Daily Report

Sept. 29, 2009

Unmanned Beta Effort Bears Initial Fruit

The first eight officers with no previous flying backgrounds being trained to pilot the MQ-1 Predator remotely piloted vehicle were among the class of 10 pilots and nine sensor operators that graduated from initial qualification training at Creech AFB, Nev.,...

Cold Start

Thirty-seven airmen from McChord AFB, Wash., left the comparative warmth of their base on Sept. 24 in a C-17 loaded with more than 90,000 pounds of cargo destined for Antarctica. The sortie was part of the 2009-10 season of the...

Inaugural Gunfighter Flag Concludes

The first “Gunfighter Flag” large-force air combat training exercise at Mountain Home AFB, Idaho, wrapped up Sept. 24. The exercise brought together more than 450 personnel from the US Air Force and Navy and Canada and featured E-3 AWACS aircraft,...

Increased Access

Air Mobility Command conducted 140 hours of flight tests this summer with C-17 transports at undisclosed locations around the world to ascertain the aircraft’s ability to operate from semi-prepared airfields under varying weather conditions. The results were dramatic, showing that...

Going Down Under Before Heading Home

Three B-52H bombers stationed at Andersen AFB, Guam, as part of the 96th Expeditionary Bomber Squadron from Barksdale AFB, La., completed 13-hour training flights to an Australian training range Sept. 21 and 22. The mission gave the bomber aircrews the...

Retired USAF Officer Convicted of Spying

A jury on Sept. 25 convicted James Fondren Jr., a retired USAF lieutenant colonel and former Pentagon civilian employee, of passing classified information to the Chinese government. He could face up to 20 years in prison when he is sentenced...

Ali Base’s Future Discussed

US Air Force Maj. Gen. Robert Kane, director of the Iraqi Training and Advisory Mission-Air Force, and Lt. Gen. Anwar Hamad Amen Ahmed, Iraqi Air Force commander, visited Ali Base, Iraq, on Sept. 24 to conduct a site survey of...

Family Excursion

The Air Force has launched a Web site to showcase its “Year of the Air Force Family” initiative that started in July and runs to July 2010. Airmen and their families are encouraged to visit the site (click here) to...

Air Sorties 092909

Air Sorties in Southwest Asia, Sept. 24-25, 2009 Sortie Type OIF OEF OIF/OEF Total YTD ISR 63 57 120 12,052 CAS/Armed Recon 50 150 200 25,963 Airlift 145 145 35,378 Air refueling 116 116 12,818 Total 581 86,211 OIF=Operation Iraqi...