14 Jun 2009

End of Era, Mission Complete

11 Jun 2009

Security Forces honors wounded troops in Afghanistan

A cellular phone rings in the dark. The call is from the Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan, hospital. Two wounded U.S. service members have just arrived on base. Staff Sgt. Brian Wunder, a 128th Air Refueling Wing Security Forces Squadron team member, gets out of bed, changes back into his Airman Battle Uniform, and begins to fold two U.S.

10 Jun 2009

Smooth operators dig new digs

Being the best has its benefits. Just ask the Airmen of the Air National Guard Schoolhouse, Fort Indiantown Gap, Pa., who provide unique proficiency upgrading training to servicemembers throughout the Department of Defense and around the world. While the program has the very best Airmen, modern equipment and state-of-the-art classrooms, current

9 Jun 2009

Truax Field continues going 'green'

When Airmen of the 115th Civil Engineer Squadron tell people they are "going green," there is an emphasis on going, as in ... ongoing. Despite already being the first, and only, Air National Guard base of 92 to purchase 100 percent of its power from renewable "green" energy sources, the 115th Fighter Wing refuses to rest on its successes. With an

4 Jun 2009

Chief discusses follow-on missions with Mississippi Air Guard wing

Members of the 186th Air Refueling Wing at Key Field in Meridian, Miss., were not given any details about a follow-on mission for the unit Tuesday, but they were told by the chief of the National Guard Bureau that everything is being done to ensure that the time between missions is minimal. "We are working hard to eliminate or at least drastically

2 Jun 2009

Guard's mobilization training, readiness good for America, Chief says

The National Guard is giving more back to the America in the 21st Century through its increased readiness and ability to rapidly deploy for federal and state callouts, the Guard Bureau's top military officer said yesterday. Air Force Gen. Craig R. McKinley, chief of the National Guard Bureau, told an audience here at the Center for National Policy

29 May 2009

Guard chief emphasizes communication, collaboration, coordination

Communication, collaboration and coordination are the keys to navigating challenging times when it is hard to discern true north, the chief of the National Guard Bureau said Wednesday. "The National Guard has evolved over the last eight years into a force ... that has been through the crucible of combat," Gen. Craig McKinley told students at the

19 May 2009

McKinley: Peacekeeping one likely Guard mission in era of persistent

The National Guard can expect peacekeeping roles in Afghanistan and Iraq in the future, the chief of the National Guard Bureau said May 13. "I've challenged our staff with thinking through what happens after Iraq, what happens after Afghanistan," Air Force Gen. Craig McKinley told an audience at the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank

18 May 2009

Guard 'T-bird' pilot wheels enthusiasm at nation's capital

As acrobatic aircraft buzzed overhead as part of the run-up to the air show here this weekend, Air Force Lt. Col. Derek Routt paid more notice to the parked, baby-blue and white business jets on the ground; aircraft used by the nation's elected and military leaders. The first Air National Guard officer to serve on the Air Force Thunderbirds was

14 May 2009

New York airmen team up with Ramstein to support launch

The New York Air National Guard and Ramstein's 37th Airlift Squadron, 1st Combat Communications Squadron teamed up in support of NASA in its launch of the space shuttle Atlantis here May 9. The initial job for the three units began by loading rescue cargo into two C-130 Hercules on the Ramstein flightline. The mission for each unit is to be on