HomeNews

NATO Air Policing operations

U.S. Air Force News

  • Military helps wounded troops return to work

    Officials from the Defense Department and military services got together here Aug. 30 for the first "From Deployment to Employment" conference to discuss ways to better serve America's severely injured servicemembers. The day-long conference was a forum to exchange ideas about how to improve the

  • Military HIV/AIDS conference promotes awareness, prevention

    The 2012 International Military HIV/AIDS Conference concluded here today after four days of sharing insights into new ways to re-energize military HIV/AIDS prevention programs.Presentations by subject matter experts, interactive discussions and workshops were among the ways participants shared

  • Military housing allowance rates set for 2010

    Military members will see an average raise of 2.5 percent in housing allowance rates in 2010, a BAH program analyst for the Defense Department here said Dec. 16. The increase comes to average of around $37 per month for the more than 900,000 servicemembers expected to draw the basic allowance for

  • Military housing rates boosted 3.5 percent overall

    Servicemembers will receive an average 3.5 percent boost in their basic allowance for housing compensation benefit in 2007, a Defense Department officials said Dec. 18.The planned BAH increase starting Jan. 1 works out to about $300 million more than what was paid in 2006, officials said. "The

  • Military intelligence leaders meet, discuss common threats

    A gathering of military intelligence professionals from 25 Asia-Pacific nations and beyond furthered a multinational partnership critical to combating terrorism in the region, U.S. Pacific Command's intelligence director said. "You can't overemphasize the value of this type of forum," Navy Rear Adm.

  • Military kids learn life lessons from NBA pros

    Seventy-five Defense Department youth from various military installations here learned life lessons and basketball skills from NBA legend Bruce Bowen and San Antonio Spurs guard Patty Mills during a Junior NBA clinic at Cole High School on Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston Oct. 19.

  • Military kids website also helps parents, educators

    The Defense Department website for military children has added new features to help parents and educators explain difficult topics of the military lifestyle to children.Since its launch in January 2012, MilitaryKidsConnect.org has served more than 125,000 visitors and won five industry excellence

  • Military lawyer sentenced to 18 years in prison

    Capt. Barry Brown was sentenced to 18 years in prison for pleading guilty to attempted premeditated murder, conspiracy to commit premeditated murder and for violating a lawful general regulation by wrongful fraternization.Captain Brown, a lawyer assigned to the 37th Training Wing here, pleaded

  • Military leaders applaud Congress for advancing health care

    Military surgeons general thanked members of the Senate Appropriations Committee’s defense subcommittee for their role in advancing military medicine.The surgeons general testified May 10 before the subcommittee on the defense health program. At $18.9 billion, the program's fiscal 2006 budget is an

  • Military leaders discuss National Guard role

    Air and Army Guardsmen from across 54 U.S. states and territories met to discuss current and future plans at the 130th conference of the National Guard Association of the United States Sept. 20 through 22 here. Some 2,000 citizen-Soldiers and citizen-Airmen heard from key military leaders including

  • Military leaders discuss operations during Pacific region air boss conference

     Military leaders from the U.S. and the Republic of Korea gathered here June 13-14 to discuss airpower strategies in the Pacific region.The bilateral air boss conference is an annual conference that combined 120 leaders from the U.S. Air Force, Marines, Army and ROK to make up the air component team

  • Military leaders discuss past, future ops at Air Boss Conference

    Leaders from around the world met here June 15 through 16 to discuss one important mission - strategic airpower in Korea."The Air Boss Conference is an annual conference that's hosted by the (Air Component Command commander)," said Col. James McGovern, the 607th Air and Space Operations Center

  • Military leaders embrace social media

    The very day he assumed his post as NATO's supreme allied commander for Europe last week, Navy Adm. James Stavridis reached out in a way none of the previous 15 NATO commanders since Army Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower had: he posted a blog. Admiral Stavridis has had a lot of firsts in his military

  • Military leaders reflect on fallen warriors

    Air Force leaders here expressed their sympathy for everyone affected by the movie theater shooting in Aurora, Colo., July 20. Among the victims were two Buckley Air Force Base members, Air Force Staff Sgt. Jesse Childress and Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class John Thomas Larimer. "This tragic event has

