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptors in bilateral fighter pilot training March 16 through 19 over Kadena Air Base.American Airmen regularly conduct joint, combined and bilateral training from the base to defend Japan to maintain peace

  • New Kandahar unit prepares for troop increase

    Kandahar Airfield officials activated the 772nd Expeditionary Airlift Squadron March 15 here as the NATO base prepares for the build-up of forces to support Operation Enduring Freedom.The newest airlift squadron in the Air Force will be flying the C-130J Hercules, and serve under the 451st Air

  • Officials create Air Force Information Protection Directorate

    As security forces Airmen continue to transform into a combat-focused, globally deployable force, they will transfer responsibility for information protection to a newly established organization, the Information Protection Directorate at Headquarters Air Force. The directorate emerged from Air Force

  • Air Force announces charges against Wilford Hall nurse

    A nurse at Wilford Hall Medical Center at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, was formally charged March 17 by Air Force officials with three counts of violating Article 118 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice involving the deaths of terminally ill patients. Capt. Michael Fontana faces the

  • Buddy Wing brings Kunsan, South Korean airmen closer

    United States and South Korean airmen took part in a series of aerial exercises designed to increase understanding and interoperability between the two forces March 9 through 12 here. The Buddy Wing Exercise and exchange program gave 8th Fighter Wing F-16 Fighting Falcon pilots and South Korean air

  • Science, engineering jobs available to transitioning Airmen

    Air Force science and technology civil service career fields are in need of trained and educated applicants, which is ideal for veterans interested in post-military careers.Science, technology, engineering and math, called STEM, initiatives are availabe to train and educate transitioning Airmen, or

  • Air Force officials release F-15 accident report

    A sequence of flight analysis and assessment errors by the pilot led to an F-15 Eagle overrunning the runway and all paved surfaces Nov. 13 at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., Air Education and Training Command officials announced March 17 here. The accident resulted in $1.25 million damage to the

  • American servicemembers respond to overturned fuel tanker

    Firefighters, medics and security forces from Joint Task Force-Bravo here provided mutual aid assistance to the Comayagua Fire Department Friday when a fuel tanker overturned on C.A. 5 highway approximately 8 kilometers north of the base. The tanker, carrying 11,000 gallons of butane gas, hit a

  • Prototype PT uniforms undergo wear tests

    A prototype physical training uniform for the Air Force is undergoing wear testing here, the Pentagon and MacDill AFB, Fla. The new design was introduced last month at the three sites for 185 males and females of various sizes, ethnic backgrounds, officers--including 42 general officers, and

  • Special operations officials seek best, brightest pilots

    Wanted: Individuals able to think on their feet, adapt quickly when needed, have a love for flying, and want to get in the fight now. That was the message to members of the 80th Flying Training Wing's Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training Program March 6 here from Maj. Gen. Kurt A. Cichowski, the Air

  • Virtual weapons provide real training for security forces

    Security forces personnel here are aiming to use "virtual bullets" to help Airmen hit the target on the first shot. The "bullets" are actually beams of light fired from a weapon that is identical in almost every way to those used in the field. The weapons -- rifles, pistols or light machine guns --

  • Royal Saudi family attends pilot training graduation

    Members of the royal family of Saudi Arabia visited Columbus Air Force Base March 13 to participate in the graduation ceremony of Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training Class 09-06. While Columbus AFB officials graduate students every three weeks, this class is particularly special as the Saudi

  • European Command commander discusses USAFE role

    Partnering with allies to strengthen capabilities and interoperability is the future of U.S. European Command, of which airpower is a major factor. Army Gen. John Craddock, U.S. European Command commander, visited Ramstein Air Base March 16 and spoke about the way ahead for the command, and how

  • Gen. Schwartz to Airmen: 'We are a family'

    The chief of staff of the Air Force had a message for Airmen during an Airmen's Call here March 11: "We are a family and everyone in this room counts. "This is a big-tent Air Force," Gen. Norton Schwartz said. "In our business, you don't measure your worth by your proximity to the fight," he said.

