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U.S. Air Force News

  • Academy expands Falcon Telescope Network, view into space

    Researchers at the Air Force Academy 's Department of Physics Center for Space Situational Awareness Research now have new university partners around the globe, thanks to a project combining satellite and educational outreach.

  • New year is a perfect time to update contact information, records

    One way Airmen can support that need is by providing alternate email addresses, which will ensure they receive important messages, on or off duty.Military Airmen can update their official email address via the AFPC secure site and civilian Airmen can update theirs via myBiz. Both sites are

  • Airman missing from Vietnam war accounted for

    The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office, or DPMO, announced today that the remains of a serviceman, missing from the Vietnam War, has been identified and will be returned to his family for burial with full military honors.

  • An Air Force gatekeeper's day

    Ever wonder what a day in the life of an Air Force recruiter is like? How many people do they talk to versus how many will get to call themselves an Airman? Tech. Sgt. Michael Lundell is an Air Force recruiter here. His day-to-day routine is always busy, from going on school visits, to work outs

  • NCO to commission as first lieutenant

    A noncommissioned officer from the 65th Force Support Squadron was recently selected to commission as a first lieutenant in the Medical Service Corps. Staff Sgt. Jacob Williams, 65th FSS career development craftsman, was so anxious he couldn't eat breakfast on the morning of Oct. 18. Some of the MSC

  • Air Force wins top honors at international film festival

    Two Air Force video productions won awards at the 23rd International Defence Film Festival in Rome last week, including the "Grand Prix - Plaque of the President of the Italian Republic” award for best overall production, according to a festival press release.

  • AF special operations group key to aid effort after Typhoon Haiyan

    The Air Force's 353rd Special Operations Group opened a fourth airfield in Borongan, Republic of the Philippines Nov. 18, to facilitate a more efficient distribution of relief supplies to outlying areas as part of Operation Damayan. The group has opened airstrips at Tacloban, Ormoc, Guiuan and

  • Brothers make recruiting a family affair

    Joining the armed services leads many people to leave their hometowns and serve around the world, moving far away from family and friends. Fortunately for Staff Sgt. Andrew Charvat and Marine Corps Sgt. Matthew Charvat, these brothers had the opportunity to come back and serve in their

  • Two B-52 crews help save disoriented pilot

    During a routine exercise over Alaska, a seven-man B-52H Stratofortress crew from here, call sign HAIL13, and a B-52H crew from Barksdale Air Force Base, call sign HAIL14, received a call for help from the Anchorage Air Traffic Control Center Nov. 13. The whereabouts of a small Cessna aircraft had

  • Doolittle Raiders join memorial wreath-laying

    The remaining Doolittle Raiders gathered at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force today to partake in a wreath-laying ceremony at the Doolittle Raider memorial in Memorial Park, followed by a flyover of B-25 aircraft.

  • Technology helps remember fallen, ensures memories live on

    It was a damp, foggy morning in October, amidst a sea of marble headstones; the sound of bells chiming out seemed to echo the air of somberness all around at Madingley American Cemetery, near Cambridge. The whole scene was humbling.

  • Air Force picks Kadena for top teen council award

    The Kadena Air Base Youth Programs' Teen Council earned $5,000 with an original video focused on helping military dependents transition during permanent changes of station, announced Air Force Personnel Center officials.

  • AF leave policy allows permissive TDY to legally marry

    Military members who are unable to legally marry in the state or country where they are assigned can request permissive temporary duty to travel to a state where they can get married, according to an Oct. 15 leave policy update, Air Force Personnel Center officials said.

  • Official describes 'life skill' of financial readiness

    The Defense Department wants service members to have the life skills to successfully manage their finances and create good credit ratings, the director of the Pentagon's office of family policy, children and youth said.

  • Leaders advise against merging Guard, Reserve

    Air Force Reserve leaders told members of the National Commission on the Structure of the Air Force that merging the Air Force Reserve with the Air National Guard would create little value and cause numerous adverse impacts - detracting from the broader goal of improving the Air Force structure.

