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  • Guardsmen train at Maintenance University

    More than 260 Air National Guard members from five states attended a weeklong course in aircraft maintenance here to enhance proficiency in everything from hydraulics to electrical generation.The annual event, now in its eighth year, is called Maintenance University, said Capt. James Campbell, the

  • Around the Air Force: June 21

    In this look around the Air Force, Gen. David Goldfein testifies before the Senate Armed Services Committee on his nomination for Air Force chief of staff, and the new Blended Retirement System gives Airmen more retirement options.

  • Brothers connect at 22,000 feet

    A couple months ago, two KC-135 Stratotankers took flight from Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington, to participate in an ordinary air refueling training exercise, but for the Marchesseault brothers, the day was anything but ordinary.

  • Family first: A story for Air Force spouses

    Jeff Hogg knows the role of the military spouse better than most because he understands the needs of the military lifestyle and the military family. He served in the Air Force for over 20 years before retiring and is the spouse of Maj. Gen. Dorothy Hogg, the Air Force deputy surgeon general.

  • Former basic training instructor fulfills dream to practice law

    For Senior Master Sgt. Alex Brown, a 20-year Air Force veteran and Arizona Air National Guard member, a lifelong calling to practice law set him upon an arduous journey to fulfill a dream. That dream recently became reality when he passed the Arizona bar exam.

  • Commander fatally shot at work laid to rest at Arlington

    Two months after Lt. Col. William “Bill” Schroeder was fatally shot during an incident of workplace violence, the U.S. Air Force Honor Guard laid him to rest with full military honors June 16 at Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia.

  • 433rd AW becomes first Reserve wing to get new C-5M

    The saying “history repeats itself” has become all too familiar to the 433rd Airlift Wing, as hundreds of Airmen and distinguished guests gathered along the flightline at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas, on June 17 to welcome the wing’s first C-5M Super Galaxy, named “The City of San

  • Global Hawk gets innovative ISR payload adapter

    Using a cooperative research and development agreement, the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, partnering with Northrop Grumman and Air Combat Command, has developed an innovative solution to the tricky problem of how to connect existing and future information gathering sensor capabilities, not

  • Blended retirement system training now available

    Online training designed to educate Airmen about the new Blended Retirement System, the Defense Department system with changes on the current military retirement system, is now available via Joint Knowledge Online course number P-US1330. The course is also available to those without a Common Access

  • Standing tall: Amputee Airmen seek to defy odds in therapy sessions

    After a sprint around an indoor track with her prosthetic running blade, Heather Carter stopped, visibly tired. She smiled and began to sprint another lap. The medically retired senior airman once rounded the bases for the Air Force softball team until a freak accident severely injured her left leg

  • Carter announces more US support for Afghan forces

    U.S. forces in Afghanistan now will be able to boost support for Afghan conventional forces with more firepower and by accompanying and advising them on the ground and in the air, Defense Secretary Ash Carter said June 15 in Brussels.

  • AF recovers data after Automated Case Tracking System outage

    After aggressively leveraging all vendor and department capabilities, the Air Force made a full recovery of the Automated Case Tracking System database, the Air Force inspector general system of record for all records related to IG complaints, investigations and appeals.

  • Around the world in 14 days

    In 1873, Phileas Fogg, the fictional protagonist in Jules Verne’s “Around the World in Eighty Days” circumnavigated the globe by rail and steamer ship in, of course, 80 days. Unfortunately for Fogg, he did not have access to a C-5M Super Galaxy to accomplish this feat quicker.

  • Bold dreams propel war-torn child to AF flight engineer

    Growing up, Master Sgt. Kristofer Reyes and his cousins would use rubber and rocks from a nearby recycling center and create games. He was born to a poor family in Luzon, Phillipines. His parents divorced when he was 2 years old and his mom moved to the U.S. That left him and his siblings stuck in

  • Coping with stress through healthy thinking

    Stress. Even the mention of the word can increase anxiety for some. Everyone deals with stress differently, but how a person copes with daily stressors can have great impacts on their quality of life and overall health.

  • 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.

  • 45th SW supports successful launch

    The 45th Space Wing supported United Launch Alliance’s successful launch of the NROL-37 spacecraft aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta IV-Heavy rocket from Space Launch Complex 37B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, June 11.

