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U.S. Air Force News

  • C-130 celebrates 60 years, still going strong

    In 1954, the song "Rock Around the Clock" was playing on the radio, Oprah Winfrey was born and the first issue of Sports Illustrated appeared on newsstands. The same year, on August 23, the YC-130 Hercules made its maiden flight...

  • Travis AFB makes boy superhero for a day

    As he puts on the uniform that resembles military desert camouflage, he is no longer a child -- he is a superhero. His mission is to use his extremely advanced fighting skills developed during his 11 years on earth to defeat the bad guys and rescue the good guys. His superhero instincts lead him to

  • Airman, Actor, Nerd

    After hours of shopping, stitching and crafting, a piece of work comes together for former Tech Sgt. Randolph Sena, a civilian Airman and a recreational cosplayer.

  • ACC loans Global Hawk to Global Vigilance Combined Test Force

    The 412th Test Wing's Global Vigilance Combined Test Force received a Global Hawk Block 40 Aug. 6, on loan from Air Combat Command. The aircraft, from Grand Forks Air Force Base, North Dakota, is joining the Block 20 and 40 aircraft at Edwards AFB to offer an additional platform for

  • Largest ISR weapons, tactics conference charts joint vector

    For the eighth consecutive year tacticians and subject matter experts from across the intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance community, met at the Air Force ISR Agency headquarters here to help shape the future direction of the Air Force -- this time in concert with its sister services.

  • Air Force, Army Aviation come together to complete vital mission in Egypt

    Weighing more than 17,000 pounds the a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter -- when not being carried by its own rotors -- is not the easiest piece of Army equipment to move from one point to another. So what happens when one of these military chariots becomes non-mission capable in the desert and needs

  • AFSOUTH strengthens space ties with partner nations

    Three officers from the Dominican Republic, Peruvian and Brazilian militaries partnered with active-duty and guard Airmen at Davis-Monthan for a rare opportunity to work collectively on the space component of PANAMAX 2014, Aug. 8-15.

  • DOD continues aid to combat western wildfires

    Two Department of Defense C-130Hercules equipped with U.S. Forest Service 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, Great Basin, and elsewhere in the West at the request of the

  • First pipeline F-35 crew chiefs graduate

    Nine Airmen became the first Air Force recruits to graduate initial skills technical training as F-35 Lightning II crew chiefs after completing Mission-Ready Airmen training here Aug. 7."The opportunity to be the first of something so important means a lot. I know many people are looking at us to be

  • Bomber crews showcase take-off talents

    Ten B-52H Stratofortress bombers took part in a minimum interval takeoff exercise, or MITO, showcasing ground and aircrew's abilities, here Aug. 14.During a MITO, each aircraft is equipped with eight starter cartridges filled with gunpowder, that allows the engines to start up faster than a normal

  • AWACS upgrade achieves initial operational capability

    The commander of Air Combat Command, Gen. Mike Hostage, declared initial operational capability for the 552nd Air Control Wing's E-3G Sentry, an Airborne Warning and Control System Block 40/45 aircraft, July 28, here.

  • New rotation takes reigns at Powidz AB, Poland

    With a shrill squeal, rubber met road as two C-130J Super Hercules' touched down Aug. 14, at Powidz Air Base, Poland -- their crews ready to begin a flying training deployment in support of Operation Atlantic Resolve, or OAR.

  • 5th Bomb Wing turns 95

    Today marks the 95th Anniversary of the 5th Bomb Wing. Originally activated August 15, 1919 as the 2nd Observation Group at Luke Field in the Territory of Hawaii, the men and women of the 5th BW have seen action in WWII and Operations Desert Fox, Allied Force, Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom, to

  • Greece, US plan for successful air training

    They had been in the room for nearly six hours. The planners scoured the map of Greece, searching for just the right area to place an enemy missile defense system, or an enemy airfield, or one of hundreds of other highly defended military targets

  • DOD continues aid to combat wildfires in Northwest

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

  • B-52 aircrews hone long-range ISR capabilities

    Airmen from Air Force Global Strike Command recently took advantage of a multinational U.S.. Southern Command-led exercise to hone their long-range reconnaissance capabilities. The 2nd Bomb Wing, Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, flew a B-52 Stratofortress bomber on a nonstop mission from the

  • US partners with Greece for bilateral training

    Nearly 20 U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcons from the 480th Fighter Squadron at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, deployed to Souda Bay, Greece, for bilateral training with the Hellenic air force Aug. 11-23.