  • Recruit earns coveted scarlet beret

    Staff Sgt. Rene Ochoa is one happy recruiter, thanks to the achievements of Airman 1st Class Michael Guzman.Guzman earned the coveted scarlet beret of a combat controller Sept.12 at Fort Bragg, N.C., after 16 months of intense military training.

  • Blake Shelton lends voice to holiday program

    From growing up in Ada, Okla., to spending Christmas Eve with his father for the last time before his passing, country superstar Blake Shelton shares his favorite, and at times emotional, family holiday memories on this year's "Red, White and Air Force Blue Christmas" radio special.

  • Harvesting the wind at Cape Cod Air Force Station

    It's not just the leaves that are changing at Cape Cod Air Force Station. The Air Force station is also changing the way it gets electricity as two new giant wind turbines are being installed at the 6th Space Warning Squadron.

  • Military parenting website assists communication

    Service members who deploy or are otherwise separated from their families due to mission needs now have an online resource allowing them to hone their parenting skills as they reconnect with their children.

  • 21 selected for training, recruiting squadron command

    Twenty-one officers from various Air Force career fields have been selected for Air Education and Training Command training and recruiting squadron command opportunities, Air Force Personnel Center officials announced.

  • Shutdown effects continue on Defense Department, Hagel says

    The government shutdown is over, but it will take a while for the effects to fade, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said at a press conference Oct 17. At the shutdown's height, more than 400,000 Defense Department civilian employees were furloughed because of the lapse of appropriations for the new

  • AF implements changes to PT assessment

    The Air Force has released further guidance on the implementation of several changes to the physical assessment test, which will take place Oct. 21.The new guidance includes additions to the body composition component of the fitness assessment, delegation of appeal authority for fitness assessments

  • Shutdown endangers reserve component readiness

    Reserve component personnel continue to be affected by the government shutdown, and officials are concerned about readiness. Within DOD, the reserve components are the Army National Guard, the Air National Guard, the Army Reserve, the Air Force Reserve, the Navy Reserve and the Marine Corps Reserve.

  • Air Force reunites Alaska families with sled dogs

    For six days a week, a small 30-passenger, chartered plane touched down on the runway in Galena, Alaska, carrying a team of contractors with the Air Force Civil Engineer Center, their equipment and supplies for conducting environmental investigations at the former Air Force Galena Forward Operating

  • AF intern: ‘I have never felt less disabled’

    Natalie Labayen may look fine on the outside, but inside, a battle wages. A senior at George Washington University and intern with the Air Force, LaBayen was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease in 2011, an ailment that some days leaves this 23-year old in severe pain.

  • Commander discusses future of Air Force Reserve

    Discussing the future of the Air Force, senior military and industry leaders gathered at the Air Force Association's 2013 Air and Space Conference and Technology Exposition, at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center at National Harbor, Md., Sept. 16-18.

  • New OTS selection board results announced

    A total of 211 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, EPA and Florida sign agreement for Tyndall AFB cleanup

    The Air Force, Environmental Protection Agency and State of Florida signed a federal facilities agreement Sept. 20 that will provide the framework within which the parties will manage any necessary action to continue to protect the community and the environment at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla.

  • Missing Airmen from Vietnam War identified

    The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office, or DPMO, announced today that the remains of Air Force pilots Maj. James E. Sizemore of Lawrenceville, Ill., and Maj. Howard V. Andre Jr., of Memphis, Tenn., have been identified and will be returned to their families for burial with full

  • Open mind, extra time can save cash when traveling

    Fantasizing about an exotic getaway but finding yourself strapped for cash? A "Space-A" seat aboard a military aircraft might be just your ticket to that vacation of your dreams. Military-owned or -contracted aircraft fly to more places than many people realize, even to areas without U.S. military

  • 12 Outstanding Airmen of the Year shine at gala

    The Air Force’s 12 Outstanding Airmen of the Year earned praise at a dinner hosted by the Air Force Association as part of the 2013 Air and Space Conference and Technology Exposition here Sept. 16.

