An official website of the United States government
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

  • 493rd EFS pilot reaches F-15 1,000-hour flying milestone in Southwest Asia

    The F-15 airframe has existed for more than 30 years. Over time, this fighter jet has been called the world's greatest air superiority fighter... or that's what Capt. John Delion calls it after completing his 1,000th hour in the F-15C Eagle, April 27, in Southwest Asia. Captain Delion, call sign

  • 380th OSS weather team predicts for successful missions

    In Southwest Asia, a successful flying mission relies heavily upon accurate weather data. However, forecasting the weather is very complicated. The 380th Expeditionary Operations Support Squadron weather office bases their calculations on a combination of observation, experience and a bit of

  • Telephone switcher plugs into Iraqi air force

    Tech. Sgt. RK Stephey has seen his share of the world. In the span of two and a half years, the telephone switch manager from Misawa Air Base, Japan, deployed to 10 countries - including his current location of Iraq. "I've seen the world for sure," explained Sergeant Stephey, who recounted his

  • Two Patriot crews take top honors in reload competition

    Two U.S. Army Patriot Missile battery crews deployed here were the top performers during a recent brigade-wide evaluation recently. Both crews, representing the 2-43 Air Defense Artillery, were selected based on individual evaluations during a reloading procedures drill in late April. The launcher

  • Iraqi air force advance echelon team arrival

    The Iraqi air force is one step closer to taking ownership of Joint Base Balad. A trio of officers and 11 enlisted airmen arrived May 15 to in-process here.The group is part of the advance echelon team of 60 Iraqi airmen projected to arrive. "It's truly a significant day for the Iraqi air force,"

  • Arming point key to Afghan airpower dominance

    The Kandahar Air Wing reached a milestone May 15 with the opening of the Afghan Mi-17 weapons arming point - a key step towards delivering airpower dominance to both the 205th and 215th Afghan National Army Corps. "Having the arming point allows the Afghan Air Force to load munitions on aircraft for

  • Course helps Afghan aircrew communicate, stay safe

    Afghan Air Force pilots and aircrew were taught an aircrew coordination training class May 14 at Kandahar Airfield. The ACT class is a three-part course that is designed to help improve the communication between pilots and their crews. "One of the biggest things we've seen and heard with the AAF

  • Funny Girls keep deployed Marauders in stitches

    Funny Girls April Macie, Jackie Kashian and Alycia Cooper performed stand-up comedy for deployed Airmen with the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing  May 12. The show was part of the Armed Forces Entertainment Tour.

  • Afghan fire department conducts Mi-17 egress drill

    The Afghan Air Force Kabul Wing fire department conducted a self-led Mi-17 familiarization and egress drill May 11 at Kandahar Airfield. The purpose of the fire training was to familiarize and train the KAW Fire Department in safe aircraft shut down and egress procedures in the event of an

  • Safety office keeps maintainers cool

    As it gets hotter in Afghanistan, it's more important to make sure people working outdoors are hydrated. The 451st AEW safety office handed out water to crew chiefs here May 13. Since mid-March, the safety office has brought coolers to the flight line to make sure that maintainers are drinking water