Newsfeeds

AF.mil Top Stories

2010 holiday greetings teams ready to travel

Before candy gets stocked in supermarkets for the upcoming Halloween season, teams already will be busy taping at overseas locations throughout the world for special greetings to be aired during the holiday season.

Three separate broadcast teams from the Joint Hometown News Service in San Antonio are boarding planes this week to begin taping video holiday greetings of service members and their families stationed overseas during the holiday season.

Service members and civilian employees from all branches of service, their family members, and DOD civilians are eligible to participate, according to Erich Schwab, this year's holiday greetings coordinator. According to Mr. Schwab, who also is the European team chief, three teams comprising three members per team will travel to the Pacific, Europe and Southwest Asia theaters, setting up their cameras in more than 60 locations.
more...
Nonprofit groups step up to help military families

America's support of our troops and their families has been a welcome theme during this past decade of war. The stories of support are abundant, from top leaders encouraging Americans to salute troops to neighbors pitching in to help a deployed family.

Some people have taken this support even a step further, creating innovative programs and organizations that are doing extensive work on behalf of military families.

Eight of these organizations were lauded for their efforts to improve military families' quality of life during the 11th Annual Newman's Own Awards ceremony Sept. 1.
more...
Pope senior NCO wins interservice chess tourney

A senior NCO assigned to Pope Air Force Base recently defeated top chess players from each service to take home the top prize during the 2010 Interservice Chess Championship.

Master Sgt. Dan Ranario, of the 3rd Aerial Port Squadron, will join the U.S.-led team participating in the 2010 NATO Chess Championship.

"It was really exciting to do so well in this year's tournament because this is my last year competing," Sergeant Ranario said. "I will be retiring this year, so I'm glad that I will get to be a part of the U.S. team and hopefully we will do well in the NATO tournament."
more...
Kadena DFAC staff gives menu 'heads up' on Twitter

Kadena's dining facility staff has found a new use for social networking websites to keep Airmen informed.

"When people ask us where the menu is, we tell them it's now on Twitter," said Tech. Sgt. Lacey D. Brown, the 18th Force Support Squadron Marshall Dining Facility manager. "Now you can (view) it at home, work and even on a cell phone."

Before the idea of "Tweeting" the menu, the staff used a telephone answering system to provide menu updates, but it became inefficient and out-dated. Now that the "KADENADFAC" Twitter page is active the new menu is typically posted an hour before each meal.
more...
Officials seek Service to America Medals nominees
The Partnership for Public Service is soliciting nominations for the 2011 Service to America Medals. These medals recognize the accomplishments of the U.S.'s best public servants.

Nomination eligibility extends to career civilian federal employees. The nominee must have shown a commitment to public service and demonstrated a significant accomplishment within his or her particular government field that was innovative, high impact and met a critical need for the nation.

more...