HomeNews

NATO Air Policing operations

U.S. Air Force News

  • Congress reviews reserve forces equipment needs

    Lt. Gen. James F. Jackson, chief of Air Force Reserve, joined other Reserve and National Guard senior leaders on Capitol Hill March 19 to testify and answer questions.The Air Force and Army reserve component flag officers went before the House Armed Services Committee's Tactical Air and Land Forces

  • Congress reviews reserve forces equipment needs

    Senior Army and Air Force leaders for the Reserve and National Guard were on Capitol Hill to testify March 19 and answer questions about updating and replacing their combat-worn equipment.Chairman Michael Turner, R-Ohio, and Rep. John Garamendi, D-Calif., led the hearing at the House Armed Services

  • Congress, nation designate military appreciation month

    Both chambers of the U.S. Congress have adopted a resolution calling for Americans to recognize and honor U.S. servicemembers during May's National Military Appreciation Month.Virginia Rep. Tom Davis, along with 16 co-sponsors, introduced Concurrent Resolution No. 328 in the House in November. The

  • Congressional commission studies women in combat

    Defense Department officials will review the recommendations of a congressional commission studying the role of women in combat when the group's report is complete, a DOD official said Jan. 14.Congress established the Military Leadership Diversity Commission as part of the 2009 National Defense

  • Congressional delegates visit U.S. CENTAF Airmen

    Five congressional delegates visited Airmen at the Combined Air and Space Operations Center and the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing here Oct. 6. Congressmen F. Allen Boyd, Jr. (D-FL); Wayne Gilchrest (D-MD); Roger Wicker (R-MS); Steven Cohen (D-TN); and Congresswoman Betty Sutton (D-OH) met with Lt.

  • Congressional delegation observes enemy fire from C-130

    Four congressional delegates observed live, enemy fire from a C-130 Hercules Aug. 30 that had just departed Baghdad International Airport enroute to Jordan. "They witnessed firsthand our Air Force's Airmen in combat," said Lt. Gen. Gary L. North, the U.S. Central Command Air Forces commander. On

  • Congressional delegation visits hydrogen fueling station

    Fifteen congressional delegates visited the hydrogen fueling station at Hickam AFB Dec. 29. Opened in November 2006, the facility is a renewable energy station that is helping the Air Force overcome its dependency on petroleum products by providing an alternate fuel source. The unique Air Force

  • Congressional staff members visit AFPC

    Professional staff members from the House Armed Services Committee's subcommittee on military personnel visited the Air Force Personnel Center here April 15 to learn more about the many initiatives the center has undertaken to deliver personnel services to Airmen and civilians. Some of the

  • Congressional team evaluates Airmen's living quarters

    A two-person House Appropriations Committee Studies and Investigations team spoke to Airmen and inspected dormitories on Ramstein Air Base and Kapaun Air Station in Germany in October. The inspection, conducted by Keith Baker and Adam Johnson are House Appropriations Committee staff

  • Congressmen review Reserve role, budget, mobilization

    As Congress debates ways to address the federal debt ceiling, reserve component military leaders were on Capitol Hill recently to testify and answer questions about retaining operational roles, changes to mobilization and future budget challenges.Led by chairman Joe Wilson, of S.C., and ranking

  • Congressmen visit servicemembers in Manas

    A congressional delegation consisting of five U.S. senators visited with Airmen from the 376th Air Expeditionary Wing and toured the base, Aug. 5, as a part of an eight-day trip to promote security, democracy and development in central Asia. Led by U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada,

  • Congresswoman visits Altus

    Officials from the 97th Air Mobility Wing here welcomed the 5th district congresswoman of Oklahoma April 9 as she toured Altus Air Force Base for her assessment of the state's military readiness. Rep. Mary Fallin is currently the only Oklahoma member of the House Armed Services Committee in

  • Conjoined twins born at Wilford Hall

    Conjoined twins Brynleigh and Victoria Smith beat the odds when they were born July 25 at Wilford Hall Medical Center here. While roughly 60 percent of conjoined twins are stillborn, Brynleigh and Victoria survived birth. However, their premature lungs required immediate ventilation in the neonatal

  • Conley takes command of AFSOC

    Lt. Gen. Michael Conley assumed command of AFSOC from Lt. Gen. Tony Bauernfeind during a change of command ceremony at Hurlburt Field.

