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  • Operation Christmas Drop box-build complete

    After 55 years running, Operation Christmas Drop is the Air Force's longest running humanitarian airlift mission. This year marks the 56th annual Operation Christmas Drop. With only days left until boxes are delivered to the small islands of Micronesia, last-minute donations are still pouring in,

  • Iraqi medics complete aeromedical evacuation course

    Instructors from the United States Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine in San Antonio graduated 14 Iraqi air force medics from an aeromedical evacuation basics course here Dec. 4. The graduation ceremony was the culmination of 12 days of training that ended with a patient movement exercise

  • Obama taps Shinseki as next Veterans Affairs chief

    President-elect Barack Obama has selected retired Army Chief of Staff Gen. Eric K. Shinseki as his nominee to be secretary of veterans affairs. "As we seek a new national security strategy that uses all elements of American power, we must also remember those who run the greatest risks and make the

  • Gaming technology used for interactive military training

    Air Force Research Laboratory's researchers at Mesa, Ariz., unveiled the technological potential of its gaming research and development project publicly Dec. 1 during the 2008 Interservice/Industry Training, Simulation and Education Conference in Orlando, Fla. Members of the 711th Human Performance

  • Airmen, Marines join forces during exercise at Kadena

    Japan-based Airmen and Marines came together for Exercise Beverly High 09-01 the first week of December at Kadena Air Base.Airmen of the 18th Wing integrated with Marines from Marine Corps Station Iawkuni as they executed their missions under simulated combat conditions.About 35 aircraft and 700

  • 'Today's Air Force' features Combat Skills Training

    This edition of "Today's Air Force" highlights security and how Airmen are getting extra training while preparing for deployment downrange, especially if they're going to Iraq or Afghanistan. Airmen from many career fields are going to Combat Skills Training to develop a warfighter mentality. Also

  • Programs aim to strengthen military marriages, curb divorce

    Servicemembers and their spouses are flocking to a broad array of programs to help them strengthen their family relationships as the services step up efforts to curb divorce rates.Military divorce rates rose by .1 percent -- to 3.4 percent -- during fiscal 2008, with 492 more divorces than the

  • Airmen provide FAST coverage

    Upon landing one morning at a remote location in Iraq, two specially trained Airmen with the 332nd Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron took charge of security for a $30.1 million C-130 Hercules and its crew. Senior Airmen Rosie Munoz and Michelle Kendall assume this responsibility on a regular

  • Deployed Warbirds participate in Australian Aces North exercise

    Airmen deployed to Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, recently participated in the Australian Aces North exercise with personnel from the Australian Fighter Combat Instructor Course, which ended Dec. 4. The Aces North exercise is the capstone of the FCIC, which is the Australian equivalent of the U.S.

  • Re-invigorating nuclear enterprise a top priority

    Maintaining accountability and improving stewardship of the Air Force's nuclear program is the top priority, said the service's 19th chief of staff recently. Gen. Norton Schwartz said the Air Force has gone through some "rough" air in the realm of nuclear deterrence, but the service is already on

  • NASA trains pilots to fly high

    To achieve their dreams of space flight, NASA astronauts must overcome many challenges -- challenges they can only receive at one place. Whether they are a pilot, navigator or mission specialist, Ellington Field, Texas, is the proving ground where astronauts earn their "wings" through the expert

  • Air Force doctor tackles movement disorders

    A neurologist at San Antonio Military Medical Center-South, or Wilford Hall Medical Center, is currently working to provide relief for patients suffering from movement disorders, such as Parkinson's disease and essential tremor. Maj. (Dr.) Maria Alvarez is the only movement disorders

  • Guard families eligible for child care subsidy

    For National Guard members who are about to deploy, there is a lot to think about before heading overseas. Changes have to be made to school and work schedules, arrangements have to be made for routine household chores, but for many, child care is one thing that weighs heaviest on their minds. For

  • Air Mobility Command officials set all-time sortie record

    Officials from Air Mobility Command's 618th Tanker Airlift Control Center here set a new record for the number of sorties planned in a 24-hour period in November. The new mark, set at 1,063 sorties, toppled the previous high of 1,051 set in February of 2008. Members of the 618th TACC are the

