Aaron Tippin slated as special guest performer for Tattoo

Country music superstar Aaron Tippin will take to the stage at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio Friday, June 26, in a free concert that is part of the Air Force Materiel Command’s fifth annual Freedom’s Call Tattoo. The event, held on the grounds behind the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force, features music, aircraft flyovers and a spectacular fireworks show. (Courtesy photo)

Security Check

Tech. Sgt. Lisa Desantis, 88th Mission Support Squadron, receives a final security scan Jan. 13 by Jackie Bivins, a member of the Brief/Hold Load, at the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base Personnel Deployment Function. The security scan was the last checkpoint before Airmen would wait to deploy in a holding area during a mobility exercise Jan. 12-14. (U.S. Air Force photo/ Al Bright)

Bus Load

Airmen in the first “chalk” of the base mobility exercise load onto a bus Jan. 13 after checking the inventories of their A and C-bags at the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base mobility bag warehouse. The exercise, held Jan. 12-14, simulated mass deployment of 140 base airmen to Kabul, Afghanistan. (U.S. Air Force photo/ Al Bright)

A-Bag check

Maj. Gus Vitali, 702nd Aeronautical Systems Group, inventories the contents of his A-bag Jan. 13 at the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base mobility bag warehouse. Vitali was among 140 base Airmen to participate in a mobility exercise Jan. 12-14 which trained and evaluated Airmen’s basic combat readiness skills.

Rock Solid Warrior

Senior Airman Jesse Caton, 386th Expeditionary Medical Group, simulates treating a patient at a base in Southwest Asia. Airman Caton is deployed from the 88th Inpatient Operations Squadron at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Shawn Volle)

Frontline Duty: Marathon Man

Cheers from the sidelines greet Mike Bowman as he finishes first place in the 13.1-mile "half-marathon' with a time of 1:26:10. It was held at the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing in Southwest Asia. The winner is a Boston Marathon qualifier and hopes to qualify for other named marathons as well. This event was an official extension of the U.S. Air Force Marathon that was held at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, in September. Extensions of the marathon give deployed Airmen the chance to compete as long as they are registered and the event follows official rules. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Denise Johnson)

Wing members fill sandbags

88th Air Base Wing Airmen use a wooden frame to load two sandbags at a time. Wing members filled hundreds of sandbags to harden facilities and build defensive positions at the Warfighter Training Center on Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio.

Wright Brothers Day

Amanda Wright Lane, great-grandniece of Orville Wright, and Col. Bradley D. Spacy, 88th Air Base Wing commander, place a wreath commemorating the 105th anniversary of the Wright Brothers' first powered flight. The annual tradition took place Dec. 17, 2008 at the Wright Memorial, which overlooks Huffman Prairie Flying Field at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, where Orville and Wilbur Wright refined their aircraft and established the world's first flight school. (U.S. Air Force photo/William Pugh)

Arnold House

Arnold House, the oldest structure at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, is decorated to receive visitors during a holiday open house Dec. 4. Originally built by bridge engineer Henry Hebble in 1842, the one-time commanding officer's quarters was home to a number of notable residents, including Maj. Henry A. "Hap" Arnold. Arnold would later become the leader of U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II and the Air Force's only five-star general. The home is now a heritage center used for special events. (U.S. Air Force photo/Ben Strasser)

Ammo members support base deployment

Airman 1st Class Kyle Johnson, a munitions specialist with the 88th Operations Support Squadron, ties down boxes of small arms ammo to a pallet in preparation for shipment Dec. 5. at the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base weapons storage area. Johnson, who hails from Columbus, Ohio, participated in a base crisis response exercise which simulated the deployment of more than 200 personnel and nearly 60 tons of cargo to an air base in Asia. (U.S. Air Force photo/Ben Strasser)

Ammo loader

Staff Sgt. Michael Bigelow, a munitions inspector with the 88th Operations Support Squadron, drives a 10K all-terrain forklift Dec. 5 inside the Weapons Storage Area at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. Base Airmen participated in a crisis response deployment exercise which simulated the deployment of more than 200 personnel and nearly 60 tons of cargo to an air base in Asia. The exercise is part of base preparations for the 2009 Operational Readiness Inspection. (U.S. Air Force photo/William Pugh)

Ammo load

Munitions specialist Airman 1st Class Kyle Johnson and Bill Crenshaw, chief of the 88th Operations Support Squadron Munitions Flight, prepare pallets of small arms ammo for shipment Dec. 5 inside the Weapons Storage Area at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. Base Airmen participated in a crisis response deployment exercise which simulated the deployment of more than 200 personnel and nearly 60 tons of cargo to an air base in Asia. The exercise is part of base preparations for the 2009 Operational Readiness Inspection. (U.S. Air Force photo/Ben Strasser)

C-Bag check

Staff Sgt. Jesus Borunda, a voice networks technician with the 88th Communications Squadron, inventories his "C-Bag" containing chemical and biological protective gear inside the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base mobility bag warehouse. Borunda was among more than 200 base Airmen who participated in an exercise Dec. 8 which simulated a mass deployment to an air base in Asia. (U.S. Air Force photo/Al Bright)

