Air Force officials say the production version of the Global Hawk unmanned aerial vehicle has collected more than 96 percent of the “target deck”—some 5,000 images of enemy resources in the Southwest Asia theater. The UAV surveys large geographic areas...

Blue for Green—Training With the Army: Known as Iraqi Assistance Group Foxtrot, some 59 airmen recently received training with the Army at Ft. Hood, Tex., to prepare themselves to help the Iraqi Army develop its organizational and base infrastructure—the type...

Massachusetts and New Hampshire have activated their state National Guard to help as the states battle record rainfall, which has caused extensive flooding and numerous road closures. New Hampshire put about 100 airmen and 300 soldiers on standby, and, by...

Soon the Natural-Gas BUFF: The venerable B-52 bomber will serve as the alternative fuel guinea pig of the Air Force Research Lab’s propulsion directorate in September when a bomber flies with two of its eight engines running on a specially...

ANG Unit Makes Training “Real”: The Texas Air National Guard’s 149th Fighter Wing, which serves as an F-16 flying training unit for Air Education and Training Command, recently uprooted its students, instructor pilots, and ground support from Lackland AFB, Tex.,...

Boeing officials say the company has reached an agreement with the Justice Department for misconduct related to the Air Force’s Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle program and the Darleen Druyun affair. In a statement, Doug Bain, Boeing senior vice president for law, says the company “will accept responsibility for the conduct of its employees and make additional commitments regarding ongoing compliance.” Boeing and Lockheed Martin—the injured party in the EELV deal—already have made up. The two companies have been pursuing joint arrangements for Air Force launch services and the new Small Diameter Bomb.

And the Conclusion Is: According to Pentagon health affairs chief William Winkenwerder Jr., the work DOD has done with lawmakers on the Tricare fee issue has led to some conclusions: 1) Everyone agrees there is a “serious problem” with health...

The Air Force plans to implement what it calls the Installation Control Center at every base to replace the old amalgam of crisis response entities—command post, battle staff, survival recovery center, and wing operations center—that varied from base to base....

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and House Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Steve Buyer (R-Ind.) are trading written barbs over Buyer’s change this year to the timing of veteran service organization budget testimony. Veterans groups have been up in arms...

Spears to Take No. 2 Spot at SOUTHCOM: Air Force Maj. Gen. Glenn F. Spears has been named to become deputy commander of US Southern Command, headquartered in Miami. Spears, who is the Air Staff’s director of force management policy,...

Tucson Committee Shares Neighborly Thoughts: The folks in Tucson who consider the aircraft noise generated by activities at Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz., too excessive have generated a few suggestions to reduce noise but do no harm to the air base. The...

In Case You Missed It—Libya is OK, Now: The State Department on Monday confirmed that the US plans to restore full diplomatic relations with Libya. It will be removed from the list of state sponsors of terrorism. (Remember “El Dorado...

Maj. Connie O.Y. Wong, SMSgt. Kenneth Trawick, and SrA. Lyn C. Yin were among 11 servicemembers who last week received meritorious service awards from the Federal Asian-Pacific American Council. Wong, a member of the California Air National Guard, fostered democratic...

May 14, 2006 Sortie Type OIF OEF OIF/OEF Total ISR 15 7 22 CAS/Armed Recon 36 16 52 Airlift 160 160 Air refueling 40 40 Total 51 23 200 274 OIF=Operation Iraqi Freedom OEF=Operation Enduring Freedom ISR=Intelligence-surveillance-reconnaissance