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  • Academy firefighters step up efforts to combat Black Forest blaze

    Sixteen firefighters and five vehicles from the U.S. Air Force Academy Fire Department joined with their counterparts from Peterson and Schriever Air Force bases, Fort Carson's 4th Infantry Division, the Colorado National Guard and local community agencies to battle a fire in Black Forest that has

  • Air Force removes six career fields from constrained list

    Six enlisted career fields will be removed from the career job reservation constrained list, while 17 others will see lower quotas, beginning June 15, Air Force Personnel Center officials said June 13.The career job reservation program enables the Air Force to manage the number of first-term Airmen

  • Air Force C-130s drop 25,000 gallons of retardant on Colorado fire

    Airmen from the Colorado Air Force Reserve's 302nd Airlift Wing flew their first aerial firefighting support missions of the year June 12, dropping fire retardant on the growing Black Forest fire.302nd AW aircrews fighting the nearly 9,000-acre blaze performed 10 drops, releasing approximately

  • African airmen return to Air University for U.S. Air Forces Africa symposium

    Military officers from the air forces of 16 African countries returned to Air University for the African Airmen Alumni Symposium June 11-13.The symposium, held at Air War College and sponsored by U.S. Air Forces Africa, is geared toward strengthening key partnerships, enhancing regional cooperation,

  • As Nellis AFB grounds aircraft, training goes virtual

    The sky over southern Nevada is quieter than they have been in quite some time due to the June 1 Air Combat Command directed stand down of flying operations.Despite the stand down, the 64th Aggressor Squadron remains committed to accomplishing their mission, said Lt. Col. Michael Shepherd, the 64th

  • Air Force leaders congratulate Army on 238 years

    Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Welsh III and Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James Cody congratulate the Army on its 238th birthday, June 14.Donley wrote a letter to the secretary of the Army stating:"Congratulations on the U.S. Army's 238th

  • Official outlines challenges in securing DOD communications

    The threat of a cyberattack that would disrupt or deny connectivity is one of many information technology challenges the Defense Department faces, the Pentagon's chief information officer said here June 12."There's nothing that we do in DOD from the standpoint of mission security that does not rely

  • Tinker AFB, community develop cost-saving initiatives

    In light of defense budget constraints, officials from Tinker Air Force Base and the local community partnered to develop and implement cost-saving initiatives expected to save the base more than $4,000 annually.In November 2012, Tinker AFB and local community members from Del City, Midwest City and

  • Making the trip: Airmen tackle life at missile facilities

    Senior Airman Jacob Petersen is packing for the "trip." Extra uniforms, underwear, socks, some special snacks. He kneels to give his 18-month-old daughter an extra hug and kiss before heading out the door. But Petersen isn't going on a deployment or an extended TDY or school. On this morning,

  • Official explains tuition assistance quality assurance program

    To increase stewardship and optimize service members' educational experiences, Defense Department officials have developed a multifaceted quality assurance program to improve tuition assistance, the assistant secretary of defense for readiness and force management said on Capitol Hill June 12.In

  • Date of separation rollback phase II underway

    The Air Force has implemented fiscal 2013 force management enlisted date of separation rollback program phase II, Air Force Personnel Center officials said June 12.DOS rollback is one of several voluntary and non-voluntary programs implemented during fiscal 2013 to help bring overall force numbers

  • Reservists to deploy in support of fires in Colorado

    Two Air Force Reserve Command Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System-equipped C-130s Hercules and aircrews from the 302nd Airlift Wing are supporting the firefighting efforts for southern Colorado fires.Air Force Reserve officials here received official word from the U.S. Forest Service on the night

  • 2014 ROTC instructor opportunities open

    Eligible lieutenants, captains and majors interested in Reserve Officer Training Corps instructor opportunities must submit their statement of intent, via the Airman Development Plan, to the Air Force Personnel Center by July 3, AFPC officials said today.Academic year 2014 instructor positions will

