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U.S. Air Force News

  • AF leaders testify on F-35 progress

    Leaders in the F-35 Lightning II Joint Program Office and the Air Force F-35 Integration Office testified on the fifth-generation aircraft’s development before a House Armed Services subcommittee Oct. 21 on Capitol Hill.

  • Air Force awards LRS-B contract

    The Air Force announced today the contract award of Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) and early production for the Long Range Strike Bomber to Northrop Grumman Corporation.

  • Air Force releases new SAPR strategy

    Air Force leaders released a five-year Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Strategy that will guide the Air Force in developing a robust prevention model while continually honing response capabilities today.

  • KC-46 test aircraft touches down at Edwards

    The KC-46 program's first test aircraft, a Boeing 767-2C (EMD-1), departed from its home at Boeing Field in Seattle and touched down at Edwards Air Force Base for the first time for testing Oct. 15.

  • U-2 brought to forefront with ‘Spies’ premiere

    The Air Force’s intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance mission areas were highlighted with the release of a major motion picture Oct. 16. The Air Force Entertainment Liaison Office teamed with movie producers to tell the story of Capt. Francis Gary Powers, an Air Force U-2 pilot who was shot

  • Radar upgrades ensure situation awareness

    A Battle Management program to improve Air Force long-range radar systems recently reached full operational capability when all long-range sites were certified and deemed effective.

  • Latin American cadets learn about airlift

    Dover Air Force Base officials hosted 26 cadets from 13 countries in Central and South America as they toured the base's transport aircraft types during a visit Oct. 15.

  • Pope Airman awarded DOD’s ‘Spirit of Hope’

    Tech. Sgt. Rebeca Martin, assigned to the U.S. Air Force Combat Control School, was honored by the Defense Department during a ceremony Oct. 16 at the Pentagon where she received the 2015 Spirit of Hope Award, named after the legendary entertainer Bob Hope to recognize selfless service and a

  • Airmen of New York's 109th AW begin Antarctic mission

    The takeoff of the New York Air National Guard's LC-130 Hercules ski-equipped aircraft here Oct. 16 marked the official start of the 109th Airlift Wing's 28th season of support to science research at the South Pole.

  • ‘A blood transfusion saved my life’

    "I do understand that it is a scary process for a lot of people to actually sit in that chair, have a needle put in and feel like a part of you is draining out, but you have to understand that it just takes a small part of you to make a whole of someone else," said 1st Lt. Fanita Schmidt, who

  • Planning a larger role for 3-D printing

    The Oklahoma City Air Logistics Complex is finalizing a strategic plan to integrate 3-D printing technology into nearly every aspect of its airpower sustainment mission.

  • Air Force sets weight restrictions for F-35 pilots

    Air Force leaders recently made a decision to restrict pilots weighing less than 136 pounds from flying the F-35A Lightning II due to safety concerns about the ejection seat in a portion of the flight envelope.

  • Hill commemorates new era in combat airpower

    Hill Air Force Base officials and the Top of Utah community officially welcomed the F-35 Lightning II at a ceremony here Oct. 14, an event that formally marked the beginning of F-35 operations for the 388th and 419th Fighter Wings.

  • NATO program develops tactical leaders

    Fighter pilots from seven allied countries, including the U.S., U.K., Spain, Czech Republic, Greece, Poland, and Italy completed the NATO Tactical Leadership Program here Oct. 9.

  • Pegasus drogue, hose, boom systems deployed

    The KC-46A Pegasus notched another success this week when the systems at the heart of aerial refueling were demonstrated on EMD-2 with the deployment of both drogue systems and the boom.

  • Afghanistan at 'critical juncture'

    Afghanistan is at a critical juncture, the commander of NATO’s Resolute Support mission and U.S. forces in Afghanistan told a House panel Oct. 8.Afghan forces need to be strengthened in order to meet the myriad challenges they face, including the rise of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant,

  • James named new principal DOD space advisor

    On Oct. 5, Deputy Secretary of Defense Robert Work re-designated the position of the Department of Defense executive agent for space to the principal DOD space advisor.

  • German village honors fallen US Airman

    Second Lt. Priesley Cooper Jr. was shot down during a mission 70 years ago near the village of Dietingen, Germany, during World War II. Cooper remained buried at the village's local cemetery until 1950 when he was moved to an American cemetery in Belgium. But the village felt they could still do

  • 377th ABW transfers to AF Global Strike Command

    The 377th Air Base Wing at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico, became part of 20th Air Force Oct. 1, as it shifts from Air Force Materiel Command to Air Force Global Strike Command.

  • Airmen in C-130 crash identified, memorialized

    The six Airmen assigned to the 455th Air Expeditionary Wing who died Oct. 2 when their C-130J Super Hercules crashed shortly after takeoff from Jalalabad Airfield, Afghanistan, were identified Oct. 3 by the Defense Department.