  • Military leaders regret civilian casualties

    Expressing deep regret over civilian casualties resulting from a NATO air strike Feb. 21, Pentagon civilian and military leaders said Feb. 22 they support the strategy that puts as much emphasis on protecting the Afghan population as capturing or killing insurgents. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates

  • Military leads mental health care transformation

    The United States is in the middle of a "cultural transformation" in mental health treatment led by the Defense Department and the military services, the department's top mental health expert told a congressional panel Feb. 24 here. Mental health resilience "is fundamentally underlying everything we

  • Military leave carryover extension expires Oct. 1

    Unless approved for special leave accrual, active-duty and Active Guard Reserve members who have more than 60 days of leave must use it or lose it by Oct. 1, 2013, when the temporary leave carryover extension provision expires, Air Force Personnel Center officials said today. The 2010 National

  • Military legal minds gather for multi-national conference

    Military legal advisors from Latin America, the Caribbean, Canada and the United States participated in the Military Legal Committee of the Americas (Comite Juridico Miltar De Las Americas) conference here Nov. 12 to 16. The Air Forces Southern-hosted conference, comprising 21 legal advisors from 14

  • 'Military Line' works to boost financial fitness

    A young service member saddled with debt and in need of some quick cash doesn't have to go far. Lenders offering same-day loans sit outside the gate of nearly every military installation in the nation.But the lure of fast and easy cash can lead strapped troops down a path of steep interest rates and

  • Military logistics strained, but healthy, official says

    The state of military logistics is healthy and service members are doing amazing things to supply operations around the world, but the system is strained as a result of 10 years of war, the Joint Staff's director of logistics said here.Lt. Gen. Brooks L. Bash said military logisticians are, in many

  • Military mail changes to save $4 million annually

    Changes to military postal operations will save the Defense Department $4 million annually while providing services comparable to those of any U.S. Postal Service office, a senior Military Postal Service Agency said.

  • Military mail record broken

    With holiday mailing in full force, Dec. 5 was a record-setting day for mail destined for American military personnel in the Iraq and Afghanistan war zones. Mail Terminal Services, a U.S. Postal Service-contracted company that prepares and ships mail to the war zones, processed 96 semi-trailers of

  • Military medical advancements benefit civilian health care

    Psychological health issues and traumatic brain injuries are primary areas of study in military medicine, said a senior Department of Defense medical official here recently. "What we are learning in studies will lead to some major breakthroughs in the world of medicine," said Dr. Michael E.

  • Military members help secure bases with Eagle Eyes

    With a limited number of Office of Special Investigations agents and Security Forces members, it is up to Airmen and their families with Eagle Eyes to help make sure the area they live in is safe. The Eagle Eyes program provides a single point of contact to report suspicious activity at Ramstein Air

  • Military members support Ford funeral

    The Washington portion of the state funeral for former President Gerald R. Ford was held Dec. 30. More than 500 military members supported the California portion of the state funeral for the former president. The military is providing ceremonial service, security and logistical support to honor and

  • Military members transition into life after deployment

    Fourteen military couples from across the U.S. left their homes Aug. 24 for a different kind of mission at Lantana Lodge, a lakeside resort at Jordan State Park in northern Denton County, Texas. The couples, who had been separated for months due to deployments in combat areas around the

  • Military members, families keys to year of success

    After a year in the job, the Air Force chief of staff said he is still impressed with the contributions of Airmen of every specialty, stateside and overseas."It's still stunning to see what our Airmen are doing," Gen. Norton Schwartz said.  "There is work to do. There are challenges to face. But

  • Military members, veterans with disabilities learn life-changing skills

    More than 120 wounded military personnel, disabled veterans and their families traveled to Walt Disney World in Orlando for the 6th Annual Road to Recovery Conference.  The conference took place from Dec. 7 to Dec. 11.  The week-long event was presented by The Coalition to Salute America's Heroes

