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A year and a day after undergoing ground-breaking surgery for wounds suffered in an attack in Afghanistan, U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Tre Porfirio, died Nov. 28 from complications of the same injury. The Knoxville-born serviceman's father, Karl Porfirio, said Thursday that the past year "has been rough." "I keep calling him a boy, but he's a man," Karl Porfirio said, his voice cracking. "He's my boy, but to everybody else he's a man. A senior airman in the United States Air Force." The 22-year-old airman will be buried today at the East Tennessee State Veterans Cemetery.

Nearly every airman has forgotten to salute, missed a meeting, showed up for work late or flubbed a test. By and large, those moments strike fear in airmen’s hearts — and for good reason. A little thing, or a seemingly little thing, can kill a career as much as a big thing. You don’t have to commit a crime to get kicked out of the service. You can be handed your walking papers for simply being in an overmanned career field or flunking the PT test. And in these times when the Air Force is looking to get rid of...

5/5/2010 - NEW YORK (AFNS) -- The editors of TIME magazine honored Chief Master Sgt. Antonio D. Travis as one of the 100 most influential people in the world for his efforts following the Haiti earthquake. He was recognized May 4 during the 2010 TIME 100 gala event at New York City's Lincoln Center. Chief Travis was one of the first U.S. military members on the ground at the Toussaint L'Ouverture International Airport in Port au Prince, Haiti, only 30 hours after the earthquake and less than 12 hours after the nation's president requested U.S. assistance. The chief led a...

LACKLAND AIR FORCE BASE, Texas, Jan. 11, 2010 – When Airman Christopher Platte decided to join the Air Force last year, he didn't know he would be following in famous footsteps. Retired U.S. Air Force Capt. Claude Platte signs a wall at the 323rd Training Squadron dedicated to the Tuskegee Airmen as his great nephew, Airman Christopher Platte, looks on Dec. 11, 2009, at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas. Captain Platte was one of the first African-American officers to be trained and commissioned in the Air Force pilot training program. Airman Platte graduated from Basic Military Training Dec. 11, 2009....

10/19/2009 - CHARLESTON AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. (AFNS) -- A Charleston Air Force Base technical sergeant was honored Oct. 15 for his heroism and bravery while suffering from injuries sustained during a patrol on his seventh deployment to the Middle East. Tech. Sgt. Michael Williams, an explosives ordnance disposal technician with the 437th Civil Engineer Squadron, was on patrol Aug. 2 near the Mushan Village in Afghanistan after one of the locals said they knew where an improvised explosive device was located. With one step, his foot landed on a different land mine with an IED on it. "(Following the...

A Texas Airman stationed at an Air Force Base near Sacramento, Calif. has lost both legs after surgeons reportedly botched a routine surgery to remove his gallbladder. Colton Read, 20, underwent laproscopic surgery last week at David Grant Medical Center at Travis Air Force Base near Sacramento. Laproscopic surgery is a minimally invasive procedure that involves making a tiny incision to minimize pain and speed recovery time. About an hour into the surgery, something went wrong. Read's wife Jessica told CBS11TV.com. "A nurse runs out, 'we need blood now' and she rounds the corner and my gut feelings is 'oh...

Terry was the only member of the unit convicted in the Freeman Field Mutiny, in which black officers plotted to integrate an all-white officer's club in Indiana in 1945. He was pardoned in 1995.

5/14/2009 - KADENA AIR BASE, Japan (AFNS) -- Most of us hear stories of Airmen saving lives in combat, but an Airman who saves the lives of more than 300 passengers is definitely a story worth hearing. A fuel leak on a civilian aircraft caught the attention of Staff Sgt. Bartek Bachleda, 909th Air Refueling Squadron boom operator, during a flight from Chicago to Narita airport, Japan. After alerting the pilots and aircrew, the ranking pilot made the decision to divert the flight to San Francisco. "I noticed the leak on the left side of the aircraft right behind the...

RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas, Jan. 2, 2009 – For the past 15 months, Leo Knight-Inglesby has pushed himself beyond the limits he and his loved ones ever thought possible. Leo Knight-Inglesby, left, reviews his Air Force enlistment contract with his recruiter, Air Force Staff Sgt. Ty Lopez, in the Rockville, Md., recruiting office. The 22-year-old lost more than 160 pounds to join the Air Force. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Ty Lopez   (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. The 22-year-old Silver Spring, Md., native shed more than 160 pounds to meet the physical standard of...

