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  • XQ-58A Valkyrie demonstrator completes inaugural flight

    The XQ-58A Valkyrie demonstrator, a long-range, high subsonic unmanned air vehicle completed its inaugural flight March 5, 2019, at Yuma Proving Ground, Arizona. The Air Force Research Laboratory partnered with Kratos Unmanned Aerial Systems to develop the XQ-58A.

  • 40th HS saves local man

    An Air Force helicopter crew located and rescued a local man March 1 just south of Great Falls, concluding the search by ground and air search and rescue groups.

  • PACAF hosts Philippine airmen, strengthens relations

    Philippine Air Force service members visited Pacific Air Forces Headquarters for Airman-to-Airman, or A2A, talks to increase interoperability and enhance their relationship Feb. 24-27, at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam.

  • AFSFC begins delivery of new Air Force-wide handgun

    The Air Force Security Forces Center, in partnership with the Air Force Small Arms Program Office, has begun fielding the new M18 SIG Sauer Modular Handgun System to security forces units as part of the Reconstitute Defender Initiative and its effort to modernize weapon systems and increase

  • Wilson’s glide path for a more lethal, ready Air Force of the future

    Emphasizing priorities that will largely define the year ahead, Secretary of the Air Force Heather Wilson stressed the need to modernize and grow the force. She also highlighted how streamlining acquisitions will inject innovative ideas and tools faster and more reliably into every corner of the

  • F-35A maintainers, special ops team up for forward refueling

    For the first time, Airmen from the 388th Fighter Wing at Hill Air Force Base, Utah and Airmen from the 26th Special Tactics Squadron and the 27th Special Operation Logistics Readiness Squadron at Cannon AFB, trained and carried out a Forward Air Refueling Point operation from the MC-130J Commando

  • Interagency exercise boosts medical readiness

    The 99th Medical Group, Department of Veterans Affairs and Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps took part in Operation Foremost Endeavor, an exercise where injured individuals in a simulated disaster were airlifted to Nellis AFB, Nevada, Feb. 19.

  • Joint training strengthens Air Force, Army collaboration

    -- Airmen and Soldiers practiced Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and high yield explosives training techniques and procedures Feb. 22, 2019, as part of a joint decontamination training event.The event was the conclusion of a four phase curriculum. Participants from the 379th

  • AFOTEC maintains mission readiness through operational testing

    The Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center, Detachment 4, tests and evaluates new space, cyberspace, missile and missile defense capabilities. Their mission is to test weapons systems in operationally realistic environments. The goal is to inform warfighters of the lessons learned and

  • US, Qatari security forces pioneer bilateral relationship

    Select security forces members from the 379th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron take on an ambassadorship role, pioneering bilateral interoperability with their Qatar Military Police counterparts during “Spartan Patrols” at Al Udeid Air Base.

  • Supporting warfighters: Two workforces come together with one mission in mind

    Child care, golf, bowling, community center, lodging operations and outdoor recreation. These operations, and many more, are designed to support the morale, welfare and recreation of Airmen and their families and rely heavily on one thing to make them tick … nonappropriated fund, or NAF, employees.

  • 609th AOC provides resilient airpower through distributed operations

    The 609th Air Operations Center, Detachment 1, at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina, supports real-world command and control operations everyday with those at U.S. Air Force Central Command at Al Udeid Air Base. Through the innovation of AFCENT Airmen, both locations refine the command and control

  • Combat metals: The modern-day blacksmiths

    While there are a lot of precautionary measures in place to prevent bird strikes and other aircraft incidents, they are not 100 percent preventable.When these incidents occur, there’s a small group of Airmen who are called upon to do patchwork to get the aircraft back to base and to fix the damage

  • Joint Air Defense Exercise sharpens skills, strengthens partnerships

    Soldiers, Sailors, and Airmen of U.S. Central Command worked together with regional partners to conduct Joint Air Defense Exercise 19-01, a regularly scheduled three-day training event focused on increasing the readiness of air defense assets in the CENTCOM area of responsibility. The U.S. Air

  • Airmen demonstrate Rapid Global Mobility in Venezuela humanitarian mission

    Airlifting 250 tons of relief supplies to alleviate a humanitarian crisis on the other side of the hemisphere requires layers coordination between multiple military and civilian agencies in a condensed timeframe. That’s what Airmen of the 305th Air Mobility Wing accomplished Feb. 16, delivering more

  • Air Force awards $739M launch service contracts

    The U.S. Air Force’s Space and Missile Systems Center (SMC), in partnership with the National Reconnaissance Office, awarded two Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) launch service contracts Feb. 19.

