• 1st Luke F-35 pilot training at Eglin

    Flying is a concept that captures the imagination of some people at a very young age; hence the success of characters like Peter Pan, Superman and even a flying house in the 2009 movie "Up."Few get to realize that dream, but Capt. Joshua Arki, a 61st Fighter Squadron instructor pilot and chief of

  • Temporary gate closures important, critical to base security

    Keeping the base secure can be a thankless job, especially when the gates close at quitting time.The Base Defense Operations Center or BDOC and installation entry controllers deal with frustrated drivers who must wait when base defense requires a gate closure. Incidents such as missing children and

  • AF uniform policy update

    The Air Force updated the policy governing uniform wear Jan. 17, with a goal of not financially burdening Airmen.Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark. A. Welsh III approved several updates to Air Force Instruction 36-2903, Air Force Dress and Appearance, with many of the changes coming directly from

  • First Dutch F-35 pilot takes to skies

    The first Netherlands pilot took to the skies here in the F-35A Lightning II, making the Netherlands the second partner country to operate the fifth-generation multirole fighter. Maj. Laurens J.W. Vijge, Royal Netherlands Air Force F-35 Integrated Training Center training lead, completed his first

  • Airmen selected for language program

    Team Eglin selectees, Lt. Col. Jeremy Bragdon, Capts. Allison Derr and Kuan Chen are among more than 200 Airmen selected to take part in the career-long language and culture learning program. They will receive in-depth language training, ensuring the Air Force has a "bench" of language and

  • Scholarships for Military Children program now open

    Applications for the 2014 Scholarships for Military Children Program are now available at commissaries worldwide, or on the Internet here.Applications must be turned in to a commissary by close of business Feb. 28, 2014. Packages must be hand-delivered or shipped via U.S. Postal Service or other

  • Last 'new' Phantom returns to service

    The 82nd Aerial Target Squadron received the last of the "new" QF-4 aerial targets as the Vietnam-era aircraft landed here Nov. 19. The QF-4, Aircraft 68-0599, spent more than 20 years in the Air Force "Boneyard" at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., before being brought back to life for one last

  • Toy drive delivers Christmas cheer to Eglin families

    Just in time for Thanksgiving, Eglin families gobbled up thousands of donated Christmas gifts for their children at the 10th annual toy drive Nov. 22 and 23 here. Volunteers at the Airman's Attic worked diligently all year collecting more than 11,500 donated presents for this year's toy drive, their

  • 53rd squadron receives first air-droppable rescue vehicle

    The 88th Test and Evaluation Squadron received the first set of Guardian Angel Air-Deployable Rescue Vehicles in the Air Force's inventory Nov. 12.The GAARV is a multi-purpose utility vehicle intended to help combat search and rescue teams retrieve individuals that have been isolated and can expand

  • "Street Smart" program kicks off base holiday safety campaign

    The annual Holiday Traffic Safety Campaign was held at the Enlisted Heritage Hall here Nov. 14.The campaign was presented by the 96th Test Wing safety office to remind both Airmen and civilians about the dangers of driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol; texting or e-mailing while driving;