NATO Air Policing operations

U.S. Air Force News

  • Travis Airman sings at the World Series

    It was a gorgeous fall evening Oct. 26, in San Francisco when a stadium full of 40,000 excited baseball fans paused to honor America during the seventh-inning stretch of Game 5 of the 2014 World Series.

  • AF Medical Service seeks nominations for innovation award

    Personnel assigned to the Air Force Medical Service and Air Reserve Component who have contributed an innovative achievement to the AFMS community are encouraged to compete for the AFMS Outstanding Achievement in Innovation Award and submit by Dec. 1.

  • AF adjusts enlisted retention results

    Air Force officials announced an adjustment to the Junior Enlisted Retention Board which convened in June at the Air Force Personnel Center. Fifty Airmen who were not selected for retention during the FY14 force management ERB were offered the opportunity to remain on active duty following

  • AF hospital adds ‘virus-zapping' robot to inventory

    Standing at 5 feet 2 inches tall, U.S. Air Force Hospital Langley's newest staff member doesn't initially have a commanding presence; however, after five minutes, its impact has the potential to save countless lives around the world.

  • An Air Force first: ALO graduates Ranger School

    On average, more than 4,000 Soldiers go through the U.S. Army Ranger School each year. The number of Airmen who have completed the course since its inception in 1950 is only a little over 300.

  • Kentucky ANG Airmen support 101st Airborne Division’s movement to Liberia

    The Joint Task Force-Port Opening Senegal (JTF-PO) supported the 101st Airborne Division’s departure from Léopold Sédar Senghor International Airport here Oct. 19, en route to Liberia, where the division will join hundreds of U.S. service members engaged in the fight against Ebola in West Africa.

  • Officer Training School graduates first total force class

    The Air Force Officer Training School moved one step closer to complete total force integration with its first simultaneous graduation of active-duty, Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard officer trainees here, Oct. 10.

  • Legend behind 'Pardo Push' visits Seymour Johnson Airmen

    The 4th Fighter Wing welcomed one of the Air Force's most heroic fighter pilots from the Vietnam War for a base visit, Oct. 10. Retired Lt. Col. Bob Pardo, known for saving the lives of a fellow F-4 Phantom crew with what became known as "Pardo's Push," visited the 4th Training Squadron's F-15E

  • Global Strike workshop delivers key planning strategies

    Airmen from Air Force Global Strike Command, along with representatives from the Air Staff, Pacific Air Forces and the Navy, participated in the Global Strike Workshop Oct. 6-10, here, to develop plans via a joint planning group to deal with contingencies in the context of unified engagement.

  • Expert advice on sports medicine now one click away

    Under a new partnership between the Air Force Medical Service, or AFMS, and the Human Performance Resource Center, or HPRC, Air Force healthcare providers can now seek expert advice on a variety of sports medicine topics.

  • First sergeant provides health, welfare for warriors

    General health, esprit de corps, discipline, mentoring, well-being, career progression, professional development and recognition of all assigned Airmen and their families is all a part of the mission of an Air Force first sergeant -- taking care of people.

  • Dover tail flash flies around the ‘Monster Mile’

    The Dover tail flash is blue, yellow, black and white, has the head of an eagle, depicts the Liberty Bell, proudly displays the name "Dover," and normally is only found adorning the tail section of Dover Air Force Base C-5M Super Galaxy and C-17 Globemaster III aircraft.

  • Air Force rebuts report due to outdated data

    The Air Force believes a recent Department of Defense Inspector General report that critiqued Air Force MQ-9 procurement plans to buy 401 Reaper aircraft, stating that 46 aircraft may not be needed, is based on data that is out of date.

  • CSAF to Academy: 'Adapting to change key to success'

    Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Welsh III arrived at the U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado, Sept. 29, as part of a week-long stay.Welsh wanted to take some time to thank Academy Airmen for the part they play here and in the Air Force.

  • 'Decisive' air power thwarts ISIL's capabilities, official says

    Air power has stymied Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorists, with the Air Force accomplishing 74 percent of the more than 240 airstrikes in Iraq and Syria since Aug. 8, a senior Air Force official told reporters at the Pentagon Sept. 29.

