NATO Air Policing operations

U.S. Air Force News

  • Total force, joint, coalition team create synergy in CAOC

    Staffed by active-duty, Guard and Reserve forces from all the U.S. services along with coalition partners, the Central Air Forces Combined Air Operations Center at a forward-deployed location has proven to be a true total force, joint and coalition team.“The partnership (among) the people of these

  • Total force, total commitment, total special operators

    A small group of Air Force special operators huddle together in a makeshift tent, miles away from anywhere on a map, planning the intense details of a mission.All the "usual" mission planners are there -- aircrew, intel, weather, special tactics and communications. The team works through the

  • Total In-Flight Simulator makes final flight to museum

    A piece of aviation history was retired and transferred to the National Museum of the United States Air Force at Wright-Patterson AFB Nov. 7. The 1955 Convair C-131, known as the Total-In-Flight Simulator (TIFS) made its final flight to the museum, ending a lifetime of more than 2,500 research

  • Total-force Airmen simultaneously support worldwide operations

    Mobility Airmen are playing significant roles supporting the NATO no-fly zone over Libya, as well as humanitarian relief efforts in Japan, all while continuing to support U.S. operations around the world, including in Iraq and Afghanistan.Since the March 11 natural disasters in Japan, AMC-controlled

  • Total-force effort supplies OEF

    Every day, between 50 and 100 tons of equipment and supplies arrive here, flown in around the clock by a constant stream of cargo aircraft.Since this is a combat environment, getting the aircraft down, unloaded and quickly off the ground again is extremely important. Keeping that logistical

  • Total-force team airdrops 10-ton artillery load

    A team of Bagram Airfield Airmen airdropped an M198 artillery piece to an Army unit in a remote Eastern-part of Afghanistan Aug. 8. New York, Ohio and Missouri Air Guard members joined with reservists and active-duty Airmen to form the total-force aircrew that loaded and delivered the 155 mm

  • Total-force team supports Operation Tomodachi

    While supporting combat operations in both Iraq and Afghanistan, a total integrated force of active, Guard and Reserve Airmen are supporting humanitarian relief efforts in Japan following the earthquake and subsequent tsunami that ravaged parts of Japan March 11.Air Force officials are increasingly

  • Touch down ends Reserve rescue role in shuttle program

    As the sun rose over the Atlantic Ocean on July 21, it shed light on both the final landing of the space shuttle Atlantis and the final time Air Force reservists will perform their duties as guardians of the astronauts.As a network of rescue responders, reservists from the 920th Rescue Wing from

  • Tough, brave troops fight for freedom

    America's men and women in uniform are brave, tough and courageous, President Bush said today after visiting more than 70 wounded service members and their families at two military hospitals."It's an amazing thing when you see a person wounded, sitting there in a wheelchair or bound up in bandages

  • Tour group gets feel for Air Force

    Graduating students from the Tennessee School for the Blind received a “hands on” tour April 26 of an F-15 Eagle, pilot’s life-support equipment and the tools used to maintain the aircraft during a class trip here.The tour started when 1st Lt. Tim Monroe, an F-15 pilot, gave a quick briefing on the

  • Tour of Kyrgyz base marks milestone

    Air Force leaders from Manas Air Base toured a Republic of Kyrgyzstan air base March 28 following an invitation by the Ministry of Defense here. The tour of Frunze Air Base No. 1 here marked a milestone in U.S. and Kyrgyz Air Force relations, and is a key element in the 376th Air Expeditionary Wing

  • Tower a pinnacle of support for fliers

    As B-52 Stratofortresses lift off from a deployed location, the last person to wish them well is not the commander or maintainers. It is Airman 1st Class Jeremy Beecher, an air traffic controller with the 457th Air Expeditionary Group.Air traffic controllers direct all air and runway traffic. They

  • Tower dedication honors two Airmen killed in combat

    It was predicted there would not be a dry eye in the house. As the guests gathered to honor two fallen heroes, that prediction came true.Family members and tactical air control party Airmen honored fellow tactical controllers Staff Sgt. Jacob Frazier and Airman 1st Class Raymond Losano during a

