NATO Air Policing operations

U.S. Air Force News

  • New commander takes charge of AFCENT

    Lt. Gen. Jeffrey L. Harrigian assumed command of U.S. Air Forces Central Command from Lt. Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr. during a ceremony at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina, July 22.

  • STRATCOM deputy commander receives fourth star

    Air Force Gen. Stephen W. Wilson, the U.S. Strategic Command deputy commander, received his fourth star July 22 during a promotion ceremony at the parade field on Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska.

  • AF begins study on noise exposures

    An Air Force Surgeon General initiative called Total Exposure Health will soon advance from a concept to a real-world demonstration at an operational base. Total Exposure Health focuses on primary prevention, which includes exposures in the workplace, the environment and lifestyles, in order to

  • Webb takes command of AFSOC

    Lt. Gen. Brad Webb assumed command of Air Force Special Operations Command in a ceremony July 19 at Hurlburt Field, Florida.

  • Looking Glass flight broadens Airmen’s horizon

    Missileers from across the 20th Air Force recently accompanied their commander on the Airborne National Command Post as part of a “fly along” program to witness the national impact of their mission.

  • Former AF chief of staff recognized for analysis legacy

    Former Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper was honored for his analysis work with the Lt. Gen. Glenn A. Kent Leadership Award, presented by Kevin Williams, the director of Air Force Studies, Analyses and Assessments, during a July 11 ceremony at the Pentagon.

  • Visualizing threats: A decade of threat modeling

    Dynamic explosions, missile launches and air-to-air dogfights are just a few animations the National Air and Space Intelligence Center threat visualization team create to help communicate potential threats in the world.

  • Goldfein swears in as 21st CSAF

    Gen. David L. Goldfein was sworn in as the Air Force’s 21st chief of staff by Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James during a ceremony at the Pentagon on July 1.

  • Small team ensures special tactics career fields grow with the best

    Special tactics career field training pipelines are some of the most physically and psychologically challenging in the Air Force. To ensure the correct individuals are on the battlefield, the Recruitment, Assessment and Selection team at Hurlburt Field, Florida, puts the cross-training candidates

  • Airmen help save fishermen at sea after ship catches fire

    Members of a special operations surgical team assigned to the 720th Special Tactics Group at Hurlburt Field, Florida, worked to save the lives of two critically-burned fishermen rescued 500 miles off the coast of Bermuda on June 22.

  • Teamwork, airlift keys to success of exercise in Gabon

    Airmen from the 62nd Airlift Wing at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, participated in Central Accord 2016, a joint military exercise with nearly 1,000 participants from 14 countries, which took place on the western coast of Africa June 10-24.

  • PTSD awareness leads to positive treatment

    Post-traumatic stress disorder can be debilitating in some patients, but thanks to advancements in research and the continued training of mental health providers, treatments are getting better all the time. Maj. Joel Foster, the chief of Air Force Deployment Mental Health, said treating PTSD has

  • Documenting a tragedy: Global Strike historian recalls Khobar Towers

    Yancy Mailes, the Air Force Global Strike Command historian, was a 27-year-old staff sergeant at the time. It was June 25, 1996, and he had been the wing’s historian for three months. With little training and less experience, he found himself as one of the key contributors to documenting the tragedy

  • AF announces total force award

    Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James announced the annual General Mark A. Welsh III One Air Force Award during a retirement dinner held in honor of the award’s namesake in Washington, D.C., June 23, 2016.This new Air Force-level award will be presented to the service’s top total force team that

  • Air Force bids farewell to Welsh

    Stealing a moment of silence, looking into the eyes of his wife, he takes a deep breath and prepares for what’s to come. Standing tall and proud, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Welsh III walks into a hangar in front of hundreds of onlookers, all there to bid him farewell.

  • Health literacy key for better health, better care

    At the core of health literacy is communication between patients and their health care providers. In order to make the best decisions about their health, patients need clear information they can understand. Through patient-centered care, the Air Force is working to educate health professionals to

  • Family first: A story for Air Force spouses

    Jeff Hogg knows the role of the military spouse better than most because he understands the needs of the military lifestyle and the military family. He served in the Air Force for over 20 years before retiring and is the spouse of Maj. Gen. Dorothy Hogg, the Air Force deputy surgeon general.

