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  • Hurricane Hunters track Harvey

    Harvey began as a scattered collection of clouds drifting across the Atlantic Ocean and in just over a week has developed into a category two hurricane.

  • Hurricane Hunters track Ike

    Barreling toward the Texas coast, Hurricane Ike is regaining strength as officials along the Texas coast began evacuations of the first of millions of residents in the forecast path of the storm Sept. 10. Warm gulf waters contributed to renewed strength for Hurricane Ike after it passed over Cuba

  • Hurricane Hunters track Isaac as SOUTHCOM, NORTHCOM prepare

    With Tropical Storm Isaac bearing down on the Dominican Republic and Haiti and threatening to strengthen over the eastern Caribbean, the "Hurricane Hunters" from the Air Force Reserve's 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron are in the air, relaying critical data to National Weather Service

  • Hurricane Hunters track Pacific winter storms

    While most people flee when a pending storm is coming, Keesler AFB Airmen go right into the heart of storms to provide detailed information about storms to warn people of hazardous weather.Airmen and WC-130J Hercules aircraft, also known as Hurricane Hunters, left here Feb. 12 for Anchorage, Alaska,

  • Hurricane Hunters track Sally

    The Hurricane Hunters fly through tropical systems to gather weather data that they provide to the National Hurricane Center for their use in updating the storm forecast warnings.

  • Hurricane Hunters tracking Gustav on Katrina anniversary

    Hurricane Hunters from the Air Force Reserve's 403rd Wing here spent the third anniversary of Hurricane Katrina flying into yet another tempest, Hurricane Gustav, which made landfall just west of Grand island, La., Sept 1. Three years ago, the Hurricane Hunters evacuated aircraft and personnel from

  • Hurricane Hunters transition from tropical gales to arctic blasts

    Maintaining constant awareness of what storm systems are doing is a concerted effort between the National Weather Service and the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron here, also known as the Hurricane Hunters. Each year, to combat the persistent threat of winter storms, the 53rd WRS fly out over the

  • Hurricane Hunters upgrade ARWO software

    The 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron “Hurricane Hunters” aerial reconnaissance weather officer and loadmaster/dropsonde operator stations are being upgraded with hardware and software to increase their weather collecting capabilities.

  • Hurricane Hunters wrap up 2021 season; brace for winter ops

    Nov. 30 marked the end of the Atlantic and Pacific hurricane seasons and for the second year in a row, the Atlantic tropical basin produced a full list of named storms. Eight of those storms made landfall in the U.S. with two making landfall as hurricanes, one of those being a major hurricane in

  • Hurricane Hunters wrap up active 2024 season

    The 2024 Atlantic and Pacific hurricane seasons ended Nov. 30, marking the end of another active season for the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron at Keesler Air Force Base.

  • Hurricane Hunters wrap up Elsa recon ahead of landfall

    The Air Force Reserve’s 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron Hurricane Hunters wrapped up their aerial reconnaissance efforts for Tropical Storm Elsa, July 7, after the storm made landfall on the northwest coast of Florida.

  • Hurricane Hunters wrap up Hurricane Sam missions

    The Air Force Reserve’s 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron Hurricane Hunters, from Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi, began flying the storm after moving to their forward operating location in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, to collect weather data and provide the National Hurricane Center more

  • Hurricane Hunters, NOAA stress hurricane preparedness

    An Air Force Reserve “Hurricane Hunter” aircrew with their WC-130J Super Hercules joined National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration hurricane experts May 16-20 to promote preparedness at five Gulf Coast cities.

