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U.S. Air Force News

  • Heroism award nominees sought

    The Air Force is accepting nominations for the 2013 USO Service Member of the Year Award, Air Force Personnel Center officials announced today.This award recognizes specific acts of heroism by enlisted members from each branch of the military who are E-5 or below. The award period is Jan. 1- Dec.

  • Heroism earns Airman prestigious award

    An NCO from Shaw Air Force Base, S.C., received the Keeper of the Flame Award Sept. 20 for his efforts in fighting the war on terrorism from the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.Tech. Sgt. Stephen Achey, a 682nd Air Support Operations Squadron senior fighter duty technician, received the award

  • Heroism recognized: Special tactics Airman receives medal upgrade

    A combat controller will receive the Air Force’s highest combat medal for extraordinary heroism, after a service-wide review of medals awarded since 9/11. The Air Force Cross will be presented to former Staff Sgt. Christopher Baradat, now separated, who had received the Silver Star medal for his

  • 'Hey! What's the weather for tomorrow?'

    (From left) Maj. Tim Karmondy, Staff Sgts. Don Ripley and Nick Toren, all from the 363rd Expeditionary Communications Squadron, are silhouetted against the desert sun as they erect a tactical weather antenna. All three are deployed to Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia, in support of Operation

  • HG outreach to Southern California

    The hearty yell of the U.S. Air Force Honor Guard’s narrator was followed by a wave of cheers through the crowd of Disneyland onlookers, ranging from nostalgic veterans to curious children.The “Ambassadors in Blue” laced these announcements throughout each drill routine during their recent tour of

  • HH-60 helicopter crashes near Camp Hansen, Okinawa

    A Kadena-based HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter crashed in the Central Training Area near Camp Hansen, Okinawa, at about 4 p.m. Aug. 5. U.S. fire and rescue crews are responding to the scene of the mishap.

  • HH-60Gs integrate with Army AH-64s for war missions

    Airmen and Soldiers here took integration one step further with rotary wing aviation operations in Afghanistan. While the Army AH-64 Apaches and Air Force HH-60 Pave Hawks have flown medical evacuation missions together for some time now in Afghanistan, on Sept. 25 they flew their first joint combat

  • HH-60W enters soundproof chamber for defense systems testing

    Testing the HH-60W in J-PRIMES will characterize the performance of the helicopter’s systems before electronic warfare flight-testing. The tests ensure it is capable of defeating hostile threats while performing its designated combat search and rescue mission.

  • Hickam AFB Airman found dead in Philippines

    An Airman assigned to the 647th Security Forces Squadron here died Dec. 7 in the Philippines. Master Sgt. Michael A. Lee, a security forces flight chief and native of Rocky Mount, Va., died from an apparent heart attack after collapsing while on leave in Manila, Philippines. The incident is under

  • Hickam AFB welcomes its final C-17

    Hickam welcomed "The Spirit of Kamehameha-Imua" today -- the last of its eight C-17 Globemaster IIIs. The arrival marked the successful transformation of the 15th Airlift Wing from a support unit to an operational strategic airlift wing. Earlier this year the 15th AW had no strategic cargo aircraft

  • Hickam AFB, community combat underage drinking

    Hickam Air Force Base has been selected to receive a grant from the Department of Justice which will allow the base and the state to share $950 thousand over the next three years to reduce drinking by underage Airmen. Lt. Gov. James R. Aiona Jr.; Dr. Chiyome L. Fukino, director of the Hawaii State

  • Hickam aircrew delivers vehicles to warfighters

    A Hickam Air Force Base C-17 Globemaster III aircrew completed a four-day trip halfway around the world to deliver two mine-resistant ambush-protected vehicles to warfighters in Afghanistan. The crew stopped at Andersen AFB, Guam; Kadena Air Base, Japan; Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan; Manas AB,

  • Hickam aircrew maximizes training in Guam

    It took 23 passes over designated drops zones and a 12-hour tactical duty day of training to finish a single day of airdrop training in Guam.An aircrew from the 535th Airlift Squadron from Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, dropped four training pallets, five container delivery system bundles,

  • Hickam aircrew participates in training opportunities

    A 535th Airlift Squadron C-17 Globemaster III aircrew trained in unrestricted-descent assault landings, airdrop, combat offloads, air refueling, night-vision-goggle training, low levels, mountainous terrain, threat responses and multiple-ship formation training during a five-day training mission