WASHINGTON, Dec. 8, 2008 – Air Force Tech. Sgt. Israel Del Toro has made remarkable strides in his recovery in the three years and 102 surgeries since he and his team were ambushed by the Taliban in the mountains near Qalat, Afghanistan. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Israel Del Toro works out at the Randolph Air Force Base, Texas, fitness center. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Cecilio M. Ricardo  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. His fight to survive started on that mountain, where he refused to leave his 3-year-old son fatherless. He’d lost his father early in...

TUCSON, Ariz., Nov. 7, 2008 – A little boy from Flagstaff, Ariz., touched the lives of Guardsmen at the 162nd Fighter Wing here last year when he visited the wing to be a fighter pilot for a day, and he continues to inspire unit members today. Air Force Lt. Col. Scott Reinhold, then a major, puts the 162nd Fighter Wing patch on 6-year-old Dominic Magne’s flight suit during the boy’s visit to the Arizona Air National Guard unit April 17, 2007. U.S. Air Force photo by Capt. Gabe Johnson  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. At the age of...

3/13/2008 - BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan (AFPN) -- An Airman's quick action following an explosion of a jet fuel starter Feb. 26 that sent shrapnel across the Bagram Air Base flightline averted a possible explosion of an F-15E Strike Eagle. Staff Sgt. Jonathan Billie was working on the flightline near a fellow Airman prepping an F-15E when the small motor that starts the fighter's engines blew up. The jet fuel starter imploded and pieces of the machine flew across the flightline. "I went out to help the crew chief on the jet clean up the area and find out how...

WASHINGTON, Jan. 24, 2008 – Simply communicating while deployed to Iraq can be challenging for servicemembers, but one airman discovered that trying to plan a surprise marriage proposal was nearly impossible. But help from several sources led to Air Force Senior Airman Robert Blackburn popping the question to his girlfriend, D’Ann Campbell, Jan. 18. “It was really hard for me to even get on the Internet over there,” said Blackburn, 22, who recently returned to his duty station at Hill Air Force Base, in Utah. But Blackburn’s moving request and a friend’s testimony submitted to “Dallas is Love,” a...

No, seriously why won’t you listen to me? I’m not trying to change your mind. I’m just trying to understand where you’re coming from. Maybe I can get you to look at this from my point of view for once, minus all the hatred. Why won’t you listen to me? A bomb just exploded outside the gate and I can't sleep. I swear that’s true. I thought a mortar hit my room. (I found out later that it was a very large car bomb that killed four and wounded 40 Iraqi’s manning a local checkpoint – they are tired of...

BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan, Dec. 26, 2007 – When the time comes to drop a bomb, aircrews need to have confidence that their weapon will work properly, because lives on the ground can be at stake. That’s where Air Force Staff Sgt. Erik Ryland, the senior munitions inspector for the 451st Air Expeditionary Group here, enters the picture. As a munitions inspector, Ryland’s duties include maintaining the serviceability of the munitions stockpile, handling the shipping and receiving of munitions, and issuing, inspecting and tracking ammunition for airmen here. The stockpile Ryland maintains includes more than 470 items and is valued...

SOUTHWEST ASIA, Dec. 20, 2007 – A deployed airman recently joined an elite group of aviators after flying his 200th combat mission and reaching 1,500 combat hours. Air Force Master Sgt. Anthony Roy conducts a preflight inspection on an EC-130H Compass Call aircraft Dec. 8, 2007, at a forward-deployed location. Roy is an instructor flight engineer with 43rd Expeditionary Electronic Combat Squadron and is deployed from Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz. Photo by Staff Sgt. Tia Schroeder, USAF  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Master Sgt. Anthony Roy, a 43rd Electronic Combat Squadron instructor flight engineer deployed from Davis-Monthan...

12/17/2007 - BALAD AIR BASE, Iraq (AFPN) -- When Army Cpl. Joseph Barzeski invited Staff Sgt. Tracy Davidson to tour the Convoy Support Center's burn clinic in Scania, Iraq, he didn't think she would be back. But she did come back, again and again. "I didn't think she was going to want to stay, but she wanted to help," said the corporal. "She just fell right into it." Since that day in mid-July, Sergeant Davidson has assisted nearly every day the clinic has been open. She's become a fixture at the facility as a care provider for families, and a...

