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My wonderful husband (Ron) is in his last week of his fourth tour in Iraq with the USAF (he's a pilot with a special ops unit.) For some reason, I've just been very anxious / sleepless the last few nights worrying about his safety ... he is scheduled to come home in a week, by the way. * Please pray for his continued safety, for successful missions, and for his timely and hassle-free "out processing" * Please pray for his travel home, including connections and layovers. (He should be on military transport until he reaches the US East Coast, then...

WASHINGTON, April 10, 2008 – President Bush today directed Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates to shorten deployment lengths for U.S. soldiers in Iraq from 15 to 12 months, starting in August. Video Bush said he made the decision to reduce the strain on the force and because security improvements in Iraq have allowed for the withdrawal of all five surge combat brigades by the end of July. He also said that officials would ensure troops have at least a year at home between deployments. The change goes into affect Aug. 1 and will not affect those already deployed there....

3/20/2008 - SOUTHWEST ASIA (AFPN) -- The Air Force deputy chief of chaplains traveled to Southwest Asia in March to meet Airmen and to speak at the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing's annual National Prayer Breakfast. Chaplain (Brig. Gen.) Cecil R. Richardson was the guest speaker during the breakfast, delivering a message on the United States national motto: 'In God we trust.' The National Prayer Breakfast is "an opportunity for Americans to demonstrate what it means when our Constitution says we can freely exercise our faith," said the chaplain, who assists the Air Force chief of chaplains in overseeing a corps...

BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan , Dec. 25, 2007 – Thousands of miles away from home, airmen in Afghanistan still found ways to celebrate the holiday season, all while providing continuous airpower and combat support for U.S. and Coalition forces throughout the country. While family and friends back home marked the holiday season with gifts and celebrations, deployed airmen in Afghanistan fueled, loaded, maintained and flew aircraft, while others carried out critical expeditionary combat support and reconstruction missions. That hard work was punctuated by time for brief holiday celebrations, special meals and church services. But the commitment of airmen to the mission...

FORT HUACHUCA — The shadows of snow clouds steadily built and enveloped the Huachucas, but never quite managed to engulf hangar No. 3 at Libby Army Airfield late Monday afternoon. There was already enough precipitation flowing as the families, friends, a few pets, and comrades-in-arms gathered for two all-too-brief hours to say a goodbye with a kiss, hug or gentle touch that must last 15 months. “I gave him a present on his birthday,” said Chief Warrant Officer Ramona Hill, indicating little Wilson Hill, born on Oct. 25, held by his daddy with whom he will always share a birthday,...

WASHINGTON, Dec. 10, 2007 – Many deployed servicemembers have received a morale boost thanks to computers donated by a Michigan-based organization. “We are a group of volunteers (who) rebuild laptop computers and supply them to deployed units for (morale, welfare and recreation), education and entertainment,” said James R. Payne, a Vietnam veteran who’s president of JDS Computer Donations. The group accepts laptops, which it refurbishes and donates to nonprofit groups, public schools, and most recently, to deployed servicemembers. Nearly 500 of the refurbished machines already have been sent overseas to help servicemembers keep in touch with their loved ones...

12/7/2007 - SOUTHWEST ASIA (AFPN) -- More than 200 U.S. forces at this air base in Southwest Asia attended a memorial retreat in honor of the 2,340 killed and 1,143 wounded in the Dec. 7, 1941 attacks on U.S. military installations on Oahu, Territory of Hawaii. "We have come here today to pay honor and homage to our nations' heroes, the fallen and survivors of the attack on Pearl Harbor," said Brig. Gen Charles Lyon, 379th Air Expeditionary Wing commander. "Let us never forget there is a price to pay for freedom. It doesn't come free" "Dec. 7th, a day...

WASHINGTON, Sept. 24, 2007 – About 300 children and spouses of deployed servicemembers enjoyed free activities and programs Sept. 22 during “Deployed Family Fun Day” at a Coast Guard installation near Fort Belvoir, Va. A daughter of a deployed servicemember does the limbo during "Deployed Family Fun Day" held Sept. 22, 2007, at a Coast Guard installation near Fort Belvoir, Va. The day was full of fun activities for the children and informational programs for the parents. Courtesy photo by Cassie Camp  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. “Our primary focus was toward the children who have a parent...