  • 19th AF activates under AETC

    The Air Education and Training Command will re-activate a streamlined 19th Air Force Oct. 1, headquartered at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas.

  • Airmen deliver Ebola treatment facility to West Africa

    Airmen from Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia, partnered with representatives from the U.S. Public Health Service Sept. 26, to deliver a modular medical treatment center, as part of a government-wide effort to support humanitarian relief operations in Ebola-stricken African nations.

  • Warrior Games Profile - Daniel Oosterhous

    More than 40 athletes will represent the Air Force during the 2014 Warrior Games from Sept. 28 to Oct. 4, in Colorado Springs, Colorado. This is a profile of one of those athletes, providing a behind-the-scenes look at who they are and the sport they will participate in.

  • AF firefighters qualify to train Central American counterparts

    Twelve members from the 612th Air Base Squadron Fire Emergency Services completed the Air Advisor Academy’s five-day academic mobile training team course Sept. 15-19, to become the first group to receive air advisor training qualified to provide partner nation firefighting training.

  • AF EOD mission completed in Afghanistan

    From the front lines, explosive ordnance disposal Airmen have been clearing the way during Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom for the past 12 years, providing safe passage for all other warriors to follow.

  • Injured Idaho hiker rescued by Fairchild crews

    Airmen from Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington, rescued a 36-year-old female rock climber Sept. 20, near Priest Lake, Idaho, after she suffered injuries to her face, lower leg and foot.

  • Warrior Games: Wounded warrior overcomes adversity with archery

    Staff Sgt. Seth Pena, a highly decorated tactical air control party member, noted for calling in coordinated close support air strikes that killed up to 70 Taliban members in one fight, sat down with a crossbow draped across his lap and a target 25 meters in front of him, reminiscing about the night

  • Women’s legacy parallels Air Force history

    As we celebrate the Air Force’s 67th birthday, we talk of how far we’ve come and look ahead to what the future holds, but it’s just as important to look at where we’ve been. The story of women in the military, specifically the Air Force, parallels that of the Air Force itself. In fact, for women

  • F-35 on time to deliver global security, Air Force official said

    Work leading up the completion of the multinational F-35 program is largely on track, the F-35 Lightning II Joint Program Office executive officer said in remarks during the 2014 Air Force Association’s Air & Space Conference and Technology Exposition Sept. 15.

  • AF to change instructions for oaths

    The Air Force has instructed force support offices across the service to allow both enlisted members and officers to omit the words “So help me God” from enlistment and officer appointment oaths if an Airman chooses.

  • Innovation is key to stabilizing the Pacific

    The only way to continue forward is through innovation, Gen. Hawk Carlisle, commander of the Pacific Air Forces Command, said during a speech at the 2014 Air Force Association’s Air & Space Conference and Technology Exposition, Washington D.C., Sept. 16.

  • AMC outlines future 'total force' mobility requirements

    The Air Mobility Command director of strategic plans, requirements and programs discussed innovation and technology that will shape the total force mobility enterprise in the coming years during an AMC requirements brief at the 2014 Air Force Association Air & Space Conference and Technology

  • Top Airman discusses Air Force future

    Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Welsh III spoke about the importance of embracing change and creating an adaptive Air Force at the 2014 Air Force Association’s Air and Space Conference and Technology Exposition, Sept. 16.

  • AFRL commander describes Air Force’s technology vision

    The Air Force Research Laboratory commander discussed the future of hypersonic technology, directed energy and autonomous systems at the 2014 Air Force Association’s Air & Space and Technology Exposition here Sept. 16.

  • Director of the ANG addresses AFA Air & Space Conference

    Lt. Gen. Stanley Clarke, the Director of the Air National Guard, provided an overview of the ANG at the 2014 Air Force Association’s Air & Space and Conference and Technology Exposition in Washington, D.C., Sept. 15.

  • Look past 1947 for Air Force roots

    Maybe it's a genetic thing I share with them, but I agree that Air Force history predates Sept. 18, 1947, and think we should do a better job of recognizing that. The problem is, of course, what to use as a starting date for such remembrances?

