March 13, 2024 AFWERX director discusses role of tech startups, quick innovation in Great Power Competition The colonel met with technologists, startups and venture capitalists at South by Southwest to discuss national and global security challenges and the role AFWERX plays in acquiring the cutting-edge technologies needed to meet them.
March 8, 2024 Flosi takes his place as the 20th Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force Chief Master Sgt. David A. Flosi was formally installed March 8 as the 20th Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force.
March 5, 2024 AFRL’s XQ-67A makes 1st successful flight The XQ-67A is the first of a second generation of autonomous collaborative platforms paving the way for other aircraft “species” to be rapidly replicated on a standard genus chassis.
March 1, 2024 From pilot to pageantry: Meet the 1st active-duty Miss America Second Lt. Madison Marsh became the first active-duty service member to earn the Miss America crown.
Feb. 29, 2024 Academy cadet earns national undergraduate leadership award USAFA Cadet 1st Class Jabari Bowen earned the 2024 Black Engineer of the Year award in undergraduate leadership Feb. 17.
Feb. 29, 2024 Honoring past heroes by celebrating today’s warrior spirit Department of the Defense employees toured a special display recognizing the excellence of past aviators, the Fighter Gunnery Trophy.
Feb. 27, 2024 Accelerating the Legacy 2024 Airmen from across the nation convened for a two-day Black History Month aviation heritage event held in Charleston, Feb. 16-17.
Feb. 26, 2024 USAFE-AFAFRICA commander discusses Integrated Air, Missile Defense during Munich Security Conference USAF Gen. James B. Hecker discussed one of his focus areas, Integrated Air and Missile Defense, during a panel at the Munich Security Conference, Feb. 17.
Feb. 22, 2024 Flosi to AFMC family: Embrace change, make every day count As Chief Master Sgt. David A. Flosi departs his position as Command Chief of AFMC to take on the role of CMSAF, he leaves just a few words of advice to the Airmen across AFMC as they work to re-optimize the DAF for Great Power Competition.
Feb. 20, 2024 DAF members recognized during BEYA STEM awards Two Department of the Air Force members received awards during the 2024 Black Engineer of the Year Awards, Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics conference held at the Baltimore Convention Center, Maryland, Feb. 15-17.
Feb. 16, 2024 AFWERX showcases innovation at AFA Warfare Symposium; Spark Tank Finalist voting open until March 21 Representatives from each AFWERX division – AFVentures, Prime, Spark, and SpaceWERX – were on hand to discuss how small businesses and start-ups can team up with Airman and Guardian talent to address the most pressing challenges of the DAF.
Feb. 8, 2024 One year later: AFMC continues to advance Strategic Plan Lines of Effort The Air Force Materiel Command continues to make progress on the lines of effort identified in its 2023 Strategic Plan as it develops, delivers, supports and sustains the war-winning platforms and capabilities our warfighters need to succeed.
Feb. 5, 2024 JBSA hosts funeral services for CMSAF Robert D. Gaylor Joint Base San Antonio and the 502nd Air Base Wing will host funeral services for Robert D. Gaylor, the fifth chief master sergeant of the Air Force, on Feb. 10 at JBSA-Lackland and the Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery.
Jan. 30, 2024 WAPS testing going digital in February 2024 The eWAPS platform is a collaborative effort between the Air Force, the Personnel Data Research Institute and PearsonVUE. Airmen participating in the 2024 technical sergeant and staff sergeant promotion cycles will be the first to use this system.
Jan. 19, 2024 AFGSC selected for $18M research allocation The AFWERX office allocated up to $18 million for AFGSC across the four solicitations and could add another $7 million if the two pending applications are selected.
Jan. 18, 2024 DAF streamlines awards process myDecs Reimagined, a new application on the myFSS platform, will be a single-page experience and allows ad-hoc routing to any myFSS user. The new application also eliminates the need for multiple screens found in the previous version.
Jan. 17, 2024 Air Force mourns 5th CMSAF passing Robert D. Gaylor, the fifth Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force, passed away Jan. 17, at the age of 93.
