Message of thanks
A big thank you to your crew of the C-17 that flew to our Air Show at Whenuapai, Auckland New Zealand, last weekend. They showed great skill, professionalism and friendliness with their stay here. I hope it is the start of new things and that there will be more contact in the future. Come again, please!
Mrs. Cynthia Graham
New Zealand
3/26/2009
Comment: Crew navigates tanker out of trouble
Any tanker crew member who has flown out of Manas will understand that this was much more than just a simple systems malfunction, and that the actions taken by Captain Jaeger and his crew were extraordinary. That area of the world is 50 years behind the modern-age of ATC and has no radar, no useable ground base navaids and little to no English-speaking controllers. Captain Jaeger should be commended for not only preventing an international incident due to airspace violations, but for bringing the aircraft home safely, a dubious prospect considering the amount of problems the jet was having. View story
Capt. Russ Healy
Fairchild Air Force Base, Wash.
3/24/2009
Re: CMSAF Paul Airey
I had the privilege of meeting Chief Airey during my NCO Academy graduation ceremony in 1995 at Barksdale AFB, La. We Airmen are part of a professional aerospace force thanks to his pioneering efforts. Thank you, Chief Airey, for the training you passed on to all of us and for your service. We have faith that your legacy will continue as long as we remember what you taught us all. Rest in peace, Chief, mission is accomplished!
Master Sgt. (Ret.) Bob Richter
Burlington, Iowa
3/23/2009
Comment: Lakenheath tower falling down
Wow, I have good and bad memories of being an air traffic controller working that old tower. I remember one day watching a flatbed truck carrying bombs driving on the taxiway below. One of the bombs fell off, and I hit the deck and activated the crash phone. The best memory was controlling the SR-71 during Mildenhall's runway closure. Now that was a great aircraft to watch in the overhead to landing. View feature
Chief Master Sgt. (Ret.) Kevin Skorupa
La Vernia, Texas
3/19/2009
Comment: Lakenheath tower falling down
Between 1985 and 1991 my navigational aids work center was in the old control tower, and the present base bird control contractor lived in a trailer to the rear of the tower. I am very familiar with the building, its infrastructure, and the people who used to work there. It was a good facility, built exactly where a control tower on RAF Lakenheath should be. View feature
Master Sgt. (Ret.) George Rainey
RAF Lakenheath, England
3/19/2009
Comment: Teamwork builds mission success
Kudos to Colonel Melroy for the great article on the importance of teams. I, too, am a firm believer in the importance of face-to-face communication. There is so much information lost in the "efficiencies" he mentioned, sometimes resulting in a huge loss of power for the teams involved. I've been lucky enough to see many of the products of that teamwork. I'm a past member of the technical review team evaluating applicants for the Chief of Staff Team Excellence Awards and I'm in my sixth year as a judge for American Society for Quality's International Team Excellence Awards.
Whether the teams are problem solving or working on a continuous improvement initiative, the resultant power from these teams is "awesome." I've judged teams from India, "deep" Mexico, Japan, Korea and many Air Force organizations and, even with the wide expanse of tools and methods used, the performance excellence or organizational excellence brought about as outcomes makes teamwork an important force to be reckoned with. Thanks again for the excellent article. View commentary
Keith E. Nelson
Randolph Air Force Base, Texas
3/18/2009
Comment: Elmendorf officials mourn loss of Airman
I was in Sergeant Bowles' squadron in Korea. He always did the right thing, even when no one was looking. His dedication to the Air Force and its core values will sorely be missed. Thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends. View story
Senior Airman Kenneth Tussey
Fairchild Air Force Base, Wash.
3/17/2009
Comment: Prototype PT uniforms undergo wear tests
Is there any way that I can test the uniform and try it out? I never have liked any of our PT uniforms, yet whenever I read any story published about any of the changes, it always says that the uniform 'testers' "LOVED" the uniforms. This is odd to me, since no one I ever run into ever likes the uniforms. I am curious as to the selection process of those who are selected. View story
1st Lt. James DePriest
Beale Air Force Base, Calif.
3/17/2009
Comment: Prototype PT uniforms undergo wear tests
The article states that 185 people are participating in the wear test including 42 general officers. Shouldn't there be a group that represents the makeup of the Air Force doing the wear testing? I know the Air Force isn't 23 percent general officers. Maybe this is how we ended up with the PT uniform we have now? View story
Staff Sgt. Michael Brameld
Afghanistan
3/17/2009
Comment: Prototype PT uniforms undergo wear tests
One thing concerns me; as a firefighter, we are required to wear specific uniforms / clothing manufactured from certain materials such as cotton. This is so that should we respond to a fire, the clothing we are wearing under our protective suits will not deteriorate nor melt. I have seen in recent past that the Marines are testing a new uniform that is more flame / fire resistant and safer for the wearer.
However, I have not seen the same emphasis placed on the Air Force PT uniform. Now that the Air Force has adopted the same concept as the Army regarding wearing the PT uniform while off duty at deployed locations as permitted; should Air Force members be succumbed to fires such as a tent fire or dormitory, the polyester PT uniform will easily deteriorate / melt thus causing significant injuries to the wearer. I’m all for comfort in a PT uniform, but I will gladly sacrifice comfort when it comes to a safer uniform. View story
Tech. Sgt. Kevin Ferrara
Langley Air Force Base, Va.
3/17/2009
|