WASHINGTON, Sept. 12, 2007 – Turbocam International’s support of its deployed employees with technology to use in the field and a special supply fund has earned the company a place of honor alongside 14 other organizations being recognized today with Secretary of Defense Employer Freedom Awards. Since Sept. 11, 2001, three Turbocam employees have been called to serve overseas: Brian Barber, a New Hampshire Air National Guard crew chief on KC-135 Stratotankers; Army National Guard Sgt. 1st Class Tom McGee, who served in 172nd Field Artillery in Iraq; and Army National Guard Cpl. Chris Wentworth, who served in 744th Transportation...

Army News video: The Van Doos are on their way to theatreVALCARTIER, Quebec - The commanders send off their troops with a few words of encouragement.

BRUSSELS (AFP) - Belgian troops are preparing to battle an invasion of hairy caterpillars which can provoke allergic reactions in humans, authorities announced Friday. From Monday, a contingent of 24 soldiers will take part in the fight against the well-organised creepy-crawlies, called procession caterpillars because of their habit of marching in lines. They will join forces with firefighters, civil protection officers and private firms already doing battle against their tiny foes. For the last two weeks several communes in Limburg have been invaded, with pedestrians, cyclists, outside workers and school children among the victims. Authorities said that some 20 communes...

WASHINGTON, April 4, 2007 – American military members serving in Iraq have an additional opportunity to share their experiences with the U.S. public, thanks to a new public outreach initiative, a senior U.S. military officer said today in Baghdad. “The ‘Share the Story’ initiative is a new program that’s designed to connect U.S. military personnel with organizations and groups like yours,” Navy Rear Adm. Mark I. Fox, Multinational Force Iraq spokesman, told stateside-based representatives of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, American Legion, Reserve Officers’ Association and others during a telephone conference call. Military members of all ranks and service...

WASHINGTON, March 30, 2007 – Running a nonprofit organization can be strain on an individual’s time, space and resources. One home-front group’s leader says she relies on a specific form of aid through the tough times: divine intervention. Frankie Mayo, founder of Operation AC, said the fund-raising strategy for her troop-support group is prayer. “When God puts something on your heart to do, you just have to do it,” she said. “I pray at night before I go to bed about the issues that have come up, and the next morning God shows me what I’m supposed to do.”...

Maj. Danny Salter stands by while Maj. Gen. Barbara Fast chats with his sons, James, 5, left, and Will, 7. Salter and 27 others were honored during a welcome home ceremony Friday at Fitch Auditorium in Alvarado Hall. (Mark Levy-Herald/Review) Herald/Review FORT HUACHUCA — Although there is a tendency to denigrate Iraqi soldiers, Maj. Danny B. Salter advises against doing that. After spending more than a year in Iraq as the operations officer for a Military Transition Team, Salter said the 17-, 18- and 19-year-olds willing to enlist in the Iraqi Army are stepping up to defend their nation. And...

WASHINGTON, Dec. 12, 2006 -- Soldiers and families can now communicate by video e-mail through the Army Knowledge Online intranet portal. On the first day, more than 3,500 video e-mails were transmitted. "Thank you, that's all I can say," Pvt. Brenden Teetsell of the 44th Signal Battalion e-mailed on Dec. 6. "Thank you for allowing me to see my family. Your technology helps boost not only my morale, but thousands of soldiers a day." AKO video messaging allows all deployed active-duty, National Guard and Army Reserve soldiers to create video messages on a computer with a Web cam. The...

'Tis the season to share, and one local group that gives year-around, really goes all out this time of year. It calls itself TAMMS, Tucson Area Marine Moms. Cathy, who, like the other moms, prefers to use just her first name, picks up items off of a table. She explains, "I am packing up boxes to send out to the troops," to Tucson Marines deployed in Iraq. Cathy says, "Basically, I just go down the line and throw a little of this, a little of that. I've got to get some soap in there and some shampoo. I put some...

Renee' Willis-Williams Reflections: Why I Deployed to Afghanistan By Renee' Willis-Williams U.S. Army Corp of Engineers KABUL, Afghanistan, Oct. 20, 2006 — My story is like most people who come to Afghanistan; in some small way, I wanted to make a difference by aiding in the recovery of the Afghan National lives, with an emphasis on women’s health issues and the improvement of the infant mortality rate, which is one of the highest in the world - 147 deaths for every 1,000 live births. As a woman and a mother of twin 3-year old boys, John Thomas and Rodgers...