  • Humanitarian assistance continues in Iraq

    The United States and Britain have flown 14 humanitarian airdrops since Aug. 7 to Yezidi refugees in the Sinjar Mountains in Iraq, a Defense Department official said Aug. 12.

  • USecAF visits with Spangdahlem Airmen

    Under Secretary of the Air Force Eric Fanning recently visited Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, and spoke with Airmen during an all call, which he kicked off by complimenting their attention to detail.

  • Air Force's new maritime radar becomes operational

    The Air Force Technical Applications Center has a welcome addition to its treaty monitoring capabilities - the Cobra King radar system aboard the USNS Howard O. Lorenzen. Cobra King is a new, state-of-the-art mobile radar system consisting of S- and X-band phased radars that AFTAC employs to provide

  • Environmental teams answer ‘Call to Future’

    As the Air Force takes a 30-year look ahead in the recently released strategy document, “America’s Air Force: A Call to the Future,” environmental teams are already helping ensure installations are prepared for operations in 2045 and beyond using the Environmental Management System.

  • Altus breaks ground for KC-46A construction

    Officials broke ground on a new construction project on Altus Air Force Base, Okla., Aug. 7. The ceremony marked the beginning of a months-long effort to prepare for the arrival of the newest refueling aircraft in the Air Force fleet, the KC-46A Pegasus.

  • Deployed loadmasters use new airdrop system

    A C-130J Super Hercules aircraft from the 774th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron completed an airdrop for the Afghan National Army using the new Wireless Gate Release System Aug. 1, at Bagram Airfield Afghanistan.

  • C-130Js test tactics against F-16

    Two 317th Airlift Group C-130J Super Hercules successfully employed air-to-air tactics against an F-16 Fighting Falcon during a training exercise July 23,, en route to Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas. This exercise demonstrated the C-130J capabilities that will be used during

  • 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

  • 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.

  • AF launches successful satellite mission

    The 45th Space Wing supported a successful United Launch Alliance Delta IV vehicle carrying Air Force Space Command mission assets for the Air Force July 28.

  • Vice chief of staff talks STEM to local educators

    Air Force Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Larry O. Spencer spoke to local educators about the particular importance of science, technology, engineering and mathematics to the Air Force during an ASM Materials Teachers Camp July 18, at Shaw-Howard University, Washington, D.C.

  • McChord pilot continues to inspire Airmen

    In 2009, a young Air Force lieutenant in pilot training thought his dreams of flying in the Air Force were crushed following a recreational boating accident that resulted in the loss of his right leg. Despite the accident, Capt. Ryan McGuire, now a 4th Airlift Squadron pilot, became the first Airman

  • Healthy eating: A recipe for success

    Airmen from the 374th Force Support Squadron are working in concert with Certified Master Chef James Hanyzeski to improve the nutritional quality of the meals served to Airmen at the Samurai Café dining facility on Yokota Air Base, Japan.

  • ACC, PACAF commanders confirmed

    Pacific Air Forces Commander Gen. Herbert Carlisle will be the next commander of Air Combat Command and ACC Vice Commander Lt. Gen. Lori Robinson will be the next commander of Pacific Air Forces, according to a Senate confirmation vote July 23.

  • 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.

  • SECAF discusses current, future challenges with 501st CSW

    Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James visited Royal Air Force Alconbury and RAF Molesworth, England, to learn more about the mission of the 501st Combat Support Wing and to discuss with Airmen the current state of the Air Force.

  • 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.

