Features

Conquering catastrophe: Jessica Garcia's story of no excuses
August 7, 2023 — The mid-summer heat scorched the ground, filling the air with the scent of synthetic rubber. “Take your mark,” boomed over the loudspeaker as the athletes positioned themselves to launch from their starting blocks. Adrenaline coursed through their bodies, only adding to the heat that already surrounded them. A moment of calming quiet came over the competitors. The crowd's cheers became a low unintelligible hum as the runners became hyper focused, listening for the signal to explode into action. The few seconds of waiting felt like an eternity. Finally, a gunshot rang out, echoing across the field and immediately snapping them back to the present... MORE

Shooting for more than medals at the DoD Warrior Games
July 17, 2023 — The crowd's cheers slowly fade into deafening silence as the line is readied. “The line is hot” is announced over the intercom signaling shooters to ready their rifles. He brings his weapon up to his shoulder and gently presses his cheek against the walnut hardwood stock. In this moment, the rifle is not an item that can be picked up and put down. It is a part of him, an extension of his body. With one click of the safety lever, the rifle is now ready to fire. He moves his firing finger to the trigger and squeezes with just enough pressure to release the projectile. Bullseye... MORE

Master Sgt. ghosting Glenn Miller
October 3, 2016 — After begging his parents to play anything from their extensive selection of classic jazz albums, 5-year-old Andy Axelrad, too young to run the record player himself, sits by a record player with his legs crossed and eyes closed. The sounds of Miles Davis, Stan Getz, The Dave Brubeck Quartet featuring Paul Desmond, The Dorsey Brothers, and The... MORE

Master Sgt. Andrew Axelrad, joined the U.S. Air Force in 1993 as a technical sergeant to become a Air Force Band’s Airmen of Note alto saxophonist. Axelrad performed and was featured with the Airmen of Note in front of his friends, family and home town one last time during the Labor Day 2016 weekend. Axelrad plans to retire from the Air Force after 24 years in February 2017. (U.S. Air Force graphic by Senior Airman Philip Bryant)

11th MSG, proud to support
November 6, 2015 — A city needs certain jobs to make sure it can operate. Fire fighters, maintenance crews and personalist are just a few.And just like a city, here at Joint Base Andrews these jobs and more are tasked to the 11th Mission Support Group to keep JBA operating."The mission of the MSG is to provide installation and combat support to total force, joint and... MORE

Airman 1st Class Austyn Helgeson and Senior Airman Scott Burdick, 11th Wing Civil Engineer firefighters, put out a fire during a live fire exercise at Joint Base Andrews, Md., Oct. 7, 2015. The exercise was part of the fire prevention week on JBA. (U.S Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Philip Bryant/Released)

Balanced life
October 22, 2015 — The U.S. Air Force recognizes four areas of life that contribute to a balanced lifestyle. Those four areas of Comprehensive Airmen Fitness, referred to as pillars, are mental, social, physical and spiritual.Last year, April 2, 2014, a new AFI 90-506 was published that established flexibility for commanders and community support coordinators to run... MORE

Master Sgt. Jermey Lawley, 11th Wing Equal Opportunity superintendent, and the West Fitness center on Joint Base Andrews, Md., in a double exposure photograph to represent the physical fitness pillar of Comprehensive Airmen Fitness. (U.S. Air Force graphic by Airman 1st Class Philip Bryant/Released)

Vietnam Veteran honored in D.C.
May 26, 2015 — The U.S. Air Force Honor Guard hosted a flag folding ceremony at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., May 19, 2015.The ceremony, for Air Force Capt. Glenn Cook, a Vietnam War veteran, preceded a memorial service in his hometown of Charlotte, North Carolina. Cook, born on Sept. 10, 1945, was a Forward Air Controller stationed in Cam... MORE

Air Force Capt. Glenn Cook was a Vietnam War veteran whose plane was shot down near Nha Trang, Vietnam, Oct. 21, 1969. His remains were never found. He was honored the U.S. Air Force Honor Guard held a flag folding ceremony May 19, 2015, at the Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial in Washington, D.C. (Courtesy photo)

