Airman articles from September 2007

Airman archives from September 2007

A separate force.(United States Air Force history)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The influence of airpower during World War II ended the argument that the nation needed a separate Air Force. By war's end, Airmen had earned a certain independence and respect within the War Department. It was...

The first 47.(air force equipment and machines)(Chronology)
September 1, 2007... First Lt. Fames Rung was a navigator on a B-17 Flying Fortress during World War IL He said the many perilous bombing missions he flew over England were scary. Although World War II veterans are known as America's "Greatest Generation," the...

The Cold War.(1961 Cuban Missile Crisis)(Chronology)
September 1, 2007... Retired Col. Anthony Martinez not only remembers the Cold War, he lived it. The former U-2 Dragon Lady pilot remembers the 1961 Cuban Missile Crisis well. "The Cuban Missile Crisis was the high point of the Cold War," said the colonel, who...

Since 1990.(United States Air Force events)(Chronology)
September 1, 2007... The "Greatest Generation," the Cold War era, and today's Air and Space Expeditionary Forces fighting two wars at once all have one thing in common--people. It takes Airmen to fly and fight. As in the past, the spotlight today is on...

Air Force medal of honor recipients.(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] World War I 2nd Lt. Edwin R. Bleckley 2nd Lt. Harold E. Goettler 2nd Lt. Frank Luke Jr. Capt. Edward V. Rickenbacker World War II Lt. Col. Addison E. Baker Maj. Richard I. Bong ...

Symington's vision on track.(W. Stuart Symington)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Each day, new challenges try the conviction of America's Airmen. But as the Air Force wings its way into a new century, it does so with the dedicated Airmen, weapons and leading-edge technology that will ensure its...

Trimming the force.(AIRMAIL)(Letter to the editor)
September 22, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] I enjoy reading your magazine. I work in the Air Force Reserve Command as NCO in charge of the command retention branch. I read the article "Trimming the Force" in Airman magazine (Spring 2007) with great...

A deadly job.(AIRMAIL)(Letter to the editor)
September 22, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] I appreciate your story about the explosive ordnance disposal instructors ("Airman extreme," Summer 2007). This has to be one of the deadliest jobs there is. The threat is bad enough, even with the current knowledge...

Uncommon Airmen.(AIRMAIL)(Letter to the editor)
September 22, 2007... Wonderful story about the Air Force's unsung heroes ("Uncommon Airmen," Summer 2007). I didn't know these brave guys existed. I constantly try explaining to civilians that the U.S. military carries out operations every day, all over the world,...

Airmen are warriors.(AIRMAIL)(Letter to the editor)
September 22, 2007... I'm so glad we still have people who want to become good Airmen ("The warrior ethos," Summer 2007). You get a great feeling when you have completed your training at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, and know you are going on to some strange duty...

Get the picture.(AIRMAIL)(Letter to the editor)
September 22, 2007... I read with great interest the responses on the new uniform (Airmail, Summer 2007) about the creases in the uniform in the picture and how the photo set a new standard. The one thing I noticed was how many of the complaints came from senior...

Raptor rapture: pilots say the F-22 is a true marvel to fly: F-22 raptors taxi into position for takeoff from Kadena Air Base, Japan. The jets, from Langley Air Force Base, Va., went to the Pacific base in M May 2007 for their first overseas deployment, a three-month tour.
September 22, 2007... Growing up in Bloomfield, Ind., Lt. Col. Kevin Fesler dreamed of flying airplanes. He watched them take off and land at the airport and wondered what it was like to be in the cockpit, the world far below, and the seemingly limitless sky,...

Deciphering cyberspace: airmen fending off attacks on a new battlespace: to ensure bases across the United States have the latest tools to fight cyberspace attacks, Tech. Sgt. John Webb calls each one when he sends them updated antivirus software.(Cover story)
September 22, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The enemy is attacking--again. The relentless attack cascades across the base's sturdy defenses every few seconds. Staff Sgt. Carlos Miranda responds, his fingers dancing across his computer keyboard. The...

