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U.S. Air Force News

  • Airman chases NFL dream

    Growing up in the northern Louisiana town of Blanchard, just outside of Shreveport, Staff Sgt. Geremy Satcher was a self-described country boy who played outside all day.

  • KC-46 completes its first aeromedical evacuation mission

    Over the course of six flights and 17 hours, the mission, which originated at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, transited five patients and two attendees to Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia; Patrick Air Force Base, Florida; and Travis AFB, California. The mission was evaluated by the Air Force Testing

  • Air Force announces 2019 Safety Awards

    Maj. Gen. John T. Rauch Jr., Air Force Chief of Safety, recently announced the recipients of the Secretary of the Air Force, Chief of Staff of the Air Force Safety Awards and the Air Force Chief of Safety Awards for 2019.

  • Air Force preps for Hurricane Dorian

    As of Sept. 3, Patrick Air Force Base, Florida, entered Hurricane Condition, or HURCON, 1, which indicates surface winds in excess of 50 knots (58 mph) could arrive in the area of Patrick AFB and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station within 12 hours. The base issued a limited evacuation order Aug. 31,

  • 920th RQW Airmen prepare for human spaceflight

    To prepare for the arrival of human space flight tests next year, the 920th Rescue Wing along with the DoD Human Space Flight Support Office, NASA and SpaceX personnel joined forces to plan and execute a realistic medical evacuation exercise at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Oct. 25.

  • Air Force Technical Applications Center uses failure to evolve

    In 2013, AFTAC formed an Innovation Lab to find ways to improve and accomplish their mission by developing concepts and technologies faster and cheaper. But the number one reason for establishing the lab was to enable innovators within the center to take calculated risks and evolve from failure to

  • 301st Rescue Squadron supports SpaceX resupply rocket launch

    Airmen from the 301st Rescue Squadron supported the successful launch of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket June 29, 2018. The launch of the Falcon 9 marked its fifteenth commercial resupply services mission lifting off at 5:42:42 a.m. EDT, from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station,

  • Air Force Widow vows to bring awareness to invisible wounds

    Air Force veteran Stacey Pavenski, 46, of Palm Bay, Florida, has post traumatic stress disorder, but she didn’t get it from serving in combat. It came from her husband’s combat struggles that drove him to take his own life in their bedroom, Sept. 18, 2017, while she was in the kitchen. He was 45.

  • Around the Air Force: March 7

    On this look around the Air Force, Chief of Staff of the Air Force Gen. David Goldfein discusses national defense strategy, and Airmen from the 920th Rescue Wing at Patrick Air Force Base, Florida, supported the launch of an Atlas V rocket. Hosted by Staff Sgt. Jevon Smith.

  • Reserve wing receives German Maritime Search and Rescue award

    For the first time in 20 years, the German Maritime Search and Rescue Service awarded the Medal of Honor on Ribbon for Rescue Missions at Sea in Gold in a special ceremony to the 920th Rescue Wing Jan. 26, 2018, at the German Martime Museum.The wing, based out of Patrick Air Force Base, Florida, was

  • Double take: Brothers’ bond extends far beyond twin upbringing

    It is well known that twins share a unique bond that transcends other sibling relationships. It’s common for twins to live, work and recreate within close proximity to each other throughout their lives.But for one pair of Air Force twins, they’ve taken that commonality several steps further.

  • Airmen conduct long-range rescue of cruise passenger

    Within two hours of the call, Airmen with the 920th Rescue Wing took to the skies bound for a cruise ship roughly 500 miles off the Florida coastline carrying an elderly passenger suffering an acute condition and in need of medical evacuation Nov. 7, 2017.

  • Cyberspace critical to nuclear treaty monitoring

    The Air Force Technical Applications Center here is charged with ensuring each and every nation across the globe complies with the ban on nuclear weapons testing, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Members of AFTAC answer that call without fail – monitoring nuclear treaty compliance is their

  • Magazine Day at Pentagon showcases Airmen, innovation

    In the three years since its inception, the Air Force’s Magazine Day has cultivated relationships and strengthened interaction with media outlets to help spark future story ideas highlighting the innovation, courage and dedication of Airmen.

