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  • AF fighter jets practice for inauguration flyover

    Four Air Force fighter jets practiced for the inauguration flyover at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia, Jan. 19, 2017.Two generations of fighter aircraft are scheduled to fly in a close formation during the inauguration of President-elect Donald J. Trump at the capitol in Washington, D.C., Jan.

  • Citizen Airmen answer call to service

    “I thought it was going to be a normal drill weekend,” said Staff Sgt. Christopher Tedford, a 407th Expeditionary Maintenance Squadron munitions systems specialist. “I was thinking about work on Monday and how I had plans with my wife and kids the next week.“Then everything changed.”As Tedford and

  • Around the Air Force: Jan. 18

    On this look around the Air Force, Airmen at Edwards Air Force Base, California, developed a new way to reduce the cost of testing fire suppression systems, a satellite launched from Vandenberg AFB, California, and Civilian Health Promotion Services is helping people quit smoking.

  • Travis environmental restoration program is certified, sustainable

    Saving money, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and implementing green and sustainable remediation (GSR) to clean up contaminated groundwater sites recently earned Travis Air Force Base the honor of becoming the first Defense Department installation to receive greener cleanup certification by ASTM

  • Airman becomes first resource officer to Eglin Elementary

    Students at Eglin Elementary School will have another friendly face to greet them each morning as they enter the school. Staff Sgt. Justin Hogg from the 96th Security Forces Squadron was recently hired as the elementary's school resource officer.

  • Utility of genetics clinical study seeks volunteers across AF

    In partnership with the Coriell Personalized Medicine Collaborative, recruitment has begun for Phase II of the Air Force Medical Service Personalized Medicine Clinical Utility Study. The aim of the study is to evaluate the utility of genetics and genomics in clinical care.

  • Maintainer-turned-fighter pilot puts new skills to the test

    (This feature is part of the "Through Airmen's Eyes" series. These stories focus on individual Airmen, highlighting their Air Force story.) When Capt. David was a child, his father would take him out to the flightline at Canon Air Force Base, New Mexico, and sit him in the cockpit of an F-111

  • Deployed brother, sister reunite after 10 years apart

    U.S. service members ordinarily have to say goodbye to family as they head out for deployments, but one deployment brought a brother and sister together after 10 years of separation.Air Force Tech. Sgt. Mary Jane Palumbo and her brother, Army Staff Sgt. Quincy Mora, were able to meet outside a

  • AF introduces new Energy Flight Plan

    The Air Force introduced a new Energy Flight Plan, signed by Miranda Ballentine, the assistant secretary of the Air Force for installations, environment and energy, on Jan. 6.

  • Edwards AFB reduces cost for fire suppression test

    Members of the F-35 Integrated Test Force developed a new funnel system that captures the foam or water deluge during required hangar fire-suppression system tests, saving $79,750 and several days of delay, which can be critically important for test programs.

  • Castaway Airman helped map the world

    For six months in 1956 Bob Cunningham, a former Air Force radar operator, lived on a remote knob approximately 2,000 feet long and 850 feet wide in the Spratly Islands group located midway between the Philippine Islands and Vietnam. His home was a canvas tent and he manned radio and radar equipment

  • Scott AFB celebrates century of service

    Located in the heartland of America, Scott Air Force Base marked the historic milestone with a kickoff celebration Jan. 7 that helped launch a yearlong effort to honor its heritage, thank its mission and community partners and posture the installation for the next 100 years.

  • AF agency helps ‘bring life’ to mission innovation

    The Air Force Installation Contracting Agency’s Business Intelligence Competency Cell promotes logical research when it comes to operational acquisition. It may seem simplistic when taken at surface value, but what the BICC is doing within the Air Force is ‘bringing life’ to mission innovation. As a

  • Embracing opportunity: Additive technology used for manufacturing

    It’s a materials scientist’s dream, but as some experts say, an engineer’s nightmare. For scientists and engineers at the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Materials and Manufacturing Directorate, additive manufacturing, also known as 3-D printing, can be a powerful tool for rapid innovation.