Jan. 11, 2024 CSAF presents Mackay Trophy to 53rd Wing pilot for most meritorious flight of 2022 Awarded for the “most meritorious flight of the year” by an Air Force individual, group, or organization, the Mackay Trophy is one of the longest-standing aviation awards in the nation having first been given to 2nd Lt. Henry H. ‘Hap’ Arnold in 1912.
Jan. 11, 2024 DAF hosts 2024 Women in Peace, Diplomacy Panel More than 150 attendees gathered for the 2024 Women in Peace and Diplomacy event hosted by the Office of the Secretary of the Air Force for International Affairs at the Pentagon, Jan. 10.
Jan. 8, 2024 ‘Are You Ready?’: DAF marks National Mentoring Month NMM was launched in January 2002 to connect people invested in the mentoring movement and to help people accomplish their personal and professional goals.
Jan. 8, 2024 Civilian Development Nomination Window opens Jan. 10 Civilian employees in the grades of GS-07 through GS-15 (and equivalents) may apply for more than 40 civilian development opportunities starting Jan. 10.
Jan. 4, 2024 DAF sets documentation requirements for pet travel expense reimbursement The Defense Travel Management Office announced a new policy to cover pet travel expenses, including pet transportation and quarantine fees, in June 2023.
Jan. 3, 2024 National Museum of the US Air Force opens new exhibit honoring the enlisted force A new exhibit highlighting the Department of the Air Force’s enlisted personnel is the newest permanent exhibit at the national museum of the USAF.
Dec. 20, 2023 DAF announces Spark Tank 2024 finalists The Spark Tank team presented the top 15 ideas identified through pairwise voting and subject matter expert evaluations from this year’s pool of submissions. DAF senior leaders convened to review and discuss the merits of each idea, reaching consensus to identify Spark Tank 2024’s six finalists.
Dec. 18, 2023 Chief Digital, Artificial Intelligence Office to host hackathon in Hawaii A hackathon is an innovation event commonly employed by technology companies in which teams develop prototypes in response to enterprise challenges associated with data.
Dec. 13, 2023 Readout of US Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David W. Allvin’s counterpart visit with Royal Thai Air Force Commander in Chief Air Chief Marshal Punpakdee Pattanakul The visit aimed to strengthen the U.S.-Thailand alliance and advance shared security interests in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific region.
Dec. 13, 2023 AFWERX accepting applications for spring 2024 fellowship FWERX, the innovation arm of the Department of the Air Force and a directorate within the Air Force Research Laboratory is accepting applications for its upcoming spring Traditional Fellowship Program through Jan. 5.
Dec. 7, 2023 Restoring an F-35A Lightning II: A collaborative endeavor F-35 maintenance experts here are taking on a seemingly impossible task – stitching two mishap damaged aircraft together into a restored, fully operational F-35A Lighting II.
Dec. 4, 2023 McConnell AFB Airmen show base initiatives to CMSAF The implementation of new programs allowed the team to continue contributing to the McConnell and Air Force missions. Agencies from around the base discussed these programs and how they help members connect with others within their career field and across the base.
Dec. 3, 2023 USAFE-AFAFRICA hosts multinational medical knowledge exchange The exchange granted the participants a chance to trade information and experience with one another to further integrate with their unique missions and form best practices.
Dec. 2, 2023 DAF leaders emphasize adapting AI for warfighting success Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall made it clear that the Air Force and Space Force are fully committed — and pushing hard — to develop and deploy artificial intelligence as a key element in meeting security challenges posed by China and other adversaries Dec. 2.
Nov. 28, 2023 AFWERX, NASA collaborate to develop digital Advanced Air Mobility operations center AFWERX is partnering with NASA to develop a digital operations center for future Advanced Air Mobility efforts through the Civilian Commercialization Readiness Pilot Program awardee, ResilienX.
Nov. 18, 2023 New initiatives continue to drive civilian talent acquisition changes across command Continued evaluation of current policies and cross-component partnerships are enabling ongoing processes improvements to drive down timelines and find talent needed to execute AFMC’s mission.
