AirForceDad.com

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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Six interceptions powered the Air Force Academy to a 47-20 win over the University of Houston Cougars in the Armed Forces Bowl, Dec. 31 here.

This was the third time the Air Force Academy and University of Houston met on the gridiron in two years. The Academy trounced the Cougars 31-28 during the 2008 regular season, and Houston repaid the Falcons by handing them a 34-28 loss during the 2008 Armed Forces Bowl.

The 2009 Armed Forces Bowl was Air Force's third trip to the bowl game in as many years, and turned out to be a rematch for the Falcons and Cougars, and pitted Air Force's No. 1-ranked passing defense against Houston's No. 1-ranked passing offense. And it was the defense that won this battle, ending six Houston drives with interceptions and limiting the Cougar offense to only four of 10 third-down conversions.
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The Department of Defense's Transition Assistance Program is working to prepare servicemembers and their families for a successful transition to civilian life.

"We are trying to ensure that (servicemembers) transition from active duty back to the civilian community is a smooth and seamless one," Ron Horne, deputy director for the Transition Assistance Program at the Office of Wounded Warrior Care and Transition Policy, told listeners during a "Dot Mil Docs" interview Dec. 31.

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Fifteen F-22 Raptors are scheduled to deploy to Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, in January 2010 for approximately three months.

The fighters and associated personnel will deploy from the 90th Fighter Squadron at Elmendorf AFB, Alaska.

The deployment supports U.S. Pacific Command's theater security packages in the Western Pacific and follows the recent departure from the theater of two deployed squadrons of F-22s that also were supporting U.S. PACOM's TSP. The fighters and personnel deployed to Andersen AFB, Guam, and Kadena Air Base, Japan, completed their redeployment in October 2009.
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Defeating the terrorists' weapon of choice is and will remain a priority for the Defense Department, Deputy Defense Secretary William J. Lynn III said here Dec. 30.

Mr. Lynn spoke during a Pentagon ceremony where Army Lt. Gen. Thomas Metz stepped down as director of the Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization and Army Lt. Gen. Michael Oates took up the charge.

The organization looks for ways to defeat terrorists using car bombs, roadside bombs, as well as suicide vests, all examples of improvised explosive devices. The bombs are the biggest killers of American servicemembers in Iraq and Afghanistan. The weapon is a tactical device that has impacted the operational missions in both Iraq and Afghanistan.
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A team of Airmen handles thousands of passengers, pallets and vehicles flying into Camp Bastion, Afghanistan.

The 'Port Dawgs,' as they liked to be called, proudly proclaim that they move as much cargo here as their unit does back home.

But they have approximately 15 people instead of 200 handling the thousands of passengers and tons of cargo arriving monthly at the air field.

The team is comprised of aerial porters, vehicle maintainers and leadership primarily deployed from Pope Air Force Base, N.C. They work loading and unloading cargo coming to the U.S. Marine and British Army run base in the Helmand Province, the site of recent fighting.
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Firefighters from the 407th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron are bringing the goal of independent Iraqi operations to reality at Camp Ur, Iraq.

In December, Ali Base firefighters assisted their Iraqi counterparts toward self-sufficiency through numerous training sessions and skills tests.

With the assistance of Air Force Logistics Military Advisory Team personnel, Airmen from the 407th ECES Fire Department visited firefighters at Camp Ur throughout the month training them in the latest firefighting techniques and proper driving, care and maintenance of a new 46,000 pound fire truck, recently provided to them.
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When the crewmembers of 451st Expeditionary Aeromedical Evacuation Flight first deployed to Kandahar Airfield in August, they knew they would be transporting many wounded warriors throughout Afghanistan.

What they didn't expect was to be transporting some of those patients in nothing but their underwear. Hospitals here just had no clothing available.

"These guys are giving their lives, their buddies are dying, some of them are giving their limbs in combat, and I think they deserve to be treated much better than being transported in just their underwear," said Master Sgt. Scott Wilkes, a 451st EAEF aeromedical technician.
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Coalition airpower integrated with ground forces in Iraq and International Security Assistance Force troops in Afghanistan in the following operations Dec. 30, according to Combined Air and Space Operations Center officials here.

Air Operations in Afghanistan:

Lashkar Gah
An Air Force MQ-1B Predator provided armed overwatch for a friendly-forces operation. Friendly forces requested air power for self defense. The Predator delivered a missile against a suspected enemy position and succeeded in destroying the position. No further enemy action was noted.
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The first C-130J Super Hercules mission in support of U.S. Air Forces Africa, or 17th Air Force, opened up doors to a future partnership of support between the 86th Airlift Wing and upcoming missions into Africa.

The mission's aircraft commander, Maj. Robert May of the 37th Airlift Squadron, and his crew were tasked to fly into Mali Dec. 19 to bring home 17 troops who were assisting with training Malian forces.

The significance of this mission is two-fold, Major May said.
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