U.S. AIR FORCE NEWS

  • Guard, Reserve Tricare policy announced

    Defense Department officials announced March 12 policy changes to Tricare Prime and Tricare Prime Remote programs for members of the National Guard and Reserve and their families.Starting March 10, family members of Guardsmen and reservists on federal active-duty orders for more than 30 days are

  • Eberhart briefs Congress on U.S. Northern Command

    The commander of America's newest combatant command briefed members of Congress on March 13 about the progress his unit has made since its inception less than six months ago.Gen. Ralph E. Eberhart, who took control of U.S. Northern Command when it was established Oct. 1, told members of the House

  • Air Force offers free tax preparation, filing

    Filling out and filing income tax forms is an annual burden Americans must bear, but Air Force legal officials say servicemembers need not pay extra for the privilege.According to a legal services official at the Pentagon, more and more airmen are being tempted by the promise of quick refunds to

  • WASP make weather history

    Women's roles in the military may not have started at Offutt, but the Air Force Weather Agency was here when women stepped forward to serve their country.The Air Weather Service was one of the first military agencies to use military women as pilots during World War II.In early 1943, the first

  • Bombs away

    Air Force officials tested a Massive Ordnance Air Blast weapon here March 11. The MOAB is a precision-guided munition weighing 21,500 pounds and was dropped from a C-130 Hercules aircraft for the test. It is the largest non-nuclear weapon in existence. (DOD photo)

  • Nighthawk unit maintains the flock

    The F-117 Nighthawk may be a mystery to some, but its maintainers take pride in knowing the airframe's secret inner workings.In the 379th Expeditionary Maintenance Squadron's 8th Aircraft Maintenance Unit, a close-knit group of specialists work to keep the aircrews "putting bombs on target, on

  • Officials investigate possible mortar launch near Yokota

    U.S. Air Force officials and local Japanese authorities are investigating a possible improvised mortar launch toward Yokota Air Base.Japanese civilian guards and base residents reported two arcs of light, noise and plumes of smoke headed toward the base around 10 p.m. March 12.Two improvised mortar

  • Three Air Force commissaries among five best

    Air Force commissaries were named "best" in three of the four categories in the Defense Commissary Agency's 2003 Best Commissary awards. Two other commissaries tied for "best" in the fourth category.Top commissaries are at:-- Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., winner of the Bill Nichols Award for the

  • An ounce of prevention

    Staff Sgt. Brian S. Wells demonstrates how to use a fire extinguisher to servicemembers deployed to Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan. Wells is assigned to the 455th Expeditionary Operations Group fire department here. (Photo by Army Pvt. 2nd Class Terri Rorke)

  • Peacekeeper launches from Vandenberg

    An unarmed Peacekeeper intercontinental ballistic missile was successfully launched at 1:29 a.m. March 12.The missile carried eight unarmed re-entry vehicles approximately 4,800 miles across the Pacific Ocean to a predetermined target at the Kwajalien Atoll. This test was a part of the force