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U.S. Air Force News

  • 'Living Legends' offer Airmen historical perspective

    The three-part "Living Legends" series concluded at the Pentagon Conference Center July 19. The "Living Legends" series included three seminars featuring panels of past and present Air Force leaders who discussed advancements in air power from World War II to the present day war on terrorism. The

  • Living museum: Airman preserves AF uniforms

    Walking through the 20th Maintenance Group building, it would be appropriate to stop and gaze into the office of one senior leader there. Eyes would be greeted with several mannequins wearing different shades of green and blue, each decorated with metals and ribbons.For most of his life, Lt. Col.

  • Living the American Dream

    Senior Airman Vadim Poleanschi, a 386th Expeditionary Logistic Readiness Squadron logistics specialist, felt the burden, whether he understood it or not. Poleanschi was born after the Soviet Union fell apart in a country called the Republic of Moldova, an Eastern European country landlocked between

  • Living wills: a matter of life or death

    The Terry Schiavo saga has both captured and divided the nation as moral and legal questions have been raised over the right to live or die. While many people remain at odds over the underlying issues, most agree on one topic -- the importance of living wills. “We’ve had a huge increase over the

  • Living with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder; a veteran's story (Part 1)

    Post-traumatic stress disorder carries him into the depths of fear and pain; reliving images of death and destruction. Closing his eyes to night terrors at sundown and fighting through daily anxiety attacks eventually pushed him to the brink of suicide so he could put an end to the never-ending

  • LivingFit helps Airmen, families reach weight loss goals

    A new year often begins with resolutions to lose weight and get in shape. Air Force services officials recently launched a new program designed to help Airmen and families accomplish this common goal through proper nutrition and activity.The USAF FitFamily website now includes LivingFit, an online

  • LO technicians keep pilots undetected, alive

    F-22 Raptor and F-35A Lightning II pilots may take the reins of their respective aircraft; however, it takes preparation from outside the cockpit to get them where they need to go undetected.

  • Load crews train for deployment operations

    Imagine mission success laying on the shoulders of the individuals to your right and left. For one team of Airmen, the shortcomings of one can be catastrophic to the task at hand. These groups of professionals assigned to the 20th Maintenance Group, spanning three fighter squadrons, work in unison

  • Load 'em up

    A weapons load crew from the 22nd Expeditionary Fighter Squadron loads a GBU-31 precision-guided bomb on an F-16 Fighting Falcon on March 24 at a forward-deployed air base. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Derrick C. Goode)

  • Load 'em up, move 'em out

    Tech. Sgt. Benjamin Blackstone secures a vehicle onto a C-17 Globemaster III aircraft March 7. Over the last week, approximately 550 airmen and several B-52 Stratofortresses from here deployed to support of the war on terrorism. The base also sent more than 270 short tons of support equipment and

  • Loading F-16s with lethal firepower

    As a munitions controller with the 35th Maintenance Squadron, he receives dozens of calls every day, while waiting for one that's arguably more important than the rest. It's the call that delivers the 35th Fighter Wing's flying schedule and triggers a process that turns Misawa Air Base's F-16

  • Loadmaster crashworthy seat intended to increase safety

    In an effort to provide loadmasters with a safer and more structurally sound seat in cargo aircraft, engineers here recently installed a prototype of a new loadmaster crashworthy seat in an HC-130P Combat King. "The goal is to provide loadmasters with a more secure seat," said Senior Master Sgt.

  • Loadmaster soars on American Idol

    For one aspiring singer at Westover, 15 minutes of fame stretched out over weeks as a contestant on American Idol.The television show broadcast to millions gave Tech. Sgt. Blaire Sieber an opportunity to stand in front of the world and live out her dream."It's really hard to describe the

  • Loadmaster's call with the president makes for a memorable Thanksgiving

    Deployed Airmen broke bread Nov. 25 for the Thanksgiving holiday at this air base in Southwest Asia, taking time away from their normal duties to celebrate with food and friends, but a phone call from the president of the United States made it an especially memorable day for one C-130 Hercules

