The New York Air National Guard’s 107th Airlift Wing and Air Force Reserve Command’s 914th Airlift Wing accepted the first two C-130H2 transport aircraft that they will operate together during a ceremony May 2 at Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station....

Secretary of the Air Force Michael W. Wynne has directed changes in the cremation process for the remains of fallen warfighters from Afghanistan and Iraq that come through the mortuary at Dover AFB, Del., the US military’s single point for...

Pentagon acquisition czar John J. Young has given the Air Force the go-ahead to award the contract for the Global Positioning System Block III space segment. According to a statement issued by his office, Young signed an acquisition decision memorandum May 9 that clears the way for USAF to select “soon” either Boeing or Lockheed Martin “for final design and construction” of the first increment of the next-generation GPS Block III satellites. The first increment will comprise eight Block IIIA satellites. Both companies have been conducting risk-reduction activities for the past several years under Air Force sponsorship. Young said this technology maturation work, along with his directives in the ADM for the Air Force to take specific actions to mitigate risk, “set the stage for a successful GPS III program.” These actions, he said, include implementing incentives to reward the contractor for accomplishments and strictly sticking to the program’s defined scope in order to deliver on schedule and cost. The Air Force request for proposal from March 2007 called for first launch by 2013.

The Noncommissioned Officers Academy at Robins AFB, Ga., will officially close its doors May 20, according to a May 8 release from the base. The Robins facility is the second of at least four NCO academies that the Air Force...

The Air Force in April concluded the three-year process of swapping out more than 50 older F-15s assigned to the 18th Wing at Kadena AB, Japan, for newer Eagles from bases in the US. The final three of Kadena’s older...

SrA. Jonathan A.V. Yelner, who was killed April 29 when his vehicle struck an improvised explosive device near Bagram AB, Afghanistan, was awarded a Bronze Star medal posthumously May 8 during a memorial service at Ellsworth AFB, S.D. He was...

MSgt. Anthony Acciani, an EC-130H Compass Call flight engineer, flew his 1,000th career sortie May 7 during a mission over Iraq. Acciani, a 21-year Air Force veteran, is deployed from Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz., with the 43rd Expeditionary Electronic Combat Squadron....

A-10s, F-15Es, and a B-1B bomber struck enemy combatants engaging friendly forces with 500-pound laser-guided bombs and 2,000-pound joint direct attack munitions May 9 in Asadabad, Afghanistan, Air Forces Central announced May 10. A joint terminal attack controller confirmed the...

Since their inception a few years ago, demand for the Air Force’s Fly Away Security Teams has grown markedly. In fact, Stars and Stripes reported May 9 that they are being considered for use on Army helicopters in addition to...

Air Force Research Lab engineers responded quickly to a warfighter need by designing a new simple, lightweight, and user-friendly cable, dubbed “Grab M,” that enables joint terminal attack controllers to transfer target location data for directing airstrikes from their laser...

Air Sorties in War on Terrorism, Southwest AsiaMay 9, 2008 Sortie Type OIF OEF OIF/OEF Total YTD ISR 26 11 37 3,724 CAS/Armed Recon 38 50 88 11,177 Airlift 117 117 16,359 Air refueling 50 50 5,181 Total 292 36,441...