  • CV-22s complete first operational deployment

    Four CV-22 Ospreys from the 8th Special Operations Squadron here returned after completing their first operational deployment supporting Exercise Flintlock 2009 in November in Bamako, Mali.The aircraft supported the training exercise in the Trans-Saharan region designed to build relationships and

  • Airmen train for contingency operations during Silver Flag

    Airmen from all over the Pacific region trained to establish and sustain a forward operating base during Silver Flag 09-09 Nov. 16 through 22 at Kadena Air Base. In addition to their career field-specific training, the students were required to operate in simulated wartime conditions and to help

  • AETC opens virtual doors to MyBase

    Air Education and Training Command officals here launched a virtual world Dec. 2 targeting avatars, or people, interested in learning more about the Air Force. Second Life is a three-dimensional virtual world where users can socialize, connect and explore the digital universe using virtual

  • Internal training key to Iraqi air force independence

    As the Iraqi parliament works out the details of the new status of forces agreement that calls for American forces to withdraw from the country in 2011, Iraqi air force emergency responders from New al Muthana Air Base took the lead for the first time in a mass casualty response exercise Nov. 21 as

  • Air Force leaders reinforce zero tolerance for sexual assault

    Leaders from wing level to senior Air Force brass recently gathered for a two-day leader summit on sexual assault prevention and response here. Secretary of the Air Force Michael B. Donley and Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz affirmed their commitment to eliminating sexual assaults in

  • Air Force family liaisons help wounded warriors, families

    Air Force family liaison officers have an important role in assisting wounded warriors and their families, a San Antonio-based Air Force senior noncommissioned officer said. The Air Force's family liaison officer program "truly is the lifeblood of taking care of our war wounded," said Chief Master

  • Airmen help build Afghan military medical capability

    A small group of Airmen helped transform a once empty building into a fully functional hospital at Camp Hero in Kandahar Province that is now staffed by Afghan national army personnel and capable of caring for ANA soldiers, Afghan national police members, and their families. The Kandahar Regional

  • U.S. troops help flood victims in Central America

    A team of 48 U.S. servicemembers and seven helicopters from the Honduras-based Joint Task Force-Bravo deployed to Panama and Costa Rica the last week of November to help communities impacted by heavy rains and flooding. The team, composed of aviation and medical personnel, is supporting rescue and

  • 386th Airmen clear hazards, keep locals safe

    Beyond the wire of the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing spans an area covered not only in sand but potential explosive hazards, aging from as far back as the Gulf War fighting that took place here in the early 90s. This time of year, the same area is inhabited by host-nation locals who follow a

  • Chief of staff visits Barksdale

    The Air Force chief of staff visited Barksdale Air Force Base Nov. 25 to familiarize himself with the base's mission.Gen. Norton Schwartz and his wife, Suzie, came to Barksdale AFB and the senior Air Force military member met base and community leaders, visited several squadrons on base and answered

  • Andersen Airmen hear Dragon Thunder

    Andersen Air Force Base Airmen sharpened their expeditionary skills during Exercise Dragon Thunder Nov. 17 through 21 here.Members of the from the 644th Combat Communications Squadron set up camp under a sea of camouflage netting in tents filled with towers of electronic equipment for the field

  • MTV visits Fairchild

    Five crew members from MTV came to Fairchild Air Force Base Nov. 17 for a firsthand glimpse of what the Air Force has to offer. MTV's "How to Show" has celebrities demonstrating how to do a variety of things through a step-by-step format, and the Air Force joined MTV to show how Airmen survive,

  • DOD officials navigate language roadmap

    Defense Department officials here completed more than 90 percent of the tasks they set out to accomplish in a language plan that launched four years ago. Known as the Defense Language Transformation Roadmap, this broad strategy aims to address national shortfalls in foreign language skills in the

  • Post-combat coping methods vary, troops say

    Methods of coping with combat and its aftereffects vary as greatly as the effects themselves, six warriors participating in a conference panel here said. Officials at the Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury hosted the "Warrior Resilience Conference:

  • 'Today's Air Force' features Air Force Week Los Angeles

    This edition of "Today's Air Force" highlights the third and final Air Force Week celebration of 2008 which began with a proclamation ceremony at the famous Kodak Theater in Hollywood, Calif. Also featured is a new command. Air Force officials unveiled the colors during the assumption of command

  • Program helps Guard, Reserve members fill active-duty tours

    When his building inspection business slowed, Tech. Sgt. David Marcelli of the District of Columbia Air National Guard needed to find work. He found it by using the Personnel Force Innovation program that matches up organizations that need Guard and Reserve members looking for active duty tours.