  • Future of NATO: Adapting to a new security environment

    NATO’s Supreme Allied commander introduced new initiatives geared toward re-embracing its mission of collective defense. Gen. Philip M. Breedlove discussed NATO’s newest plans during the 2014 Air Force Association Air & Space Conference and Technology Exposition, Washington D.C, on Sept. 15.

  • USAFE, allied air commander talks NATO interoperability

    The commander of U.S. Air Forces in Europe and Allied Air Command presented the alliance’s view on air power and interoperability in remarks at the Air Force Association’s Air & Space Conference and Technology Exposition 2014 here.

  • Regional challenges, budget effect USAFE/AFAFRICA

    Gen. Frank Gorenc, the commander of U.S. Air Forces in Europe and U.S. Air Forces Africa, spoke about the impact of sequestration and some of the current challenges USAFE/AFAFRICA faces on Sept 15, at the Air Force Association Air and Space Symposium here.

  • SecAF: From legacy of past to uncertain future, bold leadership key

    Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James gave her vision of bold leadership during the 2014 Air Force Association’s Air and Space conference and technology exposition here Sept. 15. She said the future of the Air Force is influenced by uncertainty of the world scene and the Air Force needs to

  • Pediatricians care for young patients of Operation PACANGEL-Nepal

    More than an hour's drive along uneven, dirt roads outside the nearest major city is the rural village of Manahari, Nepal, where the Shree Rastriya Rotary Secondary School can be found. Hundreds of Nepalese people line up outside the gate of the compound, now a temporary a site for health services

  • SOS reduces course length, increases classes in FY 15

    To align with the chief of staff of the Air Force's vision to give more company grade officers the opportunity to attend Squadron Officer School, Squadron Officer College is changing the school's course term length from eight to five weeks starting in fiscal year 2015.

  • Inspector General Hotline gives DOD employees options

    In an organization as large as the Defense Department, bad or outdated policies or regulations can remain in place, and sometimes there are bad actors. The DOD Inspector General operates a Hotline that has been instrumental in changing policies, uncovering fraud, waste, abuse and mismanagement and

  • Letter to Airmen: RAND study

    Many of you have recently been invited to participate in the 2014 RAND Military Workplace Study. This web-based survey assesses your recent experiences with military workplace relations, professionalism and personal safety.

  • AFMC commander: Tough decisions create opportunities

    Gen. Janet Wolfenbarger, the commander of Air Force Materiel Command, told members of Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma, the biggest challenge the Air Force faces is doing business in a constrained budget environment.

  • Investigation report findings released

    The U.S. Central Command recently completed its commander-directed investigation on causes surrounding a fratricide incident which resulted in the death of five U.S. Army soldiers and an Afghan National Army soldier, June 9, 2014, in the vicinity of Arghandab, Afghanistan.

  • Sudan 'Lost Boy' serves as Kadena NCO

    "At the age of 10, I have seen death; I have buried other kids -- at the age of 10," he said, a sadness moving into his eyes. "But at the same time, I've rebounded. If I have to stay in that hole and think of those horrible situations I've been in, then I would not be here today."Labeled a "Lost Boy

  • Suicide prevention takes courage, communication, official says

    The Veterans Affairs Department has named September National Suicide Prevention Month, but the Defense Department continues its year-round, comprehensive, multi-pronged approach to address the issue of suicide in the military, a Pentagon official said Aug. 21.

  • Suicide prevention more than a month-long campaign

    All Airmen have a responsibility that last much longer than a one-month campaign. This responsibility extends beyond ourselves and includes our work environment, our families, friends, fellow Airmen and our communities. While Suicide Prevention Month is observed across the United States in

  • Know your POV shipping entitlements

    Many service members may not know of their entitlements when shipping personal vehicles as they move overseas or return stateside, according to U.S. Transportation Command officials.

  • Airman saved lives 'the right way'

    Last December, Senior Airman Cody Nuñez, 21st Airlift Squadron, spent two weeks in Entebbe, Uganda providing humanitarian care to the war-torn Central African Republic.

