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U.S. Air Force News

  • AFGSC completes first New START bomber conversion

    Air Force Global Strike Command has begun the conversion of a portion of the B-52H bomber fleet from a nuclear to a conventional only capability aircraft under the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START).

  • Our enlisted heritage: A look back at how teamwork shaped the modern AF

    A wealth of knowledge filled the room when five former chief master sergeants of the Air Force took the stage to share perspectives and stories about how they have inspired and been inspired by the modern Air Force during the Air Force Association’s Air and Space Conference and Technology Exposition

  • Air Force Materiel Command: Aerospace revolutionaries

    Gen. Ellen M. Pawlikowski, the Air Force Materiel Command commander, showcased AFMC’s revolutionary capabilities in her address at the Air Force Association’s Air and Space Conference and Technology Exposition Sept. 15.

  • Carter: DOD must embrace future to remain best force

    Two days before the Air Force’s 68th birthday, Defense Secretary Ash Carter said Sept. 16, at the Air Force Association’s Air and Space Conference and Technology Exposition 2015, that the military must embrace the future to remain the best force.The defense secretary said the gathering’s theme,

  • AFSPC: Space, cyberspace provide advantages, challenges

    The Air Force Space Command commander explained how space and cyberspace domains are integral components in modern and future operations during a speech at the 2015 Air Force Association Air and Space Conference and Technology Exposition Sept. 15.

  • ACC commander talks 5th generation warfare, innovation at AFA

    Gen. Hawk Carlisle, the Air Combat Command commander, addressed advances in 5th generation warfare and the importance of delivering cutting-edge technology during the second day of the Air Force Association's Air and Space Conference and Technology Exposition.

  • Welsh cites heroes, talks modernization during Air Force Update

    Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Welsh III shared the spotlight with a cross-section of people he called his heroes during an emotional multimedia presentation at the Air Force Association’s Air and Space Conference and Technology Exposition Sept. 15 in Washington D.C.

  • AF releases Future Operating Concept

    Today the Air Force officially released the Air Force Future Operating Concept, which is the latest in a series of strategic documents designed to guide the organizing, training, and equipping of the force over the coming decades.

  • Airmen 2.0: The Air Force’s human capital plan

    A panel of personnel experts talked about the way ahead for equipping, training and growing future Airmen as part of a discussion during the 2015 Air Force Association Air and Space Conference and Technology Exposition Sept. 15 in Washington D.C.

  • Imperative innovation in austere times

    Chief Scientist of the Air Force and other senior leaders conducted a panel discussion about the importance of innovation in a time of austerity during the 2015 Air Force Association Air and Space Conference and Technology Exposition Sept. 14.

  • Air Force members receive 2014 International Affairs Excellence Award

    Air Force members accepted the 2014 International Affairs Excellence Award during the Air Force Association’s 2015 Air and Space Conference and Technology Exposition Sept. 14. This was the first year the award was split into four categories: officer, enlisted, senior civilian and junior civilian.

  • Building friendships, partnerships in the Pacific

    Gen. Lori Robinson, the Pacific Air Forces commander, emphasized the importance of multinational partnerships throughout the Pacific region as the key to stabilization and continuing progress during a speech she made at the 2015 Air Force Association Air and Space Conference and Technology

  • SecAF explores history, future of aerospace nation at AFA

    In her remarks at the Air Force Association’s Air and Space Conference and Technology Exposition Sept. 14, the Air Force’s top civilian said the service will need to reduce bureaucracy, enhance innovation and invest in its people to successfully expand, advance and reinvent the aerospace nation.

  • Ramstein Airmen help renovate Georgian school

    For the past month, the hallways of Gori Public School No. 4 were alive with the sounds of construction workers sanding, sawing, tearing down, building up and transforming what looked like a century-old building. The transformation continued till just hours before the Aug. 31 culminating ceremony,

  • Aircraft communications maintainers make RPA missions possible

    In a world where cockpits aren't in the plane, these traditional communications Airmen are put in a maintenance environment to link the ground control station, also known as the RPA cockpit, to the aircraft. This capability allows the pilot and sensor operator to control the plane, both locally and

  • First operational F-35As arrive at Hill AFB

    The Air Force ushered in a new era of combat air power today as Hill Air Force Base received the service's first two operational F-35As.Hill's active duty 388th Fighter Wing and Reserve 419th Fighter Wing will be the first combat-coded units to fly and maintain the Air Force's newest

  • Polish, US forces improve interoperability at Lask AB

    Four F-16 Fighting Falcons, two F-22 Raptors and a C-130 Hercules arrived at Lask Air Base Aug. 31. The Airmen and aircraft are in Poland for separate flying training events with allies to demonstrate the countries' shared commitment to the collective security of NATO and the enduring peace and

  • MQ-1s test deployment capability in Latvia

    Two MQ-1 Predator remotely piloted aircraft and approximately 70 Airmen deployed to Lielvarde Air Base, Latvia, to test the unit's ability to forward deploy, and to conduct air operations while assuring NATO allies of our commitment to regional security and stability.