SOTO CANO AIR BASE, Honduras, Nov. 1, 2007 – In the spirit of Halloween, an airman here built his very own version of “Frankenstein’s monster.” Air Force Tech. Sgt. Robert Russell, Armed Forces Network Honduras chief engineer, shows off the "Frankenstein computer" he built from spare parts and a shipping box. The computer took about two weeks to build. Photo by Tech. Sgt. Sonny Cohrs, USAF  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Robert Russell, chief engineer for American Forces Network Honduras, is somewhat of a computer guru. When his wife called and said she needed a...

BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan, Oct. 25, 2007 – Children line the streets during the short ride to the village. Adults with noticeable disabilities and young children who may have never had professional medical assistance look curiously at the visitors, probably wondering why they have come. Despite this lack of professional medical care, one of those visitors has been making a positive difference for local villagers. Tech. Sgt. Joy Flumerfelt (left), an Air Force medical technician with 455th Air Expeditionary Wing, provides medical care in a small village outside of Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan, on Oct. 4, 2007. Photo by...

7/31/2007 - BALAD AIR BASE, Iraq (AFPN) -- The saying that Air Force history is easily found among its Airmen and their units became a reality for an Airman deployed here as she followed in her grandfather's footsteps and joined an elite group called Tuskegee Airmen. Tech. Sgt. Rose Noches, a surgical service craftsman with the 332nd Expeditionary Medical Group at Balad Air Base, is a living legacy to the Tuskegee Airmen of World War II fame. The legacy and history began in Tuskegee, Ala., 66 years ago when African-Americans proved themselves worthy in the sky and on the battlefield...

The 22-year-old McGuire Air Force Base airman who was the target of an attempted murder-suicide in Willingboro last week remains hospitalized in serious but stable condition, a military official said today. Senior Airman Jonathan Schrieken is recuperating at Cooper University Hospital in Camden, where he was initially listed in critical condition after the July 4 shooting but has since been upgraded to serious condition, said Public Affairs Spc. Angel Lopez, a base spokeswoman. His family is with him in the hospital, Lopez said. Lopez declined to say whether Schrieken is conscious, citing privacy restrictions. She also would not comment on...

5/29/2007 - BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan (AFPN) -- An Airman fighting the war on terrorism from Bagram Air Base said "I do" to his bride May 26 over a video teleconference at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. The VTC wedding connected Senior Airman Carlos Moreno of the 455th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron with his new wife, Carolina, from Airman Moreno's home station of Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., with his parents and co-workers in attendance. On the Bagram AB side of the teleconference, Airman Moreno was joined by many of his friends and co-workers from his deployed location as witnesses...

3/23/2007 - SAN ANTONIO (AFNEWS) -- She has been anticipating this moment since being crowned Miss Arkansas USA in October and it is finally here. Second Lt. Kelly George, a resident of Sherwood, Ark., and the deputy chief of public affairs for the 314th Airlift Wing at Little Rock Air Force Base, vies for the title of Miss USA March 23. The pageant will air live from Los Angeles at 9 p.m. EDT. She admits to feeling some butterflies, but she thinks they are not a sign of nerves but rather excitement. Lieutenant George has been preparing for pageants for...

Senior Airman Jason Al-Jehani moves pallets in the cargo yard at Kirkuk Regional Air Base, Iraq, in January. Airman Al-Jehani was one of about 1,000 Army paratroopers who were airdropped into northern Iraq March 26, 2003. He is now a reservist assigned to the 39th Aerial Port Squadron at Peterson Air Force Base, Colo. Airman Al-Jehani is an air transportation journeyman deployed to the 506th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Kevin Williams) by Tech. Sgt. Kevin Williams 506th Air Expeditionary Group 2/13/2007 - KIRKUK REGIONAL AIR BASE, Iraq (AFNEWS) -- Sitting in the cold cargo bay of a C-17...

. Download HiRes1/26/2007 - WASHINGTON (AFNEWS) -- Since the Air Force started manning convoy operations in support of the war on terror, more Airmen have had an opportunity to put their rifle training to use in real-world scenarios. Today, explosive ordnance disposal and security forces Airmen, along with those performing in-lieu-of taskings, have joined battlefield Airmen working "outside the wire" in Iraq and Afghanistan and are regularly involved in combat situations as part of their duty...all alongside their fellow Airmen that continue to engage in daily combat, delivering decisive effects from the air! "We are a warfighting Air Force," said Chief of Staff...

