Engineers honors deployers

EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- Airmen from the 96th Civil Engineer Squadron fired up the barbecues and treated their deploying members and the families to a cookout on the eve of their deployments. To give them a proper send off and to meet their families, volunteers and co-workers cooked hamburgers, hotdogs and sausages on the grills. More than 35 members from the squadron will be deploying as a team in the next two weeks and many others will deploy within the next two months. (U.S. Air Force Photo by Staff Sgt. Mike Meares)

Neville Thompson

Neville Thompson, Air Force Research Laboratory senior electronics engineer, is a recipient of the 2007 Professional Achievement in government Award. Mr. Thompson, assigned to the AFRL Munitions Directorate, received the honor for his outstanding accomplishments during the 21st anniversary of the Black Engineer of the Year Awards Conference, held Feb. 15 - 17, in Washington D.C.

Good to go

Capt. Michael Frasco, a flight commander in the wing's 33d Maintenance Operations Squadron, joins representatives from each military service in the "Why We Serve" Speakers Outreach Program, traveling around the country for three months telling his personal story of serving.

Nice Cut

Staff Sgt. Anthony Brown, 58th Fighter Squadron Life Support Airman, carefully removes Velcro from a new G-suit to get the suit ready for use. Sergeant Brown makes up part of the 33d Fighter Wing Life Support Section that was awarded best small unit in Air Combat Command for 2006.

Spot Free

Airman Joshua Riffe, 58th Fighter Squadron Life Support Airman, finishes cleaning and prepping helmets after the pilots return from their sorties. Airman Riffe makes up part of the 33d Fighter Wing Life Support Section that was awarded best small unit in Air Combat Command for 2006.

Routine maintenance keeps Kingpin in control of skies over Iraq

Balad Air Base, Iraq - Technical Sgt. Kelvin Curry, Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) shop Noncommissioned officer in charge, replaces a broken belt from an air conditioning unit at Balad Air Base, Iraq. Sergeant Curry is assigned to the 727th Expeditionary Air Control Squadron (EACS) and is deployed from the 728th Air Control Squadron at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. Also known as Kingpin, the self-sustaining 727th EACS is comprised of nealry 200 Airmen from 27 different Air Force specialties. Air conditioning units like this keep Kingpin's radars, computers and communication equipment cool, allowing its controllers to maintain positive control over aircraft operating in Iraq's 277,000 miles of airspace. (U.S. Air Force photo/Major Damien Pickart)

Kingpin Airman keeps OIF aircrew in touch with ground controllers

Balad Air Base, Iraq - Airman First Class Nicholas Chase, a satellite wideband and radio maintenance technician, monitors a radio test set to ensure radar controllers' have clear communication with aircrew flying over Iraq in support of OIF. Airman Chase is assigned to the 727th Expeditionary Air Control Squadron (EACS) and is deployed from the 728th Air Control Squadron at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. Also known as Kingpin, the self-sustaining 727th EACS is comprised of nealry 200 Airmen from 27 different Air Force specialties. Kingpin is responsible for maintaining positive control over aircraft operating in Iraq's 277,000 miles of airspace. (U.S. Air Force photo/Major Damien Pickart)

Radar technicians keep Kinpin controllers aware of friend versus foe

Balad Air Base, Iraq - Senior Airmen Jason Gleason and Charles Storr, both radar technicians, bench check a UPX-27 Interrogator, a key component of the Identify Friend or Foe (IFF) system, which challenges and identifies aircraft. Both Airmen are assigned to the 727th Expeditionary Air Control Squadron (EACS). Airman Gleason is deployed from the 728th Air Control Squadron (ACS) at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. Airman Storr is a volunteer augmentee from the 603rd ACS, Aviano Air Base, Italy. Also known as Kingpin, the self-sustaining 727th EACS is comprised of nealry 200 Airmen from 27 different Air Force specialties. Kingpin is responsible for maintaining positive control over aircraft operating in Iraq's 277,000 miles of airspace. (U.S. Air Force photo/Major Damien Pickart)

Kingpin Airmen maintain OIF radar systems

Balad Air Base, Iraq - Senior Airmen Amanda Hoffman and Rebekka Baker conduct an operational check of a AN/TPS-75 radar system at Balad Air Base, Iraq. Both Airmen are assigned to the 727th Expeditionary Air Control Squadron (EACS) and are deployed from the 728th Air Control Squadron at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. Also known as Kingpin, the 727th EACS is responsible for maintaining positive control over aircraft operating in Iraq's 277,000 miles of airspace. (U.S. Air Force photo/Major Damien Pickart)