  • F-22 inaugural deployment to Europe

    Four F-22 Raptors, one C-17 Globemaster III, and approximately 60 Airmen arrived at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, to train with allied air forces and U.S. services through mid-September.

  • 3rd AF commander charts path to organizational success

    In the 9th grade he made up his mind.Lt. Gen. Timothy M. Ray, the 3rd Air Force and 17th Expeditionary Air Force commander, had dreams of flying his whole life, and at the end of his freshman year of high school, determined the U.S. Air Force Academy would make his dream a reality.

  • New commander expresses confidence in TRANSCOM

    Upon assuming command of U.S. Transportation Command at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, Aug. 26, Gen. Darren W. McDew expressed faith in TRANSCOM’s ability to sustain rapid, global response for the Defense Department in the air, at sea and on land.

  • Integration lab to support C-5 software, hardware upgrades

    The C-5 System Integration Lab at Robins Air Force Base has been preparing to accommodate upcoming changes to the weapon system's color weather radar capabilities for the last several months.Full-scale development is now underway by Lockheed Martin to update to a new version of the color weather

  • SecAF speaks on acquisition, partnerships at Hanscom

    Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James discussed her top priorities with Airmen and state officials while emphasizing the importance of the acquisition base and its partnerships during a visit to Hanscom Air Force Base Aug. 20-21.

  • Airmen experience multinational Red Flag-Alaska

    A 16-foot wooden table stretches between aircrew lockers and cabinets. A red toolbox sits at one end of the table. Helmets, oxygen masks and parachutes are within sight. The room is temporarily housing members with 374th Operations Support Squadron aircrew flight equipment for the duration of Red

  • Reapers, Predators on the prowl in Afghanistan

    Airmen assigned to the 62nd Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron provide world-class close air support and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance in the Afghanistan area of operations. They complete this mission by maintaining, launching and recovering all MQ-1B Predators and MQ-9 Reapers in

  • Mobility Airmen recover radiological material from Mexico

    Headquarters Air Mobility Command, in close partnership with the Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration, recently executed a C-17 Globemaster III mission to repatriate three Husman irradiators containing radioactive material from Mexico to the U.S. for final disposition.

  • Air Force Global Strike Command commander visits USSTRATCOM

    Gen. Robin Rand, the Air Force Global Strike Command commander, met with. Navy Adm. Cecil D. Haney, the U.S. Strategic Command commander, other senior USSTRATCOM leaders and subject matter experts to discuss a variety of mission-related issues during his visit to Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska,

  • AF adopts new dragon

    Lt. Gen. Bill Bender, the Air Force chief information officer, and Maj. Gen. Martin Whelan, the Air Force director of future operations, have partnered to increase awareness of the importance of operations security and cybersecurity to protect the Air Force mission, personnel and their families.

  • 45 years on alert: Minot conducts Minuteman III test launch

    The 91st Missile Wing completed an operational test launch of an unarmed LGM-30G Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, Aug. 19, continuing its mission of providing strategic deterrence for the U.S. and their allies. The launch fell on the 45th

  • Whiteman B-2s, Airmen maintain readiness in Guam

    About 225 Airmen and three B-2 Spirits from Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri, deployed to Andersen AFB, Guam, Aug. 7 to conduct familiarization training activities in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region.

  • Tech Report: The KC-46A Pegasus

    For over 50 years the KC-135 Stratotanker has been the Air Force's premiere in-flight refueling tanker -- but that's all about to change.

  • Motivated by education, opportunity: Airman finds second home with AF

    Many words are used to describe the United States; some call it the land of plenty, freedom or equality, but at least one Airman regards it as the land of opportunity.Airman 1st Class Bin Ma, a 20th Comptroller Squadron financial services technician, departed Wuhan, China, in 2008 to start his

  • RPAs prove vital in fight against ISIL

    From August 2014 to August 2015, the 432nd Wing has directly supported Operation Inherent Resolve, a U.S. Central Command and partner nation's campaign to conduct targeted airstrikes in Iraq and Syria as part of the comprehensive strategy to degrade and defeat the Islamic State of Iraq and the

  • Sorties across the stratosphere

    The enemy should fear what it can’t see. At high altitudes toward the edge of space, the U-2S is invisible to the naked eye, transmitting critical intelligence to the warfighters below.

