NATO Air Policing operations

U.S. Air Force News

  • DoD to begin next major phase of military hospital consolidation

    On Oct. 1, the Army, Navy and Air Force will begin the final two years of a multiyear transition to shift administration and management of their medical facilities to the Defense Health Agency, changes that are "transformational and far-reaching," said Vice Admiral Raquel Bono, DHA director.

  • Space Flag holds first exercise with coalition partners

    Space Flag 19-3 integrated approximately 160 coalition participants, observers and distinguished guests in Air Force Space Command’s “Fight Tonight” exercise focused on using current capabilities to deter, deny and disrupt adversarial actions in the space domain.

  • Military dentists thrive in joint-service training

    Appalachian Care 2019 is a unique U.S. military training mission sponsored by the Innovative Readiness Training program, which falls under the Department of Defense’s Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Reserve Integration.

  • 12th OSS egress training saves lives

    With approximately 1,200 students certified or recertified every year, the program teaches pilots how to properly egress from T-1A Jayhawk, T-6A Texan II and T-38C Talon aircraft.

  • BESPIN-AFIMSC alliance improves mission support capabilities

    BESPIN and AFIMSC are partnering to develop two mobile applications: an app connecting the military community to base events and an app to improve contractor accountability. The apps were two of the top three ideas chosen during AFIMSC’s inaugural Innovation Rodeo March 1.

  • 86th VRS rolls onto virtual highway

    Members of the 86th Vehicle Readiness Squadron at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, are doing exactly that by acquiring a new driving simulator to train Airmen that aren’t familiar with German roads and weather conditions.

  • AMC C-130 rainbow fitting inspections complete

    Thanks to early detection by Air Force Materiel Command aircraft maintenance and engineering professionals and quick implementation of a fleet-wide time compliance technical order, C-130 maintainers have inspected and verified the viability of 113 of the 123 affected aircrafts’ lower center wing

  • AFGSC professional development programs help Airmen grow

    In Air Force Global Strike Command, there are a number of programs designed to develop the understanding and knowledge of nuclear operations and critical thinking for officers, enlisted members and civilians as well as broaden their view of the mission.

  • ETDC supplying Airmen with right gear for mission

    Ali Al Salem’s ETDC, currently the second largest distribution center in the (USCENTCOM) theater of operations, is the distribution center support hub for more than 14,000 warfighters, issuing up to 100,000 items worth $56 million every six months.

  • AFCYBER presents, participates in DEF CON 27

    Throughout the four-day event, attendees could learn new skills from industry professionals, test those skills during capture-the-flag competitions, network with others, interview for jobs and test out products and simulators, among other things.

  • Little Rock AFB EOD supports Ark., surrounding states

    The Explosive Ordnance Disposal team at Little Rock Air Force Base completes countless hours of training and faces ample challenges in order to support the base and the entire state of Arkansas, as well as parts of Mississippi and Tennessee, to support a variety of military installations.

  • Joint-nation alliance meets, trains at Travis AFB

    The purpose of the group, according to Royal Australian Air Force Wing Commander Brady Cummins, Australian representative on the AFIC Management Committee, is to identify and resolve current and future interoperability challenges by leveraging collective expertise.

  • AFRL licenses second technology to local firm

    This marker, along with a second patent by Brott and his team involving infrared phosphor technology, has recently been licensed to Battle Sight Technologies, which expands to their existing collection of infrared technologies. This technology works similarly to the dials on a watch, absorbing

  • CSAF shares insight, expectations with AU students, faculty

    The purpose of Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David L. Goldfein's visit was to address the students of Air War College and Air Command Staff College as they begin their academic year, as well as speaking with the university’s faculty on development and hear their questions and concerns.

  • 419th Civil Engineers help relocate Alaskan village

    With the nearest interstate highway roughly 600 miles away, 419th CES personnel were transported to the village by helicopter. Their tools and supplies were brought in via a barge on local waterways.

  • Avionics Airman inspires young women at aviation camp

    Senior Airman Lydia Kamps, an avionics technician with the 756th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, Luke Air Force Base, Arizona, had the opportunity to return to the Experimental Aircraft Association’s GirlVenture Camp during the Oshkosh Air Show in Wisconsin as a mentor -- not just a participant.