  • Multinational consortium celebrates milestone of first C-17

    Twelve nations simultaneously came a step closer to fulfilling their national strategic airlift requirements today as a single C-17 Globemaster III reached a key manufacturing milestone here. Officials associated with the first-of-its kind strategic airlift capability, or SAC, consortium of 10 NATO

  • Vance member saves life

    A quick trip to a local McDonald's March 6 turned into an act of heroism for a Vance Air Force Base employee when she saved the life of an elderly woman. "I was in a rush because I was on my lunch break and wanted to get some errands done," said Patty Tyson, the director of community services at

  • AF Africa commander addresses continental challenges

    The commander of U.S. Air Forces Africa spoke about the increasingly focused role the U.S. is taking to bolster Africa's air capabilities during a March 9 visit to Air University here. "We must invest in the future of Africa," said Maj. Gen. Ronald R. "Ron" Ladnier Jr. The general's comments came on

  • Air Guard engineers prepare for involuntary deployment

    Air National Guard civil engineer squadrons comprising hundreds of construction and repair experts will involuntary deploy overseas in historic numbers and scope during the next two years, senior Air Guard officials said. The mobilizations involve nearly one-eighth of the Air Guard's civil engineer

  • Gen. Petraeus praises medics, corpsmen

    The commander of U.S. Central Command praised the Army medics and Navy corpsmen whose courage on the battlefield protects the lives of fellow servicemembers March 11 here. Army Gen. David H. Petraeus told the 400-person audience at the 3rd Annual Armed Services YMCA Gala here that he was an

  • Public affairs chief takes stock of tumultuous year

    Information is a critical element of national power, and public affairs personnel have a role in how the government and military employ that element, the outgoing principal deputy assistant secretary of defense for public affairs said March 12 here. "Information is absolutely part of diplomacy and

  • Maxwell expands reach into 'Twitterverse'

    Maxwell Air Force Base officials joined Twitter March 7, becoming the first base in Air Education and Training Command to do so. Twitter is a popular social-networking tool where users send short messages, or "tweets," to other users. "We're always looking for new avenues to tell people the Maxwell

  • Center uses innovative methods to improve patient safety

    Health care providers at the largest Air Force medical center on the West Coast are using state-of-the-art, interactive human patient simulators as just one of many safety initiatives to improve medical care, the medical center's commander said March 11. The use of human patient simulators is just

  • Exercise in Thailand shows multilateral partnership

    Approximately 20 military members from Thailand, Singapore and the United States are working together to coordinate the aerial missions throughout the region for Exercise Cope Tiger 2009 March 9 through 20 here.Cope Tiger is a two-week exercise including both flying and humanitarian missions

  • No margin for error at Tinker bomber egress shop

    Members of the 565th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron's bomber egress shop here have just one chance to maintain B-52 Stratofortress and B-1B Lancer egress systems because there are no second chances when it comes to their line of work.Unit members maintain, replace and repair egress systems for the

  • CSAF signs official charter for Expeditionary Center

    The official charter for the U.S. Air Force Expeditionary Center was signed by Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz on March 3 giving the center its "mandate to operate." The charter outlines how the Air Force must provide expeditionary combat support, or ECS, capabilities to combatant

  • Guard members assist car accident victim

    Air National Guard members from the 129th Rescue Wing here displayed their lifesaving skills as they aided a car crash victim March 9 near Suisun, Calif. Two combat rescue officers and four 131st Rescue Squadron pararescuemen were traveling north on Highway 80 to survey a potential new parachute

  • Air Force, Navy pilots train together over Okinawa

    Air Force and Navy pilots are sharpening their aerial combat skills in simulated dogfights and strike missions from March 1 through 21 over Okinawa. Using the base as a power projection platform, F-15 Eagle pilots from the 67th Fighter Squadron and F-22 Raptor pilots from the deployed 27th

  • New records viewing system improves access to unit records

    Air Force Personnel Center officials here will release the new Personnel Records Display Application in early April. PRDA is an electronic viewer for the Automated Records Management System, facilitating search, retrieval and management of personnel records in ARMS through a role-based-access

  • Accountability system helps leaders, families during crises

    Air Force officials here want to ensure the safety of all Airmen and their family members when a natural disaster or large-scale crisis strikes, and a new program being implemented April 1 will help account for personnel. Air Force Personnel Center officials will use the Air Force Personnel

  • Iraqi Vice Chief of Staff: Air component top priority

    The Iraqi joint forces vice chief of staff discussed his country's top military priorities during a visit to Air Education and Training Command March 4. Chief among those priorities are the establishment of credible, effective air and naval components, General Nasier Arkan Al-Abadi said. "The Iraqi