  • U.S., Cambodian Airmen support Pacific Angel

    Twenty engineers from the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces have spent the last four days working alongside 16 engineers from U.S. forces to provide engineering assistance to the citizens of Takeo.

  • DOD officials announce missile defense siting study

    Pursuant to the fiscal 2013 National Defense Authorization Act, the Defense Department has initiated a study to evaluate five candidate sites in the continental United States for the potential future deployment of additional ground-based interceptors, Pentagon officials announced Sept. 12

  • Dover AFB firefighters unveil 9/11 memorial

    The Eagle Firefighters' Association unveiled Delaware's first public 9/11 memorial on the 12th anniversary of the attacks at the Air Mobility Command museum at Dover Air Force Base, Del., on Sept. 11.

  • Deployed Airmen remember Dominguez, serve on 9/11 anniversary

    Sept. 11 is never too far from the hearts and minds of the 105th Security Forces Squadron deployed here from Stewart Air National Guard Base in Newburgh, New York. Through mementos and each other, they remember one unit member who was killed during the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.Nearly 3,000 people

  • Near death spurs trainer to change people's lives

    Looking at Paul Johnson, 56th Force Support Squadron fitness specialist supervisor, one sees a strong, muscular, fit man. But, he says he wasn't always that way. It was a near-death experience that spurred a decision in him to not only continue strength training but also change other people's lives

  • Airmen awarded Distinguished Flying Cross with valor

    Five 33rd Rescue Squadron Airmen were recently awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross with valor for their heroic actions during a deployment mission in 2012.Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Welsh III presented Capts. Michael Kingry, Gavin Johnson and Matthew Pfarr, Tech. Sgt. Scott Lagerveld

  • Ambassador network launches to help military spouses find jobs

    The Defense Department has broadened its reach to military spouses looking for jobs through its new Spouse Ambassador Network, an arm of the department’s Spouse Education and Career Opportunities program, the program’s director said here yesterday.

  • Airman rollerskates way to fitness

    The Air Force requires all members to be 'fit to fight', but not everyone lifts weights, hit a punching bag or run on a treadmill. One Airman gives the phrase a different meaning.Staff Sgt. Hilary Middleton, 355th Operations Support Squadron aircrew flight equipment technician, skates with the local

  • Chief turns hobby into 500 mile trek

    With less than a year left before he retires, Chief Master Sgt. Alan Onufrak, 460th Medical Group superintendent, rode in the Registers Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa on the Air Force team, all while helping fellow cyclists, recruiting and completing the challenge.

  • Training system brings fight to F-16 pilots

    Groundbreaking advancements to F-16 Fighting Falcon warfare training here arrived during the week of Aug. 12 through 16 in the form of a Joint Deployable Electronic Warfare Range, or JDEWR.

  • Command and Control ... Total Flexibility

    Airmen employ the Air Force’s other four interdependent and enduring core missions through robust, adaptable, and survivable command and control systems. Using the specialized skills of over 53,000 command and control Airmen, the Air Force provides access to reliable communications and information

  • New ASVAB pretest available for applicants

    Applicants who hope to join the Air Force can now take the Armed Services Aptitude Battery pretest from any computer with internet access thanks to a new program.

  • Recruiter’s post-tornado effort has lasting impact

    As the massive 1.3-mile-wide tornado approached Moore, Okla., May 20, Staff Sgt. Tim Smith took shelter along with his family, neighbors and dogs."I arrived home 10 minutes before the tornado hit my neighborhood," said Smith, an Enlisted Accessions recruiter in Norman, Okla. "My wife, my son and I

  • The Power of Airmen

    The effectiveness of Air Force airpower comes directly from thepower of Airmen. While it is natural to define the Air Force interms of its aircraft, missiles, or satellites, in reality, the Service’sunmatched capabilities exist only and precisely because of theimagination, innovation, and dedication

  • Air Force Vision

    America is—and always will be—an aerospace nation. To fully realize the Nation’s aerospace potential, President Truman established an independent Air Force in 1947 to better protect America, its citizens, and its allies. From this beginning, we have grown airpower into the ability to project global

