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President Obama was briefed this morning on a power failure at F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Wyoming that took 50 nuclear intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), one-ninth of the U.S. missile stockpile, temporarily offline on Saturday. The base is a main locus of the United States' strategic nuclear forces. The 90th Missile Wing, headquartered there, controls 150 Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic nuclear missiles. They're on full-time alert and are housed in a variety of bunkers across the base. On Saturday morning, according to people briefed on what happened, a squadron of ICBMs suddenly dropped down into what's known as "LF...

India's first naval fighter squadron turns 50 TNN, Jul 5, 2010, 12.38am IST NEW DELHI: The `White Tigers' turn 50 this week. No, not the ones from Rewa but India's first-ever naval fighter squadron, which takes its name from the famous tigers with white fur instead of the usual orange due to a recessive gene. It was on July 7, 1960, that the INSAS 300 squadron was commissioned at the British Royal Naval air station in Brawdy, propelling India into the exclusive club of countries which flew fighters from aircraft carriers. The squadron, with its crest depicting the white tiger...

4/28/2010 - Camp Bastion, Afghanistan (AFNS) -- The 79th Expeditionary Rescue Squadron was officially activated during a ceremony April 22 at Camp Bastion, Afghanistan. Lt. Col. Mike Hinsch assumed command of the unit from Col. John Cherrey, 451st Expeditionary Operations Group commander, who officiated the ceremony. The search and rescue mission unit is assigned to the 451st EOG, Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan. Colonel Hinsch is deployed to the unit from Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz.. "We are here to show Afghanistan America's genuine attempt to try to help them as a nation," said Colonel Hinsch. The unit arrived March 29 and began operations...

Indian Navy ‘rhymes’ its combat jet squadrons Panaji, Feb 19 (IANS) The Indian Navy named its first combat jet squadron the White Tigers. To “rhyme” with this, it has named its second squadron, four aircraft of which were inducted Friday, the Black Panthers. As and when additional squadrons are inducted, they will be appropriately named, an officer said. “Our Sea Harrier squadron is named White Tigers. So we wanted a name from the cat family to rhyme well with White Tigers. Thus, the second squadron was named Black Panthers,” Captain Surendra Ahuja, the commanding officer of the shore-based INS Hansa...

2/8/2010 - EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. (AFNS) -- The first remotely piloted aircraft exchange officer stationed at the 556th Test and Evaluation Squadron at Creech Air Force Base, Nev., is not bothered by the 5,000 miles between the state of Nevada and her native England. "It has been an opportunity that money can't buy," said Royal Air Force Maj. Adele Stratton. "This post is the only exchange job within the rapidly evolving RPA community, and as the first incumbent, I have found it to be an interesting couple of years." As the first exchange officer at the RPA operational...

When there is more than $10 billion in weapons sales at stake, marketing can trump diplomacy during NATO air combat training. NATO pilots routinely participate in war games with its members, during which flights of "red team" airplanes play the opposition and square off against NATO pilots in realistic encounters. Recently, a squadron of pilots of the Spanish air force flew Eurofighter Typhoons, a multirole airplane with good dogfighting abilities, in mock combat against U.S. Air Force F-15s in the skies around Gando Air Base, Gran Canaria. The engagements, judging by a press release issued by Eurofighter, did not go...

KIRKUK - The 521st Air Expeditionary Advisory Squadron officially completed its mission to advise the Iraqi Air Force's 3rd Squadron during a ceremony held at Kirkuk Regional Air Base, Jan. 11. The ceremony signified the autonomy of the Iraqi squadron, recognized the members of the IqAF’s 1st Sqdn. for achieving foundational capabilities, and marked the inactivation of the 521st AEAS after completing its advisory mission. For two years, U.S. advisors from the 521st and the 870th AEAS have been collaborating with these two IqAF squadrons to help them achieve the independence they have been working toward. The role of the...

CHAKLALA, Pakistan, May 20, 2009 – The kind of fast-action, humanitarian outreach used this week to help more than a million Pakistanis displaced by war is exactly the type of mission the Air Force’s 3rd Airlift Squadron was glad to take on, airmen in the unit said. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Matt Pease loads a pallet containing humanitarian relief supplies destined for Pakistan into the cargo bay of a C-17 Globemaster III, May 20, 2009, in Southwest Asia. Pease is deployed from the 437th Security Forces Squadron, Charleston Air Force Base, S.C. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt....

SIERRA VISTA — Wreaths to remember the fallen, honor those serving and teach the value of freedom were placed at the Southern Arizona Veterans Memorial Cemetery Saturday. Those present joined more then 200 other locations across the United States, 24 veterans cemeteries in foreign countries and on U.S. ships in the seven seas for the Wreaths Across America ceremony. Civil Air Patrol Airman 1st Class Anthony Petonic, 14, right, stands with fellow patrolmen holding wreaths to be laid during Saturday’s ceremony at the Southern Arizona Veterans Memorial Cemetery. The event is one of many done nationwide in an effort to...

BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan, July 12, 2007 – Senior Airman Jennifer Cianfrocca may get the most mail at Camp Cunningham’s post office here, but her care packages are not just for her alone -- they are also for everyone with whom she works. Cianfrocca’s mother, Mary Pierce, from Las Cruces, N.M., has made it her mission to care for her daughter’s entire unit, the 354th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron. She sends up to four boxes a week to ensure that the A-10 pilots and their team have enough Cajun Trail Mix to hold them over until the next shipment. “They know my...