WASHINGTON, Sept. 13, 2006 -- Last week, a Brewster, Mass., teen marked a milestone in his support of U.S. troops deployed overseas. Dylan DeSilva, 13, of Brewster, Mass., has sent more than 1,000 care packages to deployed U.S. troops through his organization, Cape Cod Cares for Our Troops. Photo by Sgt. Sara Wood, USA   '(Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Dylan DeSilva, 13, mailed off the 1,000th care package from his organization, “Cape Cod Cares for Our Troops.” The package went to a Marine first sergeant in Iraq who will distribute the various toiletries and snacks inside to...

FORT HOOD — With a rousing refrain of Garryowen and an old-fashioned cavalry charge on horseback, the 1st Cavalry Division sent its aviation brigade into the war zone of Iraq on Thursday. The 3,000 soldiers of the 1st Cavalry’s air brigade cased their unit flags and streamers during the hourlong ceremony on a Fort Hood parade ground, the last time the unit will muster until it arrives in Iraq in a few weeks. Portions of the 1st Cavalry Division are already in Iraq, and the rest of the 19,000-strong division will join them in Baghdad in the coming months, replacing...

SAN DIEGO (NNS) -- Naval Coastal Warfare Squadron (NCWRON) 34 from Naval Coastal Warfare Group (NCWG) 1 deployed to Kuwait Aug. 22 and 24 to provide harbor and port security. They are tasked to protect ships carrying supplies for allied forces in Iraq. “This is my second time going over there, and it feels really good to help our troops get what they need to accomplish their mission,” said Information Systems Technician 2nd Class Martin Garcia of NCWRON 34. NCW squadrons use sensor platforms to provide a technical picture of the ports and harbors as they patrol the harbors for...

FAIRBANKS, Alaska (Reuters) - The wives of soldiers whose duty in Iraq was extended to add troop strength to Baghdad peppered U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld with tough questions, some that he could not answer, at a closed-door meeting in Alaska on Saturday. Rumsfeld, who received a mixed reception from a crowd that offered more applause for the questions asked than the answers provided, praised the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team. He would not commit to a date for bringing those soldiers home, but told a 12-year-old girl in the audience, "I'd bet your daddy gets home before Christmas." He...

SIERRA VISTA — Seized with sorrow as she said goodbye to her four small children, Army Sgt. Alberta Cole resorted to a time-honored trick employed by parents everywhere. "The kids said, 'Mommy, you're crying.' And I said 'No, my eyes are just watering,' " said Cole, a 30-year-old single mom who left for Iraq on Tuesday, her youngest child's first birthday. Hundreds of loved ones waved and wept as members of Fort Huachuca's 86th Signal Battalion boarded a plane bound for Baghdad. Cole is one of 340 Southern Arizona soldiers scheduled to spend a year overseas. A neighbor is watching...

AL ASAD, Iraq (Aug. 21, 2006) -- Colds and broken bones take up many hours of each day while deployed for Navy Lt. Stacey R. Black, flight surgeon, Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 361, Marine Aircraft Group 16 (Reinforced), 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing. For someone who has been driven her entire life, deploying to Iraq has been another stepping stone for her future plans. "I think it's important to think about what's ahead of me while I am in Iraq, because even though I am out here, life still goes on back in the states," said Black. "When we deploy, it...

FORT HUACHUCA — Dominic Inchausti was oblivious to the noise around him. The sobbing, the talking and other noises echoing in Hangar 3 at Libby Army Airfield did not bother him. Dominic was sound asleep, safe in the arms of his father, Sgt. Michael Inchausti. Dad caressed and kissed the precious bundle. It was his and his wife Sierra’s first born. Both mom and dad are from Phoenix. Throughout the hangar similar scenes could be seen as GIs — men and women — hugged their children, their spouses and other family members. As families gathered in groups, single soldiers talked...

8/16/2006 - SOUTHWEST ASIA (AFPN) -- The faces on posters that call attention to a number of worthwhile volunteer causes are often lost in the hustle of accomplishing the daily mission. However, the association of one poster to a deployed Airman at a recent drive in Southwest Asia put a face on the critical need for all to register as bone marrow donors. The base-wide campaign drew 685 new registrants to the C.W. Bill Young Department of Defense Marrow Donor Program. It was held in memory of Cavion Holloway, the son of Staff Sgt. Danielle and Billy Holloway, who passed...

