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  • A backseat view of combat airstrikes

    Throughout the month of May, the air coalition has been able to strike lucrative targets including: logistics lines, command and control and Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant financial resources through more than 1,800 strike sorties.

  • Airmen Powered by Innovation projected to save over $120M

    The Air Force secretary, while championing change across the service, has made the Make Every Dollar Count campaign one of her top three priorities. At the heart of the campaign is the Airmen Powered by Innovation program. Since 2014, API has received 6,791 ideas from Airmen. Of those submissions,

  • Hanscom going green with electric vehicles

    In efforts to save energy, the 66th Logistics Readiness Squadron recently unveiled Hanscom Air Force Base's first plug-in electric hybrid vehicle and charging station.

  • Kadena fuels flight powers through to earn API award

    The 18th Logistics Readiness Squadron at Kadena Air Base, Japan, recently won the prestigious American Petroleum Institute award. The annual API award, which has been around for 50 years, honors the top active-duty, Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve fuels management flight in recognition of

  • US military showcases aircraft at Berlin air show

    U.S. military aircraft based in America and Europe were on display during this year’s Berlin air and trade show from June 1-4. The International Aerospace Exhibition (ILA) is one of the oldest air shows around dating back more than 100 years.

  • New C-130J contract to save DOD millions

    The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center's Mobility Directorate signed a multiyear contract with Lockheed Martin to procure 78 C-130J Super Hercules with the option to buy up to 83 over the next five years. The agreement is the second multiyear contract for the C-130J and it saves the Defense

  • Obama addresses Academy graduates

    President Barack Obama shared with the graduating cadets of the U.S. Air Force Academy some of the lessons he has learned in more than seven years as president and commander in chief during a June 2 commencement ceremony in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

  • Total force integration significant in KC-46 support

    When the Air Force and Boeing launched the KC-46 Pegasus program, the 412th Test Wing was tagged as one of the prime players in testing and validation of the aircraft. To help with this, the wing is now relying on support from the Air National Guard and the Air Force Reserve.

  • Nominations sought for 2016 Sijan Award

    The Air Force Personnel Center is currently accepting nominations through Aug. 31 for the 2016 Lance P. Sijan U.S. Air Force Leadership Award. The award recognizes the accomplishments of total force officers and enlisted leaders who demonstrate the highest qualities of leadership in the performance

  • Barksdale B-52s drop bombs in exercise with Jordanian forces

    Two B-52 Stratofortress bombers assigned to the 2nd Bomb Wing at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, returned May 24 from a 35-hour, 14,000-mile nonstop mission to Jordan as part of this year’s exercise Eager Lion with Jordanian Armed Forces.

  • Around the Air Force: May 24

    This look around the Air Force discusses the deferment of the effective date for promotion and re-enlistment eligibility associated with the Air Force policy to complete enlisted professional military education distance learning courses within 12 months of enrollment until Jan. 1. Air Force

  • Barksdale unit first to train with latest B-52 upgrade

    The last B-52 Stratofortress rolled off the assembly line in 1962, but while the airframe itself is well-seasoned, the internal components are continually upgraded to keep up with the demands of the modern battlespace. Efforts like the Military Standard 1760 Internal Weapons Bay Upgrade program aim

  • Chief becomes first AF E-9 to graduate Ranger School

    The average U.S. Army Ranger School student is in the rank of E-4 through E-6 on the enlisted side and O-1 through O-3 for the officers. Most are between 19 and 27 years old, and only about 21 Airmen graduate each year. Then there are candidates like 39-year-old Chief Master Sgt. William Speck, who

  • Air Force applies new EPA guidance

    The Air Force will apply new Environmental Protection Agency guidance for perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) to its ongoing effort to determine if water supplies at its U.S. installations and in local communities are at risk for contamination.

  • James gains special ops insight at Cannon

    The 27th Special Operations Wing hosted Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James on May 17 and provided her with a deeper understanding of the Air Force Special Operations Command mission, and Cannon’s role in providing special operations forces to the warfighter.