811th Airmen awarded VP Service Badge
May 21, 2015 — Four members of the 811th Security Forces Squadron have been awarded the Vice Presidential Service Badge for their mission support of the Vice President of the United States, May 21, 2015.The badge was awarded to 811 SFS members Staff Sgt. Peter Velez, former NCO in-charge of vice presidential aircraft security, Staff Sgt. Leonard Antonio, vice... MORE

The Vice Presidential Service Badge is awarded to Staff Sgt. Peter Velez, former 811 Security Forces Squadron NCO in-charge of vice presidential aircraft security, Staff Sgt. Leonard Antonio, 811 SFS vice presidential aircraft security team leader, Staff Sgt. Sorhaindo Peter, 811 SFS vice presidential aircraft security team leader, Senior Airman Albert Ritterbeck, 811 SFS vice presidential aircraft security team members at Joint Base Andrews, Md., May 21, 2015. Only 473 people have been awarded the VPSB since its establishment in July, 1970. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Joshua R. M. Dewberry)

Singing Sergeants seek skilled soprano
May 14, 2015 — In a small windowless room lined with U.S. Air Force paintings and a long wood table sits six of 13 women in anticipation of their audition. A chance to wear the U.S. Air Force uniform.They wait quietly as they flip through pages of prepared music.The women are from all over the country; Oregon, Kentucky and Illinois. Some have bachelor's degrees,... MORE

Kristen Basore, audition participant, studies music in Hangar Two as she prepares to audition for a Singing Sergeant soprano position at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, D.C., May 5, 2015. Basore is one of 13 finalists auditioning for a position in the U.S. Air Force Band’s Singing Sergeants. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Philip Bryant)

Guardsman bares heavy weight
April 14, 2015 — She steps up to the bar, her back braced and supported; her head band catches any trace of sweat.Her team is cheering, while her coach powerfully slaps her back, yelling:"LEAD FROM THE FRONT! SHOW ME WHAT YOU'RE ALL ABOUT APRIL!"At 165 pounds, she grips the metal barbell with her callused, chalked hands and prepares to deadlift a personal... MORE

Staff Sgt. April Spilde, U.S. Air Force Honor Guard formal training instructor, deadlifts 340 pounds during the 2015 Cincinnati Women’s Professional and Amateur Powerlifting Meet in Cincinnati, Ohio, April 11, 2015. Spilde is an award-winning amateur powerlifter and has been lifting for two years. (Courtesy photo/ Peter Spilde)

Air Force Home Makeover: JBA Edition
March 30, 2015 — Recently, more than 45 Joint Base Andrews volunteers came together to help an 89th Communications Squadron Airman renovate his family's house to meet Americans with Disabilities Act standards.Tech. Sgt. Melvin Mateo, 89 CS Government Network Operations Center crew chief, said he was extremely grateful people were so willing to help him during a... MORE

Joint Base Andrews volunteers gather equipment in preparation for home renovations in Bowie, Md., Jan. 29, 2015. Members gathered to help fix Tech. Sgt. Melvin Mateo’s home for his special-needs daughter. Mateo is an 89th Communications Squadron Government Network Operations Center crew chief. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Ryan J. Sonnier)

Telling the future with 100% accuracy
March 26, 2015 — You can plan a picnic with other's forecasts, but you can't do flight operations, according to Capt. Kurtis Schubeck, 89th Operational Support Squadron/Operational Weather Squadron flight commander.Flight operations are hardly a picnic, but the 89 OSS/OSW ensured mission readiness by correctly forecasting eight-out-of-eight winter weather systems... MORE

Senior Airman Kyle Alexander, 89th Operational Support Squadron/Operational Weather Squadron weather forecaster, is coined by Col. Brad Hoagland, JBA/11th Wing commander, at the weather flight office on Joint Base Andrews, Md., March 13th, 2015. The 89 OSS/OSW is being recognized for correctly forecasted eight-out-of-eight winter weather system. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Philip Bryant)

Black Flag first responders train with tunnel vision
March 19, 2015 — Cold and dimly-lit walls surround Airmen dressed in crinkling, sweaty plastic suits to protect against unknown hazards. Firefighters, paramedics, emergency responders, bioenvironmental engineers and police forces share the former highway tunnel year-round for numerous crisis situation exercises.Surrounded by wilderness for two weeks in Gallagher,... MORE

