Sept. 1, 2010 Compass Call squadron departs 386th AEW as a result of drawdown in Iraq The last EC-130H assigned to the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing departed here this morning for deployment to another U.S. Central Command base, capping a 6 ½-year tour of duty in which Compass Call crews flew an astonishing 23,300 combat hours in direct support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.The move is
Sept. 1, 2010 First sergeants serve important role For first sergeants, every day is different. One day they may help an Airman fly home on emergency leave, another they may run around base attending meetings and may be woken up at 2 a.m. another day to handle some emergency situation.This is the reality for anyone who volunteers to serve as a first
Aug. 26, 2010 Ramadan a month of prayer, purity Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. This year, it will begin Aug. 11 with Hilāl, the appearance of the crescent moon which occurs a day or two after the new moon. Muslims believe Ramadan to be an auspicious month for the revelations of God to humankind, being the month in which the
Aug. 25, 2010 Direct communication between Airmen key to suicide prevention More than a decade in the making, the culture of the "wingman" approach to suicide prevention is still evolving as risk factors and causes of suicide are becoming more widely understood. The wingman concept should be very familiar to most Airmen. Suicide prevention training has been incorporated
Aug. 20, 2010 New Horizons attorney organizes donations to Panamanian children Capt. Aaron Jackson knew before he volunteered to deploy to Panama for New Horizons that he wanted to do something special to improve the quality of life for children in Darien Province - so he sent a message to friends and family back home to see if anyone would donate items.From a simple letter
Aug. 20, 2010 U.S. mission in Iraq officially changes Sept. 1 A fundamental shift will take place at the end of the month in the mission of U.S. forces in Iraq, a Pentagon official said Aug. 19.The change in mission from Operation Iraqi Freedom to Operation New Dawn reflects the improvement in conditions in Iraq and officially will end the U.S. combat mission
Aug. 20, 2010 Recruiters, advisors have profound impact Special duty assignments throughout the Air Force offer Airmen a variety of opportunities and experiences. Yet, few positions allow Airmen to have the impact that being a recruiter or career assistance advisor does.Air Force recruiters are responsible for finding people who meet the high standards
Aug. 13, 2010 43rd ECS Airman reaches 10,000 flight hours Senior Master Sgt. Timothy R. O'Donnell, 43rd Electronic Combat Squadron superintendent, logged his 10,000th hour of official Air Force flight on Aug. 3, 2010, in the skies over Southern Arizona. Sergeant O'Donnell, a career enlisted aviator, entered the Air Force Reserves in August 1982 and then
Aug. 13, 2010 National Aviation Day celebrates history of flight The art of aviation has come a long way since the ballooning regiments of the Army Air Corps and the Wright brothers. On Aug. 19, National Aviation Day, Americans have the opportunity to celebrate the more than 70-year history of flight and milestones along the way. On Dec. 17, 1903, Orville Wright
Aug. 12, 2010 55th Wing gets new command chief, lots of energy The 55th Wing welcomed a new command chief last month, just in time for the activation of a new squadron, the 2010 Defenders of Freedom Open House and Air Show, a unit compliance inspection and another upswing in operational readiness exercises. Chief Master Sgt. Suzan Sangster, who arrived from a
Aug. 10, 2010 Fightin' Fifty-Fifth achieves 20-year milestone in the AOR As of Aug. 9, the RC-135 V/W Rivet Joint from Offutt AFB, Neb., and the patriots operating in the shadows behind it have been continuously deployed and operating in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility for 20 consecutive years. Words alone can't adequately describe the significance of 20
Aug. 9, 2010 Air war architect reflects on Operation Desert Shield 20 years later The day retired Gen. Charles A. Horner received the call 20 years ago that eventually launched Operation Desert Shield he was flying his F-16 Fighting Falcon, engaged in an air-to-air training mission near the North Carolina coast with two F-15 Eagles from Langley Air Force Base, Va. General Horner,
Aug. 6, 2010 Offutt getting ready for the 2010 Defenders of Freedom Open House and Air Show With less than a month before the show dates of Aug. 28 and 29, planning is fully underway for Offutt's 2010 Defenders of Freedom Open House and Air Show."This is a show that you might see at any big base," said Maj. Eric Nelson, the air show director. "Our biggest challenge is getting all four