NATO Air Policing operations

U.S. Air Force News

  • Photo Essay: Shuttle transitions through bases

    Space Shuttle Atlantis riding atop a NASA-modified Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft taxies after landing June 2 at Columbus Air Force Base, Miss. Columbus AFB was the shuttle's final stop for fuel before finishing its journey to Kennedy Space Center, Fla. View the shuttle slideshow

  • Photo essay: Southwest Asia EOD fun run

    Members of the 386th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron participate in a fun run to raise awareness for an EOD memorial here Dec. 31.View the slideshow.

  • Photo essay: Special tactics Airmen jump at night

    Airmen from the U.S. Air Force Special Tactics Training Squadron participated in a high altitude, low opening or HALO, mission near here March 16 during Exercise Emerald Warrior 2010. View the slideshow.

  • Photo essay: 'Spooky' training at Hurlburt Field

    Members of the 4th Special Operations Squadron participate in a training mission aboard an AC-130U Spooky here Feb. 3. The AC-130U is the primary weapon for members of Air Force Special Operations Command. The gunship's primary missions are close-air support, air interdiction and armed

  • Photo essay: Squadrons maintain South Korean presence

    About 300 Airmen from two squadrons here are maintaining a presence on the South Korean peninsula, working with alliance partners for peace and stability in the region. Airmen with the 391st Fighter Squadron deployed Jan. 18 as members of the 389th FS returned home Jan. 20.View slideshow.

  • Photo essay: Static-line jumps over Guam

    Airmen from the 535th Airlift Squadron from Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, flew training missions for the 36th Contingency Response Group's static-line proficiency training here Jan. 13.View the slideshow.

  • Photo essay: Strike Eagle, Fighting Falcon 'thunder' over Kentucky

    Two Air Combat Command demonstration teams landed at the Kentucky Air National Guard Base here April 15, just in time for "the thunder."The F-15E Strike Eagle and F-16 Fighting Falcon are just two of many aircraft taking flight this weekend for the Thunder Over Louisville air show.  During the ACC

  • Photo essay: Supplies drop in Afghanistan

    Pallets of cargo drop from a C-17 Globemaster III to a forward operating base in Afghanistan, Aug. 27, 2009,  in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. The aircrew is assigned to the 817th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron.View the slideshow.

  • Photo essay: Surge week at Little Rock AFB

    Aircrew members participate in a surge week here April 14. The purpose of the surge week is to make up lost flying time by increasing the operations tempo.View the slideshow.

  • Photo essay: Taking a closer look

    Senior Airman Lilia Linares uses a fluorescent magnetic particle process to inspect an aerospace ground equipment hook for cracks May 27 at Charleston Air Force Base, S.C. The nondestructive inspection section inspects more than 40,000 pieces of weapon systems and nonweapon systems assets a year.

  • Photo essay: testing mobility forces

    A C-17 Globemaster III assigned to the 97th Air Mobility Wing at Altus Air Force Base, Okla., takes off from the Tonopah runway May 20 near Nellis AFB, Nev., while participating in the Mobility Air Forces Exercise. Approximately 12 U.S. Air Force bases participate in the exercise twice a year,

  • Photo essay: Thunderbirds close season at air show

    Members of the U.S. Air Force Demonstration Squadron Thunderbirds and the U.S. Air Force Academy Parachute Team participate in the 2009 Aviation Nation here. The open house allowed the Las Vegas community to visit the base and view the Air Force's finest aerial performances.View slideshow.

  • Photo essay: Trainees conquer the BEAST

    A recent group of basic trainees conquered training exercises here at the Basic Expeditionary Airman Training, or BEAST, course Sept. 2, 2009.  The BEAST introduces Airmen to the joint expeditionary concept and immerses them in deployment scenarios. View the slideshow.

  • Photo essay: Training for military working dogs

    A military working dog attacks his handler on command at the training grounds on Lackland Air Force Base, Texas. Military working dogs are enrolled in a 60- to 90-day training program where they are taught to detect explosives and drugs. They are also taught deterrence training and how to protect

  • Photo essay: Training with a bang!

    Students in the Security Forces Basic Officers' Course attend a grenade weapons training class conducted by the 343rd Training Squadron June 18 at Camp Bullis, Texas.View the training slideshow.

