Daily Report

July 15, 2008

Can’t Shift It Whole, Light It Up

Some explosive ordnance disposal airmen deployed to Iraq last week got to deviate from their usual hazardous task of finding and safing explosives when they were asked to explosively dismantle a stranded C-130 near Baghdad airport. The Hercules had been...

Open Arms at Beale, One Million Gallons

Airmen at Beale AFB, Calif., have been making plans and room—just in case—to accept up to about 450 area residents should they need to evacuate their homes in the face of the continuing wildfires in the state. Meanwhile, the 302nd...

Making Room for New Birds

The first two F-15Cs of the 33rd Fighter Wing at Eglin AFB, Fla., have departed for their new home in New Orleans with the Louisiana Air National Guard’s 159th Fighter Wing, which is picking up some newer model Eagles from...

Whatever the Cargo

Airmen deployed to the 380th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron, part of the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing in Southwest Asia, support the wing’s air operations, but they also have been handling on and off-loading for all of the helium trailers for...

Four Bronze Stars at Pope

SSgt. Joshua Andrews received a Bronze Star with Valor and TSgt. Warren Williams, SSgt. George Earhart, and SSgt. James Spreter received Bronze Stars for their actions while deployed to Southwest Asia. All four are members of the 14th Air Support...

Hurricanes Are Up

The Air Force Reserve Command’s 403rd Wing at Keesler AFB, Miss., on July 11 dispatched the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron Hurricane Hunters on their first storm chase of the 2008 season. Flying a WC-130J Hercules aircraft specially configured for the...

On the Books

The Senate Armed Services Committee has acted quickly following last Thursday’s formal nomination by the President of Gen. Norton Schwartz to be Air Force Chief of Staff to get a confirmation hearing date established—July 22. On that day, both Schwartz...

Another U-2 Pilot Hits 1,000

Maj. Mikko Levalley joined the list of pilots to reach 1,000 hours in the high-flying U-2 reconnaissance aircraft. He surpassed that mark during a mission last week over Southwest Asia. (USAF photo release by TSgt. Christopher Campbell)

Good Showings, All Around

Military recruiters are doing a bang up job—or perhaps it is fears over the economy—so far in what defense officials initially thought would be a tough year. Each service and reserve component, except for the Army Reserve at 99 percent,...

Nuts and Studs at Fault

According to a just-released accident investigation board report, “material failure of some of the mounting nuts and studs which secure the intermediate gear box (IGB) to the tail pylon” caused the Sept. 7, 2007 crash of an MH-53 Pave Low...

Air Sorties from SWA

Air Sorties in War on Terrorism, Southwest AsiaJuly 10-12, 2008 Sortie Type OIF OEF OIF/OEF Total YTD ISR 74 49 123 6,005 CAS/Armed Recon 150 193 343 17,716 Airlift 433 433 24,458 Air refueling 189 189 8,458 Total 1,088 56,637...