President Bush informed the nation this afternoon in a televised press conference that Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is stepping down. Bush intends to nominate former CIA director Robert Gates to replace Rumsfeld. Gates currently is serving as president of Texas...

Maj. Charles Seidel, weapons production manager at Eglin AFB, Fla., for the Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile, says he is now a believer in the Air Force’s new “smart operations” effort. Seidel led a “rapid improvement event” team formed in July to explore refining the AMRAAM acquisition process—and succeeded in cutting a “very sound” acquisition process from 48 weeks to 20 weeks, reports the current Eglin Eagle base newspaper. Seidel says, “Time is money and getting the missiles to the warfighters six months earlier is an immediate plus.”

The 9th Reconnaissance Wing at Beale AFB, Calif., has received its second RQ-4A Global Hawk unmanned aerial vehicle. The high-flying UAV arrived at Beale on Nov. 3 after testers at Edwards Air Force Base checked it out. This is the...

Mechanics at the Ogden Air Logistics Center, Hill AFB, Utah, have cut the time it takes to repair an F-16 fighter antenna from 28 days (in the door) to three days (shipped out). And, in so doing, the nine members...

The Air Force has invested $7.5 million to replace the B-52 bomber’s weapons testers—the equipment that certifies the elderly bombers can still release their weapons. The Oklahoma Air Logistics Center at Tinker AFB, Okla., signed a contract with Boeing earlier...

The airmen at Edwards AFB, Calif., who test parachutes for a living have been practicing their trade with the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter’s IGQ type 6000 parachute. Testers with the 418th Flight Test Squadron each made 10 jumps last month...

USAF has promoted 417 enlisted members to chief master sergeant, following evaluation of 2,475 senior master sergeants. The selection rate was 16.85 percent, compared to 22.83 percent last year.

The Air Armament Center at Eglin AFB, Fla., has issued a sources sought for the next six production lots (#12 through #17) of Joint Direct Attack Munitions. The service needs to replace JDAMs used in training, test, and operations and...

Aircrews and planners who work with the C-17 strategic airlifter have a language all their own to encompass the airlifter’s many varied taskings. Basically, reports Air Force journalist TSgt. Mary Hinson, there are two categories: Tanker Airlift Control Center missions...

The Warner Robins Air Logistics Center, Robins AFB, Ga., has requested information from commercial suppliers toward purchasing a new handgun for the Air Force. So far, the 782nd Combat Sustainment Support Squadron only wants to know what’s out there, but...

The Air Force has one military gunsmith left—Air National Guard MSgt. Daniel Norwood—reports Air Force journalist SSgt. Jeremy Larlee. Norwood, who serves as shop supervisor of the Air and Army National Guard marksmanship unit at Camp Robinson, Ark., has worked...

Considering all the negative hype over DOD’s new National Security Personnel System, the fact that nearly two-thirds of the guinea pigs at Tinker AFB, Okla., received “threes” on the NSPS five-point scale is a welcome relief. The Washington Post reports...

The Space and Missile Systems Center at Los Angeles AFB, Calif., has asked for information by Nov. 17 to support concept development of the Air Force’s rapid attack identification, detection, and reporting system—just call it RAIDRS. The RAIDRS block 20...

In recognition of her volunteer efforts to help refurbish a long-neglected British cemetery in Habbaniyah, Iraq, USAF Capt. Jutta Cortes has been asked to march with British veterans of the Royal Air Force Habbaniyah Association Nov. 12 at The Cenotaph...

Nov. 6, 2006 Sortie Type OIF OEF OIF/OEF Total ISR 13 9 22 CAS/Armed Recon 34 52 86 Airlift 160 160 Air refueling 31 31 Total 47 61 191 299 OIF=Operation Iraqi Freedom OEF=Operation Enduring Freedom ISR=Intelligence-surveillance-reconnaissance