  • Photo Essay: Training with the "Hurricane Hunters"

    The "Hurricane Hunters" of the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, shown in this photo essay, prepare for the upcoming hurricane season which began June1.  The entire aircrew hone their skills while flying missions from Homestead Air Reserve Base, Fla.; Keesler Air Force Base, Miss. and the

  • Photo essay: Tuskegee Airmen

    The Tuskegee Airmen were an elite group of African-American pilots in the 1940s. They were pioneers in equality and integration of the armed forces. The term "Tuskegee Airmen" refers to all who were involved in the Army Air Corps program to train African-Americans to fly and maintain combat

  • Photo essay: Tyndall Airmen prepare for morning dive

    Combat controllers in training prepare to head out for an early morning dive during a combat dive course held at Panama City Beach, Fla. June 10. The Airmen are assigned to the 342nd Training Squadron Det. 2.View the slideshow:

  • Photo Essay: U.S. Air Force well represented at Russian air show

    The Moscow International Aviation and Space Salon, known as MAKS, is one of the premier events of its type in the world and Department of Defense participation demonstrates the U.S. commitment to international security, promotes international cooperation and contributes to U.S. foreign policy

  • PHOTO ESSAY: U.S., Japan aeromedics collaborate during bilateral exchange

    Airmen from the 18th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron hosted more than 30 Japan Air Self Defense Force Airmen during a two-day bilateral exchange July 22-23. Flight medics, flight nurses and loadmasters showed off their unique aeromedical capabilities and equipment used inside the 353rd Special

  • Photo essay: USAFE Band tours Poland

    The 41-piece U.S. Air Forces in Europe Band toured Poland, and performed six concerts in various cities.  The band is touring the country to support the international relations program sponsored by USAFE Commander Gen. Roger Brady in partnership with the U.S. State Department.View the slideshow.

  • Photo Essay: Volunteers create barrier

    Airmen of the 506th Air Expeditionary Group here saved an estimated $500,000 by using existing assets and volunteers to create a barrier near the flightline.  The barrier will mitigate security concerns.See volunteers slideshow.

  • Photo essay: Volunteers honor veterans with wreaths

    Volunteers from Buckley Air Force Base joined Civil Air Patrol members and volunteers from Schriever and Peterson air force bases and the Denver Metropolitan Area for a day of remembrance at the Fort Logan National Cemetery here for the Wreaths Across America program. View slideshow.

  • Photo essay: Warrior Games cycling events

    During the inaugural Warrior Games, athletes from all services participated in three types of cycling events May 13 during unseasonably cold weather here.View slideshow.

  • Photo essay: Water survival training

    Aircrew members from the 94th Airlift Wing participate in water survival training at the Cobb Aquatic Center here Feb. 4. Crewmembers are required to receive this type of training once every three years to stay proficient with the equipment and techniques used in various water survival

  • Photo essay: Water, meals delivered for Haitian relief

    An aircrew from the 15th Airlift Squadron at Charleston Air Force Base, S.C., delivered 40 bundles totaling 67,800 pounds of Meals, Ready to Eat and bottled water in support of Operation Unified Response to Haiti.  Airmen and Soldiers from Pope AFB and Fort Bragg in North Carolina  loaded the C-17

  • Photo essay: Whiteman crews practice 'hot pit' refueling

    Technicians with the Air Force Reserve Command's 442nd Fighter Wing practice hot pit refueling with A-10 Thunderbolts II Dec. 8 here. Hot pit refueling is a procedure usually performed in a combat situation to rapidly refuel aircraft. View the slideshow.

  • Photo essay: Whiteman's T-38 Talons get ready for flight

    Crew chiefs and maintainers perform final preflight checks on the T-38 Talon high-altitude supersonic trainer here Jan. 26. The T-38 is used by pilots to conduct sorties and accumulate flight hours and training time.View the slideshow.

