The Airmen of U.S. Air Forces in Europe are charting new territory in tackling one of the Air Force's newest core functions: Building Partnerships.
The lesson that international partnerships are essential to success in war and peace is not new. The Office of the Secretary of Defense directed U.S. European Command to develop a theater campaign plan which explicitly places Building Partnerships at the forefront of U.S. military strategy.
To support the combatant commander, USAFE also developed a strategy that includes building partner capacity and cooperative relationships as priority focus areas on par with combating terrorism and force modernization.
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Tricare beneficiaries can now receive select vaccines with no out-of-pocket expense at retail pharmacies.
For the first time, beneficiaries can visit Tricare retail network pharmacies to receive seasonal flu, H1N1 flu and pneumonia vaccines at no cost. This expanded coverage is available to all Tricare beneficiaries eligible to use the Tricare retail pharmacy benefit.
Other vaccines still must be administered in a doctor's office or authorized convenience clinic to be fully covered by Tricare's preventive health services cost-share waiver.
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When computer hard drives go bad, Airmen from the 386th Expeditionary Communications Squadron here typically strip them of all their pertinent data and send them to the explosive ordnance disposal unit in the 386th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron for destruction. However, recently one 386th ECS systems administrator has found a unique use for those worn out hard drives.
Miguel Rivera has been using the pieces from old hard drives to create a collection of distinctive sculptures. So far he has constructed two different cars, a fat-boy motorcycle and a robot.
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Defense Department leaders have launched a study on the possible long-term effects of the smoke emitted from burn pits used in overseas locations such as Iraq.
Armed services medical officials are conducting studies on the health outcomes of individuals that have been deployed to identify any health conditions associated with smoke exposure.
Burn pit smoke can cause some acute health effects in some people, Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said Dec. 28. These can include eye irritation, upper respiratory ailments and coughing.
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The newest aircraft to the Air Force's inventory arrived Dec. 27, 2009, to Bagram Airfield. The MC-12 aircraft, tail number 090623, was the first of an undisclosed number of aircraft for the new 4th Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron here.
Following the MC-12's arrival, the 4th Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron was activated to carry out MC-12 operations in the Afghan theater of operations.
Col. Patrick McKenzie, the 455th Expeditionary Operations Group commander, presided over the brief ceremony attended by approximately one hundred Airmen and Soldiers.
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Twenty members of Joint Special Operations Task Force-Philippines spent a special holiday evening visiting children at the Social Development Center in Zamboanga City Dec. 23.
"It made me feel really good to give my time and spend time with the kids," said Petty Officer 1st Class Christopher Cross. "I was excited about it and could tell they were excited to see us."
Founded in 1994, the center serves as a residential facility for children who are abandoned, neglected, orphaned or abused. The children here receive personal care and rehabilitative services with the hopes that they will eventually be reintegrated back to their families and communities.
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In a Soviet-era aircraft hangar here, a rivalry born during the Battle of the Red River is still alive and well, although now that energy is spent supporting the Afghan people.
Maj. Tobin Griffeth, an avid University of Texas fan, and Capt. Katie Illingworth, a University of Oklahoma alum, created a personal game honoring the two schools' annual rivalry, which every year is the talk of the two bordering states. They enlist family-member support back home giving one point to the corresponding school that donates one box of items like school supplies, clothes and shoes to the people of Afghanistan.
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Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley visited South Korea Dec. 24 and 25, meeting with Airmen at Osan Air Base and Kunsan Air Base for the first time since being appointed to the position.
Secretary Donley said the Christmas Day stop at Osan was his first since 1991.
"Osan is much more built up than I remember," Secretary Donley said. "The base is filled with lots of infrastructure improvements -- housing, dining, athletic facilities and a hospital."
Secretary Donley was able to get a first-hand look at the infrastructure improvements that have already been made, as well as those that are ongoing due to tour normalization.
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Coalition airpower integrated with ground forces in Iraq and the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan during operations Dec. 26 according to Combined Air and Space Operations Center officials here.
Air operations in Afghanistan:
Asmar
Air Force MQ-1B Predator aircraft provided armed overwatch for friendly forces. When enemy forces were observed setting an attack on friendly forces, a missile was fired on the enemy-fighting position, eliminating the threat to friendly forces.
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The Air Force's top uniformed officer and top enlisted leader each visited Air Force Global Strike Command wings for Christmas, spending the holiday with Airmen charged with the nuclear strategic deterrence mission and global strike operations.
Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz visited F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyo. while Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James Roy visited Minot AFB, N.D.
The two leaders had spent the Thanksgiving Day holiday in the Central Command area of responsibility, visiting deployed personnel supporting ongoing operations. The trips to the missile wings gave the leaders an opportunity to highlight what General Schwartz called the "profoundly important deployed in-place mission."
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