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  • XQ-58A Valkyrie demonstrator completes inaugural flight

    The XQ-58A Valkyrie demonstrator, a long-range, high subsonic unmanned air vehicle completed its inaugural flight March 5, 2019, at Yuma Proving Ground, Arizona. The Air Force Research Laboratory partnered with Kratos Unmanned Aerial Systems to develop the XQ-58A.

  • Yeager brings 'Right Stuff' to symposium

    The first person ever to travel faster than the speed of sound didn't know anything about airplanes when he enlisted in the Army Air Corps in September 1941. But retired Brig. Gen. Chuck Yeager did have a knack for fixing machines and a willingness to do whatever his duty required of him and to take

  • 'Year in Photos' capture 2009 events

    Throughout the past year, Airmen, deployed and at home, successfully carried out the Air Force mission to fly, fight and win in air, space and cyberspace. Whether it was maintaining and launching aircraft, tending to a wounded warrior or building airfields anywhere in the world, total force Airmen

  • 'Year In Photos' highlights 2008

    Throughout the past year, Airmen, deployed and at home, successfully carried out the Air Force mission to Fly, Fight and Win in air, space and cyberspace.  Whether it was maintaining and launching an unmanned aircraft, tending to a wounded warrior, helping to reinforce a levee during a major flood,

  • Year of Defender revitalizes security forces squadrons

    Security forces is the largest enlisted career field in the Air Force with approximately 38,000 defenders spanning 120 bases. In order to better care for these Airmen and ensure they have everything they need to complete their mission, 2019 was declared – Year of the Defender – by top Air Force

  • Year of the Air Force Family promotes sense of community

    The Air Force's top uniformed officer and his wife welcomed the Air Force's newest Airmen into the service during a visit here July 8 and 9.The Basic Military Training graduation at the "Gateway to the Air Force" was the perfect backdrop for Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz and his wife

  • Year of the Air Force Family short story competition coming soon

    Air Force Services Agency officials are accepting short story competition entries Dec. 20 through Feb. 14, as part of the Year of the Air Force Family.This is an opportunity for Airmen to express what living the Air Force life means to them, their family and their friends. Entries must be be 300

  • Year of the Air Force Family T-shirt design competition under way

    Air Force Services Agency officials are promoting a T-shirt design competition on the recently launched myairforcelife.com, now through Dec. 20, as part of the Year of the Air Force Family."The site will feature programs and competitions that will roll out through the year," said Ms. Debbie Karnes,

  • 'Year of the Air Force Family' Web site launched

    Air Force officials have launched a new Web site to showcase the Year of the Air Force Family effort. Airmen and their families can log on to http://www.af.mil/yoaff/index.asp to learn about AF-wide initiatives, monthly themes and programs, as well as contact local installation Airman Family and

  • Year of the Air Force Family wraps up

    During the "Year of the Air Force Family," senior leaders examined existing support services and sought out ways to evolve and expand them to meet the changing needs and expectations of Airmen, their families and the larger Air Force family as well. As the Year of the Air Force Family initiative

  • Year-end recruiting goals within reach, official says

    With less than three weeks left in the fiscal year, all four military services met their active-duty recruiting goals for August and hope to maintain that momentum to reach their year-end goals, Defense Department officials said Sept. 10. The Air Force, Army, Navy and Marine Corps all met or

  • Year-end review: 386th AEW remembers banner year

    As the world celebrated the passing of another year, and looked to the future with optimistic hope, the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing, and its leadership, reflected on its accomplishments.

