Air Force Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System-equipped C-130s reached a major mission milestone Aug. 24 by dropping the 2 millionth gallon of retardant for the season. MAFFS 5, assigned to the Air Force Reserve Command’s 302nd Airlift Wing here, dropped the record-breaking gallon during its third sortie of the day battling the Halstead fire north…

The Air Force Association announced Aug. 28 that Lt. Gen. Dick Newton, who retired from a 34-year career in the Air Force this past June, will be replacing David T. “Buck” Buckwalter as AFA’s Executive Vice-President as of Aug. 27, 2012. Newton retired as the assistant vice chief of staff and director, Air Staff, Headquarters…

NASA’s Kepler mission has discovered multiple transiting planets orbiting two suns for the first time. The system, known as a circumbinary planetary system, is 4,900 light-years from Earth in the constellation Cygnus. Coming less than a year after the announcement of the first circumbinary planet, Kepler-16b, this discovery proves that more than one planet can…

The Department of Veterans Affairs has made great strides in meeting the challenges posed by a decade of war, and cooperation with the Defense Department is crucial to continued progress, VA Secretary Eric K. Shinseki said Aug. 28. In a speech at the American Legion convention in Indianapolis, Shinseki said repeated deployments over the last…

As the Air Force Reserve’s 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, better known as the “Hurricane Hunters,” wrap up their mission flying through Hurricane Isaac, one of the unit’s pilots provided an insight into who they are and some facts and figures about how they perform during their dangerous missions. Lt. Col. Jeff Ragusa is based with…

U.S. military deaths in Afghanistan at 1,971 As of Aug. 28, 2012, at least 1,971 members of the U.S. military had died in Afghanistan as a result of the U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan in late 2001, according to an Associated Press count. At least 1,650 military service members have died in Afghanistan as a result…

NASA successfully completed another parachute test of its Orion spacecraft high above the skies of the U.S. Yuma Army Proving Ground in southwestern Arizona Aug. 28. The test examined the maximum pressure Orion’s parachutes might face when returning from exploration missions. Orion will be the most advanced spacecraft ever designed and carry astronauts farther into…

Family, friends, senior leaders and pilots gathered Aug. 24 to honor a World War II B-17 Flying Fortress pilot during an award ceremony at Randolph’s famed Taj Mahal where he was award the Distinguished Flying Cross medal. Second Lt. Samuel Smith was assigned to the 360th Bombardment Squadron at RAF Molesworth, England, during the Second…

Boeing has received an $85 million Performance-Based Logistics contract for continued support of U.S. Air Force F-15 mechanically scanned and Active Electronically Scanned Array radars. The new PBL contract replaces three previous support contracts with one overarching agreement. “The Boeing Global Services & Support team has years of experience in partnering with the U.S. Air…

The Marine Corps has opened a number of fields to women, the service’s commandant said here today, and the experiences of the first women to go through the Infantry Officer Course next month will help him as he makes recommendations for an increased role for female Marines. Gen. James F. Amos spoke at the National…