HomeNews

NATO Air Policing operations

U.S. Air Force News

  • An Airman for now, a Marine forever

    Marine Corps Maj. Eric Hugg, the 55th Fighter Squadron chief of training, is a part of an exchange program that gives Marine Corps pilots the opportunity to fly with the 55th Fighter Squadron at Shaw Air Force Base, S.C.

  • ANG, Reserve engineers refurbish Boy Scout camp

    Guard and Reserve civil engineers from around the country are using their skills here to refurbish Camp William Hinds for the Boy Scouts of America.Through the Department of Defense's Innovative Readiness Training program, or IRT, military construction units partner with civil organizations for

  • Airmen continue support to wildfire battle

    Two Defense Department C-130 Hercules equipped with U.S. Forest Service’s Modular Airborne Fire Fighting Systems and under the command and control of U.S. Northern Command are assisting with wildfire suppression efforts in the Northwest, the Great Basin, and elsewhere in the West at the request of

  • ANG C-130s help battle Western wildfires

    Two Defense Department C-130 aircraft equipped with U.S. Forest Service's Modular Airborne Fire Fighting Systems and under the command and control of U.S. Northern Command are assisting with wildfire suppression efforts in the Northwest, the Great Basin, and elsewhere in the West at the request of

  • Intel NCO named best AF pistol shooter

    The NCOIC for intelligence for the 705 Combat Training Squadron at Kirtland AFB has become the No. 1 pistol shooter in the Air Force.Staff Sgt. Terrence Sears, NCO in charge of the Air Force National Pistol Team, took top honors among Air Force shooters at the National Pistol Championships in July,

  • Helicopter operations group stands up in Wyoming

    The newly-formed 20th Air Force helicopter operations group plants its roots at F.E. Warren Air Force Base Aug. 1. The group assumes control of the helicopter squadrons across 20th Air Force sometime next year after it ends its provisional status, said Col. Dave Smith, the helicopter operations

  • Culture change: Aviation safety in healthcare

    The Air Combat Command Surgeon General's office pioneered a program bringing operational risk management and flightline safety procedures into hospitals and dental squadrons across the Air Force.

  • James: Air Force grapples with Congress to fund readiness

    To balance readiness today and modernization tomorrow, the Air Force’s fiscal year 2015 budget request is shrinking like today’s defense budget thanks to Congress’s own priorities and the approaching threat of sequestration in 2016, Air Force leaders said July 30.

  • Tyndall AFB takes F-22 pilot training to next level

    The Air Force’s ability to continue developing a fifth generation fighter aircraft fleet ready to meet the challenges of future warfare, hinges in large part, on a steady influx of capable and trained F-22 Raptor pilots.

  • New museum to inspire Airmen

    Two Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland museums, the Airman Heritage Museum and the Security Forces Museum, will consolidate into the Enlisted Heritage and Character Development Center by October 2014 and will serve as a stepping stone for a larger $50 million, privately-funded museum set to open in

  • Kendall: F-35 Rollout Marks U.S.-Australia Partnership Milestone

    The official rollout of the first two F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighter aircraft for the Royal Australian Air Force is a milestone in the U.S.-Australia partnership, the undersecretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics said July 24.

  • EOD specialists build bilateral relations

    It is just another day on the job for Misawa Air Base's explosive ordnance disposal team members here -- but not an entirely regular morning. At the team's side are fellow Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Forces, or JMSDF, and U.S. Navy members, partaking in a joint bilateral exercise at the Draughon

  • U.S. Forces display military might at Farnborough

    Organizations, businesses and military forces from across the globe gathered in Farnborough, England, to celebrate 100 years of aviation at the Farnborough International Air Show July 14 -20.

  • Social media requires care, caution with political material

    While U.S. culture promotes opinions and debate, the Airmen should be reminded that, while on active duty -- and even for reservists who may be perceived as active military representatives, participating in politics on social media is exactly the same as it is in person: strictly prohibited.

  • With precision stitching, Airman strengthens gear and career

    Senior Airman Devin Litton, a 22nd Operations Support Squadron aircrew flight equipment, or AFE, journeyman, has spent hundreds of hours developing his sewing skills since he was first introduced to the needle and thread. He did not expect this to be a part of his job description when he was waiting

  • Barnes Center rebuilds senior NCO education curriculum

    Developers and faculty at the Thomas N. Barnes Center for Enlisted Education kicked the level of learning up a notch with version 6 of the distance learning Senior NCO Course 14. The new version replaced version 5 in late 2013.