  • C-130 celebrates 60 years, still going strong

    In 1954, the song "Rock Around the Clock" was playing on the radio, Oprah Winfrey was born and the first issue of Sports Illustrated appeared on newsstands. The same year, on August 23, the YC-130 Hercules made its maiden flight...

  • Airman, Actor, Nerd

    After hours of shopping, stitching and crafting, a piece of work comes together for former Tech Sgt. Randolph Sena, a civilian Airman and a recreational cosplayer.

  • Equipment accountability vital to partnership

    The F-16 Fighting Falcon maintainers evaluate, test, check, sustain and replace the different parts to enable fighter pilots to do their job safely and securely. And at a bilateral training exercise between the Hellenic and U.S. air forces at Souda Bay, Greece, Aug. 11-23, there is a centralized hub

  • New inspection system taking form at Nellis

    The publication of Air Force Instruction 90-201, Air Force Inspection System, brought fundamental changes to the way the base conducts inspections. Under the new system, units will no longer be spending weeks and months preparing for a one-week inspection from the Air Combat Command Inspector

  • Humanitarian assistance continues in Iraq

    The United States and Britain have flown 14 humanitarian airdrops since Aug. 7 to Yezidi refugees in the Sinjar Mountains in Iraq, a Defense Department official said Aug. 12.

  • Air Force's new maritime radar becomes operational

    The Air Force Technical Applications Center has a welcome addition to its treaty monitoring capabilities - the Cobra King radar system aboard the USNS Howard O. Lorenzen. Cobra King is a new, state-of-the-art mobile radar system consisting of S- and X-band phased radars that AFTAC employs to provide

  • Unusual sport calls fuels Airman to France

    Cycle polo? What in the world is cycle polo? That's a thing? These are questions Staff Sgt. Jonathan MacPherson, a 673rd Logistics Readiness Squadron Fuels Management Flight fuels service center controller, is accustomed to hearing.

  • Wounded warriors wrap up Warrior Games training

    Over 60 wounded veterans from across the country participated in the final Warrior and Invictus Games training camp here Aug. 3-7 to prepare for the fall games, motivate others and take a healthy step toward recovery.

  • Intel NCO named best AF pistol shooter

    The NCOIC for intelligence for the 705 Combat Training Squadron at Kirtland AFB has become the No. 1 pistol shooter in the Air Force.Staff Sgt. Terrence Sears, NCO in charge of the Air Force National Pistol Team, took top honors among Air Force shooters at the National Pistol Championships in July,

  • Aug. 1 – Pulse on AF force management

    Featured in this force management update are details regarding civilian force management program expansions, ongoing officer force shaping boards and the upcoming reduction in force board.

  • Culture change: Aviation safety in healthcare

    The Air Combat Command Surgeon General's office pioneered a program bringing operational risk management and flightline safety procedures into hospitals and dental squadrons across the Air Force.

  • James: Air Force grapples with Congress to fund readiness

    To balance readiness today and modernization tomorrow, the Air Force’s fiscal year 2015 budget request is shrinking like today’s defense budget thanks to Congress’s own priorities and the approaching threat of sequestration in 2016, Air Force leaders said July 30.

  • New museum to inspire Airmen

    Two Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland museums, the Airman Heritage Museum and the Security Forces Museum, will consolidate into the Enlisted Heritage and Character Development Center by October 2014 and will serve as a stepping stone for a larger $50 million, privately-funded museum set to open in

  • Pacific Angel-Tonga wraps up

    More than 4,300 patients received care and five schools obtained much needed upgrades as Operation Pacific Angel 14-3, a joint and combined humanitarian mission, closed July 25.

  • AF Assistance Fund may not hit 2014 goal

    In spite of persistent economic difficulties, active-duty and retired Airmen have contributed more than $6 million to the Air Force Assistance Fund, or AFAF, during this year’s fund drive.

  • ACC, PACAF commanders confirmed

    Pacific Air Forces Commander Gen. Herbert Carlisle will be the next commander of Air Combat Command and ACC Vice Commander Lt. Gen. Lori Robinson will be the next commander of Pacific Air Forces, according to a Senate confirmation vote July 23.

