Airman articles from March 2004

Airman archives from March 2004

Snowflakes in the desert: two bases, as different as night and day, work toward the same goal.
March 1, 2004... It's been a year since the start of Operation Iraqi Freedom on March 19, 2003 [See "The First Shot," July 2003]. The men and women who played a part in the war to liberate Iraq from Saddam Hussein's regime are still going strong, and in that...

Professor's deployment brings cadet studies to desert.(Airman's World)
March 1, 2004... AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. -- For 23 years he's worn the uniform and never deployed. It's not because he didn't want to, just luck of the draw. So when the 41-year-old colonel volunteered to deploy for four months to Kirkuk Air Base, Iraq, he...

More airmen may live off base.(Airman's World)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... WASHINGTON -- A change in how the Air Force figures unaccompanied housing requirements will call for fewer dormitory rooms--meaning more airmen could move off base in the future. Under the new policy, which took effect in January, the Air...

Race walker, rugby player earn top Air Force sporting titles.(Airman's World)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... SAN ANTONIO -- The Air Force announced its 2003 Athletes of the Year in December at the annual Athletic Business Conference in Orlando, Fla. First Lt. Laura McDonald from Randolph Air Force Base, Texas, and Capt. Kevin Eastler from F.E....

Airman's jump helps shatter world record.(Airman's World)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. -- A reservist assigned here joined skydivers from around the world last November to break the world record in canopy formation. Lt. Col. Doug Strand of the Air Combat Command operations directorate helped set...

KC-10 crew flies flag of hope.(Airman's World)
March 1, 2004... OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM--A KC-10 Extender crew carried a special message of hope and peace on a flight over Iraq in December. As part of the project "Hands on America," the crew displayed from their boom window an 86-by-76-inch American...

Kirkuk airmen provide relief supplies.(Airman's World)
March 1, 2004... KIRKUK AIR BASE, Iraq -- The words of a Kurdish refugee woman living in a tent on the outskirts of Kirkuk keep ringing in the ears of all who heard it. "This is no life for my children here," the mother said, pointing to the dirt her young...

Balad medics aid villagers.(Airman's World)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... BALAD, Iraq -- Millions of people live without proper medical care most of their lives, and American soldiers and airmen in Iraq are trying to change that one person and one village at a time. "The 5-year-old with cyanotic heart disease...

Puzzled airman shares craft.(Airman's World)
March 1, 2004... ELMENDORF AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska -- What can be very addictive but can also inspire people's creativity? At the same time, what can be really frustrating? Give up? They are crossword puzzles--and thanks to an airman here, they're now...

Air Force pride.(Airman's World)
March 1, 2004... WASHINGTON -- Placing an embroidered Air Force logo on the lightweight blue jacket is now an option for airmen. About 300 jackets bearing the logo will be distributed Air Force-wide for wear testing, but airmen can add the embroidered logo to...

It's a bird ... it's a plane ... it's 'Michael Recycle'.(Airman's World)
March 1, 2004... SAN ANTONIO -- Most superheroes wear some type of costume to hide their true identities when they do their good deeds in public, but not Michael Redfern. Everyone knows his alter ego is "Michael Recycle," waste's worst enemy. In his...

How to be a savvy saver: tips from a shrewd business negotiator.(Airman Consumer)
March 1, 2004... Vital stats Name: Master Sgt. Sidney H. Cooper Unit: 174th Fighter Wing, Hancock Field, Syracuse, N.Y. Born: July 22, 1944 Served in Air Force: 1963 to 1967 Education: Bachelor's degree in business management Civilian...

Refreshing spirit.(Air Mail)(Letter to the Editor)
March 1, 2004... Your article in the November 2003 issue ["Same Stuff, Fresh Way of Thinking"] about Tech. Sgt. Randall Lovett is one of the best I've read in Airman. His enthusiasm and motivated approach to performing a job that most view as thankless is...

Slightly off target.(Air Mail)(Letter to the Editor)
March 1, 2004... Your article on gunners ["The Big Guns," November 2003] was an excel lent overview, but omitted one notable achievement--B-52 gunners were able to help put bombs on target. When a plane lost its radar, the lead plane's gunner would provide...

On target.(Air Mail)(Letter to the Editor)
March 1, 2004... I'd like to thank Master Sgts. Tommy Cournoyer and Scott Wagers for putting together an on-target article about another aspect of our "future force" ["A Fur-footed Force," December 2003]. The K-9 units are among the unsung heroes that help...

Nit-picking?(Air Mail)(Letter to the Editor)
March 1, 2004... I was reading "Air Mail" [December 2003] and noticed that four letters were from people who said they were sick of others making observations concerning improper wear of the uniform or misfolding the flag. I may not have that much...

