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U.S. Air Force News

  • Share your adventure

    Many Air Force reservists chat about their duty weekends with others, but that talk can be part of the “Get 1 Now” program to keep the Air Force Reserve strong by reaching new potential recruits.

  • AFIT earns new research classification ranking

    The Air University’s Air Force Institute of Technology entered the category of High Research Activity for a doctoral university from the 2018 update of the Carnegie classification. AFIT is the only Department of Defense academic institution to hold this specific categorization.

  • Offutt hub for new Air Force comptroller software

    The 55th Comptroller Squadron Financial Management Flight recently began testing a new scanning software, EPHESOFT. The software is used to send documentation to the Air Force Financial Services Center at Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota, responsible for the processing and payment of temporary

  • 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.

  • AFLCMC team working to acquire next generation fixed-wing helmet

    The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center’s Human Systems Division working with members of the Advanced Tactical Acquisition Corps or ATAC, one of the center’s premier leadership development programs, are in the early stages of acquiring the next generation helmet for aircrews in fixed-wing

  • The 736th SFS are defenders of the force

    The dictionary defines the word “defender” as a person who defends someone or something. It’s no coincidence security force members throughout the Air Force use this moniker. Defender is well-suited; however, just one word could not speak to their flexibility, warrior ethos or enormous

  • 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.

  • BLUE: Blueprint to Battlefield

    Getting new technology from the lab bench to the warfighter has taken on new urgency as the Air Force explores innovative ways to move ideas quickly from blueprint to battlefield. Those efforts are already paying off with advancements that are having a direct effect on missions around the world.

  • AF-wide lodging rate increase effective Jan. 1

    Effective Jan. 1, the Air Force Lodging Program has increased nightly lodging rates service-wide in support of Department of Defense reform objectives to make business operations more efficient and provide Airmen with an improved lodging experience.

  • 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.

  • REDHORSE and Prime BEEF building up ADAB

    The 1st Expeditionary Civil Engineer Group provides theater-wide engineering technical services, light and heavy troop labor construction and repairs within the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility in order to engineer combat power and establish and sustain combat platforms for USCENTCOM and

  • 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

  • Uniform code of military justice changes

    Effective Jan. 1, 2019, the Military Justice Act of 2016 will instate the most reform to the Uniform Code of Military Justice and Manual for Courts-Martial in decades, modernizing dated aspects of the military justice system while also providing transparency.

  • First GPS III satellite successfully launched

    The Air Force and its mission partners successfully launched the first Global Positioning Systems III satellite Dec. 23 from Space Launch Complex-40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida. The Lockheed Martin-built satellitewas carried to orbit aboard a Space Exploration Technologies

  • Retired Airman’s resilience sets leading example

    Karah Behrend’s tattooed arms and wild blue hair aren’t the only reasons she stands out on the rugby field. Rugby is a relatively new hobby for Behrend, though her practiced technique paints a different picture. She performs with the intensity, coordination and endurance of an experienced athlete.

  • Air Force Marathon registration to open January 1

    WRIGHT PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio (AFNS) -- Registration for the 23rd Annual Air Force Marathon opens at midnight Jan. 1, 2019.  Runners can register at www.usafmarathon.com by clicking the registration tab.“We’re excited about offering an almost entirely new race experience that we believe

  • From start to finish: Air Force Reserve MTI's lead BMT total force flights

    Ten Air Force Reserve 433rd Training Squadron military training instructors guided four total force basic military training flights through eight and a half weeks of training and education in preparation for their Dec. 14 BMT graduation at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas. It was the first

  • Joining forces: Test team completes fourth Orange Flag of 2018

    In the skies above California, an F-35 Lightning II and F-16 Fighting Falcon from Edwards Air Force Base, are joined by an F-15E Strike Eagle and F-22 Raptor from the 422nd Test and Evaluation Squadron out of Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, along with a Navy F-18 Hornet from Air Test and Evaluation

  • Reserve spouse to memorialize fallen EOD Airman

    Bronze statues can be seen almost anywhere but one rarely hears the amazing stories behind their creation.The spouse of a Reserve Airman here at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona, recently sculpted a bust of Senior Airman Daniel Johnson, 30th Civil Engineer Squadron explosive ordnance disposal

  • Super Galaxy: Aeromedical evacuation's biggest ally

    During a cold, gloomy first week of December, total force Airmen teamed up at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, to test the capability of the Air Force’s largest aircraft to perform aeromedical evacuation during a proof of concept event.

  • Brain surgery to bear hugs: One wounded warrior’s story

    Born with a birth defect causing seizures, battling anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder, and facing divorce and separation from a child, can be a lot for anyone to handle, but with a community of support things can get better.