  • SecAF visits RAF Mildenhall

    Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James visited RAF Mildenhall Airmen July 16, as a part of an overall trip to U.S. Air Forces in Europe-United Kingdom. James made the trip to see firsthand the units at RAF Mildenhall, to learn their history, to meet with Airmen and to gain a more in-depth

  • Airman to publish story of tragedy, perseverance

    He could have faced another life, one that included becoming a child soldier and subsequently a lost boy from the Liberian Civil War. Instead, luck, hard work and true grit led Joseph Boyou to the Air Force where he now holds the rank of staff sergeant. Boyou, the 2nd Air Force special projects and

  • Acting VA secretary outlines problems, actions taken

    In testimony before the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs July 15, Acting VA Secretary Sloan D. Gibson outlined serious problems regarding access to health care and key actions the department has taken to get veterans off waiting lists and into clinics.

  • CMSAF tours Edwards AFB, discusses fiscal realities, changes

    Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force James A. Cody, the 17th chief master sergeant appointed to the service's highest enlisted rank, and his wife, Athena, visited the high desert to meet with and thank Airmen and their families, and to get an up-close look at the local mission.

  • Wanted: Airmen selfie videos

    Do you have a unique story about the path that led you to the Air Force? Are you proud of your job and how it impacts the bigger Air Force mission? Do you work in an exceptional unit? If so, the Air Force wants to hear from you!

  • Air Force will provide assured access to space

    Gen. William L. Shelton, Air Force Space Command commander, stressed the importance of maintaining assured access to space to the Senate Subcommittee on Strategic Forces and Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation during a hearing on the options for assuring domestic access to space, July

  • A-10 pilots 'Hawg' the range

    The winner of the 2014 Hawgsmoke competition was the 47th Fighter Squadron, an Air Force Reserve Command unit based at Davis-Mothan Air Force Base, Arizona and under the operational control of the 924th Fighter Group.

  • Air Force to highlight S&T priorities at industry event

    Creating tomorrow's Air Force is a delicate balance. It requires a mix of science and technology, or S&T, investment to meet current warfighter needs, as well as cutting edge research to develop revolutionary capabilities which today's Airmen can only imagine, and may not see fielded this decade.

  • Weapons Airman keeps F-22s in the fight

    Airman 1st Class Kyron Abraham worked the day shift during those winter months. He drove to work through the cold night of day to the 3rd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, and joined his three-man team in relieving the night shift. Then the order came to load

  • Branched out: From Marine, Soldier, Sailor to Airman

    Staff Sgt. Jesus Yanez, currently deployed to Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, from the Texas Air National Guard's 204th Security Forces Squadron in El Paso, Texas, has answered his nation's call not just once but four times: first as a Marine, then a Sailor, Soldier and currently as an Airman.

  • Scott AFB's utilities privatization garners national attention

    The culmination of five years of water system improvements at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, has attracted the attention of the Partnership for Safe Water, an initiative developed by the Environmental Protection Agency and other water organizations to increase water quality.

  • Around the world in 27 days

    The first continuous mission around the world for the MC-130J Commando II, the Air Force Special Operations Command's newest platform, ended successfully July 9 with the aircraft's safe return to Cannon Air Force Base, N.M.

  • Kardashians attend shower for military moms

    "Keeping up with the Kardashians" stars Kim, Kourtney and Khloé gave back to the Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst community during an Operation Shower event for 64 new mothers July 7, in Jersey City, New Jersey.

  • AF moves forward with future bomber

    The U.S. Air Force released its Long Range Strike Bomber, or LRS-B, request for proposal to industry July 9 with a contract award expected in spring 2015.

  • Transcending Tragedy

    At a stage in life that many would consider to be over the hill, Ronald Ball hardly fit the profile of an Air Force recruit. Starting over, a middle-aged man, no one would have blamed him for giving up.

  • Hill AFB plays key role in delivering F-16s to Indonesia

    The combined efforts of Hill Air Force Base's Ogden Air Logistics Complex, F-16 System Program Office, Defense Logistics Agency and several other Defense Department organizations will culminate in the initial delivery of three of 24 F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft to the government of Indonesia July

  • 12 Outstanding Airmen of the Year announced

    Air Force officials selected the service's top enlisted members, naming the 12 Outstanding Airmen of the Year for 2014, Air Force Personnel Center officials announced July 10.

  • AF introduces Total Force Commissioning Process

    Air Force officials announced the Total Force Commissioning Process July 10. This new process allows the Air Force to provide multiple career avenues for officers being commissioned through Air Force ROTC by offering cadets the chance to pursue opportunities in the Air Force Reserve or Air National

  • Airmen, aircraft continue Greenland mission

    Approximately 70 Air National Guard Airmen and two ski-equipped LC-130 Hercules completed the fourth rotation in the Arctic region to support the National Science Foundation, June 27-30 here.

