http://www.airforcetimes.com en-us Copyright 2013, airforcetimes.com SaxoTech Online Thu, 23 May 2013 00:00:00 -0400 Thu, 23 May 2013 21:24:55 -0400 15 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130523/NEWS/305230027 President Obama sought Thursday to advance the U.S. Thu, 23 May 2013 20:55:00 -0400 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130523/NEWS/305230027 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130523/CAREERS/305230043 The Air Force released its master sergeant promotion list today. Of the 20,528 eligible technical sergeants, 3,841 were selected for promotion to master sergeant, for a promotion rate of 18.71 percent. Thu, 23 May 2013 19:57:00 -0400 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130523/CAREERS/305230043 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130523/NEWS05/305230030 In a pre-Memorial Day push to show their concern about the backlog of veterans' disability claims, House Republicans are calling for an independent task force to recommend a solution while House Democrats pushed the idea of providing temporary benefits to Thu, 23 May 2013 16:30:00 -0400 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130523/NEWS05/305230030 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130523/NEWS05/305230028 The Defense Department is abandoning its plans to build a single, joint electronic health record system with the Veterans Affairs Department in favor of developing its own system using commercial software. Thu, 23 May 2013 15:44:00 -0400 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130523/NEWS05/305230028 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130523/NEWS/305230003 President Obama is set to at least partially bring out into the open some of the U.S.-directed drone program, a key component of counterterrorism strategy, as he outlines the contours of the continuing threat to American security. Thu, 23 May 2013 14:46:00 -0400 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130523/NEWS/305230003 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130523/NEWS/305230021 A new round of military base closings is going nowhere in Congress. Thu, 23 May 2013 13:55:00 -0400 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130523/NEWS/305230021 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130523/NEWS/305230012 It seemed like a mission impossible, but Richard A. Lester believed it could be done. Thu, 23 May 2013 13:53:00 -0400 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130523/NEWS/305230012 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130523/NEWS/305230025 A low-flying military jet from a western Missouri Air Force base clipped several power lines, but officials said no injuries were reported. Thu, 23 May 2013 13:35:00 -0400 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130523/NEWS/305230025 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130523/NEWS/305230019 Picking through the debris of his tornado-demolished home Wednesday in Moore, Okla., Valparaiso native Jacob Schroeder hoped he might find things such as baby books, the computer with the family's stored pictures or his daughter's favorite stuffed toy. Thu, 23 May 2013 12:57:00 -0400 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130523/NEWS/305230019 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130523/NEWS/305230013 They've served their country well. Getting parked in a nondescript dirt lot sure doesn't seem like much of a final resting place. Thu, 23 May 2013 10:51:00 -0400 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130523/NEWS/305230013 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130523/NEWS/305230008 The signature flyover of the Air Force Academy graduation May 29 will be a little more historical this year. Thu, 23 May 2013 09:59:00 -0400 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130523/NEWS/305230008 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130523/NEWS/305230006 Navy Lt. Mike McGrath was just 27 years old, with a wife and two toddler sons in the U.S., when he was shot down and taken prisoner on his 179th bombing mission during the Vietnam War. Thu, 23 May 2013 08:31:00 -0400 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130523/NEWS/305230006 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130523/NEWS/305230005 The British government's emergency committee met Thursday after two attackers butchered a British soldier in a daylight attack in London that raised fears terrorism had returned to the capital. Thu, 23 May 2013 08:19:00 -0400 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130523/NEWS/305230005 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130523/NEWS/305230004 Pakistani authorities once arrested an American citizen now known to have been killed in a U.S. drone strike in the country, but he escaped after being released on bail. Thu, 23 May 2013 08:07:00 -0400 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130523/NEWS/305230004 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130522/NEWS/306030002 The two bases will be the first of 10 main operating bases for the new tanker Thu, 23 May 2013 14:48:00 -0400 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130522/NEWS/306030002 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130522/NEWS/305220020 Lawmakers want the Air Force to keep flying the unmanned RQ-4 Global Hawk Block 30 for another three years, despite the service's contention that the manned U-2 is better suited for intelligence gathering. Thu, 