A trailer with antennas and wires temporarily parked on base awaiting transit to Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, might not look like much, but it could save the military lives and money when it gets shipped later this spring.
The trailer contains a Merlin Aircraft Birdstrike Avoidance Radar System that will alert pilots and air traffic controllers to the presence of birds near one of the U.S. military's busiest airfields in Afghanistan.
While currently used at some stateside Air Force bases and international airports, the installation of the bird detection radar at Bagram Airfield will mark the first use of this technology in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, said Gene LeBoeuf, the chief of the Air Force Safety Center's Bird Aircraft Strike Hazard, or BASH, team.
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The U.S. military command responsible for moving troops and cargo around the world will receive recognition for its role as one of the Defense Department's unsung heroes, the Pentagon press secretary said March 30 here.
Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates is slated to travel to U.S. Transportation Command headquarters at Scott Air Force Base, Ill., on April 1 to bestow the Joint Meritorious Unit Award.
"Secretary Gates believes the members of TRANSCOM are among the unsung heroes of our military efforts around the world, and this award allows him to personally thank this dedicated and unheralded team of professionals," Geoff Morrell said.
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Air Force officials announced March 30 that Wright-Patterson Air Force Base has been selected as the site for the new Installation Acquisition Transformation Enterprise Sourcing Group.
A new Air Force Materiel Command unit, the IAT ESG will be responsible for strategically sourcing installation-level purchasing across the continental United States.
It will do so by leveraging proven strategic sourcing processes with information technology and e-commerce capabilities, so Air Force officials can take advantage of economies of scale in buying goods and services.
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In the blink of an eye your life can change forever.
That's exactly what happened to Sean Halsted when he fell 40 feet to the ground while fast roping from a helicopter during a training mission at Hurlburt Field, Fla. He went from an active-duty combat controller to a U.S. Paralympian in the 2010 Vancouver Games.
"I don't remember what happened," said Mr. Halsted, a former combat controller stationed at then McChord Air Force Base, Wash. "I just know one minute I was reaching for the rope and the next I was on the ground with my back hurting and the guys are telling me to lay still. We had some (pararescuemen) there too, and they were telling me to lay still and wiggle my toes. It was just a simple training and I fell off the rope."
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Air Force officials are opening the Air Force network to allow access to Internet-based social-networking sites. Initial access will be available at five Pacific Air Forces bases March 30, and will begin opening sites Air Force-wide later in April.
This change in policy is a result of the Department of Defense Directive-Type Memorandum 09-026 -- Responsible and Effective Use of Internet-based Capabilities -- issued Feb. 25.
The PACAF bases with initial access to Internet-based capability sites include: Andersen Air Force Base, Guam; Eielson AFB, Alaska; Elmendorf AFB, Alaska; Hickam AFB, Hawaii; and Yokota Air Base, Japan.
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Air Force beat the Colorado School of Mines Orediggers March 16 at Falcon Field here with a 12-10 victory.
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Joint Task Force-Bravo officials deployed 40 servicemembers, four UH-60 Blackhawks and equipment March 21 and 22 in support of Joint Task Force-Haiti's airlift operations in Haiti.
Four C-17 Globemaster IIIs landed and were loaded during a three-day period to airlift more than 180,000 pounds of equipment.
"I am very proud of our servicemembers' professionalism as they worked together to load the aircraft and get our team out the door to Haiti," said Col. Gregory Reilly, the JTF-Bravo commander. "We at Joint Task Force-Bravo are always ready to support operations throughout Southern Command's area of responsibility."
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Shaw Air Force Base's newest Airmen's dormitory, building 421, has earned the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED, Silver Certification by the U.S. Green Building Council. The award was presented in a ceremony here March 16.
The building earned the distinction for a number of reasons including procuring construction materials from regional sources, using recycled materials in construction and using geothermal wells to support room and water heating for the facility.
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Air Force veteran Sean Halsted was a decent skier before he fell 40 feet out of a helicopter while on a fast rope during a search-and-rescue training exercise in 1998.
Paralyzed from the waist down, he feared his active days were behind him.
Three years after his accident, Mr. Halsted reluctantly attended his first National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic.
"I thought it was crazy for anybody to be in a wheelchair up on the mountains," he said. "I knew how hard it was to walk bi-pedally in the snow. Why would anybody want to do it in a chair?"
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Kadena Air Base Airmen processed cargo and personnel, donned gas masks, launched aircraft and searched for downed aircrew as part of a base exercise March 22 through 26 here.
The local operational readiness exercise, Beverly High 10-02, was designed to prepare Airmen to defend Japan and maintain peace and stability in the Pacific region.
"Kadena Air Base's strategic importance means that we need to be ready at any time to respond to a variety of situations," said Brig. Gen. Kenneth S. Wilsbach, the 18th Wing commander. "My goal was to evaluate the wing's readiness to respond to a major contingency operation."
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