  • Military must understand, master change, JCS chief says

    The U.S. military needs to understand change and the pace of change if it will succeed in the future, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff told students at the Army War College recently."Some of the change is happening so quickly we have no idea how (it) will end up," Adm. Michael G. Mullen

  • Military officials ease thumb drive, flash media bans

    New guidelines from U.S. Strategic Command officials allow servicemembers to use "thumb drives" and other flash media to store computer data under specific circumstances. Strategic Command officials banned use of thumb drives and flash media in November 2008, after the use of the media infected a

  • Military officials monitor swine flu

    Defense Department officials are monitoring the swine flu situation closely, with their primary focus on protecting the military population, a senior Pentagon official said April 27. As officials with the Department of Health and Human Services lead the U.S. effort, the military is posturing itself

  • Military officials to deploy assessment team to Haiti

    U.S. Southern Command officials here will deploy a team of 30 people to Haiti to support U.S. relief efforts in the aftermath of the Jan. 12 earthquake. The team, which includes U.S. military engineers, operational planners, and a command and control group and communication specialists, will arrive

  • Military OneSource connects troops, families to resources

    As the Information Age continues to shape modern communication, the Defense Department has revitalized and consolidated the Military OneSource website to better serve military members and their families, a Pentagon official said in a recent interview.Zona Lewis, military community outreach online

  • Military OneSource offers free online tax filing

    The Defense Department's Military OneSource family support program is once again offering free, online tax preparation and filing for servicemembers and their families, officials said Feb. 2. The service began Jan. 15. It's available to active duty servicemembers, National Guardsmen and reservists

  • Military OneSource offers free tax filing

    Defense Department officials encourage military families to once again take advantage of the free electronic tax filing services offered through Military OneSource. People can access the H&R Block at Home program by going to Military OneSource at http://www.militaryonesource.com/ and clicking on

  • Military OneSource provides tax assistance service

    As tax season nears, Military OneSource and H&R Block have joined forces again to provide a free online tax preparation service for service members.During an interview with American Forces Press Service and the Pentagon Channel, Tony Jackson, a program analyst for the Military OneSource program

  • Military opens rehabilitation center for troops in Afghanistan

    Servicemembers in Afghanistan now have a place to turn to cope with the toughest aspects of deployment when they need it most. The Bagram Freedom Restoration Center here is the first rehabilitation center for troops in Afghanistan. The center's main goal is to give servicemembers skills to cope with

  • Military organizations work together to form 'CSI' teams

    Television today is inundated with shows on forensic science. Programs like “CSI” and “Dr. G., Medical Examiner” have piqued the public’s interest in how forensic experts find answers to questions surrounding a death.But what happens if that death takes place on an Air Force base? Who has

  • Military paralegal gets 12-year prison sentence

    Staff Sgt. Ramona Greiner was sentenced to 12 years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit premeditated murder, solicitation to commit murder and dereliction of duty for failing to maintain a professional relationship.Sergeant Greiner, a paralegal with the 37th Training Wing’s legal

  • Military parenting website assists communication

    Service members who deploy or are otherwise separated from their families due to mission needs now have an online resource allowing them to hone their parenting skills as they reconnect with their children.

  • Military parents voice education concerns to leaders

    Top U.S. and military leaders took part in a roundtable discussion with parents at the elementary school here today to gain greater insight into the education challenges military families face. Among the participants were Deputy Defense Secretary William J. Lynn III; Dr. Jill Biden, wife of Vice

  • Military participates in National Public Lands Day

    Thousands of volunteers are expected to descend on 48 military bases Sept. 25 to prune, plant and paint in an effort to show that the Defense Department is a good steward of its public land.The work is being done as part of the 17th annual National Public Lands Day, an event sponsored by the

  • Military participates in Pro Bowl

    Representatives of all five military services in Hawaii will get a special honor this weekend as they take to the Aloha Stadium field in Honolulu to participate in Pro Bowl activities Feb. 8.The game, which will bring together the top players in the American and National conferences of the National

  • Military partnerships important in preventing future calamities

    The development of international, military-to-military relationships built through the National Guard's State Partnership Program will become vitally important in preventing future world calamities, a senior National Guard official said Feb. 5. Gen. Craig R. McKinley, chief of the National Guard