  • Yellow Ribbon event provides rest, eases redeployment

    Rest and relaxation mixed with reintegration seminars and veteran resources, coupled with plenty of chocolate was the theme for the 60-day Yellow Ribbon Event April 16 to 18 at Hershey Lodge in Hershey, Pa.Yellow Ribbon coordinators from the 514th Air Mobility Wing planned this event for more than

  • Yellow Ribbon program focuses on reservists, families

    Air Force reservists in the 507th Air Refueling Wing at Tinker AFB, who return from long deployments, are finding the welcome mat waiting for them. A congressional directive in the 2007 Defense Appropriations Act mandated that Reserve components provide reservists and their families with additional

  • Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program reaches milestone

    The advisory board of a new program mandated by the 2008 National Defense Authorization Act held its inaugural meeting here March 30. The Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program fulfills the requirement of establishing a national combat veteran reintegration program. The program's goal is to prepare

  • Yellowcard rocks servicemembers in Southwest Asia

    More than 250 servicemembers assigned to the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing were infected with a special blend of rock and pop Jan. 12 when the band Yellowcard performed live for an hour at the base theater. Yellowcard, a Los Angeles-based band, entertained American servicemembers during their final

  • Yesterday’s Air Force

    The Air Force Rescue Coordination Center has been coordinating inland search and rescue missions in the United States since its creation. Today, the AFRCC works with local and federal search and rescue assets and is credited with saving more than 17,000 lives.

  • Yesterday’s Air Force: 9/11 response

    It wasn't long after the terror attacks of 9/11 that the Air Force responded in a big way. On Oct. 7, 2001, Operation Enduring Freedom began. In the initial months, Air Force bombers flew night and day, conducting strikes on Taliban and al-Qaida positions across Afghanistan. U.S. air superiority

  • Yesterday’s Air Force: AF museum opens new building

    The National Museum of the U.S. Air Force in Dayton, Ohio, is showing off its brand new hangar full of historical aircraft and tons of Air Force history. It features four sections: presidential, research and development, space, and global reach.

  • Yesterday’s Air Force: Apollo 15

    Manned by an all-Air Force crew, the Apollo 15 mission was considered a great success. It was the fourth time man had landed on the moon.

  • Yesterday’s Air Force: Archie Williams

    As an Olympic gold medalist and command pilot, Lt. Col. Archie Williams proved time and again his skill, discipline and determination were among the best.

  • Yesterday’s Air Force: BMT

    Tomorrow's Airmen all get their start at Lackland Air Force Base where citizens have been transforming into Airmen since 1942. It makes no difference whether you were a pickle or faced the B.E.A.S.T., Basic Military Training is the one thing that all enlisted Airmen have in common.

  • Yesterday’s Air Force: Cheyenne Mountain

    Since April 20, 1966, Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Station in Colorado has been protecting the skies over North America. The Cheyenne Mountain Complex is near Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and falls under Air Force Space Command.

  • Yesterday’s Air Force: Flak-Bait

    During World War II, Martine B-26 Marauders dropped thousands of bombs and one of those aircraft survived more missions and dropped more bombs than any other — the Flak-Bait.

  • Yesterday’s Air Force: HH-3E

    Getting stranded behind enemy lines is a concern during every combat mission and one aircraft set the standard for combat search and rescue during the Vietnam War -- the Sikorsky HH-3E.

  • Yesterday’s Air Force: Hurricane Hunters

    What started as a dare more than 70 years ago turned into the way we predict hurricanes today. Find out how the Air Force got started in a critical mission that saves lives by flying through hurricanes.

  • Yesterday’s Air Force: ICBM evolution

    FORT GEORGE G. MEADE, Md. (AFNS) – This episode of Yesterday’s Air Force looks at the evolution of the Intercontinental Ballistic Missile program from initiation during the Cold War to becoming America's most powerful nuclear deterrent.Yesterday's Air Force is a history and heritage featurette

  • Yesterday’s Air Force: Lafayette Escadrille

    A century ago, American Airmen began to fly for the French Air Service in World War I. This episode looks at their role in the war effort. Yesterday's Air Force is a history and heritage featurette series profiling significant people and missions from the Air Force's past.

  • Yesterday’s Air Force: Operation Santa

    FORT GEORGE G. MEADE, Md. (AFNS) – What started as a simple typo, turned into yearly tradition where every year the North American Aerospace Defense Command helps children all over the world track Santa. Track Santa this year at www.noradsanta.org.Yesterday's Air Force is a history and heritage

  • Yesterday’s Air Force: Operation Tomodachi

    Operation Tomodachi was the U.S. and Japanese response to the devastation brought by a 9.0-magnitude earthquake, and tsunami, that struck off the coast of Japan. Airmen from all over the Pacific helped in the recovery efforts.