  • SECAF visits base to discuss future of space power

    Secretary of the Air Force Michael B. Donley visited Vandenberg Nov. 22 to meet with 14th Air Force leaders and tour the Joint Space Operations Center here. Secretary Donley visited with Brig. Gen. Jay Santee, 14th Air Force vice commander, and Col. Richard Boltz, the 614th Air and Space Operations

  • Iraqi air force pilots conduct aeromedical mission

    Iraqi airmen conducted an aeromedical evacuation mission from here Nov. 21, ferrying an Iraqi servicemember injured in combat from the Air Force Theater Hospital here to Forward Operating Base Gabe in Baqubah, Iraq. "Aeromedical evacuation is crucial to the viability of the Iraqi air force," said

  • Forward air controllers prepare for war

    In the profession of arms where timeliness, precision and control are the rules of the day, sometimes a little confusion, disorder and mayhem are good things. It's especially valuable as a training tool for joint terminal attack controllers who hang their hat in hell's backyard to direct lethal

  • Small business specialist recognized with DOD award

    The small business specialist for the 6th Air Mobility Wing at MacDill Air Force Base, Fla., was one of six individuals recognized in the Department of Defense for his efforts in going beyond goals to advance the objectives of the service-disabled veteran-owned small business, or

  • Electronic warfare officers keep Soldiers safe

    Navy Cmdr. Ed Fischer and Air Force 1st Lt. E.J. Wong would seem to be out of place in an Army heavy brigade combat team conducting operations in Iraq.Commander Fischer, whose career field is nuclear engineering, and Lieutenant Wong, an air battle manager, are electronic warfare officers for the 1st

  • Registration for AETC Symposium still open

    Airmen and Air Force civilians can still register for the 2009 Air Education and Training Command Symposium being held Jan. 15 and 16 at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio.Members of all commands who attend the interactive technology expose will see demonstrations of the next

  • Army special forces group to beddown at Eglin AFB

    Air Force officials signed a record of decision Nov. 20 that begins the process for the Army's 7th Special Forces Group to beddown at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. The group will be located west of Duke Field and the range will be on the east and west side. "This was truly a joint effort on the part of

  • Stars visible at, from LA observatory

    Senior Air Force leaders rubbed elbows with entertainment industry figures Nov. 18 during an Air Force Week reception at the Griffith Observatory here. Hosted by the Friends of the Observatory, a nonprofit organization which supports the world's most visited public observatory, the event honored

  • Reserve Affairs chief explains new DOD directive

    Recent changes on how the Guard and Reserves are recognized are larger than any in recent history, a senior Defense Department official said here Nov. 19. Thomas F. Hall, the assistant secretary of defense for Reserve Affairs, told the Air National Guard's top officers and command chief master

  • Battlelab initiative aims to speed KC-10 cargo loading

    Though the Air Mobility Battlelab deactivated here Sept. 24, one of its final initiatives shows great potential to help KC-10 Extender crewmembers do their jobs faster and decrease aircraft weight. With the KC-10 Lightweight Cargo Net and Hoist Initiative, the Air Mobility Battlelab, or AMB, sought

  • Grand Forks communicators start 2 major base projects

    The 130-person 319th Communications Squadron here is busy preparing Grand Forks Air Force Base for two critical information technology projects for the base and the entire Air Force.One project is for the High Frequency Global Communications System is a highly-automated communications system that

  • Remains of B-52 aircrew laid to rest at Arlington

    The remains of six B-52 Stratofortress aircrew members killed when their aircraft crashed off the northwest coast of Guam July 21 were laid to rest in a ceremony held Nov. 14 at Arlington National Cemetery. Dozens of family members, friends and Airmen gathered at the graveside to bury Col. George T.