  • Military pay, allowances recognize troops' contributions

    Since the Sept. 11 attacks, Defense Department leaders and U.S. legislators “have worked together to increase servicemembers’ basic pay by more than 21 percent,” a senior DOD official told House Armed Services Committee members March 16.DOD officials remain “committed to taking care of

  • Military pays tribute to World War II bomber pilot

    A World War II bomber pilot was laid to rest with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery on Aug 11. Retired Maj. Gen. Jack I. Posner was one of the last remaining bomber pilots from World War II. His burial site is in a direct line of sight of the new Air Force Memorial. The general's

  • Military personnel data system managed like a weapons system

    Three years ago, Air Force Personnel Center officials here replaced the 30-year-old computer mainframes running on obsolete software with the military personnel data system.It was not just an upgrade, but an entirely new system designed to use Web technology for instant access and feedback, a system

  • Military personnel take on Boston Marathon

    This year, 21,963 runners from around the world completed the Boston Marathon April 21. Twenty-eight of those runners were military members from the various branches of service, Air Force Academy cadets and civilians who boarded a bus here at 6:15 a.m. to take part in the nation's oldest marathon.

  • Military personnel, assets help to battle California fires

    Military personnel and assets are helping out in the most serious outbreak of wildfires in California in years. California National Guard and California-based active duty personnel are providing some of the muscle needed to contain the fires, which have driven more than 300,000 people from their

  • Military phone card donation program goes public

    Department of Defense officials announced April 23 that anyone can now help servicemembers in contingency operations call home.Defense officials authorized the Army and Air Force Exchange Service to sell prepaid calling cards to any person or organization that wishes to purchase cards for deployed

  • Military photographers key to training, investigations

    Security forces and medical services Airmen respond to the scene of a mock accident. After the victims are taken care of, the scene will be documented for investigative purposes -- that's where the base photographer comes in. Senior Airman Robert Barnett is a photographer with the 35th

  • Military post offices in Iraq to close Nov. 17

    Because U.S. forces are coming home from Iraq by the end of the year, the U.S. Postal Service will stop accepting mail addressed to military post offices in Iraq starting Nov. 17, Defense Department officials said Oct. 26.Military post offices in Iraq also will stop processing mail Nov. 17, and

  • Military postal agency offers advice for holiday mail

    "Pack it well" and "mail it early" are two tips a military postal official offered today for holiday mail being sent to servicemembers overseas. The Defense Department announced recommended holiday mail dates Oct. 31. The first deadline occurs Nov. 12 for parcel post items headed overseas to APO and

  • Military preps for broader Haiti relief mission

    The aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson is headed toward earthquake-devastated Haiti and is scheduled to arrive tomorrow to provide airlift support for the disaster-response mission, the commander of U.S. Southern Command reported Jan. 13.Meanwhile, Gen. Douglas Fraser said, SOUTHCOM officials are

  • Military programs can ease pain of post-war trauma

    Army Spc. David Avila sings his favorite song, “La Bamba,” to his son almost every night. It is not just the entertainment value; it is his way of conveying his wartime experiences to his son. “La Bamba” sounds like boom in English, a sound Specialist Avila heard just about every night in Iraq. It

  • Military providing full-scale response to hurricane relief effort

    Joint Task Force Katrina is setting up Aug. 31 at Camp Shelby, Miss., as the Defense Department's focal point to support the Federal Emergency Management Agency's relief efforts along the Gulf Coast, said Maj. Eric Butterbaugh, a U.S. Northern Command spokesman.Army Lt. Gen. Russel Honore, 1st U.S.