  • The American Chopper of Aircraft Maintenance

    With the eight 13 hour flights the aircraft of the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing have on a daily basis, some parts of the aircraft can wear down, crack or break over periods of time.The 380th Expeditionary Maintenance Squadron fabrication flight, also known as “Fab Flight” or the “American Chopper”

  • A1C with Ph.D. lands job at nuclear treaty monitoring center

    It’s not often you see those three-letter titles A1C and Ph.D. used to refer to the same person. As a matter of fact, only one-hundredth of one percent of the Air Force’s enlisted force from E-1 through E-9 possess a doctor of philosophy degree, one of 33 enlisted Airmen in the Air Force with a

  • Cyber operators host cyber certification training courses for SA youth

    In mid-2016, four Air Forces Cyber operators teamed to create a free cyber certification academy for San Antonio teenagers. Master Sgt. Shaun Herron and Staff Sgts. Charles Hackett, Justin Gonzalez and Austin Ellsworth’s dream became reality when their non-profit, GhostWire Academy, was born. Today,

  • AFIMSC Innovation Office seeks game-changing ideas

    The Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center Innovation Office will launch a program in the new year to help Airmen implement their innovative ideas. The campaign, open Jan. 1-31, 2019, gives military and civilian members of mission support groups worldwide a chance to fund their ideas and

  • Bunch nominated to command AFMC

    Lt. Gen. Arnold W. Bunch Jr. has been nominated by the president for a fourth star to become the next commander of Air Force Materiel Command at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.

  • How the Air Force got smarter about its aviation fuel use in 2018

    Did you know the Air Force is the largest consumer of fuel in the Department of Defense? This may not surprise you, if say, you’ve ever watched a sortie of F-35 Lighting IIs complete an aerial refueling, or witnessed a C-5 Galaxy lift (seemingly) effortlessly into the sky. In fact, the Air Force

  • AFSPC assumes COMSATCOM procurement responsibility for DoD

    The Air Force Space Command commander assumed responsibility for procurement of commercial satellite communications services for the Department of Defense from the Director of the Defense Information Systems Agency December 12. The move is in accordance with Section 1601(a) of the Fiscal Year 2018

  • Dover, Ramstein set standard for AMOW C-5 maintenance training

    More than 30 U.S. Air Force Reserve aircraft maintainers assigned to the 512th Airlift Wing along with a 436th Airlift Wing C-5M Super Galaxy aircraft and crew traveled to Ramstein Air Base, Nov. 23, to assist the 521st Air Mobility Operations Wing with vital hands-on, airframe-specific training.

  • Navajo Airman continues family's military legacy at Whiteman

    (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.)Airman 1st Class Phillip Rock is part of his family’s legacy of military service – a legacy that, in fact, would not have continued if it weren’t for

  • B-21 Raider program holds weapons system critical design review

    The Air Force successfully held a critical design review of the B-21 weapon system November 28-30, 2018. The event served as a multi-disciplined technical review that ensured the Air Force’s newest bomber has a stable and mature design as the program moves forward into manufacturing and flight

  • Grit and determination: AFSOC Airmen slide with Team USA bobsled

    Two Airmen within Air Force Special Operations Command were selected to compete with the USA Bobsled team this year. Capt. Dakota Lynch, a 34th Special Operations Squadron U-28A pilot, and Capt. Chris Walsh, a 24th Special Operations Wing special tactics officer, are push athletes who are ultimately

  • STPSat-5 successfully launched from Vandenberg AFB

    The Air Force and its mission partners successfully launched Space Test Program Satellite 5, or STPSat-5, into orbit via Spaceflight Industries’ fully dedicated smallsat rideshare mission aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 launch vehicle on Dec. 3 from Space Launch Complex 4E, Vandenberg Air Force Base,

  • Tributes flow in as nation mourns passing of George H.W. Bush

    President Donald J. Trump declared Dec. 5 as a national day of mourning for former President George H.W. Bush, who passed away Friday night at age 94. Trump joined countless others in paying tribute to Bush and his lifetime of service as a Navy pilot in World War II, congressman, ambassador to the

  • Maker Hub, AFRL “sprint” to innovation

    To build strength and endurance, athletes perform “intervals” or short, intense periods of exertion designed for maximum benefit in the shortest time possible. Thanks to the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Maker Hub at the Wright Brothers Institute, that same kind of benefit is possible for some of

  • Luke AFB stands up new F-35A lightning II fighter squadron

    The 308th Fighter Squadron was reactivated in a ceremony at Luke Air Force Base, Nov. 30. The squadron will house the Royal Netherlands Air Force’s and the Royal Danish Air Force’s F-35A Lightning IIs, in a training partnership.

  • Air Force fields next generation CBRN protective masks

    In November 2018, the Air Force will complete fielding of an improved chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear protective mask for aircrew on rotary wing aircraft, allowing operational units to achieve full operational capability.

  • US Air Force hydrazine team train Chilean Airmen

    A U.S. Air Force hydrazine Mobile Training Team traveled to Los Condores Air Base, Chile, to conduct classroom instruction and hands-on training with Chilean Air Force fuels technicians Nov. 5-16.