Nov. 16, 2023 Milestone met in 6th annual financial statement audit year The fund balance with treasury material weakness, representing 44% of all assets tracked on the DAF financial statements, was fully remediated, making the DAF the first department in the DoD to achieve this milestone.
Nov. 15, 2023 Pacific air chiefs gather to address regional security, strengthen partnerships The week-long event focuses on applying global lessons to challenges of regional security and is the largest biannual air chief symposium to date, with 22 countries attending.
Nov. 15, 2023 Morris Air National Guard Base to receive FMS F-16s to train Slovak Air Force The addition of Slovak-owned F-16s at Morris ANGB will require an increase of almost 30 ANG personnel, and only four of the possible nine aircraft will be used for flying training of Slovak Air Force pilots.
Nov. 10, 2023 WWII airpower legend receives honorary promotion to colonel At 100 years old, WWII and Korean War airpower legend, retired Lt. Col. James H. Harvey III, one of the nation’s first African American fighter pilots with the famed Tuskegee Airmen, received an honorary promotion.
Nov. 8, 2023 Secretary Kendall attends EADS CBC2 success, modernization milestone The event marked a pivotal milestone in the service’s modernization of tactical command and control capabilities as part of the Advanced Battle Management System portfolio of efforts.
Nov. 1, 2023 DAF drives forward with groundbreaking DEIA training event The Department of the Air Force led its inaugural DAF Strategic Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Certification training event Sept. 21–22 at the University of Virginia Darden Center in Arlington.
Oct. 31, 2023 Digital Acceleration Task Force to drive digital integration, transformation A new Digital Acceleration Task Force aims to accelerate Department of the Air Force digital transformation efforts and deliver Digital Materiel Management solutions, ultimately enabling integrated capability delivery faster across the enterprise.
Oct. 30, 2023 Valuable Air Force, dual-use startup connections made at showcase event The new merge of Banshee Innovation Training and Air Force Labs with MassChallenge programs culminated in a showcase event at MassChallenge’s Boston offices Oct. 25.
Oct. 26, 2023 AFWERX Prime, FAA agree to share flight-test information AFWERX Prime and the Federal Aviation Administration announced they have agreed to share flight-test data to accelerate the safe integration of Advanced Aircraft Mobility platforms into the National Airspace System Oct. 25.
Oct. 23, 2023 Digital design concept wins AFMC Spark Tank Integrated Capabilities Challenge The AFMC Spark Tank is an annual competition that leverages the inherent innovation of Airmen and Guardians, empowering them to use their problem-solving skills and creativity to solve the service’s most critical needs.
Oct. 22, 2023 AI research robots key to ‘democratizing and revolutionizing science,’ world-class AFRL researcher says AFRL researcher Dr. Benji Maruyama and his team are seeking industry and academic partners to help them transition open-source autonomous experimentation software to public school classrooms to help foster the next generation of young scientists.
Oct. 18, 2023 CMSAF meets high-speed recruiters, Sorensen team at motorsport drifting event Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force JoAnne Bass visited a recruiting booth and met with public and the drivers of the AFRS-sponsored stock car at a Formula Drift event in California.
Oct. 16, 2023 Air Force, University of Chicago celebrate AFROTC detachment activation University of Chicago officials hosted Department of the Air Force senior leaders and several community leaders from across Illinois as the university welcomed the newest addition to its Military Science Department.
Oct. 16, 2023 CMSAF underscores need for 137th SOW multi-capable Airmen Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force JoAnne S. Bass encouraged every service member she met to understand the “why” of the Air Force’s prioritization of learning multiple skill sets and becoming multi-capable Airmen.
Oct. 13, 2023 DAF publishes Comprehensive Strategy for the Space Force Department of the Air Force’s Report to Congressional Committees, Comprehensive Strategy for the Space Force, dated August 2023, was published on the SpaceForce.mil Space Force Policy page for public review.
Oct. 11, 2023 Officer Training School embarks on ‘OTS-Victory’ The new training program, dubbed OTS-Victory, incorporates a five-modular approach designed to enhance the effectiveness of foundational officer development by focusing on specific knowledge, skills and abilities in each module.
