Egress trainer

Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz (middle) learns about the new improvements within the cockpit of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter June 23, 2011, at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. The general visited the Khobar Towers memorial, 58th Fighter Squadron and the JSF Academic Training Center during his tour of the F-35’s new home, the 33rd Fighter Wing. The 33rd FW is a joint graduate flying and maintenance training wing for the F-35A, B, and C. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)

Visiting the Gorillas

Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz and others pass through the maintenance hangar of the 58th Fighter Squadron “Mighty Gorillas” during a tour of the 33rd Fighter Wing June 23, 2011, at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. During a visit to Eglin, the general visited the Khobar Towers memorial, the JSF Academic Training Center and presented a Bronze Star during his time at Eglin. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)

Talking engines with CSAF

Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz (second from left) talks with Col. Andrew Toth, 33rd Fighter Wing commander (far left); Lt. Col. Michael Miles, 58th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron commander (second from right) and Staff Sgt. Michael Sanders, 58th AMXS (far right), about the Pratt and Whitney F-135 engine during a tour of the 33rd FW June 23, 2011, at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. The F-135 is the engine used in the Air Force variant of the Joint Strike Fighter. The 33rd FW is a joint graduate flying and maintenance training wing for the F-35A, B, and C. During a visit to Eglin, the general visited the Khobar Towers memorial, 58th Fighter Squadron and the JSF Academic Training Center. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)

Engine talk

Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz and Staff Sgt. Michael Sanders, 58th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, discuss the Pratt and Whitney F-135 engine during a tour of the 33rd Fighter Wing June 23, 2011, at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. The F-135 is the engine used in the Air Force variant of the Joint Strike Fighter. The 33rd FW is a joint graduate flying and maintenance training wing for the F-35A, B, and C. During a visit to Eglin, the general visited the Khobar Towers memorial, 58th Fighter Squadron and the JSF Academic Training Center. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)

Too close

Firefighters from Jackson Guard's fire management section fly over the wildfires in a Bell 206B Jet Ranger helicopter June 22. The helicopter can carry up to 100 gallons of water in the "Bambi" bucket and place water strategically and safely. The helicopter is contracted to support Eglin's Fire Management Program in both prescribed burning and fire suppression efforts. The wildfires burned more than 15 acres of forest and threatened homes and businesses, but due to firefighting efforts no structures were damaged. (U.S. Air Force photo/Roger Kennedy)

Cloud cover

Firefighters from Jackson Guard's fire management section fly over the wildfires in a Bell 206B Jet Ranger helicopter June 22. The helicopter can carry up to 100 gallons of water in the "Bambi" bucket and place water strategically and safely. The helicopter is contracted to support Eglin's Fire Management Program in both prescribed burning and fire suppression efforts. The wildfires burned more than 15 acres of forest and threatened homes and businesses, but due to firefighting efforts no structures were damaged. (U.S. Air Force photo/Roger Kennedy)

Inspection blues

Staff Sgt. Lex Garlic, Airman Leadership School instructor, moves down a row of Airmen during his open ranks blues inspection of Talon Flight at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. ALS is a five-week-long Air Force program designed to develop Airmen into effective front-line supervisors. It is the first professional military education enlisted Air Force members encounter. Eglin's schoolhouse hosts seven ALS classes per year. Eglin was named Air Force Materiel Command's PME program of the year for 2009 and 2010. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)

Dress right...

Airmen from Talon flight perform a dress-right-dress movement prior to their open ranks blues inspection at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. The Airmen attend Airman Leadership School, a five-week-long Air Force program designed to develop Airmen into effective front-line supervisors. It is the first professional military education enlisted Air Force members encounter. Eglin's schoolhouse hosts seven ALS classes per year. Eglin was named Air Force Materiel Command's PME program of the year for 2009 and 2010. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)

Front & center

Airman Leadership School instructors walk out to meet their flights for an open ranks blues inspection at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. ALS is a five-week-long Air Force program designed to develop Airmen into effective front-line supervisors. It is the first professional military education enlisted Air Force members encounter. Eglin's schoolhouse hosts seven ALS classes per year. Eglin was named Air Force Materiel Command's PME program of the year for 2009 and 2010. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)

Airman instruction

Staff Sgt. Lisa Kilpatrick, Airman Leadership School instructor, addresses Staff Sgt. Gary Overby, leader of Raptor Flight, after her open ranks inspection of his flight at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. Sergeant Overby, 46th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, and 39 others underwent the inspection while attending Eglin’s ALS. ALS is a five-week-long Air Force program designed to develop Airmen into effective front-line supervisors. It is the first professional military education enlisted Air Force members encounter. Eglin's schoolhouse hosts seven ALS classes per year. Eglin was named Air Force Materiel Command's PME program of the year for 2009 and 2010. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)