  • Operation Pacific Angel 2013 soars in Vietnam

    The United States and Vietnam began humanitarian assistance operations here June 10 as part of Operation Pacific Angel.Operation Pacific Angel which is in its sixth year, is a joint and combined humanitarian assistance exercise led by Pacific Air Forces."We are here to provide medical care and

  • Airman gets unusual gift along with dental cleaning

    When Air Force 2nd Lt. Jennifer Szatkowski came to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for a dental exam, she discovered an unusual coincidence that made her visit not-so-routine.While having her teeth cleaned May 3, she noticed two brown paper bags hanging on a bulletin board in the exam

  • Fleet grows, training increases for F-35

     The largest fleet of F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighters grew to 25 aircraft as the F-35 Integrated Training Center here welcomed two new Air Force F-35A variants of the multi-role fighter to the Emerald Coast, June 5.The expansion gives the 58th Fighter Squadron the ability to fly an expanded

  • Andrews Airmen powered by innovation

    Airmen with the 11th Logistics Readiness Squadron here answered the call to innovate as the Air Force faces a slashed budget this year.The four-member logistics team realized JB Andrews could save more than $10,000 per year by changing the way they acquired cars used to transport distinguished

  • Defense contractors will share burdens of furloughs, Hagel says

    The Defense Department is reviewing all of its contracts, and DOD contractors will share the burden of spending cuts, including the furloughs facing the department's civilian workforce, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel told senators June 11.Hagel testified before the Senate Appropriations Committee's

  • DOD research chief says science, tech skills vital

    The Defense Department needs to be thinking now about how to best recruit a workforce skilled in science and technology, which will be increasingly vital to national security, a senior DOD official said here yesterday.Reginald Brothers, deputy assistant secretary of defense for research, told a

  • Doors open at first AF collocated sexual assault victim support facility

    A collocated Special Victims' Council and sexual assault response coordinator office began operations here June 3, marking an Air Force first and the arrival of a revolutionary Air Force pilot program, providing specialized legal assistance to victims of sexual assault throughout the United

  • Former safety chief heads sexual assault prevention efforts

    Senior officials announced June 6 that they have appointed a two-star general to lead the Air Force's effort to reduce sexual assault within the ranks, and provide victims the support they need.Maj. Gen. Margaret Woodward was appointed the new director of the reorganized Air Force Sexual Assault

  • Satellite program finds savings while providing critical imagery

    An Air Force program at Hanscom Air Force Base that continually provides critical imagery to warfighters and first responders, is also reducing costs.Eagle Vision consists of five deployable satellite downlink stations that collect, process and distribute commercial satellite imagery in nearly real

  • 35 cats, 16 dogs - 1 Airman

    Fifteen years ago Samson, a Yorkie, found a home in San Antonio, Texas. The home was that of Senior Master Sgt. Melissa Spurling. Seeing Samson, she fell in love. Samson was the first animal adopted by Spurling, driving her devotion and love for animals. Living in San Antonio, she could not go

  • Siblings reunite for brother's retirement

    Being part of a large family is not that unusual, but the Maldonado siblings take being part of a larger family -- the Air Force family -- to new heights.That family got a chance to travel from around the world for Senior Master Sgt. David Maldonado's retirement from Det. 1, 552nd Air Control

  • Maintainers apply innovative protection to C-130s

    Rocks kicked up when landing a C-130 Hercules on unimproved runways can damage the fuselage of the aircraft. To combat this problem, maintainers in the 302nd Maintenance Group here began putting tape on the plane's belly. In January, they took another step by applying protective tape to the forward

  • Academy cadets operate small unmanned aircraft systems

    Eleven U.S. Air Force Academy cadets learned to operate RQ-11B Raven small unmanned aircraft systems, or SUAS, during an initial qualification training course at Choctaw Airfield, Fla., June 3-14.The RQ-11B Raven is a lightweight and low-altitude, remotely piloted system that provides real-time

