HomeNews

NATO Air Policing operations

U.S. Air Force News

  • 774th EAS conducts first combat airdrop in more than two years

    Months of planning and weeks of preparing culminates to an airdrop lasting a few seconds. While the time and effort that goes into planning a combat airdrop may seem long for something that lasts less than a minute, for the ground troops, the equipment they received will have a lasting impact.

  • Stride-for-stride

    Second Lt. William Yau, 742nd Missile Squadron deputy missile combat crew commander, has been admiringly chasing his older brother James since they were young boys growing up in Troy, Michigan.

  • F.E. Warren AFB tests Minuteman III missile with launch from Vandenberg

    A team of Air Force Global Strike Command Airmen from the 90th Missile Wing at F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming, launched an unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile equipped with a single test reentry vehicle Aug. 2, 2017 at 2:10 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time from Vandenberg AFB,

  • AF Week in Photos

    This week's photos feature Airmen from around the globe involved in activities supporting expeditionary operations and defending America. This weekly feature showcases the men and women of the Air Force.

  • Froehlichs receive O’Malley Award

    Col. Eric Froehlich, the former 377th Air Base Wing commander, and his wife, Stephanie, were awarded the Air Force 2017 General and Mrs. Jerome O’Malley Award June 15 at Kirtland Air Force Base.The O’Malley Award is given to the wing commander and spouse whose contributions to the nation, Air Force

  • Grandson of Enola Gay pilot flies refurbished B-29

    Wichita’s beloved B-29 Superfortress, Doc, took to the skies yet again June 9, 2017, from McConnell Air Force Base, this time with an added aspect of historical significance and Air Force heritage.Sitting in the co-pilot seat was Brig. Gen. Paul Tibbets IV, the 509th Bomb Wing commander. Taking

  • Air Force B-2 Spirit Stealth Bombers arrive in UK

    Two B-2 Spirit stealth bombers joined B-1B Lancers and B-52H Stratofortresses June 9, 2017, to participate in theater bomber assurance and deterrence operations.Three B-52Hs from Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, and three B-1Bs from Ellsworth AFB, South Dakota, along with approximately 800

  • Strategic bombers, Airmen deploy to United Kingdom

    B-52H Stratofortresses from Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, and about 800 Airmen from Air Force Global Strike Command deployed to Royal Air Force Fairford to support a number of exercises with joint partners, and U.K. and NATO allies.

  • Malmstrom tests Minuteman III missile with launch from Vandenberg

    A team of Air Force Global Strike Command Airmen from the 341st Missile Wing at Malmstrom Air Force Base, Montana, launched an unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile equipped with a single test reentry vehicle May 3, 2017, at 12:02 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time from Vandenberg AFB,

  • Around the Air Force: April 7

    On this look around the Air Force, a team of communication specialists travel to Kodiak Island, Alaska, to provide communication assistance and Air Force Global Strike Command stands up a nuclear command, control and communications center.

  • From EOD Airman to Silver Star recipient

    Retired Master Sgt. Kristopher Parker, an explosive ordnance disposal technician, received the Silver Star medal March 17, 2017, at Dyess Air Force Base, Texas for his courageous actions while deployed to Afghanistan in May 2014.

  • B-52 undergoes HERO testing at Edwards AFB

    A B-52 Stratofortress from the 96th Bomb Squadron at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, is undergoing Hazards of Electromagnetic Radiation to Ordnance testing in the Benefield Anechoic Facility (BAF) here.

  • Castaway Airman helped map the world

    For six months in 1956 Bob Cunningham, a former Air Force radar operator, lived on a remote knob approximately 2,000 feet long and 850 feet wide in the Spratly Islands group located midway between the Philippine Islands and Vietnam. His home was a canvas tent and he manned radio and radar equipment

  • James visits Malmstrom AFB for final time

    Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James visited Malmstrom Air Force Base, Montana, Jan. 5 to discuss morale, innovation and modernization of the nuclear enterprise with Airmen.

