The Pentagon has announced that MSgt Randy J. Gillespie, 44, died July 9 in Herat, Afghanistan, of wounds received from small arms fire near Camp Stone. Gillespie deployed to Operation Enduring Freedom from the 56th Logistics Readiness Squadron at Luke...

Airmen flying and maintaining F-16s and A-10s deployed to Balad Air Base and Al Asad Airfield in Iraq, have been supplying close air support for some 10,000 ground forces engaged in Operation Arrowhead Ripper. Ripper has been waged over the...

The Air Force plans to divest Vandenberg AFB, Calif., of its sole aircraft unit, the 76th Helicopter Squadron, next month, as part of its financial belt-tightening effort, reports the Santa Maria Times. The unit’s UH-1 helicopters will go to other...

President Bush has nominated Army Gen. William Ward to become the first commander of the new US Africa Command, which when initially operational in October will be a sub-unified command under US European Command. The Pentagon expects Ward, who currently...

The Airborne Laser has completed a “fire control loop,” or sequence of events needed to fire its laser at a boosting ballistic missile, according to a July 9 Missile Defense Agency release. During the June 29 flight test, the ABL...

The Nebraska Air National Guard activated two new units—the 170th Group and 238th Combat Training Squadron—at Offutt AFB, Neb., last week. The two units will support the active-duty 55th Wing. The Omaha World Herald reports that there will be no...

The grand Total Force experiment placing active duty airmen with an Air National Guard unit in Cheyenne, Wyo., has passed its first year—and it’s working, reports 1st Lt. Tim Lockwood. Air Mobility Command activated the first active associate unit—the 30th...

Some 37 airmen of the Air National Guard, Air Force Reserve Command, and active-duty Air Force deployed to Iraq with the 557th Expeditionary RED HORSE are helping construct four tactical operations centers for US Army elements headquartered at Forward Operating...

The Air Force is expanding its testing of alternative fuels to airlifters, as we noted earlier this year. The service successfully tested the use of a 50-50 synthetic fuel with a B-52 bomber and now, reports The Olympian, it will...

Japan’s cabinet has approved the use of about 200 air force support elements in Iraq through July 31, 2008. In May, Japanese legislators passed a measure that would permit the airlift mission to continue for another two years.

The Air Force has named two airmen at Georgia installations as tops in their fields for the year. At Moody Air Force Base, 1st Lt. Kirk Henry has been named the service’s top combat rescue officer. At Robins Air Force...

July 7-8, 2007 Sortie Type OIF OEF OIF/OEF Total ISR 32 20 52 CAS/Armed Recon 100 78 178 Airlift 290 290 Air refueling 103 103 Total 132 98 393 623 OIF=Operation Iraqi Freedom OEF=Operation Enduring Freedom ISR=Intelligence-surveillance-reconnaissance Airlift includes Horn...