  • DOD Announces 2013 REPI Buffer Program Challenge Award winners

    Defense Department officials announced June 10 the selection of two winning partnership projects, in the states of Florida and Washington as part of its "Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration Challenge." The REPI Challenge will provide projects at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash., and

  • Airmen assist organization to help homeless vets

    Members of Luke Air Force Base joined to help homeless veterans in the state during the 12th annual Arizona StandDown.The Arizona StandDown is a nonprofit organization and is the largest homeless outreach event in Arizona. In 2012 more than 1,290 at-risk veterans benefitted from the event. This year

  • Women's leadership discussion: 'Why are women leaving the Air Force'

    Deployments, starting a family, bad mentorship and losing passion for the job are just a few reasons mentioned by uniformed and prior-service women during a panel discussion about why women are leaving the Air Force, at the Joint Women's Leadership Symposium here June 7.The Air Force panel

  • Missile officer recertification program makes great strides

    Ten of the 19 missile crew members from the 91st Operations Group at Minot AFB, N.D., have been recertified and are able to fully perform their alert duties.The remaining officers continue to progress through the retraining program with the remaining decertified crew members expected to return to

  • Voluntary force management application window still open

    Airmen interested in applying for separation under one of the fiscal 2013 voluntary force management programs still have time to submit their application.Officer programs, available for specific year groups and overage career fields, include time in grade waivers for eligible lieutenant colonels,

  • Ghedi AB accompanied tour now 36 months

    Airmen selected for an assignment to Ghedi Air Base, Italy, who elect to serve the accompanied tour will now be required to serve 36 months rather than 24, Air Force Personnel Center officials announced today."The change does not affect Airmen whose orders were issued before May 31, or those who

  • Cadet-designed trailer could power future austere deployments

    A cadet capstone project designed to build upon cadets' research in 2012 could have broad-ranging applications from powering austere bases to supplementing stateside bases' power grids, instructors in the computer and electrical engineering department here said recently.The project, a solar- and

  • Air Force Week in Photos

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

  • Air Force Week in Photos

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

  • Today's Air Force visits Academy graduation, Boston bombing victims

    Air Force Television News released a new, edition of Today's Air Force on June 7.On this episode's "Straight from the Top," Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley speaks about the challenges of Sequestration and continuing efforts of Air Force leaders to meet mission needs during this time of

  • Security a priority in DOD move to mobile devices

    The Defense Department wants to provide secure access to information from any device, anywhere and anytime, but the priority is security, the department's principal deputy chief information officer said here yesterday.At a defense systems seminar, Robert Carey spoke about mobile device security and

  • New classification submission process now AF-wide

    Air Force hiring officials can track classification requests in real time through a myPers website knowledge article, Air Force Personnel Center officials said. The new process, implemented in April initially for Defense Civilian Intelligence Personnel System employees, is being used for position

  • PyroLance: Water with firepower

    Today's aircraft rescue and firefighting emergencies require a quick response and the ability to access complex composite structures such as the many Air Force airframes protected by the 379th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron firefighters here.To do this, firefighters require top-notch tools

  • Logistics Airmen own the night during joint-service training

    A joint-coalition team led by the 451st Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron peers into a dark, moonless sky in preparation for a nighttime helicopter sling load mission. All of their other senses are heightened to compensate for the reduced visibility as a UH-60 Black Hawk flown by Soldiers

  • F-35A completes 1st in-flight missile launch

    An F-35A conventional takeoff and landing aircraft completed the first in-flight missile launch of an AIM-120 over the Point Mugu Sea Test Range, June 5. It was the first launch where the F-35 and AIM-120 demonstrated a successful launch-to-eject communications sequence and fired the rocket motor

  • Air Force changes military funeral honors requirements

    Due to the impact sequestration has on resources, Air Force Services is adjusting requirements for military funeral honors of retirees. Air Force policy will revert to requiring a minimum of two personnel for retiree MFH details, consistent with statute and DoD policy. The Air Force historically

