Pentagon Providing “Substantial” Katrina Relief Support

“The greatest disaster recovery effort in American history” is under way right now, according to Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. He and USAF Gen. Richard Myers, JCS Chairman, Tuesday afternoon told reporters at the Pentagon that more than 41,000 of the...

Enough Guard To Go Around

Rumsfeld bristled when one reporter asked for a comment on critics who maintain the war on terrorism limited the ability of the National Guard to repond to this natural disaster at home. His answer: “That’s just flat wrong.” Earlier in...

For Two States: Ain’t Over Till It’s Over

Illinois and Missouri took new legal moves last Thursday to stop the BRAC actions that would divest each state of its Air National Guard fighter aircraft. Missouri filed a preliminary injunction to protect the 131st Fighter Wing’s F-15s at Lambert...

Testing the Whole Shebang

The F/A-22 Raptor on Aug. 29 demonstrated its air-to-ground capability, launching two Joint Direct Attack Munitions on the Utah Test and Training Range—the culminating slice of a mission scenario, not the whole pie. It was the first of a series...

Is It Ready Yet?

The Air Force last week completed flight tests on the latest version of the Global Hawk UAV. Test personnel at Edwards AFB, Calif., put the Block 10 production UAV through a battery of exercises, covering flying operations and electro-optical, infrared,...

A Neverending Supply of Crises

The hurricane in New Orleans did nothing to dampen the wildfire raging in Idaho, so on Sunday Air Force Reserve Command’s 302nd Airlift Wing, Peterson AFB, Colo., sent two C-130s and crews to help battle the Idaho blaze.

Coming Home Early to Attend to Hurricane Aftermath

More than 300 active duty and reserve airmen who were deployed to Southwest Asia from assignments at Keesler AFB, Miss., are being sent home early to help their families and help rebuild the devastated base. Another 100 airmen scheduled to...

A Place to Shower and Rest

Airmen who have poured in to Louis Armstrong International Airport to assist with disaster efforts in New Orleans will have tent cities, complete with latrines, showers, and laundry services, courtesy of the newly formed 4th Air Expeditionary Force. The 4th...

Clinton on BRAC

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) touted her state’s BRAC victories in an op-ed Tuesday in the New York Post, saying the BRAC commission “reminded the Pentagon yet again of the indispensable value of New York’s military installations.” Thoughtfully, she did...

Not Your Grandfather’s Zeppelin

Going into the you’ve-got-to-be-kidding category is the name for DARPA’s new global reach air vehicle program—it’s Walrus. But the news is that DARPA last week issued contracts to two companies for this venture into a heavier-than-air vehicle designed to transport...

Yes, Stay, But Pay Us More

President Kurmanbek Bakiyev of Kyrgyzstan on Monday reinforced his commitment to allowing the US military to stay on his territory and use the Manas Air Base to support operations in Afghanistan, according to the Associated Press. Bakiyev said the US...

Having Beaten Our F-15s Last Year

Having Beaten Our F-15s Last Time: The Indian Air Force plans to pit its fighters against USAF airpower in the next Cope India exercise, coming up in November. Stay tuned.

Americans Sympathize with Sheehan

The Gallup Organization has done a survey on America’s opinion of Cindy Sheehan--the California woman who led an antiwar vigil outside President Bush’s Texas ranch this past month. While a majority of Americans sympathize with Sheehan (91 percent) and think Bush should meet with her (58 percent), fewer agree with the actions she has taken in her opposition to the war in Iraq (49 percent sympathize but disagree with her). Public opinion on the war has not changed significantly since her protest, with 40 percent approving of Bush’s handling of the war, which is the same result as June.

Making It Easier To Stay Safe

Northrop Grumman will develop improvements to the Tactical Automated Security System used by the Air Force to protect troops and forward operating bases. TASS version 6, says a company news release, will significantly strengthen security. What is significantly? V.6 offers...

What Makes Joe Run?

Is the prospect of facing a Congressional inquiry over whether he soft-pedaled the Administration’s role in the Air Force’s tanker controversy driving Pentagon Inspector General Joseph E. Schmitz out the door? Possibly, says the Los Angeles Times. Schmitz announced last...

$300,000 Isn’t Chicken Feed

The Air Force says that airmen using CLEP—the College Level Examination Program—and Excelsior exam program to gain college credit without attending class, saved the government some $300,000 this past year. The service doesn’t know how much each airman saved, but...

On Second Thought

Airmen who received accumulated credit for combined joint task force deployments cannot add that credit to current or future joint assignments, according to updated guidance from the Air Force Personnel Center. Seems the news the Air Force released earlier (DR,...

CENTAF Highlights From Southwest Asia

On Sept. 1, USAF F-16s launched one GBU-38 against anti-Iraqi forces in the vicinity of Al Qaim, Iraq, who were firing on coalition forces. In other action, F-16s and a Predator UAV provided CAS for coalition troops near Al Muqdadiyah,...

Air Sorties in the Global War on Terrorism

September 6, 2005 Sortie Type OIF OEF OIF/OEF Total ISR – – – – CAS/Armed Recon – – – – Airlift – – – – Air refueling – – – – Total – – – – OIF=Operation Iraqi Freedom OEF=Operation...