Commissioning opportunity.(Air Mail)(Letter to the Editor)
March 1, 2004... I found your article "Trading Stripes for Bars" [December 2003] to be very informative and well done. However, the Air National Guard Academy of Military Science is absent from the list of commissioning programs. This is another...

Behind the scenes.(Air Mail)(Letter to the Editor)
March 1, 2004... Your article in the November 2003 issue ["The Sight Saviors"] was very compelling. Thank you for publicizing the hard work our Air Force professionals accomplish in such austere conditions. I'm afraid, though, the article suffered an omission...

Thanks for service.(Air Mail)(Letter to the Editor)
March 1, 2004... My father served in the Air Force during World War II. I appreciate all the Air Force does to protect our country and its citizens from any evil that may come. I enjoy reading all the articles in Airman. They are appreciated very much. ...

Correction.(Air Mail)(Correction Notice)
March 1, 2004... Senior Airman Nathan Summers' home of record is Kearney, Neb. ["12 Outstanding Airman of 2003," January 2004], and he is assigned to Air Mobility Command.

Meet the staff.(Air Mail)
March 1, 2004... Tech. Sgt. Orville F. Desjarlais Jr. is a 20-year veteran from Billings, Mont., whose previous assignments took him to Oklahoma, Japan, California, Guam and New Hampshire. As a senior staff writer for Airman, he covers stories concerning space,...

In search of news and information: get the latest news and information about your busy Air Force quickly and easily.(Air Mail)
March 1, 2004... Air Force Link: www.af.mil--Airman magazine, Air Force Print News, Air Force Radio News, Air Force TV News, fact sheets, biographies, artwork, and links to other Air Force and Department of Defense news. Electronic mail subcriptions:...

The best of Jake.(Air Mail)
March 1, 2004... "OK, folks, today we tour a highly classified, top secret areas of our Defense Department."

Baby steps: get your jogging routine off on the right foot.(Air Fitness)
March 1, 2004... So what's the key to starting a successful jogging routine? Simple. Put one foot in front of the other. Fitness experts across the country all agree jogging is a great way to exercise and keep fit. After all, there's nothing easier than...

A time for healing: Air Force Academy leadership and cadets look toward the future.
March 1, 2004... In one of the largest dining facilities in the Air Force, 4,125 cadets hungrily down their ham and croissant sandwiches, affectionately known as "fatty bags" for their extra caloric value. Twenty minutes later at 7:20 a.m., as fast as this huge...

From classroom to combat.
March 1, 2004... The last thing 1st Lt. Erik Axt wanted to do was make a mistake. When his finger squeezed the trigger of a seven-barrel Gatling gun, 30 mm rounds exploded from his A-10 Thunderbolt II and thudded dangerously close to friendly forces under...

Night Watch: emergency care in Iraq continues around the clock.
March 1, 2004... All EMEDS personnel must report to work!" The message boomed three times over the giant voice system before being muffled by the sound of inbound helicopters, Members of the 447th Expeditionary Medical Squadron stumbled into the...

Keeping the serpent at bay: a joint program between the defense and agriculture departments aims to keep snakes from escaping Guam.
March 1, 2004... Tromping through the thick underbrush of Guam's northern jungles, less Guerrero paused and held up his hand. "Shhh," he whispered. "Hear that?" The jungle was quiet. The group following Mr. Guerrero looked curiously at the man. ...

The organization man: when you're responsible for everything from beans to bullets and beyond, it helps to have an organized mind.(Airman Profile)
March 1, 2004... Tech. Sgt. Allen Selfe doesn't carry an organizer, and he doesn't own a personal data assistant. He doesn't constantly check his calendar or watch, but he always seems to know where he's going, when he needs to be there and what needs to be...

Conquering the peak.(@usafa.af.mil)
March 1, 2004... At the top is a place where the air can he 40 percent thinner and the temperature 30 degrees cooler from the bottom. Altitude sickness is common. To go by foot requires a climb of 13 miles and an ascent of 7,500 vertical feet. But it's still...

Got to be gumby.(Airman Notebook)
March 1, 2004... The assignment was challenging: Report from Iraq, Afghanistan, and two other undisclosed Southwest Asia locations in a little over three weeks. The constant flying, jet lag, missed meals, meals I'd wished I'd missed--these all paled in...

On the horizon.(Final Frame)(caption)
March 1, 2004... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Caption: Senior Airman Leo Ortiz (right) eyes a target on the horizon at Kirkuk Air Base, Iraq, as Senior Airman Josh Gianni observes. They were part of Operation Ivy Cyclone, an operation to root out and crush...

Then & now.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... The Bosnia war became personal for Senior Airman Christie O. Lingard (above right) in 1993 when she participated in a relief effort to transport seriously injured citizen soldiers from the former Yugoslav republic to the United States for...