• For deployed aircraft maintainers, flightline is front line

    The KC-135 Stratotanker was the U.S. Air Force's first jet-powered refueling tanker, and the newest one in the service's inventory was built in 1965.The plane has seen action above countless areas of military operations worldwide, but without the attention and care of some seriously skilled

  • New surcharge on Visa purchases

    As of January 27, merchants in the United States and U.S. Territories are permitted to impose a surcharge on any credit card transaction that uses a MasterCard or Visa branded card, which includes the Government Travel Charge Card, both Individually Billed Accounts (IBAs) and Centrally Billed

  • KC-135s support French mission in Mali

    A detachment from the 100th Air Refueling Wing, RAF Mildenhall, England, operating from a forward deployed location, has completed aerial refueling mission in support of French Operations in Mali.The first roughly 10-hour mission, during the daytime, gave the aircrew the opportunity to see the land

  • 81st FS inactivation announced

    Spangdahlem Air Base's 81st Fighter Squadron is scheduled to inactivate this year as a result of the overall U.S. defense budget cuts. The 81 FS inactivation became official upon the termination of the Continuing Resolution provision that prohibited the "retirement, divestiture, realignment and

  • Lajes Field Airmen offload 220K gallons of fuel, keep mission going

    Members of the 65th Logistics Readiness Squadron, Civil Engineer Squadron and civilian contractors, worked together to offload 220K gallons of unleaded fuel that is vital to ensuring the effectiveness of Lajes Field's aircraft refueling mission at Praia Bay, Jan. 29. When the Madeiro Valleta fuel

  • 480th Fighter Squadron tackles both Red, Green Flags

    Pilots, maintainers, support people and F-16 Fighting Falcons from Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, are participating in both Red Flag 13-2 and Green Flag 13-3 until Feb. 1. This is the first time the 480th Fighter Squadron has participated in both flag exercises at the same time.The 480th FS is

  • Search continues for missing pilot

    U.S. and Italian search teams are continuing efforts in the Adriatic Sea to find and rescue a U.S. Air Force fighter pilot who was declared missing during a nighttime training mission Jan. 28.Capt. Lucas Gruenther, 31st Fighter Wing chief of flight safety, was conducting a training sortie in an F-16

  • Recovered debris thought to be wreckage of missing aircraft

    Italian search teams have recovered debris in the Adriatic Sea believed to belong to an F-16 Fighting Falcon which went missing during a nighttime training mission Jan. 28.The fighter jet, assigned to the 31st Fighter Wing, was performing a training mission when the base lost contact with the pilot