An Air Force C-17 Globemaster III, assigned to the 3rd Wing here, crashed about 6:14 p.m. (Alaska time) July 29.

At the time of the accident, it was on a local training mission.

Four aircrew were on board, and their condition is unknown at this time. First responders are on scene.

A board of officers will investigate the accident, and more information will be released as it becomes available.

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Deputy Defense Secretary William J. Lynn III said a series of tours on and above the island of Guam gave him broader insight into the challenges that lie ahead for that U.S. territory, as well as an appreciation of the historical significance of the region.

Deputy Defense Secretary William J. Lynn III said he's departing Guam with a better understanding of the troop realignment challenges that lie ahead there.

After seeing her daughter off to junior prom, her daughter's friend expressed how much she would like to go, but didn't because her single father couldn't afford to buy her a dress. That memory inspires Myrna Smith, the owner of Myrna's Tailor Shop in Colorado Springs, to help as many women as she can.

She helps by giving away formal dresses, free of charge, to high school girls and servicemember's wives who otherwise cannot afford to buy a new one.

During the last few years, people have donated new and slightly-used dresses to help girls from the local community obtain prom dresses, so they won't miss out on an important event in a teenager's life.
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Airmen participated in a defensive driving exercise July 23 on the Eglin Range, Fla. The exercise is part of the tactical force protection module during the Air Force Special Operations Training Center's Air Commando Baseline Course.

"It's basically an ambush from hell and you all are going to experience it," said Ken DeVries, a 371st Special Operations Combat Training Squadron defensive driving training instructor.

The exercise was designed to teach the students how to recognize and respond to threats while operating a vehicle in a deployed environment.
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Thousands of current and former Airmen remain eligible to receive $500 in retroactive special pay for each month they were affected by stop loss. Airmen have until Oct. 21 to apply through the Air Force Personnel Center here.

Air Force people eligible include active, retired and former members as well as Reserve component members who served on active duty while their enlistment or period of obligated service was involuntarily extended, or whose eligibility for separation or retirement was suspended as a result of stop loss. Those who accepted a selective re-enlistment bonus subsequent to being affected by stop loss are not eligible for the special pay.
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Air Force medical officials are encouraging Airmen, their families and all beneficiaries to raise their personal awareness of immunization health during National Immunization Awareness Month in August.

Vaccines are one of the best public health interventions for the prevention of infectious diseases, said Lt. Col. (Dr.) Philip L. Gould, the chief of preventive medicine operations for the Air Force Medical Support Agency.

Vaccines protect people from dangerous diseases and play a key role in maintaining unit readiness by keeping servicemembers healthy. In turn, unit medical readiness keeps servicemembers healthy at home and fit to fight when deployed. Moreover, vaccines help families and loved ones at home stay healthy and thrive.
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Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates shared his personal experiences and passion for Boy Scouting July 28 with tens of thousands of Scouts and their families gathered for the 100th anniversary celebration of the Boy Scouts of America.

"Scouting has been a big part of my life and my family's life," Secretary Gates told an estimated crowd of 45,000 gathered on 12,000 acres on Fort A.P. Hill, Va., as part of the annual National Scout Jamboree.

Secretary Gates, an Eagle Scout who has served on the National Executive Board of the Boy Scouts and is past president of the National Eagle Scout Association, shared his experiences growing up as a Boy Scout, earning scouting's top rank 52 years ago, and being involved in his son's Boy Scout troop. Even after serving eight presidents and years of working with world leaders, the secretary said, his memories of his Scout leaders are just as memorable.
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Air Force aircraft engine mechanics fall into a single career field, but they are usually limited to repairing the one type of engine on which they originally trained.

Now, with the opening of the 23rd Component Maintenance Squadron's new engine repair facility, mechanics here will have the opportunity to work on different engines, a change that was implemented in May 2009. The facility will repair the engines of the A-10C Thunderbolt II, the HC-130 P/N King and the HH-60G Pave Hawk, thereby merging the work of these mechanics.
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Thirty-eight Air Force Reserve medics with the 512th Aerospace Medicine Squadron here provided free medical care to 8,363 patients as part of a Medical Readiness Training Exercise in the Dominican Republic July 10 through 24.

The 512th Airlift Wing Airmen, as well as other reservists from around the country, worked with a team of doctors and nurses from the Dominican military to provide free medical care to the citizens of Constanza, a central-mountain town with a population of 42,000.
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Air Force officials announced July 28 its proposal for basing 59 F-35 Lightning IIs at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla.

The draft supplemental environmental impact statement, which Air Force officials plan to release in September, includes the preferred alternative of basing the 59 F-35 aircraft at Eglin AFB. Flight operations will also be conducted at Duke and Choctaw Auxiliary fields.

"The Air Force has completed its initial analysis of a full range of alternatives and determined that basing 59 F-35s at Eglin main base is the preferred alternative," said Kathleen Ferguson, the Air Force deputy assistant secretary for installations.
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Air Force officials recently selected two winners of the 2010 National LATINA Symposium Distinguished Service Award.

The award honors the servicemember and civilian employee who demonstrate distinguished performance and display exceptional character as role models representing the Hispanic community with dignity and pride.

This year's winners are Master Sgt. Sandra Nunes, of the 56th Medical Group at Luke Air Force Base, Ariz., and Julie Moran, of the National Air and Space Intelligence Center at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio.
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Aircraft refuelers from the 465th Refueling Squadron at Tinker Air Force Base, Okla., are keeping aircraft flying during the Rim of the Pacific exercise in the Hawaiian operating area.

RIMPAC, a biennial exercise in its 22nd year, is hosted by officials from the U. S. Pacific Fleet and is the world's largest maritime exercise. The exercise demonstrates a commitment to working with global partners in guarding sea lanes of commerce and communication, protecting national interests abroad and ensuring freedom of navigation as a basis for global peace and prosperity.
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Sitting in his room with a headache, an Airman contemplates whether or not to take pain medication that was prescribed to him for a tooth extraction several months ago.

He decides it's pain medication, and he's suffering from pain, so there can be no harm. The next day, the Airman tests positive in a random drug test. His career now hangs in the balance.

People testing positive from misuse of prescription and over-the-counter medication are becoming a common occurrence here and throughout the Air Force.
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The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) (Ike) returned to their homeport of Norfolk, Va., July 28, after operating in the U.S. 5th and 6th Fleet Areas of Responsibilities (AORs) after nearly seven months July 28.

USS George Washington (CVN 73) completed its role in the U.S.-Republic of Korea (ROK) combined alliance military exercise "Invincible Spirit" July 28.

The 15th chief master sergeant of the Air Force visited here July 26 and shared his perspective as the service's former top enlisted member.

Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Rodney McKinley retired from active duty at the highest enlisted level in June 2009, but despite the transition to civilian life, he continues to take care of Airmen.

"To be a good Airman, you have to be the best you can be at your specific job that we trained you to do," he said. "It's important to think about your future, but right now, the job that you have needs to be the most important thing you do. So learn to do your job the best way you can, and listen to your supervisor."
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Canine trainers with the 3rd Security Forces Squadron conduct a sound and find exercise with their military working dogs here July 22.

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