  • Multinational exercise Cope Tiger 2009 kicks off

    The first flights of Cope Tiger 2009 launched March 9, filling the sky above Thailand with fighter aircraft and signaling the 15th year of partnership between the United States, Thailand and Singapore militaries. Cope Tiger is an annual, multilateral aerial exercise which divides Thai, Singaporean

  • F-15E pilots protect ground forces in massive firefight

    Ten Soldiers who earned Silver Stars and an Airman who will receive an Air Force Cross March 10 might not be alive today if it were not for Seymour Johnson Air Force Base Airmen providing crucial close-air support during an assault on an insurgent stronghold in Afghanistan's Shok Valley last year. A

  • AFMC focuses on nuclear sustainment, command priorities

    The commander of Air Force Materiel Command called for maximum focus on the command priorities during AFMC's semi-annual senior leaders conference March 5 and 6 at Robins Air Force Base.From a top priority of robust nuclear sustainment to increased warfighter support and resource conservation, Gen.

  • Training gives medics confidence prior to deployments

    It's utter chaos. A child injured by a roadside bomb is wheeled into surgery. A woman with facial burns is rushed in on a stretcher. A small boy with a severe leg injury hobbles into the room. Who do you treat first? Who can help? What medical supplies are on hand? These are the questions deployed

  • 11 Airmen selected for Air Force wrestling team

    Eleven Airmen have been selected for the All Air Force Wrestling Team after three weeks of training March 6 at Mountain Home Air Force Base. More than 75 Airmen responded to join the team, of which 30 were selected to attend the Air Force wrestling camp here that started in late February

  • Bystanders key to preventing sexual assault

    When it comes to preventing sexual assault, Airmen have a responsibility to look out for their own, the Secretary of the Air Force's policy expert on preventing sexual assault told members of Congress here March 6. Charlene Bradley and other sister service representatives testified before the House

  • 'Today's Air Force' features interview with chief of staff

    This edition of "Today's Air Force" highlights the visit to Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, by the Air Force chief of staff during which he discussed what the future holds for the Air Force in Afghanistan. Also featured are ways to reduce personal debt and become financially stable through free

  • Joint team surveys 7 OEF, OIF bases in less than 30 days

    Airmen assigned to the 615th Contingency Response Wing here recently completed a nearly 30-day assessment mission in Afghanistan and Iraq. The 10 Airmen were part of a 13-member joint Air Force-Army team, which received their mission tasking from U.S. Transportation Command. The group, known as a

  • LeMay Center realigns doctrine development

    The commander of the Curtis E. LeMay Center for Doctrine Development and Education said Feb. 19 that the center is taking a vision "first imagined in 1997," when the Air Force Doctrine Center moved from Langley Air Force Base, Va., to Maxwell, and is moving forward to ensure a direct relationship

  • U.S., Afghan forces unite to open fuel depot

    The Afghan assistant defense minister and other senior Afghanistan national army officials inaugurated Afghanistan's most modern Class III fuels depot Feb. 28 at Khuja Rawash in Kabul. Afghan Lt. Gen. Jawhari, chief of acquisition, technology and logistics, led the ceremony that brought the ANA and

  • DTS expands, earns greater customer approval

    The Defense Travel System has expanded its reach and gained ground in customer satisfaction, the director of the Defense Travel Management Office told a congressional panel March 5. "In terms of improvements, the department has focused its efforts on expanding DTS usage, making DTS more user

  • Guard essential at home and abroad, says chief

    The National Guard is playing an essential role domestically and overseas, Gen. Craig McKinley said here March 6, challenging leaders to do more with the same amount of money. The chief of the National Guard Bureau spoke to about 700 leaders attending the National Guard's 2009 Domestic Operations

  • Job opportunities available for Airmen in recruiting

    The decision to increase the Air Force end strength from 316,000 to 330,000 at the end of 2008 forced Air Force Recruiting Service officials here to ramp up the number of recruiters across the nation, offering more Airmen a chance to enter a uniquely challenging career. "Recruiting offers a direct

  • Kadena Airmen deploy to Thailand for Exercise Cope Tiger

    About 170 Kadena Air Base Airmen are deploying with 12 F-15 Eagles to Thailand to participate in Exercise Cope Tiger 2009 from March 9 through 20. The F-15s from the 44th Fighter Squadron here will fly alongside their Thai air force counterparts as well as the Singaporean air force and other U.S.

