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  • Airmen from the 86th Operations Support Squadron climb air traffic control radio antennas at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, Nov. 14, 2016. The Air Traffic Control and Landing Systems flight regularly checks all Instrument Landing System’s parameters to ensure the antenna towers and monitors are performing correctly.(U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Savannah L. Waters)

    86th OSS sticks the landing

    Ensuring a safe flight in bad weather can be challenging, but having a reliable Air Traffic Control and Landing Systems team can make sticking the landing much smoother.
  • Airman 1st Class Adriya Osinski, 86th Operations Support Squadron aircrew flight equipment apprentice, adjusts an oxygen mask inside of a 37th Airlift Squadron C-130 J Super Hercules aircraft at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, Nov. 4, 2016. As an aircrew flight equipment technician, Osinski prepares equipment such as oxygen and survival vests, which include medical supplies, ways to purify water, and other basic survival items. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Savannah L. Waters)

    86th OSS Airman strives for success

    Mediocre is not a word that belongs in an Airman’s vocabulary, and Airmen like Airman 1st Class Adriya Osinski, 86th Operations Support Squadron aircrew flight equipment apprentice, are anything but.
  • Staff Sgt. Al Lotito, 1st Combat Communications Squadron radio frequency transmission systems technician, works on setting up a satellite dish during the exercise Healthy Thunder at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, Oct. 27, 2016. Team A1, the largest section in the exercise, was in charge of setting up initial communication and providing power for the other teams. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Tryphena Mayhugh)

    1st CBCS keeps Ramstein connected

    Nomophobia is the proposed name for a new fear that has surfaced in the digital age - the fear of being without a cellphone or any other means of communication. For many, this level of communication isn’t necessary, but it is vital when it comes to deployed situations. The 1st Combat Communications Squadron participated in an exercise called Healthy Thunder from Oct. 24 to Nov. 4 that prepared its Airmen for setting up, maintaining and defending communications while in a deployed location.
  • An explosive ordnance disposal Airman with the 786th Civil Engineer Squadron climbs over a wall during a special ruck and run event in support of the Combined Federal Campaign. The 786th CES’s EOD flight conducts ruck marches at the last Friday of every month. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Joshua Magbanua)

    Ramstein community builds bonds with EOD ruck and run

    EOD Airmen conduct ruck marches on the last Friday of every month as one of the ways to keep themselves ready for their mission.
  • An Airman assigned to the 65th Security Forces Squadron simulates securing a room at Lajes Field, Azores, Portugal, Oct. 5, 2016. Leaders from the 86th Airlift Wing, at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, visited Airmen at Lajes to thank them for their service and tour the base. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Nicole Keim)

    Airpower and Portuguese partnership

    Wheels go up as aircraft emerge into the blue sky over the choppy, Atlantic abyss. Lajes Field, Azores, Portugal, is a critical piece of the 86th Airlift Wing mission to provide airlift capabilities around the globe. “There are only a few islands that actually exist in the middle of the Atlantic,” said Col. Dan Furleigh, 65th Air Base Group
  • Senior Airman Jordan Burge, 86th Munitions Squadron munitions operations technician, takes accountability of ammunition at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, Oct. 26, 2016. Airmen of the 86th MUNS inspect, sort and ship munitions according to the intended destinations. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Joshua Magbanua)

    86th MUNS Airmen help keep Air Force in the fight

    Munitions Airmen are responsible for inspecting the munitions to ensure their serviceability, sorting the munitions according their type and shipping them to their appropriate destinations.
  • Airmen from the 86th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron remove the wing leading edge to facilitate structural repair on a C-130J Super Hercules wing at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, Oct. 25, 2016. Crew chiefs and aircraft electrical and environmental specialists often work together to repair and troubleshoot aircraft. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Nesha Humes)

    86th AMXS stays wired

    From cabin pressurization to engine control, the 86th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron aircraft electrical and environmental systems specialists work to inspect, troubleshoot and maintain all C-130J Super Hercules’ systems touching down on Ramstein’s flightline.
  • An engraved stone stands in the American Kindergraves in Kaiserslautern, Germany, Oct. 15, 2016. The stone reads, “Although gone from us they are not forgotten.” The Ramstein Area Chiefs’ Group held a dedication ceremony for Gary Currie, an infant who lost his life in 1952. Joy Caffey, Gary’s mother, does not know where her son is laid to rest. Her family reached out to the Ramstein Area Chief’s Group and they offered to dedicate a gravestone to Gary within the Kindergraves. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Tryphena Mayhugh)

    A mother’s love never fades, a community never forgets

    In 1952, Joy Currie, a young wife to an Air Force master sergeant in Koblenz, Germany, was staying in Wiesbaden awaiting the birth of her first child, a little boy. Arriving a week late, Gary Currie was born a full-term, 8-pound baby on Sept. 17, but there was a problem. “I was barely 18 years old,” Joy said. “Very naïve. I saw him when he was first born, but then they rushed him off to the nursery. I thought that was just the normal thing to do, I didn’t know anything was wrong.” Gary lived for about 12 hours before succumbing to aspiration pneumonia, a condition caused by inflammation in the lungs from inhaling materials such as food or liquids.
  • A nurse holds up Kevin Ormsby’s head at a hospital in New Zealand. Ormsby was found unconscious by members of the group he was skiing with after an accident on July 29, 2002. (Courtesy Photo)

    A pilot grounded, a life rebuilt

    “I remember the ride up the mountain in the van,” he recollected with some effort. “I recall the room you get ready in, I had (my equipment) and I remember prior to putting on my boots. As far as I remember I have never put on my ski boots in New Zealand.”Kevin Ormsby, a former Air Force pilot, had seemingly lost everything after a life-changing
  • Heavy snow equipment is parked in front of the 786th Civil Engineer Squadron’s heavy equipment facility at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, Oct. 19, 2016. The members of Ramstein’s snow removal team are comprised of Airmen throughout the 786th CES and 86th Maintenance Squadron. This is a secondary job that they perform before and throughout the winter season. Preparations for winter weather hazards are made to ensure Ramstein’s 24-hour operation can continue during inclement winter weather. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Lane T. Plummer)

    Ramstein stays winter ready with snow removal team

    Ramstein base operations run 24-hours a day, which means preparations have to be made and attention to detail is critical.
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