  • Directory for wounded warriors, families, caregivers launched

    Department of Defense officials here Nov. 17 launched the National Resource Directory, a collaborative effort between the departments of Defense, Labor and Veterans Affairs. The directory is a Web-based network of care coordinators, providers and support partners with resources for wounded, ill and

  • Wounded warriors look for second chances

    In less than five seconds, the security forces Airman went from being able to shout out commands that could save lives to not being able to speak above a whisper. When an explosive force projectile struck Staff Sgt. Scott Lilley's Humvee April 15, 2007, shrapnel smaller than the size of a BB pellet

  • Airmen provide key support to multinational exercise

    A multitude of international aircraft and airmen converged in Southwest Asia through the month of November to participate in an exercise geared toward honing aerial operations while improving relations and interoperability. Officials from the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing here balanced real-world

  • Ceremony, Expo salutes LA's long association with Air Force

    Without even taking flight, a falcon from the Air Force Academy gave air and star power a run for their money Nov. 14 during the opening ceremony for Air Force Week here. The 2-year-old bird, Banshee, was a favorite of dozens of youngsters, who took turns stroking her chest as she rested on the arm

  • Council addresses Airmen issues

    Officials of the Force Management and Development Council recently met under its revitalized structure and is now better organized to address issues facing all Airmen -- enlisted, officer and civilian. The 27 senior leaders who make up the council have met biannually since 2004, and in the most

  • Civilians graduate with lessons in military culture

    The first class of the Civilian Acculturation and Leadership Training program graduated recently here giving the 25 attendees a better understanding of what the active-duty Air Force does. The course, designed to acquaint civilian employees with military culture, included lessons on Air Force core

  • 17th Air Force Airmen support Africa Command

    Airmen from 17th Air Force here received initial operational capability Oct. 1 and are already supporting missions for the U.S. Africa Command. In the first 30 days since declaring initial operational capability, aerial missions on the continent have coincided with continuing administration and

  • Air Force colonel to pilot his first space shuttle mission

    An Air Force colonel is scheduled to pilot the Space Shuttle Endeavour for mission STS-126 when it takes off Nov. 14 at Kennedy Space Center, Fla.Col. Eric Boe, a NASA astronaut, will fly the shuttle on his first voyage into space as Endeavour supports the International Space Station. During the

  • Wounded Airman: 'Absolute privilege to defend America'

    A wounded NCO spoke to 300 Airmen, retirees, Greater San Antonio Chamber of Commerce officials and members of the Alamo Chapter of the Air Force Association Nov. 3 at the Randolph Air Force Base Enlisted Club. The AFA-sponsored "Combat Breakfast" hosted Staff Sgt. Christopher Slaydon and 21 other

  • Iraqi doctors study AF aeromedical evacuation program

    Two doctors from Iraq's Ministry of Defense visited the Air Force Theater Hospital and Contingency Aeromedical Staging Facility here Nov. 5-8 to study Air Force aeromedical evacuation procedures. The visit will help the doctors, Maj. (Dr.) Abdul-Razaq and Capt. (Dr.) Mohammed, establish an

  • Are you ready for the Great American Smokeout?

    Officials in both the Department of Defense and Tricare encourage military service members and their families to take part in the annual Great American Smokeout on Nov. 20. Participation in the Smokeout is an important component of the DOD-sponsored educational campaign, Quit Tobacco--Make Everyone

  • Kyrgyz war heroes, Manas Airmen enjoy Veterans Day

    In honor of Veterans Day, the 376th Air Expeditionary Wing hosted ten Kyrgyz  World War II veterans for a tour of the base, dinner and a ceremony to announce the start of a program to help supplement their living expenses and continue to further strengthen the friendship between the Kyrgyz veterans

  • Officers sought for attache duty

    Air Force officials here are accepting applications until Dec. 5 from senior captains, majors and lieutenant colonels to fill various attache positions. Officers selected for attache duty will attend training for the advertised positions starting in January 2010. Attaches are selected from line

  • Secretary of Air Force visits San Antonio military hospitals

    Secretary of the Air Force Michael B. Donley visited the San Antonio Military Medical Center South and North campuses Nov. 8. The secretary recently returned from trips to theater hospitals at Joint Base Balad, Iraq, and Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan. His visit to San Antonio military hospitals

