HomeNews

NATO Air Policing operations

U.S. Air Force News

  • Outreach to teach: Volunteers connect with Afghan children

    A year ago, a group of volunteers turned a burned-out restaurant on Bagram Airfield into a one-room classroom, and invited area school-age children to learn math, reading, and writing.When the first "Cat in the Hat" class graduated in August, 40 area Afghan children had taken huge steps toward

  • Outreach tour educates nation's top medical civic leaders

    Some of the nation's leading health care professionals recently got a close look at one of the most vital missions in the Air Force -- health care for the wounded. The tour, sponsored by the Secretary of the Air Force's National Civic Outreach office, brought representatives from national medical

  • Outstanding airfield operators announced

    The Air Force's top air traffic control and airfield management personnel for 2009 were announced at an awards dinner hosted by Maj. Gen. Marke Gibson, director of operations in the office of the deputy chief of staff for operations, plans and requirements.  The dinner concluded a three-day airfield

  • Outstanding airmen honored

    The Air Force’s 12 Outstanding Airmen of the Year for 2003 received a ceremonial tribute Sept. 15 at the Air Force Association convention here.Each year, the AFA honors the 12 airmen at its annual convention in Washington, D.C. The program was initiated at the organization’s 10th annual national

  • Outstanding Airmen honored at dinner

    Air Force Association officials held a formal dinner honoring the 2010 Outstanding Airmen of the Year was held at the National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Md., Sept. 14 during the Air Force Association's Air and Space Conference and Technology Exposition."This is a proud moment for our honorees," said

  • Outstanding enlisted aircrew members announced for 2005

    The recipients of the 2005 Staff Sgt. Henry E. "Red" Erwin Award for the outstanding enlisted aircrew members of the year have been announced. The awards recognize career enlisted aviators for outstanding job accomplishments, demonstration of leadership and sustained self-improvements in support of

  • Over land or sea: B-2 Spirit participates in Koa Lightning

    B-2 Spirit stealth bombers from the 393rd Expeditionary Bomb Squadron simulated attacking naval vessels in their home port while over Hawaii Nov. 15 on a Koa Lightning exercise mission.These sorties, which are well over 20 hours in duration, tout the Air Force's unique capability to send long range

  • Over, under, inside, out

    Senior Airman Alden L. Garlitz, with the 438th Air Expeditionary Wing security forces squadron, inspects the underside of a vehicle Sept. 10 before permitting it to drive onto the base at a forward-deployed location supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. Garlitz is an Air National Guardsman

  • Overall health more than fitness, nutrition

    What do a pack of cigarettes and a clenched fist have in common? They are both signs of bigger problems.The first, a pack of cigarettes, has many detrimental effects on the body. Not only can it cause cancer, but it also increases the chance of emphysema, asthma, bronchitis, pneumonia and many

  • Overcoming cancer, embracing life

    She placed a pillow under her right shoulder and put her right arm behind her head on the bed. Using her left hand, she pressed the pads of her fingers around her right breast gently in small circular motions, covering the entire breast area and armpit.

  • Overcoming fear: Airman’s training takes over during firefight

    The bad guys, however, were not sleeping. Under the cover of darkness, a small force determined to attack the Kabul Airport and Afghan air force Base next to it, took over a multi-story building under construction just north of the target. Armed with multiple rocket propelled grenades, automatic

  • Overcoming sexual assault: A victim's candid story

    Living has always been a challenge for Senior Airman Jane Smith. Seemingly born into an uphill world, physically and emotionally tested at every step, spirituality had continually strengthened her and still propels her forward in life, she said.Smith was nearly driven to suicide after being sexually

  • Overcoming the shadow of death: An Airman’s fight against depression

    Staff Sgt. Srun Sookmeewiriya or Sook, as many people know him, may seem like a happy and carefree Airman at first glance. The 313th Expeditionary Operations Support Squadron NCO in charge of reports regularly puts forth an earnest effort to keep his unit alive and running, so his dark past and

  • Overnight radar replacements for NEXRAD

    The NEXT RADAR, or NEXTRAD replacement, completed at Cannon AFB in February in one night, is part of an ongoing effort there and 24 other Air Force installations worldwide. The Air Force’s 25-site replacement program is part of a three-agency U.S. government effort to standardize the 180 radars that

  • Overseas assignment listing available Nov. 2

    The Overseas Enlisted Quarterly Assignment Listing showing requirements for July through September will be available Nov. 2.Airmen need to work through their military personnel flights to update their preferences by Nov. 18. They will be notified of their selection by mid-December, Air Force