SUMMERDALE - December 17, 2006 - He was heading to Iraq's war zone in a few weeks. Instead, a 21-year-old husband and father-to-be died early Sunday morning in a stabbing on a street outside a Philadelphia nightclub. Officers say a fight broke out inside the "Ledo by Night" club in Summerdale, and then spilled out into the street in the 700 block of Adams Avenue. That's where the U.S. Air Force member was stabbed in the chest. His wife, who is six months pregnant, was there. He was a native of Maryland and stationed at McGuire Air Force Base in...

12/9/2006 - SATHER AIR BASE, Iraq (AFPN) -- Sometimes a tragedy inspires others to strive for excellence. That's what happened here for two Air Force units near Baghdad as they worked together to bring in some good for fellow Airmen. Airman 1st Class LeeBernard Emmanuel Chavis was killed while patrolling the streets of Baghdad Oct. 14 in the turret of his armored humvee. His death motivated a team of vehicle maintenance Airmen to design and build a new protective turret to avoid similar deaths. "This is a story about Airmen helping Airmen. We're trying to help the people who go...

11/14/2006 - TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. (AFPN) -- Base officials, family members and friends gathered here Nov. 7 to remember a fallen NCO and participate in a dedication ceremony. The Tech. Sgt. Jason Norton Military Working Dog Facility was dedicated in the base's security forces complex. Sergeant Norton was killed Jan. 22 while deployed in support of the war on terrorism; his vehicle struck an improvised explosive device while conducting convoy escort duties near Taji, Iraq. About 25 members and friends traveled from Florida and other states to attend the ceremony at Tinker, where Sergeant Norton had been assigned...

11/13/2006 - SOUTHWEST ASIA (AFPN) -- More than 300 U.S. military members and multinational partners gathered by the base flagpole Nov. 10 to honor U.S. veterans, specifically Airman 1st Class Elizabeth Jacobson. Airman Jacobson was killed while on a convoy near Camp Bucca, Iraq, Sept. 28, 2005, when her vehicle was hit by an improvised explosive device. She was the first female Airman and the Air Force's first security forces member killed in the line of duty supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. The tribute included a retreat ceremony, a memorial and emotional words from Col. Paul Curlett, the 386th Air Expeditionary...

11/5/2006 - SAN ANTONIO (AFPN) -- The volunteer efforts by an Air Force captain while deployed to Iraq last year has earned her the honor of being the first American to march with a British regiment at The Cenotaph war memorial Nov. 12 in London's Whitehall. Capt. Jutta Cortes, the deputy director of security forces for the 20th Air Force at F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyo., leaves Nov. 6 for England, where she will meet with veterans from the Royal Air Force Habbaniya Association with whom she will march at a remembrance service. The memorial, built for the first...

11/1/2006 - MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Ala. (AFPN) -- At 19 years old, Senior Airman Sharon Hawley is the youngest of more than 9,100 graduates earning their degrees in October at the Community College of the Air Force here. The integrated avionics mechanic, assigned to 412th Maintenance Squadron at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., completed the prerequisites for her aviation technology degree in less than nine months. "I began the course in March 2005 with credit for three classes from another school, took three classes at CCAF and CLEPed three classes," Airman Hawley said. "That allowed me to complete the...

10/30/2006 - CONWAY, Ark. (AFPN) -- An Airman assigned to Little Rock Air Force Base was selected as Miss Arkansas USA Oct. 28 at the pageant held in the Donald W. Reynolds Auditorium on the campus of the University of Central Arkansas. Second Lieutenant Kelly George, a resident of Sherwood, Ark., is the deputy chief of Public Affairs for the 314th Airlift Wing. "Kelly represents the Air Force and Arkansas well," said Brig. Gen. Kip Self, 314th Airlift Wing commander. "She takes to heart the spirit of service in dedicating herself to civic duty and service to herself and to...

8/10/2006 - PHOENIX (AFPN) -- Signing copies of his book, retired Lt. Col. Alexander Jefferson jovially spoke to all who approached his table. He took a few moments to share how his early years were shaped by his experience as a Tuskegee Airman, fighter pilot and prisoner of war. Colonel Jefferson, who was one of 32 Tuskegee Airmen who were prisoners during World War II, offered insight into his career and life. "I joined the Air Force because the draft was coming," he said. "I didn't want to serve in the quartermaster corps because that was the only unit offered...

