LUKE AIR FORCE BASE, Arizona, Feb. 12 -- The U.S. Air Force (56th Fighter Wing) issued the following news: The 56th Security Forces Squadron is leading the way in implementing the Squadron of the Future Initiative within Air Education and Training Command by reorganizing their squadron to achieve optimal performance and increase operational readiness and lethality. Chief of Staff Gen. David L. Goldfein commissioned this idea under the Year of the Defender initiative to focus on training readin  more

LUKE AIR FORCE BASE, Arizona, Feb. 13 -- The U.S. Air Force Air Education and Training Command issued the following news: The 56th Security Forces Squadron is leading the way in implementing the Squadron of the Future Initiative within Air Education and Training Command by reorganizing their squadron to achieve optimal performance and increase operational readiness and lethality. Chief of Staff Gen. David L. Goldfein commissioned this idea under the Year of the Defender initiative to focus on   more

TUCSON, Arizona, Feb. 15 -- The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Customs and Border Protection issued the following news release: * * * - ICE, CBP coordination returns illegal border crosses deep into Mexico to discourage return * * * The number of illegal aliens returned deep into the interior of Mexico under the Interior Repatriation Initiative (IRI) has surpassed 1,000 Mexicans, U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced. The IRI is a joint agreement between the governments of the  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 11 -- The U.S. Department of Energy's National Science Bowl issued the following news release of regional winner: A team of high school students from Chandler, Arizona won their regional competition for the 2020 National Science Bowl(R) (NSB) this past weekend and will compete in the NSB National Finals this spring in Washington, D.C., the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), who sponsors the NSB, announced. "The National Science Bowl(R) continues to be one of the premier academic  more

DAVIS-MONTHAN AIR FORCE BASE, Arizona, Feb. 15 -- The U.S. Air Force (55th Air Wing) issued the following news: On March 19, 1982, the first specially modified EC-130H "Compass Call" aircraft, tail number 1587, arrived at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona. On Jan. 15, 2020, the aircraft made its final flight over the skies of Arizona. The Compass Call aircraft is an airborne tactical weapon system used to disrupt enemy command and control communications and limit adversary coordination ess  more

DAVIS-MONTHAN AIR FORCE, Arizona, Feb. 12 -- The U.S. Air Force (355th Fighter Wing) issued the following news: On March 19, 1982, the first specially modified EC-130H "Compass Call" aircraft, tail number 1587, arrived at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona. On Jan. 15, 2020, the aircraft made its final flight over the skies of Arizona. The Compass Call aircraft is an airborne tactical weapon system used to disrupt enemy command and control communications and limit adversary coordination ess  more

LUKE AIR FORCE BASE, Arizona, Feb. 15 -- The Defense Contract Management Agency issued the following news: Defense Contract Management Agency Phoenix and business partner personnel received a backstage tour of Luke Air Force Base last month by the 56th Fighter Wing's Public Affairs office. DCMA Phoenix is scheduled to relocate its headquarters, and over 125 employees, to Luke Air Force Base in the fall of 2020. While their new headquarters was being renovated for occupation, they received a wa  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 13 -- The Environmental Protection Agency issued the following news release: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Andrew Wheeler announced the appointment of John W. Busterud to become Regional Administrator for Region 9. Mr. Busterud will oversee federal environmental protection efforts in: Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, the U.S. territories in the Pacific ocean, and 148 federally recognized tribes. "John Busterud's extensive background in energy and  more

PHOENIX, Arizona, Feb. 11 -- The Social Security Administration's Office of the Inspector General issued the following news release: The Inspector General for the Social Security Administration, Gail S. Ennis, is designating Thursday, March 5, 2020 as National "Slam the Scam" Day, to raise public awareness of government imposter telephone scams across the United States. These pervasive scams--in which callers pretend to be government employees to mislead victims into providing personal informa  more

LAKEWOOD, Colorado, Feb. 14 -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service - Mountain Regional Field Office issued the following news release: Arizona harvested 71,000 acres of lettuce in 2019, down 6 percent from the 75,200 acres harvested in 2018, according to the Mountain Regional Field Office of the National Agricultural Statistics Service, USDA. Of that, 37,300 acres was head lettuce, 9,800 acres were leaf lettuce, and 23,900 acres were Romaine lettuce. Th  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 12 -- The Nuclear Regulatory Commission issued the following event notification (No. 54505) involving Arizona Department of Health Services, Phoenix, Arizona: AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - MOISTURE DENSITY GAUGE RUN OVER BY VEHICLE The following information was received via E-mail: "The Department [Arizona Department of Health Services] received notification from the licensee that a technician had backed up over a portable moisture density gauge with their truck. The gauge is a Tr  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 12 -- The Nuclear Regulatory Commission issued the following event notification (No. 54501) involving Arizona Department of Health Services, Flagstaff, Arizona: AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - STOLEN SOURCE The following report was received from the Arizona Department of Health Services (Department) via email: "The Department received notification from the licensee that they reported their RMD XRF Lead-Based Paint Analyzer, serial number 1115, stolen on January 29, 2020. The analyze  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 12 -- The U.S. Department of the Interior's Bureau of Reclamation issued the following news release: * * * - Projects in Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah and Washington selected * * * The Bureau of Reclamation selected 19 projects to receive $3.5 million in WaterSMART Applied Science Grants to develop tools and information that will inform and support water management decisions. These projects will be matched by more than $4.5 m  more

BUCKLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Colorado, Feb. 12 -- The U.S. Air Force Air Reserve Personnel Center issued the following news: Tech. Sgt. Alicia Lofton experienced a special opportunity for her reenlistment Jan. 23, 2020. Lofton, an individual mobilization augmentee, held her ceremony at the USS Arizona Memorial in Pearl Harbor, west of Honolulu, Hawaii. Col. Amy Boehle, commander of Headquarters Individual Readiness and Integration Organization, was the presiding officer. "Being able to hold up my r  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 12 -- The U.S. Department of Defense's Central Command issued the following news release: What is a vehicle that towers more than 9 feet, is used as a troop carrier and can substantially withstand explosive detonations? It is called a Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) Wheeled Armored Vehicle. In-depth training on this vehicle was orchestrated by members of the Military Engagement Team-Jordan (MET-J), with 158th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade (MEB), Arizona Army National Gua  more

MESA, Arizona, Feb. 15 -- The U.S. Postal Service issued the following news release: The U.S. Postal Service issued the Let's Celebrate! Forever stamp, giving customers a way to add extra fun and happiness to celebratory greeting cards, invitations, and gift-bearing envelopes and packages. News of the stamp is being shared using the hashtag #CelebrationStamp. "The bright and cheery stamp is filled with vibrant, exciting circles like a burst of confetti," said Janice Walker, vice president, Cor  more

LUKE AIR FORCE BASE, Arizona, Feb. 12 -- The U.S. Air Force (56th Fighter Wing) issued the following news: Owning a pet can lower cholesterol, blood pressure and increase fitness according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study "Healthy Pets, Healthy People." However, to help keep the owner healthy, the pet has to remain healthy as well. The Luke Air Force Base Veterinary Services clinic helps maintain the health of active-duty members' and retirees' pets by performing wel  more