  • Military ready to support Hurricane Gustav relief effort

    American military forces are prepositioned and ready to provide any relief necessary if called upon Sept. 1 at England Air Park in Alexandria as Hurricane Gustav batters the Gulf Coast. A joint force team of approximately 100 Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Defense Department civilians has set up camp

  • Military recruiting, retention remain strong

    A bumper crop of new high school graduates who joined the military in June helped the Defense Department continue its strong recruiting and retention streak.All four services met or exceeded their fiscal-year-to-date goals for active-duty accessions through June 30, along with five of the six

  • Military recruiting, retention remain strong

    Recruiting and retention remain steadily on track throughout the military services, with every component reporting strong year-to-date numbers through May and full confidence in reaching fiscal 2011 goals by Sept. 30, Defense Department officials said June 28.All four active services and five of the

  • Military researchers receive awards

    Four military researchers were recently honored by the Institute for National Security Studies during its annual research results conference here.Majs. Steve Kiser and Troy Thomas received the Maj. Gen. Robert E. Linhard Award for their paper "Lords of the Silk Route: Violent Non-State Actors in

  • Military responders geared up for active hurricane season

    With forecasters predicting an active hurricane season this year, military responders are geared up for whatever Mother Nature whirls their way.Hurricane season officially kicked off June 1, and meteorologists expect the decade-long trend toward active hurricane seasons in the Atlantic to continue

  • Military retirees to see pay increase

    An estimated 150,000 military retirees will see an increase in their pay Feb. 2. The National Defense Authorization Act, enacted in November, significantly modified a long-standing law preventing retirees from receiving full retired pay if they also received disability pay from the Department of

  • Military revs up campaign against tobacco

    Military officials here boosted its efforts to campaign against the use of tobacco by providing a number of strategies recently. Quitting for other people is the focal part of the campaign, which urges tobacco users to consider dropping the habit for loved ones. The expense of taxpayers is also a

  • 'Military Saves' campaign battles debt

    Servicemembers have been lulled into a false sense of financial security by marketing campaigns that encourage them to overspend. It's a real David vs. Goliath battle that Chaplain (Maj.) Sarah Shirley is all too familiar with. "We're this little guy with a slingshot up against this big giant and

  • Military saves week encourages fiscal fitness

    Now in its eighth year of partnership with America Saves Week, the Defense Department’s Military Saves Week begins today to help service members achieve financial security, flexibility and confidence, a Pentagon official said in a telephone news conference here Feb. 24.

  • 'Military Saves Week' spotlights importance of saving

    Service members and their families should "start small and think big" when kick-starting a savings plan, a financial expert said Feb. 23."It's not what you make, it's what you keep," said Pam McClelland, a senior program analyst in the Pentagon's office of family policy and children and youth. "A

  • Military scientists study ionosphere

    At a facility in a remote part of south-central Alaska, the largest radio transmitter on Earth sends high-frequency signals into the ionosphere to help scientists better understand the influence of charged particles on radio communications and satellite surveillance systems. Surprisingly, it also is

  • Military secretaries stay on, help ensure smooth transition

    Each U.S. military service secretary has agreed to Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates' request to stay in office for at least several weeks to help ensure the Defense Department's smooth transition under the President Barack Obama administration, Pentagon officials here said recently. "They have been

  • Military sees high recruiting, retention

    Recruiting and retention has stayed high throughout the military for the first half of the fiscal year, according to Defense Department numbers released April 25.Through March, the active duty Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force met or exceeded their accession goals for fiscal 2011, which began

  • Military spouse boards ‘Restaurant Express’

    Seonkyoung Longest, wife of Master Sgt. Jacob Longest, is one of nine contestants in a new television show, "Restaurant Express" that aired for the first time on the Food Network, Nov. 3. Born and raised in South Korea, Seonkyoung said that while cooking is a passion of hers now, it hasn't always

  • Military spouse finds 'home away from home' outside family

    Members of our armed forces deploy for months at a time, putting themselves in harm's way far away from their families. Airmen, often along with their families, are given orders to a new place every few years because the Air Force needs their talents elsewhere. But what happens to the people they

  • Military Spouse of the Year, committed to National Guard families

    The schedule of a military spouse is an arduous one. Appointments, dinners, and family time are vital to maintaining normalcy despite the strain of military life.Alicia Hinds Ward, the 2013 Armed Forces Insurance Military Spouse of the Year, is another in the long line of military mothers and

  • Military spouse supports injured heroes with quilts

    To help in what may be a war hero's most traumatic life experience, one military spouse uses her love of quilting to give the gift of comfort. Tana Angerman, wife of the 90th Communications Squadron commander, Maj. Scott Angerman, volunteers her time and talents for Quilts of Valor -- an