  • NCO retraining program application window open

    Staff sergeant-selects through master sergeants in overage career fields can apply for retraining into an undermanned career field during Phase I of the fiscal 2014 Noncommissioned Officer Retraining Program. Retraining applications will be accepted June 4-July 8.The two-phase program is used to

  • T-1 Jayhawk modifications take electronic warfare training airborne

    The 451st Flying Training Squadron completed the final step of a long journey when a T-1A Jayhawk modified for electronic warfare training took flight on a training sortie June 4. This is the first time in Air Force history an undergraduate aviation program has formally incorporated the fundamentals

  • Green Flag-West readies B-1 aircrews for future deployments

    Airmen from the 9th Bomb Squadron participated in a Green Flag-West exercise May 17-31, at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., in order to prepare for future deployments.Green Flag-West is an exercise that provides units training on a scale not available near their home stations. It replicates irregular

  • Cheating Death: A story about second chances

    May 27, 2012, is a day that Tech. Sgt. Mark Hopkins will never forget -- even though it's a day he can barely remember.It was the day he made a choice that drastically altered his life forever, and almost ended it in the process."All I remember is hopping on my motorcycle around noon on my way to

  • Combat communications group and wing inactivate

    Air Force Space Command and 24th Air Force officials announced inactivation of the 689th Combat Communications Wing at Robins Air Force Base, Ga., and the 3rd Combat Communications Group at Tinker AFB, Okla. Inactivation of both units is scheduled for September. The inactivations are part of overall

  • Airmen must understand business of cyber, general says

    As U.S. Cyber Command gains strength and steadily extends its range across the newest warfare domain, it has called on all the services over the next five years to contribute trained-up teams of cyber operators to ensure U.S. military freedom of action, defensively and offensively, in cyberspace.For

  • Through Airmen's Eyes: Following the footsteps of a life cut short

    (This feature is part of the "Through Airmen's Eyes" series on AF.mil. These stories focus on a single Airman, highlighting their Air Force story.)They shared the same name. They flew and fought the same types of Wild Weasel fighter jet missions. They looked alike and the family says they even

  • Exchange to transition to rip-stop airman battle uniform

    As the Air Force transitions from the airman battle uniform, or ABU, to the rip-stop airman battle uniform, the Army & Air Force Exchange Service will no longer be able to order the ABU once the Defense Logistics Agency's stock is depleted. "While the ABUs will still be authorized for wear, they

  • Gorenc nominated as USAFE-AFAFRICA commander

    Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel announced June 4 that the president has nominated Lt. Gen. Frank Gorenc for appointment to the rank of general and for assignment as commander, U.S. Air Forces in Europe; commander, U.S. Air Forces Africa; commander, Allied Air Command; and director, Joint Air Power

  • Airmen experience NASCAR first hand

    Some people dream of being able to experience NASCAR up close, but how many can actually say they got the chance to do it? That is exactly what the Airmen from Dover Air Force Base, Del., got to do as honorary pit crew members during NASCAR race events at Dover International Speedway May 31- June

  • Leaders urge care in changing commanders' UCMJ responsibilities

    Commanders must be a part of any solution to the crisis of sexual assault in the military, service leaders told the Senate Armed Services Committee today.Commanders are responsible not only for the health and welfare of those in their commands, but also for good order and discipline, they

  • Sexual assault is a 'cancer,' Welsh says

    The Air Force chief of staff testified in front of the Senate Armed Services Committee along with the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and service chiefs from the Army, Navy Marine Corps and Coast Guard on pending legislation regarding sexual assaults in the military June 4.Gen. Mark A. Welsh

  • Airmen, Sailors tested at Marine leadership course

    The U.S. Marine Corps Corporals Leadership Course opened its door to service members from the Air Force and Navy here May 11-25.The two-week course is designed to equip new, or soon-to-be NCOs with the tools and knowledge to effectively lead their troops, no matter the service.Being able to do joint