  • Loading F-16s with lethal firepower

    As a munitions controller with the 35th Maintenance Squadron, he receives dozens of calls every day, while waiting for one that's arguably more important than the rest. It's the call that delivers the 35th Fighter Wing's flying schedule and triggers a process that turns Misawa Air Base's F-16

  • Father, daughter share deployment to Bagram

    The military becomes a tight knit family for people who are away from home. Service members share many unique experiences and when the time comes to deploy, they need "family" support that much more. For Tech. Sgt. John Trujillo and Senior Airman Kimberly Buzzell, the support network is not only

  • RPA unit moves to 'Emerald Coast'

    The 919th Special Operations Wing welcomed the 2nd Special Operations Squadron, its remotely piloted aircraft unit, to the Emerald Coast. The 2nd SOS, comprised of about 140 Air Force reservists formerly located at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., began RPA operations in its new facility at Hurlburt

  • ANG Airman awarded Silver Star

    An Air National Guard explosive ordnance disposal technician with the 177th Fighter Wing was awarded the Silver Star here June 28 for valor in combat while deployed to Afghanistan in 2012.

  • New positions bridge gap at missile wings

    In an effort to bridge the gap between young operators and leadership, Air Force Global Strike Command, through the 20th Air Force, established an assistant director of operations, or ADO, position at each missile wing.

  • Top wing commander team is honored

    Col. Ricky Rupp and his wife, Charlotte, received the General and Mrs. Jerome F. O’Malley Award during a ceremony June 27, in Washington, D.C.

  • ANG partners with Croatian army for renovations

    Airmen from the 219th RED HORSE Squadron and Minnesota Air National Guard’s 133rd and 148th Civil Engineering Squadrons partnered with the Croatian army June 27, to renovate bathrooms at an elementary school in Ogulin, Croatia.

  • Offutt AFB supports tornado victims

    More than 40 individuals from Offutt Air Force Base recently assisted with clean-up and recovery efforts following a simultaneous strike of two tornadoes on June 16, in northeastern communities of Pilger and Wakefield, Nebraska.

  • Missile-warning satellites contract awarded

    The Air Force Space Command's Space and Missile Systems Center awarded a $1.86 billion contract to Lockheed Martin Space Systems in Sunnyvale, California, for production of the fifth and sixth Space-Based Infrared System, or SBIRS, geosynchronous, or GEO, missile-warning satellites.

  • CMSAF stresses total-force unity

    There is no distinction among Airmen within the Air Force components when it comes to how they perform their jobs, how they live up to standards and how they embrace the service's core values, said Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James A. Cody during a visit here June 24-25.

  • AF awards new combat rescue helicopter contract

    The Air Force awarded a $1.28 billion contract for the initial engineering and manufacturing development phase of the new combat rescue helicopter to Sikorsky Aircraft Company on June 26.

  • 45 units gather to support 30th Golden Coyote at Ellsworth AFB

    Ellsworth Air Force Base continued its history of providing vital assets and support during the South Dakota National Guard's, or SDNG, 30th Golden Coyote training exercise June 7 to 21.Forty-Five Air Force, Army and Navy military units, representing 15 states and personnel from four foreign

  • Aerial surveillance key to NATO efforts

    The E-3A Component based here is an integrated, multinational, rapidly deployable asset to NATO providing airborne surveillance, command, control, and communication capabilities

  • CSAF to sponsor three captains for PhD program

    The chief of staff of the Air Force will sponsor three eligible captains to pursue a doctorate degree through the fiscal year 2015 CSAF Captains Prestigious PhD Program, Air Force Personnel Center officials announced.

  • Shaw AFB firefighters awarded DOD level honor

    Tech. Sgt. Joseph Charleston, the 20th CES station captain, and Senior Airman Boyd Korb, a 20th CES firefighter, were directly responsible for the lifesaving rescue of a downed civilian firefighter in Sumter, S.C.The Airmen received awards at the Air Combat Command and Air Force levels before going

  • Hero honored by American Red Cross

    Staff Sgt. Craig Petersen, a 366th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron weapons load crew chief, was awarded the Military Hero Award by the American Red Cross June 19, in Boise, Idaho.

  • Kadena squadrons relocate to Guam for training

    Service members, aircraft and equipment from the 44th Fighter Squadron, 909th Air Refueling Squadron and 961st Airborne Air Control Squadron temporarily repositioned to Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, June 18, as part of an aviation training relocation mission.

  • Fighting prejudice with a passion

    An equal opportunity specialist, a sexual assault response coordinator and a deputy inspector general walk into a base social event. What sounds like the beginning of a joke takes a sudden, very different turn. The fundraising event comes to a grinding halt as those in attendance recognize the

  • Airman excels on two wheels, continues to pedal forward

    It was summer 2007 in Wausau, Wisconsin. David Flaten had completed his first mountain bike race through the nine-mile forest course with no prior racing experience and a simple knowledge of cycling. After regaining the feeling in his legs, the now Senior Airman said he had fallen in love.