  • Randolph honors World War II veteran

    On the eve of Veterans Day, members of the Randolph Air Force Base community had the opportunity to thank and present the Purple Heart medal to a World War II veteran for wounds he sustained 63 years ago. Former Army Air Forces Cpl. Hilario L. Riojas of Karnes City, Texas, received his Purple Heart

  • Jets honor servicemembers with military appreciation day

    More than 100 Airmen, Soldiers, Sailors, Marines and Coast Guardsmen participated in the New York Jets Military Appreciation Day prior to the football game Nov. 9 at Meadowlands Stadium in New Jersey. The game, played against the St. Louis Rams, kicked off with the unveiling of a giant flag by 60

  • First students graduate Raptor Basic Course

    Four student pilots at Tyndall AFB became the first graduates of the Air Force's F-22 Raptor Basic Course Nov. 1, setting another milestone in the fielding of the Air Force's most advanced fighter aircraft. These pilots are the first in the Air Force to have the F-22 as their first operational

  • Navy pilots learning to fly Global Hawk

    In what could prove to be the first step toward creating a joint RQ-4 Unmanned Aircraft System training unit here, pilots of the 1st Reconnaissance Squadron are teaching a class of Navy pilots the Global Hawk system. The class, consisting of three active-duty P-3 Orion pilots and one civilian

  • New UAS program at Randolph simulates air battle space

    A first-of-its-kind combat familiarization program for pilots slated to fly unmanned aircraft systems soon will launch at the 563rd Flying Training Squadron here. The four-week-long Unmanned Aircraft Systems Fundamentals Course will begin Nov. 21. It is designed to give 10 newly-winged graduates of

  • eSeminars offer civilians retirement, benefit information

    Air Force officials here now offer eSeminars on retirement, benefits and financial literacy to civilian appropriated fund employees. These eSeminars offer civilian employees the ease of accessing information at any stage in their career or as needs arise. A new law designed to ensure civilian

  • Air Force officials seek recruiters, instructors, MTIs

    Air Education and Training Command officials here are seeking hundreds of members for immediate assignment as recruiters, technical school and Basic Military Training instructors. The need for instructors is in response to the Air Force end-strength increase of roughly 4,000 members and the Basic

  • New treatments for warriors' psychological care examined

    Defense Department officials here are investigating new treatments as part of a focused, sustained campaign to assist wounded warriors suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury, a senior U.S. military official said. The effort is being launched in conjunction with the

  • McChord Airmen help controllers train for new runway

    McChord Air Force Base Airmen shared their training simulator here with Seattle-Tacoma International Airport tower controllers to ensure they are certified and ready for operations when the civilian airport's third runway officially opens Nov. 20. Since September, members of the 62nd Operations

  • Airman helps make a difference in Afghanistan

    Since combat operations began in Afghanistan, Airmen have taken on new roles traditionally held by their Army counterparts. Staff Sgt. Don Elias, deployed from Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is a prime example. The sergeant joined the Air Force in 1998 and has served two tours in Iraq. He

  • San Antonio families can share Thanksgiving with trainees

    For the 33rd year, San Antonio-area families can brighten the holidays for Air Force basic trainees through Operation Homecooking. The program offers local families the opportunity to share their traditional Thanksgiving Day with basic trainees. Through the years, families have opened their homes to

  • Electronic performance report routing now standardized

    An Air Force Enterprise Information Management initiative to process officer and enlisted performance reports electronically became reality Oct. 1 when Air Force Personnel Center officials endorsed the first of three phases of AF Electronic Workflow Processing, or AF e-WP, thanks to a partnership

  • Air Force officials begin extended Basic Military Training

    The first group of Air Force recruits to experience expanded Basic Military Training arrived Nov. 4 to Lackland Air Force Base. These new recruits are the first to face the challenge of an additional 14 days of training from 6.5 to 8.5 weeks. The added time will be used to enhance and reinforce

  • New AAFES chief dresses down uniform issues

    As the Army and Air Force Exchange Service enlisted advisor to the commanding general of AAFES, Chief Master Sgt. Jeffry Helm now has the distinct opportunity to impact not only the service he loves, but all branches of service about uniform issues. He plans to carry out his mission through