  • 25 years on the hunt

    The 55th Wing's personnel and its RC-135V/W Rivet Joint hit 25 years of continuous deployment to U.S. Central Command's area of responsibility Aug. 9. What started out as a single-ship response to Iraq's invasion of Kuwait on Aug. 2, 1990, has now turned into what is believed to be the longest

  • SecAF gains perspective of Beale's ISR mission

    Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James visited Beale Air Force Base to get an up-close view of the high-altitude intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance mission Aug. 10-12.

  • AMC welcomes new commander

    Air Mobility Command changed leaders Aug. 11, as Gen. Carlton D. Everhart II assumed command from Gen. Darren W. McDew during a 10 a.m. ceremony at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois.

  • Airmen enable Marines in Iraq

    Marines, Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen work around the clock to sustain and improve the Task Force Al Taqaddum advise and assist site at Al Taqaddum, Iraq. Each service and section plays an important role in ensuring the success of this mission, part of Operation Inherent Resolve.

  • Can’t spell test without TES

    More than 60 Air Mobility Command Test and Evaluation Squadron Airmen and civilians -- many of whom are former pilots and maintainers -- use their aircrew backgrounds to update and advance aircraft components in safe and innovative ways.

  • McChord Airman to be honored as hero

    Senior Airman Joshua Calhoun, a 62nd Maintenance Squadron precision measurement equipment laboratory journeyman, will be recognized as a hero during the American Red Cross Northwest Region 2015 annual Heroes Luncheon for risking his own life while rescuing a surfer who got stranded on a rocky cliff

  • Not your average wingman

    Every day as the sun rises above the horizon, Yokota Air Base's defenders are already hard at work keeping the base safe. Their day begins when they are assigned a patrol car, protective equipment and their partner. Just like in civilian law enforcement, military patrolmen place their lives in their

  • AF funds development of high-performance munitions technology

    The Air Force Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Technology Transfer program office recently provided nearly $400,000 of additional funding for a SBIR effort that will give the warfighter an affordable, high-performance millimeter wave seeker technology for high-performance munitions.

  • Colorado AF reservists fighting California fires from the sky

    Two Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System-equipped aircraft arrived at McClellan Air Tanker Base in Sacramento, California, from the Air Force Reserve Command's 302nd Airlift Wing at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado, Aug. 3, to assist in fighting the Rocky Fire northwest of Sacramento, California,

  • AF Global Strike Command establishes school for its best, brightest

    The Cold War ended in 1991, and with it, a comprehensive knowledge of the nation's deterrence capability. The link between strategic deterrence and technical competence faded away, with Airmen often gaining expertise in other areas, according to Air Force Global Strike Command staff. This shortage

  • Jamming the enemy with joint integration

    Leaving the flight deck of the EA-6B Prowler behind for a few years, Marine Corps Capt. Jonathon Leach from Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina, joins the Desert Lightning Team.

  • Eye in the sky, RPA Airmen in the Red Flag fight

    The sun beats down on the dry Nevada desert, bringing a smell of fuel that fills the air. Engines begin roaring to life as the Airmen of the 432nd Wing prepare to support Red Flag 15-3 from July 13-31.

  • Air Force vice chief of staff discusses education, innovation

    Air Force Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Larry O. Spencer and Jack Buckley, the senior vice president of research for the College Board, spoke about innovation and education during the Military Child Education Coalition’s 17th National Training Seminar July 31.

  • Cognitive computers primed to change the Air Force acquisition landscape

    Cognitive thinking machines that can critically analyze and process information accurately and at a rate faster than human capability are the type of meta-advance technologies that Sci-Fi fanatics dream of, and the Air Force is seeking to leverage this innovative technology in the world of

  • Dover Airmen survive land, water training

    There are only two survival, evasion, resistance and escape specialists assigned to the 436th Operations Support Squadron at Dover Air Force Base, Delaware, but they are responsible for providing survival training to more than 1,000 aircrew members, including aircrews from the Air National Guard

  • New interrogation system installed on AWACS, more in pipeline

    The E-3 Sentry AWACS Next Generation Identification Friend or Foe (NGIFF) program office from Hanscom Air Force Base, Massachusetts, recently completed the first installation of the new AN/UPX-40 system, which also brings new enhancements onto an operational AWACS at Tinker AFB, Oklahoma.

  • Rand takes command of AF Global Strike Command

    Gen. Robin Rand took command of Air Force Global Strike Command during a ceremony at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, July 28, becoming the newest leader of the organization responsible for the nation's force of ICBMs and nuclear-capable bombers.

  • Innovative Airmen recognized by AF vice chief of staff

    Air Force Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Larry O. Spencer presented the inaugural General Larry O. Spencer Innovation Awards July 23 at the Pentagon, to Airmen who made the most significant contributions to saving Air Force financial and manpower resources this year.