  • Towing the line

    Airman 1st Class Adam McChord helps tow an F-16 Fighting Falcon at a forward-deployed location. McChord is a crew chief assigned to the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Terry L. Blevins)

  • Town hall meetings address joint basing process in San Antonio

    The Army garrison commander here hosted two town hall meetings to inform Fort Sam Houston garrison employees about the progress of Joint Base San Antonio Jan. 28. Joint basing, which includes Fort Sam Houston as well as Lackland and Randolph Air Force bases, was mandated by the 2005 Base Realignment

  • TPS confers its first master's degrees

    The U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School achieved a milestone May 27 by officially receiving accreditation to present its graduating students with a master's degree. Eighteen students from Class 07B were the first to be granted a Master of Science in Flight Test Engineering during a graduation ceremony

  • Track & Field: Beerse sets pole vault record

    Freshman Melissa Beerse rewrote the Academy's pole vault record ... twice ... as the Air Force track and field team hosted the annual Don Barrett Air Force Open Jan. 27 at the Cadet Field House. Beerse is one of four event winners for the Falcons in this non-team scoring event. Beerse won the pole

  • Track & Field: Hawkins qualifies for NCAA championships

    Junior Kevin Hawkins clocked a career-best time in the 800-meter run March 2 at the Arkansas Last Chance Meet and provisionally qualified for the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships next week. Hawkins crossed the finish line in 1:49:54 to place fourth in his race. That time, which is a

  • Track & Field: Korte named MWC athlete of the week

    Air Force senior thrower Olivia Korte is the Mountain West Conference Women's Outdoor Track and Field Athlete of the Week, the league office announced March 21.  It is the second such honor for Korte, who joins New Mexico's Anthony Fairbanks, who earned the men's weekly honor. Korte is the top

  • Track & Field: Walsh selected to NCAA championships

    Senior Brian Walsh was selected to participate in the heptathlon at the 2007 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships, the NCAA selection committee announced March 5. This will be the second straight season that Walsh advanced to the national meet. Walsh set a NCAA provisional qualifying score

  • Track and field: Air Force opens competition

    The U.S. Air Force Academy track and field team opened competition at the Mountain West Conference Championships here Feb. 21. Backed by a pair of runner-up finishes in the four heptathlon events that were contested, senior Brian Walsh is currently in third place with 3,029 points. Walsh, the

  • Track and field: Falcons' Brian Walsh wins MWC decathlon

    U.S. Air Force Academy Senior Brian Walsh claimed his second conference multi-event championship, in as many years, as he won the decathlon at the Mountain West Conference Track and Field Championships May 10 in San Diego. With 7,321 points, Walsh became the Falcons' first decathlon champion of the

  • Track and Field: Falcons conclude regular season with twilight meet

    Three incursions into the Academy's all-time record book highlighted the afternoon, as the Air Force track and field team hosted the annual Ris Westen-Air Force Twilight Meet May 4 at the Academy. The Falcons claimed 15 event titles in their final competition of the regular season.The 4x100-meter

  • Track and field: Falcons earn national meet at-large consideration

    While qualifying for a spot in tomorrow's event final, junior Kevin Hawkins set an Academy record in the 800-meter run, as select members of the Air Force track and field team participated in the first day of competition at the NCAA Midwest Regional May 25, in Des Moines, Iowa.During the preliminary

  • Track and field: Men's team wins invitational

    Backed by one winner and 18 scoring finishers, the Air Force men's track and field team held off host New Mexico to win the TCR Race Productions Invitational Feb. 10 in Albuquerque. With 135 total points, the Falcons won their second straight invitational as New Mexico finished second with 131

  • Track and Field: Several cadets win at invitational

    Senior thrower Olivia Korte had a stellar day of competition at the Oregon Invitational on Saturday, April 21. As one of seven Air Force track and field athletes competing at the prestigious meet in Eugene, Ore., Korte won the discus throw while also picking up a fourth-place throw in the shot

  • Track, field records fall at Air Force All-Comers Meet

    The Air Force track and field team opened the 2005 season with an impressive showing at the All-Comers Meet here Jan. 15. The Falcons picked up seven first-place finishes in their season debut, including a win from Olivia Korte, who set a new academy weight throw record in the process.On the men’s

