The Chief of Staff of the Air Force has approved the service's new doctrine document for irregular warfare, the one it began working in early spring to establish the Air Force view of counterinsurgency warfare, having been relegated largely to a footnote in the Army-Marine Corp version. In a forward to AFDD 2-3, Gen. Michael Moseley writes: “Employed properly, airpower (to include air, space, and cyberspace capabilities) produces asymmetric advantages that can be effectively leveraged by joint force commanders in virtually every aspect of irregular warfare.” He adds that the document draws “heavily” on operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, but it is “broad, enduring, and forward-looking, rather than focusing on any particular operation, current or past.” The 103-page document has 11 “foundational” statements, one of which notes that the “valuable and unique” capabilities that USAF provides are “in many cases … flexible and persistent options” that offer “a less intrusive force that can respond quickly and improve commanders’ overall situation awareness.”

Almost overnight, standard Air Force language about threats to watch out for in the future has changed, owing to Russia’s resumption of strategic aviation operations and a pledge to renew its air force to 21st century standards. In a statement...

Civil Air Patrol lost three of its members from Wyoming last week during a search and rescue mission when the CAP Cessna 182 they were flying crashed in the Bighorn Mountains. Killed were: James Henderson, 59, of Cowley, Wyo.; Patricia...

Air Force medical personnel from Goodfellow AFB, Tex., and Lackland AFB, Tex., joined the personnel dispatched from Joint Task Force-Bravo in Honduras last week to aid relief operations in Peru following the 8.0 magnitude earthquake on Aug. 15. According to...

The Air Force has confirmed the earlier announcement by New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson that Air Force Special Operations Command has passed the environmental hurdle for starting the take-over of Cannon AFB, N.M. AFSOC plans to install Col. Tim Leahy,...

The 42nd Electronic Combat Squadron flew its first sortie last month at Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz., after its reactivation last year to become the EC-130H Compass Call flying training unit. The unit’s task is to train around 200 aircrew members each...

The new Introduction to Fighter Fundamentals course established at Vance AFB, Okla., just flew its first sortie earlier this month. Vance’s new 3rd Fighter Training Squadron formed earlier this year. This first class comprises six students, recent graduates of Joint...

NORAD dispatched two USAF F-15s to intercept a Cessna flying through the temporary flight restriction zone posted over Crawford, Tex., on Aug. 23. There’s no indication in this NORAD release of the origin of the fighters, but they apparently shot...

According to White House spokesman Gordon Johndroe, the just released National Intelligence Estimate shows that the Bush Administration “strategy has improved the security environment, but that we still face tough challenges ahead.” He also said, in a press statement, that...

A modified Minuteman II booster launched by personnel at Vandenberg AFB, Calif., Aug. 23 was the object of boost-phase data collected by the Missile Defense Agency’s NFIRE (near field infrared experiment) research satellite, launched earlier this year. The point was...

Lt. Gen. Chip Utterback, 13th Air Force boss, caught up on the details of the 36th Contingency Response Group’s planned expansion and the relocation of two Pacific Air Force contingency training courses when he visited the 36th at Andersen AFB,...

The Air Force has awarded the Bronze Star Medal to two airmen at Peterson AFB, Colo. for their actions in Iraq and Afghanistan. Capt. Kevin Lombardo, 21st Space Wing’s Security Forces, served as the battle captain of the Theatre Internment...

Lt. Col. Joseph Richardson received the 2007 Blacks in Government Meritorious Service Award during a ceremony earlier this month at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel in Nashville, Tenn., reports SrA. Paul Ross. Richardson is the director of operations for the 128th...

Aug. 23, 2007 Sortie Type OIF OEF OIF/OEF Total ISR 15 10 25 CAS/Armed Recon 69 45 114 Airlift 160 160 Air refueling 54 54 Total 84 55 214 353 OIF=Operation Iraqi Freedom OEF=Operation Enduring Freedom ISR=Intelligence-surveillance-reconnaissance Airlift includes Horn...