Plants Before Goal:

The Air Force plan to run much of its aircraft fleet on domestically produced synthetic fuel by 2016 has two potentially serious drawbacks—no plants and environmental concerns, reports Associated Press reporter James McPherson (article via Bismarck (N.D.) Tribune). Despite significant...

Unique Unit to Deploy to Iraq:

The Air Force’s first active associate unit, the 30th Airlift Squadron, which partnered with the Wyoming Air National Guard’s 153rd Airlift Wing in Cheyenne just over a year ago, will deploy as a unit this month to Balad AB, Iraq,...

Points for Trying?:

The union covering Boeing aerospace workers has a gripe about the business practices of EADS, whose executives may have acted upon insider information in stock trading, reports Donna Borak of Associated Press. The union would like for the Air Force...

Zingers over Alabama:

Responding to the scathing letter from Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.), Boeing says remarks by its officials recently would apply to any new production facility in any state, not just Alabama. George Talbot of the Press-Register obtained a copy of Boeing’s...

Air Strike Killed “25 Criminals”:

A statement from Multinational Force Iraq maintains that it has confirmed that the air strike on Oct. 5 requested to suppress an attack by a large number of individuals resulted “in 25 terrorists killed” despite news reports that those killed...

Airman Killed:

The Salt Lake Tribune reports that Lt. Col. Raymond Roessler, 43, assigned to the Ogden Air Logistics Center at Hill AFB, Utah, died in the crash of his civilian Piper Cherokee on Oct. 5 in San Bernardino County, Calif. Roessler...

Georgia ALC Gets New Role:

The head of the Warner Robins Air Logistics Center, Maj. Gen. Tom Owen, said that the Georgia ALC will become one of five Air Force regional contracting centers. During a ceremony at Macon State College on Oct. 5, marking the...

Versatile Pit Stop:

US Air Forces in Europe’s 496th Air Base Squadron runs a transient aircraft operation at Moron AB, Spain. Capt. Erin Dorrance reports that, in 2006, the 496th ABS provided safe harbor and services for 966 aircraft. And, its 11,180-foot runway,...

Keeping Up With Tankers:

Airmen of the 340th Aircraft Maintenance Unit in Southwest Asia over the past four months have supported some 3,200 sorties. To maintain that pace and “keep everyone out of the heat as much [as] possible, reports SSgt. Jason Barebo, the...

Iraqi Flying School Opens:

With the help of USAF airmen, the Iraqi Air Force has opened its flying training school at Kirkuk AB, Iraq. Its first class will have 10 students and two Cessna-172 aircraft, reports SSgt. Jared Marquis. The goal, according to Lt....

Have MTI, Will Travel:

Air Education and Training Command sent six of its military training instructors and one officer from Lackland AFB, Tex., to Camp Taji, Iraq, six months ago to launch a basic military training program for the Iraqi Air Force and graduate...

No Turbines Yet, Travis Radar First:

In California, Solano County planning commissioners decided to postpone until Dec.6 consideration of a proposal that would add another 88 wind turbines to some 700 already on the hills above Travis AFB, Calif., reports The Reporter. Air Force officials fear...

Air Sorties in the Global War on Terrorism

Oct. 5-6, 2007 Sortie Type OIF OEF OIF/OEF Total ISR 41 21 62 CAS/Armed Recon 138 76 214 Airlift 315 315 Air refueling 87 87 Total 179 97 402 678 OIF=Operation Iraqi Freedom OEF=Operation Enduring Freedom ISR=Intelligence-surveillance-reconnaissance Airlift includes Horn...