The California Air National Guard is trying to get ahead of the impending retirement of the 144th Fighter Wing’s F-16s, once the unit’s fighters “age out,” according to a wing official who spoke with the Associated Press news service. Although...

The F-22A Raptors and F-15 Eagles assigned to Langley AFB, Va., will head to other locales this summer while the base revamps its 10,000-foot runway, reports the Hampton Roads Daily Press. Plans already include F-22 participation in Alaska’s Northern Edge...

Northrop Grumman officials say the recent static test fire of a technology demonstrator motor for the Minuteman III ICBM was successful and heralds arrival of a motor that could “greatly improve performance, range, and affordability” of the MMIII. Northrop credited...

Global Hawk Passes Wet Runway Test: The Global Hawk unmanned aerial vehicle test team at Edwards AFB, Calif., has completed testing the UAV’s braking capability on a wet runway. Officials say it was the first-ever such test with a UAV....

Fallon Opens Door to Chinese Military: During his recent visit with Chinese officials, US Pacific Command’s Adm. William Fallon said he issued an invitation to Chinese military officials to observe a US military exercise next month on Guam, according to...

Whiteman Reservists Touch Down in Afghanistan: Airmen from Air Force Reserve Command’s 442nd Fighter Wing at Whiteman AFB, Mo., have arrived at Bagram AB, Afghanistan, with their A-10 Warthogs to conduct air-to-ground missions. The first six aircraft maintainers and pilots...

Keflavik Airmen Get More Help: US Air Forces in Europe has sent two teams of experts to NAS Keflavik, Iceland, to assist the 85th Group airmen in getting new assignments and deciding how and where to move their families—all of...

Army and Air Force Open Up Comm: Soldiers recently completing their technical training at Ft. Gordon, Ga., got to talk to Air Force C-130s flying overhead as they trained to conduct and recover air drops. A training exercise with AFRC’s...

CAP Teen Earns Spaatz Award: Cadet Col. Katrina Lichtford, a 16-year-old member of the Civil Air Patrol, received the highest CAP honor from Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Michael Moseley last week during a ceremony at the Pentagon. The...

Twenty airmen from Los Angeles AFB, Calif., recently got to play a background role on the popular Fox TV show “24,” performing as honor guard members for a May 22 episode. The show’s crew filmed a scene on the flightline...

The Air Force has opened a Smart Operations 21 office at the Pentagon, as part of an effort to optimize service processes that Air Force Secretary Michael Wynne implemented in February. The new office will provide top-level guidance as Air...

VA Reaches 18 Million Home Loans: Veterans Affairs Secretary James Nicholson noted last week that the VA had approved its 18 millionth home loan guarantee—the milestone loan went to Operation Iraqi Freedom veteran Robert Laurent of Kyle, Tex. Laurent is...

Lawmakers Want to Overturn Civil War-era Ban on Attorneys: A bill introduced by members of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee would permit veterans to hire lawyers to represent them in efforts to obtain federal benefits from the Department of Veterans...

May 12-13, 2006 Sortie Type OIF OEF OIF/OEF Total ISR 27 12 39 CAS/Armed Recon 100 44 144 Airlift 320 320 Air refueling 62 62 Total 127 56 382 565 OIF=Operation Iraqi Freedom OEF=Operation Enduring Freedom ISR=Intelligence-surveillance-reconnaissance