  • SecAF highlights progress at AFA breakfast

    Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James addressed the Air Force Association’s Air Force Breakfast Series Jan. 6, at the Key Bridge Marriot in Arlington, Virginia.

  • Around the Air Force: Jan. 6

    On this look around the Air Force, President Obama says farewell to service members and new synthetic tie downs and winch cables on the C-17 Globemaster III are saving the Air Force money. Hosted by Airman 1st Class Jasmine Vanderheyden.

  • AF, NASA partner for mission success

    Developed in the mid-1990s by the NASA Geographic Information System office, the Flood Impact Analysis Tool illustrates the effects of localized tidal storm flooding.

  • Upgrade advances A-10s search capability

    A-10C Thunderbolt IIs assigned to active duty fighter squadrons at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base are in the process of having new lightweight airborne recovery systems installed.The LARS V-12 is designed to allow A-10 pilots to communicate more effectively with individuals on the ground such as

  • JB Charleston test new equipment, saves AF millions

    An operational evaluation of new synthetic tie downs and winch cables for the C-17 Globemaster III took place here in November 2016. Tie downs are ropes, cords, straps or chains that secure items during airlift operations; winch cables help adjust the tension on tie downs, securing the load.

  • Around the Air Force: Jan. 4

    On this look around the Air Force, Airmen march in the Rose Parade, coalition forces conduct more than 70 airstrikes in Syria and Iraq since the New Year, and an Air Force amputee is attempting to resume his career in Pararescue. Hosted by Airman 1st Class Cory Kuttler

  • AF program assists special needs family members

    The Air Force Exceptional Family Member Program allows Airmen to proceed to assignment locations where suitable medical, educational and other resources are available to treat special needs family members.

  • Airman finds potential through EPR

    Enlisted performance reports have the power to affect an Airman’s career. For one Airman, an EPR had the power to change how he saw his life. Staff Sgt. Preston Moten, a 20th Equipment Maintenance Squadron aerospace ground equipment schedule and training monitor, said the rating from his first EPR

  • New civilian appraisal program to begin in April

    The Air Force will roll out a new Department of Defense civilian appraisal program in April 2017, designed to improve overall job performance, enhance supervisor and employee communication and more effectively develop and reward the workforce.

  • New Year, new you: Take control of your own health

    A new year can mean new opportunities, new discoveries and maybe a few new goals. While the New Year’s Resolution is a common tradition, many of them get abandoned long before the new year is gone again. Setting goals for a healthier you is something everyone can do, if you do it right.

  • Expeditionary aircrew spends Christmas at 30,000 feet

    A fog peeled back slowly from the flight line. Four aircrew members emerged from a transit van sharing witty banter and a few cheerful words as they moved their flight equipment towards a nearby KC-10 Extender.

  • FY 17 NDAA impact on Airmen

    The approval of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2017 provides a number of changes for Airmen, retirees, and families, to include stabilizing readiness and end strength, improving pilot retention, modernizing compensation and benefits and enhancing transparency in the

  • Phantom's phinale

    Lt. Col. Ronald King, her pilot, grinned and eased her forward on the way into history. Today was 21 December. This was the final flight of the QF-4 Phantom – the final flight of AF 349 – and after 53 dedicated years of superior service, the final flight of the Phantom II would be done right.

  • Goldfein visits ISR Airmen

    Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David L. Goldfein met with Airmen and leaders at 25th Air Force Headquarters in San Antonio Dec. 19.

  • Air Force needs to grow to 350,000

    In ongoing efforts to size and shape the force to current and future requirements, Air Force officials explained why the service needs to grow to 350,000 active-duty Airmen over the next seven years.

