Daily Report

Aug. 18, 2010

UPDATE-Airborne Laser Test Postponed

Trouble with test equipment has delayed Wednesday morning’s test of the airborne laser test bed off of the coast of southern California until at least Saturday, according to the Missile Defense Agency. There was “a problem with the tracking camera...

Pentagon Poised for Next Airborne Laser Test

The airborne laser test bed was expected to make its next attempt to shoot down a boosting ballistic missile early Wednesday (East Coast time) off the coast of California, according to Army Lt. Gen. Patrick O’Reilly, Missile Defense Agency director....

Guard Members Prepare for Border Mission

About 470 of the 1,200 National Guardsmen that will deploy to the US southern border with Mexico have received their orders, says Maj. Thomas Crosson, a National Guard Bureau spokesman. This includes about 83 airmen, he told the Daily Report...

AFAFRICA Wants Your Help

Air Forces Africa has had to cancel or delay 40 missions this year due to logistical challenges, including manpower shortages. As a result, it seeks volunteers to serve short-term deployments to fill those gaps, reports Stars and Stripes. At the...

Remaining Family-Focused

Although the Year of the Air Force Family initiative is technically over, as of July 31, nothing has changed as far as USAF’s obligations toward airmen and their families, says service spokeswoman Beth Goffelin. “That commitment is still there,” she...

Pleasant Surprise

Lots of jaws dropped at the Missile Defense Agency when officials there realized that the MQ-1 Predator remotely piloted aircraft is inherently potent for detecting and tracking ballistic missiles in flight, according to the agency’s director. “We literally were shocked...

Open for Business

US Transportation Command’s new command and control facility at Scott AFB, Ill., has opened its doors, consolidating functions previously strewn across the base and offsite. The 210,000-square-foot, three-story building houses TRANSCOM’s administrative offices as well as some activities of its...

Can You Hear Me Now?

An Electronic Systems Center team from Hanscom AFB, Mass., is working to provide the Iraqi air force with the connectivity that it will need to defend itself from external threats. The team oversees the Iraq information technology infrastructure project, or...

Vietnam Ace Visits Ellsworth

Retired Brig. Gen. Steve Ritchie, the Air Force’s only pilot ace of the Vietnam War, met with airmen at Ellsworth AFB, S.D., to discuss the value of integrity and what it means to be a leader. “There is nothing more...

Global Observer Completes First Flight

AeroVironment’s Global Observer high-altitude, hybrid-electric, remotely piloted aircraft has made its first flight. The aircraft took to the skies over Edwards AFB, Calif., climbing to 4,000 feet and maneuvering under the watchful eye of its remote operator before landing successfully...

Remains of Missing World War II Airman Identified

The remains of 1st Lt. Ray F. Fletcher, an airman from Westborough, Mass., missing in action since 1944, have been identified and returned to his family, Defense Department officials announced Tuesday. He will be buried with full military honors on...

Air Sorties from SWA 081110

Air Sorties in Southwest Asia, August 11, 2010 Sortie Type OIF OEF OIF/OEF Total YTD ISR 28 71 99 15,661 CAS/Armed Recon 20 92 112 21,250 Airlift 185 185 38,736 Air refueling 50 50 10,325 Rescue 39 39 4,772 Total...