Don’t Blame Air Power:

There is a perception in some circles, said Army Gen. John Craddock, that because NATO is short troops in Afghanistan, the alliance is “carpet bombing” targets in the war on terror. This isn’t the case, the Supreme Allied Commander Europe...

What Can Help in Afghanistan:

Talking with Washington-based defense reporters last week, the Supreme Allied Commander Europe, Army Gen. John Craddock, said that NATO is about four brigades’ worth of troops shy of requirements in Afghanistan, but helicopters and intelligence-surveillance-reconnaissance capabilities are also in short...

Trial Balloon:

Lockheed Martin has proposed giving the Air Force a fixed price to pursue the reliability enhancement and re-engining program for a finite number of C-5 airlifters. Roxana Tiron of The Hill reports that Lockheed on May 17 offered to RERP...

What’s the Plan?:

Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-N.Y.) has added an amendment to the House version of the 2008 defense authorization bill that would direct the Air Force to provide a report “containing a detailed plan of the current and future aviation assets” to...

Reaching Out for Intel:

US Air Forces in Europe “currently operates a limited number” of airborne intelligence-surveillance-reconnaissance assets, so it has “aggressively pursued” working with allies who have such capabilities, says Army Gen. John Craddock, Supreme Allied Commander Europe and head of US European...

Off to Eastern Europe:

The head of US Air Forces in Europe, Gen. Tom Hobbins, traveled to Bulgaria and Georgia recently, declaring that both countries are “very staunch allies in the war on terror.” He said that both countries, though they “are not fully...

A Boon to “Overall Tactical Competency”:

The F-22A Raptor sojourn to Kadena AB, Japan, proved beneficial for the pilots and maintainers from Langley AFB, Va., and the Pacific region forces they worked with, according to Lt. Col. Wade Tolliver, 27th Fighter Squadron commander. He told the...

A First in Superfund Agreements:

The Air Force and Sacramento County officials in California reached an historic agreement that will transfer the former McClellan Air Force Base to the county before its environmental cleanup and removal from the EPA’s Superfund site list. Sacramento County Supervisor...

The “Home Run” Exercise:

Lt. Gen. Norman Seip, 12th Air Force Commander, says the recently completed New Horizons-Nicaragua 2007 humanitarian and training exercise “really hit a homerun” in the scope of its accomplishments from health care to construction activities. The US Southern Command-sponsored three-month...

Presidential Aircraft Make Stamp Parade:

The US Postal Service unveiled renderings of the new Air Force One and Marine One stamps at the Andrews AFB, Md., joint service open house, which began on May 18. Aviation artist William S. Philips created the artwork for both...

New ORS Office Opens:

DOD is standing up its new Operationally Responsive Space joint office today at Kirtland AFB, N.M. New Mexico lawmakers announced earlier this month that Kirtland would be the site of the new office. Its first director will be Air Force...

Gone, Not Forgotten:

Air Education and Training Command’s 58th Special Operations Wing at Kirtland AFB, N.M., has deactivated its 551st Special Operations Squadron. The squadron had trained MH-53 Pave Low helicopter aircrews for special operations since 1989. The Air Force plans to retire...

Air Sorties in the Global War on Terrorism

May 16, 2007 Sortie Type OIF OEF OIF/OEF Total ISR 17 8 25 CAS/Armed Recon 43 54 97 Airlift 145 145 Air refueling 53 53 Total 60 62 198 320 OIF=Operation Iraqi Freedom OEF=Operation Enduring Freedom ISR=Intelligence-surveillance-reconnaissance Airlift includes Horn...