NATO Air Policing operations

U.S. Air Force News

  • CSAF, CMSAF visit Offutt AFB

    Chief of Staff of the Air Force Gen. David L. Goldfein and Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Kaleth O. Wright visited Offutt Air Force Base, Oct. 18, 2017.Goldfein and Wright received a tour of the base, and learned more about the mission accomplished by the 55th Wing, U.S. Strategic Command and

  • AF officials announce selections for civilian leadership program

    Air Force officials have selected 39 senior civilian leaders to participate in the 2018 Air Force Civilian Strategic Leader Program. CSLP, the Air Force’s senior corporate career broadening program, is designed to develop GS-14 and GS-15 multi-skilled leaders by placing them in experiential

  • 386th AEW completes first flight of Block 5 MQ-9

    The 386th Air Expeditionary Wing successfully completed its first combat mission with the latest version of the MQ-9 Reaper in support of Operation Inherent Resolve.The wing’s remotely piloted aircraft unit, the 46th Expeditionary Attack Squadron, transitioned its attack and reconnaissance airframes

  • Around the Air Force: Oct. 19

    On this look around the Air Force, Air Force Special Operations Command Airmen are awarded the Air Force Cross and Air Medal, and U.S. Air Forces in Europe signs a joint exercise agreement with Nordic Air Chiefs. Hosted by Airman 1st Class Jasmine Vanderheyden.

  • JBLE Command and Control establishes AMC C2

    Normally, while serving as Joint Base Langley-Eustis command and control specialists, Airmen in the JBLE Command Post focus on the varied missions of JBLE and its tenant wings. However, on Sept. 28, 2017, one critical mission called on these Airmen to support a global response mission.

  • Airmen complete Hurricane Maria mission, return from Puerto Rico

    Thirty-five members of the Kentucky Air National Guard’s 123rd Contingency Response Group returned Oct. 17, 2017, completing a three-week deployment to San Juan, Puerto Rico, where they processed more than 7.2 million pounds of humanitarian aid for recovery operations following Hurricane Maria.

  • Fire chief shares personal story of trauma, perseverance

    Trapped and alone in a smoke-filled room with zero visibility, flames raging outside and the temperature rapidly rising to hundreds of degrees Fahrenheit, Airman 1st Class William Taylor realized that he was alone. His only hope of staying alive was to get himself out of there – and fast.

  • Blended Retirement System Opt-In training now available to all Airmen

    The Defense Department will implement the new Blended Retirement System next year. While no one needs to make a decision until Jan. 1, 2018, all Airmen should take advantage of training and informational resources to research their options during the remainder of 2017.

  • AF art contest to showcase talent

    The Air Force Services Activity aims to showcase and celebrate the artistic talents of Airmen and their family members via the 2017 Air Force Art Contest.

  • A/TA honors air mobility pioneer

    The Airlift/Tanker Association honored Sir Alan Cobham as their 28th Hall of Fame inductee Oct. 5, 2017, as they held an unveiling ceremony of his bust now located in Scott Air Force Base’s Walk of Fame area.

  • ACS Internal Medicine keeping pilots flying, improves research

    The Aeromedical Consultation Service here at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base reviews more than 2,000 waiver recommendation requests for Air Force pilots, navigators and other air crew annually. A staff of approximately 80 Airmen at the ACS ensures aviators get back in the sky as soon as possible.

  • AF recognizes 2016 Sijan award winners

    Four Airmen received the 2016 Lance P. Sijan U.S. Air Force Leadership Award during a ceremony at the Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia, Oct. 5, 2017.

  • 18th Space Control Squadron: Keeping watch up above

    The 18th Space Control Squadron located at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, is a geographically separated unit of the 21st Space Wing, Peterson AFB, Colorado. The squadron provides situational awareness on thousands of items filling the skies while life moves along for those on Earth’s

  • 500th F-35 pilot takes to the sky

    The Air Force trained and graduated the 500th F-35 Lightning II pilot across the joint and international enterprise Sept. 19, 2017, at Eglin Air Force Base.