WASHINGTON, Aug. 15, 2006 – Three hundred one soldiers with an Alaska-based unit extended in Iraq will return to the combat zone to serve with their comrades in arms, Army officials announced yesterday. A total of 378 soldiers with the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team had returned to Alaska in June and July at the end of their scheduled 12-month tour in Iraq. But before the rest of the 4,000-soldier unit could redeploy, officials halted their return to bolster Iraqi and coalition forces in Baghdad. Now, 301 of those soldiers who made it back to Alaska will return to their...

FORT BELVOIR, Va. (Army News Service, Aug. 8, 2006) – The Army’s Rapid Equipping Force (REF) delivered 500 Body Ventilation Systems to heat-stressed Soldiers in Iraq and Kuwait last month. The portable, lightweight ventilation system will help reduce heat-related injuries, and will undergo one of year assessments by such Soldiers as drivers, military police and machine gunners. Another 1,700 vests will be shipped and issued to Soldiers in similar units and duty positions in upcoming months. “The BVS project is another example of how the Army culture is changing in order to provide warfighter solutions in a timely manner,” said...

Pfc. Kenneth Dickerson, a 19-year-old Marine from Clive, Iowa, assigned to the Hawaii-based Lima Company, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, hands out candy to two girls in Barwanah, Iraq, July 29, 2006. The 19-year-old U.S. Marine from Clive, Iowa, has spent the past four months of his deployment in Iraq teaching himself Arabic, and uses it to help his fellow Marines by serving as a translator during the unitÂ’s daily patrols through Barwanah, Iraq. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Roe F. Seigle U.S. Marine Corps Pfc. Kenneth Dickerson Deployed Marine Teaches Himself Arabic By U.S. Marine Sgt. Roe...

WASHINGTON, July 14, 2006 – More than 115,000 kids have at least one parent deployed in the war on terrorism, and that doesn't include those children affected by routine deployments, according to an organization that supports military children. "War takes its toll on the servicemembers who fight in the field and on the families who wait and worry at home," according to a news release from "Salute Our Services." "In the course of their parents' service to our nation, these children also make many sacrifices." Missed birthdays, holidays and special events top that list of sacrifices, the release said....

REDSTONE ARSENAL, Ala. (Army News Service, July 10, 2006) – Having volunteered with the Red Cross, Cindra Smith knew there was something wrong when she arrived home from work late one night and had a Red Cross message on her machine. “When I called them back I was told to wait by the phone and expect a call,” she said. “When I got the phone call they said my daughter had been shot in the back during an IED attack in Iraq.” Pvt. Tracy Branton, Smith’s oldest daughter, was a heavy wheel mechanic on a convoy in Iraq when it...

WHEELING — Friends and loved ones shared tearful goodbyes Sunday with members of a local National Guard unit expected to soon be deployed to Iraq. Members of the 150th Army Aviation Battalion of the West Virginia National Guard took off in a C-130 transport aircraft from the Wheeling-Ohio County Airport Sunday evening. They were headed back to their training base, Fort Sill, Okla., to await their final deployment date to Kuwait. While in Kuwait, the soldiers will then assemble their Blackhawk helicopters and wait to join the war in Iraq. The soldiers had been training for their mission since March...

Belleville Soldiers Deployed To Iraq created: 7/8/2006 6:51:32 PM updated: 7/8/2006 7:02:56 PM Saturday was the second time local family and friends said goodbye to Army reservists. In 2002, the group deployed to Afghanistan, and now they are preparing to spend 18 months in Iraq. There were numerous, poignant moments as loved ones said goodbye and good luck to the men and women of the 657th transportation detachment. The reservists are preparing to spend the next year and half overseas. One of the groups main responsibilities is to coordinate transportation activities in Iraq. Roland Cruz is leaving behind his...

AL ASAD, Iraq (June 6, 2006) -- Sipping on bottled water, rifle in hand and wearing a good 60 pounds of body armor on this sprawling U.S. military airbase, Lance Cpl. Emanuel Cantu says he doesn’t mind training for combat in Iraq’s blistering 110-plus degree temperature. In fact, he says he loves it. After all, four months of serving in Iraq as part of a quick reaction force has helped the 31-year-old Marine lose more than 20 pounds, but more importantly, he says he’s found his niche in the Marine Corps – training to save lives. “I feel like I’m...

The USS Cole is heading to the Middle East for the first time since a terrorist bomb killed 17 sailors aboard the Navy ship in Yemen's port of Aden nearly six years ago. The Norfolk-based guided missile destroyer is one of seven ships with 6,000 sailors and Marines leaving the East Coast next week to conduct security operations in support of the war on terrorism, the Navy announced Friday. They'll be gone six months. Some ships will leave Tuesday, while others, including the Cole, will depart Thursday, said Lt. Mike Kafka, a spokesman for the Navy's Second Fleet, in...