  • Newest mobile air shelter set up for training

    The newest model of deployable, mobile command posts is set up at the Air Force Expeditionary Center's main building here to give Airmen a view of what that may work on when they deploy in suppot of the war on terrorism.The Hard-sided Expandable Lightweight Air Mobile Shelter, or HELAMS, eventually

  • Air Force disabled employees vital to mission

    Raymond Jenks is a busy man. He is the flight chief of instructional technology for the 37th Training Support Squadron, Lackland Air Force Base, Texas. His office is responsible for designing and developing computer based training, programs, and technology solutions for the 37th Training Group and

  • Airmen hone contingency skills at Silver Flag

    A handful of Airmen scan their checklists to make sure their mobility bags and other essentials are in order, while others thumb through their Airman's Manuals to bone up on proper chemical warfare procedures. The Airmen are in a wooded 1,200 acre site at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., and this is

  • Wounded warrior receives new ears

    Looking in the mirror, Marine Capt. Ryan Voltin couldn't get past his ears. Not that they were strange looking, but that they were there at all. He just wasn't used to seeing them. The AH-1 Cobra pilot lost his when the helicopter he was flying erupted in flames during a training accident last year.

  • 2009 aviator continuation pay details released

    Air Force officials here released Nov. 4 the details for aviator continuation pay for this fiscal year. For active duty Airmen, the program gives various rated aviators -- namely some pilots, combat systems officers and air battle managers -- the opportunity to sign an active duty service commitment

  • Warrior Care: Injured servicemembers go fishing

    Anglers from all over the state of Texas converged on Choke Canyon Reservoir Oct. 25 to participate in Fishing for Freedom V. Fishing for Freedom gives injured servicemembers the opportunity to team up with professional and semi-professional bass fisherman and enjoy a day on the water. Thirty-three

  • Civilians begin leadership training program at Air University

    Twenty-five Air Force civilians began the first Civilian Acculturation and Leadership Training Program at Air University's Officer Training School Oct. 27 here.The program leads the 25-member group through a two-week course adapted from the OTS curriculum indoctrinated with Air Force leadership and

  • Assault victims find empowerment in restricted reporting

    Many sexual assault victims in the military are using an option that allows them to disclose the details of the assault confidentially and receive medical treatment and counseling without triggering the official investigative process, a senior official in the military's fight against sexual assault

  • Airmen show true grit in Strongman competition

    Airmen, Sailors and Soldiers battled it out in a showdown of guts and glory at the Strong Man/Strong Mind Challenge Oct. 25 at an air base in Southwest Asia. Out of the 20 participants in the multiforce face-off, three Air Force warriors emerged victorious with the top three spots. Senior Airman

  • Airmen train Afghan cops

    Three Airmen trained and graduated 900 Afghan national police in Nangarhar, Nuristan, Kunar and Lagman provinces during a nine-month deployment as part of a Department of State program.The program provides a secondary-level of professional police officer education at the Jalalabad Regional Training

  • 'Today's Air Force' features the importance of training

    This edition of "Today's Air Force" highlights how Airmen train for the unexpected, how Air Force pilots stay on the cutting edge and how a new program is honoring our service members. In the field or in the classroom, training is of utmost importance to keep Airmen at their best on the battlefield.

  • Hurlburt Field maintainers receive DOD award

    Maintainers from Hurlburt Field, Fla., were named the winners of the Department of Defense Phoenix Award, the highest field-level maintenance award within DOD, Oct. 29 in Denver. Representatives from the 1st Special Operations Maintenance group were on hand at the award ceremony during the 2008 DOD

  • Maintainers partner to exchange new practices

    Nearly 30 Argentinean air force aircraft maintenance mechanics, students and instructors came together at Palomar Air Base here Oct. 31 to exchange new ideas and techniques on preserving and evaluating aircraft as part of Twelfth Air Force (Air Forces Southern)'s Operation Southern Partner. U.S. Air

  • Petraeus assumes leadership of U.S. Central Command

    Army Gen. David H. Petraeus assumed leadership of the U.S. military command charged with helping to build peace in a tough and war-torn part of the world today. General Petraeus took the reins of CENTCOM from acting commander Army Lt. Gen. Martin Dempsey in a ceremony here. Defense Secretary Robert