23 May 2013 14:48:00 -0400 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130522/NEWS/305220020 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130522/OFFDUTY/305220032 You really can do leg exercises without the isolation-style or massive leg press machines found in most gyms. No more leg extension or leg curl machines. No need to find a leg abductor/adductor combo or hoist a 45-pound Olympic bar. Thu, 23 May 2013 14:25:00 -0400 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130522/OFFDUTY/305220032 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130522/NEWS/305200036 The Stolen Valor Act that makes it a federal crime to profit from falsely claiming to have received a military medal for valor is on its way to the White House for President Obama's signature, thanks to the efforts of two Nevadans. Thu, 23 May 2013 13:39:00 -0400 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130522/NEWS/305200036 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130522/NEWS/305220037 Attorney General Eric Holder acknowledged Wednesday that four U.S. citizens had been killed in counter-terrorism drone strikes since 2009. Thu, 23 May 2013 11:43:00 -0400 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130522/NEWS/305220037 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130522/NEWS/305220019 The driver of a parade float involved in a train wreck that killed four war veterans in West Texas told investigators the oncoming train appeared to be stationary, and that he didn't notice anything was wrong until he saw people jumping from the float, ac Thu, 23 May 2013 07:53:00 -0400 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130522/NEWS/305220019 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130522/NEWS/305220029 The surgeon general of the Air Force is no stranger to the Malcolm Grow Medical Clinic and Surgery Center at Joint Base Andrews, Md. It's the first stop for ill and injured troops returning from Europe and Afghanistan. Wed, 22 May 2013 20:50:00 -0400 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130522/NEWS/305220029 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130522/NEWS/305220038 The Army psychiatrist charged in the deadly 2009 Fort Hood attack wants to represent himself at his upcoming murder trial, which means he could question the nearly three dozen soldiers he's accused of wounding in the shooting rampage. Wed, 22 May 2013 20:36:00 -0400 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130522/NEWS/305220038 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130522/NEWS/305220008 The judge advocate gave one victim of sexual assault the courage to take the stand at trial, to remain professional when it would have been easier not to, to get through one more day. Wed, 22 May 2013 20:16:00 -0400 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130522/NEWS/305220008 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130522/NEWS/305220036 The WikiLeaks organization and a handful of journalists are asking a federal judge in Baltimore to order greater transparency in the court-martial of an Army private who has acknowledged sending reams of classified documents to the WikiLeaks website. Wed, 22 May 2013 19:00:00 -0400 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130522/NEWS/305220036 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130522/NEWS/305220033 Defense Department schools are deciding which days their schools will be closed for the required furloughs this fall and should start posting the information on their websites next week, said Marilee Fitzgerald, director of the Department of Defense Educa Wed, 22 May 2013 17:35:00 -0400 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130522/NEWS/305220033 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130522/NEWS/305220010 It may have taken Staff Sgt. Jason Ellis about nine years to receive his degree from the Community College of the Air Force, but he had good reason. Ten years ago, combat injuries severely wounded Ellis while he was on deployment in Iraq. Wed, 22 May 2013 16:51:00 -0400 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130522/NEWS/305220010 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130522/BENEFITS/305220028 A Veterans Affairs Department effort to spend six months concentrating on its oldest benefits claims is having some success, but lawmakers are concerned that the improvements might be temporary. Wed, 22 May 2013 16:40:00 -0400 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130522/BENEFITS/305220028 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130522/NEWS/305210044 A key House panel rejected the idea that budget cuts must mean pain for service members, retirees and their families. Wed, 22 May 2013 16:19:00 -0400 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130522/NEWS/305210044 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130522/NEWS05/305210048 A House panel passed sweeping changes in sexual assault prevention programs on Wednesday, with less command flexibility in reducing or dismissing rape and assault charges and wider support for victims. Wed, 22 May 2013 15:53:00 -0400 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130522/NEWS05/305210048 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130522/EDU02/305220025 Student veterans applying to use GI Bill benefits would be better served by the Veterans Affairs Department if they were warned of how long it might take to receive those benefits, according to a new congressional