President Signs Iraq Funding Bill
Congress sent President Bush the new Iraq funding bill Friday, May 25, 2007 after much debate and long hours to meet a self-imposed deadline of Memorial Day. President Bush signed the bill into law the same day. It did not include a withdrawal timetable that the President vetoed in the first bill that was presented to him on May 1, 2007. This $120 billion package was approved by an 80 to 14 vote in the Senate and a 280 to 142 vote in the House. The majority of funding (around $100 billion) will continue military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Also included is $17 billion in unrelated domestic spending and a minimum-wage increase from $5.15 an hour to $7.25 over the next two years.

House Shows Support for Veterans
AFA has long been a supporter of the Independent Budget, a comprehensive budget and policy document created by veterans' service organizations that have pointed out the shortcomings in veteran's funding. For the first time ever, the House of Representatives has surpassed funding recommendations of the Independent Budget. Six Veterans' Services Bills passed on Wednesday, May 23, 2007 that would expand veterans' health care, authorize a new veterans' outreach program, and authorize a new cemetery for soldiers. Congress addressed relevant concerns by authorizing 1,100 more claims processors to catch up on the 400,000 claims backlog. AFA salutes Congress for recognizing the increasing needs of our veterans young and old. Still necessary is Senate approval and Presidential signature. The Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee has tentatively scheduled a markup on June 27, 2007 but has yet to announce which bills it will be considering. Click here for more information on The Independent Budget.

Changes on Horizon for Air Force Pilots
The Air Force recently announced there are changes forthcoming in aircrew management. A new process called Transformational Aircrew Management Initiatives for the 21st Century, or TAMI-21, is intended to account for force structure changes that have caused imbalances in pilot inventory distribution and set the table for what the Air Force pilot force will look like in the future. The initiatives will ensure pilots receive training in certain rated positions to bring the structure of the pilot force more in line with Air Force priorities. Click here for story.

Health Study Uses Data from War on Terrorism
When a landmark Defense Department-sponsored health study was launched six years ago, one of its goals was to evaluate the impact of future deployments on long-term health. The investigators did not know how timely the project would be. Today, the Millennium Cohort Study has enrolled tens of thousands of participants who have deployed in support of the war on terrorism. The study was designed in the late 1990s in the wake of the first Gulf War. Click here for story.

New Scam Targets Military Families
The Red Cross has announced that they learned of a new scam targeting military families. The caller calls a military spouse and identifies herself as a representative of the Red Cross. The callers states the person's husband (not named) was hurt while on active duty and was med-evacuated to a hospital in Germany. The caller states they can't start treatment until paperwork is completed and to accomplish that they need his social security number, date of birth. The Red Cross wants you to know that they typically do not contact military families directly and almost always go through a commander or first sergeant. Of course, military family members are reminded not to give out personal information over the phone if contacted by unknown/unverifiable individuals, to including even confirming that your spouse is deployed. Click here,1077,0_314_6732,00.html to read the Red Cross press release.

Balad Airmen Honor Fallen on Memorial Day
More than 300 Airmen from the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing share a moment of silence in front of the Fallen Airman Memorial May 28 at Balad Air Base, Iraq. Thirty-three Airmen's names are inscribed on the memorial, including the wing's most recent loss, SSgt John Self. (U.S. Air Force photo by A1C Jonathan Steffen)

USAFE Leader Honors Fallen Heroes at Flanders Field
Gen. William T. Hobbins greets a ceremony participant May 27 at Flanders Field, Belgium. General Hobbins, the commander of U.S. Air Forces in Europe, paid tribute to the 368 servicemembers buried there who died in battle while liberating Belgium during World War II. (U.S. Air Force photo by SSgt Dan Bellis)

'Day is Done'
Retired TSgt Robert Havener (foreground) and SrA Justin Hunniecutt sound "Taps" during "Echo Taps Worldwide." Buglers and trumpeters performed simultaneously at veterans cemeteries worldwide in observance of Armed Forces Day. (U.S. Air Force photo by SSgt Bryan D. Axtell)

Enlisted Perspective Discusses Physical Fitness Standards
In his latest "Enlisted Perspective" CMSAF Rodney J. McKinley focused on the importance of physical fitness and discusses how meeting current fitness standards are individual Airmen responsibilities. Click here to read the "Enlisted Perspective".

Cope North Exercise to Kick Off at Andersen
Military members and units from the Air Force and Japan Air Self Defense Force are preparing to kick off the annual Cope North exercise June 11-22 at Andersen Air Force Base. Cope North is a regularly scheduled joint/bilateral exercise held by the United States and Japan. The purpose of the exercise is to provide a venue for bilateral cooperation and to improve capabilities for the defense of Japan. This exercise will be the first for the Japanese Air Self Defense Force's F- 2 to participate in an exercise outside of Japan. The first Cope North was held in 1978,at Misawa Air Base, Japan. Cope North exercises are scheduled up to two times each year.