  • Trackers watch for dangerous 'space junk'

    Roughly 15,000 miles above the Earth’s surface a communications satellite provides vital information to all branches of the U.S. military. It joins more than 9,000 other items in space that are tracked by the Ground-Based Electro-Optical Deep Space Surveillance System, known as GEODSS. There are

  • Track-Field: Air Force Academy claims 13 all-conference selections

    The Air Force track and field team collected 13 all-conference honors at the recent Mountain West Conference Championships in Laramie, Wyo., the league office announced May 18. By finishing within the top three of their respective events, 11 individuals and one relay team earned all-conference

  • Tracking Santa

    The North American Aerospace Command is responsible for tracking every flight over the U.S. and Canada. They’re so serious about their job that not even Santa gets a free pass when he delivers his gifts on Christmas. Find out how they accomplish this amazing feat.

  • Tracking technology improves sustainment

    Air Force Materiel Command members are taking advantage of Automatic Identification Technology and finding ways to improve it. Logistics and depot maintenance experts demonstrated some cutting-edge tracking technology projects during an AIT Showcase Aug. 15 attended by senior AFMC people. The

  • Trade Commission officials offer gift card tips

    Because distance often separates extended and even immediate families in military life, gift cards are a popular choice for holiday gift-giving. After all, one size fits all, and the recipients can get exactly what they want from a retailer or restaurant. But the Federal Trade Commission advises

  • Tradition meets technology in AF libraries

    Air Force libraries continue to adapt to emerging technologies and changes in the way Airmen and families want information. Whether a customer wants to check out a printed publication, download the latest bestseller novel for their e-reader or find a quiet place to study, Air Force libraries

  • Traditional holiday meal to replace field rations for many

    When troops stationed in the Middle East sit down to Thanksgiving dinner, the turkey won't come in a brown field rations pouch. Thanks to the efforts of the Defense Supply Center Philadelphia, troops stationed in Iraq, Afghanistan, Bahrain, Dubai and Djibouti will enjoy a traditional holiday meal.

  • Traditional reservist named first sergeant of the year

    Air Force officials have selected Master Sgt. Jeffrey Gray as the winner of the 2008 First Sergeant of the Year award. Sergeant Gray, a traditional reservist, serves as first sergeant for the 328th Airlift Squadron, Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station, N.Y. Sergeant Gray managed and cared for more

  • Traffic-safety courses target vehicle fatalities

    Air Force safety officials are unveiling four new traffic-safety programs in the coming months to battle the steady increase of traffic fatalities in the last four years.“While no age, gender or rank group is immune to vehicle crashes, statistically speaking, our most at-risk population is young

  • Trailblazing NCO teaches in classroom

    Sixteen years of hard work have paid off for Senior Master Sgt. Mark Barner, earning him a teaching position at the U.S. Air Force Academy, Colo. Course-by-course, he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in management studies from the University of Maryland University College. He was also chosen to

  • Train together, fight together

    It takes more than one military branch to defend America's freedoms as joint tactics play a key role in today’s warfighting missions.

  • Trainee dies during basic training

    Joshua Rolfe, a basic trainee with the 322nd Training Squadron, collapsed during physical training here Oct. 29 and was pronounced dead at 7:30 a.m. at Wilford Hall Medical Center. Trainee Rolfe arrived here Oct. 25 for six weeks of basic military training. This is the first trainee death since May

  • Trainees given chance to shop, ship presents

    For more than 3,100 basic trainees, Dec. 9 brought an opportunity to get into the holiday spirit. Under the Shop-A-Trainee program, trainees in the first, second and fifth week of training, plus trainees on medical hold, were able to go to the Army and Air Force Exchange Service Main Exchange to

  • Trainees learn attention to detail through 'warrior' mindset

    You won't find today's basic trainees hunched over brown T-shirts, tugging at them with tweezers to make perfect 6-inch squares. Instead, you will soon find Airmen who have mastered the M-16 rifle, can identify its components, field-strip and clean it, and reassemble it without the slightest

