NATO Air Policing operations

U.S. Air Force News

  • Wilson honors 2018 O’Malley Award recipients

    Brig. Gen. Julian Cheater and his wife, Camila Cheater, stood out among the 147 highly-selective wing command teams across the operational Air Force in their selection for the 2018 O'Malley Award.

  • Wilson takes command of Global Strike Command

    Lt. Gen. Stephen Wilson took command of Air Force Global Strike Command during a ceremony here Oct. 23, becoming the newest leader of the organization responsible for the nation's force of ICBMs and nuclear-capable bombers.

  • Wilson testifies on current state of the AF

    Air Force Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Stephen Wilson testified on the need for increased force structure and modernization before the House and Senate Armed Services committees Feb. 7 and 8 on Capitol Hill.

  • Wilson, Goldfein outline Air Force progress, need for larger force

    Secretary of the Air Force Heather Wilson and Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David L. Goldfein told the House Armed Services Committee Tuesday that the Air Force must get bigger and funding must be predictable to meet – and defeat – security threats at home, globally and in space in an era of great

  • Wilson’s glide path for a more lethal, ready Air Force of the future

    Emphasizing priorities that will largely define the year ahead, Secretary of the Air Force Heather Wilson stressed the need to modernize and grow the force. She also highlighted how streamlining acquisitions will inject innovative ideas and tools faster and more reliably into every corner of the

  • Wind energy at Cape Cod to save $1 million a year

    The wind in Cape Cod, Mass., is about to be called into action once again to reduce energy costs and air pollution at the Massachusetts Military Reservation. Air Force Space Command is preparing to install two 1.6 megawatt utility-scale wind turbines at the station' s early warning radar site,

  • Wind tunnel helps determine impact of hypersonic speeds

    Funding provided by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research has resulted in the world's only quiet hypersonic wind tunnel, which researchers are now using to test the performance of vehicles traveling at hypersonic speeds, or approximately 4,000 mph. A team of researchers at Purdue University,

  • Wind tunnel tests contribute to first flight of F-35

    The June 11 completion of the first flight of the short takeoff/vertical landing version of the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter resonated with Air Force engineers at the Arnold Engineering Development Center here. "A number of us at AEDC can take pride in the part we played in supporting this

  • Windows 10 to deploy across AF

    The Air Force is slated to upgrade to Windows 10 during the next couple years to improve the Air Force’s cybersecurity posture, lower the cost of information technology and streamline the IT operating environment.

  • Wing answers call for help for missing divers

    Airmen of the 920th Rescue Wing here answered the call for help in search of a missing diver off the coast of Port Canaveral, Fla., July 26, while earlier in the day rescue crews aided in the successful rescue of another diver. HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter crews from the Air Force Reserve Command's

  • Wing begins annual mission to Greenland

    Airmen of the 109th Airlift Wing kicked off their annual support for National Science Foundation research in Greenland April 23, as about 80 Airmen and three LC-130 Hercules aircraft left Stratton Air National Guard Base for Kangerlussuaq, Greenland.

  • Wing begins new chapter with F-15E

    Continuing to show a strong force and a visible presence in Afghanistan, the 455th Air Expeditionary Wing added a new capability to its inventory Jan. 14. With more than 200 Airmen supporting its mission, the F-15E Strike Eagle deployed from the 391st Fighter Squadron at Mountain Home Air Force

  • Wing boasts long, proud lineage

    The 1st Fighter Wing and its predecessor, the 1st Pursuit Group, have been in existence since 1918.1st Pursuit GroupMay 5, 1918 -- Organized as 1st Pursuit Group at Gencoult, FranceDec. 24, 1918 -- Demobilized at Colombey-les-Belles, France Aug. 22, 1919 -- Organized as 1st Pursuit Group at

  • Wing boasts proud lineage

    The 67th Network Warfare Wing and its predecessors have a long, distinguished service record. The mission of the wing is to execute Air Force network operations, defense, attack and exploitation to create integrated cyberspace effects for the Air Force Network Operations commander and combatant

  • Wing changes missions over time

    The 15th Airlift Wing, originally established as the 15th Pursuit Group (Fighter) on Nov. 22, 1940, activated at Wheeler Field , Hawaii, on Dec. 1, 1940. A little more than a year later, on Dec. 7, 1941, it engaged in combat action during the Japanese attack on military installations in Hawaii.