report. Wed, 22 May 2013 15:43:00 -0400 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130522/EDU02/305220025 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130522/NEWS/305220021 The Air Force launched an unarmed intercontinental ballistic missile from a California base on Wednesday, a month after the test flight was postponed because of tensions with North Korea. Wed, 22 May 2013 13:35:00 -0400 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130522/NEWS/305220021 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130522/NEWS/305220015 A U.S. official says the Pentagon has decided to buy a new computerized health records system that will allow the department to better share and merge its data with the Department of Veterans Affairs. Wed, 22 May 2013 12:39:00 -0400 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130522/NEWS/305220015 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130522/NEWS/305220009 Hundreds of civilians who provide sexual assault prevention and counseling services will be exempted from the 11-day furloughs that most Defense Department employees will face later this year, a Pentagon official said. Wed, 22 May 2013 10:39:00 -0400 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130522/NEWS/305220009 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130522/NEWS/305220006 Julian Assange's reign as the star of the WikiLeaks story could be coming to an end. Wed, 22 May 2013 10:15:00 -0400 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130522/NEWS/305220006 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130521/NEWS/305210043 The list of technical sergeants who made the cut will be released Thursday morning. Thu, 23 May 2013 17:56:00 -0400 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130521/NEWS/305210043 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130521/NEWS/305210018 Not only have Minuteman III missile launch officers had to withstand the media fury over 'rot' from within its ranks and being in a 'crisis' mode after a subpar inspection, now the remaining launch officers have to pick up an extra 24-hour shift per month Wed, 22 May 2013 14:52:00 -0400 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130521/NEWS/305210018 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130521/NEWS/305210035 Airmen and civilians at Tinker Air Force Base, Okla., were assessing damage to their own homes Tuesday and standing by to help with recovery efforts in nearby Moore, the hardest hit of the communities devastated by a massive tornado that swept through the area Monday. Wed, 22 May 2013 13:40:00 -0400 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130521/NEWS/305210035 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130521/NEWS/305210022 Thousands of Minnesota soldiers are returning from war with chronic pain from injuries that leave many of them impaired and even disabled, and there's been a steep increase in such injuries over the past decade. Wed, 22 May 2013 08:45:00 -0400 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130521/NEWS/305210022 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130521/NEWS/305210045 Five men are under round-the-clock U.S. surveillance in Libya, wanted for questioning in the attack last year on the diplomatic mission in Benghazi, Libya. Wed, 22 May 2013 07:07:00 -0400 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130521/NEWS/305210045 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130521/NEWS/305210051 The Pentagon is asking Congress for more than $450 million for maintaining and upgrading the Guantanamo Bay prison that President Obama wants to close. Tue, 21 May 2013 20:35:00 -0400 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130521/NEWS/305210051 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130521/NEWS/305210019 Dirtier bathrooms. Longer grass. Taking out your own trash. Tue, 21 May 2013 19:01:00 -0400 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130521/NEWS/305210019 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130521/NEWS/305210039 Republicans are trying to block Obama administration overtures to Russia on missile defense, creating a potential obstacle to arms control talks. Tue, 21 May 2013 17:04:00 -0400 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130521/NEWS/305210039 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130521/NEWS/305210047 The House has passed a bill that would require the Transportation Security Administration to expedite security screenings for severely injured or disabled veterans and any family members or caregivers traveling with them. Tue, 21 May 2013 16:50:00 -0400 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130521/NEWS/305210047 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130521/NEWS/305210046 A U.S. military passenger plane was able to leave Indonesia today after an administrative error forced the plane to land and be held overnight. Tue, 21 May 2013 16:29:00 -0400 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130521/NEWS/305210046 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130521/NEWS/305210038 Lawmakers are seeking to prohibit the U.S. from removing missile defense equipment from East Asia, even if the threat posed by a nuclear-armed North Korea is eliminated. Tue, 21 May 2013 16:15:00 -0400 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130521/NEWS/305210038 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130521/NEWS/305210040 Annual cost-of-living adjustments in veterans' disability