  • Overseas EQUAL list available Feb. 1

    The Overseas Enlisted Quarterly Assignment Listing will be available Feb. 1 for overseas requirements, October to December. Airmen should work through their military personnel flights or commander's support staff to update their preferences. Deployed personnel should work with their personnel

  • Overseas extension incentives changes ahead

    Airmen stationed at overseas long tour locations who extend their tour Aug. 1 or later may be eligible for incentives, Air Force Personnel Center officials said.Recent changes to the Overseas Tour Extension Incentive Program will affect members who make a "date eligible for return from overseas"

  • Overseas members entitled to stateside care

    Overseas military families may face a problem when they return home to the United States for the holidays. Service members and their families enrolled in the TRICARE Overseas Program (TOP) or TOP Prime Remote are entitled to visit hospitals and clinics stateside and receive the same priority

  • Overseas quarterly assignment listing available

    The Enlisted Quarterly Assignment Listing for overseas requirements for the April to June 2007 cycle is now available. Airmen need to work through their military personnel flights to update their preferences by Aug. 17. Deployed Airmen must work with their PERSCO representative to update assignment

  • Overseas quarterly assignment listing available

    The Enlisted Quarterly Assignment Listing for overseas requirements for the July to  September 2007 cycle will be available Nov. 3. Airmen need to work through their military personnel flights, commander's support staff or vMPF to update their preferences by Nov. 17. Deployed Airmen must work with

  • Overseas quarterly assignment listing available May 3

    The Enlisted Quarterly Assignment Listing for the January to March 2006 cycle overseas requirements will be available May 3.Airmen need to work through their military personnel flights to update their preferences by May 20. Deployed Airmen can work with their personnel representative to update

  • Overseas quarterly assignment listing available May 4

    The Enlisted Quarterly Assignment Listing for overseas assignments for the January to March cycle will be available May 4.Airmen should work through their military personnel flights to update their preferences by May 20. They will be notified of their selection by mid-June.EQUAL advertises upcoming

  • Overseas quarterly assignment listing available Nov. 1

    The Enlisted Quarterly Assignment Listing for overseas requirements for July through September 2006 will be available Nov. 1. Assignment preferences need to be updated by Nov. 17. Airmen will be notified of their selection before Dec. 15. Airmen need to work through their military personnel flight

  • Overseas realignment proceeding in 'deliberate, thoughtful' manner

    The Defense Department is moving forward with plans to reshape its force structure overseas through close coordination with Congress, other government agencies and U.S. allies and partners, defense officials said May 9.The global defense posture review is being undertaken as a "deliberate,

  • Overseas returnee assignment listing available July 13

    The Enlisted Quarterly Assignment Listing for November to January requirements will be available July 13 to overseas returnees and continental United States mandatory movers, Airmen facing mandatory reassignment.Airmen can work through their military personnel flights to update their preferences by

  • Overseas returnee assignment listing available soon

    The Enlisted Quarterly Assignment Listing for people returning from overseas February to April will be available Oct. 14.Individuals need to work through their military personnel flight or commander's support staff to update assignment preferences by Oct. 31. Airmen will be notified of their

  • Overseas returnee assignment listing available soon

    The Enlisted Quarterly Assignment Listing for people returning from overseas August to October will be available April 13.Airmen need to work through their military personnel flights or their commander's support staff to update their preferences by April 30. Airmen will be notified of their

  • Overseas returnee, CONUS mandatory movers' assignment listing available

    The Enlisted Quarterly Assignment Listing for Airmen returning from overseas and continental United States mandatory movers from August through October will be available April 11. Airmen can work through their military personnel flight or their commander's support staff to update their preferences. 

  • Overseas scholarship, fellowship applications due in July

    Airmen who want to attend university overseas, be a White House fellow, serve a two-year fellowship in Japan or compete for an information assurance scholarship have until July 31 to submit their application, Air Force Personnel Center officials said. "These programs help us develop Airmen, which is

  • Overseas service photography project announced

    The Department of Defense announced Nov. 8 that it seeks donations of photographs of U.S. military service life overseas from current and former service members for use in a photo recognition exhibition planned in conjunction with the State Department.Submissions will be accepted Nov. 11 through

  • Overseas Tricare dental program rule changes

    As of Dec. 3, Tricare Dental Program enrollees who live overseas must be command sponsored in order to receive the overseas TDP cost-share benefits. If a TDP enrollee is not command sponsored, he or she will be responsible for the same cost-shares as beneficiaries living in the United States. Before