  • AF satellites to contribute to space neighborhood watch

    The Air Force plans to launch two operational satellites and one experimental satellite into near-geosynchronous Earth orbit July 23. According to Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James, "these operational and experimental systems will enhance the nation’s ability to monitor and assess events

  • Pacific Angel making a difference in Tonga

    More than 160 members from seven nations joined forces to provide humanitarian assistance to the citizens of Tonga as part of Operation Pacific Angel-Tonga July 21.

  • 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

  • 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

  • F-15E takes first flight with new radar system

    The first 389th Fighter Squadron F-15E Strike Eagle received a Radar Modernization Program upgrade at Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho in June. The new radar system is designed to retain functionality of the old legacy radar system while providing expanded mission employment capabilities.

  • F-35s return to limited flight operations

    The 26 Air Force F-35s Lightning II joint strike fighters assigned here returned to limited flight operations July 17 with the approval of commanders and Air Force airworthiness authorities.

  • ‘Like watching your kid grow up’: B-2 Spirit 25th anniversary

    The first B-2 Spirit to "slip the surly bonds of earth" celebrates its 25th anniversary of flight July 17, providing the Airmen and civilians who work with the airframe a chance to reflect on the strategic impact 20 aircraft can have in the entire Defense Department arsenal.

  • F-35 returns to limited flight, officials rule out Farnborough

    While the F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighter has returned to limited flying, it will not be appearing at the Farnborough International Airshow in the United Kingdom, Pentagon Press Secretary Navy Rear Adm. John Kirby said during a Pentagon news conference July 15.

  • 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.

  • LEAP application window opens

    The Language Enabled Airman Program is accepting active-duty officer and enlisted applications July 15 - Aug. 22. Those intending to submit applications must register their intent to apply by Aug. 8. Officer candidate students in their senior years may also apply

  • 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.

  • Defense secretary visits Eglin AFB

    Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel visited Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., where he addressed safety concerns and toured the 33rd Fighter Wing's F-35 integrated training center, July 10.

  • ISR Agency becomes part of newest Numbered Air Force

    The Air Force Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance Agency is being realigned from Headquarters Air Force as a Field Operating Agency to become part of a new operational Numbered Air Force, or NAF, under Air Combat Command, or ACC, officials said July 11.

  • Air Force creates Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center

    The Air Force is centralizing its installation support management within a newly created Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center, Air Force officials announced July 11. The change resulted from a comprehensive effort to reduce overhead costs; increase efficiencies; eliminate redundant

  • 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.

  • 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

  • CSAF visits Ramstein, focus on people, pride, respect

    Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Welsh III returned to Ramstein Air Base July 8-9 to speak with Airmen, listen to their stories of service, update them on pressing issues facing the Air Force, and thank them for their service.

  • 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.

  • KC-46A groundbreaking ceremony marks giant step forward for air refueling

    A new era in Air Force air refueling capabilities took a giant step forward June 30. Shovels overturned the first piles of dirt during a groundbreaking ceremony for the new KC-46A Pegasus at McConnell Air Force Base. The ceremony symbolized significant progress in the KC-46A program and that

  • Lombardi Trophy goes to McChord

    The 2014 Seattle Seahawks 12 Tour is taking the team's first Vince Lombardi Trophy on a journey through the Pacific Northwest during the summer and to say "thank you" to their fans serving in the armed forces, the Seahawks kicked-off the tour July 1, here.

  • 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.

  • Breedlove: Russian actions bring Europe to decisive point

    Gen. Philip M. Breedlove, NATO's supreme allied commander for Europe and the commander of U.S. European Command, told reporters at the Pentagon that Russia's actions against Ukraine show just how important it is to maintain a forward presence in Europe to reassure the nation's partners and allies.

  • Fifth CMSAF visits Airmen, talks change, taking ownership

    The fifth Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force, Robert D. Gaylor, visited and spoke with Airmen June 26 at the base theater here.The former senior enlisted member of the Air Force shared his personal journey and views on leadership with more than 200 Airmen in attendance.

  • 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.

  • 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