HomeNews

NATO Air Policing operations

U.S. Air Force News

  • Eielson AFB Airmen join university for emergency management exercise

    First responders and plans and programs teams here joined staff members from the University of Alaska and local emergency management teams July 27-28 to conduct emergency management exercise at the UAF campus.The university's first large-scale exercise tested emergency responders the first day and

  • Eielson AFB completes F-35A Lightning II fleet

    Eielson Air Force Base and the 354th Fighter Wing accepted delivery of its final F-35A Lightning II fighter aircraft making Alaska the most concentrated state for combat-coded fifth-generation fighter aircraft.

  • Eielson AFB exercises readiness, capability

    Airmen and aircraft from Eielson Air Force Base participated in an exercise designed to hone readiness capabilities in response to potential real-world contingencies.

  • Eielson AFB hosts Arctic Defender 24

    Over 500 personnel from the U.S., German, French, Spanish and Canadian air forces as well as the U.S. Marine Corps participated in Arctic Defender 24 at Eielson Air Force Base, July 8-18.

  • Eielson AFB reactivates 356th Fighter Squadron

    Eielson Air Force Base reactivated the 356th Fighter Squadron and named a new commander on Oct. 10, in preparation for the arrival of the Air Force F-35A Lightning IIs to interior Alaska. Air Force Lt. Col. James Christensen will lead the 356th FS, which is the first of two combat fighter squadrons

  • Eielson AFB retains aggressor mission

    Air Force officials announced April 14 that Eielson Air Force Base will retain the 18th Aggressor Squadron and its assigned 18 F-16 Fighting Falcon aggressor aircraft.

  • Eielson AFB youth show 'Purple Up' pride

    Students at Robert M. Crawford Elementary School celebrated Purple Up Day April 19, honoring military children who make unique sacrifices in support of their active-duty mothers, fathers, sisters and brothers. Alaska state officials adopted Purple Up Day last year to show support for an estimated

  • Eielson Airmen get aggressive about training

    Maj. Robert Kelly is getting ready to try and shoot down Air Force aircraft. But, the weapons officer from the 353rd Combat Training Squadron is not an enemy. He is becoming what is known as a Red Flag aggressor pilot, an invaluable training asset for any Red Flag exercise. "As far as becoming an

  • Eielson Airmen help keep mushers, dogs in race

    Interior Alaska's formidable winter chill couldn't deter the Icemen team from volunteering to help support the local community during Yukon Quest, the 1,000-mile international dog sled race. More than 160 Airmen braved temperatures -- at times dipping below negative 40 degrees -- to help man the

  • Eielson Airmen research alternative energy resources

    Air Force Technical Applications Center Airmen operating at 12 remote locations throughout Alaska are pursuing alternate means for energy.The Airmen of Det. 460, a tenant unit at Eielson Air Force Base, operate in units powered by propane, but now solar power may become a reality even though there

  • Eielson Airmen return from deployment

    Blurry eyes brightened as each Airman walked trough the doors of the joint mobility complex here at 1 a.m. Jan. 23 to the welcoming applause of awaiting friends, family and co-workers. Tired from the long 36-hour flight trek home to Alaska, the midnight arrival ended the Airmen's months-long Air

  • Eielson Airmen start winter road show in Hawaii

    More than 125 Eielson Air Force Base Airmen and 10 jets left Dec. 6 through 8 to provide adversary training and support to members of the 199th Fighter Squadron and the Hawaii Air National Guard at Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii. This is their first stop for the 28 operations personnel and about 100

  • Eielson Airmen support Army deployments

    Airmen with the 354th Maintenance Squadron aerospace ground equipment flight assisted in processing nearly 500 deploying Soldiers through the Joint Mobility Complex Feb. 3 here to help fulfill the wing's mission of enabling military forces.AGE Airmen supported the deployment effort by de-icing

  • Eielson Airmen turn child into pilot for a day

    Eielson Air Force Base Airmen made a 15-year-old's dream come true as base members turned the boy into a pilot for a day Aug. 22 here. Alex Lee was born with congenital heart defects and Down syndrome and wasn't expected to live as long as he has, but Alex was full of life and excitement as he

