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  • 1940's -- Elwood R. Quesada went to Tampa, Fla., as commanding general of the Third Air Force on March 1, 1946. This group soon became Tactical Air Command. As head of TAC he was promoted to lieutenant general in October 1947 and in November 1948 became special assistant for reserve forces at Headquarters U.S. Air Force. (U.S. Air Force photo)

    Hispanic-American was aviation pioneer, tactical genius

    He was an aviation pioneer, an organizer of Allied victory during World War II and a Hispanic American. He was Elwood R. "Pete" Quesada. Quesada was the son of a Spanish businessman and an Irish-American mother. His military career spanned aviation history from post-World War I era biplanes to supersonic jets. Quesada was born in Washington, D.C.,
  • An AC-130 gunship executes an evasive maneuver and drops flares during the firepower demonstration held at the Nevada Test and Training Range, Sept. 14, 2007. The demonstration gives the public a close-up and realistic view into the Air Force's ability to perform its wartime mission. (USAF photo by Lawrence Crespo)

    Nothing will stop the U.S. Air Force!

    "Down we dive spouting our flames from under, off with one helluva roar!" Many have sang these lines dozens or even hundreds of times - in basic training and during numerous Air Force ceremonies, but there are few who have seen and heard what lies behind those words. This year, the Nellis firepower demonstration gave many the opportunity to witness
  • MOUNTAIN HOME AIR FORCE BASE, Idaho -- Maj. Grant "Doctor" Buck, 389th Fighter Squadron pilot, talks with three of the 13 remaining Doolittle Raiders. More than 65 years after flying 16 bombers over Japan to conduct the first bombing mission of World War II, retired Lt. Col. Richard E. Cole, retired Maj. Thomas C. Griffin and former Sgt. Dave Thatcher and their relatives visited the Gunfighters to tour the base Aug. 10. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Jasmine Reif)

    Doolittle Raiders tour Mountain Home AFB

    They set out to settle the score ... to defend America ... to make history. On April 18, 1942, the Doolittle Raiders did just that. More than 65 years after flying 16 bombers over Japan to conduct the first bombing mission of World War II, retired Lt. Col. Richard E. Cole, retired Maj. Thomas C. Griffin and former Sgt. Dave Thatcher and their
  • Senior Airman Justin Voorhees, 23rd Civil Engineer Squadron Explosive Ordnance Disposal technician, operates the manipulator arm on a bomb disposal robot Aug. 1 at the EOD flight’s offices. Robots allow technicians to survey dangerous devices from a much safer distance. In the past, EOD technicians needed to put on a protective suit and visually inspect them. (U.S. Air Force photo By Tech. Sgt. Parker Gyokeres)

    'Bomb Squad' uses tools, intelligence to battle GWOT

    Air Force explosive ordnance disposal experts are fighting a daily, deadly battle on the front lines of the Global War on Terror using the latest technology and the power of teamwork. A weapon commonly employed by insurgent forces in Iraq and Afghanistan is the improvised explosive device. The many methods used to create, conceal and control them
  • Patriot Guard Rider “Bear” displays signposts detailing his military service on his riding vest as he waits at Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D., for the return of 28th Bomb Wing Airmen, July 27, 2007. During the Airmen’s 6 month deployment to Southwest Asia they supported combat operation for Operations IRAQI FREEDOM and ENDURING FREEDOM. The Patriot Guard Riders are a group of motorcycle riders that attend military events to show respect and shield the service member and family from interruptions caused by protestors. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Michael B. Keller)(Released by Tech. Sgt. Steven Wilson, 28th BW/PA)

    Patriot Guard Riders welcome home Airmen; integrate with Ellsworth's honor guard

    The old vet walks gingerly with the aid of a well-worn cane, rested on the picnic table beneath the shade of an oak tree beside the deployment processing center here. The tattooed arms detailing his life's journey once cradled a rifle in a hellish jungle far away. Now they embrace an American flag. The leather riding vest tells his story while his
  • MOUNTAIN HOME AIR FORCE BASE, Idaho -- Master Sgt. Yancy Mailes, 366th Fighter Wing historian, reviews aircraft books at Gowen Field Sept. 2005. Sergeant Mailes will be retiring from the Air Force after 20 years of service only to return to the base as a civilian historian. Starting in 2003, the Air Force began converting its history program from military positions to a fully civilianized force. Sergeant Mailes will be one of the last enlisted historians to convert to a civilian position. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Sergio Aguirre)

    Goodbye sergeant, hello mister

    After 20 years of service, the base bids farewell to Master Sgt. Yancy Mailes, 366th Fighter Wing historian.Almost.In October 2003, the Air Force began converting its history program from military positions to a fully civilianized force. Sergeant Mailes will be one of the last enlisted historians to retire, only to return soon after as Mr.
  • A child from the village of Leratong in Qwa Qwa, South Africa eats “maize pap" -- a simple corn meal dish -- for breakfast at the Breakthrough Ministries dayecare. Senior Airmen Genifer Van Pelt, Senior Airman Jessica Koury and Leah Kossakoski and Amanda Mellos, who have both since separated from the Air Force, went to the ministry located in South Africa to volunteer for two weeks in September 2006. (Courtesy Photo)

    Volunteering in Africa: Four troops travel across the world to make a difference

    Toes poking out of worn-down shoes, parentless children with barely enough food to line the bottom of their grumbling stomachs, a lack of indoor plumbing, inadequate health care and little clothing to hide from the cold night wind are all part of life in the village of Leratong, located in Qwa Qwa, South Africa. It is hard for most people to
  • MOUNTAIN HOME AIR FORCE BASE, Idaho -- Stacey Hollis, a biological technician from the University of Arizona, removes a burrowing owl from a trap here May 4. In its third year, Mountain Home was selected along with 29 other military installations to take part in a research study on burrowing owls. As their range and numbers decrease, researchers are taking an active role to better understand what is happening to the diminishing species. (U.S. Air Force photo/Carl Rudeen)

    Base participates in burrowing owl study

    As dusk settles in, the owl moves closer for the attack. The mouse, sitting safely in a small cage, begins circling, trying to find a place to hide.As the owl tries to remove its prize, the trap is sprung, and a net covers the scene. Soon after, researchers move in to do their job.Through a grant given to the University of Arizona, the Department
  • Staff Sgt. David Aten, 27th Communications Squadron, pushes his son Connor on a swingset at Unity Park. Sergeant Aten adopted Connor from China in January. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman Elliott Sprehe)

    Child's life found in translation

    Adoption can be a trying process and if the child is being adopted from China, paperwork is probably not going to be one of the biggest worries. For Staff Sgt. David Aten, 27th Communications Squadron, and his family, such a situation arose when they adopted their 2-year old son, Connor, in January. Connor spent the first two years of his life in
  • LSA ANACONDA, Iraq -- Chief Warrant Officer 2 Allen Crist (left) and Chief Warrant Officer 4 Kevin Purtee, check on the medical condition of Spc. Jeffrey Jamaleldine following a harrowing mission to evacuate the wounded Soldier. (U.S. Army photo/Maj. Gregory O’Connor)

    On a wing and a prayer

    "On a wing and a prayer" took on a new meaning recently when an Army warrant officer deployed from Whiteman gave up his seat to a critically-wounded Soldier and rode to safety on the wing of an AH-64 Apache helicopter. The scene: a battlefield in Ar Ramadi, Iraq, June 30. The men involved: Chief Warrant Officer 2 Allen Crist, deployed to Company B,
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