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  • STRATCOM chief talks nuclear deterrence, modernization

    The global security environment calls for a continued strong nuclear deterrent along with modernization for elements of the nuclear triad and advanced training for U.S. Strategic Command’s workforce, the STRATCOM commander said Jan. 22 during a Washington, D.C., event.

  • Stratcom Chief: Minot AFB case shows integrity of nuclear enterprise

    The Air Force's aggressive response when missile-launch crews at Minot Air Force Base, N.D., fell short of established standards during an inspection in March underscores the integrity of the  nuclear weapons program, the commander of U.S. Strategic Command told Congress May 9."I do think they

  • STRATCOM commander addresses nuclear challenges

    The commander of the U.S. Strategic Command addressed nuclear deterrence challenges at the Air Force Association Air & Space Conference and Technology Exposition 2010 here Sept. 13.Gen. Kevin P. Chilton outlined the command's framework to meet ever-changing and complex requirements in a modern,

  • STRATCOM commander discusses mission, future of Global Strike

    The commander of U.S. Strategic Command discussed the mission and future of Air Force Global Strike Command at an all-call here July 15."The skills that we have for the nuclear deterrence mission will be needed as far into the future as I can see," Gen. C. Robert Kehler said. "As long as we have

  • STRATCOM commander hosts ICBM stakeholders meeting

    During his visit to F.E. Warren Air Force Base April 27-28, Navy Adm. Cecil D. Haney, the U.S. Strategic Command commander, reinforced how essential the intercontinental ballistic missile mission is, and some face to face engagement allowed Haney to seek bottom-up feedback from Airmen of all ranks.

  • STRATCOM commander: 'No higher calling' than nuclear mission

    The commander of U.S. Strategic Command visited all five Air Force Global Strike Command bases Nov. 30 and Dec. 1, telling Airmen "there is no higher calling" than the nuclear deterrence mission.Speaking to hundreds of Airmen at commander's calls at each stop, Gen. Kevin P. Chilton emphasized how

  • STRATCOM deputy commander receives fourth star

    Air Force Gen. Stephen W. Wilson, the U.S. Strategic Command deputy commander, received his fourth star July 22 during a promotion ceremony at the parade field on Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska.

  • STRATCOM leader charts nuclear path for American military

    The U.S. Strategic Command commander here recently laid out his vision for the future of America's strategic deterrence mission and the importance of nuclear stewardship. Gen. Kevin P. Chilton also outlined the necessary measures to correct the accountability and day-to-day management issues with

  • STRATCOM nominee cites multiple security challenges

    The United States is confronting security threats that are complex, unremitting and compelling, Gen. C. Robert Kehler told the Senate Armed Services Committee during his confirmation hearing Nov. 18.General Kehler is President Barack Obama's nominee to become the chief of U.S. Strategic Command,

  • STRATCOM strives to build coalitions for space operations

    Recognizing the value of multinational coalitions for operations in the land, maritime and air domains, officials at U.S. Strategic Command here hope to forge a coalition that shares assets and capabilities in space.The U.S. and its allies are discussing details for the first agreement of its kind

  • STRATCOM supports shuttle in return to flight

    Two and a half years have passed since the tragedy of the Space Shuttle Columbia accident brought the nation’s manned space flight program to a grinding halt.Now, as the National Aeronautics and Space Administration prepares to re-enter the final frontier, U.S. Strategic Command is standing by as

  • STRATCOM welcomes Hyten as new commander

    Gen. John E. Hyten took command of U.S. Strategic Command from Navy Adm. Cecil D. Haney during a change of command ceremony at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, Nov. 3.

  • Strategic Airlift Capability conducts first flight in support of ISAF

    Members of the Strategic Airlift Capability conducted its first mission in support of the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan Sept. 29. The first ISAF-related flight by SAC's operational component, the Heavy Airlift Wing based in Papa Air Base in Hungary, delivered materiel to

  • Strategic bombers, Airmen deploy to United Kingdom

    B-52H Stratofortresses from Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, and about 800 Airmen from Air Force Global Strike Command deployed to Royal Air Force Fairford to support a number of exercises with joint partners, and U.K. and NATO allies.