  • 821st CRG deploys throughout the Caribbean

    The 821st Contingency Response Group stationed at Travis Air Force Base, California, deployed four teams throughout the Caribbean to support Hurricane Maria disaster relief efforts.

  • AF awards contracts for next-generation ICBM airborne launch control system

    The Air Force awarded two contracts Oct. 3, 2017, for upgrading the system that enables an aircraft to control an intercontinental ballistic missile’s launch from a silo in the ground.The three-year contracts of about $81 million each were awarded to Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Littleton,

  • Joint effort delivers relief cargo to Puerto Rico

    Members of the 15th Airlift Squadron and 437th Airlift Wing, flew a C-17 Globemaster III to Fort Drum, New York, Sept. 28, 2017, to pick up aid supplies before flying to San Juan, Puerto Rico, after Hurricane Maria, a category 4 hurricane, battered the U.S. territory.

  • Air National Guard restores FAA capabilities for Puerto Rico

    A week and a half post Hurricane Maria, it is hard to tell the Federal Aviation Administration was at “ground zero” and in the dark with no power or communication capabilities. Now, the air traffic flow at San Juan Luis Munoz Marin International Airport is back to normal thanks to the Air National

  • Evolution of adaptive sports

    With the event coming to a close, thousands around the world turned their attention toward the 2017 Invictus Games, witnessing feats of incredible talent and hearing truly inspiring stories from world-class athletes.

  • A chip that scrambles

    The Air Force’s new Mini Crypto chip will secure communications and data between systems like unmanned aerial vehicles and explosive ordnance disposal robots, while being “losable.”

  • Minuteman III receives upgrade

    As part of move to further modernize the nuclear enterprise, Airmen from the 91st Missile Wing at Minot Air Force Base recently implemented a $68 million upgrade to the LGM-30G Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile.First used on June 23, 2017, this new device – known as the Data Transfer

  • Reserve first sergeants hit ground running, adapt to active duty tempo

    Every Airman serving has to meet the same training, education and proficiency standards of their career field, regardless of whether or not they are active duty, Air National Guard or Air Force Reserve. Here at the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing, total force integration is exemplified in the first

  • The uniform, the rank, the badge – the attitude

    The colonel leaned back in his seat, pausing for just a moment as he scanned his memory. “Not really,” he said, recounting if the Air Force had always been a goal. “It was kind of tradition in the family – to serve. It was something the family did. I figured I’d get in, do five years and then get

  • 165th Airlift Wing keeps disaster relief moving

    Air National Guard Airmen with the 165th Air Terminal Operations Center at Savannah Air National Guard Base operated around the clock recently to send disaster relief to Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

  • Kentucky ANG establishes air hub for Hurricane Maria relief

    Thirty-two members of the 123rd Contingency Response Group departed the Kentucky Air National Guard Base in Louisville, Ky., Sept. 23, 2017, to establish an air cargo hub that will support Hurricane Maria relief operations across the Caribbean.

  • 437th AW crew provides quick-response relief following Hurricane Maria

    Members of the 14th Airlift Squadron at Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina, the Federal Aviation Administration and the Federal Emergency Management Agency completed a humanitarian mission in support of Hurricane Maria to St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, Sept. 23, 2017.

  • ANG Airmen provide contingency response in USVI

    Air National Guard units from three U.S. states combined assets, manpower and expertise to provide critical control of military airlift to the heavily battered island of St. Thomas in the wake of Hurricane Irma.Airmen from the 133rd Airlift Wing in Minneapolis, Minnesota; 146th AW in Camarillo,

  • Joint team delivers relief in Hurricane Maria aftermath

    Members of the 14th Airlift Squadron from Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina delivered 17 pallets containing more than 129,000 pounds of food and water to St. Croix, Virgin Islands in support of relief efforts after Hurricane Maria, Sept. 24, 2017.