  • AF recovers data after Automated Case Tracking System outage

    After aggressively leveraging all vendor and department capabilities, the Air Force made a full recovery of the Automated Case Tracking System database, the Air Force inspector general system of record for all records related to IG complaints, investigations and appeals.

  • Coping with stress through healthy thinking

    Stress. Even the mention of the word can increase anxiety for some. Everyone deals with stress differently, but how a person copes with daily stressors can have great impacts on their quality of life and overall health.

  • Hanscom going green with electric vehicles

    In efforts to save energy, the 66th Logistics Readiness Squadron recently unveiled Hanscom Air Force Base's first plug-in electric hybrid vehicle and charging station.

  • AF program increases access to behavioral health care

    Nearly half of people with a treatable behavioral health disorder do not seek help from behavioral health professionals, according to the Department of Health and Human Services. However, 80 percent of this population does visit a primary care manager at least once a year. An Air Force program seeks

  • US military showcases aircraft at Berlin air show

    U.S. military aircraft based in America and Europe were on display during this year’s Berlin air and trade show from June 1-4. The International Aerospace Exhibition (ILA) is one of the oldest air shows around dating back more than 100 years.

  • That others may live: Silver Star medal for fallen Airman, son

    Capt. Matthew Roland, of the 23rd Special Tactics Squadron, posthumously received the Silver Star on June 1 for actions taken during an ambush Aug. 26, 2015, in Afghanistan. Roland's family accepted the decoration on behalf of the fallen special tactics officer.

  • Luxembourg, US uphold Memorial Day significance

    Luxembourgers and Americans united to pay tribute to those who paid the ultimate sacrifice for their freedoms, fulfilling a promise to never forget that price. More than 200 citizens of both countries paid their respects to the legacy and valor of fallen American service members as part of a

  • Reservist's book makes CSAF reading list

    The service’s top general has selected a biography written by an Air Force reservist for inclusion on this year’s Air Force Chief of Staff Reading List. “At All Costs” by Chief Master Sgt. Matt Proietti tells the life and death story of Medal of Honor recipient Chief Master Sgt. Richard L. “Dick”

  • AF hosts Magazine Day at Pentagon

    Roughly 15 representatives from a variety of magazines ranging from Popular Mechanics and Runner’s World to People and Buzzfeed attended the Air Force’s second annual Magazine Day event at the Pentagon May 13.

  • 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.

  • Leaving a legacy, beginning a tradition

    The annual General and Mrs. Jerome F. O’Malley Award is given to the wing commander and spouse whose contributions to the nation, Air Force and local community best exemplify the selflessness displayed by the O’Malleys.

  • Air Force civic leaders visit USAFE

    The Air Force Civic Leader Program is an Air Staff-level program whose membership is comprised of community leaders selected by the Air Force major commands, National Guard Bureau and Headquarters Air Force.

  • Putting mental health in focus

    Nearly one in five adults, or 43 million Americans, has a diagnosable mental disorder, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. Contrary to many other brain disorders, effective treatments are available for mental disorders.

  • Goldfein nominated as 21st CSAF

    Defense Secretary Ash Carter announced April 26 that the president has nominated Air Force Vice Chief of Staff Gen. David L. Goldfein to be the 21st chief of staff of the Air Force, succeeding Gen. Mark A. Welsh III, who has served in the position since 2012.

  • AF family shares experience with child’s autism

    Four-year-old Dawson Stock loves music and instruments; his mother says he is obsessed with the violin. He knows the alphabet forward and backward and is ready to read. Dawson is teaching himself the sign-language alphabet. He knows his numbers and how to add. Dawson is a high-functioning child.

  • F-35 program accelerating, at 'pivot point,' program chief tells Congress

    The program executive officer of the F-35 Lightning II aircraft program said the rapidly changing, growing and accelerating program is at a "pivot point" as officials address a number of challenges. The F-35 program, also known as the Joint Strike Fighter program, is of vital importance to U.S.