Oct. 5, 2023 Energy Action Month highlights the critical role energy plays in strategic competition Embracing the Department’s three-year theme of “Powering Possibility,” the installation energy program is pursuing a series of pilot initiatives that showcase the department’s forward-looking approach to energy innovation and powering the future force in the face of growing operational threats.
Sept. 29, 2023 Changes in domestic violence response highlight Domestic Violence Awareness Month The DAF actions are the result of a 90-day cross-functional review directed by Kendall in January after an Inspector General investigation was initiated in response to allegations concerning the handling of domestic violence incidents.
Sept. 27, 2023 Air Force trailblazer, Maj. Gen. Leavitt, retires after 31 years of service From her early aspirations in aerospace engineering to confronting policies that once barred women from combat-coded fighter aircraft roles, Leavitt's resolve knew no bounds.
Sept. 26, 2023 Emerging Technologies Integrated Test Force takes delivery of first eVTOL aircraft The Emerging Technologies Integrated Test Force is the lead element tasked with testing and evaluating the technology for future national defense applications.
Sept. 19, 2023 Pacific Angel 23-3 concludes in Brunei Pacific Angel 23-3 Brunei wrapped up at Rimba Air Force Base, Sept.15, after four days of multiple search and rescue and Humanitarian Assistance/Disaster Response training operations.
Sept. 18, 2023 DAF launches coaching website At the Department of the Air Force's Coaching site, members can explore how to find and become a professional coach.
Sept. 18, 2023 SecAF announces Air Task Force model Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall announced the Air Task Force as the next step in the Air Force’s Force Generation model during the Air and Space Forces Association’s 2023 Air, Space and Cyber Conference.
Sept. 15, 2023 DAF commemorates Air Force’s 76th anniversary, Space Force’s 4th anniversary with worship service The DAF commemorates the 76th anniversary of the Air Force and the fourth anniversary of the Space Force with a non-denomination worship service that included the participation of members of several faiths at the Washington National Cathedral Sept. 10.
Sept. 14, 2023 Air Force announces IDE/SDE in-residence attendance change Beginning in academic year 2025-2026, more top-rated Air Force officers will be vectored and designated to Air University in-residence Intermediate Developmental Education and Senior Developmental Education.
Sept. 14, 2023 AFWERX 'Spark Street' takes over 2023 Air, Space and Cyber Conference AFWERX showcased the innovation from Spark Cells around the world at the Air and Space Forces Association’s Air, Space and Cyber Conference in National Harbor, Sept. 11-13. The aisle of four booth spaces at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center was called "Spark Street" where hundreds of
Sept. 5, 2023 SECURE platform enhances security enterprise capabilities A new tool called the Security Enterprise Communication and User Reporting Environment, or SECURE, aims to streamline operations, reduce data isolation and redundancy, and optimize resource usage across the security enterprise.
Sept. 3, 2023 Popular AFRL invention supports joint military needs with mobile medical documentation BATDOK is a smartphone application for mobile medical documentation that replaces pen and paper records.
Aug. 31, 2023 Micro-reactor pilot program reaches major milestone Oklo Inc. will site, design, construct, own and operate a micro-reactor facility licensed by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska.
Aug. 31, 2023 DAF unveils art commemorating 75 Years of Air and Space Power DAF celebrated the 75th Anniversary of Air and Space heritage in September 2022 and commissioned the art to help tell the stories of the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force.
Aug. 30, 2023 AFWERX hosts first in-person Collider event since COVID-19 pandemic More than 20 industry partners attended the first in-person AFWERX Collider event in over three years to solve warfighter problems at Fed Supernova in Austin, Texas.
Aug. 29, 2023 Air Force Band brings Ukrainian military musicians to US for bilateral concert event A bilateral military musical collaboration, the historic concert will serve as an opportunity to display public support for the people of Ukraine, recognize their resilience and heroism and reaffirm the United States’ unwavering support for Ukraine.
Aug. 24, 2023 New platform IGNITEs defense innovation AFWERX has launched IGNITE, a platform where defense users can search for and easily interact with thousands of small businesses that have secured previous Department of the Air Force Small Business Innovation Research or Small Business Technology Transfer awards.