  • Hickam Airman to play during Air Force Week

    One Hickam Air Force Base Airman will get the chance of a lifetime to take the stage before the Air Force's premiere talent showcase, Tops in Blue, at the Waikiki Shell during the Air Force Week Honolulu celebration Sept. 7 through 15. Tech. Sgt. Daniel Baduria, an air Reserve technician with the

  • Hickam Airmen conduct 4-ship airdrop training

    Four C-17 Globemaster III aircrews from the 535th Airlift squadron conducted multi-element airdrop training over the Kahuku training range Aug. 13 here allowing aircrew members to maintain currency while increasing proficiency and capability. Strategic airlift for the eight C-17s at Hickam AFB is in

  • Hickam Airmen 'deploy' during readiness exercise

    Airmen tested their ability to respond to contingency operations in the Pacific during Beverly Kahuna 2010-F, an initial response readiness exercise Oct. 20 and 21. For the first time since Pearl Harbor Naval Base and Hickam Air Force Base joined their borders to become a joint base, the efforts of

  • Hickam Airmen deploy to Afghanistan

    Fifty-four reservists from the 624th Civil Engineer Squadron left Hickam Air Force Base for a deployment to Afghanistan Aug. 5. Half the squadron is being mobilized and the Airmen will support Army personnel when the arrive in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility. Members of the 624th CES

  • Hickam Airmen serve Oahu community during Jungle Day

    More than 150 Hickam Air Force Base Airmen gave back to the community by helping at several projects during Jungle Day March 13 throughout Oahu, Hawaii. Airmen from 13th Air Force here supported Jungle Day, which is traditionally observed on Friday the 13th, by volunteering at the River of Life

  • Hickam Airmen strategize aircraft weight-reduction initiative

    Members of the Hawaii Air National Guard have been categorizing parts of a KC-135 Stratotanker to figure out what can come off during certain missions to save fuel and money for the Air Force. The project was initially launched when Dr. Ron Ritter, special assistant for Air Force Smart Operations

  • Hickam C-17 crews learn Lean concepts

    Airmen from the Hawaii Air National Guard’s 154th Maintenance Squadron here are learning how to streamline the processes they’ll use to maintain Hickam’s new fleet of C-17 Globemaster IIIs. Officials from the Boeing Company, which manufactures the C-17, headed the week-long Lean Concepts Workshop.

  • Hickam C-17 drops a Navy boat over Pacific

    It was 'zero-dark-thirty' and only the blue line of runway lights met the joint Air Force and Navy crew under the wings of a C-17 Globemaster III.A 535th Airlift Squadron aircrew from Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, and the U.S. Navy Special Warfare Unit One from Guam teamed up to drop a

  • Hickam commemorates 66th anniversary of attack

    Survivors of the Dec. 7, 1941, attack on Hickam Air Field, and their family members descended upon Hickam Air Force Base for a commemorative ceremony to pay tribute and remember those who paid the ultimate cost. With the Courtyard of Heroes Eternal Flame burning in the background, Chaplain (Maj.)

  • Hickam crew prepares for AMC Rodeo

    Airmen around the world are preparing for the 2007 Air Mobility Command Rodeo scheduled for July, including Hickam Air Force Base members.This will be the first competition for Hickam AFB 's C-17 Globemaster III crew, which will sport a total force team consisting of members of the active duty 535th

  • Hickam Field's killed in action honored

    Only 92 of the original 189 Army Air Forces Airmen killed at Hickam Field during the Dec. 7, 1941, attacks on military installations of Oahu remain on the island where war found them when they weren't looking for it. A group of 10 Hickam Airmen, teenagers, spouses and a Sailor volunteered to make

  • Hickam honors legacy, pays tribute to storied past

    At 7:55 a.m., some 70 years ago, lives on the sleepy island of Oahu were forever changed by an attacking force. JB Hickam took a living glimpse into this storied past filled with heroism, honor and valor on historic ground Dec. 7.On the very site Old Glory never left her post, where men like Joseph

  • Hickam honors World War II vets with new C-17

    The delivery of the seventh of eight C-17 Globemaster IIIs here June 14 brought 15th Airlift Wing and Pacific Air Forces Airmen together with World War II veterans. The aircraft, christened "The Spirit of 'Go For Broke,'” is a tribute to the 442nd Regimental Combat Team. The 442nd fought in Europe