  • Eielson dental goes digital

    With the invention of the Internet, information can be accessed at the click of a button. Songs, pictures and computer files can be placed on flash drives that fit in the palm of a hand. Technological advancements are ongoing and the world has proven time and time again, if it can be imagined, it

  • Eielson emergency teams respond to base fire

    Eielson Air Force Base emergency responders responded to a fire in a base housing residence within five minutes and helped mitigate property damage April 6 here. "There was smoke coming out of an upstairs window and a woman was screaming that her daughter was still inside," said Staff Sgt. Cody

  • Eielson F-16s participating in Commando Sling

    Six F-16C/D Fighting Falcons from the 354th Fighter Wing at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, are deployed to Singapore to participate in the second iteration of Exercise Commando Sling, which began Jan. 8 and runs through Jan. 26.An annual series of exercises, Commando Sling began in 1990 to provide

  • Eielson forces respond to base fire

    Firefighters and security forces here contained a fire in base housing Sept. 7 at around 6 p.m.The heating unit of an empty waterbed in the bedroom ignited the fire, according to officials.“The fire crews did an awesome job. It was a textbook operation,” said Master Sgt. Shawn Ricchuito, 354th

  • Eielson helps Airmen move into new homes in a hurry

    A ghost town now exists at Eielson AFB where 300 families once lived. Blanketed in several feet of snow, artic winter winds whistle through the solitary Sprucewood homes section of base housing. Before the bitter winter had set in, the more than 300 Airmen and their families called this area home.

  • Eielson intelligence flight supports Red Flag-Alaska

    Airmen with the 354th Operations Support Squadron Intelligence Flight here are providing U.S. and allied forces intelligence scenarios and targeting materials to support Exercise Red Flag-Alaska 08-2 running April 3 through 18. Eielson Air Force Base and Elmendorf AFB, Alaska, are the home of Red

  • Eielson maintainers use AFSO 21 to improve performance

    Members of the 354th Maintenance Squadron's Aerospace Ground Equipment Flight here recently implemented Air Force Smart Operations for the 21st century initiatives to reorganize the unit to save resources and manpower.The flight reorganized into five cells for scheduled and unscheduled maintenance

  • Eielson mom dances to TV contest's final ten

    A spouse here has been selected as one of 10 finalists in ABC network's "Good Morning America Dancing with the Moms Challenge." Heather Kangas, wife of Staff Sgt. Matt Kangas, 354th Logistics Readiness Squadron, sent in an entry letter and photo and producers apparently liked what they saw. Her

  • Eielson NCO bugs mosquitos

    Summer in Alaska may be the best time of the year with virtually continuous daylight and warm weather. However, with nice weather comes a small blood-sucking menace: the mosquito. In Alaska there are 35 different species of mosquitoes and all but a few will feed on people. They breed near stagnant

  • Eielson pilots get aggressive during Red Flag-Alaska

    Eielson Air Force Base F-16 Fighting Falcon pilots took to the sky as aggressors for the first time in Red Flag-Alaska history during the exercise that runs April 5 through 21. Flying with the 64th Aggressor Squadron from Nellis AFB, Nev., Eielson AFB pilots began the transition of a permanent F-16

  • Eielson possible home for alternative fuels facility

    Federal, state and local government leaders met July 18 in Fairbanks, Alaska, to plan Alaska's energy future. The Interior of Alaska Strategic Energy Summit, sponsored by the Fairbanks Economic Development Corporation, was attended by Senator Ted Stevens, Under Secretary of Energy Bud Albright,

  • Eielson powers its own mission

    Every morning, as Airmen here drive onto base, they are greeted by friendly waves -- waves of billowing steam stretching into the crisp morning sky. This steam is more than just hot air. It is the life's blood of the base, and it comes from the central heat and power plant here. "It is unique," said

  • Eielson recycling project kicks off

    People here soon will have the opportunity to reduce waste by recycling paper, plastic, tin, aluminum and glass products on base when a new recycling program kicks off in the weeks following Earth Day April 22.Officials in the 354th Civil Engineer Squadron Environmental Flight have been working

  • Eielson selected to receive operational F-35A aircraft

    Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, was selected as the new home for the Air Force’s first operational overseas F-35A Lightning IIs. Air Force officials chose Eielson AFB after a lengthy analysis of the location’s operational considerations, installation attributes, environmental factors and cost.