  • After 3 decades, maintainers keep B-1 on top

    With a career that spans across three decades and a warfighting reputation that rivals nearly every aircraft in the Air Force's arsenal, the B-1 Bomber has established itself as one of the United States' most crucial assets to maintaining air and ground superiority. This achievement was built on the

  • AF excepts civilians affected by tornadoes from furlough

    The Air Force announced Monday, June 3, that civilian employees whose homes were destroyed or rendered uninhabitable by the recent Oklahoma tornadoes will be "excepted" from administrative furlough.While most Air Force civilian employees received their notices May 28, Tinker Air Force Base delayed

  • 129th Rescue Wing Airmen achieve 1000th save

    Members of the 129th Rescue Wing saved their 1,000th life May 18 when deployed aircrews and pararescuemen rescued an Afghan national policeman with a critical gunshot wound in Afghanistan. Since its inception nearly four decades ago, the 129th RQW has launched countless missions from its home

  • AF appoints first female chief scientist

    The Air Force appointed the service's first female chief scientist to lead the way in the technology and science fields. Dr. Mica Endsley assumed her new duties and responsibilities as the 34th chief scientist June 3 in support of Air Force senior leaders and Airmen across the service."Having served

  • Obama: Nation pours resources into mental health care for vets

    The Veterans Affairs Department is improving access for veterans to mental health services, President Barack Obama said today in remarks that opened the National Conference on Mental Health.Obama and Vice President Joe Biden are hosting the conference at the White House as part of the

  • Airmen show 'cool careers' in new ad campaign

    The Air Force Recruiting Service is currently developing an ad campaign to teach young adults about cool career opportunities in the Air Force community, with the goal to inspire young people to join the Air Force. They also plan to demonstrate that the Air Force offers the same science, technology,

  • Tyndall Airmen reach out to Tinker tornado victims

    "I will never leave an Airman behind," is a part of the Airman's Creed and the spirit behind this creed was demonstrated by Tyndall Airmen May 28 as they rallied to support wingmen living in Oklahoma.Service Before Self motivated Tyndall to take action to help fellow wingmen affected by the

  • Tips on financing college education

    Defense Department officials encourage parents and students to consider various strategies for financing college education, the director of the Pentagon's office of family policy and children and youth said.In a recent interview with American Forces Press Service and the Pentagon Channel, Barbara

  • Families to join Airmen in Southwest Asia

    Fifteen Airmen assigned to U.S. Air Forces Central Command, the Combined Air and Space Operations Center, and the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing are taking advantage of a two-year accompanied tour opportunity -- and numbers continue to grow. In the next few years a total of 60 families will be here.

  • Elite Afghan soldiers complete training

    Fourteen Afghan air force members of the Kabul Air Wing Quick Reaction Force Company graduated from Ground Combat Skills Course in a ceremony May 29 at Kabul International Airport here.The graduation marked the completion of 50 hours of advanced upgrade training for the newest members of the QRF

  • Through Airmen's Eyes: Dog Handler brings her values to career

    (This feature is part of the "Through Airmen's Eyes" series on AF.mil. These stories focus on a single Airman, highlighting their Air Force story.)It's 6 p.m., and Chrach, a military working dog whose name is pronounced "Crash," is anticipating his evening meal.His handler has been feeding him twice

  • Qualified captains sought for Inter-American SOS program

    Active-duty captains proficient in Spanish may be eligible to attend the Inter-American Squadron Officer School at the Inter-American Air Forces Academy, Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland here, Air Force Personnel Center officials said. "The ISOS program is designed to develop dynamic Airmen ready to

  • Families of fallen find caring support in family liaisons

    June 9 will mark three years since Master Sgt. Marisa Flores lost her husband, Tech. Sgt. Michael Flores, when he and four other pararescuemen died from injuries received during a HH-60G Pave Hawk crash in Afghanistan. Some days are still a challenge. Every now and then, Flores said she comes across