  • Goldfein stands watch with Airmen at F.E. Warren AFB

    Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David L. Goldfein visited Airmen at a missile alert facility in the F.E. Warren Air Force Base missile complex Dec. 19-20. Airmen stand watch 24/7, ensuring the nation’s nuclear deterrence capability is equipped and ready at a moment’s notice. The men and women who

  • Around the Air Force: Dec. 13

    On this look around the Air Force, Airmen deliver the first F-35s to Israel, Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James visits Airmen at F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming, and Airmen attend the Enhancing Human Capital course.

  • James visits F.E. Warren, discusses force improvement efforts

    Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James and Lt. Gen. Jack Weinstein, the deputy chief of staff for strategic deterrence and nuclear integration, visited F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming, to speak directly with Airmen about ongoing improvement efforts throughout the nuclear enterprise, Dec. 7-8.

  • Bully Brothers

    Airman 1st Class Jarret Nave, a 91st Missile Maintenance Squadron electro-mechanical technician, knew where he wished to be stationed when he booked the same job as his older brother. As fate would have it, he ended up with the same job as his brother Senior Airman Todd Nave, a 91st MMXS missile

  • Weapons squadrons integrate combat skillsets

    Two B-52s from Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, and two B-1 Lancers from Dyess AFB, Texas, flew together and performed more than 200 simulated missile launches as part of a weapons school integration exercise.

  • E-4Bs realign under 8th Air Force, 595th CACG stands up

    The 8th Air Force has another aircraft in its inventory, and it’s not a bomber. The E-4B, which serves as the National Airborne Operations Center (NAOC) and is a key component of the National Military Command System for the president, the secretary of defense, and the Joint Chiefs of Staff, recently

  • Carter visits Minot, emphasizes nuclear mission

    Defense Secretary Ash Carter visited Minot Air Force Base Sept. 26, giving Airmen who support the nation’s intercontinental ballistic missile and strategic bomber forces a chance to engage with him.During the visit to the 5th Bomb and 91st Missile Wings, Carter emphasized the importance of the

  • B-21: Modernizing the bomber fleet

    Following the Air Force secretary’s announcement that the new long-range strike bomber would be called the B-21 Raider, Gen. Robin Rand, the Air Force Global Strike Command commander, said during a session at the Air Force Association Air, Space and Cyber Conference Sept. 19 the name brought the

  • Malmstrom tests Minuteman III with launch from Vandenberg

    A team of Air Force Global Strike Command Airmen from the 341st Missile Wing at Malmstrom Air Force Base, Montana, launched an unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile equipped with a test re-entry vehicle Sept. 5 from Vandenberg AFB, California.

  • Around the Air Force: Aug. 5

    On this look around the Air Force, B-1B Lancers deploy to Guam; a new issue of Airman magazine is out and features U-2 pilots; and in Germany, seven nations participated in International Jump Week.

  • A honey of a mission: Airmen help save, relocate 25,000 bees

    Earlier this month, Malmstrom Air Force Base encountered a wildlife phenomenon, and through perseverance and understanding, handled what could have been a sticky situation in the most natural way possible. Airmen utilized quick thinking and humane treatment to save the lives of approximately 25,000

  • Airman selected to attend culinary forum for top US military chefs

    Airman 1st Class Alexandra Ayub, a 90th Force Support Squadron missile chef, won the Arthur J. Myers Food Service Excellence Award for the Western Hemisphere earlier this year. As a result, she’s now been selected to represent the Air Force at the Armed Forces Forum for Culinary Excellence at the

  • Looking Glass flight broadens Airmen’s horizon

    Missileers from across the 20th Air Force recently accompanied their commander on the Airborne National Command Post as part of a “fly along” program to witness the national impact of their mission.