  • CRW delivers agile mobility expertise during exercise Green Flag Little Rock

    The sound of gunfire echoed across the open field at the Geronimo Landing Zone as Airmen from the 621st Contingency Response Wing based out of Travis Air Force Base, California, responded to a simulated base attack during a training mission in support of Green Flag Little Rock exercise, Feb. 6-17.

  • FARP: Land, refuel, leave

    FARP, a specialty within the petroleum, oils and lubrication career field, trains Airmen to effectively refuel aircraft in remote locations when air-to-air refueling is not possible or when fueling stations are not accessible.

  • Columbus AFB instructor pilots connect with Virginia Tech AFROTC cadets

    It’s not everyday cadets are given the opportunity to work closely with U.S. Air Force pilots; however, the Virginia Tech Air Force ROTC Detachment 875 was given the chance when instructor pilots from the 37th and 48th Flying Training Squadrons visited the university Feb. 8-11.

  • Conventional Rotary Launcher upgrade tested

    An upgrade to the B-52 Stratofortress and the Conventional Rotary Launcher was tested, Feb. 11. The change is designed to increase mission flexibility and make the B-52 more lethal in a combat environment.

  • Donovan: Readiness, force lethality begins with training

    Under Secretary of the Air Force Matthew P. Donovan, the second highest ranking civilian in the Department of the Air Force, visited Sheppard on Feb. 14, 2019, to see how the Air Force’s largest and most diverse technical and undergraduate pilot training base is employing technology to train today’s

  • B-52s lead joint training across Hawaiian Islands

    Air and ground force elements came together across the Hawaiian Islands this week to jointly participate in close air support (CAS) training with U.S. Air Force B-52H Stratofortress bombers from Andersen Air Force Base, Guam.

  • 374th OG: A breath of fresh air

    With the help of the 374th Operations Group, Yokota Air Base C-130J Super Hercules aircrews are always ready for potential chemical and biological threats.

  • 35th Fighter Squadron launches into Cobra Gold 19

    The 35th Fighter Squadron departed on Feb. 6, and the 35th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron departed on Feb. 7 to participate in Exercise Cobra Gold 19 in a historic redeployment to Korat Royal Thai Air Base, Thailand.

  • MacDill Guardsman saves life, receives Airman’s Medal

    Airman 1st Class Peejay Jack, a 290th Joint Communications Support Squadron vehicle maintainer with the Florida Air National Guard, was awarded the Airman’s Medal by Maj. Gen. Lenny Richoux, the Joint Enabling Capabilities Command commander, during a ceremony at MacDill AFB Feb. 9.

  • Airmen, dignitaries celebrate KC‐46 arrival

    Reserve Airmen assigned to the 730th Air Mobility Training Squadron, dignitaries and Air Force leaders accepted the new KC‐46A Pegasus during a historic arrival celebration Feb. 8 at Altus Air Force Base.

  • 'Trial by Flag' for new F-35A pilots

    F-35A pilots who recently graduated their initial training and are currently deployed to Nellis Air Force Base as part of exercise Red-Flag 19-1. Now they are being battle-tested.

  • Pegasus Wings its way to 97th AMW

    The 97th Air Mobility Wing welcomed its newest weapon system, the KC-46A Pegasus, to the official training unit of the Air Force’s state-of-the-art tanker aircraft at Altus Air Force Base, Feb. 8.

  • Pilot training moving at the speed of innovation

    The 80th Flying Training Wing is moving at the speed of innovation and is bound to only get faster as visionaries incorporate the latest in mixed realities to boost undergraduate pilot training.