  • Dover entomologists help curb spread of Zika

    After Italy issued aircraft guidelines to combat the Zika epidemic, the 436th Civil Engineer Squadron Pest Management section is ensuring Air Force aircraft are able to fly in country.

  • AF hosts Magazine Day at Pentagon

    Roughly 15 representatives from a variety of magazines ranging from Popular Mechanics and Runner’s World to People and Buzzfeed attended the Air Force’s second annual Magazine Day event at the Pentagon May 13.

  • Flying with DRAGON improves capabilities

    A recent successful test flight of an upgraded Flight Management System Suite for the E-3 Sentry (AWACS) provides the warfighter with enhanced battle management capabilities.

  • AF Ranger instructors prep Airmen for rigorous course

    About 50 to 60 Airmen a year volunteer to attend the bi-annual Air Force Security Forces Center Pre-Ranger Course at Fort Bliss, Texas. Passing the course, which mirrors the first two weeks of Ranger School, is a requirement to attend the school.

  • Assuring maintenance quality for the RPA mission

    Quality assurance Airmen in the maintenance world are known by many titles -- the “best of the best,” the “eyes and ears,” and even “sharks in the water” for their no nonsense attitudes toward maintenance. No matter how they’re viewed, Airmen of the 432nd Maintenance Group QA shop are accountable

  • Brothers share multiple deployments

    After spending their entire childhood together, some siblings go their separate ways as adults and keep in touch from a safe distance. For the De La Pena brothers, that’s not the case.

  • B-21 naming contest moves to next phase

    Submission entries for the B-21 bomber naming contest concluded May 5. Active, Guard, Reserve and civilian Airmen, along with their dependents, submitted more than 4,600 entries in response to the contest announced by Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James during the Air Force Association Air Warfare

  • AF spouse receives spouse of the year accolades

    Michelle Aikman was named Military Spouse Magazine’s 2016 Air Force Military Spouse of the Year during a luncheon May 5 at Fort Myer. Surrounded by her family and previous Air Force military spouses of the year winners, Aikman was recognized for her lifetime of accomplishments.

  • Leaving a legacy, beginning a tradition

    The annual General and Mrs. Jerome F. O’Malley Award is given to the wing commander and spouse whose contributions to the nation, Air Force and local community best exemplify the selflessness displayed by the O’Malleys.

  • Air University wargamers battle to keep America's lights on

    Cyber experts from across the military, government agencies and private industry joined forces at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama, April 27, to mitigate future cyberattacks within the U.S. The Air Force Cyber College's two-day wargame brought the CIA, FBI, Goldman Sachs and others into

  • Eglin’s environmental team named best in DOD

    Eglin's environmental team won the Defense Department's top environmental prize, earning the 2016 Secretary of Defense Environmental Quality Team award. The award recognizes individuals, teams and installations that support mission readiness through its environmental activities.

  • Public service week honors civilian contributions to AF

    Public Service Recognition Week, which runs from May 1-7, provides an opportunity to recognize more than 2 million public employees who protect the nation through service in the armed forces. More than 176,000 of them are Air Force civilian full-time, part-time, term, temporary and non-appropriated

  • Goldfein nominated as 21st CSAF

    Defense Secretary Ash Carter announced April 26 that the president has nominated Air Force Vice Chief of Staff Gen. David L. Goldfein to be the 21st chief of staff of the Air Force, succeeding Gen. Mark A. Welsh III, who has served in the position since 2012.

  • Airmen back up AF units with emergency materiel reserves

    Since the 49th Materiel Maintenance Support Squadron's Operating Location Alpha moved from MacDill Air Force Base, Florida, to Holloman AFB, New Mexico, in 2015, traffic management Airmen have been loading excess materiel for bases in need.