  • Yesterday’s Air Force: Robin Olds

    Robin Olds was one of the Air Forces' most iconic fighter pilots. Olds is rated as a triple ace, having shot down a total of 17 enemy aircraft during World War II and the Vietnam War.

  • Yesterday’s Air Force: The B-36

    After World War II the threat of nuclear weapons was felt by every man, woman and child in the country. America knew it needed a platform to help deter a nuclear strike, and the solution was the B-36 Peacemaker.

  • Yesterday’s Air Force: The Challenger disaster

    It was 30 years ago that the much-anticipated launch of Space Shuttle Challenger quickly turned to tragedy. Here's a look back at this fateful day, as well as the successes of the shuttle's previous missions.

  • Yesterday’s Air Force: The Doolittle Raid

    After a string of defeats in America’s early days of World War II, the president ordered a mission to strike Japan and to help improve the morale of the American people.

  • Yesterday’s Air Force: The Enola Gay

    The thought of using a nuclear weapon is a heavy one, and when the first nuclear bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, Japan, it sparked conversations all over the world. What does it mean to have nuclear power? How should it be used? All this started with one aircraft: the Enola Gay.

  • Yesterday’s Air Force: The Information Age

    FORT GEORGE G. MEADE, Md. (AFNS) – This episode of Yesterday's Air Force looks at the history of the Air Force’s use of computers and how they have influenced the Air Force. Computers were originally developed to be problem solvers, but their vulnerabilities soon created a new era of problems,

  • Yesterday’s Air Force: The president’s pilot

    During the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the president was hundreds of miles away from the nation’s capital. The pilot and crew of Air Force One made sure the president stayed safe and got where he needed to be to lead the country.

  • Yesterday’s Air Force: WWII Heavy Bombardment

    One of the costliest campaigns of World War II was the aerial bombing of the Axis powers in Europe. The American B-17 and B-24 bombers were the backbone of the Allied bombing campaign over Nazi occupied Europe.

  • Yesterday's Air Force: 70 years of Breaking Barriers

    American Airmen have been breaking barriers for 70 years in air, space and cyberspace, resulting in global vigilance, reach and power. They’ve shown tenacity in Korea’s MiG Alley, endurance in Vietnam’s Rolling Thunder campaign, decisiveness over the skies of Baghdad during Desert Storm and

  • Yesterday's Air Force: Airman Astronauts

    The U.S. Air Force helped propel America to the moon. Across several decades, Airmen have participated in the training, planning and flying of rockets and shuttles and even the International Space Station. The Air Force has played a vital role in the NASA's astronaut mission.

  • Yesterday's Air Force: F-104 Starfighter

    This episode of Yesterday's Air Force looks at the F-104 Starfighter. It was a technological marvel when it first took to the sky in the 1950s. It broke a number of records and was used by many air forces around the world. The F-104 had a long service life; it wasn't retired from active service with

  • Yesterday's Air Force: Luxembourg

    On July 12, 1944, two U.S. B-17 Flying Fortress bombers collided over the small town of Perle, Luxembourg.Though 71 years have passed, the event has changed the lives of many people, including Roger Feller, who witnessed the crash. He has since dedicated his life to never forgetting the American

  • Yesterday's Air Force: Pilot training

    This episode of Yesterday’s Air Force takes a look back at the history of the Air Force's Pilot Training Program, from its humble beginnings in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, to its modern day pursuit of air superiority.

  • Yesterday's Air Force: Reverse Lend-Lease

    The logistics of war are complicated and having the right aircraft at the right place and time is a key to victory. At the beginning of U.S. involvement in World War II the Reverse Lend-Lease program set the U.S. up for success.

  • Yesterday's Air Force: RPAs

    This episode of Yesterday's Air Force looks at the history of Remotely Piloted Aircraft. RPAs are not a new war-fighting technology, in fact their development goes back to the early 20th century. Roger Connor with the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum takes us through their evolution.