and survivor benefits would become automatic - just like Social Security - beginning in 2014 under a bill passed by the House on Tuesday. Tue, 21 May 2013 16:13:00 -0400 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130521/NEWS/305210040 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130521/NEWS/305210042 The Veterans Affairs Department is 240 people shy of meeting a goal to hire 1,600 new mental health professionals by June 30, VA officials said Tuesday. Tue, 21 May 2013 15:53:00 -0400 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130521/NEWS/305210042 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130521/NEWS/305210027 The government will accept an Army private's guilty plea to a lesser version of one of the 22 counts he faces for sending more than 700,000 classified U.S. Tue, 21 May 2013 15:01:00 -0400 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130521/NEWS/305210027 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130521/NEWS/305210030 Army civilian personnel specialist Tracey Leven recalls the time she tried to use a breast pump to express milk in a military office years ago. Instead of 'breast pump in use,' she was required to put a sign on the door reading, ' Tue, 21 May 2013 14:58:00 -0400 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130521/NEWS/305210030 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130521/NEWS/305210037 Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Welsh wants to make it very clear that he was not blaming victims of sexual assault when he mentioned the 'hookup mentality' during a recent hearing. Tue, 21 May 2013 14:55:00 -0400 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130521/NEWS/305210037 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130521/NEWS/305210026 A federal appeals court Tuesday backed the U.S. government's decision not to release photos and video taken of Osama bin Laden during and after a raid in which the terrorist leader was killed by U.S. commandos. Tue, 21 May 2013 14:46:00 -0400 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130521/NEWS/305210026 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130521/NEWS01/305210036 During his testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee last week, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Welsh made a statement that elicited a visceral response from some in Congress and in the media. Tue, 21 May 2013 14:34:00 -0400 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130521/NEWS01/305210036 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130521/BENEFITS04/305210024 The Veterans Affairs Department's latest initiative to try to reduce the backlog of compensation claims is a partnership with the American Legion and Disabled American Veterans to help veterans make sure their file has all the essential information. Tue, 21 May 2013 13:46:00 -0400 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130521/BENEFITS04/305210024 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130521/NEWS/305210031 Tomas Young, the paralyzed Iraq war veteran who announced earlier this spring that he was ready to die, said that he has decided to live for now. Tue, 21 May 2013 13:20:00 -0400 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130521/NEWS/305210031 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130521/NEWS/305210014 The unclaimed remains of 35 military veterans, including some from World War I, and two military wives have been given formal military burials in Northern California. Tue, 21 May 2013 12:40:00 -0400 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130521/NEWS/305210014 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130521/NEWS/305210025 Kyrgyzstan's president has reaffirmed that next year the Central Asian nation will evict the U.S. air base that supports military operations in nearby Afghanistan. Tue, 21 May 2013 12:36:00 -0400 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130521/NEWS/305210025 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130521/NEWS/305210013 The Small Business Administration says it has lined up pledges from more than 120 banks to increase lending to veterans. Tue, 21 May 2013 08:40:00 -0400 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130521/NEWS/305210013 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130521/NEWS/305210009 China's new leader, Xi Jinping, will confer with President Barack Obama next month in California, months earlier than expected, as both sides seek to stem a drift in relations, troubled by issues from cyberspying to North Korea. Tue, 21 May 2013 08:08:00 -0400 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130521/NEWS/305210009 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130520/NEWS/305200008 The Defense Department is preparing to send a controversial report to Congress that explains in detail how Reserve-component troops are substantially cheaper than active-duty members - an official analysis that is likely to fuel a growing debate about the Wed, 22 May 2013 10:27:00 -0400 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130520/NEWS/305200008 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130520/NEWS/305200038 Search-and-rescue crews worked through the night after a monstrous tornado barreled through the Oklahoma City suburbs, demolishing an elementary school and reducing homes to piles of splintered wood. Tue, 21 May 2013 14:08:00 -0400 http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130520/NEWS/305200038