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It was 0'dark-thirty and only the blue line of runway lights met the joint Air Force and Navy crew under the wings of a C-17 Globemaster III. A 535th Airlift Squadron aircrew from Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, and the U.S. Navy Special Warfare Unit One from Guam teamed up to drop a boat out of the back of a C-17 using the Maritime Craft Aerial Delivery System recently. With more than 19,000 pounds locked in, and parachute riggings in place, the joint team strapped in was ready to go. The weather was ideal, the sea state was low and...

The Accident Investigation Board for the Alaska-based F-22 Raptor crash recessed, Jan. 14, per the direction of Gen. Gary North, Pacific Air Forces commander. The board will resume when weather conditions allow further recovery operations of the crash site located near Cantwell, Alaska. Capt. Jeff Haney, pilot of the F-22 Raptor, was on a routine, night training mission and lost his life due to the crash, Nov. 16. The Accident Investigation Board has been unable to determine the cause of the accident with the information and evidence currently available. The board seeks to ensure all the evidence available at the...

The Air Force is celebrating the arrival in Hawaii of the world's most advanced fighter jet. Airmen draped two F-22 planes with giant maile lei after the jets landed at Hickam Field during a dedication ceremony Friday. A priest blessed the jets by scattering holy water on them with ti leaves. The planes are the first of 20 F-22 jets the Air Force plans to base at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam on Oahu. They will be assigned to the Hawaii Air National Guard's 154th Wing. Crews from both the Guard and the active duty Air Force's 15th Wing will jointly...

The Raptor has landed. The first of 20 F-22 Raptor fighter jets that will be based at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam touched down yesterday, bringing with it the start of a new chapter in Hawaii Air National Guard fighter history reaching back to 1946. The Territory of Hawaii Air National Guard was established that year, a year ahead of the official creation of the U.S. Air Force, officials said. Two of the stealthy fighters are expected to be in Hawaii for a dedication ceremony Friday. The aircraft, "tail" numbers 045 and 046, are about 7 years old and were receiving...

Most Americans have heard of the naval base at Pearl Harbor. Some are also aware of the air base next door called Hickam, where Japanese planes destroyed U.S. bombers during the 1941 aerial attack. On Sunday, the two historic sites will cease to be separate bases, merging into Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam. They will be among 26 installations across the country that are combining to form 12 joint bases as the military strives to become more efficient. Commanders are bringing together two very distinct military service cultures — while making sure one doesn't dominate or overwhelm the other. The large...

The president and first lady stopped overnight in Honolulu -- and, of course, they met with the troops at Hickam Air Force Base -- on their way home from the Asian Pacific Economic Council meeting. He was briefed by the US Pacific Command while there. Defense Secretary Rumsfeld met with Afghanistan Minister of Defense General Abdul Rahim Wardak at the Pentagon. Setting the Record Straight: Comparing the Coverage: London Vs. Washington Reporting on Prime Minister Blair's Remarks on the Middle East, particularly Iran and Syria. This link provides a link to the full text of PM Blair's remarks.

HONOLULU (AP) - An estimated 7,000 people are jammed into the Hawaii convention center this Halloween night to hear Vice President Dick Cheney speak. Vice President Cheney landed at Hickam Air Force Base at about 10:20pm Sunday Night.Cheney and his wife Lynne stepped off their government plane right on time, greeted by Governor Lingle and Lieutenant-Governor Duke Aiona before the quick trip to the convention center. Across the street from the center about 80 supporters of Senator John Kerry and anti-war protesters staged a peaceful protest before Cheney's arrival. Some of the protesters were wearing Halloween costumes, but no...

9/19/2003 - HICKAM AIR FORCE BASE, Hawaii (AFPN) -- Air Force investigators determined an F-16 Fighting Falcon crashed after at least one Spot-billed Duck was ingested into the engine, resulting in catastrophic engine failure, according to a report released Sept. 18. The May 29 crash happened off the end of the runway at Osan Air Base, South Korea. The mishap pilot was the wingman in a two-ship formation on a night-training mission at the time of the accident. The pilot and a Korean on the ground were slightly injured in the crash. According to the report, shortly after taking off,...