  • Hurricane Irene stops moves to Langley, Dover

    Travel to Langley Air Force Base, Va., and Dover AFB, Del., is prohibited until further notice as the installations prepare for the arrival of Hurricane Irene, officials announced Aug. 26. In addition, Airmen with travel orders to other installations along the eastern seaboard are advised to keep an

  • Hurricane Katrina patients evacuated to Wilford Hall

    Two aircraft loaded with patients and expectant moms landed here Aug. 30 as aircrews and medics evacuated patients from Keesler Air Force Base, Miss., in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Critical Care Air Transport Teams and one obstetrics team from Wilford Hall Medical Center flew to Keesler earlier

  • Hurricane Katrina relief effort total force response

    Airmen from across the Air Force are continuing to search for, rescue, evacuate, treat, feed and comfort Hurricane Katrina’s millions of victims.Most of the Airmen helping with relief operations in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama are deploying with units as part of a total force response. And

  • Hurricane Matthew affecting TRICARE beneficiaries in several areas

    As Hurricane Matthew moves north, several areas where TRICARE beneficiaries live are being affected. All updates about blanket referral waivers and emergency prescription refills will be posted on TRICARE’s website.As beneficiaries are evacuated, primary care manager referral requirements may be

  • Hurricane relief efforts underway

    An Air National Guard C-130 Hercules flew in to San Antonio Aug. 30 carrying 23 evacuees from Beaumont, Texas. The aircrew was from the 181st Airlift Squadron at the Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas. The members on the aircraft were activated for evacuation relief efforts due

  • Hurricane relief mission hits home with N.J. Reservists

    After the historic Hurricane Sandy battered New York and New Jersey, Airmen from across the country answered the call for help, but for the Airmen of one Reserve wing, those calls for help were coming from friends, family and neighbors.Most of the Airmen assigned to the 514th Air Mobility Wing at

  • Hurricane season is here: prepare yourself

    The hurricane season of 2005 was a busy one, and it brought with it many destructive storms and broken records, including records for the most named storms and the most Category 5 storms in a season. In all, 28 named storms formed, 15 of which turned into hurricanes. Seven of those were major

  • Hurricane Wilma makes landfall in Florida

    Hurricane Wilma hit Florida's western coast around 6:30 a.m. EDT today with sustained winds of about 125 mph. So far, there have been no reported deaths or injuries in Florida.Waiting for the storm, dispersed throughout the state, are some 2,400 Florida National Guard Airmen and Soldiers, the

  • Hurricane-affected Airmen to redeploy

    More than 300 active-duty and Reserve Airmen deployed from Keesler Air Force Base, Miss., will return early from their deployments to attend to their families’ needs and aid in base recovery in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.Nearly 100 Airmen who were scheduled to deploy from Keesler will remain

  • Hurricane-ravaged Keesler gets toy delivery

    Christmas is going to be a little brighter for some children at this Hurricane Katrina-ravaged base after people at two bases delivered more than 250 gifts. A group from Hurlburt Field, Fla., donated more than 102 gifts Dec. 13. On Dec. 9, a group from Laughlin Air Force Base, Texas, donated 150

  • Hurricanes, home, mission focus of Gwangju Airmen

    Airmen deployed with the 3rd Air Expeditionary Group here focus daily on the task of ensuring the F-15E Strike Eagles can perform the mission and return safely. But for more than 100 of them, that focus is split between accomplishing the mission here and keeping their minds on the weather causing

  • Hurry and wait

    More than 250 soldiers from the 720th Military Police Battalion based at Fort Hood, Texas, relax at the tent city here during a stop on their way to support contingency operations. In all, more than 1,300 troops gathered here March 21 to 22, filling the tent city, contingency billeting and fitness

  • Hurry up and wait

    Staff Sgt. James Foster waits for an A-10 Thunderbolt II to taxi to its parking spot April 3 at a forward-deployed location in southern Iraq. Foster is a weapons loader currently assigned to the 392nd Air Expeditionary Wing. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Shane A. Cuomo)

  • Husband, wife tackle first deployment together, support bomber presence

    B-52H Stratofortress teams have been rotating to Andersen Air Force Base for the last 11 years to maintain the U.S. Pacific Command's continuous bomber presence (CBP). Hundreds of Airmen deploy every six months to support this mission that strengthens regional security and stability of the