  • AF moving forward with restructure of missileer career field

    The commander of Air Force Global Strike Command directed a review of the nuclear and missile operations career field earlier this year, with the goal of creating a self-sustaining career field. The review was recently completed, and over the past week, Maj. Gen. Anthony Cotton, 20th Air Force

  • Montana's last Doolittle Raider honored

    Seventy-four years after the historic Doolittle Tokyo Raid, former Staff Sgt. David J. Thatcher, one of two remaining Doolittle Raiders, was laid to rest June 27 in Missoula. He was 94.

  • Documenting a tragedy: Global Strike historian recalls Khobar Towers

    Yancy Mailes, the Air Force Global Strike Command historian, was a 27-year-old staff sergeant at the time. It was June 25, 1996, and he had been the wing’s historian for three months. With little training and less experience, he found himself as one of the key contributors to documenting the tragedy

  • Around the Air Force: June 10

    On this look around the Air Force the secretary of the Air Force shares a Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride Month message and B-52 Stratofortresses from Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota, kick things off at Baltic Operations 16.

  • Minot B-52s begin Baltops 16 flying ops

    A B-52H Stratofortress aircrew from Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota, conducted their first flying training mission in support of the multinational exercise Baltops 16 on June 7 from Royal Air Force Fairford.

  • Ready to receive: B-52s touch down in England

    With the sharp screech of rubber meeting asphalt, two B-52 Stratofortress bombers from Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota, touched down June 2 at Royal Air Force Fairford, England.

  • Barksdale B-52s drop bombs in exercise with Jordanian forces

    Two B-52 Stratofortress bombers assigned to the 2nd Bomb Wing at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, returned May 24 from a 35-hour, 14,000-mile nonstop mission to Jordan as part of this year’s exercise Eager Lion with Jordanian Armed Forces.

  • Barksdale unit first to train with latest B-52 upgrade

    The last B-52 Stratofortress rolled off the assembly line in 1962, but while the airframe itself is well-seasoned, the internal components are continually upgraded to keep up with the demands of the modern battlespace. Efforts like the Military Standard 1760 Internal Weapons Bay Upgrade program aim

  • A boxing savage

    Nine times out of 10, hitting someone in the face could land an assault charge. That isn't the case for Staff Sgt. Ryan Savage, a successful amateur boxer in his spare time.

  • B-52 integrates, trains with French allies

    A B-52 Stratofortress from Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota, conducted a long-range training sortie April 20, to train and integrate with the French air force.

  • B-52 conducts long-range training with Colombian forces

    A B-52 Stratofortress from Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota, conducted a long-range training sortie to engage with South American military partners April 1-2. During the course of the 27-hour, nonstop mission, the aircrew trained with the Colombian air force before executing a flyover of the

  • Air Force next-generation bomber naming contest begins

    At the Air Force Association’s Air Warfare Symposium in Orlando, Florida, Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James announced the newest bomber addition to the Air Force’s long history of aircraft, the B-21. Now it’s up to you to name it.

  • Airpower leaders stress stronger role for Airmen in future ops

    Gen. Hawk Carlisle, the commander of the Air Combat Command, and Gen. Robin Rand, the commander of the Air Force Global Strike Command, kicked off the Air Force Association’s 32nd annual Air Warfare Symposium Feb. 25 in Orlando, Florida, with a presentation on global precision strike, a group of

  • Minot tests Minuteman III with launch from Vandenberg AFB

    A team of Air Force Global Strike Command Airmen from the 91st Missile Wing at Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota, and the 625th Strategic Operations Squadron at Offutt AFB, Nebraska, aboard the Airborne Launch Control System, launched an unarmed LGM-30G Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic

  • Desert Storm: 2nd Bomb Wing leads the air war

    In the early morning of Jan. 16, 1991, the 2nd Bomb Wing deployed seven B-52G Stratofortresses and crews to Iraq in a single, secret mission that would mark the beginning of Operation Desert Storm.

