News Search

  • Ceremonies Held to Remember Fallen Airmen

    The 117th Air Refueling Wing held two ceremonies here on April 18 to honor four Alabama Air National Guard Airmen who were killed in action during the Bay of Pigs invasion.On April 19, 1961 two B-26 aircraft operated by Thomas "Pete" Ray, Riley Shamburger, Wade Gray and Leo Baker were shot down by

  • Airman Returns from South Pole

    An Airman from the 117th Air Refueling Wing recently returned here from a six week deployment to Antarctica. Senior Master Sgt. Trey Hamm was the Joint Ground Safety Manager for the Air Force and the Navy at the National Science Foundation's McMurdo Station in Antarctica. "The trip down to

  • 117th Air Refueling Wing Remembers Fallen Airmen

    A historic event honoring the heritage of the Alabama Air National Guard Bay of Pigs involvement began here in early March. Artists from the University of Alabama-Birmingham spent 72 hours at the Sumpter Smith Air National Guard Base painting nose art on a KC-135R Stratotanker commemorating the

  • Airman Saves Baby's Life

    Staff Sgt. Jeremy J. Brush was recently selected as the 117 ARW "Airman of the Quarter" NCO category.Brush saved the life of an infant by immediately applying life-saving techniques while deployed in September 2010.Brush, a firefighter assigned to the 117th Civil Engineering Squadron, received a

  • Annual Tree Give-Away Aids Tornado Recovery Efforts and Educates Students

    Central Alabama was hit by a series of devastating tornadoes which left several local communities and neighborhoods unrecognizable on April 27, 2011. Nearly three years later recovery efforts are still ongoing. One such, recovery effort is the Alabama Tree Recovery Campaign or Tree Give-Away. Capt.

  • 117th Maintenance Group Recognizes Outstanding Performance

    Col. Scott Grant named Tech. Sgt. Nicholas Majors as the Maintenance Person of the Year for his outstanding performance and professionalism here during the February Unit Training Assembly. Four airmen from the group were nominated by their peers for this award. It's not just any nomination

  • Aero Repair Keeps Birds In The Air

    SOUTHWEST ASIA (AFNS) -- With the highest volume of flying missions in the U.S. Air Forces Central Command area of responsibility, aircraft at the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing rely on a team of professional maintainers to keep them in top shape to accomplish the mission.Among the maintenance back

  • 99 ARS Airman receives call from President Obama

    KABUL, Afghanistan -- When Master Sgt. Tim Farris, NATO Air Training Command-Afghanistan maintenance advisor, answered the phone on Thanksgiving, he had no idea that he would be speaking with President Barack Obama.Farris, who is stationed with the 99th Air Refueling Squadron in Birmingham, Ala.,

  • 117th Maintenance Group Peers Recognize Outstanding Performance

    Tech. Sgt. Jay G. Heatherly of the 117th Maintenance Group was recognized as the Maintenance Person of the Quarter here on Aug. 11.The 117 MXG has reconstructed their way of recognizing performance and accomplishments while carrying out their duties."This is called 'Maintenance Person of the