C-130 Hercules crew chief: senior Airman Gavin Martin.(PROFILE)(Brief article)
September 22, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] UNIT: 86th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron HOME BASE: Ramstein Air Base, Germany HOMETOWN: Thomasville, N.C. ENTERED AIR FORCE: April 27, 2004 DEPLOYMENTS: Iraq and another base in Southwest Asia ...

Flying can be a pain in the ear: simple tips can make flying healthier.(HEALTH)
September 22, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Today's expeditionary Airmen find themselves flying to points all over the world, from here to there and to everywhere in between. As if suffering through long delays, crowded terminals and long flights isn't bad...

Drug war sentries: Manta Airmen keep drug runners guessing.
September 22, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Flying an E-3 Sentry on a round track over Colombia was easy for Capt. Kristen Thompson. It was her first mission in the war on drugs, but she probably could have done it in her sleep. She has flown the ungainly...

Volunteer spirit part of Manta culture.(Manta, Ecuador)
September 22, 2007... When not fighting the war on drugs, volunteering is the in thing to do at Forward Operating Location Manta, Ecuador. Most Airmen who deploy there seem to find time to help. "The spirit of volunteerism has become a part of deploying here,"...

Frontline duty: Airmen's mission keeps them busy.
September 22, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] In the rugged mountains of Afghanistan, Airmen are doing a lot more than dropping bombs on insurgents. They're also helping Afghans cope with everyday needs. In one area in the rugged Hindu Kush mountain range,...

Medal for mettle: new decoration recognizes Airmen for engaging the enemy.
September 22, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A gunship navigator, a truck driver, an aero-evacuation technician, an aerial gunner, a pararescueman and an A-10 Thunderbolt II pilot--these Airmen many not have much in common, except for one thing. They've all...

You snooze, you lose.(XTREME)
September 22, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The first night with no sleep was the most difficult. "I had just worked all day, and when 1 (a.m.) rolled around I started getting tired," said Staff Sgt. Andree Scott. "That was the toughest part of the whole...

Community readiness technician: Jose Martinez.(PROFILE)(Brief article)
September 22, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] UNIT: 37th Mission Support Squadron Airman and family readiness flight HOME BASE: Lackland Air Force Base, Texas HOMETOWN: Del Rio, Texas ENTERED AIR FORCE: July 1984. Started new job in March 2006 and...

Glimpses of humanity: nurses recount stories of hope during the war on terrorism.
September 22, 2007... Capt. Martha Paul sees flight medics rush into the emergency room tent entrance carrying a litter with a body bag on it. One of the medics tugs his helmet off and gives a report about the patient he carried in. The captain listens and isn't...

Murphy's Law: Airman's safety concerns become cultural phenomenon.(HERITAGE)
September 22, 2007... Anything that can go wrong will. That's Murphy's Law. Everyone knows it. But few know this widespread cultural expression began in the Air Force, the brainchild of no-nonsense, by-the-book Maj. Edward A. Murphy. "My brother, Edward,...

Getting sereious: learning to survive means overcoming all odds.
September 22, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] His steely gaze bores into the writhing mass of mealworms cupped in his hands. It's time for Staff Sgt. Steven Raethel to finish dinner. The steel in his eyes matches the iron in his will as he pours 50-plus...

Manta's mission a dual affair.(NOTEBOOK)
September 22, 2007... I went to Forward Operating Location Manta, Ecuador, in late July to see how Airmen there fight the war on drugs. What an exciting learning experience that was. Manta's mission is as vital to our national security as the war on terrorism,...

Peekaboo.(THE FINAL FRAME)(Brief article)
September 22, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] With a simple game of peekaboo, Senior Airman Andrzej Wojcicki cheers up an Afghan child at an internal displacement camp near Kabul. The Airman is with the Combined Security Transition Command-Afghanistan. He and...