  • Eielson unit selected for process improvement study

    Pacific Air Forces has selected the 354th Logistics Readiness Squadron to validate the new process oriented organizational structure directed by Air Staff. Eielson is one of only 12 test bases Air Force wide to be selected. This isn't the first time the service has taken new approaches to the way in

  • Eielson units initiate total force integration

    Eielson units are combining efforts in the spirit of the total force vision by streamlining cooperative continuity and training. The total force concept eliminates redundancy and simplifies resources, allowing active-duty, Guard and Reserve Airmen to meet challenges with smaller and more

  • Eielson welcomes home deployed Airmen

    A crowd of more than 500 Airmen, family members and guests gathered March 9 to welcome home 400 Eielson Airmen who returned from deployments over the past six months. "It's the hard work and dedication of these Airmen that made the recent deployments successful," said Lt. Col. Mike Fitzgerald, the

  • Eielson's last A-10 carried on final flight

    The last Eielson Air Force Base A-10 Thunderbolt II was strapped in and transported via C-5 Galaxy Oct. 6 from here to its new home at the Museum of Aviation Flight and Technology Center at Robins Air Force Base, Ga.The aircraft, tail number 75-0305, was being used for weapons ground training at

  • Eight bases add chiropractic services to medical facilities

    Eight Air Force medical treatment facilities added chiropractic medicine, and others will follow suit in the future.Chiropractic medicine became available to the Air Force in 1995, after Congress directed the Department of Defense to test the feasibility of providing that service at its facilities.

  • Eight coaches selected for Warrior Games

    Air Force officials recently announced the names of eight Air Force members selected to coach the 2010 Air Force team for Department of Defense's inaugural Warrior Games in Colorado Springs, Colo., May 10 to 14."We received an overwhelming response from hundreds of people interested in coaching

  • Eighteen Airmen selected for medical training

    Air Force officials selected 18 enlisted Airmen to take part in the Tri-Service Physician Assistant Training Program at Fort Sam Houston, Texas.The board met at the Air Force Personnel Center here in March, selecting them from 48 applicants. The average selectee was 28 years old with eight years

  • Eighteenth Air Force changes command

    Maj. Gen. Kenneth T. Bibb Jr., who most recently served as the director of strategic plans, programs, requirements and analyses at headquarters Air Force Materiel Command at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, took command from Maj. Gen. Sam Barrett who is Pentagon-bound after commanding the

  • El Salvadoran vice chief views Air Force training programs

    The vice chief of the Joint General Staff for the Republic of El Salvador visited Lackland AFB May 10 to 11 to gain insight on Air Force educational and training programs.The two-day visit by El Salvadoran air force Brig. Gen. Jaime Parada fell under the auspice of the Air Force Chief of Staff's

  • Election, holiday peak to challenge mail delivery

    The upcoming holiday peak mailing season and national elections may challenge Air Force postal workers, but recent improvements show delivery times are steadily dropping.Air Force postal officials said Airmen deployed to operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom are receiving mail in nine to 12

  • Elections, security will determine size of force in Iraq

    Iraqi security forces are now shouldering more security burdens, said Marine Lt. Gen. James T. Conway, director of operations for the Joint Staff. "Iraqi security forces continue to grow in capability and confidence," he said. The Iraqi army and police have more than 210,000 members trained and

  • Electric cars cut fuel costs

    As gas prices soared this summer, the 37th Mission Support Group here searched for something new to help the it lower the cost of official transportation. “With gas prices approaching $3 per gallon, we were looking for something that would be beneficial over the long haul,” said group commander Col.

