Sue Payton, the Air Force’s acquisition chief, acknowledges the Air Force likely will not select a winning design for the next generation KC-X tanker until February. (It appears Senator Shelby’s office had the right skinny after all.) This is yet...

Talking with reporters at the Pentagon Tuesday, Sue Payton clarified the KC-X evaluation factors, saying price is not the most important part of the competition. The Air Force acquisition chief distributed a chart that shows cost/price is less important than...

The 366th Wing at Mountain Home AFB, Idaho had 12 F-15Es and 12 F-15Cs flying over Florida during the recent Air Force-wide grounding of F-15s. SrA. Brian Stives reports that the Idaho Gunfighters, sent the aircraft and some 150 airmen...

The Air Force has some 350 sharpshooters, those specially trained security forces airmen who serve as counter-snipers. In Iraq, airmen of the Close Precision Engagement Team with the 506th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron use a variety of cover techniques to...

The B-2 bomber is “an excellent platform to strike an enemy’s navy before it can put out to sea,” said Lt. Col. Todd Copeland, director of operations for the 393rd Expeditionary Bomb Squadron, noting the bomber’s stealth, precision, and heavy...

The gap between losing their A-10s and gaining new Joint Cargo Aircraft still worries Air National Guardsmen in Battle Creek, Michigan. Col. Rodger Seidel, commander of the 110th Fighter Wing, said this week that he and other officials are working...

The Air National Guard leadership broke ground at Andrews AFB, Md., just outside Washington, D.C., on a new $52 million ANG Readiness Center. TSgt. Mike Smith reports that the Air Guard plans to consolidate personnel in the existing center, also...

Air Force Space Command has deactivated the Air Force Space Battlelab at Schriever AFB, Colo., after 10 years of operation. The space battlelab, as with the seven other Air Force battlelabs, fell prey to the service’s money woes. All seven...

Officials at Warner Robins Air Logistics Center in Georgia are predicting that the 2008 defense spending bill, though slightly higher than last year’s, will find the center in a “little worse” position than in 2007. Gene Rector of The Telegraph...

According to Rep. Mike Turner (R-Ohio), the 2008 defense appropriations bill does include some $230 million to put construction projects on track to meet BRAC 2005-directed moves to Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio. Officials in Ohio have been working for more than...

The Senate has confirmed Lt. Gen. Howie Chandler to receive a fourth star and take charge of Pacific Air Forces. The President nominated Chandler in the spring to replace Gen. Paul Hester, who is to formally retire Jan. 1. PACAF...

According to a Nov. 20 news report by Capt. Greg Hignite, a trip to Europe by US Air Force energy guru Bill Anderson has furthered a “logical expansion” of USAF energy conservation efforts, enlisting the cooperation of Germany and other...

The Air Force has awarded a Bronze Star medal to Capt. Dana Metzger, operations officer for the 437th Security Forces Squadron at Charleston AFB, S.C, for his actions while deployed to Iraq. SSgt. Jennifer Arredondo reports that Metzger led the...

USAF civil engineering airmen deployed from Andersen AFB, Guam to Okinawa recently to participate in a Silver Flag exercise, during which counterparts in the Royal Australian Air Force observed their efforts to restore a damaged airfield. Also deploying from the...

Col. Robert Polumbo, vice commander of Air Force Reserve Command’s 482nd Fighter Wing at Homestead ARB, Fla., surpassed 4,000 flying hours in an F-16. SrA. Erik Hofmeyer reports that Polumbo, a 1984 Air Force Academy graduate, has been flying F-16s...

Nov. 18, 2007 Sortie Type OIF OEF OIF/OEF Total ISR 26 7 33 CAS/Armed Recon 51 36 87 Airlift 146 146 Air refueling 35 35 Total 77 43 181 301 OIF=Operation Iraqi Freedom OEF=Operation Enduring Freedom ISR=Intelligence-surveillance-reconnaissance Airlift includes Horn...