The 97th Air Mobility Wing launched six C-17 Globemaster IIIs from the 58th Airlift Squadron Jan. 17 and 18 here to assist with the humanitarian relief effort in Haiti, Operation Unified Response. Altus AFB officials answered the call for help with 50 aircrew personnel who will deliver aid in the form of medical evacuations and life sustaining supplies. Accompanying the aircrew are 13 C-17 maintainers to keep the aircraft readily available for the constant sorties it will take to provide relief to the island nation, which was ravaged by an earthquake Jan.

Republican candidate Scott Brown has won an upset victory in the race to fill the Massachusetts seat held for almost five decades by the late Democratic Senator Edward (Ted) Kennedy.  Brown defeated Democratic candidate Martha Coakley by a margin of 52 to 47 percent, in what many analysts view as a serious setback for President Barack Obama and his legislative agenda. The victory caps a dramatic surge in opinion polls, in the past week for Massachusetts State Senator Scott Brown.  He overcame a commanding lead by state Attorney General Martha Coakely, to win the race in a state where Democr

A Vietnamese court has convicted four political dissidents of subversion and sentenced them to up to 16 years in prison. The four went on trial in Ho Chi Minh City Wednesday for taking part in "activities aimed at overthrowing the people's administration," including promoting a multiparty state and collaborating with exiled Vietnamese pro-democracy groups.  U.S.-educated human rights lawyer  Le Cong Dinh and Le Thang Long received five-year sentences after the one-day trial.  A third defendant, Nguyen Tien Trung, received a seven-year sentence, while Internet entrepreneur Tran Huynh Duy

An official of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) says the regional body is ready to help Guinea organize a credible election within the next six months. ECOWAS Political Director Abdel-Fatau Musah said the regional body will provide financial and technical assistance to ensure Guinea’s upcoming election meets international standards. “ECOWAS right from the beginning has been very supportive…under ECOWAS Supplementary Protocol and Democracy and Good Governance, ECOWAS is obligated to assist member states organizing elections … ECOWAS already had advanced an amount of

An Afghan-international security force stopped a vehicle in an area east of the village of Hajji Ooddust, in the Panjway District of Kandahar yesterday.

Iraqi Security Forces arrested 13 suspected terrorists Monday during three joint security operations conducted in Baghdad and northern Iraq targeting several suspected al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) members. In southeastern Baghdad, ISF and U.S.

Coalition airpower integrated with ground forces in Iraq and International Security Assistance Force troops in Afghanistan during operations Jan. 19, according to Combined Air and Space Operations Center officials here. Air Operations in Afghanistan: Chahar Bagh An Air Force MQ-9A Reaper operator provided armed overwatch and reconnaissance for friendly ground forces. The pilot observed suspicious activity in the vicinity of friendly forces and requested confirmation of position coordinates.

The role of McChord Airmen in Haiti relief operations continued to grow Jan. 18 with the dispatch of a fourth C-17 Globemaster III aircraft. The aircraft departed for Pope Air Force Base, N.C., to take on specialized teams and relief supplies for immediate transport into Haiti's Toussaint L' Ouverture International Airport. Airmen were then to airlift evacuees back to the U.S. McChord AFB Airmen are contributing to the national effort to alleviate suffering and save lives in the Caribbean nation through efforts that began Jan. 16, when Airmen operating from the U.S.

Amphibious assault ship USS Bataan (LHD-5) received two medical evacuation (MEDEVAC) helicopters at approximately 8:15 p.m. Jan. 19, with three injured Haitians aboard who received immediate medical care from the Bataan medical team. U.S.