  • Yesterday's Air Force: Secret Squirrel

    Operation Senior Surprise (Secret Squirrel) began the bombing campaign against Iraq during the Gulf War in 1991. It kicked off Operation Desert Storm and the liberation of Kuwait.

  • Yesterday's Air Force: Tankers

    The KC-46A Pegasus is the newest member of the aerial refueling team. This episode of Yesterday's Air Force takes a look back at where it all started -- from wing walkers to the most recent KC-135 Stratotanker.

  • Yesterday's Air Force: The pilot who killed King Kong

    There was only one man who took part in the hunt for Pancho Villa, the Doolittle Raid, the Flying Tigers, the Japanese surrender on the USS Missouri and even stopping King Kong’s rampage in New York City. He was one of the Air Force's most innovative, exceptional, and adventurous leaders. That man

  • Yesterday's Air Force: The president's pilot

    On Sep 11, 2001, America was under attack and the president was hundreds of miles away. The pilot and crew of Air Force One made sure the commander in chief stayed safe and helped get him where he needed to be to lead the country.

  • Yeti joins Air Force academy mascots

    The cast of falcon mascots here increased with the addition of its newest bird, Yeti.A hybrid cross between a white gyrfalcon and a Middle Eastern saker, Yeti is a large, athletic bird, said Lt. Col. Jim Imlay, 34th Training Wing director of staff and academy falconry director.The idea for the new

  • Yokota ‘Dirt Boys’ train Japan forces in Kanoya

    Members of the 374th Civil Engineer Squadron from Yokota Air Base, Japan, traveled to Kanoya Air Base, Japan, to demonstrate a spall repair for Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force civil engineers, May 15.

  • Yokota AB airlifters deliver fuel to power Sendai Airport

    Airmen from the 36th Airlift Squadron here delivered more than 2,300 gallons of diesel fuel to Sendai Airport, Japan, aboard a C-130H Hercules in support of Operation Tomodachi March 24. The Airmen delivered the fuel to Sendai where it will be used to fuel generators and provide power. Until

  • Yokota AB Airman Earns Bronze Star Downrange

    From Sept. 27, 2017 to Sept. 26, 2018, Charles was assigned to the 438th Air Expeditionary Wing. During this time, he operated outside of the coalition-controlled airfield, where he endured 19 indirect fire rocket attacks and was exposed to a persistent threat of insider attacks.

  • Yokota AB Airmen deliver fuels truck to aid Japan's relief efforts

    Senior Airman Jason Barbieri guides a fuels truck onto a C-130H Hercules March 15, 2011, at Yokota Air Base, Japan. The fuels truck was taken to Yamagota Airport to support Japan's earthquake and tsunami relief efforts. Airman Barbieri is assigned to the 36th Airlift Squadron. (U.S. Air Force

  • Yokota AB Airmen play vital role in cooling Fukushima power plant

    A team of Airmen from here labored nonstop March 25 through 27 to design and create essential components for water pumps to be used at a nuclear power plant in northern Japan. The power plant, located roughly 130 miles north of here in Fukushima Prefecture, incurred catastrophic damage to its

  • Yokota AB Airmen provide Afghan military with 'props'

    Airmen from here helped airmen in the Afghan National Army Air Corps get off the ground and take control of maintaining Afghan national security.The Yokota AB Airmen were tasked to package and ship 15 sets of propellers, three blades per set, to the ANAAC for their growing fleet of C-27A

  • Yokota AB Airmen tackle Herculean airlift missions into Sendai

    Over the past two weeks, Sendai Airport has served as a critical relay point for relief efforts throughout northeastern Japan, and the Airmen of the 36th Airlift Squadron are working to ensure that the airport stays open for business.Since the incapacitated airport reopened to air traffic, 36th

  • Yokota AB hosts 2019 Mid-Air Collision Avoidance Conference

    The conference provided 64 Japanese pilots with the unique opportunity to hear briefings from military personnel, discussing airspace boundaries, flight routes and daily operations with a singular goal in mind, to increase awareness and promote safety in the skies over Yokota AB and the surrounding

  • Yokota AB hosts Pacific Unity 2019

    The four-day bilateral training event spanning from Aug. 20-23 brought together Airmen from throughout the Pacific to team up with Japanese Air Self-Defense Force service members to learn the advanced rapid airfield damage repair skills necessary to respond in war-time contingency operations.

