Daily Report

May 27, 2010

X-51A Flight an Unqualified Success

USAF’s X-51A unmanned hypersonic air vehicle flew further on its own power in its first flight on Wednesday than any other scramjet-powered vehicle in history, eclipsing NASA’s X-43 Hyper-X. Charlie Brink, USAF’s X-51A program manager, said his government and industry...

White House Releases New National Security Strategy

The White House on Thursday released the Obama Administration’s National Security Strategy, dated May 2010. According to an entry on the White House blog that posted the document, the new strategy “lays out a strategic approach for advancing American interests,...

Big Sky Breakout

The Montana Air National Guard’s 120th Fighter Wing in Great Falls is taking important steps to complete its conversion from F-16s to F-15s per BRAC 2005. The unit is scheduled to conduct a phase 2 operational readiness exercise June 1-6,...

Up to the Challenge

Air Force Space Command concluded its Guardian Challenge combat competition May 19, with award ceremonies on the two days following. The 2010 iteration of the biennial, command-wide event marked the first time that the cyber forces of 24th Air Force,...

Review Panel Praises Expanded Training

Review Panel Praises Expanded Training: The Air Force’s 22nd basic military training triennial review committee has validated the positive effect that expanded BMT has had on graduates. “We’re very pleased [with] the warrior ethos that has been instilled in our...

International Vacancy

Bruce Lemkin, point man for international affairs in the Air Force Secretariat since 2003 is retiring, according to USAF officials. No date was given for when Lemkin will leave. And there has been no announcement yet on his successor. Among...

Non-rated Air Liaison Officers Graduate

For the first time, a group of non-rated officers graduated last month from the tactical air control party schoolhouse at Hurlburt Field, Fla., and will now serve as air liaison officers. These five officers completed the basic tactical air command...

C-130 Brings Relief Supplies to Tajikistan

An Air Force C-130 transport from the 774th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, last week transported more than 17,000 pounds of humanitarian aid to Tajikistan. This was the second US relief flight, following a C-17 mission on May...

Put on a Happy Face

The B-17G bomber being restored at Barksdale AFB, La., in honor of 8th Air Force icon Maj. Gen. Lewis Lyle, on May 18 got its nose art, “Miss Liberty.” A team of airmen, volunteers, and contractors are fixing up this...

Catching Typos and Factual Errors

Thanks to the many Daily Report eNewsletter readers who contacted us about the typo in the May 26 column concerning the C-27A advisory unit in Afghanistan. As with most such typos, we had already corrected the entry in the online...

Air Sorties from SWA 051810

Air Sorties in Southwest Asia, May 18, 2010 Sortie Type OIF OEF OIF/OEF Total YTD ISR 23 51 74 8,671 CAS/Armed Recon 16 85 101 12,874 Airlift 151 151 23,557 Air refueling 55 55 5,982 Rescue 39 39 2,216 Total...