Aug. 23, 2023 Air Force announces CY24 promotion board schedule, aligns to officer SCODs The Air Force announced the 2024 promotion board schedule Aug. 22, which marks the transition to align most promotion boards with their associated evaluation closeout dates.
Aug. 23, 2023 AFIMSC tackles dorm, child care center needs with $1.6 billion improvement plan The Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center is upgrading quality-of-life infrastructure through its multi-layered construction.
Aug. 18, 2023 Stories of Service: Lt. Col. Daphne Jackson discusses how representation matters Lt. Col. Daphne Jackson, 377th Air Base Wing Staff judge advocate, shares her story and passion for diversity, inclusion and minority recruitment.
Aug. 16, 2023 Recipients of Harold Brown Award 2021, 2022 honored at Pentagon ceremony Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall hosted an award ceremony at the Pentagon for recipients of the 2021 and 2022 Harold Brown Award, Aug. 8.
Aug. 16, 2023 DAF opens public comment period for Support of Military Families basing-decision scorecard updates The DAF opened a public comment period regarding updates to the background and methodology for SoMF scorecards for spouse licensure portability and dependent education surrounding department bases.
Aug. 14, 2023 DoD announces inaugural innovation challenge on talent management The Talent Management Innovation Challenge encourages DoD military and civilian employees at all levels to submit promising talent management ideas with potential to make an impact across the Department in recruiting, retaining, and promoting a diverse force.
Aug. 14, 2023 Minot AFB develop prototype gloves for extreme cold temperatures Minot AFB's innovation cell, Atomic Spark, delivered an innovative solution that will be beneficial to Airmen during extreme cold weather.
Aug. 12, 2023 First nurse serves as director of ANG Medical Service Office of the Air Surgeon Rohatasch is the first clinical nurse to assume command of the ANG Office of the Air Surgeon and brings nearly four decades of medical experience to the position.
Aug. 8, 2023 People, purpose, passion: Air National Guard affixes focuses at leadership symposium More than 200 Guard Airmen attended the 2023 Air National Guard Enlisted Leadership Symposium in Alexandria, Virginia Aug. 2-4.
Aug. 7, 2023 CSAF delivers 2023 Life Cycle Industry Days keynote address Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. CQ Brown, Jr. provided the opening keynote address for Life Cycle Industry Days July 31.
Aug. 5, 2023 AFCEC plays vital role in DAF climate plan initiatives AFCEC has a significant role in climate change initiatives intended to enhance resiliency at Air Force installations by addressing the risks severe weather poses to infrastructure, operational capabilities and readiness as outlined in the DAF Climate Campaign Plan.
Aug. 3, 2023 Eglin AFB fish removed from endangered species list The Okaloosa darter is a two-inch, perch-like fish unique and critical to the balance of six clear stream systems within Eglin and draining into two Choctawhatchee Bay bayous in Walton and Okaloosa counties in northwest Florida.
Aug. 3, 2023 Tiny fish swims off the endangered species list The Okaloosa darter, a two-inch perch-like fish found only in the streams at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, was removed from the federal list of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife.
Aug. 2, 2023 AETC showcases people, missions at one of world’s largest air shows Known as one of the largest airshows in the world, EAA AirVenture Oshkosh included over 650,000 attendees and 10,000 aircraft.
July 29, 2023 76th CMXG starts sand casting aluminum parts The 76th Commodity Maintenance Group’s new foundry can sand cast aluminum parts up to 120 pounds, providing another avenue for sourcing aircraft parts not easily obtained through traditional contracting methods.
July 27, 2023 CSAF, Tuskegee Airmen recognize 75 years of trailblazing The event recognized the legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen and their impact of ensuring Airmen as well as other service members can serve to their full potential.
July 27, 2023 DAF updates Foreign Language Proficiency Bonus policy Department of the Air Force has updated its Foreign Language Proficiency Bonus policy to prioritize those critical career fields, programs and positions that require foreign language proficiency to perform their missions.
