Deputy/CC asks for, receives hundreds of boxes for villagers

Be careful what you wish for, because you just might get it."Please don't send me any care packages," Lt. Col. Rex Vanderwood wrote home from Kyrgyzstan. "If you want to send something, send things that will help the local villagers."He's been deployed to the Transit Center at Manas from Hickam Air

Working together

AF leaders celebrate local holiday "Nooruz"

Col. Blaine Holt and Command Chief Master Sgt. James Dowell, the 376th Air Expeditionary Wing commander and command chief, visited the villages of Ak-Jhol and Tort-Kul March 21 in honor of the Kyrgyz holiday "Nooruz." Local people celebrate Nooruz by getting together, singing, dancing and greeting

451st AEW PJ crews fly into hostile zones to save lives

All over Afghanistan the unit is known by their call sign: "PEDRO." The men and women of the 41st Expeditionary Rescue Squadron is truly a coalition of rescue professionals. The majority of the unit is comprised mainly of members from the 41st Rescue Squadron, Moody Air Force Base, Ga., but the unit

Taking medication prevents malaria

Military members here were jolted by the news that two possible malaria cases had been reported at Kandahar Airfield March 16, but tests confirmed one case of malaria and one unsubstantiated case, said Maj. Jason Kelly, 451st Air Expeditionary Wing surgeon general and physician."At this time

Thirty-three years later, E-3 Sentry still going strong

On March 23, 1977, the first E-3 Sentry Airborne Warning and Control System aircraft was delivered to 55nd Air Control Wing at Tinker Air Force Base, Okla. Most likely, maintenance Airmen were on hand to receive and recover the planes as they arrived. Thirty-three years later, much of the same

Theater hospital wall preserves memory and sacrifice

The 20 ft x 30 ft flag under which thousands of patients have passed on their way to the Air Force Theater Hospital at Joint Base Balad is oft-photographed in military circles. But lesser known, though no less poignant, are the walls of the Contingency Aeromedical Staging Facility's recreation room.

CASF not just about patient movement

(Editor's note: This is the first of a two-part series dealing with Joint Base Balad's aeromedical evacuation mission)While onward patient movement to expedite treatment of physical injuries is a vital mission of the Contingency Aeromedical Staging Facility staff, the patient care while in transit

Don't cross into the deployment 'blues'

Everybody has experienced the "blues" in some shape or form. But what can people do to boost their spirits when these low feelings hit in a deployed environment? According to Lt. Col. (Dr.) Stephen Cook, 506th Expeditionary Medical Squadron psychologist, there are three stages of stress in regards

Photo essay: Fuels flight opens doors to base Airmen

The 386th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron Fuels Management Flight hosted more than 40 guests March 21, 2010 during an Open House at an undisclosed location in Southwest Asia. During the event, flight members took turns showing Airmen the fuels process from offloading and receiving to