Helo Crash Survivors Evacuated

A USAF aeromedical evacuation control team flew 11 of the 14 survivors of the Army CH-47 Chinook helicopter that crashed in Afghanistan on Feb. 18 to Germany within hours of the crash that killed eight personnel, including Air Force TSgt....

Blackcats Begin Pope Exodus

The 41st Airlift Squadron Blackcats on Feb. 16 became the first unit to officially “leave” Pope AFB, N.C., marking in a special ceremony the realignment of the 41st AS from Pope to Little Rock AFB, Ark. The “new” 41st will...

The Good and Bad News

Air Force personnel chief Lt. Gen. Roger Brady told lawmakers that USAF recruiters have “filled every requirement” for combat control, pararescue, tactical air control party, linguists, and survival, escape, resistance, and evasion positions since 2001. Recruiters have been helped in...

Losing EOD Airmen

According to Gen. Michael Moseley, Air Force Chief of Staff, most of the explosive ordnance disposal work being done in Afghanistan and Iraq is accomplished by Air Force and Navy EOD specialists. And, Air Force Secretary Michael Wynne told lawmakers...

The Fallacy of ILO

Air Force Secretary Michael Wynne says that the Air Force is beginning to put pressure on the Army to stop using airmen “in lieu of” soldiers. He already is on record saying that “every airman a rifleman” doesn’t work over...

McConnell Replaces Negroponte

Retired Vice Adm. Mike McConnell became the second director of national intelligence yesterday at Bolling AFB, D.C. Attending the swearing in ceremony, President George Bush characterized the responsibilities of the DNI as “enormous challenges,” saying McConnell has the “experience and...

JTACs Receive Bronze Stars:

The Air Force has awarded Bronze Star medals to two joint terminal attack controllers—SSgt. Trevor Bradford and SSgt. Matthew Muse—from the 5th Air Support Operations Squadron at Ft. Lewis, Wash. Bradford served with an Army cavalry unit in Iraq in 2003 when his unit came under intense enemy fire for more than three days, during which time Bradford returned fire and continuously coordinated air support. In 2006, Muse’s efforts in coordinating close air support and providing real-time intelligence helped keep his teammates safe and enabled the capture of 11 high value individuals.

Uncertain Role in AFRICOM for USAFE:

The future role of US Air Forces in Europe where Africa is concerned has yet to be defined since announcement of the establishment of US Africa Command, reports USAF journalist MSgt. Ron Przysucha. A transition team in Stuttgart, Germany, is...

China’s Involvement in Africa a “Test Case”?:

The Center for Strategic and International Studies has released a report pointing out that China believes Africa is on the verge of a developmental takeoff—and plans to participate. Speaking at a CSIS forum, Jim Swan, the State Department’s deputy assistant...

Not So Fast:

Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.) and Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.) have submitted legislations backed by the Air Force Association and 34 other military support associations that would set caps on health care cost increases for military retirees under 65 and their...

Bipartisan Kick in the Keister:

It took a joint letter from Senate Veterans Committee Chairman Daniel Akaka (D-Hawaii) and ranking member Larry Craig (R-Idaho) to get DOD bureaucrats to renew Veterans Affairs physician access to a key military patient database, according to a Feb. 16...

PCBs Found at Hill:

Polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs, have been found in soil samples of about 100 homes in a section of military family housing near the southwest gate of Hill AFB, Utah. The Deseret Morning News reports that construction crews detected the PCBs...

Air Sorties in the Global War on Terrorism

Feb. 18, 2007 Sortie Type OIF OEF OIF/OEF Total ISR 13 10 23 CAS/Armed Recon 53 30 83 Airlift 140 140 Air refueling 38 38 Total 66 40 178 284 OIF=Operation Iraqi Freedom OEF=Operation Enduring Freedom ISR=Intelligence-surveillance-reconnaissance