July 27, 2023 SecAF visits 90th MW Airmen, serves as rodeo grand marshal Kendall visited F.E. Warren to connect with Airmen of the 90th Missile Wing and hear about the quality of life there, speak with city leaders about local challenges and successes in the community, and to learn about the intercontinental ballistic missile mission and modernization efforts.
July 27, 2023 USAF, allies accelerate logistics interoperability The forum focused on aligning with the National Defense Strategy to prioritize agile and responsive logistics and sustainment, while directly supporting DAF Operational Imperatives on resilient basing and readiness to deploy and fight.
July 20, 2023 Air Force aligns leadership titles with joint force Effective Aug. 1, the Air Force will change duty titles from vice commander to deputy commander to better align terminology with its sister services.In accordance with direction from Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. CQ Brown, Jr., the Air Force issued a memo communicating updated guidance for Air Force
July 16, 2023 Project Arc seeks innovators to solve DAF challenges The program is looking for Airmen and Guardians from all occupations who are obsessed with tech, have a curiosity to tinker and want to solve problems.
July 13, 2023 CMSAF holds all-call with Scott AFB Airmen As the voice of the Air Force’s enlisted corps, Bass travels worldwide visiting Air Force installations and ensuring the voices of the enlisted force are heard.
July 11, 2023 Department of the Air Force rolls out Climate Campaign Plan The Climate Campaign Plan is the implementation portion of the Climate Action Plan and breaks down the strategy through specific and measurable objectives and key results.
July 10, 2023 Air Force delays some PCSs, bonuses Higher-than-projected personnel costs are driving a shortfall in FY23 military personnel appropriation. This will have temporary consequences for PCSs, SRBs, and aviation bonuses.
July 9, 2023 Air Force innovation: Empowering Airmen Innovation across the Air Force can involve anything from work processes to physical assets and often include policy updates to long-standing Air Force regulations. For Airmen, Air Force innovation and Spark Cells, should be nothing new.
June 29, 2023 AFWERX integrates uncrewed traffic management to enhance safety, security AFWERX and the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Information Directorate have installed an Uncrewed Aircraft System Traffic Management, or UTM, at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida.
June 29, 2023 Honoring past, promoting future with Navajo Nation Air Mobility Command organized a meet-and-greet event in Page, Arizona, where Air Force representatives and local Navajo veterans and community members met.
June 28, 2023 AEDC Spark Tank: Imager enhances leak detection, electrical inspection capabilities The group obtained an acoustic imager to identify leaks in compressed air, gas and vacuum systems.
June 25, 2023 AMC celebrates 100th year of air refueling with community flyovers across the US More than 150 tankers from 26 Total Force installations are scheduled to participate in the flyovers including KC-135 Stratotankers, KC-10 Extenders and KC-46 Pegasus aircraft to honor 100 years of aerial refueling excellence.
June 22, 2023 Air Force senior leaders hold contested logistics table-top exercise Senior Air Force officials gathered to discuss strategy, policy and the future fight at the CORONA-South summit at MacDill Air Force Base, Tampa, Florida, where senior leaders held a table-top exercise focused on the strategic risks related to conducting logistics in contested environments.
June 21, 2023 DAF chief scientist, MIT host AI workshop Dr. Victoria Coleman, chief scientist of the Air Force, in collaboration with the Department of the Air Force-Massachusetts Institute of Technology Artificial Intelligence Accelerator, hosted a foundational innovation and technology education workshop June 5-8.
June 19, 2023 Juneteenth: Celebrating freedom, commemorating Black history In 2021, Juneteenth was officially declared a federal holiday in the United States, further solidifying its significance and the importance of acknowledging the legacy of slavery.
June 18, 2023 Hanscom AFB leaders invest in energy resiliency Installation officials are demonstrating their commitment to bolster Hanscom Air Force Base’s energy resiliency and efficiency through innovative pilot programs, partnerships and prioritizing energy-related projects.
June 16, 2023 DAF releases Women, Peace, Security Strategic Action Plan The DAF recently released its Women, Peace, and Security Strategic Action Plan to operationalize WPS concepts across the Air and Space Forces.