  • Kendall: F-35 Rollout Marks U.S.-Australia Partnership Milestone

    The official rollout of the first two F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighter aircraft for the Royal Australian Air Force is a milestone in the U.S.-Australia partnership, the undersecretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics said July 24.

  • Airmen treat and educate at Tonga dental clinic

    American, Australian, and Tongan dentists and technicians are working together to ensure they treat as many dental patients as possible during Pacific Angel-Tonga’s health care services outreach program July 21-25.

  • AF selects 460 for promotion to captain

    The 2014A Line of the Air Force, Chaplain Corps, Judge Advocate General Corps, Nurse Corps, Medical Services Corps and Biomedical Sciences Corps quarterly captain selection process selected 460 first lieutenants for promotion to captain July 18.

  • Official highlights resources for military consumers

    The Defense Department has joined more than 35 other federal and state government agencies and nonprofit organizations to highlight free consumer protection resources for military members, the assistant director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau said July 16.

  • AF moves forward with future bomber

    The U.S. Air Force released its Long Range Strike Bomber, or LRS-B, request for proposal to industry July 9 with a contract award expected in spring 2015.

  • CSAF visits Ramstein, focus on people, pride, respect

    Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Welsh III returned to Ramstein Air Base July 8-9 to speak with Airmen, listen to their stories of service, update them on pressing issues facing the Air Force, and thank them for their service.

  • KC-46A groundbreaking ceremony marks giant step forward for air refueling

    A new era in Air Force air refueling capabilities took a giant step forward June 30. Shovels overturned the first piles of dirt during a groundbreaking ceremony for the new KC-46A Pegasus at McConnell Air Force Base. The ceremony symbolized significant progress in the KC-46A program and that

  • First AF security forces readiness center opens

    As a young captain, Air Force Brig. Gen. Allen Jamerson once wondered why the Air Force did not have one place where security forces could go for training and evaluation."All security forces would come through (Fort Polk, Louisiana), and they had all been trained at different regional training

  • Top wing commander team is honored

    Col. Ricky Rupp and his wife, Charlotte, received the General and Mrs. Jerome F. O’Malley Award during a ceremony June 27, in Washington, D.C.

  • Breedlove: Russian actions bring Europe to decisive point

    Gen. Philip M. Breedlove, NATO's supreme allied commander for Europe and the commander of U.S. European Command, told reporters at the Pentagon that Russia's actions against Ukraine show just how important it is to maintain a forward presence in Europe to reassure the nation's partners and allies.

  • ‘No Guts, No Glory’: Airmen honor legendary fighter pilot

    Current and former Airmen alike assembled to posthumously recognize the accomplishments of retired Maj. Gen. Frederick "Boots" Blesse, an Air Force ace pilot, during a memorial dedication ceremony June 27, at the 334th Fighter Squadron here.According to those who knew and served with Blesse, he

  • Force Improvement Program changing future of Global Strike

    Lt. Gen. Stephen Wilson, the commander of Air Force Global Strike Command, addressed members of the Air Force Association on how the Force Improvement Program, or FIP, is fostering a culture of empowerment among nuclear enterprise Airmen and helping restore nation’s trust in the Air Force’s

  • Fighting prejudice with a passion

    An equal opportunity specialist, a sexual assault response coordinator and a deputy inspector general walk into a base social event. What sounds like the beginning of a joke takes a sudden, very different turn. The fundraising event comes to a grinding halt as those in attendance recognize the

  • Women's symposium fosters networking, leadership development

    The Sea Services Leadership Association hosted the 27th Annual Joint Women's Leadership Symposium here June 12-13, to recognize the strengths and talents of women in the armed forces and discuss the unique aspects of being a female service member.

  • June 19 – Pulse on AF force management

    Air Force leaders recently decided to bolster manning for nuclear-related career fields, an intention to make adjustments to account for budgetary uncertainties tied to proposed force structure changes. Those actions, coupled with previously approved voluntary applications and recent increases in