K-9 team

Officer Charles Pettis and Astro, Fort Walton Beach Police Department, take a break from training June 14 at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. Officer Pettis and Astro are training with Eglin security forces military working dog handlers to become a certified K-9 team. They are the second FWBPD K-9 team Eglin trainers have prepared for certification. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)

the nose knows

Astro searches for a scent during a detection scenario June 14 at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. Astro and his handler Officer Charles Pettis, Fort Walton Beach Police Department, are training with Eglin security forces military working dog handlers to become a certified K-9 team. They are the second FWBPD K-9 team Eglin trainers have prepared for certification. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)

746th TS flight chief reaches career milestone

HOLLOMAN AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. -- George Gregory, current 746th Test Squadron Operations Flight chief, works with one of the first digital instrumentation systems to support laboratory and centrifuge testing using a Hewlett Packard 2100 computer in 1970 at the 746th TS headquarters. Mr. Gregory, who has worked in the 46th Test Group for 50 years, started working at the High Speed Test Track in 1961 before being transferred to the 46th Test Group’s guidance division in 1969. Over the course of his career, Mr. Gregory has worked with many strategic weapons systems such as the Atlas Missile, Minuteman Missile and Peacekeeper Missile systems. (Courtesy Photo)

746th TS flight chief reaches career milestone

HOLLOMAN AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. -- George Gregory, current 746th Test Squadron Operations Flight chief, works on a calculation to develop an instrumentation solution for a rocket sled project in 1961 at the High Speed Test Track headquarters. Mr. Gregory worked at Holloman’s test track for the first eight of his 50 years with the 46th Test Group. While working at the test track, one of Mr. Gregory’s first assignments was to provide instrumentation support for the evaluation of the Atlas Missile’s inertial navigation system. (Courtesy Photo)

SFS salute

A flight of 96th Security Forces Squadron Airmen salute the flag as it descends during a Retreat ceremony at Eglin’s All Wars Memorial May 20. The ceremony closed out a week of activities by base security forces and local law enforcement in celebration of National Police Week. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)

SFS

Maj. Michael Borders, 96th Security Forces Squadron, speaks to the crowd about the importance of National Police Week prior to a Retreat ceremony at Eglin’s All Wars Memorial May 20. The ceremony closed out a week of activities by base security forces and local law enforcement in celebration of National Police Week. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)

End of day

Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James A. Roy (middle left) and members of the 96th Ground Combat Training Squadron, salute the flag during retreat May 6 at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. The chief toured the squadron’s training facilities and experienced hands-on demonstrations like firing weapons and driving a humvee in a village with simulated improvised explosive devices. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)

For a spin

Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James A. Roy receives a hands-on experience of a vehicle roll-over in the 96th Ground Combat Training Squadron’s simulator at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., May 6. During the simulation, the chief flipped three times before the vehicle stopped. Then he and his team had to climb out while the vehicle was still upside down. As part of his 96th GCTS tour, the chief also experienced firing weapons, watching demonstrations and driving a humvee through a village with simulated improvised explosive devices. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)

The village

Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James A. Roy exits one of the houses in a simulated village during his tour of the 96th Ground Combat Training Squadron’s training area at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., May 6. The chief received a hands-on “Brave Defender” experience with the 96th GCTS, firing weapons, watching demonstrations and driving a humvee through a village with simulated improvised explosive devices. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)

Top Gun

Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James A. Roy takes aim at a target inside a building with a “simunition” loaded M-249 during his tour of the 96th Ground Combat Training Squadron’s training area at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., May 6. The chief received a hands-on “Brave Defender” experience with the 96th GCTS, firing weapons, watching demonstrations and driving a humvee through a village with simulated improvised explosive devices. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)

Airman interaction

Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James A. Roy speaks to Staff Sgt. Ivan Morscher and other 96th Ground Combat Training Squadron Airmen during his tour of their training area at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., May 6. The chief received a hands-on “Brave Defender” experience with the 96th GCTS, firing weapons, watching demonstrations and driving a humvee through a village with simulated improvised explosive devices. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)

Yellow fever

Staff Sgt. Geovanii Pacheco, 96th Ground Combat Training Squadron, leads his team out of the building as part of a assault demonstration by the 96th Ground Combat Training Squadron. The demonstration was for Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James A. Roy during his tour of the squadron facilities at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., May 6. The chief received a hands-on “Brave Defender” experience with the 96th GCTS, firing weapons, watching demonstrations and driving a humvee through a village with simulated improvised explosive devices. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)

Aim high

Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James A. Roy sights in his target with a specially equipped M-4 rifle at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., May 6. Checking out the newest weaponry was part of the chief’s tour of the 96th Ground Combat Training Squadron. The chief took part in “Brave Defender” interactive tour firing weapons, watching demonstrations and driving a humvee through a village with simulated improvised explosive devices. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)

Combat debrief

Master Sgt. Todd Coning, 96th Ground Combat Training Squadron, briefs Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James A. Roy on the squadron’s mission and particular scenarios taught by its instructors at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., May 6. The chief received a hands-on “Brave Defender” experience with the 96th GCTS, firing weapons, watching demonstrations and driving a humvee through a village with simulated improvised explosive devices. He also literally “flipped” when he took a ride in the humvee roll-over simulator. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)