  • Eglin AFB F-35 fleet exceeds 2K sorties, training presses on

    Airmen and Marines assigned to the F-35 Integrated Training Center at the 33rd Fighter Wing here have consistently flown successful training sorties and generated their 2,000th sortie Aug. 13 with an instructor pilot of the Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron-501 (VMFAT-501), at the

  • ANG contingency response, Army units test earthquake response

    Nearly 100 members of the Kentucky Air National Guard's 123rd Contingency Response Group and the U.S. Army's 689th Rapid Port Opening Element deployed to MidAmerica St. Louis Airport on Aug. 5, to set up a logistics hub as part of exercise Gateway Relief, an earthquake-response scenario directed by

  • TRICARE moves forward with prime service area reductions

    Defense Department officials will reduce the number of TRICARE Prime service areas in the United States beginning Oct. 1, affecting about 171,000 retirees and their family members. Those beneficiaries, who mostly reside more than 40 miles from a military clinic or hospital, received a letter earlier

  • Website teaches coping skills to military community

    As part of the Integrated Mental Health Strategy, the Defense Department's National Center for Telehealth and Technology and the Veterans Affairs Department's mental health informatics section have partnered to develop an interactive online educational and life-coaching program.

  • AF upgrades official website

    The official website of the U.S. Air Force is taking a step forward in the information age Aug. 2 with a new look and greater functionality for today's Internet user. The latest version of Air Force Link boasts features that make it more accessible including mobile device and computer software

  • AF accepting applications for medical commissioning programs

    Eligible Airmen interested in Biomedical Sciences Corps careers can apply for academic opportunities in the physical therapy, clinical psychology and physician assistant fields. In addition, eligible Airmen can apply for direct accession into one of three other BSC fields, Air Force Personnel Center

  • Memorial run unites tanker units around globe

    An idea to honor a friend, former co-worker and the members of his flight crew turned into an international outpouring of support from KC-135 Stratotanker units around the globe during the July 13 and 14 Unit Training Assembly weekend. The Shell 77 Memorial Runs united KC-135 tanker units around the

  • Waist measurement failures non-factor for most Airmen

    Recent comments on social media sites show there's a rumor among Airmen that the abdominal circumference component of the Fitness Assessment is where the largest majority of failures come from. This opinion is wrong.Since the Air Force has adopted the policy, which automatically fails Airmen with a

  • DOD to Help Employees Affected by Housing Allowance Error

    Teams from the Defense Finance and Accounting Service will help civilian Defense Department employees in Europe, South Korea and Japan complete paperwork seeking to have repayment waived for living quarters allowances that were granted to them by mistake.In a memo to the commanders of U.S. European,

  • Air Force names 12 Outstanding Airmen of the Year

    Air Force officials announced the service's top enlisted members, naming the 12 Outstanding Airmen of the Year for 2013.An Air Force selection board at the Air Force Personnel Center considered 36 nominees who represented major commands; direct reporting units, field operating agencies and

  • AF to convene selective Lt Col, Col early retirement board

    The Air Force will convene a selective early retirement board Dec. 9 to consider eligible lieutenant colonels and colonels for retirement under the FY14 Force Management Program.SERB is one of several FM programs to be implemented in FY14 to help size and balance the force to meet authorized end

  • Two special operations Airmen earn Silver Stars

    Two Air Force Special Operations Command combat controllers stationed in San Antonio were each presented a Silver Star for gallantry in combat during a ceremony here July 22.The two combat controllers, Tech. Sgt. Ismael Villegas and Staff Sgt. Dale Young, were decorated by Lt. Gen. Eric E. Fiel, the

  • CSAF thanks Schriever AFB, addresses importance of every Airman

    Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Welsh III visited Schriever Air Force Base, Colo., July 19 to thank the team as well as provide some insights on current Air Force issues.As part of a two-day visit to Colorado, Welsh and his wife, Betty, met with Schriever AFB Airmen and their families at a key

