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Pallets of cargo drop from a C-17 Globemaster III to a forward operating base in Afghanistan, Aug. 27, 2009,  in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. The aircrew is assigned to the 817th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron.

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Hundreds of Air National Guard officials will gather here Sept. 21 through 25 to plan for domestic and civil support operations at the ANG Domestic Operations Essential 10 Requirements Conference.

The conference will join subject matter and planning experts in working groups to discuss and prioritize homeland defense and civil support requirements for the Air Guard's funding, manning and equipment needs.

"I am very enthusiastic about this event and ask your full support as we craft the ANG of the future," Lt. Gen. Harry M. Wyatt III, the Air Guard director.
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Active and Air National Guard Airmen provided assistance to Army Soldiers Aug. 24 and 26 during Operation Arctic Response here. 

Members of the 517th Airlift Squadron from here and the Alaska Air National Guard's 249th Airlift Squadron supported the operation, which is an emergency deployment readiness exercise testing the capabilities of the military to rapidly respond to crisis situations within the state of Alaska. 

The exercise lasted from Aug. 17 through 28 and consisted of various missions designed to challenge Soldiers; however, it wasn't until Aug. 24 and 26 that they needed airlift support.
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Airmen from Ramstein Air Base, Germany, and Army Reserve Soldiers from Nashville, Tenn., arrived in Uganda Aug. 25 to participate in a C-130 Hercules familiarization event with the Uganda peoples defense air force. 

The theater security cooperation initiative gives Ugandan forces a firsthand look at how the Air Force prepares for and conducts airdrop of humanitarian supplies during a crisis.

"Several years ago, the U.S. Air Force was able to support humanitarian relief efforts following severe flooding in Mozambique," said Maj. Jim Hackbarth, the deputy chief of policy, doctrine and senior leader engagements for 17th Air Force. "More recently, torrential rains and flooding in Uganda cut off thousands of Ugandan citizens from ground transportation of supplies, leaving aerial delivery as the only viable option."
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An Air Force commercial highlighting the role men and women in the Air Force's Joint Space Operations Center at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., play in protecting satellite and other space assets begins airing Aug. 31 in television markets and select movie theaters across the country.

"Space Command" shows what happens when two pieces of space junk collide, sending debris on a potentially cataclysmic collision course with a vital communications satellite.

The commercial is the second in a series of three; the first was released June 29 and highlights the technology of unmanned aircraft systems.
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An E-3 Sentry airborne warning and control system aircraft was damaged while landing Aug. 28 at Nellis Air Force Base.

The 32-person crew safely evacuated the aircraft and the subsequent fire was quickly extinguished by Nellis AFB emergency response forces.

The aircraft, flown by Airmen of the 552nd Air Control Wing from Tinker AFB, Okla., is deployed to Nellis AFB for Red Flag Exercise 09-5 and was returning from a mission when the incident occurred. 
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The crew from the 517th Airlift Squadron assisted in deploying 120 Soldiers from the 17th Combat Service Support Battalion on Fort Richardson during Arctic Response. The C-17 Globemaster III landed on an unimproved air strip Aug. 24 near Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska, to deliver the Soldiers and supplies. Arctic Response is an Army emergency deployment readiness exercise. 

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What is the best way to organize an air operations center? That is the question a delegation of officers from the Botswana Defense Force is seeking to answer with help from 17th Air Force, also known as U.S. Air Forces Africa, and U.S. Air Forces Europe's 603rd Air Operations Center officials here.

Lt. Col. Patrick Seboko, Maj. Tshireletso Mophonkolo, Maj. Moemedi Sosong and Maj. Charles Johnson spent four days at Ramstein Air Base and Einsedlerhof Air Station to learn about American air operations center operational procedures, organization and equipment.
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Airmen from the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing have applied the axiom "work smarter, not harder" to come up with solutions on the job that are saving manpower, time and money here in Southwest Asia.

Examples of innovation are not limited to just one group. Each of the four groups assigned to the 379th AEW boast an innovation that has improved work processes and drives home the meaning of Air Force Smart Operations for the 21st Century.

For instance, Airmen from the 379th Expeditionary Maintenance Squadron were, until recently, using two air conditioning units for each B-1B Lancer aircraft requiring maintenance. The B-1B has five separate compartments containing avionics equipment that require cooling during maintenance. Master Sgt. James Duncan, deployed from Royal Air Force Mildenhall, England, thought there might be a more efficient way to accomplish this task.
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Each year, Defense Commissary Agency stores use more than 200 million gallons of water, spend more than $60 million on utility services and generate more solid waste than most mid-sized cities. However, as DeCA officials deliver the commissary benefit, they also are responsible for eliminating or limiting any negative impact its operations may have on natural resources.

The agency's environmental policy spells out its mandate to make environmental protection as important to daily operations as providing quality and safe products to millions of authorized customers worldwide.
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