  • Goldfein stands watch with Airmen at F.E. Warren AFB

    Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David L. Goldfein visited Airmen at a missile alert facility in the F.E. Warren Air Force Base missile complex Dec. 19-20. Airmen stand watch 24/7, ensuring the nation’s nuclear deterrence capability is equipped and ready at a moment’s notice. The men and women who

  • Deployed squadron flies combat ops 15 hours after arrival

    When the 134th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron arrived at the 407th Air Expeditionary Group in early December, few people outside the two units would have expected them to generate combat airpower 15 hours after landing.But that is exactly what the Airmen in Southwest Asia did.

  • Largest military solar energy project in Northeast breaks ground on JB MDL

    Miranda A.A. Ballentine, the assistant secretary of the Air Force for installations, environment and energy, and Brig. Gen. Michael Cunniff, the adjutant general of New Jersey, helped break ground on a 98-acre solar farm at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst Dec. 21.The 16.5-megawatt solar energy

  • Scoping it out: Shaw evaluated for Reaper mission

    Teams from Air Combat Command and Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri, conducted a site survey at Shaw AFB Dec. 13, to assess the base as a candidate for an MQ-9 Reaper mission.Shaw AFB is one of four installations being evaluated for a wing-level mission, and one of five in the running for a

  • New program streamlines safety reporting procedures

    Reporting a safety issue, whether a hazard or mishap, is about to get much easier across the Air Force with the scheduled release of a new web-based application by the Air Force Safety Center early in the new year.

  • ACC hosts chaplain leadership symposium

    Senior religious support teams from around the world met at Joint Base Langley-Eustis in early December for the Air Combat Command Chaplain Corps Leadership Development Symposium.

  • The long journey home

    Long rows of white marble headstones line the landscape of Arlington National Cemetery, each memorializing a fallen U.S. military member with a unique story of service to the nation. Nestled within Section 60 of the sprawling cemetery lies a marker for Air Force Maj. Troy Gilbert, an American

  • Coalition launches largest airstrike of the year against ISIL

    The U.S.-led coalition launched one of its largest airstrikes against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant near Palmyra, Syria, Dec. 8, dealing a significant blow to the terrorist organization’s ability to finance and enable its means of war.

  • Airmen, civilians gain resilience through MMA

    As an Ultimate Fighting Championship fighter gets his hands wrapped and steps into the cage for battle, a cold chill runs down his spine; he’s nervous about the challenge ahead. Comparable to UFC fighters preparing for combat, Airmen may get a similar feeling whether preparing for upcoming

  • Airman provides the logistics behind Obama’s archival move

    Many former presidents have a library in their namesake, showcasing many records and artifacts from their presidency. A library in honor of President Barack Obama is scheduled to open sometime in 2021 in Chicago, where records and archives from his presidency will be on display. However, the

  • AFVSA to implement new RPA childcare

    To combat these one-of-a-kind challenges, personnel from the Air Force Services Activity headquarters in Joint Base San Antonio, Texas, recently met with military members and conducted interviews here where they discussed new and evolving childcare options.

  • The evolution of the combat RPA

    In the 1980s, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency added modern-day technology to the decades old idea of using remotely piloted aircraft for reconnaissance purposes. As a result the Air Force immediately purchased a long-endurance RPA called the GNAT 750, resulting in the creation,

  • The OSD Logistics Fellows Program: A glimpse from inside

    Nearly 3 million men and women make up the Department of Defense; how few truly have opportunity for gaining insight and understanding of the origins of legislation, budget, policy, and oversight? The Office of the Secretary of Defense’s Logistics Fellowship provides selected logisticians the

  • From gang leader to service member: Airman overcomes odds to find success

    Many Airmen gain leadership skills by progressing through the ranks and taking on more responsibilities. Many times this includes special schooling such as airman leadership school or the non-commissioned officer academy. One Airman became a leader at a much earlier age, before he even joined the

