June 20, 2019

Beale Airman earns Bronze Star

BEALE AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. — Master Sgt. John Brahm, 69th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron Det. 1 section chief, network operations, was presented a Bronze Star Medal June 19, 2019 for his meritorious achievement while deployed to Forward Operating Base O-Cobb, Kabul, Afghanistan.

Oct. 18, 2018

“Joker’s Wild” comes back into play

BEALE AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. — The fourth nose art dedication was unveiled Oct. 13, 2018 at the 940th Air Refueling Wing on one of eight KC-135 Stratotankers assigned to the Reserve unit at Beale Air Force Base. Adding artwork to the front of an aircraft is a long-standing tradition, stemming back to World War I. From sharp teeth to combat cartoon characters, these paintings

Sept. 24, 2018

940th ARW hosts orientation flight

BEALE AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. — 940th Air Refueling Wing hosted an orientation flight for its honorary commanders.

July 18, 2018

Active-duty colonel takes rein of Reserve Group

BEALE AIR FORCE BASE, California — Col. Jeffrey Downs assumed command of the 940th Operations Group at a ceremony here July 14. Downs, an active-duty officer, comes from the Pentagon where he supported the chief of staff and secretary of the Air Force in strategic communications. He’s here filling a reserve position to showcase total force integration. “We live in challenging

April 12, 2018

“Summer”time starts at the 13th RS

BEALE AIR FORCE BASE, California — Summer and Sunshine stood brightly onstage while rain poured outside the Valley Chapel. As Lt. Col. Karyn L. “Sunshine” Christen relinquished command of the 13th Reconnaissance Squadron April 7, Lt. Col. Summer A. Fields stepped up with a smile to fill her shoes. Col. David S. Edwards presided over the squadron’s change of command ceremony. He is

March 30, 2018

“… She never took ‘no’ for an answer…”

BEALE AIR FORCE BASE, California — “Women are often treated differently in both my military and civilian career fields, since they are male-dominated. I’m an equipment operator here, working with heavy machinery, and I’m a geologist on the civilian side. We, as women, have to grow tough skin and show people we can do the work just as well as men can. Doing that has made me not want

Feb. 28, 2018

“… Saw it as a way out…”

BEALE AIR FORCE BASE, California — Promoting to chief master sergeant was an indescribable moment for Martez D. Banks, 940th Operations Group superintendent. He felt fortunate to accept such a trusted position, however, he never planned to climb so high up the ranks.“It wasn’t a relief,” he said, explaining how pinning on chief was never his goal. “It wasn’t like ‘I’ve

Jan. 1, 2018

“… Looking forward to a new start …”

BEALE AIR FORCE BASE, California — “I’ve had a lot to overcome in the past couple years. In 2016, I was tested for a gene linked to breast cancer, called the BRCA 1 mutation, since multiple women in my family have battled it. After testing positive and being told I had a very high risk for developing breast cancer by age 40, I decided to go through with preventative surgery and

Dec. 31, 2017

Same job, different clothes

BEALE AIR FORCE BASE, California — For many reservists, work life does not end when they take off the uniform. Maj. Francis J. Tobias is one of these Airmen. Aside from a change of setting and suit and tie, his profession remains the same."I do the exact same job; I just change clothes," he said. In uniform, Tobias serves as the director of Equal Opportunity for the 940th Air

Nov. 22, 2017

“…They’re the reason I do anything…”

BEALE AIR FORCE BASE, California — “I was first assigned to Beale when I was active-duty. I was, and still am, an aircraft maintenance officer. I wanted to settle down and start a family, so I transferred to the Reserve. Now, I have been married for eight years and am a father of two. My wife loves Thanksgiving. We moved to a bigger home two years ago with the goal being to host all