  • Electronic claims enhance Tricare pharmacy benefit

    Tricare beneficiaries with other health insurance no longer have to file paper claims for prescriptions filled at most retail pharmacies. Retail pharmacists can immediately submit electronic claims to Tricare when beneficiaries purchase medications. "It is a great example of how collaboration with

  • Electronic flight bags could boost operational safety, effectiveness

    Improved safety, operational effectiveness and efficiency are just a few reasons Air Mobility Command officials are looking into using tablet devices such as electronic flight bags for aircrew members reference materials in the cockpit during in-flight emergencies."Moving from a paper-based to an

  • Electronic initiative gets critical information to commanders

    An initiative designed to electronically transmit intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance information to commanders is currently being tested here at Joint Expeditionary Force Experiment 2006. With non-traditional ISR services, information will flow directly from aircraft to the Air and Space

  • Electronic performance report routing now standardized

    An Air Force Enterprise Information Management initiative to process officer and enlisted performance reports electronically became reality Oct. 1 when Air Force Personnel Center officials endorsed the first of three phases of AF Electronic Workflow Processing, or AF e-WP, thanks to a partnership

  • Electronic recorder adds realism to bugle playing

    The Tinker Air Force Base Honor Guard recently received three ceremonial bugles which play a high-quality recording of “Taps,” helping to show the nation’s deepest gratitude at the funerals of those who have served their country.The Department of Defense worked with a private company to create the

  • Electronic Systems Center charting 'smart' course with Blue Teams

    An ounce of prevention equals a pound of cure, according to the old adage, and the Electronic Systems Center has taken that message to heart. Air Force officials have vowed to improve its acquisition timeliness and cost through an initiative known as "Going Green" -- green symbolizing a program that

  • Electronic Systems Center enhances Air Force network

    The Cyber/Integration Division, formerly known as the 753rd Electronic Systems Group, has recently improved the way information flows to and from Air Force computers worldwide, saving approximately $24 million in the process. This was accomplished through modernization projects that upgraded both

  • Electronic Systems Center gets 'Smart'

    In a sweeping effort to improve its processes, the Air Force launched "Smart Operations 21." This initiative combines key aspects of several industry efficiency tools. Most notable among them are Lean and Six Sigma, which have been used extensively to improve customer value while reducing waste,

  • Electronic Systems Center team pushing 'smart' process, culture change

    An Electronic Systems Center team is working to save time, money and tons of material, all while increasing security when America's most sensitive information is distributed. The Cryptologic Systems Group, located at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, is working to institute an electronic "key" process

  • Electronic Systems Center tests Internet capability on Joint STARS

    Every day people use computers to send and receive e-mails and attachments to and from almost anywhere in the world. What if our deployed airborne intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance assets were able to take advantage of these same capabilities? What if they could e-mail and send

  • Electronic travel system streamlines business process

    The Air Force has completed deployment of a new computerized travel system at all its major installations. The Defense Travel System was installed Aug. 10 at Los Angeles Air Force Base, Calif., marking the end of a nearly three-year deployment of the system to bases in both the United States and

  • Electronic warfare officer instructs Navy pilots

    An Air Force electronic warfare officer recently became the first to upgrade and become a fully qualified instructor teaching Navy pilots flight maneuvers in the EA-6B Prowler.Maj. Martin Rann, an EA-6B Prowler instructor assigned to the Fixed Wing Electronic Attack Squadron 129, is attached to the

  • Electronic warfare officers keep Soldiers safe

    Navy Cmdr. Ed Fischer and Air Force 1st Lt. E.J. Wong would seem to be out of place in an Army heavy brigade combat team conducting operations in Iraq.Commander Fischer, whose career field is nuclear engineering, and Lieutenant Wong, an air battle manager, are electronic warfare officers for the 1st

  • Electronic warfare officers showcase joint effort in Iraq

    As branches of the U.S. military continue to collocate at joint installations and combine resources, an increasing number of Airmen, Sailors, Soldiers and Marines also find themselves working together in the operational environment. A group of Air Force and Navy electronic warfare officers at Al

  • Electrons get B-52s to battle

    It is not just jet fuel that launches B-52 Stratofortresses to the fight. It is electrons forming air-tasking orders streaming through a secure, secret military network that propels the bombers into flight."No comm, no bomb!" and "If you can't talk, you can't fight a war," boast the troops of the

  • Elementary school sends cards to deployed troops

    Staff Sgt. Saara Mustapha, a 455th Air Expeditionary Wing aide from Holloman Air Force Base, N.M., hands a Christmas card to Master Sgt. Mark Means, a production superintendent from Pope Air Force Base, N.C. The cards were written, decorated and sent to the troops from Perdue Elementary School