  • 36th CRG brings relief, inspiration after devastation

    On Oct. 25, Daverrick Camacho, a firefighter from Saipan, woke-up to a nightmare turned reality. Everything he worked toward was wiped off the face of the earth. The place he called home and held family gatherings was nothing more than darkly twisted debris, scattered across the front lawn.

  • Turn stress into strength this holiday season

    The holiday season presents opportunities to engage in multiple forms of resiliency. Engaging in close relationships, practicing gratitude, and participating in religious activities that promote spirituality are often helpful aspects of the holidays. However, the holidays may also create stressors

  • Global Hawk testers raise their hand

    At the commander’s call on Edwards Air Force Base, California, Brig. Gen. E. John Teichert stated that “Innovation is an Airmen, at any level, raising their hand to say, ‘I’ve got a better way to do business.’”The 452nd Flight Test Squadron is currently in the process of challenging the way the base

  • Major changes to medical policies good news for Reservists

    When Col. John Buterbaugh took the helm as the command surgeon at Air Force Reserve Command in late summer 2018, he wanted to make some bold changes to improve processes for the 70,000 Reserve Citizen Airmen serving around the world.

  • MacDill fab flight: “You break it, we fix it”

    The KC-135 Stratotanker has fueled missions around the globe for more than 60 years. Its long track record is a direct reflection of the tremendous work aircraft maintainers put into the jets, especially the 6th Maintenance Squadron Fabrication Flight at MacDill Air Force Base, Fla., who push their

  • LCBP provides enterprise opportunities to lead, learn

    The Logistics Career Broadening Program offers company grade logistics officers the opportunity gain leadership skills and experience in depot, supply, sustainment and development missions through a two-year rotation at an air or defense logistics center. Officers are embedded within the

  • More cadets given opportunity to fly

    More than 530 U.S. Air Force Academy cadets from the 2019 graduating class have been matched to attend pilot training pending final qualifications and commissioning. This is a 26 percent increase over the 2018 class.

  • JB Charleston hosts new leadership course

    Company grade officers and senior noncommissioned officers at Joint Base Charleston, S.C., hosted Flight Commander’s edge, a new flight leadership training program, Nov. 6 to 8, 2018.

  • Around the Air Force: Moon Landing Writing Competition / T-38 crash

    On this look Around the Air Force, the National Museum of the Air Force offers scholarships for teens submitting entries based on the Apollo 11 lunar landing, a Laughlin Air Force Base, Texas, Airman who died in a T-38 Talon crash is identified and coalition partners graduate from the first-ever

  • 388th FW drops GBU-49 in combat training

    The 388th Fighter Wing’s 34th Fighter Squadron recently returned from a weapons evaluation exercise at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, where they employed the GBU-49 for the first time in F-35A Lightning II combat training.

  • Air Force vice chief of staff: National security is a team sport

    Air Force Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Stephen W. Wilson highlighted the importance of taking a whole-of-nation approach to expanding the national security competitive space during an Air Force Association Breakfast Seminar in Arlington, Virginia, Nov. 14, 2018.

  • U.S. presents Bells of Balangiga to the Philippines

    Secretary of Defense James N. Mattis and Philippine Ambassador to the U.S. Jose Romualdez visited F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Nov. 14, during which the Bells of Balangiga were officially presented to the Philippine government.

  • AFMC unleashes $4.6M in FY18 Squadron Innovation Funds

    When Chief of Staff of the Air Force Gen. David L. Goldfein asked leaders to “unleash the brilliance in our Airmen,” Air Force Materiel Command answered the call, executing more than $4.6 million in Squadron Innovation Funds in fiscal year 2018.

  • Rebuilding Tyndall AFB: Keesler AFB team helps restore communications

    Total devastation. No power. No running water. The scene on the ground at Tyndall Air Force Base was a grim, 'post-apocalyptic' one when a five man team from Keesler AFB's 85th Engineering Installation Squadron arrived in mid-October, just days after Hurricane Michael hit the Florida Gulf Coast.

  • Falcons undergo facelift

    Upon entering a room lined with panels and LED lights, described solely as something out of a science fiction movie, people in polar white suits are ready to re-skin a new beast. The Airmen working across two shifts in the work center, paint and renovate the aircraft and equipment assigned to the

  • SUPT evolves, molds next generation of military aviators

    Pilot training is ever evolving around new aircraft, new equipment, new procedures and faster production. With this, the syllabus in Phase II of training has recently changed, helping build a new type of military aviator.

  • C-130 crew chief course gets rolling with new GITA

    The Air Force and Air Education and Training Command seeks to improve the quality, speed and relevance of the training enterprise by introducing virtual and augmented reality technology with new ground instructional training aircraft, or GITA.

  • Gen. Goldfein meets with Ukrainian air force chief

    In the latest example of the strong ties between the U.S. and Ukraine, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David L. Goldfein held high-level discussions with his Ukrainian counterpart, Col-Gen. Sergii Drozdov, at the Pentagon, Nov. 8.