The Air Force’s chief information officer, Lt. Gen. Michael Peterson, says that the service’s information technology personnel—active duty and civilian—will be some of the first to be cut as USAF begins to drawdown by 40,000 positions over the next five...

Air Force officials have called brownout—the extremely reduced visibility condition often created by rotary wing aircraft operating in desert regions—a top operational problem. In April 2006, the Air Force Research Lab solicited industry interest in developing potential sensor solutions that would let rotary wing pilots “maintain geospatial awareness” and “confirm that the landing zone is suitable for landing.” The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, working on the issue with AFRL, hosted an industry workshop in the Washington, D.C. area yesterday. DARPA has dubbed its effort the Sandblaster Program.

Air Mobility Command has issued a request for information, seeking input on how to structure a proposal for contract air to haul passengers and cargo within the US Central Command area of responsibility—chiefly within Afghanistan. AMC’s ballpark figure for the total flying hours per year is 14,600. The RFI specifies two multi-engine aircraft capable of hauling up to 19 passengers and two to carry up to 12 people, with one in reserve that could transport 19. AMC plans to launch this contract operation in March 2007.

The Navy has formally struck from its promotion list Cmdr. Kirk Lippold, the commander of USS Cole when it was attacked by suicide bombers in Yemen in 2000, reports the Norfolk Virginian-Pilot. Lippold’s name had languished on the list since 2002, when the Navy’s two top leaders at the time—Secretary Gordon England and Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Vern Clark—approved his promotion to captain. Since then, wrote Lippold in a June 2006 letter to Air Force Magazine, his promotion has remained “in an undetermined status … due to political concerns.” Lippold took exception when our April article “The Second Sacking of Terryl Schwalier,” said he had not been “faulted.” He agreed that he was not faulted for the deadly suicide bombing, but said that a later investigation chastised him and his “entire chain of command” for their inability “to anticipate this new type of threat.” He noted that today’s military still has no defense against suicide terrorists. Lippold also noted that those in his chain of command had received promotions or were elevated to jobs with more responsibility.

It must be an especially sad day to send off your first F-16 to be upgraded for longer life, knowing that someone else will reap the benefits. Airmen of Air Force Reserve Command’s 944th Fighter Wing at Luke AFB, Ariz.,...

NORAD and US Northern Command have asked private and government air security experts for assistance in countering the threat posed by terrorists firing shoulder-launched missiles to aircraft flying within North America. The two commands hosted a conference last week that...

The Air Force’s KC-135 tankers are busy covering operations in Southwest Asia, where officials say they fly three times as often as in the states. And, keeping them flying 24/7 are some 140 airmen deployed from five stateside bases to...

An engine explosion caused the April 11, 2006, crash of an F-16 fighter from Luke AFB, Ariz., an Air Force investigation board concluded. According to the report, an engine valve malfunctioned, leading to the explosion and loss of engine thrust....

It’s the Rage—for Pets: We suppose it was inevitable that the craze to implant an identifying microchip on dogs and cats would shift over to humans. VeriChip Corp., which gained FDA approval for its radio frequency identification chips for humans,...

A recent Harris Poll found that a majority of Americans favor increased surveillance and monitoring of suspected terrorists, but they want Congress to authorize it. Harris cautions that these views may have changed since they were collected before the UK...

Air Force Security Forces airmen, whether active or reserve, participate in various exercises and training to stay on top of their expanded post-9/11 mission. Two recent cases in point: Phoenix Warrior and Patriot Defender—both designed to maintain skills needed to...

Air Force Research Lab’s Space Vehicles Directorate says it has turned over prototypes of the Space Situational Awareness Environmental Effects Fusion System (SEEFS), designed to provide real-time data to warfighters about how space weather may affect current operations or systems....

Aug. 21, 2006 Sortie Type OIF OEF OIF/OEF Total ISR 11 7 18 CAS/Armed Recon 42 26 68 Airlift 145 145 Air refueling 40 40 Total 53 33 185 271 OIF=Operation Iraqi Freedom OEF=Operation Enduring Freedom ISR=Intelligence-surveillance-reconnaissance