  • Hickam hosts Education Day

    With Air Force Week in full swing, Airmen on the island of Oahu are focused on its theme: Heritage to Horizons. The service's 'heritage' was celebrated through a Pacific Air Forces art exhibit and the Tops in Blue performance, among other events, and the 'horizons' element focused on young adults,

  • Hickam leads way to lessen fossil fuel use

    The Air Force is the largest consumer of petroleum products in the Department of Defense and Secretary of the Air Force Michael Wynne has made it a priority to find alternative fuels to replace fossil fuels. In a partnership with the State of Hawaii, Hickam is implementing Secretary Wynne's

  • Hickam officials pay tribute to Airmen's storied legacy

    Airmen and their families gathered at Hickam Air Force Base's historic flag pole Dec. 7, for the 68th remembrance ceremony to honor those men and women who lost their lives in the Japanese attack of Pearl Harbor. "On a similar morning 68 years ago on these very grounds, our world changed forever,"

  • Hickam quiet on this Dec. 7

    The Pacific Air Forces headquarters building -- and this base -- is quiet today, the 64th anniversary of the surprise Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. But on Dec. 7, 1941, it was a major target during the infamous sneak attack on Pearl Harbor and Hickam Field that drew the United States into World

  • Hickam 'rolls out' Air Force Week Honolulu

    To celebrate the Air Force's 60th anniversary, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. T. Michael Moseley chose six cities to host an Air Force Week, a celebration designed to inform and educate the public about the important roles the Air Force plays in support of the nation's defense. Honolulu is the only

  • Hickam team begins Wake Island assessment

    Airmen from the 15th Airlift Wing embarked on Day One of their intensive damage assessment here Sept. 14, following the destruction left by Super Typhoon Ioke Aug. 31.The Airmen arrived Sept. 12 on a C-17 Globemaster III from Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii, and will spend several days gathering the

  • Hickam testing new deployable hydrogen refueling station

    As the Air Force continues to look for ways to reduce energy consumption in its facilities, vehicles and aircraft operations the 15th Airlift Wing will be doing its part by serving as a test bed for a new modular deployable hydrogen refueling station. Awarded the contract two years ago, HydraFLX

  • High retention leads to promotion board delay

    Air Force officials announced they will delay the Line of the Air Force promotion board for captains commissioned in 2005 from its anticipated December 2013 date. Air Force officials made the announcement Sept. 25 as they released the 2013 Selection Board Schedule. Record retention rates coupled

  • High school senior assignment deferment program automated

    In an effort to better serve military families, Air Force personnel officials have automated the High School Senior Assignment Deferment program application.  The program increases stability for military family members entering their senior year of high school. Active-duty officers lieutenant

  • High School to Flight School

    Officials at Air Force Reserve Command headquarters, Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, are hoping an innovative new program will help the command meet its need for flight engineers.

  • High velocity maintenance merges processes

    In early fiscal 2007, the idea "high velocity maintenance" was outlined in a paper on how to move aircraft through a depot faster by increasing man-hours per day. In May 2007 a steering group and subsequent high performance team was established to develop the high velocity maintenance, or HVM,

  • High voltage Airmen keep power going at Eielson

    Driving through the mountains in the beautiful, sunshine of summer; braving the harsh, cold winters; and ensuring the light-filled airfield is always lit is something Senior Airman Travis Bothast and Airman 1st Class Anthony Cooper know all too well as electrical systems Airmen.

  • High year of tenure change continues to affect assignments

    The January return to pre-2003 enlisted high year of tenure rates continues to impact assignments, Air Force Personnel Center officials announced today.High year of tenure is the maximum number of years enlisted Airmen in each grade may remain on active duty. In 2003, HYT was adjusted upward to

  • High year of tenure changes take effect in 2013

    High year of tenure changes announced in December will go into effect in September 2013, Air Force Personnel Center officials reminded affected Airmen on Aug. 16. Changes will affect senior airmen, staff sergeants and technical sergeants, said Lt. Col. Tara White, AFPC retirements and separations

  • High year of tenure extension for 122 specialties

    Eligible senior airmen, staff sergeants, technical sergeants, and master sergeants in 122 Air Force specialties can apply for a high year of tenure extension and, if approved, will be able to extend between 12 and 24 months past their current HYT.