  • Airman tracks down parts for Iraqi maintenance depot

    A joint expeditionary tasking Airman with the 732nd Air Expeditionary Group here is a scavenger. Capt. Jeff Allen, a contract officer representative for the depot, is charged with locating the parts the Iraqi army needs to restore their vehicles, whether it be buying it or finding it at a salvage

  • Air Force on target with recruiting, retention

    Air Force leaders' efforts to have the "right number of people in the right jobs" remains a challenge and so far, the Air Force is headed in the right direction, according to Lt. Gen. Richard Y. Newton III, the deputy chief of staff for manpower and personnel. The general was one of several senior

  • Top agents praise OSI efforts within Afghanistan

    The Air Force's top Office of Special Investigations leaders recently spoke with agents and support personnel serving in Afghanistan during a Feb. 23 through 26 visit to Bagram Airfield. Brig. Gen. Dana Simmons, the Air Force OSI commander, Col. Humberto Morales, the 24th Expeditionary Force

  • Players, spectator save life of fallen Airman

    Five minutes into an intramural basketball game, two base teams were locked in a battle for victory but then had to shift focus to battle to save a fallen player's life at 8:30 p.m. Feb. 18 here. A player fell head first to the floor at the Pope Fitness Center's basketball court, but two players

  • Overweight youth pose recruitment challenges

    Fat is bad for one's health. And as defense officials attest, it's also bad for recruiting, and for national defense. Curtis Gilroy, the Pentagon's accessions chief, lamented during a congressional hearing that many recruitment-age youth are too overweight to qualify for military service. And as a

  • Post commemorates 99th anniversary of first military flight

    A vintage Stearman PT-17 and a Fairchild PTY-26 flew at approximately 11 a.m. March 2 under a clear blue sky over the grounds of Fort Sam Houston commemorating the 99th anniversary of the first military flight made by then 1st Lt. Benjamin Foulois. Sponsored by the Stinsons Flight No. 2, Order of

  • Guard aviators gear up for Afghanistan deployment

    Four New York Army National Guard aviators got a taste of high-altitude flying in Afghanistan on Feb. 25 without leaving the United States. The Afghan-bound members of Detachment 20, Operational Support Airlift, went through high-altitude training at an Air Force oxygen chamber here. The Soldiers

  • Chapel team goes outside wire for duty

    The chaplain and his assistant for the 732nd Air Expeditionary Group here serve Airmen who perform their duties in combat zones outside the wire, so they do to.Chaplain (Capt.) David Haltom and Staff Sgt. Porscha Howard, the chapel team for the 732nd AEG, provide chapel support to joint

  • Army, Air Force partner to improve facilities for Iraqi military

    Air Force and Army Corps of Engineers members joined forces to improve the training facilities for Iraq's air force cadets here. The $1.96 million rehabilitation project at the Iraq Military Academy Rustamiyah included five major components that will greatly enhance the learning and living

  • National Guard chief visits troops in war zone

    The National Guard's first four-star general visited citizen-Soldiers and -Airmen serving throughout Southwest Asia in dozens of formal briefings, town hall meetings and tours at the end of February and early March.General Craig R. McKinley, the chief of the National Guard Bureau, visited the Guard

  • Servicemembers provide medical care to 120 Afghans

    American servicemembers of the Nangarhar Provincial Reconstruction team conducted a medical assistance mission and cared for more than 120 Afghans at the Hope of Mother School and Clinic in Surkh Rod District Feb. 24 in Afghanistan. In approximately three hours, the team's medics and an Afghan

  • Challenging Air Force weather mission at Academy

    With an area of 18,000 acres, an elevation gain of 2,800 feet and Pikes Peak only 15 miles to the southwest, staying ahead of the weather here can be difficult. Add to that an airfield that relies heavily on weather conditions that allow pilots to land by looking outside the cockpit and you have

  • Army, Air Guard at full strength, directors tell Congress

    The Army National Guard is over strength and the Air National Guard has met its end strength for the first time since 2002, the directors told Congress March 3 here. "This is a new era for us," said Army Lt. Gen. Clyde Vaughn, the director of the Army National Guard. "We've never been in this

  • Airmen advise Afghans on Russian-made helicopters

    Kadena Air Base Airmen are contributing to the readiness of the Afghan national army air corps by serving as advisers to Afghan airmen at Kandahar Air Base, Afghanistan, who maintain the Russian-made MI-17 transport helicopter. Tech. Sgt. Dennis Flanagan, a helicopter crew chief, and Tech. Sgt.