  • HVAC team keeps Airmen ‘cool’ under pressure

    Every humming metal box, tangle of wires and yawning duct on a military base has some function. But, it usually doesn’t get much attention until it stops functioning. In this way, heating, venting and air conditioning, or HVAC, technicians in the 376th Civil Engineer Squadron here, are attuned to

  • HVAC/R -- Al Udeid’s thermostat

    How fast can your day go from good to bad, from comfortable to hot?Give up? Fifty-nine minutes. That is how long it would take.Without air conditioning inside a tent, the temperature can increase by more than 35 degrees in less than an hour. Without the Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and

  • HVAC: Keeping you cool

    Most people either love them or hate them. Maybe it isn’t that melodramatic, but when people are sweating at their office or while trying to sleep they don’t have many good things to say about the heating, ventilation and air conditioning, or HVAC, shop. The HVAC shop here is responsible for more

  • Hybrid refueler truck could cut energy use

    The Air Force is looking for a way to save fuel and energy, while meeting mission needs. The R-11 hybrid electric refueling truck is one answer. The truck -- which is undergoing a series of tests before its release later this year -- is the first step in a spiral development between the Advanced

  • Hybrid rocket successfully tested

    A large hybrid rocket motor was successfully fired on its test stand here recently.The test took place on a Air Force Research Laboratory test stand overlooking Edwards’ dry lake bed and surrounding Mojave Desert. The test was part of the Air Force small launch vehicle office’s Falcon program. The

  • Hybrids debut at Spangdahlem

    The 52nd Fighter Wing received its first government-owned hybrid vehicle Jan. 21 here."When our vehicle fleet is replaced, the hybrid is the way to go," said Col. Christopher Weggeman, the 52nd FW commander. "We're sending a message to everyone else that we're conscious about environmental

  • HYDRA '09 prepares Airmen for real world emergencies

    Members of the 615th Contingency Response Wing and 15 other units from around the United States joined together to participate in HYDRA '09. The joint exercise is the 615th CRW's most comprehensive training event, organized to allow Airmen to hone their skills and enhance command, control and joint

  • Hydrant vehicles refuel Air Force fleet faster

    The 379th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron fuels flight recently received three R-12 hydrant servicing vehicles that will significantly increase refueling capabilities. In conjunction with the recently commissioned hydrant fueling system and arrival of the HSVs, the hydrant fueling

  • Hydraulics shop ‘Leans’ into AFSO 21

    By discussing processes during continuous improvement workshops, called Kaizen, the 56th Component Maintenance Squadron is able to develop smarter operations by just using common sense. Industry-proven process improvement programs such as Lean that use techniques like Kaizen are being used to

  • Hydrogen fuel cell outperforms diesel counterpart

    Air Force Materiel Command officials here are tied to a project that could provide warfighters at remote bases with a cleaner, quieter way to power runway lights and other electrically powered devices. Air Force Advanced Power Technology Office, or APTO, officials here held a December demonstration

  • Hydrogen fueling station now operating at Hickam

    State and U.S. Air Force officials gathered here Nov. 2 to unveil Hawaii's and the service's first hydrogen generation and dispensing station. The event marked the completion of a major achievement in a multi-phased alternative fuel vehicle development program that was launched five years ago."From

  • Hydrogen-powered vehicles sign of future

    Along with the increasing number of hybrid vehicles sharing the roadways with traditional fossil-fueled autos, there has also been an increase of hydrogen-powered fuel cell vehicles on Air Force bases.Hydrogen station officials here say the concept of hydrogen isn't new. NASA has been using the

  • Hyperbaric chamber team to study traumatic-brain-injury treatment

    A team with the San Antonio Military Medical Center Hyperbaric Center and the Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine received funding to study the effects of hyperbaric oxygen therapy on mild to moderate traumatic brain injuries. Researchers hope to find additional ways to treat wounded warriors

  • Hyperbaric laboratory earns accreditation

    Global health and safety received a much-needed shot in the arm recently when a U.S. Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine organization here became the first nationally accredited Department of Defense hyperbaric facility, according to officials.The school’s hyperbaric medicine division, also known

  • Hypersonic vehicle completes inaugural flight

    A hypersonic vehicle comprising five innovative payloads accomplished a successful, six-minute flight during its initial mission Sept. 20 here. The hypersonic vehicle was designed and developed by the Air Force Research Laboratory's Space Vehicles Directorate at Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M.