  • Conn. ANG engineer BEEFs up projects in Afghanistan

    Building a bunker wall at an Afghan base in northern Afghanistan may seem like a typical engineering task, but this was no ordinary project for Staff Sgt. Arthur Mitchell, a civil engineer with the 577th Expeditionary Prime BEEF (Base Emergency Engineer Force) Squadron. This project was an

  • Connected battlespace modernizes fight in Indo-Pacific

    Utah Air National Guard’s 151st Air Refueling Wing, working with the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve Test Center, sent their modified KC-135 Stratotanker to Kadena Air Base for use in the Western Pacific during Northern Edge 23-2.

  • Connectedness key to defeating the enemy

    For Tyndall Air Force Base, identifying the enemy has taken on a heightened sense of urgency since Hurricane Michael’s landfall on Oct. 10, 2018. The storm not only leveled the base, it also wreaked havoc on the lives of Airmen, civilian employees and family members displaced and impacted. Since

  • Connectedness: Key to organizational success

    Col. Carey Jones, 47th Operations Group commander at Laughlin Air Force Base, Texas, shares her thoughts on connection throughout a unit and key takeaways that lead to unit success.

  • Connecticut Guard has answer for Sandy

    Approximately 850 members from the Connecticut Army and Air National Guard here and around the state were called up for state active duty Oct. 31 in response to the destruction of Hurricane Sandy. Guardsmen were involved with initial emergency response preparations as early as Oct. 27 in preparation

  • Connecting America, Ghana through music

    Throughout the summer, the U.S. Air Force Band featured guest conductors at performances, enhancing international partnerships.The concert Aug. 24 at the Air Force Memorial here was another example of this as Col. Sampson Ebonyi, guest conductor from Ghana, took the crowd on a musical journey,

  • Connecting Cyberspace and Airspace

    The Mission Defense Team is made up of a team of cyber and communication professionals designated to defend a specific aircraft, preventing adversaries from invading the airspace and manipulating aircraft data.

  • Connecting the world one wire at a time

    They maintain miles of cable and wire so everyone can communicate here and to the world. The job has them working above and below ground, while fighting all the elements of being in a desert climate. This responsibility lies with the 407th Expeditionary Communications Squadron’s base information

  • Connection in the classroom

    The Patrick Air Force Base Professional Development Center (PDC) is not just a place for professional and leadership education, but as of Feb. 11, it's the most technically advanced professional development center in the Air Force.

  • CONOP test finding success for Air Force in Iraq

    According to air mobility experts on the ground in Iraq, initial results of the ongoing U.S. Army direct support mission Concept of Operations test there indicate what Air Force and Air Mobility Command officials have said all along: the Air Force supports this mission 100 percent.The CONOP test

  • CONR officials provide support during shuttle launch

    Officials from the Continental U.S. North American Aerospace Defense Command Region and Air Forces Northern provided airspace control and shuttle support during the launch of Space Shuttle Endeavour May 16 at Kennedy Space Center, Fla. CONR officials ensured airspace sovereignty by enforcing the

  • CONR supports final space shuttle launch

    Spectators looked on as Space Shuttle Atlantis roared to life for the final time, as the orbiter and crew launched into space from here July 8.Members of the Continental U.S. North American Aerospace Defense Command Region, or Continental NORAD Region, and Air Forces Northern provided airspace

  • CONR team supports successful shuttle launch

    Officials with the Continental U.S. North American Aerospace Defense Command Region, or CONR, and Air Forces Northern provided crucial airspace control and manning support to the successful launch of Space Shuttle Discovery Feb. 24.CONR representatives ensured airspace sovereignty by enforcing the

  • Conserving energy, reducing foot print one project at a time

    With today's fiscal limitations and focus on doing more with less, officials here are finding ways to save energy and money while getting the mission done.Executive orders state energy usage must be reduced by three percent and water usage by two percent annually until 2012, and members of Laughlin

