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Air Force Reservist Chief Master Sgt. Patricia Thornton, 4th AF Command Chief, talks with Master Sgt. Barbara Neal, 940th Military Personnel Flight Career Enhancement chief, during the chief's visit to the 940th Air Refueling Wing at Beale Air Force Base, Calif. March 11, 2008. The chief came to see the 940th's Reservists as they go through a Base Realignment and Closure Commission directed mission change. (U.S. Air Force photo/Stacey Knott)

March 28, 2008

4th AF's top enlisted leader visits 940th ARW during BRAC

BEALE AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. — The top enlisted leader from the Air Force Reserve's 4th Air Force at March Air Reserve Base, Calif. visited here March 11, 2008. Chief Master Sgt. Patricia Thornton, 4th AF Command Chief, came to see the 940th Air Refueling Wing's Reservists as they go through a Base Realignment and Closure Commission directed mission change. "I'm checking to

Arial refuelers, like this KC-135 Stratotanker refueling an F-16 Fighting Falcon, keep coalition aircraft in the fight to support operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom . On Oct. 21, aerial refueling crews flew 40 sorties and offloaded approximately 2.4 million pounds of fuel to 175 receiving aircraft. (U.S. Air Force photo/Master Sgt Bill Kimble)

March 27, 2008

AMC commander reinforces need for new tanker

WASHINGTON (AFPN) — While many are focused on the formal protest of the recent KC-45A contract award, the needs of the warfighter -- and the nation -- remain unchanged. The Air Force's nearly 50-year-old KC-135 Stratotanker must be replaced with a newer, more capable aircraft as soon as possible. "This is a matter of national security and we can't lose sight of that

BEALE AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- Capt. Christopher Cheshire, a maintenance officer with the Air Force Reserve's 13th Reconnaissance Squadron, briefs features of the RQ-4 Global Hawk to Lt. Gen. John A. Bradley, chief of Air Force Reserve and commander, Air Force Reserve Command, during the general's visit here March 12, 2008. Reserve Airmen at Beale are building a classic-associate relationship with the 9th Reconnaissance Wing to help maintain and operate the high-altitude unmanned aerial vehicle. While the 940th Air Refueling Wing is drawing down its legacy KC-135R mission, as directed by the Base Closure and Realignment Commission, Beale Reservists are partnering with active duty Airmen to support emerging command and control, and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions. In accordance with the 2005 BRAC, Beale's Reserve expeditionary combat support elements continue unchanged through the transition. (U.S. Air Force photo/ Maj. Robert Couse-Baker)

March 19, 2008

Top Reservist visits 940th Air Refueling Wing

Master Sgt. Debra Nelson, noncommissioned officer in charge of the 940th Air Refueling Wing Airman and Family Readiness office, Beale Air Force Base, Calif., works at her computer. A traditional Reservist, Sergeant Nelson has been with the wing for more than 10 years. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Luke D. Johnson)

March 18, 2008

Stop by Airmen and Family Readiness for a dose of caring

BEALE AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. — Even though the 940th Air Refueling Wing Family Support office has changed names to the Airmen Family Readiness, the staff still provides the same exceptional service to wing Airmen and their families. At the end of last year, the 940th Family Support office was changed to Airmen Family Readiness to align with active duty bases and to provide

Air Force Reservist Col. Jeff "Sal" Mineo, Detachment 2 commander, briefs the Citizen Airmen of the 940th Air Refueling Wing Mar. 9, 2008 at Beale Air Force Base, Calif. about the unit's emerging missions and job opportunities. The Base Realignment and Closure Commission directed that the 940th ARW change missions from the KC-135 Stratotanker to multiple command and control missions by October 2008. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Luke Johnson)

March 12, 2008

New missions, new opportunities

BEALE AIR FORCE BASE, CALIF. -- Air Force Reserve crew chiefs prepare to launch KC-135R Stratotanker number 23580 Jan. 29, 2008, for departure to Seymour Johnson AFB, N.C. The tanker was one of the first two of eight KC-135R models assigned to the 940th Air Refueling Wing to be transferred to the 916th Air Refueling Wing under the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure Commission's directives. The remaining six aircraft will transfer to Seymour Johnson before Sept. 30, 2008. After more than 30 years of aerial refueling, Beale's Air Force Reserve force will transition to emerging missions in command and control, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, including support for the RQ-4 Global Hawk. (U.S. Air Force photo/MSgt. Ellen L. Hatfield).

March 7, 2008

Tanker contract award announced

WASHINGTON (AFPN) — Secretary of the Air Force Michael W. Wynne and Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force Gen. Duncan J. McNabb announced the selection of Northrop Grumman as the winner of the KC-X competition for development and procurement of up to 179 tanker aircraft for approximately $35 billion. The initial contract for the newly named KC-45 is for the system

The Global Hawk unmanned aerial vehicle lands after an eight-hour mission Feb. 28 at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. The flight marked the 10th anniversary of the Global Hawk's first flight at Edwards AFB, where the aircraft flew for one hour and reached an altitude of 32,000 feet. (U.S. Air Force photo/Jim Shryne)

March 7, 2008

Global Hawk marks 10-year anniversary

EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. (AFPN) — A Global Hawk unmanned aerial vehicle landed after an eight-hour mission Feb. 28 that marked 10 years since base officials witnessed its first flight at Edwards Air Force Base. On that first flight, the aircraft flew for one hour at an altitude of 32,000 feet, and today the Global Hawk has logged more than 20,000 flight hours including 15,000 hours

March 7, 2008

New York City bomb targets military recruiting station

NEW YORK CITY (AFPN) — A bomb went off outside the U.S. military recruiting station in Times Square March 6, injuring nobody but causing minor structural damage, said Air Force Recruiting Service officials. The bomb went off at approximately 3:45 a.m. Eastern Standard Time, cracking the glass door, bending the door frame, and shattering the large glass window in front.

Tech Sgt. Clay Dotson wears a new harness that helps replace parachutes aboard KC-135 Stratotankers. Sergeant Dotson is a boom operator assigned to the 18th Air Refueling Squadron. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Jason Schaap)

March 7, 2008

Air Force pulls parachutes from KC-135s

MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kan. — By design, parachutes slow things down. Crew members forced to evacuate in-flight aircraft with parachutes, for example, have much gentler impacts with the ground than those without chutes. But the only thing being slowed by parachutes aboard KC-135 Stratotankers, Air Force leaders recently decided, was the mission. So they got rid of them.

Family members and friends prepare to welcome home three Air Force Reservists from a six month deployment to Kirkuk, Iraq, March 1, 2008 at the Sacramento International Airport. The Airmen, who are from the 940th Air Refueling Wing Security Forces Squadron at Beale Air Force Base, Calif., were part of the Total Force supporting the Global War on Terror. (U.S. Air Force photo/Maj. Robert Couse-Baker)

March 7, 2008

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