The Spirit of Ronald Reagan

MARCH AIR RESERVE BASE, Calif. (AFPN) -- Lt. Gen. John Bradley shakes Nancy Reagan's hand after landing the C-17 Globemaster III aircraft the Air Force dedicated today in honor of her late husband, President Ronald Reagan. The general's wife, Jan, and 4th Air Force commander Maj. Gen. Robert E. Duignan also attended the dedication of The Spirit of Ronald Reagan. General Bradley is chief of the Air Force Reserve and commander of Air Force Reserve Command. (Courtesy photo)

Spirit of Ronald Reagan

MARCH AIR RESERVE BASE, Calif. (AFPN) -- Lt. Gen. John Bradley escorts former first lady Nancy Reagan during today's ceremony to dedicate a C-17 Globemaster III -- the Spirit of Ronald Reagan -- to honor her late husband, President Ronald Reagan. The general is chief of the Air Force Reserve and commander of Air Force Reserve Command. (Courtesy photo)

New Years' over Iraq

OVER BALAD AIR BASE, Iraq (AFPN) -- Reserve navigator Maj. Eric Heftye keeps his C-130 Hercules on course during a New Year's Eve mission to Balad Air Base. The delivered 13 passengers and 13,000 pounds of cargo -- landing at Balad in 2006. Members of the Air Force Reserve Command's 731st Airlift Squadron, the crew is ending a Southwest Asia tour with the 746th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Lance Cheung)

Big Texas welcome home

NAJ JRB FORT WORTH, Texas -- Capt. Chris Gough, 457th Fighter Squadron pilot, gathers hugs of love from his family members after their return from Iraq. More than 150 members of the Air Force Reserve Command's 301st Fighter Wing returned Dec. 11 following a two-month deployment Balad AB, Iraq in support of the Air Expeditionary Forces. Other AFRC F-16 units are scheduled to return from Balad in January. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Julie Briden-Garcia)

World-class firefighters

DEERFIELD BEACH, Fla. (AFPN) -- Tech Sgt. Mike Melton, Staff Sgt. Harry Myers and Senior Airman Joe Almony warm up on stationary bikes before taking part in an event at the World Firefighter Combat Challenge here. The team won their event with a time of 4 minutes 25.14 seconds. Sergeant Melton is with the 349th Civil Engineer Squadron at Travis Air Force Base, Calif. Sergeant Myers is with the 60th CES at Travis AFB, Calif., and Airman Almony is with 349th CES at Travis AFB, Calif. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Matt McGovern)

World-class firefighters

DEERFIELD BEACH, Fla. (AFPN) -- Senior Airman Jeff McClendon runs the World Firefighter Combat Challenge stream-light relay here. Airman McClendon is with the 60th Civil Engineer Squadron at Travis Air Force Base, Calif. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Matt McGovern)

Operation Seasons Greetings 2005

Trick Pony's lead singer, Heidi Newfield, visits with a patient at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, Germany, on Thanksgiving Day. Touring with the Band of the Air Force Reserve and the U.S. Air Forces in Europe Band, Ms. Newfield visited the hospital to serve dinner, sign autographs and thank the troops. (U.S. Air Force photo by Ken Hackman)

Keeping supplies moving

Technical Sgt. Paul Oxford, a reservist deployed from Travis AFB, Calif., moves another pallet of supplies a little closer to the warfighters in Iraq. Deployed through the holidays, the ramp services supervisor at Incirlik AB adds to the unit's total of about 86,800 tons of cargo sent down range since June 1.

Back home

KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. (AFPN) -- Reservists from the 41st Aerial Port unload a 5,000 pound generator from a C-130J Hercules. The aircraft returned home after flying missions out of Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Ga., since Hurricane Katrina bashed apart its home base. The 403rd Wing mission, which includes the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron's "Hurricane Hunters" and the 815th Airlift Squadron's "Flying Jennies," fully reinstated its mission at Keesler after Hurricane Katrina damaged their home unit. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Chance Babin)

Larry the Cable Guy visit

Master Sgt. Johnny Bartosh, a loadmaster assigned to Air Force Reserve Commands 701st Airlift Squadron, Charleston Air Force Base, S.C., presents comedian Larry the Cable Guy with a U.S. flag. The comedian toured Charleston AFB and visited with active-duty and Air Force Reserve men and women to show his support for the troops defending America. (U.S. Air Force photo by 1st Lt. Wayne Capps)

Wilma relief

HOMESTEAD AIR RESERVE BASE, Fla. (AFPN) -- Trucks began arriving here to pre-position water, military rations, ice and tarps for the post-hurricane relief effort. The trucks, which began arriving Oct. 20, have delivered supplies from Key West to northern Miami-Dade County since the storm passed. (U.S. Air Force photo by Lisa M. Macias).

Operation Seasons Greetings 2005

Operation Seasons Greetings 2005 will feature country and western group Trick Pony and John Popper from the group Blues Traveler, along with members of the NFL New England Patriots cheerleaders.