  • B-1B Lancer sets rotational records before leaving downrange

    A B-1B Lancer that achieved rotational milestones is scheduled to leave Al Udeid Air Base soon for a six-month hiatus for aircraft modifications stateside. The B-1 has been under the operational support of the 379th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron,and has set records during the

  • AF missile officers get their ‘sea legs’

    Through the Striker Trident nuclear officer exchange program, four hand-selected intercontinental ballistic missile officers assigned to various Air Force Global Strike Command units are broadening their horizons by serving multi-year tours with U.S. Navy Submarine Forces ballistic missile submarine

  • 377th ABW transfers to AF Global Strike Command

    The 377th Air Base Wing at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico, became part of 20th Air Force Oct. 1, as it shifts from Air Force Materiel Command to Air Force Global Strike Command.

  • Barksdale Airmen participate in EUCOM exercise

    A 2nd Bomb Wing B-52 Stratofortress aircrew conducted a long-range bomber mission from the United States to the U.S. European Command area of operations Sept. 17-18, where they participated in exercise Immediate Response 2015.

  • Time with MAJCOM commanders at the four-star forum

    Members of the Air Force, Air Force Association and defense industry were invited to a Q-and-A session with Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Welsh III, Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James M. Cody and several major command commanders during a four-star forum at the AFA Air and Space

  • Air Force Global Strike Command commander visits USSTRATCOM

    Gen. Robin Rand, the Air Force Global Strike Command commander, met with. Navy Adm. Cecil D. Haney, the U.S. Strategic Command commander, other senior USSTRATCOM leaders and subject matter experts to discuss a variety of mission-related issues during his visit to Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska,

  • 45 years on alert: Minot conducts Minuteman III test launch

    The 91st Missile Wing completed an operational test launch of an unarmed LGM-30G Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, Aug. 19, continuing its mission of providing strategic deterrence for the U.S. and their allies. The launch fell on the 45th

  • Keeping the buff young: Nondestructive inspection

    Like a radiologist who can see fractures without using a scalpel, there are Airmen who can find deficiencies in the B-52 Stratofortress’s bones to proactively ensure the aircraft’s structural integrity.

  • CSAF listens to Airmen, discusses nuclear enterprise mission

    Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A Welsh III visited three Air Force Global Strike Command bases to listen to Airmen of all ranks who support the Global Strike mission on a daily basis, while addressing the importance of the nuclear enterprise and its future.

  • AF Global Strike Command establishes school for its best, brightest

    The Cold War ended in 1991, and with it, a comprehensive knowledge of the nation's deterrence capability. The link between strategic deterrence and technical competence faded away, with Airmen often gaining expertise in other areas, according to Air Force Global Strike Command staff. This shortage

  • Rand takes command of AF Global Strike Command

    Gen. Robin Rand took command of Air Force Global Strike Command during a ceremony at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, July 28, becoming the newest leader of the organization responsible for the nation's force of ICBMs and nuclear-capable bombers.

  • Going the distance

    Chief Master Sgt. Geoff Weimer, the 5th Bomb Wing command chief, ran 52 miles on the McAdoo Sports and Fitness Center outdoor track at Minot Air Force Base, July 24, to support the Air Force Enlisted Village and Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force Scholarship Fund.

  • Comprehensive Airman Fitness on the go

    The Wingman Toolkit, an outreach and communication tool designed to ensure Airmen have quick and easy access to the latest Comprehensive Airman Fitness programs and resources, now has a mobile app available to download.

  • 40th HS makes rescue during Independence Day weekend

    A UH-1N Iroquois crew assigned to the 40th Helicopter Squadron here rescued an injured female hiker in the Big Horn Mountain Range roughly 15 miles west of Buffalo, Wyoming, July 5 at approximately 5:20 a.m.

  • B-52s demonstrate strategic reach

    Two B-52 Stratofortresses assigned to the 2nd Bomb Wing at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, returned July 2 from a 44-hour, nonstop mission to Australia.