  • Oversight office changes name

    The agency that ensures the Air Force gets its money’s worth from contracts totaling more than half the service’s annual procurement budget takes on a new identity Feb. 1.The Air Force Program Executive Officer for Combat and Mission Support officially stands up, changing its name from AFPEO for

  • Overweight youth pose recruitment challenges

    Fat is bad for one's health. And as defense officials attest, it's also bad for recruiting, and for national defense. Curtis Gilroy, the Pentagon's accessions chief, lamented during a congressional hearing that many recruitment-age youth are too overweight to qualify for military service. And as a

  • OWLS inspires women to ignite power within

    AcademyWomen sponsored its 9th annual Officer Women Leadership Symposium Sept. 21-22 at the Women in Military Service for America Memorial in Arlington, Va.To go along with this year's theme: Igniting the power and passion within, the two-day symposium was designed to inspire, inform and connect

  • P-47 pilot honored on POW/MIA recognition day

    Southward from Advanced Landing Ground A-6 near Sainte-Mère-Église, Normandy, France, the P-47 Thunderbolt fighters pilots flew. Two months after D-Day, they were on a summer evening armed reconnaissance mission which took them to the St. Nazaire area, still occupied by Nazi forces. But before they

  • PACAF aircraft depart to assist Haiti relief effort

    Pacific Air Forces deployed seven C-17 Globemaster III aircraft Jan. 19 to Charleston Air Force Base, S.C., to support the U.S. military's Haitian relief effort, Operation Unified Response.The aircraft and crews will rotate in to Haiti from Charleston AFB to provide airlift services as needed. A

  • PACAF Airmen combat-train with Thailand, Singapore

    Aircraft from Pacific Air Forces began flying combat sorties here Feb. 1 alongside its ally nations Thailand and Singapore, in support of Exercise Cope Tiger 2008. The PACAF aircraft and those from the Royal Thai air force and the Republic of Singapore air force are participating in the four-day

  • PACAF Airmen deploy to support the war on terrorism

    More than 240 Airmen from throughout Pacific Air Forces deployed to several locations in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility in Southwest Asia Sept. 2 from Kadena Air Base, Japan. "Kadena is the staging base for aggregate air into CENTCOM," said Maj. Aaron Booth, the Kadena AB

  • PACAF Airmen share best practices with ROK space team

    Members of Pacific Air Forces' space forces met with visiting members of the Republic of Korea, Deputy Chief of Staff Planning team, to discuss space successes and challenges, Dec. 7, 2012.Maj. Gen. Kyeong-Doo Jeong, DCS for Planning Republic of Korea Air Force headquarters, led the group during the

  • PACAF Airmen show C-17 medical capability to Indian defense minister

    Pacific Air Forces Airmen showcased aeromedical evacuation capabilities of the C-17 Globemaster III as they hosted Indian Defense Minister Manohar Parrikar and Arun K. Singh, the Indian ambassador to the U.S. on Dec. 7, as a part of a U.S. Pacific Command visit designed to enhance the U.S.-Indian

  • PACAF Airmen stand up air contingent in Philippines

    Airmen assigned to the Pacific Air Forces stood up the first rotation of an air contingent at Clark Air Base, Philippines, April 16, following a joint announcement by Secretary of Defense Ash Carter and Philippine Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin in Manila that highlighted several initiatives aimed

  • PACAF Airmen wrap up busy year

    Throughout fiscal 2013, the key aspect of Pacific Air Forces was engagement as more than 45,000 Pacific Air Forces Airmen conducted a broad spectrum of operations, from humanitarian relief to decisive combat employment, in an area covering 13 time zones and 100 million square miles.

  • PACAF band entertains at Indian Air Force jubilee

    For the Indian Air Force's 75th anniversary, the Pacific Air Forces rock group "Pacific Trends" joined military bands from India, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Thailand to perform at the Indian Air Force Platinum Jubilee Tattoo here March 17. This was one of the final performances of Pacific Trends in

  • PACAF band invited to help with 'recovery through music'

    The U.S. Air Force Band of the Pacific-Asia performed a concert in Nerima City, Japan, May 8 in support of people affected by the March 11 9.0-magnitude earthquake and subsequent tsunami.At the request of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force Eastern Army Headquarters, Pacific Trends performed during

  • PACAF C-17 team hosts royalty

    Lt. Col Casey Eaton, 535th Airlift Squadron commander (right), and Tech. Sgt. Kenneth Bragg, a C-17 Globemaster III loadmaster (left), show some of the features in the cargo area of the C-17 to His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiahsutan of Brunei. The monarch made a visit to Hickam Air Force

  • PACAF civil engineers improve airfield repair skills

    Civil engineer squadrons from Kadena, Yokota and Misawa Air Bases teamed up here with the Air Force Civil Engineer Center to conduct training for the new Rapid Airfield Damage Repair technique Sept. 12-15.

