HomeNews

NATO Air Policing operations

U.S. Air Force News

  • Welsh thanks Eglin AFB Airmen, families

    Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Welsh III visited Team Eglin Jan. 26-28 to thank Airmen and their families here for their service and sacrifice, and to discuss current challenges and opportunities facing the service.

  • Senior airman doubles as U.S. National Netball player

    A senior airman assigned to the 81st Medical Support Squadron logistics flight here recently returned from an international netball tournament in Singapore. Alisi Taka, a medical material technician, is a member of the U.S. National Netball Team. Taka joined seven other women in the six-country

  • Reserve offers opportunities to continue AF career

    Airmen who don't want to hang up their uniforms for good during the current period of force management, may find rewarding career opportunities in the Air Force Reserve, recruiting officials said recently.

  • Space squadron optimizes wideband communication constellations

    Late in 2013, the 3rd Space Operations Squadron’s mission -- "Warfighters ensuring reliable wideband communications to national authorities and U.S. and Allied forces" -- was proudly displayed as the unit repositioned its eighth satellite during a nine-month effort to optimize the military wideband

  • AF convenes officer RIF board, offers voluntary separation pay

    The Air Force will convene an officer reduction in force board June 16 to evaluate eligible officers for retention, Air Force Personnel Center officials said Jan. 27. Officers who meet the RIF board and are not selected for retention must separate by Jan. 31, 2015.RIF is among several fiscal 2014

  • POW's legacy helps nephew in leadership roles

    Military tradition runs deep in some families, with generation after generation raising their right hand and swearing to support and defend the Constitution of the United States. One family however, has continued to put its mark on military service even after inconceivable anguish struck during the

  • Force shaping board to convene in July

    The Air Force will convene a fiscal 2014 Force Shaping Board here July 14 to consider eligible officers within competitive categories for continued retention, Air Force Personnel Center officials said Jan. 27.

  • EOD Airman saves life while deployed to Papua New Guinea

    (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.) Imagine sitting in a hotel lobby of a foreign country, when suddenly, a scream for help echoes from a dark parking lot outside. Without hesitation, you

  • MyICP gives military spouses new career planning tool

    Military spouses who need guidance on education and careers have a new online tool at their fingertips, a program analyst for the Spouse Education and Career Opportunities program, known as SECO, said in an interview last week.

  • Cadets sweep national soaring competition

    Academy cadets left their competition in the dust by winning their ninth consecutive National Sailplane Racing Championship for 2013 and earning the Collegiate Soaring Association's Robert B. Evans Trophy for the 15th time in 19 years.

  • AF lays to rest an ‘American hero’

    Friends, family members, political leaders, former prisoners of war and service members paid their respects as an Air Force Ace was interred at Arlington National Cemetery Jan. 23.

  • Air Force's top leaders visit Global Strike bases

    Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Welsh III and Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James A. Cody recently completed visits to Air Force Global Strike Command bases.

  • Father and son share A-10 legacy

    Already anxious about the first day of high school football practice, a young junior donned his gear and was calmed as he looked to the sidelines to see his father there watching. For the junior, a life of uncertainty and unfamiliarity was something he was used to. The next day his father, an A-10C

  • CHIEFchat: CMSAF talks about force management, EPRs

    Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James A. Cody addressed upcoming changes to enlisted performance reports and effects of force management during his 2nd worldwide CHIEFchat at Defense Media Activity here Jan. 9. CHIEFchat is a recurring initiative, designed to give Airmen around the world a

  • Recruiting on track, but officials worry about future

    Military recruiting is going well today, but economic and demographic changes will make the environment more difficult in the future, said Vee Penrod, the deputy assistant secretary of defense for military personnel policy.

  • 34 ICBM launch officers implicated in cheating probe

    Thirty-four intercontinental ballistic missile launch officers at Malmstrom Air Force Base, Mont., have been implicated in cheating on the ICBM launch officer proficiency test, Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James said Jan. 15. The revelations emerged during an investigation into alleged illegal

  • AF JAG Corps gains insight at SAPR Summit

    The Air Force Judge Advocate General Corps held its first Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Summit Dec. 17-18 at the Air Force Senior Noncommissioned Officer Academy here.The purpose of the summit was to bring total force legal professionals together to improve the way they handle all aspects

  • New secretary testifies to commission on total force

    The Air Force will rely more on its Air National Guard and Reserve components in the future with the aim to preserve more capabilities as the service seeks to reduce its personnel , the service’s top leader said Jan.9.

