SecAF stepping down

Secretary of the Air Force Michael B. Donley

General dies in plane crash

Maj. Gen. Joseph Brown and his wife were killed when their private Cessna crashed near

Ladder techniques

A team member of the U.S. Air Force Seven Summit team practices how to safely traverse crevasses at Mount Everest Base Camp, Nepal. A team of six active-duty Airmen is currently on their way to climb Mount Everest, the highest mountain on Earth, to suppoort resilience, raise money for charity and commemorate their fallen. (Courtesy photo/USAF Seven Summit Challenge)

Nighlights near Everest

The tents of the U.S. Air Force Seven Summit team are illumated at night at a base camp near Mount Everest. A team of six active-duty Airmen is currently on their way to climb Mount Everest, the highest mountain on Earth, to suppoort resilience, raise money for charity and commemorate their fallen. (Courtesy photo/USAF Seven Summit Challenge)

Performing in the nation's capital

The U.S. Air Force Honor Guard Drill Team performs for visitors of the National Cherry Blossom Festival April 13, 2013 at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. With every formation they perform the Airmen of the Drill Team try to represent the Air Force's core value of "excellence in all we do," by performing their drill movements to perfection. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Alexander W. Riedel)

Tossing the rifles

Members of the U.S. Air Force Honor Guard Drill Team exchange their M-1 Garand rifles by tossing them to each other April 13, 2013, at the National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, D.C. The Drill Team promotes the Air Force mission by showcasing highly perfected drill performances at public and military venues to recruit, retain, and inspire fellow Airmen. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Alexander W. Riedel)

Blood, sweat, tears

Senior Airmen Billy Degraffenreid shows the cut to his hands he incurred while performing in a U.S. Air Force Honor Guard Drill Team performance April 13, 2013, at the National Mall, Washington, D.C. Degraffenreid is a senior member of the Drill Team and mangaged to a catch an incorrectly tossed M-1 Garand rifle at the bayonet, successfully completing the drill in front of a cheering audience at the National Cherry Blossom Festival. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Alexander W. Riedel)

Cornered by bayonets

First Lt. Michael Lemorie is surrounded by the bayonets of fellow U.S. Air Force Honor Guard Drill Team members April 13, 2013, at the National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, D.C. As the Drill Team's flight commander, Lemorie often places himself in the middle of dangerous group movements and rifle exchanges to represent the trust Air Force officer have in the Airmen they lead. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Alexander Riedel)

Taking a bow

The U.S. Air Force Honor Guard Drill Team competes during the joint service drill team exhibition April 13, 2013, at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. Drill teams from all four branches of the U.S. armed forces and the U.S. Coast Guard displayed their skills at the event that celebrated U.S. military heritage at the National Cherry Blossom Festival. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Alexander W. Riedel)

2013 Military Child of the Year honorees

Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey and Jim Knotts pose with Military Child of the Year honorees, from left to right, Alexander Ray Burch, Navy; Abigail MaryRose Perdew, Marine Corps; Amanda Wimmersberg, Coast Guard; Nicole Marie Daly, Army and Mark Michael Newberry, Air Force at the 5th Annual Military Child of the Year Awards Gala hosted by Operation Homefront at the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Arlington, Va., April 11, 2013. Dempsey is the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Knotts is the president and chief executive officer of Operation Homefront. (DOD photo/U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Sun L. Vega)

Deployed Airmen

Senior Airman Austin Stoker replenishes a .50-caliber machine gun after a training mission in Afghanistan, March 11, 2013. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Dennis J. Henry Jr.)

enlisted legislative fellow

Senior Master Sgt. Lavor Kirkpatrick, from the 12th Reconnaissance Squadron at Beale Air Force Base, Calif., has been selected as only the second enlisted legislative fellow. (Photo courtesy Beale AFB public affairs)

A day in Air Force life

Master Sgt. Jonathan Walsh spends time with his daughter, Scarlett, during his off-duty time March 29, 2013, in San Diego. Walsh works in a joint assignment as a security forces member at the Naval Consolidated Brig Miramar. (U.S. Air Force photo/Master Sgt. Jonathan Walsh)