  • High-altitude chamber replaced by new mask for Iraqi air force

    A team of aerospace physiologists from several Air Force installations are here to help the Iraqi air force install and train with its newest piece of training equipment. The team held a demonstration March 14 to showcase how the device will assist in training, as well as save time and money in the

  • High-altitude fitness test rules reinstated

    Airmen undergoing their fitness tests at high-altitude bases can breathe easier during fitness testing thanks to the efforts of Air Force Academy leaders and the Human Performance Laboratory.Changes to the Air Force Fitness testing program in 2010 didn't include an altitude adjustment, as the

  • Highlighting cruel nature of Iraqi regime

    Since the beginning of the war in Iraq, defense officials have pointed out the Iraqi regime's policy of consistently ignoring the laws of armed conflict and the Geneva Conventions.From setting death squads on their own people to holing up in mosques and shrines, regime forces have flouted

  • Highly modified C-130 ready for war on terrorism

    The beginning of an era for Robins Air Force Base and the warfighters of Air Force Special Operations Command was marked June 28 as the first-of-its-kind MC-130W was presented to Lt. Gen. Michael W. Wooley, AFSOC commander, in a ceremony here."A lot of work went into this aircraft," said Maj. Gen.

  • High-speed air vehicles designed for rapid global reach

    For an aircraft to achieve hypersonic speeds, ranging from 6,000 to 15,000 mph (Mach 9 to Mach 22), and reach altitudes between 100,000 to 150,000 feet, it needs an airframe structure designed to survive intense heat and pressure. Such technology is in development by scientists and engineers with

  • High-tech loss prevention safeguards base exchange benefit

    With a mission of providing quality merchandise and services at competitively low prices while generating earnings to support Morale, Welfare and Recreation programs, the Army and Air Force Exchange Service is enlisting the support of the latest in loss prevention technology to protect military

  • High-tempo training prepares maintainers for war

    Aircraft maintainers are working day and night during Red Flag 11-2, so pilots can fly the missions needed to prepare for aerial combat, but not only aircrew members benefit from the Red Flag experience.The high-tempo mission requirements of Red Flag provide maintainers an environment that

  • High-volume encouragement

    Cadet 1st Class Scott Johnson offers some high-volume encouragement to a basic cadet trainee during a tug-of-war competition at the U.S. Air Force Academy here. (Photo by John Van Winkle)

  • Hiking adventure cements friendship

    Airman 1st Class Chas Kabanuck will be honored by the American Red Cross on Nov. 21 for his heroism after saving the life of his new friend in mid-February.Kabanuck and Airman 1st Class Ryan Dean had only been friends for two weeks after they met during their four weeks in McChord's first term

  • Hill AFB Airmen deploy F-35A to support coalition forces

    Airmen from the 388th and 419th Fighter Wings at Hill Air Force Base deployed to Al Dhafra Air Base, United Arab Emirates, to support the Air Force Central Command mission in the Middle East. The aircraft arrived in country on April 15.

  • Hill AFB Airmen expand F-35A combat capability in Rapid Forge

    The goal is to expand the Air Force’s adaptive or agile basing ability, a concept in which aircraft operate from forward, temporary, sometimes contested locations. The ability to land, refuel and rearm at forward airfields gives commanders more flexibility to strike and limits enemies’ ability to

  • Hill AFB Airmen, aircraft progress together as F-35A program matures

    Two years after the Air Force declared initial operational capability for the F-35A Lightning II, pilots and maintainers at Hill Air Force Base’s active duty 388th and reserve 419th Fighter Wings are steadily erasing the word “initial” from in front of “operational capability.”

  • Hill AFB captures first Air Force EOD national title

    The winners of three competitive regional events designed to test and enhance the readiness capabilities of explosive ordnance disposal teams across the Air Force settled the score with Hill AFB earning the inaugural Air Force EOD National Team of the Year title this week in Indiana.