  • Beale selected for Resilient Energy Demonstration Initiative

    The Air Force has selected Beale Air Force Base, California, as the lead site for its Resilient Energy Demonstration Initiative (REDI) to develop and deploy innovative energy resilience technologies and business models, and then apply the results to other missions and installations across the Air

  • F-35 program accelerating, at 'pivot point,' program chief tells Congress

    The program executive officer of the F-35 Lightning II aircraft program said the rapidly changing, growing and accelerating program is at a "pivot point" as officials address a number of challenges. The F-35 program, also known as the Joint Strike Fighter program, is of vital importance to U.S.

  • Mindfulness over matter

    At 10 a.m. on any given Wednesday, one could walk into the 305th Operations Support Squadron's leadership meeting and see a strange sight. Airmen sit around the conference room table and in chairs along the walls, variously clothed in a sea of green flight suits and Airman battle uniforms. Each has

  • McGuire hosts rapid response training with FEMA

    The 305th Aerial Port Squadron welcomed members of the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Pennsylvania Task Force 1 to Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey, for rapid air mobilization training April 21, as part of an ongoing partnership initiative.

  • Humanitarian aid delivered to Haiti through Denton Program

    Members from the 701st Airlift Squadron delivered humanitarian aid to Port-au-Prince on April 21 as part of ongoing Denton Program efforts. Two C-17 Globemaster IIIs were filled with 32 combined pallets as they transported more than 170,000 pounds of humanitarian aid to Haiti.

  • PACAF commander to senators: Homeland defense ‘sacred responsibility’

    Gen. Lori J. Robinson, who now commands Pacific Air Forces and is air component commander for U.S. Pacific Command, testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee, noting that the U.S. faces a rapidly evolving and growing threat environment in terms of the number of those who wish to harm the

  • KC-46 team wins DOD environmental award

    The KC-46A Pegasus program’s Environment, Safety and Occupational Health team was named the Defense Department’s top large program in environmental excellence in weapon system acquisition April 22.

  • New AF development planning effort key to third offset

    To help the Air Force define and develop future capabilities, Air Force Materiel Command is standing up a multi-disciplinary Air Force team at the Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.

  • DCMO leading continuous process improvement

    The Air Force Deputy Chief Management Officer is leading continuous process improvement by finding innovative ways to maximize Air Force resources and increase efficiency in areas concerning people, money and time.

  • Air Force Reserve: 68 years strong

    Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James spoke to the importance of total force integration during the Air Force Reserve’s 68th birthday celebration April 14 at the Pentagon.

  • AF New Parent Support Program helps families care for infants, toddlers

    The Air Force New Parent Support Program provides information, support and guidance to parents as they care for their newborns, infants and toddlers. The program helps military families learn about the growth and development of infants and toddlers, to prepare for the changes that come as a baby is

  • AF presents 2014, 2015 Sijan award winners

    Chief of Staff of the Air Force Gen. Mark A. Welsh III presented the 2014 and 2015 Lance P. Sijan Leadership Awards to eight Airmen in the Airman’s Hall on April 7 at the Pentagon.

  • Tyndall’s LRS best in Air Force

    The Air Force’s newest logistics readiness squadron is now known as “the best of the best” in the Air Force. The 325th Logistics Readiness Squadron has won the Air Force’s coveted 2015 Major General Warren R. Carter Daedalian Logistics Effectiveness Award less than two years after its official

  • Air Force, Army build partnership for energy assurance

    The military’s ability to accomplish its missions -- whether executing today’s fight or training for future ones -- is dependent on electricity that powers installations. The Army and Air Force have identified energy resilience as a critical objective, advancing the capability for their systems,

  • Carter praises National Guard Bureau chief nominee

    Defense Secretary Ash Carter congratulated Air Force Lt. Gen. Joseph L. Lengyel on his nomination April 5 to serve as the next chief of the National Guard Bureau and, if approved by Congress, to receive his fourth star. Lengyel, now the Guard Bureau’s vice chief, would succeed Army Gen. Frank J.

