• Alaska wings net unit awards

    The Pacific Air Forces announced Feb. 13 that several Alaska units earned  Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards.The awards were chosen according to different categories, with the 673d Air Base Wing winning the air base wing category for period of service Oct. 1, 2013 to Sept. 30, 2014; 3rd Wing winning

  • 673d ABW Airmen, civilians recognized at JBER ceremony

    Airmen from the 673d Air Base Wing gathered to honor the 2014 Annual Award winners during a ceremony at the Arctic Warrior Events Center on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson Feb. 13.The awards recognized the Airmen and civilians who demonstrated superior leadership, job performance, community

  • 'Like a homesick angel': Bulldog commander breaks active-duty record

    Forty-two days is a long time to spend defying gravity.On Feb. 3, Air Force Lt. Col. Clayton Percle, 525th Fighter Squadron commander, clocked his thousandth hour flying the F-22 Raptor and thereby crossed an invisible line in the air, into an elite club as exclusive today as the society of

  • COLD-WEATHER COOPERATION

    A trip to Alaska tops many people's bucket lists, but not many would want to visit in February. Make the destination a location known for brutal sub-zero temperatures and dangerous, mountainous terrain filled with avalanche hazards, and most people would surely pass on the opportunity.Military

  • JBER iSportsman recreation pass policy to change April 1

    Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson will institute a recreational permit fee for activities covered by the iSportsman program beginning April 1.The annual fee is $10 for active duty, military-affiliated and civilian personnel. Senior citizens 60 years of age and older, and those disabled 50 percent or

  • Be aware of information you provide; OPSEC is a state of mind

    We have all seen the posters with the big purple dragon plastered across the walls throughout our units, and hopefully we are all aware of operations security concepts.But for some, especially in the comfortable, military-friendly town of Anchorage, the consequences of poor OPSEC practices seem

  • Public Health Service lieutenant wins Buckner triathlon

    Michael Bakker cuts through the water as if it were his natural habitat. His white swimmer's cap rhythmically breaks the surface as he sucks in precious oxygen for the next lap.Bakker, a Public Health Service lieutenant assigned to the Indian Health Service, completed 9.62 miles at the Indoor Sprint

  • Former Marine sensei imparts wisdom and respect through martial arts

    "I will work hard to build true confidence through knowledge of mind, honesty of heart and strength in the body," begins the student creed of Sensei Ken Riley's Ketsugen Karate class at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson's Arctic Oasis community center."To keep friendship with one another and to build

  • Flying JBER

    Light breezes flow, as the sounds of a motor makes for mechanical music in the air. A Hobbico NexSTAR remote-controlled airplane flies past its controller -- a rookie learning how to fly for the first time.Though the hobbyist in question may be new to the RC world, members of the Alaska Radio

  • Blood and ink: JBER pararescueman finds solace from PTSD

    (This is the second part of a two-part series about Air Force Master Sgt. Roger Sparks, a pararescueman with the 212th Rescue Squadron.)The aftermath of war is ugly. Buildings are ravaged, fields are razed, and people die. Structures are rebuilt and fields and forests are restored, but the survivors