AirForceDad.com

Members of the 380th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron attach air carts to a KC-10 Extender to prevent internal electrical components from overheating during high temperatures here May 18.

View the slideshow.
more...

The 56th Security Forces Squadron military working dog section here officially opened the first "green" kennel in the Defense Department May 20.

The $1.6 million project included artificial turf, green construction techniques, a rain water collector and solar panels.

"The artificial turf won't need to be watered, and unlike the turf on a mini-golf course, this grass is a mesh of fibers that have a realistic look and feel," said 1st Lt. Christopher Warshaw, the 56th Civil Engineer Squadron energy projects manager. "The MWDs and the trainers will feel like they are on real grass. On the turf there is also a rain water collector, which will collect rainwater for irrigation use at other base locations."
more...

Airmen from the 455th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron Fuels Management Flight are assisting in the safety and security of thousands of U.S., Afghan and coalition troops at various forward operating bases and combat outpost throughout Afghanistan.

Above these remote locations, aerostats (small blimps) float tethered by a cable to provide power and communications to the day and night cameras, which are monitored in the bases' command center.

The Persistent Threat Detection System and Persistent Ground Surveillance System may not be known to the American public, but service members serving in some the most remote locations in the country know these systems as lifelines to their safety and security.
more...

May 12 was the day my oldest son, Phil, turned 7. I remember turning 7 very well -- it was the age I was finally allowed to have a Barbie! It was also the year I lost one of my best friends. It was a big year!

But on this day Phil learned a little about the world around him, and I watched a bit of his innocence die as I described to him what he was seeing.

This made me realize he's growing up, he understands much more than I could imagine, and I would do anything to make sure he always knows the truth about the men and women who serve our country.
more...

To some Americans, Memorial Day means a three-day weekend which unofficially starts the vacation season and outdoor fun. But, to people associated with the military, this weekend means much more.

Memorial Day represents a specific time to show reverence, gratitude and respect to the men and women who have died fighting in service to the United States.

Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James A. Roy spoke to a gathering of about 150 people at the Air Force Memorial May 30 as he read the names of the 26 Airmen who gave their lives in combat over the past year.
more...

Deployed Airmen in the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing honored fallen but not forgotten service members during a Memorial Day ceremony May 30 in Southwest Asia. Colonel Patrick Mordente, the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing commander, and Chief Master Sgt. Richard Turcotte, the 386th command chief, laid a memorial wreath as part of the ceremony.

Captain Amy Fedor, from the 386th Expeditionary Medical Group, served as the event's master of ceremonies. Lt. Col. Tim West, the 386th AEW director of staff, was the formation's commander of troops. Airman 1st Class Joy Clayton, with the 386th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, sang the national anthem and U.S. Army Lt. Col. Gary Taylor, the Theatre Gateway chaplain, played "Taps."
more...

Service members categorized as critical care aeromedical transport team patients are all leaving the contingency aeromedical staging facility with a very special package: a handmade quilt stitched with love.

Shortly after the January arrival of the current CASF team, quilts began arriving at the clinic. Wanting to provide something special for the wounded warriors and hoping to provide a touch of home, Jill Shaver, from Murfreesboro, Tenn., began fashioning homemade quilts.

more...

President Barack Obama announced his choices as chairman and vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff May 30 during a Rose Garden ceremony.

Obama intends to nominate Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey as chairman and Navy Adm. James A. Winnefeld as vice chairman. General Dempsey is currently the Army chief of staff and Admiral Winnefeld is the commander of U.S. Northern Command.

General Dempsey will replace Adm. Mike Mullen when his term ends September 30, and Admiral Winnefeld will replace Marine Gen. James Cartwright when his term ends in July.
more...

Department of Defense officials announced the deaths of two Airmen May 27 who were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

The Airmen died May 26 in the Shorabak district of Kandahar province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked their unit with an improvised explosive device.

Fatally wounded were Tech. Sgt. Kristoffer M. Solesbee, 32, of Citrus Heights, Calif., and Staff Sgt. Joseph J. Hamski, 28, of Ottumwa, Iowa. Sergeant Solesbee was assigned to the 775th Civil Engineer Squadron at Hill Air Force Base, Utah. Sergeant Hamski was assigned to the 52nd Civil Engineer Squadron, Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany.
more...

On April 27 in Kabul, Afghanistan, eight United States Air Force Airmen were shot and killed in the same action while serving our great nation and our Air Force. On that same day, three other Americans from our sister services also died in other actions around Afghanistan. These eight Airmen, two Soldiers and one Marine who died that one day in Afghanistan are American heroes who were doing their duty to protect our country while trying to help the Afghan people. They gave the ultimate sacrifice for all of us.
more...