  • Strategic Command plans for unexpected, commander says

    The last thing Air Force Gen. C. Robert Kehler wants is to be caught by surprise.He is the point man for the U.S. nuclear arsenal as well as space, cyber, ballistic missile and other capabilities. As commander of U.S. Strategic Command, Kehler's job is to ensure U.S. deterrence remains so strong

  • Strategic Command units win awards

    Three U.S. Strategic Command units have been selected recently for the Omaha Trophy, which is presented annually to units demonstrating the highest standards of performance. Selection for the award is based on formal evaluations, meritorious achievement, safety, and other factors such as community

  • Strategic Command: Cuts could erode capabilities

    The U.S. Strategic Command can execute its full mission responsibilities today, but the impacts of fiscal uncertainty and declining resources in the next six months or a year could change that, Air Force Gen. C. Robert Kehler said today.Testifying here before the House Armed Services Committee,

  • Strategic communication applies to every Airman

    All Airmen have within themselves the ability to be strategic communicators and share the Air Force story with the public, said the Air Force's director of strategic communication at the Pentagon. "Airmen should be proud of who they are and what they do, and they should be proud to share that with

  • Strategic forces authorized service medal

    The commander of U.S. Strategic Command has authorized the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal for all servicemembers assigned, attached or mobilized to the command for at least 30 consecutive days on or after Sept. 11, 2001.The medal is awarded to people involved in supporting operations against

  • Strategic leadership courses available for civilians

    Civilian leadership development officials here are seeking nominations for an out-of-cycle selection board to identify senior-level civilians for strategic leadership development opportunities in the 2011 academic year.Strategic Leadership Education Level I is open to Air Force civil service

  • Strategic maintenance gives Airmen diverse experience

    Maintainers spend thousands of hours keeping transport aircraft flying during the course of a rotation to this desert base. So when Airmen from the 8th Expeditionary Air Mobility Squadron maintenance flight show up for work, they know they will be busy. The flight’s mission is to provide strategic

  • Strategic planners give glimpse of tomorrow's mobility force

    Air Mobility Command strategic planners gave an insider's view into the future of air mobility  at the 40th annual Airlift/Tanker Association Conference Nov. 10 here. The air mobility future contains airlifters able to takeoff and land on extremely short and unprepared airfields, aircraft

  • Strategic, Space command officials improve GPS coverage

    Officials from the U.S. Strategic Command and Air Force Space Command here initiated an effort that will improve global coverage for users of the Global Positioning System constellation. The need to support U.S. and allied military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, where terrain in geographically

  • Strategy calls for military to handle full range of contingencies

    The American military will be leaner in the years ahead, but it will remain lethal and without a match in the world, President Barack Obama said at the Pentagon on Jan. 5.Obama, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta and Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, detailed the

  • Strategy school changes name, expands

    To reflect the growing importance of space capabilities to the warfighter and the need for air and space strategists, Air University's School of Advanced Airpower Studies is changing its name and expanding.For the newly named School of Advanced Air and Space Studies here, the student body will

  • Stratofortresses test operational skills in Koa Lightning

    B-52 Stratofortresses and aircrews demonstrated the Air Force's global reach and global power by participating in the latest Koa Lightning exercise Aug. 21 through 23 from Andersen Air Force Base. Airmen of the 20th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron, deployed from Barksdale AFB, La., flew 18 hours

  • Stratotanker crew comes to aid of F-16 pilot

    The Yogi Berra saying that “it ain't over ‘till it’s over” seems to be the most appropriate way to describe one particular flight over Iraq in October, when a KC-135 Stratotanker crew thought they had completed their mission and were returning to their forward-deployed base.“We had already secured

  • Stratotankers provide more than refueling capabilities

    The KC-135 Stratotankers of the 351st Air Refueling Squadron here have recently added aeromedical evacuation and airlift missions to their “been there, done that” list. Including medevac and airlift missions to the KC-135’s responsibilities helps leaders meet two of the Air Force’s primary missions:

  • Streamlined ancillary, expeditionary skills training eliminates redundancy

    New policy, released in March, streamlined redundant and outdated ancillary training programs and aligned expeditionary skills training with warfighter requirements. However, Air Force leaders recently addressed the time requirement to complete ancillary training after discovering a common

  • Streamlined disability evaluation system introduced at Elmendorf

    Wounded, ill and injured Airmen entering into the Disability Evaluation System here are now enrolled in a new pilot evaluation process. This new joint Department of Defense-Veterans Affairs effort is designed to streamline and expedite disability recovery and processing to create improved treatment,

  • Streamlined operations merit award for Warner Robins

    The Warner Robins Air Logistics Center received an award for its efforts to streamline its C-5 Galaxy aircraft repair and overhaul processes. The Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences announced May 1 that the center won the 2006 Franz Edelman Award for Achievement in

  • Strength in recovery: victim becomes advocate

    It was not the 21st birthday she was expecting. She got off of work at midnight, and her coworker asked her if she wanted to celebrate. Tired, but still wanting to have some fun, she agreed.