  • Hagel visits Airmen, stresses importance of mission, gratitude

    Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel visited Airmen from the 90th Missile Wing here Jan. 9 to learn about the ICBM mission and the people who operate, maintain, secure and support the Minuteman III weapon system. Hagel also took time to speak to Airmen who were selected as top performers by their

  • Force protection team helps keep trainees safe

    A program office here is using its expertise to help ensure the safety of Air Force trainees. Following occurrences of sexual misconduct during basic military training at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas, a commander's directed-investigation looked at various programs and procedures to see how

  • Airman cellist bows for audience

    The deep, rich sound of the vibrating strings echoed in front of thousands of people at a change of command ceremony as one Airman put to work 22 years of practice.

  • AF seeks enlisted commissioning applicants

    Eligible active-duty enlisted Airmen interested in pursuing a nursing commission have until Feb. 28 to submit their intent to apply, Air Force Personnel Center officials said Jan. 7.

  • TAP curriculum available online for separating service members

    Separating service members can participate in the transition assistance program, or TAP, online, Department of Defense officials announced. TAP, now called Transition GPS-Goals, Plans and Success, is designed to help prepare separating and retiring members for life outside of the military. It

  • CMSAF, wife visit air traffic control roots

    Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James A. Cody and his wife, retired Chief Master Sgt. Athena Cody, returned here Jan. 3 and 4 to visit the men and women of the 157th Air Refueling Wing nearly 23 years after leaving as young staff sergeants.

  • Agency works to draw down costs, maintain top medical care

    The Defense Department’s goal to save medical dollars and deliver the best health care possible has made strides in its first 100 days, the director of the new Defense Health Agency said. Lt. Gen. (Dr.) Douglas J. Robb said the agency, which stood up Oct. 1 in Fairfax, Va., has been on a “journey”

  • AF to convene enhanced selective early retirement board in June

    The Air Force will convene an enhanced selective early retirement board here June 16 to consider eligible officers for early retirement, Air Force Personnel Center officials said today.ESERB, a new authority granted in the fiscal 2013 National Defense Authorization Act, applies to regular,

  • AF officer, former Academy athlete killed in Afghanistan

    Former Air Force thrower Capt David (Lissy) Lyon was killed on Dec. 27, while conducting combat operations near Kabul, Afghanistan. Lyon, a 2008 Academy graduate, was a three-year letter winner for the Falcons' track and field team and a Mountain West champion in the shot put.

  • Bagram Airmen get call from AF top leader to ring in new year

    Four 455th Air Expeditionary Wing Airmen received New Year's Eve phone calls from the Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James.The secretary wished them a happy new year and wanted to let the Airmen know the Air Force leadership team was thinking of all the deployed Airmen and their families

  • Enlisted retention board to convene in June

    An enlisted retention board will convene here in June to consider eligible senior airmen through senior master sergeants for retention, Air Force Personnel Center officials said.

  • AF selects officers for space leadership roles

    More than three dozen officers have been selected for calendar year 2014 space operations director of operations, detachment commander and director of space forces positions, Air Force Personnel Center officials announced.

  • Cadet-designed system aids stroke victim recovery

    An entrepreneurial collaboration between the Air Force Academy and Penrose-St. Francis Health Services is creating a device to help patients recover their full range of motion after suffering a stroke or injury. The project - called Neumimic - is the result of a partnership between mechanical and

  • Academy officer looks back on challenges, rewards of deployment

    When Lt. Col. Howard Gentry deployed to Afghanistan in May 2012, he knew he'd be stepping out of his comfort zone -- living and working in a different country, absorbing its culture, learning a new language and, for the next 12 months, watching his one-year-old daughter grow up and say her first

  • Eligible officers, enlisted members offered early retirement

    Staff through senior master sergeants and captains through lieutenant colonels in certain Air Force Specialty Codes may apply to retire with fewer than 20 years of active service under the Temporary Early Retirement Authority, Air Force Personnel Center officials announced.

  • CV-22 arrives at AF museum, marks future expansion

    One of the Air Force's unique aircraft landed at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force in Dayton, Ohio, Dec. 12. The arrival of CV-22 Osprey will be a centerpiece of the museum’s new 224,000 square-foot building.