Formal retreat honors retiring AFMC commander

Members of the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base Honor Guard lower the flag during a formal retreat ceremony in honor of Gen. Bruce Carlson, Air Force Materiel Command commander Nov. 18. The event included a mixed, four-ship flyover of F-15s and F-16s from Eglin AFB, Fla. General Carlson is retiring from the Air Force after 37 years of service. (U.S. Air Force photo/Al Bright)

Helping Spread the Word

1st Lt. David Diercks, a contracts negotiator with Aeronautical System Center’s 577th Aeronautical Systems Group, provides his reaction to the Air Force Personnel Center Spread the Word briefing team visit to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. Maj. Gen. K.C. McClain, Air Force Personnel Center commander, and her team visited Wright-Patt Nov. 12 – 14 to update the workforce on personnel changes and to seek feedback on the concerns of base Airmen and civilian employees. Diercks highlighted high deployment tempo Air Force contracting officers face supporting joint operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. (U.S. Air Force photo/Ben Strasser)

Spreading the Word

Beverly Coe, supervisory readiness consultant with the Airman & Family Readiness Center at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, briefs Maj. Gen K.C. McClain, Air Force Personnel Center commander Nov 13 while Lt. Col. Mike Vogel, 88th Mission Support Squadron commander, looks on. Maj Gen McClain and AFPC’s Spread the Word briefing team visited Wright-Patterson Nov. 12 – 14 to update the base workforce on personnel changes and to hear their concerns first hand. (U.S. Air Force photo/Ben Strasser)

Control tower evacuation

Wright-Patterson Air Force Base firefighter Brian Wilcher looks skyward while operating Ladder 10, the 95-foot aerial platform vehicle, during a Nov. 4 exercise to evacuate Airmen from the top of the base control tower. (U.S. Air Force photo/William Pugh)

Control tower evacuation

Air traffic controllers from the 88th Operations Support Squadron evacuate the tower and await rescue by Wright-Patterson Air Force Base firefighters during a training exercise Nov. 4. The purpose was to familiarize firefighters and control tower personnel with rescue procedures using the department's 95-foot aerial platform ladder truck. (U.S. Air Force photo/William Pugh)

Retiree Appreciation Day

Wright-Patterson Medical Center radiation therapist Karen Lewis (left) and oncology research nurse Regina Farley were among those who provided information and free medical screenings to military retirees and their spouses at Wright-Patt's Retiree Appreciation Day. About 500 participated in the event, held Oct. 29 at Hope Hotel. (U.S. Air Force photo/Derek Kaufman)

Civic leaders visit Wright-Patterson

During a 917th Wing sponsored Civic Leader Tour, October 29-30, to Wright Patterson AFB, Ohio, a group of 30 civic leaders observed an in-air refueling of an A-10 by a 931st Air Refueling Group, KC-135 after taking off from Barksdale AFB, La. The tour was to familiarize them with the 917th Wing and the Air Force Reserve. (Photo by Tech. Sgt. Zarcariaous Presha, 2d Bomb Wing Protocol)

Child seat checks save lives

Child safety seat technicians Danielle Beverly and Brandon Bell perform a comprehensive check of Senior Airman Destiny Brison's vehicle to ensure proper child seat installation. More than 70 families from Wright-Patterson Air Force Base signed up to receive the free safety checks at North Child Development Center Oct. 24. The 88th Air Base Wing Safety Office and 88th Services Division Family Member Programs Flight teamed to host the event. Technicians identified installation errors in more than 80 percent of vehicles, including instances of recalled or defective child safety seats in nearly one out of every four vehicles inspected. Recalled seats were replaced free of charge by event sponsor, Chrysler. Inspectors said the results are not uncommon and encourage others to visit seatcheck.org for more information. Both Beverly and Bell are employed by Evenflo of Miamisburg, Ohio. (U.S. Air Force photo/Derek Kaufman)

Child seat checks save lives

Beavercreek Police officer Adam Kempf inspects a vehicle to ensure proper child safety seat installation at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base Oct. 24. More than 70 base families signed up for the free checks to ensure their children were safely buckled in. Technicians identified installation errors in more than 80 percent of vehicles, including instances of recalled or defective child safety seats in nearly one out of every four vehicles inspected. Recalled seats were replaced free of charge by event sponsor, Chrysler. Inspectors said the results are not uncommon and encourage others to visit seatcheck.org for more information. Kempf underwent 32 hours of training to receive child safety seat technician certification. (U.S. Air Force photo/Derek Kaufman)

Practice makes perfect!

SOUTHWEST ASIA -- Tech. Sgt. Chad Roberts from the 380th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron renders aid to a simulated unconscious burn victim here Sept. 30. The burn victim is Capt. Kevin Eberhart from the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing. The base exercise controllers have designed a variety of scenarios to aid in the wing's emergency preparedness. The exercises are designed to improve response times while following procedures. They are also enlisted to increase responders' knowledge of life-saving techniques and the ability to excel in the face of adversity. Sergeant Roberts, a native of Mansfield, Ohio., is deployed from the 88th SFS Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. Capt. Eberhart's hometown is San Antonio, Texas. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Christopher A. Campbell)(released)

Crossing the finish line

Glen Ashlock of Brooklyn, Mich., crosses the finish line capturing first place in the Full Marathon, Wheeled Division. A record field of nearly 7,400 runners participated in the 12th Annual U.S. Air Force Marathon at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio. (U.S. Air Force photo by Ben Strasser)