  • AF talks diversity of opportunities at annual engineers conference

    What do measuring earthquakes, creating lightning and applying space-like pressure to marshmallows all have in common? They each were demonstrations of science and technology used to intrigue the next generation of engineers on the Air Force’s capabilities and opportunities during the National

  • Vice chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff views Tinker capabilities

    The vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff visited Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma, April 1 to learn more about the missions of the Air Force Sustainment Center and the contributions of associate units toward the nation's strategic nuclear deterrence.

  • Airmen discuss one of the little-known best jobs in Air Force

    If you’re an Airman with technical skills, an outstanding performer who always meets physical training standards and has completed all military and other education requirements, the 844th Communications Squadron may have a job for you. The jobs themselves vary, but all involve working as part of the

  • Incirlik ensures safe departure of families from Turkey

    While Incirlik Air Base remains a hub of activity in support of Operation Inherent Resolve, an ordered departure was approved March 29 for families of military members and Defense Department civilians stationed in Adana, Izmir and Mugla, Turkey, to include those on base.

  • Airfield management Airmen support combat sorties

    A team of Airmen at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, is responsible for inspecting almost 50 million square feet of pavement every day, as they support operations at the largest airfield in the U.S. Air Forces Central Command.

  • Hanscom SFS captures best in AF again

    For the second year in a row, and the third time in four years, members of the 66th Security Forces Squadron at Hanscom Air Force Base, Massachusetts, are celebrating their selection as the Air Force Outstanding Small Size Security Forces Unit award.

  • Airmen reflect on B-1 bomber attacks over Libya

    Five years ago, a phone rang in the 28th Bomb Wing vice commander's office and made history. Less than 72 hours later, on March 27, 2011, more than 1,100 maintenance personnel launched four B-1B Lancer bombers from the Ellsworth Air Force Base flightline in blizzard conditions to support Operation

  • Crosstalks aimed at improving KC-135 service

    Experts from the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, the Air Force Reserve, National Guard Bureau and the Legacy Tanker Division conducted a customer support visit to Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma, and at two other bases March 14-18 to listen to unit concerns regarding KC-135 Stratotanker

  • Putting the Pegasus through its paces

    As the Air Force gets ready for the arrival of its newest aerial refueling and strategic military transport aircraft, a diverse group of Airmen is working hard to make sure the KC-46A Pegasus is ready to meet the service’s needs. Lt. Col. John Mikal is one of them.

  • JB Charleston Airmen support presidential mission to Cuba

    As President Barack Obama landed in Havana, Cuba, it marked the first time a sitting U.S. president visited the communist nation in over 88 years, and Airmen from Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina, played a pivotal role in the historic mission.

  • AFSVA on trend with mystery escape rooms

    Interactive, immersive escape rooms, such as Moriarty’s Parlor, are gaining popularity worldwide as entertainment and team-building experiences. The Air Force Services Activity is offering a choice of six room scenarios to 20 Air Force installations enterprise-wide as part of its Recharge for

  • Airmen’s Week marks first anniversary

    The 37th Training Wing will mark the first year of the Airmen’s Week program on March 25 at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas. Airmen’s Week is a five-day course that helps Airmen better prepare for technical training school and beyond.

  • Malmstrom mechanics testing new bio-based vehicle oil

    Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana is one of four bases across the service chosen to test out a new bio-based synthetic oil in its vehicles. The experiment, being carried out by the 341st Logistics Readiness Squadron vehicle management flight, is headed by the Defense Logistics Agency and the 441st

  • New Reserve unit to open doors at Keesler

    The 403rd Wing is going through a period of growth with the activation of an additional aircraft maintenance squadron solely focused on keeping the 815th Airlift Squadron's 10 C-130J Super Hercules aircraft healthy and in the air.

