Independence Day celebrates the birthday of the United States of America and the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, by our Founding Fathers. It's a day of picnics and patriotic parades, a night of concerts and fireworks and a reason to fly the American flag. This week, as we celebrate the country's 233rd Fourth of July, most of us will be enjoying festivities alongside friends and family.
I'd like to honor all those who cannot be home to celebrate this important holiday due to our combat operations overseas. They are there in harm's way, not just to protect our nation, but to protect an idea, a philosophy, a way of life called America.
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This week's photo highlights feature Airmen around the globe involved in activities supporting expeditionary operations and defending America. This weekly feature showcases the men and women of the Air Force.
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Week in Photos slideshow.
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Air Mobility Command's premier mobility competition will take place July 19 to 24 at McChord Air Force Base, Wash., AMC officials said.
The international competition focuses on improving worldwide air mobility forces' professional core abilities and features more than 40 aircraft participating in airdrops, aerial refueling and other aerial events.
Additional events will showcase the unique and wide-ranging capabilities of military security forces and aerial port, maintenance and aeromedical evacuation personnel.
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In his annual Independence Day message to members of the U.S. armed forces worldwide, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff recalls a speech Abraham Lincoln delivered in Chicago in 1858.
Here is Navy Adm. Mike Mullen's holiday message:
The Fourth of July in America perpetually binds us to the birth of our nation, and the spirit of a revolution.
Eighty-two years after Thomas Jefferson penned the Declaration of Independence, another future president, Abraham Lincoln, eloquently defined the Fourth as an annual celebration of his listeners' enduring connection with their previous, heroic generation. But, he added, "There is something else."
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After more than 30 years of service, the Air Force's top enlisted leader said his goodbyes to fellow Airmen in a June 30 ceremony in Washington, D.C.
Former Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force Rodney J. McKinley told the gathered throng that his father took him and two friends to the Military Entrance Processing Station that day 35 years ago.
"I had never flown in an aircraft and didn't fully understand the significance of how my life was changing. The Vietnam War was winding down and it was still unpopular to wear a military uniform," Chief McKinley said.
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Maintainers here have come up with an innovative phase maintenance process to keep as many close-air-support aircraft airborne in theater that is being hailed by U.S. Central Command senior leaders.
A-10 Thunderbolt II maintainers deployed from the 23rd Maintenance Group at Moody Air Force Base, Ga., have implemented a new process that cuts phase maintenance time on the aircraft in half.
The process was key to the 74th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron's A-10 pilots surpassing 5,000 total combat flight hours in May.
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A dedicated group of patriotic female pilots were recognized by President Barack Obama July 1 at the White House for their invaluable service to the nation more than 60 years ago.
Women's Airforce Service Pilots Elaine Danforth Harmon, Bernice Falk Haydu and Lorraine H. Rodgers were joined by five female current Air Force pilots in the White House Oval Office to witness the president sign into law a bill to award the Congressional Gold Medal to the WASP.
"The Women Airforce Service Pilots courageously answered their country's call in a time of need while blazing a trail for the brave women who have given and continue to give so much in service to this nation since," President Obama said. "Every American should be grateful for their service, and I am honored to sign this bill to finally give them some of the hard-earned recognition they deserve."
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The American military contingent in Honduras has limited its contact with Honduran forces as the U.S. government evaluates the situation in the Central American country, a Pentagon spokesman said.
Roughly 600 U.S. forces are stationed at Soto Cano Air Base, Honduras, 50 miles northwest of the capital city of Tegucigalpa, where President Manuel Zelaya was removed from office earlier this week.
"Our activities have largely been postponed with the Honduran military forces while our government has a chance to evaluate the situation and determine the way ahead," Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman told reporters July 2.
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On June 22, President Obama signed into law the Thrift Savings Plan Enhancement Act of 2009 as part of the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act (Public Law 111-31).
One of the provisions of the new law eliminates the waiting period of appropriated fund civilian employees covered under the Federal Employees Retirement System to receive Agency Automatic 1 percent and Agency Matching Contributions to their TSP accounts.
Prior to enactment of the new law, new FERS employees had to wait 6 to 12 months, depending on their date of hire, before becoming eligible for agency TSP contributions. Employees covered by the Civil Service Retirement System are not eligible for agency TSP contributions.
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Like clockwork, an Air Mobility Command aircraft departs on a mission within the area-of-operations every two minutes every hour of every day.
Providing the three cornerstones of the command's mobility mission -- airlift, aerial refueling and aeromedical evacuation -- AMC Airmen have provided constant wartime support for operations throughout Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, Republic of Georgia and various other countries in the area.
"AMC is firmly in the fight," said Gen. Arthur J. Lichte, the AMC commander, who is in the theater visiting Airmen. "We are flying two out of every three sorties in the AOR, putting our three core capabilities of airlift, air refueling and aeromedical evacuation on display every day."
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