  • Emerging technology may save Airmen’s lives

    This focus on readiness was on display Aug. 5 during a SERE exercise in Vallejo, California, which provided Airmen an opportunity to train using realistic scenarios while testing new technology.

  • Air Force Academy awarded accreditation until 2028-2029

    The final report from the HLC found the university met all of the criteria for accreditation and federal compliance requirements without comments, reaffirming its accredited status until the 2028-2029 academic year.

  • AF Week in Photos

    This week's photos feature Airmen from around the globe involved in activities supporting expeditionary operations and defending America. This weekly feature showcases the men and women of the Air Force.

  • How pilot training has changed over the years

    With senior leadership making innovation a priority, the Air Force has changed how Airmen are trained and how they become proficient at their jobs. This in turn has changed the way the Air Force develops pilots and what pilot training currently looks like.

  • FTX trains Airmen for deployed environment

    While at Quantico, the 633rd SFS members, known as defenders, sharpened their skills while conducting day and night reconnaissance operations, establishing a forward operating base, and clearing villages to acquire a specific target.

  • AFSPC rolls out new enterprise data strategy

    The command’s enterprise data strategy will provide the means to ensure greater mission success. It is a framework that integrates space enterprise data sources into a common, resilient and agile architecture optimized for space domain awareness and responsive multi-domain operations at speed and

  • AFRL’s Digital Hangar to support lifecycle management of aerospace systems

    The Air Force Research Laboratory’s “Digital Hangar,” a concept created by Dr. Rick Graves, an Air Force Research Laboratory’s design and analysis branch aerospace research engineer, is a virtual repository containing digital surrogates of aerospace systems that have been gated through rigorous

  • DoD CI, HUMINT awards showcase OSI excellence

    The competitions were judged by selection panels consisting of senior subject matter experts from across the DoD and National CI, HUMINT and security communities respectively, representing decades of experience.

  • Air Force Reserve partners with 'The Basketball Tournament'

    As a presenting partner, Air Force Reserve received premier branding at the The Basketball Tournament Wichita Regional as all eight teams wore Reserve patches on their uniforms. The Reserve also had an on-site and in-broadcast presence at every TBT venue.

  • AF first sergeants gather, train to answer CSAF Squadron Revitalization Call

    More than 210 first sergeants from across the Air Force did their part to aid the CSAF’s squadron revitalization effort, as they gathered at the I.G. Brown Training and Education Center at McGhee Tyson Air National Guard Base in Louisville, Tennessee, July 21-27, for a summit and symposium to become

  • Eglin AFB pilots receive ratings for new helicopter

    Maj. Zach Roycroft and Tony Arrington completed the five-week contracted course on the civilian counterpart to the Air Force’s new MH-139 helicopter. The helicopter will replace the Air Force’s aging UH-1N Huey.

  • 621st CRW, joint partners team up for exercise

    In this joint training exercise, approximately 125 Airmen from the 621st Contingency Response Wing teamed up with about 50 689th Rapid Port Opening Element Soldiers and five Defense Logistics Agency’s Rapid Deployment Team-Blue members to conduct Joint Task Force-Port Opening in order to bring

  • Evolution of space: 2nd SOPS celebrates GPS Block III on-orbit test

    Lockheed Martin presented the 2nd Space Operations Squadron with a GPS Block III model satellite to celebrate the successful on-orbit testing of the new GPS III satellite at Schriever Air Force Base, July 29.Staff Sgt. Joseph Wood, 2nd SOPS mission chief, said the model is a physical representation

  • Academy plays central role in developing tomorrow’s STEM leaders

    Cadets at the Air Force Academy today are immersed in hands-on STEM programs while also exposed to a broad education in the humanities and non-technical disciplines. All cadets take at least two-thirds of their coursework in a cross-disciplinary core and almost half of all their courses are in STEM

  • Air Force brings defense planning into 21st century through modern software

    For much of the defense community, the ease and functionality of modern technology is not translated to military planning systems. While cumbersome acquisitions processes, funding issues and security concerns are often valid causes, many Department of Defense processes (and any software associated

  • Yokota AB hosts 2019 Mid-Air Collision Avoidance Conference

    The conference provided 64 Japanese pilots with the unique opportunity to hear briefings from military personnel, discussing airspace boundaries, flight routes and daily operations with a singular goal in mind, to increase awareness and promote safety in the skies over Yokota AB and the surrounding

  • Simulators prepare Airmen for real-world scenarios

    “They blink, they breathe,” said Raymond Jernigan, 633rd MDG simulator operator. “Even the baby simulators have motion. They cry. I can program it to talk. They can be programmed to have physiological responses – I’ll set the vital signs.”

