24 May 2006

AFOSR provides presence at world’s largest model rocket contest

ARLINGTON, Va. — The Air Force Office of Scientific Research here provided an exhibit for hundreds of participants and visitors at the 4th Annual Team America Rocketry Challenge national finals May 20 at The Plains, Va. Team America, held at the 250-acre Great Meadow Outdoor Center, is a model rocket competition for high school and middle school

24 May 2006

Medics use Smart Ops 21 to decrease patient notification time by half

For the past year, the 436th Medical Group here has applied a continual improvement process many people often associate with maintenance personnel and programs. LEAN, Six Sigma and Continual Process Improvement are all programs the Air Force has introduced into the maintenance career fields over the years. Now, the aptly named Smart Ops 21 program

24 May 2006

Airmen work smarter, not harder with Smart Ops 21

For some Airmen, Air Force Smart Ops 21 is a term just being introduced into the field, but for the 52nd Maintenance Group, it is quickly becoming the standard way of doing business. Smart Ops 21 focuses on grouping things together, like tools and engine parts, to eliminate wasted motion and effort, said Lt. Col. Lawrence Gatti, 52nd MXG deputy

24 May 2006

Smart Operations 21 office formed at Pentagon

In February, Air Force leaders created a new program office at the Pentagon that will take the lead in optimizing the way the Air Force conducts its mission. The Air Force Smart Operations 21 office, created in response to an initiative by Secretary of the Air Force Michael W. Wynne, will look at process improvement across the service. The new

19 May 2006

Special delivery: Eglin sergeant delivers his own baby

Scenario: pregnant wife, deployed spouse. Outcome: Daddy makes it home from Iraq in time to deliver his own baby while en route to the hospital. Rounding week 38 of her pregnancy, Jessica Meinert had little expectation of her husband making it home in time for the baby’s birth, which was supposed to be May 10. Mrs. Meinert, wife of Tech. Sgt. Greg

19 May 2006

Emergency Medical Services personnel befriend Hanscom child

This week has marked Emergency Medical Services Week — a time to “honor the dedication of those who provide the day-to-day lifesaving services of medicine’s front line,” according to The American College of Emergency Physicians Web site, www.acep.org/emsweek. For one Hanscom child, a single week set aside is not required to realize the dedication

19 May 2006

Orientation course teaches Air Force mission to civilians

Civilian employees at Eglin now have the chance to learn what their military counterparts learn in basic training: Air Force mission, goals and values. A dozen civilian Eglin employees received completion certificates and pins after completing a newly offered orientation course May 15. Training is mandatory for new Air Force civilian employees and

19 May 2006

Airmen take care of Airmen during safety campaign

Summer is the time of year when children get out of school and families hit the road for that long-awaited vacation, or just get together for a day at the beach. It’s also the time of year when more accidents typically happen. The 101 Critical Days of Summer officially runs from May 26 through Sept. 5. This year’s theme is “Airmen taking care of

18 May 2006

Test parachutists ‘jump’ to conclusions

It’s been said there’s no good reason to jump out of a perfectly good airplane, but a small cadre of enlisted people here have a very good reason — saving lives. They don’t wear the maroon beret of the Air Force Pararescue; they’re members of the 418th Flight Test Squadron’s Test Parachutist program, the only program of its kind in the U.S. Air

18 May 2006

New service dress prototypes pique interest

Based on feedback received during visits with Airmen across the Air Force, the Air Force Uniform Board is reviewing several concepts that Airmen have suggested regarding the appearance of the service dress uniform. Some of the informal feedback about the current service dress includes Airmen wanting to revamp the service dress to look more