  • Consolidated distribution saves dollars

    Millions of hardcopy forms and information products distributed by the Air Force will be delivered to customers at half the cost beginning fiscal 2012.Air Force officials are contracting with Army officials to move all of the service's warehoused printed material from the Air Force Publishing

  • Consolidation streamlines household moves, saves money

    Military members and civilian Defense Department employees aren't expected to notice it, but changes that start next year at U.S. Transportation Command will help to make their household goods shipments more efficient and cost-effective.Transcom officials announced plans to consolidate 151 personal

  • Constitution commemoration falls in line with Air Force birthday

    "I ... solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic," are words from the enlistment oath that every Airman has sworn to one or more times.As the Air Force marks its 63rd year Sept. 18, the Department of Defense

  • Constructing an air corps from the ground up

    Airmen from the U.S. Air Force and the Afghan National Army Air Corps are working side-by-side to provide an airpower capability to the nation of Afghanistan. The Afghan Army was created six years ago with the air corps element subsequently created four years later. The training mission to grow

  • Construction begins on first cyber warfare intelligence center

    Engineers with the Air Force Center for Engineering and the Environment have begun construction on the new 38,000 square-foot cyber warfare command center.  The facility will be home for the 68th Network Warfare Squadron and the 710th Information Operations Flight currently located at

  • Construction begins on new fuel pipeline at Southwest Asia base

    Construction on a new 2.7-mile pipeline to bolster ground refueling operations for the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing began March 17 at a non-disclosed base here.The $5.7 million project calls for the construction of an above-ground 8-inch carbon steel pipeline from the existing tanker truck offload

  • Construction is steady on Lackland's medical campus

    The first phase of construction for the new Wilford Hall Ambulatory Surgical Center here is steadily progressing. Excavation of the new 1,028-car parking garage is complete and the utility corridor excavation is moving along on schedule, according to Joann Pinto, director of 59th Medical Wing

  • Construction of second runway continues at Osan, South Korea

    A second runway for Osan Air Base is under construction as U.S. and Republic of Korea officials continue to work together to have it up and running by 2013.With oversight from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the ROK Ministry of National Defense's Defense Installations Agency has been working since

  • Consultant program begins at ACC family readiness centers

    Eleven Air Combat Command bases will start using a new Military and Family Life Consultant Program by April 28 to meet the emerging needs of active duty Airmen, guardsmen, reservists and their family members. The new program will provide workshops and nonmedical, short-term counseling services to

  • Consultant program supports troops, families

    With portable, flexible care, the Defense Department's Military Family Life Consultant program has become a critical component in service member and family support, the director of the Pentagon's office of family policy, children and youth said recently.Through the program, behavioral health

  • Consumer advocates seek military's input

    Leaders implementing the federal government's new consumer protection agency met with Joint Base San Antonio service members here Jan. 18 to discuss the unique financial issues facing military families.Elizabeth Warren, the assistant to the president and special adviser to the secretary of the

  • Consumer tips on avoiding scammers

    Service members and their families can be easy targets for scammers, and financial education is key to prevention, the deputy director of the Pentagon's office of family policy and children and youth.

  • Contact center adds new online service

    People can now get real-time help with personnel issues online, from anywhere in the world, thanks to new Web features offered by the Air Force Contact Center here.The online features let users view a database of frequently asked questions, chat live online with a customer service representative or

  • Contact center expands hours

    Airmen stationed overseas can now get real-time help with personnel issues without having to wake up at 3 a.m. thanks to the expanded hours of the contact center at the Air Force Personnel Center here.Beginning Dec. 2, the new hours, 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. CST, will give people overseas a chance to talk

  • Contact Center keeping customers No. 1

    A customer satisfaction survey shows a favorable response to the Air Force Contact Center here. Open 24 hours a day, seven days a week (except for Independence Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day), the contact center staff answers questions from hundreds of people a day from around the

  • Contact Center moves to 24-hour ops

    Airmen everywhere can now talk with customer service agents about personnel issues 24 hours a day thanks to the recently expanded hours of the Air Force Contact Center here.People with questions about assignments, benefits, pay and more can speak to a customer service representative toll-free at