  • Loadmasters help reposition Australian Defense Forces

    The U.S. Pacific Command is using its strategic airlift capability to help the Australian Defense Force. At the request of the Australian government, two C-17 Globemaster IIIs from Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii, are moving equipment and troops from the Solomon Islands back to Australia. This will

  • Loadmasters hone skills during training, humanitarian mission

    When one C-17 Globemaster III left here Feb. 25, there were a few more loadmasters aboard than usual. A training mission was in the works, but the extra hands were put to use for a humanitarian mission that coincided with the training.The aircrew made stops at Langley Air Force Base, Va., MacDill

  • Loadmasters keep cargo, passengers moving safely

    Around the clock, C-130 Hercules cargo aircraft fly from here, airlifting military troops to locations throughout this theater. Helping passengers and cargo get to their destination safely is the job of the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing loadmasters. Senior Master Sgt. Steven Woodside, the loadmaster

  • Loadmasters learn from mentors

    A hefty responsibility rests on the shoulders of many junior expeditionary Airmen in the war on terrorism. Daniel Stone, Brian Mulkey and Sheldon Cary, all loadmasters and airmen 1st class from the 746th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron, are among the many junior Airmen making a difference on a daily

  • Loadmasters use new parachute jettison device

    An emergency parachute jettison device was used for the first time during a Joint Forcible Entry Exercise here April 25. Loadmasters from Little Rock Air Force Base, Ark., and Dyess AFB, Texas, participated in the exercise. Chief Master Sgt. Steven Pyszka and Master Sgt. Lee McDaniel, loadmaster

  • Loans temporarily help reservists

    Overseas deployments can be tough on families. Naturally, the initial focus falls upon the emotional cost of separation. But, for guardsmen and reservists who own small businesses, the cost involved in a deployment takes on a whole new meaning.For the past two years, the U.S. Small Business

  • Lobos take bite out of Falcons bowl chances

    The University of New Mexico Lobos took a 24-12 bite out of the U.S. Air Force Academy’s bowl aspirations with a dominating win at Lobo Stadium on Nov. 15.“They certainly made the plays, their team deserved to win, and they were the better football team today,” said Fisher DeBerry, Falcons head

  • Local becomes interpreter during medical training exercise

    A 12-year-old girl from a small Nicaraguan community acted as an interpreter for the English-speaking medical team here during their medical readiness training exercise.Antonella Espinoza visited the Sébaco MEDRETE site with her mother to find relief from her allergies Aug. 8. During her treatment,

  • Local Boy Scouts contribute $25,000 of support to Offutt Airmen

    More than a dozen Airmen here helped unload and store 168 cases of popcorn local Boy Scouts of America troops donated to Offutt AFB for deploying Airmen. About 420 Boy Scouts contributed to this effort, raising more than $100,000. They are also sending portions of the donated popcorn to the 85th

  • Local citizens receiving Air Force leadership training

    Airmen are not the only ones reaping the benefits of formal Air Force leadership training here. Two citizens from the local community completed five weeks of leadership classes July 23.The training they received on base coincided with the education Airmen receive at the Senior Master Sgt. David B.

  • Local FEMA team heads to Haiti to aid humanitarian mission

    Members of the Federal Emergency Management Agency departed for Haiti Jan. 15, aboard two C-17 Globmaster IIIs to join the search for survivors from last week's destructive earthquake."Everyone is excited to get down there," said Michael Barakey, a search and rescue team member. "We want to help; we

  • Local high school students get inside look at Southwest Asian air base

    Airmen from the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing hosted 75 high school students from the local America-Mideast Educational and Training Services language training center during their visit to the base May 16. Members of the 386th AEW along with Soldiers, Navy Seabees and Australian personnel from the

  • Local police help SFS Airmen detect, apprehend drunk drivers

    Master Officers from the James City County Police Department visited here to provide field sobriety test training to 633rd Security Forces Squadron Airmen Jan. 20.The day-long training fulfills the Virginia state requirement for all law enforcement officers working in Virginia to be trained in

  • Local solutions yield DOD-level award

    The Precision Attack System Program Office here, in partnership with Lockheed Martin, has been awarded the 2014 Secretary of Defense Performance Based Logistics Award, at the sub-system level, for its solutions in delivering support of the Sniper Advanced Targeting Pod.

