Aircraft maintainers keep MAFFS C-130s flying

It's a waiting game. Under the hot, dry 90-plus degree weather in the afternoon of July 5, Tech. Sgt. Dave Stevens, 302nd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron crew chief, was sitting underneath a tent just off the side of the flightline staring at two C-130 Hercules aircraft. These C-130s are special; they

Fight dream pushes Airman to Olympic trials

"Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee," a line made famous by boxing legend Muhammad Ali, means different things to Senior Airman Dustin Southichack, a 433rd Civil Engineer Squadron pest management specialist. When Southichack is not busting bugs, he throws punches in the ring as the only

Operations group Reservists ace evaluation

The fact that 279 aircrew Reservists averaged 98.9 percent on a closed book test, with zero failures, is just one factor in the 446th Airlift Wing earning accolades from its recent Aircrew Standard Evaluation Visit June 18-July 2. The 62nd Airlift Wing also excelled in the ASEV.Even before the

MAFFS operations resume

C-130 Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System operations resumed here July 3. The California Air National Guard's 146th Airlift Wing joined the Wyoming Air National Guard's 153rd Airlift Wing and the Air Force Reserve Command's 302nd Airlift Wing, stationed at Peterson Air Force Base, in supporting

USNORTHCOM resumes wildfire suppression missions

Six Department of Defense C-130 aircraft equipped with U.S. Forest Service Modular Airborne Fire Fighting Systems and under the command and control of U.S. Northern Command are assisting in the efforts to control fires in the Rocky Mountain region and western United States at the request of the

N.C. Air National Guard releases names of C-130 crash victims

Four airmen died and two others were seriously injured when a Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System-equipped C-130 belonging to the 145th Airlift Wing, North Carolina Air National Guard, based here, crashed Sunday evening while fighting a woodland fire in Southwestern South Dakota.Dead are Lt. Col.

Tinker Reservists to participate in Navy fleet exercise

Four 507th Air Refueling Wing KC-135R Stratotanker aircraft and more than 135 Air Force Reservists will join forces with the U.S. Navy during July to support a U.S. Pacific Fleet exercise.The exercise, called RIMPAC (Rim of the Pacific), is a series of multinational maritime exercises scheduled to

MAFFS operations resume

Josh Turner headlines Reserve band's final Independence Day concert

American country music superstar Josh Turner and his The Tonkin' Honkies band got hands clapping and feet thumping at the this year's Independence Day concert in Warner Robins July 2.Turner's new album, "Punching Bag," was rated No. 1 on Billboard's Country Albums and No. 4 in Billboard 200 during

Air Force suspends C-130 firefighting operations

The military C-130 aircraft activated to assist with the Rocky Mountain region's firefighting efforts were stood down on July 2.The fleet spent the day to get the MAFFS crews together to "reflect, reset and review," said Col. Jerry Champlin, 153rd Air Expeditionary Group commander. "We all need to