Be Thankful They’re Just UAVs

Iran is protesting what it claims is the unauthorized American use of unmanned aerial vehicles over its territory, saying two have crashed this past summer within its borders. (DR, 08/30/05) The Washington Post, for example, reports that Iran’s UN delegation...

Air Strikes in SWA

Coalition aircraft have been busy over Iraq, aiding ground forces involved in combat operations around the northern border with Syria. According to US Central Air Forces, USAF F-15s struck an insurgent weapons cache in the vicinity of Ar Ramadi, Iraq,...

On Budget, It’s Every Man-Jack for Himself

“Jointness” in the American military is “as high as it’s ever been,” Army Secretary Francis J. Harvey told reporters Tuesday. But—and it’s a big but—the services are still, ah, competitive when it comes to resources. The Army leader noted that...

It’s a Middle Class Force

The American middle class, not the poor, compose the bulk of military recruits since the 9/11 attacks, according to a new study by the Washington-based Heritage Foundation. The report titled “Who Bears the Burden? Demographic Characteristics of US Military Recruits...

Tyndall Scramble

It was instructor pilot “War Day” at Tyndall AFB, Fla., recently, with F/A-22 and F-15 instructors flying against F-16 instructors and a QF-4 drone in a mock aerial engagement. It was the first time, said Air Force officials, that the...

A Crash Leads To Changes at Shaw

The 20th Fighter Wing at South Carolina’s Shaw Air Force Base has a new commander, who is overseeing the establishment of new procedures in the wake of an F-16 crash near Charleston. The accident investigation cited lackluster maintenance as a...

Pakistan Relief Update

The Air Force’s support of earthquake relief operations continued Nov. 7, with two contracted AN-124 Condors flying in more than 296,000 pounds of water buffalos, a M105 trailer, cargo and utility trucks. As of Nov. 8, the Air Force has...

Combat Drills for Airmen

Officials at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, say they have drilled 302 airmen in basic combat skills, preparing them for deployment in Air and Space Expeditionary Forces (AEF) 9 and 10. The Air Force now expects all airmen deploying in AEFs to...

GPS Launch Set for January

Lockheed Martin says it has delivered the second modernized Global Positioning System Block IIR satellite to Cape Canaveral AFS, Fla., where it is being prepared for launch in January. Lockheed is currently modernizing eight GPS satellites, which are designed to...

Edwards Pilot Reaches 12K Mishap-Free Flying Hours

Lt. Col. Dave Cotton, chief of training with the 412th Operations Group at Edwards AFB, Calif., recently achieved an extremely rare milestone for active duty pilots—hitting 12,000 accident-free flight hours. A 1974 Air Force Academy graduate, Cotton hit his mandatory...

Unions vs. the Pentagon:

They put a damper on the new personnel work rules of Homeland Security, now labor unions have turned to the Defense Department, challenging in court the Pentagon’s new National Security Personnel System work rules issued last month. (DR, 10/28/05) The...

Maine Wants Icing on Their Cake:

Maine’s senate delegation wants the Pentagon to donate to Maine the military facilities in the state that are marked for closure under BRAC 2005. To see that this happens, the senators want to tack an amendment onto the Fiscal 2006...

New Vets Get VA Priority:

Approximately 120,000 veterans of operations in Iraq and Afghanistan receiving care through the Department of Veterans Affairs will get top priority when they try to access treatment, according to VA Secretary James Nicholson. Veterans from Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation...

Checking Body and Mind After Deployments:

Pentagon officials say each of the services now are beginning to institute assessments of the health—physical and mental—of each troop returning from deployment—within 90 to 120 days of their return. Officials say the new program is slated to start in...

Vet-Owned Business Get Help:

Veterans Affairs and the General Services Administration signed an agreement to commit GSA to “place additional emphasis” on programs to aid businesses owned by veterans. There is a VA Website and a GSA Website for more information.

New Scholarship Money:

The Defense Commissary Agency and the non-profit Fisher House have teamed to offer education scholarships geared toward children of military personnel and military retirees. The venture is called Scholarships for Military Children Program and the lines form on Nov. 1...

Air Sorties in the Global War on Terrorism

November 7, 2005 Sortie Type OIF OEF OIF/OEF Total ISR 10 7 – 17 CAS/Armed Recon 53 18 – 71 Airlift – – 155 155 Air refueling – – 40 40 Total 63 25 195 283 OIF=Operation Iraqi Freedom OEF=Operation...