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  • 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

  • 20th CSAF portrait unveiled

    A painting of retired Gen. Mark A. Welsh III, the 20th Air Force chief of staff, was unveiled during a ceremony at the Pentagon, Sept. 14, 2017.

  • 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.

  • Airmen attend dive school

    Airmen attending the Naval Diving and Salvage Training Center go through dive training with the goal of enabling the safe, timely and effective training of qualified candidates for combined operations in support of national military strategy and national security.

  • 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.

  • Dobbins ARB hosts EOD teams, tests new technology

    Dobbins Air Reserve Base hosted the Eastern National Robot Rodeo Aug. 21-25, 2017, which featured explosive ordnance disposal teams from the Air Force, Navy, Army, Cobb County Police Department and the Royal Air Force.

  • 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.

  • Airmen, Sailors prepare to support F-35 at sea

    Two Petty Officers 1st Class from the USS Abraham Lincoln received initial training from the Air Force’s 33rd Maintenance Squadron’s Aerospace Ground Equipment, or AGE, flight at Eglin Air Force Base, Aug. 7-11, 2017.

  • A picture worth 1,000 words: 30 years of heritage

    Glancing over a 1985 family portrait, a man is awestruck at the image of his younger self. The snapshot of his mother cradling him as his siblings welcomed back their father from a deployment captured a moment that was stronger than words.

  • AFIT prepares nuclear enterprise to deal with any scenario

    With talk of nuclear weapons returning to Americans’ everyday conversations, it might be excusable for the average person to think that the technology somehow had left the mainstream; this couldn’t be further from the truth.

  • AFNWC expert wins AFA Welch award

    The Air Force Association recently honored an Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center colonel with the 2017 Gen. Larry D. Welch-Officer Award.

  • 1st ASTS provides critical support for Minotaur launch at Cape

    The 1st Air and Space Test Squadron at Vandenberg Air Force Base will be assisting with the first ever Minotaur IV launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida. The 1st ASTS team coordinated the transport for the first three stages of the engine to Cape Canaveral AFS where they will provide

  • Stealth Guardian demonstrates rescue, 5th generation integration

    Two wings, one mission: to execute a local squadron-planned exercise between the 23d Wing and the 325th Fighter Wing during Exercise Stealth Guardian August 7-11, 2017.During months of planning between Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida and Moody AFB, Georgia., Exercise Stealth Guardian was conceived

  • Celebrating Air Force heritage: The “Great Centennial” squadrons

    This calendar year has marked many great anniversaries, including the 75th anniversary of Air Training Command and the 70th anniversary of the Air Force. August marks the 110th anniversary of the Aeronautical Division of the Sign Corps—an unbroken line of Airmen began with its creation on Aug. 1,

  • 182nd CES finishes construction rotation at Crow Reservation

    Thirty-five Airmen with the Illinois Air National Guard's 182nd Civil Engineer Squadron completed their two-week annual training constructing homes for Crow Tribe veterans Aug. 6, 2017 in Crow Agency, Montana.The Peoria-based squadron provided services including drywall, windows, doors, siding,

  • Service members, defense contractors contribute to national security

    While some may think the gap between the civilian and military sectors in national security has grown over the years, an inside look at Airmen and defense factory collaboration demonstrates just how valuable they are to one another.A team of aircrew and maintainers had the opportunity to discuss the

  • F-35As fly in weapons evaluation

    Airmen from the 388th and 419th Fighter Wings supported and flew their F-35A Lightning II aircraft during Combat Hammer, the first operational air-to-ground weapons evaluation for the Air Force’s newest fighter jets.

  • Air Force Military Treatment Facilities pilot medical readiness

    Air Force Medicine has a non-stop global readiness mission. Medical Airmen must be prepared to deploy on short notice to provide life-saving and performance-enhancing healthcare in diverse, austere and isolated locations, and all Airmen must be medically ready to deploy. To achieve this readiness

  • AF Reserve medics stay sharp with Exercise Avian

    Approximately 100 Reserve Airmen from the 413th Aeromedical Staging Squadron out of Robins Air Force Base, Ga., traveled to Dobbins Air Reserve Base Aug. 4-6, 2017, to participate in the first Exercise Avian.

  • AFRL tests high-efficiency engine for unmanned aircraft

    The Air Force Research Laboratory Advanced Power Technology Office, along with Engineered Propulsion Systems and the Arnold Engineering and Development Center, recently concluded ground-based testing of an advanced diesel engine that promises to increase the utility and ease the logistics burden of

  • 62nd FS mate finally laid to rest

    Nearly 50 Airmen assigned to the 62nd Fighter Squadron at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona, attended the funeral of former 62nd FS pilot 2nd Lt. Charles E. Carlson at the Indiantown Gap National Cemetery in Annville, Pennsylvania, Aug. 4, 2017.

  • CMSAF underscores leadership’s role in developing Airmen

    Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Kaleth O. Wright visited Joint Base San Antonio July 31 to Aug. 4, 2017, during an immersion to view Air Education and Training Command’s role forging innovative Airmen to power the world’s greatest Air Force.

  • 8th Fighter Squadron reactivated after six years

    A pilot strides forward, his green flight suit a stark contrast to the pale blue of a desert morning sky. An insignia, circled in gold and donning a sheep with a wool coat black as night, is stitched atop his right breast. He hikes up a ladder, hands gripping steel and hops into the cockpit of an

  • Luke graduates first F-35A initial qualification course

    The 61st Fighter Squadron made history graduating the first F-35A Lightning II initial qualification course Aug. 5, 2017. After eight months of tremendous teamwork from across the 56th Fighter Wing, Luke Air Force Base produced six F-35A fighter pilots ready for the combat Air Force.

  • AF National Museum building earns environmental, energy award

    The National Museum of the U.S. Air Force announced its fourth building has achieved the rare distinction of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Gold certification as determined by the U.S. Green Building Council during a ceremony Aug. 3, 2017.

  • SecAF visits JB Langley Eustis, discusses readiness, retention

    Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson visited Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Aug. 3, 2017, where she met with Gen. Mike Holmes, the commander of Air Combat Command, and visited the 1st Fighter Wing and 480th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Wing.

  • Enlisted Students Earn Advanced Degrees at AFIT

    In 2002, then Secretary of the Air Force, Dr. James Roche, championed an initiative to open Air Force Institute of Technology’s Graduate School of Engineering and Management to senior enlisted personnel.  Secretary Roche truly believed in the importance of the enlisted force to military achievements

  • Airmen in developmental special duties epitomize leadership, core values

    Air Force officials filled 770 positions across nine developmental special duties, or DSDs, for spring 2017. The DSD nomination process occurs twice each year and is designed to fill specific special duties the Air Force has acknowledged as developmental due to their unique requirements. Commanders

  • Air Force Sergeants Association encourages, informs Airmen

    Servant leadership was the overarching theme at the 2017 Air Force Sergeants Association International Convention Professional Airmen’s Conference held July 22-27 in Reno, Nevada. Several guests of honor attended the annual event, including Secretary of the Air Force Heather Wilson, former

  • F.E. Warren AFB tests Minuteman III missile with launch from Vandenberg

    A team of Air Force Global Strike Command Airmen from the 90th Missile Wing at F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming, launched an unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile equipped with a single test reentry vehicle Aug. 2, 2017 at 2:10 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time from Vandenberg AFB,