  • Airmen persevere worldwide, accomplish mission

    In 1966, author Geoffrey Blainey coined the phrase “tyranny of distance,” metaphorically referring to how distance and isolation shaped the history of one of earth’s most intriguing continents, Australia.Today, members of the Air Force Technical Applications Center here are subjected to the tyranny

  • Through tragedy, loss, amputation, Airman learns ‘new norm’

    “My leg looked like a boomerang.”Those were the words of Staff Sgt. August O’Niell, an Air Force pararescueman, to members of the Air Force Technical Applications Center when the combat warrior visited the base to discuss resiliency during the center’s Combat Airman Fitness Day.

  • 45th Space Wing enables nation's space mission

    Space launches may soon be an almost weekly sight on Florida's Space Coast. As the need for space lift grows globally, partnerships between the Air Force, other government agencies and the commercial space industry are enhancing the 45th Space Wing's vision of remaining the world's premier gateway

  • Persistent surveillance gives squadron its global purpose

    Deep within the walls of a four story structure along Florida’s Space Coast sits a squadron of Airmen whose number one mission is to detect, identify and locate nuclear explosions anywhere in the world.The Technical Surveillance Squadron (TESS), a subordinate unit to the Air Force Technical

  • Joint medical exercise hits the beach

    The 920th Aeromedical Staging Squadron hosted the fifth annual MEDBEACH, a joint service exercise, to prepare military medical personnel for deployments by offering realistic hands-on scenarios one could encounter during combat. The exercise also provided 920th RQW reservists an opportunity to work

  • AF's 1st HC-130 takes its final flight to retirement

    After more than 50 years of faithful service and rescue missions spanning the globe, King 52, the first HC-130P/N configured for Air Force rescue in 1964, retired March 6, 2017.Accompanied by its 920th Rescue Wing dedicated crew chiefs and a nostalgic aircrew, the aircraft, tail number 4852, heads

  • Rescue warrior battles it out on prime time reality show

    For Tech. Sgt. Ben Domian, a survival, evasion, resistance, and escape specialist with the 920th Rescue Wing, saying yes turned out to be a once-in-a-lifetime adventure. Come March 9, 2017 at 8 p.m. Central Standard Time, television viewers across the nation can follow him and his partner, Juliana

  • 4-star returns to 1st assignment for WiSE keynote address

    The Air Force’s third-ever female four-star general returned to her first assignment to deliver keynote remarks at the Air Force Technical Applications Center’s (AFTAC) Women in Science and Engineering Symposium (WiSE) Sept. 7.Gen. Ellen M. Pawlikowski, commander of Air Force Materiel Command,

  • Welsh visits Patrick AFB, focuses on people, pride

    Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Welsh III told Airman Keegan Atherton, "I would die for you and you would die for me too," during his closing remarks at an all call May 9 at Patrick Air Force Base, Florida, driving home his point about what makes the Air Force unique and different to him.

  • A new woman: Transgender civilian Airman embraces change

    When Laura Perry first entered her office dressed as a woman, it was a colossal step in her yearslong quest for self-identity. It was time to show the world her true self. Before that April 2012 decision, Laura was Leonard, a retired Air Force major with a wife and two daughters. But something was

  • Final GPS IIF satellite moves to next processing phase toward launch

    All of the intricate processing steps from delivery of the satellite to launching into orbit are part of their standard operations at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida. But, it’s a bitter sweet moment when the team reflects on the extensive years of history they have processing GPS systems

  • Rescuer reunites with ‘Katrina Girl’

    Ten years ago, then-Staff Sgt. Mike Maroney, a helicopter pararescue specialist, was on day seven of a Hurricane Katrina recovery mission when he saw a family on the roof of their home flagging for help. Strapped in and ready to go, he was lowered from his rescue helicopter to the rooftop. What he

  • 45th Space Wing supports 6th SpaceX re-supply mission

    The 45th Space Wing supported Space Exploration Technologies' (SpaceX) successful launch of their Falcon 9 Dragon spacecraft headed to the International Space Station from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, April 14.

  • Diversity key to treaty monitoring center’s success

    Diversity in thought and approach is critical to innovation, and is a military necessity. It empowers Airmen to overcome challenges the service members face with executing global missions and growing responsibilities.