The Department of Defense has identified the two airmen who were killed on Jan. 22 in an IED attack on their convoy near Taji, Iraq—TSgt. Jason L. Norton, 32, of Miami, Okla., and SSgt. Brian McElroy, 28, of San Antonio....

The 27th Fighter Squadron from Langley AFB, Va., employed its new F-22As in their first real-world application, flying Operation Noble Eagle missions on Jan. 21 and 22. The sorties also were the first in which the Raptors carried live ordnance,...

The Pentagon has returned control of 10 of the 21 major acquisition programs that it had removed from USAF authority last year. Oddly, it was the new Air Force Secretary Michael Wynne, in his previous role as head of DOD acquisition, who revoked—temporarily—the Air Force’s milestone decision authority. The reason given at the time was leadership transition within the Air Force, whose Secretary, Undersecretary, and top acquisition official had resigned. Pentagon officials did not say why all 21 programs were not returned to USAF authority. Here is a list of the programs still under DOD purview.

Guard Cuts Spark Congressional Challenge: A bipartisan group of Senators has launched an effort to foil the Pentagon’s plan to cut National Guard forces. Leading the Capitol Hill crowd are Sen. Christopher Bond (R-Mo.) and Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.). Government...

Boeing now has the first USAF C-130 to modify to carry the Advanced Tactical Laser and battle management and beam control subsystems. The Pentagon expects the ATL concept technology program to produce a high-energy laser gunship capability for Special Operations....

London Press Can’t Save Alternate JSF Engine: British Prime Minister Tony Blair’s volley to save the Joint Strike Fighter alternate engine contract for the GE-Rolls Royce team was returned with no joy by President Bush. According to Reuters news service,...

An Air Force Predator UAV provided close air support for coalition troops under attack from anti-Iraqi forces in the vicinity of Tikrit, Iraq, on Jan. 22. The Predator fired one Hellfire missile, striking a vehicle armed with an improvised explosive...

As the Air Force shifts its Security Forces airmen to more warfighting roles in forward deployed areas, it wants to train other airmen to pick up the basic installation security role. Brig. Gen. Robert Holmes, director of security forces and...

California Feeling Space Pressure: With Florida ramping up efforts to protect and extend its space industry, California is getting a tad nervous. According to the Los Angeles Times, Florida and several other states are advancing space initiatives that are chipping...

CMSgt. David Popp, the top enlisted man for Air Combat Command, has been visiting ACC airmen deployed to Southwest Asia to see up close and personal whether the training and equipment ACC provides is right for the job. Of keen...

Air Force Audit Agency reports obtained by the Deseret (UT) Morning News say the Ogden Air Logistics Center at Hill AFB, Utah, OK’d the sale of surplus equipment without ensuring it was clear of sensitive information or parts. The problem,...

The Northrop Grumman-Raytheon team developing the Kinetic Energy Interceptor for the Missile Defense Agency has completed the first static test firing of the missile’s second-stage rocket motor. It was successful, say company officials. It marks one more step in the...

The Air Force unit responsible for testing the Predator A and Predator B UAVs has seen its mission expand since it began operation in June 2005 at Gray Buttes-El Mirage test facility, about 20 miles southeast of Edwards AFB, Calif....

Ask people in the US, Britain, France, Germany, and even Pacific region Japan if China and Taiwan are two separate countries and the answer overwhelmingly is yes, according to a new Gallup Poll survey. Such unanimity does not extend to...

Yi Liu has only been living in the United States since 2003, having emigrated from Canton Province to San Francisco’s Chinatown when she was 21. Soon afterward, she met an Air Force recruiter and decided to join the Air Force....

January 20-22, 2006 Sortie Type OIF OEF OIF/OEF Total ISR 33 12 – 45 CAS/Armed Recon 88 54 – 142 Airlift – – 495 495 Air refueling – – 89 89 Total 121 66 584 771 OIF=Operation Iraqi Freedom OEF=Operation...