  • Astronauts attend Maxwell Leadership Reaction Course

    In a collaborative training effort, a group of six American and international astronauts participated in an abbreviated version of the Air University Leadership Reaction Course here May 22-23.Designed to develop leadership skills, the LRC is a field exercise consisting of a series of obstacle course

  • AF science guru appointment closes out

    The Air Force's chief scientist will spend his last day on the job May 31 after more than two and half years in the Pentagon. Dr. Mark Maybury's time with the service is heavily marked by major strides in the science and technology. Three of those major changes include studies that created roadmaps

  • Today's Air Force visits the Boneyard, takes glimpse at aviation history

    Air Force Television News released a new, special edition of Today's Air Force on May 31.Featured in this episode is a visit to the Boneyard at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., taking viewers for an inside look at what happens to Air Force planes after they've flown their last mission. Here,

  • Afghan airmen gain new airpower capability

    As the 2013 fighting season continues in Afghanistan, the Afghan National Security Forces can add yet another airpower capability to their ever increasing list: air attack from an Afghan air force Mi-35 HIND attack helicopter.Members of the 377th Rotary Wing Squadron from the Kabul Air Wing fired 23

  • Air Force establishes F-35 IOC target

    The Air Force announced today it expects to declare F-35A Lightning II initial operation capability in December 2016. The announcement was included in a joint report detailing service-specific IOC requirements and dates for each of the F-35 variants that was delivered to Congress today."The Air

  • Officials reaffirm DOD's commitment to fighting sexual assault

    At an open house marking the Defense Department's launch of a new peer-support service for sexual assault victims, senior Pentagon officials today reaffirmed the department's commitment to eradicating sexual assault in the military.The Defense Department has joined with a private organization to

  • Air Force Week in Photos

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

  • Hagel, in Hawaii, praises 'value added' force integration

    The tight integration in Hawaii between active-duty service members, civilian defense employees and National Guardsmen points to the future of the overall force, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel told troops at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam here May 30."That's as much value added as I think we can get

  • Air Force to consolidate F-22 depot maintenance at Hill AFB

    Air Force officials announced May 29  they are consolidating depot maintenance for the F-22 Raptor at the Ogden Air Logistics Complex at Hill Air Force Base, Utah. The depot maintenance work is currently split between the Ogden ALC and the Lockheed facility in Palmdale, Calif. "Palmdale has made a

  • Special ops commanders seek intel, data-sharing assets

    Senior commanders recently called on the defense industry to provide technologies that give special operations forces more situational awareness, better networking and communications and more precise location and targeting capabilities.Officials from across U.S. Special Operations Command, including

  • AF secretary to Class of 2013: Next chapter of your story begins today

    A total of 1,024 cadets graduated from the Air Force Academy May 29, following a commencement address by Secretary of the Air Force Mike Donley.Donley congratulated the graduates on overcoming the stringent physical and mental challenges they faced through their four-year Academy

  • Live to ride, ride to live another day

    Commentary: Some memories are Kodak moments - the kind you want to recall again and again. Others are more sinister, hanging around unwanted, as a reminder of life's darker side. One such ominous memory combines one of my greatest joys and my greatest fear into a valuable life lesson.On a beautiful,

  • Libraries launch 'Have Book - Will Travel' summer reading program

    Summer is just around the corner and it won't be long before the kids get bored. Head them off at the pass with adventures and activities hosted by your local library.Air Force libraries have launched the summer reading program, "Have Book - Will Travel!" and are planning a host of activities for

  • President surveys Oklahoma tornado damage

    President Barack Obama landed here on his way to Moore, Okla. to survey the tornado devastation and meet with victims and first responders May 26.The president shook hands and spoke with Tinker AFB employees' families and first responders on the flightline here before traveling to Moore. The

  • Air Force OCC chopper retires

    After more than five years of service, one of the Air Force's mobile marketing assets, the F-22 Raptor-themed chopper, retired and moved to its new home in the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. Designed by the Orange County Choppers, the chopper