  • Strengthening alliances with music

    The U.S. Air Force Band of the Pacific performed at the 2015 Japan Self-Defense Force Marching Festival at the Nippon Budokan Arena in Tokyo Nov. 13-15.

  • Strengthening partnerships in the Pacific

    The U.S. and Royal Australian Air Forces teamed up to train at Exercise Global Dexterity 23-2 at RAAF Base Amberley in Queensland, Australia, Nov. 27 - Dec. 8, 2023.

  • Strengthening partnerships with the renewable energy industry

    An Air Force Renewable Energy Symposium, like the one being held here June 28 and 29, provides industry members a chance to learn about opportunities to partner with the Air Force to increase the use of renewable energy on installations across the United States. This symposium marks the second time

  • Strengthening Ties with Bilateral Exchange

    For over 20 years, Yokota Air Base, Japan has participated in the Bilateral Exchange Program, in which Japan Air Self-Defense Force Airmen experience what it’s like to work as U.S. Air Force Airmen.

  • Stress levels high among servicemembers

    Military deployments and other activities that keep servicemembers away from home are upping stress levels among people in uniform, a new Defense Department survey reveals.The 2002 Survey of Health Related Behaviors Among Military Personnel, released March 8, showed that about one-third of the

  • Stress management critical for servicemembers

    In times of war, stress is inevitable. With the closure of the flightline here, added stress will be introduced, but the mental health clinic is providing seminars to deal with the situation."(Stress) impacts all areas of life -- honestly," said Maj. James Young, Mental Health Clinic flight

  • Stress management team helps when it counts

    Life-altering events have different effects on people, and a team of stress management specialists here help people deal with these events.The critical-incident stress management team features specialists trained to help prevent or mitigate stress when a sudden death, tragedy, serious injury or

  • Stressed parents get help with new program

    With April designated as Child Abuse Prevention Month, the Defense Department is highlighting its commitment to preventing child abuse and neglect among military families, especially through the Family Advocacy Program, and providing those who need it with counseling.The FAP focuses on strengthening

  • Stretching program loosens up work force

    Robins workers will soon be loose and ready for whatever may come along thanks to a new stretch and flex program. The program provides a five- to six-minute series of stretching exercises before beginning work shifts and throughout the day as needed.The program's activities focus on musculoskeletal

  • Stride-for-stride

    Second Lt. William Yau, 742nd Missile Squadron deputy missile combat crew commander, has been admiringly chasing his older brother James since they were young boys growing up in Troy, Michigan.

  • Strike Eagle pilot honored with Air Force safety award

    A pilot who landed a crippled F-15E Strike Eagle after taking off from Kunsan Air Base, Korea, received the Air Force's most prestigious flight safety award here June 29.Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley presented Capt. Hans Buckwalter, of the 366th Fighter Wing at Mountain Home Air Force

  • Strike Eagle pilots destroy targets

    Capt. Jonathon Breingan, an F-15E Strike Eagle pilot with the 336th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, is proud that his airframe relies on two people sitting in its seats."We take the enemy head-on," he said. "We go out and destroy targets. It's what we do best, and we're the best in the Air Force

  • Strike Eagles destroy Ba'ath leadership facility

    A pair of Air Force F-15E Strike Eagles attacked a Ba'ath Party headquarters building in southern Iraq on March 28, where some 200 leaders of the Iraqi "irregular forces" were meeting.According to Maj. Gen. Victor Renuart, U.S. Central Command director of operations, the attack was meant to destroy

  • Strike Eagles make debut in Cope Tiger exercise

    Aircrews battling it out over Thailand during Cope Tiger ’04 are facing an unfamiliar foe. F-15E Strike Eagles are participating for the first time in the exercise’s 10-year history.“We can relate to all of the exercise players by virtue of flying a dual-role fighter with both air-to-air and

  • Strike Eagles 'rain thunder' on enemy

    When an F-15E Strike Eagle goes by low and fast, the ground shakes and even crew chiefs with years of experience with the aircraft can be surprised. With its advanced sensors and wide array of weapons, enemy forces don't have to see or hear the F-15E for it to strike them. "We can find targets on

