Daily Report

July 28, 2008

Rethinking UAV Operations

Gen. Norton Schwartz, nominee to be the next Air Force Chief of Staff, said last week he would “quickly” make a decision whether the Air Force will continue its policy that pilots of unmanned aerial vehicles—the larger sized platforms that...

Elmendorf’s F-22 Buildup Continues

The Bulldogs of the 525th Fighter Squadron at Elmendorf AFB, Alaska, are on track to get all of their F-22s by November, the unit’s director of operations told the Daily Report July 25. Lt. Col. Orlando Sanchez said in a...

Green Machine

Air Force officials last week signed four memoranda of understanding with the governor of New Mexico to pursue renewable energy projects that would yield up to 245 megawatts of power in the state for use at Cannon, Holloman, and Kirtland...

Gates Visits New Airmen

Defense Secretary Robert Gates visited Lackland AFB, Tex., on July 24 to get a first-hand look at the Air Force’s basic military training and speak with the service’s newest crop of airmen before they received their airman’s coin in a...

Streamlining

The 480th Intelligence Wing at Langley AFB, Va., earlier this month formally added three intelligence groups as part of the Air Force’s ongoing transformation of its intelligence-surveillance-reconnaissance organizations. The wing, which itself earlier this year transferred from the oversight of Air Combat Command to the Air Force ISR Agency at Lackland, AFB, Tex., welcomed the 692nd Intelligence Group, Hickam AFB, Hawaii, the 693rd IG, Ramstein AB, Germany, and the 694th IG, Osan AB, Korea, the service said in a statement. Realignment ceremonies take place between July 15 and 23. The three groups join the two units already under the 480th IW: the 548th IG, Beale AFB, Calif., and the 497th IG at Langley. These changes are intended to align the service’s distributed common ground system as a global ISR weapons system, streamline command chains, and provide a single leadership focal point.

Alaska Is Prime Raptor Training Habitat

F-22 pilots assigned to the 3rd Wing at Elmendorf AFB, Alaska, have day-in and day-out training opportunities that other units might not get to enjoy, according to a senior Raptor pilot based there. Indeed, the wing can put together a...

Predator Helps Afghan Forces

On July 26, an MQ-1 Predator unmanned aerial vehicle struck enemy combatants near Tani, Afghanistan, with Hellfires missiles, coming to the aid of Afghan national security forces under attack, according to Air Forces Central. It was one of the 54...

Bad to the Bone

Deploying military working dogs of the 88th Security Forces Squadron at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, have received new protective equipment thanks to the donations and actions of community supporters. Led by Starline Nunley, a group of about 100 supporters presented the...

Air Sorties From SWA

Air Sorties in War on Terrorism, Southwest AsiaJuly 24-25, 2008 Sortie Type OIF OEF OIF/OEF Total YTD ISR 50 26 76 6,399 CAS/Armed Recon 108 123 231 18,840 Airlift 281 281 25,841 Air refueling 129 129 9,046 Total 717 60,126...