8/10/2006 - ANDERSEN AIR FORCE BASE, Guam (AFPN) -- "This is a big deal ... this is a big deal ... a Bronze Star!" said Col. Michael Boera, 36th Wing commander. He was presiding over a ceremony in which Tech. Sgt. Ruben Vazquez of the 36th Medical Operations Squadron was awarded a Bronze Star for his service as an independent duty medical technician and military adviser in Iraq from November 2005 to May 2006. A 12-hour notice was all Sergeant Vazquez received less than a year ago before flying out to train and enter the war zone. He had no...

RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas, Aug. 8, 2006 — “Toten! Let’s go find toten, Reina! Let’s go to work!” Reina, a pedigreed 4-year-old black and silver German shepherd puts her nose to the ground and whuffles the earth as her partner and owner, Tech. Sgt. Julie Davis, a personnelist assigned here, leads her in a grid search pattern, not for a missing person, but for traces of “toten” -- human remains. Reina, Spanish for queen, is a highly skilled Human Remains Detection dog. According to Greater Houston Search Dogs, a volunteer non-profit search dog organization, HRD dogs can detect the...

SCHRIEVER AIR FORCE BASE, Colo., July 13, 2006 — The newly elected president of the Schriever Airmen's Council, who joined the Air Force in 2004, is one of the 50th Space Wing's newest American citizens. Airman 1st Class Zully Renon originally pursued citizenship so she would be eligible to re-enlist but said she has grown to appreciate what it means to be an American. After going into basic training "open general" — meaning the Air Force would assign her to a career field that met their needs — Renon found herself in the finance career field. She came to Schriever...

6/27/2006 - POPE AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. (AFPN) -- A tactical air controller was recognized by the secretary of the Air Force with the presentation of a Silver Star in a ceremony June 26 for heroic duties while deployed to Southwest Asia in support of the war on terrorism. Tech. Sgt. Travis Crosby, a terminal attack control-qualified TACP assigned to the 15th Air Support Squadron at Fort Stewart, Ga., was lauded for his handling of close-air support missions and innovative tactics employed to gain control over a hostile situation during Operation Iraqi Freedom on April 4, 2003. While under fire,...

A Northern California family's decades-old war story acquired an emotional epilogue on Friday when partial remains of an Army airman who disappeared in the South Pacific more than six decades ago were buried with military honors. Second Lt. John Austin Widsteen was 22 years old on April 16, 1944, when he and 10 fellow airmen aboard the Royal Flush failed to return to their Papua New Guinea base from a bombing mission in what is now Indonesia. Widsteen's baby sister, now 77, was his closest surviving relative at the funeral, which also drew a pair of gray-haired cousins and several...

U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. (Dr.) Paul Doan, chief of aerospace medicine for the 379th Expeditionary Medical Group in Southwest Asia, evaluates Roberto Leal. Doan is a former war refugee from Vietnam. He is deployed from Barksdale Air Force Base, La. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Joshua Strang U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Paul Doan Vietnam War Steers Airman to Medicine By Tech. Sgt. Veronica Aceveda 379th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs SOUTHWEST ASIA, May 15, 2006 — He was only 6 years old when he saw a dead soldier lying in the street holding a rifle...

5/9/2006 - MCGUIRE AIR FORCE BASE, N.J. (AFPN) -- Sports history landed in the lap of a McGuire Airman May 8 while he sat in the right field bleachers of Citizens Bank Park, as the Philadelphia Phillies played the San Francisco Giants. Airman 1st Class Carlos Oliveras of the 305th Aerial Port Squadron caught Barry Bonds' 713th home run ball, which left the Giants outfielder one home run behind Babe Ruth for second place on baseball’s career list. “Mid-game, I saw the crowd getting up out of their seats, and then I saw the ball bounce off the McDonald’s sign...

SPANGDAHLEM AIR BASE, Germany, May 3, 2006 – Family tradition may be what inspired Air Force Tech. Sgt. Tom Landenberg to join the military, but 20 years later, he said it's pride that keeps him serving. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Tom Landenberg said pride inspired him to join the Air Force and keeps him serving as he helps prepare young airmen for combat duty. Photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Larry Chambers, USCG  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. The Pine Mount, Ga., native followed in the footsteps of his father, a 22-year veteran of the Army and Coast...