Aircrew aids Globemaster carrying severely injured troops from Iraq. ROYAL AIR FORCE MILDENHALL, England, Feb. 14, 2007 — A late night call, a cancelled sortie and flexibility led an aircrew from the 351st Air Refueling Squadron here to expedite medical care for more than a dozen severely injured troops being transported from Iraq to Andrews Air Force Base, Md., on Feb. 7. "The maintainers and my crew worked unbelievably fast because we realized how critical the mission was, " Capt. Colin Henderson, 351st Refueling Squadron According to Capt. Brent Toth, 100th Operations Support Squadron scheduler, the refueling mission was far...

11/14/2006 - TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. (AFPN) -- Base officials, family members and friends gathered here Nov. 7 to remember a fallen NCO and participate in a dedication ceremony. The Tech. Sgt. Jason Norton Military Working Dog Facility was dedicated in the base's security forces complex. Sergeant Norton was killed Jan. 22 while deployed in support of the war on terrorism; his vehicle struck an improvised explosive device while conducting convoy escort duties near Taji, Iraq. About 25 members and friends traveled from Florida and other states to attend the ceremony at Tinker, where Sergeant Norton had been assigned...

10/6/2006 - EIELSON AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska (AFPN) -- Eighteen children from Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Fairbanks, Alaska, met Airmen from the 355th Fighter Squadron and received an up close and personal look at an A-10 Thunderbolt II when they visited here Sept. 30. "The 355th FS not only wanted to help (Big Brothers Big Sisters) in that regard, but they also wanted to honor the 'Bigs' for their dedication and time they give to these children, the community, and quite honestly, the nation," said Lt. Col. Quentin Rideout, 355th FS commander. Once at the squadron, the Big...

SAN DIEGO (NNS) -- Naval Coastal Warfare Squadron (NCWRON) 34 from Naval Coastal Warfare Group (NCWG) 1 deployed to Kuwait Aug. 22 and 24 to provide harbor and port security. They are tasked to protect ships carrying supplies for allied forces in Iraq. “This is my second time going over there, and it feels really good to help our troops get what they need to accomplish their mission,” said Information Systems Technician 2nd Class Martin Garcia of NCWRON 34. NCW squadrons use sensor platforms to provide a technical picture of the ports and harbors as they patrol the harbors for...

/19/2006 - SOUTHWEST ASIA (AFPN) -- The only Air Force squadron that consists of both the KC-10 Extender and the KC-135 Stratotanker is supporting operations throughout Southwest Asia. "We have one-third of the air refueling assets as far as the aircraft and the crews go, but we provide almost 50 percent of air refueling in the area of responsibility," said Lt. Col. Kurt Meidel, 908th Air Refueling Squadron commander. The squadron supports operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom, and on occasion the Horn of Africa. "You can't compare the two aircraft because both have their good qualities and their bad...

AL ASAD, Iraq (July 13, 2006) -- The Marine Corps is comprised of Marines from all over the United States, but one particular squadron has 12 percent of its warriors coming from the one place where the towers are tall, the farmlands are vast and the spirits are strong -- New York. The Empire State is home to 16 of the Marines with Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 463, Marine Aircraft Group 16 (Reinforced), 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing. "It was surprising to find out that there are a lot of New Yorkers in the squadron," said Sgt. Michael Walton Jr., ordnance...

PORTSMOUTH, Va. (NNS) -- A commissioning ceremony was held May 20 for Naval Coastal Warfare Squadron (NCWRON) 4 at Hospital Point Park at Naval Medical Center Portsmouth, Va. The pennant of commissioning was broken by the squadron’s first commanding officer, Cmdr. James Campbell, who ordered his Sailors to man their fighting positions and “bring the squadron to life.” NCWRON 4 is the seventh NCWRON, the first active-duty unit on the east coast, and is comprised of a Mobile Inshore Undersea Warfare Unit, Inshore Boat Units (IBU) 41, 42, 43 and staff. “The overall mission of our combined units and staff...

4/28/2006 - SOUTHWEST ASIA (AFPN) -- Fighters are in the air 24 hours a day, providing constant support to ground forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. Without midair refueling, that coverage would be lost. The 340th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron provides fuel to those thirsty fighters as they keep troops on the ground safe, said Lt. Col. Brou Gautier, 340th EARS commander. “Our mission is simply to refuel the various aircraft supporting coalition ground forces,” Colonel Gautier said. “The fuel we provide to the close-air-support team increases loiter times, which in turn, allows a smaller force to be more effective over...

4/17/2006 - WHEELER ARMY AIR FIELD, Hawaii (AFPN) -- Tactical air controllers from the 25th Air Support Operations Squadron are practicing basic close-combat skills to prepare themselves for an upcoming deployment in support of the war on terrorism. “Not only is the training fun and keeps you physically active, but it is very practical for (Tactical Air Control Party) members because of the missions that we undertake,” said Staff Sgt. George Earhart, a tactical air controller from the 25th ASOS. Although TACPs are in the Air Force, they spend a lot of time with the Army. The need to be...

3/27/2006 - SATHER AIR BASE, Iraq (AFPN) -- During World War II and the Korean and Vietnam Wars, deployed troops looked forward to mail call. This was their primary mode of communication with family and friends. However, letters could take weeks or even months to arrive. Today’s warriors still receive mail, but now they have instantaneous communication through telephones and e-mail. Keeping these lines open is the job of the 447th Expeditionary Communications Squadron. “We are all working in communications to keep people in touch with their families,” said Master Sgt. Kirk Baldwin, the post office superintendent. Although telephone calls...