Kingpin perform maintenance on OIF radar control system

Balad Air Base, Iraq - Senior Airmen Amanda Hoffman and Rebekka Baker secure the radar equipment van after completing an operational check of a AN/TPS-75 radar system at Balad Air Base, Iraq. Both Airmen are assigned to the 727th Expeditionary Air Control Squadron (EACS) and are deployed from the 728th Air Control Squadron at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. Also known as Kingpin, the 727th EACS is responsible for maintaining positive control over aircraft operating in Iraq's 277,000 miles of airspace. (U.S. Air Force photo/Major Damien Pickart)

Golden Knights

Golden Knights

Daddy's little 'Princess'

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- Scarlett Quesenberry, 7, sits in the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique at the Magic Kingdom after her Princess Aurora, Sleeping Beauty, make over. The Quesenberry family wrote an essay to enter the "Year of a Million Dreams" Celebration essay contest and was selected from entries of 14 eligible military bases throughout the state. The essay was about their contribution to enriching the lives of the local military community. (photo by Melissa Leonard, Walt Disney marketing)

'Vetran of the Day'

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- Capt. Stephen Quesenberry, 96th Services Squadron combat support flight chief, performs a Retreat ceremony as "Veteran of the Day" at the Magic Kingdom in January. His family wrote an essay to enter the "Year of a Million Dreams" Celebration essay contest and was selected from entries of 14 eligible military bases throughout the state. The essay was about their contribution to enriching the lives of the local military community. (photo by Melissa Leonard, Walt Disney marketing)

Basketball championship

EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- Robert Taylor (12), 96th Medical Group, tries to shoot a layup over Brandon Burton, Air Armament Center, during the Over 30 Basketball Champinoships Feb. 21. The Med Group forced a second game in the double-elimination tournament held at the main fitness center with a 43-37 win. The AAC won the tournament in a decisive final game 61-53 to claim the champinoship. (U.S. Air Force photo/Will Vandermate)

Final flight

Lt. Col. Anthony Franzel, 53rd Wing Safety Office chief, brings his F-16C Fighting Falcon to a stop one final time, guided by crew chief Airman 1st Class Steven Sisneros, 46th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, after his fini-flight Feb. 26 at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. The flight marks just more than 2,200 for Colonel Franzel?s 21-year Air Force flying career. He retires May 1. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Andrew Leonhard)

Kingpin Clinic

BALAD AIR BASE, Iraq -- Master Sgt. William Newman checks Tech. Sgt. Chris Cook's blood pressure in the Kingpin Clinic inside the 727th Expeditionary Air Control Squadron compound Feb. 21. Sergeant Newman is nicknamed "Doc" because he is one of two independent duty medical technicians assigned to the unit. Sergeant Newman is assigned to a unique, independent unit that deploys all its members at once and doesn't follow a normal Air Expeditionary Force deployment cycle. Sergeants Newman and Cook are deployed from the 728th Air Control Squadron in Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Candace Romano)

Riemer's final flight at Eglin.

Maj. Gen. Jeffrey Riemer, program executive officer for weapons and Air Armament Center commander, prepares to take his final flight at Eglin.

New Year baby

The Eglin New Year Baby of 2007, Trinity Nicole Trudeau.

Stepping out of the blue for Army green

Senior Airman Mike Goldman tightens a cable on an electronic countermeasures pod Nov. 20. Airman Goldman, a 16th Electronic Warfare Squadron journeyman at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is leaving the Air Force Dec. 29 to join the Army through "Operation Blue to Green" where he will become an operating room specialist. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Andrew Leonhard)

Emerald Warrior 07

Participants in Emerald Warrior 07 secure the perimeter on Eglin Air Force Base range during night operations Tuesday. The joint coalition exercise ended last night after nine days of training in an integrated tactical and operational scenario. (U.S. Air Force Photograph Staff Sgt. Orly Tyrell

EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla.

EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. (AFMCNS) — Army softball player Eric Querry, Ft. Hood, Texas, attempts to slide in ahead of Christopher Markey, an Air Force softball player stationed at Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala., in the final game of the Men's Armed Forces Softball Tournament Sept. 21. (Photo by Will VanderMate)

Security Forces members train for urban hostilities

(Left to right) Tech. Sgts. Larry Smith, Willie Givens, and Darrell Womack, 919th Security Forces Squadron fire team members, scan their surroundings during Military Operations in Urban Terrain training Aug. 5 at Eglin Air Force Base.

EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla.

EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. — Second Lt. George Bell, 96th Logistics Readiness Squadron section commander, assists Les Gerlach, a Habitat for Humanity volunteer, install a gutter system. Ten Eglin Company Grade Officers volunteered for Habitat June 3 in Fort Walton Beach completing two homes for Hurricane Ivan victims. (Air Force photo by 1st Lt. Kristen D. Duncan)

Baby delivery

EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. —Tech. Sgt. Greg Meinert, 9th Special Operations Squadron, holds Isabella in the parking lot where he delivered her May 10. (Air Force photo by Maranda Rimes)