  • 55th HMU: Ready to repair at a moment’s notice

    High above the desert mountains, an HH-60G Pave Hawk glided through the evening air. What was supposed to be a standard maneuvering exercise turned into an inflight emergency when the helicopter suffered a detrimental bird strike.

  • Travis AFB C-17 delivers response team to Mexico

    A C-17 Globemaster III from Travis Air Force Base arrived at Mexico City International Airport in support of earthquake relief efforts Sept. 21, 2017. The crew delivered 67 U.S. Agency for International Development elite disaster team members and five canines, along with equipment and medical

  • Operator recognized for exceptional service with aircrew

    Tech. Sgt. Nathan, 25th Intelligence Squadron direct support operator, along with his fellow aircrew members were recently selected as the recipients of the Air Force Association's 2017 Lt. Gen. William H. Tunner Award..

  • 621st CRW Airmen deploy in response to Hurricane Irma

    The 821st Contingency Response Group from Travis Air Force Base, California, alerted a 64-person contingency response element to Marathon Regional Airport, located in the Florida Keys, where they arrived in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma, Sept. 11, 2017.

  • Kentucky ANG deploy to Caribbean for Hurricane Maria relief operations

    Seven Special Tactics Airmen from the Kentucky Air National Guard departed the Kentucky ANG base, Louisville, Sept. 20, 2017, for the Caribbean where they will open airfields for humanitarian aid deliveries and resident evacuations in the wake of Hurricane Maria, the third major hurricane to hit the

  • AETC Airmen honored at AFA

    Five Air Education and Training Command Airmen, and one AETC unit, were honored for their outstanding achievement at the opening ceremonies of the 2017 Air Force Association Air Space and Cyber Conference Sept. 18, 2017. Lt. Gen. Steven Kwast, Maj. Matthew Brock, 1st Lt. Owen Caron, Cadet Alexander

  • AMC crew earns humanitarian award

    An aircrew from Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey, was recognized at the Air Force Association’s Air, Space and Cyber Conference in National Harbor, Sept. 18, 2017. The aircrew, assigned to the 6th Airlift Squadron, received the Berlin Airlift Veterans Association Humanitarian Mission of

  • Airmen receive Gen. Larry O. Spencer Innovation Award during AFA

    Process improvements don’t always save the Air Force money, but when they lead to cost saving ideas, senior leaders recognize it.That’s exactly what happened when Larry O. Spencer, Air Force Association president, Secretary of the Air Force Heather Wilson, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David L.

  • Air Force Marathon celebrates 70th birthday, community

    Partly cloudy skies and warm temperatures welcomed approximately 13,500 runners and walkers from all 50 states and 16 foreign countries to take part in the 21st annual U.S. Air Force Marathon at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Sept. 16, 2017.Gen. Ellen

  • 601st AOC's AMD provides critical link during hurricane relief

    In the throes of a hurricane, emerging requirements for military air assets throughout the affected area can create a chaotic web of demand signals with varying levels of priority. When those demands require the use of U.S. Transportation Command or Air National Guard assets, it is the job of the

  • Airman overcomes suicidal thoughts, strives to help others

    Being part of the Air Force is not an easy task. Airmen are charged with supporting and defending the U.S. from all enemies, foreign and domestic. As a result, the military life has many stressors and responsibilities. Deployments, financial strains, intensive training, long work days and adapting

  • Airman saves newborn minutes from death

    After severe weather left many with property damage, and even more without power, a patient missing an appointment might have been easily overlooked.But for Senior Airman Taylor Scherff, 55th Medical Group Pediatric Clinic medical technician, something didn’t sit right. She knew she couldn’t wait

  • Around the Air Force: Sept. 15

    FORT GEORGE G. MEADE, Md. (AFNS) – On this look around the Air Force, Airmen conduct search and rescue missions in the Florida Keys, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala., provides truckloads of supplies for Hurricane Irma victims and Boeing will design the next Air Force One. Hosted by Airman 1st Class