  • Yokota AB officials extend help to firefighters in Fukushima

    A team of five Airmen and two Japanese nationals delivered a fire truck March 15 to firefighters in Fukushima, Japan. After more than seven hours of traveling, the team delivered a P-22 fire truck to six Japanese firefighters who were standing by. After delivering the fire truck, Nobuhito Takeda, a

  • Yokota AB supports JPMRC 23-02 Alaska

    The 374th Airlift Wing from Yokota Air Base, Japan, provided airlift support for Joint Pacific Multinational Readiness Capability exercise, March 21-April 2.

  • Yokota AB, Misawa AB commanders lift stop-movement order

    The orders issued March 12 and 14 that stopped active duty Air Force permanent-change-of-station moves to Yokota and Misawa air bases has been lifted, and active duty members are being directed to meet their report no later than dates. However, command-sponsored family members are not yet authorized

  • Yokota aids Japan with earthquake relief

    The 374th Airlift Wing sent two C-130 Hercules aircraft and aircrew to the Kyushu region April 18, supporting the government of Japan in their relief efforts for the series of earthquakes that took place in Kumamoto Prefecture and surrounding areas.

  • Yokota Air Base community assists pax of diverted commercial aircraft

    Several commercial aircraft have diverted to Yokota Air Base from Narita International Airport in Tokyo after it closed in response to an earthquake that hit mainland Japan at 2:50 p.m. local March 11.Some 11 aircraft have landed at the base and more than 500 passengers have been transported to the

  • Yokota aircraft parts store never closes

    Airmen assigned to the 374th Logistics Readiness Squadron is aircraft parts store element here work around the clock supporting the Air Force airlift mission in the Pacific region.The group of inventory management technicians receive, store and issue needed parts worth $46 million for C-130 Hercules

  • Yokota aircrew practices survival tactics in Fuji foothills

    An aircrew with the 36th Airlift Squadron at Yokota Air Base, Japan, tested their survival, evasion, resistance and escape capabilities Jan. 16 at Camp Fuji, Japan. The SERE-led exercise tested their ability to survive a simulated aircraft crash behind enemy lines.

  • Yokota Airman dies

    A U.S. Air Force service member stationed at Yokota was found by Japanese police at 6:25 a.m., Oct. 1, and was transported to an off-base hospital and pronounced dead. The Airman's name is being withheld until 24 hours after next-of-kin notification.More information will be released as it becomes

  • Yokota Airman honored for international affairs excellence

    An Air Force colonel was recognized May 23 for his role in supporting international relations through medical care and fostering joint relationships with Japan.Undersecretary of the Air Force Erin Conaton presented Col. (Dr.) Lee Harvis with the 2011 Air Force International Affairs Excellence Award

  • Yokota Airman killed after being struck by vehicle

    Staff Sgt. Raymond Briggs from the Defense Courier Service here was struck by a vehicle and killed Dec. 1 as he attempted to cross a highway while on leave in San Mateo County, Calif. "The sudden death of Sergeant Briggs is a tragic loss to his family, Team Yokota and the entire U.S. Air Force,"

  • Yokota Airmen aid Japan after earthquake

    Airmen from the 374th Airlift Wing flew a C-130 Hercules with 10,000 pounds of water and 100 air-conditioning units to Niigata Prefecture July 18 from here to support victims of an earthquake that shook the northwest side of Japan July 16. The C-130 assigned to the 36th Airlift Squadron left with

  • Yokota Airmen central to supporting Operation Tomodachi

    Airmen working in the Emergency Operations Center here have been central to processing and coordinating disaster relief efforts in support of Operation Tomodachi. Emergency Operations Center members work on a strategic level to coordinate emergency preparedness, emergency management and disaster