WASHINGTON, June 2, 2006 – Staff Sgt. Aeyne Anne M. Dizicksa's cats are her family, so their welfare was her top priority when she faced deployment. Sweet Magnolia rests on the dryer in the home of Susan Hagrelius, her foster owner of more than a year. The 8-year-old cat will soon reunite with her owner, Staff Sgt. Aeyne Anne M. Dizicksa, a deployed Army reservist in the 719th Veterinary Medical Detachment who will return later this month. Courtesy photo   "I knew that if I had them to return to, everything else was irrelevant - just another passing episode in...

CAMP AL QA'IM, Iraq (May 25, 2006) -- On his second deployment to Iraq, Lance Cpl. Jacob A. Lamb admits that communicating with friends and family back home is easier thanks to a relatively new program: Moto Mail. ‘Moto’ is short for ‘motivation,’ and it’s what U.S. service members like Lamb use as a means to keep contact with his friends and family back home. This roughly two-year-old program allows U.S. service members deployed overseas to receive letters via an electronic system. The letters are printed and enveloped at the military post office, and in the hands of the service...

AL ASAD, Iraq (May 17, 2006) -- Content in the solitude of a miniature half wood, half vinyl tent fortress and wrapped up in numerous '80s one hit wonders, a Marine deployed to Iraq finds peace in life working with lumber and power tools. Although riddled with an extensive workload, Lance Cpl. Thomas R. Hunter, a native of Tacoma, Wash., finds time to make it out to his 'Guru's' work shed to pass the time. This combat engineer by trade is augmented to Marine Wing Headquarters Squadron 3, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, from his home unit, Marine Wing Support Squadron...

Failure to screen U.S. troops for mental health problems may be the cause of an increasing suicide rate among soldiers serving in Iraq, a report says. According to an investigation by the Hartford (Conn.) Courant, fewer than one in 300 service members see a mental health professional before shipping out, despite a congressional order that all deploying troops by screened, the newspaper reported Sunday. The report uncovered evidence of soldiers suffering post-traumatic stress syndrome being sent back to the war zone and unstable troops being kept on the front lines while taking potent anti-depressants and anti-anxiety drugs. In addition, the...

WASHINGTON, May 12, 2006 – Spending Mother's Day thousands of miles away from their kids is going to be no picnic for more than 7,400 military moms deployed in support of the war on terror. Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Christine Buckley, deployed to Djibouti with Combined Joint Task Force Horn of Africa, has been home only twice to celebrate Mother's Day with her sons, ages 8 and 6. Photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Robert S. Taylor, USN  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Many say they're planning their own celebrations thinking of their children and calling home,...

WASHINGTON, May 11, 2006 – Continuing America's longstanding tradition of helping those in need, the U.S. Navy recently deployed the hospital ship USNS Mercy on a proactive humanitarian mission to Southeast Asia, the commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet said here yesterday. "The Mercy deployment (is) an exciting and important opportunity to assist friends and neighbors in the Asia-Pacific region, and to facilitate the security and stability and the prosperity, particularly in the maritime domain, in this region, in which we all share common interests," U.S. Navy Adm. Gary Roughead said during a State Department Foreign Press Center briefing. The...

CAMP TAQADDUM, Iraq (May 8, 2006) -- With the help of a little technology, deployed parents and their young children can share the joy of reading a book together even while thousands of miles apart. By taking a few moments out of their busy schedules service members here can send video recordings of themselves to their children and families back home thanks to the United Through Reading program. Organizers of the program say the videos help provide a more intimate connection to the stateside families than a phone call or letter can because they can see their deployed loved ones...

UDAIRI RANGE, Kuwait, May 4, 2006 – For 20-year-old Army Pfc. Michael Torres, deployed here from Baumholder, Germany, a constant reminder that the American people are behind him comes in the form of a tiny folded U.S. flag he keeps in his pocket wherever he goes. Army Pfc. Michael Torres, deployed from Germany to Kuwait in support of the global war on terror, displays a tiny folded flag sent by VFW Ladies Auxiliary 7581, in Wayland, Mich., that he said gives him daily inspiration that the American people are behind him. Photo by Donna Miles  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution...