  • Locals send big 'thank you' to Offutt Airmen

    Every year, a message appears in local fields near Offutt Air Force Base for Airmen to read as they fly overhead.Although the fields are covered by snow for most of the winter and filled with soybeans for the majority of the summer, the message is written to make sure Offutt AFB Airmen know the men

  • Lockheed Martin rolls-out final F-22 Raptor

    The final F-22 Raptor to be built for the U.S. Air Force, tail number 4195, rolled off the Lockheed Martin Aeronautics assembly line during a ceremony Dec. 13 at the company's Marietta plant. The fighter jet is the last of 187 F-22s produced, marking a bittersweet moment for members of the F-22

  • Lockheed to speed development of F-35

    Defense Department leaders and Lockheed Martin executives explained to international partners changes that have been made in the joint strike fighter program. Ashton B. Carter, the department's undersecretary for acquisition, technology and logistics, and Robert Stevens, the chief operating officer

  • Lodging rates increase Oct. 1

    After four years without a rate increase, Air Force lodging rates will go up beginning Oct. 1, Air Force Personnel Center Officials said today. The increase is necessary to ensure Air Force Lodging rates cover current operating and capital improvement costs, said Maj. Gen. A.J. Stewart, AFPC

  • LOEs now mandatory for some deployed commanders

    With the continuing emergence of increased expeditionary mission requirements, Air Force officials are implementing a policy that will complement officer evaluations by ensuring performance in key leadership positions at deployed locations is documented.Beginning with the current air and space

  • Loftis remembered: 'Afghanistan lost its best friend'

    A funeral service was held here Monday for Lt. Col. John Darin Loftis, who died Feb. 25 from wounds received during an attack at the Interior Ministry, Kabul, Afghanistan.The solemn service was attended by approximately 250 of Loftis's family, friends and Airmen from across the Air Force. Among his

  • Loggies keep aircraft, parts flowing to field

    In the war on terrorism, Air Force fighter, tanker and cargo aircraft are flying 200 to 250 sorties per day average, which is tasking mechanical functions to the extreme. Crew chiefs and unit-level maintainers know certain maintenance procedures, which are beyond their scope, are needed to keep the

  • Logistical support to Antarctic science efforts wraps up

    American servicemembers concluded the 2009-2010 Operation Deep Freeze season Feb. 24 after six months of logistical support to the U.S. Antarctic Program and National Science Foundation.The season began with a winter flying period that started Aug. 16, delivering advance teams and cargo to New

  • Logisticians track down $1 million in pallets

    More than $1 million worth of pallets have been recovered over the past month by a team from the 407th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron here.The team, led by Senior Airman Randy Walgren, has recovered more than 900 pallets used to carry cargo during military airlift. "When I arrived at

  • Logistics Agency overnights 38,000 maps for Haiti relief

    The Defense Logistics Agency's map facility here has been working quickly to supply military and federal agencies with maps essential to the humanitarian relief effort in Haiti since the Jan. 12 earthquake there.Employees in the Mapping Customer Operations Division for the Defense Supply Center

  • Logistics agency staff prepares to help Haiti

    The Defense Logistics Agency staff here is preparing to provide humanitarian relief in response to the devastating earthquake that shook Haiti Jan. 12. The agency's Joint Logistics Operations Center staff is coordinating support with U.S. Southern Command who are, in turn, working with the State

  • Logistics agency stands ready for domestic disasters

    Following an unprecedented disaster relief effort in 2005, Defense Logistics Agency officials here say DLA is ready to provide support for domestic disasters, including the 2006 hurricane season, which begins June 1. A recently completed agency-wide review of DLA's response to domestic disasters in

  • Logistics Airman excels in passenger travel

    While most of her co-workers are helping servicemembers deployed here return home, one traffic management specialist is moving in another direction.With the deployment rotation in full swing, Senior Airman Latasha Ireland, with the 379th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron, has work to do.