  • 45th Space Wing supports ULA’s 100th Atlas launch

    The 45th Space Wing supported the United Launch Alliance's 100th launch, an Atlas V 421 rocket flying the Morelos-3 communications satellite for Mexico's Secretariat of Communications and Transportation on Oct. 2.

  • Negotiation a core capability for all Airmen

    The secretary of the Air Force announced a commitment to formally solidify the Air Force Negotiation Center as the focal point for negotiation research, teaching and outreach efforts while speaking at the Women in Negotiation Summit in New York City Oct. 1.

  • C-130J crashes in Afghanistan

    An Air Force C-130J Super Hercules assigned to the 774th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron, part of the 455th Air Expeditionary Wing, crashed Oct. 2 at approximately 12:19 a.m. at Jalalabad Airfield, Afghanistan.

  • GPS III launch services proposal request released

    The Air Force released a final request for proposal on Global Positioning System III launch services Sept. 30 to cover launch vehicle production, mission integration and launch operations for the satellite mission set to start in 2018. Proposals are due back to the Air Force by Nov. 16 in accordance

  • SERE: The drive to survive

    Staff Sgt. Robert Rogers, 374th Operations Support Squadron SERE training NCO in charge, has been serving the Air Force as a SERE specialist for eight years.

  • Airmen learn to weather missions with Cadre Focus

    To provide real-time weather intelligence for Army operations in Europe, the 7th Weather Squadron honed their skills at Grafenwoehr Training Area, Germany, Sept. 14-18 during Cadre Focus 2015.

  • RPA maintainers accomplish mission despite low retention

    The constant and insatiable demand for remotely piloted aircraft airpower places stressors on nearly every career field within the RPA enterprise. For some Airmen of the 432nd Maintenance Group, the fast-paced deployment rotation, constant shift work, time away from family, limited assignment

  • Families mark 20 years since tragic loss of AWACS crew

    On Sept. 22, 2015 -- 20 years after Yukla 27's final flight -- more than 150 friends and family members gathered in a frigid Alaska morning, having flown in from all over the world to honor the 24 crew members lost that day.

  • Stepping stones: Airman's path to K-9 career

    Face-to-face with an energetic German Sheppard, Senior Airman Alyssa Stamps grabs a ball chucks it across the yard. The dog stampedes after it, but instead of returning, he sits with his back to her in the corner of the yard and refuses to cooperate.Stamps, a military working dog handler with the

  • Small team keeps combat hospital up, running

    A small team of Airmen provide the logistics and facilities management needed to keep Craig Joint Theater Hospital ready to care for patients at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan.

  • Global Hawk maintainers deliver ISR capability to warfighters

    The maintainers, assigned to the 380th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, are responsible for maintaining and ensuring the RQ-4 Global Hawk is able to deliver round-the-clock intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance and communication support to ground forces and aerial platforms

  • Defense undersecretary addresses ‘Better Buying Power 3.0’ at SMC

    Frank Kendall, the undersecretary of defense for acquisition, technology, and logistics, spoke to a packed audience of several hundred from the Space and Missile Systems Center during an all call held in the Gordon Conference Center at the Schriever Space Complex Aug. 27

  • Airmen gain knowledge in Indonesian exercise

    U.S. and Indonesian service members recently shared knowledge in a 10-day bilateral exercise in Jakarta, Indonesia, that allowed participants to plan humanitarian assistance in a devastating natural disaster scenario.

  • Cannon hosts 2015 EMT Rodeo

    Twenty-one teams of emergency medical technicians from 22 installations across the Air Force convened at Cannon Air Force Base Sept. 17-18 for the 2015 EMT Rodeo.

  • Barksdale Airmen participate in EUCOM exercise

    A 2nd Bomb Wing B-52 Stratofortress aircrew conducted a long-range bomber mission from the United States to the U.S. European Command area of operations Sept. 17-18, where they participated in exercise Immediate Response 2015.

  • Time with MAJCOM commanders at the four-star forum

    Members of the Air Force, Air Force Association and defense industry were invited to a Q-and-A session with Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Welsh III, Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James M. Cody and several major command commanders during a four-star forum at the AFA Air and Space

  • AF leadership talks total force

    Members of senior leadership from the active-duty Air Force, Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve, as well as the principal deputy to the secretary of the Air Force for manpower and reserve affairs, convened for a discussion panel regarding the status of the total force at the Air Force

  • Dover Airman earns spots on AF pistol team alongside brother

    As a child, Tucker Sears grew up in Graham, Texas, with his three older brothers learning how to shoot BB guns and eventually moving up to .22-caliber rifles. This love of guns led to plenty of hunting trips with his brothers and grandfather. Fast forward 10 years and Sears graduated from the U.S.

  • 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