  • Airman's Roll Call: Cyber threat training

    This week's Airman's Roll Call focuses on things Airmen can do to prevent cyber threats from harming Air Force computer networks. Just like safety down days, Airmen are taking a moment to better understand how cyber threats can hamper the mission. This week, Airmen in units across the Air Force are

  • Leaders address issues at AFA symposium

    The top Air Force leaders outlined today and tomorrow's challenges for the service Feb. 26 at the 25th Annual Air Force Association Air Warfare Symposium and Technology Exposition in Orlando, Fla. Secretary of the Air Force Michael B. Donley and Gen. Norton Schwartz, chief of staff of the Air Force,

  • Kadena Airmen volunteer time to Japanese children

    Fifteen Airmen from the 18th Wing here used their native English skills to connect with 60 children at a Japanese preschool Feb. 26 while temporarily deployed to the Japan Air Self Defense Force's Nyutabaru Air Base in Miyazaki Prefecture. The children, ages 3 to 6 years old, at Isshin preschool

  • Airmen vigilant for threats

    Airmen with the 379th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron's Escort Flight keep a vigilant eye throughout the base interior 24 hours a day, seven days a week to protect the base's operational security and everyone's safety. The flight of more than 180 Airmen preserve security by escorting

  • Multinational exercise to test interoperability in Caribbean

    An initiative aimed at boosting capacity among Central and South American security forces will get put to the test in early March when 18 countries come together for a national security exercise in the Bahamas and the Dominican Republic. The United States and England will join 16 Caribbean countries

  • Secretary Donley to remain as SECAF

    White House officials announced Feb. 26 that Secretary Michael B. Donley will remain the secretary of the Air Force."I am very honored that the president and the secretary of Defense have asked me to continue in this capacity," Secretary Donley said. "It remains a privilege to serve the men and

  • Air Force looking for military training instructors

    Few other figures in the Air Force exemplify leadership more than the military training instructor and more are needed to help meet short- and long-term manning goals. Because of the demands of increasing end strength, Air Force officials need to bring in about 220 additional MTIs. About 4,000

  • Honoring a brother's sacrifice

    An Airman here is honoring his brother's service two years after he paid the ultimate sacrifice when an improvised explosive device detonated and struck his vehicle while on patrol in Baghdad, Iraq.Senior Airman Jason Nathan was killed June 23, 2007, and today Staff Sgt. Joe Nathan Jr. is deployed

  • Aggressors prowl for Air Force information

    A little known unit here, working in a bank of trailers hidden from the public, performs a unique mission for the Air Force: hacking into the vast Air Force computer networks to help protect those networks from an enemy's attack. The Air Force hackers from the 57th Information Aggressor Squadron

  • General lists Air Force safety priorities

    Although Maj. Gen. Frederick Roggero, Air Force Safety Center commander, has several priorities concerning safety in the Air Force, it is no surprise that ground safety has now quickly made it to the forefront of his priority list. During the last 10 years, on average, the Air Force has lost about

  • Marines arrive in Kunsan for exercise

    Kunsan Air Base Airmen accepted and processed Marines as they landed on board a KC-130J Super Hercules Feb. 23 here.The Marines from the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing out of Marine Corps Air Station Futenma from Japan participated in an Exercise Key Resolve, a routine training exercise designed to train

  • Red Flag 09-3 exercise begins

    Southern Nevada residents may have notice increased military aircraft activity as the latest Red Flag exercise began Feb. 23. Red Flag is a realistic combat training exercise involving the air forces of the United States and its allies. The exercise is conducted on the 15,000-square-mile Nevada Test

  • Chief of staff pays tribute to heritage

    When the Air Force chief of staff visited here recently, it wasn't just about looking forward and to the future of aviation with unmanned aircraft systems; it was also about looking back and recognizing where the service has been. Before Gen. Norton Schwartz stepped into the 99th Flying Training

  • Special Operations Command Airman dies in Afghanistan

    An Air Force Special Operations Command combat control journeyman died Feb. 20 while supporting Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. Staff Sgt. Timothy P. Davis, 28, of Aberdeen, Wash., died near Bagram, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive

  • Air Force, Army leaders lay out joint UAS future

    The Air Force and Army chiefs of staff signed a plan recently in Washington, D.C., taking the two services one step closer to supporting the full spectrum of conflict with their larger, multirole unmanned aircraft. Military officials presented the Army/Air Force Multirole Unmanned Aircraft System

