Not the first and won’t be the last describes the inactivation of 3rd Air Force at RAF Mildenhall, Britain. Numbered Air Forces around the Air Force have been making way for the new Warfighting Headquarters organizational element. (Read our article here.) US Air Forces in Europe has established its WFHQ at Ramstein AB, Germany, however, USAFE plans to keep a general officer—in this case, Maj. Gen. Paul Fletcher—in Britain as a senior US representative to Her Majesty’s government. Third Air Force’s presence in the United Kingdom dates to 1951, when USAF activated the command to fill the void left after Eight Air Force returned home after World War II.

There is little doubt that the Pentagon is sold on the Global Hawk unmanned aerial vehicle with its capability to provide sustained near real-time imagery and intelligence. And, officials have taken a couple of engine flameouts earlier this summer easily...

Air Mobility Command’s 18th Air Force has field tested its new Contingency Response Group, deploying some members to set up airfield operations in the areas devastated by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita plus the earthquake in Pakistan, But it sent an...

The Air Force plans to introduce the newest variant of the Huey family of helicopters, the TH-1H, on Nov. 5 at the Randolph AFB, Tex., air show, which this year commemorates the base’s 75th anniversary. The TH-1H sports an advanced...

After years of planning and discussions behind the scenes, the Pentagon announced it will form a US Marine Corps special operations element, called the Marine Special Operations Command (MARSOC). Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld told reporters that the new organization has...

Raytheon says the company has delivered the first full production Integrated Sensor Suite for the USAF’s RQ-4A Global Hawk unmanned aerial vehicle. The full production suite includes synthetic aperture radar and electro-optical/infrared hi-resolution imaging capability in a single sensor system...

Coalition aircraft on Nov. 1 participated in an air strike against Iraqi insurgents. According to US Central Air Forces, USAF F-15s used precision guided bombs to strike a building used by insurgents in the vicinity of Husaybah, Iraq.

A 71-member team of airmen with the 5th Combat Communications Group, Robins AFB, Ga., flew into Manas AB, Kyrgyzstan, to await their call to set up communications capability for the Pakistan earthquake relief effort. These combat communications specialists—battlefield airmen—are trained...

Congress has reached agreement on the Fiscal 2006 defense appropriations bill. There was no word yet on just what the final total would be, reports Congressional Quarterly. The Senate and House each cut the Administration’s defense request in their separate...

The Other X-1 Pilot: Chalmers “Slick” Goodlin, who lost the ride of a lifetime in the 1940s when he resigned as the Bell X-1 test pilot over a contract dispute, died last month at age 82. Goodlin had made 26...

Rumsfeld told reporters this week that he would not rule out raising the number of forces in Iraq as the country’s parliamentary elections approach in December. “It would not be a surprise to me that the commanders would want to...

Air Force Research Laboratory workers are busy at Kirtland AFB, N.M., developing the first portable, non-lethal deterrent weapon—called the Personnel Halting and Stimulation Response, or PHaSR. The weapon uses a two-wavelength laser system which temporarily impairs aggressors by “dazzling” bad...

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has warned US officials that he would consider sharing his country’s F-16 fighters with Cuba and China, according to the Associated Press. Chavez claims the Bush Administration has reneged on a contract to supply parts for...

Gallup has updated its Iraq polling this week, including a regional and demographic breakdown of those who now say it was a mistake to deploy troops to Iraq. According to the polling organization, a majority of 18 to 29 year...

Aircraft maintainers at Edwards AFB, Calif., volunteered to restore a historic aircraft for the base’s Air Force Flight Text Center museum. Airmen from the 412th Equipment Maintenance Squadron and the 31st Test and Evaluation Squadron worked weekends and nights for...

The Arnold Engineering Development Center’s Tunnel 9 facility in White Oak, Md., recently completed the mission-critical testing of the Hypersonic Technology Vehicle 1—a joint Air Force and DARPA program that is developing and demonstrating hypersonic technology. The capability envisioned involves...

USAF officers interested in becoming navigators have until Jan. 10, 2006, to apply for training. Officials extended the deadline, they say, because “of an increased opportunity.” Click here for more information.

Airmen, Get In Line: The Air Force has revamped its career job reservation program for Fiscal 2006 for re-enlistment eligible first-term airmen. The service added three specialties and dropped 13 others. Want more info, click here.

November 1, 2005 Sortie Type OIF OEF OIF/OEF Total ISR 9 7 – 16 CAS/Armed Recon 34 19 – 53 Airlift – – 180 180 Air refueling – – 32 32 Total 43 26 212 281 OIF=Operation Iraqi Freedom OEF=Operation...