  • Hypervelocity wind tunnel reaches 3,000-run milestone

    The Arnold Engineering Development Center's Hypervelocity Wind Tunnel 9, located near Silver Spring, Md., recently completed its 3,000th test-run as the facility approaches 30 years of operation. The first test, ironically in support of an Air Force system, occurred in 1976 when the facility was

  • Hyten announces Space Enterprise Vision

    Gen. John Hyten, the commander of Air Force Space Command, announced the command's Space Enterprise Vision April 12 at Peterson Air Force Base. The SEV is the result of an AFSPC-commissioned study that looked at how to make the nation's national security space enterprise more resilient.

  • I AM: Unconquered, undefeated

    The air here is electric on the competition grounds of the 2017 Invictus Games, where 17 nations and more than 550 wounded, ill or injured athletes have come together to showcase their grit; and where one second-time athlete from the U.S. team has set her sights on dominating in the arena.

  • I will no longer be a victim

    A first-person account of a victim of sexual and physical abuse as a child and sexual harrassment and misconduct while working for the military.

  • IA program provides political-military, cultural experts

    Air Force officers can expect to gain international insight, foreign language proficiency and cultural understanding by becoming international affairs specialists, said an Air Force executive here. "Under the old foreign area officer program, international skills were self-obtained," said Bruce

  • IAAFA continues to expand security cooperation initiatives

    The Air Force has implemented education and training institutions such as the Defense Language Institute English Language Center and the Inter-American Air Forces Academy to meet the demand for security cooperation initiatives, officials said here June 20. "Graduates of IAAFA build relationships

  • IAAFA wins 2019 EPME Center of the Year Award

    The award recognizes the outstanding performance and exceptional contributions made by the community of civilian and military instructors serving the Air and Space Force during the 2019 calendar year.

  • IAMS, Mighty Dog products targets of pet food recall

    Commissaries worldwide have been directed to remove from their shelves certain cat and dog food products listed in a recall by Menu Foods Inc., based on a Food and Drug Administration warning issued March 17. The recall resulted from consumer complaints received by the manufacturer and from tasting

  • ICBM Country: Hill AFB workers play key role in future of strategic defense

    The Air Force is responsible for two legs of the U.S. strategic nuclear triad, intercontinental ballistic missiles and bombers. Airmen, civilian employees and contractors at Hill AFB are working hard to provide that strategic ICBM need by overseeing the Ground Based Strategic Deterrent program, the

  • ICBM security forces deploy every four days

    Security forces Airmen here and at F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyo., and Malmstrom AFB, Mont., constantly deploy but not overseas. Their deployments are to the nation's IBM fields. These Airmen provide security for the U.S. ICBM arsenal around the clock, 365 days a year.The missiles they guard are

  • ICBM test launches showcase Global Strike capabilities

    Two Global Strike Command missile crews launched Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile test vehicles June 16 and 30, respectively, at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif.Missile maintenance and operational task forces from F.E. Warren AFB, Wyo., and Malmstrom AFB, Mont., combined with the

  • ICC: Coming soon to a base near you

    When a crisis happens on base, wing leaders and representatives from various support agencies often will huddle in the wing command post. Operating from this nerve center, they direct emergency services, assess situations and come up with solutions during crises. But the days of the traditional

  • Ice blaster saves money, manpower

    To remove sealant from the wings of F-16 Fighting Falcons, Airmen here are replacing elbow grease and plastic scrapers with dry ice.The new process, which uses a machine to blast material with dry ice pellets, saves time, money and manpower, and is easy to clean up, said officials from the 574th

  • Ice bridge closes gap to range complex

    From the first day the Tanana River in Alaska is frozen enough to walk on, Airmen from the Eielson Air Force Base’s 354th Civil Engineer Squadron’s range maintenance shop drill holes, pump water and let it freeze, layer after layer.