  • Women's symposium fosters networking, leadership development

    The Sea Services Leadership Association hosted the 27th Annual Joint Women's Leadership Symposium here June 12-13, to recognize the strengths and talents of women in the armed forces and discuss the unique aspects of being a female service member.

  • CCAF graduates 350,000th student

    Base leaders, families and service members gathered here June 13 to welcome the spring 2014 graduates of the Community College of the Air Force.Officials awarded selected students with the Pitsenbarger Award Scholarship, the John and Kathy Hood Military Scholarship and made a special presentation to

  • ANG, Army test earthquake response

    More than 100 members of the Kentucky Air National Guard’s 123rd Contingency Response Group and the U.S. Army’s 688th Rapid Port Opening Element deployed here June 16-19 for an exercise that will test their ability to respond to a major earthquake along the New Madrid Seismic Zone.The exercise,

  • BMT quarters temporarily housing immigrant minors

    A former BMT facility was turned into a temporary shelter May 18 by the Department of Health and Human Services' Administration for Children and Families. The shelter is for unaccompanied Central American minors who have been caught illegally crossing into the U.S.

  • Wounded warrior battles life, career, competition

    He had known about the cancer, but until his trip to the emergency room that day in 2007, he hadn’t been told how far it had spread throughout his body. The doctor then shared with the master sergeant that his chances of survival over the next five years were at 55 percent and if he was willing to

  • Cheating in ALS: Zero tolerance for compromise of core values

    The best way to succeed in Airman Leadership School, and not resort to cheating, is to be open and honest with leadership before enrolling, understand the gravity of the demanding coursework, and be prepared for it, said Senior Master Sgt. Leyla Gillett, Langley Air Force Base ALS commandant.

  • AFCENT rolls out new leave, pass policy

    U.S. Air Forces Central Command officials released the command's revised leave policy June 6, which affects Airmen serving 12-month tours in Southwest Asia.In its recent recertification of the Imminent Danger Pay program, the Department of Defense determined that, effective June 1, personnel serving

  • Mountain Home Fire Department receives DOD award

    The Mountain Home Air Force Base Fire Department was recently recognized as the winner of the 2013 Department of Defense Fire and Emergency Services of the Year award in the small fire department category.

  • Key spouse program key to family readiness

    Air Force spouses are key to maintaining stability on the home front as Airmen maintain focus on the war front, according to the wife of the Air Force’s top officer.

  • Space fence contract awarded

    The Air Force awarded a $914,699,474 contract to Lockheed Martin on June 2, 2014 to develop a system that will track objects in Earth's orbit with far greater confidence and fidelity.

  • AF Museum breaks ground on $35.4M expansion

    The National Museum of the U.S. Air Force broke ground today on a new $35.4 million building that will house aircraft from the museum's Presidential, Research and Development (R&D) and Global Reach collection, as well as a new and expanded Space Gallery.

  • U.S., Polish Airmen support largest combined training

    U.S. and Polish airmen started training together at Lask Air Base, Poland, June 2, during the largest theater security cooperation event ever hosted by the U.S. Air Force Aviation Detachment in Poland, according to Av-Det officials.

  • President signs CAP medal into law

    President Barack Obama today signed into law S. 309, the bill awarding a Congressional Gold Medal to Civil Air Patrol for its service during World War II.

  • Eglin welcomes final F-35A

    The 58th Fighter Squadron became the Air Force's first complete F-35A Lightning II squadron after they welcomed their 26th and final F-35A May 28 at the 33rd Fighter Wing, here.

  • AF 'impossible' rescue mission recognized

    On the remote coastline of Eastern Iceland, inaccessible to ordinary travel, a plaque was dedicated May 30 to commemorate a U.S. Air Force rescue team operation accomplished 20 years earlier.On Jan. 10, 1994, members of the 56th Rescue Squadron, then located at Naval Air Station Keflavik, Iceland,

  • Nuclear deterrence medal approved for total force Airmen

    The Nuclear Deterrence Operations Service Medal, approved May 27 by Secretary of the Air Force Deborah James, is among several incentives focused on attracting and retaining high-caliber Airmen in the nuclear mission, Air Force Personnel Center officials said May 30.

  • A beacon in the storm

    Tech. Sgt. David Gray could only watch as she leaned forward and softly kissed him goodbye. There was simply nothing more that could have been done. Feeling helpless, standing bedside with his mother, every imposing inch of his muscular frame had just been rocked. The aftershocks had yet to be felt,

  • Biden to Class of 2014: 'You carry America on your back'

    The Air Force Academy's Class of 2014 will face new missions as the United States draws down in Afghanistan, but the challenges they encounter will be no less formidable and complex, Vice President Joseph R. Biden said during the Academy's commencement May 28.