  • Logistics Airmen own the night during joint-service training

    A joint-coalition team led by the 451st Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron peers into a dark, moonless sky in preparation for a nighttime helicopter sling load mission. All of their other senses are heightened to compensate for the reduced visibility as a UH-60 Black Hawk flown by Soldiers

  • Logistics Airmen play crucial dual-role before Kirkuk transition

    As U.S. military forces pack up their things and transition out of Iraq, Airmen from the 321st Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron have their hands full.With less than eight months remaining before the security agreement deadline, 321st Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron Airmen are

  • Logistics Airmen supply customers with team effort

    From the outside, it looks like nothing more than a giant storage unit, but inside, it is a one-stop shop.“If you don’t see what you’re looking for, you’ve come to the right place,” said Tech. Sgt. Tonya Hamilton, noncommissioned officer in charge of the base service supply store here. “I can get

  • Logistics center accesses technology through partnerships

    The Department of Defense, like many of its civilian counterparts, is looking for creative ways to increase productivity by sharing the cost of program development, labor and technology. A major step toward that end is the emergence of partnership agreements between contractors and the Ogden Air

  • Logistics center keeps Stratotanker 'booming'

    The aerial refueling capability of the KC-135 Stratotanker is an essential component of the Air Force’s worldwide mission. And the experts in two Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center shops ensure every refueling the tankers make is safe and successful. Specifically, the two shops work on the KC-135’s

  • Logistics innovations impact warfighters

    The commander of Air Mobility Command thanked members of his organization in attendance Nov. 14 here at the national conference of the Logistics Officer Association, noting their initiatives are resulting in needed fuel and equipment being delivered to warfighters faster and more efficiently. "In

  • Logistics key to deployed NATO mission

    Logistics Airmen from the 404th Air Expeditionary Group have worked day and night to prepare the airfield here for Operation Noble Endeavor. F-15 Strike Eagles from the 492nd Fighter Squadron at Royal Air Force Lakenheath, United Kingdom, will augment Romanian forces in an air policing mission over

  • Logistics leaders address Air Force future

    A summer lecture series devoted to logistics brought past and present air logistics center leaders together here recently for a panel discussion and question and answer period. Hosted by the Logistics Officer Association's Crossroads Chapter, the "Logistics over Lunch" attracted approximately 70

  • Logistics officers given challenge at conference

    The commander of the Air Force Materiel Command took the stage at the Logistics Officer Association National Conference Oct. 10 to tell 1,350 logistics officers to get lean and expect to be in a long war.Gen. Bruce Carlson gave the officers an overview of the enemy and how it exploits Islam and uses

  • Logistics officials discuss Stratotanker sustainment

    "Air Force and Defense Logistics Agency partnership is critical to success." That's the message Michele Rachie, deputy director of the 827th Aircraft Sustainment Group at Tinker Air Force Base, Okla., focused on during her visit here March 1. Ms. Rachie met with members of Defense Supply Center

  • Logistics program broadens careers

    As the premier logistics training program in the Air Force, the logistics career broadening program provides logistics officers the chance to attain specialized knowledge in their career field.The two-year program not only provides unique instruction in logistics but also lends opportunities for

  • Logistics sleuths solve mysteries of disappearing parts

    By finding aircraft parts that are missing, misrouted or stranded in transit, a multi-organizational team led by Air Force Materiel Command's warfighter sustainment division is returning more of the capability to warfighters when they need it. AFMC members helped recover parts worth $4.5 million in

  • Logistics support officials take the lead in transforming supply

    For more than a decade, Air Force supply chain leaders and their commercial industry peers have met with nearly identical objectives: finding ways to enhance the Air Force supply chain to improve support to the warfighter. Recently, Air Force Global Logistics Support Center officials along

  • Logistics system release transforms combat support

    A new age for Air Force logisticians began when a pilot version of the Expeditionary Combat Support System went live July 31 at Hanscom Air Force Base, Mass. The Expeditionary Combat Support System will transform business processes, alter management and control systems, and affect personnel roles