  • Ice cream craving leads to emergency situation

    For two Airmen here, what started out as an ordinary day ended with them risking their lives and becoming heroes.Airman 1st Class Jason Brandos and Airman 1st Class Scot Richardson went to get ice cream with their wives at about 9 p.m. The Brandoses were in the first vehicle, and the Richardsons

  • Iceland hosts Northern Challenge for EOD community

    Airmen from the 52nd Civil Engineer Squadron Explosive Ordnance Disposal Flight at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, participated in exercise Northern Challenge 2016, which began in Keflavik, Iceland, Sept. 12.

  • Iceland radar mission comes to close

    Radar stations operated by Airmen from the 932nd Air Control Squadron at the four corners of Iceland are no longer active following a ceremony bringing the unit's mission to a close. After more than 54 years as Iceland's first line of defense, Air Force and host nation officials determined to

  • Icelandic defense exercise kicks off

    Leaders from the United States and Iceland joined NATO partners Aug. 13 to kick off an exercise to demonstrate U.S. commitment to the 1951 bilateral U.S.-Iceland defense agreement and reinvigorate air defense command and control capabilities of joint and coalition forces in Iceland. Exercise

  • Iceman born abroad

    (This feature is part of the "Through Airmen's Eyes" series on AF.mil. These stories focus on a single Airman, highlighting their Air Force story.)Driving in the dead of night, 5-year-old Ivan Alandzak remembers seeing soldiers laying in ditches, random check points and tanks everywhere.

  • Icemen elves answering Santa's mail

    Children around the world can get a signed letter from Santa Claus, thanks to elves from the 354th Operations Support Squadron's combat weather flight here.For nearly 50 years, people at Eielson AFB have helped Santa answer the mail. Each year, the flight answers thousands of letters, sending

  • ID card process at Beale undergoes rapid improvement

    In an effort to shorten customer wait time at the 9th Mission Support Group common access card/identification card section, Beale personnelists conducted a Rapid Improvement Event May 18-21. With the help of Air Force Smart Operations for the 21st Century specialists from Air Combat Command, the

  • ID cards prepare airmen for deployment

    An airman's projected deployment information can fit inside his or her wallet thanks to the new air and space expeditionary force identification card available online.Officials at the AEF Center here recently introduced the cards as a way to help airmen understand the details of their

  • Idaho Air Guard helps test new stackable cargo pallets

    As part of an ongoing Air Expeditionary Force Battlelab initiative, a team tested a new bilevel aircraft loading system aboard an Idaho Air National Guard C-130 Hercules here April 22.People from the battlelab, a think tank for new and innovative ideas based at Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho,

  • Idaho Air Guard unit wins Hawgsmoke team award

    The Idaho Air National Guard's 190th Fighter Squadron was named the top team at Hawgsmoke 2008 in Salina, Kan., Oct. 17. An awards banquet capped off four days of competition among 14 A-10 Thunderbolt II squadrons from across the Air Force. The 190th, part of the 124th Wing, based at Boise

  • Idaho Guard helps train B-52 crews

    There’s a “war” going on. Every day deployed Airmen from the 266th Range Squadron at Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho, are shooting, eluding and attempting to destroy B-52 Stratofortresses flying here.However, no one gets hurt and no aircraft actually go down because the battle is done using

  • Idaho Guard supports Special Olympics

    About 200 Airmen and Soldiers from the Idaho National Guard are on duty Feb. 4  to prepare for the 2009 Special Olympics Winter World Games being held here from Feb. 7-13. More than 2,500 athletes and delegates from more than 100 countries will converge on the state to participate in athletic events