  • Photo essay: Wind power at Arnold AFB

    The von Karman Gas Dynamics Facility and the Propulsion Wind Tunnel Facility were photographed during various on-site visits to the wind tunnels located at Arnold Engineering Development Center here. The facility is devoted to aerodynamic and propulsion integration testing of large-scale aircraft

  • Photo essay: Working the night shift

    Airmen from the 100th Air Refueling Wing here participated in an operational readiness exercise in preparation for an operation readiness inspection later this year. The exercise is designed to prepare Airmen to do their jobs in a deployed environment and in a worst-case scenario. View the

  • Photo essay: 'Yellow Bird' comes to life

    Wright "B" Flyer "Yellow Bird" comes to life with the help volunteers from the Wright "B" Flyer Inc. Feb. 27, 2010 at Fort Sam Houston, Texas. They assembled two Flyers in San Antonio for the Centennial of Military Aviation event held March 2. View slideshow.

  • Photo: Airmen Helping Airmen

    (From left) Gordon Hartley, John Heffernan, and William Kehler, from the Distinguished Flying Cross Society, stand next to 85 bags of groceries they bought for Airmen Helping Airmen Nov. 16, 2010, at the base commissary at Little Rock Air Force Base, Ark. The quarterly Airmen Helping Airmen program

  • Photographer sees war first hand

    During her deployment with a provincial reconstruction team in Afghanistan in 2010, Senior Airman Chanise Epps proved that a simple hand-held camera can be just as effective in war as the high-tech U-2 imagery she normally worked with back home."I think photography is important, because without

  • Photographers capture bomb damage in Iraq

    Master Sgt. Michael Best has taken photographs for 28 years. The past 20 years, he has made his living taking photos for the Air Force.But on a sunny, sultry day in mid-June in Iraq’s capital city, he is looking for more than just photos. He is looking for snipers.“I’m sure the force-protection

  • Photographer's pictures of Airmen now in Library of Congress

    A desire to show the non-flying side of the Air Force motivated a British photographer, and now his 60-photo "Cleared Hot!" exhibition is part of the Library of Congress. "I met a lot of Air Force people and the first question they're asked is, 'What type of plane do you fly?'" Nicholas Price said.

  • Photos, documentation help in disaster recovery

    Taking photos of knick-knacks and furniture may not seem like a fun way to spend a weekend, but it could save Airmen and families thousands of dollars in the event of a major disaster, said an Air Force Legal Operations Agency official here. Whether loss is from fire, theft or natural disaster,

  • Photos: Rescue Airmen train in the open seas

    A team of pararescuemen with the 38th Rescue Squadron at Moody Air Force Base, Ga., conducted a water rescue exercise in the Gulf of Mexico on Aug. 14. During the exercise, pararescuemen had to locate downed victims several miles apart and provide self-aid and buddy care as needed. The

  • Physical fitness motivates, bonds Afghan and American women

    Over the last few years, physical fitness has become a focal point for Airmen readiness across the U.S. Air Force. Here, at the Afghan air force compound, nine female AAF members and one American advisor are also making it a point of emphasis in their military training and daily lives.What began as

  • Physical medicine team keeps ‘sprains and strains’ down

    Things do not ever seem to slow down for the physical medicine team here. The staff of six -- an occupational therapist, a physical therapist and four physical medicine technicians -- has seen more than 1,000 patients since Sept. 20. “There’s just a continual flow of patients here,” said Maj. Brian

  • Physical therapist strengthens EOD mission readiness

    For some Air Force careers, everyday physical demands can have a significant impact on an Airman’s comprehensive fitness in a big way. Explosive ordnance disposal Airmen at Incirlik Air Base, Turkey, are working with the 39th Medical Operations Squadron to help reduce the stress that comes with

  • Physical therapists help patients move forward

    October is national physical therapy month and this year's theme is "Move Forward: Physical Therapy Brings Motion to Life." Making the commitment to be physically active promotes movement, reduces pain, restores function and prevents disability. One of the important roles that physical therapists

  • Physical therapists keep service members fit to fight

    In a deployed environment, injuries happen. Whether they occur in the performance of duty or through the course of physical exercise, they have the potential to impact the mission. Each individual in the military, and their ability to perform their duties, plays an important role in the success of

  • Physical therapists keep servicemembers in the fight

    Aircraft mechanics make sure the airframes they are assigned to are in impeccable condition, fine tuning them, ensuring there isn't any excessive wear and tear so these precision machines are ready to do their part in the today's fight. The human body is also a precision machine and needs to be well

  • Physical therapy Airmen provide healing touch

    With today's Air Force being the smallest it has ever been, mitigating lost days due to injury is of the utmost importance. Seeing a range of injuries from wrist pain to post-surgery recovery, the 4th Medical Operations Squadron’s physical therapy technicians aim to get their patients back to good