  • Exercise tests, demonstrates new DOD capabilities

    As a C-17 Globemaster III flown by the Air National Guard slowly made its way down the Offutt Air Force Base flightline July 23, ambulances from the Omaha Fire and Rescue Department along with other local emergency response vehicles waited just outside an aircraft parking ramp.This was all part of

  • Seventh WGS satellite launch successful after weather delay

    Twenty-five dedicated Space and Missile Systems Center personnel put off their mad dash to jam the streets of Los Angeles, and instead, gathered in the Gordon Conference Center at the Schriever Space Complex, California, on July 23. These active-duty and civilian employees observed the culmination

  • Ground testing for F-35 gun conducted at Edwards AFB

    The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Integrated Test Force is in the process of testing the F-35A Lightning II’s newest munitions asset, a four-barrel Gatling gun that fires 25 mm rounds known as the GAU-22/A.

  • 3rd largest wideband enterprise terminal upgrade in progress

    A key system that helps ensure the global free flow of information throughout all military branches and other government agencies is undergoing a major overhaul. Led by a team at Hanscom Air Force Base, the Air Force Wideband Enterprise Terminal system is receiving its third largest upgrade to date,

  • Zelda's tower

    For 35 years, Zelda Montoya has stood in her tower, overlooking flightlines around the world and guiding aircraft to and from home. To her, the sky is not made up of fleecy clouds and endless expanses of blue, but rather lines, grids and waypoints.

  • GPS IIF-10 successfully launched from Cape Canaveral

    The Air Force and its mission partners successfully launched the tenth Boeing-built Global Positioning System IIF satellite aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V launch vehicle from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, at 11:36 a.m. EDT.

  • CMSAF, Airmen display resiliency on Mt. Fuji

    Airmen from Yokota Air Base, Japan, tested many of the Comprehensive Airman Fitness pillars as they climbed Japan's tallest mountain on July 11. To reach the summit of Mount Fuji, hikers had to climb over 5,000 feet, starting at the fifth station at an altitude of 7,562 feet, and ending at the

  • AF rolls out details to improve RPA mission

    In response to a critical shortage of remotely piloted aircraft pilots, the Air Force rolled out more details of its plan to fix the problem in both the short and long term. The most recent initiatives include creating bonuses for RPA pilots of $15,000 per year beginning in fiscal year 2016; placing

  • Harrigian cites sustainment center’s F-35 support

    The head of the Air Force's F-35 Lightning II integration team cited the Air Force Sustainment Center's overall joint strike fighter support during a visit to the center’s headquarters at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma, July 10.

  • Airmen share aerial refueling tactics with Royal Australian AF

    U.S. Air Force members demonstrated forward aerial refueling tactics with Australian Army and Royal Australian Air Force personnel July 8 during Talisman Sabre 2015. The training demonstration helped provide Australian forces with the knowledge to establish similar capabilities for their future

  • Flag creates deep bond between grandfather and grandson

    The U.S. military has a rich history, beginning with the Continental Army and extending to present day operations around the world, but for Senior Airman Steven Adkins, his own military history can be found in his backpack.

  • US takes partnerships to new heights

    U.S. Air Force and Army counterparts joined together with service members from nine allied countries to participate in International Jump Week at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, July 6-10.

  • Jackson speaks on way ahead for Air Force Reserve

    The head of Air Force Reserve Command discussed the Reserve’s future role in F-35 Lightning II maintenance manning, along with other initiatives July 7. Lt. Gen. James F. Jackson spoke at the Air Force Association’s monthly breakfast at the Key Bridge Marriott in Arlington, Virginia.

  • Tech Report: The Global Hawk

    It seems the coolest new toys out there involve drones. Check out this week's Tech Report, which highlights one of the most prestigious of them all: the RQ-4 Global Hawk.

  • Blast from the past: Last M117 bomb dropped near Guam coast

    Airmen from the 20th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron -- with the help of 36th Munitions Squadron Airmen -- dropped the final M117 air-dropped general purpose bomb in the Pacific Air Force's inventory June 26 on an uninhabited island off the coast of Guam.

  • B-52s demonstrate strategic reach

    Two B-52 Stratofortresses assigned to the 2nd Bomb Wing at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, returned July 2 from a 44-hour, nonstop mission to Australia.

  • SecAF visits key operating locations in European theater

    Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James completed a multination visit throughout Europe June 13-24. The secretary met with Airmen, civilians, host nation community leaders, and allied and partner nation military leaders in countries including Germany, Belgium and Poland during her second visit

  • Western Hemisphere air chiefs work together at annual conference

    United-Allied -- this is the motto of the System of Cooperation Among the American Air Forces, an organization comprised of more than 20 air force leaders from across the Western Hemisphere, who met June 22-26 in Mexico City for a summit known as the Conference of American Air Chiefs.