  • AETC welcomes new commander

    Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David L. Goldfein presided over the ceremony and emphasized the importance of the AETC mission and he commended members of the command for their efforts. He listed Pilot Training Next, force development, a campaign of learning, squadron commander school and the overhaul

  • Air Force chief scientists see Alaska as "central"

    "Alaska is home to the most amazing scientific facilities in the country, and is a very important place in terms of national defense," Joseph said. "The Arctic region is becoming increasingly important, and central to defense of our homeland."

  • Pilot Prep Program: 'Right answer for the Air Force'

    The new Air Force initiative to fill the need for military pilots was forged by Brig. Gen. Christopher M. Short, director of the Aircrew Crisis Task Force at the Pentagon. It’s one of many Total Force partnerships between the Air Force and its longtime auxiliary, CAP.

  • 435th CRS teaches offload methods in Poland

    During Aviation Rotation 19-3, a bilateral training exercise to improve joint functions between the U.S. and Polish militaries, members from the 435th Contingency Response Squadron worked to teach combat offload procedures at Powidz Air Base, Poland.

  • Kentucky Air Guard home to DoD’s only search and rescue dog

    In response to scenarios like the Haitian earthquake, Parsons spearheaded a new approach, developing the squadron’s Search and Rescue K-9 program. The effort, launched in 2018, is designed to increase the capabilities of disaster response teams in locating and recovering personnel through the use of

  • 100th surgical team completes robotic surgery training

    This milestone is significant for Keesler’s InDORSE program, showing how far the curriculum has come since the program first stood up in March 2017 with just one robot. Now, InDORSE has acquired a second robot, allowing them to train more military surgical teams across the Department of Defense as

  • 349th ARS secures Air Force-level award

    The Senior Master Sgt. Albert Evans Outstanding Air Refueling Section Award is presented every year to the top boom operator section in the Air Force. This is the first time the 349th ARS has won the award.

  • Air Force announces the 12 Outstanding Airmen of 2019

    An Air Force selection board at the Air Force’s Personnel Center considered 36 nominees who represented major commands, direct reporting units, field operating agencies and Headquarters Air Force. The board selected the 12 Airmen based on superior leadership, job performance and personal

  • 315th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron trains alongside Royal Air Force

    Reservists from the U.S. Air Force Reserve 315th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron and Royal Auxiliary Air Force No. 4626 Squadron focused on sharing key aeromedical evacuation skills and leadership and teamwork experiences. Because both units are made up primarily of reservists, the training provided

  • Goodfellow AFB embraces National Defense Strategy

    Falling under the Air Education and Training Command, Goodfellow AFB builds a more ready, resilient and rapidly innovative force by modernizing learning inside its 250,000 square feet of secure training facilities.

  • Artist to Airman: Street artist to art of war

    Muralist, painter, street artist and 315th Airlift Wing Reservist, Staff Sgt. Corban Lundborg, combat photojournalist with the 4th Combat Camera Squadron at Joint Base Charleston, used his creative talent and public affairs training to win 2018 Air Force Photographer of the Year and first place in

  • ACC commander speaks at Joint Warfighting Forum

    Air Force Gen. Mike Holmes delivered remarks to the audience of military and industry partners about the future of armed conflict and the importance of integrated systems of command and control.

  • Convoys: Going where no one else can

    Airmen from the 726th Air Control Squadron offer an inside look on what makes a successful convoy while supporting Hardrock Exercise 19-2 July 14, at Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho.

  • 563d RQG Airmen rescue injured Mexican sailors

    Airmen from Davis-Monthan Air Force Base’s 563rd Rescue Group traveled more than 1700 miles to save two critically injured Mexican fishermen onboard the Mazatun fishing vessel, July 10.

  • AFMC conducts focus groups across enterprise

    The AFMC We Need enterprise-wide initiative, launched in late June 2019, seeks inputs and recommendations from AFMC civilian and military Airmen that can help posture the command to best support the National Defense Strategy today and in the decades to come.

