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U.S. Air Force News

  • For Dyess maintainers, little shop pays big dividends

    For most maintainers, the answer to a broken part is easy: replace the part, continue the mission. For the Air Force Repair Enhancement Program shop, the broken part is the mission. AFREP Airmen are responsible for repairing especially costly pieces of equipment or equipment essential to the

  • Oct. 1 – Pulse on AF force management

    Featured in this force management update are details regarding changes to the reduction in force board eligibility and ongoing civilian force management programs.

  • CSAF to Academy: 'Adapting to change key to success'

    Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Welsh III arrived at the U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado, Sept. 29, as part of a week-long stay.Welsh wanted to take some time to thank Academy Airmen for the part they play here and in the Air Force.

  • CMSAF discusses future, heritage during visit to Columbus AFB

    Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James A. Cody and his wife, retired Chief Master Sgt. Athena Cody, visited Columbus Air Force Base, Mississippi, Sept. 24-25, taking time to meet with Airmen and discuss several of the Air Force's current hot topics.

  • Latest Airman magazine now available

    The cover story for the October edition of Airman magazine is titled “Going Beyond,” and tells the story of several Air Force wounded warriors learning how to go beyond what others would call limits as they prepared for the Warrior Games. The October issue is now available to download...

  • Altus AFB produces mission capable boom operators

    For the past 16 years, the 97th Air Mobility Wing has been the only schoolhouse for training initial KC-135 Stratotanker boom operator students, which trains around 265 Airmen and international students a year.

  • From partner to caregiver: Wife’s story of love, perseverance

    When a couple talks about how they first met, a phrase commonly heard is, “Well, they just fell into my life.” For one couple, the expression could be taken quite literally. When Jeremiah Means first met Ashley, she was tripping in front of him as she tried to rush through a doorway. He called

  • AF integrates TAP into new Military Lifecycle Model

    The redesigned Transition Assistance Program is in its third and final stage and will be integrated into the new Defense Department Military Lifecycle Model, Air Force Personnel Center officials said. The MLC, which will be implemented Oct. 1, is the latest in a series of improvements to the

  • 3T program eases transition to civilian life

    Preparing for life after the military can be tough, but the Air Force is working to make it a little easier with a tractor trailer training program called 3T.The Military Commercial Driver's License Act of 2012 allows states to accept a military operator's license and training certificate, along

  • Academy hits conservation target

    In light of October being Energy Action Month, developed by the Department of Energy, U.S. Air Force Academy mission elements gathered Sept. 23, to discuss energy and utility savings for the year and analyze new efforts here to reduce costs and save energy.

  • A love story: healing the wounded warrior

    He was a young Air Force officer healing from a recent trauma and she was a dedicated single mother of two. Whether it was friends or fate that first brought them together, neither would have suspected that their chance meeting in Florida would be the key to his recovery. Their introduction to each

  • 'Decisive' air power thwarts ISIL's capabilities, official says

    Air power has stymied Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorists, with the Air Force accomplishing 74 percent of the more than 240 airstrikes in Iraq and Syria since Aug. 8, a senior Air Force official told reporters at the Pentagon Sept. 29.

  • Global Strike provides deterrence for the modern era

    The Air Force recently demonstrated its nuclear deterrence and power projection capabilities through a coordinated display of strategic combat power.Air Force Global Strike Command Airmen -- responsible for two legs of the nation's nuclear triad -- conducted the demonstrations, which included

  • Weathering the storm: AF eyes in the sky provide global weather data

    Detachment 1, 50th Operations Group, a small contingent of four Air Force officers, is responsible for seven satellites that comprise the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program, or DMSP. The team coordinates with the space experts of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, contractor

  • AF starts with clean sweep in sitting volleyball

    Competition began Sept. 28 at the 2014 Warrior Games with four games of sitting volleyball to start the round-robin tournament at the U.S. Olympic Training Center's Sports Centers 1 and 2.Air Force made it a clean sweep of their back-to-back games. The first game against Army provided a close

  • 19th AF activates under AETC

    The Air Education and Training Command will re-activate a streamlined 19th Air Force Oct. 1, headquartered at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas.

  • ISR agency remembers, honors its legacy

    Four of the most influential leaders of the Air Force intelligence community were forever enshrined into the heritage of the Air Force Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Agency, during a ceremony here Sept. 27.

  • Airmen deliver Ebola treatment facility to West Africa

    Airmen from Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia, partnered with representatives from the U.S. Public Health Service Sept. 26, to deliver a modular medical treatment center, as part of a government-wide effort to support humanitarian relief operations in Ebola-stricken African nations.

  • Warrior Games begin in Colorado

    The 2014 Warrior Games, bringing together more than 200 wounded, ill or injured U.S. service members and veterans opened here today, with a senior Defense Department official lauding all those competing as an inspiration to everyone who wears the uniform.