  • DOD strives to eliminate sexual assault

    Eliminating sexual assault in the U.S. military is one of the Defense Department’s highest priorities and the department welcomes President Barack Obama’s continued leadership on this issue and shares his commitment to doing what it takes to solve this problem, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said in

  • Deployed Airmen prepare for holiday feast

    At the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing here, the 379th Expeditionary Force Support Squadron food services team works to bring holiday food and cheer to service members and civilians away from home for the holiday season.

  • CSAF hosts summit to address sexual assault

    Chief of Staff of the Air Force Gen. Mark A. Welsh III hosted a Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Summit Dec.11 and 12 as part of the Air Force's ongoing effort to provide education and analysis on the issue and to discuss the complex leadership concerns sexual assault presents.

  • Financial management leadership program open to eligible officers

    Nominations for active-duty line officers interested in the financial management leadership program, or FMLP, are due to the Air Force Personnel Center by Feb. 15, 2014, AFPC officials said Dec. 18. The FMLP is a four-year program that provides non-finance officers the opportunity to gain leadership

  • Officials announce 2014 military housing allowance rates

    The 2014 basic allowance for housing rates for service members released Dec. 17, represent an average increase of 5 percent, or up to $75 to $80 per month, the Defense Department's BAH program manager said. The new rates will take effect Jan. 1 at a cost of about $20 billion for the Defense

  • DOS rollback included in FY14 force management

    In addition to force management programs announced in July, the Air Force will implement the Enlisted Date of Separation Rollback Program for fiscal 2014, Air Force Personnel Center officials said Dec. 17.

  • CSAF outlines joint strike fighter’s value

    On the day that Lockheed-Martin delivered its 100th F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighter to the Air Force, the service’s leaders today marked the milestone and outlined the aircraft’s value. The F-35 will be delivered to Luke Air Force Base, Ariz., where it will serve as the first training

  • Climate survey enhancements to improve awareness for commanders

    More than 3.2 million Defense Department and Coast Guard military and civilian personnel have the opportunity to affect their organization's readiness using the newest release of the Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute's Organizational Climate Survey, DEOCS 4.0, DEOMI officials said.

  • Air Force major named top tactician

    For the first time in 23 years, an Air Force officer has won the General S. Patton Jr. Distinguished Master Tactician Award as a student in the Command and General Staff Officer Course, or CGSOC, Dec. 12.

  • AFDW host developmental seminar with key Air Force leaders

    Airmen representing the National Capital Region enlisted, officer and civilian force attended the annual Air Force District of Washington Capital Airmen Development Seminar to enhance their leadership skills Dec. 2 through 5.

  • VA official outlines progress in reducing claims backlog

    A senior Veterans Affairs Department official Dec. 11, outlined progress made by the Veterans Benefits Administration in reducing the backlog of veterans' disability compensation and pension claims by 36 percent since March, attributing the success to the combined impact of transformation

  • AF officials announce FY14 civilian workforce shaping

    The Air Force will reduce the size of its civilian workforce by about 900 positions in addition to maintaining approximately 7,000 vacancies across the force to meet the demands of a constrained fiscal 2014 budget, officials announced.

  • AF announces additional force management programs to reduce force size

    Air Force leaders announced force management programs today designed to reduce the force by thousands of Airmen over the next five years as a result of sequestration.Fiscal 2014 force management initiatives are in addition to the announcement made in July, stating the Air Force will implement

  • AF to convene CMSgt retention board in June

    The Air Force will convene a chief master sergeant retention board in June to select chief master sergeants for retirement no later than Nov. 1, 2014, officials announced today.

  • Afghanistan air vet earns prestigious award

    A C-130 Hercules aircraft loadmaster with the 169th Airlift Squadron received the Staff Sgt. Henry E. "Red" Erwin Outstanding Enlisted Aircrew Member Airman of the Year Award during a Dec. 8 ceremony here.

  • VA warns of marketing scam

    The Department of Veterans Affairs recently posted an alert on its Facebook page warning of a marketing scam targeting veterans.

  • Injured Airman returns to duty, celebrates promotion

    Staff Sgt. Brian Williams of the 87th Security Forces Squadron is just like any other Airman. He has been in the Air Force for 13 years, has deployed six times and served as a military working dog handler at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., since 2011.