  • Trainees march out for field portion of basic cadet training

    The Air Force Academy’s Class of 2008 marched 7.8 miles from the school’s Terrazzo to their Jacks Valley tent city July 23 to begin the field portion of basic cadet training.Nine squadrons consisting of almost 1,300 trainees, along with their cadre and academy leaders, formed up on the Terrazzo in

  • Trainees slew the BEAST in new basic training program

    The first group of Airman Basic trainees in the newly extended 8.5-week Basic Military Training program conquered the BEAST Dec. 15 at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas. The BEAST, which stands for Basic Expeditionary Airman Skills and Training, is the centerpiece of the new two-week expansion that

  • Trainees test backpack water pouches

    About 50 trainees in each of the base’s seven basic military training squadrons are being issued backpack water pouches in a yearlong study to compare their health with fellow trainees hydrating from canteens.“I think everybody intuitively thinks CamelBaks, or a similar backpack hydration system, is

  • Training at MacDill provides skills to survive

    In the military, training can teach most things, but it can't teach the will to survive. That is something contained deep inside, said Staff Sgt. Patrick Ray, the NCO in charge of survival, evasion, resistance and escape training here.SERE training is essential for military members who fly, or

  • Training at Tuskegee: Turning dreams into reality

    Training young men to be the first African American pilots in the military was a history-making event for the handful of trainers and leaders at the Tuskegee Institute. Creating an airfield from the ground up, the "Tuskegee experiment" led the way for desegregation of the military less than a decade

  • Training bomb strikes vehicle near Nellis

    A training weapon fell from an Air Force aircraft on a training mission and struck a vehicle traveling on a road adjacent to the base Oct. 15, said Nellis Air Force Base officials. The weapon, a 25-pound bomb dummy unit-33, landed near a mobility warehouse on the base before bouncing into the road

  • Training builds foundation for deploying medics

    The acrid, hazy smoke hangs over a scene that is straight out of a nightmare. A red substance that looks like blood is smeared all over the two vehicles, and one of the vehicles is tipped over on its side. Fake body parts and debris are scattered everywhere like a petulant child's unappreciated

  • Training center launches Afghan pilots

    The commander of the Afghan air force air school and the 738th Air Expeditionary Advisory Squadron is charged with training Afghan soldiers to operate in their air force. Air Force Lt. Col. Ryan Nichols discussed his specialized training facility in an Oct. 28 "DODLive" bloggers roundtable."(This

  • Training center uses combat lessons to evolve

    Security forces in Europe are preparing for deployment to war zones with an up-to-date curriculum. The mission of the 786th Security Forces Squadron’s regional training center, otherwise known as "Creek Defender," is to provide predeployment integrated base defense training for U.S. Air Forces in

  • Training comes first for pararescue Airmen

    Air Force pararescue is an elite force, but before its Airmen are PJs they're trainees. And sometimes PJ training brings them here before they join the world of combat rescue. Thirteen instructors and 20 pararescue trainees with the 342nd Training Squadron traveled from Kirtland Air Force Base,

  • Training command becomes energy-efficient force

    Officials released a new energy plan in December to serve as the framework for communicating Air Force energy goals to expand a culture shift where Airmen make energy a consideration in everything they do.The priorities now involve energy-focused considerations from initial design and acquisition

  • Training courses help Airmen handle sports bikes

    The "coolness" factor of sport bikes is tied to their characteristics: sport bikes are sleek, colorful, and built for speed. For Airmen, many of whom are attracted to an adrenaline rush, these characteristics are huge selling points. However, these same features make riding sport bikes much

  • Training eases stress, strain of deployed duties for EOD Airmen

    On a bitter cold winter morning explosive ordnance disposal technicians conducted training exercises Jan. 10 at Fort Carson, Colo. designed to simulate the mental and physical fatigues experienced while deployed. The exercises included unexploded ordnance and improvised explosive devices, called

  • Training ensures Airmen confident with weapons

    Breathe in, take aim, breathe out, hold and fire. It's some of the best advice when it comes to firing a weapon accurately. And it's something that Staff Sgt. Anthony Jones refers to often. As a combat arms instructor, Sergeant Jones is responsible for making sure every Airmen he instructs is