Prince Harry Would Be Deployed in Iraq LONDON - Prince Harry would be involved in "the fullest range of deployments" if his unit is sent to Iraq, but he might be kept out of situations where his presence would jeopardize his comrades, the Ministry of Defense said Monday. Harry, the 21-year-old second son of Prince Charles and the late Princess Diana, recently completed his training at Sandhurst military academy and is a second lieutenant in the Household Cavalry. The Mail on Sunday newspaper, quoting unidentified sources, reported that Harry had threatened to resign from the army if he is held...

CAMP ARIFJAN, Kuwait (NNS) -- Seabees from Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 7, Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 21 and Amphibious Construction Battalion (ACB) 2 joined together in Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, in March to celebrate 64 years of Seabee history. For many, it afforded them the chance to catch up with friends that they had served with before. “It was good to see several different commands in attendance,” said Utilitiesman 1st Class Dennis Maine, of NMCB 7. "When you’re deployed you don’t normally run into personnel from other battalions. I ran into a friend of mine who’s with ACB 2....

CAMP ARIFJAN, Kuwait, April 7, 2006 – Servicemembers deployed to Kuwait became U.S. citizens yesterday during a naturalization ceremony at chapel here. Fifty-seven soldiers and sailors from 26 different countries became naturalized U.S. citizens in a ceremony at a chapel in Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, April 6.   (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Fifty-seven soldiers and sailors from 26 different countries were presented a certificate by Army Lt. Gen. R. Steven Whitcomb, Third U.S. Army commander, and Matthew H. Tueller, charge d'affairs of the U.S. Embassy Kuwait. "It is a great day to be an American," said Whitcomb. "I...

U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Larry Littrell, a B-52 pilot deployed to a forward operating location with the 20th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron, just reached 5,000 flying hours in the B-52 during a combat mission over Afghanistan. He has been flying the B-52 for 19 years. U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Master Sgt. John Rohrer U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Larry Littrell Forward Deployed B-52 Pilot Surpasses 5,000 Hours By Master Sgt. Scott King 40th Air Expeditionary Group Public Affairs OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM, April 6, 2006 — Reaching milestones is not uncommon in the Air Force, but some milestones...

3/27/2006 - SATHER AIR BASE, Iraq (AFPN) -- During World War II and the Korean and Vietnam Wars, deployed troops looked forward to mail call. This was their primary mode of communication with family and friends. However, letters could take weeks or even months to arrive. Today’s warriors still receive mail, but now they have instantaneous communication through telephones and e-mail. Keeping these lines open is the job of the 447th Expeditionary Communications Squadron. “We are all working in communications to keep people in touch with their families,” said Master Sgt. Kirk Baldwin, the post office superintendent. Although telephone calls...

3/27/2006 - JANI JER, Kyrgyzstan (AFPN) -- With the help of volunteers from the American military base just a few miles away, teenagers in Kyrgyzstan are learning the English language. During hectic deployment hours and long work weeks, Airmen from U.S. Central Command Air Force’s Manas Air Base in Kyrgyzstan still find time to help out the local community through the Manas Air Base Outreach Society. They sponsor many trips off base to help local orphanages, a children's cancer center and other programs. Volunteers from Manas attempted to break the language barrier at the Lyceum school for teenagers, ages 14...

3/23/2006 - ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. (AFPN) -- The man best-known for writing and performing “God Bless the U.S.A.” will entertain U.S. troops in Europe, Southwest Asia and the Pacific from April 5 to 18. "I am thrilled that Restless Heart, Dick Hardwick, the New England Patriot Cheerleaders and members of the Air Force band have all agreed to accompany me on this tour to entertain our men and women in uniform and show support for their military service around the world,” said Lee Greenwood, world-famous singer and songwriter. His “God Bless the U.S.A.” was certified platinum in 2001....

Brothers, Senior Master Sgt. Gustavo III Egizi and Staff Sgt. Bruno Egizi are both in the Air Force, both are civil engineers and both are deployed to a forward operating location together supporting the Global War on Terrorism. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Doug Nicodemus U.S. Air ForceSenior Master Sgt. Gustavo Egizi IIIStaff Sgt. Bruno Egizi Brothers Deployed Together By Master Sgt. Scott King 40th Air Expeditionary Group OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM, March 14, 2006 — Gustavo III and his brother Bruno grew up in Atlantic City, N.J. with thoughts of beaches, boardwalks and seaside breezes. Now, they...