  • Wing commander, spouse honored at Pentagon

     Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz presented Brig. Gen. Mark Dillon and his wife Sara the General and Mrs. Jerome F. O'Malley award during a ceremony here Oct. 11. The Dillons were honored for their service at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, where the general serves as the 86th Airlift Wing

  • Wing commander, spouse leadership award nominations due Dec. 3

    Nominations for the 2013 General and Mrs. Jerome F. O'Malley Award are due Dec. 3.Named in honor of the late General Jerome F. O'Malley, the award recognizes the wing commander and spouse team whose contributions to the nation, the Air Force, and the local community best exemplify the highest ideas

  • Wing commander, spouse team humbled by recognition

    The 3rd Wing commander and his spouse were recognized for their contribution to the nation, the Air Force and the local community. Brig. Gen. Thomas Bergeson and his wife, Lt. Col. Pam Bergeson, are the 2010 winners of the Gen. and Mrs. Jerome F. O'Malley Award, which recognizes the best wing

  • Wing has long heritage of serving others

    The 59th Medical Wing is the Air Force's premier medical unit, located here in San Antonio.  The 59th MDW operates Wilford Hall Medical Center. The wing provides global medical readiness capability and comprehensive peacetime healthcare benefits through education, training and research. There are

  • Wing helps with Capitol exercise

    People from the 11th Wing here participated in a "State of the Union Address" field exercise at the U.S. Capitol in downtown Washington on Jan 10.Nearly 20 men and women assigned to the wing filled in as role players to help the U.S. Capitol Police, U.S. Secret Service and District of Columbia fire

  • Wing inspection teams inspect QA programs

    Two wing inspection teams from Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas, and Seymour Johnson AFB, North Carolina, visited to assess the 23rd Maintenance Group’s quality assurance program March 20 to 24.

  • Wing maintenance, logistics to merge with operations

    On May 12, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. T. Michael Moseley signed the Global Wing Structure Program Action Directive 08-01. PAD 08-01 directs the realignment of fighter, rescue and bomber aircraft maintenance units under flying squadrons. The Air Force will implement these changes between July 1

  • Wing medics train with Thai counterparts

    Medics assigned to the 18th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron returned here May 31 after participating in an aeromedical evacuation exercise in Bangkok, Thailand with the Royal Thai Air Force as part of a humanitarian-assistance mission. The 18th AES trained with the RTAF during the 13th Air

  • Wing modifies tactics, sharpens Airmen's combat skills

     “Alarm Red, MOPP 4.” Those familiar words of exercises past ring throughout a base’s loudspeakers during exercises. Hundreds of Airmen sucking air through gas masks or hours while hunkered down in work centers during scenarios, disaster training is considered a rite of passage in the Air Force.

  • Wing moves from Tallil to Balad

    The famed “Red Tails” were on the move recently when they relocated from a base in southern Iraq to just north of Baghdad.The 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing flag was furled here before being flown to its new home at Balad Air Base, where the wing was reactivated Jan. 30. The move is part of the

  • Wing partners with local cement plant, USDA to study black vultures

    The 167th Airlift Wing, Argos Cement Plant and the United States Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service’s Wildlife Services have teamed up to research black vultures in and around Martinsburg, West Virginia, in an effort to mitigate potential aviation hazards.

  • Wing plays major role in supporting Unified Endeavor

    More than 100 members of the 505th Command and Control Wing here recently helped prepare Soldiers for their upcoming deployment to Afghanistan by providing predeployment training for soldiers participating in exercises at various locations.The wing provided communications and network integration,

  • Wing practicing sound resource management

    The 379th Air Expeditionary Wing has established new resource management forums that comptroller officials at this forward-deployed location say will be a benchmark for large contingency bases.The wing recently held its first Financial Working Group and Financial Management Board to ensure

  • Wing prepares for CV-22 training

    With two CV-22 simulators on board here, 58th Special Operations Wing workers are making strides toward setting up training for the new aircraft.The Air Force officially accepted ownership of its first full-motion CV-22 simulator at the 58th Training Squadron recently.The unit will receive four

  • Wing program helps Airmen get fit to fight

    Officials in the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing have developed a unique program called the Body Mass Reduction Program which is designed to aid Airmen in achieving a healthy lifestyle while improving their mission capability and contributions to the wing. Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Rodney

  • Wing responsible for wide range of support, missions

    Coalition forces have supported operations in Afghanistan for more than five years and the Airmen of the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing here perform a wide range of missions in support of those operations. Afghanistan operations are broken up into five regions that operate under the International

  • Wing retires C-130E, anticipates end of C-130E ops

    Little Rock Air Force Base C-130E Hercules aircraft 62-1788 made its final flight Nov. 29, to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base's 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group, the aircraft retirement "bone yard" here. Built in 1962, the aircraft's history includes supporting major operations in