  • Enlisted corps bestows highest honor upon Welsh

    Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Welsh III was inducted into the Air Force Order of the Sword during a ceremony April 22 in Montgomery, Alabama. An ancient tradition adopted by the Air Force in 1967, the Order of the Sword is the highest level of honor and tribute the enlisted corps can give

  • Eglin Airman selected by Welsh for unique commissioning program

    An Airman’s cell phone rings, but he doesn’t answer because for him personal calls can wait until after work. It rings again; he lets it go to voicemail. On the third call he finally answers and is shocked to discover Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Welsh III on the line. During the call,

  • PACAF commander to senators: Homeland defense ‘sacred responsibility’

    Gen. Lori J. Robinson, who now commands Pacific Air Forces and is air component commander for U.S. Pacific Command, testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee, noting that the U.S. faces a rapidly evolving and growing threat environment in terms of the number of those who wish to harm the

  • New AF development planning effort key to third offset

    To help the Air Force define and develop future capabilities, Air Force Materiel Command is standing up a multi-disciplinary Air Force team at the Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.

  • VCSAF, spouse take in Ramstein mission sets

    The Air Force's vice chief of staff and his spouse visited Ramstein Air Base on April 18 to meet with Airmen and familiarize themselves with the mission sets of Ramstein’s three different wings.

  • AF New Parent Support Program helps families care for infants, toddlers

    The Air Force New Parent Support Program provides information, support and guidance to parents as they care for their newborns, infants and toddlers. The program helps military families learn about the growth and development of infants and toddlers, to prepare for the changes that come as a baby is

  • Rice nominated to become next Air National Guard director

    Defense Secretary Ash Carter announced April 5 that President Barack Obama has nominated Maj. Gen. L. Scott Rice for appointment to the rank of lieutenant general and for assignment as director of the Air National Guard.

  • Tyndall’s LRS best in Air Force

    The Air Force’s newest logistics readiness squadron is now known as “the best of the best” in the Air Force. The 325th Logistics Readiness Squadron has won the Air Force’s coveted 2015 Major General Warren R. Carter Daedalian Logistics Effectiveness Award less than two years after its official

  • Carter praises National Guard Bureau chief nominee

    Defense Secretary Ash Carter congratulated Air Force Lt. Gen. Joseph L. Lengyel on his nomination April 5 to serve as the next chief of the National Guard Bureau and, if approved by Congress, to receive his fourth star. Lengyel, now the Guard Bureau’s vice chief, would succeed Army Gen. Frank J.

  • Miller nominated as next chief of Air Force Reserve

    President Barack Obama nominated Maj. Gen. Maryanne Miller for a third star and assignment as chief of Air Force Reserve and commander of the Air Force Reserve Command, replacing Lt. Gen. James F. Jackson.

  • Cadets, special tactics Airmen honor fallen Academy grad

    More than 150 special tactics Airmen and U.S. Air Force Academy cadets honored fallen Academy graduate and Silver Star medal recipient Capt. Matthew D. Roland, dedicating a memorial display and completing memorial pushups in formation here March 30.

  • Wartime medical innovation saves lives at home

    In January, the Food and Drug Administration approved the REBOA catheter, or resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta. The REBOA is a device that’s inserted into a hemorrhaging vessel and stops or slows blood flow to that injury, while allowing blood flow to continue to other body

  • Robinson tapped to be first female combatant commander

    Defense Secretary Ash Carter has named a new commander for U.S. Northern Command to be confirmed by the Senate. If confirmed, the new Northern Command chief will be the first woman to lead a U.S. combatant command.

  • ACC commander addresses RPA health to Senate Armed Services Committee

    Gen. Hawk Carlisle, the commander of Air Combat Command, addressed plans to improve the health of the Air Force remotely piloted aircraft enterprise March 16 during a hearing of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee’s Airland subcommittee in Washington, D.C. The purpose of the hearing was to

  • Inspired NCO spends career molding Airmen

    After troubles in high school, Joshua Smith found discipline in the Air Force and now teaches others as an Airman leadership school instructor at McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas.

  • Airmen to appear on ‘Weather Geeks’

    For some Airmen, being called a weather geek is a term of endearment. Two Airmen from the 557th Weather Wing recently embraced their inner geek and will share their passion and expertise on an upcoming episode of "Weather Geeks" on the Weather Channel.

  • Air Force continues to pursue total force integration

    The Air Force continues to make strides toward total force integration, according to an annual report submitted to Congress March 4. The report is based on recommendations from the National Commission on the Structure of the Air Force and focuses on how the force structure should be modified to best

  • Sleep is serious: Catch your Zzzs

    “Beep. Beep. Beep,” the alarm blares. Time to get up. Do you hit snooze? On average, we spend 33 percent of our lives asleep. When assessing your overall health, have you considered your sleep habits?