  • Air Force announces OTS selection board results

    A total of 110 men and women from across America have earned an opportunity to become Air Force leaders following their selection for an officer's commission, officials here announced today. Air Force Recruiting Service officials considered 668 applications as part of the Officer Training School

  • 3 Okla. bases continue help to tornado victims

    In addition to federal and state workers, more than 600 airmen from three Oklahoma Air Force bases volunteered to assist residents in recovering some of their effects, May 24. Much of the Air Force had the day off to spend time with their families, but for volunteers in the greater Oklahoma area,

  • Through Airmen's Eyes: Capturing history one brush stroke at a time

    (This feature is part of the "Through Airmen's Eyes" series on AF.mil. These stories focus on a single Airman, highlighting their Air Force story.)Armed with his Nikon D90 camera, Warren Neary, Air Force Reservist, civilian and artist stands in 22-degree weather to capture and witness the history of

  • F-35B celebrates 1 year at Eglin

    The Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron-501 celebrated the one-year anniversary of flying the F-35B Lightning II here Wednesday, May 22, by continuing to train up the pilots and maintainers on the nation's newest fifth-generation fighter."This is a once in a lifetime chance to get to write the

  • Today's students compete using ancient skills

    "Add 6, add 9, subtract 10..."As the announcer read off his numbers, all that could be heard in the large hall was the sound of wooden abacus beads tapping and the scribbling of pencils from students rushing to find a solution.The event was the 31st Kanto Plains Department of Defense School Soroban

  • Volunteer aviators salute Academy grads with vintage flyover

    Historic World War II aircraft performed flyovers for the U.S. Air Force Academy's Class of 2013 graduation events here May 27-29.Traditionally, the Air Force Academy's graduation ceremony flyover is conducted by the Air Force Thunderbirds aerial demonstration team, while other Air Force aircraft

  • Predator passes 20,000-hour mark in Afghanistan

    An MQ-1 Predator assigned here recently became the first Predator to pass 20,000 flying hours over Afghanistan, a feat equivalent to flying 15 hours every other day, for 2,667 days.While the Predator remotely piloted aircraft program surpassed one million hours of total development, test, training

  • F-15 crashes in Pacific, pilot safe

    Japan Air Self Defense Force rescue squadron crews safely recovered the pilot who ejected from a Kadena-based F-15 aircraft over the Pacific Ocean approximately 70 miles east of Okinawa at around 9 a.m. May 27. The pilot is in stable condition and is being evaluated at a military medical facility.

  • Deployed medical experts learn skills to identify sexual assault

    From across Afghanistan, 22 U.S. Air Force, Army and Navy medical professionals gathered here for the Sexual Assault Forensic Examinations training.Collecting forensic evidence from patients reporting sexual assault is essential. It can be used to identify an assailant, recent sexual contact and

  • Airmen picking up the pieces

    Members of the base here are picking up the pieces after one of the largest and most costly tornadoes in history ripped through Moore, Okla., May 20. In the 507th Air Refueling Wing alone, more than 20 Airmen and their families were affected by the deadly storm. Master Sgt. John Prokup, an air

  • Tinker AFB reservist survives monster tornado

    What started out as a sunny, routine day for one member of the 507th Force Support Squadron and the estimated 250 staff and patients at the Moore Medical Center took a sudden turn for the worse on Monday, May 20, as a mammoth 1.3 mile-wide tornado bore down on them. Senior Master Sgt. Jennifer Nikki

  • Airmen continue tornado relief efforts

    Since the devastating tornado struck Moore, Okla., May 20, 2013, Airmen have been on the ground helping the residents there. Nearly a week later, Air National Guard and active-duty Airmen are still assisting in relief efforts.View the slideshow to see what they and the residents of Moore have been

  • Commission on AF structure to meet

    The National Commission on the Structure of the Air Force will hold its first public hearing Tuesday, June 4th, 2013 in the Rayburn House Office Building in Washington, D.C. President Obama and the chairmen and ranking members of both Armed Services Committees recently appointed eight members to