The Air Force has entered a multinational research partnership with the Australian Defense Department to pursue hypersonic technology development. The $54 million cooperative program—called Hypersonic International flight Research Experimentation, or HiFIRE, covers six years of basic and applied research shepherded...

The San Francisco Board of Education voted 4-2 Tuesday to phase out its school system’s Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps program, reports Associated Press news service. The problem, the board says, is the Pentagon’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy, enacted...

Air Force Reserve Command provides some 80 percent of the Air Force’s vaunted aeromedical evacuation capability, declared Lt. Gen. James Roudebush, Air Force Surgeon General, Wednesday at an Air Force seminar on Capitol Hill. He added that, in 2005 and...

The Air Force Medical Service has developed a new medical package tailored to humanitarian relief operations—the big difference in this package and the service’s expeditionary packages is that it contains a mini base support element. Lt. Gen. James Roudebush, Air...

At a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing Wednesday, chairman to-be Sen. Carl Levin (D-Mich.) continued to demand that the Administration start laying down a troop withdrawal plan. Facing him was US Central Command chief, Army Gen. John Abizaid, who wants...

The Senate Democrats have announced their committee picks when Congress convenes in the New Year. Chairing committees with a key role in national defense will be: • Carl Levin (Mich.)—Armed Services • Robert Byrd (W.Va.)—Appropriations • Joe Lieberman (Conn.)—Homeland Security...

Senate Democratic leaders have meted out committee assignments for the new Congress, adding to Armed Services Mark Pryor (Ark.) and newcomers Claire McCaskill (Mo.) and James Webb (Va.). For the Appropriations Committee, they added Frank Lautenberg (N.J.), Ben Nelson (Neb.),...

Desert duty is taking its toll on USAF aircraft. Take for example, the A-10s of Air Force Reserve Command’s 442nd Fighter Wing, Whiteman AFB, Mo., which a wing news release says get a complete once over upon their return from...

Active duty airmen and civilians leaving USAF as part of the 40,000 personnel drawdown have a chance to continue an Air Force career by becoming an air reserve technician with Air Force Reserve Command. ARTs work as full-time civilian employees...

Early morning flights from March ARB, Calif., have begun to irritate the people of Riverside and Riverside County, prompting the city and county elected officials to seek a noise study and flight path analysis, reports the Press-Enterprise. However, the offenders...

Tinker AFB, Okla., officials have named the base’s new military working dog kennel facility after security forces dog handler TSgt. Jason Norton. Norton was killed near Taji, Iraq, on Jan. 22, 2006, when his vehicle struck an improvised explosive device....

The Gallup Poll is quick to check the American pulse for their Presidential preferences after the mid-term Congressional election has closed. A new USA Today/Gallup poll suggests that New York Sen. Hillary Clinton leads (31 percent) the Democratic field, with...

The Air Force has awarded Boeing $296 million to produce 12,889 Joint Direct Attack Munition guidance kits for 500-, 1,000-, and 2,000-pound bombs. The contract covers Lot 11; the service has just issued a sources sought for Lots 12-17. USAF...

Air Force military and civilian firefighters from Travis AFB, Calif., just took top honors for the third time at the World Firefighter Combat Challenge, held Nov. 7-11 at Hendersen, Nev. The Travis team last month won the US competition held...

Building on the unanimous House vote Nov. 15 that passed H.R. 6314, a bill that would broaden the education benefit for veterans and their families and prevent the expiration of other veterans’ benefits, House Veterans Committee Chairman Steve Buyer (R-Ind.)...

Nov. 14, 2006 Sortie Type OIF OEF OIF/OEF Total ISR 19 7 26 CAS/Armed Recon 32 46 78 Airlift 150 150 Air refueling 37 37 Total 51 53 187 291 OIF=Operation Iraqi Freedom OEF=Operation Enduring Freedom ISR=Intelligence-surveillance-reconnaissance