  • Total force exercise sharpens combat-ready skills

    Aerial porters, defenders and medical personnel from the 433rd Airlift Wing joined the 502nd Air Base Wing defenders, the San Antonio Military Medical Center doctors and helicopter crews from Texas Army National Guard, 2nd Battalion, 149th Aviation Regiment in Operation Dust Storm Feb. 1 at

  • US, Philippine AF concludes bilateral air contingency exchange

    U.S. and Philippine air forces Airmen marked the successful completion of 12 days of bilateral training and increased mutual cooperation during the seventh iteration of Bilateral Air Contingent Exchange-Philippines, or BACE-P, at Cesar Basa Air Base, Feb. 1, 2019.

  • One weekend, three countries, helps nearly 130,000 people

    Over a weekend-long combined humanitarian and training mission, three C-17 Globemaster III aircraft and their Reserve Citizen Airmen crews from the 315th Airlift Wing at Joint Base Charlston, S.C. delivered humanitarian aid to Guatemala, Haiti and Honduras, Feb. 3-4.

  • Silver Flag performs first exercise since Hurricane Michael

    Hurricane Michael altered the landscape where many Airmen worked, trained and lived. With the flood of changes, a return normalcy is a priority for the base. Tyndall Air Force Base's first step to normal operations was to reestablish its mission sets. The 823rd REDHORSE Squadron Detachment 1

  • Air Force analyzes operational efficiency – one airframe at a time

    The Energy Analysis Task Force, or EATF, led by the deputy assistant secretary of Air Force Operational Energy, has been systematically visiting Air Force bases around the country to observe actual training and mission flights, and speak with flight crews (to include operators and maintainers) about

  • Airlift unit tests mettle in joint Patriot Palm exercise

    Teaming up with Federal Emergency Management Agency, the FBI, Army, Coast Guard and Marine Corps, the 315th Contingency Response Flight completed Exercise Patriot Palm, a joint-service emergency and natural disaster response exercise, coordinated by the Air Force Reserve. The event is designed to

  • Virtual training platform maintains, improves military surgeons' skills

    It is vital for medical Airmen to continuously maintain and improve their skills. To access more training opportunities, military surgeons are looking to virtual training platforms. The Air Force is working with sister services to study a virtual training platform called Crowd-Sourced Assessment of

  • Air Force announces 2019 Spark Tank finalists

    The Air Force recently announced the 2019 Spark Tank finalists who will showcase their innovative ideas to Air Force senior leaders Feb. 28, in Orlando, Florida, at the Air Force Association Air Warfare Symposium.

  • POL fuels ADAB, maintains the mission

    Directly supporting the aircraft of Al Dhafra Air Base, the E-3 AWACS Sentry, KC-10 Extender, U-2 Dragon Lady, and RQ-4 Global Hawk, the various types of fuel plays a key part in the mission. The fuel needed for these aircraft is like food to all living things on Earth.

  • KC-46 hits milestone at Edwards AFB

    Fielding began last week on America’s newest air refueling tanker aircraft – the KC-46 Pegasus. Operationalizing a new military aircraft does not happen often, but when it does, it typically goes through Edwards Air Force Base – the center of the aerospace testing universe. Regardless of whether it

  • 375th MDSS team repairs life-saving equipment across 13 states

    The technicians who work here belong to the 375th Medical Support Squadron’s Medical Equipment Repair Center—commonly referred to as MERC. It is one of only a few centers scattered throughout the Air Force qualified to repair and maintain life-saving medical equipment.

  • Joint Simulation Environment inches closer to reality

    The 412th Electronic Warfare Group is one step closer to bringing the Joint Simulation Environment to life at Edwards Air Force Base. The 412th EWG recently began work to pave the way for ultimately building a new facility to house the JSE.