  • Life after loss: One Air Force family’s journey to recovery

    In March 2016, Lt. Col. Melchizedek “Kato” Martinez, a career tactical communications officer, was welcomed home from another combat deployment, a constant in the Martinez family. His wife, Gail, along with their four children, had planned a family retreat to their second home, the one place that,

  • AF Marathon registration to open Jan. 2

    Registration for the 2017 Air Force Marathon will begin Jan. 2 at 9 a.m. EST. Registration will open with special New Year’s resolution discounts, and participants who register Jan. 2 will receive $10 off the full or half-marathon and $5 off the 10K or 5K.The change from the traditional Jan. 1 date

  • Compass Call targets ISIL through electronic attack

    Military operations are complex. Attacking an adversary requires significant coordination and communication between a commander and their fighters. The fog and friction of war means that even the best laid plans are often adapted on the fly, and competent leaders need the ability to redirect their

  • Special ops surgical team saves hundreds during deployment

    If they stood on the roof of the abandoned one-story home they were working out of, at night they could see bombs dropping on the city three kilometers north. Limited resources, limited manpower, limited backup, and limited time didn’t stop this Air Force Special Operations Surgical Team from

  • Air Mobility Command enables delivery of Israel’s first F-35s

    Air Mobility Command Airmen worked around the clock to ensure Israel’s first two F-35 aircraft were delivered Dec. 12, making the U.S. ally the only country in the Middle East flying a fifth generation fighter aircraft. The 618th Air Operations Center, based out of Scott AFB, Illinois, assigned the

  • Moody 'shields' aircraft from adversaries during CS

    Moody Air Force Base’s aircraft fleet routinely exhibits their abilities by providing mission-ready combat, rescue and transient assets. In order to attack, rescue and prevail, these guardians of the skies must be able to protect themselves, especially from electronic warfare.

  • James visits F.E. Warren, discusses force improvement efforts

    Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James and Lt. Gen. Jack Weinstein, the deputy chief of staff for strategic deterrence and nuclear integration, visited F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming, to speak directly with Airmen about ongoing improvement efforts throughout the nuclear enterprise, Dec. 7-8.

  • Multiple F-35s take to the skies to test communication data links

    All three variants of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter were used by the 461st Flight Test Squadron in recent multi-ship testing, which employs four or six jets to ensure communication systems between the planes are working properly and accurately.  The F-35 contains state-of-the-art tactical data links

  • Palace Chase, Front offer alternatives to active duty

    Every year, thousands of individuals raise their right hand and commit to serve in the military as either enlisted members or officers. While some choose to serve for many years on active duty, others might elect to leave, but that doesn’t mean they can’t continue serving.

  • MQ-1, MQ-9 Millennials make difference on battlefield

    For the one percent of the U.S. population that chooses the path to serve in the armed forces, there are many opportunities. One prospective path in the Air Force lies in the MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper remotely piloted aircraft enterprise.

  • Air Force Agreement Allows Ionospheric Research to Continue

    Because of a recent Cooperative Research and Development Agreement between the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Space Vehicles Directorate and the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF), more than twenty-five years of science and atmospheric research will continue at the High Frequency Active Auroral

  • Around the Air Force: Dec. 6

    On this look around the Air Force an A-10 Thunderbolt II pilot reaches 6,000 flight hours, the new AC-130J successfully drops bombs for the first time, and a new IRS law that may change when you receive your refund.

  • Falcons to compete in Arizona Bowl, Dec. 30

    Falcons head coach Troy Calhoun said he’s “delighted” Air Force will compete against the University of South Alabama Jaguars Dec. 30 in the Arizona Bowl in Tucson, Arizona.

  • Civilian tuition assistance increases to $1M, expands eligibility

    The Air Force has received an additional $400,000, for a total of $1 million, for its 2017 civilian tuition assistance program, and all permanent, full-time appropriated fund employees, including those in wage-grade positions, are now eligible to participate.