  • Training ensures reservists ready to go

    Air Force Space Command reservists tested a common training assembly concept here April 22 and 23 to ensure nearly 350 individual mobilization augmentees were trained and ready for mobilization.Reservists need to be trained at the same level as their active-duty counterparts. While active-duty

  • Training environment serves the community

    Sponsored by the Office of the Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs, this IRT is an Air Force Reserve-led multi service/component training event intended to build mutually beneficial partnerships between the U.S. Department of Defense and local communities. The mission provides service members

  • Training exchange strengthens ties between U.S., Argentina

    A delegation from the Argentinean air force completed a weeklong visit on June 9 to the 479th Flying Training Group here as part of an international exchange program. Capt. Gustavo Pollastrelli, Capt. Juan Sabalua and 1st Lt. Roberto Montaldo, all Argentinean instructor pilots from Mendoza Air Force

  • Training exercises enhance international relations

    Central Colombia and southern Nevada are vastly different locations. The terrain, weather and operational environments between each location vary to the extremes. So what drives an air force to briefly trade the jungles of South America for the desert of the American southwest? The answer is

  • Training for joint, U.K. F-35 programs heat up

    The largest fleet of F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighters ramped up to 28 aircraft June 25, bringing in new capability for the F-35 Integrated Training Center as the team trains to provide combat operations capability in the years ahead.The U.S. Navy's Strike Fighter Squadron-101 received a

  • Training for real thing

    Department of Defense, Department of Justice, Department of Homeland Security and state of Alaska officials came together to participate in the Arctic Fencing Inter-Agency Arrow 2010 field training exercise here May 26. The goal of the exercise was to test the interagency response between DOD, DOJ

  • Training for repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell ongoing for Airmen

    Air Force officials began training Airmen March 1 in anticipation of the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell with a goal of having all Airmen trained on or about June 30.Commanders throughout the Air Force will schedule commander's calls or other such events to ensure face-to-face training is available

  • Training gives medics confidence prior to deployments

    It's utter chaos. A child injured by a roadside bomb is wheeled into surgery. A woman with facial burns is rushed in on a stretcher. A small boy with a severe leg injury hobbles into the room. Who do you treat first? Who can help? What medical supplies are on hand? These are the questions deployed

  • Training helps deployed Airman save lives

    "I wouldn't really consider these lifesaving gestures, I was just doing what I am trained to do," said Senior Airman David Kitchen, 455th Expeditionary Aerial Port Squadron, aerial transportation journeyman.In many circumstances training acquired in the military helps airmen save lives, but for

  • Training helps Elmendorf Airman save man's life

    He did what his training taught him to do, he said."I was at my desk and I overheard some co-workers talking about someone in a room having a heart attack," said Master Sgt. Robert Campbell, the 3rd Services Squadron NCO in charge of Lodging at Elmendorf Air Force Base's North Star Inn. The

  • Training instructors build tactical course for Iraqi airmen

    Military training instructors saw an unmet need in the Iraqi air force basic military training program and found a way to fill the need. For Staff Sgt. Matthew Coltrin and Tech. Sgt. Chris Ramsdell, MTIs deployed from the 322nd Training Squadron, Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, no BMT course is

  • Training Is essential, even downrange

    An old military adage states that troops must train like they fight. This remains true, even while deployed to austere environments and in less-than-favorable conditions. Service members assigned to Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa train almost daily to hone their skills in use of weapons,

  • Training ISR warriors faster, smarter through mobile apps

    There are roughly 12,000 intelligence professionals assigned to 25th Air Force, 70 percent have less than five years of military service, and most of those Airmen are millennials; multi-taskers who thrive on high-tech, mobile and innovative training methods.