  • Malmstrom chaplain named Air Force's CGO Chaplain of Year

    Chaplain (Capt.) Keith Manry, a 341st Missile Wing chaplain, was recently recognized as the Air Force Chaplain Corps Company Grade Officer Chaplain of the Year for 2014. He was recognized for his work at Malmstrom Air Force Base, Montana, and while deployed to Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan.

  • Weapons safety ensures ICBM effectiveness

    The 90th Missile Wing's mission is to defend America with the world's premier combat ready intercontinental ballistic missile force, and ensuring the safe execution of the mission is the prime focus of the 90th MW Safety Office.

  • Continuing the legacy: Tibbets takes command of 509th Bomb Wing

    During a historic ceremony, Brig. Gen. Paul W. Tibbets IV took command of the 509th Bomb Wing at Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri, June 5. Tibbets' grandfather, Brig. Gen. Paul W. Tibbets Jr., was the pilot of the "Enola Gay," the B-29 Superfortress known for dropping the "Little Boy" atomic bomb

  • The business of people: Life as a first sergeant

    Dedication is defined as a feeling of very strong support for or loyalty to someone or something, or the quality or state of being dedicated to a person, group or cause.It is this definition which embodies the attitude of a first sergeant. Colloquially called a shirt or first shirt, unwavering

  • Exercise tests command's deterrent capabilities

    Air Force Global Strike Command’s bomb wings participated in exercise Constant Vigilance May 4-13, demonstrating the command's flexibility and global reach while testing its tactics, techniques and procedures.

  • Global Strike maintainers win 2014 AF-level maintenance award

    The men and women of Air Force Global Strike Command's Logistics, Installation and Mission Support Directorate recently earned the 2015 Gen. Wilbur L. Creech Maintenance Excellence Award. The award is given to the major command demonstrating the most improved performance in the category of aircraft

  • STRATCOM commander hosts ICBM stakeholders meeting

    During his visit to F.E. Warren Air Force Base April 27-28, Navy Adm. Cecil D. Haney, the U.S. Strategic Command commander, reinforced how essential the intercontinental ballistic missile mission is, and some face to face engagement allowed Haney to seek bottom-up feedback from Airmen of all ranks.

  • AF realigns B-1, LRS-B under Air Force Global Strike Command

    The Secretary and Chief of Staff of the Air Force have directed the realignment of the Air Force’s B-1 bomber fleets and Long Range Strike-Bomber program from Air Combat Command to Air Force Global Strike Command, effective Oct. 1.

  • Missile alert facility life: 60 feet under

    For 24 hours, two officers are confined 60 feet below a missile alert facility (MAF), to a metal pill no larger than an average bedroom. Containing a vast array of Cold War-era technology, the capsule houses the ability to launch nuclear equipped intercontinental ballistic missiles, with the power

  • Defending the nation's ICBM force

    Before the sun has had a chance to peek up above the horizon, a two-person team opens the front door and steps out of a missile alert facility (MAF) into the chilly blackness. Their flashlights click on and they set off on a perimeter check. With one on the outside of the fence surrounding the MAF

  • Culture of change comes full circle

    Col. Jay Folds, the Task Force 214 and 20th Air Force director of operations, was the first colonel since the mid-1990s to pull alert at a launch control center Feb. 19, in the missile fields near Cheyenne, Wyoming.

  • Nuclear oversight board members visit Minot AFB

    More than three dozen members of the Air Force's senior leadership, including Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James and Chief of Staff of the Air Force Gen. Mark A. Welsh III, converged on Minot Air Force Base for a meeting of the Nuclear Oversight Board here today. The NOB is a quarterly

  • SecAF, AFGSC commander visit Malmstrom

    Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James and Air Force Global Strike Commander Lt. Gen. Stephen Wilson visited Malmstrom Air Force Base Feb. 19, to meet with Airmen, specifically those who deploy to the missile fields, and see benefits of the grass-roots feedback program known as the Force