• FTAC: Mentoring never stops

    The First Term Airmen Course (FTAC) instructor took one last look at his service dress blues in the full length mirror hanging on his office wall. It was Monday. This meant uniform inspections and the start to another week of mentoring.

  • Mentoring and maintaining dorm life

    Being an Airman Dorm Leader (ADL) has more to it than most people realize. With assistance from the first sergeants, dorm counsels and residents, the ADLs enhance the quality of life for the Airmen living in the dormitories at Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri.

  • FTAC: Airmanship 300 bridging the Air Force core values to the mission

    With all the military jargon that is thrown around, FTAC, or First Term Airmen Course, is somewhere in the mix. For many, this course is just another box to check on the in-processing checklist; however, recently it has developed into a vital part of the Profession of Arms.

  • Whiteman Geobase: On the map

    While playing around as a child and looking for places to start your next adventure, you may have come across the bright yellow signs planted in the ground telling you not to dig in the immediate vicinity without calling “811” to get clearance, due to the presence of gas lines or other utilities.

  • WAFB 2017 intramural softball champions

    The 509th Security Forces Squadron (SFS) A Team wins the 2017 intramural softball championship at Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo., Aug. 15, 2017. The SFS A Team defeated the 131st Maintenance Squadron 20-8.

  • Inspection to perfection

    At any given moment a pilot may need to eject from an aircraft. The Airmen of the 509th Operations Support Squadron (OSS) inspect and pack parachutes that could save a pilot’s life. These Airmen have an important job requiring them to look at every piece of the parachute before it is packed and

  • No sight no flight

    Have you ever tried driving your car at night without any headlights? It is pretty hard to do. Honestly, everything is hard to do in the dark.

  • Evolution of airpower

    “We have just won a war with a lot of heroes flying around in planes. The next war may be fought by airplanes with no men in them at all … Take everything you’ve learned about aviation in war, throw it out the window, and let’s go to work on tomorrow’s aviation. It will be different from anything

  • The Blue Beret: Your first line of defense

    A Humvee rushes in response to an exercise at Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo., Aug. 4, 2017. The 509th Security Forces Squadron performs routine exercises in order to hone their response to various potential real-world scenarios.