Senior Airman Tony Pauline (center), gets geared up for a chemical agent training exercise with help from Staff Sgt. Yaoska Quintana (left) and Staff Sgt. Jonathan Moroz (right) in the Memorial Tunnel at the Center for National Response in Gallagher, WV., March 17, 2015. All three Airmen are members of the 779th Aerospace Medical Squadron at Joint Base Andrews, Md. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Joshua R. M. Dewberry)

Band AIMS to inspire students
March 10, 2015 — The bell rings, gossip fills the halls and the U.S. Air Force rock band, Max Impact's tunes greet students as they file into their second period classes.The grinning elementary schoolers hit alarmingly high notes as they sing along during the band's assembly.While, some high school students draw their phones to start recording the performance,... MORE

Skyline High School students sing Journey’s, “Don’t Stop Believin’,” with Senior Master Sgt. Ryan Carson, U.S. Air Force Band Max Impact vocalist, during an educational outreach program in Mesa, Ariz., Jan. 30, 2015. Max Impact mentored, advised and educated students during an Advancing Innovation through Music clinic. (U.S. Air Force photo/ Senior Airman Nesha Humes)

Making the cut: drill team sharpens trainees
January 21, 2015 — A duct-taped, 12-pound rifle fixed with an 11-inch blade launches up in the air, heightening tension, as it finds a drill team trainee's hand, arm or the ground, in preparation for its next movement.CLANK, CLANK, THUD!"Weapon down!" yells the trainee, as his heels clink together and he pops to attention.The trainees also halt their drill movements,... MORE

Trainees perform mountain climbers during United States Air Force Honor Guard Drill Team Training at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, Md., Jan. 13, 2015. Six trainees volunteer eight, 60-hour weeks to learn to learn weapon maneuvers and calisthenics to gain a spot on the team. (U.S. Air Force photo/ Senior Airman Nesha Humes)

457th Airlift Squadron, transporting senior leaders
January 16, 2015 — The 457th Airlift Squadron is stationed on Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, but is a part of the 375th Air Mobility Wing at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois.Although they are a geographically separated unit and a small squadron, their mission is essential to senior leaders and the Air Force."Our mission is to transport leaders, primarily within the... MORE

1st Lt. Jeff Morrow, 457th Airlift Squadron pilot, looks out the cockpit window of a C-21 on Joint Base Andrews, Md., Jan. 9, 2015. The mission of the 457th AS is to transport the nation's leaders. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Ryan J. Sonnier)

Slopes for the folks of Andrews
January 9, 2015 — When the weather outside is frightful, and a fire might be quite delightful. There is one place to go; Andrews Outdoor Recreation.With each passing week of the winter season the temperatures begin to drop and the hibernation season begins for many, including Airmen.The 11th Force Support Squadron's Outdoor Recreation does its best to give the Joint... MORE

Airman 1st Class Mark A. Claborne, 11th Security Forces Squadron member, poses for a photo with winter gear at the 11th Force Support Squadron's Outdoor Recreation, Jan. 9, 2015. Claborne is renting equipment for a trip he plans to attend. (U.S. Air Force/Airman 1st Class Philip Bryant)

AFW2 helps Airmen take steps toward recovery
November 19, 2014 — One would never know the twelve current and retired Airmen walking into the Joint Base Andrews West Fitness Center, Nov. 18, were wounded, ill or seriously injured.Minutes later it is evident as the bleachers and floor fill with gym bags, volleyballs and prosthetic limbs, and two K-9s sit loyally on the sideline waiting for their owners to return... MORE

Kai, a service dog, lays on the lap of Staff Sgt. August O'Niell during an Air Force wounded, ill or injured warrior sitting volleyball practice at the Joint Base Andrews West Fitness Center, Nov. 18. O'Niell, a pararescueman, was wounded in July 2011 during a deployment to Afghanistan. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Brian Ferguson)

Wired Up, Fired Up
November 4, 2014 — Wired up and fired up, the unit responsible for establishing and maintaining communicative capabilities for Team Andrews is the 744th Communications Squadron. The main focuses of this squadron are land-to-mobile radio communications, the giant voice, and the public address system."Our mission is to ensure communication options are always ready and... MORE