  • Strike Eagles roar above the Pacific

    Eighteen F-15E Strike Eagles and more than 400 Airmen from the 389th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho, arrived June 4 here to help maintain deterrent capabilities in the Pacific. The mission is part of a scheduled air expeditionary force rotation for the 389th EFS,

  • Strike Eagles support ‘guys on the ground’

    While originally designed as a fighter-bomber, the F-15E Strike Eagle took on a new mission during the past three years. Today, it is almost strictly used for close-air support, giving troops on the ground added air protection and precise target elimination, officials said.“Three years ago no one

  • Strike Eagles surpass 8,000 combat hours, support unique missions

    Airmen from the 336th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron achieved a milestone here when they surpassed 8,000 combat hours in the F-15E Strike Eagle while providing security to coalition forces. The aircrew for the mission included Capt. Jaina Donberg, the F-15E pilot and a native of Arlington, Va., and

  • Strike teams push out aid for Hurricane Dolly victims

    For nearly a quarter million people, calm is beginning to settle across the south Texas Rio Grande region after the relentless lashing that Hurricane Dolly doled out recently. This calm is due in part by the relief efforts of strike task forces that set out before dawn July 24 to set up points of

  • Strike up the band!

    Country and soul recording artist Lari White, gospel and soul recording artist BeBe Winans, and Tech. Sgt. Darden Safely, a featured vocalist with the U.S. Air Force Band's Airmen of Note, sing "America the Beautiful" Dec. 16 for members of the 320th Air Expeditionary Wing at a deployed location.

  • Strikes target Fedayeen, other regime operations

    Coalition airmen kept the heat on the Iraqi regime March 29 with precision strikes on Fedayeen, air-defense and command-and-control facilities.Coalition aircraft bombed the main training facility of the Fedayeen paramilitary forces in eastern Baghdad. The Fedayeen in this area are in charge of

  • Striking the heart of the enemy

    Since November 2014, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) has suffered the loss of at least a dozen senior leaders due to coalition airstrikes. Airmen in the Strike Aircraft Maintenance Unit are doing their part to remind the world that arguably no one performs these missions better than

  • Stripes to bars: Tips on how to get commissioned

    Airmen looking to trade in their stripes for a set of bars can take advantage of five different commissioning programs offered by the Air Force. According to Melanie Mendez, 31st Force Support Squadron education and training specialist, enlisted Airmen have an advantage when applying for

  • Strolling Strings awaken young minds

    Members of the U.S. Air Force Strolling Strings played a mini-concert for the string orchestra class at Kalani High School here Sept. 14 as part of the Air Force's 60th anniversary celebration during Air Force Week Honolulu. The Strolling Strings is a key element to the United States Air Force Band

  • Strong families key to military’s strength, top NCO says

    Healthy military families are essential to guaranteeing the health of the overall force, the country’s senior noncommissioned officer said here today.Marine Corps Sgt. Maj. Bryan B. Battaglia, the senior enlisted advisor to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and his wife, Lisa, addressed

  • Strong military is key to long-term U.S. success, Gates says

    The ultimate guarantee against success of aggressors, dictators and terrorists in the 21st century is the size, strength and global reach of the United States military, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said May 22."Beyond the current wars, our military credibility, commitment and presence are

  • Stronger through adversity: Airman rebounding after aneurysm

    (This feature is part of the "Through Airmen's Eyes" series on AF.mil. These stories focus on a single Airman, highlighting their Air Force story.) Early on Dec. 9, 2015, Staff Sgt. Rasheed, a 7th Intelligence Squadron signals intelligence analyst, experienced a cerebral aneurysm. From what he can

  • Structural fire trainer saves lives, money

    Airmen with the 35th Civil Engineer Squadron's Fire and Emergency Services Flight here are honing their skills on a new structural fire trainer. The better training not only can translate into less injuries, but also it consolidates a variety of scenarios in one area: putting out fires, working in

  • Structural maintainers embrace joint-service environment

    As servicemembers fight the war on terrorism, joint operations between the Army and Air Force are happening in many facets, including some unexpected ones. Airmen from the 455th Expeditionary Maintenance Squadron aircraft structural maintenance shop and metals tech shop have pitched in to help the

  • Structural maintainers provide backbone of RPAs

    When people have a blemish, they see a dermatologist; when they have a physiological problem, they see an orthopedist. For the MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper, aircraft structural maintainers fill both the aesthetic and structural maintenance roles to keep remotely piloted aircraft in check.