  • Physical therapy keeps Airmen fit to fight

    A person passing by the physical therapy office at this base in Southwest Asia might not notice it exists, because much of the recovery equipment found in stateside clinics isn't there. But Maj. Jesse Richardson, 379th Expeditionary Medical Group physical therapist, said this allows him to get out

  • Physical therapy program confers first doctoral degrees

    Two Air Force officers received diplomas and were conferred doctoral degrees in physical therapy during a graduation ceremony here April 7.Capt. Linda Currier and 1st Lt. Elissa Ballas graduated along with 10 Army officers after 27 months of study in the highly ranked U.S. Army-Baylor University

  • Physical training uniform made in America

    Air Force officials partnered with American industry to ensure the new physical fitness uniform is not only upgraded with better material and functionality, but also is 100 percent America made.The new PTU outer garment running suit is being manufactured near Columbus Air Force Base, Miss., and

  • Physical training uniform shortages through summer

    There will be a shortage of improved physical training uniform, or IPTU, pants and jackets this spring and summer. Air Force uniform program officials expect a full stock of IPTU pants and jackets to be available for Airmen to purchase by Oct. 1.

  • Physical, occupational therapy fixes strains and sprains

    People flock to the physical and occupational therapy clinic here from far and wide to make their strains, sprains and breaks feel better. “Were conserving the fighting strength,” said Maj. Joel Robb, 332nd Expeditionary Medical Operations Squadron’s physical therapist and flight commander, whose

  • Physician assistant makes difference in Afghan lives

    Servicemembers of the Provincial Reconstruction Team Paktya in Gardez, Afghanistan, are helping to develop the infrastructure necessary for the Afghan people to succeed in a post-conflict environment.One member of the Paktya PRT is Capt. James Parris.The physician assistant from the 96th Medical

  • Physician assistant receives Purple Heart

    An Airman who survived an improvised explosive device attack in December isn't likely to forget that moment -- or the one when he was presented a Purple Heart by the chief of staff of the Air Force Feb. 4. Capt. Kevin Fischer is a physician assistant assigned to the 732nd Expeditionary Logistics

  • Physician assistants strong support for military medical units

    Every 15 minutes, Maj. James Kahler lifts a medical record from the rack, enters an exam room, and his hunt begins anew.Part medical detective, part complaint department head, part confession-hearing priest, Major Kahler weighs verbal feedback against diagnostic examination to determine a prognosis

  • Physician earns AFA top award for health care

    A doctor here has been honored for making the most significant contribution to the continued good health of the men and women of the Air Force last year.Lt. Col. (Dr.) Christopher P. Paulson, from the 96th Medical Operations Squadron, was presented the Air Force Association's Paul W. Myers Award

  • Physician mentors Afghan doctors

    Maj. (Dr.) Robert Sarlay Jr. has become fond of a quote by T.E. Lawrence: "Better the Arab do it tolerably than you do it perfectly." Not that he considers himself a modern-day Lawrence of Arabia. Ordinarily, Dr. Sarlay is a man of less exotic tastes. When he's not practicing emergency medicine at

  • Physician recognized as "Hero of Emergency Medicine"

    Officials with the American College of Emergency Physicians announced Aug. 1 they have recognized Maj. (Dr.) James Eadie, vice chair of emergency medicine, medical director and flight commander at Wilford Hall Medical Center here, as a "Hero of Emergency Medicine." The campaign, which is part of

  • Physician serves to honor past, present

    Capt. (Dr.) Thanh Thao Le, a 66th Medical Squadron physician, learned from her father the importance of honoring those who serve in the military.Her father, Minh Le, was a 1st lieutenant in South Vietnam’s Political Warfare Branch in the 1970s during the Vietnam War.