Air Force Reserve training

Gliders at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo., await takeoff for training recently. About 30 other Reservists formed for the squadron recently giving Reservists a more prominent role in training cadets at the school. (Photo by Tech. Sgt. Jason Tudor)

Air Force Academy training

Maj. Bill Gagen, an instructor with the 70th Flying Training Squadron, turns his glider over the Air Force Academy recently. Major Gagen and about 30 other Reservists formed for the squadron recently giving Reservists a more prominent role in training cadets at the school. (Photo by Tech. Sgt. Jason Tudor)

Maintenance check

BALAD AIR BASE, Iraq -- (Left to right) Tech. Sgt. Gerardo Diaz, Senior Master Sgt. Huey Hill and Master Sgt. Ralph Cole run a computer confidence check on an improved avionics intermediate system before testing an F-16 Fighting Falcon part. Technicians perform the check each time they test a part. The sergeants are all with the 332nd Expeditionary Maintenance Squadron. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Tammie Moore)

Operation Seasons Greetings

Trick Ponys Ira Dean (right), Heidi Newfield and Keith Burns will gallop into Germany, Turkey, Iceland and one or more deployed locations in Southwest Asia during Operation Seasons Greeting, Nov. 21 to Dec. 3. Joining the country musicians on the show trail will be Blues Traveler's John Popper, the New England Patriot Cheerleaders and musicians from the Band of the U.S. Air Force Reserve and the U.S. Air Forces in Europe Band. Trick Pony's newest CD "R.I.D.E." was in the top 20 of the Billboard 200 all-genre chart during its first week in stores. (U.S. Air Force photo by Ken Hackman)

Operation Seasons Greetings

"I feel fortunate to have been given the chance to travel overseas and personally express my gratitude in such a fun and uplifting way," said fourth-year tour veteran Amber van Eeghen, a cheerleader from Cranston, R.I. "We are excited to give them an opportunity to just relax and enjoy themselves." (U.S. Air Force photo by Ken Hackman)

Operation Seasons Greetings

The three-time world champion New England Patriots are sending four members of their cheerleading squad to accompany Trick Pony, John Popper of the platinum-selling band Blues Traveler, the Band of the U.S. Air Force Reserve and the U.S. Air Forces in Europe Band at four USAFE bases Nov. 21 to Dec. 3. (U.S. Air Force photo by Ken Hackman)

Hurricane Katrina

Tech. Sgt. Andrew Canfield, full-time Air Force reservist and pararescue jumper, communicates with one of his rescues, Joseph, by writing notes. Joseph, who had spent 10 days in his flooded New Orleans home, is nonverbal and was found hovering over a small lit candle in his second-floor bedroom. He motioned to the PJ for something to write on and they began a written dialogue that resulted in the PJ successfully extracting him. Sergeant Canfield is with the 304th Rescue Squadron, Portland IAP, Ore. (Air Force photo by Senior Master Sgt. Elaine Mayo)

Hurricane Katrina

Another life was saved from the wrath of Katrina thanks to the concern of Senior Master Sgt. Cheryl King, Air Force reservist and maintenance superintendent with the 920th Rescue Wing, Patrick Air Force Base, Fla. Sergeant King received a request to locate someone unaccounted for in New Orleans and passed the information on the 920th RQW. Here she talks with Master Sgt. Michael Bradford, avionics guidance and control specialist, also with the 920th about an upcoming mission. Sergeant King, originally from Pennsylvania, has been at Patrick since 1993 and works full time for the FAA as a safety inspector. In the background is avionics communications-navigation specialist Master Sgt. Tom Trommater working on a communications problem. (Air Force photo by Senior Master Sgt. Elaine Mayo)

Hurricane Katrina

Senior Master Sgt. James Sanchez looks up for the hoist to be lowered from an AIr Force Reserve helicopter hovering over a roof top in New Orleans Sept. 10. Assigned to the 306th Rescue Squadron at Davis-Monthan AFB, Tucson, Ariz., Sergeant Sanchez is a combat veteran of Afghanistan and has saved 98 lives during the AIr Force Reserve's recue operations. (Air Force Photo by Senior Master Sgt. Elaine Mayo)

Hurricane Katrina

Tech. Sgt. Fred Zobrist, a flight engineer with Air Force Reserve Commands 920th Rescue Wing, Patrick Air Force Base, Fla., moves a panel on an HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopter to service its engine before launching a hurricane search-and-rescue mission from Jackson, Miss. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Bill Huntington)

Hurrican Katrina

050905-F-7441-2403 Master Sgt. Julianna Simmons discusses crew arrangements with Staff Sgt. James Chaney as Capt. Jameson Durham talks on the phone. All three reservists worked with a handful of others to coordinate aeromedical evacuation missions for Hurricane Katrina relief at Kelly Field, Texas. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Jason Tudor)

Hurricane Katrina

Tech. Sgt. Keith Berry, an Air Force Reserve Command pararescueman from the 304th Rescue Squadron in Portland, Ore., checks for overhanging tree limbs near his HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopter as it returns to the skies over southern Mississippi after checking on Hurricane Katrina survivors. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Bill Huntington