  • Idea brings $10,000 for McConnell AFB civilian

    A civilian member of the 22nd Operations Group was presented a check for $10,000 from the Air Force at the 22nd Air Refueling Wing staff meeting Aug. 27, here.James Shores, the 22nd OG short range scheduling chief, received the money as part of the Innovative Development through Employee Awareness

  • IDEA brings Davis-Monthan man $10,000

    A suggestion that saves labor and material costs on F-4 Phantom actuator assembly repairs here earned an aircraft pneudraulic systems mechanic $10,000, courtesy of the Innovative Development through Employee Awareness program.Steven Herman, who works in the Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration

  • Idea earns employee $10,000, saves millions

    A telephone call that rudely interrupted Joseph Heinig's hour-and-a-half rest recently ended up with him getting a $10,000 check for a good idea.The telephone call came from Lt. Gen. Dick Reynolds, Aeronautical Systems Center commander here, asking Heinig to be at a recent F-22 systems program

  • Idea earns maintainer big money

    A simple suggestion earned one Misawa maintainer $10,000 and saved the Air Force thousands more. Staff Sgt. Jerome Latham, an engine craftsman with the 35th Maintenance Squadron, suggested a technical order change to the Innovative Development through Employee Awareness, or IDEA, program. His idea

  • Idea earns sergeant $10,000

    A noncommissioned officer here recently earned $10,000 from the Air Force's Innovative Development through Employee Awareness program. He received the money for writing an inspection and maintenance manual for the Department of Defense and the Air Force concerning metal shipping containers.Tech.

  • Idea earns sergeant $10,000

    An noncommissioned officer assigned to the 4th Component Maintenance Squadron here earned $10,000 through the Innovative Development through Employee Awareness program.Tech Sgt. Scott Weimann used the IDEA program to propose a new method for replacing damaged electrical connectors on the F-15E

  • Idea nets maintenance Airman $10,000

    An Air Force maintainer from McChord Air Force Base recently earned big bucks by making good use of a part that was going to be turned into scrap metal. Master Sgt. Barry Buchmiller of the 62nd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron received a $10,000 check from the Air Force's Innovative Development through

  • Idea paves way for retirement

    One month from retirement, a 49th Civil Engineer Squadron airman received two $10,000 awards for his money-saving ideas.Master Sgt. Marshall Carroll, horizontal-construction superintendent, received the awards for buying a paving machine and an asphalt zipper. He submitted his ideas using the Air

  • IDEA program awards technical order savvy

    Two equipment specialists here are saving the Air Force more than $140,000 through a suggestion to stop digitizing certain technical orders for an aircraft system that is headed for retirement.Michael Simmons and Calvin Haugen submitted the suggestion using the Innovative Development through

  • IDEA recovers more than $2 million

    A discovery by an Air Force Research Laboratory employee here has led to the recovery by the Air Force of more than $2 million in hidden funds. Susan Hluska, a procurement analyst at AFRL's information directorate, has earned a $10,000 award from the Air Force Innovative Development through

  • IDEA will save Air Force $5.7 million

    A Tinker man’s idea to have depot-level maintenance on air traffic control radars performed on-site will save the Air Force more than $5 million and earned him $10,000 through the Innovative Development through Employee Awareness program.Instead of having the vital airport surveillance radar systems

  • IDEA winner saves Air Force millions

    A member of Air Force Global Strike Command from here received the maximum payout of $10,000 for his submission of the Launch Control Center NetLink System to the Innovated Development through Employees Awareness program.Douglas Angell, a technical engineer from the 526th Intercontinental Ballistic

  • Identifying friendly forces to become easier for AWACS

    Engineers with the Electronic Systems Center here have achieved the next step in bringing an improved Identification Friend or Foe, or IFF, system capability to E-3 Sentry Airborne Warning and Control System aircraft.Currently, AWACS provides situational awareness of friendly, neutral and hostile