  • Hill AFB energy project full steam ahead

    Officials are set to begin negotiations on a unique enhanced use lease project that could process recyclables and municipal solid waste at Hill Air Force Base, Utah and the surrounding community.Officials at the Air Force Real Property Agency and Hill AFB will soon begin negotiations with Ogden Hill

  • Hill AFB F-35A maintainers passing the Pacific TSP test

    Five weeks into the first F-35A Pacific Theater Security Package deployment the 34th Aircraft Maintenance Unit team is at full stride.Maintainers in the Pacific location and in Utah, home of the 34th AMU under the 388th and 419th Fighter Wings are coming together to make the first TSP a success and

  • Hill AFB F-35A units assist in F-16 fighter training

    For the last two weeks, F-16 basic course students and instructor pilots from the 311th Fighter Squadron at Holloman AFB, New Mexico, have been flying with and against the Air Force’s first operational F-35A units.

  • Hill AFB F-35As arrive at Spangdahlem AB

    Funded through the European Deterrence Initiative, the TSP provides a more robust U.S. military rotational presence in the European theater capable of deterring adversaries and assuring partners and allies of the U.S. commitment to regional security.

  • Hill AFB F-35s, Airmen deploy to Europe as part of Theater Security Package

    Funded through the European Deterrence Initiative, the TSP provides a more robust U.S. military rotational presence in the European theater capable of deterring adversaries and assuring partners and allies of U.S. commitment to regional security. The F-35s and members of the 421st and 466th Fighter

  • Hill AFB fighter wings bring first F-35A to Red Flag

    Pilots and maintainers from the 388th and 419th Fighter Wings deployed the F-35A Lightning II to Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, Jan. 20, 2017 for exercise Red Flag.This is the first deployment to Red Flag for the F-35A and the first large movement since the Air Force declared the jet combat ready in

  • Hill AFB fighter wings conduct combat exercise

    The friendly and enemy forces were made up of F-35 Lightning IIs from Hill AFB, F-16 Fighting Falcons from the 311th Fighter Squadron at Holloman AFB, New Mexico, and 80th FS at Kunsan Air Base, South Korea, and a team of contracted aggressor pilots from Draken International, at Nellis AFB, Nevada.

  • Hill AFB fighter wings receive final F-35A Lightning II

    The first operational F-35As arrived at Hill Air Force Base in September 2015, and since then, the active duty 388th and Air Force Reserve 419th Fighter Wings have flown more than 17,500 sorties and more than 33,000 flying hours.

  • Hill AFB in midst of robust F-35 preparation

    Hill AFB’s preparations for the F-35A Lightning II, totaling more than $100 million, with 23 projects to be completed between September 2014 and July 2015, and 36 total projects will be finished once construction concludes in 2019.

  • Hill AFB plays key role in delivering F-16s to Indonesia

    The combined efforts of Hill Air Force Base's Ogden Air Logistics Complex, F-16 System Program Office, Defense Logistics Agency and several other Defense Department organizations will culminate in the initial delivery of three of 24 F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft to the government of Indonesia July

  • Hill AFB welcomes deployed Airman at Warrior Welcome

    Members of the 75th Logistics Readiness Squadron, friends and family rallied around more than 50 Airmen who recently redeployed from various locations during a Warrior Welcome gathering here March 15. Those at the Warrior Welcome party acknowledged recently returned members from deployment, those

  • Hill AFB wins DOE award for energy efficiency

    The annual award recognizes outstanding contributions in the areas of energy efficiency, water conservation and the use of renewable energy technologies at federal facilities.

  • Hill AFB’s F-35A, Airmen mastering first Pacific deployment

    More than 300 men and women of the 388th and 419th Fighter Wings out of Hill Air Force Base, Utah and 12 F-35A Lightning IIs are conducting business for the next six months on the subtropical Japanese island of Okinawa during a deployment known as a Theater Security Package.

  • Hill Airmen offer help, hope in Haiti

    Air Force reservists joined the Haiti multinational relief effort Jan. 22, from Hill Air Force Base, Utah."When I saw on the news that they were sending U.S. troops to Haiti, I wanted to be part of it," said Tech. Sgt. Cody De Los Reyes, from the 67th Aerial Port Squadron. "So when I had the

  • Hill begins modifications on F-22A Raptor

    A new era is under way for members of the 309th Maintenance Group here as they modify their first F-22A Raptor. This was the first of 12 to 14 aircraft scheduled to visit Hill this year for minor modifications. A total of 18 are contracted to undergo work here. "We're excited," said Guy Phillips,