AFMC Command News

  • Air Force communications support aids fight against California fires

    When California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger recently called on several Air National Guard units to help fight wildfires, one of those units, the 149th Combat Communications Squadron, in turn sought help from the Electronic Systems Center here. The Guard unit, based out of the North Highlands Air

  • Air Force, University of New Mexico begin hi-tech partnership

    A collaborative effort here is paving the way for a new center of excellence within New Mexico for the application of Field Programmable Gate Arrays, or FPGAs, in space and defense systems. Called the FPGA Mission Assurance Center, or FMAC, the project was recently appointed $1.6 million by

  • Air Force considers applications of 'jamming' model

    Granular fluids, like salt or sand, and viscous liquids, like toothpaste or wood glue, can behave like liquids or solids depending on certain conditions. When these fragile materials stop flowing, scientists refer to the transition as "jamming". With funding from the Air Force Office of Scientific

  • Reaper serves as friend to allies, 'Grim Reaper' to foes

    The Air Force's MQ-9 Reaper flew its first operational mission in Iraq July 18, providing joint force commanders with an added weapon system against emerging targets. The MQ-9 Reaper is a medium-to-high altitude, long-endurance remotely piloted aircraft system. In addition to its primary role as a

  • Latest weather toolkit enhances data exchange

    The mid-July fielding of the 651st Electronic Systems Squadron's Joint Environmental Toolkit Increment 2 is helping U.S. forces deal with an ever-changing variable - the weather. The Air Force Weather Agency at Offutt AFB, Neb., is the first base to receive the second increment of JET's

  • Tinker leaders reflect progress of armed forces integration

    July 26 marks the 60th anniversary of the integration of the U.S. Armed Forces. On that date in 1948, President Harry Truman signed Executive Order 9981, declaring "that there shall be equality of treatment and opportunity for all persons in the armed services without regard to race, color, religion

  • Alternative energy project under way at Robins AFB

    The Defense Logistics Agency kicked off its fuel cell forklift pilot project here July 24 at the Defense Depot Warner Robins. It is part of an effort to find alternative energy sources and reduce America's growing dependence on energy imports. The DDWG, in collaboration with the DLA Research and

  • USAF Marathon registration fees to increase Aug. 1

    Runners looking to participate in this year's U.S. Air Force Marathon Sept. 20 are running out of time - time to register for one of the event's five races before prices increase on Aug. 1, that is."The USAF Marathon offers runners of all levels a chance to participate," said Molly Louden, marathon

  • Military working dogs receive protective desert gear from community

    Military working dogs getting ready for deployment from Wright-Patterson AFB have some new best friends. Starline Nunley, with help from the Gem City Dog Obedience Club in Dayton, Ohio, and other sponsors, is providing protective cooling vests, goggles and doggie booties to military working dogs

  • Officials conduct 'Road Show' for acquisition transformation

    The Installation Acquisition Transformation initiative, a comprehensive restructuring of continental U.S. installation acquisition practices, is moving forward as Air Force contracting officials continue traveling to affected bases to explain the changes ahead. Under the transformation, Air Force

  • Depot technicians begin using automatic test station

    The Versatile Depot Automatic Test Station, or VDATS, was put to the test here July 9 as it examined its first production asset in its career as an Air Force and Department of Defense Family of Testers member. Operators used VDATS to test a decoder assembly from the Pave Penny pod, which is a

  • System helps determine 'health' of Air Force aircraft

    Military aircraft must be safe, reliable, and ready at a moment's notice to fulfill their role. Unexpected maintenance, and even scheduled maintenance checks, can keep an aircraft out of service when needed most. That's where Integrated Systems Health Management, or ISHM, comes in. ISHM is a term

  • Satellite's instrumentation providing scintillation forecast data

    Whether it's static interrupting a radio station, or crackling noises interfering with a theater commander's attempt to contact a deployed unit, scintillation can cause communication chaos. Scintillation occasionally occurs when radio waves transiting an unstable ionosphere located 50 to 360 miles

  • Research into spinning electrons could enhance AF computers

    Scientists funded by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research have used a single photon technique to observe the evolution of individual electron spins in semiconductor nanostructures. Their work has already contributed to the new field of semiconductor spintronics - an emerging technology which

  • AFMC NCO one of 12 Outstanding Airmen of the Year

    A noncommissioned officer from Air Force Materiel Command is one of the Air Force's top enlisted members. Air Force officials selected Tech. Sgt. Tammy Shaw as one of the service's 12 Outstanding Airmen of the Year for 2008. Sergeant Shaw is assigned to the 88th Diagnostics and Therapeutics Squadron