  • Logistics team makes logical, money-saving move

    To support the warfighter, the Air Force airlifts cargo such as computer equipment, supplies and spare parts all around the globe. Some of this cargo has to be shipped with special packaging. At Incirlik Air Base, the 39th Logistics Readiness Squadron's Cargo Movement Flight used to contract out

  • Logistics transformation roadmap takes shape

    In less than 18 months, Air Force officials are seeing the benefits of “eLog21,” the service’s logistics plan for the new century.“We’ve only just begun, and we’ve made great progress thus far,” said Lt. Gen. Donald J. Wetekam, deputy chief of staff for installations and logistics. “We’re more into

  • Lombardi Trophy goes to McChord

    The 2014 Seattle Seahawks 12 Tour is taking the team's first Vince Lombardi Trophy on a journey through the Pacific Northwest during the summer and to say "thank you" to their fans serving in the armed forces, the Seahawks kicked-off the tour July 1, here.

  • Lone Airman at Combat Outpost Keating recounts enemy attack

    Being the only Airman assigned to an Army Combat Outpost on the outskirts of Afghanistan-Pakistan border can be a little intimidating and scary. Being assigned to COP Keating while under attack by hundreds of insurgents armed with assault rifles and rocket propelled grenades is absolutely

  • Lonely Eagles ceremony recognizes fallen Tuskegee Airmen

    Beside a folded flag, a single flame burned atop the table of honor before dozens who gathered to honor fallen Tuskegee Airmen in a ceremony here Aug. 7. Part of the 38th Annual Tuskegee Airmen Inc., convention, the Lonely Eagles Ceremony memorialized air, ground and operations crew from the

  • Long convoy duty is no easy task

    By dawn, Airmen of the 424th Medium Truck Detachment had finished preparing for their mission -- move Army 4th Infantry Division supplies and material from Kuwait into Iraq. These Airmen do not fly their cargo, and it’s quite possible they may go their entire deployment without even seeing a

  • Long days, flexibility part of tanker crew's life

    Air Force tankers refueled fighters over a stretch of the North Sea off England's East Anglia coast Tuesday in support of a joint NATO exercise. The scenario is nothing new for the two KC-135 Stratotanker crews that flew the mission from Royal Air Force Mildenhall, England. About 100 miles off the

  • Long hours the norm for deployed Globemaster crews

    It is contrary to what common sense dictates. A series of short C-17 Globemaster III flights demand intense aircrew energy and stamina. But longer sorties remain more physically manageable. “Either way you look at it, our C-17 crews put in long hours that place physical and mental demands on the

  • Long range strike operations in Libya

    Brig. Gen. John Nichols, 509th Bomb Wing commander, along with aircrew directly involved with the Libya Raid, discussed their actions during the raid, long range strike operations and the B-2 Spirit during a panel at the Air Force Association Air, Space and Cyber Conference, Sept. 19, 2017.

  • Long-awaited World War II Memorial opens

    Almost 50 years after the “Greatest Generation” saved the world, a grateful nation paid its respects to the 16 million Americans who served freedom’s cause with the opening of the World War II Memorial here April 29.While the official dedication ceremony for the landmark will not occur until May 29,

  • Longer school gives security forces more training

    The charter class of a longer, more intensive Security Forces Apprentice Course began here July 23.Training now lasts 65 days instead of 51, and teaches security forces students about missile security, convoy actions, capture and recovery of nuclear weapons, law enforcement, directing traffic and

  • Longest serving Airman also longest serving African-American in DoD

    The Air Force's longest serving Airman, who retired this past January after nearly 47 years of service, is also the longest serving African-American service member within the Department of Defense.Maj. Gen. Alfred K. Flowers recently retired from the Pentagon where he served as the Deputy Assistant

  • Longest serving Airman calls it a career

    As the sun sets on the career of Maj. Gen. Alfred K. Flowers, he looks back with a sense of accomplishment. Flowers, the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Budget, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Financial Management and Comptroller, is set to retire from the Air Force on Jan. 1,