  • A base in a box: 86th MMS keeps AF ready for action

    Somewhere in the Luxembourg countryside, armed guards keep watch over a compound of non-descript warehouses and storage containers. Each warehouse in the facility holds a different surprise, but those coming in will find most of these treasures hidden under lock and key.Stacks of metal boxes tower

  • JET/IA Airmen connect blue line back to AF

    The 387th Air Expeditionary Squadron is a small unit. With about 10 assigned staff, and 20 quick-response aerial port Airmen, they have a small footprint. Their reach, however, is far more expansive than meets the eye. They have the responsibility of providing all levels of administrative support to

  • DoD, academia test systems for GPS denial

    Navigating the globe was once done using the sun, moon and stars as references, but modern times bring modern methods, and the majority of the world now relies on GPS for its navigation needs.

  • Airmen document Hurricane Irma with Hurricane Hunters

    It’s not often that Air Force reservists arrive at Unit Training Assembly “weekend drill,” and in short order find themselves flying into the eye of a hurricane, but that’s exactly what happened to Staff Sgts. Kyle Brasier and Corban Lundborg with the 4th Combat Camera Squadron, Joint Base

  • Nellis AFB to support Hurricane Irma rescue operations

    In mid-afternoon Sept. 8, 2017, the 66th Rescue Squadron and 823rd Maintenance Squadron assigned to Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, received a call from U.S. Northern Command to ready teams to support the Federal Emergency Management Agency search and rescue efforts in the Florida Keys following the

  • Kentucky Air Guardsmen evacuate personnel following Hurricane Irma

    For the second time in two weeks, special operators and aircrews from the Kentucky Air National Guard have deployed to support hurricane rescue operations, evacuating more than 170 U.S. citizens from the Dutch Caribbean island of St. Maarten Sept. 9, 2017.

  • Suicide prevention month: stopping suicide is everyone’s battle

    September is Suicide Prevention Month, a time for Americans to build awareness and help understand suicide in our culture. More than 40,000 Americans lose their life due to suicide each year and research shows that rates in the military and the general population are very close. The loss of anyone

  • AFNORTH wraps up Hurricane Harvey ops, looks East to Irma

    As Hurricane Harvey slammed into coastal Texas the last week of August, Houston and the surrounding area were pounded with unprecedented amounts of rain – experiencing 50 inches of rain in a matter of days. That is more than the annual average for the region.

  • Keesler AFB medical team supports hurricane relief effort

    An Air Force Critical Care Air Transport Team, and a supporting logistics team, from Keesler Air Force Base arrived at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, Aug. 30, 2017, to support the Hurricane Harvey relief efforts.

  • Supercomputing weather with ‘Thor’

    The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center at Hanscom Air Force Base acquired a supercomputer that is the latest step in a long-running weather prediction arms race.

  • Oklahoma ANG wing sends aid for Hurricane Harvey

    Approximately 40 Airmen from the Oklahoma Air National Guard’s 137th Special Operations Wing departed Will Rogers Air National Guard Base in Oklahoma City, Aug. 29, 2017, to support the Texas Military Department and Texas Emergency Management in relief efforts following Hurricane Harvey.

  • Accepting the challenge

    Airman 1st Class Colby Morin, a member of the 66th Security Forces Squadron, volunteered to attend the U.S. Marine Corps’ Lance Corporal Seminar during a deployment to Southeast Asia.

  • It takes a village to deploy a warfighter

    Air Force Airmen prepare to deploy across the globe in support of national objectives every day. To make this possible, installation deployment readiness cells and the unit deployment managers prepare and process members for deployment to unified combatant commands.

  • Around the Air Force: Aug. 25

    On this look Around the Air Force intercontinental ballistic missile contracts are awarded to Boeing and Northrop Grumman, Sailors receive Aerospace Ground Equipment training, and a look at Desert Defender Combat Readiness training.