  • Naval unit jack of all trades at air base

    A unit here has become a jack of all trades for the war on terrorism while remaining a master in its primary mission. Patrol Squadron 46's core mission is to provide anti-submarine coverage, but the squadron has spent the past four months here providing assistance in other ways. "We are very much a

  • Team seeks Airmen ready for 'something different'

    Air Education and Training Command officials here encourage Airmen seeking to do "something different" during their Air Force career to apply for special duty assignments. To spread the word, members of the Air Force Recruiting Service Recruiter Screening Team visit Air Force bases across the nation

  • Reserve medics train at Kunsan

    More than 50 medics from three Air Force Reserve units tested their wartime medical support capabilities alongside Kunsan Air Base members Oct. 18 through Nov. 1 here. The Reserve units, traveling from as far as Niagara Air Reserve Station, N.Y., conducted medical refresher training sessions and

  • Basic training couple graduate with honors

    More than 780 Airmen waited to hear if they were among the 10 percent announced as honor graduates from Basic Military Training Oct. 24 at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas. Airmen 1st Class Melissa and Steven Lafollette, married only four months before basic training, were excited to hear their names

  • Chilean, U.S. Air Forces share perimeter defense methods

    Force Protection Airmen and a Canadian officer participating in Operation Southern Partner demonstrated the Small Unmanned Aircraft System to the Chilean air force's anti-aircraft artillery regiment Oct 29. Operation Southern Partner is an all-new, in-depth subject matter exchange emphasizing

  • Commissaries to promote Warrior Care in November

    The Defense Commissary Agency will join other Defense Department organizations in observing November as Warrior Care Month.The observance is designed to inform military members and their families about the many programs that are, and will be, available to assist wounded warriors. In a memorandum

  • Air Force 'moving in right direction' on nuclear program, Gates says

    Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates pointed to broad initiatives within the Air Force he said are helping to return its nuclear mission to "the standards of excellence for which it was known throughout the entire Cold War." Speaking at the Carnegie Institute for International Peace Oct. 28, Secretary

  • Tuskegee Airmen address Air Force captains

    Riding the crest of the historic opening of the Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site Oct. 10, four of the original Airmen spoke to hundreds of Air Force officers at Squadron Officer School at Maxwell Air Force Base recently. In their speeches and subsequent panel discussions, the former fighter

  • WWII veterans attend museum D-Day exhibit opening

    More than 40 World War II veterans gathered Oct. 17 here to help open an exhibit recounting their wartime experiences on June 6, 1944. The veterans, mostly paratroopers of the 507th Parachute Infantry Regiment that trained at Fort Benning, near Columbus, Ga., jumped from C-47 troop carriers into

  • Materiel Command's top civilian outlines goals

    Air Force Materiel Command's top civilian here after just one month on the job is already working with the Pentagon and other agencies on establishing a clear civilian development model. It is one of several priorities for Dr. Steve Butler, the AFMC executive director, and creating the model is tied

  • Defense secretary: Nuke capability critical to deterrence

    Calling nuclear weapons one of the world's "messy realities," Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said here Oct. 28 that as long as others who could potentially threaten the United States possess or seek them, it's critical that the United States does as well, and that they be kept safe, secure and

  • Veterinary care helps build relations with nomadic tribe

    Airmen and Soldiers from the Zabul Provincial Reconstruction Team vaccinated hundreds of animals in preparation for the long, hard Afghan winter in October here. In a region where the average income is less than a dollar a day, the PRT's veterinary civil assistance patrol not only strengthened the

  • Commander discusses 'jewel in crown' of America's military

    The United States military is the best-manned, best-equipped and best-trained force in the world, but that doesn't mean a thing if it can't get to the fight, said the commander of U.S. Transportation Command. The 138,000 military and civilian men and women of the U.S. Transportation Command and its

  • Lackland-based institute teaches English to partner nations

    Communication is key to maintaining healthy relationships. The same is true of interactions between the United States and members of its allied militaries: strong, clear communication opens the door to a better, stronger relationship. And being able to speak the same language helps this process

  • Air Force officials to establish new nuclear major command

    The Air Force will stand up a new major command specifically to manage its nuclear assets, the service's top official announced Oct. 24. Air Force Secretary Michael B. Donley said the new command will fold into its ranks thousands of Airmen and all of the Air Force's domestic nuclear capabilities in