  • Long-range plans key to winning anti-terror effort

    Defense, offense and long-range actions characterize U.S. operations in the war on terror, Gen. Richard B. Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said here March 29. And while the first two are important, it is long-range actions that will ultimately help the U.S. win the war, he

  • Long-serving Air Force civilian to retire

    One of the Air Force's longest-serving civilians will retire Jan. 29 after nearly 49 years in federal service.Nancy Beeson, currently the confidential assistant to Secretary of the Air Force Administrative Assistant Bill Davidson, began her career in civil service in 1961, having previously worked

  • Long-term care enrollment continues

    Initial enrollment for long-term-care insurance has ended, but, people can still apply for care, according to Air Force Personnel Center officials here. People eligible include Air Force active-duty, selected Reserve, appropriated-fund civilian employees, retirees and qualified family members.The

  • Long-term care insurance small price to pay

    Active-duty Airmen, some reservists, appropriated-fund civilian employees, retirees and qualified family members can still apply for the Federal Long-Term Care Insurance Program.The program can help federal employees defray the costs of in-home care, nursing-home care, or assisted-living facilities

  • Long-term care insurance still available

    Active-duty Airmen, some reservists, appropriated-fund civilian employees, retirees and qualified family members can still apply for the Federal Long-Term Care Insurance Program.The program is a benefit authorized by Congress to help federal employees defray the costs of in-home care, nursing-home

  • Look past 1947 for Air Force roots

    Maybe it's a genetic thing I share with them, but I agree that Air Force history predates Sept. 18, 1947, and think we should do a better job of recognizing that. The problem is, of course, what to use as a starting date for such remembrances?

  • Looking Glass flight broadens Airmen’s horizon

    Missileers from across the 20th Air Force recently accompanied their commander on the Airborne National Command Post as part of a “fly along” program to witness the national impact of their mission.

  • Looking to a cloud to share data faster

    The Kill Chain Integration Branch at Hanscom Air Force Base, Massachusetts, has begun an experimentation campaign to look at ways to provide warfighters data in the fastest and most efficient ways possible.

  • Los Angeles AFB dedicates new Schriever Space Complex

    The Space and Missile Systems Center here officially dedicated its Schriever Space Complex April 24.“Welcome to our new home,” said Lt. Gen. Michael Hamel, SMC commander. “Today marks the beginning of a new chapter in the history of military space.” Originally called SAMS -- Systems Acquisition

  • Los Angeles AFB goes 'green' by harnessing solar energy

    The energy department of the 61st Civil Engineer and Logistics Squadron recently finished the final portion of its three-phase construction of a photovoltaic panel project, completing the north-side parking lot of the base. Using state-of-the-art panels, the "PV Canopy Project" is part of Los

  • Los Angeles AFB to go electric

    Air Force officials unveiled a plan Aug. 31 to establish Los Angeles Air Force Base, Calif., as the first federal facility to replace 100 percent of its general purpose fleet with plug-in electric vehicles. "With gas prices rising and the cost of batteries falling, now is the time to move toward

  • Los Angeles center partners with AFIT, Loyola

    The Space and Missile Systems Center and Air Force Institute of Technology entered a new partnership with Loyola Marymount University to meet the center’s educational goals. Lt. Gen. Michael Hamel, SMC commander, Brig. Gen. Mark Matthews, AFIT commandant and Dr. Richard G. Plumb, Dean of the Seaver

  • Losing the 16 pound burden, Airman makes difficult decision for his family

    At age 28, Tech. Sgt. Jason Caswell was an athlete who was well on his way to becoming an Air Force rugby player. While stationed in England, whenever Caswell wasn’t on the flightline working, he was out on the field playing his sport. From there, his dream was to take the next step of joining the

  • Loss turns fireman into renter's insurance advocate

    An off-duty firefighter driving on base here waved casually as a Robins fire truck passed by. Within minutes, he learned that the truck was headed for his house.Airman 1st Class Michael P. Lecik would soon learn that he and his wife, Tiffany, had lost all but their kitchen table in a fire that