  • Contact information available concerning Hurricane Katrina

    For information relating to Hurricane Katrina, to include Stop Movement and entitlements, the following phone numbers and Web sites are available:The Air Force Personnel Center Personnel Readiness Center can be contacted toll free at (800) 435-9941. The PRC can provide information about bases

  • Contact lens wear discouraged on deployments

    Blowing sand, smoke and fine dust particles are an eyeball’s worst nightmare. Now imagine holding up your unit because you have “something in your eye.” This type of scenario is exactly what optometrists said they fear most when Airmen wear contact lenses instead of their glasses while working in a

  • Container management initiative saves money

    In an effort to not only improve the aesthetics of the installation but also save the Air Force hundreds of thousands of dollars, the 379th Expeditionary Maintenance Group and Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron's traffic management flight have joined forces to combat extraneous shipping

  • Contamination avoidance team ensures health, safety of Yokota aircrews

    Tech. Sgt. Michael Welles is checked for radiation exposure March 13, 2011, at Yokota Air Base, Japan, after a flight to northern Japan. A team of bioenvironmental engineers from the 374th Aerospace Medicine Squadron and emergency managers from the 374th Civil Engineer Squadron were checking

  • Contamination control area helps Airmen 'clean up'

    One of the ways Incirlik AB Airmen prepared for their upcoming Unit Compliance Inspection was setting up a simulated contamination control area March 1. The contamination control area allows Airmen exposed to hazards from biological to chemical agents to come "clean" in a controlled environment. The

  • Contests spotlight creativity

    Budding photographers and artists can enter the 2016 Photo and Art Contest, sponsored by the Air Force Services Activity.

  • Contingency Response Airmen battle elements at JRTC

    Airmen from the 621st Contingency Response wing participated in combat exercise "Decisive Action" Oct. 10 through 22 as part of a Joint Task Force here to prepare for future deployments. Approximately 100 Airmen from the 570th Contingency Response Group, based at Travis Air Force Base, Calif., and

  • Contingency response Airmen build partnership capability in Egypt

    Airmen from the 621st Contingency Response Wing bolstered Egypt's ability to mobilize its troops by training 20 Egyptian airborne soldiers on airlift and cargo loading procedures during Exercise Bright Star in Cairo, Egypt, Oct. 9 to 21. During the eight-day training course, the Airmen taught

  • Contingency response Airmen support exercise Northern Strike

    Airmen from the 821st Contingency Response Group here recently participated in exercise Northern Strike at Grayling Army Airfield and Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center in Michigan. Northern Strike is a large-scale exercise coordinated by the Michigan Army National Guard and features Army,

  • Contingency response element deploys to Basra

    Nearly 50 members of the 615th Contingency Response Wing headquartered at Travis Air Force Base, Calif., are deployed here in support of coalition and joint operations. The mission of the 615th CRW-Contingency Response Element is to support the transition from British to U.S. responsibility of

  • Contingency response team prepares airfield for Italians

    In fewer than 45 days, tanker airlift control element Airmen will achieve what some may deem impossible.This 47-person team, primarily deployed from the 621st Contingency Response Wing at McGuire Air Force Base, N.J., is preparing nearby Herat for more than 300 Italian troops as they lead the

  • Contingency response team stands down after last shuttle support alert

    An audience of millions watched the last launch of the space shuttle Atlantis from Kennedy Space Center, Fla., July 8. The nearly 650 mobility Airmen of the 621st Contingency Response Wing here, however, saw a different finale -- an end to years of waiting for a call they thankfully never received.