  • Wing shield carries 65 years of history

    When the Army Air Forces approved the heraldic emblem of the 50th Pursuit Group (later renamed 50th Fighter Group) in 1942, no one could have foreseen the distinguished history that would unfold under that flag. The 50th FG shield had an opinicus -- a magic beast comprising the head of an eagle, the

  • Wing supports mission at 'critical time'

    The 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing is the most forward-deployed Air Force wing in Iraq. The wing has pioneered modern warfare tactics using advanced weapons systems such as the F-16 Fighting Falcon, A-10 II Thunderbolt and the MQ-1 Predator unmanned aerial vehicle for close-air support and traditional

  • Wing supports Operation Deny Flight

    Nestled near the foothills of the Alps, the scenery at Aviano Air Base, Italy, is nothing short of spectacular. The location? A tourist's dream: By train, the base is an hour away from Venice, one of the world's most romantic cities. Via car, it's a short 45 minutes to the beach, or 35 minutes to

  • Wing surpasses combat hour milestone

    The 455th Air Expeditionary Wing surpassed a milestone after two fighter squadrons deployed here accumulated more than 5,000 combat flight hours in a single month. Aircrews flying A-10 Thunderbolt IIs from the 74th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron and F-15E Strike Eagles from the 336th EFS

  • Wing units take on Red Flag

    Aircrews from the 961st Airborne Air Control Squadron departed Kadena Air Base, Japan, June 3 on their way to Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska, to participate in the second Red Flag exercise this year. The air controllers joined other Kadena units including the 909th Air Refueling Squadron and the

  • Wing warping could change shape of future aircraft

    An experimental flexible-wing jet has embarked on a final phase of flights over Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., to demonstrate wing warping performance advantages for future aircraft.During the final phase, which began in December and is expected to be completed in April, a modified Navy F/A-18A

  • Wing-level team helps Airmen, civilians cope with traumatic events

    A variety of events, from a death in the family to battlefield casualties, can take a tremendous psychological toll on servicemen and civilians alike.Air Force officials are taking a proactive role in dealing with such crises, instituting wing-level teams that prepare Airmen and civilians for

  • Wingman can help combat the ‘holiday blues’

    Being stationed overseas often means separation from family members. This, combined with holiday stress, can lead to what is known as the “holiday blues.” “The holiday blues refers to feeling sad when we should be feeling joy, happiness and a sense of peace,” said Chaplain (Maj.) Shon Neyland.

  • Wingman now a part of BMT culture

    Glamorized during the ‘80s movie ‘Top Gun,’ the concept of a wingman was to always keep the lead pilot safe, even at the cost of veering off to fight the enemy. For the past few years, “wingman” has become a pledge, promise and commitment between Airmen to take care of themselves and those around

  • Wingman Stand Down 2010 in May focuses on Airmen safety, well-being

    For a half day in May, Airmen will learn strategies to prevent suicides and private motor vehicle accidents as part of Wingman Stand Down 2010. The exact date for the stand down will be left to individual units to determine.In a jointly signed letter, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz

  • Wingmen in right place, right time save lives

    Being at the right place at the right time may have saved the life of a surgical nurse assigned to the 81st Surgical Operations Squadron here Sept. 6. Capt. Scott Thallemer was on temporary duty at the University of Maryland R. Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center when two fellow nurses saved him from

  • Wingmen key to reducing sexual violence

    The Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Wing Commanders' Guide was sent out to wing commanders recently and contains statistics, facts and talking points to help leaders encourage healthy conversations among their Airmen, which senior leaders say is paramount to eliminating sexual crimes in the

  • Wingmen save fellow Airman's life at Kunsan

    When Pacific Air Forces officials sent out guidance for all the Pacific bases to have a Wingman Day, no one could have thought that during the day three wingmen would come to the aid of another Airman saving his life. At approximately 8:40 a.m. Nov. 13, as Kunsan Air Base members were gathering in

  • Wingmen: Airmen look after military working dogs

    Every day Airmen take care of each other, and the 52nd Security Forces Squadron's military working dog handlers have a furry wingman that requires a little extra care during the winter here."There are a few extra precautions we have to take during the winter months while working and training the

  • Wing's aircrews and support side help maintain mission

    Although most members of the 321st Air Expeditionary Wing may see their participation in the war against terrorism as being behind the scenes, the action is main stage for the flying squadrons at this deployed location.C-130 Hercules crews based here fly daily missions supporting the war effort,