  • 2014 Warrior Games to kick off

    Beginning Sept. 28, for seven days, 40 Air Force veteran athletes will compete head-to-head within various adaptive sports for the Warrior Games alongside more than 210 other warriors from the Air Force’s sister services, taking place at the Olympic Training Center, Fort Carson and Garry Barry

  • TACP-M ties it all together

    Embedded deep within an Army maneuver unit lies an Airman. Charged with orchestrating critical close-air support, oftentimes it's the effort of this combat maestro that means the difference between life and death on the battlefield - he is known as a tactical air control party or TACP for short.

  • Hagel: Defeating ISIL is long-term endeavor

    Defeating the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant will require a long-term commitment by the United States and its allies on many fronts and will not be achieved by airstrikes alone, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel told reporters Sept. 26.

  • 'Day in the Life' project showcases right Airman, right job, right time

    The 86th Airlift Wing at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, spent months of pre-planning, coordination and post-production efforts to create a multimedia project titled, "Day in the Life of the 86th Airlift Wing" showing how the wing supports multiple Air Force, joint and international missions daily.

  • Air Force 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.

  • F-22 Raptor team recipient of DOD maintenance award

    A team responsible for depot maintenance on the F-22 Raptor is one of the recipients of the Secretary of Defense Maintenance Award for depot and field-level units. These awards are presented annually to recognize outstanding achievements in weapon system and military equipment maintenance. The

  • SSgt EPR static closeout dates implemented

    Implementation of a series of changes to the enlisted evaluation and promotion systems announced in July by Air Force senior leaders continues with establishment of the staff sergeant enlisted performance report static closeout date. Effective Oct. 4, all staff sergeant EPRs will close out Jan. 31.

  • Warrior Games Profile - Wesley Glisson

    More than 40 athletes will represent the Air Force during the 2014 Warrior Games from Sept. 28 to Oct. 4, in Colorado Springs, Colorado. This is a profile of one of those athletes, providing a behind-the-scenes look at who they are and the sport they will participate in.

  • Warrior Games Profile - Christopher D’Angelo

    More than 40 athletes will represent the Air Force during the 2014 Warrior Games from Sept. 28 to Oct. 4, in Colorado Springs, Colorado. This is a profile of one of those athletes, providing a behind-the-scenes look at who they are and the sport they will participate in.

  • Warrior Games Profile - Jason Ellis

    More than 40 athletes will represent the Air Force during the 2014 Warrior Games from Sept. 28 to Oct. 4, in Colorado Springs, Colorado. This is a profile of one of those athletes, providing a behind-the-scenes look at who they are and the sport they will participate in.

  • Warrior Games Profile - Tech. Sgt. Lara Ishikawa

    More than 40 athletes will represent the Air Force during the 2014 Warrior Games from Sept. 28 to Oct. 4, in Colorado Springs, Colorado. This is a profile of one of those athletes, providing a behind-the-scenes look at who they are and the sport they will participate in.

  • Warrior Games Profile - Mitchell Kieffer

    More than 40 athletes will represent the Air Force during the 2014 Warrior Games from Sept. 28 to Oct. 4, in Colorado Springs, Colorado. This is a profile of one of those athletes, providing a behind-the-scenes look at who they are and the sport they will participate in.

  • Warrior Games Profile - Daniel Oosterhous

    More than 40 athletes will represent the Air Force during the 2014 Warrior Games from Sept. 28 to Oct. 4, in Colorado Springs, Colorado. This is a profile of one of those athletes, providing a behind-the-scenes look at who they are and the sport they will participate in.

  • CMSAF visits Keesler

    A common subject for discussion during Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James A. Cody's visit to Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi, was the impending changes to enlisted evaluation and promotion systems.

  • Hill AFB in midst of robust F-35 preparation

    Hill AFB’s preparations for the F-35A Lightning II, totaling more than $100 million, with 23 projects to be completed between September 2014 and July 2015, and 36 total projects will be finished once construction concludes in 2019.

  • Tanker aircrews help in fight against ISIL

    With 16 KC-135 Stratotankers on its installation, Airmen from MacDill Air Force Base, Florida, waste no time when answering the call to defend the nation -- even when there is little to no notice. As these planes can be seen and heard overhead, one has to wonder where in the world they are flying.

  • Surviving the altitude

    Many issues may arise when flying as aircrew, including hypoxia, which can be life-threatening if the proper procedures are not taken to correct it.

  • PACAF hosts Pacific Rim Air Power Symposium

    Pacific Air Forces hosted military leaders from 20 countries throughout the Pacific region during the annual Pacific Rim Air Power Symposium held here Sept. 22-25. The PACRIM Airpower Symposium, previously known as the PACAF Director of Operations Conference, builds and improves multilateral

  • Minuteman III test missile launches from Vandenberg

    A team of Air Force Global Strike Command Airmen launched an unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile Sept. 23 at 7:45 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California.

  • AF firefighters qualify to train Central American counterparts

    Twelve members from the 612th Air Base Squadron Fire Emergency Services completed the Air Advisor Academy’s five-day academic mobile training team course Sept. 15-19, to become the first group to receive air advisor training qualified to provide partner nation firefighting training.

  • AF EOD mission completed in Afghanistan

    From the front lines, explosive ordnance disposal Airmen have been clearing the way during Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom for the past 12 years, providing safe passage for all other warriors to follow.