  • Eligible officers can request assignment with foreign allied AF

    Active duty officers interested in expanding their horizons by building, sustaining, and expanding international relationships while embedded in another country's air force have until May 22 to indicate their interest on their Airman Development Plan in time for the next assignment cycle, Air Force

  • Eligible officers may apply for VSP April 1

    Air Force Personnel Center officials here begin accepting applications for voluntary separation pay April 1 from eligible officers.Officers in nine Air Force specialties across five year groups who are being considered to meet the 2010 Reduction in Force Board convening Sept. 20 are eligible to

  • Eligible officers, enlisted members offered early retirement

    Staff through senior master sergeants and captains through lieutenant colonels in certain Air Force Specialty Codes may apply to retire with fewer than 20 years of active service under the Temporary Early Retirement Authority, Air Force Personnel Center officials announced.

  • 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

  • Elite Air Force unit transports former president's body

    Airmen from the 89th Airlift Wing at Andrews Air Force Base, Md., will transport the body of former President Gerald R. Ford, a U.S. Navy veteran, as his remains are flown between points in California, Washington and Michigan, Air Force military officers based here said. Ford, the nation's 38th

  • Elite team provides security for airlift assets

    An elite team of hand-picked security forces Airmen here are tasked with providing security for airlift assets that travel into unsecure locations in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility. The 379th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron fly-away security team travels with airlift assets

  • Ellington Field ramps up for relief operations

    Airmen who rode out Hurricane Rita at Ellington Field -- near Galveston -- left shelters there to set up an airlift hub to help storm relief efforts.The 147th Fighter Wing cleaned up storm debris Sept. 24 hours after the storm passed through. And by the time the weather cleared enough for flight

  • Ellsworth ‘Rock Star’ wins AF Entertainer of the Year

    “Hi, I’m Senior Airman James Pratt, and I’m stationed at Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota,” he said, introducing himself to the crowd. “I competed in and won the Air Force Worldwide Talent Competition. Being a musician and in the Air Force has been a humbling experience for me, to say the

  • Ellsworth AFB Airmen give boy 'best day ever'

    An 8-year-old boy from Rapid City S.D., who was born with a developmental disability, was given the opportunity of a lifetime here Jan. 13.Aric Lassegard visited here as part of a program called Aircrew for a Day, which allows children with disabilities or illnesses to experience being a B-1B Lancer

  • Ellsworth AFB Airmen train with foreign allies

    Two U.S. Air Force B-1B Bombers, under the command of the U.S. Pacific Air Forces, joined their counterparts from South Korean and Japanese air forces in sequenced bilateral missions, Aug. 7, 2017.

  • Ellsworth AFB B-1s integrate with allies, partners in Nordic region

    The nonstop mission to the Nordic region – made possible with support from a KC-135 Stratotanker from the 100th Air Refueling Wing, RAF Mildenhall, United Kingdom, and a Dutch KDC-10 from the 334th Squadron, Royal Netherlands Air Force’s Eindhoven Air Base, Netherlands – spanned more than 23 hours.

  • Ellsworth AFB B-1s return to European theater as part of latest BTF mission

    The nearly 24-hour, nonstop mission covered more than 9,400 nautical miles and included integration and interoperability training with Danish F-16s overflying Bornholm Island, Denmark, and Polish F-16s and MiG-29s teaming up to fly over Warsaw, Poland, as well as flights over Latvia and Lithuania.

  • Ellsworth AFB celebrates 80th anniversary of Doolittle Raid

    Ellsworth Air Force Base recognized the 80th Anniversary of the Doolittle Raid through several events including a heritage flight, the dedication of a Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile to a local museum, as well as a toast and tail flash unveiling. 

  • Ellsworth Airman found dead

    An Airman assigned to the Air Force Financial Services Center here was found dead in his off-base residence Nov. 28. Staff Sgt. Ira Kaur, a military pay technician stationed here since August 2007, died from apparent gunshot wounds. "We mourn the loss of a valued member of Team Ellsworth and extend

  • Ellsworth Airman marks 400,000th CCAF

    For most people, a walk across the stage to accept a degree is the reward for the hard work involved. For a young Airman stationed in South Dakota, the reward was just a bit more spectacular.Senior Airman Emily Barchenger, assigned to the 28th Bomb Wing at Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D., received