Spangdahlem Airmen ensure maintenance readiness in Iraq

The cycle of a deployed fighter aircraft starts with a rack full of munitions and ends when the pilot lands it, empty with only residue where the bombs once were. The cycle is seamless -- to the outside world that is, but for the Aerospace Ground Equipment Flight here, it's a continuous process that

Keeping the bombs dropping

Jets fly in Bulgarian exercise

Members of the 31st Fighter Wing wrapped up Rodopi Javelin 2007 today, a three-week exercise, marking the second time the 510th Fighter Squadron participated in a joint exercise with the Bulgarian air force at Graf Ignatevio air force base, Bulgaria. The exercise, which began Oct. 5, allowed members

Airmen learn about responsible drinking

Free wine, food and round-trip transportation to an Italian vineyard was hard to resist for Airmen from Aviano Air Base, Oct. 19. More than 30 young Airmen and wing leadership were invited as guests of Sergio Gelisi, owner of a local winery and 31st Services Squadron honorary commander. Local

TriWest donates S1.2 million to USO

(From left) Mr. Bill Moll, United Service Organizations (USO) chairman of the board of governors, and The Honorable Edward A. Powell Jr., USO president and chief executive officer, accept a donation of $1.2 million from Mr. David McIntyre, TriWest Healthcare Alliance president and chief executive

Runners compete in Aviano's first marathon

More than 200 runners participated in the first-ever Aviano Marathon and multi-distance run events. The marathon kicked off at 8 a.m. on Saturday, following opening comments from 31st Figther Wing commander, Brig. Gen. Craig Franklin. The run events included a full marathon, full marathon relay

Firefighter challenge improves moral, relations

The 31st Fighter Wing group and squadron commanders and the 31st Security Forces squadron competed against their firefighting colleagues in a rigorous obstacle course challenge Oct. 12. The firefighter challenge, an intense, spirited competition, is designed to encourage firefighter fitness and

U.S. Air Force moves hybrid battalion into Darfur

The U.S. Air Force provided airlift support to the Rwandan 55th Battalion Oct. 24. The battalion is one of two working as the United Nations-African Union Hybrid Operations in Darfur. The other battalion is from Nigeria. In July of 2007, the United Nations Security Council unanimously adopted a

Last Bolt: Final wrench turns to end an era

"First bolt," yelled Senior Airman Brad Renninger.The phrase bounced around the hangar as other maintainers from the 352nd Maintenance Squadron echoed the warning. The announcement is standard practice for any crew chief in Airman Renninger's position, who was about to sever the connection between

700th CONS sets records, breaks ground

It was just after midnight on Oct. 1, and a team from the 700th Contracting Squadron, along with Col. Earl Matthews, 435th Air Base Wing commander, took up shovels and dug into the ground on Rhine Ordnance Barracks. This midnight groundbreaking was a celebration of the passing of a record-breaking