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NEWS ABOUT: US Air Force

U2 Spy Plane Soars Again in Afghanistan

With technology old and new, plane provides valuable intel

(Newser) - A relic of the Cold War era is nothing of the kind, as the US military increasingly uses its aging fleet of high altitude U2 spy planes to conduct real-time surveillance in Afghanistan. Retrofitted with modern electronics, the U2 and its pilot can monitor the battlefield, provide crucial communications to... More »

US Troops Man Airport, Rescuers Race Clock

Time running out as workers battle chaos

(Newser) - US troops have taken over security and cargo operations at Haiti's main airport as rescuers struggle mightily against deadlines for saving lives, amid chaos and near-total destruction. The chances of saving victims declines steeply after the first 48 hours following an earthquake. Efforts have been stymied by a poor medical... More »

Military Divorce Rate Climbs Again

Stress of war, deployments takes toll at home

(AP) - The divorce rate in the armed forces increased slightly again in the past year as military marriages continued to bear the stress of the nation's ninth year at war. In the 2009 fiscal year, which ended Sept. 30, there were an estimated 27,312 divorces among the nearly 765,000... More »

US Airman Shot Dead in Mexican Strip Bar

Sergeant among 6 killed by suspected drug cartel hitmen

(Newser) - An off-duty US Air Force sergeant was among six people shot dead at a Mexican strip club last night. Hooded men armed with automatic weapons entered the club in Ciudad Juarez and sought out the victims. "It appears drugs were being sold at the place," a military official... More »

Petraeus Sorry for Razzing Air Force

Central Command head apologizes after 'outrageous' joke

(Newser) - The head of US Central Command has apologized to the Air Force after making a joke at the service's expense, the Air Force Times reports. A rep for the Air Force chief of staff said the apology was accepted. David Petraeus, an Army general who commands US operations in Iraq... More »

In F-22's Wake, USAF Embraces Cheaper Aircraft

(Newser) - The scrapping of the F-22 has sent the US Air Force into an abrupt about-face, Time reports. Newly installed officials are asking for 100 cheap, multirole planes that can attack ground positions and also be used to train other countries' pilots in their use. The aircraft must have a range... More »

Congress Plans $550M Upgrade to Its Jet Fleet

(Newser) - Congress plans to spend $550 million to upgrade and expand the fleet of jets used to ferry federal officials around the country and abroad, the Wall Street Journal reports. Funds approved by the House for the military-run fleet call for two 737s and two Gulfstream jets on top of the... More »

Air Force Ship Becomes Artificial Reef Off Fla. Keys

WWII cargo ship also tracked missiles and spacecraft

(Newser) - Demolition experts sank an Air Force ship this morning to create an artificial reef in the Florida Keys, the AP reports. The 17,000-ton, WWII-era cargo ship took less than 2 minutes to sink after a series of explosions. The new "reef" is expected to bring in about... More »

Alert Air Passenger Warns of Fuel Leak

Air force sergeant spotted leak before 747 headed over the Pacific

(Newser) - An eagle-eyed passenger warned a 747 flight crew about a fuel leak on a recent Japan-bound flight from Chicago, CNN reports. Air Force Sgt. Bartek Bachleda, who serves in an air refueling squadron, spotted vapor billowing from behind the wing and realized the jet was losing fuel fast. He alerted... More »

Air Force Pilot Killed in Mojave Desert Crash

Crewman injured after jet crashes during training mission

(Newser) - A military pilot was killed when his jet crashed in the Mojave Desert north of California's Edwards Air Force Base yesterday, the AP reports. Military officials said the T-38 Talon was on a training flight. The navigator ejected and is in stable condition in hospital. The crash, still under investigation,... More »

College Football Great 'Doc' Blanchard Dies at 84

(Newser) - Felix “Doc” Blanchard, who won the 1945 Heisman Trophy as part of Army’s famed “Mr. Inside and Mr. Outside” backfield tandem, died yesterday of pneumonia, ESPN reports. The legendary fullback, linebacker, placekicker, and punter was 84. In 1944-46, Blanchard— “Mr. Inside” to fellow Heisman winner Glenn... More »

Air Force Nurse Charged in 3 Deaths

'Soldier of mercy' allegedly gave lethal doses to terminally ill

(AP) - An Air Force nurse has been charged with giving lethal amounts of medication to three terminally ill patients in his care. Capt. Michael Fontana, 35, was formally charged in military court with deliberately giving three patients at Wilford Hall Medical Center—the Air Force's largest hospital—lethal amounts of medication,... More »

Army Charity Hoards Millions as Veterans Suffer

Army Emergency Relief fund's reserve dwarf its giving

(Newser) - A US Army charity is hoarding tens of millions of dollars while military families face record foreclosures and long deployments, the AP reports. Designed to dole out cash to veterans in financial crisis, Army Emergency Relief has padded reserves with $117 million and given or lent only $64 million. "... More »

Pentagon's New Painkiller: Ancient Chinese Medicine

Military doctors will start training medics in 'battlefield acupressure'

(Newser) - US Air Force doctors deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan next year will have a new medical weapon in their arsenal: acupuncture. Military physicians, pleased with the success of treating wounded troops at home, will begin teaching battlefield medics how to fight severe or chronic pain by inserting tiny needles under... More »

Palin Out of Loop on State Defense: Air Force

Despite pose, Palin not informed when Russian bombers approach Alaska

(Newser) - Sarah Palin doesn't get a phone call when US jets are scrambled to intercept Russian bombers off Alaska—despite her hints to the contrary, a NORAD spokesman told the New York Daily News yesterday. "She doesn't have any role," said the major. "The commander does not call... More »

Boeing Threatens to Ditch Air Force Tanker Bid

Boeing demands extra 4 months in new bid in tanker war

(Newser) - Boeing has warned the Pentagon it will pull out of the new bidding to build a fleet of air tankers unless it gets an extra four months to prepare a bid, the Wall Street Journal reports. A Boeing pullout would leave the Air Force with no competition for a $35... More »

No Survivors in Crash of US Bomber off Guam

With 6 crew members considered dead, rescue focus shifts to recovery

(AP) - The US Air Force said today all six crew members aboard a B-52 bomber that crashed Monday off Guam were killed. A wide search effort has shifted focus from rescue to recovery of the crew, said officials at Andersen Air Force Base on the Pacific island. More »

Air Force Seeks Anti-Terror $16M for 'Comfort Pods'

Congress nixes funds for high-flying accommodations on military planes

(Newser) - Air Force chiefs have sought $16 million in anti-terrorism funds to build luxurious "comfort capsules" to be installed in military aircraft for VIP officer travel, reports the Washington Post. The project's costs have soared as finicky generals demand changes, with modifications in the plush leather seats—including a switch... More »

Fighter Jet Dazzles Airshow

Overseas audiences meet the F-22 'Raptor'

(Newser) - Aviation experts were treated to a display of the world’s most advanced fighter jet at the kickoff of the Farnborough International Airshow today in England, Reuters reports. In its first international exhibition, the Lockheed Martin F-22 “Raptor” executed a dizzying array of flips, dips, and dives as it... More »

Army Snubs Air Force, Takes On Air Duties in Iraq

Surveillance battalion became active last July

(Newser) - Fed up with what it sees as shoddy help from an overstretched Air Force, the Army has begun an unprecedented operation to provide its own air support in Iraq, the New York Times reports. The year-old Army program uses a hodgepodge of about 25 aircraft—some manned, some operated by... More »

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