  • Civil engineers build medical facility, save AF thousands

    Consistent with fluctuating operations in deployed locations, the ability to quickly and efficiently build structures to house new missions is crucial. The 1st Expeditionary Civil Engineer Group here has specialized teams of Airmen who support projects to fulfill construction requirements. "When a

  • Stay connected with social media without sacrificing career

    Engaging in social media can be a positive experience that entertains, keeps people connected and allows opinions to be expressed on a wide variety of topics.In some cases though, social media can ruin personal reputations or careers, and create an open window for criminals to access personal

  • Mobile app helps iPhone users 'Be Ready'

    TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. (AFNS) -- The "Be Ready" mobile application is now available for download on most Apple devices like the iPhone and iPad.Previously offered for Motorola Android products only, this app was developed by the Air Force Civil Engineer Center's Emergency Management Division

  • Unmanned drone crashes at Tyndall

    An unmanned QF-4 drone, assigned here to the 53rd Weapons Evaluation Group, crashed on the drone runway during take-off at 8:25 a.m., July 17, 2013. No personnel were injured during the incident.Base and local police officials have closed the highway near the crash site as a precautionary measure

  • Gallantry earns pararescueman Silver Star

    An Airman assigned here earned the Silver Star medal for gallantry in connection with military operations against an opposing armed force near Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan April 23, 2011. Maj. Gen. Frank Padilla awarded Staff Sgt. Zachary Kline the Silver Star in a ceremony here July 14, citing

  • Additional F-35s coming to Luke AFB

    Air Force officials announced June 27 that Luke Air Force Base, Ariz., has been chosen as the location for 72 additional F-35A Lightning IIs, bringing the eventual total number of the fifth-generation fighters expected here to 144. The Air Force's initial decision to establish an F-35 pilot training

  • AF encourages Airmen to be key part of SAPR solution

     In an effort to address the growing concern of sexual assault in the Air Force, the service has kicked off an initiative to give Airmen the capability for their voice to be clearly heard called "Every Airman Counts." "I believe Airmen are a key part of the solution to this," said. Maj. Gen.

  • Recent Academy grad now DOD's top women's triathlete

    Her heart beats faster and faster and beads of sweat drip down her face, as she sprints toward the finish line just seconds ahead of several other competitors. This race earned her the title of fastest woman triathlete in the Department of Defense.At the age of 15,  2nd Lt. Samantha Morrison, recent

  • Forest Service directs MAFFS to Arizona

    Forest Service, through the National Interagency Fire Center here, has directed the repositioning of military Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System aircraft from Colorado Springs, Colo., to Mesa, Ariz."The weather and progress on the ground have helped us in the Four Corners region." said Col.

  • Jennies to jets to stealth: Bomb wing turns 90

    From Jennies to jets to stealth bombers, the 131st Bomb Wing's history really began with its co-located flying squadron, now the 110th Bomb Squadron, which traces its roots back to the 110th Observation Squadron. The 110th OS was organized by Maj. Bill Robertson and his brothers, Lieutenants Frank

  • Air Force Medical Service website focuses on Men's Health Month

    The Air Force Medical Service supports Men's Health Month to heighten the awareness of preventable health problems and encourage early detection and treatment of diseases among men, such as prostate cancer. Each year thousands of men are diagnosed with prostate cancer. More than 30 million men

  • Air Force sets plan to integrate women in combat jobs by 2016

    The Air Force released details of the service's plan to fully integrate women into previously closed career fields June 18.The implementation plan was recently submitted to Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel for review.More than 99 percent of Air Force positions are currently already open to female

  • New Professional Development Guide available

    The new Professional Development Guide, or PDG, AFPAM 36-2241, is now available at www.e-publishing.af.mil. Printed guides will be distributed to all promotion-eligible active duty Airmen in the grades of E-4 through E-8 and airmen first class with at least two years in service. Base and unit

  • Website allows units to claim repurposed supplies, save money

    Units in U.S. Air Forces in Europe-Air Forces Africa now have the ability to obtain equipment and supplies for free through the command's Business Transformation Office Airmen's List SharePoint site. The site, accessible through the USAFE Portal, allows unit representatives to post equipment or

  • 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,