  • Contingency response wing activates at Travis

    When the 615th Contingency Response Wing stood up here April 11, the mobility mission of 15th Expeditionary Mobility Task Force’s expanded along with it.“The activation of CRWs and associated groups at Travis and McGuire (Air Force Base, N.J.) is not only historic, but clearly signals our resolve to

  • Contingency response wing returns from Pakistan relief mission

    Airmen from the 621st Contingency Response Wing have completed operations in Pakistan in support of flood relief distribution efforts after torrential rains and flooding affected more than 20 million people and left one-fifth of the agricultural country under water.The last seven members of the 37

  • Contingency response wing takes baby steps around the world

    Helping the relief victims of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, and Pakistan’s earthquake disaster were its baby steps. The infant is the 621st Contingency Response Wing, which celebrated its first birthday on Monday, March 6, 2006 at a ceremony in its contingency response warehouse. “Each person here is

  • Contingency response wing takes on Africa mission

    An Air Force wing that stood up here to open airfields anywhere in the world on short notice soon will take on a new mission, helping African militaries establish their own air mobility systems.The 621st Contingency Response Wing and the wing's sister unit at Travis Air Force Base, Calif., stand

  • Contingency skills course brings expeditionary basics to Airmen

    With Airmen doing more on the frontlines of the war on terrorism, the need exists for Air Force specialties across the board to receive training in a variety of expeditionary combat skills. In the Air Mobility Warfare Center’s 421st Combat Training Squadron here, they built an answer to that need --

  • Contingency Wartime Planning Course prepares Airmen for duty

    As the supreme allied commander of allied forces in Europe during the Normandy invasion in World War II, Dwight D. Eisenhower explained the importance of military planning when he said, "In preparing for battle, I have always found that plans are useless but planning is indispensable." A course

  • Continued testing of F-35 JSF sensors a success at Northern Edge 2011

    While participating in Northern Edge for the second time, F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter sensor capabilities were tested in Alaska's premier multi-operational environment June 13-24. Hosted by Alaskan Command, Northern Edge is a biennial U.S. Pacific Command exercise that prepares joint

  • Continued vigilance is everyone’s responsibility

    The terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, taught us that the enemies of the United States are capable of striking high-value targets on American soil, and they’re willing to stop at nothing to do so. While the United States has been safe from terror attacks since that ill-fated day, continued

  • Continuing family support through government shutdown

    The government shutdown is affecting quality of life, family support, and child and youth programs that service members and families value. The purpose of this blog post is to provide guidance as to what to expect regarding the operating status of these programs while the government is shut down.

  • Continuing health care priority for DOD

    During testimony in front of both the House and Senate Armed Services Committees recently, Air Force Vice Chief of Staff Gen. John D.W. Corley said that sustaining health care for servicemembers, their families and retirees is a priority for the Department of Defense. General Corley, along with the

  • Continuing resolution update

    Congress passed and President Obama signed a Continuing Resolution Dec. 17 that will continue through Dec. 23.The CR provides the funding for those executive branch departments and agencies which have not yet received full-year funding for Fiscal Year 2012.As a result, departments and agencies are

  • Continuing resolution update

    Congress passed and President Obama signed a Continuing Resolution Dec. 17 that will continue through Dec. 23.The CR provides the funding for those executive branch departments and agencies which have not yet received full-year funding for Fiscal Year 2012.As a result, departments and agencies are

  • Continuing the legacy: Tibbets takes command of 509th Bomb Wing

    During a historic ceremony, Brig. Gen. Paul W. Tibbets IV took command of the 509th Bomb Wing at Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri, June 5. Tibbets' grandfather, Brig. Gen. Paul W. Tibbets Jr., was the pilot of the "Enola Gay," the B-29 Superfortress known for dropping the "Little Boy" atomic bomb

  • Continuing to strengthen nuclear operations: Munitions squadrons to realign

    Air Force officials announced April 27 here plans to transfer munitions squadrons responsible for nuclear mission support from Air Force Materiel Command to Air Force Global Strike Command in the next 12 months.This is another step in continuing to strengthen the nuclear enterprise; under a previous

  • Continuous bomber presence restructuring saves DOD $12 million

     Air Force Global Strike Command and Pacific Air Forces officials teamed up recently to restructure logistics support and aircraft rotations for the continuous bomber presence in the Pacific.The restructuring is estimated to save the Defense Department more than $12 million annually."The continuous

  • Continuous Process Improvement workshop held

    Lean practitioners from across the Department of Defense came together to share, learn and educate each other during a Continuous Process Improvement workshop, held April 22 and 23 at Tobyhanna Army Depot. "This is the first of what I believe will be many types of these events," said J. D. Sicilia,