  • Whiteman AFB commemorates 30-year anniversary of B-2 test flight

    For three decades, B-2 crews have participated in five major military operations and countless training engagements. The bomber has completed missions in Kosovo, Afghanistan, Iraq and, most recently, Libya. The B-2 was also the first aircraft over Afghanistan after the 9/11 attacks, for which

  • Air advisors train with Niger Armed Forces

    Air advisors assigned to the 409th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron conducted training with the Nigerien Armed Forces, also known as Forces Armées Nigeriennes, on how to clear buildings at Niger Air Base 201, July 10.The training was designed to help the FAN improve their efficiency and

  • Wright-Patterson AFB opens cyber defense facility

    One of the Air Force’s ongoing challenges is to create processes, infrastructure and capabilities to counter threats to its weapon systems. To address this, organizations are looking at creative ways to forge partnerships and alliances to advance the cyber resiliency of weapon systems by protecting

  • RAF Mildenhall maintenance officer awarded Bronze Star

    Since Dec. 6, 1941, men and women who served in any capacity in or with the U.S. military, have been awarded the Bronze Star Medal by distinguishing themselves through heroic or meritorious achievement or service in a combat zone.

  • OTS prepares for arrival of “Godzilla” class

    What is being dubbed the “Godzilla” class, OTS Class 19-07 will push the school to its maximum capacity by tipping the scales with the expected arrival of 800 officer trainees in mid-July.

  • Rescue helicopter pilots showcase VR capability to ACC leadership

    The trainer allows four people to don VR headgear and simultaneously enter a server to fly a virtual HH-60G Pave Hawk combat search and rescue helicopter in simulated training missions. The controls are the same equipment the helicopter uses to add further realism to the VR environment.

  • DoD delays Post 9/11 GI Bill changes

    The implementation has been delayed until January 12, 2020, giving long-serving members more time to transfer their education benefits to spouses or dependents.

  • From enlisted marine to 100th ARW commander

    The son of immigrant parents from Thailand, Col. Troy Pananon, 100th Air Refueling Wing commander, didn’t have a long family military tradition to lean on, so he made his own instead.

  • Overnight radar replacements for NEXRAD

    The NEXT RADAR, or NEXTRAD replacement, completed at Cannon AFB in February in one night, is part of an ongoing effort there and 24 other Air Force installations worldwide. The Air Force’s 25-site replacement program is part of a three-agency U.S. government effort to standardize the 180 radars that

  • First BMT trainees experience M-4 training, qualification

    Basic Military Training trainees were the first to experience M-4 carbine weapons familiarization course at the range, which closed in November 2018, due to improper rainwater drainage. Since then the range has undergone refurbishing efforts to divert water runoff.

  • JB McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst hosts first-ever base-level Pitch Day event

    The two-month process, which started in April, began when the 87th Contracting Squadron published problem statements from the 87th Air Base Wing, 305th Air Mobility Wing, 621st Contingency Response Wing and Expeditionary Operations School, requesting innovative solutions from small businesses to

  • Online worksheet to replace biannual AGR review board

    One significant change to the program was the elimination of an AGR Review Board, or ARB, which was held twice a year. The board was co-chaired by the deputy to the chief of Air Force Reserve and the deputy commander of the Air Force Reserve Command, with the purpose of determining career status for

  • Exercise Pac Angel 19-1 wraps up in Bangladesh

    Throughout that time, the U.S. and partner nations teamed up to provide medical care and engineering assistance as well as conduct subject matter expert exchanges with the Bangladesh Air Force and civil organizations, such as the Red Crescent and Ministry of Health.

  • ‘1200 in 12’ initiative succeeds as final new hire pledges oath

    The Warner Robins Air Logistics Complex announced its initiative during a press conference Aug. 15, 2018. The task at hand was to hire 1,200 new workers within 12 months, or by the end of fiscal 2019. At the time, 7,200 personnel worked for the complex, providing maintenance and repair for several

  • LEGACY youth program builds interest in STEM careers

    The Leadership Experience Growing Apprenticeships Committed to Youth, or LEGACY, program is an Air Force program aimed at building interest in science, technology, engineering and math through summer craftsman camps and paid summer apprenticeships while showing how STEM applies to the world around