Air Force Has New Airman's Creed

The Airman's Creed
I am an American Airman.
I am a warrior.
I have answered my nation's call.
I am an American Airman.
My mission is to fly, fight, and win.
I am faithful to a proud heritage,
A tradition of honor,
And a legacy of valor.
I am an American Airman,
Guardian of freedom and justice,
My nation's sword and shield,
Its sentry and avenger.
I defend my country with my life.
I am an American Airman:
Wingman, leader, warrior.
I will never leave an Airman behind,
I will never falter,
And I will not fail.

Air Operations Center Opens at Tyndall
First Air Force celebrated the opening of the 601st Air and Space Operations Center at Tyndall AFB, Fla., June 1 with a ceremony and tour of the 37,000- square-foot, $30 million combat center. First Air Force, which also serves under the North American Aerospace Defense Command as the continental U.S. NORAD Region, provides air security and air sovereignty defense for the continental United States. Airmen at the new AOC plan, direct and assess air and space operations for NORAD and the United States Northern Command. Click here for more.

TSgt Sam Clarke works with 6-year-old Laura Hilton while she writes a letter to her mom and dad during the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors camp. (U.S. Air Force photo by SSgt. Madelyn Waychoff)

Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors Helps Families
The Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS) is an annual gathering of those who have lost a loved one in military service. The camp is structured to allow families to both grieve and acknowledge the loss of their loved ones, as well as meet others who have either suffered the same loss or who can help understand and mentor. Click here for story.

CAP Conducts Aerial Damage Assessment After Iowa Tornado
Civil Air Patrol members have performed aerial damage assessment missions as part of the effort to to assist victims and assess damage in the wake of a tornado that damaged as many as 100 homes June 1 in three communities in eastern Iowa. Click here for Central Iowa's "Times Republican" story.

Math, Science and Social Studies Application in U.S. Aviation History
How can math be used to calculate record breaking flights? What can the Berlin Airlift teach my students about social studies? "Education in Flight" is a series of supplemental classroom materials designed to teach fundamental principles of Math, Science and Social Studies by demonstrating their application in U.S. aviation history. Materials for educators are provided free of charge at Click here

AFA Scholarship Deadline Approaching
One of AFA's scholarship programs is the Captain Jodi Callahan Memorial Scholarship which provides a $1,000 scholarship to an active duty Air Force, full time Air National Guard or full time Air Force Reserve (officer or enlisted) pursuing a Masters Degree in a non-technical field of study. This scholarship is in memory of Captain Jodi Callahan who was an AFA Under-Forty National Director and a Trustee of the former Aerospace Education Foundation. This scholarship is made possible through contributions to the Jodi Callahan Memorial Fund by her family and friends. Click here for more information and an application.

"AFA Protect" Provides Action Plan
AFA's Identity Protection site has now been updated with an identity protection action plan. You can complete important information, print and keep the plan in a secure place in the event you're the victim of identity theft. Click here for the identity action plan. Click here for AFA's identity protection website for "Dos and Don'ts" and suggestions for protecting yourself.

Cadet Antonio Thompson, from Prattville High School's Junior ROTC unit AL- 951, calls cadence as his column of cadets march in a drill demonstration. (U.S. Air Force photo by SSgt Jason Lake)

Air Force Accessions Program Celebrates 10 Years
Three of the Air Force's leadership training programs -- ROTC, Officer Training School and Junior ROTC -- were joined together in 1997 to create what is now the Air Force Officer Accessions and Training Schools, or AFOATS. In MMay, members of the AFOATS staff celebrated their organization's 10th anniversary with a series of events and festivities. Click here for story.

Airmen Prepare Afghanistan Camp for New Living Quarters
SrA Bradley Luu removes sandbags in preparation for an upgrade to the deployed Airmen's living quarters on Camp Cunningham May 22 at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan. The existing B-Huts the Airmen live in will be relocated to this area to make way for sturdier relocatable buildings. Airman Luu is assigned to the 455th Expeditionary Communications Squadron and deployed from Cannon Air Force Base, N.M. (U.S. Air Force photo by SSgt Craig Seals) Click here for story.

Refractive Surgery Program Policy Changes
Air Force officials have changed the policy to allow people applying for aviation and aviation-related jobs to have had LASIK surgery. The change became effective May 21. The change also removes the altitude and high-performance aircraft restrictions for people who have had LASIK. The decision to make these changes was based on studies that showed there was little to no effect on LASIK-treated eyes when subjected to the wind blast experienced during aircraft ejection or exposure to high altitude. Click here for story.

Air Force Magazine Highlight
Can the Total Force Hold Together?
The push for integration is strong, but so are the pressures that could produce disintegration. Click here for AFA's AIR FORCE Magazine article.