  • Exercise offers A-10 crews chance to hone warfighting skills

    Airmen are improving their warfighting skills as they train to conduct close-air-support missions for ground forces in preparation for deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan during Exercise Green Flag East here. The exercise is in partnership with the Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Polk, La.,

  • Turkish officers get lessons in Air Force enlisted training

    Four members of the Turkish air force visited Gunter Annex's Barnes Center for Enlisted Education complex Feb. 12 to gain insight into how to improve their air force's enlisted education. The group from Turkey headed by Col. Metin Ozdemir, included Lt. Col. Cem Acar, Maj. Huesyin Uysal and Lt. Eyup

  • Kadena Airman attends Singaporean leadership school

    A Kadena Air Base senior NCO is attending the advanced leadership program at Singapore's armed forces warrant officer school in February. Senior Master Sgt. David Duncan, director of operations at the Kadena AB Erwin Professional Military Education Center, is the only international student in the

  • Airmen escort presidential papers into history

    Air Force District of Washington Airmen took their place in history Feb. 23 as they were honored for moving presidential documents safely and in "record" time. Standing before the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution of the United States and the Bill of Rights, Airmen from AFDW, the 316th

  • Rapid acquisition, training team helps secure Iraqi elections

    An Electronic Systems Center rapid acquisition project helped ensure recent Iraqi elections were conducted peaceably. ESC officials provided 600 all-weather, fully stabilized metal detectors that were used at polling venues across Iraq, and center officials also provided three members of a

  • Military opens rehabilitation center for troops in Afghanistan

    Servicemembers in Afghanistan now have a place to turn to cope with the toughest aspects of deployment when they need it most. The Bagram Freedom Restoration Center here is the first rehabilitation center for troops in Afghanistan. The center's main goal is to give servicemembers skills to cope with

  • Chief of staff sees UAS role expanding

    The Air Force chief of staff called the buildup of the unmanned aircraft system program "profoundly important" Feb. 19 during a visit with instructor and student aviators here.In remarks during a question and answer session with 12th Operations Group instructors, students and staff, Gen. Norton

  • Kadena NCO Academy trains joint partners

    NCO Academy officials here bridged culture gaps of more than one kind recently as they graduated two Japan Air Self Defense Force NCOs as well as noncoms from each of the three sister U.S. military services. The PME center, which routinely educates JASDF and sister service NCOs, operates the

  • First time for AFMC at Red Flag exercise

    The 416th Flight Test Squadron conquered the vast bombing and gunnery ranges of Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., as they participated in Red Flag 09-2, marking the first time an Air Force Materiel Command unit has ever deployed and participated in the exercise. "Red Flag allowed us to provide the most

  • Chairman cites need for more 'dwell time' between deployments

     The nation's top military officer expressed concern here about servicemembers and their families "toughing it out" with frequent deployments and little time together between those deployments. Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, talked about the stresses of war and a

  • Safety center employee receives public service award

    The Air Force's traffic safety manager is one of four current federal workers and a retiree to receive a 2008 Government Employees Insurance Company Public Service Award.Frank Kelley received the honor, in the "Traffic Safety and Accident Prevention" category, for significant contributions to

  • Speckled Trout reeled in to new home

    A Boeing KC-135, "Speckled Trout ," which served as the personal aircraft of every Air Force Chief of Staff since 1975, was moved from Kelly Field Annex, Texas, to its new home at the Lackland Training Annex here Feb. 15. The move culminated a process that began after the historic aircraft arrived

  • Air Guardsmen fly critical equipment to wildlife refuge

    California Air National Guardsmen from the 129th Rescue Wing assisted U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service officials Feb. 17 and 18 by transporting critically needed facility batteries to the Farallon National Wildlife Refuge, located approximately 30 miles off the shore of San Francisco in the Pacific

  • Manas Air Base 'not irreplaceable,' official says

    Kyrgyzstan's parliament voted Feb. 19 to close Manas Air Base, a key logistics hub for the U.S. military, but a senior Pentagon official said the base closure would not affect operations in Afghanistan. "[Manas Air Base] is an important base for operations in Afghanistan, but it's not

  • Iraqi Minister of Defense discusses military, political issues

    The Iraqi Minister of Defense said Feb. 18 that Iraq's military requires an air component capable of supporting its soldiers on the ground, and that it would begin focusing more efforts on enlarging and equipping its air force. Minister Abdul Qader made the comments during a visit here at the Air