Guam’s New Frequent Guest:

The F-22 Raptor aircraft will be a frequent guest at Anderson AFB, Guam, beginning in mid-2008, Gen. Paul V. Hester, commander of US Pacific Air Forces, told reporters at an unveiling ceremony for PACAF’s first F-22, currently under production at...

Flying First with the First:

The airmen destined to fly the F-22s out of Elmendorf AFB, Alaska, will first hone their skills flying their AK tail flash emblazoned Raptors with the veteran F-22 crews of the 1st Fighter Wing at Langley AFB, Va. As the...

Another VA Data Loss Surfaces:

Veterans Affairs said Monday that a subcontractor reported a “missing” computer containing names, addresses, and social security numbers, among other information, on up to 38,000 veterans who used the VA medical centers in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. Unisys Corp., hired to...

Suspects Are in Custody:

Area law enforcement agencies arrested two teenagers this weekend in connection with the May 3 theft of a laptop and external hard drive from the home of a now-former Veteran Affairs employee. The affair sparked a nearly two-month hullabaloo for...

Air Battle Managers “Text” Raptors:

Tyndall AFB, Fla., is spearheading training in the integration of F-22A fighter tactics with command and control platforms. Air battle managers are training at Tyndall to send free text messages to Raptor pilots using Link-16, a high-speed digital data-link that...

Misstatements Were Not Willful Attempts to Deceive:

Military officials did not knowingly mislead the 9/11 Commission, according to the DOD Inspector General, reports the New York Times. “We haven’t found any information to indicate the testimony was knowingly false,” William Goehring, Pentagon IG spokesman, told the Times....

Every Airman a Storyteller:

Air Force Secretary Michael Wynne says in a new letter to airmen that they do their “job so well, most Americans simply don’t think about the Air Force’s contribution to the Global War on Terror—to include the efforts of those of you serving on the ground in Iraq and Afghanistan.” To help remedy that, the Air Force has decided to launch a “strategic communication” program, whose “success … will rely on making every airman an ambassador for our Air Force.” The Air Force plans to distribute “The Air Force Story” throughout the service as a reference and provide airmen with an “airman’s card,” detailing among other cautions that it is best to “be honest, candid, and stay within your area of expertise” when “telling your story.”

Invisible Force With a Big Hammer:

Gen. Kevin P. Chilton, head of Air Force Space Command, described his new command as the “invisible force” and labeled 20th Air Force’s ICBM force as the President’s “biggest hammer,” on a recent visit to F.E. Warren AFB, Wyo., home...

The Alaska Exercise Makeover:

Now that Pacific Air Forces has wrapped up Cooperative Cope Thunder 06-3, the command’s next multi-national combat training exercise will appear as Red Flag-Alaska. Reportedly there were several variations in play for a name, including Red Flag North and Cooperative...

Taking the Money and Running:

Too many civilian employees have opted to apply for the proffered early retirement and cash buyout programs at Hill AFB, Utah, at least by official reckoning of the number the base can afford to let go. On the first day,...

The Air Guard Has Sharpshooters:

The one-of-a-kind Air National Guard unit assigned to Ft. Bliss, Tex., has an additional capability along with its heavy weapons role—sharpshooter. Among the Air Force’s some 270 sharpshooters, 12 of them reside within the Texas ANG’s 204th Security Forces Squadron....

122 Saved Lives:

The 347th Rescue Wing based at Moody AFB, Ga., has saved 122 people in Afghanistan since June 1. The total includes 66 people with “potentially fatal injuries” and 56 people with “critical injuries,” according to an Air Combat Command release....

Tuskegee Airpark:

Luke AFB, Ariz., has honored the famed World War II Tuskegee Airmen by dedicating an airpark in their honor. Attending an Aug. 2 ceremony were more than 50 of the original Tuskegee Airmen. The airpark includes an F-16 Viper aircraft...

TacSat-2 Scheduled for Launch:

The launch date for the first TacSac-2 microsatellite is set for Nov. 13, 2006, from NASA’s Wallops Island launch facility at Wallops Island, Va. The goal of the joint project is to help prove responsive space concepts, including the rapid...

Playing the Name Game:

In a move to conform to USAF’s organizational master plan, officials at the Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles AFB, Calif., have changed unit and office designations, creating wings and groups in the place of program offices. The changes...

Air Sorties in the Global War on Terrorism

Aug. 4-6, 2006 Sortie Type OIF OEF OIF/OEF Total ISR 38 25 63 CAS/Armed Recon 134 73 207 Airlift 520 520 Air refueling 116 116 Total 172 98 636 906 OIF=Operation Iraqi Freedom OEF=Operation Enduring Freedom ISR=Intelligence-surveillance-reconnaissance