  • PACAF command chief meets with Japanese airmen

    The command chief master sergeant for Pacific Air Forces stopped by Kumagaya Air Base last week to meet with Japanese Air Self Defense Force, or JASDF, members and tour the base.Kumagaya Air Base is home to the Fourth and Second JASDF Technical Training Schools, and serves as their basic training

  • PACAF command chief speaks about road ahead

    The Pacific Air Forces top enlisted adviser visited Elmendorf Air Force Base May 15 to 17 and spoke to Airmen about what it will take to succeed in the Air Force. Chief Master Sgt. Anthony Bishop, the PACAF command chief master sergeant, returned to Elmendorf AFB for the second time in six months to

  • PACAF commander advises discretion in cyberspace

    First proposed in 1929 by a Hungarian writer in a short story titled "Chains," the theory states that every person on earth is connected to every other person within six degrees. With the advent of the Web, those connections are much easier as humanity is connected by the keyboard and mouse and

  • PACAF commander celebrates Thanksgiving with Airmen in Korea

    Gen. Gary North, Pacific Air Forces commander, celebrated Thanksgiving by serving turkey and other holiday favorites to the Airmen serving remote tours in South Korea.The general departed here Nov. 21 to visit Kunsan and Osan Air Bases, South Korea, taking with him Maj. Gen. Jan-Marc Jouas, PACAF

  • PACAF commander discusses roles, mission, people at Global Warfare Symposium

    The Pacific Air Forces commander addressed the command's current and future opportunities at the Air Force Association Global Warfare Symposium here Nov. 20.On the final day of the two-day summit, Gen. Gary North discussed the command's relative stability and continuity over the decades and provided

  • PACAF commander presents medallion to World War II nurse

    The Pacific Air Forces commander presented a medal to a member of the "Greatest Generation" during a ceremony here Feb. 5.Doris Avery accepted the Noncommissioned Officers' Association World War II Veterans Medallion for her service as a lieutenant in the Army Nurse Corps during World War II in the

  • PACAF commander serves Thanksgiving meals

    Osan Airmen were treated to a special guest for Thanksgiving lunch at the Ginkgo Tree dining facility here. Gen. Paul V. Hester, Pacific Air Forces commander, served Thanksgiving lunch to Airmen here and spent time this holiday season with them. "Since all of us who serve overseas are away from our

  • PACAF commander signs Japanese condolence letter

    The Pacific Air Forces commander visited the Consulate General of Japan here March 22 to express his sympathy for the Japanese people. Gen. Gary L. North's signature of an official condolence book joined those of federal, state, city and county government agency officials who penned their

  • PACAF commander speaks of enhancing partnerships

    Unlike European nations who have come together under NATO, the Pacific theater does not have a joint organization for defense and peacekeeping within its nations, said the Pacific Air Forces and Air Component commander here at the Air Force Association's annual Air & Space Conference and Technology

  • PACAF commander stresses importance of space

    With a command that stretches across 16 different time zones, Pacific Air Forces Commander General Paul V. Hester, is a fan of the work space professionals perform in the Pacific. The general spoke to a crowd of military, civilian and industry space professionals during the last day of the 23rd

  • 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

  • PACAF commander: Unity is key in war on terrorism

    Taking care of Airmen and their families, the war on terrorism, modernizing the aging fleet, and the recent stand-up of the 13th Air Force Detachment at Yokota AB, Japan, were topics of interest for the commander of Pacific Air Forces during a visit to Kadena AB Feb. 1 to 3. "Taking care of Airmen

  • PACAF continues to conserve energy

    It’s hard to pick up a national publication of any sort this winter and not see headlines screaming of impending financial peril because of sky-rocketing fuel prices. But, Pacific Air Forces has been combating energy resource concerns even before President Bush’s 2005 Energy and Fuel Conservation

  • PACAF demo team certified to showcase F-16's aerial maneuvering might

    A crew from the 14th Fighter Squadron at Misawa Air Base, Japan, was certified as the Pacific Air Forces F-16 Fighting Falcon Demonstration Team May 16.Lt. Gen. Burton Field, the U.S. Forces Japan and 5th Air Force commander, certified the crew. The crew includes one pilot, two narrators and a