  • Airpower leaders stress stronger role for Airmen in future ops

    Gen. Hawk Carlisle, the commander of the Air Combat Command, and Gen. Robin Rand, the commander of the Air Force Global Strike Command, kicked off the Air Force Association’s 32nd annual Air Warfare Symposium Feb. 25 in Orlando, Florida, with a presentation on global precision strike, a group of

  • Precision strikes keeping enemy on target

    Lessons learned in past conflicts have now made it possible to bomb enemy targets within just a few feet to reduce collateral damage, a top Air Force commander said Feb. 25 at the Air Force Association’s Air Warfare Symposium in Orlando, Florida.

  • 'Eddie the Eagle' star soars

    Hugh Jackman, star of the upcoming movie "Eddie the Eagle," received a civic leader flight in an F-16 Fighting Falcon at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth from the 301st Fighter Wing Feb. 19 in a display of Air Force Reserve combat capability and air superiority.

  • Air Force senior leaders share lessons learned from Desert Storm

    During recent visits to Howard University and the University of Maryland, two Air Force senior leaders shared memories and lessons learned from Operation Desert Storm with more than 160 Washington, D.C., area Air Force ROTC cadets as part of the Air Force’s focus on the 25th anniversary of the

  • Air Force continues to improve care in the air

    The Air Mobility Command Surgeon General’s office and researchers across the Air Force, to include the 711th Human Resource Wing at Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, have been working together to improve how the Air Force provides care in the air. The AMC/SG is responsible for clinical

  • New leadership for AF Acquisitions, Logistics

    Today, Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James announced that Darlene Costello, a senior acquisition official in the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense, Acquisition, Technology and Logistics (AT&L), is assuming the duties of the principal deputy assistant secretary of the Air Force for

  • AF remembers pioneer of DOD transportation

    Retired Gen. Duane F. Cassidy, the first "dual-hatted" commander of both U.S. Transportation Command and Military Airlift Command, passed away Feb. 8 at the age of 82.

  • F-35 program moving forward, addressing challenges

    The F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter Program is moving forward while addressing various challenges, the program's executive officer said Feb. 10. He detailed a number of challenges in the program, including incorporating fixes to address the current flight restrictions on lightweight pilots.

  • From World War II to Afghanistan: USO marks 75th anniversary

    The USO marked its 75th anniversary Feb. 4 at a gala in Washington, D.C. Medal of Honor recipients, USO volunteers, active-duty personnel, veterans, members of Congress, and stars of stage, screen and music gathered to mark a milestone for an organization founded as the United States geared up for

  • US, Japan participate in Keen Edge 16

    Members from the Japan Self-Defense Forces and United States Forces Japan came together to conduct a joint-bilateral command post exercise Keen Edge 16 at Yokota Air Base, Japan, from Jan. 23-29; this was the 14th command post exercise since 1986.

  • Astronaut rescue exercise proves Airmen ready to support space mission

    It's not common an astronaut must be rescued out of rough open waters after descending home to Earth in a crewed capsule; but when those space race-era days of human space flight return, a small Air Force detachment knows they will be ready. The 45th Operations Group’s Detachment 3 joined NASA's

  • National Guard forces continue post-storm assistance

    Virginia National Guard Soldiers on state active duty have been using Humvees and medium tactical trucks to provide mobility support to help Virginia State Police and local first responders reach residents requiring assistance after a historic snowfall blanketed the state.

  • Luke F-16 crashes in Arizona

    An F-16 Fighting Falcon assigned to the 56th Fighter Wing at Luke Air Force Base crashed at approximately 8:45 a.m. today north of Luke AFB in the vicinity of Bagdad, Arizona.

  • Army, Air Force collaborate on education, innovation

    Gen. David G. Perkins, the commanding general of the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC), visited officials from Air Education and Training Command Jan. 7-8 to collaborate with Air Force leaders on advancing education and innovation within the respective military services.

  • AFSOC historian retires after 50-plus years of service

    The longest-serving historian in the Air Force retired at Hurlburt Field Jan. 7. Herb Mason, the Air Force Special Operations Command historian, spent more than 50 years preserving the Air Force story for generations to come.