  • An Air Force gatekeeper's day

    Ever wonder what a day in the life of an Air Force recruiter is like? How many people do they talk to versus how many will get to call themselves an Airman? Tech. Sgt. Michael Lundell is an Air Force recruiter here. His day-to-day routine is always busy, from going on school visits, to work outs

  • NCO to commission as first lieutenant

    A noncommissioned officer from the 65th Force Support Squadron was recently selected to commission as a first lieutenant in the Medical Service Corps. Staff Sgt. Jacob Williams, 65th FSS career development craftsman, was so anxious he couldn't eat breakfast on the morning of Oct. 18. Some of the MSC

  • Aero repair keeps ‘birds’ in the air

    With the highest volume of flying missions in the U.S. Air Forces Central Command area of responsibility, aircraft at the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing rely on a team of professional maintainers to keep them in top shape to accomplish the air tasking order.

  • Prepare now for tax season, DOD official advises

    With a month left before the start of tax season, service members should begin gathering documentation to file their 2013 taxes, said the director of the Pentagon's office of family policy and children and youth said. In a recent interview with American Forces Press Service and the Pentagon Channel,

  • 2014 FEHB open season ends Dec. 9

    Open season for the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program, the Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program and the Federal Flexible Spending Account Program continues through Dec. 9.

  • President, deployed Airman talk football on Thanksgiving

    “One hundred and twenty years ago, in the midst of a great and terrible civil conflict, President Lincoln formally proclaimed a national day of Thanksgiving to remind those ‘insensible to the ever watchful providence of almighty God’ of this nation’s bounty and greatness. Several days after the

  • Dover AFB Airmen deliver NASA equipment

    Even with all the advancements mankind has made, storms like Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Sandy have proven just how vulnerable we can be to the wrath of Mother Nature. Advanced and accurate information about the path of these storms can be the difference between life and death.

  • Nominees sought for 2014 Outstanding Airmen of the Year award

    Air Force officials are seeking nominations for the 12 Outstanding Airmen of the Year Award for 2014.There are three categories for award: Airman, noncommissioned officer and senior NCO. Nominations are due to the Air Force Personnel Center by April 2, 2014.

  • Air Force specialties affected by retraining reduction

    As many as 1,000 Airmen may be affected by a recently identified decrease in fiscal 2014 retraining objectives, with 35 or more Air Force specialty codes removed from the retraining-in list, Air Force officials said Nov. 26.

  • AF implements new personnel policies as it prepares to get smaller

    The Air Force will implement new personnel policies to posture for future force management programs as it prepares to become smaller, officials announced today. In the absence of Congressional direction to mitigate the impact of sequestration, the Air Force must proceed with changes to personnel

  • Unmanned aircraft maintenance partnership to increase production

    The Air Force Sustainment Center or AFSC and General Atomics reached a partnership agreement Nov. 9, for the maintenance of unmanned aircraft systems or UAS, including the Predator/Reaper and the Army's version, the "Gray Eagle." The an enterprise-level, public-private agreement, signed by Lt. Gen.

  • 2 AF teams earn DOD's top acquisition award

    Deputy Defense Secretary Ash Carter presented four acquisition teams with the David Packard Excellence in Acquisition Award, the highest Defense Department-bestowed honor for acquisitions, Nov. 25.

  • AFMC makes progress despite impacts of sequestration, restructure

    The vice commander of Air Force Materiel Command offered insight to recent developments and answered questions regarding the command’s recent restructure efforts and fiscal challenges at the Air Force Association’s 2013 Pacific Air & Space Symposium here Nov. 22.

  • A surprise homecoming at Broncos vs. Patriots game

    Maj. Wellington V. Philips II returned home from a six-month deployment in Southwest Asia to surprise his wife and son at the Denver Broncos vs. New England Patriots football game Nov. 25, at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass.

  • The future of air and space operations in the Pacific

    Four retired Air Force senior leaders addressed Air Force Association Pacific Air and Space Symposium attendees during a panel, using their lessons learned to discuss the future of Air and Space operations in the Pacific.

  • Senate hearing targets predatory lending practices

    While programs are in place to combat predatory lending practices that target service members and their families, better rules and enforcement are needed, witnesses told a Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee Nov. 21.

  • Air Force official recommends energy partnerships

    Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Energy, Dr. Kevin T. Geiss, emphasized service collaboration in cost-savings measures during a panel discussion at the Joint Services Energy Panel at the George Mason University Arlington Campus here Nov. 20. Geiss said the Air Force's total fleet

  • Retired ACC ops chief lauded by acting SecAF

    A retired Air Force officer who brought the F-22 Raptor fleet back to full operational status following an indefinite grounding, received the 2012 Eugene M. Zuckert Management Award, at the Pentagon, Nov. 18.