  • Chasing opportunity to fulfill a dream

    All children have dreams and it was no different for Lt. Col. Brett Chung growing up in Nagoya, Japan. Coming to the United States was something Chung thought about on a regular basis. Now many years later, he has not only fulfilled his youthful dream of coming to America he has seized opportunity,

  • AFSVA gets ready for 2016 youth camps

    Teenagers looking to cure those summertime blues will have various camps to choose from this year, thanks to central funding from the Air Force Services Activity, also known as AFSVA.

  • AF space leader attends AFA breakfast

    The Air Force deputy undersecretary for space spoke on the importance of safeguarding the space enterprise during an Air Force Association breakfast on March 17 at the Sheraton Hotel in Arlington, Virginia.

  • ACC commander addresses RPA health to Senate Armed Services Committee

    Gen. Hawk Carlisle, the commander of Air Combat Command, addressed plans to improve the health of the Air Force remotely piloted aircraft enterprise March 16 during a hearing of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee’s Airland subcommittee in Washington, D.C. The purpose of the hearing was to

  • Inspired NCO spends career molding Airmen

    After troubles in high school, Joshua Smith found discipline in the Air Force and now teaches others as an Airman leadership school instructor at McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas.

  • Goldfein addresses readiness, budget

    Military vice chiefs testified about the current state of readiness of U.S. forces before the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness and Management Support on Capitol Hill March 15.

  • TAAC-Air work with Afghan AF to build sustainable force

    A small group of Train Advise Assist Command–Air advisors make up the 441st and 442nd air expeditionary advisory squadrons at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan. Both squadrons are focused on working shoulder to shoulder with the Afghan Air Force to develop a professional, capable and sustainable air

  • Lessons learned from Operation Desert Storm

    Twenty five years ago, the world watched a display of military force in the Persian Gulf. America’s adversaries have spent each year since pursuing capabilities both to counter U.S. strengths and to exploit perceived weaknesses. Air Force Vice Chief of Staff Gen. David Goldfein participated in a

  • Airmen to appear on ‘Weather Geeks’

    For some Airmen, being called a weather geek is a term of endearment. Two Airmen from the 557th Weather Wing recently embraced their inner geek and will share their passion and expertise on an upcoming episode of "Weather Geeks" on the Weather Channel.

  • James visits Luke AFB for more insight on F-35 ops

    Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James met with Airmen to gain a better understanding of Luke Air Force Base’s mission with a focus on F-35 Lightning II operations, and its maintenance and training facilities March 9-10. During her first visit to the base, James held an all call where she took time

  • Air Force continues to pursue total force integration

    The Air Force continues to make strides toward total force integration, according to an annual report submitted to Congress March 4. The report is based on recommendations from the National Commission on the Structure of the Air Force and focuses on how the force structure should be modified to best

  • Sleep is serious: Catch your Zzzs

    “Beep. Beep. Beep,” the alarm blares. Time to get up. Do you hit snooze? On average, we spend 33 percent of our lives asleep. When assessing your overall health, have you considered your sleep habits?

  • Airmen help Soldiers, South Korea military in joint training

    Osan Air Base, South Korea, was tested March 10, when South Korea and U.S. military branches banded together in a multi-service, multi-cultural, chemical detection and decontamination exercise scenario here during Beverly Midnight 16-01.

  • DOD-wide Windows 10 rapid deployment to boost cybersecurity

    The Defense Department will deploy Windows 10 departmentwide by January to strengthen cybersecurity and streamline the information technology operating environment, according to a Feb. 26 memo by Deputy Defense Secretary Bob Work.

  • Biden, wife visit troops in Southwest Asia

    Vice President Joe Biden and his wife, Dr. Jill Biden, met with more than 1,000 service members assigned to the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing and their coalition partners from five nations March 7 at an undisclosed location in Southwest Asia.

  • Chièvres AB: Separated, self-sufficient

    Chièvres Air Base is home to the 424th Air Base Squadron, a group of Airmen nestled in the heart of the Belgian countryside to provide airfield operations support for the Supreme Allied Commander Europe and Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE), NATO transient aircraft and distinguished