  • Wings combine strengths to solve Raptor issue

    Four wings are combining efforts to analyze, develop and test a new advanced medium-range air-to-air missile data collection system for the first F-22A Raptor at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla. The 53rd Wing, 46th Test Wing, 1st Fighter Wing and 325th Fighter Wing worked side by side to solve the

  • Wing's emblem symbolizes rich heritage

    The shield of the 67th Network Wing symbolizes the unit's mission and reflects its 60-year history.  The original shield was approved for the 67th Reconnaissance Wing on March 20, 1952. On the original emblem, the red lightning bolt was emblematic of the strength, speed and power necessary to

  • Wing's emblem symbolizes the 'first'

    The shield of the 509th Bombardment Wing is rich in tradition as each symbol on the shield represents some part of the past.  The wing's emblem was approved July 10, 1952 and has remained unchanged for 55 years. The yellow shield has a representation of an atomic cloud between a pair of blue

  • Wing's legacy continues

    The 509th Bomb Wing makes its home here, and operates the Air Force's premier weapon system, the B-2 Spirit bomber. The mission of the wing is to bring the full spectrum of expeditionary global power of the B-2 for combat support capabilities to combatant commanders.  With the B-2, the wing can

  • Wing's mission provides NATO cornerstone

    The mission of the 31st Fighter Wing located here is to conduct and support air operations in Europe's southern region and to maintain munitions for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and national authorities. The 31st FW maintains two F-16 fighter squadrons, the 555th and the 510th, capable of

  • Wings of Blue cadets jump into Rose Bowl

    The U.S. Air Force Academy's Wings of Blue, the Air Force parachute demonstration team, jumped into the Rose Bowl as part of pregame activities during the Citi Bowl Championship Series National Championship Game, Jan. 7 in Pasadena, Calif.Wings of Blue members dropped into the stadium of 93,000

  • Wings of Blue strike gold

    The U.S. Air Force Academy Wings of Blue parachute competition team won gold medals in each skydiving event and received 31 out of 44 total medals at the National Collegiate Parachute Championship in Eloy, Ariz., recently.The team competed in three events: style, accuracy and four-way. The style

  • Wings of Blue takes 47 medals at nationals

    The Wings of Blue parachute team might want to consider changing its name to Wings of Gold.U.S. Air Force Academy cadets competing at the National Collegiate Parachute Championships in Eloy, Ariz., hauled in 47 medals and won gold in every event they entered, save for two. Only a technicality kept

  • Wings of Blue to jump into college football championship game

    The U.S. Air Force Academy's Wings of Blue parachute demonstration team is scheduled to jump into the Rose Bowl as part of pregame activities during the Citi Bowl Championship Series National Championship football game Jan. 7, in Pasadena, Calif.Wings of Blue members will drop into the stadium with

  • Wings of Blue train, jump with reservists

    Citizen Airmen from the 701st Airlift Squadron at Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina, took to the sky in a C-17 Globemaster III over the Arizona desert early Saturday morning for mission critical training with the Air Force’s Wings of Blue parachute team.

  • Wings of Blue win national championship

    For the 28th time, the U.S. Air Force Academy's Wings of Blue Competition Parachute Team won the National Collegiate Parachuting Championships held Dec. 27 to Jan. 1 at Lake Wales, Fla.The team set a new national record with 116 points, winning 32 medals, including nine gold.Air Force swept the

  • Wings of Blue wins 1st national title

    The Wings of Blue Air Force Parachute Team soared to victory Sept. 11 through 12 at the U.S. Parachute Association National Skydiving Championships in Ottawa, Ill. Wings of Blue fielded two teams: Air Force Impulse and Air Force Eminence. Impulse took first place and Eminence took third in the

  • Wings of Blue wins gold

    Nov. 3 was a good day to jump out of a perfectly good airplane, as the Air Force Wings of Blue parachute competition team can attest.The squad's four-person "Air Force Inception" team won first place in the four-person intermediate free-flying competition at the U.S. Parachute Association's National

  • Wing's shield preserves long heritage

    The 17th Training Wing shield symbolizes the long heritage of the unit's lineage. The emblem was originally approved for the 17th Pursuit Group on Jan. 19, 1934. In 1993, the Goodfellow Technical Training Wing at San Angelo, Texas, was replaced with the 17th Training Wing to carry the lineage. The

  • Wing's shield preserves long heritage

    The shield of the 51st Fighter Wing symbolizes the unit's mission and retains a rich heritage that spans 65 years. The shield was was originally approved for the 51st Pursuit Group on Feb. 5, 1942. The reflex blue and gold represent Air Force colors. The shield is divided by a partition line called