  • Goldfein gets up close view of new T-X trainer

    After his first up-close view Jan. 15 of a ready-to-fly T-X, the Air Force’s training aircraft of the future, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David L. Goldfein could have been expected to marvel at the technical sophistication of a state-of-the-art plane designed and manufactured not only with future

  • ‘Eye in the sky’ surveillance at Al Udeid

    According to Air Force doctrine, air superiority requires basic freedom of movement – the ability to operate anywhere without opposition. Twenty three Airmen from the 727th Expeditionary Air Control Squadron, Detachment 3, here, enable this level of control, ensuring no aircraft within 240 nautical

  • From Haiti to the greatest Air Force in the world

    Every Airman has their own story, unique with diverse educational backgrounds, mixed upbringings and different heritages.For Master Sgt. Larwens Subtil, 8th Civil Engineer Squadron first sergeant at Kunsan Air Base, Korea, his Air Force story begins in Haiti

  • PERSCO keeps the base accountable

    Before you arrive to a deployment at Al Dhafra Air Base, United Arab Emirates, there is a team already tracking and processing your movement into the Area of Responsibility. This is the Personnel Support for Contingency Operations team whose mission is total force accountability, casualty reporting

  • 380th ESFS and ECES conduct joint training

    The 380th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron military working dogs team conducted a small-scale training event with 380th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal and fire department Jan. 15 at Al Dhafra Air Base.

  • Virtual, augmented reality may hold key to future Air Force training

    A demonstration of how virtual reality and augmented reality (VR/AR) can benefit Air Force training processes took place Jan. 8.The demonstration was geared toward Airmen within the aircraft armament systems and munition systems, and gave a glimpse of how VR/AR applications can aid in providing an

  • CSAF lauds combat RPA innovation

    Chief of Staff of the Air Force Gen. David L. Goldfein visited Creech Air Force Base to meet with 432nd Wing and 432nd Air Expeditionary Wing Airmen, Jan. 15.

  • Growing Air Force’s space medicine culture

    As space continues to play an increasingly critical role in our nation’s defense, the need for the space medicine specialty grows. Medical Airmen within U.S. Air Force Space Command are making sure space operators are ready for future readiness requirements.

  • Travis, Army transport Black Hawks to Alaska

    From Jan. 11 to 13, it was the job of the C-5M Super Galaxy aircrew and aerial port specialists at Travis Air Force, California to join in efforts with the Army to transport four UH-60 Black Hawks from California to the helicopters’ home base at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska.

  • 380th ECES stay ready through HAZMAT Exercise

    The 380th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron Fire Department and Emergency Management flights conducted an outdoor hazardous material exercise at Al Dhafra Air Base, Jan. 4.

  • Email in the cloud: CHES phase 1 completion

    On Nov. 8, 2018, the Air Force Network Integration Center, or AFNIC, concluded the first phase of the Air Force’s transition to Cloud Hosted Enterprise Services, completing the migration of 555,000 continental U.S. based Air Force hosted e-mail accounts to a Microsoft Office 365 collaboration

  • Around the Air Force: Pitch Day, Space Flag, ANG Rescue

    On this look Around the Air Force “Pitch Day” will give small businesses and startups a fast track to partner with the Air Force, Space Flag tests warfighting capability, and the Alaskan Air National Guard rescues three civilians.

  • Arkansas Airman fixes hospital equipment in Guatemala

    Throughout a week-long medical readiness training exercise, 30 Airmen from the 189th Airlift Wing and 188th Wing saw more than 2,000 patients. While that number is a feat in itself, one Airman used his knowledge to support the local community in a different way.

  • JB Langley surgical team goes 'purple'

    A joint surgical team comprised of three separate branches assembled at U.S. Air Force Hospital Langley at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia, in December 2018 to perform an operation.

  • Innovation in tight spaces

    As Hurricane Michael churned toward the Emerald Coast of Florida, F-35A Lightning IIs from the 33rd Fighter Wing evacuated to Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, to avoid the storm’s path and potential catastrophic damage. As Michael passed, narrowly missing Eglin AFB, a different type of storm

  • US, Polish SOF enhance abilities through culmination exercise

    Clouds make way for the first pass of combat controllers from the U.S. and Polish forces as they free fall out of an MC130J Commando during a culmination exercise near Krakow, Poland recently. The joint team is determined to put all their recent training into action as they steer their parachutes