  • 'Continuum of Service' video promotes total force options

    In an effort to retain highly skilled Airmen for a lifetime of service, Air Force leaders recently unveiled a Continuum of Service video that helps to promote seamless changes in duty status in the total force structure. The video, produced by a team from the Secretary of the Air Force Office of

  • Contract award to enhance in-flight operations for top U.S. officials

    Air Force officials here issued a contract award in mid-April that will provide highly reliable, secure and integrated voice, data and video equipment for airborne U.S. senior leaders. The nearly $209 million award to Rockwell Collins will allow Air Force officials to retrofit a fleet of 20 special

  • Contract awarded to clean up former Castle and Norton Air Force bases

    Air Force officials have awarded a multi-year performance-based contract to CH2M HILL, Inc. to perform environmental activities at the former Castle Air Force Base near Atwater, Calif., and the former Norton Air Force Base in San Bernardino, Calif. This $8.18 million contract runs through 2015. The

  • Contract controllers vital link between airport, deployed base

    Civilian contractors play a vital role in keeping the sky safe here. The Air Force Contingency Augmentation Program Air Traffic Control liaison contractors serve as a link between the Manas International Airport and the base.“We are a conduit between the base and the airport authorities for

  • Contract employees strike at Vance

    Vance Air Force Base contract employees went on strike at 12:01 a.m. June 8 after a collective bargaining agreement expired between CSC Applied Technologies LLC and its three sub-contractors -- PRI/DJI, DenMar and M1 Support Service -- and the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace

  • Contract extension puts communication system on bombers

    Electronic Systems Center officials here awarded a contract Sept. 29 that will enable continued integration of an airborne communication system aboard two key Air Force platforms.The $14 million award to Northrop Grumman Corp. extends a previous contract to develop and test the Common Link

  • Contract modification adds 4 aircraft for Air Force, Marines

    Officials from the 657th Aeronautical Systems Squadron here issued an undefinitized contract action in December that will add four aircraft to be used by the Air Force and Marine Corps. Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co. of Marietta, Ga., was awarded the $256 million firm-fixed-price contract

  • Contracting Airmen play crucial role in Operation Tomodachi

    A C-17 Globemaster III carrying a series of pipes, hoses and related equipment that the U.S. Government purchased to help the people of Japan cool the reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi Power Plant arrived here March 29.At 2.7 kilometers in length and a weight of more than 20,000 pounds, the

  • Contracting Airmen, Soldiers ready for joint contracting exercise

    With the 2021 Joint Forces Contracting Exercise, contracting teams will execute the force employment concept of deploying a joint regional contracting office to provide operational contract support to a combat-credible force in the deterrence of aggression against U.S. interests in key areas.

  • Contracting makes it happen

    From beans to bullets, cradle to grave, one agency at a forward-deployed location makes it all happen. Whether it is bottled water to get Airmen through the heat of summer or vital supplies to keep the aircraft flying, the 386th Expeditionary Contracting Squadron is there to make sure the mission

  • Contracting officer experiences frontline action in Iraq

    First Lt. Ed Ruckwardt was in his office, wrapping up some contracts he had worked on the previous few days.It was typical of the lieutenant's duties. There was nothing extravagant or special about the contracts. He was doing his job.The quietness of the day was interrupted by a loud explosion

  • Contracting pros deliver to COVID-19 front lines

    The Air Force Installation Contracting Center’s 763rd Specialized Contracting Squadron is one example of mission-focused agility in support of the greater fight, recently delivering a surplus of fast-tracked emergency support to Air Mobility Command in days, if not hours.

  • Contracting provides base 'buying power'

    When Airmen deploy they quickly find there are differences from how they do their job at their home station. At a deployed location, if something needs to be purchased, built or serviced, chances are the contracting office has a hand in it. According to the 447th Air Expeditionary Group chief of

  • Contracting specialists keep mission going

    Does money make the world go around? Maybe the people who spend the money make the world go around. Some of those spenders buy everything the 320th Air Expeditionary Wing uses to carry out its mission."We provide purchasing support for the base, other locations in country and six locations further