  • Air Force women take Armed Forces softball title

    The All-Air Force Women's Softball team defeated the Marine Corps, 9-4, to capture its first Armed Forces Women's Softball Championship since 2011 at Fort Sill, Okla., Sept. 18, the same day the Air Force observed its 67th birthday.

  • Air Force fighters, bombers conduct strikes against ISIL targets in Syria

    U.S. military forces and partner nations, including the Kingdom of Bahrain, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, undertook military action against ISIL terrorists in Syria overnight, using a mix of fighter, bomber, remotely piloted

  • Army, AF share joint information network

    During September, the Army and Air Force achieved major network security and capacity upgrades at Joint Base San Antonio, Texas, in partnership with the Defense Information Systems Agency, or DISA.

  • Simulators train aircrew at fraction of cost

    Using simulators for the majority of pilot training is a huge advantage. They operate at about 5 percent of the cost of real jets. One hour of flying in a C-17 costs approximately $23,424 -- a substantial difference compared to the simulator.

  • Injured Idaho hiker rescued by Fairchild crews

    Airmen from Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington, rescued a 36-year-old female rock climber Sept. 20, near Priest Lake, Idaho, after she suffered injuries to her face, lower leg and foot.

  • Phased rollout to improve enlisted evaluation system

    The Air Force chief of enlisted force policy outlined the implementation of the new enlisted evaluation and promotion systems at the 2014 Air Force Association’s Air & Space Conference and Technology Exposition here Sept. 17.

  • Airmen support firefighting efforts in California

    Two 146th Airlift Wing C-130 Hercules equipped with U.S. Forest Service Modular Airborne Fire Fighting Systems, or MAFFS, will be assisting with wildfire suppression efforts in California and the Northwest at the request of the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho, U.S. Northern Command

  • PIKE nears end of service

    The 22nd Space Operations Squadron will decommission the Colorado Tracking Station Sept. 29, during a ceremony here, signaling the end of operations for one of the Air Force Satellite Control Network's most valued assets of the past two decades.

  • AF recruiting software gets overhaul

    A new system has revolutionized the recruiting process for more than 5,000 recruiters and interface partners within the Air Force Active Duty, Guard, and Reserve components.

  • Warrior Games: Wounded warrior overcomes adversity with archery

    Staff Sgt. Seth Pena, a highly decorated tactical air control party member, noted for calling in coordinated close support air strikes that killed up to 70 Taliban members in one fight, sat down with a crossbow draped across his lap and a target 25 meters in front of him, reminiscing about the night

  • AF Marathon attracts record-breaking crowds

    In yet another record sellout year, approximately 15,000 runners took to the streets Sept. 20, at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio to participate in the U.S. Air Force Marathon, celebrating the Air Force's 67th birthday.

  • Roll Call: The Evolution of PME

    The Air Force senior enlisted Airman released the latest installment of Roll Call, outlining the way forward for enlisted professional military education.

  • Air Force 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.

  • Guam RED HORSE Airmen provide lifesaving training

    Firefighters from Andersen Air Force Base and Naval Base Guam joined with their island partners from the Guam Fire Department to develop the skills to perform high-risk rescues by participating in a three-week Defense Department Rescue Technician Course here in September.

  • CMSAF fields questions, speaks about EPRs

    Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James A. Cody addressed the future of enlisted performance reports during a Q-and-A format session at the 2014 Air Force Association’s Air and Space Conference and Technology Exposition here Sept. 17.

  • Women’s legacy parallels Air Force history

    As we celebrate the Air Force’s 67th birthday, we talk of how far we’ve come and look ahead to what the future holds, but it’s just as important to look at where we’ve been. The story of women in the military, specifically the Air Force, parallels that of the Air Force itself. In fact, for women

  • Enlisted Heritage Panel convenes at AFA

    Former chief master sergeants of the Air Force shared experiences and challenges they faced in their careers during the 2014 Air Force Association Air & Space Conference, Sept. 17.

  • F-35 on time to deliver global security, Air Force official said

    Work leading up the completion of the multinational F-35 program is largely on track, the F-35 Lightning II Joint Program Office executive officer said in remarks during the 2014 Air Force Association’s Air & Space Conference and Technology Exposition Sept. 15.

  • CMSAF outlines future force improvements

    Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James A. Cody discussed the force’s way forward at the 2014 Air Force Association’s Air & Space Conference and Technology Exposition here Sept. 17.

  • 67 plus years of airpower

    "We didn't become the world's greatest Air Force by accident," said Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James A. Cody. "We got here through 67 years of American Airmen breaking new terrain and lifting us to a higher level. We should celebrate that innovation this year...

  • AF to change instructions for oaths

    The Air Force has instructed force support offices across the service to allow both enlisted members and officers to omit the words “So help me God” from enlistment and officer appointment oaths if an Airman chooses.

  • Innovation is key to stabilizing the Pacific

    The only way to continue forward is through innovation, Gen. Hawk Carlisle, commander of the Pacific Air Forces Command, said during a speech at the 2014 Air Force Association’s Air & Space Conference and Technology Exposition, Washington D.C., Sept. 16.