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  • Practice makes precision

    There are many skillsets that could prevent a casualty, but one taught to every Airman in basic military training is the ability to fire a weapon and to fire it accurately.Whether it be the M9 pistol or the M16 rifle, any Airman could be put into a situation in which their precision could make the

  • Building Teamwork for the Battlefield

    Physical fitness is not just a regular part of being an Airman assigned to a Tactical Air Control Party with the 169th Air Support Operations Squadron in Peoria. It is just as vital as any other type of job training.The TACP career field is demanding on the body, and requires each member to maintain

  • Wheels up: Peoria ASOS commander becomes Springfield's XO

    In the case of Lt. Col. William "Wheels" Wheeler, what one unit loses another will gain. Lt. Col. Wheeler, the commander of Peoria's 168th Air Support Operations Squadron, took the executive officer seat at the 183rd Fighter Wing in Springfield October 20. He took with him 37 years of enlisted,

  • Safeguarding your digital footprint

    Social media is a great resource for Airmen and their families to share information and stay connected to relatives at home and abroad.Although many depend on these wonderful tools, recent events have encouraged us to re-evaluate our digital footprint to ensure our personal and professional

  • US, Latvian TACPs join forces for Operation Northern Strike

    Tactical air control party specialists with the 169th Air Support Operations Squadron and the Latvian military joined forces August 2014 to sharpen their special operations skills at the 3rd-annual Operation Northern Strike in Grayling, Michigan. The exercise brought the TACPs to one of the largest,

  • Chaplain ends 8-year journey, achieves calling

    Chaplain (Capt.) Kristi Hopp took her place at the Peoria Civic Center theater for a special moment June 6, 2014. The teacher, counselor, elder and officer was a woman of many skill sets, all which led up to that night. Three reverends - her husband, a mentor, and a church leader - joined Hopp on

  • MEOC bridges communication gaps

    It might look like a camping trailer being towed behind a Ford F-550 diesel pickup, but this vehicle does more than one might imagine. The deceptive looking vehicle is known as a Mobile Emergency Operations Center. A MEOC is a self-contained unit that can sustain continuous operations for three to

  • Medical Airmen train for toxic agents with Homeland Security

    Sarin is a chemical weapon so anonymous that you may not realize you have been exposed until the symptoms show. The weapon has no color, taste or smell, and symptoms can set in anywhere from seconds to hours, depending on how it is delivered. A low dose can cause flu-like symptoms, while a larger

  • Falling apples: a firefighter and a first sergeant

    When it comes to the expression "the apple doesn't fall far from the tree," no irony is lost when Wes and Jared Paver are seen together. Besides their shaved heads, both father and son have the same rambunctious smile and an air of confidence and approachability. Perhaps it comes from their common

  • Ill. Air Guard doctor deploys to Antarctica, takes on helicopter crash

    The commander of the 182nd Medical Group in Peoria, Ill., returned from a rare seven-week deployment to Antarctica Jan. 4, where he provided medical care at the McMurdo Station there.Two weeks after arriving, Air National Guard Col. Steven S. Norris of Morton, Ill., found himself in the middle of a