Muslims, Jews, Christians, Hindus, Buddhists and Pagans all observe major holy days in December. Air Force chaplains here spent much of the month making sure everyone in the diverse Joint Base Balad community had an opportunity to worship according to his or her beliefs.
For the first December since assuming overall responsibility for religious services here, the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing Chapel staff and their Army counterparts worked together to ensure observances went smoothly for each the month's holy days: Hajj and Eid al-Adha for Islam, Boddhi Day for Buddhism, Hanukkah for Judaism, the Immaculate Conception and Christmas for Christians and Yule for Pagans.
more...
Christmas presents come in all shapes and sizes, but one junior enlisted Airman here received a gift he never expected -- a call from President George W. Bush.
Senior Airman Dan Gutowski, 816th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron loadmaster, found out about the surprise Dec. 23 and received the call on Christmas Eve. Both are days he will never forget.
"It was just a normal day," said the Manistee, Mich., native, referring to the day he found out about the call, Dec. 23. "My leadership got me to hang around by telling me I had to write a (biography) about myself, but I came to find out it was just to have me stick around. Once it was confirmed, they finally let me in on the secret that I was going to be talking to the president the next day.
more...
In January 1979, the first operational F-16 Fighting Falcon was delivered to Hill Air Force Base, Utah. Nearly 30 years later to the day, a pilot from here has amassed 4,000 hours flying this workhorse of the air.
Col. David Lujan, 56th Operations Group deputy commander, became the 17th pilot, according to Lockheed's magazine, "Code One," ever to reach that milestone when he flew this memorable sortie Dec. 22.
"It's pretty good company to be with," said the command pilot who's been flying the F-16 since 1988.
more...
When many aircraft need space on a limited airfield, a small section steps in to ensure there is room for all.
Like a game of musical chairs, Airmen in the 379th Expeditionary Operations Squadron airfield management section here constantly shift assets around to maximize use of the airfield, ensuring each aircraft has the parking it needs.
"The biggest challenge we face here is coordinating parking," said Senior Master Sgt. Charles Washington, airfield manager. "Because of the number of transient aircraft and the sharing of many of the spots between the assigned aircraft and maintenance, it takes a lot of coordination to determine how planes are going to come in.
more...
Air Force reservists with the 920th Rescue Wing here have saved more than 300 U.S. troops since deploying to Afghanistan in February 2008.
The Air Force Reserve Command unit is flying HH-60 helicopter missions in support the U.S. Army medical evacuation operation.
Airmen from the wing and its sister units in Arizona and Oregon have flown 1,181 sorties and saved 313 people, according to a wing intelligence report.
A "save" refers to a situation where, without immediate medical evacuation, a person would die, lose a limb or go blind. In addition, wing Airmen have also recorded nearly 342 assists -- evacuations where life, limb or eyesight were not in immediate danger.
more...
Officials from the Department of Veterans Affairs have identified nearly 11,000 surviving spouses of deceased veterans who will receive a lump-sum payment before the new year to correct an error in their VA benefits. Also documented were more than 73,000 who previously had been paid. VA officials are still tracking down eligible survivors.
"I am pleased that our task force working to correct this problem has been able to identify this first group this week," said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Dr. James B. Peake. "We understand the difference these funds can make for these surviving spouses, especially during the holiday season."
more...
With precision-guided instrumentation and steady hands, a surgical team here is returning injured warfighters to the fight.
Dr. (Maj.) Daniel Todd Rose, orthopedic surgeon, and Dr. (Maj.) Craig Kolasch, general surgeon, both with the 379th Expeditionary Medical Group, handle most of the minor surgeries and injuries in the area of responsibility.
"What we do here is very important," said Doctor Rose, deployed from Luke Air Force Base, Ariz. "Almost every servicemember who doesn't receive care here would most likely be going back to the U.S. or Landstuhl. Once they are in the U.S. they're not coming back.
more...
Minimizing collateral damage is at the forefront of military leader's priorities in Afghanistan. Those leaders depend on the teamwork between pilots and Air Force joint terminal attack controllers to ensure innocent civilians and their property aren't put at unnecessary risk.
By combining laser-guided munitions with constant communication between JTACs on the ground and pilots in the sky, collateral damage is kept at the lowest possible level.
"Preventing civilian casualties and [friendly fire] is our primary concern," said Master Sgt. Leigh Bradley, JTAC superintendent from the 19th Expeditionary Air Support Squadron. "The Air Force has gone to great lengths in providing precision strike weaponry that serves this very purpose."
more...
The men and women of
Charleston Air Force Base, South Carolina launched 13 C-17s demonstrating "that we are ready to take the fight to the enemy!" even though many aircraft and Airmen are deployed around the world. The mission included a single pass over Charleston's most famous landmark, the
Ravenel Bridge, air refueling and air drops.
US Air Force photo. For more photos, click
here.
Posted by Captain David Faggard, Air Force Public Affairs.
Iraqi firefighters are were more than half-way through the firefighter apprentice course being trained in Baghdad's International Zone before being moved. The class was previously taught at Taji Military Base just north of Baghdad, but the location lacked advanced live fire trainers and had limited capacity for students.
"The maximum class size at Taji was 10. In the IZ, we have five extra instructors from civil defense who enable us to teach an additional 24 students for just one class," said Tech. Sgt. Brian Partido, a fire rescue advisor deployed from Little Rock Air Force Base, Ark.
more...