  • Physiological Episodes – Feedback from the pilot community is critical

    A rise in the number of physiological episodes with primary pilot training aircraft, known as the T-6, is getting a lot of attention from students, instructors and leadership. Air Force Physiological Episodes Action Team leader Brig. Gen. Edward “Hertz” Vaughan recently visited Joint Base San

  • Physiological training crucial for aircrews

    Approximately 35,000 students take physiological training each year to gain a better understanding of survival in the flight environment. It covers problems in both high and low altitudes and recommends procedures to prevent or minimize human factor errors that occur in flight.Airmen at the 21st

  • Physiologist recognized at national conference

    A physiologist here was honored at the annual Aerospace Medical Association conference held May 10 through 13 in Phoenix.Lt. Col. Lance Annicelli, the Aerospace and Operational Physiology Training Flight commander for the 359th Aerospace Medicine Squadron, was awarded the 2010 Life Sciences and

  • Physiology training combats human factors of flying

    One of the secrets behind nearly 75 years of U.S. air dominance is the quality of its pilot training. But long before students learn to identify, out-maneuver and defeat enemy aircraft, they have to learn to deal with a much more subtle but no less dangerous threat: hypoxia.Essentially a lack of

  • Picking up the pieces

    Second Lt. Shawn Fontenot breaks down the wall of Jim and Joyce Boyd's garage during disaster cleanup here Nov. 16. The Boyd's home and business were destroyed by a tornado with winds in excess of 200 mph that struck the area Nov. 10. A state of emergency was declared in both Van Wert and Ottawa

  • Picture-perfect painting

    Aircraft leaving the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center here make one final stop to complete the cycle of programmed depot maintenance.That stop is the paint hangar. What comes in are aircraft fresh from their test flights. What rolls out are planes freshly primed, painted and stenciled.The

  • Piece by piece, information can yield secrets when put together

    These days modems come built into computers and Internet access many times is cheaper than regular telephone service. It seems everyone has a license to cruise the information super highway. There are a variety of ways for people to interact across the globe, such as e-mail, chat rooms and instant

  • Piece of Rhein-Main history gets new home

    One of the most touching symbols of Rhein-Main’s history will soon find a new home at nearby Ramstein Air Base.The base chapel’s stained-glass memorial window, commemorating the U.S. servicemembers who lost their lives during the Berlin Airlift, was removed here Aug. 2.“The window will hang in the

  • Piecing together the bigger picture

    Airmen with the Expeditionary Air Control Squadron (EACS), also known as “Kingpin,” provide the information needed for completion of the Air Tasking Order, a 24-hour planning document that assigns specific aircraft to specific missions.

  • PIKE nears end of service

    The 22nd Space Operations Squadron will decommission the Colorado Tracking Station Sept. 29, during a ceremony here, signaling the end of operations for one of the Air Force Satellite Control Network's most valued assets of the past two decades.

  • Pilot awarded Kolligian Trophy for combat mission

    Despite wounds and a helicopter crippled by enemy fire, an Air Force pilot safely flew his aircraft and crew home from Iraq.For his efforts, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper presented the Kolligian Trophy to Capt. Steven Edwards during a May 6 ceremony at the Pentagon. Captain Edwards,

  • Pilot becomes Guard's first F-35 instructor pilot

    An Airman became the Guard's first F-35 Lightning II instructor pilot recently at Eglin's multi-service, multi-national F-35 Integrated Training Center.Maj. Jay Spohn, assigned to the 33rd Fighter Wing here as the assistant director of operations for the 58th Fighter Squadron and the chief of

  • Pilot brings battle-damaged A-10 home safely

    An A-10 Thunderbolt II pilot deployed with the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing safely landed her "Warthog" at her forward operating base after it sustained significant damage from enemy fire during a close air support mission over Baghdad on April 7.Capt. Kim, deployed from the 75th Fighter Squadron at

  • Pilot carries on four generations of tradition

    Some people say flying is in their DNA. That couldn’t be truer for Capt. John Lockheed, an Air Force Reserve pilot assigned to the 302nd Airlift Wing at Peterson Air Force Base. He’s a fourth-generation pilot -- continuing a family tradition that encompasses more than a century of flight.

  • Pilot chases Olympic dreams

    Capt. Daniel Castle, a 349th Air Refueling Squadron pilot, is one of five Airmen selected throughout the Air Force to participate in the World Class Athlete Program, which allows service members of all branches to train as their primary duty.

  • Pilot crusades for safer skies

    One man's personal mission to help improve flight safety is making headway through the aviation community. Lt. Col. Ned Linch, 12th Air Force chief of flight safety, is an F-16 Fighting Falcon pilot with more than 4,000 hours in the cockpit of the F-16, experimental aircraft and airliners. He is