  • Yokota Airmen 'connect' to help fellow Airman

    When an Airman here needed his room renovated to support a device that would monitor his heart, several squadrons came together to lend a helping hand.After experiencing a sudden cardiac arrest during a physical training exercise, Airman 1st Class Tan Nguyen, from the 374th Medical Operations

  • Yokota Airmen deliver supplies to Indonesian school

    Airmen from Yokota Air Base, Japan, delivered more than $1,200 worth of school supplies and sports equipment to an elementary school during a goodwill visit here June 23.The visit, an event of Exercise Cope West 11, was an opportunity for Airmen to build good relations with local residents living

  • Yokota Airmen deploy throughout Southwest Asia

    Approximately 70 Airmen from the 374th Airlift Wing here set out on a 120-day deployment this week in support of Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom.Airmen assembled at the Deployment Processing Center here on the Labor Day holiday, spending time with family and friends before departing.

  • Yokota airmen experience life at sea

    Three Yokota airmen chosen recently to experience life at sea, have returned to dry land.The trip, offered by U.S. Navy's 7th Fleet command was a program designed to give junior servicemembers in the Army and Air Force a chance to interact with sailors in similar career fields on board a Navy

  • Yokota Airmen help prepare Sailors for refuels

    Airmen fuelers from the 374th Logistics Readiness Squadron provided essential training on the R-11 refueling trucks to Sailors from Naval Air Facility Atsugi, Japan, at Yokota Air Base Jan. 25-29. The training allowed members to prepare to support Navy aircraft at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam,

  • Yokota Airmen keep steady pace in providing relief

    About 170 Airmen from here have arrived in Thailand to assist in relief efforts for the countries in southeast Asia struck by tsunamis after a devastating 9.0 magnitude earthquake occurred in the Indian Ocean Dec. 26.The Airmen from the 374th Airlift Wing have deployed to Utapao, Thailand, to

  • Yokota Airmen participate in Japanese festival

    Members from Yokota Air Base, Japan, participated in the Fussa City Tanabata Festival Aug. 8 here. Airmen and U.S. citizens from Yokota AB had the opportunity to carry a Mikoshi, a type of portable shrine, from Shinmeisya Shrine to Fussa's City Hall. It is believed that carrying the shrine brings

  • Yokota Airmen participate in large-force exercise

    Airmen and aircraft from the 374th Airlift Wing here participated in the Ryukyu Air Warrior exercise Feb. 22 at Kadena Air Base, Japan.The exercise was designed to enhance aircrew exposure to large force exercises, inter-flying with different aircraft, air-to-air counter tactics and defensive

  • Yokota Airmen participate in low-cost, low-altitude training drops

    Airmen here used low-cost, low-altitude training to practice new airdrop techniques Oct. 7 at the Fuji Drop Zone.Yokota Air Base Airmen were supported by Soldiers from the Product Manager Force Sustainment Systems from Natick, Mass. PM FSS provided the training equipment and technical assistance as

  • Yokota Airmen prepare relief supplies

    Members of the 374th Logistics Readiness Squadron at Yokota Air Base, Japan, unload cargo, March 14, 2011, as part of the earthquake and tsunami recovery effort. (U.S. Air Force photo/Osakabe Yasuo)

  • Yokota Airmen share airdrop techniques with Japanese counterparts

    Yokota Airmen from the 374th Airlift Wing showcased their low-cost, low-altitude airdrop methods and capabilities with Japan Air Self-Defense Force members, showing their counterparts how to provide affordable, reliable, safe and accurate airdrops for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief

  • Yokota Airmen share new cargo-rigging techniques at Cope West

    Airmen from Yokota Air Base, Japan, explained low-cost, low-altitude bundle rigging techniques to members of the Indonesian army and air force June 22 as a part of Exercise Cope West 11, at Halim Air Base, Indonesia.The training seminar, one of several scheduled during the exercise, was designed to

  • Yokota airmen stay ready

    Tech. Sgt. Michael Cannon, an electrical power production technician from the 374th Civil Engineer Squadron here, installs a barrier cable at the flightline during a readiness exercise here. The barrier is used to assist aircraft during emergency landings. Yokota is the primary airlift resource