4/3/2006 - SATHER AIR BASE, Iraq (AFPN) -- More than 300 people attended a memorial ceremony April 1 for the first Airman from Sather Air Base killed in combat while supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. Tech. Sgt. Walter Moss, 447th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron explosive ordnance disposal flight technician, was killed in an explosion while he was conducting safing operations near Baghdad March 29. Sergeant Moss had been deployed to Sather AB since January from the 366th CES, Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho. During his time in Iraq, EOD responded to more than 200 calls in the Baghdad vicinity without...

Note: The following letters were among the 25 written on March 13 to be compiled into a book for Air Force Senior Airman Angel Montes. The book was presented to Montes when he visited Jody Gallagher's second-grade class at Gallego Elementary School. Some spelling and punctuation have been corrected. It's copyrighted suff but well worth the click.

3/24/2006 - TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. (AFPN) -- March 21 was a special day for one Airman. It was the day that he received his Purple Heart Medal. It was a proud day, and a long overdue one at that. Mr. Leo Bach received his medal after suffering injuries to his right leg and back after bailing out of his B-17 Flying Fortress nearly 62 years ago. Mr. Bach, then a 24-year-old first lieutenant bombardier in the U.S. Army Air Corps, was one of nine crewmembers on a bombing run destined for Cottbus, Germany, April 11, 1944. The crew...

3/23/2006 - MINOT AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. (AFPN) -- The smell and taste of cookies hot from the oven for many evokes happy memories of childhood. For one Airman here, his fresh-baked cookies landed him on national television. Senior Airman David Sutherland, a 741st Missile Squadron chef, was selected by the Food Network and competed March 20 in Denver at the Cookie Challenge for recognition as the best amateur cookie baker with a chance to win $10,000. “The competition was an exciting opportunity,” Airman Sutherland said. “It was a neat challenge to present my cookies.” Airman Sutherland has been baking...

3/8/2006 - DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. (AFPN) -- In 2005, he ran the New York City Marathon and skied down the Rockies. The fact he has one leg isn’t slowing him down. Tech. Sgt. Matthew Profitt is an active sportsman -- the 38-year-old reservist plays racquetball, bobsleds, canoes, cycles and runs. But, three years ago the 512th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron guidance and control section technician wasn’t sure he’d be alive today. Deadly Diagnosis In June 2003, while activated a second year to support the war on terrorism, Sergeant Profitt said he noticed an ulcer on his right shin. “It...

/10/2006 - NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, Nev. (AFPN) -- A security forces noncommissioned officer lost consciousness and was saved by a fellow Airman at a Las Vegas restaurant March 5. Members of the security team for Joint Expeditionary Force Experiment '06 were at dinner when Master Sgt. Jeff Jones noticed that Staff Sgt. Dionne Bennett, an Air National Guard augmentee, looked faint and "un-alert." Sergeant Jones is the security superintendent for JEFX '06 and assigned to the 505th Command and Control Wing at Hurlburt Field, Fla. "She put her hand on her head and complained about being hot," Sergeant Jones...

WASHINGTON, March 9, 2006 – The military's persistence in determining the identity of an airman missing in action since World War II sends an important message to families of all missing servicemembers and all men and women serving in uniform today, the commander of the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command told American Forces Press Service. The remains of a World War II-era U.S. airman found in October 2005 in a California glacier are shipped to the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command at Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii, to be identified. Experts at the command later identified the airman as Aviation Cadet...

U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Romina Sidi Airman Supports Army Operations in Iraq By Staff Sgt. Mark Wojciechowski 133rd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment TIKRIT, Iraq, March 6, 2006 — Women’s history is a month that is marked by significant accomplishments of extraordinary females throughout time. Women’s contributions to the U.S. Armed Forces are no doubt among some of the most significant events in history and female servicemembers are once again proving their greatness in the global war on terror. One such contributor is Senior Airman Romina Sidi. After high school, Turkish born, Romina Sidi joined the U.S. Air Force...

U.S. Army Capt. James Watt, an occupational therapist, (right) helps Senior Airman Dan Acosta through some prosthetic arm warm-up drills Feb. 23 in the amputee rehabilitation clinic at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio. U.S. Air Force photo by Steve White U.S. Air ForceSenior Airman Dan Acosta Airman Recovers from Bomb Blast, Hopes to Continue to Serve By Michael Briggs 12th Flying Training Wing Public Affairs RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas, March 1, 2006 — He stirs every few minutes as he sits talking in the living room of his base housing unit. He doesn't show it with...