  • Edwards testing facility hosts first Canadian air force plane

    For the first time ever, a Royal Canadian Air Force plane has entered the Benefield Anechoic Facility, a state-of-the-art center for electronic warfare testing. A team of engineers, operators and defense scientists from Canada are wrapping up electronic warfare testing of a CC-130J Hercules

  • Beale takes next step in energy resilience

    The Defense Logistics Agency and the Air Force released a request for information regarding the pursuit of energy resilience at Beale Air Force Base, California, on June 8.

  • 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,

  • Minot B-52s begin Baltops 16 flying ops

    A B-52H Stratofortress aircrew from Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota, conducted their first flying training mission in support of the multinational exercise Baltops 16 on June 7 from Royal Air Force Fairford.

  • 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.

  • Arnold team wins AF analytics award

    The Arnold Engineering Development Complex’s Hypersonic Analysis and Evaluation Team recently received this year’s Air Force Analytic Team of the Year Award.

  • Eglin units save thousands with F-35 innovations

    Around 500 maintenance personnel are assigned to work with the F-35 at Eglin Air Force Base. These Airmen and Sailors are some of the first to maintain the fifth-generation jet which gives them the opportunity to assist manufacturers in developing tools, technology and data to maintain it.

  • 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

  • Around the Air Force: June 3

    On this look around the Air Force, the Air Force releases its 2030 Air Superiority Plan; an update on the KC-46A Pegasus; and Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James A. Cody talks about the new enlisted performance reports.

  • 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.

  • Father-son duo comes full circle at BMT graduation, retirement

    In the Air Force, countless parents have proudly watched their child graduate from basic military training, and countless children have seen their parents retire from service. On May 27 at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas, a father and son did both on the same day, respectively.

  • 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

  • AF seeks 2016 GEICO Military Service Awards nominations

    Air Force officials are accepting nominations through Sept. 12 for the 2016 Government Employees Insurance Company (GEICO) Military Service Awards. The GEICO Military Service Awards annually recognizes enlisted total force members from all branches of service for contributions to military or

  • Voices from the past, lessons for the future

    If walls could talk, and pictures are worth a thousand words, the Air Force’s Art Gallery’s new exhibit honoring the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War could tell the story of a generation of service men and women who served during the conflict.

  • USAFE band member discovers family history on Memorial Day

    Senior Airman Colby Fahrenbacher, a tuba player in the U.S. Air Forces in Europe Band, grew up hearing stories about his great-uncle Merle Noffsinger, who served with the Army Air Force. Fahrenbacher's great-uncle, Tech. Sgt. Merle Noffsinger, was a gunner and bombardier on the B-24 Liberator, and

  • CHIEFchat: EPRs heading in the right direction

    The Air Force’s top enlisted leader addressed the new enlisted performance report and gave insight to feedback he’s received during his latest edition of CHIEFchat at the Defense Media Activity on Fort George G. Meade. Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James A. Cody encouraged Airmen to forget

  • AF releases Air Superiority 2030 Flight Plan

    The Air Force released a flight plan directing development activity as a result of a yearlong study focused on developing capability options to ensure joint force air superiority in 2030 and beyond.

  • Welsh shares AF priorities with AFA

    Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Welsh III gave his in-uniform presentation to members of the Air Force Association during the association’s breakfast at the Sheraton Hotel in Arlington, Virginia, May 26.

  • Airman finds direction in aircraft maintenance

    Reasons for joining the Air Force are varied. For Staff Sgt. Terrell Cole, a 660th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron communication/navigation mission system craftsman, joining the Air Force meant a future for himself and his future family.

  • Allergist educates military community about asthma

    Asthma is no disease to sneeze at. According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, 24 million Americans are affected by asthma, a chronic disease that causes airways to become inflamed and makes it hard to breathe. It’s estimated that 10 people die from it per day.

  • Special ops Airmen support exercise in Baltic region

    Members from the Air Force Special Operations Command and the U.S. Army Special Operations Command joined with Lithuanian, Latvian and Estonian special operations forces in Powidz, Poland, and Grafenwoehr, Germany, to participate in Trojan Footprint 16, a large-scale readiness exercise held May

  • 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

  • EOD craftsman balances family, mission

    Tech. Sgt. Kelly Badger, a 379th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron explosive ordnance disposal craftsman, continues to do what he does downrange not only for his immediate family, but also for his military family.