  • Stuck in the mud

    Airmen from the 506th Expeditionary Operations Support Squadron here worked with their counterparts from the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing to remove a mail cargo plane that taxied off the Kirkuk taxiway and sank almost three feet into the mud. The plane was stuck between two taxiways for almost four

  • Student Civil Air Patrol program takes flight

    While some middle-school students spend their free time playing video games or watching television, a recently chartered organization here is giving future Airmen the opportunity to experience crossing into the blue as Civil Air Patrol cadets.Unlike ROTC, the cadets’ involvement is not graded as a

  • Student earns $128,000 for college

    An Osan American High School student here won a $128,000 scholarship for college and a guaranteed job with the Defense Intelligence Agency.Jason Pederson, an 18-year-old senior, applied for the scholarship at the prodding of his junior ROTC sergeant and will now receive an $18,000-a-year stipend.A

  • Student exchange promotes good will, good friends

    Students from East Elementary School here and from Keimei Gakuen School, Akishima-shi, Tokyo, Japan, enjoy a day of festivities at Friendship Field during a cultural exchange program here recently. The students participated in various activities and games including Frisbee toss, sack races and

  • Student 'flies' last T-37 simulator mission

    No one wants to be last in anything he or she does, especially when it comes to the highly-competitive Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training Program, the world's only multi-nationally run undergraduate pilot training organization. But 2nd Lt. Evan Negron, a 25-year-old Salem, N.J., native, said April

  • Student flies last T-37 training mission

    A familiar noise was missing from the 80th Flying Training Wing's aircraft parking ramp at about 2:30 p.m. June 17, one that has been prevalent in the Air Force's pilot training mission for 50 years -- the high-pitched screech of the T-37B Tweet. The final student training mission began at 1 p.m.,

  • Student invents new math process

    Killie Rick found a new solution to subtraction problems involving whole numbers and fractions. She used the concept of negative numbers in a way that has never been done before, as far as her seventh-grade teacher has been able to ascertain. The 12-year-old girl is the daughter of Terri Rick, a

  • Student loan forgiveness takes effect in October

    The first forgiveness of student loan balances under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program goes into effect for government employees this October. The program offers forgiveness for remaining balances due on William D. Ford federal direct loans after employees have made at least 120 loan

  • Student pilot earns second set of wings

    Capt. William Smith, a 14th Flying Training Wing Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training Class 15-02 student, became the first pilot to earn his silver wings in the new pilot-physician selection process during a graduation ceremony Nov. 21 at Columbus Air Force Base, Mississippi.

  • Student pilot gets first UAS assignment at Vance

    As part of an Air Force initiative to meet increased demands for its airborne intelligence, reconnaissance, surveillance, force protection and strike capabilities, student pilots in the Air Education and Training Command have a new potential assignment among the array of Air Force aircraft: unmanned

  • Student pilots find new meaning to phrase 'taking the bus'

    What has a wing, four tires, steer horns, tan couch cushions and makes animal noises?The answer is a bus for students attending a specialized undergraduate pilot training class here.“(We) came up with the idea for the bus when we met the night before pilot training started,” said Capt. Andy Builta,

  • Student pilots learn basics of aerospace physiology

    While most people think of parasailing as a vacation sport, it is just another part of training for specialized undergraduate pilot training students here.Experts from the 14th Medical Operations Squadron spend eight and a half days with students during their first phase of training. The

  • Student pilots reach course milestone: airborne refueling

    Nearly 18,000 feet above Southern Arizona's desert landscape, students in the A-10C Pilot Initial Qualification Course here completed their first air-to-air refueling mission during the week of April 26. Twelve pilots from the 358th Fighter Squadron and 13 from the 357th FS are enrolled in the

  • Student pilots receive nonjudicial punishment

    The last of 11 officers here received nonjudicial punishment for their roles in a cheating incident during the T-37 Tweet phase of specialized undergraduate pilot training.The officers, with ranks of second lieutenant through captain, were disciplined for their roles in cheating on emergency

  • Student set for medical college with Air Force scholarship

    As most 18-year-old students in the U.S. brush up on their grammar skills for college English 101 in the fall, Maria Kravchenko reviews advanced chemistry for medical school with help from the Air Force Medical Corps Health Professions Scholarship Program. Following graduation from the University of