  • Wing's shield symbolizes air mission

    The 31st Fighter Wing shield symbolizes the long heritage of the unit's lineage. The emblem was originally approved for the 31st Pursuit Group (U.S. Army) on June 28, 1941, and for the 31st Wing on Dec. 13, 1951. The shield is divided into the colors of Air Force ultramarine blue and yellow by a

  • Wing's shield symbolizes medical mission

    The 59th Medical Wing shield symbolizes the unit's mission and its present vision. In 1993, when the wing became a numbered medical wing, the shield of the 59th Fighter Wing, formerly the 59th Observation Wing, was acquired. Its use was approved for the 59th Medical Wing Feb. 3, 1995. Wilford Hall

  • Wings-level landing might have saved C-5 crash survivors

    A veteran C-5 Galaxy pilot said all 17 people survived the April 3 plane crash at Dover Air Force Base, Del., mainly because the pilot did his job. Col. Udo McGregor said the “100 percent reason” everyone aboard survived the crash was because the pilot did a wings-level landing. “The survivors are

  • Winners announced for Rodeo 2009 competitions

    Air Mobility Rodeo 2009 ended here July 24 with a closing ceremony and the announcement of 74 awards including the coveted "Best of the Best" Award. The competition is the Air Force's and Air Mobility Command's premier mobility competition and included seven international competitors and observers

  • Winners save Air Force millions

    Eight Air Force teams and three people recently received top honors for their money-saving improvements to the Air Force.The Air Force Productivity Excellence Award recognizes Airmen, Air Force civilians and small groups who have made substantial improvements in productivity. The winners' efforts

  • Winter 2007 quarterly issue of Airman available online

    Read about how Airmen are rebuilding hope by mentoring Iraqi soldiers, see how warfare is evolving thanks to valuable training in the field, discover how Balad hospital is thriving thanks to deployed servicemembers, and learn how one family is receiving much-needed support from the Air Force to care

  • Winter defense forum focused on BRAC, mission growth

    More than 500 attendees at the Association of Defense Communities Winter Forum conference held recently in San Antonio learned about issues impacting defense communities and the latest solutions to challenges resulting from Base Realignment and Closure and mission growth. Representatives from the

  • Winter flights to Antarctica wrap up

    Airmen from McChord Air Force Base, Wash., completed the Operation Deep Freeze 2007-08 winter fly-in season when a final C-17 Globemaster III took off Aug. 25 from Pegasus White Ice Runway in Antarctica. Members of the 304th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron flew a total of 355 passengers and 119,953

  • Winter Olympics application window is open

    Guardian and Airmen athletes wanting to represent the Department of the Air Force in the next Winter Olympics have until Nov. 7 to apply for the DAF World Class Athlete Program.

  • Winter record set at Grand Forks

    A record was set here for the coldest day in January when temperatures reached minus 37 on Jan. 29 and 30, said officials at the 319th Operations Support Squadron weather flight here.The base is also experiencing one of the snowiest winters on record,From Jan. 24 to 26, the base received 21 inches

  • Winter rehabilitation clinic shows veterans potential

    More than 400 disabled veterans this year are pushing themselves to the limits by taking part in the Department of Veterans Affairs' 23rd National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic at Snowmass Village, Colo. The clinic, a six-day event that began March 28, teaches veterans with disabilities

  • Winter sports clinic helps veterans

    The 22nd National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic, the largest disabled learn-to-ski clinic in the world, helped motivate and heal nearly 400 veterans this year at Snowmass Village, Colo. The six-day winter sports clinic hosted 64 Airmen, 182 Soldiers, 66 Seamen, 60 Marines, and five Coast

  • Winter sports clinic opens for disabled vets

    Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary R. James Nicholson and former Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz opened the 20th National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic at Snowmass Village, Colo., April 3, praising participants for their sacrifices and their focus on their abilities, not their

  • Winter storm alerts Texas National Guard

    Governor Rick Perry has alerted the Texas National Guard to assist during the winter storm expected to sweep through Texas the evening of Jan. 14 and last through Jan. 15, according to officials in Austin, Texas.Two-hundred-and-fifty Guard members and 75 Humvees are standing by to support the

  • Winter: Time for sunscreen and sweaters

    Winter is here and that means it is time to pull out the sunscreen and sweaters! Yes, sunscreen. Outdoor fun activities such as skiing, ice skating and sledding can be fun, but it is important to protect your skin from the bitter cold, heavy winds and winter sun. When any of us think about winter we