  • Military spouses are heroes, first lady says

    The needs and concerns of military spouses, whose sacrifices benefit the nation, should be of concern to all Americans, First Lady Michelle Obama said Oct. 26."These women and men -- they are heroes, and it's time that we recognize the challenges they face and the obstacles they overcome and the

  • Military spouses get help with professional licenses

    A Defense Department organization is making it easier for military spouses to maintain professional licenses as they move from state to state.State Liaison and Educational Opportunity, an office of military community and family policy here, announced June 13 that 16 states have adopted laws, or are

  • Military spouses receive recognition for valued service

    Five military spouses received recognition for their valued service to the nation at an award ceremony here May 7. The Military Spouse of the Year awards honor individuals that embody the best characteristics of today's military spouse, said Babette Maxwell, a Navy spouse and the co-founder and

  • Military steps up battle against sexual assault

    Military officials are addressing the problem of sexual assault, but more needs to be done, officials acknowledged in testimony before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Feb. 24 here. Kaye Whitley, the chief of the Defense Department's sexual assault prevention and response office,

  • Military struggling with rising health-care costs

    Rising medical costs and the expansion of health benefits for retirees, guardsmen and reservists, and their families, are putting a strain on the military health-care system, Defense Department health and personnel officials told members of Congress on April 21.“Rising health-care costs are not

  • Military substance abuse research progresses, doctor says

    Defense Department officials are developing research-based methods to curb substance abuse among service members, their families and veterans, a senior DOD medical official said here March 11.Dr. Michael E. Kilpatrick -- the deputy director for force health protection and readiness programs in the

  • Military support group prepares for presidential inauguration

    A little-known group of Sailors, Soldiers, Airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen is preparing to provide behind-the-scenes military support for presidential inaugural activities, the organization's deputy commander said here Jan. 11.The Joint Task Force - Armed Forces Inaugural Committee provides all

  • Military takes top U.S. confidence rankings

    Americans continue to express high confidence in the armed forces, with more than three-quarters of those surveyed in a recent Gallup poll reporting higher confidence in the military than in other national institutions for the 14th consecutive year.Seventy-eight percent of the 1,020 respondents in

  • Military taking precautions as Hurricane Dennis approaches

    Hurricane Dennis is bearing down on the United States, and servicemembers -- like others in the path of this Category 4 storm -- are taking precautions. The storm, which is moving toward the Florida Keys, has sustained winds of more than 140 miles per hour and could strengthen, said officials at the

  • Military team to conduct humanitarian assistance in Oceania

    Approximately 50 Air Force, Army and Navy members will travel to the Pacific islands of Vanuatu, Kiribati and Nauru July 20 to 30 to provide medical, dental and engineering support and training to local residents there. This mission displays the Air Force's ability to quickly deliver relief in the

  • Military team works to treat, prevent deadly disease

    A tiny bug bite recently prompted a small child in Kenya to walk alone for eight hours and admit himself to a clinic specializing in parasitic diseases. Insect bites in that region can be life-threatening and are now affecting many U.S. servicemembers serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. Col. (Dr.)

  • Military to bring eye care to front lines with mobile app

    Eye injuries in a deployed setting can be a significant setback for any Airman, but new telemedicine capabilities are helping to keep them in the fight. With funding from the 59th Medical Wing, Joint Base San Antonio, Texas, Air Force and Army medical researchers are developing a HIPAA-compliant

  • Military tradition to be evident in Ford funeral events

    Military tradition will be evident throughout the events associated with the Dec. 26 death of former President Gerald R. Ford, as the services join the nation in bidding farewell to their former commander in chief. Ford's three-stage state funeral will begin Dec. 29 with the former president's

  • Military training instructors transform recruits into Airmen

    Rising at 3 a.m. is a small sacrifice for military training instructors.  The future of the Air Force awaits.With uniforms in perfect order, they pull the immediately identifiable campaign hats low and straight, down their foreheads to nearly the eyebrows. With stern voices and stoic physical