Cable Drop

Air Force bids farewell, retires historic helicopter

Since its introduction into the U.S. Air Force arsenal nearly 40 years ago, the MH-53 Pave Low helicopter has proven crucial to special operation missions dating back to Vietnam. After a lengthy and distinguished career, the remaining six Pave Low helicopters flew their last combat mission in

Top cover: Airpower integral to ground force's success

An improvised explosive device had disabled a vehicle. Soldiers were stranded. Their brothers in arms responded to the scene. "As we got within 200 meters of them, World War III opened up," said Army Staff Sgt. Adam Kern, now assigned to Kapisa and Parwan Provincial Reconstruction Team security

Coalition Forces target al-Qaeda in Konar

In Asmar District, Coalition Forces targeted an al-Qaeda IED and suicide bomber network responsible for numerous attacks in the Konar region. Coalition forces searched the first compound without incident. As the force moved to a second compound, they were met by a barrage of automatic weapons and

USAFCENT commander visits 455th AEW

Brake job

Deployed security forces Airmen keep skills honed

Thirty-nine Airmen from the 380th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron employed training tactics Friday to clear a "hostile" area of "enemy forces" at the compound here. Members of the 380th ESFS practiced clearing enemy personnel from urban areas during fire-team training in and around buildings

379th AEW assets enable Navy ops off the coast of Pakistan

As darkness closes in around an aircraft carrier in the middle of the Gulf of Oman, pilots taxi their F-18s a short distance to the catapult to be launched down a mere 300 foot runway at 160 knots, knowing Airmen from the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing will be there waiting in the skies over

Balad PJs, CSAR train so 'that others may live'

Air Force Combat Search and Rescue assets spend countless hours training for a mission that they hope to never execute. Since staying proficient and current on operational training is vital for Balad Pararescuemen, they recently teamed with 66th Expeditionary Rescue Squadron HH-60G crews to perform

Pennsylvania Guardsmen carry fight back to Afghanistan

Seven years after United Airlines Flight 93 crashed into an empty field 80 miles southeast of Pittsburgh, Penn., a group of nearly 120 Air National Guardsmen from Pittsburgh's 171st Air Refueling Wing are helping carry the fight back to its origins in the rugged mountains of Afghanistan. For