U.S. AIR FORCE NEWS

  • Ali Base drawdown in full swing

    Ali Base is in full drawdown mode following the presidential directive to reduce the American military presence in Iraq, and to withdraw combat forces by December 2011.The Air Force presence here will be less than one-third what it is today by the end of August, according to Col. Dennis Hunsicker,

  • Gates will remain as secretary at least another year

    Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates will stay in office for at least another year, Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell confirmed here Jan. 7. Secretary Gates met with President Barack Obama before Christmas and committed to another year on the job, Mr. Morrell said. Then-President George W. Bush

  • Air Force officials release F-16 accident report

    Air Combat Command officials here Jan. 11 released the results of their investigation into the Oct. 15, 2009 collision of two F-16 Fighting Falcons that occurred 126 nautical miles southwest of Shaw Air Force Base, S.C. during a night close-air support training mission. The wingman died upon

  • Joint basing at Charleston moves forward with activation of 628th ABW

    Eighteenth Air Force officials activated the 628th Air Base Wing during an assumption-of-command ceremony Jan. 8 at Charleston AFB.The activation of the 628th ABW is the latest step toward the stand up of Joint Base Charleston Jan. 31. The joint base stand up in late January will begin the next

  • Podcast Series Addresses Post-deployment Challenges

    Servicemembers and their families can get help coping with post-deployment stress through a new series of podcasts profiling the personal stories of those who have lived it. "Combat brings individuals face-to-face with the harshest demands imaginable. In fact, it's impossible to be unaffected by

  • Chairman calls strategy year's greatest challenge

    Executing the president's strategy for Afghanistan and Pakistan presents his biggest challenge, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff told a CNN reporter Jan. 10. However, Navy Adm. Mike Mullen said he sees progress being made in both countries. "In December, we recruited to an exceptionally

  • Mobility commander visits Georgia, Florida wings

    The commander of Air Mobility Command visited the 165th Airlift Wing, the 6th Air Mobility Wing and the 927th Air Refueling Wing to continue his efforts to view the air mobility mission "through the eyes of the Airmen."Gen. Raymond E. Johns Jr., who took the seat as AMC commander in late November,

  • Ohio Air Guard officials expand solar energy field

    Officials from the 180th Fighter Wing Air National Guard Base at the Toledo Express Airport in Ohio celebrated the fourth phase expansion of their solar field Jan. 5 here.The expansion is expected to increase the solar power produced to a total of about 1.2 megawatts, or 37 percent of the base's

  • Wings of Blue cadets jump into Rose Bowl

    The U.S. Air Force Academy's Wings of Blue, the Air Force parachute demonstration team, jumped into the Rose Bowl as part of pregame activities during the Citi Bowl Championship Series National Championship Game, Jan. 7 in Pasadena, Calif.Wings of Blue members dropped into the stadium of 93,000