Award

First airman to receive Air Force-designed Medal of Honor dies

By Oriana Pawlyk on August 18, 2014 Air Force, Award, History

Colonel Bernard Fisher, awarded the Medal of Honor in 1967, died over the weekend in Idaho, KBOI 2News reports. He was 87. Fisher was first to receive the Air Force designed Medal of Honor, which was established on April 14, 1965 (The first Medal of Honor received by an airman was awarded to Capt. Edward V. Rickenbacker for aerial combat in 1918). President Lyndon B. Johnson presented the award to then-Maj. Fisher for risking his life to save a fellow pilot shot down during action in the A Shau Valley of Vietnam in 1966. Fisher, who volunteered to go to Vietnam, “landed his Douglas…

Injured EOD tech gets new home

By Oriana Pawlyk on December 12, 2013 Air Force, Award, Charity

After losing one arm and both of his legs to an improvised explosive device in Afghanistan, Master Sgt. Joseph Deslauriers is moving forward — this time into a new home. The Building Homes for Heroes Foundation, a non-profit founded in 2006, broke ground Nov. 18 on the Deslauriers’ family home, complete with a work out area, a therapy pool and enough space for him to move around freely, according to an Air Force release. “This is going to lift a huge weight off my shoulders, especially since I may be medically retiring in the future,” Deslauriers, who currently lives in…

American Veterans Center honors Doolittle Raiders with accompanying toast

By Oriana Pawlyk on November 12, 2013 Air Force, Award, History, Photos, Veterans, Video, Washington

By Oriana Pawlyk and wire reports As three of the four remaining Doolittle Raiders honored one another with a toast Saturday, Nov. 9, veterans, active-duty members, family and friends toasted to the Raiders’ last gathering at the American Veterans Center annual awards gala in Washington, D.C. The 80 men who risked their lives on a World War II bombing mission on Japan after the attack on Pearl Harbor were honored in Ohio with a wreath laying ceremony and a B-25 flyover that morning, followed by the toast at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force. Hennessy donated 48 bottles…

This week in history

By Oriana Pawlyk on November 6, 2013 Air Force, Award, History, Space, Technology

Reviewing history in the military, the Air Force and triumphs and misadventures in airpower. On Nov. 9, 1961, during the first full-throttle flight of the X-15, Air Force Maj. Robert M. White became the first pilot to exceed Mach 6, attaining a top speed of 4,094 mph during a flight just under 8 minutes between Mud Lake, Nev., and Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. Likewise, the rocket-powered X-15 aircraft was the first airplane to exceed Mach 6. According to his L.A. Times obituary, White was also the first pilot to exceed Mach 4 and Mach 5 before his Nov. 9…

“Wingmanship” app for Pope airmen now available

By Oriana Pawlyk on October 25, 2013 Award, Technology

Don’t drink and drive. A message the Air Force — as well as organizations all over the United States — have been saying over and over to make the message stick. If you find yourself without a ride at night, the new “Wingmanship” app may be able to help. Created by Airman 1st Class Hwansung Kim, 43rd Logistics Readiness Squadron, the free Android mobile app provides functionality for “calling a wingman, finding a taxi, hotel, calling the base directory or an emergency contact,” Kim said in a release. The app is available for airmen at Pope Army Airfield, Fort Bragg,…

Air Force physician to be honored for lead treatment of burn, amputee patients

By Oriana Pawlyk on September 4, 2013 Air Force, Award, Technology, Washington

Lt. Col. (Dr.) Chad Hivnor, 59th Medical Specialty Squadron, Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas, is helping wounded warriors regain strength and confidence with a new approach — lasers. Hivnor will receive the Air Force Association’s Paul W. Myers Award for his work using pulsed dye lasers and carbon dioxide fractional lasers to improve skin conditions on wounded warriors, according to a release. He is also the only dermatologist in the Air Force taking patients to the operating room to treat severe burns that involves anywhere from 10 to 80 percent of their body surface area. How does the treatment work? “By…

Four military working dogs honored for their service at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph

By Oriana Pawlyk on June 25, 2013 Award, Military dogs, Photos, Uncategorized

Four military working dogs — three Air Force, one Army – retired today at the first Joint Base San Antonio military working dog retirement ceremony at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph. The military working dogs, assigned to the 802nd Security Forces Squadron at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, 902nd SFS at Randolph and 31st Engineer Battalion at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., received a certificate of meritorious service and a special retirement collar at the ceremony. Click on the gallery below to see photos of the event and to learn more about each dog’s history. Military Working Dog Kevin (not pictured) was born…

Mandatory first shirt duty — this week's Air Force Times

By Jeff Schogol on June 3, 2013 Award, budget cuts, Promotions, sexual assaults

Top performing NCOs may soon be ordered to spend three years as a first sergeant, according to Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force James Cody. In this week’s Air Force Times, we look at who would be affected and the promotion advantages of being a first sergeant. Also this week, you can read how seven valor awards went to one squadron in the Alaska Air National Guard for missions in Afghanistan. Five members of the 212th Rescue Squadron received a total of one Silver Star and six Bronze Stars with valor for rescuing U.S. and Danish troops. Meanwhile, the…

Mandatory first shirt duty — this week’s Air Force Times

By Jeff Schogol on June 3, 2013 Award, budget cuts, Promotions, sexual assaults

Master sgt. and pilot recognized for 2011 mountain rescue

By Oriana Pawlyk on November 15, 2012 Air Force, Award, SMOY

He received honorable mention as Air Force Times’ service member of the year, and now Master Sgt. Joseph Brownell has made headlines once again. Brownell and a fellow airman received the 2011 Cheney Award Nov. 1 in a ceremony at the Pentagon. Air Force Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Larry Spencer presented the award for a search and rescue mission on Mount Stuart, Wash., on Aug. 20, 2011. Capt. Kenneth Green, an evaluator UH-1N pilot assigned to the 512th Rescue Squadron, and Brownell, a field operation section chief with the 336th Training Support Squadron at Fairchild Air Force Base, Wash.,…

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