Tag Archives: elmendorf afb

Jewish Chaplain Integrates Faith, Military Profession

Chaplain (Capt) Michael Bram made the news as the first Jewish chaplain to serve at Elmendorf since the 1970s:

According to Bram, there are only six Jewish chaplains on active duty in the U.S. Air Force. The first Jewish chaplain at JBER in the last 25 years, Bram said he is used to the curiosity that can surround a man in a uniform and a yarmulke.

“The question I am asked, more than any other question, is, ‘How does it stay on your head?'”

Chaplain Bram has a fascinating story, told at Read more

Chaplains Host Alaskan Marriage Retreat

Chaplain (Capt) R. Scott Savell recently highlighted an Air Force Chaplain Corps’ MarriageCare retreat, which Joint Base Elmendorf hosted at an Alyeska Resort.

Twenty-three couples gathered at the beautiful Alyeska Resort for a three-day MarriageCare retreat April 27 hosted by the JBER chaplain corps.

This retreat was an all-inclusive weekend provided at no cost.

The only thing we asked couples to commit to was Read more

F-22 Crashes in Alaska

Elmendorf Air Force Base reported the loss of an F-22 late Tuesday night.  The crash site was discovered Wednesday, and news releases from the base indicate crews are continuing to search for signs the pilot may have ejected and survived.

It appears the mishap aircraft was executing a rejoin at the end of a night sortie when it simply, and quietly, disappeared.

Elmendorf AFB recently lost a C-17 and its four crewmembers.  The last F-22 to crash was at Edwards AFB; the pilot did not survive.

C-17 Crash Claims Four Air Force Lives

Updated with names of crew.

The Air Force announced that a C-17 Globemaster III crashed shortly after takeoff from Elmendorf AFB, Alaska, on Wednesday, killing the four crewmembers.  There are indications the crew was practicing for the upcoming Arctic Thunder airshow this weekend.  While large aircraft occasionally have incidents on landing or on the ground, the catastrophic loss of a military cargo aircraft from a flight mishap is a relatively rare event.

Elmendorf leaders have announced the 2010 Arctic Thunder airshow will proceed as planned.

As is the common practice, the Air Force did not speculate and will conduct a month-long investigation to determine the cause.

UPDATE: The Air Force released the names of those killed on the C-17:

Maj. Michael Freyholtz
Maj. Aaron Malone
Capt. Jeffrey Hill
Master Sgt. Thomas Cicardo