  • PACAF demonstrates air power in Brunei

    Aircraft from Misawa Air Base, Japan, and Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, performed at the Brunei Darussalam International Defense Exhibition 2011 at Rimba Air Base, Brunei, July 2. Capt. Chris Nations, a PACAF Aerial Demonstration Team pilot based at Misawa, performed daily aerial

  • PACAF earns ‘Top’ honors at William Tell

    The very last flight of the 2004 William Tell air-to-air weapons meet was flown by the Pacific Air Forces team from Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska, on Nov. 18, and it was that mission that put them on top.“We never expected a team to walk away with it, and nobody did walk away with it,” said Lt.

  • PACAF earns SECAF Safety Award

    The 2014 Air Force safety awards were announced Feb. 25, naming Pacific Air Forces the recipient of the Secretary of the Air Force Safety Award, the highest safety award in the Air Force.

  • PACAF emphasizes anthrax vaccination before deployments

    Headquarters Air Force officials recently sent additional implementation guidance to major commands that emphasizes pre-deployment notification. The Air Force guidance states that all categories of personnel on orders may begin immunizations up to 60 days before deployment or arrival at the

  • PACAF establishes integrated air and missile defense center

    The Pacific Integrated Air and Missile Defense Center officially commenced operations here Oct. 1, culminating a vision shared by military leaders in the Asia-Pacific region to increase multinational integrated air and missile defense (IAMD) capabilities in the U.S. Pacific Command (USPACOM) area of

  • PACAF exercise hosts Mexican observers

    Mexican air force observers are seeing firsthand how U.S. and coalition forces work together during Cooperative Cope Thunder to aid in their decision to become future exercise participants. As part of his cooperative engagement strategy, Gen. Paul V. Hester, Pacific Air Forces commander, invited the

  • PACAF family shares story of adoption, love, duty

    For Majs. Brian and Amanda Evans, life is a constant balancing act with work and a family. At work, Amanda is the commander of the 15th Comptroller Squadron and Brian is a Special Operations Command Pacific air operations planner. At home, they're parents to three energetic kids -- two of whom are

  • PACAF hosts Air Force civic leaders

    Members of the Air Force Civic Leader Program traveled to Hawaii Oct. 14-16, to participate in a military tour highlighting the Pacific Rebalance.The program and its civic leader visits to military installations serve to better inform communicators in the civilian community and advocates for Air

  • PACAF hosts Chinese officers for exchange

    Officers from the U.S. Air Force hosted a dozen of their naval, army, and air force counterparts from China at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam Oct. 18, to share perspectives and discuss mechanisms to maintain peace and stability throughout the Indo-Asia-Pacific region.The mid-level officer exchange

  • PACAF hosts first U.S.-Mongolia Airman-to-Airman talks

    Pacific Air Forces hosted a delegation from the Mongolian Air Force Command for Airman-to-Airman talks here, March 26-28. The multi-day event marked the first A2A talks between the U.S. and MAFC, a newly separated branch of the Mongolian Armed Forces.

  • PACAF hosts first visit of Korean cadets

    Pacific Air Forces hosted more than 70 Republic of Korea Air Force Academy cadets at its headquarters Nov. 10 for its first-ever visit by a ROKAFA cadet class.

  • PACAF hosts Pacific Defender 25-2

    PACAF A4S Security Forces Division conducted Pacific Defender 25-2, an exercise intended to build partnerships throughout the Indo-Pacific region.

  • PACAF hosts Pacific Rim Air Power Symposium

    Pacific Air Forces hosted military leaders from 20 countries throughout the Pacific region during the annual Pacific Rim Air Power Symposium held here Sept. 22-25. The PACRIM Airpower Symposium, previously known as the PACAF Director of Operations Conference, builds and improves multilateral

  • PACAF hosts Philippine airmen, strengthens relations

    Philippine Air Force service members visited Pacific Air Forces Headquarters for Airman-to-Airman, or A2A, talks to increase interoperability and enhance their relationship Feb. 24-27, at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam.

  • PACAF key to stability in diverse theater, general says

    The Pacific theater is large, diverse and complicated, but the Airmen of Pacific Air Forces are up to the challenge, according to a senior PACAF leader speaking in Los Angeles Nov. 20. Lt. Gen. Chip Utterback, 13th Air Force commander, kicked off the Air Force Association Global Warfare Symposium