Airman 1st Class Ralph Fogg (right) and Senior Airman Robert Lewis, 744th Communication Squadron radio frequency technicians, examine motherboard components for a giant voice system at Joint Base Andrews, Md., on Aug. 26, 2014. The 744 CS is responsible for land-to-mobile communications, the giant voice and public address system. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Joshua R. M. Dewberry)

Wingmen serve terminally ill ‘Pilots for a Day’
October 8, 2014 — Eight-year-old Ne'Vaeh Littleton transforms from brain cancer patient to pilot as he promises to "have as much fun as military regulations allow" in the Pilot for a Day program.Looking handsome in his personalized flight suit, 8-year-old Ne'Vaeh took his oath of office promising to "ask questions, smile a lot, and have as much fun as military... MORE

Ne’Veah Littleton with Lt. Col. Rob Balzano, 201st Airlift Squadron Operational Support Flight commander, during a day in which Ne’Veah was appointed a pilot for the Pilot for a Day program Joint Base Andrews, Md., Nov. 22, 2013. Ne’Veah is a terminally ill child diagnosed with Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma, which is a tumor on the brain stem.

EAS team is selected as Warriors of the Week
September 11, 2014 — This week's Warriors of the Week are Staff Sgts. Marixsa Chicas (center) and Matthew Shortridge (not pictured), and Senior Airmen Michael Aguirre (right) and Brandon Marshall (left), 811th Security Forces Squadron executive aircraft security. EAS teams provide security for the President of the United States, the Vice President, the First Lady,... MORE

(U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Joshua R. M. Dewberry)

Redcoats marched through Andrews to Battle of Bladensburg
August 22, 2014 — Echoes of battles past whisper through the landscape of many military installations. But, 200 years ago, elements of the British army marched through the hills and woods of what is now Joint Base Andrews.The redcoats landed in Benedict, Maryland, under the command of Maj. Gen. Robert Ross in 1814 with the goal of sieging Washington's population of... MORE

(Historical reenactment photo courtesy Ralph E. Eshelman)

11th FSS: Taking care of Airmen
August 20, 2014 — The 11th Force Support Squadron has the daunting task of servicing approximately 60,000 Airmen in the National Capital Region and Worldwide.With such a diverse population, different parts of the squadron aim to focus on the various needs families may have.Lt. Col. Colin Huckins, 11th FSS commander, said squadron's main priority is to serve the... MORE

Airman, Actor, Nerd
August 19, 2014 — After hours of shopping, stitching and crafting, a piece of work comes together. For former Tech Sgt. Randolph Sena, this work shows in his life as a civilian Airman and a recreational cosplayer. No matter the job or training, the Air Force has a philosophy that applies to all Airmen: attention to detail.Sena, 11th Wing/Joint Base Andrews chief of... MORE

Randy Sena,11th Wing/Joint Base Andrews chief of exercises, wields his lightsaber while dressed in a Jedi costume he made himself. And avid cosplayer, Sena has won several awards for his designs. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Rob Cloys)

Fix 'em, Fly 'em, Fuel 'em
July 30, 2014 — Soaring 30,000 feet in the air, surrounded by 49 tons of aluminum and jet fuel, Tech Sgt. Chris McAlister watches the horizon curves behind him and the earth passing below. This is one perk for the 756th Airlift Squadron boom operator. As an in-flight refueling boom operator, his job is to transfer fuel from one plane to another."My dad was in the... MORE

Tech. Sgt. Chris McAlister operates refueling boom while in flight over Virginia July 18, 2014. McAlister is an air refueling technician and has been with the 756th Airlift Squadron for over 23 years. (U.S. Air Force photo/ Senior Airman Nesha Humes)

Col. Brad Hoagland: 'We ARE Team Andrews'
July 24, 2014 — With the summer move season among us, many new faces, experiences and renewed direction come to the 11th Wing.Col. Brad Hoagland, the newest 11th Wing and installation commander, has held multiple command positions since 1994 with his most recent as the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing's vice commander in Southwest Asia."I have the appreciation for... MORE

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