  • Medical squadron streamlines inpatient medication processes

    The pharmacy at the Mike O’Callaghan Federal Medical Center on Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, recently modernized their inpatient medication process by implementing barcode technology to multiple medication dispensing machines throughout the medical center and streamlining and safeguarding the way

  • First Japanese F-35A arrives at Luke

    The F-35 program hit another milestone Nov. 28 with the arrival of the first foreign military sales F-35 at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona. The arrival marked the next step for the international F-35 training program as Japan took ownership of the first FMS aircraft to arrive at Luke AFB.

  • Whiteman pilot reflects on 6,000 hours in the A-10

    Nearly three decades of flying and 11 combat deployments later, Lt. Col. John Marks, a pilot with the 303rd Fighter Squadron has achieved a milestone that equates to 250 days in the cockpit, which most fighter pilots will never reach and puts him among the highest time fighter pilots in the Air

  • Band kicks off holiday season with 4th annual flash mob

    Visitors at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum were delightfully surprised when their tour of the displays was suddenly interrupted by members of the U.S. Air Force Band and Honor Guard as they kicked off the holiday season with their fourth annual holiday flash mob Nov. 29.

  • Final phase of C-17 drag reduction testing underway

    When it comes to aviation fuel, the C-17 Globemaster III utilization rate makes it stand out as the largest consumer in the Air Force. This is why a team at the 418th Flight Test Squadron has been working for the past year on the Air Force Research Laboratory’s C-17 Drag Reduction Program.

  • Base level cyber squadron takes flight

    In April, communications squadrons across the Air Force were tasked by their respective major commands to be pathfinder units in what has become known as the “Cyber Squadron Initiative” construct. This is meant to be a transition effort toward a new cyber unit that integrates defensive cyber

  • New program to help ISR aircrews cope with different kind of PTSD

    Finding targets by watching and listening is, by nature, intensely personal and can have a long-lasting effect, to include post-traumatic stress disorder, on intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance Airmen involved. The 361st ISR Group is developing a ‘Re-Fit’ program which will assist Airmen

  • F-35 begins integrated training with F-16 at Luke

    In October, pilots of the 56th Fighter Wing began flying integrated direct support practice sorties in the F-35A Lightning II and the F-16 Fighting Falcon for the first time as a regular component of the training curriculum at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona.

  • New RQ-4 engine depot opens on Tinker AFB

    The Oklahoma City Air Logistics Complex recently stood up the overhaul and repair capability for a new workload in the F-137 engine. This new workload is a partnership with Rolls-Royce, and the first venture of this kind with this engine manufacturer.

  • Bully Brothers

    Airman 1st Class Jarret Nave, a 91st Missile Maintenance Squadron electro-mechanical technician, knew where he wished to be stationed when he booked the same job as his older brother. As fate would have it, he ended up with the same job as his brother Senior Airman Todd Nave, a 91st MMXS missile

  • Around the Air Force: Nov. 25

    On this look around the Air Force, NASA launches a new weather satellite, Airmen train with Marines during Vigilant Ace 17-1, and Serbian support during World War II is commemorated.

  • AF supports improved method for transporting TBI patients

    Scientists with the U.S. Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine are playing an important part in the testing and evaluation of a novel aeromedical evacuation stretcher designed to safely transport traumatic brain and spinal injury patients in air and ground vehicles.

  • 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.

  • A different path to citizenship

    Being an American citizen may seem ordinary for most, but for some Airmen, the path to citizenship is anything but ordinary. Senior Airman Michael Mwelwa, a 60th Comptroller Squadron military pay technician, was awarded U.S. citizenship in May at the age of 23. Mwelwa was born in Zambia, a country

  • Around the Air Force: Nov. 22

    On this look around the Air Force, Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico has been selected to be the interim home for two F-16 Fighting Falcon training squadrons, the secretary of defense got a close look at special operations Airmen at work, and the Air Force has concluded an F-16 crash