  • Exchange program works to retain Airmen

    In an effort to educate, retain and expand the views of Airmen at McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas, a civil engineer squadron member has recently started an Airmen exchange program.

  • Airman finds voice in virtual world

    Some people attach a social stigma to video games and the people who play them -- when they picture a gamer, they don’t think of a well-lit room, socialization and a strong sense of community. Airman 1st Class Anthony Webb isn’t the stereotypical gamer. His dorm room is set up as a small studio,

  • 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

  • Sirius Potatoes wins StellarXplorers STEM competition

    Sirius Potatoes, a team from Palos Verdes Peninsula High School in Rolling Hills Estates, California, recently won the StellarXplorers space system design competition at the Space Foundation’s 32nd Space Symposium in Colorado Springs.

  • Flight plan outlines next 20 years for RPA

    Air Force leaders outlined what the next 20 years will look like for remotely piloted aircraft in the Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems Flight Plan published April 30.

  • 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.

  • Total force effort trains future KC-46 pilots

    A group of total force Airmen has been selected to participate in the initial operational test and evaluation of the KC-46 Pegasus as the Air Force prepares for the tanker’s arrival to McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas.

  • GPS registers most accurate signal yet

    On April 25, the Air Force’s GPS registered its most accurate signal yet, according to the Aerospace Corporation, which has been monitoring the data since 2002.

  • 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.

  • New names enshrined at annual EOD memorial event

    Dressed in the bright whites, deep blues and dense blacks of their service uniforms, Airmen, Marines, Sailors, and Soldiers came together once again May 7 to honor their fallen explosive ordnance disposal brethren during an annual memorial ceremony at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida.

  • Surviving the Holocaust: Former Soldier, AF civilian tells his story

    Fear. In one word, Bob Behr used fear to describe how he and most of the Jewish community in Germany lived their lives from 1933 until the mid-1940s. In that time, Behr would suffer persecution, work in forced labor, be arrested and sent to the Theresienstadt “camp-ghetto” with his family, and

  • 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

  • Around the Air Force: April 29

    This look around the Air Force features the president's nomination for the next chief of staff of the Air Force, current CSAF Gen. Mark A. Welsh III is honored by the Order of the Sword, and 12 Airmen deployed to Ecuador to assess damage caused by an earthquake.

  • New electronic health record system receives name

    Military Health System (MHS) officials say the new electronic health record (EHR) will be called MHS GENESIS and is set to be launched at the end of 2016. To keep pace with medical advances and innovations in technology, the Defense Department has purchased a state-of-the-art EHR that will continue

  • 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.

  • Airmen support earthquake relief efforts in Ecuador

    The United States, in coordination with the Ecuadorian government, deployed 12 U.S. Airmen to Ecuador this week to support ongoing international relief efforts for victims of the 7.8-magnitude earthquake that struck the South American country April 16.

  • Leading the next generation of AF medics

    It’s a little after 7:30 a.m. and the stampede has finally cleared the hallways. There’s a moment of silence, the first since arriving to work three hours prior. The five-story building is nearly desolate now, but a multitude of paperwork and tasks remain to be done before the 800-plus military

  • Enlisted corps bestows highest honor upon Welsh

    Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Welsh III was inducted into the Air Force Order of the Sword during a ceremony April 22 in Montgomery, Alabama. An ancient tradition adopted by the Air Force in 1967, the Order of the Sword is the highest level of honor and tribute the enlisted corps can give

  • 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

  • Eglin Airman selected by Welsh for unique commissioning program

    An Airman’s cell phone rings, but he doesn’t answer because for him personal calls can wait until after work. It rings again; he lets it go to voicemail. On the third call he finally answers and is shocked to discover Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Welsh III on the line. During the call,

  • Airman swims into university’s hall of fame

    For one 96th Test Wing Airman, the wild blue yonder isn't overhead but below and in front of his gaze as he stands on the starting block waiting for his signal. Upon the alert, he blasts off and pierces his calm blue horizon to begin a competitive swim. Senior Airman Francisco Perez Castillo, a 96th

  • 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.