Special Ops Looks Over Cannon:

A team from Air Force Special Operations Command has looked over Cannon AFB, N.M., as a potential site to expand its operations from its primary base at Hurlburt Field, Fla. According to a Cannon spokesperson, AFSOC reps have made two...

New Mexico Has New Woe:

As if finding a new mission for Cannon were not enough, now Sen. Pete Domenici (R) and Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D) must deal with the Air Force’s plan to speed up retirement of the F-117s based at Holloman AFB, N.M....

Which Base Will Lose Missiles?:

Under the just-released QDR, the Air Force will reduce its Minuteman III ICBM fleet by 50 missiles. Officials would not provide details as to which Minuteman base would take the cut. Speculation has started, with the Great Falls Tribune reporting...

Will Ohio Senators Succeed Where Blair Failed?:

The two Republican Senators from Ohio are protesting the Pentagon plan to curtail development of an alternate Joint Strike Fighter engine. According to the Dayton Daily News, Sen. Mike DeWine and Sen. George Voinovich wrote to Sen. John Warner, chairman...

Boosting Tricare Fees Will Not Be a Cakewalk:

Veterans associations are on the attack, and some lawmakers express skepticism at the Pentagon’s plan to increase Tricare payments for military retirees under age 65. The Pentagon claims it must boost charges, which have remained static since 1995, to keep...

Krieg Wants CSAR-X Checked Twice:

In a rare late Friday afternoon Pentagon press briefing, Pentagon acquisition guru Ken Kreig talked not much about numerous topics. (Officials said Kreig wanted to clarify new business practices mentioned in the QDR.) Questioned about CSAR-X—Air Force Special Operations Command’s...

No C-17 Collision Report, Pilot Flying Again:

Since there was minor damage when a C-17 airlifter collided with a KC-135 during an aerial refueling on Dec. 22, Air Force officials at Hickam AFB, Hawaii, say the service will not release the accident investigation report. The pilot of...

No More Good Conduct?:

USAF has made several recent changes to its uniform wear regulations, courtesy of the 97th Air Force Uniform Board, and among them is curtailment of the Air Force Good Conduct Medal. Service officials offered no explanation for axing the medal,...

Special Delivery to Afghanistan:

An Alaska Air National Guard C-130 cargo aircraft airdropped 10 bundles of supplies—comprising 11,840 pounds of rice, oil, blankets, and other emergency relief material—to a mountain village 9,000 feet above sea level. The Afghanistan government made a special request for...

USAF Medics in Ecuador:

Air Force Space Command medics from Peterson AFB, Colo., wrapped up a 10-day exercise in Ecuador last week, during which they visited four isolated towns to treat some 7,000 Ecuadorians. In one day, Feb. 7, the 21st Space Wing medics...

USAFE Sends Mechanics to Africa:

US Air Forces in Europe plans to send a mobile vehicle maintenance team to Mozambique this month to offer local military forces insight into how USAF manages vehicle support. The visit marks USAF’s first military-to-military interface with the African nation,...

Senior Enlisted Get Jointness Indoctrination:

Some 40 senior enlisted personnel from every branch of the US military recently descended upon Peterson AFB, Colo., as part of the Pentagon’s Keystone course, a two-week immersion in the joint arena. At Peterson, the enlisted leaders received indoctrination into...

Pentagon Policy Chief Finally Gets Senate OK:

The Senate has confirmed Eric Edelman to be Undersecretary of Defense for Policy—after a 10-month delay. President Bush formally put Edelman in the job in August 2005 as a recess appointment, which would have expired in 2007. Edelman replaced Douglas...

Air Sorties in the Global War on Terrorism

February 9, 2006 Sortie Type OIF OEF OIF/OEF Total ISR 12 3 – 15 CAS/Armed Recon 42 22 – 64 Airlift – – 155 155 Air refueling – – 29 29 Total 54 25 184 263 OIF=Operation Iraqi Freedom OEF=Operation...