A day in Air Force life

Senior Airman Brittany Christie receives a delivery truck of food supplies March 29, 2013, at the Berg-Liles Dining Facility on Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla. The storeroom clerks recieve dry goods and a few frozen items. When delivery trucks come in, the storeroom clerk gets the invoice from the driver, puts away supplies and accounts for each item. The Berg-Liles Dining Facility gets deliveries Monday through Friday from five different vendors. (Courtesy photo)

A day in Air Force life

Before another day of meetings, emails and memos, (from left to right) Tech. Sgt. Matthew Geist, Senior Master Sgt. Regina Coonrod and Master Sgt. David Fostertake ease into their day with an impromptu jam session March 29, 2013, at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, Washington, D.C. , Giest, Coonrod and Fostertake are members of the U.S. Air Force Band. The mission of the band is to honor those who have served, inspire American citizens to heightened patriotism and service, and positively impact the global community on behalf of the U.S. Air Force and the United States of America. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Lindsey A. Porter)

A day in Air Force life

Airman Jacque Fabre fills prescriptions March 29, 2013, at Offutt Air Force Base, Neb. Pharmacy specialists play a vital role in keeping the men, women and families of the Air Force healthy. They work with pharmacists to fill orders for medicines as well as use formulas to make special drugs. (U.S. Air Force photo/Master Sgt. Jonathan Stump)

A day in Air Force life

Master Sgt. Danielle Harmon and friends welcome World War II veterans as part of the Honor Flight program March 29, 2013, in Baltimore. Honor Flight is a nonprofit program that provides opportunities World War II veterans to visit the World War II memorial at no cost. Harmon is assigned to the 32nd Intelligence Squadron at Fort Meade, Md. (Courtesy photo)

A day in Air Force life

Cadet 3rd class Collin Smith and Cadet Maj. Corey Smetana balance college life and military obligations March 29, 2013, at Bowling Green State University, Ohio. Cadets have to work their schedules to ensure they have time for class, physical training, learning labs and homework. This photo shows cadets who are traveling from Det. 620 to their academic class at Bowling Green State University. It is not uncommon to see cadets wearing their uniforms to class due to the busy schedule that a cadet has. (Courtesy photo/Cadet Connor Richardson)

Air Force Reserve colonel sings with quartet

Col. Michelle Barrett (right) sings vocal warm-ups with The Excel Quartet of the Vienna-Falls Chorus of Fairfax, Va April 2, 2013. The quartet sings in the bathroom to take advantage of the great acoustics. The Excel quartet is the rookie quartet of the VF Chorus. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Carlin Leslie)

Tech. Sgt. Brain Zeisel

Tech. Sgt. Brian Zeisel recently graduated from the NCO academy April 4, 2013, at McGhee Tyson Air National Guard Base, Ten. Zeisel is a full-time Alaska State Trooper who appears on the National Geographic Channel with his K9 partner “Argo.” Zeisel is assigned to the Alaska Air National Guard’s 168th Security Forces Squadron at Eielson Air Force Base. (National Guard photo/ Master Sgt. Kurt Skoglund)

A smile in flight

First Lieutenants Sharon and Lisa, share a laugh during a training exercise for the Joint Surveillance and Target Attack Radar System over the Florida coast line, Feb. 12, 2013. Sharon and Lisa are air weapons officers with the 461st Air Control Wing at Robins Air Force Base, Ga. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Andrew Lee)

On the JSTARS flightdeck

Air craft commander Maj. Ben (left) flies an E-8 Charlie along with co-pilot Capt. Ryan (top right), as flight engineer Senior Master Sgt. Curtis monitors the aircrafts systems during a training exercise for the Joint Surveillance and Target Attack Radar System at Warner Robins Air Force Base, Ga., Feb. 13, 2013. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Andrew Lee)

JSTARS Command and Control

Maj. John, the mission crew commander, gives Maj. Ben, (middle), the aircraft commander, a status report on mission progress during a training exercise, Feb. 12, 2013, during a flight over the Georgia coast line. The crew of the Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System supported a Naval readiness exercise. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Andrew Lee)

Global Communications

Airman 1st Class Matt Laughner monitors tones on a network system at Joint Base Andrews, Md. Laughner is a radio frequency transmissions system technician assigned to the 89th Communications Squadron/High Frequency Global Communications System section. (U.S. Air Force photo/Val Gempis)