  • Training keeping Spangdahlem ‘Warthogs’ ready to deploy

    A-10 Thunderbolt II pilots at this hilltop base are busy flying and training for their next deployment, which could be to Afghanistan -- again.That is not a certainty, but deploying to Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan, is almost routine for the 81st Fighter Squadron. As the only A-10 unit stationed in

  • Training key to missileer readiness

    Pulling 24-hour alerts across the 341st Missile Wing's 13,800-square mile missile complex is an around-the-clock responsibility. Missileers here support the Air Force's nuclear deterrence and assurance mission at the wing's 15 launch control centers and missile alert facilities.

  • Training leads to improved capabilities at Red Flag-Alaska

    A combat, search and rescue team saved two aircrew members who were downed in hostile territory as part of a complex, multinational training scenario July 19 at Red Flag-Alaska, an air combat exercise over the Pacific Alaska Range Complex. Red Flag-Alaska includes sophisticated CSAR training to

  • Training mission results in real-life rescue

    A series of coincidences and an alert helicopter crew from Air Force Reserve Command's 920th Rescue Wing here saved the life of a 66-year-old Florida man. Several miles off of the coast of Florida's Daytona Beach, Lt. Col. Paul Nevius and his crew were piloting an HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopter back to

  • Training prepares Airmen to handle violent situations

    In most schools, students are expected to behave. At Homestead, one group of students not only fought with their instructors, but it was encouraged. Twenty-five security forces Airmen took part in unarmed defensive tactics training here Feb. 10. The class taught skills such as law enforcement

  • Training prepares civilian employees for deployment

    A training program is equipping Defense Department civilian employees with the knowledge and skills needed to successfully deploy in support of humanitarian, reconstruction and combat-support military missions across the globe.The joint civilian expeditionary work force training, a 10-day

  • Training prepares security forces Airmen for deployment

    Airmen of the 482nd Security Forces Squadron held a tactical training exercise here Dec. 5. The purpose of the exercise was to prepare them for a variety of possible scenarios if and when they deploy.Convoy missions and urban operations are among the most common challenges for security forces

  • Training programs welcome international interest

    Air Force officer and NCO training programs were showcased earlier this week when the commander of South Korea’s Education and Training Command visited schools here May 1 to 2. Lt. Gen. Youngha Lee of the Republic of South Korea Headquarters for Air Force Education and Training Command in Jinju met

  • Training scenarios abound during Atlantic Strike III

    Slowly walking through a quiet, deserted city, hearing nothing but your thoughts, you take a long, deep breath. Then, chaos suddenly breaks loose. An explosion throws you to the ground. The smell of smoke rushes through your nose and dust and sand cut through your skin. You immediately look for your

  • Training starts with aerospace physiology

    While being spun in a chair and parasailing hardly sound like intense pilot training exercises, they are several techniques aerospace physiology experts use to train Air Force pilots.Within the first eight and a half days of pilot training, students become familiar with air and ground survival

  • Training sustains peace through empowerment

    The surest path to a sustainable peace in Iraq is through the empowerment of the Iraqi Army, and Airmen here are anxious to continue to do their part, Air Force officials said. Working from Joint Base Balad, Iraq, and tasked through the 5th Engineer Battalion, 732nd Expeditionary Civil Engineering

  • Training system brings fight to F-16 pilots

    Groundbreaking advancements to F-16 Fighting Falcon warfare training here arrived during the week of Aug. 12 through 16 in the form of a Joint Deployable Electronic Warfare Range, or JDEWR.

  • Training system helps joint operators put bombs on target

    When Air Force acquisition program managers meet to discuss the impact of their programs, they frequently talk figuratively about the ability to "put bombs on target." But when managers of the joint terminal control training and rehearsal system mention "bombs on target," they are being literal. The

  • Training teaches medics how to 'operate' in hostile areas

    A Tyndall Airman quickly took a position in the dirt and aimed his M-16 rifle as a group of suspicious-looking men carrying AK-47 assault rifles hid behind a bush.However, the men left without incident and the Airman avoided a potentially deadly firefight. This may sound like a dangerous

  • Training team, Iraqi air force host first joint commanders' conference

    The Coalition Air Force Training Team and the Iraqi air force held their first joint commanders' conference for nearly 100 coalition and Iraqi senior leaders here May 20. "Based on the level to which the Iraqi air force has matured over the past couple of years, it was time to have a combined Iraqi